Untitled

From the Prolific Pen of Ryan Nock Special Thanks to Tim Curry, to the woman pulling weeds from
the rosemary, and I guess to incompetent leaders around the world,

Visionary Cover Illustration by Claudio Pozas
reminding us that even after someone saves the world, those with
Evocative Cartographic Displays by ill intent will find brand new ways to be awful.
James Hazelett, Brian Patterson, Jonathan Roberts
Zeitgeist Setting Created by Ryan Nock
Masterful Interior Illustrations by (who got many good ideas from other people)
Julia & Natalie Behle, Dennis Darmody, Dean Kelly, Herman Lau,
Commendable Contributions by Lewis Pascoe,
Brian Lindahl, Renan Moraes, Allen Morris, Claudio Pozas,
L. “Keya” Kohler, and E. S. Edna
Dede Putra, ShenFei, Phil Stone, Eleni Tsami, and artists of history*
Publication Ably Commanded by Russell Morrissey
with Layout and Graphic Design by Eric Life-Putnam
* some public domain illustrations are courtesy fromoldbooks.org and publicdomainpictures.net
Visit EN Publishing at www.enpublishingrpg.com!
table of contents
Preface Wherein the World Still Spins............ 1 Gunsmith........................................................................................ 34
]] First, a Note about Spoilers..............................................................................1 ]] Adventure Seed: Gunsmith...........................................................................34
Overview............................................................................ 1 Martial Scientist............................................................................ 35
1. Invention, Ideologies, and Inflection Points......................... 2 ]] Adventure Seed: Martial Scientist.............................................................35
2. H umans, the Great Nations, and the Great Eclipse............. 2 ]] A Note about Martial Scientists.................................................................36
3. Elves, the Dreaming, and the Great Malice........................... 2 Ottoplismist.................................................................................... 36
4. Devas, Tieflings, and Technology............................................ 3 Skyseer............................................................................................. 37
5. Dwarves, Doomsday, and Dogma........................................... 3 ]] Skyseer: The Cosmology in Brief.................................................................37
6. Savagery, Liberty, and Dragons............................................... 4 Sophist............................................................................................. 38
7. The Planets, Planes, and Piety.................................................. 4 Spirit Medium................................................................................ 39
8. Heroic Themes and a Crafted Cosmology.............................. 5 ]] Adventure Seed: Spirit Medium..................................................................39
]] Pronunciation Guide..........................................................................................5 Technologist.................................................................................... 40
Contents............................................................................ 5 Telemachian.................................................................................... 41
]] The Great Eclipse and the Spirit of the Age...............................................5 ]] A Note about Yerasol Veterans....................................................................41
]] An Exceedingly Brief Timeline.......................................................................6 Tropezaro........................................................................................ 42
Vekeshi Mystic............................................................................... 43
Chapter One A World on Its Axis....................... 7
]] Level Up!..................................................................................................................7 Chapter Two The Science of Adventure..........45
Homelands........................................................................ 8 New Class—Savant........................................................ 45
]] Powers of the Great Nations...........................................................................8 Class Features................................................................................. 46
Ber....................................................................................................... 8 ]] Adventure Seeds: Savant................................................................................49
Crisillyir............................................................................................ 9 Steward............................................................................................ 50
Danor................................................................................................ 11 Vanguard......................................................................................... 50
Drakr................................................................................................ 12 Vox.................................................................................................... 51
Elfaivar............................................................................................. 13 Savant Schemes............................................................................. 52
Risur................................................................................................. 14 New Subclasses.............................................................. 53
The Yerasol Islands....................................................................... 15 Adept—Durala Carao................................................................... 53
]] A Common Language.....................................................................................15 ]] Adventure Seeds: Durala Carao.................................................................53
Colonies........................................................................................... 16 Berserker—Queen Bee................................................................. 54
The Malice Lands........................................................................... 16 ]] Adventure Seeds: Queen Bee.........................................................................55
City States, Border States, and Other Continents.................. 17 Bard—Vagabond............................................................................ 56
Stateless........................................................................................... 18 Cleric—Aspirant............................................................................ 56
Heritage, Culture, Nation........................................... 18 ]] Godhands of the Clergy..................................................................................57
Major Heritages............................................................................. 19 Druid—Axis Slayer....................................................................... 57
Minor Heritages............................................................................. 20 Fighter—Gadgeteer...................................................................... 59
New Cultures.................................................................................. 25 Herald—Executore........................................................................ 61
]] Gold as Fashion and Fortune......................................................................27 ]] Freedom in the Industrial Workforce.......................................................61
Backgrounds................................................................... 28 Ranger—Titanist........................................................................... 62
Archaeologist................................................................................. 28 ]] Adventure Seeds: Titanist..............................................................................63
]] Adventure Seed: Archaeologist....................................................................29 Rogue—Occult Blade.................................................................... 65
Faction Agent.................................................................................. 29 Sorcerer—Annihilator................................................................. 66
Investigator..................................................................................... 30 Warlock—Urbanist....................................................................... 68
]] Adventure Seed: Investigator.......................................................................30 ]] Adventure Seeds: Urbanist............................................................................68
Riven Mind..................................................................................... 30 Wizard—Last Raven..................................................................... 69
]] Adventure Seed: Riven Mind........................................................................31 Wizard—Enclavist........................................................................ 70
]] Egregores..............................................................................................................31 On Religions and Deities.............................................. 72
Character Themes & Feats.......................................... 32 Clergy............................................................................................... 72
Courseur.......................................................................................... 32 Guerro.............................................................................................. 72
Docker.............................................................................................. 33 Seedism............................................................................................ 73
]] Adventure Seed: Docker.................................................................................33 The Old Faith.................................................................................. 73
ii
Table of Contents
Chapter Three An Exposition of Inventions...75 Crisillyir....................................................................... 107

Progress and Innovation............................................. 75 Introduction.................................................................................107
]] Notable Innovations........................................................................................75 Grand History..............................................................................107
Modern Technology...................................................................... 76 ]] Crisillyir at a Glance.....................................................................................107
Equipment........................................................................ 77 ]] Crisillyr: Landscape and Cuisine............................................................108
Civilized Gear................................................................................. 77 ]] Elfaivaran Slave Trade.................................................................................109
]] Character Starting Wealth...........................................................................77 ]] The Lovely Legion..........................................................................................109
]] Adventure Seeds for Technology.................................................................77 The Government and Its Leaders............................................. 113
]] Optional Rule: Sartorial Defense...............................................................78 Welcome to the Family............................................................... 114
Explosive Alchemicals................................................................. 78 Alais Primos................................................................................. 115
Firearms.......................................................................................... 78 ]] Solar Cathedral............................................................................................... 115
]] Compatibility with the Core Rules............................................................80 Sid Minos....................................................................................... 117
]] Muzzle Loading a Firearm............................................................................80 Vendricce....................................................................................... 118
]] Etiquette for an Armed Populace...............................................................81 ]] The Heretical Writings of William Miller........................................... 119
Apotropaics..................................................................................... 82 Other Places of Interest..............................................................120
]] Counterfeit Apotropaics................................................................................82 Danor.............................................................................. 120
Travel................................................................................................ 83 Introduction.................................................................................120
]] Ship-Spirits..........................................................................................................84 Grand History..............................................................................121
]] The Avery Coast Railroad.............................................................................85 ]] Danor at a Glance..........................................................................................121
]] Naval Weapons..................................................................................................88 ]] Articles of the Treaty.....................................................................................123
Magic for Sale................................................................................. 88 ]] Danor: Landscape and Cuisine................................................................124
]] Kinetography......................................................................................................88 ]] The Last Stain of the Great Malice.........................................................125
Life and Death................................................................................ 88 The Government and Its Leaders.............................................126
Cherage..........................................................................................127
Chapter Four Collectanea of the Avery Sea...91 Beaumont......................................................................................128
How We Got Here............................................................ 91 ]] The Department of Dreams......................................................................130
Old History...................................................................................... 91 Methia............................................................................................130
The Great Eclipse........................................................................... 91 ]] Porteurs du Mort........................................................................................... 131
New History.................................................................................... 92 Other Places of Interest................................................................. 133
Ber..................................................................................... 93 ]] The City State of Orithea............................................................................ 133
Introduction................................................................................... 93 ]] The Other Malice States..............................................................................134
Grand History................................................................................ 93 Drakr.............................................................................. 134
]] Ber at a Glance...................................................................................................94 Introduction.................................................................................134
]] The Heroes of the Revolution.......................................................................95 ]] Drakr at a Glance..........................................................................................134
]] Ber: Landscape and Cuisine..........................................................................96 Grand History.............................................................................. 135
The Government and Its Leaders............................................... 97 ]] Drakr: Landscape and Cuisine.................................................................136
]] Goals of the Bruse.............................................................................................98 ]] Stones of Remembrance............................................................................... 137
]] The Noble Savage Beating.............................................................................98 The Clans.......................................................................................138
Beran Peoples................................................................................. 98 The Government and Its Leaders.............................................138
]] Hazard at Sea.....................................................................................................99 Kuchnost........................................................................................ 139
]] Cultural Stereotypes.....................................................................................100 Frost Giants.................................................................................. 139
Seobriga......................................................................................... 101 ]] The Chthonic Canal...................................................................................... 139
]] Dwarves in Ber...............................................................................................102 ]] Tradition’s Jape...............................................................................................140
Ursaliña......................................................................................... 102 Trekhom........................................................................................140
Karch.............................................................................................. 104 ]] Let Us Welcome Controversy....................................................................142
Other Places of Interest..............................................................106 Mirsk..............................................................................................142
]] The Lost Riders...............................................................................................143
]] Mirskwood Folk.............................................................................................144
Knütpara........................................................................................ 145
]] The Clash of Ideas in Drakr......................................................................146
Other Places of Interest..............................................................148
iii Adventures in ZEITGEIST

Table of Contents
Elfaivar......................................................................... 149 Planetary Gazetteer................................................. 185

Introduction................................................................................. 149 The Bleak Gate.............................................................................. 185
]] Elfaivar at a Glance......................................................................................149 ]] Skyseers Against Industry......................................................................... 185
Grand History.............................................................................. 150 Differing Dreams.........................................................................186
]] Elfaivar: Landscape and Cuisine............................................................. 152 ]] Halos...................................................................................................................186
]] Languages and Time..................................................................................... 153 Vona, Light of Inspiration..........................................................189
]] Current Status of the Colonies................................................................. 154 Jiese, the Fires of Industry.........................................................189
The Government.......................................................................... 155 Caeloon, the Paper Wind...........................................................190
]] Slavery in Elfaivar......................................................................................... 155 Ostea, the Beating Heart............................................................ 191
Rumah Terakir............................................................................. 156 Urim, the Shattered Golden Chain.......................................... 191
]] Peril of Ravana............................................................................................... 157 Av, Plane of Reflections.............................................................. 191
]] The Lonely Companion............................................................................... 158 ]] The Space Race................................................................................................ 191
Kanta Mahala............................................................................... 159 Teykfa, the Ticking Pendulum.................................................. 192
Kirimpulang................................................................................. 161 Mavisha, the Mysterious Deep................................................. 192
]] The Arsenal of Dhebisu............................................................................... 161 Ascetia, the Hidden Jungle........................................................ 192
Other Places of Interest.............................................................. 162 Amrou, the Salt Waste................................................................ 192
Risur............................................................................... 163 Travel Between Worlds............................................ 193
Introduction................................................................................. 163 Plane Shift..................................................................................... 193
Grand History.............................................................................. 164 Planar Portals............................................................................... 193
]] Risur: Landscape and Cuisine.................................................................. 164 Zones of Confluence.................................................................... 194
]] Risur at a Glance............................................................................................ 165
]] Writings of King Baldrey...........................................................................166 Chapter Six A Parade of Curiosities.............. 195
The Government and Its Leader............................................... 167 Magic Items................................................................... 195
Bole................................................................................................. 171 Crafting Components................................................................. 195
]] The Sword of the Black Needles................................................................ 171 ]] Planarite............................................................................................................ 195
Slate and Clover...........................................................................172 ]] Example Planarite—Air............................................................................196
]] The Winter Culling........................................................................................174 ]] Example Planarite—Death......................................................................198
Flint................................................................................................ 174 ]] Example Planarite—Earth.......................................................................199
]] Radical Raven Fountain............................................................................. 177 ]] Example Planarite—Fire...........................................................................200
]] Blackfall Grotto.............................................................................................. 179 ]] Example Planarite—Life............................................................................201
]] The Pauper Archmage..................................................................................180 ]] The Navras Opera House...........................................................................202
Other Places of Interest.............................................................. 182 ]] Example Planarite—Space........................................................................203
]] Example Planarite—Water......................................................................204
Chapter Five Of All Possible Worlds............ 183 Training and Mastery................................................ 209
The Planetary System.................................................183 Godhands......................................................................................209
Planar Mechanics........................................................183 Martial Scientist Theses............................................................ 210
Blood of Ostea...............................................................................184 The Rites of Rulership................................................211
Bonds of Urim...............................................................................184 ]] The Rites in Other Nations........................................................................212
Light of Ascetia............................................................................184 Risur’s Rites..................................................................................212
Mysteries of Mavisha.................................................................184 Prestige Classes.......................................................... 213
Timeliness of Teykfa................................................................... 185 Applied Astronomist.................................................................. 213
Wards of Amrou.......................................................................... 185 Logos...............................................................................................214
Winds of Caeloon......................................................................... 185 ]] Magical Epistemology................................................................................. 215
Calendar........................................................................ 185 Mad Shootist................................................................................. 216
Monument of War....................................................................... 217
Notorious Celebrity.................................................................... 218
Polyhistor...................................................................................... 219
Steamsuit Pilot.............................................................................220
Urban Empath..............................................................................221
Vekeshi Excoriant........................................................................222
Wayfarer Cirqueliste..................................................................224
Adventures in ZEITGEIST iv
Table of Contents
Chapter Seven A Modern Menagerie.............. 225 Chapter Eight The Grand Design.................... 249
Arctech.......................................................................... 225 Campaign Styles........................................................... 249
]] Technological Weaknesses..........................................................................225 ]] “Importing a Save” from Zeitgeist: The Gears of Revolution......249
BEAR—Battle Enhanced Animalistic Replicant..................225 Constabulary................................................................................ 250
Brass Men......................................................................................226 ]] Interconnected Gears....................................................................................252
Military Steamsuit......................................................................227 ]] Black Shores: Noir in the Yerasol Archipelago...................................253
Ran’s Cachean Elephant.............................................................228 Conspiracy.................................................................................... 253
Crooks............................................................................ 229 ]] To Court the Unseen: Thievery for a Higher Purpose..................... 255
Government Forces.................................................... 231 Revolutionary............................................................................... 256
Fey.................................................................................... 232 ]] Fighting Illusions with Journalism and Guns...................................258
Rangales........................................................................................232 Voyager.......................................................................................... 259
The Borenbog...............................................................................232 ]] Looking to the Classics................................................................................260
Bleak Court Beasts...................................................................... 233 New Mechanical Options........................................... 261
Ten-Headed Lion.......................................................................... 235 When to Use These Rules...........................................................262
Painted Fey.................................................................................... 237 Influence........................................................................................263
]] Elfaivaran Samsāra-Fey.............................................................................237 ]] Note: Bonuses and Advantage..................................................................263
Witchoil Experiment................................................. 237 ]] Impossible Missions......................................................................................263
A History of Oily Creations....................................................... 237 ]] Example Campaign Groups......................................................................264
]] Graced by the Glistening Oil.....................................................................237 Inquiries........................................................................................266
Witchoil Automaton...................................................................238 ]] Torture and the Rule of Law......................................................................267
Witchoil Monstrosity................................................................. 239 Pursuits..........................................................................................267
Shadow Hound............................................................................. 239 Secret Missions............................................................................269
Noetic Entities............................................................. 240 ]] When to Use Secret Missions....................................................................269
Varieties of Noetic Entities........................................................240 ]] Ten Steps Ahead..............................................................................................270
Malice Beasts................................................................................241 Secrets of the Setting............................................... 271
]] Thoughtflesh and Thoughtforms............................................................241 Cult of the Steel Lord..................................................................271
]] Making a Meal of Yourself.........................................................................241 ]] The Fall of Srasama......................................................................................272
]] Other Potential Emotivores......................................................................242 Vekeshi Secrets............................................................................272
]] Malice Beast Traits........................................................................................243 Remnants of the Demonocracy................................................273
Ship-Spirits...................................................................................245 Sample Conspiracies...................................................................273
]] Kotele’s Motivation.......................................................................................246 The Secrets of Egregores............................................................ 275
Egregores.......................................................................................246 Plots and Possible Futures.......................................275
]] Narrator Advice: Egregores.......................................................................247 A Different Cosmology.............................................. 276
The Truth About Axis Island.....................................................278
The Avery Coast Railroad: still always on time.
v Adventures in ZEITGEIST
The Spirit of the Age
In the halls of power and elsewhere, grand visions of the future motivate the nations and peoples of Lanjyr...
... while skyseers document portents in the night sky, seeking the shape of things to come: the zeitgeist of a new age.
Adventures in ZEITGEIST vi
Preface
Wherein the World
Still Spins
D own an alley from Alchemy Row, the air is
thick with the burnt-oil stench of factory ef-
fluent dumped into Parity Lake, waters that even

a while, the shared salvation even inspired a few industrialists to
sincere magnanimity.
But that didn’t last, which explains the thickness of the throngs
here at Alchemy Row: another protest, no doubt filled with provo-
cateurs and spies, perhaps demanding justice against the Unseen
Court, or calling for another war in the Yerasol Archipelago, or
the governor’s druids can’t keep clean. But the view doomsaying about a fourth raven alighting atop Cauldron Hill.
Alchemy Row always presents a novel scene: the food is lush and
here is free of the looming walls of industrial ware- the music is commanding. But what really draws people out is the
chance at revolution, to set the spirit of the age: the zeitgeist.
houses, free of the crowds with their pageant of
protesting dockers, proselytizing deists, and pros- Overview

The Zeitgeist setting is a step away from traditional fantasy. In
perous dandies who’ve come to experience some many parts of the world, day to day existence is much unchanged
from how folks lived centuries ago. Fey trickery, prowling mon-
real culture among the poor common folk. sters, and roaming brigands pose as great a threat as ever. Priests
and druids offer guidance, and it’s possible to live all one’s entire
Here on the shore of this leather-brown lake, it’s possible to forget years without seeing a steam engine.
that the beachfront foreign intrigues are afoot in the extravagant Yet though this is still a land of magic, eight key elements set it
embassies a mile to the north, that the fresh air of the Cloudwood apart.
and all its teeming fey are an afternoon’s walk east, and that the
foremen repairing the royal airship dock west alongside Flint Bay First, a Note about Spoilers
pay well for a strong worker who isn’t afraid of heights. In 2011, E.N. Publishing released Zeitgeist: The Gears of Revolu-
But no one ever forgets Cauldron Hill. tion, an adventure path where a group of constables investigated
Look south, and there the haunted mountain peak rises above a sprawling conspiracy. The Zeitgeist setting takes place twenty
the smoke of Flint’s industry, the one place in the city where the years afterward. If you intend to play or run that campaign, this book
skyseers can clearly watch the heavens for warning. In living contains plenty of spoilers, but it’s mostly broad knowledge that
memory, the hill produced three disasters—called the three ravens the public would find in a history text. Reading on might lessen the
by the prophet who foresaw them. impact of some twists, but it shouldn’t ruin the journey.
After the third warning, the stars themselves vanished for a year, If you have already played that campaign, you’ll be interested in
and everything atop the hill—the stones, the trees, and the fool- Chapter Eight, which offers advice for adjusting how the world would
ishly curious—was devoured into darkness. look if your group’s adventures had different outcomes.
The heavens eventually returned, but they appeared a bit jostled And if you’re intrigued, the adventure path is available through
from the journey. The world had been saved, said the sages and the EN5ider subscription and at various online RPG stores. It’s an
politicians. People became more aware of what limited time they epic mystery, one we’re exceptionally proud of, but we invite you to
had, and yet how long the world would live and outlast them. For explore onward and come up with your own tales to tell.
1
Wherein the World Still Spins
Preface
[[Art: Aodhan and Lya share a toast from adventure 5—Cauldron Born]]
1. Invention, Ideologies, and Twenty years ago, the sun and stars vanished for nearly a year,
Inflection Points an event called the Great Eclipse. The world was pulled back from
Ironclad industry is reshaping nations, and railroads slice through the brink of destruction thanks to a group led by the monarch of
the wilderness where monsters still roam. Steam and soot darken the nation of Risur. Though one of the great innovators of magical
the skies over cities, whose urban labyrinths seem to have spirits technology, Risur is a nation of old druidic traditions, with close
of their own. Fiends that the old religions thought they’d banished ties to the fey, passed down from the original elf inhabitants to
find novel forms in the new age, and fresh frights crawl out of imag- the current human majority. It weathered the Eclipse better than
ination and into the shadows between gaslights any other country, and its influence helped forestall war in the
Heroes and scoundrels stroll smoggy streets in top hats and tails, aftermath.
wield pistols or enchanted arcane fusils, and battle over matters of
philosophy and geopolitics as often as over treasure and thrones. 3. Elves, the Dreaming, and the
Groups once lumped together as “savage races” have founded a Great Malice
nation of their own, eager for prosperity and respectability. And Of the many elf cultures around the world, the nation Elfaivar
while many resist efforts to scientifically categorize magic, aca- created unparalleled magical wonders, with cities that straddled
demic institutes of sorcerous studies are attracting extravagant between this world and the Dreaming, a fey plane that is a shifting
investments from nations who fear what arcanotechnological in- mirror of reality. But five centuries ago Elfaivar collapsed when its
ventions their rivals might bring to bear. goddess of womanhood, Srasama, was slain, which caused nearly
No land on the continent of Lanjyr is static. Every nation and every woman of that nation to perish. Until recently, this disas-
ideology is vying for influence, and your adventures will determine ter—the Great Malice—had been the most pivotal event in history.
the shape of things to come. Elfaivaran survivors were often abused and demonized as they
struggled to keep their people and culture alive, and many with-
2. Humans, the Great Nations, and drew fully into the Dreaming.
the Great Eclipse At the end of the Great Eclipse, however, a last vestige of Srasa-
Humans dominate three of the six great nations of the modern ma’s power granted a miracle: millions of those same women who
world. Their ascendance in the past two thousand years toppled a had perished in the Malice were restored to life. Though displaced
mighty elf empire and provoked belief in doomsday millennialism by centuries, their return has heralded an unsteady restoration of
among many dwarves, a belief that proved prescient. Elfaivar to the world stage.
Adventures in ZEITGEIST 2
Preface
4. Devas, Tieflings, and 5. Dwarves, Doomsday, and
Technology Dogma
Srasama died at the climax of a holy war against a faith called the The major dwarven nation, Drakr, was grimly prepared for the
Clergy. The backlash of her fall afflicted two groups and created doomsday that arrived two decades ago. As they expected, ancient
two humanoid species. Mortals present at the site of her death were horrors clawed free from glaciers and fell from the black sky. The
infused by a sliver of her divinity. Marked by strange geometric world was engulfed in deadly cold. But then the world failed to end.
lines, they continually reincarnated in the following centuries, and A culture dominated by a dour mix of duty and pessimism found
came to be known as devas. a weight suddenly lifted from it. In that void, an explosion of new
Across the world, worshipers in the capital city of the Clergy dogmas spread and competed for adherents.
were marked by a curse. Given horns and tails, they came to be Drakran society organizes around philosophical factions, and a
known as tieflings. broad base supports the current chancellor’s eschatology move-
The land around that capital was left without magic, and today ment, which instructs people to plan their endings—for life, for
forms the nation of Danor. Two centuries ago Danor—populated governments, for literature, even for relationships. Drakrans credit
mostly by humans but led by the descendants of those tieflings— eschatology for helping survive the end of the world.
sparked a revolution of industry and mighty science. They built Traditionalist clans in the armiger faction see the chancellor’s
steam ships, railroads, and firearms, upending the balance of reformist policies as a threat to their power, and so they back other
power in Lanjyr. philosophers to splinter his base. One growing movement attracts
Magic has recently returned to Danor, and today’s innovators those who, in the aftermath of the Great Eclipse, aren’t quite con-
weave together technology and magic into arcanoscience, a devel- vinced the world didn’t end, and solipsistically doubt reality. A major
opment watched warily by those who fear the invention of some international crime syndicate called the Kuchnost encourages such
grand new weapon that will precipitate a global war. pathological skepticism, the better for them to operate on the edges
of truth and trust, because if nothing is real, why follow the law?
3 Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Preface
6. Savagery, Liberty, and Dragons

The youngest of the great nations, Ber, shook free in the past two
centuries from the yoke of toppled dragon tyrants. Once a chaotic
quilt of quarreling “monstrous” peoples, Ber arose from an unlikely
alliance of dragonborn, gnolls, goblins, goliaths, kobolds, lizard-
folk, minotaurs, orcs, and others. United by a common devotion to
personal liberty, they live in an uneasy peace as their rulers unite affects the fundamental nature of reality, while industrialists
the disparate peoples with a shared pride in proving their civility wonder at the potential riches of those worlds. Elfaivaran cities
to a doubting world. weave between the real world and the Dreaming. Sailors in the Yer-
A handful of the old dragon tyrants managed to avoid being slain asol Archipelago tell tales of mirages revealing coastlines of other
by finding refuge in other countries. And in recent years hitherto worlds, and though many think them mad, a cadre of Drakran
unseen fey dragons have wandered in from the Dreaming and laid engineers claim they will soon have a vehicle that can fly to other
claim to Ber’s more wild frontiers. Their arrival is blamed on the worlds on columns of flame.
tropezaros, a movement of survivalists, artists, and guerrilla war- The presence of other planes is most strongly felt in Crisillyir,
riors who seek to reconnect their modernizing society with the a human nation whose powerful Clergy once kept demons locked
wilds of nature. away and whose bishops would frighten sinners by invoking con-
demned spirits from the Bleak Gate. That realm, a dark mirror of
7. The Planets, Planes, and Piety the real world, holds the dead until they pass on to their eternal
People have always pondered the heavens, but today the hold the reward. During the Great Eclipse, however, ancient evils escaped
night sky has on the world is undeniable. from Clergy prisons, sowing doubt and discord. The once mono-
In Risur, folk prophets called skyseers watch the movements lithic faith is fracturing into two opposing denominations, each
of the stars to foretell the future. More enlightened scholars study suspicious the other is being inexorably corrupted by entities from
the roaming planets to understand how the flow of their energies sinister other worlds.
Preface
Pronunciation Guide Contents
T
••Risur. REES-ser (rhymes with “fleecer”). A native is a Risuri
(rhymes with “Missouri”). his worldbook contains materials for both
••Crisillyir. kris-SILL-lee-ur (rhymes with “the sillier”). A native is
a Crisillyiri (rhymes with “this ill eerie”). players and the Narrator.
••Danor. DAN-nor (rhymes with “fan oar”). A native is a Danoran
(rhymes with “can foreign”). Chapter One: A World on Its Axis offers new heritages and
••Drakr. DRAHK-kur (rhymes with “locker”). A native is a Drakran backgrounds. You’ll also find character themes, which are optional
(rhymes with “Cochrane”). hooks to show how your character is engaged in the changing times.
••Elfaivar. el-FIE-vahr (rhymes with “bell five bar”). A native is an Chapter Two: The Science of Adventure lists variant class
Elfaivaran. archetypes unique to Zeitgeist that can tie your characters more
••Lanjyr. LAN-jeer (rhymes with “fan jeer”). closely to the setting.
••Yerasol. YAIR-uh-sahl (rhymes with “aerosol”). Chapter Three: An Exposition of Inventions is a shopping list
••Srasama. srah-SAH-muh (rhymes with “the llama”). of new equipment for PCs, and explains the campaign’s industrial
age technology and more elaborate arcanoscientific innovations.
Chapter Four: Collectanea of the Avery Sea showcases the
setting writ large, focused on the major nations on the continent
Lanjyr, and the conflicts of ideology that bring the world alive.
8. Heroic Themes and a Crafted Chapter Five: Of All Possible Worlds details the planets of the
Cosmology night sky, the parallel planes of the Dreaming and the Bleak Gate,
The Zeitgeist campaign setting presents twelve character themes and how they influence the world.
that reinforce the heroic archetypes of the world, such as gun- Chapter Six: Parade of Curiosities presents prestige classes,
smiths, spirit mediums, and technologists. In addition to origin, rare boons, and diverse inventions and magical treasures.
class, and background, characters can choose to be associated with Chapter Seven: A Modern Menagerie details monsters that
one of these themes, which suggest ways to hook the character into roam this world or come from beyond it, as well as deadly minions
the setting. Some may take a feat that marks them as a pinnacle of and cunning antagonists from groups that hold power or plot in the
the theme’s movement. shadows.
Also, players should know the minor rules changes caused by the Chapter Eight: The Grand Design offers guidance on what
planets that circle in the night sky. For instance, the distant shores sorts of games can best fit the Zeitgeist setting, from industrial
of Mavisha, the Mysterious Deep make divination magic less effec- espionage, to politicking with the fey, to struggling to unite a nation
tive on islands. See Chapter Five for these rules. falling to civil war.
The Great Eclipse and the Spirit of the Age

Less than a generation ago, shared terror gripped all of civilization as stars People who had resigned themselves to the end of the world had another
fell from the sky and the sun vanished into darkness. In their place spun a chance, and resolved to try and recapture the lives they’d had before. In
hazy constellation, like grinding gears in the heavens, growing ever larger many ways, the world felt renewed, indeed better than it had been before.
as the world drifted toward that consuming gyre. For nearly a year, entire But soon, rumors spread that this feeling was no mere sentiment. In
nations beat back despair or embraced an expected apocalypse. Strange truth, in that pivotal hour the spirit of the new age had been decided.
magic sapped millions of their free will. People could survive wounds that would have been fatal before. Newly
And then, for one climactic hour, nearly everyone felt themselves drawn reliable magical flight made possible the development of airships.
into a colossal clash of ideals. In the two decades since, scholars and artists Superstitious protective measures like rings of salt now could actually
have struggled to describe the sensation, like having one’s beliefs wielded keep magical monsters at bay. Those facing difficult choices found them-
like a blade, or feeling one’s soul mingle with the passionate, uncertain selves feeling pulled to consider lessons from history. And many who
essence of uncountable foreigners. Some glimpsed a battle in the skies thought themselves certain to die consistently reported a sense of calm
between flying ships, others heard the plaintive plea of a mother for her resolve buoying them past their despair.
son to pull back from the brink of disaster, and everyone recalls the smoky A new age has begun, but its spirit was chosen by others. And many
scent of burning leaf of Nicodemus. cannot help but wonder what the world would be like if the hand that
When that hour ended, the stars returned, and a new day dawned. moved the stars had chosen otherwise.
Preface
An Exceedingly Brief Timeline

••1200 bov (Before Our Victory): King Kelland defeats the fey ••501 aov: A towering arcanotechnological colossus is unleashed
titans and founds Risur, the first mortal nation on the continent upon the Risuri city of Flint. No one seems able to control it,
of Lanjyr. In the following centuries, other nations rise up and it wanders across multiple countries, mindlessly trampling
throughout Lanjyr. whatever is underfoot wherever it roams. It ultimately arrives on
••1117 bov: The Demonocracy arises, its monstrous rulers Axis Island in the Yerasol Archipelago and somehow triggers the
enslaving the primitive nations of the north. Risur keeps it from Great Eclipse.
expanding south, and Elfaivar blocks its eastward growth. ••502 aov: The sun and stars vanish, and the rules of magic
••500 bov: Triegenes the fisherman founds the Clergy in what is change. After a year of upheaval, the Great Eclipse ends, and the
modern-day Danor, overthrows the demonocracy, then dies and sun and stars return, though several planets have been replaced.
ascends to godhood. Millions of women who died five centuries earlier in the Great
••50 bov: The First Victory, a holy war between the Clergy and the Malice are resurrected in Elfaivar.
elf nation Elfaivar, ends with Elfaivar losing much territory. ••503 aov: Drakran explorer Kiegar Arukova captures public
••1 aov: (After Our Victory): The Second Victory begins as an imagination with a series of expeditions whose aim is to map the
Elfaivaran effort to reclaim lost lands ends in their decisive defeat Dreaming. This proves impossible, but it leads to more fey forays
when the Elfaivaran goddess Srasama manifests physically and into the real world.
is then slain in an event called the Great Malice. Danor collapses ••519 aov: After a period of cautious peace, the Elfaivaran Recla-
into chaos as the nation becomes a dead magic zone. The seat mation Crisis becomes the first major international conflict since
of the Clergy moves to Crisillyir. Elfaivar splinters into scattered the Great Eclipse. Elfaivaran warlord Adin Radhasi claims the
enclaves of survivors. Dwarves seize control of their own nation Crisillyiri city of Vendricce for over a year. While trying to broker
in Drakr. an armistice, Risur’s monarch is nearly slain by a Clergy cadre of
••300 aov: King Boyle of Risur claims to slay the last dragon gunslinging godhands. A rampaging Crisillyiri army retakes the
tyrant of Ber, but offers a secret pact to hide and protect a hand- city and pursues the Elfaivarans into a Risur-controlled colony
ful of them. The nation of Danor, resurgent with industry and before being defeated by the Risuri king. The king negotiates an
technology, begins to contest Risur for control of the lush Yerasol armistice, then abdicates in the aftermath.
Archipelago. ••522 aov: Present day. Risur is about to launch its first aerial
••460 aov: King Aodhan of Risur encourages his people to pursue battleship, the Burning Sky, and its new queen hopes to found
industry so they can fight back against Danor. Meanwhile in Ber, a loose international governing body devoted to peacekeeping,
Bruse Le Roye unites tribes of diverse people into a new nation. named the Concert of Nations.
Chapter One
A World on Its Axis
T he Zeitgeist setting is one where charac-
ters’ choices can shape the world. But the first
choices you must make are to determine who your

Level Up!
Zeitgeist is the first setting to use EN Publishing’s new Level Up:
Advanced 5th Edition system. It’s fully compatible with 5th Edition,
adding a few more character options and a bit more mechanical
depth. The following information will help you use this book with the
core 5th Edition rules.
character is. You can follow these steps in whatever Level Up uses the term Narrator in place of Game Master, and we
have changed the names of three classes to make them more univer-
order makes sense to you. sal: barbarian becomes berserker, monks are adepts, and the paladin
is the herald. Also, we use exertion instead of ki.
* Choose a homeland, which could be one of the great nations There are changes that affect character creation: “race” has been
on the continent Lanjyr, a smaller state, or even the lack of a split into heritage (traits inherited by birth) and culture (traits gained
homeland. Each homeland has a list of common backgrounds, by upbringing). Each nation’s overview in this chapter includes a list
character themes, and class options. of suggested heritages and cultures, and a few new options for each
appear starting on page 18.
* Choose a heritage. The most common humanoid heritages of In Level Up, characters don’t get ability score bonuses from their
Lanyr are humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, and tieflings, but far heritage or culture; instead, ability score bonuses are derived from
more populate the world. their background. If you’re using the core 5th Edition rules, you can
generally replace a heritage with a “race,” replace a culture with a
* Choose a culture, whether from the Level Up core rules or “subrace,” and either take the Fifth Edition ability score bonuses or
from the new options presented in this chapter. assign two +1 bonuses to your ability scores however you want. It
shouldn’t break anything.
* Choose a background. Finally, Level Up contains two new skills: Culture and Engineer-
ing. If you are using original 5E rules, we suggest the Narrator grant
* Choose a character theme, which suggests what contentious each PC one additional skill proficiency and recommend at least one
element of the world’s society engages your character. Each character is proficient in each of those skills.
character theme has an associated feat available to those
committed to the movement. For example, you might play Kevin de Palma from the nation of
Risur, a half-elf Gadgeteer fighter who has the investigator back-
* Choose a character class; new archetype options and the ground and the Spirit Medium character theme.
new savant character class appear in Chapter Two. Or you might play Camila Brajallos from the nation of Ber, an orc
herald who has chosen the Executore oath, the riven mind back-
* You’ll also want to choose equipment; equipment specific ground, and the Docker character theme.
to the Zeitgeist setting appears in Chapter Three. Modern Or you could be Nidha Krimpal from Elfaivar, an elf wizard who
culture offers fine apparel and fashionable armor, and anyone is studying the Enclavist school and who is pursuing archaeology to
who expects to get into a scrum can make good use of a pistol help rebuild the country and learning diverse fighting techniques
or shotgun. Each player character starts with an extra 30 gp. as a Martial Scientist to help defend it.
A World on Its Axis
Homelands Powers of the Great Nations

Once you decide where your character is from based on these Before civilization, nearly every land was dominated by grand mon-
introductions, you can read more detail about your character’s sters beyond the power of mortals. Risur’s founder made a pact with
homeland in Chapter Four. See the overview map of the continent the fey of the Dreaming, subdued his land’s fey titans, and acquired
of Lanjyr on page 3. command over nature. In so doing, Risur became the first of what
Chapter One
* Ber. Populated by gnolls, goblins, minotaurs, orcs, and other today are called the great nations.
“savage races,” this young nation aspires to prove itself civi- Each of these six nations has military and economic might, but the
lized, and will violently defend people’s liberties. true source of their power is something deeper that defines the soul
* Crisillyir. This pious nation is fracturing in the wake of a of that nation.
religious schism, in which citizens placed their own gods on Ber survived its draconic tyrants, and today citizens feel a loyalty
trial and inadvertently released countless sealed demons and to their nation because it protects their liberty. Crisillyir’s founder
other evil beings. defeated the Demonocracy by harnessing the power of religious
* Danor. Founded on ideals of reason and science, this in- faith on a national scale. Danor sees itself as having defeated ig-
novative nation prides itself as the enlightened spark of the norance and the handicap of lacking magic through its science and
world’s industrial revolution, but its leaders have suppressed technological innovation. Drakr is broadly fatalist; long ago warlords
its military strength and technological innovation to appease sent thousands to their deaths to defeat undead titans, and today
other nations who want it docile. the clans descended from those warlords similarly command millions
* Drakr. Dominated by clans of dwarves and led by philoso- to work and toil, having convinced them that such suffering is their
phers, this resilient nation is a powerhouse of industry lot in life. And Elfaivar is adept at using the Dreaming like a fertile
rapidly being plundered by criminal syndicates that work to garden to create magical wonders.
undermine facts and sow doubt in institutions.
* Elfaivar. Five hundred years ago nearly every woman of this
magical elven empire perished. Twenty years ago, millions Ber
of them were miraculously resurrected, driving an op- Rejuvenated by the shared suffering of the Great Eclipse, a nation of
pressed, cautious people to reclaim territories lost to foreign people once seen as monsters is now looked up to as a role model by
colonization. many, a safe haven by some, and a tempting jewel for others.
* Risur. This thriving nation stands as the world’s sole super- Competing dragon tyrants ruled this arid land for centuries, each
power, struggling to balance obligations to protect and foster commanding tribes of various “races” that most civilizations had
other nations with defending the interests of its homeland, deemed savage: dragonborn, gnolls, goblins, goliaths, kobolds, liz-
where a longstanding alliance with the fey grows ever tenser ardfolk, minotaurs, orcs, and others. Though forced to war against
due to the spread of modern technology. each other for their tyrants’ territories, the disparate peoples were
* The Yerasol Islands. Centuries of wars between Risur and united in their hatred of their oppressing overlords. When the last
Danor have fostered discontent in this archipelago, where the dragon tyrant fell two centuries ago, what had been a crazed mass
rules of reality can shift from island to island. of competing fiefdoms slowly started to see itself as a common
* Colonies. Crisillyir, Danor, Drakr, and Risur each maintain nation. Finally, sixty years ago the heroic orc Bruse Le Roye united
control of one Elfaivaran colony, while the Greater Elfaivaran the tribes and declared Ber a sovereign nation.
Ran is working to counter-colonize these lands and restore Beran culture actively rejects tribalism. In lieu of older tradi-
their empire’s old borders. tions of armed raids as a trial of adulthood, every Beran town and
* The Malice Lands. Until recently, few lived in this region city has regular festivals of sports and eclectic art competitions to
because magic here went wild, shifting terrain and mutating let citizens of disparate heritages share a common rite of passage.
monsters. Newfound stability provoked a land grab by out- The first great investment Bruse Le Roye made was in schools, and
siders, but the rugged locals (and the often surreal monsters) his second was the Executores dola Liberta, wandering lawbring-
are quite adept at fending off interlopers. ers who violently ended slavery.
* Border States. There are dozens of smaller nations with less “Who can be the most civilized” became a competition, with
influence on international politics or culture. If you want to foreign finery worn with as much pride as the war paint of old. A
play a character whose homeland is not one of the nations in movement known as the Panoply ensured that traditional Beran
this setting book, they may hail from a border state. identity remained respected, as part of a philosophy that embraced
* Other. Some people have lived their entire lives travel- cultural variety as valuable for its own sake. Imported indus-
ing and belong to no country. Others hail from continents trial experts oversaw construction of factories and a national rail
beyond Lanjyr, or even the other planets in the star system, system, but when the locals learned enough to take over, Ber’s
transported to this world through magical accidents or historical distrust of draconic wealth hoarding meant profits were
coterminous seas. widely shared among the citizens.
Ber today is a flourishing garden of multiculturally conscious
journalism, music, and philosophy. Berans are fiercely defensive
of personal freedom, so much so that they let a faction of gnolls
along the southern coast effectively secede. The logic was that the
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
inhospitable region would take in those who rejected the new ways, * Suggested Character Themes: Docker, Telemachian,
acting as a pressure relief valve, but instead the gnolls launched a Tropezaro.
coup. Even after being beaten into submission, they remain a thorn * Suggested Class Options: Herald (executore), Warlock
in the nation’s side, believing their long-dead dragon tyrant Gra- (urbanist).
diax the Steel Lord will return to lead them to glory.
The tropezaro movement is devoted to protecting their coun- Crisillyir
try’s land much as the Panoply protected traditional culture. They Decimated during the Great Eclipse and overrun by escaping evil
value individualist survivalism and sought techniques of guer- forces, this most pious nation has been threatened by invasion from
rilla warfare from around the world, training to use the land itself Elfaivar and destabilized by schemes from Drakr, exacerbating a
as a weapon, which in turn has made them the driving voices for theological schism into a violent shadow war between opposing
protecting nature from over-exploitation and the risk of arcano- denominations.
scientific disaster. Originally quite popular, they lost much of their For most, Crisillyir is synonymous with the Clergy, the world’s
support after tropezaros exploring the Dreaming awoke fey drag- foremost pantheist religion. The founder Triegenes, was said to be
ons, which pose an as-yet unclear threat. a mortal fisherman who defeated the old Demonocracy a thousand
Three years ago, the current Bruse Corta Nariz de Guerra years ago, then ascended to divinity, serving as an example that
tried to raise her nation’s standing by volunteering her military to every person should seek to improve themselves. Inspired by their
defend Crisillyir against invasion by Elfaivar, which embarrassed many gods, the people of Crisillyir sealed away demons and created
Ber when its inexperienced and overconfident navy lost nearly immense architecture and majestic artwork.
every engagement. But then came the Great Eclipse, a cataclysm that the pious
* Major Heritages: Dragonborn, Gnoll, Goblin, Goliath, felt must be a divine judgment. Many of the Clergy’s hierarchs
Kobold, Lizardfolk, Minotaur, Orc. committed suicide, and a renowned devotee to Triegenes, Vitus Si-
* Suggested Cultures: Bloodmarked, De Guerra, Pedresco, gismund, led the people of the capital city in a series of “god trials.”
Steelmarked. They declared mortal proxies for deities they felt had failed their
* Suggested Backgrounds: Entertainer, Folk Hero, Outlander, worshipers, held a rancorous trial, and then hurled the proxies—
Sailor, Urchin. always guilty—into a volcano overlooking the capital city. Eight
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
gods were slain this way, and each one’s death triggered the deaths Ottoplismists encourage people to become hunters, soldiers, inves-
of their most earnest adherents around the world, in a mocking tigators, and inquisitors, the better to protect the nation from what
mirror of how Elfaivaran women perished during the Great Malice. feels like an impossible number of threats.
Ultimately the people turned on Sigismund, who denounced his What began as fierce religious arguments is gradually bubbling
own god Triegenes and threw himself into the volcano. The result- into violence. The two factions resist open warfare, as both profess
ing eruption burned the city like a hellish dragon, and even later, loyalty to the weak but well-meaning Prime Cardinal Fiore Tul-
when the sun and stars returned, Crisillyir hung together by a lius in the capital. But people keep dying in the shadows.
thread. Not all news is foul, though. A gnome cleric, Tittling Grainet,
Demons and monsters long locked away by divine magic re- has organized scattered villages of her people, long overlooked by
emerged, and vast swaths of ground were desecrated, where the Crisillyir’s theocrats. They have appealed to the fey of the Dream-
dead rose to hunt the living. But the gravest threat to the nation’s ing for help dealing with the multitudinous horrors that escaped
soul was a critical disagreement of doctrine: were the eight dead during the Great Eclipse. With such aid, they’ve managed to
gods unjustly martyred, or rightfully executed for failing their cleanse pockets of wilderness, creating safeholds they call halos or
worshipers? pittura circles, where faerie magic keeps fiends at bay. More the pity,
The three great cities along the Avery Sea mostly seemed content then, that zealous exorcists often don’t understand why one type
to return to the old status quo, but in areas less equipped to survive of magical creature might be a friend, and so often human villages
these new supernatural threats, two factions emerged. ungratefully hunt and kill the same fey who are protecting them.
In the agrarian east, far from the ruined capital, the Meliskan * Major Heritages: Human, Deva, Gnome.
faction arose devoted to the merciful goddess Meliska, who if not * Suggested Cultures: Collegiate, Forsaken, Godbound,
for the death of Sigismund would have been the next deity put on Villager.
trial. They believe she was innocent, while the other gods were * Suggested Backgrounds: Acolyte, Criminal, Guild Artisan,
guilty. They deemphasize Triegenes’s call for self-improvement, Soldier.
and instead promote serving the weak and vulnerable. * Suggested Character Themes: Gunsmith, Ottoplismo,
In the ore-wealthy west, the Ottoplismo movement united Spirit Medium.
around the martyrdom of the eight gods, believing their ex- * Suggested Class Options: Cleric (aspirant), Savant (vox).
ecution was unjust, but that their memories should be venerated.
A World on Its Axis
Danor operations unless she returned control to a civilian, elected govern-

Loathed for its attempts to seize power during the Great Eclipse, ment. Though Duffet’s forces shot Jierre out of the sky, his call for
this country of rationalists has sought to make amends to its peer democracy united the public, who overthrew the military. Duffet
nations, though its citizens chafe at government restrictions and retreated to an abandoned city in the north and declared herself
still feel a responsibility to take a leading role in the world. Empress, though she had no recognized authority and limited mili-
Chapter One
Modern Danor developed in a land where magic had all but tary support.
ceased to function. Founded by a tiefling dynasty, the nation Nevertheless, the continent feared a resurgent Danor. With com-
launched the world’s industrial revolution and pushed for rational bined political pressure, the other great nations forced Danor’s new
enlightenment rather than superstition and faith in gods. Despite government to agree to the Orithean Concordat, a treaty of partial
competing with Risur in four brutal wars for control of the Yerasol disarmament and onerous reparation payments. Danor tied itself
Archipelago, Danor always viewed itself as a scholar, not a warrior, into bureaucratic knots trying to fulfill its obligations while the
lighting the way for the ignorant. Sometimes that light came in the poor went hungry and rich were denied familiar luxuries.
form of factories, machinery, and steam engines, and in other times Lower class citizens and political radicals have tried repeatedly
in cannon and musket fusillades. to win seats in government so they can renegotiate, but the coali-
During the Great Eclipse that light was rather literal. Danor’s tions they built when they did win had never grown large enough
sovereign, Han Jierre, oversaw construction of enchanted light- to take power … until the latest election. Now many wings of the
houses around the Avery Sea, the light from which sapped people Danoran economy are refusing to abide by the Concordat. The
of the will to rebel, letting Jierre and his allies position themselves nation’s chief executive, President Remy Duvall, insists on main-
to rule the entire region. He would have been forever scorned as a taining the terms of the treaty, though post-Eclipse reforms limit
villain if not for an unexpected act of contrition in the days after the the power of his office.
Eclipse ended. Amidst all this bickering and gridlock, some people turn to a
When the sun returned, Danor’s minister of war Eloise Duffet third way: a philosophy called courseur, which emphasizes the
enacted martial law and began killing all who opposed her. Jierre importance of moving forward despite obstacles, be they physical,
returned from abroad on a faltering, damaged war dirigible, and societal, or legal. Inspired by this ideology, university-educated
dropped leaflets from the airship onto the capital city, confessing inventors attempt to combine technology with the newly restored
his many crimes and revealing his accomplices. Then he ordered magic, often operating in secret if they cannot get a license attest-
Duffet to stand down and threatened to bombard her base of ing to the safety or morality of their experiments.
A World on Its Axis
Meanwhile, “Empress Duffet” is growing her support, carving that their story is the one people tell.
out parts of Danor and strong-arming neighboring lands to join her Nearly every social structure in Drakr has its own line of phi-
or face invasion. She claims a desire to relight the torch of Danoran losophers, from mighty mercenary companies to small villages.
leadership, but the continent dreads the growing fires of war. For example, a manufacturer of mecha-typographs will argue that
* Major Heritages: Human, Tiefling. imprinting words with steel keys instead of a quill is evidence of
* Suggested Cultures: Collegiate, Cosmopolitan, Imperial, the worth of the author. After all, how important could your ideas
Chapter One
Steamforged. be if you think they’re fit to write with a feather plucked off a goose
* Suggested Backgrounds: Sage (aka Thinker), Sailor, Soldier, carcass?
Spy. For centuries, the dominant philosophers have espoused some
* Suggested Character Themes: Courseur, Martial Scientist, variant of the Armiger ideology, claiming that the survival of the
Technologist. nation is paramount, and that survival requires strength. And, of
* Suggested Class Options: Berserker (queen bee), Fighter course, the clans are strong, so they must keep power.
(gadgeteer). However, in the years prior to the Great Eclipse, prophecies and
portents of an approaching doomsday drew many to eschatology,
Drakr an ethos that promoted planning good endings. After the Eclipse,
Long ruled by a parliament of philosophers, this loose federation of many in Drakr believed eschatology had helped them survive. The
human peasants and dwarven lords is unsure in this new age what people elevated the architect of that philosophy, Vlendam Heid, to
guiding ideology to embrace. And in this time of uncertainty, swin- chancellor.
dlers thrive. Today, Heid’s Reformist coalition strives to rebuild the nation to
Dwarves would tell you that Drakr is their homeland. Like so empower all its people so they can pursue their preferred ending.
much in their land, that is a philosophical claim whose truth varies This means ending the nepotism of the entrenched dwarven clans,
based on your beliefs. Dozens of dwarven clans did claim the region and banning the dark magic many are believed to use. The Armi-
from undead titans some fifteen centuries ago. But later the De- gers, however, accuse Heid of threatening the nation’s identity by
monocracy absorbed them, and later still the Clergy conquered the abandoning centuries of tradition.
region. Dwarves only took power again after the Great Malice, and To undercut the chancellor’s authority, the Armigers have
then only by allying with human groups to defend against the en- turned to the Kuchnost crime syndicate, which aligns itself with
croaching Malice Lands. But the dwarf clans pay well to make sure a new philosophy of solipsistic nihilism. By fostering distrust of
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
institutions and authority, and occasionally resorting to extreme form of rebuilding from weakness and prospering to strength—
violence against their rivals, the Kuchnost have made it hard for would be victory.
many Drakrans to know what to believe. In time, the asocar population of Elfaivaran elves grew to per-
Military and law enforcement leaders say they’re trying to dis- haps a million people. The magical wealth of the old empire was
mantle this syndicate, but most Drakrans suspect they’re in the consolidated among elite long-lived warriors and mages devoted
Kuchnost’s pocket. Whether it’s true or not perhaps doesn’t even to protecting their people. Time and again, younger Elfaivarans
matter. pushed for action, and wanted to fight back against the great powers
* Major Heritages: Human, Dwarf. that were colonizing the seemingly empty ruins of old Elfaivar. But
* Suggested Cultures: Collegiate, Dialetician, Hill Dwarf, their leaders—especially Athrylla Valanar, an asocar matriarch—
Mountain Dwarf. held their people in hiding, thriving in obscurity.
* Suggested Backgrounds: Charlatan, Criminal, Guild Then right as the Great Eclipse ended, the souls of all who had
Artisan, Soldier. fallen with Srasama were given a choice, and millions agreed to
* Suggested Character Themes: Gunsmith, Sophist, return. Each knew that five centuries had passed, and that the holy
Technologist. war was long over. They came to be called gulmohar, for a type
* Suggested Class Options: Rogue (occult blade), Sorcerer of tree with flamboyant fiery flowers that grew around many of
(annihilator). Srasama’s temples.
Athrylla and other asocar matriarchs could not keep order, as
Elfaivar the younger generations saw the returned gulmohar as a mythical
Five centuries ago, all but a few hundred Elfaivaran women per- miracle and a sign they must reclaim their land.
ished in an event called the Great Malice, triggered by the death Eventually two leaders emerged: the legendary and aged war-
of the elven goddess Srasama. Twenty years ago, millions of them rior Dhebisu, and young Adin Radhasi, a temple sentinel who had
were resurrected, upending a society that had come to define itself died pregnant and gave birth soon after she returned to life. The
by its seclusion and endurance. firebrand Adin persuaded a large portion of her people to claim the
When the old Elfaivaran Empire collapsed, the survivors—col- southern coast, where they raided foreign-run colonies for supplies
lectively called the asocar, after a tree associated with pride and and to enslave the colonizers. Meanwhile to the north, Dhebisu
sorrow—faced cruel horrors. Yet a tiny sliver of the Elfaivaran gathered various groups who had been outcasts in the old empire,
people were spared, convinced to hold fast by the poet Vekesh. including a scorned ethnic group of elves named the Harimau,
Vekesh taught that defeat is only tragedy if one chooses to let the and began a subtle campaign of sabotage and assassination of her
story end. In short, survival—slow, determined survival, in the people’s foes.
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
Hoping to bring peace and capitalize on the possibility of a re-

stored Elfaivaran Empire, Athrylla Valanar assembled a formal Risur
Ranimandala, or ruling circle, consisting of female leaders of asocar Many diverse groups came together to drive Risur’s recent ascen-
and gulmohar. She invited Dhebisu and Adin into the Ranimandala dancy as the greatest power in Lanjyr. Native fey and their druidic
and supported a decree laying de jure claim to all the territory of old allies, cutthroat industrialists, bold inventor entrepreneurs, an in-
Elfaivar. Together they founded the Greater Elfaivaran Ran. domitable artistic working class, scholars of magic and war, and
The formation of the Ranimandala brought peace for a time. even the land itself, represented by five fey titans: all of these had
Adherents of Vekesh tried to share his wisdom and encourage pa- loyalty to the recent monarch. But a new monarch has taken the
tience, but their influence was fading. In their place, Adin’s faction throne, and she has a daunting task of keeping this coalition to-
created a school of war, giving new life to long lost military tactics. gether if she hopes to maintain Risur’s preeminence on the global
Then three years ago, Adin unilaterally invaded Crisillyir to sack stage.
and occupy the city of Vendricce, which triggered international The Unseen Court of the Dreaming had ancient political ties with
backlash. Ber sent soldiers. Drakr sent arms. After a year of fighting, the leadership of Risur. The connection between the two realms
Risur’s monarch—a hero who helped save the world from the Great was so strong that, when the industrial revolution began, natives
Eclipse—managed to broker an armistice, but only after great un- of the Dreaming would feel ill or anxious in places where industry
necessary death and suffering. Though slightly humbled, Adin still or spinning gears operated in the Waking world. Several monarchs
considered the conflict a great success, as the armistice won large tried to appease the fey by limiting Risuri industry, and the nation
swaths of the empire’s old land. Moreover, every nation had wit- suffered for it, losing territory to Danor in the Yerasol Wars.
nessed that Elfaivar deserved a place as a great nation. Sixty years ago, King Aodhan Lesterman endured the anger of
* Major Heritages: Elf, Human. the fey by declaring the city of Flint to be Risur’s new seat of in-
* Suggested Cultures: Elfaivaran, Harimau, Settler, Wood Elf dustry. The next war with Danor turned into more of a stalemate
* Suggested Backgrounds: Acolyte, Hermit, Outlander, Noble. than a defeat, but the Risuri people were still split on whether they
* Suggested Character Themes: Martial Scientist, Telema- approved of abandoning druidic traditions to embrace modern
chian, Vekeshi Mystic. technology.
* Suggested Class Options: Adept (durala carao), Wizard Folk prophets known as skyseers decried smog blocking
(enclavist). their view of the stars, which hindered their prognostications.
A World on Its Axis
Psychically sensitive mediums sensed growing darkness pressing A Common Language

out from the realm of the dead known as the Bleak Gate. Even those People of Lanjyr have their own cultural names for languages, but we
who worked in the factories of Flint joined the unrest, bringing wild use existing language names as stand-ins.
color to the soot-cloaked grime of docks and industrial districts. The primary language around the Avery Sea is “Common,” a tongue
That friction threatened to turn the nation against itself when brought to prominence by the Clergy, which once controlled the entire
Chapter One
the Great Eclipse began and Aodhan was assassinated. But his suc- northern continent. Its dominance in trade and scholarship led to it being
cessor, King Baldrey, had earned the respect of every faction, and a second language for most people in Risur, and when Ber welcomed
not only did he hold his nation together, he guided them to beat foreign advisors a few decades ago, Common was introduced to the
back the darkness and ultimately bring an end to the Eclipse. national education curriculum.
Spared from the internal damage the other great nations had Colonists brought the language to Elfaivar, and even among the
faced during the Eclipse, Risur helped ensure stability as those resurrected gulmohar, many knew the old Clergy’s tongue so they could
lands tried to recover. Risuri citizens spoke of living in a golden understand their enemies.
age, where no harm could ever befall them, and no dream was Risur’s national language, often called Primordial because allegedly
unachievable. it was passed down by the fey titans, is ironically both the traditional
That optimism faltered three years ago when King Baldrey ab- tongue of the nature-oriented druids and a popular shared language
dicated, passing his crown to Queen Iain Waryeye. The power of among researchers of arcanoscience.
Risur’s monarchs is tied to the Rites of Rulership, little-understood
by the common folk, save that the ruler must have the support of
the people of Risur and have demonstrated dominion over the land
itself. The new queen launched a massive military expansion to
cement Risur’s position as the axis of geopolitical power. But the
other great nations don’t trust her as they did Baldrey. These islands are lush with life, and many support thriving plan-
The government that is on the best terms with Iain is the Unseen tations. History here is a palimpsest of diverse cultures contesting
Court, fey leaders of a land in the Dreaming that mirrors Risur’s for control of the most prosperous patches of land. For those who
borders. Iain is said to always have an eye on Risur’s “nearest neigh- live there today, however, it seems like there never was a time when
bor,” and she has offered great rewards to technologists who can Risur and Danor were not vying for control of the islands.
invent machines whose whirling does not anger the fey. For two hundred years before the Great Eclipse, a series of four
Though times are bright for most of Risur’s people, one place Yerasol Wars dragged locals into fighting, piracy, and vassal-
of concern is the High Bayou, a strange swamp in southern Risur age. One of the most contested objectives was the legendary Axis
that clings to the side of the Anthras Mountains, held together by Island. Whatever happened to cause the Great Eclipse, it almost
dam-like webs of giant spiders. The High Bayou was once home certainly started on Axis Island.
to a titanic fey serpent named the Voice of Rot, who has not been Reality around Axis Island always seemed fickle. Creatures
seen since the Great Eclipse. Instead, hideous monsters—hybrids would appear out of nowhere, completely foreign to this world, and
of spiders and other creatures, with blood-red eyes—have begun then flicker away in a few moments. Travelers would glimpse dis-
scuttling about the edge of the bayou, spinning webs, expanding tant landscapes or purple suns, but they’d quickly vanish. During
their territory. the Great Eclipse, tendrils of light drifted into the sky from the is-
Technology and arcanoscience have driven Risur to its place as land’s center, and the Danoran military fired on any who tried to
the most powerful nation around the Avery Sea, but if it cannot bal- approach. The lights ended when the sun returned, but the strange-
ance its enormous responsibilities, the world may start to spin off ness of Axis Island seems to have spread wider, across the whole
its axis. archipelago.
* Major Heritages: Human, Elf, Halfling. Today, Risur and Danor run a joint military fortress on Axis to
* Suggested Cultures: Collegiate, Cosmopolitan, Stout Half- defend the island’s secrets. But in the seas anywhere in the archi-
ling, Villager. pelago, people now glimpse those same strange apparitions. Ships
* Suggested Backgrounds: Any. seem to vanish more than they used to. And sailors share wild tales
* Suggested Character Themes: Docker, Skyseer, Spirit of finding themselves on foreign tides, passing through a storm or
Medium. a fog cloud and into another world, and undertaking a perilous ad-
* Suggested Class Options: Ranger (titanist), Wizard (last venture to find their way home.
raven). Still, the islands are a source of great wealth, and their distance
from domineering governments attracts many outsiders, for whom
The Yerasol Islands freedom—and exceptionally nice weather—is worth the risk.
The Yerasol Archipelago consists of six large islands, dozens of * Major Heritages: Human, Elf, Orc, various extraplanar.
county-sized ones, and hundreds of tiny islets and atolls, enough * Suggested Cultures: Caravanner (seafarer), Settler, Wildling.
that those seeking to disappear into obscurity could find many hide- * Suggested Backgrounds: Hermit, Outlander, Sailor.
aways. The archipelago holds untold secrets, from the enigmatic * Suggested Character Themes: Any.
ruins of an ancient orc civilization, to hidden bases of conspiracies, * Suggested Class Options: Bard (vagabond), Druid (axis
to mysterious tides that can ferry ships between worlds. slayer).
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
Colonies happy to create a balance of power between the two nations.

Following the collapse of Elfaivar, the Clergy established several The seas between Kellandia and Rationalis were once rife with
garrisons throughout the region, intending an eternal presence naval battles between the two rival powers, but the long pause in
to keep the Elfaivarans from regaining any military might. In the hostilities is making some colonists question whether they might
following centuries, other nations looked to the resource rich rem- not be better served by seceding and joining with the Elfaivaran
nants of the empire and began establishing formal colonies. The Ran. Nowhere is this more evident than on Titania, the largest
colonizers stuck mostly to the coasts and islands, leaving the rewil- island in Risur’s colony founded by druids who want to abandon
ding interior jungle to the Elfaivarans. technology and form strong alliances with the fey.
After the Great Eclipse, the resurrected Elfaivaran women
spurred a movement to reclaim what they saw as stolen terri- The Malice Lands
tory. Though they understood these people were not the same as Where once the land constantly twisted with wild magic, today this
those with whom they warred before the Great Malice, they were loosely allied group of states churns with wild ideologies.
still outsiders. The conquests were tactical, not vengeful pogroms, The Great Malice left Danor without magic, but in a swath of
though of course they were far from bloodless. land between Danor and Drakr, magic went out of control. Spells
Crisillyir ordered the evacuation and dissolution of its colony would change targets, dangerously expand in scope, or even do
of Vigilia early on, claimed by the matriarch Dhebisu. Tropaeum something completely different from what was intended. Over the
was ceded to the Ran three years ago, and is controlled by the ma- years, animals turned to bizarre, often surreal monsters that fed
triarch Adin Radhasi. Angelus is their sole remaining colony, and on emotions and whole landscapes were twisted into patchworks
it is heavily militarized. of mismatched terrain. In a few areas the effects were muted and
The Drakran colony Otto mostly evacuated and ceded less in- tiny communities were possible, but the region only produced one
habited lands, but adopted a siege stance, lasting for years in their small city, Orithea.
coastal forts before recently coming to a truce, thanks to an alliance Twenty years ago magic in the region became stable, and once
with local fey secured by dwarven explorer extraordinaire Kiegar terrifying land became the focus of a land rush. The terrain was
Arukova. still strange and rough, but at least predictable. Two decades on,
The Risuri colony Kellandia was always on good terms with Orithea has doubled in size. Tens of thousands of homesteaders
the Elfaivarans, and today it has a nonaggression pact. Committed have started new farms and towns, and hundreds died in fights for
to preventing further war between Elfaivar and Crisillyir, Risur the best soil.
maintains a large military presence in their colony, intended to The armies of Danor and Drakr made moves to annex the region,
deter further warfare. but guerrilla resistance from long-time residents led Danor to make
The strong military garrison of Danor’s colony Rationalis ini- a formal alliance, and the locals deftly managed to play the two na-
tially clashed with the Elfaivaran reclamation, which desired the tions against each other. So soon after the shared peril of the Great
area’s mining resources and industries. However, Danor strategi- Eclipse, Drakran commanders were unwilling to start a new war,
cally offered modest support to Elfaivar’s attacks against Crisillyir, and ultimately neither country was able to claim much territory.
A World on Its Axis
What resulted was a sort of laboratory of civilization, with City States, Border States, and
twenty separate governments springing up in different areas, three Other Continents
of which have already collapsed. For each, the foremost goal is to Scattered between the great nations are a handful of city-states,
maintain good enough relations with their neighbors that neither such as the luxurious and magically powerful Nalaam in the moun-
Danor nor Drakr can turn them against each other. Find compro- tains between Drakr and Crisillyir or the dreaded slavery market
Chapter One
mise with the neighbor who annoys you every day, because the Shaha at the southeastern tip of the Elfaivaran subcontinent.
invader only has to conquer you once. This guiding philosophy, Several regions on the map of Lanjyr (see page 3) are labeled as
dubbed Clavelism, was championed by Jeanette Clavel, who “border states”; these are countries which have minimal influence
started merely as a farmer but now is one of the few internationally on wider world affairs, but which could be home to any sort of soci-
recognized figures from the Malice States. eties that the players or Narrator need. For example, bugbears and
Folk of this region are a mix of rugged, ingenious families who aarakocra don’t have an established place in the Zeitgeist setting,
survived here for generations—often with some strange mutations and we detail no magocracies or hereditary monarchies, but the
to show for it—and optimistic settlers who see the land as a chance border states can easily be used for such things.
at freedom. They are united in being quick to fight when their land And beyond that, there are tales of Lanjyran sailors seeking the
is threatened, but apt to let people alone to their own affairs. In dawn and finding only a sea where the clouds ripple with fire, or
some ways they’re kindred spirits to Berans, but without preten- aspiring merchants trekking for months through the arid steppes
sions of civility. Indeed several of the Malice States are havens for beyond Elfaivar and finding a meteor crater the size of a sea that
ideas most of the civilized world would find vile, including slavery had punctured into some dark Great Below, or teleporting to the
and human sacrifice. The most famous of these is Arrovia, which moon and looking skyward to see the whole of the world spinning
openly uses the fuel witchoil, a viscous black substance that ab- above them, dotted with continents waiting to be discovered.
sorbs the souls of those who die nearby.
A World on Its Axis
Stateless Caeloon and its windblown monks, Mavisha and its wide-eyed
In every great upheaval, people become displaced, fleeing or flock- fishmen, and even rarer oddities. Nearly all arrived in storms some-
ing to new lands which don’t necessarily welcome them. Hundreds where in the Yerasol Archipelago, and when they couldn’t navigate
of thousands of people live without any state that will formally home, found their way instead into communities of vagabonds.
claim them, cast as interlopers or invaders or insidious criminals This welcoming of the alien outsider was promoted by famed
Chapter One
wherever they go. Most of them fall into one of four main trends. vagabond and musician Rock Rackus, once a sailor and dock-
worker who rose to fame and wealth after claiming he’d shot the
The Diaspora king of the Unseen Court and slept with the queen, in a dock opera
Shortly after the Great Malice, thousands of traumatized Elfai- known as Vagabond of the Mirror Moon.
varans fled the enraged paroxysms of violence in their homeland.
Some were welcomed to Risur, but most lands vilified them as The Midnight Revel
a threat. Though long-lived, nearly all of that first generation of The Bleak Gate is normally just a place for the spirits of the dead
refugees has perished by this point, but throughout the centuries and a handful of secretive, horrifying beings who are more like the
since, more Elfaivarans—nearly all men—abandoned their grim concept of shadow given life than actual people. But on the darkest
prospects at home and sought a more hopeful future. Small com- and most frightening nights, travelers who find themselves along-
munities of Elfaivarans dot numerous nations. side rivers or streams anywhere in the world might hear boisterous,
The mirror to this group are the tragic Elfaivaran women who uplifting music seemingly carried along the water. Every few weeks,
survived the Great Malice, only for foreign aristocrats to abduct a pair of people will appear during these midnight revels—always a
and enslave them as trophy wives and breeding stock. Even today couple in love, seemingly human—and they are escorted by a being
there are wealthy families that keep generations of Elfaivaran elves akin to an animated skeleton, but fully conscious and capable of
as chattel, with Elfaivaran brides as a sick status symbol. speech, invariably with a jaunty disposition.
Several philanthropic groups in Risur gather funds to purchase They claim to come from Iratha Ket, a city that survived the end
the freedom of enslaved Elfaivarans. Less legally, cults of vekeshi of its world with its population in stasis, protected by the loving
mystics have long been committed to ending the slave trade, and undead; after untold decades they were transported in their darkest
over the centuries they have often acted with less restraint than hour to a remote corner of the Bleak Gate, where they have gradu-
their namesake the poet Vekesh would have desired. Terrorizing ally been sending survivors out into the world to find a new life.
and slaying slavers often had the opposite effect as intended, cre-
ating a public opinion of the vekeshi philosophy as one driven
by revenge. While abolitionist movements are rising in the great Heritage, Culture, Nation
nations, the stereotype persists of Elfaivaran men as dangerous In modern Lanjyr, scientists debate taxonomy for classifying dif-
killers and their women as prized trophies. ferent species of humanoids as they would animals and plants. But
most people care more about what nation someone hails from than
The Dreaming what they look like. Tieflings are invariably associated with Danor,
The real world, the Waking, is mirrored in the Dreaming, a plane as dwarves are with Drakr, but you can find some of each in every
of subjective reality, wild phenomena, and enigmatic fey. Risur’s other country, and how welcome they are usually depends on if
Dreaming is ruled by the Unseen Court, who have had an alliance they share the nation’s philosophy.
with the rulers of Risur for seventeen centuries. But in recent de- People often don’t fit into clear categories, and ideas of what an
cades, other nations have become more aware of their Dreaming “ethnicity” or “race” are vary by culture. There are people in the
analogues, which seem to have been rattled by the Great Eclipse. Malice Lands with orcish tusks and elvish builds living the next
Beran tropezaros have unearthed mysterious and dangerous fey valley over from folk with gnoll-like fur and horns like tieflings,
dragons in their Dreaming, and the Crisillyir Dreaming is a chaotic and they’d see each other as more kin than anyone from Crisilly-
land of picture-galleries and beings from paintings brought to life, ir—whose human population they’d find startlingly homogenous.
though many Clergy scholars claim them to be demons. A handful Whereas in Crisillyir, disparate subcultures that were once unified
of great Elfaivaran enclaves have long straddled between the two by religion are starting to demand local rule, and see neighbors
worlds, quietly fending off incursions from mischievous winged with slightly different surnames or who pray to different gods as
spirits on the Dreaming side. In Drakr, remote communities have foreigners who need to be expelled.
vanished completely after radical solipsistic philosophers gained That is not to say that bigotry based on appearance doesn’t exist.
a foothold in their political discourse, and now their buildings are The Clergy claims tieflings are trying to recreate the Demonocracy.
inhabited by tiny beings who hide from sight. Danor alone seems to In Drakr, class divisions between human villagers and the dwarven
have a Dreaming with no native inhabitants. clans have petrified into racial distrust. Mainstream Elfaivarans
scorn an ethnic group called the Harimau, who tend to have tiger-
Vagabonds like patterns on their skin. The many cultures of Ber are still looked
There have always been people who simply wander, living on the upon in some circles as merely painted-up primitives. And even the
outskirts of larger settlements with like-minded outsiders. But famously multicultural Risur is, since the coronation of gnomish
today this term more often refers to beings from other worlds— Queen Iain Waryeye, grappling with long-held assumptions about
from the planets in the night sky: Jiese and its fiery salamanders, the significance of “little folk” like halflings and gnomes.
A World on Its Axis
Major Heritages
The following heritages are most common in Lanjyr.
Humans
Lanjyr’s humans come from three main migrations. The first settled
Chapter One
the Yerasol Archipelago in preshistory. The second are believed to
have sailed from the east around the time the Ancient orc culture
collapsed. The third came from the north beyond modern Drakr in
tandem with the rise of the Demonocracy. A new fourth migration
may be imminent. A planar portal on a strange floating island off
the southern coast of Ber links to the planet Caeloon, whose main
population seem human but are descendants of a wholly different
world. So far only a few dozen have come to Lanjyr.
The goliaths of the Anthras Mountains and the halflings of Ri-
sur’s lowlands are sometimes also seen as humans, and similar
diversity exists across the continent. The Four Human Migrations
Dwarves
Drakran legends claim that the dwarven people existed on Lanjyr
even before humans arrived. Anthropologists posit that at least
two distinct populations that would today be seen as “dwarves” de-
veloped independently as offshoots of humans who survived some
calamity by fleeing underground.
Some time after the Demonocracy fell, the dwarves of Drakr went
through a brief period of racial nationalism, spearheaded by an
archmage king who wished to resist Clergy rule. That king reached
out through magic to others around Lanjyr he saw as dwarves
and forced a great migration that brought tens of thousands to his
realm against their will. Even then, though, he could not gather the
numbers he needed to achieve his dream, and a thousand years
later Drakr retains its human majority.
Since the Great Eclipse, a small movement has promoted the idea
that dwarves came from another world, and that their fate is to find
their lost home, somewhere out in the stars.
Elves
Elves have been present in Lanjyr as long as humans, though they
lived in more remote areas, their more intuitive grasp of magic
letting them support large communities without farming. Where
humans claimed plains and coasts, elves were dominant in forests.
Though Elfaivar has by far the largest elven population, Risur is
noteworthy for having a conflux of elves from many origins around
Lanjyr. Oldest are the original inhabitants of Antwalk Thicket.
Later they mingled with elves fleeing the rise of the Demonocracy
across the Avery Sea. After the Great Malice, the Diaspora brought
thousands of Elfaivaran elves, and during the past two centuries
a few hundred Tundarasne elves arrived, survivors of a terrible
genocide in northern Drakr (though Drakr denies it ever occurred).
Half-elves and intermingling of elven communities have become so
common that Risuri think nothing of it.
Other communities of elves, tiny by comparison, endure in parts
of Danor and various border states, where they often try to keep
their own identity separate from the country around them. Drakr
today is actively hostile to elves, and due to old animosity with Elf-
aivar, the few communities of elves in Crisillyir often aggressively
embrace the Clergy’s faith as a shield against bigotry.
A World on Its Axis
Orcs
As a people, orcs were known in the rest of the world mostly as the
vicious soldiers of the dragon tyrants, or as frantic, violent tribes
trying to eke out an existence between draconic domains. Some
small pockets of orcs survived in other nations as well, nearly uni-
Chapter One
versally derided. But orcs have deep traditions carved into the very
foundation of the world, evidenced by archaeologists who have in
recent decades uncovered a continent-spanning pre-Risuri civili-
zation which they call the Ancients. The Ancients lacked a writing
system or most forms of metallurgy, but all their ruins are filled
with astounding quantities of golden weapons, armor, and jewelry.
That great height came to an end thousands of years ago, but even
without written records, orcish cultures have passed down oral tra-
ditions of their ancestors as great warriors who drove off extremely
weird beasts and formed close bonds with the world. In their main
creation myths, orcish mortals crafted the world from chaos, need-
ing no help from any gods.
Physically hardier than humans, orcs often pride themselves for
their strength while not voicing their anxieties over how others see
them as unintelligent. Rather, they see it as a shared challenge for
their kind to strive harder than others so that their victory—victo-
ry, in this case, taking the form of civility and polite fashion—will
be something worth a grand celebration.
Tieflings
When the Great Malice struck, the capital city of the Clergy was
located in what today is Danor. Most adherents of the Clergy there
were transformed, growing horns and tails. People claimed they
were “from the deep pit of hell,” and over time the pronunciation
has drifted from “deepling” to “tiefling”.
Some fled in horror of their new form or out of remorse for the
holy war’s toll. Most simply adapted. By the time the region re-
covered and the nation Danor was founded, many positions of
authority were held by tieflings. Their hold on power was certainly
helped by the ability of most tieflings to invoke a supernatural fiery
rebuke on those who injure them.
Racial tensions bubble in Danor, where the tiefling minority
continue to treat the human majority as second-class citizens: a
“common” folk compared to the more refined and honorable horned
ones.
In recent years, scholars have drawn comparisons between tief-
lings and various sorts of vagabonds from other planes who closely
resemble humans but possess magic from another world. This
clade has been labeled “planetouched.”
Minor Heritages
Most people won’t blink at the sight of a gnome or halfling, though
outside of Risur they might not be able to tell the difference at a
glance. Dragonborn, gnolls, goblins, kobolds, lizardfolk, and mi-
notaurs all are respected in Ber. Devas have spread from a single
battlefield in Crisillyir to every corner of the world. Many other
peoples have homelands of their own, unknown to all but the well-
read and the adventurous.
Despite their small population, two of the most well-known
uncommon heritages are deva and gnolls. We also present brief en-
tries for common Beran races not present in the core rules.
A World on Its Axis
Devas cleric spell, which you can cast once without

Devas were those people—mostly human—who were present at the any material components; you must finish
defeat of the goddess Srasama over five centuries ago. The divine a long rest in order to cast the spell again
energy released by her death granted them a sliver of immortality, using this gift. A 1st-level spell chosen
and for hundreds of years whenever they died they reincarnated this way can be cast as if you used a
Chapter One
into a fully-grown adult form, reappearing within a few days some- 2nd-level spell slot. Wisdom is your spell-
where generally three miles from where they died. casting ability for these spells.
Reincarnated devas vaguely recall their previous lives and can
reconnect with the people and places of they formerly knew if given Deva Paragon
the chance. But they can just as easily find themselves adopting new When you reach 10th level, you gain one of
lives and training in new skills. But regardles of the paths they take, the following paragon gifts.
devas occasionally have flashes of memory from their former lives.
Physically, devas resemble their original species, but with un- Combined Soul. Your memories now include
earthly beauty and an uncanny stillness. Their skin is covered in those of many devas who lived before you. You
geometric patterns of light and dark. Some of noteworthy power will now have proficiency in all skills.
occasionally manifest insubstantial and wholly decorative wings,
though they can conceal these with practice and concentration. Manifest Incarnation. You learn to call forth a past life more
If a deva has a child, it does not inherit any of Srasama’s divinity. fully. When you gain this ability, create a 3rd-level deva character
Resurrection magic works the same on devas as it does anyone else. with identical base ability scores (though you can choose a different
background).
Deva Traits As a bonus action, you can call forth a shimmering manifestation
Devas gain the following traits. of this past life. You share senses intuitively. Each of you can move
Type. Humanoid. However, you can be detected by magic that independently, but you share a single pool of one action, one bonus
can detect celestials. action, and one reaction per round. You share hit points.
Age. Devas reincarnate into adult bodies, and die of old age per- When you fall unconscious, or if you and the incarnation are
haps seventy years after their incarnation begins. separated by more than 250 feet, the incarnation is destroyed. If
Size. Usually Medium, but Small devas who were once gnomes or the incarnation is adjacent to you, you can spend a bonus action to
halflings are not unknown. absorb it.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. If the incarnation is destroyed without you absorbing it, you
Deathless Calm. You gain resistance to necrotic and radiant cannot manifest it again until you complete a long rest. If you do
damage, and you cannot be blinded by bright light. absorb it, you can manifest it again after a short rest. However, any
Memory of Past Lifetimes. When making an ability check or limited-use abilities or spells it has used are still expended. The
saving throw, you may gain an expertise die. (An expertise die is an incarnation only regains expended abilities and spells when you
extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.) If you do this complete a long rest.
for a skill, tool, or vehicle you are not proficient with, you gain pro- When you manifest your incarnation, its spiritual essence has
ficiency for the next minute. After you use this ability, you cannot the equivalent of mundane equipment worth no more than 200 gp.
use it again until you complete a short or long rest. Any of this equipment that leaves its possession vanishes after one
round. The incarnation is corporeal and can wield other objects if it
Deva Gifts picks them up, but when the incarnation is destroyed or absorbed
Select one of the following deva gifts. it drops those items.
For every five minutes the incarnation is active, you gain a level
Pluripotent Form. You have one or more extra sets of spiritual of strife, which goes away when the incarnation is destroyed or
arms, which are clearly magical and not attached to your torso, but absorbed.
instead float a short distance away. You can dismiss them or mani-
fest them with a thought. You still only have two limbs you can use Deva Culture
to wield weapons, shields, and the like, and you don’t gain any extra Devas spread across Lanjyr, and only a handful of deva communi-
actions. But these limbs do allow you to hold extra items, and they ties exist. However, all devas share a common concern: the Great
are quite useful at confounding those who would tie you up. Eclipse has disrupted their cycle of reincarnation.
Additionally, you count as one size larger for the purpose of grab- Twenty years ago, around the same time the gulmohar returned
bing and shoving, and your unarmed strikes count as magical for among the Elfaivaran elves, the power that let devas reincarnate
the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical began to fade. Now two out of every three devas die just like any
attacks and damage. Once per round when you hit with an unarmed other mortal. Only one in three devas who die still reincarnate, but
strike, you can deal an extra 1 radiant damage. their flashes of memories from past lives seem to include jumbles of
other devas who died but did not come back. Most surviving devas
Presence of the Divine. You also know one cantrip of your choice have been in their current incarnations for at least 21 years, so few
from the cleric spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level devas today look younger than middle aged.
A World on Its Axis
This renewed sense of mortality, combined with the rise of ce- Gnoll Paragon
raunic wire communication, has led to a slow linking together of When you reach 10th level, you gain one of the following paragon
long-isolated devas. gifts.
Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your Free-Minded. Choose one of the following saving throws: Intelli-
Chapter One
deva character, the following cultures are linked closely with this gence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You gain an expertise die when using
heritage: forsaken, godbound. the chosen saving throw to resist magic.
Gnolls Supernatural Hide. You can spend a bonus action and choose one
Gnolls resemble humanoid hyenas, averaging between seven and of the following damage types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, necrotic,
seven-and-a-half feet tall, with long limbs and jaws strong poison, radiant, or thunder. You gain resistance to that damage
enough to crush and tear. They have difficulty pronounc- type for the next minute. After you use this ability, you cannot use
ing other humanoid languages, so even among Berans it again until you complete a short rest.
they are often seen as outsiders. Many of their
tribes were slow to join with Vairday Bruse, and Gnoll Culture
a region along the southern coast called Tierra Many gnolls see themselves as proudly Beran, but one large region
de las Bestias Moteado was allowed to de facto resists the calls for modern internationalism and “civility.” Some
secede, serving as a place for Berans who wanted communities even praise the long-dead dragon tyrants. Most in-
to cling to the old hunter-gatherer ways, and the famous of these are the steelmarked gnolls of Isla dolas Focas,
attendant warfare and tribalism, rather than feel who worship their old tyrant Gradiax as a sort of god of metal and
compelled to pursue modern Ber’s ideas of “civility.” technology.
Gnolls make up the bulk of this region’s population.
Gnolls demonstrate high rates of sorcerous potential. Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your
Ber is attempting to make inroads with gnollish com- gnoll character, the following cultures are linked closely with this
munities by funding schools to train those with magical heritage: bloodmarked, Pedresco, steelmarked.
talent.
Goblins
Gnoll Traits Most goblins are short and nimble, living in
Gnolls gain the following traits. caves or hillside burrows similar to half-
Age. Gnolls reach adulthood at age 12 and live up to 50 lings. Their appearance—green or yellow
years. skin, mouths wide with sharp teeth, and
Size. Medium. black or red eyes—were enough for many
Bristling Instinct. You gain an expertise die on saving other peoples to see them as monsters, and
throws against being frightened and against other effects that their knack for communing with beasts
would alter your emotions. (An expertise die is an extra 1d4 that led to many claims they were themselves
you roll and add to your main d20 roll.) primitive animals. Even in Ber they were
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet. pushed to the margins, but that is changing.
Gnoll Gifts Goblin Traits

Select one of the following gifts. Goblins gain the following traits.
Age. Goblins reach adulthood at age 12 and live up to 60 years.
Magic in the Blood. You know one cantrip of your choice from the Size. Small.
sorcerer spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level sorcerer Darkvision. You have 60-foot darkvision.
spell, which you can cast once without any material components; Nimble Escape. You can Disengage or Hide as a bonus action.
you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
gift. A 1st-level spell chosen this way can be cast as if using a 2nd-
level spell slot. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Goblin Gifts
Select one of the following gifts.
Predatory Body. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
checks that rely on smell. Additionally, your fanged maw is a nat- Adaptive Fortitude. You gain an expertise die on saving throws
ural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage. (An ex-
hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength pertise die is an extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20
modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an un- roll.)
armed strike. At 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast enhance ability once; you
While you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dex- must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this gift.
terity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
A World on Its Axis
Soothe the Beast. You can call upon instincts to calm a dangerous Kobold Gifts
creature. Beasts and monstrosities with Intelligence 3 or less have Select one of the following gifts.
disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast animal friendship once; Close Quarters. You have advantage on melee attacks made
when you cast animal friendship using this gift, it can target mon- against a creature whose space you are in. Also, your sensitive
Chapter One
strosities with Intelligence 3 or less. You must finish a long rest in whiskers grant you blindsight with a range of 5 feet.
order to cast the spell again using this gift. Wisdom is your spell-
casting ability for this spell. Draconian Wings. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this
speed you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. Whenever you
Goblin Paragon spend 3 consecutive rounds airborne without landing, you gain a
When you reach 10th level, you gain the following paragon gift. level of fatigue. Any fatigue gained in this way is removed upon fin-
ishing a short or long rest.
Unbreakable. When you succeed a death saving throw you can
spend one Hit Die to heal 1 hit point. Once you use this gift, you Kobold Paragon
must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. When you reach 10th level, you gain the following paragon gift.
Goblin Culture Preternatural Senses. With a twitch of your whiskers, you can
Many goblins live on the fringes of Beran society; in other parts of extend your senses. You can cast one of the following spells once:
the world, they are seen with suspicion and even hunted. arcane eye, clairvoyance, detect magic, locate creature, or locate object. Intel-
ligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell. You must finish a
Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your short or long rest in order to cast the spell again using this gift.
goblin character, the following cultures are linked closely with this
heritage: De Guerra, stoneworthy, wildling. Kobold Culture
Kobolds have been part of Beran culture for a thousand years, little
Kobolds remarked upon in the history books but quietly innovating and
Shorter on average than halflings, most kobolds possess reptilian thriving by avoiding direct conflict.
features resembling those of lizardfolk or
dragon born, though some kobold lineages Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your
are known for their more rat-like, canine, or kobold character, the following cultures are linked closely with this
even feline appearance. All kobolds have “whis- heritage: itinerant, Pedresco, villager.
kers,” though technically these fleshy feelers are
called “barbels.” Folk tales depicted kobolds as Lizardfolk
clever tricksters or as guardians of draconic Most common in the warmer
treasures, relying on alchemy, traps, and climes of Ber and Elfaivar, various
(recently) technology to make up for their reptilian humanoids are commonly
size. International history has few kobolds referred to by outsiders as lizard-
of note, and even in Ber, the joke is that ko- folk. Though colorfully diverse in
bolds don’t really exist. The truth, though, their various patterns of claws,
is that until recently, most kobold commu- scales, frills, and fangs, the many
nities kept their distance from settlements of populations of cold-blooded
larger humanoids to avoid being victimized. lizardfolk share a mindset
that can strike warm-blood-
Kobold Traits ed people as alien. Very few
Kobolds gain the following traits. are driven by a desire for
Age. Kobolds reach adulthood at age 16 and live up to 200 years. social status, unless they learn such am-
Size. Small. bition from other communities.
Darkvision. You have 60-foot darkvision. Lizardfolk legends claim their people
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. were the first civilization, and that mam-
Easily Unseen. When a creature first comes within line of sight malian peoples descended from shamans
of you, you can use your reaction to Hide, even if you don’t have who communed with the spirits of apes
anything to hide behind. When you hide this way, you gain an ex- and took on traits of those beasts.
pertise die on your Stealth check. (An expertise die is an extra 1d4
that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.)
Kobold Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any
creature that is of a size larger than yours.
A World on Its Axis
Lizardfolk Traits
Lizardfolk gain the following traits.
Age. Lizardfolk reach adulthood at age 14 and live up to 70 years.
Size. Medium.
Bite. You can use your teeth as a natural weapon to make un-
Chapter One
armed strikes. If you hit with it your bite, you deal piercing damage
equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Coldly Calculating. You can resist unwise impulses. When you
fail a Wisdom saving throw or would become frightened, you can
delay that effect until the end of your next turn. You cannot use this
trait again until you complete a short or long rest.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Lizardfolk Gifts Your venom loses potency within an hour once it leaves your
Lizardfolk have diverse combinations of abilities, so choose two of body, but someone proficient with a poisoner’s kit can use it as one
the following gifts. of the ingredients needed to create a vial of mundane poison. This
reduces the cost of the vial of poison by 10 gp.
Aquatic. You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time,
and you have a swim speed of 30 feet. Lizardfolk Paragon
When you reach 10th level, choose one of the following paragon
Autotomous. As a reaction you can detach one of your limbs, typi- gifts.
cally a tail, to escape from a grab. At the Narrator’s discretion, this
might also help you end other conditions as well. This detachment Metamorphosis. Whenever you complete a long rest, you may
does no hit point damage to you. Without intervention, you can choose one of the lizardfolk gifts you don’t normally possess. Your
regrow a limb to full functionality after a week. However, if you re- body shifts to gain that gift until you use this ability again.
ceive 20 hit points worth of magical healing when you are already
fully healed, your limb will regenerate during your next long rest. Torpor. Your metabolism can slow enough to put you into stasis.
You can intentionally enter torpor as an action. You become inca-
Chameleon. You can change the patterns and colors on your scales, pacitated and appear dead, but remain conscious, and you do not
and with effort you can extend that ability to your equipment. You need to eat, drink, or breathe until you emerge from torpor, which
can spend an action to become invisible until the end of your next requires no action.
turn. This invisibility ends if you attack, cast a spell, or move more You may automatically enter torpor when reduced to 0 hit points.
than 5 feet. While in torpor and at 0 hit points, you do not normally need to
make death saving throws on your turn. However, you still must
Climber. You have a climb speed of 30 feet. make a death saving throw if you take damage while at 0 hit points.
Runner. You can Dash as a bonus action. Lizardfolk Culture

Most lizardfolk communities in Ber protected themselves from
Spiky. When a creature grabs you it takes piercing damage equal the old dragon tyrants by presenting themselves as methodical,
to your proficiency bonus. Each turn it maintains the grab, it takes quiet, and not driven by emotion—simultaneously not a threat to
this damage again. the dragons, but also an ineffective target of their oppression. After
centuries, what was once an affectation became seen as a mark
Tough-Scaled. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + of distinction, and a restrained lizardfolk would be seen by their
your Dexterity modifier. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while people as having the moral rectitude to resist temptation. Lizard-
you use your natural armor. folk in Ber are often seen as trustworthy in matters of building
effective bureaucracies.
Venomous. When you deal damage with your bite, you can inject Quiet doesn’t mean dull or heartless, though. Their art and
venom. The creature you bit takes poison damage equal to your pro- culture are simply more focused on internal reactions, and their
ficiency bonus. At the end of each of that creature’s turns, it must festivals focus on serenity or cooperation rather than celebratory
make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + outbursts.
your Constitution modifier) or else takes that poison damage again. There are a few exceptions to this trend, as some lizardfolk tribes
If it succeeds its save, the effect ends. After you use this ability, you allied closely with one dragon tyrant or other, or lived in remote
cannot produce venom again until you complete a short or long rest. swamps that seemingly offered little of value to exploit. These
You can alternately spend a bonus action to release venom onto communities have reflexively begun to revel in raucous behaviors,
a weapon you’re wielding, which will have the same effect when it and make some of the loudest and most experimental music on the
damages a creature. continent.
A World on Its Axis
Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your Guard Instinct. You gain an expertise die on initiative checks.
lizardfolk character, the following cultures are linked closely with Also, you can spend an action to stamp a hoof and sense vibrations
this heritage: cosmopolitan, Pedresco, villager. and reverberations in the ground, granting you tremorsense with a
range of 30 feet until the start of your next turn or until you move,
Minotaurs whichever comes first.
Chapter One
Minotaurs are humanoid but walk on cloven hooves, and their
bodies are covered in a layer of fur, while their heads resemble cows, Minotaur Paragon
with all manner of color patterns and horn When you reach 10th level, you gain the following paragon gift.
shapes. A few people outside Ber are also
called “minotaurs” but have heads like Mental Maze. Circuitous thought pathways make your mind
goats, antelopes, or other cloven- harder to infiltrate and overcome. Whenever you fail an Intelli-
hoofed animals. Despite stories gence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you may delay the effect
of mighty minotaur brawlers, until the end of your next turn.
they aren’t particularly much
larger or stronger than humans, and Minotaur Culture
most would never consider using their Minotaur communities are often centers of lore and learning, and
horns as a weapon. everyone, from farmers to warriors, is expected to be well-edu-
Many other cultures have myths that cated. Throughout Ber it is common to see solo minotaurs or small
claim minotaurs were born from a cursed bands traveling between tribes and cities, sharing news and stories
king, or were sired by the fey titan Father of among the nation’s many peoples.
Thunder, or were minions serving the son of an ancient demonic
mother of monsters. Even the various minotaur communities don’t Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your
agree on their ancient history, though they have quite a lot of it. minotaur character, the following cultures are linked closely with
Minotaurs have a natural predilection to recall long stories and this heritage: collegiate, De Guerra, nomad.
obscure details. This makes some minotaurs excellent scholars and
bards, while others can be supremely petty in harboring grudges. New Cultures
The modern great nations offer some new cultures.
Minotaur Traits
Minotaurs gain the following traits. Bloodmarked
Age. Minotaurs reach adulthood at age 18 and live up to 100 years. Bloodmarked gnolls are much more likely to be seen in Beran soci-
Size. Medium. ety or elsewhere in the world. They emphasize a feral menace but
Dominant Presence. Making use of your prominent size or form bonds with allies that are almost as fierce as with family.
deep voice, you can gain advantage on a Charisma check or saving These gnolls and others who reject modern Beran society live
throw. After you do, you cannot use this trait again until you com- in a patchwork of unincorporated tribes which all share the adult-
plete a short or long rest. hood tradition of “blooding.” To become an adult, one must kill an
Labyrinthine Recall. You can perfectly recall any path you animal with one’s teeth, which once had to be done on a hunt. Today,
have traveled. Your memory is similarly reliable regarding knowl- though, all but the most severe tribes have made this into a formal-
edge, though it can take you a while to methodically retrace how ized ceremony with domesticated animals, sometimes drugged,
you learned something. Whenever you complete a long rest, you presented for youths to slay.
can choose one of the following skills: Arcana, Culture, Engineer- Bond of Blood. You and allies within 5 feet of you have advan-
ing, Nature, Religion. You gain proficiency in that skill until you tage on death saving throws.
take another long rest. Harrying Barks. When you deal damage to a creature you can
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. bark, chortle, howl, or make other unnerving vocalizations. The
target you damaged must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your
Minotaur Gifts proficiency bonus + your Charisma bonus). If it fails, it is frightened
Select one of the following gifts. of you until the end of your next turn. After you use this ability, you
must complete a short or long rest before you use it again.
Driving Horns. You can use your horns as a natural weapon to Speak with Hunting Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you
make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your horns, you deal blud- can communicate with carnivorous mammalian hunting beasts,
geoning or piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. such as bears, hyenas, and wolves. These animals have no special
Also, whenever you hit with a melee attack (with your horns or fondness for you.
otherwise), you may immediately spend a bonus action to Shove Unyielding. When you fail a saving throw, you may reroll it.
the creature you hit. If you make multiple attacks in the same turn, After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete
one bonus action suffices to let you shove with each horn attack a long rest.
that hits. Languages. You know Common, Gnoll, and one Beran language
such as Draconic, Goblin, Minotaur, or Orc.
A World on Its Axis
De Guerra But secretive enclaves run by matriarchs were committed to pro-

De Guerra orcs are more common in the mountains and highlands tecting the surviving women, preserving Elfaivaran culture, and
of Ber, with their strongest core on the northeast coast, along the rebuilding the civilization. In time these enclaves grew into secre-
shore of the Marrajado del Oro, where orcish sailors long raided tive cities, where women were revered and given the finest training
Risuri lands. They take their name from the de Guerra family, in martial arts, spellcraft, and statecraft, while men competed in
Chapter One
whose matriarch Corta Nariz de Guerra is the current Bruse and grand competitions of art and athletics, hoping a woman might
ruler of Ber. favor them and choose to have a child with them.
Since the establishment of modern Ber, many non-orcs have ad- The enclaves were sometimes aided by foreigners who felt a
opted de Guerra ways, especially those in the military, which often drive to help save a people from near death, and even sometimes
shuffles citizens around the country to train with those descended sheltered those who were persecuted in the colonies that were
from other tribes, the better to foster national unity and pride in slowly conquering the empire’s old land. Then twenty years ago the
cultural heterogeneity. gulmohar’s return added millions of women, skewing the sex im-
Aggressive. As a bonus action, you can move your speed toward balance in the opposite direction and giving all Elfaivarans a hope
an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this for a new future.
move closer to the enemy than you started. Elfaivarans have a close connection to the Dreaming, which
Punch Above Your Weight. You are accustomed to dealing with manifests whenever they use magic, causing their entire eyes to
much larger creatures. Add half your proficiency bonus on damage glow faintly with the color of their irises. Almost every Elfaivaran
rolls for attacks against creatures Large or larger. possesses the inherent power to step briefly into the Dreaming,
Reliable and Vigilant. When you would make an ability or skill allowing them to bypass enemies and difficult terrain before reap-
check or saving throw, you can ignore one source of disadvantage. pearing in the Waking.
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete Dreaming Native. Your time in the Dreaming has suffused your
a short rest. being with its very energy. In addition to being humanoid, you also
Steady Legs. Whether climbing mountains or crewing a ship, have the fey creature type. Additionally, you are proficient in either
you’ve learned how to keep yourself and your allies from becoming History or Nature.
unbalanced. When you or an ally within reach would fall prone or Elfaivaran Training. Elfaivarans must be able to defend their
be pushed, you can grant them an expertise die on the saving throw people, but art and beauty elevates life beyond mere survival. You
or check to resist, or to their Maneuver DC. (An expertise die is an are proficient in longswords, scimitars, and whips. You are also
extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.) proficient in one tool or instrument of your choice.
Languages. You know Common, Orc, and one Beran language Endure and Thrive. A story can only be a tragedy if we let it end.
such as Draconic, Gnoll, Goblin, or Minotaur. You can cast the cantrip spare the dying. In addition, at 3rd level you
can cast heroism once per long rest. When you use either of these
Dialectician powers, you recite a verse from the Dirge of Vekesh or a similar
Drakran culture is steeped in philosophical debate, and those who mantra.
study and devise their own philosophies are the main drivers of Fey Step. You know how to briefly slip between the Waking and
society. Dreaming. You can cast misty step, but you must finish a short or
Epistemological Breadth. You are proficient in Culture, and long rest before you can do it again. If you aren’t on the Waking or
you gain an expertise die when you make a check with a skill to Dreaming, this power still functions, and to an outside observer
debate or know about philosophy. you appear to instantaneously teleport, but to you it feels like you
Ethical Imperative. You can cast command once per long rest. At spend long moments in a void between worlds before arriving at
3rd level you can cast suggestion once per long rest. The saving throw your destination.
DC for either of these is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign in Common,
or Charisma modifier. Elvish, and Sylvan.
Hard to Sway. You have advantage on saving throws against il-
lusions and to resist being charmed. Deception, Intimidation, and Harimau
Persuasion checks against you have disadvantage. This rare community of elves in Elfaivar were for centuries shunned
Languages. You know Common, Dwarf, and Primordial, enough because they were accused of accepting the blessing of a violent
to study nearly all major philosophies. bestial god, which gave them features that shift between those of elf
and tiger. The Harimau, however, believe they have been blessed by
Elfaivaran Hewanharimau, bringing them closer to the purity and strength
The largest woodland in Lanjyr is Elfaivar, the eponymous empire of nature.
of the region’s southeastern subcontinent. Elfaivar’s elves devel- Though their women did not perish with the death of Srasama,
oped wondrous magic and learned to blur the borders of the Waking the Harimau were forced into hiding by Elfaivaran survivors who
and the Dreaming. But their holy war with the Clergy ended with assumed they and their “curse” were somehow to blame. Once the
the death of Srasama, the Elfaivaran goddess of womanhood, and empire had collapsed, though, the Harimau would sometimes let
the backlash slew all but a few hundred Elfaivaran women. The sur- outsiders join them, even Elfaivarans who longed for the power
viving men fought over the ruins or fled in a diaspora. their god offered in blessing. Today the gulmohar matriarch
A World on Its Axis
Gold as Fashion and Fortune

In the Zeitgeist setting, the influence of Urim—a shattered chain
of asteroids that glints in the night sky—causes rings of gold to
block teleportation. This doesn’t stop most cultures from using
gold in jewelry, but Elfaivarans all learn to teleport short distances.
Chapter One
Surprisingly, golden jewelry is far more prevalent in Elfaivar than
other lands.
Before the fall of the empire, golden necklaces, earrings, nose
rings, and bangles were a display of power and decadence, an-
nouncing that you felt no need to rush about by teleporting and
that you had no fear you might need to flee. After the Great Malice,
though, survival was paramount, so fashion adapted. Incomplete
loops of gold became common, while necklaces might have a single
link of silver.
The morbid truth, though, was that as the population collapsed,
the survivors came to sit on huge caches of golden jewelry gathered
from the dead. Today, stability is returning to Elfaivar, and as the
country figures out how to build a functioning economy, gold is plen-
tiful, and many workers are paid in weights of jewelry that would be
a small fortune elsewhere.
A few groups of Elfaivarans—especially those among the Dias-
pora—make a point of wearing full golden loops as a symbol of being
cut off from their culture’s past. Likewise, in fraught negotiations,
sometimes rivals will ceremonially don golden rings as a way of
saying they don’t intend any surprises.
Dhebisu has allied with them, promising them a role in restoring Berans, as well as de Guerra orcs, used to use the slur “half-orc” to
Elfaivar’s greatness. insult the Pedresco orcs, and indeed the term might have some
Hidden Intentions. Because of long-standing slander against truth to it, as these lowland orcs were more likely to integrate with
your people, you prefer social restraint and subterfuge. You can humans and perhaps even some elves. But after the founder of Ber,
gain advantage when you make a check with a skill or tool against Vairday Bruse, hailed from among the Pedresco, the label has taken
a creature that you are hidden from, or if you are successfully dis- on a complicated role in orcish culture, co-opted to imply that the
guised, or if you have deceived that creature somehow. After you do, “other half” is Beran, a national identity rather than a racial one.
you cannot use this trait on that same creature until you complete Today Berans of all heritages are drawn to the example of their
a long rest. nation’s founder: confident and powerful civility, with a humility
Jungle Predator. You are proficient in either Stealth or Survival. that respects that others might have wisdom you lack, and an unre-
Tiger Visage. Whenever you attack, you can shift your appear- lenting refusal to give in to tyranny.
ance to grow claws, deadly teeth, and striped fur like a tiger. While Cultural Studies. You are proficient in Culture.
so shifted, your unarmed strike can deal bludgeoning, piercing, or Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points
slashing damage, and deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier damage. but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t
Making this transformation requires no action, but once you do, you use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
have to spend an action to revert back to your normal appearance. Wisdom of the Panoply. When an ally uses the Help action to
Pounce. If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature aid you, you can reroll one of the dice you roll and use the new result.
and then hit it with a melee attack on the same turn, that target You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency Languages. You know Common, Orc, and one Beran language
bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier) or be knocked prone. such as Draconic, Gnoll, Goblin, or Minotaur.
If the target is prone, you can make one unarmed attack against it
as a bonus action, though you must use your tiger visage for this Steelmarked
attack. You do not need a free hand to make this unarmed attack, On a large island south of Ber lives a group of gnolls who belong to
since you could bite or perhaps use your feet to claw your enemy. the Cult of the Steel Lord, and who have remained devoted to the
Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign in Common, dragon tyrant Gradiax even after he was slain over two centuries
Elvish, and Abyssal (the blessed language of Hewanharimau). ago. These steelmarked gnolls have a somewhat paradoxical reli-
gion that commands them to avoid touching metal with bare flesh,
Pedresco yet to understand and master technology, for which their lord will
Pedresco orcs are by far the most common, and their features a reward them with bodies as strong as steel, free from weakness and
bit closer to humans, with smaller tusks and gentler brows. Other hunger. As such, they adhere to fastidious sanitary standards and
A World on Its Axis
avoid blooding ceremonies, with adulthood instead being achieved Backgrounds

by proving one’s understanding of some technology and devotion Most backgrounds are still suitable to the Zeitgeist setting,
to the cult. though might warrant a few small changes. Guilds have fallen out
Their taboo only prohibits bare skin contact to metal, and as of favor outside of Crisillyir and Drakr, so “guildmember” could be
such they are fond of ornate kerchiefs and fine leather gloves. Forge replaced with “factory worker.” An “entertainer” might actually be
Chapter One
workers have popularized garments with heavy padding over fore- a journalist, and the “charlatan” background could represent some-
arms and lower legs, and such accessories are common even among one spying on behalf of a politician or industrialist.
those who don’t regularly work metal. Priests of the cult wear some- Also, modern society and scholarship leads to a few new
what formless robes, but prefer ostentatious designs of vivid colors backgrounds.
to catch the eye, especially when traveling among mainlanders.
Despite their exceptional grasp of modern technology, the Archaeologist
steelmarked still hold many traditional violent customs. The cult Though most eyes look to the future, the past fascinates you, and
has repeatedly raided the mainland, killing gnolls who speak out you have found wisdom in exploring the ruins of civilizations that
against them, and abducting children to convert to their faith. fell to disaster, or that gave birth to today’s world. Foremost in the
Steelmarked gnolls unnerve outsiders, as they seem to watch the public’s consciousness are the prehistoric orcs known as the An-
world around them with more detachment, move less, even breathe cients, who left massive stone edifices, fantastic golden treasures,
less than they should. and little else. But you might also study the Demonocracy, the brief
Blessed Industry. You gain proficiency in Engineering, as well philosopher state of Pala, pre-Malice Elfaivar, the magically un-
as in the tool or vehicle of your choice. stable ruins of Methia, or any of the multitude of obscure peoples of
Metal Taboo. You believe only your draconic lord and those who the past. Perhaps some day you’ll explore the planets above and the
have earned his blessing are worthy of the strength of metal. You ruins of surely long-dead cultures there.
try not to touch metal with your body directly. Gloves or kerchiefs Ability Score Increase: +1 to Intelligence and one other ability
are acceptable to insulate one from metal, and there is no shame in score.
being wounded by someone else’s metal. Skill Proficiencies: History, and either Arcana or Survival.
Breaking Touch. Your people have developed the ability to Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s tools or navigator’s tools.
break devices with a mere touch, even through a glove or other Languages: One modern language and one historical language
garment, which they see as a blessing and as proof of their lord’s of your choice.
enduring guidance. Suggested Equipment (cost 29 gp): A bullseye lantern, a min-
As a bonus action, you can touch an object with some mechanical er’s pick, traveler’s clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a trinket
complexity, such as a door, a lock, clock, ship rigging, steam engine, recovered from a dig site.
or animated construct. Feature: Historical Knowledge. You can easily assess the mon-
If it is an unattended inanimate object, it breaks in a non-hazard- etary value of art objects that are more than a century old, and when
ous way. A door has to be shoved forcefully open, a lock falls apart, you see ruins you can accurately ascertain who built them and for
a timebomb stops ticking down, a ship loses its propulsion. If it’s what purpose. Sometimes when you sleep near ruins, you faintly
larger than 5 feet across, you only break a section of it, but repairs recall dreams of the people who lived there, which might guide you
take at least an hour. to where to search or dig.
If the object is being worn or carried by a creature, or if you’re Adventures and Advancement. Your archaeological finds earn
trying to touch a creature, the creature can make a Dexterity saving you gratitude from scholars and researchers. When you donate a
throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) to valuable object to a museum or library, you gain advantage on all
avoid your touch. ability checks made during Research downtime activities per-
A mechanical creature touched this way takes 2d6 damage and formed at that institution.
its speed is reduced by half until the start of your next turn. The
damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at Archaeologist Connection
16th level. 1. The museum curator who owes you a favor.
A firearm affected by breaking touch will automatically miss the 2. The sea captain with whom you’ve made profitable voyages.
next time it is fired, as if a natural 1 were rolled (which is a misfire 3. The noble who believes you robbed their ancestral tomb.
with a nonmagical gun). 4. The rival who is always one step ahead of you.
After you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you complete 5. The vanished colleague who was close to a breakthrough.
a short or long rest. 6. The thief who was going to rob you but ended up fascinated by
Steel Endures. If you have obeyed the metal taboo for the past your work.
day, you have advantage on saving throws to resist poison and 7. The rich one-time patron with a grudge against you.
disease, and have resistance against poison damage. Additionally, 8. The buffoonish but well-financed rival whose methods are
double the amount of time you can go without food, water, and air. clumsy and destructive.
Languages. You know Common, Gnoll, and one Beran language 9. The former partner who stole your map.
such as Draconic, Goblin, Minotaur, or Orc. 10. The inventor who will buy relics he thinks are keys to lost
ancient technology.
A World on Its Axis
Adventure Seed: Archaeologist Feature: Safe Haven. Efforts taken by your group shield your
The Crystal Tomb. A Drakran project called the Chthonic Canal is secret activities from most blanket divinations unless the caster
excavating a hundred miles of tunnels to let ships navigate directly specifically suspects you, and you cannot be magically compelled
from the northern coast to the south, without having to travel around to confess the organization’s secrets. Additionally, in most large
Danor. Thousands of prisoners with darkvision—mostly dwarves— settlements and cities you can subtly signal to others in your orga-
Chapter One
work in subterranean camps, carving out the tunnel and assembling nization to get access to a hidden safe house, free room and board,
its locks. The PCs arrive shortly after a work crew of eight prison- or assistance in finding information. Other agents won’t risk their
ers breached a chamber containing a mysterious crystalline temple, lives for you or risk revealing their identities, at least not before
killed their overseers, and fled to the surface with all the gems they you’ve put in the work to establish a rapport.
could carry. Though none of the prisoners were mages, the bodies Adventures or Advancement. When your plots begin to show
of everyone they killed transformed and reanimated as a hideous fruit, your fellow agents notice. After you’ve had several successes
tentacled undead. at advancing your cause, you gain a contact with an agent who is
highly-placed in society and can open doors for you. In addition,
Archaeologist Memento you gain the services of a low-level agent (your agent has the statis-
1. A tablet with a fragment of the same poem in an archaic form tics of an NPC spy).
of the languages of the Demonocracy and old Elfaivar, as well
as unfamiliar pictograms of what appear to be hand signs. Faction Agent Connection
2. A sealed clay flask, filled with liquid and painted with 1. A former partner who defected to another organization.
strange, skeletal humanoids around a crescent moon. 2. A technologist or alchemist who frequently brings you new
3. Half of a large stone key inscribed with pre-Malice inventions to try out.
iconography of the Clergy. 3. An ally you believe is a double agent.
4. A solid gold arrow which you discovered embedded in the 4. Someone you’re blackmailing.
fossilized skull of an unfamiliar beast. 5. A respected rival: you both know each others’ true identities
5. The charred case of an antique calligraphy kit with a brass but haven’t revealed them.
nameplate that reads “Wm. Miller.” 6. A mysterious figure who meets you at midnight to receive
6. A typed letter from a representative of the Vsadni Tzertze your field reports.
pointing out flaws in a paper you published about the fifth- 7. A local gossip who gives you useful information, but doesn’t
century B.O.V. Drakr. know that you’re working for your faction.
7. A wooden case containing a map to a ruin or dungeon, with 8. One of your parents or parental figures, an admired agent
the initials “RR” penned in the corner, found at a pawn shop. whom you are always compared to.
8. A graven idol of an unknown god, carved from purple stone 9. The family member of a fellow agent who died on a mission.
and partially encased in black volcanic rock. 10. A local gang leader who is aligned with your faction and takes
9. An inherited, found, or stolen diary which once belonged to orders from you.
a great treasure hunter. It contains the answers to several
riddles required to access some site, but no information about Faction Agent Memento
the site’s location. 1. A stack of mass-printed broadsheets filled with conspiracy
10. A signature weapon or tool given by a mentor or old rival. theories about your faction.
2. A small ceraunic wave receiver you use to pick up trans
Faction Agent missions—your faction’s, and those from the Clear Waters.
You served—and may still serve—one of the organizations trying 3. The dossier you compiled about your superior in case you
to influence events in Lanjyr, either a public entity like the Royal needed to blackmail them.
Homeland Constabulary of Risur, a criminal organization such as 4. A thank you letter you found in your handwriting, which
the Kuchnost that undermines government power through black- you don’t remember sending, that was returned to you for
mail and misinformation, or a secret society that the public only insufficient postage.
knows through rumors and whispers, like the alleged Mandatu 5. Maps of several high-security locations, including hidden
Mortuum, which seek to help the dead hold onto their power. For passages.
more information, your Narrator might suggest one of the conspir- 6. A letter of introduction to someone who died mysteriously
acies described in Chapter Eight: A Model of Obscurity, or create a before you could meet them.
new one for your campaign. 7. A dagger with a hidden compartment in the pommel.
Ability Score Increase: +1 to Charisma and one other ability 8. A code book that allows you to decode the messages of a rival
score. faction.
Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, and either Culture or Deception. 9. Documents which give you a false identity.
Languages: Two languages of your choice. 10. A signet ring you discovered; the inside of the band has an
Suggested Equipment (Cost 5 sp): Badge or emblem of your fac- inscription that has been scraped away.
tion, a copy of a seminal faction text, a code book, a set of common
clothes.
A World on Its Axis
Investigator Adventure Seed: Investigator

You might be a criminologist on the city payroll, a public prosecu- The Mandala Effect. A strange madness is spreading in the Risuri
tor, part of a military tribunal, or a private amateur whom the local colony of Kellandia after a recent storm: hundreds of people all claim
authorities rely on to help solve crimes. Consider what case might Risur is at war with Elfaivar, even remembering the same specific details
have most affected you, and whether you are still in contact with of battles and casualties. Many think their city’s governor has turned
Chapter One
any of the victims or perpetrators. traitor, and are preparing for revolution. The PCs discover an arcano-
Ability Score Increases: +1 to Intelligence and one other ability scientist researching the energy of the plane Teykfa murdered, his
score. laboratory covered in paintings of Seedist mandalas, and his research
Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, and either Insight or notes missing.
Perception.
Tool Proficiencies. Chemist’s tools.
Suggested Equipment (cost 11 gp): A uniform and/or a badge, a
set of manacles lined with a gold wire (to prevent teleportation), a
magnifying glass.
Feature: On the Case. In any community you visit, you can 8. A piece of clothing you wore on your first case that you think
easily locate local outposts of city watch or similar organizations, of as a good luck charm.
as well as dens of criminal activity. As long as you don’t abuse the 9. A collection of encyclopedias from around Lanjyr published
privilege, you can call upon someone (such as a Police Officer, see just after the Great Eclipse, each missing pages that would
page 231) to help you on official business, providing enough author- have held entries about something starting with “OB.”
ity to get most suspects to agree to be questioned (and maybe come 10. A true crime novel about the murders of the minorly
in “for a few follow-up questions” when you intend to reveal that infamous Ragman of Flint.
you’ve solved the case). This ally will defend themselves if attacked,
but isn’t loyal enough to go along if they know a fight is imminent. Riven Mind
Adventures and Advancement. After you solve a case or two, During the Great Eclipse you were drawn deeply into a hivemind,
your exploits may make it to the papers, and would-be master- such that you lost your sense of self entirely. When the hivemind
minds might taunt you with crimes intended to thwart your powers ended, you had to rebuild your identity, and even now decades later
of deduction. you sometimes feel like nothing mattered as much as when you
were bonded so fully with the minds of others. You have a knack for
Investigator Connection understanding people’s thoughts, but likely have drifted through
1. Your landlord who hid a witness for you. life, perpetually disappointed by the shallowness of all your rela-
2. A mortician willing to let you poke and prod the cadavers. tionships, accomplishing little of note. Consider what has shaken
3. An urchin who keeps you apprised of the goings-on in one you out of this long fog to begin adventuring. What do the people
city district. who were part of the same hivemind think about you, and do you
4. A highly-placed government bureaucrat who smoothed keep in touch?
things over when you stretched the law to catch a criminal. Ability Score Increases: +1 to Wisdom and one other ability
5. A criminal who got away and keeps in touch as a pen pal. score.
6. Another investigator who resents that you made them look Skill Proficiencies: Insight, and either Culture or Persuasion.
like a fool by solving one of their cases. Tool Proficiencies: Two of your choice.
7. A friend who thinks you haven’t discovered their secret. Suggested Equipment (cost 1 gp): Common clothes, a winter
8. A criminal informant you keep having to get out of trouble. blanket.
9. The neighbor who seems too perfectly innocent and friendly. Feature: Whispers of the Many. Some lingering telepathic po-
10. A romantic flame who is in deep with the wrong crowd. tential causes the emotions of those around you to bleed into your
own, and it took a long time to learn how to keep them at bay (or
Investigator Memento perhaps you are still afflicted in the presence of crowds). You find it
1. A photochemical camera plate depicting a suspect you could easy to blend into crowds and not appear out of place, regardless of
never identify. your attire, as long as you don’t draw attention to yourself. You can
2. A restraining order from someone you falsely accused. extend this same inconspicuous sense of conformity to creatures
3. A death threat you received warning you to stop an traveling with you.
investigation. Sometimes you can sense who in a large gathering feels out of
4. An invitation to the wedding of a person you exonerated. place. You can focus and try to deliberately receive these epipha-
5. A notebook on the gait patterns and footprints of different nies, but there is no guarantee you’ll learn anything.
humanoids. Adventures and Advancement. When you encounter creatures
6. The rare minerals you collected when an injury kept you from which were once part of your hive mind, you gain a bit of your old
going out and solving crimes. sense of purpose. Once you have met several such beings, you may
7. Your conspiracy board, stringing yarn between coincidences gain a special form of telepathy which works at any distance, but
you think must be connected. only with your former hive mates.
A World on Its Axis
Adventure Seed: Riven Mind

The Riven Map. A friend of the PCs who escaped a hivemind during
the Great Eclipse has long had hazy memories of burying treasure and
seeing a reflection in a golden plate that wasn’t her own. By chance she
meets a deva who also was trapped in the same hivemind, who has similar
Chapter One
memories. They realize that each person who was in the hivemind might
have a piece of a treasure map, but before they can set out in search of
others, the deva is murdered. The friend asks the PCs to help her locate
everyone else who was in the hivemind, to track down the riches.
Riven Mind Connection

1. A strong-willed member of your former hive who pushed the Riven Mind Memento
group to commit cruel acts. 1. A collection of trinkets that seem to be made of flesh but
2. A mysterious telepathic voice which sometimes speaks to never need to eat, which respond somehow to your thoughts.
you. 2. Several sets of artisans’ tools from various failed careers.
3. A valued and talented friend, once a member of your hive, 3. Scrawled notes of hivemind memories which are now
now mired in despair. vanished like dreams.
4. A person seeking vengeance for an act your hivemind 4. A vivid memory of a murder, with no clue of where it
committed. occurred or to whom.
5. A former boss who feels responsibility for you. 5. A news clipping about the rampage your hivemind
6. The scholar who nursed you to health in the difficult months undertook.
after your severing. 6. A hoop skirt or broad-brimmed hat, part of a failed social
7. A sage, once a member of your hive, who provides you distancing scheme.
information. 7. An ant farm (strangely soothing!).
8. The beautiful mind which you loved but never met in person. 8. A sketchbook in which you draw the faces you see in your
9. A person who was only a child when they were caught in your dreams.
hivemind, and whom you took care of because all their family 9. A piece of someone else’s flesh that remains merged into
shunned them. yours and sometimes feels alien sensations.
10. Someone who claims to be a close friend from before you 10. Two syringes filled with silvery fluid. You used to have a third
were in the hive mind; you have no memory of them from one, and when you injected yourself with it, someone else
that time. took over your body for a few minutes.
Egregores
Egregores, also known as hiveminds or gestalts, are spectral entities
of psionic power, forged from several intelligent creatures’ minds
and souls joined together. Such entities may have always existed, but
they came to prominence during the Great Eclipse.
During that time, strange psychic magic caused any sufficiently
large mass of people in close proximity to slowly link their minds
together, unifying in opinion and gradually in behavior. Social dis-
tancing procedures were necessary to avoid having one’s free will
sapped, and in some rare cases large hiveminds actually manifested
eerie thoughtflesh and trapped people inside a hideous monster until
their minds could be freed.
The phenomenon ended after the Great Eclipse, except for in a
few psychically charged places. Since then scholars have worked to
understand and classify these beings. Egregore is a generic term.
Hiveminds are unwilling egregores, which often are dangerous.
Gestalts are groups that willingly connect their minds, forsaking
individuality for some shared purpose.
Some theories of thaumaturgy see the divine magic of religions,
and more obscure forms of magic such as Risur’s rites of rulership,
as all stemming from the same power of shared belief or collective
thought.
For more information, see the bestiary entry on Egregores (page
246).
A World on Its Axis
Character Themes & Feats

Choose one of the twelve themes below to provide a quick hook to
link your character to the Zeitgeist campaign setting. Themes
don’t have a mechanical benefit, but can help your Narrator plan
what sorts of adventures will appeal to you.
Chapter One
Each theme offers an associated feat for characters who are espe-
cially committed to the ideals of the theme. As you gain levels, you
could potentially even take multiple theme feats. These feats may
be selected as part of your normal allocation of feats.
* Courseur. Swift-moving innovators pursuing progress no
matter the cost.
* Docker. Bohemian manual laborers who are also artists and
performers.
* Gunsmith. Designer and wielder of custom firearms.
* Martial Scientist. Educated and analytical warrior.
* Ottoplismist. Political partisan whose strong loyalty can
magically compel obedience.
* Skyseer. Folk prophet who see the future in the stars.
* Sophist. Philosopher whose beliefs can affect the nearby
world.
* Spirit Medium. Person who can contact and control spirits
of the dead.
* Technologist. Designer of small contraptions and complex
devices.
* Telemachian. Hero of a war far from home.
* Tropezaro. Survivalists and environmentalists dedicated to
improvisation and guerrilla tactics.
* Vekeshi Mystic. Member of a vigilante sect that defends the
weak and punishes the powerful and cruel.
collectors to get people what they need. Plays on the word “corsair”
Courseur make their way into a lot of popular Danoran theater and literature.
The concept of courseur originated as a Danoran philosophy of battle Courseur-inspired art is popular and transgressive, and includes
tactics. Assess a challenge, and if it can be defeated, confront it at many tales of adventure in alien worlds or using technologies not
speed. If you cannot defeat it, route around it. If you must defeat it, yet possible, often with wild optimism, though some of the most
keep on the move as you assemble the force necessary to accom- compelling carry a sense of anxiety about going too far.
plish your mission. Elite soldiers developed techniques of smooth
movement across random terrain, and translated their philosophy New Feat: Brook No Delay
from military strategy to all sorts of other endeavors. You move through a battlefield with inspiring grace. As long as
When the military became discredited in Danor after Eloise Duf- you’re not encumbered or wearing heavy armor, you gain the fol-
fet’s coup, courseurs found new paths to power. The intellectual lowing benefits.
nation’s martial leadership encouraged officers to seek academic You have a climb speed equal to your base speed. If you fall inten-
positions, and soon academic institutions integrated agility train- tionally while moving, determine the damage you take as if you’d
ing into their physical fitness regimens. In cluttered cities like fallen a distance shortened by 10 feet times your proficiency bonus.
Beaumont and Cherage, where new buildings rise above historical When you have a running start, add your proficiency bonus to
structures, people marveled at the sight of courseurs dashing across the number of feet of your high jump, and five times your proficien-
rooftops, leaping alleys, clambering up rain gutters, and sprinting cy bonus to the number of feet of your long jump distance.
fearlessly through the tedious congestion of roadways and rail lines. Whenever you Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Hide, one ally who
can see you can perform the same action on their next turn without
Playing a Courseur spending an action.
As a courseur, you are likely indomitable and self-reliant, and en-
courage others to be so as well. But you aren’t necessarily a loner. More Information
Many courseurs are researchers in science, engineering, and magic. You might learn to weave magic into your movement and take the
Courseur also has a strong crossover appeal with followers of the Wayfarer Cirqueliste prestige class (page 224). Rumors tell of a
philosophy of muktism (page 146). cadre of circus performers who use their travels throughout the
Certainly, a fair number of courseurs are criminals, smug- continent as a way to conceal various illicit activities, and whose
glers, and pirates, sharing insights in evading embargoes and tax dragonfly-winged leader Tiljann is quick with a teleportation ritual.
A World on Its Axis
Docker
Flint’s industrial docks—with their conflux of peasant workers,
educated engineers, fortune-seeking immigrants, and hopeful ref-
ugees—are famous for spawning an unorthodox social movement.
Graffiti artists brighten soot-cloaked warehouses with colorful
Chapter One
murals and boastful self-portraits. Dancers and musicians bolster
moods in breezy bars, while amateur philosophers giddy on fey
pepper entertain drunken teamsters with humorous moral puzzles
that often mock public figures.
This “docker” movement—a working class, bohemian mix of
art and philosophy united through the shared toil of city living—
spread by ship to every port of Lanjyr, creating an international
grapevine of gossip, trade, and revolution. Every docker knows what
it’s like to be “the little guy,” and shares a commitment to making a
mark on culture regardless, usually through art and through push-
ing for social change.
Playing a Docker
The docker spirit is not limited to those who perform in public;
it extends to anyone who does hard work for low wages and also
appreciates intelligent art for its sublime beauty. The worse condi-
tions get for the workers in factories, the more they turn to dockers
for relief from their fatigue. And when things get heated, every
good docker needs to be able to handle themselves in a scrap.
Sometimes a docker gets in over their head, and with a little help
from sympathetic bar owners or police officers they’ll drop out of
the scene and find a new safer career. In this way, you might find
dockers spreading their ideas to pockets of city slums and out in
rural farmlands. A famous song tells of a graffiti artist who found
her way to painting cathedrals in Crisillyir, and of course everyone More Information
knows the legendary Rock Rackus’s claims of flying to the moon At higher level, you might take the Notorious Celebrity prestige
and cuckolding the fey king of the Unseen Court. class (page 218), having gained enough prestige or infamy to affect
As a docker, perhaps you’ll inspire great heroics, or perhaps your foes by reputation alone.
you’ll make a small difference in your community. Either way,
people should know that they can rely on you in a bind. Flint in
particular remembers how dockers helped defend the city during Adventure Seed: Docker
the Great Eclipse, but voices of authority have started pushing for Unstoppable Motion Machine. In the city of Cherage, a massive
crackdowns, claiming that these artful anarchists have begun to docker protest surrounds a manufactory producing armed constructs, of
act with impunity. a sort meant to quell civil unrest and kill protesters. The PCs are travel-
ing by monorail on the other side of the city when a friend from among
New Feat: Docker’s Jank the local dockers dashes onto their car just as it pulls away from the
In a band, every musician has to know his bandmates’ parts in case station. He has schematics of a new unstoppable juggernaut the factory
they need to switch places or pick up the slack. Choose up to four is secretly building. He says he overheard that at sunset—in two hours—
allies; you may change your chosen allies if you spend a few hours the mad technologist intends to test his invention on the protesters. He’s
training with them. You and those allies can each use Help as a being pursued by courseur goons of the inventor, who follow the party by
bonus action, but only to aid you or one of your chosen allies. Once rail, on foot, in carriage, and by airship as they race to stop the massacre.
a character uses this ability, he or she must take a short or long rest
before doing so again.
Additionally, as a bonus action you can shout a line from an in-
spiring song to grant an ally a Bardic Inspiration die, a d6. The die
becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
This functions as the bard ability except that after you use this abil-
ity once, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
You are proficient with one type of musical instrument and with
vehicles (water).
A World on Its Axis
Adventure Seed: Gunsmith

I Am Not a Gun. Foreign gunsmith-philosophers have come to the
city of Seobriga for a Drakran cultural festival and arms exposition,
hosted in an old sprawling draconic palace. Famous thinkers from
both nations hold a series of unsympathetic debates and retrospec-
Chapter One
tives about Ber’s poor naval showing in the Elfaivaran Reclamation

Crisis three years ago. But the PCs become trapped when a division
of disgruntled veterans seize the palace, arm themselves with ex-
perimental weapons on display, and take hostages. They accuse the
government of sending them to war and then abandoning them like
a spent gun once the battle was over, and threaten to kill hostages
unless their long list of demands are met. Do the PCs run, try to
debate, side with their captors, or fight back?
In Drakr, a gunsmith’s ability to design a firearm evokes the

same reverence as legendary smiths who forged enchanted battle
axes, swords, and warhammers. Devoted gunsmiths seek to create
weapons worthy of passing down to their descendants for centuries.
In Crisillyir, the embrace of gunsmithing was driven by Ot-
toplismists, who rejected the Clergy’s old claim that guns were
infernal because Danorans invented them. Now it has become
popular to style the stocks and holsters of firearms to evoke Cleri-
cist deities.
Gunsmith
Knowledge of primitive alchemical fusils has existed for centuries, New Feat: The Man with Two Guns is God
but these weapons were long considered inferior to magic. Danoran You have discovered the coolest fighting style in the world. You are
inventor Amielle Latimer refined fusils, which came to be colloqui- proficient with gunsmithing tools and with all firearms. When-
ally called “guns,” and by the Great Eclipse these weapons were ever you take a long rest, choose two firearms in your possession to
ubiquitous among civilians and soldiers alike. But for some people, maintain. Those weapons suffer no mishap chance for the next day.
these killing tools are key to their identity, perhaps symbolizing If you are wielding two weapons, when you use the Attack action
the ascent of the common man over the aristocrat, or representing and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action
a philosophy of self-defense and self-reliance. to attack with a second weapon if that weapon is a one-handed
True gunsmiths are not content simply to purchase and practice firearm. You can reload firearms even if you have a weapon in both
with guns. They tweak and tinker with their own refinements, and hands. If you are holding two firearms, you can reload both with a
whenever two such craftsmen cross paths they bargain and deal for single action or bonus action.
each other’s secrets, especially those that mix spellcraft with met- After you hit or miss with a firearm, your target cannot make op-
allurgy or chemistry. portunity attacks until the start of your next turn.
You can draw and stow one-handed firearms without using your
Playing a Gunsmith “object interaction” for the turn.
Not all gunsmiths devote their combat training to wielding fire- Additionally, during a short rest you can tinker on a firearm,
arms; some merely romanticize their deadly purity. More often, using raw materials (i.e., directly spending money, without need-
though, gunsmiths practice endlessly to improve their aim, and try ing to buy accessories) to apply any of the firearm upgrades detailed
to learn as many trick shots as possible to prove the superiority of on page 81. You can transfer an upgrade between weapons without
their chosen killing device. needing to expend any materials.
You may decorate your weapons with baroque inlays and carv-
ings, or maybe you take a bleaker view, rejecting any form of art More Information
and poetry. You just know guns are damned good at killing people, At higher level, you might take the Mad Shootist prestige class (page
and that life’s as good as worthless when a bullet costs less than a 216), experimenting with freeze rays, rocket launchers, and the like.
mug of beer.
A World on Its Axis
Adventure Seed: Martial Scientist

Vagabonds Under a Mirror Moon. The final exams of Flint’s acad-
emy of martial science, the Battalion, take them into the city’s
Cloudwood district on the Night of the Mirror Moon, where they will
have until dawn to apply their skills in a mock rescue mission in the
Chapter One
Dreaming. They are accompanied by a skyseer with a novel time-
piece with no moving parts and expensive magic items that can hold
fey at bay. A tropezaro who belongs to the Beran gang La Liga de
Oro enlists the PCs to follow the students into the Dreaming and steal
their magic. But this is the first Night of the Mirror Moon since the Great
Eclipse, and the PCs and the students find themselves not merely in the
Dreaming, but on a new plane each hour. They’ll have to work together
with their quarry to get home safely before dawn.
cooperation in recent years, Danor’s Jierre Sciens d’Arms martial

academy has exchanged teachers with Keataram, offering insight
into modern technology in exchange for training in the use of mar-
tial magic.
Playing a Martial Scientist

Students of the war academies bring reason to the savagery of war.
You’ll have studied anatomy and performed autopsies to learn vul-
nerabilities of the body, debated theorems about the most effective
angles of attack and defense, and taken time to ponder the political
considerations of mortal conflict.
Every graduate is required to produce a thesis, expanding the
body of martial knowledge, often with elaborate names such as The
Wounding Effectiveness of Stealthy Singular Rapier Contrasted with a Twin
Strike of Dual Long Swords. Despite the intense research, that particu-
lar thesis led to no real advancements. However, every Beran officer
Martial Scientist is required to read a brief treatise titled simply How Not to Get Shot,
In the war academies of Danor, students speak of combat like a sci- which is seen as a seminal work in the field of not getting shot. Con-
ence. They practice forms and maneuvers, but also write theses sider what your thesis was.
about renowned warriors and craft theorems regarding the me-
chanics of swordplay, unarmed combat, and suppressive small New Feat: Martial Studies
arms fire. Once, Danor honored the graduates of these battle col- Research is important for science and for combat. If you don’t know
leges like other nations laud great poets and sculptors, but Eloise just the right fighting technique, you’re pretty sure someone else
Duffet’s military coup tempered the nation’s enthusiasm for its has published a thesis about it.
martial expertise. You gain proficiency in one martial melee and one martial ranged
Nevertheless, the curriculum’s efficacy led other nations to found weapon.
similar schools, such as the Banhaman Academy in Risur’s capital Additionally, you can make limited use of tricks from the Savant
Slate, which has a reputation for elite siege engineers and artiller- class (page 45). You learn two savant tricks—typically committee
ists. The Battalion outside of Flint trains the best wilderness forces defense aegis and experimental flourish—and can acquire other tech-
in Lanjyr, while the College of Divine Trials in the Crisillyiri city niques in your travels.
Sid Minos teaches faith, fervor, and the mental and physical vul- You can spend a bonus action to prepare a trick you know, using
nerabilities of countless monsters, both terrestrial and extraplanar. the same mechanics as a Savant. However, after you do this a
In Drakr, emphasis is given to testing the physiological and psy- number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, you cannot do
chological limits of endurance. The lone war college in Ber has a so again until you finish a short rest.
vast library of battle songs from past generations of tribal warriors, If you are a Savant with this feat, simply add the two tricks you
which according to a disputed theory will inspire the courage and picked to the list of tricks you know. You can prepare them as you
attack accuracy of soldiers. would any other tricks.
Despite the sense that “martial science” is a modern invention, the You can also learn additional tricks by finding a copy of the thesis
return of the gulmohar in Elfaivar led to the resurrection of a pre- they wrote. If you have a copy of a thesis, when you complete a long
Malice school of war, Keataram or “The Palace.” Elfaivarans eager rest you can replace one of the tricks you know with the trick de-
to secure their homeland have looked to long-forgotten fighting tailed in the thesis. See Martial Scientist Theses (page 210) for a list
techniques, and in one of the oddest developments of international of prominent theses and their associated tricks.
A World on Its Axis
A Note about Martial Scientists

The Narrator should plan opportunities for the PC to interact with
other martial scientists and learn techniques from them. In more
freeform games, the Narrator should make sure to provide clear in-
dications for how and where a martial scientist PC can find others to
Chapter One
learn from. For games with more structured plots, though, this could
entail teasing that an antagonist has a personal technique, which
acts as a sort of “treasure” for defeating them. Or perhaps the ad-
venture is about defeating a monster with a particularly dangerous
attack, but the PC knows of a martial scientist who has just the right
technique to defend against the beast, and who might be willing to
share it if the party does them a favor.
More Information
At higher level, you might take the Polyhistor prestige class (page
219), using your deep well of martial knowledge to craft unique
fighting techniques in the heat of battle. The legendary Henri Jierre
who founded the Jierre Sciens d’Arms is said to have never needed
more than three sword strokes to defeat any foe.
Ottoplismist
The Ottoplismo movement arose from a theological schism in the
Clergy faith, driven by people in Crisillyir organizing to defend
against fiends unleashed during the Great Eclipse. Ottoplismo
today is a proud alliance of military, industry, and government, all
structured as subordinate to the state religion.
The name comes from the eight deities executed in “god trials”
during the Great Eclipse, whom Ottoplismists (sometimes called
“Ottos” as shorthand) believe were unjustly punished. Ottos
embrace traditional Clericist values of duty, faith, and self-im-
provement, but believe they are reimagining them for the modern
age, criticizing pacifism and mercy to rivals as tantamount to be- New Feat: Strength through Authority
traying your people. As a bonus action, you can call upon creatures to demonstrate their
Above all, Ottoplismists reject the idea so common in this new loyalty to you and your cause. You and up to eight other creatures
age that people of many cultures need to “learn from their differ- that can see or hear you can volunteer to be temporarily bonded to-
ences.” To them, this is a threat, because one’s culture might be gether; if more volunteer, you intuitively choose which eight. Then,
subsumed without a fight. The same way that prayer and faith if at least one creature volunteers, choose yourself or one of those
defends against demonic temptation, loyalty to one’s people is the creatures to be the focus of the bond.
first line of defense, and an Ottoplismist’s loyalty is rewarded with Each creature in the bond gains temporary hit points equal to
divine blessing. your level plus your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier.
These temporary hit points last up to one minute.
Playing an Ottoplismist For the next one minute, whenever the person who is the focus of
You’ll want to be familiar with the roster of eight martyred deities the bond takes damage or fails a saving throw, you are aware of this
that your movement reveres (see Denominational Rift, page 72). and can choose one of the creatures bonded to it (including your-
Many Ottos wear a pin or decorate their clothing with an icon self) to be “martyred.” You then transfer the damage or the effect of
called a “fasces”: eight sticks bound together, with a stylized fish the failed saving throw to the martyr, ignoring any resistances or
hook emerging from one end. This represents both Trigenes’s link immunities they might have. After someone serves as a martyr this
with the eight martyred gods, and the idea of unity producing way, the bond ends, but the temporary hit points persist.
strength. A single stick can be easily broken, but they are sturdier After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish
when bound together. a long rest.
A World on Its Axis
Skyseer: The Cosmology in Brief

Chapter Five explains all the planets and how they influence the world,
but for first-time readers, here’s what you should know.
•• The influence of Jiese sparked the industrial revolution.
•• The parallel worlds of the Dreaming and the Bleak Gate seem to be
Chapter One
tied to the moon named Av.
•• The planet Ostea allows anyone to perform minor divinations with
an offering of blood.
•• The auric asteroids of Urim cause rings of gold to foil teleporta-
tion and planar travel.
•• When making History checks, sometimes you get a vision of
distant Ascetia, which grants you a bonus.
•• Mavisha hinders divination on islands.
•• Amrou lets traditional folk superstitions actually work, like salt
being a barrier to the undead.
•• And when times are desperate, Caeloon may grant you a buoying
second wind.
Playing a Skyseer
Those who study to be skyseers usually have a close mentor among
the druids of Risur. Apprenticed to an elder skyseer, they learn
the names of the stars and planets, their patterns and influence.
Though precise visions are rare, it is still indisputable that magic
of travel works better under the full moon, and that any ship that
sets sail the night when Jiese enters retrograde within the constel-
lation of the Mad Pirate will face great misfortune before it reaches
its destination.
Skyseers favor the night: with a glance at the starry sky, a skyseer
can tell time as precisely as any clock. Most Risuri ship’s captains
won’t sail beyond sight of shore without a skyseer aboard, and the
prestige they enjoy at sea is spreading to the navies of other nations.
Skyseer And throughout Risur, every family, village, and organization of any
Skyseers are folk prophets of Risur who observe the subtle con- prominence extends hospitality to skyseers—as long as they keep
nections between the movements of the night sky and the affairs confidential any prophecies that might apply to their host’s future.
of this world. They were respected for their wisdom and guidance, You should definitely read the section on The Planetary System
and as Risur’s population swelled with immigrants from around (page 183), and might be interested in Skyseers Against Industry
the region, the reliable rituals of the skyseers helped unify people (page 185).
of diverse religious backgrounds.
Around the time the Danoran industrial revolution began two New Feat: Skyseer Vision
centuries ago, the clarity of skyseer prophecies began to fade, and As a bonus action, you choose yourself or an ally within reach and
with it their prominence in Risuri culture. But two short years give that creature insight into future actions. The creature chooses
before the Great Eclipse, the aged skyseer Nevard Sechim deliv- one of the following—attack roll, saving throw, or ability check—
ered his legendary prophecy of the three ravens, which protected and then rolls 1d20. One time in the next hour, when the creature
the city of Flint from devastation and perhaps helped avert the end would make the same type of roll, they may use the previously
of the world. rolled result. If the creature has advantage or disadvantage, only
After the year-long eclipse ended, the stars returned, but they the first roll is replaced.
were changed. Today the skyseers are only just learning to inter- After using this ability, you must take a short or long rest before
pret their new signs, yet their visions are gradually growing clearer. you can use it again.
More and more skyseers are accepting modern technology; many Once per day you can detect planar energy, similar to the spell
view Lanjyr’s great telescopes as another tool to aid in divination. detect evil and good, except that you can detect creatures from other
Other skyseers are joining the ranks of titanist zealots inspired planes and planets, and you can follow their trails like a dog fol-
by the newly active fey titans, gathering around Nevard’s Henge in lows scents. Trails fade within a few moments if a creature was only
Flint to perform rituals. briefly on another plane (such as an Elfaivaran using their fey step
The people of Risur have renewed respect and trust in these folk ability), but most creatures native to other planes leave trails that
prophets, and many young people around the world aspire to learn linger for hours, perhaps even days. If a creature has been on this
their secrets and help foresee the course of this new age. world for months, though, it loses a distinctive otherworldly scent.
A World on Its Axis
As part of a long rest during which the night sky is visible, you
may focus your mind on the future and receive a prophetic dream
regarding one question. Upon completion of your rest you awaken
with insights into the future as though you had cast a divination
spell, which you receive in the form of imagery that requires
Chapter One
interpretation.
More Information
At higher level, you might take the Applied Astronomist prestige
class (page 213), letting you manifest the powers of the different
planets in the night sky. Perhaps you’ll brave the dangerous peak of
Cauldron Hill, which still is a nexus of powerful visions.
Sophist
The country of Drakr values robust philosophical debates and is
best well known for Heid Eschatol, a doctrine that frames exis-
tence from the perspective of endings and encourages people to
plan good endings. The most studied eschatologists can call upon
a shared certainty of the world’s eventual icy end, manifesting this
belief into reality. They might with a touch halt the death of those
whose time they did not feel was right, or through will alone con-
jure a vortex of deadly cold around them.
However, in the wake of a narrowly-averted apocalypse, the new
age demands new ideas, and other philosophies are capturing the
public consciousness. Like eschatologists before, these various
sophists can wield the massed will of other believers to affect the
physical world.
The two most common competing movements in Drakr are
a brand of solipsistic nihilism called Delkovich Nihisol, and Playing a Sophist
Muktism, a doctrine of transcendent libertarianism inspired by Eschatologists are likely to give regular thought to the future, espe-
Elfaivaran philosophers. cially to life’s thresholds and endings. Every eschatologist regularly
Jaromir Delkovich questioned whether the world could even updates their will, and pays heed to their companions’ desires in
have survived the Great Eclipse. This tapped into the anxiety of the event of untimely yet unavoidable deaths. Many are fascinated
many Drakrans who struggled with survivor’s guilt, especially with extreme cold, which represents the icy end of the world that
those in the north who witnessed apocalyptic devastation. Delko was averted during the Great Eclipse, thanks in part to the teach-
vich advises people to be attentive to their own psychology, which ings of Heid Eschatol.
is the only thing anyone can be certain of, and the only thing they Solipsistic nihilists encourage others to put no faith in institu-
can control. The purpose of existence for each person is to decide tions, to be skeptical of everything, and to be attentive to one’s own
what matters to them. However, many adherents only paid atten- mind and emotions. Muktists frequently find themselves prone to
tion to the surface idea of doubting reality. travel, because they’re often driven by a desire to experience the
Isobel Travers is not Drakran, but an Elfaivaran woman who was world and a desire to virtuously help others.
enslaved in Danor for the first half of her life. She was rescued and
returned to her people’s homeland, but felt out of place, having gone New Feat: Expression of Belief
from being a trophy bride to being treated like a sheltered child. Your philosophy can affect reality. You are proficient in the Culture
After the Great Eclipse, she published her treatise on the Elfaivaran skill and in the Dwarvish language.
concept of mukti, a form of emancipation, enlightenment, libera- Additionally, choose one of the following philosophies and gain
tion, and release. its associated ability.
Muktists promote three goals. First: freedom from shame by You can also spend a bonus action to grant that same ability to a
living virtuously. Second: freedom from toil by achieving material creature you touch, which it must use in the next hour. After you
prosperity. And third: freedom from desire by experiencing and grant the ability in this way, you cannot do so again until you com-
understanding as much of the world as possible. This is often sim- plete a short rest. Granting the ability doesn’t prevent you from
plified into a fourth informal goal: freedom from the constraints of using the ability yourself.
government. Eschatology. You are prepared to avoid bad endings. Once per
hour when your hit points fall to 0, you may immediately stabilize.
For the next round thereafter you cannot die, and damage you take
doesn’t cause you to start dying.
A World on Its Axis
If you touch a creature to share your ability and that creature

died in the past round, it is returned to life at 0 hit points, stable,
and is treated as if it had failed no death saving throws. For the next
round thereafter it cannot die, and damage it takes doesn’t cause it
to start dying.
Chapter One
Muktism. You can achieve brief transcendent freedom. Once per
hour you may gain the benefit of freedom of movement for one round
without needing to spend an action. During this time you have the
Incorporeal Movement ability, and can move through creatures
and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your turn
inside an object, you take 5 (1d10) damage and are shunted to the
nearest empty space.
Solipsistic Nihilism. You have clarity and control over your
mind. Once per hour you can gain the benefits of mind blank for one
round. During this time you can also ignore any effects that compel
your actions or control your emotions.
More Information
At higher level, you might take the Logos prestige class (page 214),
allowing your speech to alter reality. Or you might gather a sect
around your particular interpretation of your philosophy.
You might be interested in other less prominent philosophies.
Pre-modern cultures typically wedded religion and philosophy to
ponder matters of virtue and metaphysics, so you could read On
Religions and Deities (page 72) to learn about the gods of the Clergy,
the druidic Old Faith, Guerro, and Seedism. Modern philosophies
tend to more existential or political, as detailed in The Clash of the threat of damning one’s soul in the afterlife to force the people
Ideas in Drakr (page 146). of Crisillyir to be obedient and pious. Mediums in that nation
As a bridge between the two periods, the writings of the mar- sought to share the truth about spirits and souls, and their publica-
tyred thinker William Miller (page 119) encouraged skepticism and tions and magical techniques have spread to common folk across
philosophical innovation. Miller’s writings were highly influential Lanjyr. They found especially fertile ground in Risur, whose own
on the famed Risuri king Baldrey Korrigan, who during the Great religious tradition—the Old Faith of the druids—had been in de-
Eclipse wrote a modern interrogation and reexamination of Miller- cline for decades.
ist philosophy (page 166). Certainly, many mediums are simple enthusiasts who like to
know trivia about spirits, and some are charlatans who prey on
Spirit Medium the bereaved. But a few have discovered how to contact the dead
The industrial revolution democratized many forms of power. With through a form of psionic meditation called a séance.
a gun, even the weakest person could kill the wealthy and well-
equipped. Innovations like mechanical looms opened the way for Playing a Spirit Medium
mere factory workers to afford mass-produced amenities. Ceraunic Contacting the dead can be dangerous. Attendants of a séance
cables spread news faster than governments could suppress it. might discover secrets they weren’t meant to know, or be trauma-
The new occult science of the spirit mediums has likewise dis- tized when a pile of salt gains a face and shrieks to be released to the
rupted the traditional power of the Clergy, who before could wield afterlife. Consider what your first séance was, and how it affected
your view of the dead.
Adventure Seed: Spirit Medium In Crisillyir, Ottoplismist inquisitors condemn mediums as a
Secrets of the Dead. At a villa outside the city of Alais Primos, a demonic threat to the faith, so many operate in secret. But in Risur,
medium who became famous hosting séances for grieving dignitar- mediums have storefronts and will gladly wake the dead for a quick
ies asks for help after his daughter is murdered. The medium says her chat at the drop of a few coins. Risur’s Royal Homeland Constabu-
spirit told him that she’d been threatened by a group of Ottoplismist lary was perhaps the first law enforcement organization to retain
rabble-rousers who are politically protected. The medium’s bodyguard the services of a medium for murder investigations, and others
meanwhile suspects one of the villa’s old servants, an Elfaivaran man around the Avery Sea have followed suit.
who was arrested for robbing his employer and just recently escaped. If This has led to some perverse innovations among killers, who
the PCs investigate, they find the escaped prisoner is assisting an unlike- have disseminated tricks to thwart mediums’ talents. A body
ly alliance of Ottoplismists and vekeshi mystics, whom he has convinced moved more than three miles from where it died loses its connec-
that the medium is actually a spy for a foreign power, using his séances tion to the victim’s spirit, and intense psychic activity can drown
to steal political secrets. out the dead. Sufficient quantities of salt can drive the spirit away,
A World on Its Axis
forcing a medium to search for some psychically resonant location

it could take shelter in. And particularly vile assassins might have
access to a vial of witchoil, a materialized essence of the Bleak Gate
that can trap the soul of someone killed nearby.
Beyond the dead, mediums are sensitive to all manner of psychic
Chapter One
manifestations, including egregores and various thoughtform crea-

tures (see page 240). You may be recruited into military research
projects into noetic magic, or feel yourself drawn to a location that
seems to have a mind of its own.
New Feat: Unfinished Business

You possess a deep understanding of spirits and the ties that bind
them to the mortal world.
With your urging, the spirit of a recently dead person will speak
briefly with you. You can cast speak with dead. The body must be
within three miles of where it died, and must not have died more
than a day ago. You do not require a complete body as the ability
speaks with the spirit and needs no corporeal connection. You can’t
do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
At the Narrator’s prerogative, you could also use this power to
communicate with uneasy spirits who have not yet moved on, re-
gardless of how long ago they died.
Using this power against undead, or in any combat situation for
that matter, is possible but very difficult. By expending this power
as an action, you can control an undead creature you can see until
the end of your next turn, as the dominate monster spell, if it fails a
Wisdom save (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence,
Wisdom, or Charisma modifier). Alternatively, you can call up the
spirit of a creature whose body you can see that died in the past five
minutes. It does not receive a save to resist. Its spirit manifests in a Playing a Technologist
space you choose within 25 feet of you, and performs a single attack Be sure to read Progress and Innovation (page 75) to understand the
of your choice as if it were still alive, then disappears. state of technological and arctech development in different parts
of the world.
More Information Technologists tend to gather lots of disposable tools and weapons,
At higher level, you might take the Urban Empath prestige class so that they always have something handy in an unusual situa-
(page 221), gaining the power to communicate with the genius loci of tion. Many make a point to learn a bit of magic or alchemy as well,
cities, learning their secrets and calling upon their unique powers. though every technologist is inspired by a different vision of what
technology can provide, and a different aesthetic sense.
Technologist Drakr is famed for its megaprojects, including turret batteries
Innovation is driven by those who tinker, invent, and create, and that can strike beyond the horizon, and the subterranean Chthonic
the greatest discoveries today are those in the field of arcanotech- Canal which will connect ships in the Avery Sea with the northern
nology—or colloquially arctech, the wedding of machinery and coast of Lanjyr. Danor, meanwhile, has a reputation for subtlety
magic. Even those who lack a talent with magic might collect, study, and trickery, especially since the restrictions of the Concordat have
or simply nag every engineer and inventor they meet. Whether dab- driven many of its technologists into hiding.
blers or professionals, these technologists often come up with ideas Crisillyir tends to lag, as the Clergy long punished tinkerers
for devices that straddle the line between clever and impractical. with holy flagellation, though a few famed creations have elaborate,
Many operate small shops, toiling in obscurity. Others find work cathedral-esque beauty. Elfaivar, though it lacks its own arcano-
serving their homelands’ military needs, or accompanying ad- scientific scholarship, benefits from close ties to the colonies of
venturous expeditions around the world, hired so their ingenuity Kellandia and Rationalis, and its inventions tend to mimic natural
might solve problems no one can expect. Only a handful become forms of animals and plants. Ber’s technological reputation is one
rich, and an even smaller handful become famous. of humble reliability, often in fields of interest to everyday people.
One man who is both is gregarious industrialist Benedict Pem- And in Risur, Flint’s industrial base made most Risuri citizens
berton, who took the hoard he earned in Risur’s manufactories proudly confident in their mastery of arcanotechnology, though
and recruited thousands of clever engineers and mages to create a many of the city’s worst disasters were caused by villains and their
utopia for tinkerers in the gnoll city of Karch, on an island south inventions. Traditionalists continue to see machinery as a threat
of Ber. to the nation’s alliance with the Unseen Court in the Dreaming.
A World on Its Axis
A Note about Yerasol Veterans You can spend an action to place a gadget into your contraption,
Too often the youth of a new generation are led by those who refuse to or to remove or swap a gadget you had previously integrated. Even
surrender the wars of the last generation. So it is with many veterans of if you can make more than one gadget at a time, your contraption
the Yerasol Wars. can hold at most one. The contraption can then spend the appropri-
The islands of the Yerasol Archipelago were perhaps the most verdant, ate action, bonus action, or reaction to use the gadget, using your
Chapter One
beautiful battleground in history. During two centuries of intermittent attack bonus or other stats to determine its efficacy.
warfare, untold thousands of soldiers from Risur and Danor died among
the windblown rainforests and flowered beaches of those isles, trying to More Information
protect their homelands’ exceedingly prosperous plantations. Those who At higher level, you might take the Steamsuit Pilot prestige class
survived—the ones who didn’t succumb to aberrant infections, crippling (page 220), designing a machine you can wear into battle.
physical injuries, or unyielding mental trauma—often turned their war-
time glory into profit or political clout. Telemachian
Poets of the two nations memorialized the greatest acts of heroism Defending one’s home from invaders is different from going to war.
from the Four Yerasol Wars, the last of which ended three decades ago. When Elfaivar’s gulmohar were resurrected, they were displaced
Many leaders today still cannot help but see Risur and Danor as enemies, by five centuries, but felt like only moments had passed since they’d
and even those who didn’t fight in those wars grew up with stories of two been at war. They knew their old foes were gone, and felt no real
hundred years of animosity and bloodshed. drive for revenge, but many still ached for a sense of purpose. Tens
While these two nations have avoided open combat since the Great of thousands had been in distant, unfamiliar lands, battling what-
Eclipse, many people in positions of power today ache to return to ever foes their superiors told them to defeat, constantly wary that
what was left unfinished. Tensions seem low, but famed veterans of the some local peasant might attack them, always worried about their
Yerasol Wars make sure the public doesn’t forget, funding parades and homes. As they returned to their much-changed homeland, entire
monuments. It is a point of great unease in Risur that Queen Iain is the regiments of women struggled to find a life that made sense with-
first monarch not to fight in one of the Yerasol Wars since those conflicts out the structure of war.
began, and surely some aged warriors in secret would be quite eager to
support a coup to remove her.
However, Queen Iain Waryeye has commanded the nation’s tech-

nologists to devise technology that does not disturb the fey.
New Feat: Arctech Tinkerer

You are proficient in the Engineering skill and either smith’s tools
or tinker’s tools.
Choose one gadget from the list available to the Gadgeteer fighter
(see page 59). You have a basic codex with instructions to create
that gadget. You can add more gadgets to your codex by learning
from other inventors, spending one day of down time with that
inventor’s aid and spending 100 gp for the necessary materials.
Whenever you complete a short or long rest you can prepare one
copy of any gadget you know how to make. If you prepare more gad-
gets, your previous gadgets cease to work. If you are also a fighter
with the Gadgeteer archetype, the gadget from this feat stacks with
the number you can prepare from your class.
Most gadgets can only be used once, then become inert. If a
gadget calls for a saving throw, the DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus
+ your Intelligence modifier.
You also can cast a special version of find familiar as a ritual,
requiring 10 gp of arcanotechnological parts, which must be as-
sembled together into a pet contraption. The contraption uses the
same list of beasts as find familiar, but it is a construct instead of a
beast. It is resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine. It is immune
to poison and psychic damage, and cannot be charmed, fatigued,
frightened, paralyzed, petrified, or poisoned. It has darkvision out
to 120 feet and understands your languages, but it cannot speak. If
the contraption is reduced to 0 hit points, you can repair it by using
this ritual again.
A World on Its Axis
The Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis three years ago similarly drew

warriors from around the world, foremost among them Ber. Bruse
Corta Nariz intended to daunt the Elfaivarans and prove her nation
could be a model for the other great nations, but they instead suf-
fered scarring defeats. The conflict nearly spiraled into a full war,
Chapter One
but all sides pulled back, letting tensions remain at a simmer.

Once again, forces who had spent years in a war zone began to
trickle home.
The name telemachian—far fighter—came to define these
returning warriors. The most fortunate parlayed tales of their
heroism into positions of power or celebrity. Others fell to poverty
or despair, seething with physical wounds or haunted by memories
of losing friends or dealing death. But for most, it’s a slowly fading
ache and a lingering question: what was the point of their ordeal?
Playing a Telemachian
Particularly in Ber and Elfaivar, everyone knows the names of a
few veterans who distinguished themselves in battle—not quite
famous, but certainly memorable. Every veteran of the Vendricce
campaign has battle stories, though many do not enjoy recounting
their tales. The fact that everyone likes a war hero doesn’t lessen the
trauma of having seen friends die.
Both Ber and Elfaivar have seen a strange influx of old soldiers
from Danor and Risur, veterans of the Yerasol Wars from thirty
years ago or longer. Those two nations had been at war for two
centuries, and after much trial and error, they’d refined how best
to exploit the most memorable of their war heroes, persuading the
wealthy or the politically powerful to give them cushy jobs and trot
them out occasionally as a sign of their patriotism. The Yerasol vet-
erans offered their expertise, and often coordinate loose coalitions
of Vendricce veterans, building them into pillars of their communi-
ties. Such aid quickly dries up, though, should a hero ever decide to
publicly criticize his homeland’s decisions during the war.
Tropezaro
New Feat: Display of Heroism Though the people of Ber take pride in embracing modernity, every
You unfortunately have great experience rescuing allies on the town and tribe that makes up the nation has its own folk tales
battlefield. As a bonus action, you can choose one or two creatures grounded in a wilder time, full of vast wilderness and mighty
within 10 feet of you, potentially including yourself. The creatures beasts, stretching all the way back to myths of the Ancients driv-
must have half or less of their hit points. If they are at 0 hit points, ing back monstrous invaders to secure their claim to this world.
your heroic example rouses them to 1 hit point. If they are prone, That ur-legendarium was an inspiration to the original tropezaros,
you move to the nearest open space and lift them to a stand. The whose name means “ones who stumble,” in the sense of both stum-
creatures can each move their speed without provoking opportu- bling upon something unexpected, and tripping and then picking
nity attacks, and until the end of your next turn, attack rolls against yourself back up.
them have disadvantage, and they have advantage on saving throws. Tropezaros want to be challenged by nature. The ideal tropezaro
Once you use this feat, you cannot do so again until you finish a can strike out into any natural landscape, stumble upon splendorous
short or long rest. sights, hunt perilous beasts, survive off the bounty of the environ-
You are proficient with vehicles (water). ment, then bring back stories to inspire listeners to greatness.
That fascination with triumphing over nature is tempered by a
More Information desire to conserve it. While most of Ber celebrates strip mining and
At higher level, you might take the Monument of War prestige class fouling rivers for the sake of industrial growth, tropezaros seek
(page 217), which lets you give form to your memories of war, call- to instill love of nature through education or mandate its security
ing in gunfire and artillery. through legislation. A few have taken to militancy to defend their
favorite patches from exploitation.
Taking some cue from Risur, tropezaros think one of the best
ways to maintain ties with the natural world is to ally with fey from
the Dreaming. Ber’s connections to that realm were historically
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
rare, but today explorers are discovering new pathways between Vekeshi Mystic
the planes. They may seek the magical blessings of merfey to help The cornerstone of Elfaivaran ideology is that living well is the best
their ships be buoyed by waves, or trade curios to fill the hoards of revenge.
fey dragons as payment so they’ll defend villages on the edge of the After the goddess Srasama died and nearly all Elfaivaran women
wilderness. Often such interactions lead to conflict, though, and the perished with her, there was a great drive in Elfaivar to fight to the
broader Beran public blame the tropezaros whenever fey mayhem last man in a short-sighted bid for vengeance. As the rest of the
disrupts their more civilized lives. nation whipped itself into a frenzy, however, a composer named
Vekesh performed a song of mourning that contained a simple sen-
Playing a Tropezaro timent: defeat is only tragedy if we choose to let the story end.
Though tropezaros feel at home in the wilderness, they are seldom While many could not be swayed from their path to self-destruc-
uncouth and uncivilized. Especially due to the worldview of the tion, Vekesh convinced many others that willfully progressing from
movement’s birthplace Ber, modernity is not something to be re- defeat to revenge to death is shameful. While revenge can distract
jected, merely steered toward a sustainable connection. one from grief, it is ultimately valueless. Instead, he said, choosing
You know how to prepare thoroughly for any expedition to respond to defeat with resilience and renewal is the best way to
outdoors, and if you haven’t personally trekked in a given en- thwart the goals of enemies. The proper form of retribution, then, is
vironment, you’ve almost certainly read a book by another to endure, rebuild from weakness, and prosper into strength. Six-
tropezaro who has. Perhaps you hope to contribute to the corpus teen years later, the Clergy found Vekesh and executed him.
of art or literature about the great places of the world. Or maybe For centuries, a loosely codified collection of vekeshi teachings
you fear that as exploration pushes back the dark edges of mystery and mantras buoyed the Elfaivaran people, and spread through-
in this world, it is your responsibility to explore the new frontiers out Lanjyr, helping victims of oppression cope with loss and find a
overhead. new path for themselves. But from that humble, resilient philoso-
Consider what experience or tutor fostered your interest in the phy, which often discouraged violence, a splinter group adopted
natural world, and what threats you fear and prepare for. Do you a sharper interpretation. They claimed that Vekesh also passed
have a favorite place to range, to hunt, or to get away from the down secret lore that encouraged taking up arms to protect the vul-
stresses of crowded cities? What goals or obligations influence your nerable. Those indoctrinated into this mystic sect were told to train
life in urban civilization, and how might they relate to your time in in secret and strike down tyrants, so that none would ever repeat
the wilderness? the genocide committed against the Elfaivaran people.
To the general public of Lanjyr, “vekeshi” became synonymous
New Feat: Go to Ground with “murderer” and “terrorist.” Dramatic accounts of mighty
You gain proficiency in Nature. Elfaivaran warriors murdering influential public figures were
Your trips and tribulations bond you with the environment. easier to understand than the nuances of of a foreign ideology.
When you are prone, attacks against you don’t have advantage. (A Some, however, saw them as liberators and heroes, and sects of ve-
character can intentionally fall prone on their turn without spend- keshi mystics took root around the Avery Sea. They kept alive the
ing any actions or movement, but cannot intentionally fall prone memory of Srasama, and worked in secret—sometimes with soft
when it is not their turn.) power, sometimes with extravagant violence—to help Elfaivar sur-
Additionally, when you become prone you can gain a link to the vive and recover.
normally quiescent spirits of nature. When you stand up, choose Vekesh himself could not have possibly imagined that five cen-
yourself or a creature you are aware of. That creature gains resis- turies later, thanks to his teachings, the awful wound of the Great
tance to all damage and advantage on all saving throws until the Malice would be healed by a miracle. The return of the gulmohar
start of your next turn. was a grand statement that indeed, the Elfaivaran people had sur-
This might take the form of a tree branch blocking an attack, vived, and that their enemies had failed to destroy them. For the
stones shifting under an ally’s feet to nudge him to safety, a tendril many thousand secret vekeshi mystics, it was the culmination of a
of water harrying an enemy, or even a gust of wind screaming a dis- long mission, and a sign that their path was righteous.
traction. The link then ends. A given creature cannot benefit from
this protection more than once per encounter. Playing a Vekeshi Mystic
When you fail a death saving throw in a natural area, you can The deepest secrets of vekeshi mysticism are taught only to a rare
gain the benefits of commune with nature when you regain conscious- few adherents who demonstrate a skill for battle, and the wisdom
ness. After you use this ability you cannot use it again until you to know when to use their power. To be initiated into the mystical
finish a long rest. side of the philosophy requires painful rituals. Aspirants are taken
A World on Its Axis
Chapter One
in the night across the threshold of the Dreaming, where they New Feat: Hand of Retribution
experience the fall of Srasama through psychic illusions, making You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill and the Elvish
them keepers of the shared memory of the Great Malice. Thereafter language.
they are held in a cage for days, along with poisoned food that they Once per month you can cast sending without components, but
must resist, so that the starvation teaches them the importance of only to contact Vekeshi mystics you are aware of.
patience. Finally, they are burnt until their skin blackens, and then In battle, a vestige of the power of Srasama waits to punish
are magically healed to seal in the power of the flames. those who harm you or your allies. When an enemy you’re aware
If a vekeshi passes these trials, he rests and recovers in luxury of deals damage to you or one of your allies, you can deal 2d10 radi-
as his teachers instruct him in the secrets of the philosophy, and ant damage to the enemy who made the attack as a reaction. That
drill into him the necessity of discretion. Upon leaving the Dream- enemy sees a faint burning outline of a six-armed goddess hovering
ing, vekeshi mystics return to their normal lives, but seek positions behind you, armed with blades of fire. After you use this power you
of power in military, law enforcement, or the underworld, where cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
they use their authority to punish those who continually threaten At 5th level, the damage increases to 3d10 radiant. At 11th level,
people who are simply trying to make a better life for themselves. the enemy also catches on fire, taking 1d10 fire damage at the start
They seldom gather in large groups, but on certain irregular lunar of each of its turns until it spends an action to put the fire out. At
holidays they slip into the Dreaming for secretive festivals. 17th level, the damage from being on fire increases to 2d10 fire.
Only on the rarest occasions will a mystic be called to act openly.
Donning an iconic mantle of Elfaivaran armor and a mask that More Information
conceals his face, the mystic acts as the surrogate hand of the fallen The secrets of your order are not to be shared with other players,
goddess Srasama, with the sole purpose of meting out punishment but speak to your Narrator to learn the truth of Srasama’s fall, and
against one directly responsible for large-scale suffering. the names and operations of mystics you know.
Risur’s vekeshi played a key role in averting calamity during the At higher level, you might take the Vekeshi Excoriant prestige
Great Eclipse, and public opinion there is less wary. It has become class (page 222), which allows you to wield the power of the dead
tradition for vekeshi leaders there to reveal themselves when they goddess Srasama.
retire, so that their character can demonstrate that the group is not
just terrorists and murderers acting outside the law.
Chapter Two
The Science of Adventure
H erein you’ll find the new savant character
class—clever individuals who hone their
intellect to defeat their foes through tricks, team-

* Warlock—Urbanist. Form a bond with a particular city, and
enjoy the benefits of urban life no matter where you travel.
* Wizard—Last Raven. Member of a mob of witches and
scoundrels who steal magic and purvey curses.
* Wizard—Enclavist. A leader who learns to bond with an
area in order to shield those within and control who can come
work, and talking. You’ll also discover class options and go.
that are unique to the world of Zeitgeist.

New Class—Savant
* Adept—Durala Carao. Ascetic students of the “way of the Warriors rely on their physical prowess, and spellcasters have all
gun,” who run toward that which they fear, embracing the manner of magic, but a savant needs no weapon or armor, only their
gun as a symbol that their traditions are still relevant in the mind. Brilliant ingenuity, meticulous planning, or keen deductions
modern day. will win them the day and leave their enemies confused at how they
* Berserker—Queen Bee. Members of a courteous secret were defeated.
society whose members all connect to a hivemind that lets Of course, you’d have to be a fool to not use weapons, armor, or
them control their rage. magic when they’re available, and savants are no fools. Knowledge
* Bard—Vagabond. Students of this roaming camp reject is power, but power is also power. A savant is at their most effective
national borders and learn tales and spells about travel. when they have an array of tools at their disposal and an assort-
* Cleric—Aspirant. Though made up of worshipers of many ment of allies to enact their cunning schemes.
gods, the Clergy’s foundational belief is that every person has
the potential to perfect themselves and ascend to divinity. Creating a Savant
* Druid—Axis Slayer. Member of the “axis circle,” an ancient Consider why your character relies on wits instead of warcraft or
sect that taps the power of nature from alien worlds and wizardry. Were they physically feeble and had to think their way
excels in hunting interplanar monsters. out of challenges? Did they receive a refined education and learn
* Fighter—Gadgeteer. Tinkerers who know enough alchemy from history and literature how to deal with all manner of unlikely
and mechanics to assemble personal gadgets to use in combat. scenarios? Have they just picked up these talents on the job, per-
* Herald—Executore. The executores dola liberta are an assem- haps working a trade or serving as a guard?
bly of wandering liberators who take an “oath of liberty,” and
savagely punish those who enslave or oppress. Quick Build
* Ranger—Titanist. Warriors who draw upon the power of Your highest ability score should be Intelligence, followed by Dex-
one of Risur’s fey titans. terity. Get proficiency in Deception, Investigation, and Perception,
* Rogue—Occult Blade. Psychic thieves who steal their plus disguise kits. Choose the Vanguard archetype, and choose
victims’ memories of being attacked. proficiency with Culture, light armor, blowguns, pistols, scimitars,
* Sorcerer—Annihilator. The near-destruction of the and whips. Learn the tricks Antagonizing Flourish, Improved Bas-
world granted scattered individuals powers of entropy and tion Aegis, and Unbalancing Intervention. Learn the clever scheme
annihilation. Impromptu Persona.
Class Features Table: Savant

As a savant, you gain the following class features. Tricks Schemes
Level Features Known Known
Hit Points 1 Adroit Defense, Archetype, 3 1
Hit Dice: 1d8 per savant level Clever Schemes, Savant Tricks
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier 2 Archetype Feature, Combat Poise 4 1
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modi- 3 Analyzed Need, Skill Focus 4 2
fier per savant level after 1st 4 Ability Score Improvement, 5 2
Signature Move
Proficiencies 5 Developed Poise 6 3
Armor: None 6 Archetype Feature 7 3
Chapter Two
Weapons: Simple weapons, improvised weapons 7 Intelligent Caution, Skill Focus 7 4

Tools: Choose any one 8 Ability Score Improvement 8 4
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence 9 Focused Defense 9 5
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Culture, Deception, Engineer- 10 More Tricks 10 5
ing, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Performance, 11 Archetype Feature, Skill Focus 10 6
Persuasion, and Sleight of Hand 12 Ability Score Improvement 11 6
13 Exceptional Poise 12 7
Equipment 14 Archetype Feature 13 7
You begin the game with 125 gp (plus the 30 gp each beginning 15 Clockwork Mind, Skill Focus 13 8
Zeitgeist character gets, for a total of 155 gp) which you can spend 16 Ability Score Improvement 14 8
on your character’s starting weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. 17 Archetype Feature 15 9
You can select your own gear or choose one of the following equip- 18 Nothing That Can’t Be Solved 16 9
ment packages. 19 Ability Score Improvement, Skill Focus 16 10
* Bravo’s Set (cost 137 gp): scimitar, 2 daggers, blowgun, 20 Ultimate Schema 17 10
pistol, whip, 20 shots (bullets and firedust), explorer’s pack, Multiclassing Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
leather armor, disguise kit. Proficiencies Gained: Improvised weapons and one type of tools
* Thinker’s Set (cost 146 gp): mace (a cane), 2 daggers,
carbine, 20 shots (bullets and firedust), burglar’s pack, leather Clever Schemes
armor, thieves’ tools. Introduced in Level Up, exploration knacks are a variety of abilities
that help you deal with non-combat challenges. Each class gets
Adroit Defense its own collection to choose from, and savants’ are called clever
You constantly analyze combat situations to improve your defen- schemes. If you are not playing Level Up, your Narrator might
sive posture, proactively interfering to guide attacks away from ignore these clever schemes so that a savant doesn’t outshine other
yourself. While you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 10 + your characters.
Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier. You cannot use a You learn one clever scheme of your choice. These schemes are
shield and still gain this benefit. detailed at the end of the class description. The Schemes Known
The savant is not proficient in armor by default, but might gain column of the Savant table shows when you learn more clever
those proficiencies through archetypes, feats, or multiclassing. schemes.
When you are wearing armor you’re proficient in, you can use your
Intelligence in place of your Dexterity to determine your AC. Savant Tricks
You have developed a small number of clever gambits, deft maneu-
Archetype vers, and canny guards which help you prevail in battle by using
Your Savant archetype defines what your greatest aptitude is. This your wits. The number of tricks you know is listed on the Savant
book presents three types of savant: Steward, Vanguard, and Vox. table, and you can choose from the list below and from the list of
The steward is expert at protecting and healing allies. The van- tricks your archetype makes available.
guard joins the thick of the fight, looking for tactical opportunities To use a trick, you must first prepare it by spending a bonus
others miss. The vox deeply understands how words can manipu- action. You cannot prepare a trick outside of an encounter, but once
late people. a trick is prepared, it remains prepared until you use it, until the
Your archetype gives you unique features at 1st level and again at encounter ends, or until you spend a bonus action to replace it with
2nd, 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th level. a different trick. You can only have one trick prepared at time.
Different tricks can be used at different times. Some can be used
without requiring any action, in response to some trigger. Others
require your action, bonus action, or reaction.
Some of your tricks require your target to make a saving throw to attacker fails an Intelligence saving throw, change the attack’s
resist its effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: target to another creature within 5 feet, and the attacker uses the
Trick save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier same result of its attack roll.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can choose to replace Undermining Taunt Aegis. When a creature misses with an
a trick you know with a different trick. attack or when a foe succeeds on a saving throw against an effect it
created, you can use this trick to capitalize on their failure, warning
Types of Tricks the creature why another possible course of action will also turn
Some tricks are called Aegises, which let you defend against some out badly. If that creature can understand you, choose an action,
sort of attack. Other tricks are called Flourishes, which you can such as Attack or Cast a Spell. The target must make a Charisma
use when you hit with a melee weapon attack. saving throw. If it fails, until the end of its next turn it cannot take
If a trick offers a saving throw, after you use it against a particu- that action.
Chapter Two
lar creature, that creature has advantage on saving throws against
other uses of that same trick until the end of combat. If the trick Flourishes
doesn’t permit a saving throw, after you use it against a particular Antagonizing Flourish. When you hit a creature with a melee
creature, you cannot use the same trick against that creature for the attack, you can try to draw its ire. If it fails a Charisma saving throw,
rest of the combat. it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you
until the start of your next turn.
Aegises Disarming Flourish. When you hit a creature with a melee
Attention Diverting Aegis. When a creature within 30 feet that attack, you can attempt to disarm it. If it fails a Strength saving
can sense you makes an attack that isn’t targeting you, you can use throw, its grip is loosened, and the creature cannot make use of the
this trick to distract the attacker. If it fails a Wisdom saving throw, item until it spends a bonus action or attack on its turn to regain
until your next turn it has disadvantage on all attack rolls it makes a solid hold. If the creature has disadvantage on the save and fails
that aren’t against you. both rolls, it drops the item.
Canny Dodge Aegis. When an attack would hit you, you can use Experimental Flourish. Whenever you miss with an attack,
this trick to roll 1d4 and add it to your AC against that attack. Alter- you improvise a follow-up that doesn’t directly attack a foe, such as
natively, when you would fail a Dexterity saving throw, you can use slicing a rope to pin an enemy with a chandelier, or smashing a pipe
this trick to roll 1d4 and add it to your saving throw. In either case, to spray blinding steam on an enemy. Circumstances will dictate
you know how much the roll succeeded or failed by before deciding what the effect is, but some examples include shoving or impos-
whether to use this aegis. ing the blinded, deafened, grappled, or prone condition, and may
Committee Defense Aegis. When a creature attacks you, if it is also deal damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. Any condi-
not the first creature to attack you since the start of your last turn, tions imposed should seldom last more than one round. Creatures
you find an avenue of opportunity amid the massed assault. You affected can make an Intelligence saving throw to anticipate your
can use this trick to impose disadvantage on that creature’s attack. trick and avoid the effect.
Then, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make before Guiding Flourish. When you hit a creature with a melee attack,
the end of your next turn that targets a creature that attacked you you can try to trick it into moving. If it fails a Dexterity saving throw,
this round. it moves up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice. This movement
Improvised Bastion Aegis. When a creature’s attack, spell, or doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. If this movement would cause
ability would damage you, you can use this trick to devise a mo- it to take damage (such as by falling or entering fire), the creature
mentary defense (using a chair as a shield, predicting a safe spot in has advantage on this saving throw.
an explosion, diluting a spray of acid with a solvent, etc). You gain Menacing Flourish. When you hit a creature with a melee
resistance to one type of damage you would take, which protects attack, you can spend a bonus action to activate this trick and de-
you only against the triggering hostile act. liver a terrifying threat. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw.
Mindful Reason Aegis. When you would fail an Intelligence or If it fails, for the next minute it is frightened of you.
Wisdom saving throw, you can use this trick to roll 1d4 and add it Surgical Flourish. When you have advantage on a melee attack
to your saving throw. You know how much the roll failed by before and both dice results are high enough to hit, choose one of the
deciding whether to use this aegis. creature’s limbs or eyes to debilitate. If the creature succeeds a
Serpentine Rush Aegis. When you are targeted by a ranged Constitution saving throw, you debilitate that body part until the
attack, you can use this trick and your reaction to move your speed. end of your next turn. If it fails the saving throw, the body part is
Until the end of your next turn, ranged attacks against you have debilitated until the creature can take a short rest.
disadvantage. Additionally, your movement might get you to a
location where cover makes you hard or impossible to hit. Reduce A creature cannot use a debilitated limb to attack, and cannot hold any
your speed on your next turn by the distance that you move when items or effectively wear a shield with a debilitated limb. A creature with a
using this trick. debilitated leg has its speed reduced by half, it falls prone after using the
Tangled Dance Aegis. When you would be hit with an attack Dash action, and it has disadvantage on Dexterity checks to balance. A
and a creature other than the attacker is adjacent to you, you can creature with a debilitated eye has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception)
use this trick to try to dodge so the attack hits that creature. If the checks that rely on sight and on ranged attack rolls.
Other Tricks
Assess Vulnerability. When you attack a creature, you can use
your Intelligence bonus in place of another ability score bonus for
the attack roll and damage roll. This applies to all attacks you make
against it before the start of your next turn, but not to attacks you
make against other creatures.
Choreographed Disappearance. On your turn, you say some-
thing to turn a foe’s attention away from you or an ally. You or an
ally of your choice who can understand you can move up to their
speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks from
one creature of your choice that can understand you. If they end up
Chapter Two
having obscurement or cover relative to the distracted foe, they can

Hide without spending an action.
Direct Ally. You identify an opening an ally can take advantage
of. You can spend an action and choose an ally that can understand
you, then choose a target. If that ally hits that target with an attack
before the start of your next turn, their attack deals an extra 1d8
damage. The bonus dice increase to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th
level, and 4d8 at 17th level. After you use this trick, you can choose
the same ally again, but cannot choose the same target for the rest
of the encounter.
Frightful Suppression. When you make an attack that causes
loud noises—a firearm or grenade, or also items and spells that deal
thunder damage—you can use this trick to force the attack’s target
(or creatures in the attack’s area) to make a Wisdom saving throw
to gauge when it is safe to move, and thus avoid being pinned down.
A creature that fails cannot move until the start of your next turn
unless it spends an action.
Rallying Word. You know just what to say to inspire an ally’s
flagging stamina. You can spend a bonus action to let an ally within
30 feet who can understand you spend a hit die. If it does, it rolls that
hit die (adding its Constitution bonus) plus 1d8 and heals hit points Combat Poise
equal to the total. The bonus dice increase to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at Some savants are prepared to bloody their knuckles in a fight, while
11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level. After you use this ability, the same others make a point of staying out of the scrum. At 2nd level, you
ally cannot benefit from it again until you complete a short rest. choose one of the following poises.
Saving Advice. Spend a bonus action to advise an ally who can
understand you. Choose a saving throw. One time before the end A Step Ahead
of this encounter, that ally can gain an expertise die on one saving You have a deft ability to predict your opponents’ responses and
throw of that type, used at the time of their choice. An expertise die interfere with them. Whenever a creature within your reach that
is 1d4 they roll and add. you are aware of attempts to take a reaction, you can expend your
Sweeping Stride. When you stand up, or when you move at reaction for the round to try to disrupt them. That creature must
least 10 feet and enter a space adjacent to a creature no more than make an Intelligence saving throw against your trick DC. If they
one size larger than you, you can try to trip it. If the creature fails fail, their reaction is wasted.
a Dexterity saving throw, it falls prone. If it succeeds, instead your
movement ends in the space you entered to use this ability. If you Combat Maneuvers
used this ability while standing up, you remain prone. You gain the ability to use combat maneuvers. (Combat maneuvers
Timely Tool. Spend a bonus action to use an item that normally are detailed in the Level Up Adventurer’s Guide.) You gain an exertion
can be used as an action. This cannot cause damage or require an point pool equal to your proficiency bonus.
attack roll. Examples include administering an antitoxin, potion, Choose two martial traditions. (Most savants learn maneuvers
or other easy-to-swallow item to a willing creature within reach; of the traditions Biting Zephyr, Mist and Shade, Rapid Current, or
lighting a torch; tossing out caltrops, or barring a door. Sanguine Knot.) Whenever you gain a savant trick, you can instead
Unbalancing Intervention. When a creature within your choose a maneuver from any of your chosen martial traditions.
reach makes a Strength or Dexterity ability check or saving throw, You can initially learn maneuvers of the 1st degree. At 7th level
you can use your reaction to perform a series of pulls, shoves, and you gain access to 2nd degree maneuvers, then at 13th level you
strikes that put a creature off-balance. The creature has disadvan- can access 3rd degree maneuvers, and finally at 19th level you can
tage on its ability check or saving throw. access 4th degree maneuvers.
Analyzed Need Adventure Seeds: Savant

You can adapt your mind for whatever challenges you expect. Start- The Good Word. A vox savant in the island city of Sid Minos has been
ing at 3rd level, when you complete a short or long rest you can speaking out against the nation’s military build-up, calling publicly and
choose a skill. Until you complete another rest, whenever you make often for more charity and mercy. This has earned the savant the ire of
an ability check using that skill, you use Intelligence instead of the the city’s quartermaster general.
ability score it normally uses. A friend of the PCs who is one of the savant’s favored followers asks
them to help smuggle the savant, and a number of apostles, out of the
Skill Focus city through the labyrinth under the island. But old fiends and defensive
At 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th, choose a skill traps assail them, and the map they follow seems to send them deeper,
you are proficient with. You gain an expertise die on checks with not toward the shore. They notice the savant whispering to each of the
that skill. (An expertise die is 1d4 you roll and add to your check apostles, who begin to vanish one by one as battles distract the party.
Chapter Two
result.) What has the savant convinced them to do, and are the party under the
sway of the savant too?
Ability Score Improvements
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th
level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you More Tricks
can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you At 10th level, you can hold two tricks in reserve, in addition to your
can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. signature trick. Whenever you prepare a trick, you can fill both
trick slots (or keep one that is prepared and replace another).
Signature Move
At 4th level, choose one savant trick you know. You are considered Exceptional Poise
to always have that trick prepared, and it does not count against At 13th level, your combat poise can achieve remarkable things.
the limit of the number of tricks you can have prepared. When you Choose one of the following, or one of the combat poise options
use that trick, it does not stop being prepared. Whenever you gain a available at 2nd or 5th level.
level, you can change your signature move.
Confounding Defense. The first time each round that you use an
Developed Poise aegis, you can immediately prepare another aegis trick.
At 5th level, you refine your combat poise. Choose one of the follow-
ing, or one of the combat poise options available at 2nd level. The Opportune Moment. On your turn, you can take one addition-
al action. You cannot use this ability on the first round of combat.
Extra Attack. When you use the Attack action on your turn, you After you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you com-
can make two attacks. plete a short or long rest.
Rational Maneuvers. You can use your Intelligence bonus to cal- Clockwork Mind
culate the DCs of your basic maneuvers and combat maneuvers. At 15th level, your mental capabilities transcend the normal limita-
tions mortal minds face. You gain an expertise die on all Intelligence
Intelligent Caution checks and saving throws.
At 7th level, whenever you complete a long rest you may choose
one ability score and gain proficiency in saving throws of that type Nothing That Can’t Be Solved
until you use this ability again. At 18th level, you can overcome obstacles with ease. When you or
another creature that can understand you starts its turn you can
Quick Wits grant it the ability to ignore all sources of disadvantage until the
Also at 7th level, on your turn you can prepare a trick without start of its next turn. After you use this feature, you cannot use it
spending an action. You can do this a number of times equal to your again until you complete a short or long rest.
proficiency bonus. Thereafter, preparing tricks requires the usual
bonus action until you complete a short rest. Ultimate Schema
At 20th level, you’re clever enough to accomplish anything. When-
Focused Defense ever you complete a long rest, choose an effect that could be
At 9th level, you can use the confusion of a large battle to protect accomplished by a spell of level 8 or lower. You can have that effect
you. If there are at least two enemies within 30 feet, you can use a occur immediately, or keep it in reserve for the day, and cause it to
bonus action to choose one of them. Until the end of your next turn, occur at any point by spending an action. This can be because you
that creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against you. acquired a magic item or spellcaster willing to perform the magic,
or have a device or hirelings capable of matching the feat.
Steward I Will Please

Some savants see themselves as guides, mentors, or helpers, using At 14th level, you can spend an action and use a mix of soothing
their knowledge to help their allies and generally eschewing a direct remedies and confident bedside manner to help an ally overcome
role in any physical altercation. It often falls to them to repair the some ailment. This can make the creature suffer no effects from
wounds of battle—physical, mental, and spiritual—and they may one disease for ten minutes, or can let it ignore one of the following
find themselves repairing dented armor, coordinating watches, or conditions: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.
preparing equipment for the day’s adventures. If you use this technique too often, you lose the necessary confi-
Stewards serve as physicians, military officers, constables of the dence for the placebo to work. Once you use this feature, you must
law, academic faculty, and all manner of other roles throughout complete a short or long rest before you can use it again.
society.
This Is No Place to Die
Bonus Proficiencies
Chapter Two
At 17th level, your presence is enough to help allies cling to life a

When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency little longer, confident that you have a plan to save them. If one of
with Culture and one language. You also gain proficiency in one your allies that you’re aware died in the past round, you can use
of the following: light armor, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, your action to entreat them to hold on. If you do, they briefly return
Perception, or Survival. to life at 0 hit points, are stable, and for the next minute cannot be
required to make death saving throws from taking damage. If they
Word of Advice remain at 0 hit points at the end of one minute, they actually die.
At 1st level, when you prepare an aegis trick, you can communicate At the narrator’s discretion, some actions can kill a helpless crea-
the idea to an ally that can understand you within 10 feet. Until the ture despite this ability, such as decapitation or falling in lava.
end of your next turn, that ally can use that trick as if they had pre- Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest
pared it; the trick uses your trick DC. before you can use it again.
If either of you use the trick, it expends it for both of you. If the
ally doesn’t use the trick before the end of your next turn, it remains Vanguard
available for you until you use it. Vanguard savants have the training to engage in a fight directly.
At 6th level, the range of this ability increases to 30 feet. They employ tactics to disrupt their enemies’ normal strategies,
forcing foes to battle on their back foot. And by knowing their ally’s
Bolster Ally talents, they can set up the perfect opening for a teammate to shine.
At 2nd level, you can use your reaction to let an ally re-roll a failed
saving throw or ability check. Once you use this feature, you must Bonus Proficiencies
complete a short rest before you can use it again. When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency
with light armor and four martial weapons. You also gain profi-
Steward’s Care ciency with one of the following: medium armor, shields, Arcana,
Also at 2nd level, you can optimize your group’s resources to aid in Culture, Engineering, Investigation, Nature, or Religion.
resting. Whenever you take a short rest, you and any allied crea-
tures regain additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. The Stage of Battle
Additionally, you can choose one creature resting with you and At 1st level, your ingenuity in combat spans the whole battlefield.
give it extra care, perhaps involving emotional counsel, massage, or You can use flourish tricks on ranged attacks you make against
herbal medicine. That creature can remove a level of strife. (Strife creatures within 30 feet.
is a mental and emotional version of fatigue in the Level Up rules.) At 6th level, you can use flourish tricks on attacks at any range.
Expert Help Coordinate Attack

At 6th level, you can use the Help action as a bonus action. Addi- At 2nd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you may
tionally, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking forego one of your attacks. If you do, one ally within 30 feet can use
a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, its reaction to make one weapon attack.
rather than 5 feet of you, if the target can understand you.
Burst of Inspiration
The Best of Your Abilities Also at 2nd level, when an attack you make is a critical hit, you can
At 11th level, with a mix of planning and motivation you can help immediately prepare a trick without needing to spend a bonus
someone maximize their efforts at one type of task. Spend an action action. If you already have a trick prepared, you can replace it. If
and choose a creature within 30 feet that can understand you, and you have a flourish prepared, you may use it on this critical hit,
choose one ability score. For the next hour, that creature gains the before choosing to prepare a new trick.
benefits of enhance ability for the chosen ability score. This is not a
magical effect, and you do not need to concentrate to maintain it. Engaging Footwork
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest At 6th level, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you dis-
before you can use it again. tract that foe through a mix of repartee and positioning, causing
Vox
A savant with the vox aptitude manipulates people with their voice,
using appeals to reason or emotion as well as outright castigation,
intimidation, or prevarication.
They are common among the non-spellcasting ideologues in
Crisllyir’s shadow war between the Meliskans and Ottoplismists,
with the earliest masters of this art having learned it in the hereti-
cal vault that once held prison the great temptress, Ashima-Shimtu,
known as the Lady of the Forked Tongue and Seneschal of the
Demonocracy.
The term vox means “voice” in the Infernal language, but these
Chapter Two
savants can influence people with any form of linguistic communi-
cation, including text and signing, though enemies may find these
methods easier to ignore.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain proficiency
with Insight and one language. You also gain proficiency in one of
the following: light armor, Deception, Intimidation, Performance,
or Persuasion.
Compelling Communication
At 1st level, you can manipulate people with words as easily as a
them to move in the direction you want. If they fail a Wisdom saving warrior can with physical force. You can spend an action to affect a
throw against your trick DC, until the end of your turn when you creature within 30 feet that can understand you with any flourish
move, you can move them an equal distance, keeping them within trick that you have prepared other than Surgical Flourish, without
your melee reach the whole time. Their movement doesn’t provoke making an attack.
opportunity attacks, and if you would move them into a space that At 6th level, the range you can affect a creature increases to 60
would cause them damage, they can choose to stop outside it. feet. Additionally, you gain the ability to use flourish tricks other
After you use this ability, you cannot use it against the same crea- than Surgical Flourish whenever you deal damage to a creature
ture again until you complete a short rest. with your Weapon of Choice ability (see below).
Combat Deduction Ear for Languages

At 11th level, you can read your enemies like a book. You can use a At 2nd level you train your mind to pick up languages as needed.
bonus action to make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against By spending a short or long rest in the presence of a speaker of any
the Maneuver DC of a creature you have spent at least one round language, you can acquire a rudimentary understanding of that
observing in combat. If you succeed, choose three of the follow- language, enough to have a basic conversation. Any abilities you
ing items to learn about the creature: Armor Class, vulnerabilities, have that rely on sharing a common language and require a saving
resistances, immunities, weakest saving throw, or highest ability throw can work, but the target has advantage on their save.
score. At the narrator’s discretion, you might learn other pertinent The cognitive effort to decode the unfamiliar tongue means that
details of its combat abilities. if you use this ability again, you lose access to any other language
After you use this ability on a creature, you cannot attempt it you learned through it.
against the same creature until you complete a short or long rest.
Weapon of Choice
Seamless Teamwork Also at 2nd level, you can guide a foe to ruin with your words. You
At 14th level, when you use Coordinate Attack, your ally does not can use an action to insult a creature within 60 feet that can un-
need to use their reaction in order to make an attack. derstand you, or undermine its confidence, goad it into exhausting
itself, amuse it into giving up the fight, or similar verbal gambits. If
Checkmate the creature fails a Wisdom saving throw against your trick DC, it
At 17th level, you can predict an enemy’s tactics with enough preci- takes 1d6 psychic damage and its hit point maximum is reduced by
sion to thwart them with ease. When you use Combat Deduction an amount equal to the damage taken. The reduction lasts until the
and succeed the Investigation check, until the end of your next creature completes a short rest. A creature reduced to 0 hit points
turn you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, it this way is not dying, but rather is conscious and incapacitated.
has disadvantage on attack rolls against you, the creature has dis- The damage increases to 2d6 and 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and
advantage on saving throws against your abilities, and you have 4d6 at 17th level.
advantage on saving throws against its abilities.
Savant Schemes
You can choose from among the following talents that help with
exploration.
Apothecary Basics
Whenever you take a short or long rest, you can use your medical
knowledge to treat one creature. That creature can heal as if it had
one extra 1d4 hit die during this rest, or it can ignore one level of
Hypnotic Voice fatigue for the next four hours.
At 6th level, you are able to keep people and creatures’ attention
focused on you. Spend an action to cause creatures of your choice Deductive Tracker
Chapter Two
that can perceive you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your After observing a creature, however briefly, you make a deduction
trick save DC. Creatures that don’t understand your language have that gives you an edge when pursuing it. After you spend at least 1
advantage on the saving throw. Creatures that cannot be charmed minute observing a creature, you gain an expertise die on checks
automatically succeed their saving throws, and if you or your com- made to track that specific creature.
panions are fighting a creature, it makes its saving throw with
advantage. Hostilia Naturae
On a failure, a creature is charmed by you for as long as you Following the path trod by Drakran naturalist Karl Evol, author of
continue talking (with reasonable pauses, perhaps even conversa- A Theory of Noetic Field Adaptation Toward Terrifyingness Among Malice
tion back and forth) and for the next hour after. While charmed by Ecologies, you have studied the many perils of wild flora and fauna.
you, the creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks You gain an expertise die on checks to avoid, locate, or understand
made to perceive creatures other than you. the abilities of aberrations, beasts, and monstrosities.
The focus required for this mesmerism is mentally taxing. Once
you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you Impromptu Persona
can use it again. You do not need preparation to come up with a convincing fake
persona, background, and excuse to cover anything suspicious you
When You Put It That Way are doing. You can gain advantage on Deception checks to pretend
At 11th level, as an action you can suggest an activity (limited to to be someone else. However, the ruse won’t hold up to prolonged
a sentence or two) to a creature that can hear and understand you. scrutiny. If you spend more than a few minutes in someone’s pres-
A creature that can’t be charmed is immune to this feature. The ence, you must make a new Deception check with disadvantage to
course of action must sound reasonable, as with the suggestion spell. maintain the ruse.
If the target fails a Wisdom saving throw, it pursues the course of
action you described to the best of its ability for as long as you are Just What Have We Gotten Ourselves Into?
present, and for up to 10 minutes after. When you are ambushed, you gain an expertise die on your initia-
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest tive check. When you trigger a trap, you gain an expertise die on the
before you can use it again. first saving throw you need to make, or to your AC against the first
attack the trap makes against you. After you use this ability, you
Attentive Polyglot cannot use it again until you complete a short rest.
At 14th level you know all languages, and cannot be magically si-
lenced. If you would be affected by a language-dependent effect, Kleptology
you may choose to ignore that effect, as if you didn’t understand the When a creature makes a melee attack against you or otherwise
language. touches you, you can make a Sleight of Hand check against them as
Additionally, so deft is your understanding of language that a reaction. Additionally, when you spend at least a minute interact-
when you make an ability check to influence someone with words, ing with someone within arm’s reach, you gain an expertise die on
you gain an expertise die. An expertise die is 1d4 you roll and add. Sleight of Hand checks involving them until the interaction ends.
Killing Word Local Informants

At 17th level, you can spend an action to so utterly cut to the core You quickly can locate people willing to share information. If you
of a person’s identity that for a moment they might lose the will to spend an hour reaching out to local residents or simply perusing
live. One creature that can understand you is stunned. At the end a recent periodical or newspaper, for the next day you gain an ex-
of each of its turns it must make a Charisma saving throw against pertise die on Culture and Investigation checks related to the area.
your trick DC or else it gains a level of strife. The effect ends when
it succeeds one of these saving throws, or when it has six levels of Meeting of Minds
strife. You gain an expertise die on Charisma checks with Arcana, History,
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest Nature, or Religion when trying to interact with someone who is
before you can use it again. trained in the same skill.
Motto of the Tropezaros Adventure Seeds: Durala Carao

You make sure you’re always prepared. Once per short rest you The Magnificent Seven-Shooter. In an inhospitable stretch of the
can produce a non-magical item that you could have purchased Malice Lands, a Drakran ranching magnate asks the PCs for help,
or prepared at some point, small enough to fit in whatever storage saying one of his villages has been overrun by bandits, and that he
you have available. This could range from a forged passport in your needs the party to kill them so his workers can return. They travel
pocket to a glider stowed in the hold of a ship you’re traveling on. with the magnate’s lieutenant, who is cagey about the fact that their
Pay the appropriate price for it. Limits of causality apply. livestock are trained malice beasts, which they control with emotion-
evoking alchemicals.
Physical Education When they arrive at the village, they’re threatened by townsfolk
Once per hour, when you succeed on an Acrobatics or Athletics wielding improvised weapons and a handful of firearms, demanding
check to climb, swim, or jump you can offer advice and encourage- they leave in peace. An Elfaivaran adept with a seven-shot revolver
Chapter Two
ment to your allies. For the next minute, each ally who attempts a at her hip fearlessly approaches the party alone and explains that
check to traverse the same area gains an expertise die. she is teaching these people to defend themselves from the ruffians
who are trying to steal their land. The PCs might decide they’re on
Read You Like a Spellbook the wrong side, but the lieutenant manages to send word to his boss,
You can spend an action to make an Arcana check against the save promising retribution. When alchemically synthesized terror grips
DC of a creature’s spell. If you succeed, you deduce from their de- the village and malice beasts attack, will the wisdom of the way of
meanor, fashion, and accoutrements what cantrips they know and the gun help the villagers and the PCs overcome their fear to survive?
the last non-cantrip spell it cast, if any.
Reinforce Apotropaics Unstable Poison

Apotropaics (page 82) are specific items that can repel or harm You gain an expertise die on checks made with the poisoner’s kit.
certain creatures, like bells driving away fiends. You can spend an You learn the recipe for creating basic poison. During a short or long
action to reinforce an apotropaic you are touching for one day. rest, you can brew one poison for which you have the recipe without
If you brandish a reinforced apotropaic to repel a creature, add spending gold or using ingredients. This version of the poison lasts
an expertise die to your opposed Charisma check. If a creature until your next short or long rest.
tries to bypass the repellent effect of a reinforced apotropaic bar-
rier (like an undead crossing a line of salt), add an expertise die
to the flat DC the creature must overcome. If a reinforced item is New Archetypes
used to harm a creature (like jade dust against an aberration), you
can also make an opposed Charisma check to repel that creature Adept—Durala Carao
without needing to spend a separate action (and you add an exper- Many of Elfaivar’s resurrected gulmohar feel confounded by
tise die to your check). modern technology, but one ascetic order felt they were obliged to
embrace innovations.
Reserved Seating The Durala Carao are known to foreigners as “The Way of the
You have forethought of when and where you might need to be Gun,” but in Elvish the name means “Run Through Fear.” Before the
places. If you knew you would be in a given area, once per day you Great Malice, sadhus (religious ascetics) studied this order’s teach-
can call upon this forethought to have a vehicle or mount waiting ings at an akhara (a monastery, or more precisely a “spiritual core”).
for you and your companions, or to have a reservation available at a Their training required them to seek out battle to master their vis-
venue. You pay any appropriate costs. For exceptional requests, you ceral mortal fear, and thus free themselves from the burden of any
may need to make a Persuasion check or owe someone a favor. fears. Anxiety of the unfamiliar was seen as just as debilitating as
a dread of violence, and so the akhara actively sought outsiders to
Run Silent, Run Deep challenge them with foreign customs and unknown fighting styles.
Once per hour, when you succeed on a Stealth check you can After their resurrection, dozens of gulmohar sadhus found the
discreetly direct your allies. For the next minute, each ally who at- grounds of the akhara, rebuilt the long-collapsed structures, and
tempts a check to traverse the same area gains an expertise die. began training new students. Their first objective was to under-
When moving through an area you’re familiar with or have had stand the primary weapons of the new age, firearms, which were
time to study maps of, you gain an expertise die on Stealth checks. wholly unknown to them. Many Elfaivarans refused to learn to
use them, but the Durala Carao saw that as weakness, and instead
Student of Technology they sought to master the weapons, especially pistols. Adepts of
You instead gain an expertise die on Engineering checks and when the Way of the Gun can dodge and even catch bullets, curve their
using tools to build, repair, or understand a technological device. shots around barriers, and perform other supernatural feats with
firearms.
Due to their devotion to confronting fear of the unknown, nearly
every student of the akhara undertakes a journey into foreign
lands, and tales of wandering elvish gunslingers are popular in
the copper novels. A few such adepts When you use this ability, you cannot spend an extra focus point
have shared their enlightened mas- to use the ability One with the Gun to add your Martial Arts die to
tery with students outside Elfaivar. this damage twice.
It is suspected that the Clergy god- You can use this ability even if you haven’t acted in combat yet.
hands who tried to assassinate the After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete
king of Risur had learned from a guru a short or long rest.
of Durala Carao.
Mystic Bullets
Gun Vidya At 17th level, your bullets can weave through battle, potentially
When you choose this tradition striking multiple foes.
at 3rd level, you gain proficien- While you are wielding a firearm, as an action, you can fire a
Chapter Two
cy in all firearms. They count single bullet that curves towards your enemies, even those behind
as adept weapons for you. If barriers and those you are unaware of. As long as the bullet can
you have the Stunning Strike trace a path to an enemy, the path is unblocked by barriers more
ability, you can use it when substantial than a window, and the path remains exclusively
you make an attack with a within 60 feet of you, the bullet can reach the enemy. Each enemy
firearm. the bullet can reach must make a Dexterity saving throw against
In addition, being your maneuver save DC. On a failed save, an enemy takes 10d6 force
within 5 feet of a hostile damage. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
creature doesn’t impose After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
disadvantage on your plete a short or long rest.
ranged attack rolls
with pistols Other Adepts
and target Crisillyir has a tradition of personal perfection, and so many as-
pistols. cetic monasteries contain humble and pious adepts, the services of
whom landed nobles often retain to train their soldiers. Likewise,
Graceful Danor’s military academies have long trained their officers in at
Reload least the rudiments of pugilism.
Also at 3rd Not all adepts are so regimented. Various Beran tribes have
level, your warrior traditions focused on showing off and earning glory. In
firearms never misfire, and you can draw and stow one-handed Risur, heroes of folk legend usually fought without armor, and
firearms without using your free “object interaction” on your turn. various Old Faith holidays include competitions where people
Additionally, you ignore the muzzle-loading quality of pistols, attempt to match their heroic feats. And in Drakr’s mountain
carbines, shotguns, target pistols, and rifled carbines (but not mines, enslaved prisoners have developed fighting techniques
muskets or rifled muskets). You can load or reload those firearms using their own forge tools, which have risen to fame after a few
immediately after drawing or attacking with them. dramatic revolts.
The planet Caeloon appeared in the sky after the Great Eclipse,
Understand the Weapon and a few of its inhabitants have made their way to this world
You are proficient with gunsmithing tools, and can craft firearms through a portal on a flying island south of Ber. These first few
and firearm enhancements. visitors have all been students of the Monastery of the Paper Wind,
whose fighting style involves maneuvers inspired by folding paper
One with the Gun animals.
At 6th level, you can infuse your spiritual focus into your firearms.
Your attacks with firearms count as magical for the purposes of Berserker—Queen Bee
overcoming damage resistance and immunity. Modern society sees rage as a primitive and uncivilized emotion,
Additionally, when you hit a target with a firearm, you can spend but people misunderstand the role it played in earlier cultures.
1 focus point to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target When someone insulted or threatened another person, a violent,
equal to your Martial Arts die. You can use this feature only once on enraged response by the victim and the promise of extreme harm
each of your turns. quite rationally encouraged the aggressor to rethink the matter and
behave with decorum. By contrast, modern civility often provides
The Art of the Draw a pass to rude behavior. Without any physical punishment, antago-
At 11th level, you can almost always shoot first. If you have a hol- nists can insult and mock with impunity.
stered pistol or target pistol, whenever a creature you’re aware of When people repress their anger due to a desire for civility, they
starts their turn you can spend 1 focus point to draw and make one can come to feel powerless. Their ability to control their temper be-
attack with that holstered firearm against that creature. This attack comes frayed at even the smallest slight: a carriage blocking one’s
deals extra damage equal to your Martial Arts die. path in a street might provoke ill-directed rage.
Adventure Seeds: Queen Bee as 1d12, and you may have the
Comb the City. In the city of Beaumont, a hunt is underway for one of weapon gain the heavy property
the PCs’ friends after the brutal murders of two members of the watch while you’re wielding it. The
are discovered. Bystanders report the PCs’ friend howling with rage nature of this combat tech-
and fighting with impossible strength, and reports say he broke into the nique means that if you use
Queen Bee Lodge. a light or finesse weapon
The authorities call in the PCs for questioning, and their interroga- in this way, you cannot
tion is observed by a silent, well-dressed man with a cane. The watch attack with a weapon
begins a systemic sweep of the city, and a short time later the PCs are held in your other hand
approached by a vagrant who claims he saw their friend in the vagabond on the same turn. You
raft by the docks. What’s going on? Is the PCs’ friend a member of the also cannot combine
Chapter Two
lodge gone rogue? Did their friend steal the lodge’s secrets but get poi- this higher damage
soned with some hallucinogen? Or are the members of the lodge the only die with the ben-
people who can truly figure out what’s going on? efit from the Dueling
fighting style, should
Studying this phenomenon of disproportionate anger led a group you have access to
of scholars to create a psychic reservoir, siphoning off the simmer- it from some other
ing rage of unsuspecting citizens in the Danoran city Beaumont. class.
After a few unfortunate mishaps, they developed techniques to let
those with the proper meditative training deposit their pent-up Hive Commu-
fury, which others could then call upon when they really needed it. nication
They founded the Queen Bee Lodge, a secret cadre with mem- At 6th level, your experience
bers in most countries. They tend to be genteel members of high with tapping the psychic
society, who see their connection to the reservoir as a means of hive of your lodge lets
controlling anger that their peers do not understand. Their symbol you share thoughts with
is a woman’s head crowned by three hexagons, reminiscent of the others as well. You can
honeycomb cells of a bee hive. speak telepathically to any creature within 60 feet of you. You
don’t need to share a
Abuzz with Rage language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic
When you select this path at 3rd level, your rage extends into the messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one
minds of others. language or be telepathic itself. When you communicate with a
Whenever you begin your rage, you may choose a creature within creature this way, you can sense whether it is under the effect of
10 feet of you with which to share your rage. An unwilling creature an enchantment spell or an effect that would charm or frighten (or
can make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency anything that has no effect against creatures who are immune to
bonus + your Constitution modifier). If it succeeds, you cannot try being charmed or frightened).
again to share this rage with it. A creature that fails this saving
throw can attempt a new saving throw at the start of each of your Dull the Sting
turns. Additionally, at 6th level, you gain resistance to psychic damage.
A creature that shares your rage (willingly or unwillingly) has
the following benefits and drawbacks until your current rage ends, Dance of Thoughts
even if it moves more than 10 feet away from you. It has advantage At 10th level, when an ally within 60 feet fails a saving throw
on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. It cannot cast against an enchantment spell or an effect that would charm or
spells or concentrate on them. It also adds your Rage Damage to any frighten (or anything that has no effect against creatures who are
melee weapon attack it makes. A character already benefiting from immune to being charmed or frightened), you intuitively sense it
another rage gets whatever bonus damage is higher. has happened, and you can use your reaction to transfer the effect
During your rage, you can spend a bonus action to choose a new to yourself. If you do, you can make your own saving throw to resist
creature within 10 feet to share your rage. This revokes the rage the effect.
from the previous creature.
Queen’s Drone
Feel My Sting At 14th level, others in a rage serve you like drone bees serve a
Members of the lodge prefer not to invite battle, and rather than queen. When you use an action to Attack, you can force a creature
brandish an obvious weapon they’ll often defend themselves with that is sharing your rage to expend its reaction. If it does, the crea-
sword canes or weapons they could holster inside a suit coat or ture makes a melee attack against a creature of your choice, other
under a skirt. than itself. Before the attack, you can have the creature move up to
At 3rd level, while you are wielding a light or finesse weapon in half its speed toward your chosen target. You can use this ability
melee and not using a shield, you treat that weapon’s damage die once each time you rage.
Bard—Vagabond up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceil-
Founded by wastrels and castaways, the College of Vagabonds has ings, while leaving your hands free. You also can hold your breath
no formalized campus. Instead, its members roam the land and sea, ten times as long as normal.
gathering stories and recruiting outsiders and miscreants to be
apprentices for a time before foisting them off on some other vaga- Ever, Ever On
bond whose path they cross. At 14th level, no obstacle can hinder your travel, not even gravity
Vagabonds trade tales of odd nations and earn their keep with itself. You gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed. Addition-
stories of grand misadventures in realms few will ever see. Many a ally, you can spend an action to burrow or teleport a distance equal
vagabond bard starts as an outcast from a country they feel unwel- to your walking speed.
come in, or are tempest-tossed arrivals from other worlds, stranded
in Lanjyr after a storm deposited them on an alien shore. Many feel Cleric—Aspirant
Chapter Two
a responsibility to take runaways and orphans under their wing, The figurehead god of the Clergy is Triegenes, who was once a
and feel a spiteful pride in defying borders. mortal fisherman. More than a thousand years ago, he caught the
Vagabond bards are often welcome on ships, but they cluster in secret of divinity from the sea, after which he gathered loyal adher-
Flint, home of the inspiration of the college: Rock Rackus, a legend- ents, rallied armies to defeat the Demonocracy, and then ascended
ary musician who rose to fame for braggadocious songs about his to godhood. The Clergy welcomes many gods to their pantheon, as
travels to the moon, where he cuckolded the fey king and had his long as they all accept the central dogma that people can and should
pistol turned to diamond-encrusted gold by the fey queen. Full of strive to improve themselves, and that any mortal has the potential
unearned swagger and fearless in the face of the bizarre, Rackus is to become divine.
said to have saved Risur’s Unseen Court during the Great Eclipse, Different sects of the Clergy preach different paths to godhood,
then ventured into the stars, and loved a woman so passionately he and so pervasive is the religion that the concept of self-perfection
brought her back from the dead. Then he ditched her on a beach and has filtered into religious movements that aren’t formally recog-
kept on wandering. nized by the faith.
Members of the college learn to channel the very essence of their Traditional Clericists encourage people to master whatever
ceaseless travel into brief bursts of teleportation, which they share drives them and to face ever greater challenges, earning the adula-
with their allies to get them into or out of exciting trouble. The true tion and perhaps even worship from those who witness their deeds.
mark of a vagabond is one who can earn enough coin from his sto- Some Drakran muktists who have absorbed Clergy worshipers
ries to buy a diamond-encrusted gold weapon or piece of jewelry, claim that people should strive for freedom, and that the path to di-
though they never wear gold rings, because they don’t want their vinity requires an understanding of all possible skills so one can do
travel to be impeded. literally anything. In Risur, though, a likely-misguided movement
in remote villages claims that, because the fey lords of the Unseen
Into the Unknown Court are themselves gods, those with aspirations toward godhood
When you join the College of Vagabonds at 3rd level, you gain pro- should reject their personal identity, and attempt to conceal their
ficiency in navigator’s tools, vehicles (water), and three languages. true capabilities by acting with grand whimsy, with the ultimate
You can easily make forged documents like passports to satisfy port goal of letting others imagine you as greater than you actually are.
and border authorities, and you know or can find a fellow vagabond Since Triegenes, there are no documented cases of anyone as-
to tell you about good paths to evade patrols on borders or along cending to godhood.
shores.
Additionally, since the walking staff capped with gold is a symbol Potential Domain Spells
of the college, you become proficient in the quarterstaff. In your Cleric Level Spells
hands, a quarterstaff deals 1d8 damage, and is versatile (1d10). You 1st expeditious retreat, jump
can use a staff you’re holding as a spellcasting focus. 3rd alter self, enlarge/reduce
5th blinding smite, haste
Wayfaring Stranger 7th freedom of movement, stoneskin
Also at 3rd level, you learn to use your performances to literally 9th awaken, circle of power
transport people. You add misty step to your spells known.
A creature you have granted inspiration to can use a bonus action Possible Talent
to expend that inspiration and teleport 30 feet as if they had cast It is easy to imagine how by taking a different course in life one
misty step. This distance changes when you reach certain levels in could have ended up with an entirely different set of skills.
this class: it increases to 50 feet at 5th level, 100 feet at 11th level, At 1st level, you can invoke this truth for yourself or reveal it to
and 500 feet at 17th level. This also increases the distance traveled others with a brief prayer. Spend an action and choose yourself
if you cast misty step using a spell slot. or a creature within 30 feet. That creature gains proficiency in a
weapon, armor, skill, tool, language, or vehicle of your choice. This
Travel On effect lasts until you take a short or long rest. Once you use this fea-
At 6th level, you feel at home in any environment. You gain a climb ture, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
speed and swim speed equal to your walking speed. You can move
Godhands of the Clergy

The Clergy produce a type of holy warrior called godhands, who
undergo training and mystical endowment in monasteries in cities so
they can channel the faith of masses of Clericists. A fully invested
godhand manifests a halo behind their head, and their fists carry the
weight of worship.
In terms of game mechanics, the two most common ways to
represent the path of the godhand are to play a cleric with the Po-
tential domain or play an adept (perhaps multiclassed with cleric
or herald). However, to be fully invested by a godhand monastery,
a member of the faith must bond with their fellow Clericists and
Chapter Two
allow themselves to become a vessel of their will. Player characters
who wish to become godhands should speak with their Narrator so The creature’s physical appearance may shift slightly when it
they can find an opportunity during the campaign to complete this becomes its potential self, reflecting choices it might make in the
training, ideally with some sort of adventure that demonstrates future or could have made in the past. This could be as simple as
their unyielding piety. changing hairstyle or removing scars, or as grandiose as glowing
A prospective godhand’s status is formalized by a religious cer- eyes and hair, rippling muscles, even possibly changing sex or spe-
emony, after which the character gains the godhand investiture cies. These cosmetic changes reflect what the creature desires itself
supernatural gift (page 209); gaining this gift also causes a halo to to be, and they disappear when the effect ends.
appear behind the character’s head.
Possible Paragon
At 6th level, you can help someone strain the bonds of what they
Fighting Fitness could normally achieve. When you use the Potential Self ability, the
At 1st level, you combine your divine power with some of the mar- chosen creature also chooses one ability score to increase by 2. This
tial arts techniques of an adept, the practice of which keeps your can increase an ability score above 20 temporarily.
body healthy.
You gain the following benefits: Holy Touch
* While you are unarmed and you aren’t wearing armor or At 8th level, you can momentarily hold divinity in your hands,
using a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + which can devastate mortal foes. Once on each of your turns when
your Wisdom modifier. you hit a creature with an unarmed attack, you can cause the attack
* You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage to the target. When you reach
damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
* You can roll 1d8 in place of the normal damage for your
unarmed strike. This benefit does not apply to the Martial Transcendent Form
Arts or Focus class features of the adept. You can treat your Starting at 17th level, your body becomes more than just crude
unarmed strike as a weapon for the purpose of the domain matter, and you can shape it to match your spiritual essence. You
spell blinding smite. gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
* When you use the Attack action and hit with an unarmed from nonmagical weapons. Additionally, choose a damage type
attack, you can spend a bonus action to cause your body to other than force or radiant (acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning,
glow briefly with holy power. If you do, that attack deals necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, slashing, and thunder). You gain
2d6 extra radiant damage. The radiant damage increase immunity to that damage type.
to 3d6 at 5th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 17th level.
You can surge with holy power a number of times equal to Druid—Axis Slayer
your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all It came as quite a surprise to the members of the druids of the
expended uses when you finish a long rest. Axis Circle when their myths—which spoke of a primordial time
when the world drifted in a void, beset by monsters from other di-
Channel Divinity—Potential Self mensions—turned out to be true. The tiny sect had at most a few
At 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to let a creature hundred adherents across the Yerasol Archipelago, with a couple
briefly manifest their full potential. Spend an action and choose thousand more whose grandparents had been believers before they
yourself or a creature within 30 feet. That creature benefits from fled to Risur or Danor during the Yerasol Wars.
the spells bless and shield of faith, which last for one minute and do They all knew the tales of Axis Island being a place where one
not require concentration. (Whenever that creature makes an might glimpse distant lands, and that the circle’s leadership had
attack roll or a saving throw before the spell ends, it can roll 1d4 tried and failed to defend the island from conquest and counter-
and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw. It also conquest by the two warring nations. But those who had known the
gains a +2 bonus to AC.) When you use this ability, the recipient can deepest secrets of the circle had died. Those who survived felt adrift,
make an attack as a reaction. repeating their old rituals but not understanding their significance.
Shield of Ancient Knowledge

At 2nd level, you can sense the flow of planar energies within a
creature, though only once that creature is wounded. As a bonus
action, you can choose a creature you can see that doesn’t have all
its hit points. You learn its damage resistances, damage immunities,
damage vulnerabilities, and condition immunities.
Sword of a Thousand Worlds

Also at 2nd level, you learn to fight with a variety of two-handed
weapons, the better to strike down large monsters. You gain profi-
ciency with all martial weapons. You can also use a weapon you’re
Chapter Two
wielding as a spellcasting focus.

When you wield a weapon with the heavy trait and are not wear-
ing heavy armor, you can use your Wisdom bonus instead of your
Strength bonus for the attack and damage rolls.
Additionally, you can imbue your weapons with elemental power,
allowing you to adapt your strikes to best wound a foe. When you
hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one use
of Wild Shape to deal 1d10 energy damage to the target, in addition
to the weapon’s damage. Choose one damage type: acid, cold, fire,
lightning, or thunder.
The extra damage increases to 2d10 at 5th level, 3d10 at 11th
level, and 4d10 at 17th level. If the target is an aberration, double
the number of extra dice you roll.
I Kill Giants
At 6th level, when a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits
or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack
that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can
see the creature.
After the Great Eclipse, members of the circle pieced together Against the Alien Hordes
scattered recollections of half-remembered legends, dug into At 10th level, once on each of your turns, when you make a melee
research by archaeologists into the Ancient orcish culture, and attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against
tracked down people who were present on Axis Island. They told a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and
of fabulously powerful magic flowing from the center of the island within range of your weapon.
from the moment the stars vanished until the moment they re-
turned. The more the druids learned, the more secretive they Invoke the Seal
became, sometimes trying to steal or destroy items in museums. At 14th level, you can alter the flow of planar energies around you.
This had the perverse effect of capturing the public’s imagination, Spend a bonus action and choose one of the following effects, which
and pulp novels became popular about Axis Circle druids battling manifests within 30 feet of you. After you use this ability two times,
all manner of bizarre beings from beyond. you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
The truth of the circle is a mystery to the public, but it is known Death Quickened. Creatures of your choice in the area take 10
that these druids seem to have rediscovered their order’s purpose, necrotic damage.
and that even powerful militaries call upon them for help when Life Renewed. Creatures of your choice in the area regain 10
they discover strange, previously unknown monsters emerging hit points if they have at least 1 hit point. If they are at 0 hit points,
from the Yerasol Islands. A few outsiders make the journey to Axis the next time they would fail a death saving throw, they instead
Island and slip past the military garrison to contact the druids. succeed.
Some are vagabonds who hope the circle can help them find a way Space Secured. Until the end of your next turn, creatures of
home. Others are monster hunters in their own right, with most your choice cannot teleport into, out of, nor within the area, and no
coming from the Malice Lands which produces some of the world’s creature can be summoned or banished inside the area unless you
mightiest beasts. Those deemed worthy take a vow of secrecy. desire it.
If you join the Axis Circle, your Narrator will share The Truth Time Tightened. Until the end of your next turn, creatures of
About Axis Island (page 278). your choice in the area cannot be affected by haste or slow (or similar
effects that accelerate or slow time).
Fighter—Gadgeteer
Some warriors become fascinated with the possibilities presented
by new technology and arcanoscience, and in their tinkering devise
a variety of tools that can be useful in a battle. These gadgeteers
keep a lot of tricks up their sleeves or, more often, on their belts.
Utility Items
At 3rd level, you learn to combine a mix of tinkering, alchemy, and
the most basic magical prestidigitation to build single-use items
useful in combat. You store various components on your person—
often in utilitarian belt pouches—and prepare devices when you
Chapter Two
have a few spare minutes. These items only function for you, and
fall apart if they’re away from you for more than a minute.
When you gain this feature, you invent three gadgets of your choice
(see “Gadget Options” below). You keep the details of the invention
in a book called a codex. You invent an additional gadget when you
reach certain levels of this class: 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.
You can also add more gadgets to your codex by learning from
other inventors, typically by spending one day of down time with
that inventor’s assistance and spending 100 gp for the necessary Alkahest. Weapon. In place of an attack, you can splash a vial of
materials to tinker. You might also reverse engineer a gadget you this highly caustic acid onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw
find, though this could take longer and be more expensive, at the the vial up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. In either case, make a
Narrator’s discretion. ranged attack against a creature or object. On a hit, the target takes
The interaction of alchemical energies limits how many gadgets acid damage equal to 2d8 + your Intelligence modifier.
you can have prepared at any one time. Whenever you complete a Animal Repellent Spray. As a bonus action you spray chemi-
short rest, you prepare a number of gadgets equal to 3 + your Intel- cals on yourself or another creature within 5 feet. For the next
ligence modifier. You can prepare multiple copies of a given type of ten minutes, any living creature that comes within 10 feet of the
gadget in this way. If you prepare more gadgets, your previous gad- doused target smells something so repellent that it feels a momen-
gets cease to work but can be recovered for raw materials. Gadgets tary instinct to flee. The creature must make a Constitution saving
only work once, unless otherwise noted. throw. If it succeeds, it can ignore the chemicals for their duration.
Activating a gadget requires an action unless otherwise noted, If it fails, it is poisoned until the end of its next turn. Thereafter it
and you can only activate one gadget per turn. Thanks to your deft is unaffected, though unintelligent creatures likely still avoid the
fingers and arcanotechnological riggings, you can use a hand hold- doused creature.
ing a weapon to use a gadget. If the weapon has a magic bonus to Arcanoinveigling Rod. As a bonus action you plant a magically
attack and damage rolls, you can touch the gadget to the weapon as resonant rod into some solid object and choose a damage type: acid,
part of using it, giving the gadget the same bonus. cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, psychic, radiant, or thunder.
Weapon Gadgets. If a gadget is labeled “weapon,” you can draw it For the next ten minutes, any creature within 10 feet of the rod has
like ammunition and use it in place of an attack. You are considered resistance to that damage type. The rod functions somewhat akin
proficient with any weapon gadgets (that is, you add your proficien- to a lightning rod, so if the rod is moved, or if it is not planted into
cy bonus to any attack rolls they require, unlike other improvised something solid, it ceases to function.
weapons). No matter how many attacks you can make, however, you Ascension Gear. This gadget can be reused multiple times. As a
can still only assemble one gadget each turn. bonus action, you aim and launch an advanced grappling device at
a surface within 60 feet. You can then hold the gear or attach it to
Gadget Options yourself, typically at your belt. A spool can reel you to the surface
Choose from the following. If a gadget calls for a saving throw, the struck, as long as the surface is secure and heavier than you; or it
DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. can pull an item that is significantly lighter than you toward you. If
Adaptable Antitoxin Applicator. As a bonus action you inject the weight is comparable, both ends tend to get pulled toward each
an alchemical variety of antitoxin that does not need to be drunk to other. You can choose to immediately activate the spool, which re-
provide its benefit. The recipient gains advantage on saving throws tracts 30 feet. Each round thereafter you can maintain your grip
against poison for 1 hour and is immune to poison for one round. on the gadget and retract the spool another 30 feet without spend-
Alchemist’s Phlogiston. Weapon. A superior form of alchemist’s ing an action, or you can simply maintain your current distance. A
fire, this sticky, adhesive fluid ignites when exposed to air. As an Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (DC 10) might let you use the anchor
attack, you can throw this flask up to 20 feet. Make a ranged attack point to swing across a gap, effectively gaining a fly speed of 60 feet,
against a creature or object. The flask shatters on impact; on a hit, the with the limit that you generally cannot go higher than your anchor
target takes 1d10 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A crea- point. The grappler cannot grab onto held or worn objects, nor onto
ture can end this damage by using its action to extinguish the flames. creatures unless they’re unconscious or willing.
Autootolarynx. As a bonus action, you don a mask that enhanc- (you retain the +4 bonus). You can use the ram in a similar way to
es smells. For the next ten minutes you can detect creatures within shatter unattended inanimate objects.
30 feet by sense of smell, and can easily track trails by their scent. Splattering Lubricant. As an action, you can throw this item
Bespoke Bane. When you prepare this item, choose a creature at a spot within 60 feet. Slick lubricant covers the ground in a 10-ft.
whose damage immunities and resistances you are aware of. As a square centered on that point, which turns it into difficult terrain
bonus action, you can hold this item, or throw it at a point within for ten minutes. Each creature standing in the area when the lubri-
20 feet. If you throw it at a creature, the device clings to the target cant lands must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
unless it succeeds a Dexterity saving throw, though the creature A creature that enters the area or ends its turn there must also suc-
can remove the device by spending an action. The device emits ceed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
an alchemical aura in a 10-foot radius that causes creatures of Synthetic Peril. You usually wear this item under clothes.
the type you chose to lose their damage resistances, and for their When you start your turn and are charmed, this item jabs you with
Chapter Two
damage immunities to become resistances instead. This lasts for a wickedly barbed needle, without you needing to spend an action.
one minute. It causes no actual damage, but is so shockingly painful that your
Chiaroscuro Bomb. As an action you can throw this item at a mind reacts as if you have been attacked and damaged by the crea-
point within 20 feet. When you do, you choose whether it produces ture charming you, which often allows you to make a new saving
a blinding flash or releases a cloud of obscuring smoke. If a flash, throw against the charm. Once activated, the device continues to
creatures in a 10-foot square centered on the target point must stab you at the start of each of your turns for one minute.
succeed a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start Tanglegrim Bag. Weapon. In place of an attack, you can throw
of your next turn. If smoke, the item creates a 10-foot square of con- this item up to 20 feet, making a ranged attack against a creature
cealment that lasts for one minute. Strong wind can disperse the or object as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes ne-
smoke. crotic damage equal to 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier, and it must
Cloak of Gliding. As a reaction when you fall 10 feet or more, make a Strength saving throw. If it succeeds, its speed is reduced by
you can cause this cloak to extend and stiffen like a wing, which half for ten minutes. If it fails, its speed is reduced to 0 for ten min-
momentarily stops you from falling farther. Thereafter, at the end utes. Whether it succeeds or fails, it can spend an action to make
of each of your turns you fall 10 feet (or more, if you desire). While a Strength check (DC 10), and if succeeds it can break free of the
descending, you have a fly speed of 60 feet, though you cannot in- entanglement.
crease your altitude. You do not take falling damage while using Thunderstone. Weapon. In place of an attack, you can throw
this cloak. When there is no longer air resistance from falling, the this item at a point within 20 feet. The stone shatters and releases a
cloak returns to its normal shape. This gadget can be reused mul- deafening and painful boom. Each creature in a 10-foot square cen-
tiple times. tered on the target point must succeed a Constitution saving throw.
Instant Contrivance. When you prepare this gadget, pick any If it fails it takes thunder damage equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence
set of tools that weighs ten pounds or less. As an action, you can as- modifier, is pushed 5 feet away from the center of the area, and is
semble a set of such tools, which last until you collapse it to an inert deafened for a minute. If it succeeds it takes 1 thunder damage and
form. (You can assemble a set of smithing tools, for example, but not is not pushed or deafened.
an actual forge.) This gadget can be reused multiple times.
Locative Lantern. As a bonus action, you cause this hand-held My Own Design
lantern to shed bright light in a 20-foot radius for one minute. At 7th level, you can devise a custom apparatus of exceptional
During that time, creatures cannot teleport into or out of the il- power. Choose one spell of 2nd level or lower that any class can cast.
luminated area, creatures cannot use incorporeal movement in Your apparatus can produce the same effect, requiring the same
the area, and ethereal creatures in that area can be affected as if action to activate as the spell takes to cast, and using your gadget
they were not ethereal. When a creature tries to move out of the saving throw DC for any spell saving throw DC. If the spell requires
radius of the light, they must succeed a Strength saving throw. If any expensive components, the apparatus requires components of
it fails, its movement stops. You can hold the lantern, or attach it equivalent cost. After you use your apparatus, you cannot use it
to yourself, typically on your belt. The lantern functions even if again until you finish a short or long rest.
you’re not holding it.
Nocturnal Goggles. As a bonus action, you don goggles that Signature Item
grant you darkvision, letting you see in dim light within 60 feet as At 10th level, choose one gadget you know how to create as a sig-
if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. They nature item. You are treated as always having one of those items
function for ten minutes. prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of items you can
Redoubled Reaction Ram. Weapon. In place of an attack, you prepare at a time.
can shove a creature within 5 feet. You gain a +4 bonus on your At 18th level, choose another gadget as a signature item.
Strength (Athletics) check to shove the creature, and if you succeed
you deal force damage equal to your Intelligence modifier, and can Ready for Anything
either knock the target prone or push it 10 feet. Alternatively, you At 15th level, you can use any gadget you have in your codex with-
can spend a bonus action to place this device against a door and out having to have prepared it first. After you use this ability, you
make a Strength check with advantage to break down that door cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Herald—Executore
The executores dola liberta have served for six decades as Ber’s most re-
spected law enforcement group, composed of warriors and priests
but especially heralds, and almost exclusively female. Berans hold
their escape from enslavement under the dragon tyrants as core
to their shared identity as a people, and the executores enforce this
freedom by both laying and delivering the sentence upon those
who abuse their power.
Executore punishments usually take the form of beatings. Some-
one who oversteps their authority but expresses remorse might be
sentenced to a perfunctory beating: a slap or a single crack of a staff
Chapter Two
across the back. A person who actively forces others to toil for his
benefit might receive a serious beating: blows to the belly and face,
perhaps a cracked nose or a black eye, enough that they’d need a day
to recover. Those who enslave others, abuse positions of public trust,
or pervert the course of justice are delivered savage beatings: blud-
geoned until bones break and the victim is rendered unconscious.
The order polices its own to ensure these decisions are received
with respect and a confidence of impartiality.
The beating teaches those who were taken advantage of to see
their victimizer as weak and nothing to fear in the future. When
someone continues to abuse their power, the severity of beatings
escalate, but executores are directed to only use lethal force against
someone who clearly intends to kill if they’re not stopped. Some-
times an executore will seize someone’s assets and distribute them
to the victims. All these tactics, of course, are only socially accept-
able in Ber. Traveling executores struggle to attenuate their brutal
punishments with foreign sensibilities. Executore heralds train in
techniques to help them pursue wrongdoers, free victims from op-
pression, and battle dragons and other flying foes. Freedom in the Industrial Workforce
Early during Ber’s adoption of industry, many factory owners were
Tenets of Liberty accused of being like dragons themselves, growing rich off the toil of
Members of the executores can come from any class, but they all their workers. Executores were often called to rule on nebulous eco-
share the same stern ideology. nomic matters, like how much wage is necessary for labor to not be
A Dragon’s Terror Is Its Power. Your enemies are those who use considered enslavement. They often defaulted to siding with those
fear to make others serve them. You must act without fear. who had less power, and delivered severe beatings to bosses who
A Dragon’s Hoard Is Its Weakness. Wealth can buy obedience, were simply following the examples of Risuri and Danoran businesses.
but reputation earns loyalty. Seek a sterling reputation, not riches. This crisis finally came to a head when a group of foreign inves-
A Dragon Coils Within Our Souls. Every person is tempted by tors hired assassins to target an executore and her family. Wary of
the control that power offers. Do not become a tyrant yourself. provoking more violence, senior executores appealed to Ber’s great
Each Must Slay Their Own Dragon. Act to protect the inno- unifier, Vairday Bruse. After receiving advice from his Minister of
cent, but do not slay a foe unless you have no other way to keep Dragon Affairs (who handled the nation’s treasury) and a council of
them from harming others. To do so is to deny them the freedom foreign economists, the Bruse personally purchased a small factory,
to become better. and had a solitary worker endure two days of labor with no rest.
The worker reported his boss to the executores, and Vairday, the
Oath Spells ruler of Ber, accepted his punishment: a savage public beating.
You gain oath spells at the herald levels listed. Executores use these With that symbolic gesture holding the nation’s attention, the
spells to investigate accusations and to travel where they’re needed. government passed laws and developed a financial system that
made it easier for factories, mines, and even farms to give workers
Executore Spells partial ownership of the business. Some businesses operate with this
Herald Level Spells model, others with the older model, and since workers nominally have
3rd comprehend languages, speak with animals a choice in which system they work for, bosses in the old system are
5th detect thoughts, knock given more leeway to set strict standards. This has oddly galvanized
9th clairvoyance, counterspell workers in the “Beran” system to work hard so they can prove their
13th dimension door, freedom of movement way is competitive, and that it is not necessary to serve dragons to
17th scrying, teleportation circle be strong.
Channel Divinity Liberated Justice

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two At 20th level, you can physically embody the Beran ideal of free-
Channel Divinity options. dom. You can use this feature as an action on your turn, or you can
Stand and Be Judged. As an action, you point at and denounce automatically use it as a reaction if you become charmed, paralyzed,
a creature for refusing to face judgment, using your Channel Di- or restrained. Your physical appearance does not change, but those
vinity. Choose one creature you can see. That creature must make in your presence feel exhilaration and sense in you a grand hope,
a Wisdom saving throw, unless it is immune to being frightened. and your foes sense they will fail if they are too cowardly to face
Dragons have disadvantage on this saving throw. you. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:
On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it * You are immune to being charmed.
takes any damage. While frightened, the creature’s speed is 0, and it * You gain the benefits of freedom of movement—ignore difficult
can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed. terrain, magical effects cannot reduce your speed nor make
Chapter Two
On a successful save, the creature’s speed is halved for 1 minute you paralyzed or restrained, being underwater imposes no
or until the creature takes any damage. penalties on your movements or attacks, and you can spend
Savage Beating. As a bonus action, you can use your Chan- 5 feet of movement to automatically escape nonmagical re-
nel Divinity to empower your strikes with wild, righteous fury. straints, such as manacles or a creature that has you grappled.
Until the end of your next turn, you have advantage on Strength * You and allies you can see have resistance to damage from at-
checks and saving throws and on melee weapon attack rolls using tackers who are more than 30 feet from them. For instance, if
Strength. Those attacks deal extra radiant damage equal to your a creature 40 feet from one of your allies targets it with a gun
proficiency bonus. or a fireball, your ally has resistance to that damage.
While this effect is active, whenever you hit a creature with a Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish
melee attack you gain resistance to damage from their attacks until a long rest.
the end of your next turn, and you can shove them with a Strength
(Athletics) check. If you push the target away with a shove, you Other Heralds
can follow and remain within 5 feet without needing to spend any While most modern philosophies concern themselves little with
movement. religion and the soul, there are still some who take up arms to serve
their faith. In Risur, various small orders of cavaliers pledge oaths
No Hiding to both the Risuri crown and to the Unseen Court (or occasionally
Guns and bows are the weapons of cowards, best avoided if pos- some other archfey), and concern themselves with ensuring the
sible. At 7th level, you can strike enemies with your melee weapons pact between the two nations is upheld. Foremost among these is
even if they attempt to keep their distance or hide. By spending a the Green Knight, a title held by the personal bodyguard of Risur’s
bonus action, you create a link between you and a foe you can see monarch. Empowered by the loyalty of her fellow heralds, the
within 30 feet. Melee attacks you make on your turn targeting that Green Knight stands firm against darkness, and no wound can kill
creature ignore reach, range, half and three-quarters cover, and her if the sun is not shining.
light obscurement. This ability does not let you make opportunity But by far the greatest number of heralds ride in Crisillyir, devot-
attacks at range. The link lasts for 1 minute, and the creature gains ing their hearts and their arms to any of the Clergy’s myriad gods.
the same benefits from it as you. Many of these knights in shining armor defend the holy city of
At 18th level, the range of this ability extends to 60 feet. Alais Primos. Others patrol the nation’s heartland for supernatural
evil, as most of them believe they shall be stripped of their divine
Chainbreaker blessings should they harm an innocent, and so they are reluctant
Starting at 15th level, you can easily detect magical charms and to get involved in mortal conflicts. But some of the most zealous
compulsions. Whenever you use your Divine Sense, you also set forth to the colony Angelus, convinced the rising threat of a re-
known the location of any creature within 60 feet that is not behind stored Elfaivar demands a new holy war to protect the homeland.
total cover that is charmed, frightened, or subject to an effect that
allowed for a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw. If you detect such Ranger—Titanist
a creature, you automatically learn the nature of that effect, and if For most of Risur’s history the fey titans were seldom seen, waking
the creature that created that effect is within the area, you learn its up just often enough that people would never get a chance to think
location as well. them mere myths. Throughout the centuries, it was the duty of
Additionally, instead of using your Cleansing Touch to remove a Risur’s monarchs to subdue those titans so they could not harm
spell from a creature, you can use it to remove an effect that charms, settlements. But today the titans make their presence known on
grapples, paralyzes, or restrains, or an effect that would be ineffec- a monthly basis, and Queen Iain of Risur has chosen not to try to
tive against immunity to any of these conditions. This can break “subdue” them, but rather to rely upon Risuri loyalists to keep the
grapples and unclasp physical bindings. The creature can then titans satisfied, and to claim regular boons from the mighty beings.
move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. Treating with the fey titans is perilous, and their minds can be
Whenever you use your Cleansing Touch ability, if the creature daunting to understand, but such service is a sure way to win favor
that cast the spell or created the effect being removed is within 60 and prestige. To aid in these efforts, Queen Iain called for an assem-
feet of you, that creature takes 10 radiant damage. bly of rangers who would keep tabs on the behemoths.
Each member of the Conclave of the Titan has become familiar Adventure Seeds: Titanist
with the terrain of one of Risur’s five fey titans, and in so doing has Hunt or Be Hunted. Outside the city of Bole, the Ash Wolf’s demand
formed a close bond with both the titan and their domain. Some for tribute strains the bounds of morality. Some dream has awoken
conclave members are loyal scouts for the queen, while others are his long-smoldering anger at the ancient murder of his mate, and he
secretly devoted to the titans, seeing them as akin to gods. There will not be appeased until someone understands his pain. A ranger
are enough rangers in the conclave that most members serve for tasked with fulfilling the titan’s demand recruits the party under
a few months each year, then turn their talents to other matters. false pretenses of hunting a bounty: two murderous brigands who
Whatever their motivation, a titan conclave ranger can call upon are husband and wife. In truth, they are minor Risuri nobles, not
supernatural powers that mirror the nature of the titan to which criminals, but were deemed appropriate sacrifices. If the wife is not
they’re bonded, and the close connection can lead to a struggle to found and slain by the hunter’s moon (see page 192), the Ash Wolf
maintain their own personalities and identities. promises to hunt and devour the party.
Chapter Two
Devotion to a Titan shape standing atop the waves, who trills a longing song and offers
When you join this conclave at 3rd level, choose one of the fey titans the rewards of untold shipwrecks to any lover who can satisfy her.
as your focus. This determines the benefits most of your other con- She has more complex interactions with cultures that live below
clave abilities grant. the sea, including merfey, but those affairs are generally unseen by
The Ash Wolf long ago lost his mate to hunters during a forest landbound nations.
fire in Risur’s Antwalk Thicket, and as she died she birthed a vast In Risuri iconography, She Who Writhes is invoked in lovemak-
litter known as the smoldering wolves, who burn with the same fire ing, infidelity, seafaring, treasure hunting, secrecy, and the seas
that consumed her body. Usually the Ash Wolf slumbers, and only a and islands in general.
few of his children remain active to defend his lair, but when forest The Hollow Widow is little known, perhaps not even a true fey
fires blaze more wake. During the largest and most devastating in- titan. Since the Great Eclipse, no one has seen the previous titan of
fernos, the Ash Wolf himself wakes and sprints through the blazing the High Bayou, a white serpent known as the Voice of Rot. But in
woods, seeking to find his love in the smoke and soot. those swampy highlands, people report heightened activity of the
In Risuri iconography, the Ash Wolf is invoked in relation to arachnoid species called ettercaps, and viscous crimson currents
grief, single parenthood, fires, hunting, and the forests in general. streaming through berms of freshly woven spidersilk. They say a
The Father of Thunder is an immense creature like a mix of creature that lies overnight in a pool of its own blood will split open
bull and gazelle, with dozens of horns that serve as lightning rods at dawn and release a spider, leaving behind only a hollow husk. But
as he tramples across the plains of Risur’s Weftlands. He’ll normal- most travelers are unaccosted, though some find their packs were
ly only emerge during the mightiest of storms, leading a vast herd rifled through at night, their books replaced by strange relics from
of horses, cattle, deer, and other hoofed beasts in a raucous tromp centuries ago.
through his domain. He’ll pause to have sex (usually with beasts in Though new to the public consciousness, the Hollow Widow
his herd, though occasionally he’ll shift into a minotaur-like form shows up in Risuri iconography to represent an interest in history,
to bed willing humanoids), but otherwise only stops if presented blood rituals, libraries, rebirth, and swamps in general.
with a ludicrous amount of alcohol. Then he’ll spend weeks snoring
through his hangover. Titan Magic
In Risuri iconography, the Father of Thunder is invoked in rela- You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels of this
tion to recklessness, alcohol, agriculture, ranching, stormy weather, class, with each titan providing a different spell. The spells you
and the plains in general. learn count as ranger spells for you, but they don’t count against the
Granny Allswell is a lanky, wrinkled goblin-like woman whose number of ranger spells you know.
bewitching eyes can look in two different directions at once. She
lurks in dark mountain caves, chortling grim lullabies to her grem- Ash Wolf Spells
lin children who, according to myth, are transformed from babies Ranger Level Spells
abandoned in Risur’s Anthras Mountains. Her family bedevils 3rd faerie fire
miners and loggers, and demand gifts from new mothers lest they 5th mirror image
claim an infant as a sibling. 9th fireball
In Risuri iconography, Granny Allswell is invoked in birth, 13th fire shield
curses and dark magic (both to create and defend against), trickery 17th raise dead
and sabotage, and the mountains in general.
She Who Writhes is usually depicted as a mass of octopus-like Father of Thunder Spells
tentacles interwoven with strands of seaweed, usually in a corona Ranger Level Spells
around a sexualized female form. Her true form seems to be mal- 3rd thunderwave
leable as the sea, sometimes a purple kraken with a gargantuan 5th gust of wind
seductive face, sometimes tendrils of water moving of their own 9th call lightning
volition, but always somehow lithe and tempting. She’ll rise at night 13th dominate beast
or on overcast days, beckoning sailors with a glowing feminine 17th cone of cold
Granny Allswell Spells Titan’s Ire

Ranger Level Spells Also at 3rd level, you are aided in battle by the power of your bonded
3rd unseen servant titan.
5th shatter You can spend a bonus action to designate a creature you can see
9th bestow curse within 60 feet as the target of your ire. Whenever you use the Attack
13th confusion action on your turn, if the target of your ire is within 60 feet of you,
17th passwall you can make a ranged spell attack against it. If you’re wielding a
magic weapon that provides an attack bonus, you can apply that
She Who Writhes Spells bonus to your spell attack too.
Ranger Level Spells This benefit lasts until you finish a short or long rest. It ends early
3rd entangle if you designate a different creature. The effect of your ire varies
Chapter Two
5th suggestion based on the titan you are bonded with.

9th hypnotic pattern Ash Wolf. The target takes 1d8 piercing damage as a wolf-like
13th control water figure of ash and cinders bites it.
17th telekinesis Father of Thunder. The target takes 1d8 lightning damage as a
bolt of lightning falls from above.
Hollow Widow Spells Granny Allswell. The target takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage as
Ranger Level Spells a random misfortune pelts the foe with whatever is at hand. The
3rd identify target also has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before
5th web the end of its next turn.
9th vampiric touch She Who Writhes. The target takes 1d4 psychic damage as a
13th giant insect haunting song wriggles through its consciousness. The target can’t
17th legend lore take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Hollow Widow. The target takes 1d6 piercing damage as a
Bond with the Land swarm of insects bite and impale it, and if the target is alive, you
At 3rd level, you are comfortable in the same environment as your gain that many temporary hit points.
chosen titan. At 11th level, add an extra damage die to each of these attacks.
Ash Wolf. You have resistance to fire damage, and can safely
breathe smoke and see through smoke. You can speak with wolves, Terrain Manifestation
dogs, and other canids. Your party leaves no tracks in forests unless At 7th level, you can call upon your bonded titan to alter the en-
you want to. vironment around you. You can spend a bonus action to create
Father of Thunder. You have resistance to lightning and thun- difficult terrain in a 30 foot radius around your current location.
der damage, and you cannot be deafened. You can speak with (The area remains in place if you move.) The effect persists for one
hooved animals. Your party leaves no tracks in plains unless you minute or until you spend another bonus action to end it. You and
want to. your allies can ignore this difficult terrain. It takes on a different
Granny Allswell. You gain darkvision to 60 feet; if you already appearance based on the titan you are bonded with.
have darkvision, extend the range by 60 feet. You can speak with Ash Wolf. You create a blanket of ash.
cave-dwelling animals, from bats to bears to blind newts. Your Father of Thunder. You shake the earth as if there is a stampede.
party leaves no tracks in caves and mountainous terrain unless you Granny Allswell. You cause minor misfortunes that hinder
want to. movement: rocks shift, belts tighten painfully, rats scamper under-
She Who Writhes. You can double your proficiency bonus foot, boot heels slip, and the like.
when making Strength (Athletics) checks to swim or grab, you She Who Writhes. The area fills with shallow water that re-
do not suffer disadvantage to attacks while underwater, and you mains in place without requiring anything to contain it.
can breathe underwater. You can speak with marine animals and Hollow Widow. Webs blanket the area.
animals with tentacles. Your party leaves no tracks in aquatic or After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
coastal terrain unless you want to. plete a short or long rest.
Hollow Widow. You have advantage on death saving throws.
You have resistance to necrotic damage and damage from effects Straddle the Worlds
that drain blood. You can speak with arachnids. Your party leaves At 11th level, you can call upon your bonded titan to slip between
no tracks in swamps unless you want to. Additionally, you do not the Dreaming and the Waking.
get caught in webs unless you want to. You can cast spider climb at You can spend a bonus action to flicker between the worlds
will, though doing so requires spilling a bit of your blood, which briefly; this has the same mechanical effect as the blink spell, except
costs one hit die. You do not need to concentrate to maintain spider you shift between the Dreaming and the Waking. After you use this
climb. ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long
rest.
Chapter Two
Additionally, you can spend ten minutes to perform a ritual to concentration while in a swamp, or if a living creature of at least
cast plane shift, without requiring any material components, to travel medium size is dead or dying within 60 feet.
between the Dreaming and the Waking; cast this way, the spell can Creatures conjured by this ability share your Bond with the Land
only transport you to the analogue of your current location. If you boon, and their attacks are treated as magical weapons for the pur-
use the spell against an unwilling creature, it fails unless the crea- pose of bypassing resistances and immunities.
ture was restrained for the duration of the ritual. After you use this
ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Rogue—Occult Blade
Many criminal organizations in Lanjyr are infamous and feared.
Titanic Aid The Crisillyir-based Family has control of smuggling, racketeer-
At 15th level, you can briefly summon an ally of your bonded titan. ing, and political corruption in many great cities around the Avery
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete Sea. The Last Ravens in Flint terrify the common folk with their
a long rest. curses and the elite with the threat of stealing expensive magical
Normally this summoning requires concentration. However, if enchantments.
you are in your titan’s favored terrain or there is some manifesta- From Drakr, the Kuchnost are cleverly subtle, using targeted
tion thematically linked to the titan within 60 feet of you (such as bribery, inconsistent extreme violence, and winking denials to
your Terrain Manifestation area), you do not need to maintain con- leave people paranoid that anyone could be working for them. That
centration on the effect. The ally you summon varies based on the uncertainty is why many theorize that a new group of thieves and
titan you are bonded with. killers are associated with the Kuchnost.
Ash Wolf. You can spend an action to conjure four dire wolves, Operating in cultivated obscurity, they utilize magical tech-
as the conjure animals spell. Their eyes flicker red, and smoke smol- niques to occlude people’s memories of their actions, so their
ders from their fur. You do not need to maintain concentration in a crimes are only vaguely recalled by victims, and authorities know
forest, or if there is a large fire or area of smoke within 60 feet. them more by their absence than by any evidence they leave of their
Father of Thunder. You can spend an action to conjure two intentions. The group’s own name is not even known, but the press
giant elks, as the conjure animals spell. Their fur is lustrous, and their has dubbed them Neizvestnost Lezviya, or the Occult Blades.
antlers crackle with arcs of lightning. You do not need to maintain After public interest in the group grew, the mayor of Beaumont,
concentration on a plains or grassland, or if there is a storm, earth- Emiline Fitzlaurence, disappeared from her residence in Danor
quake, or stampede within 60 feet. and was next seen a week later in the center of Trekhom’s train sta-
Granny Allswell. You can spend an action to call forth a chal- tion, suffering an exotic bout of amnesia, wherein if she was ever
lenge rating 5 earth elemental, as the conjure elemental spell. Its asked about her abduction, she would feel compelled to recite a
stone is filled with rusted detritus or shiny trinkets. You do not specific list. That list detailed the residences and family members
need to maintain concentration in a cave or mountainous terrain, of prominent judges and prosecutors in Beaumont, Cherage, Trek-
or if something has been dramatically broken or if you’re aware of hom, Mirsk, Alais Primos, and Sid Minos.
something being stolen in the past minute within 60 feet. Today there are no publicly acknowledged investigations into the
She Who Writhes. You can spend an action to conjure an im- Occult Blades.
mense tentacle, which functions as the arcane hand spell. You do not
need to maintain concentration if there is a body of water at least Sleight of Mind
ten feet across within 60 feet. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn to stealthily
Hollow Widow. You can spend an action to conjure four giant project your consciousness into the mind of another creature, al-
spiders, as the conjure animals spell. You do not need to maintain lowing you to see their thoughts. Every mind is different, though,
and to actually understand what you’re seeing takes some finesse, After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
as you pull out a thought and hold it in your mind for a moment. plete a long rest.
You can spend an action to cast detect thoughts, which does not
require any verbal, somatic, or material components, but has a dis- Steal Loyalty
tance of only 5 feet. You can prevent a creature from knowing that At 17th level, you’re able to deftly rewrite a foe’s mind in the middle
you’re probing its mind by succeeding an Intelligence or Charisma of battle. When you would deal sneak attack damage to a creature,
(Sleight of Hand) check opposed to that creature’s Wisdom (Insight) you may instead cast dominate monster on it, which requires no
check. If you succeed, the creature does not realize its mind was verbal or somatic components. Your spellcasting ability modifier is
being probed. Intelligence or Charisma. If the creature succeeds its saving throw,
Your spellcasting ability modifier for this spell is Intelligence or or whenever the spell ends, that creature takes psychic damage
Charisma, and if a creature does become aware you’re probing its equal to your sneak attack dice.
Chapter Two
mind and uses an action to try to end the spell, you can use Cha- After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
risma in place of Intelligence to oppose its Intelligence check. plete a short or long rest.
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
plete a short or long rest. Sorcerer—Annihilator
During the Great Eclipse, an impossibly vast and dimly glowing
Absent Recall cloud shaped like a pair of crushing gears floated in a starless sky,
Also at 3rd level, whenever an attack you make deals sneak attack drawing ever closer as the world edged to the brink of destruction.
damage, you can choose to have those dice be psychic damage in- That grinding Gyre vanished when the Eclipse ended, but some
stead of being dealt by the weapon. people who were either born or who had a near-death experience
Whenever you deal psychic damage to a creature this way, you while it hovered in the sky became infused with its essence.
impede its ability to form long-term memories of this encounter. If Annihilator sorcerers struggle to control the Gyre’s destructive
at any point in the next hour you and all your allies who were in the energies that thrum within them, but their own health is bolstered
encounter are out of that creature’s sight for more than a minute, it by nearby death and decay. Their existence is often invoked by phi-
forgets all details of your group’s appearance and the specific ac- losophers and politicians as a reminder that annihilation has been
tions you took during the encounter. It recalls that it was attacked, delayed, not averted. Though people anywhere in the world can
and understands that its memories are occluded, but won’t remem- manifest these powers, many are invited to train in the Graftower,
ber, for example, where you fled, how many people there were, or an arcane academy on a remote Drakran island surrounded by sea
what tactics you used. ice—at the literal icy ends of the earth.
A creature that is immune to being charmed is able to remember
the encounter normally. And a creature that is aware of this ability Things Fall Apart
might take actions before its memories fade to record details in text At 1st level, your mere touch can cause objects to decay as if with a
or by telling someone else. great passage of time, or simply shatter in an instant. You can spend
an action to destroy a small object you are touching, and that no one
Steal Your Shadow else is touching. Most magic items, and some particularly resilient
At 9th level, your Sleight of Mind ability improves. When you dig materials like adamantine are immune to this. The manner of the
deeper into a creature’s memories and it fails its saving throw to destruction varies—rot, erosion, fractures, rust—but generally
resist, you gather a temporary imprint of its personality, which you cannot cause more damage than a person with a sledgehammer
store in your mind until you complete a long rest. spending a round smashing away. This doesn’t let you break things
Until that time, you can turn your mental focus inward and inter- faster than usual, it just avoids the need to have a tool or exert
act with that creature’s personality in a sort of mindscape. Initially yourself.
the personality imprint believes it’s in whatever situation it was Beginning at 2nd level, you can also focus this power on distant,
when you gathered the thoughts, so this is mostly useful for asking massive objects by spending a sorcery point. If you spend a minute
questions without alerting the real creature. Once you spend about concentrating on an object you can see, you can cause it to fall apart
ten minutes interacting with the imprint, it loses cohesion and dis- in some way that would naturally be possible. The object must be
sipates. It cannot actually be harmed, nor is it a “real” mind, so you something that has not been attended to by any sapient being for
cannot try, for example, to cast spells on it. The mindscape is lim- at least a year—something truly abandoned or wild, like a derelict
ited, so many actions will tip it off that its existence isn’t real, which house, a cliff edge upon which no one camps, or a wild drifting gla-
prompts most mental imprints to become unstable. cier—but can be as large as a hundred feet across. The destruction
manifests over the course of a minute. This is seldom of use offen-
Plant Memories sively, but serves as a terrifying display of the power that fuels you.
At 13th level, you can slip into a creature’s mind and begin altering
and adding memories. Spend an action to cast modify memory, which The Churn
requires no verbal or somatic components, but has a range of only 5 Additionally, starting at 1st level, destruction and death in your
feet. Your spellcasting ability modifier is Intelligence or Charisma. presence cascades and feeds on itself.
You can communicate the new memories telepathically. At the end of each of your turns, if any creature was reduced to 0
Chapter Two
hit points within 30 feet of you since the end of your last turn, you component for a spell, nor things that were reshaped into new items.
can choose another creature within that range, and deal 1d10 force You can rebuild a shattered boat, but cannot cause the metal in a suit
damage to it. The force damage increases to 2d10 at 5th level, 3d10 of armor to turn back into an ingot or into raw ore.
at 11th level, and 4d10 at 17th level.
The range of this effect increases to 120 feet at 10th level. The Teeth of the Gyre
At 18th level, you can manifest the heart of the Gyre, which can
Consuming Vortex destroy anything. You can spend a bonus action to create a sphere
At 6th level, you can manifest the consuming power of the Gyre to of annihilation within 5 feet of you, which lasts for one minute. The
draw creatures toward you or toward your magic. sphere is a 2-foot-diameter black hole in the multiverse, hovering
When you cast a spell, you can choose either yourself, or a space in space and stabilized by a magical field around it.
within the area of the spell you are casting. Before your spell takes The sphere obliterates all matter it passes through and all matter
effect, creatures of your choice within 120 feet of that spot must that passes through it. Artifacts are the exception. Unless an arti-
make a Strength saving throw or be pulled 20 feet toward that spot. fact is susceptible to damage from a sphere of annihilation, it passes
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete through the sphere unscathed. A creature whose space the sphere
a long rest. enters must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be
touched by it, taking 4d10 force damage.
Unboil an Egg A creature within 60 feet of an uncontrolled sphere can use an
At 14th level, your understanding of the nature of destruction gives action to make a DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a success,
you the ability to undo its damage. that creature can move the sphere a number of feet equal to 5 x their
You can spend 1 sorcery point to cast cure wounds at the highest Intelligence modifier (minimum 5 feet). On a failure, the Sphere
level spell you can cast. moves 10 feet toward that creature.
Alternatively, you can spend an action and concentrate on a dam- You can use your Charisma in place of Intelligence when con-
aged or destroyed object, then spend 1 sorcery point for every 30 trolling the sphere you create. When you create the sphere, you
feet across that object is. Over the course of a minute, you reverse can immediately move it as if you had controlled it, but thereafter
the damage to the object, potentially restoring it to its prime. This the sphere hovers in place unless you or another creature spend an
requires concentration, and if your concentration fails, the restora- action to try to control it.
tion fails as well. After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
This cannot restore items that were consumed as a material plete a short or long rest.
Adventure Seeds: Urbanist

A City Divided Against Itself. In Mirsk, a warlock has grown rich
serving as the liaison between the city’s spirit and the powerful clans
who control the city’s industry. But another warlock approaches the
party, asking them to help him contact the true spirit of the place,
which is trapped in the subterranean prison manufactories like so
many of the city’s workers. He hopes to form a bond with that spirit
and use it to help the enslaved laborers revolt, but the existing war-
lock senses the threat and pursues them into the depths of a cruel
gulag overrun by monsters.
Chapter Two
Warlock—Urbanist The Talk of the Town

People personify cities, describing Slate as stately and mature, Starting at 1st level, you are adept at talking in a city—any com-
Flint as boisterous and creative, Cherage as conflicted and yearn- munity of at least 5,000 people. You intuitively can speak in the
ing, Rumah Terakir as resolute and charming. This is not mere prevailing language of the city and use an accent and slang like a
metonymy, where a city’s name is a stand-in for its government or local if you desire.
its citizenry. In many pieces of modern discourse, writers describe More importantly, you can speak with any city’s genius loci. Typ-
cities as having intention, as being a driver of behavior rather than ically, you simply speak out loud, and if the city chooses to respond,
a vessel of it. it does so telepathically, often in a flood of sensation.
And in a world where psychic collectives can manifest as physi- The Narrator should consider the city’s spirit to be an amalgam
cal creatures, and where unified pious faith can conjure miracles, of the general will of the community. It is knowledgeable of things
surely it is possible to understand—even communicate with—a that an average city dweller would know, and you can ask it about
city’s spirit: its genius loci. things going on in a crowded public place at that very moment,
Public awareness of these esoteric entities first arose in the but it cannot convey events that happened at another time, unless
Beran city of Ursaliña, which during the Great Eclipse was held in a those are commonly known. For example, you could learn from
shared psychic field created by otherworldly monsters. Even after Flint the generally agreed upon description of a fugitive seen flee-
they were defeated, people began to claim they heard the voice of ing down a street a few days ago, or perhaps hear from afar a speech
their city call to them, beckoning them to come underground or to being given to a crowd at that very moment, but the city could not
climb the highest spire, sometimes even warning them of unstable tell you where that fugitive went after the public lost sight of him,
bridges or guiding them to just the right person they need to find nor whether someone in the crowd was planning to assassinate the
out of tens of thousands. speaker.
Most arcane scholars have dismissed such stories as poppycock, Spend one minute and make a Charisma-based check—usu-
but if these claims of metropolises enlisting avatars true, is it a ally Persuasion, but sometimes Deception, Intimidation, or
benign manifestation of the will of the public, or something malev- Performance might be appropriate. The higher your result, the
olent feeding on the dreams and desires of citizens? What do these more useful the city’s response is or the more obscure information
cities want, what if any opinion do they have of the people who live it can share. You have advantage on this check in the city you per-
within them, and worryingly, what do they know of each other? sonally are bound to. If you don’t speak the most commonly used
People seem eager to believe these accounts however. An in- languages in the city where you use this ability, you have disadvan-
spired pulp novelist named Kimble Aether recounted what he said tage on this check. The same city will only respond to only two of
were the true adventures of a magic-user called The Masked Malice, your requests in the same day.
who did the bidding of the city Orithea. And in Flint, the druidic For example, learning basic information like directions to a busi-
skyseers have funded advertisements in local newspapers, inviting ness, or the general situation at a crowded event across town, might
anyone who can speak with the city’s spirit to help them appease it, be DC 5. Learning something a few hundred people witnessed a few
so that their stargazing will not be occluded. days ago might be DC 10. Getting information that only a dozen
people saw would be DC 15, and even that would only be possible if
Expanded Spell List those people would freely share that information to someone who
The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you. asked. Remember, the city’s spirit is an amalgam of its population,
and if the people who know something would be secretive, so would
Genius Loci Spells the city.
Spell Level Genius Loci Spells A city might sometimes ask favors of you in exchange for in-
1st disguise self, sanctuary formation, though the nature of the request will vary based on
2nd find traps, knock the city’s personality. Alais Primos might request you help an
3rd meld into stone, speak with dead aged petitioner make her way to church for a particular holy day,
4th private sanctum, stone shape while Trekhom could ask you to hide a gun behind a toilet stall in
5th passwall, wall of stone a restaurant.
Beware of lying to or intimidating a city, unless you conceal your Wizard—Last Raven
identity from it. If you tell a city that you’re looking for a popular The Last Raven thieves’ guild in Flint
local vigilante to help her, and then locals see you attack the woman, consists of many arcane trickster
people on the street may find themselves instinctually distrustful rogues and eldritch knight fighters,
of you. If you threaten a city that you will burn down a landmark but their most unique members
unless it tells you what you want to know, law enforcement might are darkly referred to as wiz-
later on interfere in your affairs. A genius loci cannot physically ards who study the “school of
retaliate, however. ravencraft.” Learning secrets of
the witches of Cauldron Hill and
Secret Shopper other occultists, these wizards
At 6th level, you always maintain an odd liminal presence in your specialize in stealing magic
Chapter Two
bonded city. This allows you to purchase any commonly available and levying curses on their
good from that city at any time. Items you buy this way must be foes. You might be a cur-
something you can carry in your hands, so no producing boats out rent member of the guild,
of your sleeve. Also, you can only buy items that the seller would or could have learned their
freely offer to a random, anonymous buyer, which typically pre- arcane secrets and left the
cludes anything of uncommon or greater rarity. However, you group, which likely left you
could easily get a meal from your favorite restaurant, get clothes marked as their enemy.
from any public shop, and even buy a newspaper to keep abreast of See the section on Flint
current events. (page 174) to learn about the
You can use this ability at any time. You simply spend an action varied schemes of the Last
to hand your money to empty space. The money vanishes, and the Ravens.
item you purchase appears in your hand.
Ravencraft
Public Transportation When you take
At 10th level, while in a city you can spend an action to teleport to this arcane
any location you are aware of within that city that is serviced by tradition at 2nd
public transportation options, including subrail stations, gondola level, you gain
docks, and—if there are carriages for hire, rickshaws, or similar ve- proficiency in thieves’ tools and two of the
hicles—basically any place along a public street. When you use this following skills: Deception, Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, or
ability you can bring along up to eight willing creatures you can see. Stealth. You add hex from the warlock spell list to your spellbook.
Instead of teleporting within your current city, you can travel You can cast hex one time without expending a spell slot at the
from any location (even if you’re not currently in a city) to a public highest level you can cast. Afterward, you cannot do so again until
entrance to your bonded city, such as the main docks, the city gates, you complete a long rest.
or the primary rail station. Whenever you cast hex, instead of having the target take extra
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com- damage when you hit it with an attack, you may choose an ally, and
plete a short or long rest. instead the target takes the extra damage whenever that ally hits
that target.
Get Lost
At 14th level, you gain the ability to lure foes into a demiplane that Spellthief
resembles a stylized version of your bonded city. You can spend At 2nd level, you learn how to steal the magic of other spellcasters.
an action to have the essence of your bonded city bleed into a 60 You can prepare one extra spell, and you need not change this spell
foot radius around you. Enemies in that area see phantom images when you finish a long rest.
of streets, alleys, tunnels, and other pathways, and feel their sense Whenever you end a short or a long rest, you can choose a creature
of place being assaulted. If a creature ends its turn in the area, you within 60 feet that you are aware of, even through solid barriers;
can end the phantom images and cast maze on them, trapping them you gain knowledge of all spells the creature has available or cur-
in your demiplane until they can escape. Maintaining the phantom rently expended, and you can replace your one extra spell with one
images or the maze requires concentration. of those spells. Whenever a spellcaster within 60 feet of you casts a
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com- spell, loses concentration on a spell, or has their spell countered or
plete a long rest. dispelled, you can replace your one extra spell with that spell.
Chapter Two
Cauldron of Curses Wizard—Enclavist

At 6th level, your curses tap into the lingering malevolence of Caul- Only a few wizards are trusted enough to be taught the magic of the
dron Hill. If you do not already know the spell bestow curse, add it to Elfaivaran enclaves. Much as Risur’s rites of rulership give a person
your spell book. If you do, add another 3rd level spell. When you dominion over a nation, enclave wizards learn to lay claim to a small
cast bestow curse, the spell runs its full duration without requiring local domain by partially manifesting the Dreaming. In so doing
concentration. they can shield their allies from discovery, restrict movement by
interlopers, and even create guardians from their very dreams.
Retaliatory Curse
At 10th level, your magic is as vindictive as your guild leader. When Enclave Talents
an attack hits you or a spell affects you, you can use a reaction to When you choose this school at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in
cast bestow curse without using a spell slot on the person who at- Stealth and add the spell sanctuary from the cleric spell list to your
tacked you or cast the spell, regardless of range or line of sight. If spellbook. You always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against
you were incapacitated by the attack or spell, the target of your the number of spells you can prepare.
curse has disadvantage on their saving throw.
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com- Mystical Demesne
plete a short or long rest. Starting at 2nd level, you can spend a bonus action to magically
bond yourself to an area extending 15 feet in each direction from
Exceptional Spellthievery your space, declaring it your domain. The area shifts slightly into
At 14th level, your ability to steal magic extends to magic items the Dreaming (or, if you are in the Dreaming, the area becomes loyal
and ongoing spells. Spend a bonus action and choose a magic item to you). The environment becomes imbued with your mysticism—
within 60 feet of you or a creature within 60 feet of you that is af- glowing, sprouting flowers, shimmering with exaggerated colors,
fected by an ongoing spell. If you choose an unattended magic item, filled with soft sacred chanting, or something similar—though you
you transfer its powers to an item you are carrying. If you choose may suppress these sensory features if neither you nor any of your
an item being worn or carried by a creature, that creature makes allies are taking hostile actions within the domain. This can hide
an Intelligence saving throw. If it fails, you transfer the powers. If the presence of the domain from those looking for you.
you choose a spell on a creature, the creature makes an Intelligence The area remains your domain until you move more than 3 miles
saving throw, and if it fails, you transfer that spell to yourself. If away from it, or until you end it as an action. You cannot declare
that spell required concentration, it no longer does. a new domain until you complete a short or long rest. When you
The transfer lasts for ten minutes, or until the stolen spell’s dura- declare a new domain, your link to your previous domain ends.
tion expires. This ability cannot steal magic from artifacts. Your domain grants the following benefits.
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com- * Subterfuge. You and your allies have advantage on Dexterity
plete a short or long rest. (Stealth) checks within your domain. Creatures that aren’t
your allies that cast divination spells that would affect or the saving throw again. If it fails, it cannot enter or attack into the
learn about the domain or creatures in it must succeed an area. If it succeeds, the effect hedging it out ends.
ability check against your spell DC with their casting ability After you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you com-
score. If they fail, the spell reveals an innocuous result. plete a short or long rest.
* Defense. You can use your reaction to either grant advantage
to a creature that you can see within the area making a saving Establish Enclave
throw, or cause a creature that you can see within the area Also at 14th level, by settling a region and ensuring none oppose your
making an attack roll to do so with disadvantage. claim, you can choose an area of roughly one cubic mile to be your
* Offense. You can have the environment within your domain enclave in perpetuity. You can only have one such enclave at a time,
briefly come alive to attack an interloper—rocks lunging, and changing its location requires at least a month of effort. You can
winds gusting, leaves thrashing, and the like. Whenever you use any effects that apply to your domain in your enclave as well, and
Chapter Two
spend an action, you may deal bludgeoning damage to one you do not lose your link to it by moving more than three miles away.
creature within your domain. The amount is equal to your Your enclave can have additional magical and mundane defenses,
proficiency bonus. which you should work out with your Narrator.
While you have a declared domain, you can use an action to tele-
Sole Power port any number of willing creatures within your domain to your
At 6th level, when you declare your domain it affects an area ex- enclave, as long as you are on the same plane. After you use this
tending 50 feet in each direction from you. As long as your domain ability you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
is active, you can spend an action to cast clairvoyance to look at your
domain, without spending a spell slot. Other Wizards
Additionally, you can use one of your spell slots of 3rd level or All the great nations recognize the strategic and economic value
higher to cast counterspell or dispel magic, but only targeting a crea- of arctech, and so nearly every major city has a growing academy
ture, object, or magical effect inside your domain. When you do this, of the arcane sciences, and military academies compete to hire the
you have advantage on any ability check the spell requires. After most talented teachers of war wizardry. The city state of Nalaam
you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a is even ruled by wizards, and it maintains its autonomy through
short or long rest. careful cultivation of elite spellcasters. But most wizards seldom
progress beyond minor spells, useful to enhance existing careers,
Guardian Force from theater to architecture to the mystical arts of accounting.
At 10th level, when you have an area declared as your domain, you People do whisper, however, about more esoteric societies of
can conjure one or more beasts to defend it, tethering a bit of your wizards. Il Basso Globo are a Crisillyiri occult order who commune
soul to the Dreaming to bring your will to life. You can spend an with beings beneath the earth and carve spells into orbs of strange
action to cast conjure animals as if you used a spell slot of the highest black stone instead of scribing them in books. In Ber, the Violadores
level available to you. In addition to the normal options for the spell, revel in mind control and blood magic, cutting and scarring their
you can conjure a single beast, elemental, or monstrosity with a chal- flesh with arcane formulae, and often serving as indirect assassins
lenge rating equal to the highest spell level you can cast, or lower. by compelling bystanders to kill their targets. The major clans of
You can use this ability even if you are not in your domain, such Drakr specialize in divination and illusion (Clan Andreevna); nec-
as if you have spotted an interloper through clairvoyance or have romancy and ice magic (Clan Vladimirovna); stoneshaping and
been alerted by an alarm ritual. If so, the conjured creature appears magical weapons (Clan Volodovna); or contracts and binding (Clan
in the center of your domain. Vyacheslavovich).
Any creatures you summon this way must remain within your Finally, the Masked Knights of the Pentalon Order are five affiliat-
domain. They vanish when slain or when your link to the domain ed schools of wizardry in Danor, whose sigil is a brand of five bestial
ends. If you would fail a concentration check and would lose this claws arranged like a star. Before the Great Eclipse only the wealthi-
spell, you can spend a Hit Die to keep the spell active. After you use est could afford to study the arcane arts in Danor’s dead magic zone,
this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. and so the Pentalon were ruthless in the pursuit of power. They op-
erated behind the scenes for centuries, and in that secrecy they grew
Unquestioned Authority fond of the darkest magic. As Danor embraced scientific research
At 14th level, you can declare your domain without spending a and discovery, so too did the wizards, and to this day they keep ou-
bonus action. bliettes of research subjects who possess rare magical abilities, and
Additionally, you can spend an action to forbid a creature from eagerly offer sacrifices to distant fiends to gain their service. But the
entering your domain. That creature makes a Wisdom saving throw Pentalon Knights believe themselves noble, for it was they who kept
against your spell DC. On a failure, if it is inside your domain, you alive their nation’s understanding of wizardry.
can teleport it to the nearest space outside your domain. Addition- Today the Pentalon are considered a dirty open secret in Danor
ally, it cannot enter your domain, make attacks against creatures proper, but in the splinter Imperium, the Empress has promised
inside the domain, or target them with spells or other abilities. her nation’s unlimited support to any of the Pentalon Order who
Each turn thereafter when it tries to enter or attack, it can attempt pledge their loyalty to her.
On Religions and Deities

The four main religions in Lanjyr are the pantheistic Clergy of Ottoplismists resent this depiction, since they believe the
Crisillyir, Ber’s contentious Guerro, the Seedism of Elfaivar, and eight gods who were executed were killed unjustly. Those gods
Risur’s druidic Old Faith. Danor is explicitly atheistic, while are not quite worshiped any more, but Ottoplismists will often
Drakr has no strong religious identity. devote their prayers “to the memory” of these eight, or pray to
Triegenes to fulfill the responsibilities of the martyred gods.
Clergy * Annad Elmest was goddess of beasts, magnolia trees, and
Over a thousand years, dozens of religions and their pantheons harvests, the Song of the Wild, the Dancer with the Serpent
Chapter Two
have been absorbed by the Clergy. The sheer number of gods Amphora, the Bounteous Scarecrow.
meant that, aside from Triegenes himself, none were universally * Chalthus was god of storms, weddings, and funerals, the
venerated. Different regions had their particular favorites, and Artist of Thirteen Rings, the Mourning Scribe, the Lover
sometimes even small sects would splinter off from Elfaivaran, Lost. He was married to Meliska.
Drakran, or Risuri religions and make a few doctrinal changes to * Kelida Buia was goddess of the night, perseverance,
fit with the broader Clergy. and secrets, the Reed Fletcher, the Barefoot Companion,
Often churches or cathedrals would be dedicated to one or to Maiden of Knots.
a small handful, so for instance the city of Sid Minos contains * Kelide Splendente was god of the day, archery, and
many depictions of Haspagios, a god of shelter against disaster, pilgrimages, the Four-Hinged Scroll, Gazelle-Runner, the
but in rural Crisillyir the local priest might only vaguely know Eightfold Longwalker.
of him. * Marlanter was god of seas, tidepools, and inevitability, the
The general who reclaimed Vendricce after the Great Malice Torch at Shore, the Tidereaver’s Master, the Merchant on
was a worshiper of a war goddess, Manshera, who then became the Horizon.
popular for a generation, but later faded back to relative obscurity. * Sethaba was god of winds, mountain air, and echoes. He is
And while the grand librarium in Alais Primos is sanctified by the Heroes’ Storyteller, the Swift-Striker, the Distant Roar.
Inez, god of translators, and her symbology appears in a widely- * Vanesi was goddess of stone buildings and pottery (and
distributed register of the universal doctrines of the Clergy, she thus is associated with the foundation of early civilization),
is afforded as much worship as a bureaucratic office might be in who taught the first people how to give offerings to the
another country. gods, the Triumphant Wind, the Spurned Sister, the Lady of
Indeed, bureaucracy and politics is one reason no gods ever Heavenly Ways.
cemented their place as a major part of the Clergy’s pantheon. * Verus was god of forges, evocation, and discovery, the
Many gods have overlapping portfolios and their priests com- Bringer of Lights, the Gatherer of Boasts, the First-Seer and
pete for parishioners, and factions among the faith’s hierarchs the First Sword.
would work to undercut any growing power base, often with the The ideals represented by each of these gods led to a change in
blessing of the Prime Cardinal. The unspoken goal of such efforts doctrinal focus for Ottoplismists. Some are subtle, like organiz-
was to prevent factionalism that might lead to a religious schism. ing more pilgrimages in honor of Kelide Splendente, or adding
Alas, the terrible death and upheaval during the Great Eclipse more heroic myths about Sethaba to sermons. Others are con-
nearly destroyed the Clergy’s bureaucracy, and the split between tentious among Clergy traditionalists, like using Marlanter and
the Meliskans and the Ottoplismists is just what generations of Verus’s focus on “inevitability” and “discovery” as justification
cardinals feared. for adopting firearms and steam engine technology long seen as
infernally inspired.
Denominational Rift
Meliska is goddess of eclipses, lovers, and reconciliation, the Guerro
Keeper of the Sun and Moon, the Dimpled Hand, the Renewer Religion in Ber is not as prominent an institution as in Crisillyir,
of Fellowships. Before the Great Eclipse, she was depicted as the but it helped create a common identity in the region stretching
wife of the god Chalthus, but Chalthus was executed in the god back to ancient times. In the Guerro faith, there are thousands
trials. Today, depictions of her prominently display dimpled skin of gods, their origins lost to history. These divine beings ex-
on her ring finger where her wedding band once was. pected mortals to vie for land and power, but they were far from
She was next in line for execution when the god trials ended, all powerful. They could control pathways to different afterlifes,
which united many Clericists in reverence of her. They proclaim and would grant boons and blessings, but they were dependent
her a savior of the faith, having ended a dark period through her on worshipers.
purity and steadfastness.
If one tribe’s priest were abducted or if some great totem they shrine was occupied by the weretigers of Hewanharimau. After
revered was stolen by another tribe, that second tribe would be millions of gulmohar returned to this world after five centuries
able to command the loyalty of that god. Gods would be fought of absence, many Elfaivarans were drawn to his esoteric faith,
over, traded, sometimes killed or forced into marriages. Tribes out of a sense that they had an obligation to understand the vast
that splintered would bicker over who got to keep which gods. scale of time, and to use lessons from the past to ensure an eter-
Even small tribes might dream of one day wresting control of an- nal survival of their people.
other tribe’s strongest deity and then rising to prominence. The hero-goddess Shalosha, said to have once been a mortal
Chapter Two
After the time of the dragon tyrants, Ber’s relationship with elf from a foreign land, was falling out of favor before the Great
hoarding changed, as did how they view the idea of “owning” an- Malice, and was basically forgotten afterward. A group of gul-
other being. While few Berans are particularly devout, they still mohar who chose not to align with the new Ran have sought to
passed laws that formally emancipated the gods. Organized reli- revive worship of her. Though she is just one deity among many,
gion is barely present, though the Panoply philosophy (page 94) her faithful think she has much to teach the Elfaivaran people in
has persuaded some Berans to find value in foreign techniques of this new age.
worship, creating syncretic faiths that resemble Clergy churches, Shalosha was acclaimed as a warrior queen so beloved that
with Guerro gods. her subjects raised her to divinity, but she stood for principles of
peace between nations, reconciliation with enemies, and being
Seedism willing to hold one’s allies—even family members—accountable
Elfaivar’s Seedist faith is famous for the slain goddess of wom- for their injustices. Worship of her is often seen as a direct chal-
anhood Srasama. However, the resurrected gulmohar generally lenge to the goals of the Reclamation. A rarity among the Seedist
do not recognize how other Elfaivarans practice Seedism. In the faith, Shalosha is typically depicted as pale and blond, with blue
five centuries after the Great Malice, it became focused around eyes and a blade that shines as bright as the sun.
Srasama despite her death, like a morbid monotheism. Indeed,
many gulmohar feel “modern Seedism” has taken on the shape The Old Faith
of the Clergy’s faith, with Srasama serving the same role as Risur’s folk religion advises people to honor the spirits of the
Triegenes. land and teaches how to draw power from nature and interpret
The resurrection of the gulmohar led to a blossoming fasci- the prophecy from the stars. The druidism of Risur is only dis-
nation with the Elfaivaran pantheon, lifting many gods from tantly connected to the Axis Circle (see page 57), but it has several
obscurity. This originalist Seedism has a complex metaphysics circles of its own, which have gone through cycles of being on
where reincarnation and an atypical perception of time links good terms or fighting each other for influence.
souls of mortals and gods, and often nests multiple beings into The circles all have several formal and informal titles, but
the identity of some greater entity. today, the group colloquially known as the Circle of the Land has
Hewanharimau is known to outsiders as a terrifying raksha- risen to have Queen Iain Waryeye’s favor, since their druids help
sa god of beasts who blessed some of his worshipers by turning appease the fey titans.
them into weretigers. Several popular copper coin novels and A few years ago the Flint Tribune published a bitter exposé by
vulgar plays popularized an epic battle where the hero Dhebisu Sokana Rell, a former royal aide who claimed she was reveal-
slew this god centuries ago, before the Great Malice. ing state secrets as punishment for the king breaking a promise
Actual Elfaivaran mythology and history is a bit more ambig- to the Circle of Dreams. The whispered truth of that mystical
uous. Hewanharimau was a god of beasts corrupted into a foul order, according to Sokana, is that the Dreaming responds to
rakshasa, or perhaps was a protector god favored by an outcast the behaviors and beliefs of people in this world. She claims the
ethnic group, the Harimau. He was perhaps slain by Dhebisu dreaming circle druids cultivated the landscape and fey culture
in her prime, or she may have been responsible for driving the of Risur’s Dreaming like a garden, and that the Unseen Court and
Harimau from their native homeland. Whatever the truth, the their rivals the Hedgehog Court are more like pets of the Risuri
Harimau ethnic group is a culture of elves who manifest mild nobility, rather than peers.
lycanthropic transformations, typically resembling tigers. Though the outlandish and somewhat scandalous accusation
Surprisingly, when Dhebisu was returned to life, many of the was denied by the Circle of Dreams, the response from the fey
Harimau allied with her, as the old warrior is willing to ally with of the Dreaming was unexpectedly positive. A courier of the
any caste as long as they are loyal to her mission. Unseen Court claimed that the fey monarch Thisraldion found
Ingatan is a god of knowledge and memory, sometimes depict- the whole story a capital idea, and that their kingdom would offer
ed as a trickster or even actively malevolent. His most prominent good trades for cats, dogs, and obedient reptiles from the Waking.
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
An Exposition of
Inventions
W ithin, discover the equipment produced
by the industrial revolution to which
your characters have access.

Notable Innovations
Two supernatural technologies are prominent in Lanjyr today. People
refer to items that use them as arcanotechnology, or sometimes just
arctech.
Planarite is a physical substance that contains the energy of another
plane. When integrated in everyday objects, planarite can imbue them
with magical properties, albeit often at great expense.
Progress and Innovation For example, firegems are solid elemental fire that can be burned to
On a rural Risuri farm, the family might own a musket and some heat steam engines, while the banned substance witchoil is liquid death,
pistols, but never have seen a steam engine in their lives. They try to capable of trapping the souls of those who die near it. Alchemists long
avoid any machinery that might anger the fey of their fields. ago discovered ways to produce those substances in large quantities, but
A prosperous land-owner in Danor makes use of a steam- today many other varieties of planarite are being distilled. Most must be
powered combine, and delivers some of her goods to the markets created in small batches by spellcasters or gleaned in the wild near natu-
of Cherage on the railroad. She’d love to hire a druid to speed the ral pathways between the planes, so a breakthrough in mass production
growth of her crops, but when she tried to pay her workers less be- of a new substance could be revolutionary.
cause she didn’t need them as much, they protested and threatened A wayfarer engine is a device designed to burn liquid planarite
to refuse to harvest. like oil in a lamp, then direct the magical energy into an object to let
In Drakr’s capital city Trekhom, factory workers risk their fin- it move and grant it supernatural traits. Spellcasters have used much
gers in an arcane refinery producing firegems, while in a nearby rougher implementation of the same principle throughout history, such
laboratory, arcanoscientific researchers tinker with enchanting an as to animate constructs, but each such creation had to be custom built.
artillery cannon hoping to launch a metal vessel to the stars instead While certainly not cheap, the wayfarer engine is much more efficient at
of obliterating it, as has happened with all test fires to date. harnessing magical energy, and its design adaptable to numerous uses.
In Crisillyir, desperate churchgoers barricade the door while their The most well-known inventions that use these engines are Danoran
priest blesses salt and packs it into the barrel of a shotgun, hoping steam walkers and Risuri levitationals for its new airships. In Ber, the ec-
it will drive back whatever thing is clawing its way in. A young boy centric industrialist Benedict Pemberton has begun mass producing his
prepares to dash for the town’s telegraph station to signal for help. BEARs—Battle Enhanced Animalistic Replicants.
In a ruin in Elfaivar, druids study the latest botanical science
texts as they try to rebuild their nation’s lost agriculture. The a warlock shipwright guides the construction of a frigate using
steamship they take upriver is old and battered, seized from a thoughtflesh harvested from a slain alien beast, hoping the war-
Danoran colony over a decade ago, but it’s still more reliable than ship will be able to heal its own wounds.
summoning water spirits to tug a vessel. Technological advancement has reshaped major cities and the
In Ber, happy families spend the winter taking vacations by rail travel between them, but different places have access to different
to learn about the rest of their nation, and the future seems bright. innovations. Adventurers will often have the funds to equip them-
But invention is not without danger. In the repurposed lair of a dead selves with the best, but for some parts of the world it can seem like
dragon tyrant, under careful guard against psychic contamination, the industrial revolution never happened.
An Exposition of Inventions
Old gunpowder has been replaced by smoke-free firedust;

smokeless gunpowder is only crafted by a few innovative gun-
smiths. Certain alchemical limitations hinder the creation of
firedust cartridges, so most firearms are muzzle-loading.
Ships and armies can make use of cannons and artillery, whose
range exceeds all but the rarest combat evocations.
Danor produces a small quantity of arcane fusils, which use pla-
narite to produce bolts of elemental energy without ammunition,
including large fusil artillery for warships. However, a treaty called
the Orithean Concordat makes these illegal everywhere except
Elfaivar, which was not a signatory.
Travel
Steam-powered ships have been in use for about one hundred and
fifty years, and railroads for about a century. Both were developed
in Danor, and it wasn’t until about fifty years ago that Risur, Drakr,
and Ber started to develop their own. Crisillyir let Danor build
some railroads through their land but only began building its own
Chapter Three
trains and steamships in the past two decades.

Briefly during the Great Eclipse, magical flight became excep-
tionally easy, which led to short-term use of great flying ships. After
the sun returned and the nature of magic changed, inventors and
national navies tried to develop new airships, to limited success.
Modern Technology Balloons and dirigibles have some limited military scouting use,
The Zeitgeist setting has a technology level roughly equivalent and some civilians enjoy them for recreational purposes. Mean-
to about the 1870s on Earth, with some throwbacks and some while hobbyists have developed a grand variety of gliders. The city
revolutionary leaps. There are five main fields when equipment is of Flint in Risur is a hub for such technological aeronautics.
different from your traditional fantasy RPG: industry, weapons, With the right spells, of course, any heavier-than-air vehicle can
materials, transportation, and communication. fly for short periods of time. And air planarite, a tricky substance
to master, inspires the imagination of people who long to soar the
Industry skies.
Water-wheel power allowed for mass production of textiles in Risur has invested heavily in designing arcane levitationals and
the real world over two hundred years ago. In Danor, advances in maintains a small fleet of sail-powered windskiffs, as well as the
chemistry, particularly the use of coke in producing iron, allowed retrofitted ironclad warship RNS Coaltongue. Soon that legendary
for the development of steam engines not long thereafter, and those vessel will be supplanted by the nearly complete flying warship, the
engines were much more efficient than water wheels. Steam en- RAS Burning Sky (see page 177).
gines originally used coal as fuel, but Drakran elemental alchemy Elfaivar uses any technology present in the colonies it recap-
eventually replaced coal with firegems. tured, but it generally does not make any new technological items.
Now inventors are more focused on finding a way to mass pro- Instead it applies the new scientific understanding about planarite
duce wayfarer engines, which can directly power devices in place of to enhance traditional magic, such as controlling elementals with
a bulky steam boiler filled with water. water planarite, employing them to propel boats, or weaving golden
Since the Great Eclipse, Risur has experimented with electricity, earth planarite into the flesh of elephants, enhancing their strength
produced by using steam power, wayfarer engines, and lightning as pack animals and warbeasts.
gifted to followers of the fey titan Father of Thunder. A few districts
in the city of Flint have replaced gaslight street lamps with incan- Communication
descent filament bulbs, but for most of the world, magical light is Just before the Great Eclipse, Risur began experimenting with
a staple, and many train in basic cantrips because lamplighting is electric telegraphy, using metal wires extended between “ceraunic
steady work. cable towers” to transmit coded pulses of text at near-instant speed
across vast distances. During the Great Eclipse, a small network of
Weapons ceraunic towers was set up in Crisillyir, intended as the first step
Firearms, from personal small arms to cannons and artillery, are of unifying northern Lanjyr. When the god trials of Alais Primos
over two centuries old. They were first invented in Danor, and led to the execution of eight deities, their deaths were announced
spread almost immediately to the Malice Lands and Drakr. Risur to the rest of that nation in a series of brief and anguished coded
and Ber have been using guns for over a hundred years, but Crisil- transmissions. So memorable was this period of slowly-unfolding
lyir and Elfaivar only took them up in any real numbers after the disaster that even today the cipher used for telegraphy is referred
Great Eclipse. to by an old Crisillyiri word for death: Mors code.
Character Starting Wealth Equipment

The industrial revolution has been a rising tide lifting all ships. Each The technological revolution has produced new weapons, and some
player character starts with an extra 30 gp. items are unique to the Zeitgeist setting. More importantly to so-
ciety at large, today is a civilized time, and fashion is important to
Adventure Seeds for Technology showing one’s class.
Communication Breakdown. In the Senesi Desert of Crisillyir, fol-
lowers of a radical preacher are hijacking the ceraunic cable towers to Civilized Gear
send their lies across the country. Killing the preacher would just inflame Item Price Weight
sectarian violence, so a capo of the Family crime syndicate tasks the Fey Pepper, week’s supply 10 gp —
party with capturing five gremlins from Risur. They’re to keep them under Gentleman’s Outfit 30 gp 6 lb.
control for the long journey over sea, smuggle them into Crisillyir, and Goggles 5 gp 1 lb.
deliver the critters to the radicals’ outpost, which will disrupt their com- Lady’s Outfit 30 gp 12 lb.
munications in a way that they won’t be able to easily repair. Leaf of Nicodemus, week’s supply 1 gp —
The New World Regatta. Queen Iain of Risur has just announced Pocket Watch 25 gp —
a six-nation race at sea, with a reward drawn from the royal coffers. Photochemical Camera 100 gp 10 lb.
Competitors will be required to travel in a preplanned path and stop Photochemical Plates, 10 2 gp 1 lb.
at each city with a ceraunic wave tower along the coast, so that their Surgeon’s kit: bone saw, debriding curette, 50 gp 2 lb.
progress will be transmitted across the world. Iain hopes this—the first ether, forceps, morphium, probes, retractors,
Chapter Three
truly global event since the Great Eclipse—will help foster cooperation scalpels, scissors, sutures, syringe
between nations.
The following items are available for discerning characters of
Since the Eclipse, Crisillyir has spread ceraunic cable towers to taste—or anyone who can afford them.
nearly every town and village in the country, with construction and Fey Pepper. This rare plant only grows near paths to the Dream-
maintenance usually supported by Ottoplismists and their sym- ing, and after the fall of the Elfaivaran empire five hundred years
pathizers. Telegraphy allows them to communicate their ideology ago it became a black market item in most of Lanjyr. When chewed
around the country and earn the trust of even remote Crisillyiri by or smoked, the pepper makes the user giddy and upbeat. With a suf-
dispatching soldiers to defend against demons and other evils. ficient dosage, the user begins to hallucinate, though many claim
By contrast, in Risur most efforts to maintain a ceraunic cable these visions are actually glimpses into the Dreaming.
network have been stymied by fey who knock down wires in wil- Gentleman’s Outfit. This fine outfit includes tailcoat, vest, cane,
derness areas. Ber and Danor each use ceraunic cable telegraphy to top hat, and more. In Elfaivar, this might take the form of an ornate
connect their cities and large towns, but growth to other areas is embroidered sherwani over a kurta, with an accentuating stole.
slow. Elfaivar has only the most rudimentary connections. Gentlemen of distinction do not wear goggles.
Drakr is an odd case. It built a fairly robust ceraunic cable net- Goggles. Designed for protecting the wearer’s eyes in factories
work, but the lines were quickly co-opted and corrupted by criminal or laboratories where searing chemicals or embers might be afloat
syndicates, which learned to tap wires and spoof messages. The in the air, these goggles are also handy for airship crewmembers
network became a liability for government use, and superstitious who need to keep the wind out of their eyes. While wearing this
Drakrans spoke of ghosts in the metal threads. Today most of the sturdy, protective eyewear, you have advantage on saving throws to
network is in disrepair, with any message sent using some basic en- resist effects that would blind you. However, you have disadvantage
cryption cipher to ensure it hasn’t been tampered with. on Wisdom (Perception) checks that involve sight.
The oddest communication development, however, is Risuri Lady’s Outfit. This ornate dress has an excess of weight com-
spark-gap radio transmission. Priests of the fey titan known as the posed of frills, whalebone corseting, multiple layers of fabric, and
Father of Thunder have stoked interest in lightning and all things possibly a small hat with a lace veil. Elfaivaran fashion is less
electrical, and since telegraph wires were infeasible, various inven- weighty, consisting of a sari or anarkali dress with luxurious mixed
tors have developed transmitting towers—called ceraunic wave patterns, possibly with veils of silk scarves. Proper ladies wear nei-
towers—that can send invisible energy pulses through the air, ther goggles nor mechanical parts of any kind.
which require a receiving antenna. These pulses still use Mors code. Leaf of Nicodemus. Monks cultivate this herb, which grows
Ceraunic wave communication is still experimental, mostly due best on the islands of the Yerasol Archipelago. When crumbled,
to the challenges of storing the necessary electric charge. Addition- rolled, and smoked as a cigarette, the monk’s leaf soothes nerves
ally, transmissions travel in all directions at once, limiting their and sharpens perception slightly. It can be addictive if used exten-
use for personal communication. Their range is potentially unlim- sively, but has no social stigma, unlike fey pepper.
ited, though anything beyond the horizon requires a major source Photochemical Camera. This tripod mounted device has an
of energy. So far they have mostly been used to coordinate ship traf- aperture to keep out light until a picture is ready to be recorded. A
fic and deliver word of major news events. Most Risuri cities have treated photochemical plate is slid into the camera and the aper-
at least one ceraunic wave station, as do Danoran cities along the ture is opened for about a minute, or longer in dimmer conditions.
Avery Coast. Risur has funded the construction of a few in the other Exposure to light in the presence of a certain gas causes the image
great nations, though they’re seen as a novelty for now. to set on the plate, and a quick saline rinse ensures the image will
Optional Rule: Sartorial Defense not develop further if exposed to more light. These photographs
Campaigns in the world of Zeitgeist are popular among the lower classes, who cannot afford proper
often focus on cities, where strolling portrait paintings.
about in full plate with shields out Pocket Watch. In addition to telling time, a pocket watch deters
can be socially unacceptable, while the attention of minor fey. Watches will occasionally stop, skip, or
also sometimes venturing into wilds run backward in the presence of powerful fey creatures.
where monsters would gladly tear Surgeon’s Kit. Whenever you treat an injured ally during a
through a wool coat to devour you. short or long rest, make a Wisdom (Medicine) check (DC 10). If you
Our assumption is that characters succeed, the first Hit Die that ally spends restores an additional 5
will simply have to accept that they hit points. If you fail by 5 or more, that first Hit Die is wasted and
can’t wear armor all the time, and restores no hit points. At the Narrator’s discretion this item might
that they’ll have to be less fash- also aid the treatment of long-term afflictions.
ionable if they want to be as well
protected as possible. However, if Explosive Alchemicals
you prefer a game where heroes can Early firearms used smoky black gunpowder as propellant for its
dash into battle in their finest attire, you can use this optional rule. It re- ammunition, but alchemical advances produced ruby-red firedust.
interprets “armor proficiency” as “defensive training.” The Armor Class This powdered variant of alchemist’s fire produces no smoke when
a character can gain from this training is roughly comparable to wearing used in firearms, has a lower risk of fouling or corroding the weap-
Chapter Three
low cost armor. If a character wants the highest AC possible, however, on’s internals, and is hydrophobic, allowing it to burn even after
expensive armor is still superior. immersion in water.
Defensive Stance. Any character with any shield or armor profi- Many other firearm accelerants exist, including magmite (a
ciency can take time to stretch, meditate, and enter a defensive stance granular black substance rendered in alchemical furnaces) and
that prepares them to defend themselves as if they had armor. The time phlogistite (transluscent red vapor slime that floats in globules if
it takes to enter a stance is comparable to how long it would take to don exposed to open air), but firedust is by far the most widely used.
armor of the appropriate type. When you finish a short or long rest you Steam engines use a variant form of firedust, firegems, which burn
can choose to adopt one of these stances without taking any extra time. slower but longer.
The stance persists until the character spends a minute relaxing their While it is the source of a firearm’s deadly power, firedust is rela-
muscles and readjusting their mindset. The character even remains in tively harmless as a weapon in its own right, since it burns too fast
the stance if they fall unconscious, are stunned, or die. to cause serious wounds like traditional alchemist fire. If someone
Shield Proficiency. Any character proficient with shields can treat ignites a cask full of firedust, though, the resulting explosion could
a cane or similar sturdy item they hold as though it were a shield in any seriously hurt those nearby. National militaries field grenadiers
turn it isn’t used for another purpose (such as attacking or activating a who use hand-held explosives, particularly in Drakr, but city-
magic item). dwellers—even criminals—find little use for such indiscriminate
Light Armor Proficiency. Any character proficient with light armor destruction.
can enter a light defensive stance with one minute of preparation. This
stance provides an AC of 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Example Explosion
Medium Armor Proficiency. Any character proficient with medium A 20-pound cask of firedust, roughly 1 foot across, explodes in a
armor can enter a medium defensive stance with five minutes of prepa- 10 foot radius, dealing 7d6 damage (Dexterity save DC 12 for half
ration, which leaves your limbs heavy—the better to block and parry, damage). A one-ton pallet that explodes deals 7d6 damage in a 30-
but less able to move nimbly. This provides an AC of 14 + your Dexter- foot radius, while those within 10 feet instead take 15d6 damage
ity modifier, to a maximum of +2. You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Dexterity save DC 12 for half damage). Any attack that deals at
(Stealth) checks. least 5 fire damage to a space containing the cask or pallet would
Heavy Armor Proficiency. Any character proficient with heavy be sufficient to cause an explosion; simply shooting firedust with a
armor can spend ten minutes to enter a heavy defensive stance, which is bullet won’t cause it to explode.
even more of an exertion than a medium defensive stance. This provides
an AC of 16. You do not add any Dexterity modifier to your AC, and you Firearms
have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. If your Strength is 12 Most armories will include pistols, carbines, shotguns, and
or lower, reduce your speed by 10 feet. muskets, with each nation’s manufactories producing subtle dif-
Drawbacks. Being in a stance has similar effects to being in armor of ferences. Those who can afford costlier investments carry superior
that type. For example, some adept special abilities might not function if rifled firearms. Additional innovations such as metal cartridge am-
you are in any sort of defensive stance. munition are known to exist, but they are the domain of specialized
Magic Items. Any clothes of sufficiently fine quality can be enchant- gunsmiths, and as yet are only produced in limited quantities,
ed, as with armor. Most provide their benefits regardless of what stance almost never for sale.
you’re in. At the Narrator’s discretion, however, some might only work Usually only soldiers bother to carry grenades. Most countries
with particular types of stances. have restrictions on civilian use.
Common Firearms
Weapon Cost Damage Weight Properties
Pistol 75 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 20/60), muzzle-loading
Carbine 75 gp 1d12 piercing 5 lb. Ammunition (range 50/150), muzzle-loading, two-handed
Musket 90 gp 2d8 piercing 10 lb. Ammunition (range 60/180), heavy, muzzle-loading, two-handed
Shotgun 75 gp 1d10 piercing 6 lb. Ammunition (range 30/90), muzzle-loading, two-handed, scatter
Common firearms can be acquired easily in almost any small town.
Advanced Firearms
Arcane Fusil, Fire 300 gp 1 fire 3 lb. Trigger charge (range 20/60), burn
Arcane Fusil, Lightning 300 gp 1d8 lightning 3 lb. Trigger charge (range 20/60), shock
Grenade 50 gp 3d6 bludgeoning* 1 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), inaccurate
Target Pistol 300 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 40/160), muzzle-loading, rifled
Rifled Carbine 300 gp 1d12 piercing 5 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), muzzle-loading, two-handed, rifled
Rifled Musket 315 gp 2d8 piercing 10 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), heavy, muzzle-loading, two-handed, rifled
* Grenades do not add your ability score modifier to damage.
Chapter Three
Advanced firearms are more expensive, and so they are usually
available only in cities. While a well-heeled gunner will likely want
to arm themselves with one, common criminals and soldiers are
unlikely to possess these firearms. Arcane fusils—sometimes
called lantern blasters—are rare outside of Danor, and are illegal
everywhere except Elfaivar.
Simple Melee Weapons

Short Bayonet 5 gp 1d4 piercing 2 lb. Finesse, light
Standard Bayonet 10 gp 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Versatile (1d8)
Long Bayonet 15 gp 1d8 piercing 4 lb. Heavy, reach, two-handed
Ammunition and Explosives

Item Cost Weight
Ammunition, bullets and firedust (20 shots) 1 gp 2 lb.
Firedust, cask 20 gp 20 lb.
Weapon Descriptions
The following weapons are available to characters who have access
to the advanced technology found in most of Lanjyr.
Arcane Fusils. A few gunsmiths have learned to integrate
planarite into their weapon designs, though these weapons are for-
bidden by international treaty. They resemble normal pistols, but
the inside of their barrels are lined with planarite, and most are
exquisitely decorated along their handles.
Bayonets. These weapons are affixed to a firearm. Short bayo-
nets affix to pistols, standard affix to carbines or shotguns, and long
affix to muskets. These hybrid weapons function as two distinct
weapons, and each would need to be enchanted separately. Their
main benefit is to allow a wielder to switch between ranged and
melee attacks without having to draw a new weapon.
Some firearms integrate a bladed weapon into their designs, such
as a dagger with a pistol that fires along the crosspiece. This sort
of weapon is treated the same as a firearm with an affixed bayonet, Compatibility with the Core Rules
except the blade cannot be removed. For the specific period of firearm development of Zeitgeist, we are not
The Narrator can decide whether other combinations are feasible. using the example firearm mechanics presented in the core rules. These
A shotgun/axe that does 1d8 slashing damage could theoretically firearms are slightly prone to occasional misfiring, and few people use
work, but a whip/musket is ridiculous. (Some groups might like ri- them as a primary weapon.
diculous, though.) For the sake of weapon proficiencies, everyone is proficient with gre-
Carbine. Like a pistol, but with a stock and barrel, with a total nades. Any character proficient with a hand crossbow is proficient with
length of three to four feet. a pistol. Likewise a light crossbow is equivalent to a carbine and shotgun,
Grenade. This heavy metal hand-thrown explosive resembles and a heavy crossbow is equivalent to a musket. Effects such as feats
a somewhat rounded dodecahedron. Small firegem percussion that work with crossbows should function the same with firearms, with
caps at its vertices ignite the firedust inside when they are struck the exception of Crossbow Expert.
with sufficient force, which sends shards of metal in all directions. Similarly, if you’re using a starter kit for a character’s equipment, you
Sometimes these caps do not ignite at first impact, so grenades hold can swap firearms for their comparable crossbows.
the risk of bouncing and exploding somewhere other than their in- (Note that every class except druids is proficient at least with light
tended target. Grenades are destroyed after use. crossbows, so everyone but druids are able to use carbines and shotguns.)
Musket. The extended barrel of this firearm, bringing it to a
total length of over five and a half feet, is an attempt to grant long Muzzle Loading a Firearm
range accuracy. Reloading involves drawing and tearing open a paper cartridge, which
Chapter Three
Pistol. A muzzle-loaded one-handed firearm with a firegem per- contains firedust and a bullet. The gunner pours firedust down the barrel,
cussion cap. Pistols fire lead ball ammunition. then packs in the bullet with a ramrod. The gunner aims and pulls a trig-
Rifled Carbine. This weapon is a carbine which has had the last ger, which releases the firing hammer. The hammer strikes a firegem set
few inches of the barrel rifled. These weapons use different am- at the back of the barrel, which acts as a percussion cap, producing a
munition—the Latimer bullet, which is more conical. The bullet’s spark inside the barrel. The firedust ignites, and the expansion of gases
hollow flared tail expands from the force of the ignited firegems, propels the bullet at lethal speed.
forcing the edges of the bullet against the spiral grooves of the A typical firegem percussion cap must be replaced every few dozen
inside of the barrel, imparting a spin that stabilizes the bullet and shots or else there is a risk the gem will crack and misfire, but the cost
enhances accuracy at range. is negligible.
Rifled Musket. This design is similar to the modern conception Once a firearm is fired, a character must spend an action or bonus
of a rifle, with a total length of three and a half to four feet, and a action to reload it. Thus you can only ever fire a single shot in a turn,
barrel that is fully rifled. regardless of how many attacks you can normally take with a single
Shotgun. This smoothbore weapon fires pellets that spread out, action. You might then holster your gun and use other attacks in melee,
striking a roughly 5-foot radius at a range of 90 feet. It is not par- or perhaps if you don’t mind looking threatening you could carry multiple
ticularly effective at distance, but can be devastating point-blank. pistols.
Target Pistol. A pistol with a rifled barrel. The intention is that a firearm is a great weapon to open up an en-
gagement with, such as by shooting and then moving into melee, but in
New Weapon Properties the heat of battle you might not always have time to reload it.
These properties are shared by several technologically advanced
weapons as shown in the weapon tables above. Muzzle-Loading. After each shot, you need to use an action or
Burn. The fire fusil only deals a base of 1 fire damage, but the bonus action to reload the weapon.
target also catches on fire. It takes 1d10 fire damage at the start of Sometimes irregular packing of a barrel causes the weapon not
each of its turns, and can end this damage by using its action to ex- to function properly. Whenever you roll a natural 1 on an attack
tinguish the flames. roll with a muzzle-loading firearm, the gun misfires—nothing
Inaccurate. Grenades do not add your ability score modifier to happens, and the gun remains loaded. Clearing the barrel requires
damage. an action, and makes the gun safe to use. You can continue using
When you throw a grenade, choose a creature or an unoccupied the misfired gun without clearing the barrel, but attacks with
5-foot space. (If the creature occupies more than one 5-foot space, the weapon have disadvantage, and if you roll a second natural 1,
choose one of the squares it occupies.) Make an attack roll against the weapon has a mishap and explodes. The mishap destroys the
AC 10. If the attack misses, the grenade veers off course, missing by weapon and deals its base damage die to you (for example, a musket
5 feet in a random direction, or 10 feet if the target area was at long mishap deals 2d8 damage). Magical firearms with this trait never
range. Each creature in a 5-foot radius of where the grenade lands misfire or have mishaps.
must succeed a DC 12 Dexterity save or else take 3d6 bludgeoning Rifled. Rifling extends the range at which a firearm can ac-
damage. curately hit a target. You can spend an action to aim down the
If you targeted a creature and the attack roll is a critical hit, the weapon’s sight and choose a creature you can see. Until you stop
grenade directly strikes that creature. The grenade does double aiming, quadruple the weapon’s short and long ranges for the pur-
damage to that creature without allowing a save. Other creatures in pose of attacking that target. Each turn thereafter, you can spend
the area are affected normally. an action or bonus action to continue aiming at the same target or
Etiquette for an Armed Populace

In most countries, it is considered acceptable to walk around with one
or two one-handed weapons worn at your hip, with the most common
being a sword and pistol. Larger or more numerous weapons might get
you some odd looks, but aside from a polite request not to bring them
into a café, you’d experience little resistance.
In high society, though, and especially in Risur and Danor, carrying a
weapon is seen as gauche. Short swords and daggers might be concealed
in canes, and formal attire can be fitted to hide a pistol in an armpit or
within a dress’s folds, but the only way an overt weapon would be ac-
ceptable would be if it is a conversation piece: something so unique or
ostentatious that people’s curiosity overcomes their sense of propriety.
In Ber or Drakr, ceremonial weapons are more acceptable, though the
preference is to have an intimidating or interesting armed bodyguard. In
Crisillyir, opinions are changing—traditional views are similar to the eti- Gunsmiths can enhance firearms. Such custom work is in high
quette in Risur and Danor, with an added admiration for people who can demand, however, and finding a gunsmith capable of crafting these
defend themselves without needing any weapon; but among Ottoplis- is as difficult as locating an uncommon or rare magic item. The
mists, copious weaponry is seen as a sign of good character, especially if price can be similarly exorbitant.
Chapter Three
the weapons are ornately decorated. And in Elfaivar, demonstrations of Alchemical launchers, sniper scopes, and suppressors can be
martial prowess are a common part of formal gatherings. retrofitted onto existing weapons. Ammunition cartridges and re-
inforced barrels can only be added when a weapon is crafted, not
switch to another target you can see. If you move or take damage, retrofitted.
your aim is ruined and you have to start over again. Alchemical Launcher. As an action, you can load one grenade
Scatter. If you are wielding a shotgun, you have advantage on an or similar item such as alchemist fire or holy water into this under-
attack roll, and both rolls hit the target, the weapon deals an extra slung launcher. You can use the item as if it were in your hand. If
1d10 damage. If you have disadvantage and one attack roll hits but the item normally requires a ranged attack, it uses your gun’s attack
the other misses, the target takes 1d4 damage. This graze damage bonus and range.
is not increased by anything else (not ability modifiers, feats, smite Ammunition Cartridge. For a pistol, a revolver cylinder lets
spells, sneak attack, etc.), though resistances and vulnerabilities you fire six shots before you need to reload. For a carbine, musket,
still apply. or shotgun, a stripper clip instead holds five rounds. Replacing a
Shock. When you attack a creature wearing metal armor with a cartridge requires an action or bonus action.
lightning fusil, you have advantage on the attack roll. Reinforced Barrel. You’ve modified your barrel to fire heavier
Trigger Charge. An arcane fusil requires no ammunition, but rounds. If your Narrator uses the alternate rules of attacks hitting
you cannot simply shoot it by pulling the trigger; the planarite must half or three-quarters cover, if you hit cover you deal half the
first gather the necessary energy. To charge the fusil, you spend a weapon’s damage to your target, unless the attack fails to damage
bonus action and pull back a firing hammer. At the start of your the cover.
next turn, the fusil is charged, and it can be used for a single attack. You can also attack a creature with total cover; you take a –5
The shot of an arcane fusil is either a pellet of flame that engulfs penalty to your attack roll (and if you can’t see it, you also have dis-
a target it hits, or a shaft of crackling lightning that coruscates over advantage on the attack roll); if you hit, you deal half damage.
a target it hits. These rounds usually only work through less than a foot of wood
Once you have fired an arcane fusil, you cannot charge it again or dirt, a few inches of stone, or a half inch of metal.
on the same turn; it can only be fired every other turn. Cover-piercing ammunition costs twice as much as normal
If you charge a fusil but do not fire it on your next turn, the ammunition.
weapon suffers a misfire. Similar to a muzzle-loading weapon, you Sniper Scope. This enhancement is only effective on rifled
can clear the barrel by spending an action, but until you do the weapons. You can aim down this finely-tuned telescopic sight with-
weapon has disadvantage on attacks. If you suffer a second misfire out needing to spend an action. However, you are considered blind
without clearing the barrel, the fusil explodes and deals its base except against creatures in a direct line from you to your target. The
damage die to you. blindness lasts until your next turn.
Suppressor. Your shots are relatively quiet. If you are hidden
Firearm Enhancements when you attack, you remain hidden from creatures more than 50
Item Cost Weight feet from you. A creature struck does, however, know the direction
Alchemical Launcher 1,000 gp 5 lb. the shot came from.
Ammunition Cartridge 1,000 gp 1 lb.
Reinforced Barrel 500 gp 1 lb.
Sniper Scope 1,000 gp 2 lb.
Suppressor 500 gp 1 lb.
Apotropaics Counterfeit Apotropaics

The influence of the plane Amrou has enhanced the effectiveness In most cases, for apotropaics to work, authenticity matters. If a naïve
of mundane items in fending off the supernatural. What once were child pours a line of sugar on the ground, a ghost can float past it, even
mere superstitions now can have meaningful effect, such as using a if the ghost thinks the sugar is salt. This likely makes it realize it mis-
line of salt to block the advance of a ghost, or ringing a bell to drive identified the white powder, though perhaps the ghost will think it simply
back a demon. overcame the substance’s repellant power.
Nonmagical items that possess the ability to avert evil influ- Similarly, casting minor illusion to create the sound of a tolling bell
ences are collectively called apotropaics, and they are particularly wouldn’t drive away a fiend, because it is the bell itself that has the power.
common in Crisillyir, where such threats are most famous. Scholars suspect this is somehow tied to the magical theory of collective
Below are common apotropaics, some of which are duplicated belief, but so far no studies have managed to find places in the world
from the normal equipment list in the core rulebook. where a lack of knowledge about apotropaics renders them powerless.
Item Cost Weight It is possible to bluff with a fake apotropaic, but such a gambit is risky.
Holy Symbol — — If a person with a handful of brass ingots threatened a wounded demon
Holy Water (flask) 25 gp 1 lb. that if it came any closer, the “gold” would kill it, the demon might keep
Jade (pendant or ammunition) 5 gp — its distance. But if push came to shove, that brass won’t harm the demon
Jade-Accented Weapon 100 gp — at all.
Jade, Powdered (bag) 100 gp 5 lb.
Oil (pint flask) 1 sp 1 lb. deals 5 fire damage to any creature that enters the area or ends its
Chapter Three
Portable Chiming Clock 100 gp 20 lb. turn in the area. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.
Portable Tolling Bell 20 gp 40 lb. Burning oil lines and rings can block the movement of celestials.
Salt (bag) 1 sp 5 lb. A celestial that is covered in burning oil is entangled.
Portable Chiming Clock. A dense and durable clock in a wooden
Holy Symbol. A holy symbol is a representation of a god or pan- frame designed to be held with relative ease. Built as an adventur-
theon. A brandished holy symbol can briefly hold back fiends and er’s tool to keep fey away, its chimes are as loud as a grandfather
undead. clock’s. You can flick a switch as a bonus action so that it begins to
Holy Water (flask). As an action, you can splash the contents of chime, which lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time,
this flask onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw it up to 20 feet, fey within 30 feet are repelled. Afterward, it must be wound before
shattering it on impact. In either case, make a ranged attack against it can be used again, which requires an action. (Chimes that aren’t
a target creature, treating the holy water as an improvised weapon. part of actual clocks do not repel fey, but might annoy them.)
If the target is a fiend or undead, it takes 2d6 radiant damage. Portable Tolling Bell. Four feet tall, with wheels to help move it,
Jade (pendant). A small pendant of green stone. Jade repels and this adventurer’s tool resembles a wooden saw horse with an iron
can injure aberrations. If jade touches an aberration, it deals 2d6 bell hung from the middle. As an action, you can pull a lever to toll
radiant damage, and then the object shatters. the bell, which repels fiends within 30 feet. This lasts until the end
Jade-Accented Weapon. A weapon accented with jade (such as of your next turn.
on its blade or a striking head) deals an extra 2d6 radiant damage Salt (bag). Normally used with food. As an action, you can pour
to an aberration, but after one strike the jade is expended. The cost out the powder to draw a line across three adjacent squares. Salt
listed is in addition to the weapon’s normal price. repels fiends and undead.
Jade, Powdered (bag). Collected dust from a workshop that pol- Alternately, you can spend an action to throw a handful at a
ishes and sets jade. As an action, you can pour out the powder to creature within 5 feet of you. Make a ranged attack against a target
draw a line across three adjacent squares. creature or object, treating the salt as an improvised weapon. On
Alternately, you can spend an action to throw a handful at a a hit, if the target is undead or a fiend it takes 2d6 radiant damage.
creature within 5 feet of you. Make a ranged attack against a target The bag has sufficient dust for ten uses—ten thrown handfuls,
creature or object, treating the dust as an improvised weapon. On a 150 ft. worth of lines, or some combination.
hit, if the target is an aberration it takes 2d6 radiant damage.
The bag has sufficient dust for ten uses—ten thrown handfuls, Apotropaic Mechanics
150-ft. worth of lines, or some combination. Various items are anathema to different types of creatures, and
Oil (pint flask). Oil usually comes in a clay flask that holds 1 pint. can repel and in some cases even harm those creatures. However,
As an action, you can splash a pint of oil onto a creature within 5 feet whenever a creature is attacked, it can ignore any repelling effect
of you or throw the flask up to 20 feet (it shatters on impact). Make a until the end of the encounter in order to approach and attack the
ranged attack against a target creature or object, treating the oil as creature or group that antagonized it.
an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target is covered in oil. Apotropaics function in coexistent planes, bleeding from Waking
If the target takes any fire damage before the oil dries (after 1 to Dreaming and to the Bleak Gate, and from any world into the
minute), the target takes an additional 5 fire damage from the Ethereal Plane, which can keep ethereal creatures like ghosts from
burning oil. You can also pour a flask of oil on the ground to cover bypassing them.
a 5-foot-square area, or to draw a thin ring 10 feet in diameter, pro- Harm. A harmful item has an effect similar to holy water on
vided that the surface is level. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds and undead and fiends, dealing 2d6 radiant damage on impact. Each
such strike uses up roughly a handful of the substance, or causes

larger objects to crack after one use.
Using excessive amounts of the material might cause ongoing
damage (such as by burying a fiend in a mound of gold), but not
more than 2d6 per round.
Repel. Creatures cannot willingly touch materials that repel
them, nor even use tools to manipulate such items. They can, how-
ever, create circumstances to move the repellant item. For instance,
a ghost might telekinetically shatter a window so a breeze from
outside disperses salt.
If a material repels a creature, a line of that material prevents
a creature from crossing. For the purpose of blocking flying crea-
tures, the effect of a repulsive line extends as far vertically as the
line is long, and if the material is in a ring, it functions as a dome of
the ring’s radius.
A character can spend an action to brandish a repellant item,
which prevents the repelled creature from approaching within
five feet and from making melee attacks against it for one minute.
Chapter Three
When you use this action, you can make an opposed Charisma
check against the creature, and if it fails it must move out of your
path if you come within 10 feet of it.
A creature can attempt to overcome this repellent effect, such
as by trying to cross a barrier or attack a creature brandishing the Fiends
item. If it succeeds a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, it can ignore the Fiends are repelled by salt and by brandished holy symbols. They
repulsion from that particular item—and anything similar within also are repelled by ringing bells the same way fey are repelled by
30 feet—for one hour. If they fail, their turn ends and they cannot chiming clocks, with larger bells affecting a wider area.
try again in that area for a day. Holy water deals damage to fiends due to its own magical proper-
However, if a creature is attacked in any way by a creature pro- ties, not because of Amrou.
tected by a repellant item, it can freely ignore the repellant effect as Gold harms fiends, but only in amounts weighing a pound or
if it had succeeded its saving throw. more (such as a small ingot worth at least 50 gp). If a fiend is harmed
by gold, it cannot teleport for one round. However, after striking a
Aberrations fiend, a gold object is turned to lead.
Aberrations are harmed and repelled by jade.
Undead
Celestials Undead are repelled by salt, and can be repelled by brandished holy
Celestials are repelled by burning oil. symbols the same as fiends.
Holy water deals damage to undead due to its own magical prop-
Fey erties, not because of Amrou.
Fey are repelled by the sound of chiming clocks for as long as the
chimes ring. This was always the case, even before Amrou ap- Travel
peared in the night sky, but the plane’s influence has strengthened Outside cities, most people still get by on foot, on horses, or by
the effect. wagon. During the winter, farm workers might take local rail to the
The ticking of a small pocketwatch will bother but not actually nearest city, stay in a flophouse for a few days while working in a
repel anyone. A grandfather clock chime affects a 30 foot radius, factory, and then take a return train to their families.
and something the size of a clocktower toll affects hundreds of feet. In larger cities, factory laborers and business workers crowd
Experts on the Dreaming suspect that this is because that plane has commuter rail services, including impressive streetcars in Cherage
an unsteady flow of time, and the presence of a clock forces time and the vibrantly artistic subrails of Flint. Steam-powered ferries
into a specific pace. have all but replaced traditional barges for intra-city water travel,
Whirring gears often repel fey in Risur, though many fey in other though the gondolas of Alais Primos are still popular for those
parts of the world have no problem with gears, nor any sort of non- seeking to receive a canal’s blessing during a leisurely transit.
timepiece technology, suggesting that the reaction is based either
on what the fey believe, or what the people in those lands think the Seafaring
fey believe. Away from the great cities of the world, sailors still tend rigging
In addition to these more concrete defenses, fey still respond to and rely on the wind. But steam-powered ships are common, and
the same favors they always did. Leaving out offerings of food or the necessity for access to firegem fuel in different ports helps en-
milk can earn small boons, or simply attract cats. courage nations to maintain at least neutral relations, since the cost
Ship-Spirits Flight
People have always personified great ships, assigning them personalities Amateur aeronauts are making gradual innovations in gliders, and a
and revering them for famous deeds. A few years ago, a strange feline few well-resourced inventors with access to sufficient air-aspected
undine who claimed to be from the planet Mavisha met with the navies planarite have managed to build individual flying vehicles—fragile,
of the world and sold them the secrets of a strange device called a Mav- yet breathtaking to watch soar through the sky.
ishan cube. Somehow, these magic inventions take the idea of a ship and Risur is the only nation with any formal skyfleet, though even
give it physical life, often in humanoid form. that is small. All but one of these ships are small and lightly armed.
Only a handful of ships in each nation’s navy have made use of these They serve more as a showcase of Risuri prestige. When King Bal-
little-understood cubes, but in popular understanding these ship-spirits drey flew the skyfleet to the capitals of different nations, many saw
give the captain and crew the ability to speak with their vessel, and she it as a quiet threat that Risur looked down on them.
in turn can help them with repairs and steering. Part mascot, part major- The gem in the crown of the Risur’s skyfleet is the RNS Coaltongue,
domo for the captain, ship-spirits unsettle some, but sailors seem to retrofitted from a seafaring steamship and kept aloft through great
cherish them, and they have captured the popular imagination in novel, expense. It played a pivotal role in the Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis.
song, and theater. Other nations have produced small numbers of flying vessels,
More information can be found in Chapter Seven. and after one Risuri skyship went missing patrolling the Anthras
Mountains, the public has grown giddy with rumors that a das-
tardly crew of aeronauts hijacked the vessel in the middle of foggy
weather, and intend to become sky pirates.
Chapter Three
of disrupting maritime trade around the Avery Sea is higher than Railroads
that of diplomacy. In the halls of power, military strategists ponder When traveling out of cities, railroads usually have a stop every few
whether Elfaivar will be tempted to disrupt this comity since they miles until they reach wider rural landscapes. Danor built a web of
seem committed to maintaining a traditional wind-powered navy. passenger rail lines among its cities and large towns, and Drakr fol-
When it comes to military capability at sea, the Risuri navy, lowed suit, though because the Malice Lands were nigh impossible
armed with enchanted cannons and guided by skyseers who can to traverse before the Great Eclipse, only a few lines now connect
control the winds, are unrivaled. In addition to a sprawling fleet of the two nations.
frigates that it uses to protect trade routes, Risur defends its major Crisillyir deigned to allow the Avery Coast Railroad to pass
ports with five powerful ironclad warships that possess magically through its lands. Ever since the Great Eclipse, Ottoplismists have
reinforced hulls and all manner of arcanoscientific armaments, as begun aggressively adding new off-shoots to that railroad. The cap-
well as magical capacitors that a ship war wizard can channel di- ital Alais Primos has a grand rail station with the architecture of a
rectly into spells for unpredictable defensive and utility purposes. cathedral, right down to the altar of Verus wherein priests perform
Risur also maintains the prestigious Gale Fleet, seven vessels weekly train blessings.
that eschew all industrial technology, yet which have special favor Risur, as is often the case, struggles to keep its native fey ap-
of the fey titan She Who Writhes. These include a fey-pact schooner peased. On the busiest rail line, which runs between Flint and Bole,
Roscommon, and the extreme clipper Impossible, said to be the fastest druids place colorful ribbons and other offerings on tree trunks
ship ever built. along the route. The national capital, Slate, allowed a train station
Danor’s navy can match Risur’s technologically, but is far small- to be built on the outskirts, but bans commuter rail within the city
er due to Concordat restrictions, and its shipwrights are struggling limits. Due to the need to not arouse the ire of various fey strong-
to catch up on matters magical. However, Danor is known to have holds, it takes at least three days to take a train from Flint to Shale,
constructed several military submarines, which were not explicitly potentially more if the fey titan the Father of Thunder is active in
mentioned in the Concordat. the northern Weftlands.
Drakr and Crisillyir’s navies are functional, but have done little Ber has two large clusters of railroads on the east and west coasts,
to distinguish themselves. Ber maintains strong relations with with very few stops in the lands between. Currently no rail line
Risur and in many ways its navy is a smaller replica of their neigh- connects Ber with Risur, although lizardfolk industrialists are
bor’s, though Beran tactics put a stronger emphasis on ramming looking to change that.
and boarding actions. This turned out quite badly for them during
the Elfaivaran Reclamation, as the warriors of Elfaivar’s navy were Teleportation
much more skilled in close combat. In the distant past, spellcasters who had unlocked the secret of
As mentioned above, Elfaivar mostly eschews steam power. In- teleportation had nearly free reign to travel in a blink to wherever
stead of firegems, it seems patriotic enthusiasm fuels their robust they desired. The rites of rulership that Risur’s and Crisillyir’s na-
efforts to rapidly construct a wind-powered navy to match the re- tional sovereigns draw power from could block entry of those who
turned gulmohar’s population surge. Most of their ships are small, aroused the ire of a king or hiearch, but most wizards cared little
using designs laid down by shipwrights whose knowledge is centu- for national affairs.
ries out of date. The ships are beautiful, however, and clearly were During the 4th and 5th century aov, however, the ongoing wars
built with pride. between Risur and Danor saw patriotic mages using teleportation
offensively.
Chapter Three
The Avery Coast Railroad
The most famous length of track in Lanjyr is the Avery Coast railroad, In every town along the route, Danor maintains small rail enclaves with
which runs from Beaumont on Danor’s western side, through the capital housing and dining for long-haul guests. Though most of the employees
Cherage, to the Malice city Orithea, and on to Drakr’s capital Trekhom. of these enclaves are locals, each station is run by a Danoran, usually a
From there it crosses the Penance Peaks, stopping in the magical city- tiefling.
state of Nalaam, and then down into Crisillyir, with rail enclaves in Sid Traveling 3,000 miles from Beaumont to Vendricce takes six days,
Minos and Vendricce. sometimes reaching speeds as high as sixty miles per hour. To minimize
Originally a project of an ascendant Danor to demonstrate its domina- the risk of rail damage, derailment, and banditry, the train only runs during
tion of northern Lanjyr, the vast passenger line was intended to continue daylight hours. Each evening the train stops at a major city as a waysta-
on to Danor’s colony in Elfaivar, Rationalis. The return of the gulmohar and tion, and a total of twelve locomotives are in service at any time, running
the Elfaivaran Reclamation led to the railroad being dismantled east of a regular circuit. While other trains might run faster over short distances,
Vendricee. The Concordat threatened to wrest ownership of the railroad during the day the Avery Coast line has right of way on its tracks, and
from Danor, but the nation negotiated aggressively for it, seeing it as a key other trains will sit parked on a parallel track to let it pass. Thanks to this
way to keep something positive about their country present in the minds well-run system, it can travel the length of northern Lanjyr faster than
of other nations. almost any steamship.
Always on Time
Depots between major stops store replacement locomotives and train cars erratically. Creatures would mutate readily into monsters, and inconstant
in case of damage, but daily maintenance has kept such failures low. For magical energies conjured bizarre weather. The presence of so much iron
the twenty-five years of its operation the railroad has only had a handful of in such a regular construction seems to have a stabilizing effect on the wild
major delays. Travelers can count on a train coming to their city, headed in magic, and the railroad’s crack militia would handle any threat that had a
either direction, every day, earning Avery Coast Railroad its most famous heartbeat.
slogan: “Always on Time.” Since the Great Eclipse, the Malice Lands have become much more
The other popular slogan, “Taming the Malice,” was perhaps the rail- stable. Conductors and tour guides on the Avery Coast Railroad are prone
road’s greater achievement. The Malice Lands lie between Danor and to exaggerating how much credit they should take for this change.
Drakr, in the territory where before the Great Eclipse magic worked only
Chapter Three
A solution was presented by an entrepreneurial cadre of wizards and secret magic can someone travel at a time of their own choos-
of the city-state of Nalaam, who produced and sold several dozen ing. Many nations have identified familiar trails to the Dreaming,
teleportation beacons. These beacons take the form of a circle of in- and some perilous traps that draw people into the Bleak Gate. Ber
scribed runes (like a normal teleportation circle) whose runes trace has its navy guard a sunken portal to Ostea, the Beating Heart
their way up and around a stone obelisk. The beacon blankets an off the coast of its capital, and Risur’s fey titan the Ash Wolf keeps
area several miles across with a ward against teleportation. Any watch on a ruin with a portal to Jiese, the Fire of Industry. A ruin
long-distance planar travel (generally anything traveling a mile on a floating island in southern Ber likewise leads to Caeloon, the
or more) that would arrive within the warded area is redirected to Paper Wind.
instead land within the teleportation circle. Risur and Drakr are both researching ways to send vehicles
Most major cities today have a teleportation beacon, usually through the air and into the void between worlds, but have little to
either at the edge of the city or in a fortress of some sort, though show for their efforts, at least publicly.
Beran beacons all direct visitors to public squares. Those capable of
casting such spells are rare, so they charge a high premium for their Passenger Travel
services and often require some formal introduction by a govern- A ride across a city usually takes an hour or less. Local travel is
ment official. within roughly thirty miles, enough to cover in an afternoon. In
a day, a train or coastal steamship will usually travel two or three
Otherworldly Travel hundred miles.
After the stars vanished and returned, the public grew under- For international trips, steamships can manage closer to four
standably interested in the heavens. Telescopes have peered at the hundred miles in a day. Dirigibles are still mostly experimental,
planets above, mages sought visions, and scholars tried to make and can carry much less cargo. They can reach nearly sixty miles
sense of thousands of years of scattered lore. per hour, and cross most mountain ranges with ease. Though ex-
Most travel between worlds is dependent on temporary path- orbitantly expensive, flights connect Flint to Cherage, or Flint to
ways or celestial conjunctions, and only through the most powerful Seobriga, on a daily basis.
Chapter Three
Item Price Cutter, Traditional. This simple sailing design runs 30 feet long,
Carriage Ride, Citywide 1 sp with a 40-foot-high mast.
Commuter Rail, Citywide 1 cp Cutter, Steam. This 30-foot-long steamship has a small cabin in
Train Ride, Coach, Local 1 gp the back and carries enough fuel to travel about 500 miles.
Train Ride, Coach, Per Day 2 gp Schooner. Built with two decks and 90 feet long, this ship’s two
Train Ride, Cabin, Local 10 gp masts rise 70 feet high. Five medium carronades on each broadside
Train Ride, Cabin, Per Day 20 gp serve more as deterrence than threat.
Boat Ride, City Ferry 5 cp Steam Freighter. A standard cargo transport, this 90-foot-
Boat Ride, Steerage, Local 5 sp long steamship belches smoke and steam from 30-foot-high
Boat Ride, Steerage, International 5 gp stacks. With a small crew and no weapons, they can travel the
Boat Ride, Cabin, Local 6 gp length of Lanjyr without refueling, as long as no pirates or sea
Boat Ride, Cabin, International 60 gp monsters accost them.
Dirigible, Local 50 gp Steam Gunboat. Clad in iron and 85 feet long, this ship’s low
Dirigible, International 500 gp profile resembles a metal raft with a cylindrical turret on top, but
Teleportation to a Known Circle (includes up to 10 people) 400 gp beneath the surface is a whole lower deck. The vessel is built for
harbor and coastal defense, not sea voyages.
Of course, in many campaigns, boats, trains, and airships are Frigate. Built with three decks, 150 feet long, this ship’s three
conveyances to get to the adventure, and so the prices of booking masts rise over 100 feet above the main deck. Thirteen cannons line
passage or buying a vessel outright might fade into the background. either side of the ship’s gun deck. Five light cannons on the main
deck aid close-range fusillades. Two light cannons on the main deck
Vehicles fire forward to harry foes while in pursuit. Likewise, two light can-
Item Price nons face aft.
Cutter, Traditional 3,000 gp Ship of the Line. The mightiest warships come in some variety,
Cutter, Steam 3,000 gp but have enough cannons—and sometimes magical armaments—
Schooner 10,000 gp to devastate numerous smaller ships. Their hulls are strong enough
Steam Freighter 10,000 gp to shrug off most cannon strikes, and they carry enough marines
Steam Gunboat 30,000 gp to capture a large town. Due to their great expense, they remain in
Frigate 150,000 gp service for decades, and so many ships of the line have a mix of sails
Ship of the Line 900,000 gp and steam engines.
Submersible 40,000 gp Submersible. Cramped and fragile in battle, Danoran submers-
Glider, Personal 500 gp ibles measure 70 feet long yet have crews of fewer than 20 sailors.
Dirigible 40,000 gp They usually stay on the surface, but can dive—roughly thirty feet
Skyship 200,000 gp deep—to avoid detection and attack.
Naval Weapons Glider, Personal. Weighing about 100 pounds, these gliders
Danor has armed its ships with cannons for two centuries. Fifty years have wings that can collapse for ease of storage, but span about 20
ago Risur developed some of the first arctech weapons by enchant- feet when fully extended. Fly or levitation spells are typically used
ing batteries of cannons, though the extra expense proved so great it to get the glider to a starting height, though cliffs and tall hills do
was usually more effective just to launch extra ships with more normal in a pinch. Launching usually requires a speedy start, traveling at
cannons. least 60 feet in one round. The glider has speed 80, AC 10, and 20 hit
That changed when Danor began to armor their warships with iron points. It counts as Large, but can only carry the driver and one pas-
plating. Drakr responded by developing ponderous gunboats with very senger, and only limited cargo. It uses normal vehicle rules (Level Up
heavy cannons mounted on turrets. Risur instead chose arctech. The Adventurer’s Guide, page 343), with the following changes.
previous flagship of Risur, the RNS Coaltongue, could fire a lance of Whenever the pilot tries to use Maneuver or Ahead Full, they
arcane force that could puncture any vessel’s hull, but the weapon was must make a piloting check (Dexterity DC 10, using proficiency in
challenging to aim. Vehicles (air)). If they fail, they instead Drive the glider. If they fail
During the Great Eclipse, Danor equipped its flagship La Lux du by 5 or more, they Brake the glider instead.
Raison with a mighty arcane fusil called the “Lantern Cannon.” Though Each round the glider safely descends 10 feet at initiative count
only able to fire once every few minutes, its magical beam could vapor- 20. If no one is piloting it, or if the pilot used Stop in the past round,
ize a twenty-foot-wide fortress wall in a single blast. While perhaps the the glider instead falls 100 feet at initiative count 20. To regain con-
most impressive weapon of war ever fielded, the lantern cannon relied trol of the glider, the pilot must use a bonus action and succeed a
on planar energy from a world called Mojang which is no longer present piloting check (DC 10).
Chapter Three
in the night sky. The pilot can always use movement on their turn to descend, but
Warships today are in transition, with new designs phasing out gun- they can only gain altitude if they have momentum. After gaining
decks with dozens of cannons in favor of Drakran style heavy turrets, altitude, the glider loses momentum and the pilot has disadvantage
usually complemented with one or two enchanted weapons with vari- on any check they make in the next round to pilot.
ous fantastic capabilities. Risur is said to be equipping its new flagship, Dirigible. This craft features a 140-foot-long tapered envelope
the aerial battleship RAS Burning Sky, with new fiery lantern cannons, that holds a lighter-than-air gas, which lifts a 20-foot-long crew
though it is doubtful they can match Danor’s infamous “light of reason. cabin. Propulsion comes from propellers spun by a steam engine.
The vehicle can carry minimal cargo.
Kinetography Skyship. These vessels have a profile similar to a schooner, but
The static images of asomatous canvas projectors dazzle in many cities, rely on planarite levitationals to let them soar into the clouds. Cur-
but the Danoran art scene in Beaumont is home of the burgeoning art- rently all of Risur’s skyships are powered by sail, and cannot safely
form of kinetography (literally, the writing of motion). By linking multiple support the weight of a steam engine and propellers. For the same
projectors in sequence, auteurs have begun to record and replay stories reason, they carry no cannons, but the crew usually consist of elite
up to an hour long, like theater where the actors only have to perform warriors and mages who can be almost as threatening as a cannon
their role once, and where the best performance can always be shared barrage.
with the audience.
While the port of Beaumont has been preyed upon by pirates for Magic for Sale
centuries, today a new plunder tempts them. Shipmages of pirate Most of the magic items in Chapter Six are too rare for most to ever
crews have begun to bring their own recording cubes into these kinema expect to see, and either are relics enchanted by magic-users long
theaters to discreetly copy the performances, then make copies upon ago, or masterful creations of elite inventors today. However, some
copies—each slightly more degraded than the last—to sell around the items are common enough that it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see
Yerasol Archipelago and various ports along the Avery Sea. While the them in a large town or city.
playhouses of Beaumont rail against the lost profits from this piracy, Among those are the asomatous canvas projector, automatic arithme-
it has had the effect to popularize Danoran art and culture around the tic analyzer, countermagical handcuffs, and skullduggery ring. You might
continent. also be interested in purchasing an often-contraband personal
Be careful, though, if you try this tactic in the theaters of Risur. The revision hourglass, a charming hat of hats, the journalist’s favorite
Stage Actors Guild has old ties with the fey of the Dreaming, and an alacritous camera, or the daunting great Nock gun.
urban legend tells of the Trove, a pirate ship whose shipmage tried to
record a production of Wind Blows the Heart’s Flame to Bloom in Flint. Life and Death
The person who returned to the ship, though, was a fey changeling, who Each culture understands death a different way, even if skyseers
killed the crew one by one and replaced them with permanent illusions. and scholars claim to know the scientific truth of souls and the af-
The Trove managed to sail all the way to Beaumont, where it remains terlife. Devas, though rare, have all undergone dozens of their own
beached, its copied crew continuing their hollow tasks eternally. reincarnations. Spirit mediums can contact the dead, even if they
” cannot restore their life.
But the magic to bring back those who have passed on is pos-
sessed by very few. Rare are those deemed worthy to receive such
blessings, and even then the Clergy acts as a cartel to maintain a
near monopoly on second chances.
The Limit of Three Miles the holy city, brave companions can call forth their friends’ souls
Common magical lore says that a spirit might linger in the realm regardless of distance, though they will face a great ordeal. If they
called the Bleak Gate and haunt where it perished, but the soul can make it out of the Bleak Gate, the city’s hierarch will grant a
cannot wander more than three miles from the place it died. If it resurrection.
does, it loses its sense of self or vanishes to some distant realm for It is also possible to reach out through the Family criminal or-
its eternal reward. Spirit mediums who claim to talk to the dead ganization, which for a higher fee and some sort of illegal favor can
beyond this range are liars, though desperate people are often will- arrange for a cleric to travel to the location of the recently deceased.
ing to believe these lies for the comfort of thinking they can speak
to their loved ones one last time. Other Places to Recuperate from Death
Under normal circumstances, raise dead does not work on a crea- The Clergy is wary of operating in Elfaivar, but in that religiously-
ture whose body has traveled more than three miles from where it diverse and oft-xenophobic nation there is no formal hierarchy to
was killed. Reincarnate has a similar restriction. locate the scattered clerics capable of raising the dead. It is unclear
Resurrection can work regardless of where the creature died, but how common such magic is.
only the Prime Cardinal of the Clergy and perhaps a handful of Druids are a major cultural institution in Risur. Rituals of rein-
living saints are known to be able to perform such a miracle. carnation are often performed as a public celebration.
Corporeal undead can sometimes carry a spirit wherever it The Imperium, after splintering off from Danor, draped itself
travels (though usually it becomes corrupted by dark magic). And in symbols of the pre-Malice Clergy. Rumors say that agents have
esoteric enchantments might bind a soul to an object. In rare cir- been slowly kidnapping Clergy priests who are brainwashed to be
Chapter Three
cumstances a spirit medium present when someone is slain by loyal to Empress Duffet-Jierre, and to ensure her most trusted gen-
psychic magic might be able to hold the spirit within themselves, erals will always be revived if they fall in battle.
though over time the two souls may begin to merge, or the foreign In the Malice State of Arrovia, local legend tells that a grieving
spirit might try to wrest control. doctor managed to devise a machine to raise the dead using science,
Finally witchoil, a type of death planarite that is illegal around not magic.
the world, traps and torments the souls of those who die nearby it, Common folk of Drakr disdain trying to extend one’s life, but
which is a way to transport them, though freeing the spirit requires among the wealthy Drakran clans there is a tradition of fining a
casting remove curse on the oil, and such spirits often go mad. murderer’s family to pay for Clergy priests to revive the person
they killed, which has the effect of making inter-clan assassina-
The Clergy Cartel tions pointless.
The Clergy of Crisillyir is the only group that actively trains spell- Meanwhile in Ber, even having the wealth to afford a raise dead
casters who are capable of casting raise dead, so if you’re fortunate spell is frowned upon, though various bardic colleges are propos-
enough to die near one of the nation’s larger cities, a resurrection is ing that the citizenry should pool their resources to reward heroes
a simple matter of paying several years’ wages and owing a life debt who die serving the nation.
to the church. The few clerics in other nations powerful enough to Finally, bardic vagabonds claim that legendary performer Rock
cast the spell operate with great secrecy, lest they find their own Rackus will sometimes hear songs performed to mourn dead lovers
souls being flagellated by holy assassins. or inspirations, or that he may be summoned by particularly defi-
The city of Prejo Vizzuto trains Clergy priests who become ant vulgarities shouted to the moon, or that if a person dies doing
powerful enough to raise the dead, and many pilgrims travel there something awesome and is being publicly eulogized, Rock will be
hoping their loved ones will be returned to them. It is said that by so compelled to upstage the recently deceased that he will show up
entering the Bleak Gate and descending to the old prison beneath and resurrect them, sign an autograph, and vanish into the night.
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Collectanea of the
Avery Sea
H istory informs Lanjyr’s brewing conflicts
today, and you there’s adventure to be found
in major cities and the lands and seas between.

Post-Malice Age
The Great Malice created a vast zone of dead and wild magic, col-
lapsed Elfaivar, and shattered the Clergy. The nation of Danor arose
in the dead magic zone, pursuing science and reason in the absence
of supernatural power. Dwarven clans wrested power from the
remains of the Clergy and rose as the leaders of Drakr, while the
survivors of the Clergy consolidated in Crisillyir. They were first
How We Got Here to claim colonies in the fallen Elfaivar, but Risur, Danor, and Drakr
Risur’s skyseers believed the future was written in the stars. eventually followed.
Drakran eschatologists predicted the world would end in ice. Dan- In the year 295 aov, some strange shift in the planes caused mag-
or’s egalitarian leaders looked to an unending future of progress. ical flight to falter, and prevented large creatures from taking to
Crisillyiri priests warned the pious to care for this one lifetime, to wing. Within five years the vulnerable dragon tyrants of Ber were
live it well so one’s soul can rest eternally. Elfaivar long clung to its all overthrown, and the public thought dragons had been extermi-
tragic past, but now grapples with all the unexpected possibilities nated. The axis of power in the region shifted to Risur and Danor,
provided by the gulmohar’s return. And Ber is so excited to be part who engaged in four great wars to control the Yerasol Archipelago.
of the world now that they keep stumbling for not looking ahead. With each successive conflict, Danor debuted new technology, and
so sparked a revolution of industry across the world. Even the
Old History tribes of Ber unified into a new nation and set their sights on mo-
The world’s future is yours to set, but it is on a course set by three dernity and civility.
main ages: Ancient, Nations, and Post-Malice.
The Great Eclipse
Ancient Age The world already seemed to be sliding toward chaos in the first
Before recorded history, an Ancient orc civilization subdued great years of the sixth century. A possible alliance between Risur and
monsters and made the world ready for humanoids, but then fell Danor fell apart when a colossus of dark steel and screaming oil tore
from power. Their ruins dot the continent of Lanjyr. free from a mountain in the city of Flint during the peace summit.
Gnolls attempted a coup in Ber, and dwarven doomsday cultists set
Age of Nations off bombs in several cities, hoping to herald the end of the world.
An untold amount of time later, half of the southern continent Skyseers saw no more future in the heavens.
united as Risur. Soon thereafter the Demonocracy conquered all Then the stars fell from the sky, the sun vanished, and the very
lands north of the Avery Sea. After several centuries of demonic laws of magic changed.
tyranny, a great unifier of men, Triegenes, defeated the Demonoc- In the new dark world, psychic phenomena called egregores drew
racy and ascended to godhood, inspiring the creation of the Clergy. crowds of people into hiveminds, forming massive tentacled bodies
The Demonocracy’s draconic minions fled to Ber and created petty of thoughtflesh driven to fulfill the shared purpose of the minds
kingdoms of their own. trapped within. Drakr’s doomsday cultists killed tens of thousands
The Clergy’s expansion eventually clashed with the magically of their countrymen and nearly destroyed the city of Mirsk. Risur’s
mighty Elfaivaran Empire, culminating in a global disaster called fey titans awoke and conjured immense natural disasters. Alien
the Great Malice. beings never before seen terrorized Danor and Ber.
Collectanea of the Avery Sea
The Orithean Concordat

A gathering of world leaders, economists, and negotiators met in
the city of Orithea in the newly-safe Malice Lands. Risur’s King
Baldrey, Drakr’s Chancellor Heid, Ber’s Bruse Corta Nariz, and
Crisillyir’s interim Prime Cardinal Malthusius eventually settled
on an agreement, named the Orithean Concordat. More than any-
thing else, it set the parameters of modern global affairs.
Each other great nation levied a carefully calculated debt upon
Danor, totaling about five years’ worth of Danor’s entire economy,
set to be paid off over four decades. Danor was effectively made an
indentured servant of the other nations, and Danoran industry was
forced to export its most advanced engineering and technological
creations until all nations stood on fairly equal footing. Until that
time, Danor and its people were forbidden from developing new
weaponry, vehicles, or arcanotechnological items that other na-
tions lacked the capacity to build themselves.
Finally, despite those onerous restrictions, Danor was required
to field a small fleet and garrison to guard Axis Island, in tandem
And in Crisillyir, which had seemed fairly stable beforehand, with Risuri forces. Meeting that obligation would prevent it from
nearly every hierarch of the Clergy committed suicide on the same exerting influence around the Avery Sea as it long had.
night, after which the people put their own gods on trial, executing Danor, once the driver of invention and progress, was hobbled.
eight and triggering the deaths of thousands of their worshipers. And, due to the wording of the Concordat, Risur could freely study
After months of doomsdays, Danor’s sovereign Han Jierre di- and improve arctech. As long as other nations didn’t match those
rected his nation to build enchanted lighthouses whose light kept innovations, Danor would not be able to keep parity in its centuries-
some warm while the rest of the world slowly froze. But their true long arms race. Risur became the de facto superpower of the continent.
Chapter Four
purpose was to harness a worldwide egregoric field to make all the

nations docile and subservient. Most people did not even know to Elfaivar Reborn
resist. While global attention was focused on Danor, on the other end of
Lanjyr a miracle had occurred. Millions of women who had per-
The Strange Hour ished five centuries earlier in the Great Malice were restored to life.
Risur’s king Baldrey Korrigan discovered this plot, and his allies Though these women, who came to be called gulmohar, did not want
destroyed these lanterns and thwarted Han Jierre’s scorched earth to continue the holy war that had caused their deaths, the simple
plans that would have killed millions. Then all eyes turned west fact was that they outnumbered the existing Elfaivaran people, and
toward Axis Island, in the Yerasol Archipelago. there was neither enough food nor enough homes for all of them.
Few who were physically there speak of what occurred, other This quickly led to conflicts with the colonies that occupied land
than that they saw two airships in battle around a steel colossus— the gulmohar still thought of as part of their empire. The slaver
the same one that had emerged from a mountain in Flint shortly city-state Shaha to the east took advantage of the confusion and
before the eclipse began. Every person in the world felt their minds abducted thousands of Elfaivarans, and many gulmohar didn’t dis-
called upon for a pivotal clash of wills. King Baldrey and his allies tinguish between outsiders, simply seeing all as enemies.
were certainly one side, but if people knew then the leader of the Then in 507 aov, the three factions—those who called for mili-
other side, they cannot remember today. What is clear is that at the tant counter-colonization to reclaim lost land, those who sought
end of that strange hour, the ineffable psychic bond ended, and the to use sabotage and subterfuge to weaken potential enemies, and
sun and stars returned. those who focused on internal stability and international diploma-
cy—unified into the Greater Elfaivaran Ran. To head off war with
New History the resurgent country, the other great nations made concessions,
The new age began in 503 aov with a lingering sense of unity after including abandoning parts of their colonized territories.
the shared trial, though many in positions of authority still clung to
power, even in the wake of so much disruption and loss. Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis
Han Jierre returned to Danor, confessed to the lighthouse scheme, A simmering calm lasted until 519 aov, when one Elfaivaran fac-
and died, executed by his old war minister, Eloise Duffet. She tried tion, led by Adin Radhasi, invaded Crisillyir and conquered the
to start a military dictatorship, but a public revolt drove her into southeast tip, sparking an international incident called the Gulmo-
exile. Danor resolved to create a new government, but Jierre’s con- har Reclamation Crisis. Every nation stuck its nose into the conflict,
fession led other nations to demand Danor be held accountable for trying to win influence, play favorites, or protect their interests.
the damages and deaths of the Great Eclipse. Risur’s King Baldrey tried to negotiate peace, and Clergy radi-
cals tried to assassinate him. Fearing this would draw Risur fully
into the conflict on Elfaivar’s side, Crisillyir launched a full attack
Ber
Name: Queendom of Ber
Capital: Seobriga
Other Major Cities: Citado Cavallo, Karch, Reo Pedresco, Shantre,
Ursaliña
Teleportation Beacons: Seobriga, Karch; other cities have circles built for
the needs of the old dragon tyrants—typically ten miles away in some
terrain that would impede creatures who can’t fly
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Head of State: Bruse Corta Nariz de Guerra
Official Language: Common, Draconic, Giant, Goblin
Common Heritages: Orc 33%, gnoll 17%, goblin 10%, minotaur 10%,
kobold 8%, goliath 6%, dragonborn 5%, lizardfolk 4%, other 7%
Introduction
on Adin, driving her back into Elfaivar but with intense collateral Ber’s history is tied to dragons.
damage and civilian casualties. When Adin’s forces retreated and Once a patchwork of many competing but peaceful tribes, its
sought refuge in the nearby Risuri colony Kellandia, a Crisillyiri destiny was upended when dragons that had served the fallen
army entered the territory in pursuit. Kellandia’s military crushed Demonocracy fled south and found scattered tribes vulnerable for
them and marched them back to Crisillyir as prisoners of war. conquest. Newborn regimes conquered each other like a ring of ser-
The messy conflict ended with Crisillyir ceding much of its co- pents devouring their tails, and every nation dreaded the ambition
lonial land in Elfaivar in exchange for all six nations agreeing that of a dragon tyrant who turned their sights overseas.
these borders were to be final and that the other nations would When King Boyle of Risur slew the last dragon-tyrant in 300 aov,
side against any country that tried to conquer more territory. This the power vacuum led to over a century of piracy and warfare that
stabilized things but seems to guarantee some future international secured Ber’s reputation as land fit for the monstrous. But then in
Chapter Four
war spurred by whoever makes the first misstep. 460 came the miracle of unity: the rise of a new regime, a band of
unifiers of each people, with the orc Vairday Bruse at their head.
Other Conflicts Drawing on Danoran meritocracy, Risuri governance, and Crisil-
In Risur, the new monarch Queen Iain Waryeye sees world senti- lyiri law, Bruse founded an egalitarian nation with a non-dynastic
ment turning against her country, right as she hopes to create a monarchy. The regime of Bruse Le Roye embraced foreign ideas and
global order through a Concert of Nations. traditions, with their unity founded on a shared righteous anger for
Revanchists in Danor have organized a boycott of the Concordat tyrants and slavers. In the decades since, many forces have tried to
payments, and the exiled war minister Eloise Duffet has proclaimed divide the young nation, but these shared assaults have only solidi-
herself Empress of a secessionist state. fied its national identity.
The Kuchnost crime syndicate in Drakr is slowly dismantling the
government through bribery, terror, and stoking public discontent, Grand History
and it is extending those operations to other nations. The term Ber has for a millennium referred to the region south
Crisllyir is fracturing in a shadow war between two denomina- of Risur’s Anthras mountains, and when “the little king” Vairday
tions who wish to take the Clergy in different directions after the Bruse united his people, it seemed the most agreeable name for a
god trials of the Great Eclipse. new nation.
Elfaivar’s ruling council of queens cannot prevent Adin’s faction
from continuing to raid Crisillyir’s remaining colonial territory, Ancient Times
and the slaver state Shaha’s military threat rises steadily. Despite their physical and cultural differences, the people of Ber
In Ber, efforts to explore the Dreaming awoke sleeping fey drag- had a loose shared folk religion called Guerro. Every tribe had its
ons who may be allying with a cult of technologically advanced own gods, conquered from other tribes not strong enough to stand
gnolls who still worship their long-dead dragon tyrant. alone. As the tribes battled, so did the gods.
Dominion of Dragons
The fall of the Demonocracy drove many dragons to settle in Ber,
where they enslaved tribes, built realms for themselves, and or-
dered built mighty city-states, only to have those lands and cities
overrun by other dragons’ armies.
Beran subjects dug into mines and mountains, unearthing enor-
mous bounties of ores and gems for their overlords’ hoards. The
dragons declared vast swathes of grassland and forest reserved for
their own hunts, and there they cultivated megafauna: elephants
with pike-length tusks, cattle the length of a king’s dining table, Ber at a Glance
deer as tall as houses, bears and coastal alligators terrible enough to These are the major figures, groups, and locations in Ber most foreigners
break many an unwary dragon’s neck. Most dangerous of all were have heard about.
those beasts the dragons personally cultivated as pets, the saurians •• Bruse Corta Nariz de Guerra. A keen and beloved leader,
known as dinosaurs, often infused with elemental energy through daughter of one of the nation’s founders.
blood-bonds with their masters. •• Brakken of Heffanita. A famous minotaur negotiator who helped
The terrors of centuries past have turned to novelty and grand bring all parties to agreement on the Orithean Concordat (see
stories, and today any Beran school child today can name their page 92).
favorite tyrant. Cheshimox the Patient Carver hid away with •• The Panoply. A philosophy that looked for commonalities
an iceberg and a cult of lizardfolk. Widoreva the Azure Queen between cultures and sought to promote the best ideas while also
ruled Ber’s largest city until her dying day. Gradiax the Steel Lord celebrating diversity as its own merit.
founded a metal-worshipping gnoll culture that vexes Ber to this •• Executores dola Liberta. Predominately female cadre of
very day. traveling judges with a writ to punish any who abuse positions of
Several dragon tyrants successfully united Ber under their do- authority or deny basic liberties to others. Famous for doling out
minion, until their expansionism brought down the ire of Risur, punishment through beating concordant with the severity of the
Elfaivar, or the Clergy. It became a mark of a great hero to slay a offense.
dragon, and eventually almost a hobby of the rich and powerful. •• Cult of the Steel Lord. Technologically advanced gnolls who
worship a dead dragon, in long-standing rebellion against Ber.
Dragon Slayers •• Seobriga. The capital city, sprawling and vibrant, with regular and
A bizarre planar event in 295 aov sapped air magic across the encouraged civic protests.
world, rendering any creature larger than a condor incapable of •• Citado Cavallo. City most closely integrated with Risur, and a
flight. It had always been a popular past-time of would-be heroes to defensible naval bastion.
slay dragons, but suddenly the entire species was vulnerable, and •• Ursaliña. A city once famous for its trained beast fighting tourna-
thousands of hunters descended on Ber. ments, now with the dubious fame of having been the landing point
In 300 aov, King Boyle of Risur led the final round of dragon- of an extraplanar invasion by strange psychic beings.
Chapter Four
slaying, dethroning what few scaled tyrants remained in the •• Karch. City of the steelmarked gnolls. Closely aligned with Risuri
country. The last to fall was Inacht the Hex-Eater. The people he technologist Benedict Pemberton, and famously friendly to
enslaved finally took their vengeance upon him and dispelled his foreign industrialists.
mighty sorcerous wards so Boyle could cut him down.
Many underlings of the slain dragons tried to cling to power, and
missionaries from Crisillyir attempted to claim the land for the
Clergy, but millions yearned for freedom and resisted. The liber-
ated land spent over a century gripped by a series of wars with
ever-changing borders as those committed to the old ways gradu-
ally killed each other off. The rest of the world wrote off Ber, seeing
it as a land of brigands, pirates, and raiders, its “beastfolk” lacking
in any civilizing impulse, their true animalistic drives coming to
the front without slavery to hold them in check. They did not rec-
ognize the slow progress being made in various corners to build a
new country. Risuri industrialization, allowing manufactories to spring up, and
he symbolically worked in some of these new factories as a sign that
Road to Revolution it was a noble pursuit for his soldiers, now that they had won their
By 460 aov, five great uniters had consolidated the loyalties of their nation.
peoples, each aided by the self-taught sage Vairday Bruse. They
connected their territories, named Vairday their ruler, and founded Understanding Civilization
the Kingdom of Ber, with Seobriga as the capital. The world held its Vairday Bruse had stated that Ber’s next great victory was to be
collective breath, expecting this unified nation of “savages” to keep accepted by the other great nations, and so he wanted people to
on conquering. Instead, they opened diplomatic relations. embrace “civility.” Ber’s new leaders began gravitating towards
In quick order, Vairday Bruse harnessed the wisdom of the great Danoran fashion and etiquette, but the wider population felt that
nations of Lanjyr. From Risur, he vowed to follow their practice of they were being dismissed for their allegedly “primitive” customs.
fathering no powerful dynasties, instead promising to choose a Ber’s nascent intelligentsia helped heal the potential rift with a phi-
successor unrelated to him. He requested that a Danoran delegation losophy that has come to be known as the Panoply.
assist him in writing a national constitution, and that delegation The professors who developed the Panoply collated thousands of
was so charmed that they dubbed him Le Roye, or little king. different customs from around the world, each seen as “civil” in its
Crisillyiri bureaucrats visited and aided Bruse Le Roye with own land. Rather than claim Beran culture was inferior and needed
reforming the legal system. He opened Ber to Danoran and, later, to change, they drew parallels between their own customs and
Chapter Four
similar behaviors in the nations Berans were trying to look toward. The Heroes of the Revolution
For example, many Beran tribes were stereotyped for their ritual Outside of the capital Seobriga, a stretch of highway known as
scarification, and yet many Danoran martial scientists respect a Monument Road is lined with hundreds of statues, each representing a
handsome duelling scar. And while Crisillyiri priests might con- different ally of Vairday Bruse at the founding of Ber. The five nearest
sider the visceral rituals of the guerro faiths to be violent, in Drakr to the city each have a shaded park surrounding them, and depict the
people often celebrate when philosophical debates turn to brawls. leaders who unified the five major peoples of the nation.
Moreover, if people from Ber’s many diverse tribes could see the •• Cavallo de Guerra. Uniter of the orcs, famed admiral.
common merit in their fellow citizens, rejecting any culture for •• Shantus. Uniter of the minotaurs, clever tactician and negotiator.
being “foreign” became un-Beran. •• Aitch. Uniter of the lizardfolk, master alchemist and artillerist.
To Panoply adherents, variety is valuable in and of itself, and it •• Llanachita. Uniter of the goliaths, druid who fielded warbeasts.
has become fashionable for every Beran to spend their school years •• Geeba. “Uniter” of the goblins, cavalry general.
to form a close fondness for the culture of one foreign place or other, A sixth park has an empty stand for a statue, which is dedicated to El
often forming clubs with others who have the same interest. Extraño, who united the kobolds.
In the short term, the Panoply promoted unity in the revolution,
encouraging the rough-skinned to mix with the smooth-tongued,
and all to mix with the foreign. In the long term, this philosophy The Great Eclipse
helped establish Ber as a fiercely cosmopolitan state. The trials of the Great Eclipse that nearly destroyed other nations
were what most solidified Ber’s national unity.
Passing the First Test The mountain city of Ursaliña was quietly invaded by a strange
In 495 aov, Vairday Bruse died. Defying thousands of years of tribal psychovoric species from beyond the stars known as the Gidim.
and draconic tradition, his power peacefully transferred to his ally, They bound the population’s minds into an egregore so they could
Shantus, unifier of the minotaurs. The new monarch took the title be made subservient, but their extraplanar plot was thwarted, and
of Bruse after his friend, and despite unrest during the Shantus the city emerged with an almost supernatural sense of empathy
regime, Ber continued to industrialize. Railroads criss-crossed the and common purpose.
harsh prairie, and the navy manned ironclads as soon as it could Later, near the end of the Eclipse, Bruse Shantus was caught up in
acquire them. an egregore and attempted to kill any he deemed primitive, mostly
Ber: Landscape and Cuisine

The lands of Ber are dominated by great tropical savannas. Immense
trees grow scattered amid vast swaths of hardy, spiny, and nutritionally-
rich grasses that provide sustenance for the land’s enormous herbivores.
Their predators are equally gargantuan. Ber’s wet season is shorter and
less devastating than Elfaivar’s legendary monsoons, with a dry season
that can easily last most of the year.
Unlike most of the nation’s pluralistic culture, Beran cuisine tends to
be conservative. The dragon-tyrants decadently imported vast amounts
of foreign delicacies, and most Berans choose to spite their example.
Common Beran ingredients are beans, lamb, boar, rice, tomatoes, and
onions, augmented with generous lashings of peppers and other spices.
A common dessert is berries or chocolate poured into a hollowed out
fried bun, called a tesoro. Different cities promote their iconic dish:
Seobrigan paella, Citado Cavallon ceviche, Reo Pedrescan motuleños,
and Ursaliñan chilaquiles. Gnollish Karch has many varieties of elegant
blood puddings.
goblins and gnolls. This genocide was averted by an

unlikely hero, a railroad magnate named Damata
Griento (see page 98), who was aided by the
famed executore Glaucia Evora, as well as a
legendary Elfaivaran warrior Sor Daeron
(see page 101).
They defeated Shantus and freed
Chapter Four
his mind. Ashamed of his mental

weakness, Shantus resigned. He
passed his crown and his title of
Bruse to Corta Nariz de Guerra
(see page 97).
The Present An instinctive suspicion of overlords has led to national rules

Bruse Corta Nariz has instituted a bureaucratic mechanism to which place harsh limits on the profits individuals can earn, and
justly distribute old dragon hoards. Previously, the hoards had how much wealth companies can hold, especially subsidiaries of
been locked away in a national trust—the Ministry of Dragon Af- foreign bodies. Early Beran industrialists were lauded as icons of
fairs. Cities, villages, and families across Ber are finally receiving the nation’s culture, with the prize of their labor and leadership
the rewards of hard labor that their ancestors performed for their being a sterling reputation, rather than mere money. The desire of
draconic masters. wealth was seen as an embarrassingly draconic character flaw.
While many argue they’re not receiving what they think is a fair Berans generally make for unpredictable manufactory work-
share, most of these funds are being directed toward building the ers. In an industry that hates any disruption to the work processes,
nation’s education, medicine, and housing. However, as the rail- Berans vary between wanting freedom to set their own shifts and
roads deliver this precious gold around the country, the trains are trying to take on the greatest burden of work, to earn glory.
tempting targets for banditos.
Stumbling Upon the Dreaming
The National Character The costs of industrial progress, be they polluted rivers or strip-
The old traditions of armed raids as a rite of adulthood are almost mined landscapes, are opposed by a new and contentious movement
extinct, replaced by more “civilized” options, often through sports, named the tropezaros (for “one who stumbles”). Part guerrilla,
music, art, industrial work, entrepreneurial success, or educational part druid, part fey-speaker, part academic: these unconventional
achievement. Berans have a deep desire to make use of whatever they “stumble
The most popular team sport today is cicada, played on a large upon” in nature.
field where batters take turns defending a pillar of stacked totems Risuri long held something of a monopoly on getting fey aid with
against balls pitched by the other team. After successfully deflect- spurring crops and winning favorable weather. Tropezaros learned
ing or reflecting the ball, the batter has a chance to navigate a loop those same techniques and sought to use them with the fey of Ber’s
of obstacles to score a point for their team. It is meant to represent Dreaming, which was little explored. At first they were praised, but
the old Guerra tradition of stealing the icons of gods from opposing public opinion on tropezaros soured considerably once they acci-
villages. dentally awoke dragons.
In 507 aov, the famous tropezaro painter Grefanio Storre The Government and Its Leaders
enlisted the Drakran explorer Kiegar Arukova to navigate a po- Ber’s chief executive is known as the Bruse, with each one appoint-
tential pathway to the Dreaming under an ancient tree outside Reo ing his or her chosen successor. The nation’s many governors, lords,
Pedresco. They delved the tree’s network of cave and root systems, and high chiefs have autonomy in their regions, but a Constitution
finally emerging in the verdant woodland of the Beran Dreaming. mandates in which situations the Bruse can override them. The na-
They followed a trail to the lair of a slumbering fey dragon: tion’s legislative congress was fairly weak until the recent release of
winged and reptilian, but with scales of bark, wings of leaf, and a funds held by the Ministry of Dragon affairs gave it the chance to
maw of thorns. Instead of gold and jewels, its hoard consisted of start devising national-improvement programs.
everyday objects from the Waking world, animated by fey spirits.
Grefanio called out to the dragon in wonder, asking its name. The Bruse Corta Nariz de Guerra
wyrm, blinking from its sleep, answered “I am Calenche,” then Pippin-apple-cheeked, wiry, with a somewhat gaunt
blithely incinerated the painter. neck and thick eyebrows, Bruse Corta Nariz de
Kiegar Arukova retreated to the Waking, but Calenche followed Guerra does not look like the mother-many-times-
her all the way back. With a fey obligation for the “gift” of this new over that she is. Modern magical medicine saved her
world, Calenche rewarded the dwarf with part of her hoard, then son Altioro from an outbreak of the dragon worm
set upon the nearby Reo Pedresco, seemingly interested less in the disease, and modern education let her study poli-
people than in their possessions. Noteworthy was that as she flew tics and governance at a world-class university in
away, a veritable swarm of animated objects flocked with her. She Seobriga. Her consort perished in the Steel Re-
returned back to her lair in the Dreaming with many new treasures. bellion (see page 104), and she has forsworn
taking another during her term as Bruse.
Dragons Returned Since assuming office, Corta Nariz has
For the last fifteen years, Calenche has made regular forays into proven herself to be an exceptionally capa-
the Waking, as do a handful of other fey dragons. Using hidden ble administrator, and unlike her predecessor
pathways, they appear in unlikely places like northern goliath Shantus she chose clever advisors and listened to them.
grain silos or under mats of discarded pamphlets after a protest She commands respect from the Beran military, although their
Chapter Four
in Seobriga. Most seem uninterested in tyranny, and in fact one poor performance in engagements during the Gulmohar Reclama-
village named Tifaso recruited a tropezaro to treat with an anten- tion Crisis has overshadowed her work to end feuds and rivalry
naed fey dragon that had been eating their livestock and leaving between different units.
talking swords as payment. The tropezaro managed to barter for While Ber’s old tradition of adulthood-through-battle-rites is
the dragon to serve as the town’s guardian in exchange for small seen as gauche, its people still expect their ruler to be a warrior, and
payments. Corta Nariz has obliged. Amidst the Elfaivaran engagements, she
This alone was enough to arouse the fury of decent freedom- gave a number of speeches from the bridge of the flagship Reina de
loving Berans. Bruse Corta Nariz retasked the Ministry of Dragon Oro to inspire her men, and she has toiled to become a crack shot
affairs to deal with these beings, and sent a pair of agents to Tifaso. with a rifle.
The dragon scorched them with a lashing tongue of lightning and
cursed those who tried to help them as they lay dying, claiming that Voluntary Reform
she was merely doing what they’d asked of her: protecting the town. Bruse Corta Nariz has expressed a hope that her successor will be
The Ministry’s next effort sent overwhelming force, and they chosen by a more democratic means. As a preliminary step, she has
managed to capture the dragon, who said its name was Lecucha. created a new governing body, the Governors’ Congress.
They also arrested the tropezaro responsible, and Bruse Corta Nariz Comprised of city and regional leaders from
decreed that all friendly contact with the Dreaming was forbidden across Ber, with a few at large members, this
unless approved by the Ministry. Within months tropezaros had entity currently serves in an advisory
defied her order. They claimed they felt an obligation to learn about capacity, briefing their Bruse on local
the threat the dragons posed, and possibly win them as allies. reactions to her policies. The first-
Lecucha occupies a massive cell outside Seobriga, though she among-equals leader of the Congress
spends most of her time in an orc-sized dryad-like form. Panoplists, is the minotaur Brakken of Hef-
tropezaros, and other curious Berans demand to witness and speak fanita, a former ambassador and
with this deeply controversial figure. She passes her time variously peacemaker who arguably created
threatening or insulting her guards and using her seemingly-un- the modern world order by negoti-
quenchable spellcraft to test the strength of her magical bindings. ating the Orithean Concordat.
Her treasure hoard has tried to rescue her on several occasions, and Brakken is somewhat conten-
the Ministry has with some discomfort placed those objects in cells tious because he possesses psychic
too, unsure if they’re real living things. abilities that would let him control people’s minds, but numer-
ous executores have tested him to ensure he does not abuse those
powers, and indeed he has helped guide abjurers to protect several
government buildings with wards against mind control.
Executores dola Liberta Goals of the Bruse

The Executores dola Liberta (Enforcers of Freedom) are tasked Today, Corta Nariz is recruiting prospective scouts and dragonslayers in
with wandering the country and finding rich or powerful people the city Ursaliña’s arena, intending to sally out and end the threat of two
who abuse their station by forcing others into slavery or servile fey dragons in southwestern Ber once and for all.
conditions. However, another matter weighs heavily on her mind. During the
They drag such wrongdoers into public locations, establish courts Great Eclipse, Danoran sailors spotted a dragon over Axis Island, and
of law, then pummel those found guilty with royally-empowered later it was apparently slain in Flint. But a group calling itself the Clear
fists and staves while denouncing their crimes. They inflict similar Waters recently published in every major world paper a report—pro-
punishments on those who try to quash protests, silence vocal com- duced by kobold spymaster El Extraño—that claims the dragon was in
plaints, forbid religious practices, or hoard wealth. Membership fact the former dragon tyrant Inacht the Hex-Eater. According to the
in the executores is strictly monitored, and those few who hypo- report, King Boyle did not slay the dragon in 300 aov, but instead gave
critically abuse their own authority suffer excruciating it shelter in exchange for it serving his nation.
public torture and then execution. The report indicates Risur actually sheltered at least two dragons,
The executores are mostly independent, and though the second’s identity was not revealed. Bruse Corta Nariz is
local authorities are expected to cooperate with considering how to force Risur to make amends for this breach of trust,
them. The most famous executore today is and her military advisors argue it is the duty of Ber to hunt down and kill
Viveen Jenefron, the descendant of goliaths the remaining dragon.
enslaved by Risur several centuries ago. She
rose to prominence in that country’s Royal
Homeland Constabulary, studied religious Beran Peoples
archaeology, and led a crusade in the south- While the different species of Ber all are united by a willingness to
ern Anthras Mountains against savage fight for liberty, and they mingle readily in cities and even small
arcanists attempting to dominate sur- towns, many still live in traditional villages, with distinct cultures.
rounding tribes through fear magic. She
met her wife in that crusade and returned Orcs
Chapter Four
to the homeland of her ancestors, where she The archetypal Beran navy man is an orc: a proud
joined the executores and quickly rose in the ranks. inheritor of a sailing tradition spanning centuries,
Viveen currently lives in Ursaliña, where she is studying the both ashamed and proud of that tradition’s his-
city’s genius loci to ensure it is not a threat to the citizens. If she finds toric dabbling with piracy. The young orc warlord
it is controlling people, she has already devised a method to thrash Altioro de Guerra, son of the Bruse, commands
the city’s spirit as punishment. the Sea Chiefs of Marrajado de Oro (the Riven Sea
of Gold) near Citado Cavallo. He has proposed
Army Ber offer its fleet to help protect the Yerasol Ar-
As it is separated from its only land neighbor by the Anthras Moun- chipelago from pirates and monsters, as a way to
tains, Ber has a small standing army, mostly trained to deal with restore their prestige, and the Bruse has agreed
wild megafauna and some raids by the gnolls of Tierra de las Bes- to send a few ships on a provisional basis.
tias Moteado. However, each city and state maintains a militia, and One of the heroes of the Great Eclipse was the
soldiers can receive a stipend if they agree to spend six months vis- orc Damata Griento, a railroad magnate who
iting other parts of the country and training with the local militia, turned to swashbuckling vigilanteism to fight for
to share techniques and encourage national unity. the nation’s ideals even as most of its citizens had
their wills sapped by enchanted Danoran light-
Navy houses. He has the rare status of richest Beran,
The port in Citado Cavallo is the spiritual home of the Beran navy, since he has expanded his family business to
though recent expansions have moved the bulk of the fleet to the build railroads in Crisillyir and the Malice
western city of Shantre, including the nation’s first destroyer, the Lands. While he proudly follows the tradition
exceptionally evasive Jabalina. Akin to the state militias, every of not hoarding the wealth of his business within
coastal state maintains its own coast guard, which Bruse Corta Ber, he owns several estates around the Avery Sea.
Nariz has endeavored to unify and end rivalries between.
During the height of the Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis, the Bruse The Noble Savage Beating
mustered her navy to protect Crisillyir, setting aside old enmities Not all bloodmarked gnolls stay in Tierra de las Bestias Moteado, and
towards the Clergy. The inexperienced and overconfident fleet, led several have become known as paragons of law and civilization. The
by steel-armored ships of the line, lost nearly every engagement famed executore Glaucia Evora endured a Cult of the Steel Lord attack
against magically-imbued Elfaivaran “fire ships.” It remains a na- on her village in 486 aov, where she killed her own son rather than let
tional embarrassment. him be enslaved by the steelmarked gnolls. Glaucia helped defeat the
mind-controlled Bruse Shantus during the Great Eclipse, and oversaw a
famous courtroom in Seobriga until her death a few years ago of old age.
Hazard at Sea Bloodmarked communities make casual use of the magical

Off the coast of Seobriga, a patch of sea is beset by strange twists of knacks of those born with the gift, and while they do not use indus-
space and occasionally sudden whirlpools. This strange phenomenon is trial techniques, they produce a great quantity of magical trinkets
the result of a submerged ruin of a long-collapsed orcish culture. The sold around Lanjyr. Recently the bloodmarked gnolls have adopted
navy says the strange sunken step pyramid once linked directly to the some of the scholastic techniques of outsiders, sending teachers
planet Mavisha, but since the eclipse it points to Ostea, and strange around the region to provide basic arcane education to all children,
bloody sea monsters sometimes assail the ships stationed here. in hopes of unlocking their talents.
Sea Chief Thrag Vidalia is actively running naval training exercises
around this ruin, hoping the hazard will spur Beran sailors to become And Steel
masters of modern sea combat. The steelmarked gnolls are the denizens of Isla dolas Focas, loyal
to the dragon tyrant Gradiax the Steel Lord, despite it being over
two centuries since the dragon was slain by King Boyle of Risur.
Dragonborn The Cult of the Steel Lord are experts of advanced metallurgy,
Dragonborn are sometimes called half-dragons, and are descended and believe that all but dragons are unworthy to touch metal. Their
from any of the numerous dragon tyrants throughout Ber’s his- culture fosters a detached introspection that most Berans find un-
tory. Some dragons took humanoid form to produce children they nerving, and they claim Gradiax did not die, but was reborn in a
could trust to be loyal minions, while others magically transmuted grand metallic body.
people they enslaved to more resemble them. The tyrants rarely The steelmarked gnolls embraced industry before the Beran
cared for their creations, especially those more than one or two revolution even began, but always presented themselves to the
generations removed, so all but a few dragonborn were enslaved outside world as superstitious and backwards. They only revealed
just like the rest of the people of Ber. their true prowess in recent years, thanks in part to the leadership
Dragonborn gathered into a handful of enclaves around the of a Risuri industrialist named Benedict Pemberton, whom the
country, but have little in the way of shared culture, instead just steelmarked have titled the Voice of Gradiax. Some even claim he is
integrating with local tribes. Still, many dragonborn are pushed to their steel lord reborn. (See page 104.)
the fringes of society. In the gnoll-controlled Tierra de las Bestias Aside from Gradiax, the other major focus of this culture is
Chapter Four
Moteado, a group of banditos called the Pequeños Tiranos has gloves. A steelmarked’s gloves are a method of self-expression, the
been calling for dragonborn around the country to rally to them, to conduit through which they experience the world and perform the
create a new splinter nation where only those with dragon blood sacred task of working metal. Gloves of the Isla are individually-
are welcome. The banditos have no real chance of accomplishing decorated, and typically made of thick seal-hide to allow for the
this, but are dangerous enough to threaten remote villages. working of heated metal.
Gnolls Goblins
Two main branches of gnolls exist in Ber today—the bloodmarked While a few goblins allied with Vairday Bruse, their unifier Geeba
who mostly rejected Vairday Bruse’s revolution but bore it no ill died before the tribes could form any shared identity. Displaced by
will, and the steelmarked who remain loyal to an absent dragon the expansion of Ber’s cities and villages, most lived in places the
tyrant and happily play the role of rival to the rest of Ber. While the dead dragon tyrants had left too hostile for most people:
steelmarked have grown more influential and their fortunes rose remote trap-laden lairs, megafauna breeding
through alliance with a foreign industrialist, the bloodmarked are grounds, and elementally charged hot springs,
among the poorest peoples in Lanjyr. all of them often riddled with disease.
Just before the Great Eclipse, the ant-
Of Blood taming Fuego tribe took a foreign doctor
Most gnolls remain secluded in the tribes of the autonomous Tierra hostage for ransom, and the man astounded
de las Bestias Moteado region along Ber’s southern coast. They his captors by curing the goblins of a dan-
grudgingly allow others to settle if they make a clear demonstra- gerous parasitic disease called dragon-worm.
tion of rejecting the Beran government and its efforts to embrace The tribe’s shaman Willigu then travelled
foreign ideas. These non-gnolls are encouraged to accept blood- around Ber telling his kin of this miracle
marked traditions instead. and the benefits of civilization. This tour
The countless clans of the region boast the highest concentration led to many tribes hesitantly reaching out to
of sorcerous bloodlines in the whole world. Other Berans often be- nearby Beran settlements, though they have
lieve gnolls bred with magical creatures, but it seems gnolls adapt to no unified leadership of their own.
magical phenomena, and their mere proximity to the strange magics Since then, many goblin tribes have found a role
wielded by dragon overlords suffused them with power. Since the as highly respected ranchers, excelling at pacifying and taming
Great Eclipse, they were among the first to realize, master, and dis- megafauna. Rail companies pay goblin ranchers generous sums
seminate knowledge of sanguine divinations (see Ostea, Chapter to dissuade megafauna from attacking their trains and destroying
Five). These gnolls were also pioneers in the strange magics of the their lines, and Beran universities eagerly recruit veteran ranchers
bloodweavers, dazzling even the most jaded of Ber’s magical scholars. to refine the science of animal husbandry.
Goliaths Cultural Stereotypes

Goliaths look like mighty towering humans, with adults rang- While the folk of Ber generally see each other as equals, there are still
ing from seven to nine feet tall. Their original territory was in the tropes in their culture that get thrown around as insults.
Anthras Mountains, and they share a mix of Risuri and Beran tradi- •• Goblins are confused by technology more advanced than ropes,
tions, venerating nature and the fey while sharing gods and tribal and their food is disgusting. They are famous for growing spiked
structures with orcs and minotaurs. Goliath communities came to pickles, often served with fermented beans and blindness-inducing
communicate with drums and massive horns whose notes could peppers.
carry to the next valley, and on major holidays they coordinate slow, •• Goliaths are spies for Risur, and they pay too much attention to
joyous symphonies that span miles, each village contributing two their clothes, because they’re so large they can only afford one set.
or three instruments. •• Lizardfolk are thieves and all look alike. (This may originate from
an old tribal tradition: at one time, each lizardfolk tribe had one
Kobolds designated merchant, almost like a quartermaster, who handled
Kobolds, as the joke goes, don’t exist. Partially, this is a reference everyone’s money and was responsible for buying and selling on
to the lack of prominent kobold architecture or kobold behalf of potentially dozens of families. Some tribes still do this.)
settlements, but the pinnacle of this conceit is the figure •• Minotaurs take credit for what other people do, and will talk your
known as El Extraño (The Strange One). El Extraño ear off, but are surprisingly attentive lovers. If you want to insult
united the kobold people as part of Vairday Bruse’s revolu- a minotaur, reference Risur’s virile fey titan named Father of
tion, and then became the spymaster of Ber: the master of Thunder, who—according to poorly-sourced speculation by Risuri
secrets, assassinations, bribes, and blackmail. academics—is the originator of the minotaur species.
No one is certain whether the spymaster actually •• Orcs are drunkards who sing badly and are always trying to be
exists, and if so whether the current bearer of the title clever and failing. This was particularly bruising after Bruse de
is the same kobold who allied with Vairday Bruse. The Guerra’s debacle in sending her navy to a decisive loss in the
uncertainty means that any kobold could be a servant Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis (see page 92).
of the state on a critical mission, or perhaps even El Ex- •• Gnolls, who actually do face some active discrimination, are seen
traño himself. as superstitious, unhygienic, and unmotivated, which is why they
Chapter Four
Many kobolds play up the trope, and encourage people still miss their dragon tyrant.
to pretend not to see kobolds, unless that kobold asks for aid, in •• Kobolds don’t really exist.
which case you should help immediately, lest you anger El Extraño.
Numerous kobolds claim that the idea they’re all spies is an ugly
stereotype and hinders their success in Beran society.
In truth, kobolds are the backbone of Ber’s small crafts industry.
Many kobold artisans create intricate baubles and trinkets with the
styling of their family, shipping them overseas, where they are a
fixture of any high-class market. The industrialist scion Iurtan Liss has set her sights upon the
challenge of creating a railroad that will cross the Anthras Moun-
Lizardfolk tains, connecting Risur and Ber. This bold endeavour will involve
As the dragon-tyrants gobbled up Beran tribes, few of them went hiring tropezaros to appease the fickle and cruel Granny Allswell,
after the amphibious lizardfolk, who they believed had no trea- fey titan of Risur’s mountains.
sures to plunder. In truth, lizardfolk culture has a tradition
of communalism that shared assets and carefully Minotaurs
planned each settlement’s resources a year at a time, The roots of the Panoply were minotaur bards. During the rule of
which led to them gradually amassing untapped the dragon tyrants, these wandering singers and storytellers were
wealth in their remote, desolate swamplands. regarded as neutral, and helped build a tolerance between dispa-
After Vairday’s revolution, the lizardfolk tribes rate Beran settlements.
wagered their ancestral riches, hired foreign ex- These bards founded halls
perts, and built their own industrial operations, of bardic knowledge which
trains and railroads especially. These invest- evolved into universities.
ments would quickly yield large dividends, Minotaur culture is grounded
catalysing the transformation of the lizardfolk in patience and an appreciation
culture, and their dominance of Beran rail. for things that take a long time. They
Liss Rail Construction out of Reo Pedresco was the are overrepresented among Ber’s
first Beran-owned and Beran-operated rail company, and it quickly scholars and diplomats, and many
developed a wealth of experience laying track across the manifold admire the former Bruse Shantus, whose
dangerous terrains of Ber. Not every lizardfolk works in industry, military strategy in the revolution was
but most lizardfolk families consider it a point of pride to own a intricate and inexorable. Shantus has been
part of the local industry their people helped found. seen little since he abdicated.

Seobriga of the “fey terrorist” Gale’s harassment of Flint two

The city of Seobriga is the center of Ber’s triumph over the old dra- decades earlier, Erick Noches has brought easily
conic overlords, not in merely defeating them, but in rising above impressionable young Berans under his banner
the poisons of hubris and brutality they instilled. “Beastfolk” from by offering them fellowship through tropezaro
across the nation gather to learn, to begin new lives, to seek justice, teachings. They hike, study nature, play sports in the
and to merrily argue their beliefs from dawn till dusk. woods, and learn not to trust city dwellers.
Some of these young tropezaros he sets to indus-
History trial sabotage, while others support the movement
Seobriga began as the humble wintertime settlement of a nomadic with simple banditry. For a few with magical knacks
tribe. The ash-scaled dragon Chidaran occupied the site, built it he has found them a mentor, Sor Daeron, an ancient
up, and made it his new capital, as did the ruby-scaled dragon that Elfaivaran with an arm of living salt who survived
killed him, as did the garnet-scaled dragon that killed her. It was centuries being hunted by colonizers in his home-
eventually declared neutral territory, leading to multiple dragons land’s jungles. Together, Noches and Sor hope to
taking up residence, and its borders and splendor expanding more use magic of the great Elfaivaran enclaves to draw
than any other Beran city. Seobriga’s last draconic ruler, the blue parts of Seobriga into the Dreaming, to force citizens
dragon Widoreva, left behind a city full of decadent draconic pal- to remember how to survive in the wilderness.
aces, which the poor and oppressed promptly moved into.
Architecture
Geography The city bears many marks of old dragon rule,
Built on the Arm of Vairday peninsula, Seobriga is an unusually ranging from buildings that incorporate the bones of slain dragons
wide city, built to sprawl so that its many dragon residents felt less as a symbol of triumph, to old squat palaces glorified by tall and
territorial. Much as a humanoid city historically needed to be small dramatic spires, made of granite flown in from far-away quarries
enough to walk across in an hour or two, the great winged wyrms to serve as dragon-perches.
felt comfortable traveling fifty miles in an afternoon. Spire-building knowledge has proven useful for the dozens of
Today, railroads tie together these disparate city sectors, and manufactories on the city’s western shore, where a combination
Chapter Four
have become a focus of civic pride. Locomotives are often painted of favorable winds and enormous chimneys release the soot and
in shows of love. The city’s governor even contracted with an enig- smoke of industry high into the air, occluding the stars yet safer to
matic Nalaamese mage known as the dwarven “Luckademic” to the citizens below than the infamous choking smog of Flint. Some
bless the tracks and promote good fortune. Tourists and passengers of these spires even serve as dirigible docks for the exorbitantly ex-
can expect to find dropped coins, bump into old friends, and acci- pensive weekly flights that connect Flint and Seobriga.
dentally order delicious new foods while they are near the Seobriga The largest open space in the city is Vista Rapellando, a grand
tracks. plaza adorned with gold and fine jewels. Similar smaller plazas
The main highway leading from Seobriga’s northwestern border had their treasures confiscated for the nation’s coffers, but Vairday
is Monument Road, filled with hundreds of statues representing Bruse wanted Rapellando to impress foreign visitors. Today it is the
Vairday Bruse’s allies during the revolution. site of the city’s teleportation beacon.
The city’s greatest bounty might be the gardens built during the
reign of the tyrants. For up to fifty miles around the city, shade- Art
grown berries share soil with massive sequoias, and old magic Many Seobrigan edifices are bleak and imposing, so a small but
bleeds into the landscape, benefiting farmers with plant-growth-en- determined group of volunteer muraleers work to bring them alive.
riched crops. Five-foot-tall goats and even beefier bison graze here. Rappelling off buildings, these artists paint vibrant murals upon
Seobriga catches the edge of some of Elfaivar’s monsoons, provid- what were previously barren walls, singing merrily as they swing
ing ample if unreliable water for agriculture. However, freshwater and swing their paint brushes.
springs and streams are rare, often making very weak wine the A number of influential Seobrigans have, for a variety of reasons,
drink of choice. The vineyards of the Arm are known for their dry refused to allow for their walls to be painted, and the vigilante La
and subtle flavors. Cara Pintada defies their wishes by daubing their walls with beau-
tifully satirical murals under the cover of night. La Cara is said to
Trouble on the Inner Frontier be an operative of El Extraño who relaxes by painting graffiti, and
The sprawl of Seobriga is dotted with wilderness, often overgrown thus, many foreign spies are eager to track him down.
areas miles wide that had once been controlled by some dragon,
then later abandoned by their enslaved subjects after the tyrant Show Your Colors
was slain. Since falling out of favor, tropezaros in the city have Seobrigan tourists are often almost overcome by the striking sight
defiantly moved into these interior wilds to hide while they try to of regular Panoply protests in the great plazas.
motivate the nation to protect its nature. Self-styled intellectuals stand at the edges of the plaza and speak
Most infamous of the city’s scattered tropezaros is a former army to protestors as they arrive, determining their grievances, then
marshal who grew bitter that his superiors ignored his clear-eyed handing out color-coded flags; poverty for black, violence for red,
view of how to grow his nation’s strength. Inspired by the example corruption for yellow, magic and monsters for green, and so on.

For many years, an unpopular color was white, indicating a Indeed, Risur’s chief economic liaison to Seo-
protest of apathetic public officials who should be doing more to briga, Nixxle Hushhush, is a goblin, originally
promote the revolution. It became known that Panoplists were from Ber, who served in the Royal Homeland
deliberately encouraging this color as a test; anyone intelligent Constabulary before retiring to coordinate
enough to question having hundreds of protests waving white flags, legitimate trade between the two nations.
a color of surrender, was invited to rarified Panoply gatherings. Known for chomping spiked pickles like
Recently, however, protestors have once again begun waving the others would chew cigars, Nixxle has his
white flags, now as an “ironic” gesture. finger on the pulse of Seobriga’s crimi-
The Panoply luminary currently oversee- nal activity. He sometimes recruits
ing these protests is the aged bloodmarked free-spirited do-gooders to interfere in
gnoll Melquíades de Torres y Ayala, smuggling or piracy, and though he tries to look
one of the few gnollish graduates like a good-faith ally of all freedom-loving Berans, he’s been caught
of the Seobrigan Revolutionary using these hired adventurers to target rivals to Risuri business.
University. A sorcerer skilled with Though the city is prosperous, it has recently seen violent out-
divination and communication bursts directed at gnolls. People blame this on the rhetoric of the
magic, Melquíades pushed the city governor, who is trying to stop smuggled arctech from the Cult
Panoply to not talk simply with of the Steel Lord and tends to spread her disdain to all gnolls.
the leading cultures of each nation,
but to learn about those who were Ursaliña
fringe or downtrodden. His magic Once a place for dragon tyrants to pit their champions against each
helped early Panoply writers corre- other in bloody gladiatorial fights, Ursaliña continues that tradi-
spond with remote human groups, and today he is a vocal advocate tion in part through trained bear fights. During the Great Eclipse it
for building Risuri ceraunic wave towers all across Ber, to make the was conquered by Gidim psychovores, but today the City of Bears is
Seobrigan protests a national tradition. a city in recovery. A genius loci born from the Gidim’s psychic med-
dling now imbues the citizenry with a subtle yet sublime empathy
Chapter Four
Courtroom of Glaucia Evora for one another.

In 501 aov, the gnoll executore Glaucia Evora took up residence The population is majority orc, with sizeable numbers of mino-
in the ruins around the skeleton of dragon-tyrant Widoreva, and taurs and goliaths.
began holding court on matters of justice. Glaucia passed peace-
fully in 519 aov, but her courtroom remains a center of justice. Geography
Once a Seobrigan manor of moderate splendor, it was partially Ursaliña lies along the rocky northwestern coast of Ber, where the
destroyed when the last dragon-tyrant of Seobriga was shot out of sea meets the Anthras Mountains. The hills of Ursaliña fall sharply
the sky and crashed through the roof. The people of Seobriga chose near the coast, where ornately-carved staircases link the harbor to
to leave the dragon’s bones where they lay as a memorial, even the different levels of the city. Similar areas of steep hills and val-
shoring up the remaining walls so as to prevent collapse. leys dot the landscape around the city, and for centuries, servants
Glaucia Evora’s occupation lent the bones a new purpose. She sat of the dragon tyrants bred and domesticated megafauna in these
with Widoreva’s skeletal snout as her desk, disdainfully covering natural paddocks. Countless caverns provided lairs for the famed
the skull with layers of dripping candle wax. Accused criminals local cave bears, allowing the predators to hide and survive despite
stood in a cage made of ten-foot-long ribs, while witnesses spoke in fervent attempts to exterminate them.
a pen made from clawed draconic hands. The final inheritance from The city itself rises and falls in steep terraces on four main hills,
Glaucia Evora is a brimstone circle around the witness pen. It flares each crowned by a major civic building. Poorer neighbourhoods
and scorches anyone who lies within, functioning as a somewhat weave through the low “troughs” between hills, and imposing
vindictive zone of truth. bridges connect the terraces in labyrinthine combinations. Fanci-
ful fountains thread mountain streams along terraces and bridges,
Politics and fierce gusts of wind in the troughs kick up mist that cools the
Seobriga’s governor is retired dragonborn cramped streets and alleys.
general Kenna Vigilante. During the Steel
Rebellion she served as Bruse Shantus’s Dwarves in Ber
Minister of Dragon Affairs, and organized A tiny community of Beran dwarves have congregated in Ursaliña. For
the invasion of Isla dolas Focas. Governor centuries their subterranean culture, the Ulmacs, fought a little-seen
Vigilante remains a staunch advocate for mili- war from beneath the lairs and mines of the old dragon tyrants. When
tary service, and she has the luxury of a Bruse Vairday created the new Beran nation, most Ulmacs remained
close friendship with many promi- underground, unwilling to trust the peoples who had once served their
nent figures from Risur, its military, great enemies. But a few thousand have created a safehold under the
and its intelligence service the RHC. mesas of Ursaliña, fascinated by modern industry and seeing far more
prosperity trading with the surface than staying hidden.

Architecture Scholars of the Genius Loci

Orc governor Dieter Cadagyr rules from the Not far from the Red Peacock is the shell of the Triunfo Vida bardic
northern hill. Wealthy Ursaliñans live here: college. Founded centuries ago by minotaurs, lavish pageants and
closest to fresh mountain water, farthest shows were hosted every night within its bright blue stucco walls
from the docks’ fishy stench. Its streets teem and fluted columns. It was shuttered during the chaos of the Great
with fountains and statues of statu- Eclipse, and people reported strange lights and voices coming from
esque orcish women. The steel-gray within its walls.
granite cube of the Executores Lodge Among Ursaliñans, it is an open secret that the Triunfo Vida was
serves as a stark reminder to the the forward operating base of an alien invasion by Gidim psychov-
wealthy to not abuse their power. ores. These creatures of thoughtflesh bound the population to their
The southern hill is crowned by will by weaving them into a subtle egregore. Those who resisted or
the three-story Jaula or “Cage” arena. proved to have particularly delicious thoughts were brought to the
Since the unification of Ber, its edifice has been re- school, and few were seen again.
served for animal bouts, concerts, and the occasional scholarly
symposium. This district also is home to many prosperous restau- A New Triumphant Life
rants that serve dishes thick with beans and cheeses, the best of The college no longer offers lessons on dance and
which have high balconies with grand vistas. acrobatics, and has instead become the meeting
Ursaliña’s lamppost-lit market sits atop the western plateau. In spot of the Nuevo Triunfo Vida, a society dedicated
this plaza, a dizzying array of foodstuffs can be found, from fresh to exploring the possibilities—magical, cultural,
fish hauled in from the ocean, to all manner of game meats, to even social, economic, and more—of egregores.
stranger fare such as the megafauna from goblin ranches. Two obe- Today, they often work alongside Professor
lisks of black diorite, polished to a mirror finish, flank the east and Xambria Meredith of Risur’s Pardwight
west sides of the wide paved plaza; by tracing the sun’s path along University, and the Drakran philosophers of
floor mosaics, they serve as timekeeping devices for merchants. Hestra Xenoism, excavating beneath the col-
The obelisks are Ancient relics, predating the founding of the city. lege to find remnants of the Gidim invasion.
Chapter Four
The city docks reside within the western quarter, evenly split be- A former instructor at the old college, Mae-
tween civilian and military moorings. Just off the southwest docks stro Eusebio Telderon, still lives on campus,
and warehouses lies an expanse of lush green grass, the Resto, a though he has not been seen in public for twenty years.
popular destination for the noon meal. Many open celebrations are In letters to the local newspaper, he claims he’s experimenting with
held at the public house in this district, Casa dola Biches, and pa- transferring knowledge directly to students. A few dozen have
rades typically muster here then march through the city, weaving agreed to learn from him, and people report hearing music thrum
along the bridges between hilltop districts. from his classroom on nights he teaches. The Executores
The city’s grandest entertainment venue sits atop the eastern Lodge warns people not to join, but will not prevent
hill. The Red Peacock Café is a fine restaurant that anchors an ever those who wish to risk their minds.
growing complex of art galleries, theaters, and fashion boutiques. Melissa Amarie, a writer and reporter from
Local working class citizens dress nicely and come here on special Seobriga, has been active in Ursaliña for months,
occasions to experience upscale life. Most of the staff are beautiful trying to find the definitive truth about the Gidim.
orc women in the finest fashions, or tiny goblins and kobolds who Professor Meredith has blocked her access to the
slink around, practically unseen, in drab hoods. excavation, and Melissa has petitioned the
local executores to overrule the foreigner, with
Military Secrets the argument that people cannot be free if in-
Ursaliña’s shipyards have slowly been losing their best workers, formation is not free too.
recruited to a clandestine military project some-
where in the mountains near the city. A City of Two Minds
Workers voluntarily accept a geas to People sometimes report hearing the city itself speak
prevent them from revealing informa- to their minds, warning them of unstable bridges to
tion about whatever they’re building. avoid, guiding them to ill shut-ins who need aid, and even remind-
All the public knows is that the enig- ing them to vote. When someone is in need of a sympathetic ear, a
matic Zarkava Ssa’litt, once the stranger may appear saying the city sent them. Sometimes in gath-
vizier of Bruse Shantus, seems erings of large crowds, bits of inanimate matter like fallen leaves or
to run the operation, and that a pebbles will organize themselves into the shape of the city’s icon: a
few workers have been given two-headed bear.
pensions after only two years But the city’s genius loci is not always friendly. During unrest,
because they began to suffer public discontent manifests as thoughtform spooks—wispy figures
from shivers and bouts of mania.

Karch
The Free City of Karch is a beacon of modernity and industrial
power, fueled by a metal-worshipping gnoll workforce and a wel-
coming attitude to wealthy industrialists. An enterprising Risuri
industrialist rules Karch, commanding the loyalty of its people,
who treat him like their old dragon tyrant. Planarite mined from
a portal atop a nearby floating island fuels electrical power plants
that light up the entire city, only one of a thousand technological
splendors that inspire awe and dread from the Beran mainland.
History
The dragon tyrant Gradiax the Steel Lord gave the gnolls of Isla
dolas Focus secrets of advanced metallurgy. It took them centuries
to rise from Stone Age tribes to form a full, modern society, but by
the time Gradiax was slain, the steelmarked gnolls were already
building early cannons and were masters at infusing constructs
with energy drawn from the island’s great volcano.
When Gradiax left them, his loyal Cult of the Steel Lord remained
focused on securing their island. While the rest of Ber fell to an-
archy, they remained isolated and refined their engineering and
technological expertise. When Ber unified, they had no interest in
joining.
The world assumed the gnolls of Isla dolas Focas were primitives.
Few believed the rumors that they were secretly the finest industri-
alists of the day.
Chapter Four
This ignorance was shattered during the Steel Revolt of 501

like translucent bears—that terrorize those who have earned the aov, when the steelmarked gnolls abducted Risuri gnome Tinker
public’s ire. And when the city tore down a beloved seaside inn to Oddcog, a brilliant but unstable technologist who was implicated
make room for a munition factory, that evening the chief architect’s in the colossus attack in Flint (page 165). Bolstered by Tinker’s
home came alive and threw itself off a cliff, killing everyone inside. impossibly advanced inventions, the gnolls launched a brief and
Efforts to mollify the noetic entity only seemed to incite it, and unsuccessful invasion of Ber and attempted to assassinate Bruse
the executores have begun discussing how to kill the being. But Shantus. The reason for this sudden shift in behavior is unknown,
Brakken of Heffanita from the council of governors believes the but Ber retaliated with a full marine invasion that sacked Karch.
only true solution is to teach the people of the city to understand The Cult signed a swift armistice agreement, and Ber
their will and refrain from desiring harm to others. withdrew.
The island remained off-limits to visitors until
Politics 510 aov, when another famed Risuri technologist
Despite his youthful reputation for being a quick-tempered dilet- visited. Benedict Pemberton—a septuagenarian
tante, Governor Cadagyr is deeply concerned for the plight of his human previously known best for his company’s
people and, as an outspoken tropezaro, a fervent advocate of ban- expertise with constructs—murdered the
ning animal blood-sports. Ursaliña’s famed Bear Games are too gnoll’s ruling chieftain, subordinated
much of a tradition for him to end completely, but he has introduced the locals, and somehow impressed
new non-bloody competitions of ursine athleticism and aesthetics, them enough to be declared the “Voice
hoping someday they’ll eclipse the violence. of Gradiax.” Pemberton quickly assured
A young man during the Gidim invasion, Dieter was captured the Beran government that he had no
and experimented on along with fifteen other citizens. He has set intention of making war, but rather sought to
up a hospital to treat and try to restore those other victims, whose offer Karch as a gift to all inventors and industrialists who wanted
bodies were warped by the Gidim to emit destructive electricity. a place free from government restraint and laborer recalcitrance.
However, the city’s local military commander Lofio Umafras Karch, Pemberton promised, has minimal taxes and no tariffs, a
has recently become enamored with the Drakan philosophy Hestra workforce that celebrates studious craft and sees rest and leisure as
Xenoism. He has argued that, after decades of the governor’s fail- a sign of weakness, and a leader eager to help like-minded innova-
ure to help these “shock troopers,” the military ought to take them. tors build the world of tomorrow. In the past twelve years, foreign
Dieter has refused, convinced Umafras just wants to dissect the investors have flowed into the city, factories have sprung up, and at
people and use the knowledge to create new weapons. the low cost of only a few industrial accidents, Karch has come to be
seen as a playground of the rich and forward-looking.

Geography traditional life of the gnolls before the arrival of Gradiax. She has
Karch is positioned along an expanse of gentle beaches. Sea turtles an unmatched knowledge of the cave paintings and carved stone-
frequently lay their eggs on the beachfront sections not yet occu- work of ancient gnolls, folk songs and prayer rituals seldom seen
pied by docks or construct-supplemented manufactories, protected by outsiders. Lhys endures constant slander from her fellow steel-
by an ancient gnoll taboo on testudine meat. Steelmarked gnolls marked, whom she claims do not want their people to understand
have historically preferred a diet of seal flesh, sea fowl, wild berries, what life looked like before the dragon tyrant enslaved the Isla.
and certain varieties of nutritious and delicious centipedes. Corn Rather than looking backward, the development known as “Pem-
is also a staple, and the dozen different ways the locals prepared berland” promises to bring the future to visitors. Slated to finish
it have been supplemented by the recent innovation of air-popped construction in 525, Pemberland will be an enormous showcase of
corn and sickly sweet refined corn syrup. the wonders of Pemberton Industries and its partners. Attractions
Karch was once circled by a forest of gnarled and spiny trees, long will include tours of a real-life BEAR manufactory (see page 225), an
since cut down to feed forge-fires or pressed into service as lamp- exhibit on alien planes led by Pemberton Industries’ interplanar
posts. The city’s most distinctive geographical feature is the nearby exploration division, and a collection of asomatous canvas projectors
volcano, Yerev’s Maw. The caves and crannies of its exterior housed and miniature animated objects displaying and declaring the glory
gnolls for centuries, but in recent decades Pemberton ordered a of Karch back when it was ruled by Gradiax the Steel Lord.
grand excavation to build an enormous foundry. The Maw rumbles When new investors come to the island, one of their first experi-
periodically, spewing forth great, lightning-wracked clouds of soot ences is a tour of the park’s few open exhibits alongside Benedict
and ebony smoke, covering the Isla. Pemberton’s daughter.
Architecture The Second Wind

Karch is, for the most part, a planned and unwalled city. Its heart A permanent storm system once hovered between island and main-
just uphill from the coast is dominated by blocky warrens built land, producing incessant rain and erratic winds, yet
from immense pumice stones, which were personally shifted long never any lightning or thunder. After the Great
ago by Gradiax and over time blackened by volcanic ash. Great Eclipse the sky cleared to reveal an island hov-
channels had been dug to redirect possible lava flows into the sea, ering a thousand feet in the air, crowned by a
Chapter Four
and in normal times they served as irrigation channels, creating a great stone ziggurat. Though formally called
verdant linear farmland. La Mota dola Tormenta, Benedict Pemberton
Upon his arrival, Benedict Pemberton proposed an aggressive cheekily calls this sky island Skyland.
urban planning program. The existing city center would remain His daughter Terri Pemberton was the first
mostly intact to maintain what he saw as its historical charm, but visitor. She discovered megaliths, primitive
it would be ringed by an orderly grid of paved roads, which would carvings of flying beasts, and a maze of
be gradually filled in with steel-framed buildings dozens of stories traps leading to a planar portal. Even better,
tall for offices, shops, and homes, all illuminated by electric lights. valuable planarite hung near-invisible in
Several small quarters of the city were set aside to have manors the air, but could be harvested by hand. Rarer
constructed in foreign styles, meant to welcome business leaders planarite—a tendril-shaped crystal called ful-
from other lands, but to keep them isolated enough that the city gurinium—thrums with blue light and is used in
would always feel dominated by gnolls, not outsiders. Karch’s power plants as a source of electricity.
Civic rail moves workers to farms and factories, while the streets Today, Pemberton Industries treats the island as one of its most
are designed specifically for Pemberton Industries roadcars—per- valuable assets, controlling access via dirigible flights. Terri over-
sonal vehicles that seat four, with a rumbling wayfarer engine that sees operations at a base called “Outpost Alfa,” and has recruited a
lets the driver speed along nearly as fast as a locomotive. group of explorers called Planar Gate-α Squad. After several forays
The steelmarked builders departed from Pemberton’s blueprint through the ziggurat’s traps, they discovered a portal to Caeloon,
in some places, however. The city was meant to feature a number the Paper Wind.
of large gardens, plazas, open-air restaurants, and public gathering On that lush world, flying stone gardens wander the winds and
areas. But the gnolls prefer less of a communal spirit, and instead lightning trickles from the sky like water rivulets. PG-α has made
built an enormous number of nooks, crannies, and small one-per- contact with its central civilization, an ascetic republic led by
son benches. What greenery there is they laid down in long narrow monks whose buildings are all crafted of paper. Terri visited once,
lines, less useful for big events, and better for solitary musing enthralled by the unknown land and hoping to open negotiations
during a long walk. Overall the city has a lonely character. for trade. All it seems the monks offered was instruction in the art
of creating flying, papercraft creatures. However, they did have
Tours of Seal and Steel some weapons that they’d recovered from a group of raiders.
The Isla dola Focas attracts a great number of wealthy tourists, who They called the raiders the “Undestined,” and described beings
line up to hike around the caldera of Yerev’s Maw, take dirigible that resembled tieflings, who shot lightning as an archer might
excursions to the Skyland, and tour the city’s many construct-sup- fire an arrow. Terri gladly took the raiders’ castoffs off the monks’
plemented forges and foundries. hands, and has already reverse engineered a new type of electroki-
One gnoll named Lhys specializes in expeditions that explore netic arctech weapon.

Politics
Though Benedict Pemberton looks about seventy, he has the verve
and mutton chops of a far younger man. Pemberton plays up his
homely country roots, speaking slowly in a deep voice and often
leaning back and tucking his thumbs into his belt loops, even when
speaking to his gnoll “worshipers.”
Foremost among those worshipers is
Ermafo, steelmarked armory savant and Pem-
berton’s personal assistant and bodyguard
when he leaves the island. She is intensely en-
thusiastic to meet outsiders and tell them of how
great her people and their leader is, and how she
hopes foreigners will grow beyond their ignorance
and recognize that metal is a blessing far superior
to flesh, one that few will ever be worthy of. Pem-
berton often has to admonish her with a grin to not
pester strangers.
The apple of Pemberton’s eye is his half-elf The Sea Chiefs traditionally dock their fleet here, though the
daughter Terri. Tutored by Lanjyr’s finest academics, Bruse is trying to deploy them closer to the Avery Sea, where
the shy and studious beauty truly stands out with their might can protect the whole nation.
her prosthetic steel arm, an eye of red crystalline * Manhill is a Risuri town on the north shore of the Marrajado
planarite, and a pair of astounding articulated mithral wings oper- del Oro, formerly a defensive fort. Today it’s a tourist destina-
ated by a cutting edge wayfarer engine implanted in her back. The tion for many Berans and Risuri, and excavations are under
gnolls of Karch refer to her as “princess,” and many yearn to serve way to possibly build a tunnel under the sea to Citado Cavallo,
her and become worthy of replacing their bodies with metal too. connecting the two nations.
Chapter Four
The heir of the Pemberton empire appears to be motivated less by * Pezarillo was a minor fishing village until the sunken portal
a desire for power, wealth, or fame than by a drive to learn and be to Ostea was discovered off its coast. Now it’s growing into
free. As unfriendly as Bruse Corta Nariz already is with Karch, she a valuable naval staging ground. The famed felid undine
became positively apoplectic at the news that Terri had visited the vagabond Lady Kotele of the Dun God has taken up residence
mainland and made contact with the fey dragon Calenche. here, hoping she can find a route to her homeworld.
* Renza is a small city on the eastern end of the Cantabrilla
Other Places of Interest Railroad, which made it possible to cross the country in two
* Abismo Condendado is a perpetual glacier a few miles away days. Its high walls make it a key defense against the gnolls to
from the route of the Cantabrilla Railroad. Once the lair of the south.
the dragon tyrant Cheshimox, tropezaros petitioned for it to * Reo Pedresco is the second-largest city in Ber, with the most
become a national park, protecting the bizarre ecosystem in diverse array of peoples, located on the western shore. Its
the supernaturally frigid swampland. river delta feeds the most verdant farmlands of the nation.
* Citado Cavallo is the family seat of Bruse Corta Nariz de * Shantre’s labyrinthine canals are venues for leisurely mi-
Guerra, and a major orc stronghold. The walled city climbs notaur operas. Its shipyards produce nearly half the nation’s
a hill overlooking Marrajado del Oro (the riven sea of gold). warships.

Crisillyir Crisillyir at a Glance

Name: Sacred Kingdom of Crisillyir These are the major figures, groups, and locations in Crisillyir most for-
Capital: Alais Primos eigners have heard about.
Other Major Cities: Cadute, Sid Minos, Vendricce •• Prime Cardinal Fiore Tullius. Head of the Clergy religion and
Teleportation Beacons: All major cities, plus Prejo Vizzuto and numerous ruler of the nation of Crisillyir. Takes no side in the Meliskan-
remote shrines, including either end of the Penance Peaks Ottoplismist debate.
Government: Ecclesiastical elective monarchy •• Arch Secula Tiesa Machulas. Commander of the military. Head
Head of State: Prime Cardinal Fiore Tullius of the Ottoplismist faction.
Official Language: Common •• Arch Legate Aulus Atticus. Godhand, former military com-
Common Heritages: Human 82%, gnome 6%, dwarf 4%, other 8% mander, now highest authority in theological law. Head of the
Meliskan faction.
Introduction •• Godhand. A sanctified warrior whose body has been transmuted
Five centuries after Triegenes founded the Clergy, its original capi- into a physical embodiment of Clericist faith.
tal in modern-day Danor was devastated, and Crisillyir became the •• The Family. An international criminal organization that originated
new seat of power of the religion. Despite the devastating collapse, in Crisillyir, known for using respectable front businesses to
the faith built its new homeland into a nation of unmatched pros- transact smuggling and protection rackets. Before the Eclipse the
perity. Trade and colonization filled the coffers, elaborate blessed Clergy supported them discreetly, but that practice has suppos-
aqueducts fed meltwater from the Penance Peaks throughout the edly ended.
land, three great cities became beacons of enlightenment and theo- •• The Host of Odiem. A small angelic legion that eschews politics,
thaumaturgic research, and a culture of self-improvement and instead focusing on retrieving fiends and cursed items to seal away
perfection created some of the grandest works of art and architec- in a vault of heresies.
ture in the world. •• Alais Primos. The capital city, known for grand cathedrals and
Yet always has Crisillyir’s light cast a shadow. Official dogma had blessed canals, surrounded by a ring of mountains. Rebuilding
long flirted with Demonocratic traditions, such as spirit-binding after a devastating volcanic eruption twenty years ago.
and necromantic reanimation, and fiends were prisoners only until •• Sid Minos. Dreary island city, renowned for its navy and as seat
Chapter Four
they became more useful as weapons. Priests kindled hatred of El- of the Ottoplismist faction.
faivar to silence any voices that questioned their power, and even •• Vendricce. Perhaps the most conquered city in the world, cur-
after the Great Malice, the Clergy continued to praise its people rently recovering from an Elfaivaran occupation. Destination for
when they vilified and tormented the shattered empire’s survivors. artists and international trade. Seat of the Meliskan faction.
Fat merchant lords purchased indulgences to absolve themselves of •• Prejo Vizzuto. Small city founded as a penal colony, where
the evils of assassination and theft, while Clergy hierarchs blessed penitent murderers would go to pray for the resurrection of their
a criminal syndicate to justify their control of the underworld. victims. Priests of the Clergy who become powerful enough to
Now, amidst the fallout of the Great Eclipse’s terrible god trials, a raise the dead are required to come here for trials to ensure they
fierce theological schism feeds that long-looming darkness. In the will not abuse that sacred blessing, while many mourners make
light of day, the kingdom’s leader, Prime Cardinal Fiore Tullius, pilgrimages here hoping to regain their lost loved ones.
tries to build alliances with other nations while maintaining tradi-
tional Clergy dogma. But in the darkness of night, two radicalizing
factions engage in a holy civil war for the destiny of the nation.
Grand History
The history of Crisillyir began with Triegenes, and the nation is
the inheritor of his legacy.
The Fisher King

The story of the Clergy began at sea: a human fisherman named
Triegenes discovered the secret of divinity while battling a storm.
He returned to his home in Danor and preached of the divine spark
within all mortals, and how by constantly challenging oneself, a
person can become like a god. He inspired followers to fight beside
him, to defeat the elemental titans of Danor, and to found a new
nation based on a divine hierarchy where rank and reward would
be based solely on merit.
With his kingdom established, Triegenes undertook the greatest
challenge left in the mortal world. He led an army east to vanquish
the Demonocracy, a tyrannical and literally fiendish regime that
controlled all the land between Danor and Elfaivar. First, he cast

down the demons’ Drakran warlord allies in their towers, then Crisillyr: Landscape and Cuisine
panicked the fiends’ draconic steeds into abandoning the battle Crisillyir’s climate is sharply divided; the Penance Peaks ensure frequent
and fleeing to other lands. In his final battle, Triegenes sacrificed rainfall for the temperate verdant southwest, while those same peaks
himself to obliterate the demonic armies and their leaders, and block clouds and ensure that the northeast remains a great swath of
transcended from mortal to god. sweltering desert. Some areas have unnatural weather patterns, such as
Sid Minos’s near-daily drizzle, suspected to be the consequence of evil
Pax Danorana spirits seeping into the sea from a nearby island that once held a vault
Triegenes’s followers founded the Clergy, an ecclesiastical empire of heresies.
styled after his divine hierarchy, and set themselves to the task of Most of the nation lives in pleasant pastoral lands, criss-crossed by
imprisoning every demon and profane being the Demonocracy had blessed aqueducts, connected by ceraunic wire telegraph and a grow-
ever unleashed. Permanently banishing a fiend was impossible, ing network of railroads. Every village has a shrine to some god of the
and killing one would merely cause it to later remanifest elsewhere Clergy, and every town has a church.
in the world, but the Clergy became ingenious in its methods of Wise Triegenes created an annual diet for maintaining the perfect
binding and tormenting these beings of evil. human form, and it greatly influences Crisillyiri cuisine. During the first
As Kelland’s defeat of the titans granted Risur an age of unity and fast, only vegetables such as olives, lemons, figs, and tomatoes are
growth, so too did the Clergy’s successful crusade against demon- eaten. During the second fast, rich foods such as chocolate, truffles,
kind grant the continent a new age of peace and security. Centuries syrup, cheese, and strong spices are avoided. At other times in the year,
passed, and the Clergy became a mature and prestigious empire, popular Crisillyiri meals involve wine, pizza, and seafood, often flavored
with Triegenes’s teachings an unshakeable cornerstone: that every with rich saffron. The national dish is stromboli, said to be the dish pre-
person has greatness within them, and it is through challenges that ferred by Triegenes’s army.
they awaken their potential.
Fifty years later, two generations had passed among the humans
Pantheon and Dogma of the Clergy, but memories were still raw in Elfaivar. The elves
The Clergy welcomed into its pantheon the gods of every land they started a second war, seeking (as the Clergy had) to reclaim lost
liberated, as well as those of travelers from afar, requiring only that land, and then (as the Clergy had) fighting on to seize new territory.
Chapter Four
they agree with Triegenes’ core message. The myriad gods and their This second war was far more vicious, driving both nations to
priesthoods developed the concept of a celestial bureaucracy, with desperation and sin.
every deity serving a role and balancing their authorities. Most Elfaivaran rajputs slaughtered prisoners of war en masse,
priests chose a single god to champion, though they learned the burned fields to starve the Clericist armies, and dragged whole vil-
tenets and lore of many others. lages into the Dreaming. Clergy prelates retaliated by invoking old
What remained constant over generations of this rise and fall Demonocracy tactics, necromantically defiling the bodies of slain
were the humble fisherman’s virtues: honesty, temperance, char- elves to create an army that did not need to eat. Vendricce and Sid
ity, diligence, mercy, humility, curiosity, and bravery; and the vices Minos fell to siege. Clerics released demons and sent them into the
that he resisted: hubris, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, igno- heart of Elfaivar as assassins. Horrors compounded horrors.
rance, and melancholy.
The faith’s battle against demonkind led to a deep understanding The Great Malice
of the planes, as well as a coldly utilitarian view of the necromancy The final battle of the war began at the walls of Alais Primos. After
the demons had made regular use of. Where the demons would many months of siege and inconclusive assaults, one day the armies
torment prisoners by binding their souls or use the reanimated of Elfaivar saw striding above them the towering and divine form of
corpses of their foes as conscript troops, the Clergy would bind the Srasama, Elfaivaran goddess of womanhood. Her three sets of arms
souls of sinners to show the pious what horror awaited those who held six flaming swords, which shattered a magical shield over the
turned to evil, and sometimes reanimate bestial skeletons for battle city. Her elated people followed her into the breach.
or parades. But the Clergy’s forces assailed Srasama with endless spears,
Such spectacles were only some of many ways the Clergy used arrows, and specters, and the warriors of Elfaivar screamed in de-
its power to impress, and despite their emphasis on humans above spair as their great goddess fell. Her death unleashed a pillar of fire
other species, they became and remain today the most widespread that could be seen from as far as distant Seobriga, and a power that
Lanjyran faith. swept across the whole world. Nearly every Elfaivaran woman per-
ished, a calamity that effectively destroyed the Elfaivaran Empire.
The Two Victories But a separate backlash erupted centered on the Clergy’s capital
For long centuries, the Clergy had uneasy relations with Elfaivar, in the distant city of Methia in Danor. Many Clericists of all ranks
with intermittent small wars and trading of territory. Finally in contorted in pain as their bodies grew “demonic” horns and tails, and
the year 50 bov, with the Clergy having lost Vendricce and nearby a vast swath of hundreds of miles became an area of no magic, while
lands, the prime cardinal of the day whipped his people into a beyond became a region of wild magic that warped the landscape.
fervor and began a holy war that would come to be called the First That devastation and the transmutation of people into tieflings
Victory. The Clergy drove back the unprepared Elfaivarans and would come to be called the Great Malice, because most saw it as a
even encroached across the Strait of Sjögren. dying curse laid by Srasama. However, the Clergy celebrates this

Elfaivaran Slave Trade

The aftermath of the Great Malice was also when the Elfaivaran slave
trade began. Clergy hierarchs and the merchant princes who were
growing rich in the chaos after the Second Victory tried to take the few
Elfaivaran women who survived as trophy brides. In that time, it was
seen as a fine status symbol to have contributed to the genocide of the
Elfaivaran people. Over the centuries, these rich villains forced enslaved
male Elfaivarans to rape the enslaved Elfaivaran women to produce
entire family lines which they could sell across the continent.
Only in the past few decades have any Crisillyiri begun to grapple
with the trauma and cruelty their nation was responsible for. Slavery is
still technically legal in Crisillyir, though Meliskans are trying to end the
practice as a show of good faith to deescalate conflicts with Elfaivar.
The Lovely Legion

The Clergy gave its most cruel insult in the colony Angelus, where a re-
bellion in the year 2 aov was put down by an army of necromantically
reanimated Elfaivaran women, whose corpses had been dug up from the
fields around Alais Primos. Though the Clergy has generally agreed to
forget this breach of its own morals, in the colony there are still paintings
lionizing the legion of the dead, and it is rumored that the legion may still
lie in wait in some secret barracks in Angelus’s capital city Redenzion.
war as their Second Victory, because it set the nation on course for
its golden age. So great was the upheaval in the world that scholars
Chapter Four
soon began to record time relative to it.
Exodus and Rebirth The Clergy’s Collapse

After the Great Malice, the Clergy reconstituted itself with its new Long before the dragon, when the stars first fell from the sky, the
capital in the Crisillyiri city of Alais Primos. The discovery of devas, faithful turned to their hierarchs for guidance, only to discover
imbued with divine power, was taken as a sign of righteousness. that hundreds of high-ranking Clericists had already taken their
The Elfaivaran Empire had been worse than decimated, and own lives. They left behind confessions of corruption and venality.
Crisillyir invaded and established colonies. Through these, the The Clergy’s leadership all-but vanished in a single night, and with
wealth and wisdom of the elven nation flowed back to Crisillyir, them many secrets of the faith.
and colonial forces began systemic efforts to crush any Elfaivarans Then came a moment of hope: angels appeared, saying they had
who did not accept their defeat. been summoned by a thousand years of prayers. The angels’ gazes
Though the Clergy was nowhere near as powerful as before the were keen in discerning demonic taint, but they proved blind at
Great Malice, it remained the most powerful institution in Lanjyr discerning the evil within mortal men. An angel stood at the side
after the Second Victory. It was unable to hold onto lands west of of Legate Savina Tullius as she called for the god trials, and her
the Penance Peaks, but Drakr and many border states still looked to message was transmitted across the whole nation by early ceraunic
it for guidance and trade. Their international dominion only began cables.
to falter after the year 300, when Danor began contesting Risur for
control of the Yerasol Archipelago. Crisillyir refused to allow new “Open your eyes, citizens! The gods protect us no longer. Bear witness to
industrial innovations into its lands, which they saw as the cre- their failures: the stolen sun, the wilted vines, the rising soot of the Abyss.
ation of “devils” in Danor. Though the seat of the Clergy remained Bring these false gods to face the people’s judgement; bring their snake-
a wellspring of art and culture, the axis of global influence shifted tongued priests, their bishops and hierophants. Bring them to me, at the
westward away from Crisillyir, toward Risur. Plaza Hyperion. We shall try them for their crimes, and march the guilty to
Enzyo Mons, to face the maw of the mountain!”
The Great Eclipse and Aftermath —Legate Savina Tullius (502 aov)
After months of a sky with no sun or stars, the capital city Alais
Primos was bathed in light when the holy volcano Enzyo Mons
erupted. The lava took the body of a 300-foot-tall dragon which The God Trials
would come to be called Esurientes, Draco in Ruinam, and it obliter- The elven orator Savina Tullius was Risuri-born, Beran-trained,
ated the Cathedral of Triegenes at the volcano’s edge. and Clergy-sworn, until the stars fell from the sky and she re-
The event is remembered as the perhaps the third worst catastro- nounced her faith. Rousing crowds in Alais Primos to a fury, she
phe Crisillyir experienced during the Great Eclipse. compelled from them guilty verdict after guilty verdict for eight

gods, recounting their ancient oaths to protect Crisillyir and decry- and buried following the trials’ devastating verdicts. Their doctrine
ing their absence in this hour of need. is based upon turning away from pantheism and Triegenes’s teach-
The priests were taken to Enzyo Mons, where the Cathedral of ings, instead prioritizing Meliska above other gods and following
Triegenes overlooked the volcano’s caldera. For centuries priests her tenets of love and mercy, particularly towards those needy folk
had hurled cursed items and bound demons into the lava, consign- who need succor most.
ing them to burn forever.
The godhand Vitus Sigismund, with great angels at his side, “The Great Eclipse, the return of the gulmohar, the suicide
daubed the priests with blood according to some ancient ritual, of the hierarchs; these are signs that we live in a chaotic
then chanted a prayer over them. The bodies of these priests trans- age, wherein no one stands alone, and wherein it is the
formed into the bodies of their gods, which Sigismund hurled into highest moral duty to help one another. Meliska was the
the lava below. The eight gods burned and died, much as Srasama ninth deity to be accused, and was innocent; thusly,
had centuries earlier, and as with her, all the followers of those gods she was shown mercy by being spared the horrors of
perished with them. Enzyo Mons. As she now shows mercy to others, so
must we, all the more so towards the impoverished
The Eruption and the vulnerable.”
Tullius and Sigismund were ultimately defeated. During the ninth —Arch Legate Aulus Atticus
trial, meant for a goddess named Meliska, King Baldrey Korrigan of
Risur interceded, and persuaded Sigismund that he was simply de-
laying his ultimate goal: a trial for Triegenes himself. A deva named Ottoplismists
Malthusius stepped forward to advocate for the chief god of the Ottoplismists ardently maintain many traditional Clergy doc-
Clergy, and gave a grand oration that turned the people of the city trines. They hold that the eight deities executed in the god trials
against the trials. were innocent. To respect their noble martyrdom, their powers and
Accounts vary wildly—about half claiming that Sigismund de- portfolios must be held above all in the former pantheon, save for
clared himself a liar and heretic, others that he refused to accept holy Triegenes. The Ottoplismo movement worships the memory
an innocent verdict—but all saw the godhand hurl himself into of the martyred eight, invoking their guidance in the harsh trials
Chapter Four
the volcano. Somehow his death shattered the wards on the vol- of the path to self-perfection. While Ottoplismist doctrine con-
cano, unleashing in one moment all the evils that had been sealed clusively outlines how this is metaphysically possible, Meliskans
inside. That evil gave itself skin of lava and the form of a dragon, mock the worship of dead gods as wholly delusional and no better
and scorched its way down the mountain, intent on incinerating than the Elfaivaran worship of Srasama.
the seat of the Clergy.
The combined efforts of thousands managed to defeat the dragon “The path of self-improvement is available to all. It is the most
and save the city, but in the chaos two long-imprisoned demon important part of anyone’s life, and it is the road to
lords escaped—Namtar-Shamash and Ishara-Anaan—along divinity. Godhood is now more important than ever. In
with hordes of their minions. Many other fiends around the coun- an age of steam and steel, of demons and monsters,
try were also released during the Eclipse, though it’s unclear if all of eight martyred gods, we need righteous souls
were freed due to Sigismund’s actions. to follow in Triegenes’s footsteps and apotheosize,
Alais Primos has been mostly rebuilt, but the god trials left a to take on the mantles of those deities unjustly
deep spiritual scar in the faith of the Clergy. The worst catastrophe murdered; their deaths do not stop these gods
that happened to Crisllyir during the Great Eclipse was the start of from guiding our trials of self-perfection. This
the schism. world is flawed by design, to create challenges
and serve as a crucible for paragons; to
Two Decades, Two Faiths carelessly quash another’s challenges is to risk
Fear and doubt in the wake of the god trials drove many to recon- denying them their opportunities to grow.”
sider their beliefs. Traditionally, the integrity of the doctrine would —Arch Secula Tiesa Machulas
be maintained by the Clergy hierarchs, but with so many having
committed suicide, particularly the more conservative leaders, this
did not occur. As time passed and the miracle of the return of the Factional Holdings
Elfaivaran gulmohar became known, Crisillyiri faith and society Ottoplismo members are commonly soldiers, inventors, hunt-
schismed into two major factions. ers, and investigators, and their core of support is in the ore-rich
west. Holding each other to standards of honor and bravery, their
Meliskans concern for the integrity and recovery of their nation is para-
Meliskans are grounded in worship of Meliska: the goddess of mount. Their strongest influence is in the tainted city of Sid Minos,
eclipses, lovers, and reconciliation. They believe that the Great where Ottoplismist leaders command its many shipyards and war
Eclipse and the ensuing god trials are proof that the eight deities academies.
executed—and perhaps even Triegenes—were guilty of deceiving The Meliskans were founded in Crisillyir’s agrarian east. Melis-
and abandoning their followers, and absolutely deserve to be dead ka was a little regarded goddess whose only real shrine was in the

eastern fishing port of Mazara del Vallo. But her teachings have
become popular among farmers, merchants, diplomats, and aris-
tocrats. Fearing the economic disruption of industrialization and
social upheaval seen in other countries, they are eager for Meliska’s
principles of mercy and charity to be used to protect Crisillyir’s
most vulnerable and most impoverished. The seat of Meliskan
power is the city of Vendricce.
Schism and Violence

Tensions between the two factions percolated for years. The Ot-
toplismists defied tradition and embraced firearms. The Meliskans
denounced them for using the weapons of devils, but then qui-
etly began arming themselves as well, for which they were widely
mocked as hypocrites.
Some measure of peace was maintained thanks to the shared
need to defend against the freed demons that spread through the
country, but the demonic threat has also led to endless cries to not
listen to the “abyssal lies” of one hierarch or another, whose “ob-
vious heresy is doubtlessly a sign of being a demonic infiltrator in
disguise!”
In many cases, Ottoplismists and Meliskans genuinely believe back on them, doing more damage to their own ships than the near-
that their opponents are, indeed, being corrupted by demonic en- invulnerable fire ships.
tities. People have reported seeing tiny evil spirits roaming night As Vendricce’s residents sought a peaceful compromise, Adin
time streets, particularly in neighborhoods with outspoken mem- and her army occupied the city, conscripting many citizens and
bers of both factions. Psychometric researchers from the Danoran putting the remainder under house arrest. Adin boldly sent notice
Chapter Four
Académie de Bergeron have theorized that, rather than demons, this to the Clergy hierarchs of her intention to use Vendricce as a staging
rising rancor is actually manifesting as tiny entities they call point for reclaiming Elfaivar. The city’s shipyards, armories, and
“noetic thoughtform spooks.” strategic position would allow her to strike at all the colonies hold-
Yet as factionalist as Crisillyir became, religious disputes alone ing what she declared stolen land.
were not enough to lead to violence, not until tensions were in-
flamed by a botched crisis. Crisillyiri Counterattack
Prime Cardinal Fiore Tullius sent Crisillyiri battalions to sur-
The Gulmohar Invasion Crisis round the city, but he had no experience with war. Crisillyir’s forces
In the initial years after the Great Eclipse, some Meliskans pro- were predominately secular military, under command of Arch
posed letting Elfaivar’s gulmohar immigrate to the colonies as a Secula Tiesa Machulas, though the primary magical assets sent
way of recognizing that the land had been theirs. Ottoplismists— were clerics reporting to Legate Aulus Atticus. The two ideological
and most Elfaivarans—scoffed, offended by the idea from different rivals clashed on strategy, and eventually settled on an ineffectual
directions. siege, waiting for additional arms to arrive.
Drakr’s Armiger faction supplied the Clergy army with modern
Adin Radhasi and the Imperial Sentinels siege equipment, but that took two months to arrive. By that time,
Encroachment by the Elfaivarans turned to raids, and by 510 aov Drakr’s Reformist faction put their finger on the other side of the
those raids sometimes escalated into terroristic murders, which scale, shipping food and relief supplies to Vendricce—supplies
prompted Crisillyir to abandon its colony Vigilia and recall its which Adin’s forces used for themselves. Danor claimed it was
citizens. neutral and simply wanted to be allowed to sail its ships through
Then in 519, the Elfaivaran leader Adin Radhasi attacked and the Strait of Sjögren, but distrustful Crisillyiri gunboats fired on
occupied Vendricce. She launched her attack using recovered ves- a merchant ship they thought was violating an embargo. This led
sels from the Elfaivaran Empire called “fire ships”: wood-hulled to Danor sending its own frigate to protect their merchant vessels.
sailing vessels, about the size of a caravel, but layered with magical A potential turning point came when Bruse Corta Nariz of Ber
defenses and painted in vivid, beautiful red and gold. dispatched a large fleet in support of Crisillyir, and they tried to
Crisillyiri defenders in their proud new steam gunboats overwhelm and sink Adin’s fire ships. But the proud Berans fared
launched barrages of cannons at the nimble fire ships, only to see no better than Crisillyir’s navy, and they were routed.
flames spiral in the air beside their targets, opening into extradi- The siege dragged out over a year as the Prime Cardinal hesitated,
mensional portals. Their cannon balls flew into the portals, and afraid that overstepping might provoke Adin to raze the city and
then another set of portals opened beside the Crisillyiri gunboats, kill its residents. Crisillyiri forces slowly tightened the siege, but
from which flew those same cannon balls. Some of their shots man- Adin was able to use Vendricce’s infrastructure to arm her people
aged to land true, but nearly every attack they launched was turned and launch coastal raids against numerous colonies to the east.

Pursuit and Humiliation

Cardinal Palmieri, Legate Tullius’s second-in-command and an
Ottoplismist, led a force in pursuit of Adin’s ground forces. After
weeks tracking the elves through the jungle, the cardinal found
them seeking sanctuary from the Risuri colony of Kellandia. Think-
ing his actions were justified in defense of Crisillyir, he demanded
the Risuri colonial defenders let his soldiers attack the elves. When
the colonials refused, the cardinal attacked the Risuri directly. The
battle was a stalemate and eventually, with no supply lines through
Kellandia’s jungle, the cardinal realized his error and surrendered.
After two attacks by Crisillyiri forces, King Baldrey demonstrated
rare temper, demanding a formal surrender and concessions from
Prime Cardinal Tullius, lest Risur actively retaliate. Under the bar-
rels of Risuri guns, the Prime Cardinal publicly apologized and
signed the Treaty of Sawyer. Crisillyir had reclaimed Vendricce, but
was required to cede the colony of Tropaeum to Elfaivar, leaving only
Angelus as their last colony. Adin and her forces paid token repara-
tions, and to this day continue to chip away at the colony Angelus.
Aftermath
In Crisillyir, the need to lay blame for the nation’s failure drove
Meliskans and Ottoplismists to heighten their accusatory rhetoric.
Rumors faulted Legate Atticus and the Arch Secula for sending false
orders to each other’s forces or suggested the entire assassination at-
King and Coaltongue tempt on the king was a hoax. Meliskans were accused of cowardice,
Chapter Four
King Baldrey Korrigan of Risur sought and received permission Ottoplismists of turning the world against Crisillyir in unjust war.
from the prime cardinal to attempt to broker a peace. The king Within a year, bodies started showing up in canals.
made an imposing entrance aboard his ironclad flagship Coaltongue,
leaving a trail of smoke as it circled in the sky above the city and Supernatural Threats
harbor, held aloft by powerful levitationals and dozens of mages. The Clergy had long known that simply destroying the body of a
After that implicit threat of force against both sides, the king fiend would release its malevolence, which would corrupt some
lived up to his reputation for wisdom and intellect. He made clear other being. It became standard practice for the Clergy to instead
he intended to hear everyone’s grievances, and proposed a series imprison defeated demons and devils—and any other unfamiliar
of small exchanges of concessions to help people build trust in each creature which they could reasonably mistake for one.
other. Alas, the negotiations would not last long enough for his plan The execution of deities in God Trials meant some wards failed
to come to fruition. immediately. Other wards simply decayed over the following de-
A small group of old guard godhands, led by Brother Aurelio cades as the priests who would have maintained them had perished,
Cethe, blamed the foreign king for causing the death of their friend and chaos had destroyed the records of their locations.
Vitus Sigismund, architect of the god trials, and for the more nebu-
lous crime of “choosing the wrong stars.” Girded with a fortune of Demons and Devils
potions and charms, the godhands boarded the Coaltongue, chal- Today, hellhounds gather packs of stray dogs in burnt out districts
lenged the Risuri king, and attempted to slay him in a fusillade of Alais Primos. Librarians are seduced by smoldering succubi who
of gunfire. They nearly succeeded, and in so doing provoked a de- ask only that certain books be destroyed, or that others be slipped
structive battle. onto the shelves. Waxy blobs the shape of children scamper through
The Arch Secula, convinced Risur would side with Elfaivar tunnels under Sid Minos, giggling as they use stolen picks to tunnel
in retaliation, ordered a swift attack on Vendricce, using every to oubliettes holding the severed body parts of a still-living demon
modern weapon they could bring to bear. Explosive artillery and prince. Giants with black halos and chitinous claws slaughter
light bomb-carrying dirigibles cleared the way for ground forces, remote villagers and array their entrails in rituals to transform
but they found the city reinforced with Elfaivaran magic. Localized wild lions into corrupted predators invisible to the eyes of the pious.
earthquakes, thorned treants, and blasts of arcane fire killed sol- Bishops enslave people for golden riches, then cake their faces in
diers by the hundreds and civilians by the thousands. makeup to hide the yellow veins pulsing out of their skin.
After a week, the Clergy attackers forced the Elfaivarans out of These beings feed on dark temptations and brutish emotions,
the city, but poor naval coordination—and accusations of interfer- and while they do not seem to possess the numbers or coordination
ence by the Danoran warship in the harbor—let Adin retreat with to be an existential threat to Crisillyir, they always lurk as perils
her fire ships, while the bulk of her forces safely withdrew across in the shadows. They torment the vulnerable and stoke paranoia
the isthmus. As they departed, Vendricce smoldered. among the strong.

And Fey The half-elf Fiore Tullius achieved his posi-

Long have rural gnome villages maintained ties with the fey of tion in 508 aov thanks to the joint support of
the Dreaming through pittura circles, portals marked by rings of the Ottoplismists and Meliskans, a rare show
vegetation—usually flowers like toadflax. But after the God Trials, of unity. He was an unorthodox choice: then just
Crisillyir’s Dreaming underwent a strange transformation. a boy of 13, physically weak and inexperienced,
Instead of being a verdant reflection of the real world, it was with no intellectual accomplishments. Worse,
remade into a vast labyrinthine gallery of art and paintings, with he was the son of Savina Tullius, the elven
seemingly every notable work of art in the country being mirrored Legate who broke her oaths and led the god
there. Nearly all the fey in the region were sucked into paintings trials. His only talents of note were his sweet
and transformed into figures from the art—often angelic, but singing voice and his savant-like skill as a
sometimes grotesque. spirit medium. But he was pious and humble,
A gnome cleric named Tittling Grainet learned of the trans- and the two factions each thought they could
formation and, with the aid of small but brave heroes among her control him.
people, entered these old pittura circles and freed hundreds of fey
from their painting prisons. Though they could not reverse the The Wrong Man in the Right Place
faeries’ transmogrification, they made a pledge to help each other— Twenty-seven years old now, Prime Cardinal Fiore’s hair has al-
using Clergy magic to rescue more trapped fey, and fey magic to ready turned silver, and he remains frail, but he fights every day to
protect the wilderness from fiends. maintain his independence. He focuses on one of his few sovereign
Painted fey patrol in ever widening rings around gnome settle- portfolios: foreign affairs, nurturing economic and military ties
ments, daubing prominent landforms with guache and acrylic and with Drakr, Ber, and Risur.
oil paint to repel demons and devils. Dozens of these small safe- He knows “fatherly” Aulus and “motherly” Tiesa are both deter-
holds have arisen in the wilderness, and the largest are colloquially mined to not only control him, but to sway their “child” to their
called “halos,” as they are a ring of protection against evil. respective causes. So Fiore drives competition between the two of
Alas, in the eyes of the Clergy’s official inquisitors and monster them, feigning a lack of conviction while actually deftly treading
hunters, the halos are still tainted from a long association between a middle ground. Yet he recognizes that encouraging disunity be-
Chapter Four
the Dreaming and various realms of unholy temptation. A group tween the two is dangerous. Fiore’s chief goal is de-escalation of the
of templars attacked and burned one gnome village and the sur- shadow war.
rounding pittura circle near the shores of Mare Schiavo, seeing no He has established a number of surreptitious diplomatic contacts
difference between the unearthly painted fey and any other demon. with Chancellor Heid of Drakr, hoping to learn about the Kuch-
Tittling Grainet has been declared a heretic, and is on the run. nost techniques both influencing and mimicked by Ottoplismists
and Meliskans.
The Present People whisper that the young Prime Cardinal spends his nights
A shadow war rages in the night of Crisillyir, where fiery righ- communing with the wisest and most penitent spirits of the Bleak
teousness hardens into cold spite. Travelers praying at the wrong Gate, who have learned much in Purgatory. Witnesses report that
roadside shrines are found with slit throats and a mouth full of salt, once a month the head of the Jenevah Grand Librarium enters
ceraunic cable towers find their messages intercepted or sabotaged, the hierarch’s chamber, carrying a lantern-staff that emits an
buildings catch alight with necrotic fire, and zombie-saints and otherworldly light. This imagery evokes an old legend about the
other undead monsters roam the streets on dark missions. Both Mandatum Mortuum, a likely mythical organization that serves
sides accuse each other of being pawns for foreign and demonic the spirits of the dead, seeing their needs as just as important as
influences. those of the living, and actively working to bring the dead to power
Human supremacism and xenophobia are rising. The Prime Car- in this world.
dinal attempts to promote peace by mediating disputes and giving
speeches condemning the dishonor of disunity, but he can only Cardinal Advisors
slow the escalation, not reverse it. The next two most powerful figures are the Arch Secula and the
Arch Legate.
The Government and Its Leaders
Crisillyir has a council of cardinals who elect their prime cardinal Arch Secula
to be final arbiter of decisions, though many powers are delegated. The Arch Secula is head of the government’s non-religious obliga-
tions, foremost among them the military. While divine spellcasters
Prime Cardinal often aid the military, they ultimately report to the Arch Legate.
After the Great Eclipse, the deva Malthusius who defended The Arch Secula also handles mundane matters of trade, in-
Triegenes in the god trials served as interim prime cardinal for a frastructure, and enforcing the law. Despite the name of the title,
handful of years to stabilize the nation. But he had no desire to hold rarely is an Arch Secula anything but fervently devout.
onto power, and was fine bearing people’s scorn for the struggles Arch Secula Tiesa Machulas speaks for the Ottoplismist faction.
he made them endure. He hoped whoever succeeded him would be A soldier caught in the blast of Srasama’s death and reborn as a deva,
able to begin with a fresh slate. she has served the Clergy in a number of positions over her five

centuries, most frequently as an inquisitor. Machulas led efforts merchant, a virtuous bravura finds their own justice, as turning to
that reformed the inquisitors from brutes compelling denounce- the local constabulary would show their weakness.
ments and confessions into modern investigators who relied upon A bravura is Family for life, no matter what. Even if caught and
eyewitnesses, physical evidence, and reliable divinations. jailed, they are still part of the Family, and will be protected and
Warm and generous to her allies, she has sought to befriend Fiore cared for as long as they keep their tongue still. Any honorable
and steer him toward duty and honor. She has also begun cultivat- soul can become a bravura, although by tradition, all mid- to high-
ing relationships with Empress Eloise Duffet-Jierre, as well as ranking bosses must be of Crisillyiri descent. Some chapters of the
members of the Drakran Armiger faction. Some day she hopes to Family have been known to bend that rule as needed; the Seobriga
restore the empire Triegenes founded, spanning the entirety of clan has inducted a number of worthy orcs and goliaths.
northern Lanjyr. While the Family’s leadership is secret, their methods are pre-
Her most prized possession is the Second Blade of Srasama, which dictable to those who know what to look for. They start small:
she personally recovered from the battlefield at Alais Primos. In all Crisillyiri “merchants” establish deals with local shopkeepers and
of Crisillyir there is likely no finer fighter. traders. Then the locals are invited into generous swindles: avoid-
ing local taxes and tariffs, access to high-value contraband goods.
Arch Legate The illegal activity expands, recruiting local talent to work along-
The Arch Legate is always someone capable of using divine magic. side vetted, foreign thieves.
He oversees the nation’s laws and ensures they adhere to the tenets Eventually the local criminal syndicates take notice and begin
of the Clergy. He also has responsibility over the nation’s magical to push back, but it is usually too late. The Family has established
assets and liabilities. He tracks government-owned magic items itself well enough to slice out the legs of the local mob by bribing
(especially cursed items), and ensures the loyalty and purity of the their lieutenants, assassinating their bosses, and luring vigilantes
nation’s spellcasters and celestial allies. He also directs the fight and loose-cannon constables to inflict bloody “justice.”
against the demonic forces within the nation, and ensures the Once they take control, the community begins to feel benefits:
unholy beings that are still imprisoned remain that way. fewer muggings and armed robberies, more nobles and industrial-
Once a principled and beloved colonial general in charge of sup- ists suddenly sweaty-faced as they pay their new extorters. Friendly
pressing Elfaivaran uprisings and guerrilla attacks, this godhand Crisillyiri immigrants make donations towards community prod-
Chapter Four
has since become an advocate of pacifism. Key to his change in ucts and build Clergy churches. Then, for the Family, business as
belief was the return of the gulmohar. Before the Great Eclipse, he usual begins: a comfortable corruption, promoting Crisillyiri art
had no sympathy for those elves fighting a war lost five centuries and politics, and ruling over the local criminal underworld with a
ago, but the return of their lost women meant their battle was not devout parental gaze.
in vain, and thus worthy of respect.
A quiet man of noble blood who still maintains monastic vows Aesthetics
of chastity and poverty, his most prized possession is the cello he Family members tend to be supremely stylish. Outfits range from
lugged through five tours of duty and beyond. pinstripe suits to light togas, from hooded trench coats to cocktail
dresses, from svelte leathers to crinoline dresses. Family fashions
Welcome to the Family can be ancient or modern as long as there is a set of style standards
A long-underestimated force in Lanjyr is the criminal organiza- that can be adopted to reveal one as a person of refinement.
tion called the Family. They worship Triegenes, respect loyalty, and One of the few publicly “out” Family bosses, Morgan Cippiano
avoid harming innocents, but this does not stop them from vicious- of Flint, promotes the city’s fashion scene, and often hosts
ly excising competing criminal elements and taking their place. local elected officials to parties at couture galas. He
The Family was long protected by a veil of mystery, with few has an eye for classical styles that can be appreciated
knowing that it was an officially sanctioned offshoot of the Clergy. by all, and tends towards the tieless lounge suits of
It was tasked with both keeping a finger in the criminal underworld decadent Risuri nobles.
in case the church needed something illegal done in another coun-
try, and with maintaining a level of restraint and civility so that The Flint Family
those who fell to crime would not also fall from grace. Cippiano’s seat of power is in Risur, but
During the Great Eclipse, however, suicide notes of numerous he is trying to persuade hierarchs of the
corrupt Clergy hierarchs revealed the truth to the world, and the Clergy that the Drakran syndicate called
new Prime Cardinal has formally ended all ties with the Family. Kuchnost are working to turn the Melis-
Kuchnost operators in Drakr and the RHC in Risur smell weakness, kans and Ottoplismists to war. Since the Prime
each eager to tear open the Family and repurpose the remnants. Cardinal severed ties with the Family, though, few religious leaders
are willing to meet with him.
History, Values, and Traditions Worse, vicious propaganda has begun to smear Cippiano, ac-
The central pillars of the Family are faith and honor. A virtuous cusing him of smuggling evil spirits from Flint’s cursed mountain
Family bravura keeps their word, respects their partner, honors and selling them to either Meliskans or Ottoplismists, depending
their boss, mentors their underlings, and battles their foes. When on the version. Papers in the homeland say he’s more loyal to Risur
mugged by Drakran brutes or ripped off by a venal Danoran than to Crisillyir, and those in Flint say the opposite.

Solar Cathedral
A thousand years ago, Triegenes was aided in his battle against the De-
monocracy by an angel named Linia. After his ascension to godhood, his
followers asked her what they should do without the man who had unified
them. She was reported to have made a sweeping gesture up at the stars
and answered, “You are set on your course. Do not let me deflect you.”
There’s a half-truth in that accusation. It has been over a genera- Linia was never seen again, but she played a role in a strange footnote
tion since the Family became Flint’s preeminent criminals, and the of Clergy history: the Cattedrale delle Orrery, also known as the Solar
new generation feel no loyalty to their parents’ roots. Younger bra- Cathedral or the cathedral of atheists.
vuras are quite willing to sell illicit and perilous magic to both sides A century after the Great Malice, a small faction of atheists led
in the shadow war, since the money’s good, and they don’t care if by Orolo Erasmus, who denied that gods were anything more than
strangers five hundred miles away in Crisillyir die because of it. stories people used to guide their actions. Orolo claimed that to truly
fulfill the core tenet of Triegenes, people needed to improve themselves
Criminal Rivals with reason, not faith. The Prime Cardinal of the day had them tried for
Traditionally, the Family has been able to pacify law enforcement heresy, but their advocate presented as evidence in their defense a small
through bribery, but this is changing quickly. Dame Cozzi was the orrery that charted the movements of the planets.
lead Family boss in the Drakran city of Mirsk, and at Cippiano’s The advocate argued that Linia’s words suggested that the order of
urging she took the fight to the Kuchnost, starting a gang war. With the universe itself was divine, and thus any who revered reason were
startling speed, the city’s leaders began shaking up the ranks of the still pious. The Prime Cardinal, perhaps feeling charitable that day (or
local police and judges, discovering “shocking corruption” that con- perhaps simply seeing a way to keep skeptics from rebelling against the
veniently only ever involved people Cozzi had been bribing, and Clergy), agreed that if they would build a church to their god, they could
never any Kuchnost allies. worship Reason.
Before she could shift her strategy, Cozzi was betrayed by some The atheists raised funds and erected a cathedral on one of the is-
of her own bravuras, who cut her hand off and left her to be found lands near Alais Primos. Its roof is retractable glass, and over its rostrum
by local authorities. They sentenced her to hard mining labor, and a colossal orrery has spun for over three hundred years, accurately
Chapter Four
by the time she managed to escape the Family in Mirsk had lost mapping the heavens above until the Great Eclipse. Today the orrery
most of its influence. In desperation they are turning to levels of remains, tracing the paths of planets that have vanished, just as Linia
violence normally too gauche for the refined organization to con- did, fascinating visitors for what could have been and inspiring studies
science. This has only become more fodder for anti-Family news in into planar orbital mechanics.
Crisillyir.
Concurrently, Risur’s RHC is assembling “Project Rangale,” a
worldwide law enforcement coalition against the Family, operated Geography
out of the city of Shale by Chief Inspector Flood. A septuagenar- Alais Primos sprawls in a verdant valley along Crisillyir’s coast-
ian skyseer with an unimpeachable reputation, his plan is to use line, framed by a semicircle of cultivated hills and low mountains
divinations and byzantine loyalty tests to determine the integrity to the north and west, where farmers gather crops blessed by plant
of foreign officers. His chief ally and sponsor is Reeve-Duchess growth. A great, holy-warded aqueduct brings snowmelt from the
Clare Romana, a gregarious aristocrat who was on the outs a few Penance Peaks, while magics wrapped around ancient pillars pro-
years ago, but claims to have gone straight. tect pilgrims on the nearby roads. Massive and magical walls once
Cippiano is trying to persuade his allies in Flint that this “anti- surrounded it, holding back the elven armies, and while the city has
corruption” effort is going to cause more harm than good by only long since expanded beyond their boundaries, their magic still de-
targeting known crooks instead of the unknown ones. He’s looking fends the heart of the city.
for evidence to tie Project Rangale to the Kuchnost, and is actively The city’s domain extends beyond the coast. Some of the most
cultivating new young talent. grandiose cathedrals in the world are built on gorgeous, immacu-
lately-tended garden islands a few miles away from the city, and on
Alais Primos holy days flotillas carry worshipers out to pray.
Crisillyir’s capital remains scarred from the Great Eclipse, with
both a demonic chasm to the north and a factional chasm in the Architecture
city’s heart, yet it remains beautiful, threaded with blessed canals Alais Primos is dominated by massive temples, sepulchers, necro-
and surrounded by a ring of lush, pastoral hills. mantic academies, and libraries, some so large that they straddle
canals. These canals are fed by three separate aqueducts and exit
History into three separate harbors, carefully sluiced and gated so as to
Alais Primos began life as a military stronghold: a foothold in the ensure the canal waters remain perfectly tranquil.
Demonocracy-ruled land, established during Triegenes’s crusade. Hundreds of small chapels dot the city, and citizens are expected
After repelling multiple counterattacks, the fisherman gathered to visit and confess any crimes or sins at least once a week. Many
the weakened bodies of his demonic foes and flung them into the of these chapels possess enchantments of zone of truth, called “men-
nearby volcano Enzyo Mons, trapping them (it was hoped) forever. dacity-banishing benedictions.”

Holy Guns which, blessedly, has the benign goal of increasing

For centuries, firearms and other items of technology deemed its store of knowledge and protecting the contents
tainted by the apostate tieflings of Danor were illegal, and subject of its vaults. The librarian inquisitor Ken Don has
to confiscation and fines. Recent “theological revelations” have dedicated himself to understanding the
reversed this rule. Holy forges dedicated to Verus (and a handful nature and goals of the Anima, and is ap-
to Meliska) churn out firearms, divinely-reinforced cannons, con- proaching experts of the Dreaming and the
sumer goods, and more. Bleak Gate to undertake an expedition into
With the tacit agreement of high-ranking city leaders, these those realms’ version of the building.
forges are legendarily “sloppy.” Entire production runs of pistols
and rifles are regularly “botched” or “lost,” that is to say, sold by for- Politics
eign workers or greedy overseers on the black market or to factional Both of Crisillyir’s denominational factions share power in
fighters. Alais Primos. This sharing is far from peaceful, as every night, the
shadow war rages. The central factional battleground is the canals.
The Business of Healing Centuries of purification enchantments cause the canal water to
As the center of magic in Crisillyir, Alais Primos is increasingly quickly expel any impurities, which means a body dumped at night
being drawn into an embarrassingly profitable rela- will vanish into the sea, and a carefully timed explosive can be
tionship with reviled Danor. released upstream and explode further down the canal. A Melis-
Since the fall of the Demonocracy, Clergy kan church began recruiting children to pray in vigil along canals
priests have been the greatest exporter of each night for those who might die in the canals. After a drifting
blessings and magical curatives in the world. Otto bomb killed several, they condemned the Meliskans for using
Count Tarso Saccente currently oversees human shields, but did reduce their use of that particular tactic.
Hospitalia Valencia, a national consortium
with a treasury of billions of gold pieces. Delegated Power
The Hospitalia funds training in magic Formally, the Prime Cardinal rules Alais
for priests in even the most remote Primos, although common practice passes
Chapter Four
corners of Crisillyir. It is a business that the role to a mayoral proxy known as the
can make use of talent regardless of local Delegato. The current Delegato is Milriani
natural resources, and produces goods—like Syllee, a rare gnome deva who only ever
healing potions, scrolls, and more precious items—that transport reincarnated once, then spent the past 400
easily and turn steady profit, while simultaneously supporting the years as priestess of an oasis goddess from the
prominence of the Clergy religion. desert northeast. She earned a military medal
Since the Great Eclipse, however, the life-preserving influence of serving in the now-defunct colony of Tropaeum,
the planet Ostea has harshly cut into this business, as the scourge and then spent the next three centuries oversee-
of disease is far weaker than it has ever been, and nations are able to ing a tiny gnome community far from the capital.
rely on their own small output of magical restoratives and modern She left that region for the capital in protest of the “pittura
medicines. circles” that fey have erected in the wilds of Crisillyir (see page
The exception is Danor. While Danor also benefits from Ostea’s 186). Prime Cardinal Fiore personally invited her to become his
vitality, their land was for centuries a place of little magic, so they Delegato, and the Ottoplismists and the Meliskans received the
lack expertise with divine healing. Officially, trade with Danor is nomination with a shrug due to her lack of local influence and gen-
banned, but the Meliskan faction has persuaded Count Tarso to see eral unobjectionableness.
this trade both as a lucrative venture and as a mission of mercy. Canny as only an ancient gnome can be, Milriani has been
very effective in mediating factional disputes within her city and
Jenevah Grand Librarium moderating the growth of industrial forge-temples. Most of the
The Jenevah Grand Librarium stands in its own plaza, ancient and human population has come to dislike her, and oddly that shared
implacable, eight stories tall with numerous sub-levels and vaults. discontent has provided some of the only unity between the two
The nation’s greatest center of theological learning and knowl- denominations.
edge, it also holds darker secrets of fiendish lore and necromantic
esoterica. Divine Reunion
Its main doors are watched by a pair of towering basalt statues Only a handful of deva communities ever existed, as most of them
of scholars, which each contain an incorporeal, undead eidolon. scattered across the world with each new reincarnation, and so
When honored employees of the library near death, many volunteer there has never been a true unified deva identity. That may be
to have the eidolons bind their souls to the building as bibliogeists, changing.
serving as guides and caretakers for all eternity. One in three devas who have died since the Great Eclipse have
Centuries of necromantic shade-binding and holy blessings had not reincarnated. Some devas feel a relief that they will achieve
created a local-scale genius loci, known as the Anima, with bones a final rest. Others are overwhelmed with an existential horror
of basalt and flesh of parchment. The library now has a will, one they had long forgotten, and desperately seek ways to extend their

lives. Many are drawn to the philosophy of Heid Eschatol as they Battle School
ponder what would give meaning to the end of such a long, cyclical Each of the forty-four schools of the College of Divine Trials models
existence. itself after one of a number of historic exemplars: veteran soldiers,
One such eschatologist, Lady Emselle d’Grise, seeks to gather heroic civilians, esteemed sages, even a handful of literal angels.
her fellow devas to Alais Primos, the site of Srasama’s death. Through They impart the skills, tactics, and beliefs of these exemplars unto
ceraunic cables, newpapers, and traveling agents she is trying to the college’s students. Schools rise and fall depending on their pop-
reach every deva in Lanjyr, especially those who seem to be absorb- ularity and relevance to modern combat.
ing the memories of multiple other people. A few hundred citizens The greatest is currently the School of Tem, a crusader who used
of the city have joined the Cult of Reunion, believing that some day a crossbow and developed training techniques that adapted well to
the last deva will die, Srasama will be reborn, and those who served muskets. Also popular is the School of Tomas Masaryk, a great and
the deva will earn her favor. Delegato Syllee is considering criminal- noble monastery of unarmed combat and demon hunting, which
izing the cult unless they preemptively declare Srasama part of the has produced many godhands over the years. The smallest is the
Clergy pantheon, a move that would no doubt enrage Elfaivar. School of Isa Cassata, a small hall of dragonslaying, beloved by Ber.
The College is an international institution, and dispatches cadres
Sid Minos of students to conflicts across the world as field training. The Malice
As the center of Ottoplismist power, Sid Minos has embraced Lands were the target of hundreds of expeditions to quell monsters
modern industry and militarism, building vast if somewhat cha- and bring peace, though the new governments there are eager to look
otic shipyards. It offers sanctuary and fraternity to intermittently strong by saying they need no help. Upperclassmen still all must
visiting Beran flotillas. brave at least one expedition to the labyrinth under the city.
Yet as secure as it is from assault, the city is rife with spies and The leader of the College is Comandante Argento Facaro,
saboteurs. Meliskans work to turn officers. Foreign agents steal a venerable dwarf war cleric whose logistical expertise
arms and secrets, and they ply alliances or peddle paranoia to split helped Crisillyir’s navy recover despite poor tactics
loyalties within the military hierarchy. during the Gulmohar Invasion Crisis. Vain to the
point that he dyes his hair and conceals his infirmi-
Geography ty with enchanted plate armor, Facaro strives
Chapter Four
Sid Minos sits atop the island of Verità, and was once the last re- to be seen as virile and not out of touch due
doubt of a civilization that predated the Demonocracy. After the to his age, which is why he is perhaps
final battle against the fiends, all that remained were a destroyed the oldest Ottoplismist in the nation.
people and an enormous enigmatic labyrinth beneath the island’s Performatively fervent in his ardent
surface that vomited forth undead every night. The Demonocracy devotion to this new religious movement,
treated these monsters as a free foot soldiers. Later, the Clergy es- Facaro has encouraged hidebound professors t o
tablished a bastion of sacred necromancers to suppress the undead, innovate and modernize.
sometimes binding them to service out of sight of the public. Despite all these efforts to live in the present, Facaro’s pet project
While over fifty miles wide, Verità is sparsely populated, and is the School of the Holy Dragonrider, which was shuttered shortly
aside from Sid Minos only a few small settlements grow amid its after a young Facaro joined the college two centuries ago, due to
rocky terrain. Among the thousands of nooks and miniature val- dragons being hunted to extinction. Now it is reborn with a devo-
leys of the coastline are hidden entrances to the labyrinth (and exits tion to airship development, and Facaro hopes flight magic, flying
for its undead horrors). Each week, hundreds of Crisillyiri soldiers machines, or even captured fey dragons from Ber might return the
march in a circuit around its steep and treacherous shores, stop- faith militant to the skies.
ping at a different fort each night as they patrol for breaches in the
old wards, ringing holy bells that disrupt evil. The Forbidden Isle
The most infamous landmark in Sid Minos is the forbidden Isle of
Architecture Odiem. A rocky spur half a mile off the coast, marked by a lonely
Unlike most Crisillyiri cities, Sid Minos has few concessions to- and ruined lighthouse, it is a damned and cursed place. On stormy
wards aesthetics. The entire walled metropolis is like a great nights, the drowned dead rise from the waters and devour any who
fortress, with a maze of narrow and twisting streets and alleys to linger on Odiem past sunset. For centuries ships that sailed too
diffuse invading armies. close were caught in a current of blood that dashed them against
While the city’s appearance is bleak, it is usually rich with shoals. Worryingly, the current vanished after the Great Eclipse,
mouth-watering smells. The city’s long tradition of encouraging hinting that perhaps some great evil was defeated, or rather that
restaurants to boost the soldiers’ morale has led to an epicurean some evil being that was the blood’s source has escaped.
reputation. It is near unthinkable to conduct violence or politics at Beneath the lighthouse is an uncovered secret of the Clergy: the
any restaurant of even the slightest renown. Crypta Hereticarum, an underground vault wherein hierarchs
Since the Great Eclipse, Ottoplismists have undertaken to build once buried its most vile cursed beasts and objects. Five centuries
cathedrals to the eight martyred gods. The first completed, devoted ago it was abandoned and forgotten, but over time adventurers
to Marlanter, draws greater crowds than many temples of living and madmen slowly plundered it, or died trying and joined the
Clergy gods. drowned dead.

Chapter Four
During the Great Eclipse, a host of angels purged the Crypta, The highest-ranked officer stationed on Sid Minos is also the
and they reside there today. They welcome few visitors, but claim city’s leader, Quartermaster General Illidio Frezza,
that during the Eclipse they heard a cacophony of prayers rising eagle-eyed master of the city’s vast arsenal, whose
up from this place, and only later realized that some magic had left leg is a glorious prosthetic of gold and ivory.
blocked the pleas from reaching the heavens. The angels arrived in An Ottoplismist, Frezza advocates for direct
force, then later found it perilous to return to their realm of origin, action against the Greater Elfaivaran Ran, and
and so they have restored the vault’s original function. believes it is best to conquer the entire elven
From Odiem, angels depart on missions to capture subcontinent before the Ran gains more inter-
fiends and recover corrupted artifacts, bringing national allies.
them back to the vault to be sealed away forever. A key focus of Sid Minos’s industrial
The elven oracle Ottavia Sacredote, deaf to all sector is understanding and replicating
but the words of angels, serves as their nigh-incor- technology taken from Danor as part of
ruptible mortal herald. She speaks half through the Orithean Concordat. Entire work-
sign language and half through a swarm of critic shops are devoted to testing Danor’s
angels, heavily outspoken and judgmental arctech weapon designs and other revolu-
celestials each small enough to stand on the tionary gadgets. Despite their efforts, many
head of a pin. Ottavia insists the angels take production lines are plagued with accidents or useless outputs.
no side in the Clergy’s denominational rift,
but occasionally bold advocates brave Vendricce
the journey to the island to try to seek an Center of Meliskan power, the trade capital of Vendricce is strug-
alliance. gling to recover from a recent Elfaivaran occupation, and awash
with conflicting good intentions.
Politics
As a seat of military power, Sid Minos usually restricts government History
positions to those who earned rank. Travel checkpoints are ubiq- Vendricce has always been the center of conflict between Crisillyir
uitous. Visitors are expected to bear proper credentials and travel and Elfaivar. Demonocracy armies once marched southeast, only
papers, though locals who display the proper rank can come and go to be repulsed by Elfaivar’s armies of enchanted monsters and
easily, leading to a brisk trade in counterfeits and stolen uniforms. enlightened warriors. Later the Clergy retook the city in the First

The Heretical Writings of The Great Rebuild

William Miller Vendricce is in the process of urban renewal after
While Drakran philosophy is in ascendance today, for centuries the writ- the destruction of so many classical villas and
ings of a Clericist monk, William Miller, were a bedrock of Drakran cross-vaulted churches in the Gulmohar Invasion
philosophical discussions, and were read by free thinkers across Lanjyr. Crisis. The artist Ivano Guertena, descendant of a
In the run up to the Great Malice, Miller composed a treatise on hy- great painting master, argues that new buildings
pocrisy, suggesting that it is better to admit you are uncertain of your should return to the great-columned neoclassi-
beliefs than to act in contradiction with your stated values. The book, cal styles of the post-Demonocracy golden age.
widely recognized as an attack on the Clergy, allegedly drove the monk His Risuri-trained contemporary, Templeton
to flee persecution. Mantrail, sees an opportunity to advance avant-
Miller reappeared several years after the Great Malice with a new garde styles based around natural forms, like the
work of political philosophy that coincided with his effort to found a small sinuous curves of flowers.
nation, Pala, amid the chaos of the Malice Lands. In his multi-chapter Meanwhile the city’s mayor, Sindaca Santina
book he examined possible social structures, comparing robustness and (sindaca being the local term for mayor), is pushing
stability with various moral values. Early chapters allude to a conclu- ahead with plans informed by Meliskan teachings.
sion that would detail a handful of ideal nations, but today there are no The city’s primary cathedral is being rebuilt, but
complete copies of the book. since many Crisis refugees continue to live in
In 18 aov, the Clergy branded Miller a heretic, invaded Pala, and poverty, hundreds of utilitarian “temporary”
sacked its capital. He was brought to Alais Primos, where he was tor- dormitories are slated to surround the grand
tured in an effort to compel a confession. After he refused to recant, his church.
captors made a pyre of his writings and burned him alive upon it. Whenever the traveling entertainers of
For centuries, Crisillyir banned William Miller’s writings. But in the Wayfarer Cirquelistes stop by Vendricce,
505 aov, Risur’s king Baldrey Korrigan published Dialogues by the Pyre, they find many of the ruins from the recent
a text that updated Millerism with the insights from five centuries of invasion to be perfect venues for demonstrat-
changes in the world and from the king’s own hard-won experience ruling ing acrobatic and athletic tricks; the local Meliskans are wary of
Chapter Four
a nation. the performers, but tolerate them for now, while nagging them to
Admired for his role in helping end the God Trials, Baldrey’s legiti- donate a share of their earnings to local charities.
mization of Millerism has removed the taint of heresy from those older
texts, especially among the many Crisillyiri who refuse to take sides in United in Compassion
the shadow war between Meliskans and Ottoplismists. They point to The Vendriccean Family has a public spokes-
Millerism—a willingness to embrace uncertainty and to focus on morals woman in the form of Neiva Mappia, a
over dogma—as a path toward reconciliation. twenty-something who respects her superiors’
Rumors persist that the Jenevah Librarium in Alais Primos holds desires for secrecy but thinks they should oper-
copies of Miller’s final chapters in its vault, or that perhaps they were in ate openly, using their wealth and influence to
the Vault of Heresies, only to have been destroyed by the Host of Odiem. help the city rebuild. Neiva was only a toddler
See “Writings of King Baldrey” (page 166) for more information. during the god trials, but her childhood was
defined by the absence of many in her family
Victory, then lost it during the Second, then reclaimed it after the who had died.
Great Malice. In the two centuries thereafter, it even fell twice to Neiva argues that the temporary dwell-
different Beran dragon tyrants. ings are emblematic of government
Somehow the history of conquest has only enriched the city. mismanagement. She decries the Sindaca
Colonial wealth flowed into its harbor, making it Crisillyir’s pre- for presiding over a process that relies on
eminent trade port, and the regular shake-ups of leadership gave bureaucratic debates to determine who is “most needy,” leading to
the population intermittent opportunities to retake power from paralysis. Neiva believes they all need succour: the unwed moth-
corrupt leaders. The great number of battles here are represented ers of half-Elfaivaran children, the crippled Crisillyiri soldiers, the
by countless statues, mosaics, and other monuments, and the city homeless poor, and the entrepreneurs who organize laborers and
produced some of the nation’s finest artists. produce more wealth for the community.
Clergy inquisitor Brother Bertoletti leads Vendricce’s United,
Geography volunteers who distribute food, clothing, and money. He is one of
The city sits at the southernmost point of Crisillyir, separated the few to have won the aid of the angels of Odiem, though even
from Elfaivar by either the Strait of Sjögren or St. Alva’s Isthmus, his most impassioned pleas earned only a swarm of diminutive
depending on the tides. Its walls are surrounded by the enigmatic critic angels to provide purification and healing magics. Their
Tyger Forest, within whose verdant depths the Crisillyiri and El- alien mindsets and aggravatingly loud criticisms of the city’s art
faivaran Dreamings meet in a pair of great portals, leading to all and monuments are incompatible with the subtleties of the city’s
manner of bizarre terrains and painting-, yazata-, daeva-, and politics, but simple compassion is at the core of their being, making
saṃsāra-fey crossing over into the Waking. them valuable allies of the United.

Politics * Nalaam is formally an independent city state, not part of

A key focus of the city’s rebuilding efforts is the railroad. Before the Crisillyir, where arcane spellcasters control the govern-
Great Eclipse, the Avery Coast Railroad terminated in Vendricce, ment. Due to naturally strong elemental earth energy and a
stopping at the unfinished Terio Bridge. The sindaca pushed for penchant for the archmage leaders to want to one-up their
the completion of the bridge, believing that communication and predecessors, the city is a wonder of enchanted extravagance.
cultural exchange is crucial to peace, so easier access to Elfaivar is The Avery Coast railroad delivers thousands of gamblers,
essential, even if it increases the risk of invasion. gladiators, and gadgeteers to seek their fortune in this city,
This principle has been further tested by the arrival of a dip- where everything has a monetary value. Even criminals can
lomatic delegation from the distant city-state of Shaha beyond simply pay their way out of prison, though the rates go up
Elfaivar. The delegation’s leader, half-elf wizard Beryl Speaker with repeated infractions.
Haet-sal, has tried to persuade the government to send Crisillyiri * The Penance Peaks form the dog-legged western border of
criminals to Shaha. Slavery is technically legal in Crisillyir, and the nation (aside from some territory along the Mara Blakol-
Haet-sal hopes to expand its range by tempting the nation with sen). A millennium-old trail connecting scenic shrines and
the offer of taking away those of ill character. While Sid Minos and defensive forts runs the five hundred mile length of the range,
Alais Primos have expressed interest, Sindaca Santina has refused, which were recently commemorated by the late Tropezaro
both out of moral offense and in fear that doing business with artist Grefanio Storre.
Shaha—which is actively raiding and enslaving Elfaivar—would * Redenzion is the capital of the colony Angelus, on the east-
be a diplomatic disaster. ern coast of the Mare Audacitas, about thirty miles east of the
Strait of Sjögren.
Other Places of Interest
* Baia Cornelius is the large bay just east of Mare Audacitas,
which is dominated by the city Prejo Vizzuto. The river Incro- Danor
cio flows from the Lydean Hills into this bay. Name: Republic of Danor
* Cadute is a small coastal city north of the Senesi Desert, Capital: Cherage
famed for its deva inventor Levice of Buaidh, who found dif- Other Major Cities: Beaumont, Keskay, Methia
Chapter Four
ferent ways to fly in each of her incarnations. South of the city Teleportation Beacons: None
lie arid rocky badlands called Deserto Ululante. Government: Constitutional republic/informal multilateral syndicalist
* The Deserto Senesi is a vast stretch of sand dunes spanning council
hundreds of miles. Throughout Clergy history, many open pit Head of State: President Remy Duvall
iron mines were dug and later turned into somewhat unclean Official Language: Common
oases once they were abandoned. Before the eclipse, churches Common Heritages: Human 80%, tiefling 17%, other 3%
of the goddess Velkali had purified these waters and sup-
ported a constellation of settlements, but they were some of Introduction
the first targets of the escaped demons after the god trials. The birthplace of secular reason and industry, Danor was, in every
* Forza Flauros is a ruined citadel in the Senesi Desert, once a aspect, the envy of the world: its military fought Risur to defeat or
prison where the Demonocracy kept those fiends who broke standstill again and again, its engineers created machines that con-
the evil nation’s laws. nected nations, and its philosophy of perpetual progress ushered in
* The Lydean Hills lie at the southern edge of the Senesi the modern age. A mere thirty years ago, the axis of the world was
Desert. Arid and short, they are home to many villages domi- shifting to align with Danor.
nated by Meliskan churches. Yet Danor emerged from the trials of the Great Eclipse most ter-
* Mare Audacitas is the body of water just east of Vendricce, ribly scathed. The nation’s sovereign confessed to a plot to take over
which connects with the Strait of Sjögren. The coast is littered the world, then died in a military coup. The public deposed the
with forts and strange defensive abjurations from the two military, but the new civilian government imposed harsh limits on
Victories. industrial technology, and a majority of the old army withdrew and
* Mare Blakolsen is the narrow sea that runs parallel to the created a splinter nation in Danor’s heartland.
Penance Peaks west of Alais Primos. The coastal towns are Citizens dreaming of continuing Danor’s recent glory are caught
heavily fortified against centuries of hostilities from the in the gears of a bureaucracy built to appease the rest of the world.
border states on the other side of the sea, and the culture is a The other great nations saw the sovereign’s confession and de-
quilt of strange traditions. manded reparations, leading to harsh sacrifices of land, wealth,
* Mare Schiavo is the sea east of Sid Minos, around which knowledge, and prestige. Politicians try to curry foreign favor at
grows most of the nation’s agricultural bounty. the expense of Danor’s people.
* Mazara del Vallo was a minor fishing port, but now is the But the nation that sparked the industrial revolution is not one to
main pilgrimage site for Meliskans. sit idle and discontent. Geniuses and anarchists seek to reclaim their
freedom and reject the new global order. The country seems on the
brink of revolution, disaster, and coup at all times, but that is fine fuel
for invention, and a fine playground for international espionage.

Danor at a Glance
These are the major figures, groups, and locations in Danor most foreign-
ers have heard about.
•• House Jierre. Dynasty of tieflings who led Danor for five
centuries and fostered its embrace of science and reason. Their
reputation was tarnished after the Great Eclipse, but many still are
loyal and hope for a return of the family to power.
•• Orithean Concordat. International treaty that assigned Danor
blame for much of the damage in the Great Eclipse, levied a
system of reparation payments, and imposed harsh limits on the
nation’s military.
•• President Remy Duvall. Telepathic head of state, committed
to obeying the publicly unpopular Concordat as a way to spread
Danor’s character to the rest of Lanjyr.
•• Empress Eloise Duffet. Launched a military coup after the Great
Eclipse, and killed the last Jierre sovereign. Was repelled by the
civilian population and withdrew with loyalists to create a dictato-
Grand History rial splinter state she named the Imperium Sophi Danoris.
Once the birthplace and capital of the Clergy, Danor was torn apart •• Courseurs. Ideological movement of those frustrated by the
by the effects of the Great Malice five centuries ago. Pulses of wild Concordat and with unresponsive politicians, who seek instead to
magic, waves of antimagic, and the birth of unearthly malice beasts ignore government and find their own solutions. Possibly receives
emptied cities and carved new borders. Srasama’s curse trans- discreet backing by Duffet’s Imperium, hoping to weaken Danor for
formed Clericists of all ranks into demonic creatures with horns conquest.
and barbed tails. In revulsion over these new “tieflings,” Clergy •• Cherage. Beautiful seaside capital which hides its poor workers in
remnants performed a dramatic exodus and crossed eastward to walled enclaves far from shore.
Chapter Four
establish a new capital in the holy land of Crisillyir. •• Beaumont. Former naval bastion and the source of the nation’s
After decades of chaos, a charismatic hierarch-turned-tiefling wildest art and political movements.
named Jierre united the fractious survivors under a new vision. If •• Methia. Ancient capital of the Clergy, previously ruined but being
gods and magic could no longer reach Danor, then it would be the rapidly militarized by Duffet’s Imperium. Lies in a wild magic zone.
hands of mortals that would create power and safety. It was magic, •• Avery Coast Railroad. The most prestigious international rail
he declared, and the superstitions and archaic beliefs that were its route running from Beaumont to Vendricce, which Danorans cling
trappings, that had held back the people of Danor from their po- to as a legacy of their faded global influence.
tential. No foreign nations would invade a land that devoured their
spellcraft, so Danor would fear no invasion. It would decide its own
fate, and as long as all its people were devoted to the ideal of prog-
ress, Danor would one day be the strongest nation in the world.
By many measures, it became that nation.
Looking to the Future

Jierre led a congress of peers, but his family became a dynasty that
produced Danor’s greatest statesmen, scholars, and inventors. For
forty-eight terms, each a decade long, the ruling Sovereign elected
from the congress was a Jierre scion. While the nation’s promise
of egalitarianism was more an aspiration than a fact, its culture
nevertheless developed a tradition of secular reason, codified as
the Pragati philosophy, and then adopted and espoused by the
Jierre dynasty:

“Gods were the creations of men unable to comprehend

the real structure of the world. We have learned better,
and we see that knowledge gained through science and
reason unlock powers for all that were once thought only
for gods. Each new generation learns more than the last,
avoids the mistakes of their predecessors, but then too
will be surpassed. Those who destroy knowledge
or protect false beliefs, be they in gods, in dis-
proven economic theories, or in anything else, of Risur, and that they must unite to invade Risur in order to set
are a threat to progress.” things right. All were in agreement, but they did not then under-
—Sovereign Han Jierre stand the threat posed by the egregoric phenomenon.
Inaugural address to the Danoran congress, 480 aov The symposium attendees’ unity manifested as a psychic hive-
mind, growing into a titanic beast of tentacled thoughtflesh whose
The national philosophy of progress led to the birth of Danor’s in- body lifted the entire congressional hall like the shell of a colossal
dustrial revolution in 300 aov. Cities divided into industrialists turtle. The Danoran military turned its own naval batteries upon
and manufactory workers: manors for the former, and patrolled the monster, cracking its shell so a group of Risuri warriors could
enclaves for the latter. Though the conditions in these enclaves enter and kill the hivemind before it consumed the entire city. Most
were strict, workers there could earn reliable wages. Their labor of the world leaders survived, and the act of Risuri heroism halted
first brought Danor wealth, and then—with the mass production of the planned invasion.
steam engines and cannons—brought it naval superiority.
The Lighthouse Plot
Global Aspirations However, the nations that attended the symposium did accept Dan-
Danor spent two centuries fighting Risur for the Yerasol Archi- oran aid in the form of enchanted lighthouses, built with principles
pelago’s verdant agriculture, and also because the islands were the used by wayfarer engines today (see page 75). They were promised
nearest place Danorans could easily study magic to innovate their that the lighthouses’ eerie glow would keep lands warm despite the
Chapter Four
industry into arcanotechnology. lack of sun, and would prevent monstrous hiveminds from forming.
In 500 aov, the latest scion of the ruling dynasty, Lya Jierre, was While that was true, the ligthhouses also robbed the will of mil-
engaged to marry the Risuri king Aodhan. This could have united lions, making them pliable to obey Han Jierre’s commands.
the two countries, created a lasting peace, and positioned the Jierre A few resisted, however, led by Baldrey Korrigan, king of Risur.
family to influence events across Lanjyr. A formal peace summit He destroyed lighthouses in the national capitals, then confronted
was set for the following year. the sovereign on Axis Island. Han Jierre intended to use some secret
But at that summit, the wedding and alliance would be decisively magic on that island to return the sun and stars and establish his
canceled when an immense mechanical colossus appeared in the family dynasty as rulers of the world. King Baldrey defeated him,
Risuri city Flint, built on experimental Danoran arctech. King and chose a different celestial arrangement that returned free will.
Aodhan sallied forth to protect his people, and empowered by Ri-
sur’s rites of rulership he managed to banish it to the Dreaming. Contrition and Coup
However, when the crisis had passed, Lya was missing. She was The sovereign managed to return to Cherage on a damaged war
later reported to have died on a mission to Ber, and less than a year dirigible, contrite after his failure. But by that point Minister of
afterward, the stars fell from the sky. War Eloise Duffet had already begun consolidating power, set-
ting herself up as military dictator. Jierre dumped leaflets upon the
The Great Eclipse city confessing his actions, and encouraged the people of Danor to
In the first days of the Great Eclipse, Sovereign Han Jierre (Lya’s create a new government that would check the powers and aspira-
uncle) assumed emergency powers, declaring martial law and pre- tions of its leaders.
paring an imminent invasion of Risur. Initially, most Danorans Duffet did not appreciate that advice, and her army’s fusil artil-
supported the government, which moved rapidly to capitalize on lery shot Jierre out of the sky.
the return of magic, opening construct-aided manufactories to pro- Cherage’s citizenry, who despite all the suffering of the Great
duce marvels such as arcane fusil artillery, walking steamsuits, and Eclipse still respected Han Jierre, marched to block Duffet’s forces.
a few dirigibles. Some were suspicious at how well-prepared Han She ordered her soldiers to gun them down, which turned the entire
and his advisors were for the sudden availability of magic, but even city against her. Outnumbered a hundred to one, Duffet abandoned
today it is unclear what forewarning he had. the capital and fled north to a secure military installation in the
ruins of old Methia, former capital of the Clergy.
The Forward Symposium Over the next few months, the people of Danor tried to design a
The sovereign called a great symposium in Cherage, meant to co- new government while fighting a civil war to unseat Duffet’s loyal-
ordinate a new world order. Representatives from Ber, Crisillyir, ists. Duffet declared herself Empress, and those who sided with her
Drakr, Elfaivar, and the Malice Lands attended, drawn to a surpris- mostly retreated to the lands around Methia, called the Imperial
ing new unity, and the sovereign told them the Eclipse was the fault Holdout today.

Chapter Four
The old Sovereign’s Palace became a new Council Hall, and a Articles of the Treaty
hastily designed new government occupied it. The powerful sov- The text of the Concordat has three main provisions.
ereign was replaced by a “president,” whose role was mainly to First, a rough estimate of the damage in lives and resources was as-
preside over the elected legislature and maintain order during dis- sessed, and Danor was billed for nearly all of it; the total reached roughly
putes. The structure was codified in a written constitution, which five times the combined yearly product of all of Danor’s economy. Danor
rapidly became amended to byzantine complexity. was charged with repaying that debt in the form of food, currency,
The constitution was intended to be easily amendable to allow for manufactured goods, and technological training and agreed to onerous
improvement, but in practice the haphazard and rushed lawmak- compliance audits and the options of asset forfeiture to enforce these
ing after Duffet’s coup led to many revisions to patch oversights and provisions. It was expected to take fifty years to repay the debt.
stop abuses. Over time the new system became bloated and divided, Second, the treaty tried to reduce Danor’s regional dominance, as it
with various multi-layered councils of elected representatives had attempted to wrest control of other nations. Danor was required to
having say over disparate elements of law. forbear increases in the number of ships in its navy or to arm its military
with new technology until the other nations of Lanjyr could match it. Due
The Orithean Concordat to the phrasing of this section, other nations were free to bypass Danor’s
Danor was still fighting back Duffet’s forces and writing its consti- capabilities, but Danor could not increase its military footing if even one
tution when the Orithean Concordat was signed, two months after nation lagged behind it. (Currently, Drakr has a smaller navy, and Crisil-
the death of Han Jierre. lyir has not yet produced any naval arcane fusils.)
In the last days of 502 aov, representatives from the major na- Third, the Concordat established rules restricting all the signatories
tions came together in the free city of Orithea, and worked to from taking certain actions to influence the internal politics of their
apportion blame for the Eclipse. While Risur’s king tried to ensure peer nations. Drakr’s representative Vlendam Heid suggested a formal
every nation understood the causes and fallout of the Great Eclipse, conference of nations, meeting regularly, but Risur, Ber, and Crisillyir
leaders of other nations focused on Han Jierre’s confession. Fearful blocked that. After nearly having their free will stolen during the eclipse,
of Danor once again imperiling them all, and looking for a way to the sentiment was that any international governing body would be
provide an easy-to-understand narrative to their people, the lead- abused. King Baldrey of Risur was widely praised for acknowledging that
ers quickly united on a plan that was only slightly less rushed than his country would be the chief beneficiary of such a “Concert of Nations”
Danor’s new constitution. but declining anyway.
The treaty was termed a “Concordat,” a Clergy term that rankled
Danor’s delegation, for it evoked centuries of rhetoric identifying
Danor as “infernal.”

Danoran Response Danor: Landscape and Cuisine

The delegation from Danor pushed back on various requirements, Arctic winds are funneled by two the landmasses to the north, turning
rejecting demands to abandon its claim to the famous Avery Coast the coast near the Western Piscine Mountains frigid. The high, young
Railroad and its Elfaivaran colony of Rationalis. But it became clear mountains deflect the chill down to the city of Beaumont, but shelter
that to refuse the Concordat was to invite blockades and embargos. the rest of Danor, providing a fairer climate with temperate summers
By signing, they received promises that other nations would refrain and cool winters. A small number of large rivers run across Danor, par-
from meddling in Danor’s domestic politics. ticularly the mighty Église. Canals as old as Triegenes feed farms and
In the light of the new dawn after the eclipse, the call for Danor to control flooding. The northeastern Hameçon region near the Malice
live by higher ideals and make things right was tempting. The del- Lands are dominated by rolling hills that provided the country’s coal in
egation returned to Danor promising that the Orithean Concordat the early days of the industrial revolution. (Later, Danor would claim
would lead to cooperative progress and make the rest of the world islands in the Yerasol Archipelago so it could produce firegems in the
adopt secular reason, while refusing would make Danor interna- stable magic zone.)
tional pariahs and leave the other great nations in darkness and After the Great Malice and the Clergy exodus, the Jierre dynasty
ignorance. led efforts to more clearly distinguish Danoran cuisine from Crisillyiri.
Popular ingredients in Danor include eggs, mushrooms, baby vegetables,
Aftermath and Enforcement wines, sweet pastries, potatoes, and mustard. Long centuries without cu-
Shortly after the treaty was signed, King Baldrey of Risur prom- rative magics have driven ingredients that spoil easily, such as shellfish,
ised to forgive a quarter of the total debt owed to his nation for each out of the Danoran diet. The national dish is the omelette au fromage.
year that Danor upheld the terms. Risur had weathered the eclipse Holiday celebrations typically spurn rich foods in favor of particularly
better than any other, and Baldrey hoped this would incentivize fine wines.
adoption of the punitive terms. And while it did, for a time, it also
perversely created a sense among Danorans that other nations territory of Danor, in a narrow slice extending northward through
should do the same. the Western Piscine Mountains to the sea.
Focused on a timeline of four years instead of fifty, the Danoran The central government in Cherage petitioned Risur for military
people celebrated in 507 aov, feeling their duty discharged. But the help ousting her, but in a bit of deft politicking, Duffet turned the
Chapter Four
restrictions remained, and public sentiment steadily soured. text of the Concordat to her advantage, pointing out that other na-
Various councils in the government began exempting parts of the tions were forbidden from interfering in internal political matters.
nation from their payments toward the Concordat debt, while other
councils continued to enforce restrictions on the military and all Capital of Progress
manner of technological research. Inventors could work indepen- Under the rule of the Empress, Methia grew rapidly from a chaotic
dently, but new patents were not granted for any sort of weapons military bivouac into a planned city with the most advanced tech-
technology, and it was made illegal to sell unpatented technology. nology possible without the use of magic. Duffet’s advisors were
The other nations responded to this incomplete cooperation with a mirror image of Danor’s central government, wholly unfettered
an equally patchwork set of tariffs, sanctions, and vote-buying to and able to build a city from the ground up, assisted by a disciplined
install councilors who would enforce the Concordat. military corps of engineers.
Looking to secure herself as a symbol of Danor’s legacy, Empress
The Imperial Holdout Duffet exerted great effort to recruit the various surviving mem-
While the Concordat was being negotiated, Eloise Duffet came to bers of the Jierre dynasty. She enticed Nathan Jierre, nephew of
grips with the fact that her nation did not understand she was the the late Han Jierre, with promises that the Imperium would aggres-
best person to lead them. Over two years she withdrew with a mass sively fund his astronomy research into the new planes. In 507 she
of people from Cherage and from military posts around the country, wed the much younger man, and she has since given birth to four
and her army—as well as their families, servants, and even univer- children with him.
sity professors and technological researchers and whole enclaves of
manufactory workers who built their weapons fortifications—took The Powas Proxy
trains north to Methia, the former Clergy capital which had long The Imperium blasted railroad routes through the mountains to
been used for wargames. the northern sea, where they founded a new city, Portus Artus.
She ordered the city to be re-inhabited, and she issued a clarion Meant to be foster new trade routes along the northern stretch of
call to those who would come join the true inheritor of Danor’s Lanjyr and be a hub of arctech innovation, it fell victim to several
power and genius. Of course, not everyone who came did so will- late spring ice storms that ruined its harvests, and in 512 was em-
ingly, and certainly the military was not averse to using its might to barrassingly sacked by pirates from Powas, the subcontinent to the
seize mines and railroads and farmland to support its impromptu north that had been part of the Malice Lands and so was still ef-
new economy. fectively in the Iron Age.
When Danor signed the Concordat, she responded by declaring Empress Duffet responded by unleashing the considerable pent-
herself Empress Duffet, and named her new government Im- up fighting spirit of her people, and they assaulted and set fire to
perium Sophi Danoris (the Empire of Wise Danor). Eventually every coastal settlement along a forty mile stretch of Powas. There
the Imperium would come to control scarcely a tenth of the land were concerns internationally that Duffet had overstepped, and

The Last Stain of the Great Malice Apaisants and Revanchists

Before the Great Eclipse, Danor was a place where magic could function, Since 503 aov, a majority in the congress and each of its presidents
but only if a caster had a magic item to draw power from, and even those have believed upholding the Concordat is essential for Danor’s re-
items would be drained within weeks or days. covery and survival. They point out that the treaty mostly restricts
But Methia, which had been capital of the Clergy during the Great their military, but that Danor was always about more than warfare.
Malice, was a true dead magic zone. Indeed reality itself there was said Now, they say, is the time to rebuild the nation in keeping with the
to be less wondrous, more weighed down by the limits of flesh and bone. country’s true ideals of enlightened reason. Their critics decried
After the eclipse, magic returned to Danor and the nearby Malice Lands them as “appeasers,” a label they willingly accepted, naming them-
became mostly stable, but Methia and its surroundings remained a soli- selves Apaisants.
tary spot of wild magic, about ten miles across. To use any magic there Their opposition is more numerous but fractious, and they have
is to invite chaos. repudiated large portions of the Concordat’s restrictions. Angry
from multiple national insults, they have named themselves Re-
that other nations would involve themselves in the conflict, since vanchists. They believe that most of the damage each nation
Powas was not a signatory of the Concordat. suffered in the eclipse was self-inflicted, and that Danor was as
But Duffet chose not to continue her aggression or try to claim much a victim as any other country.
the subcontinent as her territory. Instead, she impressed upon local Among revanchists, conspiracy theories are popular, often
chieftains whom she had beaten that she would make a strong ally. claiming that one politician or another is bought and owned by
The loose confederation of tribes became something of a client state various foreign powers. Others insidiously posit that Han Jierre
of the Imperium, and other nations began recruiting their own was forced to make a false confession, or that the original claims
tribes and investing in the resource-rich Powas, using it as a politi- that Risur was responsible for the Great Eclipse are true.
cal proxy for actual conflicts with Duffet’s self-styled empire. Both the Apaisant and Revanchist factions have supporters from
all classes. Industrialists with investments crippled by the treaty
The Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis spar with peers who have found overwhelming enrichment sup-
When Adin Radhasi’s army invaded Vendricce in 519, Danor saw an plying the government with reparations material. Artisans of the
opportunity to win an ally and showcase that it was still a force to middle class waver on how to help their children: by supporting
Chapter Four
reckon with. They sent orders for their colony Rationalis to dispatch the treaty and earning access to foreign universities, or decrying
a flotilla to support Adin. But the colonial goveror objected, citing it to win the protection of local partisans. Laid-off arms manufac-
years of Adin raiding their settlements for supplies and slaves. tory workers brawl with those who have kept their job in civilian
Only once a Danoran merchant ship was fired upon for running industries.
a Crisillyiri blockade did Rationalis agree to send a single frigate,
under the command of Admiral Mathis Leblanc, who was sus- A Third Course
pected of being sympathetic to Eloise Duffet. He had been away The poor and working class gradually gave up on waiting for the
from the Danoran homeland and thus not part of government to actually help them, and instead created a parallel
Duffet’s coup after the eclipse. In the Gulmohar system, inspired by courseur doctrine: when you cannot defeat an
Reclamation Crsis, Admiral Leblanc remained enemy, you go around them.
firmly neutral, declaring his ship would fire Originating from iconoclastic groups within Danor’s elite uni-
only if Danoran vessels were impeded but versities, the courseur philosophy declares the action of moving
not otherwise aid either side. forward to be paramount, regardless of physical, societal, or legal
The tepid response failed to make an im- obstacles. Stasis—be it economic and intellectual—is the same as
pression on other Orithean signatories, but it death.
did earn Elfaivaran gratitude for One of their new ideas is the syndicalist council. The syn-
their efforts, resulting in a peace dicalist system started with unions, but workers in completely
treaty protecting Rationalis. unrelated industries began to coordinate to take down the bosses
and owners they saw as their common enemies. Through fits and
The Present starts and often violent resistance they organized work stoppages,
For the first time in the twenty starved their employers of capital or outright murdered them, and
years since signing the Con- then used mass loans from workers in other industries to buy the
cordat, Danor has just elected a businesses and grant shared ownership to all employees.
congress which has agreed to refuse to abide by the treaty, and In this way, workers came to control many of the country’s facto-
who have enough unity to repeal laws passed to enforce it. But ries and farms and banks and railroads—and more and more.
efforts by Risur’s new queen to finally create the “Concert of Na- Each industry forms a syndicate, represented by a council of
tions” mean Danor may find itself isolated. And Eloise Duffet, who workers—the membership of which regularly rotates so no one ever
styles herself Empress of Danor, would like nothing more than to holds power for long. They negotiate with other syndicates, make
wage war on a Danor that has no allies to protect it. deals with foreign countries, and sometimes bringing grievances
to a greater council composed of the leaders of all the syndicates.

These days, the syndicates have firmly ensconced themselves The latest election swept into power a coali-
in the cities of Beaumont and Keskay, where many workers try tion of revanchists, led by Councilor Edyl
to ignore the elected Danoran government, often openly defying Bryn, which has scheduled a referendum for
the law and using mass demonstrations to intimidate authorities next year on whether to hold a convention to re-
who try to enforce the state’s will. In the capital Cherage, though, write the constitution.
draconian restrictions on free assembly are in place to keep the The half-elven child of a Risuri ambas-
syndicates from threatening the power structures of Danor’s sador and a Danoran politician, Councilor
richest industrialists. Bryn had the rare distinction of graduating
Though the syndicate system was intended to be leaderless, its from the Jierre Sciens d’Arms college of war
most famous spokeswoman is Hushti Miasma, a rare Danoran elf without becoming a member of the mili-
who claims to have been a steelworker for two centuries and who tary, due to slander against their parentage
developed sorcerous powers after the Great Eclipse. Possessed of and patriotism. Being denied a military career
unparalleled patience, empathy, and weary optimism, she holds ironically made Bryn a perfect politician for Danor today: wholly
no interest in Danoran rhetoric of progress, focusing instead on unaffiliated with the Duffet-tainted military, yet graced with
people’s responsibility to help each other. Though some find her enough military knowledge and experience to serve as the Minister
self-righteous, her steady hand and skill at keeping rivals talking of Defense.
was pivotal in bringing the syndicalist council into effect. Of course, Councilor Bryn is forthright, unsentimental, cynical, and both
there are rumors Hushti and the syndicates in general are secretly an ardent Revanchist and an outspoken critic of the President.
backed by Duffet’s Imperial Holdout. That the two maintain a healthy working relationship, based on
a cautious trust, is almost an embarrassment for their two highly
That Old Malice partisan political factions.
The Imperium keeps a dangerous balance of appearing strong and
weak at once. Any effort to crush Duffet’s reign would cost thou- President Remy Duvall
sands of lives, and it has restrained itself from any overt hostility The tiefling leader of Danor is renowned for his
against Danor for seventeen years, so no congress or president is integrity. He served as a Danoran observer to the
Chapter Four
willing to fire the first shot. But both sides interfere with each oth- Orithean Concordat, but while his colleagues
er’s politics, and likewise have spies and kingmakers from each of tried to paint a rosy picture of the treaty lead-
the great nations trying to meddle. ing to Danor’s swift return to prominence, Remy
Today, Duffet is in her sixties, and she grows increasingly tired was consistently clear-eyed in his public state-
of ploddingly slow scheming, of bribing politicians to support ments that not only would it cause great pain
Revanchism, of fostering the courseurs and the syndicalists to to Danor, but that it was also Danor’s obliga-
undercut the government, and, in the end, of hoping the people of tion. While hardly well-loved, Danorans see
Danor will recognize her as their savior. Her eldest daughter is only him as a man of integrity and reason, which
fourteen, and Duffet considers her unready to rule. But agents of is one of the most charming qualities a leader
the Imperium have been actively exploring Malice Land ruins of can possess in this country.
the old Demonocracy, and reaching out to scholars of the egregoric Once the humble and somewhat hulking corporal
phenomena known as gestalts. in the military, he was a guard at the Congressional Hall during
Might a woman who styles herself ruler of great minds be will- the Forward Symposium, when the building was engulfed by an
ing to bind her mind to others, to extend her rule should her body egregoric monster. For a time his mind merged with other world
perish? And though Danor’s mad geniuses are muzzled, what leaders and with some alien presence, and when the hivemind was
would happen if some terrifying experiment went awry in Methia’s destroyed, Remy discovered his consciousness had expanded. He
wild magic zone? had gained the ability to communicate telepathically and to sense
people’s stray thoughts and subtle emotions, which turned him
The Government and Its Leaders from a dour prejudiced soldier into a man of deep empathy and con-
Danor elects its congress every two years, and once every ten years fidence. Personally, Remy busies himself with mastering disparate
the congress appoints a president. Various councils within the disciplines such as military strategy, criminal justice, baking, and
congress are given great leeway to write legislation on one specific glassmaking.
topic or another, and the heads of these councils serve as ministers Though many question the wisdom of trusting a politician who
advising the president. can read minds, he proved simply too good at being a politician for
people not to vote for him, and in 513 he began a ten year term as
The Congress president.
Established amidst civil war, the Congress was originally titled a Unlike many in the Apaisant faction, Remy is interested in limit-
“Provisional Democratic Council,” and was never intended to last ing harm to Danor and building alliances, not in enriching himself,
five years, let alone twenty. High-minded ideals of democracy after or at least so he claims. Sensing the winds shifting, he spent the
the eclipse have fallen by the wayside as each new congress has cre- last few years unwinding bureaucracy and empowering local en-
ated new laws to restrict who can vote. claves, taking cues from courseurs while making sure these efforts

rewarded those groups that were obeying the Concordat in good into much-mourned symbols of Danor’s declawing.
faith. His term will be up soon, and with Revanchists having come Even the city’s layout is in conflict with itself. Streets, alleys, and
to power, he suspects he will have to be the first president to hand boulevards writhe naturally and irregularly across the city. Yet
over power to an opponent. military guard posts and watchtowers are erected in a perfect grid
pattern, dividing city districts sharply, and many of these fortifica-
Cherage tions are built atop buildings seized by eminent domain.
The city that launched the modern era, Cherage presents a beauti-
ful face to visitors, whose first glimpse from the Baie du Violet is of Law and Travel Restrictions
beautiful hills, stately manors, towering dirigible docks, and a fab- The city watchtowers, district borders, and nightly curfew are
ulous gleaming elevated railroad. But beyond the hills, a sprawling maintained by the distrusted Garde Indépendante, also known as
metropolitan area is sharply divided into walled enclaves, where the Copper Crests for the strip of green-umber metal cresting their
citizens’ movements are restricted, and few in power care if some- helmets. Old reforms intended to make the city guard incorruptible
one’s unsanctioned experiments get poor bystanders killed. resulted in a paranoid, insular, and enigmatic armed force.
Time and time again, the Crests have been
History called out to maintain the peace in the face
At the height of Triegenes’s empire, Cherage was a humble port. of riotous urban unrest. They are led by
Refugees fleeing the Great Malice flooded into Cherage, and within Première Mirielle Mathologue, an elite
a generation Jierre’s new social order imposed peace and prosperity. soldier who left the service shortly before
Without traditional divine magical healing, plagues devastated Eloise Duffet’s military coup. Mathologue
the young city, but eventually scientific investment led to the has further militarized the Crests, striking
creation of germ theory and the spread of hygienic practices. The illegal deals with courseurs to outfit
industrial revolution was founded in Cherage in 300 aov, and only her guards with the finest military
recently has Flint eclipsed Cherage as the world’s foremost center arctech, which is arguably in viola-
of mass-manufacturing and engineering. tion of the Concordat.
When the last large workers’ riot
Chapter Four
Geography threatened to climb the hill Arlette,
Cherage is dominated by a trio of great hills known as Arlette, Mirielle dispatched autonomous
Belise, and Chloé; collectively, the Three Sisters. The heights bristle mechanical carriages equipped
with affluence: manors, academies, state buildings, and airdocks with water cannons, as well as an
dot each hill. The city’s middle-class quarters run along the rocky actual BEAR construct to subdue the
coast of Baie du Violet. The Council Hall—Danor’s seat of govern- crowds. Afterward, the Crests blocked doctors and nurses
ment—lies between the two. from entering the area to provide medical care, and dozens of riot-
Cherage is the seat of the Avery Coast Railroad, which runs ers died overnight in cells.
majestically in parallel to the coast; from the coast, one can spot The Crests maintain a curfew that begins at nightfall, when
massive artificial islands in the bay. Travelers might assume that passes are required to move between certain districts; the guards
the hills and coastal comforts are the extent of the city, but inland are permitted to challenge and send home anyone they deem likely
past the Three Sisters they will find the enormous Esterhasé Jierre to disturb the peace.
Industrial Garden, sprawling twenty miles. The smog from manu-
factories there tends to be blown northward by the sea breeze, Three Sisters
leaving the city’s façade pristine. The Three Sisters comprise the most famous districts in the city.
Linking all of them and the ground below is a new invention: a pair
Architecture of automatic monorails.
Cheragan architecture evokes a sense of grand maturity, of cen- Propelled by gearwork and a wayfarer’s engine, these trains—
turies-old buildings preserved by generations of able caretakers: paneled in dark wood and gleaming brass—travel on an elevated
staid wooden manors with modern amenities, copper statue-mon- track that is over forty miles long. They weave between the Sisters,
uments oxidized green by the wind rustling between the Sisters, down to the Bay, pass by the Avery Coast Railroad enclave, and then
once-rough cobblestones polished to a smooth luster by centuries wind out and around to numerous enclaves of the industrial garden.
of fine leather shoes. Various neighborhoods have sponsored or even built their own
Citizens know that this appearance is deliberate and deceptive. carriages. Though all share the same exterior, the interiors vary,
Riots have been semi-frequent across Cherage, and many of the at least within the bounds allowed by the Monorail Standards
“ancient” buildings and monuments are but veneers, erected and Committee.
artificially aged so as to cover the scars of unrest. In a rare concession to an oppressed working class, tickets are
Artillery batteries ring the city, most noticeably the immense free, though travel passes are required to board the train after
cannons on artificial islands in the bay. Those cannons saved the hours. Old members of the Copper Crests often get the cushy po-
city by destroying a titanic hivemind during the Great Eclipse, but sition of riding the train all night long, free to read or gossip with
after the Concordat they were filled with concrete, turning them friends, since few are foolish enough to violate curfew.

Chloé Concrete Zoo

Atop Chloé can be found a patchwork of gardens and estates in The industrial engine that drives the city lies to the north in the
constant flux, as the city’s elite compete for space and trendiness. Esterhasé Jierre Industrial Garden. Named for the ruling Jierre in
A particularly gauche fad is that patrons are funding statues of the 400 aov, the Garden is a massive district dominated by a series of
city’s famous figures, but building them as constructs that move artificial canals, dug to bring water to its hundreds of construct-
and convey a personality at a scale of twenty or thirty feet tall. bolstered manufactories.
Most estates are heavily guarded (most by mercenaries, but some Over two centuries ago, following the birth of Danor’s industrial
by these celebrity constructs), as their wealth make tempting tar- revolution, urban unrest and the ensuing march of workers from
gets for thieves of foreign guilds like the Family, Kuchnost, and Last the fields and into the manufactories led to the decision to cordon
Ravens. The city’s indigenous criminals are mostly disorganized off the city’s workers in this northern district to maintain order.
courseurs, who find more profit in smuggling and selling to the rich The Garden of its name was reflected in attempts to promote a
than stealing from them. placid workforce through architecture.
The most infamous crimes in these parts though are the oc- Artifice was intended to replace nature, like hard-wearing virid-
casional violent attacks by Vekeshi mystics. The old tradition ian carpet meant to evoke grass, or concrete walls daubed with
of Danoran elites keeping Elfaivaran slave-brides continue, and green paint to resemble rolling hills of farmland. To add further
though most conceal the women at rural estates, the Vekeshi prefer credibility to the illusion of verdancy, enormous statues of animals
the shock and terror of a brutal murder in Cherage’s wealthy heart. dot various points within the district. Trumpeting elephants, roar-
ing lions, skittering squirrels, marching turtles: all carved from
Belise stone and frozen in poses that look limp and dull to modern eyes.
Originally the traditional home of Danor’s great admirals and
generals, Eloise Duffet’s coup led to many mansions being seized The Daft and the Devious
by the state or torched by angry mobs. Taking their place today are Over time, new walls arose to further segregate the Garden, and
workshops and storefronts of officially approved arctech artisans. travel passes became required to leave a specific enclave after
The largest “artisanry” is the BEAR machineworks, yet even that curfew. And at some times, when the city leaders fear unrest, a pass
is dwarfed by Belise’s largest construction, the airdock of the Dan- is required to leave an enclave at all.
Chapter Four
oran Civilian Aeronautical Body. A 100-foot-tall tower, crowned by The Garden is a great center of courseur activity: its hundreds of
a levitating, 150-foot-long stretch of dirigible platforms, dominates construct-aided manufactories, laboratories, and warehouses are
the Belise skyline. Engineers from the facility also work down at the a prime location for illicit research into alchemy, magic, arctech,
bay retrofitting luxury vessels with levitationals, though for now weaponry, constructs, or any combination of the five. The Crests
no armed vessels can receive such conversion, due to the Concordat. know this all too well, and conduct frequent raids.
Daily flights, however lavishly expensive, connect Cherage to Flint. Their most-wanted target is Geoff Massarde.
The tiefling inventor defected thirty years ago
Arlette to Risur, but returned to his homelandafter
The tallest hill in Cherage, and the home of Cherage’s state build- the eclipse, claiming he’d never been politi-
ings, Arlette’s population was decimated during the Great Eclipse cal; he just wanted to be on the cutting edge
when the old Congressional Hall became the shell of an egregoric of arcanoscience. He has become something
hivemind that tore the building free from its moorings and began of a grandfather figure to young technolo-
disintegrating hundreds of people. The ruins remain as a memorial. gists who hope to impress him with their
Many elected councilors take residence here, but even today inventions, as he presides over raucous but
dozens of the buildings that once supported the government sit illegal night-time exhibitions. The Crests’
empty, and are used as gathering places for spies and thieves. expertise has always been intimidation, not in-
Economic contraction after the Concordat left Cherage with a vestigation, so how so many people manage to gather in defiance
patchwork of real estate no one can afford, and the hill where a giant of numerous walls and curfews still eludes them.
psychic monster died is a tough sell even for the rational tastes of
Danor. Beaumont
The westernmost city in Lanjyr embraces its identity as a cultural
Provisional Hall churn, always changing. Gelid winters glide down from the arctic,
The old sprawling Sovereign’s Palace was renamed the Provisional while summer heat waves rumble up on thunderstorms from the
Hall, and today the congress meets there, with only a small wing Yerasol Archipelago. Syndicalists have thrown their old industrial
reserved as the residence of the president. After riots damaged the bosses into the poorhouse, and a college of war puts its students
council chambers, it was repaired and retrofitted with a web of into mortal peril for the sake of their education. A vast array of
arctech inventions that feed into tubes, which run to several am- theaters, opera houses, and shoestring stages are breeding grounds
phitheaters and winehouses around the city. At any time, images for technological special effects and avant-garde ideas. And a belief
from council meetings (or of an empty room) are delivered via aso- that the poor can rise to the top here has led to vagabonds from
matous canvas projectors. Meant to let the public witness the grand around the world—and even beyond it—transforming a floating
work of government, in truth it is usually ignored. ship graveyard into a grand, half-flooded slum of failed dreams.

History and whisper that the building is alive, choosing performers from
In contrast to Cherage’s greatness and respectability, Beaumont is anywhere in the city to headline, with an emphasis on talent and
constantly reinventing itself with an air of distinguished decline. creativity over celebrity.
The city was always a bit of a melting pot due to its proximity to the
eclectic cultures of the Yerasol Archipelago, but then in the Second Ninety-Nine Daughters
Yerasol War, Danor turned Beaumont into its largest naval shipyard. The many thousands who fail to acquire Gelsey seats can sate their
The war economy remade Beaumont with the latest train tracks, dramatic desires with Beamont’s other ninety-nine theaters. (The
switching-stations, port dredging, and dry docks. But that war exact number is in dispute.) Shows range from classical, experi-
ended, and military investment dried up, and the city’s hard times mental, to shamelessly licentious.
inspired some of Danor’s greatest literature and theater. The cycle Rebellious youth are often drawn to classical plays that ran in
of military growth and contraction repeated with the Third Yerasol Danor even before the Great Malice, based on the religious themes
and again with the Fourth, but Beaumont’s music and plays became of the Clergy. Popular today is “Light and Ice,” an exploration of the
a part of sailors’ experience at war. They brought that culture home, meaning of virtue set during the Clergy custodianship of Drakr.
and in peacetime people would return to recapture their glory days. The religious fervor in the play has been embraced by poor teens
During the eclipse, Beaumont was briefly swarmed with arcano- who see faith as a salve against the city’s economic woes.
scientists, and for several months it produced some of the greatest Meanwhile, a loose confederation of playwrights have chal-
machines of war in history. The Concordat was an abrupt decapita- lenged themselves to tell stories that were not possible without
tion of that heady prosperity. modern arctech. Their produce unrivaled spectacle, often with
highly experimental structure, such as using asomatous canvas pro-
Geography jectors to overlay the audience with images of those who sat in the
Beaumont boasts considerable natural defenses against assault same seats for previous shows, or putting on a mock aerial battle
from the sea. It sits within a cove that cuts into the mainland—its between dirigibles while transmitting the live singing voices of the
waters deep and dark thanks to dredging—at the foot of the Western cast across the city with ceraunic wave towers.
Piscine Mountains, granting an unparalleled vista of soaring peaks. And lately, Beaumont’s satires have taken on a transgressive lewd-
The lands beyond the city itself, though, are low and too soaked ness. Three hot tickets are Have You Met My Daughter?, a saucy retelling
Chapter Four
with salty seawater to serve as good farmland, so the city imports of Risuri King Kelland defeating the titans; I Hope This Never Ends, a
the bulk of its fruits and vegetables from the rest of Danor or from lascivious critique of Danor’s politics under the guise of a decadent
Yerasl, but it has always been the beneficiary of a mighty fishing love story starring infamous Drakran doomsday cult leader Grandis
fleet. New innovations in refrigeration may give cause for Beau- Komanov; and A Pious Guide to Gynocide, a black comedy about the
mont’s seafood cuisine to spread throughout the nation. female commander of a company of Clergy soldiers upset they don’t
have anyone to rape as they conquer Elfaivar after the Great Malice.
For the Love of Art
The root of Beaumont’s recent revitalization is art. As the military Lamar University
scaled down its presence, Mayor Citroen Zugosky The Lamar University military academy once was as large as the
masterminded a plan to recast Beaumont as the arts College of Divine Trials in Sid Minos. Its constituent colleges, such
and culture capital of Danor, and perhaps even all as the legendary Jierre Sciens d’Arms, instructed countless cadets on
Lanjyr. Famed opera singer Gran Guiscard serves as martial science, grand strategy and codes of conduct. In the after-
the city’s arts minister, and many young perform- math of the coup by Eloise Duffet and of the Concordat, Danoran
ers revere the outlandishly bold old man for his pride and trust in the military are anemic, and the faculty of the
patronage helping them succeed. Guiscard is also university have become a bit eccentric.
rumored to be at the center of a web of spies who Spite and duty drive the staff to keep their institution running,
hold sufficient blackmail power to keep govern- both to preserve its secrets and to teach a new generation if and
ment authorities from shutting down some of when the next president finally breaks away from the poxed treaty.
the city’s more controversial shows. It offers an educational experience unlike anything
elsewhere in Lanjyr, and four years of officer train-
The First Lady ing here promises more intrigue and adventure
Beaumont’s most distinctive new construction is the Gelsey Jierre than most soldiers see in their whole careers.
Opera House, named for the last Sovereign’s wife. In contrast to
most buildings, which emphasize a decadent experience for the Why Oh Why?
audience, the Gelsey was instead designed from a performer’s per- The university’s current leader, Directeur
spective. Rather than a traditional amphitheater-like design, the Yvonne Yves, is widely seen as having lost
Gelsey keeps the audience intimately close, vertically stacking sev- her grip on reality. Unable to cope with her
eral close balconies with no floor seating. institution’s diminished prestige, she com-
The novelty is controversial, and so is the talk of high society, pensates with wild stunts that she claims
as only a couple hundred people can see each performance. They make the school a greater challenge, which
tell of a genius loci, the spirit of the city itself, sitting in attendance, will thus produce stronger cadets.

She smuggled in flayed jaguars with witchoil for blood from Flint The Department of Dreams
to enforce curfew, and encouraged students to learn the art of sap- A captured Risuri war galleon sits in drydock in front of the university’s
ping to use tunnels if they wanted to leave campus. She hired a pair administration office. The RNS Monarch Thisraldion has sat on campus
of sadistic ex-cultists from Drakr to provide mountain survival since the end of the Second Yerasol War, and the archaic warship pro-
training by actually hunting the class. The final exam of last year’s vides a popular stage for university ceremonies and city government
graduating class consisted only of the command, “Please hand me gatherings. But in recent years, classes have met inside, studying the
your test before the end of the day”; the director had left an hour Dreaming, a place that stands in antithesis to the reasoned bedrock of
earlier for a dirigible flight across the Avery Sea. Danoran society. Each year, guest fey professors are given freedom to
The class managed to hijack an airship of their own and com- teach whatever they want, and the university uses a cherished portable
mandeered a ceraunic wave tower to send a false storm warning wayfarer’s lantern to take excursions into the little-explored Danoran
that got the director’s dirigible to turn around. version of the Dreaming (see page 187).
Despite appearing unhinged for putting her classes in ex-
treme peril, the director has had no student deaths under her industrialist and steel baron, Zugosky vowed to devote his twilight
tenure, and she has on a few occasions revealed that she always years to public service and the arts. He has been keeping members
has robust rescue plans and contingencies to protect the student of high society and international tourists happy while gradually
body. Beaumont’s newspapers have certainly provided the school leveraging his popularity to stymie the syndicalist council from
with breathless coverage, and it seems that perhaps this is all some eroding the rights of business owners and wealthy investors.
clever performance art to raise the school’s profile. The city’s industrial workforce, while raucous and outspoken, is
far less prone to violence than those in Cherage, and had seemed
Donors and High Society somewhat content to be happy with their slice of the pie. But spies
Due to the tightening of government funding, the university has for one of the syndicates posing as waiters captured a candid con-
petitioned for donations from alumni and members of high society. versation by Zugosky at a recent political dinner, using a new piece
One deep-pocketed group was the Queen Bee Lodge, an esoteric of arctech to record the mayor’s remarks. The mayor promised to
society founded in Beaumont with the goal of maintaining proper legislate a ban of the syndicates, and requested an unnamed visitor
decorum even in times of frustration. to see what “her mother” could do to help.
Chapter Four
As a condition of the lodge’s donation, the university created a Public consensus is that the mayor’s guest was Morgane Duffet-
public program where members of Beaumont’s high society can Jierre, teenaged daughter of Eloise Duffet, and
learn self-defense techniques adapted from military manuals. They the outrage at Zugorsky courting help from
also constructed a fraternal house on campus for students whom a traitor attracted radical agitators from
the lodge deems as having the right potential, and over the past around the region. Kuchnost operatives from
decade many graduates have—in lieu of a military career—navi- Drakr are ginning up Beaumonters to spill
gated their way into city and national politics. blood in the streets to show their patriotism.
Thames Grimsley, a respected voice from
The Vagabond Raft Flint’s early docker protests, has come to the city
The Concordat forbids Danor from expanding the size of its navy, a with a cadre of Risuri citizens, who act as human
restriction that led Minister of Defense Edyl Bryn to aggressively shields during protests, daring authorities to
mothball smaller and older ships before their normal end of life, harm them and invite the anger of Risur.
freeing up “slots” for newer vessels. Cheragan courseurs see a chance to unseat
Those abandoned ships were moored just off the coast of Beau- the mayor and claim political power. Hushti
mont’s Sea Rim Park, a barrier island that once was a memorial to Miasma, a prominent public face of the
the Yerasol wars. The park became too overclogged with unsightly syndicalist council, has given a forked
derelicts, and its appeal as a tourist attraction rapidly faded. Once warning, read differently by Zugosky
the ships had their valuable components salvaged and their en- and by her allies, saying that anyone
gines removed to match the terms of the Concordat, they simply who holds an elected office is an enemy of the
drifted for a time. syndicalists.
The squatters trickled in, and tried to muster classic Beaumonter
style and turn the park into an exciting community for artists and Methia
inventors. They connected hulls with bridges, and jury-rigged Seen from a certain angle, Methia appears to
running water, but tides and rusting hulls thwarted their good in- be nothing but a ruin: bone-white marble walls,
tentions. Like a poorly-made soufflé, it simply never quite rose to broken towers, neighborhoods emptied and de-
match its aspirations, and today the park is a sprawling slum rife stroyed by the chaotic exodus of the fall of Clericist Danor. From
with crime. another angle, new life can be seen: the beaten yet unbroken military
regime, determined to return Danor to imperial glory, restoring the
Politics city even as they build a loyalist society anew. Amidst wild magic
The acting mayor of Beaumont, standing in for the amnesiac and culture clash, old faith and new duty, Methia stands tall, solemn,
Emiline Fitzlaurence (see page 65), is Citroen Zugosky. A tiefling and haunting.

Porteurs du Mort
The vaunted Porteurs du Mort were created by Minister of War Eloise Duffet Porteurs wear no formal markings or rank insignia, and they act “off
shortly before the Great Eclipse. Meant as a counter to the elite constables the books,” leaving little to trace them to any specific government of-
of Risur’s Royal Homeland Constabulary, the Porteurs recuited a broad ficial in Danor. When operating in public, they usually adopt an accent
mix of military talent that innovated novel tactics. They were renowned for and pose as being from some minor border state. Nearly all were trained
fearlessly deploying close range explosives and for predicting enemy move- in classic courseur mobile combat, though Directeur Spanier squelches
ments and seeding local civilian populations with disguised soldiers. any sympathy toward the radical courseur social movement among new
After the eclipse they were formally removed from the military hierar- members of the unit.
chy, and instead shifted to a nominally-civilian spy Their primary base is a pair of steam frigates that can conjure fog banks
agency, which freed them from Concordat to conceal themselves—La Rêve Invincible and Boucherie des Mers. These
restrictions. Today they are headed usually stay out to sea, while a much smaller steamship—Ipsum—serves
by Agent Directeur Gautier as courier and scout. The Ipsum’s hull is enhanced with tideglass to let it
Spanier, who has faced on the outpace even the mightiest warships, and the whole vessel can be draped
battlefield—and later shared Yera- with illusions to let it pass as a ship from some other nation. They also used
sol cigars with—soldiers from each to field a submersible named Lya’s Lament, but that vessel’s crew defected
of the other five great nations. during Duffet’s coup.
History
Long ago, great Triegenes stood on the northern edge of the Église
River, and waded in to do battle with his foe: the chthonic Thuuga-
el-Shembul, the last elemental titan of old Danor. The fisherman
broke his foe into gravel and let the river wash him away. He strode
to the southern bank, accepted the allegiance of the titan’s cowed
court, and founded his nation and the city of Methia upon that spot.
Centuries passed in peace and prosperity.
Chapter Four
When the goddess Srasama perished, her Great Malice fell upon
the city and beyond. Clericists sprouted horns and tails, their de-
monic visages driving the city to confusion and riot. The goddess’s
curse stole the land’s magic. The Clergy abandoned the city and fled
to Crisillyir.
Five centuries later, the city is beginning to thrum with life once
more. Like Triegenes before her, former Minister for War Eloise
Duffet stood on the bank in 503 aov and founded her nation, the
Empire of Wise Danor. She has vowed that either she or her chil-
dren will rule all of Danor; may the stars fall from the sky again if
she breaks her vow.
Geography
The Église River divides the former capital into two halves: Holy
Methia and Urbem Postulatoris, with the remnants of the Lance of
Triegenes on an islet in between. The city lies far inland, in what
was once the heart of Danor. The great forests of Marie and Marius
are to the north, empty and forbidding, and today home to new
malice beasts twisted by the region’s wild magic.
Duffet’s new Methian citizens have toiled to reverse the five cen-
turies of near-abandonment that led to nature reclaiming nearby
farms, vineyards, corrals, and cowsheds. The bounty of unclaimed
land attracted ranchers who helped feed the city in the unsteady
first months after its rebirth, and now the beef of the region is its
most popular export, carried by refrigerated cars traveling on a
precision web of new railroads.
When farmers practice drills and flee back into the city, they trek
upon enormous roads that snake their way in from eight cardinal
directions before joining at the city’s three gates. Their shining stone
was clear of weeds and dust even before Duffet arrived, the result of
some Clericist technique or material property long lost to history.

Architecture binds their protectors. Some soldiers are shocked at how their
Methia benefits from its sixty-foot walls, which rise like marble leaders’ absolute focus on defence interferes with the harvests and
cliffs. They are split only by the river and three gates: traditions of the villagers. Some blacksmiths bristle at the curfews
* Ostium Judicii, the southern Gate of Judgement with its and the absolute respect demanded by officers and their spouses.
marble statues of a harpoon-wielding fisherman and an Some scholars look to the intellectual stasis enforced on the rest of
armored holy warrior. Danor by the First Minister and the Concordat, and are grateful for
* Ostium Splendoris, the northwestern Gate of Splendor Duffet’s drive to innovate.
and the brilliant reflection its sealed doors make against the Sous-lieutenant Florentin Mazet was a
setting sun. grizzled loyalist whom Duffet entrusted with ex-
* Ostium Piatem, the Gate of Piety, a final exit and sally-point panding her Imperium’s reach northward to the
locked by a long-lost Clericist key. sea. He persuaded himself at the time that his
The Aspirant’s Bridge serves as the sole connection between both seizure of lands and razing of Danoran forts
halves of the city, made of the white stone that marks most Methian that would not join was a necessity for
structures. The three-foot-high railing of the bridge was etched the sake of his beloved nation’s heart and
with the names of the triumphant army returning from the First mind, but after the foundation stone was
Victory. Architecture of the city’s buildings is ancient, with a great laid for Portus Artus, he retired with honor
reliance on tall marble columns. and decided to live in the new nation he had
Holy Methia is a maze of the temples, shrines, academies, re- helped build.
fectories, and civic buildings once needed to support the Clericists Since spending more time with civilians he has grown in-
of an entire empire. Its new citizens have barely occupied a third. creasingly uncomfortable with the strictures of martial law and
Arms manufactories, storehouses, amphitheatres, how some of Duffet’s more self-righteous generals
and vast extended barracks have been con- are using the situation to demand the personal al-
structed to support the new Methians, allowing legiance and property of villagers, like old feudal
for clusters of life amidst entire neighborhoods nobles. He is one of the few citizens of the Impe-
that are still abandoned. rium whom Duffet allows to publicly voice critique
Chapter Four
Urbem Postulatoris, which once held the many of her.

faithful who came to offer obeisance to Triegenes’
great city, is still a ruin, but an active one. The Wild Magic
Imperial Army spends much of its time therein, Once a dead magic zone, the city and its outskirts
merrilly blasting ancient taverns to ruins in arms now more closely resemble the old Malice Lands.
tests whilst playing out urban combat wargames Within the city walls, almost no magic can be relied
amidst ancient shantytowns and dormitories. on, but the effect fades, spreading tens of miles in each direction.
The geographic center of the city is a small island in the middle Beyond the unstable magic, sometimes various bizarre effects
of the river, containing the remnants of the Lance of Triegenes and simply manifest of their own accord. Candles go damp and water
a set of docks with a very special vessel. This immense tower still troughs burn, stone starts to sprout blossoms, and wood crumbles
dominates the skyline, even though barely a third of its former into gravel. Methians are working to either contain, embrace or
1,500-foot glory remains. Hundreds of small shrines once spiralled avoid this effect.
up around its exterior, serving as the foci for powerful abjura- Rumors claim that an egregoric column has manifested some-
tions that guarded old Clericist Danor. The Great Malice sundered where within the boundaries of Methia, and that it is the source of
Methia’s magic, destroying the supportive spells, leading to the this chaotic magic. Empress Duffet has recruited three experts in
tower’s collapse. such magic to try to locate it and either negate or harness its power.
Before the Great Eclipse, the Danoran military garrisoned sever- The Risuri gnome Meece Upknot, known as the “pandaemonicist,”
al divisions in Methia as part of war-games and the field-testing of conducts reckless experiments on deserters and enemies of the
experimental vehicles. One such craft is the retrofitted Lya’s Lament, state. Nalaamese human cleric Anna Kulpa has managed to sta-
a state-of-the-art submarine. bilize a few pockets in the countryside. But it is the Drakran dwarf
Nadia Kamenshik, known as the “sculptor of chaos,” who has
Respect and the Uniform most impressed Duffet, having designed a novel arcane fusil filled
A particular culture clash within the district of Holy Methia is driv- with white stones from Methia’s walls, which disrupt the magic of
ing both support and opposition for Duffet’s military regime. The whomever they shoot.
city’s first new arrivals were cosmopolitan and military-minded: Duffet’s Cathedral of Reason is defended by an anti-aircraft
officers, attendants, scholars, and manufactory craftsmen. In the turret mounting these fusils, designed specifically to bring low Ri-
two decades since, the Empress protected and offered sanctuary to sur’s new flagship the RAS Burning Sky.
many nearby villages and towns, from which have come farmers,
herbalists, blacksmiths, spinners, and weavers. Interactions and Politics
clashes between these groups fuels duelling perspectives. Empress Eloise Duffet-Jierre is the undisputed ruler of Methia.
Some villagers gaze in admiration at the unity and conduct that Broad in an impressive manner, six-foot-three not counting her

horns, she is an unmistakable presence. A veteran, the Fourth Yera- The City State of Orithea
sol War left her with a clockwork left arm and a burning resentment A city of about forty thousand people in the Malice Lands, Orithea
towards Risur. After the war, she served as Sovereign Han Jierre’s was once heavily subsidized by Danoran investment. Now it is trying to
Minister of War, and part of the delegation representing Danor at a establish itself as the capital of a new nation, encompassing all of the
botched Flint peace conference in 501 aov and an even more cata- temperate land south of the Eastern Piscine Mountains, stretching east
strophic Cheragan symposium just a year later. to include Drakr’s Stena region.
In 507 aov, Duffet married the timid modern skyseer Nathan Orithea is still small and poor compared to the great nations, but the
Jierre, and has since given birth to four children: Morgane, people of the Malice Lands send their best and brightest there with high
Mathéo, Maeva, and Médard Duffet-Jierre. Her publicly-stated hopes and rugged pride. The city is even winning favor from the wilder
goal is to return Danor’s prior glories: Jierre rule, and the pursuit of regions to the north by funding and supporting the wide-ranging Knights
technological, political, and military hegemony. These goals appeal of Sangria, who specialize in hunting malice beasts.
to multitudes of Danorans who have flocked to her cause, multi- Orithea remembers its friendship with Danor, and unlike most cities
tudes who must increasingly overlook Duffet’s tyrannical tactics it has not dismantled the lighthouse that they built under Han Jierre’s
and the rise of a cult of personality around her. guidance. It still stands (albeit without its mind-numbing components),
Those who look beyond her performative patriotism fear her a symbol that for at least one foreign land, Danor was the source of en-
plans to dissolve congress, institute an absolute monarchy, launch lightenment and progress it always promised to be.
national conscription, and aggressively confront Risuri domi-
nance. These seem wildly beyond her actual capacity to achieve, but
rumors abound that she has masterminded a conspiracy, and that
already her agents have infiltrated other nations and are nearly
ready to reveal themselves.
What is known is that her agents have been probing the wreckage * Keskay is a wholly average Danoran city, between Cherage’s
of Cherage’s Congressional Hall. The legendary organic labyrinth, strict splendor and Beaumont’s defiant creativity, and literal-
left behind by the great egregore that emerged during the Great ly between them along the route of the Avery Coast railroad.
Eclipse, might yield immense power to whoever is able to seize Its greatest claim to fame is that it sits near the mouth of the
Chapter Four
it. Duffet attended the disastrous Forward Symposium and was Église River, and so has frustrated apaisants by allowing the
temporarily subsumed into the “godmind,” and she herself specu- Imperium to travel and trade on the waterway.
lates that she retains a bizarre connection to the godlike egregore’s * Marie and Marius are two mighty forests near Methia that
remnants. were nearly untouched by logging since the Great Malice. The
gap between them was once a heavily urbanized trade route,
Other Places of Interest now filled with ruins. Danor’s small native elf population live
* Axis Island is the most famous landmass in the Yerasol here, maintaining an odd off-shoot of the old Clergy religion.
Archipelago. It is famous for many battles in the four Yerasol * Portus Artus is the Imperium’s only port, which railroads
Wars, and for a landscape that shifts and morphs like the link to Methia by threading numerous tunnels through the
Malice Land used to, though without the wild magic. Danor Western Piscine Mountains. Though less than two decades
maintains a joint defensive fleet and ground force here along old, the Imperium invests heavily in it, as a seat of their
with Risur, though what the two nations defend is a great arctech research.
secret. While Danor’s military technology restrictions seem * Powas hosted a half dozen small cities before the Great
like they would play second fiddle to Risur, many Danoran Malice. The subcontinent’s center is controlled by monstrous
experts in planar science are stationed here, and Risur seems icy beings who once were the Tundarasne elves of northern
to defer to them. Drakr, twisted by wild magic. Unlike the central Malice
* The Gulf of Crochet lies northeast of Cherage. The western Lands, where Danor and Drakr culled the worst monsters,
shore is one of the poorest areas of the country, full of salty the malice beasts on Powas were effectively unchecked. The
bogs serving little strategic value in the nation’s long conflict survivors of the old cities have regressed to the iron age, but
against Risur. Today its people are discovering strange new they greatly value non-magical medical knowledge, and have
sinkholes which people have disappeared down. Some sus- a deep knowledge of malice beast anatomy.
pect these are pathways to the Dreaming, long inaccessible. * The Western Piscine Mountains were the site of many
But a research expedition sent an arctech contraption down Danoran research communities, studying climates at differ-
and found waxy structures of alien beauty filling flooded ent altitudes. As such, many famed scientists hail from rural
tunnels. towns in these young, jagged mountains. Paleontological
* Hameçon is the eastern region near the Malice Lands, full of and geological digs were long popular here, as Danor tried
rolling hills. It fell under Danor’s influence mostly by default to make sense of the scientific history of a world that had at
due to being within the dead magic zone after the Great one point been drastically reshaped by magic. Today, many
Malice, but since magic has returned, the region’s farmers of those scientists act as guerrilla warriors, opposing efforts
have been courted heavily by the central government to keep of the Imperium to turn a garden of study into a mine for
them from being drawn into Orithea’s orbit. militarism.

The Other Malice States

North of the towering Piscine Mountains, the Malice Lands are substan- Arrovia has somehow managed to develop a teleportation circle ac-
tially colder than Danor. Farms and ranches are still common, but good tivated by blood magic, and eagerly participates in many illicit trades,
land is availale only in pockets of limited size, a fact that leads to scattered especially the production of witchoil and the trafficking of enslaved people.
villages and small areas of moderate population density, but no towns People who oppose Empress Duffet-Jierre or some cruel clan scions in
larger than about five thousand people. Including the fractious tribes of Drakr can find themselves delivered to this haunting land, and then sold
the island subcontinent Powas, a patchwork of sixteen self-styled Malice off to distant Shaha.
States control the area. Nikhal was once home to a major settlement of the Elfaivaran dias-
The two most prosperous Malice States are heartless Arrovia, on pora, and it has received support from the new ranimandala. A gulmohar
the shores of Lake Sallion on the border of Drakr, and Dreaming-tinged druid named Eshadual has begun teaching the residents of Nikhal how
Nikhal, wedged between the western edge of the mountains and the shore to reach into the Dreaming and produce samsāra-fey—creatures imag-
of the Gulf of Crochet. ined in lucid dreams and given physical form as guardians.
inherited from Crisillyir produced a unique reverence for philoso-

Drakr phy, with citizens from all classes consumed with finding answers
Name: Federated Drakran States to the great questions of existence.
Capital: Trekhom The nation suffered perhaps the worst loss of life during the
Other Major Cities: Bhad Rhyzhavdut, Knütpara, Mirsk Great Eclipse, and suddenly political philosophy became a national
Teleportation Beacons: All major cities focus as people argued over how to rebuild and recover. The rise of
Government: Federal parliamentary republic a reformist Chancellor has led to the hope that some of the nation’s
Head of State: Chancellor Vlendam Heid institutional injustices might finally be reversed. Conservative
Official Language: Dwarvish dwarven nobles who have long undermined Drakr’s ideals of equal-
Common Heritages: Human 69%, dwarf 28%, frost giant 0.1%, ity lead a fierce opposition to the reformers.
other 2.9% In the clans’ arrogance, they have allied themselves with a crimi-
nal syndicate to sow confusion among the disenfranchised, but the
Chapter Four
Introduction group they’ve gotten into bed with has enough blackmail to have
A proudly pensive confederation of dwarves and humans founded power over them. People are growing disgusted as they glimpse the
on virtues of egalitarianism, but divvied up by hereditary clans, fullness of the clans’ abuses—from shameless profiteering to the
Drakr learned well from its two nearest peer nations. An alliance use of foul magic—while from the far north, frost giants and other
with Danor resulted in an unequaled industrial sector and the neglected peoples seek to join Drakr’s glory, bringing with them a
most heavily-armed military in the world. Ecumenical traditions legacy where the Demonocracy was seen as a golden age.
Drakr at a Glance
These are the major figures, groups, and locations in Drakr most foreigners •• Kuchnost. One of several Drakran crime syndicates, which is
have heard about. particularly adept at sowing uncertainty and distrust, leading many
•• Chancellor Vlendam Heid. A philosopher whose ideology prepared to overestimate the group’s actual power and scope.
the nation for the catastrophe of the Great Eclipse. Afterward the •• Tolstyak Besporyadok. Head of the Kuchnost crime syndicate,
nation called for him to lead, but he has struggled, as he had qualms with leverage over the clans.
about using his own power, and no political skill. •• Planarnaya Razvedyvatel’naya Kompaniya (PRK). Company
•• Utyosova Andreevna. Leader of the Armigers, a faction in govern- trying to devise magic and vehicles to travel to the planets.
ment opposing Heid’s reformists. Helped defend the city Mirsk from •• Trekhom. Coastal capital city, known for buildings that descend into
the armies of Grandis Komanov. bedrock and tower menacingly above the city center.
•• Grandis Komanov. Deceased leader of an apocalyptic cult that •• Mirsk. Somewhat remote city surrounded by a massive complex of
tried to destroy Drakr during the eclipse. mountain forges, many staffed by prisoners.
•• Keigar Arukova. Famous explorer who tried and failed to map the
Dreaming, but delighted crowds with tales of her adventures.
•• The Clans. Four major and numerous minor families descended from
heroic dwarven warlords, which now own most of the country.
•• Heid Eschatol. Philosophical movement that advocates preparing
for “endings.” Currently driving many cultural reforms, as advocates
want to empower the weak and poor to control their own endings, not
be at the mercy of the powerful.
•• Delkovitch Nihisol. Introspective philosophy that rejects authority
and encourages people to find their own meaning. Regularly misun-
derstood by even people who claim to follow it.

For a century, the clans prosecuted a series of gradual purges and

genocides against groups that refused to submit to their author-
ity. Many remote villages would be whittled away over a few years,
then wiped out in one night when they were too weak to defend
themselves. But the clans usually did not act in concert, and some
human groups survived by pledging to work the land in exchange
for protection by one clan against another.
Other groups tried to organize and engage in large-scale battles,
which simply galvanized the clans to coordinate and accelerate the
slaughter. Many trains of devastated survivors settled in the border
states to the north and east—the most famous of which are the
Tundarasne elves with their diamond-edged axes, who for a time
controlled the northwestern Tunda peninsula; and the Fildessian
humans, wealthy stoneshapers who would go on to found Nalaam
in the Penance Peaks.
Reluctant Federation
As the dwarves reclaimed their power and dominance, they pre-
pared to break away into factions, fighting wars to regain their old
Grand History borders. But a new threat intervened: monstrous malice beasts,
Drakr began much like Risur: a harsh landscape where the roiling growing larger by the year, until in 100 aov some were spotted ten
of titans destroyed every seed of civilization before it could flourish. times as tall as a war elephant.
Following Risuri King Kelland’s example, great dwarven heroes It became infeasible to keep fighting over territory, and the
subdued the undead titans of their land, encased them in crystal, dwarven clans were forced to create a loose alliance with millions
and buried them in hidden vaults beneath the earth. in the human remnants they had not yet wiped out. This coalition
Chapter Four
These heroes erected sky-scraping towers as symbols of their slowly unified as abjuration-warded and undead-guarded towers
power, and founded noble clans to carry on their bloodlines. Pride were built across the western border as defensive strongholds. A
and ambition drove them to ally with the Demonocracy to the reluctant kinship was forged, with regional human governors
east, trading the lives and souls of their mostly-human subjects for overseeing farming and trade, whilst dwarven lords directed great
unholy power. Unnatural armies embarked from these dark citadels mining operations and the nation’s military.
on conquests of territory and battles for supremacy. Many warlords Soldiers who returned from the horrors of fighting in the Malice
flew on draconic steeds gifted to them by their demonic allies. Lands longed for order. Many were drawn to prophecies of the end
of the world, but most simply wanted a life with less upheaval.
Rule of Angels Sensing a rare moment of leverage, the various human governors
The tyranny of the warlords ended when Triegenes came to Drakr. forced the alliance to follow old Clergy traditions and codify their
He assailed the towers, bringing down blazing star-showers until at founding virtues. A grand philosophical debate eventually settled
last the warlords were overthrown. Triegenes left Clergy caretak- upon a statement of the political philosophy of a Drakran nation and
ers to oversee and prevent the dwarven clans from rising up and a declaration of its right to exist, built upon ideals of egalitarianism.
reinstituting tyranny. The new federation printed and distributed copies across Lanjyr.
After the last demon lords were defeated, the Clergy ruled for They even made a grand show of engraving the entire text on long
centuries. Their pious guardianship slowly turned to theocratic stretch of polished stones along the docks of the capital city Trekhom,
despotism, but not before the tradition of theological debate be- so that any invading navy would have a sign that Drakr was united.
tween followers of different gods became part of the region’s Due to this, the founding principles of the nation came to be
culture. During the centuries of Clergy rule, groups from around called the Kamni Zakona, the Stones of Law. They outlined the pre-
Lanjyr had settled in territory that the Drakran clans saw as theirs. cise set of powers possessed by the Chancellor, the dwarven clans,
The dwarves’ sprawling territory contracted as they built their the human governors, and the government structure in general.
settlements deeper underground. They also defined legal arrest, and prevented the dwarven clans
Then came the Great Malice, shattering the Clergy’s web of from directing their armies upon rightfully-appointed government
control. officials. In theory, the scion of a dwarven clan would stand with
only slightly more rights and privileges than any other citizen.
Thawing Time Despite the principled rhetoric, the chancellor of Drakr has
Modern Drakrans refer to the aftermath of the Great Malice as Tayat, always been a dwarf, and always with at least grudging approval
the Thawing Time, a euphemism based on a common occurrence of of the dwarven clans. While the country’s laws are codified and
people going missing in winter, and unidentified bones being found judges strict to avoid arbitrary rulings, precedent has grown heavy
when the snows thawed. and skews the system in favor of the clans.

Drakr: Landscape and Cuisine woodlands and all but obliterated them as a people. It was a scale of
Drakr is cold; some claim a final retribution of Tundarasne elves cursed death second only to the two holy wars between the Clergy and Elf-
the nation with bitter chill, but meteorologists say it’s because the Shawl aivar, but since there was no global fallout like the Great Malice, few
Mountains are spaced widely, too wide to provide the same protection outside Drakr know the details of the grim, bitter extermination.
against arctic winds that the Piscine Mountains offer Danor. Drakran Some survivors of the Tundarasne fled by sea to the subconti-
summers are brief and warm at best, while winters are long and can be nent of Powas, north of Danor. The wild magic of the Malice Lands
so dark and cold that one might think that the end of the world has come twisted many into icy monsters who maintain a remote and eerie
again. Drakran civilization clusters around its boreal forests in the north- Court of Winter. Their lives are long, and some fear the return of
west and its flat, rocky coasts to the south. magic means the Tundarasne will return for vengeance.
The environment, particularly the temperate peninsula bordering The darkly ironic consequence of the Siege of the Shawl was that
the Malice Lands known as the Stena region, yields ingredients such as it led Drakr to build roads and later a rail infrastructure stretching
caviar, berries, tea, honey, and wheat. The Drakran diet is dominated into the north, which created a sense of national unity. Sadly, it also
by meat from pigs and goats, typically smoked. Dwarves favor beer, strengthened a tradition of strict punishments where people could
humans vodka, and frost giants a rich juice that the dwarves call “gornyy be sent for nearly any infraction to work in the war forges of the
med,” drained from a cave-dwelling fungus. The national dish is tradi- north. Once the war ended, those same forges produced steel and
tional dwarven porridge called pyoneer, often served with a variety of steam engines for Drakr’s navy.
jams and berries.
The Spread of Heid Eschatol
Philosophical Bedrock Drakr had come together to obliterate an enemy,
Throughout the Drakran Federation’s history, factions allied and as the conflict petered out, people who had
around different philosophies, and a growing sense of national participated in the slaughter or toiled to support
identity caused ideological debates to become stand-ins for inter- the machine of war found themselves drawn to
clan violence. the recently published On the Proper Ending of
Particularly prominent ideologies would be identified by their Things, by a philosopher and historian named
originator’s name and a name for the philosophy. The most perva- Vlendam Heid. The book was a treatise on the
Chapter Four
sive philosophy for most of the history of the Drakran Federation myths of the nation and how they continued
was the family of Armiger movements. (Different decades had dif- to influence modern perceptions. Most popu-
ferent variants, like Sendov Armiger, Grunor Armiger, etc.) lar was a section that used the legend of the
While there is some variation over the years in how welcome al- Lost Riders to explain the Drakran tradition of
liances are with other cultures, and how subservient humans need defining civilizations and eras by how they end.
to be, the particular manifestation of different Armiger movements In the last decades before the Great Eclipse, Drakran
has always stuck to three core ideas. First, cultural homogeneity culture shifted its focus, consciously looking forward, not with
and oathbound loyalty are the highest virtues. Second, cultures hope, but with a certainty of an inevitable ending. The Great Eclipse
only survive if they have sufficient superiority of weapons or other made Heid seem a prophet in the eyes of many.
tools of war. And third, cultures should establish a hierarchy, and
should not mingle with others—this mandates distinct borders, The Great Eclipse
clear racial divisions, and precisely codified laws. The chancellor in charge when the Great Eclipse began, Dmitra
Other ideologies would compete against Armigerism (see The Takhenova, was much like all her predecessors: corrupt, a servant
Clash of Ideas in Drakr, page 146), but this philosophy was the bed- of her noble clan and its allies, and a perpetuator of unjust laws and
rock of Drakran identity for roughly four centuries. systems designed to benefit those clans. She attended the Forward
Symposium in Cherage and personally pledged Drakran forces to
The Siege of the Shawl the invasion of Risur, seeing the sunless world as a grand oppor-
For two decades starting in 380 aov, Drakr engaged in a protracted tunity for dwarves (who possess darkvision) to rise in prominence.
war along its northern border. Tundarasne elves had made a pact
with frost giants and acquired mass immunity to cold, and so could The White Tongue
use the high, wintry peaks as a highway to harass and raid Drakr’s With Dmitra’s ambitious gaze and Drakr’s soldiers
wealthiest mines. They besieged the eastern tower fortress Bhad drawn overseas, the nation was unprepared for a
Rhyzhavdut and called forth supernatural winter that starved per- crisis at its heart. The megalomaniacal nihilistic
haps a million Drakran humans. eschatologist Grandis Komanov allied with res-
The city Mirsk, already a defensive bastion, ultimately turned urrected warlords known as the Lost Riders, and
the tide of the war by adopting Danoran industrial techniques and she marshaled an army with a promise of glori-
producing tens of thousands of muskets. They armed nearly every ous debauchery as the world died. Armed
Drakran family in the mountains and drove the invaders back. with a necrotic superweapon named the
While Risur and Danor spent much of the fifth century aov fight- Cyclopean Revelation, she laid waste to Bhad
ing for control of the Yerasol Archipelago, Drakr took eight decades Rhyzhavdut, slew every citizen and defend-
to grind down the Tundarasne. They burned hundreds of miles of er, and marched like a reaping scythe toward

Mirsk. She took Bhad Rhyzhavdut’s sole survivor, Vlendam Heid, as Stones of Remembrance
a hostage, treating the whole slaughter as a protracted philosophi- Komanov and her followers slew tens of thousands of people in Bhad
cal debate, with the end of the world being her greatest argument. Rhyzhavdut and beyond. Today the region is being resettled by former
prisoners who escaped from nearby mines at the end of the Great
The End of the Age Eclipse. A prominent voice among them is Markus Brodzki, an adher-
While Komanov was ultimately defeated, betrayed by one of her ent of Heid Eschatol who spent years identifying as many of the dead as
generals, the entire disaster was revelatory for Drakr, unearthing possible from records and ruins. He then raised funds from around the
ugly truths. Investigations into Chancellor Takhenova’s con- Avery Sea to construct a monument to the dead.
duct exposed the degree to which the ancient dwarven clans had All along the banks of the Volgir River, past Bhad Rhyzhavdut and to
clinched their stranglehold over Drakran life and law. Inquests the sea, dark grey stones line walking trails, tall enough to be seen from
discovered multiple misdeeds: filling the bureaucracy with parti- the opposite shore. They bear the names of the victims of the area, but
san patsies and wastrel scions, embezzling federal funds to pay for also excerpts from both Heid’s philosophical teachings about “good end-
building undead-assisted manufactories on lands the government ings” and the Dirge of Vekesh’s meditations on how no story is a tragedy
had seized from human villagers (in turn sold to the clans for cop- if you refuse to let it end.
pers), and rigging the judicial system to allow the clans to throw
their enemies into private prisons. Komanov’s mad army, and in the aftermath took control of a vast
All of these factors had contributed both to weaknesses in Drakr’s arms company. She adheres to the long philosophical tradition of
defense, and to the multitude of the dispossessed and downtrodden Armigerism. Andreevna is painstakingly building a reputation as
Komanov recruited. Dmitra did not live long enough to be held to a capable economic manager, forger of international trade, and ally
account for her role in this; a sniper ventilated her with a fusillade of the military. She even wears her company’s firegems as jewelry.
of bullets, mere hours before the end of the Great Eclipse.
Challenges to Leadership
The Present Despite this opposition, Heid’s Reformists feel their work is restor-
In the days after the sun returned, a coalition of lesser parliamen- ing Drakr and giving its people an opportunity to imagine endings
tary parties, who had long been in stringent opposition to the noble that aren’t grim. The chancellor’s loyalists investigate the buried
Chapter Four
clans, united to promote Vlendam Heid as the first chancellor of the crimes of the noble clans. His allies free political prisoners. Week
new age. Heid thought it temporary, and agreed mostly so he could after week, idealistic clan youths come forward to decry their fam-
represent the nation at the Orithean Concordat. ily’s misdeeds and aid the Reformist cause.
Yet while united in purpose, Heid’s faction is divided in methods
Reformists and Armigers of execution. His backbenchers constantly demand strange and
Initially the dwarven clans found Heid, who had no political expe- dramatic reforms, grand social experiments, esoteric research, and
rience, easy to control, but he quickly gathered allies and gradually impose penalties upon the noble clans that would tempt civil war.
built a Reformist faction. Heid’s talent was long-term contingent Heid also earned wide condemnation during the Gulmohar Rec-
thinking, so he built his early reputation on repairing damage from lamation Crisis. Dueling orders from Heid, Andreevna, and their
the eclipse—which the clans generally agreed to, and which dem- respective government operatives led to confusion and paralysis.
onstrated to the broader nation that he was a competent manager. Armiger arms were sent to support Crisillyir whilst food and medi-
Within four years, though, he began rallying public support for cal supplies were sent to aid Adin Radhasi. When Heid appeared
changes in the clans’ archaic web of privilege. The clans were slow in person for international diplomacy, Andreevna tried to negoti-
to put aside their competing interests to oppose him, but eventually ate behind his back to form a military pact to fight Elfaivar. Heid
established the Armiger faction. Publicly, they are dedicated to the ordered her arrested for violating the Kamni Zakona, though eventu-
defense of Drakr; they believe that the chancellor is ill-prepared for ally he had to release her.
defending Drakr against international threats, and they paint his Exasperated, Atto’s colonial Governor Moroz almost seceded,
“reforms” as attacks on the clans who are critical in protecting the independently arranging an alliance with a local apsara fey.
nation.
Privately and covertly, the Armigers know the public supports The Kuchnost
reducing clan power, so they oppose the chancellor The final force opposing the Reformists gained
by finding fissures between parts of his coalition their power thanks to the Armigers, and
and driving wedges to weaken their resolve. perhaps it will be the noble clans’ undo-
Their professional philosophers chip away at ing. The clans partnered with Tolstyak
Heid’s popular support, partner companies use Besporyadok of the then-small-time
their capital to disrupt government social pro- Kuchnost criminal syndicate.
grams, and clan-loyal bureaucrats sabotage Tolstyak is, according to those who
and mislead Heid wherever possible. have met him, a determined eschatologist,
The Armiger Leader of the Opposition outstanding for his talent for manipulating
is Utyosova Andreevna, a clan-born events to his desired end by predicting the re-
dwarf who fought to defend Mirsk from actions of his foes. His few close allies share the

same ideology, and they have shown a knack for finding the flaws Clan Vladimirovna
in Drakr’s systems and leaders, bringing them to a premature end. The Vladimirovna are known for weapons manufacturing and the
However the best weapon his syndicate possesses is a rival phi- civil service. Centuries of nepotistic appointments have granted
losophy, Jaromir Delkovich’s solipsistic nihilism. the noble clan an immense amount of informal influence over
While Heid Eschatol encouraged people to look forward and plan government expenditure, in turn leading to a hefty amount of gov-
their endings, Delkovich Nihisol—especially the mangled, tainted ernment orders for Clan Vladimirovna weapons and expertise in
version that the syndicate spreads—has led people to look to the arms research.
present day with doubt. Delkovich intended for people to start with
doubt and use it as a basis for introspection. But the Kuchnost in- Clan Volodovna
stead made doubt and distrust the goal. The Volodovna are known for mining and necromantic reanimation.
Funded by clan coin, Tolstyak massively expanded his syndicate Its clan councilors are steel barons and coal counts, coordinating
by scooping up those among Grandis Komanov’s old followers who the mining of the umpteen tons of ore required every day to feed
survived the eclipse. They now serve as the syndicate’s foot soldiers, Drakr’s industrial revolution. But these titans of industry are
and are quite eager to make themselves rich while sowing merry served by cadres of mages who maintain centuries-old rituals that
chaos across Drakr. control masses of undead servitors.
The Kuchnost are accused of many crimes—blackmailing
philosophers, assassinating community leaders, exploiting ill- Clan Vyacheslavovich
conceived laws, enacting murders involving “uncontrolled” undead The Vyacheslavovich are known for prisons and railways. The
creations—but they are not braggarts. When accused of crimes, noble clan runs private prisons in a number of discreet locations
they respond with glib disavowals and knowing smiles. across Drakr, gladly renting convicts to toil as part of the local
In short order, Tolstyak’s partnership with the clans elevated him workforce in many cities. Prisoners are often forcibly called upon
into one of the most powerful men in Drakr, and his reach extends to assist with the construction of Clan Vyacheslavovich’s railroads,
to other nations. Or perhaps not. His great trick is that he peddles laying track across innumerable miles of frozen steppe and chisel-
uncertainty and anxiety, and lets any random cutpurse or low-level ing railway passages through mountains and hills.
blackmailer claim allegiance to the syndicate. Most people dare not
Chapter Four
risk doubting. The Government and Its Leaders

The Federal Parliament of Drakr meets in Trekhom, but aside from
The Clans economic integration and military defense, the national govern-
Four major clans hold sway over easily half of Drakr’s dwarves, ment has generally let each of the nation’s five regions control their
and command (or purchase) the loyalty of a large fraction of non- own affairs.
dwarven citizens. Other smaller clans grind against each other for
influence, struggling to stay in the good graces of the four major The Parliament
clans. Not all dwarves trace their lineage to a clan. The distribution of seats is based on a mix of population and mone-
Clan members traditionally take their warlord ancestor’s name tary payments to the national government coffers, but traditionally
as their own, and keep as a close secret all records of that warlord’s each region decided how it wants to assign its parliamentarians.
powers, personality, and domain. Drakran society, as a whole, Most were appointed by clan leaders, often with favors being traded
rightly recalls the warlords as profane tyrants who traded the lives and threats being levied.
of their subjects for power, but each clan finds ways to convincingly
explain why their ancestor was one of the good ones. The Chancellor
Within the clans, lords tend to hold power for decades, coordi- Chancellor Vlendam Heid was born into a dwarven family of think-
nating councilors who control the clan’s various financial interests. ers and soldiers, recently enriched by a chance investment. His
While seldom the source of major philosophical movements, these treatise published in 470 aov, On the Proper Endings of Things, found-
four clans have always been skilled at reinventing their images. ed a new and transformative philosophy: Heid Eschatol.
His ideology encouraged people to learn to end things well, and
Clan Andreevna to be prepared for their own endings. But after witnessing firsthand
The Adreevna are known for food production and hospitality, es- the horrors of the Great Eclipse and Grandis Komanov’s megaloma-
pecially in recruiting Clergy priests for their healing expertise and nia, his views shifted slightly. He realized he had assumed people
bringing artists and performers from other countries. They are had more independence to decide their lives, while in truth most
the only major clan that the broad Drakran public has an overall people’s choices were constrained by those far more powerful than
positive opinion of, thanks to their propaganda talent. They have them. One can be prepared for a bad ending, but it is better if one has
a knack for creating the illusion of choice by actually owning any the freedom to pursue a good ending.
business that competes with them; those competitors invariably After twenty years, much of Heid’s aura of righteousness has
offer sub-par services. Any actual competitors tend to be crushed faded away. His Armiger rivals have repeatedly stymied his po-
quickly, with the clan’s vast wealth letting them undercut rivals litical agenda and stained his reputation, and Drakrans are finding
until those businesses go bankrupt. other newer philosophies more appealing, encouraging immediate
action instead of far-sighted patience.

Critics claim that Chancellor Vlendam Heid loathes his position The Chthonic Canal
because it forces him to reconcile political realities when he prefers One project that Heid and the Armigers agree on is a massive effort to
philosophical purities. This is incorrect; Heid loathes his position excavate a predominately subterranean canal that connects the “Drop-
because it has forced him to learn to be impersonal. Heid became lets,” the four massive bodies of water that run along Drakr’s western
famous for, during his lectures and speaking tours, abandoning the border. The Drakran navy currently exists in two halves, the primary on
lectern and walking amidst the aisles, speaking with individual au- the Avery Sea, but an auxiliary in the north to defend primarily against
dience members about their fears and hopes, and how they might Malicelander pirates and Empress Duffet-Jierre’s Imperium.
live better lives. As Chancellor of Drakr, Heid is forced to base de- The Chthonic Canal will eventually create a passage 250 feet wide,
cisions on statistics, be they wealth, access to education, or crime stretching over a hundred miles in multiple segments. The Armigers see
rates. His mistakes and those of his parliamentary partners have it as a way to connect Drakr’s two fleets, while Heid imagines the vast
impersonally harmed his citizens many times. untapped prosperity that will come from fostering the growth of ports
Because of the stress of his position, Heid has fallen into brief pe- and shipping along the northern coast of Lanjyr. Critics say that trains
riods of depression over the years, clearing his itinerary for two or overland would be just as effective, and fear that Clan Vyacheslavovich
three days while he allegedly holes up in his study. In truth, he has will find excuses to arrest more innocent people to create the workforce
hired wizards teleport him out of the country so he can have long they’d need for the project.
conversations on novel topics, to keep his mind fresh. From these Doomsayers warn that Heid should beware what might be buried
outings, he has formed a friendship with First Minister Remy there.
Duvall of Danor and Prime Cardinal Fiore Tullius of Crisillyir.
The tiefling savant offers empathy and understanding in the way path. People have spotted him checking a pocketwatch with the
only another national leader can, while the young Prime Cardinal wrong time, or have received thank you letters for theatrical per-
has let Heid speak with various shades that Clergy spirit binders formances that were on different dates. In one of his homes he has
can conjure. framed a copy of the Flint Tribune with a headline claiming the
RNS Coaltongue exploded and killed the king, an event which never
Kuchnost occurred.
Though not part of government, Tolstyak Besporyadok has nearly Given his already uncertain past, these oddities have convinced
Chapter Four
as much influence as the chancellor. After nearly two decades doing many he’s actually from an alternate timeline. When asked about
the clans dirty work, the head of the Kuchnost syndicate is a man that, however, he scoffed and offered a rare denial.
in the prime of his power, even while he maintains a variety of
pretenses to disguise his true status. Unlike the Armigers or the Frost Giants
Reformists, Tolstyak does not use power to pursue an agenda; he Since time immemorial, the frost giants have roamed northern
uses the agendas of others to accrue power for himself. Drakr and the border states beyond as nomadic tribes. These blue
Tolstyak has an immense talent for acting. To the noble clans, he colossi hunt giant elks, mountain-river sharks, and mammoths
plays the patriot; to his criminal allies, he plays a puckish robber- for food. Their greatest warriors ride unusually massive arctic
from-the-rich; to the remnants of Grandis Komanov’s army, he bears with grace and skill, and their stealthiest hunters can move
plays the nihilistic solipsist, solipsistic nihilist, or whatever is through the snow whilst perfectly camouflaging their tracks.
convenient to bring someone under his sway long enough for him Drakrans generally see frost giants as savage and either stupid
to discover their weakness and exploit it for leverage. Those few he or mad. A common tale tells of a frost giant hunter having a long
targets but fails to corrupt, he likes to leave alone, though the public conversation with his own echoing voices in a valley, eventually fol-
is quick to believe rumors that those people must surely be his closest lowing the sound and finding a goat pen, whose bleating he thinks
minions. is the source of the voice he heard. Drakrans joke not to whistle or
Tolstyak has three sons and four daughters, each of whom has sing on their hikes, lest nearby frost giants hear their voices and
married into a different clan, helping secure his growing influence. follow them to settlements.
To the contrary, frost giants seem to have one ear in the Waking
Past and Future and one in the Dreaming, and they have long seen the liminal
A full and detailed tale of Tolstyak’s history is widely circulated, spaces between the worlds as their domain. It was the expedition
and at least parts of it are definitely fabrications. But some parts of Kiegar Arukova to map the Dreaming that finally brought the
of his personal legend are verified, such as that he trained in the Drakran public a clearer sense of these people.
witchcraft of the Mirskwood Folk, or that he served as a spy for Clan
Andreevna, and protected the father of Utyosova Andreevna when Dreams of Might
the apocalyptic army of Grandis Komanov assailed the clan’s for- The frost giants are led by hunting leaders known as Khangitche and
tress in Mirsk. war leaders named Tonbaia Shomorokh, a “man of might.” In frost
He has been accused of being a servant of different global con- giant culture, strength is seen as proof of good character, and some-
spiracies, and in various interviews he has confirmed claims of his how through their bond with the Dreaming, believing this seems
association with three. He seems to intentionally drop clues about to make it so. Frost giants hoping to be entrusted with important
one in particular, about a so-called “Encore Court” that seeks to tasks such as hunting, fighting, child-rearing, crafting, navigat-
unwind time to the Great Eclipse and set the world down a different ing, genealogical record-keeping, and meat-smoking will seek the

Tradition’s Jape
The frost giants whom most Drakrans deal with are the “commoners”
of their people. Much like the dwarves, the frost giants have their own
“noble clans” who care immensely about their bloodlines and ancestral
grudges going back millennia. But they mostly stay to the Shawl Moun-
tains, the Tunda Peninsula, or even farther north, and the frost giant
commoners mock them mercilessly.
Despite being “cultured” and skilled at memorizing their histories, the
distant frost giant nobles are insistent on keeping their culture frozen, in
the same shape it ever was. Seven centuries ago some proud frost giant
king lost a toe to infection, and even today every adult frost giant noble
must amputate that same toe, because of tradition.
Among Drakran Reformists, evoking the ignorance of frost giant no-
bility is a way of criticizing the powerful dwarven clans. The clans assert
their merit to rule through their traditions too, after all.
Trekhom
Trekhom is a city unafraid of change. It remade itself into laby-
rinthine tunnels and a great harbor to accommodate Drakr’s new
federation, and remade itself again to accommodate Danor’s in-
dustrial revolution. Chimneys rise from manufactories hidden
below the earth, belching gray smog high into the sky. Great new
philosophies and social movements now clash within; they fight to
redefine the city, Drakr, and this new age of revolution.
Chapter Four
History
When Triegenes began his march to defeat the Demonocracy, he
struck Trekhom’s guardian dragon from the sky, and his followers
purged the settlement’s tunnels of the taint of its ruling warlord.
Cultists of profane Abyssal faith either repented or burned. Cheer-
largest chunk of ice or heaviest rock they can find and spend their ing cityfolk threw vile tomes and relics onto the pyres, along with
days carrying it, to the exclusion of anything else, as a sign to their records of clan tyranny and all history of the city’s origins.
people of their moral rectitude. Later, the newly-formed human-dwarven federation needed a
It was this belief that made many frost giants ally with Grandis capital the clans had not already claimed. They chose humble Trek-
Komanov, for she commanded the five Lost Rider, also known as hom, beginning its rise as a modern metropolis. Mirsk remains
the vsadni. After she was defeated by forces of “civilization,” many Drakr’s industrial heart, but Trekhom is the nation’s cultural head.
frost giants became interested in joining Drakr, to learn what made
them strong enough to defeat the end of the world. Geography
The city occupies the eastern side of the strait of Pozvonochnik Drako-
The Illuminated Hunt na, the “Dragon’s Spine.” Its most eye-catching geographic features
Though the frost giants are hardly unified, as far as most Drakrans are its great towers and lighthouses, and its immense docks that
are concerned, their leader is Khangitche Daini Ryaaf. A rare extend partially into caves within the coastal cliff face, which is
arctech savant among her people, Daini somehow recovered a half- carved with the Kamni Zakona, the Stones of Law.
destroyed wayfarer’s lantern in the ruins of Knütpara and managed to Every morning, a great fishing fleet emerges from these docks,
reproduce it, then fuel it with strange and unidentifiable planarite bearing intricate tapestry-flags with familial coats of arms. The
by gleaning meteorites that landed on the pristine white snows and pier is also the stronghold of the Drakran navy.
even mining into glaciers to find older samples. Trekhom is fed by the fruits of Drakr’s southern steppes: vast
Her people used the lanterns to pacify and only sometimes kill herds of goats and dark-furred pigs, protected by human over-
Drakrans who intrude on their territory. Armigers tried to paint seers mounted on horses and reindeer. These humans tend to
them as a threat to rally for a quick war, but Heid instead sent Kiegar plant-growth-enriched farms where they collect berries and the
Arukova to open negotiations. Though the process took years, as of honeycombs of a particularly hardy species of bee. These food
521 aov Knütpara has begun to welcome outsiders. The settlement sources flow into the immense network of train-tracks now criss-
has become an unlikely, inhospitable nexus of planarite research- crossing Drakr, with Trekhom as the central hub. Sturgeon from
ers. Ber has taken particular interest, seeing some kinship with the the far north and tea from the far south can be brought as easily to
frost giants, who are still seen as savage by many Drakrans. Trekhom as local pork and caviar.

Chapter Four
Architecture Dark Towers
Though it is the nation’s capital, visitors will spot no capital The prideful dwarven clans of Trekhom would not tolerate living
building as they roam Trekhom’s streets. The parliament meets un- inside serdtsa, nor could they bear living at ground level with the
derground, though the ground above is one of the city’s few parks, city’s grimiest and poorest. No, the dwarven nobles live in the many
its corners marked by eight obelisks, symbolic of the towers that tall towers spread across Trekhom, high above the pollution. While
long defended the nation’s western border from the Malice Lands. each clan has some presence in the city, three clans claim to control
Indeed, far more of Trekhom is underground than above. Many the tallest tower in Trekhom. Colloquially they’re called the Vol, the
dwellings are wholly constructed within the earth, and even above- Vla, and the Vyach.
ground houses often incorporate multiple cellar levels. The poorest
of the city live at ground level, where they must contend with the Tower of Death and Stone
grimy pollution belched out by subterranean manufactories. Those Volodovna Tower claims to be the tallest by virtue of its depth.
more well-off have the luxury of living underground, where ancient While it is only 300 feet tall above ground, it sinks a further 400 feet
runes cycle fresh air in from the city’s outskirts. into the earth, its base resting atop a sturdy vein of granite.
Families and businesses pay taxes to the city’s local government, Within Volodovna Tower, clan scions quietly learn to control
which, in turn, constantly builds and expands a structurally-sound reanimated bodies and command them to perform physical labor.
undercity of well-lit and spacious tunnels. An individual district in Scholars from other nations decry this necromancy, claiming it is
this undercity is known as a serdtse, or “heart.” The serdtsa are each fueled by the torment of the spirits those bodies once housed and
distinct communities with their own traditions, histories, and codes keeps those spirits from finding a rest in the afterlife. Drakrans
of conduct. Naturally, this unity leads to competition with other treat it as a given that graveyards are robbed for bodies by the
serdtsa centered around philosophy; each serdtse pushes its own Volodovna. They would cremate their remains, but cremation is il-
subtle reinterpretation of a philosophical movement, and constantly legal in many parts of the country.
revises its stances as perspectives change and old generations die off. The Tower’s largest public event is the Teardrop Ball, where an
Noble clan leaders extol the serdtse system as a stalwart simula- entire iceberg is hauled out of the sea, set up in the Tower’s massive
tion of clan life: being part of a wider community that mixes family, foyer, and then extravagantly sculpted into an enormous ballroom.
economic, and loyalty ties. Naturally, though, they claim a serdtse is The clan pays handsomely for ice that happens to trap interesting
still infinitely inferior to a true dwarven clan. corpses, especially those of monsters.

Tower of Ink and Shot Let Us Welcome Controversy

Vladimirovna Tower claims to be the tallest by virtue of its belfry. One of Trekhom’s most infamous attractions is Knigi, Grudi, Bingi i
It’s 400 feet tall at its roof, but a great steel spire rises an additional Vzryvy (for “Books, Boobs, Bongs, and Booms”). This controversial shop
175 feet. Attempts to secure the record by climbing the spire and caters to all sorts of marginally legal desires, and its adjacent beer house
ringing the mithral bells have repeatedly failed due to slips, light- welcomes all manner of scoundrels.
ning strikes, and an alleged curse placed on the tower by those who Knigi holds a great library of controversial tomes and scrolls cover-
died in its construction. ing crackpot theories, such as the self-obsessed writings of Grandis
The Tower’s largest public event is the Trekhom Arms Festival, Komanov and a series of graphic novels charting the schemes of various
an enormous gathering of representatives from arms manufac- alleged conspiracies. Its catalog of pornography is a test bed of innova-
turing corporations, workshops and mad inventors. It’s so large it tive technologists experimenting with asomatous canvas projectors. They
spills out into the streets of the city, attracting amateur gunsmiths also sell a variety of drugs, including powerful hallucinogens refined from
and all manner of mercenaries. planarite for literal out-of-this-world experiences. And, of course, there
A particular concern for Reformists is that government bureau- is the weaponry: racks and vaults of any armament one could desire.
crats are invited and then fêted with applause, fine drink, and finer The store’s manager Kordov Delonovri insists that any claims their
caviar. They’re then prodded for information and persuaded into products are involved in sex slavery, illegal trafficking, or money launder-
making favorable deals on arms contracts. ing are simply Kuchnost lies. They peddle titillation and transgression, he
says, not cruelty and suffering.
Tower of Chains and Trains
Vyacheslavovich Tower is the tallest by virtue of its impressive
height above ground. Its apex soars to 550 feet, and it is stabilized
by immense struts such that the entire complex seems to cling to
the ground like a great stone claw. Red-haired, arch-eyebrowed, and possessed of a voice so cold
Hidden within Vyach Tower is the immense Dark Archive. Aside that it can freeze the guilty to their bones (some say quite literally),
from voluminous clan histories and lockboxes, the Archive con- Fyodor’s priority has been to usher in municipal reforms so that
tains records of all prisoners overseen by the clan, including the Trekhom can be an example for the rest of Drakr of what functional
Chapter Four
many political prisoners and whistleblowers who opposed clan government looks like.
interests and were unceremoniously gulaged. A test case for Fyodor’s new laws will be the unpleasant scion
Zorin Volodovna. A contrarian socialite and star of Trekhom
To Boldly Go gossip broadsheets, his embrace of the Hardt Multitude philosophy
One of Trekhom’s newest and most exciting buildings is the head- of worker solidarity (see page 147) has made him persona non grata at
quarters of the Planarnaya Razvedyvatel’naya Kompaniya planar clan events. Zorin has recently come forward, claiming he has evi-
exploration agency. Commonly called the Planarnaya, or just the dence that will expose the deepest lies of the Armiger faction. Clan
PRK, this government-owned project cleared a slum near the city’s leaders and their Kuchnost operatives have been targeting Zorin
rail yard and erected a 200-foot-tall cube of cement, named the ever since, and Fyodor’s guards have been protecting their unpleas-
Dock. ant whistle-blower day and night as the Reformists’ investigation
The purpose of the PRK is to explore other worlds and acquire proceeds.
their resources for Drakr. They study well-known magic like plane Another pressing issue Fyodor hopes to solve is public distrust in
shift, construct vehicles that can travel to the planets, purchase journalism. She managed to persuade one of the serdtse neighbor-
enchanted objects that lead to pocket dimensions, and send expedi- hoods to enact a law mandating absolute truthfulness within its
tions to explore interplanar portals hidden around the world. boundaries, which is enforced by closely guarded pillars carved
Missions Director of the PRK is Ilarion Vladi- from an obscure form of planarite that resembles purple-stone
mirovna, a wizard and ballistics engineer who with green veins. Ber’s executores dola liberta have sent a monitor to
during the Great Eclipse conducted some reckless determine what their formal policy should be on such matters. No
interplanar travel to the now-absent world known sooner had she reached the city than people started whispering that
as Mojang, where he claims to have had a revelation she was seen meeting with Kuchnost leader Tolstyak Besporyadok.
about the fundamental nature of planarite. He
has described his mission at the PRK as work- Mirsk
ing to let Drakr sit upon a tower so high that the Once the lair of an undead titan, Mirsk now dispatches mountains
nation can look down upon the entire world. of steel goods to the rest of northern Lanjyr’s industry. Miners and
forge-workers toil amidst smoke and dirt, many of them function-
Politics ally slaves of private prisons. Accidents and “accidents” are legion,
The leader of Trekhom is Mayor Losevskaya Fyodor. A dwarven and morticians extort families to keep their deceased loved ones
judge who was forcibly retired after she expressed Reformist opin- from joining the rumored ranks of necromantically-reanimated
ions in her judgments, she was later appointed mayor by Chancellor miners. Nowhere is the influence of the old dwarven clans and the
Heid through some legal legerdemain following a scandal involving Armigers more sharply felt; Mirsk is the stronghold of their avarice
the previous mayor. and cruelty.

History The Lost Riders

The cave-riddled mountains near Mirsk show signs of habitation After most of the Demonocracy-allied dwarven tyrants had fallen to
and mining from before the invention of writing. The area’s access Triegenes, the last five warlords gathered at a fiery tower in the Shawl
to enormous seams of coal, iron, copper, and other valuable metals, Mountains. As they camped and discussed a plan for war, one of their
plus a vast expanse of high-quality lumber in the rolling forests, archmage servants warned that a winter storm stronger than any in his-
made it a center of wealth throughout history, hindered only by its tory was approaching. Afraid of being stranded from their battle, the
lack of river or port. five warlords mounted their various dread steeds and rode forth. But
The clans long ago made accomodations to share control of Mirsk when the storm fell upon them, they lost their direction.
and its nearby mountains, but they each built their own massive Too cruel and convinced of their invincibility to die, the five continued
bunker fortresses to withstand the occasional war. Railroads have riding until they vanished forever into the blizzard. For over a millennium
now connected Mirsk’s natural resources to the rest of the world, the dwarves of Drakr told tales of the lost riders (also known as the
and the clans have both welcomed the extra riches and rushed to vsadni), continuing to search for the battle that they should have fought
hide some of their unsavory secrets in these underground castles, and won. Folk tales warned never to offer aid to lost travelers, lest you
lest outsiders try to make them change their ways. anger their pride and earn their wrath.
During the Great Eclipse, the doomsday army of Grandis Ko- During the Great Eclipse, the vsadni returned in gargantuan bodies
manov gathered on the outskirts of Mirsk and slaughtered many made of meteorites and cold flame. The lost riders acted as heralds of
of the unwalled settlements, but they were defeated before they Grandis Komanov, but when she was defeated outside Mirsk, one of the
breached the clan strongholds. five—the warlord Tzertze—turned on his brethren, his betrayal having
been bought with a promise of a place of prestige in the aftermath. He
Geography and Architecture lives today in luxury, renowned for his old-fashioned tenor. His grand war
The city most people think of as Mirsk sits nestled in rolling hills stories of a time when Drakr seemed far mightier make him an odd sort
between the Mirskwood taiga and a group of four low mountains. of celebrity among the dwarven clans, one of which found a way to give
The largest of these mountains, Mount Mirsk, has been immensely him a normal-sized dwarf body, though he can control his gigantic body
hollowed out in one of the greatest feats of engineering in Lanjyr’s as long as it is within sight.
history. An open-air passage several hundred feet in diameter and The weapons of the four defeated vsadni are kept in a museum in
Chapter Four
over a thousand feet tall pierces from the mountain’s pinnacle to its Mirsk, but stories of the riders remain popular, as do theories that the
stony roots. Astounding forge palaces from the Demonocracy and other riders survived as well and have joined with this or that nation, still
earlier ring the maw. seeking to conquer Drakr.
Locals call it Pustaya Bashnya (for “empty tower”), whereas the
the Clergy named it Vulkan Darvaza (“volcano gate”), evoking the
image of a rift to hell. Though the mountain is not volcanic, forges
constantly emit a constellation of fiery light, as if the heart of
Mount Mirsk were burning.
Other excavations are less grand but no less expansive. Mirsk
sits at the center of an ant’s nest of mining tunnels, many serving
long-forgotten purposes, called the Polosti (for “Hollows”). The
city’s Tekton Council employs professional delvers to maintain a
thorough map of all these passages; Mirsk laws gives the council
authority to forbid new digs they believe would threaten the integ-
rity of the ground.
The Hollows need constant patrol thanks to natural cave-ins,
sabotaged support struts, and three destructive earthquakes over
the centuries. Delvers face undead, monstrous creatures, skulk-
ing criminals, and secretive clan factories run off-books. Miners
spread rumors that somewhere amidst the honeycomb is a passage
leading to an underworld where immortal dreamers sleep cush-
ioned by the bones of a drowned empire.
Structures of Note
While Drakran architecture is known for its stark aesthetic, Mirsk’s
rail station is a standout exception. A majestic wing-like structure
of white steel and blue glass seems to float above the main rail plat-
forms and associated buildings, connected to the ground in only
two spots which somehow have sufficient counterweight for the
awning to defy gravity. Prisoners toil each night to wipe soot and
snow from the windows and keep the painted metal pristine.

Of newer fame is the Domik Avantyurista—the Adventurer’s Mirskwood Folk

Lodge, a narrow two-hundred-foot tall tower shaped like an axe- After centuries of indentured workers farming and herding within the
head, owned by the world-renowned Kiegar Arukova. Mirskwood, the railroad has made it more economical for Mirsk to bring
The building is guarded by frost giants she befriended in food from elsewhere. Reclusive Mirskwood villages—mostly human—
in her past expeditions. She helps recruit adventurers are slowly reclaiming their land. It is a rare place of agreement between
from around Lanjyr to help with the surveying needs Reformists who desire more autonomy for the locals, and Armigers who
of Mirsk’s underground, and she tasks particu- were tired of the expense of maintaining order among folk they see as
larly talented explorers to travel the world and supersititious witches.
bring back treasures and tales to share at her In most ways, the Mirskwoodsmen culture never assimilated with the
exhibitions. rest of Drakr, but their shamans did adopt Drakran customs of philoso-
She is currently filling her library phy and rhetoric. While they want to keep their own traditions, they see
with the writings of monster hunters and philosophers as warriors, and ideology as weapons that can keep the
mountain climbers and mystic seers. She has powerful Drakran clans from threatening them. Many prisoners who
announced that before she dies, she wants to have a collection that escape servitude in Mirsk seek refuge among the Mirskwoodsmen, but
can be definitively called The Adventurer’s Guide to Surviving Anything. if they cannot provide a compelling case for why they should live, they
find themselves fed to the villagers’ dogs, and their skulls tossed into
Spirit of Reform mountain streams.
Two disconnected efforts are being made to reduce the grip the
clans have on Mirsk. mines and prisons, where they deliver relief supplies and arrange
The Sredi Ravno (“Among Equals”) are an ongoing legal accidents to kill particularly cruel wardens. They have raised their
effort to free prisoners from their mining servitude, public profile by turning their violence upon moderately infamous
spearheaded by Siyan Aleksi, a hammer-wielding local figures who had managed to escape justice. To kill one mortician
dwarven lawyer who despite sharing a goal with the accused of reanimating the dead, they captured and smuggled zom-
chancellor’s Reformists is dismissive of Heid bies and locked them in the man’s house in the middle of a blizzard.
Eschatol. Aleksi’s shame is that in his youth Likewise, they publicly hanged the foreman of the Mirsk Rai-
Chapter Four
he was a follower of Grandis Komanov, lyard for sabotaging trains carrying goods for companies that
though he claims he did not contribute compete with the clans. Then they dragged his body behind a train,
to any violence during the Great Eclipse. which they derailed into a Clan Vyacheslavovich depot. The whole
Still a bit of a radical, he follows the axialist event was captured with autosomous cameras, and commemora-
philosophy, believing that morality is not based tive photographs were mass produced and sold throughout the city.
on perspective or context; rather, deeds can be measured along a Tattar recently met with Kiegar Arukova, who said the young
two-axis system: lawful-to-chaotic, and good-to-evil. He shaves his human asked about guardian-fey from the Drakran Dreaming,
beard to divorce himself from what he sees as Drakr’s evil tradition and had a bold plan to form a pact with an ancient “house spirit”
of moral relativism. of Pustoy Vulkan, much like the monarchs of Risur maintain a pact
A crusader with a compassionate heart, Aleksi works to bring with that nation’s fey titans.
Mirsk’s formal legal code in line with his magically-assisted re-
search into the nature of reality, and he has gathered many to his Politics
cause. They refuse to take actions that either violate their own The mayor of Mirsk is the young dwarven clan scion Abara Vy-
moral code or Drakr’s legal code, but through investigations, boy- acheslavovich. Ruthless and possessed of a keen intellect, she was
cotts, and protests have managed to get judges to re-try and release once hailed as one of Clan Vyacheslavovich’s future leaders, but
hundreds of prisoners. in recent years she fell under the sway and adopted the distorted
Recently Aleksi was approached by Dame Cozzi of the Family version of Delkovich Nihisol espoused by the leader of the Kuch-
crime syndicate, who wants to cooperate to root out the Kuchnost, nost. She began feeding blackmail to the syndicate, and gradually
but the lawyer’s code keeps him from directly coordinat- replaced officials who might check her power. Before the clans’ rep-
ing with her, no matter how strategically useful the resentatives in Mirsk realized it, Abara had practically turned the
alliance would be. city into a weapon for her mentor and idol, Tolstyak Besporyadok.
Meanwhile, a group of escaped miners known as the Tolstyak maintains three lavish residences, each on a different
Lovor (“Laureled”) use more desperate measures. Their mountain around Mirsk. One is full of polished marble, statues of
leader, a young Zubovna Tattar, is a Mirskwoods- Clergy gods, and religious scripture. One has walls of inlaid obsid-
woman who was a forge slave for the first twenty ian, a hearth built upon the bones of a dragon tyrant, and a library
years of her life, forced to work alongside the of demonic scrolls. The last is in a rich Risuri style, with polished
animated corpses of her parents. She is said to be slate, viridian hangings, and a bronze crown atop a throne that sits
funded by sympathizers of the Hardt Multitude in an otherwise empty front yard. Tolstyak has commanded his
philosophy, who hope to prompt worker revolts. servants to steal artifacts to help him fill these estates. He has his
The Lovor mark themselves with certain hair eyes particularly set on the diary of Triegenes, the egg of a dragon,
braids, and are adept at passing unnoticed into and the crown of Risur’s Skyseer-Queen Iain Waryeye.

Knütpara Death
Once the center of an alliance between Drakr’s profane warlords The barred windows of the Tower of Death overlook a perilous
and Crisillyir’s demon lords, ancient “eternal bastion” of Knütpara ravine melted into the glacier. Once a torture prison, the tower
is now frozen within an enormous glacier and being slowly exca- was discovered to contain detailed records of confessions, casting
vated. The frozen city today hosts an uneasy peace between Risuri, a wretched light on what made someone a foe of the Demonocracy.
Drakran, and frost giant leaders, where fabulous planar wealth
mixes with draconic, demonic, and necromantic relics. Politics
Per a remarkably awkward treaty, struck after Drakr discovered
History Risuri archaeologists unearthing the city and trading planarite
“Gaze ye upon Knütpara, eternal bastion of the Demonocracy, built to with- with frost giants, the city has three leaders.
stand any army’s siege.” So do the stones declare at the edge of an Professor Xambria Meredith of Risur’s Pardwight University
ice-cloaked valley in the Shawl Mountains. Long ago Drakr’s ruling is the nominal leader of the Risuri expedition; however, she is often
warlords traded the lives of their servants, and from the Demonoc- away on her other main project in the Beran city Ursaliña, and
racy received unholy magic and draconic minions. Commander Myrna Ffrewyll leads instead. Ffrewyll oversees
On his march to defeat the demon lords to the east, Triegenes a detachment of fifty guards, and as the representative of Risuri
destroyed Knütpara by calling down massive meteorites in an power, it is her role to be an iron fist within a silken glove. Her con-
act beyond all known mortal magics. Over the centuries, a glacier trol over the stupendously valuable planarite mine is absolute, but
swallowed the city remnants. After being unearthed by Risuri ar- she makes every effort to befriend the Drakran and frost giant lead-
chaeologists, they now excavate planarite of worlds of the distant ers, and to build the groundwork for future alliances.
and wider multiverse, divvying the bounty between Risur, Drakr, Polkovnik Andrij leads the Drakran contingent. An old veteran
and the frost giant tribes. of the long wars against the Tundarasne elves, he carries out his
duties overseeing the treaty with a lifeless efficiency. As a devotee
Geography of Heid Eschatol, the opportunity to examine a fallen city from so
Most of the city is hidden beneath the glacier, where tunnels trace long ago is the only thing that truly rouses his interest. He spends
paths to dozens of buildings, each of which is a trove of history and his time off-shift carefully excavating tools and carvings within
Chapter Four
sometimes horror. Meltwater runs like a river throughout the city, the Demon Tower: attempting to determine what the daily lives of
creating shining waterfalls that feed perfectly pure pools. Above its inhabitants were, and what manner of death they would have
the glacier’s surface, however, jut three towers. chosen for themselves.
Though she has the least political power backing her, frost giant
Demons technologist Khangitche Daini Ryaaf is clearly
As the center of a pact with the Crisillyiri Demonocracy, Knütpara the person who has the most say over how
holds many demonic artifacts. The Demon Tower looms inky black, Knütpara’s planarite deposits are divvied
its roof adorned with a crown of stone branches like an elm tree. up. She sees the city’s wealth as belonging
Here Drakr’s warlords learned profane magic and bound many of to her people, and she shares the planarite
their subjects’ spirits to doors within this tower. Their masters are only because it is the only good her people
dead, and in their absence, the tower doors make demands before have access to that the other nations care
they will open: solving a riddle, battling undead guardians, or sing- to trade for now. But she works methodi-
ing or reciting poetry. cally to tease out the secrets of rare
planarite, hoping a breakthrough will
Dragons mean protection for her folk from old
Archaeologists speculate that it was at Knütpara that the Demonoc- Drakran hostilities.
racy first gifted dragons to Drakr’s warlords. The Dragon Tower is Though she directs a workforce of
adorned with carved stone dragons, and filled with ancient cracked only a dozen frost giants, her respectful leadership and deep
eggshells and discarded teeth. It was clearly intended as a breeding catalog of oral history tales has attracted a following of over fifty
aerie. The prize of the tower is a steel-bound book on techniques of non-giants, many of them researchers from Ber. Together they are
draconic breeding and rearing. committed to ensuring the frost giants are not taken advantage of.

The Clash of Ideas in Drakr

There are many philosophies in Drakr, with four most prominent today
Armiger
The clans heavily promoted various lines of the Armiger family of phi- philosophical beliefs. The latest version, Utyosova Armiger, borrows some
losophy and considered the payment of wandering philosophers as a elements of Isobel Muktism (see below) to extend armigerism’s concept
vital investment. After the Siege of the Shawl, though, exhaustion with of “defense” to include material prosperity with a clear sense of economic
war and a lack of a clear foe created an opening for a nationwide shift in competition, not cooperation.
Muktism
Another prominent philosophical movement in Drakr looks to an Elfaivaran Most muktists see the philosophy as personal, not political, but the
philosopher for inspiration, and broadly define themselves as transcenden- fact that muktists often adopt Elfaivaran aesthetics—food, music, and
tal libertarians. They take the name “muktists,” after the concept of mukti, dress especially—has led to a misconception that the group is related to
which is a form of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. the Vekeshi mystics and involved in assassinations and terrorism. Among
Muktists promote three goals: freedom from shame by living virtuously, Drakr’s ruling class, muktist ideology is seen as foreign—a greater threat
freedom from toil by achieving material prosperity, and freedom from to stability than Delkovich Nihisol. Indeed, muktists lament that they didn’t
desire by experiencing and understanding as much of the world as possible. discover the philosophy before the Great Eclipse, because they suspect
Muktism was popularized in Drakr by Isobel Travers, an Elfaivaran they’ll need a similar period of great upheaval to break the power of Drakr’s
woman who grew up enslaved by a Danoran family but who never felt at central government enough that their political aspirations can be realized.
home with her own people once she was rescued. She had gone from being Many muktists are organizing to create “exclaves” in the Malice Lands,
a trophy bride to being treated like a fragile child, always in need of protec- while others are agitating to turn the Yerasol Archipelago into a confed-
tion. The return of the gulmohar gave her the confidence to leave Elfaivar eration of states. Isobel has reached out to old Elfaivaran warriors of the
and seek a place in the world where she could feel like she was in control. diaspora, trying to recruit a sort of distributed militia force, committed
Isobel’s muktism began with old Elfaivaran religion but added an intense to defending any community that is at risk from trying to buck federal
value on letting people structure their lives as they want. Muktists often control. Already a muktist exclave just across the Drakran border in the
Chapter Four
seek reforms that localize power in preference to central government rule Malice Lands was crushed and annexed by a nearby Drakran clan lord.
over a vast area of people with disparate desires. However, they recognize The conflict leaves Chancellor Heid the dilemma of punishing a powerful
that small communities are vulnerable to the whims of larger groups unless figure he needs political support from, or earning the ire of both the various
multiple small groups coordinate to counterbalance larger groups’ power. Malice States and of countless muktists around his country.
continued on next page
Letter to Risur’s King Baldrey During the Great Eclipse
I, Vlendam Heid, son of Anisim Heid, son of Modya Bohm, dictate this letter to professional
stenographer Dema Derellova, whose keen fingers won’t type on anything but a mastercraft Unalako
brand mecha-typograph. It was personally delivered courtesy of a novel understanding of the
teleportation mechanics of this new world. May you have the wisdom and calm to face your coming end.
In a previous correspondence I alerted you to the threat of Grandis Komanov, a radical who had
perverted the intent of my philosophical writings and in the process acquired a following of depraved
and disgruntled ne’er-do-wells. You might be imagining now what the recent changes in the cosmos
could have done for her recruitment efforts, but I assure you you have underestimated her success.
If I may get to my point, I am in the city of Bhad Ryzhavdut in the far east of Drakr, and we are
under siege. Scouts report she is digging for something in the Old City, and we suspect she will
transition from siege to slaughter once she has whatever she is excavating.
Already several thousand citizens of this small city have defected, enticed by Komanov’s promise of
unadulterated freedom to follow their most base urges. She claims the end of the world is nigh, and
I admit it is hard to dispute her. As you appear to be the foremost experts in averting calamity,
I write to you in the hope you will make this your problem to address. Should you decline, I have
witnessed your heroics and, with the assumption that your absence is for honorable reasons, I shall
not begrudge you. But humbly I entreat you to not let this madwoman lead my nation to an ill-deserved
end. Wherever your duty takes you, prepare yourself that your best efforts may fail, and that you
might perish in undertaking your duty.
Your friend at the end of the world,
Vlendam Heid

Delkovich Nihisol
Of all the philosophies with broad support in modern Drakr, the fastest- emotions and thoughts, and to seek the root causes of their drives and
growing is a brand of solipsistic nihilism called Delkovich Nihisol. The desires. If the world is a creation in one’s mind, then the question becomes:
philosophy’s creator, Jaromir Delkovich, regularly tries to clarify that the why did your mind create this particular reality?
name reverses the emphasis—it is a solipsistic approach to nihilism (not a Many old Drakrans scoff at how Delkovich’s writings deemphasize aes-
nihilistic approach to solipsism, which is obviously nonsensical!)—but the thetics and morals, putting nearly all the attention on epistemology. They
portmanteau “Nihisol” is reminiscent of “Eschatol,” and indeed the public warn that, much like how poor understanding of eschatology led to vio-
seems drawn more to solipsism and the idea of doubting reality. lence, there is a similar threat that solipsistic nihilists will turn to indulgent
Delkovich started with the idea that the world’s survival after the Great mayhem, thinking such actions will have no consequences.
Eclipse was so unlikely that perhaps the world did end, and all that we ex- Popular among criminals, this philosophy is actively advocated by the
perience now is an illusion, or some other creation of our minds. As such, Kuchnost crime syndicate. They use this seed of solipsism to make people
nothing has any value inherently—nothing has truth inherently—which doubt all manner of things that stand in the way of the criminal enterprise.
frees people to decide what matters to them, as part of a gradual process If you can’t be certain the world itself exists, how can you trust local
of not simply knowing that nothing matters, but embracing that idea. police and judges? How can you know your mayor or governor isn’t being
Delkovich Nihisol encourages rejection of authority and faith as well bribed by nefarious groups? And if you’re a politician yourself, how can
as abandonment of arguments couched in morality. But it also contains a you know your rival isn’t going to outmaneuver you by working with the
sort of proto-psychoanalysis, directed solely inward (rather than from the Kuchnost? It is smart, then, to doubt everything, except the Kuchnost, who
perspective of a doctor helping a patient). Adherents learn to study their are villains and murderers, but who will always keep their word.
Heid Eschatol
Heid’s On the Proper Endings of Things gave birth to a whole field of aca- of murders. But, as a credit to Heid, when the Great Eclipse ended, people
demic study devoted to finding the perfect way to end friendships and who had survived what appeared the end of the world, who had witnessed
romances, business relationships, wars, serialized literature, and even whole villages and citizens obliterated by doomsday cultists, who had lost
one’s own life. When the sun vanished and the Lost Riders returned at the loved ones—were able to find closure and not despair.
vanguard of an apocalyptic winter, adherents of eschatology had ample Certainly, vast psychological wounds persist in Drakr, but far less than
Chapter Four
opportunities to find practical applications for his philosophy. would have without eschatology teaching how to move on after something
Tragically, many who only understood the surface idea embraced the ends. Nevertheless, many think it is time for eschatology’s grip on the na-
end of the world with violent abandon, which led to hundreds of thousands tion’s consciousness to end.
Other Philosophies
Many Drakrans reject Delkovich Nihisol but promote various teachers of should simply accept what is, since no discovery truly changes anything.
absurdism, which acknowledges that life has no meaning, but does not en- Hestra Xenoism seeks to use arcanotechnological discovery to give
courage people to find their own meaning or value system. Instead it says people the ability to alter themselves in body and mind. Drakran culture is
that people must accept this condition—this absurdity—and understand very conservative, and xenoists—who seek to replace limbs with magical
that any meaning one finds is transient and should not be over-valued. prostheses or even body parts of other creatures—sometimes find them-
The founder of axialism, by contrast, claims that briefly during the selves arrested for “insanity” and locked away “for their own good.”
Great Eclipse he was able to sense cosmic forces that dictated clear good In the field of political philosophy, Beirom Mazumova’s theory of dis-
and evil, clear order and chaos. Axialists often pursue study of planar tributed power is becoming popular as a pathway for Drakr to challenge
travel and divine magic, in hopes of categorizing morality the way that a Risur for regional supremacy. It advocates for two prongs of engagement.
geologist might categorize minerals. The first seeks ways to produce low-level everyday fear in Drakr, to moti-
Absurdists and axialists have little support from scholars, but they are vate vigorous work to prepare against ambiguous threats. The second is
quite active in Drakr’s artist community. Their conflicts play out in street to undercut Risur’s alliances around the Avery Sea by identifying stable
murals and architecture and even the designs of household appliances like power structures and offering support to groups who seek to usurp them.
irons—one side radical and subversive, the other grandiose and triumphant. The goal is not really to let those weaker groups rise to power, but rather
The techno-racist clannism movement is a radical form of armigerism. to make them perpetual thorns in the side of Risur’s allies, forcing Risur to
It seeks to eject non-dwarves from Drakr and actively retells historical confront an impossible number of challenges at once, which will make it
events from a dwarf-centric perspective, with emphasis on the eternal appear weak.
cycle of dwarven suffering. Clannists believe the cycle of suffering can Finally, the Hardt Multitude philosophy declares it a moral imperative
be broken through technology, when dwarves stop relying on the labor of to create a global economic web where everyone is affected by the affairs
humans and support themselves through industry and machine labor. of the rest of the world, with the ultimate goal of global civil war triggered
The somewhat confusingly named novelists (who believe in novelism) by the working class acting in solidarity. Though few public figures admit to
have the view that new things are always being discovered, which they take holding this belief, conspiracy theorists claim battle lines are already being
as metaphysical evidence that the world has no end to its novelty or inven- drawn between global secret societies. Chancellor Heid has joked that if
tion. They have a stoic opposition to technological development, positing Drakran clans want to avoid being overthrown, they had best work fast to
that there is no end, nor even any progress, in understanding the world, build colonies in the planets above, so they have a fallback if this globe’s
and so effort should not be wasted in science or philosophy. Rather, people civil war goes badly for them.

Other Places of Interest * Morteshka, the valley of windmills, sits mostly abandoned
* Balingrad is a city on the Tunda peninsula, famous for its about twenty miles southwest of Mirsk. Massive windmills,
whaling fleet. older than the Demonocracy, form a ring around this wooded
* For centuries, Bhad Rhyzhavdut has guarded traffic along valley, creaking and spinning still despite their decrepit
the Volgir River, where frigid mines in the Shawl Mountains state. People who enter the valley report animals speaking
feed ore to the eastern sea. It still serves as a bastion against with the voices of dead relatives, and shards of crystal that
invasion by frost giants of the north. Most residents live in lie in the center of rings of dead plants. The few safe paths are
Chapter Four
subterranean compounds dug into the hills alongside the marked by old guttered candles, with warding symbols in the
river. The highest hill rises 500 feet above the river, and from demonic tongue chalked onto the trees, though no one ever
its peak rises a 200-foot-high tower fortress. The fortress and sees who refreshes them after the rains.
hill still has a gaping wound from where the doomsday army * The Orbal Coast is a stretch of land west of the Tunda pen-
of Grandis Komanov disintegrated a 20-foot swath hundreds insula, which lies on the Malice Lands. The region is heavily
of feet long. The city’s population was butchered; the current militarized, and hosts the dachas of many wealthy clansmen.
residents are mostly prisoners escaped from nearby mines. * Pretba is a heavily militarized city built on an inland sea to
* Graftower is an academy of arcane spellcasters on an island defend against the Malice Lands. Excavators for the Chthonic
surrounded by sea ice, off Drakr’s northwestern peninsula. Canal operate from here.
The school centers its study on entropy and destruction, and * The Shandau is a snowy but temperate region on the east
sorcerers who struggle to control destructive energy within coast, north of Mirskwood. Nearly all the original popula-
them can practice shattering glaciers on a frozen sea. The cult tion either joined Grandis Komanov’s apocalyptic slaughter
leader Komanov studied here. Students are encouraged to be during the Great Eclipse or fell victim to it. After the eclipse,
cremated upon death, and to have their ashes bricked into tens of thousands of prisoners in mountain slave mines
the walls of the school’s tower, but Komanov’s remains were escaped and occupied the area. Vlendam Heid has cultivated
never recovered. the loyalty of these people, try to rehabilitate the region’s new
* Koffimsov is a small farm city south of the Mirskwood. reputation as being awash with crime.
Seen as a perfectly average Drakran city, it is host to annual * The Shawl Mountains are tall, frigid, and widely spaced.
philosophical debates, where new movements test if they’ll Many old Tundarasne outposts still have active treacherous
find support of the broader public. magic that imperil travelers.
* Lukala is a city that lies where the Mirskwood reaches * The Stena is a temperate region west of Trekhom bordering
the eastern coast. It is seen as a place where outsiders of the Malice Lands. It is a rich agricultural breadbasket, though
Drakr tend to congregate, and is often the source of extreme its idyllic landscape is marked by towers and old killing fields
philosophies. for defending against malice beasts.
* The Mirskwood is a series of forests that sprawl more than * The Tunda Peninsula was once heavily forested and
three hundred miles in hilly land south of the Shawl Moun- crisscrossed with placid woodland trails marked by trees
tains. Villages here of humans known as Mirskwood Folk that bore a sour fruit whose pit was a diamond. Drakr burned
have long resisted control of the clans, but they have never all but a few patches of these forests in their war against the
formed a unified nation of their own. Most begrudgingly Tundarasne. Now railroads connect remote settlements in a
identify as Drakrans and earn tolls by maintaining roads and grim, denuded landscape.
rail refueling depots in the woods.

Elfaivar
Name: Greater Elfaivaran Ran
Capital: Rumah Terakir
Other Major Cities: Kanta Mahala, Kirimpulang; colonial cities of
Redenzion, Sawyer, Valence
Teleportation Beacons: Redenzion, Sawyer; ruins of Ravana, the old
imperial capital
Government: Monarchal council
Head of State: None
Official Language: Elvish
Common Heritages: Elf 67%, human 27%, tiefling 2%, dwarf 2%,
other 2%
Introduction
Once a culturally rich empire with unrivaled magic, spanning two A small portion of the population, buoyed by the guidance of the
thousand miles and straddling two worlds, Elfaivar fell after their poet Vekesh, rallied around the few remaining Elfaivaran women
triple-goddess Srasama was slain in a holy war against Crisillyir. in five demiplane enclaves that lay between the Waking and the
This resulted in the sudden and immediate death of nearly every Dreaming. These sanctuaries provided a haven for new genera-
Elfaivaran woman. tions to be raised. Led by matriarchs of great power, the survivors
The Elfaivaran civilization collapsed, with many surviving men gathered as much of the empire’s wealth and magic as they could,
throwing their lives away in suicidal vengeance against the Clergy, though much of their history, art, and religion was lost.
while many more preyed upon each other to rule over the empire’s Other survivors—nearly all men, growing old with no prospect
ashes. They were then picked off by colonizers from the other na- for heirs—simply hid in remote villages, scattered to other lands, or
tions looking to scavenge and claim territory. even became servants in the foreign-run colonies.
Chapter Four
Elfaivar at a Glance
These are the major figures, groups, and locations in Elfaivar most foreign- •• Rumah Terakir. An old city once reclaimed by nature, now Elfaivar’s
ers have heard about. A common thread is that foreigners misunderstand capital. The old ruins remain as a remembrance, but grand new con-
much about the country. struction is spreading out into the jungle and even into the Dreaming.
•• Vekeshi Mystics. Even today, most people’s first thought about •• Kanta Mahala. A predominately Harimau city, said to welcome
Elfaivar goes to the secret society that perpetrates assassinations fugitives and outcasts.
around Lanjyr. Most view them as terrorists, but some admire them •• Kirimpulang. Secretive city, unseen by foreigners, where Adin
for terrorizing those who prey on the weak. Radhasi is said to have an alliance with Elfaivar’s own archfey.
•• Gulmohar. The millions of women who died in the Great Malice and •• Colonies. Crisillyir, Danor, Drakr, and Risur each maintain a colonial
returned to life twenty years ago. presence, and various Elfaivaran factions seek to ally with or drive
•• Asocar. The rest of the Elfaivaran population that was already out different groups of colonizers. The political situation is complex
present before the gulmohar returned, also called remnants. (And and tenuous.
the term chotar is used for the children born since the gulmohar •• Shaha. East of the jungles of Elfaivar, this hostile and insular
returned.) city-state enslaves people from across Lanjyr, and has a special
•• Ranimandala. Elfaivar’s ruling council, composed entirely of preference for gulmohar.
women, who do not have a singular leader.
•• Adin Radhasi. A young gulmohar who led an invasion of Crisillyir
three years ago. One of the three most prominent leaders of the
ranimandala, who is in favor of using the nation’s military might to
expand its territory.
•• Athrylla Valanar. An asocar matriarch who has lived since before
the Great Malice, and most influential member of the ranimandala,
who is in favor of seeking peace and prosperity with the other great
nations.
•• Dhebisu. A gulmohar, legendary warrior, and oldest member of the
ranimandala, who attracts outcasts and ne’er-do-wells, prefer-
ring underhanded tactics to keep Elfaivar’s enemies weak. Made
infamous by pulp novels that cast her as a nefarious mastermind.
•• Harimau. An oppressed population of elves who can take on
features like tigers. They are scorned by most Elfaivarans due to ties
to a traitorous god.

Chapter Four
But the memory of Srasama’s fall was kept alive by followers of citizens from other nations did not vanish, but instead find them-
Vekesh. And, as the stars returned at the end of the Great Eclipse, so selves wary of provoking the people they once saw as their inferiors.
too returned millions of the women who had perished five centu- Yet as the old borders are reclaimed and the jungle begins to
ries earlier. They came to be called the gulmohar (a tree renowned reverberate with music and power, there is more hope than ever
for its flamboyant red flowers), and they grew the population over- before.
night at least ten-fold. With their sudden power, Elfaivar became
emboldened to reclaim its lost borders. Grand History
Much like Ber was fifty years ago, few outsiders have been to El- Civilization on the Elfaivaran subcontinent goes back as far as
faivar, and many see it as exotic, mysterious, and dangerous. They when the Ancient orcs dominated in prehistory. But the peoples
mostly know it for what other nations have done to it, particularly here had ties more to distant lands to the east than to the rest of
the Great Malice and colonization, rather than understanding it on Lanjyr. Legends of this time were all but forgotten before the gul-
its own merits. mohar returned, but now the world is starting to understand how
The nation’s future is uncertain, as there are clashes between Elfaivar came to be.
wildly different cultures. The Elfaivarans who were alive before
the Great Eclipse, known as asocar (a tree associated with pride Weaving an Empire
and sorrow) view their place differently from the gulmohar, and The original Elfaivaran Empire arose over a thousand years ago
even among those returned women there are clashes between ef- as a reaction to the threat posed from the old Demonocracy. Dis-
forts to reconstruct and efforts to conquer. And millions of colonial parate small countries in the region were corrupted and fell, but

eventually the rest unified under the rule of the Rajadhiraja (King Dissident and pacifist elements from both sides were forcibly
of Kings) Raoof Dayaalu. Raoof was renowned for the compassion conscripted.
he showed to those who allied with the demons—compassion, in The final battle of the Perang Devar took place in Crisillyir as El-
that he branded and banished tens of thousands, rather than ex- faivaran forces pushed to the gates of Alais Primos and laid siege.
ecuting them. On New Year’s Day, weekly skirmishes ceased as a miraculous
For centuries after purging that corruption, holding back the conflagration bloomed, and from it stepped a living deity: Srasama,
Demonocracy remained a constant demand on Elfaivar, and it the Elfaivaran goddess of womanhood. She led Elfaivar’s charge
gave the elves across the subcontinent a unified identity. Raoof’s against the city’s enchanted shield wall, but the faithful defenders
armies cycled soldiers from throughout his kingdom to the west- hurled every weapon they had at Srasama, and finally she fell.
ern isthmus, and his elite rajputs learned to use pathways through Srasama’s death rippled across the world, but whatever damage
the Dreaming to outflank the Demonocracy’s forces. However, to it may have caused in Danor, it destroyed Elfaivar. From among
control the mingled masses of so many peoples, the Seedist re- the entire Elfaivaran Empire, only a few hundred women survived:
ligion gradually arose. It united hundreds of gods into a complex those who were in the Dreaming, or shapeshifted, or the rare Seed-
metaphysical nesting, and ranked dozens of cultures into castes. ist apostate who was still part of her native culture.
Political dynamics at play at the founding of the empire by happen-
stance became by the end of Raoof’s reign to be seen as divine law. Civilization’s Collapse
Then far to the west, Triegenes began to assail the Demonocracy’s Half the population had died in an instant, and it did not take much
flank, and within the span of a human lifetime the Demonocracy longer than that for the Elfaivaran Empire to collapse into chaos.
was gone. Elfaivar rejoiced, and initially saw the Clergy as allies. Surviving warriors in Crisillyir fled to the homeland, only to find
Raoof finally surrendered to old age, having decreed that no single despair and rage in every corner of the nation. Rajputs slew rajas
heir succeed him, but instead a rajamandala—a ruling council of and became new warlords, executing any soldiers who were dis-
kings and queens—balance each other’s ambitions. loyal. They fought over territory and treasure, but especially over
Seeking a way to seize more power for themselves, many of enslaved wives. The few surviving women who were not hidden
these rajas and ranis turned their attention eastward to expand the and protected suffered unspeakably.
empire. Occasionally they vied with the dragon tyrants of old Ber, Whole cities were split in two as the circle magic that let them
Chapter Four
but the hassle was not worth the prize. Most of their conquered ter- straddle between worlds had lost half the mages who knew the
ritory were in lands that today seldom even show up on maps of the rituals. Within a year war swept through the Elfaivaran heartland,
world, far to the east of Lanjyr. plague in its wake, and famine as its partner. Within a century, the
For another four centuries those eastern holdings brought jewels Clergy defeated the Elfaivaran remnants guarding the borders and
and pearls, ivory and enslaved people, plus a growing understand- found a ghost nation: cities reclaimed by jungles, collapsed magical
ing of the Dreaming’s many shifting forms. Elfaivaran cities spread imbuements spilling strange energy onto the landscape, the once
into the Dreaming, with the realm being tamed into a garden, over- bountiful garden of the Dreaming cut off, and the survivors with
seen by immigrated fey beings. Entire mighty wars were waged in their spirits irreparably broken.
lands hardly known today, but eventually one such war grew too In the empire’s distant holdings to the east, conquered and en-
costly and stalled the empire’s growth. Greedy rajas sought to ap- slaved peoples turned on their crippled overseers, and mighty
pease their avarice by plundering the much-closer wealth of the magical contingencies meant to deter revolts triggered, scorching
Clergy. the earth. Even five centuries later, civilization has struggled to
regain a foothold, and to go east beyond Elfaivar’s forests is to find a
Perang Devar and the Great Malice thousand miles of jagged, accursed steppes.
For a period of decades, different small rulers commanded skir-
mishes and conquests that ate away at the periphery of the Clergy’s The Dirge of Vekesh
lands. But in the year 50 bov the Clergy’s prime cardinal impelled But some points of light survived. Inspired by the stirring eulogy
all the faithful to engage in a holy reconquest. These battles became for the lost women sung by the poet Vekesh, a faction of remaining
not merely political, but blasphemous, as the Clergy targeted Elfaivarans chose to hide and build new communities, rather than
priests and desecrated shrines. The Elfaivaran Empire responded die vainly defending territory against foreign invasion.
in kind, but by the time they stalled the Clergy, Elfaivar had lost The vast majority of Elfaivarans returned to the jungle, trading
the Crisillyiri territory it had previously conquered, and even some their grand ruined cities for humble, illusion-warded villages and
parts of the Elfaivaran subcontinent. tribal camps. To protect the precious remaining women, several
The Clergy rested on its victory, but with wounded pride and matriarchs used magical waystones to create enclaves hidden away
elven patience, the rajamandala built up religious grievances, and in demiplanes.
finally launched their own Perang Devar, or holy war. While some were eventually discovered and sacked, over de-
It was cruel. Both great civilizations abandoned their highest cades and centuries, new children were born and wed between the
principles. The Clergy desecrated the elven dead in search of tro- enclaves. Only rarely were visitors from the thousands of male-
phies and enchanted arms, and they necromantically reanimated dominated jungle villages outside allowed in, usually as a reward
Elfaivaran corpses in droves. Elfaivaran armies slaughtered pris- for rescuing an Elfaivaran woman from slavery. The population
oners of war en masse in attempts to break the Clergy’s morale. grew, though with controversial rules to maintain gender parity.

Chapter Four
Vekeshi Mysticism Elfaivar: Landscape and Cuisine

When the Clergy captured and executed Vekesh in 17 aov, it only The majority of Elfaivar is a sprawling rainforest, broken up by a half-
raised the poet’s fame. dozen ranges of squat mountains that each stretch for less than a
The teachings of Vekesh spread quickly across Lanjyr, with guilt hundred miles. A hot monsoon system breaks the sky and brings forth
or fascination about the Great Malice drawing many to the phi- ocean after ocean of rain, flooding rivers and allowing millions of fish to
losophy’s focus on patience and endurance on scales that exceeded hop between otherwise-separated lakes and rivers. Hundreds of ancient
human lifespans. The cult of the Vekeshi Mystics used those princi- rivers were magically-shaped by the Empire to ease flooding, and broad
ples to persuade sympathetic foreigners to seek positions of power canals called jako—now restored by the gulmohar—connect rivers and
where they could act subtly to protect Elfaivar and help it heal and allow boat traffic to traverse most of the subcontinent.
regrow. The eastern extent of the subcontinent rises in rocky forest, and then
Much of the enclaves’ histories remains secret, but it is clear that opens into arid steppes. Beyond those, a desert stretches for a thou-
not all the matriarchs agreed to simply hide and wait. One matri- sand miles. It was once held by the Elfaivaran Empire and sustained by
arch saw the potential in radicalizing some members of the mystics, Dreaming oases, but since the empire’s collapse only nomads and a few
to create agents provocateur around the world. These agents began scattered city-states survive.
a campaign of vengeance against the Clergy, against any foreign- One of the main cultural bonds between the gulmohar and the asocar
ers who attempted to claim Elfaivaran soil, and against various is a shared cuisine. Traditional foods include rice, barley, breadfruit,
other targets. The motives of these attacks were always justified as mangoes, chickpeas, curries, and yogurt. However, many spices cultivat-
a “defense of the weak,” but historians see a pattern that these more ed in the Dreaming have been lost, as were some whimsical novelties, like
violent members of the mystics—sometimes distinguished with aerated chilled yogurt beverages called doogh and the famous kebapple,
the name Vekeshi assassins—were creating power vacuums, which a fruit which looked and tasted like meat that got increasingly cooked
were then filled by people who would go on to carefully steer the the longer the fruit ripened.
fate of Lanjyr.

Languages and Time

We simplify the language of Elfaivar as being “Elvish,” but the old empire
absorbed many cultures, and most people were multilingual, mixing tra-
ditional Elvish with their native tongue. After the Great Malice, those
other languages mostly died out, but the gulmohar have rekindled them.
One linguistic challenge for the nation is Lanjyr’s calendar system,
which uses aov (After Our Victory), a Clergy term. Elfaivar prefers to
annotate UA (Usia Abadi, Perennial Age) starting after the Great Eclipse,
and UG (Usia Gerhana, Eclipse Age) for the years before. Some propose
the pidgin abbreviation A-aur-D (Achae aur Dvesh, which loosely trans-
lates to Goodness and Malice), since it sounds close enough to aov.
Colonialism
While the enclaves kept Elfaivaran culture alive in secret, Crisillyir resistance to colonial control, and so they assailed the enclave with
established colonies to plunder the continent’s abandoned riches. artillery, sorcery, and infectious maladies. Risuri allies broke the
They were joined gradually by Risur, Danor, and Drakr. siege mere hours before the eclipse ended, and when the sun re-
Relations between colonists and the native Elfaivaran popula- turned the enclave received unexpected allies.
tion varied. The Clergy fought for centuries against guerillas, while
Risur’s was home to a number of movements such as the The Ford Usia Abadi
which aimed to earn the trust and loyalty of the Elfaivaran people No one is sure how it happened, but when the sun returned, simul-
and make them equal members of a new nation. taneously across Elfaivar millions of women who perished in the
While each colony was tightly controlled by its homeland, and Great Malice returned to life. Each of them had a sense of being
colonists were expected to send back wealth or to project the na- given a choice—to return to a changed and imperiled land, or to
tion’s interests, these distant lands became lightning-rods for those pass on to some long-delayed afterlife. The returned women would
Chapter Four
ideas and people deemed controversial back home. The unique cul- come to be called the gulmohar.
tures of these colonies became ever more distinct as the Danoran They knew that a great length of time had passed, but otherwise
industrial revolution reshaped the world. The rise of Ber and its were completely surprised to find their cities destroyed and over-
status as a nation of liberty sparked some calls for colonial inde- grown, and confused by how those who came out to greet them
pendence. Some Elfaivarans even began laying the groundwork for wept at the sight. A few reunited with long-lost family members,
an alliance with colonists who were thinking of revolt. but only perhaps one-in-ten of those who died centuries earlier had
But that movement was cut short by the Great Eclipse. chosen to return. Swiftly, joy at the miracle turned to panic: how
to feed, clothe, house, and generally deal with a new population that
The Great Eclipse was many times larger than the existing surviving Elfaivaran?
During the Great Eclipse, travel to the Dreaming became nearly The remnant Elfaivarans who had always viewed women as rare
impossible, and the enclaves splintered apart. Only two enclaves and precious now saw men drastically outnumbered by women.
survived. One, Ushanti, began to drift untethered to any precise The gulmohar in turn found the asocar obsessed with insular elit-
location. In the other, Sentosa, its matriarch Athrylla Valanar ism in their now-ruined enclaves, and obsessed with survival in sad
managed to transition the enclave fully to the Waking, amid the little jungle villages. But in those first chaotic months, many gul-
ruined city Rumah Terakir. mohar were captured by elite slavers of the far eastern city-state of
Tens of thousands of residents of the other enclaves were Shaha. Among those gulmohar taken were the legendary Cahaya
stranded in the jungle without access to food or shelter. The lucky Varal, once a great general of the Perang Devar. This common enemy
ones found shelter in the colonies Kellandia, Atto, and Rationalis. helped the asocar and gulmohar unify.
Those who sought succor from the Crisillyiri colonies were seen as Though Elfaivar was barely even a husk of the great old empire,
invaders and repelled into the wilds. Many people hid far from civi- the gulmohar’s return brought hope. It also brought power, knowl-
lization and were never heard from again. The subcontinent might edge, and numbers—assets it would need to become a new great
have experienced comparable horrors as the rest of the world, but if nation. Conflict began to brew, however, over competing visions of
so, they were broadly unwitnessed and unremembered. what the new nation should be.
At Danor’s Forward Symposium in 502 aov, only one representa-
tive from Elfaivar attended, a Harimau chieftain named Betronga Three Rivers
Sidhon. The novelty of his presence raised the profile of his people, The gulmohar gradually divided into three groups. The first group
and was a first step to them being treated as simply another culture remained close to the asocar remnant, struggling to ration sup-
on the continent, rather than a cadre of monsters. plies and understand how their people had survived in the interim,
Months later, Sentosa (in the ruins of old Rumah Terakir) was even making tentative moves toward peace with the colonists. The
besieged by an army of colonists from across Elfaivar. They sought second group targeted foreign-run colonies, first in supply raids,
to eliminate what they saw as the source of ongoing Elfaivaran but increasingly with an eye toward driving out the interlopers.

The third group withdrew to remote locations, intending to rebuild Current Status of the Colonies
old cities and restore the lost pathways to the Dreaming. Crisillyir controls Angelus in the northwest. The region is rapidly milita-
Elfaivarans call them the three rivers, because though they take rizing under Ottoplismist leadership, and Elfaivarans who had previously
different paths, they all fill the same sea. Though they may disagree lived as second-class citizens are being consigned to serfdom. Adin’s
on tactics, it is taken almost as a matter of faith that all Elfaivarans raids still strike here, since the jungle makes guarding a border impossible.
are allies, working toward the restoration of their nation’s power. Danor controls Rationalis in the southeast. Relations with Elfaivar
The three rivers are not distinct factions, and have always been are generally calm and cooperative. A growing secession movement
loosely cooperative rather than competitive, but still it took sev- seeks to break free from the homeland and become part of Elfaivar, with
eral years for a new system of government to arise. In 507 aov, the the argument that peaceful integration now will forestall a slow oppres-
Greater Elfaivaran Ran (“Queendom”) was formally created, with sion later. But the slaver city state Shaha to the east is trying to pull the
the ranimandala as the ruling circle. This circle of nine matriarchs colony under its control, or at least to buy modern weaponry.
was styled after the court of maharaja and maharani that led the old Drakr controls Atto in the north, though the population is small, and
empire. Athrylla Valanar, a respected enclave matriarch who has increasingly detached from the affairs of the homeland, since it suffered
been alive since before the Great Malice, is seen as the foremost little during the Great Eclipse. Philosophers are eagerly trying to under-
voice of the first river: reconciliation. stand the minds of the colony’s new Dreaming allies.
Adin Radhasi, a young temple sentinel who was with child when Risur controls Kellandia in the southwest. Though well-defended
she died, was resurrected still pregnant. The mythic resonance of and on good terms with Elfaivar, the colony is having an identity crisis.
her pregnancy, combined with her passionate rhetoric comparing The capital Sawyer has its own secession movement, in cahoots with the
the nation to a temple that she would fight to defend, attracted her one in Rationalis, while anti-technologists on the island Titania sabotage
many fervent warriors. She is seen as the voice of the second river: the colony’s industry and are close to provoking a conflict with Danor,
reconquest. whom they still see as enemies.
Dhebisu, a legendary aged warrior who knew what made the old The central spine of the subcontinent, plus lands in the northeast and
empire strong, and had kept many of its dirty secrets, found herself along the south coast, are solidly under Elfaivaran control.
more comfortable with outcasts, cripples, and traumatized people.
She understood that Elfaivar could use the facts that foreigners
Chapter Four
feared and misunderstood them as weapons in their arsenal, and The Gulmohar Reclamation
so she became the quiet voice of the third river: guile. In 519 aov, after years of breaking wards and pacifying guardians,
As a compromise with the other two rivers, Athrylla and her a Keataram expedition discovered an old shipyard in the Dream-
allies agreed to announce de jure claim to all of Elfaivar’s lost territo- ing, guarded by fey still loyal to the old empire. There Adin found
ry, from Crisillyir in the west to long-dead countries in the distant a small fleet of ancient wooden “fire ships,” a glorious addition to
east. This declaration immediately brought them into conflict with Elfaivar’s navy.
every nation with a colony in the subcontinent, but uncertainty Unsatisfied with the ranimandala’s pace of conquest, Adin led tens
over the strength of the Ran persuaded the great nations to make of thousands of warriors to invade and occupy the Crisillyiri city
concessions. Adin completely ceased raids on Risur’s Kellandia, Vendricce, and the fire ships were her vanguard.
and limited her raids against the other colonies. Elfaivarans began The broad strokes of the international view of the conflict and its
to reclaim their old cities, unlocking hidden and abandoned troves political fallout are detailed in Crisillyir’s section (page 111), but the
of wealth that had been lost in the Dreaming for centuries. perspective from within Elfaivar was very different.
Adin did not lead an army solely composed of her own people,
Testing Their Strength but also relied on enslaved foreigners whom her forces had taken
For a time after the creation of the ranimandala, reconciliation from the colonies. Adin’s followers claim that so great was her maj-
was in ascendance, but the other rivers still flowed. Adin’s raids esty that the slaves toiled and fought for her freely, believing in her
provided pressure for colonial governors to agree to negotiations mission. Throughout Elfaivar, news reported that Adin’s army was
with Athrylla, and helped her keep honed the fighting skills of her greeted with cheers from the people of Vendricce, many of whom
soldiers and attracted the attention of older generals who could it was said were Meliskans, fearful of the violent Ottoplismists in
provide military counsel. And when rampaging monsters killed the rest of Crisillyir. These stories even spread to the other nations,
thousands in the colony Vigilia in 510 aov, and Crisillyir re- helping win broad public sympathy in Danor and Risur.
sponded by evacuating its population, many assumed Dhebisu had
somehow coordinated it. Retreat and Aftermath
Dhebisu was accused of directing the radical Vekeshi assassins, a After a year of conflict and escalation, Adin finally agreed to a peace
few full-weretiger Harimau elves, and other spies in a campaign of conference coordinated by King Baldrey. That failed, however, and
assassination and sabotage against Crisillyir and other colonizers. Clergy forces surged into Vendricce and drove Adin’s army back. In
Adin meanwhile formed a proud fellowship of warriors, the Shahi the years since, embittered soldiers have grumbled with rumors
Santaree (Imperial Sentinels), and called for the creation of a modern that they had expected some key assistance from Dhebisu’s gallery
college of war, the Keataram (Palace) in the city Kirimpulang. It was of minions, but were left hung out to dry.
a discovery by archaeologists at that college which tipped the bal- Adin and her sentinels were forced to flee, and rather than
ance in the ranimandala in favor of reconquest. continue the long trek to territory that was clearly controlled by

Elfaivar, they marched into the colony Kellandia. Adin begged Slavery in Elfaivar
sanctuary from the regional governor, promising eternal alliance The old empire often enslaved people from its remote colonies and
in return. The governor agreed, and the colony’s own soldiers even brought them to the homeland so “proper” Elfaivarans could live in
defended Adin’s when Crisillyir’s army came searching for the luxury, but after the Great Malice it was the Elfaivaran people who often
bloodied warriors. fell prey to enslavement, and thus the practice came to be banned in the
From within that safehold, Adin was already planning to bring enclaves and most villages.
up more forces, perhaps even starting a full war, when King Baldrey Many gulmohar do not share the same deep hatred for slavery. But
sidelined her and instead worked with the Prime Cardinal of Crisil- the structures of the old institution were unenforceable for the first few
lyir and one of Athrylla Valanar’s allies to negotiate the Treaty of years after the Great Eclipse, and when the slaver-state Shaha became
Sawyer. an early shared antagonist, Athrylla Valanar and her fellow matriarchs
Adin and her Imperial Sentinels had failed at their primary were able to exert pressure to keep a new slave trade from arising in the
objective of claiming Vendricce, and the deaths of thousands Great Elfaivaran Ran.
of women under Adin’s command caused many men among the But Adin Radhasi has kept up the practice of war prisoner enslave-
asocar to reject her, as they saw Elfaivaran women as near sacred, ment. Her warriors often claim defeated colonials as property, and
no matter that they were no longer rare. But the invasion did net though they are legally forbidden from selling enslaved people, it is
Elfaivar territory and a daunting military reputation. an open secret that some newly-rich gulmohar consort with agents
of Shaha. The ranimandala had hoped to invite the help of Beran ex-
The Present ecutores to stamp out slavery in all its forms, but Ber’s intervention in
In 522 aov, Elfaivar is still coming into itself, but there is a sense the Gulmohar Reclamation of 519 soured relations between the two
among its predominately female population that they can achieve countries.
anything. Memories of the Great Eclipse (for the asocar) or the
Perang Devar (for the gulmohar) are two decades old, and both handling daily challenges, and with the occasional reshuffling of
mostly want now to plant a healthy crop for future generations to members between triads to counter each other politically.
harvest. In many places, the country is idyllic. While the national ranimandala is composed only of women, they
But that sense of security and opportunity is hard-won through are trying to find ways to ensure men receive at least some voice on
Chapter Four
the practical politicking of Athrylla’s faction, the international these councils. If a mandal doesn’t have at least one man out of the
spycraft and skulduggery of Dhebisu’s allies, and the constant war nine members, it falls out of favor.
footing of Adin’s Shahi Santaree.
As for internal problems, sometimes Dreaming pathways loose Ranimandala
Shaha slavers mounted upon strange nightmare fey, but the nation The ruling circle is a council of nine, and though its membership
has plenty of warriors for that. They also have alliances, such as shifts every few years, it generally has three asocar representatives
with Danoran Admiral Mathis Leblanc, seen with favor since the from the old enclaves or reborn cities, three nationally-influential
Reclamation Crisis (see page 125). The old warrior is encouraging gulmohar, and three women (who can be from either group) who
Adin Radhasi to build a skyship fleet to patrol the eastern border, represent mandals of the formerly-hidden jungle villages.
and is actively recruiting international crews, which lends cre- The ranimandala meets in a special demiplane, which is only ac-
dence to the rumors that the colony is eager to break from Danor cessible to them, though it is itself nested in another demiplane
and the burdens of the Orithean Concordat, become instead a state where a court of invited guests and onlookers can witness the af-
of the new Elfaivar. fairs of state. The nine members can enter from anywhere with
Elfaivar is less experienced at finding its way through cultural special icons attuned to them, but the viewing demiplane is ac-
clashes. Many gulmohar are beginning to resent the powerful cessed only through a portal in the city Rumah Terakir.
wealthy residents of the old enclaves. The myriad tribes of previ- The demiplane contains a temple to Ingatan, god of knowledge
ously male-dominated jungle villages often balk at the changes and memory. Meetings begin with each member performing a
being forced upon them as the gulmohar not only bring back display of martial and magical prowess, and the symbolism of
strange customs from the past, but completely reject the idea that different choices serve as something of a rhetorical debate, often
women should be cautious and sheltered. opaque to outsiders.
The Government First Matriarch

A recurring structure in Elfaivaran society are nestings of three First-among-equals, and a member of the ranimandala
circles. Local towns and villages tend to ally in groups of three to for its fifteen-year existence, Athrylla Valanar has
make up a tehsil. Each tehsil may send three respected figures (who ruled the enclave Sentosa for centuries, and is the
are not on the tehsil council) to be their representatives to a zila only living enclave matriarch to have survived the
(roughly a county, composed of three tehsils), which in turn usually Great Malice.
is one of three members of a mandal (roughly a state), and then up to Gregarious and principled, Athrylla was always op-
a mandhimandala, which is subordinate to the national ranimandala. posed to pursuing revenge against the Clergy regime,
In practice the actual system is far more complex, with each citing the poet Vekesh’s words while supporting peace
administrative division having various experts and appointees and reconstruction. However, she’s enough of a realist

to understand that few in the Clergy share the same stance toward magic to easily access the Dreaming and shape its wilderness, and
Elfaivar, and so she knows military defense—and sometimes even she used this knowledge—and an understated cunning—to protect
offense—is necessary. some of the most vulnerable.
Athrylla’s pivotal role in protecting the Elfaivaran people and Common sentiment is that Dhebisu seeks to rekindle the empire’s
preserving its culture for five centuries earned her the admiration glory, much like Adin, but this misunderstands the old woman. She
of many, even among the gulmohar. Yet her present-day temper- cares nothing for glory, just for humbling the cruel and the wicked,
ance has not satisfied Adin Radhasi and Dhebisu. though she is neither a nationalist nor an ideologue. She has been
on enough different sides in conflicts in her life that she finds loy-
Princess of Honor alty to a government childish. What matters to her are the people,
Adin Radhasi came of age during the Perang Devar, and served and she has found the best way to protect them is to make sure that
as a temple sentinel of Pejuang Pencari, god of war and dis- wars don’t happen. To do that, she will make sure neither side is
covery, though Adin personally never saw combat during confident in its ability to win. A balance of power ensures no one
the war. After the Great Malice, every last follower of will risk making the first move in a conflict.
Pejuang Pencari died seeking vengeance, for their god was Witty, charming, and kind to her comrades, Dhebisu has a lewd
seen as one of Srasama’s lovers. sense of humor and a deep well of spite to draw upon when people
When the Great Malice slew Adin, she was eight cross her.
months pregnant. When the gulmohar returned, even Where Adin is honorable and dogmatic, Dhebisu is ruthless and
though they all had the same struggle to find food and pragmatic. She wrested control of the radical Vekeshi assassins
shelter, many people felt obliged to ensure those who by persuading their existing leaders to undertake prideful suicide
returned pregnant had a safe delivery. missions. She accepted the maligned Harimau and various gulmo-
Adin was unique, though, because she persuaded har who had been outcasts or criminals before the Great Malice,
people not to protect her, but to follow her. They navi- positioning herself as a trusted voice for a cavalcade of scoundrels
gated the jungle to reach her old temple in the city of Kirimpulang, and outcasts. She proved her worth to the nation by planting spies
turned into a stretch of drought-stricken barrens, ruled over by and saboteurs in the colonies and even in foreign nations, so that
a gargantuan cobra called the Avrati which laired in the temple when the ranimandala formed, her knowledge was too valuable for
Chapter Four
ruins. Adin organized the women with her to assemble arms from her not to be offered a seat.
the wilderness and slay the serpent. Not long thereafter, monsoons And, while Adin was away trying to conquer Vendricce, Dhebisu
brought life-restoring rain, and filled the rivers that connected the manipulated the woman’s daughter Retta to become sympathetic to
city to the sea. Amid that downpour she gave birth to her daughter, the plight of the Harimau. The young Retta volunteered to undergo
Retta. a ritual to receive a blessing from the god Hewanharimau. Now
Adin’s fame quickly spread, and many gathered to her movement. Adin—with all her outdated prejudices—dare not target the hari-
Stern and strict despite her youth, Adin is an honorable warrior, mau, lest she lose her own daughter. The balance of power keeps the
but nevertheless a warrior from a past era. She holds old prejudices, peace, even if it stokes grievance.
particularly against the Clergy and the Harimau, and the glori-
ous Elfaivar she seeks to build has no place for foreigners except Rumah Terakir
as slaves. Her zeal, and the certainty of how she thinks her people Center of the Greater Elfaivaran Ran, Rumah Terakir is the most
should live, fills her many followers with a grand sense of righteous prominent of the many cities being reinvigorated.
purpose. Indeed, she is particularly popular among young asocar
women, who grew up in a time when they were seen as priceless. History
Adin gladly recruits such disaffected women to her Imperial Senti- Rumah Terakir was once a wealthy sanctuary for nobles, priests,
nels, and teaches them that they will restore Elfaivar to its old glory. and powerful merchants, about ten miles upriver from the old im-
perial capital city. Nearly every residence was palatial, and during
Grandmother Grievance one period of religious fervor around 150 bov, the community built
For centuries, some of the most famous legends from old Elfaivar great stone temples to numerous deities in the outskirts.
were tales of the warrior Dhebisu: she who defeated a rak- After the Great Malice, the nearby capital city was devastated by
shasa god, with a fallen star in her hair that reshaped into repeated battles to control it, but Rumah Terakir’s air of holiness
a hundred weapons at her command. Her exploits were kept it safe. Over time it did still decline, but it was never fully aban-
famous even before the Clergy defeated the Demonocra- doned. Eventually it became site of an enclave demiplane, Sentosa,
cy, so most assumed she was already dead before the under the leadership of Athrylla Valanar.
Great Malice. But she had simply withdrawn from Sentosa hid for centuries, entry protected by a small population
the public eye. Long past her fighting years, she had that remained in the ruins of Rumah Terakir, and further guarded
served her empire in more subtle ways. by a mighty saṃsāra-fey that took the form of a ten-headed lion.
When the gulmohar returned, Dhebisu was over Ensconced in secrecy, Athrylla and her people sent out expeditions
700 years old (not counting the 500 years she was to recover wealth and magic from throughout the fallen empire,
dead). She tried to maintain her low profile, but she only occasionally letting in new residents or reaching out to the
gradually rose to prominence: she possessed forgotten other matriarchs’ enclaves.

Peril of Ravana
Most travelers come from the south coast and take the Sindu River to However, the dangers do not all come from the past. Slavers from
within about twenty miles, then finish the journey by overland roads, Shaha occasionally emerge there from strange
which are recently built and well-patrolled. Athrylla hopes that soon the pathways—perhaps through the Bleak Gate.
river route will be safe all the way to Rumah Terakir, but for now it passes And a cell of ultranationalist gulmohar hide out
through the old capital city of Ravana. there, enraged by the current peace with the
A mere ten miles from the modern capital, Ravana saw over a century of Clergy.
successive invasions, which brought elementals, samsāra-fey, undead, and A singing Beran hobgoblin sailor named Juan
other monsters that still linger in the ruins. Those willing to brave the ruins Águila has become famous for sailing his ship all
and cull some of these perils can win the favor, and often join the Vached the way upriver to Rumah Terakir. He styles himself
collective (see below) or coordinate independently with Thakurani Auryn, a pirate or smuggler, and claims that his resonant
the de facto head of the city’s government. baritone lulls to sleep any threats in the ruins.
In the Great Eclipse, Athrylla barely managed to land her en- house thousands of Elfaivarans amidst their labyrinthine corridors,
clave safely amidst Rumah Terakir. The city weathered attack by stairways, and ballrooms, decorated with gaudily-colored flags,
colonizer forces, and then after the eclipse ended, Athrylla again tapestries, and scarves.
drew her enclave into a pocket dimension between the Waking and
the Dreaming, but she kept the pathways open so that the returned Modernization
gulmohar would have a safe haven. The palace system is criticized by Isobel Travers,
The city began to flourish, and people built new homes. Athrylla who escaped from enslavement in Danor, lived
decreed that any ruined building that could be restored must keep for a time in Elfaivar before the eclipse, settled in
at least a portion of the structure still in disrepair or still claimed by Drakr, and then returned to Rumah Terakir
jungle foliage. She said this would convey the spirit of her old friend with an eagerness to find a new life among
Vekesh, and remind Elfaivarans forever that their people had sur- her people. Though the people were in
vived great tragedy and loss. crisis, she saw a strange sense of libera-
Chapter Four
In 507 aov, the Greater Elfaivaran Ran established Rumah tion in many of the gulmohar who had
Terakir as its capital, though magic allows the ruling ranimandala to been stifled in their old lives before the
conduct its affairs without the members having to come to the city. Great Malice.
Isobel learned of the concept of mukti, a
Geography form of philosophical emancipation, and
Four colossal stone statues of bare-chested warriors stand over the argued that having palaces overseen by an enclave lady disempow-
river docks. Three other statues long ago shattered, which Athrylla ered their residents and made them dependent. As a counterpoint,
has forbidden the removal of. The once-flooded docks were rebuilt she persuaded the city’s tehsil to invite Drakran architects to design
to elegantly incorporate their ruins. Farms and fisheries line the and construct more modest new structures, clustered into large
river, and the city regularly invites visiting scholars of agriculture neighborhoods. Their similar design prevents the politics of ar-
from other nations to help its gulmohar farmers—who learned guing over who deserves the best rooms, an issue endemic to the
their trade before the Great Malice—integrate modern scientific palaces. These humble homes’ compact size also creates space for
knowledge to aid their food production. numerous fruit and vegetable gardens, which allow each neighbor-
In 501 aov, the city was visited by an invisible Dreaming-colos- hood to grow their own food and have a place to share their thoughts
sus. Citizens have since taken to sowing wildflowers in his great and opinions. In many ways, they emulate Trekhom’s serdtsa.
footprints, each of which was fifty feet across.
Half-Restored Religion
Architecture Numerous temples trace a loose ring around the old city center
The city’s architecture is a mixture of restored palaces, modern and its palaces. The three most well-known are those to Srasama,
neighborhoods of humble conformity, old temples left in respectful Ingatan, and Hewanharimau. Each building has been partially re-
disrepair, and grand new architecture erected by newly-rich col- stored, but clear signs of the decay of five centuries remain.
lectives. A handful of Risur-style factories bustle along the river, Srasama’s temple is a great stepped pyramid topped by the legs
while in the demiplane Sentosa arcanoscience is joining with tra- of a giant statue. Beyond the legs, the torso is fallen and broken in
ditional dreamcrafting to give birth to a uniquely Elfaivaran style twain. Rocks that once made up the head and six arms litter the
of magical industry. grounds. Within, the temple is bare, and the once elaborate murals
contained within have been burned and broken. Many asocar come
Palace Tenants here to remember the lost goddess, though gulmohar are made
It is popular for powerful asocar women who were from the en- uneasy by what they see as worshiping a dead deity.
clave Sentosa to take ownership of Rumah Terakir’s various Ingatan’s temple was built downward into the ground like a
abandoned palaces, renovate them, and then invite the arriving twenty-foot-deep inverted step-pyramid, with the vertical risers
multitude of gulmohar as tenants. Dozens of palaces collectively engraved with faded scripture. However, if one steps to the bottom

level and has been approved as a visitor, they will transition into The Lonely Companion
the demiplane of the ranimandala’s viewing chamber (see page 155). The Akela Sathi (Lonely Companion) is something of a sacred tavern,
There they find a far grander temple structure, where a statue of built into the trunk and root system of a massive tree, which snakes up
Ingatan rises above them, head bowed, four arms spread like the the side of a great stone statue depicting Srasama, in her aspect of the
sheltering boughs of a tree. maiden. The building serves three functions: aristocratic court, school,
Hewanharimau’s temple is an ominous structure built from and brothel. It is that third role that generates controversy.
a pair of stone slabs propped against each other like a steeple. It Shortly after the Great Malice, one of the overriding challenges
stands out for the lack of any other structures within 300 feet. It among the Elfaivaran survivors was to protect the few surviving women—
was long left alone due to superstition, but Dhebisu insisted that and later their daughters and granddaughters—while dealing with the
Harimau elves be allowed to restore it, and to place obelisks with threat of abduction and rape from the much larger population of men.
the true history of their god at the periphery of the temple grounds, And even though harm to women was grounds for execution, pride and
to help remove the stigma from their people. Nevertheless, many lust was causing outbursts of violence.
Elfaivarans who come within sight of the building make warding or The solution that Athrylla and the women she gathered to her at the
cursing gestures at it. founding of Sentosa was the ananta paudha (eternal saplings). Women
could volunteer in a sacred role for seven years, serving as primarily a
Industrialization teacher to instill new customs their society needed, but also offering
Three years ago rajput and arcanotechnologist Rashmi Dayal ne- companionship. Men who passed their classes and met certain standards
gotiated with Risur for help to establish modern manufactories in of behavior and duty could request one night per year at the Akela Sathi
Rumah Terakir. So far only five have been constructed, all for con- where, if an ananta paudha approved, he could enjoy luxurious pleasure
sumer goods, not arms or steam engines. and sensitive companionship.
Their presence and the products they make have been met with Over the centuries the Akela Sathi changed the culture of Sentosa,
a mix of enthusiasm and skepticism, a reminder of the diversity teaching techniques of empathy, treatment for emotional traumas, and
of cultures that make up Elfaivar. Dayal recruits workers to the exceptional parenting. Compounds on the ground served as more tradi-
manufactories by claiming they’ll bring wealth to the nation, and tional schools for the enclave’s children.
so make future war unnecessary. Those who align with Adin Rad- Today, many gulmohar and most non-Elfaivarans see the ananta
Chapter Four
hasi see industry as giving in to the colonizers’ culture, and prefer paudha as prostitutes, victims of a society dominated by men. However,
instead to pursue magical innovation. Others who align with even though the national gender disparity now skews the opposite direc-
Dhebisu instead want to build muskets and railroads, because the tion, the asocar of Sentosa still see the Akela Sathi as a place of prestige,
strength they provide is more important than petty worries about and indeed many prominent women of Rumah Terakir credit the school
cultural change. with giving them the skills and temperament to lead. The city is slowly
But many are simply thrilled to find that canned food, cheap reevaluating the institution.
lumber, high-quality fabrics, and exotic foreign fashion have all
become available. Indeed, while traditional Elfaivaran fashion
still dominates in most of the city, factory women have adopted Daily Life
cage crinolines, fine corsets, and ornate heeled shoes as a lavish Each day at least one of the broad thoroughfares in Rumah Terakir
sort of uniform, wedding the new foreign forms with the local is transformed into an open marketplace, with hundreds of vari-
patterns and colors. colored stalls and shops built from wood or erected under canvas,
and with a constant flow of vendors. Most of these markets anchor
Wealth Collectives to one of the city’s old temples, and prosperous merchants have
Meanwhile, a system somewhat similar to the syndicalists’ in the taken to commissioning new statues of Seedist deities they favor,
Danoran city Beaumont has arisen from the efforts of a number to raise their profile. More scurrilous vendors will discreetly add
of entrepreneurially minded Elfaivarans. Since the gulmohar re- advertisements for their wares onto the statues in order to claim
turned with no wealth, those looking for a way to acquire riches divine association, which eagle-eyed rajputs constantly dismantle.
joined in collective ventures called samanya. Some samanya are like The marketplace is an immense point of pride for the city, as the
adventurer guilds setting out into the jungle to find treasures of the ability to freely travel and sell their goods is an affirmation that the
old empire. Others are traditional business ventures, just with a secrecy, rationing, and oppression of the previous age is over.
much broader base of investors. Once per month, a grand market threads between multiple
The most successful collectives have funded the construction of thoroughfares, as travelers from around the country converge
artistic buildings to raise their profile. The Mangal collective, which to buy and sell and share news. Nearly every single village in the
runs the city’s new natural gas network, has a campus of gleaming Ran makes at least one appearance a year at one of these grand
metal structures like the ribs of a silver titan. The Vached collective markets, and the most successful are those who distinguish them-
of treasure hunters operates from a small penthouse office atop selves for some unique craft, no matter how niche. One of the most
a pair of curved plinths that form a towering O shape a hundred sought-after vendors is the coffee-bean trader Bana Bhatta, an old
feet high. A nearby spire has a staircase that lets out onto a balcony, gulmohar woman who uses magic to sneak into the dens of danger-
with a twenty foot gap to the penthouse; Elfaivarans can simply fey ous animals and monsters that live near her village, so as to gather
step across the gap. the finest beans found in the dung of such creatures.

Enclave Sentosa Kanta Mahala

The enclave of Sentosa lies within a pocket demiplane, coterminous A temple refuge hidden by briars and waterfalls, Kanta Mahala, or
and coexistent with the city of Rumah Terakir, though Sentosa’s “Bramblehome,” was once the seat of the Children of Hewanhari-
reality is far more verdant and rife with magic. mau, known as the harimau elves. Now, the sanctuary is so much
Entrance to the enclave passes through a great stone archway more. The cunning crone Dhebisu commands the service of hari-
overseen by a woman named Faedravan, who bears the enclave key. mau weretigers, divine assassins, and foreign anarchists in her
Pocked and ancient, she considers the welfare of the enclave guard- plots to protect Elfaivar. Kanta Mahala is a city of dark joys, violent
ian, a great ten-headed lion, to be far more important than that of ambitions, and harsh justice.
any entrant.
The enclave is relatively small, particularly compared to the History
glory of Rumah Terakir. A few dozen palace-sized buildings and For centuries, the harimau have been demonized as unclean savag-
the temple of Srasama are duplicated from the Waking. Several of es, and their patron god Hewanharimau called a fiend or rakshasa.
these are closely guarded, as they are the site of arcanoscientific Enclaves rejected harimau, even actively hunted them, keeping
research, particularly into the use of planarite. them from establishing permanent settlements.
Occasionally the inhabitants of Rumah Terakir will manifest In approximately 446 aov, the Sidhon tribe of the harimau dis-
as ghostly figures in Sentosa, typically in times of great emotion, covered Ingatan’s Refuge, an ancient abandoned temple to the god
though the great spellcasters within the enclave have ensured such of fire and memory. They named their settlement Kanta Mahala
apparitions only flow one way. and decided to serve the ancient deity, hoping Ingatan would
bestow upon them the proof needed to exonerate Hewanharimau.
Politics After the Great Eclipse, their prayers were answered. The van-
After five centuries running Sentosa, Athrylla Valanar now is fo- ished stars reappeared and the gulmohar stepped out of the forest,
cused on guiding the nation. Her representative on carrying forgotten memories. The legendary warrior Dhebisu
Rumah Terakir’s tehsil is Auryn, daughter of Gala- spoke of her experience slaying what appeared to be a mighty rak-
din, known by the title thakurani. While she has shasa, and doing so with regret, for she recognized that this was
Athrylla’s favor and could basically run the city some strange and debased alter ego of the once-beloved Hewan-
Chapter Four
directly, she deeply values having others to harimau. Whatever the rakshasa was, it was not the true Seedist
question and challenge her impulses, so she god of the animals crucial to civilization.
insists the other two members on the tehsil Out of gratitude for this truth—and because she defeated the
be political rivals. previous weretiger raja in a duel—the Sidhon and other tribes ac-
Born in Elfaivar just over a century cepted Dhebisu as their leader.
ago, Auryn’s course to her current posi-
tion wove all across the world, but along Geography and Architecture
the way she married a deva, Gabriel Kanta Mahala is built on multiple levels of a jungle growing out-
Caryle, who had in his first life been an ward from a dramatic jutting cliff, flanked by a pair of waterfalls.
adherent of the Clergy. During the Great The cliff overhangs a cave, within which a massive statue of the
Eclipse, the lovers’ knowledge of both El- four-armed Ingatan looms over a comprably humble temple. The
faivaran and Clergy culture helped save entrance to the cave is a steep series of switchbacks surrounded
the enclave Sentosa from a siege, earning by great thorny vines, and the oldest homes in the city are elegant
Athrylla’s enduring trust. wooden structures nestled within those vines.
After years spent opposing injustice around Lanjyr, Auryn Druidic architects have grown similar vines up and between the
gained a mature understanding of the causes of crime. While city’s trees, creating a dizzying highway of greenery to connect dif-
she condemns the murderer, the thief, and the arsonist, she now ferent communities. The city’s actual ground level is irregular, hilly,
recognizes how their crimes are impacted by the decades-prior and often tangled with underbrush, with only a few paved streets. It
malfeasances of the slumlord, the embezzler, and the corrupt is around these that foreigners tend to live, while the harimau resi-
bureaucrat. Rumah Terakir is, in essence, a newborn city, and dents are more comfortable navigating the forest floor or canopy.
Auryn has set herself the task of destroying institutional avarice For holiday celebrations, the vines will blossom with flowers in
before its rot can spread. Her focus is the rorts of those who were celebratory patterns, and the city’s parades are renowned for the
nobles in the old empire; the anticompetitive sabotages of nascent stunning beauty of falling petals drifting on a gentle tidal breeze,
merchant-princesses; and the jungle-warping whims of powerful almost like the city itself is inhaling and exhaling.
Elfaivaran fey.
Auryn demands that her rajput constables become masters of Temple of Fire and Memory
both balance sheets and battle, for crimes that begin on paper tend The temple of Ingatan is a humble, six-room stone structure, a sharp
to resolve in bloodshed on the streets. One of the few indulgences contrast to the grandeur of the statue above. Its most distinctive
of power she has allowed herself is earmarking a portion of Rumah physical feature is a fresco of the idealized form of the god Ingatan:
Terakir’s taxes to the construction of a musical venue, one to match rotund, four-armed, flanked by elephants, and wielding flames of
the famed Navras Opera House of Flint. different colors in each hand, grey, red, yellow, and white.

[[Art: Ingatan’s Refuge from adventure 8—Diaspora]]

Chapter Four
There is no formal priesthood, only various volunteers who feel Danor. Danoran industrialists looking to bypass restrictions on
an obligation to maintain the building and who welcome visitors their nation from the Orithean Concordat have been welcomed
who want to meditate where the waterfall drowns out the outside and granted citizenship here, though as yet the city is struggling to
world. Temporal magic thrums within the walls, and meditants build the supply chains for meaningful industrialization.
experience visions from the far past, far future, near past, and near The second group is a loose collection of warriors from diverse
future. It is said that with the right offering to the four fires, these martial traditions. Dhebisu calls them her misfit rajputs, though
visions become visceral, providing a crucible for the visitor to face only a few are formally trained in traditional Elfaivaran arts of
their mistakes and grow strong for a future challenge. war. One of those is the company’s proud and prim asocar leader,
Saanvi Devdas, said to be able to slice a musket bullet in half with
Politics her bare hands. The “rajputs” and their families often have small
Dhebisu might hold power in Kanta Mahala, but she doesn’t flaunt villas with servants, and are expected to act as protectors for small
it. She has a modest mansion on a hill where she gardens and cooks groups of menial laborers.
for a large adopted family, casually discussing her global political The third group, the vekeshi mystics, operate in shadows, han-
agenda as she makes samosas or practices her dancing to stay flex- dling spy networks in the city, the country, and beyond. Though
ible despite her advanced age. many masked visitors are seen meeting with Dhebisu every day at
Three of the most prominent groups in Kanta Mahala are the her manor, no one really knows the true size of the group.
blessed weretigers, the misfit rajputs, and the vekeshi mystics.
The first group is led by Betronga Sidhon, head of one of the Muktism in Action
largest harimau tribes. Most harimau simply have some tiger fea- In a radical embrace of the transcendant libertarian philoso-
tures, but a few who receive the full blessing of Hewanharimau can phy muktism, Kanta Mahala has relatively weak laws compared
transform fully into tigers, and gain other supernatural powers. to other Elfaivaran cities. There is no formal city watch, though
One of these is fertility or virility. Kanta Mahala has more men per there is a strong culture of protecting outsiders, and this draws
capita than any other major settlement in the country, and Betron- many runaways and criminals who know that they can find shelter.
ga himself has eight children, unheard of among Elfaivaran men. But anyone who lives in the city for long ought to be intimidat-
Betronga often acts the formal ambassador of the city and of ing enough to protect themselves, or else align themselves with a
the harimau more broadly, and has established strong ties with group that will back them up.

Many are recruited into a network of watchful eyes, reporting to The Arsenal of Dhebisu
a tangled web of spymasters from around Lanjyr, at least a few of Elfaivarans long told a tale of a god who turned against their pantheon
which share the secrets they glean with Dhebisu. Others join reli- and was transformed into a tiger that walked like a man: a rakshasa. As a
gious cults, mercenary companies, or popular performing troupes. god, no weapon in the world could harm him, and he ravaged the lands of
Though this system might seem fertile ground for gangs and ex- Elfaivar, drowning villages and tearing entire cities free from the earth
tortion, one of the few laws is that no one can be forbidden from with a swipe of his clawed hands.
leaving any of these groups. Dhebisu keeps an ear open for groups In the story, it was the warrior Dhebisu, infamous for her incongruous
that terrorize the weak, and dispatches the cakar malam to teach brilliance as a poet and lewd sense of humor, who befriended the cats of
them a lesson in what fear really feels like. the jungle to learn of the monster’s weakness, and consulted with sages
The cakar malam (or Night Claws) are the top of the food chain to learn when the next meteor shower would occur. That night she sang
in Kanta Mahala, and many are suspected to be vekeshi mystics. a mocking tune to lure out the rakshasa.
Normally they oversee tasks as minor government functionaries, The beast attacked her, but she pulled a falling star from the sky and
but when some group starts to take advantage of the city’s lax laws, wove it into her hair. Thenceforth any weapon she touched became in-
these servants of Dhebisu will stage violent assaults. Wearing ter- fused with the powers of the heavens. They battled through the night,
rifying masks, they abduct the leader of the offending group, bring until finally, the rakshasa tried to slay her with a poisoned arrow. But
them before the people they victimize, and then polymorph the Dhebisu snatched the bolt and plunged it into the fiend’s loins, destroy-
person into a small game animal like a chousingha antelope, and ing it so that it could never reincarnate.
polymorph the victims into tigers. The story, long thought a legend, has been promoted to history, albeit
The rough edges of the city don’t typically need dramatic shows with its embellishments sanded off. The aged Dhebisu, returned as a gul-
of violence to keep things orderly. Every night some estate or other mohar, corroborated some of the details, but has promised not to spoil
will be hosting a lavish party or sporting competition. The cakar the tale by correcting parts that were wrong. She does, however, wonder
malam often attend these gatherings, being courted by people look- whatever became of her arsenal after she died.
ing to stay in the rani’s good graces, or persuading hosts to do her
favors. After all, debauched parties are a good source of blackmail. shortly after her resurrection, and began revitalizing the city, with
the temple of her long-dead god as its heart.
Chapter Four
Fear, Fey, and the Foreign Five years ago archaeologists from the city’s new Keataram war
The akhara of the Durala Carao (adepts of the Way of the Gun, academy managed to recreate the old link to the Dreaming, where
page 53) lies on the outskirts of Kanta Mahala. a small fleet had survived, tended by fey who had been magically
The adepts of the Durala Carao are renowned for the study of pledged to guard them. Since her failed attempt to annex Vendric-
modern firearms, and often take on the added challenge of explor- ce, Adin has focused her attention on growing these links to the
ing the Dreaming analogue of the area and maintaining contact Dreaming and building new military arctech.
with the beings there. One of the monastery’s early teachers, the
gulmohar guru Mallaya Asma, has an old rivalry with Saanvi, Geography
head of the misfit rajputs. Saanvi is said to have torn off the guru’s The old city center from the time of the empire lay in a wide valley
arm; today, Mallaya has an enchanted prosthesis of wood and steel surrounded by high walls cut through with canyons. The old temple
that terminates in a gun barrel. of Pejuang Pencari—now rebuilt into Adin’s palace—is the largest
Retta Radhasi, Adin’s daughter, also trains in the way of the gun structure remaining. Much of the current population lives in struc-
and often performs public acrobatics for onlookers who visit the tures built into the walls of the canyons, some of which descend
akhara. Spies who serve Adin Radhasi are said to be planning to into an as-yet ill-explored subterranean labyrinth. Huge pillars
abduct her and take her back to her mother, and so both Mallaya and of stone support the ceilings of this massive cave, where majestic
Dhebisu are looking for a way to protect the young woman. Mallaya relief carvings from the time of the empire still adorn the wall.
has invited representatives of the wayfarer cirquelistes to come to During monsoon rains the canyons divert floods into the under-
Kanta Mahala, thinking they and her adepts could learn much from ground labyrinth, sparing the main district. However, when Adin
each other, and perhaps they could bring Retta somewhere safe. first led her followers to slay the great serpent Avrati, the city had
been in an accursed, years-long drought, and the surrounding land
Kirimpulang was barren, yielding little to feed the residents.
Port-base of the temple-warrior-queen Adin Radhasi, Kirimpulang But vital aid arrived in the form of the asocar
is a city beholden to a more ancient morality: slavery, discipline, Sokana Rell, who just a year after the gulmohar’s
and unity through war. return arrived with a group of Elfaivarans that had
spent their entire lives in Risur. Sokana brought
History magical boons from the Unseen Court, and used some
Kirimpulang had been a shipyard during the Perang Devar, building precious knowledge of the Dreaming to persuade the
enchanted vessels in the Dreaming, but after the Great Malice the land to offer its bounty.
magic that kept it connected to that other plane failed. Afterward a Ever since, Kirimpulang’s exact location has
series of warlords claimed it as their redoubts, but by modern times remained somehow magically hidden from foreign-
it had become a ruin filled with evil spirits. Adin Radhasi retook it ers. Maps can only approximate it, as the Dreaming

bleeds into the Waking world around it and befuddles explorers. Sokana’s embittered knowledge of international politics meshes
The closest landmarks are the Three Brothers, a collection of stand- well with Adin’s belief in the need for purity, and for action over
ing stones somewhere between the colonies of Kellandia and capitulation or appeasement.
Rationalis, often visited by the three types of Elfaivaran fey. Visi- After Kellandia granted Adin’s army sanctuary and defended
tors who arrive there will be vetted, and then escorted to the city by them against pursuing Crisillyiri forces, Sokana advised her how
Adin’s fiercely loyal soldiers. best to exploit Risuri sentimentality to strengthen her military
position. Adin makes regular trips to Kellandia to check on those
What Can You Do For Your Captor shahi santaree who remained behind, and to perform various tasks
Aside from Adin Radhasi’s anticolonial war, Kirimpulang’s defin- and favors for Governor Framenca. The governor has offered to
ing institution is slavery. Countless colonists have been kidnapped dispatch Risuri industrialists to construct a small technologist’s
as part of her raids. They are forced into cooking, cleaning, build- workshop in Kirimpulang to produce tools and supplies. As well,
ing, and repairing, with some volunteering to serve in her army. For Queen Iain has invited Adin to take part in planned naval races and
now, these enslaved people live in strangely pleasant conditions, Beran war games, although the Beran navy is still aggrieved over
filling rich rooms of some long-dead raja’s palace. her Crisis exploits.
Adin ensures that the people she has enslaved want for no food Not all Berans are hostile to Adin, however. Ambassador
or entertainment as long as they obey. Any who refuse to work are Alonsa Frolian, a middle-aged goliath famed for her talents
beaten, put in sweltering isolation cells, and starved until they at training warbeasts, serves as Ber’s representative to the
apologize and agree to return to work. Many resist until death, Ran, but spends most of her time in Kirimpulang. She
and—in keeping with the old ways—their skulls are taken to secret hopes to parlay her shared warrior’s mentality into a
shrines beneath the city. rapport with Adin, and she has had an unorthodox
Solace Petrov is the most notable prisoner, a Drakran economist initial success in getting the warlord intrigued by
reluctantly leading the others and conveying their interests. Petrov the Beran team sport cicada.
continually tries to persuade Adin of the unsustainability of slav-
ery in a modern economy. War Grief
Thousands of Adin’s soldiers put their hopes and
Chapter Four
Engines of Empire dreams on their queen when they invaded Crisillyir

The head of the Dreaming shipyard is Amanjeevan Babbar, a and tried to reclaim the glory of Elfaivar. Their initial success
handsome asocar who had worked in Rationalis building steam- led to months of nervous siege, then weeks of fearful flight, march-
ships before being inspired by stories of Adin and coming to serve ing back to safety with nothing to show for their effort other than
her. The shipyard is a truly strange environment, with loops of dead friends and war scars.
wood and stone creating portals that link the fairly dirty and in- Adin sees the attempted reclamation as a success for Elfai-
dustrial docks in the Waking to a parallel Dreaming dock filled var’s long-term prestige, but many common soldiers struggle.
with lily pads and silks that drift on a singing breeze. Strange fey Kirimpulang is in many ways a utilitarian city; while there are en-
there assist Amanjeevan, led by the avian Veer-Zaza who swore tertainments and distractions, the returned soldiers feel they have
he would build and maintain ships here until he fulfilled a debt to no path ahead of them other than to remain warriors. Until Adin
an elf who died before the pledge could be discharged. Most of the gives them orders, they are still officially tasked with defending the
other fey workers are similarly bound by compulsions which Adin city and other lands she claims, so leaving would be desertion.
and her advisors only half-understand. One of the great contrabands in the city are mobile ceraunic
Many shahi santaree (imperial sentinels) jokingly speculate that wave antennae, smuggled in by foreigners, which let disaffected
the glamorous harbormaster and the beautiful Adin work so closely veterans communicate via beeping code with others with simi-
that they will end up a couple. However, Amanjeevan has so far dis- lar experiences stationed around the region. Unexpectedly, these
appointed his queen, for while he is learned in modern engineering anonymous broadcasts have been picked up as far away as Ber and
and is quickly studying the arts of dreamcrafting, he has not yet Crisillyir, and Adin’s soldiers have discovered that they have more
been able to repair the damaged fleet of fire ships to the pristine in common with the people they fought than they thought.
condition they had before the Reclamation Crisis.
Other Places of Interest
Politics * Akravan was a long-abandoned enclave. The gulmohar who
While Adin Radhasi relies on advisors, all authority is vested in her, resettled it formed close bonds with the flocks of giant fey
and she takes responsibility for every misstep and bungle. She fol- birds that had made it their home. Now the small city is being
lows her ancient set of principles with absolute discipline. Within pushed by Adin Radhasi to develop flying cavalry.
those principles, she can be surprisingly empathetic, compassion- * Bharat is another former enclave, sacked by Danoran
ate, and kind. Many of her people find Adin’s absolute lack of a colonizers forty years ago. In the early days of resettlement,
sense of humor quite amusing itself. arcanoscientists from the Danoran colony Rationalis offered
One of her closest advisors is Sokana Rell, long ago an aid to a the gulmohar here generous aid in exchange for help studying
Risuri noblewoman and now something of a persona non grata after the planar magic—thought long-lost—that connected the
she published some scandalous information about the monarchy. settlement to the Dreaming.

* Denzil was once the capital of the colony Tropaeum, but * The Sindu River runs south from Rumah Terakir to the sea,
when Crisillyir ceded it after the Gulmohar Reclamation, passing through the ruins of Ravana.
Elfaivar renamed it. For Crisillyir the city was the center * Ushanti is the only demiplane enclave other than Sentosa
of a web of mines for gems and precious metals, and while that survived the Great Eclipse. The entrance—an invisibile
most Elfaivarans are uncomfortable with this exploitation extradimensional portal, which requires an enchanted braid
of natural resources, the residents of Denzil continue the to see and enter—drifts all across Elfaivar in a monthly
practice, tempted by the wealth it lets them access in greater circuit. The pocket realm is scarcely two miles across, built
Lanjyr. Former colonials who offend the city’s elf governor along the banks of a river that flows in the shape of an infinity
find themselves sentenced to perilous labor in the mines. symbol.
* Gamana was an enclave destroyed in the Great Eclipse, * Vai Dormir was once the small capital city of the colony Vi-
now gripped with strange magical flux that pulls it back and gilia. The gulmohar mockingly renamed it to be a command,
forth to the Dreaming and the Bleak Gate. It is said that a cell “Go to sleep.” Once little more than a forward operating
of Vekeshi mystics use its ruins as a place of penance and base for hunting Elfaivarans in the remotest jungles, the
imprisonment for those who betray Elfaivar. city has become a place of study for mages seeking to craft
* Gorov is the capital of the Drakran colony Atto, which saṃsāra-fey.
embraces a philosophy of making oneself useful and unob- * Valence, the capital of Danor’s colony Rationalis, is a tech-
jectionable in order to avoid being harmed by those more nologist’s paradise, standing out for its coastal skyscapers,
powerful than you. Visitors report the atmosphere incredibly several of which rise over two hundred feet tall, glowing with
pleasant and agreeable, with a strange mix of the warmest electric lights.
elements of dwarven hospitality and Clericist work ethic, * Vasundar was a demiplane enclave devastated by the Great
tinged by whimsy due to its alliance with the fey. Eclipse. It housed many artistic treasures, and it is being
* Macdam lies on the massive isle of Titania, technically rebuilt into a city of tranquil reflection, with museums and an
within the Risur colony of Kellandia. Founded during the academy for artists.
Second Yerasol War when Risur was particularly hostile to
the idea of technology and industry, the town became home
Risur
Chapter Four
for misfit technologists. Any research Risur wants to perform
that the mainland residents might balk at is welcomed here. Name: Kingdom of Risur
* Madhyasthata is one name for the lands east beyond Shaha, Capital: Slate
filled with inhospitable steppes, and home to nomads who Other Major Cities: Flint, Bole, Shale
travel between ruined cities once controlled by old Elfaivar. It Teleportation Beacons: All major cities, and various druidic holy sites
is said to be more than a thousand miles before the next true Government: Constitutional monarchy
civilized nation. Head of State: Skyseer-Queen Iain Waryeye
* The Perpetual City is a grand oddity—an abandoned city Official Language: Primordial
east of Kanta Mahala, built downward into the earth and Common Heritages: Human 85%, elf 5%, halfling 5%, other 5%
seething with wild magic—which not a single Elfaivaran, not
even the oldest gulmohar, knows the history of. It contains Introduction
ruins that seem to meld early Clergy and Elfaivaran architec- In Risur, lately everything has been going well. Inspiring leader-
ture, adorned with iconography of truly immense beasts. ship and heroic unity during the Great Eclipse sheltered the nation
* Port Perrault was established as a Danoran base for pirate from disaster. Since then, devoted and wise governance brought
hunters, chosen for nearby hills that provide coal for refuel- prosperity to the people, protected vital alliances with fey in the
ing early steam engines. Its shipyard is negotiating to help the Dreaming, and even fostered a mutual respect between the nobility
Ran build their own modern arctech navy. and the commoners. Risur has shared its innovations and prosper-
* Redenzion in the colony Angelus was the first Crisillyiri city ity with other nations, making the country a model for others to
on the Elfaivaran subcontinent. Before the return of the gul- aspire to. And though that success breeds some resentment, where
mohar it only had about twenty-five thousand people, but it is Risur goes, the rest of the world follows.
growing rapidly, and Ottoplismists are flocking there, eager Alas, Risur’s victories are not something every nation can
to build up its military defenses for an expected future war. emulate. From the nation’s founding, the monarch has derived
* Sawyer is capital of the Risuri colony Kellandia. It provides supernatural power from both the assent of the landed nobility—
magically-resonant timber for shipbuilders, and is home to descended from the rulers of various clans and small kingdoms
an orthodox druidic circle known as the Ford, which hopes to nearly two thousand years ago—and the acceptance of the masses—
earn the trust and loyalty of the eladrin people. an eclectic mix of peoples from diverse migrations over the
* Shaha lies on the last fertile stretch of coast, just beyond the centuries. The ruler can feel public disapproval, and so those prone
eastern border of Elfaivar’s grand forest. Its elites live at the to tyranny and indolence have never held power long enough to
peak of pre-industrial splendor, wealthy from an extensive cause much damage.
and magically bound slave trade. Residents almost never But tension does exist. Risur’s ancient alliance with the Unseen
speak within earshot of outsiders. Court and deep druidic traditions have been strained by new

industry that tears up nature and supernaturally distresses the Over the centuries, intermittently the fey titans would awaken,
fey. Profits tempt factory owners to abuse their workers, and new and the monarch would fulfill the responsibility of Kelland, de-
fortunes fracture long-cemented social strata. The majestic might fending the nation and forcing the titan back into submission. But
of the military has provided stability and safety that is breeding as other nations arose around the world, Risur was only rarely
complacency, right as a new queen seeks to exert her power on an truly threatened.
international stage, and the esteemed Royal Homeland Constabu-
Chapter Four
lary sees looming efforts to cut the nation’s legs out at the knees, Great Power
from groups who feel this colossus of a country is overdue for a When the Demonocracy arose, Risur kept its corruption from
humbling. crossing the Avery Sea, but after their defeat by Triegenes, Risur
had no existential foes for centuries. Occasionally some hierarch in
Grand History the Clergy or raja from Elfaivar would think to establish a foothold,
Every Risuri child knows that before King Kelland, no nation had and there were always raids and even occasional wars from Ber to
ever endured more than a few years in Lanjyr. Every land had its the south, but historically Risur was more likely to be the aggressor
own great territorial monsters that would crush young kingdoms. than the target.
The land that would become Risur was no exception. Many nomad- For instance, it was King Boyle in 300 aov who purportedly slew
ic human tribes and isolated elven towns were terrorized by the the last dragon tyrant of Ber. But Risur’s power comes from its
five fey titans, and incursions by eerie beings from the Dreaming land, and from its people’s consent to their monarch. Short-lived
were common. attempts to annex parts of Ber or the Stena region of Drakr failed.
Then in roughly 1200 bov, the hero Kelland subdued each of the The only expansion that ever had much success was the colony of
fey titans in turn and forced them to slumber. He began to unite Kellandia in Elfaivar after the Great Eclipse, and even today a size-
the scattered peoples of the land and promised that as their king, able number of elderly Elfaivaran men from the Diaspora still live
he and his successors would protect their shared nation from the in remote villages in the Antwalk Thicket.
titans. Kelland likewise forged an alliance with several lords of
the Dreaming who would go on to become the Unseen Court. Their
leader Thisraldion lives to this day, or at least someone who claims Risur: Landscape and Cuisine
the same name. Risur is a subtropical country, with temperatures warm but comfort-
With the riches of the land finally theirs for the taking, the able year-round, though a rainy season strikes near the end of what the
people of Risur quickly grew into strength and wisdom. Soon all northern nations consider summer. Even the poorest Risuri can enjoy
land north of the Anthras Mountains was pledged to Kelland, and fresh fruit from its bounteous agriculture. Wealthy foreigners cher-
the peoples wove their varied religions into what would become the ish Risur’s pineapples, limes, bananas, and massive jackfruit, but most
Old Faith, guided by prophetic priests known as skyseers. prized are its cocoa and sugarcane, and alcohols made of each.
When Kelland was near death, he offered his crown to his A typical Risuri meal consists mostly of fruit, beans, bread, and fish,
daughter, but she was clever and advised him that his true legacy with occasional beef or pork. Manufactory workers in Flint seldom can
would not be his family, but a stable kingdom. So began the tradi- afford quality meat, and instead make savory stews by soaking bones
tion of the monarchy passing to the most worthy, rather than to and sausages in dark beans. Holiday celebrations often include steam-
kin, though typically each monarch’s family gain lands and join ing milk flavored with either chocolate or honey.
the nobility. See The Six Titans for more details on the landscape of Risur.

Risur at a Glance
These are the major figures, groups, and locations in Risur most foreign-
ers have heard about.
•• Queen Iain Waryeye. Recently-crowned monarch, the first
gnome to rule Risur, thought to be globally ambitious to counter
assumptions that her small size would make her timid.
•• Former King Baldrey Korrigan. The ruler of Risur during the
Great Eclipse, who earned near-universal respect for finding allies
among all the great nations and spearheading efforts to restore
the sun and stars.
•• Benedict Pemberton. Founder of Pemberton Industries,
advocate for unbridled corporatism, and informal ruler of the
steelmarked gnolls in Ber.
•• Hana “Gale” Soligon. Governor of Flint with a controversial past
whose time in power may be near its end—and so too her role as an
ally of the city’s industrial workers.
•• Alienor Contessa Soliogn-Stark. Tiefling from Danor who
became a member of the Unseen Court, to the dismay of many
who grew up seeing Danor as the enemy.
•• The Unseen Court. Engimatic leaders of the fey who live in the
Dreaming analogue to Risur.
•• The Fey Titans. Five colossal entities that exist in both the
Dreaming and the Waking, to whom Risur offers regular appease-
ment in exchange for wonderful blessings.
•• Skyseers. Folk prophets tied to the druidic Old Faith who can
Chapter Four
predict the future by watching the stars.
•• Flint. The most cosmopolitan and thriving city in the world, rich Great fleet battles and bloody guerilla engagements stoked high
with industry but nestled amid natural splendor, welcoming to tempers, and the few efforts to cool tensions—like when Danoran
international visitors and immigrants, and bursting with artistic inventor Amielle Latimer visited Flint to assist with the defeat
innovation. of the witches of the Hunchback in 400 aov—were never parlayed
•• Slate. Official capital of Risur, a stately and conservative city that into peace. Successive generations of Yerasol veterans were propa-
forbids industry. gandized into heroes, and then the grunts from the last war became
the leaders ordering troops to fight in the next.
Clouded Skies
In 500 aov, however, King Aodhan Lesterman, a former priva-
teer whose theft of a Danoran warship forty years prior had helped
kickstart Flint’s industrial boom, sought to end the rivalry between
the two nations by marrying Lya Jierre, daughter of Danor’s sover-
eign. He faced great resistance, including an assassination attempt
by his own sister and a rebel lord of the Unseen Court trying to pro-
voke a war between the two realms.
He survived those, but his hope for peace seemed doomed.
During the peace summit, a 300-foot-tall metal colossus exploded
However, while Risur may have controlled and exploited the out of Flint’s Cauldron Hill. After heroic efforts by the people of the
Yerasol Archipelago for centuries, the people there never saw them- city, Aodhan managed to banish the mysterious construct into the
selves as Risuri. Still, it shocked the nation when, in the 4th century Dreaming, then addressed his cheering people to lay the blame for
aov, Danor began to contest Risur for control of the islands. This the disaster upon Danor and its sovereign.
sparked two centuries of bitter conflict: the four Yerasol Wars. Aodhan had decades earlier created the Royal Homeland Con-
stabulary, and after the peace summit failed, he entrusted a group
Bloody Archipelago of elite constables led by Baldrey Korrigan to deal with the con-
The First Yerasol War ended in 366 aov in a stalemate, the Second spiracy that had created the colossus. In the year-long international
ended in 399 aov in Danor’s favor, and the Third ceased in 460 aov mission of spycraft that followed, Baldrey would make many of the
to Risur’s benefit. The Fourth and final war formally concluded in allies he would soon need. Hours before the stars fell from the sky,
493 aov, with Risur yielding a large amount of island territory to a coup overcame Aodhan, and in his last breaths he chose Baldrey
native and Danoran control. as his successor.

The Great Eclipse Writings of King Baldrey

Each nation faced its own terrible trials during the Great Eclipse, Three years after the Great Eclipse, Baldrey Korrigan published
and for Risur that struggle took the form of the fey titans. For the Dialogues by the Pyre, a critique of the writings of William Miller (see
first time in seventeen centuries, all five had awoken at once. But page 119) and an attempt to move Millerism forward. It has become a
this epic challenge ended up proving to the people of Risur that seminal work of modern philosophy, but is also popular with the masses
their new King Baldrey was worthy of his crown, as he outwitted because it includes threads of the king’s adventures saving the world
or outfought each of the titans in turn. The king’s swift victories from the Great Eclipse, and his wisdom from ruling afterward.
staved off the despair that gripped the populations of other na- Dialogues begins with a list of his allies during the eclipse and how
tions of Lanjyr. they variously disagreed with him. Then it shifts to vignettes from the
More importantly, though, Baldrey had allies around the past five centuries of how different groups had tried to enact Miller’s
continent, and he was able to persuade his citizens teachings, using them to critique areas Miller had been overly simplistic
of the need to help the rest of the world against or naïve.
their calamities. Either the king himself or his The text’s main thesis is to go beyond hypothesizing about “ideal soci-
companions played pivotal roles in saving Alais eties,” and to understand how to actually enact them. Whatever change
Primos from a demonic lava dragon, Mirsk from you desire, Baldrey writes, will only extend as far as your power, and the
obliteration by doomsday cultists, Ursaliña range of power depends on the consent of others. Pushing for extreme
from otherworldly psychic invaders, and upheaval leads to backlashes, like the fate Miller himself suffered.
even Cherage from a hivemind that would Baldrey speaks of his own limits as king, and ultimately concludes that
have consumed the entire city. They de- the world was saved from the Great Eclipse not because he had the best
stroyed the magical lighthouses that the idea for how to guide the new age, but because he was open in his ac-
Danoran sovereign had intended to use to con- tions, and sought the honest opinions of allies from around Lanjyr. The
trol the entire world. “ideal society,” ultimately, must change with the times, and so everyone
And then, in a moment that seems supernaturally obscured should have a voice in its shape.
from the recollection of those who were not directly involved, the The king penned two other prominent texts. Early in the eclipse he cir-
king and his allies engaged some foe at Axis Island in the Yerasol culated among his advisors Project Illumination, a discussion of possible
Chapter Four
Archipelago, and during this conflict King Baldrey somehow trig- ways to bring back the sun. Of the nine copies that survive, all of them
gered the return of the sun and stars. Before long, every person in have identical strange gaps regarding—
the world knew that it was the monarch of Risur who had led the
efforts to save them all. Toward the end of his reign, he wrote Letters from Tomorrow, an imag-
ined epistolary discourse with a series of citizens from different possible
A New World Order future versions of Lanjyr. It is less popular since it lacks the hints of the
Risur entered a golden age after the eclipse ended, and though many king’s dramatic adventures that drew many to Dialogues. Many readers
sought to exalt King Baldrey, he made concerted efforts to share the find the prose dry, and the voices of the different “citizens” too uniform.
glory, raise the profiles of those who had helped him, and to use the The last section, however, is cherished for a tone that is more earnest
immense support he had to get previously fractious groups in Risur and impassioned, where Baldrey outlines his vision for Risur’s future.
to make concessions and shake hands in good spirits.
Internationally, Baldrey tried to do the same at the Orithean King Baldrey had doubts about how he resolved the crisis, and
Concordat, but he lacked the same authority and the necessary fa- abdicated so a new monarch could rule over a safe, prosperous
miliarity with complex local disputes. Plus, the other nations had Risur, but his citizens celebrated the king’s successful reign. The
all suffered greater disasters than Risur. Though heartened by what new ruler, the gnome skyseer Iain Waryeye, was received with
progress he did see, Baldrey was repeatedly heard to say that, “It’s grand celebratory parties that ran deep into the night so revel-
chaos, but beautiful chaos, and it’s probably for the best they don’t ers could look to the stars in her honor, and the nation had itself a
all agree with me.” hearty chuckle for overreacting about that whole “war” thing.
Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis The Present

The details of this conflict are explained in more depth in the sec- Risur has seen three main changes since Queen Iain was crowned.
tions on Crisillyir and Elfaivar, but from Risur’s perspective, it First, technology has spread deeper into the countryside, with
marked the end of the era of King Baldrey and convinced the broad- many scattered towns accepting investments of small factories.
er public that the good times were here to stay. The local press had Baldrey had sought to keep industry concentrated in Flint and a few
catapulted itself into a fit of doomsaying in the early weeks of the other cities to avoid angering the fey, but Iain believes it is neces-
crisis, promising that Risur would be drawn in and that the golden sary to acclimate the fey—especially those in the Dreaming—to
age would end in fire. Papers proclaiming the king had nearly been technology. And if that fails, the more citizens who have gained
assassinated sold so many copies that it’s still possible to turn up wealth from the industrial revolution, the more minds will be at
discarded editions in the cities’ gutters even three years later. work trying to invent arctech that doesn’t bother the fey.

The isolated factories and the jobs they create seem to be popular. The House of Nobles
However, efforts to connect the heartland with railroads and cerau- Born from the chiefs and rulers who knelt to King Kelland, and from
nic wire communication are regularly disrupted by angry fey, who those who have performed great services to the crown, the House of
do not like straight lines cutting through their wilderness. Nobles is empowered by tradition and by rite. The monarch’s power,
Second, in a reversal of seventeen centuries of tradition, rather the Rites of Rulership, depends on the accord of the nobles. Nobles
than using her power to keep the fey titans subdued in slumber, are, by law, allotted a great range of powers, privileges, and power-
Queen Iain has made them allies, employing the Titan Conclave ful privileged positions in Risuri society and government. Many of
rangers to satisfy their immense whims, which has yielded a grand Risur’s twenty-three governors are of noble lineage, passing their
bounty of magical boons. Fecund herds blessed by the Father of role and their titles down family lines; a number of these governors
Thunder have let Risur export livestock. Charcoal from near the are even descended from former kings and queens.
lair of the Ash Wolf can, when mixed with firegems, imbue the
smoke from furnaces to disperse rather than linger over settle- Opportunity
ments, while many newlyweds or grieving widows and widowers As Risur increases its power and reach, so too do
take pilgrimages to shrines in the Antwalk Thicket, which has its legions of knights, barons, viscounts, earls,
become a popular tourist area. marquesses, and dukes see opportunities of
The gremlins of Granny Allswell craft charms to ward people their own. Nobles such as Reeve-Duchess Clare
against dark magic and machinery against wear and tear. And She Romana, not wanting to upset the apple cart
Who Writhes has exerted her influence with the strange entities of of public approval at home, are exerting influ-
the Avery Sea to uplift new barrier islands that host residences for ence in Risur’s overseas endeavors.
the elite, while seaweed left at the site of her rare appearances has The news reports that Romana was on the
become cherished ingredients in aphrodisiacs. The boons of the outs with King Baldrey, who thought she was being
Hollow Widow are more enigmatic, consisting of lost treasures or bribed by industrialists to push for national invest-
tomes of secrets mysteriously appearing in museums and libraries. ment in their companies. Under Queen Iain, however, Romana
However, High Bayou silk is popular in fashion and in bandages. has reinvented herself as an advocate for Risuri integrity. She trav-
Third, hedonism and excess are becoming widely popular, with els to other nations, accompanied by RHC agents who identify local
Chapter Four
elites flaunting their wealth and the working class seeing such corruption in industry, and then she makes the case for the local
grandeur as attainable. Confidence that things are good and the government to offer incentives to lure Risuri companies, with their
lack of any clear danger to the country is turning the national mood more “honest” leadership.
celebratory, and people are less interested in the good stewardship Despite the end of the Yerasol Wars, Risur still
King Baldrey modeled, which was the very cause of Risur’s success. maintains a military presence in the archipelago.
The public is disinterested in politics, and few people give much Diplomacy with the locals is directed by Thane-
mind to the new queen. Even her efforts to be seen as a serious Duchess Murdok Westin, a martial scientist
international negotiator are often the target of friendly jests in who earned a noble title for deeds performed
newspaper cartoons or the graffiti of Flint’s dockers. on Axis Island during the Great Eclipse. The
As Lanjyr’s superpower, Risur must preserve peace, and so rough-edged ex-soldier hopes to use the
Queen Iain is trying to launch the Concert of Nations. Every month threat posed by monsters brought in on planar
that passes without a major conflict is a month in which Risur can storms to bring the islanders into formal alli-
secure its position and its influence on this new age. Peace allows ance with Risur, but she is stymied by her other
for the spread of Risuri trade goods, Risuri culture, and Risuri efforts to crack down on piracy, as the people of the
naval power. Such reach can be a double-edged sword, though, for isles have long seen pirates as heroes bloodying the nose
there is no conflict so remote that it does not impact upon Risuri of an oppressive colonizer.
interests. And for now at least, the people of Risur no longer keep a
wary eye on the threats rising around them. Lord of the Land, Monarch of the Masses
Skyseer-Queen Iain Waryeye the Twofold is neither the most im-
The Government and Its Leader posing nor the most regal of queens. The short middle-aged gnome
On paper, Risur is ruled by a parliament. Twenty-three governors is unbothered by the size disparity between her and
direct the affairs of Risur’s provinces and send representatives to her regular attendants—her imposing bodyguard
Risur’s national parliament, which consists of a mix of appointees Dame Jillian the Green Knight, and her court
who serve the nobility and elected representatives. Parliamentar- wizard Principal Minister Harkover Lee. The
ians may override royal decrees with a supermajority, but this normally reserved Lee is playfully obliging with
almost never occurs. In practice, Risur’s parliament is a glori- his queen, though, and in some lighter public
fied bureaucracy, responsible for advising the monarch, refining events he has demonstrated inexplicable
decrees to balance the interests of various power groups, and coor- strength to let the chatty monarch sit on
dinating a web of agencies, institutions, and ministries. his arm for hours at end, to better main-
True power in Risur can be found in the crown, and in the House tain eyelines with those around her.
of Nobles.

The Twofold Skyseer and that the leadership had a weak philosophical core which would
Iain is a powerful conjurer, adept in planar magic, and is only the lead them to sacrifice lives unnecessarily.
third Risuri monarch to know the arts of the sky- Indeed, many generals and admirals are thrilled at the possibility
seers, but she possesses an even stranger power. of Risur demonstrating its arcanotechnological prowess
In the hours before the Great Eclipse during should a new conflict erupt. The head of Risur’s military
the assassination attempt on King Aodhan, development, Kaja “The Gun Summoner” Stewart,
Iain attempted to plane shift to the Dreaming discovered how to conjure shotguns, carbines, and
to enlist reinforcements. As the stars fell cannons like traditional summoners can con-
from the sky she thought her spell had failed, jure beasts. More recently she has dazzled her
but when she next slept she dreamed of a queen with autonomous lantern blasters, tele-
version of herself stranded in the Dream- porting mortars, and unsettling mechanical
ing, which had been cut off from the walking turrets that promise to be more
Waking. efficient than the outlandish totemist inven-
These dreams continued until the end tions offered by Pemberton Industries.
of the eclipse, when she realized that she
had a second self, a mirror image who lived in the Dreaming and Royal Homeland Constabulary
shared one soul with her. In time she learned to control both halves The Royal Homeland Constabulary (known outside of the kingdom
of herself at once, which made her an excellent ambassador to the as the Risuri Homeland Constabulary), is an elite investigation,
Unseen Court. Once she took the throne, Iain made long-term re- intelligence, and covert operations agency. Charged with securing
lations with the Dreaming a priority, and announced a prize for Risur against mundane and supernatural threats within its bor-
innovations that would let Risur continue its technological prog- ders and beyond, exceptionally-talented RHC constables roam the
ress without angering the fey. kingdom, the world, and even the planes to procure information
and items that might benefit the nation and to arrest or slay any
Militant Queen dangerous elements.
Iain’s critics accuse her of “gunboat diplomacy.” She has been The late King Aodhan Lesterman established the RHC in 470 aov,
Chapter Four
openly jingoistic about proclaiming Risur and its reflection to be inspired by the various “adventurer”s guilds’ that once dotted the
the greatest nation in the world, and has presided over a massive nation. The Constabulary has had its shortcomings, like its embar-
military expansion including multiple new generations of war- rassing failure to address the “Vekeshi” killings in Flint from 493
ships. She sees her fleet as the core of a police force ensuring safe to 499 aov, but its efficiency and authority have greatly expanded
international trade, enforcing the Orithean Concordat, and deter- since then. Today, although the RHC is officially based in Slate, its
ring skirmishes between rival powers that might spiral into war. Flint offices maintain all critical operations and oversight.
Her expansion is embodied by the launch last year of two arctech The Constabulary is one of the wealthiest, most well-staffed, and
wonders—the RNS Lafferty and Wintry Song—and the imminent most powerful organizations in all the Waking. The organization
launch of the flying battleship Burning Sky. More subtly, her invest- as a whole answers directly to the queen, and wields considerable
ment in the nation’s Gale Fleet—seven skyships that rely solely on power over Risuri nobles, politicians, military personnel, and
magically-enhanced wind, not mechanical steam engines, is a seed police officers. Even the lowliest of RHC constables might be as-
that may soon bloom into all manner of fey-friendly arctech. signed to directly influence a major international incident, and the
most influential of operatives can boss around even Risuri dukes
Military and duchesses, much to the aristocracy’s chagrin.
Each province maintains its own small standing army, all loyal to
the monarch. Soldiers typically serve a term of a few years in gar- Tactics and Recruitment
rison at Flint, Shale, or in one of the numerous outposts along the The RHC maintains informants and safehouses across Lanjyr.
Anthras Mountains. Afterward they have the option to return home Through elaborate systems of cover identities, infiltration, and ex-
or transfer to another province’s ranks. While Risur’s academies of filtration, constables undertake covert operations that flagrantly
martial science are prestigious, few soldiers have seen battle, and flout local laws, jurisdictions, privacy, and sometimes, humanoid
many wonder if in the future constructs like those of Pemberton rights. But they are adept at plausibly denying their mistakes, while
Industries will replace the need for infantry. publicly acknowledging whenever one of their agents saves the day.
The navy, by contrast, is active in peacekeeping and The constabulary recruits from everywhere: police, military or-
pirate hunting around Lanjyr, and technology for ganizations, temples, universities, the nobility, and, at times, even
warships is always being challenged. Gone are the other nations and planes. While a baseline of noteworthy abilities
days where an extreme clipper like the RNS Impos- is required for entry, a prospective constable’s overall talents at the
sible could make do with a single deck of cannons. moment of recruitment matters less than their long-term growth
Upon Queen Iain’s ascent, the captain of that old potential and their moral backbone.
ship, Rutger Smith, resigned in protest. The RHC uses extensive, costly divination ceremonies to scan
He claims Risur’s navy was becoming each prospective employee, whether for a prestigious position
too caught up in technology and tactics, as a constable, or for a humbler role as a mere security guard or

Chapter Four
secretary. The RHC is willing to overlook heavy loyalties elsewhere, Internal Affairs
even to dubious friends or family, or secret societies such as the RHC members can rely on certain legal immunities overseas when
Vekeshi mystics, so long as the safety of Risur is important to the acting in an official, acknowledged capacity; the potential launch of
candidate. the Concert of Nations is likely to expand this. In Risur, constables
are invested with the authority of the monarch and thus have flex-
Leadership and Offices ibility in bending or outright ignoring the law. For example, while
In theory, the RHC is led by Viscount Inspector Nigel Price-Hill, normal police must acquire warrants before they can search a
a seasoned veteran of the Third and Fourth Yerasol Wars, famed for building, RHC constables generally don’t need one; they are trusted
arresting a cabal of radical eschatologists who nearly reanimated to not abuse their authority and so can act as swiftly as needed.
myriad dragon-fossils in the Anthras Mountains. In practice, Price- Nevertheless, for the sake of ethics, integrity, optics, and, as
Hill is too old for much more than gladhanding with the nobility, many overlook, pragmatism, the constabulary must abide by cer-
and the real RHC leadership is concentrated in the Flint offices, run tain standards during open operations. They must type out proper
by the coldly calculating Chief Inspector Bela Motofukar. paperwork, hand over photographic evidence, and verbally justify
The office in Shale has expertise in dealing with extraplanar any questionable actions before internal affairs officials. Operatives
threats, and often surveils vagabonds arriving from the Yerasol Ar- must relinquish all mission-spoils, not keep trophies. A constable
chipelago. Bole’s office is closely affiliated with the Titan Conclave who uses their power for personal gain, or to harass a highly im-
rangers, as the city is a nexus of the territory of three of the fey portant politician without a very good reason, will rapidly find
titans. Slate’s office, tasked with the protection of the queen, is also themselves penalized, demoted, and potentially imprisoned.
the seat of the obscure Ministry of Infilitration, which prepares for During interrogations, constables are forbidden from using
threats via plane travel and teleportation. force or torture, but can freely enlist office mages to employ detect
But Flint’s office is seen as the source of the constabulary’s most thoughts and zone of truth spells. In the field, constables are expected
clever gadgets, overseen by Director of Arctech Serena Castle. to take suspects alive whenever possible. Everyone in Risur is still
She works in concert with the steelmarked gnoll Gris Floresta, a entitled to due process, at least in theory; and although spirit medi-
special liaison to Pemberton Industries, which has a close yet se- ums can wring out information from a corpse, a living suspect can
cretive relationship with the constabulary. often proffer far more information.

Chapter Four
The Six Titans flourishing, but numerous old forts dot the King’s Road, which runs
Each of the five fey titans is associated with a different region of from the richest mining lands and all the way north to the capital.
Risur. The eerie Granny Allswell haunts the caves beneath these peaks.
The northern Avery Coast is dominated by a mix of wooded The Antwalk Thicket is a great expanse of finely cultivated
beaches, where mountainous granite domes rise out of the sea and forest-gardens southeast of Slate. The woodland is the domain of
anchor dry lands; and forested swamps, often referred to by the the Ash Wolf.
native Elvish word “bayou,” where the country’s many rivers sweep The five are kept in check by the offerings and intercessions of
soil out into broad floodlands. The seas along the coast are domi- the Titan Conclave rangers (see page 62). However, during the reign
nated by She Who Writhes. of King Baldrey, artists in Flint have begun to speak—ironically or
The Weftlands of Risur are low plains covering most of the not—of a sixth titan, the titan of civilization. Murals and folk songs
western two-thirds of the country, drawing their name from the depicted Baldrey as this titan, a figure greater than a mere man.
countless rivers that weave toward the sea like yarn in a cloth. Upon his abdication, however, this same cult of personality did
Most towns and plant-growth-supplemented farms lie here, though not transfer to his successor Queen Iain. Instead, the great colossus
pockets of wild forests and rocky hills create uninhabitable divides that burst forth from Cauldron Hill is increasingly being identified
between provinces. Here tromps The Father of Thunder. as this titan, with people who were too young to witness the actual
The land rises to the south, and in the mid-altitude hills, an construct’s rampage being drawn to tales that the mighty machine
unusual swamp known as the High Bayou wriggles across the land- was actually birthed from the Dreaming, conjured from the land-
scape. Though the hills are uneven, huge numbers of nesting beasts scape of industry and urban sprawl.
and giant insects have dammed swaths of the land, slowing the
rivers that flow out of the mountains and ensuring a steady source Titanic Zealots
for rivers year-round. Few Risuri live here aside from villages of While the Titan Conclave rangers are supposed to be servants of
elves who never integrated with the rest of the nation. The new and Risur and merely emissaries to the titans, some extremist cults
mysterious Hollow Widow hides here. have arisen around the nation, seeking to gain personal favor,
Beyond the High Bayou, the rain-carved Anthras Mountains rather than blessings for the whole country.
forms a broad border with Ber. Forests cover most of these moun- Fanatical Ash votaries set blazes to forests, fields, and con-
tains, though mining in the east has stripped many peaks. Many struct-bolstered manufactories alike, hoping to give their patron
decades ago, repeated attacks from Ber kept many towns from new opportunities to catch glimpses of his ghostly mate. Radical

The Sword of the Black Needles

Five centuries ago, as Lanjyr was reeling from the fall-out from the
Great Malice, a fey titan known as the Voice of Rot rose up against Risur
and cast a smoky pall across the sun. The king at the time, Dukain, was
a mighty but aged wizard who wielded magic through his sword. He trav-
eled to a mountain ridge overlooking the High Bayou, known as the Black
Needles, and there he battled the fey titan, which had taken the form of
a towering anaconda of smoke and peat.
The king battled the titan high into the Black Needles, and after three
days neither side could force the other to surrender. Realizing he could
not defeat the titan and thus was unworthy of his crown, Dukain cast
aside his sword and abandoned the battle. The titan, in its fey logic, saw
that it and the king were equally matched, so when Dukain ceased to
fight, so did the titan. Dukain yielded his crown to his chosen successor,
the titan returned to its slumber, and Risur was saved.
The Voice of Rot vanished during the Great Eclipse, and Risuri druids communities that live at a graceful pace. Due to the long lifespans
believe his domain has been claimed by a new titan, the Hollow Widow. of the local elves, most of these villages have familial ties with the
To prevent conflicts with the titans, modern Risuri maintain regular of- founders of Bole, the warlord Cinder Queen Cantor and her kin.
ferings to the titans to appease them and gain their blessings, but the Bole started as a stronghold to defend against attacks by ancient
Hollow Widow keeps her distance, and it is possible that the current tribes of nomadic humans, but after allying with Kelland the city
Risuri monarch will need to once again defeat a fey titan in battle to grew rich by sharing its lumber and the produce of fertile forest
protect her nation. gardens cultivated with the aid of fey. For centuries a region a hun-
dred miles wide functioned like one sprawling family, with the
Thunder priests drag beautiful women into drunken orgies, and wealth from the “big city” gladly shared with every village.
sabotage electrical facilities, believing only their Father to be Fifty years ago, sleepy Bole was jolted awake when the railroad
Chapter Four
worthy of harnessing lightning. arrived, built in the run-up to the Fourth Yerasol War to link Flint’s
Overzealous Allswell shamans kidnap naughty children and factories and mines in the Anthras Mountains. At the same time,
teens, and traumatize them with vile trials and dark magics, en- the massive Barret Damworks built upstream controlled the flow of
acting a twisted form of Granny’s justice; others use trickery and the Great Delve River, allowing smooth transport by steamship all
curses to enact criminal deeds, such as some mobsters in the Last the way west through Slate and Shale and on to the sea.
Ravens of Flint. Extremist Writhe votaries scourge the seas for
plunder and pretty lads and lasses, saving some for themselves and Whiskey and the Arts
the rest to hurl towards the she-kraken. A sudden population boom came with the railroad—mostly of
The Hollow Widow has her curious blood cultists, who abduct humans from farms in the Weftlands—which led to a surge in
wizards and slit their throats in the High Bayou, placing their crime, and the new wealth disrupted old rhythms of obligation and
spellbooks upon the corpse as an offering. And a group known as cooperation in the predominately elven community.
the White Tongue are still devoted to the absent or dead Voice of One of the biggest criminal enterprises were illegal distill-
Rot, culling the living they deem unworthy, and offering one eye eries, as smugglers took to hiding whiskey in flotillas of processed
from each of their victims to raise up great masses of undead. When lumber to evade taxes in Slate. The national government—too busy
these maniacs die, a white serpent slithers from their mouths and with a war to let criminal gangs threaten its war materiel—offered
burrows into the earth. amnesty, and the elven elders of Bole saw a chance to tuck the dis-
ruptive newcomers into their existing power structure. Three elven
Bole families—the Cantors, Bertrands, and Rayfields—funded the cre-
Once the capital of a militant elven nation, Bole today maintains ation of a fancy arts district a short walk from the bustling logjam
the patient sensibilities of its elven founders, but has traded the near the lumber mill, and partnered with the newly-legitimate dis-
pursuit of conquest for the pursuit of good times. A laid-back city at tilleries to build them respectable storefronts and drinking houses.
the confluence of four of Risur’s geographic regions—the Anthras While none of Bole’s theaters or playhouses have reached in-
Mountains, Antwalk Thicket, the Weftlands, and the High Bayou— ternational prestige, they are a popular place for playwrights and
Bole is a national hub of ore, lumber, whiskey, and titanic worship. actors to get their start, with less competition than Flint and less
nepotism than Slate. One infamous production in Bole kicked off
History something of an inter-city thespian rivalry by dramatizing a sala-
The Great Delve River is named for the deep furrow it cuts in the cious rumor about two respected women—Governor Hana “Gale”
land, running from the capital city Slate all the way to Shale at the Soliogn of Flint and Alienor Contessa Soliogn-Stark of the
coast, but upstream near Bole it flows wide and shallow, fed by Unseen Court, often seen in Slate.
irregular tributaries that weave through hilly forests. Tens of thou- The show, Wind Blows the Heart’s Flame to Bloom, is an outsized
sands of people live here in wooded villages, quaint and beautiful tale of forbidden love between an enslaved Elfaivaran woman and

a tiefling orphan adopted by the elf’s enslavers. In it, the long-lived

Hana raises Alienor as a nanny, then decades later accompanies
the tiefling as a servant during a honeymoon voyage in the Yera-
sol Islands. When Hana leaves the then-dead-magic zone around
Danor, she discovers the power to fly and control the winds, and
when Alienor’s new husband tries to stop Hana’s escape, Alienor
shoots and kills him. Years later the two meet again in Flint—Hana
leading a rebel cell bent on murdering an evil industrialist, Alienor
as a defector turned RHC constable tasked with stopping the “fey
terrorist” known as Gale.
It has run for fifteen years, and had exactly the opposite intended
effect. Instead of the two women being seen as a terrorist and a
foreign intruder, they are lauded as national symbols of love and
multiculturalism.
Politics
Bole’s regional governor Duchess Daffodil Ashfield is a hiero-
phant who reveres the Ash Wolf, and though a human she traces
her family back to the city’s original elf Cinder Queen. She peti-
tioned hard to get Queen Iain’s new Titan Conclave rangers to be
based in Bole, where she affords them as much help as she can. So
far, the people of Bole seem pleased to be the first to receive many of
the boons the titans grant.
The formal head of the Titan Conclave is Ludo
Braca, a satyr gunsmith who, despite his knack for
Chapter Four
mollifying the immense vanity of the fey titans, is

also overseeing construction of Fort Lundquist,
with mighty arctech batteries that could drive off or
even kill a titan should the conclave’s efforts fail. History
One of Braca’s allies in the conclave is Slate grew up from an ancient crossroad connecting the scattered
Draumey Hildigeirsdóttir, an elf and nations that King Kelland united. Insulated by distance and blessed
penitent former member of the White with fertile farmland, it has set deep roots, with some buildings
Tongue. During the Great Eclipse, she dating back to even before the Demonocracy. Innovations are rare,
helped sabotage King Baldrey’s efforts to and even the great idealist King Baldrey felt that after seventeen
protect the city, believing she could survive the centuries of stability, it was not his place to try to fix what was not
end of the world by appeasing the Voice of Rot. Today she recog- broken.
nizes her errors and is committed to deradicalizing those who were Today factories are not allowed within sight of the palace, so
in the cult with her, fostering devotion to the Hollow Widow. the nearest industry is over five miles downstream. Druids meet
However, new shrines to the titans are springing up in the sur- steamships upstream and provide controlled currents to carry
rounding countryside, and worryingly, local political blocs are vessels onward to minimize the need for them to run their engines.
starting to align with some of the more radical titan cults. Not even the queen’s flying flagship, the RNS Coaltongue, can come
within five miles, though the wind-powered Gale Fleet are allowed
Slate and Clover to dock at the top of the new Bourne Tower, an elegant latticed spire
Residence of monarchs and the descendants of past rulers, Slate that doubles as a ceraunic wave broadcaster. As a concession to
concentrates all the history and nobility of Risur into a small city tradition, the metallic frame of the tower is adorned with vibrant
that may be the safest place to live in Lanjyr. Even the farmers and elevated garden plots.
merchants of Slate take seriously their responsibility to protect the
soul of their nation, acting with honor, if not a bit of prideful dis- Geography of Slate
dain for the rambunctious citizens elsewhere in the country. For people used to living in the bustle of Flint, the city of Slate
Slate’s reflection in the Dreaming is Clover, a city that shines appear stately, calm, and perhaps a bit doddering. The Great Delve
with light, color, and joy, dominated by the games and fancies of the River, with its steep banks turning it almost into a man-made chan-
Unseen Court. For centuries it has existed just beyond reach, ac- nel, generally separates the city into the noble west bank and the
cessible only through rare celestial convergences, but the old oaths common east bank.
require regular invocation, and so loyal subjects of the queen may Six antique castles sit along the inside of a wide bend on the riv-
be tasked with stepping through the looking glass to treat with the er’s west bank, arranged in a pattern originally designed to defend
fey, whose leaders are not as unified as the government of Risur. against invasion. These castles act as nexuses of communities of

The Great Hunt

The mighty Great Hunt rides across Waking and Dreaming Risur
every seventeen days, always returning to their home grounds in
Clover. This order of silver-clad knights ride steeds sired by the
Father of Thunder, and command packs of blue-furred hounds.
Their resting grounds lie at the foot of an ancient weeping willow, a
tree home to a family of fey thrushes which have provided domestic
service to the Great Hunt for centuries.
The order is currently led by Riffian, Archfey of the Hunt. The
horned Riffian and his Hunt are sworn to obey the commands of the
Unseen Court. Unfortunately for the Court, the hunters take these
orders very literally, and in perpetuity unless rescinded.
Politics
Slate hosts dignitaries from the great nations and numerous border
states, and though the nobility here might be loyal to Risur, they’re
elite gated villas, and here live the nobles descended from the many not above back door politicking or trying to play foreign powers
kings and queens Risur has had throughout history. Today the dis- against each other for their own financial interests. Some of this
trict resembles an overly-manicured flower garden, more pretty is innocent, like Viscountess Lacey Ursdail trying to build an Ot-
than practical. toplismist temple in Shale to entice more foreign trade with the far
Across the shore lie dozens of less affluent neighborhoods sur- western port. Other schemes can be destabilizing, like an effort to
rounding the Grand Weft, a massive square where three highways unmask all Vekeshi mystics in Flint, nominally from a desire for
intersect. Wealthy busineses clump along the Lowland Highway, transparency, but which could create misplaced panic and poten-
which leads from the square to the docks along the river. The tially defang the group whose threats tamp down corruption in that
queen’s residence, Torfeld Palace, sits atop a broad grassy hill a mile vital city.
Chapter Four
south of the weft. It is symbolic of the government of Risur that the Clover’s current major political conflict revolves around the
monarch lives with the people, and only once they step down or die designs of the upstart Hedgehog Court. Led by Olazdor, Archfey
does their family move to the west bank. of Winds, this collection of powerful beings each were hurt by the
Banhaman Academy, Slate’s foremost martial school, straddles Unseen Court’s capricious whims, and are perennially engaged in
the river north of the city center. Military barracks and a small base sedition and insurrection, to great dismay of the common fey of
of river warships protect the city, though aside from the assassina- Clover, but with little long-lasting consequence to the balance of
tion of King Aodhan in 501 aov the city hasn’t been threatened for power.
over five centuries.
The Gallery
Geography of Clover Most protest movements in Risur gather in Flint, but Slate hosts a
Clover is a mirror of Slate, flipped east by west, but this reflection growing party skeptical of the monarchy. They gather around the
has more whimsy and is suffused with an unsettling feeling of it Riven Gallery, a majestic new museum that King Baldrey had built
paying attention to you. A sprawling chessboard of trees and lawn to hold artwork related to the Great Eclipse. The museum, which
lies outside the city limits, a place for loyalists of the city’s two fac- has two main buildings on opposite sides of a bridge spanning the
tions to engage in sport and occasionally combat. Great Delve River, filled its collection with pieces by dissidents who
The Great Delve River, its steep banks adorned by flowers and resisted Danor’s effort to impose their order on Lanjyr.
dotted with windows of hillside burrows, separates the city into But its most spectacular wing held a series of portal paintings
its own noble and common shores. Clover’s six castles are home that led to small demiplanes where the rules of reality were differ-
to lords of various regions of the continent who owe fealty to the ent. In one, anyone could fly; in another, plants grew in response to
Unseen Court, guarded by lithe warriors in nimble plate armor who touch and will; and so on. Original exhibits attempted to explain
hide beneath mats of grass and moss, ready to ambush intruders. how these paintings were connected to the changes that occurred
The fey lords look down on the more earthy and animal-aspected after the Eclipse, but constant vandalism forced
rabble on the east bank, who look to the splinter Hedgehog Court to their removal. Now visitors are left to guess why
be their voice. That side of the city is a chaotic mess of narrow wind- the magical masterpieces were commissioned.
ing streets and houses of all sorts—straw, wood, brick, some metal, Five years ago, a controversial gala on the his-
and even one composed of stacked sheep. The locals trade oddities, tory of Risur’s monarchs attracted huge crowds.
treats, or songs, often conjuring petty goods from magic. The exhibit’s curator, Livia Hatsfield, used an
Visitors can find such curiosities as the flashdrought fountain, explanation of the Rites of Rulership to argue
the mosscat mortuary, the three-sided Krog Tunnel, a library run that the will of the people should not be focused into
by pixies called the Honorable Halls of Accumulated Wisdom, and a single leader, nor even to the nobility, but that politi-
of course Thistle Palace itself. cal power should be wielded through pure democracy.

To great amazement she unveiled a new portal painting that led The Winter Culling
to a small demiplane where written and axdopted legislation was The Unseen Court exult in the energy, creativity, beauty, and fun factor
wholly binding, overriding free will. The painting was titled Manu- of their city, and maintain strict standards for such through the Winter
factured Consent. Culling. Every winter, dozens of criminal, poor, mad, ugly, and boring fey
RHC agents confiscated the painting, claiming it was a threat are rounded up and thrust into Larksong Stadium, where they must
to public safety, but ever since Hatsfield has been gathering like- earn their right to remain in the city through entertaining the hooting
minded revolutionaries who want not merely economic reforms, crowd. More martial of the condemned can take up weapons and at-
but a fundamental change in the whole power structure of the tempt to win a duel. A masked archfey of the Unseen Court usually
nation. A soft-spoken follower of the muktist philosophy, Hatsfield attends, and a treasured tradition is the intercession of third parties
has been accused of being an agent of the Drakran Kuchnost crime speaking dramatic and heart-warming defenses for the condemned.
syndicate working to undermine faith in Risuri power, or even The Winter Culling does not include the worst criminals and outcasts
the so-called “Project Twin Sister,” the Sestra Proyekta conspiracy of the Risuri Dreaming; those are exiled to the Bleak Gate, joining the
some say is trying to alter the timeline to a world where the Great Bleak Court.
Eclipse turned out differently.
lightning storm. She then snuck into the gremlin caves and danced
The Unseen Court like them to reach the book. She stole the book and fled into the
The Unseen Court is, by tradition, invisible, with only their masks forest of the Ash Wolf, who sniffed her and thought she was a wolf.
and garments visible. The Ash Wolf defended the daughter from the angry gremlins.
Monarch Thisraldion rules the court. Their mirrored mask She returned to the sea, but instead of giving the book to the
always looks different in a way that observers can never describe. Voice of Rot, she used the book’s magic to grow scales and swim
Thisraldion often changes their sex and personality with the sea- down to rescue her father Kelland. She Who Writhes saw them
sons, or sometimes reflexively to match others’ perceptions. Most leave and chased them to the shore, where her domain of the seas
ascribe this to caprice; in truth, Thisraldion is a skilled and subtle met the low bayou.
manipulator, deploying a “fey” demeanor to unbalance visitors. The daughter claimed the Voice of Rot sent her on her mission.
Karrest the Fire has a charred stone mask with seams of golden Though fey titans know when a lie is told, this was only a half-truth,
Chapter Four
lava. Flighty and warlike, he manic-depressively switches between and so She Who Writhes fought the Voice of Rot and banished him
aggression and abject sorrow, his heart broken from the Hedgehog to the High Bayou. But the serpent slew the wife as retaliation.
defection of his frosty love Atsla. Kelland and his daughter survived, and with the knowledge from
Furg the Toadstool Sage presents as a mask of cracked turquoise, his daughter’s quest, he was able to eventually drive back the fey
and a cloak full of electric blue frogs. He is a scholar of esoterica, titans and claim the land of Risur for mortal races. The lesson of the
and has begun courting the ettercaps of the High Bayou, to learn book, allegedly, is that fools breaking things is sometimes neces-
the secrets of their mysterious portal plane called the Webway. sary so that the wise and clever can achieve greatness.
Sallin the Dryad wears a tree-bark mask framed with feathers.
She dotes on visitors in a grandmotherly fashion, always eager to Flint
hear new stories. The city of Flint is the heart of Risur’s industrial revolution, and
Alienor Contessa Soligon-Stark was a mortal tiefling from many see it as the center of the modern world, where artists, inven-
Danor who learned the ways of the fey in a bid to avenge the death tors, and agitators from around Lanjyr collide to create tomorrow.
of her son at the hands of her own countrymen. She brokered a tem- Dense districts churn with trade between grand subtropical
porary truce between the Unseen and Hedgehog Courts before the beaches and the fey rainforests that drape the city’s knifetooth
Great Eclipse, and was rewarded with the blessing of the Unseen. mountains. Workers squeeze into subrail cars to their jobs in fac-
Since then she has worked paradoxically to both end conflicts and tories, steelmills, and shipyards, while belching steamships blare
resolve vendettas. She wears a mask of leather and horns with gog- their horns upon the bay and magically-levitated dirigibles sweep
gles where its eyes would be. between airship docks atop newly-erected skyscrapers. Each night
these obelisks of modernity glow in elegant patterns of electric
The Book of Kelland bulbs.
The rangers of the Titan Conclave have a small museum in Slate, In the streets below, dockers cavort down gaslit lanes and police
the centerpiece of which is an ancient illuminated tome that tells patrol gloomy alleys where the prayers of druids cannot keep at bay
the full story of how the foolishness of the fey titans created the the darkness that sometimes seeps in from the Bleak Gate. Across
first king of Risur. the harbor, wood-planked avenues wander into the bayou, lined
Kelland and his wife and daughter were crossing the Avery Sea with arcane workshops, smuggling dens, and spy safehouses.
when She Who Writhes attacked their ship and claimed Kelland as a The arctech wonders of Karch might be a decade ahead of Flint’s,
lover. His wife and daughter reached shore but his wife was taken as and the architecture of Alais Primos might be more majestic, the
a hostage by the Voice of Rot, who demanded the daughter retrieve protesters of Cherage more radical, the factories of Trekhom more
a book from Granny Allswell to steal trickery from the gremlins. productive, and the forest around Rumah Terakir more mystical,
The daughter trekked across the Weftlands and got the Father but nowhere but Flint brings them all together in so grand a concert.
of Thunder drunk, then hid on his back as he crossed through a

Since then, the already cosmopolitan city has seen a renewed

flood of migration, a baby boom, and the occasional attack by
radicals who see Flint as all that is wrong with the world. A decade
marked by a spirit of cooperation and empathy led to great strides
for the worker quality of life, overseen by Governor Hana Soliogn,
a friend of the fey who herself once coordinated efforts to sabotage
the city’s factories.
Lately, however, allies of the city’s industrialists have swayed
public opinion with the fear that they were abandoning the hard-
nosed determination that had first brought Flint its prosperity.
The pendulum of progress is once again swinging toward a time of
turmoil.
Electrification
Most city districts still rely on gas-fed lamps to light the streets at
night, but the towers of Central District, the Royal Docks in Bosum
Strand, and some wealthy properties on North Shore use electric
lights. These draw energy from firegem burning power plants. Nu-
merous factories in Parity Lake are retrofitting for electricity, but
Governor Soligon’s hopes to give every household what she calls
History petit éclair (“little lightning”) have been thwarted by fey sabotage of
Originally a modest port city famous only as a place to reprovision power plants, led by a figure known only as Flare.
between more important destinations, Flint had the first inklings
of its future importance in the year 400 aov when King Lorcan Confections
Finn led a coalition of Risuri, Danoran, and Crisillyiri elites to Sugarcane grows well in farms nearby, and so Flint has a bit of a
Chapter Four
defeat a coven of witches who had lain claim to the mountain in sweet tooth. The classic brigadeiro—a chocolatey ball of condensed
the center of the city. Then known as The Hunchback and sacred milk rolled in chocolate flakes—has been surpassed by the delight-
to the skyseers of the Old Faith, it was from the peak that the coven ful éclair, made of steam-puffed pastry filled with cream and topped
terrorized the city, kidnapping and sacrificing citizens in blood with icing. The cream and icing vary in flavor—vanilla, coffee, fruit,
rituals. The locals came to call the mountain Cauldron Hill, a name or pistachio—but usually include chocolate either on top or within.
that stuck even after the coven was slain. The whole confection is often adorned with a decorative lightning
During the Yerasol Wars, Flint was a secondary shipyard after bolt made of candy glass or baked meringue.
the much more fortified Shale, but in 460 aov the man who would
become King Aodhan hijacked a steam-powered Danoran warship Travel
and steered it into Flint Bay. Shipwrights flocked to the city to re- Flint is just starting to become too big to realistically walk across,
verse engineer the vehicle, and Flint was soon delegated as the hub but the streets are filled with pedestrians busy within their own
of Risur’s industrial development, since the more prominent cities district. Carriages serve the wealthy who want privacy, but most
did not want to upset their alliances with the fey. people in a hurry take a train.
By 500 aov the city had grown to nearly a million people, often King’s Station in Central district is a bustling hub, connecting
crowded into filthy tenements or even destitute slums on the peril- inter-city passenger rail to local light rail. Freight train depots have
ous slopes of Cauldron Hill. But the city grew rich off its industry, been built on landfill extensions in Bosum Strand and Parity Lake,
and discontent of its workers—nearly one-in-ten of whom were in- and the miles-long Uru Tunnel cuts through a narrow waist of the
ternational migrants—turned it into a hotbed of subversive art and Nettles. Train workers superstitiously sing songs of praise to the
radical revolution. Thousands protested the launch of the nation’s fey as they speed through the eerie darkness, and generally emerge
first arctech flagship, the RNS Coaltongue. Thousands more came un-accosted.
to hear the doomsaying of the revered skyseer Nevard Sechim, For passenger traffic, a few old surface rail lines still run, includ-
which today is known as the Prophecy of Three Ravens. ing to Pine Island, the Cloudwood, and the northeast farmlands
Those foretold dooms arrived in short order—a deadly industrial (which technically aren’t inside the city limits). Most residents
accident that spilled witchoil down the side of Cauldron Hill, then use the subrail lines that spider-web beneath the city, linking the
a colossal humanoid machine that burst forth from the mountain- districts on the eastern side of the bay. A line even runs through
side, and finally the Great Eclipse, during which the peak of the Uru Tunnel, but children are forbidden on that route, as they attract
mountain briefly became a portal to some dying world at the preci- gremlins and crueler entities that seek to kidnap innocents.
pice of a devouring Gyre. But the recently-crowned King Baldrey Stray River is navigable for small boats, though beyond the offi-
rescued the city, slew a dragon in the skies above it, and then raised cial borders of the city permits are required for any steam-powered
aloft the Coaltongue and flew west to Axis Island, where somehow he ships. Ferries criss-cross Flint Bay all day, weaving around mer-
and his allies brought an end to the Eclipse. chant vessels and the occasional naval gunboat on patrol. Private

[[Map: Flint City Map, with some tweaks.]]

Chapter Four
yachts dock at the Ayres, while small runabouts bring servants City Districts: Bosum Strand, Central District, Cloudwood, The
back and forth to the mainland. Nettles, North Shore, Parity Lake, Pine Island, Stray River; also The
On clear days, forty-foot-long dirigibles drift from the roofs of Ayres (informal).
towers in Central to the airdocks along Bosum Strand. Each dis-
trict has at least one park converted to a landing field for dirigibles, Bosum Strand
though for now air travel remains mostly a novelty. Depending on whom you ask, the name Bosum Strand comes either
Built on steep hillsides, The Nettles remain poor and disconnect- from the boatswains who frequented its taverns, or from the har-
ed from the rest of the city’s infrastructure. Only a few spots have bor’s more traditional name, which translates to “bosom of the sea.”
gaslines or plumbing, and while the mayor’s mansion halfway up In either case, the docks along the east shore of Flint Bay are the
Cauldron Hill receives regular dirigible traffic to cycle out troops heart of the city’s trade, culture, and crime.
guarding Blackfall Grotto—and while people love to joke about Hundreds of warehouses serve Flint’s merchant fleet, and dozens
witches flitting about in flying cauldrons—most residents resign of taverns, gambling dens, and playhouses serve its dock workers.
themselves to a lot of climbing. Craftsmen, artists, and money changers own shops surrounding
several scattered public squares throughout the district, of which
City Districts the most infamous is Dawn Square. Here did skyseer Nevard offer
The nine districts of Flint each have their own mayor who handles his prophecy of the Three Ravens, and during the Eclipse minions
local affairs. Districts also elect representatives to the city council, of Danor detained people here for reeducation.
whose authority is balanced against that of the city governor, Hana Freight rail lines cut through the district, and dockers love to
Soligon. The governor reports to the queen and is responsible for graffiti train cars, bridges, and even whole freight cranes at the port.
the overall defense and long-term health of the city. Smart train companies curry favor from popular docker artists—
The governor and mayors are elected, except in The Nettles; the hiring a friendly spokesperson is cheaper than offering higher wages.
mayor there is tasked with ensuring old curses and other dangers Many of the district’s middle class business owners all hail
do not afflict the city and so is appointed by the governor. from the same school. Twenty-one years ago when a mechanical

Radical Raven Fountain

The city built Sechim Fountain at one end of Dawn Square to commemo-
rate the skyseer who helped save so many lives with his vision. It became
an attractive spot to some of the city’s most radical elements, who de-
risively call police who come by “dog catchers,” referencing the kennels
Danor built during the Great Eclipse to detain people who managed to
maintain their free will in the light of mind-numbing arctech lanterns.
Today that end of Dawn Square is almost always filled with shouting
matches between extreme factions—scarred communists who demand
control of factories that are maiming so many, swaggering nationalists
who condemn the former king for allowing chaos to spread by not con-
quering the rest of the world, conspiracy-minded isolationists who blame
their poverty on Risuri wealth flowing out of Flint’s docks, and arch con-
servatives who want to tear down all industry and exalt the fey titans.
Numerous clashes between authorities and outspoken squatters
began to turn public sentiment against the city police, so Governor So-
liogn directed officers to keep a hands-off presence, and only respond to
clear threats to surrounding businesses. The Last Ravens thieves’ guild
takes advantage of police hesitancy to peddle fey pepper, sell curses,
and gather rumors about magic worth stealing.
twin towers linked by three golden bridges to the Ion Building

and its small orbiting side tower held aloft by planarite. But most
buildings are fairly squat rectangles, brought to life each night by
regularly-changing patterns of electric lights. On Old Faith holy
Chapter Four
days, buildings will light up like constellations depicting figures of
colossus tromped through the city, its steps leveled homes and legend.
started fires that killed thousands. In the wake of that destruction, Just off the coast in Flint Bay, the new spire of the Governor’s
a gnome woman named Flox Mimsy Bribsy Thistle constructed Tower is capped by a gleaming dome within which a huge telescope
an orphanage campus filled with brick-faced buildings. Their halls peers at the new stars above. The construction earned Governor
brimmed with light-hearted gadgetry and its roofs were topped Soligon the loyalty of the nation’s skyseers, though a few tradition-
with fanciful gardens meant to raise the spirits of hundreds of alists will not be satisfied until they can build an observatory atop
children who had no family to return to. Today the Flox School has Cauldron Hill.
expanded around the country, a model of tender and joyous educa- In the tower’s shadow sit the ruins of an old island fortress,
tion that produces graduates renowned for empathy and ingenuity. which was bombarded by warships at the start of the Great Eclipse
and then demolished by a falling star. The governor took a cue from
Central District the Elfaivaran capital of Rumah Terakir and ordered that the ruins
The oldest and most developed district of Flint is home to its main remain as a contrast to the modern growth of a hopefully-peaceful
government structures, including the city council, superior court, Flint. The site has become a popular venue for formal celebrations,
police headquarters, and the offices of various civil functionar- as well as a pilgrimage destination for Elfaivarans who admire the
ies like tax collectors. Grand party halls, ornate druidic garden matriarch Dhebisu, renowned for slaying a rakshasa with a fallen
temples, and parks filled with monuments to old wars provide star (see page 156).
recreation and entertainment for the city’s nobility and prosper- The grandest new development in the district is the airship ex-
ing middle class, while the Orange Street commodities market and pansion of the Royal Docks. A small fortified island just off the
the prestigious Pardwight University are the dual hearts of Flint’s main shore, the docks employ thousands in assembling ironclad
economic and academic cultures. and arctech equipped warships. The city has to date produced a
Throughout the district, new skyscrapers built of steel and clad handful of armed scout dirigibles, but the focus for the past year
with bricks and granite are rising, some over two hundred feet tall. has been what will become the nation’s next flagship, the RAS Burn-
Though not quite as high as some of the clan towers in Drakr’s capi- ing Sky. Three hundred feet long, floating upon innovative planarite
tal, Flint’s skyscrapers have much wider footprints, making them levitationals, and equipped with doors on its belly that can drop in-
ideal office buildings, and offering enough space on their roofs for cendiary bombs, the flying battleship cuts a striking silhouette in
small dirigibles to land. the city skyline. The red and gold paint along its hull draws the eye
As a concession to the city druids who appease nature spirits in from miles away, and the city is planning for huge crowds—both
the ground and sky, a law was passed requiring “visually exciting celebrants and protesters—when it launches.
adornment” on all tall buildings. This has produced some truly Central district is home to the local (and for all practical purpos-
striking façades, ranging from the stately Hotel Aurum with its es the national) headquarters of the Royal Homeland Constabulary.

Most who live in Cloudwood consider it common courtesy to

share a bowl of milk or plates of sliced fruit with
unseen nightly visitors, and that hospitality may be
why the Unseen Court opened a consulate of sorts
in this district. Consular Squintling, a vivacious
pixie, meets visitors at the base of a collapsed old
tree. She offers “visa services”—which entail finding
escorts to protect travelers who need to cross into
the Dreaming—can deliver messages across the two
worlds, and often feeds information to the RHC about
threats brewing among the fey in Flint’s analogue.
In the Dreaming, the land west of the Cloudwood is called the
Great Blight, a place for fey fugitives to hide, and an open-air
prison of sorts where the Unseen Court sends those who offend it.
Squintling will gleefully recount gruesome tales of madness she
has witnessed in the Blight, but in return asks to hear festival songs
played in a minor key.
The Nettles
A small spur of the mountains of the Cloudwood cuts into the heart
of Flint, and for most of the city’s history these hills were home
to druidic rituals, or allowed romantics witness wondrous vistas
from on high. Their traditional name came from an old commander
of the Flint fort, who saw them as a thorny barrier against attack
from the north.
Chapter Four
The district is thick with slum housing, many now holding their
third generation of factory workers and their families. A highway
passes through the district, but its broad switchbacks are cluttered
with shacks. Poorly crafted houses cling to the sides of slopes, and
they have become a nightmare for local police to patrol, giving a
Cloudwood whole new connotation to the name “The Nettles.”
The eastern outskirts of Flint are dominated by towering moun- Over time more and more misfortune has befallen the district.
tains, their peaks constantly shrouded in clouds that feed lush Ever since the defeat of a witch coven over a century ago, the most
rainforests and verdant streams. The steep highlands are sparsely prominent peak, Cauldron Hill, has been rife with haunting and
populated, but numerous plantations and small farms fill the flat- spirit activity, leading to more than one foolish explorer coming
ter terrain near the coast. Few city folk venture out to these lands, down possessed. Since the colossus burst free in 501 aov, a huge
believing that here the veil between the real world and the Dream- chasm known as Blackfall Grotto has offered a whole new gen-
ing is thin. Local myths include countless tales of farmers, travelers, eration of fools the temptation of exploring the secret industrial
and juvenile miscreants who wander into the foggy woods and laboratory that built the mechanical titan.
suffer wretched fates at the hands of capricious fey. And even an effort to build a positive new future for the district
Once the famed skyseer Nevard Sechim attracted many devo- turned sour. For a decade after the Great Eclipse, a school named
tees of the Old Faith to a humble henge far out in the Cloudwood. the Macbannin Lyceum for Impoverished Youths provided
Today, his respectable followers have been scared away, replaced by primary education as well as training in rudimentary defensive
titan-worshiping zealots. Their informal leader, “Howling” Knap- magic, with a focus on avoiding curses. However it was some of the
per Trowel, attracts ne’er-do-wells to various bandit crews in the school’s first graduates who would later descend upon it on a moon-
district by throwing grand parties, which often entail hunting live less night, kill its headmaster, and scrawl the walls
captives through the forest. with a mix of graffiti and hexes. These students
Though criminals in Flint tend to make the Nettles their first stop gradually coalesced into what is today known
when on the run from the law, those who really need to lay low find as the Last Ravens guild.
the wild rainforests of Cloudwood ideal. The most rural areas of the The school today is a sort of neutral ground
district are practically independent thorps and hamlets, many of where those who want messages delivered
which are sympathetic to desperate outsiders. However, word in to the mysterious leaders of the Ravens can
Flint’s underworld is that more than one hunkering fugitive has speak with their representative. Burly and
found their way into the cauldrons of the Last Ravens. This guild viciously scarred, a man who calls himself
of thieving and curse-flinging mages have eyes all throughout the Baron Calder Brant spends most every
Cloudwood, and trade stolen magic to dark fey. night in the crumbling ruins, reading by

Blackfall Grotto Parity Lake

Titanist extremists who serve Granny Allswell managed over the years Flint’s first factories rose around this inland lake fed by run-off
to slip through the cordon around the chasm on the side of Cauldron Hill from the Nettles. The Stanfield Canal widened and deepened a
from which the colossus emerged. The mysterious construction facility natural river that ran from the lake to the harbor in Bosum Strand,
is now overrun by gremlins and trolls, and planar instability in the grotto providing easy transit of manufactured goods in and out of the dis-
means those who go in sometimes get stranded in the Bleak Gate. Even trict. Homes of fishermen on the lake were demolished, while new
the Last Ravens are wary of going there, though rumors say that a so- flophouses and stacked tenements were erected for the waves of
called Bleak Court of maddened fey wants to make the ruin their palace. people who came from around the country seeking work in the new
factories. Wealth poured into the city’s coffers, and into the pockets
candlelight and treating visitors with polite deference. He will dis- of those canny enough to become landlords.
cuss with casual indifference the most vile possible acts—murders, Years of disorganized growth transformed Parity Lake from a
abductions, arson, human sacrifice—and professionally negotiate booming collective of new businesses to a crowded, foul-smelling,
prices. On two occasions officers attempted to arrest him, but upon soot-choked warren, surrounding a pool that every day more
laying hands on him began to vomit centipedes and then died. resembled sludge than water. After the Great Eclipse, Governor
District Mayor Dale, a captain in the Risuri military with an Soliogn made reclaiming the lake a priority, and today at least
upbeat expertise in staying calm in the face of darkness, oversees a someone who falls into it won’t have to worry about chemical burns.
small force of patrolling soldiers and druids who keep the monsters After the Great Eclipse, living conditions im-
of the mountain from descending to the city. His mansion sits half- proved and crime briefly abated, with a few
way up Cauldron Hill, and is one place at least that the Ravens don’t factory owners like Heward Sechim (nephew
dare come knocking, each side seemingly respecting that they’d of the famed skyseer Nevard Sechim) sup-
both suffer if the wards around the mountain failed. porting safety reforms, higher wages, and new
high-rise residences. The period of good
North Shore feelings petered out, though, and while
The sun rises through the mists over Cloudwood. Fresh sea breezes the reforms persist, the renovations
sweep the gloomy haze of soot away from pristine beaches, letting only ever reached a few corners of the
Chapter Four
golden daylight fall upon gently crashing waves. The day wanes, district, which has led to a growing
and the sky explodes with crimson and vermilion as the sun sets class rift among the previously some-
behind the twin peaks of Great Horned Mountain. Night drapes a what unified workers.
starry curtain across the world, and still the waves gently lap upon The mix of poverty and profit produces prodigious crime. The
the North Shore. Family crime syndicate runs traditional protection rackets and
Home to the most beautiful urban beaches in all of Lanjyr, Flint’s smuggling, and also run the nearly-legal Red Rabbit Casino with
North Shore district prides itself on its appearance, despite being so the support of mages out of Nalaam. The Last Ravens distrib-
close to polluted Parity Lake. Demand for beachside property has ute drugs and abduct people to abuse in truly horrifying slave
pushed out all but the wealthiest, those who can afford to hire druids sweatshops and brothels. The Ravens also run their own form of
to pray for favorable winds to keep the smoke at bay, and armies of protection, etching hexes upon lampposts, luring shadowy mon-
cleaning crews to scrub walls and streets when the druids fail. sters to terrorize whole neighborhoods if one business owner balks
But with wealth comes corruption and temptation. Young girls at the fees.
end up dead in alleys. Criminals stage daring robberies of villas But an unorthodox group is inspiring a new sense of hope and
protected by curses. Destitute nobles, dragged from their towers by heroism for residents. The Knights of Sangria, an order from the
the machinations of rivals, stumble into strangely-scented shops Malice Lands, first came to Flint to hunt down a malice beast that
they’ve never seen before and find offers they cannot refuse. had escaped some smuggling shipment and grown immense off in-
A hotbed of international politicking, here an afternoon stroll dustrial effluvium in the lake. When the monster kept slipping out
down Consulate Beach can simulate visiting every country in the of traps and hiding in the sewers, the knights established a long-
world, great or small. The newest addition is Elfaivar’s consulate, term presence in the district. For a low fee they can be hired to deal
where visitors are required to pass through the Museum of the with Bleak Gate spirits that stalk the streets—and for a bit higher
Eladrin Diaspora before they can undertake any formal business. fee they’ll even face down local criminals, who seem by far to be the
Flint was always a beacon of safety in the Diaspora, and the city is more dangerous quarry.
one of the few places where vekeshi mystics are admired.
Other countries have begun to follow the same trend of open- Pine Island
ing their consulate grounds and presenting a positive face to Flint. Though the ground of most of Flint’s coast is rocky and hilly, the
The most popular of these is the Moody Gardens, a lavish creation western coast of the bay has a sprawling bayou surrounding dozens
of Beran philanthropy when the tropezaro movement had not yet of short granite hill-islands. Pine Island takes its name from the
fallen out of favor back home. Situated near the base of the lower aquatic pine trees that anchor the bits of dry land throughout the
Great Horned Mountain, this grand arboretum and zoo exhib- district, though the hills are mostly grassy ranchland. Not as well
its biomes from around the world, even including some of Ber’s known or developed as the bustling east coast, this district never-
famous dinosaurs. theless plays a significant role in the city’s business.

The Pauper Archmage

Many become overwhelmed by the bustle of the larger city, or lose a job When the Eclipse ended, he resigned his commission and spent his sis-
or a home, or grow ill and find themselves swept out of ter’s fortune trying to help the families of other exploited workers. Over
sight. Such unfortunates often end up in Pine Island, time he sold his sister’s mansion in The Ayres and moved to North Shore,
where they seek the help of Hedger Isfeld, known as then sold that home and moved to Stray River, and a year ago finally gave
the Pauper Archmage. away the last of his wealth—selling even his spellbook of grand military
Hedger’s sister had been a wealthy factory owner evocations—then began to live in a humble apartment in Pine Island.
up until the Great Eclipse, when her abuse of He hoped for a simple retirement, but people knew his name and still
her workers led to a riot, the formation of a came to him in crisis. After a visit by the radical saboteur Flare, Hedger
psychic hivemind, and numerous deaths, in- has entered a period of contemplation, and a few of his old friends who
cluding her own. Hedger—a war wizard who keep in touch suspect the mighty wizard intends to change his tactics. One
had hoped one day to serve at the king’s man’s fortune was not enough to lift up hundreds of thousands of the poor,
right hand—inherited the factory and his but one mage’s spells might be able to tear down the system that impov-
sister’s wealth, but was shaken by the loss her greed had provoked. erished them.
While Bosum Strand handles industrial and textile trade, Pine A new landmark is known as The Gates of Flint. Built on grounds
Island services hundreds of plantations in its soggy lowlands and once occupied by the city’s very first mass-production textile mill,
small ranches in its western hills. The main docks on Flint Bay are the name is quite literal. Two stylized doors made of carefully fitted
practically a floating city of wooden bridges and stone anchors, shards of the actual stone flint rise forty feet over a lovely park. The
which has slowly grown away from the silt of the bayou to better doors, fitted into a minimalist wooden frame, are opened wide so
serve deep-water merchant ships. Further inland, complicated that someone entering the park can see out across Flint Bay, past
avenues, connected by ferries and bridges, weave between islands Governor’s Island, all the way to the Great Horned Mountain at the
ranging from the size of a single house to a small neighborhood. edge of the sea. A train station was built nearby during the Great
When factories need to finish high-quality arctech, they typi- Eclipse to receive refugees from the countryside, and the man who
cally end up transporting machinery from Parity Lake to Pine built the monument, former RHC chief inspector Stover Delft,
Chapter Four
Island. There mages run wealthy enclaves, where they and their ap- wanted future arrivals to have something cheerier to greet them.
prentices integrate planarite and instill enchantments, all with the It has become a popular annual tradition to walk through the
privacy the bayou offers. gates on New Year’s Day and spit chewing tobacco at the threshold.
Criminals ply the waters of the bayous in shallow boats, often Tradition says that doing so wards off curses and liars (and mimics!)
parking ships of smuggled drugs, magic, or women just off shore, for the rest of the year.
then taking circuitous routes through the flooded forests in order to
bypass dock authorities. While most dockside businesses are legiti- The Ayres
mate, deeper in the bayou you can find gambling houses, brothels, North of the city lie a clear island chain and several satellite islands.
and fey pepper dens. Pacts with local fey who are angry with the Many of these are merely rocky sandbars with a few trees, but a few
spinning gears on the other side of the bay help these criminal es- larger islands serve as remote villas for the city’s wealthiest. Nobles
tablishments hide from law enforcement, all for the low price of just hold many family estates here, though in recent years new-money
a few newborns a year. industrialists have joined them.
Farther west, where there are no longer even the occasional out- Perhaps the wealthiest man in the city is the aged Guy Goodson,
croppings of hills, the Battalion academy trains elite soldiers and who swindled his initial wealth from a dozen naïve villages, and
martial scientists in the ways of war, with an emphasis on wilder- invested early in Flint’s industrial boom. Today his family owns
ness survival and the best techniques of intimidation against an dozens of factories in Flint and more around Lanjyr. Once Guy was
occupying force. Many of the Battalion’s teachers served in the a gregarious target of celebrity gossip, but the public eye has shifted
Yerasol Wars or at the garrison on Axis Island. to his granddaughter Galatea Goodson. The rowdy playgirl single-
Despite the remote location, a light rail—regularly blessed by handedly kept many Flint tabloids in business, but recently her
druids to deter fey sabotage—leads from Stray River to the Battal- behavior underwent a complete shift, turning her into an obedient
ion. A fort at the school guards the city’s teleportation beacon, and copy of her grandfather.
it won’t do for rich visitors to have their first sight of Flint be an The vacuum of Goodson family scandal has
undeveloped swamp. turned tabloid attention to a newcomer in
The Ayres, Lovelace Rookwood. The
Stray River young and sardonic inventor originally
The cluster of businesses and homes where Stray River empties into gained fame for designing a small, flight-
the bay is the closest thing to a typical Risuri city one can find in capable construct, then cleverly managed to parlay
Flint. The Stray River district has well-tended streets, quaint two- an investment in her patent by Pemberton Industries
story brick houses, and enjoys easy prosperity as the place most to acquire a few struggling businesses in Parity Lake.
visitors to the city stay. These she revived with arctech innovations, attracting
another round of investors.

Chapter Four
In the dark of night, black-sailed boats deliver visitors to her during the Great Eclipse his leadership kept the city’s criminal ele-
private island, and rumors fly that she could be working with the ment somewhat in line, for the sake of the greater good.
Risuri military, foreign spies, the infamous Benedict Pemberton, After the Eclipse, Cippiano was quite the public figure, admired
or even the rumored conspiracy L’église de Lisette, who intend to for trend-setting fashion shows he hosted and for his role in getting
build a goddess out of arctech machinery. local newspapers to review restaurants, which led to the launch of
Since technically The Ayres is considered part of North Shore, it many of the city’s current fine-dining hotspots. Everyone knew,
does not have its own district mayor. In practice, law and govern- though, where he got his money. He always had a chilly relation-
ment officials never bother the nobles on their islands unless an ship with Governor Soliogn, but he had enough influential friends
equally wealthy or powerful individual lodges a complaint. (or blackmailed victims) to avoid punishment, at least so long as his
family business never got too violent.
The Family in Flint Lately, however, Cippiano is struggling to maintain decorum
While the Last Ravens are the bogeymen for many Flinters, the among all his followers. His attention has been drawn away by the
most effective criminals are surely the Family, a criminal organi- troubles the homeland is facing (see page 114), and he has taken
zation with deep ties to the Clergy in Crisillyir. Head of the Flint numerous trips to Alais Primos. In his absence, his lieutenants
branch is Morgan Cippiano, a soft-spoken and honorable man squabble, his street-level capos are provoked by the Last Ravens,
who straddles many different worlds. Opinions of Cippiano are and his powerful allies among the nobles and industrialists are
mixed in Flint: even though he is a crook, his organization helped being targeted for all-new blackmail by the Kuchnost crime syn-
defeat the city’s prior syndicate, the bloodthirsty Kell Guild, and dicate in Drakr.

Politics
The many clashing interests of Flint are kept in bal-
ance by Governor Hana Soliogn, an Elfaivaran
who escaped enslavement in Danor three decades
ago, discovered a magical ability to fly and control
the winds, and settled in Flint in 499 aov.
Though initially something of a celebrity for
her outspoken opposition to Danor, she soon
withdrew into the Cloudwood and began re-
cruiting followers among those opposed to the
influx of industry. Hoping to punish Danor by
proxy, she and her followers sabotaged factories and steamships,
and were even implicated in attempted assassinations—though
she denies the latter. These attacks earned her the moniker “Gale.”
She first started to rehabilitate her image when the colossus
erupted from Cauldron Hill. Gale swooped around the titan’s face,
hundreds of feet in the air, and lured the machine away from popu-
lation centers and down Stanfield Canal, then to the bay where King
Aodhan was able to banish it. Later, Gale helped drive off a Danoran No one knows what Flare’s base of operations are within the city,
naval attack, and during the Eclipse she is believed to have helped and somehow he has evaded RHC investigations. The urgency rose
slay a dragon that was setting fire to Central district. when, in a recent interview with the Flint Tribune, Flare warned no
When she ran for the governorship, King Baldrey praised her one to attend the launch of Risur’s next flagship the RAS Burning Sky,
service and endorsed her. She won on promises to use the rebuild- promising that it would go down in flames.
ing of the city as an opportunity to fix inequities that plagued many
workers and poorer districts. Early progress on these earned her Other Places of Interest
Chapter Four
a great deal of respect, but now the political winds are starting to * Axis Island constantly changed hands during the Yerasol
turn. Wars, but after some epic event occurred there to end the
Soliogn has for years directed local police to work with dockers Great Eclipse, Risur and Danor maintain a joint military
and allow protests, but rising Last Ravens violence has made her presence, with naval patrols turning back anyone that tries to
vulnerable to Rosa Gohins, former district mayor of Parity Lake approach.
who was infamous for her heavy-handed crackdowns. Gohins cam- * Favela is a thriving mining town south of Bole, once the
paigns on the idea that the safety and stability of the factories are site of mass child abductions by Granny Allswell. Parents
more important than the morale of factory workers, and that over- often threaten disobedient children that they’ll send them to
seas industrial cities are outstripping Flint’s growth. She calls for favela.
a return to the old ways, where people were expected to work hard. * Granite was the small farming town that was so boring it
The last generation was made strong by their toil, strong enough to made young Aodhan Lesterman and his sister Ethelyn run
save the world from the Great Eclipse. off to become privateers. They’d end up hijacking a Danoran
warship, kicking off Flint’s industrial boom, and become a
Fey Terrorism King and Duchess respectively.
One underhanded line of attack Gohins uses against Gale is her * Manhill is a Risuri town on the north shore of the Marrajado
loose connection to the current generation of anti-industry sabo- del Oro, formerly a defensive fort. Today it’s a tourist destina-
tage—which she labels “fey terrorism.” While Gale realized she tion for many Berans and Risuri, and excavations are under
could effect more change as a figurehead than an agent provocateur, way to possibly build a tunnel under the sea to Citado Cavallo,
the movement she galvanized didn’t end when she became governor. connecting the two nations.
After years of being rudderless, a new leader has taken over. * McDruid Island lies off Risur’s northeast shore, and was a
Known as Flare, the man claims to be an efreet from the minor shipbuilding hub. Its modern claim to fame is being
planet Jiese, who saw first hand what civilization turns birthplace of pirate Commodore Bruce McDruid.
into with widespread technology. Dangerously char- * Shale is a heavily-fortified coastal city that endured regular
ismatic, he has launched a new wave of sabotage. The assault during the Yerasol Wars. The city is believed to be
signature attack has druids conjure entangling roots favored by She Who Writhes.
or even growing whole trees into the machinery * Stormset Coast runs along the southwest, famed for its
of factories, and once people gather to see the megafauna like giant pumas. It traditionally has closer ties to
spectacle, a delayed glyph sets the plants ablaze. Beran culture.
In addition to causing massive damage, these * Ya-Topec is an Ancient city being excavated on an island near
attacks have killed dozens and caused multiple the Stormset Coast. Long-buried pictograms hint at a mythol-
nights of panic in Parity Lake over the past year. ogy of primordial heroes forgotten to time.

Chapter Five
Of All Possible Worlds
T he planets that roam among the stars subtly
alter the nature of the world.
The Planetary System * Ostea, the Beating Heart. A planet the color of dark wine
Most action in the Zeitgeist setting happens on the continent strengthens resistance to infections, and also enhances
Lanjyr, one of several continents on the same world. Different cul- divinations fueled by blood. Deaths by infection are down
tures and traditions have their own names for the world. Risur’s from before the Eclipse.
skyseers use Amsywr, but those who don’t speak Primordial have * Urim, the Shattered Golden Chains. Flecks of gold glint
trouble pronouncing that. A common term is the Waking (to con- along one stretch of the starry night, revealed by telescopes to
trast with the parallel realms of the Dreaming and the Bleak Gate). be a string of asteroids. Urim’s presence causes gold to impede
The Waking is the third of seven planets that orbit a bright yellow teleportation and extraplanar travel. One otherwise nonde-
sun (Vona). Each other world has an effect on the nature of real- script boulder amid the tumbling debris of Urim, Teykfa the
ity, which applies throughout the planetary system, and several of Ticking Pendulum, produces a subtle regular chime, faintly
these have special rules mechanics. audible across the vast gulf of space to those who watch the
In order from the central star, they are: heavens. Awareness of it helps track the passage of moments,
* Jiese, the Fire of Industry. Close to the sun, this burnt rock and instills a clearer sense of the grand scale of time.
is riven with seams of red. Jiese’s influence makes advanced * Mavisha, the Mysterious Deep. A watery blue orb, Mavisha
technology possible. Outside this planar system, the innate causes divination about islands to be unreliable. A small
fluctuations of magic in the rest of the multiverse makes most green moon orbits it, Ascetia, the Hidden Jungle, and
industry unreliable. Existing technology won’t stop working, though little is known of the world, scholars tie its presence
but the engineering needed for mass production breaks down to how since the Eclipse interest in history has increased.
at scale. A tinkerer might craft their own personal devices, * Amrou, the Salt Waste. A pale orb that flickers on the dark-
but on those distant worlds, society will never have industrial est nights, Amrou empowers nonmagical defenses against the
revolutions. supernatural. Acts that were once mere superstitions—like
* Caeloon, the Paper Wind. Caeloon was a world nearly pouring a line of salt to fend off fiends—now actually have
destroyed in fire, rescued and reborn in the Great Eclipse. some effect, however temporary. Knowledge of these apotro-
A soothing green planet, its presence is ineffable, but lends paic techniques are taught to everyone in Crisillyir, to help
people inner strength in times of despair. Suicide rates have survive the various evils that escaped during the Eclipse.
declined since before the Eclipse.
* The Waking. The main world of the Zeitgeist setting is
sustained and enriched by the energies of other worlds. It Planar Mechanics
is orbited by Av, the Plane of Mirrors, a pale white moon Skyseers know that fate itself is influenced by the planets in ways
that in rare conjunctions appears to be translucent like glass. hard to perceive, but several of the worlds have more tangible
Scholars believe its presence causes the Waking to be mir- effects.
rored into the Dreaming and the Bleak Gate.

Blood of Ostea Bonds of Urim

Though mundane infections rarely come into play for heroic adven- Gold impedes planar travel and teleportation. You can teleport freely
turers, throughout history disease has always killed more people while carrying gold, but you cannot teleport through an opening
than war. Since the Great Eclipse, people have found themselves far framed in gold. Similarly, if you’re wearing a gold ring—or bracelet,
more resistant to nonmagical infections, which has led to a small or even a thin thread of gold wire woven into a circle around a finger,
population boom. Additionally, Ostea’s influence also gives spell- wrist, or other body part—you cannot teleport or be teleported. This
casters special powers related to blood. Most people are unsettled same restriction applies to any sort of extraplanar travel.
by this blood magic Critical buildings often have thin strips of gold inlaid around
Chapter Five
doors and windows, concealed by additional masonry. Prison cells

Bloodletting and Divination for Elfaivarans and mages are often surrounded by rings of gold.
Any character with Constitution 13+ and Intelligence 5+ can cut However, even full circles of gold can be bypassed by simply remov-
themselves, bleed a copious amount, and meditate on their blood ing part of the ring. This, combined with the temptation for thieves,
for ten minutes in order to cast a small selection of ritual spells. keeps gold warding circles from being in common use.
When doing this, the character expends any number of Hit Dice, to
a maximum of their proficiency bonus. More powerful spells re- Light of Ascetia
quire a payment of more Hit Dice, and the spells still require any Through a telescope, Mavisha’s jungle-green moon Ascetia appears
other material components. to strobe with light twice a minute, like some distant lighthouse.
For two Hit Dice, they can cast augury. When a creature makes a History check, if it first spends one
For four Hit Dice, they can cast divination. hour roaming a woodland while pondering a historical topic, it can
For five Hit Dice, they can cast contact other plane. roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the check. Such walks have
the strange effect of jogging a creature’s memory. On rare occasions,
Sanguine Senses creatures will brush against a tree and have a flash of someone also
If a character with Constitution 13+ and Intelligence 5+ has access touching a tree (but perhaps not the same one), and they’ll come
to at least a few drops of another creature’s blood, they can spend away with a memory of history that they know isn’t theirs.
an hour preparing a potion or face paint with that blood. Doing
so requires expending one Hit Die through bloodletting, which Mysteries of Mavisha
is mixed with the quarry’s blood. Consuming the potion or ap- Divination magic used to learn about islands have a high likelihood
plying the paint takes an action; for the next hour the character of failing. If the caster is not on the same island, they must succeed
can sense the direction to that creature within one mile and an Intelligence (Arcana) check (DC 20) or else the divination yields no
unerringly sense its location if it is within 30 feet, ignoring con- information. Even on a success, the information gleaned will never
cealment. However, the quarry likewise has the same awareness be particularly clear. Scrying, for instance, will perceive creatures
of the tracker’s location. from a distance or with staccato switching to viewing other beings.

Skyseers Against Industry Wards of Amrou

In Risur’s early days, the druids, used to thinking in long terms of seasons, Nonmagical defenses against the supernatural, collectively known
years, and the lifespan of trees, came to understand the power the stars as apotropaics, actually have some real benefit. See Apotropaics
held. (page 82).
After Danor began to build coal-burning factories in the 4th century
aov, the visions of the skyseers gradually became less reliable. The Winds of Caeloon
druids blamed the spreading haze of soot obscuring their vision, and so Caeloon’s effect is subtle, almost ineffable: it buoys spirits in times
many of them climbed a mountain called the Hunchback in what was of despair and helps people find resilience in the face of tragedy.
then a modest port town called Flint. From its high peak they could still A character with Intelligence 5+ that has no remaining Hit Dice
see the stars clearly enough to advise Risur’s rulers, though the less can spend an action to buoy its spirits and heal 1 hit point. If one
prestigious and less skilled skyseers who served the common folk slowly of its allies in the encounter is dead, the character also can ignore
lost their place of respect. charmed and frightened conditions until the end of its next turn.
Then in 346 aov, a coven of witches claimed the After it does this, it cannot do it again until it completes a long rest.
Hunchback and began to abduct people for blood
sacrifices, a reign of terror that lasted until the
year 400. Even after King Lorcan Finn defeat- Calendar
ed the witches, the peak—which came to be Lanjyran nations generally use a simple calendar devised over a
called Cauldron Hill—remained danger- millennium ago by the skyseers of Risur, though it was reset and
ously haunted. The skyseers’ last adjusted after the Great Eclipse reset the orbits of the planets. This
clear vantage was lost to them. calendar divides the year into four 91-day seasons, each starting
A hundred years later, on an equinox or solstice. After the 91st of Winter, one extra day is
Nevard Sechim ascended used to celebrate the new year.
Cauldron Hill, and after The most common celestial rhythm is the cycle of the moon over
surviving a night of horrors 29½ days. People might say something happened “a month ago,” but
returned with what came to individual months are not named. Instead dates are referenced in
be known as the Prophecy the format “17 Spring 473 aov.”
of the Three Ravens. In the year 522 aov, the first first-quarter moon of each season
Many believe that before Sechim died, he gave a secret final mes- occurs on 20 Spring, 17 Summer, 13 Autumn, and 10 Winter. Festi-
sage to Baldrey Korrigan, the man who would later go on to become vals of the Old Faith typically fall on these nights. More colloquially,
king of Risur, and whose leadership guided the world to safety and there are names for each prominent moon phase throughout the
brought back the stars. The royal palace in Risur’s capital Slate main- year. These terms have fallen out of favor except in poetry, aca-
tains a court skyseer, but plans to build a telescope observatory atop demia, and mysticism.
Chapter Five
Cauldron Hill were scrapped mysteriously. Today the smoke of Flint
still hinders skyseer visions, and any who wish clarity must brave the
haunted hill. Planetary Gazetteer
A few explorers have managed to travel to other worlds and return
The same effect applies to divinations about things under the sea, with stories of what they found. Perhaps those worlds are as vast
unless the caster is also underwater and within about three miles and diverse as the Waking, but these are the places on those planets
of the target. that are most well known in the popular consciousness.
Timeliness of Teykfa The Bleak Gate

If one watches the glimmering chain of Urim with enough patience, This benighted realm can be entered through certain trails on
they’ll feel a weighty awareness of the progress of time into the moonless nights, or still pools in lightless caves, or burnt out train
future. Once per hour, they’ll feel their eyes drawn skyward and cars derailed in cursed forests, or similar places of emptiness.
they’ll hear an intermittent, softly audible chime that lets them The Bleak Gate is where the spirits of the dead linger before pass-
keep track of time precisely. For the next day that person is more ing on, drifting silently between buildings that are hollow, like the
aware of the scale of time, particularly with regards to how long shells of dead sea creatures. Gloomy clouds block out both sun and
people are likely to live. stars, and it’s almost impossible to keep track of time. Neither wind
This has no game mechanic effect. nor wave stir. There are no birds or insects, and most sounds echo
However, this improved sense of time has slightly cut down on dully, except for howls and moans of monsters and the dead, which
violence in the world, as people are marginally more hesitant to carry for miles in the windless air.
risk years of their lives, and more aware of how much harm they’d Common lore of the Clergy calls this realm Purgatory, and en-
cause by killing someone. But people living in cities often can’t visions it as a hollow copy of this world lying just underground,
see the stars. And sometimes an awareness of time leaves people where the dead linger to await judgment. Drakr’s clans know better,
indifferent to what likely will be transient misfortune of those and believe that it is a vision of the distant future, of what the world
around them. will look like when everyone has died. Berans believe it lies on the

dark side of the moon. Danoran arcanoscientists say it is actually a Halos

manifestation within the crystalline sphere of the moon—the Bleak Should a traveler come upon a conspicuous ring of vegetation in the
Gate on the interior surface, and the Dreaming on the exterior. Crisillyiri wilds, they may have discovered a pittura circle, also called a
Here, Risuri fey of the exiled Bleak Court hunt hapless travelers, halo. More specifically, the halo is the outer ring, sometimes a mile wide,
obscure conspiracies hide, and echoes of old wars and horrors rec- which holds fiends at bay or weakens their magic, while the pittura circle
reate themselves in grisly spectacles of unearthly stillness. Some is a smaller ring in the center, usually about 20 feet across, which leads
Elfaivaran gulmohar who regret their resurrection choose to live to the Dreaming.
here, following annual caravan trails on a grieving pilgrimage.
But not all is horror. Somewhere, along the banks of a river with or even hands, and with minor magical powers to help them ful-
an ever-shifting path, endures a city named Iratha Ket, where a fill their assigned role. A few who anger their masters are cursed
civilization of animated skeletons known as the Midnight Revel to have a fully humanoid body, and are then exiled as they are no
tends to the last survivors of a dead world, trying to restore them longer of use.
safely to the land of the living. If you find yourself in peril in the “A cup is a cup,” the dragons say; a cup is meant to serve drinks
Bleak Gate, seek running water, and your calls for help might be and must not perform any other service. Any dissent is ruthlessly
answered with the song of a savior. punished, but nevertheless a revolt brews. The Tresna Liga re-
cruits escaped or curse-exiled izprits who plot to assassinate and
Differing Dreams overthrow their tyrants. They hope some day to rescue the leg-
The Dreaming is a verdant, shifting mirror of the Waking. Terrain endary izprit-sword Asturanne, imprisoned in a stone, who once
and buildings and even cultural trends often match those in the real released will surely lead their kind to freedom.
world, but beings native to there follow their own odd logic. Both The Maitagaria have other servants, though, such as the mala-
time and distance seem to conspire for the sake of dramatic events hathra, kobold-like fairies whose job it is to collect all stray objects
rather than emperical truth. Depending on a traveler’s mood or that fall into Reliqq, place them into sap to bring them to life, then
their interactions with fey they meet along the way, the same jour- gather the izprits and determine which Maitagarian dragon is in
ney on two different occasions might take a different number of need of the tool the most. The malahathra are anxious procrastina-
days, perhaps with the sun stubbornly hanging in the same spot of tors, perpetually afraid of receiving bad news that might suggest
the sky for an interminable time, or with the road impossibly by- they have disappointed their dragon lord, and many malahathran
passing difficult terrain. camps have a cage which holds animated letters that were sent with
Each country in the Waking is matched by an analogue in the messages that will never be read.
Dreaming that reflects the beliefs of the inhabitants.
Crisillyiri
Ber The Green Temptress, Gran Mostra, Hell’s Gallery
Lua Espelyada, Oblicua, Mirror of Forgotten Things Before the Great Eclipse, the Clergy saw the Dreaming as a
Chapter Five
Called Reliqq by its residents, Ber’s Dreaming is a land shroud- garden whose delights were meant to tempt people to sin and indo-
ed beneath a seemingly endless forest, with close-set, titanic trees lence. And while Crisillyir produced many great artists, there has
draped with and choked by great thorn-barbed vines. This ver- long been a belief that artists are prone to vanity, and so many tales
dure is not entirely natural; the landscaping magics of the local of “Hell’s Garden” told of artists who became trapped there when
dragons have in many places smothered the physical reflection of their pride exceeded their piety.
Ber, which lies hidden between the great trees and vines. Golden After the God Trials unleashed a tide of demons in the Waking,
light filters through scant cracks of the forest’s canopy, but a sun the Dreaming reflection of Crisillyir was threatened with corrup-
can never be seen. When night arrives, the forest floor becomes tion. Seeing her subjects being warped into horrors, Belluccia the
illuminated by dazzling illuminated fungi and flora that glow Nymph Queen enacted a great ritual to reshape her land around
like crystal sconces. Glowing seeds flutter down from above, like reflections of art, transforming her subjects and trapping them in
sparks moving in slow motion. literal paintings.
As the vines retreat from the constricted trees, they leave gouge Gran Mostra, as it is known today, is a pantagruelian web of gal-
marks the size of shallow caves in the bark. These wounds are then leries, too vast and labyrinthine for outsiders to ever navigate, and
filled with various junk that finds itself in Reliqq: bent spoons, perhaps even shifting over time. Its rare calm points are main-
shattered brooms, untuned guitars, jammed firearms, dirty boots, tained only by fey will, some under roofs of wood or stone, some
ragged coats, breach-pocked boats, and so on. The blood-like sap under open sky.
of the trees then seeps into the discarded objects and imbues them It is said every one of Crisillyir’s millions of paintings was
with powerful magic, granting them sophont life. conjured into the Gran Mostra, each becoming a small world unto
Any freedom after awakening is short-lived in Reliqq, as these itself. One can enter and find the artist’s vision brought truly to life,
sophont animated objects, or izprits, are immediately collected with fey forced into shapes that match the figures painted therein.
and pressed into the service of Reliqq’s resident fey court, dragons Most are beautiful, but many are monstrous, and nearly all have
known as the Maitagaria. The izprits must obey their draconic lost their own willpower, simply playing out the role some artist
masters and tend their every need. As izprit grows older, many thoughtlessly gave them.
transform into slightly more humanoid shapes, with faces, limbs, Only those painting-fey whose forms were laid down in a work

[[Art: Gremlin threatening to hang a child from Adventure

Five—Cauldron-Born.]]
of a true master are genuinely self-aware and able to leave their This is a realm of self-perpetuating denial and delusion.
painted frames to mingle. The prevalence of divine themes in such The landscape of the Danoran Dreaming is verdant yet ordered,
masterpieces has created a parliament of Triegenes-copies and with neatly rowed orchards of fruit trees bearing plentiful fruit
other deity doppelgangers. and lush bushes hiding caches of metal ingots and other raw
The knights of Queen Belluccia survive, clad in body-hugging materials. Technologists find a haven for “scientific” miracles and
mithral plate armor, their helms locked with a keyhole over the one-off breakthroughs, where they can produce inventions after
mouth which only their ruler holds the key to. They work tirelessly mere hours of work. Astronomers gaze skyward and glimpse
Chapter Five
to find ways to free her former subjects, awakening them to their the unlikeliest of celestial convergences, suggesting beautifully
lost selves. Their search is never-ending and tragic, for subjects fre- elegant theorems of the cosmos. Mathematical riddles that should
quently lapse back into painting-roles and flee back to their frames. be daunting are solved with ease. Architects find stones that fit
The knights believe that, if only they can find their lost queen, they perfectly, and their most immense buildings stand without worry
might heal their realm. of needing supports.
Cherub-curators and artistic fairies called notturni try to exam- Yet every morning, when the sun rises, people find them-
ine and understand the paintings, going on missions to the Waking selves shunted back to the Waking. Their inventions turn to junk.
to learn about artists and their inspirations. Eight-limbed vitruvians Memories of observations turn hazy. Mathematical theorems are
patrol the gallery for fey corrupted by their own foul painting-roles, revealed to be nonsense. And should they find their way back again,
such as living depictions of Demonocratic debauchery, or Elfaivar- anything they built has collapsed or shrunk or otherwise trans-
ans portrayed as cannibalistic savages. formed to mock their hopes and dreams.
However, as in many places in the Dreaming, time here moves
Danoran at its own idiosyncratic pace, and the farther one travels away
Erréij, Demesne of the Unobtainable from population centers in the Waking, the longer the sun in the
For five centuries between the Great Malice and the Great Eclipse, Danoran Dreaming will wait before it rises. It is said that deep in
if there was any Dreaming analogue of Danor, it was inacessible. the wild, in lands analogous to the edge of Methia or the Shawl
With its magic now restored, today the Danoran Dreaming is Mountains, inventors toil away, having gone mad when they
wholly bereft of native inhabitants, but inventors and scientists couldn’t accept that the wonders they produced were just illusions.
gripped in fits of ingenuity have sometimes see doors open to a Mobile manufactories stalk a landscape forever in twilight, their
world of wonders. These pathways—always marked by perfect needlessly complex limbs ripping never before seen planarite from
polygonal portals (equilateral triangles, squares, pentagons, etc.)— rich veins, while titanic war constructs crackle with elecricity,
lead to a realm where science and technology works as people wish it guarding the subterranean bunker of a cabal of lunatics, who hope
would. Rational scholars have found themselves drawn by a yearn- to build a dome large enough to block the sun out from entirely, so
ing temptation to see all their efforts succeed with implausible ease. their dreams never have to end.

Drakran actual Drakr are tiny fiefdoms of fey called domovoi, who rule
Lovushka, Chtotobyl, Something That Was ranks of tiny spirits, and should the house’s residents treat it well,
Unlike in most lands, where pathways between Waking and the domovoi might send house spirits to the Waking, where they
Chapter Five
Dreaming tend to be in remote wilderness, fey of the Lovushka are cheerfully repay the residents’ kindness.
territorial. This is a realm where the very concept of an area or
building is charged with a profound magic. Landforms have spirits Elfaivaran
here, as does any bounded property or residence. And upon enter- Khet Masaal, The Yielding
ing an area in the Waking, a visitor should be careful not to give The Dreaming analogue to Elfaivar is like a palatial garden left
offense to the associated spirit in the Dreaming, lest it find a way to untended for five centuries. The old empire had learned to create
torment them, or perhaps cause them to stumble across a threshold and secure pathways between Waking and Dreaming, so that their
or other liminal space, and into the spirit’s home. cities could straddle both worlds. Often the Dreaming side was used
The old name conveys a sense of the Dreaming as a trap, as a to raise crops that tended themselves, spin spices out of thin air, en-
place that reflects the real world and seeks to snag people’s souls chant items, and conjure saṃsāra-fey to act as servants, steeds, or
after death, tempting them to stay in familiar environs instead warbeasts. Strict rules kept the morphic realm under their control,
of going to an afterlife. But long-held traditions in Drakr made it even as the empire came to rely more and more on foreign fey—
second nature to keep the place-spirits appeased with temporary yazata, apsara, naga, garuda, yaksha, and yakshini—to maintain a
offerings, tiny songs of praise, or carvings depicting them. Burial sprawling magical economic system.
practices helped ensure the dead would not be accosted, and the Most of the old pathways were severed, and the Dreaming here
cruelest insult one could offer would be to leave a body unburied. has returned to a more wild and natural state. Scattered points of
The spirits have been less appeased of late, a combination of control are held by survivors of the empire and their descendants,
thousands dying in the Great Eclipse and the philosophy of Delko- but between them is a playground of peril and plenty. Travelers find
vitch Nihisol making people turn away from tradition. And so now the landscape yielding to their fears and desires, conjuring beasts
these spirits take offense more easily. to hunt the cautious and spawning verdant bounty to feed the bold.
Sometimes a looming hill might manifest a rugged moss-cloaked Peace and tranquility can be found by those with calm minds, but
figure who speaks for it, and sometimes the hill itself will peel off fey armies battle in the east, holding at bay the conquerors of Sha’a.
the landscape and shamble about on rocky limbs to chase down The city state that most Lanjyrans know as Shaha is just an out-
someone who spoke ill of its slopes. Houses that mirror those in post of conquering fey warlords, who understand how their realm is

shaped by beliefs in the Waking. So they enslave and torment people

in the Waking, psychologically convincing them that the whispering
warlords are full of unstoppable magic. And it becomes true, at least
in the Dreaming. The armies of Sha’a were long stymied by how few
people there were in Elfaivar after the empire collapsed: woefully
insufficient to give the warlords the power they needed. But with the
return of the gulmohar, Sha’a has a new power source.
Risuri
Domain of the Unseen Court
The pact between Risur’s monarchs and the fey titans—five im-
mense beings that exist in both Waking and Dreaming at once—has
ensured this fey realm grew in parallel to the might and culture of
the Kingdom of Risur. Every Risuri city is mirrored with a boister-
ous city ruled by its own strange logic.
Risur’s lumber industry is reliant on the sprawling Antwalk
Thicket near the city of Bole, whereas in the Dreaming, the city
of Weevil welcomes great fey scholars from the Big Thicket, who
somehow know the text of all the books printed on paper harvested
in the Waking. The naval might of the militarized Shale is paral-
leled by the grand parades of giant trained turtles, nautiluses, and
other sea creatures in Conch. Where Flint is a whirring factory of
industrial might, the Great Blight is a grim open-air asylum of fey
criminals who took refuge in the only place they would not be pur-
sued, only to then go mad amid the inaudible grinding of gears and
churning of machines.
And where Risur’s capital Slate stands, the stately city of Clover
sits amid a chessboard forest. The Unseen Court rule from Thistle Meanwhile, rangers of the titan conclave who serve She Who
Palace, a startling replica of Risur’s Torfeld Palace. The rulers of the Writhes have gleaned some secrets of the Dreaming deep, where
court are themselves invisible, but their clothes and masks are of they claim the resonance of ceraunic wave transmissions are being
the highest finery. The fey monarch Thisraldion is adored for their heard by the sea itself, creating thoughtform krakens from the
unpredictability and restraint. communications of surface civilization.
Chapter Five
Even the Unseen Court’s greatest critics, the proudly rebellious
Hedgehog Court—led by Beshela, Archfey of the Sea and Olaz- Vona, Light of Inspiration
dor, Archfey of Winds—are allowed to carry out their affairs in The sun is a scintillating sphere that casts her luminance upon the
public, in the opposite wing of the palace from Thisraldion’s throne local planar system. In classic Clergy texts it was sometimes known
room. by the name Vona, the name of a being who claimed false divinity
when the world was first created, but in his quest for worship nev-
Yerasol and the Seas ertheless became a great hero.
The Dreaming analogue of these places has had little written of The sun vanished for a time during the Great Eclipse, and though
it, though Risur’s sailors have long maintained good relations there is much fascination with its immense power, little of it is
with the mer-fey along their shores, who can emerge from portals understood. Skyseers claim its light is the source of fate itself, and
in kelp forests or in rings of shipwrecks. They claim to be part of that when it reflects off other worlds and lands upon people, it
a nation at war with a people called tritons, and Queen Iain has transfers some of those worlds’ influence to Lanjyr. Danoran as-
named her nation’s first ambassador to the mer-fey to learn more tronomers posit that despite the heat it sheds, its surface is in fact
of their benthic politics. a vast, gleaming ocean of a curious liquid known as solaris aqua,
Recently, a Crisillyiri penitent named Lota Marbella claimed composed of compressed psychic energies.
to have spent forty years in exile on the Dreaming version of the An Elfaivaran poet named Yuva Baloot claims to have sent her
Yerasol Archipelago. She tells of beings of cloud and surf vying consciousness to that luminous sea, and visited a floating city,
for supremacy across tropical jungle-islands through cutthroat where people dredged emotions from the solaris aqua like fisher-
intrigue, forbidden romances, elementally-explosive wars, and men gather their catch.
strange sports. To return to the Waking she had to brave lullaby-
singing hail, intelligent lightning strikes, and the pursuit of a cruel Jiese, the Fires of Industry
three-eyed whale who knew every desire in her heart and assailed Jiese is the plane of fire: blisteringly hot by day, a tolerable arid broil
her with tempting visions if only she would marry it and free it at night, consisting of countless dense archipelagoes surrounding
from some ancient bondage. massive volcanoes, all adrift atop a sea of tangible, roiling flames.

Despite the deathly temperatures, these archipelagos are lush telescopes they have spotted his loyalists laying the gold in an im-
with their own sort of foliage. Their volcanic soil is extraordinarily mense ring surrounding the caldera of one of the archipelago’s
fertile, allowing for vast jungles crowned by orange-red-purple volcanos, as if he intends to prevent something truly massive from
trees. The heat-immune vegetation allows life to flourish beneath teleporting.
the canopy, where fire-aspected beasts of all sizes and strange-
nesses roam. Caeloon, the Paper Wind
Jiese has been slightly explored through a portal that exits in Caeloon is the plane of air: storm-clad, wind-swept, and mist-laden,
Risur’s Antwalk Thicket. But few are able to travel through, both a realm of floating islands cloaked with evergreen forests, and of
because some inherent trait of Jiese causes magical resistance to impossibly tall stone plinths carved with the key to translate every
heat and fire to provide little protection, and because the passage language, between which fly massive origami-beasts.
is heavily garrisoned, as Risur already faced one small incursion by Beyond this, Caeloon is also the physical embodiment of mental
the beings from the searing planet. and spiritual resilience. Presiding over the plane are the monks of
The predominant population are hardy salamanders—red- the Reborn Nomadic Monastery, who attest to witnessing the end
scaled beings with humanoid arms, serpentine tails, and blood as of their world, but speak little on this apocalypse and the world’s
hot as lava. Their ancestors were enslaved, sent to toil in an outpost subsequent rebirth. They occupy themselves with shepherding
of what they call “the Efreeti Empire.” These rulers were beings of their new gardens of plenty, which they see as the reward for their
living flame that could take any shape and grant any wish. For the refusal to surrender their hope.
efreet, the salamanders of Jiese mined, built glorious brass war
machines, and gathered decadent harvests. But eventually, in a The Demon of the Low Wind
bid for increased productivity, the factories were handed over to Alas, peace is a distant prospect in Caeloon, as with their world’s
automatons, and the now-idle salamanders were corralled to be resurrection, many peoples who did not endure the end times and
slaughtered. Before the execution could be completed, the salaman- do not remember them have been restored to life. These diverse
ders seized an arctech weapons factory and launched a revolution. cultures, deprived of the cities and kingdoms they remember, have
The salamanders slew or bound their old enslavers, but then, misgivings toward the ascetic and communal lifestyle the monks
without any sense of what a culture could be like without perpetual advocate.
work and what order could look like without tyrannical overseers, A rebellion is gathering power, and has withdrawn to the fog-
they simply recreated the same cruelties of the efreet. Some time shrouded lower layers of the world, their business one of greed
in the past two centuries, if their stories are to be believed, several and toil. The “Undestined” lead these rebels, half-devils that the
salamander nations collapsed to terribly destructive in-fighting. monks had saved as an act of mercy from the end of the world. The
Now Jiese is littered with palatial remnants and relics, and most of monks decry them as selfish and materialistic, but the half-devils
the survivors are hunter-gatherers who don’t know how to use the assert that every man has the right to earn and own property, and
old technology. that only in personal prosperity is there freedom. Thousands have
Chapter Five
Yet still the manufactories churn on, producing piles of chemi- joined their cause, and wear their golden chains of freedom proudly.
cals and machinery that lie unassembled, serving no one. The young rebel leader has named herself The Demon of the
Low Wind, an epithet that harkens back to the scourge that eradi-
Disregarded Rulers cated their forebears from the original Caeloon: no literal demon,
While most of the salamanders and other ignan folk of Jiese live in but the sum of all calamitous wars born from avarice and vengeance.
rustic outlands, old lineages of sultans and sultanas endure around
the great volcanoes, often in-bred and kept in power by their con- First Contact
trol of magically compelled efreet minions. Additionally, two While other planets that orbit the sun receive the rare scout from
foreigners have laid claim to Jiesian clay. the great nations, Caeloon is the only one being regularly visited
A Risuri fey duchess of the name Temerity found herself cast by people of Lanjyr. A portal on a floating island above the city
to Jiese through a planar storm, but thought to find her way back Karch (see page 104) leads to a verdant field surrounded by tower-
through the portal to Risur. Her pride got the better of her, however, ing pines, above which floats the grand paper
as she misunderstood the politics of the region, declared herself a monastery.
noble efreeti returned to claim her domain, and ended up trapped Young explorer Terri Pemberton
in a prison palace whose walls shift on gears like brass petals of a organizes expeditions to the serene
flower that blooms and shuts with the sun. plane, and is studying techniques of
The Golden Artificer, meanwhile, is a figure who wears full aerobatic combat from a wizened monk
plate armor that looks like it was welded out of golden chains. Or- named Calily Buen, but her primary
derly, militaristic, and possessing immense engineering skills, he goal is mercantile. This is stymied by
has gathered a small legion of salamanders and taught them to the monks’ lack of trade goods, and so
repair any arctech devices brought to them in exchange for tributes Terri is considering searching out and
of gold. This has led to a marked increase of warfare between differ- allying with the Undestined.
ent salamander families. The artificer’s stronghold lies on a distant
island, too far for Risuri scouts to have seen it up close, but through

Ostea, the Beating Heart The Space Race

Ostea is the plane of water, but less an ocean and more a world- Since the Great Eclipse, the planes of the local planar system have never
spanning circulatory system, with continents of regularly-pulsing before been metaphysically closer, and the sharply increased frequency
muscle, and rivers of blood. This alien realm has been visited in of planar portals, tides, and storms has opened up the potential to reli-
person by only a handful of scouts from Ber. Gripped with a bubbly ably travel between the planes.
extroversion and an unsettling enthusiasm to tattoo themselves, Two competing organizations have arisen with similar overall mis-
these explorers spoke of half-glimpsed beings able to reshape their sions: chart out unknown extraplanar lands, make peaceful contact
limbs with biokinesis. They also told of blood-drenched leviathans and alliances with extraplanar sophont life, preemptively neutralize any
as large as frigates, perhaps wild beasts, or perhaps unstoppable extraplanar threats, gather extraplanar magic items and resources (pla-
creations of the natives. narite especially), and prepare other planes for colonization.
Ostea is said by skyseers to influence physical ailments, family All three factions are always recruiting brave and elite explorers. They
bloodlines, and conflicts between predator and prey, traced in take a special interest in skyseers for their planar knowledge, Wayfarer
bloody tooth and claw. cirquelistes for their mastery over travel magic, and planar vagabonds
for lore of their homeworlds.
Urim, the Shattered Golden Chain Planar Gate-Alpha Squad’s headquarters are situated on an island
Urim is the plane of earth: a tightly-spaced field of asteroids flecked that floats above the city of Karch, just outside of an Ancient ziggu-
with gold, at once representing the concepts of separation and re- rat that links to Caeloon. A branch of Pemberton Industries, they are
straint. It is believed Urim’s magic causes rings of gold to disrupt trying to secure permission to use other Ancient ziggurats to access new
teleportation. worlds, but want to show a strong success on Caeloon first to assure
Geomancers of the city Nalaam claim that whenever someone wary nations there will be no negative repercussions.
is disintegrated or petrified by magic, their soul is held on one of The Planarnaya Razvedyvatel’naya Kompaniya (PRK) is based
Urim’s asteroids, given a new body of stone, where they live out out of a massive concrete cube in Trekhom. Where the Pemberton effort
strange lives with ageless beings from across millennia. Should focuses on existing portals, the PRK pursue technological innovations to
they return to their original bodies, they retain only faint memo- create new planar pathways. In their heaquarter’s foyer hangs a prized
ries of their sojourn. A decade ago, one wizard willingly petrified oil painting by the late Crisilliyir master Neige Guertena, serving as a
himself, and returned claiming that a war for control of the chains one-of-a-kind portal to the Crisillyiri Dreaming.
of asteroids wages between two forces—or perhaps two demigod- The PRK have had some success creating their own pocket dimen-
like entities—known as Camaraderie and Rectification of sions for test travel, and they have made a few short forays to other
Names. After delivering the warning, the wizard insisted he be worlds using wayfarer lanterns, though they’ve kept the details of these
petrified again, and that his stone body be destroyed. jaunts secret. Their engineers hope, however, to produce a rocketry
Scholars of noetic entities say Urim is the source of the phe- system capable of launching a vehicle between worlds. Due to certain
nomenon known as egregoric columns (see page 246), which lends physical constraints, they’re negotiating with the colony of Atto to set
Chapter Five
credence to tales of two ideas waging war there. up a launch test facility there, closer to the equator.
One Drakran PRK space agency operative has suggested that, Finally, Risur’s Impossible Initiative operates out of the shipyards
before they expend vast resources to fly to the planets, an array of of Shale, with a focus on understanding, predicting, and harnessing the
mages should use telekinesis to target a small Urimite asteroid and planar passages that open during some storms over the Yerasol Archi-
crash it into the glaciers near Knütpara to study its contents. In a pelago. They recruit old sailors, soldiers, and scientists looking for one
rare statement after his retirement as king of Risur, Baldrey Korri- last hurrah, and then send them steaming into the largest stormfronts,
gan sent a letter entreating them that, if they do this, to first prepare equipped with arctech instruments and orrery-compasses that, with
a means to provide air to whoemver visits the crash site. His letter luck, will let them navigate their way home.
warned of a variety of gargantuan spider-like husks called vaknids,
whose webs open portals to the vacuum of deep space.
Lunar Myth
Av, Plane of Reflections Poets have long noted that the “eastern” side of the moon (the edge
Av is the moon, a pale orb that in the right phase can seem translu- that crests the horizon first) seems to have the shape of a man with
cent like glass. Telescopes see it as just a barren rock pocked with his arms extended to the west, while the west side has the image of
craters, but many a dozing astronomer has looked at the moon and a woman facing away from the man. This gave rise to a shared myth
briefly glimpsed a view like seeing their own city or village viewed of the moon.
from above. But after a quick double-take, the mirage passes. In this tale, an orphan boy meets a girl whose mother is dying be-
Skyseers say that Av is the hardest celestial entity to understand. neath a cypress tree. The girl is taken away to be trained as a mage
Visions they receive after observing it are influenced by the collec- (or an artist, a princess, or a scholar depending on the version), and
tive thoughts, memories, and dreams of those nearby. In the past the orphan boy joins a band of hunters (or rogues, brigands, or
few years, this has led to attempts to use the moon as a therapy tool. rebels). They cross paths, fall in love through their trials, wed, and
Skyseer and patient lie out under a moon, and together they inter- become heroes. But he dies, and she lives on to raise their child.
pret any visions they share, and how they apply to the patient’s Though different seasons can have more specific names, general-
internal mind, rather than external fate. ly the first quarter moon—when only the “man” is visible—is called

Hunter’s moon. The full moon is Lovers’ moon—when both man reptilian eye into dark pasts, parallel presents, and dire futures.
and woman are present. The third quarter is Maiden’s moon—with Tzertze asserts that the Voice of Rot is not dead, but rather traveled
the woman alone. And the new moon is Dreamer’s moon. to the dawn of time of the last age, a serpent condemned to end-
Much of the nuance of skyseer prophecy depends on which moon lessly consume its own temporal tail.
rises first in a season, and which stars if any are in conjunction with
it. The specialized names typically start with the first Hunter’s Mavisha, the Mysterious Deep
moon each season; phases before those are just called by the ge- Mavisha once held the same orbit that Ostea does today, but after
neric terms of “early Lovers, early Maiden, or early Dreamer moon. the Great Eclipse it had moved, and as such it seems to hold sway
The more flavorful names (in order of first-quarter, full, third- over distance, space, and absence.
quarter, new, then repeating) are below: Primitive tribes of aquatic species swim across the endless Ma-
* Spring vishan ocean. Space twists unsteadily around the world, rendering
]] Hart moon, Plow moon, Thunder moon, Dreamer’s moon its myriad and multifarious islands seemingly uncountable and
]] Stranger’s moon, Forest moon, Mage’s moon, Dancer’s unnavigable. Most islands are uninhabited save for a handful of
moon beasts, but every island holds a secret.
]] Hero’s moon, High Spring moon, Legend’s moon, Dream- Perhaps many nations exist in this world, but the people of
er’s moon Lanjyr know of only one—the felid-aspected undines of the under-
* Summer sea kingdom of Yarna—and what little they have heard comes from
]] Husband’s moon, Marriage moon, Bride’s moon, Dreamer’s a single source: Lady Kotele of the Dun God (see page 245).
moon
]] Dragon moon, Honey moon, Kraken moon, Sleeper’s moon Ascetia, the Hidden Jungle
]] Hero’s moon, High Summer moon, Legend’s moon, Many of the resurrected gulmohar share the same faint memory—
Dreamer’s moon of a patient vigil in a jungle clearing, while the crown of a lighthouse
* Autumn towered visibly in the distance over the canopy. Their return to this
]] Serpent moon, Harvest moon, Mother moon, Dreamer’s world concided with the arrival of Ascetia as a moon around distant
moon Mavisha, and with the appearance of mystical trees in deep wood-
]] Martyr’s moon, Pyre moon, Widow moon, Black moon lands scattered across Lanjyr. These trees resemble dwarf kapok
]] Hero’s moon, High Autumn moon, Legend’s moon, trees—a species native to Elfaivar, squat and broad with gnarled
Dreamer’s moon buttress roots that hide many nooks and crannies—but with sto-
* Winter ries carved from different languages into the bark. The text is lit
]] Hunger moon, Snow moon, Wolf moon, Dreamer’s moon from within by a slow strobe, like the tree is itself a lighthouse.
]] Orphan’s moon, Cypress moon, Daughter’s moon, Hope Deep in hollows within these trees’ roots are paths to Ascetia, but
moon to open the way, one must offer a memory of one’s own, and then
Chapter Five
]] Hunter’s moon, High Winter moon. Maiden’s moon. experience a memory someone else left to the tree. A person who
Dreamer’s moon finds one of these trees senses vaguely what beings left memories
and when, though all these memories were deposited at some point
Teykfa, the Ticking Pendulum after the Great Eclipse.
A dwarf planet adrift in the asteroids of Urim, Teykfa stands out as If someone undertakes this passage, they live through an experi-
the source of an enigmatic chime, which can be heard by those who ence ranging from minutes to weeks, all in an instant. Sometimes
watch the night sky long enough. The noise is slow but regular, like people, confronted by memories of trauma or peril, turn back, but if
the tolling of a clock; spending time listening to it evokes thoughts they finish the memory they arrive on a distant world.
of the vast scope of time both forward and back, and ultimately to Ascetia is a paradise of rest, relaxation, and nature pristine
the impermanence of the present. and bountiful. The jungle is threaded with trails that pass other
The bellringers’ guild of Alais Primos has made it their commit- memory trees, as well as monuments and graves and ruins. And
ment to always have at least three of their members listen to each of at the edge of a cliffside coast, a weathered stone lighthouse rises
Teykfa’s chimes. They claim to have witnessed all manner of math- a hundred feet above the treetops, and sometimes in the sky will
ematical miracles, and that through revelations they have learned hang the blue orb of Mavisha, appearing as large as the moon.
Teykfa’s secrets. They say that among all the stars of the distant Within the lighthouse there is no sign of habitation, but also no
heavens, many have civilizations, but Teykfa was the first, and it decay or overgrowth. The purpose of the structure is an enigma,
was doomed to die in solitude before any others arose. or perhaps a gift for travelers, so that they can assign it their own
The ancient Drakran warlord Tzertze (see page 143) is famous for impressions.
his boisterous yet unlikely tales. He once claimed to have spoken
with an immense white serpent which had coiled around a tower- Amrou, the Salt Waste
ing stone clock that rose like a monolith above a desert of quartz. An organization calling itself the Clear Waters published a docu-
Tzertze pointed to the sky—directly to Teykfa—and said that ment they claim was stolen from Risur’s little-known Ministry
on that world, he and his fellow vsadni watched the Voice of Rot of Infiltration, which detailed a field report from one “Director
subdue spacetime-warping sphinxes, and then peer with its one Lauryn Cyneburg.”

Within, she claimed Amrou is a desert inhabited by undead hal- Travel Between Worlds
flings, their souls kept pure as long as certain blessed treasures All the worlds above—the Waking, Bleak Gate, and Dreaming,
remain in their burial chambers within pyramids made of im- plus Jiese, Caeloon, Av, Ostea, Urim, Teykfa, Mavisha, Ascetia,
mense salt crystals. These wee wardens are charged with fending and Amrou—are physically present in orbit around the same star,
off evil from their domain. At least some of them are able to com- and so for the purpose of most magic, creatures from any of those
mand elementals of jade, burning oil, clockwork, and ringing bells. worlds are considered native to all those worlds. Thus it is not pos-
Chapter Five
Cyneburg claimed she saw spirits, having lingered for a time in sible to use effects like banishment or dispel evil and good to send a
the Bleak Gate, undertaking an exodus through this lifeless land, a creature from Mavisha back there.
task which the undead halflings assisted by maintaining clear path- Travel between worlds is possible with plane shift or gate, or by as-
ways through drifting dunes of dessicating salt. But whenever one yet-theoretical vehicles capable of flying between planets. Other
of these spirits would find itself trapped, it would transform into a natural pathways exist, though these are often limited by region
maddened and violent monster, somehow empowered by a greater or time, such as the unpredictable planar storms of the Yerasol Ar-
power buried somewhere beneath the desert. The arrangement of chipelago, conjunctions between the Dreaming and the Waking in
pyramids, set in alignment with distant stars, formed a trap. specific places on certain nights, or forest fires that create a bridge
This trap, it seems, snares beings from farflung planes. Much to Jiese.
the way teleportation beacons will deposit travelers to a specific
location, Amrou will capture celestials, fiends, gidim, and other Plane Shift
outsiders that try to plane shift into the local planar system. Cyne- A handful of metallic planarite and several hours in an arcano-
burg claims to have spoken with a floating wheel ringed with fiery smithing workshop can produce the proper 250 gp tuning fork
eyes, which warned that the wastes of Amrou would some day be necessary for such magic. However, discovering the formulae and
overrun if the halfling guardians were not replenished from time specifications necessary to craft a plane shift rod for a specific
to time. plane can be an arduous adventure in and of itself. Furthermore,
Cyneburg ended her report by suggesting that King Baldrey magicians capable of casting plane shift are exceedingly rare and
expand the role of the Ministry of Infiltration, so that whenever hard to recruit.
any person in the Waking or Dreaming demonstrated sufficiently
uncanny combat prowess, they be recruited to defend the planar Planar Portals
system from such “infiltrators.” Recruitment, she clarified, could A planar portal is any stationary terrain feature or structure that
occur post-mortem, since their spirits would end up going to connects two planes, though most such pathways are ephemeral,
Amrou anyway. and cannot be relied on to still be there for a return trip. Many appear
and vanish without discovery, brought forth by little-understood

conjunctions of place and planar energy. And those that are dis- * Ziggurat of Amrou. In the Senesi desert of Crisillyir, this
covered often provoke fear, rather than exploratory fervor. For structure is buried under the sands, bustling like an ant hill
instance, one butcher shop in Reo Pedresco was believed haunted filled with demons. Namtar-Shamash, once a mighty servant
when people heard heartbeats in the walls and glimpsed scab-like of the Demonocracy, has made this his new palace, and when
blood crawl across the floor in the shape of a lizard. It was only after his unholy minions have been captured and tortured, they
the building was razed that the portal to Ostea was discovered in revealed that their demon lord hopes to use the portal to
the sewers, kept alive somehow by the constant feed of entrails make his way to the realm of his birth, a chaotic maelstrom
dumped by the shop’s owner. called The Tanari Abyss. Fortunately, he has been stymied by
whatever beings defend the salt wastes of Amrou. This portal
Ancient Ziggurats once connected to the mournful, ruined plane Nem, which
Lanjyr’s most famous portals are the seven Ancient ziggurats vanished in the Great Eclipse.
spread throughout the continent. Archaeologists say that the zig-
gurats linked this world to others in the system, and they theorize Zones of Confluence
that another event similar to the Great Eclipse might have hap- Some connections between planes are not clearly-bounded por-
pened at the dawn of civilization. tals, but rather areas where two worlds seem to overlap, and it is
* Ziggurat of Jiese. In the heart of Risur’s Antwalk Thicket, possible to inadvertently step into another plane. One well-known
this step pyramid was somehow transmuted from stone to confluence zone is the Elfaivaran city Rumah Terakir, which exists
metal, mostly brass. The area around it is guarded by rangers in both the Dreaming and the Waking, and certain well-guarded
of the titan conclave who serve the Ash Wolf, and that fey roads lead between the two worlds. Equally infamous, if much
titan’s smoldering wolf-pups treat the ziggurat as their den, smaller, is the peak of Cauldron Hill in the city of Flint, where the
devouring any salamanders who try to slip past. veil to the Bleak Gate is thin, and beings often pour forth from that
* Ziggurat of Caeloon. On a floating island above Islas dolas world at night.
Focas, near the steelmarked gnoll city of Karch, within a Confluence zones to planes other than the Dreaming and Bleak
silent storm, entry to this ruin is controlled by Pemberton Gate are rare, but not unknown. In 509 aov, fog banks rolled over
Industries. The portal used to connect to the windless, Danoran research stations in the Piscine Mountains, and the scien-
murmuring plane Avilona, which vanished during the Great tists briefly were assaulted by Undestined raiders from the plane
Eclipse. Caeloon. And precisely ten years after the end of the Great Eclipse,
* Ziggurat of Av. Evidence archaeologists have collected from a symphony in Alais Primos meant to commemorate those who
other ziggurats suggest the Ancients also built a ziggurat to died in the God Trials was overtaken by a deafening ticking, and
Av, but its location is unknown. The most popular guess is people swore they saw an immense stone tower looming above the
that it was built over by the Clergy when they founded their venue—matching descriptions of Teykfa—while around them they
capital Methia, and that it still lies beneath the ruined spire of could see again the volcanic eruption that nearly destroyed the city
Chapter Five
Triegenes. a decade earlier.

* Ziggurat of Ostea. Off the coast of Ber’s capital Seobriga, This same phenomenon is believed to be the cause of planar tides
this ruin lies at the bottom of the sea, while the surface above and storms in the Yerasol Archipelago. Tides simply suffuse the sea
is patrolled by the Beran navy, which sometimes must slay with magical energy from another world, and might cause a ship to
bloody leviathans that squeeze through the portal. It used to glimpse the shores of another world. But planar storms are usually
connect to the plane Mavisha, which moved during the Great filled with alien monsters: Caeloonian origami-rocs that snatch
Eclipse. victims with great talons, Jiesian arctech warships that attack with
* Ziggurat of Urim. This ziggurat stands in a massive cave no crew, Ostean oozes floating like aerial jellyfish, and so on.
beneath the city-state of Nalaam, underneath the Falling Star These tides and storms often leave behind planarite, a precious
Casino. Entry is controlled by the Crystal Houses, who use the flotsam that can make survivors of this supernatural
plane’s energies as fuel for their magic and to strengthen their weather rich, or lure greedy fools to brave storms
stone architecture. that will almost surely sink them. One of those
* Ziggurat of Mavisha. In the heart of Risur’s High Bayou, fools is Bruce McDruid, commodore of a
this remote ruin was once guarded by the serpentine Voice of pirate fleet, which he commands from aboard
Rot. Now the webs of the arachnid Hollow Widow catch any the Hastings, whose crew is made up of many a
undines who might come through. The portal used to link to would-be hero who decided to give up on their
the dust-shrouded, distant plane Apet, which disappeared quest and instead chase fortune on the seven
during the Great Eclipse. seas of the solar system—the Waking, the
Dreaming, the Bleak Gate, the fire sea of
Jiese, the sky sea of Caeloon, the blood
sea of Ostea, and the unchartable sea of
Mavisha.

Chapter Six
A Parade of Curiosities
H erein find some of the more prominent
magical novelties, martial theses, and mys-
terious boons of the modern day, as well as prestige

Planarite
As mentioned in Chapter Two, planarite is a physical embodiment
of a raw elemental energy or of the traits of a particular plane, usu-
ally taking the form of a crystal, fluid, or mineral, but sometimes having
shapes more like biological matter. Planarite has always been a part of
the crafting of magic items, but scientists today can better understand
classes characters can pursue at higher level. and codify it, and so magic items that in the past could only be designed
after much trial and error by powerful spellcasters can be matched and
mass produced by modern industry. It’s still not cheap, though.
Magic Items In the world of Zeitgeist, there is an order to planarite just as with
While adventurers may stumble upon rare treasures in their trav- the protons, electrons, and molecular bonds of traditional chemistry.
els, modern principles of mass production have rendered a few Basic planarite holds the power of one of eight core elements: earth,
magic items common enough that any small town might have one air, fire, water, life, death, space, and time. Complex planarite represents
or two. Often nations have invested in expanding access to these a mix of two elemental energies, and usually have shapes and effects
items to help foster their people’s prosperity. more idiosyncratic to the specific plane they come from.
Items listed as uncommon are conversation pieces and head- The different types of planarite are mostly aesthetic flair, with no
turners, but still seen less as treasures than as valuable tools. Rarer mechanical specifics. But throughout this chapter, sidebars present dif-
items tend to be older relics of preindustrial times, or custom de- ferent types of planarite. This is not a comprehensive list, and not all
signs by inspired arctech inventors. magic items involve obvious planarite components, but these descrip-
tions might spark inspiration for inventions or memorable visuals.
Crafting Components
Many items in this chapter can be created solely with magical in- This knot of fey spider silk unfolds into a ten-foot square, oc-
dustrial methods, using planarite refined in large batches. A crafter casionally unearthing a long-dead sparrow or a cricket that waves
with their own workshop could acquire sufficient planarite and thanks before hopping away.
other base materials for three-quarters the item’s normal market This web functions similar to a portable hole, and can contain ma-
cost. However, crafters can often derive the necessary magic from terial that would fit in a 10-ft. cube. However, the user cannot see
other sources at the low cost of a bit of peril and adventure. If they what is in the extradimensional space, and can only extract things
can acquire the listed component, they only need spend half the they know are inside. Those attempting to divine the contents of
item’s normal market cost for base materials. the web via magic must succeed on a DC 28 Intelligence (Arcana)
See Trials & Treasures page 348 for more information on crafting check. On a failure, the spell or effect is wasted, and the creature
magic items. cannot attempt to divinatorily discover the contents of the web
again until 24 hours have passed.
Absurdist Web A creature placed into the extradimensional space is placed into
Wondrous item, legendary (cost 88,000 gp) stasis for up to a month, needing neither food nor water, but still
Crafting Components: Eighty-eight spider webs collected from healing at a natural pace. If a living creature is not freed within a
within three miles of the corpse of a huge creature that died while month, the creature is shunted from the absurdist web and appears
entangled and poisoned. beneath a large spider web 1d6 miles away.

Food, drink, and unintelligent creatures placed in the web are Example Planarite—Air
consumed immediately by unseen entities, but dead sapient crea- Basic air planarite called galeite is a howling wind refined into a white
tures are left alone and do not decay for up to one month. After crystal. Galeite can attract winds for a sailing ship akin to how a magnet
that point, whatever etiquette fey spiders abide by treats them as attracts metal.
fair game, and they are quickly devoured. Moving the web does not Driftblooms are plants that grow around portals to Caeloon, pro-
count as moving the body for the normal limit of three miles on res- ducing lighter-than-air puffs that look like clouds and feel like cotton
urrections and speaking with spirits. that is always stirred with a breeze. Driftblooms combine both air and
Word has it that this web has a profound connection to the life energy. They can be threaded into tremulous strings that remember
Webway, a series of space-folding tunnels crafted and frequently music, or stuffed as filler into clothes to let the wearer manipulate wind
used by the arachnids of the Dreaming. The new fey titan known with their thoughts, or even processed into paper that can fold over
as the Hollow Widow would doubtlessly know more of these webs heavy objects to render them weightless in an extradimensional space.
and the Webway.
Aeriad Bracers Amulet of the Impeccable Spy

Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 300 gp) or rare (cost 3,000 gp) Wondrous item, rare (cost 700 gp)
Crafting Components: Driftbloom (Caeloon planarite) from Crafting Components: A large malice beast eye, and a mirror
the lair of an air elemental. that showed the beast its reflection before it died.
Leather cuffs padded with driftbloom tufts are kept stiff with The side of this amulet that faces outward is just mirror, often a
shafts and fletching of arrows, all wound with driftbloom strands. copper disk with silver studs. On the reverse is a preserved malice
This grants the wearer a measure of control over objects in flight. beast eye facing the wearer.
While you are wearing the bracers, you descend 60 feet per round While you are wearing the amulet:
and take no damage from falling. While falling, you can also glide 5 You are aware whenever you fail a Deception or Stealth check.
feet horizontally without provoking opportunity attacks for every You can use a bonus action to instantly stow away your clothes
10 feet you descend. and put on a mundane non-armor outfit within 5 feet of you, which
Additionally, the rare version of this item grants you a +2 bonus temporarily transmutes into a perfect fit while you are wearing it.
to damage rolls with ranged weapons. This allows you to remove clothes from a helpless or unconscious
person and don them instantly. This property can be used no more
Alacritous Camera than once per hour.
Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 500 gp) You can cast true seeing without verbal or somatic components, but
Crafting Components: A crystalog, a clear crystalline planarite you must rub the material component (a 25 gp ointment) onto the
made by directing the light from a telescope pointed at the planet malice beast eye using both hands. Once the amulet has generated
Ascetia into a heated pressurized vessel filled with a solution of dis- this effect, it cannot do so again until the next dawn.
solved quartz.
This resembles a photochemical camera with a large alchemical Ancient Orcs’ Amulet
flash hood, save that the interior contains a crystalog amid a com- Wondrous item, very rare (cost 25,000 gp)
plex assortment of arcanotechnological clockwork gears, wires, Crafting Components: Gold worn by a chain devil.
and spark plugs. This stone amulet is engraved with pictograms of a tree sur-
As an action, you can loudly snap a high-resolution, full-color rounded by archaic planarite of distant worlds, all depicting the
photograph with this camera. It comes with an alchemical light four tangible elements: air, earth, fire, and water.
Chapter Six
bulb for flash photography, which the item’s magic replenishes While you are wearing the amulet, you gain resistance to your
after a minute. This is not a subtle process, due to the loud sounds choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage. Whenever
of the machinery within that imprint the image into the crystalog. you end a long rest attuned to this amulet, its stone briefly trans-
This camera uses no plates. Rather, by concentrating on the crys- mutes to gold, and you can change the resistance.
talog you can see with your mind’s eye the images it has taken. It
can store up to eight images at a time. Ancient Orcs’ Blade, +1, +2, or +3
Over the course of 1 hour, which can be performed as part of a Weapon (glaive, greatsword, longsword, or scimitar), rare (+1; cost 5,000 gp),
short rest, you can magically transfer and ink a photograph onto a very rare (+2; cost 25,000 gp), or legendary (+3; cost 100,000 gp) (requires
suitably large sheet of paper, canvas, or similar surface. The input attunement)
can also be copied into an asomatous canvas projector. If a light cantrip Crafting Components: A golden weapon wielded by a bearded
is targeted on the crystalog, that washes out the existing images, devil (+1), chain devil (+2) or erinyes (+3).
clearing it to take more pictures after one minute. This macuahuitl resembles a typical Ancient weapon, with obsid-
Though expensive and loud, these cameras are finding immense ian shards held in a long wooden frame, almost like a double-sided
interest among the fields of entertainment, journalism, crime saw.
scene investigation, and espionage. When you deal damage with this weapon, you can choose to deal
your choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage in-
stead of slashing damage; if you do so, the macuahuitl’s wood briefly

arcanotechnological components. A nozzle on one side can project

a vibrant, animated illusion.
Asomatous canvas projectors have become popular across Lanjyr for
civic color, theatrical entertainment, animated artwork and adver-
tisements, and more. While the figment sheds light, it is nowhere
as luminous as that of arctech everbright lamps and actual electric
incandescent filament bulbs.
Some talented artists have experimented with sets of multiple
cubes intended to be played in sequence, creating an animated and
audible story in five-minute segments; these exhibits have been
called kinetograms.
By touching the cube as an action and thinking upon a desired
figment (or transferring an image from an alacritous camera), the
user can set the cube to memorize the figment and then project it
when the desired conditions are met, just as if casting a programmed
illusion spell. The common wall projector can produce a 5-foot cube
of image out to a range of 10 feet, while the uncommon stage projec-
tor can fill a 30-foot cube out to a range of 120 feet. This functions in
many respects as a programmed illusion. However, the figment lasts
indefinitely, sheds light as bright as a torch, and has a distinctly
washed out, somewhat grainy and flickering character (similar to
what we’d recognize as early silent films) that makes it completely
obvious to even a common lizard that it’s an illusion.
Since anyone can adjust the cube’s programming, asomatous
transmutes into gold, and the obsidian is revealed as archaic pla- canvas projectors are normally kept under literal lock and key, often
narite of distant worlds, crackling with myriad planar energies in bronze filigreed boxes with a gap just large enough to allow the
You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this invisible strands of illusory magic to pour through. Unsurprisingly,
magic weapon. The bonus is determined by the weapon’s rarity. these cubes are prime targets for pranksters and protestors.
After you make an attack against a creature with this weapon,
you can spatially anchor the creature until the end of your next Automatic Arithmetic Analyzer
turn. The creature cannot move or teleport except to come closer Wondrous item, common (cost 20 gp)
to you, nor can it become ethereal or travel to another plane. This Crafting Components: Tinker’s supplies.
property can be used no more than once per hour. This metallic array of arctech clockwork tumblers and wires is
arranged into a thin, angled rectangle that neatly fits in the palm
Ancient Orcs’ Staff of the hand.
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement; cost 5,000 gp) Also known as the autosum, this advanced abacus finds use in
Crafting Components: Four golden stakes driven through the many fields, from money-counting accountants, to trajectory-
hearts of four imps. calculating artillerists; arcanoscientific alchemists who must
This wooden staff is covered in a spiral of archaic planarite from calculate precise measurements, to occult ritualists who need to get
Chapter Six
distant worlds, shaped into symbols, denoting the four tangible ele- the geometry of a magic circle just right.
ments: air, earth, fire, and water. By pushing the neatly-labeled buttons on this apparatus, the user
While you are attuned to the staff, you have resistance to psychic can perform arithmetic functions: addition, subtraction, multipli-
damage. cation, division, exponential functions, trigonometry, and more.
This staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff. As an action, The apparatus can also instantaneously divine the current time and
you can thrust the staff dramatically; the staff’s wood briefly turns date as per Teykfa’s objective readings, and with the flip of a few
to gold, and you immediately cast fireball without components (save fine switches, the rotary tumblers can switch from solving equa-
DC 15), dealing your choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder tions to displaying the time and date. Some slightly bulkier models
damage. even include a bell and clacker, and can be set with an alarm.
Once the staff has unleashed elemental power this way, it cannot The temple of Ingatan in the Elfaivaran settlemenet Rumah
do so again until the next dawn. Terakir has the peculiar distinction of being the largest buyer of
these devices, and aficionados of the nascent field of ‘computational
Asomatous Canvas Projector research’ are flocking there, hoping to develop analyzers of far
Wondrous item, common (wall; cost 30 gp) or uncommon (stage; cost 200 gp) greater capability.
Crafting Components: Tinker’s supplies, clockwork, gears,
wires, and spark plugs.
This inches-wide, rounded cube packs in an incredible amount of

Example Planarite—Death
Witchoil is a basic death planarite, often found in pools near pathways
to the Bleak Gate. It burns like normal oil, and immersing someone in it
does necrotic damage.
If someone dies near witchoil, the viscous black fluid gains a subtle
glinting twinkle. Nearby spirit mediums will hear muffled cries for help. If
that witchoil is burned, screams are audible, and the substance burns more
intensely than normal oil could, and for far longer. Mainstream sensibility
is that this destroys a soul trapped within the oil, and so every major nation
has banned witchoil research. Risur even trains abjurers for the express
purpose of locating this “ensouled” witchoil and cleansing it with remove
curse. This causes the twinkle to vanish and the psychic cries to end.
Danoran courseurs believe talk of souls is just superstition, however,
and they happily purchase supplies of witchoil from the Malice Lands
Desiccum is exceedingly rare Amrou planarite that has only been re-
covered by use of mighty plane shift spells. Made of preserved flesh that
has transformed into a black salt, it combines death and earth energy
but otherwise is little understood. When ground to powder it seems to
interfere with non-physical magic, such as illusions and charms, and
it erratically shortens the range of all magic. Sadly, there simply isn’t
enough of this substance for proper experimentation.
Badger Weapon
Weapon (any), uncommon (requires attunement; cost 500 gp)
Crafting Components: A weapon crafted by someone who
dreamed about badgers in the past month.
Despite its ordinary appearance, this weapon is subtly crafted
Autonomous Mechanical Carriage from Dreaming planarite.
Wondrous item, rare (cost 4,999 gp) You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this
Crafting Components: Adamant flakes collected from an earth magic weapon.
elemental in a silence spell. After you hit a Large or smaller target with this weapon, you can
Adamant and aether are wrought into a two-inch-diameter immediately conjure a badger from the Dreaming. The rancorous
arctech disc reminiscent of a carriage’s wheel. The wealthy and the critter appears within 5 feet of the target and is already grappling
powerful use this bauble for intracity transportation when they the target (escape DC 11). It takes its turn immediately after the turn
worry of bullets flying from dangerous streets. of the creature it is or was attached to. The badger’s furry fury is
As an action, you can throw this disc onto the ground. It instanta- beyond your ability to command; it will use its actions only on hos-
neously and spectacularly assembles itself into a horseless carriage tilities towards whichever creature it was attached to. The badger
of darkwood, steel plate armor, magically hardened glass windows, vanishes only when it is reduced to 0 hit points. This property can
Chapter Six
and fine leather upholstery. Some versions of this figurine build be used no more than once per hour.
complex arcanotechnological wheels, while others construct me-
chanical equine legs, which are just as effective. Dreaming Badger Challenge ⅛
The carriage can accommodate up to nine Medium passengers Medium fey (25 XP)
inside. While its windows are closed, creatures entirely inside the Armor Class 13
carriage have total cover. Outside of a combat encounter, the car- HP 11 (2d8+2)
riage can travel at up to 20 miles per hour, though the general lack Speed 30 ft.
of paved roadways outside of cities limits its range. The carriage STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
navigates autonomously; it stops or swerves to avoid hazards, and 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 4 (–3) 13 (+1) 10 (+0)
follows simple telepathic directions. Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11
One creature in the driver’s seat can use its action to manually Senses passive Perception 11
direct the carriage, or to make it attack. The carriage appears at full Languages understands Sylvan
hit points and acts as a Huge animated object with AC 18, but will Actions
not attack unless directed by a driver. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 +
If no creatures or foreign objects are inside the carriage, any 1) piercing damage and the target is grabbed (Escape DC 11).
creature can use an action to touch the carriage and transform it Teleport. The badger teleports up to 40 feet to an unoccupied space it
back into a disc. can see. Before or after teleporting it can make one bite attack.

Blood of the Hollow Widow Example Planarite—Earth

Wondrous item, rare (cost 8,888 gp) One basic earth planarite is adamant, a dark rock that can be worked
Crafting Components: Blood shed from eight different crea- into metal to create adamantine.
tures that have shared a meal, including at least one ettercap, one Urim is most renowned for its gold, but meteoric astrium is a metal
librarian, one giant spider, and the crafter themselves. infused with earth and space energy, which floats in tandem with other
Those whom the new fey titan of the High Bayou known as the metal at distances from a quarter inch to up to a yard, allowing for novel
Hollow Widow recognizes as friends or family might be gifted with gear patterns that won’t collide as easily.
this beautiful pendant of durable glass. Encased within is a tiny
quantity of blood, a living icon of the titaness and a conduit of her While you are wearing the bracer, whenever you start your turn
power, however humble. charmed you may choose to take 1d6 fire damage. If you do, you can
While you are wearing the pendant: act until the start of your next turn as if you are not charmed. If you
* Arachnids default to being friendly to you unless given a have immunity to fire damage, the bracer provides no protection.
reason to feel otherwise.
* While in contact with a web, you know the exact location of Butcher’s Corset
any other creature in contact with the same web. Wondrous item, very rare (cost 11,000 gp)
* As a bonus action, you can extrude and detach from your Crafting Components: Scabs from wounds on a hydra that did
wrist a thick web strand that functions as a rope of climbing. If not regenerate, but lived long enough to heal naturally.
you use this bonus action again, the previous rope disappears. Strung tightly against the spine, this corset composed of stiff
* Librarians presume you and those you travel with have Ostean planarite allows for control over one’s own severed limbs.
permission to access library facilities, even subscription While you are wearing the corset:
libraries, as long as you’re not disruptive. * No parts of your body can be individually severed unless you
* You know the exact distance, direction, name, and rough allow such. Any ‘debilitation’ of a body part such as from a
description of the nearest library, be it public, subscription, savant’s surgical flourish goes away at the end of your turn.
or even ruined and abandoned. * During your turn, without an action, you can harmlessly
* Additionally, during a long rest, you can meditate on objects detach one or both of your arms, or reattach any number of
or locations in your vicinity. You drift into sleep and dream, your body parts sharing your space if they were severed while
and when you awake you recall vivid visions about history. you were wearing this corset. As an action, you can teleport
You can choose from the two following options up to eight any number of your severed body parts back onto your body if
times during each long rest. they are within three miles. Any clothing, armor, and acces-
* You learn how an object’s owner acquired and lost the object, sories are detached or reattached with the limbs.
as well as the most recent significant event involving the * During your turn, if you are not incapacitated and both
object and that owner. If the object was owned by another of your arms are severed, they are entitled to their own
creature in the past week, you can select this option again to movement. Both of your arms function as a single unit, and
learn the same information about that creature. they have a sympathetic link to you. For most mechanical
* You see visions of recent events in your immediate vicinity purposes, you occupy both your actual space and the Tiny
(a room, street, tunnel, clearing, or the like, up to a 50-foot space of the arms. Your arms typically have the same AC
cube), going back up to a week. For each time you select this as you, and only your arms benefit from a shield. You and
option, you learn about one significant event, beginning with your arms share temporary effects, and your arms have a fly
the most recent. Significant events typically involve powerful (hover) speed equal to your highest speed. Your arms ignore
Chapter Six
emotions, such as battles and betrayals, marriages and mur- the prone condition. Your arms can lift, carry, and otherwise
ders, births and funerals. However, they might also include manipulate the environment as you normally would. You
more mundane events that are nevertheless important in can use your arms to take actions and reactions as normal,
your current situation. though if you’re unable to see your target you still suffer
disadvantage on your attacks.
Bracer of Liberty
Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 417 gp) Countermagical Handcuffs
Crafting Components: Links that formerly chained enslaved Wondrous item, common (cuffs; cost 20 gp) or uncommon (vest; cost 300 gp)
people, and blood of their enslaver. Crafting Components: Meteoric iron, gold thread.
Dozens of links from the chains of slaves were shattered apart Colloquially called ‘mage cuffs,’ these steel handcuffs let law
and half-melted into this bracelet, which pulses with potent psy- enforcement agencies, criminal groups, rebels, conspirators, and
chic energies. If the wearer loses control of their will, the links sear others restrain prisoners who might otherwise use magic to slip
with retaliatory heat and bring the wearer to their senses, as de- away. When they were first mass produced in 517 aov, incarcera-
signed by the original creator, the late gnoll executore Glaucia Evora. tion reformists breathed collective sighs of relief as the need for
Executore heralds prefer to lend these items to their comrades, as stringent and often cruel countermagical security features was
such heralds prefer to confront challenges of willpower on their greatly reduced. Engraved runes and mystical geometries create
own merits.

Example Planarite—Fire again. Sadly, the release of demons onto Crisillyiri soil also spread
One of the most basic planarites is phlogiston: fire in liquid form. It has a many of these weapons throughout the nation.
paradoxical ability to be vaporized at high pressure, then used as fuel for You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this
a steady flame, almost like lantern oil. Somehow phlogiston in this state magic weapon. The bonus is determined by the weapon’s rarity.
can transfer so much heat to the flame that it becomes colder than the As an action, you can touch the demonic weapon to another weapon,
surrounding environment. In the right conditions this can transmute it and as long as the other weapon remains on your person (or in an
into frostburn—liquid cold. extradimensional space on your person), the demonic weapon is
Alchemical refineries can take large flames and condense them into transmuted to match the shape and mundane qualities of the other
firegems—a uniquely Jiesian fire planarite, warm to the touch, which weapon.
release their stored energy once raised to a sufficient heat, like coal, or Curse. This weapon is cursed. If nobody else is cursed by it, and
when struck with sufficient force. your hand (gloved or otherwise) ever touches the weapon while it is
in a shape you are proficient in, you become cursed by it. All damage
planar conduits to Urim, selected for its enhancement of the meta- inflicted onto the weapon is instead redirected to you. Once before
physical concept of barriers. Urim’s planar energies pour into the the next dawn, you must personally kill a humanoid and smear the
steel, reinforcing it under certain conditions. weapon with its blood or equivalent substance. If you fail to do so,
Normally, these act as nothing more than regular manacles. If you suffer a cumulative –1 penalty to Intelligence, Wisdom, and
placed upon either a willing creature, or a creature at 0 hit points, a Charisma ability checks for each unfulfilled dawn, as the weapon
soft and aureate light begins to limn the handcuffs, signifying that whispers into your mind and castigates you. The penalty resets if
they have been magically reinforced until the next time they are you finally feed it. If this penalty equals or exceeds your Wisdom
removed. While so magically reinforced, all DCs associated with score, you are driven mad and kill yourself with the weapon.
circumventing the manacles increase to 30. The curse can be removed by the remove curse spell or similar
Additionally, whenever the wearer uses any non-permanent magic, so long as the weapon is used to kill a goat submerged in holy
magical effects (including but not limited to spells, charming gazes, water during the casting.
frightening auras, invisibility, shapechanging, telepathy, telepor-
tation, the Incorporeal Movement trait, legendary actions, or lair Diamond-Encrusted Piece, +1, +2, or +3
actions), they take 4d6 psychic damage and must make a Constitu- Ranged weapon (target pistol), uncommon (+1; cost 500 gp), rare (+2; cost
tion saving throw or else the magic they attempted fails to happen. 5,000 gp), or very rare (+3; cost 50,000 gp) (requires attunement)
Similar to concentration, the DC is 10 or half the damage the wearer Crafting Components: You must defeat a fey (dryad for +1,
takes, whichever is higher. fey knight for +2, or archfey for +3) in three challenges: wordplay,
If someone attempts to break the cuffs, the wielder takes damage marksmanship, and some sort of contact sport.
as if they tried to use magic. The cuffs have 30 hit points, and either Enemies are dumbstruck at the sight of your solid-gold, dia-
resistance or immunity to most types of damage. mond-encrusted gun. Every one of its 24 karat bold bullets is worth
The cuffs’ damage is nonlethal, and cannot kill the wearer. The a month’s food for an entire middle-class family. Who but an un-
cuffs, however, only have three charges each hour, so a very com- repentant jackass would own such a thing? In truth, this firearm
mitted prisoner might manage to power through an escape attempt. made of cacheum from Urim simply temporarily transmutes bul-
For the most magically powerful foes, greater bindings that use lets into gold, which turns back into lead after an hour.
similar principles might be employed. The uncommon ‘magebind- You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this
ing jacket’ deals 10d6 psychic damage to a wearer who uses magic, magic weapon. The bonus is determined by the weapon’s rarity.
and also keeps them restrained. It too only has three charges per After you attack a creature with this weapon, if the target can
Chapter Six
hour, but as yet no prisoner has ever been known to fight past more see you, you can twirl around the pistol to infuriate it, without an
than two. Courtesy of Urim’s aureate energy, the jacket has 50 hit action. Until the end of your next turn, the target has disadvantage
points. on attack rolls against targets other than you, and creatures other
Some devoted incarceration facilities have countermagic cells, than you have advantage on saving throws that the target prompts.
which function as magebinding jackets for anyone inside, but have This property can be used no more than once per hour.
no limit to the number of charges.
Diplomatic Firearm, +1, +2, or +3
Demonic Weapon, +2, +3, or +4 Ranged weapon (any firearm with an ammunition clip), uncommon (+1; cost
Weapon (any), uncommon (+2; cost 101 gp), rare (+3; cost 501 gp), or very 250 gp), rare (+2; cost 2,500 gp), or very rare (+3; cost 25,000 gp) (requires
rare (+4; cost 5,001 gp) attunement)
Crafting Components: The heart of a sapient being you ritually Crafting Components: Bones of a malice beast you managed to
sacrificed and fed a bite of with a horde demon (+2), vrock (+3), or capture and domesticate (Medium size for +1, Large for +2, Huge for
glabrezu (+4). +3).
Though no visual trait betrays its nature, this weapon of unas- This firearm was first crafted by the Drakran gunsmith, escha-
suming materials is frighteningly warm to your skin. As you touch tologist, and assassin Kvarti Gorbatiy. Ornate but not ostentatious,
it, for a moment, you feel like your hand is submerged in fresh powerful but not gratuitous, it is, in all ways, quite reasonable. Its
blood. The sensation passes, but you cannot help but long to feel it stock is malice beast bone, and its barrel is simple steel.

You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this Example Planarite—Life
magic weapon. The bonus is determined by the weapon’s rarity. Some pretentious scholars argue that any biological matter is basi-
As a bonus action, you can fire a bullet into empty air, startling cally a form of life planarite, so one could ostensibly claim a pointy
enemies that are actively combating you and your allies, provided stick is arctech. For most magical researchers, though, life planarite
that the enemies can hear the gunshot. All startled enemies must is something closer to “thought” or “dream.” Objects of these sort are
collectively and subconsciously nominate a leader among them. If ephemeral, and grow or change.
the leader fails a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13 uncommon, 15 rare, Certainly, though, dead creatures and plants collected from the
17 very rare), you create a detente for 1 minute, which you can use to Dreaming can create strange magic. Serpent’s loop, for instance, is
speak, initiate diplomatic action, tend to the wounded, or perform made from scales of snakes that devoured themselves, boiled in venom,
some other activity. Depending on the circumstances, it is possible and when used as fuel for a fire, it can burn anything as if it were flesh,
that hostilities may simply resume after the minute. consuming even stone.
During this detente, if a creature that is part of the detente, Gulmohar weavers from Elfaivar have reintroduced a forgotten type
even an ally, takes a hostile action, the bullet returns and strikes of Dreaming planarite, called cintamani—a stone found embedded in
that creature. After the hostile action, the creature takes piercing wood or flesh that can be rubbed to conjure whatever you desire, but only
damage (5d10 uncommon, 10d10 rare, 12d10 very rare). an illusion. Over time, obsessive or desperate dreamers will rub these
Once you have attempted to quell hostilities using this weapon, stones to a smooth polish, and eventually erode them to nothing. This
you cannot do so again until the next dawn. absence of illusion finally draws the dream into reality, and an object
crafted by someone who rubs away a cintamani stone can shift its shape
Distinguished Top Hat based on one’s desire.
Wondrous item, rare (cost 1,099 gp)
Crafting Components: Leather of a malice beast that you de- wielder completes a short or long rest. Any shots beyond these, as
feated without taking any damage. well as any shots fired by a wielder who isn’t attuned, also deal 10
This fine top hat of malice beast leather invigorates you when- damage to the wielder. This damage cannot be reduced. It is possi-
ever you would falter against something that would jeopardize ble for a wielder to exsanguinate themselves into unconsciousness
your dignity. by overusing an Ostean fusil.
While you are wearing the hat: A creature that has no blood cannot use this fusil.
This self-repairing hat shifts its size, design, coloration, cleanli-
ness, and position on your head according to your precise thoughts Expanding Exosuit
and wishes. The hat can never fall off or be knocked off unless Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement; cost 2,750 gp)
otherwise noted. Even if the hat is a comically miniature top hat Crafting Components: A suit of animated armor destroyed
resting precariously on the side of your head during a gale, it will while it was under the effects of the enlarge spell.
not fall off. Various efforts have been made to produce powered armor in the
When you would fail a saving throw, you can have the top hat age of revolution. First was the clunky design of the Risuri halfling
fall to the ground, landing at your feet. If you do so, you can reroll Alloquicious in 500 aov, presented in the Kaybeau Arms Fair. Next
the saving throw, and you never have disadvantage on this saving came the extravagantly expensive hulk of the infamous Risuri
throw. Once the top hat has been displaced this way, it cannot be gnome Tinker Oddcog used during Ber’s Steel Rebellion, and then
displaced again until the next dawn. there were the Danoran wayfarer’s engine walkers fielded by Sov-
ereign Han Jierre to invade Flint near the start of the Great Eclipse.
Eldritch Fusil, Ostean Since then, several other steamsuit pilots have crafted their own
Chapter Six
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement; cost 500 gp) personal frames.
Crafting Components: Your own blood shed when you were The Risuri colony of Kellandia’s very own arcanotechnological
reduced to 0 hit points by a construct, undead, or inanimate object. design as of 522 aov, however, promises to be the most reliable and
This arcane fusil was crafted with blood magic drawn from the affordable. While it will still take years for more than a tiny handful
plane Ostea. Carved from bone, the weapon has a scabrous crust of soldiers to be outfitted with these exosuits, the colonial governor
clotting the interior of the barrel. It is a one-handed ranged weapon and the Risuri top brass are quite satisfied by their performance.
that deals 1d10 piercing damage, and range 20/60. The weapon This device is an extradimensional backpack full of arcanotech-
deals an extra 1d6 damage against nonliving things like constructs, nological clockwork gears, wires, and hydraulic and pneumatic
undead, and inanimate objects. motors, crafted primarily of adamant and aether. The backpack can
Similar to a traditional arcane fusil, this weapon requires no am- be placed within another extradimensional space without issue,
munition. However instead of evoking bolts of elemental energy, it and it can be used in conjunction with any other form of powered
creates and fires a bullet of blood drawn from the wielder. It does armor or steamsuit.
not require a trigger charge, nor any sort of action to reload, and so As a bonus action, you can push a button on the side of the
can fire multiple shots in the same turn if the wielder is capable of backpack to deploy an exosuit of modular metallic plates around
making multiple attacks. yourself and your weapons. You gain the ‘enlarge’ effect of an en-
An attuned wielder can fire a number of shots equal to 1 + their large/reduce spell (no concentration required). Your body and your
Constitution modifier (minimum 1). These shots recharge after the weapons do not physically expand, and your effective weight with

The Navras Opera House

Navras, an eladrin who fled Elfaivar after the Great Malice, designed an
opera house for what today is the Central district of Flint, laying a brick
he had brought from his homeland as the cornerstone.
He spent nearly two hundred years personally overseeing its con-
struction, and was aided by no less than eight Risuri kings. When he
completed the building, incongruously huge for what was at the time just
a small coastal fort city, Navras gave the first performance by singing
the dirge of Vekesh. As the audience cheered and wept at his perfor-
mance, he walked off the stage and disappeared forever.
The acoustic design of the performance hall somehow captures magi-
cal power from song, or from the emotional reactions of the audience.
Impresarios who coordinate performance almost always hire spellcast-
ing bards to harness this energy and craft a magic item as a memento
of the show. In the three hundred years since the Navras Opera House
opened, most of these items have found their ways into private collec-
tions, but a rare few have become famous, such as the Hurricane Violin,
which commemorated the Fable of Seaquen and later banished a sea
monster that threatened Flint Harbor in 417 aov.
Rare versions of this charm are contingent. When you finish a

short or long rest with the charm on your person, you can define
or redefine a circumstance which triggers the charm. The charm
breaks itself apart immediately after the circumstance is met for
the first time, whether you want it to or not. This functions as the
conventional activation above, and indeed, you can still break the
charm normally if necessary.
the exosuit increases only moderately. The exosuit’s frame cannot
be separately targeted. As a bonus action, you can push the button Golden Wand of Egal the Shimmering
again to squeeze the exosuit back into the backpack. Wondrous item, rare (cost 5,000 gp)
The suit can remain expanded indefinitely outside of combat, but Crafting Components: Ten pounds of gold given to you by a
each round of combat in which the wielder attacks or is attacked de- charmed devil.
pletes the exosuit’s energy. After the wielder has spent ten rounds A foot and a half of simple, pristine gold, this wand is eerily warm
enlarged during combat, the suit automatically reverts and cannot to the touch. It bears the profile of an aged man on its handle, his
be activated again for 8 hours. identity unknown. Crisillyiri demonologists claim that the rep-
resented figure is Lord Egal the Shimmering, the archduke of the
Gatecrasher Charm Golden Legion, one of the great ruling houses of the tyrannical star-
Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 200 gp) or rare (cost 600 gp) empire known as Hell. Those same demonologists look suspiciously
Crafting Components: Bind a ghost in salt, then release it (un- upon anyone carrying one of these wands, yet reluctantly acknowl-
Chapter Six
common) or destroy it (rare). Collect the salt afterward. edge that the devil-crafted relics prove valuable in demon-hunting.
This delicate arrangement of arctech clockwork gears of rusted Originally it was thought only one wand of this sort existed, but
iron is assembled from the reflection of real-world metals found the monks of the plane Caeloon traded several to Terri Pemberton’s
in the Bleak Gate. Its gears constantly, silently spin despite their Planar Gate-α Squad.
corrosion. Aureate Anchor. While you’re holding this wand, if a creature
While the charm is on your person and you are on the Waking attempts to teleport within sight of you, you are aware. You can
or in the Dreaming, as a bonus action, you can mentally will this spend a reaction to point the wand at the creature and conjure
charm to irreparably break itself apart. After a screech of rusted golden chains around it for a split second. This stops the teleporta-
iron, the gears shatter and slice open planar fabrics like a can tion. Once the wand has invoked this conjuration, it cannot do so
opener. This functions as a plane shift spell for the Bleak Gate, except again until the next dawn.
that this magic affects only you, and you arrive in the exact spot that Loyalty is Prosperity. While you hold the wand, you can use
is an analog for your current location. When you enter the Bleak an action cast modify memory (save DC 17) on a creature. While the
Gate, the magic of the charm continues to resonate in your mind creature’s memory is modified this way, it is significantly more
and soul for the next 10 minutes. At any point during this time, as materialistic and receptive to bribery, but also shrewder in con-
a bonus action, you can focus on the fleeting remnant of magic and firming payments. Fiends other than devils do not apply their
return to the plane where you used this charm, appearing in a spot Magic Resistance trait against this. Once the wand has invoked this
analogous to your current location. enchantment, it cannot do so again until the next dawn.

Great Nock Gun Example Planarite—Space

Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 499 gp) Aether is that which fills vacuum, but when magically bound it can be cap-
Crafting Components: A gun used to fight off a group of at least tured in a sealed vessel or held adjacent to an object. Wholly weightless
seven foes. and lacking in texture, the normal person can only sense it by how it seems
This seven-barreled, thirteen-pound, magic carbine is of such to clarify light, making objects beyond it appear more crisp and percep-
hyper-specialized construction that it cannot actually be used tible, regardless of distance. It is used in the construction of teleportation
as a regular firearm, particularly given its single trigger. Arctech beacons and in enchanted explosives that burn over a great volume.
enhancements vastly improve the great Nock gun’s range, spread, By contrast, meteorites from Urim can be smelted to produce
penetration, and reliability, and only slightly mitigate the deleteri- cacheum, a gold that is as strong as steel which possesses earth and
ous effects of its recoil. space energy. When placed in various arrangements it creates effects to
As an action, you can use two hands to aim and fire the great Nock inhibit flows of energies or even deter certain actions.
gun. Choose a point you can see within 150 feet, and more than 20
feet away from yourself. Each creature within 20 feet of that point
must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature Hat of Hats
takes 8d6 piercing damage. On a success, a creature takes half as Wondrous item, common (cost 49 gp)
much damage. Crafting Components: Haberdasher’s tools crafted while look-
After taking this action, you take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and ing in a mirror.
fall prone unless you succeed a DC 15 Strength saving throw, and This fine top hat is stitched with Dreaming planarite, and pro-
you are deafened and stunned until the end of your next turn unless duces dreamlike duplicates of apparel and critters.
you succeed a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. While you are wearing the hat:
You cannot use the great Nock gun again until you spend a total of * This self-repairing hat shifts its size, design, coloration,
seven actions and/or bonus actions reloading its barrels; no special cleanliness, and position on your head according to your
abilities can speed this process. Luminous glyphs conveniently precise thoughts and wishes. If you daydream, the hat might
notify you which barrels are in need of reloading. also shift to match your drifting thoughts. The hat can never
fall off or be knocked off unless otherwise noted. Even if the
Gremlin Gloves hat is a comically miniature top hat resting precariously on
Wondrous item, rare (cost 789 gp) the side of your head during a gale, it will not fall off.
Crafting Components: A curse laid by a fey creature. * As an action, you can pull a mundane set of clothing and
These patchwork gloves quiver slightly in the presence of ma- accessories from the hat, sized perfectly for you. The outfit
chines; some pairs are big and rugged, while others are thin and cannot be worth more than 30 gp, and it cannot include acces-
satin-like. They are always clean. If left alone at night, they some- sories as precise as an identifying medal or badge. The outfit
times scamper about moving small objects or terrorizing children lasts until another set is pulled from the hat.
and pets. * As an action, you can pull a Tiny creature of bestial intellect
While you are wearing the gloves: from the hat. It obeys your telepathic commands, but will
* Crossbows, firearms, and similar weapons held in one or two never fight for you. The creature vanishes after 1 minute or
hands do not function while you hold them. Attacks made when it is reduced to 0 hit points. This property can be used
against you with such weapons have disadvantage, as they no more than once per hour.
visibly wobble when aimed at you.
* As an action, you can cast the mage hand spell without Hurricane Violin
Chapter Six
components. You can make the hand invisible. In addition to Wondrous item, very rare (cost 9,280 gp)
its normal abilities, you can use the hand to stow one object Crafting Components: A song sung in the eye of a hurricane.
the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another This violin’s wooden body has a streak of white, reminiscent of
creature, retrieve an object in a container worn or carried a lightning bolt, and a skilled musician can control the wind with
by another creature, or pick locks and disarm traps at range a pull of the instrument’s bow. While this was originally a unique
using a set of thieves’ tools. You can perform one of these relic, since the Great Eclipse, Governor Hana ‘Gale’ Soliogn has
tasks without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on a commissioned an arctech replica of this violin.
Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the creature’s The replica’s body is carved from remains of ships wrecked in
Wisdom (Perception) check. Yerasol storms, but has gaps of empty space held in place by frames
* If you eat a meal after midnight and before dawn, you receive of metallic astrium, and floating fan blades inside the frame spin
indigestion and gain a level of fatigue. and amplify sounds as the performance grows. Strings of drift-
* If you criticize the fey titan Granny Allswell, the gloves cause bloom strands from Caeloon let a single performer play the parts
your hands to slap your face, then they go inert for one hour. of multiple violinists.

Example Planarite—Water Mavishan Cube

One basic water planarite is alkahest, a universal solvent that melts Wondrous item, very rare (cost 50,000 gp)
anything it touches. But Ostean water planarite that takes the form of Crafting Components: A shipwreck where at least seven crew
pulsing red jelly called scabosine also has elemental life energy, and members drowned and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
fosters healing. If dried streaked in lines it can channel the concept This radiant, azure cube crafted of planarite of space-aspected
of wounds, causing damage without requiring any physical contact. If Mavisha can be consumed as part of a one-hour ritual to create a
whipped into a foam and baked, it maintains a stiff shape that can keep ship-spirit, which usually is as powerful as a Challenge 10 creature.
body parts alive while separated. Please see the bestiary entry on ship-spirits for more details.
Meanwhile, crystalline Mavishan planarite called tideglass is suf-
fused with water and space energy. Normally it produces currents in a Netherkinetic Orb, +1, +2, or +3
fluid, and if enough is aligned along a ship’s hull it can eventually carry a Wondrous item, uncommon (+1; cost 300 gp), rare (+2; cost 1,500 gp), or very
vessel by controlling the water around it. However if melted and blown rare (+3; cost 7,500 gp) (requires attunement by a sorcerer or warlock)
like glass so it holds the shape of a creature or place, it can become the Crafting Components: A sphere over which has fallen the
embodiment of a journey, producing all manner of magical effects that shadow of a nightmare (+1), a night hag (+2), or fallen angel (+3).
relate to that journey. This orb of planarite of the Bleak Gate is so pitch-black that it
resembles a two-dimensional hole in the world, save for wispy
You can use the violin as a spellcasting focus and a holy symbol. shadows around its edges.
You can use an action to play the violin and immediately cast con- To everyone else, the sphere is intangible darkness, but once
trol weather or banishment (save DC 18), neither needing components. you attune to it, the globe is akin to a light and bouncy athletic ball.
To maintain concentration on either spell cast this way, you must The sphere takes on an appearance of your choosing, and orbits
continue playing the violin with both hands without releasing it. you in whatever pattern you please. You can instead sheathe the
You can still cast another spell as long as it requires no material orb within your shadow, where it is undetectable by mundane and
components, weaving the somatic and verbal components into your magical means until you are reduced to 0 hit points.
performance. Once the violin has invoked control weather this way, it While the netherkinetic orb is in orbit, you can use it as a spellcast-
cannot do so again until the next dawn. The violin can invoke ban- ing focus and a holy symbol, and you gain a bonus to spell attack
ishment this way no more than once per hour. rolls and to the saving throw DCs of your spells. The bonus is deter-
mined by the orb’s rarity.
Malice Focus, +1, +2, or +3 As an action, you can direct the orbiting globe to smash into the
Wondrous item, uncommon (+1; cost 500 gp), rare (+2; cost 3,500 gp), or very shadow of a creature within 5 feet of you, so long as it has a shadow
rare (+3; cost 8,000 gp) (attunement optional) or is made of darkness. The creature must make a Dexterity saving
Crafting Components: Sinews of a malice beast (medium size throw against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, it falls prone. If it
for +1, large for +2, huge for +3). fails, it falls prone, and is incapacitated until the end of your next
This tiny talisman rapidly infuses the psychic energies of your turn. This property can be used no more than once per hour.
own thoughts and emotions into your body, letting you wield such
power to augment your attacks. Personal Revision Hourglass
While the talisman is on your person, you gain a bonus to the Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 202 gp)
attack rolls and the damage rolls you make with unarmed strikes Crafting Components: Sand collected near a mirage monster –
and natural weapons. The bonus is determined by the focus’s rarity. a type of huge mimic native to the Senesi Desert of Crisillyir.
Such attacks gain all of the benefits of using magic weapons. A person’s past can bring many benefits: connections, knowledge,
Chapter Six
If you attune with this talisman, you gain an additional benefit, insights. This arcanotechnological hourglass’s array of glyph-en-
with an attendant drawback. You gain the malice beast Executive graved gears ensure that it always rotates in such a way as to keep
Overload Aura (see page @@), as well as the Mental Vulnerability accurate track of time by the minute. Its sands are filled with relicite
trait. The saving throw DC for your aura is 8 + your proficiency planarite from Teykfa and a drop of witchoil, and they let the bearer
bonus + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma bonus. briefly call forth a version of themselves that might have been.
As an action, you can activate this geared hourglass, causing it
Malice Ring of Couture, +1, +2, or +3 to oscillate rapidly. You think of a background, such as criminal
Ring, rare (+1; cost 1,500 gp), very rare (+2; cost 6,000 gp), or very rare (+3; or folk hero. You temporarily acquire some benefits of that back-
cost 24,000 gp) ground other than ability score increases. For instance, you might
Crafting Components: Bone of a malice beast (medium size for gain a proficiency, a criminal connection or the local fame of a folk
+1, large for +2, huge for +3) carved into a ring. hero. You specify the broad strokes, but the Narrator fills in any
This ring of Malice beast bone manifests your vanity as an actual finer details.
physical defense, letting fine clothes be as resilient as armor. You keep your original real background, but also exist somehow
While you are wearing the ring, you gain access to the Sartorial simultaneously as this other version of yourself. This benefit lasts
Defense variant rule, even if the campaign is not normally using it. until you sleep.
You also have a bonus to AC. The bonus is determined by its rarity, If you desire, this may also slightly alter your appearance, match-
and it does not stack with any bonus to AC from magic armor. ing your new background. You’re still identifiable as you, but might

acquire a scar or remove one, change hairstyle or become slightly

more attractive.
You are instinctively aware of the alterations that were neces-
sary to complete this change, and they are usually unobtrusive. You
acquire nothing else; for instance, gaining the noble’s background
does not give you any more wealth or properties than you original-
ly had. However, people are subtly affected by this alternate reality
and will treat you in keeping with your new background.
After this action, the hourglass’s clockwork screeches to a halt,
but returns to its normal function at the start of the next new moon.
After an aggressive campaign by an alliance of arcanoscience
scholars of Pardwight University, folk skyseers, Beran philoso-
phers, and Drakran economists, the nations of Risur, Ber, and long as they are in the area. Certain combinations of planarite
Drakr all banned this device, warning of perilous consequences. might produce particularly exotic effects. Depending on the
However, followers of the Clergy – especially Ottoplismists – see it lantern’s settings, this can affect either all creatures in the
as an ideal representation of perfecting oneself, albeit temporarily. path of the light, creatures carrying a specific glyph, or crea-
Elsewhere they are seen as curiosities only. tures not carrying a specific glyph. If it affects only creatures
carrying a specific glyph, while this planar light shines, only
Portable Wayfarer’s Lantern those creatures can see the lantern and its illumination. The
Wondrous item, very rare (cost 25,000 gp) effect varies based on the source of the planarite oil.
Crafting Components: Lenses of polished moon glass. ]]The Dreaming: Vibrant, varicolored incandescence
This arcanotechnological lantern of adamantine and bulletproof distorts memories. When the five minutes of light end,
glass is a smaller refinement of the first design of a wayfarer’s creatures that were in the light at any point must make
engine, which inspired all manner of planarite alchemy. a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature
The lantern’s arcanotechnological stabilizers allow you to hang it forgets everything it had witnessed while within the light.
on your hip. The lantern functions as a regular lantern, but it sheds ]]The Bleak Gate: Like the “sun” of the Bleak Gate, this is not
bright light out to 15 feet and dim light out to 30 feet. so much light as it is an eerie-looking devouring of dark-
As a bonus action, you can use one hand to manipulate the lan- ness. If a creature that has a shadow or is made of darkness
tern in one of the following ways: ends its turn in the light, the creature spawns a shadow
* Push a button to adjust a shutter over the lantern. This can that single-mindedly attacks the creature. The shadow
cause it to shed light in all directions (bright to 15 feet, dim to lacks Sunlight Weakness, and has advantage on attack
30 feet), to function as a bullseye lantern (bright in a 60-foot rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. The shadow cannot
cone, dim another 60 feet), or to block all light. While the exist outside of the radius of the lantern’s light, and disap-
lantern’s magical effects normally go through obstacles, the pears once the five minutes of oil finishes burning. Once a
lantern’s shutter does block or aim the light’s effect. creature has spawned a shadow this way, it cannot spawn
* Push a button to set the lantern to indiscriminate mode, another shadow from the same lantern for 5 minutes.
glyph-only mode, or no-glyph-only mode. ]]Vona, the Sun: Helical rays expose all that is true and
* Draw a writing implement and use it to scribe a glyph onto a suppress invisibility and illusion. Creatures and objects in
small sketching surface embedded atop the lantern. the light can be observed by viewers, even viewers outside
Chapter Six
As an action, you can use one hand to draw one ounce of planarite of the light, as if the viewers had true seeing with indefinite
worth 25 gp that has been processed into oil form (such as unen- range. This light does not count as true sunlight.
souled witchoil), pour it into the lantern’s special reservoir, and ]]Caeloon, the Paper Wind: Soothing green shine grants
then push a button to activate the lantern’s most powerful function. hope in the hour of need. If a creature is actively partici-
The lantern immediately burns up the planarite, and you choose pating in combat and at half of its hit points (rounded up)
one of the following: or fewer, it can gain a powerful d10 expertise die on one
* Using Dreaming or Bleak Gate planarite, you form a link to roll. After doing so, it cannot gain the benefit again for five
that plane. The oil burns for up to five minutes, during which minutes.
time the brightly-lit area overlaps with an equivalent space on ]]Urim, the Shattered Golden Chain: An aureate glow
the destination plane. Each creature that is illuminated by the enforces a stalwart barrier of inertia. Creatures cannot
lamp gradually transitions to the destination plane, seeing the teleport into, out of, or within the light. Creatures must
original plane become less solid as the destination becomes spend twice as much movement as they otherwise would in
more real. Once a creature has spent at least 1 continuous order to move into, out of, or within the light.
minute in the illuminated area, it fully transitions, and it ]]Jiese, the Fires of Industry: Red lantern flame bolsters
receives no saving throw to resist this. cunning in all forms. Creatures gain an expertise die (1d4)
* The lantern burns for five minutes, and creatures and objects on Intelligence, Wisdom, Deception, Sleight of Hand, and
undergo a magical effect based on the planarite’s plane for as Stealth checks.

]]Ostea, the Beating Heart: Blood-red brilliance bolsters

vitality. Creatures have advantage on Constitution saving
throws, and they cannot fail death saving throws. When
damage reduces a creature to 0 hit points, the creature can
choose to go to 1 hit point; once a creature avails of this, it
cannot do so again from the same lantern for 5 minutes.
]]Av, the Planes of Dreams and Reflections: Pale, white
refulgence grants ingress into dreamscapes. As an action, a
creature can cause themselves to fall asleep, and then cast
their mind into the dreamscape of a naturally-slumbering
creature also within the light. This journey only lasts
so long as the lantern light glow, and the nature of the
dreamscape is up to the Narrator. A creature that “dies” in
the dreamscape wakes up; they suffer a level of strife, but
all the damage they suffered in the dreamscape goes away
unless it was psychic damage. If the dreamer awakens,
those inside the dreamscape “die” this same way.
]]Amrou, the Salt Waste: Pallid light transmutes subjects Razorburst Weapon, +1, +2, or +3
into pillars of salt. If a creature ends its turn in the light, it Weapon (battleaxe, dagger, glaive, greataxe, greatsword, halberd, handaxe,
must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be petri- longsword, rapier, or scimitar), uncommon (+1; cost 900 gp), rare (+2; cost
fied while it remains in the light. It can repeat the saving 3,900 gp), or very rare (+3; cost 8,400 gp) (requires attunement)
throw at the end of each of its turns. Once a creature suc- Crafting Components: Hook of a pirate captain (+1), three hands
ceeds on this saving throw, it is immune to the same effect from the same troll (+2), or ten heads from the same hydra (+3).
from the same lantern for 5 minutes. Combining Drakran magic, Danoran arcanoscience, and the
]]Iratha Ket, the Graveyard Revel: Bone-white refulgence metallic Urim planarite called astrium, the striking surface of this
inspires subjects to perform and dance. Creatures gain arcanotechnological weapon is actually a band of jagged steel teeth
an expertise die (d4) on Performance checks. If a creature that float in a silent rotation. After a solid blow, the user can push a
sings, its lyrics, however contrived, can be universally button near the hilt to instigate a cascade of earth-elemental magic,
understood by any creature with a language, even if the increasing the rotation speed to a keening whirr, making it more
listener is outside of the light. Creatures never provoke likely to sever something vital.
opportunity attacks, as they dance out of the way. You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this
]]Mavisha, the Mysterious Deep: An ocean-blue glow magic weapon. The bonus is determined by the weapon’s rarity. If
disrupts divinations and shrouds subjects. Creatures this weapon is a dagger or a rapier, it can deal slashing or piercing
are under the effects of mind blank and nondetection. As an damage.
action, a creature can magically turn invisible until it When you score a critical hit with this weapon, you can choose
attacks or casts a spell, or until its concentration ends (as to have it affect the creature you hit as if you had used the savant
if concentrating on a spell); any equipment the creature trick surgical flourish (DC 15 uncommon, 17 rare, 18 very rare). Once
wears or carries is invisible with it. This protection, how- the weapon has done this, it cannot do so again until the next dawn.
ever, feels like being deep underwater, and when the five
Chapter Six
minutes end, any creature that spent at least one round in it Sending Wind
gains one level of fatigue. Wondrous item, uncommon (cost 370 gp)
]]Ascetia, the Hidden Jungle: Lush green illumination Crafting Components: A message that was attached to an
brings history to the fore. Each creature can touch another arrow, fired to a foe, and then returned by that the recipient or one
creature’s head and share a vivid memory one time during of their allies.
the five minutes of light. This invisible orb is woven of Caeloon planarite in windy, gas-
]]Teykfa, the Ticking Pendulum: A dun radiance grants an eous form. The sphere can be carried in your palm, or it can be left
awareness of time, yet physically stretches out the seconds. to float at any location, invisible except to those who know to look
Creatures know the exact time of day, down to the second. for it. Each orb is attuned to up to five tokens, which usually take the
A creature that ends its turn in the light must make a DC form of metal or wooden feathers.
18 Wisdom saving throw or suffer the effects of slow while While holding one of these tokens, you can cast sending without
it remains in the light. Once a creature succeeds on this components to one or more creatures carrying another token, as
saving throw, it is immune to the same effect from the long as both you and your recipients are within thirty miles of the
same lantern for 5 minutes. orb. The message takes time to be delivered, carried by an unseen
Once the lantern has consumed planarite this way, it takes 8 breeze that travels at twenty miles an hour. The recipient can
hours for the light’s energy to fully fade. Buring planarite oil from a choose to send a reply, which also takes time to fly back.
different plane during this time produces no magical effect. Each token can cast sending this way no more than once per hour.

Shoes of Reliable Style savant trick surgical flourish (DC 19).

Wondrous item, rare (cost 2,200 gp) Cheater Loa. As a reaction when a melee weapon attack misses
Crafting Components: A dance performed by a revenant. you, the attacker must make a Strength saving through (DC 19) or
In a pocket of the Bleak Gate known as Iratha Ket, the dolorous be disarmed.
gloom gives way to boisterous song. Where the Dreaming creates Dancer Loa. As a bonus action, either teleport the sword to your
magic in response to idle fancy or general contrariness, it is said hand, or you to the sword, across any distance.
that in Iratha Ket you can find anything you want, but only in the Drinker Loa. If you killed a living creature this turn, as a bonus
service of showmanship and heightened emotion. action you can spend any number of hit dice to heal.
A rare few who managed to impress the skeletal court of that mu-
sical realm found themselves walking back to the Waking in fine Skulduggery Ring
footwear that gave them a dancer’s grace and vim. Ring, common (requires attunement; cost 49 gp)
While you are wearing the shoes: Crafting Components: A stolen key to a jail cell, treasure chest,
* The shoes magically repair themselves if damaged. or bank box that you did not bother to open.
* You can change the shoes’ size, design, coloration, and This unassuming ring’s inner lining is engraved with runes
cleanliness according to your thoughts and wishes. No matter keyed to Urim.
how ridiculous, the shoes prove oddly practical, though heel While you are wearing the ring, you can press the ring against a
height is a maximum of seven inches for Medium creatures. seal and have the bezel of the ring change to match it. As an action,
* You are proficient in Performance. If you are already profi- you can extrude from the ring a miniature lockpick that magically
cient in Performance, you instead gain an expertise die (d4). adjusts to the size of whatever lock you insert it into. If the lockpick
* You never trigger floor-based pit traps and pressure plates, is damaged or broken, a mending spell restores its function, as does
and the shoes magically repel caltrops and bear traps. submerging the ring in a short-lived alchemical solution worth
* As an action, you can caper and dance to draw out the shoes’ 10 gp for 1 hour.
enchanting magic. You cast irresistible dance (save DC 17), You gain an expertise die (d4) on any checks made to overcome
except while concentrating you must use your movement to mundane locks.
dance in your space, and you cannot use movement to leave
your space. The target’s dance matches yours, but you do not Smuggling Ring
suffer any of the negative effects of the spell. Once the shoes Ring, uncommon (cost 100 gp)
have cast irresistible dance this way, they cannot be used to do Crafting Components: A smuggler’s confession that leads to an
so again until the next dawn. arrest.
Whether it is a musket into a posh soirée, or some ensouled
Six-Loa Saber witchoil or malice beast organs across a border, operators must in-
Weapon (scimitar), legendary (requires attunement; cost 433,334 gp) evitably bring things where they are not supposed to. This thin ring
Crafting Components: Six weapons of a marilith. of aether (nigh-invisible space-aspected planarite) enables such.
This famed blade served a Risuri named Aodhan Lesterman While you are wearing the ring, it never detects as magical, even
from his time as a privateer up through his reign as king. You have if it contains magic items, until you are reduced to 0 hit points. You
a +3 bonus on attack and damage rolls with this weapon. The item can push items directly into the ring, even liquids and gases. It op-
is sentient, with Intelligence 14, Wisdom 14, and Charisma 16. erates as an extradimensional space, holding 20 pounds or 2 cubic
Six spirits reside within, and each must be appeased with some feet. The ring meets an insurmountable resistance if it would enter
mayhem of its preferred variety at least once a month. a similar extradimensional space.
Chapter Six
Each loa can be called upon once between short rests for a magi-
cal ability. The effect is determined by the loa you call upon. Symbol of Sanguine Alleviation
Brawler Loa. You cause a creature you can see within 60 feet to Wondrous item, rare (cost 3,000 gp)
make a Charisma saving throw (DC 19). If it succeeds, it takes 20 Crafting Components: The healing touch of a celestial.
psychic damage as it fights off possession. If it fails and has more This crimson crystalline fish hook of Ostean planarite was first
than 40 hit points, it takes 40 psychic damage. If it fails and has 40 crafted by hierarchs of the Clergy, renowned for their restorative
or fewer hit points, you control it for one minute, as dominate monster, magics. Non-Clericist symbols are simply medallions of three con-
though the only commands you can give it are to attack. During this centric rings; the inner rings float in place, unconnected to the rest
time the creature laughs raucously. When the domination ends, the of the symbol.
creature takes 40 psychic damage. This psychic damage cannot kill While you are wearing the symbol, as an action, you can choose
a living creature. one living creature within 5 feet. You must spend 1 Hit Die to no
Burner Loa. Without spending an action, you set fire to each effect, causing blood to arc from your pores and orifices and into
creature you hit with the sword this turn. This deals 2d10 fire those of the selected creature; if you chose yourself, the blood re-
damage at the start of each of the creature’s turns until it spends an circulates around your body externally. The recipient gains the
action to put the fire out. benefits of a fifth level cure wounds spell and a lesser restoration spell.
Butcher Loa. When you score a critical hit with this weapon, Once the symbol has conferred healing, it cannot do so again until
you can choose to affect the creature you hit as if you had used the the next dawn.

The Humble Hook * You are immune to fear and to psychic damage.
Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement) * You automatically know the name and the general details
Crafting Components: Unique (uncraftable) of the lives of any creature you interact with, including the
When Triegenes passed on from his mortal shell and allegedly greatest moment of virtue in its past. A mind blank can protect
ascended to godhood, the prelates of the early Clergy cremated his against this.
remains in a grand state funeral. As they gathered his ashes to spread
across the nation’s soil, they found a small harpoon hook, of the kind Undestined Stormcaster
used by some fishers. It had somehow been caught in the living god’s Weapon (any bow, crossbow, or non-fusil firearm), uncommon (requires at-
body since before he achieved divinity. The priests crafted the hook tunement; cost 480 gp)
into a pendant, and for centuries, it had been worn by the Prime Car- Crafting Components: The death scream of a creature killed by
dinal of the faith, as a reminder that everyone has humble origins. lightning.
The hook’s purpose is to cultivate the divine that lies in every Reverse engineered by winged arcanosmith Terri Pemberton,
creature. It guides the righteous on their path to apotheosis and this arctech armament allows a shootist to rain forth wind, thunder,
inspires them to take the high road of empathy and understanding. and lightning. Similar to an arcane fusil and filled with shining ful-
The hook allows the wearer to learn the history and background of gurites (air-aspected planarite), it uses electromagnetic engineering
anyone they meet, which, in turn, once let the Clergy’s leaders deal and a series of coils to generate a powerful ceraunic current.
with overly prideful enemies and national rulers. Whenever you would deal damage with this magic weapon, you
In 260 aov, a Vekeshi assassin slew the Prime Cardinal at the must instead deal your choice of lightning or thunder damage.
time and stole the pendant. Critics of the Clergy claim that its loss When you hit a creature with this weapon, you can push it up 5 feet
was part of a plan to steer the religion away from its humble core, so away from you in a straight line.
that hierarchs could better profit from their stations. Who knows As an action, you can use this weapon to cast lightning bolt (save
when, where, and how the relic will resurface again, and around DC 15) without components. Once the weapon has launched such a
whose neck? bolt, it cannot do so again until the next dawn.
While you are wearing the relic:
* The Humble Hook expects you to abide by the path of righ- Vekeshi Blade, +0, +1, +2, or +3
teousness. If you boast excessively or act with extreme Wondrous item, uncommon (+0; cost 500 gp), rare (+1; cost 3,500 gp),
selfishness, the following powers are suppressed until you very rare (+2; cost 8,000 gp), or very rare (+3; cost 17,000 gp) (requires
take a short rest. If you kill a sapient being without first at- attunement)
tempting dialogue to avoid violence, the following powers are Crafting Components: Understand the true nature of the Great
suppressed until you take a long rest. Malice. Additionally, slay an enslaver of Elfaivarans (+1), an enemy
* If ever you knowingly and willingly act in a way that inflicts actively warring with the Elfaivaran nation (+2), or someone who
cruelty or injustice upon an innocent when there is a produc- fought in the Clergy’s holy war against Elfaivar that led to the Great
tive alternative to do otherwise, the pendant will fall from Malice (+3).
your neck in search of a more compassionate wearer worthy During the utter chaos of the Great Malice, Srasama’s six bright
of its power. You do not notice its departure, nor do any of blades were mostly lost to history. Mostly. The Clergy retrieved
your allies who approved or assisted your action, and you and confiscated the First and Second Blades of Srasama, the pair rep-
only realize it when some outside party informs you. resenting her first aspect, the warrior-maiden; one famously lay in
* You can gain advantage on a Deception, Insight, Intimidation, the Crypta Hereticarum, while the other is in the hands of Arch
Persuasion, or Religion check. After you do, you cannot use Secula Tiesa Machulas of the Ottoplismists. Eladrin soldiers like-
Chapter Six
this ability again until you complete a short rest. wise spirited away the Fifth Blade of Srasama, belonging to the pair
* You have resistance to psychic damage. symbolizing her third aspect, the crone of endings.
* You gain an expertise die (d4) on saves against fear. The vengeful crone-blade eventually made its way to the hands
* Any food you personally donate to others is always free of of the Vekeshi preservers, and from there, the Vekeshi mystics
curses, diseases, and poisons. It tastes and feels like the pin- and who splintered away. The mystics remolded the artifact into a
nacle of gastronomy, and no matter how small the morsel, it number of lesser weapons, with which they took up arms against
provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one the Elfaivaran slave trade. Later, the Vekeshi assassins claimed
day, allowing you to feed a multitude. several of these weapons for their own fanatical missions against
Enlightened Discernment. Though the Humble Hook shares the Clergy’s hierarchs. The great oni slaver Hyakki Kijin of Shaha
many boons with most creatures, its divinatory powers must be owns a few of these as trophies; Dhebisu, who commands many
earned. So long as you have earnestly reconciled with or redeemed Vekeshi assassins as part of her cakar malam, is quite interested in
an enemy within the past year and day without the use of decep- killing the oni and recovering them.
tion, intimidation, or magical charm or compulsion, the Humble Composed of deific fire that has been kindled for five centuries
Hook confers the following additional properties while you wear it: since the death of Srasama, this is a weapon of old grudges and
* You are proficient in Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Per- assassination. You cannot attune to this item if you are an an un-
suasion, and Religion. If you are already proficient in one of remorseful client or supporter of the Elfaivaran slave trade, or an
those skills, you instead gain an expertise die (d4) with it. earnest worshiper of any Clericist gods.

While you are attuned to it, the Vekeshi blade never detects as mag- perhaps humble or perhaps ornately decorated,
ical until you are reduced to 0 hit points. You can choose two melee matching the godhand’s personality.
weapons whenever you complete a long rest, and you can freely The halo is intangible, and its precise loca-
shift the weapon between those forms without spending an action. tion is different for each viewer, such that it
When you sheath the weapon, you can instead transform it into a always is directly on the opposite side of the
minute pin or other piece of jewelry. You can restore the weapon by godhand’s head, framing them. They normally
touching the pin. do not glow. They can never be transferred,
You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic and they remain even after the godhand
weapon. The bonus is determined by the weapon’s rarity. The bonus dies, seeming to decay at roughly the
increases by 2 when you use the weapon to attack an unremorseful same rate as the sanctified figure’s body.
client or supporter of the Elfaivaran slave trade, an earnest wor- A godhand can spend an action to dismiss
shiper of any Clericist gods, or a surprised creature. their halo, should they need to hide their iden-
While transformed into a melee weapon, the Vekeshi blade resem- tity, and another action returns it.
bles an amorphous mass of red and gold flame. Each time you deal We describe here the benefits of godhand investiture, and four
any bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage with this weapon, possible halos a godhand might be granted. Each halo has an abil-
you can replace that damage with your choice of either fire or radi- ity that you can activate whenever you take any reaction. The halo’s
ant damage. ability happens in addition to that reaction.
Vendetta Ammunition Godhand Investiture

Weapon (arrow, bolt, or bullet), rare (cost 2,020 gp) Supernatural gift, rare
Crafting Components: A personal vendetta. Requirements: The requirements are up to the Narrator, but at
This piece of ammunition is a psychic reservoir of rage, directed minimum godhand investiture is only granted to members of the
towards a single creature. Being left for dead, witnessing loved ones Clergy religion who are proficient with Culture and Religion, have
slain, suffering under the oppressive yoke of a tyrant: there are some sort of ability to fight unarmed, and are at least 6th level.
many ways through which someone might cultivate the vengeance Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of
necessary to imbue an arrow, bolt, or bullet with psychic currents overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and
of their own righteous indignation and resentful desires. Records damage. You can ignore incorporeal creatures’ immunity to being
claim that such ammunition first appeared among Vekeshi mystics grappled or restrained if you grab with an unarmed strike. While
and assassins, as arrows meant for the hearts of Clericist hierarchs you are grabbing a creature (incorporeal or otherwise), it cannot
and the clients and supporters of the Elfaivaran slave trade. teleport or travel to other planes, such as through a succubus’s
It is possible for a creature, driven by vengeance toward a specific Etherealness ability.
perpetrator, to instinctively realize how to transfer their psychic Additionally, you gain one Godhand Halo of your choice. Each
reservoirs of rage onto a piece of ammunition, which they mark halo grants a special power which you can use when you use a reac-
with the name of the target of their enmity. Such a creature can also tion. The halo’s effect is in addition to the normal effect of whatever
teach the formula to others. No spellcasting ability, skill proficien- reaction you used.
cy, or tool proficiency is ever required to craft vendetta ammunition.
Once a crafter makes a piece of vendetta ammunition, the same Annulus of Heaven’s Succour
crafter can never again make a second piece of vendetta ammunition This decorated metallic ring spins slowly and soothingly. The halo
keyed to the same creature, and it is rare they will ever feel the nec- has three charges, which recharge daily at dawn.
Chapter Six
essary emotion to craft one for any different creature. Whenever you use a reaction, you can expend a charge to have
Vendetta ammunition acts as an arrow of slaying which only works yourself or an ally within 60 feet heal a number of d6s of hit points
for the person who crafted it, against the person whose name is on equal to your proficiency bonus.
the bullet or arrow. Alternately, when you would interact with an object you can
expend a charge to teleport an object to your hand or that of an ally
within 60 feet. The object must be either one you own that is within
Training and Mastery three miles of you, or an unattended object you can see.
Martial scientists can learn new fighting techniques similar to how
wizards learn spells, and with the proper training and sacred trial, Corona of Burning Judgment
characters can earn the title of godhand of the Clergy. When you are angry, this halo flickers with fire as bright as candle
light. The halo has three charges, which recharge daily at dawn.
Godhands Whenever you use a reaction, you can expend a charge to have
A member of the Clergy who undergoes the proper monastic train- the halo sear an enemy within 60 feet of you. That creature takes a
ing and ordeal can be invested as a geneu credeto, a spirit of belief, number of d6s of radiant damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
more commonly called a “godhand.” When you do, the halo glows as bright as a torch for one round.
Once formally invested, godhands are marked with a halo, which For the next hour you have advantage to Insight and Intimidation
usually appears to be a solid disk of precious metal, crystal, or ivory, checks against that creature.

Halo of Rarefied Enlightenment Debilitation through Focused Limb Severance Techniques Contrasted with
With but a thought, you can cause this halo to glow with clear light Mainstream Opportunistic Techniques. This teaches the Surgical Flourish.
as bright as a torch, as dim as a candle, or not at all. The halo has
three charges, which recharge daily at dawn. Drakr
Whenever you use a reaction, you can expend a charge to have A respected artillerism student at the Boehno Texhnyeconn made a
the halo flash with blinding light. Choose a creature within 60 splash with her text, Suppressing Dissent and Incentivizing Disengage-
feet. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 ment through the Fervent Deployment of Loud Weapons. This teaches the
+ your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Charisma modifier) Frightful Suppression trick.
or be blinded until the end of the next turn of whichever creature
triggered your reaction. When you use this ability, the halo sheds a Dreaming
sphere of bright light for 60 feet, and 60 feet of dim light beyond it, Though the fey do not have any organized academies of martial
lasting for one round. science, some powerful warriors of the Dreaming take it upon
themselves to write up their often-nonsensical tactics as if they
Nimbus of Gathered Courage were war veterans. From among sheafs of pointless blathering, a
This halo is slightly translucent, like a cloud. The halo has three handful of intelligible texts emerge, which give some insight into
charges, which recharge daily at dawn. the way these beings think about battle.
Whenever you use a reaction, you can expend a charge to share A Record of the Applause at a Production of “The Burning Heart of a
your courage with an ally. Choose an ally within 60 feet to gain an Warrior” was composed by a fey lord named Karrest, who wished to
inspiration die, a d6. This functions like a bardic inspiration die. record how well an audience received his autobiographical play. Ex-
While that ally is inspired, your halo expands to frame your entire cessive attention is paid to just how the actor was meant to appear
physical body, and an identical halo frames your inspired ally. to fall in battle in order to best persuade the onlookers that their
hero had perished, suggesting that for this fey, at least, the story
Martial Scientist Theses of the battle was at least as important as the threat to life and limb.
The Martial Studies feat lets a character of any class make limited A derivative and simplified version of this technique was pre-
use of the Savant class’s tricks. Herein is a selection of renowned sented in the far less compelling thesis Unexpected Tactics of Fey
martial theses from around the world, and the tricks they let you Swordsmen.
acquire. A Savant or character with the Martial Studies feat that Either version teaches the Sweeping Stride trick.
has a copy of one of these theses can spend a long rest to swap one of
the tricks they know for the trick the thesis details. Elfaivar
There are two main categories of savant tricks: aegis and flourish. The oldest and deadliest Elfaivaran warriors were known as dread-
* An aegis is a technique that can turn the momentum of a noughts, who fought implacably, using tactics to awe their enemies
fight by not only avoiding an attack, but also putting your into submission, often capable of facing hordes of common sol-
opponent in a bad position. diers and winning the day. One survivor of such an engagement
* A flourish is a technique that you can add to an attack that published Lessons from a Battlefield Engagement between an Elfaivaran
meets a certain condition. Dreadnought and Seven Riflemen. This teaches the Tangled Dance Aegis.
Every graduate of a martial academy must defend their thesis
from a group of challengers, and because it has long been taught Malice Lands
that scientific breakthroughs are born of both careful study and The monster hunter Xavier Sangria mastered hunting malice
wild experimentation, most graduates will have Committee Defense beasts, and he learned to use the chaotic magic that once suffused
Chapter Six
and Experimental Flourish. However, amateurs or people who re- the Malice Lands as a defensive shield. By training himself to in-
ceived private tutelage may start with other tricks known. Some tensely feel the emotion of malice at will, he could briefly create
examples follow. a sympathetic link to the region’s wild magic, and so cause magic
that would harm him to instead suffer a mishap. However, holding
Ber a reservoir of such latent evil will was perilous.
Beran soldiers are often trained with a no-frills text called How Not He recorded his insights in his thesis, Intentional Emotions as Sym-
to Get Shot, by Kenna Vigilante. This teaches the Serpentine Rush Aegis. pathetic Invocation of Malice Mishaps, but mastering this technique
requires practicing it in a place of wild magic. Older martial scien-
Crisillyir tists might have visited the Malice Lands, but modern scholars can
Before becoming Prime Cardinal of the Clergy in the 3rd century, only find suitable conditions in the dead city of Methia, or in a few
Glorius Willis was a famed instructor at the College of Divine scattered pockets of wild magic around the region. This teaches a
Trials in Sid Minos, where he penned Liturgical Lessons: Applications rare trick that is not normally available to Savants.
of Psalms in a Battlefield Context. This teaches the Saving Advice trick.
Malicious Deflection (Aegis)
Danor As you prepare this trick, you build up a reservoir of seething
The late Lya Jierre, a scion of the prominent tiefling Jierre family, malice and then tamp it down. While this trick is prepared, you
published her thesis Field Study of Melee Effectiveness and Foe have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws.

When you succeed a saving throw against a spell or other magical to enroll in the Jierre Sciens d’Arms after he witnessed an aged monk
effect, as a reaction you can use this technique to release your pent from Caeloon dodge a jaguar’s lunge and fling the cat thirty feet, an
up malice, which causes a sudden wave of wild magic to disrupt event he later recorded in Artistic Paper Folding and Humanoid Anat-
that spell or effect. The magic does not affect you, but instead you omy: Theories on Implicit Extradimensionality. This teaches a rare trick
choose a new target within 30 feet, which must save as if it were the that is not normally available to Savants.
original target.
Stance of the Paper Wind (Aegis)
Miscellaneous When a creature you have not attacked since the start of your previ-
A treatise often edited and amended, the original author of Methods ous turn attacks you in melee, you can use this trick to fold your
of Extricating Warriors from a Variety of Tentacled and Tendriled Monsters body away from the attack’s full force, then unfold and use your
is unclear. It is kept in collections in academies around the world, enemy’s momentum against them to hurl them away. You gain
and many students have heard the humorous rumor that the first resistance to that attack’s damage, and after the attack, you throw
copy was dictated by a ghost who died facing horrors from other the attacker a distance equal to 5 feet times your proficiency bonus
worlds. This teaches a rare trick that is not normally available to in the direction of your choice. The attacker can make a Dexterity
Savants. saving throw to avoid being moved.
Chapter Six
Tentacle Technique (Aegis)
When you or an ally you’re aware of becomes grabbed by a creature, The Rites of Rulership
you can use this trick to let the grabbed creature spend a reaction The monarch of Risur derives powers from their position, drawing
to make a melee attack against the enemy that is grabbing it. If this upon the approval and loyalty of their nation through the rites of
attack hits, the grab ends in addition to the attack’s normal effect. rulership, which were first established seventeen hundred years
ago by King Kelland. Empowered by this magic, King Baldrey Kor-
Risur rigan was able to resist the strange magic of the Great Eclipse and
District Mayor Dale, tasked with protecting the city of Flint from lead allies from around Lanjyr to save the world.
the dark forces atop the infamous mountain Cauldron Hill, wrote Shortly before the eclipse, spies stole the secrets of these rites,
Meditation, Coffee, and Cherry Pie: Unorthodox Salves Against the Super- and in the chaos afterward that information became public knowl-
natural. This teaches the trick Mindful Reason Aegis, and has tips on edge. But even though anyone can easily read the text of the rites,
where to get excellent food in the city of Flint. other nations have struggled to make use of them. In Risur, they
carry the weight of seventeen centuries of proud and honorable
Vagabonds rule, and are reinforced by a bond of friendship with the fey of the
Strangers from beyond this world possess many fascinating fight- Dreaming stretching back to the nation’s founding. It seems there
ing techniques. A sailor from the Yerasol Archipelago was inspired is no shortcut to match that.

Risur’s Rites The Rites in Other Nations

Risur’s rites of rulership trace back to the first defeat of the fey Other nations have tried to implement the rites, to varying degrees of
titans. The titans each command one terrain—mountain, swamp, success.
forest, plains, and sea. And the monarch of Risur is like a titan too, Beran land ownership is so fractious it is impossible to gather a
but their terrain is civilization. The more faith the people have in quorum to grant Bruse Corta Nariz the Lord of the Land benefits. She
society and the state, the stronger the ruler is. certainly has sufficient public support to benefit from Monarch of the
The rites have two components. First, if they are approved by Masses, but as the rites draw power from the Dreaming, her barring
the landed nobility, they become Lord of the Land. Second, if they travel to the Dreaming has rendered the rites ineffective for her.
have the approval of the public, they also become Monarch of the While the people of Crisillyir take a dim view of the Dreaming, the
Masses. Clergy saw the benefit of making amends, such as was possible given
the leaderless nature of their Dreaming analogue. The church took legal
Formal Succession ownership of the nation’s territory under the leadership of Prime Cardinal
When the current monarch dies or abdicates, the successor must be Malthusius shortly after the eclipse in an attempt to gain the benefits of
approved by the House of Nobles. The House of Nobles includes the Lord of the Land. This worked, but the political factionalism between Me-
current holders of any Baron, Viscount, Count, Earl, Marquess, or liskans and Ottoplismists has led to each group maintaining a formal bare
Duke titles (or the equivalent) handed out by the current or a pre- majority of approval of the current Prime Cardinal Tullius. Tullius wields
vious monarch. Such titles can be revoked by royal decree, with immense divine magic by dint of being head of the Clergy, through some
consent of a majority of other nobles. religious doctrine somewhat similar to the Monarch of the Masses.
This can be done procedurally in advance if the nobles know the Danor is far too fractious for either President Duvall or Empress
successor, which prevents a discontinuity of the monarchy. A con- Duffet to acquire either of the rite’s benefits.
sequence of this is that if a monarch who has named a successor Drakr gave Drakran coins to thousands of minor fey throughout its
dies and remains dead for more than a few minutes, the powers of Dreaming to form a bond, then held a long referendum via territorial
the crown will be passed on, and cannot be reclaimed even if he census and approved use of the rites by the chancellor. This would have
were brought back from the dead. granted Vlendam Heid the powers of Lord of the Land in seeming per-
Formal acceptance by the nobles grants the new monarch the petuity, and he likely has enough support of the public to also benefit
powers detailed below under Lord of the Land. At any time a ma- from Monarch of the Masses. But the man has philosophical objections
jority of the nobility may issue grievances to the monarch and thus to having literal physical power greater than other people, and so he has
deprive him or her of this power until they again grant their ap- refused to complete his part of the rites.
proval, but in practice this has rarely happened. Elfaivar’s various enclave matriarchs long had powers similar to the
rites, but the gulmohar’s return and the Ranimandala’s claim to the
Public Acceptance colonies of different nations cost them those powers. It seems the lack
In Risur’s long history, a monarch has almost never passed on their of a unitary executive in Elfaivar’s current government means no one
crown to a blood relative. Instead, an outgoing monarch usually can benefit from the rites, though some political theorists suspect Adin
picks someone who is well beloved and respected by the public, or Radhasi’s invasion of Vendricce was intended to claim enough land for
picks a trusted ally and creates opportunities for them to act as a her to invoke the rites for herself alone.
public hero. Other nations, such as various border states and the nascent Malice
Once the people of Risur accept their new king or queen, he or State of Pala, have lesser versions of the rites of rulership, though
she also gains the powers of Monarch of the Masses. A monarch with lower populations and less land the powers they grant are less
who loses this trust cannot use those powers. This connection has world-shaking.
Chapter Six
helped keep Risur’s rulers attentive to the needs of their subjects.

strength and stamina, but it is of little use against invading armies,
Lord of the Land since the monarch is likely already about as powerful as even the
A monarch who has Lord of the Land powers and is within their most dangerous of their enemies.
nation can spend a bonus action to move up to four 5-foot cubes of When the monarch is in an encounter with a hostile creature
earth, stone, or foliage up to 5 feet. This cannot affect land that is that is contesting control of their nation’s lands (or if the monarch
within 5 feet of a hostile creature, so this power doesn’t, for exam- is trying to conquer lands controlled by an enemy), the monarch
ple, allow the monarch to create a pit under an enemy’s feet. gains the following benefits:
The monarch can name creatures to forbid them from entering * A bonus to attack rolls and saving throws, and to Strength-,
their nation via teleportation or planar travel for one month, but Dexterity-, and Constitution-based checks, equal to the dif-
must know the person’s actual name. Likewise, the monarch can ference in proficiency bonus, if the enemy’s is higher.
spend ten minutes to open a pathway from a point in their nation to * Temporary hit points equal to 50 times the difference in pro-
the equivalent spot in the Dreaming, as per the spell gate. ficiency bonus. This is in addition to the regeneration granted
When the monarch is engaged in battle with a person or group by Monarch of the Masses (see below).
actively contending for control of their territory, the monarch’s * When using abilities that depend on size, the monarch can
power is elevated to match the strongest individual among their choose to be considered the same size as their opponent. (Zidi
enemies. When facing a fey titan, this gives a mortal incredible the Halfling Queen once put Granny Allswell into a headlock.)

* If the creature has Legendary Resistance, the monarch also intuitive techniques.
gains that trait. Typically this lets the monarch reroll a failed The airship docks at Flint are currently constructing an ex-
saving throw three times per day. perimental levitating scientific vessel, to be commanded by one
For example, when King Dukain (proficiency bonus +5) fought Captain Phineas Mount-Redoubt, an academic skyseer who
the Voice of Rot (proficiency bonus +9), he benefited from a +4 hopes to observe the night sky from above the clouds themselves.
bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and physical ability checks, as Mount-Redoubt hopes that this escapade will attract the attention
well as 200 temporary hit points. He gained legendary resistance and the patronage of one or both of Lanjyr’s space exploration agen-
and could shove the titan around as if he were colossal. cies: Pemberton Industries’ interplanar exploration division, and
the Drakran Planarnaya Razvedyvatel’naya Kompaniya.
Monarch of the Masses Prerequisite: Skyseer Vision feat, proficient in Arcana and
A monarch who has the approval of the people gains a +5 bonus to Nature, character level 7th, must be able to name and identify all
saves against charm, fear, and poison. When the monarch falls to the planets detailed in Chapter Five
0 hit points or below for the first time in an encounter, each of the
monarch’s allies within three miles is overcome with weakness and Features
falls prone. If the monarch starts their turn above 0 hit points, they Hit Dice: 1d6 per applied astronomist level.
heal 10 hit points. Hit Points: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per applied
astronomist level.
Risur’s Crown Spellcasting. Add the following spells to all of your classes’ spell
The monarch also receives the crown of Risur, which lets the wearer lists: augury, clairvoyance, contact other plane, divination, guidance, guid-
always know the names people they see would prefer to be called. ing bolt. Whenever you gain a level in this class, it grants or advances
On the monarch’s turn, they can say someone’s name (without your choice of bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, or wizard spellcasting or
spending an action) to grant them a new save against an effect with warlock Pact Magic. This advancement includes spell slots, spells
an ongoing duration, but only once per person per day. prepared, and spells known.
Stargazer (1st level). You gain darkvision with a range of 60
Minutiae feet; if you already have darkvision, its range is extended by 60 feet.
If the current monarch dies without naming a successor, the House The range increases to one mile under starlight or moonlight. You
of Nobles can name one, but they must have majority approval of all cannot be blinded.
nobles living in the land the monarch will rule. If the monarch is on Touching the Wheel of Heaven (1st level). Different planes are
a plane other than the Waking and Dreaming, the text of the rites in ascendance or decline each day, entering or leaving conjunction
offers a niche situation where the ruler’s power can be contested by with various constellations and other celestial phenomena.
a very small number of nobles who are on the same plane, but even After a long rest, if you were able to spend an hour watching the
then, the crown can only shift with the approval of the nobles in night sky in the past day, roll two times on the following table to de-
Waking Risur. termine which planes you are able to connect to. Reroll duplicates.
In Risur, nearly all land is owned by the nobility; other people This connection determines the effects of some of your powers. The
simply pay taxes for permission to use it. Efforts to reform land connection lasts until you finish a long rest or for 24 hours, which-
ownership or calls to elect the ruler democratically are non-start- ever is longer.
ers in Risur. This is one reason the rites are not easily transferable
to other nations, because they have different legal frameworks. Table: Applied Astronomist Connection
1d8 Connection (2/day)
Chapter Six
1 Jiese, plane of fire.
Prestige Classes 2 Caeloon, plane of air.
The following ten prestige classes are tied to the character themes 3 Av, plane of dreams.
in Chapter One. You can multiclass into a prestige class if you meet 4 Ostea, plane of water.
the listed prerequisites. Each only has three levels. 5 Urim, plane of earth.
6 Mavisha, plane of journeys.
Applied Astronomist 7 Ascetia, plane of time.
The myriad motes shining in the night sky influence the world 8 Amrou, plane of wards.
through subtle magic, and with the proper study that magic can be
grasped and harnessed. Skyseers, familiar with sensing the pat- Heavenly Flare (1st level). As an action, you can choose one
terns of the stars, can learn to wield this magic in battle, enhancing plane you are attuned to and one creature you can see within 60 feet.
themselves, conjuring otherworldly destructive forces, or shifting You manifest a flare of starlight which deals 2d6 radiant damage to
the environment to be more like those of these wandering planes. that creature and inflicts an additional effect based on the plane
The Great Eclipse increased public interest in the heavens and you chose. The damage increases to 3d6 if your character level is 11
in skyseers, and researchers at several new telescope observato- or higher, and 4d6 at level 17 or higher. A saving throw against your
ries seek to measure the effects of the planets and stars, gaining spell DC negates the damage and extra effect. The type of saving
deeper insights than traditional skyseers can glean with their more throw depends on which plane you choose.

Plane Additional Effect on Target reality. Choose a plane you’re attuned to today. A 15-foot-radius
Jiese, plane (DEX save) The target catches on fire. A creature that burst within 60 feet of you becomes suffused with the essence of
of fire is on fire take 1d10 fire damage at the end of each of that plane.
its turns until it spends an action to put itself out. The When you use this ability, creatures in the burst must make a
damage increases 2d10 when you reach 17th level. save against your spell DC. The chosen plane determines the type
Caeloon, plane (DEX save) Erratic winds impose disadvantage on the of save, as with heavenly flare. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d6
of air target’s attack rolls until the end of your next turn. force damage and 4d6 radiant damage and suffers the same effect as
Av, plane of (WIS save) The target is charmed until the end of your a heavenly flare of that plane. A creature that succeeds its save takes
dreams next turn. half as much damage and suffers no extra effect.
Ostea, plane of (CON save) If the target has blood, choose a creature For the next five minutes, that area is altered, depending on what
water within 60 feet of you to heal an amount equal to the plane you chose. You cannot use this power again until you finish
damage you dealt. a long rest.
Urim, plane of (STR save) The target is knocked prone and cannot
earth teleport until the end of your next turn. Plane Area Effect
Mavisha, plane (STR save) A surge of water pushes the target 20 feet Jiese, plane As a bonus action, you can create an object composed
of journeys in any direction. of fire of solid firegem, of any rough shape, up to 15 feet
Ascetia, plane (CHA save) The target is stunned until the end of across in any unoccupied space in the area. The object
of time your next turn. While stunned, the target is immune is as durable as wood, but vanishes when the effect
to damage, forced movement, and status effects. No ends.
creature can be affected by this two rounds in a row. Caeloon, Area fills with your choice of fog (concealment), or
Amrou, plane (WIS save) Until the end of your next turn, the target’s plane of air winds up to 30 miles per hour (disadvantage to ranged
of wards speed is reduced to 0, and it cannot benefit from weapon attacks at short range, and long range attacks
increases to speed. are impossible), or calm air (makes the temperature
comfortable and the air breathable).
Follow Yonder Star (2nd level). You can let the stars guide your Av, plane of Enemies in the area have disadvantage on saves
movement and protect you. At the start of your turn you can call dreams against magical effects. Allies in the area have
upon the stars. This does not require an action. Until the end of advantage on those saves.
your next turn your enemies miss with their opportunity attacks Ostea, plane Area fills with blood to the depth of your choice, either
that target you or your allies. You cannot use this power again until of water calm or choppy—which requires a DC 5 or DC 15
you finish a long rest. Strength (Athletics) check.
Space Travel (2nd level). Each day you gain movement options Urim, plane of As a bonus action, you can roughly tunnel through up
or bonuses from the two planes you are connected to. earth to three 5-ft. cubes of earth or stone in the zone, or
extrude an equal amount of stone from a rocky surface.
Plane Movement Option Mavisha, When a creature enters the area, you can spend your
Jiese, plane of You can Dash as a bonus action. plane of reaction to have it arrive in any space along the interior
fire journeys perimeter of the area. When a creature leaves the area,
Caeloon, plane You gain a fly speed equal to your base land speed, you can spend a reaction to have it exit on any exterior
of air and you can hover. space along the perimeter.
Av, plane of You can walk on walls and ceilings, and if you fall you Ascetia, plane Enemies in the area are overwhelmed with images from
Chapter Six
dreams safely land on the nearest surface as if it were down. of time their memories, and treat the area as heavily obscured.
Ostea, plane of You gain a swim speed equal to your base land speed. Amrou, plane Creatures in the area lose resistances to damage, and
water of wards if they are immune to a damage type instead they have
Urim, plane of You ignore the first 5 feet of forced movement resistance to it.
earth whenever you’d be moved. You may automatically
resist being teleported or knocked prone.
Mavisha, plane You can teleport 30 feet as an action. If you arrive in Logos
of journeys an area that provides concealment or that no other Philosophers practice swaying people’s opinions with words, by
creature is observing, you can Hide without spending reshaping how they think about the world. Convince a man that
an action. charity is wasting money on people who contribute nothing to soci-
Ascetia, plane If you did not move on your previous turn, double your ety, and he will see a starving child as a beggar. Convince that same
of time speed. man that charity can lift up the poor so they rejoin the workforce,
Amrou, plane of Enemies treat the ground within 10 feet of you as and he’ll see the same child as a potential worker or investment.
wards difficult terrain. Great heroism and horrid cruelty can occur when a powerful idea
holds sway.
Cataclysmic Conjunction (3rd level). As an action you can Underlying philosophy is the understanding that some if not all
cause a portion of another plane to temporarily merge with truths are relative. And some philosophers—whether they have

grown jaded to the constant ebb and flow of ideologies battling for Magical Epistemology
ascendance, or they have come to realize that even their own beliefs Magical power is normally thought of to flow to mortals from various
are impermanent and their perceptions inherently faulty—can mighty sources. Clerics claim they create miracles thanks to their gods.
effect changes in the world through speech alone. Druids say they can direct the primal energy of nature. Wizards scribe
It is said that the second-century Drakran philosopher von Co- treatises about arcane rules of reality which they can exploit in their
penhoff learned to yield such power after he discovered a book spellcasting.
written by William Miller, a philosopher whose teachings were Far less is spoken about the power of belief.
declared heretical by the Clergy. Perhaps the Clergy was wise, for Perhaps what clerics think is the power of their god is in truth the
von Copenhoff nearly took control of an entire nation by declaring shared faith of worshipers, which they are particularly attuned to. And
to people in power one-by-one that they agreed with him. surely nature is as vibrant in every land, yet druids are most common in
Prerequisite: Expression of Belief feat, proficient in Persuasion lands where people value the land and revere its rhythms. And as the
and Religion, character level 7th, must have convinced an enemy to Great Eclipse demonstrated, the rules of reality can change, so some
surrender without fighting theorize that wizardly magic is less a science and more a talent for con-
vincing oneself that impossible things are actually possible.
Features The greatest source of power is the idea.
Hit Dice: 1d8 per logos level. Kings, invested with the loyalty of their subjects, can achieve deeds
Hit Points: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per logos level. no mere mortal possibly could, because the idea of a country is so power-
Fiat (1st level). If opinion can be swayed by rhetoric, so too can ful. Enlightened philosophers find that the more accepted their ideology
behavior. You can impose this certainty upon the world by fiat. As becomes, the more they can exert their will on reality. And at its basest
an action you can state what a creature you can see will do on its level, if you tell a town that the people who live in the next valley over are
next turn. This command must be equivalent to the one-word com- villains who must be destroyed, and if they act on that idea, the ensuing
mands listed in the command spell—approach, drop, flee, grovel, feud will take on a life of its own, and the rivalry will be true regardless of
halt, or something similar—though you state it as a declaration whether the initial claim was a lie.
rather than an order, such as, “The red-haired brigand cast his Upon hearing this concept, it is natural to question one’s own ideology.
weapons to the ground.” How can we know whether any knowledge is valid? But a more useful
If the creature fails a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your profi- question might be, how can we persuade others that our knowledge is
ciency modifier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier) more valid than theirs?
it acts as you stated on its next turn if possible, taking no other ac-
tions or movement. This feature has no effect if your command is can see and declare whether its next attack will hit or miss. The next
directly harmful to the target, but it can put it in a dangerous situ- time that creature makes an attack, it either hits or misses as you
ation (standing beneath a teetering boulder, or running past foes declared. This effect wears off if the creature takes a short or long
and provoking opportunity attacks). This feature does not require rest. You can use this power at will, but after you use it on a given
the target to understand you, and it can affect undead targets nor- creature, you cannot use it on the same creature until you finish a
mally. You can use this power at will, but after you use it on a given long rest. If the creature has multiple attacks, you can choose a spe-
creature, you cannot use it on the same creature until you finish a cific attack you wish to affect, such as, “The manticore’s bite shall
long rest. miss.”
Pathos of the Inanimate (1st level). People can disagree with Ethos of the Unwilling (2nd level). As a student of behavior
an argument, but inanimate objects have no power to resist your and rhetoric, you know that if someone agrees to a small conces-
words. You can manipulate unattended objects by speech alone, sion, they develop a small measure of trust. Even if they are not
Chapter Six
causing furniture to move, trees to crack, locks and doors to open or conscious of it, it becomes easier for you to get them to agree with
close, and even guns to fire on their own, simply by stating it occurs. you. Whenever you hit a creature with an attack or a creature fails
As an action, you can move objects filling up to a 10-ft. square a save against an effect you created, that creature takes a –2 penalty
within 30 feet, objects as large as a person as a bonus action, and to its first attack roll on its next turn, and the DC of the first saving
handheld items without spending an action. You can only mani- throw it makes a creature roll next turn is likewise reduced by 2.
fest something that might happen to the object naturally in time, Inexplicable Narration (3rd level). Until one sees a place, that
or that a person could cause the object to do, so you cannot make a location could contain anything. You just need to convince it to be
tree float, but you could fling a butcher knife or have a wagon roll what you want.
down the street at a walking pace. If you use this power in a way As an action you may choose an area that you are unaware of the
that might damage a creature, it will typically deal no more than details of, no more than 20 feet across, and describe that area. If any
1d10 damage, with a Dexterity save (DC 8 + your proficiency modi- creature enters that area within the next five minutes, it will match
fier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier) to negate. the description until you finish a long rest. The logos can declare
This cannot affect objects that have been given a name, since mundane objects or minor elements of terrain, but cannot use this
doing so imbues them with a fragment of willpower. power to cause damage, create creatures, or create magical effects
Make It So (2nd level). By framing luck and chance as an argu- or objects of any noteworthy value.
ment between possible futures, you can sometimes choose which Simple changes are almost always possible (e.g., the doors down
argument is more convincing. As an action, choose a creature you that short hallway are unlocked, and the lever to deactivate any

possession within three rounds, it releases a burst of force energy.

Each creature within 15 feet takes 7d6 force damage. A successful
Dexterity save (DC 15) reduces the damage by half.
A blaster discharge doesn’t damage the weapon, but does drain
it. Restoring the energy matrix requires 50 gp in raw materials
and eight hours’ work, but any enchantments and other modifica-
tions on the weapon survive. If one of your blasters discharges, it
cascades through the energy matrix of every other blaster you’ve
crafted, which drains those weapons too.
Autofire (1st level). With the flip of a switch, your blaster con-
verts from firing a single shot to releasing a volley of smaller force
bolts. When you make an attack with your blaster, you can choose
to autofire. This deals damage equal to your Dexterity modifier
traps is within easy view; or behind this wall is a hidden chamber to each creature within 5 feet of the space you targeted with your
filled with weapons). At the Narrator’s discretion, however, more attack. If you hit your primary target this doesn’t add any damage,
drastic declarations may cause the ability to simply fail (e.g., the but if you miss and would normally deal no damage, the autofire
hold of this ship is filled with lava; or a note explaining the villain’s instead deals this grazing damage. Creatures that have cover rela-
plans just happens to be sitting on a table waiting for us). tive to you take no damage from autofire.
After you use this power you cannot use it again until you finish If you are 11th level or higher, increase this damage to 2 + your
a long rest. Dex modifier, and at 17th level to 4 + your Dex modifier.
Undeniable Truth (3rd level). When a creature fails a save If you use autofire, during your next turn your blaster is over-
against your Fiat feature, you may choose to state a more involved heated and cannot fire normal blasts, but it can use other abilities
or long-lasting task. If the creature fails another Wisdom save (DC like beam shot and mobility shot.
8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Cha- Beam Shot (1st level). During a long rest you can use the energy
risma modifier), it follows your direction as it would the suggestion matrix of a blaster to refine latent elemental energy in the environ-
spell, except this feature does not require the creature to under- ment and charge three cartridges, which glow blue, and red, and
stand you. yellow. The cartridges lose their charge within a day, making it im-
possible—barring further technological innovation—to stockpile
Mad Shootist such ammo.
Guns, feh. Guns are passé. The weapon of the future needs to do As an action or bonus action you can load one of these cartridges
more than just shed blood. A firearm can store magical power, firing into your blaster. The next shot with your blaster creates a beam
explosive projectiles, striking with beams of elemental energy, or of energy that sounds even more futuristic. The cartridge loses its
creating even more unusual effects. You never know what tool you charge after use, but can be recharged during your next long rest.
need to win a battle, but soon you will be able to carry them all at * Freeze Ray. A creature you hit with this beam is restrained
once! by encasing ice, and if the attack reduces them to 0 hit points
Prerequisite: The Man with Two Guns is God feat, proficient in it does not kill them. The restrained creature or one who can
Arcana, character level 7th, access to a technology lab with at least touch the ice can use its action to make a Strength check (DC
500 gp in components 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence modifier)
to free the creature. While the creature is restrained, it is
Chapter Six
Features vulnerable to the first attack that damages it. Thereafter the
Hit Dice: 1d10 per mad shootist level. ice is broken and it is freed.
Hit Points: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per mad * Shrink Ray. A creature you hit with this beam takes no
shootist level. damage but instead it shrinks by three size categories (gar-
Inventive Gunnery (1st level). Choose a type of non-grenade gantuan to huge, large, medium, small, tiny, and miniscule),
firearm. You have invented a “blaster,” a modular arcano-scientific it has disadvantage on Strength checks and saves, its speed
version of that weapon which is powered by an unstable energy is halved, and it deals half damage with its non-spell attacks.
matrix. You can craft this blaster or upgrade an existing firearm by If it is reduced below Tiny, it instead deals only 1 damage
spending one day and 500 gp in raw materials beyond the normal with its non-spell attacks, and its speed is reduced to 5 ft. If
price of the weapon. the creature is incapacitated, it remains shrunk for one hour.
You can have your blaster use its normal method of firing, or you Otherwise, it returns to its original size at the end of your
can have it fire force blasts. These are identical to normal rounds, next turn. At the Narrator’s discretion, other effects may
except they deal force damage and can be fired limitlessly without apply.
requiring reloading. And they sound very futuristic. * Wave Beam. This beam oscillates with visible peaks and
The energy matrix of a blaster is very volatile, and while you troughs, ignoring static, inanimate objects and covering a
know how to keep your weapons within limits, if anyone else fires wide enough area that you only need to aim in approximately
one of your blasters, it begins to pulse, and then if you do not regain the right spot. Your shot ignores cover and concealment. A

creature struck by this shot takes an extra 1d10 damage. This

increases to 2d10 if you are 11th level, and 3d10 at 17th level.
Kinetic Repulse (2nd level). You can spend a bonus action to
activate an arctech kinetic shield, which surrounds you until the
start of your next turn. It grants you resistance to all damage except
psychic damage. Track how much damage is prevented this way. On
your next turn, when your blaster deals damage to a creature, you
can have it deal extra damage equal to how much the shield blocked,
to a maximum of 20 extra damage. This repulsed energy can only
damage one creature, even if you hit multiple with the same attack.
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com-
plete a short or long rest.
When you reach third level, you do not have to spend a bonus
action to activate this ability.
Mobility Shot (2nd level). You can fire an electrical grapple
from your blaster as a bonus action. You target a solid anchor point
at least 5 feet across within 30 feet and then fire a grapple beam.
You can use your movement to pull yourself to that location and
hang (so if you’re 20 feet away, it takes 20 feet of movement), or you
can use it as the anchor point of a swing, so if you make a long jump
you can add up to the length of your beam to the distance you jump days or to get another shot at the enemies who wronged them and
(at the Narrator’s discretion). You can keep the grapple shot engaged got away.
as long as you want, but once you release it, it takes 5 minutes to Ber’s national pride has been hurt by almost losing its first major
recharge. While the grapple beam is engaged, you cannot fire your war as a new nation, and Elfaivar is still constrained by the memo-
blaster. ries of losing the Second Victory. Both nations are likely to produce
If the anchor moves, the beam disengages. The grapple cannot monuments of war, though Elfaivarans are more likely to recall
damage creatures. barrages of arrows or spells than cannons.
Rocket Launcher (2nd level). After a long rest, you can create Prerequisite: Display of Heroism feat, proficient in Athletics
up to five rockets. Like beam shot cartridges, they destabilize after and History, character level 7th
a day. Similar to an alchemical launcher, you can load a rocket as an
action, and they function as grenades with your blaster’s range and Features
attack bonus. Hit Dice: 1d12 per monument of war level.
Hyper Beam (3rd level). Instead of having your blaster over- Hit Points: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per monu-
heat after using autofire, you can choose to have it use that unstable ment of war level.
energy to charge a hyperbeam. On your next turn as an action you Instant Boot Camp (1st level). As a bonus action you can shout
can unleash a 5-foot-wide beam out to the weapon’s maximum directions you recall from your own military training. You and
range. Make an attack roll against every creature in that line, and each ally who can see or hear you becomes proficient in Athlet-
roll damage once to apply to all the targets. You also deal autofire ics and proficient in all simple and martial weapons for the next
damage to every creature within 5 feet of that line, and to any crea- minute. You and each of those allies can immediately stand up or
Chapter Six
ture in the line that you miss with your attack roll. If you loaded a drop prone, then walk 10 feet or crawl 5 feet.
beam shot charge, all these attacks are with the chosen beam. After Fearless Mien (1st level). Accounts of your heroism carry their
this hyper shot, your blaster is depleted for five minutes. own strength. You and allies within 30 feet of you have advantage
on saving throws against being frightened. When you use your
Monument of War Display of Heroism, each ally you affect can spend and roll one hit
All militaries spin their greatest war veterans into mythic heroes, die, and heal that many hit points. If they were at 0 hit points, they
who come to embody the ideals and hallmarks of various wars for instead heal that much plus 1.
their nation’s citizenry. Some rare veterans become empowered by Shell Shock (1st level). As an action you can call upon a pow-
this public investment in their life stories, and learn to manifest erful memory of being caught in an artillery barrage to conjure
parts of their myth in battle today. At the veteran’s invocation, a psychic manifestations of a cannon strike in your immediate vicin-
remembered fusillade of cannons might strike a new foe, or a fallen ity. This manifestation must be centered on a space no more than 10
ally might once again step in the path of a bullet to spare the vet- feet away, and strikes in a 15-foot-radius burst. Thus you must be
eran’s life. caught in your own remembered blast, though perhaps cover might
These living monuments of war are often haunted by their fallen shield you.
brethren or by the dishonorable acts they had to perform to sur- Targets in the area take 7d6 points of force damage, and are
vive, which they must now keep secret as the public cheers them as pushed 5 feet and knocked prone. A successful Dexterity save (DC
unimpeachable heroes. Yet others just wish to recapture their glory 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Constitution modifier) halves

Posse Member Challenge n/a

Medium humanoid (any species)
Armor Class 11 (leather)
the damage and prevents a creature from falling prone. The area of HP 16 (3d8+3)
the blast is filled with dust and smoke, providing concealment until Speed 30 ft.
the end of your next turn. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
After using this power, you cannot use it again until you take a 12 (+1) 8 (–1) 12 (+1) 10 (+1) 8 (+1) 12 (+0)
short or long rest. Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11
Do You Want to Live Forever? (2nd level). You have survived Skills Intimidation +3, Perception +2, one other
bullet hells or arrow tempests where the crossfire should have Senses passive Perception 12
killed anyone, and that story is so well-known and powerful that it Traits
protects you. When you have no physical cover or concealment, you Bolstered by Celebrity. As long as a posse member has seen you in the
gain the benefit of cover against non-melee attacks. past five minutes, they add your proficiency bonus instead of their own
Remembrance of the Heroic Sacrifice (2nd level). You can call (+2) to attack rolls and to saving throws they are proficient in.
upon the psychic memory of a long-dead friend to save an ally from If a posse member is reduced to 0 HP they automatically stabilize
an attack. When an attack is about to hit you or an ally, you can con- unless there was an extra 16 damage beyond what took them to 0 HP, in
jure the psychic manifestation, who is struck by the attack instead which case they die instantly.
of the original target. The manifestation is instantly destroyed, but Once per day during a short rest, a posse member can heal to full.
the original target of the attack is unaffected by it. Hype Tactics. The posse member has advantage on an attack roll against
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you com- a creature if their celebrity attacked that creature in the past round or is
plete a short or long rest. within 5 feet of that creature.
Cannon Overture (3rd level). When you use your shell shock Actions
ability, on the following two rounds you may as a bonus action call Scrap and Slash. Your guys have a variety of weapons. Sometimes they
in additional artillery strikes. These strikes do not need to include just need to break some teeth. Sometimes they need a spear to hold off
you in their area of effect, but each one must land at least 30 feet a monster. Mostly they use those fine matching swords you bought them.
from the center point of any other previous strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1)
bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
Notorious Celebrity Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +1 to hit; range 20/60; one target. Hit: 4
Some say gods gain power from the devotion of their followers, (1d10–1) piercing damage. Special: The weapon misfires on a natural 1.
and that kings are strengthened by the approval of their subjects. Reloading requires an action or bonus action.
Well you’re damned famous, and people spend more time each day
thinking about your dramatic and entertaining feats than about Your posse members act on your initiative in combat, but nor-
stodgy monarchs or absent deities. Why shouldn’t your notoriety mally they hang back and don’t attack. They’ll move where you
grant you power and influence? direct without you needing to spend an action. You can spend an
A handful of notorious celebrities seem to only grow more im- action to have them each take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge,
pressive the more people hear of them. They demand attention, and or Help action. Thereafter they return to being noncombatants.
attract followers (colloquially known as a posse) who do their bid- You have a subtle supernatural connection to each member
ding and share in their supernatural power. To take full advantage of your posse, so whenever something deals damage to a posse
of their unique abilities they must make an effort to have an audi- member you can see, you can transfer that damage to yourself. If
Chapter Six
ence wherever they go, and they find it impossible to avoid scrutiny. the same source damages multiple posse members simultaneously,
This is perhaps not the best choice for a constable who might need you can protect all of them, but you only take the damage once. If a
to travel incognito, but sometimes the affection of fans is more source would damage you and one or more of your posse members
useful than the indifference of strangers. simultaneously, you can shield them automatically without taking
Prerequisite: Docker’s Jank feat (or Actor or Inspiring Leader), any extra damage.
proficient in Performance, character level 7th, must be wildly pop- A posse member who dies should be mourned briefly and then
ular as an entertainer can be replaced casually the next time you’re somewhere you have
fans. You might eulogize them in a song, and everyone will admire
Features how great you are for respecting whatever-their-name-was.
Hit Dice: 1d8 per notorious celebrity level. Audience Participation (1st level). You’re unparalleled at get-
Hit Points: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per notorious ting the crowd on your side. If there are noncombatants present
celebrity level. who are friendly to you and aware that you’re engaged in combat,
Roll with a Posse (1st level). You attract four loyal followers, whenever an enemy starts its turn within 5 feet of one or more of
your “posse,” who protect you from unimportant people and do those noncombatants, the crowd deals 4 bludgeoning damage to
tasks you don’t have time for, as well as aid you in combat. Each that creature. This damage increases to 6 if you are 11th level, and
member of your posse has the following stats, or something rough- 8 if you are 17th level. Your posse counts as noncombatants for this
ly equivalent. effect if you haven’t directed them to act in the past round.

Demand Attention (1st level). On your turn you can shout for
attention. Choose one non-mindless enemy aware of you. That
enemy has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than
you until the end of your next turn. After using this ability, you
cannot use it again until you take a short or long rest.
Crowd Effect (2nd level). When you have an audience of at
least eight non-combatant bystanders, their reactions bolster you.
While you have an audience, you gain a +5 bonus on death saving
throws, and whenever you drop an enemy you gain 6 temporary hit
points. This increases to 9 if you are 11th level, and to 12 if you are
17th level.
Summon Audience (2nd level). As a bonus action, you can
create up to eight illusory people in a 20-foot cube within 120 feet,
lasting for ten minutes or until you dismiss them. These illusions
are as convincing as major illusion, and are lifelike but generally
stationary unless you spend an action to have them move. You and
your allies can move freely through the illusory crowd, but they are
difficult terrain for enemies and grant cover against ranged attacks.
These audience members count as real onlookers for the purpose of
your audience participation and crowd effect abilities. Features
After using this power, you cannot use it again until you finish a Hit Dice: 1d10 per polyhistor level.
long rest. Hit Points: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per polyhis-
One-Upmanship (3rd level). You find it hard to let your allies tor level.
have a moment in the spotlight. The first time each combat when Studied Proficiency (1st level). You are proficient in all weap-
an ally drops an enemy or scores a critical hit, you grant yourself ons. For your Martial Studies feat, you can prepare two techniques
the benefits of the Bardic Inspiration die from your Docker’s Jank after you complete a long rest, but one must be either experimental
feat. This doesn’t expend the die you would normally grant to your strike or committee defense.
allies. If you don’t have the Docker’s Jank feat, instead you gain a d6 Combat Focus (1st level). At the end of your turn, if in the past
inspiration die. round you took a hostile action against a foe, a foe took hostile
Shock and Awe (3rd level). When you hit an enemy with an action against you, or you witnessed a foe taking or receiving hos-
attack or an enemy fails a save against a spell you cast, as a bonus tile action, you gain 1 focus, to a maximum of five. Whenever five
action you can have one of your posse members attack the same minutes pass without you gaining any focus, your focus resets to
enemy. If your posse member hits, the enemy is frightened of however many levels you have in this prestige class (1, 2, or 3).
you until the end of your next turn unless it succeeds a Wisdom You can use focus to temporarily access combat feats and gain
saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Charisma other benefits.
modifier). Adaptive Style (1st level). You have learned a diverse set of
fighting styles, and while you are master of none, as you gain in-
Polyhistor sight into a battle you can discern moments where such techniques
Ballistics is a science. Angle, velocity, force—all these can be cal- could be useful.
Chapter Six
culated and refined for the perfect shot. Medicine is likewise a During your turn, you can spend 1 focus to gain the benefits of
science. Arteries, ligaments, organs—damage to these in varying a combat feat. You must meet any prerequisites, and the feat must
intensities cause readily-measured negative consequences to the provide some benefit during combat and not provide an ability score
injured party. Similarly the kinetics of motion, the materials sci- increase. Whether a feat qualifies is at the Narrator’s discretion.
ence of armor and weapon, even the nascent study of psychology (If you’re playing Level Up, consider that you can use this ability
and sociology all can lend understanding to the complex system to temporarily acquire new combat maneuvers via the feat Martial
that is a battle. Scholar.)
As a polyhistor you are well-learned, versed in an expansive list You can gain access to up to two bonus feats this way at a time,
of sciences, all with a focus on their relation to warfare and combat. which last until the end of combat, to a maximum of five minutes.
Using your diverse knowledge and your keen intellect you can Inner Defenses (2nd level). You have devised techniques to
compose at a moment’s notice the ideal method of attack for any recognize mental threats and divert them. Whenever you need to
situation. Of course, sometimes an immediate attack is not optimal. make a saving throw, you can spend 1 focus to become proficient in
Better perhaps to observe a foe’s patterns, and to let him leave an that type of save until the end of the combat (to a maximum of five
opening you can exploit. minutes).
Prerequisite: Martial Studies feat or Savant class, proficient in Perfect Aim (2nd level). If you have advantage on an attack roll
Culture, character level 7th; must have contacts with a college, uni- and you hit with both attack rolls, you can spend 2 focus to treat the
versity, or military academy. attack as a critical hit.

Cunning Defense (3rd level). You can anticipate your enemy’s

moves, plotting out strikes, parries, and ripostes like gambits on a
chessboard. You can modify your AC with your proficiency bonus
instead of your Dexterity.
Masterstroke (3rd level). It is mentally exhausting, but you
can use your considerable intellect to compose the perfect attack
amidst the seeming randomness of battle. As an action, you can
study the battlefield. Then until the end of your next turn you have
advantage on all attack rolls, and if the unmodified die roll of an
attack you make is 12 or lower, treat it as if you had rolled a natu-
ral 13. Additionally until the end of your next turn, your polyhistor
abilities do not cost focus to use.
After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish
a short or long rest.
Steamsuit Pilot
If you can build a quadruped contraption that can fire a gun or chan-
nel magical energy, it’s merely a matter of scale to produce a larger A steamsuit is inert without a pilot, and since you designed it for
vehicle, perhaps something someone could wear like a suit of armor. yourself only a creature the same size as you can fit into your suit.
Now, a person would have to be a fool to strap into a heat-conducting You can enter or exit a suit by spending 10 feet of movement. Most
pile of metal powered by an arcane engine, but well, you’ve invented suits are designed with masterful locking mechanisms which can
the damned thing. It’d be more foolish to let it go to waste. be opened either by a key as a bonus action, or by a Dexterity check
In the past technologists designed suits powered by arcane (DC 20) with thieves’ tools as an action. When you enter the suit you
steam boilers, but today they are more likely to use wayfarer en- can lock it without spending an action.
gines, which are lighter and don’t belch obscuring vapors. The You are restrained and blinded while inside a suit that is deac-
name steamsuit has become the common parlance, however, and tivated. Activating or deactivating the arcane steam engine takes
some traditionalists still add boilers merely for the aesthetic. a bonus action. While the engine is active, you are considered
Each technologist who tries to design a steamsuit adds their own proficient in whatever type of armor the suit is. You have a magi-
flair and quirks. Sometimes an elf wants a verdigris suit of skin- cal link to your steamsuit, so any magical enchantments on what
tight plate armor that merely increases her strength and speed. you’re wearing also apply to the steamsuit’s armor. Your steamsuit
Sometimes a gnome wants to ride around in a mechanized gorilla will typically have hands, so it can wield weapons. If you have a
the size of a bear and tear through everything in his path. But in- magic weapon, it can wield that weapon, or if it has the same type
variably, these suits are just machines, and any machine, no matter of weapon and you have the weapon on your person while inside
how ingeniously crafted, can break. the suit, the weapon the suit wields benefits from that enchantment.
Prerequisite: Arctech Tinkerer feat, proficient in Arcana and As long as the engine is active, you must maintain the power
Engineering, character level 7th, access to a technology lab with at matrix. As creator of the suit your magical link lets you do this
least 5,000 gp in components without spending an action as long as you’re inside the suit, even
if you’re incapacitated. If anyone else is in the suit, they must make
Features a DC 15 Intelligence check at the start of each turn or else be re-
Chapter Six
Hit Dice: 1d8 per steamsuit pilot level. strained and unable to use any of the suit’s powers until the start of
Hit Points: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per steamsuit their next turn.
pilot level. While in your suit, your Strength score is increased to 19, or to
Steam & Steel (1st level). You have designed an arcanoscientific 23 if you are proficient in the type of armor the suit is made out of
power matrix which you can integrate into a suit of armor as a sort (i.e., you don’t need the suit to do as much work for you), unless your
of steam engine, enhancing your strength and ability to move while Strength is already higher. You have double the lifting capacity of
wearing the armor. Indeed, the power matrix can even let you wear a normal creature your size with that Strength. Your suit doesn’t
armor larger than your actual body. count toward your encumbrance.
If you start with a suit of armor and spend one day and 500 gp You are considered proficient with your suit’s unarmed attacks,
in raw materials, you can upgrade that armor with a power matrix which deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
and the necessary enchantments and steam valves to operate it. At the end of your turn, if you took damage since your last
The armor can be your size or larger, up to Large size. Large armor turn while in the suit, make an Intelligence saving throw (DC 10)
costs the same as medium or small armor, since the main expense to keep the suit’s power matrix stable. If you fail three saves, the
is labor, not materials. The archetypical steamsuit is modified engine enters a safe mode. This reduces your Strength to its normal
Large full plate, whose only drawback is that it might not fit in some amount, imposes a –2 penalty on AC and Dexterity saving throws,
places. (You can certainly build a leather steamsuit, or multiple and prevents you from taking reactions that require movement.
steamsuits, but you can only operate one at a time.) You can repair the suit during a short rest.

Personal Touches (1st level). Choose up to ten objects that can

be held in one hand (or two-handed objects, which take up two
“slots”). You integrate these objects into your suit and can retrieve
them and swap between them without limit on your turn, plus they
can be hidden from casual view. Sure, it’s obvious you’re in a a half-
ton clanking shell of steel, but your enemies won’t know you’ve got
a shotgun, a musket, a shield, a lantern, a portable ram, and a pair
of integrated scimitars. You can still only make use of two hands’
worth of weapons or shields at a time.
Additionally, choose a 1st level spell from the wizard spell list, as
long as it does not require an expensive material component. You
can use the suit to cast that spell one time, using your Intelligence
as the spellcasting ability. Afterward you cannot use it to cast that
spell again until you finish a short rest.
At 2nd level, add a 2nd level wizard spell to your capabilities, and
at 3rd level add a 3rd level wizard spell. You can cast each spell once
between short rests.
If a spell the suit casts has the duration of concentration, when-
ever you take damage you may make an Intelligence saving throw
instead of Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration.
Power Fist (2nd level). Steam pistons in your suit’s arm can
launch a devastating punch. When you hit an enemy with your
suit’s unarmed strike, you can trigger the power fist. The attack
deals an extra 1d6 damage, and the target must make a Strength
saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence
modifier) or else be shoved 10 feet. You can only use this ability psychic nature of cities. The city begins to sustain them, speak to
once per turn, and you cannot use it if your suit is in safe mode. them, and protect them.
Defensive Shield (2nd level). You can enhance your armor’s This close communion with urban environments has its limita-
resilience with charged wards with limited duration. As a bonus tions, of course. A medium who devotes himself to speaking with
action choose a damage type and gain resistance to that damage cities can still use his powers in the wilderness, but in a much
type until the end of your next turn. You cannot use this ability if weakened capacity. In the smog-choked streets of a burgeon-
your suit is in safe mode. ing industrial metropolis, though, he has a veritable army at his
Matrix Stability (3rd level). If you suit goes into safe mode, you command.
can repair it by spending an action instead of having to spend a Prerequisite: Unfinished Business feat, proficient in Persuasion
short rest. and Insight, character level 7th
Redline Rush (3rd level). On your turn you can overheat your
engine to increase your suit’s speed. You double your walking Features
speed for the turn and gain a +5 bonus to all Acrobatics and Ath- Hit Dice: 1d6 per urban empath level.
letics checks during this movement. This destabilizes the engine Hit Points: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per urban
Chapter Six
as if you had taken damage, forcing you to make an Intelligence empath level.
save at the end of your turn, in addition to any save you’d normally Spellcasting. Add the following spells to all of your classes’
make due to taking damage. You cannot use this ability if your suit spell lists: conjure elemental, dissonant whispers, knock, locate creature,
is in safe mode. message, tiny hut (takes the appearance of a small house). Whenever
Quick-Don (3rd level). Without spending an action, you can you gain a level in this class, it grants or advances your choice of
cause your suit to magically collapse into a mechanical object that bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, or wizard spellcasting, or warlock
fits into your palm and weighs only five pounds. You can spend an Pact Magic. This advancement includes spell slots, spells prepared,
action or bonus action to cause this object to transform into your and spells known.
suit, and may have the suit form around you and activate the engine. Every Building a Welcoming Home (1st level). As a bonus
It thus becomes relatively easy to have multiple suits for different action, you can ask a city to let you through. Until the end of your
occasions. turn, you can move through manmade structures as if they weren’t
there. After using this ability you cannot use it again until you take
Urban Empath a short or long rest.
Mediums can sense the lingering thoughts of spirits of the dead, but Urban Bond (1st level). While in an urban environment (defined
people have for ages referred to cities as having a spirit, a genius loci. generally as a bounded area with a population density of at least
Especially in a place where so many have died over the years, with 1000 people per square mile), you need neither food nor drink, and
the right mindset it becomes possible for a medium to attune to the you gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics, Athletics, and Perception checks.

These effects generally extend as long as you’re within 3 miles of the Vekeshi Excoriant
border of an urban area. Only a handful of mystics among the vekeshi learn the rituals of
The City Comes Alive (1st level). As an action you can call upon the fallen goddess Srasama. Though she has passed on, fragments
the city to strike an enemy and possibly trap it in a maw of bricks of her power remain scattered across the world, and can still be
and cobblestones. Make a melee spell attack with a range of 30 feet; touched by those who maintain sufficient devotion.
the target must be within 5 feet of a manmade structure, even just These true believers excoriate their skin and use fire to cauter-
a wall or street. ize and scar in symbols sacred to Srasama, commemorating her
If the attack hits, the target takes 2d12 damage, and if the crea- three forms of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Excoriants often either
ture is Large or smaller you may knock it prone, but if you do, it has find themselves in charge of local cells of vekeshi mystics, or they
cover while prone. This damage increases to 3d12 at 11th level, and altogether transcend hierarchies and pursue their own agendas.
4d12 at 17th level. Every night however they focus their will by reciting the teachings
The City Whispers (2nd level). You can listen to the spirit of of Vekesh, so that they maintain a purity of purpose to protect the
the city to learn what it hears and sees. This communion functions weak and punish those who would abuse them.
similar to the commune with nature ritual, granting you knowledge of Prerequisite: Hand of Retribution feat, proficiency in History
three facts the city can share. Sample “facts” include: and Religion, must have three iconic scars somewhere on the body,
The general state of every publicly accessible location within 3 character level 7th
miles.
Disturbances in private locations if they could be seen or heard Features
from a public area. Hit Dice: 1d12 per vekeshi excoriant level.
Choose a creature or small group that the city can identify Hit Points: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per vekeshi
through some physical means. You learn whether it is in the area excoriant level.
and where, unless it entered a private area in which case you learn Dreadnought (1st level). The mystic rites you have undertaken
when it entered. to connect you to the goddess have strengthened your will and
Gain intuitive understanding of all publicly traversable terrain freed your will to resist worldly temptations. You are proficient in
in the area, allowing you to navigate perfectly. Wisdom saving throws. If you are already proficient in Wisdom
For the purpose of this, “private” generally means somewhere le- saving throws, you get a +2 bonus to Wisdom saving throws.
gally owned and off-limits to outsiders. While a museum is owned, You also add your proficiency bonus to death saving throws.
the public can access it, and while the sewers are not normal thor- Daunting Presence (1st level). On your turn, you can choose to
oughfares, usually there is no personal ownership of a sewer. adopt terrifying mannerisms designed to drive your foes back. If you
The city doesn’t have precise recollection, and cannot convey do, you cannot make normal opportunity attacks until the start of
conversations or subtle actions, but could share details of a broadly- your next turn. However, when a creature within your reach would
witnessed speech. This power functions to a distance of three miles make an attack against you, you can use a reaction to force the crea-
in an urban environment, but only to 300 feet outside an urban area. ture to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus
After using this ability you cannot use it again until you take a + your Charisma modifier). If it fails this save, the attacking creature
short or long rest. becomes frightened of you for one round; if it succeeds, it becomes
Every Window an Eye (2nd level). You gain tremorsense out to immune to being frightened by your daunting stance for one day.
60 feet in an urban environment, and can sense the presence and Threefold Presence (1st level). At the start of your turn, you
location of creatures that have concealment or cover as long as they may call upon the threefold presence of Srasama. During this turn,
are hidden by manmade structures. when you move, you can trace three different paths from your ini-
Chapter Six
The City Marches to War (3rd level): You can call upon a city tial starting position, as if you were splitting into three versions of
in your time of dire need, causing walls, streets, and gates to move yourself. At the start of your next turn, you must choose which of
at your command. those locations is your actual location, at which point the other two
As an action, you cause the terrain in a 40-foot-radius burst versions of you disappear.
within 100 feet of you to rise up and hinder your foes. Enemies Before you choose your actual location, you can act as if you were
that enter that area or end their turn there take 2d6 bludgeoning in any of the three locations, and you can be affected by others as
damage. As a bonus action, you can cause up to six 5-foot cubes if you were in any of those locations. Things that would affect you
of terrain in the area to move up to 30 feet, or to extrude into the more than once, such an area attack that would hit two of your loca-
area from an existing wall or floor, or to withdraw into an existing tions, only affect you once.
wall or floor. This moving terrain can only enter unoccupied spaces, Before the start of your next turn, you can take one extra action,
and it is generally composed of whatever the prevailing building one extra bonus action, and one extra reaction. You cannot have any
materials in the area are. The area lasts for five minutes or until one of your three versions take more than one action, one bonus
dismissed. action, and one reaction each. You cannot use an extra action if
Outside an urban area, instead you can affect a 10-foot-radius another ability grants you an extra action the same turn, such as a
burst within 50 feet of you. fighter’s Action Surge.
After using this ability you cannot use it again until you take a After using this ability, you cannot use it again until you take a
short or long rest. short or long rest.

This aspect of Srasama does not act with any real intelligence;
the only word she ever says is for her guttering desperation attack. She
is focused on defeating your enemies. She acts on your initiative
as soon as you summon her. She follows your desires without you
needing to take any action to direct her. This manifestation does
not require concentration to maintain as long as any enemies are
present, but once you are no longer in danger, you can maintain
concentration to keep the aspect present and on guard.
After using this power again, you cannot use it again until you
finish a long rest. Any wounds the aspect suffers remain the next
time you summon her, though all her injuries heal at the start of
the next full moon. If the aspect is reduced to 0 hit points, she fades
away and cannot be summoned until the start of the next full moon.
Aspect of Srasama Challenge n/a

Huge celestial
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
HP 78 (12d12)
Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 17
Saving Throws see Shared Prowess
Damage Resistance fire, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities fatigued, frightened, paralyzed, petrified
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 (see Shared Prowess)
Traits
Shared Prowess. The aspect is proficient in the same saving throws you
Vengeful Gaze of the Goddess (1st level). As a bonus action are. It is also proficient in Perception and in all weapons. It adds your
you can choose a creature you can see. Guided by the divine sight of proficiency bonus to those saving throws, to Perception checks and
Srasama, you unerringly know the direction to the target until you passive Perception, to its attack rolls, and to the DCs to resist its powers.
finish a long rest. You cannot use this power again until you finish (For example, if a character with a +4 proficiency bonus summons the
a long rest. aspect, its attack bonus will be +8, and the save DC to resist its powers
Triune Blessing (2nd level). You can call upon the three aspects would be 15.)
of the goddess Srasama as a bonus action. For each of these bless- Maiden, Mother, Crone. The aspect can take up to three actions and one
ings, choose yourself or one creature you’re aware of to affect; you bonus action on her turn. She can use burning scimitar up to three times
can choose the same creature multiple times. per round (since she has many swords), but she can use crushing vines
The maiden grants advantage on the creature’s next saving throw, and guttering desperation no more than once each per turn.
Chapter Six
and their next attack roll. Actions
The mother heals 5d8+5 points of damage to that creature. Burning Scimitar. The maiden slices your foe, and fire erupts from
The crone hexes the creature, so that until the start of your next the wound. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 + your proficiency bonus to hit;
turn, attacks that hit the creature deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage. reach 10 ft.; one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage. If the target
After using this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an
a long rest. action to douse the fire, the target takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start
Live for Vengeance (2nd level). Whenever you succeed a death of each of its turns.
saving throw, you can spend two Hit Dice and heal that many hit Crushing Vines. The mother weaves a spell, creating life. Ranged
points, allowing you to regain consciousness. Spell Attack: +4 + your proficiency bonus to hit; range 60 ft.; one target.
Vestige of Srasama (3rd level). As an action, you can call upon Hit: The target is restrained. It can spend an action to make a Strength
a vestige of your goddess. A towering, flaming image of a woman check (DC 11 + your proficiency bonus) to free itself.
steps into existence. Her features shift by the moment, from youth- Guttering Desperation. The crone speaks a single word: “Grovel.” One
ful warrior, to mature healer, to withered and skeletal sorceress. target within 60 ft. falls prone unless it succeeds a Wisdom saving throw
She strides toward your enemies, six burning swords held in or (DC 11 + your proficiency bonus). That creature cannot stand up until the
floating beside her six hands. end of its next turn.

Wayfarer Cirqueliste something triggered by your movement like a trap or hazard,

Courseur philosophy encourages physical fitness so that one’s swift spend one step to gain advantage on a Dexterity saving throw
movements can inspire rapid progress and innovation. No group or impose disadvantage on an attack roll against you.
combines these two aspects of the ideology more flamboyantly * Spend one step to cast misty step as an action, or two steps
than the Wayfarer Cirquelistes, a group of acrobatic performers in to cast it as a bonus action. Instead of being transported in
a traveling circus who can use their movement to fuel magic, with a silvery mist, however, your departure and arrival points are
particular penchant for teleportation. marked with a harmless burst of flame that lingers in the
Prerequisite: Brook No Delay feat, proficiency in Acrobat- shape of your body. Often cirquelistes will teleport in the
ics, Arcana, and Athletics, must have trained with the Wayfarers middle of acrobatic flips, appreciating the aesthetic of leaving
Cirque, character level 7th dramatic flaming afterimages of their movement.
* When you or an ally you can see casts a spell, spend two steps
Features to modify that spell with one of the following sorcerer Meta-
Hit Dice: 1d8 per wayfarer cirqueliste level. magic abilities: distant, empowered, or extended. You can use
Hit Points: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per wayfarer your Dexterity modifier in place of your Charisma modifier
cirqueliste level. for this effect.
Wayfarer’s Athleticism (1st level). You can double your profi- Wayfarer’s Leap (1st level). You can cast dimension door. After
ciency bonus when making Acrobatics and Athletics checks. Your you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a
base speed increases by 5 feet. short or long rest.
Wayfarer’s Kineticism (1st level). You can create and empower Nomadic Strike (2nd level). When you teleport within 5 feet of
magic through movement. a creature, the first attack you make against that creature before
Whenever you move at least 20 feet on your turn, you gain a “step” the end of your current turn has advantage.
of power. If you move more than your speed on your turn (such as Sense Teleportation (2nd level). You are aware whenever a
by taking the Dash action or flinging yourself with a trebuchet), you creature within 150 feet arrives or departs using teleportation, and
gain an additional step of power. This gathered power lasts until you know the distance and direction to their origin and destination.
you spend it or until you finish your turn and have not moved at Wayfarer Guide (2nd level). Whenever you use an ability that
least 20 feet, and you can have up to a maximum of three steps of lets you teleport, you can bring three extra creatures within 20 feet
power stored at a time. of you along with you, even if the ability normally only teleports
Holding this power over a long period of time is perilous, so you you, such as misty step. After you use this ability, you cannot use it
only gather steps of power when you are clearly in danger. You start again until you complete a short or long rest.
each encounter with zero steps of power, even if you were moving Grand Journey (3rd level). You can cast teleportation circle. After
just before the encounter begins. you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a
You can spend steps in the following ways. short or long rest. When you gain this ability, the wayfarers typi-
* Without using an action, spend one step to gain the effects of cally share their full collection of sigil sequences.
freedom of movement until the end of your next turn. Ready to Move (3rd level). You start each encounter with one
* Without using an action, when you are endangered by “step” charged up.
Chapter Six

Chapter Seven
A Modern Menagerie
F irearms, new technology, and military tactics
have changed the nature of conflict, but per-
haps the deepest change is people’s awareness of

Technological Weaknesses
Many creatures in this bestiary possess an entry for a Technological
Weakness, with a skill and a DC listed in parentheses. Whenever the
party encounters such a creature, each character who is proficient in
the listed skill knows that the creature has a weakness, but figuring it
out requires a moment. That character may spend a bonus action to
legends and events from far-flung lands. make the listed check. If they succeed, they learn the details of the
weakness. If they fail, they can try again.
Journalism, ceraunic telegraphy, and scientific studies of the Our intent is to create more opportunities for adventurers to win
heavens above have filled people’s minds with new things to fear, a battle with their wits, and to reward PCs deploying some atypical
and new potential foes to test themselves against. tactics.
In this section, you’ll find stats and information on the following
creatures. goofy, bear-shaped machine with claws and rocket-thrusters could
* Members of three prominent criminal syndicates. ever represent the battlefield of the future, right?
* Various government police and military forces. The development of the wayfarer’s engine has allowed the cre-
* The dread borenbog, the legendary mythical ten-headed lions ation of significantly more cost-effective BEARs than ever before.
of Elfaivar, and other deadly and beautiful fey. The bodies of these constructs are steel integrated with rocky
* Technological terrors like piloted steamsuits and the BEAR— earth-aspected and mirror-like life-aspected planarite, while its
Battle Enhanced Animalistic Replicant. armaments are similar to arcane fusils but charged with coherent
* Creatures produced by forbidden witchoil experiments. thunder air planarite. The BEAR is not the most powerful construct
* Mysterious creatures of psychic power called noetic entities, around, but it is among the most cost-effective, beaten in that field
including the infamous malice beasts. only by the highly contraband witchoil guardians.
In Ber, these constructs are mostly used for defending important
buildings, with a handful of goliath military units training along-
Arctech side them. However, the BEAR design has leaked out of Pemberton
Arcanotechnology has allowed industry to produce machines with Industries, inspiring copycat constructs all over Lanjyr. A few of
powers like the greatest warriors and deadliest monsters. Such ma- these intimidating constructs have been deployed to control riots
chines are still relatively rare and expensive, mostly the purview of in Drakr, as their brutality and implacability means for most pro-
elite military units and a few masterful inventors. testers, resisting it is suicidal.
While these constructs were first crafted to resemble brown
BEAR—Battle Enhanced bears on all fours, successive generations have since been made
Animalistic Replicant more compact and reminiscent of black bears. Subsequent batches
The first BEAR prototype was built by Pemberton Industries before are molded to resemble all manner of wingless quadrupeds of
the Great Eclipse, using the most advanced arcanotechnological roughly similar size and natural weapons: boars, deers, hyenas,
circuits and divinatory analytical matrices available at the time. It jaguars, panthers, wolves, ambush drakes, and even basilisks.
was a novelty back then, good for a few laughs from an audience Some are enhanced with illusions to make them resemble living
of amused investors and arena spectators. There was no way that a creatures.

A Modern Menagerie
BEAR Challenge 10
Medium construct (5,900 XP)
HP 123 (13d8 + 65)
Speed 40 ft.
21 (+5) 20 (+5) 20 (+5) 4 (–3) 12 (+1) 6 (–2)
Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +6, Perception +9, Stealth +13
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +5
Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigued, frightened, paralyzed,
petrified, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak,
aside from a few prerecorded lines, usually ordering compliance
Traits
Magic Capacitor. Its eyes turn a deeper shade of red, and it lets loose
a pre-recorded growl. Electricity begins to course along the gaps and
cracks of the bestial machine’s steel plating. The BEAR has an internal
adaptive capacitor which can hold one charge. When the BEAR fails a
saving throw against a spell and other magical effect, it can choose to and Precision Targeting, it has advantage on attack rolls until the start
absorb the magic, gain a charge, and instead succeed the saving throw. of its next turn, creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against
The BEAR can expend this charge to activate certain bonus actions, but its abilities, and it deals 2 (1d4) extra lightning damage whenever it deals
until it does it cannot use this trait again. damage to a creature.
Magic Weapons. The BEAR’s weapon attacks are magical. Thrusters. With a mechanical clank and a small burst of rocket-flame,
Merciful Wind. The disciplined winds of Caeloon allow the BEAR the steel beast leaps skyward. The BEAR expends the charge of its
to cushion its blows with layers of magical wind and fire bullets of capacitor and flies 60 feet; it can hover until the start of its next turn.
compressed air. When the BEAR reduces a creature to 0 HP, it can Technological Weakness
choose to knock the creature out, leaving it unconscious and stable. Precarious Complexity (Engineering DC 14). The construct
Unyielding. Pale white glyphs flicker across its armor plating. The combines many different types of planarite, and sometimes they are
BEAR cannot be pushed, pulled, or affected by teleportation or planar incompatible with each other’s energies. At the start of the BEAR’s
travel unless it wishes to be. turn, if it took damage from four or more types since the start of its
Actions previous turn, it seizes briefly. Its capacitor loses its charge and ceases
Multiattack. The BEAR makes two attacks. to function for one hour, and the BEAR cannot use any of its recharge
Maul. The machine claws and bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, abilities this turn.
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 37 (5d12 + 5) piercing damage.
Integrated Semi-Automatic Firearm. A turret springs up from the Brass Men
quadrupedal construct’s back and takes aim with terrifying speed. Risuri soldiers who served in the Fourth Yerasol War tell ghost sto-
Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 37 ries of men made of brass who fought alongside them, voiceless, but
(5d12 + 5) piercing damage. possessed of unsettling awareness. Implacable and nearly impervi-
Ground Pound (Recharge 5–6). The BEAR Disengages, then jumps up ous to most weapons, they were also slow and had poor aim.
to 30 feet. Each Large or smaller creature of the BEAR’s choice within The usual tales involves sailing to war beside a friend with some
5 feet of it must succeed a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked memorable quirk, losing the friend in battle, then weeks later being
Chapter Seven
prone and take 37 (5d12 + 5) bludgeoning damage. On a successful save, saved by a lance of these brass men—never more than six—led by
the creature takes only half the damage, and it is not knocked prone. a live officer. The officer demands they tell no one of the strange
Precision Targeting (Recharge 5–6). The BEAR’s integrated firearm mechanical warriors, then orders the lance to move out. But before
cycles across a series of designated threats with inexorable leaving, one of the brass men nods to the storyteller and performs
accuracy. The BEAR chooses any number of creatures within a 30-foot the same quirk their friend always did.
cone. Each of those creatures must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving The Risuri government claims it undertook a formal inquiry into
throw, taking 37 (5d12 + 5) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as these stories and determined the constructs were the creation of
much damage on a successful one. a lone wizard whose name has not been revealed. However, sight-
Bonus Actions ings continue around the world, and recently a ranger of the Titan
Overclock. With a high-pitched whine, the steel beast powers up. The Conclave reported seeing a lance of these same brass men marching
BEAR expends the charge of its capacitor; it recharges Ground Pound toward the ancient ziggurat in the Antwalk Thicket near Bole.

A Modern Menagerie
Brass Man Challenge 3 Military Steamsuit Pilot Challenge 5

Medium construct (450 XP) Large humanoid (any species) (1,800 XP)
HP 36 (8d8)
Speed 25 ft.
18 (+4) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 8 (–1)
Saving Throws see Shared Will and Peer Pressure
Damage Resistances fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities fatigued, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 feet, passive Perception 12
Languages understands Common and Primordial but can’t speak
Traits
Aligned Senses. Increase the passive Perception of all brass men within 3
miles of each other by +1 for each brass man after the first.
Coordinated Tactics. Roll once for the initiative count of all the brass
men; they all act simultaneously. Each can move independently but
must take the same action; if a given brass man cannot take the same
action as its peers, it takes no action. Likewise, they must take the same
bonus action (typically to reload their muskets). Brass men cannot take
reactions.
Shared Will. Brass men have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and
Charisma saving throws. See also Peer Pressure.
Actions
Metal Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7
(1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Armor Class 18 (powered armor)
Musket. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit; range 60/180, one target. Hit: HP 90 (12d10+24)
9 (2d8) piercing damage. Special: The brass man (and all its peers) must Speed 30 ft.
use an action or bonus action to reload its weapon, so cannot attack with STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
it more than once per turn. If the brass man rolls a natural 1 on an attack 23 (+6) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 8 (–1)
roll with the musket, the barrel is fouled, causing future attacks to have Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 17
disadvantage until the brass man spends an action to clear the barrel Saving Throws Int +5
(but see Coordinated Tactics). Rolling a natural 1 on an attack roll with a Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 5
fouled barrel causes the weapon to explode, dealing 9 (2d8) damage to Languages Common
the brass man. Traits
Technological Weakness Piloted Vehicle. These stats represent the pilot in the suit and the abilities
Peer Pressure (Insight DC 12). Their movements are so synchronized, the suit grants them. Reducing the pilot to 0 HP does not destroy the suit
it’s like they share one mind. If the brass man fails an Intelligence, any more than an unconscious knight’s full plate would cease to work.
Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, the consequence also affects all of If another creature enters the suit, it gains a Strength of 23, can
its peers within 3 miles. attack with the suit’s weapons and use its bonus actions, and treats it as
heavy armor that grants AC 18. The creature gains darkvision 60 ft, but
Military Steamsuit disadvantage on Perception checks.
Chapter Seven
Danor invented the military steamsuit, but the Orithean Concor- However, because the controls of the suit are complex, only the pilot
dat forced them to send hundreds to other nations’ militaries. Not who trained with the suit knows how to pilot it well. Anyone else must
many soldiers are technologically adept enough to keep the suit’s make a DC 15 Intelligence (Engineering) check each turn or else be
engine stable in combat, so a steamsuit pilot holds a position of restrained and unable to use any of the suit’s abilities until the start of
prestige. Most customize their suits with various mundane weap- their next turn.
ons and items that are stored in internal components. Though they seldom need to, the pilot can exit as a bonus action,
emerging in an adjacent space. For a “standard” pilot, this reduces the
pilot’s AC to 15 and size to Medium, and they can use none of their
abilities except to multiattack with unarmed strike.
Actions
Multiattack. The pilot makes two attacks.

A Modern Menagerie
Unarmed Strike. The pilot without the suit has moxie, but not much understanding of planarite and animal physiology. In addition
power. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 to the defensive and disruptive benefits of golden cacheum, these
(1d4+3) bludgeoning damage. newly bred war elephants shimmer with white galelite gemstones
Piston Fist. A moment after the metal fist strikes, a burst of steam pressed into their hide in floral patterns, and the tips of their tusks
launches it like a piston hammer for a second hit. Melee Weapon are stained saffron red with dried scabosine. The animals are quite
Attack: +9 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) bludgeoning intelligent, trained from a young age to intuitively control their
damage and the target is pushed 10 feet unless it succeeds a DC 15 magical powers, and to understand their preternatural strength.
Strength saving throw.
Heavy Shotgun (2/Encounter). A cover on its other arm conceals a Ran’s Cachean Elephant Challenge 6
massive double-barreled shotgun. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit; Huge monstrosity (2,300 XP)
range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d8+3) piercing damage. Special: Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
If the attack has advantage and both rolls hit, it deals an extra 9 (2d8) HP 119 (14d10+42)
damage. If the attack has disadvantage and at least one roll hits, the Speed 40 ft.
graze still deals 4 (1d8) damage. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Bonus Actions 23 (+6) 9 (–1) 16 (+3) 5 (–3) 11 (+0) 6 (–2)
Arcane Shield. A dome on its head flashes, and a faintly visible aura Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 17
extends twenty feet from it. The pilot chooses a damage type. Until the Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from
end of its next turn, the suit and creatures within 20 feet have resistance nonmagical weapons
to that damage type. The pilot can start encounters with a resistance Senses passive Perception 10
already active (usually piercing). Languages understand Elvish
Dazing Light. An integrated launcher in its shoulder chucks a vial that Traits
shatters and releases a blinding blast of light. The pilot picks a spot Golden Gravity. You see yourself reflected in the metal woven through
within 30 feet. Each creature within 10 feet of that spot is blinded unless the creature’s limbs, and your own limbs feel heavy. Hostile creatures
it succeeds a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. A creature blinded this that start their turn or move within 10 feet of the elephant must succeed
way can make a new saving throw at the end of its turn to end this effect. a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or else have their speed reduced to 0 and
Special: The pilot is wearing goggles and has advantage on this saving be unable to teleport until the start of their next turn.
throw. Trampling Charge. If the elephant moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a
Technological Weakness creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target
Reverse the Deflector Shield Polarity (Engineering DC 13). When must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If
the suit’s arcane aura switches, the dome on its head rotates and the target is prone, the elephant can make one stomp attack against it as
snaps to a precise angle, suggesting physical alignment affects how a bonus action.
the shield works. A character who successfully Shoves the pilot can, Actions
instead of moving the suit, disrupt the arcane shield by rotating the dome Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19
on the suit’s head. The pilot cannot use Arcane Shield on their next turn, (3d8+6) piercing damage.
and until they use arcane shield, the pilot instead has vulnerability to the Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit; reach 5 ft., one prone creature.
last chosen damage type instead of resistance. Hit: 22 (3d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
Farslayer Tusks. The saffron stain on its tusks darkens as if wet with blood,
Ran’s Cachean Elephant and you feel yourself impaled. The elephant chooses a creature within
During the two Victories, Elfaivar marched to war with great el- 150 feet. That creature must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. It
ephants which had their flesh threaded with ribbons of cacheum, takes 19 (3d8+6) piercing damage, or half as much on a successful save.
golden planarite that originated from Urim. The skill needed to Reactions
grow and train these warbeasts faded in the centuries after the Gale Shield. Wind catches incoming projectiles and flings them away. When
Great Malice, but several gulmohar have revived the art. a creature hits the elephant or a creature adjacent to it with a ranged
Though lacking any gears or steam, cachean beasts are arctech weapon attack, the elephant can use its reaction to reduce the damage
of a sort, and the techniques have only improved with modern by 1d10 + 12. If this causes the attack to deal no damage, the elephant
Chapter Seven
can immediately make the following attack with the weapon. Ranged
Weapon Attack: +2 to hit; range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d12–1)
damage—type varies.
Technological Weakness
Reject Graft (Medicine DC 13). All those components aren’t natural to
its body, and healing would treat them as foreign. When magic heals any
of the elephant’s hit point damage, choose one of the following abilities,
which stops working until the elephant completes a long rest: Damage
Resistance, Farslayer Tusks, or Gale Shield.

A Modern Menagerie
Crooks
The three prominent criminal syndicates in Lanjyr each attract a Family Capodecina Challenge 1
distinct class of crook. Medium humanoid (any species) (200 XP)
Armor Class 13 (studded leather or light defensive stance [Sartorial
Family Bravura Challenge ⅛ Defense variant rule])
Medium humanoid (any species) (25 XP) HP 36 (8d8)
Armor Class 12 (studded leather or light defensive stance [Sartorial Speed 30 ft.
Defense variant rule]) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
HP 9 (2d8) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 14 (+2)
Speed 30 ft. Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Skills Intimidation +4, Perception +2, Stealth +5
13 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) Senses passive Perception 12
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11 Languages Common, others vary
Skills Intimidation +3, Perception +2 Traits
Senses passive Perception 12 Part of the Family. When an attack reduces the capo to 0 HP, one allied
Languages Common, others vary creature with this same ability can use its reaction to move its speed,
Traits then can make an attack against the creature that knocked the capo out.
Part of the Family. Your attack knocks the criminal to the ground, but Sneak Attack. Once per turn the capo can deal an extra 10 (3d6) to
before they lose consciousness they reach out for help toward one one creature it hits with an attack if it has advantage on the attack roll.
of their allies. That ally’s expression burns with vengeance. When an It doesn’t need advantage if one of the capo’s allies is adjacent to the
attack reduces the bravura to 0 HP, one allied creature with this same target, as long as the capo doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack.
ability can use its reaction to move its speed, then can make an attack Actions
against the creature that knocked the bravura out. Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
Actions 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: Disappear in a Crowd. If the capo has two enemies within 10 feet, it
4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. makes a Stealth check to hide against them. Then it can either Dash or
Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit; range 20/60; one target. Hit: use Short Sword.
5 (1d10) piercing damage. Special: The weapon misfires on a natural 1. Reactions
Reloading requires an action or bonus action. Sly Maneuver. When a creature attacks the capodecina, if the capo is
adjacent to any creatures other than the attacker, the attacker makes a
Kuchnost Strangler Challenge ¼ Wisdom saving throw (DC 13). If it fails, the attack targets one of those
Medium humanoid (any species) (50 XP) other creatures instead. If there’s more than one, the capo decides who
Armor Class 12 (studded leather or light defensive stance [Sartorial is hit.
Defense variant rule]) Bonus Actions
HP 26 (4d8+8) Sudden Disappearance (1/Encounter). He snaps his fingers, and his
Speed 25 ft. whole gang disappears. You hear a scramble of feet as they move
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA to flank you. The capo and each ally within 20 feet turns invisible until
13 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) the start of the capo’s next turn. If one of those creatures attacks, the
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11 invisibility ends for that creature.
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Dwarvish, others vary
Traits
Close Quarters Combat. You overcommit on a swing, and he shoves
you so that you slice yourself with your own blade. Whenever an
Chapter Seven
adjacent creature misses with an attack against the strangler when they
had disadvantage on their attack roll, the strangler can use its reaction
to make the attacker deal 2 (1d4) damage to itself, using its own weapon.
Actions
Knife. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; reach 5 ft. or range
20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Strangle. The strangler Grabs a creature. If it succeeds, the target
takes 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage. While grabbed, the creature has
disadvantage on attack rolls against the strangler.

A Modern Menagerie
Kuchnost Negotiator Challenge 1 The raven has 1 hit point, AC 12, a Maneuver DC of 12, an Athletics
Medium humanoid (any species) (200 XP) check bonus of +4, and otherwise has a +0 bonus on all die rolls. It can
Armor Class 13 (studded leather or light defensive stance [Sartorial grab creatures as if it were Medium size. On the Fetch’s turn it can have
Defense variant rule]) the raven fly with speed 20, potentially dragging or even flying off with
HP 39 (6d8+12) the creature it has grabbed.
Speed 25 ft. Bonus Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Raven’s Hex (1/Day). The fetch casts hex on a target she can see within
10 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 90 feet, which lasts up to 1 hour or as long as the fetch concentrates on
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11 it. Until the spell ends, the fetch deals an extra 3 (1d6) necrotic damage
Skills Deception +4, Intimidation +4 to any target it hits with an attack. The fetch chooses one ability: the
Senses passive Perception 10 target has disadvantage on ability checks made with the chosen ability. If
Languages Dwarvish, others vary the target drops to 0 HP before this spell ends, the fetch can use a bonus
Traits action on a subsequent turn to curse a new creature.
Close Quarters Combat. As Kuchnost Strangler, above.
Actions Last Raven Rooker Challenge 2
Multiattack. The negotiator makes two attacks. Medium humanoid (any species) (450 XP)
Dirty Fighting. He smashes your face with his shotgun and spits Armor Class 15 (mage armor)
in your eyes. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. HP 36 (8d8)
Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, and the target makes a Constitution Speed 30 ft.
saving throw (DC 13). If it fails, it’s blind until the start of the negotiator’s STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
next turn. 8 (–1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1)
Shotgun. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; range 30/90; one target. Hit: Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12
6 (1d10+1) piercing damage. Special: The weapon misfires on a natural Skills Arcana +4, Deception +3, Stealth +4
1. Reloading requires an action or bonus action. The weapon has scatter. Senses passive Perception 12
If the attack has advantage and both rolls hit, it deals an extra 6 (1d10) Languages Primordial, others vary
damage. If it has disadvantage and hits with at least one, the graze still Actions
deals 2 (1d4) damage. Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
Fight Amongst Yourselves (Recharge 5–6). He moans a spell and 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
points an open-palmed hand at your head, and you hear a voice Swooping Familiar. An eerie whistle sounds from the shadows, and
snarling in your ear for you to turn on your friend. The negotiator a construct with blade-like wings flashes through the air, striking
chooses a spot within 30 feet. Each enemy within 10 feet of that spot several targets one by one. The rooker chooses a path up to 120 feet
makes a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13). If it fails, it is goaded for one long, which starts at her space and then returns to her. Her familiar flies
minute. While goaded, it has disadvantage on attack rolls except against that route and makes the following attack against up to three targets
its own allies. This effect ends immediately if it deals damage to an ally. along the path. The flight doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and the
familiar cannot be attacked separately. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
Last Raven Fetch Challenge ⅛ one to three targets. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Special: If the
Medium humanoid (any species) (25 XP) Rooker is hidden when she makes these attacks, the attack does not
Armor Class 12 reveal her location, though people can possibly guess based on the path
HP 9 (2d8) of the familiar’s flight.
Speed 30 ft. Curse of the Mage’s Shadow (1/Day). You feel a chill across your
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA body, and notice that your shadow seems to be trying to pull away
8 (–1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) from you. The rooker chooses a creature within 30 feet that she has cast
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12 hex on. As long as the creature remains hexed, whenever it attempts to
Skills Arcana +4, Stealth +4 cast a spell or use an ability that matches a spell, it makes an opposed
Senses passive Perception 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check against the rooker. If it fails, that creature’s
Chapter Seven
Languages Primordial, others vary spell has no effect, and the rooker can use her reaction to cast the spell.
Actions Bonus Actions
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit; reach 5 ft. or range Raven’s Hex (1/Day). The rooker casts hex on a target it can see within
20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. 90 feet, which lasts up to 1 hour or as long as the rooker concentrates on
Raven’s Perch (1/Day). She whispers, one hand tucked out of it. Until the spell ends, the rooker deals an extra 3 (1d6) necrotic damage
sight, and then a raven screeches in your ear and begins to claw to any target it hits with an attack. The rooker chooses one ability: the
at your face and hair. The fetch chooses a creature within 30 feet. target has disadvantage on ability checks made with the chosen ability.
That creature is grabbed by a summoned shadowy raven. The raven’s If the target drops to 0 HP before this spell ends, the rooker can use a
grab automatically persists until it dies or is removed, at which point it bonus action on a subsequent turn to curse a new creature.
disappears.

A Modern Menagerie
Government Forces
Police and military units are much the same in any nation.
Police Officer Challenge ⅛

Medium humanoid (any species) (25 XP)
Armor Class 12 (studded leather or light defensive stance [Sartorial
Defense variant rule])
HP 11 (2d8+2)
Speed 30 ft.
13 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
Skills Intimidation +2, Perception +2
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages varies
Equipment uniform, badge, whistle, hand-cuffs
Traits
Home Advantage. Due to familiarity with their home community, the
officer can use their reaction when targeted by a ranged or area attack
to move 5 feet or to drop prone, which might grant them cover against
the attack.
Actions
Billy Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4
(1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.
Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit; range 20/60; one target. Hit: Military Troop Challenge 6
5 (1d10) piercing damage. Special: The weapon misfires on a natural 1. Huge swarm of Medium humanoids (unit) (2,300 XP)
Reloading requires an action or bonus action. Armor Class 13 (chain shirt)
HP 125
Police Squad Challenge 1 Speed 30 ft.
Large swarm of Medium humanoids (unit) (200 XP) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Armor Class 12 (studded leather) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
HP 50 Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 13
Speed 30 ft. Senses passive Perception 17
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Traits
13 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) Fighting Unit. The unit consists of 25 officers working in tandem, filling
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11 the space of a single Huge creature. Enemies treat spaces within 5 feet
Senses passive Perception 15 of the unit as difficult terrain. The unit can make up to four opportunity
Traits attacks per round without using its reaction.
Fighting Unit. The unit consists of 10 officers working in tandem, filling Attacks that affect an area deal double damage to the unit if they
the space of a single Large creature. Enemies treat spaces within 5 feet include 2 spaces of the unit, or triple if they include the unit’s entire
of the unit as difficult terrain. The unit can make up to four opportunity space.
attacks per round without using its reaction. Non-damaging effects that target only a single creature (such as the
Attacks that affect an area deal double damage to the unit if they poisoned effect of ray of sickness) usually have no effect on the unit. The
include 2 spaces of the unit, or triple if they include the unit’s entire space. Narrator should use their best judgment when adjudicating such effects.
Non-damaging effects that target only a single creature (such as the Damage to the unit wounds individual soldiers and weakens unit
Chapter Seven
poisoned effect of ray of sickness) usually have no effect on the unit. The cohesion. Defeated soldiers typically are back in fighting shape after a
Narrator should use their best judgment when adjudicating such effects. day’s rest.
Damage to the unit wounds individuals and weakens unit cohesion. Actions
Defeated soldiers typically are back in fighting shape after a day’s rest. Multiattack. The military troop makes four attacks. (The unit’s attacks
Actions include a +2 bonus to represent the benefits of teamwork and spotting.)
Multiattack. The police squad cluster makes two attacks. Blades and Bludgeons. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit; reach 5 ft., one
Subdue with Clubs. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage. Muskets. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit; range 60/180; one target. Hit:
Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit; range 20/60; one target. Hit: 5 10 (2d8+1) piercing damage. Special: There are enough muskets that
(1d10) piercing damage. Special: There are enough pistols that misfires misfires and reloading don’t matter.
and reloading don’t matter.

A Modern Menagerie
Fey
Strange fey are common and often welcome in Risur, and Elfaivar-
ans boast of their fey-conjured warbeasts. Other countries seldom
see more than a few pixies and sprites.
Rangales
One of the most refined fey in Risur are the rangale—human-faced
elks, stags, and gazelles who have no arms, but instead telekineti-
cally control hovering spears or other weapons. More than mere
warriors, they have a knack not only for moving things from afar,
but also for seeing things, even knowing people’s secrets. Many
serve as guards of the Unseen Court, and when an interloper earns
their ire, rangales like to toy with them from afar, watching them
with magic, reading their thoughts, and taunting them with whis-
pers that come from nowhere.
Rangales pride themselves on their fastidiousness. Stories em-
phasize that they learn all manner of gossip and secrets to leverage
other fey into doing undesirable deeds for them. As the joke goes,
they don’t like to get their hands dirty.
Rangale Challenge 8
Large fey (3,900 XP) The Borenbog
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) The Borenbog is an obscure folk terror from the High Bayou, which
HP 119 (14d10+42) can steal men’s will, passion, and creativity, which it stores in a
Speed 50 ft. gourd at its hip. Though only the size of a dwarf, its stupefying pres-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA ence affects a vast area. None have managed to kill it, for it is said
22 (+6) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) that no given weapon can ever harm it twice, and most challengers
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 17 run out of ideas of how to attack it before it will die. It drinks more
Skills Insight +8, Intimidation +4, Nature +4, Perception +5, Persuasion +4, than a horse, belches, farts, and is all around an unpleasant boor.
Survival +8 Matching his dull demeanor, the Borenbog has the ability to
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 strip men of their passion and creativity. Those who drink are par-
Languages Elvish, Primordial, Sylvan ticularly vulnerable, and over the centuries many a drunken poet
Equipment spear of living wood, longbow of deer antlers, rope woven from has been warned to watch out for the Borenbog on his walk home
the hair of two lovers, chalk, charcoal, and a bag of cherries after a long night of seeking his muse. Tales say that the stolen ideas
Traits are trapped in the creature’s gourd, and that by drinking from the
Hands-Off. The rangale cannot be disarmed, as it does not need limbs to gourd another creature can take those ideas for himself.
wield its weapons. Some say that the Borenbog and his rotting swamp first held the
Innate Magic. The rangale can cast the following spells at-will: secret of fermentation, which was stolen by dwarves, men, elves, or
clairvoyance, detect magic, detect thoughts, message, and telekinesis. Its whoever is telling the tale. It is for this reason that the Borenbog
spellcasting ability is Wisdom, and its spell save DC is 13. hates civilization, and terrorizes anyone he comes across who has
Overbearing Watch. The rangale can spend a bonus action to magically alcohol.
mark a foe within 90 feet for one hour. Its attacks against that target The legend of the Borenbog tells of a group of fishermen who
deal an extra 1d6 damage, it has advantage on Wisdom checks to find it, brought beer to drink when they rowed out into a swamp to fish.
and it can cast any of its other innate spells to target that creature from The Borenbog, smelling the delicious alcohol, used his magic to
any range. If it uses this ability again, the previous mark lapses. daze the fishermen, then climbed aboard the boat and drank him-
Chapter Seven
Actions self into a stupor. Finally, the only drink left on the boat was a gourd
Multiattack. The rangale attacks three times. of beer one of the fishermen was holding, but when the Borenbog
Spear. Melee/Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit; reach 15 ft. or range tried to take it, the man was too stubborn to let go, so the Borenbog
20/60; one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) piercing damage. took the fisherman’s knife and chopped off the man’s hand. The
Retrieving Bow. Its arrow digs deep where it strikes, then flies back pain snapped him out of his confusion and he managed to swim
to the rangale, drawing you with it. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit; away, but his companions were never found.
range 150/600; one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+3) piercing damage. The rangale (The Borenbog could have been a Legendary monster, but it is too
pulls the target up to 50 ft. If the creature succeeds a DC 13 Strength lazy to act on another creature’s turn. It will just blow a raspberry
saving throw, the rangale can only pull the target 10 ft. in boredom as its foes waste their time trying to hurt it.)

A Modern Menagerie
The Dread Borenbog Challenge 15 dull and uninteresting. Hostile creatures entering or starting their turn
Medium fey (13,000 XP) within a 40-foot radius of the Borenbog must make a DC 20 Intelligence
Hunched like a dwarf with a hangover, this squat, wart-skinned goblinlike saving throw or be stupefied for one round. A stupefied creature can only
creature has a vindictive disdain in his red eyes, and he slowly licks his lips use an action or bonus action each round (not both) and can only move
with thirst. One of the creature’s hands tightly clenches a large sloshing at half speed. In addition, the only actions it can take are very uncreative
gourd, while the other errantly twirls a long blade meant for gutting fish. The like walking, making basic attacks, or casting cantrips. A creature that
blade is rusted and blood-stained, perhaps from the severed hands hanging succeeds on its saving throw against this aura becomes immune to its
at the creature’s belt. The creature meets your eyes and sneers, and the effects for 24 hours.
world begins to turn dull and hazy. When the Borenbog is reduced below half of its HP for the first time
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) in a day, the aura surges with power. Creatures previously immune to the
HP 264 (23d8+161) aura are subject to its effects again until they successfully save a second
Speed 25 ft. time.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Take Hand. It grabs your hand, then hacks it off at the wrist with
20 (+5) 8 (–1) 24 (+7) 6 (–2) 9 (–1) 5 (–3) two inept, brutal chops. He laughs. “At least yer good for sum’n.”
Proficiency +5; Maneuver DC 18 If the Borenbog hits a stupefied creature twice in the same turn with
Skills Intimidation +7, Survival +9 its gutting knife, the Borenbog also cuts off one of the target’s hands,
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 impaling it onto a nail on the Borenbog’s belt and increasing the uses of
Languages Goblin, Primordial the Lucky Hands trait. A creature that loses its hand becomes immune
Equipment fishguttin’ knife, borenbog’s gourd to the Borenbog’s stupefying aura, even after the trait resurges. The
Traits victim bleeds, taking damage equal to its level or challenge at the end
Alcohol Sense. The Borenbog can use an action to sense the direction to of each of its turns. The bleeding ends if it receives magical healing, or
the nearest source of alcohol within 1 mile. if someone makes a DC 15 Medicine check as an action to stanch the
Lucky Hands (2/day). After your attack, the Borenbog spits in anger wound.
and rips one free one of the severed hands tacked to its belt. That Actions
seems to help it recover from the injury. The Borenbog begins combat Multiattack. The Borenbog attacks four times: three times with Gutting
with two severed hands tacked to its belt. It might add more if it succeeds Knife and once with either Slam or Entangling Spit.
with its Take Hand feature, to a maximum of six. When it fails a saving Gutting Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit; reach 5 ft.; one target.
throw or ability check, the Borenbog can rip one of the hands free (this Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage.
requires no action) to reroll. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit; reach 5 ft.; one target. Hit: 8
Magic Resistance. The Borenbog has advantage on saving throws (1d6+5) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (Escape DC 18).
against spells and other magical effects. Entangling Spit. The Borenbog spits a glob of black saliva at a creature
Quick Swig (2/short rest). The Borenbog uses a bonus action to it can see within 150 feet. The target makes a DC 18 Dexterity saving
drink from its magical gourd. The gourd (AC 18, 50 HP, resistance to throw or takes 17 (5d6) acid damage and is restrained (Escape DC 18).
bludgeoning damage) is attached to a knotty leather cord around the At the start of its turn, a creature restrained by Entangling Spit takes 17
Borenbog’s neck. If the gourd is taken, the Borenbog cannot use this trait (5d6) acid damage.
and does everything in its power to both get the gourd back and kill the
bastard who tried to take it. When it drinks, the Borenbog gains one of Bleak Court Beasts
the following benefits of its choice: The Bleak Court are Risuri fey who were exiled to the Bleak Gate.
* Giant’s Draught: The Borenbog becomes Huge size, deals an extra 7 Presented below are two examples of bleak courtiers of merely bes-
(2d6) damage with all melee weapon attacks, and on a successful melee tial intellect.
attack it can choose to push its target 15 feet away. The serpent-maned lion is a mutation of common Dreaming
* Bayou Brew: All ground within the area of the Borenbog’s Stupefy Aura cats. Serpent-maned lions look disturbing and menacing enough to
becomes swampy, transforming from hard surfaces into waterlogged be mistaken for undead, and some characterize them as inherently
spiderwebs and tangled roots suffused with negative energies. All other evil, but in truth, they are flesh-and-blood carnivores simply look-
creatures treat the area as difficult terrain, taking 17 (5d6) necrotic ing for their next meal in the nigh-empty Bleak Gate. The lionesses
Chapter Seven
damage at the end of their turn if they are in contact with the floor. have no serpent-manes; instead, a lioness’s tail is simply one very
Redundant Defense. Any attack made against the Borenbog has no large serpent, no less deadly.
effect if the same type of weapon, energy type, or specific spell affected The shadowlisk is a dark evolution of the basilisks of the
it in the past 24 hours. For example, only one attack with a longsword can Dreaming. Hunting from the liminal spaces of light and darkness,
harm it per day, even if one is steel and one is silver. You should use your a shadowlisk directly consumes minds and souls; in doing so, the
best judgment for attacks that don’t use weapons or energy damage. creature prefers to first obliterate the body.
When the Borenbog takes ongoing damage, once that ongoing damage Immense bounties are placed on live shadowlisks for their sub-
ends it cannot suffer that same type of ongoing damage for 24 hours. terfuge-obliterating and prisoner-containing gazes, and various
Stupefying Aura. The mere sight of the glowering fey makes life seem powerful organizations look to tame these reptiles for supremely
discerning security checkpoints.

A Modern Menagerie
Serpent-Maned Lion Challenge 2 Shadowlisk Challenge 11

Large fey (450 XP) Large fey (7,200 XP)
Armor Class 12 Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
HP 60 (8d10 + 16) HP 92 (8d10 + 48)
Speed 50 ft. Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 6 (–2) 12 (+1) 7 (–2) 21 (+5) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 6 (–2) 12 (+1) 7 (–2)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14 Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 17
Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +3 Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +10, Int +2, Wis +5
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +5, Stealth +6 Skills Athletics +9, Perception +9, Stealth +13
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing while at least
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 part of the shadowlisk is in dim light or darkness; necrotic
Languages understands Primordial and Sylvan but can’t speak Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Traits Languages understands Primordial and Sylvan but can’t speak
Abnegation (1/Encounter). If the lion fails a saving throw, it can succeed Traits
instead. Alternatively, it can expend this feature to safely pass through Abnegation (1/Encounter). If the shadowlisk fails a saving throw, it can
conjurations and evocations until the end of its next turn. succeed instead. Alternatively, it can expend this feature to safely pass
Crepusculous and Adumbral. Though clearly a beast of flesh and through conjurations and evocations until the end of its next turn.
blood, the edges of its body drift away in wisps of shadow. The lion Crepusculous and Adumbral. The shadowlisk has advantage on saving
has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. throws against spells and other magical effects. Its weapon attacks are
Its weapon attacks are magical. Magical darkness doesn’t impede its magical. Magical darkness doesn’t impede its darkvision. While the lion
darkvision. While the lion has 30 or fewer HP, magical darkness (as the has 30 or fewer HP, magical darkness (as the spell darkness) seeps from
spell darkness) seeps from its body in a 15-foot radius that moves with it. its body in a 15-foot radius that moves with it.
Crown of Asps. A writhing mass of flicking tongues and venom-slick Amorphous. A dark form slithers toward you, like a snake massive
fangs frame its fierce visage. The many ophidian heads’ mesmerizing enough to swallow a man whole. The moment it touches light, its
motions disorient you. The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) body explodes into vivid color, its clawed legs reach forward, and its
checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, massive eyes begin to glow. It’s difficult to look away. The shadowlisk
frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious. can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Pounce. If the lion moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and Mirage Bane. Any creature that ends its turn in the shadowlisk’s line of
then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed sight and within 120 feet has its true form revealed, ignoring any illusions
on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is or transmutations. Magical effects are not dispelled or suppressed,
prone, the lion can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action. simply seen through.
Running Leap. With a 10-foot running start, the lion can long jump up to Actions
25 ft. Multiattack. It swipes at you, dances sideways in a dexterous coil of
Actions motion, then snaps its beak into your thigh. The shadowlisk chooses
Multiattack. The lion makes two attacks: one Claw and one Flurry of one of the following:
Serpents. * It makes two attacks—Claw and then Beak—and can use Gloaming
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + Leap before, between, or after the attacks.
2) slashing damage. * It makes a Claw attack, then uses Umbrafying Gaze.
Flurry of Serpents. Countless serpents in the lion’s mane bare their Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (9d6
fangs and strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. + 5) slashing damage.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 5 (1d6) poison damage. Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 38
Bonus Actions (6d10 + 5) piercing damage. If then Shoves the target, trying to knock it
Cacophonous Roar (1/Encounter). The lion roars, and the air is filled prone.
with a chorus of wails, shrieks, and hisses from all manner of beings Gloaming Leap. It sinks into its own shadow and vanishes. But you are
Chapter Seven
of the Bleak Gate. Each creature of the lion’s choice that is within 500 too close, and your shadow is entangled with its, pulling you along.
feet and able to hear it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or The shadowlisk magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space
be frightened for 1 minute. A creature that fails its saving throw by 5 or it can see. The shadowlisk cannot use this ability if its current location
more is also paralyzed for the same duration. Creatures in darkness have or destination are entirely brightly illuminated. When the shadowlisk
disadvantage on this saving throw. A frightened creature can repeat the teleports, any creature that is prone and within 5 feet of it also teleports,
saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on arriving in an unoccupied space next to the monster.
a success. Umbrafying Gaze. Its eyes flash with the light of twin suns,
obliterating your body and burning your mind and soul into the
very ground you once stood upon. The shadowlisk magically focuses
the light from its eyes in a path that is 25 feet long and 5 feet wide.
Creatures in the path must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw,

A Modern Menagerie
Despite its nine extra heads, however, a ten-headed lion merely

has a conventional, if cunning, bestial mind. Its usual tactic is to
release its Roiling Flame to force foes off low ground and into trees
or atop rocks. With their movement limited, it focuses on subduing
one or two enemies with the majority of its floating heads, while
using a couple (typically with Paralyzing Hunger and Snarling
Hurl) to keep foes from regrouping.
Due to its nature as a creature crafted of the dreams of many El-
faivarans, even if a ten-headed lion is destroyed, as long as at least
ten people survive in the community it guards, it will return to life
after 1d10 days.
Ten-Headed Lion Challenge 14

Large fey (11,500 XP)
HP 126 (11d10 + 66)
Speed 50 ft.
21 (+5) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 4 (–3) 12 (+1) 6 (–2)
Skills Athletics +10, Deception +8, Perception +11, Stealth +15
Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +11, Int +3, Wis +6
Damage Immunities fire
taking 38 (5d12 + 6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much Languages understands Elvish and Sylvan but can’t speak
on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 HP by this damage is Traits
annihilated as its body burns away and its mind and soul are imprinted Dreamborn. The lion doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep. It has
on the closest surface as a shadowy silhouette, suitable for consumption advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Its
by shadowlisks. While it is annihilated in this way, a creature can perceive attacks are magical. It is aware of the location of each sleeping creature
its immediate surroundings, but is incapacitated and stunned and cannot within 1 mile.
communicate. Mandala Mane. The lion’s regal poise is glorified by an additional nine
If a different creature coats its hands with the blood of a shadowlisk, heads, whirling around the catlike creature in a maned mandala. These
it can touch the mind and soul of a creature that has been annihilated additional heads can fly freely within 150 feet of the body. If a head
within the last day and restore its body as an action. A creature restored starts its turn farther from the body than 150 feet, it teleports adjacent
in this way is alive and stable, with 0 HP. to the body, or is destroyed if it cannot teleport. Each head is a Small
Reactions creature with 25 HP. It has the same AC, saves, and immunities as the
Obtenebrating Escape (1/Encounter). If the shadowlisk would take body, and can take its own reaction (usually to bite as an opportunity
damage, it uses Gloaming Leap. The shadowlisk does not suffer the attack). However if a damaging source with an area of effect would strike
triggering damage or any effects attached to it. The area within 5 feet of multiple heads simultaneously, the damage is only dealt once and is
the space it teleports to is covered in magical darkness until the end of divided equally among them.
the shadowlisk’s next turn. The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and saving
throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or
Ten-Headed Lion knocked unconscious.
Old Elfaivar’s magics were the mightiest in the world; after the If the lion has at least 1 HP and starts its turn under any of the
empire collapsed, each individual enclave matriarch had access to above conditions, it can destroy a head of its choice and end all those
Chapter Seven
more magical assets than any wizard had before. To defend their conditions.
hidden safeholds, the matriarchs worked with wizards and druids Whenever a head is destroyed, the lion’s maximum HP are reduced by
to weave the wild possibilities of the Dreaming into mighty guard- 25. The lion restores all of its heads as part of a long rest.
ian beasts. The greatest of these creatures were the ten-headed The body can attach itself to one of its heads without an action, at
lions; each head possessed a different terrifying means of attack. any time, simply by sharing a space. The body can also detach its current
Few actual accounts of travelers surviving these creatures ever head without an action, at any time. It can operate just fine without a
reached beyond the borders of Elfaivar, but since the gulmohars’ head.
return the elves of Elfaivar have become proud to talk about them, Actions
the better to project an air of otherworldly might. It is rumored that Multiattack. The lion uses Denarian Dance four times and makes an
gulmohar extremists plan to field one of these ferocious felids in attack with its claw. If Roiling Flame is available, the lion can use it in
their efforts to reclaim colonial land. place of the claw attack.

A Modern Menagerie
Bite (Head Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage. If the target has already been
bitten by another head this round, the target is grabbed (Escape DC 19).
Claw (Body Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is grabbed by a
head, it is knocked prone unless it succeeds a Strength saving throw
(DC 19).
Roiling Flame (Recharges 3 Rounds after Use). Flame pours outward
from the lion in all directions, rolling across the ground like a wave,
yet not a single blade of grass is singed. Every moment the fires grow
in intensity. The ground within 150 feet of the lion is coated with flames.
They linger, filling low elevations but not flowing uphill. Creatures in the
area take 11 (2d10) fire damage immediately, as does any creature that
enters the area.
At the start of the lion’s next turn, the flames grow more intense,
dealing 22 (4d10) fire damage immediately and to any creature that
enters the area.
At the start of the lion’s third turn the flames flash, dealing 44 (8d10)
fire damage and then vanishing. At the end of that turn, this power
recharges.
Denarian Dance. One of the lion’s heads flies up to 80 feet; the lion either saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself
makes a Bite attack with that head or uses that head’s special action. on a success.
Once the lion uses a specific head, that head cannot act again until the 8 Radiant Beam. Light lances out from the head’s gaping mouth. The
start of the lion’s next turn. head makes a ranged spell attack with a +10 attack bonus against a
1 Healing Tongue. The head licks wounds upon the lion’s body or a creature within 50 feet. On a hit, the creature takes 14 (4d6) radiant
bodiless head. The head must be within 5 feet of the recipient. The damage and is blinded until the end of its next turn.
recipient regains 14 (4d6) HP. 9 Steal Voice. The head takes a deep breath, which agonizes the tongue
2 Entangling Exhalation. The head exhales hot breath upon the ground, of a creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The creature must succeed
and dense foliage erupts around each creature of its choice in a on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be cursed, unable to speak
20-foot cone. Each creature must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving above a croaking whisper until the curse is removed or the lion is
throw or be entangled until the end of its next turn. destroyed.
3 Terrifying Roar. The head roars at each creature of its choice in a Until the target recovers its voice, all of the lion’s heads can
20-foot cone. Each creature must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving perfectly imitate it, and the lion instinctively knows how to use this
throw or be frightened. The creature can repeat the saving throw at voice to trick others. Whenever the target casts a spell with a verbal
the end of each of its turns. When it succeeds, the fear ends and it component, it can attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If it
becomes immune to this roar for the next day. fails, it expends the spell slot without casting the spell.
4 Petrifying Gaze. The head locks eyes with a creature it can see within 10 Snarling Hurl. The head bares its fangs at a Huge or smaller
10 feet of it, which must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw. On creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The creature must succeed
a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be moved up to 30 feet in any
A creature may choose to shut its eyes at the start of its turn and direction, including upward. Until the end of the creature’s next turn,
keep them shut until the start of its next turn. If it does, the partial the creature is restrained by a telekinetic force. A creature lifted
petrification ends. upward is suspended in midair. The creature might fall once it is no
If the creature is already partially petrified and it fails its save longer restrained.
against this attack, it is petrified until lion is destroyed or the creature Alternatively, the tenth head can try to move an object that weighs
is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. up to 1,000 pounds it can see within 10 feet of it, as per the telekinesis
Chapter Seven
5 Gnashing Dispel. The head gnashes its teeth and uses dispel magic spell. Constitution is its spellcasting ability.
with a range of 50 feet. Constitution is its spellcasting ability. Legendary Actions
6 Paralyzing Hunger. The head licks its lips at a creature it can see The lion can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options
within 10 feet of it, which must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only
throw or become paralyzed at the start of its next turn. The creature at the end of another creature’s turn. The lion regains spent legendary
can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the actions at the start of its turn.
effect on itself on a success. Direct the Pride. The lion uses Denarian Dance two times.
7 Venom Fangs. Black ichor coats the fangs of the head as it makes Fading Leap. The lion’s body detaches its current head (if any), then
a Bite attack against a creature within reach. If the attack hits, the magically teleports up to 120 feet to a space occupied by one of its
creature is poisoned. The creature can make a DC 19 Constitution heads. That head then attaches to the body.

A Modern Menagerie
Elfaivaran Samsāra-Fey Witchoil Experiment

Elfaivaran “technology” is deeply interwoven with the malleability of the Witchoil is the second most commonly available form of planarite
Dreaming. A few rare mages have learned the art of creating samsāra- after firegems. Unensouled, it can channel the tenebrous and nec-
fey. Samsāra is a Seedist term for the concept of rebirth and the romantic power of the Bleak Gate. Ensouled, witchoil can burn
cyclicality of existence, and a samsāra-fey is created when a person lu- as fuel for months without being consumed. Trapping minds and
cidly dreams in the Dreaming, having first extracted a fragment of their souls in torturous oil-prisons where they are slowly, painfully, and
soul. Around that soul they weave a creature envisioned in their dream. permanently obliterated from existence is an act of great darkness,
This can create a mighty guardian or warrior, but while it may have an but unscrupulous inventors consider it an acceptable price to pay
affinity for its creator, it has a will of its own. Moreover, this process cuts for arcanoscientific progress and the manufacturing of powerful
the creator off from the cycle of rebirth, preventing reincarnation (or minions.
resurrection) for as long as the samsāra-fey survives. While a witchoil experiment is being created, a spirit medium
Many strange monsters of the Elfaivaran Dreaming are the last re- can hear the moans and wails of the minds and souls within the
membrance of mighty spellcasters who sought to save their nation in witchoil, who are in indescribable terror. However, this sense is im-
the Perang Devar or afterward, often still guarding a ruin centuries after precise; in a city, for example, it may merely identify several streets
their creator perished. in which a witchoil experiment is being crafted.
A History of Oily Creations

Painted Fey In 395 aov, over a century before the wayfarer’s engine, the Bleak
In Crisyllir, many fey take the form of paintings come to life. A Court arcanosmith Nifelis invented the rusted iron soul-eater
notturna (plural notturni) is a type of fey that came to life from engine. It consumed both unensouled witchoil and a much smaller
a specific type of painting—night-time landscapes wherein the proportion of ensouled witchoil, obliterating at least one soul every
artists hid tiny figures as a fun little treat for attentive onlookers. few days, generating an immense magnitude of dark and deathly
Notturni embrace this joy of artistry, and are themselves painters. power.
When a notturna paints a figure with a face on a flat surface, that Later, she developed the first animated metal witchoil guard-
figure can move about, though it is simply a picture, and cannot ian. Next came the first witchoil monstrosity, a mangled animal
spring off the wall. However, if a notturna paints a face onto a augmented by a soul-eater engine. Her final invention was the first
three-dimensional object, it can begin to move as an animated shadow hound, a mortal humanoid imbued with ensouled witchoil.
object. This magic is limited in that it ends the moment the object Depending on who’s telling the story, her designs were stolen
is exposed to sunlight (or a daylight spell; the objects aren’t smart by Arrovian necrotechnologists, bought by faceless conspirators,
enough to know the difference). or recovered by decent upstanding Risuri patriots from a cabal of
Often notturni lend their magic to help protect remote towns and mad scientists. The techniques were carefully hidden, but after the
farms from threats at night, hoping for nothing more than a chance Great Eclipse the secret was shared widely, and ever since, others
to create beautiful graffiti, and perhaps a bit of wine and cheese. enthralled by the potential of witchoil have created their own ver-
However, unappreciative Clericist farmers often believe their art is sions of these three witchoil experiments.
the work of demons, and they set out traps to catch the tiny painters.
Graced by the Glistening Oil
Notturna Challenge 1/8 Regional Effects. Sites frequented by witchoil experiments are touched
Tiny fey (25 XP) favorably by the Bleak Gate, which protects its children from percep-
Armor Class 14 tions and hexes alike. The following phenomena manifest in those areas,
HP 2 (1d4) and extend across the boundaries of the Waking and its parallel realms:
Speed 30 ft. •• Planar portals, tides, and storms to and from the Bleak Gate are
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA more common. Planarite manifests around them, particularly
2 (–4) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) witchoil; and afterlife shades seep through, struggling to deliver
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14 messages beyond the grave.
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6 •• Witchoil experiments have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
Chapter Seven
Senses passive Perception 14 checks made to hide.
Languages Common, Sylvan •• Curses affecting any witchoil experiments are suppressed.
Traits If all of the witchoil experiments frequenting a site die, these effects end
Magic Resistance. A notturna has advantage on saving throws against immediately.
spells and other magical effects.
Innate Spellcasting. A notturna can use druidcraft and minor illusion at
will. Its save DC is 12. Once per short rest it can cast animate objects,
though it must spend an action painting each object it animates.
Actions
Superior Invisibility. The notturna turns magically invisible until its
concentration ends.

A Modern Menagerie
Witchoil Automaton
Wizards have been weaving magic into inanimate objects to create
guardians for ages, but the soul-eater engine required less magical
expertise than traditional automaton construction. The only draw-
back is that the creator had to be unbothered by tormenting the
souls consumed in the engine’s witchoil fuel.
Witchoil Automaton Challenge 7

Large construct 2,900 XP
Armor Class 17
HP 134 (18d10+36)
Speed 20 ft.
20 (+5) 6 (–2) 14 (+2) 3 (–4) 11 (+0) 1 (–5)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from
nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigued, frightened, paralyzed,
petrified, poisoned
Languages understands the language of its creator but can’t speak
Traits
Bleak Aura. The construct’s attacks smear you with witchoil, drawing
you and those nearby toward the Bleak Gate. The automaton’s
weapon attacks are magical, and some of the automaton’s attacks can
afflict a creature with its Bleak Aura. At the start of the automaton’s
turn, each afflicted creature and each creature within 10 feet of an
afflicted creature takes 5 (1d10) necrotic damage. However, that
creature’s weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of harming
the automaton. A creature can remove the Bleak Aura from itself by
immersing in water, taking fire damage, or spending an action to wipe the
oil off.
Witchoil Ward. The dull etched runes on the construct flare brighter
and brighter as you assail it with magic. Their light seems to slow
projectiles. The automaton has advantage on saving throws against Smash Aside. It plows through creatures and hurls objects in its way.
spells and magical effects. Ranged attacks against it that originate more The automaton throws an object of up to Medium size. Ranged Weapon
than 20 feet away have disadvantage. If those attacks already have Attack: +8 to hit; range 20 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning
disadvantage from being at long range, they automatically miss. damage. Special: If the automaton hit a Medium or smaller creature
Witchoil Breach. The glowing runes go dark, and then the construct’s with its Witchoil Fist attack this turn, when it uses this attack it throws
torso shatters, spraying forth gallons of searing witchoil. The that creature. If it hits with the attack, the thrown creature also takes 9
suddenly hollow machine teeters, but catches itself on a mangled (1d8+5 bludgeoning damage).
forelimb. When the automaton is first reduced to 30 HP or fewer, its Technological Weaknesses
souleater engine ruptures in a powerful explosion. Each creature within Howl of Souls (Arcana DC 13). The spirits burning in the construct’s
20 feet takes 10 (3d6) fire damage, or half as much if it succeeds a DC engine wail, but are too weak to break free. Magic that would heal the
Chapter Seven
14 Dexterity saving throw. Each creature in the area is afflicted by the automaton instead deals an equal amount of damage. The restorative
automaton’s Bleak Aura. Thereafter, the automaton’s speed increases to energy briefly empowers the souls in the witchoil engine, and they fight
40 feet, and it gains a climb speed of 40 feet, but it loses Witchoil Ward against the wards holding them in. The automaton’s Bleak Aura does no
and its Witchoil Fist attack no longer inflicts a Bleak Aura. damage on its next turn.
Actions Cold Fragility (Engineering DC 13). The belly of the machine is
Multiattack. The automaton makes two attacks. searing hot metal, with all the stresses that entails. When the
Witchoil Fist. Black oil leaks from between the joints of its fist. automaton takes cold damage, if any single attack deals 15 or more
Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage to it in the next turn, this
bludgeoning damage and the target is afflicted by the automaton’s Bleak triggers Witchoil Breach (regardless of how many HP the automaton has)
Aura. if it hasn’t already triggered.

A Modern Menagerie
Witchoil Monstrosity
Witchoil monstrosities start as mundane animals which are in-
humanely mangled in a horrific surgery. A soul-eater engine is
installed amidst its vital organs and linked biomechanically to the
entirety of its muscular structure, augmenting the beast with dark
and supernatural power.
Contrary to their gruesome appearances and eerie silence, wi-
tchoil monstrosities are not actually undead, though it is currently
unknown whether these surgically-mutilated abominations are in
constant pain. Such is unlikely to concern the dark conspiracies
and mad scientists who typically create and employ these disfig-
ured animals.
Below is the flayed jaguar, the first type of witchoil monstrosity
to have ever been created. Despite its vicious lethality, the design opportunity attack, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving
of this dark creature comes with an unusual weakness in the form throw or be knocked prone.
of its steel chest-plate and command collar. Sometimes those who Volatile Existence. When the jaguar is reduced to 0 HP, it dies. Any
craft these fleshless felines drape them in illusions to conceal their witchoil it has that is not ensouled degenerates into regular oil; its
monstrous appearance, but the stench of witchoil lingers around ensouled witchoil can still be gathered up.
them like burnt engine grease. Actions
Multiattack. The jaguar makes two Claw attacks. If the target is prone, it
Flayed Jaguar Challenge 2 instead makes two Claw attacks and a Bite attack.
Medium monstrosity (450 XP) Bite. Every inch of the jaguar’s bared skull is visible to you as the beast
Armor Class 12 clamps down. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
HP 60 (8d8 + 24) Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a prone Large or smaller
Speed 50 ft., climb 40 ft. creature, it is grappled (escape DC 12), and the jaguar cannot bite
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA another target until this grapple ends.
15 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 6 (–2) 12 (+1) 7 (–2) Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 +
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12 2) slashing damage.
Saving Throws Con +5, Wis +3 Technological Weaknesses
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +5, Stealth +6 Witchoil Heart (Arcana DC 12). A steel plate is bolted directly into
Damage Immunities necrotic the ribcage of the poor creature, and black witchoil pumps across
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 it in pulses, like the beating of a heart. If the jaguar’s speed is 0, a
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak creature within reach can spend an action to attempt a DC 13 Strength
Traits check to remove the steel plate covering the jaguar’s heart. On a
Abnegation (1/Encounter). If the jaguar fails a saving throw, it can success, the jaguar takes 10 points of damage at the start of each of its
succeed instead. Alternatively, it can expend this to safely pass through turns, and the next attack that deals damage to the jaguar kills it.
conjurations and evocations until the end of its next turn. Command Collar (Insight DC 12). The creature shrinks away
Crepusculous and Adumbral. Though clearly a beast of flesh and whenever anyone is near its collar. A creature that grappling the
blood, the edges of its body drift away in wisps of shadow. The jaguar jaguar can grab its collar and spend a bonus action to attempt a DC
has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. 13 Charisma (Animal Handling) check. On a success, for 1 minute, the
Its weapon attacks are magical. Magical darkness doesn’t impede its jaguar is charmed by the creature that subjugated it and obeys that
darkvision. creature’s verbal commands, though it will defend itself if attacked,
Cursed Blood. You stab the jaguar’s flayed and unnatural muscles ignoring any commands. If the subjugation attempt fails, the creature
and sinew. Pulsating veins and arteries snap open, and its black can try again, assuming it’s fine getting mauled in the meanwhile.
blood sizzles and releases a horrid stench where it stains the ground. While the jaguar is charmed, the character who charmed it can remove
Chapter Seven
Whenever the jaguar takes piercing or slashing damage, it sprays out its witchoil heart or safely open it to refill it with ensouled witchoil. If a
dark blood. Each creature within 5 feet of the jaguar cannot regain HP character does so, the jaguar becomes loyal to the character for a week.
until the end of its next turn. Additionally, until the end of the jaguar’s
next turn, each space it moves through becomes contaminated difficult Shadow Hound
terrain until it is scrubbed clean. Each time a creature enters this Shadow hounds are not actual dog-like creatures, but rather mortal
contaminated difficult terrain or ends its turn there, it cannot regain HP or fey humanoids infused with ensouled witchoil through a dark
until the end of its next turn. ceremony. Often these beings are victims transmuted against their
Keen Smell. The jaguar has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks will, but some rare few volunteer for the transmogrification. The
that rely on smell. ritual leaves their skin flayed, but they cloak themselves in impen-
No Escape. You can see the muscles of the skinless jaguar flex as etrable, angular shadows. Only by banishing the shadow can the
it swipes a claw at your leg and trips you. If the jaguar hits with an hound be truly harmed.

A Modern Menagerie
Shadow Hound Killer Challenge 5

Medium humanoid (any species) (450 XP)
Armor Class 15
HP 75 (10d8+30)
Speed 30 ft.
13 (+1) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 13 (+1)
Skills Stealth +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from
nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic
Languages Various
Traits
Abnegation (1/Encounter). If the killer fails a saving throw, it can
succeed instead. Alternatively, it can expend this to safely pass through
conjurations and evocations until the end of its next turn.
Crepusculous and Adumbral. Though clearly a beast of flesh and
blood, the edges of its body drift away in wisps of shadow. The killer has
advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Its weapon attacks are magical. Magical darkness doesn’t impede its
darkvision.
Actions
Claw of Shadow. His fingers are like pitch black blades, infinitely sharp. Noetic Entities
He swipes his hand, and though he doesn’t touch you, blood erupts from Many are the monsters with strong links to the mind and the
your skin, and cold pours into your flesh. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit; soul. These creatures might be flesh and blood but with the abil-
reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) piercing damage. If the target is a ity to warp reality with psychic energies, or can exist as freeform
living creature and it takes any damage from this attack, its life is linked thoughts and emotions only able to influence the world by control-
to the Bleak Gate, and it bleeds copiously, feeling a terrible chill. While ling other creatures’ minds. Some rare and foreign beings straddle
linked this way, it cannot heal HP. Additionally, it takes 10 (3d6) cold the divide, gaining physical form under certain circumstances.
damage at the start of each of its turn. Its hit point maximum is reduced Most people do not think to classify these diverse oddities under
by an amount equal to the damage taken. The link lasts until the creature a single category, but scholars of psionic phenomena, most notably
ends its turn in a brightly lit area, or until a creature spends an action and the spirit mediums for whom psychic magic comes naturally, favor
makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check to stanch the bleeding. the term “noetic entities.”
Bonus Actions
Hide in Shadows. The killer casts darkness, then becomes invisible if it is Varieties of Noetic Entities
in area of dim light or darkness, and it remains invisible until it attacks, The infamous malice beasts are the best-known noetic entities,
enters a brightly lit area, or takes radiant damage. Its spellcasting ability which physically resemble monstrous and twisted animals but can
is Charisma. psychically provoke emotions and then feed upon them.
Reactions Popular stories are currently quite smitten with beings known
Draw the Black Veil Shut (1/Encounter). He snarls in pain, his voice as ship-spirits, where somehow the pride or infamy surrounding
clearly human despite his monstrous form. Then the world goes completely an actual ship comes alive as a being capable of thinking and speak-
dark. When an attack damages the killer, it uses Hide in Shadows and ing. The general public woefully misunderstands them, but are
then teleports 30 feet to a location it can see. endeared with the stories of glamorous figureheads coming alive
Chapter Seven
Technological Weakness and befriending the sailors who serve on the vessel.
Hideous Reveal (Religion DC 12). The figure’s flesh is too dark, like he’s Experts study a class of entities called egregores, a sort of uni-
cloaked in the essence of an undead shadow. Whenever the killer takes fiied consciousness made of several minds joined together with
radiant damage or ends its turn in a brightly lit area, the man’s matte a singular idea or purpose. People who lived through the Great
black skin fades, revealing for a moment raw muscle and sinew and Eclipse recall with dread the hiveminds that trapped the minds
weeping rivulets of blood. The killer becomes visible if it previously hid and bodies of the unwilling. However, it seems to be possible for
with Hide in Shadows. Additionally, until the end of its next turn it loses people to willingly form gestalts, unifying their minds without
its damage resistances and cannot use Hide in Shadows or Draw the losing them.
Dark Veil Shut. Beyond these well-known noetic entities are many other ru-
mored threats. Monstrous researchers are eager for funding to
study whether ghosts and other incorporeal spirits might be

A Modern Menagerie
Thoughtflesh and Thoughtforms

Malice beasts are normal flesh and blood, but many noetic entities
create their bodies out if a strange and scintillating substance known
as thoughtflesh. Both ship-spirits and egregores are composed of
thoughtflesh.
[[New Art: Worm Maw redux. We have the “donut If planarite is materialized planar energy of a given plane, then
with tentacles” monster, but I don’t really want to thoughtflesh is materialized psychic energies of thoughts and emotions.
use it again. It looks dumb. Can we get someone to Spirit mediums, given their psionic sensitivity, find thoughtflesh to be
take that art but make it look actually menacing? Or oddly soothing to be around, or sometimes provoking an exhilarating
otherwise do some sort of Metroid-esque levitating high, depending on the nature of the ideas and emotions that compose
thing that is eating a person?]] the thoughtflesh.
A few esoteric artisans are developing techniques to weave clothes or
tools out of the substance, creating objects that respond to the owner’s
own mind.
Far rarer are creatures called thoughtforms. These have no physical
bodies normally, and though they can be perceived and interacted with,
they are incorporeal except in specific circumstances. The mysterious
gidim were thoughtform beings, and little is publicly known about them.
Pacts of Highest Thought

Any noetic entity of challenge 5+ can, with significant effort and great
sacrifice, forge a sublime psychic bond with a creature equivalent to a
warlock’s Great Old One pact, Genius Loci pact, or perhaps a Hexblade
understood more properly as noetic phenomena, as well as tiny pact. Eventually a warlock may bypass the power of his patron, simply
fear-fueled figures called spooks that prowl near pathways to the relying on the entity as a connection with a greater psychic energy
Bleak Gate. And historians struggle to gather information about source.
beings called gidim psychovores, which apparently threatened
Danor and Ber during the Great Eclipse. Governments have tried Making a Meal of Yourself
to quash all knowledge of these apparently perilous creatures, as if A few desperate, gullible saps think they can have sorrowful emotions
merely knowing about them might make them appear. siphoned off. Those fools get eaten. A malice beast that gets a psychic
Of course, to even an educated citizen, they’re all just monsters. whiff of despair or remorse won’t stop with just a mind meal, but will
include flesh as well for a full banquet. Emotion is often physical, after
Malice Beasts all, from racing hearts to jittery nerves. Even an herbivore will try to
Five centuries ago, the Great Malice transformed large swaths of violently consume someone in the throes of emotion, and may spontane-
Danoran territory into a savage wilderness inundated with wild ously manifest sharp canines if need be.
magic, impossible and shifting terrain, and strange mutants known Nobody knows why people are immune to malice mutation. Some
as malice beasts. Locals and well-read outsiders know more of the dispute that, citing strange powers acquired from even the present-day
monsters: they hunger for emotions, sometimes with discerning Malice Lands. Hushed rumors murmur of shady arcanoscientists con-
tastes. ducting inhumane experiments to force mutations onto people.
The Great Eclipse mysteriously caused the Malice Lands’ wild
magic to stabilize, and the land shifts around more predictably, emotions as a matter of flavor; a malice beast does not require these
but the surreal topography and the abominations still linger, so to survive, but will be very motivated to acquire such fine meals.
locals and visitors alike have many wonders and horrors to gawk at. Terror is a tried-and-true standby, but the mutants prefer rarer
Malice beast safaris have always been popular. flavors, particularly heroic verve. They band together in eclectic
packs and brazenly deprioritize self-preservation in the hunt for
Chapter Seven
Malice Taxonomy emotions, sometimes attacking emotionally charged convoys,
Classifying malice beasts is hard, since an animal species can towns, or gatherings.
“evolve” into myriads of malice beast types, and some malice beast
types can originate from different animals. Their biological lin- Varmint Wranglers
eages are maddeningly inconsistent. However, all malice beasts are Native Malice-Landers call the mutant beasts “varmints” and prac-
apotropaically warded off by jade. tice old-fashioned country wisdom and steadfast discipline; it helps
First-generation malice beasts were once regular animals, a frontiersman avoid these emotivores out in the wild. Ranchers of
mutated by the region’s eldritch power into bizarrely-shaped axebeaks and more conventional livestock have identified a few
abominations with a taste for powerful emotions. These mutants “safe spots” in the region, ranging from farm-sized to city-scale.
retain whatever eating habits they originally had: herbivores stay Animals here very seldom have malice mutations, though existing
herbivores, and carnivores still devour flesh. They crave strong malice beasts are no less willing to go into these zones.

A Modern Menagerie
Other Potential Emotivores so mutants are generally more powerful the further east they
In addition to the two sample malice beasts presented here, you can use spawned, up to terrifying “Armageddon beasts” that hunt—some-
existing monsters to represent malice beasts. Whether encountered in times in packs—along Malice-Drakr border.
their natural habitat or as wild weapons all-too-often exported else- The dwarves of old built a line of warding towers along the Mal-
where, malice beasts are a good opportunity for you to field any feral ice-Drakr border to prevent the wild magic from going east. Since
monster you please. the stabilization of magic in the region, the Knights of Sangria have
Because they hunt in eclectic packs, malice beasts allow unusual reinforced Drakran soldiers, using these towers with their ancient
mixtures of monsters to cooperate against the party. You could have wards as rally points on the rare occasion an Armageddon beast
basilisks, bulettes, cockatrices, gorgons, and shambling mounds intrudes into Drakran lands.
all traveling together. Just adjust their visuals, and perhaps add a small
psychic ability, and have yourself a perfectly perilous malice beast. Methia and Perpetual City Beasts
Malice beasts of challenge 6 and above should generally be classified Ever since the Great Eclipse, Methia (page 130) lost its status as a
as Armageddon beasts; good candidates include grick alphas, hydras, true dead magic zone, instead transforming into a wild magic area
remorhazes, rocs, and wyverns, and they will seldom hunt alone. Even akin to the Malice Lands of old. Consequently, the metropolis’s
nonmagical animals like dinosaurs, dire wolves, elephants, lions, and ruins are spawning malice beasts as well. They are still rare, as
tigers can serve as malice beasts, though they definitely need extensive animals were always too spooked to go into Methia after the Great
appearance changes to sell them as mutants, and exotic names to match. Malice; only a small trickle of animals comes to the ruins these
days, but those that do arrive begin to mutate.
Conversely, a daring few bandits have crafted (admittedly unre- The Imperium’s military is unaccustomed to these malice beasts.
liable) techniques for taming malice beasts, which helps their raids Officers have been considering reaching out to Malice-Landers for
against travelers and towns, if the outlaws do not get eaten by their their expertise against these “varmints,” particularly after sight-
own pets. ings of mutants amassing near certain historical landmarks, like
Trains trace many paths through the Malice Lands, and the Avery the Lance of Triegenes, the original seat of the Clergy’s power.
Coast Railroad was the first to offer passengers, free of charge, the Far away in Elfaivar, the ruins of the Perpetual City follow the
opportunity to shoot “varmints” for sport. If there is a particularly exact same pattern as Methia: it acquired pockets of antimagic
good catch, some specially-equipped trains might slow down just a after the Great Malice, only for those to degrade into wild magic
bit to haul in the beast by crane. following the Great Eclipse. And just like Methia, the mysterious
Perpetual City spawns its own share of malice beasts. These are,
The Business of the Beasts however, accompanied by strange, corporeal creatures that resem-
A Malice beast’s body parts are conventional matter, not thought- ble popular depictions of Clericist and Seedist gods.
flesh. They carry a psychic aura for a year or two, and their meat is
a prized delicacy, with connoisseurs likening it to a marinade that
hits your tongue like a symphony hits your ears.
Craftsmen make nifty-looking weapons and armor out of “var-
mint” parts, suitable for magic items, which nudge the owners and
sometimes those in a close aura toward specific emotions. Unfor-
tunately, the aura is quite addictive, so anything that radiates it is
considered contraband in Crisillyir, Danor, Risur, and many border
states. This has not stopped people from spicing up parties and
other entertainment avenues with these psychic emotion-enhanc-
ers. Pitiable is the addict whose heart feels cold and numb when not
under the aura’s influence.
Even more illegal is the lucrative trafficking of live “varmints.”
Few seem to learn that malice beasts are impossible to domesticate.
Others just want to unleash monsters as terrorist acts, or gradually
Chapter Seven
harvest emotion-heightening drugs.
Monster Hunters
The Knights of Sangria, founded by the late
martial scientist Xavier Sangria, loosely style
themselves after Risuri fey cavaliers. They pro-
tect Malice-Landers from these mutants, and
crack down on the ever-dogged beast smugglers.
Kiov Hetman, a dwarven scholar from the
Drakran border city of Ysfeld, notes that the
region originally radiated wild magic eastwards,

A Modern Menagerie
Malice Rager Malice Beast Traits

A malice rager is an example of a common sort of malice beast with All malice beasts share the following traits unless otherwise stated.
a unique psychic aura. Walking on two legs like an overgrown •• Type. A malice beast is an aberration, with the tag Malice, and it
scaled cassowary, this creature had an early diet of intense anger, loses any other tags.
which caused it to develop the ability to not only incite that emo- •• Optional Trait: Executive Overload Aura. Whenever a non-
tion among its prey, but to cause its fury to burn from its mind into malice creature starts its turn within 20 feet of this malice beast,
reality. it must make a Wisdom saving throw (with a DC appropriate to the
These striding beasts have been spotted driving small herds of malice beast’s Challenge). If it succeeds, it is immune to this aura
herbivores toward larger prey. When close to the large prey, the for 24 hours. If it fails, the creature loses control of its emotions
rager dashes close enough to the herd to catch them in its Aura for a moment. It can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn
of Fury, using them as impromptu weapons against its intended and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during its turn.
target. Even hunting such a beast from afar is dangerous, as its On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature
Goading Urge feature can work from any range. takes no action or bonus action and uses all its movement to move
in a randomly determined direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes
Malice Rager Challenge 3 a melee attack against a randomly determined creature it could
Large aberration (malice) (700 XP) reach if it moved, or does nothing if it can’t make such an attack.
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) The malice beast can use a reaction to cause a creature that
HP 88 (12d10+24) deals damage to it to have to make a saving throw to resist its aura,
Speed 50 ft. even if the creature is out of range.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Other malice beasts may instead have their own unique traits
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 4 (–3) 12 (+1) 6 (–2) that represent a specialized psychic aura.
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14 •• Mental Vulnerability. If the malice beast is given Executive
Damage Immunities fire Overload Aura, it also gains a vulnerability to psychic damage, and
Damage Vulnerabilities psychic whenever it takes psychic damage, one creature of the attacker’s
Senses passive Perception 11 choice that is being affected by its aura becomes immune for 24
Traits hours.
Aura of Fury. The light around the creature is tinged red and scatters •• Challenge. The combination of aura and vulnerability negate
jaggedly. As you approach, you feel flush with anger and violent urges. each other, and so do not modify the creature’s challenge.
Any creature that starts its turn or moves to within 20 feet of the malice
beast must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, it is gripped
with fury for one minute. If it succeeds its save, or when the fury ends,
that creature becomes immune to this malice beast’s emotion aura for 24
hours. The malice beast can suppress this aura at will, such as if it wants
to ambush prey.
A furious creature adds 2 fire damage to any melee attack it makes.
If a furious creature can see an enemy at the start of its turn, it feels
an urge to make a melee attack against an enemy or to use its full
movement speed to approach an enemy, and it cannot willingly move
away from an enemy it is adjacent to. If it doesn’t comply with this urge,
at the end of its turn it takes 2 psychic damage. Hunter of Heroes: The Screaming Malice
Psychic Vulnerability. Whenever the malice beast takes psychic damage, Presented below is among the most powerful malice beasts and
one creature of the attacker’s choice becomes immune to its aura for 24 Armageddon beasts. The screaming malice spends most of its
hours. everyday existence as a formless mass of black scales that coats
Actions bodies of water like a sprawling, squamous lily. When the scream-
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) ing malice senses the presence of sophonts, it manifests into a
Chapter Seven
piercing damage. physical form reminiscent of a tar-covered hydra, then bands to-
Fire Burst (Recharge 5–6). The beast glares at a point it can see within gether with whatever nearby pack it can find and commences the
120 feet of it, and fire manifests in that spot. Each creature in a 10-foot- hunt for delectable emotions. More so than other malice beasts, the
radius sphere centered on that point takes 14 (4d6) fire damage, or half screaming malice is a particular connoisseur of heroic ardor, and
that damage if it succeeds a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. loves to feast on would-be heroes.
Reactions The Knights of Sangria have yet to discern how it might be pos-
Goading Urge. After a creature outside the malice rager’s Aura of Fury sible to permanently vanquish such a beast, for it always dissipates
deals damage to it, that creature must make a saving throw as if it had back into its amorphous mass—once even sinking into the ground
entered the aura. like oil—only to reform again 1d10 days later. This makes the
screaming malice among the very few malice beasts whose parts
have never been harvested, at least for now.

A Modern Menagerie
Screaming Malice Challenge 10

Huge aberration (malice) (5,900 XP)
HP 125 (10d12 + 60)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
21 (+5) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 4 (–3) 12 (+1) 7 (–2)
Skills Athletics +9, Perception +9, Stealth +13
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +5
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, prone
Damage Vulnerabilities psychic
Traits
Legendary Resistances (3/Day). If the screaming malice fails a saving
throw, it can succeed instead.
Psychic Vulnerability. Whenever the beast takes psychic damage, one
creature of the attacker’s choice becomes immune to its Emotive Wail
for 24 hours.
Cephalic Quincunx. Vaster and grander than any conventional hydra,
the Armageddon beast’s five tarry heads stretch out from its scaled body
in a quincunx formation. The screaming malice has five Medium heads of it and not currently affected by Emotive Wail takes 2 (1d4) nonlethal
which can share the body’s space and which each have a reach of 5 psychic damage and must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or
feet. Whenever the screaming malice moves, only its body moves unless suffer a random effect for 1 minute. Each creature rolls a d6 to determine
otherwise stipulated. When it starts its turn, it can reposition its heads how it is magically affected:
to spaces of its choice within 30 feet of its body, which does not provoke 1–2: Fear. The creature is frightened.
opportunity attacks. If a head is ever more than 30 feet away, it falls 3–4: Fascination. The creature is charmed. The effect ends if the
off and dies harmlessly, and a replacement head grows at the end of creature takes any damage.
the screaming malice’s next turn, sharing its space. Each head can be 5–6: Euphoria. The only action that the creature can take is Dash.
dealt damage by attacking it, but the heads and body share a single hit A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
point pool. Individual heads cannot be destroyed this way. While it has ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is
more than one head, the screaming malice cannot be blinded, deafened, successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Emotive
stunned, or knocked unconscious. Wail for the next 24 hours.
The screaming malice can take four reactions per round, but the extra Predatory Pentad. It moves one of its heads up to 30 feet and makes a
three can only be used to make opportunity attack bites with heads, and Bite attack with that head.
each head can only make one opportunity attack per round. Cranial Biogenesis. The head rips itself free from a long neck. Bones
Magic Resistance. The creature has advantage on saving throws against crack and tendons snap together as the skull reshapes itself into
spells and other magical effects. a semi-autonomous, reptilian predator, covered in the same tar as
Magic Weapons. The creature’s weapon attacks are magical. the greater beast. The screaming malice moves one of its heads up to
Actions 30 feet and detaches and transforms that head into a malice spawn.
Multiattack. The creature uses Emotive Wail, then for each of its heads, The spawn acts immediately after each of the screaming malice’s turns,
it uses either Predatory Pentad or Cranial Biogenesis. including the turn in which the spawn was created. A new head regrows at
Bite. A head with fangs as long as your arm gnashes its tarry maw around the end of the screaming malice’s next turn. The creature cannot use this
Chapter Seven
you. Psychic currents excite your heightened emotions, and your synapses ability if it already has three active spawn.
falter, bringing you to the ground in a heap. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to Reactions
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage. If the target Devour Heroics. Your triumph may be short-lived, as ravenous jaws come
is charmed, frightened, or experiencing intense magical emotions (such careening towards you. After another creature achieves a natural 20 on
as from hideous laughter, rage, or Emotive Wail), it must succeed on a DC an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, the screaming malice can
18 Wisdom saving throw or fall prone. make use Predatory Pentad and try to bite it.
Emotive Wail. Many mouths stretch open wide, then roar in unison. Legendary Actions
Wispy shadows coalesce around the Armageddon beast’s heads, full of The screaming malice can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from
hallucinatory detail and textures. Your heart races with uncertainty before the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time
finally settling on one self-destructive impulse. It screams, penetrating and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary
deafness and magical silence. Each non-malice creature within 120 feet actions at the start of its turn.

A Modern Menagerie
Never-Tangling Quintet. The screaming malice uses Predatory Pentad.

Feed on Fear. You glimpse a terrifying hallucination of your death. One
frightened creature within 120 feet of the screaming malice must make
a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. If it fails it takes 9 (1d6 + 6) psychic
damage, and the screaming malice can move 10 feet.
Lure. You see the object of your heart’s desire nestled within its writhing
necks, and you stagger gape-mouthed toward it. One charmed creature
within 120 feet moves a distance equal to its speed, its path chosen by
the screaming malice. The creature is then incapacitated for as long as it
remains charmed by the screaming malice.
Malice Spawn
Medium aberration
HP 10
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
21 (+5) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 4 (–3) 12 (+1) 7 (–2)
Skills Athletics +9, Perception +9, Stealth +13
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, prone
Damage Vulnerabilities psychic Ship-Spirits
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19 A ship-spirit is the sophont thoughtform embodiment of a ship,
Traits which is intentionally created using energy drawn from the plane
Evasive Mettle. If the malice spawn is subjected to an effect that allows Mavisha. Across the six great nations of Lanjyr, ships are symbols
it to make a saving throw to only take half damage, it instead takes no of national pride, military might, and the will to explore the un-
damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it known, and many nations desire to give that pride, might, and will
fails. spectral form.
Fueled by Malice. Killing a malice spawn deals 10 necrotic damage to the
screaming malice. The malice spawn automatically dies if it strays more Mysteries from Another World
than three miles from the screaming malice that created it. Six years ago a planar vagabond named Lady Kotele of the Dun
Magic Resistance. The malice spawn has advantage on saving throws God found herself stranded in the Waking, far from her homeland.
against spells and other magical effects. An undine with felid features, she claimed she hailed from the
Magic Weapons. The malice spawn’s weapon attacks are magical. divine noble houses of Yarna, a continent-sized empire on the plane
Actions of Mavisha.
Claw. A strike of its talons elicits a flood of emotions. Melee Weapon Attack: An instant celebrity for her exotic poise and charming manner
+9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage. If the of deflecting questions about her homeworld, Kotele soon found
target is charmed, frightened, or experiencing intense magical emotions, herself having audiences with admirals of every great nation except
it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or fall prone. Elfaivar. And to them she offered a mysterious invention: a Mavis-
han cube.
A marvelous contraption of the Mavisha planarite, this crystal-
line azure cube glows from within, where some fluid shifts between
shapes that remind people of the waves on a sea, and every so often
Chapter Seven
a viewer catches a glimpse of what appears to be a modern ship in
miniature scale.
Over the course of a one-hour ritual aboard a ship while it is in
motion, the Mavishan cube gathers up the psychic energies of every
single hope, dream, and fear related to the vessel, then weaves them
into a ship-spirit.
The result is an intelligent creature of thoughtflesh, driven to
loyally serve her nation and inspire her crew and officers with pur-
pose and conviction. As ships are generally thought of as feminine,
a ship-spirit usually appears as a glamorous humanoid woman,
almost like a figurehead brought to life.

A Modern Menagerie
Kotele’s Motivation Combat Powers

By selling her secrets to five nations, Lady Kotele purchased herself an Ship-spirits are usually reserved for prominent vessels, and so
extravagant lifestyle full of sea voyages around the world, but many player characters are more likely to face one in battle in mid- to
people doubt this was her true motivation. high-level adventures than have one as an ally at low-level.
The answer to this mystery may lie in tales of those who claim to have Though it is rare they go into battle, each ship-spirit’s stats
traveled to Mavisha, where they found strange recreations of famous are unique. An angelic planetar could represent the spirit of the
shipwrecks from the Waking, as if the seas of that watery plane were Coaltongue, the most famous ship in the world, while the stoic Kh-
watching and learning from our own world. alundurrin is a bit more like an earth elemental.
But then, more ominous: reports of entire ships matching those lost at Beyond that, ship-spirits all can choose to stand and move across
sea, complete with a forlorn but seemingly flesh-and-blood crew, sailing liquid surfaces as if they were solid ground, but cannot stray more
despondently, only coming alive to ferociously defend themselves. than a quarter-mile away from their ship. If a ship-spirit is killed
By manifesting ship-spirits in the Waking, perhaps these ships are or destroyed, it rejuvenates in perfect condition aboard the ship in
being copied on Mavisha, their doppelganger crews press-ganged to 1d10 days, unless the ship or its Mavishan cube have been destroyed.
serve the “noble houses of Yarna.” A ship-spirit might wind up lingering by her own vessel’s ship-
When asked about these strange reconstituted ships, Lady Kotele, as wreck, slowly attempting to repair it.
ever, charmingly changes the subject.
Avatars or Idols
Risur was the first nation willing to risk the unusual foreign Due to the expense of locating enough Mavishan planarite, and
magic. It had some experience with ships having personalities, the requirement for a vessel to develop something of a reputation
having long employed the fey-blessed schooner RNS Roscommon before it make use of a Mavishan cube, each nation only has a half-
which was home to a dryad. When Risur tested a Mavishan cube on dozen or fewer ship spirits.
the RNS Khalundurrin (which had been captured from Drakr decades Despite the clear pride most navies have in their famous vessels’
earlier), the ship-spirit manifested the form of a sooty dwarf in an spirits, many people are unsettled by them. Widespread fear of
apron fit for shoveling firegems. He saluted the captain, reported noetic entities lingers from the horrors hiveminds caused during
gruffly about every small issue with the old warship’s maintenance, the Eclipse, and when people see a ship-spirit dressed in finery and
commended the existing engineers for doing a fine job, and asked brought to a seaside gala as a symbol of naval prestige, it triggers
if they might bring aboard some dwarven musicians, as he missed the same uncanny anxiety as the thought of a child’s toy coming to
the songs he’d heard when his hull was first being laid down in life. Such things are not meant to have a will of their own, many say.
Trekhom. It certainly doesn’t help that one Danoran captain half-jokingly
suggested marrying his ship-spirit, although such would likely be
Personalities of Ship Spirits against regulations.
Ship spirits serve as major-domos for the captains who command More seriously, just recently a rare Beran skyseer made interna-
them, can sense damage and intruders, even single-handedly steer tional news with her divination that when the under-construction
the vessel and control its weapons, though at great mental toll. aerial battleship RAS Burning Sky is given a ship-spirit, she will
After some initial wariness, navies have embraced these entities as manifest as a red dragon, a symbol of fiery tyranny.
valued allies and fellow sailors.
Of course, before a ship can manifest a spirit, it must become a Egregores
focus for countless hopes, dreams, and fears. The more known a Egregores are psionic entities composed of the minds and souls of a
vessel is, and the clearer its identity is in the mind of its crew and group of at least seven sophont intellects, joined together by a place
the world, the stronger its ship spirit becomes. of power known as an egregoric column. The egregore then might
For instance, the launch of the RNS Coaltongue in 500 aov was creates a thoughtflesh body for that new shared consciousness, or
an international event, and today the near-sabotage of its maiden simply operate multiple bodies as easily as a person can wiggle
voyage is remembered for the first hint of the coming threat of the their fingers independently.
Great Eclipse. The vessel was later retrofitted with the miraculous Egregoric columns are a little-understood phenomenon where
ability to fly, and three years ago helped force an end to the Gul- an area—never more than thirty feet across but seeming to extend
Chapter Seven
mohar Reclamation Crisis. Its ship spirit appears as an imperious all the way to the sky—becomes like a psychic echo chamber.
and grizzled orc, dressed in an ancient warlord-emperor’s raiment, Identification is tricky. The only clue is a subtle feeling of sublime
and from his back spread great wings with fiery crystal feathers. interconnectedness with anyone else inside. The common man
Coaltongue—for that is his name (though he’ll accept “emperor” as may pass this off as a good mood, but it is unmistakable to a savvy
well)—wields a massive, flaming mace, not unlike a torch. occultist.
By contrast, Crisillyiri’s new destroyer Fluctus Tortis launched What causes them is unknown, and most are fleeting. If enough
from Sid Minos, and carries the aspirations of a pious nation to thinking creatures spend time in a column it can become more
show the world it can protect their souls. Its ship-spirit takes the stable, even faintly visible like a beam of dim golden light. But if
form of a young woman with blue braided hair in priest raiments, it is starved of thoughts, the column gradually evaporates. Formal
whose presence protects against curses. treaties require all the great nations to report and cordon off these

A Modern Menagerie
Narrator Advice: Egregores

In a Zeitgeist campaign, a feral hivemind egregore can serves as a
unique high-level monster, often a sign that something else is going
terribly wrong and causing people’s minds to merge out of control. A
conspiracy might seek to create one intentionally, perhaps with a bit
more intention and fewer warty tentacles.
Of course, that’s not to say that there can’t be small feral hiveminds;
for example, a gang that really likes tunnels and snakes might get stuck
in an egregoric column and merge to form a large serpent that appears
to be composed of leather jackets. Egregores are likely to be weird
simply owing to their very nature.
Gestalts, on the other hand, make for a truly daunting adversary, per-
haps as the mastermind of an entire campaign. You might spend seven
adventures setting up a rogue’s gallery, then have the villains unite for a
climax. A gestalt might already exist and be grooming an antagonist of
the PCs to join their collective. Or perhaps to face an insurmountable
foe, the PCs might need to gather the right allies and merge into a single
higher being to work in perfect harmony.
See The Secrets of Egregores (page 275) for more information.
areas to eliminate the threat they pose, but rumors fly of secret
egregoric columns being used to create loyal monsters and psychic storm. Unified by a need to repair the glass, they meld into a hor-
super-weapons. rific starfish-like entity with crystalline skin, and they proceeded
to coat half a city district in ectoplasm that hardened into glass, suf-
Hiveminds and Gestalts focating dozens. The monster was driven from the city and today
Egregores come in two varieties: feral hiveminds, and smart traces eerie patterns in the sands of the Senesi desert.
gestalts. Rumors and sensationalism claim various famous people are
During the Great Eclipse, hiveminds dragged hundreds of intentional gestalts. For example, a Meliskan prophet in Vendricce
people into a shared chaotic consciousness and trapped their claimed he received a revelation that the great gulmohar leader
bodies in titanic masses of warty flesh and tentacles that wrought Dhebisu is not a real person, but a gestalt consciousness created
havoc. Strict social distancing was required to prevent even small for the sole purpose of conquest. Likewise, some speculate that the
gatherings from devolving into a hivemind. The conditions that let famed Beran spymaster El Extraño is just a shared construct that
hiveminds during the Eclipse draw any bystanders have passed, absorbs the nation’s patriots when they grow too old to serve.
but occasionally a small hivemind will still manifest, and govern- In Risur, a sudden change in behavior by unrepentant play-
ments are vigilant to control and cordon off any egregoric columns girl Galatea Goodson, heir to the Goodson family fortune, has
that are discovered. prompted scandalous accusations that industrialist Guy Goodson
Gestalts are (usually) willingly created by a small group of like- has replaced her with an egregore that he intends to join himself,
minded individuals who find an egregoric column and agree to making himself immortal so he never has to share his wealth with
weld their minds for a higher purpose. They are often fiendishly anyone.
intelligent and driven, able to operate in multiple places at once
through their different bodies, regenerate as long as any one body Making Monsters
survives, and pool the knowledge and resources of many people. In 518 aov, an anonymous letter published in several Danoran
Gestalts are rare, and what little the public knows of them has newspapers encouraged the government to build a prison in the
motivated all the great nations to agree (at least nominally) to next egregoric column it found, suggesting that the inhumane
report any egregore they discover. conditions within would easily produce feral egregores for study.
This provoked outrage, and many suspect it was a stunt intended to
Chapter Seven
Known Egregores warn off any courseurs considering such vile experiments.
In the Shawl Mountains of Drakr, there are reports of a hivemind If that were its intent, it failed. A year later, the only publicly-
that twenty years ago formed from the combined fears of hundreds known gestalt was created.
of soldiers who prepared for battle against the apocalyptic army of Cid La Fange was originally a group of seven disgruntled veter-
Grandis Komanov. The warriors had gathered around a great forge ans of the Danoran army, who had been united by their opposition
to stay warm as a blizzard fell upon their fort. Today they slither to both the Orithean Concordat and the tyranny of Eloise Duffet.
through remote frozen passes as a blue and fuschia winged worm Believing Danor needed a smarter military leader, they prepared
known as the abominable remorhaz, whose body releases a kill- to unite themselves, and when word arrived in 519 of the govern-
ing heat that can melt metal weapons. ment attempting to cordon off an egregroic column in a remote
The glazierbeast is a younger feral hivemind, born from a work woodland, the seven fought past the guards, secured the area, and
crew renovating the stained glass of a Crisillyiri cathedral after a entered the column.

A Modern Menagerie
What emerged was a statuesque specimen of the perfect Danoran Psychonautics

man, flanked by the seven bodies that had entered. He introduced The full nature of egregores remain unexplored. Some who have
himself to government officials and apologized for his violence, and lost family members to one of these new hiveminds are pursuing
Chapter Seven
then six of the component bodies each went their own ways, while ways to liberate individuals from the gestalt. One academic paper
one went with Cid himself to meet President Remy Duvall. By the published in Danor claimed that the researcher was able, with the
time the train arrived in Cherage, Cid had written two hundred aid of a bard, to teleport into a sort of mindscape where the con-
pages anticipating what future wars might entail. When he met sciousness of an egregore became a physical place.
with the president, though, he began to weep and could do nothing Drakran psychometrists who are using the ideology of Delkov-
but stagger away. ich Nihisol to develop cures for mental injuries believe this might
Today the various components of La Fange spend most of their let one slay phobias and wrestle anxieties. One doctor announced
time at military graveyards, never speaking, always watched she would attempt this feat, but has since gone missing.
warily by two Danoran handlers. Cid himself has offered to enlist
in the military, so that should war come, none will die before him,
but Danoran law has forbidden him from doing so.

Chapter Eight
The Grand Design
T he technology level, international politics,
and unique cosmology of Zeitgeist encour-
ages types of adventures slightly outside the norms

“Importing a Save” from Zeitgeist:
The Gears of Revolution
If your group played through the original adventure path, this book
cannot possibly accommodate all the different choices that you may
have made. It’s quite possible your constables became legendary para-
gons who created a utopia, or they set themselves up as overlords, or
of fantasy roleplaying games. This chapter offers maybe they just let Flint explode.
But for the sake of presenting a setting where new characters can
guidance and game mechanics for a variety of make their mark on a new age, we’ve made a variety of assumptions,
ones we think produce a compelling world, and one exciting to adventure
campaign styles, and hints at what might lie in the in. In this world, heroes rose up to save the world from annihilation during
the Great Eclipse, but they did not avert every calamity, nor cure every
world’s future. animosity between great powers. Afterward, they eventually withdrew
from world affairs. They had fought tyrants and megalomaniacs, and did
The Risuri city of Flint (page 174) serves as a per- not want to risk becoming the same.
Even if this is a far cry from your own playthrough, we hope you find
fect starting point for any type of campaign. this version of the setting compelling. If you want to work your group’s
PCs into the setting, you could swap in those characters for famous fig-
ures of the current day, and perhaps change how a city or country looks.
Campaign Styles The world is vast, though, and the two decades since the Great Eclipse
You’ve played through the starter adventure Death of the Author, and allow plenty of time for fortunes to shift and new villains to find their way
now you’re ready to homebrew your own Zeitgeist adventure for to power. Even if the heroes of the last age are great warriors, they might
your gaming group. You have a whole world available. Where do hesitate to move against their rivals, lest they precipitate a new global
you start, and what do you do? conflict. And whoever became Risur’s monarch, their abdication heralds
If you’re eager for dungeon delving and monster slaying, the zig- an unstable period of transition.
gurats of the Ancients or the cracked vaults of the Clergy promise Feel free to change what doesn’t fit for you, or bypass the problem en-
classical perils. Should the Hero’s Journey call to you, know that tirely by running your next campaign somewhere far from the attention
farmers from all over the world can set out to save innocents from of the great heroes. If your group did indeed create a utopia, perhaps
the spirits of the Bleak Gate, rescue children kidnapped by the fey take a cue from Star Trek, and set out to explore the solar system. And
of the Dreaming, or confront the atrocities of warlords and cult- if our planar arrangement doesn’t match yours, check out the section
ists, be they Elfaivaran conquerors, Drakran doomsayers, or Beran “A Different Cosmology” (page 276).
chieftains who see civilization as weakness.

The Grand Design
But you can have those sorts of adventures in any setting. If the PCs are pursuing. It brings the world alive, and later on will
you’re going to play in Zeitgeist, consider adding some elements serve as a springboard for future scenes.
of the following campaign styles. Let the PCs find people with eccentric skill sets in a bind, who can
* Constabulary. Serving as formal or consulting detectives, become assets later on. Have enemies flee from encounters only to
the PCs investigate crimes and conspiracies. come back better prepared at the worst possible time.
* Conspirator. The PCs are all members of a conspiracy, work- If you need quick inspiration, just pick a historical figure, and
ing to seize power or cast down their ideological rivals. have them look like a modern actor; give them some connection to
* Revolutionary. The game occurs in an area full of social something magical or specific to your game’s setting; and provide
upheaval and unrest, and the PCs begin as normal people who them a reason to interact with the PCs before the scene where they
rise to prominence after they choose a side. might end up fighting each other.
* Voyager. The PCs do not simply travel the seas and stars,
they discover the unknown—new nations, new planets, new Constabulary
technologies—and their discoveries will change how modern Three main parameters guide a campaign where the PCs are inves-
civilization understands its place in the world. tigators: deciding on a city or other jurisdiction, knowing whom the
See below for suggestions on how to plan campaigns of these styles, PCs are working for, and figuring out what they’re investigating.
as well as optional rules to handle types of encounters—like trail- They might be members of the local police on their home turf,
ing a suspect or pulling off a heist—that don’t show up in your traveling spies operating far from allies, inquisitors trying to dig
average dungeon crawl. out supernatural corruption with a dozen tendrils, or merely a band
of plucky youths whose county has become a nexus of weirdness.
Scale and Structure
Don’t feel obligated to tackle the whole world from the get-go. A Culture Conundrums
tightly planned short adventure or a deeply-detailed small sand- When the PCs have middling authority—meaning they have
box can get players comfortable with the conceits of the setting. enough power to force regular people to obey them, but still have
Even if you do desire a long campaign, it’s often best to introduce superiors who can give them orders—you can introduce classic
the world with a narrow focus, and expand as needed. As the game tropes from police and spy stories that don’t normally appear in
progresses, you can employ varying structures to keep things from hack-and-slash adventures.
getting formulaic. Not all antagonists need to be criminals, and not all criminals
If your group is not sure they want to commit to a long campaign, must be antagonists. Personal rivals might stand in the way of a
running a one-shot can give them a taste of what makes Zeitgeist PC’s objective, tempting them to abuse their authority. Charming
stand out. If they like that, you could continue running other one- crooks might offer rewards to PCs if they look the other way, maybe
shots with new characters each time, as a sort of anthology series. even helping them take out more violent and clearly evil villains,
A more episodic campaign shoots for adventures that can be at the cost of entrenching the power of a perhaps more insidious
resolved in a session or three, where the same characters have mul- criminal organization.
tiple adventures, but the group’s over-arching goal—if any—only The Last Ravens in Flint might be pretty clear-cut villains, but
comes to the foreground occasionally. These campaigns can be we think the two other major cartels in the setting—the Family and
character-driven, have an overarching theme, or just be casual vi- Kuchnost—are people you’d at least consider siding with under the
gnettes designed for novelty. right circumstances.
A sandbox campaign starts with an interesting area and often Do be sure to discuss as a group beforehand to get a sense of how
will have some conflict steadily progressing in the background, but corrupt everyone is comfortable getting. Many conflicts in the
after an initial hook to get the characters involved will leave the Zeitgeist setting are driven by clashes of ideology, and it could
direction of the story to the players’ decisions. Even then, there make for a compelling story to have the status quo the party serves
typically is some ultimate objective to drive action. be flawed, forcing the player characters to decide whether to endure
A serial campaign has a broadly pre-planned plot with at least a it, embrace it, reform it, or turn against it entirely.
clear beginning and projected end. Players are expected to buy in
and agree to pursue that plot line trusting that the ending payoff is Contacts and Connections
worth the commitment. So prepare a good ending. To help players learn about their jurisdiction, either before the cam-
paign or after an initial few sessions, you could ask each player to
Value Your Characters pick two city districts (or cities, or rural counties, depending on the
A crime is only as compelling as its motive, and a revolution only scope), and come up with a contact their character has in each place.
worthy if the tyrant it opposes has a distinct flavor of oppression. This contact could be a friend or family member, a criminal in-
Whatever style of campaign you run, we encourage you to see formant, an ex-boyfriend, a merchant whose shop they frequent,
characters—both PCs and NPCs—as your best tool for crafting a minor noble who owes them a favor, a religious figure, their fey
Chapter Eight
excellent adventures. Allies and antagonists ought to have back- pepper dealer, or many other options. In particular, it helps to
stories or motivations that relate in some way to those of the PCs. include someone with the same character theme as the PC, which
Populate your sessions with figures who have opinions about the reinforces that these themes represent broad social trends, not
changing times, or who are busy with affairs unrelated to whatever simply the skills and interests of an individual.

The Grand Design
Contacts provide ways to invest the players in the place they’re Second, you need to know what happened. While the “mystery
protecting, to deliver clues and set up adventures, to provide com- box” style of storytelling might work for certain film directors, if
plications when their goals conflict with the party’s, and to raise there is no solution to your mystery, or if the mystery isn’t important
the stakes occasionially by putting their friends in peril. to the resolution of the adventure, don’t prime the players to think
their goal is to put the clues together and solve the puzzle. It’s fine
Investigation Structure if weird things sometimes remain inexplicable, but don’t have the
It’s an art to tell a mystery story well even in prose, where the PCs’ boss telling them “figure it out” if there’s nothing to figure out.
author can decree how the protagonist acts. It’s particularly chal- Third, you want resolving the mystery to be exciting. The clas-
lenging in a roleplaying game. Here are some things that may seem sic “drawing room murder mystery” format works better for a story
obvious, but are good to be reminded of. than in a game; gamers generally won’t enjoy gathering everyone
First, you need to make sure the characters are invested in solv- together in cozy setting, explaining how you know who the per-
ing the mystery. Moreover, the best mystery is one only these petrator was, and handcuffing the villain without a fight. You’ll
particular main characters are positioned to solve. This is where generally have your antagonist resist arrest, or be in the midst of
making them constables is handy, since now it’s their job, and they something nefarious, so that when the PCs realize what he’s up to,
can’t wait for the authorities to deal with a problem because they they must defeat him in combat to stop him. Solving the mystery
Chapter Eight
are the authorities. You want a compelling hook that makes it clear should lead to a final conflict.
that doing nothing will lead to more bad stuff: more thefts, more Finally, you want the PCs to find your clues.
murders, growing distrust between neighbors, or political tensions Don’t call for an Investigation check if failing it will steer the
turning to open conflict. story into a dead end. We find a good technique is to plan three clues

The Grand Design
for every part of the mystery that must be understood to solve the Interconnected Gears
main case. When the group comes upon a scene, describe what can The original 13-part Gears of Revolution adventure path was a con-
be detected with a reasonable first inspection. This should mention stabulary serial. We structured the campaign to start with the PCs
at least one of the clues, though its pertinence might not be obvious. as competent but not exceptional investigators, charged with pro-
Then call for an Investigation check to find less obvious clues, or tecting the city of Flint from threats more complicated than the local
perhaps an Insight check to figure out what a witness is nervous police could handle. In the first three adventures they became em-
about. Even if the characters roll poorly, if the players state that broiled in thwarting the sabotage of a new warship, unmasked local
they’re looking at a specific thing, or asking a specific question, corrupt officials involved in smuggling, and chased an extraplanar
don’t hide information from them due to a bad die roll. Just give murderer. The three plots seemed only indirectly related, but by the
them the information. Asking the right question is how they “win” the start of the fourth adventure it became clear that all were fallout
mystery. from the actions of a global conspiracy.
For example, maybe they find a murder victim with a viscous The reveal of that grander threat spurred the characters to chase
brown substance on his cheek, in addition to blood from a gut down the villains and unravel their plots in other nations and even-
wound that has covered most of the body. A DC 10 Investigation tually even other planes. We writers knew from the start who the
check might reveal that the substance is shoe polish, and the char- mastermind was and what his plan entailed, even back when the group
acters find a tin of shoe polish in the victim’s pocket, plus more shoe was just trying to figure out why a murdered factory owner’s daughter
polish under his fingernails. If the PC failed their check, but specifi- brought a box of drugged chocolates into the Danoran consulate.
cally said they searched the person’s pocket, they find the tin, and
they might deduce that the victim was kicked in the face by some-
one whose shoes he had polished moments earlier.
Even if the party doesn’t figure that out, a Medicine check might
determine that the victim’s cheek is bruised beneath the brown even have used his own magic to erase the memories of those who
substance. An Investigation check might uncover news that a shoe- could identify him. Let this spur your creativity to set up uniquely
shiner has gone missing. A spirit medium could talk to the victim, magical solutions.
who can describe the attacker but doesn’t know the man’s name or Maybe a witness was lost at sea, but the party could speak with
why the man murdered him. the shipwreck’s spirit by traveling to Mavisha, then follow its
guidance to locate the wreck in the real sea. Perhaps the villain’s
Mysteries Small to Large defensive wards are carved into a newspaper printing press so that
If the party comes upon a murder scene, makes a single Investiga- every copy of the daily paper is a shield from scrying, but once the
tion check, and learns that the butler did it, there’s not much drama group’s divinations keep turning up images of whoever’s on the
in that. Conversely, if they need to run down a dozen clues scattered front page, they could figure out the connection and go replace the
across the city before anything makes sense, players are likely to printing press.
get disengaged. And remember, solving the mystery should spur an exciting con-
Mysteries can exist at multiple scales, and one of the best ways clusion. If the group somehow figures things out faster than you
to keep your players’ attention is to have mini-mysteries with easy- expected, the worst that happens is that you get a fun action climax.
to-find clues that, when put together, form a larger picture that
then provides another lead. Solve a small mystery, confront a foe Specialized Mechanics
in battle or capture someone to interrogate, then get leads to more If the PCs need to tail a suspect or interrogate someone they’ve
clues. captured, sometimes a simple Stealth or Intimidation check is sat-
You can scale this up and up, with snippets of evidence pointing isfying. But if you want to add a bit more nuance as well as narrative
to ever higher tiers of villains. You could build a whole serial cam- significance to such scenes, see Inquiries (page 266) and Pursuits
paign on this, though heed the advice to plan the answer to your (page 267) for expanded mechanics.
mystery before the game starts.
Handy Constabulary Ability Checks
Divinations and Shortcuts The following skills have extra value in investigative games.
It is Narrator advice that works for every level, but is especially vital Arcana. In addition to the typical Intelligence (Arcana) checks
when the party can scry to find hiding suspects, force them to talk, to understand what sort of magic something possesses, after a PC
and ask the cosmos for answers: don’t fight the party’s capabilities; finds a clue, the Narrator might call for a Wisdom (Arcana) check to
make them pathways to success. notice that the clue has been magically tampered with. For instance,
If your party has access to mighty magic, you as Narrator must a victim’s wound might be concealed with healing magic moments
walk a line between letting the magic be useful and making sure it after their death, or a fleeing suspect’s shoes might show signs of
doesn’t trivialize the adventure. Try never to nullify the characters’ having recently been cleaned with prestidigitation.
Chapter Eight
powers; instead, design a mystery that puts up hurdles, so that divi- Culture. This skill can reveal that someone’s mannerisms don’t
nation leads to action. A foe fit for high-level investigators might match the group they claim to be a part of, or can link clues to spe-
himself be hidden from scrying, but not his underlings. He might cific social groups.
have layers of henchmen to provide him deniability, and might Deception. Intelligence (Deception) can be used while tailing a

The Grand Design
Black Shores: Noir in the Yerasol Archipelago

Consider a sample episodic campaign where the PCs are a mix of Dan- During the second season, keeping the peace is complicated as the
oran investigators and representatives of the Concordat of Orithea, politician uses his research to create elementally powered pirates who
initially tasked with preventing smuggling in the city Beaumont. The cause mayhem in Beaumont. After a few episodes of this, the climax
party could have a mix of responsibilities—keeping the city safe from is kicked off when some pirates attack a foreign dignitary’s vessel in
revanchist agitators, combating piracy, handling foreign bureaucrats Beaumont’s harbor. If the perpetrators aren’t caught, foreign powers
who want to squeeze the city for Concordat repayments, tracking will have an excuse to occupy the city to guarantee it fulfills the Con-
down alien beasts that stagger ashore in unnatural storms, and pro- cordat. The party undertakes a spy mission, infiltrating an island lair
tecting their friends and family from a powerfully-connected criminal of the pirates. There they discover that the corsairs and the courseurs
politician. are in cahoots, trying to create a weather control machine, which they
This politician seems to be the main antagonist: a courseur who ex- intend to use as a weapon.
perimented on himself and gained unnatural strength and resilience. But when the PCs try to confront them, the undine gets there first
The campaign is roughly broken into seasons, with a rhythm of having and absconds with the unfinished contraption. This sets the stage for
four or five short episodic adventures, then switching to a focused the final season. Back in Beaumont, the undine needs components to
climax that changes the status quo a bit, and then back to episodic. complete the device, so she maneuvers her way to the top of the city’s
Early investigations would involve local crimes but suggest ties to criminal hierarchy. She sees the machine as her only way to find anoth-
a pirate conclave active from the archipelago. A beautiful woman in er path back to her homeworld, even if creating a large enough storm
need—an undine originally from Mavisha, stranded on this world—falls to do so would devastate the city. After a series of heists—bringing
in with a gang of smugglers, and comes to the party for help getting out back familiar faces from all the previous adventures—the party tracks
of trouble. These episodes introduce recurring criminals, some of them her down just as she activates the machine. In a rainslick confrontation,
redeemable, some vile, with the latter sometimes getting protection they might have to kill someone they once saved.
from the main antagonist politician. Defeating the politician or dis- Or they might talk her into using the device in a different city, giving
gracing him is the climax of the first “season,” after which he escapes Danor a way to escape the Concordat and forcing two sides of the
and links up with the pirates. party to fight each other for control of the device.
suspect to keep up, by predicting how they might try to shake a tail.
If you’re spotted, Charisma (Deception) can convince the suspect
that you’re actually harmless.
In an interrogation, Intelligence (Deception) can fake a mutual
interest in order to help establish a connection, or Charisma (De-
ception) can lower someone’s guard through charm or seduction.
Perhaps a Wisdom (Deception) check after a failed interrogation
could glean some bit of information from what the suspect seemed
to be evading.
Engineering. Like Culture, this is another skill useful for
making sense of clues or tracking down the source of a specific re-
covered item, like a cask of firedust.
Insight. Interrogations understandably use Wisdom (Insight)
checks to extract information. Though psychoanalysis is in its in-
fancy, an Intelligence (Insight) check could deduce an unconscious
vulnerability from a suspect’s behavior or writings.
Investigation. Intelligence (Investigation) gathers non-obvious
clues at crime scenes. Charisma (Investigation) canvasses for in-
formation in a neighborhood or small town. Maybe once per day a
player could make a Wisdom (Investigation), asking the Narrator to
help them understand if they’ve missed the pertinence of some clue.
Medicine. Intelligence (Medicine) checks can reveal what caused
a particular wound or the cause of a creature’s death.
Conspiracy
The mirrored reflection of an investigatory campaign with con-
stables is one where the PCs are operating in secret, working to
Chapter Eight
some greater goal and constantly challenged to evade the scrutiny

of those with the power to stop them. The three main guiding pa-
rameters are what the conspiracy’s goal is, where they’re enacting
it, and whom they’re hiding from.

The Grand Design
You could be a rising group of thieves trying to get rich in Flint’s Knowing goals, motivation, and antagonists help bring what
criminal underworld while squeezed between the well-connected might be a somewhat amorphous idea into a shape tangible enough
Family and the eerie Last Ravens. You might be a splinter cell in the to design adventures around.
Royal Homeland Constabulary operating under the queen’s secret Consider also the scale of individual goals. Even a grand scheme
orders to ruin the reputation of a fey lord of the Unseen Court, or that would take decades to achieve must require smaller-scale vic-
a group of radical Vekeshi mystics infiltrating a league of interna- tories, which can take the form of individual game sessions. Or you
tional criminals, feathering your reputation by pulling heists, so might build a one-shot around a conspiracy as contained as a mere
that you might replace the leader and use the organization to fur- robbery of a museum’s antiquities wing.
ther your own magnanimous ends. More maliciously, you could be Even if you build a campaign around a major goal, it’s possible for
cultists of a demon hoping to ally with the Kuchnost crime syndi- goals to change. After your demon master becomes a hierarch of the
cate to install your master as a hierarch of the Clergy, or a small cell Clergy, well, now you have to corrupt the inquisition so they throw
of inventors in Danor trying to smuggle in the right components to out anyone who might threaten you, and once that’s done, you may
build an army of constructs to launch a coup. as well turn the inquisition into a tool to tear down other hierarchs.
I mean, you’d be a fool not to.
Secret Goal
A good conspiracy campaign has an assortment of altruistic and Masterminds or Minions
sinister secret groups. You might pick one of the ones listed in It is simpler to introduce this playstyle if the group starts as mem-
Sample Conspiracies (page 273), or work with your Narrator and bers of an existing conspiracy with a clear, limited objective. As the
fellow players to devise a more personal goal. party proves their worth and rises in status (or mercilessly arrang-
When designing your own conspiracy—whether it’s one the es the convenient deaths of their superiors), their freedom expands.
PCs will pursue, or one the Narrator wants a group of constables to This can be incredibly empowering for some players—after all,
tango against—you need to know its ultimate goal, the motivation you’re probably in a conspiracy because you want to change some-
it has for that goal, and the steps it intends to take toward that goal. thing about the world you live, not just take orders—but it requires
Additionally, there are three main types of antagonists for con- a Narrator willing to listen to what the group is planning, then
Chapter Eight
spiracies: watchmen who have the power to stop you if you’re design bespoke adventures around those goals.
caught, marks whom you intend to trick to your advantage, and However, if your group is familiar with the setting and comfort-
rivals whose goals are similar enough to yours that you might face able being proactive, you could start a campaign with some inciting
the same watchmen or target the same marks. incident that unites the party with a common purpose. From there

The Grand Design
these nascent masterminds must figure out what marks to take ad- Act in Secret
vantage of to achieve their goal, fend off rivals or turn them into allies, Conspiracies are opposed by the forces of the status quo, from
and silence watchmen before finally enacting their masterstroke. whose ranks come the campaign’s watchmen. In Zeitgeist’s world,
Typically the grander the goal, the more powerful the conspira- magic and forensics give investigators tools to pursue suspicious
tors. But contests of ideas don’t require martial prowess. A power activities, and journalists might be dogged in turning a secret soci-
disparity between the conspirators and their watchmen can be ety into a career-defining story.
compelling, as it’s easy to cheer even ill-intentioned characters If you’re playing a campaign of any length, it’s an important part
when they’re outwitting a stronger foe. The Narrator should be of the Narrator’s responsibility to ensure the PCs understand what
wary, though, not to overemphasize an atmosphere of risk, where they’re up against. This might happen in direct exposition and
a single misplay could bring down unwinnable odds and end the backstory, or be the result of some montage-style ability checks to
game completely. It can be useful to talk to players before a con- gather information. But often the stronger impact would be to tease
spiracy game starts, to make sure there is clarity in what level of the threat of discovery during in-game scenes, such as if the party
danger they face. witnesses an inquisitor testifying at a trial, reads about one of their
Also, emphasizing diverse tool proficiencies during character own exploits in the paper, or gets questioned by a constable looking
creation expands the options for novel adventures. Indeed, players into crimes committed by a rival group.
ought to make sure the Narrator knows what interesting proficien- Sure, it might be briefly exciting to have a group of watchmen
cies they have, so that adventures can make their use compelling. storm the party’s lair because their wizard cast contact other plane
Missions and Antagonists

Members of a conspiracy probably don’t get recruited by hooded
strangers in taverns looking for people to kill monsters for some
coin.
The most straightforward missions for a conspiracy entail steal-
ing something the conspiracy needs or killing a person or beast
who stands in the group’s way, but even these usually require some
effort to pin responsibility on someone else or to cover up the action
altogether.
More involved are missions that require persuading a mark to
act a certain way. You might need to get them to trust you so they’ll
share something of value, or trick them into thinking you repre-
sent a different faction so they’ll use their superior firepower to
deal with a threat beyond your group’s capabilities. Sometimes you
might even be doing someone a favor, like persuading two feuding
families in the Malice Lands to bury the hatchet so they can work
together and help you capture a bizarre beast that ranges between
their territories.
Also, though you hide your goals and often your actions from
the public, that doesn’t mean you’re never discovered. Slipping up
doesn’t mean failure, just complication. Sometimes people who
learn your schemes might be sympathetic and become allies, or
could be vulnerable to extortion, drawing you into a tangled web of
uncertain allegiances and inevitable betrayal.
To Court the Unseen: Thievery for a Higher Purpose

Consider a sample campaign that begins with the PCs being novice a member of the Unseen Court in the Dreaming. This is itself a gambit
members of the Risuri Homeland Constabulary. Their chief inspector by the Last Ravens, who want to steal the magic that hides the iden-
gives them a secret mission: to gain the trust of the Last Raven thieves’ tities of these fey lords. Toward that end, the party’s chief inspector
guild in the city of Flint and learn their weaknesses. This requires the commands them to do what that fey lord wants, stealing bizarre trea-
group to establish themselves as criminals, avoid arrest, and build a rela- sures, enacting non-fatal but weird vengeance on the Unseen Court’s
tionship with the Last Ravens over the course of a year. When they finally enemies, even antagonizing a fey titan into destroying a factory.
seek formal entry, the guild’s leader demands they prove themselves by Only when the Last Ravens are poised to steal the fey lord’s power
entering the Bleak Gate and capturing the spirit of a recently-slain man do the PCs discover that their chief inspector has betrayed them: he
Chapter Eight
so she can keep it as a pet and torture it for information. reveals the Last Raven’s plan to the fey lord, and tries to hand the party
Once they succeed at this grim task, they’re in, but have to keep over so the fey will owe him a favor, and he’ll be seen as the hero. Be-
undertaking criminal schemes to work their way up the ladder. In time trayed by the only person who can clear their names, to save their skins
they learn that the Last Ravens have allied with a powerful fey who is they will have to decide whom they need to pretend to be loyal to.

The Grand Design
and figured out the party’s whole scheme. But the Narrator almost Finally, if the players are okay with having setbacks that they
always wants to offer the players a chance to foresee and head off can’t fight their way out of, sometimes it can be compelling to pres-
the threat of discovery. The PCs might have contacts in law enforce- ent a situation where the only safe way to maintain their cover is
ment who tip them off that an expert has been called to look into to surrender, let themselves be arrested, or temporarily abandon
some recent “oddities” the conspiracy was responsible for, which their objective.
gives them time to gather the necessary countermeasures, or to get
their stories in order in case they’re brought in for interrogation. Specialized Mechanics
One common trap of a game like this is where the PCs get caught If you as a group want a quick way to justify how the group avoids
up overplanning for eventualities that never matter. Upon hearing bringing down heat from the authorities after any loud conflict,
a Beran executore is bashing her way through the city’s criminal un- consider the Secret Missions mechanics (page 269), where one or
derbelly to find a PC who keeps using mind control magic, the party more of the challenges the party must overcome represent them
might go into brainstorm mode and come up with a dozen ways to maintaining obscurity.
throw her off the trail, bribe her, hire a doppelganger to replace her,
and so on, when all the Narrator had in mind was that she’d show up Handy Conspiracy Ability Checks
at some upcoming mission and fight them. If the group is enjoying The following skills have extra value in scheming games.
the plotting, that might enrich the game, but we advise groups not Culture. Charisma (Culture) checks are useful for crafting cover
to spend too much time on the “covering their tracks” part of enact- identities.
ing a conspiracy. Deception. Intelligence (Deception) checks can represent set-
When used best, these threats heighten tension at a time when ting up contingencies to protect your secrecy should your mission
the party has other things going on. But if overused, they make the be discovered.
players over-cautious and keep them from ever making progress on Intimidation. Intelligence (Intimidation) checks can determine
their goals. It’s the Narrator’s duty to either be adaptive and adjust the outcome of a plot you devise to extort someone.
their plans so that the party’s preparations are just right to thwart Investigation. Wisdom (Investigation) checks can help you
the watchmen, or be up front about when the PCs are overthink- figure out what clues you have left or might need to leave behind for
ing something—in which case the best option might be to say, “You someone else to find.
take a few hours and set up the necessary precautions, and now can Stealth. Charisma (Stealth) checks let you blend in with a
get back to your latest scheme.” crowd or move through a public place in a way that onlookers will
find unmemorable. Intelligence (Stealth) checks can help you plot
Contact with the Enemy a route to avoid patrols or otherwise create an opening so you can
The novelty of a conspiracy campaign is that the PCs will usually do something loud or violent when few witnesses are around.
be pursuing their goals through cleverness, not brute force. Con-
spiracies act in secret, and spies and criminals don’t like getting Revolutionary
into fights—at least not in the real world. But this is an action RPG, Constables serve some superior authority to protect existing power
and combat is a fun part of the game, so the Narrator will want to structures. Conspiracies act in secret to wield power. Revolutionar-
design adventures that will require at least some combat to achieve ies strive to have the people grant them power.
the conspiracy’s goals. Of the four suggested campaign styles for Zeitgeist, revolution-
That combat might be the means by which the PC conspirators ary is the one that most clearly draws the lines of conflict based on
prove to their marks that they can be trusted, by defeating enemies ideology. The goal of a revolutionary campaign is to prove to the
of the mark. Or it might come after the party lures the mark into world that your ideals are right, and to persuade the people to join
their ambush and betrays them. The party might be confronted by you. The three main parameters for such a game, then, are the lo-
a rival conspiracy’s agents, or have to flee through monster-infest- cation, the ideological change the party wants to achieve, and the
ed wilderness to evade watchmen. power structure that needs to be defeated.
Whatever prompts the action scene, a key concern of the PCs One classic example of a revolutionary ideal creating conflict in
often will be maintaining obscurity, or at least deniability, so that the setting is Flint factory workers rallying through protests and
their actions don’t attract scrutiny. Unlike many types of cam- street battles to win fair treatment from industrialists and their
paigns where a battle in public can feel like a great way for the enforcers in the city police. But at the same time, fey-sympathiz-
party to win fame and rise in influence, combats with an audience ing radicals try to sabotage machinery to steer Risur away from
are an added challenge for a conspiracy. Even when the adventure technology. As Elfaivar threatens war, bohemian street artists in
takes place in an urban environment, the Narrator should consider Ber might invoke classic tribal myths to oppose what they see as
including in their combat encounters ways for PCs to stay hidden their nation’s dangerous militarization. And of course both the Ot-
from onlookers. A simple way is to fight at night, in rain, or other toplismists and Meliskans in Crisillyir believe the other faction is a
poor visibility. The environment might have handy ways to create threat to the soul of their religion.
Chapter Eight
a distraction, like highly flammable tenements, unsteady water But on their own, all those conflicts, no matter how strident, are
towers, easily spooked cattle, or up-tempo musical performances. just social movements. For a revolutionary campaign to really work,
Or the PCs can rely on disguises and stealth. you need a villain.

The Grand Design
A Worthy Opposition In a setting with teleportation, invisibility, and mind control, a

Robin Hood liberated the common people from the cruelty of the tyrant should have considered defenses against assassination. The
Sheriff of Nottingham (who in many retellings is allied with the main villain need not be someone who’s directly powerful; they
usurper Prince John). The Rebellion overthrew Emperor Palpatine could just be persuasive and backed by strong individuals or loyal
and paved the way for a New Republic. In E.N. Publishing’s first masses. Though really, the PCs will want to defeat him somehow, so
adventure path War of the Burning Sky, Supreme Inquisitor Leska’s the Narrator should consider what that climax could look like when
armies conquered a continent, while the mages of the resistance crafting the campaign.
raced to find an artifact that could defeat her. The longer the campaign might last, the more layers of under-
So, who’s your tyrant? lings and minions they’ll need. And with time, it’s likely they’ll see
A good antagonist for a revolutionary campaign has a seat of some nuance in the opposing side, something they might exploit, or
power remote or secure enough that the PCs cannot think to suc- even be tempted by.
cessfully strike it without plenty of allies. The first act of a campaign
could involve surviving the villain’s cruel oppressions and fighting A Broken System
the villain’s loyalists, culminating in some victory that raises them A villain who can stand against a revolution needs a clear philoso-
Chapter Eight
to prominence. The second act likely sees the party traveling to phy, though their minions can serve for a mix of earned loyalty,
neighboring areas to try to win allies who also oppose the tyrant, ideological agreement, and craven opportunism. Their strongest
which leads to an open conflict. The third act would be not simply allies should share the same ideals, and adventures should explore
grand battles, but contests with key moral stakes. the contrast between the villains’ worldview and the revolution’s.

The Grand Design
Fighting Illusions with Journalism and Guns

Consider a sample campaign that starts in the mountain forges north The arch-illusionist challenges the party to come to the Drakran
of Mirsk, where the PCs toil in gulag-like conditions making guns for parliament to levy their accusations to his face, but when they arrive
the army which, they’re told, is desperately fending off attacks by par- they’re smeared in the press. Worse, word reaches the capital of mas-
tisans from Crisillyir. Though they’re freezing and starving, they can at sive malice beasts attacking in force from the west, a threat that
least content themselves that they’re serving a higher purpose. demands the whole nation unify—especially the rebellious factories in
Until one day a new worker joins their crew, a journalist from the the north. The arch-illusionist persuades the Drakran government to
capital city Trekhom. She claims there is no war, and that she was ar- let him aid a military division in reclaiming the factories, and authori-
rested and shipped north to be a forge slave because she was helping ties try to arrest the party for organizing an insurrection.
the reformist government unearth corrupt links between military pro- The party escapes, regroups, and manages to repel this initial military
curement and a dwarven arch-illusionist whose tower lies on the border assault—which first targets their publishing headquarters—but national
with the Malice Lands. public opinion has turned against them, and people are calling them
Realizing they’ve been duped, the PCs confront the factory owner, traitors. To secure their long-term safety and freedom they must find
then stage a revolt and claim control of the forge for themselves. The other power players who will support them—from politicians to criminal
journalist suggests they use the forge’s fortified position—and massive syndicates. During this time, they make contact with one of the arch-
amount of firearms—to be a bulwark against similar corruption. She illusionist’s underlings, who claims the wizard manufactured the border
knows the locations of other factories in the same mountain range that incursion that he used as casus belli against them, all so that he could be
are using slave labor to win rich contracts from the military. If the party seen as a national hero and make a bid to become chancellor.
can strike some of those and put the workers in control, they’ll attract The party can scheme their way into his tower of illusions, but their
attention from across the nation. goal isn’t to kill him; it’s to recover documents they can publish to reveal
And if during their missions they can secure the parts for a printing his lies to Drakr and the world. But can they trust the underling? Is this
press—and recruit the Danoran inventor of a way to mass-print pho- just another deception? And even if it is, should they defy their own
tographs in a newspaper—they can begin making their case directly to principles and forge evidence to convince Drakr the truth is what they
the people. One of them might even be elected to government. need it to be?
Are the PCs rationalists opposing a witch who rules through

superstition and fear? Are they devoted to letting nations rule
themselves after casting down a conquering empire? Do they
simply want a different economic system that will put more power
in the hands of the people? Is the health of nature at risk, or some
pact between mortals and otherworldly forces? Or are the PCs
themselves the paternalists, convinced they know best how the
world should function, and they just need to convince a desperate
populace to trust them, to love them, to do terrible things in their
name?
Three Acts or Five?

Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar has five acts. The tyrant
Caesar is killed at the end of Act Three, and the final two acts in-
volve the dissolution of the Roman Republic and the downfall of
Caesar’s murderers.
Star Wars took three acts to topple its emperor, and opinions are
mixed on how satisfying the “and then what” portion of the story
was.
Victory is seldom clean or final, but games only have to be messy
and complicated if that’s what the group desires. Depending on
your mood, achieving the revolution’s initial goals might be enough,
or it might be more satisfying to secure the survival of its founding
ideals, and prove—through some later turmoil that tests the prin-
ciples of the new order—that it deserves to live on.
Handy Revolutionary Ability Checks
Specialized Mechanics The following skills have extra value in revolutionary games.
Chapter Eight
Revolutions might have a scope vast enough that it’s untenable Deception. Should you get captured by the tyrant’s chief tortur-
to keep track of every NPC’s opinions of the party. The Influence er, a Constitution (Deception) check might be necessary for you to
system (page 263) broadly measures how much clout the PCs have last long enough that your fake confession will be accepted as truth,
with different factions. and in so doing send your enemies into a trap.

The Grand Design
History. At the right time and place, a rousing speech can rally Voyager
an uncertain crowd to join your cause. In affairs of patriotism or The modern age of the Zeitgeist setting began with an industrial
cultural unity, an orator can use a Charisma (History) check to es- revolution, which was spurred by the pursuit of science and of un-
tablish rapport with the audience by evoking similar moments in derstanding the unknown. In our history, it was during the 19th
the past where the people had to join a movement. This could pro- century’s growth of “enlightenment” that fairy stories and science
vide advantage on the primary Charisma (Persuasion) check. fiction began to develop as a distinct genre, marked by a knowing
Intimidation. After interacting with a group of enemy enforc- separation between the real world and another world of imagined
ers, a Wisdom (Intimidiation) check could help you discern who are possibilities. That thread of literature flowed into sword & sorcery
serving willingly and who are simply loyal out of fear. fiction, Lord of the Rings, and other touchstones that inspired role-
Performance. Sometimes you need to craft the right legend. A playing games.
Wisdom (Performance) check can represent a few days’ or weeks’ Part of the appeal of playing in a new setting is the joy of discov-
worth of noting what sorts of tales resonate with people in an area, to ery, and the purest form of that is a game focused on exploration,
help you determine what sort of moment might catalyze a movement. wayfaring, voyaging to new places, and pushing the boundaries of
And if you don’t have time to actually win a great victory, a challeng- knowledge and technology.
ing Intelligence (Performance) check can compose a compelling The three main parameters for such a game are the method of
enough story that the truth won’t really matter once people hear it. travel, the reason for the journey, and what will be discovered or
Religion. Some crowds don’t respond to appeals to history, but changed.
Chapter Eight
are persuaded by the right invocation of dogma and show of piety You could be a crew of patriotic sailors trying to navigate the
through a Charisma (Religion) check. As with History, this can length and breadth of Lanjyr in an international competition, a
build a rapport and grant advantage to a primary Charisma (Per- Danoran military squad tasked with exploring the Dreaming to
suasion) check. ensure no foreign forces might try to infiltrate national borders

The Grand Design
via another plane, Crisillyiri radicals taking a portal to Amrou to Looking to the Classics
ensure the Clergy controls access to the afterlife, or a family of ifrits Homer’s Odyssey told an epic series of exciting adventures, and
stranded in the Yerasol Archipelago, charting a course from isle to myriad tales followed its style, including stories of Sindbad in 1001
isle, looking for a way to get back to the planet Jiese. Nights. Such stories sometimes used their different locales for satire,
such as in Don Quixote or Gulliver’s Travels. Star Trek was much the
A Tall Ship same, though more “social critique” than satire. Virgil’s Aeneid like-
Most of today’s great conflicts surround the Avery Sea, and so sea- wise subverted and examined some tropes from the Odyssey, while
faring PCs such as pirates, merchants, or traveling entertainers also serving as a founding myth for the Roman Empire.
could find themselves involved in any sort of world affairs. Mean- Sometimes the distance is temporal, rather than physical, whether
while, explorers devise arcanoscientific vessels to carry them to the we’re pondering how the future might play out in The Time Machine
stars, where they might be the first to plant a flag on a new world, or reminding us that “The past is a foreign country; they do things
nevermind the people who already might live there. differently there” like in Back to the Future.
How is the party traveling? Does the game begin with them Often, though, new technology will be the drive, with enthrall-
already in a new country, a new plane, a new time, or do they un- ing possibilities prompting people to experiment recklessly. Rather
dertake a journey to get there? Are the PCs refugees in a strange than exploring new lands, stories such as Frankenstein and The Fly
land with only their wits, what they can carry on their backs, and transgress the bounds of society and force an exploration of new
what bounty the land offers? Do they ride with full saddlebags, a definitions of humanity. Robot narratives from Metropolis to Ex
tax ledger, and a map of every tribal village in Ber? Are they crew or Machina question what makes us human, while tales of simulated
officers of a majestic Risuri airship with sufficient stores to survive worlds have made us skeptical of our reality long before The Matrix,
on its own in perpetuity? Or perhaps they travel by strange portal going all the way back to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
or planar confluence, and either have a map to plan their next jaunt, For a campaign focused on journeying throughout strange lands,
or must hunt for a new staging ground each step of the way. especially in a time analogous to when our world’s colonial empires
If the campaign will involve a lot of travel, having a regular cast were at their height, if you want to ensure you don’t turn new lands
of characters along for the ride can provide a way for the group to into a series of played-out stereotypes, you might look to postco-
cultivate allies or gain recurring enemies even if they never stay in lonial literature, a genre that examines the effects of one culture
the same place for long. In turn, though, the presence of others can dominating another, and critiques the way those dominant cultures
make it harder to justify why four or five PCs are always taking the would dismantle, minimize, and exoticize their colonies. Some works
lead. focus on the devastation caused by colonizers, such as Chinua
Itinerancy also poses a recurring challenge in that the Narrator Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Others reflect the complex clash of differ-
must be sure that adventure hooks personally matter to the voy- ent cultural traditions, while emphasizing that these places are deeper
agers. Do-gooders might make friends easily and help those along than simply being former colonies, such as Arundhati Roy’s The God of
their travels, while colonizers could have a sense of obligation to Small Things.
protect a land they intend to claim. But if the group has a distant
destination and the adventure is just a stop along the way, it may your trip to try to get yourself immortalized on stage. Should you
require time to make the party invested in local affairs before the seek to establish a new government free from the doldrums of your
peril becomes apparent. home, when you hear about a small town beset by a petty tyrant
you might see yourself in the locals and feel compelled to render aid.
And a Star to Steer Her By Wherever you’re headed, however you’re traveling, and whyever
Even if the journey will make up a bulk of the campaign, consider you’ve decided to do this, what distinguishes a voyage from a mere
what the destination offers. Why are the PCs traveling? adventure is an emphasis on discovery.
The oldest motivation here is to find home, whether that’s an old
one you have been driven from, or a new one you seek to establish. Astra Incognita
Old members of the Clergy might flee a reclaimed Elfaivaran colony, The novel Heart of Darkness was a commentary on imperialism and
navigating the foreign cultures of the gulmohar as they try to reach racism, as a journey into a so-called “savage” land revealed vicious-
Crisillyir. Bold Danorans guide wagons of settlers and enough sup- ness in men of all origins. Meanwhile 2001: A Space Odyssey began
plies for a homestead in the Malice Lands. as an inquiry into a strange signal, but revealed the vastness of the
The goal might be glory, as with the Dreaming explorations of universe and the possibilities for humanity’s place in it. National
Keigar Arukova, or the upcoming international ship race spon- Lampoon’s Vacation was goofy but explored how a lack of control
sored by Queen Iain of Risur. makes us feel humiliated, and that the real root of relief from our
The journey could simply be to reach a strategic objective, to anxieties is not idealized “fun,” but a sense that others understand
scout an enemy’s lands or to seize the riches of the heavens. you, that you’re not the only person going through these travails.
The nature of the goal will determine what could motivate you to In Zeitgeist, imagine a group of refugees fleeing a civil war in a
Chapter Eight
stop along the way to get embroiled in local conflicts. While travel- Crisillyiri colony, trying to get back to the homeland through lands
ers always have to stop from time to time for supplies, to rest, and held by the Elfaivaran Ran. They’re strangers in a strange land who
to take shelter from storms, if you sail for glory and learn a famous then receive succor from those same Elfaivarans they once thought
theater troupe and its playwright are imperiled, you might delay enemies, which stirs them to reexamine their beliefs. Consider a

The Grand Design
unit of Danoran special forces, afraid of the unknown, traveling to become. Find the land where everyone agrees with you, and see
defend the Dreaming wilderness, where they are so distant from how wretched—or wonderful—that is.
the grappling great powers that they see how the arc of history and
their place in it matters less than thriving in the moment.
Self discovery might be hard to do in a roleplaying game, though. New Mechanical Options
Instead, discovery can lead to heroism. A Beran party sailing in In roleplaying games, rules for combat are highly structured, and
a race could find islands that hold secrets which, if brought back the loss of hit points and the visceral consequences of failing a
home, could defeat tyrants and uplift the oppressed. Drakran as- saving throw make for clear drama. But it can be harder to properly
tronauts could land on Urim and discover victims petrified by a use game mechanics to maintain tension in non-combat conflicts.
crime lord back home, their consciousnesses cast to the plane of While players and their Narrator can always handle these situ-
earth; with what gold they can bring back, the explorers could free ations narratively or with ad hoc dice rolls, those who want more
hundreds from a stony curse. structure can use these new mechanics as a baseline.
But ultimately, this is a world undergoing changes of technology These rules cover four types of scenes common in Zeitgeist
and culture. The party could stumble upon new science, new life, or adventures.
even new art that they can be in control of, and use to make their Influence. Revolutionary parties can win the favor of prominent
mark on the world. This could be as simple as finding an egregoric groups and persuade them to join their cause. Conspiracies can dis-
column in an unindustrialized border state which they could ex- creetly take control of organizations and sway the loyalties of social
ploit for riches if they can only conquer the locals. Or they might movements. The more influence you have with a group, the more
bring back from their travels offers of alliance with a culture on you can call upon them for aid—perhaps even for combat allies and
Caeloon that would shift the balance of power in the Avery Sea. for magic items.
They might join the bastion defending the spirits of the dead on Inquiries. Through delicate manipulation or aggressive interro-
Chapter Eight
Amrou, and learn magic from the cosmos beyond that will, in a gation, when characters need to learn someone’s secrets, they need
century to come, lead to inventions that can mend the soul as we to establish a connection before they can extract the information.
might stitch a torn sail. Pursuits. When a criminal runs, or a suspect tries to reach a
Get weird. Imagine what the world could be, what it daren’t secret rendezvous, characters need to balance keeping up with

The Grand Design
their quarry with avoiding obstacles or staying out of sight. him off the side of a building, your players’ choice gives your game a
Secret Missions. Suitable for heists, abductions, and infiltra- distinct personality. Certainly the Narrator can decide that, based
tions, these complex challenges require the party to work together on a given character’s predilections, one tactic or the other might be
while avoiding discovery. easier, but generally we want the party to succeed and to continue
the adventure’s story. Failure in these sorts of encounters won’t get
Group Effort the party killed, but might get them in a tricky situation.
These systems don’t use normal initiative or rounds. Instead, time It’s important, though, that the Narrator maintains enough veri-
is a bit more like a montage, and each character who is participat- similitude in the game that the players feel like their choices matter.
ing usually gets to perform one effort, wherein they describe how In most situations, saying that carousing and threats on someone’s
they’re contributing to the scene, and then make an ability check. life both require a DC 10 Charisma (Deception) check to get some-
Don’t worry too much about total time spent, as long as each one to open up is probably fine, but if the target is a member of a
character gets a moment in the spotlight. One character’s effort temperance movement, carousing should be harder, maybe DC
might be a five-minute conversation, while another’s undertakes a 12. For an ascetic who has forsaken worldly pleasures, trying to
ten-hour stakeout, but each just makes one ability check. If a char- carouse might require a DC 15 check, which represents the PC fig-
acter wants to provide some special assistance—for example, using uring out they need to try a different approach and recover from
a spell—that might provide advantage, or sometimes even get an their initial stumble.
automatic success. And if a player suggests that they’re going to make a Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check and use cartwheeling to confuse the person into
When to Use These Rules talking, that should never work, no matter how high they roll.
Every genre of campaign can make use of each encounter type, The rules should be flexible, but should still have some bearing
but constables are likely to be doing a lot of pursuits and inqui- on what is realistic within the context of the setting.
ries, while conspirators and revolutionaries perform a lot of secret That said, the Narrator is encouraged to shake things up so the
missions. PCs don’t always go to the same well. If a bard reliably beats DC 20
But when should you use these rules, and when should the Narra- Deception checks, make sure the bard can show off their talent with
tor simply narrate, or call for a single die roll to speed things along? lies each adventure, but don’t forget to include challenges that can’t
Ultimately it’s a bit of a stylistic choice, and requires a consideration be solved with trickery.
of what the group wants to spend its game time on.
If the Narrator has a cool action scene that might occupy the Statistics and Skill Challenges
whole session, quickly advancing the plot through narration is fine. Gamers have been rolling dice to kill monsters for over four de-
A single skill check could slightly tweak the scenario. For instance, cades, and game designers have gotten pretty savvy at tuning and
in a situation where there’s going to be a fight and possible chase at balancing those encounters. With their precise mechanics and
a smugglers’ meet-up, maybe the party easily gets the rendezvous round-based action economies, any deft amateur mathematician
spot from a contact. Maybe someone in the group needs to make can figure out the relative effectiveness of various character actions.
an Intelligence (Stealth) check to figure out the best way for the Non-combat encounters require more ad hoc Narrator input, and
group to approach; a success lets them overhear clues to the wider sometimes human beings’ intuitive numeracy isn’t up to the chal-
operation, whereas failure spooks the smugglers and provokes a lenge of designing “fair” odds on the fly.
fight sooner. One of the most common scenarios where this happens is when
But if the Narrator wants to give the players a chance to show the party needs to sneak past a guard. The Narrator decides the
off how they solve problems, or if they want to drive home how guard is only moderately attentive (DC 10), and calls for everyone
tough a task is, they can use some of the mechanics below. Maybe to make a DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check—thinking of it more
the Narrator wants the party’s contact to be a recurring character as a way to represent the flavor of sneaking, rather than a “chal-
whose loyalties are unclear, and so uses the Questioning rules. If lenge.” But if the Narrator has a single failed check lead to the guard
the PCs succeed, the adventure progresses but the NPC looks un- sounding the alarm, your average party has enough non-stealthy
reliable. If the PCs fail, maybe the NPC gives them the location, characters that they probably have only a one-in-three chance of
but it becomes an ambush, or maybe he mentions there’s a smug- getting past.
gling operation, but won’t say any more. Then the ball is back in The more dice the PCs have to roll, the more likely they are to
the players’ court. lose. And if a single failed roll results in a failed encounter, more
As always, no dice rolling is really necessary for any of this if PCs actually can be a liability, not an asset. This can discourage
your group has eager role-players, but calling for them can help teamwork.
make the game feel like the players are steering the narrative, in- Various games have tried to avoid this with highly codified “skill
stead of simply riding a rail from combat to combat. challenges,” but a common pitfall is when the statistics and me-
chanics are too prominent, causing non-combat scenes to feel like
Chapter Eight
Player Decisions and Flexibility exercises in dice rolling, divorced from narrative or roleplaying.
These rules are flexible regarding the specific ability checks and Our intent with the optional mechanics in this chapter is to keep
skills that should be used. Whether they want to interrogate a sus- the focus on story and character, and to keep the amount of dice
pect by partying with him and earning his trust, or by dangling rolling low.

The Grand Design
Peril Before Failure

A common mechanic we use is that failing one check simply makes
the situation perilous, but doesn’t represent actual failure yet. A
person you’re hiding from gets suspicious. A witness gets difficult
and has to be coaxed to keep talking. Your ship gets caught on a
sandbar so your pursuers get a chance to close the gap. It takes a
second failed check to suffer a bad outcome. Often, the PC will need
to decide between backing out or pressing on.
With this two-steps-to-failure conceit, players should seldom
feel like they lost due to bad luck. The vibe should be more that they
knew they were pressing their luck, so it’s easier to own a failure.
Influence
While many tropes of fantasy adventures take place on the edge
of civilization where the protagonists have few allies they can call
upon, Zeitgeist campaigns normally occur in and between cities,
where player characters can involve themselves with various or-
ganizations. Constables could make deals with crime syndicates.
Conspiracies could wend their tendrils into a once-benevolent
religious sect. Revolutionaries could befriend worker collectives
or earn the sympathies of the soldiers tasked with apprehending
them. Voyagers could appease merchant queens to get access to
secret shortcuts.
The Influence mechanic provides a quick guideline for how much
ability the party has to get a given group to do things for them,
whether they’re calling in a mage to perform a ritual too high-level
for them, or trying to get their hands on a rare battle wand before
assaulting a criminal stronghold. While such relationships and Note: Bonuses and Advantage
favors don’t need to be tracked by numbers, players often direct Most of these new systems use ability checks to represent the re-
their effort at wherever they see rules, and if a key element of a sults of a prolonged effort over minutes or hours. Usually characters
campaign is securing power, this mechanic lets players better un- cannot benefit from guidance, bardic inspiration, enhance ability, or
derstand their progress. similar short-duration effects that provide bonuses to or advantage
As with any rules for social interaction, these are just guidelines, on ability checks. Aid from allies also does not usually provide advan-
and the Narrator should use their best judgment whether and how tage for these checks.
to use them.
Impossible Missions
Groups that Matter The baseline checks for most of these new mechanics are DC 10,
The Narrator should choose a number of groups for which the which is a reasonable challenge for low-level characters.
party’s Influence matters, usually no more than five or six. Beyond If the task is daunting, perhaps use DC 15. And if the party is being
that, it’s unlikely even a long campaign will have enough opportu- actively opposed by a specific foe, the DC might be 10 + the foe’s
nities to develop meaningful relationships between the party and bonus with an appropriate skill.
so many groups. For higher-level parties, the Narrator can increase the DC by 2
The groups might all be potential allies, or some might start as for every +1 increase of the party’s proficiency bonus (for example,
competitors or even villains. The Narrator should consider what a baseline check would increase to DC 18 at 20th level owing to the
the party could do to gain influence with each. Usually the party proficiency bonus increase from +2 to +6).
will be acting in the interest of the group, earning appreciation of Of course, the Narrator shouldn’t only increase numbers, but also
its members, but they might instead acquire Influence by black- describe appropriately wild challenges. A stakeout isn’t hard if you’re
mailing powerful members or infiltrating allies into the group’s just sitting on a roof and watching a dockside warehouse for hours.
ranks. It’s possible sometimes to have a sudden jump in influence, But if the local constables are looking for you, spotting the right info
such as by saving the life of a general or buying their way to the top while laying low can be tough. Hobnobbing with nobles to get an
of a mercantile organization. invite to a party might not be a big challenge, unless you’re meeting
Of course, as this is a game, the Narrator can think in terms of folks at a masquerade ball where you have to successfully pull off a
Chapter Eight
adventures that would increase Influence. The party might become half-dozen high society dances before anyone is willing to talk with
aware of an array of possible troubles each group is suffering, giving you. And breaking into a museum vault might be a challenge, but
the PCs a choice of how to pursue the various adventure seeds. Or doing so while dangling over a floor enchanted to sound an alarm if
in the course of a campaign the party might suggest to the Narrator anyone steps on it is, well, not an impossible mission, but rather tough.

The Grand Design
how they want to increase their Influence with a group. Example Campaign Groups
The responsibility of the Narrator is to ensure that the events In the Gears of Revolution adventure path, the party could track its
of the adventure can be significant enough to actually increase influence with five entities.
their Influence. For instance, simply catching a hundred common •• Flint. The citizens of the city of Flint.
thieves won’t get them much above Influence 1 with the Royal •• Risur. The Royal Homeland Constabulary, the police, and the
Homeland Constabulary. They need to handle a threat that’s actu- greater Risuri government and military.
ally meaningful. •• The Unseen Court. The archfey rulers of the Risuri Dreaming.
•• Criminal. A criminal group, the identity of which was secret at the
Influence Rating start of the campaign.
Your Influence level determines how easy it is for you to call in •• Philosophical. An ideological group, the identity of which was
favors from a given group. The examples used assume the party’s secret at the start of the campaign.
influence is based on public prestige and renown. If the party is The criminal and philosophical groups had a good likelihood of re-
acting in secret, they have the same level of influence, even if people maining unfriendly to the party throughout the campaign, but
don’t know them. For example, if a conspiracy has a few spies in an constables had the option to collude in secret or outright abandon
Ottoplismist militia, they might be Influence 2, and could get their their core duties.
spies to pull off favors on their behalf.
Rating 0. The party has no ability to call in favors. They might be
wholly unknown, or seen as enemies or even buffoons.
Rating 1. The party can make use of the basic resources of the
group, equivalent to as if they were a low-level worker in a business
or a new military recruit. They don’t have access to anything that
would be a permanent cost to the group.
Rating 2. The party has some ability to pull strings and get
maybe an hour of time from someone in the group. They might have
accomplished a few noteworthy things to help the group, but most
people don’t know them personally.
Rating 3. The group is willing to stick its neck out a little for the
party or expend some modest resources for them. The party has
distinguished itself, and most members of the group know about
their actions and talents. doesn’t refresh until the favor is over.
Rating 4. The group will commit meaningful resources to help Of course, the party still has to be able to request a favor to get the
the party. The group pays close attention to the party, viewing them favor. If you’ve got friends in the Danoran elite Porteurs du Mort,
as a powerful ally or asset. but you’re way over in south Ber, you probably won’t be able to get
Rating 5. The party can get nearly anything the group can pro- in touch with them to ask for help.
vide, though only occasionally, and potentially requiring a lot of Use the following guidelines to determine the Favor level of what
time to prepare. The party is one of the top priorities of the group. you want.
Rating 6. The party has the ear of the leader of the group, or ac-
tually is in charge, and they can get the group to do anything for Public Favors
them. Of course, the group can’t turn on a dime, and many chal- Here are some sample options for help provided by public citizens
lenges are still best handled by talented player characters, not loyal of wherever the party operates.
underlings. * Level 0. Urchins to watch a street for you. A secretary to look
through documents or handle your paperwork. A carriage-
Influence and Favors driver to provide you discreet passage around a district.
Calling in a favor represents the party expending its resources and * Level 1. A ferry-man to give you discreet passage around the
good will to find people who are both able and willing to help. The city. A craftsman to make a custom non-magic item for you
higher their Influence, the easier and faster they can get what they (the PCs pay the normal price). A minor bureaucrat to bend
want. The party is assumed to not be calling in favors during down- the rules for your sake. A journalist to run a story.
time between adventures; at most they can get one favor fulfilled * Level 2. A docker to create a distraction that will probably
during downtime. get him beaten up or arrested. A journalist to run a false story
The party as a whole can call in one favor per day from a given that could get him in trouble. A major public figure agreeing
allied group. If they ask for a favor that lasts more than a day—such to talk with you for a few minutes.
as if they’re borrowing a magic item for a few days, or requesting a * Level 3. A gang of thugs to commit some violent crimes for
Chapter Eight
guide into the Dreaming for a long journey—the one-per-day limit you. A small group of concerned citizens to rally and protest
somewhere. A journalist to print an exposé on a powerful
political figure.
* Level 4. A large crowd of protesters to block off a whole

The Grand Design
building or street. A class of university students to come out of casting a 1st-level spell you need. (The party pays for any
and use their skills for the common people. A ship captain to expensive components used.)
smuggle in something for you. * Level 3. One challenge ½ nonspellcasting creature (such as
* Level 5. A politician to take a stand for something that might a scout). Or a spellcaster capable of casting a 2nd-level spell
make him lose his office. A city-wide search for a missing you need.
person. A local celebrity to put on a private show. * Level 4. One challenge 1 creature (such as a spy or a Police
* Level 6. A city-wide protest. A call for all citizens to take Squad, see page 231). Or a spellcaster to cast a 3rd-level spell.
arms against a threat. * Level 5. One challenge 2 creature (such as a berserker). Or a
spellcaster to cast a 4th-level spell.
Government Favors * Level 6. One challenge 4 creature (such as a trained elephant
And here are some examples of help provided by a government the or a military troop, see page 231). Or a spellcaster to cast a
party is affiliated with, the police, or the military. 5th-level spell. Or a small warship with a crew.
* Level 1. An officer to investigate a lead for you, but not put
himself in harm’s way. Borrow something out of police Requesting Magic Items
evidence. If the party wants to borrow a magic item from a group, they can
* Level 2. A few officers to canvas an area and report back. call in a favor. If they just need the item for a day or so, use the fol-
Holding a common merchant without cause overnight. lowing favor ratings. If they intend to keep it long-term, increase
* Level 3. A bureaucrat to get a petty prisoner released or the rating by 1. If the item is particularly valuable, the group might
transferred. Blocking a street or bridge to inconvenience a send along a minder to ensure it is returned.
prominent figure. * Common Magic Item. This is a level 3 favor.
* Level 4. Arrest of a politically connected person, but then * Uncommon Magic Item. This is a level 4 favor.
release them after their name is tarnished. A city-wide alert * Rare Magic Item. This is a level 5 favor.
for officers to hunt a suspect. * Very Rare Magic Item. This is a level 6 favor.
* Level 5. The discreet pardon of a political prisoner. * Legendary Magic Item. This is a level 7 favor.
* Level 6. The queen’s court wizard to reveal one of the nation’s The Narrator is encouraged to decide if the item has an inter-
arcane secrets. esting creator, physical detail, quirk, or minor magical property,
which could reflect a novel provenance.
Fey Favors
It’s normally dangerous to ask for help from the fey, but if you have Time and Money
Influence with the fey, it’s the fey who owe you a debt. That said, As a default, favors can get you about a half an hour’s use of what-
reckless requests could bite you in the backside. Similar favors ever you’re requesting. It’s easier to get a gunship to interrupt a
might be available from a cabal of wizards, a demonic cult, or other smuggling meet in the local harbor than to have it pursue a pirate
strange creatures. ship into the Yerasol Archipelago for a month.
* Level 1. A tiny fey to deliver an item to a specific house If you want someone to help you for a few hours, increase the fa-
without being seen. A dryad to hide someone on the run from vor’s Rating by 1. If the favor requires working for a day or more,
the law. increase the Rating by 2; and if a week or more, by 3.
* Level 2. A pixie to kill a person’s pet and eat everything but
its head. A nymph to lure someone off into the woods. Speed of Favors
* Level 3. A hag to provide an uncommon illegal magic item Once you know the favor rating, compare that rating to your Influ-
(the PCs pay for the cost). A young treant to sneak into the city ence to see how fast you can get what you want. If it’s the only favor
and observe a target on a very patient stakeout. you request today, you get it fulfilled, in the noted time frame.
* Level 4. A powerful fey creature to abduct a factory owner
and threaten him. If the favor rating is… Then your favor gets fulfilled in…
* Level 5. A fey lord (though not an archfey of the Unseen Less than your Influence As little time as humanly possible.
Court) to meet and provide information. Equal to your Influence A few hours.
* Level 6. A member of the Great Hunt to chase down and a Your Influence +1 A day.
target in the wilderness and drive them to you. Your Influence +2 A week.
Your Influence +3 Never.
Combat and Magic Allies
For any group, you can use these guidelines to request an ally to If you need to ask for another favor in the same day (or while a
help you in battle or provide magical services, within reason. Cer- previous favor is being fulfilled), one PC needs to make a special
tain groups might not be able to field certain allies. Influence check.
Chapter Eight
* Level 1. One challenge ⅛ nonspellcasting creature (such as a To make an Influence check, the character rolls a 1d20 and adds
Police Officer, see page 231) to follow you in battle. their Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier. The DC is 8 + 2
* Level 2. One challenge ¼ nonspellcasting creature (such per level of the favor.
as a trained wolf). Or a noncombatant spellcaster capable Instead of asking for a second favor, you can ask to speed up your

The Grand Design
first favor, getting it fulfilled one step faster, like in a day instead Inquiries
of a week. Key Skills: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion
Example. For instance, a party that has Influence 2 with a local An interrogation might involve subtly getting a suspect to talk
government has already asked one favor today: to get a prisoner re- about himself, verbally intimidating or manipulating a prisoner
leased. That prisoner then gives them some intel about smuggling into confessing a secret, or physically punishing a target until he
going on at a wharf. breaks. To get useful information, the PC must establish and main-
They realize they need a few police officers to stake out the wharf tain a connection, and then extract information out of the target.
for a night. Normally getting a few officers is a Rating 2 favor, but When running an interrogation as a skill challenge, the Narrator
since they need them for a few hours it becomes Rating 3. Since it’s should first have the player explain or roleplay how they’ll attempt
their second favor today, a member of the party has to attempt an to establish rapport, and then have them make a check. Then if
Influence check (DC 14). they succeed they can explain what information they’re trying to
Even if they succeed, though, the favor Rating is 1 higher than extract, and make a check for that.
the party’s Influence, so the authorities won’t have the officers
ready until the next day. Connection
If you narrowly fail a check to request an extra favor, though, Connection reflects the target’s trust of the PC, or at least willing-
your favor might still be granted, just in a lesser form. What the ness to talk. In a casual conversation, a target might think the PC is
police might be willing to do, is fulfill a Rating 2 favor, like sending just a normal person and have no reason to look for ulterior motives,
one officer to do the stake-out tonight. It’s up to the players if they and after establishing a connection with the PC he might be willing
want that, and to the Narrator whether that yields anything useful. to share things he wouldn’t with a total stranger. During a harsher
interrogation, the PC manages to elicit the right level of confident
Losing Favor defiance or fearful obedience that the subject talks without clam-
If the party screws up and damages a group’s interests, or if they ming up.
call for frivolous favors, waste people’s time, or bring people into To establish a connection, the PC must make an ability check,
harm’s way and get them killed unnecessarily, their Influence typically against DC 10 + the target’s Wisdom (Insight) bonus. If
might wane. If the party actively betrays a group, they might drop the PC has a genuine connection to the target, he might make a
Chapter Eight
to Influence 0. Charisma (Persuasion) check to keep the target happy. Intelligence

Such a loss of Influence might be overcome with the right act of (Deception) works if the target is faking a connection, or Charisma
contrition, proof of trustworthiness, or new favor. (Deception) can represent seduction. If the target is a mage or
scholar, the PC might even use Charisma (Arcana, History, Nature,

The Grand Design
or Religion) to make the target think they have much in common. Torture and the Rule of Law
Charisma (Intimidation) also works if the target has reason to think This is a topic the group should probably discuss before starting a
the PC can back up a threat, but this will usually leave the target constabulary campaign. Maybe everyone is all right with violent in-
unfriendly or even openly hostile after the interrogation. terrogations but not with outright sadism. Perhaps they’d prefer to
The Narrator should consider granting advantage or impose dis- have a more heroic tone, where all the “good guys” have to do is pre-
advantage depending on the circumstances of the interaction. tend to be willing to hurt a prisoner to get the required information.
If the PC succeeds their check, they establish a connection and Or the group could desire a more grim take, recognizing the fact that
can move on to “extraction.” If they fail the check, the target cannot throughout most of history and even today, many in law enforce-
be coaxed to open up. The PC can try again, but the DC increases ment believe that hurting someone will get them to talk.
by 5. If they fail a second time, the target won’t respond to further Just make sure to go no farther than any player is willing to deal
attempts unless something changes in their relation to the PC (such with. It becomes everyone’s responsibility to make sure a social
as if the PC saves the target’s life). and supposedly “fun” game doesn’t cause friends to be uncomfort-
able around each other. Certainly the queen of Risur won’t allow
Extraction her representatives in the RHC to commit acts of barbarism, and
Once the PC has established a connection, they can make an abil- modern scholars of investigation have discredited violence as an
ity check to extract information from the target. This is usually interrogation tactic.
a Wisdom (Insight) check against DC 10 + the target’s Charisma Many groups will consider torture anyway, though.
(Deception) bonus. On a success, the PC coaxes the target to reveal
something useful, or discerns a key clue from how the target phras-
es their statements. The target might even tell a total lie, but the PC
is able to see through it and figure out what’s really true.
If the PC fails their check, the target gives up nothing and be- First, whoever is in the lead poses a challenge of some sort,
comes a little wary. If the PC fails a second time, they lose their which the pursuer must deal with (usually by making an ability
connection with the target, which counts as one failure on a “con- check). If the pursuer fails, they can modify the DC of the second
nection” check. check, deal damage to the pursuer, or otherwise stymie them.
Variant: A PC might roll Wisdom (Deception) instead of Wisdom Second, whether they’re pursuer or pursued, the PCs narrate an
(Insight). A success here doesn’t suss out the truth, but does at least effort, which is how they navigate the area. Then one PC makes a
figure out what the suspect is being deceptive about. check.
If the PCs succeed two efforts, they accomplish their goal in the
Good Cop, Bad Cop pursuit. If they fail two efforts, they lose the pursuit.
When two or more characters coordinate in an interrogation, each
PC can make a check to establish a connection, but usually they Running a Pursuit
have to attempt different skills. As long as at least one PC succeeds Pursuits work a little differently depending on whether the PCs are
this check, the whole team establishes a connection. Only if every- the pursuers or the pursued. The PCs always make a check for their
one fails does the DC for further attempts increase. effort to navigate a stage, but if they’re being chased, they force the
Once the team has established a connection, anyone can actually pursuers to make checks to deal with whatever challenge they pose.
ask the questions, but they just make one Insight check to extract If the PCs are the ones chasing, they make both checks.
information, using whosever skill modifier is highest. We’ll provide some examples below, to help make it clearer.
In the classic “good cop, bad cop” situation, the pair coordinate to
get the target to open up, and then the character with a stronger In- Deciding Stages
sight asks the questions. A variant is to have one person physically Usually the Narrator will describe what new area the pursuit ends
break a target, and then afterward a different interrogator asks the up during each stage, and might plan things in advance to have ex-
questions. Or the same mechanics could handle five PCs carousing citing environments and unique conundrums. But if the players are
at a bar, getting a suspect drunk and then encouraging him to brag being chased, they’ll have some leeway to decide where they’re flee-
about their secret mission. ing. The nature of the stage will determine what sort of effort can
work to get through the area. Even if the PCs are in charge, though,
Pursuits the Narrator ought to exert some control and shake things up, so
Key Skills: Athletics, Deception, Perception, Stealth the same ability and skill won’t be useful for every stage.
Chases are a perennial challenge to plan for in RPGs, whether As an example, a criminal might steal a carriage and drive a mer-
the scene is a prolonged tailing of a suspect, a brisk foot chase to chant district (stage one), smash their way through the crowds of a
escape the authorities, or a madcap carriage ride to rescue a hostage riot (stage two), then slip into a shop that is run by the local syndi-
being spirited away to the docks. cate (stage three).
Chapter Eight
There is no need to focus on the minutiae of distance, speed, and Or if the party set off an alarm while undertaking a heist, they
action economy. Instead, chases consist of three stages, with each might first rush through the museum (stage one), dash down the
stage being one narratively distinct location. During each stage, rain-slick streets toward the nearest docks (stage two), and then try
there are two rolls. to reach a ferry they can escape on (stage three).

The Grand Design
Posing Challenges Setbacks for Failed Challenges

Each stage, whoever is being pursued can pose some challenge to The two most common setbacks are damage and distance.
their pursuer. Then the pursuer must make an ability check (usu- Damage. The pursuer takes damage. This is usually 1d10 if the
ally DC 10) to avoid a setback. If there are multiple pursuers, they pursued is up to 4th level, 2d10 to 10th level, 4d10 to 16th, and 10d10
choose one person to make the check. beyond that. If there are multiple pursuers, usually the damage is
Here are some sample challenges and checks that could overcome split among them.
them. Other checks might work, but could have slightly higher DCs. Distance. If the PCs are being pursued, they get a +5 bonus to
* Call for Help. The pursued entreats a crowd to block the their check for this stage’s effort. If they’re pursuing, they take a –5
pursuer. Pursuer makes a Charisma (Persuasion or Intimida- penalty.
tion) check to get through the crowd. Wariness. If the pursued isn’t aware they’re being followed,
* Lay a Trap. The pursued sets up a snare or wounding trap. failing to remain hidden makes them suspicious. During the next
Pursuer makes a Wisdom (Perception) check to avoid or an stage, the pursuer must make another check to remain hidden, this
Intelligence check with thieves’ tools to disable. time with a –5 penalty. If they fail the second check, the pursued
* Raw Athleticism. The pursued sprints at high speed or leaps realizes they’re being followed and reacts accordingly. If you think
a wide canal. Pursuer makes a Strength (Athletics) check to you might fail, it could be smarter to give up and try another way
keep pace, or perhaps Wisdom (Vehicles or Animal Handling). to learn about the target, instead of tipping off a potential enemy.
* Shake a Tail. The pursued does something tricky to mislead
the pursuer. Pursuer makes a Wisdom (Insight) to not be Navigating Stages
fooled. Whether they’re pursuer or pursued, the party chooses one member
* Weave Through Danger. The pursued goes somewhere to describe how they’re moving through the stage, then make an
dangerous. Pursuer makes a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check if appropriate ability check.
on foot to avoid, but perhaps Dexterity (Vehicle or Animal In the first example above, a criminal took a carriage, moved
Handling). through a shopping district, then went to ground in a shop. The PCs
If the pursued is unaware of the pursuer, use this challenge. might tail the suspect by first using Dexterity (Vehicles (wheeled))
* Looking for Pursuit. Pursuer makes a Dexterity (Stealth) to weave through traffic, use Wisdom (Perception) to find the man
check to avoid being spotted, or perhaps Charisma (Stealth) in the crowd, and then locate the secret passage to his hideout with
Chapter Eight
to blend into a crowd, or Charisma (Deception) if there’s Intelligence (Investigation).

nowhere to hide.

The Grand Design
In the second example, the PCs flee through a museum, down When to Use Secret Missions
city streets, and then to crowded docks. The PCs could panic the Conspirators make regular use of secret missions, though with a few
museum patrons with Charisma (Intimidation), run fast with tweaks this same system could represent a multi-part mission by
Strength (Athletics), then dive into the water and stay under until revolutionaries to dismantle the power base of a lieutenant of the
the pursuers move on, using Constitution (Stealth). main villain, or an undercover operation of constables.
These secret mission rules work best when you want a bit of role-
Outcomes playing of the consequential bits, but not to get bogged down with
If the pursued succeeds, they escape. If the pursuer catches their fine details. They are not meant to replace adventures, but rather
quarry, usually that leads to a combat, with the pursued party being provide a quick way to establish the party’s competence and resolve
in a position where they can’t keep simply running. If the pursuer a challenge that’s better solved by cleverness than combat.
is just tailing someone though, and they succeed, they can get some You might use them at the start of a session to quickly get the
information from surveillance. party to the action, such as by determining how they manage to
sneak onto an Elfaivaran pirate’s island lair, or how they got the
Multiple PCs schematics to the security system guarding the Ancient ziggurat of
Usually it’s simple to just have the party act as one, with a different Urim. If they fail, the party might need to expend resources or owe
PC getting the limelight during each stage. But if you want, you can someone a favor.
track each PC’s progress separately. Or you could utilize a secret mission in the middle of a session
During each stage, the pursued group creates one challenge, as when the party needs to accomplish a task that poses a bit more risk
normal. If the PCs are the ones being pursued, they still only get than a single skill check, but that isn’t the main show. In this way, a
to create one challenge. If the PCs are the pursuers, each character secret mission can even fill in for spellcasters using magic to solve
makes their own check to see how well they overcome the challenge. problems with a snap of their fingers.
Then each PC makes a check to navigate the stage. Track their Did the party locate a sunken treasure, but they can’t cast water
failures independently, and if they fail twice, they lose the pur- breathing magic and don’t want to tip anyone off by buying potions?
suit. If the party’s all running away, this might mean one PC gets They might perform a quick heist to steal those items, or to com-
caught. If the party’s chasing someone, the PC who failed falls too mandeer a Danoran submersible. Do they want to ambush a Drakran
far behind and loses the trail. crime boss, but don’t know where his heavily-guarded munitions fac-
In some cases, a PC might voluntarily accept disadvantage on tory lair is, and they can’t scry and teleport? One secret mission later,
their check—either to overcome a challenge or navigate a stage—to and they can have gotten leverage over some of his bodyguards
grant advantage to an ally who can’t afford to fail. who’ll grant access through the factory’s hidden back entrance,
sparing them the need to fight through layers of security forces.
Secret Missions
Key Skills: Deception, Investigation, Perception, Stealth, plus Similarly, while most obstacles must be overcome in the moment,
various tool proficiencies some obstacles can be dealt with before the beginning of the mis-
While freeform ingenuity is part of what makes a spy mission sion. For example, if the party’s stealing a relic only on display
or heist so exciting, it can be useful for the Narrator and players to during a museum gala, they might need an invitation to get in. A
have a general structure for how to resolve these scenes. character could simply try to smooth-talk their way in, but forging
First the Narrator designs the mission by determining a variety or stealing an invitation in advance could be a safer option.
of obstacles. Then the player characters have a chance to assess the Coming up with good obstacles requires finesse. Sometimes the
challenge and prepare for the mission. Finally, for each obstacle group will all cooperate to prepare for the mission, but only send
they must devise a way to overcome it and achieve their objective. one character in. Other times they’ll be working in different places
The skill challenge has one phase for the Narrator—design the to bypass multiple challenges simultaneously. Either is fine.
mission—and two phases for the players—before the mission Ability Check DCs. A typical obstacle requires a DC 10 check,
and during the mission. but if a PC attempts something that’s suboptimal, this might in-
crease the DC by 2. For instance, it’s easier to acquire an invitation
Design the Mission to a gala in advance (DC 10) than to bluff your way in without one
To design a secret mission as a skill challenge, the Narrator should (DC 12). Likewise it’s easier to bypass various security doors in a
come up with a number of obstacles—usually at least two, but not museum when you’re there (DC 10) than to figure out what keys you
more than the number of PCs. Additionally, players have the option need in advance (DC 12). But sometimes the party has no choice,
to make things more complicated for themselves by adding ob- like if the group’s locksmith can’t attend the gala.
stacles, such as trying to frame someone else for whatever damage
they cause. The more obstacles, of course, the more likely the party Before the Mission
is to fail the mission. After the Narrator has designed the mission, they narrate what the
Chapter Eight
The Narrator decides which obstacles will be apparent to the player characters know about the mission and its non-hidden ob-
party, and which are hidden. For example, during a museum heist, stacles. Then each PC can undertake one effort before the mission
it might not take the party any special effort to learn the layout of starts. The player narrates what they’re doing and makes an ability
the museum, but the nature of any alarms would be hidden. check.

The Grand Design
The most common efforts before the mission are to surveil and Ten Steps Ahead
to prepare. Surveilling gets more information, which can reveal A delightful trope in heist stories like Ocean’s 11 is when the situation
hidden obstacles or provide advantage in dealing with one of the looks grim, and the protagonists seem on the verge of failure, but then
obstacles. Preparing attempts to overcome an obstacle in advance, a flashback shows how some clever preparation means it’s actually all
usually by acquiring the right tools—costumes, keys, passports, going according to their plan. If you want to embrace that trope, a simple
vehicles—or setting up favorable conditions—scouting an escape way is to use a non-chronological narrative. You run the During the Mis-
route, sabotaging an alarm, or getting the guards on your side. sion phase but flash back to the Before the Mission phase as appropriate.
Surveillance. A character looks for more information about the When a character is confronted with an obstacle, options include:
mission site, or the people involved, and then makes a skill check, 1. Flashback. A player reveals a Before-the-Mission effort during
typically DC 10. which their character prepares something that helps the group
They might try to examine a secure facility’s defenses up close bypass that obstacle. For example, when trying to enter a gala,
while looking innocuous with Charisma (Stealth), or gather rumors the narrative could flash back to a PC trying to acquire forged
about a gala by hobnobbing in high society with Charisma (In- invitations—that PC can then make an appropriate check.
vestigation). A long stakeout to learn guard patterns could be a 2. Normal. A character makes a check to try to overcome the
Constitution (Perception) check. obstacle. For example, when a character tries to distract the
On a success, first, the Narrator should provide a clear hint about crowd so that it’s possible for another character to steal a
whether there are any hidden obstacles in the mission. Then the valuable relic on display at the gala without being noticed, that
character chooses one of the known obstacles and grants advantage PC makes an appropriate check in the moment.
to any checks that are made to overcome that obstacle. 3. Wait, That Didn’t Happen. When a character fails a check
If a second character succeeds in surveilling, they learn thor- during the mission, another character can reveal a Before-the-
oughly about any hidden obstacles, and they choose a known Mission effort that could grant that character advantage on the
obstacle and grant advantage to checks to overcome it. check. For example, when a PC tries to bypass the security on
If a character fails, they can simply accept the failure, or they can the case holding the relic and fails the check, it’s presented as
try again, but this increases the DC by 5. For instance, they might a “worst case scenario.” Another PC can use their Before-the-
try to gather rumors, but when no one talks they could try being Mission check to grant the first PC advantage, allowing them to
more explicit, which puts people on guard. If they fail a second time, roll a second die and hope this one succeeds.
they suffer some complications (see below). This mix of in-the-moment, flashbacks, and framing narratives can
Preparation. A character chooses a known obstacle and nar- make the characters’ efforts seem slick and cool. And if they try to
rates how they intend to overcome or solve it in advance, then solve a problem in a flashback and fail anyway, it can be played as an
makes a skill check. unexpected reversal when the characters realize their “clever plan” didn’t
They might craft costumes with Intelligence check with weaver’s actually work.
tools, purchase fake passports with Charisma (Deception), steal
keys with Dexterity (Sleight of Hand), or position a sailboat for a Some obstacles need to be dealt with sequentially, so while
quick getaway with Wisdom check with water vehicles. all the characters are present, one takes the lead. If the Narrator
Usually the Narrator rolls in secret to determine how good the agrees, other characters might assist the lead character somehow
character’s preparations are, and the character cannot try again. (and grant advantage), but that’s not always viable. Other obstacles
Sometimes the character will know if they fail (such as if they try might require the party to handle multiple challenges at the same
to steal keys) and, just like with surveillance, they can try again, but time, forcing them to split up.
the DC increases by 5, and if they fail a second time they suffer a Deflecting Blame. A common player-imposed obstacle might
complication. involve deflecting the blame for something that happened to frame
Success is revealed during the mission when someone tries to someone else. A character who takes the lead in this task narrates
rely on the preparation to overcome an obstacle. If they fail, the their plan, and then makes a check if necessary, usually against
character who’s active in the mission probably gets caught with DC 10. Usually a character gets only one chance at this and cannot
their pants down, but that doesn’t mean they’ve failed. They can try again if they fail.
still try and improvise a solution, but this increases the DC by 5. An effort to deflect blame is most likely undertaken during the
mission, but sometimes it can be done before the mission. Trying to
During the Mission frame a priest for defacing a rival god’s temple, might see a PC scrawl
After each member of the party has taken an effort, the Narrator appropriate quotes from scripture with Intelligence (Religion). To
and players collaboratively narrate how they approach the obsta- make the public suspect the head of the constabulary committed a
cles of the mission. For each obstacle, one character takes the lead murder, before they undertake their assassination they might print
in overcoming it. They describe what they’re doing, and if neces- false threats of his toward the victim using Intelligence (Deception),
sary they’ll roll a check to determine whether they succeed. or even make those threats in person with Charisma (disguise kit).
Chapter Eight
If the character fails, they have the choice to either abandon the
effort, which usually means the mission has failed, or to try again, Complications
which increases the DC by 5. If they fail on their second check Complications come if a character fails two attempts of the same
against a given obstacle, they suffer a complication. action during a secret mission. The most common sort is that the

The Grand Design
character’s efforts leave a clue that—usually after the mission is Secrets of the Setting
D
over—can direct investigators toward the party. Sometimes the
clue can be rather blatant and can cause people to immediately view on’t read this red-outlined section if you
the character as a threat.
For example, if during a museum gala heist a character tries to are playing in a Zeitgeist campaign—it
cause a distraction so that the guests and guards aren’t looking
while another ally snatches the relic, two failures means at least might spoil some surprises!
some people in the crowd figure out what the character was up to.
If, though, the character trying to bypass the alarm on the case
holding the relic fails twice, they might have to just smash it open, Cult of the Steel Lord
which immediately summons the guards. Benedict Pemberton actually is the dragon Gradiax. Two hun-
The Narrator should try to make sure that complications don’t dred years ago he was spared by King Boyle and swore a pledge
result in automatic failure. The party might defeat a few guards to never harm Risur. In the year 494 aov he returned to the
in battle, which cows the rest for a moment, letting the characters gnolls who worshipped him and revealed himself. The cult had
flee. Or they might just need to overcome a new obstacle, and make kept safe an egg that had belonged to his long-dead mate, and
an ability check (now with disadvantage) to outrun the guards and they hatched it. His daughter, Terakalir, was born missing a
avoid a fight. leg, a wing, and an eye, but she was exceptionally clever, and
Another complication might be a loss of face, such as if a char- Pemberton ensured she received an excellent education.
acter is surveilling by hobnobbing at a fancy party and is seen as In 501 aov, he attempted to replace Bruse Shantus’s advisors
gauche for asking too-pointed questions. A complication could with metal duplicants, a type of remotely-controlled construct
cause a character to suffer a level of exhaustion, or damage (some- he invented and Tinker Oddcog refined and perfected. His plan
thing between 1d6 and 1d10 per level). As always make sure any was to gradually gain influence with the Bruse, but when the
mechanical penalty is justified by the narrative and story. duplicants were discovered he tried to salvage his scheme with
an attack to decapitate the leadership. But the Bruse survived,
Nested Missions and Pemberton directed his people to let the Berans salvage
It’s possible to have a truly elaborate mission with a dozen obsta- their pride and win a few fights, then sue for peace.
cles, but in such cases it’s usually better to break the endeavor into
multiple nested missions. This might represent the group finding a A Second Chance
way to overcome a seemingly impossible task by tackling it bit by Shantus learned that Pemberton was the dragon Gradiax, but
bit through smaller missions. swore his ministers to silence. He knew if the news became
For example, if the mission’s goal is to recruit an enemy agent who public, his people would insist on war to destroy the last dragon
knows the location of the main villain’s secret base, the party might tyrant, and he did not want to see Ber ravaged by war.
first need to draw him out, then force him into a compromised situ- During the Great Eclipse, Pemberton expended significant
ation so he’s desperate for help, and then turn him. However, each personal resources helping Risur’s King Baldrey avert calamity,
step could require its own secret mission: a move that earned him a bit of a pass on previous misconduct.
* Draw him out by stealing something he wants so you can He took time to plan and then returned to Karch to try again to
auction it. lead his people. After being something of a hero, he no longer
* Make him desperate by framing him for betraying his own has a desire to merely conquer, but instead wants to become be-
side. loved by the whole world as a bringer of technological wonders.
* Then, when he enters a high-stakes card tournament to try to
raise funds so he can go into hiding, enter a PC to outplay him Other Secret Dragons
while fending off the hostile agents trying to silence him. Pemberton’s daughter Terakalir has adopted the persona of
It’s not necessary to structure all these as skill challenges, but Teri Pemberton. Risur’s principal minister Harkover Lee
having the structure available can help you plan more complex was once the tyrant Inacht the Hex-Eater, but has loyally
adventures. You might even use other new mechanics—influence, served the monarchy for two centuries. There could certainly
inquiries, and pursuits—to structure how the party overcomes be others if you want for your game.
various obstacles.
Chapter Eight

Vekeshi Secrets
All Vekeshi mystics have witnessed a vision of Srasama’s death.
The information below should be presented to any PC with
the Vekeshi Mystic character theme.
The Fall of Srasama

You have undertaken the Trial of Srasama. You traveled at night into thousands of invading infantry. With religious fervor the humans bent
the Dreaming, and after walking through the dark forest and being all their might upon Srasama. They were prepared, as if they knew to
tested in your knowledge of Vekesh’s song, you stepped through a expect her when even her worshippers did not. Finally her immaculate
flaming arch onto a day-lit battlefield five hundred years past. You skin was pierced, and a single spray of divine blood rained upon the
looked beyond an Elfaivaran army to the enchanted walls of Alais battlefield.
Primos, bastion of the Clergy. The humans had stolen this land from In that moment, you saw doubt ripple across the armies of Elfaivar,
Elfaivar, but now was the time to reclaim it. fear that their god was imperfect. The faith that had carried them into
A shadow fell across you, and then heat baked your back and the battle faltered. And what was this god but faith made manifest? In
glow of fire above you drove away all darkness. You looked up past their doubt, her divinity failed.
three pairs of flaming swords to the face of a towering woman, a war- Spears pierced Srasama’s legs, and she stumbled. Summoned spec-
rior, a queen. Srasama strode past you, drawing forth ecstatic cheers ters swept across her back, stealing her strength, and her blades fell to
of victory from the armies, for a god had come to answer their prayers the earth. A thousand cuts dragged her down, and men climbed upon
and fight beside them. her and drove their blades deep into her flesh. An inferno burned forth
She cut through the dome of golden light that warded the city, then from her wounds, instantly killing hundreds and searing the souls of all
dashed a stretch of wall to dust with a strike of her foot. The Clergy’s who witnessed it.
army surged out to meet her. Every spear, every arrow, every silvery The goddess screamed, and every woman in the Elfaivaran army
spell that would have felled an Elfaivaran warrior was turned upon screamed with her.
the goddess, but she battled with an implacable might. At times four The world shook, and the scene shattered like glass and fell around
of her six swords floated beside her and continued to cleave through you, returning you to the night. Even a glimpse of the goddess’s death
the human army while her other hands would cast forth explosive veg- had nearly stopped your heart. For a moment the memories of faces
etation that choked the city, or spread healing rains upon her injured drifted past you—every woman you had ever known, child, mother,
worshipers. crone, lover—all of them dead in an instant. You turned and followed
But the human army did not yield. No attention at all was paid to the them into darkness.
The Return of the Gulmohar

In that darkness you heard a slow grind like distant rolling thunder. of soldiers in the holy war had faltered, the devotion of the vekeshi
When light returned, it was a far different time, in a solemn jungle had not. And so the power of Srasama was for the vekeshi to claim,
clearing. Srasama’s body lay in serene repose, still titanic, but draped to finally enact the goddess’s vengeance. The spirit offered a necklace
in a shroud. You were alone, but just out of sight loomed the spirits of with three amber beads.
the millions who had died with their goddess. The visitor reached out to take it, but hesitated. She looked around
Above the treetops the stone tower of a lighthouse rose, brick by the grove, as if sensing the uncounted dead who watched.
brick, year by year. Its light beckoned someone to come and end this The visitor spoke, her voice trembling. “Remembrance is not the
mourning vigil. An age passed. You heard on the breath of the wind the same as faith. I have fought wars. And I have had vengeance. But who
mantra of Vekesh. You knew patience that would carry you to the end am I to wield your power? You should make that choice for yourselves.”
of the earth. With care, the visitor took the necklace and broke the strand, then
And then a visitor stepped into the clearing. All you could see of her gathered the fallen pieces of amber.
was a mask that hid her face, and that she wore no ring. “Come with me.”
A spirit from among the vigil stepped forward to greet the visitor. She turned and walked into the jungle, and with her went every
She explained that the memory of Srasama endured. While the faith woman you had ever known, child, mother, crone, lover, all.
Your Charge
You have seen why the Elfaivaran people nearly perished five centuries to stop those who would harm innocents, and especially those whose
Chapter Eight
past. And you have seen the choice that let the gulmohar return. These ambition would lead the world to another holocaust. But when we are
are two verses, but you must find the third in yourself. We are pledged not called to act, we must ponder the paths before us.
Adventures in ZEITGEIST 272 Permission is granted to make copies of this page for home game use.
The Grand Design
Remnants of the Demonocracy

Before the Great Eclipse, any demon that died would eventually
reform, or else its malevolent spirit would possess a person, crea-
ture, or object. The Clergy sealed away countless demons in their
war against the Demonocracy. When the faithful executed deities
during the God Trials, however, the magic that had been created
by those gods failed, and many demons escaped. Of those, there
were three who had held high positions in the Demonocracy.
* Namtar-Shamash, the Pestilent Sun, was a purveyor of
disease and corruption, said to draw his strength from a
living skull where his heart should be, which caused him to
be strengthened by all that was good and safe in the world.
He was invincible in the light of the sun, healed by the
prayers of his enemies, and spread disease through sacred
prostitutes who themselves were immune to his plagues.
Since escaping his prison in the sewers of Alais Primos,
he has begun to gather followers in the Senesi Desert, and
has taunted the Clergy by befouling the sacred oases of the
goddess Velkali.
* Ishara-Anaan, Bride of Birds, was a seer and spymistress
who drew power offering demonic pacts through her vast
legion of white messenger songbirds. Her body was pierced
with thousands of rings—reminiscent of marriage bands—
to represent the souls who had bound themselves to her.
She escaped her cell beneath a chapel run by monks with
a vow of silence and fled to the Penance Peaks. She seems to
have taken her own vow of silence, sometimes appearing as
an eerie witness to people’s oaths or professions of love. Her Sample Conspiracies
birds, however, sing for her, and have muttered in monster People believe many secret societies are at work trying to shape
hunters’ ears around the country, sharing sightings of the modern age, often with nefarious intent. While some groups
fiends, warning of their powers, and whispering their like the Queen Bee Lodge are publicly known, these conspiracy
weaknesses. The survivors of the monastery that once theories go far beyond verifiable facts. Other groups might not
imprisoned her have vanished from Alais Primos one by even exist at all. Perhaps you will discover the truth in your Zeit-
one, only to later be sighted walking the mountainous geist campaign.
penance shrine trail, refusing to say their purpose. Here are some of the most popular conspiracy theories.
* Ashima-Shimtu, the Lady of the Forked Tongue, was
seneschal of the Demonocracy and keeper of its greatest Clear Waters
secret: a ritual called the sacrament of apotheosis, which chan- A hidden ceraunic wave station in the Yerasol Islands rallies
neled the loyalty of unholy legions to give demon generals whistleblowers around Lanjyr to abolish all national secrets. But
godlike power. Triegenes himself captured her, and she was some who do not understand electromagnetism believe these
sealed in the Vault of Heresies, hung from twelve hooks, transmissions are compelling people’s minds, which is provok-
with a thirteenth hook through her lips to prevent her from ing desperate Drakrans to confess to lies and reveal their most
spreading lies about the Clergy. embarrassing secrets. It might just be some collective hysteria, or
People in Cherage reported seeing a woman with barbed a rationale Drakrans use to excuse outbursts when they cannot
chains trailing from her back near one of Han Jierre’s bear the strain of the nation’s spreading solipsism.
enchanted lighthouses, which had sapped the free will of Or perhaps the Clear Waters just haven’t gotten good at aiming
those caught in their light. Witnesses recorded her words: their mind control beams yet.
“Trigenes promised all could be redeemed. I thought I’d changed. The Heart’s Rodeo
But I feel it in the air: I cannot choose. I must do what they say is Spiritual gurus from the Malice Lands—who claim they can
right! With no temptation to overcome, how can I be redeemed? use trained malice beasts to consume the undesired emotions
This ‘freedom’ is worse than chains, a worse lie than any Ashi- or thoughts of the bereaved or mentally ill—often trade on this
Chapter Eight
ma-Shimtu ever told, and I will tell it no more. I do not want this kooky conspiracy. They say that rugged herdsmen used to las-
false freedom. If it’s the only choice I am granted, give me death.” soing cattle learned to drag the anxieties of people into the real
world as monsters they call varmints, and if they slay those var-
She has not been seen since. mints, they can kill the idea that spawned them.

The Grand Design
A few traveling shows play to these stories, but in Ber people

fear the group are somehow connected to the beings called gidim
who imperiled Ursaliña. Their real goal is to herd people like they
herd livestock, because if they can turn sorrows into varmints,
they can do the same to joys, to reason, to the desire for freedom.
L’église de Lisette
Arcanotechnologists—often courseurs and construct-crafters—
have embraced the urban legend of a highly advanced artificial
intelligence named Lisette. Said to combine arctech and a psy-
chic gestalt, Lisette is being nurtured and trained by the temple
of Ingatan in Elfaivar or the Danoran colony Rationalis, by
technologists who style themselves the priests of a nascent god-
dess. They’re said to kidnap the brightest minds in the world to
add greater intellect to Lisette’s gestalt. Other tales say that the
goddess is being built to hold the mind of Empress Eloise Duffet-
Jierre, to let her take control of all technology and rule the world.
La Liga de Oro
This sprawling gang in Ber consists of gentlemen and ladies
who’ve turned scoundrel, engaging in bank robberies and train
heists. They leave a token cut of their earnings for the poor and
needy, but keep most so they can live the high life. But in popular
imagination they are servants of an ancient fiend called Egal the
Shimmering, lord of the Golden Legion, who led his people with
the promise that loyalty would lead to wealth, and wealth would
lead to freedom. Authorities who have raided Golden League lairs
report finding altars covered with golden skulls. ship at one specific spot off shore. Students from the Triuno are
seen rowing to that location, even when the circus is not visiting,
Mandatum Mortuum like they’re guarding something. Constables had to save Flint’s
Spirit mediums, necromancers, and other thanatic sensitives Navras Opera House from being burned down by a conspiracy
serve the afterlife’s many spirits. They recruit those who have lost theorist the last time the wayfarers performed there.
those important to them, saying their duty is to carry out the will
of the dead, however callous or amoral the requests may be; the Queen Bee Lodge
living are far outnumbered by the dead, and so mortal suffering is The lodge is a popular organization based out of Beaumont in
outweighed by the needs of the afterlife. They oppose all witchoil Danor, where high society folks can find relief from the stresses
and necromantic spirit-binding. of modern life and acquire a bit of personal martial defensive
Those who serve loyally learn the truth: that they follow an training. Their iconography has shown up in many new Danoran
undead egregore known as the Ghost Council, whose goal is to buildings, and Revanchists presume the lodge with its wealthy
rally the dead and control the plane Amrou and its influence on members is firmly in favor of the Concordat.
the afterlife. Their endgame is to merge the Waking and the Bleak But since membership is limited, people have invented all
Gate, creating a world where all can exist eternally as spirits manner of tales about the group, including that it is poisoning
spread across multiple possession-vessels. people to drive them to violent madness, that the titular “queen”
is actually a resurrected gulmohar using the society to enact
Nuevo Triunfo Vida revenge for the Great Malice, or that the founder of the lodge is
This public group in the Beran city Ursaliña is said to be agents of in fact a giant hyper-intelligent bee lairing in a hive in the city’s
a sprawling international effort to create one world government, sewers.
but with the guise of independence. Believers claim that sym-
phony halls being built around Lanjyr are focal points of a global Sestra Proyekta
psychic web, and that by inviting world leaders to performances, Many in Drakr scoff at the idea that it’s possible to build a vehicle
the NTV can draw them into a gestalt—controlled by Risur’s that can fly to the stars. Surely all the money being spent and
gnomish Queen Iain Waryeye. brilliant minds being recruited for the Planarnaya Kompaniya
Chapter Eight
The key clue is the name of her intended world governing body: must be working on something else. And that something, Proj-
the Concert of Nations. ect Twin Sister, is an effort to shift the world to another timeline,
The seafaring circus known as the Wayfarer Cirquelistes are one where perhaps the Great Eclipse never happened, or where it
frequent guests in Ursaliña, and they always seem to dock their turned out differently.

The Grand Design
Believers in the conspiracy cite all sorts of inconsistencies Crafted Collectives

between their recollections and the recorded history. A panic A group of seven or more can merge into a gestalt inside a
over the possibility of time being changed prompted Drakr to column simply by mutually experiencing powerful thoughts
organize Risur and Ber in an international ban of personal revi- and emotions on a common concept, over the course of several
sion hourglasses. Anyone seen using one is clearly a member of the uninterrupted minutes. It is possible to add a new member to an
conspiracy. But, according to brave reporting in a news journal extant gestalt by bringing both inside the column, and having the
that the government denounces as a tabloid, not all members of entrant fixate (willingly or otherwise) on the relevant spawning
the Project are sinister. For the right price, some can reach into concepts, likewise for several uninterrupted minutes.
that other reality and bring back messages from loved ones who Sometimes the formation of an egregore is accidental. These
perished here but live there, or they can ferry people in trouble to feral hiveminds are hostile and violently fanatical to their birth-
that world as refugees, where a utopia we were denied welcomes ing concepts, though unlike in the Great Eclipse they cannot
all who are in need. expand simply by overwhelming the mind of anyone nearby.
Most, thank the gods, are not clever enough to drag people back
The Silent Wheel to the column that birthed them.
While it is public knowledge that Queen Iain Waryeye of Risur Things are different if people knowingly band together, decide
wants to find a way to help Risuri fey live in harmony with on a common concept to strongly think about, and focus their
modern technology—fey who so often complain about the minds and souls with steely discipline. Emotion-heightening
screeching of spinning wheels—there is a deeper goal, meant to malice beast parts help some subjects, but others find it difficult
destroy Risur’s ancient bond with its Dreaming neighbors. Ac- to focus on the proper sentiments under such influence. If their
cording to this conspiracy theory, the Dreaming can be altered by will is strong and their composure sharp, their psyches fly out of
the beliefs of people in the Waking, and so if the Risuri people can their bodies and combine to create a bespoke egregore.
be convinced that fey and technology ought to coexist, they will. Many of these egregore-crafting attempts fail, spawning just
This seems harmless enough, but if that change can work, what another feral specimen of squandered intellect.
else could people be persuaded of? Risur has many old obliga-
tions and pacts with the fey, and people think the Queen would
like to be rid of them. All it takes is to make enough people believe Plots and Possible Futures
that the fey are just dreams, that they’re not real, and eventually Barring actions that player characters in your games might take,
they’ll cease to exist. here are some likely events in the next few years.
The Secrets of Egregores Ber

The nature of the egregoric columns is a tightly-guarded secret In Ber, the identity of the dragons Risur protected two centuries
known only to well-connected organizations and esoteric scholars. ago is revealed, and when Risur declines to admit fault, relations
Classified files speak of unusual psychic energies emanating between the two nations turn bitter.
from Urim. When Vona’s sunlight strikes the aureate asteroids Benedict Pemberton (head of the Cult of the Steel Lord and now
of the Shattered Golden Chain, there is a tiny chance that the revealed to be the dragon tyrant Gradiax in disguise) tries to offer
reflected rays travel down to the planet and hit at a perfectly a hand of friendship, but Bruse Corta Nariz is able to take advan-
straight angle. When this subtle planar conjunction occurs in tage of broad international resentment toward Risur to unite
the presence of strong collective thoughts and emotions, the rays Crisillyir, Danor, and Drakr in an embargo of the steelmarked
create a shaft—invisible at first—that lasts at least for a few hours, gnolls of Karch. This in turn draws Elfaivar’s ranimandala into a
sometimes far longer. loose alliance with Pemberton.
Egregoric columns are like psychic echo chambers, draw-
ing minds together. They are typically 30 feet in radius, and are Crisillyir
believed to have no measurable “top” or “bottom,” stretching sky- In Crisillyir, an Ottoplismist militia in the northeast overthrows
wards and earthwards even through solid barriers. an unpopular local governor and bloodily purges the city Cadute
Every egregoric column requires external thought to sustain of Meliskans. The hero of the revolt, Tulasi Gilberto, parlays
itself; many wither away within a day. But if one is created in a pop- public support to be granted a seat in the national congress. She
ulated area, it can become effectively permanent unless controlled, travels the country rallying the most militant Ottoplismists
gradually becoming visible as a column of faint golden light. and creating a broad sense that Elfaivar is a looming threat that
Occultists classify columns in four strengths, I through IV, Crisillyir must prepare to fight.
based on the overall power of the spawned egregores. The entire The demon Namtar-Shamash sends emissaries to tempt the
planar system was under category IV during the Great Eclipse. bloodmarked gnolls and other rebellious peoples of Ber. Clergy
Egregoric columns are mighty fonts of psionic power, for inquisitors who would intervene are distracted by a mysterious
Chapter Eight
within them egregores can spawn. Egregore-crafting is their all-hands manhunt ordered by the Arch Legate for a mid-ranking
main appeal, but they are also useful for any form of psychic defector who fled to Elfaivar.
research: psychic rage reservoirs, imbuement of Clericists as
godhands, spirit mediumship, genius loci communion, and more.

The Grand Design
Danor A Different Cosmology

In Danor, President Duvall’s apaisant faction is soundly defeated If you played the original adventure path and your group chose
in an election, but he manages to retain his office with unexpect- planes other than the ones detailed in Chapter Five (which is
ed revanchist support. Empress Duffet-Jierre accuses Duvall of likely because we, um, sort of retconned things to get the set we
using mind control magic, and calls upon Ber’s Executores dola liked), here we suggest some ways to change the setting as pre-
Liberta to investigate. sented in the rest of the book, as well as some alternate game
With Duvall embroiled in controversy, Duffet’s Imperium an- mechanics for popular planar choices. To be certain, the bigger
nexes the Malice State of Nikhal. Refugees fleeing the conflict changes are likely societal, not mechanical.
suffer from memory gaps; when asked to describe what happened,
they mention details of conflicts that occurred centuries ago. Societal Changes
Meanwhile, Beaumont is gripped by anarchist protests seeking For instance, losing Ostea wouldn’t alter the progress of the past
to devolve the nation into numerous smaller, independent states. two decades much, but without Teykfa and Ascetia, the nations of
When a massive summer storm sweeps in from the Yerasol Ar- Lanjyr might have moved to war more quickly. Without Urim, far
chipelago, strange beings from other worlds imperil the city. more extraplanar creatures would be on the Waking, particularly
the Gidim who would be constantly probing for ways to mine the
Drakr population’s delicious thoughts.
In Drakr, Chancellor Heid dies under mysterious circumstances. Removing Jiese makes mass production of technology much
A rapid reshuffling of clan and industrial alliances leads to Trek- harder, which would mean fewer trains and steamships and
hom mayor Losevskaya Fyodor becoming the new chancellor. firearms, though individual inventors and tinkerers could still
Empowered by sympathy for the martyred Heid, she looks set produce such devices in small batches.
to enact major, meaningful reforms that will give more political We divide these worlds into four main styles.
power to population centers rather than clans. Utopian. The planar arrangement we chose for this setting
Then gigantic armageddon beasts begin attacking Drakr’s book is close to what was proposed as a utopia, minus the heal-
southwestern region known as the Stena. The convenient timing ing beer of Dunkelweiss and the admittedly silly musicality of
lets the clans demonstrate their military value to the nation, and Iratha Ket. If you want a cleaner “happy ending” for the adven-
since they’re already mobilized, Armiger-aligned forces march ture path, you could tone down some of the social strife and steer
onward to claim territory near Orithea in the Malice Lands, adventures toward exploring the other planets, albeit with the
nominally to “defend the locals against armageddon beasts.” This occasional conspiracy back at home trying to take power and cor-
short war is brutal due to modern weaponry, and international rupt a city or nation.
condemnation deters other military conflicts for a few years. Technocracy. The planes that held sway during the Great
Eclipse tended to promote industry and rationality, and a few
Elfaivar from the Gyre could assist that. Baden made flight magic easy.
In Elfaivar, the ranimandala generally stick to a plan of sitting
back while their enemies implode. They consolidate their gains
after Adin’s reclamation, hoping to appear an appealing and
stable ally in this time of uncertainty. Internal conflict rises as
Adin’s supporters whip up nationalist desire for another inva-
sion of Crisillyir, but the ranimandala deflects that toward a less
complicated conflict with the slaver state Shaha. A fey dragon
from Ber agrees to help, and the gnolls of Karch offer Pemberton
weapons.
Risur
In Risur, Queen Iain sees the fraying peace as a chance to bring
leaders on board with her Concert of Nations. Though Ber,
Crisillyir, and Drakr are angry at Danor for failing to fulfill its
Concordat repayments, Iain manages to convincingly frame Em-
press Duffet-Jierre as responsible for this, as well as many other
Lanjyran woes.
But as she wrangles the various nations to align against this
mutual enemy, the Last Ravens thieves’ guild in Flint manages
to snatch the power of one of the fey lords of the Unseen Court.
Chapter Eight
The Queen’s support at home starts to falter, and if her servants

in the RHC can’t bring the thieves to justice, her coalition will fall
apart, and the period of relative peace that Risuri leadership has
provided may come to an end.

The Grand Design
Mojang would dramatically simplify agriculture and increase

its output, at the expense of biodiversity. Ratios would temper
irrationality and steer people toward logic. Egalitrix would lead
to larger and more competitive industry, which could mean just
capitalism, but probably a grand military-industrial complex
while could lead to regular oppressive uses of force.
Without Caeloon to support people in trying times, Mavisha
to maintain the allure of mystery on the horizon, and Av to keep
dreams and nightmares on the other side of a mirror, the world
would be a bleaker place. Rebels might yearn for self-expression
and exploration, with Ber and Elfaivar finding unlikely allies
among Crisillyir’s Meliskans against the domineering industry
of the rest of the world.
Pastoral. Keeping Apet makes interplanetary adventure
infeasible, and Reida means the world won’t change much for a
few millennia. A mix of Etheax’s patience and Metarie’s technol-
ogy disruption, coupled with removing Jiese, could render the
campaign world almost unrecognizeable over time. Perhaps two Elofasp’s Bestiary. Training large beasts becomes easier. See
decades in, though, the changes are still being resisted. the Monster Tamer class from E.N. Publishing’s Masterclass Codex.
Instead of airships being launched, steamship fleets would be Etheax’s Patient Flames. Everyone can use the cantrip pro-
dismantled, and Crisillyir’s Ottoplismists could be turning to duce flame as a ritual that requires ten minutes. The duration is an
druidic magic instead of gunnery. Risur’s Queen Iain would be hour, but still ends if a character attacks with it.
beloved by the fey, though Flint’s thriving community would be Additionally, effects that rely on or produce intense emotion
grappling with the desire to find some new way to drive progress: like berserker rage require ten minutes to activate, but have their
perhaps a service economy. Across the sea, Danor could be pulling duration extended by ten minutes.
against the leash of the Concordat, the last bastion of a techno- Fourmyle Jaunting. Every character can teleport short dis-
logical revolution it sees as vital to its identity. tances, as misty step, by spending an action. They cannot teleport
God-Empire. We’re not sure why you’d want to inflict such to a spot they could not reach normally (e.g., you have to be able
a cataclysm on this world, but who are we to judge epic-level to walk or climb there, so no teleporting through a barred cage).
PCs wanting to hold onto their power even if millions of people They also cannot teleport if they’re being held, nor can they tele-
suffered. Bonilathe’s lizard-spawning storms and Elofasp’s mon- port to a spot that is owned or otherwise controlled by someone
strous insect hives could produce some truly fantastic monsters who has chosen to bar teleporting intruders.
to battle, and Apo would rapidly tear apart even highly civilized What constitutes ownership tends to follow social consen-
areas with spontaneous spheres of annihilation. Far from enforc- sus. Streets and forests are public unless signs are prominently
ing a Concordat to cripple Danor, the nations of Lanjyr would posted or fences (or even token lines of rope) are set up. The owner
likely be cheering technologists whose inventions can keep of an area can make exceptions for specific creatures or groups of
civilization intact and possibly create the weapons needed to creatures. This restriction only bars teleporting into an area, not
overthrow the greatest tyrants the world has ever known. out of an area or within an area.
And while Hunlow is an evil sentient sea, he loves pirates, and After using this ability, a character cannot do it again until they
could be the greatest ally the rebels have. You’d want to figure out complete a long rest. At the Narrator’s prerogative, characters
what dominions each PC claimed for themselves, and personalize who are especially focused on teleportation might be able to re-
the dystopias they all would have created. charge this power after taking a short rest.
Jiquus Determinism. The Narrator sets aside the rulebooks,
Mechanical Changes tells the players who their characters are, and then narrates a
Some alternate game mechanics might arise from planar linking. story. Players are allowed to state how their characters feel, but
Baden’s Ghostly Flight. Reduce the spell level by 1 of spells never how they act. Players are not allowed to leave even if the
directly related to flight, such as fly and levitate. Magic items Narrator quits.
of direct flight have their rarity reduced by one step. Airships Obliatas and the Devouring Light. All undead are affected
are much easier to enchant and hold aloft, requiring only small by sunlight the same way vampires are. There’s an additional
amounts of air planarite. At the Narrator’s discretion, other small star orbiting somewhere in the system.
benefits related to magical or supernatural flight are similarly Ratios Logic. Increase the DC by 5 for Intimidation checks
improved. and Persuasion checks using appeals to emotion. Likewise, emo-
Chapter Eight
Dunkelweiss and Restorative Beverages. Hangovers can be tions become harder to understand, so also increase the DC by 5
cured with ten minutes of brisk exercise. Drinking of any amount for Insight checks.
has no negative long-term health consequences. Indeed, a night Thrag’s Rapid Reincarnation. Do not pick Thrag. What the
of intense carousing functions as the spell lesser restoration. hell is wrong with you?

The Grand Design
The Truth About Axis Island

There is a word that is not written in this book, a word that twenty
years ago every person in the world knew, but now all but a hand-
ful have forgotten.
People do not notice that they cannot remember quite what
happened during the Great Eclipse. Librarians will not be both-
ered that, after reading an old newspaper from that time, they feel
a compulsion to tear out a small section of the text and destroy it.
If you know the truth about Axis Island, some part of your
mind is protected by the magic of the Axis Seal, and you can re-
member this word, and those it referred to. You might have been
on the island at some point, or you were given the truth by the
druids of the Axis circle.
The Axis Seal Ritual

In the primordial dawn of the world, what would become the
Waking floated in a sea of many planes, its borders unprotected The Voice of Rot
against incursion from hostile and maddening entities. An alli- An immense serpentine being that the people of Risur knew as a
ance of primitive peoples led by ancient orcs gathered the magical fey titan called The Voice of Rot was once a godlike embodiment
energies of several worlds and crafted the Axis Seal, a vast plate of death in the frigid north of Drakr. Some forgotten adversary
of solid gold. plucked out its eye and drove it across the sea, where it claimed
Beneath this seal they placed icons and complex geometric the High Bayou as its domain. For millennia it abided, awaiting a
patterns that linked a handful of safe slivers of the multiverse chance to feed on the death of the world itself.
to their own world. When the ritual was complete, these slivers When the Axis Seal was opened, the Voice of Rot’s mad cultists
were pulled from the primordial sea and left to float in the heav- ensured those who sought to meddle with the forces of creation
ens as a star and its orbiting planets. could not close the seal. Destructive energy poured forth, and
The plate acts as a seal for a portal to the rest of the multiverse, with the golden plate out of place, the world could not find its sun.
and impedes travel to worlds other than those in the local system. Instead the Waking and all the worlds bound to it drifted toward
The ritual’s completion shattered the continent, created the a dark graveyard of the multiverse.
Yerasol Archipelago, and destroyed the ancient civilization. It The Voice of Rot slithered to the precipice of a cosmic gyre and
lay forgotten until a group reopened the seal in 502 aov. They awaited the end of the world. But so long had it lived as a fey being
changed what worlds were linked to ours, hoping to force civili- of the Dreaming that it could not claim its victory unless it de-
zation to follow their ideals. But they were sabotaged. feated a new adversary. Thus were King Baldrey of Risur and his
allies given a chance to scour the gyre for other dying worlds and
retrieve their essences.
The Strange Hour

Here, at the crux of the story, the truth becomes hard even for you
to remember clearly. Somehow it seemed Baldrey and his allies
were both in the gyre fighting the Voice of Rot to keep the world
from being physically obliterated, and simultaneously flying
above the open seal on Axis Island, contesting with another
group to control the ritual.
It was then that millions around the world felt themselves
being drawn into an ideological battle, lending support to either
side. King Baldrey triumphed, and new worlds were bonded to
the Waking that would create a brighter future, one designed to
give the most freedom possible for people to understand their cir-
cumstances and choose how they wanted to live their lives.
But in the moment of victory, somehow an essence of that un-
speakable word was tied to the ritual as well. Things that should
be written are fouled by obscurity, and it is possible that the Axis
Chapter Eight
Seal might be opened again. Perhaps even it would be better if it

were. Would you not like to remake the world, to make it better?
Let me ask you: what if one day you woke up, and the whole
world agreed with you? e

The Grand Design
Chapter Eight

The Grand Design
Chapter Eight

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From the Prolific Pen of Ryan Nock Special Thanks to Tim Curry, to the woman pulling weeds from

the rosemary, and I guess to incompetent leaders around the world,

Chapter Three An Exposition of Inventions...75 Crisillyir....................................................................... 107

iii Adventures in ZEITGEIST

Elfaivar......................................................................... 149 Planetary Gazetteer................................................. 185

The Avery Coast Railroad: still always on time.

D own an alley from Alchemy Row, the air is

thick with the burnt-oil stench of factory ef-

fluent dumped into Parity Lake, waters that even

protesting dockers, proselytizing deists, and pros- Overview

6. Savagery, Liberty, and Dragons

The Great Eclipse and the Spirit of the Age

An Exceedingly Brief Timeline

T he Zeitgeist setting is one where charac-

ters’ choices can shape the world. But the first

choices you must make are to determine who your

Homelands Powers of the Great Nations

Danor operations unless she returned control to a civilian, elected govern-

Hoping to bring peace and capitalize on the possibility of a re-

Psychically sensitive mediums sensed growing darkness pressing A Common Language

Colonies happy to create a balance of power between the two nations.

Devas cleric spell, which you can cast once without

Gnoll Gifts Goblin Traits

Runner. You can Dash as a bonus action. Lizardfolk Culture

De Guerra But secretive enclaves run by matriarchs were committed to pro-

Gold as Fashion and Fortune

avoid blooding ceremonies, with adulthood instead being achieved Backgrounds

Investigator Adventure Seed: Investigator

Adventure Seed: Riven Mind

Riven Mind Connection

Character Themes & Feats

Adventure Seed: Gunsmith

tives about Ber’s poor naval showing in the Elfaivaran Reclamation

In Drakr, a gunsmith’s ability to design a firearm evokes the

Adventure Seed: Martial Scientist

cooperation in recent years, Danor’s Jierre Sciens d’Arms martial

Playing a Martial Scientist

A Note about Martial Scientists

Skyseer: The Cosmology in Brief

If you touch a creature to share your ability and that creature

forcing a medium to search for some psychically resonant location

manifestations, including egregores and various thoughtform crea-

New Feat: Unfinished Business

However, Queen Iain Waryeye has commanded the nation’s tech-

New Feat: Arctech Tinkerer

The Gulmohar Reclamation Crisis three years ago similarly drew

but all sides pulled back, letting tensions remain at a simmer.

H erein you’ll find the new savant character

class—clever individuals who hone their

intellect to defeat their foes through tricks, team-

that are unique to the world of Zeitgeist.

Class Features Table: Savant

Weapons: Simple weapons, improvised weapons 7 Intelligent Caution, Skill Focus 7 4

having obscurement or cover relative to the distracted foe, they can

Analyzed Need Adventure Seeds: Savant

Steward I Will Please

At 17th level, your presence is enough to help allies cling to life a

Expert Help Coordinate Attack

Combat Deduction Ear for Languages

Killing Word Local Informants

Motto of the Tropezaros Adventure Seeds: Durala Carao

Reinforce Apotropaics Unstable Poison

Godhands of the Clergy

Shield of Ancient Knowledge

6. Savagery, Liberty, and Dragons