1

CREDITS
Written by
Shane Garvey and Jamie Wallis

Edited by
Rodney Leary and Andy Wright

Fabled Lands World Map by

Gillian Pearce (www.hellionsart.com)

layout, City Maps & Graphic Design by

Jamie Wallis

Artwork & Original Renders by

Martin McKenna, Janine Johnson, Megara Entertainment (www.megara-
entertainment.com), Sade, Andreas Mayor, Ralf Jergan Kraft, Algol, Kathy
Gold, Arion Games, Mike Heywood, Best Images, Tony Hough, Linda Buckland
& Cindi L

We would like to extend a special thanks to Martin McKenna for his wonderful artwork and
continued help & support. Cheers mate.

www.greywoodpublishing.com
 2

www.greywoodpublishing.com

Published in the United Kingdom

First Edition Print: June 2011

ISBN: 978-0-85744-073-0

Fabled Lands is © copyright 2011 Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson and is
used under license.

Fabled Lands Role Playing Game, not including original

locations, gods or personalities is © copyright 2011
Greywood Publishing.

Illustrations are © their respective owners.

Cartography is © copyright 2011 Greywood Publishing.

Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson hereby assert their moral right to be identi-
ied as the authors of Fabled Lands in accordance with the Copyright, Design
and Patents Act 1988.

No part of this book may be copied or reproduced without the prior written
permission of the copyright holders.

All rights reserved.

 3

FOREWORD Ride 30 Botany 40

INTRODUCTION Search 30 Entangle 40

What is a Role Playing Game? 6 Set Trap 31 Plant growth 40

Dice Terms 7 Shield Training 31 Wither 40

The Core Mecanic 7 Sneak 31 HYDROMANCY 41

What Can Characters Do? 7 Swim 31 Breathe underwater 41

Character Creation Summery 7 Trade 31 Create rain 41

CHAPTER 1 - CHARACTER CREATION Weightlifting 31 Fog 41

Choose Background 8 Weapon Training 31 Walk on water 41

General Description 10 CHAPTER 3 - SPELLS AND SORCERY ILLUSION 41

Age 11 AEROMANCY 32 False image 41

Personality 11 Summon or Dismiss Wind 32 Invisibility 42

Other Features 12 Tornado 33 Permanent Illusion 42

Generate Ability Values 14 Wind blast 33 NECROMANCY 42

Generating Ability Values 15 ASTROMANCY 33 Banish undead 42

Ability Tests 15 Create light 33 Create undead 42

Generate Stamina Value 15 Dispel light 33 Kill 43

Choose Profession 16 Eclipse 34 Speak with the dead 43

Barbarian 17 Star reading 34 PYROMANCY 43

Druid 18 BATTLE MAGIC 34 Create flame 43

Mage 19 Arcane blast 34 Extinguish 43

Priest 20 Combat sense 34 Wizard’s fire 43

Rogue 21 Magical weapon 35 TELEPATHY 44

Troubadour 22 Magical shield 35 Mind reading 44

Warrior 23 BEASTOLOGY 35 Psychic blast 44

Wayfarer 24 Command animal 35 Thought speech 44

Advancing your Character 25 Speak with animal 35 TRANSPORTATION 44

Choose Power OR Train Ability 25 Summon animal 36 Fly 44

Changing Profession 25 DIVINATION 36 Levitate 44

CHAPTER 2 - SKILLS Future sight 36 Teleportation 45

Armour Training 26 Locate 36 TRANSMUTATION 45

Balance 26 Scry 36 Alchemy 45

Camouflage 26 ELECTROMANCY 36 Alter appearance 45

Climb 26 Lightning bolt 37 Shape change 45

Table - Skills 27 Magnetize 37 OTHER LORES 45

Craft 28 Power weapon 37 CHAPTER 4 - EQUIPMENT

Disable Trap 28 Storm 37 Money 47
Didguise 28 ENCHANTMENT 37 Encumbrance Value (EV) 47
Etiquette 28 Command 37 Buying and Selling Items 47
Evaluate 28 Emotion control 38 Items and Abilities 47
Forage 28 Pacify 38 Close Combat Weapons 48
Haggle 28 Speak truth 38 Table - Close Combat Weapons 48
Heal 29 GEOMANCY 38 Ranged Weapons 49
Hide 29 Earthquake 38 Table - Ranged Weapons 49
Intimidate 29 Mould stone 39 Armour 50
Jump 29 Quicksand 39 Table - Armour 50
Language 29 Tremor 39 Armour Weight (EV) 50
Lore 29 HEALING 39 Potions 51
Navigate 30 Anti-venom 39 Table - Potions 51
Persuade 30 Remove Disease 40 Miscellaneous 52
Pick Lock 30 Restore Stamina 40 CHAPTER 5 - COMBAT
Piloting 30 HERBCRAFT 40 Offence 54
 4

Defence 54 UTTAKU & OLD HARKUNA 94 EKUSHKA 146

Strike Order 54 CHAPTER 9 - FOR THE GAMESMASTER ELF 146
Action Points (AP) 54 Storytelling 97 FAERY HOUND 147
Combat Rounds 55 Setting 97 FLYING HEAD 147
Movement 55 Rules 98 FLYING SHARK 148
sample dungeon map 55 Quests 98 FURY 148
Combat Modes 56 Time Scales 98 GHOST 149
COMBAT ACTIONS 56 Awarding Experience 99 GHOUL 149
Close Combat Actions 56 COMMON SITUATIONS 100 GIANT 150
Ranged Combat Actions 58 Balancing 100 GIANT CHAMELEON 150
Movement Combat Actions 59 Climbing 100 GIANT SPIDER 151
Miscellaneous Combat Actions 60 Disease 101 GOLEM 151
CHAPTER 6 - DEIETIES & RELIGION Disguise 101 GORGON 152
Blessings and Curses 62 Evaluating Items 102 GORLOCK 152
Resurrection 62 Healing 102 GREY WORM 153
Special Rules 62 Hiding 103 GRYPHON 153
THE GODS 63 Jumping 103 HYDRA 154
Alvir and Valmir 63 Languages 103 JEWELLED SERPENT 154
Elnir 64 Listening 104 KELPIE 155
Lacuna 64 Movement 104 KER’LIK 155
Maka 65 Getting Lost 105 MANBEAST 156
Molhern 65 Moving Heavy Items 105 OGRE 156
Nagil 66 Persuasion 105 RATMAN 157
Sig 66 Poison 106 REPULSIVE ONE 157
The Three Fortunes 67 Riding Animals 106 SCORPION MAN 158
Tyrnai 67 Searching 106 STORM DEMON 158
CHAPTER 7 - CITY SERVICES Sleeping 106 TROLL 158
MERCHANT’S GUILD Sneaking 107 VAMPIRE 159
FACILITIES 72
Swimming 107 COMMON ANIMALS 160
BUYING A HOUSE 72
Traps 107 APE 160
TEMPLE SERVICES 72
WEATHER 108 BADGER 160
CHAPTER 8 - HARKUNA
SEA TRAVEL 110 BAT (VAMPIRE) 161
CHRONOLOGY 73
YELLOWPORT 113 BEAR 161
THE CREATION 73
A - Marshal Citadel and BOAR 162
ERA OF DARKNESS Courthouse 114
(UNKNOWN) 73 CAMEL 162
B - Plaza of the Gods 115
ERA OF LIGHT (UNKNOWN) 74 CROCODILE 162
C - Castle View (Rich Quarter) 115
THE ERA OF DRAGONS 74 DOG (HUNTING) 163
D - Main Harbour 116
THE AGE OF TROUBLE 74 ELEPHANT 163
E - Brimstone Plaza Market 118
THE AGE OF DISCOVERY 75 HAWK 164
F - Merchant Guild Buildings 118
THE AGE OF UNREST 80 HORSE 164
G - West Port (Poor Quarter) 119
THE AGE OF KINGS 80 LION 165
Yellowport Places of Interest 120
THE AGE OF WAR 80 RAT (GIANT) 165
City Sewers 129
HARKUNA CALENDER 80 RED-FIN SHARK 166
City Personalities 131
ANKON-KONU 81 SNAKE 166
CHAPTER 10 - MONSTERS & ENEMIES
ATTICALA 84 TIGER 167
ASSASSIN 143
AKATSURAI 86 WOLF 167
BANDIT 143
FORBIDDEN REALM,THE 87 LIST OF MONSTERS BY
BARROW WIGHT 144 THREAT LEVEL 168
GOLNIR 87
CHIMERICAL BEAST 144 APPENDIX - LAIR OF THE
ISLANDS OF HARKUNA 89 RATMEN 170
DRAGON 145
SOKARA 90 CHARACTER SHEET 179
 5

Foreword
“What would you call the unknown lands across the sea?” said Jamie.
We both knocked back another shot of whisky. Might have been Talisker or Laphroiag, I can’t remember.
“Inconnu?” I said at last.
‘Ankon-Konu,’ Jamie wrote carefully on the map. “And who lives there?”
“The Golden Men?”
“I thought we decided they were Blue Men?”
“Both. Blue and Golden. They can’t stand each other.”
By the end of the night we had settled on a favourite dram. Probably Dalwhinnie. In the morning, bleary-
eyed, I looked for a place to put a glass of orange juice and a life-saving plate of bacon, and came across
the map.
We didn’t know it then, but we had begun a task that was to take the next two years of our creative lives.
The charting of the Fabled Lands.
Originally the realm of Harkuna had been created for a BBC radio serial that Jamie wrote with his brother
in the early 1990s. Long before that, the idea of a vast interlinked gamebook world where you could pick
from hundreds of quests, defining your own adventuring life story as you went, was something Jamie and
I had wanted to do since the mid 1980s. At first we’d pitched it as a choose-your-own-RPG-campaign set in
Camelot. The publishers didn’t get it – and why should they? They didn’t roleplay, so they didn’t under-
stand why we found the enforced quest of the typical gamebook so authorial and stultifying.
I had met Mary Tapissier when Min (Mark Smith) and I were shopping the Virtual Reality series around.
Mary was at the publishers Pan Macmillan, and she liked VR, but in the end we got a better offer from
Mammoth Books, now extinct. After VR, Jamie and I decided to take the world of his radio serial and ex-
pand it as a setting for our huge, open-structured, sandbox gamebook concept.
Mary bought it at once, gave us everything we wanted. The fold out covers, the colour regional maps. It
worried us that the marketing department fixed the price a bit low, just £1 above a regular gamebook,
which gave a lot less content and, if you’re asking us, a lot less quality in most cases too. I hate to be killed
because I didn’t follow the path the author set out for me. In Fabled Lands you might die; you often will.
But it’s never just so we could close off a branch of the narrative flowchart.
The rest is history, meaning you can probably find it on Wiki. Fabled Lands failed – and not because it
didn’t have many dedicated fans, but simply because the combination of low cover price and high pro-
duction costs meant the publisher wasn’t making enough of a profit. Mary Tapissier’s successor, Marion
Lloyd, came up with a plan to repackage the books in more affordable format, but it didn’t come together.
For fifteen years, Fabled Lands vanished into the mists of myth.
Yet all along there was a band of stalwart readers who had found a second home in Fabled Lands. Their
belief kept it alive. One in particular, Frank Johnson, had enough faith in me and Jamie to give us his finan-
cial support and business advice, and thus was born Fabled Lands LLP – a transmedia company devoted
to a wide range of properties, among them Fabled Lands itself.
When the good folk at Greywood Publishing got in touch, Fabled Lands was brought full circle. Because it
was always supposed to be more of a role-playing campaign world than a gamebook. And now, thanks to
the brilliant set of rules created by Jamie Wallis and Shane Garvey, that’s exactly what it has become. May
it give you many hundreds of hours of fresh adventures.

Dave Morris
 6

Introduction

Fabled Lands is a role playing game of high determined rules. I say imagination because
adventure in the world of Harkuna. The game although your Gamesmaster may well provide
world took its initial form back in 1995 in the some visual aids for the game, the majority how
form of game books, written by Dave Morris you perceive of what is happening is conjured
and Jamie Thomson. The Fabled Lands game up in your own mind.
books were a new concept in the genre of This is how the game is played: the Games-
‘choose your adventure’ books, because these master creates a quest for the Players to follow.
were free roaming and what is sometimes called The Gamesmaster acts like a director in a movie
open world, or ‘sandbox’ today. This meant that and tells the players what they can see, hear and
your character was free to travel between books, what is going on around them. The players are
completing quests at their leisure as opposed to the actors; they take on the roles of their char-
being railroaded in a single direction towards acter and make the decisions as to what they
the book’s finale. will do during a quest. The aim is for the play-
ers to follow the Gamesmaster’s plot line in an
The Fabled Lands game books were planned attempt to complete the quest and gain ranks in
as twelve books; each detailing a specific prov- your chosen profession.
ince or country of the world. The aim was to
allow your character to pick up quests in one What You Need to Play
book, then traverse the world to complete those You don’t actually need much equipment to
quests. Unfortunately only six of the twelve play a Fabled Lands Role Playing Game ses-
books were ever published, and due to the pop- sion: a copy of this book (it is advisable for each
ularity amongst the fans,
s, became very dif-
dif player to have their
th own copy, but this isn’t a
ficult to find in book shops
hops or via mail necessity), some
som six-sided dice, pens, paper
order. and at least two people – a Gamesmaster and
This year, 2011, has seen the Fabled a player.
Lands phoenix rise from m its ashes.
Already released at the time of this Gamesmaster
Gamesmas
publishing are the secondond edition Being a Gamesmaster
Ga is a difficult, but
reprints of books one to o four of the ultimately rewarding, task. Your gam-
game book series, and thehe iPad and ing group is i expecting YOU to create a
quest for them
th to send their newly cre-
iPhone app designed by Megara
ated characters
chara on. They are expecting
Entertainment. Greywood ood Pub- YOU to haveha all the relevant game ma-
lishing has the license to
o produce terials, dice,
d maps, figures, and floor
the Role Playing Game me Core plans at your
y finger tips to enable the
Rule Book, as well as thehe twelve game session
ses to run smoothly, and they
source books based on the are expecting
exp YOU to know the quest
six published game books ooks inside
insid out and make the game
AND the six unpublished hed session
sess atmospheric and fun. It
ones. may
ma sound a little daunting to a
new
n role player, but there is a
great deal of satisfaction from
What is a Role watching
w the players try to un-
ravel your plots,
plo and watching them rise in
Playing Game? ranks and experience.
exper
So what actually is a role
le playing
game? A role playing game, or
RPG, is a game played in your
imagination using a sett off pre-
 7

Players What Can Characters Do?

Players have the fun and suspense of travel- Just to clarify two words that are used a lot
ling into the unknown quest devised for them within this book; a character is the one written
by their Gamesmaster. They also get the reward on the paper and the player is the person acting
of seeing their characters progress through the out that character.
ranks, increasing in their abilities and even be- A character can do just about anything that they
coming a lord or nobility in their own realm. Of like within the scene set by the Gamesmaster,
course, on the flip side of the coin, they may suf- or defined within a quest. They cannot fly un-
fer an untimely demise at the hands of a ruth- less they have wings or a magical way of doing
less assassin, a savage monster, or cunning trap. so, similarly they cannot breathe underwater, or
All good fun though. jump further than is humanly possible (impos-
sible tasks). Your character can, for example:
 Listen at a door
Dice Terms
This Fabled Lands Role Playing Game only  Search and explore
uses six-sided dice. You know the sort, they are  Talk to a non-player character (one that is
found in just about every old board game you controlled and acted out by the Games-
have hiding in the loft. Within this game, the master)
dice are referred to as either 1 dice or 1d6. You  Strike up a bargain with a merchant
may be asked to roll a dice and either add or
subtract a number. When this happens it will be  Talk to another character
written like this: ‘1 dice +1’ or like this: ‘1d6+1’.  Ride a horse
Both of these terms are interchangeable and
 Blackmail a courtier
mean the same thing – roll one six-sided dice
and add 1 to the result. Similarly, rolling 2 dice  Bluff a city guard
and adding +3 to the result, would be expressed
 Jump a pit, climb a wall, or run away from
as rolling 2d6+3. a adversary
 Engage in combat, both melee and ranged
The Core Mecanic
The Fabled Lands Role Playing Game rules sys-
tem has remained as faithful to the rules found
Character Creation Summery
in the original game books as we possibly could. This section will give an overview of charac-
ter creation. Make sure that you have already
Of course there will be some differences, addi-
familiarised yourself with Chapters 3, 4 and 5
tions or modifications to these rules, but we have before referring to the summery:
tried to keep the original feel of them intact.
1. Choose your character’s background
The basic mechanic to this role playing game is
a. Academic, Commoner, Criminal, Fey-
as follows:
Blooded, Military, Noble or Primitive
Dice roll + relevant ability score must be HIGH- 2. Generate your character’s description
ER than the Difficulty rating (set by the Games-
master) a. Height, Build, Age, and Personality
3. Generate your character’s ability scores
Example: if a character is attempting to jump a
chasm while being chased by an assassin, the a. Charisma, Combat, Intelligence, Magic,
Gamesmaster might ask the player to make a Muscle, Sanctity, Scouting, and Thievery
Muscle (difficulty 10) test to successfully make 4. Generate your character’s Stamina score
the jump. The player must roll 2d6 (2 dice) and
5. Choose your character’s profession
add the Muscle ability of his character to the re-
sult. If the final score is 11 or higher the player’s a. Barbarian, Druid, Mage, Priest, Rogue,
character will have successfully jumped the Troubadour, Warrior, or Wayfarer
chasm. A combined score of 10 or lower will
signify the player’s character’s failure.
 8

CHAPTER 1 - Character
Creation
As a player in the Fabled Lands RPG you will Academic
first need to create a character. Your character An academic background covers those people
is a representative of you in the world of the Fa- who put more value on study and learning when
bled Lands. You choose what he looks like, what they were younger than physical skill. Perhaps
his personality is, what he is and isn’t good at they grew up in an abbey or monastery where
and, most importantly, what actions he takes in the monks taught them about the world. Maybe
certain situations. they had a privileged upbringing where they
Creating a character is a 5-step process. Start had access to personal tutors. Or maybe they
with step 1 before proceeding through the steps just prefer the comfort of a book rather than the
in numerical order. outdoor life. Whatever the case, these folk value
knowledge over physical ability.
1. Choose background
If you choose the academic background, your
2. Generate description
character grew up studying and learning in-
3. Generate ability values stead of being out fishing and hunting.
4. Generate Stamina value Special Rules: As a character with an academic
5. Choose profession background, you gain 1 level in a Lore skill of
your choice.

1. Choose Commoner
Background Commoners make up the bulk of the popula-
tion of the Fabled Lands. They are the farmers
The first step in creating your character is to who tend the crops, the craftsmen who bake the
work out his background. Where did your char- bread and tend the forges, the fisherfolk who
acter come from before he began his life as an ply the waters and the merchants who sell the
adventurer? Was he a savage from the wilder wares. They are the innkeepers, blacksmiths,
lands, or a noble-bred fop with a penchant for traders and shopkeepers the characters meet on
the high life? Did he grow up around war and their journeys.
violence, or has he led a life of peace, making his
money as a trader? Your character came from this walk of life
before taking up adventuring. He has now
The following backgrounds may be chosen swapped his tools for weapons and armour.
for your character. Choose one of them and note
it in the ‘background’ section of your character Special Rules: As a character with a common-
sheet. Also note down any special rules that er background, you gain 1 level in the Craft or
may apply to your chosen background. Trade skill.
 9

Criminal Your character has grown up surrounded by

The criminal underbelly of the Fabled Lands is violence and conflict. He is hardened by this
a rather extensive, if well-hidden, one. All of the constant bloodshed and has learnt how to fight
major cities of the world seek to stamp out the in order to survive.
various criminal guilds that exist, yet none ever Special Rules: As a character with a military
succeed. Crime is therefore rife, though many background, you gain 1 level in the Weapon
people are oblivious to the back-alley dealings Training skill. If you are already trained in the
and murders that take place. use of all weapons, you may instead begin play
Your character was once a part of this criminal with a free short sword.
underground – and may still be, for that matter.
The skills you have learnt are now being tested
as an adventurer.
Special Rules: As a character with a criminal
background, you gain 1 level in the Pick Lock
skill.

Fey-Blooded
Rarely do the faerie-folk of the Fabled Lands in-
teract with mortals. When they do, it is usually
to cause grief and mischief to their unwitting
victims. On very rare occasions, these fey beings
take human form and mate with a mortal, the
product of which produces a fey-blooded off-
spring. So rare are these liaisons that only a doz-
en or so fey-blooded people have been known
to have ever existed.
Your character is one of these exotic half-
breeds. Although outwardly you appear nor- Noble
mal, others always get the feeling that some- The noble households of the Fabled Lands are
thing is not quite right about you. many and varied and some people are able to
claim some link to the nobility, however tenu-
Special Rules: As a character with the fey-
ous it may be. Whether they are the distant
blooded background, you must reduce your
cousin to a minor duke of Golnir, the third son
Sanctity value by 1. However, you may increase
of a warlord of Akatsurai or claim some link to
your Magic value by 1 and you gain 1 level in
the High King of Old Harkuna, these people
the Craft (magic) skill.
use their name and position (however small) to
good advantage. They often have privellaged
Military upbringings, with much more money spent on
their education, training and possessions than
War, violence and bloodshed are an unfortunate
normal common folk.
but constant part of life in many parts of the Fa-
bled Lands. Some lands lie dangerously close to Your character is someone who has a claim to
monster-infested wilderness, while others are some form of minor nobility.
at war with neighbouring kingdoms or, even Special Rules: As a character with a noble back-
worse, in the grip of civil war. The streets of the ground, you begin play with an additional 100
cities are also dangerous places, with many bod- Shards.
ies decaying in the forgotten back alleys amidst
all the other waste and discarded rubbish.
 10

Primitive Your character has grown up away from the

Although there are many civilised kingdoms in more civilised nations of the world and is thus
the Fabled Lands there are also many untamed not as cultured or refined as some other folk. Al-
realms were more primitive peoples live. The though this could be considered a disadvantage
folk of the Great Steppes, the Feathered Lands (and, indeed, it is in some cases) your character
and the Desert of Bones in particular are con- makes up for this in their own primitive way.
sidered savage and uncultured by the other na- Special Rules: As a character with a primitive
tions, though they do have unique cultures of background, you must reduce your Intelligence
their own. value by 1 and may never have this value exceed
10. However, you may increase your Scouting
value by 1 and your maximum Stamina by 2.

2. General he easy-going or deadly serious? Is he friendly

or untrusting of strangers? By determining all of
Description these features you can really bring a character to
The next step is to determine a description of life. No longer will he be a set of numbers on a
your character. How tell is he? Is he slim, well- character sheet, but you can start to really relate
built or overweight? What colour hair does he to the character.
have? Does he have any scars or unique distin-
Roll on the tables below to determine your
guishing features? How old is he?
character description. In some cases, your char-
In addition to physical description, you should acters description will provide additional game
also think about your character’s personality. Is rules, penalties or benefits that you should note.

Height
Roll a die to determine your characters height. You may roll twice and choose one of the results.

Dice Roll Description Height Rules

1 Tiny 4’7” – 5’ +1 on hiding tests; -1 on jumping tests
2 Short 5’1” – 5’6”
3-4 Average 5’7” – 6’
5 Tall 6’1” – 6’6”
6 Very Tall 6’7” – 7’ +1 on jumping tests; -1 on hiding tests

Build
Roll a die to determine the body build of your character. You may roll twice and choose one of the
results.

Dice Roll Description Rules

1-2 Small Frame -1 Stamina, +1 Thievery
3-4 Average Frame
5-6 Large Frame +1 Stamina, -1 Thievery (minimum
1)
 11

Age
Roll a die to determine the age of your character. You may roll twice and choose one of the results.

Dice Roll Description Age Rules

1 Youth 12-17 -1 to starting Stamina roll*
2 Young Adult 18-23
3 Adult 24-29
4 Mature 30-35 Gain 1 level in a Lore skill
5 Middle-Aged 36-47 Gain 2 levels in a Lore skill, or 1 level
in 2 different Lore skills; Muscle may
not be greater than 10
6 Advanced Age 48-59 Gain 3 levels in 1 Lore skill, 1 level in
3 different Lore skills, or any other
combination totalling 3; Muscle may
not be greater than 9
* This penalty may be removed when, and if, the character reaches the age of 18 in play, by adding
1 point to Stamina.

Personality
Your character’s personality is something you tive about your character; something that other
should come up with yourself, as it is your per- people would dislike about you, such as being
sonality that will help you role-play your char- greedy or self-centred.
acter. Your personality traits do not have any effects
You must come up with one ‘good’ trait and on the game rules, but they do provide you with
one ‘bad’ trait. Good traits are something posi- extra experience points if you role-play them to
tive about your character; something that other the satisfaction of the Gamesmaster. If you can-
people would say is one of your redeeming fea- not come up with your own personality traits
tures, such as being a sharing person or being you may roll on the tables below.
trustworthy. Bad traits are something nega-

Good Traits
Roll a die; on a 1-3, roll another die and consult table A to see what good trait you have. On a 4-6,
roll another die and consult table B.

Dice Roll Table A (1-3) Table B (4-6)

1 Brave Honest
2 Generous Fair
3 Helpful Kind
4 Thoughtful Supportive
5 Compassionate Giving
6 Hard-working Trustworthy
 12

Bad Traits
Roll a die; on a 1-3, roll another die and consult table A to see what bad trait you have. On a 4-6, roll
another die and consult table B.

Dice Roll Table A (1-3) Table B (4-6)

1 Cowardly Arrogant
2 Miserly Stubborn
3 Impulsive Liar
4 Self-doubt Selfish
5 Lazy Untrustworthy
6 Petty Ignorant

Other Features
The following tables aid you in rounding out the description of your character. They do not have
any effect on the game other than to give you a complete picture of your character. Feel free to
choose or roll randomly for the following features.

Eye Colour
You may either choose your character’s eye colour or roll a die to randomly determine it.

Dice Roll Eye Colour

1 Blue
2 Hazel
3 Almond
4 Grey
5 Green
6 Black

Hair Colour
You may either choose your character’s hair colour or roll a die to randomly determine it.

Dice Roll Hair Colour

1 Black
2 Brown
3 Blonde
4 Grey
5 White
6 Red
 13

Distinguishing Features
Your character’s distinguishing features is something that you should come up with yourself as
these features will make real the character that you have in mind. If you are stuck though, you can
roll on the tables below: on a 1-3, roll another die and consult table A to see what, if any distinguish-
ing feature you have. On a 4-6, roll another die and consult table B.

Dice Roll Table A (1-3) Table B (4-6)

1 Birthmark Missing an eye
2 Missing an ear Unusual colour of eyes
3 None Bald
4 Heavily scarred None
5 Unusual colour of hair Pox-marks
6 Missing a finger Flawless

Birthplace
Roll a die; on a 1-3, roll another die and consult table A to see where your character was born. On a
4-6, roll another die and consult table B.

Dice Roll Table A (1-3) Table B (4-6)

1 Sokara Ankon-Konu
2 Golnir Chrysoprais
3 Violet Ocean Atticala
4 Old Harkuna Dangor
5 Uttaku Great Steppes
6 Akatsurai Walking City
A character gains 1 level in a Lore (birthplace) skill relating to the land of his birth.

Name
If you are having a problem creating a name for your character then you can either use the table
below by cross-referencing 2 dice rolls or use it as inspiration for your own character name.

Dice Rolls 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Liana Andriel Chalor Marana Ignatius Astariel
2 Jaluda Damontir Arcadia Silas Greymalkin Varkung
3 Kitunai Ilak Arabel Vilss Charyss Dilmun
4 Kintu Abraxas Panjang Nemora Shikibu Ithacus
5 Shana Jayme Dayv Mykel Konnar Leyam
6 Leane Ganeen Jarn Grum Shagar Pike
 14

3. Generate Ability Values Scouting

Before you choose your character profession, it This ability governs the act of surviving in the
is important to know all about abilities. Abilities wild. City-born characters will usually have low
are a set of eight values that represent a different Scouting values, while those who have grown
aspect of a character, whether it is their fight- up in the wilderness have high Scouting values.
ing or spell casting ability, their charms or their
wits. Thievery
Finally, this ability deals with the art of stealth,
Abilities range in number from 0-12, though
agility and crime. Although a lot of thugs, as-
starting characters will not have scores higher
sassins and other nasty types have high scores
than 6 in most cases. The higher the value is the
in Thievery, this ability can come in very handy
better.
for characters too.
It is important to note at this stage that al-
though abilities can and will change over the
course of a game they can never go below 0 or
above 12. This includes items and skills that
improve an ability value; these items and skills
may never improve the ability value above 12.
There are eight abilities in total and these are
detailed here:

Charisma
This is the ability to befriend people. The higher
your Charisma value is the more likable you are.

Combat
This is the ability that governs fighting skill.
Characters with high scores in Combat can
stand toe-to-toe with the fiercest of enemies,
while those with low scores may be better off
running away as fast as they can!

Intelligence
This ability covers general knowledge. The
higher your Intelligence value, the smarter your
character is.

Magic
The Magic ability governs the art of spell cast-
ing. Characters with low Magic values often
have little to no magical talent at all.

Muscle
The Muscle ability is a measure of your charac-
ter’s physical strength. Skinny, gangly charac-
ters have low Muscle values, while tough, well-
built and fit characters have high Muscle values.

Sanctity
Sanctity is the gift of divine power and wisdom.
Spiritual characters often have high scores in
this ability.
 15

Generating Ability Values If the total of your dice roll plus ability value
The exact starting score of your abilities is de- is higher than the Difficulty, then you pass the
termined by the rolling of dice. As stated ear- test. If the total of your dice roll plus ability val-
lier, abilities range in value from 0 to 12; you can ue is equal to or lower than the Difficulty, then
never have a score lower than 0 or higher than you fail the test.
12. It some circumstances the degree of success
Characters that are just beginning their careers (or failure) will also be important. The more
will have ability values between 1 and 6. With you pass (or fail) the test by, the more successful
experience they will be able to increase these (or worse the failure) will be. The Gamesmaster
values. will let you know whether the degree of success
or failure is important at the time.
To determine the value of your character’s
abilities, begin by rolling 8 dice. Assign each of Impossible Tests: It may be that some charac-
these dice rolls to one of your character’s abili- ters must make an ability test that they have no
ties. chance of passing, usually by the Difficulty be-
Example: We are creating a brand new charac- ing 12 or more points higher than their ability
ter for the Fabled Lands RPG. We first need to value. This is deliberate and means the charac-
generate our ability values. Rolling 8 dice we get ter has no chance of succeeding at that task. Al-
1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 5 and 6. Deciding we want a good though this may seem harsh, it is a reality that
fighting character, we assign the 6 to Combat we cannot all accomplish everything; an Intelli-
and the 5 to Muscle. The 4s we give to Sanctity, gence 1 character should not be able to succeed
Scouting and Thievery. Magic and Intelligence at brain surgery, for instance.
get the 2s while Charisma gets the 1; our fight-
ing character is strong and fierce, but obviously Generate Stamina Value
gruff and not very friendly! All characters have another value that is very
Sometimes the dice can roll poorly and result important, and that value is Stamina. The Stam-
in a set of ability values well below average. For ina value is an indicator of the health and well-
this reason, if the total of all the dice rolled is 20 being of the character; if a character’s Stamina
or less you may roll them again. value is low, it means they may be close to death.

Once your ability values have been assigned, To determine the value of your character’s
remember to make any adjustments based on starting Stamina, roll 1 die and add 6 to the re-
your background. sult, for a total between 7 and 12. This is your
character’s starting Stamina value. Backgrounds
and character description may also alter your
Ability Tests character’s starting Stamina, so make those
At various stages throughout the game you adjustments now. Each time your character in-
will be called upon to make an ability test. The creases in level he will receive more Stamina
Gamesmaster will tell you which ability to test; (see advancing in rank later in this chapter).
he will say something like, “make a Muscle test” A character’s Stamina value will increase and
or, “make a Scouting test”. decrease throughout the course of a game. With
Making the test is easy. Simply roll 2 dice and one exception (which will be explained later) a
add the relevant ability value. For instance, if character’s Stamina may never exceed its start-
you are told to make a Scouting test, you would ing value, which we refer to as ‘maximum Stam-
roll 2 dice and add your Scouting value. ina value’.

Whether or not you pass or succeed depends If a character’s Stamina value ever falls to 0 or
on the Difficulty of the task you are attempt- less they have begun to die. Every turn that their
ing. The Gamesmaster will have a set Difficulty Stamina is 0 or less they must roll 1 die. On a roll
score, which will be a number such as 9, 10 or of 1 the character has died. This gives the other
even more. The harder the task you are attempt- characters a chance to heal their companion be-
ing, the higher the Difficulty score will be. fore he bites the dust.
 16

While a character has 0 or less Stamina he is ability values are also important to the profes-
considered to be unconscious or otherwise out sion, but not as much as the primary ability. A
of action. An out of action character gains 0 AP character must have scores of 2 or more in his
per combat turn (see How to Fight for further profession’s secondary abilities.
details).
Weapons and Armour
This section lists what weapons and armour the
Choose Profession profession may use.
Now that you have your ability values and
Stamina value determined it is time to choose Skills
your character’s profession. As mentioned ear- Every character profession has a range of skills
lier there are eight professions to choose from, that they may choose from. These represent
each with their own strengths and weaknesses. specific talents that characters from that profes-
These are detailed below. sion may have trained in. Skills aid characters in
certain situations and represent what he is espe-
Profession cially good at.
Each profession begins with a description of Skills are further detailed in the Skills chapter.
the character type and the role they play in the For now, it is just important to know that the
world of the Fabled Lands. This section can help skills listed in this section are the ones a charac-
you come up with a suitable background and ter may choose.
personality for your character.
Powers
Primary Ability
Finally, we have powers. These are special tal-
Every profession has a primary ability value. ents and feats that a character has and can ac-
This ability is the one the profession has trained complish. Unlike skills, where some professions
the most in and thus the profession is known may have access to the same ones, powers are
to be good at it. To be able to choose a certain unique to each profession and represent some-
profession, a character must have a score of 5 or thing unique to that type of character.
more in that profession’s primary ability.
All starting characters begin with one power
Secondary Abilities chosen from their profession. As they advance,
In addition to the primary ability, each profes- they may gain new powers or additional uses of
sion also has two secondary abilities. These the same power.
 17

Barbarian
The name barbarian is given to many of the Defence value). However, you must also reduce
more primitive people of the Fabled Lands. Liv- your Defence value by the same amount. Note
ing in the more remote places of the world far that use of this power is optional; you may ei-
from civilization, these people have developed ther choose to use it or not.
cultures of their own and are seen as savages by
Surge of Strength: By digging deep inside
the rest of the world.
yourself you summon forth a burst of raw pow-
Barbarian characters tend to be those who er, drawn from within your soul. You may auto-
have decided to journey into the more civilized matically pass a Muscle test you have to make,
nations for one reason or another. Maybe they but you must use this power before rolling the
have been banished by their tribe or clan, or dice for the test. You may use Surge of Strength
maybe they are just curious as to what lies in a number of times per quest equal to the amount
the wider world. They are often avoided and of times you have chosen it as a power.
looked down upon by those they meet, but this
Tough as Nails: Life in the wild and amongst
doesn’t worry the barbarian, who goes about his
your people has toughened you beyond normal
own business and deals with those that threaten
measure. Each time you choose Tough as Nails
him in the best way he knows how – violently.
as one of your powers, you may add 2 to your
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a maximum Stamina (including starting Stamina
barbarian character is Muscle. if it is chosen at rank 1).
Secondary Abilities: A barbarian’s secondary
ability values are Combat and Scouting.
Weapons and Armour: Barbarians are trained
in the use of all weapons. They are also trained
in the use of light armour.
Skills: Barbarian characters may choose from
the following skills: Armour Training, Climb,
Forage, Intimidate, Jump, Navigate, Ride, Set
Trap, Shield Training, Swim and Weightlifting.

Powers
The following powers are available to barbarian
characters. A starting character may choose one
of these powers.
Mighty Blow: With brute strength you swing
your weapon at your enemy, your entire power
behind the swing in the hope of cleaving them
in half. You may add your Muscle value to your
Combat value for one turn of combat. You may
use Mighty Blow a number of times per quest
equal to the amount of times you have chosen
it as a power.
Primal Rage: You are known as a ferocious
warrior, a man who destroys his enemies in
a frenzy of bloodlust. You may add 1 to your
Combat value for each time you have chosen
Primal Rage as one of your powers (in this case,
this increase in Combat does not increase your
 18

Druid
The druids are people who are more at home Beastology: Your study of nature and the ani-
in the wilderness than in the larger cities of the mals it contains has opened up the magical lore
Fabled Lands. Here they commune with nature of Beastology to you. When you choose this
through meditation and secret ritual in the hope power, you may cast spells from the Beastology
of learning all they can about the lore of the lore found in the Spells & Sorcery chapter. Each
world and its people. They are the lore-keepers additional time you choose the Beastology pow-
of the Fabled Lands and it is said that the knowl- er, you gain a bonus of +1 to your Magic value
edge of an experienced druid surpasses that of when casting a Beastology spell.
the greatest libraries of the world.
Herbcraft: Your study of nature and the plants
Druid characters will often travel the entire it contains has opened up the magical lore of
breadth of the Fabled Lands in search of obscure Herbcraft to you. When you choose this pow-
pieces of lore. Their experience in the wilder- er, you may cast spells from the Herbcraft lore
ness and their closeness with nature gives them found in the Spells & Sorcery chapter. Each ad-
an edge in outdoor quests, while their superior ditional time you choose the Herbcraft power,
knowledge makes them valuable members of an you gain a bonus of +1 to your Magic value
adventuring group. when casting a Herbcraft spell.
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a Loremaster: With the wisdom of the ancients
druid character is Intelligence. to call upon, you are able to answer any ques-
tion posed to you. You may automatically pass
Secondary Abilities: A druid’s secondary abil-
an Intelligence test you have to make, but you
ity values are Magic and Scouting.
must use this power before rolling the dice for
Weapons and Armour: Druids are trained in the the test. You may use Loremaster a number of
use of basic weapons only. They are not trained times per quest equal to the amount of times
in the use of any armour. you have chosen it as a power.
Skills: Druid characters may choose from the
following skills: Camouflage, Evaluate, Forage,
Heal, Language, Lore (any), Navigate, Ride,
Swim and Weapon Training.

Powers
The following powers are available to druid
characters. A starting character may choose one
of these powers.
Animal Friendship: Your love and respect of
nature has led to you earning the friendship of
the animal kingdom. Each time you choose this
power you gain an animal companion who be-
comes your faithful servant. In effect it becomes
an extension of your character; you choose what
actions it takes, etc. The animal may not have
a Combat value greater than half your Intelli-
gence value, rounded down (so, if you have In-
telligence 5, the animal must have Combat 2 or
less). Each time you choose Animal Friendship
you gain another companion, meaning you can
have multiple companions if you like. If your
companions ever die they cannot be replaced,
except by choosing this power again.
 19

Mage
A mage is a character who studies the arcane item or creature within your vision. You will not
arts in the pursuit of power and knowledge. only know that they are magical, but also what
Most study in the larger cities of the Fabled magical powers they have. You may use Mage
Lands, pouring over dusty tomes in vast librar- Sight a number of times per quest equal to the
ies. Often they are part of a college of magic, a amount of times you have chosen it as a power.
university devoted to the secrets of sorcery. Sorcery: You know how to manipulate the
At times mages will travel, seeking knowledge forces of magic and can use this knowledge to
in other parts of the world. Unfortunately this cast spells. When you choose this power, you
often exposes mages to forbidden knowledge may choose one of the lores of magic listed in
such as the power of black sorcery; this type of the Spells & Sorcery chapter. You may now cast
magic, which has dealings with demons and the spells associated with that lore. Alternative-
devils, corrupts the mages soul and turns them ly, you may select a lore of magic you already
evil. Luckily most mages are sensible enough to know. You then gain a +1 bonus to your Magic
avoid this temptation. value when casting spells from that lore.
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a Spellbinder: The arcane arts come quite natu-
mage character is Magic. rally to you and you are able to harness its pow-
er in a very effective way. You may automati-
Secondary Abilities: A mage’s secondary abil-
cally pass a Magic test you have to make, but
ity values are Intelligence and Thievery.
you must use this power before rolling the dice
Weapons and Armour: Mages are trained in the for the test. You may use Spellbinder a number
use of basic weapons only. They are not trained of times per quest equal to the amount of times
in the use of any armour. you have chosen it as a power.
Skills: Mage characters may choose from the
following skills: Craft (magic items), Evaluate,
Heal, Language, Lore (any), Search and Weapon
Training.

Powers
The following powers are available to mage
characters. A starting character may choose one
of these powers.
Counterspell: Not only can you know how to
use spells, you can also know how to counter
spells cast by others. You may use this power to
immediately cancel the effects of another spell.
That spell has no effect whatsoever. You may
use Counterspell a number of times per quest
equal to the amount of times you have chosen
it as a power.
Mage Sight: You are naturally attuned to the
magical world around you and know how to
detect creatures and items that may be imbued
with the power of sorcery. You may use this
power to immediately be aware of any magical
 20

Priest
There are many different religious groups of times per quest equal to the amount of times
throughout the Fabled Lands and just as many you have chosen it as a power.
deities as well. Priests are dedicated worship-
Deliverance: Your pious nature allows you to
pers of the various gods and goddesses, spread-
call upon the aid of the gods in your time of
ing the word of their deity and carrying out
need. You may use your Sanctity value instead
His or Her work in the mortal world. They
of another ability value when you need to make
can be found all over the Fabled Lands, from
a test. You may use Deliverance a number of
the biggest cities to the most primitive of vil-
times per quest equal to the number of times
lages. Many even travel, spreading their beliefs
you have chosen it as a power.
throughout the world.
Exorcism: Priests of the Fabled Lands have spe-
Due to the varied nature of the deities of the
cial powers over the evil and foul undead crea-
Fabled Lands, priests come in all shapes, sizes
tures that stalk the shadows of the world. When
and varieties. Some are civilized men, holding
you encounter an undead creature you may use
sermons within the great temples of the cities.
your Sanctity value instead of your Combat val-
Others are more primitive, shamanistic people
ue when fighting it.
who call upon the spirits of their ancestors for
aid. Still others are wholly evil, worshipping the
darker powers of the Fabled Lands.
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a
priest character is Sanctity.
Secondary Abilities: A priest’s secondary abil-
ity values are Charisma and Intelligence.
Weapons and Armour: Priests are trained in the
use of basic weapons only. They are not trained
in the use of any armour.
Skills: Priest characters may choose from the
following skills: Etiquette, Heal, Language,
Listen, Lore (religion), Persuade and Weapon
Training.

Powers
The following powers are available to priest
characters. A starting character may choose one
of these powers.
Bless: You have been granted the ability to be-
stow the blessings of your deity upon others.
You may bestow the blessings listed with the
description of your chosen deity (see the Dei-
ties & Religion chapter). You may use Bless a
number of times per quest equal to the amount
of times you have chosen it as a power.
Curse: You have been granted the ability to
curse your enemies in the name of your deity.
You may bestow the curses listed with the de-
scription of your chosen deity (see the Deities &
Religion chapter). You may use Curse a number
 21

votion to life on the wrong side of the law have

Rogue honed your skills and wit to a fine point. You
A rogue is a sneaky and untrustworthy char- may automatically pass a Thievery test you
acter in most cases. They are criminals, thieves have to make, but you must use this power be-
and assassins who work within the shadows of fore rolling the dice for the test. You may use
society. Rogues are usually found in and around Master Thief a number of times per quest equal
cities and other heavily populated areas, where to the amount of times you have chosen it as a
there are more targets for their nefarious acts. power.
They are often part of an organized guild that
Treasure Hunter: Life as a rogue has left you
they work for and gain support from in return.
with an uncanny sense for gold and treasure.
Rogue characters are often on the run from the Whenever you discover some Shards during a
law and have chosen to leave their homes for quest, you may increase the amount you find by
fear of being caught. Others have been forcibly 5%. Each additional time you choose the Treas-
evicted from their guild, either for betraying the ure Hunter power, increase this amount by a
guild or not paying guild commissions. Still oth- further 5%.
ers decide to give up the life of crime and look
for a new start.
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a
rogue character is Thievery.
Secondary Abilities: A rogue’s secondary abil-
ity values are Charisma and Combat.
Weapons and Armour: Rogues are trained in
the use of basic weapons only. They are also
trained in the use of light armour.
Skills: Rogue characters may choose from the
following skills: Balance, Climb, Disable Trap,
Disguise, Hide, Listen, Pick Lock, Search, Sneak
and Weapon Training.

Powers
The following powers are available to rogue
characters. A starting character may choose one
of these powers.
Backstab: Your sneaky nature allows you to get
into a position near your enemies without them
being aware, and then strike suddenly and with
precision. You may add your Thievery value to
your Combat value for one turn of combat. You
may use Backstab a number of times per quest
equal to the amount of times you have chosen it
as a power.
Lucky Escape: You have a knack of being able
to avoid danger when you most need to. This
power allows you to cancel any one instance of
Stamina loss you suffer. You may use Lucky Es-
cape a number of times per quest equal to the
amount of times you have chosen it as a power.
Master Thief: Your dedicated training and de-
 22

Troubadour
Bard, minstrel and storyteller are all other names he can wow his audience. When you choose this
for a troubadour. These characters are wander- power, you may cast spells from the Illusion
ing entertainers, travelling from one place to the lore found in the Spells & Sorcery chapter. Each
next, reciting stories, playing music and singing additional time you choose the Illusion power,
songs to any who will listen and pay. you gain a bonus of +1 to your Magic value
when casting an Illusion spell.
Troubadours often find themselves welcome
in many places, especially if they are willing to Master Minstrel: You sing from the heart, your
entertain. Taverns and inns will often give them stories are impassioned retellings and your
a free meal and room if they agree to play for dance movements are graceful and inspired.
the patrons. However, they never stay in one You may automatically pass a Charisma test
place for long, for they are always seeking out you have to make, but you must use this power
new stories, new songs and new forms of enter- before rolling the dice for the test. You may use
tainment. Master Minstrel a number of times per quest
equal to the amount of times you have chosen
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a
it as a power.
troubadour character is Charisma.
Sonic Boom: A troubadour’s voice is his great-
Secondary Abilities: A troubadour’s secondary
est asset, but it can also be his best weapon. A
ability values are Intelligence and Thievery.
troubadour with the Sonic Boom power may
Weapons and Armour: Troubadours are trained use it to cause a loud concussive explosion of
in the use of basic weapons only. They are not noise that can harm his enemies. To do so, he
trained in the use of any armour. must make a Charisma test at Difficulty 9. For
Skills: Troubadour characters may choose from every point he beats the difficulty by, he causes
the following skills: Disguise, Etiquette, Haggle, all enemies in the area to lose 1 Stamina (so, if
Language, Lore (history), Lore (myths and leg- he rolled a 13 on the Charisma test, all enemies
ends), Persuade and Weapon Training. would lose 4 Stamina). You may use Sonic Boom
a number of times per quest equal to the amount
of times you have chosen it as a power.
Powers
The following powers are available to trou-
badour characters. A starting character may
choose one of these powers.
Enchanting Performance: Some troubadours
can create a performance so stunning, so en-
thralling, that it leaves the audience spellbound.
He can use this power to enchant his enemies.
By making a Charisma test at Difficulty 10, he
can cause his enemies to stand and watch him
and ignore everything else happening around
them. The affected enemies must miss their next
combat turn and can do nothing. The number
of enemies affected is equal to the amount you
pass your Charisma test by. You may use En-
chanting Performance a number of times per
quest equal to the amount of times you have
chosen it as a power.
Illusion: Occasionally a troubadour will decide
to enhance his performances with a little magic.
By creating striking visuals and intense sounds
 23

Warrior
Conflict and war are commonplace in the Fabled add 10 instead of 5 to your Defence. This bonus
Lands. From tavern brawls to petty border skir- lasts for one fight or until you make an attack-
mishes to all out war, fighting is everywhere. ing action. You may use Defender a number of
Warriors are characters who are specially trained times per quest equal to the amount of times
for combat, possessing skill with the blade un- you have chosen it as a power.
surpassed by any of the other professions. Due Swift Strike: With lightning fast reflexes you
to the nature of the Fabled Lands, warriors are are able to draw your weapon and attack the en-
in high demand across the world. emy before they are even aware of what is hap-
Many warriors are or were soldiers in one of pening. You may add 1 to your strike value for
the armies of the various nations. Others are each time you have chosen Swift Strike as one of
mercenaries who travel the Fabled Lands, of- your powers.
fering their services to whoever can pay their Weapon Skill: Some warriors elect to specialize
asking price. These characters are never short of in one or more weapons, devoting a lot of their
work, for their skills are highly valued. training to them and learning how to use them
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a to devastating effect. When you choose this
warrior character is Combat. power, choose a weapon. Whenever you use
that weapon, add 1 to your Combat value for
Secondary Abilities: A warrior’s secondary
each time you have chosen Weapon Skill with
ability values are Muscle and Scouting.
that weapon.
Weapons and Armour: Warriors are trained in
the use of all weapons, shields, and armour.
Skills: Warrior characters may choose from the
following skills: Climb, Heal, Intimidate, Lore
(warfare), Ride and Weightlifting.

Powers
The following powers are available to warrior
characters. A starting character may choose one
of these powers.
Blademaster: The Blademaster power enables a
warrior to make the perfect attack against an en-
emy. You may automatically pass a Combat test
you have to make, but you must use this power
before rolling the dice for the test. Using this
power will inflict 10 Stamina damage to an en-
emy automatically. You may use Blademaster a
number of times per quest equal to the amount
of times you have chosen it as a power.
Defender: By ignoring his offence and going
into full defensive mode, a warrior is able to
withstand even the strongest and most skilled
enemies for a short time. When you use this
power, you must give up all of your attacks; as
soon as you attack an enemy, this power ends.
While you are using it, you may double your
Defence bonus granted by your Combat value;
for example, if you had Combat 5, you would
 24

Huntmaster: Having lived and hunted in the

Wayfarer wild for most of your career you know a thing
Wayfarers are characters who prefer to live in or two about animal life, their habits, and their
the mountains and forests of the Fabled Lands weaknesses. Whenever you have to fight an ani-
instead of the cities and castles. Some of them mal, you may increase your Combat value by 1
live in and around the one place for most of their for each time you have chosen this power.
lives, living rough and enjoying every moment
Secret Ways: The world of the Fabled Lands
of it. Others like to travel the world, exploring
contains many secret paths and trails, most of
distant lands and experiencing everything the
them unknown to people. Except, that is, to a
world has to offer.
wayfarer with this power. You may use the Se-
Some wayfarers even find themselves in the cret Ways power to avoid any one encounter
employ of a king or lord, acting as huntmaster during a quest, effectively bypassing it. You
or as a scout in the army. These characters are may use Secret Ways a number of times per
rarer however, for most wayfarers do not like quest equal to the amount of times you have
being tied down to one particular job. chosen it as a power.
Primary Ability: The primary ability value of a Way of the Wild: You are a master of the wil-
wayfarer character is Scouting.
outing. derness, knowing just how to
Secondary Abilities: A wayfarer’ secondary survive in what is often a hos-
ability values are Combat
at and Muscle. tile environment. You may
automatically pass a Scout-
Weapons and Armour: Wayfarers are trained in ing test you have to make,
the use of all weapons. They are also trained in but you must use this power
the use of light armour. before rolling the dice for
Skills: Wayfarer the test. You may use
characters may Way of the Wild a num-
choose from the fol- ber of times per quest
lowing skills: Armour equal to the amount
Training, Camouflage, e, of times you have
Climb, Forage, Haggle, Lan- chosen it as a power.
guage, Listen, Lore (geogra-
ogra-
phy), Navigate, Ride, Search,
Set Trap, Shield Training,
ng, Swim
and Trade.

Powers
The following powers are available
to wayfarer characters.. A starting
character may choose one of these
powers.
Hunter and Gatherer: er: Find-
ing food is never a problem
blem for
a wayfarer with this power.
When you use it, you can find
enough food to feed you and
your companions, even n in otherwise desolate
and arid areas such ass deserts or wasteland.
You may use Hunter and Gatherer a number
of times per quest equall to the amount of times
you have chosen it as a power.
 25

either be used to increase the level of a skill you

Advancing your currently possess or may be used to choose a
Character new skill.
As your character goes on and completes quests,
their skills and abilities will slowly improve. Choose Power OR Train Ability
The experience they gain and the training they
Finally, you may either choose a new power for
undertake between these quests helps them be-
your character or train an ability value. You may
come better in their chosen field.
only choose one of these when you increase in
How experienced characters are is measured Rank, you may not do both.
with the concept of Ranks. All characters begin
If you decide to choose a power, select a power
at 1st Rank and may advance well beyond this.
from your profession. You may select one you
At 1st Rank a character is relatively untried,
don’t already have, or re-select one you already
untested and unknown, but as they complete
possess (as this usually has additional benefits).
quests their Ranks will begin to increase.
If you choose to train an ability, pick one of your
Rank EXP Required Fame Equivalent Primary or Secondary ability values. Now, roll 2
1st 10 Outcast dice. If the roll is higher than your current abil-
2nd 30 Commoner ity value, you may increase it by 1. If it is equal
to or lower than it, you may not increase it this
3rd 50 Guildmember
time.
4th 80 Master/Mistress
5th 110 Gentleman/Lady
6th 140 Baron/Baroness Changing Profession
7th 170 Count/Countess Sometimes, a player may wish to change the
profession his character has. Maybe he has
8th 200 Earl/Viscountess
grown bored of his current path, or maybe he
9th 240 Marquis/Marchioness just wants to augment what he already knows
10th 280 Duke/Duchess with the skills and powers from another pro-
11th 320 Prince/Princess fession. In any case, the player may change the
profession of his character.
12th 360 King/Queen
13th 400 High King/High A character may only change profession when
Queen they increase in Rank. The character must meet
the primary and secondary ability requirements
14th 450 Legend
of the new profession they wish to choose. If
15th 500 God-like they do so, they now belong to the new profes-
When your character has earned enough experi- sion.
ence points he immediately advances to the next Note that a character retains any skills and
Rank. When this occurs, you gain several ben- powers learnt from his old profession when he
efits, which are listed below. changes to a new one.
Increase Rank: Your character Rank immedi- When a character changes profession, they do
ately increases by 1. Remember that your Rank not gain the chance to choose a new power or
affects your Defence value, so remember to in- train an ability this Rank. In addition, they only
crease it as well. gain 1 skill level (instead of 2) which must be
Increase Stamina: Roll 1 die and increase your chosen from their new profession. This is be-
maximum Stamina by that amount. This is one cause they have focused all their efforts learning
of the only times you can increase your maxi- the basics of their new profession and have not
mum Stamina. had time to train their skills, abilities or powers.
They still gain the Stamina increase as normal,
Choose Skills: Every time you increase in Rank however.
you gain extra skills, or may increase a skill you
already have. You gain 2 skill levels, which can
 26

CHAPTER 2 - Skills
In addition to ability values and professions, When you choose this skill, choose an armour
all characters professions have a set of skills type you are not already trained in. You may
that help to further define what they are good now benefit from the full Defence bonus of that
at. Skills differ from powers in that they are not armour.
unique to certain professions; many skills over-
lap between the different professions.
Whereas a character’s powers are often of lim- Balance
ited use, skills can be used over and over again (Rogue)
during a quest. In most cases a skill provides a
Sometimes you will find that you need to walk
bonus to one of the character’s ability values in
certain circumstances. For instance, a charac- across a narrow bridge or ledge, or over a slip-
ter with the Forage skill would gain a bonus to pery surface. This skill allows you to do it with
his Scouting value when attempting to look for ease and grace, granting you an agility others
food in the wild. would be jealous of.
All skills have levels, and how many levels You gain a bonus to your Thievery value equal
you have in a skill determines what bonus that to your Balance level when balancing on some-
skill adds to your ability value. For instance, if thing.
you had three levels in a skill, you would gain a
+3 bonus to your ability value when making the
test that skill aids in. Remember though, your Camouflage
ability values may never increase above 12, even (Druid and wayfarer)
with these bonuses.
Camouflage is the art of making yourself un-
The amount of levels you can have in each skill
is limited by both your Rank and your Intelli- seen in the wilderness. It allows you to blend
gence value. The levels you have in a skill must in to the surrounding natural environment by
be less than or equal to either your Rank or your knowing just how to hide yourself.
Intelligence, whichever is lower. So, if you were You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal
7th Rank with Intelligence 3, you could not have to your Camouflage level when hiding outdoors
more than three levels in each skill. and in a non-urban location.
Starting Characters do not have any skills at
rank 1 and must rely on their base attribute
score when attempting skills. When they gain Climb
ranks they may only choose skills that their (Barbarian, rogue, warrior and wayfarer)
profession allows. This is listed in the previous
chapter and repeated in the skill descriptions When you need to scale that cliff, get over that
over the following pages. castle wall or just escape from a pit trap, the
Climb skill will help you do it. With this skill
you know just how to find the right hand and
Armour Training foot holds that will enable you to climb prop-
(Barbarian and wayfarer) erly.
Armour is heavy and bulky and for those not You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal
used to it can make movement difficult. The
to your Climb level when climbing an object.
Armour Training skill allows characters to be
trained in the proper use of certain armour; how
to put it on, how to maintain it and how to wear
it properly.
 27

Table - Skills

Skill Ability Professions

Armour Training - Barbarian, wayfarer
Balance Thievery Rogue
Camouflage Scouting Druid, wayfarer
Climb Scouting Barbarian, rogue, warrior,
wayfarer
Craft Intelligence Mage
Disable Trap Thievery Rogue
Disguise Thievery Rogue, troubadour
Etiquette Charisma Priest, troubadour
Evaluate Intelligence Druid, mage
Forage Scouting Barbarian, druid, wayfarer
Haggle - Troubadour, wayfarer
Heal Intelligence Druid, mage, priest, warrior
Hide Thievery Rogue
Intimidate Muscle Barbarian, warrior
Jump Muscle Barbarian
Language Intelligence Druid, mage, priest,
troubadour, wayfarer
Lore Intelligence Druid, mage, priest,
troubadour, warrior, wayfarer
Navigate Scouting Barbarian, druid, wayfarer
Persuade Charisma Priest, troubadour
Pick Lock Thievery Rogue
Pilot Intelligence All
Ride Scouting Barbarian, druid, warrior,
wayfarer
Search Scouting Mage, rogue, wayfarer
Set Trap Scouting Barbarian, wayfarer
Shield Training - Barbarian, wayfarer
Sneak Thievery Rogue
Swim Muscle Barbarian, druid, wayfarer
Trade - Wayfarer
Weightlifting Muscle Barbarian, warrior
Weapon Training - Druid, mage, priest, rogue,
troubadour
 28

Craft Etiquette
(Mage) (Priest and troubadour)
Although not normally something an adven- Speaking with nobles and royalty can often be
turer would undertake, the ability to make like talking in another language. They tend to
weapons, armour and even magical items can like using long, flowery words and sentences
be a useful talent to have. This skill covers the constructed in what appears to be an arcane
knowledge of how to do this, from the materials manner. The Etiquette skill allows a character to
required down to the correct techniques needed. understand and communicate with high rank-
ing officials in a manner acceptable to them.
You gain a bonus to your Intelligence value
equal to your Craft level when making an item. You gain a bonus to your Charisma value equal
to your Etiquette level when attempting to per-
suade a noble.
Disable Trap
(Rogue)
Evaluate
Characters often find themselves facing a fiend-
(Druid and mage)
ish trap set by an enemy to slow them down,
hurt them or even kill them. If the characters This skill allows you to accurately determine
manage to detect it before blundering into it, the price of an item. This comes in handy when
disabling the trap means they will be able to dealing with a merchant who might be trying to
pass it safely. This skill allows a character to at- rip you off or when you are trying to sell some-
tempt to do this with a much greater chance of thing you have found.
success.
You gain a bonus to your Intelligence value
You gain a bonus to your Thievery value equal equal to your Evaluate level when attempting to
to your Disable Trap level when attempting to determine the value of an item.
disable a trap.

Forage
Didguise (Barbarian, druid and wayfarer)
(Rogue and troubadour)
Knowing how to trap or hunt an animal, or how
To change one’s appearance in a believable and to identify which plants and fruits are edible,
convincing manner takes some talent, and this can be the difference between life and death in
skill affords a character a greater opportunity the wild. The Forage skill grants the knowledge
to do so successfully. You know which berries of how to survive off the land.
make good dyes for colouring hair and skin
You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal
and can change your voice and accent to better
to your Forage level when looking for food in
blend in.
the wilderness.
You gain a bonus to your Thievery value equal
to your Disguise level when disguising yourself
as someone else. Haggle
(Troubadour and wayfarer)
A character with the Haggle skill knows just
how to barter with a merchant to get a good
price. Whether buying or selling, this skill al-
lows you to get the best possible deal.
You may decrease the buying price or increase
the selling price of any items (not commodities)
by 5% for each level you have in Haggle.
 29

Heal Language
(Druid, mage, priest and warrior) (Druid, mage, priest, troubadour and wayfar-
er)
The correct way to dress a wound, the right way
to splint a broken bone, the best cures for a dis- Study of foreign and ancient languages can be
ease: all of this and more is covered by the Heal a long but fascinating task. There are many dif-
skill. Characters with this skill have a better than ferent tongues spoken throughout the Fabled
average chance of being able to heal someone. Lands, and many different, subtle variations on
dialect. The Language skill provides a character
You gain a bonus to your Intelligence value
with a greater knowledge of the languages of
equal to your Heal level when attempting to
the world.
heal someone.
You gain a bonus to your Intelligence value
equal to your Language level when attempting
Hide to understand or communicate in an unknown
(Rogue) tongue.
Where Camouflage deals with making oneself
unseen in the wilderness, the Hide skill does the Lore
same thing for urban or indoor areas. With this
(Druid, mage, priest, troubadour, warrior and
skill a character can make himself virtually in-
wayfarer)
visible by hiding in the shadows and remaining
perfectly still. The Lore skill is not a single skill; instead it is a
collection of skills grouped together under one
You gain a bonus to your Thievery value equal
heading. When you pick this skill you must also
to your Hide level when hiding indoors or in an
choose one of a range of sub-skills, such as ge-
urban area.
ography, history, nature, religion, magic, war-
fare or a host of others. The selected sub-skill is
Intimidate an area of knowledge your character is an ex-
pert in.
(Barbarian and warrior)
You gain a bonus to your Intelligence value
A character with the Intimidate skill is able to
equal to your Lore level when testing to see if
use his might and presence to subdue others
you know something about your particular sub-
into doing what he wants. With a display of
skill.
power, a deadly stare or a loud, commanding
voice, others will often do as you bid.
You gain a bonus to your Muscle value equal to
your Intimidate level when attempting to per-
suade someone.

Jump
(Barbarian)
Characters with the Jump skill have powerful
legs that can carry them quite a distance when
they leap, whether it is vertically or horizontal-
ly.
You gain a bonus to your Muscle value equal to
your Jump level when jumping.
 30

Navigate
(All)
A character with this skill has an uncanny sense
of direction. They know how to read the stars
and the movement of the sun. This skill is quin-
tessential to a ship’s captain when plotting a
course across the sea.
You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal
to your Navigate level when testing to avoid
getting lost or plotting a course across the sea.

Persuade
(Priest and troubadour)
Your way with words and silver tongue allow
you to get what you want, when you want it.
When you talk people listen.
You gain a bonus to your Charisma value equal
to your Persuade level when attempting to per-
suade someone.

Pick Lock
(Rogue)
No door or lock is too much of a challenge for Ride
a character with this skill. With expert preci- (Barbarian, druid, warrior and wayfarer)
sion they are able to open even the most com-
plex and well-made locks and access the area or Although riding an animal is not usually a hard
goods beyond. task, riding an animal well is an entirely differ-
ent matter. The Ride skill allows your charac-
You gain a bonus to your Thievery value equal ter to ride horses and other beasts with much
to your Pick Lock level when attempting to pick greater ability than others.
a lock.
You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal
to your Ride level when you must make a test.
Piloting
(All)
Search
Any player wishing their character to captain (Mage, rogue and wayfarer)
their own ship or boat at sea must have this
skill. Piloting is the knowledge of getting a ship Your eyesight is sharp. You are able to detect
or boat ready to sail, commanding a crew and things that others would miss, picking up on
loading or unloading cargo at ports. This skill the tiniest of details that would go unnoticed to
is used in conjunction with Navigate to sail the ordinary people.
vessel in open waters. A character without this You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal
skill CANNOT pilot a boat or ship. to your Search level when searching for some-
You gain a bonus to your intelligence value thing.
equal to your Piloting level when testing during
storms.
 31

Set Trap Trade

(Barbarian and wayfarer) (Wayfarer)
Although characters are normally trying to A character with this skill is an expert at trading
avoid traps left by others, sometimes it can be commodities. You know where to find the right
advantageous to set your own traps for your en- buyers, the right sellers, and the best time to ei-
emies. Characters with this skill have the knowl- ther buy or sell goods.
edge of how to make and set an effective trap.
You may increase or decrease the sell/buy price
You gain a bonus to your Scouting value equal of commodities by +/- 5% for each level of Trade
to your Set Trap level when setting a trap. skill you possess.

Shield Training Weightlifting

(Barbarian and wayfarer) (Barbarian and warrior)
This skill covers the effective use of a shield. Some characters manage to build their upper
Without it, shields become unwieldy and often body strength to a point where lifting a heavy
hamper rather than help a character. object poses no challenge. A character with the
Weightlifting skill has done just that.
You now benefit from the full Defence bonus of
a shield. You gain a bonus to your Muscle value equal
to your Weightlifting level when attempting to
move a heavy object.
Sneak
(Rogue)
Weapon Training
Characters with the Sneak skill are able to move
(Druid, mage, priest, rogue and troubadour)
around without making a sound – a handy skill
to have if you are somewhere you shouldn’t be! Every character is proficient in the use of basic
weapons, for these weapons are easy to use and
You gain a bonus to your Thievery value equal
require no special training. This skill covers the
to your Sneak level when attempting to move
use of military weapons and allows those who
silently.
choose it to become proficient in one or more of
them.
Swim When you choose this skill, choose a weapon
(Barbarian, druid and wayfarer) you are not already trained in. You may now
benefit from the full Combat bonus of that
Your character has grown up outdoors and of-
weapon.
ten
en explored the wild. This has also meant tra-
versing
ersing streams and lakes, and thus your char-
acter
cter has learnt to swim.
You
ou gain a bonus to your Muscle value equal to
your
our Swim level when swimming.
 32

CHAPTER 3 - Spells & Sorcery

This chapter looks at the use of magic on Harku- You should note that some spells have variable
na. It provides the rules necessary for charac- Difficulty scores. Casters can choose to increase
ters to be able to cast spells and details magic’s the Difficulty of the spell in order to increase its
many uses. range or effects. The decision to do this must be
made BEFORE the Magic test is taken. The final
In order for a character to be able to use any sort
Difficulty must still fall within the range allow-
of spell, they must first have a power that allows
able to a character based on his rank, as stated
them to do so. Only druids, mages and trouba-
above.
dours have the powers that grant them the se-
cret knowledge of how to manipulate magical Unless otherwise noted in the individual
forces and bestows upon them the knowledge write-ups, ranged spells such as wind blast,
of the mystical words needed to control it. lightning bolt, etc., can target an opponent up to
100’ distant (20 squares).
As you will see below, spells are separated
into different ‘lores of magic’, each with their
own distinct theme. For example, pyromancy is
the magic of fire, and necromancy is the magic AEROMANCY
of the dead.
Once a character knows a lore of magic, he
may use any spell from it. To use a spell, the
character must make a Magic test at the Diffi-
culty listed in the spell description. If he passes,
the spell works as desired. If he fails the test, the
spell either does not work, or may have an ad-
verse effect.
Aeromancy is the lore of wind and air. Charac-
Characters are restricted by the amount of ters who know this lore are able to control the
power they are able to channel when casting a direction and speed of the wind, summon tor-
spell. A character cannot cast a spell with a Diffi- nados and a variety of other things. The mys-
culty higher than 10 plus his rank. For example, tical colour of Aeromancy is cerulean, and the
a 3rd rank character could not cast spells with a mystical symbol is a cloud.
Difficulty higher than 13. This rightly limits the
more powerful magic to higher ranking charac- The most common uses of Aeromancy are:
ters.
The next few pages lists all of the lores of magic Summon or Dismiss Wind
and the suggested use of them in terms of spells. Difficulty: 12 (+1 per additional minute)
Please bear in mind that the spells listed within
the lores are not necessarily the only possible Duration: Rank + 1 minute
uses; if you, as a player, come up with a use for Target: Area Effect 100’ x 100’ cen-
the lore that the Gamesmaster approves of, then tred on the caster
the Gamesmaster should assign a Difficulty and
The caster is able to control the winds around
allow it to be used. Feel free to get creative with
himself by either calming or enraging them. For
your spells and come up with unique uses for
example, this spell can be used to disrupt ranged
them (within reason, of course).
combat (see Chapter 9 - For the Gamesmaster)
or calm winds so that lanterns and torches stay
lit.
 33

Tornado ASTROMANCY
Difficulty: 17 (+1 per additional minute)
Duration: 1 minute
Target: Area Effect 25’ x 25’
The caster of this spell summons a small, de-
structive, and uncontrollable tornado to touch-
down in a location that the caster is able to see.
Once summoned, the tornado will move in a
random direction for the duration of the spell. Astromancy is the lore of light and the heavens.
Anyone caught in the tornado will be blown Characters that practice this lore are able to read
1d6x5 feet in a random direction and lose 3d6 the stars, create light, and various other things.
Stamina. Any buildings in the path of the tor- The mystical colour of Astromancy is silver and
nado have a 1 in 6 chance of collapsing. Those the mystical symbol is a crescent moon.
caught inside will lose 2d6 Stamina from falling
debris. The most common uses of Astromancy are:
Note: This spell cannot be cast underground.
Create light
Difficulty: 8 candlelight, 10 torch light or
Wind blast
12 sunlight
Difficulty: 10
Duration: Various
Duration: Instant
Target: Area Effect (various)
Target: 1 monster or enemy
A caster can use Astromancy to light up an
A wind blast is a concentrated burst of air that
otherwise dark area. The Difficulty of the spell
can harm enemies. An enemy targeted by a
depends upon the intensity of the illumination:
wind blast loses 1 Stamina for every point the
candlelight, torch light or sunlight.
character beats the Difficulty by (i.e. if a charac-
ter rolls 12 on his Magic test then the target loses Candlelight: 5’ by 5’ illumination and has a
2 Stamina). duration of 20 minutes.
Torch Light: 20’ by 20’ illumination and has a
duration of 5 minutes
Sun light: 100’ by 100’ illumination and has
a duration of 1 minute. This form of illumina-
tion will affect any monsters with an aversion
to sunlight, such as a vampire (see Chapter 10
- Monsters and Enemies).

Dispel light
Difficulty: 11 (+1 per additional minute)
Duration: 5 minutes
Target: Area Effect of 1 room (maxi-
mum size 30’ by 30’)
This spell allows a character to magically dark-
en a room. It can only be used indoors and ex-
tinguishes all light within the room. In addition,
no other light source can be used to illuminate
the room, unless that light is magical.
 34

Eclipse BATTLE MAGIC

Difficulty: 20
Duration: 1 minute of darkness
Target: Viewing area effect (many
hundreds of miles wide)
Creating an eclipse of the sun is a very difficult
task but it can come in very useful, especially
when dealing with the more superstitious mem-
bers of Harkuna. Some cultures see it as a di-
vine sign and this can be used to an enterprising
character’s advantage. In addition, it is a useful
Battle Magic is the lore of fighting and violence.
way of creating a few moments of darkness and
Characters who know Battle Magic are much
distraction, as all eyes are drawn towards the
better equipped to handle themselves in a fight.
heavens.
The mystical colour of Battle Magic is crimson
while the mystical symbol is a shield.
Star reading The most common uses of Battle Magic are:
Difficulty: 10
Duration: Instant Arcane blast
Target: Caster only Difficulty: 10
By using Astromancy a character is able to Duration: Instant
glimpse possible outcomes for the events of the
Target: 1 monster or enemy
next day. To use this ability, a character must be
outdoors and have an unobstructed view of the An arcane blast is a bolt of pure power that is
night sky. If he does, and passes the Magic test, used to harm enemies. An enemy targeted by an
he may add +1 to any single test he takes within arcane blast loses 1 Stamina for every point the
the next 24 hours. character beats the Difficulty by (i.e. if a charac-
ter rolls 12 on his Magic test, the target loses 2
Stamina).

Combat sense
Difficulty: 10/12/14/16/18
Duration: 3 combat rounds
Target: Caster only
Battle Magic can be used to enhance the caster’s
awareness of the fighting going on around them.
If successful, they gain a bonus to their Combat
score for a limited amount of time. The bonus
starts at +1 (Difficulty 10) and goes up to +5 (Dif-
ficulty 18). The caster must choose the level of
enhancement prior to casting the spell.
Note: Combat sense can only be cast once per
day. If the spell is unsuccessful then the caster
will have to wait 24 hours before it can be cast
again.
 35

Magical weapon BEASTOLOGY

Difficulty: 10 (+1 per extra combat
round)
Duration: 3 combat rounds
Target: 1 weapon
This spell will imbue a weapon in the possession
of the caster with magical energy. This enhance-
Beastology is the lore of beasts and animals.
ment will allow the weapon to harm creatures
Those who practice it are able to communicate
that can only be affected by magic.
with and even control some animals. The mysti-
cal colour of Beastology is red-brown and the
Magical shield mystical symbol is a fang.
Difficulty: 9/11/13/15/17 The most common uses of Beastology are:
Duration: 3 combat round
Target: Caster only Command animal
By using Battle Magic, the caster can create a Difficulty: See description (+1 per
shield of magical energy to protect himself from minute)
harm. The magical shield grants the caster a Duration: 1 minute
bonus to their Defence score; the exact bonus Target: 1 animal
depends on the Difficulty the spell was cast at,
starting at +1 (Difficulty 9) and going up to +5 With this spell the caster can mentally take con-
(Difficulty 17). The caster must choose the level trol of a single animal and give it simple, one-
of enhancement prior to casting the spell. word commands (fight, retreat, sit, etc) for the
duration of the spell. The Difficulty of the spell
Note: Magical Shield can only be cast once per is equal to 9 plus the animal’s Combat score.
day. If the spell is unsuccessful then the caster When the spell’s duration ends, the animal will
will have to wait 24 hours before it can be cast return to its normal instincts, which may in-
again. volve it running from a combat that it is in.
Note: The caster can only control 1 animal at a
time.

Speak with animal

Difficulty: 10 (+2 per additional ques-
tion)
Duration: question and answers (less
than 1 minute)
Target: 1 animal only
A character who uses Beastology can communi-
cate with animals, albeit in a rudimentary way.
They may ask an animal a single question that
must be able to be answered in a yes/no manner.
 36

Summon animal Locate

Difficulty: See description (+1 per addi- Difficulty: 12 (+4 for the exact location)
tional minute)
Duration: 1 minute
Duration: 10 minutes
Target: Caster only
Target: 1 animal only
The caster can attempt to locate a particular per-
This spell allows the caster to call out to an ani- son or object that is familiar. The spell does not
mal for aid. The animal will arrive in 1-6 min- give a specific location, but it will give a direc-
utes and will obey the caster’s one word com- tion and general sense of distance. If the object
mands. The Difficulty of the spell is equal to 10 or person the character is attempting to locate
plus the animal’s Combat score. is unfamiliar to the character, add a further 2 to
Note: The animal summoned will be deter- the Difficulty.
mined by the Gamesmaster and must be one Note: The caster must state whether they are
that is indigenous to the area. trying to locate the exact location BEFORE cast-
ing the spell.

DIVINATION Scry
Difficulty: 13 (+2 per 20 additional
miles)
Duration: 1 minute
Target: Caster only
Scrying is the art of looking at something in a
Divination is the lore of prophecy and second
different location. For instance, the caster could
sight. Diviners are able to predict the future and
use it to view the inside of a locked room, or to
view far away locations with their magic. The
see what his archenemy is doing in a city up to
mystical colour of Divination is grey and the
20 miles away; the distance can be increased by
mystical symbol is an eye.
increments of 20 miles by adding 2 to the Dif-
The most common uses of Divination are: ficulty.

Future sight ELECTROMANCY

Difficulty: 15
Duration: A brief glimpse (several sec-
onds at most)
Target: Caster only
The caster can use Divination to get a glimpse
of an event that is likely to happen in the future.
Gamesmaster’s Note: The event that is seen can
be a clue to completing a quest, for example, it Electromancy is the lore of lightning and mag-
could show the location of a secret door, give a netism. With this lore a character is able to sum-
vision of a magical
g weapon,
p , etc. mon lightning and magnetically affect metal
objects. The mystical colour of Electromancy is
light blue and the mystical symbol is a lightning
bolt.
The most common uses of Electromancy are:
 37

Lightning bolt Storm

Difficulty: 10 Difficulty: 13 (+1 per combat round)
Duration: Instant Duration: 1 combat round
Target: 1 monster or enemy Target: 1 random character, monster
or enemy
A lightning bolt is a ray of electricity that is used
to harm enemies. An enemy targeted by a light- The caster can use this spell to summon a
ning bolt loses 1 Stamina for every point the mighty bolt of lightning from a storm cloud.
character beats the Difficulty by (i.e. if a charac- Each combat round a bolt of lightning strikes a
ter rolls 12 on his Magic test, the target loses 2 random enemy in the area causing the loss of
Stamina). 2-12 Stamina.
Note: This spell can only be used outside with
storm clouds in the sky (see Chapter 9 - For the
Magnetize Gamesmaster for more information on weath-
Difficulty: Base 9 + twice the EV value er).
of object (minimum +1)
Duration: 1 minute
Target: 1 metal object within 5’ per ENCHANTMENT
caster’s Rank
This use of Electromancy enables the caster to
move metal objects by bending the magnetic
fields around the object. The Difficulty depends
on the encumbrance value (EV) of the item being
moved. Also, an item in the opponent’s grasp
has the Difficulty further increased by half his
Muscle score (round up). Enchantment is the lore of charms and mental
manipulation. It allows a character to subtly
control the actions and minds of others. The
Power weapon mystical colour of Enchantment is yellow and
Difficulty: 11 (+1 per additional combat the mystical symbol is a diamond.
round)
The most common uses of Enchantment are:
Duration: 1 combat round
Target: 1 metal weapon
Command
By using this spell the caster can imbue his met- Difficulty: 16 (+1 if the action is harmful
al weapon with electricity. The amount of dam- to the target)
age you deal in a fight is doubled while using
this spell. Duration: 30 seconds (3 combat rounds)
Target: 1 enemy
This spell enables the caster to command anoth-
er person to do something that would normally
be against their will. The command must be
something that the person can physically do (a
normal human cannot fly and thus a command
for him to fly into the air would automatically
fail). If the command is something that could
cause harm to the target, the Difficulty is in-
creased by 1.
Note: The target must be able to understand the
language of the caster for it to work.
 38

Emotion control Pacify

Difficulty: 13 (+1 per combat round) Difficulty: 11 (+1 per combat round)
Duration: 1 minute (6 combat rounds) Duration: 1 minute (6 combat rounds)
Target: 1 monster or enemy Target: 1 monster or enemy
The Enchantment lore can be used to effect the Enchantment can be used to drain an enemy of
emotions of others by bestowing the one of their aggression, forcing them to stop attacking.
the following effects upon them of the caster’s For the duration of the spell the affected enemy
choice: despair, fear, friendship, hatred, hope will not attack, but the spell will be broken if
or rage. Roll 1 dice to determine which emotion they are attacked.
has been bestowed:
1. Despair: An enemy affected by this
emotion will suffer a penalty
Speak truth
of -2 Combat and Defence Difficulty: 10 (+1 per question)
for the duration of the spell. Duration: 1 question
2. Fear: An enemy affected by this Target: 1 monster or enemy
emotion will flee from the
caster as fast as they can for This use of Enchantment forces the target to
the duration of the spell. speak the truth, they CANNOT lie.
3. Friendship: An enemy affected by this
emotion will do whatever
they can to help or defend GEOMANCY
the caster for the duration of
the spell.
4. Hatred: An enemy affected by this
emotion will move to attack
the caster. The enemy affect-
ed will gain +1 Combat for
the duration of the spell.
5. Hope: An enemy affected by this
emotion will immediately
drop their weapon and fall Geomancy is the lore of earth and stone. A
to their knees in the hope character who has studied Geomancy is able
that the confrontation can be to shape the earth and even cause major earth-
resolved without violence. quakes. The mystical colour of Geomancy is
6. Rage: An enemy affected by this brown and the mystical symbol is a mountain.
emotion will attack the near-
The most common uses of Geomancy are:
est target in a blind rage.
The enemy affected by the
spell will gain a penalty of
+3 combat for the duration of
Earthquake
the spell. Difficulty: 18
Duration: 1 minute
Target: Area Effect 1/2 a mile in each
direction of the caster
Causing an earthquake is an incredibly risky
and destructive thing to do. All creatures in the
area fall to the ground and lose 1-3 Stamina (roll
1 die and halve the result, round up), however a
die roll of exactly ‘1’ results in the creature fall-
ing into a crack caused by the earthquake and
 39

being killed instantly. In addition, roll a die for Tremor

every building in the area; on a 1-2 it collaps- Difficulty: 10 (+1 per chance of knock-
es with anyone inside losing 2-6 Stamina. This ing over)
spell will affect everyone in the area of affect,
including the caster Duration: 1 minute
Target: 500 yards in each direction
spanning out from the caster
Mould stone A tremor is a minor earthquake that is not
Difficulty: 12 enough to damage buildings but is enough to
Duration: 1 minute to shape, then per- knock people off their feet. Everyone in the im-
manent mediate area around the character has a 1 in 6
Target: A man-sized slab of stone chance of falling to the ground. The character
can increase the chance of people falling over
With this spell a character can shape a man- by adding 1 to the Difficulty; this increases the
sized slab of stone into anything he wishes. It chance by 1 (i.e. 2 in 6 +2, 3 in 6 +3 etc.).
could be used to block a doorway, or to weaken
a precarious shape on the ceiling that could fall Any character or enemy involved in combat
on an unsuspecting victim. If used as the latter, that falls to the floor will suffer -2 Defence until
the victim must make a Thievery (Difficulty 12) they stand up. To stand up, a character or en-
test to jump out of the way of the falling stone. emy must make a Move combat action, and suf-
Failure to do so will cause the victim to lose 1-6 fer an opportunity attack while doing so.
Stamina.
Note: It takes 1 minute to fully shape the stone.
HEALING

Healing is the lore of the body. With it a char-

acter can heal wounds, cure disease, nullify
poisons and heal other ailments. The mystical
colour of Healing is white, and the mystical
symbol is a fish.
The most common uses of Healing are:
Quicksand
Difficulty: 10
Anti-venom
Duration: 24 hours Difficulty: 13
Target: 10’ square patch of earth Duration: Immediate
This spell turns a patch of earth 10 feet square Target: 1 person
into quicksand. Anyone caught in the quick-
sand must make a swimming (Difficulty 10) This spell immediately cures a character of the
test. Anyone that fails the test will begin drown- effects of any poisons he may be suffering from.
ing with a loss of 1-6 stamina per combat round The spell will only cure one poison at a time. A
until rescued. character can only receive this spell once every
24 hours, whether or not it is successful.
 40

Remove Disease Entangle

Difficulty: 13 Difficulty: 10
Duration: Immediate Duration: Immediate
Target: 1 person Target: 1 person
This use of Healing immediately cures the tar- A character with Herbcraft can cause tangling
get of a disease. The spell will only cure one dis- vines to sprout from the ground and wrap
ease at a time. A character can only receive this themselves around an enemy. While entangled,
spell once every 24 hours, whether it is success- the enemy cannot move or do anything that
ful or not. requires movement (such as fighting, etc). An
enemy can attempt to break free on his turn by
making a Muscle test at Difficulty 9. If he does,
Restore Stamina the vines break and he is free to move again. For
Difficulty: 9 each additional point added to the Difficulty, a
Duration: Immediate character can affect an additional enemy, or add
+1 to the Difficulty of the Muscle test.
Target: 1 person
By laying his hands on a wound a character can
attempt to heal it. The recipient of this spell re- Plant growth
gains 1 lost Stamina for every point the caster Difficulty: 13 (+1 per growth size)
beats the Difficulty by. For example, if a charac- Duration: 2 minutes to grow to the new
ter rolls 12 on his Magic test the target recovers size/permanent
3 Stamina.
Target: 1 tree or plant
A character with Herbcraft can use it to cause
HERBCRAFT a plant or tree to double in size. By adding 1 to
the Difficulty you can make it triple in size; by
adding a further 1 you can make it quadruple in
size, and so on.
Any character using the enlarged plant to climb
will gain a +1 bonus to the Difficulty test.

Herbcraft is the lore of plants. By studying

Herbcraft a character gains an understanding of
Wither
the different types of plants and their uses. The Difficulty: 13 (+1 per wither size)
mystical colour of Herbcraft is green and the Duration: 2 minutes to wither to the
mystical symbol is an acorn. new size/permanent
The most common uses of Herbcraft are: Target: 1 tree or plant
This is the opposite of plant growth. With with-
er you can cause plants and trees to shrink in
Botany size by half. You can increase the amount it
Difficulty: 9 shrinks by a further half by adding 1 to the Dif-
Duration: Immediate ficulty; each time you increase the Difficulty by
Target: Caster only 1 it halves the size of the plant or tree again.

This use of Herbcraft immediately identifies

any one plant the character is touching.
 41

HYDROMANCY Walk on water

Difficulty: 12 (+1 per 2 minutes and +1
per additional person)
Duration: 2 minutes
Target: 1 person
The caster of this spell is able to walk on top
of water as if it were solid ground. Moving at
greater than walking speed will void the spell,
therefore those under its effects may cover a dis-
Hydromancy is the lore of water. A hydromanc-
tance of 360’ per 2 minutes.
er is not only able to create water but also af-
fects its properties. The mystical colour of Hy- You can also affect more than one person by
dromancy is aqua and the mystical symbol is a adding 1 to the Difficulty for each additional
water droplet. person.
The most common uses of Hydromancy are:

ILLUSION
Breathe underwater
Difficulty: 13 (+1 per 30 minutes and +1
per additional person)
Duration: 30 Minutes
Target: 1 person
This use of Hydromancy allows a character to
breathe underwater for 30 minutes. While af-
fected by this spell the character will not drown.

Illusion is the lore of trickery and falsehood.

Create rain Illusionists are capable of creating images
Difficulty: 10 and sounds that are not real but that are good
Duration: 1 hour enough to trick onlookers. The mystical colour
of Illusion is navy and the mystical symbol is a
Target: area effect 1 square mile cen-
wavy line.
tred on the caster
The most common uses of Illusion are:
This spell creates a light rain that lasts for one
hour (see Chapter 9 - For the Gamesmaster for
the effects of weather) but it is enough to fill wa- False image
ter skins.
Difficulty: 12 (+1 per person)
Duration: 1 minute
Fog
Target: 1 person
Difficulty: 11 (+1 per minute)
This is the staple use of Illusion. The caster can
Duration: 1 minutes for the fog to gath-
create an image in the mind of one person, so
er/10 minutes
that they will see what the caster wants them
Target: 500 yards centred on the to see. For example, the caster could make an
caster enemy believe that a mighty dragon was plum-
By drawing the moisture from the air a character meting from the sky towards them. If the spell
can create fog (see Chapter 9 - For the Games- was successful then this is exactly what the vic-
master for the effects of weather). tim would see and believe is there.
 42

An illusion is a powerful effect of the mind’s

eye and even has the ability to effect the victim’s
NECROMANCY
sense of touch and, although the illusion can-
not actually effect the real world in any physi-
cal way, they victim will view the effects as very
real indeed. The illusion will appear to those the
spell was cast upon to be doing exactly what
it would as if it were real, even so much as de-
stroying physical objects and causing physical
damage. However when the duration of the il-
lusion ends, any damage that it ‘appeared’ to
cause will disappear as well.

Necromancy is the lore of death. It is a forbid-

Invisibility den lore, usually only practiced by those who
Difficulty: 11 (+1 per 5 minutes) are evil and corrupt. The mystical colour of Nec-
romancy is black and the mystical symbol is a
Duration: 5 minutes
skull.
Target: 1 person
The most common uses of Necromancy are:
This spell allows the caster to turn someone (or
something) invisible. The target cannot be seen,
but can still be heard, smelt and felt. The spell Banish undead
is broken if the recipient of the spell engages in Difficulty: 9
combat.
Duration: Instant
Target: 1 undead monster
Permanent Illusion This spell is used to deal damage to undead
Difficulty: 15 creatures. An undead enemy targeted by this
Duration: Permanent spell loses 1 Stamina for every point the charac-
Target: All viewing the illusion
ter beats the Difficulty by (i.e. if a character rolls
12 on his Magic test, the target loses 3 Stamina).
A permanent illusion spell can create a static il-
lusion designed to ward off or conceal, although
it cannot have any audio effects. Example of Create undead
such illusions could be an open pit with spikes Difficulty: Various (+1 per undead un-
at the bottom or a rock-fall blocking the entrance der the caster’s control)
to a room.
Duration: Permanent
There are two ways to negate the effects of the Target: All viewing the illusion
illusion: as soon as the illusion is touched the
person will realise that it is not actually there, or Necromancy can be used to create undead crea-
a viewing person can make a Magic (Difficulty tures such as zombies, skeletons and mummies.
12) test to see through the illusion. The Difficulty of the spell varies, but is equal to
10 plus the undead creature’s Combat value.
The undead creature is completely under the
caster’s command and will last until it is killed
or until dismissed.
Note: a dismissed undead will simply crumble
to dust.
 43

Kill Create flame

Difficulty: Various Difficulty: 9
Duration: Until healed or resurrected Duration: Instant/until extinguished
Target: 1 enemy or monster Target: Caster only
This spell will simply kill another creature. If This simple use of Pyromancy is used to create
the Magic test is passed, the victim targeted by a small flickering flame at the tip of the caster’s
the spell will be reduced to 0 Stamina. The Dif- index finger. This is useful for lighting fires such
ficulty of the test varies; the Difficulty is equal to as candles and camp fires.
10 plus half of the target’s normal (unwounded)
Stamina value, rounded up. For example, trying
to kill a brigand (Stamina 4) would be Difficulty Extinguish
12, while trying to kill a Dragon (Stamina 27) Difficulty: Various (see description)
would be Difficulty 24. Duration: Permanent
Target: 1 fire
Speak with the dead This spell is used to extinguish fire. Should the
Difficulty: 12 spell be successfully cast, the target fire winks
out of existence, though any damage it has
Duration: 1 question
caused remains. The Difficulty varies; a small
Target: 1 dead enemy or monster fire, such as a candle, is Difficulty 9; a campfire
A character who uses Necromancy in this way would be Difficulty 11; a fire the size of a bonfire
can communicate with the spirits of dead peo- is Difficulty 13; a house-sized fire is Difficulty
ple. They may ask the spirit a single question, 15; a small wildfire is Difficulty 17; while a large
which must be able to be answered in a yes/no wildfire is Difficulty 19.
manner.
Note: The corpse of the dead victim being asked Wizard’s fire
the question must be present for the spell to Difficulty: 10
work.
Duration: Instant
Target: 1 enemy or monster
PYROMANCY Wizard’s fire is a blast of flame that shoots from
the caster’s finger towards his enemies. An en-
emy targeted by wizard’s fire loses 1 Stamina
for every point the character beats the Difficulty
by (i.e. if a character rolls 12 on his Magic test,
the target loses 2 Stamina).

Pyromancy is the lore of fire. Its practitioners

tend to be wild and uncontrollable and love
anything to do with fire and flame. The mystical
colour of Pyromancy is orange and the mystical
symbol is a candle flame.
The most common uses of Pyromancy are:
 44

Thought speech allows you to communicate via

TELEPATHY mental thoughts with another person up to a
mile away. You can have a normal conversation
with the person that can only be heard by the
two of you.

TRANSPORTATION
Telepathy is the lore of the mind. With Telepa-
thy a character can read the minds of others and
send telepathic messages. The mystical colour
of Telepathy is purple and the mystical symbol
is a spiral.
It should be noted that Telepathy does not work
on creatures without a mind, such as undead, Transportation is the lore of movement. With
artificial life and plants. it a character can levitate off the ground, fly
through the air or even instantly teleport him-
The most common uses of Telepathy are: self to another part of the world. The mystical
colour of transportation is red and the mystical
symbol is a pair of wings.
Mind reading
Difficulty: 11 (+4 to access deep The most common uses of Transportation are:
thoughts)
Duration: Instant
Fly
Target: 1 enemy or monster Difficulty: 13 (+1 per additional 10 min-
This use of the Telepathy lore allows the caster utes)
to read the surface thoughts of a nearby enemy Duration: 10 minutes
or monster. It will only allow the caster to know Target: 1 person
what the target is currently thinking in moving
images only; deeper audio thoughts are hidden, This use of Transportation allows the caster or
but can be accessed by adding 4 to the Difficulty. another willing creature to fly though the air.
The recipient will only be able to carry a maxi-
mum of 5 EV. Combat while airborne will suffer
Psychic blast a -2 Combat penalty.
Difficulty: 10
Duration: Instant Levitate
Target: 1 enemy or monster Difficulty: 11
A psychic blast is a pulse of pure mental energy Duration: 50ft of levitation (or 2 min-
that is designed to do incredible damage to the utes)
target’s mind. An enemy targeted by psychic Target: 1 person
blast loses 1 Stamina for every point the charac-
ter beats the Difficulty by (i.e. if a character rolls This spell allows the caster to move themselves,
12 on his Magic test, the target loses 2 Stamina). or another willing person, up and down through
the air. The recipient can move at the rate of 10
feet per 10 seconds. The spell lasts for a total
Thought speech of 50 feet of movement (or 2 minutes duration,
Difficulty: 10 (+1 per additional mile) whichever come first), after which the subject
floats gently back to the ground. Levitate only
Duration: 5 minutes
allows movement up and down, it does not al-
Target: 1 person low horizontal movement.
 45

Teleportation formation is not permanent; it only lasts for 10

Difficulty: 15 (+1 per additional person) minutes although the transformed substances
will be exactly as they are intended (i.e. lead
Duration: Instant WILL become gold for the duration of the spell).
Target: Caster
This spell allows the caster to travel a distance Alter appearance
of up to 100 miles in the blink of an eye. The
Difficulty: 9
character must be familiar with the target loca-
tion; if not, the Difficulty is increased by 2. The Duration: 1 hour
caster can include extra people in the transport, Target: Caster only
but must add 1 to the Difficulty for every person
apart from himself that he wishes to include. This use of Transmutation allows the caster to
alter his appearance. This spell is used in con-
If the caster fails the Magic test then the spell junction with the disguise rules (see Chapter 9
will teleport the caster (and any who went as - For the Gamesmaster for more information on
well) to a random location within 100 miles as disguise). For every point the character beats the
determined by the Gamesmaster, in addition, Difficulty by, he may add +1 to his disguise test.
this ends all other teleportation attempts for 24
hours.
Shape change
Difficulty: 10 (+ the Combat value of
TRANSMUTATION the creature being changing
into)
Duration: 10 Minutes
Target: Caster only
One of the most powerful uses of Transmuta-
tion allows the caster to turn himself into a total-
ly different creature. The Difficulty for this spell
is 10 plus the Combat value of the creature be-
ing changing into. The caster will gain the Cha-
Transmutation is the lore of change. A charac- risma, Combat, Muscle, Thievery and Defence
ter that practices Transmutation can change his values of the creature changed into, but all of
appearance (either subtly or radically) and also the caster’s other ability values remain the same.
change substances from one form into another. Note: The caster does not gain any special
The mystical colour of Transmutation is gold abilities of the creature that they have shape
and the mystical symbol is a toad. changed into, but they will gain the monsters
The most common uses of Transmutation are: exact physical appearance and size. This spell
cannot be used to shape change the caster into a
non-physical monster, such as a ghost.
Alchemy
Difficulty: 14
Duration: 10 minutes
OTHER LORES
The seventeen lores of magic listed above are
Target: 2 equal amounts of inert sub-
stances
the most common forms of magic on Harku-
na, however, they are not the only ones. The
Alchemy is the act of changing one inert sub- Gamesmaster is encouraged to come up with
stance into another, such as turning lead into additional ideas for lores of magic and their ac-
gold or wood into metal. The amount of ma- companying spells, and to extend the existing
terial affected is equal to that which could be spell lists.
contained within a typical bucket. The trans-
 47

CHAPTER 4 - Equipment

Equipment consists of weapons, armour and If a character is already at maximum EV and

magical items. It also includes mundane items he wishes to carry another item, he will first
such as lanterns, rope and food, all necessary for need to discard some items or give the items to
those adventuring in the Fabled Lands. other characters in order to lower his EV.

Money Buying and Selling Items

The coinage used world-wide on Harkuna is Starting characters can buy items for the listed
called the Shard; a silver and zinc stamped coin amount of Shards. Simply reduce the number
that measures about 25mm (1 inch) in diameter. of Shards you possess and add the item to your
Each province or country has its own version of character sheet (make sure to note down its EV).
the Shard with a different stamp mark or shape, After the game has begun, characters can usu-
but its value is universal. ally only buy items from merchants and traders.
The sub-division of the Shard is called the Pare Individual prices can and will vary, depending
(pronounced par); a coin made from the same on the region, the scarcity of the item and the
material as a shard, mixed with a higher zinc Gamesmaster’s will. In fact, some items may
content and minted at about a quarter the size not be available in all locations. In any case, the
of a Shard. prices given here are averages, so expect some
variation (both up and down) in the prices.
10 Pares = 1 Shard
Characters can also sell off equipment to mer-
100 Shards = 1 EV chants and traders during the game. They can
400 Pares = 1 EV usually sell these items for half their listed cost
although, again, this can vary. The Gamesmas-
A character starts the game 1000 Shards worth of ter has the final say on what the buying and sell-
equipment. The amount you start with doesn’t ing prices are, though in-game haggling from
necessarily mean that you have just gone out your character is encouraged.
and spent money on new things but rather the
value of the equipment you start with (it could
be inherited or given to your character). Any
money left over once you have your starting Items and Abilities
gear is discarded if more that 100 Shards (down Many items give a bonus to your ability values
to a maximum of 100 Shards) and kept if less when they are used in a specific circumstance.
than 100 Shards. Weapons add to your Combat value when used
in a fight, wands add to your Magic value when
attempting to cast a spell, and armour adds to
Encumbrance Value (EV) your Defence value, for example.
Every weapon, every suit of armour, every piece It is important to note that these bonuses do
of miscellaneous gear has an Encumbrance Val- not stack. What this means is that you can only
ue (EV for short). The EV of an item is an indica- ever claim one Combat bonus, no matter how
tion of the item’s weight and bulk; the heavier many items you have that increase your Com-
or bulkier an item is, the higher the EV will be. bat value. Of course, you will usually want to
For instance, a dagger is EV 0.5, but a sword is claim the highest bonus.
EV 1. Likewise, a suit of leather armour is EV 1, It is also important to note that the above rule
but the heavier plate mail armour is EV 2. is not absolute. If the text tells you otherwise,
Characters can only carry a certain amount of some bonuses may stack. For example, if you
items, which is represented by a maximum EV have a weapon with Combat +2 and drink a po-
they can have at any one time. To work out the tion that gives you Combat +1, the text may tell
maximum EV a character can carry, start with a you that this bonus can stack.
base of 10 and add the character’s Muscle value. In some circumstances your Gamesmaster
So, a character with Muscle 4 would be able to may rule that you cannot use two items that
carry a maximum EV of 14. provide different bonuses at the same time. This
 48

commonly occurs when you have two identical Close Combat Weapons
items (say, two pairs of gloves, or two helmets)
that provide bonuses to different ability values. Close combat weapons provide a bonus to a
Obviously you cannot wear to helmets at the character’s Combat value when used in hand-
same time, so you should only claim the bonus to-hand fighting. A character who enters a fight
from one of the items. without a close combat weapon suffers a -2 pen-
In every situation common sense should ap- alty to their Combat value. A character who en-
ply. The Gamesmaster has final say over which ters a fight with a weapon they are not trained
items can be used or not if any dispute arises. to use only gains half of the listed Combat bo-
nus (round down).

Table - Close Combat Weapons

Weapon Combat bonus Type Cost EV
Axe +2 Basic 500 Shards 1
Battle axe1 +3 Military 1000 Shards 1.5
Cudgel +1 Basic 250 Shards 1
Dagger +0 Basic 50 Shards 0.5
Hunting spear +1 Military 250 Shards 1
Katana4 +2 Military 600 Shards 1
Knife4 -1 Basic 40 Shards 0.25
Lance2 +3 Military 1000 Shards 1.5
Mace +2 Military 500 Shards 1
Morningstar3 +3 Military 1000 Shards 1
Naginata4 +1 Military 300 Shards 1
Pickaxe +2 Basic 500 Shards 1
Poleaxe1 +3 Military 900 Shards 2
Rapier4 +1 Military 300 Shards 1
Scimitar +2 Military 500 Shards 1
Shortsword +1 Military 250 Shards 1
Spear1 +2 Basic 450 Shards 1
Staff1 +1 Basic 200 Shards 1
Sword +2 Military 500 Shards 1
Trident1 +2 Military 450 Shards 1
Two-handed sword1,3 +3 Military 800 Shards 2
Uttakin longaxe1 +3 Military 1000 Shards 1.5
Warhammer +2 Military 500 Shards 1

1 These weapons are two-handed. They cannot be used at the same time as a shield and cannot
be used if fighting with two weapons.
2 This weapon can only be used on horseback and only when charging.
3 These weapons are heavy and ponderous. Reduce your Strike value by 2 when using one of
these weapons.
4 These weapons are light and well-balanced. Increase your Strike value by 2 when using one
of these weapons.
 49

Ranged Weapons Ammunition

Ranged weapons are used to attack an enemy Bows, crossbows, longbows, shortbows and
from a distance. Depending on the weapon, slings all require some sort of ammunition or
you may gain a bonus to your Combat value. projectile in order to be used. Bows (all types)
All weapons also have a range listed with them, require arrows, crossbows require quarrels and
which indicate the maximum distance with slings require sling bullets. These all cost 10
which they may engage a target. A character Shards each and have an EV of 0.25. You can
who enters a fight with a weapon they are not buy a quiver for 50 Shards; the quiver is EV 1
trained to use only gains half of the listed Com- but can hold up to ten pieces of ammunition
bat bonus (round down). without adding to your EV.
Range: The range between you and your target
will affect your Combat rating (see chapter 5 -
Combat for more information).

Table - Ranged Weapons

Weapon Combat Type Range in feet Cost EV
bonus Short Medium Long
Bow +2 Basic 0 - 100 101 - 400 401 - 800 500 Shards 1
Crossbow +3 Military 0 - 80 81 - 300 301 - 600 900 Shards 1.5
Dagger +0 Basic 0 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 50 Shards 0.5
Javelin +1 Basic 0 - 30 31 - 60 61 - 100 250 Shards 1
Longbow +3 Military 0 - 100 101 - 600 601 - 1000 1000 Shards 1
Shortbow +2 Basic 0 - 60 61 - 300 301 - 500 450 Shards 1
Shuriken +0 Military 0 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 30 Shards 0.5
Sling +1 Basic 0 - 20 21 - 40 41 - 60 300 Shards 0.5
Spear +2 Basic 0 - 20 01 - 50 51 - 80 450 Shards 1
 50

Armour
Armour protects a character from harm during All armour provides a bonus to your Defence
a fight. Weapons glance off it or cannot pierce value as is listed in the table below. If you are
it, making it difficult for an opponent to wound not trained in the armour you are wearing, the
the character. A suit of armour normally consists Defence bonus is halved (round down).
of a helm, a breastplate for the torso and body,
sleeves and gauntlets for the arms and hands,
cuisses, greaves and boots for the legs and feet.
Table - Armour
Armour Defence bonus Type Cost EV
Chain mail +3 Heavy 200 Shards 2
Heavy plate +6 Heavy 1600 Shards 3
Leather +1 Light 50 Shards 1
Plate +5 Heavy 800 Shards 2.5
Ring mail +2 Heavy 100 Shards 2
Shield1 +1 Shield 75 Shards 1
Splint +4 Heavy 400 Shards 2.5
Vulcanium mail +7 Heavy 3200 Shards 2

1 This item adds its Defence bonus on top Armour Weight (EV)
of other bonuses from armour. The EV of armour represents the weight of a
worn suit, as its weight is evenly distributed
over the body. If the suit of armour is carried
then its EV is doubled.
 51

Potions
A potion is a magical liquid that has been spe- Note: If a player under the effects of a potion
cifically brewed by a sorcerer or wizard. When drinks a second potion BEFORE the first po-
drunk, a potion provides the character with a tion’s effects have run out, the second potion
short term bonus to an ability or will restore lost comes into effect and the first potion’s effects
Stamina. The effects of a potion will last a set will stop. This rules only effects potions with
amount of game minutes with the exception of a a durational effect. It does NOT affect potions
healing or restoration potions, whose effects are with an instant effect.
immediate. A character may only benefit from
one potion at a time, and these bonuses stack
with bonuses from other equipment.

Table - Potions
Potion Bonus Cost EV Duration in game
minutes
Aggressiveness Combat +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Comeliness Charisma +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Godliness Sanctity +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Healing* Restore 5 Stamina 50 Shards 0.5 Instant
Intellect Intelligence +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Nature Scouting +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Restoration* Return Stamina to max 250 Shards 0.5 Instant
total
Sorcery Magic +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Stealth Thievery +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
Strength Muscle +1 50 Shards 0.5 10
* A character may drink multiple Potions of Healing and Restoration during the same scene.
 52

Miscellaneous
This category is a catch-all group for items that mundane things such as lanterns and rope to
are not weapons or armour. It includes things magical wands and potions, this category cov-
that adventuring characters are likely to find ers it all. It even covers food and lodgings, ani-
extremely useful at times during a quest. From mals and vehicles such as ships.

Item Special Rules Cost EV

Bedroll 5 Shards 1
Candle Duration: 20 minutes 3 Pares 0.25
Cart Can carry 200 EV 200 Shards N/A
Climbing gear 100 Shards 1
Cloak 100 Shards 1
Compass Scouting +1 to avoid getting lost 400 Shards 0.25
Cross-staff Scouting +2 to avoid getting lost 800 Shards 1
Fishing hook 2 Pares 0.25
Flint and steel 10 Shards 0.25
Holy symbol Sanctity +1 200 Shards 0.5
Holy symbol, gold Sanctity +3 1000 Shards 0.5
Holy symbol, silver Sanctity +2 600 Shards 0.5
Horse 750 Shards N/A
Instrument, flute Charisma +1 200 Shards 0.5
Instrument, flute, Charisma +3 800 Shards 0.5
centaur
Instrument, flute, Charisma +2 400 Shards 0.25
silver
Instrument, mando- Charisma +1 300 Shards 1
lin
Lantern Duration: 5 game hours 100 Shards 1
Lock picks Thievery +1 when picking locks 300 Shards 0.25
Parchment 8 Pares 0.25
Rope 20’ for hemp rope 5 Shards 1
Sextant Scouting +3 to avoid getting lost 1200 Shards 0.5
Tent 1 person 150 Shards 3
Torch Duration: 30 game minutes 2 Shards 1
Wand, amber Magic +1 when casting a spell 500 Shards 0.5
Wand, celestium Magic +5 when casting a spell 8000 Shards 0.5
Wand, cobalt Magic +3 when casting a spell 2000 Shards 0.5
Wand, ebony Magic +2 when casting a spell 1000 Shards 0.5
Wand, selenium Magic +4 when casting a spell 4000 Shards 0.5
Water flask Enough water for 3 days travel or 1 25 Shards 0.5
day in hot weather.
 54

CHAPTER 5 - Combat

It is a sad fact of life that Harkuna is a violent Defence

and dangerous place. Cutthroats wait in the Every character and creature in the Fabled
shadows of alleys and lanes, poised to rob un- Lands has a Defence value, which represents
wary victims of their precious Shards. Bandits how hard it is to hurt in combat. The higher the
and outlaws prowl the wilderness, attacking Defence value, the better protected they are.
merchant caravans and lonely travellers. Worse
still are the monsters that lurk in the wilder To work out your character’s Defence value,
places, creatures fierce and primal who have no add his Combat value to his Rank, then add any
hesitation in killing and devouring people for bonuses for equipment (usually armour). This
food or sport. score is your character’s Defence value.
It is therefore inevitable that at some point
your character is going to find himself fight- Strike Order
ing for his life. While this is potentially deadly
The first thing that needs to be determined is
for your character, it is one of the most exciting
what order the combatants take their turns in
parts of the game for you, the player.
during the fight. To work this out, you must es-
The rest of this chapter looks at the rules for tablish each combatant’s Strike score. Do this as
handling a fight; what your character can and follows:
cannot do and how to determine the winners of
1. Each player should roll 2 dice for their
the battle.
character, adding or subtracting any
modifiers they may have that affect their
Offence Strike order score. The Gamesmaster then
rolls 2 dice for the enemy as a group; this
The purpose of combat is to slash, hack, pierce Strike order score applies to every enemy
or bludgeon your opponent before they do the involved in the combat.
same to you. Attacking, both close combat and
ranged combat, is done by choosing an offensive 2. The Gamesmaster must write down the
combat action, such as Attack or Charge, and Strike order scores in order from highest
then rolling a Combat test where the Difficulty to lowest. This is the order the characters
number will equal your opponents Defence val- and the enemies will take their turns in. If
ue. Any amount that you better your opponents there is a tie in these scores (which is like-
Defence score will be dealt as Stamina Damage. ly to happen at some point), whoever has
the higher Combat value gets the earlier
Example: Roaark of Yellowport is involved in turn. If the Combat values are also equal,
combat with a Gorlock. Roaark has a total Com- simply roll a dice each to determine who
bat value of 5 (Combat ability of 3 and a sword) gets the earlier turn.
while the Gorlock has a Defence Value of 10.
Roaark has to make a Combat (Difficulty 10)
test. He rolls 2 dice and adds 5 for a total score Action Points (AP)
of 13. This score has beaten the Gorlock’s De-
When a character or enemy’s turn comes up in
fensive Value by 3, so it takes 3 Stamina points
the Strike order, they may perform one or more
damage.
actions. Usually this is some sort of attack upon
their opponent, but it may include other things
as well. Obviously you are limited in what you
 55

can do during your turn, and this is where Ac- Movement

tion Points come in. During combat both the player characters and
Every participant in a fight has 2 Action Points monsters are going to move around. This may
(or APs for short) to spend on actions during simply be moving onto the next available tar-
their turn. Each action costs either 0, 1 or 2 APs get, or charging down the corridor to intercept
to perform. In some instances, a character may an enemy. The game maps used in the Fabled
receive more or less APs a turn. In any case, a Lands Role Playing Game and Source Books use
character or enemy may not spend more APs on a square grid, where each square represents a
their turn that they are allowed. 5’ x 5’ area. This makes it easier for the Games-
master to keep track of where the characters
Once a participant in the fight has spent their
and enemies are. On the game map, a character
APs, the next participant in the Strike order
moving 5 feet will be referred to as a moving ‘a
takes their turn.
square’.
Some combat actions allow your character to
Combat Rounds move around on the game map. These move-
Each period of time, from when the first person ments are detailed under the relevant combat
begins their actions, to after the last person has action.
used theirs, is called a combat round. A combat
round signifies 10 seconds of real time, there- Speeds of Movement
fore 6 combat rounds represent 1 minute of time There are 3 speeds of movement that your char-
for the characters, even though a much longer acter can make during a combat round; walk,
period of time may have passed for the players. run and sprint. These speeds are described in
the combat actions section below.

sample dungeon map

 56

Combat Modes Aggressive Attack

During combat, the player characters and their Cost: 2 AP
enemies can be in one of two combat modes: With an aggressive attack, you forgo any pre-
Free from Combat, or Engaged in Combat. Cer- tence of defence, and concentrate solely on hurt-
tain combat actions can only be used when your ing your opponent. When you use the aggres-
character is in a specific combat mode. For exam- sive combat action, make an attack as normal,
ple, a character can only safely use the Ranged but add +2 to your Combat value for that action.
combat action, if he is Free from Combat. Due to the aggressive attack, you also suffer a -2
penalty to your Defence value until your next
Free from Combat
turn.
A character or enemy not involved in close
combat, and having no enemies in an adjacent Note: This combat action can only be used by an
square, is considered Free from Combat. attacker that is Engaged in Combat.

Engaged in Combat Defensive Fighting

Any player or enemy actively involved in com- Cost: 2 AP
bat, (ranged or close) is considered Engaged in When you use the defensive fighting combat ac-
Combat. tion, you concentrate more on protecting your-
self from harm than hurting your enemy, strik-
ing only when an opening presents itself. When
COMBAT ACTIONS you use this action, you may make an attack as
normal, but suffer a -2 penalty to your Combat
The following are the actions that are allowed
value for that action. However, you may in-
during a combat round. The cost to perform
crease your Defence value by 2 until your next
those actions is also listed.
turn.
Note: This combat action can only be used by an
Close Combat Actions attacker that is Engaged in Combat.
These actions can only be used by an attacker
that is standing toe-to-toe with their opponent, Double Weapon Attack
and not using a ranged weapon. Cost: 2 AP

Attack The double weapon attack combat action may

only be used if a character or enemy is using
Cost:1 AP two weapons or if it is a monster or animal and
This attack action is one of the most common ac- has two or more natural weapons (such as two
tions used during a fight. It essentially amounts claws and a bite). The combatant may make two
to swinging your weapon at your opponent attacks this turn, but each attack suffers a -2 pen-
with the aim of hurting it as badly as possible. alty on the Combat test. In the case of an animal
with multiple attacks, all attacks may be made
Note: This combat action can only be used by an
with this action at the noted -2 penalty.
attacker that is Engaged in Combat.
Note: This combat action can only be used by an
attacker that is Engaged in Combat.
 57

Opportunity Attack Flank

Cost: Free Cost: Free
There are many instances where a combatant When a target has an opponent on opposite
must make a movement that will bring them sides, and they are BOTH attacking him, then he
within reach of an opponent’s blade, or perform is considered flanked. BOTH of the flanking at-
an action that lets down their guard for even an tackers gain a +1 Combat bonus while they flank
instant, such as drinking a potion or readying a a single target.
weapon. An opportunity attack is a free attack
(one that is not planned or bought using action
points) caused by taking an opportunity swing
at an enemy who has allowed himself to become
distracted. Some example situations which will
provoke an opportunity attack follow. In all cas-
es, the character in question must perform the
action while adjacent to the opponent.
 Making a ranged attack
 Readying or sheathing a weapon or other
object, other than just dropping it
 Use an item (drink a potion, open a door,
etc)
 Moving through a square adjacent to a
ready opponent, unless that opponent is
already occupied.
An opportunity attack is made as a normal com-
bat test.

1. The giant rat is flanked by the two characters

 58

Ranged Combat Actions Note: This combat action can only be used by
These combat actions can only be used by an at- an attacker that is not adjacent to an enemy, or it
tacker who is using a ranged weapon to attack will receive an opportunity attack. There MUST
from a distance rather than toe-to-toe. be a clear line of sight between the attacker and
the target. If there is an obstacle, including an-
Ranged Attack other character or monster, between the attack-
er and his target, then a ranged combat action
Cost: 1 AP CANNOT be made.
A ranged attack allows you to use a ranged
weapon, such as a bow or dagger, to shoot or Aimed Attack
throw a projectile at your opponent. Ranged Cost: 2 AP
combat is resolved the same as close combat,
The attacker is taking their time lining up the
but Ranged Combat tests must take into account
target in their sights. This combat action will
the opponent’s distance from the shooter.
grant a +1 Combat bonus for this combat round.
A target at short range will not add a penalty
Note: This combat action can only be used by
to Combat; a target at medium range will cause
an attacker that is Free from Combat, and there
a -2 penalty to the combat test; a target at long
MUST be a clear line of sight between the attack-
range will cause a -4 penalty to the combat test
er and the target. If there is an obstacle, includ-
(see Chapter 4 - Equipment for a list of weapon
ing another character or monster, between the
ranges).
attacker and his target, then a ranged combat
action CANNOT be made

The female warrior cannor fire a ranged weapon at giant rats 1 or 2 because the male
priest is blocking her line of sight (LOS). She can only use a ranged weapon against giant
rat number 3.
 59

An example of a character making a Move (Walk) combat action.

Movement Combat Actions Move (Sprint)

These combat actions involve a character or ene- Cost: 2 AP
my moving from one position to another within A player character or enemy may move at twice
combat. A character or enemy moving to any their Run movement rate, four times their base,
adjacent square, including diagonal, is consid- typically 120 feet per turn (24 squares). The
ered to have moved 1 square. moving player character or enemy will suffer a
-2 Defence penalty for the whole combat round.
Move (Walk)
Cost: 1 AP Note: This combat action can only be used by a
combatant that is Free from Combat. If the mov-
Unless specified otherwise, both player charac- er passes through a square adjacent to an enemy
ters and their enemies can typically move 30 feet then they will suffer an opportunity attack , un-
per turn (6 squares). Other races and monsters less that enemy is already occupied.
may have a base movement that varies from this
figure and if so, will be noted in their write-up. Engage
Either way, when walking, a character or enemy Cost: 2 AP
may move up to its base movement value.
The engage combat action allows an attacker to
Note: This combat action can only be used by a make a move (walk) action towards an enemy,
combatant that is Free from Combat. If the mov- and follow that with an attack straight away.
er passes through a square adjacent to an enemy Note: This combat action can only be used by an
that is free from combat, then they will suffer an attacker that is Free from Combat.
opportunity attack.
Charge
Move (Run)
Cost: 2 AP
Cost: 2 AP
The charge combat action allows an attacker
A player character or enemy may move at twice to rapidly approach their enemy and then at-
their base movement, typically 60 feet per turn tack him. The target MUST be within 50 feet (10
(12 squares). squares) and there MUST be a clear line of sight
Note: This combat action can only be used by a between them. The charger will gain a +1 bonus
combatant that is Free from Combat. If the mov- to their Combat value for that attack, but will
er passes through a square adjacent to an enemy also suffer a -1 penalty to their Defence value for
then they will suffer an opportunity attack, un- the whole combat round.
less that enemy is already occupied. Note: This combat action can only be used by an
attacker that is Free from Combat.
 60

Miscellaneous Combat Actions Note: This combat action can only be used by
These combat actions involve special types of an attacker that is Engaged in Combat. It can be
attacks or actions not defined by the other head- used on opponents the attacker’s size or smaller
ings. ONLY.

Draw a Weapon Use Item

Cost: 1 AP Cost: 1 AP

This combat action will allow a combatant to This combat action will allow a combatant to
draw and ready a new weapon. use an item, such as a potion, in combat. It also
covers situations like opening or shutting doors
Note: This combat action can be used by a com- and other similar actions that the Gamesmaster
batant at any time. However, if it is used while deems appropriate.
adjacent to an opponent, then they will suffer an
opportunity attack. Note: This combat action can only be used by
a player character or enemy that is Free from
Disarm Combat. If it is used while in any other combat
Cost: 1 AP mode then they will suffer an opportunity at-
tack.
This combat action can only be used against an
enemy who is using a manufactured weapon Use Power
and not a natural weapon, such as a claw or bite. Cost: 1 AP
Make a Combat test with a Difficulty equal to
10 plus your opponent’s Combat value. If you This combat action will allow a combatant to ac-
succeed, you knock your opponent’s weapon tivate it’s power.
from his hand, meaning he will have to either Note: This combat action will provoke an op-
draw a new weapon next turn, pick his dropped portunity attack if there is an enemy in an adja-
weapon up, or fight on without a weapon. cent square that is free from combat.
Note: This combat action can only be used by an Defensive Withdraw
attacker that is Engaged in Combat.
Cost: 2 AP
Knockdown This combat action allows a combatant to back
Cost: 1 AP away and withdraw from combat. The player
The knockdown combat action allows a player character or enemy doing the defensive with-
or enemy to barge into an opponent with the draw will suffer an opportunity attack while
intension of sending their opponent sprawling doing this combat action. If they survive, the
to the ground. When the knockdown action is defender may be positioned up to 30 feet (6
used, make a Muscle test, with the Difficulty squares) away from their original position, but
being 4 plus the opponent’s Defence value. If the new position MUST be Free from Combat.
successful, the opponent is knocked to the floor. If the character cannot be positioned within 30
A prone combatant suffers a -2 penalty to both feet in a Free from Combat position, then this
their Combat and Defence values until they combat action CANNOT be used.
stand up. Note: This combat action can only be used by
To stand up, a knocked down combatant must a combatant that is Engaged in Combat. If the
take a move (walk) combat action, but they will character or enemy doing the Defensive With-
not suffer an opportunity attack for doing this. draw passes through a square adjacent to their
No actual distance is covered in this instance, enemy that is not involved in combat, then they
the character just changes from prone to stand- will provoke an opportunity attack.
ing.
 61

EXAMPLE OF COMBAT
Thomas of Golnir, is about to enter combat with 3. Thomas needs to make a Combat (Diffi-
2 ratmen. Thomas rolled his strike order on 2d6 culty 9) test to hit the ratman. He rolls 2
and got an 11. The Gamesmaster then rolls for dice and gets 10, he then adds his Combat
all the enemies (ratmen) collectively and scored to that score to get a total combat score of
a 5. 14. The Combat total is 5 greater than the
1. Thomas must first get close enough to a Ratman’s Defence and so it loses 5 Stami-
ratman to use his sword so he spends his 2 na. The Ratman has just 1 Stamina left!
action points on Engage and moves three If Thomas would have taken a different route
squares at walking pace to confront the towards his intended ratman victim and passed
ratman. through one of the squares adjacent to the other
2. Thomas is a 2nd Rank Warrior with Com- ratman, Thomas would have suffered an oppor-
bat 2 and Defence 4. He carries a sword tunity attack for wandering too close to an en-
and wears Leather armour for a total of emy. Note that Thomas did not incur the oppor-
Combat 4 and Defence 5. He also has 15 tunity attack for entering the adjacent square,
Stamina. The Ratmen both have Combat only for moving through it.
3, Defence 9 and Stamina 6
 62

CHAPTER 6 - Deities & Religion

The gods play a huge role in the lives of people blessing/curse. Only one attempt at a blessing
in the Fabled Lands. For the characters, the gods or curse can be tried per target per day. So if it
are quite important, for they may call upon the fails, the target must wait until the next day for
gods for aid in their times of need. This is very the Initiate to try again.
true for priest characters.
The subject of a blessing may use it only once;
Priests are dedicated to the gods in a way most once used, it is then lost. He can use it whenever
ordinary people aren’t. They worship them and he is allowed, and doesn’t have to use it at the
live by the ideals of their religion. In return, the first opportunity.
gods themselves bestow special powers upon
A Curse affects the target until it is removed or
their worshippers, allowing them to perform
otherwise stated; any priest can remove a curse
blessings or other miraculous feats.
with a successful Sanctity test at Difficulty 12.
A priest character must choose one of the dei-
ties listed in this chapter as the god he worships.
The character immediately gains all of the ben- Resurrection
efits being a worshipper of that god entails and Some gods bestow upon their worshippers the
becomes an ‘initiate’ of that deity. In this case, a ability to resurrect the dead. This is a draining
character must only pay 25% of the tithe to be- and difficult exercise. An initiate of one of these
come an initiate. gods must make a Sanctity test at Difficulty 18
A character can only ever worship one deity at in order to achieve this. If successful, the tar-
a time. However, it is possible to change the de- get is instantly returned to life, at full Stamina.
ity you worship. You may do this whenever you However, the subject of the Resurrection loses 1
gain a rank. Firstly you must renounce the wor- point from their starting Stamina each time they
ship of your current deity, meaning you lose are returned to life.
any special rules (such as blessings and curses)
that deity provides immediately.
Special Rules
In order to worship a new deity, a character Some characters gain special rules for worship-
must present themselves to the temple of that ping a particular deity. If this is the case, any
deity and undertake whatever task they are told special rules that apply are listed with the god.
before they can be accepted into that religion. It should be noted that these special rules only
Often this is simply a monetary donation to the apply while the character is an initiate of that
temple, but it sometimes takes the form of a particular deity; should they renounce the wor-
quest or other undertaking. ship of that deity, they lose the special rules.

Blessings and Curses

Priests have access to two powers, Bless and
Curse, which allow them to bestow their god’s
reward on someone or punish the enemies of
their god. When a character has chosen these
powers they can begin to use them. Each de-
ity has a different blessing or curse available to
them.
To bestow a blessing or curse, a character
must make a Sanctity test at the listed Difficulty.
If this is successful, the blessing or curse is be-
stowed upon the target. If it fails, so does the
 63

THE GODS
The rest of this chapter is dedicated to the gods,
their worshippers and the blessings they allow.
The gods presented here are not the only gods
of the Fabled Lands, but they are by far the most
common. Other regional gods may and do exist,
and can be expanded upon by players and the
Gamesmaster.
According to legend, there were three gods
that created the Fabled Lands. Their names were
Harkun, He Who Is Like Harkun, and the Third
God. Sometime after the creation of the world
these three died; it is not known exactly how
this occurred, though there are theories: that the
gods died in war with each other, that they sim-
ply abandoned their creation or that they were
killed by the new gods that came after them.
The new gods were not as powerful as the first
three, though they were more numerous. Now,
every culture in the Fabled Lands has their own
set of deities that they worship and their own
beliefs.

Alvir and Valmir

Alvir and Valmir are the twin gods of the sea.
They are often referred to as the King and
Queen of the Land beneath the Waves, for they
are said to reside in the deepest oceans of the
world. They gather the souls of those unfortu-
nate enough to have drowned at sea; Alvir gath-
ers them in his golden net and brings them be-
fore Valmir so that she may judge them. It is said Blessing
that they struggle with the fish god Oannes, the Priests of Alvir and Valmir can bestow the Safe-
god of the Repulsive Ones, for dominion of the ty from Storms blessing on a ship. This blessing
sea. lasts for a week and the ship will not be harmed
from storms during this time. Difficulty: 12.
The temples of the Twin Gods are usually lo-
cated near the harbours of the major cities of the Curse
Fabled Lands. They are usually made of marble
A priest may lay a Cursed Voyage curse upon
and are often shaped like an upside down ship.
a ship. The next time this ship sets sail, it will,
They are usually only worshipped in Sokara
without fail, encounter a storm. Difficulty: 13
and Golnir.
Resurrection
Becoming an Initiate
No.
To become a worshipper of Alvir and Valmir a
character must pay a tithe of 400 Shards at one Special Rules
of their temples.
Priests of the Twin Gods will never encounter
a storm when at sea. In addition, they count as
having 1 level in the Hydromancy lore of magic.
 64

Elnir Lacuna
Elnir, called the Lord of the Sky, is the god of Lacuna, or the Huntress as she is sometimes
storms, kingship and law. He is also said to be known, is worshipped in Sokara and Golnir as
the ruler of the gods. His devotees believe that the goddess of the wilderness and the moon.
his dreams are the clouds before the storm, and She is the patron goddess of hunters, woods-
that thunder is the voice of Elnir, shouting in an- man, travellers and, as far as characters are con-
ger at those who displease him. He has several cerned, wayfarers. She is said to not only protect
sons, foremost of which is Sul Veneris, who is nature and those who respect the natural world,
tasked with keeping the storm demons under but to punish those who would seek to harm it.
control. Elnir dislikes the storm demons, which
Temples to Lacuna tend to be small, wooden
create thunder and lightning without his per-
affairs, often log halls or woodland shrines. Re-
mission.
gardless of the form it takes, a temple to Lacuna
Elnir’s temples are often very tall, elaborate is always decorated with sweet-smelling flowers
buildings, decorated with statues of eagles, a that can overwhelm the senses. Lacuna is gener-
bird sacred to the Skylord. He is a well-respect- ally only worshipped in Sokara and Golnir.
ed and feared deity; even the Baroness Ravayne,
ruler of Golnir, has a chapel dedicated to him in Becoming an Initiate
her keep. He is generally worshipped in Sokara To become an initiate of Lacuna, a character
and Golnir. must pay a tithe of 600 Shards at one of her tem-
ples. A character seeking to become an initiate
Becoming an Initiate of Lacuna must be female.
To become an Initiate of Elnir a character must
pay a tithe of 600 Shards at one of his temples. Blessing
A priest of Lacuna may bestow a blessing of
Blessing Scouting upon another character. That character
A priest of Elnir may bestow a Charisma bless- may re-roll all failed Scouting rolls for the next
ing on another character. That character may 24 hours. Difficulty: 12
re-roll all failed Charisma rolls for the next 24
hours. Difficulty: 12 Curse
Priests of the Huntress may bestow a Scouting
Curse curse. The target has their Scouting score re-
Priests of the Lord of the Sky may bestow a Cha- duced to 0 for the next 24 hours. Difficulty: 11
risma curse. The target has their Charisma score
reduced to 0 for the next 24 hours. Difficulty: 11 Resurrection
No.
Resurrection
No. Special Rules
A priest of Lacuna may re-roll all failed Scout-
Special Rules ing
g tests.
A priest off Elnir may re-roll all failed Charisma
tests.
 65

Maka Resurrection
Maka is the goddess of disease and famine, a No.
terrible and dreaded goddess. She is also the
goddess of the spring harvest, and farmers pray Special Rules
to her and offer up sacrifices of livestock to en- A priest of Maka is immune to all disease and
sure that their crops will be healthy and boun- poison.
tiful. She can also be a beneficial goddess, for
her priests have the ability to cure disease and
poison from the masses. Molhern
Molhern is a god with many aspects. He is wor-
Maka’s temples tend to be found under-
shipped as the god of craftsmen, scholars and
ground, dug into the earth itself. When they are
knowledge. In some communities – most nota-
above ground they are made of mud and clay,
bly the Isle of Mystery – he is also worshipped
with very few windows. The interior of her tem-
as the god of magic (in these locations he is of-
ples are always dark and gloomy. Maka is gen-
ten referred to as Molhern Magister). It is said
erally only worshipped in Sokara and Golnir.
that Molhern gave mankind the secret of fire,
Becoming an Initiate and also taught them how to write.
To become an Initiate of Maka, a character must Molhern’s temples vary in their shape and size.
pay a tithe of 500 Shards at one of her temples. Some are small affairs, others elaborate towers
and keeps. In just about every temple, though,
Blessing you will find a forge and a library. Molhern is
A priest of Maka may bestow a blessing of normally worshipped in Golnir and Sokara,
Immunity on another character. For the and in some other isolated places such as
next 24 hours, that character is immune the Isle of Mystery.
to disease and poison. Difficulty: 12
Becoming an Initiate
Curse To become an Initiate of Molhern a
Priests of Maka may bestow a character must pay a tithe of 500
Taint curse on another crea- Shards at one of his temples. Upon
ture. The target has all of becoming an initiate, a character
their ability values must choose either Intelligence
reduced by 1 for or Magic as the focus of
24 hours. his blessings.
Difficulty: 12
 66

Blessing world where they spend the rest of eternity. He

A priest of Molhern may bestow a blessing of ei- is neither a good nor bad deity, for he takes the
ther Intelligence or Magic (whichever he chose) souls of those who walk in the dark and those
on another character. For the next 24 hours, that who walk in the light without prejudice. He is
character may re-roll all failed Intelligence or sometimes referred to as the god of rebirth, for
Magic tests. Difficulty: 12 his priests have the power to resurrect the dead.
A temple dedicated to Nagil tends to be an
Curse ornate construction, replete with hideous gar-
Priests of Molhern may bestow either an Intel- goyles, murals of the Underworld and black
ligence or Magic curse on another creature. The candles. Nagil is worshipped in Sokara, Golnir
target has their Intelligence or Magic value re- and the Great Steppes.
duced to 0 for 24 hours. Difficulty: 11
Becoming an Initiate
Resurrection To become an Initiate of Nagil a character must
No. pay a tithe of 300 Shards at one of his temples
and then pass a Sanctity test at Difficulty 10.
Special Rules
A priest of Molhern may re-roll all failed Intel- Blessing
ligence or Magic (whichever he chose) tests. Priests of Nagil cannot bestow blessings.

Curse
Nagil A priest of Nagil cannot bestow curses.
Nagil, the Lord of the Lands of the Dead, is the
god of death. It is he who oversees the souls of Resurrection
the deceased and escorts them to the Under- Yes.

Special Rules
A priest of Nagil counts as having chosen the
Necromancy power once.

Sig
Also known as the Larcenous One and the Di-
vine Bard, Sig the Cunning is the god of vaga-
bonds, troubadours, lovers, thieves and rogues.
He is said to be a handsome god who is whimsi-
cal and fun-loving.
The temples of Sig are usually found in out
of the way places, areas such as harbours, back
alleys and near taverns and inns. He is wor-
shipped mostly in Sokara and Golnir.

Becoming an Initiate
To become an initiate of the Larcenous One, a
character must pay a tithe of 600 Shards at one
of his temples.

Blessing
A priest of Sig may bestow a blessing of Thiev-
ery upon another character. That character may
re-roll all failed Thievery rolls for the next 24
hours. Difficulty: 12
 67

Curse Curse
Priests of the Divine Bard may bestow a Thiev- Priests of the Three Fortunes may bestow a
ery curse. The target has their Thievery value curse of Misfortune on others. The target must
reduced to 0 for the next 24 hours. Difficulty: 11 re-roll all successful ability tests for the next 24
hours. Difficulty: 12
Resurrection
No. Resurrection
No.
Special Rules
A priest of Sig may re-roll all failed Thievery Special Rules
tests. A priest of the Three Fortunes may re-roll all
failed ability tests.

The Three Fortunes

The Three Fortunes are the triple goddesses of Tyrnai
fate. They are the patrons of luck and good for- Tyrnai is the god of war. Worshipped exten-
tune and, whilst they are worshipped by folk sively throughout Sokara and Golnir, Tyrnai
from all walks of life, gamblers pay particular is depicted as a muscular warrior bedecked in
homage to them. The Three Fortunes are de- golden armour and wielding a golden axe and
picted in various ways; in some societies, they a golden sword. His most striking feature is his
are pictured as a young maiden, a middle-aged head, for instead of the head of a man, he has
woman and an old crone; in others, the Three the head of a jaguar.
Fortunes are instead depicted as a single deity
Temples to Tyrnai are like small fortresses
with three heads and six arms.
rather than temples. They are usually made of
In any respects, the number three is sacred stone and come complete with towers and bat-
to the Three Fortunes and temples dedicated tlements. Heavily armed and armoured warrior
to them often reflect this. Whether they have priests guard the doors to the temples, and stat-
a triple-peaked ceiling, three windows, three- ues and idols built in Tyrnai’s likeness can be
branched candelabrum or three candles on the found throughout.
altar, the number three can be seen everywhere.
All temples to the Three Fortunes display a tap- Becoming an Initiate
estry depicting the goddesses, for it is said that To become an initiate of Tyrnai, a character must
they weave the tapestry of man’s fate. first have a Combat value of 6 or more, and then
pay a tithe of 800 Shards
The Three Fortunes are worshipped in many
parts of the Fabled Lands, especially through- Blessing
out the northern continent and the islands of the
A priest of Tyrnai may bestow a blessing of
Violet Ocean. The people of Atticala also wor-
Combat upon another character. That character
ship the Three Fortunes and hold them in espe-
may re-roll all failed Combat tests for the next
cially high regard.
24 hours. Difficulty: 12
Becoming an Initiate
Curse
To become an initiate of the Three Fortunes, a
Priests of the god of war may bestow a Com-
character must pay a tithe of 1000 Shards at one
bat curse. The target has their Combat score re-
of their temples.
duced to 0 for the next 24 hours. Difficulty: 13
Blessing
Resurrection
A priest of the Three Fortunes may bestow a
Yes.
blessing of luck upon another character. That
character may re-roll all failed ability tests for Special Rules
the next 24 hours. Difficulty: 14
A priest of Tyrnai may re-roll all failed Combat
tests.
 69

CHAPTER 7 - City Services

City services will be offered in most large towns Buying a sea-going vessel
and cities although not every service will be The table below shows the types of sea-going
available at each one. Some of the services, such vessels available to the players. Not every class
as boats and ships, are only available to a city- of vessel will be available at every port in Harku-
port or large fishing town whereas merchant na. The class of vessels available will be given in
services are available to all. the harbour section of a city description.
Ship Type - Describes the size of the vessel and
Boats and Ships its broad group name. A ship’s size is deter-
mined by its class with class 1 being the smallest
There will come a time in most adventuring and class 5 being the largest.
party’s lives when they decide to take to the
open seas. The options available to the captain Small Fishing Boat: This boat is a small 2 man
of a sea-going vessel are plentiful. They can fishing boat. It is much sturdier than a rowing
use their ship to travel to foreign lands, dock- boat with higher hull sides and is approximate-
ing at unfamiliar ports, get rich buying and sell- ly twice the length. This boat requires a mini-
ing their cargos or just to look around for new mum crew of 1 person but has the capacity to
quests and adventure. To do all of this the play- take an additional passenger.
ers must first acquire a boat or a ship. Large fishing boat: This boat is a much larger
The basic definition of a boat in this book is one than the small fishing boat. It has a single mast
that is less than 15 feet in length and requires a and two decks; the lower deck is used for stor-
crew of less than 5 people. A vessel qualifies as ing fish on a large bed of ice and has room at the
a ship if it is larger than a boat. rear for hammocks. This boat requires a mini-
mum crew of 3 people.

Table - Ship and Boats

Ship Type Cost Capacity Availability Hull Crew
Points
(Class 1) Small fishing boat 90 Shards none* 3 5 1
(Class 2) Large fishing boat 150 Shards 1 unit of 5 10 3
fish**
(Class 3) Barque 250 Shards 1 cargo unit 8 20 20
(Class 4) Brigantine 450 Shards 2 cargo units 10 30 30
(Class 5) Galleon 900 Shards 3 cargo units 11 50 40
*although this boat cannot carry a cargo unit, it can still be used to catch a good amount of fish to
sell at the harbour or market.
**this boat is designed to carry a large amount of fish in its cargo hold. It ‘could’ be used to carry a
unit of standard cargos instead of fish but there is a high chance that a perishable cargo will spoil en
route. If the captain of the large fishing boat is carrying a unit of perishable cargo that is not fish, the
Gamesmaster must roll 1d6. If the result is 1-5 then the cargo has spoiled and is rendered worthless.
 70

Barque: A barque is a small cargo ship with a Hull Points: This figure determines how tough
main mast and a smaller one to the aft. This ship the hull of the ship or boat is. The greater the
has plenty of room below decks to safely store number shown in the column the more resistant
its cargo and house its crew. Although this ship that the vessel is to damage at sea. A boat or
has the capacity to house a crew of 30, it can be ship that is reduced to 0 hull points has been
run with a minimum crew of 20. smashed beyond repair and will sink. The crew,
including their captain, are now floating in the
Brigantine: A brigantine is larger cargo ship
sea at the mercy of Alvir and Valmir.
than the barque and has the space below decks
to carry twice as much cargo. This ship has two
main masts and a smaller one to the aft. The Lost at Sea
minimum crew needed to man this vessel is 30
Any characters that find themselves floating
Galleon: A galleon is the largest sea going vessel out at sea due to bad weather conditions must
in Harkun and, although it has a generic shape roll on the following table. It is assumed that
and design, there are some exotic examples to the crew will be lost regardless of the dice roll
be seen. A galleon is much larger than the brig- unless the game master deems otherwise. The
antine ship needing a larger minimum crew of result is subject to the following modifications
40 and holding 50% more cargo. The large hull determined by the type of storm in which the
and decks support three large main sails. boat or ship was sunk:
Cost – This is the price in Shards to buy a boat  Perfect weather to Mild storm +0
or ship, if available.
 Heavy storm +2
Capacity: This column shows the storage capac-
ity of cargo that the ship or boat can safely carry  Severe storm +4
below decks.  Hurricane +6
Availability: Not all ships or boats will be avail- Dice Roll Effect
able at the ship yard due to both demand and
2 Picked up by Pirates
building space. To determine the availability of
a ship or boat, the Gamesmaster must roll 2d6. If 3-9 Picked up by a passing vessel
the number rolled is equal to or greater than the 10-11 Washed up on a random beach
number shown in the column then that vessel is 12+ Drowned at sea
available to buy.
 71

Ship and Boat Repairs Buying and Selling Cargo

A player’s sea-going boat or ship will get dam- Various cargos can be bought and sold in most
aged at one stage or another. There are numer- port harbours. Cargo must be loaded and un-
ous dangers at sea; storms that create huge loaded from a ship by the purchaser/seller. A
waves to batter even the sturdiest of ships, pi- cargo unit represents approximately 1 ton in
lot error and pirate damage, just to name a few.
weight and is packed into separate wooden box-
When the ship or boat has a damaged hull it
will need repairing. The following table shows es for easy transport. The prices of commodities
repair costs and the duration of the repairs. Not will be listed in each port.
all ports offer ship repairs. This service will be A clever merchant captain can profit from buy-
included, if available, in the harbour section of ing and selling different cargoes across the sea.
the city description. If he or she takes notes of a foreign port’s needs
they can deliver the required cargo to them for a
Table - Boat Repairs
hefty profit, however, prices to tend to fluctuate
Damage Type Cost* Duration and sometimes change dramatically. Each time
Mild 10 a few hours a player buys cargo from a port, it is brought
at the static value shown in each city descrip-
Moderate 25 1 day
tion. When it is sold at a different port, although
Heavy 40 1-6 days there will be static prices to sell, they are subject
Near Wreck 60 1 week + 1d6 days to rolling 2 dice on the following table.
*this cost varies depending on the class of the ship
Table - Cargo Selling Price Fluctuation
Mild damage: up to 25% of the hull being damaged
Dice Roll Price Fluctuation
Moderate damage:up to 50% of the hull being (2d6)
damaged 2 -1d6 x 100 Shards
Heavy damage:up to 75% of the hull being 3-4 -1d3 (1d6 divided by 2) x100
damaged Shards
Near Wreck damage:up to 95% of the hull being 5-9 No Change to fixed price
damaged. 10-11 +1d3 (1d6 divided by 2) x100
Anything beyond 95% damage is to be consid- Shards
ered non repairable. It would cost either less or 12 +1d6 x 100 Shards
almost the same to buy a brand new vessel.
Ship’s Crew
Damage Type: The amount of damage the ship
The crew of a ship will determine how well they
has sustained due to bad weather, poor piloting
or attack. handle certain situations, like coping with bad
weather. A poor crew will be adequate for cop-
Cost: The cost given in the table above shows ing with normal voyages but when the going
the amount of Shards in will cost the captain of gets tough, a better crew might make the differ-
the ship to repair his (Class 1) Small fishing boat. ence between sailing into port or washing up on
The cost will increase depending on the class of
a random beach. The effects of weather and boat
the ship being repaired. The following formula
must be applied to the relevant ship class: Class damage are covered in Chapter 9 - How to be a
2 – x2 cost; Class 3 – x4 cost; Class 4 – x6 cost; Gamesmaster.
Class 5 – x10 cost. For the purpose of buying passage on a ship
Example: If a captain of a small fishing ship has to travel between ports, it is assumed that the
taken mild damage while out at sea he would Captain has an Intelligence value of 4, Piloting
expect to pay 10 Shards to get the boat repaired. at level 2 and he will always navigate success-
A captain of a Galleon whose ship has suffered fully between ports.
the same mild damage would expect to pay 100
Shards to get the boat repaired. When piloting your own boat you will need
to hire a crew. Each crew member will need to
Duration: The amount of time that the ship yard be paid every week. If a captain cannot pay his
will take to repair the ship’s damage crew he will be tossed overboard, losing both
 72

his boat, any cargo and will have to roll on the made. The bank will again exchange any invest-
lost at sea table. The cost of a crew per member ments with a contract that must be presented
per week is listed below: when checking in or cashing out any Shards.

Poor 1 Shard per week each If a player has lost his contract for any reason,
the money will remain within the bank. If it is
Average to Good 2 Shards per week each
not touched for 3 years the bank will claim it for
Excellent 3 Shards per week each. their own. The player can check on his invest-
Example: A captain of a galleon with an excel- ments once a month with the minimum wait
lent crew will have a wages bill of 120 Shards for the first check being 1 month. When invest-
per week (40 crew x 3 Shards each). If he down- ments are looked at, roll on the table below:
graded to a poor crew the wages bill would
Dice Roll Investment profit/loss
drop to just 40 Shards per week (40 crew x 1
Shard each). 2 Lost entire investment
3-4 Lose 50% of investment
5-6 Lose 10% of investment
MERCHANT’S GUILD 7 Investment remains unchanged
FACILITIES 8-9 10% profit on investment
10-11 50% profit on investment
The merchant’s guilds of the big towns and cities
offers all manner of services related to money. 12 Investment doubled

Banking BUYING A HOUSE

Each Town or City with a merchant house can In some towns and cities, a player may purchase
be used as a bank to securely keep your mon- a house. While in the house the player can rest
ey in. It is important to remember that you can for free and store both equipment and money.
only withdraw money from the bank in which Storing items in a house does come with a risk.
you deposited it. Any money paid into a bank Every week that a house is left empty (a full
will be exchanged for a contract stating the mer- week without the anyone entering) the Games-
chant’s town, the amount deposited and the master must roll 2 dice. If the result is a 2 then
bank’s embossed seal. The contract, must be the player’s house has been broken into and
presented to the bank when withdrawing mon- cleaned out of all the player’s stored possessions
ey as proof that you have money in there in the and money.
first place. Each merchant bank will only issue a
single contract with a user; if they deposit more House prices will vary depending on the loca-
money, the original contract will be replaced tion of the town and city and the location within
with a new one and the old one destroyed. as well. House prices are listed in the town or
city descriptions.
If a player has lost his contract for any reason,
the money will remain within the bank. If it is
not touched for 3 years the bank will claim it for
their own. TEMPLE SERVICES
Temple services, such as healing and becoming
an initiate are covered in Chapter 6 - Deities and
Investments Religion. A church or temple will offer all of the
It is possible for a merchant bank to make an services provided by their god.
investment on your behalf on commodities
brought and sold. The players have no control
on the outcome of the investment. Investments
can only be in 100 Shard increments and you
can only check on, or cash in, any investments
in the same bank in which the investment was
 73

CHAPTER 8 - Harkuna

The world of Harkuna is split into several dif- Great then was the cataclysm. His body shat-
ferent known lands: Sokara, Old Harkuna, Ut- tered, Harkun himself became the foundations,
taku, Atticala, Ankon-Konu, Akatsurai and the and the roots that brought the world to life. His
Forbidden Realm to name a few. All of these spine formed the mountains of the world, his
provinces/countries hold their own mysteries, flesh the continents. His blood formed the seas
religions, hierarchy, ancestry and way of life. and rivers, and from his blood life began to blos-
We will begin our journey into the Fabled Lands som. And thus was the body of Harkun trans-
by first noting the chronology of ages past. formed into the world of Harkuna.”
Derrak, Lord High Priest of Harkun (0412 TOH)

CHRONOLOGY
These documents were collated from the divine ERA OF DARKNESS
archives of The Temple of Elnir in Yellowport. (UNKNOWN)
Most of these archives were beyond reading but In the time when Harkuna was laid in darkness
thanks to the aging Farrun, the head librarian
neither man, dragon or insect roamed the land.
and book keep, we were able to fill in the blanks.
Farrun’s history is something of a mystery. As It is said that during these times, known to us as
far as the library goes he is almost a piece of the the era of darkness, the Gods used Harkuna as
furniture, if not older. a playground. Obviously no records exist dur-
ing this time but it is thought that after the fall
To the residents of Yellowport, Farrun has al-
ways been the librarian, a fact made even more of the great god Harkun and the basics of the
believable due to his elderly appearance. How- lands had been formed, the younger god’s an-
ever some with a long standing history in the tics formed the details. For example, once upon
region say that even their grandparents remem- a time the islands of Akatsurai formed the east
ber him holding the same position, and that he coast of the land that is now known as Sokara.
hasn’t changed a bit. Whatever the reason for The king and queen of the sea, Alvir and Valmir,
Farrun’s longevity, his position as head librar- were seated upon their seashell thrones arguing
ian and book keep will remain, as will his unri-
about what to call the new oceans of the world.
valled historic knowledge.
The queen, in a raged voice, boomed so loudly
at her brother that the lands beneath them shook
THE CREATION violently and a huge chunk split away. As the
argument continued, so the lands moved fur-
The creation of Harkuna is a fabled tale in-
scribed in the prologue of every holy book in ther and further apart. These lands also broke
the world. In fact, the creation is one of the only into smaller pieces and formed what is now
religious preaching’s that the pantheons of the called the Dragon Island and Yodoshi, Toho and
world actually agree on. Below is a passage Shaku islands (Akatsurai). The Jawbone Islands
from the Harkonicon, the holy book of creation: are said to be the teeth of Alvir, created after his
“Harkun, he who is mighty, once ruled the sister threw her crown at him and knocked sev-
heavens. But the young gods were jealous of his eral of this teeth out. This was later proved to be
power. Led by Elnir, the sky god, they strove nothing short of an old wives’ tale as it is well
against Harkun, and overcame him. Defeated, documented that Captain Ashdey discovered
he fell from the heavens, down, down through and mapped these islands during the Age of
the black sky he fell, until he struck the barren Discovery. He named them the Jawbone Islands
lifeless lands. because of their likeness in position to that of
teeth in a lower jawbone.
 74

Many other geographical features on Harkuna surrounding mammals. He learned that living
have similar stories and tales about how par- in caves too small for the dragons to enter was
ticular islands, mountain ranges, forests and by far their safest option. From the solace of
deserts were formed. It is at this point that the these caves they learned how to make weapons
tales of further creation start to differ. Each sa- and clothes, hunt and form large social groups
cred order to their specific god tells stories of with a discernable language. However some-
how their deity played the major role in shaping thing else was stirring in these caves: a gift from
the world as it is today. The holy book of Al- the gods to help man fight for survival from the
vir and Valmir, for instance, states that the seas dragons – the gift of magic. Some men learned
of the world brewed up into a terrible storm how to harness these powers and conjure up
that raged for thousands of years. During this great feats of magic. The time for man to rise
time the seas carved the land masses into their and dominate was fast approaching.
shapes and scared the surface so that rivers can
flow to the hungry mouths of the seas.
1ST AGE – THE AGE OF TROUBLE
It is not agreed which god or gods played the
major role in the shaping of the world. All that is (-0600 TO 0000 TOH)
known is that the different gods from the north, Most of the era of man, known as the first age,
south and eastern pantheons each played their is documented in some form or another, be it
part and helped to spread life to the lands. They stone tablets, drawings on walls and caves and
now sit in the heavens looking over the world later the written word on parchment.
and listening to the prayers of their faithful. It is known that man emerged from the caves
and conquered the dragons using their weapons
and magic. This Dragon war raged for many
ERA OF LIGHT (UNKNOWN) hundreds of years resulting in the Dragons,
The era of light is the time in which the gods which had dominated Harkuna for thousands
breathed life onto Harkuna. Each of the gods of years, being hunted almost to extinction.
gave the gift of life to the planet: animals be- Man spread through the lands building villages,
gan to walk on the land, aquatic life began to towns and cities; breeding at a fast rate and ris-
swim in the sea and avian life began to fly in ing to the top of the world’s hierarchy.
the skies. The gods agreed that something was
missing from the world; something to fill a gap
in the hierarchy of life. This is when man and
humanoids were created; they were created in
the image of the gods. This was the last addi-
tion to Harkuna. Now the gods sat back and
watched the world evolve over millions of years
with great interest.

THE ERA OF DRAGONS (-30,000

TO -10,000 Time Of Harkun)
One creature evolved to be larger and more
fierce than any other on Harkuna. Dragons, as
they come to be known, dominated every cor-
ner of the world. They adapted to the lands in
which they bred, growing huge wings for those
in the mountains and hills, gills and enormous
fins for those in the seas and lakes, and razor-
sharp teeth and talons for those who dominated
the lands.
Man had become more intelligent than the
 75

2ND AGE – THE AGE OF Sokara is a mixture of stone and brick built
houses and castles with wooden or straw
DISCOVERY (0000 TO 0412 TOH) thatched roofed buildings in the smaller towns.
The age of discovery denotes man spreading The cities of Yellowport and Marlock City (for-
to the four corners of Harkuna and develop- merly Old Sokara) have long rows of terraced
ing their own identity, way of life and cultures houses lining the streets, with many of these
within their lands: rows numbering 20 or 30 houses.
Sokara, Golnir and The High Seas Golnir’s architecture is a direct representation
Appearance: The people of Sokara, Golnir, of rich and poor. In the southern city ports of
ocean dwellers and Island residents of The High Metriciens and Ringhorn, lavish high-domed
Seas are very similar in both physiological ap- castles made from exotic marble can be seen
pearances and culture: all have pale pink skin from miles away. The towns and inner cities do
from the northern hemisphere’s cooler climate, not bare the profligate designs of the rich mer-
and grow to similar heights (on average 6 feet chant prince’s castles, their abodes more resem-
tall for men and 5 feet 7 inches the women). ble those of Sokara: long lines of terraced houses
Town and city folk tend to wear cotton or hes- with smaller, thatched roof, farm and village
sian garb with leather moccasins or boots, while houses.
adventurers, Sokarian merchants and travel- The Islands in the Violet Ocean vary depend-
lers are mainly seen in armour of one type or ing on their location. The southern lying islands,
another. Sokarian dialect has been described as such as the Island of Fire, do not have any large
almost boring on Harkuna with no discernable cities. Their human inhabitants live in commu-
accent (plain speaking is a common description) nities rather than towns or villages comprising
whereas Golnites have a more regal tinge to of mud huts with thick wooden roofs to ward
their tones expressing their wealthier life styles off the rain. Each of these communities have
and living. specific buildings used for meeting and dining.
Wealthy merchants from the Cities of Gold and The city of Dweomer on the Sorcerers’ Isle
Glory are never seen in anything less than silk takes up most of the northern island and rivals
attire adorned with lavish jewellery. The mer- some of the main cities of Sokara in size. The
chants in the cities of Metriciens and Ringhorn city is constructed of stone, with narrow streets
on the southern coast of Golnir are by no means sporting large gothic edifices used as the sorcer-
a reflection of the standard of living through- ers’ colleges. The streets are lines with cobbled
out the whole province. The central lands have stone that, in some places, have been shaped to
a plethora of farms and fields suited only to form mosaic patterns visible only from the high-
working class farmers and their dirty, working est of the towers.
man’s clothes.
Sailors of the high seas, the collective name for
the Violet Ocean, Sea of Whispers, Sea of Hy-
dras and The Unbounded Ocean, have a very
strange ‘twang’ to their dialect and often extend
the last word in a sentence or add an expressive,
almost know-it-all, noise.
The inhabitants of the southern-most islands
of the high seas have a different appearance
sporting darker skin, flatter noses and many fa-
cial and body tattoos. Their dialect is very sharp,
to the point and uses many hand signals and
gestures when communicating.
Architecture: The architecture of these three
provinces vary greatly.
 78

The Great Steppes Uttaku & Old Harkuna

Appearance: The Great Steppes is a huge ex- Appearance: The working class members of
panse of grasslands, with some desert areas, Old Harkuna and Uttaku take on a similar ap-
spreads from the Gemstone Hills in the east pearance to the rest of the population on this
right across to Tigre Bay in the west. The no- continent with the exception of being thinner
madic tribes that inhabit the central regions on average. The reason for this is that up to a
often wear light coloured clothing during the thousand years ago the wet salty winds blown
Time of Flowers to protect them from the sun. in from the Cragdrift Sea polluted much of the
During the Time of Snow, the temperatures grain, making it edible in small amounts only.
plummet to well below zero and even the desert Although the salt winds have now dramatically
areas see a small snow covering; the tribes wear reduced, the eating habits of these people have
warm furs to protect them from the bitterly cold remained.
winds and temperatures. Yarimura is a cosmo-
Architecture: Due to the present Uttakin’s an-
politan city inhabited by both nomadic traders
cestors living in the Blue Grassland, most of the
from the central grasslands and the far eastern
low lying houses are built from imported sand-
settlers from Akatsurai. Both the eastern and
stone. The capital city of Aku is build into the
western tribes of the Great Steppes speak in a
southern tip of the Grumes with houses ascend-
common tongue that varies in accent only. The
ing from shanty-style shacks at the lower levels
Akatsurese inhabitants have adopted the com-
all the way up to the magnificent stone Spider
mon spoken tongue but struggle with the pro-
Palace.
nunciation of many of the words.
Architecture: The architecture with the Great Akatsurai
Steppes varies across the whole region: there The residents of Akatsurai are, on average, the
are tents and pavilions in the desert regions, shortest nation on Harkuna with men growing
wooden and stone houses in the savannah and to 5 1/2 feet tall and women to 4 feet 9 inches
sandstone buildings in the far eastern areas, on average There are some exceptions with men
such as Yarimura. and women growing well beyond their national
average but these are considered outcasts and
called Hasko-ki (giant) in all towns and cities
(Hasko-Kirago is the term given to foreigners
at the ports. It translates to distant giants). Both
men and women have dark hair, normally dark
brown or black, with lightly tanned skin giving
at a golden appearance.
Architecture: Akatsurai architecture is some of
the most beautiful on Harkuna. Buildings are
multi-tiered with the eaves bending up at the
ends giving the wonderful pagoda effect. The
amount of tiers that a building has are always
in odd numbers (1,3, 5 tiers etc.) to adhere to an
ancient tradition. The tiered roofs are thatched
around a thin circular wood called bamboo that
is native to Akatsurai. The same wood is also
used to line the floors and build partitioning
walls.

The Feathered Lands

Appearance: The jungle dwellers of northern
Ankon-Konu subject their young to their cus-
tom of the binding of their head, in particular
the rear part of the cranium, to give a pointed
 79

or coned shape to the skull. This shaping repre- Atticala

sented the working class of the tribes, the men Appearance: The people of Atticala were once
and women that would do all manner of jobs described by a merchant captain as ‘the walk-
throughout their lives such as building. Hunt- ing gods’. The bodies of the both the men and
ers and nobility kept the normal shape to their women of these lands are both toned and
heads. The people of the magnificent towns bronzed. Their attire consists of little more than
and cities have bronzed skin from the hot cli- a loose cloth draped about the body and held in
mate with both th the men and women growing place by an animal skin belt. During
to a similar average
verage height of 6 foot. The com- the time of flowers, A
Atticala grows
mon dialect and
nd written word descends directly hot enough for man
many of the pop-
from the Innkaka tribes, the collective name for ulation to walk aaround stark
people of this central jungle region. naked or wearing only a loin
Architecture: The ancient architecture of cloth. The people oof Atticala are
the Innka is some
ome of the most spectacu- amongst the tallest of Harkuna;
lar known to man. Large areas of jun- men grow to an average
av height
gle are removed
ved by the working class of 6 feet 4 inches tall and the
men and women omen and huge tiered woman average 6 feet tall.
buildings made de of stone are erected Architecture: The build-
in their place. Many of the cities are ings of Attic icalan people
built into the side of hills that boast are very bold with most of
many, many steps leading up the public buildings,
the main publ
tiers to the buildings
uildings and tem- gladiator pits/col-
such as gladi
ples above. iseums, ttemples and
theatres, being open
theatres
Ankon-Konu:
u:
topped so that the
toppe
Appearance: The people of gods are free to
god
Ankon-Konu evolved very look down and
loo
pending on
differently depending spectate. Huge
spe
their geological
cal loca- columns tower
col
ka people
tion. The Innka next to the en-
of the Feathered
ed Lands trances o of important
have already been men- buildings while the
nother noteworthy
tioned, but another emperor’s palace is built up
people of thiss continent are the in- steps leading to
high with many step
habitants of the
he Blue Grassland it.
on the west coast.
oast. Once over
the dividing g mountain Dangor and the Forb
Forbidden
range the land
d gets much Realm:
hotter and the land be- Very little is known about
abou the Forbid-
comes a harshh desert. den Realm with the whowhole province,
The people off these including its inhabitants, shrouded in
lands have brown mystery.
skin, tanned by the
relentless sun, with
light coloured hair.
Architecture: Much of
the inhabitants
ts here reside in tents
or pavilions. The major cities have
walls created from sandstone mixed
with stone from the Serpent’s Tail
mountain range.
ge.
 80

3RD AGE – THE AGE OF UNREST men and women of high adventure and won-
der-lust that travelled the lands from Yarimura
(0413 TO 0490 TOH) to Aku, Sokara and beyond. These brave souls
War broke out all across the lands. Warlords de- helped to shape the world as it is known today
clared lands as their own and fought violently by killing ancient monsters defeating evil rulers
to keep them. Pirates ruled from the Sea of Stilts and freeing kings of old.
to the Sea of Hydras. Trade routes that had been
laid during the second age were disrupted by War and civil unrest raged throughout the
pirates and military vessels, causing unrest lands. Some provinces, Sokara being a good ex-
within city walls while people starved. ample, overthrew corrupt royalty in an attempt
to bring peace and fair living to the land. All it
Warlords took ruler ship of lands by force, pay- actually created was an ongoing civil war that
ing mercenary soldiers to collect taxes from wanted to protect the new government on one
neighbouring towns and villages and expand- side, and restore the rightful heir to the throne
ing their ill-gotten lands. on the other. Wars caused the ushering of the
second dynasty, seeing many lands, countries
and provinces with new rulers, kings, queens,
4TH AGE – THE AGE OF KINGS warlords and pirate clans. If there was ever a
(0491 TO 0980 TOH) time for high adventure, this age of Harkuna is
As time passes on Harkuna, the warlords domi- certainly it.
nation over their lands become less of a dictator-
ship, in many parts, and more a royalist state.
Rulers whose parentage have ruled the lands for HARKUNA CALENDER
more than two generations declared themselves
The world of Harkuna revolves around its sun
Kings, Queens, Barons, Baronesses or Emperors.
once every 300 days. Because the world spins on
This appointment as a fixed bloodline ruler ship
its axis, it is not subject to varying weather con-
signified the first dynasty of Harkuna. From
ditions in the north and south hemispheres (i.e.
this point onwards the offspring of the rulers
the time of snow in the northern hemisphere
became the next in line to the seat of power with
is also the time of snow in the southern hemi-
most of the royal families or empires following
sphere). There is an equator that runs the cen-
this unwritten rule: The first child is heir to the
trally, horizontal circumference of the world;
throne of their parent with male children taking
most places situated here are subject to intense
precedence over female children i.e. if the first
heat and dry land. The north and south poles
child is female then the second child is male, the
spin furthest away from Sun and are the coldest
male child would be heir to the seat of power.
places known to Harkuna.
Not all of the established power bases turned
Sailors plot their sea-going courses according
royalist. Some of the empires of the world ruled
to the stars and so the time of the year is impor-
with an iron fist over their subjects making life
tant to travellers. The constellations mark direc-
almost unbearable for the working man. It is
tions by their positions in the sky during each
these dictatorships that ushered in the fifth age.
month, although the Spider and Lizard indicate
north and south respectfully all year round.
5TH AGE – THE AGE OF WAR (0981 People born in a specific month have a star
TO THE PRESENT YEAR 1203 sign associated with them. This star sign bears
no significance what so ever to the people born
TOH)
under it, although some preachers believe that
Many of the provinces, declared countries and as the Sun moves through each constellation,
islands on Harkuna, lived under their rulers people born under the star sign gain luck or
in relative peace. Heroes were born in this age; good fortune. This is of course, hokum.
 81

MONTHS Bron (Time of Leaves)

Below are the months of the year on Harkuna, Star Sign: Bear
the star sign associated with it, as well as day-
light hours and typical weather conditions. Each Typical weather: Cold temperatures
month consists of 25 days (5 weeks of 5 days). Binc (Time of Snow)
Lark (Time of Snow) Star Sign: Boar
Star Sign: Spider (north constellation) Typical weather: Snow and cold temperatures
Typical weather: Snow and cold temperatures

Vumal (Time of Snow) SEASONS

Star Sign: Ant Binc, Lark and Vumal make up the Time of
Snow (winter)
Typical weather: Cold temperatures
Elch, Cunil and Mak make up the Time of Rain
Elch (Time of Rain) (spring)
Star Sign: Snail Hernom, Gil and Funne make up the Time of
Typical weather: Cold temperatures and rain Flowers (summer)
Tyr, Gorab and Bron make up the Time of
Cunil (Time of Rain) Leaves (autumn)
Star Sign: Hawk
Typical weather: Rain
ANKON-KONU
Mak (Time of Rain)
The jungle dwellers of northern Ankon-Konu
Star Sign: Weasel have a history that pre-dates all other civilisa-
Typical weather: Rain and warm temperatures tions on Harkuna. Ancient tablets and markings
on the older, now crumbling buildings, form
Hernom (Time of Flowers) the basis of the common written and spoken
Star Sign: Horse language. In fact, the ancient Innka tribes of the
central forest of Ankon-Konu are responsible
Typical weather: Warm/hot temperatures for many of the astral findings that the rest of
Gil (Time of Flowers) the world take for granted: calendars, months
of the year, days of the week and star signs all
Star Sign: Lizard (south constellation) originate from the tribes of the Weeping Jungle.
Typical weather: Hot temperatures Innkas worship a deity that is almost unknown
Funne (Time of Flowers) to the rest of the civilised world. Quezzaal, the
Feathered Serpent, is the offspring of Jessa the
Star Sign: Dog virgin Goddess and was sent down to save all
Typical weather: Warm temperatures of Harkuna from themselves or prepare them
for Armageddon. The Innkas associate all man-
Tyr (Time of Leaves) ner of natural disasters, such as earthquakes,
Star Sign: Cat monsoons and severe lightning storms with the
Feathered Serpent and see them as a reminder
Typical weather: Warm to moderate tempera- from their god that Armageddon is coming.
tures
The strapping of male children’s skulls so
Gorab (Time of Leaves) that their cranium develops with an extended,
Star Sign: Rooster almost cone-like, point is to honour Quezzaal.
As these children grow, their elongated heads
Typical weather: Moderate to cold tempera- identify them as working class, or slaves, dedi-
tures cated to pleasing the god by their actions. Most
 83

mothers see their children being chosen as traders have nicknamed it. The proud people
slaves as a blessing, proud that their child was of this city have been in dispute regarding the
born to serve their god. Children of high rank- political running of their government for many
ing or royal families are immune to this law. It years. This dispute has managed to divide the
is their children who marry the women of the city into north and south Pethumar and is now
lower ranked tribes and are taught in the ways run by two governments: the Larmen in the
of the warrior and hunter. north and Leem in the south. Strangely enough,
both of these political parties worship the same
The Innka people wear bright multicoloured,
goddess, Sirocco the Desert Wind, but their feel-
hand embroidered tunics with a cape draped
ing towards how Pethumar should be run con-
across the shoulders and fastened just below the
stantly results in violent bloodshed! To stem the
neck-line. Family elders carry a wooden staff
civilian deaths a wall has been erected through
decorated at the top with feathers. The hierar-
the middle of the city, joined only at the far east-
chy of the tribe is represented by the coloured ern edge of the metropolis by a large double gate
feathers used to decorate the staff top: Red de- opening out into The Blue Grassland.
notes the clan leader, with blue being the next
in line followed by green and finally yellow. To the north-west lies the magnificent City of
Stargazers. The location of the city in conjunc-
During the ceremony of Quezzaal, an annual
tion to the north divide of the Serpent’s Tail
celebration that takes place during the month of mountain range gives the city walls the illusion
Tyr, the clan elder can promote or demote fami- of shining golden during the day and an illumi-
lies depending on their deeds during the year; nating blue after the sun goes down. Many say
how many slaves have been born to a family, that Stargazers was once the Golden City called
the amount of animals hunted and killed and Ark and that the wizards and sorcerers of the
the amount of daughters married to higher city moved it here by magics never again seen
ranking families are common point scorers. on Harkuna. The theory of the teleporting city
has never been proved but, then again, it has
The western side of the continent is divided never been disproved either.
from the Weeping Jungles by a huge mountain
range. This range, known as the Serpent’s Tail The occupants of the City of Stargazers are
amongst the most creative artificers and wizards
by the Innkas, denies the passing of cooling
known to these parts. It is not unknown to see
winds to the western lands resulting in a large, vessels designed to travel on the sea floating in
harsh expanse known as the Desert of Bones to the skies under the mass of a giant balloon. The
the south and the Blue Grassland to the north. inhabitants have built tall tower-style houses
It is said that the Sea of Stilts once spread as far where the topmost towers can only be reached
inland as the Serpent’s Tail mountain range. A via flying carpets, chairs or pillows. Some of the
great golden cityport called Ark was once a pre- wealthier and noble families even have genies
dominant and prosperous trading city nestled under their servitude.
in the southern mountains. Ark was responsible The young ruler of the City of Stargazers is the
for many imports and, more importantly, the ex- 16 year old Prince Ghataan. He is the sole surviv-
ports of rare animals and clothing from the cities ing member of the house of Taan when several
of Noral, Chundor, Pevek and Korevar. A cata- months ago a mysterious illness swept through
clysmic event resulting from a great ball of fire his parents, grandparents and siblings while he
falling from the sky some 600 years past caused was at the golden oasis with his minder, Rasoul.
the shoreline to sink back many hundreds of On his return to the palace he was devastated
miles. The great trading vessels of the golden to hear of the tragedy and immediately assigned
his mentor, the Sultan Barazeer, to lead a thor-
men of Ark still remain buried in the sands of
ough investigation into the deaths. But, consid-
the desert of bones. No one knows what became ering it was Barazeer who poisoned the water
of Ark. The great Golden City seemed to vanish supply to the royal household in the first place,
with the receding sea. he made up the mysterious illness story to cover
The inhabitants of the western province are far his own tracks. Prince Ghataan now lives bliss-
removed from their brethren in the central con- fully unaware of the planned usurping of his
tinent: just north of the Desert of Bones lies the small kingdom.
City of Pethumar, or the city of two halves as the
 84

ing mass of sea water the disappears deep into

ATTICALA the heart of Harkuna. Many men have perished
The western continent of Atticala is one that in the vortex, and once caught in the gravita-
many sailors look forward to visiting because tional well of swirling waters, there is no escape.
it is full of the most beautiful women in all of
The trade route and prospects of making a
Harkuna. The whole continent seems to ema-
good profit from their wares, encouraged many
nate perfection in almost every way: the people
Atticalan people move from their smaller com-
are tall, well toned and beautiful to look at (both
munities to the cityport. Many city traders don’t
the men and women). Their draped cloth attire
make products in the quantities needed for
is always brilliant white in colour, as if dirt is
merchant export and so rely heavily on visitors
forbidden to soil it, and the stone buildings and
and tourists (of which there are plenty). The
pillars are build with an unearthly accuracy.
prosperity of Onaros has also helped another,
There is an old saying by the salty seadogs of
smaller, city to grow. The city of Skios on the
Yellowport and Ringhorn - If the heavens were a
south-east coast can freely trade with the city
place on Harkuna, Atticala would be that place.
to the north via smaller, but still oar powered
Atticala is a vast continent with a landmass ships. The trading between these cities would
approaching that of Sokara, Golnir and Old be impossible via the Pass of Sighs, not only
Harkuna put together! There is no single ruling because of the long distance but because of the
body to this continent but rather a myriad mythical
y creatures that dwell there.
of city statess that govern
The one thing th that is common throughout At-
their own individual
expertise of the military training.
ticala is the expe
lands. One of these city
The soldiers h here are taught how to fight in
states belongs
ngs to Ona-
an aage-old style the surpasses the
ros, the largest
gest city on
training of any other soldiers in
trai
Atticala. This
his city has
Harkuna. The pikemen that make
Har
grown in prosperity
up th the bulk of the armies are bor-
due to its trading
ading route
der papatrols of the city states, and yet
with Kunrirr on the
they aare the most skilled of the com-
western coastast of Ut-
batants. These soldiers commonly
batan
taku. Fine silklk cloth,
wear light leather armour that
wea
Farrel skin (a crea-
includes a breast covering and
inclu
ture similar to the
leather skirt. The arms, shoulders,
leath
common deer er but
and legs are left un-armoured to
with an unusual
usual
maximise free movement while
maxim
tabby skin) and
ghting. The pikemen only carry a
fightin
Woes Wood
ood
long pikpike (a weapon that resembles a
from the Forest
rest
spear but aalso has a sharp, forward fac-
of Woes aree the
ing blade m made from the same piece of
most popular ar of products that are
metal as th the spear tip) and a body shield
transported from Onaros via huge
with a cu cut-out portion that allows the
oared boats to Kunrir where they
warrior tto fight while shielded. The
are either traded
aded or brought and
pikemen fight in a formation known
then sold for or a vast profit.
phalanx; a rectangular formation
as a phal
Only the mostost experienced
with each of the soldiers positioning
of captains are allowed to
shield to the sides, front or top
his shie
make the treacherous
eacherous jour-
depending on their position within
depend
ney across the Sea of Stilts
formation, to form a moving ar-
the form
due to its many dangers.
moured box. The phalanx formation
many-a-trading
ding vessel has
always proved the most effective
succumb to the mysteri-
against arrow fire.
again
ous Umbart’s ’s vortex: an
incredibly large
arge swirl-
 85

Lake of Demons Thousands of years ago Vagrak was born to

The aptly named lake of Demons lies in the the last remaining Giant Turtles of Harkuna
north of Atticala, and east of Onaros, and is that resided within the Great Lake (later to be
by far the largest lake in the whole world. The named Demon Lake). When the demons came
lake is fed by two fast flowing rivers; the Nu- they killed the parent turtles but not before a
mei River with its source high in the Westwin mother was able to push her child down the riv-
mountain range, and the Orkuan river flow- er outlet towards the sea. Although Vagrak was
ing down from the high Krateros hills. Living only an infant, it was still several hundred feet
in the deep waters of the lake are the Yakia, or in length and soon got stuck in shallow waters
water demons. No one knows for sure where along the river. Here it remained for 600 years
these demons originate from although the best while gathering silt and dirt until it looked like
guess is from the boiling hot geyser that signi- a hillock on the side of the river. Now one thing
fies the very source of the Orkuan river. Several that many people do not know about Giant Tur-
times an hour, the geyser launches thousands of tles is that they will spend 90% of their multi-
tonnes of water high in the Atticalan sky. The millennium lifespan fast asleep. Giant Turtles
Yakia are said to have been thrown from their feed by absorbing nutrients through their skin
homes deep under the hills and passed down from the water, because let’s face it, there isn’t
the river to the lake. The demons have been in enough sea-grass on the entire planet to feed
the lake for so long that their numbers are vast. one of these creatures for a month!
Many fishermen have gone missing on the lake, After 600 years Vagrak began to grow hungry.
otherwise known as the Demon Sea due to its The river in which he had vastly outgrown was
immense size, and animals drinking from the unable to sustain it any longer. The Giant Tur-
shores have been seen being pulled under by tle thought hard about what it could do about
large blue arms with sword-like claws. Need- the situation and fell back asleep to contemplate
less to say, the Demon Lake and the surround- any possible ideas. During this 200 year snooze
ing areas are quite desolate. the settlement that was positioned on the back
The lake’s only outlet runs from its north-east of the Giant Turtle’s shell, thinking it as noth-
corner down to its estuary which is half a mile ing more than a large hill in an advantageous
from the city of Onaros. Over the years the city position near to the sea, had grown into the
has been plagued by the water demons steal- city of Carnass (It was later changed to Cara-
ing livestock from the pastures and even taking pace in honour of the Great Turtle’s shell). After
farmers and travellers. To ward against these at- sizing up all options, Vagrak decided that the
tacks, the people of Onaros built a huge 20 foot only thing it could possibly do was to walk the
tall wall that runs for two miles, starting at the 2 miles, a short distance for a 4 mile long tur-
estuary and running upstream past the borders tle, to the sea. As you can imagine, this came as
of the cities farms. Because the water demons quite a shock to the occupants of Carapace. The
cannot spend much time out of the water, they Giant Turtle heaved its enormous body from
are unable to travel the short distance around the ground that had been its home for almost
the wall to the farms, and so the raiding stopped; a thousand years, and walked to the sea. Each
in fact there hasn’t been a single incident since footstep that Vagrak took shook the ground like
the wall was finished 25 years ago. giant earthquakes. Surprisingly, most of Cara-
pace was undisturbed (physically) by this event.
A few of the taller building collapsed but that
The Great Turtle was all. Vagrak swam out into the Sea of Stilts
and promptly fell asleep. Here it has remained,
The Great Turtle floating across the Sea of Stilts
caught in the Aros current that drifts it back-
is a magnificent site to behold. Vagrak, as the oc-
wards and forwards between Uttaku and Atti-
cupants of the turtle’s back have come to know
cala. No one knows if and when the Great Turtle
him (or maybe her) is over 4 miles long with a
will wake, although 11 years ago it did yawn.
shell that rises out of the sea by more than half a
mile. Resting on top of the Great Turtle’s shell is
the city of Carapace.
 86

na, Akatsurai is on the brink of civil war, or to be

AKATSURAI more precise an usurping of the existing power-
The islands of Akatsurai lies beyond the Sea of base. The Imperial Sovereign has ruled the ori-
Hydras in the far east of Harkuna. ental islands for as long as history recollects. As
The people of Akatsurai spent much of their an old Emperor dies, his heir takes the seat the
development in relative isolation from the rest power. His rule is absolute over his loyal sub-
of Harkuna. Because of this, they were not un- jects (and indeed his disloyal ones too) but he
der the influence of other nations when creating does take advice from his parliamentary advi-
their own written script and spoken language. sors - the Wistaria Clan. This tradition has been
Akatsurai was the only province on the whole of in force for a hundreds of years and was intro-
Harkuna with a different spoken local language duced to make sure that the Emperor’s laws and
and written text to the common dialect that is decisions will keep him in the favour of the peo-
understood around the globe. The written lan- ple. However, this ruling power started to shift
guage of Akatsurai is almost drawn, rather than in favour over the last thirty years, when a new
written, using a brush instead of a quill. The powerbase arose under the rule of Lord Kiyo-
symbols and hieroglyphics of this strange writ- mori, head of the Starburst Clan. The Imperial
ten tongue are not letters in an alphabet that cre- Sovereign was kept intact for tradition only and
ate words, but rather a pictorial image that can the Emperor’s rule over the last two decades has
be explained by adding new symbols to it. The been nothing more than an illusion.
last 400 years has seen a change in the dialect With the waning power of the Imperial Sov-
of the Akatsurese. Trading with lands from the ereignty and the strengthening of the Starburst
west have made it compulsory for this oriental Clan, several other noted warlords and clan
nation to adopt the common spoken language, leaders intend on ruling. Already, on the east-
but not without some pronunciation problems. ern provinces of the main island, Lord Yori-
As is akin to this period in the history of Harku- tomo, leader of the ascending Moonrise Clan,
 87

has announced his rule by proclaiming himself Almost the entire central region of Golnir is ded-
Shogun. Yoritomo proudly displays his duelling icated to farming, Delpton grew from a small
katanas while traversing ‘his’ lands, an honour community of adjoining farms into the prosper-
allowed only by a shogun. His rule is absolute ous farm town that it is today. The grains reaped
from the huge fields are ferried down the river
as is his following. Yoritomo is amassing an
to be brought by merchants in Ringhorn. These
army to sweep across the land and destroy the merchants then mark-up the prices per unit and
Starburst clan once and for all. sell it to traders, who in turn sell it to local towns
and cities as well as distant lands.
This huge country has been without a single
FORBIDDEN ruler, such as a King or Queen, for many years.
The blood lines to any of the diminished monar-
REALM,THE chy can no longer be traced and it very possible
As we speak, the famous captain Agar Fistan of that peasants or noblemen go about their nor-
the merchant ship Drago is on his way to Gash- mal everyday lives blissfully unaware that they
are heir to a long-lost kingdom. The merchant
muru Gulf to map the coast of the Forbidden princes, named due to their wealth and power
Realm. His voyage is funded by none other than and having no royal connections what-so-ever,
Grieve Marlock, Protector General of Sokara run the province in an efficient manner. Because
who has decided that uncovering the myster- the country relies on trade and has prospered
ies of this land are long overdue. Only a cou- from it, it only seemed natural that two of the
ple of months ago, a navy ship from Marlock wealthiest merchants(Kaleer and Marlesh)
City was blow off course during a routine escort would gain power and control over the main
of two merchant ships to Akatsurai. The ves- cities, Metriciens and Ringhorn respectfully.
sel sailed blind for several days before sighting The rest of the country is ruled by local land-
land. What they saw and reported back to the owners, sheriffs, Barons and Baronesses. These
General is what whetted his appetite: the cap- local rulers have had titles and lands passed
tain spoke of golden cliffs miles high with, what down through the generations of their families
and guard them fiercely. One such ruler is the
they thought was a city high up in the clouds! Baroness Vanna of Ravayne who resides in Cas-
There will be more information when, or if, tle Ravayne just north of Ringhorn. The castle
Agar Fistan and his crew return. (see Source- area is so huge that could be classed as a small
book 11 - Dangor - The City in the Clouds) city in its own right. Surrounding the city are a
multitude of farms, all taxed under the rules of
the Baroness.

GOLNIR
Golnir is a prosperous merchant kingdom nes- The Cities of Gold and Glory
tled between Sokar to the east and Old Harkuna The abundance of wealthy cities, prosperous
to the west. The rich cities and ports of the land, farming towns, and titled landowners in Gol-
such as Metriciens and Ringhorn, have been nir, has rightly earned it the nickname - The
forged by the vast wealth of the merchant princ- Cities of Gold and Glory. Metriciens is a coastal
es. Most of the exported goods from this region port comprising of vast, broad market plazas;
are grain and cloth. one could almost say that the entire city is un-
der a market canvas. Not only are there three
main market areas in the city, but many of them
spill down the interlocking side streets as well.
Built around the outskirts of Metriciens are the
merchant prince’s palaces. The buildings range
from small castle towers to the immense palace
royal in the centre of the city.
 88

The Whistling Heath The resident outlaw band, known as the Wolf
This large area of high hills looks quite out of Pack, has recently been charged with the rob-
place against the flat plains of the farmlands. The bery of some priests of Lacuna. The priests were
area gains its name from the strong winds that on a pilgrimage to Marmorek on the Rese Riv-
rush from the plains and up through the craggy er in the west of Golnir. It was rumoured that
tors of the higher hill tops. The gusts make an some of the children belonging to the prospect-
eerie keening sound like that of a baying wolf, ing families in the foothills nearby have been
often fooling travellers through these parts. The suffering with some strange illness. The priests
Whistling Heath is home to numerous beasts; decided to take the long journey across land,
some who attack without notice, such as the bringing food and supplies to the families and
ogres, and others who simply hinder and annoy their children. On the third day of travel the
travellers, like the prank-playing goblins. priests passed by the infamous Haunted Hills.
Gathered on the lowlands close to the road
were a small pack of wolves. The priests paid
The Haunted Hills the wolves no mind but as they neared the pack,
to their surprise, they stood up on two legs and
The Haunted Hills are virtually uninhabited
rushed in to attack. The tactic of hiding under
and have no settlements for miles around. With-
wolf furs until an unsuspecting traveller passed
in the hills reside the mischievous will-o’-the-
by was used a lot by the Wolf Pack outlaws. The
wisps, small dancing balls of light that can lead
aim was to leave none alive to tell of the attack
you either to or from danger, as well as bands of
so that it would continue to be a successful tac-
cutthroat outlaws and wandering dead souls in
tic in the future. Unfortunately for the outlaws
the guise of ghosts.
one priest escaped and fled back to monastery.
A reward has been issued for the capture of this
outlaw band.
 89

Goddess of the Wilderness to her devout druid

ISLANDS OF followers. This legend dates back to when the
HARKUNA druids were considered heretic for following an
unrecognised goddess. The druids were hunted
The seas of Harkuna are teeming with islands
down by Templars of Elnir, known at that time
ranging from the small and uninhabited, to the
as the One True God, forcing them to sail out
large and densely populated. Below are a cou-
on boats across the open seas. Lacuna heard
ple of these islands. The majority will be cov-
the prayers of her druids and created an island
ered in the upcoming source book called The
crafted from a bead from her necklace.
Violet Ocean - Over the Blood-Dark Sea.
The Templars heard news of this fabled land
and set out across the seas to purge the island of
Druids’ Isle evil and claim it for themselves. En route to the
The Isle of Druids lies just off the eastern coast island, almost half way between the east coast
of Sokara in the Sea of Whispers. Legends of old of Sokara and the Isle of Druids, there was a
say that the island was a gift from Lacuna the strange occurrence: the crews of the five ships
all began to hear whispering voices in their
heads. The whispering was relentless; instruc-
tions, suggestions, insults, beguilement were all
racing though the sailors’ minds at once. The
crews were driven to the point of madness. The
piloting of the war galleons became so erratic
that they collided with one other and sank to the
bottom of the sea. Only one person survived - a
young cabin boy by the name of Aaron Goods-
teed washed up on the shores near Venefax. He
told the tale of the Sea of Whispers and the fate
of the Templars to anyone who would listen.
A few years later, when Aaron had turned
twenty and one years, he sailed alone to the Isle
of Druids and became an initiate of Lacuna. He
lived out his days on the Isle, never once leaving
the sanctity of the holy groves.
Many druids now reside on the Isle of Dru-
ids and consider the whole island as the defini-
tive temple of Lacuna. Young acolytes travel to
the Isle to fulfil their devotion and become full
priests and priestesses to the Goddess of The
Wilderness. The final initiation is performed
within the shrine at Aspen Trading Post on the
North West shores of the island. A donation of
30 Shards is expected in the final initiation.

Sorcerers’ Isle, The

The Sorcerers’ Isle, or Braelak to give its cor-
rect name, lies in the Violet Ocean between the
cursed Sleeping Isle to the south and the coast of
Golnir to the north.
Dweomer , the island’s one and only settle-
ment, is the home to the most powerful sorcer-
 90

ers and wizards on Harkuna. The entire city is Island where it lived with him at his collage for
dedicated to the teaching of magic through a a couple of years. The unicorn soon outgrew
network of schools, colleges, and universities his small apartment on the campus grounds,
that line the streets and alleys. The streets are so Kallos needed to come up with a safe place
adorned with picturesque cobbles that wind for the Blue Unicorn to live. The sorcerer and
their way through the city. There are three main his unicorn travelled to the deserted south side
plazas in Dweomer that house the three larg- of the island and there Kallos began the incan-
est of the colleges of magic: Carminry College tation to grown an arboreal home for his new
which specialises in magic of a curing nature, friend. The huge trees began to push their way
Fortuity College which specialises in charms through the soil like desperate zombies escap-
and luck, and Fulgur College which specialises ing from a grave. The sorcerer watched as the
in the conjuring field of magic. Surrounding Blue Unicorn disappeared into the trees, al-
each plaza are the smaller, but still impressive most sad to see him go. He visited as often as
colleges, each with its own specialisation in a he could but as old age came to Kallos, so the
specific field. visits lessened. Years after the passing of Kallos,
the unicorn, the very last of his breed, died too.
Fulgur College is a prime example of what
His body became one with the soil of the forest
beautiful architecture can be accomplished by
and had a profound effect: each new leaf that
magic. The whole building, including the tall
grew from that day onwards sparkled with an
towers that reach far into the clouds, is forged
azure hue. Even the trunks of the trees began to
from a single piece of obsidian. For 50 days the
turn in colour. The population of Dweomer call
Headmaster and his 12 senior black ranked wiz-
it the Blue Forest, but those who remember the
ards of the collage summoned lightning storms
old sorcerer who bred the Blue Unicorn refer to
that shaped the outside of the building with
it as Kallos’ Forest.
their powerful bolts of electricity. Giant elemen-
tal creatures from their astral planes were sum-
moned to gouge out the rooms, corridors and
stairs. The result was a magnificent and highly SOKARA
intricate building, but it was located hundreds Sokara is a kingdom of immense beauty, civil
of miles from Dweomer! This is where the sen- war, devious fay and hungry monsters. These
ior members of Tempra College of Teleportation lands of mystery and intrigue are situated on the
came in. It took almost a month of incantations, farthest east coast, below the Spine of Harkuna.
devotion, and in some cases blood and sweat, Only a handful of the bravest adventurers can
to teleport the college to its present location in boast that they have seen as far north as the Cit-
the Dweomer Plaza. This process also happened adel of Velis Corin, as far west as the Forest of
with the other 2 main colleges with the only dif- Larun, as far south as Yellowport, or as far east
ference being that Carminry College is made as the Blessed Springs.
from a single piece of white stone, and Fortu-
ity College is made from a single piece of red These lands were, until recently, ruled by King
quartz. Corin VII. Corin ruled the land with a corrupt
hand: he over-taxed the cities and merchant
One of the island’s most astonishing and in- traders, took from the rich and poor alike and
triguing sights is the Blue Forest. Some say that executed any who opposed him or his ways of
the indigo coloured bark and sparkling azure leadership. Rumour has it that King Altar III,
leaves are the result of a failed spell of a sorcerer Corin’s father, was planning to abdicate his
long passed. This story is almost true with the throne to his eldest daughter Amelia instead
exception that the spell worked exactly as the of his scheming son. However, Altar III died
sorcerer Kallos had intended. Kallos was the mysteriously in his sleep before anyone could
headmaster of Figro College until he quit his be told of his abdication plan. The only member
job to recapture his youth and once again ad- of the royal family who knew of this plan was
venture through the Fabled Lands. On one of Amelia herself and unfortunately she died in
his quests, in fact the last of his quests, Kallos a horse riding accident a few days after her fa-
found a very rare creature indeed - a blue uni- ther’s death. Corin was crowned King Corin VII
corn foal. He brought the foal back to Braelak
 91

one week after his father’s funeral in Sokar City location of the last jousting contest of Sir Franc-
(Princess Amelia was never publicly buried and es of Sokar. During that night Marlock dreamed
her resting place still remains a mystery). that he was walking in that field with Sir Franc-
es and they conversed about everything that
The King’s royal bodyguard for most of his had happened in the years since his passing.
reign was Captain Grieve Marlock; a middle- Towards the end of their converse, Sir Frances
aged war veteran who had fought in many of rested a gauntleted hand on Grieve’s shoulder
the kingdom’s great battles and risen through and said, ‘Don’t you think that Sokara deserves
the army ranks. Marlock started his life as a to be free?’ Marlock woke with a start to see his
Paige to Sir Frances of Sokar City. He served his soldiers saddling their horses and preparing for
master faithfully for many years, and in return, the impending slaughter of Trefoille. ‘STOP!’
was given a roof over his head, taught the art of he ordered, ‘This is not the way that Sokara
sword-play, and combat tactics. One dark rainy should be ruled. The Freemen are right by op-
night during late Vumal (February), Sir Frances posing a tyrant king that would give the order
and Marlock were ambushed while travelling to slay hundreds innocent people in the hope of
back from a joust near to the town of Trefoille. silencing a few. It is time for change. Should any
Sir Frances received a mortal wound to his chest of you
y here with me today y wish to down arms
during
uring the fracas but lived long enough to see and return to Sokar City, you will do so without
his
is young protégée cut through the five assail- challenge. However, when we meet in combat
ants
nts as if his sword were a natural extension of on the ramparts of Sokar’s defences you will die
his
is own arm. After he had buried his master, like the tyrant King’. Not a single man
Marlock returned to Sokar City and joined left Marlock’s side. He rode alone in
the
he Militia. to Trefoille and met with the Free-
men of Sokara. The rebellion had a
Sokara was beginning to choke under the
new leader.
rule
ule of their young King and although
Corin
orin VII still had a large fol- Three months to the day of
lowing
owing of royalists in leaving the city of Sokar,
many of the Grieve Marlock and his
towns 2000 strong Freemen of
and
nd cit- Sokara returned. A battle
ies,
es, he engulfed the city. Mar-
had
ad also made a large number lock and his faithful broke
off enemies too. A band of rebels through the northern gate
calling
alling themselves the Freemen of at midnight on the second
Sokara
okara began secretly recruiting mem- night. Upon entering the
bers.
ers. News of the rebellion spread far and metropolis, the city militia
wide and it was only a matter of time until threw down their weap-
the
he King himself became aware of it. He ons and pledged
ordered
rdered Marlock to take 200 of his finest allegiance to
soldiers
oldiers to Trefoille, the rumoured base Marlock and
off the Freemen of Sokara, and raise it
his cause. They
to
o the ground. His specific instructions
included
ncluded the slaughter of every man, dragged the
woman, child, and beast, in a 2 mile tyrant king
radius
adius of the town. Four days later from his
Marlock and his men were camped throne
onn a ridge overlooking Trefoille. r o o m
In
n the distance a fog could be seen across
sett
ettling on the Curstmoor like a
soft
oft blanket being laid on a royal
mattress. Marlock reflected on the
teachings
eachings of his old master as he
looked
ooked down on the field that
200 years earlier had been the
 92

mud laden streets to the statue of Corin that matter of importance. To this day the city still
marked the city centre. It is here that King Corin smoulders while masons and carpenters work
VII of Sokara was executed for crimes against on its rebuilding. Marlock assures the refugees
the people of the land. The Royal bloodline was that a phoenix will rise from the ashes of the old
ordered to be similarly executed so that none city, metaphorically speaking of course.
remained, but unknown to Marlock, the King’s
The Protector-General of all Sokara rules with
son and only remaining heir to the throne of
an iron fist, and although some deem his actions
Sokara was secretly smuggled out on the night
and punishments very severe, the majority of
that the city was put under siege. Prince Ner-
the population much prefer his ruling ways. In
gan and a handful of his loyal servants escaped
order to police the province and avoid another
across the Curstmoor and hugged the east edge
major battle such as the one at Trefoille, Mar-
of the Forest of Larun until they could see the
lock installed a garrison of militia in every ma-
Coldbleak Mountains. Here they sought refuge
jor town and city. These troops live in specially
and planned a return to Sokar City to reclaim
built barracks and operate under the command
the throne.
of a Sergeant at Arms for the smaller garrisons,
The people hailed Grieve Marlock as the new and a Provost Marshal assigned to the cities.
lord of Sokara, a title that he dismissed imme- One such Provost Marshal is Marloes Marlock,
diately. I am not your ruler he stated, I am your the Protector-General’s brother. He was as-
protector. From that day onwards he was known signed the task of watching Yellowport after the
as the Protector-General of all Sokara. To usher dissolving of the former city council.
in the new regime, Marlock renamed the city of
Sokar after himself. Marlock City remains today
as the capital city of Sokara; charred remains of Forts of the Eastern Marches
royalist are hung from the main gates as a warn- To the north east of Sokara lies the peninsula
ing to any that are still loyal to the royal blood- known as Nerech, Land of the Manbeasts. The
line, and the tyranny that it represented. monsters that inhabit the wind-blasted lands re-
Ironically, the city of Trefoille was the fo- semble men, for the most part, but have gnarled,
cal point of a huge battle during the civil war disfigured bodies, covered in silver-grey hair,
that wracked the province during the first few with heads covered by bestial iron helms. These
months following the occupation of Marlock Manbeasts once posed a real threat to the peo-
City (previously known as Sokar City). An ple of Sokara, stealing livestock, food, and even
army of followers loyal to Prince Nergan and farmers, taking them back to the rolling hills of
his claim to the throne of Sokara occupied the Nerech to feed. In order to prevent an invasion
city that represented the starting point of Mar- of these monsters on northern Sokara, the King
lock’s military coup. Marlock himself led his ordered that a wall be built to keep the Man-
army to Trefoille, recruiting many hundreds beasts on their own secluded land.
of mercenaries on the way. During the parley The wall was a massive undertaking that took
before the battle it was agreed that the city be over a thousand men to build, spanning from
evacuated as the good people of Trefoille were the shores of Disaster Bay in the north, to the
not to blame for the impending destruction of White Cliffs of Nerechin in the south east. It
their once great city, nor was it representative stands twenty five feet high, six to ten foot thick
of either sides’ objectives to use the people as at the base, depending on the geographic loca-
a shield during the war. When the last of the tion, and almost seventy five miles long. Three
refugees were clear of the city, the battle began. major forts are positioned along the wall at equal
The battle of Trefoille raged for three days and distances apart, and smaller outposts and guard
nights. Many of the outer walls to the city were towers are dotted in-between. Each of the three
reduced to rubble. The houses and shops of the forts, Brilon, Estgard, and Mereth, are responsi-
city burned in a fire so bright that the occupants ble for one third of the wall. This responsibility
of Marlock City could see the orange glow on covers the repair and maintenance of their sec-
the night horizon. With the royalists crushed at tion of the wall, patrolling on the Sokara side,
the expense of one of the province’s most pros- occasional recons into the unforgiving lands of
perous crossroad towns, the order was given Nerech, and supply trips to the neighbouring
to rebuild the burnt out husk of Trefoille as a towns and villages.
 93

The Spine of Harkun Bronze Hills

Legends and religious stories all tell of the fall- The Bronze Hills lay just north of the Forest of
ing of the god Harkun, ruler of the heavens. His Lavin, east of the River Grimm. Once upon a
defeat at the hands of the younger gods sent him time these rolling hills were lush and green, un-
crashing down to the world below, and created touched by man and beast alike. Twenty years
the lands of Harkuna as they are known today. ago a prospector by the name of Sirus Sternham-
One of these geographical features is the forbid- mer, discovered a vein of copper running along
ding mountain range that separates the north of the back of a cave at the southern end of the hills.
Sokara from the Plains of Howling Darkness be- After Sirus had returned to Caran Baru to sell
yond; it is called the Spine of Harkun. his precious metal, news travelled far and wide
concerning the find. Many miners and prospec-
The mountains here are enormous; some of
tors travelled to the area to seek their fortune,
them are so tall that the tops disappear into the
and hopefully, even more precious metals. The
clouds. A few of the bravest, or some might say
vein of bronze was the only source of that metal
stupidest, of adventurers have attempted to
ever found in the hills; hence the name, however
traverse the dense and impassable range of ra-
it did lead to multiple discoveries of silver veins
zor sharp cliffs and snow-capped peaks. Those
all over the area.
who returned told of snow storms so fierce that
it blinded you, savage monsters, and deadly The Bronze Hills look vastly different today
avalanches. Not all of the stories brought back with the entire area being given up to mining.
from the Spine of Harkun are bleak and depress- Wherever you look you will see quarries, mine-
ing; some spoke of secret passes and hidden shafts, or people digging. There isn’t any dis-
mountain passages, but although many have cernable greenery left either; it has either been
returned to seek these paths out, none have ever dug through, walked on so much that it has
been found. turned to mud, or has vast heaps of excavated
rock dumped on it. Some of the quarries are
Located almost half way along the length of
even open to the public. It will cost you 50 sil-
the mountain range is a geographical feature
ver shards to dig in a specific mine for one hour,
known as the Pass of Eagles; a thin chasm sliced
and anything that you find or dig out is yours to
right through the Spine of Harkun from north
keep. Most of the mines open to the public have
to south. A citadel has been built right across
been almost drained of any valuable minerals,
the southern end of the pass, so that none can
but the people digging aren’t aware of that.
cross into Sokara from the north without going
through the citadel first.
 94

Slavery and punishment are also rife here, al- tries of Harkuna. The Uttakin armies marched
though it is kept well out of sight of the public. boldly across the northern continent conquer-
Slavers sell their captured stock to the miners ing any that stood in their path. The gladiatorial
of the Bronze Hills to increase their digging ar- ways and teachings of the Uttaku army made
eas, and to improve the chance of finding pre- them ruthless and unforgiving in combat. Even
cious metals. Yellowport and Marlock City use unarmed, the Uttakin were deadly masters of
the area as punishment for crimes committed their own martial art known as the Blue Grass
against the new regime. In both of these uses of Way. Once the lands had been conquered, the
the mines, not many of those sent below the sur- god Ebron bestowed another gift on his faithful
face to dig, ever come out again. people - a Faceless King. Ammunas the Baptiser
was the first of this ruling dynasty having no
recognisable facial features whatsoever, aside
UTTAKU & OLD from tiny indents where the eyes should have
been.
HARKUNA Once a year to the day that Uttaku united as
Uttaku has a proud history. For many centuries a single clan, they celebrate with a special fes-
this noble land ruled most of the northern con- tival known as the Holy Day of the Recanta-
tinent of Harkuna. New archaeological finds of tion of the Soul. During this celebration, every
Uttakin origins are still being found today, such single countryman, including those away from
as the remains of an ancient city beneath Yel- Uttaku, such as merchants, must wear a blue
lowport. spotted scarf. Anyone not doing so is fined 75
1500 years ago, the Uttakin were known as lit- shards and sentenced to a week of hard labour.
tle more than nomadic tribes living in the Blue Those unable to pay are imprisoned and await
Grassland of Ankon-Konu. Over time the tribes trial before the Arbiters of the Word of Ebron.
merged into larger clans and settled within their Not many of these heretic Uttaku are ever seen
own towns and cities, rather than tents and pa- again. To honour the Faceless King, the lords
vilions, but their existence was a constant strug- of the lands wear brightly coloured wooden
gle due to the age-old war between them and masks in public to hide their faces, and most of
the Golden Men and their ark ships. After being the population of Uttaku will never see the true
beaten into retreat by the superior Golden Men, faces of their lords.
the Uttaku took to their ships and sailed north Over time, the Uttaku Kingdom was forced
for many weeks until discovering a new land back to the country from whence it came. The
that they named in their honour - Uttaku. old hierarchy remains to this day, with the
Around 500 years ago, an abnormal blue- next dynasty of the Faceless King ruling over a
skinned hybrid child was born to the leader smaller, but still proud, powerful, and utterly
of one of the town clans. Word spread of this cruel kingdom.
child and as it did, it was discovered that several
more had been born all around the country on
the same day. The families of the children trav-
elled to the largest of the cities, Aku, where they
were declared nobility. Unknown to the Uttakin
at this time, the blue-skinned noble was a direct
gift from the god Ebron, for the upmost dedi-
cation of the tribes to him over the decades. As
the hybrids grew, they took over the rule of the
clans from their advisors.
Every clan in Uttaku united under the ban-
ner of Ebron, and his avenging demons - the
Usskhem. This made them a powerful force in-
deed as they were unified as a single country
unlike the other warring provinces and coun-
 95

Troll Bridge at the local market, rather than making a profit

The nearest bridge to the source of the Ruby from her friend. Unbeknown to Alisee, Gronk
River has been aptly named the Troll Bridge. Re- has buried several hundred Shards beneath an
siding under the bridge in a large recess below old tree close to her farm, and drawn a map that
the eastern supports, is Gronk the Troll. Like he placed inside of a sealed clay pot, with the in-
most Trolls, Gronk stands a menacing 7 feet structions to break it if she hears of his demise.
tall, and is covered from head to toe in matted
grey fur. This frightening appearance is some-
The Ancient Way-Room of Uttaku
what downscaled by Gronk’s attire. He wears
a stripped scarf, a spotted scarf, and a wooden During the continent-wide reign of the Ut-
mask, similar to the Lords of Uttaku, to avoid a takin 500 years ago, the Faceless King would
roasting from the Priests of Ebron on the holiest visit many of the captured cities, demanding
of days. both sacrifices and tributes to Ebron. The vast
distances between these cities took many days
Gronk has lived under the bridge for many travel by boat, and many times longer by land.
years, and makes his living by charging peo- The Faceless King demanded that his sorcer-
ple 5 Shards to cross. Anyone who refuses the ers and priests devise a way for him to travel to
toll is either shown away, thrown in the river, these distant lands in a much quicker way. The
or killed, should anyone be stupid enough to priests thought long and hard over this quanda-
attack him! Trolls don’t actually have a great ry, so long in fact that several were put to death
need for Shards, as not many towns and cities by the King, but this did inspire the remaining
accommodate 7 foot tall grumpy trolls with lit- ones. The priests had their acolytes dig a deep
tle regard for rules and regulations. However, hole into the ground at the very location where
Gronk has befriended a lonely farmer’s widow the first Blue-Faced nobility was born. A stone
living a couple of miles downriver. Alisee buys staircase was built descending into an ornate
the troll his weekly order of a cow and 3 sheep, octagonal chamber. On each of the eight walls
but only charges him the price of the animals
 96

is an archway adorned with mystical runes and Arch 6 will teleport the user to the
ancient scripts. The runes glow with an eerie front gates of Pethumar in
blue light giving the illusion that the archway Western Ankon-Konu
itself is glowing. Each archway will teleport the
Arch 7 will teleport the user to the
user to a specific location on Harkuna:
Dunpala in Central Ankon-
Arch 1 will teleport the user to the Konu
front gates of Aku in Uttaku
Arch 8 will teleport the user to the
Arch 2 will teleport the user to the Bluewood on the Sorcerer’s
base of Sky Mountain in The Isle
Great Steppes
To keep the purpose of the location a secret, the
Arch 3 will teleport the user to the priests created a magical plinth to seal the top of
front gates of Trefoille in the staircase so that none without the special key
Sokara could enter. To finish the Way Room, eight huge
stones were placed at even intervals around the
Arch 4 will teleport the user to the
central plinth to represent the eight teleport des-
front gates of Metriciens in
tinations. The key is now lost to time. No one
Golnir
knows for sure where it is, and very few people
Arch 5 will teleport the user to the know of its purpose.
front gates of Imperial Cham-
bara in Akatsurai
 97

CHAPTER 9 - For the

Gamesmaster
Being a Gamesmaster is a difficult, but ultimate- Gamesmaster are responsible for coming up
ly rewarding, task, requiring a good imagina- with the plot of the story, you should remem-
tion, communication, and storytelling skills. It ber that you are not writing the story. Your plot
also requires fairness and good judgement, as should be an outline, but the main story should
well as knowledge of the rules. So while it re- be told by both yourself and the players. Let the
quires many different skills to be a successful players guide the story. By all means have ex-
Gamesmaster, do not fret if you are not confi- tensive notes, but never, ever, force the players
dent in the endeavor, for the best way to learn to do something simply because you have not
the process is to actually run a session. expected it.
There are many parts to being a Gamesmaster, This does not mean you are powerless, how-
and we detail these below. ever. Should the players tell you they wish to
do something that you had not planned for, do
not say no. Instead, take a few seconds to think
Storytelling about their action, and then come up with a
suitable reaction. Sure, this may take the story
The ability to tell a good story often differen- in a totally different direction to what you had
tiates good Gamesmasters from poor ones. originally planned, but some of the best stories
A good Gamesmaster will often have a sense happen in this spontaneous, improvised way.
of drama and a flair for describing particular
scenes. For example, instead of saying “you en-
ter a dim room. It is empty except for a straw Setting
bed” a good Gamesmaster would say something Not only are you responsible for the plot of the
like “you enter a dim room, the only source of story, you must also make sure that it fits the
light being a small flickering candle that causes world of the Fabled Lands. What this means is
shadows to dance across the walls. The room is that you need to make sure you don’t contra-
empty except for a straw bed against the wall, dict anything that is already an established part
from which a putrid smell arises.” of the Fabled Lands. For example, if you stated
The above example shows a simple yet effec- that the river flowing through Yellowport had
tive trick you can use when describing some- pristine, crystal clear water when in reality it is
thing and that is to engage the senses of the polluted with sulphur and undrinkable, your
players. Everybody has five senses: sight, hear- players will soon find you out. Therefore, it is
ing, smell, touch and taste. If, when describing important to make sure that you get details like
something, you can describe what they see, this right.
hear, smell, touch or taste, you will go a long By making sure these minor details are cor-
way to bringing the image to life in the players’ rect it makes the world more believable in the
minds. Try to describe two or three senses if you eyes of the players. Rest assured, if you get one
can. of these details wrong, your players will likely
Another thing to remember is that for every call you on it. This doesn’t mean that you need
character action, the world will have a reaction to know the world back to front and inside out;
around them. Just as the characters will react to that would be a mean feat indeed. What it does
events taking place, other people in the world mean that if you are going to be running a story
will react to their actions as well. This may seem in a certain location you should at least research
obvious, but it is an important point for it is of- that location first.
ten overlooked in role play games.
Finally, you should remember that this is a
role play game and not a novel. What, exactly,
do we mean by this? Well, although you as the
 98

Rules Scenes are usually labelled in numerical or-

Another part of being a good Gamesmaster is to der but it is important to note that scenes do
know the rules. While you do not need to mem- not have to be played out in this order; they
orize all of them, having a good idea of how the are played in the order with which the players
rules work is pretty much essential. The reason encounter them. Using the sewers beneath Yel-
for this is because not only are you a story teller, lowport as an example again, the players may
you are also a referee. You must make interpre- explore scene 1, completely miss scenes 3 and
tations on the rules, judge how hard character move straight on to scene 4. This is perfectly ac-
actions are and assign Difficulty targets based ceptable.
on your reasoning. The players trust you to be Some scenes may not even occur when you
fair and you should endeavour to be that way play the quest and again, this is perfectly al-
at all times. right. If the characters do not trigger whatever
Having said that, you should not let the rules causes the scene to start (such as visiting a cer-
get in the way of something cool happening in tain location) then the scene does not need to oc-
the story. If a player comes up with something cur. It might be a good idea to flick through the
not covered by the rules (an obvious example Lair of the Ratmen quest now so that you will
would be a new use for one of the lores of mag- have a better understanding of how quests and
ic) then you should try to come up with some- scenes work.
thing fair on the spot. Don’t waste too much
time thinking about it during the game; if it
Time Scales
seems fair to you at the time, run with it. Af-
ter the game, sit down with the player and try Time is not an important factor for the majority
to work out some concrete rules for the action of a quest. The only places where time becomes
that you are both happy with (and, again, that important is when some spells are cast, potions
is fair). are drunk and combat takes place. Game-time
is very subjective because it can only be de-
termined by you the Gamesmaster; so when a
Quests potion or spell’s effects last 10 game minutes it
Quests are the name given to the adventures the is you that will tell the player when the effects
characters have during the Fabled Lands RPG. have run out. Gauging game-time need not be a
Each quest may be a self-contained adventure critical thing, after there is no way of determin-
or it may be part of a larger story arc that you, ing exactly how long it takes to walk 600 feet
the Gamesmaster, comes up with. through an uneven dungeon while avoiding
sharp rocks and balancing along rough floors.
A quest begins with an overview of the ad- All you can do in these situations is estimate the
venture. It follows with an introduction for the time and inform the players when YOU decide
players, which usually involves a way for their that a spell or potion’s effects have expired.
characters to become a part of the quest. Once
this has occurred and the characters have decid- Combat is different because it is set in combat
ed to take part, it is time to move on to the meat rounds that last 10 seconds. Therefore 6 combat
of the quest. rounds will equal 1 minute. If a potion’s effects
last 10 minutes and it was drunk a few minutes
A quest is divided into scenes that explain to before combat started than you can determine
the Gamesmaster exactly what ‘should’ hap- that the potion will last 6 minutes or 60 com-
pen in that area. The passages relating to the bat rounds (for more information then look at
scene might have ‘read aloud’ passages that the Chapter 5 - Combat)
Gamesmaster will read to the players. Examples
of scenes can be found in the quest at the end of Creating a Quest
this book called Lair of the Ratmen. In it, each While we will not go into a huge amount of de-
scene relates to a specific location within the tail on how to create a quest, it is relatively easy
sewers. to do so. Look at the quests later in this book as
 99

an example and feel free to use the way it is laid 1. Determine a fixed amount of experience
out as a template for creating your own quests. points that should be awarded for the
You will note that during scene 9 in Lair of the completion of the quest (or each quest be-
Ratmen there is a place for you to continue the longing to the same campaign). This fixed
quest and expand the sewers should you wish experience points will be divided out
to do so. equally between the players as a base for
their individual experience gained from
The first thing you need to do is come up with
the quest.
a back story for your quest. What is the object
of the quest? Do the characters have to rescue a 2. Award individual experience points to
kidnapped princess? Are they required to slay a players who played a key role in the
mighty dragon? Or do they need to find a rare quest. Maybe they heroically saved anoth-
gem for an old mage? If you cannot find inspi- er player, fought hard to defeat a monster,
ration, look to your favourite fantasy novels found a secret door that was hard to find
or, even better, the Fabled Lands gamebooks, or performed a skill or attribute test that
which can serve as a huge source of ideas. was close to impossible.
3. Finally, award individual experience
points to players that role played their
character well, such as performing actions
within their personality.
Remember that as a Gamesmaster you can also
penalise a player for role playing against what
the characters personality is defined as, but this
is entirely up to you.
The amount of fixed experience (the experi-
ence evenly distributed between characters at
the end of the quest) that you should set de-
Once you have the back story you need to de- pends on the length of the quest. Award up to
cide where in the Fabled Lands to set it. This is 10 fixed experience points for a short quest (like
largely a matter of taste, but obviously it also the quest in the back of this book), up to 20 fixed
needs to make sense in terms of the story. If experience points for an average sized quest
the quest you have devised involves trekking (one that has 20 or so scenes) and up to 30 fixed
through a jungle then setting it in Golnir is obvi- experience points for a long quest (one that has
ously not going to work as there are no jungles 30 or so scenes). As a rule of thumb you may
there. Ankon-Konu would be the perfect place wish to use the following formula:
to have a jungle quest. 1 scene in a quest = 1 fixed experience point
Where you set the quest will obviously influ- (rounded up or down to equally distribute
ence the people and creatures found there. Fur- amongst the players).
ther on in this book you will find an overview Note that you should only assign a fixed expe-
of the entire Fabled Lands, while future sour- rience that distributes evenly between the play-
cebooks will explore each province/country in ers so, for example, if there are 4 players doing a
greater depth. short quest then the fixed experience should be
either 4 or 8 (or possibly 12)
Awarding Experience Throughout the gaming session it is important
At the end of every quest you need to award the that you keep notes regarding the actions of the
characters experience points. This is very im- individual players, that way you can justify the
portant, for without experience points the char- experience awarded. It is very likely that some
acters can’t advance. For a guideline, experience players will gain less experience from a quest
points should be awarded to the players in the than the others and they will want to know why.
following manner:
 100

Climbing has its own risks. Should a character

COMMON slip, put a foot in the wrong place or choose the
SITUATIONS wrong hand-hold there is a good chance they
could fall. This is not too risky if you are falling
There are many different circumstances that from a low height, but should your character
can and will crop up during a game of the Fa- fall from a great height…
bled Lands RPG. Knowing how to handle these As a Gamesmaster, there are two ways you
situations is a key ability of Gamesmastering. could handle a climb. The first is to have the
During the course of the game characters will characters make a Scouting test for every 10 feet
try many different things and will have various they have to climb. The second is to have them
events happen to them, and knowing what rules make a single Scouting test, adding 1 to the Dif-
to use and how to fairly adjudicate the results of ficulty for every 10 feet beyond the first 10 feet
their actions is essential. that they have to climb.
Listed over the next few pages is a rather large If a character happens to fail a test they will
list of situations that will probably occur quite slip and fall (see Falling). How far they fall de-
often. With these situations is advice on how pends on how you handled the Scouting test.
to handle them and what rules to invoke. If the If you used the first option, they fall however
situation requires an ability test then suggested far they have climbed up or, if climbing down,
Difficulties are also listed. however far they have to go. If using the second
option, assume they fall from around half way.
For instance, if they are climbing 40 feet, assume
Balancing they fall 20 feet.
At times throughout the game players may find
their characters having to traverse a narrow Situation Difficulty
ledge in the mountains or cross a rickety rope Steep slope Difficulty 4
bridge. These could be across large chasms, boil- Vertical slope, plenty of hand Difficulty 6
ing pits of lava or deep spiky pits. Regardless, if holds
a character tries to cross one of these they will
have to take a Thievery test to see if they can Vertical slope, some hand holds Difficulty 9
keep their balance. If they fail, you should then Vertical slope, few hand holds Difficulty 12
refer to the rules for falling later in this chapter. Vertical slope, no hand holds Difficulty 16
Situation Difficulty Using a rope Difficulty -2
Narrow ledge (less than 12” Difficulty 7 Using climbing gear Difficulty -4
wide) Climbing in a corner Difficulty -1
Very narrow ledge (less than Difficulty 9 Slippery surface Difficulty +2
6” wide)
Rope or beam (less than 3” Difficulty 12
wide)
Wet surface Difficulty +1
Oiled surface Difficulty +3

Climbing
Characters will often find themselves having to
climb a wall or a cliff to continue with their ad-
ventures. Sometimes they will have succumbed
to a trap and fallen into a pit which they then
must find their way out of. In these cases the
character will have to make a Scouting test in
order to successfully do this.
 101

Disabling Traps Malaria: This disease is usually carried by in-

sects. If a character fails a Muscle (Difficulty 10)
Traps are often used throughout the Fabled test the disease will cause all of the character’s
Lands, whether to catch animals and wildlife or ability values (except Sanctity) to be reduced by
to protect a valuable treasure horde. Regardless 1 until cured.
of where they are found, adventures seem to
constantly blunder into them. Red Ague: This disease is transmitted by insects.
Any character that fails a Sanctity (Difficulty 10)
If a trap has been uncovered (see Searching) test will break out in an itchy red rash. Infected
then a character can attempt to disable it by characters lose 1 point from their Charisma and
making a Thievery test. If successful, the trap is Combat values until they are cured.
rendered harmless. If the test is failed the trap is
still active. If the test is failed by 4 or more, the Sea Fever: So named because it is often caught
character has unwittingly set the trap off and by sailors, Sea Fever weakens the body and can
suffered its effects. be lethal. Any character that fails a Muscle (Dif-
ficulty 14) test will lose 1-3 Stamina per day. In
Characters can attempt to disable a trap as addition, at the start of the disease it permanent-
many times as they want. ly reduces the character’s starting Stamina by 1
Situation Difficulty point.
Crudely made trap Difficulty 10 The Plague: Every hour that a character is ex-
Normal trap Difficulty 12 posed to the Plague they must make a Muscle
(Difficulty 12) test. The Plague causes the loss
Well-made trap Difficulty 14 of 1-6 Stamina points each day to those who fail
Magical trap Difficulty 16 the test and contract the deadly disease. Any
character that survives must reduce their Cha-
risma value by 1.
Disease
Villager’s Curse: Any character that fails a
Diseases are horrible ailments that can infect
Muscle (Difficulty 10) test will be infected by
characters. They range from the mundane (such
this vile disease. Any character that fails the test
as the common cold) to the absolutely deadly.
will have their skin peel and blister and will also
Characters who become infected with a disease
loses 1 point from every ability value. Unlike
usually suffer some sort of penalty that can only
other diseases, Villager’s Curse will only last for
be removed once they are cured of the disease.
2d6 days or until cured.
Curing a disease requires a special potion to be
made from a priest at a cost of 100 Shards or a Swamp Rot: Any character that fails a Muscle
remove disease spell. (Difficulty 12) test will be infected with this dis-
ease. An infected character’s body parts, start-
Listed below are some of the diseases found
ing with the hands and feet, will begin to rot
across Harkuna.
over a short period of time, losing 1 point from
Blight of Nagil: This disease is transmitted by every ability per day untreated. If this disease
some undead creatures. The Blight of Nagil is not cured within 1 week the character will be
causes horrible boils and gangrene. Characters beyond curing and will die a slow and agonis-
that fail a Sanctity (Difficulty 12) test will be- ing death in 1d6 days.
come infected and lose 1 point from their Cha-
risma and Muscle values until cured.
Ghoulbite: This disease is transmitted via the
Disguise
saliva of hideous ghouls. Unless the character There will occasionally be circumstances where
can make a successful Sanctity (Difficulty 13) it would benefit characters to look like some-
test this disease will lower a character’s Cha- one (or something) other than themselves. This
risma, Combat, Muscle and Sanctity values by 1 could be because they are trying to sneak passed
point each until he is cured. some guards or are wanted by the constabu-
 102

lary. Whatever the case whenever a character don’t lead them to believe something that isn’t
attempts to disguise himself he must make a right. If the players happen to beat the Difficulty
Thievery test. The Difficulty of the test depends by 5 or more then they must be told the exact
on the extent of the changes to his appearance value of the item.
and on how familiar the onlookers are with the
If the test is failed the players cannot deter-
character.
mine the value of the item. Each player can only
Situation Difficulty try to determine the value of a particular item
once.
Base Difficulty Difficulty 9
Onlooker is somewhat famil- Difficulty +1 Situation Difficulty
iar with character Common Item Difficulty 8
Onlooker is very familiar Difficulty +3 Rare or Exotic Item Difficulty 11
with character
Magical Item Difficulty +2
Attempting to look like dif- Difficulty +1
ferent humanoid race Falling
Attempting to disguise age Difficulty +1 Characters that fall from great heights are un-
or gender likely to survive. At the very least they will take
Attempting to disguise Difficulty +2 some damage to their Stamina. A character loses
height 1-6 Stamina for every 10 feet that he falls. For
Low-light conditions Difficulty -1 instance, if the character falls 30 feet, roll 3 dice
and deduct the result from the character’s Stam-
Eating ina.
Like everyone else, characters need to eat to sur- If the character is lucky enough to fall onto
vive. Every character must eat at least one meal something soft (such as fresh snow, or mud)
every day or suffer the effects of hunger; they then you may halve the damage. In other words,
suffer a temporary -1 penalty to all of their abil- roll 1 die for every 20 feet fallen instead of every
ity values until they eat again, and also lose 1-6 10 feet, or roll 1d6 and divided by 2 for every 10
Stamina points. feet fallen and half the results. In this case a 1-2
is a 1, a 3-4 is a 2 and a 5-6 is a 3.
Characters that are not carrying any meals
with them can forage for food in the wild. To do
this they must make a Scouting test at Difficulty Healing
9. If they succeed they find enough food for a
Characters will lose Stamina throughout the
meal. For every 2 points they succeed by, they
game at quite regular intervals. Injury, disease,
find enough food for an additional meal. For in-
starvation and poison can all contribute to this.
stance, if they roll a total of 11 or more on the
Luckily, the body can also heal itself naturally
Scouting test they find enough food for 2 meals,
over time.
13 or more means they find enough food for 3
meals, and so on. When a character gets a full night’s rest (at
least 6 hours uninterrupted sleep) he will regain
1 Stamina point. This is best done in a safe loca-
Evaluating Items tion because sleeping in the wild can have dan-
It is inevitable that the players will come across gerous consequences.
treasures that they will try to sell. But how much Characters can also perform first aid on others
should they be sold for? No doubt your players and themselves for minor wounds of less than
will ask you if their characters know how much half their total Stamina. This requires an Intel-
an item is worth. If they do they may make an ligence test at Difficulty 9 (Difficulty 12 if using
Intelligence test. If they pass then you may give on oneself); if successful, the character instead
them a rough idea (for example, you might tell regains 2 Stamina points with a full night’s rest.
them the item is worth ‘around 100 Shards’ or it Characters may only have first aid performed
is worth ‘80-100 Shards’). Be fair with this and on them once each day; if the attempt fails then
they will only regain the 1 Stamina point.
 103

Hiding Knowledge
Although not very heroic, the characters will What characters know and what players know
sometimes find it within their best interests are two different things. Although a player may
to get out of sight and hide themselves away. know a particular fact about the world doesn’t
There could be numerous reasons why they mean his character does. When there is some
would; trying to avoid being seen by an enemy question over whether or not a character knows
patrol perhaps, or attempting to hide from the something they must make an Intelligence test.
town guard after finding themselves in trouble If they pass, they know something about the
with the law. Regardless of the reason, a Thiev- object in question. If they fail, they don’t know
ery test (in cities, buildings and underground) anything about it and may not try again.
or a Scouting test (in the wilderness) bust be
passed to avoid the searching gaze of those who Situation Difficulty
might see them. Obviously, a failed test means Common knowledge Difficulty 7
the characters have been spotted. Average knowledge Difficulty 9
Situation Difficulty Uncommon knowledge Difficulty 11
Plenty of places to hide Difficulty 7 Rare knowledge Difficulty 13
Some places to hide Difficulty 9 Lost knowledge Difficulty 17
Few places to hide Difficulty 12
No places to hide Difficulty 15 Languages
Searchers are NOT actively Difficulty -2 As most people on Harkuna are human and it
looking for characters is assumed that most characters can speak with
3-5 searchers Difficulty +1 anyone else they come across (a common tongue
More than 5 searchers Difficulty +2 if you like). There will, however, be occasions
Searchers using animals Difficulty +2 when a character comes across a language he is
unfamiliar with. In these cases an Intelligence
Low-light Difficulty -1 test must be made to see if the character can un-
No light Difficulty -3 derstand it. This applies to both unfamiliar spo-
Characters invisible Difficulty -6 ken and written languages.
Success on the test means the characters has a
basic understanding of what is being communi-
Jumping cated. Success by 4 or more means the character
The act of jumping across chasms, rivers, lava has understood exactly what was being com-
flows and pits is governed by the jumping rules. municated.
In order to successfully jump across something
a character must make a Muscle test. If he pass- A failure on the test means the character hasn’t
es, he makes the jump successfully. If he fails, understood at all. However, a failure by 4 or
he misses the jump and will suffer any conse- more means the character has not only misun-
quences (usually falling). derstood, but interoperated it in the wrong way!
If a character wishes to communicate with
Situation Difficulty
someone speaking an unfamiliar language, an-
Jump Difficulty = number of feet other Intelligence test must also be made. Again,
needing to jump success means the recipient understands the ba-
Run up start Difficulty -2 sics of your communication, while success by
4 or more means they know exactly what you
communicated.
Failure means they do not understand your
communication, while failure by 4 or more
means that they have misinterpreted and think
you mean something you don’t.
 104

Situation Difficulty Finally, the character must pass an Intelligence

test. Success means the item is made properly;
Simple message Difficulty 12 failure means the item is ruined beyond use and
Normal message Difficulty 14 the materials wasted.
Complex message Difficulty 16 Situation Difficulty
Ancient or lost language Difficulty +2 Armour Difficulty 9, +2 per
Magical language Difficulty +2 point of Defence bonus
Attempting to communicate Difficulty +2 Weapon Difficulty 11, +1 per
in unknown language point of Combat bonus
Magical equipment* Difficulty 10, +3 per
point of Magic bonus.
Listening Other items Difficulty 10, +1 per
Smart characters will, before moving forward, point of ability bonus
listen for any danger. This will most often occur
while they are standing before a closed door; Potion* Difficulty 9
should they open it or not? What can they hear *A Magic test is also required at the listed Dif-
behind the door? ficulty.
Characters may make a Scouting test to see
whether or not they can hear anything around
them. Success means they hear something if, Movement
indeed, there is anything to be heard. Failure
means they hear nothing. In general, how far or fast a character can move
is left deliberately abstract. The reason for this
Situation Difficulty is so you don’t get caught up in the minutiae
Shouting or other loud Difficulty 3 of bookkeeping that comes with trying to figure
noise out exactly how long it has taken for a character
Talking or equivalent noise Difficulty 6 to move from point A to point B while walking
through the wilderness.
Quiet talking or equivalent Difficulty 9
noise Having said that, it can sometimes be impor-
Whispering or equivalent Difficulty 12 tant how far a group of characters can travel in
noise a day when travelling overland, or how long it
Barely audible noise Difficulty 16 takes to get from town to town. This can be use-
ful to know to figure out how much food the
10 or more feet away Difficulty +1 for
every 10 feet characters need for the journey.
Door or wall blocking noise Difficulty +3 Across open terrain, such as a road or plains,
characters can walk 20 miles in a day (30 miles
Making Items if they are on horseback). If they are moving
Sometimes a character will want to try and through dense terrain (such as forests or jungles)
make an item rather than simply buying it. This or rough terrain (such as rocky wastelands, hills
is perfectly fine, though could end up more ex- and mountains) then this movement is halved
pensive in the long run! (10 miles if walking, 15 miles on horseback).
To create an item, the character must first have
A group of characters can also choose to ‘force
access to the raw equipment needed. These ma-
terials cost half the value of the item if it had march’. By this we mean they deliberately push
been bought from the market; for instance, you themselves to move faster than normal. Force
would need to spend 100 Shards on materials in marching adds 50% to the total distance a char-
order to try and make chain mail armour (aver- acter can move in a day but it comes at a cost,
age cost 200 Shards). as force marching is exhausting; at the end of
Next, the character must have the time. Most the day each character must lose 1 die worth of
items take 24 hours to make. This means there Stamina.
is no adventuring possible during the creation
of an item. Combat movement is covered in Chapter 5 -
Combat.
 105

Getting Lost Situation Difficulty

Unfortunately for our characters there is a very Crude lock Difficulty 11
real chance they can get lost while travelling the Normal lock Difficulty 14
Fabled Lands. Every morning, if the characters
are at sea or if they are travelling over land and High-quality lock Difficulty 17
not following a road one character must make The second option is to break the door down.
a Scouting test at Difficulty 10. This will usu- This requires a Muscle test. Success will break
ally be the character with the highest Scouting the door off its hinges. Failure will mean the
value. If the test is passed all is well and good. If door holds fast. If the character fails by 4 or more
the test is failed, the characters will get lost. he will injure himself in the attempt to break the
Ask the characters which way they are trav- door and lose 1 Stamina point.
elling (north, south, north-east, etc). If the test Situation Difficulty
was failed by 1-2 points, they will instead head
in a direction equal to one compass point away Wooden door Difficulty 10
from their intended direction (i.e. if they said Stone door Difficulty 16
they were heading north, they will instead head Iron door Difficulty 16
north-east or north-west). If the test is failed by Portcullis Difficulty 15
3-4 points, they will head in a direction equal to
Door barred from behind Difficulty +1
two compass points away from their intended
direction. Failure by 5 points means the direc-
tion they travel is 3 compass points different, Persuasion
while failure by 6 or more points means they
head in the exact opposite direction. Getting what you want, when you want it, can
be a useful skill to have. Some will use their
natural charms to do this, some will use sweet
Moving Heavy Items talking and others will use intimidation. Re-
gardless, trying to get someone to do something
There may come a time when a character tries to
they don’t want to requires an ability test.
lift, push or pull a heavy object such as a boul-
der, fallen tree, statue, etc. Doing this will re- Exactly which ability you use depends on how
quire a Muscle test, with the Difficulty based on you are trying to persuade someone. If you are
the weight and size of the object, as listed below. trying to use your charm, good looks and nice
words then you make a Charisma test. If you
Situation Difficulty are trying to bully or intimidate someone, you
Half man-sized Difficulty 9 make a Muscle test.
Man-sized object Difficulty 12
Situation Difficulty
Bigger than man-sized object Difficulty 15
Target is friendly Difficulty 7
Twice man-sized object Difficulty 18
Target is neutral Difficulty 9
Opening Doors & Locks Target is unfriendly Difficulty 12
For some reason, characters often find them- Target is hostile Difficulty 15
selves trying to get into somewhere that others Adequate bribe offered* Difficulty -2
want to keep them out of. These places are often Request is risky for target Difficulty +2
behind closed and locked doors and the charac-
ters will have to find a way through them. To do *The definition of an adequate bribe differs
this, they have two options. from circumstance to circumstance. 100 Shards
is an enormous bribe to a peasant, but to a king
The first is to pick the lock. This requires us- it is mere change. In general, you should decide
ing a small knife or some wire to manipulate the how much is an adequate bribe for the person
tumblers within the lock so that they click open. the characters are trying to bribe.
This requires a Thievery test.
 106

Poison Spider Venom*: The bite of most spiders is poi-

Occurring throughout the natural world poi- sonous. All damage inflicted by a poisonous
sons and venoms can range from mild to dead- spider is doubled.
ly. Often used by assassins as an instrument of *note that some spiders have different poison ef-
murder, characters are more likely to encounter fects such as the one in the Lair of the Ratmen
venomous beasts and poisonous plants. Poisons quest at the end of this book.
have different effects depending upon the type
of poison.
Riding Animals
Blue Fire: Named due to its blue hue, this liquid
causes fiery, burning sensations in the throat Generally speaking, riding a horse or other
and stomach. Anyone swallowing it must make mount does not require an ability test. However,
a Muscle (Difficulty 12) roll or lose 6 points from should the animal be urged into a gallop or the
their starting Stamina until they are cured. character enters battle while mounted, a Scout-
ing test must be made at Difficulty 9. Success
Foul Miasma: Found in the jungles and swamps means the character manages to stay mounted,
of Harkuna, this foul gas is absolutely lethal. while failure means the character falls off.
One breath of it is enough to kill a man where
he stands. If a character breathes it in, they must
make a Muscle (Difficulty 15) roll or they are in- Searching
stantly reduced to 0 Stamina. When a character wants to look for something
Grey Water: This liquid, which is noted for its that is hidden, such as a trap, secret door or con-
chalky taste, causes the skin to break out in grey cealed treasure, a Scouting test must be made
patches and blotches. Anyone who drinks it to see if they can find it. If the test succeeds, the
must make a Muscle (Difficulty 10) roll or lose characters find the hidden item or object. If the
1-6 points from their Charisma until cured. test fails, the characters find nothing.
Gril’s Oil: This greasy poison is usually applied Situation Difficulty
to bladed weapons. Anyone wounded by one Concealed door Difficulty 12
has the poison enter the bloodstream. Anyone
Secret door Difficulty 15
wounded by this poison must make a Muscle
(Difficulty 14) roll. Failure will result in the vic- Trap Difficulty 12
tim falling into a deep sleep until cured. Low-light Difficulty +1
Plague Spores: Plague spores are a type of fun- No light Difficulty +3
gus rarely found in the wild. However, those Object invisible Difficulty +6
lucky (or unlucky) enough to have some often
use them to trap treasure chests. Anyone inhal-
ing plague spores must make a Muscle (Diffi- Sleeping
culty 10) roll or lose 1-6 Stamina. It’s a fact of life that everyone needs sleep. Al-
Red Berry Toxin: The berries of the dajam plant though not sleeping cannot physically harm a
look enticing, but will in fact cause nasty stom- character, it certainly can have a detrimental ef-
ach cramps, vomiting and, in some cases, death. fect on him.
Anyone who eats these berries must make a If a character does not get at least 4 hours sleep
Muscle (Difficulty 10) roll or lose 1-6 Stamina. a night, then he suffers a -1 penalty on all dice
Scorpion Venom: Scorpion venom, which is rolls the next day. This penalty is cumulative, so
found not only in common scorpions but also if a character goes two days without getting the
in scorpion men – is a reaction-slowing poison. required amount of sleep he suffers a -2 penalty
Anyone that suffers damage with this venom on dice rolls, for example. This penalty disap-
must make a Muscle (Difficulty 12) roll or suf- pears as soon as the character gets the required
fer a -1 penalty to their Combat, Scouting and amount of sleep.
Thievery scores for 2d6 hours.
 107

On the positive side, if a character can get at Situation Difficulty

least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep during a
Calm water Difficulty 6
night then he may restore 1 point to his Stamina
to represent the natural healing process. Rough water Difficulty 9
Very rough water Difficulty 12
Wearing armour Difficulty +1 to
Sneaking +5 (Defence bo-
Much like hiding, characters will sometimes nus of armour)
find it necessary to move silently so as not to
Rescuing another charac- Difficulty +2
be heard. They may be sneaking past a guard
ter
or tiptoeing through a merchant’s house in the
middle of the night; whatever the case, a Thiev-
ery test must be made. Failure means the charac- Traps
ters have made a sound and been heard; success
Traps are used all throughout the Fabled Lands.
means they manage to move quietly enough to
Hunters use them to catch game and wildlife,
not be heard.
merchants use them to protect chests full of
Situation Difficulty shards and evil-doers use them to maim or kill
Sneaking across quiet surface Difficulty 7 unfortunate adventurers.
(carpet etc) Traps come in many shapes and sizes. From
Sneaking across normal sur- Difficulty 9 basic animal and pit traps to elaborate poison
face needle or gas traps, characters will no doubt ex-
perience a great range of them during games of
Sneaking across noisy surface Difficulty 12
the Fabled Lands RPG. Listed below are a vari-
(pebbles etc)
ety of traps and the effects they have. The ‘set
Listener asleep Difficulty -3 Difficulty’ that accompanies these descriptions
3-5 listeners Difficulty +1 refers to attempts to create such a trap; if a char-
6 or more listeners Difficulty +2 acter wishes to do this, they must pass a Scout-
ing test at the listed Difficulty.
Animal Trap: These traps usually consist of a
Swimming set of metal teeth that snap together once an un-
It’s not often that characters find themselves wary animal (or person) steps into it. They cause
having to swim, but when they do it is usu- the loss of 1-6 Stamina and reduce movement by
ally to save their lives. The act of Swimming is half for a week after. Set Difficulty: 9
governed by a Muscle test. A success means the
character stays afloat. A failure means the char- Arrow Trap: This trap consists of a hidden trip-
acter sinks and begins to drown. This test must wire that sets off a concealed crossbow, which
be taken once for every 25 feet the character shoots an arrow towards the victim. The arrow
needs to swim, or every 15 minutes in the case causes the loss of 1-6 Stamina. Set Difficulty: 12
of a character just trying to stay afloat. Fire Trap: A fire trap causes an explosive blast
A drowning character loses 1-6 Stamina and of flame to burst upon the character and anyone
must make another Muscle test to try and get standing nearby (usually within 5 feet). Every-
back to the surface. If he fails again, he again one affected loses 1-6 Stamina. Set Difficulty: 15
loses 1-6 and must make yet another Muscle test. (A Magic test is also required at Difficulty: 15)
This cycle continues until the character manag- Gas Trap: Gas traps emit a cloud of choking
es to get out of the water or until he drowns, gas, usually enough to fill a small room. The gas
whichever comes first. causes characters to cough and choke for 2 min-
utes and lose 1-6 Stamina. Characters cannot
take any actions while choking. Set Difficulty:
14
 108

Lightning Trap: Like the fire trap, this causes

the victim to be struck with a powerful electri-
WEATHER
cal charge that causes the loss of 2-12 Stamina. The weather can play a large part of a campaign.
Set Difficulty: 16 (A Magic test is also required Each province on Harkuna is home to its own
at Difficulty: 16) climate and weather. The table below denotes
an average day in that province. The Games-
Pit Trap: A pit trap is basically a concealed hole
master must roll 2d6 and consult the province
in the ground. When someone steps onto the
that the characters are in. This dice roll is modi-
camouflaged covering over the top of the trap,
fied by the time of year.
they fall into a pit. The amount of damage they
take depends on the depth of the pit (see the
rules for falling earlier). Set Difficulty: 12, +1 per Weekly weather
10 feet.
During each month of the year the Gamesmaster
Poison Needle Trap: These types of traps are must roll on the table below. This will indicate
often used within locks. When tempered with the kind of weather conditions that the charac-
a small needle darts out and pricks the charac- ters can expect for the following week (5 days).
ter, causing the loss of 1 Stamina. They are also
poisoned (see poison, earlier). Set Difficulty: 11

Weekly Weather Table

Province 2 3-4 5-7 8-9 10-11 12
Sokara A B C D E F
Golnir B C D E F G
Old Harkuna B C D E F G
Uttaku B C D E F G
Great Steppes C D E F G H
Atticala B C D E F G
Chrysoprais A B C D E F
Ankon-Konu (west) D E F G H I
Ankon-Konu (central) B C D E F G
Ankon-Konu (east) C D E F G H
The Forbidden Realm D E F G H I

Time of year weather modifiers.

Province Time of Snow Time of Rain Time of leaves Time of flow-
ers
Sokara -3 -1 +0 +1
Golnir -2 0 +1 +2
Old Harkuna -2 0 +1 +2
Uttaku -2 0 +1 +2
Great Steppes -1 0 +1 +2
Atticala 0 +1 +2 +3
Chrysoprais -1 0 +1 +2
Ankon-Konu (west) +0 +1 +2 +3
Ankon-Konu (central) -1 0 +1 +2
Ankon-Konu (east) +0 +1 +2 +3
The Forbidden Realm +0 +1 +2 +3
 109

Wether Conditions Explained  Rain, hail or snow will cause a -3 penalty

to ranged combat and -1 penalty melee
A – Extreme cold temperatures with combat.
heavy snow
 Ranged fire is impossible during strong
Extreme cold, such as that found in arctic areas winds.
or high in the mountains, can prove fatal if ad-
equate protective measures are not taken.  Wind can also affect the movement of a
ship. If a ship is caught in string wind,
 Characters exposed to such conditions roll 1 die. On a 1-3, the ship’s movement
lose 1-6 Stamina each hour unless they is halved for the day. On a 4-6, the ship’s
have thick fur clothing, blankets and oth- movement is doubled for the day.
er such cold weather gear.
 Overland movement during rain will
 Heavy snow will cause serious harass- quarter character movement in a day.
ment to fighting conditions. Ranged com-
bat will be impossible and melee combat D – Moderate temperatures with heavy
will suffer a -4 to fighting. rain
 Overland movement during heavy snow Moderate temperatures are the perfect adven-
will half character movement in a day. turing conditions; not too hot or cold.

B – Very cold temperatures with snow  Heavy rain will cause a -4 penalty to
(foggy mornings) ranged combat and -3 penalty to melee
combat.
Very cold temperatures can still be fatal if ad-
equate clothing is not worn.  Overland movement during heavy rain
will half character movement in a day.
 Characters exposed to these conditions
will lose 1-6 Stamina every 10 hours un- E – Moderate temperatures with light
less precautions are made. rain
 Snow is very hard to fight in. Ranged com- Moderate temperatures are the perfect adven-
bat will be impossible and melee combat turing conditions; not too hot or cold.
will suffer a -3 to fighting and ranged
 Light rain will cause a -1 penalty to ranged
combat will suffer a -4 penalty.
combat.
 The only effect fog has is to limit visibil-
ity. Depending on the thickness of the fog, F – Hot temperatures with possible light
visibility may be limited to 10-50 feet. It rain
counts as low-light for the purposes of Hot temperatures can be uncomfortable to be in
some rules. over a prolonged period of time but will not af-
fect a character’s health.
 Overland movement during snow will
quarter character movement in a day.  Light rain (see above).
 The only effect fog has is to limit visibil-  Ranged combat will suffer a -1 penalty
ity. Depending on the thickness of the fog, due to sun glare.
visibility may be limited to 10-50 feet. It G – Very hot temperature
counts as low-light for the purposes of
Very hot temperatures will cause exhaustion
some rules.
and heat stroke over a prolonged period of time.
C – Cold temperatures with light snow or  Anyone who spends more than 6 hours in
rain/hail/strong winds the sun without shade or adequate water
will suffer 1d6 Stamina damage.
Cold temperatures can still cause fatalities over
a period of time.  All combat will suffer a -1 penalty
 Every full day that a character is exposed to  Overland movement during very hot tem-
cold conditions they will lose 1-6 Stamina. peratures will half character movement in
a day.
 110

H – Heat wave change in order to avoid it. Weather conditions

Heat wave temperatures are deadly. will have a direct effect on the ocean; during
the calmer summer months the chance of a full-
 Anyone exposed to these conditions with- blown storm will be fairly slim, but still possi-
out adequate shade and water supply will ble. During the colder months and the time of
suffer 1d6 Stamina damage every hour. rain, the chances of storms are much greater.
 Heat is fatiguing to characters and should Every time a player captain or a player passen-
they not have adequate protection such as ger makes a voyage across a stretch of sea they
shade and plenty of water, they will suffer must make a roll on the table below to deter-
a -1 penalty to all ability values for a 24 mine the sailing conditions (plus or minus any
hour period. modifiers for the sea or ocean they are in and the
 All combat will suffer a -2 penalty time of year).
 Overland movement during a heat wave Sailing Conditions
will quarter character movement in a day.
Dice Roll Storm Type
2-3 Perfect Weather
SEA TRAVEL 4-6 Calm Seas
Travel over the sea is only possible if a ship or 7-8 Mild Storm
boat is available, either by purchasing passage 9-10 Heavy Storm
on one or by buying your own. A ship (Barque, 11 Severe Storm
Brigantine or Galleon) will travel 10-60 miles per 12+ Hurricane
day, randomly determined each day by rolling 1
dice x 10 miles. A boat (Small and large Fishing Sailing Conditions Explained:
Boat) will travel 10-30 miles per day, randomly It is assumed that a ship’s captain will attempt
determined each day by rolling 1 dice x 10 miles to circumnavigate (go around) a storm. A fail-
divided by 2. This random movement accounts ure to a piloting roll will result in the ship or
for tides and wind. boat remaining in the storm for 1 hour and an-
other roll will need to be successfully made in
order to sail out of the storm. Any rolls for pilot-
Weather Effects on Sea-going ing during storms are subject to the following
Vessels modifications to the Difficulty roll for the boat
Bad weather is the bane of all captains. Severe or ship being piloted and its crew:
weather will often result in a serious course

Sea or Ocean Modifier

Ocean or Sea Time of Snow Time of Rain Time of leaves Time of flow-
ers
Sea of Stilts +2 +2 +1 +0
Straights of Almir +1 +1 +0 -1
The Violet Ocean +3 +3 +2 +1
Sea of Whispers +1 +1 +0 -1
Sea of Hydras +1 +1 +0 -1
The Unbounded Ocean +1 +1 +0 -1
Gashmuru Gulf +4 +3 +2 -1
Other Seas or Oceans +2 +1 +0 -1
 111

Boat or Ship Type Heavy Storm: To sail through a heavy storm the
Small Fishing Boat +6 captain must make a Piloting (Difficulty 10) roll.
Success will result in the ship maintaining the
Large fishing boat +4 correct course and taking no damage. A failure
Barque +2 will result in the following:
Brigantine +1  1d6 damage to the hull per hour.
Galleon +0  Navigate (Difficulty 10) roll or -2 to the
dice roll for distance travelled today (min-
Crew imum of 10 miles).
Poor +2 Severe Storm: To sail through a heavy storm
Moderate to Good +0 the captain must make a Piloting (Difficulty 12)
roll. Success will result in the ship maintaining
Excellent -2 the correct course but still taking 1d3 hull dam-
Perfect Weather: The conditions for your voy- age. A failure will result in the following:
age are absolutely perfect. You may add +1 to  2d6 damage to the hull per hour.
the dice roll for the distance your vessel has
travelled today.  Navigate (Difficulty 12) roll or -3 to the
dice roll for distance travelled today (min-
Calm Seas: Normal sailing conditions. imum of 10 miles).
Mild Storm: To sail through a mild storm the Hurricane: To sail through a hurricane the cap-
captain must make a Piloting (Difficulty 8) roll. tain must make a Piloting (Difficulty 15) roll.
Success will result in the ship maintaining the Success will result in the ship maintaining the
correct course and taking no damage. A failure correct course but still taking 1d6 hull damage.
will result in the following: A failure will result in the following:
 1d3 (1 dice divided by 2) damage to the  4d6 damage to the hull per hour.
hull per hour.
Navigate (Difficulty 15) roll or -4 to the dice roll
 Navigate (Difficulty 8) roll or -1 to the dice for distance travelled today (minimum of 10
roll for distance travelled today (mini- miles).
mum of 10 miles).
 113

Yellowport is the second largest city in Sokara

YELLOWPORT and one of the most prosperous cities in all of
City Type: Port Harkuna. The metropolis is built on the Stink-
Population: 40,000 ing River; a body of flowing waters rich in sul-
phur that runs from its source at the Lake of
Main Trades: Minerals (mainly sulphur), the Sea Dragon down to its estuary near the
Fur, Spices, Grain, Metals, Yellowport docks. The Stinking River provides
Textiles and Timber. the city’s main export of sulphur, which is ex-
City Ruler: Provost Marshal Marloes tracted from the river banks and stored in large
Marlock warehouses next to the harbour. From here the
sulphur is loaded onto merchant and individ-
House Prices: 150 Shards in the Poor Quar- ual trading galleons for export; the main buy-
ter, 400 shards in the Rich ers being the wizards and sorcerers of the world
Quarter and 200 Shards in for use in their incantations, potions and spell
other areas. components. The city’s prosperity from the sul-
City Map Key: phur has its major drawbacks for the residents
though; the smell of the sulphur, a very pungent
A. Marshal Citadel and Courthouse
rotten egg-like smell, is almost unbearable, and
B. Plaza of the Gods the closer to the river you get, the worse the smell
C. Castle View (Rich Quarter) is. As if the smell wasn’t enough to deal with,
the settling sulphur fumes have given much of
D. Main harbour the city a yellowish hue, hence the city’s name.
E. Brimstone Plaza Market Lastly, the high levels of sulphur have rendered
the water undrinkable and the only known
F. Merchant Building and Storehouses aquatic life, apart from the Sea Dragon, able to
G. Slums (Poor Quarter) survive in the waters are the smoulder fish, but
they do not swim this far south very often due
Places of Interest: to both the sea water mix at the estuary, and the
1. Temple of Elnir red-fin sharks that patrol the coastal waters.
2. Temple of Maka The city is surrounded by a defensive 30 foot
high stone wall with archer towers positioned at
3. Temple of Tyrnai
irregular intervals along it. The walls are policed
4. Temple of Alvir and Valmir day and night by the city militia, who reside
5. Gold Dust Tavern within the towers and work to a rotor that fairly
repositions the troops to the furthest points of
6. River Gates the city, away from the stench of the river.
7. Sulphur Inn First and foremost, Yellowport is a merchant
8. West Gate city famed for its mineral exports (mainly sul-
phur), large traders market and expert fisher-
9. Riverside Street men. The city is home to several large merchant
10. Tinker Street guilds with The Iron Horn, and its subsidiary
branches called Yumbar, Kalesk, and Trom, be-
11. Sea Horse Tavern
ing the largest and best organised. Most of these
12. Szordrin’s Wondrous Emporium guilds offer all manner of banking services, in-
cluding depositing and withdrawal, and invest-
13. Militia Barracks and Prison
ing in stocks and bonds.
14. Citadel Grove
15. East Gate
16. North Gate
17. Artificer’s Inn
 114

A - Marshal Citadel and Crom has been charged with the policing of the
streets. Crom has recently replaced the previous
Courthouse lieutenant, Pintos, after an uprising of royalists
This large and impressive building stands at in the city attacked the army with devastating
the top of a small hillock toward the northern consequences; several rows of shops and houses
end of the city. The small citadel was originally opposite the citadel burned to the ground, while
the home to the city mayor as well as the meet- the streets ran red with the blood of many civil-
ing rooms for the city council. Since the King of ian men, women and children. Pintos will live
Sokara was overthrown by Grieve Marlock and out his life rotting in the city prison for his in-
his provincial army, the council of Yellowport competence regarding lack of knowledge of the
has been dissolved and the mayor executed. rebellion, and failing to contain it before it got
General Marlock’s younger brother, Marloes, so out of hand.
now acts as the city’s governor and judge. Mar-
loes ordered a fortified wall to be built around After the recent rebellion and the bloody bat-
the citadel to make it more defendable should tle being in such close proximity to the citadel,
the city come under attack from a royalist army, Marloes now lives in fear of another uprising,
or if there is another rebellion. and has not set foot outside the citadel since. In
fact, even his duties as High Judge at the new
The inside of the citadel is even more impres- courthouse on the lower level of the citadel have
sive than the outside: marble floors adorn the been delegated to one of his advisors just in case
main reception area and continue through to there is an assassination attempt on his life. The
the main hall and stairs. Lavish drapes and cur- harsh sentence given to Pintos is a reflection of
tains made from silk imported from Akatsurai, the fear Marloes lives in. The people of Yellow-
hang from the high internal walls in between port live in fear of his unforgiving judgements,
golden shields, antique vases and marble stat- and live in disgust of his high taxes to fund his
ues (it isn’t difficult to see where the old mayor lavish lifestyle.
and council spent the hard earned taxes of the
city residents). The second tier of the citadel The upper level to the citadel is Marloes’ liv-
housed the original meeting rooms for the coun- ing quarters. As you would imagine, the deco-
cil, but is now used as war offices for Marloes ration here is as fabulous, if not more so, than
and his military advisors. Four of the rooms on the other levels which Marloes deems fitting
this level have been converted to living quarters for his position as the ruler of Yellowport. His
for the Marshal’s aides and next in command: bed is fashioned from golden oak imported
Captain Royzer is Marloes’ right hand man, from the distant Forest of Remorse in Atticala,
military advisor, and second in command of the his bed sheets are rumoured to be woven from
city; Lieutenant Jenas, a ruthless female officer, the silky underbelly fur of a Gryphon, and his
is in charge of the policing of the city walls and clothes and shoes are handmade, free of charge
gates; Lieutenant Tarrack is in charge of training of course, by the most skilled tailors and cob-
both the army and city militia, and Lieutenant blers in the city.
 115

B - Plaza of the Gods munity. Each of the pilgrims told the same story
This decorative and diverse feature of the city is as to why they were there; they had been sent a
one of the most popular tourist attractions and message from their god in the form of a dream.
pilgrimages alike. The Plaza of the Gods plays The vision was of a golden walled city, prosper-
host to four temples; a temple to Maka, Elnir, ous and with a large population. A light shone
Alvir and Valmir, and Tyrnai. Each of these down from the heavens onto the spot where the
temples has their own unique features and is pilgrims now stood and each of them saw it as
described in more detail in the places of interest a sign to travel to the fishing community, where
section below. the city would rise up, and teach the word of
their god. The pilgrims got to work on their
There has always been speculation as to why teachings straight away by talking to the town’s
four very different religions decided to build folk of Yellow Grass, aptly named due the sul-
lavish temples in the same location within the phur stained yellow grass that grew along the
city. Normally, and Marlock City is a prime ex- banks of the Stinking River. From the recruit-
ample of this, the high priests and priestesses of ing of the four religions came another strange
their religion like to build their temples as far coincidence; each one had recruited exactly one
away from existing religions as possible. Many quarter of the fishing community into his or her
stories have been told as to the origins of the flock. The four pilgrims (Francis of Skios - Priest
close proximity of the four temples. One of the of Elnir, Vorn of Ringhorn – Priest of Tyrnai, Jil-
more interesting stories about the Plaza of Gods lia of Marmorek – Priestess of Maka and Hirn of
goes like this: Eighty years ago, Yellow Grass, as Sokar – Priestess of Alvir and Valmir) all decided
Yellowport was known then, was nothing more that the dream and the recruiting was more than
than a fledgling trading/fishing outpost on the a simple coincidence and that the four gods sent
south coast of Sokara with a population of less them for a reason. The land where the pilgrims
than one hundred people. The outpost survived converged was deemed holy ground and was
on a different industry in those days; the abun- split into four equal segments with Maka’s land
dance of smoulder fish swimming down the being beneath the surface. Strangely enough,
Stinking River from the Lake of the Sea Dragon although each of the temples that stand today
attracted shoals of red-fin sharks and brought depicts a religious pilgrim of their faith stand-
them close enough to the bay for the fishing ing under a bright light from the sky, none of
boats to catch them. The meat of these large sea the other pilgrims are present.
dwelling predators was, and still is, a delicacy in
many parts of Sokara and Golnir, and the fisher-
men would make a tidy profit from their catch. C - Castle View (Rich Quarter)
One cold winter’s day during the month of Bron Castle View is a small segment of the city that
(November), four religious pilgrims from lands is positioned near to the east gate and is the fur-
afar converged at exactly the same time on a thest residential area away from the Stinking
spot of land just northwest of the fishing com- River. Only a very small percentage of the hous-
 116

es in Castle View have been subjected to the livered to her shop as soon as it arrives for the
yellow sulphur deposits of the Stinking River, a minimal fee of one shard (it is rumoured that
very desirable quality in such a prosperous city. old Jenkins the Harbourmaster is smitten by the
Even the smell of the river rarely reaches this aging seamstress).
far east. The cross breeze that whistles up the
Shops and Taverns in Castle View (see expand-
narrow streets from the sea seems to funnel the
ed map below):
fumes away from most of the north east portion
of the city. During the Time of Flowers (sum- 1- The Gold Dust Tavern (see Places of Inter-
mer), when the sea is calm and the winds are est)
almost silent, Castle View is as much a victim to 2- Fey Guard Inn
the stench of the river as any other place in the
city. No one escapes the Stinking River all year 3- Silver Phial – Medicines, salves and balms
round. 4– Torric’s Shop – General store
The Rich Quarter, as it has come to be known, 5– Wanderer’s Rest – Boarding house
is home to some of the wealthiest residents and
shop owners of Yellowport. The King’s Way is 6– House for sale (400 silver shards)
the longest street in the city running from the 7– Fine Meats – Butchers and live poultry
East Gate, through the Plaza of the Gods, over
8– The Copper Bell – General store
the Smoulder Bridge to the West Gate. The
southern end of Castle View hugs this main 9– The Silk Dress – Fine fabrics
road from the East Gate right up to Citadel Road 10 – Prancing Horse – Iron Horn Merchant
and it is here that some of the finest shops and Guild House and Bank
taverns can be found:
11 – Gold and Silver – Jewellery and trinkets
Mrs Amandar Holgar owns and runs a fab-
ric shop (The Silk Dress) along that very way.
Amandar can trace her family tree right back D - Main Harbour
to the times when the settlement was known
Yellowport’s harbour is a teeming hive of activ-
as Yellow Grass and is very proud of it. Her
ity with as many as thirty cargo vessels com-
fine silks, woven blankets and lavish curtains,
ing and going from the port every week. The
are exported all along the south coast and are
dockland area of the harbour is immense, and
the pride and joy of many a nobleman’s wife.
spreads from just east of the Stinking River es-
Amandar is such a well-known and liked lady
tuary, all the way across to the southern-most
of Yellowport that she no longer has to wait
defence tower. At any given time there can be as
at the docks for her shipments of fabrics and
many as many as fifty vessels docked in the Yel-
cloths. The harbourmaster has it specially de-
 117

lowport harbour, many of them of exotic design at repairs, and can patch up any type of ship in
from far away countries. no time at all.
The harbour is not only used as a port for im- Note: All of the ship classes are built in the Yel-
ports and exports of goods, it is also home to lowport ship yard but are subject to availability
many fishing vessels whose trade helped to lay (see Chapter 7 – City Services)
the foundations of this thriving city. The fishing
boats range from the smaller, independent fish- Cargo Prices
ermen who only travel one or two miles out to The following lists of prices apply to Yellowport
sea and make an honest living from their hard only. The prices given are the average price per
work, all the way up to the huge trawlers and unit in a given month, but these are subject to
whaling ships. It isn’t unknown for the larger fluctuation.
fishing ships to be away from port for weeks
Cargo Prices in Yellowport
at a time, mainly circumnavigating the Violet
Ocean, and reaping a plentiful bounty of silver Cargo To Buy To sell
fish and the larger tundler fish. The far east of Furs 190 Shards 170 Shards
the port is home to the ship yards. It is here that
boats are made, bought, sold, and repaired for Grain 200 Shards 180 Shards
a modest price (see below for prices). The ship Metals 600 Shards 500 Shards
yards rely heavily on imports of timber from Minerals (sulphur) 350 Shards 250 Shards
Ankon-Konu. The Tinderbark trees found in the Spices 900 Shards 810 Shards
Weeping Jungle are both pliable and extremely
Textiles 350 Shards 300 Shards
durable, making them the preferred choice for
the hulls of the ships. Timber 180 Shards 160 Shards

The immediate land inside the harbour is re- Passage Abroad

served for merchant and fulfilment warehouses. There are captains and traders throughout the
These large wooden buildings are used to store Yellowport docks that are willing to take sin-
the precious cargos; either imported goods gle adventurers or parties across the seas, for
awaiting internal distribution, or for goods a modest price of course. As you would imag-
waiting to be exported. Several harbour ser- ine, most of the captains will charge different
geants are employed to book in and out cargo amounts for doing the same trip, so, the follow-
ships, check the ships manifest, and assign the ing travel costs are an average price per person
imported goods to storage areas. They all work to travel to a specific destination.
under the watchful eye of old Jacob the Har-
bourmaster. Marlock City 10 Shards per person
There are several services available to the play- Isle of Druids 15 Shards per person
er characters in the Yellowport harbour: Buying Sorcerers’ Isle 20 Shards per person
a ship; hiring a crew; buying cargo for your Copper Island 25 Shards per person
ship; obtaining work, and buying passage to a
local port or foreign land. The only one of these
services described here are the prices to seek
passage to foreign lands or nearby ports and the
Yellowport cargo prices. The remaining facili-
ties can be found in the City Services chapter.
The ship yard is situated to the far east of the
docks. Here some 150 workers endure long
hours to fulfil the demand for fishing boats,
ocean-going vessels, and undertaking a plethora
of repairs. Many vessels sail in from the treach-
erous Violet Ocean, having endured a violent
storm at the expense of their mast, sail, hull, and
even the crew. The ship builders here are adept
 118

E - Brimstone Plaza Market storage, while Trom watches over the market
The market is positioned on the corner of Brim- traders. Each of these guilds wear different col-
stone Plaza, just off Wellguard Street, and is the oured hats and tunics to distinguish themselves
busiest place in the whole city. Hundreds of city from one another, but each bare the same insig-
folk and traders can be found here selling their nia of TIH.
goods from daybreak to sunset five days a week. A large majority of the store and warehouses
The foundations of Yellowport were also built situated around the docklands belong to and
around the Brimstone Market. Fishermen from are overseen by, the Iron Horn Merchant’s
Yellow Grass, as the city was known back then, Guild. The guild rents out the warehouses to
would sell their fish to travellers and locals. The all manner of clients, including individual trad-
fish market gained quite a reputation and peo- ers, for a varying degree of fees, depending on
ple would travel from miles away to buy the how much space is required and how long it is
red-fin shark meat. Of course, it wasn’t long needed for. For an additional fee the guild will
before other traders wanted to set up here and also police the rented warehouse and even offer
piggy back off of the success of the fish market. an insurance policy against stolen goods. These
At one point the market guild, a group of the services can be brought from TIH HQ, known
original fish marketers who oversaw the grow- as The Prancing Horse, in Castle View, and the
ing market, had been asked to move the stalls price list and descriptions are listed below:
well away from the overpowering stench of the Warehouse Capacity Rent*
river. The guild refused this request point blank, Size
but they did sympathise with the new traders
Small 1 cargo unit 3 Shards per
who were not used to the sulphur fumes of the
week
Stinking River. As a compromise the guild posi-
tioned torches burning incense on the corners of Medium 3 cargo units 5 Shards per
the market area. The incense helped to mask the week
rotten egg smell of the river, and the new trad- Large 5 cargo units 7 Shards per
ers were happy with the result. This practice is week
still used in the Brimstone Plaza market today, Gigantic 10 cargo units 10 Shards per
although there are a lot more torches burning week
and a man is employed to walk around the mar-
ket perimeter reigniting and replacing spent *please note that the minimum length of time
torches. that a warehouse can be rented is for 1 week, so
even if the cargo is only going to be stored for
You can find just about anything you want or a couple of days, a week’s rent must paid (see
need at the Yellowport Market. The prices for rent below).
these items can be found in the equipment list
in Chapter 4 - Equipment. Warehouse Size: All of the warehouses are built
on a sturdy wooden frame with slatted wooden
walls and a reinforced inner wooden lining to
F - Merchant Guild Buildings prevent break-ins. The smaller warehouses re-
There are several large merchant guilds oper- semble large sheds while the large and gigantic
ating within Yellowport. Yumbar, Kalesk and ones look like ship yard hangers.
Trom, three of the largest guilds, are subsidiary Capacity: The maximum amount of cargo units
guilds working under a parent house called The that can be stored in the warehouse.
Iron Horn. Each of these guild houses offers the
Rent: The cost in Shards to rent the warehouse
same services to their customers but they oper-
for a single week. A contract is signed at TIH
ate in different parts of the city: The Iron Horn is
HQ and a week’s rent must be paid in advance,
based in Castle View (the Rich Quarter), Yum-
as well as 1 weeks rent as a deposit (returnable
bar is based in the Poor Quarter, Kalesk oper-
at the end of the renting period).
ates within the docklands supervising the cargo
 119

Insurance and policing will cost the tenant that moved to help build their own house, and
an additional 50% (rounded up to the nearest the council extended the King’s Road and built
Shard) per week. This policy will cover the cost two bridges across the river to access the new
of stolen cargo up to the value of 5000 Shards West Gate.
while under the guard of the Guild Harbour Po-
The poor quarter streets and alleys are main-
lice. A small and medium sized warehouse will
ly mud tracks, very different from the cobbled
be policed by a 2 man team, the large warehouse
streets of the original city. During the Time of
by a 4 man team and the gigantic warehouse by
Rain, horses, carts and people are often stuck
an eight man team of guild police. The exact
knee-deep in the orange coloured mire, and
cargo stored in the warehouses, its registered
have to be hauled out via rope by the town mili-
owner, and its value at the time of the shipment
tia. It has been promised for many years that the
being stored, is logged at the guild HQ.
streets in West Port will be paved and cobbled,
The merchant’s guild in Yellowport offers eve- but so far only the King’s Road and Harbour
ry merchant service available (see City Services Walk, the two main routes through the city,
for more information on merchant services). have undergone this improvement.
It’s sadly apparent in most downtrodden areas
G - West Port (Poor Quarter) that crime is rife, and West Port is no exception
to this ambiguous rule. The Black Hood Thieves
West Port covers the entire area of the city west Guild operates a lucrative business here that
of the Stinking River and can only be accessed comprises of house breaking, pick pocketing,
across the King’s Bridge, Port Bridge or via the racketeering and gambling. More recently a
West Gate. The Yellowport slums, or Poor Quar- new underworld business has sprung up call-
ter, as West Port has come to be known, is home ing themselves the Poisoned Talon Assassin’s
to many of the poorer populace, the less desir- Guild. The guild was formed by an ex-soldier
able inns and taverns, and the seedy underbelly who survived the royalist’s failed defence of
of the city’s criminal organisations. This isn’t to Trefoille. Wounded and bleeding, he staggered
say that everyone living in this portion of the city from the burning crossways town, receiving no
is bad or an evil doer, far from it in fact. There help from passers-by. The soldier, Arillion De-
are some very notable shops in West Port and garth, bore disfiguring burns across his head,
many of the houses overlooking the bay fetch a face, chest and right arm. He vowed revenge for
good price, but, as with all down-trodden areas, his wounds on both the royalist and Marlock
there are still quite a few that would stab you in armies of Sokara, hunting down and killing sol-
the back for a couple of Shards! diers and officers throughout the land. Arillion
It is strange how West Port came to be such a finally arrived at the city of Yellowport with the
poor area to live in considering it is the newest intension of getting a job and settling down, but
part of the city. The original Yellowport ended he was shunned by the locals and referred to
on the east banks of the Stinking River and the as a freak. He tried his hand at many different
original crumbling towers and wall foundations jobs, attempting and failing at running his own
have survived to this very day. Forty years ago, businesses due to the jeering population of West
the town council extended Yellowport across the Port. Arillion soon realised that the only trade
river in an effort to alleviate the over-crowding known to him was killing… and he was bloody
of the city. A small grant was offered to those good at it!
 120

West Port Map

1. Sulphur Inn (see Yellowport Places of In-
terest below)
2. Assassin’s Guild HQ – Below the King’s
Bridge
3. The Brothers – Timber yard and cabinet
maker
4. The Busty Wench Tavern – Thieves Guild
HQ.
5. Cross Blades – Bladed weapons and
Blacksmiths
6. Soldier’s Rest – Boarding house
7. Sewer entrances – either via well, drain or
sewage outlet.
8. Silver Spoon – Rest house and feast hall
9. Tabard and Gauntlet – Armour smith

Yellowport Places of Interest known to undertake such quests but none have
1 - Temple of Elnir returned to claim their position. The cardinal
himself is not allowed to undertake such a quest
The most impressive of the temples at the Plaza
as only he is empowered with the coronation of
of the Gods is the Temple of Elnir. This mag-
the new high priest (see Chapter 6 – Deities and
nificent building is the tallest in Yellowport and
Religion for more information).
is crafted from engraved grey stone inset with
yellow marble found only in lands north of the 2 - Temple of Maka
Spine of Harkun. It is thought by the priests of
Maka is the Goddess of Disease, Famine and of
Elnir that as their deity is the God of the Sky and
the Harvest. The original priestess who founded
the ruler of the Gods, he deserves a remarkable
this temple, Jillia of Aku (again, Aku is a city ded-
place of worship.
icated to Ebron), wanted it to be close to the roots
The inside of the temple is equally as remark- of the land, for Maka demands a plentiful harvest
able with the high ceiling being held up by or he will smite the land with disease and famine;
huge pillars carved from the same yellow mar- killing livestock, slaying farmers and their fami-
ble found on the outside. The alter stands high lies with unnatural ailments, and reducing the
above the congregation, depicting the illusion of land to an unfertile state for evermore.
the priest giving prayers from the skies as El-
In the very centre of the Plaza of the Gods stands
nir would. Many of the windows show stained
an ornate statue depicting large healthy wraps of
glass murals of Elnir sitting on a golden throne,
corn and wheat on one side, and withered, fly-
with many other gods bowing at his feet, a mu-
infested crops, on the other. The entrance to the
ral that other priests of the plaza find insulting.
temple is via some wood-lined steps that lead
The Yellowport Temple of Elnir has been with- down between the healthy and withered crops,
out a High Priest for some years now, and op- to a pair of double doors that continue the mural
erates under the watchful eye of Cardinal To- from above. Inside, the walls are just bare, natu-
bias Whent. The status of High Priest can only ral earth, with wooden struts and beams for sup-
be given to an individual who has displayed port along both the centre and side walls. These
both a lifetime of dedication to Elnir, and has supports were added just a decade ago to keep
undertaken a great quest given to him or her by the roof from collapsing under the weight of the
Elnir in the form of a dream. Many have been plaza.
 121

All priests and acolytes of Maka wear the same ies from priest to priest, but must consist of the
brown robe made from cloth, held together at following garments: a suit of metal armour cov-
the waist by a finely woven piece of hemp. The ered with a white tabard displaying the emblem
way that the hierarchy can be identified is by of Tyrnai, a two-handed weapon, and a helm or
counting the number of knots hanging once the coif. Due to the appearance of these ‘holy cru-
hemp is tied around the waist. An initiate of the saders’ they are often given the nickname The
order will have no knots, an acolyte will have Battle-Priests of Tyrnai. The senior priest of a
one knot, a priest will have two knots, and the Tyrnai Temple is known as the Holy General-at-
high priest will have four knots. Arms (see Chapter 6 – Deities and Religion for
more information).
The High Priestess of the Yellowport Temple
today is Harrun Swiftscythe. Harrun joined the 4 - Temple of Alvir and Valmir
order of Maka many years ago, working her
This temple, dedicated to the King and Queen
way from initiate though acolyte and priest, and
of the Ocean, has been created in the form of a
is now the longest serving High Priestess of this
galleon positioned upside-down in the ground.
temple to date.
The hull of the boat is crafted from fine woods
The Temple of Maka in Yellowport offers all built on a frame in exactly the same way that
of the services available (see Chapter 6 – Deities an ocean-going vessel would be. The hull stands
and Religion for more information). much higher than a regular galleon, and is sup-
ported on the inside by large mast-like wooden
3 - Temple of Tyrnai poles. The wide front of the temple has been
Tyrnai is the God of War, so it is fitting that his shaped outward in the middle so that a porch
temple is shaped in the form of a spear head. and large double doors can be set there. The in-
The Temple of Tyrnai has a very long nave, side of the temple is decorated with a beautiful
decorated with many, many stone pillars run- coral altar, seaweed drapes, and sea shells that
ning in parallel down the centre of this place of reflect the light entering through the portholes.
worship, right up to the alter at the far end. The Old sea-dogs from the Yellowport harbour tell
main doors to the temple are adorned on either tales of the galleon temple once being a sea-
side, by two very imposing stone statues of Tyr- going ship. It was thrown from the ocean by a
nai himself. Both statues stand over twenty feet huge wave and ended up buried where it stands
tall and portray the god in his well-known form, today. No doubt those visitors new to the city
that of a blood-drenched warrior wearing or- will believe such a tail, but it is untrue non-the-
nate armour, carrying a huge two-handed axe, less.
and bearing the head of a maddened jaguar.
Damian of Yellowport is currently the High
Acolytes of the God of War undergo a unique Priest of this temple. He was only given the po-
initiation test that involves knowledge of the sition a few weeks ago after the temples most
teachings of Tyrnai, skill with a weapon, and the prized artefact, the Golden Net, was stolen by
use of a shield while wearing heavy armour. A the ‘repulsive ones’ of the sea. Curren Malk, the
priest of Tyrnai is not allowed to wear their full previous High Priest, took it upon himself to
attire while within the temple walls, but when retrieve the golden net from the repulsed ones
outside the walls it is mandatory. The attire var- city beneath the sea by himself. Unfortunately
 122

his body was found washed up on the beach a The Gold Dust Tavern price guide:
couple of miles from Yellowport. The net still Board and lodgings
remains lost to this day (see Chapter 6 – Deities
and Religion for more information). Straw bed in communal room 1 Shard
Comfy bed in separate bedroom
5 - Gold Dust Tavern & hot bath 3 Shards
The Gold Dust Tavern is a plush establish-
ment close to the East Gate. Its owner, Rygar Horse stabled for one night and fed 1 Shard
Helmsworthy, is a retired adventurer who Food and Drinks
bought the tavern from riches that he ‘acquired’
Flagon of ale 3 Pares
from Vayss, the infamous Sea Dragon, several
years ago. Any new patrons to the tavern will Flagon of honey mead 2 Pares
be regaled with the story of how he hitched a Cup of spiced wine 3 Pares
ride to the cave of the Sea Dragon by hanging
onto its tail after the monster had capsized his Salted meat and potatoes 4 Pares
fishing boat for not giving it any silver. Rygar Hot broth/stew 3
hid in the shallow waters of the cave then stole Pares
the treasure while the huge monster slept. Reg-
ulars to the Gold Dust Tavern always laugh Bread 1 Pare per loaf
when he tells his tale of bravery and cunning Adventurer’s pack (2 day supply of dry food
because it seems to get more exaggerated each and water) 1
time. Rygar’s impressive sword hangs behind Shard
the bar on a specially built plaque, alongside his
Any player that spends a night in the communal
dragon scale shield. None can doubt the brave
room will gain 1 Stamina point for a night’s rest.
adventures of Rygar because of the physical
Any player that spends a night in a bedroom
scars he bears, and the wondrous items he ac-
will gain 2 Stamina points for a good night’s
cumulated during that time in his life. Rygar
rest. This represents the total Stamina gain and
is known to favour young fledging adventures
is not in addition to that gained normally for a
that pass though his tavern, often giving them
night’s rest. If a player pays for food as well as
free board in one of the six bedrooms, or help-
lodgings, they will gain an additional 1 Stamina
ing to kit them out with packed food, the odd
point for a night’s rest.
weapon, and even a bag of Shards.
 123

6 - River Gates 7 - Sulphur Inn

The river gates in the northwest wall of Yellow- If ever an inn or tavern deserved the title of
port are a very new addition to the city. They seedy drinking pit, the Sulphur Inn would be
were erected under the orders of Marloes Mar- that place. The inn itself is quite a large build-
lock after a recent uprising. Marloes wanted ing on the north end of Bagthorp Road, over-
to ensure the city is not attacked via this route looking the Stinking River. The outer walls are
should royalists rise up against them. coloured in hues of dark mustard thanks to the
relentless sulphur fumes after which the inn is
The word gate is actually inappropriate here,
aptly named. The patronage of the Inn is not
as the thick, wrought iron bars that span from
what would be considered a desirable bunch;
one side of the river to the other do not actu-
wanted thieves, assassins, thugs, bullies and
ally open. The bars stretch from the roof of the
corrupt soldiers, all meet here to buy and sell
arched wall, all the way down past the bottom
stolen goods, or receive payment for services
of the river and several feet into the sulphur
rendered. Fights and bar room brawls are com-
soaked mud. They were designed by the artifi-
monplace too, normally resulting from a re-
cer Shander T’sarion, a reputed inventor and
fusal to pay debts, gambling cheats, or general
designer based in Marlock City, but assigned
drunken rowdiness.
to Yellowport by the Protector General to help
reinforce the metropolis. T’sarion has suggested The owner of the inn is Brun Thargoes, oth-
many ways to protect the city, including bar- erwise known as Brun Lightfingers. This thin,
ing the city sewers, positioning huge crossbow- pasty looking middle-aged man is the unknown
style ballista on the towers, and extending the leader of the most profitable guild in all of Yel-
citadel with new walls for protection. The lat- lowport – the Thieves’ Guild. Meetings take
ter was built as a matter of urgency by Marloes, place at irregular intervals in the secret cham-
however the rest of the defensive improvements
will eat into Marlock’s treasury … and that will
never do.
 124

bers attached to the inn’s beer cellar. It is from

here that most of the city’s major crimes are
planned in painstaking detail; there is even a
plan being drawn up to raid the Citadel and al-
leviate Marloes Marlock of some of his riches.
The 5 guild elders and 12 brothers’ elite take
in any orphans and stays found wandering the
streets or begging for shards. The children are
then trained up as pick pockets, for the younger
children, progressing onto the more difficult
thieves skills such as burglary. The guild’s pay-
ment for feeding, clothing and training the guild
members is to take a percentage of the loot from
any robbery, fraud, or racketeering committed,
either organised or independent, within the city
walls. Make no mistake that not a single crime
gets past the guild unnoticed. Anyone who fails
to pay their dues to the guild, or is an outsider
working on the guild’s ground is dealt with
swiftly and severely.
The Sulphur Inn does not have any rooms to
rent, nor does it sell any food; the reason being
that Brun is always suspicious of new faces at
his inn, and doesn’t want Marlock’s spies or un-
dercover soldiers poking around in his affairs
after dark. He only wants people to come in and
drink, gamble, or do their under-the-table deal-
ings, of which he takes a profit, and then leave.
Drink Prices
Flagon of Ale 2 Pares Caravan parties consisting of at least one cart
Flagon of honey mead 3 Pares are required to pay a toll to enter via the west
gate due to wear and tear on the city streets and
8, 15 & 16 - The City Gates bridges. The driver of each cart or wagon is re-
Situated in the west, north, and east walls of Yel- sponsible for the toll, which at present, is set at
lowport are the city gates. Each of these gates 2 Shards per cart. Similar tolls have been known
consists of a double-layered wall, reinforced in to be charged at the other two gates when re-
the event of an attack, and two sets of huge 20 pairs are being made to the cobble stone roads
foot tall iron gates. The gates were designed to of the old city, but this is very rare.
let would-be traders and travellers in through
the outer gates, and then be questioned by the 9 - Riverside Street
gate master in the large courtyard area in-be- Riverside Street is located in the new city region
tween. A garrison of crossbowmen are always of Westport. Unlike most of the streets and al-
positioned on the walls surrounding the gate’s leys on this side of the river, Riverside Street has
courtyard, but are normally only deployed in been paved. The shop owners of this street have
full for large caravan parties. Once the visitors gained quite a reputation for their fine goods,
to the city have been cleared to enter, the inner and see quite a lot of traffic here. It is because
gates are opened to allow passage into Yellow- of this popularity that they took it upon them-
port. selves to undertake the work, and make the
street more welcoming to patrons. Of course, a
 125

profitable street in the Poor Quarter of the city, creased volume of Shards that exchange hands
such as this one, has attracted more than its fair here. A few years back, some of the shops would
share of attention from the Thieves Guild. All reluctantly sell stolen jewellery for the Guild but
of the shops here have to pay an insurance fee this ended almost as quickly as it started, as it
to the guild to keep them safe from robbery or was an obvious place for the victims to look for
vandalism. The Guild could make more Shards their missing heirlooms and treasures.
from raiding the shops and selling the goods,
The shops on Tinker Street:
but inevitably this would cause the shops to
close, and besides, the steady flow of patrons  Obrey’s Treasures – Proprietor: Gorrin
creates the perfect pick-pocketing opportuni- Obery. His family have run this shop for 6
ties and training ground for the fledgling guild generations. The shop specialises in gold
members. jewellery only.
Shops on Riverside Street:  Challis– Proprietor: Marry Smith. The
shop is run by Marry and her 3, not so
 Tabitha’s Knot – Fine chains, rope, cords
comely, daughters. The shop specialises
and hemp
in silver adorned plates, ornaments and
 Open Chest – Pawnshop, and general cutlery.
equipment. No weapons or armour (see
 The Shining Star – Proprietor: Sagram of
equipment prices)
Sokar (he realises that the city has changed
 Rusgard – Carpenter, cabinet and bed names but it was his family name). Sa-
maker gram’s is the 4th generation of Sokars to
run this shop. The shop specialises in gem
 The Silver Trinket – Silver jewellery shop
encrusted jewellery.
 Black Horse – Tack shop
 Rocks – Proprietor: Hanrey En’var. Hanry
 Gryphon Skull Tavern – Good quality recently lost his wife to illness, and so his
food and board two sons run the business. The shop spe-
 Mimie Grimes – Clothes shop cialises in cut gem stones.

 Roonie’s – Fine tailor  Iron Horn House – This shop is actually

run by the Merchants’ Guild, and as such
 Grubs Feast Hall – Average food and pric- is not affected by the harassment of the
es Thieves’ Guild. The merchant house buys
 Jessab’s Shack – Wainwrights and wheel- and sells raw gold and silver with its main
wrights trade coming from miners in the Bronze
Hills to the north.
 Alysia’s Emporium – Perfumes and soaps
 Garetta’s Fine Jewellery – Proprietor:
 Night Lights – Lantern and candle shop Marloe D’anver. This shop has recently
10 - Tinker Street changed hands due to the demise of the
jeweller Barrock Garetta. Barrock was the
Tinker Street is a very small, but famous street, last of his kin and so the shop’s history
in the south west corner of the old city. The ended at the seventh generation of his
street consists of only six shops, three either family. Out of respect, the new owner has
side of the road, and only deals in the buying vowed to keep the shop’s name. The shop
and selling of jewellery. The six shops all work specialises in custom made silver jewel-
independently of one another, and specialise in lery made from ingots brought from Iron
different types of jewellery so as not to tread on Horn House.
the toes of the other retailers on the street. This
set up has worked for the traders here for many 11 - Sea Horse Tavern
years, with generations of family all obeying The Sea Horse Tavern is very popular with sail-
this unwritten rule. As you would imagine, the ors young and old. The insides of the tavern are
Thieves’ Guild insurance on these premises is decorated with all sorts or nautical ornaments,
much higher than a normal shop due to the in-
 126

including a ship’s wheel, port hole-style win- Food and Drinks

dows, and rigging hanging from the ceiling. The
Flagon of ale 3 Pares
tavern’s proprietor is Argon the Sea-Dog who
is of course, an aging sailor who spent more Flagon of honey mead 2 Pares
time at sea than he has on dry land. The deco- Cup of spiced wine 2 Pares
rations are mainly things that he has collected
on his adventures and merchant trips across the Sea urchin stew 3 Pares
oceans. The wheel was presented to him by the Seaweed bread 2 Pares
captain of the Terouse merchant ship on which
he served for almost 2 decades. On it is a bronze Clams and oysters 4 Pares
engraved plaque screwed to the centre, telling 12 - Szordrin’s Wondrous Emporium
of Argon’s devotion to the ship and its safety.
Once upon a time there was a young appren-
If you were ever in need of hearing stories of tice wizard called Szordrin. The young wizard
mountain high waves, sea monsters with teeth surpassed all expectations of magic for a boy of
the size of a horse, or lands drenched in riches his age, and even seemed to possess some la-
and wondrous animals, the Sea Horse Tavern is tent magic abilities not taught by the academy.
the place to be. Argon’s wife, Lilly, often sits at Szordrin’s power grew at such a rate that by the
the bar rolling her eyes at the tales told by her age of 20 he out-matched even the masters of
husband. She has heard them so many times the academy. This fact worried the elders great-
that she could tell them herself in such a con- ly; what if Szordrin’s decided to use his great
vincing manner that you would think she expe- powers for personal gain or acts of evil? Every
rienced them as well. That said, she is glad that wizard and sorcerer who trains at the acade-
her old sea dog has finally hung up his sea boots my on Sorcerers’ Isle must undergo a quest to
and resided to a life on dry land. graduate. The academy elders decided to send
Szordrin on a, seemingly, impossible quest with
The tavern would normally have rooms to the intension of him never returning, and thus
rent, but at this time the rooms are taken by eliminating the problem of his great powers.
Argon and Lilly’s four grandchildren that have
recently moved in. There is room in the stables Szordrin’s quest was to recover the fabled
with the horses however. Lilly is a superb cook Wand of Avacus. The wand originally belonged
who hates charging the drinkers in her tavern to Y’tar the Wise, a former principle of the acad-
emy, but he was killed while battling the Hy-
for the food she cooks. She says that seeing their
gron (3 headed dragon) on Dragon Island. The
happy faces when they taste her sea urchin stew
Hygron is the last known 3-headed dragon to
is payment enough, but these wonderful cui-
have survived on Harkuna; its lair is located
sines cost money to buy the ingredients, so she
deep within a cave beneath the largest mountain
charges enough to cover those costs at the very
on the island. Almost four months after leaving
least. the academy, Szordrin returned with the wand.
The Sea Horse Tavern price guide: When asked how he defeated the biggest and
fiercest of dragons known to man or beast his
Board and lodgings
reply was simple:
No rooms at present, but the normal charge is 2 “You didn’t ask me to kill the Hygron, you
Shards for a bed in one of the three bedrooms. asked me to recover the wand, and this I have
The cost is 5 Pares to sleep with the horses in the done. It was not my place to destroy the last
attached shed. of the three-headed dragons on Harkuna, and
Horse stabled for one night and fed is 1 Shard. nor would I have. Besides, she had an egg that
has been waiting to hatch for a hundred years,
Any player that spends a night in the attached and has now graced the lands with new life”.
shed with the horses will gain 1 Stamina point Szordrin smiled.
for a night’s rest. This represents the total Stami-
na gain and is not in addition to that gained nor- “So how did you retrieve the Wand?” asked
mally for a night’s rest. If a player pays for food one of the elders.
as well as lodgings, they will gain an additional
1 Stamina point.
 127

“I approached the dragon in her lair and intro- a spell, the tattoos glow a soft red giving him a
duced myself. She was angry to see me at first, look to match his powerful abilities.
demanding that I leave her lair or she would
As you would imagine, a mage of Szordrin’s
incinerate me with her fiery breath. I told the
age and power will have collected many differ-
dragon that I was here to recover the Wand of
ent magic items in his life time. Szordrin set-
Avacus, and asked what I could do for her in ex-
tled in Yellowport 10 years ago, and bought a
change for the artefact. She told me that she was
large shop in which to sell some of his magical
lonely having not seen another Hygron since
potions, weapons, armour, cloaks, medallions,
her husband was killed many moons hence. I
gauntlets, rings, and all manner of other items.
thought on this for a while, then changed my
Three members of the Thieves’ Guild showed
body into that of a Hygron and conversed with
up at the shop shortly after Szordrin’s arrival
Gravaak, as is her name. We spoke for several
to acquire the first of many insurance payments
weeks until her son, Jarraak, hatched from the
expected by the Guild. The three men have not
egg. Gravaak was no longer lonely, and as pay-
been seen nor heard of since and the Guild de-
ment for the companionship and friendship that
cided not bother the wizard again.
I had showed her, she gave me the wand of Ava-
cus.” The shop is fairly unimpressive from the out-
side, with darkened windows that you cannot
The academy elders looked on in both amaze-
see in through, and a single hanging sign with
ment and admiration for the compassion and
the words ‘Szordrin’s Wondrous Emporium’
resourcefulness shown by the young wizard.
swinging above the door. Inside is even less im-
Having realised that Szordrin and his magic
pressive; a counter stands at the back of a com-
ability was not a threat to the world, in fact he
pletely empty room next to a curtained off door
was an asset, he graduated with honours. All of
way. A sign on the desk reads ‘Browse at your
that happened almost two hundred years ago.
leisure and please ring the bell for assistance’. If
Szordrin’s longevity remains a mystery to him;
the bell is rung, Szordrin will enter via the cur-
maybe he has not fulfilled the tasks that the
tained door, introduce himself and ask what is
gods sent him here to do? His body is beginning
wished to be purchased. When people say to the
to age at last, and he has the appearance of a 50
wizard that his shop appears to have nothing to
year old man. He stands tall for a human, and
sell, he asks them to look again. When they do,
has pale, almost white, skin. His head is bald
the walls are covered with a plethora of shelves
and bears a mystic tattoo that runs down his
bearing labelled potions, shields, swords, jewel-
nose and across his right cheek. When he casts
lery, staffs, wands, and many, many other items.

Magic Weapons*: Szordrin’s Wondrous

Emporium Price List
A magical weapon (COMBAT +1) 300 Shards
Every potion listed in the
A magical weapon (COMBAT +2) 700 Shards
equipment chapter (see
A magical weapon (COMBAT +3) 1200 Shards Chapter 4 - Equipment) is
available here at the same
Magical Armour*: price.
Magical Armour (DEFENCE +1) 250 Shards *Note: Magic bonuses
Magical Armour (DEFENCE +2) 600 Shards and prices for weapons
Magical Armour (DEFENCE +3) 1200 Shards and armour are in ad-
dition to those listed in
Miscellaneous Items: Chapter 4 - Equipment.
All potions as listed in Chapter 4 - Equipment

Ruby Wand (MAGIC +1) 500 Shards

Sapphire Wand (MAGIC +2) 1000 Shards
Crystal Staff (MAGIC +3) 3000 Shards
 128

13 - Militia Barracks and Prison Typical Yellowport Soldier (Warrior 1)

The two large barracks on either side of the path Charisma 2
leading to the citadel are the newest buildings
Combat 3
in the city. Now that Grieve Marlock demands
a garrison of loyal troops in each of the cities of Intelligence 2
the province, these buildings were necessary to
Magic 1
house them. The soldiers positioned here work
in shifts to police the inner walls, the roads and Muscle 2
streets, the outer perimeter of the city walls, and
Sanctity 1
the harbour area. Their main purpose is to lis-
ten for rumours of royalist gatherings or activ- Scouting 2
ity within the city. Any leads or rumours are al- Thievery 2
ways followed up no matter how unlikely they
sound. Stamina 9
Each of the barracks has three floors: Armour and Weapons: sword and chain mail
Ground Floor - The large ground floor is open Powers: weapon skill (sword)
planned and designed for training the soldiers
Additional Notes: none
of Sokara. Wooden dummies line the back walls
and are used to improve sword play. There are
also areas for archery and shield practice. At the
far end of the training halls are a set of wood-
en spiral stairs leading to the upper and lower
floors.
Lower Floor – The lower level of the barracks is
designated as the city gaol. The dungeon-style
design is smaller than the upper levels with a
single pathway leading down the centre of two
rows of prison
cells. The cells have stone floor and partition
walls with wrought iron bars on the front with
an inset door. Each cell is a meagre ten feet
square, and is furnished with a straw bed at the
far end. Prisoners are held here for all manner
of crimes including theft, robbery, and murder.
Murderers and royalist traitors are only held
here for a short time before their public execu-
tion. As with Marlock City, most executed of-
fenders are hung from the walls inside the city
gate courtyards. The corpses stand as a warning
to anyone intent on breaking any city laws or
inciting a royalist uprising.
Upper Level – This level is solely used as sleep-
ing quarters for the soldiers. Sleeping mats are
provided along with a small wooden chest in
which to keep their belongings. This level can
cater for 40 soldiers at a time. The soldiers work
in a rotation, so that some patrol at night while
others do the day shift. The work load also var-
ies with soldiers spending a week on a particu-
lar task, such as inner wall patrol, then the next
week on something else.
 129

14 - Citadel Grove he often rents both stable and caravan space to

Citadel Grove is the greenbelt of Yellowport. It patrons of the Artificer’s Inn.
was deemed that the Council House, the origi- Board and lodgings
nal use for the building, was of the upmost im-
portance to the city and should have a large pe- Straw bed in communal room 3 Pares
rimeter where no other houses or shops could Comfy bed in separate bedroom 1 Shard
be built. Hundreds of different types of trees per night
and bushes where planted within the boundary
Food and Drinks
path to ensure that the will of the council was
adhered to. Since Marloes Marlock has assumed Flagon of ale 1 Pare
control of the city, he has ordered even more Flagon of honey mead 2 Pares
foliage planted, mainly thick brambles in an at-
tempt to create a natural wall around the citadel. Cup of spiced wine 3 Pares
An attempt to burn down the forest, and the cit- Salted meat and potatoes 4 Pares
adel, was attempted by a local shop owner who
had been both taxed and insured into closure. Hot broth/stew 3
The arsonist was burned at a pyre outside the Pares
city walls for his crime, but it did alert Marloes Bread 1 Pare
to the danger of the grove. He ordered his men
Adventurer’s pack (2 day supply of dry food
to dig a 6ft wide trench just inside the inner path
and water) 1 Shard and 5 Pares
to defend against another such attack. Marloes
also paid a high priest to curse the grove so that Any player that spends a night in the com-
anyone attempting to set it alight will actually munal room will gain 1 Stamina point for a
burst into flames themselves. No one outside of night’s rest. Any player that spends a night in a
the citadel walls knows of this curse. bedroom will gain 2 Stamina points for a good
night’s rest. This represents the total Stamina
17 - Artificer’s Inn gain and is not in addition to that gained nor-
This moderate sized inn is located on the east mally for a night’s rest. If a player pays for food
side of the old town and has almost managed as well as lodgings, they will gain an additional
to avoid the sulphur discolouring that has be- 1 Stamina point for a night’s rest.
fallen most of the city. The inn is owned and run
Captain Hugo Cartwright, an ex-army captain
who served Yellowport militia from the days City Sewers
of the king through to the present ruling of the Much of the functioning Yellowport sewers
Protector-General. Hugo was forced to leave the only exist in the old town area of the city (east
militia after falling from the city walls during a of the Stinking River). The newer part of the
training exercise. Both of his legs were so bad- city to the west of the river was unknowingly
ly broken, that he can only move around very built on the sunken remains of a forgotten city
slowly, on wooden crutches. Hugo’s daughter, called Uthwa. This ancient metropolis was built
Ima, also lives at the inn, and takes care of all during the reign of the Masked Lord of Uttaku
the fetching, carrying, and food preparation for (see Uttaku later in this chapter) but collapsed
her father. during an earthquake that sent much of the city
The inn boasts quite a few rooms to rent due to and the south coast to the bottom of the sea. The
it being a three story building. The second story remains of the fallen city of Uthwa began to sub-
has six fine bedrooms for rent while the upper side; within 40 years what remained of the city
floor is designated as a communal sleeping area. has disappeared beneath the surface but in turn
Hugo and his daughter both sleep downstairs making solid foundations for future buildings.
in rooms next to the kitchens. It is much easier It was quite some years later that Yellowport
for Hugo to get about without having to negoti- was built on Uthwa, and not a single person of
ate a flight of stairs every day. There are no sta- Yellow Grass (as the city was once known) or
bles belonging to the inn, however just across the great metropolis that stands today, knew of
the street is Doogan the Blacksmith’s yard, and the existence of the Uttakin city. It was quite by
 130

chance that old remains of Uthwa were discov- There are many creatures to be found in the Yel-
ered. During the building of the West Port por- lowport sewers; giant snakes and spiders are
tion of the city, well holes were dug as a source commonplace, feeding on the small rodents,
of clean, natural water. The wells that were dug ratmen of course, as well as the occasional
deep enough, burrowed into some of the Uttak- deep faery folk who come up to cause mischief
in buildings that now lie twisted and turned in and reek havoc. Foolhardy adventurers could
the underdark-like ancient catacombs. Ratmen spend quite some time in the old sewers; the
who had burrowed into the old remains from riches of Uthwa are there for the takings, but
outlet pipes located under the Stinking River, beware, there are some very unstable sections
lived in relative peace from the city above for to the sewers and the deeper you go, the more
many years. It is only recently, since a new rat- dangerous it gets!
man King has been crowned, that the city has
There is an adventure included in the appen-
started to have problems. Ratmen crawl along
dix of this book titled Lair of the Ratmen. It de-
the rough caverns beneath the city, and climb
tails a portion of the old sewers of West Port and
up through wells or sewage holes during the
includes plots for further adventures.
night hours. They raid homes, merchant store
houses, and shops, stealing anything shiny or
edible. Recently the Merchants’ Guild has start-
ed offering rewards for ratmen heads, in partic-
ular King Skaab’s head.
 131

City Personalities
Arillion Degarth (Assassin’s Guild -
Warrior 4/Rogue 7)
Charisma 1
Combat 6
Intelligence 4
Magic 2
Muscle 4
Sanctity 3
Scouting 6
Thievery 9
Stamina 29
Armour and Weapons: Black k
leather armour, blackened magi--
cal scimitar +2 COMBAT
Powers: Weapon Skilll
(scimitar) II, Backstab I, Masterr
Thief and Lucky Escape
Additional Notes: The leaderr
of the twelve-strong assassins’’
guild is a merciless killer. Hiss
disfigured face and body match h his disfigured
personality; Arillion is unforgiving
ving to say the
least. Once a contract has been signed, the as-
sassins’ guild makes sure that the contract is
carried out. Money for a hit is paid
aid upfront and
varies greatly, depending on the target.
Arillion is never seen in the city ty during day-
light, and although he likes to prowl the city
after dark he is never seen then hen either. The
master assassin wears black from m head to toe,
with oiled leather being his preferred
ferred armour,
although heavier armour is occasionally
casionally used
for harder targets. The assassin’s ’s weapons are
always blackened with soot and d mud, so that
they do not reflect the city torches
es after dark.
 132

Marloes Marlock (city ruler - Warrior

or 2)
Charisma 1
Combat 3
Intelligence 5
Magic 3
Muscle 3
Sanctity 3
Scouting 3
Thievery 3
Stamina 12
Armour and Weapons: magic plate mail
ail (DE-
FENCE +1) and a magic sword (COMBAT
AT +2)
Powers: Defender II
Additional Notes: Marloes Marlock stands tands 6
feet tall with a pale complexion and a thin,
n, mus-
cle-less torso. He craves wealth and power,
wer, and
uses his position to intimidate everyone around
him. (period) However Marloes, like most ost bul-
lies, is nothing more than a coward. He has no
discernable military skill, hence his large
ge team
of advisors, and gained the title and position
of Provost Marshal purely because his brother,
Grieve Marlock, is the Protector-General al of all
Sokara.
 133

Lieutenant Crom (Warrior 2) Lieutenant Jenas (warrior 2)

Charisma 1 Charisma 4
Combat 5 Combat 5
Intelligence 1 Intelligence 3
Magic 2 Magic 3
Muscle 5 Muscle 2
Sanctity 2 Sanctity 4
Scouting 3 Scouting 4
Thievery 1 Thievery 3
Stamina 15 Stamina 9
Armour and Weapons: chain mail and sword Armour and Weapons: Chainmail and short
sword
Powers: Defender
Powers: Weapon skill (short sword) and
Additional Notes: Crom is a newly appointed
Swift Strike
officer in Marloes military council. He was pro-
moted from Master Sergeant to cover the posi- Additional Notes: To look at her, you would
tion of Lieutenant of Town Policing, after Pintos not associate Jenas with her position within the
was relieved of duty. Crom has become quite military. She stands little over 5 feet tall, with a
a figure in the city’s underworld, exchanging pretty face and shapely body to match. But un-
prison sentences for information on royalist up- derneath her comely exterior resides the person-
risings or peasant unrest. If another royalist at- ality of a cold, hard, slavedriver, possessing skill
tack is going to happen, Crom will make sure he with a blade almost outmatched in the whole
knows about it, and quash it quickly. city. Jenas is in charge of the wall guards, and
expects every single person to pull their weight
and perform to the best of their ability. Those
that do not are lashed as an example to others.
 134

Lieutenant Tarrack (Warrior 2)

Charisma 5
Combat 5
Intelligence 3
Magic 3
Muscle 3
Sanctity 1
Scouting 2
Thievery 2
Stamina 12
Armour and Weapons: Chainmail, shield and
nd sword
Powers: Defender I
Additional Notes: Tarrack is a tall man with a
heavy frame and muscles to match. He has been in
charge of training the soldiers and militia in
n the
city for a very long time, and does the job well.

Guild Master Vernon of Yellowport

(commoner/Rogue 1)
Charisma 1
Combat 2
Intelligence 4
Magic 4
Muscle 2
Sanctity 2
Scouting 2
Thievery 4
Stamina 8
Armour and Weapons: dagger
Powers: Treasure Hunter
Additional Notes: Vernon comes from a long ng line of
guild masters; his father was guildmaster, as was his
father before him, so it was only natural thatat Vernon
continue his family tradition. Vernon is now ow in his
late 50’s, short, extremely overweight, and complete-
ly bald. He likes to dress in fine clothes and wear lots
of lavish jewellery to pronounce his position n to those
who wish to do business with him. One of Ver-
non’s worst personality traits, is that he likes
es to
use people to perform needed tasks, but hass lit-
tle use for them afterwards, sometimes ignoringring
them altogether once the task is complete.
 135

Captain Royzer (Warrior 3)

Charisma 4
Combat 4
Intelligence 3
Magic 3
Muscle 4
Sanctity 2
Scouting 2
Thievery 3
Stamina 25
Armour and Weapons: Chainmail and
d war
hammer
Powers: Defender and Weapon
n Skill
(war hammer) II
Additional Notes: Royzer is an experienced ienced
soldier and military commander. He was as as-
signed to Yellowport by Grieve Marlock k to
aid his rather inexperienced brother in mili-
tary matters. If the truth be known, Royzerzer
has little respect for Marloes lack of ruler-
r-
ship and detests both his lust for money
and lavish lifestyle. He does however,
have the greatest loyalty for the Protec-
tor General of all Sokara, and respecting
his assignment, obeys all orders given
to him by Marloes without question.
 136

Brun Lightfingers (Thieves’ Guild leader - Rogue 8)

Charisma 2
Combat 5
Intelligence 5
Magic 4
Muscle 2
Sanctity 2
Scouting 2
Thievery 9
Stamina 21
Armour and Weapons: dagger and leather armour
Powers: Treasure Hunter III
Additional Notes: Brun is the owner of the Sulphur Inn in West Port. He is a rough looking man
with several visible facial scars and unkempt hair. His clothes are old and dirty, and his general
appearance says that he is a poor inn keeper. Nothing could be further from the truth! Brun is a
very rich man who has most of his ill—gotten gains hidden behind secret walls in the basement.
The elders of the Thieves’ Guild have their main hideout in the secret rooms in the basement of the
Sulphur Inn. The inn provides the perfect front for the Guild that Brun set up over twenty years
ago. Of course, they were not as organised then and the guild numbered less than 20 members, but
over the years they have grown to become one of the richest, apparently non-existent, organisa-
tions in the city.
 137

Cardinal Tobias Whent (Priest 5)

Charisma 5
Combat 1
Intelligence 5
Magic 5
Muscle 2
Sanctity 7
Scouting 2
Thievery 1
Stamina 18
Armour and Weapons: none
Powers: Bless, Curse and Deliverence
Additional Notes: Tobias is entrusted with th the
ceremonial blessing and announcement of the
new high priest of Elnir in Yellowport. Thehe ag-
ing cardinal has spent his entire life in the
he ser-
vice of the temple, having been found on the
steps when he was a newborn child. Tobias
walks with a crooked back that would surly
topple him over were he not supported by his
walking stick. He wears bright red cardinal rdinal
robes with intricate embroidery and a yellow
sash wrapped around the waist, on his feet eet are
a normal pair of sandals.
 138

High Priestess - Harrun Swiftscythe his wrecked ship, Damian prayed to the gods of
(Priest 7) the sea for mercy. When he was close to death
Charisma 6 from heatstroke and dehydration, he saw a vi-
sion of the twin gods standing on the sea before
Combat 2 him. They told him to drink the sea water. When
Intelligence 7 he did, he didn’t taste salty sea water, instead
the water was fresh and clean. Damian survived
Magic 4 a further three days in the water before being
Muscle 1 picked up by Yellowport fishermen. He imme-
diately travelled to the temple and never looked
Sanctity 9 back since.
Scouting 2
Thievery 1
Stamina 26
Armour and Weapons: scythe
Powers: Bless II
Additional Notes: Harrun is the longest serv-
ing High Priestess of Maka that the Yellowport
temple has ever had. She is about to start her
thirtieth year in the position, having become in
initiate some forty years ago. Despite her silver
hair, the High Priestess is looking good for her
age, putting her younger looks and complexion
down to eating uncooked vegetables, roots, and
fruit fallen from the trees.

High Priest - Damian of Yellowport

(Priest 7)
Charisma 4
Combat 2
Intelligence 5
Magic 5
Muscle 3
Sanctity 7
Scouting 3
Thievery 2
Stamina 22
Armour and Weapons: trident and shell armour
(count as chainmail)
Powers: Deliverance II and Bless
Additional Notes: Damian has dedicated his
life to Alvir and Valmir after surviving one of
the worst storms at sea that Harkuna has ever
seen. During his ordeal, which included drift-
ing for 5 days on a piece of broken hull from
 139

Holy General at Arms – Torrick

Sunblade (Priest 6)
Charisma 4
Combat 3 (was 5 but lowered due to
disability)
Intelligence
elligence 5
Magic
agic 2
Muscle
uscle 4
Sanctity
nctity 6
Scouting
outing 5
Thievery
ievery 3
Stamina
mina 26

Armour
mour and Weapons: magic plate mail
(DEFENCE
EFENCE +1) and a magic War hammer
(COMBAT
OMBAT +1)
Powers:
wers: Bless I and Curse I
Additional
ditional Notes: The Yellowport Temple’s
resident
ident leader is Torrick Sunblade, a battle
hardened
rdened man in his late 50s who stands 6
feett and 5 inches tall. His armour is dented
andd torn with the tales of many battles and
crusades
usades in the name of his lord. Sunblade
lostt his right arm at the elbow, while sin-
gle-handedly
-handedly defending a small chapel
fromm a brigand attack, intent on stealing
anyy valuables. It was this devotion to his
lord
d Tyrnai that earned him the position
that
at he holds today.
 140

Rygar Helmsworthy (Warrior 5 retired)

Charisma 4
Combat 7
Intelligence 3
Magic 3
Muscle 5
Sanctity 3
Scouting 4
Thievery 4
Stamina 18
Armour and Weapons: magic swordword
(COMBAT +2) hanging behind bar
Powers: Blademaster II
Additional Notes: Rygar’s battered d
and scared physique is the result off
many years adventuring in the Fabled
Lands of Harkuna. The old man likes
to sit in his tavern, bought from riches
stolen from the Sea Dragon, and regale
the patrons with his old stories. Rygar
has a wondrous collection of artefactss
from all over the world, including the he
tusk of a white mammoth bear from m
beyond the Spine of Harkun, the sword d
and dragon scale armour from the Lich ch
Lord of the Thanatos Caverns, and nu-
merous other magical items, trinkets,, coins,
jewellery, clothing, and weapons acquired
quired on
his quests. Rygar is now in his waning ng years,
but his mind is as young as it always was.
 141

Szordrin (Mage Rank unknown)

Charisma 4
Combat 5
Intelligence 11
Magic 12
Muscle 4
Sanctity 9
Scouting 8
Thievery 8
Stamina Unknown
wn
Armour and Weapons:: Crystal Staff (MAGIC
+3) and magical Wizard
d Robes (Defence +4)
Powers: Sorcery - All, Counterspell III, Mage
sight I and Spellbinder I
Additional Notes: The mysterious and power-
ful Szordrin is a mage of unknown rank. At an
early age his magical abilities had surpassed
the masters on the Sorcerer’s
erer’s Isle. Szordrin now
runs his own shop in Yellowport.
ellowport.
 142

CHAPTER 10 - Monsters and

Enemies
This chapter is solely for the Gamesmaster. In Accompanying each entry is a short description,
this section are the most common monsters as well as the adversaries ability values, Defence
and enemies that the characters will encounter and Stamina values, and any special rules they
on their journey through the Fabled Lands of may have. A typical entry for an enemy will
Harkuna. look like this:

ENEMY NAME
Description: A brief description of the monster or enemy will be given here.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Enemy Name 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
The ability values listed above will be average values. The Gamesmaster should feel free to modify
them to suit his needs, though you shouldn’t deviate too far from the average. Many of the ability
values will never be used (except for Combat), but are listed for completeness.
Defence: 5
Stamina: 6
Special Rules:
• Any special rules the enemy has will be listed here.
Threat Level: A numerical value representing how dangerous the enemy is. The higher the value,
the deadlier the encounter. This rating is best used to compare one monster against another when
determining what to throw against a party of adventurers, as each group of players is different
when it comes to individual tactics.

The Gamemaster should also take into account • They are unaffected by darkness.
that not all monsters of a given Threat Level are
• They do not breath, eat, or sleep, nor can
necessarily equal when compared to a given
they be forced to.
party. For example, a party with magic items
and spells to protect against spiritual attacks • They are immune to spells and powers
will find an attack by a chimerical beast less of that affect the mind, such as illusions, mind con-
a challenge than one without, making it very trol, fear, etc.
difficult to devise a system to truly gauge the • They are immune to disease as well as
threat to all player characters equally. effects that drain or alter their ability values.
A Note About Undead: Several of the following • They are unable to heal naturally unless
creatures are actually members of the undead, they possess an Intelligence score.
monsters that while no longer living, have not
truly passed on. These beings are susceptible to • They are subject to resurrection if a
a number of special rules that are detailed be- physical body is present, returning to life as per
low. the normal rules.
The rest of this chapter is dedicated to the mon-
sters and enemies found throughout Harkuna.
These are listed in alphabetical order for ease of
reference.
 143

ASSASSIN
Description: An assassin is a hired and
d professional killer. They are trained murderers, with the
ability to dispatch of an enemy in many
y different ways, from straight out bloody murder, to more
subtle methods, such as poison.
Assassins are found all throughout thee Fabled Lands. Many nobles use them to eliminate rivals,
while evil-doers hire them to take out their
heir enemies. In some cases, they may be part of a brother-
hood of assassins, each one them a deadly
dly foe. In other cases they may be loan warriors, working
without the support of a larger network;
k; this does not make them any less deadly, however.
When encountered by a group of characters,
acters, it is usually because they annoyed someone who is
now seeking revenge. Assassins usuallyy use daggers or knives, sometimes coated in venom, and
wear little armour so that their movements
ents are not impeded.

Cha Com
om Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi
Assassin 2 6 3 2 3 1 5 5
Defence: 8
Stamina: 8
Special Rules:
• Assassins are likely to coat their blade with poison, but this is at the Gamesmaster’s discre-
tion (see Chapter 9 - For the Gamesmaster
esmaster for more information on poison)
Threat Level: 6

BANDIT
Description: Bandits are a true plague on society. Also know
known as outlaws, highwaymen, or a vari-
ety of other names, these men and women prey on hapless tratravellers, robbing them of their money
and other valuables. Merchants in particular are common tar
targets, and for this reason many travel-
ling traders employ bodyguards to help protect them from theth frequent attacks.
Bandits can be found anywhere within the Fabled Lands. TheyT are usually poorly dressed and
condition. Most bandits will be found using
dirty, though their weapons are usually kept in good conditi
basic weapons and armour, though some fortunate ones may have picked up better weapons dur-
ing their attacks.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Bandit 2 3* 2 1 4 2 4 4
Bandit Leader 3 4* 3 1 4 2 4 5
Defence: 5 (bandit) or 6 (leader), plus any armour.
Stamina: 6 (bandit) or 13 (leader)
Special Rules:
• A bandit’s Combat value will increase depending on the
th weapon he is using.
Threat Level: 1 (bandit) or 3 (leader)
 144

GHT
BARROW WIGHT
Description: Barrow wights are fearsome creatures found in the burial mounds of the dead
dead. They
are the animated remains
mains of the person buried within, bought back to a state of unlife by
b dark
magic. Although nott necessarily evil, a barrow wight will attack anyone foolish enough to come
d, for within it there is likely to be rich treasures.
near its burial mound,
A barrow wight looks ks like a decaying human, with grey, pallid skin, rotting robes, and the stench
of death. They will use even their
se whatever weapons are available to them to defend their mounds, eve
long nails and teeth if they have to.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Barrow Wight 0 5 0 1 4 0 1 1
Defence: 9
Stamina: 18
Special Rules:
• Barrow wights are undead and thus are susceptible to any special rules affecting them.
them
Threat Level: 6

CHIMERICAL BEAST
Description:
tion: Very little is known of this creature. Some believe it is a creature su
summoned by pow-
erful magic,
gic, others think it is a monster sent by the gods to punish the wicked. Still others believe
it is a beast
ast born from nightmares, made real by the power of the mind.
Whatever er the case may be, these creatures only appear rarely. Their true form is obscured by a roil-
ing blackk cloud, though some people have reported seeing a massive, black tentacled
ten thing within
it. It makes
kes those who see it feel small, frightened and insignificant, and the baleful
bal feeling it gives
people often
ften leaves them badly shaken.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Chimerical
rical Beast 0 8 2 7 5 0 1 1
Defence:: 10
Stamina:: 20
Special Rules:
• The
he very presence of a chimerical beast causes one to question their faith.
fait The attacks of a
chimerical
imerical beast are not physical, but rather mental. It’s opponents do not
no use their normal
Defence
efence values when fighting a chimerical beast; instead, use their Sanctity
Sancti value.
Threat Level: 10
 145

RAGON
DRAGON
Description:
cription: The dragons of the Fabled Lands are truly magnificent beasts, spoken of in legend
legends
and sung about in songs of bards and minstrels. They are rarely seen, but when they are, trouble
troub
is not
ot far away.
Dragons
gons vary in shape and size, but all share similar characteristics. They are long and serpentin
serpentine
in nature,
ature, with lizard-like heads filled with sharp fangs. Most of them have wings that allow the
them
to fly great distances, and sometimes people see them high in the sky, gliding across the world.
There
re are many different species of dragon throughout the Fabled Lands. Some of the more com com-
monn include the ice dragon that can breathe a frozen gust of air over its enemies; subterranean
subterranea
cavee dragons that live beneath the earth and belch forth scorching flames from their mouths; an
and
sea dragons who, despite the name, also inhabit lakes and deep rivers, and breathe clouds of acid
acidic
gas.
Then and
n there are the tatsu dragons, who live in Akatsurai. These dragons are huge and majestic, an
both
h respected and feared. They are slightly more common than the other dragon species, but still
st
rare enough that seeing one is a once in a lifetime event.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Small
all Dragon 5 7 9 8 9 5 6 2
Dragon
agon 5 9 9 8 10 5 6 2
Huge
ge Dragon 5 13 9 8 12 5 6 2
Defence:
ence: 15 (small), 19 (normal), 25 (huge)
Stamina:
mina: 20 (small), 30 (normal), 45 (huge)
Special
cial Rules:
• All dragons can use a breath weapon as a ranged attack. This attack causes the loss of 3-1
3-18
Stamina if it hits.
• Tatsu dragons have additional special rules. A dying tastu can instil its draconic essence in
a chosen person (the ‘vessel’), providing it with a +2 bonus to its Combat and Magic values,
value
but imposing a -2 Charisma penalty and a -1 Sanctity penalty.
Threat
eat Level: 13 (small), 20 (normal), 36 (huge)
 146

EKUSHKA
Description: The ekushka are a type of horse that lives in the waters along the coasts of the Fabled
Lands. They are shaggy beasts the size of a normal horse, and have coats made of kelp and eyes
that glow with a phosphorous light. They are carnivorous and often attack beach-goers in an at-
tempt to find their next meal.
The ekushka are normally solitary creatures but are sometimes found in small herds. Legend has
it that should someone be skilled enough to train an ekushka to be ridden, then the beast will take
them into the depths of the oceans where they will find many riches and treasures.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Ekushka 0 6 1 0 5 0 3 1
Defence: 7
Stamina: 10
Special Rules:
• Ekushka are extremely fast. Characters cannot use the defensive withdrawal combat action
when fighting this monster.
Threat Level: 5

ELF
Description: Elves are part of the race of faerie, a magical, almost mythical race of beings that mmost
normal folk think of as make-believe; stories
tories told to frighten or entertain children on a rainy night.
nig
The truth is they are real, but rarely seen
en in the mortal world.
An elf is a slender figure, their bodies tall and thin, their faces long and vulpine. They live in very
v
out-of-the-way places, hidden by magicc and almost impossible to find without arcane aid, for theirth
homes are surrounded by illusion and enchantment.
For the most part, elves leave the mortal
al world alone, only venturing into it when the situation re-
quires. If a mortal somehow manages to stumble into their realm, they are quick to defend it, first
with magic and then combat if need be.e.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Th
Elf 4 7 7 10 3 1 5 10
Defence: 10
Stamina: 7
Special Rules:
• Elves can use the Enchantment and Illusion lores of magic.
Threat Level: 8
 147

AERY HOUND
FAERY
Description:
scription: As black as night, with glowing, ruby-red eyes, faery hounds are a type of guard d
dog
used
ed by the Trau race. Their forms are shadowy and hard to make out, making them hard to fi fig
ght,
which
ich can be a real problem due to the row of razor-sharp teeth they possess.
Luckily,
ckily, faery hounds are said to have a weakness. It is said that beautiful music or singing can
soothe
othe them so much that they will fall into a deep sleep.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Th
Faery
ery Hound 1 7 1 6 5 1 7 3
fence: 10
Defence:
Stamina:
mina: 12
Special
ecial Rules:
• Characters encountering a faery hound may try to sing it to sleep. This requires a Charisma
Charis
test at Difficulty 13 to succeed.
Threat
reat Level: 7

FLYING HEAD
Description: The race of faerie
rie is a strange one, and the flying heads are one of the strangest. They
come from a sub-race of goblin-folk,
blin-folk, who are able to detach their heads from their bodies, which
then float and bob through the
he air, scaring the innocent, and attacking people.
Flying head goblins are even
n rarer than normal faery folk, and for this reason are often thought
to be nothing more than a myth. The only place where they seem to be slightly more common is
Akatsurai.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Flying Head 1 4 1 6 2 1 2 2
Defence: 14
Stamina: 5
Special Rules:
• The bodies that flying heads come from are vulnerable and defenceless when the heads are
detached. If the bodies are killed, the heads will die immediately.
Threat Level: 5
 148

ARK
FLYING SHARK
Description: Sharks
arks are a menace to fishermen and sailors at the best of times, but the flying sharks
of the Violet Ocean
ean are very dangerous indeed. They look much the same as normal sharks, but
their fins are diff
fferent,
erent, allowing them to leap out of the water and glide through the air over short
distances.
Some fishermen will deliberately hunt flying sharks, for it is said that their meat is even better tast-
ing than that of normal sharks.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Flying Shark 1 8 1 1 9 1 3 1
Defence: 10
Stamina: 20
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 10

FURY
Description:
n: The furies are minions of the gods of Atticala, semi-divine beings who aare used to
seek revenge
ge on those who have wronged the Atticalan pantheon. There are only three o of them and
they appear
ar as hideous, winged crones or hags, wearing tattered clothing and with ha hair bedrag-
gled. They carry brass-studded whips which they use to lash their victims, normally stop
stopping only
when they have killed him (unless their masters have instructed them otherwise).
The Furiess are extremely cruel, and left to their own devices, will torture a victim mercilessly.
m
However they hey are eager to please their divine masters and will always try to obey their orders,
or even
if it is with great reluctance.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Fury 1 12 7 8 4 8 3 2
Defence: 19
Stamina: 25
Special Rules:
ules: None
Threat Level:
vel: 25
 149

GHOST
Description: A ghost is a spectral image of a dead person, summoned back to the realm of the liv-
ing by powerful necromantic magic. They ey appear as they did in life, with the same features and
clothing. However they are insubstantialal and can be seen through; they can also move through
n there.
solid objects as though they weren’t even
Ghosts are normally found haunting ancient
cient ruins and keeps, wandering the halls of their former
homes. Most ghosts will attack mortal creatures
eatures on sight with loathing and a touch of jealousy, for
they wish they could still live and experience
ience the wonders of life.

Cha Com
m Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi
Ghost 2 7 3 4 0 0 2 4
Defence: 16
Stamina: 7
Special Rules:
• Ghosts are undead and thus are susceptible
usceptible to any special rules affecting them.
• A ghost can only be harmed by magic
agic or a magical weapon
Threat Level: 11

GHOUL
Description: A ghoul is the rotting remains of a corpse, reanimated by dark magic so that it can
walk the earth once more. They look much like a zombie: decaying flesh, stench of rotting meat,
fevered yellow eyes and jagged, black teeth.
Ghouls hate sunlight and will therefore usually only be encountered at night. They love to eat
warm human flesh and will attack with a frenzy and vicious blood-lust. If they cannot find warm
flesh (or it is too dangerous to attempt it) they will
w seek the flesh of the dead; for this reason, they
are often encountered in graveyards, tombs, and crypts, where there is a veritable feast waiting for
them.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Ghoul 0 3 0 3 4 0 1 1
Defence: 7
Stamina: 15
Special Rules:
• susceptible to any special rules affecting them.
Ghouls are undead and thus are susceptibl
• Anyone wounded by a ghoul has the chanc
chance of contracting the Ghoulbite disease (see Chap-
information on diseases)
ter 9 - For the Gamesmaster for more inform
• Ghouls cannot cross a line of salt and iron sshards.
Threat Level: 4
 150

T
GIANT
Description:
on: Standing at least 20 feet tall (and some much bigger), a giant resembles his
h smaller
human cousins
ousins in outward appearance. They are quick to anger, and will often eat humans
hu and
other creatures
atures for snacks. They are strong and aggressive, but luckily they are not too bright
b and
sily tricked.
can be easily
Giants aree not normally seen much throughout Harkuna and when encountered it is ofteno in re-
mote out-of-the-way
-of-the-way places. Much like their smaller cousins, mankind, a giant may be kind and
caring, or a harmless soul who just wants to be left alone. Others though may be cruel and
a heart-
less, black-souled
k-souled individuals, who terrorize villages and towns for fun.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Giant 1 11 1 1 15 1 3 1
Defence: 18
Stamina: 30
Special Rules:
ules:
• Stomp
mp (2AP) - A giant can attempt to stomp on a single character during combat. The
T victim
must
st make a successful Thievery (Difficulty 10) roll to avoid the stomp. If they fail
fa the roll
they
y will lose 2-12 points of Stamina.
Threat Level:
evel: 22

GIANT
NT CHAMELEON
Description:
ption: Chameleons are lizard-like creatures who have the almost magical ability to cha change
the colour
our of their skin so that they can better blend in with their surroundings. If they are lying
lyin in
the grass
ss their scales would be green, for instance, while when sunning themselves on the rocks ro
their scales
ales might be brown or grey.
Giant chameleons
hameleons grow up to eight feet in length and are found in tropical and desert areas.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Th
Giant Chameleon 1 8 1 1 5 0 3 8
ce: 9
Defence:
Stamina:
na: 19
Speciall Rules:
• Camouflage - A chameleon gains a +4 bonus when using the camouflage skill.
Threat Level: 9
 151

PIDER
GIANT SPIDER
Description: Found in the depths of the most tangled forests all over the Fabled Land Lands, giant spi-
ders are a dangerous
ngerous and often deadly menace to animals and travellers alike. Many o of them grow
to the size of a large bear, and instead of flies and other insects, eat any animals, or even
ev humans,
who might wander into their sticky webs.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Giant Spider
er 1 4 1 1 4 0 3 2
Defence: 7
Stamina: 5
Special Rules:
s:
• Poison - Any character that is bitten by a Giant Spider must make a Muscle (Difficulty 12) test
or suffer the loss of an additional 1d6 points of Stamina.
Threat Level:: 4

GOLEM
OLEM
Description:
scription: A golem is a magically animated statue that is often used to guard an impo important
building
lding or room. They can take many forms but are usually larger than a man, standing over eight
feett tall. Their height and form is only limited by the imagination of their sculptor, however. Typi-
callyy they are man-shaped but often have an animal head, such as that of a bull or a lion.
A golem will usually be made out of stone or clay, but other materials such as wood and iroiron are
also
o used. Sometimes more exotic elements are used to sculpt a golem, such as gold or silver, while
other
er times macabre materials are used, such as bone or flesh.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

T
Golem
olem 0 5 0 4 7 0 0 0
Defence:
fence: 11
Stamina:
mina: 10
Special
ecial Rules: None
Threat
reat Level: 6
 152

GORGON
Description: Gorgons are hideous and dangerous beasts easts who prey on villagers and farmers. They
look human, but are far from it: although their bodieses and limbs are undoubtedly those of a wom-
an, they are old, bent and twisted, very hag-like in their
heir appearance (although some gorgons mask
their body through magic to make themselves appear ear young and beautiful). It is their hair that
marks their monstrous ancestry though, for instead d of human hair they have a nest of twisting,
writhing snakes.
In combat, the snakes bite and snap at the gorgon’s opponents, but that is not the worst part, that
comes if you happen to look into a gorgon’s eyes, for they have the power to turn a person to stone.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Gorgon 2 4 5 7 3 2 2 3
Defence: 5
Stamina: 8
Special Rules:
• If a character happens to look into the eyes of a gorgon, there is a chance they will be turned
to stone unless they succeed at a Magic (Difficulty
ulty 15) test. Otherwise, they prove immune to
the effects of this particular gorgon’s magic.
• Any character that is turned to stone is considered
ered dead for the purpose of the game.
Threat Level: 10

GORLOCK
LOCK
Description:
tion: Gorlocks look like the by-product of the
th dreams of a mad and obviously insane wiz-
ard. Thiss beast has the legs of a bird (that point backwards),
back the body of a reptile, two short fore-
nd a beaked, lizard-like head. When it or its llair is threatened, it lets out a shrieking cry and
limbs, and
rushes forward,
orward, attacking whatever or whoever it pe perceives as a threat.
A Gorlock
ck makes its lair in caves hidden in the hills. These caves are often littered with the bones -
and treasures
sures - of its victims.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Gorlock
k 1 4 2 2 4 1 6 2
Defence:: 6
Stamina:: 7
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 3
 153

Y WORM
GREY
Description:
ption: The grey worm is a legendary beast native to the Great Steppes. It is huge, growing
g
to up to
o three times the size of a man. It lives underground, digging great tunnels and emerging
em
only to eat.
It is said
d the grey worm is practically invulnerable. A popular story tells that the grey worms
worm once
rolled in free of the
n the magic dust of the gods, which protect it from harm. Only their snouts were fre
dust, andnd thus this is said to be their vulnerable spot.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Grey Worm 0 8 0 0 9 0 2 1
e: 23
Defence:
Stamina:
a: 8
Special Rules:
• The
he snout of a grey worm is more vulnerable than the rest of its body. If a character specifi
s es
that
hat he is striking the snout, its Defence is reduced to 13. Characters can make an Intelligence
Inte
test
est (Difficulty 16) to know about this weakness.
Threat Level: 18

GRYPHON
HON
Description:
ion: Making their nests on the peaks of the highest mountains in the Fabled Lands, a
gryphon is a fabulous beast that is half-lion and half-eagle. Its body, legs, and tail, are those
t of a
lion, while
le its wings and head are that of the eagle.
While they
ey are generally passive, they become aggressive when their nests are threatened,
threatened as these
creatures are fiercely protective of their young.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Gryphon
n 1 4 2 2 6 1 6 2
Defence: 6
Stamina: 14
Special Rules: None
Threat Level:
evel: 3
 154

HYDRA
Description: Travelling across the Fabled Lands is filled with danger, and one of the deadliest en-
counters is the hydra. This is a gigantic serpentine creature, three times the size of a man, with not
one head but many. The exact number varies, but is usually between five and twelve. They can be
found anywhere, but are usually in swampy areas or other regions with water nearby.
The danger posed by a hydra is threefold. Firstly, their mouths drip deadly venom that will stop a
man’s heart within moments. Secondly, they are able to spit burning acid at their foes that can burn
through even the toughest armour and strip the flesh off of a creature. Lastly, their many heads
have the ability to regrow themselves if they are decapitated. This happens within seconds, which
can be extremely disheartening for a hydra’s foes.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Hydra 0 6 2 1 6 0 2 3
Defence: 11
Stamina: 16
Special Rules:
• The first time that a character is wounded by a hydra, he must make a successful Muscle (Dif-
ficulty 12) test or suffer double damage from the contraction of Swamp Rot disease. Anyone
that is immune to disease is not affected by this special rule.
• A hydra can spit acid as a ranged attack. This causes the loss of 3-18 Stamina if it hits and has
a 5 in 6 chance to destroy any armour the character is wearing. This chance is reduced by 1
for each +1 Magic bonus possessed by the armour.
armour
• A hydra will heal 1-6 Stamina to itself at the end of each combat round that it is still alive.
Threat Level: 10

JEWELLED SERPENT
Description: Found in the forests of Golnir, jewelled serpents are large, anaconda-like snakes that
th
attack by constricting their victims before swallowing them. Their emerald-coloured scales make
makes
them hard to spot in the tree canopies where they live, meaning that they are very dangerous to t
those travelling through the woods.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Jewelled Serpent 0 7 1 0 8 0 4 4
Defence: 8
Stamina: 9
Special Rules:
• Jewelled serpents have a green gem-like protrusion in their heads. This gem is worth 10
100
Shards.
Threat Level: 6
 155

KELPIE
Description: Thee kelpie is a supernatural water horse. In its natural form it ap appears as a large,
powerful and muscular
uscular horse with pure black, leathery skin like that of a seal, and
an a mane of hair
that drips with water. However, the kelpie is a shapeshifter and is able to alter its form in a couple
s.
of different ways.
When it is away from water it will appear as a normal pony, galloping across the land. It will ap-
proach travellers,
s, hoping to lure them back to its watery home in order to attack them. The only
thing that gives a kelpie away in this form is its unique footprints, which are not like
lik those of a reg-
ular horse. When n it attacks, the Kelpie grows horns on its head and uses them to b butt its enemies.
The second form hands and feet and a
m a kelpie can take is that of a small furry fellow with webbed hand
thick heavy tail. They use this form when they are in the water in order to lure in their prey .

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Kelpie 7 6 4 6 6 1 3 3
Defence: 8
Stamina: 12
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 6

KER’LIK
Description: The depths of the oceans are home to all manner of beasts, some benign, others hide-
ous and terrifying. The Ker’lik belong to the latter group. They look like large lobsters, with many
spines and thick, chitinous armour. Their large pincers are used as weapons in combat.
Ker’lik attack living creatures in order to use them as hosts for their young. When they kill their
opponents they inject their eggs into the still warm bodies, which act as an incubator for the eggs.
When the eggs hatch, the young ker’lik eat their host from the inside out, before emerging into
fresh air.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Ker’lik 1 4 2 1 4 0 3 3
Defence: 9
Stamina: 8
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 4
 156

MANBEAST
Description: The land of Nerech,
ech, north east of Sokara, is a forbidden land where no one dar
dares to
travel. The Sokarans have evenn built a wall along their common border, with three great fortre
fortresses,
in order to protect the kingdom
om from the dangers of Nerech, and these dangers come in the fform
of the manbeasts.
The manbeasts are vicious beings,
ings, as tall as a human but covered in shaggy hair of varied colours,
colo
but usually grey or brown. They
hey have long claws instead of nails on the end of their hands, and
sharp, pointed teeth much likee fangs. On their heads they wear great iron helms sculpted to resem-
res
ble the faces of ferocious beasts,
sts, such as lions, bears, and birds of prey. They are aggressive and
often form large raiding packs,
s, where they will attack travellers or attempt to breach the wall into
Sokara.
The origin of the manbeasts iss shrouded in mystery, but the truth is that they are magically alt
altered
to their animalistic form. For what purpose and by whom this was done is unclear.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

T
Manbeast 1 8 2 1 5 2 5 2
Defence: 6
Stamina: 10
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 5

OGRE
Description: Ogres are monstrous beasts that look like larger, much uglier
u versions of humans.
These brutes stand around nine feet tall and live in the wild, usually making
ma their homes in caves.
They remain some distance from civilisation, but close enough that they can raid villages for live-
stock, and even the occasional human, which is their preference; ogre ogres consider human flesh a
delicacy and will take it whenever they can.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Ogre 1 5 1 1 7 1 5 2
Defence: 8
Stamina: 12
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 5
 157

RATMAN
Description: Beneath the cities of the Fabled Lands lie secret worlds normally unseen
uns by the eyes
of man. Sewerr tunnels twist and turn, hiding all manner of secret societies, thieves,
thieves dark cults and
monster lairs.
One of these hidden worlds belong to creatures known as the ratmen. These creatures
creatu - who look
like rats that walk upright like a human and who stand around five feet tall - infe
infest the sewers of
many cities, including
ncluding Yellowport in Sokara. Here they live, raiding the surface once
onc in a while for
food and trinkets
kets (basically anything shiny). They live in secret, trying to remain unseen so that
they can betterr slink through the streets at night, taking what they desire.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Ratman 1 3 2 2 3 2 5 7
Defence: 6
Stamina: 6
Special Rules:
s: None
Threat Level: 2

REPULSIVE
VE ONE
Description: The seas of the Fabled Lands are dangerous, not least because of the creatures kknown
as the repulsive
ve ones. These creatures look like giant squids, but their black eyes shine with intel-
ligence and malevolence.
alevolence. They often use rudimentary weapons such as spears and trident
tridents, and
wear simple armour
rmour made of coral and shells.
The repulsive ones live in temples deep beneath the waves. These temples are dedicated to their
horrible deity, the fish god Oannes. These religious buildings often contain many treasures, stolen
from sunken ships
hips (many of which the repulsive ones had a hand in sinking).

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Repulsive One
ne 0 4 5 2 4 4 3 2
Defence: 6
Stamina: 10
Special Rules:
• Repulsive
ve ones find bright light harmful. If they should find themselves in an area of li
light as
intense as daylight, they lose 1 Stamina each turn.
Threat Level: 3
 158

SCORPION
ON MAN
Description:n: The scorpion men of southern Sokara are, as the name suggests, a hybrid of man and
hey have the bodies, legs, and tail of a giant scorpion, but their upper bodies
scorpion. They bodie and head
are that of a human. They have glowing yellow eyes, and human arms, which often carry ca weapon
and shield.
The scorpion mounds con-
n men build large mounds in the ground, in which they then live. These m
tain many tunnels
unnels and chambers, which are used for living, storage, and breeding. Sco
Scorpion men
will often raid
aid nearby towns and villages in search of food and loot.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Scorpion Man 1 3 3 2 3 1 4 3
Defence: 6
Stamina: 8
Special Rules:
es:
• When a scorpion man wounds an opponent, he injects them with a venom that causesc them
to slow
w and become sluggish. Anyone wounded by a scorpion man must mak make a Muscle
(Difficulty 10) roll or suffers a -1 penalty to their Combat, Scouting and Thievery scores until
cured.. This effect is not cumulative.
Threat Level:
el: 3

STORM DEMON
Description: These malevolent beings are aggressive and spiteful. They can take on many forms,
but their favourites
rites are gigantic cloud-shaped beings, or man-sized whirlwinds. Wh
When they speak,
their voices sound
und like rolling thunder, and when they shout, like a massive thunder
thund crack. They
use the winds and lightning that rage around them to harm their enemies.
The storm demons ons have an intense hatred of Sul Veneris, Lord of Thunder, and one of the sons of
Elnir. They willl stop at nothing to cause harm to this minor god or his followers.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San S

Sco Thi
Storm Demon n 1 4 5 6 6 3 2 1
Greater Storm
m Demon 1 8 6 8 7 4 2 1
Defence: 7 (normal)
rmal) 10 (greater)
Stamina: 8 (normal)
rmal) 15 (greater)
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 4 (normal) 9 (greater)

TROLL
Description: Trolls
rolls are large, hairy humanoid creatures that live in forests and other
oth wild areas.
They are the same
ame size as an ogre, but look more bestial. Trolls are carnivorous mmonsters with a
particular liking
g to cows, pigs and humans.
As a result, trolls
lls are very aggressive towards humans if hungry, and unfriendly if not. Trolls will
often lurk around
und crossroads or bridges, where they will prey upon travellers w wishing to pass
along that particular
icular path. They will usually attempt to extort some sort of toll out o
of the traveller,
usually money or some other trinket. If the traveller pays, the troll will allow him to continue, oth-
erwise it will att
ttempt to take the payment by force.
 159

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Troll 1 6 3 2 6 2 3 4
Defence: 11
Stamina: 15
Special Rules:
• 2 out of every 6 trolls are able to use the Illusion lore of magic.
Threat Level: 8

VAMPIRE
Description: Princes of the night, lords of darkness, drinkers of blood: all are names associated
with the wicked creatures known as vampires. These nightmarish creatures look much like a hu-
man, but with pale skin, and long, fang-like teeth. They are found all over the Fabled Lands and
pose a danger to all.
Vampires live by hunting animals and humans and drinking their blood. They prefer the blood of
a sentient being, for it is sweeter than that of base animals. Still, they take whatever they can get.
They hunt only at night, for the warmth of the sun burns their skin. Sometimes alone, sometimes
in packs, vampires are ruthless and relentless.
Perhaps the scariest thing about vampires though, is that they are immortal. There are very few
things that can kill a vampire, such as a wooden stake through the heart. Getting close enough to
accomplish this is another matter entirely.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Vampire 5 6 6 6 5 0 3 4
Vampire Knight 5 9 5 5 7 0 4 4
Vampire Witch 5 5 9 9 5 0 3 4
Defence: 10 (vampire or witch); 14 (knight)
Stamina: 14 (vampire or witch); 20 (knight)
Special Rules:
• Vampires are undead and thus are susceptible to any special rules affecting them. If forced to
fight in sunlight, they lose 1 Stamina every turn.
• Vampires typically sleep in a coffin during the day, however have a 2 in 6 chance to awaken
if it is opened.
• Vampires are immortal and suffer no Stamina loss from non-magical weapons or attacks.
However attacks made by magic weapons, spells, or other supernatural creatures cause nor-
mal damage.
• Vampires are most susceptible to a wooden stake driven through their unbeating heart. This
requires a Combat (Difficulty 12 for a vampire or witch, Difficulty 16 for a knight) test, unless
done while it sleeps, which is automatic. However, there is a 2 in 6 chance that it will awaken
at the last instant, in addition to that when opening it’s coffin.
• Vampires may be kept at bay by a firmly displayed holy symbol or item. This requires a Sanc-
tity (Difficulty 10) test. If successful, the vampire cannot come within 10 feet of the character
in question.
• Vampire witches are able to use magical powers. They can use the Beastology, Enchantment,
Necromancy and Transmutation lores of magic.
Threat Level: 7 (vampire or witch); 14 (knight)
 160

COMMON ANIMALS

APE
Description: Apes are large and powerful primates
mates that are native to jungles across Harkuna. A
typical ape resembles a gorilla in many ways, but
ut they are much stronger and far more aggressive.
aggressive
Apes kill and eat anything that they can catch, growing to over 5ft in height and weighing in ata
over 300 pounds!

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Ape 0 5 1 0 8 0 3 4
Defence: 8
Stamina: 10
Special Rules:
• Apes are commonly found in family groups
oups ranging from 3 to 8
Threat Level: 6

BADGER
Description: The badger is the largest member of the weasel family. Although these creatures are
relatively small in size, they can pack a vicious bite when threatened or cornered. Badgers are com-
mon in forests all over Harkuna.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Badger 0 2 1 0 1 0 2 2
Defence: 3
Stamina: 4
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 1
 161

BAT (VAMPIRE)
Description: Vampire bats come in many shapes and sizes. Their strength lies in their numbers;
vampire bats swarm about their prey biting them into submission before latching on and sucking
their victim of every drop of blood. Vampire bats are particularly fond of human blood.
These creatures live in caves in warm climate countries all over Harkuna. They only hunt at night.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Vampire bats (swarm) 0 4 1 0 1 0 5 5
Defence: 3
Stamina: 14 (this represents the sheer number of vampire bats)
Special Rules:
• Swarm - due to the large number of bats they can attack their victim from every angle. The
victim of a vampire bat attack will suffer a -3 Defence penalty for the duration of combat.
Threat Level: 2

BEAR
Description: A bear is a common animal found throughout much o of the Fabled Lands, making
their homes mostly in woodland regions. There are a variety of differen
erent species of bear, but they all
share common characteristics: a large body with stocky legs, a long snout,
s and shaggy hair. Most
bears are omnivorous, found in both the wilderness and forests over aall of Harkuna.
Hunters throughout the Fabled Lands hunt bears for their meat and
an fur, which can fetch high
prices if sold to the right buyer.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Bear 0 5 1 0 6 1 5 2
Defence: 9
Stamina: 13
Special Rules: None
Threat Level: 5
 162

BOAR
Description: Boars are not carnivores but they are very bad tempere
tempered creatures. If disturbed or
surprised they are very likely to attack. Adult boars are big, standing ov
over 3 feet tall at the shoulder,
and measuring up to 4 feet long. Boars are native to countries with a h hot climate and can be found
in jungles.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Boar 0 4 1 0 4 1 3 3
Defence: 4
Stamina: 5
Special Rules:
• Charge - If a Boar has enough room it will always charge into combat
co using its large tusks to
rend its opponent. If a Boar has multiple opponents, then the target
tar is chosen randomly.
Threat Level: 2

CAMEL
Description: Camels are capable of carrying
rying huge loads over very long distances without eating
and drinking. Camels are common to hott places such as deserts and stand well over 7 feet tall (their
humps give them extra height and sitting
ng in between them makes a usable saddle).

Cha Com
m Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi
Camel 0 1 1 0 3 1 1 1
Defence: 4
Stamina: 8
Special Rules:
• A camel is capable of carrying 50 EV with little problem.
Threat Level: 1

CROCODILE
Description: Crocodiles are vicious and deadly predators that resid
reside in swamps and rivers close to
jungles, or warm temperature forests. These huge reptiles have been known to grow over 20 feet in
length, with powerful jaws that grip their prey then drag it into the water.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus

Mu San Sco Thi
Crocodile 0 6 1 0 5 1 4 4
Defence: 7
Stamina: 9
Special Rules:
• Surprise attack - Crocodiles hide in the shallow waters waiting
waitin to pounce on anything drink-
ing from the lake or river. A crocodile will gain a +4 bonus to its strike order during the first
combat round only.
Threat Level: 5
 163

DOG (HUNTING)
Description: A hunting dog makes a loyal and fearless p
pet. These creatures are normally breeds
such as Wolfhounds, Boarhounds, Mastiffs and Hunting
Huntin Hounds. Dogs are common all over
Harkuna.

Cha Com Int Mag

M Mus San Sco Thi
Dog (hunting) 1 3 1 0 2 1 4 4
Defence: 3
Stamina: 5
Special Rules:
• Hunting dogs make excellent trackers. and will add
ad a +3 bonus to their master’s foraging
tests.
Threat Level: 2

ELEPHANT
NT
Description:: Elephants are huge herbivores that, in many cases, can have a serious attitude
it problem
making then
n very unpredictable. They are common to warn climate countries and can be trained as
easts of burden that are able to drag immense weights.
mounts or beasts

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sc

Sco Thi
Elephant 0 8 1 0 11 1 2 1
Defence: 122
Stamina: 18
Special Rules:
es:
• Chargee - If an elephant has enough room it will always charge into combat using
usin its massive
tusks and weight to its advantage. If an elephant has multiple opponents then the target is
chosen
n randomly.
• An elephant
phant is capable of carrying or pulling 500 EV.
Threat Level:
l: 10
 164

HAWK
Description: A hawk is a bird of prey that looks similar to an eagle only slightly smaller. An aver-
age hawk has a wing span of about 2 feet. Hawks are native to temperate climate countries but will
not be seen where it is hot.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Hawk 0 2 1 0 1 1 6 7
Defence: 3
Stamina: 3
Special Rules:
• Hawks can be trained to hunt. If used in this manner then
n the owner will gain +2 to their for-
age roll.
Threat Level: 1

HORSE
Description: Horses are common throughout Harkuna. They can be used in a number
numb of ways but
the most commonmon is as a riding animal. Bigger horses are trained as warhorses to carry knights
fearlessly into battle.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San S

Sco Thi
Horse 0 3 1 0 4 1 1 3
Warhorse 0 4 1 0 5 1 1 2
Defence: horsee 3, warhorse 6 (this score incorporates armour otherwise 4)
Stamina: horsee 10, warhorse 14
Special Rules:
• Some weapons,
eapons, such as a lance can only be used from horseback.
• A horse and rider can charge into combat, and both gain the benefit/penalty for
f this combat
action.
• During combat a horse has the following movement values: walk 50 (10 squares),
squar Canter 130
(26 squares)
res) and Gallop 200 feet (40 squares)
• The Walk k combat action is used to mount or dismount from a horse. If this is done
d in combat
then it will provoke an opportunity attack from any monster or enemy in an aadjacent square.
• Any close
se combat attacks made from horseback will grant a +2 Combat and Defence
D bonus.
• Ranged combat on a moving horse will suffer a -2 penalty.
Threat Level: 2 (horse), 3 (warhorse)
 165

ION
LION
Description:
escription: A lion is a dangerous beast indeed that weighs in at over 400 pounds, and has been
known
nown to reach 8 feet long! Lions are found in warm areas, mainly in the wilderness.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Lion 0 5 1 0 5 1 5 5
efence: 10
Defence:
Stamina:
tamina: 12
Special
pecial Rules:
• Charge - If a lion has enough room it will always charge into combat, and if it has multiple
opponents then the target is chosen randomly.
• Lions are typically found in packs consisting of 1d6+3 individuals.
Threat
hreat Level: 5

RAT (GIANT)
Description: A giant rat can grow as big as 4 feet long. They have razor sharp teeth that not only
cause
ause a nasty wound, but often carry fatal diseases like the Plague. Giant rats are commonly found
in
n sewers and swamps.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Giant rat 0 4 1 0 3 1 5 5
Defence: 4
Stamina: 8
Special Rules:
• Disease - During certain situations the Gamesmaster may have Giant Rats be the carriers of
the Plague disease (see Chapter 9 - For the Gamesmaster for more information on poisons)
Threat Level: 3 or 10 for those with the Plague disease
 166

D-FIN SHARK
RED-FIN
Description:
cription: Red-fin sharks are extremely common in the Violet Ocean, in particular the coastal
co
waters
ers of Sokara. Although these huge aquatic predators can rip a man-sized victim to shreds
shred in
minutes,
utes, their meat is also considered a delicacy. Red-fin Sharks grow to 15 feet in length.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

T
Red-fi
d-fin Shark 0 10 1 0 10 1 8 1
ence: 12
Defence:
Stamina:
mina: 18
Special
cial Rules:
• Any character fighting a red-fin shark while swimming in the sea will suffer -3 to their Com-
C
bat value for the duration of the fight.
• Red-fin shark meat can be sold at markets for 50 Shards per shark.
Threat
eat Level: 12

SNAKE
AKE
Description:
ription: Snakes come in sizes and are common all over Harkuna. Snakes have two categ categories:
viper and constrictor. The viper grows to about 4 feet in length and is very poisonous. A const
constrictor
ks by wrapping itself around its victim and squeezes the life out of it. Once dead, the victim
attacks vic is
devoured
ured whole and digested over a number of days. Constrictors can grow up to 20 feet in le length!
nakes are lightning fast.
All snakes

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

T
Snake
ke (Viper) 0 6 1 0 2 1 4 8
Snake
ke (Constrictor) 0 4 0 0 8 0 4 3
Defence:
nce: Viper 5, Constrictor 4
Stamina:
ina: Viper 4, Constrictor 5
Special
al Rules (Viper):
• Poison - Vipers are very poisonous. Any character that takes damage from a viper must make
a Muscle (Difficulty 10) test or suffer the loss of an additional 4-9 (1d6+3) Stamina.
• Lightning Fast - Vipers gain +3 to their Strike Order
Special
al Rules (Constrictor):
• Lightning Fast - Constrictors gain +2 to their Strike Order
• Constriction - if a character suffers damage from a constrictor snake they must make a Thiev-
T
ery (Difficulty 12) test or become coiled up by the constrictor. The victim can make a single
Muscle (Difficulty 14) test to break free. If they fail they are totally unable to move, and
an will
suffer a loss of 2-12 Stamina per combat round until they or the snake is killed.
• If a constrictor snake is constricting a victim it will suffer -3 to its Combat and -3 to its
i de-
fence.
Threat
at Level: Viper 6, Constrictor 10
 167

TIGER
Description: Tigers, like lions, are large predatory felines, but this is where the similarity ends. A
tiger is a solitary creature that spends most of its life on its own. It grows bigger than a lion, meas-
uring 10 feet long on average, and is also much heavier, at around 500 pounds. Tigers are mainly
found in the warmer jungles of Harkuna.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Tiger 0 6 1 0 6 1 5 4
Defence: 10
Stamina: 14
Special Rules:
• Charge - If a tiger has enough room it will always charge into combat, and if it has multiple
opponents, then the target is chosen randomly.
Threat Level: 7

WOLF
Description: A wolf is a predatory animal found in the forests, hills, and mountains of Harkuna
Harkuna.
They
hey hunt in packs and look similar to a large dog. They only rarely attack humans, and usuall
usually
this
his is because of hunger.
The
he black wolf is a larger, more aggressive breed that will attack humans.

Cha Com Int Mag Mus San Sco Thi

Wolf 0 3 1 0 3 1 7 1
Black Wolf 0 5 1 0 4 1 7 1
Defence: 5 (wolf) or 7 (black wolf)
Stamina:
tamina: 7 (wolf) or 11 (black wolf)
Special
pecial Rules: Wolves are typically found in packs of 4-9 animals
Threat
hreat Level: 2 (wolf) or 4 (black wolf)
 168

LIST OF MONSTERS BY THREAT LEVEL

Monster or Enemy Threat Level Monster or Enemy Threat Level

Badger 1 Ape 6
Bandit 1 Assassin 6
Camel 1 Barrow Wight 6
Hawk 1 Golem 6
Bat, Vampire 2 Jewelled Serpent 6
Boar 2 Kelpie 6
Dog, Hunting 2 Snake, Viper 6
Horse 2 Faery Hound 7
Ratman 2 Tiger 7
Wolf 2 Vampire 7
Bandit Leader 3 Vampire Witch 7
Gorlock 3 Elf 8
Gryphon 3 Troll 8
Horse, War 3 Giant Chameleon 9
Rat, Giant 3 Greater Storm De- 9
Repulsive One 3 mon
Scorpion Man 3 Chimerical Beast 10
Ghoul 4 Elephant 10
Giant Spider 4 Flying Shark 10
Gorgon 4 Hydra 10
Ker’lik 4 Rat, Giant (infected 10
Storm Demon 4 with the Plague)
Wolf, Black 4 Snake, Constrictor 10
Bear 5 Ghost 11
Crocodile 5 Red-fin Shark 12
Ekushka 5 Dragon, small 13
Flying Head 5 Vampire Knight 14
Lion 5 Grey Worm 18
Manbeast 5 Dragon, normal 20
Ogre 5 Giant 22
Fury 25
Dragon, huge 36
 170

Appendix
Quest - Lair of the Ratmen
This quest originally appeared in the first of the You push open the guild’s door with your deposit
Fabled Lands game books called The War-Torn contract grasped firmly in your hand. Standing
Kingdom. Everything that happens within this in a group near the desk are three portly gentle-
adventure is based on the original, but some men dressed in banking attire and a fourth man,
parts have been embellished upon, while others larger around the waist than the others, and
have been further developed. dripping in lavish clothes and jewellery. You
If you are not the Gamesmaster, then STOP quickly recognise him as Guildmaster Vernon of
READING NOW. What follows is for the Yellowport, one of the most powerful men in the
Gamesmaster only! city. The four men watch you approach one of
the desks and hand over your contract. The clerk
takes it and disappears downstairs, which you
INTRODUCTION can only imagine is where the vault is located.
The Guildmaster nods to his companions and
This introduction is designed to be read the
approaches you. ‘Well, well young adventurers
players if they are starting their adventuring
about to take their first steps out into the wide
life in Yellowport. If the players undertake this
world. It would seem that this is your lucky day
quest, but are either seasoned adventurers and/
indeed. We have a small problem that would be
or not from Yellowport, then the Gamesmaster
fitting for you brave young souls. Would you be
will have to adjust the text accordingly.
interested in hearing a proposition?’
Any passages written in bold italics, like this,
The players have the option of declining the
are to be read aloud to the players.
Guildmaster for whatever reason; maybe they
Yellowport has been your home for many are just passing through the City or maybe they
years now. Having been born and raised here, are not quite up the challenge as yet, and would
the stench emanating from the Stinking River prefer to look around the parts of the city that
doesn’t really affect you, in fact you hardly no- they don’t get to see very often. When the play-
tice it at all. At last you have come of age; a ers are ready to listen to the Guildmaster, read
time when you can leave your family homes and them the following:
travel the world of Harkuna. Your first port-of-
‘We have a problem with some ratmen that
call will be the Merchant’s Guild bank close
have set up a base in our city sewers. They come
to your home. Here you can extract what little
out at night and raid the merchant warehouses
savings you have earned from delivery jobs, and
and homes. As you can imagine, this is not good
the washing down of the the fish storage bins at
for business. The merchant from Ringhorn that
the docks. Today life begins.
came into port a couple of days ago, had heard
The Merchant’s Guild bank is a very impres- of our problem and refused to come ashore and
sive building on the outskirts of the docks, and view our export cargos! This problem needs
many ships and fishing boats come and go from sorting very quickly. We have discovered that
the harbour on a daily basis. Only the other the ratmen are under the rule of their king. If
day, your last day working for Mr. Gillmore he were to be destroyed, then the other ratmen
in those stinking fish bins, a magnificent war wouldn’t be able to function and would disap-
galleon bearing the flag of Ringhorn in Golnir, pear back to where they came from. The guild is
sailed into the dock like a prince walking down willing to pay you 450 Shards in total on your
a red carpet. Everyone watched in awe as the return with proof of the king’s demise. We have
rich merchant trader, obviously the owner of been informed that he possesses a copper amu-
the galleon, ordered his shipment of fine silks let as some sort of status symbol, bring us this
unloaded to the docks. The ship didn’t stay amulet and the Shards are yours.’
long in Yellowport, but you did manage to race
around to the furthest jetty and watch the levia-
than sail back out into the Violet Ocean.
 171

If the players accept this quest they will be told 1 - BOTTOM OF THE SEWER
that the entrance to the sewers can be found in
the west of city in the poor quarter. He will then
ENTERENCE
turn and rejoin his fellow merchants. When the players descend to the bottom of the
sewer, read them the following:
When the characters reach the old sewers, read
them the following: The bottom of the sewer pit is not a pleasant
place at all. The stench is almost unbearable
You cross the King’s Bridge that leads from the
and you cannot help retching several times.
Plaza of the Gods across the Stinking River and
There are four exits from the square-shaped
into West Port, or the poor quarter as it has
room, but three of them (south, east and west)
come to be known. This side of the river does
are only small outlets for the sewage to drain
have a bad reputation due to the seedy drinking
pits and undesirables, but these are just a few out. The raised edges are for the sewer caretaker
bad apples that spoil the crop. Most of the peo- to stand on and brush any clogged sewage down
ple in West Port are just normal, hard-working the outlets, but since the ratmen have taken res-
folk, trying to go about their daily lives. idence down here, the caretaker has dared not
come down and has removed his ladder. The
After the new section of the city was complete, sewage is beginning to build up quite a bit now.
grants were offered to people in the crowed east The only exit big enough for you to walk down,
side to move over the river and build new homes. is the north exit.
Thousands of people jumped at the chance to
live in the newest (and cleanest) part of the city; The light streaming down the sewer shaft is
the cobblestoned King’s Road was extended all enough for the characters to see in this room
the way to the West Gate, and it was promised only. Once they venture from here they will
that every street created would undergo this im- need a light source to be able to see. If the char-
provement as well. The promise was never up- acters do not have a light source such as a torch,
held, not due to King Corin VII unfulfilling his candle, lantern or magical means, then it will
word, but due to the civil war and usurping of become impossible for them to get more than
the throne by his bodyguard, the now, Protec- twenty or thirty feet along the northern passage
tor-General of all Sokara - Grieve Marlock. It without bashing body parts on the rough and
is his brother, Marloes, who now runs the city sharp walls. If they are persistent, and continue
from the converted council house in the Rich without a light source, then have them start to
Quarter. His selfish ways and hoarding of taxes take damage from hitting the walls (1 or 2 points
has stopped all city improvements, to concen- Stamina damage here and there). You can also
trate on his own personal defences, should an- have them hear strange scratching noises, but
other uprising occur. will have trouble pinpointing where it is com-
At last you reach the sewer entrance; a small ing from.
stone construction similar to a well but with-
out the bucket. As you approach you can see
an old lady is emptying a bucket of rotten food
and waste down the shaft. She nods at you and
walks away in the direction of her home. The
smell rising from the sewer is very different
from the Stinking River, but just as bad. Look-
ing over the edge of the entrance you can only
see down into darkness. There is no ladder that
descends into the depths, so you will have to
climb down.
Any player that wishes his character to climb
down the sewer must make a Thievery (Diffi-
culty 9) roll (they can add +2 to the roll if they
are using rope). Any character that fails will
fall to the bottom, taking 1 dice damage to their
Stamina.
 173

Random Encounters will occur in the tunnels Ratmen Patrol

from time to time. At random intervals, cho- Ratmen regularly patrol the tunnels south of
sen by the Gamesmaster, a random encounter their secret lair. Any ratmen encountered will
should be rolled. not engage the characters unless absolutely nec-
Roll 2 dice and consult the following table: essary. They will instead try to spy on them and
report back to King Skabb.
2 Cave-in
Ratmen (x2): Both creatures carry Shortswords
3-10 No encounter (+1 Combat) and no armour (for more infor-
11-12 Ratmen patrol mation on ratmen, please refer to Chapter 10 -
Monsters and Enemies).
Cave-in
For the characters to see the ratmen, they must
Most of Yellowport on this side of the river was make a successful scouting (Difficulty 12) roll.
built on top of an ancient Uttakin city that sank The ratmen will easily spot the party due to any
into the ground as the result of an earthquake light source they need to be able to see down in
hundreds of years ago. Some of the tunnels are the tunnels. If discovered, the ratmen will run
weak due to the stress and weight of the new back to area 4, and through the secret door to
city above, and cave-ins can happen. warn their king.
Any character caught under a the falling rocks
must make a Thievery (Difficulty 12) roll to dive
out of the way in time, or suffer 2 dice damage.
 174

2 - DEMISE Escra - Giant Spider: Bite (+2 Combat) and

When the players reach this area, read them the natural armour (+1 Defence). For more informa-
following: tion on giant spiders, please refer to Chapter 10
- Monsters and Enemies.
Something catches your eye along the tunnel. As
you get nearer, you can see that it is a human Special Rules
skeleton! Poison: This spider is poisonous, but her poison
These are the long-dead remains of an archae- differs from the one in Chapter 10. Any charac-
ologist who ventured into the sewers in search ter that takes damage from Escra must make a
of Uttakin artefacts. The poor soul’s light source Muscle (Difficulty 14) roll. If they fail the roll,
ran out and he perished in the darkness from the character will be paralysed and unable to
lack of food and water. The ratmen picked the move for 30 game minutes. Anyone that attacks
carcass clean long ago, and there is nothing left a paralysed character will gain a +4 bonus to
to be found, except his old bones of course. their Combat attribute. The paralysed character
will have a Defence value of 0 but they may add
any bonuses for armour.
Web: While fighting the Giant Spider, the char-
acters will be surrounded by sticky webs. before
each combat round every player involved in the
fight must make a Thievery (Difficulty 10) roll.
Anyone who fails the roll will suffer a -1 to their
Combat attribute for that combat round.
If the characters defeat The Giant Spider they
will find a magical short sword (COMBAT +1),
a magical shield (DEFENCE +1) and 80 Shards.

3 - MISTRESS SPIDER
As the players venture into this tun-
nel, read them the following:
There appears to quite a bit of mois-
ture here, and the walls in this tunnel
nel are be-
coming damp. Hanging from the wallss and ceil-
ing are wispy cobwebs that start to get much
denser as the tunnel progresses. You stop
top when
you find the husk of a ratman wrapped pped in
web hanging from the roof of the tunnel.
nel.
The tunnel is home to Escra the Giant
Spider. She wanders the tunnels looking
oking
for stray ratmen or patrols that are off their
guard. The ratmen know of Escra and nd avoid
that end of the tunnels at all costs.
If the characters proceed past the dead
ad ratman,
Escra will detect their movements through
h h the
th
web and move in to attack.
 175

4 - LARGE CAVERN 5 - ‘THROWN RUM’

When the players enter this area, read them the When the players reach this door, read the them
following: following:
You have entered a large cavern. Your light The door in front of you is old and rotten in
source dances around the high ceiling casting places. Etched on it in crude common tongue are
eerie shadows all around. the words ‘thrown rum’
If the characters have chased some ratmen to If the players open the door, read them the fol-
this area, they will find that they seem to have lowing:
disappeared! In the far north wall, the ratmen
Before you lay a long, low hall. It appears to be
have constructed a very clever secret door that
some kind of very ancient temple, but now the
looks like it is part of the surrounding rocks. A
beautiful painted walls and roof are crumbling
player actively searching for a secret door must
or collapsed. At the far end of the room you can
make a successful Scouting (Difficulty 11) roll to
see that a very crude chair has been placed on
find it. If it is opened, 2 ratmen on the other side
the old alter to act as a throne. On the make-
will attack the characters in an attempt to stop
shift throne sits a large and extremely ugly rat-
them from entering their lair.
man. He has a tacky amulet around his neck,
Ratmen (x2): Both creatures carry Shortswords and a rusty iron hoop for a crown. About four
(+1 Combat) and no armour. For more infor- ratmen are kneeling before him, engaged in con-
mation on ratmen, please refer to Chapter 10 - versation. ‘But, Skabb...’ one of the rat men is
Monsters and Enemies. saying. ‘That’s Great King Skabb to you, dung-
breath!!’ bellows the rat on the throne.
One of the ratmen on guard here has 15 Shards
and a note that reads: ‘Parti! Kitchuns. Tonite.
Rank and file rats only – no offsirs and no king
allowed!’
If the players enter the area beyond the secret
door, read them the following:
The tunnels change dramatically beyond the
secret door; they are no longer rough-cut cav-
erns, but shaped corridors adorned with etched
hieroglyphics and ancient runes.
Any character that makes a successful Intelli- This is the throne room of King Skabb of the
gence (Difficulty 15) roll will conclude that this ratmen. This room was once an ancient Uttakin
section of the caverns must be part of the old temple dedicated to Ebron and his 14 angles but
Uttakin city that disappeared hundreds of years it is now, sadly, in ruins.
ago. A map to this area might be worth some If Skabb sees the players he will order the four
money to the archaeologists of Yellowport, if ratmen to attack. He will follow from the rear.
they think of it of course.
Ratmen (x4): All carry daggers (+0 Combat) and
do not wear armour.
Skabb: Sword (+2 Combat) and leather armour
(+1 Defence)..
For more information on ratmen, please refer to
Chapter 10 - Monsters and Enemies.
If Skabb is killed, his rusty iron hoop for a crown
will drop to the floor and shatter. He still has the
copper amulet around his neck that can be used
to prove to Guildmaster Vernon that Skabb is
dead.
 176

In the corner of the room is a small wooden

chest that contains Skabb’s most treasured pos-
sessions. The chest is trapped and will explode
if not disarmed before it is opened. To open the
chest the players must either make a Thievery
(Difficulty 9) roll, or use magic to open it.
If the Thievery roll fails, any players in the di-
rect vicinity of the chest will take 2 dice dam-
age from the explosion. Everything inside will
be destroyed, except the metal scroll case (see
below).
If the characters open the chest they will find 60
Shards, a mandolin (CHARISMA +1) when in
a player’s possession, and a potion of healing.
There is also a sturdy metal scroll case that con-
tains a parchment of paper containing religious
text about the Uttakin and their god Ebron and
his 14 angles. The parchment will be worth 75
Shards if sold to a temple of Ebron in Uttaku. 6 - ‘KITCHUNS’
Gamesmaster’s Note: You may rule that the The door to this room is in similar disrepair to
commotion caused from the fight in the throne the one at the throne room. This one has the
room will attract the ratmen having a party in word ‘kitchuns’ etched on it. If the players listen
the kitchen just down the hall. at the door they will hear a commotion coming
from the other side. There are multiple ratmen
voices, and if a player makes a successful Intel-
ligence (Difficulty 10) roll, will determine that
they number at least 20! Any player that fool-
ishly opens the door will attract the attention of
at least one of the ratmen. If they peek through
they must make a Thievery (Difficulty 14) roll
to avoid being seen. Inside there are 30 ratmen
having a party in what appears to be a crude
kitchen and dining hall.
Ratmen (x30): All of the ratmen here carry dag-
gers (+0 Combat) and no armour because they
are not on duty.
If they pursue the characters back past the
guard room (encounter 8), 10 of them will pick
up their shortswords and shields and continue
to chase them right back to the sewer entrance
(encounter 1). Climbing out of the sewers may
prove a problem if a hoard of angry ratmen are
chasing the characters, so there may very well
be a last stand at this point. If there is enough
time for everyone to attempt to climb out, then
they must make a successful Muscle (Difficulty
12) roll to do so. Anyone that fails will be left
with the ratmen!
For more information on ratmen, please refer to
Chapter 10 - Monsters and Enemies.
 177

7 - OLD WEAPONS ROOM tage wine that one of the ratmen found, but if
As the players approach this room, read them the characters try to drink some, it tastes like a
the following: very weak Acid. On the walls hang the ratmen’s
shortswords and shields. They don’t need them
This room has a very old but sturdy looking at that the moment, because they are all in a par-
door on it. It looks as though someone has tried ty in the kitchen (encounter 6).
to hack the door down judging by the scars in
the wood.
This door is locked. The ratmen have never
9 - INTO THE DARKNESS
managed to open it despite numerous attempts. This corridor leads to a dead end that is the re-
Any player that can make a successful Thiev- sult of a cave-in. There is nothing of any value
ery (Difficulty 14) roll will manage to pick the or importance here, but you may wish to extend
lock. The room inside is an old weapons locker this quest and have the players venture further
belonging to the Uttakin warriors. Most of the into the old Uttakin city at a later point. This
weapons and armour have decayed and rusted, would be the perfect place for you to extend the
rendering them useless. Any player that wishes map.
to search through the room can make a Scouting
(Difficulty 12) test. If successful they will dis-
cover an ivory wand (MAGIC +2), and a suit of EXPERIENCE REWARD
magical Chainmail (DEFENCE +1). It is suggested that the Gamesmaster set a fixed
experience reward of 8, rounded up or down to
equate to an equal amount per character. Any
characters that fight valiantly against the rat-
men with magic or weapons, or the one that
discover the secret door (without knowing the
original adventure of course) should receive an
additional point.

8 - GUARD ROOM AND

BARRACKS
When the players reach this room, read them
the following:
This room has no doors, but seems to be a wide
extension of the passage. Looking across the far
side of the room you can see the passage pro-
gresses into the darkness. All through this area
are sleeping mats and crude beds. There is stale
smell to this room and you guess that it is a
barracks of some description.
There are 35 beds dotted around the room. Each
bed contains the personal belongings of a rat-
man: old mouse skulls, crude dice and the odd
Shard or two. There is a small bottle of vin-
Player’s Name

Character’s Name

Height Personality

Age Traits

Features
Build God

CHARISMA COMBAT

INTELLIGENCE MAGIC

MUSCLE SANCTITY

SCOUTING THIEVERY

PROFESSION Rank Defence

Primary Ability Secondary Ability

Defence Bonus

Powers
Armour Worn

Shield
Combat Bonus

Weapon #1

Weapon #2
Weapon #3
Equipment EV

Starting Stamina

Experience Money

Permission is granted to print this character sheet for personal use only