BEST OF
VOLUME 1
Best of Fenixis © Åskfågeln. All rights reserved.
EDITORIAL THROUGH A SWEDISH FILTER
GAMING THROUGH A SWEDISH FILTER Fenix is a full color gaming magazine from the cold north: Sweden. Six times a year for more than a decade we have released a new printed issue full of gaming material, reviews, interviews and our comic strip Bernard the Barbarian. Te magazine has only been released in Sweden, and most of the material has subsequently been in Swedish only.
Te name Fenix is Swedish for “ phoenix”. We chose the name since we – Anders & ove Gillbring – had just finished working on a membership magazine for a Swedish gaming organization. Te phoenix reference felt appropriate, since the end ofyears that magazine not mean were dead – quite the opposite. After of doing a did magazine for we somebody else,and andgone prioritizing news from the organization above gaming material it was a treat to be our own bosses and make all of the executive decisions on the content. Five years ago we made a policy decsision to include gaming material in English as well, without translating it to Swedish every single time. Te reason for that particular change was one man. Ever since then Kenneth Hite spoils our readers with a new article to every issue of Fenix (in the tradition of Suppressed Transmissions). A couple of years ago we added Pete Nash to our mixas well. He is providing ever interesting new gaming material connected to RuneQuest 6 (much in the tradition of RuneRites). Best of Fenix is our way of celebrating the first decade as a gaming magazine. In the first three volumes of Best of Fenix you will find some of the best material we have previously published in the Swedish magazine – but this time all in English and in hardcover. In order to make the volumes more accessible for an international audience, we have excluded all material to games only available in Swedish. Tat said – if you ever stumble across a Swedish game translated to English, you really should give it a try!
ÅSKFÅGELN Editor in Chief Art Director Lead Artist
Tove Gillbring Anders Gillbring Lukas Thelin
Åskfågeln Sveavägen 110 113 50 Stockholm Sweden
[email protected] PrintBALTO print ISBN 978-91-87987-07-6
Best of Fenixis © Åskfågeln. All rights reserved. Unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional.
WRITERS Tove Gillbring, Kenneth Hite, Åke Rosenius, David Bergkvist, Christoffer Krämer, Pete Nash, Thomas Allvin, Åsa Roos, Måns Danneman, Anders Blixt and Peter Hansson
ILLUSTRATION ARTISTS Lukas Thelin, Åke Rosenius, Johan Egerkrans, Ola Larsson, Kristoffer Engström, Magnus Fallgren and Pär Olofsson
Te language have gone through an English filter, to Pete Nashyou and Jessica Augustsson – gamers with English as their first thanks language. Anytime believe we are making sense, it is thanks to them. If you find any lingering errors or inconsistencies, we are to blame for some last minute revision or translation. Tis book would not have been possible without all the people who crowd-funded us. During the campaign, we were able to add more material as we reached new stretch goals. After that, we could not help ourselves but provided extra bonus material as well. We hope you will enjoy reading this final result.
BEST OF FENIX WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO OUR CROWDFUNDERS Mattias Andersen, Svend Andersen, Johan Andersson, Magnus Andersson, Tomas Andersson, Stefan Anundi, Ingo Beyer, Anton Bexelius, Robert Biskin, Jonas Bjornfot, Jason Blalock, Alexis Brandeker, Hans Brunnström, Jo se Luiz Ferreira Cardoso, Edouard Contesse, Astrid Cordenius, Andrew Cowie, Walter Croft, Axel Davidsson, Steve Dempsey, Eugene Doherty, Lorraine Donaldson, Louis Dubois, Bryant Durrell, J ohan Englund, David Engström, Mikael Engström, Tina Engström, Johan Eriksson, Henrik Falk, Ken Finlayson, Johan Gustavsson, Peter Baltzer Hansen, Peter Hansson, Greg Hartman, Eric W. Haste, Benedikt Heck, Wilhelm Hedin, Alan Hillgrove, Patrik Hjorth, Jonas Holdt, Antoine Imhoff, Ola Ingemansson, Francisco Jose Garcia
Jaen, Gerall Kahla, Christian Karlsson, Jonas Karlsson, Jörgen Karlsson, Martti Karonen, Scott Kehl, Ed Kiernan, Christoffer Krämer, David Lai, Rolf Larsson, David Leben, William Leicht, Jonas Lidén, Corey Liss, Kym Malycha, James Martin, Igor Coura de Mendonça, Jason J Middleton, Edward B. Moretti, Rick Neal, Jesper Nordström, Robert Ojamo, Christofer Olsson, Juhana Pettersson, Pookie, Robert Rees, David Rehbinder, Brian Rogers, Kelley Rogers, Åsa Roos, Evelina Rosenius, Åke Rosenius, Christian Sahlén, Carl-Johan Schenström, J. Quincy Sperber, Martin Svensson, Mats Torgelsson, Martin af Uhr, Cato Vandrare, Luis Velasco, W. Vernon, Ngo Vinh-Hoi, Carl Wanglöf, Simon Withers and Petter Wäss
ABOUT THE COVER We have no clue what we would do without Lukas Thelin, the talented illustration artist we at Åskfågeln (our company is named after a mythical bird – the Thunderbird) are happy to have as our inhouse lead artist. Lukas is responsible for the bulk of our illustrations and our number one cover artist. This particular image was developed to accompany Kenneth Hite’s article Shadows of Babylon , and was srcinally the cover on our issue with on Urban Fantasy. As always when Lukas makes a cover, we encourage you to go looking for details in it, since you will always find some easter eggs hidden in the images.
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CONTENTS BEST OF FENIX
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE NORTH
10
MYTHS & LEGENDS
14
CITY OF THE GOLDEN VAMPIRES
44
SHADOWS OF BABYLON
50
THE KINGS OF OLD
58
THE CHAMBER
78
LOVESONGS FOR LAMBCHOPS
82
WONDROUS STRANGE
84
AUBEROND
4
2
VOLUME 1
9 19 39 67 77 107
BERNARD THE BARBARIAN
20
CRAC DES DRACA
40
SPELL SINGERS
62
WEREWOLVES OF DACIA
68
MASTER YOUR STYLE
72
WRITE YOUR OWN ADVENTURES
108
FIVE MINUTES TO TWELVE
112 FENIX FIGHTERS
100 OZ IS DROWNING
3
ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE TEXT KENNETH HITE ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
ONCE UPON A TIME
IN THE NORTH ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 4/2011
“Times will continue to change. There is no northern boundary beyond which commercial enterprise cannot go till North meets North on the opposite shores of the Arctic Ocean as East has met West on the Pacific.” – Vilhjalmur Stefansson,
The Northward Course of Empire
obody expeced i o happen so as. And hey deiniely hadn’ expeced i o come rom he Sun. Te New Carringon Even washed over Earh in 2045, he larges solar sorm ever observed. Compuers crashed, saellies ried, economies choked and oered. Ten came he Jenkins Even, and he roedsen Even, and hen hey jus sared naming hem like hurricanes, and hen hey sopped naming hem because he Sorm Wars had sared and hey had oher, bigger worries. Chinese and American radian weapons didn’ broil he amosphere – he sun sorms were already doing ha – bu hey broiled a ew ciies in a ew counries beore he Par collapsed in Xian and he generals ook over in Denver. In he wen years aer he Peace, even he sun sorms seled ino a new normal o ominous omnipresence, o aurora borealis visible in Miami and Cairo. echnology seled ino is new normal o everyhing riple-hardened and land-linked in ullerene cables, o air ravel only in emergencies, o solar oil on car hoods and rooops and rechargeable coils in everyhing rom blasers o locomoives.
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regions climbed. TeArcic regions, now, hey were somehing else. Tere, meling glaciers and changing salini acually lowered he sea levels. All hose Siberian pors, dug ou by Sovie slave labor a cenury ago, were suddenly miles inland, and he Lena and he Yenisey cu new channels hrough he muddy plains o he sea. New lands emerged, breaching he surace or he firs ime in a million years. Te Norhwes Passage opened up, bu old channels closed: Ellesmere Island became Ellesmere Land as Greenland expanded. Bu who did he new lands belong o? No jus he new lands rom he Arcic seabed, bu he suddenly meled undra, where he permaros broke up and he soil breahed, and suddenly whea could grow aer some genegineered clover sared he nirae cycle. Whea and soybeans could grow here, in he Yukon and he Norh Slope and Greenland and Kamchaka. Te clover ha ed he soil also ed musk oxen and reindeer; he new ranches spread across Canada, Siberia, and Lapland. Grain and mea loaded ono rains in he new boomowns: Murmansk and Narvik, Norilsk and Churchill and Juneau.
reaing ice. Gold, always magneic in is own eldrich way. ianium in Greenland; cobal in he aymyr. Oil and gas or he las limping combusibles, and selenium and gadolinium or solar oil and hard-bubble chips. Te big lanhanum boom in Novaya Zemlya sared i, and hen he horium srike in Baffinland drew 25,000 Americans ired o raioning and crowd-zoning, and more han a lile ired o he generals in Denver. Te move was on: “Go Norh, young man!” Te Canadian governmen ried o sop he Americans, or a leas corral hem; he Provisional Commiee in Denver almos ore isel apar rying o decide wheher o crush American emigraion or Canadian resisance. Alaska sepped lighly, flying he flag and paying ribue, bu in Fairbanks and Barrow olks sared saying openly ha i migh be ime o ry elecions again. Te Russian governmen couldn’ even ry o sop he Chinese pioneers, bu he en Augus Republics ound i easier o harass and hijack each ohers’ expansionary effors – er, “raernal harmonizaion o he rans-Amur” – han o cooperae. Siberian ciies cu heir own deals, and berayed heir
Tehad ropics werewhen simple mos o hem flooded hehell, seasbu rose. Everywhere else jus moved souh on he weaher map: Balimore had Miami’s old weaher, and Miami had Belize’s, and Belize was underwaer. Wih he Gul Sream lowing pas Arica now, norhern Europe only heaed by wo or hree degrees Cenigrade – nohing compared o he en or welve ha he Arcic
I could Dallas eed he crowded ciies in heand new ropics, and Rome and Odessa New Nanjing swelering in he hurricanes and jammed ino he concree warrens buil or he reugees and buil up by heir children. And here was more: rare earh lodes, and cobal group deposis. Plainum and cesium and chromium and lihium and everyhing he world sarved or, unlocked by he re-
own oes,and andmel he Norh’s o crack like is geopoliics permaros began had. Te New European Union made hreaening noises aer Greenland declared is independence; Sweden and Finland and Esonia esablished early ransi quoas and enorced hem reliably and honesly, bu NEU saberraling over Spisbergen and border closings on he Balic kep he Scandinavians on edge.
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE he grea powers scowl as heir boldes ciizens srike ou or he Norh, homeseading and prospecing and escaping. Tey grumble abou “environmenal devasaion” as hey greedily devour he minerals and ood shipped souh. Bu or now – or righ now -- hey can’ do anyhing abou i. Now -- righ now – is he ime o he Norh, or he bes and braves o mankind o make a new world where he coaslines are unmapped again, where he lines o laiude mee, where he sun is always coming up.
in Spisbergen (currenly embroiled in a “range war” beween NEU- and Russianbacked gangsers over newound chromium deposis) has sho up since he Even – o he pre-Even emperaures in Anchorage, Alaska (abou -6°C). he cold replaces he deser hea as he overwhelming environmenal danger in his Wesern: going ou wihou an insulaed en or enough knowledge o dig ou an igloo means going o your deah six monhs ou o he year. Look a Weserns like Jeremiah Johnson, hose se in Monana or in he high Rockies, or inspiraion; read up on he Donner Par and he Yukon Gold Rush. Te grandeur o he owering glaciers o “The element that most clearly d efines Greenland replaces Monumen Valley; he whisper and creak o he ocean and he ice the western is the symbolic landscape becomes he new soundrack insead o he in which it takes place and the influence howl o he coyoe and he buzz o he cicada. Fronier owns are low and preabricaed, this landscape has on the character spread over wih solar oil glining in he and actions of the hero. This is, I think, dazzling sky a nigh; he saloons dug ino he ground and braced wih sone. Near he why this particular formula has come saloon, he sauna; near he sheriff’s office, he to be known by a geographical term SnowCa park. A own a lile richer, or a lile more sraegic, han is neighbors migh even … [This] symbolic landscape is a field have a horium-sal reacor, a slighly upgraded version o he reacors once ound only of action that centers on the point of on nuclear submarines. Elsewhere, solar oil encounter between civilization and drinks up whaever he angry sun can pour ou; lihium and lanhanide baeries charge wilderness … settled society and up in he summer, and keep a rickle o hea lawless openness.” going in he winer. While i’s no enough – John G. Cawelti, Adventure, Mystery, and Romance elecrici o keep he cold a bay everywhere, i’s enough o keep mos o he lighs on, he Tis seing, as you may well have figured libraries running, and a ew vehicles charged. ou, is a Wesern moved a cenury ino he And a ew more weapons. uure and resaged in he ar Norh. Tis Te cowboy’s six-shooer sill exiss, bu ime around, hough, hese pioneers migh be hauling bulles ino he Arcic isn’ easy or anyhing: no jus Americans, bu Canadians, cheap. Blasers can be recharged rom he Europeans, Russians, Chinese, Korean, Japa- reacor head, or rom solar oil i you’re panese -- anyone rom he norhern hemisphere ien. Te mos common is he Norinco ZMcan ge o he Norh i hey ry. India’s urban 66, a Chinese heavy pisol churned ou by he masses and Rajpu ranchers alike come norh millions as sandard armamen in he final on repurposed oil ankers, riding ou he ro- hroes o he Sorm Wars. Bu Rayheon and pical sorm bel wih ellow “Norhbounders” Samsung and KBP have heir own models, rom Yemen and Senegal and unloading in and a gun ha can sar a fire is no minor he no-man’s-lands o Greenland and Siberia, convenience when you’re alone in he Norh. in boom pors like Ioqqoroormii and Ma- No ha you’re alone oen – every rosbuser gadan. From here, rails reach norh ino he ravels wih a husky dog or a sring o hem meling glacier valleys and hawing perma- i he can. he Novosibirsk Commune has ros planaions, sreching ou or mining finally re-bred he Kuznes horse, giving he camps and new owns, bu building railways Arcic “ox-boy” a heavy, reliable moun ha is hard where no governmen oers righcan ake he cold. Srings o Kuznes mares o-way and subsidies, where nigh-ime emperaures can silland reeze meal o skin. Jus because he Arcic is warmer doesn’ mean i’s warm. Sure, in July now coasal Greenland ges ino he eens, and Siberia and he Canadian Norhwes erriories ge ino he wenies . In July. Bu he average year-round emperaure in Barrow, Alaska is sill reezin g. he January emperaure
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(or canisers o earhs Kuznes ova) are worh weigh in rare anywhere above heir he Circle, crashing he price o Canadian Rusic ponies, which ea and ravel ligh enough or he hin odder and hinner ice up Norh, bu can carry less. Bu he Canadian Rusic remains a good ranch pony everywhere he open range sill exiss – and as more new lands emerge rom
he Arcic sea floor and Siberia increasingly mels ou o Moscow’s grip, he open range grows. Herds o reindeer and ovibos (no called “musk oxen” any more, a leas no in supermarkes) roam ranches across Yakuia and Nunavu, o be driven o whichever marke heir mea will bring he bes price in he hardes currency. Japanese and Korean slaugher-men se up enormous roboic abaoirs on he shores o Kamchaka and Baffinland, crewed by Filipinos and Nigerians hoping o earn enough o rescue heir amiles rom heir drowned homelands. Oxboys drive he ovibo herds or housands o miles o collec ax-ree gold rom he bosses o a slaugher-own ha exiss only or hree weeks beore he conainer ships pull away or he season. Tese quick-owns hrow ou ullerene neworks and dump he souh’s digial crop ono hard drives and dedicaed players; vids and news and daa o all kind o be aken back Norh and nursed hrough he cold winer. Vagrans and varmins plague hese owns, as hey do he mining boomowns and he geneic arms growing ros-proo vegeables and UV-resisan fish. In he Norh, i’s no he naives ha pose he bigges hrea. he hard-eyed men in Berlin and Moscow and Denver and Xian send blaser rifles and disrupor bombs o he “Inui Liberaion Fron” and he “Saami People’s Army” and he “Irsh Sovie Brigade” o slow down he Norh, o smash he new world building here, o sall heir rivals, and o creae preexs or incursion. Bu even i every single Inui waned o “go Apache” and figh he new selers, here jus aren’ enough o hem o do i. No, or he mos par, i’s newcomers and firs-comers, Arcic garrisons le wihou pay aer he Sorm Wars, or icebreaker crews urned pirae or cannibal or worse. I’s hese oulaws and heir kind, like he Greer Gang, ha come whooping down on a armsead and drive off he sock and kill he kids. I’s bandis like he Inaksesiya Brava ha ambush he rawlers ranching salmon and crab in he Bering and he Beauor Seas when hey make landall; criminals fled Norh like “Fa Fingers” Jiang or made here like “Black” Alvar uovinen ha rob prospecors or bomb rail lines. “No law above he Circle,” hey say. In many ways, ha’s welcome news: he generals in Denver, he oligarchs in Moscow, he Eurocras in Berlin, heway mandarins in Xian can’ quie reach all he o he Pole. Teiraxes don’ ge colleced; heir radio orders can’ breach he auroral saic; heir angry claims ge ignored. Teir aircra crash in he high sorms, or ry in he consan lighning. Teir soldiers reeze, or ge los, or simply mel ino he snow o become Norherners hemselves. Perhaps a Mounie or a Rikspolisen officer or
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE NORTH an Alaska Sae rooper can provide a gun or a badge – bu here aren’ many o hem. In he Norh, he world can sill breahe ree, even i he air i breahes is migh cold. Bu ha means every man and woman in he Norh mus make heir own jusice, a he barrel o a gun i need be.
“Witches have known of the other worlds for thousands of years. You can see them sometimes in the Northern Lights. They aren’t part of this universe at all; even the farthest stars are part of this universe, but the lights show us a different universe entirely.” – Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass
Boos crunch on he ice crysals and he hawing urze; eyes narrow behind he ined snow-goggles; he Tinsulie gloves are off he righ hand only. I’s blasers a hir paces, a high noon on a day ha lass six monhs. he classic Wesern showdown maps perecly o he new Norh, as do plen o oher Wesern ropes. Prospecors, revival preachers, and soiled doves wih hears o gold remain he same; boun huners, ur rappers, and gamblers likewise. Chinaown in he American railhead becomes, perhaps, Indiaown in he Shanxinese ronier pos in Siberia; Falun Gong leaving a splinered, resenul China migh become he new Mormons or chi-driven Dogs in he Vineyard games. Te paen-medicine drummer becomes he wildca geneic engineer; he dime novelis becomes he blogger; he Pinkeron becomes he Wackenhu; he wagon rain becomes he recondiioned icebreaker or convered anker. All o hese elemens can come righ ou o a sandard game oWesern or GURPS Old Wes; o Sidewinder or Aces & Eighs. Or you can begin o dri hings jus a lile bi. No oo much a firs: Leone’s Once Upon a ime in he Wes – or Cecil B. DeMille’s Union Pacific!– are pret much cyberpunk narraives already, wih heir corporaion-
TOP FIVE PLACES TO GET INTO A GUNFIGHT
driven echnology and villains pushing ino hecorporaion-creaed pure Wes. Marc Laidlaw’s cyberpunk novel Neon Lous akes place in ibe, no he Arcic, bu cold is cold, and resisance is resisance. Alhough he solar sorms have crashed he Web everywhere ullerene landlines don’ reach, ha only makes inormaion more valuable. Cerainly predaory corporaions, jus as much as
saloons,who eelie parlors, miners sruck payand dir.casinos provide opporuniies o spend money or
Ambarchik Autonomous Commune A ormer gulag, abandoned as a ghos own in he 1970s, Ambarchik conrols he mouh o he Kolyma River. As he Arcic warmed and he river became ever more vial, rival Russian mafiya and pirae brava (“broherhoods”) each ried o ake over he own. Now a leas five brava vie or conrol, and he gold mines inland send roubleshooers ino own o buy or blas passage when hey mus.
Nautilus City, circa 80°N by 100°W Abandoned oil ankers, an old Sovie spy rawler, and a hundred oher ships beach on land risen rom he Arcic seabed, land belonging o no one. Land surrounded by naural gas fields, enough o power he Norh or cenuries. Wildcaers, idealiss, driers, corporae sooges, governmen hugs, and more jockey or power in a own wihou law.
Pechenga, Russia Energized by he Siberian Taw, a Finnish revoluionary movemen wans o reurn his por (los in 1945) o Finland. Russian Inerior Minisry roops are busy holding down Murmansk, so FSB deah squads ry o break he Finns wih quick raids and exreme rendiions.
Qaanaaq, Greenland Formerly Tule AFB, now a wide-open ronier own. Te railhead or ovibos and he cannery or Arcic char provide jobs or miners washed ou o heir claims;
Skagway, Alaska Te major ransshipmen poin or oil, gold, and gas rom Alaska o he res o he Unied Saes. Wih elecronic banking unreliable in he solar-sorming Norh, sunamis o cash flow hrough local banks – ollowed by crews o heavily armed bank robbers, some wih bigger agendas.
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE resenul governmens, seek o colonize he Norh: no jus mining and oil bu daacorps and banks, ry o drain he Norh’s resources ino he ho, we souh. Like railroads and land barons in he Johnson Coun War, hey hire heir own gangs and gunfighers, urn heir own memeiciss and agiaors loose on he ronier. Or you can sar edging a lile urher oward biopunk: oward ranshuman Space, riniy , Blue Pla ne , and Bioshock . he Norh is a he oreron o geneic engineering, no jus or crops and arm animals bu or greaer human durabili in he Arcic. Improved cold resisance in blood and subcuaneous a, niciaing membranes o cu snow-blindness, UV-resisan skin, abili o sore viamins in a cells – all o hese shis are common recommendaions by Norhern ob./gen. specialiss. More radical ranshuman designers in cuing-edge Reykjavik or Greenland’s wide-open “sin ci” Sisimu add direc solar energy cells, ur, and even gills o he mix. And nobody quie knows wha he genelabs in newly-independen omsk and Krasnoyarsk are brewing, finally reed rom all oversigh excep he almigh Eumark. I you’d like, you can ake his seing anoher hal-urn owardShadowrunby adding some genegineered “anasy races.” Russian genelabs grow rusalki: all, hin, psionically gied, amphibian humanoids, designed as spies, or pleasure-models, or prospecors or underwaer mineral lodes. Insead o dwarves, use saru: sel-aware monkey-like bioroids, machine savans programmed o mainain he inrasrucure and compuer nework o a depopulaed, geriaric Japan. And why no add rolls as well, buil by a Norwegian-German bioech conracor as Arcic shock roops or he NEU: ough, hickse, nigh- and cold-adaped, wih gorilla muscles, long oranguan-sle arms, baboon angs, and he abili o ea corpses or orage. One more: During he laer sages o he Sorm Wars, a plague broke ou in Oregon: sufferers urned green and grew a new se o bony denrifices as heir skulls reshaped. Te plague was reroviral, rewriing he vicims’ geneic code; hey developed pack insincs, and appeies or human flesh. Te generals blamed he oubreak on a Chinese bio-bomb; he surrender par blamed a U.S. miliary bio-war experimen gone wrong. In eiher case, penned Oregon up, Reroviral Carriers ORCs – were pu o hard labor,– or enlised, based on he local commander’s whim. Any o hese specimens o homo muandis migh rebel, reprogram, deser, or escape, heading Norh o make a new lie or hemselves. Wheher such hings appear in your Norh is up o you. You can leave all hese exra variaions in he deep background, or on he
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drawing board; hey can be player characers, NPC gangsers, or weird encouners. Or hey can be magical creaures. he solar sorms migh have done more han mel he Norh and hea he Earh; hey may have recharged he world’s mana ield. I ha mana is mos readily accessible, or mos easily measured up in he auroral sream (as in Philip Pullman’s Golden Compass), hen he Norh has ye anoher draw: i’s where magic works. Or where i works bes. See he Barsoom Projec , he second Dream Park novel, or accessible Inui magic in a science-ficion conex. Te magic migh be suble: spiris and charms, a lucky brush rom an Arcic ox or a malevolen upilaq buil o hide and sinew o spy and wound. Or i migh be over and large-scale: angels summoned by he HAARP acili in Alaska; jounn samping around wielding rune magics; Finnish wiches whisling up sorms and animaing buildings. Perhaps he angakkui, he Inui shamans, have sung Greenland ree, and weave spells around he Circle keeping he jes and missiles a bay. Gunslingers pack blasing rods insead o Glocks; magical polar bears figh duels in armor; alabaser owers rise rom he resored hule. Anyhing is possible in he Norh, wih will and skill and aurora-ligh in your eyes.
“A large thing, I am told, vaguely like a man, yet infinitely unlike him. Details are very distorted and unreliable. It is said to have been an air elemental, but there are weird hints of something of incredible age, that rose out of a hidden fastness in the far north, from a frozen and impenetrable plateau up there. Of this I can venture nothing. Dr. Jamison mentions a ‘Plateau of Leng’ …”
ning wih hunger, he suicidal blackness ha pus he gun in your hand when you hadn’ even known you brough i wih you on he SnowCa. he sailors puing in a Duch Harbor and Verkhoyansk and Kirkenes ell heir own sories, o manlike hings living underwaer, revived by he waning cold. Te Margyr, demon o Inui and Norseman alike, all cold we claws and greenish-black hair, pulling men overboard or whispering in he voice o dead maes and los lovers. I’s he work o a momen o inroduce a ull-blown cul o Ihaqua ino he Norh, possibly in he guise o he Inui sky deit orngarsuk. I you can find a copy o he old Pagan Publishing campaignTe Walker in the Wastes, updaing i rom he 1920s o he 2080s may ake some doing, bu he payoff will be worh i. Oherwise, ge a copy o he Itha qua Cycl e anhology and ge reading, possibly joined wih Brian Lumley’s “Rising With Surtsey” o incorporae Arcic Deep Ones or even Chonian mariarchs creaing he Arcic econic upli or heir own purposes. Te meling Greenland ice cap can reveal he ruined casles o Clark Ashon Smih’sHyperborea, complee wih ormless avaars o sahoggua and ebon selae carved by he hand o Eibon himsel. Remember ha H.P. Lovecra’s own“Call o Cthulhu” eaures a cul o Chulhu amongs he Inui o Greenland, and boh “Polaris” and “Te Horror in the Museum” menion he los polar civilizaion o Lomar, home a one ime o he earsome Grea Old One, Rhan-egoh!
Discovering Clark Ashon Smih’s Commoriom or Lovecra’s Olahöe is only he sar o he weirdness you can add o his seing i you have a mind o. Te legendary Norh is alive wih possibiliies, rom crashed UFOs (a la he Ting From Anoher World), o a Nazi Redoub powered by he myserious Green Ray, o a los Viking colony living in a volcanically warm and erile valley, o he Magneic Mounain o Jules Verne andArabian Nighs alike, o a rozen Capain America. And don’ orge he bigges possibili o all: he heigh – August Derleth, “The Thing That Walked on the Wind”o High Srangeness, he Hole a he Pole! Yes, ever since Edmond Halley, he enrance o he Hollow Earh has been firmly fixed a he Or perhaps i is darkness in your eyes, he Norh Pole. Symmes and Bernard and all he darkness o he six monhs o nigh, he dark- oher dreamers believed you could jus sail ness o he cold waers under he glaciers in ino he Hole, bu hey didn’ coun on he cenral Greenland. Wesern seings urn o horror, aer all: Deadlands shows can us ha, as does he movie Ravenous. And as 30 Days o Nighreminds us, so can he Arcic. Even in he mos innocuous version o he seing, he Norh is ull o ales o he Wendigo: he cannibal spiri ha possesses hose caugh alone in he wilderness, he wind-demon ha howls ou o he sky smelling like predaor and bur-
glacialhe cover capping enrance. under radian lashhe o he angry Bu Sun,now, he glacier has wihdrawn and he Hole is open once more. Wha could lie wihin? Alanean survivors? Dinosaurs and sea serpens? Gaeways in ime and space; a universe o advenure, all waiing inside he op o he world. Furher up, and arher in: he Norh exends in all direcions, he eernal ronier.
BERNARD ÅKE ROSENIUS
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ROLEPLAYING DAVID BERGKVIST
MYTHS & LEGENDS TEXT DAVID BERGKVIST ILLUSTRATION JOHAN EGERKRANS
Myths and legends make up the bulk framework of most roleplaying game fantasy worlds. They provide hordes of mythological and strongly mythologically inspired creatures who populate these games – such as elves, dragons, trolls, gnomes, dwarves, centaurs, fauns, and so on. When we look at ancient
religious mythology, we find even more stuff, borrowed into nearly a ll our favorite fantasy worlds. J.R.R. Tolkien and many of the other early writers who defined the genre were well versed in germanic, celtic and nordic mythology, and based large parts of their most successful works on this knowledge. As a game master playing contemporary fantasy roleplaying games, you will do well to pay some attention to these fairy tales, myths and legends from our real world, because if you get to k now the srcins of your typical fantasy elements, you will be able to dodge rote stereotypes and find new and interesting ways to use the familiar stuff. This article presents a few of thoughts and tips about how to use myths, fairy tales and legends in your roleplaying games. I’ll talk about basing adventures on specific myths, and will also present two creatures from norse mythology that you may not have heard ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 5/2008 about. 10
MYTHS & LEGENDS
Näckenis in his stallion form, he is known asBäckahästen the (The stream-horse).
TERMINOLOGY
he simples orms are basic, groundless supersiions, such as “Kill a spider, i will Firsly, we need o sraighen ou wha exacly rain”. he mos advanced make up enire we’re alking abou. Wha are myhs, legends, epic poeic cycles, such as he Edda, or he airy ales? Wha unies hem? Gilgamesh Epos. Tey are all sories abou a ficionalized Tis aricle mainly ocuses on he medium reali, and he differen words more or less complexiy myhs, hose ha ell sories denoe how much “ruh” one can be expeced abou cerain srange creaures. However, o find wihin hem. In his aricle I won’ nohing will sop you applying he ips o boher much wih disincions, bu jus rea he simpler or more complex kinds o mys hem as approximaely he same hing. as well. I is however imporan ha any myh conains an ambigous amoun o ruh. A verifiable ruh is no a myh, bu neiher is a complee and obvious lie. Tere has o be a Some researchers claim ha all myhs are in “kernel o ruh” somewhere; somehing ha ac covered-up symbols or somehing in he
inexplicable menal, emoional and physical changes o puber; Lile Red Riding Hood acually warns lile girls abou he dangers o rape while wandering alone in he ores, and he Nigh-Mare migh be a circumspec way o address he issue o involonary nocurnal emissions. Cerain non-sexual, bu sill highly aboo, opics are also recurren, such as he specific ghos sories abou Mylingen – he ghos o a murdered newborn child, hauning and recriminaing he moher, demanding sacrifices o blood and beauiul clohes, and wih a wail so horrible i urns hair whie and shaers minds. A ale obviously mean o discourage young mohers rom killing heir unwaned
migh someimes people ordered view o hemake world, o ac doub “beerheir sae han sorry” when abou o se ou ino he dark, alone. Tis rai – he No Knowing, No Really – is he key elemen o exploi when using myhs and legends in your game. We’ll ge back o ha in a momen. I’s also worh poining ou ha myhs and legends come in a varie o complexi levels.
babies. abou he Changeling migh be a waySories o come o erms wih physical deormiies or Down’s Syndrome. Obviously, many sories migh each several wisdoms a once; Lile Red Riding Hood migh jus as effecively warn agains wandering off randomly, alone in a big ores (seldom a good idea), and o have a healhy respec or predaory animals.
THE TRUTH?
real world. heory goes myhology, allegory andTe airy-ales wereha used in order o speak abou subjecs and phenomena ha were oherwise unaccepable opics o everyday conversaion. For ha purpose, he old sories are filled wih hidden messages – heir rue meaning in ac. Oen, o course, hese hidden hemes are sexual in naure. Sories abou werewolves are in ac sories abou he
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ROLEPLAYING DAVID BERGKVIST However, hese are jus he opinions o researchers, abou myhs and ary ales o our own, real world. Te “acual acs” migh cerainly be somehing quie differen in your roleplaying game seing! Te monsers and creaures o he sories migh acually exis, nevermind psychological inerpreaions and reudian symbols. Tis is acually quie likely; mos roleplaying games sae his as ac. Bu ideally, your players – or a leas heir player characers – should be in doub as o wha and who rom he sories “acually” exiss, and wha does no.
PURPOSE Wha exacly is he purpose o your consruced legend in your game? Do you wan o call aenion o some in-game aboo subjec or dilemma? Do you wan o ell a ale o cunning and wi? Do you jus wan o se a cerain one? Or do you jus wan a cool Monser o he Week, wih a cerain unique ouch? All hese goals may be reached hrough a properly prepared and delivered legend.
Clues and allusions Sooner or laer (preerrably laer!), evens sar o ranspire ha suggess here is some ruh behind he sories, hough never enirely conclusively. Te alernaive “perecly reasonable explanaion” should sill be here. Te PC:s migh hear a disan fiddle in he ores, ha same day when he girl disappeared. I migh jus be some random fiddler pracicing alone in he woods aer all. I doesn’ have o be conneced. Because he Näcken doesn’ really exis. Does he? And ha almos finished house ha was ound razed during he nigh, surely ha mus be he resul o some really cranky neighbors. I couldn’ possibly be conneced o ha old legend abou he Viera-road. Could i? Te key o success is o increase he players’ uncerain abou wha is rue and wha is lies or delusions – no o deliver carain proo o eiher!
end, i’s impossible o know wheher he anasy elemens o he movie were jushe really lively imaginings o a girl who needed o escape her horrible reali, or i i was all real.
TWO NORDIC LEGENDS Here ollows a descripion o wo, in my opinion, especially ineresing legends rom my nordic home, he Viera and he Näcken. Boh migh be used as a basis or roleplaying game advenures, eiher in a conemporary or a hisoric seing.
Vittera
Viera are a people similar o ourselves, who live close o us, ye a oher imes and spaces. Tey keep heir livesock o graze in he fields during he winer, when no humans or human cale can be here, and hey are mosly acive during he nigh. Tey are invisible o all humans, excep hose who possess Te Sigh, because he Viera live in an invisible, Confrontation, aftermath parallell, “close by” par o reali. Tey dress like ordinary armers, bu hey are parial o and consequences he color grey, wih red deails. Finally, he advenure mus end, and he Te Viera usually do no boher us, nor characers will encouner he source o he we hem, bu someimes our worlds clash. mysery – or a leas ha’s he way i appears! Tis happens a specific juncions beween A good legend can be o excellen use as a Maybe hey will really mee a naked man, our worlds, he Viera Crossroads and he basis or an advenure, in and o isel; jus playing a fiddle while siing on a rock in he Viera Roads. Tese places are someimes le he characers mee he Big Bad Wol or rapidly flowing waers o an ice cold moun- sreches o pahs hrough he ores, or he Leprechaun hemselves, bu i may arain sream, who swears and rereas rom he oher visible roads, bu someimes hey are guably ideally be used as an in-game legend. Word o he Bible. Perhaps hey will finally jus some seemingly random (hough always Delivered in he orm o innocen flavor, an see he small ranslucen humanoid figures relaively small) area in he wilds. Weird and unimporan deail, jus some supid sory silenly dance upon he mirror-calm waers a someimes violen hings happen o people, delivered by some drunk a a avern, he midnigh. Te legend comes rue, and all he vehicles and buildings in hese places. legend grows rom here, gradually seeming lessons i eaches seems o apply compleely. Te classic sory is one o a new house bemore and more relevan as more and more Bu don’ sop here! A mysery solved, ing buil on newly developed land, a a place evidence and creepy deails seem o crop up however anasica l he ruh, is magic disnamed by locals a Viera Crossroads (and hroughou he characers’ journey. solved, and a legend can only survive in usually aer dire warnings being ignored). a leas parial obscuri and doub. Leave he consrucion work hen suers unensome quesions unanswered, and leave ding delays and sebacks due o inexplicable To plant a legend some room or “raional” disbelie. Don’ le insances o saboage, he and random Firs hings irs. he characers (and he he advenure end wih he characers being desrucion, all occuring a nigh when no players!) mus know he legend, a leas 100% cerain ha he experience was real, or human winess can say exacly wha happeparly. Tis can be achieved in several ways. ha i was no. ned, and someimes demanding impossible he mos obvious ones are by hearing an Ideally, here should be very convincing eas o srengh (such as flipping over a ull NPC recoun he ale, perhaps aer sharing evidence a hand ha suppors wo or even size digging machine). a meal or a pin, or having he PC:s read i more heories abou wha really ranspired. Anoher common legend abou he Viera aer finding i in some old book. Someone migh sumble across a rumor ha is he one abou ha compleely sraigh road A good plan should be done in a way as a hal mad young iddler disappeared in srech where an unlikely number o lehal no o give he legend oo much credibili or hese very woods some ime ago, who possingle raffic accidens occur every year. Ta
LEGENDS IN ROLEPLAYING ADVENTURES
seeming imporance. Te old woman elling he ale migh be obviously drunk, or senile; he old ome migh be clearly labled as one o children’s bedime sories. A successul plan provides los o inormaion ha will come in useul much laer, when rying o undersand wha is really going on, while a he ime seeming compleely innocuous.
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siblylocal migh have assumed hehave role o Näcken. Te auhoriies migh published a sudy warning people rom buildning anyhing a his paricular spo, because o he risk o unsable ground ha migh pose a hazard or buildings ereced upon i. One grea example o a really well played real/no real conroversy is he movie “Pan’s Labyrinh” (“El laberino del auno”). In he
srech Viera ha was buil righ on op o an old known Road. Sories o he Viera are common in he norhern pars o Sweden, bu bear a disinc resemblance o oher creaures o myh, such as he väar o souhern Sweden and “Te Small Folk Under he Earh” o Goland. Tey are also similar o some sories abou airies and elves rom he Briish Isles.
MYTHS & LEGENDS Näcken Te Näcken, whose name means somehing like “Te Naked One”, is a powerul oresdwelling spiri or eni o unclear srcin, and sories o him are common across all o rural Scandinavia. He assumes he shape o a beauiul young man who sis naked in or close by rapidly flowing waer, such as a sream or whiewaer river, and plays he fiddle. He can bind any creaure o his will using his magical music, and oen uses i o orce his vicims o drown hemselves, allowing he Näcken o claim heir souls or his own and orever denying hem enrance ino Heaven. Te Näcken is eared and respeced by all creaures and spiris o he ores, and none o hem will cross him i hey can do anyhing o avoid i. Some sories ell us ha he Näcken is a grea shape-shier, able o assume a number o shapes a will. He can become a beauiul, srong sallion, pearly whie or soo black, or a well-dressed dapper young human fiddler. When in his sallion orm, he is known as he Bäckahäsen (Te sream-horse), and possesses he abili o lure humans (and preerrably young ladies) o moun him. When hey do, hey immediaely sick o he back o he horse as i by a powerul glue, and have no choice bu o ollow he Bäckahäsen back o his sream – and o a waery grave. In his human orm, Srömkarlen (he sream-man) wanders he land o visi human selemens, posing as an ordinary wandering musician, and plays his fiddle a paries, dances and weddings, in exchange or ood and coin. Ten suddenly he migh decide o play a special magical une, he “Näckens Polska”, ha renders any liseners unable o sop dancing o i – unil hey have worn down shoes, ee, legs, bodies and necks, and all ha remains o he merry gahering is a deep circular rench in he floor, displaying he dancers’ heads in a row. Te only hing ha will save hose lisening o “Näckens Polska” rom his gruesome ae is i someone who is unable o hear he music (being eiher dea or wearing some kind o earplugs) makes his way o he fiddler o cu his srings wih a knie o sop he une. Te Näcken is no very imaginaive when choosing a human undercover alias, and always calls himsel somehing relaing o waer,purling such asone”) Herr Bäcke (Mr Brook), (“Te or Srömme (“Te Porle sreaming one”). Clever people migh hereore suspec who he is, and ake precauions accordingly, such as placing an aenive guard, armed wih a knie and soppered ears, close by he fiddler. Driving him away, jus in case, is also an alernaive, bu no one ha mos people preer. Te Näcken is, aer all, he bes
fiddler in he world, and no one can provide finer music or a wedding. Te Näcken may also each human fiddlers o play like him. Tis skill is very coveed by all who carry a fiddle and bow, because one who can play like ha will never lack or money, coin or company inbed. Tere are several ways o learn how o play like he Näcken:
Play by the stream Tis mehod means ha he fiddler sis down by he gargling, purling sream and lisens o he sound o he waer or he noes o he Näcken. Ten he ollows he une on his fiddle. I he Näcken appreciaes he effors o his presumpive pupil, he will sar playing louder and clearer, and perhaps even appear ou o he waer in order o play wih he human fiddler. By closely ollowing he Näcken when he plays, his mehod enhances he skills o he human fiddler o almos mach ha o he Näcken himsel, in jus hree nighs o playing.
Leave your fiddle by the stream for one night I he fiddler leaves his fiddle by he sream or he nigh, he Näcken canno resis magically enhancing i so ha i will produce anasic music aerwards. I’s imporan no o orge one deail hough: o mark he fiddle wih one drop o chrisian blood. Tis is imporan because he Näcken someimes decides o jus swap he fiddle or one o his own, looking jus like he srcinal; and a moral who plays he fiddle o he Näcken pledges his soul o him orever. Te Näcken canno replicae chrisian (bapized) blood hough, so i he blood mark is sill here, he fiddler will be sae.
he 11h sanza; which is exceedingly difficul because he whole une builds up o i), unil he ollowing Midsummer’s Eve, and hen plays all eleven sanzas by he sream, he Näcken reappears and rewards he fiddler or his excellen characer and sel conrol by eaching him every une he has ever heard. And he Näcken has heard many, many unes hrough his long immoral exisence. In conclusion, he Näcken is a pret complex characer. He is par devil, par waer spiri, par rickser, par erili dei and par paron sain o wandering musicians (and especially fiddlers). He especially likes o play his “Näckens Polska”o people who reaed musicians badly, hough also does i jus or un. Someimes he’s careree, playul and cruel, and someimes sad, longing or a Heaven he will never see.
FURTHER READING Te ime Lie book series “Myh and Mankind” describes he religious myhologies o all larger culures. Recommended reading or hose who wish o use or creae complex myhology, and no jus single legends and sories. he Scion roleplaying game , by Whie Wol. Recommended or hose who wish o mix and mach myhologies as hey please. And inally, check ou Wikipedia . Jus search, and be los or days.
Three drops of blood Finally, a iddler who carries no iron on his person can sacrifice hree drops o his blood in he sream on Midsummer’s Eve in order o summon he Näcken. When he appears, he will each he human his magical une, “Näckens Polska” , a beauiul une wih eleven sanzas. his is he une ha magically compels morals o dance, bu i alsosop compels heiiddler who plays o never playing – i he should everisar playing he 11h (especially beauiul) sanza, spelling cerain doom or boh himsel and anyone hearing i. Aer learning his une, he Näcken demands ha he fiddler promise o always sar playing he Näckens Polska whenever he is asked o play. I he keeps his promise (and manages o never sar playing
The Night-Mare
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE TEXT KENNETH HITE ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
CITY OF THE GOLDEN
VAMPIRES “Over the Mountains of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride, The shade replied, If you seek for Eldorado!” – Edgar Allan Poe,
“Eldorado”
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 5/2011 veryone knows o El Dorado, he myserious counry o gold in he hear o Souh America. Bu El Dorado, “he gilded,” began as he name o a man, and became a ci, hen a counry. Beore we reurn i o he orm o man – hough more han man – we should reresh ourselves wih a dip in he waers o legend. On he shores o Lake Maracaibo in 1529, he German explorer Ambrosius Dalfinger asks a local Indian where he go he golden ornamen he wears. No ool, he Indian responds wih he sory o a differen ribe, ar away, where here is so much gold ha he king himsel is pained wih i, “el hombre dorado,” Te Gilded Man. El Hombre Dorado, goes he sory, mus wash a coaing o gold dus o his skin ino he waers o a sill mounain lake every year as an offering o he sun god. For a wonder, he nameless Indian
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Chibcha capial o unja in 1537, looing i o is golden reasure. Even aer his success, however, Queseda coninued his ques or El Dorado, mouning wo more expediions wihou resul and dying embiered in 1579. A some poin i occurred o he Spanish o ask: where did he Chibcha ge heir gold? Wha sill greaer golden ci, El Dorado he Gilded, sen is dus o he golden king? Here, more legends came o he ore; a muineer named Marinez le marooned in he jungle in 1537 emerged wih a deahbed ale o a golden ci, Manoa, in he cener o a much larger Lake Parima, somewhere o he eas. I was Marinez’ sory ha drove he nex cycle o El Dorado searchers easward ino Venezuela’s Guiana Highlands, indeed a rich source o gold. One searcher, Pedro Sarmieno de Gamboa, had spen much o he 1570s huning down renegade Incas in he
Raleigh sailed or he Caribbean in 1595, kidnapping Queseda’s nephew Anonio de Berrio rom rinidad. Wih Berrio’s inormaion, Raleigh proceeded up he Manamo River in Venezuela, chrisening i he River o he Red Cross. Raleigh evenually reached he Orinoco, bu supply shorages and he dangers (rom he Indians, he Spanish, and he oppressions o naure) orced him o urn back beore he ever ound Manoa. Raleigh spun his ailure ino renewed presige or Queen Elizabeh, bu when King James came o he hrone, Raleigh ound himsel jailed in he ower on murky charges o aheism and reason. Raleigh somehow wrangled royal permission or one las aemp, which collapsed when his men aacked a Spanish or wihou orders, raising he alarm all along he coas. Raleigh reurned o England, and o his execuion.
was describing an acual riual, praciced he Chibcha people on he shores o Lakeby Guaavia several hundred miles inland, in wha is now Colombia. Dalfinger was only he firs would-be looer o die rying o find ha legendary lake ull o gold: he ook an arrow in he neck in 1533. Aer several ailed and raricidal expediions, he conquisador Gonzalo Ximenez de Queseda reached he
Peruvian golden highlands, or his own myhical Lakesearching Paii. Sarmieno decided ha Manoa was a ar-flung Inca oupos, and he had he poor orune o ge capured by an English ship in 1586; Sir Waler Raleigh heard his ale and promply se abou planning his own expediion o he Golden Land, consuling alchemiss and magi such as Tomas Hario and John Dee.
he dissoluion o Raleigh’s alchemicalWih plans, Manoa goes hrough is own ransormaion, moving ino norhern Brazil and becoming a los Egypian ci over a rich silver mine. Tis, a leas, was he ale o Roberio Dias, a mesizo who claimed ha his aher, he Indian Muribeca, had learned o hem rom his aher, a Poruguese sailor. Dias had enough money o bribe his way ou o
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE
TOP
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POSSIBLE OTHER ABILITIES OF GOLDEN VAMPIRES You can give your golden vampires any power you care o: hey migh be able o shapeshi ino vampire bas (naive o ropical Souh America) or jaguars, jump across he clearing, urn o lake mis, or ear a muske in hal. Here are five less common vampiric abiliies ha reflec he alchemical srcins o he bloodhirs fiends o El Dorado. Ignore wha you don’ like, and inroduce he res as a surprise or your players.
Ductile Flesh
Gold is he mos exensible and malleable o he meals. I can be pulled ino long wires, or i can be beaen ino micron-hin shees. Golden vampires can exend heir limbs, fingers, and necks or yards; his can look exceedingly horrible i you plan he encouner righ. Tey can also reshape heir skin and aler heir build o resemble anyone hey have seen, pass hrough he inies cracks and mesh, and use heir exensible fingers o grip vicims in an unbreakable coil o meallized flesh.
Finding Treasure
Because o heir connecion boh wih suberranean demon-figures like Chibchachum (he Lord Under he Earh o he Chibcha) and wih he rue Gold, alchemical vampires can find buried reasure and locae gold. No only does his keep hem in unds, hey can rack a vicim by heir wedding ring or gold fillings no maer where hey hide.
Immune to Sunlight Gold is he meal o he Sun, boh o he Chibcha and o European alchemiss. When he vampires emerge rom he rubedo, hey share a mysical kinship wih he Sun – i no longer burns or oherwise endangers hem.
Know your Inmost Wish o Jung, alchemy was he ques o puri he rue sel. A golden vampire can read he innermos houghs and aspiraions o any human i encouners. Depending on he human, his migh no be a paricularly noble or pure aspiraion -- and he human migh no know i himsel. Imagine El Dorado as a version o he Zone rom Salker: mos humans who find i wish only heir own deah, in heir inmos hears.
Parching Thirst Te gods o he Sun send evers and parching hirs o hose who hey would desroy; he vampires o he Sun can do likewise. Tis works bes i, by analogy, he vampire can afflic any vicim in eyesho; he arge collapses wih hirs and ever, sweaing and choking unil he vampire removes is baleul golden gaze.
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prison raher han disclose he locaion o his Mines o Muribeca; and aer he died in 1622, a coage indusry sprang up in searches or Muribeca (which, like El Dorado, became a place raher han a person). In 1753, aer a en-year search, Francisco Raposo discovered a “cyclopean” los ci somewhere in he Mao Grosso o souhern Brazil (clear across he coninen rom he firs El Dorado rumors), complee wih myserious whie men and an unknown reasure. Or so he claimed, in a documen he iled wih he Viceroyaly describing his discovery. his repor was promply los unil 1865, when Sir Richard Francis Buron’s wie discovered and ranslaed i. Buron’s subsequen rip ino he inerior is one o his leas well-documened. Anoher Briish advenurer sirred up by Raposo’s repor was he heosophis and mysic Colonel Percy Fawce. One o Fawce’s expediions, ino he Brazilian inerior looking or myserious monser racks, gave Conan Doyle he inspiraion or he Los World. Fawce also drew inspiraion rom Briish pulp wriers; H. Rider Haggard gave Fawce a basal idol which he claimed was ound in a Brazilian “los ci” – Fawce ook i o a psychic, who proclaimed i Alanean. Beween psychomery and Raposo’s repor, Fawce was eager o venure deep ino he Mao Grosso jungle searching or he los Alanean ci he reerred o as “Z.” He se ou wih only his son Jack and Jack’s riend Raleigh Rimmel in May o 1925; his las communicaion wih he ouside world occurred on May 30. On Fawce’s peculiar insisence, no search par wen aer him unil February 1927, by which ime he hadvanished as surely as Raposo’s ci, he las casual o El Dorado.
“Though the Golden King of the Philosophers seems dead, he yet lives, and cries out from the deep, ‘He who shall deliver me from the waters … him will I grant life everlasting.’” – Michael Maier, Symbola Aureae Mensae (1617) So much or he legend o El Dorado. Wha can we do wih i? Some possibiliies insinuae hemselves, a ew suggesive hemes. In 1598, a publisher named Nicholas Barnaud used depicions o Raleigh’s voyage ino Guiana as illusraions in an alchemical ex: he search or El Dorado mirroring he search or he Philosopher’s Sone, he Red
CITY OF THE GOLDEN VAMPIRES Elixir, he Secre o Lie. Te final sage o alchemy is he rubedo, he reddening, as he sone passes hrough a bah o incarnae he Sun – a perec analogy o he Chibcha riual o Lake Guaavia. And wha do we know abou Chibcha riuals? Tey beheaded heir enemies, and decoraed heir emples wih such rophies. Tey saked slaves o he ground during he consrucion o new emples. hey raided heir enemies or young boys specially rained by Chibcha priess o “converse wih he Sun.” Tose young boys wound up also beheaded, heir blood spaered around he emple inerior – and on more o hose sakes. During droughs, he Chibcha ye again sacrificed a youh, coaing he rocks o he sacred lake or mounain wih blood. Combine rubedo, alchemical ransormaion, and blood riuals somehow conained by impalemen and beheading: El Dorado is he Ci o he Golden Vampires. A is hear is he sacred lake (possibly a large sone basin) ull o powerul alchemical blood, he rue Red Elixir. Bahing in he lake urns base maer o gold – and weak human flesh o undying vampire muscle and sinew. hus he ruh, or a leas one possible ruh, behind he lie and legend o El Dorado. Wha does his porend or your players? How can you use i in a game? Te Ci o he Golden Vampires can ake any number o guises, play any number o pars, over he cenuries o is exisence. In he nex secion, I provide our possible sories o sage in ha seing, or raher our possible scrims o show he seing agains, each in is own era. Tey are no necessarily all conneced o each oher; raher, consider hem our possible uures o he Ci laid ou above.
disappears or flees back down he mounain passes, lails across he swamps, bloodied and maddened. Te hinerland beween he Pacific and he Orinoco becomes known as “ierra Rubedo,” he Land o Reddening. Even wih he known dangers o venuring ino ierra Rubedo, he imagined rewards drive men on. El Dorado surely holds vas riches: gold, emeralds, cinnabar, and perumed woods come down o he ribes in beween he Spanish and he vampires, raded or seel and dyed cloh, or sal and silk and urs. And or slaves: he rade rom Arica o Caragena is he viles o a vile business, bu i pays beer han even he silver mines. Te mos eared and blasphemous piraes swoop down on Spanish reasure ships and sell he crews inland or anoher fisul o emeralds. Necromancers flee he Inquisiion, bringing books o lore and slaves o heir own o rade o he vampires or black alchemical secres. Bold hieves se ou o see i hey can snach a ew sones or ingos rom a border keep; mercenaries oer o rain he vampires’ vassals (or heir vicims, bu he vassals pay beer) in pike and culass; Jesuis seek o conver anoher clan o Chris rom he worship o Chibchachum and Zadacoa. And every ew years anoher company o wouldbe conquisadors, burning wih holy zeal and golden greed, plan he assaul on ierra Rubedo ha will surely succeed his ime, by he grace o God. Tis is, o all inens and purposes, a low anasy seing wih piraes, druids, and barbarians, and a Dark Land oEvil square in he middle o i. Europeans migh have heir own magic (sorcery or necromancy, or example), or be dependen on Arawak Indians and Arican slaves or heir ancesral versions o voodoo. God migh gran His clergy healing and oher miracles; or naive shamans migh be 16th and 17th Centuries: able o use he plans and mosses in he rain ores o creae amazing salves and poions. Weapons and armor range rom arquebus Suppored rom he sea and brisling wih and hal-plae o blow-guns and war pain. cannon, he Spanish can hold Caragena and Use Skull and Bones d20, he Savage Worlds Maracaibo orever. Some local Indian ribes, RPGs or Solomon Kane and Piraes o he iring o serving as cale or he vampires, Spanish Main, or your avorie piraes-andwelcome Spanish overlordship: he crosvampires supplemens or more inspiraion. ses and consecraed ground o he mission churches seem o keep away he wors o he th aacks. Furher inland, he cannibal ribes 19 Century: have long adaped o – even worshipped –
TIERRA RUBEDO
heir golden rulers: heycoaed figh wih abandon, firing arrows wihrenzied paralyic poison. hey ake he vicims prisoner, passing hem ever higher in he norhern Andes, desined o slake he vampires’ hirs. Tese prisoners are he only Europeans o see he Ci o he Golden Vampires, and hey do no reurn. Indeed, every would-be conquisador expediion sen ino he inerior
THE SHADOW OF SANTA SANGRE
nex ridge. Te Church burned a ew vampires a he sake, bu could never enirely convince isel i had rooed ou he whole demonic ain; some local wiches conessed under he Quesion o serving “los vampiros,” some ranchers and prospecors brough back sighings o golden shadows ading ino he jungles and mounain caverns. Fire and looing died down; he Spanish seled in. And as happened hroughou New Spain, he new selers ound hemselves marrying ino he local arisocracy. rue, he absolue ruling class – he bishops and governors, he holders o royal monopolies on emeralds and gold – married wives rom Spain and Germany. Bu he second rank – he ambiious soldiers, he indusrious merchans and builders, he scholarly clerks and enginers – hey married he Chibcha ladies. Teir children drank deep o heir mohers’ radiions and cusoms, and heir mohers lived a long ime. Te upper class kep o hemselves in he Palacio and he Cahedral; always hey dreamed o reiring o Madrid or Corunna. Te creoles, he children o he land, spread heir blood o he new owns and ciies; evenually hey dreamed o aking heir land or hemselves … and or heir blood. In 1821, aking advanage o a revoluion in Spain, he creoles proclaimed heir independence in a bloodless coup d’ea. (Mosly bloodless; some o he royal governor’s saff were never ound.) Te ormer Spanish province o New Granada became he Republic o Sana Sangre. Aer he radiional scuffling over boundaries wih Ecuador on he souh and Briish Guiana on he eas, Sana Sangre seled down o is new naionhood. Unlike mos o he new naions o Lain America, Sana Sangre kep is inancial house in order, paying is debs o Briish railroad companies and French shipbuilding firms in gold and on ime. Indusry expanded, especially in he por ciies o Caragena and Maracaibo – and visiors swore he capial o Bogoa was more advanced ye. Experimenal chemiss and engineers began visiing Sana Sangre, and some o hem sayed. Te unique alloys and combusibles produced by Sana Sangran laboraories ound heir way ino aerosas and land-walkers in America, Prussia, and even he Japanese Empire. Bu all does no necessarily shine brigh in Sana Sangre. Alhough regular elecions
produce and Prime Minisers rom bohPresidens paries, Gusavo La Dorada has been Finance Miniser or decades – like his Alhough he Chibcha held ou or decades, aher beore him. Sana Sangre relucanly hey finally ell o he paien onslaugh ohe abolishes slavery in 1889, along wih Brazil – Caholic Church and he Spanish cannon. Te and he easern provinces occasionally ripple Spanish drained he lakes, bu never ound wih rebellions ha seem more desperae he roves hey had expeced; he gold was han mos. Te acories in he Andes have always jus gone missing, always over he an inexhausible appeie or workers – and
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE ever more laborers never reurn o heir villages. Imperial Brazil, Briain, and America all wish o see Sana Sangre humbled, as do many oher grea powers. Teir agens, along wih rival invenors, labor aciviss, advenurers and explorers search or he secre o Sana Sangre. Tis is our vampiric El Dorado a he hear o a seampunk land o mysery suiable or Savage Worlds : Rippers, Airship Piraes, GURPS Seampunk, or oher similar games: make Sana Sangre as inaccessible as you wish. Perhaps olk in he Bogoa highlands around he capial all speak Chibcha, raher han Spanish; perhaps rumor hins a a “rue capial” somewhere in he ores; perhaps Sana Sangre, like Japan, orbids oreigners o reside anywhere bu is designaed pors. In counry, o course, he vampires rule hrough heir Spanish consors. Teir alchemical lore is he myserious source o whaever seampunk echnology you inroduce ino he world: he Red Elixir is an inexhausible power source, while he Aureo Rubedo srenghens seel and makes lighweigh alloys suiable or gian robos and zeppelins alike. Bu o course, i all has o come rom spilled human blood: he enire indusrial world o his world depends on lierally draining he veins o Sana Sangre’s workers. In a paricularly dark world, Sana Sangre’s secre is no grea secre: he oher powers are rying o develop heir own vampiric alchemies and deah-drive n echnologies, raher han rying o desroy he Ci o he Golden Vampires.
o name jus a ew opions. Oher opions roae our golden vampires ou o medieval alchemy and ino modernis monsrosiy: Perhaps he golden vampires are Alaneans, or aliens, or psychopahic Aryan supermen, or all hree. Could he golden vampires have been androids buil by unguessable precursors? ime-ravelers evolved or a horrific uure, guarding he lake where heir DNA firs ormed? urn he golden vampires ino serviors (or consrucs) o sahoggua or Shub-Niggurah, and wis El Dorado ino an alien necropolis suiable or Call o Chulhu or oher Lovecraian games. O course, he Los Cit o V migh be a vampire legend, no a moral one. Finding he Los Ciy o V, say he elders in weak momens and he new-fledged kin in greedy ones, renews a vampire’s connecion o he blood. All weaknesses are washed away; a single drop o blood rom he Los Ciy revives dead lesh and powers dead muscle or a monh. Perhaps, hey whisper o each oher, i even washes away vampirism, resoring rue lie a las. Tis can jus be a fleeing rumor in a Vampire game, or he cener sory line o a Princely expediion or vampiric civil war.
Or inally, perhaps he ciy isel is he vampire: drinking he hopes and lives o explorers and conquisadors: Dalfinger, de Ordas, Herrera, Aguirre, Orellana, Quesada, Raleigh, and scores more, along wih heir men and bearers and slaves. For a hundred years i glued isel on such men, hen i lay saiaed and bloaed or a ime. Now i craves anoher eas, and is dreams and visions rickle ou o he jungle and down 1920S and 1930S: rom he mounain valleys. I has planed is conradicory journals and is disoriening maps, slowly grown in he minds o men los Somewhere in he inerior o Souh America in he jungle and released o emp more prey. is a ci ha will make you immoral. No “a- Te ci smells he greed on he wind, slavers mous orever,” lierally immoral. Tis is he a he rival universiies and dicaorships sory o he Los Ci oV, old a Advenurers’ planning heir expediions, and wais behind Clubs and Geographic Socieies in New York is walls, where iny veins o gold and scarle and London – and in sealed offices and dark glow and wane in ime o he roaring, pulsing chambers in Berlin andMoscow. Old archives ide o he scarle lake a he ci’s hear. are unsealed, wild rumors racked o heir source. Every drunk rom Buenos Aires o Six Months From Now: Panama Ci has an audience or heir wild ales o golden ciies in he jungle. Rival expediions have already come o blows on he docks o Caragena and he srees o Ca- Somewhere in he jungles o Colombia or
THE LOST CITY OF V
THE MURIBECA FACILITY
racas; gunshos deeper down he Orinoco andare heexchanged Amazon. And deeper ye, a golden vampire sleeps a he boom o a lake ha looks like boiling blood under he ropical sunse, waiing or new slaves o abase hemselves on he shore. Tis legend can kick off a pulp campaign or Spiri o he Cenury, Hollow Earh Expediion, Pulp Hero, or GURPS Clifangers,
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Venezuela, or maybe i’s Brazil company aer all, a mulinaional pharmaceuical sudies a dizzying array o plans, lichen, ungus, and oher unique producs o he rain ores’s variegaed ecology. Following naive rumor, he corporaion finds one immense plan – maybe i’s acreeper, or possibly a ores mold, could be a ungus – sreched over he boom o a dry lake. Te locals use
i o sanch wounds and draw ou inecion; observers repor seeing he endrils o he plan seemingly drink he blood and pus rom a gash. Such a hing ineress he company; hey buy he lake or run off he locals, and sring up some hurricane ences and moion deecors.
Inside he wire, corporae boaniss and biochemiss sar esing, exposing he plan o blood under every kind o laboraory condiion. Tey run DNA samples, recombining wha hey can on-sie, and sending he res back o Alana or Amserdam or urher sequencing. Pieces o he plan ravel all over he world, researchers keeping in ouch consanly, always eeding i blood. Finally, hey hi on he correc combinaion, los since Quesada’s men slaughered he local Chibcha and drained he lake looking or gold and emeralds. Te lake sars o refill wih red, viscous waer. Te researchers find hemselves going down o he shore, moving in he old ways, opening heir own veins, walking ino he muddy maroon swamp. Perhaps hey drown or behead a worker or six, again in he old ways. Perhaps hey drive a sake hrough he hear o one paricularly recalciran biologis, pinning her o he boom o he lake and pouring her blood ino he hirs rooles. he company’s scieniss sar bringing bigger samples ou o he jungle, inecing heir colleagues all over he world wih a desire o come o he acili. Tere, hey can work all nigh and never ire. Tere, hey can finally undersand he plan a he hear o heir experimens. Tere, hey can maser he myseries o blood. Tis is a modern-day campaign seed ha can inroduce vampires ino any seing rom Delta Green o Dark Champions . Or make i a sory arc or Hunter: the Vigil or any ieraion o Werewol. Te plan and is minions could be a Big Bad or a Buf the Vampire Slayer RPG game, or a weird rival or aVampire chronicle. Te plan and is vampire consciousness are disribued all over he world in he corporaion’s labs, and hose o is research parners and affiliaes. I drains and wiss he corporaion’s personnel, even while i fills he corporaion wih unnaural lie: research grans and invesmen capial are flowing in or such a promising wonder drug. Te plan migh be an aspec o some dark plan god, or jus an inhuman parasie slowly exinguishing human independence – and once is DNA is on sale in every drugsore in he world, wha hen? Possibly only a desperae ques o he hear o darkness in Souh America can urn he ide, scouring El Dorado clean wih fire and poison beore is promise o gold and lie desroys everyhing.
BERNARD ÅKE ROSENIUS
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CraC des DraCA
CRAC DES DRACA TEXT CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
ILLUSTRATION OLA LARSSON
Had the six Knights of the Order of St. John not been such newcomers to Outremer, they might have been able to read the Arabic signs above the gates and stopped in their tracks. Had the Saracens been less reluctant to depict l iving beings, they might have had a forewarning of the potential danger ahead. Had the knights not been so piously preoccupied with their divine mission, they might have hesitated at the great portal.
Instead, they continued on. They continued on because God willed it, and because it would serve the Order of St. John. And by doing so, they woke something that should not be awakened.
”And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9
Only one of the six survived this first meeting, and that only lasted long enough for him to ascend to the fortress on the surface to tell his brothers what had happened. That there, beneath the castle of Crac des Chevaliers, the Devil had been unleashed into the world, and any salvation was no longer possible. The dragon sluggishly roused himself from his deep lair and into the fortress that had grown up around him while he slept. Having woken in a bad mood, he ambled around through stone halls and corridors, crushing and devouring any creatures he happened upon; some who wandered around in a raving frenzy, some who attacked him with bows, swords and spears, and some who wept and prayed to God. When there was no longer any movement in the castle, and the demon’s hunger was satiated, he dragged himself out into the great courtyard and allowed the scorching Syrian midday sun to warm his dark scales as it had not done in a very long time. During the next month, the dragon made himself at home in the fortress. With great
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 5/2009 20
pleasure, he read the letters and texts the creatures had left behind, studied all the maps that decorated the walls, and happily gathered all the gleaming treasures and armour that had been scattered along the castle walls and in the great rooms. When he had finished, the dragon decided it was time to investigate the world around him. Lazily, effortlessly, he spread his articulated wings and left his nest—which would hereafter be known as Crac des Draca.
CraC des DraCA
W
hen, in 1176, he six knighs ound heir way down ino he ineriors o Crac des Chevaliers o explore he possibili o expanding he orress downward, hey had no idea ha heir acions would orever change he ace o hisory. A ha ime, he Knighs o he Order o S. John were one o he mos powerul orces in a weak and splinered Crusader Sae, surrounded ever more by he well-organised Saracens. Despie he ac ha he Crusaders, wih he help o he Order o S. John and heir riend Raymond II, Coun o ripoli, were conquering Saladin a Homs, no ar rom Crac des Chevalier, he Crusader Sae o Ouremer, which had been ounded less han a hundred years prior, was enering is final days. Te Order’s discovery in Crac des Chevaliers would do nohing o change his, bu i did cause more han one person o wonder i his was perhaps he end o days or he enire world.
neys o unamiliar lands wih limied law and order). Pilgrims were welcomed in Jerusalem as hey mean an influx o money, and Jesus— or he prophe `Îsâ, as he was known wihin Islam—was a revered figure in many circles, and hereore worh a pilgrimage. Tis changed, however, in he beginning o he 9h Cenury as he Seljuk urks ook conrol o he area and made i very difficul or he pilgrims o reach Jerusalem. Tis horrified Pope Urban II in Europe, and a he Council o Clermon on November 27, 1095, he gave an emoional speech urging crusaders o liberae he Holy Land and he Holy Ci. Te response was enormous. Everywhere, people asened a abric cross o heir clohing as a sign ha hey had heard he summons, and he bale cry “God wills i!” echoed hroughou Europe. Organising a Crusade is no easy ask, and many o hose who ook up he cross were, o be blun, more o a hindrance han a help. Neverheless, during 1096, a number o armies depared. Te journey wound is way hrough he Balkans and hrough Byzanium, where relaions wih he Chrisian Emperor Alexius I Comnenus were srained, o say he leas. Once he armies had finally reached he Middle Eas, hey ook differen I’ve long been ascinaed by alernaive roues and achieved differen resuls, bu in realiies and couneracual hisory. I always he end, several areas came under conrol sars wih a “Wha i ?” and hen swells rapid- The Crusades – o he Crusaders, including he Couny o ly ino a large deailed anasy in which new Edessa. Aer a grea siege, he main orces A Short Summary. possibiliies presen hemselves. Forunaely, conquered Anioch and hen marched on I’m no alone in his. Te quesion “Wha i?” oward Jerusalem, which was also aken aer fills he pages and ideas o lieraure, films a shor siege on July 14, 1099. Te conques How short? Very! and even games, giving me many opporuni- Tough he Crusades Sae o Ouremer is o Jerusalem was a massacre in which all ies o revel in he vivid imaginaion o hese nearly a housand years in he pas, we have a inhabians—Muslims and Jews alike—were pes o sories: grea deal o inormaion rom and abou ha slaughered by he vicory-drunk Chrisians. Wha i Hiler had won he war? period o ime. Tere is no lack o maerial Te goal o he Crusades was now achieo immerse onesel in, and we can say wih ved and many who had aken up he cross Te Man in he High Casle by Philip K. Dick. a good deal o cerain ha we boh know were saisied and el he mission was Wha i Jules Verne was righ? quie a bi abou many o he evens ha accomplished. Back in Europe, power and Te recen film o saus awaied hem, along wih heir loved ook place here, as well as he moivaions ones. Mos Crusaders reurned o Europe, Journey o he Cener o he Earh. behind a number o hose evens. Despie and hose who chose o say were orced o Wha i he Indians ook over Mars? his, or perhaps because o his, I will give a Te campaign world Te Red Plane shor overview o he crusades so as o give creae a small, vulnerable sae in an area rom Bes o Fenix, Volume 3. a basis or our alernae hisory. Shor, ha where he hosilit surrounding hem was is, in relaion o he maerial and complexi, undersandably grea. bu sill hopeully horough enough o proCrac des Draca began as jus such a “Wha i?” My wie Maria and I had seen an illusra- vide a solid base on which o build he alerion o he inspiring Ola Larsson, shown o nae reali. I you wish o know more abou The Crusader State us by Anders and ove — he same illusra- Ouremer, he inormaion is jus a click (or of Outremer is Formed ion is eaured on he previous page. We library visi) away. brainsormed a bi on he image and wha Once Jerusalem was aken, work began o
ALTERNATIVE REALITIES A WORLD OF WHAT IF?
o culures, war, heroism and ininie evil, sex, inrigue, and he promise o orgiveness o sins and ulimae paradise. Add o his a real-live dragon and how can you go wrong? When we se abou wriing i, however, he aricle began o shi ocus somewha. Wha began as a relaively ordinary descripion o his alernae realiy wih a plehora o campaigns and advenure ideas added in, has insead sared o ocus more on he ales ha can exis in such a world where religion is an all-encompassing orce. Hopeully, his will benei all ypes o campaigns where religion plays a large par, i one — conrary o expecaions — were o decide ha he Crusades + a dragon = rue. Te orma is: Firs, a acual background or he Crusades Sae o Ouremer, hen a secion ha covers he “alernae” hisory, i.e., wha happens when he dragon makes his enrance ino he already ineced conflic. When his background is esablished, we can delve ino he medieval person’s aih and conclude wih a number o quesions ha will hopeully rigger he imaginaion urher. We hope you enjoy i!
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
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was aking wihin i, when Maria said, “Tey look aplace bi like Crusaders. Wha i some Crusaders encounered a dragon?” And hus, an alernae hisory was born. Tis seup is perec or gaming. Te Crusades Sae o Ouremer already has all he dramaic ingrediens needed: power sruggles on a near-global scale, religious conflics on several levels, human hardships, meeing 22
1095 – Europe Begins the First Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands Tough Jerusalem had been in he hands o he Muslims since he 7h Cenury, Chrisians made pilgrimages o he Holy Ci wihou any major problems (oher han he usual dangers pilgrims encounered on long jour-
ransorm conquered and ciies o one small unified sae wihareas a uncioning governance—a ask ha was easier said han done. From he sar, here was a sruggle or power. Would he new sae be under secular or ecclesiasical conrol, and who hen would become he leader? wo primary candidaes came o ligh, by virue o heir iles rom Europe, bu in he end, Godrey o Bouillon won
CraC des DraCA he greaes suppor and became he reigning head. During Godrey’s ime, he kingdom expanded, and when, upon his deah, he le everyhing o his broher Baldwin, i had begun o resemble a single homogenous sae. Baldwin successully coninued he mission o expand he kingdom wih many riumphan bales agains he Saracens.
The Formation of the Crusader State Under Godrey and Baldwin, he kingdom was paerned aer he wesern European eudal model wih counies and vassal saes. When Ouremar was a is larges, i consised o: Te Principali o Galilee Te Lordship o Oulrejourdain Te Lordship o Sidon Te Coun o Jaffa and Ascalon
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Ruling hese areas were prominen vassals who, in exchange or he power and wealh heir areas provided, were loyal o he king o Jerusalem.
The Second Crusade 1144 he urks capured one o he esablished Crusader Saes: he Coun o Edessa, creaing much anxie in Europe. In order o recapure Edessa and urher srenghen he Chrisian dominaion o he Holy Land, he Second Crusade was launched. Te enhusiasm was sill grea and many ook up he cross. Tey primarily organised hemselves ino wo armies in deence o he Holy Land: one German and one French. Boh armies reached he area bu he German Army was nearly oblieraed in a massacre early on. Te French army and he remnans o he German soldiers finally reached Jerusalem, and aer much discussion, hey decided o aack Damascus, which was he larges Muslim own near Jerusalem. Te siege o Damascus became an embarrassing fiasco and was ended in under a week. Te majori o he surviving paricipans rom he Second Crusade gradually rickled back o Europe, keeping quie abou heir explois.
Open Power Struggle over Outremer
1. I was a amily eud where differen acions o Baldwin’s amily figh or power, wihou any ideological or religious underones. 2. I was a poliical and religious figh beween Ouremer’s “old” Orienalised arisocracy and he religious hardliner newcomers (even i some o hese were no newcomers a all, bu simply allied wih hem). Te ruh is likely somewhere in beween. I is in any case indispuable ha clear bale lines appeared during Baldwin’s shor reign. Te acions consised o:
The old Orientalised aristocracy. Tis group sough greaer peaceul soluions wih he Saracens under he leader Saladin. Some o he mos prominen personaliies were:
Baldwin IV – The Leper King
From a very early age (long beore accession o power), i was clear ha Baldwin was a leper, and his healh declined seadily during Other Crusader States his reign. Tis did no sop him rom iniially As i he fiasco o he Second Crusade was In addiion o he larges and mos cenral being a warrior king wih a number o minor no enough, he Crusade Sae was now hCrusader Saes were a number o oher, rown ino an open civil war beween moher vicories over oher leaders in bale, inclusmaller ones. Tese saes suppored each ding Saladin. As he years when on, Baldwin’s and son. Firs, he conflic led o Melisende oher, or he mos par, as Chrisians and and Baldwin III dividing he land beween healh deerioraed more and more as he los Crusaders, bu here were also a number o hem, bu laer, Baldwin laid siege o his fingers and limbs, and became affliced wih power sruggles and inrigue among hem. moher in Jerusalem. He won he bale and blindness, all due o he leprosy. During he Periodically, he areas were also ormally sub- ook ull power. When boh Melisende and final ime o his lie, Baldwin was depiced ordinae o Jerusalem in maers o oreign Baldwin III laer died, Baldwin had no heirs, as being “carried in a barrel”. Beore he died, policy, even i hey reained heir auonomy. and he rule passed o Baldwin’s broher he named Baldwin V, Sibylla’s son wih Guy, Tese oher Crusader Saes were: as co-regen wih Sibylla. Amalric I. In order or Amalric o become Te Coun o ripoli king, however, he Jerusalem council Haue Te Coun o Edessa Cour insised he annul his marriage o Te Principali o Anioch Agnes o Courenay, whom hey considered Raymond of Tripoli o be oo closely relaed o Amalric. Teir Raymond belonged o one o he oldes and children Sibylla and Baldwin IV, however, mos prominen amilies in he kingdom o Keeping Power in the Family were couned as genuine and consequenly he Crusaders. He served a shor ime as he When Baldwin died, he was wihou sons and became imporan pieces in he upcoming guardian regen or Baldwin IV, and when heirs, and his rule passed insead o his rela- power sruggle. Baldwin died, was exremely ineresed ive (probably a cousin) Baldwin o Bourcq. When Amalric died, he was succeeded by in who would succeed him. Raymond is He coninued o expand he kingdom and Baldwin IV, also known as Te Leper King. requenly described as perhaps he mos hen le i o his daugher Melisende and Orienalised o he Crusaders, wih relaively her husband Fulk V Coun o Anjou, on he close ies o Saladin, among ohers. condiion ha heir son, Baldwin III, was na- The Struggle for Power med co-sovereign. Fulk, who held he acual
• • •
power,and wascunning no wellwas liked, hrough orce heand ableonly o mainain power over he Crusaders. He baled wih boh he Saracens and he Chrisians o reain he kingdom’s sovereign—somehing he did quie successully. Soon aer Fulk’s deah, Melisende and Baldwin III reook conrol o he kingdom, and hings became progressively worse. 24
Ruins Outremer
The Ibelins
From Amalric’s deah and he young Baldwin’s accession o power (wih an appoined guardian regen, called a Bailil) in 1176, unil Baldwin’s deah in 1184, an inense bale or power raged on among various acions wih many differen moives. Tere are wo primary inerpreaions o he power sruggle:
Balian and Baldwin Ibelin were prominen players wih close ies o Raymond o ripoli. Te Ibelins were a he cener o many schemes ha ook place in Ouremer, and hey cleverly posiioned hemselves or uure power hrough sraegic marriages. Boh brohers were also disinguished warriors.
CraC des DraCA
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CraC des DraCA The Newcomers Tis group had a more hardball approach o he Saracens and acively sough ou conflic wih Saladin. A key elemen o his group was here suppor or he newcomer Guy o Lusignan as regen.
Knight Orders A Power to be Reckoned with to the End and Beyond
Saladin ”Righteousness of the Faith”
Al Aqsaheir mosque onwas he derived, emple Moun, rom which name was graned o he order, whose purpose was o provide sae o he many pilgrims who ravelled o he Holy Land. Beore long, he order gained grea influence and wealh, and were considered—beore he bale a Hain—he area’s sronges single orce. he emplars bore whie abards wih red crosses.
and hebygrea Chrisian army away rom he waer aacking Raymond o ripoli’s or a iberias and aking Raymond’s wie hosage. Raymond knew rom experience ha Saladin was known o rea his prisoners well, and spoke ou agains aacking Saladin, realising he could ree his wie a some laer ime. Guy, however, decided o go ou o mee Saladin in he deser wilderness.
Te one man who, more or less by himsel, came o signi he end o he Crusades was Parallel o, and inricaely inerwoven wih, none oher han Ṣ alā ḥ ad-Dīn Yūsu ibn he various clans vying or power in Oure- Ayyūb—or simply Saladin, as he Crusaders mer were he esablished orders o knighs called him. Sibylla Saladin was a kurd rom ikri, born ino who had a grea deal o auhorit and influSibylla, Baldwin IV’s siser, was married a power and wealh, hanks o he successes ence in he area. Firs among hese, during he age o sixeen o William Longsword Ouremer’s days o glory, were he Hospial- o his aher and uncle. He received he bes o Monerra, cousin o he kings o boh possible educaion, boh academically and lers (he Order o S. John) and he Knighs Germany and France. Te marriage rapidly emplar. Boh hese orders combined he miliarily, and quickly learned o navigae he produced a son, Baldwin V, bu William died lie and aspecs o he religious orders dangerous and inrigue-filled Muslim world soon aer. Tis gave her he bes sanding in wih he ideals and weapons proiciency where he Sunnis and he Shiies regularly he enire kingdom since her lile broher o knighs. During a large par o he 12h opposed one anoher. Baldwin IV would no produce any heirs Cenury, hese orders were exremely proBy being bold and aggressive, like his and he power evenually ell o her. Sibylla minen in Ouremer, boh poliically and aher and uncle beore him, Saladin soon seems o have used her posiion as “rophy” miliarily. Based in ors locaed all over he began o win miliary vicories and gain povery cleverly and emerged he winner o pulari. Wih a grea deal o luck (or perhaps Holdy Land, hey guarded caravans, aided mos o he kingdom’s schemes and power he mercy o Allah), Saladin requenly manapilgrims, and mainained a basic order in plays. When she married Guy o Lusignan, he conquered areas. No king o Ouremer ged o be in he righ place a he righ ime he had a legiimae claim o power aer aced wihou firs consuling he heads o o urher bolser his power. Beore Saladin Baldwin’s deah. hese orders. Tey were oen on he same had urned 45, he had aken firm conrol over side o any given issue, hough someimes he enire Muslim Middle-Eas rom Egyp hey sided wih he various acions in he o Syria, and could hen begin o ackle he Guy of Lusignan power sruggles ha ook place. he ac problem o driving ou he Chrisians. Guy was he newcomer who gave he acion As Saladin ough he Crusaders—someha some o he mos influenial schemers is name. Raised in France, he journeyed o imes winning, someimes losing—he became and planners o inrigue were members o Ouremer someime during he 1170s, and he orders o knighs did nohing o simplif known or his moderaion, his reason, his arrived righ in he middle o he power grace and generosiy. Even he Chrisians he siuaion. sruggles. When Raymond o ripoli and agains whom he ough relucanly admied he Ibelin brohers ried o pressure Sibylla ha Saladin possessed many o he knighly o marry ino he Ibelin amily, she insead The Knights Hospitaller ideals ha prevailed a ha ime, and he was married Guy, and he was hrown direcly ino a highly respeced opponen. he ray. When Baldwin IV died, and Sibylla (Order of St. John) Tis did no sop Saladin rom being mersood o ascend o power, i was demanded Te Knighs o he Order o S. John arose ciless when he deemed i necessary, bu he ha she have her marriage o Guy annulrom a hospial organisaion ha had exised did no commi unnecessary bloodshed jus led—which she did, on he condiion ha she in he Holy Land since he 7h Cenury. In he or he sake o i. could hen reely choose her own husband. beginning o he 12h Cenury, hey received Once she was crowned, she exploied his he official saus as he hospial order, and concession and again married Guy, placing soon hereaer, he order evolved a miliary The Battle of Hattin him firmly in power. Guy was closely allied branch asked wih proecing hospials and Following a number o inflammaory aacks wih Raynald o Chaillon. he pilgrims who ravelled in he area. Te on caravans, carried ou by Raynald o ChailKnighs Hospialler bore black abards wih lon, he ruce wih Saladin, he leader o he a whie cross. Saracens, was broken, and Saladin led an Raynald of Chatillon aack agains he kingdom. Raynald o Chaillon played an imporan Raymond o ripoli and Guy o LusigThe Knights Templar role during he larger par o he ime o nan—who had nearly come o open conflic he Crusades and was consanly a source o Te Knighs emplar were ounded by God- wih one anoher aer Guy’s ascension o conflic and conroversy. He was known or rey o Sain-Omer and Hughes o Payens in power—unied, along wih oher knighs his boldness and aggression, and achieved 1119 and immediaely received he suppor like he Ibelin brohers, and looked or ways boh specacular vicories and specacular o King Baldwin II. Te area surrounding he o deea Saladin. Saladin ried o lure hem losses. Aer oneSaracens o heseor losses, he was imprisoned by he 17 years. When he reurned o power, he allied himsel wih Sibylla and Guy, and played a large par in helping Guy o become king. I was Raynald who provoked Saladin o aack, which led o he all o he Crusader Sae, and i was also Raynald who convinced Guy o march oward ha aeul loss a Hain.
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CraC des DraCA
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CraC des DraCA he enormous Chrisian army was consanly besieged by mouned Saracen archers, and when hirs and exhausion had finally se in, he Saracens massacred hem, and in doing so, doomed Ouremer o exincion.
The Dragon
coninued on oward Jaffa, bu no beore execuing he more han 3000 prisoners o war rom Acre who were sill being held Te Dragon aroused by he Hospiallers is a giganic winged repile wih gleaming red or ransom. Tis ourageous deed sained Richard’s repuaion despie laer vicories. scales. Boh wings and head have horny ouMany noble knighs, including large Jaffa was conquered when Richard won an growhs, and is eyes glow in he dark. When he dragon opens is maw, a burs o flame numbers o Hospiallers and Knighs imporan bale agains Saladin, bu he emplar, were aken prisoner. Foremos vicory was shor-lived, as i did no provide more han wen meers long sweeps ou, buramong hem are King Guy and Raynald o any sraegic advanage. Richard realised ning everyhing in is pah, including sone. Chaillon. Te laer was killed by Saladin Te dragon claws is way orward on srong, ha Jerusalem was easy o conquer bu himsel, as revenge or Raynald’s many muscular legs and sharp alons. Despie is impossible o hold in he long run, once he ransgressions. Crusaders reurned home, bu he pressure enormi, i can be surprisingly as over shor disances. Te dragon flies wihou care wih rom he oher Crusaders o reake he Holy Cit neverheless compelled him o move in slow, powerul beas o is wings, more labouha direcion. Te aack on Jerusalem, ho- riously a firs, and hen picks up righening speed when enering seep dives, which is why Aer he balle o Hain, he remaining Chris- wever, came o naugh when Saladin again ians were no longer able o keep Saladin a aacked Jaffa and orced Richard o come dragons preer o sar rom higher posiions. bay, and soon, he mos imporan Crusader o is deence—which he did boldly. In he Behind he glowing eyes hides an inelligence ciies had been conquered, including Jerusa- end, hough, boh Richard and Saladin had and slyness ha allows he dragon o easily lem. Upon enering Jerusalem, all Chrisians burned hrough mos o heir resources and ge an undersanding o anyone i encouners. were given sae passage ou o he ci, unlike neiher o hem were any longer in a posi- I can smell ear and reveal a lie by reading he previous massacre o Muslims and Jews ion o inflic more damage on he oher. A he hearbea and perspiraion o he person when he Chrisians ook he ci less han a hree-year ruce was negoiaed and Richard beore hem. I recalls evens so ar back ha mankind’s collecive memory canno reach, hundred years prior. reurned home o deal wih his Rebellious and i casually regisers everyhing i passes. broher John and his riend he Sheriff o I can secree hormones ha affec people i Noingham… he hird Crusade resuled in a minor mees wihou heir awareness, and is voice Aer he all o Jerusalem, a new religious success or he Chrisians, bu ar rom he uncions like a magical musical insrumen ervor moved hrough Europe and people in glorious goals hey had se or hemselves. i can play o invoke in people emoions such unprecedened numbers ook up he cross, as sadness, exciemen, ear, and more. and his ime, he Crusades were led a a Despie all his, he dragon is no invincible. much higher level han ever beore. Europe’s I’s somewha soer belly is vulnerable o ahree mos powerul rulers—Richard he Li- Over he nex hundred years, Europe coni- ack, as are is eyes and open mouh. A burs onheared rom England, Philip II o France, nued o send Crusaders o he Middle Eas o argeed arrows or a well-placed lance or and he Holy Roman Emperor Frederick a regular inervals. Usually, Jerusalem was spear could cause i severe damage. Te dragon Barbarossa— joined ogeher in a common he arge, bu someimes hey urned he is aware o his, however, and keeps a careul cause. Te people o Europe simply could no aack owards oher Muslim areas such as eye ou or missile weapons. Tose who sill see how he Saracens could possibly sand Egyp. Te ulimae purpose o hese urher aemp o injure he dragon will suffer heconagains such a ormidable orce. crusades, however, was always o recapure sequences, as will anyhing and anyone ha Frederick Barbarossa was a veeran o he he Holy Land. Te final six Crusades only happens o be in heir vicini. error, which ill-aed Second Crusade, and knew enough o ever managed o srenghen heir posiion in spreads exremely rapidly, eaches people how ensure he was horoughly prepared. Having he Holy Land in he shor erm, and when i will go or hose who dare o aack he dramanaged o reach Asia Minor and achieved he Mamluks o Egyp finally capured Acre gon, as well as or any who harbour such ools. Te dragon has airly primiive impulses even an iniial bale agains he urks, he became during he Ninh Crusade, he Chrisians los ill and ell rom his horse and drowned while heir final oohold in he area. Te Crusader i i seeks o ulfil hese wih relaively sophisicaed means. I desires sae, comor, a sable crossing he Sale river. Tis even led many Saes’ ale was over. ood reserve, simulaion, and affirmaion. I in he German army o reurn home, and he armies o he Tird Crusade hereby los an has a need o eel powerul and in conrol, and imporan leader and a large par o is orce wishes o dominae hose i comes ino conac and srengh. wih in order o achieve his. For hisreason, he dragon requires human sacrifice. No because Philip II Augusus and Richard he humans are is only, or even is preerred die, Lionhear’s armies le laer han Frederick Wha i everyhing in Ouremer was jus as I Barbarossa’ s, bu hey journeyed by sea described, wih power sruggles and consan bu because i wans o esablish power and conrol. In he same vein, i desires humans or and reached Acre in 1191. Acre was under bales wih hosile surroundings. Wha i all
The Fall of Jerusalem
The Third Crusade
The Further Crusades
AN ALTERNATE REALITY
What if?
siege byRichard’s he Chrisian orces,roops, and wih Philip and addiional Acre surrendered and bough is reedom wih a ransom sum ha Saladin promised o deliver. Philip reurned o Europe—o deal wih some maers a home, and because o an ever-growing conflic wih Richard regarding leadership ohe Crusaders—leaving his army wih Richard he Lionhear. Richard 28
he people living here above. were exacly hose people briefly oulined Now imagine wha would happen i, in 1174, jus a ew years beore Baldwin IV became king, he Hospiallers in Crac des Chevaliers managed o awaken a dragon. A compleely new world comes o lie, one ha is even crazier han he reali, and ha’s saying somehing…
simulaion and affirmaion. Nodragon oher creaure can challenge and iillae he wih is acions, is srong emoions, and is more or less clever aemps o ousmar he enormous repile he way humans can. Consequenly, he dragon wishes o surround isel wih enemies. I wans o hear heir flaery and make hem eel as i hey have a chance o winning.
Is he dragon evil? Te dragon is…a dragon.
CraC des DraCA
CRAC DES DRACA
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CraC des DraCA Christianity’s First Meeting with the Dragon
OUTREMER The Christians React
I he dragon had encounered oher people a anoher ime, perhaps he meeing would have ended differenly. Perhaps oher people would have fled and he dragon would have remained dorman a ew millennia more. Bu a ha ime in ha place, hings could only go one way.When he Knighs o he Order o S. John saw he dragon, hey believed i was he Devil himsel. Tese men who cauiously made heir way hrough he giganic poral beneah he casle were a broherhood or whom he Bible was as cerain and naural as heir violen mission in he world. When hey caugh sigh o he dragon, hey saw a creaure ha S. John described in chaper 12 o he book o Revelaion:
While he dragon reurns o sleep beneah he Syrian sun, messengers race rom Crac’s courard o Jerusalem. From here, he news spreads quickly o all corners o he earh. In Jerusalem, Amalrik quickly gahers he imporan men and women o counsel. When irreuable evidence is presened, none hesiae—somehing mus be done. Old enmi is pu aside and rivals over power sand side by side. An expediion is sen o Crac while he pariarch o Jerusalem immediaely ses course or Rome and he papal sea.
”… And here appeared anoher wonder in heaven; and behold a grea red dragon, having seven heads and en horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his ail drew he hird par o he sars o heaven, and did cas hem o he earh: and he dragon sood beore he woman which was ready o be delivered, or o devour her child as soon as i was born. And she brough orh a man child, who was o rule all naions wih a rod o iron: and her child was caugh up uno God, and o his hrone. And he woman fled ino he wilderness, where she hah a place prepared o God, ha hey should eed her here a housand wo hundred and hreescore days. And here was war in heaven: Michael and his angels ough agains he dragon; and he dragon ough and his angels, and prevailed no; neiher was heir place ound any more in heaven. And he grea dragon was cas ou, ha old serpen, called he Devil, and Saan, which deceiveh he whole world: he was cas ou ino he earh, and his angels were cas ou wih him.”
he rue cross as a proecive shield. Ye none o he miliary geniuses in he expediion knew how o ackle such a unique problem as a dragon, and his is heir downall. Te dragon swoops down rom Crac and beore a deence can be mouned, he field is a blazing inerno. Massacre is unavoidable. When he remains o he expediion flee back o he Holy Cit, many knighs o renown are abandoned. Le behind in he burning grasses are nearly a hundred Hospiallers, wo dozen Knighs emplar, one Ibelin broher, a cousin o Sibylla, he pariarch’s broher, and many more. No loss is greaer, however, han he king himsel, and he rue cross he bore. Many believe his is a sign ha all hope is los.
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The Dragon Takes Outremer
A rider arrives rom Anioch wih a message ha boh shocks and horrifies. Te dragon has aacked he ci a dawn and se i aligh. I swep sysemaically and deliberaely back and orh over he ci ime and ime again and burned i so horoughly ha he fires evenually raged ou o conrol and decimaed he enire ci. Te deah oll is appalling No one in he expediion could have pre- and he dragon seems o have done his or pared hemselves or ha firs meeing. Tis no apparen reason. No demands were placed group was sronger han many oher vico- on he ci, nor was anyhing aken. Te only rious armies during Ouremer’s hisory; he discernible purpose seems o have been he desrucion isel. king himsel is in he vanguard and bears
A New King and a Time of Waiting
Aer he irs crippling deea, Hau Cour, Jerusalem’s governing council is gahered, along wih he leaders o he Hospiallers and he Knighs emplar. Baldwin IV is crowned a jus 13 years old, and Raymond o ripoli is appoined as his Bailil along For he broherhood, here could be no doub. wih Raynauld o Chaillon. A new sraegy Fear, perhaps, bu no doub. A warrior o is adoped: while waiing or word rom he Chris who encouners he Devil can do one pope, any conflic wih he dragon is avoided hing only. and all ciies, owns and villages are orified None o he six knighs survived long a in anicipaion o wha he dragon migh do his firs meeing,mood. and he dragon wokemen in a mos unpleasan Te black-clad wih he whie cross, and all ohers who may bear such a symbol, would never be orgiven, or dragons hold grudges and heir memories are long. Te dragon and Chrisendom could no have me under worse circumsances, hough i’s diicul o imagine any oher oucome.
ou in a figh. Aer a while, any news would be beer han all he nervous anicipaion and coninuous inner conflic. Finally, aer weeks o useless back-and-orh discussion, here is news.
nex. Grains andwarehouses emergency supplies are sored in secure and conflics wih he Saracens are mosly ceased, even i his may mean concessions. Despie he ac ha boh Raymond and Raynauld vowed o pu heir bickering aside in he seriousness o he momen, i does no ake long beore he rayed nerves and sress o consan waiing causes hem o break
During he nex monh came more news o he same variet. earul sories o devasaion and error. Ciies and villages se fire or no reason. Finally, when he desperaion had become so grea ha a new expediion o ace he dragon was in he works, an explanaion was orhcoming. A knigh rom oron, exhaused and rambling, arrived wih a new ale o he dragon’s deeds. Aer having resed, he is a las recovered enough o relay he message he was sen o deliver. He describes how he dragon has aacked oron and how he orress was deenceless agains a winged creaure or whom even he hickes sone walls are meaningless. Te dragon had savagely assauled oron, and killed and devoured mos o is deendans. Te knigh had been allowed o live, however, as he dragon waned o send his message: All ciies, owns and villages in he area mus pay ribue o heir new maser. For every ciizen, hey mus pay 100 grams o gold, o be delivered o Crac beore he nex ull moon.
Aer so much desrucion, his news comes almos as a relie, and makes he siuaion wih he dragon seem manageable, wih some level o human logic. Te dragon is greedy, hey hink; i is a simple robber baron, and as such, i can be deal wih. A quick coun reveals approximaely a hal million people in Ouremer, meaning 50,000 kilos o gold. Tey posi ha he dragon canno possibly conceive o hisreducing numberhis andnumber hey can consilikely ge away wih derably. And i he gold is delivered o he dragon a lile a a ime, more can be learned abou i, and evenually find a weakness o exploi. Hau Cour eagerly begins o organise he ribue. Greed is somehing hey undersand and can relae o.
CraC des DraCA How much is too much?
The Third Council of the Lateran
Jus in ime for he nex full moon, a caravan of pack animals rolls up o Crac’s casle gaes. he oal weigh of he gold is more han 25,000 kilos. Ciizens of Jerusalem and he surrounding areas are collecively holding heir breah. A week goes by and hen a messenger from he dragon arrives. He is pale and haggard, and explains ha he is he only person from he caravan who has been allowed o live. rembling from head o foo, he relaes he news ha he dragon is saisfied wih he ribue, and ha a similar amoun mus be delivered o Crac upon every hird full moon. Ouremer has bough iself some ime, bu a an exremely high price. Evenually, gold in such amouns will be difficul o acquire, and worse: by devouring all he men in he caravan, he dragon has implicily indicaed a demand for human sacrifices. How far mus hey go o appease he Devil? How much is oo much?
In Rome, Pope Alexander III convenes he Tird Council of he Laeran o discuss he news from he Holy Land. Bishops across he Chrisian world gaher o discuss he heological ramificaions of wha has happened. Wha few ouside he council know, however, is ha he Revelaion o John has already been consuled and debaed in secre during he pas few years as more and more bishops have considered he signs of Revelaion o be fulfilled. Now ha he dragon has appeared, hese previously whispered opinions have been given free reign and all he porens are being repored:
EUROPE
The Dragon Humiliates Frederick Barbarossa Meanwhile, in Europe, here has been an ongoing, lenghy and difficul power sruggle beween he secular and ecclesiasical facions. Frederick Barbarossa has posiioned himself agains Pope Alexander III and suppored several anipapal leaders in a row. When news of he dragon reaches Alexander some monhs afer is firs appearance, i also reaches he verywell-informed Frederick Barbarossa, who insanly recognises is imporance and begins o scruinise his own acions. Is i feasible o oppose he papal sea in he ligh of wha has happened? Frederick Barbarossa shus himself away for hree days of sric fasing. When he finally emerges, he has made a decision o journey o Pope Alexander III in a veriable Walk o Canossa. A he papal sea, barefoo and clad only in a unic, Barbarossa prosraes himself on he floor of S. Peer’s Cahedral and humbly kisses Alexander’s fee. Wih him is he ani-papal Paschal III, whom he acively
1. 1156
A reign of hail and fire destroys the entire city of Dublin. 2. 1163
A burning mountain crashes into the sea o ff the coast of Libya and annihilates a dozen coastal villages. All ocean life in the surrounding area dies. 3. 1167
In eastern Russia, a star plunges from the heavens. It obliterates everything it touches and the sky above the Earth darkens. The weather is not back to normal for more than a year. 4. 1168
The Tigris and the Euphrates rivers dry up inexplicably, and the region is plagued by drought and starvation. 5. 1173
Recurring downpours flood the Tiber and put the Vatican under water for several years in a row. 6. 1174
Crete and Cyprus are awash with locu sts, which destroy all crops.
Reacions are mixed and opinions differ. For many, iis obvious ha he end is nigh, while ohers are afraid bu doubful. Wha is clear, however, is ha he disagreemens will no remain hidden once he council is dissolved. Alexander mus ac forcefully in order o avoid worry and panic. A Europe which is afraid ha he end of days has come—wheher or no his is he case—will benefi no one, and lead only o chaos and misery for all. A he same ime, Alexander canno deny he exisence of he dragon, and hereby Saan’s presence on Earh. When he council isover, Chrisendom gahers o hear Alexander speak.
Ex Cathedra
suppored, for andjudgemen. BarbarossaAddiionally, delivers him o Alexander Bar- “From Peer’s chair, as Chris’s represenabarossa gives Alexander his sword and offers ive here on Earh, we are now speaking o o ravel personally o he Holy Land o bale you in his, humanit’s mos difficul ime. he dragon if he pope so wishes. In he Holy Land, he beas, ha ancien Te enormit of his exremely symbolic serpen, who is known as Devil and Saan, ac is missed by no one, and all worldly has risen ou of he darkness. “Woe o he power in Europe closes ranks loyally behind inhabiers of he earh and of he sea! for he pope. he devil is come down uno you, having
grea wrah, because he knoweh ha he hah bu a shor ime.” Now is he ime of ribulaion, because in he face of he devil, here is no escape nor respie. Te Lord himself cas his beas ou ino he deser, and we who follow him and his esimony mus now do he same when is fury affecs us. “And he dragon was wroh wih he woman, and wen o make war wih he remnan of her seed, which keep he commandmens of God, and have he esimony of Jesus Chris.” Te ime for our wandering in he wilderness has come, and from S. Michael’s Sunday, all faihful are recommended o join in a 40-day fas. Tis is also a ime for confession and penance, for he ime when we all face our Saviour may be near. Bu, like he Lord, we will shall conquer and Saan will be brough down. We, Bishop of Rome, successor of Peer, and emissary of Chris, call on all faihful souls o ake u p he cross and gaher yourselves ino Chris’s new army, which shall journey o he Holy Land, God’s own counry. A he head of his faihful band will be he newly formed Knighs of he Order of S. Michael. We place in heir hands all our power and auhorit. Wih he Spear of Desiny and he rue Cross, which awais hem in he Holy Land, hey will be vicorious in he name of Chris. He who falls on his sacred mission will fall wih heir sins forgiven and he Lord shall gran him a place by His side.“And they loved not their lives unto the death.”
A Religious Wave Sweeps the Globe In he wake of Alexander’s speech, a religious wave like nohing seen before swep hrough Europe. So many people ake up he cross and wan o join he army of Chris ha i creaes chaos and confusion. Churches and monaseries are flooded wih people seeking confession and penance, and gifs o he church reach an unprecedened level. Many of he coninen’s foremos knighs apply o he Order of S. Michael, bu only a small minorit are graned admission. Ohers are given command over porions of he Chrisian army and beginTe o prepare for he Tird Crusade. secular hemselves powers submi uncondiionally o he leadership of heHoly See. Rios are now breaking ou across Europe. Infidels, paricularly Jews, are persecued and he Church does no sop heir massacre as i had on previous occasions. Allegaions agains hose who are said o be following in he fooseps of he beas increase dramaical31
CraC des DraCA ly, and wich burnings become commonplace across large pars of he coninen. Te hun for hereics inensifies and in many places he siuaion is used as an excuse o purge he ranks of unbelievers and demand rials and execuions. A new movemen of hosages arises in norhern France and spreads like wildfire hroughou he Chrisian world. People gaher ino large processions where hey flagellae hemselves wih whips, punishing hemselves o receive forgiveness for heir sins. In pars of cenral Europe, his movemen becomes so prevalen ha societ is nearly paralysed.
acceped. As he leader of he Knighs of S. Michael, he is given he unlimied resources of he pope and asked wih gahering all he bes knighs in he world and richly equipping hem in order o slay he dragon. Frederick acceps he mission wih religious zeal. Since many of Europe’s fines are applying o ener he Order, Frederick narrows he selecion down o a mere few of he very bes fighers. Wih care blanche from he Vaican, he brings in he coninen’s mos skilled armourer and has soon produced weapons and equipmen of a calibre few could ever afford. Wih ha same auhorit, Barbarossa requess relics from churches and cahedrals from all over Europe. Tough everyone has fel he seriousness of he siuaion wih he dragon, his las reques causes offense, bu Alexander III is adaman: he A he behes of Alexander, he Order ofS. Mi- Order of S. Michael will receive whaever chael is creaed, and Frederick Barbarossa’s i asks for. Soon, solemn processions depar offer o seek ou and bale he dragon is from Saniago de Composela, from Cologne, from London, from Milano, and from many oher ciies, and make heir way oward Rome where he relics are colleced by he he Knighs of S. Michael. Tere is a sense of impaience and many desire ha he Order of S. Michael depar as soon as possible, bu Barbarossa subbornly refuses. “If he dragon is o be slain, we canno rush off unprepared. ” And while he weaponsmihs spewed ou smoke and relics were colleced, new informaion abou he dragon and is deeds coninuously seeps in from he Holy Land. When he ime is ripe, Barbarossa does no inend o fail.
The Knights of the Order of St. Michael
The Army of Christ Stands Ready hough he organisaion is huge and he preparaions are lenghy , finally he army of Chris is ready o go, and he Order of S. Michael is ready o lead, and he pope blesses hose gahered a S. Peer’s Square. Now everyhing is in God’s hands.
THE WORLD OF THE SARACENS
The Saracen’s View of the Dragon
Te news of how he dragon ook possession of Crac des Chavaliers quickly reaches Syria where Saladin has cleverly manoeuvred himself ino he posiion of sulan of Syria and Egyp. Saladin has already begun o prepare for bale wih his final rivals, and hen inends o urn his eye on he Crusaders and become Islam’s sword agains he Chrisians. Te dragon, however, urns Saladin’s plans on end, and he is forced o reurn o he mosque along wih he Quran scholars of Damascus. Afer inense debaes and negoiaions, hey finally come o a careful conclusion: Eiher he creaure hey’ve received repors of is he beas menioned in he 27h Surah, chaper 82 of he Quran, and as such, was sen by Allah o ell he infidels ha hey did no believe he signs hey had seen, or i is a hihero unknown bu errible creaure ha should be sudied carefully before any acion is aken. In eiher case, he inerpreaion s give Te gifs o he church pour in,and Alexander way o joy and conenmen. Eiher Allah and his closes advisors secrely decide on an has shown his greaness by fulfilling he alernaive plan whose privacy is of umos prophe’s words and revealing he infidels, imporance. Despie he enormous heologi- or he Chrisians have been se upon by an cal problems and implicaions, hey decide incredibly dangerous enemy ha hey will ha, wheher or no he Tird Crusade or he need o deal wih in some way. Knighs of S. Michael are successful, hey will send an emissary o he dragon wih a bribe. Te dragon will be offered a mounain of gold, larger han anyhing previously col- Before long, Saladin hears he same message leced. Perhaps wih such a ribue, he dra- as he cowering King Baldwin in Jerusalem: gon can be convinced o go away. As he leaderhe dragon is burning and desroying ciies for his expediion and his unprecedened in Ouremer. Saladin knows beer han mos cargo of gold, Alexander gleefully selecs ha in many of hese ciies dwell rue beliePaschal III. Based on he news ha reaches vers under he humb of he Crusaders. Tis
A Mountain of Gold
Disappointing News
he Vaicanoffrom he Holy Land, here is he lile likelihood he plan succeeding, or of emissary reurning alive, bu neverheless, no sone should go unurned. Meanwhile, mainaining he secre is vial, no only because such a large amoun of gold would be exremely emping for bandis, bu because he Vaican canno be seen o be negoiaing wih he devil. 32
news dampens spiris ha and leads discussions. Is ihis possible Allah,o innew his desire o each he infidels a lesson, would also be willing o kill his faihful servans? No conclusions are reached and Saladin cauiously coninues o srenghen his posiion in Syria while carefully following he developmen in Ouremer, and waiing for an opening.
CraC des DraCA
IN THE NOW
AD 1179
No one in 1174 could have oreseen where Ouremer would be jus a couple o years
looks ou upon domains i now views as is own. Te courard is covered in mankind’s Young King Baldwin IV sill rules in Jerusa- larges colleced reasure, bu no hie dares lem. He is regen now, wihou a bailil, hough approach. Beore he army o Chris arrived in his difficul posiion, he someimes wis- o he Holy Land, he ribues were puncual, hes boh Raymond and Raynald were here. bu recenly ha has all changed. Te dragon Criicism o he king is harsh and here is no has been challenged and he overwhelming soluion in sigh. power now posiioned agains i has orced Te Holy Land has been ransormed ino a i o be cauious. Te siuaion has become a garrison. Chrisian soldiers have been saio- ca-and-mouse game ha amuses he dragon, ned in each village, each ci, and each own. and or he mos par i says in he casle’s Each rooop and urre is occupied wih courard, enjoying he sun’s warmh and archers and heavy crossbows. Day and nigh, pondering is nex move. hey wach he skies, and oen he alarm he Knighs o S. Michael lick heir goes up, evoking ear in hose who aemp wounds and consider heir nex move as o sleep: Dragon! Dragon! Te nervous wai- well. No oher orce has come closer han ing is endless and he sun is wihou mercy hey o deeaing he dragon. On more han
laer.when Many speculaed as o wha would pen he Tird Crusade reached hehapHoly Land. Some believed ha he Knighs o he Order o S. Michael would cas he dragon down ino he underworld, as prediced by Alexander III. Ohers hough ha he end o days was upon hem and ha he Beas would soon rule over all he living. None could have prediced how his would go.
monh in andomonh ou.problem, Lack o supplies is beginning be a huge as arable land is more and more requenly prone o fires, and he Saracens are doing all hey can o block ranspors o Ouremer. No orce in he world has been able o cas he dragon ou o Crac, despie innumerable uile and gruesome aemps. A he op o Crac des Draca, as i is now called, he dragon
What happens in the Holy Land? In an alernae realit where he passage o ime lows in anoher channel han our own, here are many possibiliies and poenial racks. Here are some o he possible sreams. Use hose ha fi ino your paricular realit.
An Unexpected Development
one occasion, hey price. have injured heBarbabeas, albei a a errible Frederick rossa lies awake a nigh, grinding his eeh in an aemp o find he dragon’s weakness. Whispered rumours abound as o how he is losing his mind. Saladin has now managed o become he Saracens’ unopposed leader and has urned his aenion o Ouremer and Al-Quds. Te 33
CraC des DraCA Chrisian grip on he Holy Land has never been greaer, bu heir enemy has never been sronger. Aer much careul waching and praying, Saladin has come o he conclusion ha he creaure is no he beas rom he Quran, bu he has also deermined ha i is inelligen and raional. Given he idea ha “my enemy’s enemy is my riend”, Saladin has decided o pursue an arrangemen wih he dragon. Te rumour among he Saracens is ha such a meeing is imminen. Te rumour among he Chrisians is ha i has already aken place.
Baldwin’s Exodus
Te joy over finding he rue Cross grows urher when miracles begin o ake place in is presence. One o he priess who helped remove he cross rom is hiding place recovers his sigh in one eye; a worker who had also helped is miraculously cured o he boils ha had plagued him. he rue Cross clearly has amazing powers. No one is more pleased abou his han Baldwin, he Leper King. Despie being only 18 years old, he is exremely weak due o his disease, and has already los fingers, and his ace has become disfigured. For him, he rue Cross means he possibili o a long The Spear of Destiny Vanishes lie, which he previously could never even When he Order o S. Michael reaches Jeru- have hoped or. salem, hey have already received he news o he cross was brough o Baldwin, who how he rue Cross was los in he dragon’s basked in is radiance and genly ouched firs aack. I is a grea loss and causes a brie he rough wood o is surace. Ye no miracles slump in morale and convicion, rais he occur, and he whispers begin. Soon, he knighs normally value as addiions o heir whispers have spread hroughou he Holy regular armour. Ci and ransormed ino cries and shous. When a caravan rom Anioch arrives o Te king is clearly no in God’s graces, and Jerusalem carrying he Spear o Desiny, he his explains or many why hey have no ye knighs’ aih is again emboldened. Wih he deeaed he dragon. help o he Order’s armour-maser, he relic In one insan, he king has doomed himis resored, and is once again a spear o he sel, and he newly appoined pariarch Hehighes quali. raclius seizes he momen. Te king is orced During he Knighs o S. Michael’s firs o abdicae and is banished rom Jerusalem. and mos successul aack on he dragon, In shame and disgrace, he rides ou o he he Spear o Desiny is used. Winesses Holy Ci surrounded by hose loyal o him. among he survivors describe how he young Exacly where he goes and wha he does Rober Longsword, broher-in-law o Sibylla, remains a mysery. plunged he spear ino he dragon’s belly jus beore he is crushed by he beas. Since he spear is never ound aerward, The City of the Beast i is believed o be in he creaure’s belly sill. Less han six monhs aer he dragon’s firs ales abound ha he spear, wih God’s help, aack, he firs ones appeared. Tose who is slowly bu surely making is way deeper admired he dragon and eared is power. ino he dragon’s body and ha when he Raher han figh, hey chose o capiulae spear finally reaches is hear, he Holy Land and ransorm heir ear ino worship, which will be ree. hey demonsrae wih he mark o he dragon on heir hands or oreheads. Iniially, here were only a ew o hem, reviled and despised, bu when he dragon During he reinorcemen o David’s Gae, aacked and slaughered everyone in he near he Holy Sepulchre, a young bricklayer own o Nin — excep or hose bearing he accidenally desroys an old wall and disco- sign o he beas — his changed quickly. vers a void inside. From he void shines a Teir numbers grew and soon hey were in radian ligh ha makes all he builders sop he majorit in mos places, and bloodshed in ear and wonder. When he void is exami- ollowed. ripoli was he firs cit o all compleely ned more closely, hey discover a broken and
The True Cross is Discovered
sained a beam surrounded by such a brighpiece ligh o ha i hurs o look direcly a i. Beore he pariarch has even managed o arrive on he scene, he enire Holy Ci knows ha he Lord’s miracle has occurred and ha he rue Cross is reurned o hem. A ew even dare o quesion wheher he previous cross was indeed he rue one when comparing i o his newound one. 34
under soonwho i becamehe hemark Cit o o he he beas, Beas. and No one was no marked was permied o live or shop here.
When he dragon demanded ribue, people rom ripoli sacrificed hemselves willingly o heir maser, and when he dragon waned an army o igh under is banner, hey were quick o ake up weapons.
The True Cross versus the Sign of the Dragon - Under the Sun Te exisence o he dragon was bad enough in and o isel, bu an enemy ciy ull o raiors in he middle o Ouremer was jus a sep oo ar. When ripoli raised he flag o he dragon, he Crusaders were orced o ac. Many also believed i was a chance o bear he rue Cross ino bale. In garrisons across he land, soldiers eagerly awaied he opporuni o break he monoony o waching he skies. Anyhing was beer han simply waiing or an aack. Tings were quickly organised and beore long, he army processions were headed oward ripoli. When he army reached he Ciy o he Beas, hey spoed an army gahered o mee hem. From long lances waved banners wih he dragon’s image, and here was row upon row o oo soldiers wearing srangely shaped helmes. I was unhinkable ha such a relaively small cit like ripoli could have succeeded in creaing such an enormous army.
Beore he Crusaders even managed o orm up properly, he deenders o he Ci o he Beas dashed orward in a brual aack wih no hough or heir own welare. Even he Chrisian army sood no chance agains such a anaic horde, and soon boh he cenre and righ flanks were broken. I would mos cerainly have been a huge loss or he Crusaders had he pariarch Heraclius no chosen jus ha momen o unveil he rue Cross. Surrounded by a orce o Knighs emplar, Heraclius raised he relic in all is radiance above his head, and even he mos rabid o he dragon’s ollowers ceased heir aack. Some ell o he ground while ohers wep, and sill ohers urned and fled. Wha had looked o be a
crushing deea quickly urned ino a disorderly, undecided end. Bu he rue Cross had shown is srengh, and soon here would be new bales.
Arrival of Richard the Lionheart Back in Europe is a man who has grown weary o simply siing and waiing or news rom Ouremer. Tough he is soon o inheri a grea kingdom, his resless emperamen prevens him rom waiing any longer. Wih some money he has colleced, and a number o loyal knighs, he ses off oward he Holy Land, agains his aher’s will.
CraC des DraCA
Along he way, his ship is los a sea in a errible sorm, and aer a day, Richard washes up hal-conscious on he coas o Cyprus. He is he only survivor. Richard is convinced ha i is God’s will ha he should live and ha he was spared or a specific purpose: o kill he dragon. Encouraged by his hough, he coninues on and aer many deours, he finally reaches Ouremer. His srcinal plan was o join wih he Knighs o he Order o S. Michael, and hen seek bale wih he dragon, bu wih everyhing ha has happened, he knows he mus re-evaluae his. Richard insead decides o disguise himsel, and alone, seek ou he dragon and kill i. For several weeks he ravels on oo h-
dragon’s warriors, abou he man who defied he commandan in yre, abou he one who wanders alone in he nigh. Finally, Richard reaches Crac des Draca and fighs his way pas he dragon’s many ollowers. When he reaches he courard, he finds himsel all alone wih he dragon — and he dragon has been expecing him. No dragon was slain ha nigh or he nex. Richard he Lionhear spen a ull week a he casle, and when he leaves, i is he dragon, very much alive, ha opens he orress gaes or him.
rough Ouremer. dangers lurk around corners or a lone Many raveller in a war-orn land ull o people wih many pen-up rusraions. Bu Richard he Lionhear knows ha he is invulnerable unil he reaches he dragon, and so, wihou ear, he coninues on. Soon, people are spreading ales up and down he coas abou he sranger who personally conquered an enire cavalry roop o he
pariarch and heurges leaders o he Orders o Heraclius, knighs, Richard cauion. “Te dragon claims i can read your hear. Tere are no secres ha he dragon does no know.”
Richard ravels o Jerusalem where he makes a public speech saing ha he has acively deended he Holy Land. In consulaion wih Frederick Barbarossa, he
While Richard remains in Jerusalem, here are aemps o persuade him o marry Sibylla, he young King Baldwin V’s moher, bu Richard declines, poliely bu firmly.
The End of Days Devout Anoher growing problem in he Holy Land and Europe are hose who call hemselves he End o Days Devou. Originally, he group consised o bu a ew heologians, bu as ime wen on, he movemen spread boh wihin and wihou he church. he End o Days Devou are no riends o he dragon. Quie he conrary—hey believe i is he very beas menioned in he book o Revelaion. However, hey don’ view he dragon’s presence as somehing bad, because i he dragon is a sign ha he end o days is upon us, hen i mus also mean ha he Saviour will soon reurn o creae a new Heaven and Earh, which is clearly somehing o rejoice. As he group does no ac in conrary o he papal effors o any slay manner he dragon, hey are no a problem per se, bu many are oended a hese people who rejoice in he end o imes. Te group coninues o omen anxie. Srong emoions are aroused in he Holy Land and Heraclius has orbidden he group and hreaened o excommunicae any who adhere o heir belies. 35
CraC des DraCA A QUESTION OF FAITH THE MEDIEVAL GALLERY Imagine someone rom oday’s Europe who does no believe in oxygen. Someone who mainains ha i is uer nonsense ha here is an invisible gas everywhere ha we would almos immediaely die wihou. Such a person probably doesn’ exis, and i hey do, here is likely somehing wrong wih him or her. o no believe in oxygen is insane, devian behaviour. Tis is exacly like he medieval person’s relaionship wih God. Tere was no one who does no believe in God, and i such a person could be ound, hey were likely crazy. For hose o us living oday, in generally more secular imes, i can be difficul o no ranser our modern view o religion—as an individual choice, somehing ha can be relaive, and inerpreed differenly or each person—o he pas. Bu i you wish o play a medieval characer and ruly undersand heir poin o view, i is good o leave his modern view behind. Te saring poin mus be ha God exiss and is imporan or each person. Ten here are incredibly many inerpreaions o he meaning o God’s word and he church’s eachings, and how ha affecs a person’s lie. People can lose aih in he church as an insiuion, hey can doub, debae, and inerpre Biblical exs, bu hey will never assume ha hey will no be accounable or heir lives beore God on he final day. A he same ime, people are always people. Jus because you believe in somehing, are convinced ha here is a se o rules and preceps o ollow, know in your hear wha is waiing or you aer deah, does no mean ha you will ac consisenly and logically in your everyday lie in he same way your aih and convicion migh indicae. People are he vicims o all sors o moivaions and weaknesses. Tey wan one hing and do anoher. Tey sin and hope everyhing will be all righ anyway. Tey are human. And alone wih one’s own houghs, hey mus deal wih his, beore he God hey know exiss. Here are examples ha demonsrae a breadh o opinions and inerpreaions regarding he concep o God and how aihul people look a heir surroundings. Use as inspiraion or non-player characers in your own scenarios.
Brother Oren Guglielminetti
Oren is he hird son rom a amily o merchans rom Pisa. He currenly serves in he Church o he Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Monasery lie is quie pleasan i one allows a lile bending o he rules rom ime o ime. I also means a bi o saus, and doesn’ involve oo much heaving liing. God:God is he Holy rini—he Faher, he Son, and he Holy Spiri. God is he giver o lie, and he one who akes lie away. God is he Alpha and Omega. Or somehing. A good life:A good lie is a lie o moderaion. Work and pleasure, auseri and celebraion, seriousness and mirh. One mus live lie o he ulles and enjoy i whenever possible. A he same ime, one mus undersand ha here are limis o wha one can expec rom lie. God deals one’s hand a birh and one mus simply play he cards he bes one can. Death:Deah is an empiness a he end o ime, where, Jesus will resurrec everyone, and or hose who can reach Heaven, purgaory awais so hey can aone or he sins hey commied when hey were alive. The dragon:Te dragon is perhaps a more a primiive myhical creaure rom ancien imes han anyhing sen by he Devil. Maybe i is possible o conquer i i i is sudied careully, or perhaps i will die on is own.
Johan Bären
Johan Bären is he son o a veeran Crusader rom he Second Crusade, Wilhelm Bären. He has ravelled rom German more o make his aher proud han because o some burning desire o figh or he Holy Land. Johan haes Ouremer wih a passion. He haes he climae, he haes he dry air, he haes all he ungodly people, and he haes he double sandard among hose who hold power in Ouremer. Despie his, he is a conscienious knigh who does his bes o perorm he asks given him. God:Johan ears God and eels consanly unable o ulfil he demands God makes. He knows ha God sees ino his hear and he is also aware ha God does no find he love here spoken o in he Bible. A good life:A good lie is a lie wihou hardship, where one is allowed o live heir lie, raise a amily, and each one’s values o he coming generaions. Death:Deah is he final waershed. In purgaory, he whea will be separaed rom he chaff, and hose who are ound waning in God’s eyes mus ace hell. The dragon:Te dragon is no he Devil, bu is sen by he Devil. Ta is why his is no he end o days. People canno imagine wha he end o days will really be like.
Katheryne Boileau
Kaheryne is he wie o Henri II o Compane, a nobleman and member o he Haue Cour. Kaheryne is Henri’s hird wie and has jus arrived rom France. Tough she is only 16 years old, she has managed o ake conrol o Henri’s household and finds he Holy Land pleasan in many ways. Kaheryne’s closes handmaid is a Saracen woman she has become very inimae and riendly wih. Tis riend has given Kaheryne good advice and calmed her ear o childbirh, which surely awais her i her aemps o avoid i do no work. Kaheryne has nohing agains Henri, and knows she could be much worse off. She secrely hopes, however, ha Henri will coninue o be a very busy, debonair older man long enough or her o creae a good siuaion or hersel. Aer ha, he migh as well die a glorious and dignified deah so ha Kaheryne can posiion hersel well or her nex marriage. God:Te Faher is a very righening, all-powerul, all-seeing orce ha knows all one’s misseps and ha sernly disciplines anyone who srays rom he correc pah. Te Son, however, is a orgiving and kind orce who lis his ollowers so hey no longer need o bear heir heavy burden alone. Te Holy Spiri is he wind ha blows sweeping changes hrough one’s lie. A good life:A good lie is when one can choose one’s own
way in accordance wih God’s will and mercy. Death:Deah is righening, and a consan presence. One mus prepare or deah careully so ha i is as mild as possible. By praying o Mary, moher o God, and by giving alms o he poor, one can diminish one’s worry as well as any poenial punishmens. The dragon:Te dragon is ascinaing and er-
rible. I is he Devil, bu i can be conquered. 36
CraC des DraCA Legars Dudep
Sulaiman ibn Muhammad
Legars is a exile merchan rom Lyon who, aer many years’ preparaion, has joined a pilgrimage o he Holy Land. Legars is searching or orgiveness or his sins. Many years ago, he ook his wie’s lie when she was consumed by unsoppable disease and pain. He urhermore cheaed his ellow man by rouinely deviaing rom he air price o exiles. During many years, he has wished or deah, and has pondered commiing suicide.
Sulaiman ibn Muhammad is a young man who lives in he shadow o he Umayyad mosque in Damascus. Sulaiman began his lie as a labourer on an irrigaion projec, bu a longing or advenure sen him o join Saladin’s army as an archer. Te miliary lie is hard, however, and Sulaiman has seen many riends die in bale and hardship. Te bigges sacrifice, however, is ha lie on he balefield makes i very dificul o sar a amily. Sulaiman does no
God:God is unaainable and elusive. Legars eels ha he is consanly here, jus ou o ocus, waching him, bu when Legars ries o ocus on Him, He disappears. God communicaes hrough incomprehensible signs and riddles, and every man is hereore obliged o look ino his own hear o find answers. A good life:A good lie is working every day, and no hinking oo highly o onesel, bu simply playing he role one was placed on his earh or. Death:A curse and a gi. The dragon:Te dragon represens everyhing evil in people’s hears. I can never die.
give up hope, and pus his aih in God.
Ichak Lev
Ichak lives in a village jus ouside Jerusalem. He has a small olive orchard and a ew animals. Ichak lives a simple lie, even hough he is no necessarily poor. Ichak considers himsel blessed wih he kindes and mos beauiul wie a man could wan, and he hopes deep down ha God will also gran him children, even hough his has already aken longer han expeced. Lev’s greaes sorrow in lie is ha his aher was aken rom him oo soon, and Lev’s joy is ha his moher has lived long enough o see him married. God:God is he one wih whom he covenan is signed. He is he shepherd who waches over his flock and proecs hem in he darkness. He is also he sric and grudging God who does no accep being pu aside. A good life:A lie o celebraion and joy wih amily. A lie a work wih amily. A lie ha does no break he chain ha represens he children o Israel. Death:Deah is a mysery, bu Ichak ears i only when doub overcomes him. The dragon:Te dragon is God’s punishing fire agains hose who persecue his chosen ones.
God:God is he yardsick by which all else is measured. He gives wih one hand and akes wih he oher. I one submis o God, He will provide a good lie and eernal lie aer deah. A good life:o live by he Holy Koran o he bes o one’s abili, and ollow he pah and pillars ha hold up he aih. One should srive or wholeness, and i one does his wih a pure hear, God will orgive one’s shorcomings. Death:When God commands, he angel
o deah comes and akes one’s soul o God. Tis is a blessing, bu no somehing one should long or, because i is a sin o no live ou he ime God has given. The dragon:Te dragon is neiher God nor Saan. Te dragon is an evil power ha mus be desroyed.
Guillaume de Tours
Guillaume journeyed o he Holy Land in 1167 and joined he Knighs emplar a year laer. During his ime in Ouremer, he has seen and done much. Many imes he has ridden ou on missions he was convinced would be his las, and oen he has been in bales agains opponens who were so weak ha hey were more massacres han bales. During his years in he Holy Land, he has sen home a number o valuables ha he has come across during various raids. From ime o ime, Guillaume has he company o his sergean Louis de Beu in his bed. God:Guillaume believes ha God’s mercy knows no bounds, and ha man can never experience or observe he love ha God has or hem. A good life:A good lie is a lie devoed compleely o rying o live up o he aih and expecaions God has o every person. Death:Deah comes o all, and hose who die can, wih God’s love, go o mee Him in Heaven. Despie his belie, Guillaume is araid o deah and consanly fighs he moral dread he experiences in lie. The dragon:Guillaume believes he dragon is he Devil and hereore does no believe i is a all possible o deea i.
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CraC des DraCA SUMMARY Te recipe or his alernae realit is clear: ake an auhenic Ouremer. Add onedragon. Sir and see wha happens. Bu wha can you do wih his maerial? Tere are several possibiliies: •
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Inspiraion or your own alernae realiies. Closer examinaion o he Crusades and he medieval person’s aih. Campaign environmen where you can se your own sories.
I you wan o use his alernae reali, or some version o i, here are many suiable hemes o ake a look a. I presen some o hem below.
What is good and what is evil? Why is he dragon considered evil or pillaging villages in he Holy Land when i was a good hing when we did jus ha a ew years prior? How can i be good or a warrior in Ouremer o ac in a way oward he local populaion ha one personally knows is evil? Is i good o kill someone who, hrough his own weakness, has become a ool or somehing evil?
Atonement Many come o he Holy Land because he Pope promised ha hose who ook up he cross would have heir sins orgiven. Which sins do people wan o be orgiven or? Wha can hey have done ha would persuade hem o leave heir homes and ravel o he oher side o he sea or orgiveness, and how does his aec hese people in heir daily lives? Wha happens in he meeing beween a person seeking orgiveness or a sin he or she has commied, and a ruly sinul person who is compleely convinced ha he or she is acing according o God’s will? Wha is needed o aone wih onesel?
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ADVENTURE SEEDS FOR CRAC DES DRACA Ouremer and he dragon also offer many advenure-filled opporuniies:
Killing the Dragon Te dragon is a he casle Crac. Like Smaug, he mus be slain. God wishes i! How is i possible o ge close o such a powerul and inelligen creaure? Wha are is weaknesses and wha obsacles mus we overcome in order o even ge close enough o ry?
Prize of the Millenium In jus a ew shor years, he dragon has amassed a larger reasure han anyone has previously laid eyes on. And more gold is on is way rom he Vaican in an aemp o bribe he dragon. How can one ge one’s hands on all his gold—and ge away wihou becoming he mos waned person in he world?
Struggle for Power in the Dragon’s Shadow Te dragon’s acions in he Holy Land have creaed counless opporuniies or he ambiious. War agains he dragon has claimed many vicims among Ouremer’s elie, and people are searching in desperaion or new soluions where previous auhoriies have ailed. Do he characers belong o some acion in he sruggle or power, or do hey play he various acions agains each oher?
Cast out the Infidels, or My Enemy’s Enemy As he sword o Islam, i is your du o ree Al-Quds and he surrounding cies rom he infidels. Allah has waied or a long ime or someone o succeed. Now, when your enemy has anoher powerul oe, i is ime o ac. Is i possible o join he dragon o deea he infidels, or is he dragon so abominable ha i is your enemy and he Chrisians your riends?
Morality in the Last Days
CONCLUSION
Is morali more imporan during he las days? Or less imporan? Will people who believe he end is nigh behave beer wih higher morals, or will hey become more sel-serving and amoral? Wha happens when my desire o be good and alruisic collides wih my need o proec hose closes o me?
Te period o he Crusades is a ascinaing ime in and o isel. Few seings are grander, and i allows or a muliude o differen sories o be old. Te dragon is also an impressive backdrop agains which many ales can play hemselves ou. ogeher, hey creae somehing larger. Somehing ha iillaes and ses he imaginaion ree. Good luck!
BERNARD ÅKE ROSENIUS
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ROLEPLAYING PETE NASH
ARTICLE FOR RUNEQUEST
TEXT PETE NASH ILLUSTRATION KRISTOFFER ENGSTRÖM
SPELL SINGERS In this issue we present a mercenary group of sword wielding, sorcery singers, which can be utilised as foes in established campaigns, or perhaps an organisation that Player Characters can aspire to join. These spell singers have nothing to do with the series written by Alan Dean Foster, but since he is a great author anyway, I highly recommend almost all of his books. For those further interested in song-based magic I cautiously suggest the Spellsong Cycle by L. E. Modesitt Jr.
FENIX 1/2014 ORIGINAL PUBLICATION
solely o emales and eunuchs, male members all being casraed beore puber in order o ensure a higher vocal range. Tere is no sigma or a casrao wihin he order as boh sexes are viewed wih equali, progression based solely upon vocal abili. Ranks are as per he broherhood rules (seeRuneQuest 6 page 286) bu have differen names; hese being Aspiran, Accompanis, Choralis, Melodis and Diva.
Te diva o he Sirens generally remains a he monasery unless he enire order is employed, such evens occurring during major wars or i he monasery isel is hreaened. Oherwise he Sirens are hired ou in small groups numbering beween 1d6+6 members depending on he ask. Tese are comprised mainly o Accompaniss, wih several Choraliss and a sole Melodis in overall command. Due o heir exreme deadliness, his is normally enough o deal wih mos problems.
THE SIRENS OF SYRACUSE
Name
he Sirens o Syracuse are an inamous mercenary roupe o spell-singing warriors ha spend heir enire lives wandering and ighing, alienaed by mos common olk, in search o mercenary work. According o rumour hey sell heir ongues and blades in exchange or children, who are aken back o he iron-grey monasery o Syracuse locaed high in he mos remoe and isolaed mounain range o he world. Tose oserlings ha survive he raining become spell-singers hemselves, coninuing he order. Currenly lead by he incomparable Telxiepi, a sauesque woman o keening voice and icy counenance, he Sirens have cu a bloody pah hrough hisory. Tey have urned he ide o many bales, hough a grea cos o even heir own side and have even desroyed renowned wizards and diabolical monsers. As mercenaries hey figh neiher or good or evil, bu only or hose who are
Te Sirens o Syracuse
Nature
Hiring
Te order firs sared ou as a reclusive group o elderly monks, who praciced over-onal singing as a mehod o apping mysical powers, evenually developing a crude abili wih magical shous. Pracices changed however wih he firs woman graned admiance o he order, whose voice seemed capable o more poen eecs. Furher research was perormed augmening he choral abiliies o heir members, primarily hrough surgical experimenaion upon he vocal chords. Since hose imes he order has masered many melodious and sorcerous echniques which have drawn aenion o heir remoe monasery rom hose seeking hem as enerainers, bodyguards or balefield unis. Such mercenary work is dangerous however, so all spell-singers are rained in he use o
Te Sirens are unusual in ha hey have several services hey sell. As enerainers, spellsingers are paramoun amongs all vocaliss. So beauiul and enrancing is heir music, ha hey can charge housands o silver pieces or a single perormance – he majori o his money being sen back o heir monasery o suppor he order. Hired ou as a bodyguard or a miliary uni however has a ar more sinise r and painul cos. Eiher he eldes pre-pubescen child o he person being guarded (heir firs child i hey are ye o have children), or, a child rom each amily who will benefi i a village, ci or counry is saved. Tus only he mos desperae ever condescend o hire he Sirens, oen invoking he hared o heir own people a he appalling price.
willing o mee heir dreadul price. Foes oen abandon heir plans when hearing ha he Sirens have been commissioned o figh agains hem, ye he spell-singers are no always vicorious. An arch-mage o sufficien power can someimes deea hem rom aar, or cunning ricks such as rendering an army permanenly dea can make hem immune o he siren’s songs.
weaponswarriors or sel deence. capable and oenMagically dangerouspoen, o heir allies, he Sirens are highly regarded and grealy eared.
All membership requiremens are sandard, as per he RuneQues rules.
Organisation
Aspirans live like asceic monks, dressed idenically in coarse woollen robes, eaing plain oods and working hard rom sunrise o sunse perorming all he menial asks
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Te Sirens have changed grealy rom heir firs days as a small order o grey bearded old monks. Nowadays heir numbers are ormed
Membership
Aspirant (Common Members)
SPELL SINGERS required o keep he monasery running. Almos all aspirans begin as children ranging rom he ages o 7 o 14 who have been aken in paymen or services rendered. Soon aer heir arrival hey each undergo a delicae and risky series o surgeries, slicing and graing heir vocal chords so ha heir hroas can produce several noes concurrenly. Male children are incidenally casraed a his ime oo. Tose children whose vocal abili survives he surgery are rained wice a day in early morning and lae evening in he ars o singing. Children whose voices are irreparably damaged find solace amongs he grown up aspirans who remain a he monasery, conen wih a peaceul well provided or lie. Tose who canno adap are honoured wih a concer perormed by he greaes singers a he monasery, who whisk he soul o he child off o a wonder-filled, i bierswee, end.
Accompanist (Dedicated Members) Upon reaching he age o 15 hose children who survived he surgeries wih pich perec voices are promoed o Accompanis. Tey abandon he asks o menial labour, insead pracicing wih weapons on a daily basis. heir singing raining also develops, learning how o sing chords and orm he aural glyphs which unlock a spell-singer’s magic. Teir mos imporan lesson is how o proec hemselves rom heir own powers. Once hey demonsrae a basic compeence aspirans are expeced o engage in mercenary work, albei under he aegis o higher ranking Sirens.
Choralist (Proven Members) Aer proving hemselves boh in skill and surviving several expediions ouside o he monasery, an accompanis is promoed o Choralis. A his sage a choralis may, i hey desire, sell heir services as an independen musical enerainer or as a bodyguard, providing an employer is willing o mee heir shocking price. Once heir conrac has been concluded (or he employer perorms some ac o invalidae i), hey are expeced o reurn direcly o he monasery – hereupon making hemselves available or more mercenary work.
Melodist (Overseers) A choralis who reaches masery in several o he order’s skills is rapidly promoed o Melodis. primary responsibili a Melodis is o Te ac as commanders o smallomercenary roops, negoiaing sraegy and recompense wih hose ha hire hem. Melodiss may also perorm bodyguard work, bu usually only o employers o significan saus who oen gi he monasery wih addiional rewards over and above he base cos. In reurn, he melodis gains opporuniies o overhear
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ROLEPLAYING PETE NASH poliical and miliary inormaion which can serve he Sirens in good sead. Elderly melodiss ha grow oo old o journey on campaign, serve he order by eaching he aspirans, accompaniss and choraliss
USING SPELL SINGING
Spell-singing is a variaion upon he sorcery sysem, bu insead o Shaping uses he Sing skill o manipulae is spell-songs. Learning o conrol each vocal elemen is an ar which Diva (Leader) requires counless years o pracice as well he grand maser or misress o he order as ime spen masering he song manras; engages in he ricky business o negoiaing complex noe sequences in order o induce wih hose desiring o hire he services o he a specific magical effec. spell-singers. Refined diplomaic skills are reAlhough hese hroa songs sound like quired due o he suspicion and ear in which an unearhly droning mixure o luing he Sirens are viewed. Some divas have been chords o whisles crossed wih deep groworced o meddle in naional poliics in order ling chans, o a discerning ear hey can o preven concered acion agains he remoe convey he passion and energy o he singer. monasery, alhough aemps sill inrequenly Progression in he order eaches he spelloccur, driven by hose who regre he price hey singer new and more dangerous songs.
For addiional amosphere, a GM can change he names o he shaping parameers o ollow musical noaion. See he Manra Manipulaion Table.
SONGS OF POWER Te ollowing song manras are hose pracised by he Sirens. Availabili is resriced by rank in he order, o preven errible accidens rom occurring. Noe ha anyone rendered compleely dea (by whaever means) is auomaically immune rom he menal effecs o hese spells – ha is o say hose requiring an opposed Willpower o resis.
The Descant Drone (Spell Resistance)
Te firs song manra augh o all aspiring The core precepts of Spell-Singing are: spell-singers, his is perhaps heir mos Restrictions Te magical effec o a song manra has an imporan magic as i proecs hem rom All members o he Sirens o Syracuse swear indefinie Duraion, lasing or as long as he indiscriminae effecs o songs no only an oah o proec and serve he order. Whils i is chaned. sung by heir companions, bu also heir own hey are no orbidden rom enering casual Te magic o a song manra canno be aimed, personal chans. As such, his is usually he relaionships whils on duy ouside o he raher i indiscriminaely affecs everyone firs power invoked in any bale siuaion. once paid or seek o reclaim a long los child.
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monasery, no Siren may marry or oherwise leave he order. Despie his, many members can claim riendship wih people hey me on our and correspondence is encouraged, i only or he news on curren affairs i brings. Any Siren who deliberaely sunders his or her ies wih he order is generally huned down and reurned o he monasery or punishmen.
Skills Te Sirens give raining he in skills o Couresy, Inluence, Insigh, Invocaion, Lore (Sraegy and acics), Sing and Willpower; alhough members are expeced o learn all hey can o oreign culures and languages when sen on mercenary du. Te order rains is members in is own Spell-Singer comba sle (Scimiar, Longsword, Dagger and hrown Dagger – Formaion Fighing rai) available o members o Accompanis rank and above.
Magic Members learn he ars o spell-singing (see laer on). Spells learned are Accompanis: Te Descan Drone, Song o he Sirens, Dire Discordance; Choralis: Melodic Maniesaion, Cries o he Crocoa; Melodis: Hymn o Falling Sone, Wail o he Banshee.
Gifts Impervious (o menal spell effecs), Swiness
Allies and Enemies Nobody avours he Sirens o Syracuse save hose desperae enough o hire heir services, and hen only emporarily. Likewise ew are oolish enough o declare he Sirens ourigh enemies, or ear o a Melodis arriving in heir privae chambers singing he Wail o he Banshee.
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or everyhing wihin is Range, provided hey ail heir resisance check agains i, or willingly allow hemselves o succumb.
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Song of the Sirens (Draw Humanoids)
Whils cerainly no he mos lehal o heir powers, he Song o he Sirens has become inamous or he cunning sraegic applicaions o which i has been placed over he course o hisory. Is mournul srains have an almos irresisible alluring eec upon liseners, compelling everyone wihin range o ravel o he presence o he spell-singer. Whils less A song manra’s magical parameers may useul or drawing enemies ino ambushes, be manipulaed as per he Sorcery rules, ex- since he ambushers hemselves are affeced cep shaping poins are calculaed using he by is magic, i has been used o enice an Sing skill insead o Shaping. Neiher Dura- enire army ino a bog and one aeul bale ion nor arges are available parameers. in a mounain pass orced housands o men Unlike radiional Sorcery, he Inensi o a o jump o heir doom rom he cliffside pah song manra is par o ismanipulaion coss. upon which hey marched. More han one manra can be chaned conDire Discordance(Imprison Reversed) currenly, provided each new song sared places a number o manipulaion poins Opposie o he Imprison spell, he Dire ino Combine, equal in value o he number Discordance creaes an area o horrifically o exising songs already being chaned. painul cacophony o jarring melodies, preChaning manas prevens he singer rom communicaing verbally, or rom using any oher pe o magic. However, i does no preven hem rom perorming physical skills, even violen ones. Magic Poins used by manras do no begin o regenerae unil he song is concluded.
MANTRA MANIPULATION TABLE Points of Timbre Pitch Loudness Cadence Rhythm Shaping (Fortune) (Intensity) (Magnitude) (Range) (Combine) None 1
1 2
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Each point…
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 +1 Intensity
Self None 1m x POW 2 Spells 3 3m x POW 3 Spells 4 5m x POW 4 Spells 5 10m x POW 5 Spells 6 30m x POW 6 Spells 7 50m x POW 7 Spells 8 100m x POW 8 Spells 9 300m x POW 9 Spells 10 500m x POW 10 Spells 11 1km xPOW 11 Spells +1 Magnitude Continue Pattern +1 Spell
None None 1 Extra Roll 1 Extra Roll 1 Extra Roll 2 Extra Rolls 2 Extra Rolls 2 Extra Rolls 3 Extra Rolls 3 Extra Rolls 3 Extra Rolls Continue Pattern
SPELL SINGERS vening enry and orcing hose wihin who ail o resis, back o is perimeer. Alhough his dissonan music causes no direc damage, i inflics one Difficul Grade on any menal skill aemped by hose remaining wihin range. Used cleverly i can break ormaions o warriors or compleely drive away creaures possessing INS raher han IN.
Melodic Manifestation (Phantom Sound) Using his power a spell-singer can creae an audible illusion o anasic scope. Anyhing imaginable rom barely heard whispers or so scraching o sculing insecs, o more grandiose noises such as hunderclaps or arias sung by angelic voices. Applied arisically, hese phanasms can be used o enerain audiences in concer wih he spell-singer’s own musical rendiion, making an unorgeable experience. Uilised more offensively his manra can induce paranoia, despair or ourigh ear.
Cries of the Crocotta (Palsy) A warbling song o piercing noes, i eners he minds o liseners wising and paralysing heir bodies wih mysical resonance. he high piches almos resemble animalisic laugher, bu inflic no lasing harm o hose ha succumb. I is oen used o render everyone wihin range incapaciaed whils he Siren hews down aackers who pose a direc hrea o hem or heir wards. In par, his is wha makes spell-singers such eecive bodyguards. Noe ha his manra is slighly modiied o he base spell, being resised using Willpower, no Endurance.
Hymn of Falling Stone (Wrack) Anoher o he song manras which makes he spell-singers so eared upon he balefield, he Hymn o Falling Sone uses key base requencies o se up desrucive vibraions in sone, crysal and ceramics. I acs as per he Wrack spell, bu only causes damage o hose paricular subsances. When gahered ogeher and singing in chorus, a uni o spell-singers can soon collapse ciy walls, even mounains!
Wail of the Banshee(Sever Spirit) A hideous, bloodcurdling aria o screeches, he mos poen o he Sirens’ manras is capable o slaying hundreds, riend or oe, upon he balefield. universal andhe arbirary is wha makes i soIsrarely used by order, save or mos dire o needs. Even hen he chie spell-singers are relucan o invoke is power, since i no only kills soldiers, bu everybody and everyhing, down o he worms and plans. Eec. Wail o he Banshee is based upon he Teisic miracle raher han a Sorcery spell.
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE
SHADOWS OF BABYLON “The king spake, and sai d, ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of kings by the might o f my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’” – Daniel 4:30
TEXT KENNETH HITE
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 5/2012 44
he epiome o urban anasy is surely a ci ha is isel a myh: boh grounded in baked brick and gilded in magical radiance. O course, you can see lashes o such sighs in he grea ciies o he new millennium: San Francisco, Hong Kong, Nairobi. Bu oen he anasis seeks urban myh in he pas, ciies sunk deep in cenuries: London, okyo, Moscow, Isanbul. Surely, hen, our road is clear: ravel back sill urher, o when urbanism and anasy were one and he same, o an era when he gods hemselves raised ciies by he firs river banks. Le’s ravel back millennia: back o Babylon. Nobody knows when Babylon was ounded; is srcinal sie almos cerainly lies underneah he Euphraes River. When he irs Akkadian-speaking selers arrived around 2500 B.C., hey ound a place called ‘Babillu,’ and decided ha i was he “gae o he gods” or bab-ili in Akkadian. Why?
Te Hiies sacked Babylon 150 years laer, and hus began cenuries o oreign rule. However, Babylon remained he mos imporan ci in Mesopoamia: he Gae o he Gods, he Sacred Ci, he Ci Ta Grasps he Bridle o Heaven and Hell. Hammurabi carried hese iles and more away rom he Sumerian ci o Nippur, he previous nexus o divine power in he Land o wo Rivers. Babylon’s god Marduk overhrew Nippur’s god Enlil, assuming many o his powers in Heaven, and wriing himsel ino Enlil’s myhs. For over a millennium aer Hammurabi’s dynas ell in 1595 B.C., possession o Babylon made is holder special in he eyes o he gods, conerring a sor o “high kingship” on is rulers: much like occupaion o Rome in lae aniqui, or o Jerusalem during he Crusades. Even he earsome Assyrian emperors had hemselves crowned boh in heir home ci and in Babylon unil, in 703 B.C., he Babylonian king Marduk-apla-idin (Merodach-Baladan
Because even wasouside ouched by magic,Babylon, by anasy, byhen, Powers our comprehension. Sargon o Akkad, he firs empire builder, boased ha he “buil Babylon in ron o Akkad” – 600 years laer, Hammurabi he Grea buil a Babylonian Empire where Sargon had ruled. By Hammurabi’s ime (circa 1750 B.C.), Babylon held 65,000 people; i was he bigges ci in he world.
in he Bible) rebelled agains he Assyrian emperor Sennacherib. Sennacherib hough he solved he problem o Babylon by leveling he ci in 689 B.C. and deporing is populaion o Nineveh, bu his sons recoiled a his blasphemy and oppled a saue ono him eigh years laer. Sennacherib’s successor Esarhaddon rebuil Babylon and received his crown rom
T
ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE he hands o Marduk, bu Marduk was no appeased. Assyria began a seady decline, earing isel apar in civil war. In 612 B.C., Nabopolassar overhrew he Assyrian Empire and resored Babylon o independence and greaness. He aemped o reanimae Hammurabi’s ci, rebuilding is walls and zigguras, even using he ancien Akkadian language a cour. (Tis would be like a modern king o Sweden aemping o revive he cour o he Ynglings, including using runes insead o he Roman alphabe.) Nabopolassar’s builders and priess invened archaeology, excavaing ancien emple walls so ha hey could be resored o heir precise srcinal configuraions. A is heigh under Nabopolassar’s son Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s populaion reached 150,000, once more he larges ci in he world. Nebuchadnezzar expanded Babylon’s empire rom he edges o Persia o he border o Egyp, capuring Jerusalem and ransporing he Jews o “Babylonian capiviy” in his immense, cosmopolian capial. Perhaps he Ark o he Covenan joined he capured idols o Nineveh, Damascus, and yre in he Esagila, he emple-palace o Marduk.
“Below I have hardened the ground for a building site, I will build a house, it will be my luxurious abode. I will found therein its temple, I will appoint its inner rooms, I will establish my sovereignty. When you come up from the Apsu for assembly, You will spend the night in it, it is there to receive all of you. When you descend from heaven for assembly, You will spend the night in it, it is there to receive all of you. I will call its name Babylon, which means the houses of the great gods, I shall build it with the skill of craftsmen.” – the god Marduk, in the Enuma Elish
Babylon, he Wonder o he Mounains and he Sea, was deliberaely cosmopolian. ransplaned populaions, royal ambassadors, and merchans rom Greece and India dwel here in is grea days. Under Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon covered 17 square kilomeers, surrounded by magniicen double walls. (I you believe Herodous, who aer all was here, i covered more like 500 square kilomeers. Suburbs and gardens may allow us o spli he difference.) Wihin hose walls – 300 ee high, according o Herodous – were orchards and abaoirs, blacksmihs and embalmers, slave pens and observaories, hieves and sages, and everyhing else on he random urban encouner able. Here are only a ew major locaions in he Ci o Opulence, and heir possible echoes in a ci o oday:
Marduk could no hold back all invaders, however: he Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. Xerxes pu down anoher rebellion in Babylon in 482 B.C. by divering he Euphraes o flood he cit; he desecraed he emple o Marduk, and like Sennacherib died or i, as his empire began o crumble unil i (and Babylon) ell o Alexander he Grea in 331 B.C. Like oher conquerors, Alexander received a crown rom he hands o Marduk, and he consuled wih he asrologers and magicians o he cit o resore Marduk’s sacred precincs. He wished o make Babylon his capial cit – under his rule is populaion reached an all-ime high o 200,000 – bu died here o a ever beore he could consolidae his empire. Alexander’s successors buil a new capial, Seleucia, Babylon lay on boh sides o he River Euphand moved mos o Babylon’s populaion raes, and is floods shaped he ci as much o he new cit in 275 B.C. By he ime he as any invading army. Under Nabopolassar, Parhians conquered Babylon in 141 B.C., he whole river was walled ino a brick channel; he spanned he river wih a sone no priess remained in he ruins; Marduk bridge (on asphaled brick suppors shaped received no sacrifices.
THE RIVER EUPHRATES
THE HOUSE OF THE NEW YEAR Also known as he Du-azaga, he “place o ae,” or he Be-Ekribi, he “house o prayers,” his emple complex lay ouside he walls, abou 200 meers norh o he Ishar Gae along he Processional Way. Fragran and specialized rees surrounded he House, possibly reerring o Babylon’s ancien ile Lie o he Fores, or Roo o Lie. Every year a he beginning o spring, all oher gods le heir emples across Mesopoamia and ravelled o he House or he Akiu esival. During he Akiu, hey me in a conclave and once more acclaimed Marduk king o he gods. Wheher Odin and Amaerasu, or Elvis and Marilyn, sill arrive a Du-azaga on April 6 remains unknown – unil you decide or your game.
THE ISHTAR GATE
oday, Babylon is marked by hree immense mounds in he deser plain o Iraq, locaed abou 85 kilomeers souh o Baghdad. Archaeologiss sudied he sie on and off rom
o minimize river erosion) and undercu i wih a unnel lined wih marble, linking palaces on he eas and wes sides o he ci. Nebuchadnezzar dug a canal all around he
Nebuchadnezzar buil his massive gaeway as he main orified enrance o Babylon, on he norh wall across he Processional Way. Excavaed beween 1902 and 1914 by Rober Koldewey, i has been removed and reconsruced in he Pergamon Museum in Berlin. In is srcinal sie, he gaehouse may
1812 o 1989, zigguras and emples, racing heuncovering lines o Nebuchadnezzar’s walls and gaes. In 1983, Saddam Hussein began o “reconsruc” he ci, burying much o i underneah a Disneyland o bricks signed wih his own name; he U.S. invasion o Iraq in 2003 badly damaged Saddam’s reconsrucion and likely pulverized an unknowable amoun o he ancien ci.
ciy wallshe o fields serve and as a gardens moa; oher canals waered o he ci o ensure a pleniul ood supply. Te gugallu, or canal inspecor, was one o Babylon’s mos imporan officials daing back o Akkadian imes; a mysical gugallu conrolling he flow o magic or ley lines or mana could remain a powerul figure in a modern urban anasy game, even in ciies wihou canals.
have been seven sories Nebuchadnezzar covered i wih bluehigh; glazed bricks and relies o dragons, lions, and aurochs. Te gae isel was cedar wood, fied wih bronze. ravelers beween he urban and he anasic should keep a corner o heir eye ou or dragons, lions, and aurochs in airpors, or inhale a whiff o cedar and bronze in he rain saion.
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SHADOWS OF BABYLON
ESAGILA
ETEMENANKI
Meaning “House o he Raised Head,” he Is name means “House o he Foundaion o Esagila was he emple compound o Marduk. Heaven on he Earh,” bu he Eemenanki Measuring 180 x 125 meers, i comprised 2 is beer known as he ower o Babel, he large courards (70 x 40 & 40 x 25 m) and he “ower o reach uno Heaven” rom he Bible. “holy o holies” holding Marduk and his consor Te seven levels o his ziggura reached 91 Zarpani, he moher-goddess o he rising meers ino he sky, rising rom a square base moon. Hammurabi, he Assyrian emperors, and 91 meers on a side. Each level represened Nebuchadnezzar all considered i a microcosm one o he seven planes, pained ha plane’s o he enire creaed world, and brough wild sacred color; on he op was a cedar and gold animals and srange plans rom beyond herim emple o Marduk wih indigo walls. he o heir empires o decorae and dwell wihin i. lord o he ziggura was he ensi, a ile ha I even held a microcosmic “sea,” he Abzu, a lar- generally means “governor” (and varies over ge pool represening primordial chaos and he he millennia beween religious and secular
ain” connecing Earh o Heaven. Under he Persians i ell ino disrepair; Alexander waned o rebuild i, bu died beore he could begin. I ook a cenury o build, much like he medieval Gohic cahedrals; i dominaed he ci like a modern skyscraper.
THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON Modern archaeologiss believe he Hanging Gardens were a legend, or perhaps a misplaced reerence o he palace gardens o Nineveh, bu heir place in he Seven Wonders o
shatammu
waers o o hehe earh. Tewas a powerul , or emple manager, Esagila official in Babylon, since he prieshood o Marduk owned much o he ci’s land. Tinking o he prieshoods as megacorps wih magic can help wih a modern-day or cyberpunk incarnaion o Babylon; he Esagila migh be any designed enclosure represening he world rom a zoo o he UN building o a diplomaic space saion.
auhori) bu lierallyhemeans “inerpreer.” he ensi inerpreed paerns o he sars, he will o he gods, and he dreams o he king. From he peak o Eemenanki, Babylonian asronomers mapped he planes’ moions, described he zodiac, and divided he calendar ino monhs, weeks, days, and hours we sill use (wih only sligh modificaions) oday. I represened he “holy moun-
he keeps hem myhically more han real.World Supposedly, a mounain princess married o Nebuchadnezzar was homesick or her lush naive land; o deligh her, he buil a wo-hecare simulacrum o her Persian oress on op o a 70-oo all oucrop o naural sones. As a myh, he Hanging Gardens migh flourish anywhere: parks, penhouses, or any green place in beween.
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE
MONSTERS OF BABYLON They who repair To Babylon, and from the Angels learn Mysterious wisdom, sin not in the deed. – Robert Southey, Thalaba the Destroyer Babylonia, being a fla, reeless mud plain, had no airies or elves (alhough he Sumerian mulla may have been somehing like a will-o’-he-wisp). Insead, i has a plehora o disease spiris o be alernaely placaed and prevened. A bowlegged dwar shows up in many Babylonian carvings, bu wheher he represens a race or a single demigod is unkown. Bu i i has ew demihumans o decorae an urban anasy game, Babylon has monsers aplen. Babylon, he medieval Arabs believed, no longer had a ower reaching impiously o Heaven, bu insead held a Pi down ino Hell. Allah hung he angels Haru and Maru by heir heels in he Pi o Babylon or he sin o eaching mankind sorcery, and or succumbing o mankind’s empaions. Tese no-quie allen angels are only he mos giganic o he monsers o Babylon; such creaures come ino heir own in urban anasy and deserve some explicaion here.
Ekimmu Ekimmu (aka edimmu) are probably srcinally Assyrian; hey are spiris o he angry dead who possess or haun he living, draining heir blood, viali, or luck. Tey parallel some vampire legends, bu resemble gaun, skeleal figures raher han glamorous lovers.
Girtablullu Girablullu (aka aqrabuamelu) are he bes villains in he Gilgamesh sory, angry warriors wih he head and orso o a man and he armor and ail o a scorpion. Girablullu also have aloned ee like vulures; some have wings. Like many Babylonian monsers, hey could also be invoked as proecion agains disease spiris or agains heir ellow monsers. Neverheless, hese are your orcs.
Kulullu Kulullu are hal-fish, hal-man beings who live in he ocean, he river swamps, or he arificial Abzu lake in he cener o he Esagila. Powerul sorcerers and sages, hey each men esoeric ars and ools; hey have heir own eerie agenda. Ancien asronau heoriss believe hem o be aliens rom Sirius; heir name indicaes a connecion o Lovecraian evil.
Lilitu Liliu are angry, winged emale demons who kill children and pregnan women by poison or by beouling he air. Tey haun desers and open counry, bu ener he ciies when plague demons open he way or hem. A varian, he arda-lili, more resemble succubi han harpies. Teir queen gained quie a repuaion in Hebrew myh as Lilih.
Rabisu Rabisu crouch in alleys and enranceways, waiing o seize unwary passersby. Tey are demons, bu ake solid orm while lurking in shadows. Tey resemble he redcaps o Scoish legend, or he ghouls o laer Arabian lore.
Sirrush Sirrush is he more amiliar name, bu is acually a very common misranslieraion o he word mushussu. In eiher version, i reers o he Babylonian dragon: a hick, repilian body wih he hind legs o a rapor, he orelegs o a lion, and he head and ail o a horned snake. Te sirrush aends o he ci god: i is a source o wisdom, power, and error. In he Apocrypha, he prophe Daniel deeas a sirrush by exploding i.
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How many miles to Babylon? Three score miles and ten. Can I get there by candle-light? Yes, and back again. If your heels are nimble and light, You may get there by candle-light. – traditional nursery rhyme When you bring Babylon ino your urban anasy (or vice versa), you are walking a Processional Way paved by millennia o legend and myh. Building on he oundaions laid in he Bible, Babylon has hree main levels o meaning in he symbolic realm: cosmopolian hubris o he ower o Babel (or Babylon 5), he earhly prison o he Babylonian Capivi, and he ci o he Anichris, or a leas o he “Whore o Babylon” who represens he allen sae o mankind in he End imes. Tese owers rise over he ancien Babylon, Ci o Riual and Earhly Paradise, casing as wide and as deep a shadow as you could wan or your game. Babylon echoes hrough he mysical poery o William Blake (“he Walls o Babylon are he Souls o Men/Her Gaes are he Groans o Naions”) and he poliical reggae o Bob Marley (“Babylon sysem is he vampire, alling empire”). You can build a lo ou o Babylon bricks, in oher words.
BABYLON, THE HOUSE OF THE GATEWAY Saring wih perhaps he mos mundane possibili, imagine a ime poral beween ancien Babylon and your ci seing – which migh be modern Baghdad, or i migh be anywhere. ime porals hardly have o obey geography, aer all. Possibly i’s a hyperspace gae opened by sudying cuneiorm ound in an ancien omb or on a new-raised island. I’s opened o lay a pipeline hrough, o course, bu i doesn’ jus bring back oil. I also opens he way or gods and monsers, eiher overly or as he secre cargo o Babylonian immigrans o he uure. In his kind o campaign, perhaps he “anasy world” behind he wainscoing urns ou oinbemagic anoher world – one as superior andphysical demonic ars as our world is in echnology and science. Such a campaign migh resemble Shadowrun, or Dark Conspiracy, or even a weird version oMage as he oil-ueled echnocracy squares off agains he gugallu magi. Borrow a hin rom org and have Babylonian magi rying o reconsecrae moderni o Marduk
SHADOWS OF BABYLON while Médécins Sans Fronier es ries o bale disease-uukku wih recombinan DNA herapy. Or ake a lea rom Wraih: only moderns possessed by ekimmu can operae on boh sides o he gaeway, bu he ekimmu seek only deah and desrucion.
BABYLON, WHICH HATES INJUSTICE! Or perhaps he connecion goes he oher way. Aer he all o he Eemenanki, Marduk leads he gods in search o a new ower o Heaven, and finds one – in 1931, in New York Ci, when he Empire Sae Building opens. Te skyscrapers are he new zigguras, reopening he pahs rom heaven or he Babylonian gods. his can be a wild pulp seing, eauring sky-gods living in hanging gardens on he ci roos, and bold aviaors baling liliu or he monsrous lion-headed Imdugud bird. Jus like in ancien Babylon, images o wreslers keep demons a bay: demon-fighing heroes mus wear ighs and capes! ranslae Sidereal magic romExaled o he modern zodiac, blend in Whie Wol’s old Advenure RPG and go wild! Or i can be a seing o secre and suble horror as ancien gods seep down ono he ciies, heir alons sinking ino mankind’s banks and businesses jus as he emples did in Nebuchadnezzar’s ime. Marduk opens he pi o Abzu o reconnec his new ower, and he rabisu crawl ino enemens while girablullu arm hemselves in he subways, and kulullu plo in he sewers and beneah he harbors. Te shaammu urn a blind eye o he encroaching demons, preerring build culs and coun dividends. Tis migh be a Call o Chulhu mod, or a Deadlands Noir build. Inanna is he srcinal gorgeous dame in disress, aer all.
rise in Paris and Vienna; ensi inerpre he will o Marduk or czars and presidens. Some acory owns – Providence and Mancheser, Eskilsuna and Chicago – remain ree, i you don’ coun he fish-men in bulleproo anks behind bank and acory doors. And once a year, more gods assemble in London or he Akiu, and imprison jus a lile more o he human world. Play his world wih your avorie seampunk rulese, rom Runepunk o Iron Kingdoms o Clockwork & Chivalry. Or amp up he angs wih HeroQues, WFRP, or Narosia, or any oher game in which men eel he breah o he gods as hey pray no o arac hem.
underworld demons. When Nabopolassar’s diggers ound a emenu o Sargon, hey had priess who knew he ancien ries: hey buil a new emple o hold him, and even wih ha, Nabopolassar’s empire was virually possessed by he shade oHammurabi. When Rober Koldewey or Leonard Woolley dug up emenu, hey brough hem back o Berlin or London. he enire Ishar Gae is in he Pergamon Museum in Berlin, while figures rom he gae are in Deroi, Isanbul, Gohenburg, Paris, Munich, orono, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Providence, Boson, and New Haven. And ha’s jus one vecor, jus one goddess.
BABYLON, TO WHICH THE CLA
BABYLON, MOR OF ALL LANDS IS THE SAME THE CITY WHICH RENDERS NOT One o Babylon’s neighborhoods was named Eridu, aer an older rival Mesopoamian THE ARROGANT PERFECT ci. Alhough records are spot, i’s enirely Perhaps Babylon is an opporunisic inecion, lying in wai in he clouds o pulverized cuneiorm ables kicked up by ank reads and blown alo by helicoper roors. Soldiers, humaniarians, and profieers in Iraq breahed in he sacred names o gods and he aropoaic emblems o demons. Firs Saddam drained he Abzu, he Euphraes marshes where Eden once lowered, hen American JDAMs and MOABs blew open he Pi o Babylon. In he new millennium, he monsers o Babylon clung invisibly o he land’s ran and seized he new invaders by he soul. Tey spread heir cul in he posinvasion chaos, hey spread back o home pors and Wesern ciies. In ha connecion, doesn’ MI6 headquarers a Vauxhall Crossing in London (buil aer he firs Gul War, when Briish soldiers marched hrough he ruins o Ur) look a lo like a ziggura? Perhaps he ekimmu run he inelligence services now, and we have a lovely Nigh’s Black Agens seing on our hands.
possible ha many o Babylon’s quarers were named aer or represened oher ciies: Babylon was, in a very real sense, every ci in he world. Te ower o Babel, remember, join ed all mankind beore ra gmening human languages; he Babylonian Capivi encompassed no only Jews bu every subjec people o Nebuchadnezzar’s empire; he Whore o Babylon seduces and degrades all humani. Babylon hauns all ciies a once, bleeding in over he belways and moorways (charios rode around Babylon’s walls) and welling up hrough he rivers and canals (he Euphraes flows ou o Eden, ino every river in he world). Rabisu lurk wherever you don’ recognize a doorway; each hoodie or sweashir conceals a scorpion exoskeleon; arda-lili salk prey on sree corners; sirrush breahe ou he naphha-perol he ciies mus inhale or die.
Seampunk i up insead: in 1815, archiecs proposed a 110-meer all, 22-level ziggura or raalgar Square in London raher han he relaively resrained column here now. (Ta’s one level or each year o he Napoleonic Wars … and or each o he Major
Babylon is everywhere, in every ick o he 60-minue hour (invened by he Babylonians) and every old o an asrology column. Te crescen o Islam, he Malese Cross o he Crusaders; boh Babylonian emblems. raffic and bureaucracy replicae boh he chaoic Abzu and he lawgiving Nabu; colored lighs blink on and off in he highes reaches Or perhaps he gods and monsers o Babylon o our posmodern zigguras. In he GURPS possessed he archaeologiss, jus as hey did Madness Dos sier seing, he Babylonian Nabopolassar and Nabonidus 2500 years Anunnaki sleep behind he scrim o human earlier. Under imporan buildings such as hisory, waiing o awaken a any momenand
Arcana in hehe aro.) Perhaps in some alernae hisory raalgar Pyramid opens he way or Nabu, Lord o Scribes, o capure William Blake’s Babylon-on-Tames or his aher Marduk, while he kulullu reveal arcane secres o seam o human rebels and conspiraors … or a price. Ley lines and canals spread across Briain and America, Sweden and Prussia. Zigguras
emples, gaes, anddesigners palaces, Babylonian (and. Sumerian) urban buried temenu hese were brick boxes holding “nails” o bronze or clay designed o cosmically fix he ci in place, along wih saues o he kings and ensi who ounded or rebuil he emple or palace. Te emenu idenifies he sacred locaion, ensures is connecion o man and o he gods … and blocks infilraion o he ci by
BABYLON, WHICH KNOWS THE ORDINANCES AND DECREES
BABYLON, THE CITY WHOSE BRICKWORK IS ANCIENT
conrolling mankind in he meanwhile hrough linguisic programming. Oher games could posi oher meaphysical conspiracies: Marduk could be he grandes o Exarchs in Mage: the Awakening , or Lucier in In Nomine, or he Firs and Las Godwalker in a cosmic-level Unknown Armies game. Whoever grasps he hands o Marduk, hey do so in he cour o Babylon, Enrance o All Lands.
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ROLEPLAYING LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK
LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK UPON
THE KINGS OF OLD 50
UPON THE KINGS OF OLD
TO CREATE THE RUINS VISITED BY THE ADVENTURERS OF TODAY
TEXT CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
ILLUSTRATION OLA LARSSON ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 3/2009 51
ROLEPLAYING LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK When Frodo and the fellowship of the ring struggle to bring the One Ring to Mount Doom, they are constantly moving through the ruins of an older, more powerful civilisation. Temples, colossal statues, and city ruins are everywhere you look, which helps very much to set the mood.
o previous culures help o se he sage or he presen, and wih his in mind, i is useul o consider he ollowing: •
•
Where in he cycles o peak culural advancemen and low poin o culural decline do you inend o se your campaign? Wha uncion do he ruins have in your curren sory?
RUINS ARE LIKE ONIONS MANY LAYERS
Once you have decided wha role he ruins will play in your campaign, i is ime o decide n he same way a characer is given a wha hey will look like and wha uncion background when i is creaed, in order hey will have. A his poin i is appropriae o have a means o explaining heir o remember ha each civilisaion ends o behaviour, a world mus be given a backbuild in and around he ruins o he previous ground in order o adequaely explain why i Imagine a world where everyhing is new and one and ha races o previous culures works he way i does. Usually, a world—much resh. Every piece o land is unouched and are hereore mixed among he layers. I is like a characer—has gone hrough several waiing. Each spadeul o earh is he firs hereore imporan o hink abou one or differen and widely shiing sages beore and never will you find a shard o poery more cycles o previous culures in order i has seled ino is curren sae. Te ruins ha was buried here cenuries beore. Every o deermine in which way heir remnans ravelled hrough by oday’s advenurers, he new building is he firs o is kind, and he have been mixed ogeher. o help you ge archaic exs hey encouner, he areacs word ruin hasn’ ye been invened, or here sared you can use he descripions below hey unwiingly (and misakenly) wear as has never been a need. Does such an idea o pical examples o ruin creaion or an adornmen on heir codpieces are all par seem exciing or even possible? Yes, perhaps advanced culure, pical effecs o he all o o he ancien bones o he world which you, i you’re playing a sory in which you are he culures, and common issues ha rise when he game world’s consrucor, have creaed. firs o colonise a new plane or world, bu one culure builds isel up in he ruins o he Jus like archaeologiss and paleonologiss oherwise, no really. We know ha here has previous one. For exra clari I also include o oday, your players, wih he help o all always been someone or somehing ha has a number o ollow-up quesions. hese oher hings, will aemp o creae an come beore, and ha has le races o isel image o how he world once looked, and i behind ha affec us in various ways. We are is hereore worhwhile o careully hink oday he sum o all previous experiences ha hrough how hings used o be, wha hey have aken place, and our culure reflecs in have become, and wha hey one day will many ways hose who came beore us. be. Ineviably, he players, like scieniss in Wha does an advanced culure need in order Fanasy lieraure and film oen sresses all imes, will draw a number o erroneous hose who came beore. Te idea is ha ad- o build pyramids ha sand or housands o conclusions based on wha hey ind, bu vanced culures go in cycles, and ha hese ad- years, o inspire argonaus who de gravi his is all par o he enjoymen o creaing vanced culures end o succeed one anoher, or o leave behind black obelisks on desered and burying ancien culures. So ha your inerspersed wih periods o decline. A pical planes? world-building can be as impressive as pos- eaure o he genre is ha hese ancien culsible, so ha he mosaic o your world can be ures are described as being more powerul, as muli-aceed as possible, and so ha your and he sebacks hey aced are porrayed as Power and Riches players’ conclusions abou he pas can be as being exremely difficul. Consequenly, we he advanced culure mus eiher have a eneraining as possible, his aricle will ho- ge scenes in which he heroes wander among very srong cenral power figure, such as a peully help you in he making o your ruins. ruins rom a mighier ime han anyhing ha king, emperor, pharaoh, ec., wih he abili and wherewihal o ax a broad populaion, could be imagined oday. Te pas becomes or i mus be as cosmopolian as possible so somewha mysical, and he uure oers ha here are a number o compeiive elie eiher more sebacks (as in Te Lord o he Tis aricle is wrien broadly so ha i can be Rings) or promises a reurn o he greaness pes wih enormous bank accouns and a used in any pe o oher-worldly campaign, o he pas (such as in David Brin’s novel (and grea need o prove hemselves, or have one
I
ROLE OF THE RUINS IN YOUR CREATED WORLD
POWER STRUCTURES OF AN ADVANCED CULTURE
WHO IS THIS ARTICLE FOR?
hough scifi, anasy, or oher similarficion crossgenre dimension-hopping speculaive is mos fiing. Te advice and ideas surrounding he creaion o advanced culures rom he pas are likely mos useul or game masers or wriers who engage in world building, and he concree examples a he end can be weaked and modified as desired according o ase and o sui he world being creaed.
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he less successul ilmalernaive o he sameisname) or moreo religions Te Posman). A hird ha he muscle flex. wih economic and poliical sory is se in a period o decline and lie is so difficul ha he sory never really manages o ake a sance regarding he uure because Who was i who held he reins o power in he characers are so busy dealing wih he your world in he pas? Was i shared by sevepresen (as in Mad Max). Ruins hen serve as ral differen people or acions, and i so who? a reminder o everyhing ha has been los. Regardless o he direcion o he sory, ruins How did hese powers relae o each oher?
Questions
UPON THE KINGS OF OLD Will
Advanced Technology
his emperor or king, hese ruling elies or eseemed religions mus — like French presidens o oday — have he will o manies heir power in he orm o enormous archiecure. Tis migh be in he orm o building monumens o heir own vaniy (ombs, palaces or emples), or i could be abou creaing buildings ha ame naure and enhance civilisaion (roads, aqueducs, dams or harbours), or i could be abou improving culure (heares, arenas, bahhouses or libraries).
echnology mus have been ranserred rom previous generaions and culures and refined by he specialiss menioned above.
Questions
A cerain amoun o culural conormi is expeced, which shows jus how grea power and how much influence he ruling elemen had. Tis could be refleced in a dominan syle o heares spread across he known world, or ha emples owned by a cerain religion are all devoed o he same divine principles, ec.
Wha did he rulers in your world use heir power or? Wha did hey wan o build and why? o wha exen were hey able o build? Was here concurrence among he powers and he rulers, and in which way did his affec consrucion? Was here compeiion or cooperaion?
Highly Developed Organisation of Work Vas numbers o people (elves/dwarves / Alpha-Cenauri/ec.) mus be able o be organised in an eecive way. Logisical problems on an enormous scale mus be able o be solved so ha each person can ulimaely become an eecive cog in a grea machine.
Questions Was all his work done volunarily or or salary, or were slaves used? How was he issue o sae solved? Was here uni among he workers?
Questions How advanced was he echnology hey had access o? How much o his echnology has been developed urher and how much o i has been los?
Cultural Conformity
A Time of War, Conquering and Plundering Once a culure inally collapses, he brigands and confidence men come ou o he woodwork. In he power vacuum ha is le, i is he srong willed who succeed and he regular man hunkers down and ries o survive he bes he can. War and conflic rages on beween groups or individuals seeking power, and in he waves o plundering and subjugaion ha ollow, much o he curren civilisaion’s paina is los. Riches, ar, lieraure, heare and archiecure run he risk o being los and desroyed.
Questions Wha pes o riches are he mos sough aer in imes o war; wha is valued loo and wha is ignored? Wha is desroyed and wha will be le alone?
Questions
A Loss of Educated Specialists
How does he culural conormi manies isel? Can one see geographically how large he spread o a cerain ruling power has had by inerpreing he archiecural sle o monumens and srucures? Can one see inermingling o differen sles in differen places?
Wihou access o a srong cenral governmen and a sable socie, he abili o pursue unded higher educaion is los. In a ime o war and conflic, here is a drasic decline in rade and consequenly, more aluen groups (e.g., ich merchan classes, radiional arisocraic classes, ec.) are reduced or have disappeared alogeher, and wih ha loss, a culure also loses he need or rained specialiss in a varie o fields. Tere simply is no longer ime o hire a maser sonemason o exravaganly adorn he acade o ci hall when war and looing is common pracice.
THE FALL OF AN ADVANCED CULTURE Wha happens when an advanced culure ineviably alls as an eec o inernal or exernal conflics:
A time of chaos and division
Questions Wha groups o specialiss are hardes hi? Does hese specialiss’ knowledge disappear enirely, or does i find is way o oherrealms and advanced culures? Are here new specialis proessions ha hrive during a ime o chaos and conflic?
A all levels in his underaking, here mus be highly educaed specialiss o provide exper knowledge. Te number o expers required also poins o he need or expers who can pass on heir knowledge o ohers hrough wrien and symbolic language, appreniceship programs, universiy and so on.
Culures rarely all ino decline wih a bang. Usually, i is a long, drawn ou process puncuaed wih many differen groups fighing or power wihin he Kingdom in combinaion wih exernal enemies orcing heir way in rom ouside. When several ruling acions are compeing wih one anoher, and i is unclear who is in charge, his can give rise o chaos and anarchy. People sop aking muual responsibilit or a societ
Questions
ha no longer cares hem, and hey all back on seeing oabou basic needs: lie, ood, sheler.
Wha saus did hese specialiss have? Were hey orced o give up heir knowledge or did hey share willingly? In wha way were hese specialiss ormed by he world hey live d in? Did hey drive developmen or did developmen drive hem?
Which groups are responsible or he inernal Questions conflics? Wha are he conflics abou? Are Which echnologies will disappear rapidly here any exernal enemies and i so, who? and which will have he mos longevi? Are
Educated Specialists
Decline in Technology Te same causes ha resul in a decline o educaed specialiss will also resul in a decline o echnology. o undersand, manage and developand echnology requires rained specialiss he ranser o knowledge ha is rapidly disappearing wih he all o he advanced culure.
Questions
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ROLEPLAYING LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK here areas—geographically or in he communiy — where echnology has managed o be preserved longer han in oher places? How can echnology be preserved or as long as possible?
Structures Rebuilt for Other Purposes
ineresing hing is how he new emerging Questions powers relae o hose o he pas. Following are a ew examples o how new power cenres Wha bizarre new sles become popular in migh relae o he old ones: he reborn culure? Do people dress in New Age, ranbrualisic coas wih re-alanean adornmens? Wha elemens rom he pas Old Power Centres Often Are or make a comeback, and how do hey affec ar and lieraure?
Become the New Power Centres
Cenuries may come and go, bu wih surprising regulari, new power cenres wind up in he exac same place as he old. Really his is nohing srange. Power cenres wind up where hey do or a ew simple reasons: waer and ood sources and populaion numbers, sraegic geographic placemen or religious imporance. Because hese change lile over ime, he ruins o advanced culure X oen become he base o advanced culure Y.
Aer he all o an advanced culure, when he chaos and he wors o he conflics have died down, when he robber barons have amassed heir money and iles, people mus ge on wih heir everyday lives as bes hey can. While he marvellous bahhouses migh have been enjoyed by many doing he heigh o civilisaion, i is no easible ha hundreds o years laer, aer he aqueduc has collapsed, people coninue o view he building as a bah house ou o any sor o deerence o culural heriage. I is more likely ha he building will ake on some oher purpose. Perhaps he bah house will be used o sore grain, serve as he Emperor’s new orure chambers or a oundry o make cannons and oher weapons.
Wha is i primarily ha makes he power cenre wha i is – wha acors conrol why he cenre is where i is? Dohe power cenres shi over ime, and in ha case why – wha is i ha has happened o cause a shi?
Questions
Old Symbols Become New
Questions
Wha was he srucures ha survive chaos and conflic be used or? Wha is he mos comical usage o a grea srucure rom an advanced culure?
Ancient Ruins Repurposed As par o he rebirh and recreaion o he old, ruins can be resurreced wih new inerpreaions. Te old bahhouse ha served as boh grain sorage and cannon oundry is reurned o is ormer glory, careully resored by a new group o rained specialiss. Meanwhile, ime and ases have moved away rom he concep o public bahs, so he new bahhouse becomes an exclusive spa wih privae chambers where he wealhies and mos decaden parons can have all heir wishes ulfilled or a he penny.
Questions Wha ypes o hings mos deserve o be resurreced? In wha way can I enhance mysel by enhancing somehing rom he pas?
Insoar as all he buildings and monumens sill exis rom an older ime, hey are requenly used by he new civilisaion. No inrequenly, hese become he uniying symbols used o build a new naion. W “ e were once ha proud people who conquered all The Daily Grind Takes Over he lands he sun ouched. In Crysal Square Frequenly, lie’s everyday problems provide sood he gian sundial which ruled all ime lile ime o even hink abou he pas. “Te in he old world. Te square remains, and emple o he Perseads may have been he oday we inaugurae a new, greaer sundial mos beauiul building in he known world o show ha ime has reurned o us.” a one ime, bu now i is mosly a ruin and we need he sone or our new barn.” People Questions will simply demolish a srucure and use he sones or oher significanly less exravagan Which symbols are he ones highlighed by purposes. he new culure? Are here places and symbols ha people ry acively o orge? Wha purpose is here by associaing onesel wih Questions pars o he old civilisaion? Do rivalling Wha ypes o hings migh be especially groups vying or power have heir roos in rasuscepible o his pe o plundering? Are diions and groups rom he previous culure? here srucures ha people, despie he circumsances, do no wan o desroy, and Old Styles Becomes New i so wha would hese be?
Which crazy conclusions abou he pas are popular in your world righ now? Are
As wih sles oo may be copied rom hesymbols, old culure in order o lend a cerain legiimacy or hisorical gravi — bu he new sle is no quie he same as he old because much ime has passed, and echnology, maerials and ases have changed. erms such as Neoclassicism or Gohic Revival demonsrae his behaviour, as does he concep Renaissance.
any o he inerpreaions economically moivaed? Ispoliically i possibleoro base an advenure on hese misinerpreaions? Wha happens i someone comes ou wih new and perhaps more correc inerpreaions—how would hese be viewed among hose in power and among he regular ciizens? Is here any advanage in inerpreing he pas?
WHEN NEW CULTURES ARISE IN THE RUINS OF THE OLD Sooner or laer, a new culure ineviably grows up in and around he ruins o he old.I may ake cenuries, bu periods o chaos, conflic and sagnaion do no las or ever. Te
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Crazy Conclusions Despie he new groups o rained specialiss and educaed hisorians, archaeologiss, meaphysicians, mages and holisicians who aemp o recreae knowledge o he pas, he ime since he decline o he previous culure unil he sar o he presen one has perhaps removed all races a lile oo efficienly. In some areas, here are so ew puzzle pieces le ha i is no longer possible o see he whole picure, and he bes we can do is speculae and presume. I is no uncommon o draw crazy conclusions rom ruins and heir meanings, and hen base new archiecure and culural expressions on hese erroneous conclusions.
Questions
UPON THE KINGS OF OLD MAGES AND ANTI GRAVITY PLATFORMS Covering the Fantasy Angle When we discuss anasy and science-ficion, i’s easy, as a world creaor, o hink ahead and ignore all o he above seps. Why boher wih socio-economic acors surrounding previous culures and heir incredible ruins when he genre already conains anas elemens ha eliminae any need or srong cenral powers and ruling elies? Wih a mage in he par, i’s possible o jus hrow up a whole bunch o pyramids, and wih a simple ani-gravi plaorm, a wall can be consruced ha makes he Chinese hide beneah he undergrowh in shame, righ? Well, i’s no exacly ha easy. Even anasy and science-ficion have a kind o inernal logic, and hese worlds end o ollow some orm o naural law, wih eaures o Marxis hisoriography. Mos anasy worlds limi magicians’ enourmous powers by connecing hem o some kind o power source, requiring sleep or mediaion, making spell componens rare, or creaing a variey o oher invenive hindrances. Mages can creae anasic hings, bu here is always a cos, and in he end, i is always a maer o egoisic human needs. O course a mage could say an incanaion and creae a bunch o pyramids, bu he value o his in ime and power used is perhaps no worh i wih respec o he oll i akes on he mage, or he saisacion she ges o doing i . Wha is he value o a whole sea o gold coins i he mage mus give en years o her lie o he monoony o i? Te concep is similar or echnology in science ficion. O course an ani-gravi plaorm could be used o build a magnificen wall, bu wha is he purpose i everyone else also has access o heir own ani-gravi plaorms? Every era has is own se o circumsances and anasic soluions, bu i is difficul o bea he combined power o an advanced culure wih basically unlimied resources.
as a world creaor, have acually hough hrough how he pas was consruced, does no mean here is necessarily any reason o ell your players abou his. A large par o he amosphere regarding he previous civilisaions lies in heir mysery and uncerain. I previous advanced culures leave behind a deailed descripion o how all o heir impressive eas were perormed, hey would lose a grea deal o heir myhological shine. Aer all, consider how i would be i Egypologiss had discovered his sign wo hundred years ago: o all uure culures who wish o know abou our impressive Nile culure: We have carved in sone a deailed descripion o how we buil he pyramids so ha you don’ have o wonder and speculae abou i or years o come. Removes some o he exciemen, doesn’ i?
creaed-by-naural-orces Quinnal bridge, lies al-Quinn’s only oudoor srucures, some relaively modes srucures or housing and sorage purposes.
Mystery Tere are no signs o how he residens o al-Quinn go heir ood. In almos oal isolaion, and wih exremely limied means o livelihood, he cit o al-Quinn is a rue mysery.
Solution Te soluion o he mysery o al-Quinn has been los over ime.
Adventure Ideas •
EXAMPLES OF RUINS YOU CAN SHAMELESSLY STEAL I never hurs o have a ew good examples o ruins o all back on, which can, as needed, be modified, ransormed, or even oally changed, so you can use hem in your campaign wihou having o pu oo much ime and energy ino creaing new ones. Following are a ew examples wih some advenure ideas.
The Cliff City of Tal-Quinn General
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In heir search or he legendary ariac/ solen proope/key o he orgoen language/ruh abou he ci’s creaion, he par’s rail o clues leads hem o he desered cliff ci o al-Quinn. Te problem is ha he spaces here are nearly endless, and he exreme isolaion has caused he ci o become a home o some very peculiar individuals and groups ha do no like o be disurbed. Huned and oumaneouvred, he players search desperaely or a place where hey can wage heir final bale. al-Quinn urns ou o be he perec place, and i he group can reveal he cliff ci’s buried secre, hey may ye win a surprising vicory.
Beyond he sulur fields in Osmagosis, almos The Wells of Persaga as ar rom he world’s larger cenres as you can ge, is he cliff ci o al-Quinn. Geing General here wihou echnological means is nearly In ar-off Persaga are some o he mos anonymous, bu simulaneously mos impresimpossible, and ye ha is precisely wha sive srucures in he known world. Tey are housands o people once did.
Facts
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOUR PLAYERS BEGIN TO TROMP AROUND YOUR RUINS
Carved ino he Shara massi, a milehigh chain o volcanos wih almos no vegeaions, someone has creaed homes, public spaces, warehouses, and giganic emple-like srucures large enough o a colony o more han hal a million people.
Accurae knowledge abou pas is seldom available o players. Tis culures is because he pas culure is so ar back in ime ha he knowledge has been los, or he ime he players exis in is so compariively primiive ha hey simply do no undersand he pas, or a combinaion o he wo. Precise knowledge is also no worh searching or rom a player’s poin o view. Jus because you,
Te lowes premises inhe hehighes gian complex is underground, while lookou poss are over fieen-housand meres high. In oal, more han 10 million sairseps have been carved hroughou al-Quinn, even hough large, perecly cylindrical shas indicae oher ways o move up and down wihin he complex. A abou hreehousand meres’ heigh, in line wih he
he ruins rom a disan culure ha even he locals don’ know much abou, and no even heir oral radiions can ell o wha he srucures’ purpose was. Many rumours abound, o course, bu or mos, he wells are a mysery.
Facts Scaered across in wells. an almos perec circle arehe 28 counry enormous Each well is exacly 21 meres in diameer and is 54 meres deep. Te walls o he wells are clad in sone blocks, and along each one, a very narrow (jus 36 cenimeers wide) spiral saircase leads o he boom. Because he wells are very old, ime has reaed each one differenly. Some o he wells have caved in
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ROLEPLAYING LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK and are filled wih rubble, and are now only vague oulines in he landscape. Ohers have been filled wih waer and are merely suspiciously circular, deep ponds. More unusual are he rare wells ha have been incorporaed ino newer srucures, such as he cahedral in irandar, buil direcly above one o he wells, and he casle o he sorcerer in Banadasak, buil aop anoher.
Mystery Each well is precisely 26 kilomeres rom he nex, and hey are, wih he excepion o one well, placed in an exac cirle wih a precision ha mus have required very sophisocaed mehods o measuremen. Te well breaking he perec paern is “misplaced” by nearly a hal a kilomere. Nowhere, geographically or manmade, is large or high enough ha all hese wells can be seen simulaneously wih he naked eye. In oday’s Persaga, mos inhabians are compleely unaware o he circle. Tey know only o one or a ew individual wells.
Solution Te soluion o he mysery o he wells has been los over ime.
Adventure Ideas Why were hese giganic wells buil? Wha is in he cener o he circle? Why is one well misplaced—i he builders were as sophisicaed as he archiecure and measuremens indicae, hey should have been able o place he las well correcly also, shouldn’ hey? Wha would happen i he wells were resored, and a new well was consruced where he misplaced one should have been? Wha are he wells beneah he cahedral and he sorcerer’s casle used or?
100-mere high and abou 20-mere wide (gradually narrowing as i goes up) sone wall which compleely shields he ravine on he wes side. In his way, a dead end is creaed ha is reached by enering he ravine rom he eas. Sanding in he cener o his blind alley is like sanding wihin an open emple wih he sky as he ceiling. Te eeling o reverence is reinorced by he ac ha every cenimere o he ravine’s walls, and he consruced sone wall, is adorned wih ornamens carved ino he sone. People, animals, and myhological creaures swarm rom he sandy floor o he ravine up o he heavens. o even ry o esimae he number o unique saues is a Sisyphean labour, and local legends say ha he one who can say exacly how many saues he ravine holds will have heir greaes wish ulfilled by Ael he Allmigh.
high rock walls in some places. Ihe is deser one o hree parallel ravines he separae rom he vas Ara mounains, and i is due o is amazing cenre ha i is widely spoken o.
Facts A he cenre o he Iannadin ravine, a previous culure has consruced a nearly
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In he mounain regions separaing he wo rival kingdoms in souhern Maipal sands he slie orress o Gudjaran. High above he ground level, aop several fla sone pillars, linked ogeher wih suspension bridges, is a deensive complex ha has never been aken. I is said ha he who conrols he slie orress o Gudjaran holds he key o he enire region.
Facts
Te slie orress o Gudjaran is a giganic deensive srucure consising o several separae bu conneced ors buil on he ops o 22 individual 38-mere high, equally cylindrical Mystery sandsone pillars. Te disance beween he Who buil he sone wall and wha was is pillars varies beween 7 and 32 meres, wih purpose? an average o abou 16 meres, and in oal, he sylie orress covers approximaely 4000 square meres. Te differen ors are Solution linked ogeher wih large drawbridges and Te hear o he Iannadin ravine was buil suspension bridges along wih myriad oher by arificially leading all he smaller sreams communicaion and ransporaion lines ha in he area ino his ravine. Te sone wall crisscross he enire orress. Te individual uncioned as a dam, and slowly bu surely, ors were buil a differen imes, and hey he waer level rose in he ravine. Aer more have used various maerials o build sruchan hir years, he ravine was an enormous ures o dieren archiecural syles, bu resh waer reservoir, and on he surace o hey consis overall o he same pale yellow his grea sea, sonemasons worked on ras. sandsone ha he pillars are made o. Te As he work progressed, he waer level sank conrol o he slie orress has alernaed gradually, unil he enire ravine was covered hroughou hisory, bu presenly, he orress in is sone decoraions. is ruled by he religious warrior order o he Heaherfire.
Adventure Ideas •
The Heart of the Iannadin Ravine General Te Iannadin ravine lies on he borders o he migh Foshuad deser, and is an almos perecly verical ravine wih nearly 100-mere
The Stylite Fortress of Gudjaran General
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Te player characers are commissioned by a wealhy merchan o find he answer o he ancien riddle o he exac number o saues in he ravine. Bu how can hey be couned wihou inerering wih he incredible number o aboos here are surrounding he sie, as well as hose who make pilgrimages o he ravine? Te saues are now beginning o erode, aer he cenuries o weaher and wind,isand as his happens, kingdom beginning o suffer he a number o incidens and accidens. Te clergy coner, and decide ha he saues mus be renovaed, each and every one. Te ask o organising his is open o anyone who eel compelled o do so, and he rewards will be remendous.
Mystery From a disance, he slie orress o Gudjaran appears as i i were one o hose impossible consrucions. How could people ever have carved ou such incredible pillars? How could hey have been able o li up o he ops o hese pillars he enormous amouns o maerials o build he orress?
Solution I is difficul o imagine how people could haveway, shaped aer o heir own will in his andnaure he amoun sone needed o be removed in order o achieve hese ree-sanding pillars makes one dizzy jus hinking abou i. In he end, i is no so impossible aer all. Te sandsone pillars are naural Kars ormaions where weaher, wind, and chemical erosion akes place over periods o hundreds o years, wearing away
UPON THE KINGS OF OLD he surrounding, more porous maerials and hus creaing hese pillars o harder sandsone. Te only hing he people did—and i is really no less impressive or ha—was o sysemaically even ou he pillars o nearperec cylinders, and o flaen he ops o equal heighs. Te impression ha hese cenuries o oil gives is ha nohing is beyond human abili, and ha is exacly wha he engineers o he slie orress had in mind. Te sone remnans rom he gradual leveling o he pillars was used, bi by bi, o consruc he migh orress.
Adventure Idea One o he wo bickering rulers in he area around Gudjaran has decided o ake conrol o he slie orress in order o once and or all ip he balance o power in her avour. She soon realises, however, ha jus as in he pas, he orress is no so easily aken by miliary power alone. Oher, more flexible soluions will be needed. Te player characers are hired o do jus ha, bu no long aer hey have begun o come up wih a soluion, hey are conaced by he leader o he rival kingdom, who has heard whispers o he plan, and he offers hem a grea reward i hey will insead do he same job, bu or him. Te warrior order o he Heaherfire has spies in boh kingdoms, and i is only a maer o ime beore he player characers’ mission reaches heir ears.
The Stepped P yramids of Belsomparat General Belsompara is a modern megaciy wih skyscrapers o seel and reinorced concree/ giganic ancien boulders/nano-joined biomass. Sreched ou over counless square miles is a populaion o millions and millions o people in a busling meropolis. Wihin his ci are he mos corrup slums and mos luxurious palaces. Public ranspor winds is way hrough he area like a giganic spider web, and he aeher is filled wih communicaions on all requencies and channels, boh echnological and meaphysical.
Facts
Righ in he cenre o Belsompara are 17 sepped pyramids in a varie o sizes. Te larges compees wih he highes skyscrapers a 170 meres, and he smalles reaches a mere 40 meres above he ground. he average heigh is around 90 meres, and he size o he bases varies wih he heigh. Te
houses surrounding he pyramids pop up like weeds, filling every surace righ up o he edge o he pyramids, bu never arher han ha. Te pyramids are compleely ree rom human influence. No exensions are visible anywhere, no ences, no anennae or flashing billboards. Te sree grid and he expanded ransporaion sysem has been adaped o flow around he pyramids, and no unnels go beneah hem, despie he logisical problem heir exisence creaes. Te 17 sepped pyramids are unouched.
canno undersand how anyone can avoid speaking o hem, or why anyone would even wan o alk abou hem. Bu srangely enough, hey always leave he ci wihou a single phoo o hem, and when hey ell heir riends back home o Belsompara, hey menion he lovely weaher, he inexpensive handicras, and he picuresque Poala river ha runs hrough he old par o he ci.And nohing else.
Mystery
Te player characers have been conneced o he securi deparmen o an exremely popular enerainmen program. An advenure show, known hroughou he world, will finally be se in he ci o Belsompara. On oo and in he air, he compeiors will move hrough he ci perorming asks along he way. As always, he show is used o adverise he ci and he counry as much as possible, wih many sweeping images o he ci’s beauiul skyline. Te characers’ job is o see o i ha he recording coninues wihou disurbances rom nearby ans or desperae orune huners. Tis ime, however, he filming is having problems. Te camera equipmen is consanly breakin g down, and he person responsible or boh A and B phoography is
Why do he pyramids remain unouched aer such a long period o human developmen? Why are he pyramids no adaped o i he curren socio-economic acors? Why have he pyramids no been orn down o creae a luxury palace or some robber baron? Why are he pyramids no ull o visiors rom near and ar, climbing heir every surace and admiring heir ancien charm while eaing pyramid ice cream rom nearby ice cream rucks? And why, WHY, do he people o Belsompara—known or heir consan alking — never speak o he pyramids?
Adventure Idea
behaving progressively and alarmingly more bizarre each day. Facts I is obvious o anyone ravelling o he ci ha he pyramids geographically dominae Belsompara. Despie his, he people o he ciy live as i he pyramids do no exis. We hope his has inspired you in he creaSrangers o he ci always marvel over he ion o your world, o help make i rich and anasic pyramids ha hey could no read vibran, enlivening he advenures soon o abou in any guidebook or brochure. Tey ake place here. Good luck!
FINAL WORDS
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
LEGACY OF THE APOCALYPSE
THE CHAMBER TEXT CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
Imagine there is a force/product/entity in the universe so destructive/horrible/malevolent that it potentially has the power to destroy the world as you know it – not just now, but also so far into the future that you can’t even imagine what kind of people will live then. Imagine that you somehow have managed to contain this threat – bottle it up, box it in and keep it under locks. What would you do to discourage people to release it again, long after you were gone, long after everyone that remembered were gone, long after the memory of your whole society had vanished from the wor ld? How would you keep the nosy, power hungry, stupid, clumsy or just plain unlucky humankind from actively or accidentally enter into the chamber? The Chamber is an article that studies this dilemma. In one way it’s a hands on discussion on how to contain something lethal and discourage anyone from breaking that containment. In another way it’s a philosophical discussion on how language and culture changes so much over time that it’s almost impossible for us to even imagine who our future descendants will be – and what they
willFinally be able to do. the question if you, as a game master, ever it examines could introduce such an element and then manage to dissuade your players from examining it, once they knew of it. They are ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 1/2013 players after all. 58
ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER magine you belong o a nomadic culure rom he area now known as Chad. You have jus experienced somehing horrible — somehing ha nearly wiped ou your enire clan and is culure, and ha somehing has he power o do i again. Forunaely, you were able o limi he damage and you have colleced he source o all he misery ino a ew sealed urns. Bu wha will you do now? You have no way o knowing how o desroy his power, bu you also know you canno allow hese urns o be opened ever again. Tey mus be preserved in a locaion so secure ha hey can be sae rom breaking, wheher hrough acciden or ac o naure. A he same ime, people mus be warned. No jus people in he surrounding area, bu also srangers passing hrough, as well as uure generaions. Tis presens new problems: How can we warn people so ha we can be cerain hey will lisen? Can we be sure ha a warning o grea peril wrien in your language and iconography, rom your poin o view o he world, is enough o preven people rom searching or his source? Wha i i insead enices people who believe your warnings are simply made o scare away looers and reasure huners?
I
Now, ake a sep back and consider how such a culure—likely an animisic/polyheisic huner-gaherer people wih recen vague influences o Chrisiani—migh express a warning abou deah and desrucion. Wha ypes o images would be carved ino he walls o aler people? Finally, imagine ha you are a modern archaeologis perorming excavaions in he area. Perhaps you find a cave, sealed wih an enormous boulder, and filled wih images and inscripions wrien in a language you do no undersand. Wha sors o picures would poenially keep you rom urher excavaion? he dilemma above was perhaps bes illusraed in Michael Madsen’s documenary Ino Eernit. In he documenary, he source o all misery is nuclear wase, he urns are lead-reinorced conainers, and he cave is a specially creaed underground chamber in norhern Finland, bu he ulimae problem is he same. How can we keep people, wih all heir curiosiy, supidiy, and poenial wickedness, away rom a place or imespans as long as 100,000 years? How can we even imagine wha ype o world, culure, and creaures will be wandering earh aer such a long ime, when moshe o he knowledge we have is less han 5000 years old? Tis is an impossible ask, and is hereore exremely ascinaing. his ype o riddle can play a naural par in any pe o posapocalypic campaign. So, here ollows a shor descripion o such a place, wih a number o quesions or he game maser o ponder.
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THE CHAMBER
Questions
The Discovery
Do you wan o hide he enrance so ha no one will ever sumble across i, or do you wan o creae an enrance ha righens people away? How do you creae an enrance ha will righen uure culures/species/ inelligences ha do no necessarily share one’s own rame o reerence? And mos imporanly, wha does a culure decide will be generally applicable warnings when hey’re siing and speculaing abou he uure?
Te chamber is ound by chance because o an unexpeced change, large and impossible o predic or preven. For example: 1. A volcano erups and creaes a craer more han a kilomeer wide. 2. An aseroid collides wih anoher, is broken ino wo pars, and one is heading sraigh oward an inhabied solar sysem. 3. Mad King Kung zolov III enliss his cour magicians o drain he enire Hadorni Sound.
Questions Where can you ever hide somehing so ha i can never be ound again? How deep mus you dig o keep uure culures rom digging even deeper? How well can oday’s culures imagine he changes brough abou by he uure’s science and echnology? And mos imporanly, wha guesses are made by a people when hey aemp o predic he uure, and wha consequences will hose guesses have?
The Gate Te enrance o he chamber is sealed wih a gae designed o keep visiors ou—i is boh reinorced/locked/barricaded, and here are signs and symbols warning people o say away. For example: 1. Te gae consiss o several doors, each consruced o differen maerials and equipped wih various kinds o locks. Te ron gae is adorned wih a number o illusraions o upside-down orches and he word “άδης” appears several imes. 2. Te gae is impossible o differeniae rom he res o he aseroid — only by scanning i muliple imes is i possible o find he apparen enrance o he remendous cavi. 3. Ouside he descending enrance is an enormous block o sone measuring more han 40 square meers and weighing housands o ons. I is difficul o even imagine wha would have been needed o pu he sone in place. On op, he sone conains rows o ex in a number o unknown languages and many symbols are repeaed over and over again: a alcon, a pair o closed eyes, and a halmoon.
The Structure Te chamber is clearly buil wih he idea ha i should las a very long ime, boh wih regard o maerial and archiecure. I is mos likely designed like a Russian maryoshka doll, where once you manage o ge hrough one layer, here is always ye anoher layer jus inside. And wih each passing layer, he aemps o warn people away become more and more desperae. For example: 1. Te walls o he sloping chamber are covered wih painings. People walking in a sraigh line down he corridors. Te arher in hey go, he more heir bodies begin o be desroyed. A he final door, he people have urned ino skeleons lying in a pile. 2. Te aseroid is srucured much like boxes wihin boxes. Each new layer is pressurized wih a new gas or filled wih a differen fluid (all corrosive and desrucive or anyhing or anyone). Te maerials used in he various layers are also rare meals and alloys. 3. Te space surrounding he cenral chamber is buil like a grea labyrinh. A each juncure is a skeleon o an animal molded ino he floor. Te doorposs o he cenral chamber are shaped like halmoons and above hem is he image o a alcon.
Questions When creaures have already peneraed ino areas hey should no be, wha can hen be done o urn heir earand or cauion? Are here anycuriosi images oino deah desrucion ha will be undersood ully as a warning, or will hese all be inerpreed as aemps o scare off visiors ha in urn rigger greaer curiosi? Primarily, how grea is a culure’s imaginaion when i comes o predicing he rames o reerence or people in he uure?
THE CHAMBER The Central Chamber and the Ark Farhes in, behind he sronges door, is he hear o he chamber, and here is where you will find he ark or conainer ha has been kep hidden rom he world. Wha can be done o deer hose who have goen his ar? Examples: 1. Te cenral chamber is made rom once piece o molded copper and i is only possible o ener by cuing hrough he meal. Inside is a small ches surrounded by saues o people wih clear expressions o error, rying o proec hemselves rom he ches. 2. Te cenral chamber is made o a maerial ha emis exremely high doses o radiaion. When he chamber is opened, holographic projecions are acivaed, and hese show beings (and mechanical consrucions) o various pes who open a meallic cylinder, and all o hese beings are insanly oblieraed. 3. In he cener o he labyrinh is a sone ches surrounded by 99 blank sone slabs. I anyone ses oo on any o he slabs, hey are immediaely elepored o one o 99 oher places on he plane, some as ar as housands o miles away.
Questions Is i worh i o kill hose who ry o solve he chamber’s mysery? How many prevened deahs is i worh, in such a case? I is a quesion o simple mahemaics: Is i worh i o kill a million people i five million people can be saved? And finally, is he enire operaion o creaing, hiding, and proecing his place he hing ha makes i more likely o be ound? Will some orm o minimal oral radiion live on (or hundreds or even housands o years) abou a place ha requires such incredible proecion?
on he concep o he apocalypse’s deadly legacy (wih some orm o dangerous/lehal/ caaclysmic objec ha has been hidden away in order o proec uure generaions). Above all, as a game maser, one should definiely ake a momen o ponder he culural rames o reerence—rom wha ype o culure did hose who buil he chamber and sen he warning come rom? An orhodox Chrisian emperor in Byzanium would probably use a compleely differen pe o language and symbolism (e.g., he Book o Revelaion, he devil, ec.), han would an ancien Norse chieain (e.g., reerences o Nieelheim or Hel, perhaps).
THE RAVAGES OF TIME Jus as i is exremely diicul o predic housands or even ens o housands o years ino he uure and aemp o deermine wha people mus poenially proec hemselves rom, as well as how o communicae his danger o uure relaives, i is also equally difficul o know wheher he hing we are worried abou will even pose a problem in he uure. I is ar rom cerain ha he hing wihin he chamber will be dangerous or hose who open i, since hings ha are dangerous o some species can be harmless o anoher. I could very well be ha he biological weapon designed in a laboraory, and hen hidden in shame, will be compleely neuralized due o some new scienific developmen jus a hundred years laer. Tis oo is somehing he game maser should consider.
CREATING AND PLACING A CHAMBER IN YOUR POST APOCALYPTIC CAMPAIGN
In he previous aricle – Long Have I Desired o Look upon he Kings o Old – I wroe an
o creae a chamber and use i in your posapocalypic campaign can be an ineresing es or he players. Tere is, aer all, a builin curiosi/urge o discover/problem-solving mechanism in mos roleplaying games, and an unspoken conrac beween players and game maser in mos groups ha says, “Te game maser does no inroduce anyhing ha does no have some kind o purpose.” Allowing he players o find somehing ha was
ariclewhose on how o creae ancien, exinc o culures ruins remain in he worlds oday’s advenurers, and how hese culures could oen consis o several layers, like an onion, wih garbled languages, symbols, and colours. I you wan o creae a posapocalypic campaign, many o he ips in his aricle may prove useul—paricularly i you decide o creae an advenure ha is based
mean o be buriedoor all ime, and covering i wih all manner warnings—wrien rom he viewpoin o he pas, wih all is culural reerences—is a grea way o es how ar he players are prepared o push he boundaries o heir characers. Aer all, why would he game maser allow hem o find such a chamber i i was no acually mean o be opened! Good luck!
ABOUT CULTURES
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE
WEREWOLVES TEXT KENNETH HITE ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 1/2012
OF DACIA
“According to Strabo, the srcinal name o f the Dacians was Daoi. A tradition preserved by Hesychius informs us that daos was the Phrygian word for ‘wolf’.” – Mircea Eliade,
Zalmoxis: The Vanishing God
n an earlier Age o he world, win brohers were born, he heirs o a hrone. A usurper buried heir moher alive under he Earh and ordered hem killed, bu hey had been solen away by a kindly shepherd who le hem in he ores o hide. Tere, hey were suckled by he Wol Goddess, Luperca, who adoped he boys as her own. When hey grew o manhood, hey slew he usurper and reed heir people. Tey decided o build a ciy o heir own in yrrhenia, where he River iber was narrow enough o cross and wide enough o ravel on, on good ground ringed by seven hills. Bu during a quarrel over which hill o build on, one broher slew he oher in a fi o rage. I he murderer had prayed or orgiveness, and held games o honor his broher’s deah, he sory migh have urned ou differenly. Bu he did no such hing, and claimed he ci as his own, alone. Te murdered broher sank ino he Earh and cried ou o his moher or revenge. His oser-moher, Luperca, heard his call, and came. Luperca wrapped him in a wol skin and carried him o he gaes o Avernus, he Underworld, ruled by Orcus he
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o his eachings. For 54 years, he augh hem cerain secre ars, and he ways o war, and o venerae he Wol as heir own moher. He called hem “Daoi,” meaning “wolves,” and his counry Dacia. hen Zalmoxis decided o ake a bride. Bu no jus any bride; his wolfish naure became consumed and ascinaed wih Bendis, goddess o he Moon. Again, he called o his moher; again, she came. Ta day, Luperca huned he Moon, driving i ino he pah o he Sun and reezing i in an eclipse. Ten she leaped up and swallowed Bendis, bringing he goddess in her jaws o he cave o Bucegi, where her son Zalmoxis waied. Luperca old Zalmoxis o wai here or her reurn, and keep Bendis sae unil hen. Luperca ook he ring o sunligh rom around he moon’s shadow. For nine days, she smeled i ino whie gold, o make a Ring ha could bind he Moon orever in marriage, and give is wielder power over he Sun as well. Bu beore she could bring he Ring o her son, Zalmoxis’ wolish naure won ou and he ravished Bendis in he cavern beneah he Mounain o Kogaion. A ha momen, he
day and nigh, neiher rising nor seing, over Kogaion, unnerved hose who saw i a firs. Bu or cenuries, as Zalmoxis’ wolves warred among hemselves or primacy, he counries o men could orge ha he moon once rose and se. Te Dacian packs remained behind Isarnodur, he Iron Gae a he enrance o Dacia where he Danuvius runs swi. Te Greek ciies warred wih each oher, and wih Persia. Te Persians conquered he Eas, and hen Alexander conquered he Persians. He brough ogeher Greek philosophers and Persian magi, Babylonian asronomers and Hebrew sages, in his grea ci o Alexandriain-Egyp o calculae a way o resore he Moon, o find hins or repors o he Ring ha could ree Bendis and he world o men. During Alexander’s reign, he searched or he Ring in all corners o his empire. He died o poison beore he, or hey, could succeed. Ten, 54 years aer Alexander’s deah, hings changed again. Te curse o Zalmoxis, he wedding-gi o Luperca, began o spread. Over he Carpahian Mounains around Dacia, and Isarnodur, he moon sayed dark or 54 more years. Ten a sliver, hen a cres-
Devourer. She bough him passage he Underworld, and brough him a hrough housand miles away o a land ringed by mounains, norh o Trace. She promised him no jus a ci o his own, bu a whole counry, and she gave him a new name: Zalmoxis, rom he Tracian word meaning “animal skin.” He emerged rom a cave and he people o ha land worshipped him as a god and lisened
ullhree moondays. overWhen Kogaion urned blood rom red or he blood drained he moon’s ace, he moon sayed ull and brigh. I has been ull and brigh over Dacia ever since hen, or over 700 years. Te wolwarriors Zalmoxis had rained ook heir new besial orms and sayed in hem, undying lords o an endless nigh under a silver moon. Te sigh o he moon pinned in place boh
cen,and henwaery a hal,dayligh hen ull,showed all or 54 years, as gray isel while he sun crossed he sky. Farher ou, in he lands o Moesia and Dardania, and in he ciies o he Geae on he coas o he Black Sea, here was a greaer semblance o dayligh and he ull moon lased only 27 days. Sill arher ou, in a ring o grassland running hrough Pannonia and arcing all he way
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE eas o Sarmaia, he ull moon lased only is accusomed hree days, and only he arnish o he blue sky by day – and he unmoving, unseing moon – berayed anyhing amiss o he eye. Bu many sill sensed somehing o he maer, deep in heir bones and blood. Tose who bore any o he marks o he werewol, inside or ouside – born on he sevenh day, a single eyebrow, born under a birh caul, fingers o equal lengh, crossed he pah o a werewol, mark o he penagram on he hand or body, drunk rom a wol-prin or seen an Evil Eye, harboring wolfish houghs o greed and lus and hunger – became wolflike killers under he ull moon. Some changed shape, ohers grew heir ur on he inside and sayed cunning. All such killed, in renzy or in ambush or by sealh. When one in five, or even one in seven, people in a counry are cursed o become killers or 27 days – i rays he bonds o merchan and emple alike. Ciies ell o rio, hills o vendea. Pas he hree-day ring, as he ull moon over Isarnodur waned o gibbous, he effec worsened again 216 years ago, and spread. Now, he ull moon lass only eigh hours in Tessalonica, bu i recurs every hree days. In Pergamum and Dalmaia, he ull moon lass or barely an hour, bu recurs every eigh hours: hrice daily, a fih o he ci plos he deah o he res. In Ahens, he ull moon’s wol madness lass bu six minues, bu i reurns every hour. Te curse finally viiaes isel in Aquilea and Ancona, a he norh end o he Adriaic: every six minues, hose possessed o lycanhropy become murderous beass or or seconds. In such counries, civilizaion becomes impossible; packs o murderous cannibals prey on wandering amilies, or go mad wih eral hunger. Tey serve only Orcus, and no oher gods, hough hese Orcii ye ear he name Zalmoxis. hese are he lands o Umbraea, he lands o he Shadow.
“The martial ritual designation triumphed at the moment of the greatest political and military expansion of the kingdom. It was the triumph of the young ‘wolves.’ Julius Caesar had well realized the danger represented by this new military power, and he was preparing to attack the ‘wolves’ of the Danube when he was assassinated.” – Mircea Eliade, Zalmoxis:The Hidden God
Such have maers sood or cenuries. Te Ci on he iber waxed o rule all Ialy, hen waned as he moon over he Carpahians waxed. Carhage broke i, perhaps, wresing a vicory a Zama, a gi rom heir gods ed
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on holocauss o human sacrifice. Bands o Germani, driven souh by hordes o Orcii, sacked he Ciy. he grea soldier-consul Marius broke hem and pushed hem ou o Ialy, bu he damage was done. I he Ci had ever had a name, i los i hen: i became Urbis yrrhis, simply he Ci in yrrhenia. Is consuls ore he Ci apar hemselves in civil war, broher agains broher or iy years as he werewolves poured ou o Dacia and conquered Moesia and Pannonia and Sarmaia, Trace and Illyria and Noricum, under Burebisa, heir new grea king. Only Sparacus’ army o gladiaors, cuing heir way norh ou Ialy and ou o slavery, could or would sand and figh he Orcii and werewolves. And even hen, Sparacus was killed, and his Sparaci were le as men wihou allegiance, ranging across he Wes proecing he ree lands as bes hey can. Mihradaes o Ponus held he Dacians back in he Eas, wih mighy herbs and elixirs, and wih he powers o he magi and armies o Amazons behind him. Even Decaeneus, Burebisa’s sorcerer supreme, could no break Mihradaes’ cohors, ed as hey were on moly and garlic and wolvesbane. In he Wes, a new hrea arose as he moon came o ullness over Isarnodur. Cruach, a druid corruped by dark sudies, opened he way o he underworld Avernus in Gaul, whisled a horde o demons ou, and creaed his own Orcii loyal o his runes and geas. Only an army under he Ciy’s brillian consul Julius Caesar kep he Averni rom sacking he Ci in heir urn. He deeaed his rivals, unified he lands o he Ci, and raveled o Egyp o seek an alliance wih Alexander’s successors agains Dacia. Decaeneus, some say, is an avaar o Zalmoxis himsel, a shadow walking he upper world while his body says rapped in he mids o his rape o Bendis, searching or he Ring ha will ree him and gran him power over all he Earh. Wheher he or Burebisa ruly rule in Sarmizegeusa, he royal and holy ci o Dacia, is unknown o moral men. Burebisa commands he armies, bu Caesar and Mihradaes broke hose armies. Ten Decaeneus’ paid assassins slew he consul Caesar; his worm-ongued conspiraors berayed Mihradaes o an ambiious son. Bu Caesar and Mihradaes had held ou jus long enough. Te moon over Isarnodur begancould o wane, andheir onlyown hose werewolves who change skins hrough charms or power o blood could coun on he migh o Luperca in bale anywhere beyond he Carpahians.
and Umbraea. Tey wear braceles o cunningly chased gold, mined bymyrmidons in Hyperborea and wrough by Amazon wiches o channel wolfish houghs away. Tey carry silver-ipped spears and arrows, sovereign proo agains werewolves since Alexander’s day. Te riders o Alania are riven by clannishness and pride, bu welcome warriors rom all lands ino heir ranks – he Ci’s general Lucius Arorius Casus, exiled by heconsul Caracalla, has risen o high posiion among hem.
Caracalla has driven many good men ou o he Ciy wih his erraic ways and increasing paranoia. Te oher lords o he Wes – he consul o Hispania, he vergobre o Belgica, he ard rhi o Prydain – disrus his word and keep heir own armies close agains aack rom Avernus or he Ci.In he Eas, Caracalla has hrown he weigh o he Ci behind he solar cul o Helios-Ge-Baal, despie he clear insani o is heocra Bassianos, lord o Syria, who believes himsel o be a reincarnaion o Alexander and righul king o Egyp. Needless o say, he curren Polemy and Cleopara disagree orcibly; scholars rom he Ci find i harder o ge access o he Library in Alexandria as a resul. Ponus, Armenia, and he Amazons remain igh allies agains Dacia and he Ci alike; Carhage and he piraes oUmbraea wai like coursing hounds or he call rom Decaeneus. And ye here is reason o hope. In his, he 972nd year since he ounding o he Ci, he moon over Isarnodur urned dark. Only he mighies o werewolves can raven in he Carpahians and he coas; a way ino Dacia cracks open or he bold or he nex 54 years. Admiedly, here are sill he marches o Moesia or Dardania o pass hrough, or he monsrous ides and sorms o he Black Sea o weaher. (Te nearness o he moon makes he sea dangerous in any phase.) Tere are Burebisa’s human armies: conscrips and slaves o a hundred ribes, o be sure, bu a quarer million o hem sand guard even when no werewol waches. One canno simply walk ino Dacia. Bu a brave ellowship, wih a keen sraagem or he righ magical proecions, could srike ino Dacia and bring back vial knowledge – perhaps even a clue o he whereabous o he Ring. Indeed, every lead mus be ollowed up, every Dacian black codex sied or clues, every weak spo o he enemy desroyed now, say
he savans Alexandria. For ihe his opporuni passes,o hen in 219 years moon will once more shine ull over he Iron Gae. A ha ime, he curse o Zalmoxis will expand once again as i did beore. And he Ci will all orever, he Orcii flood across he lands he Alans, a Sarmaian ribe rom norh o Wes and Eas alike, and he world plunge o he Caucasus, rode wes and ino he seas ino a grea Dark Age, li only by an ever-ull, o grass in Pannonia, saking a claim o he hree-day bel beween he Dacian conquess ever-shining werewol moon.
WEREWOLVES OF DACIA
“The Vulture Cataphracts are commissioned to fly about the country and bring before the king any stranger they may find, so of course they arrested us and brought us before him. When he had looked us over and drawn his conclusions from our clothes, he said:
‘Then you are Greeks, are you, strangers?’ and when we assented, ‘Well, how did you get here, with so much air to cross?’ We told him all, and he began and told us about himself: that he too was a human being, Endymion by name, who had once been abducted from our country in his sleep, and on coming there had been made king of the land. He said that his country was the Moon that shines down on us .” – Lucian of Samosata, A True History(c. 150 A.D.)
In his age, he wars o men and werewolves hold he sage, wih he ravening Orcii rapped somewhere beween by heir cursed appeies. Bu here are oher beings in he world: ree-wighs in he grea alder oress o he Norh, sony ghilan in he desers o he Souh, myrmidons in Hyperborea and sirens in Libya. oo, soliary beass such as he phoenix, unicorn, basilisk, and kraken know much and speak some o ha o heir chosen – or aed – heroes. Bu hree oher races may ye have some par o play in hese affairs, and all seek he Ring or heir own ends. he irs such race are he Selenies, he inhabians o he Moon come o Earh when
blood. Teir bones and rames are ligh; he skilled among hem can fly on wind currens wih a careully held cape or spread oga. Rich and exaled Selenies wear glass clohing; he poor make do wih bronze or copper, worked like we pain by he Selenies’ ars. Teir armor is hardened, lacquered shells and husks o beans and nus hey grow sronger han seel; heir weapons are he sword, javelin, and lance. Tey brough down wih hem rom he Moon heir hree-headed vulure seeds, and heir fleas-o-burden larger han any elephan. When hey die, hey urn o smoke and flow upward o he Moon o dwell here as og. he Selenies seek he Ring o ree Bendis
Zalmoxis capured heir home andleaves held iand as. Tey are all and bald, wih earslike beauiul eyes hey deach rom heir sockes o seek ou beau and horror wherever hey find hem. Tey have a hollow abdomen insead o gus and somach, subsising only on liquids: dew or a preerence, bu hey will ase sronger suff. Some Selenies grow lusul or angry on Earhly wine, or hirs or human
and he Moon,For hanow, heyhey maylive reurn o heir lunar palaces. on mounain ops where he cold, hin air reminds hem o heir capive home. King Endymion keeps his cour aop he Alps; oher Selenie nobles rule along he Pyrenees, he Caucasus, and he Mounains o he Moon in ar Aehiopia. Te second race are he Fauns, blend o goa and man dwelling deep under he roos o
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ROLEPLAYING KENNETH HITE
TOP 5
Te Ring is somewhere ha nobody
Europe’s oress. Shor, hairy, and mercurial, he auns spend heir ime composing eerie musics and dancing in wild abandon. Fauns have horns and hooves, bu (excep when fighing or maes) figh wih axes, slings, and sickles. Tey are surprisingly srong and wiry, and agile ino he bargain.Some warlike auns have begun wearing Selenie armor; ohers wear cunningly ooled scale mail o leaher boiled hard. Tey know all he ars o every plan and herb, rom mandragora o dandelion o fly agaric, and are gied healers and warlocks. Any spell cas in song or scen,a aun firs made. Zalmoxis’ passage under he Earh drove many o hem above ground or he firs ime; ohers had lived long in he grea woods o Ialy, Germania, and Gaul. Tey command no kingdom o heir own, alhough some German ribes have inerbred so much wih auns ha, or example, he sons o he Quadi sand a head and a hal shorer han mos men, while men and women o he Andori spor delicae, curling blue horns. Te Fauns seek he Ring no or he moon buor he sun: wih is power, hey can grow heir plans in all weahers, and exend heir ores demesnes hroughou he wases, or even all across he world o men. Te hird race are lile-known and less seen. Tey dwel in he islands o Prydain when i was Albion, and even beore ha. Tey sill dwell in hose islands, in burrows and barrows under hills and behind horn hedges, harvesing heir weeds and srange ruis or heir eass. Tey can ea anyhing, bu preer heir own ood, cooked heir own way, wih heir own flavors. Tey drink heir ale and mead rom bell-shaped beakers, and inhale gums and incense in pipes. Despie heir love o such inoxicans, hey cannobe harmed by poisons o any kind, and canno become werewolves. Tey are called Coblyn, or Holbylan, words meaning “dwellers in holes” o he Brions and he Belgae. Tey are small, even smaller han some auns, and heir ee are covered wih scales like hose o snakes. Teir eyes are small and narrow, snakes’ eyes; heir arms are slighly oo long or heir size, and heir legs slighly oo shor. Some Holbylan pain or aoo hemselves wih woad, bu no maer how brighly pained, i a Holbylan wishes o hide i akes he eyes o a Selenie o find him. Teir scaled ee move uerly silenly over rock, earh, and oliage, and can cling o he mos unlikely spos in he walls
recognizes i: lying a merchan’s able in Gades, or inon he ear o a spoiled princess in Pera. I migh lie negleced in he corner o a burn-ou villa in Corinh, or si wedged on he finger o a eunuch slave in Capri. racing i involves looking or iny omens, and maybe or people he werewolves never seem o aack.
o a cave ruin. Teir weapons he shor bow, he or dagger, and he laria, are alhough hey do no go o war as a rule. In he hands o a Coblyn, any sone can become a dagger or an arrowhead, hough flin or obsidian is sill bes. Tey value seel bodkins, hough, and happily use hem i available. Te Holbylan seek he Ring as a rophy rom boh Sun and Moon; hey wish o use is magic o make
PLACES THE RING MIGHT BE
Where’s he Ring? Ta’s up o you. Bu here are some guesses ha migh be rue in your game.
A Dragon Hoard Alhough here are dragons in Libya and in Prydain, he Ring is surely in he hoard o he greaes dragon o all: Ladon, who guards he Golden Apples o he Wes and he Golden Fleece o he Eas. Ladon knows he secre places o he Earh, where uermos Eas and Wes mee. Tere, he keeps his greaes reasures, heaped up abou him. Should one disappear, ciies would burn as he searched or i.
Hyperborea Te ring is Apollo’s proper, as i was made rom he golden rim o his Sun’s chario wheel. He keeps i in his emple a he op o he world, guarded by griffins unil he can find ou how o resore his solen shard o his power.
India Everyhing else is in India: manicores, unicorns, people wih dog heads or aces in heir bellies, empires o elephans and valleys o jewels. Why no he Ring?
At the Bottom of the Sea Te Ring lies allen in he muck a he boom o he Black Sea. Or some oher sea. Or in he belly o Ceus, he grea Whale. Ge your Odyssey on; add merolk and Deep Ones.
My Pocketses
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hemselves compleely invisible rom boh. Ten hey can do as hey like in Prydain, no maer how he Brions here press and breed.
“Then Morgoth of Huan’s fate bethought long-rumoured, and in dark he wrought. Fierce hunger-haunted pack he had that in wolvish form and flesh were clad, but demon spirits dire did hold; and ever wild their voices rolled in cave and mountain where they housed and endless snarling echoes roused.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lay of Leithian
By now i should come as no surprise ha his seing is a riff on olkien’s Middle-Earh, warped hrough a classical sensibili wih a he helping o werewolves. As such, you should be able o play i using anyhing rom Legend o D&D o Te One Ring o Eon. Te only ricky par migh be adaping he various races: he Orcii can jus be orcs wih a splash o zombie, and he Holbylan a simple sew o halflings, kobolds, ieflings, and roglodyes depending on wha races you have o work wih. Te Selenies and he Fauns spli up he sandard el and dwar signifiers in raher differen ways, bu i shouldn’ be oo hard o sor ou. Mos Fauns have some sor o druid-like gis; mos Selenies can fly and deach heir eyes or “spy eye” clairvoyance. You may also wan o reverse he moon orienaion – I le “ull moon makes werewolves” because ha’s wha our modern myh demands, bu i almos seems more logical ha hey would flourish in he new moon, when Greek and Roman myh insised such dark magics worked. Te period o he ull moon (or whichever phase you selec) increases by cubes arher ino Dacia rom he Alans’ hree-day zone: Dacia proper will be under a ull moon or 157,464 years, and in he vaul where Zalmoxis and Bendis are rapped by his rape, he moon is “ull” or 3.9 quadrillion years! No wonder ime sopped. On he ouward side o Alania, he lengh o he ull moon period drops off by one-ninh each ime: 8 hours, hen 53 minues, hen 5.9 minues, hen 39.5 seconds. (I liked he eel o ha paern beer han wih cube roos, bu eel ree o change i i you value smooh curves more han I.) I you don’ have he Roman calendar conversion inpret your head, hea year is 219 A.D. Alhough i’s clearly naionalis produc raher han a purely archaeological one, I recommend Ion Grumeza’s hisory Dacia: Land of Transylvania: Cornerstone of Ancient Eastern Europe i you can find i or plen more on weird barbarians, Zalmoxis he Deahless God, and he grea and final war beween he wo sons o he wol.
BERNARD ÅKE ROSENIUS
From an idea by Krister Sundelin
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ROLEPLAYING THOMAS ALLVIN ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 1/2006
MASTER YOUR
STYLE
HOW TO IDENTIFY AND CONTROL YOUR GAMEMASTER STYLE TEXT THOMAS ALLVIN
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
A good way to develop yourself as a gamemaster is to id entify your own style. No two gamemasters are alike, they all have their unique way o f designing scenarios, describing settings and events, and steering the game forward. If you have been a GM for the same group o f players for a long period of time, they will have started to recognize your specific ”GMing Style”, and consequently form a number of assumptions about how the in-game reality works when you are at the helm.
SOME EXAMPLES Mos NPC’s are dishones and unreliable
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and always ry o rick or mislead he PC’s in differen ways. Te PC’s can shoo heir way hrough mos advenures, even non-acion scenarios based on deecive work or diplomaic inrigue, as long as hey are persisen or reckless, and have brough enough fire-power. All bad guys, no maer how evil, are acing raionally in pursui o well-defined objecives and are hus open or raional argumens, i only he PC’s can find he righ ones. Te PC’s never sar he advenure wih enough knowledge, and mus hereore sar by collecing inormaion and inelligence. As you can see rom hese random examples
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convenions and consisency permis a degree o pseudo-reali in an imaginary world.
I’s a disadvanage since he players can use heir knowledge o your sle o predic wha is going o happen in an advenure. Tey will soon learn which pe o NPC hey can rus, when a plo wis is o be expeced and ha heir arch enemy is waiing behind he double doors sraigh ahead, no behind any o he smaller doors on he side. By deecing he small signals ha you subconsciously emi during he game, he gamers will know when an acion scene is coming up, when i’s advisable o search a room or hidden objecs or when hey should look over heir shoulders. I’s similar o when a movie audience can hear rom he musical score ha he monser is abou o show up. Anoher consequence o cerain syles is ha hey migh promoe cerain behaviors ha are no very healhy in a longer-erm perspecive.
I’sGMing hereore quie o idenif your own sle. Tisuseul will make i possible or you, a chosen momens, o break your own convenions hus creaing more ineresing and unpredicable advenures; whils also fixing I’s an advanage since he GMing sle gives hose GM behaviors ha have an adverse effec he game world a cerain consisency ha ma- on he game as a whole. o illusrae, I will go kes i seem more real, allowing players o make hrough some common ways in which a specific assumpions how he seing works. Rules, GMing sle can influence he in-game reali.
here are almos an endless o ways or a GM o, consciously or number unconsciously, se his or her own mark on a gaming world. hese marks are boh an advanage and a disadvanage.
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MASTER YOUR STYLE DOCTOR LIVINGSTONE, I PRESUME?
a couple o exciing random evens prepared gamemasers hereore play heir NPC’s as o hrow a he players i he game ges boring. exremel y vigilan and suspicious. hese Anoher problem wih random evens can NPC’s are never ambushed, always double be ha he players simply don’ accep hem as check he PC’s bluff, rerain rom eaing or In movies movies, he plo is a imes driven such, bu insead assumes ha some exernal drinking anyhing offered by he srangers, orward by ”dramaically correc coinciden- orce is behind i all. Tis migh be more or less and always have a Magnum .45 wihin reach. likely depending on he genre. In genres such ces”. wo old acquainances bump ino each Tis approach will surely bring balance o he oher on he sree in a ciy o 10 million as comedies and classic advenures S( ar Wars, game, bu risks making he players irriaed. inhabians, he secre agen infilraes he Indiana Jones), where he individual evens Tey migh suspec he gamemaser o being enemy headquarers jus in ime o overhear and se pieces are more imporan han he unair, and here is limied un in designing a secre meeing, and he jedi learner crashes machinaions o he plo, he players (or he raps and cunning plans i enemies never his ship jus a ew hundred meers rom he audience) usually acceps more or less random walk ino hem. jedi maser’s condo. evens and coincidences. Bu here are oher he bes soluion is probably or he gaDoes ”dramaically correc coincidences” genres, or example hrillers and myseries, memaser o creae a simple sysem where where almos everyhing happens or a reaplay an imporan role in your scenarios? he or she can sele he maer wih a roll o Disregard he coincidence ha in many cases son, and where only a ool would believe in a dice; perhaps modified i he NPC has any ses he plo in moion: he PC’s are drinking coincidences. Examples rom he movie world specific reason o be suspicious, i more han beer a he inn jus when he mayor eners o would be Incepion and Te Marix. averagely supid or inelligen and depending search or ”a ew good men”, he PC’s happen I i’s no clear o everyone which kind o o he quali o he PC’s plan. o winess when he heir o he hrone is kid- genre your advenure belongs o, you can pu Anoher way o make he siuaion more napped ec. Te key quesion is i also he res your players in he righ mindse by sending ineresing is o make he dierence beo he plo is driven orward by hese kinds he appropriae signals a he beginning o ween success and ailure less disinc. Te o coincidences, or i i is mosly progresses he game. Saring he advenure wih a ran- PC’s may be able o lead he bad guys o he by he raional decisions o he PC’s and heir dom even, such as he mayor bumping ino abandoned warehouse, bu hey urn ou o adversaries. In oher words: will he PC’s ran- he characers or no apparen reason and be more heavily armed han he PC’s hough domly bump ino someone ha can ell hem giving hem a mission, hen you esablish a hey would be. Te PC’s migh convince he where he kidnappers are hiding ou, or will world where srange hings happen or no securiy guards ha hey are elecricians hey have o find heir own way here (while apparen reason. However, i he characers who need o ener he building o perorm he kidnappers ry o hrow hem off rack). pick up hins suggesing ha he mayor ac- mainenance, bu aer 15 minues he real I your scenarios are nohing bu a sequen- ually seleced hem very careully or his elecricians arrive and blow heir cover. ce o random evens ha you conjure up in ask, and jus preended o bump ino hem order o creae exiing acion and suspense, by chance, hen your players will learn no here is a risk ha he gamers sop behaving o believe in chance. in a raional way, a leas in a long-erm sraIn an advenure o he mos basic orma, he egic sense (hey migh sill behave raionally plo, aim and challenges are all clearly se ou in each separae siuaion). I he gamers rom he beginning. Te players know wha is know ha he main bad guy will sooner or expeced o hem, who he bad guys are and laer make a dramaic enrance, hey will where he hidden reasure is locaed. Many sop searching or him. On he oher hand, In he movie ”On her Majes’s Secre Service”, gamemasers find his o be a bi oo simple, i he advenure is only driven orward by a bored securi guard is siing a his desk and hereore creae several hidden layers he raional acions o he differen paries, when he elevaor suddenly chimes. When no hroughou he game. A riend urns ou o be hen here is he poenial ha he gameone comes ou rom he elevaor, he guard an enemy, he employer urns ou o be jus a play becomes a bi cold and serile. Aer all, walks over here o check wha’s going on, ron or someone else, reali urns ou o be your normal everyday lie is differen rom only o ge he elevaor door in his ace when nohing bu a digial simulaion, and so on. a game o chess, since your reali is affeced Bond jumps ou and swily deals wih him; a All his is very well, bu i somehing is by differen unexpeced evens ha happen sandard scene in any acion movie, o be sure, repeaed oen enough i becomes boring seemingly or no reason. bu would player characers have aced his and commonplace. I your scenarios always Raionally minded players migh also way? Mos would never have approached he have hidden layers, he players will spend ry o avoid risks hrough careul planning, elevaor wihou heir weapons ready. Maybe he firs hal o he game looking or hem. which o course akes away suspense and one o hem would have moved closer o he Tey will misrus every NPC hey encouner, drama. Anoher consequence migh be ha elevaor, while he ohers would have covered hey will search hrough each oher’s behe players accidenally choose he ”wrong” him or her wih heir guns. I’s difficul o longings, hey will never ollow insrucions way, away rom he advenure, hereby sus- cach he players by surprise, because hey exacly as given and hey will generally ac pending he suspense and drama by misake. always suspec he wors! paranoid. Tereore you should hrow in a
WELCOME TO THE NEXT LEVEL
I’VE BEEN E XPECTING YOU, MISTER BOND
o in PC’s concree long where would youpu le ihe sakeerms: ou a how building hey hink ha he erroriss will srike nex, according o a ip ha only you know is alse? Te soluion is o ry o find a middle road. he main plo o he advenure should in mos cases be driven orward by logic and he acions by he players and heir anagoniss, bu you should also make sure o have
how should he gamemaser heSoNPC’s? he guard’s behavior indirec he example above is quie realisic - no even a securi guard in he bad guy’s secre lair can expec a visi by Briish secre agens a every momen. In a roleplaying game here is a risk o unbalance i he PC’s can never be caugh wih heir pans down, ye all he NPC’s are unsuspecing and naive. Some
more sraighorward every now and hen o ”rese” he advenure player’s expecaions. Tis is a beer sraegy hen o ry o up he ane and make every advenure even more layered han he las one, since his will lead o exremely complicaed scenarios and conused players. he exac opposie is o course no o recommend eiher. I all aspecs o your
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ROLEPLAYING THOMAS ALLVIN advenures always are wha hey seem o be, hen he players will never pause or hough. Tey will never reflec on he ac ha hey were jus given wo differen accouns o he same even, ha he ”crime lord” hey are abou o whack looks a lo like an ordinary office worker wih hree kids, or simply ha everyhing jus seems oo nea. Insead, hey jus seam ahead, guns ablaze. Be wary o hese sympoms, and serve he players a balanced die!
RISKY BUSINESS
Mos PC’s would be classified as risk-prone by mos insurance companies. Ye some players seem o be exra willing o expose heir characers o unnecessary danger, especially i he alernaive would be o use he good ol’ brain. his migh be paricularly common wih more inexperienced players, bu also hose ha can’ seem o come up wih a beer plan or he momen. Are people disappearing rom he graveyard in he middle o he nigh? Well, hen one o us should go here in he middle o he nigh and check i ou. Is ha moon acually he Empire’s new space saion? I can’ believe our luck, load your weapons! Tis kind o player are always challenging or a gamemaser. You assumed ha he PC’s would sneak ino he or using sealh; however hey sorm up o he main gae. You hink he PC’s will run away when he migh Balrog appears; insead hey jus sand here wih a smug smile on heir aces and draw swords.
I you realize ha he game has been caugh in such a ”deah spiral” o suicidal shenanigans and lucky escapes, swi acion is needed. One suggesion is o inervene, and direcly communicae o he player ha ”Your characer realizes ha i would be suicide o conron he dragon armed only wih a rui knie. Maybe you should plan a bi more?” I you preer you could le a NPC deliver his harsh message. I his doesn’ help, you should consider killing off he PC’s once, hopeully making heir successors more careul.
ORDINARY WORLD How is he ordinary, common reali in your world presened? How much in-game ime is spen on more or less colloquial asks? When he PC’s ge up in he morning, are you jus noing ha hey probably have breakas or do hey have o play ou going down o 7-11 o buy coffee and bagels? Or is no one hinking abou breakas a all because a squad o sormroopers has already breached he airlock and he PC’s are making heir way o he escape pod?
Genre is o course o imporan. I he ocus is on acion and heroics, long discussions wih cusoms bureaucras and deailed visis o he AM would jus slow everyhing down. Bu in more realisic games, hese hings could help anchor he world or maybe (i so desired) insill he eeling ha he characers are small, ordinary people se agains a powerul sysem. However many So, where does he GM sle fi ino his? gamemasers are unable o modif heir stle Well, in he same way ha ”sociey” can o sui genre. For example, in games haake be blamed or youh crime and unsocial place in presen ime (or in oher modern sebehavior, he gamemaser can be parially ings, like Cyperpunk), i migh be exremely blamed or PC’s wih suicidal endencies. Te imporan o know i he PC’s have licenses process works like his: roleplaying games are or heir heavy weaponry or no - wha i essenially abou exciing advenures where hey ge checked by he police? You should danger is always near, so i’s only a maer hink careully abou how presen ordinary lie is in your game, and i i acually fis o o ime unil a PC does somehing more or he genre. less reckless. he quesion is i he player
has o pay a price or his recklessness? Mos gamemasers would hesiae in killing off a whole group o PC’s even i his would be he resul o a correc consequence o heir acions. Creaing new PC’s always akes ime, and maybe he whole campaign has o be scrapped because o he resul, so why no le he players ge off easy? Maybe he Deah Sar is currenly evacuaed due o a fire drill? Tei problem his soluion o course ha rewards wih careless behavior,ishereby generaing more o i. I he PC’s always make i ou unharmed rom he mos difficul siuaions hey will never sop and hink beore conroning danger he nex ime. Aer all, i’s a lo o work o find inormaion abou he srengh and number o he enemies, so why do i i i doesn’ affec he oucome?
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TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN A gaming session consanly changes imescale. Depending on how ineresing a cerain par o he game is, he descripion o evens may become more or less deailed. Someimes you use a very rough ime-scale couple o monhs passes...”), someimes(”A real ime (or example during dialogues beween PC’s and NPC’s), or even more deailed or comba ime. Tese changes ake place on he mea level o he game, which means ha he players are aware o i bu no heir characers. In mos cases he swich rom one scale o anoher is unimporan and don’ cause
MASTER YOUR STYLE any problems, bu someimes hey migh give away he inenions o he gamemaser. Suppose ha you normally describe a rip rom poin A o B by saying ”Ok, you ake a cab o he airpor”, bu his ime you describe every urn he cab makes and also how he people on he sidewalk look. Te players will immediaely be alarmed by his new imescale, since i seems o sugges ha somehing dramaic will happen beween A and B. Tis is o course no good i your inenion is o cach he players by surprise. Wha can be done o reci his? Tere are wo obvious soluions, neiher o hem perec. Te firs is o use a deailed ime-scale all he ime. Ten he players will regard he deailed ime-scale as he normal sae o being. Te problem is o course ha a lo o game ime will be spen on unnecessary and boring suff. Te second is o make he swich-over so abrup ha he players don’ have a chance o reac. Wih his mehod case he players will be surprised, bu on he oher hand hey won’ have any chance o affec he siuaion, which will make hem eel helpless. I is also less elegan soryelling-wise.
I’M NOT PARANOID, I’M HOLISTIC
DIAL M FOR MURDER
or srange. In he similar way you can siuacreae ension in ordinary and non-evenul ions by asking small quesions such as: ”By he way, are you carrying any weapons?” or ”Are you sill sanding by he door or are you urher inside he room?” Quesions ha seem o sugges ha he game a any ime could swich o a very deailed scale, such as 2x2 meer squares and 5 second ime-segmens.
acionasha in he real would have been seen desperae, i world no psychoic, became very raional. For hese and oher reasons i’s always a good hing o make he world ha he PC’s encouner a bi larger han he curren scenario. Tere should always be persons, evens and hings ha do no belong o he advenure in quesion.
o how o signal oher such as horror or diplomacy, should begenres, conemplaed. A sel-aware gamemaser can idenif many oher GM sles han he ones described here. Te rick is no o blame derailed, ailed or boring sessions single-handedly on he players, bu o consider how your own GM sle made he players behave as hey did. Tis isa healhy exercise or boh new and experienced gamemaser s.
Aer a series o acion scenarios you decide o creae a deecive sle advenure or your Do your scenarios usually conain elemens players. Te problem is ha he players are no or side-racks ha are no relaed o he aware o his change o genre, so insead o caremain plo? Or is everyhing ha happens ully examining he dead body and he murder in some way or anoher conneced o he scene, hen inerrogaing possible winesses, main ques? hey roam around aimlessly wih weapons in Mos movies are consruced according o heir hands, waiing or he enemy o aack. he laer model. Characers and evens ha Consequenly, he advenure grinds o a hal. eaure briefly in he beginning o he movie How do you avoid his? I migh eel a bi oralways urn ou o be criically imporan ced o acually ell he players ”Tis will bea deo he sory laer on. I he camera lingers ecive sory, so keep your eyes open!” Insead, enderly on a power-ool during he opening you can use he beginning o he advenure o sho, you can be sure ha Seven Seagal will send he righ signals, hereby esablishing he use i laer o bash bad guys ino a pulpy genre. You could describe very careully wha mush. Movies work ha way parially since every NPC is wearing, ouline every room in hey are limied o a couple o hours. Tere deail and describe exacly wha people are is no ime o wase on hings ha are no saying and how hey are saying i. Don’ do i relevan o he main plo, and less relevan casually, bu wih emphasis. Say hings like scenes usually end up on he cuing room ”On he way in, you noice ha he window floor. acing he yard is closed, bu no locked rom Many gamemasers hink along he same he inside so i could probably be opened rom lines. Why spend ime preparing and seing he ouside”. Tese kinds o descripions signal up hings, characers and evens ha are no o he players ha hey have o have an eye or imporan or he advenure? deails o succeed wih his advenure. Well, one good reason is ha he players One example: I once led an advenure where GM: ”You are all on a train from Berlin to Rome, are more sel-aware han movie characers. he PC’s were searching or an agen ha had and you recently passed Geneva. Blam! The Seven Seagal migh look longingly a he vanished. Tey alked o differen NPC’s abou cabin door is forced open and three SS soldiers power-ool in he inroducory scene, bu he wha had ranspired during he laes couple is no ye aware ha he will be using i o kill o days. One o hese persons was acually a runs inside...! evil erroriss laer. Seven is jus on vacaion raior, and hereore gave an erroneous verPlayers: ”Eh... what cabin door? Aren’t we in sion o evens o cover his crimes. Tis wasn’ wih his niece, righ? Bu he players know. Tey are jus waiing immediaely obvious, bu would become clear the restaurant cart? Is it night or day?” or he plo o kick ino acion and he pieces i you compared he differen accouns, especiA beer mehod is o swich o a deailed ime- o he puzzle o sar alling ino place. And ally he ime designaions or differen evens. scale in advance so ha he players’ iniial i your mind works as a movie direcor’s, Te problem was ha he players didn’ ake suspicious are deerred. A good rick is o he players will assume ha all he pieces any deailed noes o he conversaions, profirs inroduce some oher elemen ha jus- belong o he same puzzle. Exacly how hey bably waiing or he shooou o sar. Neiher ifies more deailed soryelling. Maybe he fi ogeher will probably become apparen did hey ry o reconsruc he evens o he PC’s bump ino an ineresing NPC, receives laer, or come o hink o i: i’s no even ha previous days. his could be prevened by a elegram or noices a newspaper aricle o imporan. Tis is basically he world-view signaling a an early sage ha ime designaions were imporan, or by sressing he way ineres. Once you have esablished ime and o a conspiracy heoris, and could lead o he NPCs were acing during heir accouns. space in a deailed scale you can go ahead and an irraional and someimes unorunae launch he acion. behavior. I you wan o swich genres o a more acion Don’ orge ha you can bluff and use a An acual play example o his is when oriened advenure, you could jus hrow he players, who couldn’ figure ou exacly who PC’s ino an inense acion scene ha makes deailed ime-scale as an amospheric seing was behind a series o aacks agains hem, any analyical hough process impossible. I device. By describing a rouine siuaion in simply kidnapped and inerrogaed one o ha doesn’ fi, you could ry a ”briefing room every deail you can make he players si a he many myserious characers ha hey had scene”, where an auhoriarian NPC explains he edge o heir seas. Tis is a good mehod encounered earlier. Tey were accusomed he siuaion and wha needs o be done. Tese i he players seem a bi oo relaxed. You will creae suspense wihou acually elling o a world where everyhing and everyone is are commonplace in acion movies, and can hem anyhing ha is he leas hreaening conneced o he main plo. In ha conex, an uncion as ”poiners” o he gamers. Mehods
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ROLEPLAYING ÅSA ROOS
WRITE YOUR OWN
ADVENTURES This article describes the way I write adventures, and what methods I use. I don’t mean I use them every time, or that all of the adventures are derived from the same template, but rather that I keep these methods in the back of my mind, and return to them should I get stuck, or if I’m going to write for someone other than myself. Every tool that works is a good tool.
TEXT ÅSA ROOS ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
SYNOPSIS Synopsis is an English word, meaning summary. Wriing a synopsis is a good hing, or several reasons. I gives a clear picure o he advenure’s plo, a disinc plan or wha scenes I am going o wrie, which game maser characers ha are imporan o he advenure, and all hings necessary o drive he sory orward. • What is the catch? Wha is i ha draws he main characers ino he sory? Wha is i ha makes hem wan o explore my advenure? I I do no know his, moivaing he players migh prove difficul. • Is all the information there? I do no wrie ”Discovering he secre causes hem o lose all aih in he Swedish judiciary sysem”.Obviously, he secre
is imporan, so I will include i in he synopsis. • Write from beginning to end.
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 6/2010 EXTENDED WITH MATERIAL FROM THE AUTHOR’S BLOG DISCORDIA.SE 72
All he imporan scenes: conronaion, climax, andinroducion, ending have o be included. Tis means I mus know where I wan my advenure o go, beore I wrie i. O course he advenure may change during play, bu i I don’ know roughly how i is going o end, or why i is going o end his way, i could make i hard or me o srucure he scenes.
When wriing, I almos always use quesions as my saring poin. Tis orces me o hink, and someimes he answers give me unexpeced plo wiss. Who are he main characers? Are hey player characers, or a game maser’s characer? Who does he sory revolve around? Keep in mind ha i is no necessarily he main characers ha need o be ocused on. Maybe hey have simply been hired o ge rid o someone, or perhaps he lead role is played by a place, or an objec? Wha defines he game maser characers? Are hey heading owards heir doom? Are hey looking or somehing? Is here an obsacle hey mus overcome? Wha is he driving orce or player characers? Wha is he driving orce or he person ha he sory revolves around (i his is someone oher han player characers)? Wha do he player characers have o gain? Or o lose? How will his aec he world around hem? Is here a secondary soryline, or urher moives amongs he characers? I so, wha are hey? Wha is he dramaic peak o he main soryline? Does a sword have o be broken? Does he dragon have o be slain? Will he shrewd criminal be pu o jusice, and conviced or he crimes he or she commied?
ROLEPLAYING ÅSA ROOS Wha do he player and game maser characers wan o achieve? Wha basic needs do hey wan o sais? I you have several main characers his is a grea opporuni o find ou how heir differen reasons inerwine, and works or or agains hese characers. Do he characers have personal driving orces? And how do hese orces push he sory orward? Tis is an imporan poin. Wihou a sequence o evens, he advenure will no eel relevan. Keep in mind ha his is no necessarily abou a physical developmen, i migh also be abou emoional developmen. A wha poin do he player characers or he main characers ace a crucial decision? When reaching he climax o he sory, a crucial decision ha changes he game maser or game maser characer is oen required. Wha decision mus your player characer or main characer make?
OPEN, OR LINEAR ADVENTURES Wha is an open advenure? I define an open advenure as a scenario which allows he players hemselves o choose where in he world hey wan o go, based on he inormaion provided by game maser, and he inormaion in heir characer shee. I means ha he players aren’ locked o a fixed sequence o evens ha he players canno preven. Tey do no always have o go o a cerain place, o acivae he nex even in he advenure.
A linear scenario on he oher hand, conains a number o scenes ha has o be presened in a cerain order o ensure ha he advenure works all he way, and o make sure evens ha are supposed o happen, acually happens.
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Te game maser needs maerial o work wih. Tis may prove demanding o a wrier who wans o give players and game masers a good open advenure. For example, looking a Te Armiage Files, an advenure rom Pelgrane Press, which by my definiion is an open advenure, here is abou five imes as much wrien maerial i compared o one o he very linear advenures in Hard Helix. Te ime aspec. An open advenure may be hard o ime, and could drag ou. Especially i he players have no clear goals.
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Te players may eel ha here is a lack o objecive o heir acions. Since hey have he power o go where hey wan, hey may also find hemselves los. Tey are no being guided owards heir goal, as hey hemselves decide wha ha goal is.
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o experience a new place, be a par o a sory hey have never been a par o beore. o be someone hey can no be hemselves.
o perorm acs hey could never oherwise perorm. o eel able and inelligen, and o be in conrol o he advenure.
THE ADVENTURE IS THE MECHANICS
OPEN ADVENTURES
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Tere are oher reasons or role playing han I leave i up o you o decide which manner o hese – or example having un or socializing wriing is he bes, bu keep your arge group wih riends – and as a game maser i is my in mind. I he game is aimed a beginners, job o consider he needs o all my players i migh be easier or hem o play a linear adven-as I wrie he advenure. When I wrie or ure, as hey receive guidance on heir acions. ohers, hese are generally he our poins I A more experienced group will probably wan ry o observe. o ake conrol o heir gaming experience Mos media, such as film, books, heare and shape i by heir own preerences, hus and V-series, are o course able o bring heir an open advenure will sui hem beer. audience o places hey have never seen beI personally ry o sick o a hybrid o he ore, bu only a ew are able o ulfill he laer wo, which can be hard enough as i oen me- wo poins; amusemen parks, masquerades, ans ha he volume o ex grows rapidly. A live acion role playing games, compuer gahe same ime I am a game maser who likes mes, and o course role playing games. I I as o improvise my sories, and I enjoy leing a wrier can realize hese hings, I have succeehe players run airly ree. I is usually more ded. How well I do i dependson he elemens un or boh game maser and players, when I add. I can share my philosophies and poliicreaing an advenure ogeher. cal views, I can shock he players, and console hem, I can challenge hem, and heir curiosi. Bu i is he our poin above ha gives me, as an auhor o advenures, he abili o mesmerize he players wih my sories.
In cerain conexs and role playing games, mechanics and sory are so close ha he mechanics are adaped solely o ell a cerain kind o sory, or even jus one specific sory. Te purpose o using mechanics so closely aached o a sory is mos ohe ime ha he creaor o he game means o give he players Benefits a specific experience. Ampliing he gaming An open advenure provides he players experience in his manner can provide really wih he opion o go where hey choose, inense, and special, gaming sessions. Bu i ac as hey wan, and play wih locaions, limis he pe o sory ha can be old. Te evens and game maser characers In more you aach mechanics o he sory, he brie, an open advenure gives he playless lexible i becomes, bu also beer a ers a lo o agency, he abili o conrol conveying ha which i was mean o. wha hey wan o experience. In order o make an advenure wih inegraed game mechanics, i is imporan o really An open advenure is enjoyable or he experienced game maser, who likes o im- figure ou which mechanics ha work wih provise, and make he advenure heir own. he sory, and makes i sronger. Should here
Drawbacks.
how i affecs hem. As a wrier, I aspire o amuse my audience (and i i is no your preerence, you migh wan o reconsider), and mos o he ime, he hings my players wan are he ollowing:
THEME I believe ha a sory should have an overall heme in order o keep ogeher. Wha is my advenure abou? Good versus evil? Is his enough? Do I wan o engage my players? I so, I ry o give hem a heme hey undersand and are ineresed in. I ry no o give in o he empaion o using old clichés. I oen work a finding new sories, or a leas new akes on old sories. Do we really need more advenures ha begin a an inn? A quesion I oen use when wriing is ”can he opposie also be rue?” – meaning ha i he players are going o rescue he princess and kill he dragon (a cliché in isel) I will ask mysel i hey should ry o rescue he dragon and kill he princess insead. Tus
be ahe game areorevens a less you Do rulesmaser? lead heHow game, do heacivaed? players? creaing are wriing youpredicable can choosesory. o useWhen poliics, war, or jealousy as your heme, he opions are endless. ry o find a heme ha engages you personally, his way, you will probably find your way o a sory ha affecs no only you, bu your players oo. Choosing hemes My bigges challenge is o creae somehing will no affec how you ell your sory, bu i ha my inended audience cares abou, and ses he guiding principle.
CREATING SOMETHING THAT THE PLAYERS CARE ABOUT
WRITE YOUR OWN ADVENTURES MOOD
SCENES
When you’ve creaed a heme ha works, i is ime o se he mood. I could be easy going and humorous, or dark and erriing. Te key o seing he mood in a scenario is being consisen all he way hrough. Breaking a horror mood by means o a joke is almos cerainly a guaranee ha he res o he game will no be paricularly righul.
An advenure usually consiss o a number o scenes. All hese scenes creae he sequence o evens. A sequence o evens does no move randomly rom scene o scene. Every sory has dieren acs. A beginning, a middle and an end. I is imporan o find he common hread or all hese scenes, o creae a coheren sory. Limiing he amoun o scenes in an advenure will also make i easier or you as he auhor, o concenrae on he hings ha An advenure akes place in a limied amoun are imporan in order o push your sory o ime. I could be as lile as a day, or even orward. a ew hours. Te poin is ha he advenure An advenure ha ocuses on he mos esis limied o he ime i akes o play ou he senial scenes will also be a more energeic scenes i conains. advenure.
TIME
LOCATIONS
What is a scene?
For pracical reasons i is hard o le he player characers move over more han a limied amoun o locaions in a given advenure. I no because i will generae oo large amouns o ex in he advenure. Exploring each locaion also consumes he players ime, and every new locaion akes ocus rom he sory and he advenure. Tereore i is reasonable o limi he amoun o locaions ha he players are able o visi. Having less locaions will also make advenure more concenraed. Where is he place? Is i accessible? Could you walk down he sree and ener hrough he doors, or would you have o go hrough a dangerous labyrinh o ge o he righ place? Defining he locaion o a place in relaion o he players and he res o he world can be a wise hing o do. Wha is he name o he place? I I am looking o creae associaions I can name my place ”lonely poin”, ”sunny glade”, and so on, his is no going o work in every conex, bu i could be worh considering. Even i he real name o he place is ”15 Lake Sree” here may sill be a local name such as ”hauned house”. Depending o course, on he mood I wan o se. Wha knowledge does he place conain? Is here somehing abou his place ha he player characers need o discover, like a dimensional gae ha les hem ravel rom he hell hey were sen o by a demon? Or is
A scene is a sequence o evens ha akes place in a paricular locaion. For example, hink abou how a v-series srucures i’s scenes. Beween he scenes here are cus, and when a cu occurs we know i is ime or a new scene.
i abou a laboraory ha reveals he mad scienis has planned or hewha people he kidnapped rom he village? Are hese clues o solving a serial killer mysery? I is sensible make a bulleed lis o all he hings he players are abou o learn or ind ou, and add i o he locaion descripion. Ten I will be aware o wha I need o convey o my players.
he I myiscene alsoscene. know wha leadshas o. a purpose, I will Is he purpose o make he player characers curios abou he enchaned cave? Or are hey supposed o find he sacrificial dagger, which makes i possible or hem o kill he monser? Are hey mean o find he agen’s pre-booked airplane ickes o he caribbean, or he drugs aboard he cessna?
GAME MASTER CHARACTERS Jus like player characers, i is imporan ha a game maser characer ha plays a big par in he advenure, has a purpose o his or her presence. Why is his paricular game maser characer here? Is he or she he anagonis? A helpul deecive? Wha does he or she wan? Wha is heir goal? ake over he world? In wha way? How is he or she going o do i? Geing he players o conjure up inormaion rom he game maser’s characers does no have o be easy, neiher does i have o be a railway wih scene aer scene where he player characers ind all he answers hey need. Tey may have o sruggle a bi in order o ge heir hands on he inormaion hey desire. I may well be ha he game maser characers has somehing o hide rom player characers, somehing hey may require o solve he riddle o he advenure. Geing a grudging game maser characer o share inormaion hey wish o keep o hemselves can be ricky enough.
CONFLICTS
Te core o every sory is conflic. Noe ha How do I construct scenes? conlic is no synonymous wih violence. Te firs hing I do is name he scene. I he Te hrea o a break up, or a relaionship in name les me know wha he scene is abou, pieces could be as ineresing as wo solar i will make i easier or me in a laer sage, sysems a war wih each oher. o swich he scenes wihou having o read Wihou conflic here is no drama. Conhrough hem, or even cuing he ones ha lics exis o be overcome wih srengh, I don’ need. inelligence or willpower. Obsacles can show Te second hing ha I do is sum up he up anywhere, during conversaion, in ime, scene. I will oen wrie my scenes down on in he orm o raps or orresses ha he pos-is or index cards, in order o be able o players mus ener. play around wih order, srucure and so on. When you creae obsacles, ry o hink in I will wrie wha game maser characers ha wider erms. An obsacle is no necessarily a are in a scene, wha handous I will creae physical hing. or he scene, and in wha locaion he scene akes place. I do his in order o prepare or he wriing. Knowing wha I need o wrie will make i Climax is wha he players should be anicieasier o pace ou he advenure. I I am no paing during he whole ime playing. Tis is going o wrie down he advenure or ohers where hey have he opporuni o bea he o read, I usually sele or he synopsis, he bad guy, expose he conspiracy and marry res I can keep in my head; bu knowing he princess. Te climax should exceed all wha game maser characers are presen, he oher pinnacles o he advenure. he locaions and he handous, will make i he resoluion is wha comes aer he easier o run he game. climax. Tis is where he player characers I also used o wrie down he purpose o claim heir rewards, or ge hrown in prison,
CLIMAX AND RESOLUTION
depending on whapassed. he characers did and how he advenure
THE GOAL Te goal, which in many ways can be equivalen o he heme, is he acual purpose o he advenure, raher han he common hread ha runs hrough i.
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ROLEPLAYING ÅSA ROOS
Creating an Adventure using Tarot cards (or Harrow cards): •
•
•
• •
•
Card 1 is the villain or the villain’s motivation. This card answers who the villain is. Card 2 is the goal of the villain. What is the villain hoping to accomplish? Card 3 is the hook. What brings the heroes in to the adventure? Card 4 is where the adventure is located. Card 5 and after are the henchmen. You can draw more than one card to represent them. Perhaps the first is the right hand person of the villain, and the second the henchmen? The last card is the twist! What happens to the adventure if “what if?” is introduced. This card represents an unexpected turn of events.
Lay the cards out on the table and interpret them. The meaning of the cards will most likely give you some basic idea of the adventure that you can use to write your scenario.
TOOLS TO TELL A STORY …or perhaps i should be more like“ools o ge ideas or sories” . I’ve wrien 51 advenures or my 20.000 characers projec so ar. I ollows ha running ou o ideas isn’ ha srange, righ? One o he hings I love wih being creaive wih more han jus pen and paper however is he ac ha he more suff one does, he more ideas one ges. I’ve acually noed a decline in my idea generaion speed due o he ac ha I’m no longer acively phoographing or drawing, or or ha maer making jewelry. his means ha occasionally I need o jump sar my brain wih ools and iems ha may seem unconvenional – or perhaps ha’s jus me hinking I’m an ou o he box hinker. I migh very well be inside he box. Or on he lid.
cubes are a bi limied – especially he sory cubes wih acions, so hey’re no in any way he perec way o wrie a sory. Besides, hey don’ give ha much in he way o suppor bu I have used hem once o spark an advenure.
Tarot cards I love me some aro cards! I have wo goo ses and one game se o aro cards ha I use or inspiraion. Zombie aro is un and inspiring or horror games. he housewives’ aro is awesome in is bichiness and he Mage aro is creaed based on he Whie Wol game Mage he Ascension.
Rory’s Sory Cubes – in any version – is a se
Te las deck also deails ways o use he aro deck as a soryelling ool. For characer creaion a linear spread o hree cards is recommended. Each card represens a possible aspec o he characer depending on he card’s conens. Te same mehod can be used or any aro card se or role-playing game. Te meaning o he cards can be very inspiring. I’ve used his o make boh NPC’s and characers and i does open up he mind. A spread o cards can also be used o creae
o nine six-sided dice have been replaced by where images.he Tenumbers “game” is simple. Roll he dice and connec he images o ell a sory. Wih a bi o pracice his works or advenures oo. Te main difference is o hink synopsis insead o ully fledged sory, and o angle he sory, or basis or a sory, owards he advenure/ role-playing game you wan o wrie or. Unorunaely he sory
a synopsis or he saror o an advenure. As wih he linear spread characer creaion, a celic cross or circular spread can be used as basis or he advenure. Query or he queried card is he saring poin o any spread. In his version i can represen he proagonis or anagonis o he advenure. Te ollowing cards – in whichever spread you decide o use, can help you
Rory’s Story Cubes and Rory’s Action Cubes
76
decide he conens o your advenure. Jus as wih Rory’s Sory Cubes is a bi ouch and go, bu he aro cards are a bi more deailed han he sory cubes and hey do spark a ew more ideas. Paizo have published a Harrow deck ha can be used in Pahfinder. I find i inspiring jus o look a, and i can be used o se up advenures. TeHarrow deck has i’s own rules o divinaion, bu I use he same spread as aros because ha’s wha I’m used o reading.
Surrealist games I’m no kidding, he Surrealiss were on o somehing. Tey hough so ar ou o he box, I’m no even sure here was a box o begin wih. Auomaic wriing, sream o consciousness, exquisie corpse ec. Tese games really scramble your brain and can be surprisingly revealing. Sream o consciousness works bes or me. Pen and paper and wriing down everyhing – and I mean everyhing ha comes o mind. Tis does however require a bi o filering aerwards. In general, surrealis games are good when you need o make unexpeced connecions. Respec he whimsy. I can be he one hing sanding beween you and your bes advenure ever. Plot Twist Cards Also a Paizo deck, bu hese are inended or play. I use hem o make my advenures more ineresing by adding – a da! – wiss. Someimes he role-playing games also have advenure generaors ha you can use o creae advenures, or a leas ways ha he game maser can use o consruc advenures. Solomon Kaneand Mouse Guard are jus wo RPGs ha are very clear in heir insrucions as o how advenures can or should be consruced. For Mouse Guard , using he rules o consrucion, he advenures pracically wrie hemselves. Luke Crane is a brillian designer rom ha perspecive.
Documentaries and fact books Tis is pret obvious isn’ i? Reading ac books and waching acually works pret well ordocumenaries geing ideas abou boh real world poliics, religion and oher areas. Conspiracy heoriss wrie very ineresing rom he perspecive ha hey are oen very ou here. I recommend books rom Disinormaion since hey are well researched, well wrien and coheren, which is no always he case wih conspiracies.
BERNARD ÅKE ROSENIUS
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ROLEPLAYING MÅNS DANNEMAN
LOVESONGS FOR ON THE ART OF USING MUSIC IN ROLE PLAYING GAMES
LAMBCHOPS
TEXT MÅNS DANNEMAN ILLUSTRATION MAGNUS FALLGREN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 1/2014 78
WHEN THE LAMBS ARE SILENT
DARWIN DANCES AND SINGS
I wached Te Silence o he Lambs in secre, wih no sound. I was no as scary as everyone old me! Years laer I realized wha i had done wrong. Music plays an obvious role in movies, bu no as obvious in role playing games. o roleplay is o ell, and experience sories in he company o ohers. o eel more o cerain eelings, o experience hings we never could, or wan, in ”real” lie. We wach horror movies in order o ge scared wihou having o deal wih psychoic cannibals. Or maybe we wach comedies o laugh a bi exra, wihou having o wake up in Las Vegas wih a hangover, nex o Mike yson’s iger. Te sronger emoions he soryelling riggers, he more exciing i ges (up o a poin, when i comes o unpleasan eelings). We probably won’
We seem o have an inheried abili o reac o sound, song, and music. Some evoluion heoreics alledges ha song and music have have played he par o he peacocks ail eahers, when i comes o sexual selecion in humans, and ha song may even have unied social bonds, and made hem sronger. Disored sounds have been shown o remind us o he warning calls o animals, and he screams o children ha riggers he body’s sysems or figh or fligh. An example is he screaming srings in HichcocksPsycho. Very dull sounds can have a similar effec, maybe since hey are similar o he sounds o predaors. Te characerisic ”dum-dumdum-dum” in Jaws is a classic example on how o pu his o use. Noe also ha he
finish remember a movie orrole a book ha doesn’oraffec us in any way. In playing games, he sory, he chain o evens, and he characers hemselves evoke emoion, bu here are ways o ampliy hese emoions. Tis aricle aims o spice up your houghs and ideas on how o creae and ampli emoions in role playing games, using music. So, how do you make your lambs scream?
aser o pace could be reminding o he aser pulse a hear. However, birds chirping, waves rolling and slow, seady-paced sounds oen has a relaxing effec. Te heory is ha hroughou hisory hese sounds have indicaed ha no predaors are around. Man has, accordingly, inae endencies o reac o sound, and you as he game maser can use his.
LOVESONGS FOR LAMBCHOPS
PLUTCHNIK’S ”WHEEL OF EMOTIONS”
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ROLEPLAYING MÅNS DANNEMAN
PAVLOV’S BELLS
his echnique is called ”leimoi” and is used or insance by John Williams in he Sar Wars-movies, and by Wagner in Der Ring des Nibelungen. I you are playul, he players can choose he leimoi o heir characers hemselves. Perhaps one or ranquil siuaions, and one or momens wih more acion. I is mainly I emoions can be conneced o a cerain he creaivi and he imaginaion ha pus song, we can use i in a varie o ways. We limis o how you connec music o specific can use music ha has a previous connecion memories in he role playing. o a movie or a game. For example, lisen o how music rom previous blockbusers are used in railers or new movies (in he Wachmen railer or insance, he end is he beginning is he end, rom Baman and Robin by he Smashing Pumpkins is used). Who hears he music, and wha is i’s uncTus, you can pick music rom movies your ion? Is i an inro/hemesong, an underscore players have seen. I recommend, however, or sourcemusic? Noe ha all o hese can ha you avoid music so amous ha your be a leimoi. Te hemesong can mark he players can name he movies ha hey are beginning and he end o a gaming meeing, rom. You wan he eeling ha is conneced or ha a par o a scenario has been played o he music, via he movie, wihou hem ou. his ses he mood or a scenario or remembering and hinking abou ha movie. campaign. Background music is no heard by No only do you need o rely on previous he characers and is here o ampli moods I can oen (depending on your game mase- associaions, bu you can also creae new and emoions. Using insrumenal music, or ring sle) be useul o hink o wha emoion connecions o siuaions, evens, places, music wih no clear lyrics, is oen easier, as you wan o convey o your players. Te emo- characers and so on, in he role playing i does no inerrup he dialogue and he role ion is made up rom all he impressions ha game. Repeaing may be needed in order o playing in he room. are described o he players, and rom wha achieve his. Connecing a song o somehing A difference o he specially wrien pieces hey experience in he space (sigh, hearing, may serve as a shorcu o an emoion and in he movies, is ha you may wan o use ase, and acile eeling, or example hrough memories ha you creaed previously. Te hem over and over again. Keep music in he skin). descripions o characers and environmens mind ha holds up or repeaed use. he Emoions, especially in music, are muli- may be more elaborae he irs ime, and blogger Will Hindermarch i Te DM is a DJ aceed. Checking a lis o all he basic emo- laer more sparing. calls hese ”repeaers” and separaes hem ions may sill help. An example o such a lis You can hen play he song wihou he ori- rom ”dramaics” as you more specifically is Pluchnik’s ”Wheel o Emoions”, which ginal simuli, bu sill ge he newly creaed use wha happens in he song and weave i Man is a creaure wih he abili o learn and adap o many differen siuaions and condiions. We connec hings o each oher, or insance ear is conneced o he place we saw a poisonous snake, or heard a lion roar. Naurally we also connec sound o differen physical reacions. Yes, I am alking abou Pavlov’s dogs, ood and bells. A dog salivaes when i is ed, a bell is rung beore he dog is ed, and in ime ringing he bell is enough o make he dog salivae. Tis is a simple example, bu i is never he less abou human behavior. Physical reacions can range rom salivaion (jus imagine biing ino a wedge o lemon), aser pulse, ension in he shoulders, and emoions. Keep ha in mind as you read he res o his aricle, because i is one o he heoreical cornersones o he usage o music as you maser your game.
Feel ree o use his model as an aid o he emoion you wan o creae or ampli. Perhaps sorrow, anger, happiness, disgus, expecaion, admiraion, calm, surprise, exiemen, or why no ear?
MUSIC AND MEMORY
DOES MICKEY MOUSE HEAR THE MUSIC?
EMOTIONS
has been used in he adverising business o influence he behavior o consumers. Every emoion seers he individual owards a cerain behavior – anger o aack, ear ino fligh, loahing ino disancing, curiosi o exploraion and so on. I you add posiive and negaive consequence s o a cerain behavior, you can explain he beer par o human acions.
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and wanedhe associaion. Tis can conribue o making soryelling clearer and more coheren. I can also be used o build expecaion, wich is an exremely imporan componen o soryelling. Expecaion can mean anyhing rom insinuaing ha Jack he Ripper is roaming he srees, ha here are orchs in he woods or ha here is an old acquainance in he bar. In film and opera,
ino heou, soryelling. However, heway laer, he poins should no ge in he o he role playing. A maer o preerence, bu I preer a cerain resrain when i comes o repeaers. I recommend no leing a whole album (or insance by Nox Arcana) play in he background o a game meeing. Le your use o music during play be well hough o, and moderaely sparse.
LOVESONGS FOR LAMBCHOPS
I you wan a cerain sound image, play a song on repea during a scene, bu possibly lower he volume aer he irs ime you played i. Remember ha ranquil melodies calms you down, and complex, louder pieces winds you up. Source music, as opposed o heme songs and underscores, has a source in he game and can be heard by he characers. You may well use songs wih lyrics, or example i he characers are a a bar where a roubadour or a jukebox is playing, and so on. I you are playing in a real or semi-real world, his proves way easier han in a compleely ficional world, bu even in hese cases you can oen borrow appropriae music rom dieren sources. Remember ha you are communicaing hrough music. Using boh underscores and sourcemusic you can creae expecaions, and break hese depending on he conex. You can show ha he characers have goen hemselves ino some real ruoble, ha hey are acing someone no a all as dangerous as hey hough, ha hey have run ino someone ha hey know, ha somehing sad has happened, and so on. I well imed, here are also possibiliies or comical elemens. An obviously more grande composiion han he siuaion calls or, a amous song, songly conneced o somehing specific, or jus a silly song can all resul in laugher. Anoher way o using music is syncronisaion, or ”Mickey Mousing” where he characers ac in a precise way o differen sounds wihin he music. Tis echnique is probably more useul in movies han in role playing games, bu i can be used o describe a scene or a
THE GAME MASTER AS ARTISTIC CREATOR
siuaion wich hein player characers scene, are no acing. Forinexample, an inroducion or i you wan o add a ”movie clip” o your soryelling – even hough roleplaying games are mainly he players’ and game masers’ shared sage, heir shared imaginaion, and no a one man show. Wha ever you choose o do, firs decide who hears he music, and he purpose o using i.
experience a pair o heavy subsanial speakers wih a crisp as sound and bass. Invesing in a porable speaker or convenion gaming, and visiing riends’ summer houses, may be wize. You don’ need Hi-Fi equipmen, bu say away rom he cheapes opions, as heir sound mosly reminds you o a oaser in hea. Regarding he acces o music, here are amazing opporuniies via or example Spo-
i or Grooveshark. I is a differen sory han
when one had o ake a gamble and bough Bo Hansson’s Sagan om Ringen on cd, via mailorder. Using Grooveshark you can search Perhaps even more imporan han he heo- or he user ”Ulimae RPG” who has buil a reical and echnical par, is wha emoion large regisry o music appropriae or role you eel when lisening o a cerain song. playing games. You oen wan o pu your Wha do you eel? Wha is happening? When, own ouch on a game, hrough he choice o where and how? In or ouside? Desolae or music, bu his regisry has such a range ha crowded? A large or small group o people? you boh find classics and new ideas. Are hey ineracing? Are hey happy, or is Anoher source o music and ineresing here a conflic? Wha scenes are playing ou sounds is Youube, even i i is no he easies in ron o you? Is he mood righ or wha medium o operae. You can find a plehora you had in mind? I has been said ha Quen- o differen exciing clips, or insance hour in araniono builds his scenes by lisening long recordings o caves, djungles and sorms, o his chosen songs in his manner in addiion o NASA’s claimed recordings o Lisen careully hrough he songs beore he cosmic radiaion o he planes, played you play hem and don’ be mislead by he as sound. Or why no low-requence sound conex hey are being played in. Jus because under 20Hz, so called inrasound. Inrasound hey appear in a cerain conex, i does no has shown o creae physical discomor in mean ha hey won’ be appropriae in humans, and has been used in he horror anoher. A piece o bebop-jazz in a science movie Paranormal Acivit. I wan o urge ficion scenario, or a hard rock anhem may you o be careul in his, as i is ouside my sui a medieval bale and so on. A Knigh’s compeence. Who knows, maybe he oaser could make an appearance here aer all. ale is an example o his. Go wih your gu and he whole idea o he scenario. Wha amosphere, and wha ouch are you looking or? You are he direcor, creaor, and aris who ses he one o he shared soryelling.
WHEN THE LAMBS ARE SCREAMING
SPOTIFY THROUGH YOUR TOASTER A commen on he echnical aspec. Use he bes equipmen you can. Music hrough your smarphone will no provide he same
Ok, le’s see i we can make his lile flock o sheep scream, and apply wha we have learned. ake a vaguely amiliar, creepy piece o music rom a movie he players likeky have seen. Preerably one wih shrill sounds, and heavy bass. Kenji Kawai’s Ring, rom Ringu, could be appropriae (and in a laer, acion Genes filled).sage, be added replace Ring Play Ring as can he lambs are or grazing in
he ar corner o he paddock, as hey hey huddle ogeher a nigh, and he bushes are swaying a he edge o he ores. Associae i wih hrea. Remember ha i is creepier i we only sense he danger. Lull hem ino alse securi, and when hey hink hey are sae, le he birds sop chirping... and press play.
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ROLEPLAYING PETE NASH
TEXT PETE NASH
BUT THIS IS
WONDROUS STRANGE
ILLUSTRATION KRISTOFFER ENGSTRÖM
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 5/2014
It is no secret that by far the greatest majority of roleplaying game settings are based in pseudo-medieval worlds full of European monsters and folk lore. Indeed, their ubiquity has become so staid that in some ways the game market has become rather boring. Why has this occurred and what can
ARE WE PANDERING TO THE ILLITERATE MASSES?
we do to change this bias? In this issue’s article we shall take a break from providing gaming material and try to open your eyes to the wonders of less familiar societies to inspire your game wor lds, and indeed the amazing diversity of human history itself.
along came , a seliked o medieval miniaure rulesChainmail or olks who bales bu waned o add a lile olkienesque anasy and Sword & Sorcery ino heir games. Seeing is populari, Gygax one o Chainmail’s auhors, eamed up wih Arneson o creae a new game which apped ino his anasy medieval vibe, and unleashed i as Dungeons & Dragons.
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Back in he early days prior o he firs roleplaying game, proo roleplayers were acually wargamers. Tese were people who sudied hisory and read widely, bu he bales hey ough were generally limied o hose o he medieval, civil war and modern periods. Ten
WONDROUS STRANGE Ye a ew years aer came several iconic seings which divorced hemselves rom pseudo-medievalism. Firs and oremos amongs hese were he worlds o ékumel (Empire o he Peal Trone ) by Proessor M. A. R. Barker and Gloranha (RuneQues) creaed by Greg Safford. Boh worlds were unique or heir ime, drawing upon an indeph knowledge o culures alien o mos players. Sadly alhough Rune Que s and hereby Gloranha gained significan racion in Europe, he Saes less so, he lands o ékumel soon sank ou o public sigh. Mos Americans seemed more comorable wih ‘radiional’ medieval anasy ropes o unnels & rolls, Chivalry & Sorcery, and o course Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Why was his? Well, no only did SR dominae he RPG marke unchallenged or hal a decade, bu SF&F lieraure was now illing wih sories inluenced heavily by success o Lord o he Rings. Ehnocenrism is he endency o view oreign or hisorical culures rom he perspecive o one’s own, so o a degree i is undersandable ha mos Americans and Europeans were more comorable wih seings which were a par o heir own culural background. Tus seing bias was more abou ease o immersion and secondarily he lack o availabili o nonsandard anasy, han any reducion in he educaional level o gamers.
many oher human conceps such as women’s righs, inra-amily marriage, slavery, human sacrifice, democracy vs auocracy, reedom o religion, even pederasy – which seems horrific o us oday, ye was embraced by he ounders o our wesern philosophy! Te undamenal wiss o human socie are invaluable when giving a game seing is unique flavour, wheher o ac as a oil or players (via heir characers) o figh agains, or o make he world exoic, unseling and perhaps educaional or hose playing in i. Indeed, boh hisory and anhropology are he very bes source or creaing srange new ideas or RPGs, no only in he culures so encounered, bu or plo lines oo. Tere was a ime when he Classics (he lieraure o Ancien Greece and Rome) was preeminen o universi degrees because wihin he works o hose long dead scholars was capured an almos complee picure o human srie and consequence, wheher i was war, poliics, social jusice, revoluion, reachery or hubris. he higher echelons o he Briish Civil Service were once reserved or hose wih Classics degrees and or good reason. I’ve los coun o he number o scenario plos I’ve aken direcly ou o Livy’s Ab Urbe Condia! Likewise some o he mos popular books I’ve wrien have opened he eyes o he reader o oreign culures and heir ruly alien perspecives on daily lie. Can you imagine gaming in a busling ci which has no police orce and wihin whose walls he army is orbidden o ener? Sounds implausible ha such a place could uncion, no? Ye he ci o Rome up unil he end o he Republic did indeed lack any official law enorcemen. Anoher example migh be riualised wars where he objecive is capure, no kill your opponen; he orbidding o cerain social Since hose early days o RPGs anasy seclasses rom aacking enemies o a differen ings have diversified somewha, oen adsaus; or allowing single combas o occur ding a blend o science ficion or pos apoca- in he mids o bale ignored by he oher lypic o heir background, o add a soupcon paricipans – as can be ound in he culures o srangeness. However heir culures end o Mezoamerica, he ancien Indus Valley and owards he monolihic, and exoic species recorded in heroic Greek ales. oen suffer he ‘Human in a Rubber Mask’ Tere is almos nohing srange or weird rope. here is also a perceivable lack o ha a human socie hasn’ already done a imaginaion when creaing socieies which some poin in hisory. Mariarchal rule, child do no ollow he usual monarchy or republic sacrifice, populaions oally segregaed by poliical sysems, nor escape modern precon- sex, geriaricide, you name i, is been done cepions o ehical/unehical behaviour. beore in real lie! In ac many new games being published
THERE ARE MORE THINGS IN HEAVEN AND EARTH, HORATIO, THAN ARE DREAMT OF IN YOUR PHILOSOPHY
seemingly conradicory aspecs o Arab socie. In ac my recenMonser Island Sword & Sorcery seing was based heavily on 19 h Cenury books sudying Polynesian culure and a some poin in he uure I hope o produce a seing based upon he Mahabharaa, which I believe is one o he riches sources o myh and advenure ever wrien. O course gaining access o such lieraure, especially in Scandinavia, is almos impossible ouside o a library, bu here are plen owonderul books available on he inerne rom beore copyrigh began, Projec Guenberg being a good place o sar ( www.gutenberg.org ). Ener ‘Exploring’ in he search box and you will be graned access o hundreds o works, boh a deligh o read and a boomless source o idiosyncraic habis and riuals o now long los socieies. I mean how can you go wrong wih iles like“Te Advenures O Te Chevalier De La Salle And His Companions, In Teir Exploraions O Te Prairies, Foress, Lakes, And Rivers, O Te New World, And heir In ervi ews Wih he Sav age ribes, wo HundredYears Ago”. Tere are books abou he oulaw huners o he Russian Pacific coas, Ausralian absrcines, secre visis o he ibean plaeau, explorers living wih Inui peoples, and counless publicaions concerning he barbaric ribes o Norh and Souh America. All o which would be simple o adop ino a campaign world, wheher as an oulying human naion or as he culure o a non-human race or species.
Can you imagine a anasy game where he gnolls are he flourishing civilisaion a he cenre o he world, ollowing Azec belies and radiions, whils he suppressed and huned humans are primiive seal huners and whalers living in he arcic regions? Blood sacrifices drawn rom pulling barbed vines hrough your own genialia, priceless golden reasures, skull decoraed zigguras an d migh eahered headdresses – and he Gnolls migh be he good guys in heir own eyes, because i he blood sops flowing he world jus migh come o a ianic end! Base he enire campaign on he advenures and discovery o Hiram Bingham in hisInca Land, Exploraions in he Highlands o Peruand here’s a game you could play off he ba wih a minimum o research. Acually, ha sounds like so much un I migh have o run ha mysel! I does no maer wheher you have jus h
nowadays are openly aacked or no he represening modern behaviour, no maer ac ha such radiions are consanly evolving and cycling hroughou hisory. Wha we passionaely believe is morally correc righ now, will be overurned by our children, and children’s children. For insance, homosexuali has been in and ou o vogue since i was firs recorded five housand years ago, as have
WHERE Some o heYOU mos SHOULD enerainingSTART and indeed inspiring books I’ve ever read have been he journals o explorers, especially hose o he las wo cenuries. As an example, works like Te Seven Pillars o Wisdomby . E. Lawrence and Arabian Sands by Wilred Tesiger were my firs insighs ino he complex and
& Drapicked 5 ediion which o Dungeons gons orup usehe RuneQues is inherenly
suied o modelling oreign culs and culures. Read a lile bi abou srange and engrossing peoples o oher imes and places, knock up a rough map, jo down a shor lis o names, places and gods, hen play i by ear. Go orh and break your ehnocenric shackles and see wha he res o he world has o offer...
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
AUBEROND TEXT CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER …It’s been six days since our tracker and the final guards departed for the Peacock Spire Clan ILLUSTRATION PÄR OLOFSSON to find help. As we have heard nothing from them nor from the Peacock Spire people, we
can only hope that their deaths were quick and that their souls can be found before they are doomed to wander for eternity, like the wretched Safhalad. Our last bioseeker fell when he ventured out under the cover of darkness to the savage Hiatus grove, just outside our sanctuary, in order to harvest a meagre fistful of food for us. Not even his vast knowledge of everything that is hunting us could save him. His death was the final push we needed. Last night, we deliberated and mutually agreed that our clan was lost, and that we must do what we could to fortify other clans. Our priests and mages have therefore just left this plane in an attempt to travel in spirit to another clan. Their bodies lie cold before me and I pray that their souls can find a home in some other recently departed bodies in a safer place than this. Because we have not had any creators here in many months, our air filters have finally given up. Thick clouds of rufu pollen have penetrated into the sanctuary and the air has be-
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 5/2005 84
come more and more difficult to breathe. My friend and devoted companion Sardakinn, who through all the battles and hardships has never strayed from my side, just forced her helmet upon me. Both she and I know that the helmet is a part of her Galvaraan and that when she and the helmet are parted, they will both die. But she does it to buy me some time. Time to end our clan’s chapter in this world. The air in the helmet tastes different, a bit organic, and I can feel how the coral tries to repel me, as some kind of foreign creature. It’s like an illustration of the situation we Elfvaar are in. Our own world tries its best to reject us, to force us to leave, as if we were an unfamiliar organism and not Saladaar, the beloved pinnacle of creation that we thought we were. It will probably succeed in the long run, but we will not enter into oblivion without a fight. It is, however, the irony o f fate that we Salada ar, in our struggle to remain, have become something other than what we were. Sardakinn’s skin, pale as the finest spider webs even under normal circumstances, has faded nearly unto transparency, and she breathes no more. I hear the sound of scraping claws on the stairs of our sanctuary and can only guess at what kind of abomination has crept down past undefended gateways. I will save this text, with the final power left in the crystal of my forefathers, in the hope that some other Saladaar will find it and add our clan’s story to his chronicle. I see my bane now, disgusting in its revelation, but I am not afraid. I may never have learned to fight, but my forefathers’ songs have taught me all I need to know about dying. – Tarfalfa, bard of the Rainbow Weavers Clan
ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER INTRODUCTION Auberond is a anasy campaign world ha
firs saw he ligh o day a a local gaming convenion in souhern Sweden in he midnineies, aer previously having been glimpsed only as a myh in one o my previous roleplaying campaigns. Te aricle on Auberond is srucured so ha he inroducion alks abou acs, descripion and amosphere, and hen a he end, goes ino concree ips on how o play a campaign in his world. Auberond is a anasy world ar removed rom he radiional high anasy and is hereore no really ocused on myserious cave sysems, bus princesses, noble knighs, hidden reasures, bearded wizards, magic objecs, and mysical quess given ou a he Golden Pig inn. Insead, Auberond is, in shor, abou an elflike race ha one day sees is paradise world o peace and harmony change o an apocalypic horror where naure and all living hings in i suddenly seem o do everyhing in heir power o oblierae everyhing else. Te campaign world will hereore largely be abou survival and pus grea emphasis on how one changes as a person and a race when every day you run he risk o becoming oally exinc. No dwarves, orcs, or even humans appear anywhere in his world; only elves — or more speciically, Elvaa r. Te campaign world conains magic o he relaively radiional variey, bu i is also highly echnological in a way ha one migh no ordinarily associae wih anasy. Many names and erms rom he Elvaar dicionary are used, in order o creae a paricular mood, and is in keeping wih he olkien-esque anasy spiri, even i Gandal would no be welcome here.
AUBEROND IN THE PAST “Our world was a playground and we therefore remained children.” In he pas, Auberond was a paradise in every conceivable way. Te world had a comorable climae wherever one raveled, and everywhere you looked, you were surrounded by lushcrops, greenery. was erile and lovely ruis,he andsoil nus were available in abundance, someimes wih several harvess in a year. Te oress and fields were ull o scampering animals, and he seas and sreams were overflowing wih fish. Tere never seemed o be a lack o aromaic and diverse fish and wildlie or anyone waning a change rom he necar o he paradise’s
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ruis. Inelligen and semi-inelligen animals shared he world wih he Elvaar, and everyone lived in harmony. Unicorns and pegasi, gryphons and ens, and creaures o all species, managed o creae srong bonds o riendship wih he Elvaar. Te lack o any sruggle or survival made he Elvaar a people who spen heir ime playing games, sudying, and he fine ars. Tis made hem a happy, laughing and wise people who loved everyhing ha was good and beauiul. On no oher world could you find anyhing like hem. Te songs sung by he Elvaar o exol he dance o he ireflies a nigh, or o cherish he memory o a deceased loved one were so beauiul and perec ha hey almos ook on physical orm. Te works o ar and lieraure hey handed down and refined rom generaion o generaion were in every unique par a piece o somehing divine. Te games hey played hrough he days and nighs, by boh he old and young, echoed hroughou naure and mos cerainly conribued o making he whole world riendly oward he Elvaar. I Auberond was paradise, he Elvaar were indeed he Saladaar — he beloved pinnacle o creaion — and his was he name hey used when hey spoke o hemselves. he Saladaar inhabied all o Auberond and preerred o live in clans ha were based more on common ineress and shared philosophies as opposed o more pical kinships. Te clans’ selemens ended o be inegraed wih naure, and oen sreched ou over a broad area. Ciies, in he radiional sense, were very unusual. Dwellings consised o residenial buildings and workshops or members o he clan. In addiion o his, each clan had a number o similar consrucions: emples, libraries, heares, public bahs, council halls, and sacred ancesral glades. Many clans had several o hese buildings and he sle rom clan o clan varied widely. Like everyhing else, hese buildings and public works o ar were a source o creaivi, making each clan socie a jewel embedded in he local environmen, in perec harmony wih i. Te clans’ names were also reflecive o heir surroundings, or heir arisic or philosophical orienaions. Wih names like Azure Singers Clan, Crysalmakers Clan, Daydreamers Clan, Crescen Moon Clan, and Cascade Riders Clan, he clans alsohad plen o opporuni o beauiully oudo each adorned oher when i came o creaing flags, banners, heraldic cress, and so on.
oher, and he clans had requen exchanges wih each oher, boh via physical ravel as well as magical communicaion. Alogeher, he Saladaar exised hroughou Auberond, and wih heir nework o inerconneced clans, he Elvaar were ruly he plane’s masers.
DE EVOLUTION “In such harmony was our paradise that even we did not have a name for what befell us.” Te mysery behind Auberond’s ransormaion is sill unsolved. Perhaps he same gods who iniially made he world a paradise inally became jealous o heir creaions’ perec lives, and inroduced a new cycle o de-evoluion, unaware or uncaring abou he suffering i brough abou. Te shi was gradual, sealhy a firs, bu has acceleraed since hen and now coninues unabaed. he climae was he irs hing o change, rom having been emperae, balanced and predicable o exreme, volaile, and erraic. Furious sorms, reezing cold, and blisering hea suddenly became a par o he lives o he Saladaar. I was as i he enire plane had become awash wih inernal rebellion. Earhquak es and volcanic aciviy aliced all o Auberond, and lava and sulur gradually darkened he sky. Acid rain ell, spreading slow deah, and rom he world’s core came liquid and gaseous subsances whose impac on he environmen was a imes slow and reacherous and ohers rapid and devasaing.
Nohing living on Auberond could escape he meamorphosis, and mass deah unlike anyhing seen beore spread across he plane. Wha did no die, muaed and became sronger, hardened. According o naure’s ancien and unwrien laws o he survival o he fies, hose uni o coninue were cas aside as hose who were surdier and more resilien dug in wih deerminaion. In he oen-serile environmen ha spread in he wake o hese apocalypic caasrophes, i was as i he only hing ha ook hold and grew was he new concep o ruhless exploiaion.
Survival was now else. possible onlygradually a he expense o someone Animals became more aggressive, preying on weaker creaures as ood or hem became scarcer, he clans were ruled by a clan council, and plans — having los he precious ligh bu because very ew conflics arose in he needed or phoosynhesis — ound oher Saladaar’s peaceul world, heir uncion was sricly ceremonial. Among he clans, ways o supplemen heir nurien inakes. here was never anyhing more serious han Te ew plans and animals ha managed o a easing eagerness o compee wih one an- find a way o survive he harsh new environ-
AUBEROND men wihou killing oher hings developed deence mechanisms as deadly as he predaors ha huned hem. Te ulimae resul was a flora and auna uerly in une wih he deadly world ha Auberond had become.
AUBEROND TODAY “All colours have faded to the blackest black, and with them, so too have our memories dwindled.” I he Auberond o he pas was a paradise, he Auberond o oday can only be described as pure hell. Naure has aken on he mos exreme and inhospiable rais: barren lava landscapes, burning desers, impenerable jungle marshes and undra swahed in permaros. Nohing is permanen, however, and he hell ha is a reali oday — and ha we have learned o cope wih despie is horrors — may be exchanged or anoher pe o hell omorrow. Nowhere is i possible o live in securi and sae, nowhere is i possible o culivae he land and rus he predicable cycle o naure, nowhere is i possible o close one’s eyes a nigh wihou ear. Venuring ou in his world requires horough preparaions. he ground beneah one’s ee can suddenly swallow you whole in fissures ha have appeared overnigh, deadly paches o quicksand, or worse. Te air you breah can kill you wih oxic umes, aggressive plan spores and pollen, or invisible baceria. Te waer migh poison you or burn like acid, eaing hrough your sensiive skin. Te world ouside is also filled wih animals and plans ha will no hesiae o kill you in order o survive, and hey have had plen o pracice now, and are very good a i. Only wih proecive clohing and equipmen, wih specially designed gear, on recenly reconnoired pahs and ravelling in groups, does such a journey ouside approach anyhing like “sae”, and all oo oen, even his is no enough. As counless Elvaar died, heir souls were no always able o be guided o he lands o heir ancesors, and so he world became hauned by dangerous, los souls called Sahalad . Even he chie he Elvaar, equipped wihguardians he mos among powerul
weapons, canno deend hemselves agains such a horror. Te siuaion has become exacerbaed by he ac ha no all Elvaar are are able o cope wih he ragic exisence ha Auberond now has o offer. Some o hem have aken he final sep in evoluion and eradicaed all races o
heir ormer beau rom heir hears in order o even aemp o exis wihou going crazy. Tese dark Elvaar, called heMalashoud, or he flowers o evil, by he Saladaar, have ormed heir own clans, and hey are prepared o rample heir ormer brohers and sisers i i will help hem survive anoher day. In a world where he sruggle or every lile resource is coninuously inensiing, such killing happens all oo oen. o survive under hese appalling condiions, he Saladaar and Malashoud have le heir ciies and gradually sough ou a ew small and concenraed haimaar — sancuaries. Te majori o hese sancuaries are underground, hough here are some hanging along he verical cliff aces or up in he crowns o he enormous Darsua rees. Oen, he haimaar are locaed under, above, or nearby o heir old dwelling places, and he ruins serve as a consan reminder o he siuaion he Elvaar find hemselves in. Wihin he haimaar, which have been designed or remodelled wih securi as he only requiremen, he Elvaar live in congesed and insuerable surroundings. he space wihin hem mus be prioriised or ood producion and anyhing else necessary or he clan’s survival. Comor and privacy is always secondary. In a desperae aemp o hold ono as much o he old culure as possible, he Saladaar have rescued he precious reasures rom museums, libraries, and public spaces and placed hem in he haimaar, filling hem o he brim wih ar in he orm o painings, sculpures, books and exiles. Te sruggle or survival is aking place quie lierally rom wihin overflowing museums. In he case o he Malashoud, he siuaion is he opposie, as hey are acively rying o repress as much o he pas as hey can. Despie he dramaically changed living condiions, he clans are sill run in basically he same way as hey were in he pas. Clan councils sill make he imporan decisions or he clan. Te ribal council’s uncion is, however, no longer merely ceremonial, bu is needed or he clan’s survival. Ineres and paricipaion is hereore much greaer han beore. Te clans also spend a good deal o ime mainaining conac wih each oher despie disances and hardships, and hrough his ragile connecion, vial inormaion abou heoouside world shared rom haimaar haimaar. hisiscommunicaion also makes i possible or he clans o — a leas heoreically — come o each oher’s rescue i needed. Over ime, he nework has become increasingly enuous as he clans are weakened or wiped ou, and ear looms ha one day he conac wih oher clans will cease enirely.
ABOUT THE ELFVAAR Traits, Characteristics, Etc. “Our bodies are pleasing to behold and in our eyes, eternity.”
Appearance Wih regard o appearance, Elvaar resemble he radiional elves o anasy. hey are human-like in many ways, bu generally aller, and more slender and delicae. Te mos noiceable rai is he poined ears and pale skin. Menally, he Elvaar are inelligen, creaive, and highly flexible. Average liespan was previously approximaely 200 years, bu he harder condiions and high rae o requen unnaural deahs has lowered his number o less han hal ha.
Societal norms he dierence beween male and emale Elvaar is he same as ha o humans, and over and above hose ew physical differences, mos gender differences have previously been more relaed o socialisaion, gender roles, and radiion. As lie or he Elvaar changed and became more survival-cenric, mos o hese radiional role dierences have been erased and are now ocused primarily on reproducion and he physical limiaions pregnancy impars. No jobs or roles in socie are reserved or one or he oher gender, bu when i comes o reproducion, his is no longer a personal choice, bu a necessi or he clan’s survival, and is hereore a requiremen.
Mental All Elvaar have innae magical abiliies ha are more or less developed. Becoming aware o hose abiliies and evolving hem is a ime consuming process requiring a grea deal o paience, which means ha very ew o hem can genuinely claim o have any real magical powers. Tose mages who devoe heir lives o magic, on he oher hand, can become very powerul indeed.
Spiritual
A he core o he Elvaar belie sysem is a living ancesor worship. Souls o Elvaar who have died go o Hadesh, a paradisiacal plane where hey will live a careree and peaceul exisence or all ime. I is, however, imporan or a dead Elvaar’s soul o be correcly guided o Hadesh, and his is done
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER in special ceremonies led by priess. When an Elvaar dies, he soul goes firs o a place ha is a sor o limbo, which can be very dangerous. Elvaar who die alone or ar rom heir kin risk being unable o find heir way home, and, depending on he individual’s willpower and desire o live, heir souls may gradually orge wha hey once were, and become los and unsaved — a Safalad. Mos souls in hese circumsances choose o seek reuge in oher living beings, such as animals or rees, in an aemp o reain awareness o who hey are or as long as possible, while a ew choose o say in limbo. Even or hose who have ound reuge, i heir souls are no guided correcly, evenually heir memories will ade and he only hing remaining will be an incredibly inelligen animal, or powerul plan, while hose in limbo will simply ade o a pale shadow. In a dangerous world where nearly everyhing can kill, mos Elvaar ear meeing a Safalad more han anyhing else. Te souls ha reach Hadesh are believed o reain a grea curiosi or hose hey le behind and ha hey are ollowing he evens on Auberond. Mos Elvaar are convinced ha he ancesors also have he power o aec he real world and ha hey keep a proecive eye on he living. In graiude, he Elvaar offer prayers and symbolic sacrifices o heir ancesors, and many homes have small, richly decoraed alars and shrines. Tere is a growing ear among he Elvaar, however, ha he changes in Auberond have somehow separaed Hadesh rom he real world and ha he ancesors are no longer able o see or reach hrough he planes. Tis could also be he explanaion or why he ransormaion has been allowed o go as ar as i has. Tis ear is also reinorced wih regard o he advancemen o Valgaard, one las exreme way ou.
allow heir souls o ener special crysals harvesed rom Auberond’s inerior. Wihin hese crysals, he souls’ ull power can be sored in he orm o a pale blue glow, and hen, like a baery, hey can be used o drive he securi sysems, he vehicles, and even he weapons. Te ac ha he souls wihin hese crysals is evenually oblieraed, meaning hey can never join he company o he ancesors, is a price he Elvaar are willing o pay, and is an indicaion o heir willingness o sacrifice hemselves or heir kin.
SALADAAR & MALFASHOUD ”Our shadows are alive and they seek our death.” Wha was once a proud people, has, under pressure rom he plane’s de-evoluion, gradually changed o wo peoples: Saladaar and Malashoud. Tough hey are in many ways so similar ha hey would be considered he same, hey differ in a ew crucial ways, and i becomes clear ha hey are wo very dieren creaures.
SALADAAR “Never before have such beautiful songs been written about such an ugl y fate.”
Cenral o he group sill calling isel he Saladaar is he reusal o change hemselves. Tis is perhaps somewha ironic considering ha hey have already ransormed ino a people who, insead o singing songs and playing games, devoe all hours o he day o fighing or survival as i hey were merciless bale machines. Valgaard Tis is, however, an exremely sensiive Valgaard, he orce o he ancesors, is he issue or all Saladaar, and hey discuss i a mos exreme example o how he Elvaar’s lengh, as i hey are working o convince figh or survival changed heir aih and way hemselves. Te core o he raionale is: he o living. Te ouching ceremony previously Saladaar are and will remain a beau-loving, held when an Elvaar died, when, wih he singing, rolicking, and lie-loving people help o ancien spells and he power o he no maer how much blood hey mus spill mourners’ love, he soul o he deceased was in order o preserve his ac. I does no reed rom he shackles binding i o he body, maer ha hey no longer have any ime o o be permied o join he company o he spend on he hings hey hold mos dear and ancesors unbridled joyWhen and an enlighenmen, has in now changed. Elvaar dies oday, hese ceremonies are held only in cerain cases. Te sruggle or survival has gone on so long ha no even he srengh o he souls o hose who died can be allowed o go o wase. hough i is no a spoken requiremen, or no one can claim anoher Elvaar’s soul, nearly all Elvaar choose o
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imporan, so long as hey do no hose hings. Circumsances beyond heorge Saladaar’s conrol may orce hem o live dierenly, ea differenly, clohe hemselves differenly, behave differenly oward one anoher, learn dieren abiliies, engage dierenly wih heir surroundings, view deah differenly and see lie wih new eyes, bu hey will no le naure or he plane’s de-evoluion change
hem in he flesh or in he spiri. While animals and plans have adaped, evolved and muaed rapidly since he sar o he deevoluion, he Saladaar have remained physically unchanged. No because muaions have no occurred, bu because he Saladaar do no allow hem o coninue o exis. Te consensus is ha his may no be kind, bu ha i is necessary.
The Network Across Auberond, he sruggle or way o living and lie isel, as well as o be as srong as possible, he Saladaar ry o be unanimous in heir decisions. Cenral o his is keeping close conac and communicaion wih one anoher, bu in his dangerous world where each excursion ouside he haidaar is a poenial suicide mission, keeping in ouch is dificul. Tis is where he priess and mages come in. Wih magic spells such as eleporaion and spiri walking, he various clans can keep lines o communicaion open, hough his is an energy-sapping process raugh wih peril. he mos powerul clans have solved his by seing up a permanen link by using a spell ha is kep acive using several ancesor crysals, which are slowly depleed. Tis communicaion link is called Nodaan — he nework — and i can only work as long as new Elvaar coninue o die and add heir spiriual energies o he crysals. During he las hir years, he nodaan has no ceased a single ime.
Clans Despie he difficul rials and ribulaions encounered by he clans on Auberond, here are sill many Elvaar le. Some clans are large, wih hundreds o members, while ohers are jus aered remains consising o only a dozen or so. Te lis o clans ha have been compleely wiped ou is long and consanly growing. In accordance wih he Saladaar’s desire o preserve wha hey once were, each clan careully chronicles everyhing ha happens, and hese chronicles are deemed he clans’ mos imporan possession. I a clan aces poenial desrucion, i is vial ha heir chronicle be sen o anoher clan so ha no deail is los. A clan’s chronicle is oen viewed as being ar more imporan han each individual member o he clan.
Clan Examples Nex ollows a ew shor descripions o some o he clans. You can o course add any number o clans, and hey can be o any size, have any pe o power relaionship, or be in any predicamen you wish.
AUBEROND
The Azure Singers Clan
Teir hairaam lies deep underground and is hough o be virually impregnable o Te Azure Singers Clan is likely he larges enemies rom he ouside. remaining clan in Auberond. Wih close o Te Crysalmakers Clan is cenral o he seven hundred members, he clan is even Saladaar nework since his clan mines pracically all crysals used or Valgaard. Tese larger han i was during he ime prior o crysals are delivered o he oher clans via de-evoluion. Tis is primarily because he physical or magical means and he clan has clan assimilaes remnans o oher clans more mages han many ohers. who have already been wiped ou. Te clan wo hreas agains he Crysalmakers will includes hereore a number o Elvaar rom soon presen hemselves: I is becoming harhe Daydreamers clan, he Crescen Moon Clan, he Cascade Riders Clan, and so on. der and more dangerous o exrac crysals Te srengh o numbers makes he Azure as he minesha is geing deeper, and ecSingers Clan he only clan in Auberond ha onic acivi hreaens o gradually pull he can acively and aggressively purge and Crysalmakers’ hairaam arher down ino broaden heir own erriory. Te area in heir he ground, essenially burying he clan alive. haidaar, a cliff whose seep ace owered over a beauiul lake, is limied, however, and he Azure Singers Clan suffers rom a severe lack The Dawnhunters Clan o space. Te Dawnhuners Clan has airly recenly behere are ongoing discussions wihin come a relaively small clan o jus over six he clan abou he poenial advanages o members. Previously, he clan was almos a dividing ino wo, bu hecliff idea leading an exodusi rom he Azure in o order o creae a new hairaam is so dauning ha no one wishes o ake on such a ask.
The Crystalmakers Clan Te Crysalmakers Clan is a medium-sized clan wih nearly wo hundred members.
hundredook and fi buand a oxic parasie holdElvaar in heirsrong, hairaam killed a majori o he populaion. One effec o his has been ha he clan now has a larger supply o he Valgaard ancesor crysals han any oher clan. Te Dawnhuners’ hairaam, an ancien cliff emple wih many inerconneced chambers has hereore become he cener or a number o
mages who have ravelled here and ogeher hey now work o develop a more powerul weapon han anyhing currenly exising.
The Peacock Spire Clan Te Peacock Spire Clan is a small and seadily declining clan wih jus under fi members. Te whims o ae have placed heir hairaam, a reesanding granie spire, in he way o an unusually aggressive clan o Malashoud led by wha is rumoured o be a Sahald who ound reuge in a creaure resembling a dragon. Oher clans have made aemps o come o he Peacock Spire’s rescue, bu o no avail. Te bale and he spire are seen by many as a symbol o he figh ha coninues across all o Auberond.
The Rainbow Weavers Clan Te Rainbow Weavers Clan is jus one o he many clans wih ha have sappeared No conac hemdihas exisedcompleely. or a very long ime, and nearby clans are gradually acceping he ac ha anoher clan has me is unhappy desiny. Te Rainbow Weavers were added o a lis ull o los clans, such as he Waer Lily Builders Clan, he Norhern Lighs Scribers Clan, he Dragonfly Sailors Clan, he Firefly Lighers Clan, and so on.
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER MALFASHOUD “We have seen the future and it is us.” Malashoud is he name given o he group o Elvaar who abandoned he dogma o preserving he spiri o wha hey once were. Ironically, his means ha hey gladly accep he name given o hem by he Saladaar, since hey have no qualms wih seeing hemselves as Malashoud, flowers o evil, in his new and errible world. Te core o he Malashoud’s belies is diamerically opposie ha o he Saladaar. heir wachword is change , and hey view hemselves as a developmen o he Elvaar race, wih a beer chance o survival in he long run. Te Malashoud believe ha hey, unlike he Saladaar, have acceped he change ha is happening on Auberond, and are working o maximise heir chances o surviving. o carry he burden o preserving he ideals o wha used o be, is in he eyes o he Malashoud, a wase o ime a his sage, and hey eel i is counerproducive o coninue o srive o reurn o hose ideals. Te memories rom hose imes only cause pain, and in order o hrive, hey believe i is beer o sar everyhing rom scrach. Gradually, his desire o pu everyhing behind hem has become so imporan or he Malashoud ha — conrary o heir own core message — hey have expended a grea deal o ime and energy on creaing new ways o living and new radiions.
is wrong and punishable o aack oher clans wihin he group. Te larger problem is ha The Shadow Guardians Clan he Malashoud clans are small and have Te Shadow Guardians clan is he larges become difficul o keep rack o. and poenially he sronges clan among
Radgast The Change Unlike he Saladaar, he Malashoud pu no imporance on preserving physical or racial puri. Quie he opposie, hey embrace all he physical and psychic changes naure subjecs hem o, as long as i benefis he group. Some clans acively seek ou muaions wihin he group by perorming biochemical experimens on hemselves. Some o hem have come so ar wih his work ha here are now Elvaar who are so undamenally differen rom he ohers ha hey can hardly even be called Elvaar any longer. Tis ques or ransormaion is called radgas , he change. As usual wihin he splinered group o Malashoud, here are varying opinions abou his ques, and as usual, his disagreemen makes no difference. In he end, each clan will do as i wishes.
Shamshathai The Mobile Bands
A number o Malashoud clans are organised similarly o heir Saladaar counerpars, wih a haidaar ha is proeced and used as a base or excursions. he majoriy o he Malashoud clans have gone in anoher direcion, Te exreme emphasis on accepance o all however. In hese cases, a clan, depending on he changes occuring in Auberond and he size, is divided ino one or several small, mooal devoion o survival has also ragmened bile bands o warriors, called Shamshahai, he Malahsoud. All Malashoud clans agree who can ravel quickly, find emporary haiha i is accepable o survive a he expense daar, and converge a predeermined imes. o he Saladaar because hey are an older, Tis requires every band be very srong and unevolved — and hereore dying — breed. flexible o any dangers ha awai hem in he he Malahsoud have no plans o sar world ouside. A naural culling has also enany wars or acively seek o oblierae he sured ha remaining Shamshahai are finely Saladaar bu i he Saladaar have somehing hewn and eared by ohers. When comparing he Malashoud eel hey need or heir sur- Saladaar and Malashoud, he Saladaar vival, hey believe i is okay o ake i, even simply canno mach he Shamshahai in he by orce, i necessary, regardless o he larger world ouside, and he Shamshahai would be consequences his may have or he Saladaar. hard pressed o conquer he srongly orified Wha he Malashoud clans do no agree haidaar o he Saladaar. on, however, is wheher his principle is also applicable among he Malashoud. Te mos
Example Description
exreme groups advocae some o orm o eaor-be-eaen dogma in he spiri exreme evoluionism; i is deemed only naural or he Malashoud o kill even heir own clan members i his is avourable. In he long run, his will resul in he survival o only he hardes, mos well-suied and bes-equipped Malashoud. he majoriy o Malashoud clans do no share his viewpoin and eel i
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Here are a ew shor descripions o some o he exising clans. Like he Saladaar, he number o clans you can add is unlimied, and hey can be o varying size, power relaions, and specialisaions. Te range is also broader, allowing he game maser o creae a wider, more exreme variet o clans and groups.
he Malashoud. Te clan consiss o jus over five hundred members bu since pars o he clan are among he Shamshahai, he number in heir haidaar is never his high. Te Shadow Guardians Clan’s haidaar is in he caacombs beneah wha once was Auberond’s larges dwelling place, belonging o he Sunshine Guardians Clan, and he clan is also direcly born ou o he ragmenaion ha ook place when he members in he Sunshine Guardians Clan wen in compleely differen direcions. Te acion ha remained Saladaar now calls isel he Sunbeams Clan and has creaed a haidaar in he hills a day’s march rom he ormer dwelling. Levels o hosilit are high beween he groups.
Te Shadow Guardians Clan is considered relaively moderae among he Malashoud. Tey advocae peace wihin he Malashoud and do no acively pursue radgas. Tis has made hem a arge or he mos exreme Malashoud clans. No one, no even he Saladaar, deny he ac ha he clan is he mos powerul and inluenial among he Malashoud, and his is aribued in many respecs o he leader Sal Urdihuviel, perhaps he mos clear-sighed and visionary leader o any clan on Auberond.
The Night Screamers Clan Te Nigh Screamers Clan is he complee opposie o he Shadow Guardians, and are perhaps he mos exreme o all he Malashoud. Te number o members is no possible o deermine as he line beween Elvaar and ohers wihin he clan is fluid. he Nigh Screamers Clan consiss exclusively o Shamshahai and hey pracice radgas in is mos drasic orm wih all possible pes o savagery involved. Tere are confirmaions ha he Nigh Screamers Clan has Elvaar who have evolved wings, bu rumours surrounding he clan speak o ar worse abominaions. Pars o he Nigh Screamers clan paricipae in he aacks on he Peacock Spire Clan and have close ies wih he Safalad who lead he aacks.
The Iron Sailors Clan Te Iron Sailors Clan is a medium-sized Malashoud clan wih is haidaar a he base o a dorman volcano. Te clan has jus under hree hundred members bu is believed o be one o he mos echnologically advanced clan on Auberond. Among he clan’s mem-
AUBEROND
ARCHETYPES WITHIN THE CLAN
bers are craers who know more abou meallurgy han anyone else, and wih he help o Valgaard, hey have developed weapons, vehicles, and ools ha revolve around elecromagneism. Te inerior o heir haidaar is crisscrossed wih organic cables ha lead energy in differen direcions. Te Iron Sailors clan was one o he firs clans whose acions were deemed so exreme ha hey were cas ou o he Saladaar and named Malashoud. Troughou he years, he clan has gone hrough a number o ideological sages, bu as various groups o Malashoud became more exreme, he Iron Sailors clan has gradually become more like he Saladaar again. Confidenial diplomaic alks are underway o incorporae he clan ino he Nodan nework again. As his would change he balance o power beween he Saladdar and Malashoud,
Te wiligh Sweepers clan has embraced he de-evoluion and aken i o is limis, and he clan does no view any acion ha migh increase he chances o survival as aboo in any way. Tey have acively oblieraed oher “Their hairaam was like a wellMalashoud clans in order o assimilae heir knowledge and resources, and hey would no oiled machine. Everyone knew hesiae o do so again. Wheher he clan’s wo Shamshahai are prepared o urn on their place and their purpose.” each oher is sill o be deermined, as hey have no ye been in he same place a he Each clan has an enormous number o asks, same ime. bu or he sake o simplici, hey can be divided up ino seven archepe characers. All possible combinaions are o course possible, The Swamp Runners Clan as well as all conceivable unique characers Te Swamp Runners Clan is relaively large ouside hese archepes. and is moderae or a Malashoud clan. Teir haidaar, as he clan name implies, lies in he Guardians dephs o a swamp and is made up o pla-
as well as wihin he Malashoud, are o course exremely secre. hese alks
orms arificial islands. Fewand oher clans have bioseekers who have so acively and efficienly implemened biological and zoological elemens rom naure in proecion o he clan. ranspor plaorms based on gas-illed spores, insec-hurling weapons, and poison ha breaks down he body’s enzymes are jus a ew pars o he Swamp Runners’ vas arsenal.
The Twilight Sweepers Clan he wiligh Sweepers Clan is very small, consising o less han eigh members, and conaining only wo Shamshahai who ravel independenly o one anoher.
“I am the last line of defence. My job is not to die for my clan, but to live for it.” Te guardians are he clan’s armed deence, rained and equipped o sand up o all manner o enemies. Te momen you see a group o guardians leave heir hairaam o venure ouside, you undersand ha he Elvaar
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
GUARDIAN
SCOUT
PRIEST
CREATOR
have ruly evolved as much as he res o he world. Insead o lowing unics, hey clad hemselves in organic armour made o coral and dragon bone; insead o musical insrumens or books, hey bear weapons whose abili o wipe ou and desroy is ar beyond wha he srcinal Elvaar could ever have imagined. Guardians are rained rom a young age o cope wih enormous physical and menal pressures. Tey are educaed in every conceivable bale mehod and learn o ideni and neuralise all known dangers o Auberond. Given he ever-changing environmen, heir raining is never complee, and each guard mus also be prepared o convey wha knowledge hey have acquired o oher guards. Guardians know hey will likely never reach middle age, and are hereore very inense, making hem perhaps diicul o spend ime wih. Tey usually specialise in one o he ollowing caegories:
o move daily in such dangerous errain surrounded by nohing bu hings ha kill Deenders are responsible or he hairaam requires a special menal will and a enaci and is sae. Tey are orificaion specia- ha can only be achieved hrough years and liss and also spend ime eaching basic pro- years o raining. Excellen observaion skills ecion o oher inhabians o he hairaam. and lexibiliy are vial or heir survival, and even i a scou can figh as well as mos guards, hey are no always equipped or i, Sweepers and hereore serve he clan beer by hiding Sweepers are he guards who conduc raids, rom enemies and reporing back wha hey clean-up acions, and aacks in he ouside have seen. Te scous are oen he ones o world. hey can be suble, bu requenly mee new enemies firs, rom new, hosile heir campaigns deal wih excessive irehings in naure, or even oher Malashoud, power and sacrifice. and a good scou can provide his clan wih invaluable advanages in he ineviable bales. Because o he scou’s exposed posiions in Scouts he ouside world, hey oen have a amiliar in he orm o a lizard or a bird I he scou “I must see and identify our enemies should die, his or her soul, i i sill has he presence o mind o do so, can ener he abefore they see and identify us.” miliar and in so doing, reurn his precious Scous are perhaps he lonelies o all he clan resource o he clan. Scous usually specialise
Bodyguards
members even hough heremembers, are likely more scous han here are oher such as bards or mages. In he world ouside, hey usually work alone and mee alone he kinds o dangers ha mos Elvaar would preer o mee in srong, well-equipped groups. Scous oen have a basic educaion as a guard, bu here are a ew who had heir sar as a bioseeker or even as a mage.
Bodyguards are expers in close comba and proecion. A common ask or a lieguard is o proec an individual, such as he clan’s bard or primary mage, pries or bioseeker. Oen, he lieguard is also responsible or coordinaing he escor o Elvaar who mus ravel in he ouside world.
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Defenders
in one o he ollowing caegories:
Knowledge Bearers A knowledge bearer always sicks close o he clan’s hairaam o keep a consan lookou or any changes and enemies. All signs o new animals or plans are idenified, esed, and, i possible, brough back o he clan.
AUBEROND
BARD
BIOSEEKER
A skilul mage can use heir magic o rend realiy isel, bu hey mus also conend A racker is an exper a railing prey and wih he nameless dangers ha lurk in he using his knowledge boh or huning and shadows. Manipulaing space and he laws supplying he clan wih ood, as well as o naure requires boh an innae gi, an keeping an eye on he movemens o enemies incredibly srong will, and an exreme dediin he area. A racker is pically sen ou i caion during advanced and oen absrac anoher scou has gone missing, as no oher sudies. Few are hereore called o become member o he clan has he abili o see he a mage, and ewer succeed so well in heir ain races a scou leaves behind. sudies as o be able o shoulder he ocus o he ancesors ha is he hallmark o he mage. A clan ha manages o educae several Infiltrators sufficien mages can coun isel lucky and An infilraor has he exremely difficul and will soon be geing requess rom oher clans dangerous ask o insinuaing hemselves o educae heir newly discovered alened ino an enemy clan (Saladaar or Malashoud) young Elvaar. in order o gaher inelligence, engage in Te gi o handling magic shows isel in subversive aciviies, or in exreme cases, several ways: visions, he abili o manipuassassinae someone. lae small objecs in some way, or he being able o read ohers’ houghs. Te mos common sign, however, is some orm o madness Mages or oher asocial behaviour, as young Elvaar
Trackers
“I protect my clan from the enemies within that are so easily overlooked for the enemies without.” Unlike heir clan brohers and sisers, mages move in many planes o reali and hereore have more opporuniies, bu also greaer risks han ohers.
are requenly ill equipped o cope wih hese gis. Even mages learn o igh and handle weapons, jus like nearly everyone else in he clan, bu he large par o heir sudies is devoed o he masery o exising skills and he developmen o new spells. Each mage has he righ o carry an ancesor crysal and use i o heir bes abili,
MAGE and many mages also subconsciously develop a connecion o he crysal and he soul wihin. No one else in he clan is allowed o coninually ap he energy o he ancesors’ souls in his way. Mages ypically specialise in one o he ollowing caegories:
Guardian Mages Tese are bale mages whose power can be incredibly desrucive. Fire, energy, and conrol over animals and plans is no uncommon. Guardian mages also receive bale raining along wih guardians and learn o deal wih all pes o comba.
Elemental Mages Elemenal mages have a unique posiion in Auberond where naure has come o have such a massive impac. Te mage who can learn o amedifference. volcanoes and weaher can make a grea
Diplomages Diplomages specialise in ransporaion and communicaion. Frequenly, i is hese mages who have conac wih oher clans, and are ranspored o oherhairaam when necessary.
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER Bioseekers “Though I am aware nature is trying to kill us, I yet see the miracle in each minute detail.” Bioseekers are scieniss who consanly deal wih dangerous objecs. Tey are consanly moving on he edges o science and mus repeaedly rus heir insincs and a grea personal risk provide he clan wih new ools or is survival. he bioseeker’s job is o gaher, ideni, dissec, shape, and learn o uilise all he plans, animals, and oher organisms ha Auberond’s unbalanced ecosysem rapidly produces. Because he biodiversi is so immense and advanced, no bioseeker can possibly know or undersand everyhing. Tey mus insead narrow heir ocus airly early on, and specialise heir research ino a ew primary caegories. Over ime, a skilled bioseeker who survives he consan empirical game o deah can become an unrivalled exper on Auberond and see heir repuaion spread rom clan o clan. Such a bioseeker is worh heir weigh in gold, and is invaluable as a eacher and shaper o new generaions. Because he bioseeker’s main ask is abou exracing useul knowledge rom he environmen or he benefi o he clan, i is no so srange ha he bioseekers hemselves have ound more use han ohers or plans and animals in heir research, and heir equipmen and ools. Bioseekers ypically specialise in one o he ollowing caegories:
Trappers rappers ravel wih scous and guardians in he ouside world, picking up new objecs or examinaion. Firs conac wih hese objecs can be very exciing, bu also highly dangerous.
Custodians When objecs are aken rom ouside, hey mus be kep sae unil hey can be examined. A cusodian is as much a prison guard as an observer and he job includes always finding new ways o keep rack o he deadly hings sored here in he hear o he clan.
Extractors
Exracors are he bioseekers who perorm he acual experimenaion and exrac any useul inormaion rom he objecs ha have been colleced. Tey mus be boh creaive and have good communicaion wih ohers in he clan in order o be able o ailor new weapons and ools o heir specific needs.
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evidence. Someimes his observaion can go on or several years. I he candidae finally demonsraes he sense o responsibili and “I do not see how it can be done at all, empahy required or his calling, and is adso give me a day or two.” diionally idenified in urher porens, he Creaors are he dedicaed and handy Elvaar candidae is given a es o iniiaion. Exacly who make sure he clan and he hairaam wha his es consiss o is known only o work logisically . Tey pu he weapons in he priess who have survived i, bu ha i he hands o heir deenders, hey oufi he is in some way conneced o he spiri plane bioseekers wih he ools hey need o dissec is clear. I he candidae passes he es, hey reali, hey are, in shor, he oil ha keeps he ener ino rigorous raining under sric ascewheels urning. Creaors usually specialise in ic circumsances. Priess pically specialise one o he ollowing caegories: in one o he ollowing caegories:
Creators
Armourers
Ceremonial Masters
Te armourers work in close conac wih he bioseekers and manuacure armour rom meal or organic maerial. Wih he help o Valgaard, hey can creae very advanced sysems o he exen ha i could almos be called science ficion.
Ceremonial masers are he ones whose words are he clan’s mos valuable, mos poignan. Tey oen ac as he maser o ceremony in clan councils and perorm Valgaard on he souls o he dead. Over and above his, hey are hisorians and inerpreers o radiion, as well as spiriual guides, officiaors o marriages, and more.
Engineers Engineers build and mainain he hairaam as well as oher buildings, srucures and sysems. Tey are expers a venilaion, plumbing, srucural durabili, and so on. Teir experise makes hem addiionally useul as siege and demoliion expers.
Mechanics Mechanics build and mainain an enire flee o vehicles and sysems. Tey can fix anyhing, and o course desroy anyhing o he exen ha i can no longer be repaired.
Spirit Walkers Spiri Walkers are priess who spend mos o heir ime invesigaing he myserious and highly dangerous spiri plane. Tey are specialiss a searching and finding los souls and fighing he Safalad someimes encounered by he clan. In some cases, hey learn Haderashad, Corpse Walking, in which hey ake conrol o a dead body and use i rom aar. I he body hey have possessed should die (again), he Spiri Walker can reurn o his/her own body.
Priests
Bards
“I guide my brothers and sisters in life, and their souls in death.”
“I live as a symbol for the others. I wear my ineptitude like a crown.”
he pries is boh a spiriual and poliical leader o grea imporance wihin he clan. When criical, poenially lie-alering decisions mus be made, all urn o he pries o hear no only his opinions bu also he voices o he ancesors and radiions. Where priess used o provide comor and guidance o oher Elvaar during heir lives and preside over he ceremony o send
Each clan has a mos one bard and one or wo bard apprenices. I is boh an exreme burden as well as an exreme honour o be seleced o carry orward his oldes and mos well known o proessions. Every day, he bard sees his/her brohers and sisers figh or heir survival and is orbidden o do anyhing o help hem in he bale. Every day, i is he bard who gives all he ohers
heir souls o he when ha heyhelps died, oday’s priess leadancesers he ceremony bind heir souls o he crysals. Te role o pries is no or everyone, and he selecion o priess sill ollows old and myserious principles. hrough signs and revelaions curren priess learn abou poenial new ones in he clan, and hen hey wach he youh o keep an eye ou or urher
he power o coninue fighing. Tecomplee bard’s primary ask is — hrough his/her ignorance o he dangers o he ouside world and oal lack o raining should s/he encouner hose dangers — o remind all he ohers o wha hey once were and wha hey are really fighing or. Te bard is generally he only Elvaar who will no become Valgaard, he power o he ancesors, bu will acually
AUBEROND be reunied wih he ancesors wih updaes abou wha is happening in he world. Te bard is a once an ideologue, a visionary, a hisorian, a link o he pas, and assurances o coninued proecion or he uure. Te bard’s knowledge o he pas overshadows he priess’ and s/he is a maser o a vas oral radiion in he orm o sories, songs, and poery. I is rare ha he clan has he ime and abiliy o si calmly and lisen o his spoken reasure, bu jus knowing ha such a precious hing wanders in heir mids is oen enough o encourage members o he clan. Te bard always has one or more bodyguards, pically a poin o pride or he oldes and mos experienced guardians. Te bard is oen especially alened a one or more o he finer ars, bu here are no “specialis” bards. Being a bard is special enough.
THE GAME SYSTEM “The rules that govern our lives are known only to the ancestors who see beyond the veil.” Tere is no finished game sysem or Auberond , bu i someone ou here is willing o cobble one ogeher, hey are more han welcome o do so. Wha ollows is jus a ew suggesions and guidelines.
Combat Auberond is undeniably a place where he possibiliies or comba are legion, so I would recommend using a sysem wih well-esablished rules or all kinds o comba. Since many o he weapons he Elvaar use are so exreme, a comba sysem ha covers powerul firearms could be useul. I is easy o build on a long lis o possible skills and skill levels or he differen archepes and he game as a whole. In combinaion wih a simple sysem or experience poins, he characers have los o possibiliies o improve and ake on new skills.
Magic Auberond’s magic sysem can be done in
many ways and i is probably ulimaely down ocan a maer o ase. An ambiious game maser si down and creae an enormous lis wih spells wihin each magic radiion, provide hese spells wih dieren coss depending on heir srenghs, and perhaps assign some spells o specific levels o experience, and so on. A less ambiious game maser can probably pu ogeher an appropriae collecion o spells rom already-exising an-
asy games and hen modi hese in he same way wih good resuls. A hird opion could be o creae a magic sysem à la Ars Magica where he mages maser differen radiions and subjecs, and wihin hese radiions and subjecs allow characers o creae heir own unique spells each ime a siuaion arises. Te mos vial hing is keeping o he ollowing: Magic is difficul, dangerous, and exhausing. A magician canno perorm an unlimied number o spells wihou needing o ake a break or uilise an ancesor crysal.
Enemies and Monsters Creaing a monser book or Auberond, or rying o lis all enemies and lehal hings ha lurk in he woods is unnecessary, and really a wase o ime. Everyhing is dangerous, and he only hing really deermining jus how deadly and powerul various hings in he game is how sadisic he game maser is. o simpli a lile, however, below are a ew examples o some o he poenial hings a player migh encouner:
Belief System
Nature Itself
he belie sysem o Auberond goes hand in hand wih he magic sysem. Creae your own miracles or curses or priess o maser, or modi some already exising ones. Belie is, however, rickier han magic and so here are a ew recommendaions: On Auberond, you mus differeniae beween he power ha provably and angibly exiss wihin he souls and he poenially divine and ancesral inervenions ha he Elvaar are hoping or. Souls exis and hey are powerul. When an Elvaar dies, heir soul is reed and ravels o limbo, a pe o spiriual plane. Te soul keeps he previous body’s houghs and memories or a while aer deah and hen gradually loses hem, becoming a spiri wihou memory o wha i was, and wihou empahy wih anyhing oher han isel — a Safalad. A soul ha possesses anoher living hing, such as a ree or an animal, mainains is houghs and memories or longer, along wih he creaure’s own houghs, bu he houghs and memories evenually ade away. Le behind is a ree or animal ha is unnaurally inelligen and powerul. A soul can be saved and guided back o one o he Spiri Walkers and placed ino an Ancesor Crysal. Gods or ancesors wih he abili o inervene in he world o he living is somehing he Elvaar believe in, bu he game maser should ensure his belie remains a lile uncerain. Perhaps he ancesors really do have he abili o wach over heir living relaives and perhaps hey don’. Te imporan hing is wha he characers believe, how ha
Volcanic erupions spew dangerous lava, darken he sky wih ash clouds, ejec sones as large as houses, and can explode a any momen wih he orce o muliple aomic bombs. Earhquakes cause devasaing damage and ollowing in heir wake are lehal and someimes invisible cracks, sunamis, and more. Acid rain kills crops and makes any kind o arming in he ouside world difficul and even poisonous. Sulphur umes and oher gases can rise rom below he earh and causes he air o become poisonous, flammable, or generally vile. Permanen and unavourable climae (baking hea, permaros), or exremely changeable climae makes journeys ino he world ouside difficul, and growing ood on he surace essenially impossible.
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belie maniess i means o hem. A game isel, maserand canwha definiely play on his belie and le hings happen, randomly or supernaurally, which he characers will inerpre as hey wish. Miracles and curses are difficul, dangerous and exhausing. A pries canno perorm an unlimied amoun o hese wihou resing or using an ancesor crysal.
Botany
Various bizarre plans, flowers, rees, mushrooms, ec, have gone in one o 3 direcions: 1. Some become carnivorous predaory plans o increase heir chances o survival. Tis means somehing like riffid-sle poison dars, ensnaring vines, flesh-dissolving enzymes, and oher erriing hings. 2. Some develop diabolical deence sysems o proec hemselves agains all oher predaors who wish o do hem harm, and so hey have become exremely poisonous, dripping wih acid, equipped wih razor-sharp horns and spines, and hey are as, powerul, and deadly. 3. Te final group o plans are perhaps no always lehal in and o hemselves, bu hey can grow and spread swily and make rekking hrough hem highly dangerous or heoElvaar. mayby make i difficul see andTey breahe spreading dense clouds o pollen and spores ha grow so aggressively ha hey ake roo on whaever hey land on, including Elvaar. Tey may also grow so as and hick ha heir roos and branches break even he sronges srucures apar.
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER Zoology Like he plans, various animals will evolve in he same 3 direcions: 1. Te firs become predaors o he mos diabolical pe. Everyhing rom dinosaurs o invisible killers, vile creaures ha hun in packs, insecs big as houses and small as microbes. 2. Oher develop deence mechanisms ha are lehally poisonous, laced wih acid, hey migh fling horns, or damage he Elvaar’s vision and hearing, and more. 3. And he final group o animals move in swarms large enough o blo ou he sky, and are deadly o all hose who ge in he way, no maer how peaceul hey migh be individually. Some o hese may clog up vial sysems o he hairaam wih eggs, webs, sloughed skin, and oher disgusing hings.
Thinking Creatures Even he res o he oher hinking creaures who exised on Auberond in he pas have gone hrough he de-evoluion. Tose who did no die ou have had o adap o a much harsher world. Chances are good ha here are now highly dangerous gryphons, harpies, dragons, manicores, sphinxes, and more. Te possibili exiss, o course, ha some o hem migh have managed o remain good and can become powerul allies o he Saladaar.
Spirits and Ghosts Safalad on he spiri plane, and — i hey possessed some ype o animal or oher living creaure — powerul and usually evil creaures in all imaginable orms.
Malfashoud or Saladaar Depending on which side you wan your clan o be, he Elvaar o he opposie world view and ideology is o course one o your clan’s oughes opponens.
Technology One o he bes hings abou Auberond is he special environmen and he ac ha i allowsand players o walk haWih line Valgaard beween anasy science ficion. and he ancesor crysals, here is energy or variables beyond magic, biochemisry, and old-ashioned echnology. Combining hese our hings allows or he possibili o creae equipmen ha migh eel very uure-oriened, bu sill remains anchored in a anasy environmen. he echnology
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on Auberond encourages creaivi. Very ew ideas are oo exreme, since he environmen Galvaraan – The Living Armour is jus a background agains which you can Tis armour is almos exclusively reserved play ou exciing sories wih he heme “lie or guardians. Te armour is he ulimae and deah”, “ideals and reali”, and so on. bioconsrucion. Galvaraan is buil around a swamp coral and is grown specially or each guardian. Te living organisms is selWeapons healing and in symbioic conac wih is Weapons in Auberond can easily be divided wearer. Wihin he galvaraan, air-puriing ino our caegories: ancesor weapons, ma- algae is grown, and he exoskeleal mechagical weapons, biochemical weapons, and nisms run on ancesor crysals and spells in mechanical weapons. Many weapons are a communicaion runes. Te armour and he combinaion o several differen caegories. guardian soon becomes one unil evenually Some examples: hey canno be separaed unless he armour is place in a special conainer o swamp waer.
Frakat kaan – The Burning Lance his is somehing like a cross beween a flamehrower and a lance. Te pressure conainers — proeced by magic and equipped wih ancesor crysals — sore viscous magma. Te guardian who fires his lance is proeced by his galvaraan.
Mak tabaal – Moss of the Woods
Mak abaal is a general name or a wide varie o armour buil in a similar ashion. A is base, he armour is made o hin meal shields, or alernaively bones and scales rom exremely hard-skinned predaors such as dragons or preying oroises. On op o hese shields, a hin layer o abaal Dimshalui – The Stinging Rain is grown. abaal is a kind o common moss Uses conainers o maure eggs o a highly wih a useul deence mechanism. When i is aggressive and poisonous flying insec. When subjeced o pressures such as a sab or a blow, he eggs are abou o hach, he weapon is i balloons ou and becomes denser, making armed and sored or jus over one week. i a reacive shield. A single wo-o-hree he insecs require more space han he cenimere-hick shield o mak abaal can eggs hey’ve jus hached rom, and his easily grow o more han a decimere hick creaes an enormous pressure, an incredible when necessary, and he weigh o he shield hunger, and an exremely pen-up anger in does no increase in he process. he insecs. When he weapon is fired, he insecs spray ou in a sraigh line up o en meers and mercilessly aack whaever is in Valvadiin – The Ancestral Flare ron o hem. A proecive spell conneced o ancesor crysals ha can urher be conneced o any pe o armour. Te spell creaes a orcefield Darandaduur – The Blood Blade ha can sand up o exreme emperaures, A sandardised melee weapon wih a magi- like missiles, as well as oher peneraive cally sharpened and invisible blade. his aemps. Te spell can be urned on and off sword requires a lo o raining o use, bu is by he wearer o he armour. exremely effecive agains non-inelligen lie orms.
Transportation
Wih he help o energy rom ancesor crysals, he Elvaar can produce all manner o One, or someimes more, ancesor crysals propelled vehicles, bu i is sill naure ha are fied wih an arificial deec, which, aer provides he mos efficien means o ranssome delay, will cause i/hem o explode, re- poraion. leasing all heir energy a once. Tis weapon is guaraneed o clear an enire area — bu a
Valfooshan – The Ancestors Womb
Abishmaal – The Hovering Evil
a very high price.
Armour Armour on Auberond is usually biochemical or purely mechanical. ypically hey have characerisics ha are srenghened wih he help o magic or ancesor power. Some examples:
Abishmaal is boh a very effecive means o ransporaion and a dangerous weapon, and i is a pical bioconsrucion. In shor, i is he name o a ouch seedpod released rom a pe o enacious mushroom ha grows a he boom o a sulphur swamp. Te pods floa up o he surace, encouner he acid-rich amosphere, and a chemical reacion happens
AUBEROND
in which he pods swell o a hundred imes heir srcinal size, blow away in he wind unil hey mee somehing sharp, whereupon hey pop, and heir conens explode everywhere in a rain o acid. As a weapon, he pods are harvesed beneah he surace o he swamp and hen sored in breakable conainers. Tese conainers are hen hrown like grenades. As a means o ransporaion, hese same conainers are broken, and he swollen seedpods are colleced wihin a magical field and used as boh a hovering weapon and a ransporaion plaorm.
mour, and ransporaion, here is o course Wha is he name o he clan? oher exciing echnological and biological Wha is he srcin o ha name equipmen o spend heir creaive energies — wha is he clan’s hisory? on. Communicaion, ools or consrucion, Is he clan Saladaar or Malashoud? locks, devices or capuring and aming wild How big is he clan? organisms, and so on. Simply coninue in he Where is he clan’s haidaar, and wha same spiri as he iems menioned above. does i look like (in a general sense)? Combine naure’s mos bizarre elemens wih a lile old-ashioned mechanics and A his poin, urher quesions can be asked: slap on a ew spells or ancesor crysals as Wha is he clan’s main needed. survival problem?
Mounts
“Our lives had become the cruellest drama created to entertain perverse gods.”
A number o animals on Auberond can be ridden by Elvaar, bu because all o hem are wild, and breeding wih he purpose o creaing ame versions o he animal is seldom possible, riding animals usually means finding emporary ranspor wih highly un-
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CAMPAIGN SUGGESTIONS
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Creating a Clan
Who or wha are he clan’s main enemies? Wha are he demographics o he clan? How many clan members belong o each archepe? Wha is he morale level in he clan? Wha is he decision-making process? Is here unanimi? Are here acions ha pull in differen direcions? Wha alliances and conacs does he clan have wih oher clans?
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willing animals, conrolled hrough he use o chemical injecions or magic. Examples o mouns include large lizards, gian insecs, grea cas, and enormous snakes.
Creaing a clan is a reasonable firs sep or a game maser wondering how o sar a campaign in Auberond. Te clan will be everyhing o he players, so i’s a good idea o creae an exciing and ineresing group ha hey can idenif wih. When Because Elvaar living in he shadow o exin- creaing a clan, he ollowing quesions cion need so much more han weapons, ar- can be helpul:
Research
Is here compared anyhing ha his clans? clan unique o allmakes he oher Wih hese quesions, a game maser has a good basis o work rom, and he process o creaing a clan and pondering on hese quesions has likely already generaed a whole hos o ideas or campaigns and scenarios.
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER Playing the Clan as a Collective Auberond is a suiable campaign world or he kind o collecive role playing ha is ound in games like Ars Magica . Basically, le he players play various characers wihin he clan a differen opporuniies and in dieren scenarios. In oher words, one player can play a guardian in one scenario and hen a bioseeker in anoher. Each ime he player plays a new characer, hey give he characer a special hisory, sle, and soul. In his way, players gradually give lie o more and more o he members o he clan, and sep by sep, hey creae he eeling o a collecive ha everyone can relae o. Te game maser also ges a lo o help wih making non-player characers since many o hem will have been played in a very unique way by a player a some poin. Finally, his mehod gives a lo o room or creaing good drama and ineres since characers can easily be killed in a scenario wihou he player winding up being le ou o he campaign or having o creae a new
characer. Having deah be always presen in his way allows or wonderully inimae emoions, heroic deah scenes, sorrow and doub. Yummy!
Wha righs do individuals have vs he righs o he group when acing grea dangers? Can reacions o enemies make us do exacly he hings we vowed we never would?
A FEW SIMPLE CAMPAIGN AND SCENARIO SUGGESTIONS Finally, here are a ew shor suggesions on campaigns and scenarios o ge he inspiraion flowing:
Campaign I The Book of Death The Last Chronicle of a Dying People Even beore he players have sared making heir characers, or even received he mos basic inormaion abou he campaign, he game maser brings ou a hick hardcover book. Tis is bes i i’s a nice, beauiul hardcover o he pe ha can be ound a a bookbinder’s or an aniquarian bookseller’s shop. Te game maser says ha his book is he campaign hey will be playing and ha i is called Te Book o Deah – Te Las Chronicle o a Dying People . Te game maser reads he inal passage in he chronicle (cleverly pased in, or similar) and akes he players on a journey o he las group o Elvaar on all o Auberond in heir final momens. Wih a bi o creaivi, his las passage can conain scores o evocaive images and siuaions rom he campaign world ha compels he players o look up characers and begin playing. A he same ime, he game maser ses he one and ramework or he campaign in a very clear way. Te message is crysal clear — you are all doomed, you will all die sooner or laer. Tis will
be an incredibly poen way o se he sage or he players as hey ime aer ime are ossed beween hope and despair, riumph and ailure in he campaign. Each ime he
players’ characer s haveordiscussions opimism or he uure pessimismabou a he world around hem, hey become aware ha A deah world like Auberond easily creaes no maer wha hey ry, nohing is ever going huge, complicaed issues ha can be buil o work. Tey can ake par in he dramaic on and woven ino he campaign. Is survival build-up o he end o he campaign. Te camworh any cos? Exacly wha is one prepared paign can begin in a clan, ollow ha clan o o die or? How imporan are ideals and is demise, wach as he players are orced o principles in he larger scheme o hings? be assimilaed ino one or several new clans,
Elements and Issues
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AUBEROND ollow he game beween he Saladaar and he Malashoud when i becomes apparen ha he wo groups in heir quarrel are sill moving oward ruin, see he las grea bale, and finally land in he final remains o he Elvaar on Auberond. In he las gaming session, he game maser can ollow he players all he way o he end where he final passage in he book is wrien by he las bard. And hen, i desired, he game leader can creae a wis ha he players never would have suspeced. Perhaps he las Elvaar have somehing anasic happen aer hey wrie he final passage and have prepared hemselves or cerain deah? Perhaps somehing happens ha urns he whole plane’s developmen upside down and resores Auberond o is ormer glory. Maybe he Book o Deah is jus a hisory lesson or all Auberond’s school children so ha hey never orge. Or perhaps hey all die aer all. Any scenario is a good one.
Campaign III
Scenario Outline II
We were Them
A Song for the Heartless
A shor and simply srucured Malashoud campaign where players play a group o Malashoud who pursue Shamshahai. Aer having esablished he group as ideological hardliners in a number o scenarios, he game maser can sar o move he players along in he campaign, as in he campaign suggesions previously.
Te players play a eam o Saladaar ha has been sen ou on an infilraion mission. A he cener o he infilraion is a bard who mus preend s/he has acual skills, bu whose real purpose is o use his/her abiliies in oral radiion and soryelling o plan wihin he enemy a subversive seed o longing or he pas.
During a raid on a hairaam, he characers find ha he Saladaar clan ha had been dwelling here has been oblieraed by a power enemy/dangerous disease/some oher errible hing. Te clan has, however, le behind a reasure rove o chronicles rom a number o oher wiped ou Saladaar clans. Wih a bi o ricky GMing in he background, he players/characers make he misake o saring o read hese chronicles.
Scenario Outline III
At Any Cost
Explore he mos exreme siuaions in Auberond. Te players play muliple characers in a clan ha has had o ace enormously powerul enemies. A Safalad ha has possessed an already dangerous creaure (such as a winged snake, dragon, ec.) wreaks chaos and desrucion in he area, he number o dead Te campaign can now move ino a bi o a rises drasically, and Elvaar aer Elvaar is Campaign II ree-orm phase where he players are given swallowed whole. Te bioseekers canno find new Saladaar characers or a scenario where any weak poins in he creaure, who seems The Enemy of My Enemy hey ac ou a sory rom he chronicles hey o be virually invulnerable, wih scales and have read. When he scenario is inished, such, as well as having a large amoun o he A campaign where he ambiious game mas- hey reurn o heir Malashoud characers. Elvaar’s knowledge and insighs. All aacks er pis wo dieren groups agains each For each new chronicle hey read — and agains he creaure ail. A very bold and cleoher. One group plays Saladaar and anoher hey will o course read several more — hey ver plan mus be craed. Te soluion is up o plays Malashoud. Tey each creae a clan will receive new characers and experience he players, bu one example could be o have and a cas o characers. Tey are allowed o new advenures. he chronicles hey read a group o guardians aack he creaure knoexamine he world in a number o differen obviously provide hem wih in-deph insigh wing ha hey will die. And when hey have scenarious and are asked by he game maser ino how i is o live as a Saladaar and gradu- been killed and swallowed, and he creaure o shape hardline, exreme, and unorgiving ally heir empahy will grow or hese people, reurns o is lair, he guardians’ bodies will lie philosophies wih regard o living and and he communi ha, despie everyhing, be reanimaed by spiri walkers who have viewing he world. he Malashoud once were a par o. I is di- been ready and waiing, and he guardians When his is done, he game maser graficul o hae an enemy who has been given can slay he creaure rom he inside. dually brings hese wo clans on a collision a commonali and ellowship wih onesel. course wih each oher, while he world siTe campaign can end in many exciing mulaneously spins oward is own demise ways. Perhaps he characers finally mee a a a dizzying speed. Te wo groups are given group o Saladaar who have come o rerieve he possibili o play off each oher, orge he very chronicles ha have so deeply chan- “Our destiny cannot be alliances wih and agains each oher, deal ged he Malashoud clan’s percepions o measured on any scale.” wih infilraors and diplomas, and in his heir “enemies”. way, have a lile serious, hinking opposiion Tips or a while. I is opimal i he players aren’ Scenario Outline I even aware o each oher’s exisence. A campaign world wih so much room or How he sruggle beween he groups bale and acion is o course suiable or The Clan that Disappeared goes and how his affecs he players is o using miniaures. Tere are many miniaures course compleely up in he air. Maybe one Te players play a eam ha is sen on a res- ha would work or boh he anasy and side wins or maybe boh sides lose. In any cue mission o a clan ha has disappeared science ficion genres. And you can always case, i is good i he game maser gradually rom he Nodaan. Teir ask is o: selec and conver a ew miniaures rom
MINIATURES
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makes he world so harsh dangerous o he players ha hey finallyand wind up in such vulnerable siuaions ha hey mus begin o compromise heir hard-won philosophies i hey are o have any chance a survival. Te main quesion is, is i so imporan o remain Saladaar/Malashoud ha hey are prepared o die or i, and i so, wha was he whole poin in surviving in he firs place?
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Reachou hewha clan.happened o hem. Find I he clan sill exiss, help hem o resore communicaion. I he clan has been wiped ou, find and rerieve he clan’s chronicle. I he clan has been wiped ou, find ou wha happened o hem and learn rom heir misakes.
GW’s Eldar series.
CONCLUSION Tere is so much more hacould be said abou Auberond, and i anyone ou here would like o fill in some o he gaps, and explore all he unfinished crevices, I would be jus as curious as everyone else o see how ha urns ou! Enjoy!
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ROLEPLAYING ANDERS BLIXT ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 6/2011 EXTENDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR THIS ANTHOLOGY
TEXT ANDERS BLIXT ILLUSTRATION OLA LARSSON
OZ IS DROWNING! AN APOCALYPTIC 1950S CAMPAIGN OUTLINE
“When man entered the atomic age, he opened the door to a new world. What we may eventually find in that new world, nobody can predict.” Dr. Medford in the movie Them! (1954)
INTRODUCTION Game mechanics
ha coninen) derived rom Quigley Down Under, Te Torn Birds, Te Flying Docors, Te Sword o Honor , McLeod’s Daughers , and he movie epic Ausralia.
Tis campaign ouline is sysem-ree. Several well-esablished role-playing games provide suiable rules (e.g. Call o Chulhu, D20 Modern, GURPS, Sysem D6, and rue20).
Te campaign is no an RPG implemenaion o Wyndham’s novel; i merely uses some o is general ideas. Te ollowing premises esablish he appropriae mood: •
Five campaign Premises
Every civilizaion is born, grows and declines, and one day i perishes. Tis aricle aemps o show wha i could look like when our civilizaion sars o crumble under he pressure o an alien invasion and a changing climae. Is main source o inspiraion is a disaser novel rom he early 1950s: Te Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham. he campaign is saged in a cinemaic version o Ausralia (“Oz” is a nickname or
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The invaders are incomprehensible and invisible.
Te aliens are supposed o remain enigmaic during he whole campaign: here will be no conac, no communicaion, no undersanding. People will only encouner heir machinery and experience he severe consequences o heir acions. Humani will never learn wha he aliens look like or wha qualiies heir civilizaion possesses. Mankind is at a d isadvantage. Human echnology is insufficien o reach he invaders’ selemens on he ocean floors. Down
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here hey are able o deflec all aacks by unmanned submersibles and nuclear weapons. Te campaign deals wih survival during a slow-moion caasrophe and aemps o build a new uure in a changed world, no wih deeaing he invaders. Disasters! errible evens occur and people suffer miserably. Tis is no a crisis one is able o resolve; one mus endure i. There will be no miracles. No sudden scienific break-hrough will save he day. Competence saves lives. Tis is an era or heroes in he spiri o Jules Verne: compeen people who, hrough wholeheared effors, will alleviae he siuaion locally during he global caasrophe. Te game maser should reward skill and ingenui o make he gamers work in ha manner.
THE KRAKEN WAKES A Summary Exraerresrials land in he oceans and esablish ooholds deep down in he abyss where humans canno go. I appears ha hey mus live under very high pressure. Aer some ime, hey begin o “erraorm” Earh according o heir causing climae disasers andneeds, rising hereby sea levels. Te novel covers abou en years. Te Cold War serves as background: he paranoid disrus beween he Wes and he Communis bloc blocks all aemps o coordinae he sruggle agains he invaders. John Wyndham uses several lierary ropes o pace he sory in an suspenseul manner:
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Te proagoniss are a married couple, wo Briish journaliss who cover evens or heir radio service. Tey hereby have plausible reasons or being presen a several dramaic incidens around he globe. Humans never find ou who or wha hose invaders are. Tere is no communicaion, no conacs beween he wo species. Te aliens only reveal hemselves hrough he consequences o heir acions. Te ew maerial areacs ha humans see are mos likely biological machines ha reconnoier he ocean coass.
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Te book ends wih a quesion mark. Te disaser has run is course, he coninens have new shapes and climae, and a considerable par o mankind has perished. I is he uncerain wha will happen nex, bu proa-goniss nurure a small hope ha some sor o socie can be rebuil.
Te novel’s disaser is a slow-moion even, unlike he sudden ends o civilizaion – meeor srikes, plagues or nuclear war – ha are so common in science ficion.
ROLEPLAYING ANDERS BLIXT SOME NOTES ON THE COLD WAR Tis gaming anhology is no he righ place or a lenghy excursion ino he Cold War, because housands o books have already been wrien on ha subjec. I recommend Wikipedia o ge an inroducion ino he woes o he 1950s. However, i is worh poining ou ha he 1950s was a ruhless decade. Is poliical rheoric may appear shrill o us six years laer because o he ever-presen specer o nuclear war. Uneasy peace exiss in Europe aer he end o he Greek Civil War in 1949, bu in Asia here are several major armed conflics, e.g. in Kashmir 1947, in Korea 1950-53, in French Indochina 1946-54, in Malacca 1948-60. Also, Israel and is neighbors have plen o border skirmishes 1948-56. Te Sovie Union is characerized by Salinis paranoia, whereas people in he Wes see he Communis bloc as an exisenial hrea. Boh sides brandish nuclear arms in heir rheoric, bu whenever miliary commanders sugges using aom bombs (e.g. in Korea and Vienam), hose noions are immediaely quashed by heir poliical masers.
Te goal o he US sraegic plan or World War Tree (see Operaion Dropsho in Wikipedia) is o quickly devasae he Sovie Union and China by nuclear and convenional air srikes. Te Sovie Union has similar plans or Wesern Europe, bu a rans-Arcic air aack on he disan Unied Saes would be difficul o execue successully. he superpowers’ inelligence organizaions carry ou clandesine aciviies everywhere in he world “o hwar enemy plos”. Such operaions range rom spying o assassinaions and coups-d’éa. Because o misjudgmens, such plans oen ail or cause misery or common people in he argeed counries. For insance, Guaemala and Iran suffer CIA-led coups jusified wih ani-Sovie argumens, whereas in 1948 he democraic governmen in Prague is oppled by he local communis pary wih suppor rom he Sovie Union. he exraerresrial invasion will shi world hisory ino a new pah. Many conflics, such as he Suez War and he may Hungarian uprising in he auumn o1956, no even occur. Bu he disrus beween he Sovie Union and he Wes is so proound ha hey will find i hard o cooperae even when Earh is heading owards a huge disaser. Aer all, heir ani-German alliance in 1941-45 had merely been a marriage o convenience wih no genuine riendship and rus.
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ADVENTURES DOWN UNDER Te Commonwealh o Ausralia comprises Ausralia proper, asmania, some oulying minor islands and archipelagoes (e.g. Chrismas Island and he Cocos Islands), colonial erriories in New Guinea and he Bismarck Archipelago, plus a vas unrecognized land claim in Anarcica. Ausralia o 1950s conains boh European-syle meropolises a he coas, like Sydney and Melbourne, and rural selemens in he desolae ouback o he inerior. Tis variaion opens he door or all sors o advenures, ranging rom urban spy hrillers o pseudo-weserns and monser acion. Ausralia, being a member o he Briish Commonwealh, paricipaed on several rons in World War wo: Norh Arica and Greece 1940-41, New Guinea 1942-45 and Borneo 1945. In 1940-41 German merchan raiders prowled along her coass and in 1942-44 Japanese bombers based on Bali repeaedly aacked he por o Darwin in he Norhern erriory. Aer he war, he ederal governmen launches an ambiious program o arac European immigrans. Mos o hose ha come are Brions, Greeks, Cyprios and Duchmen ha seek a new lie ar away rom devasaed Europe. Te immigraion policy aims a a “Whie Ausralia”, an aiude ha is unconroversial in he 1950s. In he same way, mos people view he discriminaion o he Ausralian Absrcines as “normal”. Ausralia is a significan wesern acor in he Cold War. Mos ciizens suppor he close ies o he Unied Saes ha were cemened in 1942. Te counry hoss Briish nuclear ess and missile experimens in several remoe places. When Chinese Maoiss rebel in Briish-ruled Malaya in 1948, Ausralia sends grounds orces o suppor he colonial governmen. When Norh Korea invades Souh Korea in 1950, Ausralia conribues inanry and aircra o he UN-led coaliion opposing he aack. he Sovie Union carries ou several inelligence operaions in Ausralia (see he Perov Affair on Wikipedia). Te Ausralian governmen is openly hosile o all kinds o communism and even ries o oulaw he local Communis Pary. he dispues shu down he diplomaic relaions beween he wo counries a a ew occasions.
Player Characters The Government Men Ausralia is a ederal counry, in which law enorcemen is mosly handled by is saes. he ederal organizaions available o he
game maser or advenurous purposes are hereore limied o he ASIO ( Ausrali an Securit Inelligence Organisaion ha handles boh exernal espionage and inernal couner-espionage), he CIB (Commonwealh Invesigaions Branch, a ederal police wih less han one hundred officers) and he miliary. Ausralia’s proessional armed orces have an ousanding repuaion, earned in he Libyan Deser and he jungles o New Guinea during World War II and recenly in he hills o Korea.
Journalists Anoher campaign approach is invesigaive journalism. In he mid-1950s, Ausralia has no naional newspaper, bu he game maser can creae a ficional Sydney-based morning paper – Te Morning News– ha will finance invesigaions o whaever srange evens are occurring. Is ambiious chie hires a ew veeran advenurers o assis he journaliss when hey ravel across land and sea in search o he grea scope.
Private Investigators A hird sraegy is o le a wealhy individual, e.g. a reired businessman, sponsor a eam o privae invesigaors. Tis ellow is suspicious o all he srange hings he has read abou in he newspapers and he believes ha he governmen is covering up somehing. Tereore he recruis hal a dozen advenurers and gives hem a mission: find ou wha is really going on. Te code name is Projec Minerva.
Character Skills & Professions A eam o advenurers should conain a broad se o backgrounds and skills considering he varie o missions in he campaign, dealing wih e.g. wilderness reks, urban espionage, scuba diving, air ravel and ocean voyages. Keep in mind ha a lo o male Ausralians paricipaed in World War wo, so characers aged 35 o 55 may have exensive, hough somewha oudaed, miliary experience. A suggesed se o eam members: A pilo o handle air ravel A deecive or surveillance and invesigaions in urban locaions A paramedic o rea hose ha
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gesoldier injured A or close proecion and heavy weaponry A zoologis o invesigae any srange creaures appearing in he advenures An engineer o sudy peculiar devices discovered during he campaign A bushwalker o ensure ha he eam survives in he hosile ouback
OZ IS DROWNING! mae change, rising sea levels, flooding o coasal plains and ciies. Tere will be crop A suggesed campaign approach is o le ailures and amine, oul weaher in unexhe player characers iniially winess some peced places, and epidemics. Enormous srange evens surrounding he invaders’ human migraions away rom he coass arrival and hen le he ederal auhoriies will ear apar weak counries. Bu his is a inervene gradually by organizing eors slow-moion scenario and he disasers will agains he approaching crises. Te invaders, hereore appear gradually over a decade. Moher Naure and he opposing poliical Almos all o Ausralia’s major ciies are bloc will provide plen o anagoniss. Te locaed a he coass and hey will suffer rom players will have a hard ime predicing wha errible weaher and rising ocean levels. Teir new problems are abou o appear and who inhabians mus flee o higher ground. Te is riend or oe. climae o he inerior will change, oo; in some places i will ge rainier and in ohers sormier. Phase 1: To Observe Indonesia will suer even worse, pariDuring he campaign’s firs phase, he player cularly he densely populaed island o Java. characers observe he invaders’ arrival wih- Hordes o boa people hereore head or he ou undersanding wha really is going on. sparsely seled Ausralia. Tose migrans Such observaions will ake place in civilian are no really welcome, bu here is lile he or miliary ships a sea or in aircra. Srange Ausralians can do o sop hem. ligh phenomena all ou o he sky ino he ocean. I he advenurers check on nauical Phase 5: To Remedy chars, all sighings occur where he ocean is deep. Te greaes challenge during he disasers Te firs UFO repors were published in is o develop and launch projecs ha will al1947, so i will no be anachronisic i he leviae harm, i.e. o save lives, o proec vial advenurers propose exraerresrial inerinrasrucure (e.g. mines and power plans) erence on Earh. and o sar reconsrucion. Te campaign will reach some sor o naural conclusion when he sea level sops rising (perhaps a Phase 2: To Experience 100 ee above he old one). Earh has hen Te aliens are almos as ignoran o us huaained a new equilibrium and a new era mans as we are o hem. Tereore hey sar begins. o explore Earh’s coaslines wih biorobos (semi-inelligen biological machines). Te Complications game maser should le he invaders use several differen invesigaion mehods, be- During phase 1 o 3, he Cold War will be an cause ha will puzzle he players and spur ever-presen source o complicaions. Many hem o capure alien devices. She may, or conspiraorial issues will be debaed in Ausinsance, inroduce land-ravelling biorobos ralia, or insance: or remoe-conrolled blimps ha reach or “Are he climae changes a Sovie place urher inland. Teir weapons may be scheme o haw he Arcic and open up Siberia or colonizaion?” high-pressure projecile launchers or vicious “How will Mao’s China exploi enacular melee weapons. Tese biorobos are no indesrucible, bu i should require he developmens?” a lo o effor o incapaciae one. “Are here KGB moles in organizaions
Five Phases of collapse
INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS & FILMS Te books and films lised below are well worh reading or waching when creaing an Oz Is Drowningcampaign:
GURPS Atomic Horror GURPS Aomic Horror (Seve Jackson
Games) is a 1950s source book wih some sysem-ree seings and plen o social and echnological inormaion. Highly recommended.
The Thing from Another World Te Ting rom Anoher World
(direcor Howard Hawks) is an SF film rom 1951. Te crew o an Arcic research saion ges ino serious rouble wih an exraerresrial monsrosi. Te movie has aged well; i capures he spiri o he period and shows wha echnology should be available.
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Phase 3: To Understand In he nex sage, he player characers will gaher and analyze acs in order o undersand wha really is going on. Ta insigh, even hough i may be limied, will urge
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ha pass on secres o Moscow?” “Does he Kremlin collaborae wih he invaders?”
Insering a CIA mole in he advenurers’ organizaion may be a nice wis. Ausralia and he Unied Saes are allies, bu during
Razorback Razorback (direcor
Russell Mulcahy) is an Ausralian B horror movie rom he 1980s. I akes place in he ouback wih he expeced violen deahs, ough locals and a boar monser.
hose in charge “doresearch somehing”, ha isha o And he Cold War even spy on each esablish acion o and programs i is airly easyriends or an American ooher. pose deal wih he problems. However, maers are as an Ausralian, because many served here abou o ge ar worse… in 1942-45 and go o know he counry horoughly. When phase 4 begins, Earh’s governmens Phase 4: To Suffer are overwhelmed by he developmens. Old Earh is hi by disparae disasers: shiing problems ade away as new ones hreaen o ocean currens, meling polar ice caps, clioblierae humani.
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ROLEPLAYING ANDERS BLIXT Technology he echnology o he mid-1950s looks amiliar, hough a bi aniquaed, o conemporary gamers: black and whie elevision ses, ransisor radios, punch-card compuers, ransoceanic air ravel, and global radio communicaions. Aomic submarines cross he oceans, hough hey are unable o venure ino heir black abysses. Space echnology is progressing by leaps and bounds and soon he firs saellies will circle he globe.
Here are a ew iems worh considering when creaing Ausralian advenures: Radio communicaion is essenial in Ausralia’s ouback, because arms and selemens are so remoe ha elephone lines would be impracical. Each arm has a saionary long-range shorwave se. Walkie-alkies are also around, hough heir range is limied o a ew kilomeers. In he ouback, baered miliary rucks are common, being surplus vehicles rom World War wo. Mos whie children learn o drive hem a age 13. Bush pilos appreciae robus planes such as he Noorduyn Norseman or he De Havilland Beaver. Te amphibious Consolidaed Caalina is a good choice when ravelling long disances across he ocean. (Check Wikipedia or more inormaion on all o hese differen aircras.) Te Flying Docors have been working in he ouback or many years. Tereore medical care may arrive anywhere in he wilderness wihin a ew hours, provided ha you have a shor-wave radio o summon i.
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aliens who provide rivial advice abou he problems o he nuclear age. A weserner who alks abou UFOs hereore risks being labeled a crackpo. I will require solid evidence o convince he public ha Earh really is under aack rom space. On he oher hand, he air orces o many counries ake he UFO issue seriously and carry ou ambiious secre sudies o such observaions. Tis diligence is mainly caused by Cold War worries: “Could ha be superadvanced aircra rom he oher side o he Iron Curain?” Many miliary organizaions
are hereore well-inormed,bu hey, oo, will demand solid proo.
Astronomy In he 1950s, asronomers have lile knowledge o he rue condiions on our neighboring planes, because hey lack good observaional daa. Bu neverheless hey dismiss UFOs as hallucinaions, misinerpreaions o normal naural phenomena, or rauds, because hey do no see any scienific indicaions ha here is “somebody” ou here.
Here is a brie summary on wha a majori o asronomers hink: Asronomers incorrecly assume ha Mercury urns he same side owards Sun all he ime (i.e. locked roaion). Venus is a lile-known world because o is obscuring cloud cover, bu he ew available amospheric daa indicae a composiion ha is inhospiable o higher orms o lie (e.g. no signs o oxygen). Mars is being horoughly observed by elescope, bu scieniss disagree on he exac characerisics o is hin amosphere and chilly climae. A common opinion is ha Mars is Unidentified flying objects an eroded world covered by desers, Serious discussions abou exraerresrial lie perhaps wih a primiive hardy flora. began among asronomers in he middle o Nobody believes ha i is he home h he 19 cenury. H G Wells wroe he beso an advanced civilizaion, because selling novel War o he Worldsjus beore by now i would have been deeced World War One; he book was inended as a by is elecromagneic emissions. scahing verdic over European colonialism And he inamous canals are disdisguised as a Marian invasion o Grea missed as misinerpreaions by Briain. Te firs UFO observaions were reGiovanni Schiaparelli and Percival
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pored by US newspapers in 1947.or(Te maser decides hersel wheher nogame such media repors are bogus or rue accouns o exraerresrial reconnaissance beore he invasion.) During he 1950s, UFO-logy is mainly an abode or cranks and charlaans. Some con men publish raudulen books abou encouners wih visiors rom Mars and Venus,
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ADVENTURE SEEDS FOR OZ IS DROWNING! Tis secion conains hree advenure seeds ha show he game maser how o sar an Oz is drowning!campaign. Tese advenure seeds provide he firs encouners beween humans and exraerresrials. Te players will gradually uncover he perils ha mankind is acing. Te advenure seeds are wrien as oulines, which he game maser can expand ino ullfledged advenures.
Finding clues I is requenly imporan ha he players discover cerain clues o be able o proceed. Tereore, i he advenurers inves sufficien ime and use appropriae skills, hey will find wha hey need auomaically. In such a siuaion a ailed skill check will merely indicae ha he search required more ime han was assumed.
M/S Celestina Adrift The task Te Ausralian merchanman M/S Celesina is in rouble. Yeserday her radio operaor sen an emergency message in Morse code rom a posiion in he Indian Ocean more han 600 nauical miles wes o Perh. he emergency message spoke o a ire onboard, beore i was suddenly inerruped. Te advenurers are hereore insruced o fly here in a Caalina and invesigae wha has happened.
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Lowell caused by a combinaion o poor eye-sigh, wishul hinking and imperecions in he lenses o heir elescopes. Te our gian planes beyond Mars are considered o be exremely inhospiable, each one o hem surrounded by a swarm o rocky dead moons.
What really happened Te Celesina is a Liber ship, a model ha was mass-produced in he Unied Saes during World War wo. Aer he war, many such vessels were sold o small shipping companies all around he world – no he leas o Ausralia. Te maser o he Celesina is Anson McDonald, an Ausralian veeran rom he rans-Paciic warime convoys. His crew consiss o a score Ausralians and Malayan Chinese. Celesina was seaming in he Ausralia o Durban in Souhrom AricaPerh wih a cargo o canned mea and grain when her voyage was inerruped. A piece o a reenry hea shield ell off an alien space cra heading or he dephs o he Indian Ocean. I sruck he ship wih grea orce. She go seriously damaged and a fire sared, bu she remained afloa.
OZ IS DROWNING!
Situation on Site Aer five hours in he air, he Caalina approaches he locaion where he Celesina ough o be. Aer a while he advenurers will be able o discover he ship adri and lising 10 degrees o por. Te Celesina shows fire damage, bu currenly neiher lames nor smoke are visible. Te ship does no respond when hailed by radio and no sailors are seen on he deck. Several lie boas appear o be missing. I he advenurers board her, hey will discover ha she has been abandoned in hase. However, he fire ha she has suffered seems o have exinguished isel. Te orward cargo hold is badly damaged. An objec has crashed hrough is op hach wih grea orce and sared a fire among he grain sacks in i. Te crew has ried o exinguish i by hosing i wih sea waer. I he advenurers carry ou an airborne search operaion, hey will discover he hree missing lie boas aer approximaely one hour. he boas are ied ogeher and conain he complee crew. Nobody is seriously injured or missing.
Polar station Zulu Does not respond! The Task
Clues
During he scenario, he game maser may inroduce he ollowing clues: Te biorobos used some sor o quick snail-sle way o locomoion on dry In he 1950s, Anarcic research had become land, hereby leaving slimy rails. “everyday science”, even hough carried ou Te rails go up rom he waer ino under exreme condiions. In 1949 Ausralia he ruins o he saion buildings and esablished Polar Saion Zulu on he coas back o he waer. Waves have washed o is Anarcic erriorial claim. Te base is away any rails on he sea boom. used by scieniss rom many universiies Te manners in which he humans or research on, among oher hings, glaciers, were killed indicae wha weapon seals and penguins. Usually i is crewed by 30 echnology he invaders used. people. Zulu communicaes wih Ausralia Te biorobos launched harpoons by shor-wave radio. During summers, i is over shor disances wih grea orce, visied wice by a supply ship ransporing and used clawed enacles o rend goods and people. and ear and o manipulae objecs. One day he saion does no respond when (Tere are no races o long-range hailed by radio. Te eam o advenurers are weapons, because hose currenly asked o invesigae and hey head souh available are designed or deep-ocean in a Caalina. Teir briefing papers conain environmens.) drawings o he base insallaions and a crew Te biorobos have removed roser. some large echnological iems Polar Saions Zulu comprises six major (such as he radio) and he army buildings ereced on an ice-ree srech o rifles, because ha is wha he gravel beach and a sae disance rom he invaders wan o sudy righ now. shoreline. Te base is proessionally consrucTere are no biorobo remains. ed and will hardly be damaged he weaher. Pieces o broken biomachinery Tere are backup generaors and spare pars were carried away ino he sea; on sie, so echnical problems would hardly he invaders are securi-minded. knock ou he radio compleely. Tereore, Five men are missing. Tey ran here mus be serious rouble. away in panic during he aack and may be racked ino he icy wilderness above he coas. What really happened Wheher any o hem has survived Zulu has been he arge o a surprising is up o he game maser – i depends nighly raid ou o he oceanic abyss: bioon her plans or he campaign. robos crawled ashore o invesigae human Survivors will give somewha echnology. he invaders are currenly reinconsisen accouns or he dreadul searching humani o undersand how we creaures ha aacked he base under migh hreaen hem and how hey bes he cover o darkness. could neuralize us. Te saion was quickly wrecked and mos o he crew was killed, bu Optional Soviet Complications a ew managed o escape inland. Tere are no phoographs or oher documenaion o Te game maser may le he Sovie polar wha happened. research ship Akademik B arazin urn up •
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Clues During his advenure he game maser may provide he ollowing clues: A careul invesigaion o he damaged cargo hold resuls in he discovery ragmens o an unknown maerial (an exraerresrial advanced ceramic – a subsance ha is compleely unknown o human chemiss in he 1950s). Te sailors explain ha hey were waching a alling meeor when he orward cargo hold suffered an explosion. War veerans hink ha i resembled a deonaing arillery shell. When he fire would no go ou and he elecrical sysem ailed, hereby shuing off he waer pumps, he capain ordered he
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crew o abandon ship.
Complications I is no a rivial maer o climb rom he Caalina’s inflaable dinghies o he deck o he Celestina wihou any proper equipmen, because he ship’s sides are all, we and bare.
Situation on Site When he advenurers arrive a Zulu, hey will find a devasaed sie wih 25 corpses. Devices like he radio se and generaors have been removed, some wih orce, some
a he sie. Moscow’s radio inelligence agency has noiced ha Saion Zulu is unexpecedly off he air and hey, oo, wan o know why.
During he encouner, he Sovie mariime oicers are suspicious (paricularly i he advenurers work or he privae Projec
wihou. humanor remains have orn by violenTe enacles impaled by been spears.
Minerva o he disrusand beween he Sovie) because Union and Ausralia, here-
he crew had had ive Ausralian army rifles, primary or huning. Tese guns are now missing, bu hey mus have been used in bale because here are scores o used carridges scaered in he building where he crew barricaded hemselves during he bale.
ore hey are unwilling o cooperae closely or provide major assisance. Te Akademik Barazin is a civilian sae vessel and hereore her capain will only auhorize use o orce i he Ausralians pose an obvious hrea o his crew. Tere are a dozen Kalashnikovs in he ship’s gun locker or such emergencies.
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ROLEPLAYING ANDERS BLIXT Razorback? The Task
Situation on Site
The Alien Blimp
Te relevan wilderness area conains one crashed bioroboic blimp and one uncioRazorback was srcinally an American slang nal bioroboic walker heading norh. he word or boar. Te word has enered Ausra- advenurers are supposed o find hem and lian olklore, where i designaes a huge boar bring hem home or invesigaion. o sucha is more or less immune o bulles. ceed, hey mus inerview winesses and Beore he firs men arrived in Ausralia scou he errain rom he air. I is suggesed around 40,000 BC, is ecosysem conained ha he advenurers firs find he wrecked several huge animals ha since have gone ex- blimp, because ha will make hem realize inc. For insance, he gian predaor lizard he seriousness o he siuaion.
Megalania, 15 ee long and weighing 700 lbs., was an ecological equivalen o heiger. Tere have been anecdoal repors o modern sighings o ha beas, bu hey are dismissed as olklorisic legends by serious zoologiss. Te razorbacks belong o he same caegory.
However, in his campaign here isa sudden flurry o separae and reasonable credible observaions o a razorback roaming a piece o ouback in he Norhern erriory. Normally, such repors will be ignored, bu considering wha oher srange hings have been occurring, he advenurers are dispached o invesigae.
What really happened Some days ago, a blimp-sle biorobo landed a ground walker o ake samples o he geology, flora and auna several hundred miles inland rom he norh coas. Te blimp hen crashed in a sudden hundersorm. Te walker is currenly heading or he ocean so ha is samples evenually will reach one o he invaders’ undersea bases. Te biorobos have good conrol sysems ha make sure ha hey mainly move by nigh, bu neverheless he walker has been observed by a ew Absrcines and whies and ha is he source o he razorback repors.
Tis should be he firs ime he advenurers find a airly well-preserved piece o invader echnology. Te blimp is a biorobo, a soskinned small “zeppelin”, propelled by wo rows o eigh wings and possessing our powerul gripping organs on he underside. Is ubular body is abou 60 ee long and i has been filled wih hydrogen produced by inernal glands. Te ron has an ougrowh wih organs or seeing and hearing, including sonar, UV, and IR. Biorobos do no ea or breahe. Insead hey have organic reserves Complications inside in he body o be consumed on operaA ew winesses are ready o ell wha hey ions. Tese reserves las abou wo weeks. have seen, bu he inormaion hey provide Te blimp was slammed ino he ground by is parially conradicory (ha is always he a sudden hundersorm and killed insanly. case in his pe o invesigaions). No one has I is parially broken and he hydrogen has undersood he rue naure o he observed leaked away. hereore, even a skilled biodevices. Insead whie Ausralians will por- logis will have a hard ime figuring ou how ray hem as a razorback, a miliary experi- i srcinally had uncioned. men, or a Sovie plo agains he securi o he naion. For mos people UFOs are a silly noion, so anyone bringing up ha angle risks The Alien Walker being ridiculed as a crank. Te ground-walking biorobo should be consiAusralian Absrcines are generally susdered a monser ha has o be knocked ou in picious o whie people represening he a airly non-desrucive way i i is o provide governmen, so hey may be relucan o inormaion on he invaders’ echnology. Te speak openly. (Aer all, hey are he arge advenurers may cerainly kill i ourigh o open prejudice and discriminaion.) Tey wih a bazooka, bu hen is carcass would will no reer o he Sovie Union or UFOs in jus be a useless mess. inerviews. Insead hey consider any srange phenomenon o have been caused by Ausralian miliary devices or by monsers rom Appearance heir own legends. A en ee long ubular body.Fron and rear end Te Ausralian miliary are no willing o each has an ougrowh wih organs or sigh discuss classified inormaion wih civilians, and hearing, including sonar, IR, and UV. Six so non-miliary advenurers will find i di- powerul legs. op speed is comparable o a icul o learn wheher he srange evens galloping horse. One pair o enacles a each have been caused by miliary experimens. end or manipulaion. Four sorage pouches or samples on he “belly”. Te biorobo is no roubled by darkness, smoke or mis.
Natural weapons
More to read by Anders Blixt Anders Blix is an SF auhor and one o Sweden’s mos experienced RPG designers. He has a paricular liking or alernae hisory ficion and gameworlds, oen wih rero ouches. Saga Games has published Oz is Drowning(aer he firs publicaioncampaigns in Fenix) and o Anders’s dieselpunk orwo is Swedish RPG Parallel Worlds. Anders’s ”alernaeAnarcica” spy novel Te Ice War is available in an English ranslaion as an ebook a Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/517357 ).
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Te walker is “programmed” or sel-proecion. For close proecion: One aack arm wih a chopping claw a each end (range abou 5 ee). One
spray organ on he back: i will squir a liquid solven up o 60 ee away (arc ofire 360°) Te liquid aacks and dissolves he body issues o erresrial organisms, causing deep earsome wounds. Cloh or plasics do no oer much proecion. Teone biorobos en squirs a gland. I akes hours ohas “recharge” oneinsquir.
Energy Biorobos do no ea or breahe. Insead hey have organic reserves inside in he body o be consumed on operaions. Tese reserves las abou wo weeks.
BERNARD ÅKE ROSENIUS
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ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
FIVE MINUTES TO
TWELVE TEXT CHRISTTOFFER KRÄMER
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 6/2012 108
Eva looked down at her watch again. Apart from looking a little too big to be an ordinary pocket watch, there was something else that was very strange: Instead of being numbered from one to twelve as a watch would normally be, this clock had only the number 12 all the way around — at least that was the onl y number she could read. Fascinating! She turned the watch over in her hand and enjoyed the way the metal casing felt against her palm. It reminded her of stones she sometimes picked up along the shore, polished unnaturally smooth by long years of waves and wind. Discreet hinges along one edge revealed that the backside of the watch could be opened, and though her nails were bitten short, Eva managed to slide one in under the edge of the casing and coax it open. Within was a jumble of cogs and wheels of various metals dotted with an intricate pattern of microscopic symbols. It looked as if it had just recently come from the watchmaker’s shop. There was no sign of dirt or scratches. In the middle of the clockwork was a miniature image of a globe, so detailed that she could follow the coastline of South America, and in the centre — roughly in the middle of the Sahara desert — was a tiny hexagonal hole. Beneath the globe, attached with small catches, glimmered a small key. Eva’s hands trembled as she removed the key and brought it up to the hole. The excitement of anticipation had crept up on her unexpectedly, and now the tension was unbearable. It was as if the entire world held its collective breath and she imagined that even the birds had quieted. The mechanism turned so easily with a twist of her fingers, as if it had been recently oiled, and Eva nearly jumped with fright when the lock suddenly clicked. At the same moment, it
began to vibrate and became warmer to the touch. Eva turned it over again to look at the clock face. The small hand, shaped indeed like a slim, skeletal hand, glided soundlessly around in its circle much faster than it should. When it finally reached the final symbol, it stopped and the clock began to tick — as if it were just a regular watch. Eva replaced the key in its catches and carefully shut the hinged door. She looked again at the face. Five minutes to twelve — what could that mean?
ROLEPLAYING CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
F
ive minues o welve is a campaign
and hen begins o ick inexorably on. Wha is i icking orward o? Why i is he end o he world, prediced by he welh culure’s porion o he clock. Forunaely, he clock is no a par o he predesinaion. he apocalypse may be ineviable in he long run, bu i is possible o pu i off. Especially i you know i’s coming! A paricularly sharp-eyed group o people (he characers!) could — wih access o he doomsday clock — be able o predic he According o erry Prache and — a leas signs o he imes and ac in such a way as o in spiri — oher prominen observers o he ensure he ancien prophecies and ales ohe human condiion, we humans are jus soend o days do no come o pass as oreold. ryelling chimpanzees who shape he world Te clock would srike welve and he world wih he sories we ell abou i and abou our- would remain. A leas or a shor while, since selves. A recurring ale in almos all culures he doomsday clock’s minue hand ineviably is ha o he end o he world: Armageddon, slides oward he nex five-minues-o-welve Ragnarök, Achari Hayamim, ec. So i he posiion, and a new culure’s apocalypse apidea o, and he sory abou, he apocalypse pears on he doorsep. Over and over again. are somehow imprined in us as a species, perhaps here is a grain o ruh o i. Maybe here is, as has been augh or housands o years on he Indian subconinen, a cyclical Te doomsday clock requires a bi oresearch naure o reali, a predeermined rhyhm rom he game maser and he players. I o growh, prosperiy, and ruin. Perhaps would be good o begin wih he apocalypses our memories o downall is a uure echo ha players are likely mos amiliar wih, o somehing ha has already happened such as he Chrisian Armageddon or he beore, over and over again. And maybe, Norse Ragnarök. Saring wih hese can help jus maybe, here is somehing ha survives amiliarise he players wih he concep and each cycle. Somehing ha records evens whe heir appeies beore saring in on he and keeps ime. An ancien relic belonging more complicaed downalls like he Babyloo he universe’s own horologis. Tis is he nian end imes or he all o he Azecs. Once doomsday clock. hey ge o his poin, hey will have gained Te clock isel is no so specacular ha enough momenum ha hey will be able i aracs any aenion. I looks like a large o bie off he ruin o he ancien Egypians pocke wach made o polished meal whose and ibeans, as well as he final hours o he colour shis somewha depending on how Maori and he Inui. he ligh alls upon i. Te clock’s ace is adFor each apocalypse he characers manage miedly no pical, bu no really any more o sop, a new one begins, and hose characunusual han many oher arisic clocks ou ers who have been rying o find any lile here. Te number welve appears in all posi- advanages (so, basically everyone) will sar ions, hough i is wrien in differen number devouring inormaion on myhology jus o sysems rom differen culures. Each welh keep ahead o he pack. porion o he clock also has oher small embellishmens ha ie back o ha paricular porion’s culure. o he archaeologis or he hisorian, he clock holds many clues, bu or he uniniiaed, i mosly appears o be a piece o jewellery or arwork. Five minues can seem like an awully shor Upon opening he back, one migh be im- amoun o ime o sop impending doom, bu pressed by he inricae exposed clockwork, keep in mind ha much o he ime described bu no unil i is examined under a powerul in hese end-o-days myhs are mosly symbomagniing glass or microscope can one ell lic, so i can be assumed ha his is he case
Anoher and even more diabolical (and hereore more un) mehod is o have he ime be acceleraed. Perhaps five minues o welve is he firs ime he clock sars icking or a whole year. Te players hen have plen o ime o see he signs and ormulae a plan o sop he end o he world. Te nex apocalypic incarnaion is hen only eleven monhs, allowing less ime o ponder and ac. Te hird incarnaion is only en monhs, and so on. Tis will likely lead o a lo o crazy rushing around a he end.
jus how he clock’s are, or jusinricae how compleely i ismechanisms srewn wih iny symbols, many o hem unknown o people oday. When he wach is wound — ha is when is rue peculiariies shine orh. And by hen, i is probably oo lae. Te minue hand winds silenly around unil i sops a five minues o welve (he firs welve a he op, ha is )
—odesperaely ryPerhaps o find ahey waywon’ o gebe heable clock sop icking. o sop he apocalypse rom happening, bu a leas hey can pu i off or a ime. Maybe he final scene which ends he advenure will be he characers wrapping he pocke wach in a cloh and placing i in a box righ beside he Ark o he Covenan inside he infinie warehouse.
based around a myserious areac. Tis aricle conains a brie inroducion o he areac isel, along wih some ideas on how i can be incorporaed in one o your regular campaigns, or how you can consruc an enire campaign specifically dedicaed o he areac. Enjoy!
THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK
THE RECURRING APOCALYPSE
TIME SCALE SYMBOLIC OR ACCELERATED?
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even orha he doomsday clock. Noe ive minues o welve is he equivalen o “in he nick o ime” or “a he las second” or any oher similar phrase ha denoes ime in a vague way . In his version, you can imagine ha as soon as he clock is running and is a “five minues o welve” he firs signs poining oward he end o he world appear.
ONE TRICK PONY OR A NEW TÉKUMEL? How can you use he doomsday clock? As he game maser, you can use he clock in prey much any game environmen you wan — even one ha’s compleely made up (since he apocalypse is likely as colourully described in space as i is among he goblins and rolls in airyland, and among he vampires and werewolves in he world o shadows). Te big quesion is wheher you wan o use he clock as a one-ime dramaic device (in a limied advenure) or as a recurring elemen (as a whole campaign).
DOOMSDAY CLOCK AS FOCUS OF AN INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURE I you use he doomsday clock as a main ingredien o a single advenure, you will have creaed a grea mainee-sle acion scenario. Te player characers find and clumsily manage o sar he doomsday clock, and hen guil conscience and survival insinc persuade hem o do whaever hey can o sop i. In his version, here is no ime o allow years o dri by slowly, bringing signs o he apocalypse slowly o ligh. I is imporan o sar he acion righ away and have Fenris wolves and Princes o Peace wake immediaely once he clock has sared he coundown. Obviously, heir work is impeded by he ac ha oher groups wan he clock or heir own evil purposes. A good way ou o he doomsday mess in his pe o advenure could be ha he player characers — while hey are aemping o pu a sop o he firs or second end o he world
FIVE MINUTES TO TWELVE DOOMSDAY CLOCK AS A RECURRING THEME
Every Era has its Heroes
his campaign has a doomsday clock ha jus icks hrough one apocalypse a a ime Anoher way o use he doomsday clock is and allows he game maser he pleasure o as a recurring heme in a campaign ha is coninuously changing imes and seings. acually unrelaed. he player characers begin in he pas — Example 1:Te players are aniquarian perhaps ancien Greece where he doomsday expers in Bookhounds o London when hey clock could be ound wihin Pandora’s box. encouner and mus ry o sop he doomsday hey can play heroes who mus work o clock. Tey manage o ge he wach o sop pu a sop o a pical Grecian apocalypse. icking and hen hey lock i in a lead box and (Greek myhology can be a bi vague wih dump i in he sea. Four advenures laer, i such reerences, bu you can always add a shows up in he possession o culiss who re- ew Disney ype ians). When he end o rieved i rom he sea and sared i up again… he world is sopped and he players realise Example 2:Te players are fighing evil he clock is indesrucible, i is sealed up in a Nazis in Operaion Fallen Reichand manage conainer and cas ino a volcano (or similar o seal he already running doomsday clock game-oriened soluion). rom he hird Reich’s oo soldiers. he Ten he game maser moves orward in sruggle o sop Nazism and is minions is ime o he nex ieraion and new characers sill he main priori, bu over and above his, are creaed. For example, 600 years laer, in hey mus now pay aenion o he porens a Rome ha sands on he brink o collapse, o doom appearing around hem in he mos a slave happens o dig up a meal objec ha roubled pars o occupied Europe. And he had been encased in porous volcanic sone… agens o Tule somehow manage o always Te clock is acivaed again and he player be here o hwar hem as hey aemp o characers mus ge in here and pu a sop seal back he areac. ye again o he apocalypse. Aer hey have By using he doomsday clock in his way, successully saved off he hrea once again, you’ve creaed a recurring device ha can be hey hink up an even more imaginaive way used o hurry along oher developmen in o burying he clock or all ime. he campaign, or o creae a poenially wellAer anoher jump orward in ime, and needed break rom anoher porion o he a new environmen, he nex session begins. campaign, or perhaps o weave ogeher di- Perhaps he seing his ime will be during eren hemes o he campaign as necessary. he Crusades: knighs and squires in conflic wih he noble Saracens encouner he clock, which has been ound again, hanks o he clever game maser’s imaginaion. In his way, a campaign can coninue on ino he presen, and even urher i desired, Te doomsday clock can easily be he cenral where even omorrow’s nanoechnological device o an enire campaign. wo quick sug- paradise is no ree o he shadow o impengesions or his: ding doom.
DOOMSDAY CLOCK AS THE CENTRE OF A CAMPAIGN
As if you weren’t already late driving the kids to football practice as it is! Tis campaign has he advanage o being abou compleely ordinary people in our compleely ordinary world who, or various reasons, are presen when he doomsday clock is firs ound and acivaed. Tey hen wind in a posiion where heir aes are boundup ogeher wih he clock’s, wheher hey like i or no, and wheher hey like each oher or no (preerably no). Tey canno escape heir ae, and as usual, people around hem don’ ake heir sory seriously. Te only hing hey can do is o gradually ideni and deal wih he apocalypic crises ha appear.
CONCLUSION Once you have begun o play wih an indesrucible cosmic clock, your imaginaion can quickly run away wih you. Wha i someone igures ou a way o aec he clockwork and make he clock go backwards? Wha happens hen? Tis is a quesion only you can decide he answer o. Good luck!
INSPIRATION
Tere is no shorage o maerial concerning visions o he apocalypse or he end o imes. For a quick inroducion o various culures’ views o he end o he world, check ou he link below:
history.com/topics/the-end-of-the-world 111
CARD GAME PETER HANSSON
FENIX FIGHTERS A COMPLETE CARDGAME FROM GIGANTOSKOP TEXT PETER HANSSON ILLUSTRATION MAGNUS FALLGREN OLA LARSSON ÅKE ROSENIUS LUKAS THELIN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONFENIX 2/2012
When the Swedish gaming magazine Fenix reached 50 issues we became the longest living Swedish magazine in our particular niche. We celebrated that with an issue full of complete games of different kinds. Fenix Fight was the contribution from the renowned Swedish gaming company Gigantoskop, with titles such as Spank the Monkey in their repertoire. The game play is a duel, where two players at a time face each other. It can also be played as tournaments.
PREPARATIONS
Each player has a set of six cards
lows), oherwise, one player will win. Noe ha he cards have he same abili o win, so Copy or cu ou a leas wo game boards and ha even i a player’s opponens have P versions o heir cards, W , or example, wo ses o cards (6/player) rom he card will bea boh C and C P . sock appendix included in his volume o Best o Fenix (or prin hem ou rom he player who won he round ges he your pd-file). For a lile more durabilit, number o poins indicaed by he oken o we recommend placing he cards in plasic he played card. She hen moves her machsleeves. You will also need our okens per ing oken one sep o he righ. Tis means player. ha he firs and second ime a player wins, Each player akes a game board and a se she ges 1 poin, bu he hird ime, she ges o 6 cards (B , C ,W ,B P , 2 poins. C P ,W P ). Each se is labelWhen he oken reaches he square marked led wih is own phoenix in order o more P , you can exchange his card rom easily disinguish hem rom one anoher. your hand wih he P version o i on Place one oken on square 0 o he poin he able. Tese cards are “beer” versions scale o your game board, and he hree o he srcinals. In addiion o hem beaing remaining okens on he firs posiions o he same cards as beore, hey now also bea W ,C , and B (lemos posiions). heir own non-power versions. For example, Se aside he hree P cards and place W P beas boh C and W , bu he hree ohers in your hand. loses, as usual, o B . Te firs ime a P card wins, he player ges 1 poin and he oken is moved, as usual, one sep o he righ. Aer his, i is no longer Tis is essenially a rock-paper-scissors game, possible o move arher o he righ and all bu wih a wis. You can o course play your addiional wins wih his card give 2 poins.
RULES
Each player has a game board.
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cards , bu in order o win, you mus be ablerandomly o ousmar your opponen. In each round, players secrely selec a card rom heir hands and hen hey reveal heir card simulaneously. W beas C ,C beas B , and B beas W . I boh players selec he same card, nohing happens (excep in he case o P cards; more inormaion ol-
I boh players playround. he same P card, boh players win ha he irs player o reach or exceed 10 poins wins he F F . I boh players reach 10 poins simulaneously, he one who has he mos poins wins. I boh players have he same number o poins, he bale coninues unil one player has more poins han he oher.
CARDS FOR FENIX FIGHTERS Beak
Claw
Beak
Wing
Beak Power
Wing
Claw Power
Wing Power
Claw Power
Claw
Beak Power
Wing Power
WINGEDWARRIOR
T H U N D E RB I RD
CARDS FOR FENIX FIGHTERS Beak
Claw
Beak
Wing
Beak Power
Wing
Claw Power
Wing Power
Claw Power
Claw
Beak Power
Wing Power
SKULLZ
KILLERCLAW
Thunderbird 1
gni W w Cla ake B
1
2
1
2
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
1
2
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POINTS
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Winged Warrior 1
ngi W wa lC kea B
1
POINTS
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2
FENIX FIGHTERS
Thunderbird FENIX FIGHTERS
Winged Warrior
Killer Claw 1
gni W w Cla ake B
1
2
1
2
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
1
2
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POWER
POINTS
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
Skullz
2
1
1
gin W awl C
0
1
ake B POINTS
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2
FENIX FIGHTERS
Killer Claw FENIX FIGHTERS
Skullz
BEST OF FENIX VOLUME 1 Best of Fenix includes some of the best gaming material
from the Swedish gaming magazine Fenix – translated to English. In Best of Fenix you will nd inspiring material written directly for Fenix’ readers by renown international game designers such as Kenneth Hite and Pete Nash, but also some of the best from the Swedish arena. To top it off, we got our own comic stripBernard the Barbarian, created by Åke Rosenius and at least one stand alone game in every issue. In this our rst anthology you will nd myths and legends of different kinds, some true to classic source materials and others warped through a brand new lter.
ARTICLES IN THIS VOLUME • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Once Upon a Time in the North Myths & Legends City of the Golden Vampires Crac des Draca Spell Singers in RuneQuest Shadows of Babylon Long Have I Desired to Look upon the Kings of Old The Chamber – Legacy of the Apocalypse Werewolves of Dacia Master Your Style Write Your Own Adventures Lovesongs for Lambchops But this is Wondrous Strange – to RuneQuest Auberond Oz is Drowning Five Minutes to Twelve
• Fenix Fighters – A Complete Card Game • Bernard the Barbarian
© 2015 Åskfågeln www.askfageln.se
