Clerics & Wizards

2:

Aruneus

The World of Clerics and Wizards – a historical perspective By Benjamin Gerber Aruneus is a new world for use with the Pathfinder Role Playing Game. 100 years past, Aruneus experienced an apocalyptic event. Starting in a small village, a family infected by a strange sickness died, only to rise again several days later. Within weeks hordes of undead were roaming the Human empires, ravaging any warm blooded creature that fell in to their grasp. Aruneus was devastated - losing in a few years over 10 million sentient beings. After 100 years of fending off a complete collapse, the sentient races are rebuilding their societies and for the first time there is hope that the undead menace can be destroyed and life given a chance to flourish again. This supplement contains details on the Order of the White Cloth and magic users in the world of Aruneus, including the rise to power of the Order of the White Cloth and the fall of the Wizards under the Order’s rule.

Pathfinder and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under license. See paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Please visit our Wiki for more information ~ http://www.trollitc.com/aruneus

3: The Order of the White Cloth We are the purity of spirit. We are the only protectors of the living. We are the cleansing hand that will bring salvation to all Aruneus. We are the law. —Order of the White Cloth Opening Rites, book II, chapter 1. The Order of the White Cloth is possibly the one human organization to profit greatly from the zombie apocalypse. Shortly before the undead rose the Order was large but politically not a strong entity. When they found themselves spread throughout all of the human realms (with small temples in several Elven and Dwarven cities as well) their spiritual leader High Priest Dain seized the opportunity. He immediately communicated to all of his subordinates that they were to spare no effort in driving back the undead hordes and saving what they could of any settlements they found themselves in. They accomplished this in part through their power to control divine energy and in part through a massive effort of cajoling and threatening to motivate citizens of even small settlements to construct high walls as rapidly as possible. After the initial outbreak had passed, High Priest Dain found himself in the position of both the most revered spiritual leader on the planet and also in control of the largest extent network of Humans. He strove to live up to the ideals set for him from the existing governments and worked closely with their militaries and other spiritual groups to ensure that humanity and the other races would not be completely eradicated. He was the first to propose elevated settlements and saw to it that the Human nations created laws mandating 2nd level living in any newly built or rebuilt

settlements. He also worked closely with the groups responsible for the first lighter than air ships as well as The strain was very large and High Priest Dain was already well into his sixtieth decade when the initial outbreaks occurred. In the summer of 7 AA he suffered a stroke while working with the Old Kingdom government on plans for a new settlement. His party, attempting to return him to the relative safety of the nearest walled town was attacked and overrun by a large number of undead. These creatures subsequently destroyed most of the nearby settlements. High Priest Dain's body was never recovered.

The next leader to be selected as High Priest, Raynold, was the youngest appointment to the office at 42 years old. Raynold took a much different approach and saw that not only could he slow and possibly turn the advance of the undead but that he could seize political power while doing so. Increasingly power vacuums occurred when noble families were overrun or lost all of their offspring and potential heirs to the undead uprising. Raynold worked hard to set up puppet governments wherever he could, who were loyal to and often subject to the Order. Realizing that the League of the Earth and the Colleges of Mages would oppose this he


4: also worked hard to pass laws restricting the use of Magic. No fool, he knew the many benefits the magical arts brought to society and created an Order licensed organizing of magicians subject to the oversight of the Order. While it took time to consolidate the Orders political power, consolidate it Raynold did. In 45 AA he was able to pass a series of laws through the Order's political arms which greatly restricted the ability of magic users to function in Human society. Raynold was directly responsible for the condemnation, arrest and execution of a large number of League of the Earth leaders. With this last flexing of the Order's political muscle it became apparent to the few remaining noble families who supported the League that the Order of the White Cloth had gained full control of all things governmental. They quickly went in to hiding and the Order became both the dominant spiritual and political force. Today the venerable Raynold rules the Order from their Great Temple. At 136 years old he is possibly the oldest human still alive and one of the few who have had first-hand experience with the growing undead horde of 100 years ago. Kept alive through various healing rights and by staff magicians, recent rumors say that he himself has succumbed to a kind of undeath. The Order has had to spend a large amount of time and money countering claims that he is the Necromancer raised again, a zombie himself or some other supernatural menace. While still charged with the protection of humanity from the zombie plague, the Order is more concerned with exerting their political force to ensure they are never cast from power. They are actively working towards expanding the much dwindled human kingdom. Raynold and the Order strictly control all communications between Order protected settlements and have a hand in any trading and military actions that

take place. Many chafe under Raynold’s rule but few can deny that Humankind is again flourishing. The League of the Earth seems to be just a troubling memory, although recent, hard to quash rumors of a wizardly cure for the undead plague are becoming harder for the Order to suppress.

Magic Users It is a horrible fate we find for ourselves when we are beset from three sides by the walking dead and the fourth side by the agents of our living gods. —Varyon, the last Arch-Mage, 47 AA, at his execution. Magic users have little freedom in this new world. Sorcerers, always rare, have all but vanished. Wizards, those who seek the magical arts through learning, have only three choices open to them. Become slaves to the Order of the White Cloth, become renegade and die by the Order’s hands along with all of those you love, or hide the powers of magic deeply and vanish into a solitary existence. With the decree of 45 AA, the Order of the White Cloth effectively outlawed the use of magic unless under their direct license. The magical colleges which had risen to such status in the past had dwindled and now found themselves cast out of society. Individual sorcerers and wizards could either make themselves known to the Order and practice their arts under the Order's suffrage or face dire consequences. Shortly after the decree of 45 AA the order declared that they would withdraw their protection from any communities harboring unlicensed magic users. Not only would those communities be cut off from news of the world provided by Order couriers, but the Order's clerics in residence would be


5: withdrawn. Even many small communities relied on their local Order priest for healing, and more importantly the ability to destroy the undead that would daily besiege them.

With this cause and effect relationship firmly entrenched in society, many people take it on themselves to report anyone even suspected of being a magic user or having magical abilities. False reports are common and usually politically motivated or motivated by revenge. The Order takes some precautions but generally have a "arrest first, ask questions under the knife later" policy. The Order of the White Cloth has created its own order of mages, known as the White Magi. They are also known as 'pet mages'. They are tightly governed by the Order and are told what magical arts they may research and use, where to use them and to what end. Mostly they order uses them as tertiary soldiers in the fight against the undead, as enablers and creators of magical items and potions and lastly as a research arm. Within the White Magi there is a strict hierarchy, with the head of local White Magi groups often filling the dual role as magic user and ordained priest in the Order.

In the present, this has had a definite effect on human culture and their views of magic users. They are viewed at best with suspicion as both wielders of the arcane arts and puppets of the Order of the White Cloth. At worst, they are viewed as anathema if unlicensed. A practicing magic user who has not reported themselves to the Order and is found (and they are often found) brings death not only on themselves but those around them. The Order will first send a team to arrest or kill the magic user. Once this act is accomplished, that team will escort any members of the Order out of that settlement for a set amount of time; a day, a week or in severe cases for a decade. This leaves the settlement essentially without a reliable means to destroy and repel the undead.

White Magi are required to be registered with the Order, to wear at all times a white gold forged bracelet with their registration credentials stamped in to it along with the Order's seal. Registration Credentials generally signify the White Magi’s name and an identifying seal showing which schools the White Magi prefers. They are also required to swear an oath of obedience and fealty to both the Order as a whole and their direct superior. White Magi are required to wear white robes as a symbol of their fealty to the Order, as well. There are known enclaves in the deep wilderness where magic users are said to practice freely - however no credence has been given to these ‘rumors’ by the Order. Either the enclaves are so far outside the realm of the Order that they simply cannot be bothered with them, or they have been investigated and the rumors found to be


6: false. In the wilderness where mere survival is a full time occupation, the ability to study the magical arts with enough intensity to move forward in them is virtually unheard of. Recently this anti-magic stigma has spread even to the Elves and Dwarves where the Order plays an increasingly large role in their politics. Converts from both races have been numerous and in the past decade the order has seen a number of temples built in both Elven and Dwarven enclaves. Attitudes towards magic users are shifting in both races towards the paranoia and fear that is the current norm in the human realm. Despite this rumor control, two rumors persist. The first is that a society of 'wild mages', humans - probably naturally born sorcerers - has risen in the far north. Further speculation has this group associating closely with the newly powerful Orc Kingdom. The second rumor is that some part of the older Colleges of Magic, working with underground elements of the League of the Earth have resurfaced. Speculation places them somewhere in the south, most likely on one of the thousands of islands surrounding Aruneus' southern continent. Not only are these magic users said to be freely practicing their arts without the restrictions of the Order but they are said to be working on a cure, or solution, to the undead that roam the world.

Aruneus and Troll in the Corner are a trademark owned by Benjamin Gerber. All rights reserved.

Open Gaming License Version 1.0A Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast. Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate later versions of the license and document The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.


7: 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. The World of Aruneus Copyright 2010, Benjamin Gerber. Troll in the Corner Copyright 2010, Benjamin Gerber Pathfinder and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under license. See paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Declaration of Product Identity All text and tables in this product, with the exception of material specifically excluded in this declaration of product identity, is open game content. The Aruneus name, any logos, the Troll in the Corner name and all Artwork is under copyright and cannot be duplicated with out permission.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.


Clerics & Wizards

Recommend Documents