Skirmish Miniatures Wargame
Cr editS A Game by Croc & Geoffrey Picard. Assisted by Jean-François Beney, Julien Blondel, Pierre Bouas, Thomas Cheilan, David Freeman, Sandy Julien, Joel Lehner, Philippe Masson, Arnaud Ramonat & Manuel Sanchez. Originally Edited by Yann Arndt & Alicia Simonnet. English Version Edited by Tim Crothers, David Freeman, Joel Lehner, & Robert Noland. Figurines Miniature Concepts : Bertrand Benoit, Croc, Thomas David, Jacques-Alexandre Gillois & Geoffrey Picard. Design Concept : Bertrand Benoit . Miniature Sculptors : Michael Bigaud, Thomas David & Jacques-Alexandre Gillois . Miniature Painters: Allan Carrasco, Thomas David, Jacques-Alexandre Gillois, Jérôme Otremba & Sébastien Picque. Paint & Design Sets: Team Toulouse. Illustrations Layout and Design: Stéphane Gantiez, Cédric Giroux, Marc Mathaly & Thomas Kohler. Cover : Anne Rouvin. Interior Illustrations: Bertrand Benoit, Antoine Carrion, Anthony Jean, Gurvan Friederich, Stéphane Gantiez, Romain Gaschet, Sébastien Grenier, Nicolas Hesse, Michel Koch, Stéphane Louis, Pascal Quidault, Jean-Baptiste Reynaud, Jean-Marc Ringuet, Jean-Sébastien Rossbach, Anne Rouvin, Marc Simonetti & Alexandre Tuis. Department Loved hands, nudges, kicks, strokes of genius small finds, great ideas and expert advice. Thierry Abgrall, Emmanuel Beltrando, Guillaume Beuriot, Charlotte Bousquet, Frédéric Condette, Thomas Hervet, Séverin Keizer, Ileana Scharager-Polet, Mikaël Scharager-Polet & Timbre-Poste. Julien de Albuquerque, Matthieu Balay, Jean-Marie Boisnard, Gatien Billon Maurin, Stéphane Dalban, Jean-Marie Delhinger, Cyril Derny, Jérôme Fournier, Gabriel Fraval, Frédéric Frugier, Nicolas Fuseau, Cédric Giroux, Nicolas Gourmaud, Marie Laurent, Thimotée Laurent, Marc Mathaly, Charles Paulet, Yannick Polchetti, Alexandre Quicroix, Pascal Saradjan, Fabien Soutif, Alexis Stacke & Muse Tesson. David Bauwens, Bruno Béchu, Valentin Boucher, Rémy « Blacksad » Guilemin, Thierry Heit, Erwan Hubert Lionel Labreuil, Raphaël Motta, Tom le Portois, Coralie Rouillet, Christophe « Kris » Roque & Nicolas « Juan » Rouanet. N°41, Joël « Wagih » Alarcon, David « Anakron » Ayral, Romain van der Bogaert, Jérémie Bonament Teboul, Julien Casses, Vivien Chesnel, Laurent « Werewolf » Exposito Mas, Bruno Grelier, Vincent « Minivince » Mir, Jérôme Otremba, Dimitri « Dim69 » Peyrard, Sébastien « Jakovazor » Picque, Manuel « Manumilitari » Sanchez & David Waeselynck. A Special Thanks to: Matthieu «Liancour» Balay, Philippe «Alaster» Carpentier, Sebastien «Darth-Swen» Longuet, Philippe «CCCP» Villé. Cipher Studios 2011
GlossarY Hell Has Not Always Been Hell����������������������������� 4 The Gates of Hell ��������������������������13 The Thirty Years War ��������������������13 Passages to the Beyond �����������������15 The Europeans ������������������������������18 The Situation in Europe Since the Opening of the Gates ����������������18 The Situation in the Colony of New Jerusalem����������������������������18 Supplies and Pay ���������������������������18 Spiritual and Material Motivations ����������������20 The Ottoman Empire �������������������20 The Empire Below ������������������������25 Geography of Hell ������������������������25 The first day ���������������������������������26 The People of Hell ������������������������ 27 Titles and Demonic Hierarchy ������28 The Lost ���������������������������������������29 Exploration & Conquest ���������������30
Rules and Game-Play �����������35 The Basics ������������������������������������ 35 Dice ���������������������������������������������� 35 Fathoms ���������������������������������������� 35 Distance ��������������������������������������� 35 Measurement �������������������������������� 35 Facing ������������������������������������������� 35 Contact and Control Area ������������36 Contact �����������������������������������������36 Control Area ��������������������������������36 The Armed Forces ������������������������ 37 Unit Ranks ����������������������������������� 37 Officers ���������������������������������������� 37 Independents ������������������������������� 38 Troopers ��������������������������������������� 38 Unit Statistics ������������������������������� 38 Movement (MVT) ������������������������� 38 Shooting Skill (SHS) ���������������������� 38 Combat (CBT) ������������������������������ 38 Defense (DEF) ������������������������������� 38 Protection (PR) ����������������������������� 39 Life Points (LP) �����������������������������39 Faith (FTH) ���������������������������������� 40 Command (CMD) ������������������������ 40 Weapon Statistics. ����������������������� 40 Power Table ��������������������������������� 40 Range ��������������������������������������������41 Damage Type ��������������������������������41 Weapons Abilities �������������������������41 Nature of the Units �����������������������41 Magic, Special Abilities, and Orders �������������������������������42 Unit Base Size ������������������������������42 Value, Faction, and Availability of a Unit �����������������������������������42 Dominance �����������������������������������43 Turns ��������������������������������������������43 Upkeep Phase �������������������������������43 Action Phase ���������������������������������43 Definitions ����������������������������������� 44 First Activation ���������������������������� 44 Being Outnumbered ���������������������45 Activation �������������������������������������45 Movement ������������������������������������48 Control Area Effects ���������������������49 Combat ����������������������������������������49 Close Combat �������������������������������50 Resolving an Attack Sequence ������50 Special Situations ��������������������������51 Ranged Combat ���������������������������� 52 Shots �������������������������������������������� 52 Shooting Into Close Combat ��������54 Explosions ������������������������������������56 Blast Weapons ����������������������������� 57 Command and Orders ������������������58 Command. ������������������������������������58
Orders ������������������������������������������ 61 Magic ��������������������������������������������62 Auras ��������������������������������������������62 Lemures and Spells ����������������������62 States ������������������������������������������ 64 Special Abilities ��������������������������� 68
Constructing your Company ���������������������������75 Recruiting Mercenaries ����������������� 75 Larger Battles ������������������������������� 75
Factions ���������������������������������77 The Westerners ��������������������77 The Western Kingdom Below ������� 77 Identifying Our Enemies ��������������� 78 The War Effort ����������������������������� 78 The Free Companies of Hell ���������80 Francisco Vargas ����������������������������81 Baptiste Valombre ������������������������82 Sir Valet ���������������������������������������� 83 Vincenzo Maculano de Fiorenzuola ��������������������������85 Georg von Holbein ���������������������� 86 Aidan St. James ���������������������������� 87 Alvaro Echeverria de Balaguer. �����88 Anna Bogna Pavlova ���������������������89 Sister Eloise ��������������������������������� 90 Sara Zingaresce ���������������������������� 91 Swashbuckler ��������������������������������92 Missionary ������������������������������������ 93 Arquebuser ���������������������������������� 94 Doppelsöldner ������������������������������95 Grenadier ������������������������������������ 96 Blade for Hire �������������������������������97
The Demons ������������������������� 99 Asaliah ����������������������������������������103 Samael ���������������������������������������� 104 Tsilla ��������������������������������������������105 Eurynome ����������������������������������� 106 Foulques the Black ��������������������� 108 Jinx ��������������������������������������������� 109 Infernal Ambassador ������������������� 110 Damned One of Pride ������������������ 111 Great Damned One of Pride ���������112 Great Dmaned One of Wrath �������113 Mourner �������������������������������������� 114 Succubus ��������������������������������������115 Damned One of Wrath ���������������� 116 Damned One of Gluttony �������������117 Damned One of Sloth ������������������ 118 Flesh Demon ������������������������������� 119
The Saracens ������������������������121 The Secrets of the Old Man �������� 121 A Series of Strange Coincidences �������������� 121 A Quest Shared By All �����������������122 Islam, the Force of Purity as an Antidote ����������������������������������123 The Progress of the Spiritual Quest ������������������������123 The Muslim Presence in hell �������124 Salâh ad-Dîn ������������������������������� 126 Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad ��������� 127 Layla bint Suraya bint Javaira ������128 Tarik ibn Malik ibn Rushd �����������130 Chams al Majid ����������������������������131 Fâtina�������������������������������������������� 132 Jafar al Efrit ��������������������������������� 133 Alchemist ������������������������������������134 Hashishin. ����������������������������������� 135 Lancer �����������������������������������������136 Pillar of the Faith ������������������������� 137 Berber Chasseur ��������������������������138 Blessed Warrior ���������������������������139
Dibbukim ����������������������������������� 140 Hunting Panther �������������������������� 141
The Lost ������������������������������ 143 Bran Carnoth ������������������������������ 146 Etruscilla ��������������������������������������147 Kartikeya ������������������������������������ 149 Isha-Akshay ���������������������������������150 Jaws of the Deep ��������������������������151 Wormpile ������������������������������������152 Saurav-Geet ��������������������������������� 153 Vorenus ���������������������������������������154 Squamata Spitter ������������������������� 155 Sling Maiden & Maggot Bearer ���������������������156 Fangs of the Pit ��������������������������� 157 Squamata Warrior �����������������������158 Corvus Tormentor �����������������������159 Squamata Tracker ����������������������� 160 Retiarius �������������������������������������� 161
The Mercenaries ����������������� 163 Don Quixote de la Mancha �������� 166 Rocinante ������������������������������������167 Andre de Montbard �������������������� 168 Gotz von Berlichengen ��������������� 169 Gilles de Rais ������������������������������170 Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muldjam �������171 Alazais ����������������������������������������� 172 Angelo Casaviecchi ���������������������� 173 Charon ���������������������������������������� 174 Helle Møller ��������������������������������� 175 Isaïa ben Moshe ��������������������������176 Golem ������������������������������������������ 177 Sha Ren Zhe ��������������������������������178 Thirty Coins ��������������������������������179 Russian Trapper ������������������������� 180 Deserter �������������������������������������� 181 Damned Rank and File ����������������182 Squamata Nomad ������������������������183
The Immortals �������������������� 185 Cheng Xiao-Chen ����������������������� 189 Li Tsu Tsin ���������������������������������� 190 Kuan Yin ��������������������������������������192 Chan Lee �������������������������������������193 Blade Master, Human ����������������� 194 Blade Master, Hybrid �������������������195 Imperial Sentinel, Human ����������� 196 Imperial Sentinel, Demon ������������197 Soul Carrier �������������������������������� 198 Peasants ������������������������������������� 199
The Lemures �������������������200 Rascal ���������������������������������������� 200 Candle ��������������������������������������� 200 Carabia ����������������������������������������201 Haborym �������������������������������������201 Babul ������������������������������������������202 Eludos �����������������������������������������202 Fahad ������������������������������������������202 Rabab ����������������������������������������� 203 Prizrak ���������������������������������������� 203 Ringhioso ����������������������������������� 203 Chung ���������������������������������������� 204 Xian ������������������������������������������� 204 Hou-Chi ������������������������������������� 204
Playing the Game ��������������206 Scenarios ����������������������������������� 206 Preparing for a Scenario ������������ 206 Definitions ���������������������������������� 207 Conquest ������������������������������������208 Scavenging ����������������������������������208 Defense ����������������������������������������211 Ambush ���������������������������������������212
Battlefields �������������������������� 213 Setting up the Battlefield �������������213 Selection of the Battlefield Type �����������������������213 Marking the Terrain Zones ����������213 Reconnaissance of the Terrain ������������������������������214 Terraforming ��������������������������������214 Terms Used to Describe Terrain Elements ���������������������215 Size of an Element �����������������������215 General Effects of the Elements ���������������������������215
Conflict Zones ��������������������216 Battlefield Type �������������������������� 216 Generic Terrain Elements ����������� 216 1 Point Generic Elements ������������ 216 2 Point Generic Elements ����������� 216 3 Point Generic Elements ������������� 217 4 Point Generic Elements ������������ 217
Icy Wastes of Hell �������������� 217 1 Point Icy Wastes Elements ��������218 2 Point Icy Wastes Elements �������218 3 Point Icy Wastes Elements ��������218 4 Point Icy Wastes Elements �������218 Icy Wastes Conflict Zones �����������218
Burning Hell ����������������������� 219 1 Point Burning Hell Elements �����219 2 Point Burning Hell Elements �����219 3 Point Burning Hell Elements �����219 4 Point Burning Hell Elements ����219 Burning Hell Conflict Zones ��������219
Necropolis of Hell �������������� 220 1 Point Necropolis Elements �������220 2 Point Necropolis Elements �������220 3 Point Necropolis Elements �������220 4 Point Necropolis Elements ������220 Necropolis Conflict Zones ����������220
Howling Plains of Hell �������� 221 1 Point Howling Plains Elements ��221 2 Point Howling Plains Elements �221 3 Point Howling Plains Elements �221 4 Point Howling Plains Elements �221 Howling Plains Conflict Zones ����222
Miniatures Gallery ������������� 223
IntroductioN
L’Hell enfer n’a always pas tbeen oujours has not Hell ét é l’enfer
B
efore our armies went down through the river, and before the crowned heads of Europe launched this unstoppable charge into horror, Hell was only what our fears made it: a continent whose boundaries were drawn by the vividness of our nightmares, and whose banks we filled with as many foul creatures as we could imagine. A fantasy of crawling cracks, the ghost of an eternity of blood and pain. Hell had always been the greatest of threats, brandished in the face of sinful souls just as heaven had always been promised to the good and the pure. Paradise with its pearly gates, its gardens of peace and well-being was given to the souls of the virtuous, whereas Hell had only ever been depicted as the source of absolute evil: a crawling, hostile moorland, covered in ashes and sullied by the rivers that carry the groans of the dead...
Why has the realm of
the damned always been wrapped up in such an aura of mysticism when the truth is so much more terrible and stupefying? Why has Hell’s image always been distorted so fiercely, if not to delay the inevitable exploitation of the land’s resources and
4
IntroductioN
L’enfer n’a pas t oujours ét é l’enfer
inhabitants? Why did we believe, as hard as we could,
that Hell was more than just a territory, more than just a
domain, the cradle of demon-kind, as surely as our Earth was a cradle to humankind? A land made of blood just as ours is made of stone. An earth cleansed by fire,
just as ours is washed by rain. A dry, wild and deadly
earth, but one that remains as caring and nurturing a mother to the damned souls it gave birth to as the
one whose fruits mankind has always been nourished with. No, Hell has not always been Hell. It became Hell when we arrived. Until the year of our lord
1631, this new continent was just a land of sulfur, an underground America awaiting its settlers, and we came as conquerors to transform it, a little more
each day, into a field of battle whose harvests are rich with souls... I know what will be thought of me, but despite
my status in the kingdom of Hell, I have no more liking for the demons than I do for my fellow men. I was born a human, and human I will remain, even though the gift of immortality has made me a special being. I am a pariah in the eyes of those who abandoned me, as much as in the hearts of those
who have taken me under their wing. I have no feelings for any of them, neither
damned, nor mortal. I am a scientist. A historian. A simple scribe. I dedicated my adult life to studying countries that I hoped to be imaginary, and that I know today to be more real than the stone walls of
a church. For over twenty years, I studied Hell and its regions, its rites and its inhabitants, and hundreds of times I barely escaped being burned at the stake as a heretic by the same lords, the same crowned heads of power or faith, who were the first ones to come seeking my knowledge the minute our soldiers went down below the river. They came to me for knowledge, for understanding. They came to me in the hope that my impious activities, finally seen as a useful science after having been branded as infamy for so long, would provide answers to the questions that arose from Hell. They came to me as to a learned one, a man of letters, and they sent me off through the portal to guide our troops there along the banks of the Styx. As a scholar, more used to the velvet silence of libraries than to the clash of the battlefields, I was placed under the command of a young captain, a feisty war hound who refused to see me as anything more than a poor soldier. From the very first morning of our expedition to the day of my sacrifice, I was nothing to him but a useless, temporary guide, whose life he could dispose of as he would that of a wounded horse. By forcing
r e f n e l’ é ét rs u jo ou t as p a n’ r e f L’en me to cross the wall, the young captain turned me into a martyr. A pioneer. A
5
IntroductioN legend. But thanks to that man, that solider so thirsty for victory and medals, I was given the honor of leaving behind my mortality in our world and gaining eternal life in the world of the Damned... I am Henri Latour, and I know that history will retain my name as that of the first man to cross the Wall of Kohut. For quite some time I thought so too, before I found out that others had crossed those barriers before me. But if history chooses to remember my name instead of those of the true pioneers, the ottoman soldiers who discovered Hell years before we did, what I did remains true: I crossed the wall. I entered the circles of Hell and laid my eyes on the Underworld, and I chose to remain here… I am Henri Latour, but it has been a long time since I have been called by my mortal name. For all here, I have become the Scribe. The Historian. The Archivist. A mortal lost in the Realm of the Damned, who entered it during his own lifetime and wished to remain there until the end of time. I am a curiosity, a riddle for all, and a strange and coveted object. It was this covetousness that allowed me to escape death and enter into the service of a powerful lord. After having studied demonology for over twenty years and working for His Majesty the King of Spain, it was only a few days until I repudiated the Holy Crown and the sash of faith, and kissed the hand of the Prince of Thebes. After having taught the names of the infernal beasts to the crowned heads of conquering Europe, here I was, teaching the customs and history of the mortal world to a demon lord. I say again. I have no feelings for any of them, neither damned, nor mortal. I am a scientist. A historian. A simple scribe... I am Henri Latour, and this is my story. I was born in Paris in the year 1583. My father was a theologian and my mother was Hungarian. Back then, Hell was still nothing but a vague threat, but many legends were already told about the depths. Great philosophers from the Holy Roman Empire, England, France and Italy had already proved their incredible daring by publishing the results of their research, still considered at that time to be blatant heresy. I know that my younger years will be of no interest to any of those who read this, but as I became an adult, I remember reading a book which turned my juvenile interest in tortured bodies into a deep hunger for understanding and codifying all that the sacred scriptures had chosen to hide. It was more than just a book it was a revelation. A noncensored copy of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, passed on from hand to hand and kept hidden from the throes of the Inquisition. The work of a visionary, a man who would only be remembered by his first name, but who, like me, would long be regarded as the first to have visited the Underworld. The description brushed by the Florentine poet was full of blatant mistakes, and I was soon to be able to correct them down to the minutest detail, but his masterpiece had nonetheless changed my existence. I was not yet thirty years of age, and I was thereafter convinced that one man had found his way into the Underworld, and that he had
re oi t is h on m i ic vo t e r, ou at L J e su is H en ri 6
IntroductioN
J e s u is H en r i L a t o u r, e t v o ic i m on returned with enough strength of body and clearness of mind to tell the story of
his discovery...
h is t o ir e
From then on, much to the displeasure of my father, I decided to end my studies and break my religious vows. My mother sold a few pieces of jewelry to allow me to leave France and reach Spain, where the inquisitors of the Holy Counsel of Seville prided themselves in having the largest collection of accursed scrolls. At first I was taken on as a scribe, and I had to perform many tiresome and thankless tasks, but my enthusiasm for copying and my French heritage lead me into the circle of demonology that I had traveled so far to join, and where I was to complete my knowledge far beyond my greatest expectations. The secret libraries of Seville taught me that for quite a few centuries, Hell had already been described as a physical place, an «earth under the earth», a kingdom that could be reached if only one could find the way there, and from which one could return as long as one did not lose one’s soul there... Many translations from Greek and Latin already mentioned the circles of Hell and the lords who ruled over them. This was a proof that the Underworld, despite its incredibly chaotic nature, was run according to feudalistic and military rules quite similar to those of mortal men. For almost twenty years, I learned the myths and legends, the geography, the names of the princes and fallen angels, the nature and contents of the circles, the rites, sacrifices and ceremonies... For almost twenty years I learned everything that the wise men and the grimoires of Seville could teach me. Looking back now, as a historian, I have to admit that at that time, before I had seen Hell with my own eyes, I only considered this knowledge to be part of a philosophy, a science of the mind, and I never dared to imagine that I would one day experience Hell so vividly. However, that day was to come sooner than I thought. During the first days of the summer of 1632 my presence was requested by His Majesty the King of Spain, and I left the Council of Seville to travel to Magdeburg in the soaking wet northern plains of the Holy Roman Empire. As I traveled across war-ravaged Europe, I had no idea what was awaiting me. The part I would play, the sacrifice and discoveries I would make, and the choice of immortality... My chest filled with impatience, I was walking towards Hell as a young pianist awaits the rise of the curtain, with no idea that the curtain of the abyss was already open and waiting for me... I only have one vague and slightly guilty memory of my travel from Seville to Magdeburg. The whole of Europe was crawling with famine and war. Wherever we went, there was nothing but devastated farms and villages, burned out shells of barns, and bones of half-gutted livestock piled high in their enclosures. The roads were nothing more than an endless procession of soldiers and wandering civilians, starving peasants, hobbling horses carrying the wounded, makeshift carts, women and children with eyes misted up with mud and poverty, soldiers who had lost a leg or an arm, and others whose faces were hidden behind a blood-stained bandage. Individuality reduced to a human river of exile and defeat, trudging along under the hungry gaze of the crows and the rats. Having spent half of my life studying the torments that Hell inflicted on the damned, I must confess with a heart
7
IntroductioN
L’en f er é t a it b ien l à, e t n o u s l e s e c on f u s é m en t , m a is n o u s m a r c h ionnst ion s t o u s s u r l e fil a i g u is é d u d o u t e e t denec o r e heavy with shame while I write these memoirs, that the sight of the starving bodies and the spectacle of broken lives was only of a vague interest to me. I was not shocked or sad. My compassion was so reserved that it was deeply unworthy of the scale of this human disaster. Studying Hell had given me a pale and emaciated taste of the drama taking place around me, and all I could see was a huddled mass of paupers and defeated soldiers, as if the scene required more blood and guts to be of interest to me. I could only think of Hell, and I realize now how very worthy I was of it all along... I learned the true reasons of my presence in the north of the Holy Roman Empire only a few hours after my arrival. Judging by the dark looks that my brethren had given me, I had presumed that my mission, as well as being important enough to require a meeting with His Majesty, must be linked to the discovery of a place, a book, or human suffering from a rare type of possession. I was certain that I was to experience Hell in one of its earthly manifestations. I would never have dreamed that not only was I to be allowed to enter the place itself, but that I was expected to guide a hundred of our men and escort them down below... Staying only a few leagues away from the ruined city of Magdeburg , I had no idea of the terrible events that had taken place there, and no information at all had leaked out about the discovery of the portal. Hell was there, sure enough, and we all knew it, somehow, but we were all working on the sharp wire of doubt and uncertainty. Hidden behind the vaulted walls of my library, I had no idea of the fronts, the victories and the betrayals, the movements of the armies that had ravaged Europe during the last few years. Admittedly, the names of Pappenheim, Tilly, Wallenstein, Prince Henri II de Bourbon or Bernhard of Saxe were not totally unknown to me, but I could not have told ally from enemy or trustworthy from traitor in this messy war, no more than I could have saluted the victor, if by any
8
IntroductioN chance this massive butchery ever designated one.... I was nothing but a scholar, a learned man with uncertain eyesight, but if there was one name I will never forget, it was that of the young Captain unto whom His Majesty had entrusted my life... José Gasquez was a war animal, one of those Spaniards who feeds on ambition even more than on bread, and whose training in prestigious military schools had forged a
. x au ér n gé s d an gr s le ar p s rt e f of r d ’o s lu p us f le je , le ou f e t t ce ar S ur p ri s p la t e ur cœ le is vr ou éc d je e qu rs lo re en co ra is on
personality as straight and as hard as a sword. He was taller than half his men and broader
than the other half. At a whisper
from him the murmuring
of the hundred-odd
soldiers he commanded would stop immediately. I don’t think he ever really realized where the Holy Crown was
sending him and his men: José Gasquez was trained to conquer. It mattered little to him if it was the whole of the Underworld or the next village. His armor was ready, his orders stamped into his mind as if they were his mother tongue, and his men awaited no more than a signal from him to plunge into the horror that was already hungry to taste our flesh... In the same way as Heaven sometimes sends us signs of its will, the benefit of the discovery of the bridge to Hell was the end of the decades of war that had shaken Europe. Faced with a threat greater than all possible enemies united, the generals of the great armies had found themselves forced to form an alliance, on the very grounds of their last battle, and embrace the great project of exploration and conquest of this New World. There were more nationalities their than I had ever seen: people had come from the Holy Roman Empire, Sweden, France, Spain and even from the Papal states, and had united in a stronghold where all the religions and accents mingled.
Outside
Magdeburg, which had now become a garrison of diversity, the banks of the small river were covered in workshops, stalls and barracks where thousands of workers huddled. Carpenters, blacksmiths, grooms, all drawn by the thought of earning a few gold coins from the great generals, set up their shops, furnaces, and stables. Although I was surprised by this crowd, I was even more surprised when I discovered the heart and cause of this enormous building site: a gigantic well, as wide as a tower, built in the deepest part of the river and surrounded by hoists, pulleys and heavy lift-cages. When I finally asked Gasquez the question that had been burning my lips since I had arrived, I saw his eyes narrow into two mean slits. Without taking his gaze off the circular pit, which looked like a dark hole burning its way straight through the bowels of the Earth, he murmured just one word. Hell...
9
IntroductioN When Gasquez sounded the signal for our descent after a short night filled with bad dreams, we marched towards the lift-cages and were lowered into the well, huddled against one another, along with those who were to be sacrificed. Each of us had taken care to wrap our weapons, our tobacco and our rolls of parchment in waxed leather cases, as we were sure we would have to brave the water of the river, but we were all startled when we saw that the well went down, not into the water itself but into the eye of a gigantic immobile cyclone, a long funnel, a frozen whirlpool, that could have been crafted into the water by a Moses with fearsome powers. Around us, the water seemed to swirl in slow motion, formed by some strange force into an abyss that reached down into the belly of the Earth. Not a single drop of water touched our faces, but from the first creak of the pulleys to the moment the lift cage came to a halt, I saw many a soldier close his eyes and cross himself with bated breath, as if they feared to suffocate or spend the rest of their lives too far away from God and the Virgin Mary... The amazing descent only lasted a short while, but what with the apprehension and the continuous roaring of the portal, I bet that each of the men felt, as I did, that we had been descending into darkness for many long hours. As the light of the sky above was fading above us, there was a thumping sound, the light disappeared and I felt my whole body freeze. By the time our eyes became accustomed to the darkness, we were no longer in the land of mortal men... There are no words to describe the immensity of this land of horror... For as far as our eyes could see, the horizon seemed to blend the earth and the sky into a desert of blood filled with dark figures. Our bodies were heavier, our muscles stiffer, and a poisonous silence throbbed in our ears and tightened our throats, as if the air we were breathing was somehow thicker. The whole of the emptiness seemed to be watching us. None of us dared to move a muscle, and faced with this spectacle, even Gasquez paused for a long moment, as if he finally understood the size of our human folly. I know that the soldiers had been trained to face a confrontation, but there wasn’t even a single demon there to welcome us: around us, Hell was nothing but sand and twisted rocks. We could hardly even hear the odd groan in the distance. Above our heads, ropes and chains hung down like the cut strings of the puppets that we were. The sky of our world was now invisible, and another sky opened up through strands of mist punctuated by flashes of lightning and heavy storm clouds. As our eyes became used to the light of Hell, we could see more of the new terrain around us, made up of mountains, groups of black rocks, threatening cliffs, the remains of winding tracks and the bones of monstrous creatures half-buried in sand... With one knee down in the mud, a soldier pointed out recent tracks. Boot prints, hoof prints, tracks of wheels and crates being dragged: we were not the first ones to visit Hell, but Gasquez already knew this. With a wave of his hand, he ordered us to follow him and guided us, as if he already knew the way, towards a high dune of sand that rose around an enclosed plain. Down
e t os p tan av r ie m re p le t ô t n ie b d e vien d ra it d e l’h om m e below, a long snake of ebony was digging its way through the red rocks, and I
realized why there were so many stories about the Styx. The river didn’t flow, it literally tore the plains of Hell in two,
ripping the banks apart and poisoning
the rocks with its bile, as if it carried
10
IntroductioN more venom than the depths could take. Beside the majestic spectacle of the river, a ballet like that of an anthill was taking place on the opposite bank. In a turmoil, thousands of arms and legs groaned from the effort, cutting up tree trunks, hauling on ropes, uniting their efforts to erect the foundations of what was soon to become the first advanced base of man in Hell. New Jerusalem was still but a vast encampment of wooden buildings, but the flags that were already raised over the barracks, only a few weeks after the discovery of the portal, were a sign that a long and bloody rush for the yet unknown riches of the Continent of the Dead was soon to begin.
le is sa je t e s, e m om h s le t an av r e f n sa is l’e s re iè m re p s le is sa e J s. n lo co s e d est in d is sa je t e s, e ch ar ri at P s le re t n e s e gu err t e n io él P e d s e d sa oi cr s e d ur e le va in qu x au ér n gé s le e qu ce is sa e J e. n so us d ’A s il où e ur e h l’ à , re t aî nn co r ou p é au ra ien t t u is sa je t e , it rd e t in e m u ya ro en va h is sa ien t le on t les S e i gn eur s D ém on s les f ai bless es d r p ou r se m er la d is co rd e on t ch oi si d e jo ues ar m ées h u m ain es. Et je en t re les gr an d e e p ui s qu e j’a i f ran ch i la sa is au jo ur dh’ ui, du t, co m b ien l’h u m an it é a m ur ai ll e d e K ohen f an t s d e l’en f er… J e f ai t so u f f rir les je sa is plu s en co re, m ai s sa is t ou t cela, e t I am Henri Latour, and although I have never forgotten my mortal name, I sometimes find myself wandering
through the labyrinth of my memory. To the memories of my first descent to the Underworld, marked by the
smell of the Styx and the vision of its then unpopulated banks, are now joined the fragments of a forgotten past
and of a future that I have been permitted to share with my master. I know of Hell before man, and I know the
fate of the settlers. I know the wars between the Fathers, and I know the name of the victor of the crusades of
the Pelion and of Ausonia. I know now what the Generals would have killed to know at the time they invaded the
Forbidden Realm, and I know the weaknesses that the Demon Lords used to plant the seed of discord among the
great armies of men. Now that I have crossed the Wall of Kohut, I know how much suffering humans have caused
to the children of Hell. I know all this and much more, but I have vowed not to reveal any part of it. From the day
I tasted the blood of He who made me immortal to the very moment that I choose to leave these memories to the
Styx, I promised to only lay down on this paper the life of a mortal man: the one that I had the honor to lead, as
short as it was, and that allowed me to understand how wrong we were, and had always been... We did not invade the Realm of the Damned.
We merely rediscovered the path that we had lost long ago. Hell has always been ours...
11
No d am us n No n é ’a v o ch e u s e s. n s p L’en m in n a f er . v on s
At the Gates of Hell
Aux The portGates es ofdeHelll’enfer he Thirty Years War
provinces that had managed to split during previous inheritance squabbles. And so the enemies of the Hapsburg family began to murmur that Ferdinand was to bring back the hereditary nature of the Imperial crown and to favor the Catholics. This would in turn designate the King of Spain as a successor and durably give dominance to the Counter Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The Protestant princes decided they must intervene and the neighboring countries seized on this chance to undermine Hapsburg dominance in Europe. Ferdinand was elected King of Bohemia as required by tradition as a precursor to being named Matthias II’s successor. This accomplished he left Prague little realizing the seeds of war were sprouting there in the form of a legal conflict between the Catholic dominated Regency and the Protestant controlled Assembly. This legal battle lasted several months. Eventually the Protestants prevailed and defenestrated two Catholic governors of the council of Regency and a scribe. Amazingly the three unfortunates managed to survive the plunge of nearly 45 feet to the dry moat bottom through the dubious luck of landing in a heap of manure. Their survival not-withstanding, this proved to be the pivotal event that sparked war. All wars begin somewhere; the Thirty Years’ War began on May 23rd 1618 with the “Defenestration of Prague”. Funds and troops quickly poured in to the Imperials and the Protestant princes as foreigner’s saw the chance to advance their respective agenda’s in the region. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was coming apart. With sufficient historical context established, we turn our attention to the interesting and inescapable aspect of war: the bloodshed. On August 28th 1619 Ferdinand was elected Emperor. The following year the Count of Tilly managed to crush the Protestant Revolt of Bohemia at the battle of White Mountain. This defeat opened the door for a brutal repression of the people by the Emperor’s allies. The troops began seizing goods and lands regardless of people’s religions or origins.
«If you knew what a soldier will do when he has no money, you would not act as you do. The money I am asking for is not for play or to spend frivolously. I’m not asking this for myself, I’m asking this on behalf of my state. Louis XIII Speaking to the Parliment of Paris, 1637. In the heart of Europe the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was being torn apart by internal conflict. Traditionally the Empire had been ruled by the House of Hapsburg but this was being contested by regional princes. Princes and peoples, State Diets and free town; all were being split apart by disagreement over religion and privileges. The Empire was divided between the Catholics, the Lutherans, and the Calvinists. Such differing religious views have served to create numerous local conflicts over the freedom of faith. These clashes were still occurring by the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. The instability of the Empire was of great interest to neighboring countries. A branch of the Hapsburg dynasty ruled Spain which gave their family a dominant hand in the affairs of Europe. The Hapsburg’s had openly taken the side of the Catholic Reformation, or Counter Reformation as it was more commonly known, which demonstrated their support of Catholicism. This official backing of Catholicism distressed the Protestant princes. Seeing an opportunity to weaken the Hapsburg’s dominance in Europe, several neighboring rulers began secretly aiding the Protestant princes. It was the crowning of Ferdinand of Hapsburg as Emperor that started the sequence of events that eventually led to war across Europe. Ferdinand was to succeed his first cousin Matthias II. Matthias II had become Emperor in 1612. While Emperor he had managed to reestablish hereditary control of several
13
At the Gates of Hell The military and political moves aiming to reinforce Catholicism and Imperial power continued but in reality religion was but a convenient pretext. The real goal was to amass authority and power. Attrition played a key role in the war and the funding of the respective armies triggered betrayals and defeats on both sides. Richelieu was heard to say “More battles have been lost in history by lack of bread and discipline than by the efforts of the enemy’s armies”. Mansfeld, the mercenary leader of the main Protestant army from 1619 to 1625, serves as a stark example of this. He died not on the battlefield but rather from an illness he contracted while he was trying to raise the funds necessary to lead his troops back to war. Conquering troops pillaged subjugated territory for resources but this looting was insufficient to support the troops alone. The Imperial forces were no better off. Sometime between 1621 and 1622 Hans de Witte, a Prague banker, promised the Emperor he could provide him the six million florins he needed to fund his army. De Witte’s consortium was granted management of the Bohemian mint and exclusive rights to buy silver for one year. De Witte delivered on his promise but in the process he speculated on the devaluation of the local currency to become extremely rich. The local Bohemian landowning bourgeoisie, already devastated by their defeat at White Mountain, saw their remaining funds evaporate. De Witte surrounded himself with fellow war entrepreneurs able to capitalize on the chaos. The most notable example of the enterprising individuals was Wallenstein. Wallenstein started as a simple adventurer but managed to marry into Bohemian nobility and become a self-made general. Phillip IV, the Spanish ruler at war against the United Provinces, intended to conquer the ports of the North Sea. The Hapsburg’s of Vienna and Madrid, united in their common support of the Counter Reformation, joined forces in battle. This alliance had the potential to yield complete domination of the Baltic Sea. Foreign control of the Baltic would be devastating to Denmark so Christian IV, the King of Denmark, was forced to launch military intervention against the alliance. Denmark’s troops proved insufficient to the task and were eventually defeated by two imperial armies lead by the Count of Tilly and Wallenstein. Seeing Christian IV’s defeat the King
14
At the Gates of Hell to be found and brought before him. All were given the same demands for an explanation of what was occurring so he could put an end to superstitious talk. None had answers. Guards were posted and observation posts established on both shores level with the place where the boats would disappear. A wide disc of light had appeared right in the middle of the running water. More volunteers were found to enter the area. Observers agreed that the boats seemed to make a downward movement before disappearing. The eventual consensus became that the disc must be some sort of opening to a well that could not be perceived from the shores. A gigantic crane was constructed using materials scavenged from the ruins of Magdeburg. New volunteers were sent out and pulled across the disc by a system of pulleys and cables. This time the exploration crews returned. They brought back mad tidings of an underground river that carried dead people speaking the various languages of Europe. They also claimed to have located the survivors of the previous volunteers. Apparently the survivors had made camp on the banks of an underground river and were beset by creatures with monstrous features. The news of the discovery spread like wildfire out through all the provinces until even the Emperor became concerned. Tilly commandeered everything that could float and sent regiment after regiment of soldiers to explore the underground river. Those who returned came back forever changed. It soon became customary to brand those who had gone beyond the disc with a red hot iron to mark them out. As the weeks progressed news sent back by the explorers became abundant but it was most often obscure or even incomprehensible. The further the expeditions went underground the more of the strange creatures, now commonly called demons, they encountered. Even stranger was that the more demons killed by the soldiers the more their numbers seemed to grow. The County of Tilly continued to send troops below until eventually virtually all of the Imperial army stationed at Magdeburg was deployed to the Underworld. Tilly soon realized that it was impossible to coordinate his army from the rear. The orders and companies carrying them tended to go astray and the reports that came back from the vanguard no longer made any sense at all. Pappenheim and Tilly decided to gather all the remaining forces in Magdeburg and go see what was happening first hand. They passed through the passage and soon found themselves transported into an unreal landscape. Paths of crimson rocks
of Sweden decided to launch his own campaign to protect the Baltic. Gustaf Adolf, Sweden’s King, had secretly obtained assurance from Louis XIII that he would be receiving regular funding. Due to Gustaf’s careful preparation Sweden’s army was now the most modern in Europe and consisted of mostly veterans loyal to their warrior king. In comparison the Imperial army now consisted of mostly untried troops. The experienced troops were all largely dead and the remainder had not seen combat at White Mountain for want of sufficient funds to pay them. The Imperial forces were thus far behind those of Gustaf’s. Gustaf Adolf and his army entered the Empire’s territory and took several German princes under his protection. For awhile Gustaf was able to avoid direct conflict with Tilly’s army by remaining on the move. In a gambit to push Gustaf Adolf into direct conflict the County of Tilly launched at attack on the Swedish garrison posted at Magdeburg.
assages to The Beyond May 1631. After several months of siege the Protestant garrison finally gave way. Frustrated by months of battle the soldiers took advantage of the weakness of the defeated city and The Imperial generals promptly lost control of their troops. Massive carnage ensued. Some will say that Tilly turned a blind eye to the atrocities, others that Pappenheim was the one responsible. For the victims the result was the same regardless of fault. A massive fire burned the entire city to the ground. Every woman in the city was raped repeatedly. The Siege of Magdeburg and the following devastation reduced the population of this once prosperous city from 30,000 to 5,000… For many years after the term “magdeburgization” was used to refer to raping and pillaging. The Protestants in turn began using the phrase “Magdeburg justice” and “Magdeburg mercy” to justify their own travesties against the Catholics. While this barbarism was occurring scouts from both sides began regularly reporting strange lights appearing on the surface of the river downstream. These strange phenomena began to cause disturbances among the troops. A few boats were sent out to inspect the area. Not a single boat returned and consequently the terror continued to escalate. The Count of Tilly began to take the matter seriously. He ordered any scholars remaining in the region, be they Catholic, Protestant or pauper,
15
At the Gates of Hell alliance. Pappenheim, Tilly, Henri II de Bourbon and Bernhard de Saxe negotiated the conditions of a lasting truce. The Europeans realized that the strange lands could be nothing other than the Underworld. The battle became known as the Battle of the Styx. Above them in Europe Tilly’s gambit was playing out as he had intended. Wallenstein, leading the Imperial forces, and Gustaf, commanding the Protestants, were both marching on Magdeburg. Large numbers of troops on both sides had disappeared and the most ridiculous superstitions had reached the generals ears. They both decided the only prudent course of action was to take matters into hand personally. The scene of battle in Magdeburg was even worse than the first. Catholic mercenaries fought Protestant crusaders and the battle turned to the advantage of the King of Sweden. Saxons and Swedes, determined to avenge the martyrs of the Sack of Magdeburg, cut off the retreat of the Imperial troops and slaughtered them without even stopping to eat or sleep. Wallenstein was cornered and cut off. He regrouped his remaining forces around the portal. Seeing no other option to save himself, he abandoned his remaining army and passed through the portal with his personal guard. It was Wallenstein’s turn to learn the truth of the stories circulating above ground. Stunned, he made his way to the camp on the banks of the Styx where he was welcomed by Pappenheim and Tilly. Unfortunately for the Imperials this meant that the Swedish troops now controlled the gateway and they were totally cut off from any hope of obtaining supplies. Luckily for Tilly’s men, Bernhard de Saxe and Henri II de Bourbon realized there was more to be gained by putting aside their differences so they could concentrate on exploring the Underworld. Bernhard returned to the surface and convinced Gustaf to make a short visit to the Underworld to judge things for himself. The truth of his general’s reports became readily apparent to the King of the Swedes. Gustaf now completely controlled the portal in Magdeburg and with most of the Catholic troops in the Underworld that meant they could no longer contest the lands of the Empire he had seized. He could use the control of the lands to negotiate a lasting peace with the Emperor. The generals in the Underworld concluded their best option was to maintain control of the lands they had conquered. To maintain that control they had to fend off the constant incursions from the demons, send out expeditions to explore and fortify their positions. To accomplish all of these required re-establishing supply lines which had been severed first by the arrival of the French and then the Swedes.
wound between the fires that burned on the sides of mountains of ash and fields of bones. The generals gradually gathered up the scattered elements of their armies. They had been divided up into fortified camps. The camps had been battling small numbers of extremely hostile creatures. Judging from the creature’s appearances Pappenheim and Tilly were convinced that what they were dealing with actually were demons. They quickly reorganized the armies to conquer these strange lands. As they organized the Imperial troops encountered some small contingents of Spanish and French soldiers. The Spanish troops were quickly assimilated owing to their common origins. The French troops were simply killed. Tilly decided to set up base camp on the shores of the underground river to facilitate supplying his forces. While thus engaged the Imperial soldiers suffered a surprise attack from a French army lead by Henri II de Bourbon, third prince of Condé. Tilly realized that there must be at least two passages into these lands as there had been no reports of attack by his rear guards at the Magdeburg entrance. Seizing on the fact that formal war had not been declared between France and the Imperium Tilly quickly opened negotiations for a truce. Back in Europe news of the Sack of Magdeburg had reached Gustaf Adolf and he was furious. He dispatched Bernhard of Saxe to chase the Imperial Army. Bernhard prepared his forces for a violent battle in Magdeburg but was shocked to find only a small garrison established on the banks of the Elbe. The garrison primarily consisted of scholars spending their time speculating on theological considerations. Apparently the County of Tilly had abandoned his rearguard to the army of Wallenstein on whom he was counting on to relay information. Bernhard heard fantastic stories of an underground river carrying the dead and countless fights with demons. Discounting the stories Bernhard decided to press on and find his lost enemies. Passing through the gate with his army Bernhard discovered more than a little truth in the stories. He followed the banks of the underground river and came across Tilly’s main camp. Vengeance in their hearts his forces immediately launched a siege against the Imperial troops. The French forces decided to make the most of the circumstances and treacherously changed sides and a particularly violent battle took place. Eventually both sides realized that fighting amongst themselves in this land would ensure all of their deaths. Beset by demons and lacking supplies their only hope was to work together and so the Catholic and Protestant generals began negotiations that eventually led to the creation of a de facto
16
At the Gates of Hell simultaneously. Richelieu obtained an intervention from the Pope which allowed him to mediate the conflict and get all parties to agree to a truce. The human colony on the banks of the Styx was baptized New Jerusalem. On paper New Jerusalem was under the protection of the Pope. In reality it was governed by a small council of representatives of those rulers with a claim over the discovery of the Underworld. The council consisted of Pappenheim, Tilly, Bernard of Saxe, Henri II de Bourbon and Ferdinand of Hapsburg.
Rumors quickly began to buzz from returning exploration parties about metals that didn’t rust, of a spring that, when drank from, staved off hunger and eliminated the need to sleep and fuels that never ran out. Wallenstein’s ambitiousness immediately led him to try to collect and capitalize on the information. While he was the first he was definitely not the last. While the Swedish army firmly controlled the Magdeburg portal two other portals were discovered to be open in La Rochelled and Seville. Maneuvering for control in the Underworld had begun. Louis XIII, under the influence of Richelieu, chose to handle the situation with diplomacy. Philip IV of Spain decided to use other methods to insure his interests. Until now Philip IV had been discreet about the portals and contented himself with placing spies. He decided to remind everyone of his presence and sent a large contingent of armed men lead by Ferdinand of Hapsburg the CaridnalInfante to establish claim to Spanish rule in the Underworld. Soon after entrance to the Underworld Ferdinand’s troops were attacked by the demons and realized the folly of trying to fight two enemies
17
At the Gates of Hell
he Europeans
ned. The Europeans eventually realized that among the inhabitants of the Underworld there were two types of residents; the demons and the Damned. The demons seemed to come from Hell but the Damned were actually humans who had been sent there after their death. The Damned were often docile and easily reduced to slavery. They were used to help build the colony and erect the fortified camps of the vanguard. They were especially useful in the building of roads as they seemed to possess an almost innate sense of direction. Since the Damned followed their master’s bidding without hesitation they were used for the most laborious of tasks and, in short order, sold as prostitutes without a second thought. But what could have been but a footnote was soon to become an affair of state for a great number of demonologists had flocked to New Jerusalem to study the Underworld. The demonologists were shocked by these unnatural vices and rapidly reported them to the Pope. Deeply shocked, the Pontiff quickly attempted to depose the council that ran the colony. Several of the European rulers intervened in support of the council. Those in power feared there would be rebellion and riots were the council to be changed. The council was composed of individuals with strong ties to the crowned heads of Europe and had managed to enforce their authority in New Jerusalem. The conflict was resolved by removing the Vatican entirely from ruling in the colony. Simultaneously the Pope was disavowed by all of the Catholic rulers in Europe. This was a first for the Pope and a serious blow to the Counter-Reformation. Thus was full and total autonomy obtained in New Jerusalem.
The situtation in Europe since the opening of the gates The discovery of Hell had huge consequences for the political situation in Europe. Most of the armies, those of Pappenheim, Tilly, Wallenstein, Bernhard of Saxe and Henri II de Bourbon, were down in Hell and had agreed on a truce to explore this new world. The lack of cannon fodder and competent ambitious war leaders was slowly reducing the war in Europe to a succession of small-scale pillages and slaughters. Urged by the various signs and pleadings of their counselors and theologians, the rulers of Europe were beginning to wonder if the opening of the portals wasn’t a message of divine origin; perhaps a message unwise to ignore. Perchance even the partial truce imposed by the armies and their generals was a sign that God refused to watch Christians continue to kill each other… And so each side retained their territorial positions. The Holy Roman Empire of Germany was split up into Protestant and Catholic states. Sweden enjoyed a strategic position that was favorable for its commerce. Sweden had imposed the presence of its troops on the Emperor and controlled the gate of Magdeburg while the Spanish had control of the gate of Seville and the French the gate in La Rochelle.
Supplies and Pay
The war in Europe was out of steam for lack of means so the rulers turned their ambitions to the lands Below.
Providing supplies for the colony was a constant problem. Goods were all imported to the Underworld by three trade routes. This required continual negation of commercial agreements with the rulers controlling the three gates. Likewise the soldiers of the four armies stationed in New Jerusalem would only continue to comply with the authority of the ruling council as long as they were paid. Payment was problematic since the finances to pay the troops normally came from levying royal taxes and from the spoils of conquered land. To solve this challenge the council demobilized most of the troops. Only about a quarter, the most disciplined, loyal, and elite of the soldiers were kept on payroll. Those retained became the army of the colony and were used to enforce law and order and provide the colony’s defense. The remaining troops were also used to control and
The Situation in the colony of new Jérusalem Below in Hell a large part of the armies had been lost in the Battle of the Styx and due to lack of supplies, skirmishes between regiments, and the constant predation of the demons. All this notwithstanding there was still a sizable presence of Europeans from the four armies that had descended to Hell. The population was a military one and therefore predominantly male. The absence of females had a significant impact on the soldiers posted Below. New Jerusalem’s council therefore closed their eyes to the commerce of the flesh that subsequently took place with the Dam-
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At the Gates of Hell Although they were divided on matters spiritual, political, economical and even strategically, the council acted as a team and managed to acquire independence from their respective rulers. While each of the council members pursued their own agendas they each realized the fragility of the balance established by the truce and the ease with which that balance could succumb to the tensions at work in the colony. The council played on the competition between sovereigns to gain the political authority and material resources they needed. Wallenstein was the one to provide the solution that transformed the colony into one of riches and commerce, however. As a rich war entrepreneur, Wallenstein took it upon himself to ensure the delivery of supplies and cost of exploration with his own funds. This established him as the main creditor of the city. In return he was promised repayment with the profits made from any future discoveries. Wallenstein also realized that opening the colony to European commerce would be a huge boon for both New Jerusalem and the surface. Because of the three portals the city was effectively at a crossroads between Seville, La Rochelle, and Magdeburg. Using the Underworld passage to trans-
protect the fortified positions along the roads between the three portals and the colony. The other three-quarters of the soldier chose to remain and settle in New Jerusalem as they were unwanted in Europe due to the various truces now in place and consequently had no hope of earning pay there. Becoming mercenaries and adventurers the war-weary men managed to scrape by while waiting to be hired by one of the expeditionary corps companies with missions to explore and conquer Hell. Unsurprisingly the disenfranchised troops were constantly causing trouble and disturbances within the colony. In addition to the troops themselves the colony swelled with artisans, wives, prostitutes, legitimate and illegitimate children. It did not take them long to follow the soldiers once they had established the first European colony in the Underworld. The council of six ruling representatives ran the city collectively. Their influence was not restricted to the colony itself though. Their authority spanned far out from the walls for they were effectively the incarnation of European power exerted for its rulers over the whole of the conquered territories of Hell.
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At the Gates of Hell gain the King’s agreement to let the De Witte consortium use the Magdeburg portal as it wished. This gave the consortium a privileged position and ensured the flourishing of commercial activity for the colony.
port goods between the three cities was much quicker and cheaper than doing so on the surface. Not only was the aboveground path much longer but the surface route also required payment of numerous taxes imposed by local towns along the way. Once realizations of the benefits were made, the colony increasingly established itself as the main European crossroads. The application of a local tax on the exchange of goods in New Jerusalem ensured the richness of the colony. Wallenstein had therefore created a pole of economical attraction that triggered immigration from all over Europe. Merchants, artisans, adventurers and the landless and undesirable folks the European rulers found undesirable all flocked to New Jerusalem. Jan de Witte, the illegitimate son of the famous, villainous, and recently deceased banker of Prague, was to play an important role in this new enterprise. Wallenstein supported him and managed to convince the rest of the council to use his services. Bernhard of Saxe, once again sent off to Gustaf-Adolf, managed to
Spiritual and Material Motivations The discovery of the gates in the middle of the Thirty Years’ War was a complete moral shock. This shock awoke a thirst for metaphysical knowledge in every powerful individual on the continent. One of the primary motivations for the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants was the question of the salvation of the soul. The discovery of Hell suddenly provided a possible way to obtain an answer to these questions once and for all. All too quickly though, it became clear that these questions remained unanswered and that the exploration of Hell was going to be long and laborious. Consequently material motivations replaced spiritual ones and became the focus of everyone’s attentions. Exploration was driven by the possibility of discovering the Prima Materia. The transformation of the colony into a commercial crossroads was ultimately a way of funding that exploration. Alchemists believed Prima Materia to be the substance to unlock the secrets of all existence if one could but pierce the secrets of its use. The discovery of natural resources with alchemical properties in Hell was seen as proof of the presence of Prima Materia. No one was exempt from the temptation to find it. The resources already uncovered were themselves a source of commerce and conflict. Those resources were quite rare themselves and so most people knew of their existence only through rumor. This in turn served to cause wild speculation. Strangely, as enthusiasm about Prima Materia grew, some of the settlers began to experience serious mental troubles.
The War of religions Men who came from the four corners of Europe lived and worked together in New Jerusalem. Despite this mixed population living in relative harmony the hatreds of old had not been forgotten. Instead of bloody battlefields the old rivalries were played out with words. Odd names and nicknames hinting at insult became the norm. Despite this tense atmosphere the various companies remained united under the same banner and fought side by side for glory, fortune, and their own survival. The necessities of survival in this harsh environment left no room for insults outside of the friendly jibe. Men judged their comrades in arms by their martial skills and the quarrels from Above were found to be incompatible with life Below. Differences within a company for any reason only served to bring death to all. Eventually only two slang words emerged to reflect the once profound divisions from Above; Papist and Protestant. Papist was used to refer to all Catholics regardless of their practicing as one. Protestant became the term of choice to refer to Protestants.
he Ottoman Empire Hassan ibn al-Sabbah was commonly known as the “old man of the mountain”. Hassan founded a heretic sect of the Nizari more accurately described as the sect of the Assassins. He died in 1124 in his fortress of Alamut in Persia. His death did not deter his followers though and they zealously continued his work destabilizing the Caliphs of the surrounding region. Assassination was used as a political tool aimed at shaking the basis of Sunni authority.
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At the Gates of Hell It was the discoveries the Mongols made at Alamut that served to entangle the threads of fate. Hassan ibn al-Sabbah had been a follower of Ismailism and long ago studied the precepts of balance. This science of balance espoused discovering within each body the connection between the apparent, or Zahir, and the hidden, or Batin. Hassan had carried his research so far that he had finally discovered the ta’wil which the alchemists had given up hope of discovering. The ta’wil was an alchemical operation which tended to dissimulate the visible and to reveal the hidden. The works of the “old man of the mountain” were based on the encyclopedia of the Ikhwân al-Safâ –the “pure hearted” – a thought group whose study center was situated in Basra. After the death of Hassan ibn al-Sabbah all the works of the study center were burned by the Sunni orthodoxy. The library of al-Sabbah was in turn destroyed during the sack of Alamut. The heritage of the “old man of the mountain” could have been lost forever but for the discovery made by the Mongols during their conquest.
In 1137, a few years after Hassan’s death, Saladin was born in Tikrit. Saladin was born into a Kurd military family in the service of Nurr add-Din, the Emir of Alep, and was sent to Cairo to hold back the Crusaders. Saladin later became a Vizier and abolished the Fatimid Caliphate and reinstated Sunnism. Saladin then took advantage of Nurr add-Din’s death to found the Ayyubid Dynasty in Egypt and Syria. While fighting in the siege of Alep in 1176 to impose his newly acquired authority, Saladin survived an assassination attempt by the Nizari. Saladin fought against the crusaders until his death in 1193 and reactivated the jihad that had fallen into disuse. Saladin acquired great notoriety throughout the Middle East and Europe where he was often described as the “Muslim knight with a pure heart”. Unfortunately from 1250 onwards Saladin’s heritage began to crumble. While working for the Ayyubid the Mamluks overthrew them and took control of Egypt. Simultaneously the Mongol invasion of Iran and Iraq put an end to the rule of the Abbasid Dynasty. The Mongols razed Alamut to the ground in 1256. Four years later they were defeated by the Mamluks at Ayn Jalut near Nazareth. Stopped in their progress the Mongols settled in Persia, converted to Islam and founded the Llkhan dynasty.
While raiding the fortress the Mongols discovered that the old alchemist had discovered a passage to the Underworld using the ta’wil. Houlagou Khan, leader of the Mongols, managed to keep this discovery secret
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At the Gates of Hell The corpse of Houlagou Khan was marked by features so strange that the doctors of faith were summoned from all branches of Islam to give their opinion on the matter. Investigations were conducted, numerous hypotheses were explored and all manner of specialists were consulted. Eventually the suspicions turned to Alamut as the source. While all this was occurring the Mamluks decided to take over the area and invaded Persia after having pushed the crusaders out of Syria. During their conquest they spread the rumor of something in Alamut and awakened the Turkish interest in Alamut. For forty years the valley surrounding Alamut was the scene of numerous battles. None of the victors managed to retain control of Alamut for longer than a few years at a stretch. In this war of faith between the Shiite and Sunni branches of Islam both sides battled in vain. Each time the valley of Alamut was conquered the winner immediately sent whole regiments through the portal to explore. Little by little, the Nizari managed to achieve a position as the guides of the Underworld. This position allowed them to maintain neutrality with everyone and remain in the valley throughout the entire conflict. They exchanged safe passage with the victorious armies for a share of the knowledge about the portal. They were also the first people to discover traces of the Prima Materia, one of the five eternal principles established by Razes. The substance aroused such an interest that metaphysical considerations were ignored and only the actual locating of Prima Materia was important. At the beginning of the 14th century the Seljuk Turks rules over the region during a long period. With the decade long fighting in the area they were said to have become as bloodthirsty as the Mongols. The Mongols were clever and respected their promises. They used terror as a tool against their enemies so they
for a while. Houlagou was a blood-thirsty leader on the battlefield but also possessed a mind hungry for science. He hoped to return later to exploit Hassan’s discovery for his own benefit. At the time he had to finish the conquest of the Middle East as commanded and entrusted to him by his brother Mongke Khan. Alas, Houlagou’s plans and the Mongol invasion both were brought to an end four years later with his death at the hands of the Mamluks during the battle of Ayn Jalut.
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At the Gates of Hell and scattered the Seljuk army. Osman’s proud victory against the Seljuk’s soon rallied all of the Turkish clans to his side. He crossed region after region as the striking arm of the Prophet and handed defeat upon defeat to the armies of Iblis. He pursued his enemies all the way from their refuge in the valley of Alamut to Persia. With the support of the regional dynasties, Osman finally put an end to the brutal savagery of the Seljuk’s there in Persia. It was this victory that gained Osman the allegiance of many Caliphs and allowed him to found the Ottoman dynasty. But Osman had yet to pierce the secrets of the Alamut. Osman asked the Nizari to be his guides for the journey through the portal. Osman had made detailed observations of the Seljuk’s during his long campaign with them. As a result he remained on his guard against the manipulations of the assassin sect. His distrust led him to discover that the Nizari were using the Prima Materia to lure their rivals and taint their souls, thus leaving the Nizari free to explore the Underworld as they pleased without hindrance. And so it was that Osman discovered that the secret world was none other than Hell itself and that only
could comfortably exploit the trade routes they had conquered. The Seljuks seemed to only use terror for terror’s sake rather than as a tool. The crimes and massacres were not limited to Persia. The Seljuks attacked all the countries on their borders, exterminating civilian populations and reducing towns to piles of ash. Their conquests did not seem to follow any logical path or appear to be motivated by anything outside of a desire for destruction. The few survivors of these attacks told of generals with the heads of demons mounted on their pikes and wearing suits of armor which made them invincible. The string of Seljuk victories and carnage seriously demoralized opposing armies. Finally the Turkish Oghuz clans retreated from the region and hoped that their lack of hostility towards the Seljuk’s would spare them from the Seljuk fury. Only one young boy, Osman, from an Oghuz clan vassal to the Seljuks of Anatolia, dared to protest the Seljuk calamity in the name of the Prophet. With a company of only a few hundred men, Osman launched a surprise attack on the Seljuks as they were returning from a campaign. They won decisively
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At the Gates of Hell
no significant progress being made since the death of Osman. There were even reports of civilian populations being butchered all around the Empire for reasons unfathomable and disproportionate to the punishment being inflicted. The Ottoman lords were seen as isolationist and unwilling to parley yet enforcing reigns of terror. Despite all this, many travelers returning from the Middle East refuted this view. Those defenders claimed that the Ottoman Empire had flourishing commercial activity and the harvests there were easily sufficient to fulfill everyone’s needs. There appeared to be no indications of famine or disease in the Empire. Town destroyed in the previous Mongol and crusader incursions had been rebuilt to their former glory. Everything appeared as if the wars prior to Osman were nothing but skirmishes that had left nothing but small signs of their occurrence at all. All of the branches of Islam were coexisting peacefully. Everyone had freedom of their faith as required by their lords. Yet all was not bliss either. The purges rumored in Europe for over two centuries were no myth. Wide scale executions were conducted against any populations that were branded as corrupted. Any impurity received no mercy or pity. If a town became accustomed to degradation of any kind the whole of the city was considered to have been tainted by the corrupted minority and held responsible. All workers whose professions happened to be even indirectly tainted by corruptions were subjected to severe punishment. The whole of the Ottoman Empire was concentrated on a single spiritual quest for al-Haqq al-Awwal and could not afford to be diverted by human weakness.
pure souls searching for al-Haqq al-Awwal, the First Being, could walk there without fearing to be corrupted by its evil influences. By invading the Underworld with his troops Osman forced the hidden leader of the Nizari to show himself. Hassan ibn al-Sabbah, the “old man of the mountain”, appeared in person to negotiate the conditions of the peace treaty. Hassan had taken refuge in Hell to elude the course of time and had been searching for a gate to Heaven since the 12th century. Thereafter the Nizari acted as guides for the Ottoman exploration companies travelling through Hell. Osman busied himself making sure that his dynasty would ensure that all Muslims, Sunni and Shiite alike, were guaranteed the respect of their faith in the lands that were to become the Ottoman Empire. Over the next three centuries the Ottomans spread all the way to the edge of Europe. They followed precepts laid down by Osman that required them to wage war on the enemies of the faith so as to ensure the quality of the troops and to be certain the art of killing was passed down without fail from the veterans to the young recruits. War with their enemies notwithstanding, the Ottomans were not particularly interested in what was happening outside its borders and despised the struggles of influence occurring between heads of state in Europe. In return the Europeans treated the Ottoman civilization with complete disdain. The European rulers regarded Ottoman society as both fanatic and archaic. Europe had accomplished important technical and industrial progress not shared by the Ottomans. The Empire appeared to them to be stuck in time with
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At the Gates of Hell While unable to fathom the reasoning behind the Ottoman lords’ actions the Europeans were beginning to suspect the secret of Alamut, the forbidden mountain, said to hide a colossal building built during the reign of Osman..
Geography of Hell Just how large is Hell? No one can say exactly. Even the Demon lords themselves do not agree on the subject of its size. The idea that the Underworld is divided into nine circles as described by Dante is far from believed by all. Hell does not seem to be infinite however. One good indicator of this is the number of wars going on at any given time between the Demon lords seeking to enlarge their own fiefs. Another sign of Hell’s finite size is the overflow of Damned ones that occurred after each new war. The inhabitants of Hell have problems controlling their population when too many souls arrive at one time. Regardless of size, everyone, no matter their role in Hell, agrees on one thing. The Underworld is divided up into specific circles separated from its neighbors by walls of dark matter. Some describe that dark matter as a mush of blackened human flesh while others characterize it as the dark waters of some evil muddy marshland that flows vertically.
he Empire Below By observation and exploration the humans acquired, little by little, some rudimentary knowledge of Hell and its inhabitants. The accounts transcribed below are far from universally agreed upon. The Europeans were often blinded by their preconceived ideas of what the Underworld should be. The Ottomans had treaded these lands for centuries and tended to be more humble in their analysis but protective of their knowledge from the second wave of immigrants the Europeans.
The circles themselves are divided up into fiefs that each belong to a Demon lord.
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At the Gates of Hell the size of a whole region. Eventually it was realized that the appearance of a fief is entirely dependent on the taste and particularities of the Demon lord owning it at the moment. On both sides of a “wall” the circles can have similar landscapes even though time might not be passing in the same way on both sides. Many questions about the nature of these boundaries remain unanswered. The Damned claim that a considerable amount of space exists between the circles despite the perception that crossing the “wall” seems to be instantaneous. This space between circles is part of Limbo and its vastness is impossible to measure. To this day the Europeans and Ottomans possess very little information about Limbo. The only real concrete observation made so far is that somehow Limbo helps the souls of the dead travel through Hell.
Crossing the Wall The Spanish captain José Gasquez was one of the first Europeans to encounter one of these strange “walls”. Glancing around questioningly to his men, he was unsurprised to find none of them volunteering to attempt a passage to the other side. Earlier the Damned ones they had encountered had assured him the passage was not dangerous. He now regretted having them gutted for their vulgar manners without keeping a single one as prisoner. After removing his helmet and scratching the top of his head in what he hoped was a look of friendly dismay, Gasquez called the demonologist Henri Latour to his side. Latour was accompanying the expedition by order of the council. Gasquez didn’t like Latour. It wasn’t so much because of his French upbringing as it was the annoying way he was constantly holding up the expedition. He had seemingly thousands of inane excuses and so-called scientific observations to perform. In fact, Latour had no military training whatsoever and wasn’t able to keep up with the rest. Gasquez lured him to a spot near the “wall” by pretending to show him a spot on the ground. He then pushed Latour through the strange substance. Latour returned almost immediately due to what he claimed was a large army of hostile demons waiting on the other side. His return proved to all that passage through the wall was safe. Ironically without knowing it, Gasquez had use exactly the same trick employed by Hassan when he had first encountered the same obstacle centuries earlier. As for Latour, he never returned from the expedition lead by Gasquez. Legend says that he crossed the “wall” of his own accord to satisfy the requirements of science. For this feat his memory is honored in demonology schools the world over.
The First Day In addition to their discovery of Hell itself the Europeans discovered its many inhabitants. The Europeans initially massacred them, demon and Damned alike, without distinction. The residents were forced to defend themselves but were eventually driven out as they were outnumbered by the European troops coming in. The natives resorted to harassing the rearguard in an attempt to locate the various Damned that had been scattered and lost during the many battles and troop movements. Initially the human invasion did not encounter much resistance as the region they entered was an outlying one that several Demon lords were fighting over. It was also the same region the gate from Alamut opened in four centuries earlier. Thus the region had initially been invaded by Hassan ibn al-Sabbah and his Nizari, then the Seljuk Turks, and finally Osman and his armies. The “Saracens” had left hardly any traces of their passage but they had succeeded in ridding the region of most of its demons. Once they had established the colony of New Jerusalem the Europeans proceeded to attack any demons they could find on sight. But as the companies made more progress in their explorations they found the demons to be both more numerous and more resistant to their attacks. Strangely the demons did not appear to want to massacre the Europeans but rather seemed open to negotiations. As it happened, the Demon lords did not take the Europeans conquest of the Underworld seriously and consequently were ready to offer an alliance against one of their rival Demon lords. Realizing this the council of New Jerusalem made the most of the division amongst demonic rulers and used it to facilitate their campaign of exploration and conquest.
The difference in landscape and climate between different fiefs is astounding. One fief might be a frozen expanse, the next a plain of burning coals, the next a rocky desert and the next a swamp-like lake
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At the Gates of Hell The People of Hell While there was a difference between the demons and the Damned there appeared to be no well-defined boundary between the two. While the demons were born and bred in the Underworld and the Damned were the souls of humans sent to Hell after death it was apparently possible for a Damned to become a demon by showing proper devotion to his masters for a few hundred or thousands of years. All the creatures of Hell could die, be they demon, Damned, or human. Upon death their soul was swallowed by Limbo. Later the soul would reappear as a lemure and begin yet another long and painful cycle of transformation. Most of the lemures managed to evolve into Damned after a while. Some of these Damned eventually made it to the final, ultimate status of demon but they were rare and a chosen few. The main role of demons seemed to be to torment the Damned. Did they do it for pleasure or out of duty? Was there a supreme master of the land Below who decided to reward his deserving servants? The creatures of Hell did not seem to know the answer to these questions. There was found to be a certain hierarchy among the demons that was dominated by the Demon lords and fallen angels. They referred to a supreme master for whom they gave many names and forced their troops to praise his glory. It was if the rise to the higher levels of hierarchy gave a demon greater knowledge of the secrets of Hell and made him aware of the concept of duty and loyalty to a leader. But references to an ordered hierarchy are not exactly correct either. The minor demons earned their title by imposing their will on others by strength or cunning. Once they ruled enough of their fellow demons the demons of higher rank came to see them as their equals. Demons had also been known to give themselves titles they did not earn. This was a common form of usurpation which had sparked many conflicts between demons.
Fiefs were acquired in the same way as titles; by imposing oneself upon other demons. There were generally four to six fiefs per circle. Ruling each fief was a Demon lord or rarely a fallen angel. The angels tended to prefer to rule over veritable kin-
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At the Gates of Hell gdoms that consisted of several fiefs potentially crossing multiple circles. The Demon lords were constantly bickering among themselves and attempting to enlarge their own fief by conquering the lands of their neighbors. This strife was a boon to the humans who capitalized on the division between the demons..
The Circles The term circles came naturally to the Europeans as the initial explorers thought they were travelling through Hell as described by Dante. They quickly realized there was far more to these circles than that described by the poet but by then the term was already widely used by the troops. No one could explain the origins of the names the demons and the Damned gave to these circles. Their source had been long lost in an immemorial field of pain and suffering. Each of the fiefs of a circle tended generally to take on the name of the Demon lord that ruled it. Occasionally due to the incessant feudal wars fought between the fiefs an entire circle would come to be controlled by a single Demon lord.
Titles and Demonic Hierarchy From the information gathered about this subject from the Damned each being living in Hell has a rank that determines their place in the infernal pecking order: Arch-demon – Fallen angel Prince President of the Underworld Archduke Demon Lord Demon Damned One Lemure
Kohut
The arch-demons were made popular by the Old Testament. This also tended to prove that links already existed between the two worlds before the gates appeared in Europe and the Middle East. There were nine arch-demons: Angra Mainyou, Aka Manah, Indra, Taurvi, Zairitsha, Naon Haitshya, Ahriman, and Aeshma.
This was the circle in which the river Styx could be found, that the portals of the humans appeared, and that New Jerusalem was built. The scattered troops of Demon lord Zaebas were present in this circle.
Thebaïde and Ampharaüs These circles were accessed from Kohut by following the dusty tracks made by the passage of the Damned. The Demon lords Xaphan, Sabrac, Ronwe and Oray were fighting over Thebes. Ampharaus had been partially invaded by the Ottoman armies and only the fiefs of the Demon lords Ayperos and Botis were still present there.
The fallen angels were positioned on the same level as the arch-demons as they did not recognize the authority of any being in Hell save themselves. The fallen angels came and went as they pleased. Sometimes they would usurp the position of a Demon lord if it pleased them. Whether justified or not, they were greatly feared and even arch-demons avoided coming into conflict with them.
Ausonia Continuing their exploration of Hell from Ampharaus the Ottomans discovered the circle of Ausonia. There the fiefs of lords Marbas and Raum had allied in an attempt to get their hands on the fief or Eurynome.
There were an infinite number of intermediate titles in between the primary ones. These quite often extravagant titles were often given by a high level demon but just as commonly self-proclaimed and thus mostly just ignored by the demon hierarchy.
Pelion
Authority among the demons of the Underworld was organized in a Feudal society. A Demon lord would pledge fealty to an archduke and so on down the line. The demons maintained vassal to lord relationships between themselves. At the top of the hierarchy the arch-demons ruled over their vassals and their vassals’ fiefs. This meant that the arch-demons did not have authority over a circle necessarily but rather over the sum of the fiefs of their vassals.
The best way to fine Pelion was to follow the course of the river Styx. This circle was divided into two fiefs, those of the Demon lords Zaebas and Thamuz. A third Demon lord, Adramelech, seemed to want to gain control of their lands.
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At the Gates of Hell
The reasons for their rejection from demonic society were many. Sometimes they had shown such loyalty towards their previous lord that upon his destruction they refused to obey the rule of any other lord. Some had participated in revolts against their masters and subsequently fled to avoid fighting an enemy that outnumbered them. Often these Damned ones had no choice but to become independent as the forces invading their fief were intent on destroying them and returning them to lemures after their defeat. Frequently other Demon lords were unwilling to accept their allegiance for fear of sparking a conflict with another Demon lord. Thus, slowly over thousands and thousands of years of feudal wars, the Lost became a caste apart. They clustered together in small, extremely nomadic groups following many different goals. There was no particular bond between these groups or chief capable of uniting them all. If they were seen as a separate caste it was because they all shared in common the fact they lived outside the boundaries of the demonic hierarchy. While the Lost no longer considered themselves to be Luciferians it did not mean they had lost their essence. Individual Lost companies would sometimes sign alliances with both the European and the Ottoman armies. They acted as mercenaries and offered their services as guides, scouts, or just simple reinforcements for the companies exploring in the isolated areas where the Lost lived. They also maintained links with the demons and performed services for them. Examples included reinforcing a company of Luciferians in a fight with a neighboring Demon lord or simply guarding some Damned ones. They even did more unique things like organizing special entertainment such as staged fights in an arena. In exchange for these services the Lost negotiated safe passage across demonic territory or assurances that land they wished to occupy peacefully would be free from depredations.
It was common to see a circle divided into fiefs that belonged to Demon lords pledged to different archdukes. The Demon lords fought amongst themselves as each would only recognize the authority of their own archduke and care nothing for their those of their neighbors. The Europeans made the most of this complex system of allegiances although they never seemed to work out which vassal was pledged to which lord.
he Lost The Lost were typically found in small independent groups. They were former Damned ones who had lost or had voluntarily abandoned their lords. They tended to reject all notions of demonic hierarchy as they no longer considered themselves Luciferians and had no respect for the titles or authority of the Demon lords. Because of this separation their physical evolution in the Underworld tended to follow patterns that were radically different from the paths followed by demons and the servile Damned ones.
These efforts clearly demonstrated the leaders of the Lost companies were capable of working towards a greater goal. While making alliances with all of the other factions the Lost always ensured that their
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At the Gates of Hell efforts worked towards securing territories for themselves where they could come and go as they pleased. Their nomadic existence hadn’t prevented them from controlling certain routes and enlisting with the enemies of those who attempted to conquer a free land. The migrations of the Lost appeared to be organized. They came from free lands and traveled through the countries where the Demon lords were at war. They harassed victorious armies to prevent their taking control of the old ruined fiefs. They also enrolled the servants of the fallen warlords into their ranks thus gaining power and numbers from the desolation of others.
xploration & Conquest The council of New Jerusalem continually sent out franc-companies to explore consisting of soldiers from the four corners of Europe. Protestants and Catholics that had once been at each other’s throats in the Holy Roman Empire now found themselves marching side by side in the expeditionary corps. The colony had seemed to appear before their eyes as the European styled buildings had been built at a frantic pace by the now enslaved Damned ones. Soon the merchants arrived in great numbers bringing with them goods from all over the world above be it the Americas or Sweden. Eventually the dregs of Europe appeared looking for a chance to start anew, Below. The city was very dangerous, especially in the peripheral areas. Men went from being a soldier one day to a brigand the next. Each man survived as best he could while waiting a chance with a new captain looking for men to join an exploratory mission. The jobs were especially infrequent so equipment was kept in good repair and drunkenness at a minimum lest one miss an opportunity. The companies left the city by one of the sixteen roads being constructed by the Damned ones. The soldiers were not unhappy to leave the colony and its permanently threatening atmosphere. In the city danger could come from an old war comrade reduced to abject poverty as easily as a demon or an
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At the Gates of Hell assassin sent by the Ottomans to strike at random and demoralize the troops. While the mortality rate of the expeditions was particularly high, the most important thing was to resist succumbing to the fear of these strange lands. One learned to protect ones soul with a thousand tricks carried from the lands Above such as wearing amulets of protection or the first verses of St. John’s gospel. Weapons were enchanted by “magical arts” and tiny slits were made into the skin so fragments of consecrated relics could be placed inside. Eventually an exploration company reached the end of a road under construction, their last link with human civilization. Ahead lay the realm from Below and they wondered how the captain would manage to find his way through this hell. But the captain didn’t seem lost for he was sent by the council and so he pretended to have control of the situation, all the while following the tracks worn by the never-ending passage of the Damned travelling to the fiefs of the Demon lords. Initially the Demon lords found the incursion of the humans a great source of amusement. The Europeans seemed to have made great progress in the art of killing each other during the last few centuries. All of their stinging, piercing, and burning weapons could be very useful against rival Demon troops. The Demon lords were no longer laughing. The more demons slain by the European companies the more proud they became of their hunting trophies. At first the simple charge of a Damned one of Wrath was enough to create widespread panic in the human soldiers. Now so many Damned had fallen to the bullets that many of the demonic garrisons were starting to look rather deserted. The Demon lords began to regret using the Europeans as cannon fodder against their rivals by sending a few horned diplomats to show them the proper tracks to follow and explain to their infernalists the kind of food to give their lemures. All of that imparted knowledge was now being used against them as well. The Ottomans made it a matter of honor to never betray an alliance and would only attack a fief to cross it deeper into the bowels of Hell. The Europeans showed no such constraint and never ceased to reach further and further while destroying anything they could get their hands on. One day they would be fending off the Demon companies of a rival and create a second front along his ranks. The next day they would turn around and attack the companies of the neighboring enemy Demon lord instead of using the victory to break through into the first Demon lord’s fief. The Europeans filthy habit of building “Above-style” as if they were making themselves at home was beginning to get distinctly annoying to the Demon lords as well. Never mind how they were exploiting the Damned with
European-style tortures which may be fine for the living but were definitely no way to punish the dead. The Demon lords had finally realized they were facing a true invasion. Unfortunately after untold centuries fighting amongst themselves they could not reconcile themselves to the idea of a truce with each other so they could focus on the humans. Only the fallen angels who had arrived from the bowels of Hell to observe the problem began to draw up a coherent plan to confront the invaders. Using hastily recruited demonic companies from the lands through which they traveled, the fallen angels began harassing the front lines of the European forces and launched intrusions all the way to New Jerusalem. The fallen angels had tolerated the Ottomans and the Lost for centuries. Now they began attacking them too, pushing them towards the Europeans to spark repeated conflicts between them. The Ottomans had been coming and going through Hell for four hundred years. They hadn’t foreseen the European invasion that had come to trouble them in their quest. Hassan ibn al-Sabbah and his Nizari had been exploring Kohut since the 12th century. They had learned to find their way around the Underworld using the Damned ones as guides. They had avoided conflict with the demons where possible. Unfortunately for the Ottomans the Mongols and Seljuks had wiped out most of the demon forces present in Kohut which in turn had allowed the European forces to settle there without meeting any real resistance.
31
At the Gates of Hell
defend them with their firepower. Additionally the upper city walls were defended by a fearsome artillery battery. The upper city was laid out like a chess board around its fortified palace. Scattered around the palace were all the essential buildings for the administrations and defense of this part of the city such as barracks, main powder store, arsenal, hospital, and stocks. The city itself began outside this fortified sector and was separated into six areas by nationality or affinity. These six areas consisted of Spain, France, Sweden, the Holy Roman Empire, the Protestant alliance, and the free quarter. The Holy Roman Empire’s quarter included all of the Germanic states whose prince was Catholic. The inhabitants of the Protestant Alliance’s quarter included those from the reformed states of the Empire, England, the United Provinces, and all those who called themselves Protestants except for the Swedish. The free quarter was designated a neutral area controlled by the council. It was the seat of power for the large corporations and those that did not wish to show their alignment too outwardly such as Jews, subjects of other countries, merchants, or adventurers of all kinds. Each quarter had a
New Jerusalem Nestled in the crook of a bend in the wide and thick-flowing Styx, New Jerusalem was a metropolis with two faces. On one side was the modern city, a fortified structure of obsidian in the shape of a sixteen-pointed star. On the other side, thousands of poor souls who had descended seeking Hell Dorado lived in the crawling tentacular suburbs. A little further away were the gates, and then… Hell.
The Upper City The upper city was fortified and protected by a high, thick surrounding wall made of obsidian reinforced with earth. On that wall were cannon towers and external defensive structures. The external defensive structures consisted of pre-walls, halfmoons, and ravelins to defend the gates. The prewalls were lower walls built outside and parallel to the main wall. The half-moons were an advanced structure situated between two bastions to
32
At the Gates of Hell unique architectural style, its own customs and traditions and political autonomy. While most of the buildings along the main avenues were made of stone the typical building inside the city was a three-story half-timbered house. Once you passed the main defensive wall a wide ditch flanked on either side by canals reached clear to the covered way, a part of the second circle of fortifications. Many forts looked out over the plane. Each fort was at the summit of a high cluster of rocks spotted with poisonous weeds. Artillery and muskets had plenty of room to bring their firepower to bear. A ditch full of spears sat ten fathoms below as the final separation between the fortified city and its outskirts.
The bridge linked the gate to the main road that snaked its way into the circle of Kohut. The third circle of fortifications completed the city’s defenses in the form of a string of eight monstrous forts. These strongholds were spread out at regular distances from each other in strong positions. Each fort bristled with cannons providing cover for each other and “hellish” firepower in all directions.
The Gates of Hell The gates were over two hundred fathoms deep. Gigantic bolts of lightning ripped through the skies to hit the ground and river below. The crimson sky was shaken by almost hypnotic multi-colored convulsions. A hot, humid climate ruled over this place. Sulfurous winds seemed to carry loads of curses with them. This was the arrival point of the great infernal gate of Magdeburg. Hung by a multitude of chains from enormous cranes, gigantic barges traveled between Hell and the world Above. Dozens of docks had been built and equipped to cater to these leviathans. Behind a thick fortified wall surrounded by bastions a multitude of administrative buildings, warehouses and boarding rooms had been built. The gate employed a considerable amount of workers in the form of dock hands, captains, guards and customs officers. Basically anyone who could sell their arms or minds to the great enterprise were welcomed. Every week new buildings grew up from the ground as they were born from the shovels and pickaxes of the enslaved Damned. The Damned wretches were in turn penned in like animals in accommodation pits soaked with the fetid waters of the river.
The Outskirts The lower city was a true cesspool swarming with life and poverty consisting of an accumulation of tents and makeshift shelters heaped together over half a league between the docks and the city. Most of New Jerusalem’s inhabitants lived here. Every month thousands more unfortunates came to tread the rut-ridden muddy ground of the suburbs. A single paved road connected the port to the starshaped city. Epidemics and fires caused frequent changes to the layout of the place. A true ode to chaos, hell truly began here. This urban cancer spread to the edge of the fortifications that surrounded the infernal gate along the side of the river. A wide, thick-flowing river, brown and foul smelling, wound around the metropolis in a broad, lazy loop. A stone bridge with a barbican and eight arches with towers had been hastily erected by Damned slaves over the river’s putrescent waters.
of Alamut lead into Kohut. The passage from Alamut had so far been kept secret. So too had the paths that provided supplies between Kohut and Ausonia through Amphauraus. The Ottomans had destroyed the fiefs of the demons along their way. This had in turn boosted the number of Lost who had come to live in these areas, sometimes as allies and sometimes as enemies. As they explored the Europeans found themselves confronted with Ottoman companies that they believed to be isolated. They were, in fact, the scouting parties sent ahead to ensure safe passage of the supply convoys.
After the Seljuk period Osman had forced the Nizari and the “old man of the mountain” to pledge allegiance to him. Given their similarity of spiritual motives this was effectively an alliance between the Nizari and the Ottomans. Subsequently Hassan ibn al-Sabbah became seen as the first general of the Muslim armies of the Underworld. Always searching for al-Haqq al-Awwal, the Ottomans thought that the Underworld had a center over which the nine arch-demons ruled. They felt it was at that center they would fine the keys to their quest. To this end they sought to make their way always further inwards. To accomplish this they had assembled a very large Muslim army in Ausonia which was entirely unknown to the Europeans. The Europeans naively believed that the Ottomans had sent very few troops Below. Nor did the Europeans realize that the gate
33
Rules of the gamE
Rules he gamE Rulesof and tGame-Play
S
each d6 will be considered independently, rather than the total of all dice rolled being considered.
o, here you are, eagerly gripping your little pewter figures still sticky from their last lick of paint. You have agreed with your opponent on how large and powerful your armies will be, and you have laid out a glorious battlefield. All you have to do now is learn the following rules by heart (more or less). Golden Rules If a game effect contradicts a game rule, the effect always takes precedence over the game rule. When two effects clash because of their timing, and can’t be resolved by having them happen simultaneously, the effect of the active unit will apply before that of its opponent, possibly canceling out the use of the latter.
Fathoms The standard unit of measurement used in Hell Dorado is the fathom, which was used at the time in which Hell Dorado is set to measure distances on land, although it’s now only used to measure nautical depths. It is equivalent to an average man’s height, but on our battlefields, we will scale it down to a standard inch.
Distance
he Basics
When the rules state that a unit should be at or within a certain distance from another unit or from a spot on the battlefield, this means that any part of its base that is at that distance fulfills that condition. A unit is considered to be inside an area from the moment when any part of its base is inside the area.
Dice Playing Hell Dorado only requires six-sided dice, also known as «d6». Ideally, each player should have at least 5d6 handy. Throughout the game up to that number of d6 might be rolled at once. In general, the result of
Measurement When playing Hell Dorado, players can measure any part of the battlefield at any time. You can, for example, measure the distance between two units, between one of your own units and a point on the battlefield, or between one of your units and one of your opponent’s, etc.
Introduction This chapter will give you the basic, essential concepts you will need to understand the rest of the rules. If you don’t understand everything to begin with, don’t worry, you can come back to it later. In any case, you will quite probably have to read the rules several times, in their entirety, to fully absorb them.
Facing Miniatures in Hell Dorado don’t have a specific facing. Each unit turns automatically to face danger or
35
Rules of the gamE A
3’’
Unit A is inside the explosion area Unit B is 3 fathoms away from its opponent
1
B
measuring distances between units and effect areas an enemy. While having a facing can add some interesting tactical options, it normally causes more arguments than it is worth.
My, What Big Sculpts You Have!
Contact and Control Area We’re just as mad about miniatures as you are. That is why we can only encourage you to modify your miniatures to suit your tastes. Such changes can however bring about some technical problems when modified miniatures are used to play. Therefore here are a few rules to apply to modified or converted miniatures: For games between friends... if you can’t find some sort of agreement, find another friend
Contact
A unit is in contact with another if their bases are physically touching. If a unit has enough Movement so that it can be placed in a position where part of the figure itself touches part of the enemy figure, then these two units are also in contact with each other. This situation is only acceptable if base to base contact can’t physically be made due to the size and positioning of the two figures, and if the moving unit could move far enough to be in base-to-base contact.
For games played in an official framework (league, tournament, etc.): Any purely aesthetic modifications are legal Any modifications causing a possible change in how the unit interacts with the rules (change of height, reach, etc.) unfortunately must be, illegal...
Control Area
We can only encourage you to get extra miniatures as replacements when you show up with modified miniatures to a game, just in case.
Most of the Hell Dorado models have a control area of one fathom. This means that any unit that comes within one fathom of an enemy unit will be inside that unit’s control area.
This being said, we strongly encourage referees to show as much open mindedness as they can when it comes to managing this sort of situation. Thus, when the modified miniature doesn’t cause trouble between players, there would be no reason for banning it. In any case, if a modified miniature is accepted by the referees and the players, the player using it obviously accepts that modified miniature will interact with the rules affected by the modifications in the most disadvantageous way possible.
Once a unit is engaged it no longer exerts, or loses, its control area.
Friendly Disagreement
Example: Thomas has decided to base his Baptiste Valombre miniature on an imposing bit of rock, giving it an extra fathom of height. To determine whether Baptiste is in cover, the 50% rule will be applied to the entire modified miniature. When determining Valombre’s Line of Sight while firing, we’ll consider that his head will be at the initial height of the miniature (as it was when unmodified), thus one fathom lower than the one Tom has brought to the table.
If, at any point in the game, the rules alone do not enable you to resolve a conflict between players, here are two solutions that you could possibly use: The first is the well known heads or tails technique. Basically, you pick some handy object, such as a coin, or a frying pan, and you flip it up into the air, after betting on which side you think will be visible when it hits the floor. Obviously, if you want to use this technique to end an argument, it tends to help if both players pick opposite sides.
Of course, Valombre’s opponent can decide not to take advantage of this rule, but this comes down to an understanding between players. When questions of this type come up in a public setting, the referees should always enforce this rule.
36
Rules of the gamE
In this case, the Swashbuckler is in contact (base-to-base) with the Retiarius, but Aidan Saint James isn’t.
2
two miniatures engaged by their bases, then by the figures
he Armed Forces
The second option is our personal favorite, albeit one requiring a lot of understanding and therefore best if only used by players who know each other very well: a tap on the cheek. When an argument cannot be settled by simply applying the rules, the first of the two players to gently tap the other on the cheek wins. This should be done with caution, as, if the tap turns into a slap, the too-brutal slapper is immediately disqualified. A slightly safer version is the tap on the back of the hand, though this option is, of course, much less fun.
Unit Ranks Each unit is either a lemure or has one of the three following ranks: Officer, Independent, or Trooper. The Officers are unique (they can only be included once per Company) as are the Independents who have an identity. Troopers and anonymous Independents can possibly be used several times in the same Company.
In any case we encourage you and your friends to solve your disagreements in a fair and sporting way between yourselves.
3
Officers
Officers are the soldiers who lead Companies into battle. They are unique individuals who all have their own identity (they actually have a distinct name). These units have unique support and Command abi-
diagram of a miniature’s control area
37
The control area of a unit affects the way enemy units can move. See the section on control area effects on page 49.
Rules of the gamE Unit Statistics
The Company
Each unit on the battlefield is defined by a series of statistics. These are outlined in the unit’s entry in this book and on the cards that come with each miniature.
In Hell Dorado, each player has control of a Company of soldiers or units. Each unit is physically represented by a miniature. They are all different, with differing ranks, stats, types, base sizes, etc. All these concepts are explained in greater detail further on. A whole chapter (p. 68) is entirely devoted to their special abilities.
Movement (MVT)
This indicates the distance in fathoms that a unit can move in one turn when walking at a normal pace. xample: the average human unit has a Movement score of 5 if it is carrying little or no armor. In most other cases the Movement will be 4.
Shooting Skill (SHS)
lities. Officers automatically possess the orders Vae Soli and Vae Victis (p. 61).
This represents a number of dice. This is the number of dice that will be rolled when the unit attacks with a ranged weapon (bow, arquebus, throwing dagger, grenade, etc.). This stat represents the unit’s skill at using ranged weapons.
Independents
Independents are elite soldiers who join Companies seeking fame and fortune, or just for the pleasure of butchering invaders or natives. These soldiers have special abilities which are often exceptional. When put to good use, they can change the course of a whole battle on their own. Independent units with an identity (their own name) are unique and can only be hired once per Company. For all others, their Availability (p. 42) will tell you how many you are allowed to have in a Company.
xample: the average human unit will have a SHS score of 2 if it carries a ranged weapon. If it doesn’t, then the unit won’t have a SHS.
Combat (CBT)
This also represents a number of dice. This is the number of dice rolled by the unit during close combat. This stat represents the unit’s talent for attacking, its physical abilities in combat and its equipment. It is both a reflection of the unit’s warrior spirit and pure skill. A unit with no Combat (a -) cannot fight, even if it receives a CBT bonus later on. All attacks against it will be on sided. Such a unit automatically has the Harmless special ability. A unit with a CBT stat of 0 will not usually roll any dice during a mêlée, but it can receive a bonus that will allow it to do so.
Troopers
Troopers are the huddled masses of soldiers who are the heart of a Company, the nameless cannon fodder who fight and die for the glory of their Commanding Officers. Multiple Troopers of the same kind can be used in a Company. The limits to their recruitment are defined by the unit’s Availability (p. 42).
Red and Green
xample: An average human unit has a Combat of 3.
Defense (DEF)
As the name suggests, this score is an indicator of the difficulty that enemy units will have hitting the unit during a battle. This is the score that the unit’s opponents will roll their attack dice against when attacking the unit. This represents the unit’s speed, skill and martial talents. Unless specifically stated, a unit’s Defense can’t be greater than 5.
On most stat cards, the units’ statistics are printed on two different colored backgrounds: red and green. The value of the red stat is the basic value. The value of the green stat is the one that should be applied when the unit is wounded. One exception: on the bar of Life Points on the back of the card, the green backgrounds are for the point from whereon the unit is considered to be wounded.
xample: An average human unit will have a Defense of 3.
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Rules of the gamE
Front
Faction Symbol
Movement
Units Name
Defense Faith Command Availability Special Abilities
Keywords
Army Points
Back
Units Name Life Points
Shooting Skill
Command
Combat
Faith Life Points Bar (Wounded State Power Table
Defense Protection Weapons
Green)
Damage
Damage Type
Hits
Orders & Auras
4
in
Analysis of a stat card (front and back): Augustus Raimond
Protection (PR)
Protection (full plate armor, chain mail and shield, full body shell).
This score is a representation of the unit’s armor (natural or not) and its resistance to damage. It is subtracted from the total damage whenever a unit is hurt.
Life Points (LP)
This is the amount of damage a unit can take before dying in battle. If this value is followed by a second one printed on a green background, this second stat indicates the number of Life Points at or below which the unit becomes wounded. This second value is called the Wound Threshold (WT). The initial number of Life Points is reduced after each hit depending on the amount of damage inflicted, and the new value becomes the current Life Point total.
xample: a Protection value of 0 means a total lack of armor; a value of 1 means light armor or natural Protection (leather, small shield, thick skin), a value of 2 means a medium armor or natural Protection (chain mail, leather and metalplated armor, partial metal armor...), and a value of 3 means heavy armor or natural
39
Rules of the gamE Command (CMD)
This stat represents the ability the unit has for influencing the behavior of its allies during battle. This value is added to the command pool of the Company when the game begins (p. 58). When a unit with a command of at least 1 is eliminated, its score is immediately removed both from the Company’s original total command and from the command pool (p. 58).
xample: An average human Officer has a Command of 4.
Weapon Statistics Power Table
What a unit’s weapon does is represented by a power table, showing the amount of damage inflicted depending on the number of hits scored on the attack roll. For melee weapons, this table is both a representation of the unit’s strength, the weight of the weapon and the unit’s ability to «hit where it counts.» For ranged weapons, this table represents the strength of the unit for some weapons (bows, slingshots, throwing weapons...) and the natural power of the weapon itself for the others (arquebus munitions, crossbow bolts). As well as the accuracy of the unit’s aim. A power table always indicates the damage inflicted by scoring 1-5 hits, even if the unit doesn’t have a CBT that enables it to score this many hits. This is in order to accommodate any bonuses that may affect the unit. Some special effects can be triggered by a certain number of hits. The player controlling the attacking unit can choose to inflict fewer hits than they obtained with their attack roll (or even none at all).
A unit dies when its current Life Point total is equal to or less than 0. A unit is Wounded as soon as its current Life Point total is reduced to or below the Wound Threshold printed on the green background. xample: An average human unit has an initial Life Point total of 4/1. This means it has a total of 4 Life Points and will become wounded as soon as it only has 1 Life Point left. In the same way, a unit with a Life Point total of 5/2 has a total of 5 Life Points (it will take 5 damage before dying) and it will become wounded as soon as it has 2 (or fewer) Life Points left.
Faith (FTH)
This stat represents the unit’s spiritual strength it can provide a bonus for magical effects that are associated with specific beliefs, and also helps to resist hostile magical powers. A unit with the keyword Unbeliever (p. 41) doesn’t have a Faith stat, and any ability, spell or aura that requires Faith will have no effect on it. xample: An average human unit has a Faith of 1
40
Rules of the gamE • Independent • Trooper Its Species (or profound nature) • Angel • Animal • Damned • Demon • Lost • Human • Lemure Its Gender • Asexual • Female • Male Its Religion When it comes to religion, the units can be given a general belief in certain principles (Christianity, Satanism, Islam...) or a more precise belief in certain dogmas. Units who believe in a specific dogma are affected by the effects of their general belief and those associated with their particular dogma. • Atheist • Buddhist - Yanluowang • Christian - Papist - Orthodox - Protestant • Jewish • Muslim - Shiite - Sunni - Kharijite • Satanist - Luciferian Unbeliever (this is applied to all units who can never be affected by the powers that concern religion. They do not have a Faith statistic.). Practice of Magic • Infernalist X/Y Infernalists are units that can control lemures. This keyword is special in the sense that it is followed by two numbers. These indicate the number of lemures that the unit can control at one time (X) and the total number of lemures that it can invoke during a game (Y) (p. 62).
xample - A Succubus using her whips has the following power table:
Number
of Hits 1 2 3 4 5
Damage 3 4 + Pain 2 6 8 6 + Knocked Down
She rolls 3 hits against an opponent on her attack roll. She can therefore inflict 6 damage, inflict only 4 damage to her opponent but make them suffer Pain for 2 turns, inflict 3 damage or take 0 hits and inflict no damage.
R ange (For R anged Weapons)
This stat helps define the difficulty of a ranged attack. The value is a number of fathoms, which will be multiplied to obtain the levels of difficulty depending on the distance between the attacker and its target. You will find the rules about shooting distances in the chapter on ranged combat (p. 52).
Damage Type
Most weapons have a keyword that defines the kind of damage they will inflict. The most common ones are slashing, piercing and blunt, there are many more, including more exotic ones (gaze, powders to be inhaled, etc.). This keyword doesn’t have any effect on the game but is used to trigger certain special abilities. Some weapons can inflict multiple types of damage.
Weapon Abilities
Some weapons have special abilities that will distinguish them from others. See page 68 for the full description of these abilities.
Nature of the Units Each character is defined by a number of keywords that should give you a better idea of who they are. These keywords will determine if a unit is eligible to be the target of a special attack, if it will be affected by magical effects or not, etc. The nature of a unit can therefore be defined by several elements of its personality:
xample: Asaliah has the keyword «Infernalist 2/3». This means she can invoke up to 3 lemures during the game, and can control up to 2 at the same time. • Mentalist Mentalists are units that have one or more auras (p.62).
Its Rank (p. 37) is listed on the stat card as a keyword. • Officer
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Rules of the gamE on their Company. This is the size that we recommend for standard Hell Dorado games. Each unit belongs to one of the game’s factions (Westerners, Saracens, Immortals, Demons, the Lost and Mercenaries). The Mercenary Troopers and Mercenary Independents can be hired by other factions (p. 75). Faction, much in the same way the term unit is used, is a keyword referenced by the game rules. The Faction that a unit is part of is shown by the symbol in the top right hand corner of the unit’s card. Mercenary Officers can also be tolerant towards other Factions (if they have the special ability Prestige) and can therefore hire Troopers and Independents from those Factions under certain conditions (p. 74). All units have an Availability. This represents the number of times the unit can be recruited when building a Company (p. 75). Unique : The unit has an identity: it can therefore be present only once per Company, no matter the size of the Company. Limited X : The unit can be included multiple times in a Company. There can be up to X of the unit included for every complete, or partial, 200 AP in a Company. Limited X/Y: Sometimes a unit has two possible variations. In these cases a units Availability is indicated by two numbers. This means that the maximum number of this unit is limited to X for each complete or partial portion of 200 points, and out of these X units, a maximum of Y can be of the type described by that specfic profile. Example: Pillars of Faith, Halberd, Limited 3/2. A Company of 200 points can use a maximum of 3 Pillars of Faith (all types) and out of those 3; a maximum of 2 can be halberdiers.
Magic, Special Abilities and Orders Some units exude auras or control lemures (see above). Most of them also have special abilities that give them various bonuses (p. 68). Abilities which are printed in red have an effect on the unit which is (at least partially) negative. Finally, Officers and some other units can use orders (p. 61). All of these special powers will be described fully in their own respective chapters.
Unit Base Sizes All the units in Hell Dorado are mounted on round bases that are suited to their size and mass. There are three base sizes, and some of the game’s rules take these sizes into account. Regular (30mm diameter) Large (40mm diameter) Extra Large (50mm diameter)
Value, Faction, and Availability of a Unit All units are worth a certain number of army points (AP). This number represents the unit’s power on the battlefield. Usually, a player may spend up to 200 AP
5
three units side by side
Large Units
Extra Large Unit
42
Regular Unit
Rules of the gamE that has the highest CMD is Dominant. If the tie persists, flip a coin.
Unlimited : The unit can be included as many times as desired in a Company. There is no limit to the number these units can be hired in a Company. This is the default for all units. Associated (Name of Unit) : This miniature can only be used if the unit named in parentheses is included in the Company. There can only be X specific units associated with one named unit. Transformation (Conditions • New Shape) : This model can change its shape and statistics during the game. This transformation will take place once the conditions indicated between the brackets are fulfilled. A transformed unit appears with full Life Points, even if the previous shape had suffered damage.
At the beginning of the second and subsequent turns of the game, Dominance is determined by the number and the nature of the units that were killed during the previous turn. Both players count the number of units (Insignificant units don’t count) that they lost during the previous turn. The player who has lost the least units is Dominant for the next turn. If both players have lost the same number of units, then the player that was already Dominant remains so through the next turn.
ominance urns
The concept of Dominance is one of the key elements of Hell Dorado. It represents the way the warriors in each Company feel during the battle, whether they’re feeling superior or if they have a vague fear of being overrun. As you will see later on, Dominance is used to resolve many situations and to determine which player starts each turn. If necessary, Dominance can be physically represented on the table by a marker held by the player who is Dominant (a large marble, a quarter, etc…).
A game of Hell Dorado is split up into turns. In basic battles, the number of turns in a game is limited (see scenario details on page 206).
Upkeep Phase It is during this phase – the first phase of every turn – that the players resolve any special effects or situations that last more than one turn. 1) At the beginning of the Upkeep Phase, the current Command Pool of each player is reset to the total CMD of the Company. 2) The question of which player is Dominant is resolved as outlined above. 3) Then any damage that should be dealt is inflicted, followed by any healing. In both cases, this is done simultaneously by both players. 4) Finally, each player resolves any other powers, orders, auras and abilities that have an effect during this phase. If this causes any timing problems, the Dominant player gets to choose the order that effects are applied in.
Before the battle begins, both players must work out their initial Dominance. This is equal to the sum of the CMD of the Officers and the Independents in the Company, plus the number of non-insignificant units fielded by the Company, plus any First Contact values (a special ability which some units may have) that units in the Company have. The CMD of units that aren’t on the battlefield at the beginning of the game is counted when figuring initial Dominance. If both players have an equal Dominance score, the player with the most units in their Company is Dominant. If there is still a tie, the player with the Officer
Initial Dominance
Action Phase Once both players have finished their Upkeep Phase, the Action Phase begins. During this phase, the players will be making their units act in turn. The basic rule of this phase is this: as soon as a player has finished the action of a unit, it is the other player’s turn to act. However, as we will soon see, this rule is quite often abused. In any case, a
The basic CMD of the Company = the sum of the CMD of all Officers and Independents in the Company. Dominance = the basic CMD of the Company + the number of units in the Company + the sum of the First Contact values of any of the units in the Company.
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Rules of the gamE Definitions
A unit that has not yet taken an action during the current turn is said to be waiting. A unit that is currently taking an action is said to be active. A unit that has already taken its action for this turn is said to be already activated. A unit that is in contact with an enemy unit is said to be engaged with the enemy unit. A unit that is not in contact with an enemy unit is said to be free. Allied units are all the units currently controlled by the same player. All Allies or other Allies Sometimes an effect will refer to allies in a general way, (“[all] the [unit’s] allies”) this means that the unit from which the effect originated is affected. Other times an effect will refer to allies in a possessive form (“its allies” or “the allies of the”) or an exclusive form (“other allies”), either of these mean that the unit that the effect originated from is not affected.
Essential STuff A Hell Dorado turn is split up into two phases: The Upkeep Phase and Action Phase. During the Upkeep Phase, the players work out who is Dominant, Command Pools are reset to their total values, and all the special effects that take place during this phase are applied. During the Action Phase, players alternate activating their units one by one, until all of them have performed their actions. Once this has happened, a new turn begins.
unit can only be activated once per turn, and all units must be activated every turn.
Enemy units are all the units controlled by the other player or players (even temporarily). Enemy is synonymous with opponent.
Once a player has finished their unit’s action, they need to let their opponent know that they are free to play. A standard phrase can be chosen, such as «The table is yours,» or even «Dude, s’your turn», but what is important is that the opposing player be notified that it is time for them to choose one of their units to activate. Once this has been done, the previously active player can no longer use a Vae Soli order.
First Activation
At the beginning of the Action Phase, the Dominant player chooses which of the two players will activate one of their units first.
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Rules of the gamE The player that is chosen has to activate one of their units, even if they have fewer units on the battlefield than their opponent.
Attack Normal movement • Contact with enemy unit • Free units only The unit moves as if it was performing a Walk action, but it must end its activation in contact with an enemy unit, triggering a normal attack sequence (p. 49). This action can only be performed by a free unit. Charge Movement X 2 • Contact with enemy unit • -1 CBT when contact is made • Free units only The unit moves as if it was performing a Run action, but must end its activation in contact with an enemy unit. This immediately triggers an attack sequence affected by Charge modifiers (p. 51). This action can only be performed by a free unit. Shoot Normal movement • Ranged attack • No contact with an enemy unit • Free units only The unit can perform a ranged attack against any eligible target (p. 52). It can also move a distance up to or equal to the value of its Movement score before or after shooting. It cannot end this movement in contact with an enemy unit. The unit can either move and then shoot or shoot and then move, but it cannot move part of the distance, shoot, then continue moving. This action can only be performed by a free unit. This is the only action that allows a unit to use a ranged weapon. Retreat Movement X 2 • No contact with an enemy unit • Triggers one-sided attack during Retreat • Engaged units only The unit announces its intention to Retreat from the combat it is engaged in. It immediately suffers a onesided attack from one of its opponents, to which it cannot retaliate (p. 51). It can then use a Run-type movement, unless the previous attack killed it or caused it to suffer a change of state (p. 64). It is impossible to come into contact with an enemy unit when using a Retreat action. This action can only be performed by an engaged unit. If, during the one-sided attack, the enemy unit has less than 1 attack die, the attack is canceled and the Retreating unit can then use its Retreat action to a Walk, Run, Attack or Charge, as if the unit had the Huge ability. If, during the one-sided attack, the enemy is Harmless, the attack is cancelled and the retreating unit may use its retreat action to perform a Walk, Run, Attack, Charge, Shoot, or Concentration action. If a retreating unit does wish to replace its Retreat with a different action as described above, it must first leave contact with the enemy unit. Concentration Free units may move normally • No contact with the enemy Engaged units may not move • Modified attack sequence The unit announces its intention to use an active (see Special effects and timing, page 60) power (spell, special ability, order...).
Being Outnumbered
When a player has to activate one of their units and they have fewer waiting units than their opponent, they can choose to make their opponent activate one of their units instead. They can continue to skip their activation for as long as they have fewer waiting units than their opponent. As mentioned previously, this rule doesn’t apply to the first unit activated each turn. The side to activate the first unit is always chosen by the Dominant player. xample: Ileana is Dominant. She controls 8 Lost units. Her opponent, Arnold, has 4 Westerner units left. Ileana chooses Arnold to play first at the beginning of the Action Phase. He is therefore forced to activate one of his 4 units. Then Ileana chooses one of hers to activate. When it’s Arnold’s turn to choose his second unit, he refuses, as he only has 3 waiting units and Ileana has 7. In this way he can make her play all her units until she also has only 3 waiting units left. However, Arnold does have the option to resume activating his units at any time after each of Ileana’s moves.
Activation
Once a unit is activated, the player that controls it must choose, announce to his opponent, and then perform a single action from the list below with the activated unit. See page 47 for more details. All units must act once per turn. A unit can’t normally be activated more than once per turn. A free unit can activate and choose not to perform an action. Walk Normal movement • No contact with an enemy unit • Free units only The unit can move a distance up to the value of its Movement in fathoms before ending its activation. The unit can’t end its activation in contact with an enemy unit, but it can enter an enemy control area. This action can only be performed by a free unit. Run Movement X 2 • No contact with an enemy unit • Free units only The unit must move a number of fathoms greater than its MVT, and may move up to to a number of fathoms equal to double its MVT before ending its activation. The unit can’t end its activation in contact with an enemy unit but it can enter an enemy control area. This action can only be performed by a free unit.
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Rules of the gamE If the unit is free, it can move a distance up to or equal to its Movement score, either before or after using its power. It cannot end its movement in contact with an enemy unit. The unit can either move and then use its power, or use its power and then move, but it cannot move part of the way, use its power and continue its movement. If the unit is engaged, it cannot move and it triggers an attack sequence, with one of the non-Harmless enemy units it is in contact with, affected by Concentration modifiers (p. 51). If the outcome of the combat is a change of state for the unit (or its death, of course), the power has no effect (however, all costs must still be paid). Focus Free units may not move Engaged units may not move • Triggers onesided attack The unit announces its intention to use an exhausting (see Special effects and timing) power (spell, special ability, order...). If the unit is free, it cannot move at all, neither before nor after using its power. If the unit is engaged, it cannot move and one of the non-harmless enemy units it is in contact with gets to make a one-sided attack against it. If the result of the attack involves a change of state for the unit (or its death, of course), the power will have no effect (however, all costs must still be paid). Mêlée Limited movement • No loss of contact • Normal combat • Engaged units only The unit triggers an attack sequence against an enemy unit in contact with it. This action can only be performed by an engaged unit.
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Attack Sequence Protagonists Normally, when a unit takes a Charge, Attack or Mêlée action, the player controlling it will be the one to choose the unit (in case of contact with multiple enemies) that the attack sequence will be made against. Normally, when a unit takes a Retreat, Concentration or Focus action, it’s the player who controls the enemy units in contact with the active unit that will choose which unit will make the attack sequence against it.
At the beginning of its activation, if the unit is engaged by only one enemy, it is allowed to move where it wishes to as long as it remains in contact with the enemy unit. It must however end its activation in an area of terrain on which it could normally move over (p. 215). If, during this movement, it comes into contact with another enemy unit, it can choose with which of the two it wants to engage with the attack sequence, while, of course, remembering that in this situation the two enemy units will be providing each other with support. If the unit is already engaged by multiple enemy units, it cannot move, but gets to pick which of the enemies it wants to fight (oppose in an attack sequence).
Different types of movement A
B
Unit A has performed a Walk action Unit B has performed a Run action Unit C has performed a Charge action Unit D has performed an Attack action Unit E has performed a Mêlée action
C
D E
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Rules of the gamE Quick Chart of Actions For Free Units Walk Run Attack Charge Shoot Concentration Focus
Movement normal • No contact with enemy units Movement x 2 • No contact with enemy units Movement normal • Contact with enemy units Movement x 2 • Contact with enemy units • -1 CBT when contact is made Movement normal • Ranged attack • No contact with enemy units Movement normal • No contact with enemy units No movement
Retreat Concentration Focus Mêlée
Movement x 2 • No contact with enemy units • Triggers a one-sided attack No movement • Modified attack sequence No movement • Triggers a one-sided attack Limited or no movement • No loss of contact • Normal attack sequence
For Engaged Units
If the unit is engaged by multiple enemy units but only one of them has a CBT that isn’t ”-“, then the unit can move as long as it stays in contact with the unit that has a CBT that isn’t “-“ It is important to remember that a passive power can be used at any time during a unit’s activation, no matter what action is being performed at the time. This does not trigger any particular reaction, whether the unit is free or engaged. It can even be used before or after – but never during – an attack sequence or a ranged attack. A free power can be triggered at any time during the Action Phase, whether the unit has already been activated or not, even during an enemy unit’s activation, but never during an attack sequence or a ranged attack. You may decide to not perform an action with a free unit when it is activated. Of course it won’t be able to act later on during the same turn, as it has been activated. An engaged unit must act once it is activated (Mêlée, Retreat, Concentration or Focus actions). Once a unit has finished its action, in order to remember which units have been activated, you can flip their stat card over. By doing this, all players can easily see which units are still waiting and which have already been activated.
If Saurav-Geet had possessed a passive power, he could have used it before he began the attack sequence. He could also have chosen to use it after the attack sequence. During the attack sequence, Stephen can choose to spend 1 or 2 of his Command Points to add 1 or 2 to Saurav-Geet’s CBT, thanks to Isha-Akshay’s Vae Victis order. The Vae Victis order is a free power, and it can therefore be used at any time during the Action Phase, whether the unit who possesses it has been activated or not, and as many times as the player can afford to do so. Once Saurav-Geet has finished his activation, Stephen can spend one Command Point, to give a Vae Soli order (free power) and therefore activate a second unit, possibly Isha-Akshay, immediately. In Hell Dorado, declaring what action your unit will take doesn’t lock the unit into performing that action no matter what. A player may change what action their unit will perform as long as they haven’t done anything with the unit that would only be possible by performing a certain action.
Example: Stephen has 2 Lost units. One of them is Saurav-Geet, who is engaged with an enemy unit. The other is Isha-Akshay. When his turn comes to act, he decides to activate Saurav-Geet and have him perform a Concentration action. He can then use his Exuvia power (an active power) if he survives an attack sequence as modified by the Concentration action, meaning -1 CBT and -1 DEF for Saurav-Geet.
Example: Alain says that his Lancer will Charge. He wishes to Charge Isaïa, who is slightly behind the Golem, and in contact with it. While moving, the Lancer enters the control area of only the Golem before coming into contact with Isaïa. Therefore, to perform a Charge action the Lancer should move into contact with
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Rules of the gamE the Golem. However, once the Lancer’s controller realizes that his unit has entered the Golem’s control area, and consequently won’ t be able to make it to Isaïa, he could decide to stop the Lancer in the control area of the Golem thereby performing a run action, or continue with the charge and engage the Golem.
Example: Alain has his Alchemist in contact with John’s Aidan Saint James. The Alchemist is also within the range of John’s Russian Trapper’s Trap Laying order. Alain decides that he will retreat with his Alchemist. After Alain declares that his Alchemist will retreat, John says that he will use the Trap Laying order on the alchemist at the beginning of the retreat. Alain can’ t then change his mind and perform some other action with the Alchemist, who finds himself knocked down at the feet of Aidan Saint James.
Making the declaration of what action a unit will perform mandatory helps maintain clear and open communication between players. By declaring what action a unit will perform, a player allows his opponent a clear time to react to that action or, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, point out why it is illegal for the unit to perform said action. You can’t just roll dice and then say “My Arquebuser just shot your Blessed Warrior” and think that it would be obvious that you are shooting without moving so as to gain the bonus from Trained Gunman. Similarly, one could move their figure across difficult terrain while still within their units MVT, and then continue on to run or charge with the unit hoping that their opponent won’t notice that they should pay 1 CMD point. By declaring what action the unit will perform situations such as these become much clearer to everyone at the table. Declaring what action will be performed allows your opponent to react to planned actions, possibly preventing them. If your opponent uses a power or ability in reaction to your declaration of what action a unit will perform, then you can’t withdraw your declaration
7
ovement All Movement distances are measured in fathoms. A moving unit doesn’t have to use all of its Movement potential, you can even choose not to move it at all. A moving unit doesn’t have to move in a straight line. A movinh unit can’t move across the base of another unit with its own base. Some terrain elements can block or hinder Movement.
Examples of minis entering enemy control areas A
Unit A decides to stop its movement. Unit B decides to engage the enemy unit. Unit C decides to engage enemy unit E. Unit D decides to engage enemy units F and G. C D B
E
F
G
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Rules of the gamE A C
B
If unit A wants to engage unit B, it must spend 1 Command Point. Engaging combat with C will cost nothing.
8
a miniature inside a control area decides to act Choose not to act. Perform an action that will allow it to engage its enemy as directly as possible (or one of them). Perform a Concentration, Focus, or Shoot action (no Movement when using a Shoot or Concentration action). Pay 1 Command Point at the beginning of its activation to be able to either move around inside the control area it is in without engaging the unit that exerts the area, or leave the control area. The unit will have to pay 1 Command Point for every control area it is in at the beginning of its activation to be able to move around freely or leave. This can only be done to leave control areas that the unit is in at the beginning of its activation. It cannot pay to move through a control area during its movement without stopping there. Spending Command Points in this way is not an Order. Control areas have no effect on a unit that moves during a Mêlée action. On the other hand, a unit that moves during a Retreat action is affected by control areas (except for the one it is Retreating from).
Control Area Effects Units in Hell Dorado have a control area of one fathom’s radius from their base. Control areas affect the movements of other units in the following way: A unit entering the control area of an enemy unit has only three choices. It can: Continue its movement so as to engage its enemy directly (by the most direct route, even if this means entering another unit’s control area). Approach its enemy as stated above, but stop moving before making contact. Stop moving immediately. It cannot continue its movement and leave the control area, or move around within the area unless it is to engage the enemy. If it decides to end its movement before making contact with the enemy, the two units are not engaged. If a unit simultaneously enters the control areas of several enemy units, it can: Stop its movement immediately. Pick one of the enemy units and engage it by moving to make contact by the most direct route (this may take it out of the control area of one or more of the other units). Move to simultaneously engage several enemy units.
ombat In this section, you will find a detailed description of all the possible combat situations, both close and ranged, that can occur during the Action Phases of a game. It is important to have a good grasp of all the following concepts to be able to make the most of playing Hell Dorado.
While engaged, a unit no longer exerts a control area. A unit that begins its activation within the control area of one (or more) enemy units can:
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Rules of the gamE B. Both
Friendly Fire In Hell Dorado, a player cannot attack allied units, be it in close or ranged combat.
xample: The enemy unit William’s Damned One of Wrath is fighting has a Defense of 3. William rolls his Combat dice and obtains 3, 4, 2, 6 and 4. He has scored 4 hits. He re-rolls the 2 and gets a result of 1. Even though he had 2 possible re-rolls, he cannot re-roll the 1, as any die can only be re-rolled once. In this case, he does not benefit from his second re-roll. William has scored 4 hits.
Close Combat An attack sequence in Hell Dorado represents a flurry of blows between engaged units. An engaged unit can fight all the units around it, for as long as it can resist their number. However, every time an attack sequence happens it can only involve two units at a time (an ally and an enemy), any other units in contact will only provide support to the main fighters. A player cannot choose to attack allied units (either from their own Company or controlled by an opposing player). A unit without a Combat stat cannot engage in combat, even if it receives CBT bonuses later on. Any attack sequence against this kind of unit will be one-sided.
Resolving
an
C. Both players apply the result of the attack rolls simultaneously
The players check the power table of the weapons they used to work out how much damage should be inflicted and/or any special effects that have been triggered. Once the damage has been applied then any changes of state or special effects triggered will occur. A player can always choose to reduce the number of hits inflicted by his own unit (this can, for example, allow him to trigger specific effects that may be a lot more helpful than what the full number of hits would do). The defender’s Protection score is then subtracted from the damage. The final result will be the number of Life Points the unit will lose. Damage is inflicted simultaneously to both units engaged in the attack sequence. The same is true for any change of state. Even if a unit dies, all the damage it caused is applied, and any special effects are triggered.
Attack Sequence
The same procedure is used whenever a close combat attack sequence is resolved.
A. Both
players work out how many dice they need to roll.
players roll their combat dice
Each of the dice that rolls a number equal to or greater than the opposing unit’s Defense stat scores a hit. Each of the dice that rolls a number lower than the unit’s Defense stat is a miss. A die that rolls a miss can be rolled again, once and only once, as a re-roll. This means that if a player has 3 possible re-rolls and only 2 misses, the third possible re-roll will not be usable, no matter what the result of the re-rolls are. Once all re-rolls are done, the players count the number of hits.
Combat
In close combat, both players roll a number of dice equal to the Combat of their unit that is involved. This number will of course be modified by any bonuses or penalties applied to a unit’s CBT. If a unit would roll a number of dice greater than 5, it will only roll 5 and any extras can be taken as re-rolls (see below). A unit cannot have more than 10 dice to roll (5 rolls and 5 possible re-rolls). If a unit gets over 10 dice, each die over 10 allows it to inflict one automatic damage point per extra die to its opponent Protection is ignored and these points are inflicted even if the unit doesn’t score a single hit with its attack roll.
Attack Sequences and Power Timing
xample: William has a Damned One of Wrath engaged in an attack sequence. The Damned One of Wrath has a CBT of 4 and has a total of 3 extra points added to its CBT (from orders, spells, etc...). William will therefore roll 5 dice and may re-roll up to 2 of them.
Once the attack sequence has begun, powers and passive or free abilities can no longer be used until the sequence is over. The most obvious exception to this rule is the Vae Victis order (p. 61).
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Rules of the gamE Specific Modifiers
Charge Concentration One-sided attack during Retreat One-sided attack during Focus Support Vae victis
-1 CBT for the active unit -1 CBT and -1 DEF for the active unit One-sided attack One-sided attack with -1 DEF for the active unit +1 CBT for each allied unit in contact +1 or +2 CBT depending on Command Points spent
Concentration
xample: Arnold’s missionary can inflict 4 damage with the 3 hits it rolled during the attack roll. However, Arnold chooses to reduce the number of hits inflicted to 2, so he can inflict Stunned and not deal any damage. The missionary’s enemy, a Damned One of Wrath, manages to score 5 hits and inflicts 10 damage, which, despite the missionary’s Protection score, kills him. The Damned One of Wrath will still suffer from the Stunned state, as the affects of the attack sequence are applied simultaneously.
D. The Grim Reaper
When a unit performs a Concentration action while engaged by a non-harmless unit, it takes part in an attack sequence at the beginning of its activation, but suffers -1 CBT and -1 DEF. If several non-harmless enemy units are engaging the unit, as normal, only one of them (chosen by their controlling player) will fight, the others will only provide a support bonus.
One-sided Attacks During Retreat
When a unit suffers a one-sided attack because of a Retreat action, a normal attack sequence is performed, but only the enemy unit gets an attack roll. If several enemy units are engaging the Retreating unit, only one of them (chosen by their controlling player) performs the attack, the others will only provide a support bonus.
claims his due
Units whose Life Points reach or go below 0 are dead with all that it entails. Units that still have 1 or more Life Points stay on the battlefield. Depending on the result of the attack sequence, a unit can become free or remain engaged.
One-sided Attack During Focus
When a unit suffers a one-sided attack because of a Focus action, a normal attack sequence is performed, but only the enemy unit gets an attack roll and the unit currently Focusing suffers -1 DEF. If several enemy units are engaging the Retreating unit, only one of them (chosen by their controlling player) performs the attack, the others will only provide a support bonus.
Special Situations Charge
When a unit takes part in one or many attack sequences while taking a Charge action, it suffers a -1 CBT penalty. Attack sequences made after the end of its activation are not affected.
Support
A unit gets +1 CBT for each allied unit engaging the enemy unit that they’re fighting. This is called a support bonus. A unit can provide a support bonus multiple times in one turn. A unit that can’t fight (no CBT, Immobilized, etc.) doesn’t provide any support.
One-sided Attacks
One-sided attack sequences work just like normal, except one of the units involved doesn’t roll dice as they can’t fight. All abilities and modifiers that affect normal attack sequences can affect one-sided attacks.
Attacking From Above
Weapon Damage Types
Any unit standing on ground at least half a fathom higher than its opponent gets +1 CBT. On the other hand, if the lower unit’s head is lower than the base of the higher unit, no contact – and therefore no close combat – can occur between the two.
Most of the weapons carried units in Hell Dorado cause a specific kind of damage, indicated on the stat cards. However, some weapons will list several types of damage. In this case, the type of damage inflicted is always chosen by the player controlling the unit. If a weapon doesn’ t indicate a type of damage then, it inflicts damage with no
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Rules of the gamE B
A
C
Unit A receives a support bonus of +1 CBT. Unit B receives a support bonus of +2 CBT. Unit C does not receive any support. .
9
multiple units and support
type. Note that the kind of damage inflicted by a weapon does not imply that any special rules should be applied unless otherwise stated. For example, the keywords Blunt, Slashing or Piercing are not associated with any special rules. They are only used as keywords when dealing with some specific effects.
ranged or close combat, its controller must state which weapon is being used for the current attack sequence before rolling attack dice. If the player fails to do so, the defender gets to choose which power table is used to inflict damage. Obviously, only close combat weapons can be used by an engaged unit and only ranged weapons can be used by a free unit.
Multiple Weapons
When a unit carries several weapons (with different power tables) that can be used during
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Ranged Combat As with close combat, ranged combat is resolved during the Action Phase. There is, however, one big difference between the two: during ranged combat, the targeted unit cannot respond to the attack.
Units and damage types
Shots
During the Action Phase, as with close combats, ranged attacks are resolved during the attacking unit’s activation. These ranged attacks are called shots. When a unit wishes to shoot, the ensuing steps are always the same.
A. Choosing
This Damned One of Wrath can cause both Piercing and Slashing damage. Depending on the type of resistance its opponent has, the type of damage will be the one that is more favorable for the attacker.
a
Target
Units wishing to perform a ranged attack must target the enemy unit that is nearest to them. There are, however, three exceptions to this: If the nearest possible target is in cover (see below) that gives it a Protection bonus equal to or greater than its natural Protection, the shooter can choose the next closest eligible target. If the next possible target has a similar amount of cover to the previous one (cover that provides Protection at least equal to the unit’s natural
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Rules of the gamE Protection score), then the next closest target will be examined and so on. If the nearest enemy unit is engaged, the shooter does not have to choose it as the target and can choose the next closest eligible target. An enemy unit that cannot be a target (because of an ability or an aura, etc.) never counts as the nearest enemy unit. Allied units cannot become targets, unless they can, somehow, temporarily be considered enemy units.
B. Cover
and
Line
of
Fire
You can consider that there is a clear Line of Fire between a shooter and its target if an imaginary straight line could be drawn between the center of the shooter’s base at head height and any part of the target (base, weapon, body of the figure...). Terrain elements naturally prevent a shooter from aiming at an enemy unit if there is no clear Line of Fire between the two, no matter how far the enemy unit is from the terrain element. On the other hand, in Hell Dorado, lines of fire are never blocked by other units (enemies or allies). It is treated as
Cover
Essential Stuff
Cover Bonus Targets Base Size (added to targets protection score) Regular 3 Large 2 Extra Large 1
11
A shot is an attack sequence, just like a hand-tohand attack. Therefore the normal rules for the timing of powers apply in the same.
aiming a shot at certain minis
D
E B C 10’’
11’’ 8’’
9’’
A
Unit A wishes to shoot. Usually, it would have to pick the nearest enemy unit, but... Unit B has a cover of 3, and its natural Protection score is 1. Unit C is engaged in close combat. Unit D also has some cover, although it is not better than the unit’s natural Protection score (cover of 1 and Protection of 3) Unit E is not under cover. Unit A can therefore pick units B, C or D as its target for this shot.
Rules of the gamE ber of dice may be modified by the unit ’s state or other modifiers. This works just like rolling to hit in a close combat attack sequence with the shooter gaining re-rolls if their SHS is above 5 etc... The only difference is that the target of the shot doesn’t get to retaliate.
though the warriors are not standing still on the battlefield. As one moves forward at a fast pace to intercept an enemy, another one will have the time to exchange blows with several enemies and a shooter can wait until its target is in view as other units move out of the way. If the target is partially covered by terrain elements (from the shooter’s point of view), it will receive additional Protection from the cover if at least 50% of the figure is concealed by the obstacle and if it is a fathom (or less) away from the obstacle. To work out if at least 50% of the figure is hidden from the shooter’s view, you can either lean over and see for yourself «what the mini can see,» or use a laser pointer. If a target does have cover, then it receives a bonus to its Protection depending on its size (a large warrior would naturally find it harder to hide than a smaller one would).
Each of the dice that rolls a number equal to or greater than the shot’s difficulty scores a hit.
E. The Shooter Applies the Results of the shot
The player checks the power table of the weapon that has just been used to work out how much damage to inflict and/or what special effects may have been triggered. Again this works just like the similar step from close combat attack sequences, except only the shooter will deal damage.
C. Measuring Distances
The distance between the shooter and its target is always measured from the edge of one base to the other. In Hell Dorado, there is no limit to the range of most throwing or ranged weapons. The weapons’ Range score is only an indication of how difficult the shot roll will be depending on the distance from the target as explained in the table on page 55.
F. The Reaper Claims His Due
Any unit whose Life Points are reduced to 0 or less are dead with all that it entails. All units who still have one or more Life Points left stay on the battlefield.
Shooting Into Close Combat
When a unit decides to perform a ranged attack on an enemy unit engaged in close combat, the shot takes place as normal (measuring distance, consideration of cover, etc.). The difficulty of the shot is the highest value between the Defense of the target, the Defense of all unit engaged by the target, and the difficulty imposed by the distance.
The difficulty used for the shot is equal to the distance difficulty or the target’s Defense, whichever is higher.
D. Gather & Roll Combat Dice
The shooting unit rolls a number of combat dice equal to its Shooting Skill (SHS). This num-
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Rules of the gamE The shooter has a clear Line of Fire to D but the element it is behind gives it a Protection bonus of 2 (the target has a Large base).
The shooter (A) has no possible Line of Fire to B, as part of the terrain is completely blocking any Line of Sight between the two units.
C
B D
F
A
E
The shooter has a clear Line of Fire to E and the scenery is hiding less than 50% of the figure. The shot therefore takes place as normal.
12
The shooter has a clear Line of Fire to C but the element it is behind gives it a Protection bonus of 3 (the unit has a Regular base) as less than 50% of the figure is visible.
The shooter has a clear Line of Fire to F and the scenery is over 1 fathom away from the figure. The shot therefore takes place as normal.
Line of Fire and Protection
Range and Difficulty of Shots Distance Between Shooter and Target Range Distance Difficulty No greater than the weapon’s Range Point Blank 3 Greater than the weapon’s Range but no greater than Range X 2 Short 4 Greater than Range X 2 but no greater than Range X 3 Medium 5 Greater than Range X 3 Long 6
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Rules of the gamE partially on an imaginary line drawn between the center of the shooter’s base and that of their target, as well as all units engaged by any unit on that line. Of course, if the shooter and/or its target are on a higher level than the units between them, the Line of Fire is not blocked and the shot can take place as normal.
While resolving the attack (once all re-rolls are done), if the result is at least one hit, then the number of odd and even dice scores are compared (compare all the dice, those that provided hits and those that didn’t). If there are more odd scores than even ones, the shot hits another of the units engaged in the close combat, chosen randomly (give each of them a number and roll a die, or mix up their stat cards and pick one...). The damage is then inflicted as normal, based on the number of hits scored (in this case it is impossible to choose to reduce the number of hits).
Explosions
A shooter who carries a weapon which produces explosions aims it at a point on the battlefield. It can be a place where a unit is standing, or any other spot on the ground. Important note: the unit does not have to aim at the closest enemy unit. The unit will require a free Line of Fire to the spot it wishes to target. As a default, explosions will affect a circular area with a 3 fathom radius, centered on the targeted spot. The shooter then performs a normal ranged attack based on the distance difficulty (Defense stats are not taken into account here). If the shooter scores at least one hit, then the shot successfully hits the targeted spot. If the shooter doesn’t score a single hit, then the shot misses and inflicts no damage (as if the weapon had misfired or the shot had missed completely and hit some deserted bit of terrain...). If the shot hits, the explosion template is placed on the battlefield with its center on the targeted spot. All units that are touched (allies or enemies) by the template will be affected by the explosion, even if only a tiny part of the miniature or its base is inside the area of effect.
xample: Ileana is playing her Berber Chasseur, who is firing at an enemy Blade for Hire that is engaged in close combat with two of her units. Her two units have Defenses of 3 and 5, the target’s Defense is 4 and the shot is at short range (distance difficulty of 4). This means that the shot’s difficulty will be 5 (the highest of the previous values). Ileana rolls 3 dice for her shooter. The results are 5, 6 and 3. She gets 2 hits, but as there are more odd results than even ones, the shot will hit one of the other engaged units (meaning one of hers) picked randomly. If the shooter picks a target that is behind an ongoing close combat, the same rules apply. However, the unfortunate victim is chosen from amongst all of the units whose bases are at least
13
Distance and difficulty All the shooters in this example are using arquebuses (range of 8). The Defense score of all targets is 4. Shooter A’s target B is 19 fathoms away from him. The difficulty of the shot roll will therefore be 5 (4 DEF score and a 5 distance difficulty). Shooter C’s target D is 5 fathoms away from him. The difficulty will therefore be 4 (4 DEF score and a 3 distance difficulty).
B A C
D
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Rules of thegamE Ranged weapons with explosive ammunition have two stats: a difficulty and a power. They are always displayed in the following way: Explosion (Type of Damage, if necessary • X/Y). Here, X is the difficulty and Y is the power. In some cases, these two damage stats will be replaced by a specific state. In this case, any unit even partially inside the effect area will automatically be affected by the aforementioned state. The shooter rolls 5d6 against each unit inside the area of effect of an explosion. Each of the dice that rolls greater than or equal to the explosion’s difficulty, scores a hit. Each hit inflicts a number of damage equal to the explosion’s power. The damage for each hit is added up, and then the unit’s Protection is subtracted from the total to figure the number of Life Points the unit will actually lose. The shooter can’t choose to reduce the number of hits scored when using an explosive weapon. There are no bonuses to PR due to cover for units inside an explosion. The Vae Victis order cannot be used during explosion damage rolls, although it can be used during the roll that determines if the shot hits its target or not.
Full Cover During an explosion or an impact blast (but not during a cloud-type blast), if a unit is totally under cover (none of the miniature is visible) from the point of origin of the attack (center of the explosion, tip of the blast cone), then it can’t be hit by the attack.
the template. Using a blast weapon does not require a shooting roll. Blast weapons have four stats: type of damage, type of blast (cloud or impact), difficulty and power. They are always displayed in the same way: «[blast type] Blast (Type of Damage • X/Y)». In this example X is the difficulty and Y is the power. In some cases, these two stats will be replaced by a state. In this case, all units even partially touched by the template will automatically be affected by the aforementioned state. Vae Victis can’t be used during a shot using a blast weapon. The shooter can’t choose to reduce the number of hits scored when using a blast weapon.
xample: One of Stephen’s Sling Maidens shoots with an «Exploding Maggot, Explosion (3/1)» weapon at a point that allows him to touch two enemy units, but also one of his own units, with the area of effect. The targeted spot is at long range. Stephen rolls 2 dice for his shot: he scores a 2 and 6. This single 6 means that the shot has hit its target. For each of the three units inside the area of effect, Stephen then rolls 5d6 against a difficulty of 3, as he would with a normal shot. Each hit inflicts 1 damage. The Protection of each unit is then subtracted from the total number of damage it suffered to determine how many Life Points it will lose.
Cloud Blast Weapons The shooter rolls 5d6 against each unit touched by the template of a cloud blast effect weapon. Each die that rolls equal to or greater than the blast’s difficulty scores a hit. Each hit inflicts an amount of damage equal to the blast’s power. The damage for all the hits scored is totaled, the unit’s PR is subtracted, and the remainder is the number of Life Points the unit will actually lose. There are no PR bonuses due to cover for units inside a cloud blast weapon’s area of effect. Cloud blast weapons usually utilize substances like flames or burning gases. You may note that this type of weapon works like an explosion, except with a different shaped template that must touch the unit that is shooting.
Blast Weapons
xample: A monstrous creature projecting a cloud of acid across the battlefield has an attack «Cloud Blast (Acid • 5/2)». Each die rolled by the creature that scores a 5 or higher will cause 2 damage.
Before we begin, it is important to differentiate the two kinds of blast weapons: cloud blasts and ammunition blasts. Whatever the type of blast, the attack is resolved in the same way. The shooter places the blast template, the triangle 6 fathoms long and 2 fathoms wide at the base, where he wants on the battlefield, the only condition affecting the placement of the template is that the tip of the cone must be in contact with the shooters base. The shooter doesn’t have to «aim» at any specific enemy unit. Every unit (ally or enemy) touched by the template will be affected by the blast, even if only a tiny part of their base is touched by
Legal Target
57
An enemy unit able to be legally hit by (in regards to special effects) an attack sequence, a shot, an explosion or a blast attack is called a legal target. An allied unit is never a legal target on its own for purposes of a blast attack or an explosion. Thus, you cannot place a blast or explosion template over enemy units who are not legal targets (due to the use of Discretion, for example) even if an ally is caught in the template.
Rules of the gamE case of an impact blast, the effects of the blast are first applied to the original unit, then to its opponent before moving on to other potential victims.
Impact Blast Weapons An impact blast works exactly like a cloud blast except for a few key exceptions. The first target that the blast will be resolved against is the one closest to the shooter. When rolling to determine how many hits are scored the shooter rolls their SHS +5 dice. After the shot has been resolved against the first target you continue on to the next closest target touched by the template, and the shooter rolls a number of dice equal to the number of misses that where rolled against the first target. Continue in this fashion until there are either no units left in the area of effect to roll against or there are no dice left to roll. Being able to claim cover will work as normal and provide a PR bonus versus an impact blast. If two or more units are at an equal distance from the shooter, determine the order that they will be rolled against randomly. Impact blast weapons usually fire clusters of ammunition Ex a blunderbuss, or cannon loaded with lead shot, etc ... Explosions, Blasts and Close Combat When resolving an explosion or a blast attack hitting a unit currently engaging at least one enemy who is not in the area of effect of the blast or of the explosion, the active player rolls a d6. On an even result, only the unit in the area of effect is hit. On an odd result, one of the units it is engaged by, and not in the area of effect, will be hit as well. Which enemy is hit will be randomly determined between all units engaged by initial target. In the
14
ommand and Orders Command and Orders are important notions in Hell Dorado. These are the factors that will probably make the biggest difference between two Companies. Managing Command Points is particularly important to victory on the battlefield.
Command The notion of Command is essential to games of Hell Dorado. Each player has a certain number of Command Points that will be used to “pay” for the orders that some units can use. You can use cardboard tokens, glass beads, or some other easily understood book keeping device to keep track of how many Command Points each player has left in their Command Pool. At the beginning of the game, all players work out the number of Command Points they will start with. This is done by totaling the Command of all the units on the battlefield in each Company. A Company’s total CMD is different than the number of Command Points the Company currently has. We will refer to the current number of Command Points a Company has as that Companies Command Pool.
Impact Blasts
Grenadier A, carrying a blunderbuss «Impact Blast (Piercing • 4/2)» shoots at a group of 3 units. Its Shooting Skill is 2. It therefore rolls 7 dice against unit B and scores 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5 and 6. This means that it hits unit B 4 times, and therefore inflicts 8 damage, before unit B’s PR is applied. The Grenadier then rolls 3 dice (the dice that missed during the previous roll) against unit C. The shooter rolls a 4, 6, and 6, for three hits, which deals 6 damage, again before unit C’s PR is subtracted. Unit D therefore suffers no damage, even though it is inside the blast effect area, as there are no dice left to roll against it.
B C A
58
D
Rules of the gamE manent expenditures, it is very possible for a Company to reach a total CMD of 0 during the game.
The total CMD of the Company will only be changed by permanent loss of Command Points, either due to units being killed, or the cost of abilities. The Command Pool keeps track of how many Command Points a player has available to them at a given time, so permanent losses or costs will both be taken from the Command Pool. At the beginning of each turn, during the Upkeep Phase, the Command Pool of each Company refreshes so that each Company has a number of Command Points equal to their total Command.
xample: Arnold is playing a Westerner Company and has 7 total CMD at the beginning of the game (4 points for the Frank-Captain, +1 for the Swashbuckler, +1 for the Missionary, +1 for the Sergeant). During the first turn of the game, he decides to spend 3 CMD Points to use a few orders: he has 4 CMD Points left in his CMD Pool, even though his Companies total CMD remains 7.
So therefore: When a player spends CMD to pay to pay a cost, they remove CMD Points from their CMD Pool. When a player spends permanent CMD Points, they are removed from the total CMD of the Company - as well as from the CMD Pool. When a unit with a CMD stat is killed, a number of CMD Points are removed from the total CMD of the Company and the CMD Pool equal to the CMD of the killed unit. Obviously, if there are less CMD Points in the Company’s CMD Pool than the CMD of the killed unit then all points in the pool are removed.
During the Upkeep Phase of the following turn, Arnold’s CMD Pool refreshes so that he has 7 CMD Points in it once again, due to his Company’s total CMD being 7. During this turn, Arnold spends 4 CMD Points and 2 permanent CMD Points to use a few different orders: at this point, he only has 1 CMD Point left in his CMD Pool, and the total CMD of his Company is now 5 (7 – 2 permanent CMD points). Before the turn is over, Arnold loses his Officer who had a CMD of 4. He immediately subtracts 4 from his Companies total CMD, which is reduced to 1 (5 – 4), and
It is, of course, impossible to use an order if the player doesn’t have enough CMD Points in their CMD Pool to pay for it. Depending on unit losses and per-
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Rules of the gamE A temporary aura will appear as follows: Temporary * Trigger * Area of Effect * Subtype (lingering or instant) * Keywords (immunity, unique, etc …).
Special Effects and Timing
A permanent aura will appear as follows: Permanent * Area of Effect * Keywords (immunity, unique, etc …). The area of effect is the radius of the circular area around the unit that has the aura that it will effect. There are two types of aura, permanent and temporary, their precise nature is outlined in their full description in the upcoming aura section. Auras can be associated with a few keywords. These are explained in more detail in the following aura section.
Before we go any further, we’ll repeat the golden rules here: If a game effect contradicts a game rule, the effect always takes precedence over the game rule. When two effects clash because of their timing, and can’t be resolved by having them happen simultaneously, the effect of the active unit will apply before that of its opponent, possibly cancelling out the use of the latter. When a unit is named in the description of a permanent aura is on its card, or if that aura is inclusive or not, then these traits reference that particular unit and not others with the same name. Ex: While Tsilla’s Aura of Conscience doesn’t affect her, it will affect other Tsilla’s on the battlefield the same as any other unit. However, if the originating unit is named in the italicized resume line that begins a permanent aura, that aura will affect other copies of the originating unit in the same way that it affects the originating unit. Ex: Jinx is immune to the Aneurysm Aura, of any other Jinx present on the board, because it is treated in the same way, as the originating Jinx, who is immune.
xemple : Aura of Inspiration Temporary • Active • 4 fathom radius • Lingering • Muslims Muslim units gain +1 CBT. This ability is an aura. It lasts until the end of the turn (temporary). To use it, a Concentration action is required (active trigger). It affects all Muslim (keyword) units within a range of 4 fathoms from the unit’s base (area of effect). Auras have another trait (the type: lingering or instant): we will go into this in more detail on page 62. Using this aura doesn’t cost any Command Points (no cost indicated).
A power or ability of any kind will be described using a few common terms: • Duration: A Permanent power is always on, a player cannot voluntarily choose to stop it. Temporary powers are, by default, only active until the end of the current turn. Once used, players can’t voluntarily choose to stop the effect before the end of its duration. When a duration of X is indicated for a temporary power, the current turn is always considered to be the first turn of the X value. Thus, an effect with a duration of 1 will end at the end of the current turn, an effect with a duration of 2 will last through the current turn and end at the end of the next turn, etc. Normally, only auras have a duration. • Trigger: exhausting, active, passive or free (sorted by decreasing complexity). • An exhausting power requires the unit to perform a Focus action to be used. • An active power requires the unit to perform a Concentration action to be used. • A passive power can be used at any time during the unit’s activation, no matter what action it chooses to perform. This does not trigger any reaction from its enemies, whether the unit is free or engaged. This type of power can’t be used during an attack sequence, but it can be used just before or after the attack sequence. • A free power can be used at any point during the Action Phase (during an opponent’s activation, during an allied unit’s activation or its own, or even between two activations), whether the unit in question has already been activated or not. This type of power can’t be used during an attack sequence, but it can be used just before or after the attack sequence. If none of these four triggers are indicated for a permanent power, then it is always in effect. If none of these four triggers are indicated for a temporary power, then it will be triggered as indicated in its full description.
An order will appear as follows: Trigger * Cost (permanent or not) * Unstoppable (or not) * Reaction (or not) * Unique (or not) Only orders with a trigger can be unstoppable. The effects of unstoppable orders will affect units that normally cannot be affected by or receive orders. Ex: a maverick or stunned unit will be affected by an unstoppable order. Any power with the keyword Unique can only be used once per game. An order that is a reaction will outline a specific situation that it can be used in reaction to. Once that situation has come about, the order that is a reaction can normally be used at the end of the activation. The cost indicates the number of Command Points that must be spent to use the order. In some cases the points will be spent permanently (p. 59). Any CMD spent as part of the affect of an order are also part of the cost to use the order. xample : The Lord Guides My Hand Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique The Swashbuckler gets +1 MVT, +2 SHS, +2 CBT and +2 FTH until the end of the game. This ability is an order. It has a permanent effect (see description). To use it, a Concentration action is required (active trigger). It only affects the Swashbuckler. This order can only be used once during the game («Unique» keyword) and it costs 2 permanent Command Points (as stated in its cost).
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Rules of the gamE Frequent Use of Vae Victis and Vae Soli
from his CMD Pool, which is reduced to 0 (1 – 4, with a minimum of 0). During the following Upkeep Phase, Arnold will only get 1 CMD Point in his CMD Pool, as his Companies total CMD has been greatly reduced.
After your first few games of Hell Dorado, using these two orders will become second nature. However, don’t forget that your Officer is the one who allows you to use them and that if they die, you won’t be able to use them anymore. Also, don’t forget that if an Officer is Stunned or Knocked Down (for example) you temporarily won’t be able to use these abilities anymore either.
If, for some reason, a unit enters the game after the first turn, its Command is added to the total Command of its Company during the Upkeep Phase of the following turn, before CMD Pools refresh. If a unit leaves the battlefield during a game, its Command will be subtracted from the total Command of the Company, and the Company’s CMD Pool, exactly as if it had been eliminated. Some units may contribute either Light or Dark Command. These function in the same way as any normal CMD Points; however some abilities can only be payed for with either Light or Dark CMD or will do certain things depending on the relative amounts of Light and Dark Command. A unit that contributes only Light or Dark Command will have either a white or black dot next to their CMD on their card to denote which they contribute. If you are playing a Faction that has abilities where the amount of Light and Dark Command matter, then any unit in your Company that doesn’t have one of these dots on their card can contribute any combination of Light and Dark Command that you like, though you must decide this and notify your opponent of it at the beginning of the game and this will not change throughout the game.
tical potential. Normally, orders cost Command Points to use. Using an order is called «giving an order». Being affected by an order from a friendly unit is called «receiving an order». An order is received when it is given. An unstoppable order is never received. Therefore, it will still affect units that can’t receive orders. A “legal target of an order” is any unit or game element (terrain, CMD Pool, etc… ) that can be affected by the order. An order with a trigger can’t be given without a legal target. Orders follow the same general rules as effects (see Special Effects and Timing on page 60). Orders with the keyword «Unique» can only be used once in each game. There are two special orders that all Officers – and only Officers – can use: these are Vae Victis and Vae Soli.
Orders Some units in Hell Dorado can use orders. These effects often allow the unit to break some of the basic rules of the game, and they therefore have great tac-
Vae
victis
Free • 1 or2 CMD As long as a Company has at least one unit able to use this order on the battlefield, the player who controls it can give one of their units a +1 CBT or SHS bonus for 1 CMD Point, or +2 CBT or SHS for 2 CMD Points. This order should be used when the number of dice is being calculated for the combat or shot roll. The bonus only lasts for the current attack sequence or shot. This order is an exception to the rule that states that free triggered powers cannot be used during an attack sequence. This order cannot be used during a shot with a blast effect weapon or when rolling for damage after using an explosive weapon. As this order has a free type trigger, it can be used several times during any one Action Phase even when an enemy unit is resolving an action. Even if several units have the ability to use this order within a Company, it is not possible to spend more than
Orders Without Triggers Using an order without a trigger (exhausting, active, passive, or free) is not «giving an order» or «receiving an order.» Example: Samael and one of his Succubi have been Stunned (incapable of giving or receiving orders) by enemy units. If Samael dies, he can still use his Ultimate Sacrifice order and the Succubus can benefit from it.
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Rules of the gamE • Inclusive: auras with the inclusive keyword do affect the unit that originates them. • Cumulative: auras with the cumulative keyword do stack with other identically named auras.
2 Command points and so obtain a CBT or SHS bonus higher than 2 for any one shot or attack sequence.
Vae
soli
Free • 1 CMD As long as a Company has at least one unit able to use this order on the battlefield, the player who controls it can spend 1 CMD Point immediately after one of their units has finished its activation to activate a second unit immediately. This order can’t be used to allow a player activate more than two units in a row.
Lemures and Spells Some of the units in Hell Dorado have learned how to capture and train some of the small creatures that live in Hell like rodents on Earth for use as vessels for the magical powers that seep through the infernal planes. These units are called Infernalists. These people know what to feed the strange little creatures so they can obtain surprising – and sometimes explosive – effects... On the battlefield, lemures are represented by their own special miniatures. Also, like all other units, lemures have their own stat cards. However, they do follow some special rules.
agic There are two ways of using magic in Hell Dorado: the first is by using magical auras, the second is by capturing small demonic creatures and feeding them magical ingredients and using them as power containers.
Entering
Auras
the
Battlefield
When they are captured, lemures are tiny creatures, only an inch or two high, like a kind of demonic grub. Infernalists feed them various things (gold coins, herbs, potions, rocks...) to get the desired effects from them. As soon as the lemure has eaten all of the required ingredients for a specific spell, it grows incredibly fast, growing from a grub of less than 4 inches to a fully grown specimen of 1.5 to 3 feet tall in a few seconds. Unless stated otherwise, an Infernalist can choose to invoke any lemure to cast a spell (as long, of course, as the corresponding miniature and its base are available and painted). A lemure that has been destroyed (either because it was killed or because its power was triggered) is available again immediately.
Some units are able to use magical auras. These auras obey the rules of special effects (see Special Effects and Timing on page 60). A unit with at least one aura is called a Mentalist. Many auras are linked to the units’ religions: if so they represent the powers of Faith. As we discussed earlier there are two types of auras: permanent and temporary. There are two sub-types of temporary aura, lingering and instant auras: • A lingering temporary aura will only affect the units that are inside its area of effect and no longer affects units once they leave that area. The effects of a lingering aura end if the unit that produced it dies (but not if its state changes), or at the end of a turn if the unit is still alive. As usual the effects of two identical auras can’t be applied jointly to any one unit (the effects of identical auras don’t stack). Permanent auras work in this way as well, except that they are permanently in effect. • An instant temporary aura will only affects the units inside its effect area at the time it is triggered. The effects of an instant aura end at the end of the current turn, even if the unit who triggered it is killed before that. By default permanent auras do not affect the unit that originates them and their effects don’t stack with auras of the same name. There are a few keywords that apply only to permanent auras. They are inclusive and cumulative:
My Lemures are Your Lemures The rule in Hell Dorado is that all players should bring their own miniatures for the lemures they plan to use during the game. However, during friendly games, if both players agree, the lemure miniatures can be put to one side all together and shared by the players. This way, the players can dip into the lemure pool every time they require one of these strange little creatures for one of their Infernalists.
62
Rules of the gamE then break contact with a unit during the same activation (even in regards to two different enemy units).
Madagascar ?
AND a lemure may also release the spell that it is associated with. So, during its activation, the lemure can move up to a number of fathoms equal to its MVT and may also release the spell that is associated with it. A lemure never “Runs”: it always moves, at most, the number of fathoms indicated by its Movement stat. Lemure’s ignore control area effects. Only lemures with the Strider ability can enter or end their turn in Difficult terrain. As long as a lemure has not been activated twice during an Action Phase, it will count toward the number of waiting units when working out inferiority of numbers (p. 45).
A lemure (rhymes with secure) is not a lemur (rhymes with steamer). Lemures are drooling demonic creatures that live in Hell. Lemurs are cute little furry, wide-eyed, monkey-like mammals that live on the island of Madagascar. They do not explode. Does this make things clear?
Invoking a lemure is an exhausting power that requires a Focus action. Once this has been done, the miniature of the chosen lemure is placed on the battlefield in contact with the Infernalist’s base, though it can’t be placed in contact with an enemy unit. A lemure cannot be activated during the turn that it was invoked. Every time a lemure is invoked, its owner must clearly tell their opponent which of the invoking Infernalist’s spells will be associated with it (only one spell can be associated with each invoked lemure). The specific spell associated with each lemure might even be indicated by some kind of marker. If an Infernalist can invoke several lemures, it can associate the same spell with any number of them, casting the same spell multiple times if you wish.
Special Abilities
of
Lemures
Normally lemures will have the following special abilities: Harmless, Elusive, Insignificant, Maverick and Invulnerable. The Elusive ability of a Lemure can never be nullified and only protects a Lemure from an attack of opportunity. The Effects of Spells Any spell that can be associated with a lemure is linked to the Infernalist and all of the details of what the spell does will be outlined on the invoker’s stat card. There are two keywords that are specific to spells: • Vanished: This means the lemure associated with the spell will be destroyed when it releases the spell. • Residual: This means the lemure associated with the spell will not be destroyed when it releases the spell. Normally residual spells will have ongoing effects that affect an area around the lemure.
Activating Lemures
Unlike other units, lemures are activated twice per Action Phase. If a player controls a lemure that has not been activated at all and his opponent has no units left to activate, the lemure can only be activated once. It is therefore important to remember which lemures have already been activated. This can be done by placing tokens beside the miniature or the stat card. The stat card can also be turned 90 degrees after the first activation and turned over after the second as a means of easy book keeping. Lemures can only perform their own specific actions during their activation. Although it resembles a Walk action, it is still a specific lemure action and also allows them to trigger their magical power. A lemure may always perform this action regardless of control area restrictions.
Limited Numbers of Lemures Each Infernalist can only control a certain number of lemures at any one time.
Movement Special Abilities and Their Effect on Lemures A lemure with the Strider ability can enter and/or end its activation in Difficult terrain. A lemure with Burrower, Intangible or Levitation abilities will be able to pass through Difficult terrain, but it will not be able to end its move there unless it also has the Strider ability. A lemure is not affected by the Attraction ability.
When performing an action a lemure can: Move, at most, the number of fathoms indicated in its Movement stat. It can engage an enemy unit, but this will not trigger a combat sequence. It can also break contact with an enemy without triggering an attack sequence or a one-sided attack, but it cannot make and
63
Rules of the gamE Bonuses, Penalites, Stacking
and
Resolution
The stats of a unit can potentially be modified by many different things. It is important to note that DEF can’t be reduced below 1 (which of course means any die rolled against the unit’s DEF will automatically score a hit), and any other stat can’t be reduced below zero. Additionally a unit’s DEF can’t normally be greater than 5. It is also very important to note that these minimums and maximums are checked after a bonus or penalty has been applied. Penalties are applied, then maximums and minimums are checked. After that, bonuses are applied and once again, maximums and minimums are checked. If a stat is above or below the maximums or minimums, then it will be raised or lowered accordingly. Whenever a unit receives a bonus or penalty, then the total calculation must be redone. xample: An Arquebuser, 3 CBT, has been affected by a few different powers which in total have given him +1 CBT and -4 CBT. Since penalties are applied, and then bonuses, the Arquebuser ends up with a CBT of 1. Later on the same Arqubuser is affected by another power, this time granting +1 CBT. The calculation is done again, 3 CBT -4 +1 +1, resulting in a CBT of 2. When the name of a state is followed by an X, this variable usually represents the number of turns during which the state will be applied to a unit. To keep things simple, if the name of the state is not followed by a value, and it is supposed to have a duration, X will be equal to 1.
What’s more, the ingredients that Infernalists carry to feed the lemures will only allow them to invoke a certain number each game of Hell Dorado. These two limits are indicated on the stat cards in the X/Y format. These two numbers are the maximum number of lemures that the unit can control simultaneously (X) and the total number of lemures that the unit can invoke throughout the game (Y). Finally, when Infernalists are killed or eliminated, all the lemures that they invoked and that are still on the battlefield disappear immediately without releasing their associated spells.
Accelerated X
+2 MVT • Activation by reaction The unit’s reaction speed and movement speed are increased for some reason. An Accelerated unit can be activated immediately after the activation of another unit from the same Company. This activation does not require the expenditure of an additional Command point. Vae Soli and Accelerated can’t be used in concert to allow three units from the same Company to be activated in a row.
tates
Berserk
x
Immediately cancels the effects of Wounded and Immobilized states • No orders • Immediately after having killed an enemy unit, roll 1d6: on a score of 1 to 3 the Berserk unit stops all actions; on a roll of 4 to 6, it must immediately move 2 fathoms towards the closest unit. If it manages to engage the closest unit, an attack sequence takes place immediately. If several units are at equal distance from the Berserk unit, choose the target randomly. The warrior becomes a madman, thirsty for blood and violence. He no longer feels the effects of fatigue and wounds, and although he has become a lethal danger for his enemies, he is also now a considerable risk for his allies.
A unit can be affected by a wide variety of states during a game of Hell Dorado. You will find a detailed description of these states in this section. A unit whose state prevents it from giving any orders is also prevented from using its free orders. Some states have a duration, while others will affect the unit for the rest of the game, or until some specific event happens. Each state has a description of how long, and under what conditions it will continue.
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Rules of the gamE When a Berserk unit hits one of his comrades, its controller’s opponent is the one to decide whether or not to reduce the number of hits, but the unit’s controller is the one to roll the dice. A Berserk unit never benefits from support when it attacks one of its allies. The unit cannot give or receive orders.
xample: A Swashbuckler is hit by a 1/5 fire-type Consumed effect which will cause 1 damage point for the next 5 Upkeep Phases. He has already suffered damage during an Upkeep Phase, so he will be suffering Consumed 1/4 at this point. He then gets hit by a new Consumed state, but this time it’s a 2/3 (2 damage for 3 Upkeep Phases). His fire Consumed status is upgraded 2/4, taking the highest for each value. Therefore, he will suffer 2 damage during each of the next 4 Upkeep Phases.
Stacking State Changes
Controlled
When a unit is affected multiple times by the same state, the greater value of the two effects is the one that remains.
xample: a Stunned 1 unit, suffering another Stunned 1 state in the same turn will still only be Stunned 1. It’s not added together.
Direct Stat Modification
Brave X
+1 MVT • +1 SHS • +1 CBT • +1 FTH This state indicates a certain level of euphoria felt by the affected unit, it will be more efficient in combat and its mental state will also be affected.
Consumed (Type Not • X/Y)
x
A unit to whom this state is applied becomes Controlled by its controllers opponent for the next X activations • No orders • Limited actions When this state is applied to a unit, it becomes Controlled by a different player from the one who controlled it originally. It becomes an enemy unit if the player who gains its control is an opponent of its original controller.
State changes that affect a unit can only be cumulative when they are different.
of
Effect • Durable
When a power directly changes the value of a statistic, not by adding or subtracting from it but by saying “This statistic is X”, then that type of modification will be applied after the process relating to bonuses and penalties outlined above has been resolved. When two different direct modifications of a statistic are in effect, then it will be the last one that was applied by the active unit that takes precedence.
or
The affected unit loses X Life Points for the next Y Upkeep Phases • By performing Focus action, the unit can remove all non-durable Consumed states on it. This state is applied to a unit that has caught fire, been doused with acid, or any other type of ongoing harm. When the state is triggered (usually due to a hit, a shot, or on entering a specific area), the unit is immediately affected. While affected, it will suffer X damage, ignoring PR, during each of the next Y Upkeep Phases. It is possible to remove this state before the end of its duration, by “Stopping, Dropping, and Rolling”. To do so, the unit must perform a Focus action. If it does so, all Consumed states it is currently suffering from are immediately removed, even if they are of different types. However, if the state has the keyword «durable», then it can’t be removed in this fashion. Different types of Consumed states can be inflicted concurrently. When a unit is affected by two Consumed effects of the same type, values X and Y are modified to take on the highest available value for each.
xample 1: A Hashishin under the effect of Fanatic and Stunned is engaged by a Traveller perfoming an attack action. The Hashishin had a DEF of 5 (5 – 1 for Stunned = 4 + 1 for Fanatic = 5). The Voyageuse’s Judgment of God order directly modifies the DEF value of the Hashishin for the attack Sequence to 4. xample 2: Tarik has just engaged a Succubus, who has already activated her Shield of Lust (DEF 6 against males), using an attack action. Tarik uses his Critical Hit order. As Tarik is the active unit, it’s the modification caused by his order (DEF 3) which will now be applied to the Succubus.
65
Rules of the gamE Complicated stuff: Consumed over an area of effect.
be avoided as much as possible anyway. If you’re unit is «just passing through» the area, it’s easy: you just apply the usual rule (apply highest X and Y values). But if, for some reason, a unit already suffering a Consumed state decides not only to stray into the Consumed area but also to stay there, what happens? In this case, the duration of the original Consumed state the unit was suffering when they entered the area is noted for later and is not reduced as long as the unit is in the area. Instead, it will be hit by the higher of the two damages (between the original Consumed and the area’s Consumed) during each Upkeep Phase until it leaves the area. As soon as the unit leaves, the usual rules apply, the highest of both X and Y values will remain.
When a Consumed state is inflicted on units that enter a certain area, things start to get complicated. These rules are to represent a burning building or some similar situation. To begin with, the time duration is no longer applied to the Consumed state for as long as the unit remains in the area. The damage will simply be suffered during each Upkeep Phase the unit is present in the area. As long as the unit is inside the effect area, it can’t try to remove the Consumed state. If it moves out of the area, or if the area no longer causes the Consumed state for some reason, the usual rules for Consumed rules are applied again, as stated above.
xample: Let’s suppose that a friend sends a unit with a Consumed 2/3 effect into a Consumed 1/5 effect area of the same type. During the next Upkeep Phase it will suffer 2 damage (greater value of X). However, none of the 3 remaining duration will be removed. During the unit’s next activation it leaves the area. Its Consumed state then changes to Consumed 2/5 (using the greater values of X and Y). Therefore, the unit will suffer 2 damage during each of the next 5 Upkeep Phases (it ends up with an extra 2 duration; what a present!).
xample: A damned one is in an area that causes «Consumed 2/5». During each Upkeep Phase, the damned one will take 2 damage, ignoring PR. If it leaves the area, the damned one will be affected by Consumed 2/5. Simple, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there are still a few situations to clarify. The first one is the rule to apply if a unit enters such an area and leaves it in the same move. In this case, the unit is affected by the Consumed state that was affecting the area. The second situation is about what happens when a unit with an existing Consumed state enters a Consumed area of the same type. Well, let’s be honest, this case should
up to X dice that scored hits. Please note that this state can force a player to re-roll dice that may have already been re-rolled. This state lasts for Y turns.
The player who gains control of the unit will control it for the next X activations (using it as if it was his own unit during the Action Phase). The Controlled unit will remain waiting or already activated the change in control will no change this. A Controlled unit can only perform the following actions: Walk, Run, Attack, Charge, Melee, Shoot or Retreat when activated. A Controlled unit cannot give or receive orders, use its non-permanent auras or invoke lemures. Lemures already invoked by the Controlled unit are destroyed without releasing the spell that was associated with them when the unit becomes controlled. A Controlled unit is not an ally of its new controller’s Company, while Controlled it is not an ally of its original Company either, though it will still contribute to its original Companies total CMD. If it is killed while Controlled it is its original controller loses total CMD and CMD Pool equal to the CMD of the unit as normal.
Devoured
This only affects units with a base of smaller or equal size to that of the attacker • Eliminated • No actions • No orders • No attacks (close or ranged) When hit by this state, a unit with less than 10 Life Points (as its starting stat) is always Devoured. A unit with more than 10 Life Points (again as its starting stat) must roll a score equal to or less than its current DEF on a d6 to avoid being Devoured. For as long as the unit remains Devoured and alive, it will suffer 3 damage, ignoring PR, during each Upkeep Phase. If the unit that has Devoured a victim is killed, the Devoured unit reappears and will be played as though it had already been activated this turn. A unit can’t Devour more than one enemy unit at a time. It must wait till its first victim is killed before Devouring another. While a unit is Devoured, it is eliminated (it cannot give or receive orders, any
Cursed X/Y
Once the Cursed unit has finished all of their possible re-rolls in an attack sequence, they are forced to re-roll
66
Rules of the gamE Command Points are deducted from its Company’s total CMD, etc.). If it is freed, it re-enters the game as usual.
Immobilized X
-3 DEF • No actions • No orders • No attacks (close or ranged) • No control area An Immobilized unit cannot do anything during its activation. It can’t respond to an attack in close combat, so all attack sequences against it are one-sided, and it will be an easy target for ranged attackers. It is incapable of performing actions and giving or receiving orders. An Immobilized unit has no control area. An Immobilized unit must be activated X times before this state ends. An Immobilized unit, obviously, can’t support allied units in close combat. Each time an Immobilized unit is activated, one enemy (chosen by the player controlling them) engaging it gets to perform a onesided attack against it. An enemy unit in contact with an immobilized unit is never engaged, therefore when activated, it can perform an action, though it can only perform engaged actions while still in contact with the immobilized unit. Some special abilities can’t be used, or aren’t in effect, while a unit is Immobilized. Special abilities of this type will be marked with a [*] after their title in the following Special Abilities section.
Eliminated
Removed from the battlefield • Company loses the CMD of the unit from their pool • No activation • No orders • Can’t be attacked • No control area • No auras • Invoked lemures are destroyed An eliminated unit is removed from the battlefield and can’t affect the game with any of its powers. Nor does it contribute its CMD to its Company’s total CMD. An eliminated unit can’t be affected by order powers from units still on the battlefield. Lingering and permanent effects, as well as invoked lemures, originating from the eliminated unit end or are destroyed as soon as the unit is eliminated. Again, the difference between an eliminated unit and a dead one is that normally, an eliminated unit has some possibility of returning to the battlefield while the later has none. An eliminated unit isn’t a loss towards dominance.
Knocked Down
Dead
-2 CBT • -2 DEF • No orders • No actions, other than getting up • No control area • Gets up during its next activation The unit has been knocked to the ground, greatly impacting its ability to fight. During the unit’s next activation after being Knocked Down, the unit will get up. It cannot perform any other action, or give or receive orders while it is knocked down, or during the activation in which it stands up. A Knocked Down unit can neither give nor receive orders, nor can it support allied units in close combat. A Knocked Down unit has no control area. If the Knocked Down unit becomes the target of a close combat attack sequence, it jumps to its feet immediately to attempt to defend itself, but fights during the attack sequence with -2 CBT, -2 DEF, and is still unable to give or receive orders during that attack sequence. If the
Eliminated • 0 LP • Loss towards dominance A unit with 0 or less LP is dead and eliminated. if the unit had not yet been eliminated, then it is, with all the usual effects. The main difference is that a dead unit will not normally have a chance of returning to the battlefield at a later point in the game. A unit dying counts towards figuring which Company is Dominant at the beginning of the next turn.
Knocked Down unit survives the attack sequence, it is no longer Knocked Down, unless of course it is Knocked Down again due to the resolution of the attack sequence.
Summary of Main Effects Immobilised -3 Defense • No actions • No orders No attacks (close or ranged) • No control area Knocked Down -2 Combat • -2 Defense • No orders •No actions other than getting up No control area • Gets up during its next activation Stunned -1 Combat • -1 Defense • No shooting • No orders • No control area
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Rules of the gamE Wounded
Eliminated or Dead
-1 MVT• -1 SHS • -1 CBT • -1 DEF • -1 FTH When a unit’s Life Points are reduced to equal or below its Wound Threshold, it is Wounded. It will therefore be less agile in combat, because of the pain of the wounds and fear of impending death. Some effects triggered by terrain and some special abilities can apply a Wounded state without the unit’s Life Points being reduced equal to or below the Wound Threshold. It is interesting to note that some units have special abilities that change their stats in a specific way once they are in a Wounded state. On the stat cards, the statistics of a Wounded unit are indicated in green. A unit with no Wounded state on its stat card cannot be affected by this state. If the state was caused by a loss of Life Points, this state is permanent unless a Healing effect brings the Life Point level up above the Wound Threshold again.
A unit removed is eliminated. An eliminated unit has some effects on the game (loss of CMD, etc.). A killed unit is dead. A dead unit has some effects on the game as well (counting for Dominance in the next upkeep). A dead unit, if not yet eliminated, is also eliminated with all that it entails. While we present eliminated and dead in the states section, they aren’t states. If the unit attempts to get up while engaged by an enemy unit, an attack sequence is fought between the two units following all of the rules that where just outlined above. A Knocked Down unit doesn’t engage enemy units that are in contact with it. Some special abilities can’t be used, or aren’t in effect, while a unit is Knocked Down. Special abilities of this type will be marked with a [*] after their title in the following Special Abilities section.
Slowed
pecial Abilities
x
-2 MVT • Last to be activated The unit’s reaction times and movement speed are greatly reduced. A Slowed unit will always be the last unit in its Company to be activated. If several units in the same Company are Slowed, then once all the other units have been activated, their controller can choose the order in which the slowed units are activated. Even the use of Vae Soli cannot cause the affected units to be activated earlier in the Action Phase. A Slowed unit must be activated X times before this state ends.
In this chapter, you will find the list of all the special abilities which make each unit in Hell Dorado unique. It is important to note that a special ability is not necessarily a positive thing for the unit that possesses it. Unless otherwise mentioned, all special abilities are active all the time and they cannot be deactivated. It is important to realize that there are two kinds of abilities, those that are linked to the unit itself, and those that are the abilities of specific special weapons a unit may be carrying, which are called «Weapon abilities» and will be specified as such in the ability’s full description. Some special abilities are marked with a [*] after their title. This means that the ability can’t be used, or won’t be in effect, while a unit that has it is Immobilized, Knocked Down, or effected by something that prevents it from engaging units.
Stunned X
-1 CBT • -1 DEF • No shooting • No orders • No control area The unit is Stunned and has problems focusing on its surroundings. It is therefore an easy target on the battlefield. It cannot give or receive any orders. It cannot perform ranged attacks. A Stunned unit has no control area. A Stunned unit must be activated X times before this state ends. This state disappears at the end of the last of the X activations.
A dvance Deployment X
Units with this ability may be setup X fathoms farther out than the deployment zone would normally dictate. Also, units with this ability do not have to be setup until all units without this ability have been setup.
Black and Red
A mbush
Units with this ability may be setup in any area of obstructive or opaque terrain. Though this means a unit with this ability can setup almost anywhere on the battlefield, they may not be setup within an enemy control area. If the unit’s controller doesn’t wish to
So it is easier for you to remember during the game, all the special abilities that are printed in red on the stat cards affect the unit in some negative way, while those in black represent positive abilities.
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Rules of the gamE A mmunition Carrier*
Special Ability With or Without a Value of X
This unit carries or makes the ammunition that is used by a specific piece of artillery (see the Artillery weapon ability). Each carrier is linked to a specific piece of artillery and cannot be used by another, even if the original one is destroyed.
When the name of an ability is followed by an X, the variable represents a parameter of the ability that will be explained in the full description. To keep things simple, if the name of the state is not followed by a value and the ability normally should have a value, X will equal 1.
Arch-Enemy (Keyword) X
When a unit with this ability is in close combat a specific type of enemy, as defined by the keyword, the unit gets +X CBT and its enemy gets a bonus of half of X to its CBT. xample: If the value of X is 1 then both units receive a +1 CBT.
deploy it in this way it may of course be deployed in their normal deployment zone. In either case, a unit with this ability will be set up after all units without this ability have been set up, along with units that have Advanced Deployment.
Artillery
Weapon ability All the units that carry a weapon with this ability are accompanied by another unit with the special ability Ammunition Carrier. No Shooting or Reloading can be performed by this unit with its Artillery weapon, unless the Ammunition Carrier is in contact with the shooter.
A mmunition X
Weapon Ability The number of shots a ranged weapon can fire. Once the weapon has been fired this many times, it can no longer be used.
69
Rules of the gamE Attack
of
unit with that ability. A lemure with this ability will be able to Burrow under difficult terrain, amongst others (p. 215), but it can only end its activation there if it also has the Strider ability.
Opportunity X
Units with this ability automatically deal X damage to any enemy unit that enters their control area, ignoring PR. Invulnerable units take full damage from this ability. This ability has no effect when this unit moves towards an enemy unit and therefore causing it to enter this unit’s control area. A unit with this ability can’t use it against a unit that somehow appears in contact with it (therefore removing its control area) unless it has some way of retaining its control area while engaged.
Camouflage X
While in cover, a unit with this ability gets +X PR.
Chaotic Charge
The unit may move up to triples its MVT when Charging.
Attraction X
While this unit is free, any unengaged enemy unit that begins its activation within X fathoms of this unit must move into contact with this unit by the most direct route possible. While a unit is affected by this ability, their movement is not limited by any control area or difficult terrain. If, along the most direct route, the effected unit must engage another enemy unit, it immediately stops its move and fights that unit. If a unit in the area of effect of this ability can’t engage an enemy unit (During it’s move towwards the Attracting unit) with a Charge or Attack, then it is not affected by this special ability during its activation. A unengaged unit that begins its activation within the range of several Attraction abilities can choose which Attracting unit it will move toward.
Charisma X
Other allied units within 4 fathoms of the unit with this ability get +X CBT. A unit may only benefit from one copy of this ability per attack sequence (the higher).
Combat Sense
Units with this ability get +1 DEF in close combat attack sequences.
Combined Attack X
If the unit with this ability is getting at least one support bonus, they also get +X CBT.
Concentrated
If the unit with this ability performs a Concentration action while engaged, it is worked out as normal without the normal Concentration drawbacks. Additionally, if the unit with this ability performs a Focus action while engaged, it won’t be a one sided sequence, a normal attack sequence is triggered instead.
Berserker
This unit becomes Berserk when it becomes Wounded. While Berserk, a unit with this ability gets +2 CBT and -1 DEF. If it is healed later on and is no longer Wounded, it also stops being Berserk.
Bloodthirsty X
If your company has more Dark than Light CMD points during the Upkeep Phase, after resetting CMD Pools, units with this ability, until the end of the turn, get +X MVT, Teleportation, and when a Vae Victis order is given to them, up to 3 CMD may be spent on it to give them +3, rather than the normal 2.
Counter Attack
During an attack sequence that a unit with this ability is fighting in, any dice rolled by this unit’s opponent that score a 1, causes the opponent to take 1 damage. This damage is added to the total damage that the unit with this ability causes during the attack sequence before PR is subtracted. If the unit with this ability’s DEF is reduced to 1, then this ability will no longer have an effect. Rolls are, of course, not final until all re-rolls have been taken.
Bodyguard *
Units with this ability will give +1 PR, to a maximum of 3, to any allied units it is in contact with. This ability will have no effect if it would be part of a series of bonuses that raise a units PR above 3.
Cumbersome X
Weapon ability During the second and all subsequent attack sequences against the same enemy unit, the unit using a Cumbersome weapon suffers -X CBT. This penalty only applies if contact wasn’t broken between the different sequences.
Burrower
This unit’s Movement is not hindered by terrain or by other units. However, the unit cannot end its activation in the same place as another unit or in Impassable terrain. The unit is not affected by control areas during its Movement, but it is at the beginning and the end of it (for example, it must pay 1 CMD to leave the control area of an enemy unit if it starts its activation there). However, this ability cancels an Attack of Opportunity if the unit ends it activation in contact with an enemy
Defensive Combat X
During any close combat attack sequence, the unit with this ability can reduce its CBT by X to reduce its opponent’s CBT by X. This ability is used after applying all other modifiers, and both units will get to
70
Rules of the gamE roll at least 1 die if their CBT’s were at least 1 before this ability was used. This ability can’t be used when the unit with it is the target of a one-sided attack.
Enlightened
If your company has more Light than Dark CMD points during the Upkeep Phase, after resetting CMD Pools, units with this ability get Fanatic until the end of the turn.
Defensive Shot
If contact is made with a unit that has this ability while it has yet to be activated, is free, and has a ranged weapon available, the unit with this ability may take a point blank shot at the enemy that has contacted it before close combat begins.
Entangle
If a unit with this ability is engaging with another unit whose base is of equal or smaller size, then the other unit can’t Retreat.
Demoralize
Erratic Movement X
When a unit with this ability kills an enemy unit that has at least 1 CMD, the loss of total CMD and CMD Pool is doubled.
When targeted by a ranged attack, a unit with this ability gets +X DEF.
Evasive
A unit with this ability can’t be chosen as the target of a close combat attack sequence by an enemy unit if there are other allied units engaged with the enemy unit. If all the units in contact with an opposing unit possess this ability, the player who controls them decides which of them will fight the enemy unit.
Discretion X
This ability has no effect if the unit that has it is engaged. The unit with this ability can’t be the target of a Shoot or a Charge action unless the attacking unit is within X fathoms. Also, players can’t use an explosion or blast weapon if all the targets inside it are enemy units whose Discretion abilities all affect the shooter. If a unit has both the Discretion and Attraction abilities, the Attraction ability takes precedence.
Expertise
A unit with this ability may perform a Concentration action to use an exhausting ability instead of a Focus action. Any power that usually requires a Focus action may be used by this unit by performing a Concentration action instead.
Dodge X*
When a standing free unit with this ability becomes engaged, it can attempt to Dodge away. Roll a d6. On an X or less, the unit is moved a distance of up to 3 fathoms. The engaging unit cannot continue moving. A unit with this ability can only attempt to Dodge once per turn. The Dodging unit can’t contact other enemy units with the Dodge move. If the Dodge move can’t be made, the Dodge can’t be attempted. A unit that is Immobilized, Knocked Down, or already engaged by a non-inoffensive unit can’t use this ability.
Fanatic
Instead of suffering the normal Wounded modifiers, a unit with this ability gets -1 MVT, -1 SHS, +1 CBT, +1 DEF, and +1 FTH. On the stat card, a unit’s «Fanatic» stats are indicated in green.
Fast X
Eager X*
When performing a Charge or Run action, a unit with this ability will be able to move up to X fathoms farther than it normally would be able to. Example: a unit with a MVT of 4 and Fast 3 would be able to move up to 11 fathoms when Running or Charging.
Elusive
If a unit opposing a unit with this ability during an attack sequence is getting at least one support bonus, the unit with this ability gets +X CBT.
Weapon ability A unit with this ability gets +X CBT during the first attack sequence it has with an enemy after engaging it.
Fierce X
The Movement of a unit with this ability isn’t affected by enemy control areas. It can therefore move through them without triggering any particular effects. This ability cancels the Attack of Opportunity ability.
First Contact X
When calculating initial Dominance, units with this ability give +X to their Company’s total.
Emancipated
A lemure with this ability begins the game on the battlefield, just like any other unit and can’t be invoked. It can’t be associated with a spell.
Frenzy
When a unit with this performs a Melee, Charge or Attack action, it triggers two attack sequences, one immediately after the other. If the Frenzied unit is Knocked Down or Immobilized after the first attack
71
Rules of the gamE execution of a retreat action. A lemure with this ability will be able to pass through difficult terrain, but it can only end its activation there if it also has the Strider ability.
sequence, then the second isn’t fought. Charge penalties will effect both attack sequences.
Fury
When a unit with this ability performs a charge action, it doesn’t suffer -1 CBT.
Intercept X
A unit with this ability has a control area extending X fathoms from its base that only affects lemures. A unit with this ability nullifies the Elusive, Burrower, and Intangible abilities on enemy units within its control area. If it also has the Attack of Opportunity ability, that ability can be used against even an Elusive enemy. An intercept control area has all the normal control area effects on a lemure. A lemure getting into or breaking contact with an interceptor triggers a one-sided attack sequence before it can release its spell. A lemure leaving contact with an interceptor will ignore their control area until the end of the activation. A unit with the Harmless ability and this ability still has a control area of X fathoms that does affect lemures.
Harmless
Units with this ability have no control area. A unit with no CBT (-) is always Harmless.
Healer X*
This is an exhausting ability. When this ability is used, the unit with this ability, or any allied unit it is in contact with, recovers X LP. Invulnerable units are not affected by this ability.
Heavy
Weapon Ability A unit using a weapon with this ability can’t move when performing a Shoot action with it.
Invulnerable
Units with this ability can only be wounded by weapons with a power table, explosions, or blasts, and will only suffer 1 damage for each hit scored that corresponds to a row on the power table that inflicts damag. It only suffers damage from blasts and explosions at a ratio of 1 point for every 6 rolled when checking the number of hits. The damage dealt in the end can never be higher than the amount which would’ve normally been caused due to the number of hits rolled.
Huge
When this unit performs a Retreat action, after the one-sided attack, and after leaving contact, it can then transform the Retreat it is performing into a Run, Attack, or Charge action. This replaces the normal execution of a Retreat action.
Immunity (keyword)
Units with this ability take no damage from the type of damage or attack listed in the keyword part of the ability. States associated with the damage will still be applied. It may therefore be Knocked Down, Stunned... A unit that is Immune to fire can still be affected by the Consumed state; it will just not suffer any damage from it.
xample: Assaliah has the following power table 1 Slowed 2 2 Stunned 3 Life Drain 2 4 Immobilized 5 Consumed (fire • 2/5)
Impressive
This unit can be targeted by a shooter even if it is not the closest unit. If a shooter has a clear Line of Fire to several units with this ability, it can choose which one to target, though it doesn’t have to choose any of them.
If 1 or 2 hits are scored, Assaliah doesn’t cause any damage to an invulnerable unit. With 3 hits, Assaliah causes 1 damage on an invulnerable unit. With 4 or 5 hits, Assaliah doesn’t cause any damage to an invulnerable unit (though 3 hits can of course be chosen).
Insignificant
Units with this ability are not counted when figuring dominance.
An invulenrable unit is not affected by modifiers due to states (Wounded, Knocked Down, Consumed, etc.), whether they are positive or negative. The DEF of an Invulnerable unit is always 6 and can never be modified, unless this is specifically mentioned. The Protection of an Invulnerable unit works normally against the damage caused to it.
Intangible
While moving, a unit with this ability can ignore terrain, other units, and control areas. Once it stops moving, it is then affected by them normally. A unit with this ability doesn’t trigger a one sided attack on breaking contact and doesn’t pay a Command point to move out a of a unit’s control area. A unit with this ability can’t end its activation on top of another unit or in impassable terrain. A unit with this ability can transform a retreat it is performing into a run, attack, or charge action. This replaces the normal
Leader
Units with this ability have their CMD doubled when figuring how many Troopers their Company can include.
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Rules of the gamE Levitation
The movement of a unit with this ability is not hindered by difficult terrain. It can move over units that are less than 3 fathoms tall, though it is still affected by control areas normally. A unit with this ability can’t end its activation on top of another unit. A lemure with this ability will be able to Levitate over difficult terrain, but it can only end its activation there if it also has the Strider ability.
Life Drain X
Weapon Ability Damage of this type ignores PR and Immunity (other than Immunity to Life Drain). The unit that causes this type of damage will recover a number of LP equal to the number of LP that the unit suffering this type of damage actually lost.
Limited R ange X
Weapon ability Unlike other ranged weapons, a weapon with this ability can’t be used to attack a target that is further away than X times the weapon’s range.
Loyal
A unit with this ability can’t be included in a Company that is lead by an Officer that is not of the same Faction as this unit.
Lunge X
Weapon ability The control area of a unit carrying a weapon with this ability extends X fathoms from their base.
Pain X
Weapon Ability While this ability is in effect on a unit, it will be affected by the negative effects of being Wounded, even though it hasn’t reached its Wounded Threshold, for a duration of X turns. Nothing happens if the unit is already Wounded. A Fanatic or Berserk unit will be affected as usual (for these units, the effects will be partially positive). A unit who does not have a Wounded state will not be affected by this ability.
M an-at-Arms X
A unit with this special ability can, once an enemy unit in contact has finished all possible re-rolls, force it to re-roll up to X dice that had scored hits. Please note that this ability can force a player to re-roll dice that may have already been re-rolled.
M averick
Penetrating Strike X
A unit with this ability cannot receive orders from any unit other than itself.
Weapon Ability During an attack sequence, the unit opposing a unit using a weapon with this ability gets –X PR. This ability can’t reduce a unit’s PR below 0. During a ranged attack, this ability will also reduce the PR bonus given by cover.
Moving Shot
When performing a Shoot action, a unit with this ability can take part of its movement, shoot, and then finish its movement.
Prescient
A player who has at least one unit with this ability can choose which conflict zone triggers on the battlefield rather than randomly determining it. If both players have Prescient units, the player with more of them decides. If this is also a tie, the Dominant player decides.
Natural Talent X
A unit with this ability can always re-roll at least X of their combat dice.
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Rules of the gamE gering a one sided attack. At the end of this move, the running away unit can’t be in an enemy control area or have an enemy unit in its control area.
Prestige (faction) X
A unit with this ability allows the inclusion of units of the specified faction in its Company. A number of units from the specified Faction up to X may be included, though all other Company composition rules must be respected.
Scout
This unit allows its controller to have more options when setting up the terrain for the battle. The full rules for using Scouts are fully explained on page 214.
Protective
The unit does not lose its control area when engaged by one or more enemies.
R apid Strike (attack
Slow
When a unit with this ability Charges, the attack sequence that ensues will be a one sided one that the unit with this ability doesn’t fight in.
or defense)
A unit with this ability will deal damage before their opponent instead of simultaneously with them. If the unit has the Attack keyword with this ability, it only works when the unit with the ability initiated the attack sequence. If the unit has the Defense keyword with this ability, it only works if the unit with this ability didn’t initiate the attack sequence. If both units have this ability, then they strike simultaneously. State changes due to these attacks are all applied simultaneously at the end of the attack sequence as normal.
Sniper
The unit does not have to pick the nearest enemy unit as its target. It can choose any target to which it has a clear Line of Fire.
Spiritual Damage
Weapon Ability/Damage Type When a unit performs an attack sequence using a weapon with this ability, the opposing unit’s FTH stat is subtracted from the damage instead of its PR. As long as a weapon is affected by the Spiritual Damage special ability, it loses all other damage types. Being an unbeliever is not a Protection against Spiritual Damage. This ability can only be added to weapons that possess a damage table.
Receive Charge X*
Weapon Ability A unit using a weapon with this ability gets +X CBT during an attack sequence versus an enemy using a Charge action against it.
Regeneration X
A unit with this ability recovers X LP each Upkeep Phase.
Spite (keyword)
A unit with this ability can’t be included in a Company of the Faction specified in the keyword of this ability.
Reloading X
Weapon Ability Once a ranged weapon with this ability has been shot, the unit with the weapon must perform X Focus actions in a row if they wish to reload the weapon and be able to shoot it again. If the unit is engaged while reloading, it has two options: either it fights as usual and has to start the reloading from scratch once the combat is over, or it retains its previous Focus actions and continues to Reload, but suffer one-sided attacks while Focusing.
Strider
Units with this ability don’t have to pay the 1 Command point to be able to Run or Charge through difficult terrain. Lemures must have this ability to be able to enter and/or end their activation in difficult terrain.
Teleportation
A unit with this ability cannot perform a Run, Charge or Retreat action. The unit’s moves aren’t affected by terrain or other units. When this unit moves it must be done in one jump. The unit cannot, however, end its activation inside another unit or within Impassable terrain. The unit is not affected by control areas during its Movement. Though it is affected by control areas it starts or ends its Movement in. However, this ability cancels out any Attack of Opportunity if this unit ends its move in contact with a unit with that ability. During a Melee action, it behaves like any other unit.
Resistance (keyword) X
A unit with this ability gets +X PR against damage of the type specified in this abilities keyword.
Ricochet X
Whenever a unit with this ability loses LP due to being dealt damage, it causes X damage, ignoring PR, to the enemy unit that caused the original damage. This ability only works when damage is suffered during a close combat or ranged attack sequence (but not to damage caused by a state, an order, an aura, a special ability, an explosion or a blast).
Tenacious X*
If a unit with this ability is free, hasn’ t been activated yet this turn and becomes engaged, it gets +X CBT in the ensuing attack sequence.
Runaway
A unit with this ability can move away from being engaged by taking a walk or run action, without trig-
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Rules of the gamE Unique Independent units can only be included once in a Company. Non-unique Independents can be included up to a number of times as indicated by the Limited or Unlimited keyword on their card. A Company can’t include more Troopers than its total CMD.
Terror X*
Enemy units engaged with a unit with this ability suffer –X CBT. A unit can only suffer from one copy of Terror at a time. Use the highest possible.
Terrifying
When an enemy unit wishes to come into contact with a unit that has this ability, they must spend 1 CMD. If the CMD isn’t, or can’t, be spent then the unit can’t come into contact with the unit that has this ability. Obviously when this unit causes contact with an enemy unit no CMD need be spent by either unit.
In any case, units with the Limited keyword cannot be hired more than X times per 200 AP or fraction thereof. If Limited Troopers are hired, both limits must be taken into account (Limited number of each type of unit and the Company’s total CMD limit to the total number of Troopers). xample: a Limited 6 Trooper can only be included 6 times in a 200 AP Company. Unfortunately, the Company only has a total CMD of 5. So, only 5 of this unit can be included. Obviously, the AP total of all the units in a Company can’t exceed the total that was agreed upon to begin with, normally 200 AP.
Trained Gunman X
If a unit with this ability doesn’t move during a shoot action, it gets +X SHS for that shot.
Uncontrollable
When a unit with this ability is activated, its controller must spend 1 CMD to make this unit perform any action other than Attack, Walk, or Melee (Any of these three actions can be perfromed as normal).
Recruiting Mercenaries
Vicious X
When a unit with this ability fights in a one-sided attack, or against a Wounded, Stunned, Knocked Down, or Immobilised opponent, they get +X CBT.
Mercenary units can be recruited by Companies of any Faction. However, the following restrictions must be followed:
Vulnerability (keyword) X
A unit with this ability’s PR is X against the type of damage indicated by this abilities keyword. The Vulnerability ability will only be applied to a unit if its current PR value against the source of damage in question is higher than its Vulnerable value.
Obviously if a Mercenary Officer is leading a Company units from other Factions can’t be included. Therefore it is impossible to include a Mercenary Officer in a non-Mercenary Company. A Mercenary Independent’s CMD can’t be used to include Troopers from a non Mercenary Faction; they only allow the inclusion of Mercenary Troopers. You can include as many Troopers, Mercenary or not, as you like, as long as you do not include more of them than the total CMD of your Company.
Whirlwind Attack
When a unit that has this ability causes damage to a unit in close combat, it inflicts half that amount of damage to every other non-invulnerable enemy unit in contact with it as well.
Example: the total CMD of your Company is 7, so you can include up to 7 Troopers. However, 2 of your 7 CMD are provided by a Mercenary unit. Therefore, you can include up to 7 Troopers, but if you choose to hire more than 5, the last 2 will have to be Mercenaries.
onstructing Your Company Before beginning to build their Companies, the players must decide on the number of Army Points (AP) they will get to spend. The standard size of a Hell Dorado game is 200 AP.
Larger Battles
When deciding what units to include in a Company, the following restrictions must be followed: All members of the Company must belong to the same Faction. Each Company must have one Officer (no more, no less).
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You and your friends may wish to fight battles larger than 200 AP. You should be able to do this with the above rules, though the game will probably last quite a bit longer and be less balanced. The only thing that we can see that really needs clarification, if you choose to play battles larger than 200 AP, is that no matter how large the game, a Company can and must only include 1 Officer.
The westernerS
L es occident Factions aux he Westerners
five times the population of the palatial city. Every God-given day dozens of buildings appear, growing like mushrooms after a shower of rain. The economic activity is intense, and therefore an effort must be made to improve and enlarge the docks and the other supply facilities. Taking into account the ever growing numbers of arrivals, a break in the growth of our main city is totally unimaginable. As we will see later in this report, the general situation of the suburbs is particularly intolerable. They must be dragged back into order and civilization. The deployment of our invading forces has followed the sixteen roads established by the tracks of the damned. The terrain upstream has become more and more difficult as it rises (see the Montecuccoli report). This has become one of the main factors that is holding back our progression. The boundaries of our lands are still poorly defined but landmarks have been built to improve this situation. Indeed, at least thirty six fortified sanctuaries are now scattered around the edges of invaded Kohut. These sanctuaries are the result of the collaboration between armies, religious bodies and civilian organizations. These asylums are now used as places of prayer, centers for all kinds of studies, and also as places for trading activity. They have grown into small towns. Our demonologists, explorers, priests and soldiers find the sanctuaries to be ideal, peaceful places in which to go about their business. This building program is a true success. Similarly there are Westerner bastions being raised in newly conquered territories. Their fire power has been multiplied and their garrisons reinforced. The heroic resistance of the Saint Michael monastery is probably the most striking example of the success of these installations.
Intelligence Services of the Western Kingdom Below First report, completed and annotated By the master-spy referred to as «The Farseer» To the Lords of the Council of the Six, My most humble salutations to you, my Lords of the Nations Above. As you no doubt appreciate, I can only be effective in my profession if my identity is unknown and thus must keep my name to myself. For practical reasons, my agents refer to me as «The Farseer». Indeed, it is my great honor to be at the head of our Intelligence services. The following notes and thoughts have been gathered through considerable effort over the last two years. During this time, we have lost many men and spent an unfathomable amount of resources in a bid to improve our position in, and our understanding of, the Underworld. You will see that my conclusions are both truthful and impartial. And I hope, my Lords, that I have served your interests as best I could, whatever your race, origin or religion. So, let us take a closer look at the extent and the potential of these lands that have cost us so much.
The Western Kingdom Below Due to the rapid and zealous progression of our armies, we can now say that a quarter of Kohut is ours. Other parts are still undergoing pacification and stabilization. The center of our Kingdom Below is of course located in New Jerusalem, the jewel with two faces, lost in the middle of nowhere. The Upper City is now home to over thirty five thousand souls in just over ten thousand homes. The chaotic nature of the surrounding suburban sprawl makes it impossible for the marshal’s services to keep a precise count of its inhabitants. The closest estimation is that it is home to roughly four or
These pillars of civilization allow the creation of peaceful, secure areas open to economic development. Scattered amongst them, dozens of major mining or agricultural concessions have been established. Several hundred small colonial communities have been developed with the aid of thousands of damned slaves. The success of colonies is, regrettably, varied. But through it
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FactionS and then profaned in blood some of their holy places. The Saracens are now treating us with the utmost caution, and no longer hesitate to raid our positions. The inconsiderate acts of a few religious fanatics of our own brotherhood could well push the Moors into all out war. I hereby send you warning, my Lords: if our men are not subjected to a more rigorous rule, we may have to battle on several fronts at once. The Muslims of the Underworld are embarked on a mystical quest. The purpose of this quest still eludes us. Anything that concerns this topic is meticulously avoided during conversation. I must admit that these Saracens are masters in the art of saying no one thousand and one times without ever using the same excuse twice. The art of evasion is one of the most wondrous gifts they possess, a quality to reflect upon, my Lords. One cannot spend three hundred years in Hell without learning to adapt and allow for compromise.
all, the incredible amounts of resources extracted from the Underworld are a sign of rapid, intense expansion and of a prosperous future. In order to maintain the speed of our growth, several free companies have been sent out on deeper exploration missions throughout Kohut and beyond. Their aim is to discover, inform and prospect. In spite of all these encouraging signs, a few dark clouds still remain on the horizon. Unwatched, these clouds could become a tempest which could wipe out our colonies in a firestorm with no forewarning.
Identifying our Enemies The Demons: Satan’s most powerful subjects and the masters of the damned. Although they were scattered and hesitant when first faced with our offensive, they seem to have gathered a relative amount of cohesion. The massive attacks that have wiped out some of our more advanced positions seem to show that a truce has been established between several archdemons. Even some of the fallen angels seem to have joined their cause. The millions of damned who populate the Underworld remain a constant source of unease for our armed forces. On their own these unholy creatures are cowardly. However the demons have a certain amount of power over the damned. By some cunning witchcraft, the demons are able to change the damned’s physical appearance and drive them to fight with fury and fanaticism. The damned we have encountered are of all kinds, sizes and abilities. They are quite often affiliated with one of the seven deadly sins. The more obvious their corruption, the more they tend to become the perfect incarnation of the vice they embraced when alive. The demons, however, are of a different class altogether. We have been able to classify a great number of these beings thanks to the teachings of the Bible. Unfortunately the Book leaves many gaps in knowledge and omits the names of the incredibly powerful creatures that lie in the very heart of the desolate plains of the Underworld. No human has ever laid eyes on such a titan of demonkind. If pressed, the demons whisper in fearful tones of a prophecy announcing the return of these age-old abominations. If such a day were to come, the eternal laments of the plain of bones would not be enough to cover the thousands of human cries of those in the throes of agony. The Saracens: our enemies of yore have obviously established a powerful kingdom in a neighboring circle. They have also built a good many forts, sanctuaries and other places of worship here in Kohut. Despite a certain ambiguity in their intentions, it seems that our own colonies were of no concern to them until we went... too far. Some of our captains violated their boundaries
The Lost (or free-damned): some of you will hear this name for the first time. It would be a very grave mistake to consider Demons and Lost as one and the same. The Lost seem to be former demons or damned ones according to our most reliable sources (mainly Saracen). As far as we can see, the reasons for their independence are many. Some have lost their old masters, others have rebelled. Some of them even aspire to create their very own kingdoms. As time goes by, these gangs of Lost Ones have become a serious thorn in our expansion plans. They thrive freely in the very heart of our lands, hiding in the vast devastated expanses. Whenever they feel the urge, they undertake the foulest of depravities and pillages. This threat pushes us to triple the armed escorts that accompany our supply caravans. Worse still is the fact that our expansion has been seriously hindered in some areas. Many small colonial communities live in fear of these scavengers as neighboring communities have become deserted by their inhabitants. When a gang of Lost Ones has decided to raid the area the best way to survive is to fight ‘till the end. Surrendering is not an option. Strangely enough, some of our captains have managed to hire the services of some of these gangs. In exchange for an often ridiculously low fee such as a native relic of some kind, these elite soldiers will bear arms alongside our troops for a while. They then disappear, as fast as they came.
The War Effort The success of our military operations is mainly due to the cooperation that exists between the different forces. To begin, I will provide you with an analysis of the impact of our more conventional units; infantry, artillery and cavalry. I will then undertake to list the many benefits of the addition of the infernalist and missionary additions.
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The westernerS riflemen and dragoons have had to be dismantled and redistributed to other units. Obviously an effort must be made to work towards maintaining mounted units. The cuirassiers, attacking in waves six ranks thick, are veritable onslaughts of steel that drive off the demons and the damned. The riflemen harass the enemies’ flanks with their shots, creating disorder and chaos. The dragoons, our mounted infantry, allow us to hold strategic positions thanks to their superior mobility, while fighting like infantrymen once dismounted.
Finally we shall examine the mixture of these forces in free-companies and their use for special missions. The infantry: The infantry and its foot soldiers are the very core of our armies. Hardened by many years of conflict, their discipline works wonders. Our generals’ strategy has been to focus more on ranged than on close combat weapons. Sixty out of every hundred soldiers are now arquebusiers or musketeers. The standard kit is an arquebus and a sword for the charge. For protection, the soldiers are given a steel breastplate and a falling buffe burgonet helmet. Some differences still remain such as the Swedish which still prefer to keep their «Dutch pot» helmets.
The artillery: With its impressive firepower, our artillery is at the core of many a successful battle. During the offensive, cannon fire alone has succeeded in opening many a locked door. The Demon fortresses have fallen one by one as their outer walls are torn asunder by the powerful barrage of our siege weapons. By escorting our invading forces, the cannons rip through the ranks of the enemy troops with their fiery fury. The effect of this cannon assault is often devastating, especially if the enemy officers are hit. Furthermore, it is in a defensive situation that our artillery provides its greatest support. As part of the defenses of a fortified position, long range shots greatly reduce the enemy’s enthusiasm. Meanwhile the shots from shorter range weapons take out a large part of the waves of demons. The excellent performance of the many Swedish gunners, lent by his majesty Gustaf-Adolf of Sweden, must be highly commended. I would also like to underline the importance of the supply train. Our dozens of outposts and colonies survival often depends on the punctuality of our provision and supplies. And while we examine the matter of supplies, I have been informed that this was a matter of vital importance for General Wallenstein. I must say that I fully agree with him on this subject. There can be no war without weapons and healthy, able men.
New arquebuses will be provided to our troops before next year. They will give greater precision and more fire power. These flintlock arquebuses can put out eight shots at a speed of three shots per minute. Please note, my Lords, that our current arquebus overheat after only four shots, becoming unusable for a considerable length of time. Alongside the usual ranged weapons, groups of grenadiers have been developed to dislodge the damned ones. Their results are quite simply spectacular. The current military strategies have forgotten the virtues of infantry close combat. Many officers have requested sword and pike troops with enough protection to stand up to the monsters that live Below. Indeed, even intense fire power is not enough to hold back the onslaught of a demonic horde. Some solid elements have needed adding to the established regiments. Three months ago, regiments of doppelsöldners were newly trained. These solid veterans are equipped with heavy swords and covered in armor from head to toe. They slice their way through the enemies’ ranks with vim and vigor. To mark out our way, groups of hired blades have been formed and made available to our armies. When they make it back alive, these scouting parties bring back valuable information to our armed companies. Our progression through Hell is the result of the return to fashion of the use of armor. From pikemen to musketeers, all today wear some form of protection.
To complete the inventory of our invading forces, I would like to describe to you the new «weapons» at our disposition: infernal power and divine might. Enrolling infernalists and missionaries has become more and more frequent, and allows us to multiply the efficiency of our companies. The range of spells and miracles they provide allows us to try varied and original approach techniques. An infernalist who masters spells of fire can multiply our fire power while at the same time providing us with an alternative possibility for a defensive retreat. The men of God, with their faith and moral strength, are able to heal the wounded or improve the soldiers’ morale. These forces therefore allow the company to survive longer.
The cavalry: the number of men in our cavalry regiments is extremely low. Only twenty soldiers in every one hundred can be considered cavalrymen. This is grossly inadequate. Mobility is one of the key elements of our success. Mobility serves both to keep information flowing and as a means to violently take the enemy by surprise. The lay of the lands Below is such that our horses can find nothing good to feed upon. Supplies of grain have to be transported through the gates of Hell. The commanding officers are forced to spread their stocks of grain throughout the network of fortified relays. Due to these constraints, units of cuirassiers,
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FactionS sometimes borders on actual madness. That said, if this man can be unpredictable with us, his allies, just imagine what he can do to the worst of our enemies!
The Free Companies of Hell In the name of flexibility and efficiency, the Council decided a year ago to create semi-autonomous free companies. These elite forces are trained to face all manner of situations. Their duties are quite varied: reconnaissance, exploration, information, negotiation, elimination, and so forth. I will spare you, my Lords, the full inventory of the tasks they perform. Know, however that most of the special tasks they are given are far beyond the abilities of our more conventional regiments. The rate of human losses in these companies is extremely high, but the strong individualities of the people that make up these groups can quite often change the outcome of a desperate mission. All of the conventional categories of soldiers are represented in these companies. The keystone of these units lies in the technical abilities of their officers. Hired and paid by the members of the Council, they are the Captains who, by their efforts and the composition of their company, have made their own mark on the Underworld. My Lords, I would like to introduce three of these men, the finest selection of the elite units of the Western forces. They are efficient, loyal and all have service records that would make an archdemon tremble.
Baptiste Valombre: Valombre was the first Westerner to set foot in the Underworld. As a free-captain he has become an adventurer with somewhat obscure goals. During my research, I have found his name mentioned in all four corners of the known world. He seems to be always searching for objects forgotten by even time itself. He is not only an accomplished swashbuckler but also a talented demonologist and a renowned scholar. By turning his back on the divine, this Parisian has also found himself in the black books of the Christian Churches. Valombre seems to have a network of informers at his disposition throughout all of the Underworld and among all factions. He has rapidly become indispensable to our intelligence services. His price for hire is excessively high and his wage as occasional captain is virtually unreasonable. To accomplish his tasks, Valombre usually hires specialized fighters, extremely talented and most often quite eccentric. In the world above and below, his political and religious ideas are seen as revolutionary. I would suggest, my Lords, that he be granted the immunity of the Council that he rightly deserves. Dogmatic quarrels must in no way get in the way of the accomplishment of our objectives.
Francisco Vargas: this noble Castilian has served for many years under the orders of Count de Spinola. In those times of all-out war, he was already in charge of the special missions of his General. He was tasked with hitting places that his master could not reach. He fulfills in Hell the exact same role that he was given in the service of the Empire. He possesses a tactical form of genius that is out of the ordinary. Just as important, Vargas also has the reputation of a hard and merciless man. He fights beside his men. This free-captain also has a gift for choosing comrades with brilliant and colorful personalities. His point of view is that he can only lead his troops efficiently if he has men that are able to apply and transmit his orders to perfection... and with talent. My instinct tells me that we will hear much of the efficient Francisco Vargas in the days to come.
To conclude this report, I will end with a note tinted with bitterness. Dissensions are, indeed, currently blighting our wonderful quest, created by people who dream of taking control of our kingdom. These troubles are partly spread by the more conservative elements of our different cults. A crusade is growing in their hearts, my Lords, and it is threatening to rot from the inside everything that we have undertaken so far. Beware of the tidal wave that could well be caused by these first ripples. Several reports have brought tidings of demonic influences, unholy pacts and other forms of devilish seduction. We must not forget where we are setting foot, my Lords! The apparent weakness of the Demons may only be a trick, a lure, with the bulk of their forces located in other spheres, exploiting the inherent weaknesses of men. There is also the problem of the dozens of lodges and other organizations that wish to exploit the wealth of Hell to be considered. This is quite a simple problem, but we must bear it in mind all the same. But we should rejoice! If we are able to conquer these few problems, Hell and its age-old riches and knowledge will be ours to hold and to treasure.
Georg von Holbein: this captain is the champion of the catholic cause. Fury surrounds this man-in-armor like a thunder cloud. Perched on Honor-and-Glory, his pitch black armored warhorse, by the time his enemies hear the biblical curses that spew out from inside his suit of plate armor it is often too late for them. He was recently made a free-captain due to the loss of his company of cuirassiers. He has since been hunting down every Saracen and Demon that fate places in his path. He is an adept of frontal combat and grants no quarter. He favors the support of the doppelsöldners, missionaries and inquisitors. The only warning I may utter against him would be about his fanaticism that seems to know no limits. It
Destiny is each man’s own to seize! You will find in the annexes of this report many examples, notes and documents that will complete these few words of mine. I salute you, my Lords, may you make good use of these lines. « The Farseer», your humble, loyal servant.
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The westernerS
Francisco Vargas, Frank-captain
The French pavilion of the Council’s palace was swarming with an unusual amount of activity. The excessive size and luxuriance of the war room dwarfed two of the most powerful people in either of the two worlds. Cardinal de Richelieu, Prime Minister of his majesty Louis XII and Henri II de Bourbon, General in chief of the French expeditionary corps in the Underworld. «My Lord de Bourbon, it would please me immensely if we could hire the services of sire Vargas, immediately.» «Eminence, why such haste in this matter? Many others could undertake this task quite honorably, noble gentlemen who would be a little less...» «Spanish?» interrupted the Cardinal. Henri’s mouth eased a smile. «I see that your Eminence still reads the hearts of men with the talent he is renowned for.» answered de Bourbon. «Henri, please, grant me the kindness of a heedful ear for my request; are you ready to listen to what I ask?» «Eminence, you know that your opinions are always of great importance, for myself as for the King...» «Very well! In that case I will go straight to the point. Yes, the man is a Spaniard. It is unfortunate, but we can do nothing about it, and at least he is a good Catholic. We certainly cannot say as much of all of our allies. Furthermore, I prefer to be sure that he is busy taming the demonic rabble Below rather than killing off our men in the marches of Flanders.» «Please, continue Cardinal...» «Thank you Henri. The most important point is that this man is a genius. All the reports of our agents agree on the fact that this Vargas can truly sense the combat, adapts easily to all possible situations, and looks after his company in a most honorable fashion. He is more than a simple officer, Henri, he is a weapon himself!» «A dangerous weapon, your Eminence, one that spreads discord and destruction in its wake...» replied Henri. «My word, Henri!» interrupted Richelieu, «Have you forgotten we are not talking about our world here? Who will complain that a few damned ones have been butchered or pushed around?» «Nobody, Eminence, nobody for sure.» whispered de Bourbon, «But why this Vargas? I wonder if you are not leaving out other reasons that make you like this Spaniard.» Richelieu stood still and seemed to ponder, looked left then right, then in a solemn voice he finally replied: «Indeed, I could have chosen some other Spaniard, as you say. Dear friend, do you see, this whole infernal escapade is at risk of turning into a crusade at any moment. I can assure you that when that time comes, I plan to rely on people I have chosen. People I can trust who will fight for human and rational interests rather than spiritual ones. Look at the Von Holbeins, the Balaguerres, they are competent men, brilliant even! But they are exalted, driven by fury and faith in a God that they think is theirs! Recall their reaction when they discovered a Saracen kingdom Below! They chose war rather than to work together to a common goal. Such a waste. They are endangering the whole colony. One day the Council of the Six will have to sanction them or accept to be overthrown.» «Very well, Cardinal.» answered Henri de Bourbon. «I will join you and give you my full support. Vargas is waiting for you in the map room, in the company of one of the King’s musketeers.» «You knew I would say all this to you, Henri. It is your turn to surprise me. What an act you have put on for me...» said the Cardinal, smiling. «I am not the only one to claim the merit of this, Eminence, I merely thought that a «Richelieu» of arms under the orders of the Richelieu of letters was a very pleasant idea...»
Orders
Leader
of the
Officer Human Male Christian
(papist)
Movement 4 Shooting Skill Combat 5 Defense 4
Charisma Leader Tenacious
Life Points 12 Faith 3 Command 5
Converts
of the
Lord
Active • 1 Permanent CMD• Unique Allied troopers with a FTH of 1 or more get a PR bonus equal to their FTH until the end of the turn.
K iss
of the
Lord
Free • 1 Permanent CMD• Unique Vargas recovers a number of LP equal to twice his FTH.
Vae
soli
Vae
victis
Long Sword Slashing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
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4 3
Protection 2
All the Christian models in Vargas’ company are considered to be Christian (Papist) instead of the religion keyword written on their stat cards. This Order takes effect as soon as the company is created, as if the modification is printed on the cards.
Bastion
3
Unique 40 Base : Regular
3 2
FactionS
Baptiste Valombre, Scholar Adventurer Officer Human Male Agnostic Mentalist 4 Movement 3
4 Shooting Skill 3
6 Combat 5
4 Defense 3
3
Protection
12 Life Points 2
0 Faith 0
4 Command
Base : Regular
The place radiated a terrible heat. Over more than two hundred fathoms, the icy desolation was replaced by a stretch of rocky desert, dotted with one-eyed faces carved in stone. The devilish wind that tore across the icy plain hit an invisible frontier. When it came into contact with this bubble of heat, the wind would send the «dome» crackling with thousands of burning red sparks. The fiery cinders floated down, tumbling slowly to the snow-covered ground below, like dying fireflies shot down from the skies. Gathered around a rocky outcrop, a small group had formed. Noble gentlemen from the world Above, finding their lives boring, came to discover the Underworld on curious exploration trips. Their guide was Baptiste Valombre, and he looked quite the sight with his dark mane of hair. He wore an unusual suit of armor and carried a pistol of equal strangeness. Disturbingly he was followed by a small demon with a sly look in his eyes. The demon carried a great heap of objects that seemed quite useless to the untrained eye. His eyes sparkling with unmatched mischief and confidence while Valombre radiated an elusive air of control. The discovery of Hell had created a time for the most virulent debates. But in this land where an invisible Devil ruled all, blasphemy was a common thing. This was a place for new men, men such as Baptiste Valombre; an adventurer, an explorer and a man of learning. He represented what men will become. He was a man freed from the Divine, freed from the fear of Above and Below. Hark to what will be said here. Read my notes, copy them and have them read by all the trustworthy men you meet. A new era is born, let us take care to build it for ourselves this time! «God? Which God are we talking about, my Lords? Do not think I am insensitive to your beliefs, but please, keep your God for up there, and let men take their Destiny into their own hands. Abandon your old pre-conceived ideas straight away, and take a little time to consider the situation. All our lives we have been taught to submit our wills to that of some divine character, in exchange for a hypothetical paradise. Where has this led us? Today we are walking through Hell. A promise of heaven was made, but in the end the only road we found was that of damnation. Have you asked yourselves, gentlemen, why these doors have opened? I was in Magdeburg, the day it happened. I saw with my own eyes the madness of Men. I was the first to descend, with my feet in the mud. All around me was a world filled with endless mysteries.» «Do you not believe this is a test set for us by the Almighty, monsieur Valombre?» croaked Muller, a grim merchant from Nuremberg, recently transformed into a slave-merchant. «Ah, the celestial trial is such a pleasant idea!» relied Baptiste, «However, I am afraid that our descent to the Underworld is simply a matter of chance, at the best.» «In that case, how can you explain this sudden opening of the Gates? If not by the will of God it makes no sense!» cried Solana, a Spanish nobleman, sweating profusely in his blue brocade doublet. Baptiste scanned the assembled men with the eye of a hawk, his lower lip barely holding back a hungry grin. «My Lords, is it not more important that we first seek what we are going to do with these lands?» Valombre said, with a theatrical sweep of his arm. «It could be said that the only limits we face here are our imaginations and our... appetite. A new age is upon us. The time for conscious and free men is here. Once we are rid of the burden of the Divine, the moment will come to also rid ourselves of our primal fears and all the irrational superstitions. What infinite opportunities do these seemingly deserted expanses offer us! Poor men can become rich, old men can become immortal, those who search can find a thousand more questions for each riddle they solve.
Defensive Combat Immunity ( , , Man-at-Arms Scout Strider
fire cold poison)
Orders
Special A mmunition Passive • 1 CMD If Baptiste shoots during this activation, the shot will be affected by one of the following modifiers, which must be chosen before choosing a target: Baptiste’s Experimental Pistol gets +3 Range; Baptiste gains Natural Talent; The target suffers Consumed (Fire • 2/1), in addition to its normal damage, when Baptiste scores 3 or more hits. This order can be given more than once per turn, but each option may only be chosen one time when a shot is taken.
Vae
soli
Vae
victis
Aura
Do you believe you’ll live forever? Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius • Allies Other allied units within this aura’s area of effect get +1 CBT, and -1FTH. Experimental Pistol Hits Damage Piercing 1 1 Ammunition 6 2 3 Penetrating Strike 3 4 Range 4 4 6 5 8
Unique
55
82
Jagged Sword & Spiked Gauntlet Blunt Slashing
Hits Damage 1 3 2 4 3 6 4 8 5 10
The westernerS Below, everything is possible, the better like the worse. Once we no longer bear the yoke of religion or condition, the only men left here are ambitious men or dreamers. I am here to understand, gentlemen, to understand so I can learn, to learn so I can «dominate». What a fabulous land for research we have discovered here! Science, history, geography, we can learn anything in this place. Although this may disappoint you, you are not the first men to tread the paths of Hell. Take a closer look at these antique Greek letters, there, carved into the rock. Give thanks to the sheik Abd al Budrun for his authorization to travel through his lands. For we are in a Saracen protectorate here. No, do not be alarmed...» «But what profit could we possible reap from turning our backs on religion and forgetting that which we hold most dear?» interrupted Muller, giving him a black look. «I was expecting that question, Herr Müller, and therefore it will be easy for me to answer it. The key to our success lies in knowledge. It is this knowledge that will bring us a prosperity that you can hardly dream of, my Lords.» «Prosperity? Knowledge? What the hell? What on Earth are you talking about!» cried Solana, finally interested. «Unbelievable riches, and knowledge is the key to them! The Underworld is littered with places where relics of times forgotten can be found. These impious relics are coded and protected by dark enchantments. But once you have mastered this obscure coding, you will gain access to knowledge that few men can conceive. Death often prowls around these artifacts, or «messages» as the case may be. The price to pay is quite reasonable. Who would want to live forever in any case? Imagine discovering the secret of changing lead into gold, knowing the secret word of power that can seduce and possess the woman of your wildest desires. You can also imagine binding animals or men to metal and so many more things. So many challenges lie before men like ourselves, and some have already succeeded! I have just mentioned to you the power of transmutation, and in fact...»
Base : Regular
Conversation with Baptiste Valombre reported by the late Martin Hoch, salesman of Mecklembourg, burned for heresy.
Unique
Sir Valet, Servant «Okay, so I’m in the service of a human. Sure I’m ashamed of it, but hey, that’s life, you make do with what you can get! A short, squishy little coward like myself, all I can do is bite my own tail and wait for better days! What’s worse is I’m a jinx, too, yessir, ye have no idea! When M’lord Baptiste says «This don’t look good», you can bet things are gonna get real bad! Dunno why, but that’s just the way things have been since I’ve been a demon. M’lord Baptiste ain’t bad as humans goes. He’s saved my sorry skin many a time in the past. I think he really quite likes me. Yeah I know, that’s not good for a demon, but hey, I’m already a walking disgrace, so I might as well go all the way! I’m the kind of demon who wallows in shame. The first time he saved my arse was the day I met a «Greedy Guts» who wanted to swallow me down in one gulp! He gave the lump a belly full of steel instead so I felt I should make it up to the guy. You know, follow him for the rest of his life, wherever he goes, even to all four corners of Hell. See, I’m not so daft, the life of a mortal to save my own mangy hide, you’ve gotta admit it’s an honest trade. And you know, when you look at how M’lord Baptiste behaves, I’m guessing I’ll be free again any time now, what with both the clergy and the Demons having it out for him, he’ll soon end up as a barbecue or a bonfire. So ye see, I’m carrying around all his tools, his finds and trinkets. I’m a right mule! I’m a scout too for him if needs be, and if M’lord is in a spot o’trouble, he can just swap places with me instantly. Sure, I get a pounding when that happens, but hey, it’s all part of the job. Hang on. I think I can see my master. Oh, gotta go, I can see him coming. Crap, he’s not alone, got a dozen soldiers on his tail. Got to run, damn it, I’m gonna end up in a pulp!! Sir Valet, two broken teeth and a black eye during the skirmish.
Order
A llow Me, Sir Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique Sir Valet immediately switches places with Baptiste Valombre.
Aura
Things aren’t looking good Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius Units within the area of effect of this aura get -1 CBT.
0
Independent Demon Asexual Unbeliever Mentalist Movement 8
Elusive Harmless Invulnerable Insignificant Maverick Strider
Shooting Skill Combat Defense 6 Protection 1 Life Points 2 Faith Command -
83
Associated (Baptiste Valombre)
FactionS
84
The WesternerS
Vincenzo Maculano de Fiorenzuola, Commissioner General of the Inquisition
The heat thrown off by the cross-shaped branding iron distorted the air around it as it was drawn from the fire. The site of this always made Vincenzo introspective. The fact that the underworld had so much in common with the world above was unsurprising to Vincenzo and seemed to speak volumes about the lord’s plan. The laws of time and motion seemed to work as they did above, only breaking down in certain areas of Hell. What did constantly take him aback was the behavior of his fellow men when confronted with such a place. Hell’s very existence was an affirmation of faith, and Vincenzo had hoped that it would bring about a change in mankind’s behavior that would make his role as an inquisitor obsolete. Alas, it was not to be. In fact he had been sent hence to look into reports of malignant influences at work on the people of New Jerusalem. When he arrived he found a place with even more blasphemy, heresy, and sin than the world above. Unlike the heathens propagating such filth his faith wasn’t shaken by the hellish scenes he had seen since arriving on the docks of the portal. His faith and conviction grew with the certainty that he did the will of his Lord. While Hell was a terrible place, for that was its nature, how could they be surprised? This made it even more important that the weak be brought back to the light and given a chance to repent before being sent along on their eternal journey. These comfortable musings played through Vincenzo’s mind as he crossed from the ember filled brazier back to the bound wretch at the middle of the cell, the cross-shaped branding iron carried in front of him as though to light his way. Vincenzo’s full attention was once again centered on the prisoner. How distasteful his holy duties where, unfortunately with the revelation of hell’s undeniable reality, they were now more necessary than ever. “You have been found guilty of heresy. If you confess, then there is no need for me to persuade you to unburden your soul.” All Vincenzo received as a reply was a brooding, seething stare from the mercenary that had been in his employ up until the day before. “You do not wish to recant the vile heresies I heard you utter to your compatriots in my company? Wouldn’t it do you good to let sin out and embrace our Lord with open arms?” Again no response was forthcoming. Long Sword “I see. Well, it is my duty to facilitate your repentance my friend.” With these words Vincenzo calmly brought the iron to the prisoner’s forehead, and the Slashing screaming began in earnest.
“Let it out brother, let the sin out … “
Orders
Officer Human Male Christian (papist) Mentalist Movement 4 Shooting Skill Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
M anus Dei Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Until the end of the turn, whenever a non-papist unit takes damage during a close combat, the damage is increased by the FTH of that unit, with a minimum increase of 1. This increase will even affect Invulnerable units. M ark of the Faithful Free • 1 CMD Target Papist unit becomes Brave until the end of the turn. This order can only be given once per action phase. M ark of the Heretic Special • Unique After both companies have been deployed but before the start of the game, choose an enemy independent or trooper. The chosen unit is marked as a heretic for the rest of the game. While marked as a heretic a unit gets +1 CBT, Uncontrollable, and Cursed 1. Papist units get +2 CBT when fighting the marked unit and +1 MVT if this extra MVT would allow the papist unit to contact the unit marked as a heretic. If the unit marked as a heretic is killed during a melee, then the unit that killed it will become marked as a heretic. Vae soli Vae victis
Combat 4 Defense 4 Protection 2 Life Points 11 Faith 4 Command 4
Charisma 2 Immunity (Change of State)
Leader
Aura
God’s Coat Permanent • 1 Fathom Radius • Papists (Immune) While any non-Papist unit is within the area of effect of this aura, they suffer the effects of Stunned.
85
55
Unique Base : Regular
FactionS
Georg von Holbein, Margrave Officer Human Male Christian
(papist)
Arch-Enemy ( Chaotic Charge Charisma Elusive Fury Terror
I am struck by fear with the mere thought of my commander, Georg Von Holbein. In spite of our pious prayers, the darkness of Hell seems to have seeped into our hearts, its thousand shadowy facets creeping into our souls. Five years ago, I signed up to join the margrave, on personal recommendation of Maximilian of Bavaria. Von Holbein led his own armed forces, the Black Eagles, a proud company of cuirassiers from Styria. We plowed through the ranks of the Protestant armies with our furious charges. With our pistols, we would shoot down the first line of pike men then we would slash on through their ranks like a tidal bore running up the mouth of a river. The sound of our swords was like the slicing of a butcher’s knife through a piece of meat. Nothing seemed able to stop our progression. One day in May, the gates of Hell itself were opened to us, supreme glory was within our grasp... and so was eternal damnation! None of the armies of the damned should have been able to stop us. We trampled them merrily. Oh how we laughed at their pathetic squeaking, or at the sight of their feeble bodies shaking convulsively. No demon would be allowed to rest while the eaglets of the Holbein margrave walked these lands. But the Saracens were soon to put an end to that sweet dream. It was our commander’s rashness that was to cause our downfall. A Saracen army barred our route. A quick discussion revealed that they were not openly hostile towards us. However, the path was forbidden to us, for the safety of our souls, so they said. Holbein’s temper exploded! He assembled the cavalry and ordered them to charge. The Moors were well organized and our troops fell, one by one. The margrave made it through their lines, hollering menacingly, and disappeared into the distance. I sounded a retreat. There were only ten of us left, galloping away across the dusty plain. Shortly after, I joined the newly created units of doppelsöldners. When Holbein resurfaced forty days later he was deeply transformed. He was wearing a strangely crafted suit of armor that he declared he had forged with his own hands under the Lord’s instructions! God, he said, had assigned him a new quest; to boot the infidels out of Hell. The engraved armor was as dark as a moonless night, and behind the visor of his helm, I could feel the fire of his stare. Since that day, no-one has seen him without his helm or his armor. Our missions became stranger and stranger. We were now officially hunting the Saracens. We would attack on sight. The Moors were rather discreet, but Holbein seemed to be able to sniff them out. Inside his tent, he personally undertook to «question» the survivors. I can still hear their pleas for mercy, the guttural screams of our commander sounded almost like an animal! He would spit out psalms from the Bible like one possessed. The next day we moved on. And that is when I saw it all. The dismembered bodies, hurriedly buried in shallow graves, the frozen expressions of horror on their bruised skulls. A dozen ravaged, chopped up bodies were piled up on top of each other. Wolfgang, his personal page, told me still horrified, that his master had drunk the blood of his victims before his very eyes. Then he had ordered him to recite the Apocalypse according to Saint John. I hope that all this is just a young boy’s cheeky lie. However my instinct tells me that the young Rhenish boy is telling the truth.
Base : Extra Large ) 2 Unique
saracens
70 6 Movement 5
7
6
Shooting Skill Combat
4 Defense 3
4 Protection 12 Life Points 4
3
2
Faith
5 Command
Lieutenant Sauer, doppelsöldner
Orders
Glory to the First Passive • 3 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique Once Georg has resolved his activation, but before it becomes your opponent’s activation, activate each of your waiting units one at a time. Once all of your units have been activated, then your opponent may activate a unit. You choose the order that your waiting units are activated in ignoring any effects that might otherwise affect this (EG Slowed, etc...). Moment of Grace Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique Georg gets Rapid Strike (Defense) during the next Two-Handed Sword Hits Damage combat sequence he is involved in this game. Slashing 1 3 V ae soli Vae victis Penetrating Strike 2 5 Georg may spend up to 3 CMD on Vae Victis if you 3 7 choose. This works in the same way as spending 1 or 2 4 9 CMD on the order, giving +3 to either SHS or CBT if you 5 11 spend 3 CMD.
The westernerS
Aidan Saint James, Sergeant Upon a broken plateau of Kohut, with no shelter from the bite of the corrosive winds, an old, blood-covered soldier kneels in front of a hastily dug tomb. Tears run down his cheeks, his mustache is sticky with dried blood, and he is covered in dark, dank dust. Only by his sharp blue, tear-filled eyes, his iron helm, and his weapons can he be told apart from one of the damned ones who live on this bleak land. The wind whistles in long wails, as if to accompany the torment of the kneeling man. With a shaking hand he slips a piece of paper between two large stones. Then he etches a name, a surname, a date... «Saint James, Francis, my brother in arms. I knew you as a youth, a fifteen-year-old still fresh from your Northumbrian countryside. I’ve watched you cry, watched you grow up, watched you harden yourself by fire and iron. For over ten years you have followed me over all the battlefields where the wise don’t wish to tread. You have killed, gutted, and pillaged but you always remained respectful towards the defeated. You were a freak, a noble idiot who refused to profit from the weak and the poor. A commoner with a noble heart, you were. A good lad, you know, the kind you’d like to introduce to your daughter... if she hasn’t already been killed, of course. A nameless damned one decided on your fate, Francis my boy. God did not come down to help you this time. You were the last bastard in my gang who had been fighting since the White Mountain. The last to remind me that, before this all went mad, I had a life. Your death has ripped a hole in my existence, ten years of struggle, ten years of nothing, just an aftertaste of dead flesh, a taste of nothingness. I am the last mercenary of the 3rd company still standing. And so as to never forget your mugs, you shitheads, I will take your name Francis. Hans becomes Saint James, may well you laugh up there. I already bear the name of the saint who brought you Northumbrians into the light - Saint Aidan - all I needed was another saint’s name to become bullet-proof. My lads, I will drink to your health all night. The black dust I’m breathing in is tearing at my guts. The bottle of Armagnac that I’ll soon be sharing with that cheeky French bastard will probably taste like donkey’s piss. But I will forget all this... for a while. I have been ordered to be chaperon to some new arquebusiers. Tough fellows I’m sure, but they’ll be fresh meat compared to you, Englishman. They aim about as straight as with their first peashooter, but I have a feeling that with a bit of encouragement they’ll be able to load a gun faster than my grandmother. This morning I gave a young smart-arse a piece of encouragement. He got it from the fish-tailed butt of my arquebus. Thanks a lot, Comte de Tilly, for that present. They will learn, in the long run, that following me will keep them alive longer than serving under some softer fellow. And then the Grim Reaper will inevitably sort through them. I will no longer call on the Lord to protect us. God cannot see well down in Hell, he doesn’t recognize his own. Has he ever? I drink to all of you, ghosts of a past now lost forever. May your souls rest in peace. My own torments will end one day, I hope, but you don’t grow old in Hell. Charon refuses to ferry me across. I cannot pay him and so I will continue to fight until a copper coin falls into my hands...»
Independent Human Male Christian (papist) Movement 4
Defensive Shot Tenacious
Shooting Skill 2 Combat 4 Defense 4
Life Points 8 Faith 1 Command 1
Orders
Quick R eload Passive • 1 Permanent CMD Aidan’s arquebus is now fully reloaded. This ability can only be used once per activation. R eload! Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Aidan’s arquebus, and those of his allies, are now fully reloaded.
Arquebus Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Penetrating Strike 2 2 4 Range 8 3 5 Reloading 2 4 7 5 9
87
1 3 3
Protection 2
Aidan Saint James, year 1634 of our Lord, circle of Kohut.
Long Sword Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
3
21
Unique Base : Regular
3 0
FactionS
Alvaro Echeverria de Balaguer, Inquisitor Independent Human Male Christian
(Papist)
Mentalist 4 Movement 3
-
-
Shooting Skill
2 Combat 3
3
4
Defense
2 Protection
As usual, the main square of New Jerusalem was packed full of people. It was a vibrant patchwork of men of all classes and walks of life going about their daily businesses. The wafting smells of the roasting spits mingled with the beastly odors and pestilential breath of hundreds of men speaking or shouting in a dozen different tongues. Then, as if by magic, the noise was silenced. Slowly, like the noises of a forest before the storm hits, the cacophony died out. The colorful, chaotic crowd suddenly appeared to organize and focus itself, slowly, on the center of the square. The deathly silence was only broken by a quiet clinking noise. Two men with weapons and armor were standing guard around a third man. Tall and slender, dressed all in black under a dark but intricately decorated steel armor, the man’s mere presence inspired an awed silence. He held, proudly, above his head, a Crusader’s banner with its immaculate white background. As his piercing gaze swept the crowd, many eyes were lowered in response. The damned slaves huddled closer to their masters, trembling with fear. Here was a highly-ranked inquisitor, sent especially by Rome itself from the world Above to bring its response to the Council of the Six. Standing up on the scaffold of the gallows, with a slight gesture of his right hand in its mighty gauntlet, he began a sermon that the Underworld will not soon forget. «Hear me, good people of all countries in the light of God! Hear the words of a simple servant of the Lord, without finery or ornament! Here I stand before you, humble amongst the humble, and my greatest wish is that all of you gain access to the gates of Heaven. Yes, my good people, it is you that I am speaking to, the people of small means, the lowly and the common. To you, those who have little but who are rich in spirit, to you the penniless, future princes of the Army of the Lord! A new era is coming! The times of petty wars and poverty are over. With your faith, your force and your fury, and with the aid of the Almighty God, the lands of Hell will be ours, the influence of the evil one eradicated! Good people, today is the day you join the legion of the good, following the banners of our Lord, hallowed be his name! Today, I have but one word in my mouth, one thought, one way... Crusade! Crusade! Crusade against the Demons! Crusade against the Saracen menace! The unbelievers are at our gates and they have already invaded a large part of the Underworld. Can you feel them? Can you smell them? In their depravity, they indulge in all kinds of orgies, fornicating with the Demons in the spilled blood of Christian maidens! We shall purify the Underworld, we shall send these infidel dogs, worshipers of Satan, back where they belong! Feel the presence of the Lord! God sees you right now! He looks over you, his sons and daughters. So who will be joining me on this quest? Who will rise to meet their destiny? Who feels worthy of joining the pantheon of holy men, worshiped for their fervor? Let those who feel the calling of the Lord deep in their hearts come to me, let them join me and follow the snapping sound of my banner!» A ray of light made its way through the clouds, illuminating the square with a greenish glow. The crowd exploded. Several women began singing to the glory of God. A good number of the men began assembling around the inquisitor. One by one, they knelt before him, crying, praying. Then he turned and led them out of the city, and following after them, his impressive convoy...
10 Life Points 6
4 Faith
Order
5
Divine Stupor Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unbelievers and units with a FTH 3+ (Immune) • Unique All Troopers within 8 fathoms of Alvaro that aren’t unbelievers and don’t have a FTH greater than 2, become already activated. They can’t be activated this turn anymore. You may choose to spend 4 permanent CMD rather than 2 for this order. If you do, your troopers will not be affected by this order.
2 Command
Fanatic
Base : Regular
Aura
Aura of Fanatacism Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius Inclusive • Papists Papist units within the area of effect of this order get Fanatic.
Unique
26
88
Gonfalon Blunt
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6
The westernerS
Anna Bogna Pavlova, Mess Lady Two workmen, among dozens, sit spending their hard-earned break chatting happily about their task of building a safe-house for the guards in the suburbs of New Jerusalem. The dust flies up, blown by the wind, and finds its way into everything. The passers-by are all wrapped in folds of heavy cloth as they go about their business. An army of ghosts on the move. Their numbers ever growing, shuffling along, raising wafts of scarlet powder. The air is heavy, the air is humid, the air is... parching. Their throats are as dry as the sand, their faces red and wrinkled. «Hey, Raymond, y’ know, ye really picked the wrong time to quit drinking! Last night at the Wolf ’s Head we saw some proper action, the kind ye ain’t never seen the likes of, I swear! Now don’t ye fret, I’ ll be tellin’ ye everything! The place was packed, and the lasses down there were hot as red coals if ye get me drift. Then Johann, he started whipping up a bit of a sing-song with his band o’ bards, it was something I tells ye. Then in comes that Sigismond bloke with his Saxon crew of ruffians. They start pickin’ fights, smackin’ a few ‘eads, y’ know, takin’ a few pennies from those what were scared. Nothin’ all that unusual so far, ye might say... But that’s when the show really got started! Some noble Finlandish chap, all wrapped up in furs walks through the door and behind him was this gigantic thing. And ye’ ll never guess what it was, eh Raymond? T’was a bleedin’ woman! I swear! Fat as a prize pig the day before the fair! And she had a nasty look about her, tight and twisted, like a madam who specializes in old soldiers if ye get me drift. And that ain’t all, no sir! The lady comes with a big nailed club, the kind what’s already seen plenty of action, y’ know? So the bloke in the furs, y’see, he starts a-talkin’ business with old Sigismond, fishy stuff I bet, prob’ ly slave trading the damned! But hey, I ain’t told ye nothin’ ye hear me! At some point, dunno why, it starts getting nasty. Those Saxon types get up and surround the noble bloke, drawn their daggers and coshes and all they had! The fat lass, she don’t move a muscle, but she starts this kind of animal growlin’. Sigismond makes a move forwards, looks like he’s decided to do away with other bloke. And that’s when the gal jumps to her feet, grunting and growling, and with a single swipe of her hand sends her protégé flying out of harm’s reach. Then with a strike of her club she turns one of the Saxons’ heads into a pulp! I don’t mind tellin’ ye, those other blokes, their balls must have been the size of dried peas by then! They was shakin’ like leaves, me friend! Sigismond, ye know what how proud and cocky he is, he butts in and starts circling her. Tried a couple of flash moves, ye know, to try her out, and bam! She goes at him like a bear and splits his noggin in two, straight down the middle with a single blow! Yessir! Well done her, I says! I was right there when it happened and I don’t mind tellin’ ye me boots were far from dry after that, but I must say I admire the gal! Once their leader was gone, those Saxon thugs didn’t hang around. The pricks! Hah! I asked around, the gal’s name is Anna. She’s from the Ukraine, and I heard she fed her Cossack husband to their herd of pigs. She was Tilly’s mess woman, the kind what’ d add a Swedish trooper in the soup if he got too close. I ain’t kiddin’! When yer man Tilly got his hands on one of the enemy scouts he let her play with them until they started talkin’. Well believe me or not but the soldiers had a belly full of fresh meat the next day! She was there at Magdeburg! They say they had to hold her back or she would have taken the whole place apart. That’s one feisty gal, I tells ye! Now, for a small fortune she’ ll watch yer back, follow ye wherever ye go, like a giant puppy-dog. Raymond, hey, Raymond? Godammit, man, wake up, yer eating dust down there! Here, have another sip o’ Hell’s water, it’ ll do ye good! And then ye can go home and fight it out with yer damn wife who don’t want yer to drink no more! Pah, damn women!
Unique
24
Independent Human Female Christian
(Orthodox)
Movement 4 Shooting Skill -
Bodyguard Expertise Healer 3 Terror
Combat 5 Defense 3
Life Points 16
Command -
89
Base : Regular
4 2
Protection 1
Faith 1 Mace Hits Damage Blunt 1 3 Cumbersome 2 5 Eager 3 3 + Stunned Lunge 2 4 9 5 6 + Knocked Down
3
6 0
FactionS
Sister Eloise I must confess, I still don’t really know what happened back there, but the most important is that we’re still alive! And that was far from guaranteed as the situation was looking really bad. I remember... A horde of demons was flooding across the plain, each one uglier than the next. The fortified monastery of Saint Michael was under siege. The Swedish cannoneers were piteously plowing lines of death and destruction through the mass of damned ones. The waves of demons rolled forwards, only to break on the rocks of our arquebus bullets. But more and more of those hideous monsters were making their way into our positions, climbing swiftly up the outer walls. The screams of men being gutted or torn limb from limb, gut-wrenching sounds of torn flesh and guzzling beasts were beyond imagining. The smoke from our weapons was covering the shooting mound. I could just glimpse the upper part of the walls. They were cracked open and blackened in places. By some devilish sorcery the very stones seemed to fall away of their own accord and our stores of supplies burned away with no-one seeming to care. The moat was filling up with the bodies of fallen enemies, creating a ford of flesh and carnage. It looked like our time had come. We all began to pray the Lord’s mercy for our mortal souls. Then the most extraordinary thing happened... The leader of the damned forces was an enormous mound of flesh and scales who oozed some kind of tarry substance. The power of our fort and of our fire was the last shield remaining between us and that horrendous thing. The cannons fell silent one by one. The sound of our guns slowly became less intense. Whole groups of Damned Ones of Wrath were climbing up our walls. And then there was light! A piercing scream echoed across the plain, filling our ears to their limits. The «dominant» demon seemed to fold up as if he was shaken by some kind of spasm. With a terrible sucking sound, he deflated until all that was left of him was a dead, empty, over-stretched skin. Bathed with light, her nudity barely hidden by a drape of fine cloth, a graceful and beautiful silhouette was standing there. Her hand was gripping a strange-looking dagger. She had appeared out of nowhere and had single-handedly dispatched an enemy who, alone, would have assuredly have been able to slay a hundred of our men. The damned ones had stopped dead in their tracks as if horrified by the loss of their leader. The woman turned to face us, raising her arms as if in worship. Her eyes glowed bright in the semi-darkness, her voice seemed to carry over a half-league, her tone pure and icy... «Soldiers of our Lord, your task is only just beginning. You must rid this newly consecrated plain of this demonic spawn for such is your duty. The Lord speaks with my voice, he watches you at this very moment. May His enemies and those of His envoy to this earth perish at my own hand. For such is His implacable justice!» We barely had time to blink and she was gone as if all this had been nothing but a dream. The remains of the dying demon were still shaking with spasms. Our hearts were warmed and now we were in the mood for a fight! An offensive was launched, the armorplated droves of cuirassiers and doppelsöldners finished off the remains of the now struggling pack of infidels. This time around the victory was ours, thanks to her... Thanks to the Lord?
Independent Human Female Christian
(Papist)
Base : Regular Unique
22 5 Movement 4
3
4
Shooting Skill Combat
5 Defense 5
0 Protection 9 Life Points 5
3 -
4
Faith Command
Capitaine de Beaulieu, third report of the Kohut marches addressed to the Council.
Orders
A pparition Passive • 1 or 3 CMD • Unique Eloise isn’t deployed as normal at the beginning of the game. Her first odge activation must be to use this order. While Eloise is still waiting and has lusive not been placed on the battlefield, you don’t have to activate her if you don’t want to. When this order is used Eloise is placed anywhere on the anatic battlefield, not within 5 fathoms of an enemy unit, and not in impassable nsignificant terrain. You may pay 3 CMD to use this order. If you do, Eloise can be placed within 5 fathoms of an enemy unit. Assassination Kriss Hits Damage Passive • 1 Permanent CMD Spiritual Damage 1 2 The next combat sequence targeting a non-trooper unit 2 3 that Eloise is involved in during her activation, is one 3 5 sided in her favor, and she gets a bonus of +5 CBT 4 7 90 during it. This order can only be used once per turn. 5 9
D E F I
4
The westernerS
Sara Zingaresce, Draba Surprising. That is the word I would choose to describe these Christians from «other shores». It has been but a few months since the first of them set foot on infernal soil, and they already count a handful of infernalists in their midst who are able to perform invocations. I will hereby attempt to paint you a faithful portrait of one of these specialists, whose numbers are ever growing. She, for the invoker I am about to describe is indeed a woman, is of the ghajar race, that which the Francs call Tsiganes. Dark and beautiful, like the sky of a moonless night, draped in colorful, ever-moving cloth, she moves through a battle like a falcon through a flock of turtle-doves. The brush strokes of my tale could well lead you to think that this vixen is a delicate rose from the very gardens of Samarkand. The truth of the matter is quite different. The whore is as dangerous as a female panther protecting its young. Using cunning spells, she can invoke lemures as if she had been born in the mud of these dark lands. My friend, once I have told you the story of my misadventures with this witch, you will no longer feel like smiling. I was leading a small group of men, mainly Blessed Warriors, on a mission to the tomb of Rashid-Ad-Din. This great man, a master of art and science, fell during one of his research voyages over three hundred years ago now. My scouts had informed me of the progression of a «column» of scavenging Christians who were heading towards the mausoleum. I posted my troops in a line, hidden by the crest of a rocky hilltop. My pure ones charged with all their fury and many a war-cry through a rain of fire sent forth by those profaning dogs. Although our losses were heavy our forces moved forward, unstoppable, bearing the fury of Allah down on the heart of the enemy’s army. And then everything went wrong. A lemure with the head of a dog exploded in the midst of our wave of metal and screams. Several of my Mamluks were killed, screaming with pain. I can still hear their pleas, still see their charred bodies, and still smell the odor of their burning flesh. May Allah the Merciful be praised for granting me his protection that day! Battle was a facetious djinn with an ever-changing face. In spite of our fervor, their superior numbers and Shaytan’s obvious support for their deeds was too much for us. The wisest decision then was to sound the retreat. I ordered the signal to be given. To my amazement, several of my men did not respond. Like a treacherous siren to a sailor, the witch was luring the Blessed Warriors to meet their destiny. She summoned up seas of fire between herself and them. My faithful soldiers continued to advance and were burned alive, with a frozen smile on their lips! We received backup soon after that, but the damage was already done and the remains of Rashid scattered far and wide. We captured a few scavengers who had remained behind and I learned the name of the devilish female who had cost us so many lives. Sara Zingaresce, daughter of a land named Moravia. I swear to you Moses, my trusted friend, that I will not rest until I have proudly placed her head on a spike, may Allah be my witness!
Independent Human Female Satanist Mentalist Infernalist 1/2 Movement 5 Shooting Skill -
Dodge 2 Expertise Runaway
Combat 2 Defense 5
Faith 0 Command -
Aura
Attraction Aura Temporary • Passive • 3 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Males Male enemy units within the area of effect of this aura treat Sara as if she had Attraction 3.
Spells
Explosion Vanished This spell creates an Explosion (Fire • 4/2) centered on the lemure. Conflagration Vanished This spell creates a circular element of terrain with a 3 fathom radius centered on the lemure that lasts 3 turns. This element is Radiant (Consumed (Fire • 3/3)) and completely Opaque.
Magic Dusts Hits Damage Inhalation 1 Consumed (Fire • 1/3) 2 Consumed (Fire • 1/3) 3 Knocked Down 4 Consumed (Fire • 2/3) 5 Consumed (Fire • 2/3)
91
23
1 4
Protection 0 Life Points 8
Letter from sheik Abu Abd al Ramelun to the kabbalist et philosopher Moses ben Ephraïm.
4
Unique Base : Regular
4 0
FactionS
Swashbuckler Independent Human Male Christian
(Papist)
5 Movement 4
3
2
Shooting Skill
6 Combat 5
5 Defense 4
0 Protection 12 Life Points 4
0 Faith 0
1
So, my German friend, you want to know more about my past? You seem quite concerned about the true reasons that drove me to this infernal mission. Well, my dear fellow, I must first inform you that I would never have left my dear country if I had not found myself in a somewhat prickly situation with the wife of one of the powerful lords of the world Above. Ah, women! Their entrancing perfumes, their words of honey, their silky skin. Unfortunately, those sweet young ladies have the mischievous habit of acquiring husbands who tend not to be all that keen on sharing their wives’ attentions. Husbands both tired and tiring, great heaps of soft, sagging flesh, who produce a most toxic strain of boredom! Pah, I could sit here for a hundred years trying to explain this to you, but it seems your mind is rather... narrow. Well, then, I shall just explain what it is that pushes young squires from the western world to want to come lose themselves in the back end of the most god-forsaken pits of Hell. Money? Power? Glory? A bit of all those, soldier, but that’s not all. If I was to say a sense of duty, would you believe me? To save all humanity from infernal peril! How many of these petty noblemen, younger sons of good families, are now out walking along the roads? Disinherited by default by simply not being first in line, burning to prove their valor to the whole world! We sold our selves to the German princes during the Germanic wars. Some of us ended up leading regiments, or even whole armies! The eternal bonfire that was the Holy Roman Empire allowed me to accomplish many a martial prowess worthy of song! I have won so many futile duels, dispatched countless gents... During my adventures, I have encountered several dozen of my comrades. Swashbucklers from Brandenburg, Saxony or Bavaria, they all, like myself, had an immoderate taste for alcohol, women and duels. Oh, the countless evenings spent sitting around the fire, drinking, laughing, chasing the ladies and chatting cheerfully about the ups and downs of our lives. Those evenings greatly improved my knowledge of the German tongue, and other pleasant parts of the female German anatomy too! Your female compatriots have such a delicious way of saying no when they mean yes! By joining the companies of the Underworld, these brave swordsmen seized the opportunity to raise their colors up high. Many lost their souls on the way, and I hardly dare to begin telling you of the cohorts of those who perished. In places where no-one can cry for them, many a noble adventurer must lie. Curses! I would pay dearly to know what happened to my good friends, to Melo, Kassel, Beaulieu... You don’t seem moved by all this, Teuton, well, I am hardly surprised. You will see when it is your turn to dance with the Demons. When what you are fighting for is so much more than your own miserable existence and when your own soul becomes your best weapon, then you will understand. I myself fully understand it now. The Lord guides my hand along all the dark roads of the depths of Hell. Beyond the devilish glow of the paths of damnation, I brave death with my blade held high, and may my hand never falter. Down here, among the volcanic rubble and the mephistophelian fumes, I carve my own route with thrust and parry, my mind as hard as a rock, my resolve as tough as Toledo steel. I lunge, I skewer, I chop through the demon ranks by the dozen. The dust flies up around me. I turn, I dodge, I can feel the heat of the flames below me, the pestilential spittle of the Wrath Demon I am fighting. I... I... I seem to have let my story get the better of me. Please accept my apologies, my German friend, don’t let me scare you. You must understand the exaltation of combat, the thirst for blood. What is it? You not hear what I say? I promise tomorrow I will talk to you in signs!
Command
Order
The Lord Guides my Hand Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Until the end of the game, the Swashbuckler gets +1 MVT, +2 SHS, +2 CBT, and +2 FTH.
Charisma Defensive Shot Elusive Man-at-arms
Pistol Hits Damage Piercing 1 1 Penetrating Strike 2 3 Range 3 3 4 Reloading 2 4 6 5 8
Limited 3
31
Base : Regular
Long Sword Slashing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 + Stunned 5 9
The westernerS
Missionary His Holiness, pope Urban VIII, bishop in the service of the servants of the Lord, vicar of Jesus Christ on Earth, to the eminent members of the Council of the Six Powers, protectors of Hell.
Base : Regular
In response to the menace that arises from Hell and to take preventive action against the spread of demonkind to our world, our second decision will be to send out to all four corners of the lands Below representatives of our most devoted and faithful orders. Our priests, representatives of the Holy Catholic Church and of their own respective orders, have been selected for their devotion and loyalty, the strength of their soul, and for their strong determination. They are all, without exception, scholars of the occult sciences, trained in the art of exorcism, inquisition techniques and decryption of the wiles of the Devil. As well as wise counselors, you will find them to be full of resources and men of good will. They will be able to exalt your men’s ardor, to fight against demonic corruption, and to bring the grace of our Lord to those in need, wounded or dying. You will soon come to appreciate, dear Christian lords, the zealousness and the skills of your humble servants. We wish to assure you that, in spite of the slight disagreements between us, we do not intend to leave the lambs of our Lord without shepherds. So we have spoken. So may it be. Urban VIII, Bishop of the Catholic Church. Dearly beloved brethren, His Holiness Urban VIII, in accordance with the dispositions laid down at the secret council of Ravenna, has decided to send missionaries from all the ecclesiastic orders to the captains of the Infernal Expeditionary Corps. Using the excuse of our support in this matter, our brothers are to gather and compile as much information as possible about the lands below and their inhabitants. As you well know, the Church has been completely excluded from this aberrational colonization. Outbreaks of heresy have been reported wherever our presence is anything short of massive and this in spite of the increasingly rapid erection of places of worship to the glory of our Lord. Already the Devil’s presence is manifest, as he seduces and corrupts men of influence, the keystones of power. The corrupted must be detected, sorted and eliminated by our agents posted Below. This task will be long, unpleasant and offers no other reward than that of serving the divine cause. Once Below, our missionaries will find an established network of friendly contacts, with views similar to our own, although they are not fully informed of the ends nor the means of our mission. These allies will be able to provide our men with all the support they will need in their everyday life. Do not forget, brethren, that the secrecy of this mission is at least as important as having a rock-hard belief. Once all the elements are set in place, our men of good will lead this ambitious plan to its conclusion. Then will come the time for us to fully engage our crusade against this heresy. This crusade will be bloody, brief and merciless.
Limited 3
25
Independent Human Male Christian
Letter from Grand Inquisitor Javier de Cordoba to several high members of the secular and regular clergy of the Catholic Church.
Order
(Papist)
Mentalist
The Lord is my Shield Passive • 1 CMD The missionary and all allied units are immune to Terror and Terrifying until the end of the turn.
Auras
Movement 4 (Demons
Arch-Enemy &D O ) 2 Fanatic amned
nes
Aura of Fear Temporary • Active • 6 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Christians (Immune) Non-Christian units within the area of effect of this aura suffer a penalty of -1 CBT. Aura of Power Temporary • Passive • 6 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Christian Christian units within the area of effect of this aura will score an additional hit during any close combat sequence that they score at least one hit in. Aura of Healing Censer Hits Damage Temporary • Passive • 6 Fathom Radius • Instant • Christian (Papists) Blunt 1 2 Christian (Papist) units within the area of effect of this aura 2 Stunned recover LP equal to their FTH. This aura can only 3 4 be used once per turn. 4 5
93
5 6
Shooting Skill Combat 3 Defense 3
3 4 4
Protection 2 Life Points 9 Faith 3 Command 1
6 4
FactionS
Arquebuser Dear Mother,
Trooper Human Male Christian
(Papist)
Base : Regular Unlimited
My company has sought shelter in the depths of a ravine in the middle of a desolate plateau. All day long the hordes of heretics have harassed our every position and their fury has cost us a third of our men. A foul stench was whistling between the red rocks of the gorge. Blood seemed to seep from the very walls, worn down by the continuous corrosive winds. The crest of the rock wall was so sharp and so full of evil that its touch alone was enough to turn poor Gunthar into a convulsing puddle. There are only five of us arquebusiers still alive in our scouting group. The Captain has given us orders to hold this gully, whatever it may take, as it is the only viable passage over land. The rest of the troops are fortifying their positions, waiting for an improbable wave of reinforcements. In the distance, the unnaturally high-pitched cries of unspeakable creatures mingle with the moaning of the wind. One by one we fell. Sergeant Becker was the first to go, his head sliced clean off by the throwing disc of a lizard-man. Of our group of ten, only five of us are still standing. Boulanger, the Frenchman, ever the joker; Castellano the Florentine, always a steady shot; Fritz, a Brandenburger with a big mouth, a bushy beard and a missing left ear; Mac Cullough, the Scotsman, now our sergeant of fortune; and myself, Hertzog, ex-student. Scattered around our makeshift camp, shaking more with fear than with cold, we await the end of our existence with no hope of rescue... We eat our last supper, the last meal of the condemned. The meat tastes like carrion, the bread is as hard as a rock. I can hear the long screams of agony from our comrades, captured by the enemy. Piercing cries erupt into the night. The screams are long, so long! I try to block my ears but to no avail, nothing I can do will make them stop. As the Lord is my witness, we will not fall without a fight, for our dead, for ourselves, by the Grace of God and with all the might of our arquebus arsenal! The arquebus is often ill-adapted to the lightning strikes that this demonic spawn has confronted us with. The weapon is useless at distances of over ten fathoms. What’s more its matchlock system is truly terrible. Firing one of these things with a lizard-man bearing down on you is a true test of a man’s stamina, and you still have to reload even if you do succeed. Let us not forget that this weapon is only truly efficient when used in the Swedish fashion, in sharp and disciplined waves of fire. The Captain has promised we will soon have new models, with a flintlock system and paper cartridges, but I’m not getting my hopes up too high. Still, in spite of its many flaws, any old fellow with minimum training can fire it. How great are the armies of peasants who have become warriors thanks to the magic of firearms! Oh Mother, if you could only see what a spectacle it is when an army fires a thousand arquebuses at once! What a feeling of invincibility to see the enemy ranks reaped like a field of corn, or to see those pedantic cuirassiers stopped dead in their tracks. Invincible, indeed... I will have to stop writing as I can hear the pack approaching. We will not be able to resist them for long this time, but we will fight. Kiss little Uwe for me, and Father too, tell him I forgive him, and that he may well have been right. My ammunition belt is almost bare, the battle will end in close combat. I can hear their monstrous claws crunching against the rocks and the sand and I can smell the foul stench of their drool. Castellano has taken a shot and hit his target, I can hear a cry of pain, dear Lord have mercy, they are coming... Fragment of a letter attributed to soldier Hertzog, reported missing in the heart of the circle of Kohut.
12
4 Movement 3
2 Shooting Skill
Arquebus Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Penetrating Strike 2 2 4 Range 8 3 5 Reloading 2 4 7 5 9
1
3 3
2 2
Combat Defense
Tenacious Trained Gunman
2 Protection 4 Life Points 1
1 -
0
Faith Command
94
Long Sword Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The westernerS
Doppelsöldner Dear Albrecht, It has been a while now since we embarked on this insane adventure. Wherever you look our armies are making progress, our settlers are building, the resources of the lands Below are well used. Our voyage is unpleasant, in the dust and the rubble of a world of folly ruled by Evil. Little by little, as we wander down here, I have used the little spare time I can get to begin to analyze our situation. New Jerusalem seems to be the eye of the cyclone. It is a nexus, a pole of stability in the very middle of a furious sea. The further we go into the circle of Kohut, the more the surrounding lands become desolate, inhospitable, even hostile. The ground where we tread can sometimes be quite unstable. Unspeakable creatures come in the dark of night and take men from our camp. I will not speak of the incandescent whirlwinds, as treacherous as they are sudden, or the acid mists that eat away our very lungs. At times the sky disappears and we enter gigantic caverns where the light of our lamps merely flicker where they should shine brightly. My principal source of concern today is the growing organization of the demonic resistance. Day by day, their defenses are improving. Their fortresses are becoming more impregnable, confronting us with an unsiegeable detour. I can feel the times are changing, feel it throughout my body. I can sense a kind of trap, set by some arch-demon. Our colonization seems more and more like we are rushing forwards to avoid falling over. This is a challenge between the powerful where most of our forces are held together by a mere thread. A fine thread in this desert of darkness. Our lines of supplies are dramatically stretched; this will have to be dealt with. The battles are becoming more and more brutal, closer and closer together. That is where it becomes a problem for us. Although the excellent quality of our firepower is not to be doubted, we are considerably lacking basic troops able to stand up to the challenge. My cuirassiers and I can fend off any attack, but when the battle becomes close combat, the rank and file are sparsely equipped. I would suggest, Albrecht, as have other officers, that we rapidly create regiments of double-paid soldiers kitted out as required by the current situation. As the enemy uses close rather than ranged combat, they should be armor-clad from head to toe. The monstrous creatures we have encountered so far have been of an impressive size. They are often protected by a shell of some kind, of solid blubber or even pieces of armor. Some kind of heavy weaponry should therefore be used. The two-handed sword that the Germans call zweihänder - and the French name espadon - would be a decent option. But the most important thing is the value of the men who will, in time, become the cutting edge of our invasion. What we need these days are men of iron with skins of steel. By putting forward these troops of dopplesöldners, sharp, disciplined and merciless, you will soon become seen to all as the new Maximilian I, father of the Landsknechts. By combining the efficiency of the troops we need to guarantee the success of our war effort with the prestige they will bring you, I dare say that the merchants of Friedland would say you would be making a very wise decision. I have already taken the liberty of finding several trustworthy recruiters. I leave to you the task of finding the funds required to hire your new regiments. But make haste, Albrecht, other leaders of the Council have thoughts along the same lines as myself. They too want to hire heavy infantry troops. It is so hard to find good help nowadays...
Trooper Human Male Christian
(Protestant)
Movement 4
Protective Tenacious Terror Vulnerability ( ) 3 piercing
Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 3
3 3 2
Protection 4 Life Points 7 Faith 2
3 1
Command -
Unlimited
Correspondence from lieutenant-colonel Raimondo Montecuccoli to general Albrecht con Wallenstein.
Two-Handed Sword Slashing Eager Lunge 2
Hits Damage 1 3 2 5 3 6 4 8 5 10
95
18
Base : Regular
FactionS
Grenadier «So, me lad, ye got promoted to grenadier! Congratulations, and welcome to the family. Now, get yer lug-holes wide open, watch me closely and keep yer gob shut! Sure, fat old Wilhelm might not be all that interesting, sonny-jim, but I know the ropes, and if ye tie them all together, ye might just manage to hang in there and not take the great leap before yer time. What leap did’yer say? The one into the unknown of course, the land of a thousand maggots! A grenadier is more than just a soldier. He’s the guy who has one goal, above everything else: chuck that bloody grenade as far rooper away from him as he can before it blows. Ye don’t think. Ye just focus on that one objective. Ye light the fuse: don’t over-do it. Ye aim. Ye throw. Ye get yer arse out of there! Get it? There was a time when we only used to use this method to blow defensive walls to bits. One grenade will make one little hole, uman but fifty will turn a wall into a colander. Then one day, I reckon some bloke from high command got a bit smarter than the rest and figured that what makes holes in buildings could also make holes in damned ones. So they sent down a load of these new grenades to Kohut, and picked some hard-arse soldiers to chuck ‘em. These grenades are made from leaded clay and have a shorter fuse than ale the other. They also project loads o’ shrapnel when they blow. «Gut-slashers», that’s the nickname we’ve given ‘em. Suits ‘em don’t ye think? I’m telling ye, to go fetch a damned one skulking down his hole, there’s nothing better. They’re also great with large numbers. When things are well planned, the cannons weaken the mob, the arquebuses stop the charging troops and we go in and scatter hristian apist them far and wide. Then they send in the foot soldiers to finish things off. Well, ye know, that is just theory, something always goes wrong. In fact ye’d better prepare yourself for the loss o’ one of yer limbs sooner or later. Yep, grenades are fragile things, and not always reliable. But hey, ye can’t win ‘em all, eh lad? Besides, ye’ve got to admit I look really handsome with this bronze hand, eh! ith istol ith luderbuss Now, put on yer breastplate, do ye feel its weight? Yep, it’s heavy alright. But it’s that or ye end up ridden with fever when ye get a «coward’s gash». Ye’re like a snail, me lad, ye depend on yer shell, and if it cracks, well, that’s just too bad for ye. Right, now let’s get ye a weapon: so, pistol or blunderbuss? A pistol if ye’re a crack shot or if ye’re «armless» like me. A blunderbuss if ye feel like doing a ovement 3 3 bit o’ mass murder, bein’ a bit o’ a lord o’ flying flesh... Blunderbuss? Excellent choice lad. Just make sure ye don’t knock any chunks out o’ yer mates, when ye’re on one o’ yer warrior «sprees». The old «sorry, mate, didn’t see ye there», that don’t work ‘round here, see. So, there’s the basics for ye, but let me just go over the creed o’ the grenadiers once more, ye need to know this by heart, son, so pay hooting kill 2 1 attention will ye! Chuck that bloody grenade as far away from ye as possible. Don’t even think. Run, ignore the projectiles falling around ye. ombat Ignore the piercing cries o’ yer dying companions, the noise of the enemy chewing away. Jump from hole to hole, dodge the group 2 2 of damned ones that are in yer way. Select yer target, find it, pull out yer grenade. Grab yer lighter, light yer fuse, shoot that Damned One of Wrath that’s coming to spill yer guts. Run, run faster if ye want to live! Aim, aim well, ye won’t get a second efense chance. Throw yer grenade, then get out o’ there and pray. Await the deliverance o’ the explosion. Now ye can die, for ye 2 2 have fulfilled yer mission. Hey, why the long face, son? Ye might just get a bronze hand yerself one day. Now welcome to the family...»
T
H
M C
(P
W
P
)
W
4
B
4
M
3
S
S
2
3
C
3
3
D
3
2
4 1 -
1 0
Protection
2
Life Points
4
Faith
1
Command
-
With Pistol
1 0
Pistol Hits Damage Piercing 1 1 Penetrating Strike 2 3 Range 3 3 4 Reloading 4 6 5 8 Longsword Slashing
Runaway Tenacious
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
Grenade Explosion (Fire • 4/2) Limited Range 2 Range 2
With Blunderbuss Blunderbuss Impact Blast (Piercing • 4/2) Reloading Longsword Slashing Grenade
Unlimited Base : Regular
15/ 18
96
Explosion (Fire • 4/2) Limited Range 2 Range 2
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The westernerS
Blade
for
Hire
«Indeed, I do admit that they can prove to be useful. Rather like a pack of hounds trained to root out the game from the forest. But like those good beasts, they tend to develop quite an inappropriate taste for blood. Blades for hire, ruffians, assassins, name them as you will, madame, but for the love of God do not compare me to those loud-mouthed half-blades! Their immoderate taste for profit makes them easy to hire. Throw out a few thalers and promises of bounty, and you can march off to war with a few hundred of these fencers. But just wait until the sky becomes cloudy, when a storm comes your way or the damned become a little hardier, and you will be surprised to see how quickly your camp will end up completely deserted. I must however grant them credit on a few points. Their equipment is light and makes them well cut out for scouting missions, providing safety and information for the rest of the troops. Of course, the rascals do sometimes have close encounters with the odd gang of marauding squamata... But what God gives, He can always take back, you know what they say. Aside from the ability to move easily, the main strength of a blade for hire is his talent as a swordsman. Their bodily protection is the simplest there is, a leather jerkin, a coat of mail at the very most. It is most important for them to cause a swift death, parrying and dodging their opponent’s attacks. It seems that indulging in tavern brawls and frequent duels has led them to master a few martial notions. The problem with these men is not really their lack of skills or abilities. No, my dear lady, it is their insistence on creating disruption and their ability to revel in nothing but death and discord, a defect that most certainly results from their lowly origins. During the wars of the Empire, they would take great pleasure in the thieft and torture of anyone who was unfortunate enough to cross their path. One of their culinary delicacies was «Swede soup». Would you like the recipe? Take your finest parchment and your best quill and I shall give it to you, no doubt your head chef will be grateful. First gather one fresh turd from each member of your gang, mix them all together in a bucket and add water or urine to liquefy the mixture. Feed this to your chosen victim, until his belly is swollen and full. Then, once the lucky chap is replete, when he cannot swallow one more drop and his mouth can no longer contain the reflux of his feast, jump up and down on his belly until his gut explodes... Do not hide your disgust behind your handkerchief, madame, I dare you to tell me that noble fighters like myself would lower themselves to such villainous behavior. Baroness, in the name of all the saints looking down on us, where do you think they recruit these assassins these days? It is quite obvious; they are taken from the darkest corners of New Jerusalem! The Council published a decree not long ago. Any armed man, condemned for crimes or felonies, will see his sentence commuted into a forced enrollment into one of the many infernal companies. The attraction of the Underworld is to these blades for hire like a bonfire is to moths. How easy it must be, therefore, to harvest these lost souls by the dozen, so ripe they are for the battlefields! Johann Hartig, the provost of the Protestant quarter, was recently telling me, and barely hiding his joy, that he was very relieved to see so many of his «inmates» traveling far, far away. No, madame, I refuse to be associated in any possible way with these abject beings. I am a noble swashbuckler, who may fight for glory, but who is proud to do so with flair and panache. At the very most, those ruffians are merely a necessary nuisance. But alas Madame, I am your humble servant and at your eternal service...»
Base : Regular
Unlimited
14
Trooper Human Male Christian
(Papist)
Movement 5 Shooting Skill -
Dodge 2 First Contact Fury Rapid Strike ( ) Strider attack
Combat 3 Defense 4
Hits Damage 1 3 2 4 3 6 4 7 5 9
Life Points 5
Command -
97
2 3
Protection 1
Faith 1 Longsword and Dirk Slashing
4
2 0
The demonS
he Demons
bed the social ladder of the spiritual hierarchy? And what of these false titles of nobility over which we Luciferians are continually squabbling? All this is perverse parody of the valley of tears from which we draw inspiration from, the waters of darkness that border our land. Well, there is a simple answer to all these questions: we Demons do not need to know, we need to punish. That is our task. Let them try to discover our secrets, if that is what they desire! Now, back to the tragedy I was speaking of: let us recount the history and present the facts... It is a quest for their origins that the good souls and the occultists came to pursue our knowledge, after their death. This strange vanity has yet to meet its just punishment... Some of them may be in store for a surprise when they go knocking on the doors of the Kingdom Above... Although I have no idea of how it happened, I think that these travelers played an important part in the opening of the gates to the living. Unless Hell itself was just so full of sinners that it finally bust its own gut once and for all... Is there not, in the land of the living, a single pure soul to show them a less painful road to tread? Is vice the only truth they know, that they must come down here to seek their God? In any case, I am adamant about the link between those first god-seeking souls and the war that now rages all the way to the heart of the Nine Irises. The spirit of man has never stopped seeking its own damnation. Their multitude needs neither prophet nor warlord to work together as one towards that goal. Let us consider the example of the most recent arrivals... Before they arrived here, they were slashing each others’ throats for the sake of their souls’ salvation. In fact it was most certainly that which triggered their fall to the Underworld. And now, they fight together surrounded by vice. But my lambs, what use can it be to you, to make Hell an annex of your own kingdom? Do you really find the temperature down here so pleasant?
«As I begin to write these mediocre lines, I realize that we Demons are succumbing to rather unpleasant notions. Angra Mainyou has appointed me as his official chronicler, as if eternal beings needed to leave behind some kind of written legacy as the mortals do. Could it be that their world has such an influence over our own that it can make us forget the very essence of what and who we are? Writing is the sign of temporal reign, it recounts histories and presents facts. That is a habit for mortals; it has no place in our empire. Where could this need to give our own version of events have come from? Could it be that that, now that Hell has been revealed to humankind, our unsavory immortality is subject to doubt? That would truly be the worst of all fates... Admittedly, it may seem to the observer’s eye that - compared to the mortal souls that sometimes travel long distances through our lands - we are but mindless beasts, performing tasks whose meaning has long been forgotten. On the contrary, I like to think that our archdemon has the true vision of where we are heading, and that we Demons are not just dark piles of flesh, wandering the circles with no real purpose. Those few roaming souls, like us, are dead; however they are able to retain the aspect of their living body, their memories and the remembrance of the inheritance they have left behind. They have their own consciousness that they bring with them from the Old World, but they are also able to learn our own customs and use them against us if such is their wish. Les enfers se moquent de ces intrus : ils ne leur The Underworld cares not for retaining these intruders: they do not belong to it, so it lets them venture through Hell as they please. While doing so, they study us and have managed to pierce secrets that we ourselves had never even dreamed existed. And as they do, they reveal us to ourselves, and that in itself may be the beginning of this tragedy. These souls hold up a mirror to our own miserable condition. Do we have a conscious self, a goal, anything that sets us apart from one another, aside from our names? And even that is no certainty. Most of our kind are never even given a name, that is how completely meaningless their existence is. Can I say what happens to the souls of the dead when they become part of our dark home? I do not have the faintest idea... Oh, of course they will become a damned one or a lemure or both, but in which order? And by what unpleasant process? As for myself, am I a Demon, born from the very essence of chaos itself? A former mortal who has clim-
I must admit that, when facing them, our martial skills seem quite rusty. They have caused quite a carnage among the Demons of Kohut, with no more effort than that of a Sunday afternoon stroll. No, there is no reason to hide that disastrous episode. Their contraptions of death have sent many of our number back to the Abyss. It seems that the damned have lost all sense of pride and flirt with the bullets like a fiery young girl playing with her little puppy. We could fish a soul out of Limbo that would quickly give up the secrets of these tools of destruction... But when you have such weaponry, why not set up a workshop on the banks of the Styx and strut about dressed like cheap whores? See how, in just those last few lines, the comparisons to their world are more and more frequent. Taking example from them is most certainly not a good idea,
99
FactionS not the cause of the success of this experiment. There is that ghastly old man who guides their troops and is looking for the Nine Irises. He probably thinks he will find them filled with large breasted virgins. The poor bastard will be stuck with a stiff one for longer than he thinks. How shameful, at his great age, to still have the obsessive sexual appetite of a young shepherd humping a plump village girl. That shrewd old man and his lackeys opened up the portal and entered Hell while they were still alive and have hence escaped the effects of time. They had a rough time at first, sending us offerings of greedy brigands who came by waves and raised the fiefs of Kohut to the ground time and time again, without ever growing tired of this sad form of amusement. The demons who call themselves our lords let them do as they pleased and found the whole thing quite comical... Well, they are no longer laughing, not since the Saracens demolished the fiefs of Ampharaus and are now pushing as far as Aussona. Their ranks are well disciplined, and they are surrounded by a fearful aura of spirituality. They roam around in small groups, therefore covering large areas, and they disappear into the shadows as fast as they jump out, attacking us, using routes that even we Demons don’t know about. Now that is something to worry about. Their desire to find the center of Hell is made quite obvious if one observes their movement. They move forever further inwards, and seem to have no interest in conquering our lands, but simply to gain control of the roads that allow their caravans to transport supplies to their troops. The Saracens have thus managed to slip the minds of our demon lords. They come and go as they please, only reminding us of their existence when, every now and then, they destroy a fief that happened to be in their way. In such a short time (a mere five centuries, who would have thought!), they have managed to blend in as a necessary evil, less of a threat and more a kind of parasite with which we must learn to live. In fact, of all the miserable paupers who come begging at our gates, they are most certainly the most dangerous. Even more so because our recent indigestion of Christians makes a perfect diversion for them! But it is too late now for us to start a military campaign against such small fry... And as we must put up with them, it is more than time we returned the favor to the living. I can’t quite fathom it myself, but it seems that Christians and Muslims hate each other so much that they prefer eternal damnation to any form of diplomacy. We really should find a way to help them eliminate each other once and for all, by blowing on the hot coals of their mutual hatred... Of course, when we speak of the formidable progress of the Saracens into our lands, we are to assume that they succeeded in such a feat on their own. Oh no... They were supported by a handful of traitors who soil our faith by helping them.
unless we Demons want to end up as sweet little choirboys, and our forked tongues barely good enough to lick a bishop’s backside. They have stolen the best bits from us, both in close and ranged combat. And up close they inflict upon us all their Christian charity with the point of their steel; hardly a glorious moment for our troops. What has become of the fearsome legions of Hell? Oh, there they are: lying at the enemy’s feet. Enhancing their opponents’ bravery with their cowardly grimaces and giving them strength for their invasion plans. Not content with providing such feeble resistance, the demon lords were intent on proving to all and sundry just how pinheaded they could be compared to these newcomers. Rather than teaching the arrogant scum a good lesson once and for all, they hired their services to pester rival demons. Once their deed done, the living promptly turned their weapons against their foolish patrons, giving them in turn a tremendous lesson in diplomacy. And what can be said of our Infernal Ambassadors who revealed all too quickly the paths of the damned that lead to Thebes and Ampharaus, effectively the quickest way to lead troops on a widescale invasion. When one bends over and presents ones buttocks, one should not be surprised to wake up with a sore backside As I contemplate the extent of their ingenious trickery, I finally understand why they fit so beautifully, after death, into our tableaux of eternal punishment. Oh, but the complexity of their schemes is hardly a credit to our own artistic talents. They plot paths of action that are sometimes most difficult to follow. We ourselves are merely plagiarizing the works of the masters, and clumsily at that. If there is still any need to clarify the long list of their many virtues, I should now mention the use they make of our damned. Once they have reduced the damned ones to slavery, they are sent to serve in the new Babylon the Westerners have built for themselves. They have managed to make a profit from eternal punishment, by introducing a new torture that had not yet been seen in our lands, and is so much worse than the sum of all those that we have invented so far: work. But I grow tired of talking about these puppets. We will soon see how far the Underworld can shove its turgid member into their tight backsides. Even stranger, and most certainly less showy, those who are called Saracens found a way into our lands many centuries ago, by successfully pulling off an authentic feat of alchemy. Previously, I wrote that the souls of the travelers, feeling independent of and above the rest in Hell, most certainly played a part in the rising numbers of intruders who seem to feel as much at home in the circles of Hell as if they were in their own mother’s kitchen. I must say that I now wonder if one of them was
100
The demonS We leave that to the bigots whose mouths prove to be the perfect echo chamber for our farts. One vision has become clear to our legion: Satan is our Lord, and Hell is his Empire. Yes, this fact may have slipped our mind a little... but our faith never falters. Send a lemure a thousand times to the abyss, and a thousand times he will return to nibble at your toes! After that, we all went back to our own pursuits, some returned to torturing the damned, others to their plotting and petty rivalries. Asaliah, the rebel angel, left to seek out the living. And following in her steps, throughout the circles, the glory of our master is sung. After her visit, other leaders appeared to us. For a start, there is Samael, who was hiding out here Below, Tsilla who has been haunting our pits, but others will come too... Maybe they will be of demon stock, for there are still a few Luciferians in our ranks who are made of captain material. Now comes the awakening. Our anger is pulsing like a putrid spot, and soon its quaking mass of pus will burst in the face of our enemies. Our beautiful angels will be the muses of punishment and of war. In their wake, the demon lords begrudgingly give up small infantry companies to the angels. They are mean and stupid, hanging on to their throne while their fief lies in tatters, as if they were hanging onto the nipple of a slashed breast. But our little kinglets are shaking with fear and would not dare to refuse to pay their tribute. Let us not heed their cowardice! Soon enough they will be sent back to the abyss to pay for their idiocy, and we will crush the infidels under hoof, for nothing will be able to withstand our glory. Thus, organized in small companies, our Luciferian troops await the strict command of our demon beauty. First, we must count in a few of those shapeless lazy bastards, completely useless for anything other than harassing the enemy’s arse, a position in which they excel as sword-fodder. Meanwhile, the Damned Ones of Wrath will be dealing out pain and misery, with the help of our horned ones, their tongues as quick and strong as their claws. And to complete our martial portrait, we will quite probably find a succubus on our way, to provide some groaning flesh and whip up an orgy of virile moaning. This is the basis for Asaliah’s tactics when she leaves on campaign. These detachments should hold their positions, ready to follow their divine muse. They are warned: they must not move except upon a direct order from their superior officer, they must wait for her to come. Indeed, who can tell what crazy ideas might come into their heads along the way if they are left to their own devices? And without a leader, if they were unfortunate enough to stumble upon the enemy, it would be yet another defeat to add to the long and painful chapter of our best thrashings.
Though I will name them now, it is to better forget them from here on. I speak of the Lost and the name is all I will speak , so futile is their very existence. Do not seek to know more or you will reap the wrath of the archdemons. I have already said, and I will repeat it as often as necessary, so far our performance has been perfectly mediocre. Admittedly, the Christians have some particularly sophisticated weapons of destruction, and the Muslims are guided and protected by ancient spirits. But is that any reason to let them ride us like cheap whores? The Underworld has the best swordsmen, for ours have indeed been waging war since the dawn of time... Be they dark knights who fell on the fields of pride, lawless assassins who hide among the rank and file, pagan barbarians driven by the rush of carnage, or great warriors built for destruction, who could resist such a hurricane of blades? We have horned ones who are much older still and who, in the heart of the struggle, feel as good as if they were babies drinking greedily from a giant teat. We have macabre heralds who create panic and confusion, servile souls that vomit curse upon curse, and even skinned vixens who could make a saint’s blood boil with a single flick of their hips. So, champions of Hell, how do you explain that these strangers have given you such a spanking? Have you developed such a taste for the enemy’s spiked plank that you bend over and stick your arse out for? No, what we are lacking is the presence of true warlords to truly lead the armies to victory. From the very beginning we have wandered in packs. We chase the souls of the dead, we drag them back to the lands of our lords, and we ensure they receive their punishment. We treacherously attack our neighbors, infinitely dividing our forces with many a puny carnage and therefore working with great conviction against any possible notion of unity, because we don’t care about it. This place has always been known as the Underworld, for it is not just a country, it is truly a vast world of its own. There is not just the one people living under one rule but several, and each one lives according to its own customs. So what? Is there really a High One up there who lets us do his dirty work, while our ungrateful masters watch over us? Hardly likely... But there is an angel, an angel who came to us. His purity is beyond a doubt; however, anyone can see he is rebelling. Like a crystal that, naturally, turns purple when it reaches maturity. Upon his coming, a dead silence fell over the Nine Irises, and the next minute, everyone was singing the praises of one single master, all one under the same flag. Well, of course, the general enthusiasm didn’t last for long. But then we are not the kind to go over the top.
101
FactionS captains. And the agonizing screams of the living will soon rise from the battlefields. But I am forgetting the essential. As I continue this bitter story, written without a single ounce of talent, I become more and more aware of the destiny that Angra Mainyou, the Archdemon, intends for this work. By giving in to the easiness of written histories, we are slowing to the pace of the living, the poor sadness of the vain who believe they can do as they please as soon as they pick up a quill. One could think that such a weakness is a sure sign of our impending doom, that we have been decayed by their vices, our nature corrupted by their customs which have sapped our very strength. On the contrary, we only seem to have surrendered, so as to better turn our enemies’ vile habits against them. They force their manuals down our throats, painting us as the evil ones just to improve their unity. But does it not take the greatest of all the evils to come down here and kill the dead a second time? We really would have our task cut out for us if we were to weave as great a web of deceit as the one that their texts have already created. These few lines should serve to remind us of our need for this dark alliance and cause us to raise all blades in a chaotic rhythm, so that they may fall as one on the heads of preachers everwhere. And throughout our lands, may all our dark souls know that there is only one master, one chant, one faith.»
Asaliah knows all the secrets of Limbo, she can travel through it easily and appear immediately wherever she pleases to face whatever menace may appear. Therefore each company must be ready to march on the enemy as soon as our warrior angel appears to them. There are many fronts, many challenges that Hell must undertake to re-establish its supremacy. Our first targets are those exploring companies of Christians, whose presence interrupts the peaceful torturing of the damned souls. Some of them are becoming familiar to us; some warlords stand out from the crowd and as their fame grows, so does the morale of their troops. It will be less useful to outright vanquish them in combat. Rather, we must thrash them repeatedly on the battlefield for all to see. Now that will demolish their amplified reputation and lose them the trust of their peers and underlings. Let us finally show a bit of resistance! Since we, in effect, gave them the roads to Thebes and Ampharaus, let the humans keep them Our forces must re-conquer the plains of Kohut, preventing New Jerusalem from growing any further. They want to move so quickly, always looking to find out what lies further in, always seeking the Prima Materia. As they move further in, they will find the Saracen caravans and I say let them. We will have reunited two very dear old enemies. All we need to do is sit back and count the points as they massacre each other, and then take the victors as we plow on through their weakened defenses. As for those indefatigable Muslims, we can use the same strategy against them. Let them straggle out as far as possible in a thin line. If they persist, they will end up facing the hordes of the Nine Irises with a greatly reduced vanguard and behind it an army dispersed in small companies separately holding defensive positions. Ah, I can already hear the cries of distress that will accompany their inevitable defeat... Well, if the archdemons haven’t all killed each other by then, that is. Our martial superiority is beyond a doubt, we have in our ranks the best killers there are, the most stubborn and the most infamous. Nothing can stop them, not even the horror of their own souls. We could even surprise the enemy with a few exotic delicacies, for, in addition to the multitude of two-legged war machines, we have in our abyssal pits tempting treasures of subtle butchery . Hell has now found its
«Treaty of devotion for the use of the Forked ones», Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises. «As I wandered through the Limbo, I could still hear the high-pitched sounds of the inner circles that came to me in waves.
102
The demonS
Asaliah, Rebel Angel The Archdemon Angra Mainyou was making a public display of his anger. He had ordered the cages of the most ancient beasts to be opened, that they might follow him and devour all those who did not bow in submission. Every step he made sent tremors through the abyss. Every breath he took set the void on fire. Behind him came his surviving vassals, carrying their banners high and proud, hammering the obsidian with their blades in a rhythm meant to inspire carnage. They were the ones, after all, who had been sent as emissaries to the rival lords to discuss the benefits of a truce while the implications of this new intrusion of the living in the world of the dead were investigated. As could be expected, the other demon lords had found it amusing to respond by dispatching their visiting cousins with a range if ingenious ambushes... Unfortunately, the humor of this response was lost on the Archdemon: «If that’s the way they want to play this, so be it!» he yelled, «We shall bring war to the heart of the Nine Irises!» What would become of our Empire? The other archdemons had just shrugged and begun to form an alliance against the troublemaker, while quietly working out for themselves the best moment for them to betray that alliance and carry out the work begun by Angra Mainyou. It was at that moment that the light of the One bore down on the nucleus. Rage was replaced by silence. An angel appeared, as beautiful as the void, and descended to us. The hordes, blinded by this vision, lowered their heads and even the darkest of hearts felt the pain of what had been lost forever. Before Angra Mainyou, the winged virgin knelt on one knee, in token of allegiance, and spoke: «I am the avenging arm of Lucifer. I am the plague of the believers. I am the blade of despair that strikes the lamb. Make me your anger, and I shall bestow it upon the living. Asaliah is my name.» The Archdemon looked around, expecting to have to set flame some incredulous souls, but strangely enough, not one damned one or demon made a sound. He turned to the vision and pointed towards the far circles of Hell where the enemy armies were intruding: «Go, my angel, precipitate their destruction and I swear before our Master that I will keep the Nine safe from harm.» Then the forked ones began to cry, loud and strong, allies and enemies alike: «Asaliah! Asaliah!» But then I was no longer in the Limbo. A clawed hand had once again given me shape. Angra Mainyou it was with his stare that holes were burnt into my sorry soul. He gave to me the task of transcribing the recent events, then ordered that the beasts be called back. The inner circles became the eye of the storm as the chanting of the Luciferian faith spread out through all our kingdoms.» Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Charisma
Concentrated Expertise Evasive Levitation Terror
Orders
Angelic Inspiration Active • 3 permanent CMD • Unique Asaliah and all of her allies each recover 8 LP. Vae soli V ae victis
Evil Gaze Hits Damage Gaze 1 Slowed 2 2 Stunned 3 Life Drain 2 4 Immobilized 5 Consumed (fire • 2/5)
Officer Angel Female Satanist
(Luciferian)
Infernalist 2/3 Mentalist Movement 5 Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 5 Protection 0 Life Points 12 Faith 3 Command 6
Aura
Regeneration Aura
Permanent • 6 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Satanists Satanist units within this aura’s area of effect recover 1 LP during each Upkeep phase.
Spells
Plague of the Believers • Vanished Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure. The target of this spell takes an amount of damage equal to twice its FTH, PR is ignored. Nuaseating Cloud • Vanished This spell creates a 3 fathom radius scenery element centered on the lemure that lasts for 3 turns. The element is Radiant (Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/5)) and completely Opaque. Possession • Vanished Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure. The target of this spell becomes Controlled. The target can cancel this effect by rolling a number of dice equal to its FTH stat and scoring at least one 5 or 6. If the target’s FTH is 0, then a single dice is rolled and only a 6 is a success.
103
Unique 60 Base : Regular
FactionS
Samael, Warrior Angel «The powder from our arquebuses had already dispatched their first line, but their treacherous demon, incarnated in a form of angelic purity, had already reached the wounded. With a single touch from her, their hideous barbarians with their furious blades rose to their feet, instantaneously cured, their flesh repaired. In my haste, I took the head of the charge, convinced that it was essential to defeat the evil female. But then another... Another one appeared. He seemed to descend straight from their accursed sky of ashes. Upon seeing him, the damned ones’ energy seemed to double, and behind me, my men were being chopped to pieces. Their dying cries were uttered in three languages, but not one of them survived. I was trapped in between two incarnations of grace who were commanding the horrific armies of these ruined lands. The obvious conclusion hit me so hard that I fell to my knees in the mud, sweating and trembling: they were showing me their true faces. They were angels and they were walking in the darkness. Wounds began to appear on the body of the male being as the damned finished off my own company. He turned to the female, his hands held out as if to gather his own blood. He smiled the smile of the innocent, wore the look of kindness. «Asaliah... Finally you have chosen to join them. I have heard your name sung by the legions wherever I go. It is a true miracle that the people of this land have greeted a virgin in such a courteous way...» «And you, Samael, what have you been doing?» «I was gazing into the abyss, as I usually do. It was not for me to intervene in the Nine Irises. Your carnage-themed plea was far more effective. Now, I can join you in your quest. I have roamed the circles for so long that the cries of the tortured damned are no longer but lullabies to me. When I come across living men, I feel as if their appearance is missing something if they are not impaled on a spike, and I can only see in the softness of a face but the promise of insistent fornication. Actually, I think I like this place. There is in everything here a truth that belongs to no-one, that strips away all false appearances to finally reveal the true essence of all things. My soul is not tainted. Asaliah, I am... I have always been, the taint itself. It is thanks to this place that I have discovered our true nature. Purity? Purity is but the afterglow of a star that died when it gave us being. It gives us shape so as to better hide our deeper actions... If the aura that surrounds you can fool even demons, your arm only extends their reign. You claim to be rebelling? Don’t you think that instead, by letting you come down here, He is sending a messenger to test the faith of the believers?» «Samael, you are mad.» «What if I am. Let us go spread the word of His judgment with the point of our blades.»
Officer Angel Male Satanist
(Luciferian)
5 Movement -
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 5 Defense
Samael let me go on my way. He said that this whole campaign was a great waste of Christians, that we must return to the valley of tears... and seal the gates before it is too late.»
0 Protection
Heretic testimony found in the straw mattress of an Inquisition gaol, New Jerusalem.
14 Life Points 3
Orders
Faith
Samael’s Chosen One During the Upkeep Phase, Samael may choose a unit from his company. Until the end of the turn, any time the chosen unit is dealt damage, Samael may choose to take all or part of the damage himself. If he does so, his PR is not taken into account. Samael cannot take more damage than he has Life Points left. This order can’t target an Invulnerable model. M artial Mortification Active • 1 CMD • Unstoppable Samael takes 3 damage, PR is not counted, when he uses this order. Samael and all his allies gain +1 CBT until the end of the turn. Ultimate Sacrifice When Samael dies, all his allies recover all the Life Points they have lost. In addition, his death does not cause his company to lose any CMD at all. Vae soli Vae victis
4 Command
Charisma Frenzy Levitation
Man-at-arms Regeneration 2
Unique Base : Regular
70
104
Retribution Hits Damage Spiritual Damage 1 4 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 11
The demonS
Tsilla, Broken Angel The virgin landed lightly on the platform made of a large block of flesh, burned and hardened by the ardor of Hell despite its gigantic proportions. With one look, she ordered the two sentries to haul their mistress up from the pit of the blind beasts. She had been crucified on an inverted cross and hung there by a heavy chain. Her wings, eternally gnawed at by the creatures down below, were no longer but bloody shreds. The sight of this studious icon furtively curled Asaliah’s mouth in a twisted smile. The mutilated angel opened one eye while her servants lowered the cross to the ground and began to remove the nails with their pliers. « I see you have made yourself quite at home here, Tsilla... You really are abusing the delights that this sad kingdom has to offer...» «Asaliah... You may make light of my quest, these tortures that I inflict upon myself remind me of my purity lost. I made the choice to turn away from the Lord, I have not renounced my faith in him. However I will not keep this shape that he gave me. That would be arrogant on my behalf... Why have you come down here to Hell?» «Your hypocrisy is the most glorious proof of the perversity of your soul. That is what I am looking for. At least, to carry out the mission that is now ours to accomplish.» «If you wish, Asaliah, but only a usurper would have the audacity to appear in a shape that is not his. You say that duty is the cause of your presence here: is it not the stench of your foul betrayal that has caused your descent?» «On that subject, you would be a mentor to me, I can assure you. Meanwhile, you will come and fight at my side, Tsilla. I refuse to let the balance of the worlds be upturned, for then there would be neither justice nor faith... And if I have embraced the cause of the darkness, it is to accomplish that which must be.» «Very well. May you understand before all this is over that your vanity is His instrument. I will consider that your presence here is a sign sent for me. The forked ones fight amongst themselves with the sole aim of attempting to please pale and mediocre lords. They have mistaken the punishment of the damned for the vices they wear as if they were titles of nobility. They do not recall who they are and they no longer care. Meanwhile the dead come and go without any form of discipline. And now the living have turned this place into a subject for study, and others, more arrogant still, are plotting to conquer it. I will stop their enterprise without joy or compassion. I will not add to or remove the suffering they will endure on the battlefield of their defeat, and I will simply give death until the next sign comes to me. We shall reform the army of the Luciferians and return its law to this domain. And, Asaliah, I shall tear off your face and show it to you, that you may see who you really are.»
Unique
40
Officer Angel
Orders
A heart beyond reproach Free • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Tsilla immediately moves, ignoring terrain, control areas or other units, and without triggering any reaction from any enemy units she is in contact with, to anywhere she chooses on the battlefield. Tsilla must be placed in clear terrain, and she can’t be placed in an enemy control area or in contact with an enemy unit. Vae soli Vae victis
Female Satanist
Infernalist 2/3 Mentalist
Aura
Aura of conscience Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius Units within this aura’s area of effect suffer a penalty of -1 FTH.
Spells
(Luciferian)
Movement 4
Concentrated Expertise Runaway
Slanderous Injunction • Vanished Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure. The unit immediately becomes Stunned. This spell has no effect on Troopers. Crawling Crowd • Vanished Daggers Hits Damage This spell creates a 3-fathom radius scenery elePiercing 1 1 ment centered on the lemure. Every model within 2 2 the cloud when it is created takes 2 Damage, igno 3 2 ring PR. The element is Deadly. Demons and Dam 4 Stunned ned Ones are immune to the effects, and terrain 5 3 created by this spell.. Son crachat • Vanished 105 Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure. ase egular The target takes 1d6+1 damage, ignoring PR.
B : R
Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 4 Protection 0 Life Points 11 Faith 1 Command 5
FactionS
Eurynome, The Prince of Death Officer Demon Asexual Agnostic Mentalist
Base : Extra Large Unique
It must be noted that there are many among the infernal ranks that actually oppose a united Hell. It seems that our petty disagreements and internecine conflicts have gone on for so long that some are unwilling to part with the status quo. One would think that when facing new and unprecedented problems a group would be galvanized into seeing the error or ineffectiveness of their previous ways, but, as with everything, there will always be some disagreeing dissenters. Whether it is for personal gain, or a deeply held belief that the world should be a different place, it is normally impossible to get any large group to agree on something without reservation. Eurynome was firmly in this camp as evidenced by his repeated overt scheming and plotting against the unity of all demon kind. While he was obviously encouraged in this direction by a certain archdemon, he has most certainly taken the cause of chaos up with unmatched ferocity and zeal. Though he has described himself as a Satanist, a follower of our great feudal system and refectory of the new faith, he is instead a duplicitous charlatan hiding discordant motives with a false mask of faith and loyalty. I don’t pretend to understand what the separatists hope to accomplish with their stubborn rejection of lawful rule of our realm, but they cling to their misguided beliefs none the less. Eurynome’s flaunting of the natural order of things eventually drew Lucifer’s attention. Lucifer became so incensed by the demon lord that he decided to make an example of him. Samael was sent to Eurynome’s fief to execute the light bringers will. Samael put his retainers to flight, all the while showing off his superlative combat abilities. Then, unceremoniously Samael took Euynome’s head from his shoulders and left his corpse to rot in a pit with the remains of three of the ignominious damned. I have heard stories that the charnel pit Samael left behind now stands empty. I hear whispers that Eurynome’s master has seen fit to grant him enough power to continue on in his service, though his form is much reduced and possibly more horrifying than before. Whether this is true, or that Hell has reclaimed its own, or that Lucifer has possibly refashioned the Demon Lord again as a warning to others, I cannot say. Nevertheless the thought of a rebellious fool getting his comeuppance can’t help but bring a smile to one such as I. Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Orders
Don’t See! Free • 2 CMD Once per action phase Eurynome can target any Independent or Trooper unit. Until the end of the action phase the target treats all enemy units as if they had Discretion 3. The same unit can’t be targeted twice consecutively. Don’t Hear! Free • 1 CMD Once per action phase Eurynome can target any Independent or Trooper unit. Until the end of the Action phase the target gets Maverick. The same unit can’t be targeted twice consecutively. Don’t Speak! Free • 2-3 Permanent CMD • Unique Eurynome can target any Independent or Officer unit. The target can’t give orders until the end of the current Action phase. Orders already given continue working normally. The cost for this order is 2 permanent CMD if the target is an Independent, and 3 permanent CMD if the target is an Officer.
66 7
Movement
-
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
4 Defense 2 Protection 16 Life Points 1
Faith
5 Command
Entangle Harmless Impressive Leader Regeneration 2 Ricochet 2 Teleportation Terror 2
106
The demonS
Obey! Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Reaction This order is the same as using a Vae Soli order, it has the same timing and you cannot combine this order with a Vae Soli order at the end of the same activation. This order allows Eurynome’s controller to decide which unit their opponent will activate next. Vae Soli Vae Victus
Auras
Death Becomes Her Permanent • 3 Fathom Radius • Demons and Damned Ones (Immune) During the upkeep phase, units within this aura’s area of effect take 2 damage, ignoring PR. Demons and Damned Ones are not affected by this aura. R eanimation Permanent • 3 Fathom Radius • Troopers Trooper units that die within the area of effect of this aura, are returned to the game in the spot that they where killed, under Eurynome’s control, as demons, with 1 LP. A Trooper can only be reanimated once per game. A reanimated unit follows all rules normally other than being controlled by Eurynome, having 1 LP, and having just entered the game.
107
FactionS
Foulques the Black, Knacker Independent Demon Male Satanist
(Luciferian)
Base : Large Unique
«It occurred in the early days of the discovery. In order to explore, I had organized my Nizari into small scouting parties, rapid and discreet. Indeed, the extreme slopes of these underground realms are hardly suited to the formation of a large army, as one would have little room for maneuver in case of an ambush. We were walking in the shadows of the legions of Iblis, who were pouring all their forces into a fratricide war. A young scout returned to us completely mad. Between two torrents of blasphemy towards the prophet, he told us that he had seen crusaders coming and going amongst the demon ranks. But obviously, fear had damaged his spirit. I cut his tongue out myself to prevent the contamination from spreading. Further on, their infamous troopers had taken up position in the still-smoking ruins of a rival fief. They were blocking off our route and they were setting up new defensive positions that seemed to indicate their will to take possession of this territory. We had to advance or lose contact with our vanguard. I ordered an attack. The hashishins sprang from the shadows and quickly dispatched their sentinels. We had circled them completely. I sent my faithful soldiers forward to maintain the momentum of the attack. I wished to strike them at their heart to throw the organization of their defenses. The front line of the impious ones gave way as if to let us pass through. I did not understand immediately what they would be gaining from this maneuver. At their center stood a massive and immobile shadow. It rose immediately once in contact with our men. The circle closed in around the behemoth and tried to crushed it in its grip. I ordered the retreat but it was too late. The filthy devil turned executioner, acting with extraordinary speed and simply bringing death was not enough to content his torture instruments. He continued to sever arms and legs, ripping out organs and unraveling guts. I saw the mutilated heart of my young scout brandished like the trophy of carnage. That was when I realized what the poor boy had meant. Only crusaders behave with such savagery on the battlefield. That is the effect of the false religion that serves as pretext to the butchers. But in these dark lands, the invisible is revealed. The blood was exciting this shady infidel and increasing his strength. The demon’s trap had closed around us. The demonic foot soldiers formed two columns, one on each flank, for the sole purpose of providing this macabre scarecrow with a free space in which to charge. He was running straight towards my position like a famished beast. In such moments of despair, only the faith of the believer can inspire his victory. Allah is my guide. With a single gesture, I ordered my troops to disperse. He sought for us in the shadows until the rush of warm blood left him. Now he was once again lost in his gray mood. His vice no longer accessible, he has returned to his former state of lifeless puppet.» «The Final Testament», by Hassan ibn al-Sabbah, the «Old Man of the Mountain»
26 3
Movement
-
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 3
Defense
2 Protection
Order
Defensive combat Man-at-Arms Protective Ricochet
Hostile Surgery 1 Permanent CMD • Unique When an enemy unit is killed within 8 fathoms of Foulques, this order may be used. If this order is used, Foulques gets +1 MVT, +2 CBT, +1 DEF, and +1 FTH from the beginning of the next upkeep phase until the end of the game. This order can’t be used when a lemure or Devoured unit is killed within 8 fathoms of Foulques.
9 Life Points 2 Faith 1
Command
108
Handsaw Hits Damage Slashing 1 Life Drain 2 2 Life Drain 3 3 Life Drain 4 4 Life Drain 5 5 Life Drain 6
The demonS
Jinx, Annoying Slave The inquisitor looked down through his telescope at the damned ones below with disgust. This was a place where the satanist fighters had been abandoned to themselves, with no leader and no mission. Rather than hold the position, the cursed souls had returned to their usual state of idleness. Victory would be easily acquired here. This would show that they must be rid of all the bandits, rascals, whores and those Protestants from the troops... that only those who fight with faith in the Pope could lead this campaign. A dull groaning attracted the attention of the inquisitor. The feeble squeaking was coming from some kind of atrocious newborn that looked as if it had been roasted on a spit the moment it had emerged from the womb. Three damned ones were playing with it, throwing it to one another. Out of sheer cruelty, one of them let it hit a nearby wall instead of catching it. This cunning tactic sent the other two off into hysterical laughter, which was accompanied by a laborious wheezing. The first one picked up the newborn and raised it as if to kick it up into the air. He didn’t even have the time to see the fuse light before the shot took off the top of his head, leaving everything from the jawbone down as it had been. Now under Papist fire, the damned were running all over the place in total confusion. The captain ordered the charge, wishing to finish off the enemy before they came to their senses. A first load of heretics was gloriously skewered. One of the pike-men discovered with horror a swollen baby that dodged between his legs, as he wondered how this atrocity had come to be there in the first place. He moved confidently to dispatch it with a kick, but the little squirm had already set a course for the clergymen gathered around the captain. The Damned Ones of Wrath rushed into the Papist troops with a great clash of steel and pain. The front line held out, but it was at risk of falling to their number if God did not come to their aid. However, the captain was certain they would receive His assistance and lead the troops into attack. In theory, with the combined action of the divine grace and the captain’s lead, in this kind of critical situation, the foot soldiers should have had the better of the enemy. In practice, the only thing they had that day was a good thrashing. The captain turned to check the rear guard and could not believe his own eyes. The missionaries were just standing there, like village idiots, unable to recite a single blessing from the Holy Book. They had lost all their Latin, like little children unable to recall their lessons. The inquisitor strongly raised one eyebrow, a gesture that was his way of expressing fury. From where he stood, it seemed to the captain that the clergymen were performing some sort of pagan jig: they were desperately trying to stamp on the aborted brat, fruit of some cursed female’s belly. But the abomination was cunning. All around, Papists and demons alike had walked arm in arm into non-life. The captain alone was left standing. On returning to New Jerusalem, the unmentionable would have to be revealed, so as to warn all good Christians. A newborn from Hell had caused the downfall of a whole company. And even now he could still lose a holy man in the mountains. The campaigns of the valiant were now over, the Council would impose their views. From now on the good would have to mingle with all the faithless and the non-baptized of the colony. With the burden of so many pagans to carry, the war was undoubtedly lost.
Lemure Asexual Unbeliever Mentalist Movement 4
Elusive Emancipated Harmless Insignificant Invulnerable Maverick Strider Terror 2
Shooting Skill Combat Defense 6 Protection 0 Life Points 4 Faith Command -
Order
A neurysm Side-effects You may decide to have Jinx take 1 damage, ignoring PR, to exempt a friendly unit’s aura from its Aneurysm Aura’s effects for the turn. For each aura affected by Jinx’s Aneurysm Aura during any Upkeep Phase roll 1D6. For each 6 rolled, Jinx takes one damage, ignoring PR. If Jinx dies due to this order, affected auras still will not have any effect that turn.
Aura
A neurysm Aura Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Cumulative • Mentalists (Jinx Immune) At the beginning of the Upkeep phase, Jinx prevents all other auras within this aura’s area of effect from having any effect for the rest of the turn.
109
15
Unique Base : Regular
FactionS
Infernal Ambassador Independent Demon Male Satanist
(Luciferian)
5 Movement -
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 4 Defense 0 Protection 12 Life Points 3
Faith
1
Command
«Horns, fur, hooves and forked tails. It is said that the horned ones were among the first generations of beings to populate the lands of chaos. Being beast-like, libidinous and argumentative, they naturally formed hordes whose only ambition was futile squabbling. As herds of blind demons roaming the lands Below without any form of doctrine, they finally tired of the poor reputation they had established for themselves and became most devout Luciferians. From that point onwards, they put all their energy into proving their unquestionable zeal to the demon lords, and so the tasks the horned ones were given became more and more honorific. And so it came about that, since that time long past, they have been messengers to the cults of the valley of tears, the land of men. If I am to believe the souls of the good that travel freely through Hell, our ambassadors have widely indulged in earthly pleasures during ceremonies named sabbath. Let us not dwell on the orgiastic details of their deplorable exploits: they merely confirm my suspicions about the veritable behavior of the horned ones. Discipline is indeed a stranger to their plans. They give the impression of being loyal servants only to be able to reap the benefits of their status, and artfully use the arts of deception and lying. Since the living began to invade our lands on a regular basis, the demon lords have taken to sending an ambassador to each company. This has become a fashion that everyone seems to have succumbed to since lord Xaphan sent one of his own to convince the Living to ally with him to defeat one of his rivals. Indeed, the ambassadors do have the merit of enjoying the diplomatic phases of battle, whereas most of us like to immediately express the more bloodthirsty side of our personalities. However, when given a chance at a massacre, the ambassadors will willingly practice the most ancestral and bestial art of warfare. They gut and slash freely, spreading confusion, bringing aid to their allies, pain to their enemies, and glory to their master. I think we can safely say that if these beasts put so much effort into the battle, it is because, more than any other consideration, they thoroughly enjoy taking part in a good carnage. Indeed, I have yet to meet a demon lord who would find any reason to complain about the services of an ambassador. However, loyalty only has merit when it is in spite of pain and suffering. Aside from a shower of compliments, the horned ones do very little to glorify their masters, and their vows of fidelity have in no way changed their old customs. Pah! Anyone can claw at their own chest and snort pestilential vapors while swearing to be faithful... Long ago, they would roam in herds and squabble between themselves. Nowadays, they have joined the band and do their squabbling on behalf of their lords. If we let them, they would sell an archdemon’s throne to the Pope, purely out of taste for discord!» Aabadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Orders
Treacherous Insinuation Free • Variable Cancel the effects of a Vae Victis or Vae Soli order before they happen. This order’s cost is equal to the cost of the Vae Victis or Vae Soli order that was canceled. Under His Protection Passive • 1 CMD Against the next attack that causes at least one hit to him, the Infernal Ambassador gets Resistance 4 against one of the following damage types, blunt, slashing, or piercing. This choice must be made when this order is given. If this order is already affecting the Infernal Ambassador and it is used again, then the effects aren’t cumulative and the chosen damage type is changed.
Bodyguard Terror
Limited 2
Base : Regular
30
110
Claws Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 Penetrating Strike 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The demonS
Damned One of Pride «The breath of the abyss had begun to blow across the screaming plains of Kal ‘nat Rür. A cold, invisible hand was carrying the screams of the eternally tortured towards us... They were the songs of the damned, screams of extra enthusiasm to celebrate my passage through their region. Despite my natural talent in the subtle art of music, I decided not to take notice of the mediocrity of their homage. My companions in arms, however, were positively transported with delight. All around me I could glimpse looks filled with emotion and gratitude towards me, timidly flickered in my direction. Our ambassador offered to carry me over the chaotic paths of our great rutted homeland so that they would not dirty my princely outfits... Crazy fool! If I had wanted to ride on some nag I would have demanded one myself. Then there is this great stupid-looking lout who had followed us since we left the fief. The burden of his presence had already cost us a precious advance on the enemy. That dolt had climbed to the top of a shapeless hummock and was waving back at us. Did he think he was on some kind of leisurely hike? I could have convinced my people to abandon this sad character long ago... Alas, my natural generosity towards paupers will be my downfall! Until then I had tolerated his presence, as I realized that I alone had any hope of giving him any kind of spirit. How gravely was I mistaken, for he would soon put our whole noble expedition in deadly peril. Wriggling around up there like a stuck pig, he was clearly visible ten fathoms away. His ignorance of the arts of warfare had just caused him to inadvertently give the enemy the signal. One of their Hashishins jumped out from the shadows and set upon him. At a gesture from myself, our delicious mistress of torments - to whom I had given a virile lesson of my own to earlier understood the gravity of our situation. A crack of her whip commanded the rank and file to charge our opponents. However, their warriors, swollen with the aura of some ancient spirit, overthrew our first line. I ordered the horned one to dispatch that pretentious sand muse, while I slipped easily through the adversary’s defenses with a few agile steps. Avoiding every danger, the speed of my graceful war-dance was only matched by the sharpness of my martial genius. With a single glance, I had grasped all the key elements of this battle. The enemy was positioned on the rocks above the gully. We needed to outflank them by passing through the underground corridor, to prevent any potential reinforcements from arriving. So that was it: we were facing the vanguard of the impious army... I had to recover the position or the whole plain would fall into the hands of the invaders. Behind me, I could hear the agonizing moans of my sweet pleasure slave succumbing to the enemy’s scimitar. She had preferred to sacrifice herself rather than survive without me. And how could she have survived if the only source of her pleasure was gone? By then, I had already passed through the passage and surprised the Saracens by climbing up the other side of the rocks. With one firm push, I threw their leader down into the dust, and he rolled into the void. Then the lamentations of the howling plains were raised in a single echo, the victory cry celebrating the champion of all the Luciferians.
Limited 3
41
Damned One Male Satanist
The battle of Kal ‘nat Rür, seen by a Damned One of Pride.
Order
Aura of rashness Permanent • 6 Fathom Radius • Allies Allied units within this aura’s area of effect get a bonus of +1 CBT. Aura of denouncement Temporary • Active • 8 Fathom Radius • Instant • An ally and enemy unit. Target an enemy unit within this aura’s area of effect and the Damned one of Pride or an allied unit within this aura’s area of effect. Until the end of the turn, the targeted enemy unit treats the targeted friendly unit as though it has the Attraction 6 ability. Rant and Slap Hits Damage Sound 1 1 Penetrating Strike 3 2 Slowed 2 3 Stunned 4 Pain 2 111 5 Immobilized
(Luciferian)
Mentalist
I told you so... If the Great Damned one of Pride that the Damned One of Pride is associated with is killed, he becomes Brave until the end of the game.
Auras
Independent
Movement 4
Dodge 2 Runaway
Shooting Skill Combat 3 Defense 3 Protection 1 Life Points 9 Faith 2 Command 1
Base : Regular
FactionS
Great Damned One of Pride «I had taken position upon the crest of a dune of ashes so as to protect the flank of my troops. Lower down, the company was saluting my fine tactical decision while making difficult progress along the winding paths of Kal ‘nat Rür. They were exhausted by our long march, but the mere sight of my noble figure standing on the wind-blown horizon was enough to give them strength to continue. Suddenly, I detected the pernicious presence of our enemy and signaled to my men to seek cover. Alas, I seem to remember that there was among us a dwarf dressed in female garb, obviously a constant source of mockery. Our horned one was, as usual, making mock of him, focusing the company’s attention on his futile amusement. And thus the poor unfortunates remained oblivious to my warnings. Already the treacherous scimitar of a Nizari was heading for my back. My blade greeted him from head to foot, slicing him cleanly in twain as I leaped gracefully towards his two companions in the shadows. In the time it took me to give them a last fatal lesson in swordsmanship, I disappointingly realized what bad sense of judgment my company was endowed with. In one short instant without my leadership, they had made the most imbecilic choice possible and charged straight into the gully where the enemy had the full advantage over the terrain. A simple order to retreat could have prevented this terrific waste of Luciferian blood. Should I once more be made to bear the burden of their idiocy? My fatigue almost made me give up on this whole expedition. But there is no rest for the knights of the Underworld. They must accept the labors of war with humility and bring down the darkness upon the enemy, even in the heart of the most desperate of battles. Therefore I charged on forwards, chopping their Dibbukim into pieces. One of them survived my charge, latched to one of my leg, and another was hanging on to the other leg, his guts spewing everywhere. Before me, I saw one of my many female admirers in great difficulty, calling out for my talents… which she’d known so many times before. So I threw myself downwards into the melée, dragging along with me the two hopeless idiots still clinging on to me, in spite of my wrath. On arriving down below, I was the only one of the three to rise to my feet again. At my feet, my lady was dying, and with her last, painful breath, she let out a fearsome howl as her last and only testament, as I watched the transvestite dwarf running away down the gully. I turned to assess the enemy’s numbers, making a personal note to punish his treason most fittingly later on. We were wallowing in a mire of ashes and blood, generously garnished with juicy chunks of damned, spread far and wide during the charge. Before me stood their great sand demon, and I could see in his eyes that he had traveled through the ages to come defy me in my own lands. Although he was already in agony from the butting blows of our horned one, I decided to accept his arrogant challenge, leaving my brother in arms to take care of the three warriors who were running towards us. Unfortunately the dolt’s performance in this task was quite disappointing, and he quickly fell to their blows, a victim of the rank and file. Our ambassador would no longer relay the words of our master, except maybe through his great horns, which the infidels were already waving around like trophies. Once more I had made the perfect decision by engaging their demon. If my companion had not been capable of dealing with the lowly soldiers, he could hardly have succeeded in accomplishing the heroic deed that I was about to complete. An unstoppable lunge, a secret that I alone have mastered, gave the titan a lethal taste of my steel, straight through his heart. On seeing this, an old man who accompanied the troops leaped from the top of the rocky crest, preferring suicide to being defeated by my brilliant might. After that lesson, the rest of the troopers ran for their lives. Once again, I alone had brought victory to Hell.» The battle of Kal ‘nat Rür, seen by a Great Damned One of Pride.
Independent Damned One Male Satanist
(Luciferian)
Base : Large Associated (Damned one of Pride)
0
5 Movement -
4 Defense 0 Protection 16 Life Points 2 Faith -
Command
Challenge Passive • 1 CMD
This order can only be given when the Great Damned One of Pride is engaged with only one enemy
Shooting Skill
6 Combat
Orders
unit. The Great Damned one of Pride and the unit he is engaged with, hereafter referred to as «duelists»,
Entangle Fury Regeneration Overlarge Weapon Slashing
enter into a challenge of mortal combat that can only end with the elimination of one of the duelists. Duelists can’t engage with other units, and other units can’t engage the duelists. Neither duelist can retreat. Duelists are immune to any effect which may force them to break contact, except for effects generated by either duelist. If contact is broken due to an effect generated by either duelist, then both duelists must attempt to reestablish contact during their next and subsequent activation’s as thought the other duelist had Attraction with an unlimited range. The
Hits Damage 1 4 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 11
effects of this order will last until one of the duelists is killed.
I
told you so...
If the Damned one of Pride that the Great Damned One of Pride is associated with is killed, he becomes Brave until the end of the game.
The demonS
Great Damned One of Wrath «If we but had an army of those war machines, we could annihilate New Jerusalem easily, although their lack of discipline is sometimes a little disarming for Luciferians. During a retaliation campaign against a gang of petty renegades (whose names are of such little importance that they are certainly not worth mentioning here), one of our demon lords had to pay the price for the blatant lack of motivation that these abject servants are crippled with. Our beloved lord (whose name shall also remain silent, to avoid him any malicious teasing) had sent out his troops against the raggedy peasants that were hiding out on the other side of a hill. Alas, a layer of thick, sticky fog was lingering around the area, and our warlord, who disliked mingling with his inferiors, remained at the rear with a select few. Hence deprived of any visibility, he could no longer follow the progression of his warriors across the field. When the mists finally cleared, he was greatly saddened to find a single one of his damned ones standing alone in the middle of the plain, howling like a lost mutt. The beast had slaughtered an enemy scout and then found the time and place appropriate to treat the Underworld to a little bitter singing. It was indeed unfortunate, for the Great Damned One of Wrath was supposed to be leading the pack, and at its head, he was meant to hit the enemy’s defenses. Instead, the enemy troops used this distraction to massacre their attackers and disappear into the mists. On returning to his fief, the demon lord placed a special order of assorted agonies to be inflicted upon the offender, but this did little to calm him. This treatment did however give him a chance to perfect his skills of breaking chains and crushing skulls by using his torturers’. Finally, he was thrown into a pit of snakes, from the bottom of which he has continued to scream ever since. Since then, the fief was attacked and the demon lord overthrown by a rival. It would perhaps have been wiser to rig up some kind of pulley system so as to be able to pull him back up again if truly necessary... This kind of story is relatively frequent when it comes to these damned ones. Luckily, they usually have more taste for biting than they do for barking. Oh, to be sure, their sword-handling skills are reduced to their most basic expression. But their ability to slice up anything that dares to move in the enemy ranks is admittedly most efficient! As for their natural talent for battle, the one uncertainty that remains is the answer to this question: should they be placed at the head of the pack or should the rank and file go first to absorb some of the enemy fire? For the Underworld does not have an unlimited supply of these strange fellows at its disposal. Out of all the bloodthirsty madmen who will come to join our family after abandoning their soul on the scene of some carnage, very few indeed will become such a great incarnation of anger. So what have these men done to set themselves above the dark mass of killers who roam in the valley of tears? Or rather, we should ask, who were they before? Such beasts, I would wager, one would not find more than a handful in a war the size of a kingdom. Before they even felt the touch of steel or smelled the odor of blood their spirits were already hardened like a blade, a cloud of aggressiveness rumbling over their head, and nothing or no-one could have kept them away from their destiny of destruction for very long... Yes, my fellows, yes my servants of carnage, there was no other path for you than the road to damnation. The only fantasy you could imagine was the number of souls you would drag down with you to the Underworld. For, once the metal skin is in place, once their friends, their brothers have fallen beneath your blows, your enemies have no other choice but to blindly follow the example of your hatred to defeat you. Therefore, they will follow the sad tracks of blood that are left in your wake.» Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Grafted Weapons Piercing Slashing Eager Lunge 2
Hits Damage 1 4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 12
113
Independent Damned One Asexual Satanist (Luciferian) Movement 5 Shooting Skill -
Entangle Frenzy Fury Terror Uncontrollable
Combat 7 Defense 3 Protection 0 Life Points 20 Faith 3 Command -
Base : Extra Large
26
Limited 2
FactionS
Mourner Independent Damned One Female Satanist
(Luciferian)
Mentalist 4 Movement -
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
3
Defense
0 Protection 10 Life Points 3
Faith
1
Command
«There’s nothing like one of these beautiful young women, with their features sculpted by tears and sorrow to bring to your troops a sense of morbid arousal. It is said that up Above they make such a racket during funerals that the priests can no longer hear themselves preach the word of God... As if by celebrating the dead enough at their last earthly feast, the Creator himself could be forgotten. On the other hand, down here, it is generally assumed that they gained their rank among the damned by committing infanticide. Such an act could seem strange and unnecessary, given the number of brats who die without the need of a helping hand to push them into the afterlife; however one might be forgetting that the visible symptoms of a life of lust can sometimes require the most brutal of remedies to avoid public shame. There we have it! A past life of carnal sin would explain why these damned ones arrive here with such charming features, for they undoubtedly betray the cause of their disgrace. However, I must say that I only half believe that theory, if only because of the great number of weepers I have spotted randomly fishing unbaptized newborns out of Limbo. That is the point that gives credibility to their position as representatives of eternal sorrow. If child-murder had been their sin, then they would have been naturally fitted with the appropriate accessory upon joining our companies, instead of having to rummage through the Abyss for one. On the bleak plains of our cursed lands, the wailing cries of a weeper are enough to launch a chilling, united attack on the enemy. Their morbid songs awaken the primeval fears of mystery and the unknown that every living being hides deep inside... In their minds appears the fickleness of fate, who strikes down the innocent child and allows the bloodthirsty tyrant to grow fat and rich until he is quite senile. Soon their souls are crying as one about the injustice of the world and God’s lack of compassion. Does He need to let misfortune strike blindly in the land of men to remind them of his infinite love? In the time it takes for a shiver to run down his spine, the warrior’s faith is shaken. It is too late to get it back. The fleeting feeling of rebellion against the Lord has run through his soul and is immediately followed by the guilt that fills his heart. The weeper therefore feeds the cycle of primal fears with her song. From then on, the guilt leads to the fear of divine wrath, the fear that something bad may happen, that bad luck may not be avoided this time around, and that this battle may be the last. The hand falters; the steel can no longer find its target. Besides, why should the sinners even hope for redemption or victory, if the tiny, lifeless body of the innocent is lying in the dust down here in this pit? And there we have the greatest sin of these pretty ones: they portray grief with such talent that their act seems so much more important than the sadness of the real event itself.» Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Auras
Aura of lament Temporary • Active • 8 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Luciferians and FTH 3 or more (Immune) Non-luciferian units with a FTH of 2 or less suffer a penalty of -1 SHS and -1 CBT while in the area of effect of this aura. Aura of spiritual vice Permanent • Affects the Whole Battlefield • Allies (Immune) Whenever CMD is spent to pay for an enemy unit’s order, that unit takes a number of damage equal to the amount of CMD spent, ignoring PR. If they are paying for Vae Soli or Vae Vicits then they aren’t affected by this aura. If the enemy unit giving the order is killed by this aura’s effect, the order they are giving still happens normally.
Evasive Harmless Runaway Ricochet 2 Terror 2
Limited 2
17
114
Base : Regular
The demonS
Succubus «A company of Saracens had set an ambush for my men on the crest of the hill. As soon as they hit us I was knocked off my feet and into the void. The weight of my armor pulled me on downwards and I rolled all the way down a steep incline, unable to stop my tumbling. I would have preferred to break every bone in my body and die then and there. For in my misfortune, I had fallen into a dark pit that led all the way to the heart of Hell, or at least into one of the most abject holes of its vice. There, spread out on the ground, lay a dark beauty, so scantily clad that not one detail of her anatomy, her round, firm curves and her perfect waist, could have escaped my gaze. Her hips were designed to bear children, however she used her features only to defy the Lord with her debauchery. On seeing me, she turned to strike an animal pose, never taking her gaze from me, so full it was with carnal desire. Her sighs of pleasure were harassing me so, that my heart began to beat with near-deadly speed. She was pleasuring herself with the handle of her barbed whip, and this was what was causing her cries of pleasure. The whip was wound around her neck, her body and her thighs, burning her flesh to bloodshed. It seemed to have a life of its own, the louder her cries became, the tighter the dark barbed lash wound itself around her. All around her, damned ones were gazing upon this forbidden tableau, enraged with frustration. Each one of them was held at a distance by a chain that wound around the base of their manhood. The chains held them at a distance as they strained to try to touch her, their frustration and desire mounting. Suddenly, the temptress’s body stiffened, and she made a great play out of it, pounding the ground with her fists like a herd of demons. Though the finish of the scene brought the damned souls their relief, their eyes remained haunted and their expressions slack jawed. A smile of pleasure spread across her face, though her cruel expression never left her. I fled from that horrible temple of lust, followed only by the echoes of their tormented moaning. But if my body has returned intact from that place, my soul remains its prisoner. I feel I have become the slave of that vision and I can no longer find a moment’s peace. I have tried every woman in every brothel in the city and have found no cure. I have gelded myself, but the pain has done nothing to remove the source of my lust. It has only increased my fury. After that I paid a brigand to cut off both my hands. But now I merely slam my head against the walls in a mindless movement, as if I was one of those chained souls. If I was to kill myself, I would undoubtedly be carried back there. Is there no hope of redemption for he who has met the gaze of the corrupter? Father, you must inform the council that the pure will soon become scarce down below if the beauties of Hell decide to march on New Jerusalem. They represent the worst of what is buried deep in the hearts of every male being who believes he walks in the light of God.” Anonymous tale gathered in confession and noted in the diary of Father Rogeas.
Limited 3
29
Demon Female Satanist
Orders
Shield of lust Passive • 2 CMD Until the end of the turn, the Succubus is DEF 6 against all Male enemies in close combat. Demonic Fury Active • 2 permanent CMD • Unique Until the end of the game, the Succubus gets +2 MVT, +2 CBT and +2 FTH.
Independent
(Luciferian)
Movement 5 Shooting Skill -
Charisma Evasive Ricochet
Combat 6 Defense 5 Protection 0 Life Points 11 Faith 3
Whips Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 Eager 2 4 + Pain 2 Lunge 2 3 6 4 8 5 6 + Knocked Down
Command 1
115
Base : Regular
FactionS
Damned One of Wrath Trooper Damned One Male Satanist
(Luciferian)
Base : Regular Unlimited
Of all the satanic troops, they are the ones who most often appear first in the sights of our arquebusiers. Neither living nor dead, they bear no armor in battle. From a distance, one of them could be mistaken for some poor lost madman, in a frenzied search for something, although he no longer recalls what. He is constantly moving, taking six steps, turning around, constantly turning his head in every direction. There... He has seen us... Or smelled us... It is impossible to tell which of his senses is being used. A scavenging beast that has taken human form. Not only is he naked, but he even charges without seeking any form of cover. The others come, others like him... primitives and barbarians... Are these the foot soldiers of the Empire Below? The first time I saw them I would have laughed hard and loud if the land around us hadn’t been so sinister. We were fighting the locals and they had no weapons. Our campaign in Hell would be as easy as a walk in the park... And what captain, what warlord could have so little self esteem as to send out such a rank and file? He couldn’t be in much better shape himself. This wasn’t an army; it was a parody, a macabre pantomime of our ancestors... I was fresh and confident, but I could see that all around me the veterans of my company remained solemn. They knew what they were in for... And they knew the hideous barbarians charging towards us. As the distance between our two armies was diminishing, and the clash of steel became imminent, I began to judge the enemy’s nature in a more serious way... No, my memory deceives me. First there was the cloud of powder from our firearms that blinded us. When the smoke was gone, they were very close to us. Our shots hadn’t stopped them all. Their wounds looked very strange. They did not bleed like men. The metal had sculpted their bodies, as had the tools of horror that were grafted into their very flesh and which they brandished like weapons. They seemed to be oblivious to any pain other than that which they intended to inflict upon us with all the force of their rage. I finally realized what must, by far, be keeping them so alert... It was wrath; anger was driving their bodies and their minds. There we were, like the legions of Rome facing the charge of the primitive peoples possessed by pagan fury. They were the animal spirit of war... They were Gauls, Wisigoths and Picts... Saxons, Germans and Francs... Or rather the shadows of those ancestral warriors, who had escaped themselves to continue their dance of eternal destruction. They were not fighting for the cause of Hell; they were not fighting against our campaign of conquest. They lived only for that unique instant when their charge would hit our front line. Their symptom had become their law. Helmets crushing skulls as the maces made contact, hands sliced off, armor pierced through, bones crushed into thousands of tiny shards, guts lying in the dust on the ground... They turned our company into a river of blood and pain, but that did not quench their thirst. And as they trampled the dying, hacking again and again at the lifeless flesh, they continued to watch for some invisible adversary in spite of their agitation. To survive, I became a wild beast; every skirmish was a chance to rewrite the code of steel. I had become one with my blade and my only warmth was their dying flesh. When I had finished with those puppets of war, I discovered that the captain of my company was not quite dead. Although every bone in his body had been smashed, he still gathered enough strength to point his weapon in my direction. At the time I thought he was delirious. Now I understand his gesture. No doubt, when I die, I will join the ranks of the Damned Ones of Wrath.»
14
5 Movement -
Shooting Skill
4 Combat
Anonymous tale gathered in confession and noted in the diary of Father Rogeas.
Fury
4 Defense 0 Protection 9 Life Points 2 Faith -
Command
116
Grafted Weapons Blunt & Piercing Or Piercing & Slashing Or Blunt & Slashing
Hits Damage 1 3 2 4 3 6 4 8 5 10
The demonS
Damned One of Gluttony Normal Form & Obese Form The clergyman jumped to his feet, shivering from the freezing sweat that had soaked his clothes. As he did every time he woke up, he repeated the litany he had grown accustomed to: «I am not asleep. This is not a nightmare. I am in Kohut, circle of Hell. I have come here to accompany the troops and at all times preach faith in our Lord God...» Far away, on the crest of a hill, he could see a strange silhouette, one that seemed to have one arm of monstrous proportions. He realized that it was not an arm but a tongue, a gigantic tongue protruding from the thing’s belly. The man of the cloth turned his gaze away and walked towards the captain of the company, who was giving orders left, right and center. Ordering the company to pack up and leave without delay. «What is happening, Captain?» «I have changed my mind, Father. We don’t really need any rest after all, so we are leaving our space to others... Nothing strange about that! We are not the only ones to occupy these lands. It is but Christian charity to share them equally... And, well, I have decided our wounded don’t really need any rest after all. Look at them, the bastards enjoy all that pain, don’t they!» «Please stop mocking me, Captain! What sense does another march make when we are already exhausted? We won’t get far in this state.» «Well we will just have to. My mission is to bring this convoy of wounded men back to New Jerusalem... This place is crawling with enemies; come, step closer to the cliff edge... Any minute now they will have completely surrounded us. Look at their bodies, the Devil seems to have designed them for the sole purpose of devouring constantly, to devour even the Abyss if there was nothing else to feed on. They are like swine... swine capable of swallowing a man whole, and even that will not satisfy their hunger. Believe me; I have seen them at work. They like the taste of our flesh, and they care little if we are warm or cold when they are ready to eat. Then their shape changes and they become obese. However, their digestion is a very quick process. It is as if Hell had condemned them to this eternal punishment. Be sure to write all this down in your journal, Father, I’m sure the people at court will be most interested. « «You... You are shaking like a leaf, Captain.» «Do not worry, this is no fever, I merely tremble with fear. The fear of what I must do now. I need you to give this young man his last rites.» «Surely you aren’t going to...?» «There’s no point drawing straws, Father, he has been agonizing since we left. We will throw him down this side and flee the opposite way. I am hoping they will be drawn this way and we may be able to lose them... maybe.» «For the love of God, could we not simply wait and see if they charge?» «We may as well ask the Almighty to grant us a miracle right now. We are running out of food, ammunition and strength; we cannot fight a battle in this state. They, on the contrary, can go into battle on an empty stomach. Hunger burns at their souls, but not their bodies. This is no longer a war, Father, it is a hunt. And I think you can guess who the quarry is.»
Trooper Damned One Asexual Satanist
(Luciferian)
Normal Form
Obese Form
6
Movement
2
-
Shooting Skill
-
5
Combat
3
4
Defense
6
0
Protection
0
8
Life Points
3
2
Faith
2
-
Command
-
Obese Form: Invulnerable Slow Tenacious
Unlimited
Transformation (normal form) (After having devoured an enemy • Damned One of Gluttony, Obese Form) Transformation (obese form) (After having killed a devoured enemy • Damned One of Gluttony)
Gaping Mouth Hits Damage Absorption 1 4 Normal Form 2 2 + Stunned 3 Devoured 4 6 5 7 + Stunned Gaping Mouth Hits Damage Absorption 1 3 Obese Form 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 11
117
17/0
Base : Large
FactionS
Damned One of Sloth Trooper Damned One Asexual Satanist
(Luciferian)
2 Movement -
Shooting Skill
3
Combat
2 Defense 0 Protection 18 Life Points 2 Faith -
«These troopers are like an explosion of half-hearted farts from the bowels of Hell. Their mediocrity is only matched by their number, an annoying infinity reclining hopelessly in the shade of every field of torture. Unfortunately, it seems that whatever the era of human society, there have been legions of souls more than willing to indulge in this sad activity. When we grow tired of watching them do nothing but defecate upon themselves out of sheer laziness, we arm them in the only hope of getting rid of them. As in every other domain, they have absolutely no talent for warfare. They are bad fighters, hindering the progression of the troops and oblivious to cunning or any other form of structured thought, even the most futile. The stroke of genius of our Luciferians was to turn their very own vice upon them, their aim to always let others do for them what they should do themselves. Thus, the rebel angels throw them down as cannon fodder for the enemy so they may die in the stead of other more deserving and talented warriors, or at the very least use their bodies as shields. But even then they are disobedient and unwilling, for they are able to endure far too many hits before they go down. Look at them, the lazy buggers! Their slouching and their complete lack of animosity are so annoying... Who on Earth, or below it, could believe that they are able to terrorize the enemy ranks? They are the laughing stock of the Underworld, as they march out onto the battlefield. What can our adversaries possibly think of such a rabble? They must think that our empire is definitively ridden with vermin, and so march forward with light and confident hearts. Ah, those traitors! Now I can see what they are playing at! Line up the catapults, that I may fling them over the walls of New Jerusalem! It was so obvious! If our glorious troops are suffering such smarting defeats from those arrogant Christians, it’s all their fault! Everything is their fault! Yes, that must be it! They alone are the source of all our troubles, there can be no doubt. In fact I’m sure it was one of these useless bastards who first let the living worm their way into the lands of the dead. One may be forgiven for thinking that they might just be able to defend a position, given their acute distaste for having to move their sorry arses even an inch... But no! The blithering idiots must have watched the Christian armies march past while drooling into their own navels... Although even that activity requires minimum skills to hit the target. Damn them all! Not even capable of dribbling down themselves properly... Ha, I already know where they acquired this lamentable habit. The Church and it’s ridiculous number of holy feast days has taught them the art of sloth. I had best conclude the study of these sad beasts now, in case it gives anyone ideas for a vocation. I realize now that by criticizing the lazy, I am succumbing to the sirens of their own vice. There is no glory to be found in denouncing the obviously guilty, no panache in pointing an accusing finger at those upon whom all eyes are already laid. Let us leave these damned ones to crawl across our fields of pain and toy with the dying who are left behind on the battlefield after the retreat has been sounded. Let them harass the enemy troopers and tease their guard, while in the heart of the action, walks the demon, straight at the heart of the holy ones. With one sure blow he will sink his blade into it, putting an end to the rumor that the believers call hope.» Aabadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Command
Advance Deployment 4 Attraction 4 Slow Tenacious
Base : Regular
Unlimited
13
118
Attached Weapon Blunt Or Piercing Or Slashing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The demonS
Flesh Demon «Sometimes, upon a battlefield abandoned by the survivors, the rotting flesh can return to life. Some say that this is the part that the souls of the damned leave behind when they enter the Abyss. A pound of flesh, if you will, that the Underworld reclaims to pay for their accommodation... The bloody mass assembles itself without any form of organization, into a gigantic shapeless blob. This is how our accursed land gives birth to its own illegitimate offspring, born from pain and from horror. As soon as it is assembled, this machine of skin and guts reaches maturity. It can come and go independently, and will obey orders with the diligence of a bastard son trying to prove his worth to a spiritual father. In fact it is true that one should not speak too closely to this particular demon, as it is most difficult to distinguish its mouth from its anus. Obviously, any mistake in the matter will trigger general hilarity among the present company and even the most learned doctors do not dare attempt to do so. Besides, no-one has ever been able to clearly establish whether these buggers possess these two orifices or if they only have the one that serves both purposes. Therefore, when dealing with one, it is preferable to avoid speaking with any unnecessary formalism. Especially as they seem to have an instinctive gift for knowing exactly what needs to be done in every situation. Almost as soon as one gains consciousness, it will go running off after runaway damned ones, hunt out the Lost, or harass the invaders. It is a good guardian of the lands of Lucifer, especially as its atypical shape hardly makes it able to negotiate, and in consequence, it is impervious to sterile plotting. Does it have a soul of its own or is it just a composite incarnation of the memories that the living leave behind while they are being torn apart? Yet another question that has no answer... For this reason, when the time comes for accomplishing complex tasks, such as an ordered martial maneuver, there is no point counting on one of these demons to take any initiative. Just set it upon the enemy and let it do what it’s best at. Send it into the wake of the rank and file, and its shape and stature will focus all the enemy artillery’s attention upon it. ‘Will you look at this abomination! It is as if the guts of a giant had been ripped out and given legs...’ That is enough to disturb, even terrify the invaders. Let their arrows rain down on our champion! Its flesh squirms and swells endlessly, healing its wounds quickly unless one knows the correct way to kill it. Come unto us, oh Demons of Flesh. You are the very guts of Hell, brought to life by carnage itself. You are the eternal left-overs of the banquet of horror held by the living on our own lands. Follow the paths and join our companies: you are, in the very heart of battle, the shield of the glorious Luciferians. Do your duty, go to the slaughter and spread your thousands of bloody pieces over the chaos of the melée. This is where you came to life, and it is here that the hand of the Master has guided you in haste. And as you slide down towards the void, honorless, the gap in the impious enemy’s ranks is growing. Their hands, mouths, ears, intestines, all their limbs, cut loose by the empire of our flying blades, are already mixing with your disgusting remains. Slowly, the sounds of clashing steel fall away into the distance. Who was the victor of this merciless butchery? It does not matter, for soon the enemy’s fluids, still warm from the spilling, will return you to life again. You are the incarnation of massacre sculpted into one being. Follow the echo of our war-songs! Come unto us, oh Demons of Flesh.» Aabadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
Unlimited
12
Trooper Demon Asexual Satanist
(Luciferian)
Movement 4
Advanced Deployoment 4 Ambush Impressive Regeneration 8 Terror
Shooting Skill Combat 3 Defense 3 Protection 0 Life Points 8 Faith 2
Bodily Harm Hits Damage Blunt 1 2 2 3 3 5 + Stunned 4 9 5 5 + Knocked Down
Command -
119
Base : Large
The saracenS
he Saracens
allies. Even if they were to win their battle, their quest for the Prima Materia would condemn them for sure. After another century, a tough realization dawned on the Old Man of the Mountain: he knew the Underworld better than anyone else, but he was no longer making any progress. He was lacking something. Or rather there was something he had lost. The purity of his faith. Although he was still set on the same goal, he had lost the most useful of all tools for reaching it. It was at that time that Osman arrived. Witnessing his unifying charisma and faithful conviction, Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah realized that he would not be able to control this one as he had controlled Osman’s predecessors. So he chose to serve Osman, for fighting him would only have brought about his own destruction. Of this he was certain. It was a time to make compromises... while he waited for the right opportunity. For that was indeed what the Ottomans were for Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah: an opportunity to continue his quest that had ground to a halt. The Ottomans brought with them new men, pure and honest, who were on the same spiritual quest as himself. The Old Man of the Mountain thought that among all this new blood, among all these holy men, surely there would be one whose faith was pure enough to fulfill this quest. Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah would be right there behind him, to thank him, and immediately claim for himself that which he had been seeking for centuries. Hiding in his fortress, the Old Man of the Mountain waits and listens to the reports of his men. He bides his time. He has all the time in the world. He plots. He knows that one day the inevitable will occur, and he will be there. The Hashishin and the Nizari, while commited to their masters quest, are concerned with their progressive loss of influence in the territories of Hell. Ottomans, infidels, mercenaries, the coalitions of Lost Ones... Never before had there been so many factions, so many pawns on the chessboard. With these conditions, it was no longer simple to maintain the same level of maneuverability. Thankfully, the Hashishin still had plenty of secret knowledge that made them indispensable. But for how much longer?
The Secrets of the Old Man Four centuries of Saracen presence in Hell. That is quite a long time. Imagine what the Old Man of the Mountain did when he found out that he was no longer getting older, but instead had as long as he could ever need to accomplish anything he set his mind to! A whole new kingdom lay before him, to discover and to control. Most important of all, he was now where no other believer had ever set foot, so close to The Truth. The gates of Heaven. There could be no other quest greater than this, for a believer such as Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah. Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah therefore sent his Hashishin to search everywhere. First in the lands around his new fortress, then further and further a field. Hassan ibn AlSabbah meticulously collected all the information they brought back. This information constituted thousands of maps, reports, descriptions, and charts, as well as many studies on the flora and its medicinal or alchemical uses, on various types of Demons, and geological resources, including the Prima Materia. Hassan ibn AlSabbah immediately understood the importance of this material and started working immediately on mastering its use. All of his research and his many detailed atlases are stored in a secret library that occupies a whole wing of his new fortress. Every day, new reports arrive from every corner of the Underworld. Every day, the Old Man of the Mountain listened as his men read them out. After the first century, Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah had a good notion of the different circles that make up the Underworld, he knew of the archdemons and fallen angels who rule over the main kingdoms, and of their political conflicts. Still, the heavenly gates remained unattainable. Oh, there were traces and clues, here and there, but no proof. Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah then understood that he could not succeed in his task alone. He had to make contact with the inhabitants of this place. So he sent out his emissaries. Many of them never returned. Others returned with treaties and pacts, access granted to certain places, to certain information normally payed for with blood. Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah had plenty of spare lives to spend, with the arrival of the Mongols, then the Mamluks, and then the Seljuks. While these people where drawn to Hell in search of the Prima Materia and other sources of power and influence, all these things were but distractions thrown out by Hassan to keep the fools busy while he pursued his real goal. One by one, the Muslim factions ventured out into the lands of Hell, little knowing that the Old Man of the Mountain had already sealed their fate with his local
A Series of Strange Coincidences In the case of the Ottoman Empire, as with all enlightened civilizations, there are always skeletons in the closet. As many skeletons as the lives of those lost to one of the great epidemics that swept across Europe, such as the outbreaks of Black Death, or small pox, that could wipe out a whole region and empty whole cities of their populations. That is precisely the one of the dark secrets of the Ottoman Empire: whole cities of people were exterminated. By what disease, may you ask? Not the plague, nor the pox, nor even the ‘flu.
121
FactionS The djinn had incarnated himself in the body of one of the city’s most powerful inhabitants and had «converted» many of the citizens to its own eating habits. Then it had moved on to possess another body. As they had no way of knowing behind which face the spirit was hiding, nor how far the cannibalistic contamination had spread, the Ottoman authorities decided to wipe out the whole city and its inhabitants without distinction, as the Ottoman Empire must remain immaculate and pure. The young Emir later discovered a strange wooden box in the ruins of the city, its seal was broken and it bore ancient inscriptions, most likely dating back to biblical times. The experts sent to inspect it remained perplexed . All except one who had previously held a box similar to it, one of King Solomon’s treasures. He knew well the meaning of the broken seal. Someone had set free one of the evil djinns that Solomon had imprisoned in the chest. It was also more than likely that other chests stolen from Solomon’s treasure had also been opened. The Emir brought this to the attention of the highest Ottoman authorities. Inspectors were sent out far and wide to locate the fifteen stolen boxes and attempt to detect any behavior that could indicate the presence of one of the djinns. Another atrocity was soon uncovered in a city in Libya. In this city, its inhabitants were completely given over to the pleasures of the flesh. The Ottomans purified the place with fire, and the inhabitants, locked behind the city walls, were either asphyxiated or burned to death. Another chest was found there. Some if the inspectors found the trail of one of the survivors of the ill-fated expedition, probably he who had slaughtered all the inhabitants of the Sultan’s palace. The man had become a very powerful vizier, one of the ten most important people in the state. He had left for the Underworld... And there he disappeared. That was the end of the trail of stolen chests. Since then, the possible opening of another box is a constant source of concern for the Empire.
An even greater evil was terrorizing the Muslim world, a world so eager for purity and immaculate faith: the evil of corruption. Let us go back to the beginning of this story. Alamut. The discovery of a gate that leads to Hell,the reign of the Prima Materia, and the development of alchemy. One morning, the Muslim world opened its eyes to find a source of magical energy at its disposal: The Prime Materia. Everything became possible. From then onwards, men of letters became obsessed with collecting all the written works about magic, alchemy, and myth. They were collecting these things in an attempt to compile all of the useful knowledge about the subject of magic. One day, a great vizier, whose name was forgotten after his quick and violent death, came across an old tale from biblical times. It must have dated back to the times of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The tale told of boxes... or of chests... or of some kind of holy ark... and of a curse that should not be awakened. The details of the story were somewhat unclear. The vizier met a strange end while his story was becoming the talk of scientific and alchemical communities of the Islamic world. However, it came about that one Sultan eventually gathered noblemen, adventurers and scientists to take part in an expedition to Abyssinia, the ancient kingdom of the Queen of Sheba, to follow the tales. Because the journey lasted for several years, the Sultan had given up on the whole thing and had returned home to count his piles of gold in his palace when a handful of survivors returned from the adventure with a treasure that made them extremely nervous. They refused to speak of it with anyone but the Sultan himself. The survivors showed him what they had brought back from a fortress that they had found hidden in the very heart of the wildest mountains, guarded by the fiercest of warriors. They told him what had become of the rest of their companions. When they laid their hands on the treasure, they freed an abominable thing that should have remained locked in its prison until the end of days. On hearing their tale, the Sultan was struck with fear and decided, at the survivors’ request, to hide the other parts of the treasure in a safe and inaccessible place. Until he could find such a safe place, the treasure was placed in a secret room of the Sultan’s palace. This could have been the end of the whole story if one of the surviving members of the expedition had not been «contaminated» by the thing they had set free. He stole all the pieces of the treasure from the secret room killing all the guards, the inhabitants of the palace, and the Sultan himself with some kind of violent poison that had been slipped into the food. That was the last that was heard of that treasure. Soon thereafter, a young Emir, traveling through a far away city in Persia, observed a series of strange cannibalistic rituals. He soon found out that they were part of a strange cult devoted to a very ancient and evil spirit.
A Quest Shared by All The quest of the Muslim armies to the Underworld is one that is shared by all the population of the Ottoman Empire. There isn’t a single believer who does not feel concerned by it. It proves, if proof was needed by the faithful, that God is indeed there, waiting for those who believe in him. The last step would be to find Him, the One, or at least the path to him, the gates of Heaven. For if there is a Hell, it stands to reason that there must be a Heaven. The whole of the population supports the Ottoman armies. Not a day goes by without an Imam saying a prayer for the men fighting in the companies Below. Collections are organized for the crusade. Some of the main religious figures are wondering if some kind of fund raising should be organized, on the same model
122
The saracenS of Islam means that its followers are more involved, more attentive to their faith. What’s more, the believers who depart for the Underworld (or at least, the vast majority of them) do so as if they were leaving on a pilgrimage to Mecca. They consider it as an act of faith, as their duty as a Muslim. The commercial opportunities that occur on the way are secondary. They go to explore (and to cleanse) the lands Below. And if they find a treasure on the way, they take it. In fact, these riches and their exploitation are severely regulated. The Muslims who venture there have tremendous respect and fear for that which lies in Hell. Only «available» items are brought back, those that can be collected without the need for tool or machine. Exploiting the Underworld is quite out of the question. Hell cannot be treated as a land of Islam. Thus, only what is lying around can be carried away. This does reduce the range of exploitable riches, but it also reduces the corrupting grip of the Underworld on the Muslims who travel through it. Furthermore, the quantities brought back are rigorously recorded. Each individual is not permitted to return with more than a rucksack of infernal produce, and he must give thirty percent of it to the army before passing through the gate of Alamut back into the world Above. This percentage is then sold and the money raised goes to finance the upkeep of the military infrastructures Below: forts, outposts, caravans... In this way, no-one can really make their fortune in Hell. They can merely bring back enough to provide a little well-earned comfort for the veterans and their families. In fact, very few «honest» merchants will trade in infernal goods, even if the profits can be substantial.
as the Zakat, the charitable obligation; one of the pillars of Islam, but the theoretical and theological debates are going nowhere. In fact, this crusade seems to create debate everywhere. Everyone is talking about it: from the Berber caravan driver to the Arab fisherman on the Red Sea to the Turkish artisan. There is no conversation between friends or family that does not speak of the crusade with enthusiasm and hopefulness. Artists, poets and actors travel the towns and villages to tell the tales of the wars of the Underworld. Every popular song speaks of it. Still, every substantial donation towards the funding of the crusade is greeted with a collective prayer of thanks at the mosque. Some are even prouder of their donations for the crusade than they are of having completed the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Many young Muslims rush to the recruiting offices to sign up for the armies Below. The demand is such that the candidates are submitted to a strict selection process. Every young Muslim hopes to be the first to meet the One, or to open the gates of Heaven (with the added pleasure of having slaughtered a few demons and infidels along the way). The whole of the Muslim population, Sunni and Shiite, from the Atlantic coast to the shores of India, is united by this crusade. It is a terrific drive that crystallizes all the hopes of the population, as they wait for the great news: the first encounter with the One. Another positive aspect of the crusade is the amount of riches that are brought back from the Underworld. With special concern for the Prima Materia that has now been in use for a long time in many domains. In addition, we also bring back plants, essences, and waters from Below. If the crusade in Hell is a spiritual quest that mobilizes and unites the people, the commercial activity that it produces has led the Ottoman Empire into something of a golden age, where social and religious peace now rule.
The Progress of the Spiritual Quest So far, we have not yet discovered any physical traces of the existence of the First Being, no tracks that could lead us to the gates of Heaven. However there are a few clues and testimonials that are quite disturbing. For example, the army that invaded Ampharaus made quite a strange discovery. In the ruins of what had been a large city, one with very sophisticated architecture, quite different to the usual demonic dwellings, an Imam found carvings that represented a gigantic shining gate that lead to some kind of dream land. Undoubtedly, this showed the gate to Heaven. The Imam had the stone carvings carried back by his men so they could be examined by a group of experts. At this point in time, the carvings have not revealed their secret, nor given any indication as to the location of this gate. Other buildings with a similar architectural style roughly fifteen in total - were discovered later on in the circles of Aussonia and Thebes, although they were of much smaller size. There too carvings were found and
Islam, the Force of Purity as an Antidote A new mystery has everyone puzzled. While all the people encountered in the Underworld carry astonishing stigmata and suffer from strange afflictions, the Muslims Below do not seem to be affected. Miraculously spared, one should say. Learned men everywhere wonder at this curious phenomenon. The answer, however, is simple: it is their faith that protects the Muslims. A young faith, one where purity and fear of corruption are two sides of the same coin. This makes it even stronger. Purity is omnipresent in the life of the faithful: from the daily ablutions to purify the body to the avoidance of any «impure» thoughts during the month of Ramadan, from the gesture, the action, to the thought, the intention. The youthfulness
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FactionS the Hashishin and the Nizari can enter the fortress. Of course, guests are occasionally invited to enter if the Old Man of the Mountain wishes to see them but this is a rather exceptional occurrence. The other pivotal point of the Muslim occupation is Al-Aqsa, a city built in the circle of Ampharaus, near the passage to Kohut. The military staff of the armies currently active in the Underworld is based here. Although it includes a souk, a mosque, a hamam and a hospital, it is most of all a garrison town where the soldiers come to receive their orders, fetch supplies or spend their permissions. Unlike what can be seen in New Jerusalem, here you will find no vice, no insecurity. Just a haven of peace... with all the material needed to wage a war. AlAqsa is also home to a circle of alchemists and a scientific laboratory that welcomes all scholars who journey to Hell for their research. It is also to Al-Aqsa that the bodies of the dead warriors are brought. There, they are prepared for burial in Islamic soil, in the cemeteries around Alamut. Indeed, a Muslim cannot be buried in non-Islamic soil. If a leader was to abandon the bodies of his fallen men, you can be sure that no Muslim will ever follow him anywhere again. And no one would blame them for it. Fortified outposts make up a regular network of halts for caravans and troops on the move. These outposts are designed to be able to resist a siege and house a full regiment. They are the nervous system of the Muslim occupation. Through them travel both information and supplies, and they provide an easily defensible safe place. They are spread out along the paths that lead to the passages between the infernal circles. In addition to these outposts, the Muslims have also established a system of nomadic camps that allow troops to patrol the dangerous areas and keep track of the movements of the infernal armies. These troops also patrol the roads used by the Ottoman supply caravans to assure their security. Beside Al-Aqsa, there are a few strongholds with elaborate defensive systems in Thebes and Aussonia. They all have ramparts, moats, a field hospital, and a small mosque. During Ramadan, the troops on campaign take it in turns to come to these outposts for a day of prayer. They are usually also the ending point of the caravan routes until another outpost is established elsewhere in the circles of Hell. The Ottoman armies are very well organized, and their structured logistics are the base of their success in the Underworld. Not only is everything planned from a military point of view, but also from a religious one. Their soldiers are never short of physical food on a daily basis, but neither do they want of food for the soul. The Muslims are both soldiers and believers: ablutions, prayers, fasting... All these moments are planned as part of their daily routine. When a soldier arrives in Hell he is given a basic kit, including a small prayer mat, a travel-sized Qur’an (that can be slipped inside the belt
brought back. They have elements in common with the ones found in the ruins of Ampharaus, but they do not refer to the great shining gates at all. The scholars think that these smaller structures may have been relays, stages on the road to the great city. But then, what was the purpose of the great ruined city? Are there others to be found, greater still? Other buildings with a similar architectural style - roughly fifteen in total - were discovered later on in the circles of Aussonia and Thebes, although they were of much smaller size. There too carvings were found and brought back. They have elements in common with the ones found in the ruins of Ampharaus, but they do not refer to the great shining gates at all. The scholars think that these smaller structures may have been relays, stages on the road to the great city. But then, what was the purpose of the great ruined city? Are there others to be found, greater still? The most spectacular of these events are chance encounters with historic and great Islamic figures. There are three that have been authenticated by religious authorities. In Thebes, a battalion of dibukkim cleansed a nest of demons who were guarding some kind of necropolis. In its center stood a pyramid, and at its summit, a man was held prisoner. He was no other than Hussein the Martyr, son of Ali, the founder of the Shiite branch of Islam. The Martyr, having called for the eradication of evil, disappeared during the night. Next, a caravan came across Abdel Qader Gilani, Sufi master of the Qadiriyya, who offered to teach his members the art of ittihad, the total communion with God. Then he disappeared after the meditation. Finally, Imam Bukhari, who wrote the Sahih Bukhari, was seen by a group of Berber scouts inside a gigantic arch-shaped structure made of onyx, on the frontier between Ampharaus and Aussonia. The arch was covered in thousands of Kabbalistic signs. The Imam demanded that they be copied and studied. Then he disappeared. Undoubtedly a clue to be deciphered. However, so far, nothing has come from it. Other holy figures of Islam have reportedly been seen in various places, although only so much credit can be granted to these reports.
The Muslim Presence in Hell For four centuries now, the Muslims have been present in the Underworld and they have been far from idle. In the beginning there were the Hashishin and the Nizari. They rebuilt their fortress in Ampharaus. This new fortress is just as inexpugnable as the original. Its daunting height and size make it all the more impressive that it is the first military building that the Muslims see when they arrive Below. Unfortunately, they can only pass it by. By virtue of the agreement between Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah and the Ottoman authorities, only
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The saracenS The only dark cloud in the sky of the Ottoman armies is the return of the veterans to Earth. When signing up, they can choose between a service of ten or twenty years, though most everyone signs a first contract of ten years. However they do not grow any older while in the Underworld. When they return home after their service, everything has changed, except them. Some even return to find their whole family gone. Those who are lucky enough to still have family feel very uncomfortable living with an aging wife and fully grown children while they haven’t aged a day. So they return to fight in Hell and stay there forever.
or carried around the neck in a special pouch), a vial of holy water from Mecca (water from the Zemzem) and a key (the key to the gates of Heaven, a small reminder of the spiritual quest that drives them all). Even the traditions have been adapted to life below: it is difficult to turn towards Mecca for prayers when in Hell, where that direction is impossible to locate. So the prayers are performed in the direction of the nearest passage: logically, the quickest route if one was to set out for Mecca. In the same way, the bodies of fallen soldiers are never left behind in Hell.
125
FactionS
Salâh ad-Dîn, Redeemer of the Believers For a time all was ash, dust, darkness, and deprivation. I can’t tell how long my mind wandered bereft of my body, spinning inwards towards the darkness befuddled by mirages. Was I alive? Dead? I had no idea. My brain swam with visions of my sick bed, then visions of my victories, then plains of blood and fire where I new not my name. Time seemed to have no meaning and I was certain that I was dying or already dead. How long I continued in this state I couldn’t say. Then one day I awoke here in Hell. Everything seemed to fall back into place and I remembered everything. My life, my death, my time in Hell, I remembered everything. Realizing I was in Hell, I despaired, for I thought that I had lived a virtuous and righteous life in the eyes of Allah. I bent my back to the toil and torture that the jinn heap upon the damned. For quite some time I lost myself in the punishment thinking it my destiny. Then news started to spread within the ranks of the damned, that had reason enough to remember and tell such tales, that mortal men had found a way to hell. As I contemplated such a thing, I became convinced that being sent to Hell was merely a test of my resolve and purity. If mortals could travel from above to below then why could the damned not return above, or to Heaven? These things merely required determination and the proper reverence for and certainty of Allah’s greatness. Perhaps all mortals find themselves in Hell after their death, and only the truly worthy who continue to practice their faith will be admitted to Heaven. A fairly radical idea I admit, but who of us is to know the will of the Almighty? I resolved immediately to seek out these mortals as soon as I could, and began to work out ways to escape from the jinn that had been my tormentors. At this point Salâh looked away and seemed lost in thought for a moment. Needless to say getting away presented challenges but I felt alive and motivated again and nothing was going to stop me. Eventually I saw the opportunity and used violence to slip away. Many of the other damned could have accompanied me but they didn’t seem to have the will to strike out on their own. I wandered for a short while, but finding the intruders was actually much easier than I had thought it would be. Imagine my surprise to find the Nizari and the old man here in Hell! We talked and I found that the old man shared some of my ideas about why we where all here. I joined the quest to find the gates of Heaven and have been working toward that goal for quite some time now. Hell is a peculiar place and I have seen and learned many wonderous and horrible things. Heed my words, our quest is far from over, it is still only beginning. Salâh ad-Dîn’s account of how he came to be in Hell, as gathered by the personal scribe of Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah
Officer Damned One Male Muslim (Sunni) Mentalist
Unique 5 Movement -
Shooting Skill
6 Combat 4 Defense 3
Orders
Protection
The Roll
14 Life Points 3
of
Mercy
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique - Salâh ad-Dîn resurrects a muslim
Faith
trooper that was killed previously this game. Put the trooper back on the batt-
6 Command
lefield within 6 fathoms of Salâh ad-Dîn. The trooper can’t be placed within the control area of, or in contact with, an enemy unit and can’t be in impassable terrain. The resurrected unit is waiting, can be activated later in the turn, and is treated as a new unit entering the game.
70
Awakening
of the
Earth
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD - All of the scenery that is in the same zone of the battlefield as Salâh ad-Dîn is destroyed. The entirety of Salâh ad-Dîn’s base
Charisma 2 Fast 2 Fury Immunity (Knocked Down) Levitation Telluric Waves Blunt
Hits Damage 1 2 2 4 + Slowed 3 6 + Stunned 4 8 + Knocked Down 5 9 + Devoured
must be in the zone for the scenery to be destroyed. Scenery elements specifically linked to the scenario that is being played aren’t destroyed.
T elluric Movements
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD - Target 2 free enemy units with the same sized base, within 10 fathoms of Salâh ad-Dîn. Swap the positions of the 2 targeted units. The enemy officer can’t be targeted by this order.
V ae
soli
V ae
victis
Aura
Easement
Permanent • 10 Fathom Radius • Muslims with 1+ FTH Muslim units with a FTH of 1 or greater within the area of effect of this aura, ignore the effects of the wounded state.
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Base : Extra Large
The saracenS
Nazir
ibn
Hamid ibn Hajjad, Emir
«May the Almighty, the Great One, be my witness: I, Youssef, soldier of the Lord in the lands of Hell, swear that there is no soul nobler or purer than that of Emir Nazir. Every day that Allah brings where I wake up in his service, I can find only praise for him. If today I am the arms and legs of the Emir, if I carry him on my shoulders from dawn to dusk, if I protect him from all dangers, that is for me the greatest of honors. I will personally cut out the tongue of the first son of a dog who dares to say a foul word about this great man. I have served under the Emir since he arrived in Hell. We all knew that there was only one reason for his presence Below: to have the joy of meeting the First One by fighting against Iblis, as every devout believer should. He had already fought against evil back on Islamic soil. He had traveled to places barely touched by the teachings of the Prophet, to eradicate the filthy pagan cults to creatures of the Evil One. Already he sensed the presence of Iblis and that had only multiplied his faith in God. He understood that his mission was calling him elsewhere: Below. So he assembled his troops, selecting only the most devout among the devout. A body of only brave men, loyal and ready to fight. He chose his friends, his brothers, and their sons! Unfortunately, the deeper we ventured into the lands of evil, the more our sanity was tested by the scenes we were witnessing: Demons, Lost Ones, nightmarish creatures, obscenities, and more. Every time we lost someone for whom we cared the Emir wept! He wept until his eyes burned and every time he asked, «How many more do we have to lose, O Allah?» After a particularly bloody encounter that sorely tested our faith, the Emir feared he would lose his mind after all the horrors he had seen. He gathered us all together after the last prayer and told us of his decision. He asked me to sit at his right, and said: «So as to no longer see in the darkness but the light of Allah, I will ask of Youssef, whose hand is steady and whose faith is pure, to burn out my eyes with my scimitar, heated until it is white hot.» With a heavy heart, I accepted to do so. I was precise. I felt the flesh melt. Not a single cry came from the Emir’s mouth. Just two words... «Thank you!» It was at that moment that I became his closest servant, closer than anyone else could ever be. However, all force and power is of Allah. To show his gratitude for the purity of the Emir’s faith, God gave him another gift to compensate for the loss of his vision.
Officer Human Male Muslim (sunni)
Charisma Expertise Healer 5 Leader Tenacious
Movement 4 Shooting Skill Combat 5 Defense 3
Life Points 16 Faith 3 Command 5
If the First One accepts to meet a single believer down here in the Underworld, I would wager my place in Heaven that He would choose to meet with Emir Nazir.»
Orders
In cha’Allah Active • 3 Permanent CMD • Unique Allied Muslim units, except Nazir himself, gain +2 DEF, to a maximum of 6, during the next attack sequence, except explosions or blasts, they are involved in. Vae soli Vae victis
127
4 2
Protection 0
From that day, the Emir has guided us, riding on my shoulders. Sometimes, he stops me by squeezing my shoulder and I shiver in anticipation: he can often sense attacks in advance. What he could guess before on Earth, he can now sense here in Hell and prepare the response like a chess player. Rare are the occasions where the enemy, be they demon or damned, have been able to catch us off guard. It is as if he could see what was going to happen. From now on, for him, the only priority is to preserve the lives of his men. He doesn’t want to lose even a single one more. If ever any of us was to fall down onto one knee, wounded by the enemy, he will ask me to hurry him to their side. I will carry him to the injured, lower him down to their side, and Nazir will lean down towards them. A new miracle will then take place: a single verse of the holy book, whispered by the Emir will be enough to bring a wounded man back to his feet. Although I have witnessed this many dozens of times, I always have the feeling that it is the voice of God himself that speaks through the lips of our Emir.
Heavy Scimitar Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 2 5 3 3 + Stunned 4 9 5 11
3
38
Unique Base : Regular
4 2
FactionS
Layla bint Suraya Officer Human Female Muslim (Sunni) Infernalist 2/2
Unique 6 Movement 5
-
-
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 4
4 Defense 3
0 Protection 12 Life Points 5
2 Faith 1
5 Command
Charisma Dodge 2 Expertise Elusive Fast 3 Runaway
Base : Extra Large
bint Javaira, Princess
In the humid and stifling heat of the hamam, the women of the harem were taking care of themselves. Fatima, lounging by the side of the pool, called out to one of the concubines. «Oda, by the One above, by the Almighty, have pity on our boredom. Tell us of the princess Layla.» «Again?» she protested. «May Allah be kind and spare me having to tell that whole tale again!» «Oh Oda, do tell! Please, Oda, please tell us the story!» came the answering calls from the other bathers. Oda gave a weary shrug, admitting her defeat, and began her tale, a wide smile upon her lips. «Princess Layla bint Suraya bint Javaira, may Allah watch over her, was a young lady, as beautiful and as sparkling as the stars in the heavens. Her eyes were like emeralds stolen from the most precious of all antique treasures, her skin was as soft as the silk of Alexandria, her ebony hair cascaded down over her fine shoulders, as light as the wind itself, and the sound of her voice as she sang was as clear and refreshing as falling rain on a baking hot day. Her mind was as remarkable as her body: in his great kindness, Allah had given her a sharp intelligence and an exceptional gift for the arts. She also possessed a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the most advanced scientific texts, as well as an innate mastery of the major arts of painting, poetry and music. She was courted by all the greatest and richest princes of the whole Empire. To the great dismay of her parents, there was only one dream in her heart: to emulate the greatest general of all the believers, the famous Saladin... Yet this was of course out of the question for a female, and a princess of royal blood all the more. After having cried, screamed and threatened to get her way, she decided to run away from her parents’ palace. Dressed as a man, she managed to fool the Pillars of the Faith who guarded the gates of her parents’ home. She then rode all the way to Baghdad, and lived a thousand adventures on the way, but I shall tell you more of them some other time, my sisters. When she finally presented herself to the recruiting officer, he made fun of her shape; too thin, too fragile. Her dream should have shattered there and then. However determination was greater. She wandered through the streets of Baghdad. Her feet finally took her past the barracks of Al-Jawad. There on the doorstep, a young nobleman was crying: his parents wanted him to enter the service of General Al-Jawad, but he wished only to become a poet. His family would be covered in shame if he did not fulfill his duty. Layla offered to take his place: thus, he could go and live out his passion of poetry, and she could become a soldier while his family’s name was upheld and honored. He accepted her offer gladly and gave her his credentials before leaving with a light heart, reciting poetry at the top of his voice. Layla managed to keep her secret inside the barracks. Alone, the tale of the tricks she used to hide her true identity from her companions in arms would be enough to fill many an evening of story-telling. As she had done all her life, Layla once again stood out from the crowd. No other warrior could equal her mastery of the saber, no horseman could reach as symbiotic a relationship with his horse. So it was that Layla finally joined the staff of the great military strategist Akim Al-Jawad. Allah had blessed Akim with the same gifts he had bestowed on Layla, He had made him as intelligent as she was beautiful, as athletic as she was intellectual. He was loved by his men for his infallible loyalty and his tactics that always aimed to spare as many lives as possible. He was loved by all for his generosity which was most honorable as one of the essential pillars of his faith, and for his devotion to the glory of Allah which knew no boundaries. Many tales were already told of his exploits, both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. He came from an ancient and noble family that had unfortunately been ruined because of its misplaced faith in the goodness of human beings. Akim grew up along side those who would later become his soldiers, and this was probably why so few other generals of the Empire could claim to know their men as well as he. From his youngest years, he showed talent for fighting and strategy. At the age of twenty, he had already been noticed and was commanding a company of over one hundred men, at thirty he was leading over a thousand armed soldiers. Layla and Akim soon developed a master-disciple relationship. He taught her his most secret techniques and most surprising ploys, and passed on to her his instinct for war tactics. After a while, their relationship became more intimate, and they both felt attracted to one another. Unaware that his disciple was not male, Akim was most disturbed by his urges and feared that he had become a sodomite. Riddled with guilt, he sought to expiate his vice. One night, he sent Layla to deliver a message far away from the barracks, assembled his most faithful men and left for Hell to there purge himself of this perversion. He has not returned to this day. Upon returning, Layla was torn apart by worry, but she finally learned what had happened to her master. It didn’t take her long to guess the reasons that could have led Akim to choose that course of action. She enlisted in the troops leaving for Hell, to search for Akim. After only a very short time, Layla was raised to head her own company and won victory upon victory. There, in the middle of nowhere, she stumbled across the man whose identity she had borrowed, the poet. His own lie had ruined his life, and he had fallen into a life of depravity and ended his life in a mad-house: for did he not claim to be a famous officer of AlJawad, while all the time he was dressed in rags and reciting impious poems? Death came to him as a deliverance. He began a new life in Hell as a lemure. As soon as he set eyes on Layla again, he became attached to her and taught her the spells that would allow her to control other creatures like himself. He was undoubtedly trying to redeem himself by continuing to help the princess to accomplish her destiny. In the end he disappeared again... into the jaws of a hungry panther. Nowadays, Layla’s fame is such that she has finally revealed her true sex. The devotion of her troops has only risen. At first, they thought they were in the presence of a houri, a holy beauty rendered into flesh. Layla told them her story and they realized she owed her victories to her talent and her faith alone. Since then, she has traveled through more
58
128
The saracenS circles than many hashishin; she has met archdukes of Hell so far away that they do not even know of the human presence in Hell. Her wanderings took her to the frozen lands where no being, human or demon, could survive more than a few short hours; to burning lands so hot that a single breath of wind can set light to hair and clothing; to the darkest necropolises that are forever hidden from all light; to lands so evil and so beautiful that only the most fervent of believers can find the strength of will to bring themselves to leave again. The «warrior beauty» seems to fascinate her adversaries, which leads them into the traps she sets for them with an uncanny ease. It is whispered that Akim died, killed by a demon lord. Layla believes that he has found the gates of Heaven and that he is there, waiting for her.»
Orders
Proof of Devotion
Active • 3 CMD • Unique An allied unit that has already been activated within 6 fathoms of Layla, is now waiting (yes this means that the unit can be activated again later in the turn). Great Strategist 2 Permanent CMD • Unique This order can only be given during the upkeep phase. During the following action phase, you decide which units will be activated. Even when your opponent would choose which model they want to activate, you do so instead. The dominant player still decides which company must activate a unit first (though you decide which unit that will be), and you must alternate activation between companies as normal. Your opponent can’t use Vae Soli orders or skip their activation due to being outnumbered while this order is in effect. You can’t choose the enemy officer to be activated with this order, and your opponent may choose to activate their officer on one of their activation’s, if they do you can’t overrule this. Vae soli Vae victis
Spells
Grudge Residual As long as the lemure this spell was cast through is in play, all allied units within 3 fathoms of it get Arch-Enemy (Enemy Units) 2, as long as they’re within this spell’s area of effect. Boots of Lead Vanished This spell targets an enemy unit in contact with the lemure. The target of this spell suffers a penalty of -1 DEF until the end of its next activation. The target of this spell can’t move during its next activation for any reason. no effect or ability can be used to move the target of this spell until the end of its next activation. Breath of Life Residual As long as the lemure this spell was cast through is in play, allied units within 3 fathoms of it get Regeneration 2, as long as they’re within this spell’s area of effect. Scimitar Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
129
FactionS
Tarik ibn Malik ibn Rushd, Prince with
Tarik / Eagle Officer
Animal
Human
Asexual
Male
Unbeliever
Muslim (Sunni) Mentalist
Hunting Eagle
Request from vizier Sidi Mohammed ibn Moktar: The vizier would like to bring to the attention of the council the despicable actions of an officer at the head of a company engaged in the lands of Hell. Indeed, Prince Tarik ibn Malik ibn Rushd is guilty of assassinating the Emir in charge of the protection of the city of Oman. The Emir had decided to forbid his stay in the city: the Prince and his men having a reputation for debauchery that had preceded them, the Emir wished to avoid the risk of compromising the morals of the city. He rode out to meet Tarik’s troops as they approached Oman, blocking their route. The Emir asked him to change his city of destination. Tarim answered that Allah alone could make him change his course, that there was not a man alive who could tell him where to go and anyone who tried was about to die. The Emir didn’t back down, and told him that if it was Allah’s will that he should die, then so be it, he was ready. The Prince answered that he too was ready. The Emir stepped forward to begin the duel and dropped dead after single thrust of Tarik’s sword, even though he himself was known as the best swordsman of the whole city. The garrison of Oman surrendered immediately. The Sultan gave up hope and handed the keys of his capital to Tarik and his men. The Prince threw the Sultan into his own dungeon. These events were followed by a week of troubles for the sultanate, during which vice and violence entered a seemingly endless escalation. Then a messenger arrived from Medina, announcing the arrival of an army sent to dispatch the Prince. Tarik and his men fled, having told the messenger that if his masters wished to find the Prince they would have to search through Hell itself. For the arrogant duelist, who had not found a single man on Islamic soil who could prove a suitable rival, was now convinced that no son of Adam could withstand him, so he had to search among the demons for an adversary to match his talent. We cannot tolerate that any man, Prince though he may be, be allowed to violate the pillars of Islam and run to seek refuge in the Underworld to avoid punishment, feeding his frenzy for duels on the way. For all these crimes, the vizier demands the Prince’s head.
Base : Regular / Regular Unique / Associated (Tarik) Tarik : Charisma Counter attack Elusive Erratic Movement Man-at-Arms 2 Rapid Strike (defense) Eagle : Elusive Harmless Insignificant Invulnerable Levitation Maverick
Tarik / Eagle 4 7 4
3 6 3
2 12 2 4
1 1
Movement
8
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
-
Defense
6
Protection
0
Life Points
2
Faith
-
Command
-
The response of the council was as follows: The council has taken into account the request of the noble vizier. May he be aware that many other personalities share his views on the future of the Prince. Indeed, Tarik’s debt is considerable, and it is quite likely that he be destined to Hell himself, if Allah so wishes. However, he is still under tight surveillance. Though he is being watched, with Allah’s protection, he has accumulated many victories in Hell, slaying many powerful demons with his own blade... As well as several infidel leaders. In fact, the council has a collection of heads of the servants of Iblis that Tarik has sent back. The Prince also has one of the lowest injury and death rates for his company, for he fights all his battles by dueling with the enemy leaders. This avoids many a useless loss of life, and is very good for the morale of the troops down Below. The council also has in its possession a signed promise from the Prince to not return to Earth until he has defeated every single archdemon and offered their heads to Allah. Until that day, or until he dies, Prince Tarik remains under the protection of the council. Excerpt from the minutes of the High Islamic Council of the Infernal Lands.
Orders
C ritical Hit
70/0
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD This order can only be given at the beginning of a combat sequence. Until the end of the turn, an enemy unit engaged by Tarik will have a DEF of 3 (Modifiers won’t change this).
B lood
of a
K ing
Reactive - If the enemy officer is killed while in contact with Tarik, and Tarik survives the current turn, you win the game regardless of what the normal victory conditions are.
S econd Breath
1 CMD - This order can only be used immediately after Tarik kills an enemy unit. Tarik recovers a number of LP equal to the killed unit’s printed CBT.
V ae
soli
V ae
victis
Hunting Eagle
Enchanted Scimitar Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 ura 2 4 Aura of Distraction 3 6 + Stunned Temporary • Passive • 3 Fathom Radius • Lingering 4 8 + Pain Units within the area of effect of this aura can’t give or 5 10 receive orders. Tarik is immune to this aura’s effect.
A
The saracenS
Chams al Majid, Djinn Ali served the tea to the men sitting around the camp fire. Even in Hell, the nights are cold. A little way away, a few caravan drivers were catching up on the prayers that had been missed during the day because of the forced march. Ali gave the sentinels a worried glance. Sayid noticed the fear in his eyes. «Do not worry, brother,» he murmured, blowing on his steaming mug, «for tonight, Allah has given to us the greatest of all gifts.» Ali raised his eyebrows. «What are you talking about, Sayid? Even the purest of believers is not safe in these cursed lands.» «Ah, yes, but we have more than just our faith to protect us!» answered Sayid, «We have Chams al Magid, a djinn who has heard the voice of God. He has been following our caravan since we arrived in Hell. I know it, I can feel it.» Sayid swallowed another sip. Truly, the tea really did taste quite different here than it did on the surface. He grimaced at the taste, before continuing. «I have already seen this djinn at work when we were attacked by the damned. They had fallen upon us as we were setting up our camp. We were caught off guard, and prone to panic. In a whirl of wind, he appeared between us and our attackers. His body was made of the sand of the desert of Rub Al-khali from whence he came. May Allah burn off my beard if I lie: he used his own body to protect us from the enemy’s attack, turning away their spears and their ammunition. Under his protection, the wind carried to us reassuring murmurs that we soon recognized as the words of the prophet.» «The words of the prophet?» Ali’s mouth was as wide open as his gaping mouth. He looked around at the other members of the caravan. No-one seemed to share his surprise nor wish to contradict Sayid. Sayid put his cup down on the ground. An embarrassed silenced was hanging over the group. Sayid looked at Ali, looked him straight in the eyes. The younger man lowered his gaze under the veteran’s stare. Sayid continued in a most solemn tone of voice. «The presence of Chams multiplied our courage. Better still, as if we were carried by a warm gust of wind, our feet hardly touched the ground, we were flying towards our enemies like eagles. I felt as if I was walking on a flying carpet!» Sayid let out a loud laugh. The others were silent, concentrated as they were on his tale. Ali had finally gone to sit with the others around the fire. «After we had finished off the last of our attackers, Chams came to us and told us his story. He was a spirit of the desert of Rub, but a magician had condemned him to spend all eternity locked inside a jar, buried in the desert. That would have been his destiny if a caravan driver hadn’t found the jar and released him. The caravan driver was on his way to the Underworld. So, to thank him, Chams Al-Majid vowed to protect the troops of Allah in Hell for seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy seven days. Since then, he has followed our convoys and appears whenever we are in danger.» Sayid pulled up his blanket, wished his comrades a good night, checked that his scimitar was close to hand and turned over onto his side. The other men soon did the same. Only Ali remained awake. He was staring intently at the hill. By Allah, there were verses of The Voyage from the Qur’an coming from the whirlwind!
Djinn Asexual Muslim Mentalist Movement 6 Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 5
Intangible
Protection 0 Life Points 12 Faith 3 Command -
Auras
Aura
Indépendent
of
Inspiration
Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Muslims Muslim units gain +1 CBT.
Aura of protection
Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Muslims
Muslim units within the area of effect of this aura can’t be the target of a ranged attack. A unit using an explosive weapon cannot target a spot inside the area of effect of the Aura of Protection. This aura does not protect from blast-type weapons.
Aura of Speed
Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Instant • Muslims Until the end of the turn Muslim units that where within the area of effect of this aura when it was triggered may move up to 3 fathoms at the beginning of their activation. This move is not taken into account in the calculation of the total distance covered by the unit during its activation (and so in the determination of its action). A unit may only be affected once per turn by an Aura of Speed (no stacking).
Scimitar Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
131
25
Unique Base : large
FactionS
Fatina, Houri The Archduke cast a displeased look at the demon chained at the wrist to the stone floor. He gave him such a blow with the back of his hand that it ripped the demon’s arm clean off. It screamed. The Archduke smiled. «Speak now and tell me the reasons for your defeat against that company of humans that are called Muslims.» Behind him, nightmarish creatures were already devouring the severed arm. Others were waiting for a better piece of meat. None, however, dared to come forwards to claim their part. «The enemies were praying when we attacked. Despite our first charge, they resisted. Many of them began to chant phrases in that strange foreign speech of theirs. I know little of it, but I think it was yet more holy talk. They were undoubtedly praying to their God to spare their lives even though they were fighting like lions. Their faith seems to know no limit when they are about to die and outnumbered. Then everything changed. The woman! She appeared in the middle of the battle, as if by some enchantment. Was she already there? In disguise? Hidden by the soldiers? Or did she fall from Above, invoked by their prayers, called by their faith? In any case, at that exact moment, it was as if a blinding flash of lightning had fallen from the sky. The woman was surrounded by an aura so powerful that it held us back. Blinded us. I immediately sensed that she was a danger to us, a threat. She was only clothed with thin veils, but none of our attacks seemed to touch her... Ah the unbearable light! Although a only few seconds before, my men had been reaping the lives of these pitiful humans like a harvest of wheat, now she walked among them and they were rising to their feet again, as if fascinated by this frail creature. ‘Fatina! Fatina!’ they cried as she passed by. «Show us the way, open the gates of Heaven for us!» they said, following in her footsteps, only to charge and die at her feet. She did not need to speak to be obeyed. She simply pointed to a crack in our lines, or designated a target among us, and the Muslims immediately understood the maneuver to accomplish her given task. In this way they took our most precious men from us, my officers, my veterans... Oh they were dying too, of course. When the men fell down, there at her feet, she whispered a few words or gave them the lightest of touches. From that moment they would still be dying, but in pure unadulterated ecstasy. Suddenly, despair changed sides. Their living banner, made all of grace and sweetness, stood there in the midst of the men, as they roared as if they were of one soul, and charged in the most perfect of counter-attacks that wiped us out in an instant.» The Archduke grabbed the demon by the throat. He picked him up off the ground and crushed his windpipe, making a disgusting noise. The demon gave up what soul he had left. The Archduke continued to squeeze until the demon’s head became detached from his body. The nightmarish courtesans rushed towards the cadaver, some squabbling for the head, others fighting for a hand or a foot. The Archduke watched the show, lost in his own thoughts. «Damned divine female!» he muttered. A houris! This wasn’t the first time he had heard word of these women. The stories seemed to become more and more frequent. How to be rid of these houris? The Archduke knew there must be a solution to this problem... But what could it be?
Independent Houri Female Muslim (Sunni) 5 Movement -
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
6 Defense 0 Protection 3
Life Points
3
Faith
0 Command
Orders
R eceiving the Believers Whenever a non-insignificant allied unit dies within 10 fathoms of Fâtina, she gets +1 CMD until the end of the game. The CMD point gained is immediately added to the company’s CMD pool. Divine Intervention Free • 3 Permanent CMD When an enemy unit within 8 fathoms of Fâtina would roll dice to attack during a combat sequence, they don’t instead, making it a one sided attack. This order can’t be used on a unit attacking Fâtina.
Charisma Harmless Invulnerable
Base : Regular
Unique
25
132
The saracenS
Jafar
al
Efrit, Evil
Djinn
The soldier Eisenberg was constantly lost deep in the darkest confusion, and would panic at the sight of even the smallest flame. The right hand side of his face still bore the fresh scars of his burns, as if it had melted like a wax mask. His singed hair had grown back in compact tufts. He looked like the descriptions that have been made of some of the Lost of the Underworld. He was a frightening sight to behold. All day and night he would scream, scream until his vocal cords gave in, «Jafar! Jafar!». Sometimes, after vespers, when the room was again in darkness, he would become calmer and would tell of his encounter with his torturer. I had great difficulty taking any notes on his story. Even a simple candle to see by would make him nervous. Eisenberg and his company had been ordered to take a small fort of Mohammedans, an easy target where victory seemed almost guaranteed. The attack was brutal and took them by surprise. The fortifications crumbled rapidly. The imperial forces had no problem entering the fort, slaughtering everyone they encountered. Then the Muslims organized a retreat to a more solid building, a mosque perhaps. In the heart of the battle, some kind of Persian magician, or maybe a Kurdish wizard, brandished a phial: «Jafar! Jafar!», he screamed. Eisenberg had suffered an injured leg, and was hiding behind a pile of crates of Prima Materia, and was attentively watching the whole scene from his hiding place. Little did he know how lucky he was. What he saw then left him breathless. What he had initially taken to be the flame of a candle was now beginning to shine red and twist about inside the phial like a caged beast. The phial reddened and began to beat like a heart. The magician grimaced at the heat, despite the thick gloves he was wearing. The phial was covered in Kabbalistic symbols, drawn in gold and silver. The magician removed the crystal stopper from the phial, letting out a column of golden yellow flames. Eisenberg felt his throat become dry and his lungs burn up. The magician was shouting orders, but the whirling fiery creature that he had just set loose seemed to be resisting him. It was writhing about and swearing loudly at the mortal who had summoned it. Then the fire being screamed and finally gave in to its master’s instructions. The efrit - for so these creatures are called by the Saracens - was restricted by the magical hand gestures of his master. This being all of flame (some say they are made of molten lava or burning coals) took the shape of a gigantic and almost intangible, nearly immaterial, human. Jafar threw himself at the soldiers of the Empire, grasping them with his flaming fists, immolating them with a furious laugh. His fury grew as the carnage continued. As the carbonized bodies continued to pile up in the wake of the efrit, his rage consumed him more and more. His color changed: from a fiery orange, he darkened to a flickering red like iron being heated in a furnace. The magician was having trouble keeping control of his fiery minion. Eisenberg nearly died when Jafar reached out his hand towards him... He owed his salvation to the crates behind which he was hiding. As the outcome of the battle was now certain, the magician tried to order the one he called Jafar back into the bottle from which he had been summoned. Jafar turned on his master and faced him with a gaping mouth like that of a blacksmith’s furnace and as wide as the mouth of a bombard cannon. It took all of the magician’s remaining energy to return the efrit to its phial. And when it did, it went with a scream that still echoes in the ears of the soldier Eisenberg.
Unique
23
Djinn Asexual Muslim Movement 6
Tale gathered by Antonius Albrecht, chaplain of the Imperial mental hospital for soldiers returning from service in Hell.
Orders
Shooting Skill -
R age Withheld
Whenever a non-insignificant unit is killed, Jafar gets +1 CBT, to a max of 10 CBT, until the end of the game.
Deadly Spiral Free • 1 CMD • Reactive
Each time a non-Insignificant Saracen unit is killed, Jafar may immediately perform a Charge, Attack or Mêlée action. This does not prevent him from being normally activated later on this turn. If he is waiting, he returns to a waiting state after using this order. If he has already been activated, he can still use this order. Jafar has to wait until the end of the current activation, if any, before he can use this order. This order occurs before any Vae Soli. This order can’t be used during the upkeep phase.
Flaming Fists Hits Damage Fire 1 1 2 2 3 5 4 8 5 10
133
Independent
Immunity (fire) Intangible Regeneration 2 Ricochet
Combat 2 Defense 5 Protection 0 Life Points 12 Faith 3 Command -
Base : Large
FactionS
Alchemist With their glasses of tea in front of them, the members of the Grand Ottoman Council of Science were enjoying the tranquility of the day in the shade of a palm tree on the patio. The very learned Sheikh Milud had shown them earlier that afternoon how to use the Prima Materia to make glass windows that could filter some of the beneficial rays of sunlight. They would soon be used to help build glass houses in which rare plants and fruits could be grown. The noble assembly was discussing this and that when Sheikh Milud asked if they had any news of the adepts of Zafar an Nabih. An embarrassed silence fell. Milud explained that he was still waiting for Zafar’s students to pay their contribution to the Society of Alchemists and transmit the results of their work in Hell. For they owed their presence Below to Milud’s intervention with the authorities and without that, owing to their master Zafar’s already troubled past, would have remained stuck here. The other alchemists protested. Some reminded him that their particular alchemical specialty was hardly a noble one. Really, making grenades! They had even been known to sell them to the infidels. How very scandalous! Some of those alchemists had been arrested, but they had claimed that their buyers had pretended to be Algerian sailors looking for a safe way to be rid of Spanish pirates. None had been able to prove a thing, and the intervention of a rich benefactor (or some accomplice with a hefty enough bribe) had seen them freed. Once, their own customers had fled by bombarding them with their own toxic grenades. They escaped the attack without a single scratch. When questioned on how such a miracle could come about, they answered that Zafar had taught them how to make themselves immune to their own poisons, in case such an event should occur. What a twisted mind the man had! The noble assembly muttered and grumbled about the lower class alchemist that was Zafar an Nabih. Truly, one could but wonder what such a character could possibly bring to the field of alchemical research in the Underworld. Sheikh Milud laughed. He knew well what could be the only thing that would drive Zafar so far: it was money, the profits made from the Prima Materia that he gathered. And these profits were made by selling it at any price to the lowest of the infidel scum that he could find when he returned from Hell.
Independent Human Male Muslim (Sunni) Mentalist
Base : Regular Limited 2
Orders
3 3 3
2 2 2
Shooting Skill Combat
0 Protection 9 Life Points 4
1 1
0
24
Movement
Defense
Faith Command
Grenades of rage Active Nominate a point within 6 fathoms and line of sight of the Alchemist. Units that are within 2 fathoms of the nominated point must perform a Charge or Attack action during their next activation. If for some reason an affected unit is prohibited from performing one of these actions, they may act normally during their activation Grenades of repulsion Active • Unstoppable • Unique Nominate a point within 6 fathoms and line of sight of the Alchemist. Also, there must be at least 1 allied unit (or the Alchemist) and 1 enemy unit within 3 fathoms of the nominated point. Move an enemy unit within 3 fathoms of the nominated pointed up to 10 fathoms in the direction of your choice. This move ignores terrain and the unit must be placed in clear terrain and can’t be in the control area of or contact with an enemy unit. Then your opponent does the same with one of your units within 3 fathoms of the nominated point.
Harmless Immunity ( ) Man-at-Arms 2 poison
Aura
Cloud of Poison Permanent • 2 Fathom Radius During each upkeep phase, other units within the area of effect of this aura take 3 poison damage, ignoring PR, as per the Consumed state. Fire Grenades Explosion (Consumed (Fire • 3/2)) Limited Range 3 134 Range 3
The saracenS
Hashishin The names that my parents gave me will not mean anything to you. In fact my true birth was much later, on the day of my initiation, the day I became a hashishin. From that day onwards, my previous life was no longer of any importance. My name was of no importance either. The only matters of import were of those of my two masters: Allah and Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah. All others should fear me, and my hashishin brothers.
Independent
We have been in the lands of Hell for four hundred years now. We know hundreds of pathways, roads, frontiers, fortified places, demonic kingdoms, political conflicts, military groups and much more. We know them all well enough to avoid the traps into which the newcomers fall. We are at home here. We can read every rock, every plant, every mark on the ground. Our presence here is so natural that we melt into the background like sugar melts into tea. Even better, thanks to our master’s alchemical expertise, we have mastered the power of Ta’wil. At any moment, we can appear or disappear at will. From that point on, we are no longer the sugar in the tea, but the tea itself, as bitter as life and as hard as death. We walk in the shadows, a path along the edge of all realities, one that we alone can tread. During the split second when I travel between the worlds, I feel as if I am walking on a tightrope over the void, where every step I take could send me falling down into nothingness... But that will never happen. Sometimes, I might act as a scout; I go ahead of the vulgar, noisy ranks of the armies who think they can rule the infernal territories. I show them where and when they can pass safely, steer them clear of toxic or cursed lands, places of ambush, and I guide them to their destination without them even guessing half of the danger that they avoided thanks to my skills. They think their brave airs and the shine of their shields is enough to ward off the demons. They have eyes to see, but they only use them to stare at their own feet. Msakain! May the light of Allah finally give them back true sight! I also have to use my espionage skills for the service of generals who are as ignorant as they are blind. For them, I slip inside infidel camps or demon palaces, ruins full of damned ones or the fortresses of rival generals. There, I watch and listen. Sometimes for hours, often for days. At these times, my only friends are my daggers and God. I steal my food or eat meager rations. I sleep in holes where only rats would sleep, or I merely forget about sleep altogether. Then I return to them with my report, sending a copy to my master as well, of course. He knows how to assemble scattered facts. He sees what is invisible. He understands.
Human Male Muslim (Shiite)
Discretion 4 Elusive Fanatic Insignificant Strider
Movement 5 Shooting Skill 3 Combat 6 Defense 5
Life Points 12 Faith 3 Command -
My purpose on Earth or in Hell is but to serve. So I serve Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah wherever he chooses to send me, and never falter, for such must be the will of Allah himself, for it is his will also.
Order
Shadow Walk Passive • 1 Permanent CMD The Hashishin must be free to use this order. Move the Hashishin up to 10 fathoms ignoring terrain and intervening units. This move must end in clear terrain and can’t put the Hashishin within the control area of or in contact with an enemy unit. This order can only be used once per activation.
Throwing Daggers Hits Damage Piercing 1 2 Ammunition 2 2 4 Limited Range 3 3 4 Range 4 4 5 5 6
135
2 7 5
Protection 0
On some occasions, my master orders me to return to these cursed places and meet with the person who was spied upon. By written or spoken word, I bring them counsel, threats or offers from my master. Often, the person, be they demon, damned or human, accepts my message. Sometimes they do not, and then they die.
Scimitar Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 Penetrating Strike 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
4
28
Limited 3 Base : Regular
4 4
FactionS
Lancer As I feel my end is growing near, I recall my life in Hell.
Independent Human Male Muslim (sunni) 5 Movement 4
-
-
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 4
4 Defense 3
0 Protection 12 Life Points 4
2 Faith 1
1
Command
Defensive Combat Fury Man-at-arms Protective
Long ago, all I cared for were the arts of war and the wielding of the lance. I was a proud lancer in the service of Allah’s greatness; I had taken part in the extension of the lands of Islam. I was a great one, and my reputation as a warrior was well established on Earth. However, I still felt that meaning was missing in my life. I needed another quest, one good enough to truly apply my talents to. A quest for God. So I left for the Hajj, thinking I would find the fulfillment of my spiritual searching in that voyage. It was during my pilgrimage that I met other men like me. One of them became attached to my company and told me of the true battle of the believers. Once I had accomplished my pilgrimage and was in accordance with God, I went to sign up for the armies going to Hell. There I met many other veterans as renowned as myself. Some of them I had already fought beside... and some I had fought against. There in the great Ottoman army, we were all together. The armies in the Underworld were calling out for heroes. We had already proved our worth on Earth. So we went Below. I remember my other brothers in arms. Very quickly we got the feeling that we were no longer part of earthly reality. Now, there were only ourselves and our men, alone. So each of us was free to tell his full story. I remember them all. Hamid was a romantic, a brave lancer of the desert. He had come down here to avoid seeing the woman he loved, for she was married to his uncle. After every battle he would tell us that he thought he had seen his uncle among the demons. We laughed, and said that maybe his houri would be his ex-fiancee. Suleiman, a pure-blood Ottoman if ever there was one, had come to prove to his family that he was not just an idle dueler. He liked to say that he would bring back one of the rings of the gates of Heaven for his mother, that she may wear it like a crown. Malik, the silent one, had never told us his story. Then one day, we saw him kill an Ottoman officer from another company. Before the dead officer’s soldiers could grab him, he shouted to us that he had come Below just to find this man and avenge his sister’s honor. All of us had something that called us to Hell. God had given us each a wish to fulfill that coincided with His will and allowed us to add to His glory. It took me a little while to realize that. In the end, I realized that as well as my own place in the Great One’s plans. This last leason was revealed to me by a young Blessed Warrior as he took his last breath. We had been fighting on a plateau. I had been sent out alone with a handful of soldiers, to guard a strategic passage. Around me, I could feel the men were petrified. It wouldn’t be long now. I spoke to them, «It is the will of Allah that we should not die here, so we shall fight. Look at me, my faith alone is enough to fend off the enemy.» The men rallied. From a certain defeat, we began to put up a valiant resistance. I felt as if I was creating a legend of my own. «It is time to shine brighter, my brothers!» I shouted. «Allah is great!» they answered. So we marched forwards towards the enemy. Victory had changed sides, and the remaining demons ran away screaming. We had been about to die, and yet we had won the battle. We had survived, except for one young soldier. I sat by him, lamenting at my inability to save his life. He smiled at me and said, «On the contrary, you were our example. Without you, we would all be dead by now. We needed a hero to show us how to behave. You were perfect!» Hell just needs heroes. I was one for my troop while we fought for our destiny. Now I shall depart to join my brothers in arms. We have so many stories left to live.
Orders
Limited 3
Base : Regular
Speed of the Oribi Passive • 2 CMD The Lancer gets +1 MVT and +1DEF until the end of the turn. Sting of the scorpion Passive • 1 CMD The lancer gets +2 CBT until the end of the turn. This order may only be used twice per activation. Wall of Blades Active • 2 CMD The Lancer gets Attack of Opportunity 3 and DEF 6 until the end of the turn. While this order is in effect, the Lancer can’t receive orders and loses the benefits of any order already affecting him.
25
136
Lance Hits Damage Piercing 1 2 Cumbersome 2 4 Eager 3 6 Lunge 2 4 9 Receive Charge 5 11
The saracenS
Pillar of the Faith With Daggers or Halberds The Imam Nordine ibn Jalil was watching the children playing in the garden of the orphanage. They were between three and six years old. That was the age at which they should begin their training. Any older and it would be harder to get them to «naturally» assume their new role. For he was there to select those who would be called to join the ranks of the soldiers that were now called «Pillars of the Faith». The Imam was recruiting for his monastery. He had ten places available and hundreds of young boys to see before making his final choice. First of all, he began by observing them. Straight away he eliminated the sickly children and the ones with any physical defects. The candidates needed to be strong and solid. It was the mission of the Imam to find the singular quality within the bodies of these children that would make them “ forces of nature”. Only experience had allowed him to tell which of the boys would become big and strong. He watched them as they ran after each other, fought or clambered up the walls. Through their games, he could see their personality and their future. A selected child should indeed show obvious signs of loyalty and devotion, but also a kind of «natural» faith. That is where the Imam’s experience really made the difference. He would question and test the boys who seemed the most promising, by asking them riddles or submitting them to dilemmas. He would give them the choice of three objects (a hat, a knife and a Qur’an), and then question them on their choice. At the end of each interview, the Imam would ask the child if he felt ready to come with him if they wanted to serve Allah. The question was decisive. A moment of hesitation and the child would be staying at the orphanage. The next part of the chosen child’s life would be lived at the monastery, where he would spend roughly fifteen years. There, every single day would be like the day before. It would begin with al-fajr, the dawn prayer, and would continue with the domestic chores that were delegated to the members of the monastery. Then, after al-zohr, the midday prayer, came the time of the military training. After al-asr, the afternoon prayer, would come the teaching of the Qur’an and of science that would last until al-maghreb, the prayer at dusk. Then the young men would return to their individual chores until al-atma, the evening prayer, and the end of their day. After fifteen years of training, the young men would be submitted to a series of tests: left alone in the middle of the desert, each of them would have to survive with a single flask of water, guiding himself by the stars. He would have to then find a secret place, filled with traps and guarded by monks from another monastery, from which he would have to retrieve a given object and do his best to bring it back to his own monastery. On his way back, he would be hunted and tracked. The final test was a trip into town with the Imam. During the journey there and back, they would constantly be under attack. The young warrior had to prevent the Imam from being taken by their foes. If he failed any of these tasks, he would have to wait for a whole year before he could attempt the test again. If he succeeded, he would be named «Pillar of the Faith» and during the following year, he would be assigned the protection of an important religious or dignitary figure departing for Hell.
Independent Human Male Muslim (sunni)
22/27
Daggers / Halberd
Order (D
aggers) Divine Strength Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique The Pillar gains +1 SHS, +1 CBT and +1 FTH until the end of the game.
Order (H
alberd)
Divine Armor Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique The Pillar gets +1 DEF and +1 PR until the end of the game.
Throwing Daggers Hits Damage Scimitar Hits Damage Piercing 1 2 Slashing 1 2 Ammunition 2 2 4 2 3 Limited Range 3 3 4 3 5 Range 4 4 5 4 7 5 6 5 9
Halbard and Scimitar Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 5 Eager 3 6 Lunge 2 4 8 137 5 10
Limited 3/2 Base : Regular 4 2 5 4
3 1 4 3
3 10 3 1
4 2
Movement
4
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
5
Defense
4
Protection
2
Life Points
10
Faith
3
Command
1
3 4 3
4 2
Daggers : Attraction 3 Bodyguard Fierce Halberd : Bodyguard Fierce
FactionS
Berber Chasseur Will you have the guts to face the sorrow of a mother, the sorrow of a whole population? A population stripped of its most vital flesh and blood? Will you have the strength to listen to the truth about the sorry fate of the Berbers? Every year, the tribes see the Ottoman soldiers arrive in their camps. When they arrive, their words ooze with sweet nectar, but when they leave, the nectar turns to bile. Those sons of dogs force us to hand over our best chasseurs, our best warriors, our husbands, and our sons. What do they leave us in exchange? Nothing. Just the promise that they won’t hunt us down.
Trooper Human
They despise us, they hate us, and yet, they can’t seem to live without us. They say that we have become too friendly with the infidels. Yet we have only ever fought against them. Yes, we know them, for having fought them for so long... And that is how we learned to master the same weapons as them. The famous Jezail musket. What do they think? That we are too stupid to learn new techniques? Every battle makes a Berber stronger, smarter. That is why we fight the infidels with their own weapons, that we have learned the tactics of the Spaniards and therefore know how to outsmart them. Is that a crime?
Male Muslim (sunni)
What more could they hold against us, that makes our children so indispensable to the great and glorious Ottoman army? «You run around, creeping like the desert fox, you attack from your hiding place and disappear before we can catch you.» Yes, we are able to move about in hostile terrain, discreetly, silently, without a trace. Do they not know that those are the essential rules of survival for those who wish to dwell in the desert? They are but sheep, whereas the Berbers are wolves.
Base : Regular Unlimited
These talents they steal, and take our sons away for three long years. In the beginning, we did not know that they were being sent to serve in the Underworld so we sent the least important men of the tribe. However they never returned, and the Ottoman soldiers still came back every year, more evil than ever. We tried to run from them, but they would always end up finding us. The other Berber chasseurs in their service would track us like dogs. So we gave them the very flower of our youth.
12
5 Movement 4
3 3 3
2 2 2
1
When the recruiters came, the following year, he immediately stepped up to take the place of a young chasseur. The boy’s father offered him a camel in thanks, and he gave it to me. I was not surprised by my son’s decision. I knew I had lost him the day he left. «When Hell takes your son, you will only ever see him again in Heaven», we now say among Berber mothers.
Shooting Skill Combat Defense Protection
I myself weep for a son, even though he was returned to us. He told us what it was like Below, down in Hell. He told us of his marches through the plains of black sand, of ash, of hot coals, and through snow and ice too. We were amazed and afraid as we listened to him. He told us how he and his Berber brothers often had to act as scouts for the Ottoman troops, to guide them along tracks used by beasts so fearsome that even their tracks would scare you. I did feel that he was not telling us everything. His nights were haunted, and he talked in his sleep. Sometimes he would scream. My son kept it to himself, sparing us the greatest of the horrors. All trace of love and joy had been wiped from his eyes. He lived with us, but always at a distance, he was only ever half there. He would look for excuses to be alone, hunting by himself, going off as a scout... The only thing he truly enjoyed was gazing at the stars at night, sitting at the top of a dune. He would only rarely come under the tent; he preferred to stay outside, away from the others so as not to disturb us.
Scout Strider Moving Shot
4 Life Points 1
2 Faith 1
-
Command
Jezail Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Penetrating Strike 2 2 4 Range 10 3 5 Reloading 2 4 7 5 9
Saber Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The saracenS
Blessed Warrior Sergeant Salah noticed the two young guards. They were chatting together in front of a kebab stall. He walked forwards to stand between the two men, pushing them apart, and ordered a lamb kebab from the seller. Straight away, he apologized to the two men for his rudeness. The guards, impressed by his uniform, that of a Blessed Warrior, responded with a torrent of compliments and praise. The situation was looking good. Salah invited the two guards to come sit in the shade and drink some tea in the garden of the nearby inn. After exchanging the usual niceties, they accepted.
Trooper Human
Once seated, they chatted about the heat, the oncoming Ramadan, the current situation of the Empire, the service of the Sheikh, the crusade in Hell... «Tell us, sergeant, how the war is going down in Hell?» asked the tallest of the two guards. «Is it true that the One-and-only sends houris to stand by our sides in the heat of the battle?» interrupted the second guard, his eyes wide with curiosity. «Yes, my brothers, when I began my career in the ‘Divine Mercy’ regiment, I fought in a great battle that took place near the gate of Aussonia. My brothers in arms and I were sent to take the fort of a demon lord. We were being given quite a thrashing when she suddenly appeared among us in a glorious ray of light. With her help, we won the day. I heard the voice of God with my own ears, spoken through that woman. It was maktoob!» «Allah is great!» murmured the smaller guard. «What was the name of that battle, sergeant?» asked the young guard. «We never hear of the battles that take place Below.» «It had no official name, and will not be remembered in any history books. The only place it is recorded is on my papers.» Salah pulled out a bundle of paper from under his tunic. «Each one of these papers is the recording of a major military accomplishment in which I took part. ‘The three pillars of fire’, ‘The palace of the fallen’... Ah, now the tale of that battle has been told by every veteran in the Underworld around the campfire. I was there. At the time I was serving in the ‘Divine Wrath’ regiment, the very one that now holds the strategic crossroads to Ampharaus. Hundreds of us fell there, but whole waves of enemies were reaped by our scimitars. Some of the creatures there were at least three times my height! Allah alone is source of power and strength.» «How wonderful it must be to be able to serve thus!» sighed the taller guard. «As a simple farmer’s son, I could never become one of the chosen ones.» «Do you have true faith, brother?» «There is no god but Allah, and Mohamed is his Prophet, brother!» responded the guard, indignantly. «Ah, but to serve as a guard and to serve in the armies are two very different things, brothers. Down there, the discipline is strong as steel and your every day is filled with marching, cold meals, camps with no fire and total obedience.» «Serving God would give us the force we need, feed us and keep us warm. As for obedience, that is something we have learned since we were children.» «Then, brothers, you will make most excellent Blessed Warriors.» They talked until the last prayer of the night. When they parted company, sergeant Salah signed them a letter of introduction to go and pass the tests. The two guards thanked the veteran for almost half an hour for this. Finally, they left him. Salah returned to his quarters. On his way, he stopped at a small fountain to refresh himself. What a luxury, he thought. A small neighborhood fountain. He hadn’t told the two eager candidates about the thirst that had torn at his throat when he was injured in the ash desert of Aussonia, nor had he told them of the heaps of rotting cadavers of Blessed Warriors that the Demon armies had piled up during the siege of the ruins. He had not told them of the time he had watched his comrades tortured by succubi, forced to renounce their faith before they were pierced through and through by a thousand spikes. He had not told them that one day the most wonderful proof of the existence of God would be a small neighborhood fountain.
Scimitar Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
139
Male Muslim (Sunni) Movement 4 Shooting Skill -
Combined Attack Natural Talent
Combat 3 Defense 3
3 2 2
Protection 3 Life Points 5 Faith 2 Command -
11
Unlimited Base : Regular
1 1
FactionS
Dibbukim Trooper Human Male Muslim (sunni) 5 Movement -
-
-
Shooting Skill
4 Combat 6
4 Defense 3
1 7
Protection 5
Life Points
Abdel had problems remembering the world as it was before. Before he became a Dibbukim. When he was a Blessed Warrior among many others. He served in a company with childhood friends of his. They had all signed up at the same time. They fought like lions in the name of Allah. The burden became heavier and heavier. Then that terrible day came. Nightmare creatures appeared from nowhere. The demon stole his heart and his mind. He had stared deep into Abdel’s eyes, reached in and crushed his soul. His faith alone had saved him from death, but it drove him mad; he could no longer control himself. It was as if he had become pure rage and thirst for blood. His scimitar had been brought down again, and again... Until he awoke again amidst his friends. Dead. By his own hand. He had screamed. He would have wanted to die with them, but God had not granted him that chance. He had been removed from the regiment and entrusted to the care of an Imam. He had spent hours listening to the holy man reciting the Qur’an to him. The rest of the time, he spent weeping and asking to be put out of his misery. Abdel could still feel the beast sleeping inside him. The monster could awaken. He wanted to be executed, but the military authorities had decided otherwise. He was placed with other men like himself. Dibbukim. Some wanted to kill themselves but God forbids suicide. So, as redemption, the Dibbukim ready themselves for all of the most difficult of situations. The first time he served as a Dibbukim, he was part of a group of about twenty men like him. The mission was a simple one: get rid of the damned ones that were harassing the convoys. Abdel and his comrades were hidden in a cart in the middle of the convoy. Of course, the convoy had been targeted by the damned, right on plan. Only, when they lifted the canvas of the chariot, the damned ones had been faced with twenty pairs of bloodshot eyes and just as many scimitars. A whirlwind dance of deadly blades had exploded from the cart. The Dibbukim had slain all of the evil creatures, So quickly in fact was the enemy dispatched, that they had started to kill each other before the Imam had the time to begin reciting the calming words, the words of the holy book. They had all dropped their weapons and had fallen to their knees in a pool of blood and severed limbs. There was, indeed, only one way to stop a Dibbukim. The sura of the End of Battle, read by a holy man. The Imam in charge of the Dibbukim had to be certain that the warriors had finished their task before shouting it out loud... Unless he had been killed. Slain by his own men. That did happen sometimes. The second mission should have been the end of Abdel’s career as a Dibbukim. The sura stopped him just as the Blessed Warriors were taking back the space in which he was fighting. Abdel found that he was the last remaining Dibbukim. His sorrow became even greater. The Imam told him that it was maktoob. That God needed him elsewhere. He accomplished another five mission, each one more murderous than the previous one, making him the oldest surviving Dibbukim. On average, a Dibbukim’s life did not last more than two missions.
2 Faith
So here is Abdel, lost in the mist, with rage in his guts and the taste of blood in his mouth. He advances on the nearest figure. Then he charges towards it, screaming. His scimitars whirl and fly, and are met by fountains of blood. Another attack hits him in the back. He flips around in time to block the two scimitars coming down on him. He parries and responds with an attack to the legs. The man falls down upon him. The mist becomes thicker. Abdel can’t see any further than the tips of his blades. Another figure approaches. Abdel raises his weapons... And the first words of the sura echo in his ears. He is still alive.
-
-
Command
Berserker Furious Rapid Strike (attack)
Base : Regular
16
140
Scimitars Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 2 4 3 6 4 8 5 10
The saracenS
Hunting Panther First report: Of animals in Hell. Dear Vizier, As you requested, I have carried out several different studies on the specimen of panther that was brought back from Hell. The animal had been badly burnt, and its post-mortem examination proved to be difficult and disappointing. I suppose that if this panther pounced on the lemure, then it was because it had identified it as prey. It is indeed strange that panthers are among the few animal species that do not fear the creatures of the Underworld. It is an intriguing coincidence that Sheik Hamid, a great hunter, was so adamant about taking his hunting beasts to Hell with him. However, I do think that Sheik Hadim should be dissuaded from taking his hunting elephants with him to run after demons on his next visit Below. One can never know what reaction these pachyderms could have, even though they are trained. I would simply recall the example of Vizier Ahmed ibn Ajar’s initiative to take a group of Balkan hunting bears, trained to hunt down and attack demons, with him to Hell... He was devoured alive by his animals, who turned wild again the moment they passed the gate of Alamut. It must be said that the Vizier always had difficulties telling good ideas from wishful thinking. If God placed the animals on Earth and not in Hell, then it was for good reason. Wisdom comes from Allah alone. Second report: Of the survival of animals in Hell. Dear Vizier, May Allah be praised. After having taken many animals Below, it seems that there are indeed few species that are able to survive there. Their reactions remain very strange and very erratic. Some of them become even more aggressive; others on the contrary become quite apathetic. There have even been some known to harm themselves. As the only animal to remain constant in its behavior, the panther is the bearer of hope. Not only are they very resistant to the environment, they have even adapted to it. Silent, discreet, almost invisible in the rocky clusters of the desert landscapes, the panthers retain all their efficiency. They are just as implacable when tracking and hunting. Lemures have become their favorite type of prey. They can track and locate the creatures every time. On the other hand, the panthers’ attacks are not always fully successful. Some lemures, when attacked, explode, catch fire, or possess defensive abilities that can easily defeat a panther. We should consider protecting our hunting panthers with methods similar to those used by their prey. I have already contacted my alchemist friends about this, to ask them if they could create some kind of artifact able to give our felines an advantage. They are currently working on it. I will keep you informed of the progress of their research.
Limited 2
16
Trooper Animal Asexual Unbeliever
Third report: Of the training of panthers.
Movement 7
Dear Vizier, May Allah be praised. Our alchemists have discovered a solution. After several unsuccessful attempts, our knowledgeable friends have developed a harness decorated with symbols that are able to significantly protect our panthers. We have also had to launch an intense breeding program for our panthers, which is not an easy task. However, we are making good and rapid progress with their training. Henceforth, we are only losing twenty percent of our panthers, those who escape as soon as they are released into the Underworld. However this is not a real problem, as these panthers rarely attack humans after that. The other eighty percent respond very well to the orders they are given, orders that are kept as simple as they can be, as the panthers’ hunting instinct is as efficient as ever. The panthers respond well to short oral orders: search, attack, come, sit. I therefore think we can begin using these animals systematically when hunting down lemures. Moussa ibn Aziz Doctor of Zoology, Constantinople Faculty Science In charge of the large felines department.
Fangs Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 4 + Slowed 4 1 + Knocked Down 5 2 + Immobilized
Shooting Skill -
Attack of Opportunity Evasive Insignificant Interception 6 Strider
Combat 5 Defense 5
6 4 4
Protection 1 Life Points 8 Faith -
3 -
Command -
141
Base : Regular
The losT
he Lost
rocks here and there, and tucking them away in his pack as if they were nuggets of gold or Prima Materia. Who knows what they will be worth back in New Jerusalem? After our brief halt at the Black Mountain - which, quite honestly, is so small one has to be less than a league away to even see it rise above the plain - we spent three days crossing a pale and misty country, so misty, in fact, that it was difficult to tell the ground from the sky on the horizon. On the evening of the third day, we encountered our first armed gangs, and from a distance we took them to be squadrons of Protestants. Each of them was only made up of a few raggedy soldiers, and on the captain’s orders we shot them down without waiting for them to get any closer. However, as soon as we examined the first bodies, we knew that these were no Protestants, nor were they even human. These were damned ones who had taken arms, as they do sometimes. There are as many nations in the lands Below as there are in the lands Above, and here the wars are waged not in the name of God Almighty, but only for the greed of the devils who have established their domains here. After these few skirmishes, the captain found a small rocky rise in the land where we could easily spend the night. The site was high up, easily defensible, and had many good look-out points. However, the young Arnolfini protested: he argued that there were still several hours until nightfall, and that we could therefore keep marching and make good progress before the sun (or whatever serves that purpose down Below) set. Spada did not answer him; he simply continued giving orders for the camp to be set up as soon as possible. As for the men, they had no complaints: it was rare enough for the captain to be so liberal, and if he had decided that we should stop here, he must have his reasons. I only discovered later that night that they had very little to do with exploration or our mission. We took turns to keep watch that night, as usual, but when my watch was over, I could not get back to sleep. I had been walking around the camp for a while, when I overheard the captain speaking with a person whose voice was unknown to me. As I drew closer, I caught a glimpse of him. He was a stocky man, with a wide chest and shoulders, muscular legs and powerful arms. He was wearing a linen tunic and bore a round shield and a leather helmet decorated with wild boar tusks. In fact, his size and shape were quite reminiscent of that animal, but his eyes showed the twinkle of sharp intelligence, one that is quite rarely seen amongst the damned. I therefore assumed that he was a devil, or one of those damned ones who aim to become one. The stranger had nothing but a bow and some arrows as his weapons, and the sight of him speaking with Spada, armor-clad and armed in his pressence, was both frightening and comical at the same time. They were speaking in hushed voices, but from watching them draw figures in the dust with a dead branch,
«Say not a word in death’s favor; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead.» – Achilles’ ghost, speaking to Ulysses. It had already been two weeks since we had left the relative safety of the out-post for explorers of the lands Below that the Imperial troops call the Black Mountain. In their insolence, the followers of the supposedly reformed religion have named it the «Pope’s Head». It is a tiny nipple of rock, lost in the infernal desolation. At best one could call it a fort, a halting place for the free companies, many of whom will never return from their wanderings in Hell. The place is held by a small garrison of scoundrels, some of them French, others citizens of nowhere. They call themselves «hosts» and demand a king’s ransom for every night spent inside their walls, a high fee more fitting for a nobleman’s residence. But the fact is that the place is much safer than the wind-blown moors around it, and we were in no position to barter about the price. Captain Spada did, however, manage to obtain a little dried meat, water and gunpowder for the rest of our journey. He exchanged it for fresh tobacco, to which they are most partial, not for its medicinal virtues, but simply for its taste. In the perverted, vice-riddled atmosphere of that god-forsaken place, the smoke from their pipes is an almost civilized smell and manages to remind those armored beasts that they are still human. However, when it comes to their other pleasures, they wallow in lust, as they will in their customs, and they trade with whores that they choose among the damned. Among them is an ecclesiastic who goes by the name of Brother Martinet, and whose corrupt behavior is as bad as that of his flock, for he assures the French soldiers of the Black Mountain that, as the damned females had no soul, they may partake in whatever depraved activity they like with them. So that is exactly what they do. The rest of their time is spent hunting out the few damned ones who venture near enough, and making money from the explorers who, like ourselves, are heading west. They carefully avoid the northern lands, especially those to the north-west, for they are the source of the most fearsome rumors. It has long been said that the situation there is dire, and that the devils are fighting among themselves for supreme power. None of those who have gone that way have returned. There is much to be gained from these expeditions. Anyone who returns alive with any maps or information can sometimes sell them for a substantial amount in New Jerusalem. That is the aim of our company, and that is why the young Arnolfini travels with us, forever sketching the landscapes around us and filling his book with endless notes every time we stop. While we endeavor to travel as lightly as possible, he is always picking up
143
FactionS in valley, and at the bottom of it, what looked like the ruins of a city. A river of blood-red water ran through the valley and skirted the city, tracing a scarlet boundary that exuded the rank smell of rotting flesh. From our vantage point, we could see dark figures moving about among the ruins, sometimes moving swiftly from one place to another. On the other side if the river, a camp had been set up, and there we saw the most vibrantly colorful company that we had ever set eyes on. The company was made up of damned ones, each one more hideous than the next. There were skeletal humans, their eyes deep in their sockets and their skin dry and gray, bearing rusty arms and armor the kind if which we had never seen. Young Arnolfini told us that they were ancient weapons, like those borne by the heroes of mythology, but we also saw one or two of them carrying rapiers or arquebuses, undoubtedly taken from free companies that, like ours, had ventured this far. However, these were the least repulsive of the beasts, for among them walked enormous monsters, as big as bears and with jaws of steel, reptilian horrors covered in spines and fangs, and abominations whose deformities and armor made them look like giant carrion birds. The whole troop was a crawling mass of rusted metal, leather, teeth and blood, enough to petrify even the most hardened veteran. There, in the middle of this monstrous regiment, sat a truly gigantic individual. Around him was gathered his elite guard, the Pack, as he called them. Bran Carnoth, a damned abomination who had risen up in arms against the other inhabitants of Hell. Everyone who had set foot Below had heard of him, he was now more monster than man, with an insect-like body and the fangs of a lion. Carnoth and his crew were a perfect example of what the devils sometimes call «the Lost». The Lost are damned ones who refuse the supremacy of the demons, and claim to be free creatures living in Hell. He and his menagerie of hideous monsters had freed themselves from the rules of the Underworld kingdom, and they wrought havoc through all the lands Below. They were lawless brigands, and, well, in the end they were just mercenaries like us. In fact, on closer inspection, Bran Carnoth and Spada were made of the same stuff. We climbed down from our vantage point. When we came closer to Carnoth’s camp, two damned ones blocked our route, growling deeply. These creatures were nothing like the lost souls that the French soldiers of Black Mountain would use as whores, or targets for their shooting practice. Their eyes were far from having that dead, empty look to them. «These are old souls.» murmured the captain next to me, as if to answer my silent ponderings. When the sentinels noticed Audacious with us, they became less hostile and took us to meet Carnoth. The war-lord was busy laying out his battle plan on a chart. He turned around as we grew near. Audacious saluted him. «I have brought you Captain Spada.»
I gathered that they were discussing strategy. It seemed obvious that Spada had only stopped in this place to meet and speak with this person. I only heard a few words of their conversation, as they were parting ways. «What about her, is she there?» asked Spada. «I cannot promise you that, mortal» answered the stranger with a gruff voice. «But when Carnoth has taken back the place, you can look for her at your will.» «Will he allow me to do so? Should I not fear that he will turn against us?» «The chalice is the only thing that counts for him.» «The chalice and freedom.» «Yes, freedom for all the damned.» «So be it, then. I will see you tomorrow.» At that point I was far from thinking I would see the stranger the very next day. After waking the troops, he was at Spada’s side, and he was introduced to us. No one could quite grasp his foreign-sounding name, but it sounded very much like the word «Audacious» so that is how he became known to us. And that is how a damned one became our company’s guide. I myself had very little chance to speak with Audacious, for Arnolfini was always seeking his attention, asking him a thousand questions, always dutifully transcribing the answers in his notebook. However, it was the shortest of conversations that caused to him never speak to our guide again. «You can stop making notes, you know, they will be of no use to you.» said Audacious. «Knowledge is the key to victory, my friend!» answered Arnolfini, not in the least bit daunted by the damned one’s tone of voice. «Victory is for the living, pretentious youth. And you, in less than ten days, will be dead.» The damned one spoke with calm certainty, never raising his voice, his face devoid of any emotion. The young nobleman turned away from him, a look of pure horror sculpting the hideous mask of fear over the fair features of a respectable young heir. And he never spoke to him again. From that day onwards, Arnolfini was continually pestering Spada, for he had realized that our expedition was leaving its route to follow the guidance of Audacious. We were no longer heading west; we were now pushing northwards. We had abandoned the route of exploration to enter the lands where devils were quarreling. Yet none of us questioned the decision captain Spada had made: he had saved many a man in battle, and more still during times of peace. He was the kind of man you would follow all the way to Hell and back... so we had all chosen to do, for one reason or another. Unlike all the mercenary troops the world has ever known, none of those reasons was money. That was what Spada was like, and how we were too, back then. Two weeks after we had left the Black Mountain and all the revolting vices of its guards behind us, we reached the edge of a rocky plateau. From there, we could see a closed-
144
The losT phemy, I would guess that it would no more be found in the saints in Heaven, or the angels, who live in bliss, and who have gazed upon the light of God. This force is one that only moves men and demons; it makes them believe in life in these lands of death. This power pushes them to explore the outer boundaries of the Underworld and risk their eternal souls for a scrap of cursed land. It is faith’s little brother and the father of all conflicts, but also the redemption of all sinners. And I saw it, in the monstrous eyes of Bran Carnoth’s beasts, shining bright like a gem in the darkness of Hell: hope.
«Spada.» repeated Carnoth, as if the name reminded him of something. The leader of the Lost and our captain examined each other in silence for a moment. Despite his fearsome appearance and his moody expression, Carnoth radiated that charismatic aura that only great leaders have. It was easy to see how he had come to be at the head of one of the most feared companies of Lost ones in all of Hell. «You are not the first humans to come to this place.» said the beast. «Who were the others?» asked Spada. «Those who hired us to take these ruins, those that you call ‘Imperials’,» said Carnoth, «but they are all dead.» «So it would seem that you did not accept that task simply for the bounty they were offering. What is in it for you, Bran Carnoth, that you wish to take this pile of rubble?» «My reasons are my own, as are yours, Eduardo Spada. First and foremost I wish to free the damned souls that Thelonius holds captive at his boot, that they may join my ranks. There is also a trinket of little importance... But our goals matter little: it is time for action, and we have a city to take.» «Well spoken. We will fight beside you, but on our own conditions.» «Speak.» «You will let us search the city first, and let us take what we wish...» «... Except the damned ones.» «Except the damned ones who wish to join your cause. I shall also add this: when we have finished, you will let us leave in peace, when we leave for the west.» «Agreed. In the same way that you will let us leave in peace once the city is taken and you have found what you seek. Or should I say she that you seek...» The captain smiled faintly. These two had no need for a handshake, no treaty, no pact of blood. They knew well that their deepest nature would lead them, sooner or later to fight on opposite sides, but for the time being that was of no importance. «I was correctly informed, I see. You know much of many things, Carnoth.»
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
So began our association with the deadliest troop of Lost Ones in all the Underworld. Until the captain ordered the charge against the demon Thelonius, who was occupying the ruins with his minions, I could not grasp what it was that made Carnoth’s damned so different to the others, what gave them that spark of humanity and made them so similar to us. It was only when I saw them in battle that I understood. What is it that moves us forward, what gives us ardor in the middle of a battle, what force raises our swords and guides our hands? That invisible power was one that was hardly ever found among the damned, for they are subdued, broken creatures. In fact, although this may be blas-
145
FactionS
Bran Carnoth, Warlord Officer Lost Asexual Agnostic
Base : Extra Large Unique
What kind of man could Carnoth have been when he was alive? There is something in the way he moves, fights, or even speaks, that is somewhere between that of a living creature and some kind of mechanical device, like those automatons that the noble and the learned enjoy so much. On the battlefield, he becomes a whirl of steel, insect-like limbs and blood, and his rasping voice booms out like a roll of thunder. I have seen his opponents, be they men, damned ones or devils, freeze with fright, or even collapse, when hit by the shock-wave of his roar. That cry of doom announces the charge of the multitude he commands: before him march the polished leather, the rusty steel, the fangs, the feathers, and the scales of the accursed menagerie that follows him wherever he goes. Like a merciless wind, they fall upon the enemy, blind to the danger, deaf to the pleading screams, but certainly not mute: when their choral voice answers that of their master, it is as if all the trumpets of Jericho had begun to sound. There are no walls, no hearts, that can resist such an uproar. Despite that, the man - the monster - has a voice that is of those that can sway whole peoples, that can win over souls and make even the most peaceful take up their weapons. For the true power of Carnoth is not his performance on the battlefields. There is no warrior, be he the equal of legends, so terrible that he cannot be taken care of with a good three feet of sharp steel. His people do not just see him as a champion: some name him Dux Bellorum, but far more give him the title of King. For behold, his crown is made of thorns, his throne bathes in blood, and his reign is but a long battle against an enemy that is legion, and still, he is the equal of every monarchy by his splendid appearance, by the burning of his damned heart and the generosity of his soul. For he who marvels at his prowess in battle still knows nothing of the Great Raven - of all the names he has been given, this is the one he favors most - but he who hears him asking about the moral and well-being of his «men» can only be touched by this. How many soldiers would give their very soul to have a captain with even a drop of such blood in his veins, one who would always be among the first men to advance onto the battlefield? There are many princes, generals and prelates who have less consideration for their own than Bran Carnoth has for his flock of lost souls. I have seen Spada watching him secretly many a time, trying to get the measure of him, as you would with a wild beast before moving in for the kill. Our captain knows full well that that this alliance will hold for one battle only. Tomorrow, when the pact is undone, Mercenaries and Lost will part ways. May the Lord grant us never to have to face Bran Carnoth. Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Orders
B attle Cry Active • 3 Permanent CMD • Unique All enemy units within 8 fathoms of Bran Carnoth are Knocked Down.
84 5 Movement 4
-
-
Shooting Skill
8 Combat 7
4 Defense 3
3
Protection
16 Life Points 5
0 Faith
Charisma Fury Immune (controlled) Leader Strider Terror 2
S piritual Armor Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique Until the end of the turn, Bran Carnoth gets Immune (Spiritual Damage). D eadly Instinct Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique For the next combat sequence Bran Carnoth is engaged in he gets Rapid Strike (Attack). V ae soli V ae victis
0
5 Command
146
Heavy Axe Slashing Eager Lunge 2
Hits Damage 1 4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 10 + Knocked Down
The losT
Etruscilla, Strix The plan suggested by Audacious was of the simplest kind: to draw the devils out of their hiding places in the ruins, lure them across the river and then cut off their retreat and shoot down a rain of fire upon them from the top of the plateau we had crossed on our way to the camp. To achieve this, he asked Spada and Carnoth to act out what would look like a heated discussion, which would end in much shouting and many insults. Some of us pretended to fight, some going as far as to draw their blades. A few shots were fired, and some of Carnoth’s damned ones fell to the ground. Then we retreated, as did part of Carnoth’s company. Only the «injured» were left behind. We moved back to our shooting positions, while one of Carnoth’s creatures, she that they call Etruscilla, provided camouflage for the damned ones that were hiding in various nooks and crannies that had be prepared in advance: one in a ditch dug in the ground, one behind some rocks, one under a canvas covered with earth... To cover their maneuver, the monstrous Etruscilla raised her hands and a blanket of darkness fell over Carnoth’s men. It was hard to tell exactly what emotion the creature was feeling at the time, but from the evil glint in her eye, taking part in the vile trickery designed by Audacious was very pleasant for her. The devils hiding in the ruins, on the other side of the bloody river, took the bait. We didn’t have long to wait before they appeared with the hope of finishing off the wounded or capturing those who had not retreated fast enough. Suddenly, the trap closed upon them. With a rough squawk, Etruscilla raised her arms again, opening the gaping toothed beak that was her mouth, and the devils that had crossed the river began to shine like lanterns in the night. We took our shots and many fell. It was but a small victory, but it was an easy one. Without taking the slightest risk, we had reduced the enemy’s numbers by roughly a quarter. Carnoth’s damned ones jumped out of their hiding places and rushed in for the kill. As for Etruscilla, the storm-crow, she let out what was somewhere between a chuckle and a cough or an evil cackle and fell in behind the stronger monsters. She would not take much part in the battle that followed, but she had already given our side an advantage that could be quite decisive. Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Orders
A Light in the Dark
Officer Lost Female Agnostic Mentalist
Evasive Leader Levitation Runaway Strider Vicious 2
Movement 5 Shooting Skill Combat 3 Defense 4
Faith 0 Command 3
Vae soli Vae victis
Auras
Nocturnal Attack Permanent • Affects the Whole Battlefield • Inclusive All units on the battlefield get Discretion 4. Piercing Screams Permanent • 10 Fathom Radius • Allies (Immune) The CMD cost of Vae Victis and Vae Soli orders received within the area effect of this aura by enemy units is doubled. Talons Slashing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6
147
55
2 3
Protection 0 Life Points 12
Passive • 1 CMD A unit of your choice loses the Discretion ability until the end of the turn. Invulnerability Passive • Unique Etruscilla takes no damage during the next melee combat sequence she is involved in. Stupefaction Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique A waiting unit of your choice is now already activated (as if it had been activated this turn).
4
Unique Base : Regular
3 0
actionSS FFaction
148
The losT
Kartikeya, Squamata Blood Master Kartikeya sniffed the steaming ground trying to catch the scent of his prey. He was close. He could feel it in his bones. He had been on the trail for almost a week, and soon this silly game of cat and mouse would come to an end in sweet blood. Ordering his trackers to crawl further forward, he then climbed down a stalagmite and, hanging from the hot rock, looked ahead. There stood the stone circle that the rebels had chosen as their spot to make a last stand. Kartikeya could tell that this was where Bran’s band was by the banner that he could see at rest, fluttering listlessly in the anemic breeze, over the tops of the stones that made up the circle. The banner clearly showed the medusa’s eye that was said to symbolize the nation made up of all the lost tribes. Kartikeya snorted in disgust while considering such a thing. For such a strong warrior as Bran to pander to the other weaker tribes seemed pointless to Kartikeya. Only through blood could the Lost forge a nation strong enough to stand up to the Demons. The strong survive and the weak are left behind, as it is in nature so it had to be here. Hell had little compassion for the meek. Bran’s idealism mattered little now. His band had been reduced to a mere handful of faithful followers after their odyssey through Pelion and beyond. The Vampires and there Corvus had already deserted him, leaving him by the side of the road so they could come back and pick over his corpse like the carrion eaters they really where. Kartikeya smiled to himself, baring his fittingly vicious teeth in a mirthless smile. Kartikeya’s Squamata warriors alone outnumbered Bran’s fighters 2 to 1. It was time to move in and put the farce to an end. Bran Carnoth must learn that Kartikeya was the only chieftain that the Squamata would follow, and that the weaker tribes, even united, where no match for their might. Giving the signal to advance Kartikeya scented the air. He couldn’t smell fear, his favorite smell, yet. Only the odor of the other Squamata came to him. But soon fear and blood would cover everything else. With such a large advantage Kartikeya was sure the clash would hold few surprises for him.
Orders
The Lizard King Kartikeya’s CMD is equal to the number of squamata units included in his company (including himself). This value is figured when the company is made and doesn’t change throughout the game as squamata enter or leave play for any reason. Bloody R age Free • 1 Permanent CMD Until the end of this action phase, Kartikeya gets the Rapid Strike (Attack) ability. Until the end of the current action phase, all other squamata units within 6 fathoms of Kartikeya when this order is given get Natural Talent. Bloody Power Unique When Kartikeya kills an enemy unit this order may be used. If it is, all squamata units in his company get Regeneration, or +1 to their Regeneration ability if they already have it, until the end of the game. Bloody M adness 1 Permanent CMD • Unique If the Bloody Power order has already been used, and Kartikeya kills another enemy unit, then this order may be used. If it is, all of the units currently on the battlefield get Counter Attack until the end of the game, and all squamata units in Kartikeya’s company get Regeneration, or +1 to their Regeneration ability if they already have it, until the end of the game. If this order is not used at the first opportunity to do so, then it can’t be used later in the game, even if the opportunity arises again. Vae soli Vae victis Eviscerator Piercing Slashing
Hits Damage 1 3 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 12
149
Officer Lost Male Unbeliever
Counter Attack Demoralize Fanatic Frenzy Furious Strider Terrifying
Movement 6
5
Shooting Skill -
-
Combat 6
7
Defense 4
5
Protection 1 Life Points 14
12
Faith -
-
Command X
Unique Base : Extra Large
65
FactionS
Isha-Akshay, Squamata Warchief Officer Lost Male Agnostic 5 Movement 4
3
2
Shooting Skill
6 Combat 5
4 Defense 3
1
Protection
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of Captain Eduardo Spada.
14 Life Points 4
0 Faith 0
6 Command
Fierce 2 Leader Resistance Strider
Reptiles possess a certain cold and inhuman quality that triggers quite a reasonable revulsion in the average human being, a mixture of disgust and fear. So it was hardly a surprise that most of my comrades and I were relieved to hear from captain Spada that we would be positioned well away from the cold-blooded creatures that the damned call Squamata. Their skin is cold and supple, so much so that it almost looks like a wet fabric that has been draped over their muscular frames. In their smooth gestures one can see the echo of snake-like movements, and it is quite a sight to watch them gulp down enormous portions of meat, whole, and then lie sunning themselves in the pale glow of the infernal daylight. They use a weapon for which they have no name, a disk of sharpened steel, capable of slicing through limbs and cutting into the thickest of leathers. When they are spoken to, they usually respond with nothing more than a grunt, and Bran Carnoth alone seems to be able to communicate calmly with them. The only exception to this is the one who leads them, the one they call Isha-Akshay. He speaks with a voice that is barely a hiss, little more than a whisper, but he always speaks at well chosen moments. It is almost as if his very words are numbered, and that each one spoken costs him dearly, for he is remarkably uncommunicative. However, as I said previously, his advice is always wise, and although he does not have the bearing of a captain, he is a good officer, one who will not willingly sacrifice his men. Many times he has been seen sounding a cautious retreat, calling his troops back to safety with an almost inaudible cry. He also knows how to make the best use of the individual talents of his men, and they trust him blindly. These brutal beasts, the same ones I have seen tearing at dead bodies with their bare teeth like we would with a roast leg of meat, are like docile lambs before him. It is true that one could become quite attached to these damned ones who dream of freedom, if they did not have such bad habits. Habits such as ripping off their enemies’ heads and planting them on one of the many spikes that cover their backs, leaving them there to rot away until all that is left is the cold smiling face of death. Even through this kind of brutality he has earned their respect, not just for his shrewd cunning, but also for his unbeatable prowess. For it seems that death has no hold on him at all. I have seen him fall like a ton of bricks, his hide pierced by a thousand arrows, one arm in shreds and his leg torn open by a devil’s fangs, and the next minute, I witnessed a miracle, or rather it should be said, some kind of sorcery. His skin tore apart like a stretched canvas ripped by a sharp blade, and he cast it off like an old garment, reappearing fresh and rested. This occurrence caused quite a disturbance among our demonic adversaries, and we even heard some of then crying out that we were invulnerable. These monsters have learned to compensate their lack of experience and intelligence with the use of magical trickery: and so it is that Mercenaries and Lost ones, working hand in hand, form an invincible alliance.
(Blunt)
Orders
N ever Give In Passive • 1 CMD This order can only be used once per activation, and must target an allied Trooper. The target gains the Rapid Strike (Defense) ability until the end of the turn. S kin Change Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Isha-Akshay recovers all the Life Points he has lost. W ithdrawal Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique Isha and all allied units within a 10 fathom radius of him can immediately break contact by performing a special Retreat action: their MVT is not doubled, the enemy units are not granted a one-sided attack, and no new contact with an enemy is allowed as a result of this movement. V ae soli V ae victis
War Discs Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 Amunition 3 2 4 Range 5 3 5 4 7 5 9
Unique
48
Base :150 Large
Eviscerator Piercing Slashing
Hits Damage 1 3 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 12
The losT
Jaws of the Deep, Brutal Beast Our damned companions have acquired, over the years and numerous battles, a martial discipline that allows them to face the enemy rank and file without harm. The demon spawn do not last long faced with their fangs, claws, pincers and those sharp disks. However, the enemy warlords and champions are quite a different matter. These are not officers that a trooper could face alone. The sight of our adversaries alone would have chilled the blood of any other than us, we who have already been through a thousand ordeals, faced a hundred aberrations with the most insane faces. Even our Lost allies were taken aback by the sight of Thelonius’s lieutenants, their hearts and hands were shaken: these were parodies of human beings, walking corpses, flayed to the flesh, oozing with a dark, sticky substance. Their bodies were littered with blades and spikes, as if they had retained in their own flesh the relics of their previous battles. In their deep sunken sockets, their black eyes sparkled like dark stars. They stood with a slouch, as if they were about to fall over, but their quickness and strength was without a doubt. Renal and Guardi, both ex-priests who had been defrocked because of their many vices, made the fatal error of mistaking this apparent weakness for apathy. They approached one of the three lieutenants, as he stood in the midst of a group of his men who were being chopped to bits. Then began to taunt the monster, as he stared back at them with his dark eyes, and Renal engaged him, encouraged by his companion who was still mocking the demons and their weakness. But the monster was parrying Renal’s every move, and he soon had to fight harder. Guardi joined in, and even though they had the beast trapped between them, it had no problem fending them off. When it began to attack, they had to double their efforts, and despite that, they soon found themselves chopped at with many blades, bleeding in a dozen places, their faces white with pain and determination. It was then that Carnoth saw what had become of our companions, and understood that they had taken on too strong an adversary. He gave a single short order: «Release the Jaws of the Deep», he yelled, with that deep voice of his, that made the very ground shake. Then, from the rear of the troop bounded a monster with the body of a lion, which was armor-plated like a war-horse. It jumped out like a flash into the center of the melee and positioned itself between the flayed demon and our two companions. The demon stared at the lion-like monster for a second and spat a few words in its direction that we couldn’t understand. The beast answered him with a single low growl, deformed even more by the steel armor that covered its jaw. It was as if these two had known each other for a long time, and were exchanging unpleasantries. Then the lion-beast pounced, and in a couple of seconds, it had transformed its foe into a bloody mass of flesh and guts. The monster sat down, like a hound before its quarry, and began to devour it, in spite of the last feeble gurgles of pain still coming from the body. In the midst of combat, I couldn’t help but stop to gaze at the beast. Fierce and bloodthirsty, it also had some sort of infinitely seductive quality. But it was as if it had sensed my gaze: it turned towards me and stared straight at me with its bright red eyes, burning like hot coals. This was not the stare of a damned one; this was the look of a demon. When it opened its maw, the mask of steel opened too for an instant, and I saw the very mouth of evil gaping wide to swallow me whole. My head began to swim, it was as if a vice was crushing at my head and compressing my chest. I owe it to Spada that I did not fall unconscious at that point. It was his cry that pulled me from my trance and sent me back into combat: «Do not look into the depths of the Abyss, Antonio; for fear that the Abyss will look back into you!» Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Base : Extra Large
Unique
32
Independent Demon Asexual Satanist Movement 6 Shooting Skill -
Combat Sense Demoralize Fast 3 Fury Impressive Strider
Combat 7 Defense 4 Protection 2 Life Points 12 Faith 0 Command -
Teeth and Claws Piercing Slashing
Hits Damage 1 3 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 11
151
FactionS
Wormpile, Hive Mind Independent Lost Asexual Unbeliever
Base : Regular Unique
As we were preparing ourselves for the charge against the devil Thelonius, who was defending his position in the ruined city, we had plenty of time to observe our strange Lost companions, and to build up that very particular kind of solidarity that exists between soldiers without the need for a single spoken word. It was in the way the mercenaries would pull out all their favorite weapons, «to give them a good clean», or the great care that the Lost troops put into exhibiting their own lucky charms. Here was a dagger that was claimed by its owner to have pierced many a Protestant belly during the Saint Bartholomew’s day massacre. There was the deformed and twisted skull of some monster, stuck to the back of one of the Squamata, reported by the ever gossip-mongering Corvus - always hungry for tales and legends - to be one that once bore one of the countless crowns of the Underworld. Here is a catalog of death, spread out by one and all, in the face of the battle to come, and in celebration of all those that the owners of all these trinkets have survived so far. But although there are many things that bring us brothers in arms closer together, there are also some things that create a very definite line between the Lost and us mercenaries, between the damned and the living. While we still have great reverence for all forms of life - some carry the portrait of a saint, others a piece of jewelry from a lady friend they haven’t seen in years - the Lost ones live willingly in rot and squalor. It is as if the windows of all their senses now only open onto death and dereliction. Beauty itself seems odious to them, and they find ugliness and gangrene pleasing, for their minds have long since lost the memories of pleasant things. So, they do not pay the least attention to the fact that their camp is crawling with maggots, day and night. This joyous company of monsters and horrors let them get everywhere, and some even go as far as to treat these big, thick, fat, squishy worms as pets. The Corvus especially, pet and fuss over them as one would with a small child, for the maggots share their macabre feasts. However, this is not the most surprising thing about the worms: they have been known to assemble themselves into a roughly human-shaped pile, like a kind of gigantic cadaver that, instead of being eaten by the maggots, was completely made up of them. And, as if these soft crawling bodies had absorbed the thoughts of their victims as they had ingested their flesh, the great body will begin to move forwards, its arms outstretched like a sleepwalker wandering through his dreams. The body of worms, to which the Corvus have even given a name - Wormpile - will even go as far as to charge the enemy, on the battlefield. It seems to aim quite randomly, however it usually tries to drown the enemy officers in a wave of tiny bodies, individually soft but wriggling with hunger. At least, that is the tale the Corvus tell: should we believe everything these damned ones say, they who also claim to be able to see through the eyes of the crows of our world? That is a good question, for they truly are a load of scoundrels. Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Orders
Underground Colony At the beginning of the upkeep phase, other units within 3 fathoms of Wormpile take 3 damage, ignoring PR. When an allied unit would take damage due to this ability, you may spend 1 CMD to have them not take damage. Unstoppable Progress Wormpile is released with the understanding that it is to kill the enemy officer. Therefore the enemy officer is Wormpile’s target. Once Wormpile’s target has been eliminated, the enemy independent with the highest AP cost will become its new target. If their are no longer any enemy independents, Wormpile has no target, and is free to act normally. Wormpile must move towards it’s target, and must attempt to come into contact with its target as soon as possible. Wormpile will use any pertinent form of movement to attempt to come into contact during its activation. As long as Wormpile is in contact with its target it can’t move, even repositioning is not allowed, and its target suffers the effect of Stunned. Wormpile is immune to effects that may stop or slow its progress towards its target (Attraction from nontarget units, Entangle, etc ...).
24
4 Movement -
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
6 Defense 0 Protection 5 Life Points -
Faith
-
Command
Elusive Harmless Insignificant Intangible Invulnerable Maverick Régénération Strider
152
The losT
Saurav-Geet, Squamata Shaman The Squamata have no barbers, no priests to grant them the extreme unction, however, one of them does hold the position of doctor. They call him «Saurav-Geet», although it is difficult to tell if that is his name or some kind of title or function in their strange language. This creature is a little smaller than the others of his species and does not seem to be quite as fierce. But the other Squamata protect him, and even Isha-Akshay seems to consider him with a strange kind of respect. It is undoubtedly for his healing powers that the others admire him so; however he does have an influence over them that outweighs that of a simple doctor. I have had a chance to watch them just before they go into battle, and I would swear that he is as close as possible to a priest for them. He and the other Squamata carried out a strange ritual, the meaning of which I did not grasp, but it would seem to be akin to our mass or a baptism, for it resembled both. First of all, the enormous creatures began a low chanting, a kind of whistling, almost inaudible to our ears, but which seemed to cause much annoyance among the other Lost Ones, especially the many maggots that are continually crawling about the camp. It seemed to send the Squamata into some kind of ecstatic trance, for their eyes tended to roll back, and some began to weep copiously, as if they were experiencing a vision of divine beauty. Their heads lolled away, and they were shaken by small convulsions that lasted for a few seconds and suddenly they fell to the ground, as if they were stone dead. Then Saurav-Geet passed among them, touching each of them and marking them with some kind of yellowy ointment that smelled unbearably bad. As each of the warriors was touched in this way, he sat up and opened his eyes, then his mouth with a great yawn. Then he was ready for battle. After the ritual was over, Saurav-Geet seemed a little unsteady on his feet, as if this unction had sucked his very strength. However Saurav-Geet soon recovered his spirit and joined in the fight. His comrades believe in him so much that they are most insistent to fight by his side, and all show a great amount of ardor when accompanying him. I seem to remember that the Corvus, on the other hand, avoided him, and I must say I always felt a shiver go down my spine when I was near him. What a strange thing indeed, to encounter a priest in this place, of all places, and what’s more, a priest who quite obviously, does not believe in God!
Independent Lost Male Agnostic Mentalist Movement 5 Shooting Skill Combat 3 Defense 4
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Strider
Orders
Faith 0 Command 1
Aura
Aura of Precision Temporary • Active • 6 Fathom Radius • Lingering When a unit using a War Disc to make a Ranged Attack is within the area effect of this aura, they automatically score 1 extra hit if they roll at least 1 hit. Obsidian Dagger Hits Damage Slashing 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 6 5 Life Drain 3
153
25
2 3
Protection 2 Life Points 9
Exuvia Active • Variable You may spend as much CMD on this order as you like. Once the amount of CMD is spent, double it to determine how many total LP of healing this order will allow. Once this is known you may split up these LP in any way you see fit between units with the Lost keyword within 4 fathoms of Saurav-Geet. Naturally these units recover a number of LP equal to the number of points assigned to them from the total. A Stain Soiling the Faith 1 CMD When Saurav-Geet dies, until the end of the current turn and for all of the next turn, all units get a penalty to their PR equal to their FTH. If you cannot pay the cost of this order as well as losing the 1 CMD of Saurav-Geet when he dies. This order can’t be used.
4
Unique Base : Regular
5 0
FactionS
Vorenus, Corvus Praetorian Independent Lost Male Agnostic 5 Movement 4
-
-
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 4
4 Defense 3
1
Protection
10 Life Points 4
0 Faith 0
-
Although my companions and I are not overly fond of the Squamata, the Corvus are the ones that are the most repulsive to us. One only has to see the way they hop around on their skinny legs, picking on the wounded and the dying, only plucking up courage once the enemy is already badly hit. It is as if every crow from every battlefield had suddenly been given human form and had joined the army, to better hasten the arrival of their next feast. Their oversize heads seem almost obscene on their skeletal bodies, and their black eyes are like dark, empty marbles, merely reflecting the light from outside, but never showing a single twinkle that comes from the inside. It is hard to believe that these creatures could have once had any kind of soul! One would think that they originated here in Hell, but Spada tells us that they are very old souls, maybe those of the politicians of old. I don’t know if he is serious in saying this, or if this is yet another example of his daring sense of irony. The Squamata hate them as much as we do, and the Corvus hate them in return. They can often be seen grouping together to harass one of the enormous Squamata warriors, jumping and skipping around him, squawking like baby birds and pecking viciously at him. When the Squamata finally reacts, they run away quickly, and before he can catch them, they have scattered and hidden in shadows and corners. Sometimes they also take to picking on the slave that follows the Sling-maiden, pecking away at the juicy worms that are forever eating his flesh. At other times, they peek and spy at us, as if to see if we would make a good meal. For they have no morals and are among the most despicable creatures there are. Once the battle is over it matters little who they devour: ally or enemy; Squamata, devil or human, anything will do for these humanoid vultures. One can’t help but wonder why Carnoth took them in as his own, for they are so repulsive and unbearable. However, on the battlefield, they can sometimes be surprisingly efficient. They are quick and cruel, and can distract and harass an enemy while others are busy taking him down, and their black cloud scares the smaller adversaries and annoys the larger ones. Those that they call the Praetorians have specialized in this art of harassment. I saw the most famous of them fight with my very eyes, the one they call Vorenus. His sharp claws deal out a thousand cuts, a thousand slices that annoy the enemy, until they make a mistake and become overwhelmed. Anyone fighting against him would have to be doubly vigilant and be wary of his continuous attacks, for he is both the fastest and the most vicious of opponents. The Corvus have their own rituals and their own language. Besides their annoying squeaking, they also communicate by snapping their beaks, tapping their claws on the armor that they wear, creating quite a concert of rattling and clanging. They are also capable of speaking human languages, but they laugh and chuckle so much that is almost impossible to have a proper conversation with one of them without wanting to rip his head off. But enough of these chickens! If they are dwelling on my mind as I write this, it is only because I can see a couple of them out of the corner of my eye, skulking around. I will leave it at that for now and wait until they have moved further away before returning to my work, for no-one is safe from their cruel tricks. Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Order
Command
Charisma Evasive Runaway Strider Vicious 2
Unique
25
Harassment Free • 1 CMD Choose an enemy unit within 4 fathoms of Vorenus. The targeted unit gets a penalty of -1 DEF, to a minimum of 3, until the end of the turn. This order can’t be used more than once per turn.
Base : Large
Hooks Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 5 + Knocked Down 5 6 + Immobilized
The losT
Squamata Spitter There is no trickery, no weapon that Mother Nature did not grant to Carnoth’s disciples when she very kindly endowed them with their warrior attributes. Under their skin, powerful muscles roll and slide, and their minds are quick and sharp. When faced with misfortune, they become merciless, unstoppable in their march towards victory. What general would not wish for warriors such as the ones they call Spitters in his ranks: these monsters are able to project jets of acidic vomit that can hit a target four fathoms away, and the acid eats away at the flesh of any foolish enough to get within range. It will even eat its way through steel and leather. This is the perfect example of the infernal paradox of this place. It sets up battles between titans and monsters, all well armed and protected, as if the very nature of Hell favors never-ending battles. It is as if a twisted intelligence was manipulating devils and men, setting them up against each other with an evil glee... It is a curiously intoxicating feeling to watch these wild and curious beasts, with their tough bodies covered in bony growths, charge into battle. At times it seems like one of the fabulous tales of the Bible has been brought to life, and one can fully understand, when watching these wonders, the full meaning of the Lord’s word. For by being a witness to the hideous nature of the monsters of Hell, by truly feeling the full shock of the horror that radiates from them like an aura of sulfur, one begins to dream of the splendors that await the good souls who will make it to Heaven. If the beauty of the angels is equal to the cruel appearance of these devils, then how blissful must be the eternal life of the good and the just. Unfortunately, I am afraid that we mercenaries have far too much blood on our hands to ever experience that happiness. Even if it was not so, we are still, in a way, worse than these creatures. For if they were made this way, designed to kill and destroy, mankind has, on the contrary, labored long and hard to perfect weapons and means of destruction. The damned are simply obeying their own new nature (for who knows what they were before, when they still walked the lands of the Living), but we men had the choice between good and evil. Who commits a murder: the steel or the hand that wields it? These are my thoughts on the evening of our victory, for we were indeed victorious. Not all of us made it through the battle safe and sound, and we lost a few of our number. The ruined city now belongs to us, and to Bran Carnoth, who is celebrating with his men on the banks of the river of blood. The stench of the water is now mingling with that of the rotting cadavers of the devils, eaten away by the Spitters’ acid, and rotting away faster than they should. For, we are living, here, in the kingdom of the volatile and the inconsistent. May the Lord have pity on us.
Limited 2
25
Independent Lost
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Male Agnostic Movement 5
Regeneration 2 Strider
Acid Spit Ammunition 2 Cloud Blast (Acid • 5/2 • Consumed (Acid • 1/3))
Combat 3 Defense 4
1 2 3
Protection 1
Saliva Projectile Explosion (Saliva • Slowed) Limited Range 3 Range 4 Eviscerator Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 12
Shooting Skill 2
4
Life Points 11 Faith 0
3 0
Command -
155
Base : Large
FactionS
Sling Maiden and Maggot Bearer Sling Maiden / Maggot Bearer
Independent
Independent
Lost
Lost
Female
Asexual Unbeliever
Agnostic
I have already written about the one they call «Wormpile», but it does seem that the Underworld has unlimited potential for cadavers, rotting flesh and maggots. One of the best examples is the unfortunate creature that strongly resembles a swollen cadaver, constantly devoured by maggots as big as your fist. It always follows its mistress, a shameless vixen who has many a demonic trait. Her right breast has been removed, in the fashion of the Amazons of old, leaving nothing but a red swollen scar. But the most repulsive detail is her left arm, which looks like the appendage of an insect, articulated like a suit of armor and made of a dark and shiny material. However she does not seem to notice it and uses it like she would her own hand, so well, in fact, that she is more skilled with this curious limb than some men are with a full hand of five fingers. Her agonizing slave crawls along behind her, his skin forever moved by a sickening wave-like movement. The moist white flesh of his belly looks like a pool into which a stone has been thrown: it undulates in water-like waves. This is because his belly, like the rest of his body, is full of enormous maggots that writhe and wriggle beneath his skin. They are the most disgusting predators, with their mouths ringed with several rows of tiny teeth, and they begin to stretch and writhe as soon as they are brought near the flesh of the living, craving their blood. The slave’s mistress still grabs them fearlessly, and fits them into her strangely fashioned sling, ready to hurl them at the enemy. There, they cause confusion, disgust and pain, for once they have stuck their revolting mouths into the skin of some unfortunate, they will begin burying under the skin and into the soft flesh that they feast on greedily. The Sling-maiden sometimes speaks with Audacious, but never pays attention to anyone else, not even to her pathetic servant, forever writhing and moaning at her feet. He does not speak either, for he is either overcome by pain or choking on a big worm, crawling up his throat or eating away at his tongue. For, like Prometheus, he is being eaten alive, and every day his body is renewed. By the evening, his bones and organs are visible in places; the skin on his head is in such a state that his features are unrecognizable. He drags himself along on his arms, already nearly reduced to bones and hardly able to bear the little meat there is left on him. The next day, as the sun rises, he has, by some unknown sorcery, recovered his bloated body, and the maggots can again begin to feast on his flesh. His torment is endless, his agony is eternal. But the most frightening thing about him is that sometimes, as he stares at us, the shadow of a smile passes across his face, as if he understood something that eludes us all.
Base : Regular / Regular Limited 2 / Associated (Sling Maiden)
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Order
Sling Maiden / Maggot Bearer 4
Movement
2
Shooting Skill
-
Combat
-
Defense
2
0
Protection
0
6
Life Points
4
Faith
-
Command
-
2 3 3
0 -
3 1 2 2
3 0
22/0
Bloody Sacrifice Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique The Sling Maiden kills the Maggot Bearer associated with her. This causes an Explosion (power 2/3) centered on the Maggot Bearer. The Sling Maiden must be in contact with the Maggot Bearer to give this order.
Exploding Maggot Artillery Explosion (3/1) Heavy Range 5
Maggot Bearer Ammunition Carrier Harmless Insignificant Maverick
156
Pincers Hits Damage Blunt 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 3 + Stunned 5 5 Biting Maggot Hits Damage Piercing 1 1 Artillery 2 3 Penetrating Strike 2 3 5 Range 5 4 6 5 8
The losT
Fangs of the Pit The battle of the dead city was one of the most demanding that my mercenary companions and I have ever fought. Indeed, we are victorious, but at such a price! We are quite used to fighting the devils, but not that many, not for that long. Although we were well supported by the Carnoth’s troop, our losses are heavy: seven men, including Arnolfini. When I asked Spada what we would tell Arnolfini’s father, the Duke, when we saw him again, the captain simply smiled. I have the feeling that he has no desire to go back through those gates. Arnolfini died in the stupidest way possible. He had insisted on joining in the attack and had managed to climb up onto a very high promontory and taken one of those new-fangled arquebus that he had so often - and so loudly - told us about. «Now, that is a weapon that fires much further than the vulgar toys that you carry! You will see, soon you will all be using one of these!» Indeed, his weapon did have quite a phenomenal reach, for he managed a perfect hit, taking out a devil a long way away and one of their lieutenants too! But the kick of the shot was such that he fell backwards from his perch and landed a long way down, in the midst of Thelonius’s devils. Straight away, the beasts that the Lost call «Fangs of the Pit» ran in to circle him. How strange it was to see these Cerberus-like beasts - did I mention that they have two enormous heads? - behaving like loyal hunting dogs protecting their master, even more strange that they were protecting one that they would ordinarily be hunting. For these are the hounds of Hell, or so I am told, the ones they set loose on the heels of marauding damned ones or slaves attempting to escape from their master’s domain. They are trained to track down the young souls, the less compliant ones in Hell, the ones that still smell of «fresh human», as their masters say themselves. But when young Arnolfini fell to the ground, the dogs gathered around him, a circle of fangs and claws, growling like the devils they are to defend him from our enemies. Alas, the poor unfortunate had broken his neck and cracked his skull, laying there dead, with his weapon still in his hand. We buried him that evening in the dry earth of the dead city. I read a short prayer, and even Spada made a short speech: «He was only a kid, but he died a man’s death. May he rest in peace.» The next morning, drawn by a curious intuition, I went to look for his grave. I searched every inch of dry earth, every stone, every blade of yellow grass, but I never found it. Even with the help of my companions, I could not locate the burial place of our young friend: it was as if the ground had completely closed over him, healed like a wound that did not leave even the tiniest scar. And as we searched, the Lost watched us out of the corners of their eyes, their faces closed and their mouths silent. It was as if they knew the key to this mystery, but it was too terrible or too unbelievable for them to dare share it with us. Besides, for some unknown reason, none of us asked them anything about it. It was Spada who, as he often did, soothed our worried hearts with a few words. «He did not belong down here.»
Trooper Animal Asexual Unbeliever
Attack of Opportunity Fanatic Insignificant Intercept 6 Strider
Movement 7 Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 5
Life Points 8 Faith Command -
157
5 5
Protection 0
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Teeth Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 2 + Knocked Down 5 3 + Immobilized
6
18
Limited 2 Base : Large
4 -
FactionS
Squamata Warrior Trooper Lost Male Agnostic 5 Movement 4
1
0
Shooting Skill
4 Combat 3
4 Defense 3
1
Protection
9 Life Points 3
0 Faith 0
-
Command
Strider Regeneration Résistance (B
After our victory over Thelonius and his demons, we wandered the ruined city for a long time, scattered about in small groups. At least the damned ones were lucky enough to know what they were looking for: Bran Carnoth was searching for some kind of strange relic, one that he claimed had an extraordinary power. So he sent his men to search every last corner of the ruins for it.. As for us, Spada had not given us any information on what we were supposed to be looking for. «If you see it, you will know that you have found it», that was all he said to us. Then he walked off through the ruins. The dead city was much larger than we had thought it to be to begin with, as it is often the case in the Underworld: looks are deceiving, and you cannot trust your own senses. As we searched among the old stones, I was given a chance to see the Squamata in quite a different light. They too were wandering the ruins, in small groups, but they were doing so with a strange attitude, a mixture of worship, smooth movements and lascivious contemplation. They crawled along the dead unpolished marble like animals, climbing up the smooth white columns almost on their bellies, running and jumping down the stairways and flitting between the stones like ghosts. Indeed, to see them like this, you could think they were some kind of reptilian shadows, which you can only see out of the corner of your eye. They seem to have something of a dark curiosity about this place. Having noticed my own curiosity, Audacious came to me and looked me straight in the eyes. I was surprised to catch in his intense gaze a kind of fatherly friendliness, the kind that leaders sometimes develop for the men who serve under them. «The lizard-men have lost their memories.» he said, «But the city remembers them.» «The city?» I answered, «How could mere stones remember anything?» «There are cities that think, Human. All it takes is for those who built them to breathe a little life into them.» «Heresy! That cannot be, for only our Lord has the power to give life to something!» «Well said, Human. But in spite of that you always carry with you that little knife, which you sometimes call by the name of your son who was killed by the Protestants, as if that small object contained some kind of spark that keeps him alive.» I remained speechless. Nobody, not even Spada, knew the story of my little Guido, slaughtered before he even reached his fifth birthday, slaughtered by a mercenary. A mercenary like me. «Yes, the city remembers them, for it is the shadow of a city that they built themselves, long ago, when they were still living. Although their minds are now so shriveled that they are now nothing but snake brains under their cold scales, the stones have not forgotten them. Look at them play along these dusty old streets, embracing these ancient blocks of stone as a child would embrace a long lost mother...» It was true. Suddenly, they looked strangely like young kittens drawn to a smell that they alone can sense, rolling around and rubbing themselves against the stones. The scene was both slightly grotesque and also deeply sad and pathetic. «Do you think, Antonio Guccini, they are breathing in the perfume of the memories of this old ruin?» «Yes, sir,» I answered, «that is the impression they give me. Sir, do you know what it is that we are looking for among these stones?» «We seek the perfume of your captain’s memories.» At that instant, the wind wafted the sweetest of aromas towards me, like the smell of a new flower carried by a cool breeze. Despite its softness, it hit me as hard as a storm would have, and I saw that Audacious was smiling as he watched me. Down my cheeks, I felt the warm wetness of tears rolling. When they hit the ground, by some magical trickery of this accursed land, they transformed into tiny fragments of a dark crystal. I still keep them to this day, deep in my pocket with my ink-pot, and if anyone doubts my story, I ask them to look into the crystals. For he who looks into the depths of these tiny jewels will know the true color of night. Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
lunt)
Base : Large
War Disc Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 Ammunition 2 4 Range 5 3 5 4 7 5 9
Unlimited
17
158
Eviscerator Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 5 3 7 4 9 5 12
The losT
Corvus Tormentor I now know what our captain, Eduardo Spada, is looking for down here in the depths of Hell. It is among the ruins of this dead city that the shadow of his desire came to be lost. The source of all war and all peace, as ever: a woman. Who would have thought? Well, the captain did in fact give us a clue during the battle of the ruined city. One of our companions, a man named Renart, managed to pick it up. Here is the tale that he told us the day after the battle. I remember that moment as if I had just left my friends, although they are all now long dead, and the Lord has judged good to grant me many another year of life in this valley of tears. We were all gathered around the camp fire, warming our feet and our souls, and passing round a bottle of that spirit that seems to jump around inside your gut, and passes for grog around here. Renart had a gruff voice - he received a nasty wound through the neck with a spear five years before, but the rascal had survived and the one who had stabbed him had his brains blown out - as I was saying, his voice was as rough as a dirt track, all dust and gravel, and it rang out among the ruins as he told his tale. The moon hid for a moment behind a cloud, as if to give our eyes a rest and excite our imagination. Even the Corvus were listening, eavesdropping as he spoke. «Our captain was moving like a whirlwind, and around him, his sword was weaving what looked like a veil of night, the very same that earned him his nickname: Spada Nera. More importantly, a few feet away, all around the captain, the Corvus were circling. The beasts were like a walking black cloud. What a great group of scavengers they were: as soon as he had cut a throat or sliced off a limb, they bore down upon the wounded and pecked away at them with their rusty beaks, ripping them apart with their claws. Our handsome captain was like war embodied, with his black scythe in one hand, and the Corvus around him like a flock of crows. They barely had time to finish off the vermin, to choke the devils, before our leader took another step forward and delivered yet more blows. A lunge to the right, a slice to the left! Their skinny bodies and their cruel claws fly in, and down goes another devil.» A loud and ecstatic squawking could be heard, coming from behind one of the fallen columns. «But as he was busy wielding his steel so generously, an object fell from the pocket of his jerkin. The captain did not care; or rather I think he did not notice: he was still chopping himself a path of wounds and screams, followed by the cawing of the Corvus and the groaning of the wounded. So I ran after him and I picked up the thing he had dropped...» «So, what was it?» asked all present, with one voice. We knew almost nothing about the captain; however every one of us would have given his right arm, his heart and his neck for him. «A tablet... A small, wooden tablet with a carved picture «Was it a religious icon, like the ones the brothers sell for a few pennies?» Renart gave a hearty laugh. «Of sorts... The carving was one of a beauty, naked, with her tits showing...» - Oooh !» «I’m telling ye... She must have been quite a sinner too, for she was being roasted in the flames of... Well, in the flames, and a great devil was pricking her in the rear, which was plump and well exposed like her other tasty bits!» «That is indeed a subject worthy of prayer and meditation!» «They really should make statues and stained-glass windows of the same kind; it would make churchgoing much more entertaining!» «Who would have thought that our own captain would succumb to the sin of Onan?» «Ha ha! I gave it back to him, but believe me, guys; it was worth the look... Now, my friends, I think I’m ready for some sleep, this cut is stinging me something wicked.» It was the first time for days that we had laughed heartily at anything, and whether captain Spada heard us or not, he let us talk. That night, many dreamed of the improbable vixen from the picture, mixing together the features of the whores they had known, but adding to them that particular kind of beauty that only dreams and pictures can possess. Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Unlimited
13
Trooper Lost Male or Female Agnostic Movement 5
Evasive First Contact Levitation Runaway Strider Vicious 2
Shooting Skill Combat 3 Defense 4
2 3
Protection 1 Life Points 6 Faith 0
Lacerator Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 + Pain 3 4 + Pain 2 4 7 5 9
4
2 0
Command -
159
Base : Regular
FactionS
Squamata Tracker Trooper Lost Male Agnostic
Base : Regular Unlimited
I had left my companions, and I was now following Audacious, guided by the strange perfume that I had smelled in the air of the old city: a blend of flowers and of a cool breeze, a hundred leagues away from the heady odors of the easy women I had known, although it did also have a slightly coppery note that made it a little disturbing. The aroma of innocence, hiding a bare whiff of betrayal, swam in the breeze. My guide and I walked into the middle of a large square, surrounded on all sides by rows of tiered seats. In its center was a woman, surrounded by Bran Carnoth’s Squamata trackers. Attracted by her perfume, fascinated, they were rolling around at her feet like harmless kittens. Once again, it was a strange sight to see these beasts, usually quick and agile, merciless and swift, lying around and relaxing as if there was no such thing as war. And yet, looking at their slim but muscular frames, their javelins engraved with impious carvings and tipped with lethal poison, their nostrils twitching at the smell of the enemy, one could not mistake them for anything but fierce warriors. Yet there they were, stretched out in the sunshine, around the feet of this woman who was dressed only in the rays of Phoebus. Indeed, it was as if her whole body was a silver mirror reflecting the sun: we could perceive the nudity of her body, but no direct gaze could behold it, for it shone with a blinding light. Only her face and her hands were not quite as dazzling. My guide greeted her, and she answered him. That is when I noticed the tears of blood that ran down her cheeks, the black thorns that pierced her eyes. It was as if her head was filled with a bush of brambles, for the thorns seemed to pierce through from inside. «Audacious, who is this woman?» I asked. On hearing these words, the woman let out a strange laugh. «Audacious?» she said, «Is that what you are calling yourself now, master of subtle trickery?» «The tongues of men are no longer adapted to the accents of old,» answered my guide, with a smile. «The name of Odysseus has long since passed from the memories of your people, woman.» «I am no longer a woman since life left me.» «Then Spada has been fighting for a shadow.» said the one we call Audacious. «The shadow of a shadow, even. The chalice that Carnoth seeks is in an underground temple, north of the city, near its old gates.» «I thank you, but we have freed you and your people from the rule of Thelonius. Carnoth would like you all to join us.» «Carnoth wants us for his army, Spada for his own reasons, but know this, Odysseus, Belladonna and her people belong to nobody.» «You think yourself strong enough to resist? Daughter of Eve, you have not spent long enough down here to know every trick: a single word would be enough to bind you to us for centuries.» As he spoke, Audacious had stepped closer, and he now reached out and touched the arm of the woman...who disappeared. In her place was a broken mirror and the body of a devil, nailed to the ground with stakes as big as a man’s arm. The disembodied voice of Belladonna rang out in the air. «You are not the only one to know a trick or two, Odysseus. Eve did not teach her daughters only to sin. We also know to be wary of serpents. This rotting carcass was enough to fool your slobbering hounds, and the mirror was enough to conjure up my image long enough to fool you. As soon as the battle began, my people and I broke our chains and fled.» The Squamata seemed to come to their senses. It was as if they had awakened from a dream: there had been some sort of sorcery in the air, for suddenly the stench of the rotting corpse was the only smell to fill my nose... Audacious began to laugh, and I remained speechless, as a thousand questions rushed through my mind.
15
5 Movement 4
3 3
2 2
Combat
4 Defense 3
1 7
Protection 3
Life Points
0 Faith 0
-
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.
Shooting Skill
Command
Advanced Deployment 4 Camouflage 2 Discretion 4 Dodge 2 Scout Strider
Poisoned Spear (Ranged) Hits Damage Piercing 1 2 Range 6 2 3 Ammunition 2 3 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/1) 4 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3) 5 5 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3) Poisoned Spear (Melee) Hits Damage Piercing 1 2 Penetrating Strike 2 3 3 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/1) 4 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3) 5 5 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3)
The losT
Retiarius It was the evening of the day after the battle, Carnoth had what he wanted, and Spada was returning empty-handed. «It is my destiny.» he said. The damned celebrated their victory in their own fashion: they took part in many brutal games, wrestling with one another with many a scream and a groan. They mainly encouraged those that they call Retiarii to fight each other. These brutes look like humans, except for their heads, which look like they are completely covered by a huge helmet. On closer inspection, the helmet and the skin are one, as it often is among the damned: it is as if their aggressiveness, their thirst for blood and their evil intentions had suddenly taken control of their flesh, transposing their every vice into their physique. Instead of a face, they have gigantic fangs that look like the mandibles of some hideous insect. They wear a few pieces of armor that only partially cover parts of the body, and they carry spears tipped with what looks like a giant pair of pincers. They fight with weighted nets that they use to pin down their opponents before trying to beat them to death or gut them. That night they were carrying out a strange, wild dance, spinning their nets and their weapons in the air. However, the celebration did not last long, Carnoth soon called his troops to order, and although night was then falling, he ordered his men to start moving. In his hand was a sparkling cup, the one he called «The Chalice». As for Spada, his only reward had been the few words that I had brought back to him from the one named Belladonna. As the strange and colorful troop of Lost Ones began their march, lit with the blood-red rays of the setting sun, he began to address us thus: «Mercenaries! I have lied to you. We are not exploring the lands of Hell for the rich and powerful of New Jerusalem. I came here to find more than a dried out scrap of land or the path to some lump on the horizon! So did you all! This new world is full of surprises and riches for whoever dares take them. This is what I am offering you: let us set a course for adventure and bravely face every danger that the Evil One can throw at us!» «But how far are we to go, Captain?» asked Renart with his rusty voice. «The group of Damned Ones that were being held prisoners by the devil Thelonius has left towards the north, where, I have heard, stands the palace of one of their princes. Bran Carnoth, captain of the Lost has assured me that there lie riches and wonders that would make even the richest of prelates green with envy! Should we leave them to the Lost? Or should we once again raise our weapons against Hell and against the Demons, so that one day our tales will be sung far and wide?» There is no need for me to tell you what happened next, for all now know the tale: Spada’s company met its destiny in Hell, and each of us received what was coming to him, whether we wanted it or not. But that is a different story, and one day I shall tell it, if the Lord grants me to live that long.
Trooper Lost Asexual Agnostic Movement 4 Shooting Skill Combat 5
Attack of Opportunity Bodyguard Vulnerability (Blunt)
161
4 3
Protection 2 Life Points 9 Faith 0
4 0
Command -
Limited 3
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of Captain Eduardo Spada.
Halberd Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 5 Cumbersome 3 6 +Knocked Down Eager 4 10 Lunge 2 5 8 + Immobilised
Defense 4
3
21
Base : Large
The MercenarieS
he mercenaries
Now, if we are to define the mercenary as one who fights for himself, regardless of whether his friends and enemies are men, demons, Christians, Muslims,living or dead, then yes: I am proud to call myself a mercenary! It is true that among our numbers there are many rascals. I will gladly admit it and will not speak any further of them. However, you must agree that this is the case for many professions, even that of pope. I am not saying that to cause you sadness, Father, but because I have met one or two of them down Below, musing over their manners and their missals as they spin merrily on their spit. Admittedly, we can be hired like any vulgar bandit, but to build a career as captain of a mercenary company, it takes a lot more! It takes the very highest moral fiber to achieve that, as I will now explain.
Dear Father, So, this is the end of your poor Etienne, for I am to die today. Flayed, drawn, whipped and hanged. But not necessarily in that order, for I intend to negotiate. From my prison cell I can already hear the hammers working away on the gallows. Bills have been posted all over New Jerusalem, and I have a feeling that the event will attract quite a crowd, for I have made myself quite a reputation around here. Irony has decided that my fate should be sealed today in the very same place where I signed my first engagement, on Sermon square, so-called because of the damned one they keep in a cage, hanging high above the cobbles, and who tirelessly yells at passers-by in a guttural and inarticulate Latin. By the time you read this, that talkative corpse will be in better shape than me.
Many leaders make their men fight to the blood for any old reason: a word too bold, any small failure. They indulge in excessive tyranny because they received their authority from God or some rich prince whose shadow protects them and exempts them from needing qualities such as charisma and fairness. That is a luxury that we free captains cannot afford, for we can only rely on the loyalty we ourselves can inspire to get our men to obey us. A captain of fortune must behave with the utmost equality towards his men. There is no glory to be gained from serving under his banner: most of his recruits have no country to call their own, they are renegades and miscreants, they care little about being banished or excommunicated and, having no family, they do not fear retribution. The just cause or the faith brandished by well-to-do generals are of no use to him, and there is very little he can use to gain obedience if not the example his own virtue. The opposite excess is of course equally forbidden to him. There can be no place for leniency when one is leading a group made up of damned ones and vagabonds that have been picked up at random from every circle of Hell, for such a rabble will be constantly waiting for a single sign of weakness from its captain to go looting and slaughtering at will. I would like to quote the example of the damned one Gilles de Rais, whom I once fought beside. You have probably heard the name of this lord before: he was a rather scandalous baron while he was alive, and that certainly did not change after his death, so his legend always precedes him, wherever he may go. Gilles does seem, indeed, to validate the theories of boniface. I will not deny the reality of his crimes, in fact, to prove my good faith to you, I will even go as far as to agree with your superior: de Rais is a prolific assassin, a sinner who likes nothing more than to cohort with the devils. After we had taken the town that the Spanish had founded and called Nueva Cadix, our warlord, who has quite a passion for the theater, ordered the play «The Mystery of Lilith» to be played to an audience of his captives. The play, a despicable and blasphemous piece of work,
I read your missive with great emotion, Father. Although I care little about my own sentence, I do not wish to die knowing that you are ashamed of me because of the lies you have been told. Allow me, please, to defend my honor, for that is all I have left. Your superior, Father Boniface, is, I am sure, a pious man and so very knowledgeable about holy matters. But when it comes to military matters, he is a complete imbecile. Do not believe his careless words. So that I do not leave you in a similar state of ignorance, please allow me, my old teacher, to temporarily treat you as my student as I write this last letter. There are many different kinds of mercenaries, Father, but I can assure you that I belong to the very best kind of all. I have nothing to do with the low and dirty scroungers of the Underworld, and I intend to prove this to you in this letter. As I intend to make this a demonstration worthy of the great Pythagoras that you once taught me about, I must be very precise in my choice of words. A mercenary is not just a man who fights for money. If the Lord followed the recommendations of your boniface and removed from the world any man who would draw his sword in the hope of earning a bit of cash, then there would not be a single armed man or guarded place from far away Potosi to the mythical Thule: there is no such thing as a soldier without pay. So, should we define a mercenary as a man who will fight for another than his own king? That may have been true yesterday, but if it was still true today, then the whole of our beautiful colony of New Jerusalem would be a mercenary province, for every day, down here, Venetians work hand in hand with the Flemish, the Irish help the Sevillans, and vice versa.
163
FactionS with a greeting, without leaving our lookout post. From our promontory, we could see all too well the demonic reinforcements on their way, and we would not have bet a single penny on the Saracen’s life.
demanded many sacrifices for every show. Of course, it was the prisoners who played those unfortunate parts, and every evening, Gilles would peek out from behind the curtain of his makeshift theater and laugh at the revulsion on the faces of the audience as they were forced to applaud the torture of their own companions. Of the many anecdotes about his cruelty, this is the only one, Father, that I can decently tell you without giving you nightmares.
Believe me, Father, it was not a pleasant choice to stay there and watch the Sheik and his people die! Even though they were infidels, they were none the less humans at the mercy of a horde of furious demons. But in the face of duty, sentiment must always give way, and on that sad day, my honor forbade me from leading my men to certain death. In fact, that cruel but just decision was rewarded twofold. The Mohammedans paid dearly to retrieve the glorious corpses of the Sheik and his men, and then, under contract with his nephew, we had the honor of avenging the death of this brave man with a well-prepared ambush. You must agree that such an opportunity would have been lost if we had been foolish enough to rush in and die at his side! As well as possessing all these rare qualities, a captain of fortune must also be a charmer and a diplomat, and have knowledge of languages and customs. This is all the more important down Below, where we sometimes have to negotiate with things that are far from human. As for the Christians, you know the facts yourself. The high and the powerful are very keen on our companies, as they were Above, using us to easily oppress their people or to betray their own masters discreetly. As I was saying as I began this letter, New Jerusalem has created an important differentiation between those who will only sell their services among the Christians and those who are willing to negotiate with anyone. The latter, of whom I am one, are, however, still most welcome as part of the conquest planned by the Council of the Six. The rulers of the colony enjoy toying with the Archdukes of Hell by setting them up against each other. We play a key role in these alliances with the demons, acting as go-betweens, and selling our services and our weapons in the process. However, we must always be on our guard. When the Council of the Six hides itself behind a mask of piety, it is often because the hangman’s rope and the stake are an easy way to settle inconvenient debts and payments due. In fact, I think that if I had been less expensive, I would not have been condemned so swiftly. In that respect, the Saracens behave much like the Christians, or maybe even more ambiguously. Using the pretext of our refusal of Allah, many Saracen leaders forbid us access to their palaces, encourage their people to throw stones at us as soon as we approach and have us impaled in public if we insist. But as soon as they venture out into the inhospitable lands of Hell, they offer us hospitality, profess their undying friendship and make many a promise to gain our assistance. That is why, although the Ottomans have their own Mohammedan mercenaries, our own companies can often be seen camping near Al-Aqsa. Out of musket range, but still close enough to be seen and contacted.
And yet, believe it or not, this man is most rigorously fair when dealing with his men, to a point that I have never seen in any other officer in all of New Jerusalem! Discipline is tough in his ranks, his punishments are merciless, but he never punishes without cause, and his people know that they will receive just reward depending on their merit. It is this unalterable rigor that allows him to lead a loyal company, without having to fear rebellion or desertion, the two great enemies of the captain of fortune. The sergeant at arms of a rich prince can afford to be a mediocre strategist. There will always be another officer above him to tell him where to position his men and what to do at a given signal. He has no need to understand what is going on on the battlefield. In fact, his idiocy is a perfect guarantee of his loyal obedience. These words may sound a little cynical to you, Father, but you should realize that most heroic charges were simply due to misunderstandings. On the contrary, a captain of fortune must be most learned in the art of war, for it is up to him to ensure that his troops get a starring role in the battle. He must know every technique, from cavalry tactics to the science of cannon warfare. If he accepts to position his men in the wrong place at the wrong time, there could well be nobody left to collect the pay. And that is quite often what the client is hoping for! Noble sacrifice is hardly a sought-after end amongst us mercenaries, as it is not well paid. I can understand that the captains of princes and prelates feel some joy at being slain to the sound of the marching drums, for they will be remembered and celebrated. Stones will be carved, banners will be embroidered, lists will be written, and I readily believe that there is some consolation to dying when you know that, somewhere, a stone will bear your name. But for us, there is only the anonymity of the common grave into which we are usually thrown without any kind of blessing or ceremony. That is the reason why we rely on our cunning and save our bravery for ourselves. I would like to illustrate this with another story. One day, as we were traveling through Ampharaus, we saw Sheik Issan ibn Youssouf, engaged with a pack of devils. When, in turn, the Mohammedan saw us, he called out to us, asking us to join and assist him. Although we all spoke his language perfectly, we pretended to have mistook his plea for help for a polite salutation and replied
164
The MercenarieS ply convoys from the many pillagers? Who can protect the slave stash of that Christian merchant, or the barrels of alcohol that belong to that Saracen salesman? And who could that monk turn to, when, on finding a precious vein of Prima Materia, he realizes that he has lost his love of Christ and his willingness to share? The fair minds of New Jerusalem may speak ill of us, and judge us as much as they like. For if we are indeed a curse as they say, then we are a most popular curse indeed! There are many scholars and explorers who would have liked to hold in their hands as many alchemical treasures as I have in my career or see as many circles and fiefs. Although I have hardly been a saint in the Underworld, I have been no worse than the next man, and I hope I have now convinced you of that, Father. But as I cannot be quite sure of it, I would like to finish on this last argument. History has taught us that, from Alexander to Charlemagne, the glory of rulers would have been far less if it hadn’t been for captains of fortune such as myself. Indeed, they were quite aware of it, as they raised many of our kind to nobility, giving them land and castles... If indeed, as we are taught, God himself inspires the wise decisions of our kings, then we must admit that God likes mercenaries. If compared with a La Hire, or a Cortès, my only sin will be to have been hanged by idiots before the fruit of my adventures has had time to fully ripen. I will stand before the executioner, proud of my status as a renegade and a vagabond. I have had a pleasant journey, and although I have had to take a few lives along the way, anybody would have done the same in my place. And when he begins his work, I will have only one hope left, Father, the hope that you will forgive your poor Etienne for his life of sin, and that you will often pray to God that he do the same.
As for the Demons, I have always approached them with the utmost caution. You will be pleased to hear, Father, that I have not forgotten your words: «There is no spoon long enough to have supper with Satan!». So I have always, in spite of their many offers, avoided the Luciferians that ask in his name that the Underworld rise up and rid itself of the intruders that we are. The way my friend Count Sfumeto perished, having tarried an hour too long in one of their citadels, was a sad lesson to learn. There are also many Demons who appreciate our services, and use us to surprise their neighbors and rivals. They are much more accommodating. They are the same ones who will then go and kneel before Asaliah, but who, once far from their lord, will begin behaving like any one of our barons will when far from his confessor. Although the leaders and the partisans of each faction dislike us, at least in public, it is quite a different matter for the people who live down Below, especially the ones that call themselves the Lost. These free damned ones are, I must admit, of a rare honesty, for they do not bother with false manners or pretexts when they swim the murky waters of ambition. They are our brothers here Below. They tell us some of their secrets, willingly take part in some of our attacks, and offer us places to retreat to on their land. But they are a very diverse people, and succumbing to the current fashion, they have begun to fight amongst themselves, and this has been most profitable for me. You must understand, Father, that in these kingdoms where Christians cohort with Demons in the name of Jesus, while other Demons seek to wipe them out to respect the divine order of things, hypocrisy is a universal value. The quest for Prima Materia is law, it heats spirits and turns hearts to the most insane kind of greed. As God is my witness, it is not we who have become selfish. The times we live in have made us so. How can we even be surprised when an officer comes looking for us because he wants to dispatch a rival or to defend his sup-
Farewell, Father, you were good to me.
165
FactionS
Don Quixote Human Male (Papist)
Base : Extra Large Unique
40
6 Movement 5
-
-
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 4
4 Defense 3
3
Protection
12 Life Points 2
2 Faith 1
5 Command
Chaotic Charge Charisma 2 Elusive Fury Leader Prestige (W 2 )4
esterners with a faith
of
or less
Mancha, Naive hero
Letter to Father Alois, from his ward, the bandit Etienne Pinsol Have I heard of the man from La Mancha? Madam, I beg your pardon! I will have you know that I was at the battle of Fort Saint Guillaume, and I fought by his side! The fortress was built on a peak and covered in a particularly demonic variety of thorn bushes, and because of this position, everyone believed it could not be taken. Alas, one tragic morning a whole chunk of the cliff fell away and slid down with a great rumble and a cloud of pestilential gases, as if the ground itself had erupted! A large section of the wall fell away with the rocks, opening up the place to the winds, and I do not believe that this was a natural landslide for less than an hour later, we were attacked by a troop of Luciferians. We did resist for a while, but to be perfectly honest, I must admit that there were many cowards among us who preferred to beg for mercy or run away through the thorns. Believe me, Madam, they would have been better off being brave, for the accursed vegetation was as cruel to them as it was kind to our assailants. As is often the case, the biggest scoundrel was the lieutenant in charge of the fortress. After the first few days, he saw our situation as hopeless, and he offered the lives of the women and children of the place in exchange for safety for himself and his men. By the grace of God, that shameful bartering was to be our salvation. For several days, Don Quixote had been wandering around the small town that had grown at the foot of the fortress, and whose inhabitants had sought the protection of our walls as soon as the enemy began to approach. At first we took him to be some old vagabond. Indeed, his endless ranting about some man named Panza, whom he claimed was his valet, led us to believe that he was quite insane. Worse still, the man seemed to think that he was still in Castile! However, at the very second that our dastardly officer opened the door to the enemy, we were faced with a completely different Hidalgo! Digging his spurs into his tired mare, he engaged the Demons with so much gusto that we almost felt we were watching the charge of a whole company! It was as if someone had tied a quintaine on top of an enraged horse: with his arms flailing wildly like an armed scarecrow, he both terrified and stunned the enemy troops. In the middle of this inarticulate massacre, the man began to shout at us, urging us on! He had that gleam in his eye, the one that only angels and wild beasts have, and his cracked old voice warmed our very souls by reminding us of Roland at Roncevaux. His call had a ring to it, something of the trumpets of Judgement Day, and I think that with a few more words, he could even have convinced our dead to rise up and fight by our side for an hour or two. Moved as we were by a new strain of bravery, we managed to push the demonic horde back out from our walls, and our evil lieutenant with them. They were all pushed out into the thorn bushes and quickly finished off with pikes and arquebus fire. What a glorious day for Christianity! The strangest part of the whole story is that our hero would not accept the glory of his victory. He would not accept any reward, nor the position of lieutenant, and he did not even cast an eye over the ladies who were all so eager to be swept away by an old man that they had been openly scornful about only an hour before. He left the next morning, heading west, in search of some mysterious land named Cockaigne. A few of our people left with him.
Officer
Christian
de la
Tale of a soldier, gathered at the Saint Michel mission
Orders
Fighting Windmills When fighting enemy units with an extra large base (50mm) in melee combat, Don Quixote gets a bonus of +3 CBT. For Dulcinea! Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Until the end of the turn, Don Quixote’s Charisma ability affects allied units within 8 fathoms of him (Rather than 4). Vae soli Vae victis
166
Lance and Longsword Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 4 Eager 3 6 Lunge 2 4 8 Receive Charge 5 10
The mercenarieS
Rocinante, Nightmare Steed «Miracle!» The cry came from our guide, Franz, and dragged us out of our torpor. Before us stood a hill, and upon its crest was a shipwreck! How could that vessel come to be there, grounded high above a place that had never known the sea? At that moment we did not care: the hill it was perched upon was green, and in Hell, that is nothing short of miraculous! Was it a mirage or yet another cruel mockery from this place that had already caused us such suffering? As we drew closer, we saw orchards and even a river that rushed down the hill in bright streams. Our eyes began to fill with tears as we gazed at this promise of comfort, and we even began to joke about the fate of the strange ship. Sergeant Kronberg bet that this was the garden of the Hesperides, Franz guessed that the river was running with that Prima Materia water that can keep a man going for weeks without thirst and Pepo ventured that the ship was that of Saint Brendan who set sail long ago to carry the Faith to the ends of the oceans. Our conversation was becoming quite animated when finally our footsteps carried us to the foot of the wondrous place. The path led between two ancient standing stones, raised like an ancient pagan gateway, and there, a man on horseback awaited us. «None shall pass!» he rumbled, in a cracked old voice with a Spanish accent. Franz, who was growing impatient as he grew tired, answered in what he hoped was a pleasant manner. «Are you joking? You should cheer up a little my friend, you look like a good Catholic, as are we. We have been walking for many days now through the perils of Pelion. In the name of Christ, let us enjoy this unexpected garden of delights!» «None shall pass!» As the horseman repeated his threat, we could see, on either side of the path, a crowd of paupers walking towards us. They also looked like lost Christians. Their thin, tired faces betrayed the suffering of a very long journey, but they inspired more fear than they did pity: the looks in their eyes were a thousand expressions of pure madness. «None shall pass this bridge, by order of Artus, king of the Britons!» «Bullshit! Pull yourself together, compadre. There is no bridge here, there is no King Artus! And we are not galloping through some fable, we are truly dying of exhaustion within a few feet of your splendid orchards!» The Hidalgo seemed to listen, nodding away as if someone was speaking to him. However, not one of the brigands who followed him, nor the Squamata who had now joined them, had said a single word. «What is that, Sancho? Cannibals? Por Dios! Cannibals from the wild Americas! To me, Lancelot, Ivan! To me, knights of chivalry!» Within an instant, his troops had charged at us, blades flying, and a tragic battle ensued. The cutthroats who claimed to be from the Round Table quickly gained the advantage, and one by one, (Westerners and Saracens) we saw our companions fall to the ground. Soon, only Pepo and I were left. We had been clever enough
Officer Demon Asexual Satanist Mentalist Movement 6
Chaotic Charge Elusive Fury Prestige 3
to hide as soon as the fighting started, and now we were crawling behind a rock, praying to God that nobody would find us there. «Percival, search these miscreants.» ordered the Hidalgo. I peeked and saw a Squamata step forward. First he spat a big thick glob of spit into the dust, and then he took a pair of pliers from his bag and began to harvest Hooves Hits Damage the gold teeth of our fallen comrades. Turning away from this sorry spectacle, I Blunt 1 3 looked towards the madman who had ordered the slaughter of our expedition. It Fire 2 4 was then that I saw a demonic twinkle in the eye of his steed. Almost immediately, the damned Hidalgo began to hear voices and talk to himself again. We had been 3 6 spotted! Suddenly, I realized the terrible truth: the nag was of demonic spawn, it was 4 8 that creature that had sniffed us out and turned us in to its master! It was then that 5 8 + Consumed (Fire I recalled the warning of the blind bohemian woman before we left: Angra Mainyou, by way of his chronicler Abaadoth, had hired a demon to ensure that our mission would fail. And the demonic mercenary named Rocinante that we had all feared since, was no other than this Machiavellian warhorse! At that point, we had no idea that the Hidalgo, whose name was Quixote, sometimes regained control of his steed, and Pepo and I were certain that our last hour was upon us... Searching for Gethsemane, or the true tribulations of two monks in Hell, by Brother Alberto Codicci
Shooting Skill Combat 5 Defense 4 Protection 1 Life Points 16 Faith 2 Command 5
• 2/2)
Unique
Orders
C harging the Titans Free • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique This order can’t be used during the first turn of the game. Until the end of the turn enemy units can only perform Charge, Attack, or Melee actions. Enemy units don’t have to take an action when they are activated. If they take no action they can still use free orders. This order doesn’t affect lemures. T he Moon is M ade of Cheese Free • 1 CMD Until the end of the turn, allied units are immune to Terror and Terrifying. V ae soli Vae victis
Aura
A ura of Combustion Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Instant • Rocinante (Immune) • Unique Units within the area of effect of this aura suffer Consumed (Fire • 3/3).
167
60
Base : Extra Large
FactionS
Andre Officer Human Male Christian (templar) Mentalist 4 Movement 3
-
-
Shooting Skill
4 Defense 3
X Protection 12 Life Points 3
4 Faith 3
5 Command
Charisma Leader Natural Talent Prescient Scout
Base : Regular Unique
th
Grand Master of the Templar Order
Brother, I pray my missive finds you in fine spirits. Due to the circumstances, I probably won’t ever know if this letter finds its way to you or not. I can feel my time on earth drawing to a close. The curtains seem to be closing on my performance. I am ready to move on, and I shall go to meet our lord with a prayer on my lips and a song in my heart. While I will miss my brothers and our holy mission, I see no reason to curse my fate. I have lived a full and complete life, as well you know. We traveled Pelion to reach the fiefs of wisdom, a place unknown to us at the time. Though our adventures seem ephemeral now as I write of them, it doesn’t change the fact that together we have accomplished much in his name. There is but one thing yet I must do. I feel the lord calling me to it, even in the twilight of my life. A Grand Master of the order is privy to many great and secret things. I must investigate something the brotherhood has stumbled upon. Only myself and one or two of the other brothers know of what I speak. Thus the decisions was made to pass the mantel of Grand master on to another. As you know, you where elected to take my place. I must brave this trial, though it may cause the damnation of my soul. As one of my last actions in this world, I urge you to protect the brotherhood. Not by unthinkingly hewing to tradition, but by re-examining the world and our place in it. What started out of devotion and the call to service, has grown so large that it may have run out of control. You may already be well acquainted with these issues as Grand Master. Do not underestimate their far reaching consequences. On behalf of the savior you have followed in my footsteps to Jerusalem, and I am sure that our fraternal ties have not lost their strength.
Orders
4
(Papists and Muslims)
Montbard, 5
Yours in Christ, André de Montbard - A letter from Andre de Montbard to Bertrand de Blanchfort.
5 Combat
Arch-Enemy
de
3
Cloak of Command Andre’s PR is equal to his company’s CMD pool. God K nows Who’s Wrong! Passive • 1-3 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique Units within 10 fathoms of Andre take 4 damage, ignoring PR. If 1 CMD is spent on this order, then only units with a FTH of -, 0, or 1 are affected by this order. If 2 or 3 CMD is spent on this order, then only units with a FTH equal to the number of CMD spent are affected by this order. Damage dealt by this order can’t reduce a units LP to less than 1. Invulnerable units will take 4 damage. Hell is our Domain At the end of terraforming you may place up to 2 points worth of terrain elements in each conflict zone. Fear Us! Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Until Andre is killed, units that are part of his company get Terrifying. V ae soli Vae victis
Auras Flee M iscreants! Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius • Cumulative • Templars (Immune) During the upkeep phase choose one of the following numbers, 0, 1, 2, or 3. For the rest of the turn, non Templar units with a FTH equal to the chosen number can’t enter the area of effect of this aura. Effects that would force a non Templar unit that currently can’t enter this auras area of effect to enter it, are canceled. Non Templar units already within the area of effect of this aura that would be affected by it aren’t, until they leave the area of effect of course. If you forget to choose a number during the upkeep phase, this aura won’t have any effect during the turn.
63
168
Longsword Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The mercenarieS
Götz Von Berlichingen, Knight I had thought that I had seen most everything in my travels through the accursed lands, and that little could shock or amaze my jaded and cynical soul. Then along came Götz Von Berlichingen. This illustrious representative of chivalry was a sincere believer and respectable soldier. I have yet to hear a good reason why such a man would end up below with the rest of us sinners and reprobates. As we all know, the lord moves in mysterious ways and no one can really know what’s in a man’s heart, other than himself. So, there is little reason to conjecture wildly on what earthly vice entrapped Reichsritter Berlichingen. From what I have gathered of his life Götz was raised in the court of Frederick I, the Margrave of Brandenburg. He grew up to have a distinguished military career as a knight and mercenary. He distinguished himself through many military campaigns. Though his leadership of the Swabian rebellion is a tarnish on his otherwise shining career. He always maintained that he got involved to try and limit the destruction and death that the rebellion caused. After participating in much of the infighting within Europe, Berlichen ended his career with distinguished service to Charls V, Holy Roman Emperor, in a campaign against the Ottoman Empire and an invasion of France. All of these facts contribute to my great surprise to hear that he was here in Hell leading mercenary companies with his customary zeal and tenacity. Maybe it was his humanistic beliefs, as evidenced by his involvement with the Swabian affair, or his reputed response to the Bishop of Bamberg’s demand that he surrender, as later immortalized by Goethe, that caused the lord to pass on “Lecken ihn auf dem Esel”. It seems as I said before we shall never know for sure. Who can tell what horrors and wonders a soul such as Berlichingen’s has seen in his more than half a century in Hell. Hopefully I will never share wisdom earned in such a way. from an entry in Baptiste Valombre’s journal
Orders
Tremble Before the Boors
Unique
Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Choose one of the following effects: - Enemy independents become Slowed. - Allied troopers become Accelerated.
Iron Hand Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique Target enemy unit in contact with Gotz, becomes Stunned.
27
Independent Damned One Male Christian
Fierce 2 Leader Natural Talent 2 Prestige (officer’s faction) 1
Movement 4 Shooting Skill Combat 5 Defense 3 Protection 3 Life Points 13
Longsword Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
Faith 1 Command 1
169
Base: Regular
FactionS
Gilles de Rais, Marshal of Hell Officer Damned One Male Satanist 4 Movement 3
7
8
Shooting Skill Combat
4 Defense 5
3
Protection
15 Life Points 5
3
4
Faith
5 Command
As I was leaving Samael’s tent, the head of a Papist on its spike reminded me of the pasty features of the Bishop of Reims and I thought of you, Joan! I remembered you, my sweet, and your lovely face, all spattered with blood beneath the walls of Orleans. Oh why didn’t I shag you back then! You know, deep down, I rather liked you. In fact, when they burned you, it put me in a mood so bad that it never left me. As for me, well, I was hanged! I had become embarrassing. A bunch of ignorant bastards began to criticize my esoteric experiments. Sodomy, assassination, sorcery... Such nasty words to be bandying around! The whole thing was a trap, my faithful Henriet and Poitou were also captured with me and the three of us were dragged to the gibbet. I don’t know what your death was like, my poor, naive Joan. I can imagine you cried a lot and wished you had stayed behind to look after your sheep. At least God never promised me anything, so I took it all with a certain amount of philosophy. Having been quite familiar with Hell when I was alive, I was hardly surprised to wind up there after my death. In fact, I would not be boasting to you, Joan, if I was to say that I was expected there. My talents as a captain and my qualities as a gentleman had preceded me in the world Below, and my martial experience was immediately put to good use. Out of jest, my tormentor gave me a handful of damned, a pitiful bunch of vagabonds and mercenaries who had already been killed under my orders, and sent me off to fight the Saracens. I was not the first one to endure this farce, and there were many bets running on how I would fare. As a true knight, I saw it as an opportunity to join the crusade as my ancestors once did. I am sure that the Blade of God that you were, or believed you were, will appreciate that. I made my master, and all those who had placed bets on me, very happy. After a few years, I had been noticed enough to be considered for a position on the battlefield. Later still, I was given a company to lead, and I could choose my own recruits. You see, Joan, you made yourself Heaven’s champion, and Hell made me a Marshall. Then our people came, and Kohut was raided. What a happy surprise for me, I had so missed killing Christians! When the Christian bullets left me without a lord, I became my own master, like our old friend La Hire did in his time. Now, I take my troops where I please, fight whoever I like. I am now slave only to my own desires, and I am having tremendous fun. Maybe one day I will build a fief of my own down here. However, I must admit that there is one emotion that has been spoiling things lately. It is nostalgia, Joan, a wound that never heals! There is a man of the cloth among my prisoners. I will have him roasted on the spit later on, and serve his crispy flesh to my guests. And as we converse over the food, I will be wondering where your poor, crazy soul is wandering. You, the stubborn servant that God left to burn in the flames. I have not abandoned hope of bumping into you along my way, Joan. You may have been a little young, but you weren’t stupid, and you knew how to lead your troops. And you were pretty. When I let my mind wander, Joan, I dream that we ride together once again.
Charisma Counter Attack Fanatic Fierce Terror Vicious 2
Orders
A rt of War 1 Permanent CMD During the upkeep phase after each company has refreshed their CMD pool, you may use this order to have Gilles’ company become dominant. This order takes precedence over any other similar effects. C ontrol of the Battlefield Gilles’ company is always dominant during the terraforming part of the game. If Gilles’ is on the battlefield at the beginning of the game, then his company is automatically initially dominant. This order takes precedence over any other similar effects. C harismatic Presence Gilles’ Charisma ability affects allied units within 8 fathoms of him (Rather than 4). R einforcements After both companies have been deployed, you may choose up to 24 more AP worth of extra units, following the company composition rules of course. These units will enter the game later as per the rules for stragglers, except they can come from any edge of the battlefield. V ae soli V ae victis
Base: Regular
Unique
85
170
Poitou and Henriet Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 3 + Life Drain Penetrating Strike 3 6 4 6 + Pain 2 5 10
The mercenarieS
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muldjam, Assassin of Ali
There was once, in the fief of Ronwe, in the circle of Thebes, a formidable cliff that caused many problems for travelers passing through the area. It was there that a small company of Protestants had established an outpost, a daring enterprise when one knows the ferocious battles that the demons wage against one another for that fief. However their retreat was too far away to be of interest to the apostles of Satan, and thus they could have lived there in peace for a long time. Making the most of the devilish winds that blew across the frozen land, they had devised an ingenious system of windmills and pulleys to hoist men and cattle up to the top of the rock face in baskets. One day, one of the neighboring devils came to enquire politely of their intentions. He spoke with them for a long time, and when he left, he was most troubled by the faith of these newcomers. He returned often to visit them, began to bond with them, and after many an hour talking with the Protestants, the devil asked them to baptize him, and they accepted his request gladly. The demon then took the very Christian name of Honoré, and went to live with the humans, to whom his exceptional physical strength was often of great use. Whether this strange conversion was in good faith or driven by some darker design, the story does not tell, and I will leave it to each man to make up his own mind on the subject. However, explorers soon brought the news back to New Jerusalem, where it enraged a group of Reformist clergymen who grabbed their weapons and set out for the outpost. They were convinced that the place had succumbed to corruption and that this new and unheard of situation implied that they must become the instruments of the divine wrath. They took their co-believers by surprise and slaughtered them with a fury that would have made a Papist quite jealous. Only Honoré and two small children managed to escape alive. The devil entrusted the two orphans to a passing Catholic expedition, and, promptly forgetting everything he had been taught about forgiveness, he hired the services of Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muldjam and a few other brigands. Together, they caught up with the intolerant clergymen at the entrance to Kohut and killed every last one of them. I was told this story when the Emir, may God watch over him, asked me to retrieve what was left of the mechanism on the cliff for him, as such an ingenious system could be of use to our quest. Only a handful of damned ones were still living there, and one of them had retained his soul and his taste for conversion. It was there that I learned that Abd ar-Rahman was in fact Ali’s assassin, who had been sent to Hell as punishment for an act that he had believed to be inspired by Allah. He so regretted his crime that ever since he had become the enemy of over-zealous believers. But Abd ar-Rahman was also the man who killed my uncle, Hassan the Devoted, a great hero who was only ever happy with an infidel’s head on the end of his spear. While serving the Emir, he had become famous for impaling sixteen of his own soldiers who he had found drinking alcohol bought from a Christian merchant. Then, one day, as he was chasing some miscreants, that accursed Abd ar-Rahman threw him into a pit of flame and he burned to death. I must admit that as I listened to the tale of Honoré the devil, I began to think for the first time that my uncle might just have had it coming to him after all...
Unique
25
Independent Human Male Agnostic Mentalist
Sheik Ali the Measured.
Orders
Movement 4
Nightmare of the Fundamentalists
Free • 1 CMD Until the end of the turn, units with a FTH equal to or greater than 3 treat Abd as though he had Terror 2. Virtuous Wrath At the beginning of the game, Abd gets +1 CBT for each unit included in the opposing companies that have a FTH equal to or greater than 3. This bonus lasts until the end of the game.
Fanatic
Auras
Aura of Holiness Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Units with a FTH of 0 or 1 Units with a FTH of 0 or 1 within the area of effect of this aura, get +1 FTH. Aura of the Rested Soul Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Instant • Allied units with a FTH of 1 or 2 Allied units with a FTH of 1 or 2 within the area of effect of this aura recover 3 LP.
Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 4
3 5 5
Protection 0 Life Points 12
171
Daggers Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Penetrating Strike 2 2 4 3 4 + Stunned 4 6 5 6 + Stunned
Faith 4
5 5
Command 1
Base: Regular
FactionS
Alazaïs, Black Widow Independent Human Female Satanist Infernalist 2/3
Base : Regular Unique
She was beautiful, poisonous, and I think that she may have had us all under her charm. We had found her wandering alone, on the plain somewhat hastily named «Santa Lucia’s meadows». As meadows go, this one was a great desolation of enormous rocks, some of which were shaped like fearsome faces. Thankfully, these faces remained still and sleeping, but the wind blowing across them seemed to murmur terrible blasphemy to our ears. We were so relieved to encounter a stranger who could guide us through this place that we easily accepted her among ourselves. Maybe we were afraid of causing a dangerous ruckus by taking her by force, as soldiers often do when they meet pretty women. Perhaps she was just a little intimidating as well. Three days went by, and on the way, Alazais and her lemures were a decisive aid when we unfortunately ran into a company of Ottomans. When we arrived on the banks of the rio San Sebastian, the sight of the dried and sticky blood of the river filled us with relief: we were now only twelve hours’ march from New Jerusalem! The last camp was set up in a joyful atmosphere. Some men, convinced that danger was now behind them, went as far as to sing as they worked. But that was without counting on the fanaticism of Father Hubert... He had sniffed out the demonic soul hidden beneath the female’s tempting curves, and he had convinced the miserly captain Guazpo to save himself the cost of the fee promised to the Infernalist. So, as the Irish were cracking open the barrel that they had carried around with them from day one, Guazpo ordered that two of his most faithful soldiers seize Alazais. Father Hubert announced to us that they intended to burn this witch, calling her Jezabel, Salome, Lilith, or even just «whore»! My companions, who quite liked her, hesitated for a second. Not me! I raised my pistol and took a shot straight at the captain’s ugly mug. I had been dreaming of sleeping with Alazais since the day we met her, and I had no intention of letting the captain or the clergyman burn her. Even if it was in the name of God, may he one day forgive me. This caused a great commotion in the camp, and every man took the opportunity to settle his own accounts. And visibly we must all have accumulated quite a few, for we all merrily killed each other for a while. When calm returned to the camp, only the Irish and I were left standing. Alazais had used her black magic to kill the priest, and seeing his pale, bloodless body gave me second thoughts about the object of my desire. Of course, the bitch had disappeared, and taken with her the map that showed the location of the vein of Prima Materia. Rather than go on into the city and be hanged, we found a camp of Lost Ones where we sold our services. That is where I met captain Spada, and I would like to drink a pint or two to his health now. As I was saying, my story is well worth a free beer, so allow me, barman, my friend, to reiterate my request!
Orders
R apid Summoning Unique Immediately after Alzais invokes a lemure, that lemure can be activated during the action phase during which it was invoked. urse C Active • Unstoppable Target unit within 6 fathoms of Alzais suffers 3 Life Drain damage. Vision of Death Free • 2 CMD - Until the end of the turn, Alzais gets Terror 2.
30
4 Movement 3
-
-
Shooting Skill Combat
4 Defense 3
0 Protection 9 Life Points 3
0 Faith 0
-
Command
Concentrated Evasive Expertise Harmless Terror
Spells
A mnesia • Vanished Targets a unit in contact with the lemure. Until the end of the game, one of the aura’s of the target of this spell has no effect (You choose the aura). C ountermand • Vanished Targets an independent unit in contact with the lemure. The company that the target unit is part of, permanently loses a number of CMD points equal to twice the targets CMD. S uffering • Vanished Targets a unit in contact with the lemure. The target of this spell is wounded and loses the Fanatic and 172 Berserker abilities, if it had them, until the end of its next activation.
The mercenarieS
Angelo Casaviecchi, Infernalist Smuggler Hey, what do ya mean ya want to know ma story? Now ya wouldn’t by any chance be trying for free services rendered, would ya? Look, are ya buying or not, friend? I have other clients to see to ya know! Ah now if ya ready to pay more just for a talkin’, sure, I’ ll oblige... Ya can look at the beasties later! Okay, so I tell ya the short version then, eh! Ya can call me Mister Angelo, or if ya too shy, mister «I’ ll buy it» will do. Now don’t think that ma honest trade as a lemure salesman is a true vocation. Ah, sure, I’m a salesman at heart. I’m a businessman if ya prefer. I just chose the easiest path to the biggest pot of gold, if ya catch ma drift. The three quarters of what I sells is lemures, of all the kinds and all the shapes ya could possibly imagine. I can promise ya, my friend, that these little beasties they sell like toffee apples at the carnival, and some of the most exotic ones they sell for several hundred florins! What people uses them for? Ma, I must say I honestly don’t give a toss what the guys they do with their lemures. But hey, ya know, I got eyes and a brain that goes as smooth as a cart on a paved street; so ya know, up there, it brews, it ticks, and I learn or I imagine most everything ya can do with a lemure. Ah, if ya want to know more, ya’ ll have to cough up more cash, my friend! If ya do, compagno, I promise I’ ll tell ya all I knows! Cavolo! Ya sure do have a lot of gold to waste on the talking... Well, the first use of the lemures is the fighting. At night, there are dozens of undercover fights opposing these little demons, either duels, or in packs. The fights make the organizers so much money it would leave a pipe player breathless! Bloody and quick are the fights, and rarely mortal for the little beasties... Then ya will find the lemures they are also sold to the invoking infernalists. That type of product it is only sold as a larvae, and once they fill it full of that alchemy crap, it will be ready to act as a catalyst for all kinds of evil spells. That is a very rare and a very expensive, and the clients they want total discretion about it, ya know? I also hear the rumors that some crazy men they use the lemures like the soldiers they use the ladies of the street. Ya know what I mean? Bah, it makes me sick... Where do I find these creatures? Ah no, friend, that is a secret that is never told, eh! It’s like the good places for the mushrooms... All I can say is that I have a kind of feeling for these little critters. I have like the gift for sensing them, finding them, and although I do not like the word, for charming them! I have chased them for so long, lived with them, studied them, so much that I can now invoke them instantly. In fact I have seen so many lemure invocations that I can temporarily recreate the conditions of their mutation, and without using a single ingredient! Strange, no? For a small fortune in gold coins, I would be willing to accompany ya on ya travels through the lands of Hell and keep ya safe from any invoked lemures ya may encounter! What do ya mean that is what ya came to me for? Well well! Who told ya about me? I hope ya not in with those damned priests that give me those dirty looks from over there in the alley. I warns ya, if I smell anything dodgy, all it takes is a single word of command, I’ ll let all my beasties out of their cages, and then I promise, it will be an orgy of violence, the ball of the damned, the A-po-ca-lypse!
Independent Human Male Agnostic Infernalist 1/1 Movement 4
Expertise Harmless Intercept 5 Vulnerability (S ) 0 lashing
Shooting Skill Combat Defense 3
2
Protection 1 Life Points 8 Faith 0 Command -
Orders
Capture Free • X CMD Target lemure within X fathoms of Angelo takes X damage, ignoring Invulnerable. Emergency Summoning Special Angelo can only invoke a lemure when he is within 2 fathoms of an allied Infernalist. When he does so you must assign one of the spells that the allied Infernalist has to the lemure.
173
3
17
Unique Base : Regular
4 0
FactionS
Charon, Ferryman of Hell Independent Marmorean Asexual Unbeliever 3
Movement
-
Shooting Skill
4 Combat 4 Defense 0 Protection 12 Life Points -
Faith
-
Command
Discretion 6 Dodge 3 Fast 3 Intangible
The landscape seems to be completely devoid of any remarkable features. An infinite plain, flat, immaculately white, even the sky seems to perfectly conform to this austere color scheme. A single wide, dark ribbon seems to give a little life to the place, winding through the middle of the powdery emptiness. This tortured line coming from nowhere, flowing slowly to its secret destination, is in fact the mythic and terrifying Styx. It is at least a hundred fathoms wide, flows with a rich, dark color like that of an expensive old wine, and yet the atmosphere there is not one of decay or disrepair. There is nothing of that here, just the fragrance of nostalgia, of wilting flowers, a perfume of regret draped in a veil of mourning. A small, ageless landing stage is built on one side of the mighty river. At its foot, an oblong boat, made of ebony, is occupied by a thin figure, a sinister silhouette whose face is hidden by a tattered old hood. Only the piercing blue of his gaze can be seen through the darkness of the hood’s shadows. With his arms outstretched on either side, the sepulchral stranger seems to be solemnly welcoming the wandering shadow that is facing him. However, the ferryman’s hands, long and claw-like, would be enough to scare off even the most intrepid of the dead... «Welcome to the Styx, Gonzalo de Melo. My name is Charon, and I will be, at least for the time being, your passer on your way to the Afterlife. Although that word hardly means anything nowadays, I still intend to honor old oaths and ancient traditions. «You do not fully realize the honor I am doing you today, oh ghost of an illustrious man. Old Charon now only accompanies the souls of famous figures. You were a celebrated swordsman up Above, am I right? Ah, yes, you do remember! Wonderful, what a promising new recruit! «Most passages are carried out by other beings of my kind. They are quite identical to me, they are my protégés, my helpers, my friends... almost.» The ferryman pauses for a moment and breathes out a sigh filled with hints of bitterness. Regrets... «You will have the extra honor, oh ghost of glory past, to be my last convoy. Men have profaned the Underworld: you should not be here. A delicate balance thousands of years old has been broken. I can no longer morally accept to carry souls to the great Judgement without betraying my oath. «Oh Erebus, my father, forgive me, but I must understand! Twice already I have failed in the execution of my mission. This third breach of trust will remain as my ultimate personal failure, but I don’t care! I will leave the punt to whoever will take it from me, I am tired of stupidity and solitude. Nyx, my mother, maybe you will understand me. «To me, my children! To me, my faithful shadows! Come to me, rise up from your Stygian bogs! Yes, I can hear you...» As he calls out to them, a multitude of similar shapes, hooded as he is, appear and gather around Charon. At a respectable distance, standing close to one another, these apparitions that had seemed to come out of thin air, begin to chant a sad tune that no human rendition could ever truly transcribe. «Oh, of course, you are still there, aren’t you!» says Charon to the swordsman’s shadow, as if surprised. «I will do you a favor, de Melo, if you take my hand, you will immediately reach your final destination!»
Orders
Change of Circle Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Target enemy trooper in contact with Charon is eliminated. Instant Movement Active • 2 CMD Target unit in contact with Charon is moved to a position of your choice in clear terrain within 10 fathoms of its current position. The target cannot be placed within an enemy control area or in contact with an enemy unit. The target unit is Stunned for the rest of the turn. This order can’t target a unit with a base that is larger than Charon’s.
Base : Large Unique
31
174
Spectral Claws Hits Damage Spiritual Damage 1 1 Lunge 2 2 2 3 Life Drain 2 4 3 + Stunned 5 3 + Immobilised
The mercenarieS
Helle Møller, Bounty Hunter Don’t worry. You’ll get out of this alive, I promise you. Here, see: I have enough water for two. Honestly, I’m the one who deserves a bit of a drink, you sure made me run around after you, bitch! What were you thinking of, hitching up with that Infernalist! Did you even think of how hurt your husband’s feelings would be when you ran off like that with that rascal? Although, having seen your other half, I can’t really blame you! He’s not exactly a spring chicken any more, is he. I guess compared to him, your sorcerer was Apollo on a pedestal! But the old man must be quite a catch, isn’t he? One of the best in the whole of New Jerusalem, I’m sure. And when I found out how much he was willing to pay to see your pretty face again, I guessed he really cared a lot for you. Or for his own honor. Or maybe what he’s after is that pretty picture you have on your butt? Ah, you see, I’ve done my research. A girl has to be wary when the bounty is so much more than the value of the quarry. Now that is the true art of the trade. So, what is this fascinating information engraved on your backside? A map, perhaps? You don’t want to answer? Never mind, don’t say anything. I have plenty of time. But your new tattoo is worth a look, I would bet on that. Oh, wipe that look of your face, I know what I’m talking about. You and your rapscallion prince charming headed straight towards Thebes. That’s hardly the romantic destination of the moment, that’s for damn sure. I don’t know what your journey was like with that band of ruffians, but I know mine was hardly a pleasant trip. When we arrived at Bahar Talac, the bridge over the Styx had just been taken back by the demon Aziphael and his troop. I had to join forces with a group of Saracens to fight my way through and continue my route. At the Santa Lucretia mission, I found our own people in quite a commotion after an attack by the devils. They were isolated and morals were low, and they were all riddled with sin and insanity. I even had to fend off the advances of a half-naked monk who was waving a sword about! You were damn lucky, you and your friends, to have passed through that region before Asaliah and her troops began to spread the bad word about. I was not as lucky, and I had to help out a gang of renegades to fend off the damned just to earn a horse, so I could finally catch up on the time I had lost. Your tracks were hardly fresh, but they were still there and they led me to your hide away on Bald Mountain. As there were quite a few of you I had to make arrangements with the local Lost Ones. They are the charming free damned ones that you saw by my side earlier and who did me the great favor of flushing you out of that tower. You see, I’m a friendly girl. I’m not hiding any secrets from you. But here I am, talking away, and you aren’t saying a thing. OK, now it’s your turn to tell me everything. Those picks and shovels, the still that you have dragged all the way here from New Jerusalem... You have found a vein of Prima Materia, haven’t you? Come now, my pretty little bird, let’s untie that tongue of yours. Now I’m not trying to seduce you, but maybe if you’re a little less shy I might just consider not dragging you back to your old husband. Come on now, show me that fair backside of yours! I want to see for myself if what you have tattooed down there is worth more than the bounty on your head...
Unique
22
Independent Human Female Christian
Movement 5
Order
Dead or A live While in contact with a unique enemy unit, Helle gets a bonus of +1 DEF. During an attack sequence versus a unique unit, she must use her cudgel getting +1 CBT. During an attack sequence versus a non-unique unit, she must use her long sword. Long Sword Slashing
(protestant)
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
Cudgel Hits Damage Blunt 1 Slowed 2 Slowed 2 3 Stunned 4 Stunned 2 5 Immobilised
Shooting Skill -
Man-at-Arms Natural Talent 2 Vulnerability (S ) 0 lashing
Combat 5 Defense 4
4 4 3
Protection 1 Life Points 12 Faith 1
4 0
Command 1
175
Base : Regular
FactionS
Isaïa Independent Human Male Jewish Mentalist
Base : Regular Unique
ben
Moshe, Cabalist
So, my nephew, you are wondering who is this wandering Jew, Isaia ben Moshe? I will tell you. My friend Isaia is neither a sorcerer for the demons, nor a spy for the Christians. He is simply a man who made a terrible mistake many years ago. After a lifetime spent studying the Zohar and the Kabbalah, this scholar was haunted by doubt: God had deserted his heart. And with him had gone his faith in his science. To try to find peace of mind, Isaia went one night to the old synagogue of the Jewish ghetto in Prague. There he found the dead Golem, as Loew ben Bezalel, its creator, had left it. Isaia drew the aleph into the soft clay, returning it to life, and thus testing his own knowledge. Reassured by this result, he then wished to send the creature back to sleep, but found that he could not! The creature of vengeance stood there, waiting stoically to be given a designated enemy. Allah is the One worshiped by the Jews, and Allah does not like people using his name for their own ends. When Isaia beheld the monster he had released, he realized that although his science was good, he had put it to bad use indeed. He was afraid, and he ran away, but the creature followed him everywhere like his own shadow, so he always had to hide away from the sight of other men; especially in the lands full of Christians who harbor a most ferocious hatred of Jews and never miss an occasion to mistreat them. Thankfully for my friend, the Golem was there to protect him on his journey. And thankfully for the Golem, my friend was there to protect the creature in return, for the unfinished being did not have the mind of men, and would kill anyone without distinction were it not guided. Isaia had become a vagabond, he could have wandered thus through every corner of war-ridden Europe until his dying day, and given his declining health, the end of his torment could have come soon. But Allah wanted to test him a little longer or maybe to give him a chance to redeem himself. In the same way that Jonah was sent a whale to precipitate his journey, he sent Isaia a sandstorm that miraculously carried him all the way to Hell, so quickly that the Jew could not tell by what mysterious passage he had arrived. That alone is proof that there is still much for us to discover in this world. Although Isaia, alas, never accepted the truth of the Prophet, he is nonetheless a practicing Jew who honors God in his own way, and deserves our respect. He sought refuge in the Kabbalah and realized that if he had reached this place by some hidden route, he could only leave again by another secret path. He now searches endlessly for what he calls the Key of Beth, which should finally allow him to find rest. And it is quite a mystery, for nobody knows if this key is a treasure, a place or a word, maybe some fragment of knowledge or a revelation lost in time. Recently, he began to search for clues to the whereabouts of the ruins of the city of Babel that the wrath of God cast down from the world of the living to the world of the dead, long ago. It is true that on his journey, he did not hesitate to join forces with some of our enemies when the circumstances require it. But it was only for the sake of his travels, and not for the money: to him, only his research counted. These are the reasons for which I am asking you to bid him welcome. Because he is my friend, and also because he is a wise man. But furthermore, as I’m sure you have already gathered, because his quest may well be more closely linked to our own than we can imagine.
32
3 3
2 2
3 1
3 2
Order
Shooting Skill Combat Defense
0 Protection 7
Excerpt from the correspondence between the venerable Tuffik Assaoui to his nephew Emir Saha ibn Gheyouch.
Movement
Life Points Faith Command
Evasive Harmless Runaway
Word of Command Active • 1 CMD If the Golem associated with Isaïa is within 8 fathoms of him, it gets a bonus of +3 CBT and +1 DEF until the end of the turn.
Aura
Aura of Control Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Golem If the Golem associated with Isaïa is within the area of effect of this aura, it gets a bonus of +3 MVT and +3 CBT.
176
The mercenarieS
Golem, Creature of Clay Farouk ordered his men to light a dozen lamps, but even all that light did not help us to see the end of this gigantic cave. His men pushed us on through a labyrinth of stalactites, to the edge of a pit from which lazy ribbons of smoke were constantly rising. Although in Hell one can never quite be sure of anything, this perfectly round hole seemed to have been carved by hand, even more so because its edge was engraved with the scrawlings of an unknown and probably inhuman language. So this is why that treacherous Janissary had betrayed his master. The fool had joined this absurd quest and was hoping to find some clue here that would lead him to Gethsemane! Omar the Nubian placed the blade of his scimitar against the neck of poor brother Pepo and thus forced him to kneel in front of the mysterious inscriptions. «So, master Pepo» hissed Farouk, «it is now time to enlighten us with your astounding knowledge. I want to know exactly what is written here.» The Milanese copyist cleared his throat and traced the shape of the letters with his finger while mumbling to himself. Then, with a hesitant voice, he announced that the text spoke of an ancient city and the ruins of an immense tower. The mercenary’s face lit up with joy. At that time, I was sure that Pepo was trying to buy some time by telling Farouk what he wanted to hear. How could this simple monk, in spite of his education, have been able to understand a single word of this unknown dialect? I was terrified that the bandit would realize this and have us both impaled on the spot. Suddenly, something moved on the edge of the flickering lamplight. A colossal figure was rising, triggering general panic. The being had been there from the beginning, but the darkness and its perfect immobility had let it blend into the rocky background. Now that this nightmarish figure was fully visible, we were all shaking with fear. Even Farouk and his men seemed to regret ever having deserted the armies of the Emir. Omar, although an evil man, was not a cowardly one. He rushed forward, brandishing his scimitar, but a great hand came down and grasped his skull, making the most hideous cracking noise as it squeezed. The giant released the body of the Nubian who fell, dead, to the floor. Farouk let out a quiet murmur of horror before the thing crushed Omar’s damned soul. Screaming his hatred, he bounded towards it, his saber drawn and ready, but the giant swatted him with a slap that threw him just a little too far: I saw the mercenary waver for a second, then topple backwards into the pit that had fascinated him so. His cry of fear echoed for a few seconds, and then we knew that it was all over for Farouk Al Arnouch, the vulture who had kept us captive for weeks. I found it quite strange, and most ironic that this Ottoman, renegade and mercenary, assassin of so many Christians, be killed at last by a Jewish creature. For in the light of the oil lamps, I had recognized it. The giant was made of clay, as Adam once was, and on its forehead was written the word Truth in Hebrew, which is also one of the names of God. It was the Golem! The legendary protector of the Jews of the ghetto of Prague, and its every detail was exactly as my friend Simon Nathan had described it to me, he who had spent such a long time in that city so full of secrets. As Farouk’s men were fleeing for their lives, and Pepo, on his knees, was weeping with joy and giving thanks to the Virgin Mary, the Golem stepped aside to give way to a severe-looking old man that we recognized immediately. It was the Jew whose name was Isaia, we had been introduced to him at the Sultan’s palace, and I was glad that I had been friendly to him then. He was not alone. Behind him came a group of Lost Ones, seeming to appear by enchantment from the shadows. I must admit that seeing them in the company of a scholar capable of quoting Aristotle as easily as Pepo can down a barrel of wine was the only thing that reassured me a little about their intentions. As I opened my mouth to ask one of the many questions I was desperate to ask, the one that seemed to be their leader signaled me to be silent. Isaia leaned over the inscriptions around the pit and, with a steady voice, began to translate them into Hebrew, then into Latin. As I heard what they truly meant, I realized that we were unfortunately no where near the end of our adventures...
Independent Golem Asexual Unbeliever
Entangle Huge
Immunity ( , ) Impressive Protective Regeneration 3 Terror fire poison
Movement 1 Shooting Skill Combat 2 Defense 3 Protection 0 Life Points 25 Faith Command -
Base : Extra Large
Order
Vengeance Reaction
If Isaïa is killed, the following rules apply to the Golem for the rest of the game. The Golem leaves the company it started the game as part of, and becomes an enemy to all other units. The Golem is activated at the beginning of the action phase by the player that used to control Isaïa. Of course, this activation doesn’t count as that player activating a unit. During its activation the Golem must move as fast as possible towards the nearest unit, and engage it if possible. If the Golem is already engaged it must perform a melee action. If the Golem is engaged with multiple units, the target of its attacks is chosen randomly. Additionally, the Golem becomes Berserk and gets bonuses of +3 MVT, +6 CBT, and +1 DEF.
Fists Hits Damage Blunt 1 4 Lunge 2 2 6 3 6 + Stunned 4 10 5 10 + Knocked Down
177
0
(Isaïa
Associated ben Moshe)
FactionS
Sha ren Zhe, Wandering Demon Independent Demon Asexual Buddhist (Yanluowang) 6 Movement -
Shooting Skill
6 Combat 4 Defense 1
Protection
14 Life Points 2 Faith 1
Command
Searching for Gethsemane, or the true tribulations of two monks in Hell, by Brother Alberto Codicci Ali’s life was trickling out of his body through his many wounds and flowing over the paving stones to form a large red puddle. He raised his eyes one last time and saw, about three fathoms away from him, an idol that seemed to be mocking him, the faithful servant of Allah. The round and worrying shapes of the idol dated it as one of the ancient divinities, older than the flood, that were sometimes found in the sanctuaries of Hell. As he gazed into the eyes of this unnamed goddess, Ali did not see the strange creature appear behind him, with a twisted smile on its demonic face. «Poor Ali, how I pity you.» he said, as he sank his claws into the body of the brave Mohammedan leader. As he listened to the breathing of his victim slow and stop, the demon in turn noticed the idol. Hit by a sudden inspiration, he sliced out Ali’s heart and swung it like an incense burner, spattering fresh blood over the green paving stones and the moss-covered columns of the abandoned temple. Roughly an hour later, Sha Ren Zhe was lazily reclining on top of the highest of the columns, his eyes closed and his mind completely turned inwards. The winged shadow of Abaadoth pulled him from his contemplation. «You seem to have taken a most evil pleasure with the remains of that mortal. It was you, was it not, who cut his body into pieces and scattered them all over these ruins?» «Yes, I did that Abaadoth.» «You must harbor quite a hatred for the Saracen invaders...» «You are wrong. I have no hatred whatsoever for them, nor for any other mortal. I could have fought with them against you as easily as I could have done the opposite.» «Demon, do you dare deny the evil primacy of the Luciferian cause?» «That is no concern of mine. I think you are wrong to want to restore our eternal realm. This is no realm of ours, we are merely passing through it. And nothing is eternal except change. It is normal that things evolve in Hell. I myself am most amused by the arrival of the Living. The Underworld is quite vast enough to welcome all the madmen who wish to suffer here.» «And the reason for this macabre butchery?» «Do you see that lonely idol? Look at her, the goddess with her wide hips, her heavy breasts, the perfect image of primitive fertility. Did she only give birth to ingrates, that her temple be left abandoned today? Believers today are much to squeamish for bloody sacrifices. The poor thing is all anemic. By scattering this meat far and wide, I hope to have given her satisfaction. I hope I have contented the spirits of this place. May a thousand lemures come and haunt this temple and give it life once again. I did this as a respectful traveler, not out of adoration. For in truth I care little for the gods. On the other hand, I see in these depths a wondrous garden of suffering that we must tend often with our evil deeds. This is how I humbly serve the Underworld, without any illusions, without calling it my kingdom. «Now, Abaadoth, must I remind you that I fought by your side on the sole condition that I be rewarded?» «I have not forgotten that, my erratic mercenary, and my master Angra Mainyou will keep his word.»
Teleportation
Order
Base : Large
Unique
Scavenger Passive • 1 Permanent CMD If Sha ren Zhe is free, he is immediately moved into contact with the enemy unit with the lowest LP’s. Insignificant units are not considered when determining which enemy unit has the lowest LP. The use of this order triggers a combat sequence when Sha ren Zhe appears in contact with the enemy unit. A unit engaged through the use of this order can’t use the Dodge ability. This order can only be used once per activation, and may be used before choosing what action Sha ren Zhe will take during his activation.
27
Claws Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/3) 4 7 5 8 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/3)
The mercenarieS
Thirty Coins, Sniper The air was cold and dry, burning away at both flesh and lungs with the same intensity. For miles and miles, the landscape was nothing but ancient plateaus, broken apart by the reign of a corrosive wind with an unstoppable appetite. These were the Plateaus of Oblivion, situated in the high marches of Kohut, and so-called in reference to the hundreds of explorers who had mysteriously lost their memories while crossing these lands. These rocky formations were formed of a sharp, brittle, black stone, and everything was covered in a layer of toxic snow. A scarlet-colored sky gave a sad color to the rocks’ shroud in the corrosive powder. Chaotic whirlwinds sucked up great funnels of the acid snow high into the sky, making the air unbreathable. The ground was littered with gigantic rocks, as if some giant from the abyss had been playing with them... Not far from there, the last act of a tragedy was being played out. A hunter had cornered his prey in the shadow of a sinister valley. Only one outcome was reasonably possible, and the wind was whistling like the axe of a hurried executioner... «No, boy, you won’t get away from me. My clouded eyes may not be able to see you, but all my other senses are pointing right at your position.» The figure looked like a blind old man, wrapped up in a heavy coat of thick velvet. He was holding a long musket in his strangely muscular arms. Along the weapon’s barrel were drawn a series of occult signs, and they were pulsing dully with a red glow. «I can hear you thrashing about behind that rock. Your body is becoming numb, as it slides on the stone, your hands flapping around looking for a hold, and they make more noise than rain on the surface of a lake. You poor puppet! The thread of your life is going to snap any minute now. Even above the wailing of the wind I can hear the pounding of your frightened heart. «The shot from my musket hit you right in the belly. You are still alive, why resist it? With a wave of my hand I could put an end to your agony, for you can be sure of it, you will die whatever happens. «Before you bleed your guts out in this accursed land, let me shorten this pointless suffering. I am not your friend, nor your ally, but seeing a creature in pain is not something I take any pleasure from. «Show yourself! Come on out! Just one shot, a single flash of gunpowder, the reaper himself awaits in the barrel of my musket! Once you are dead, I will give you a dignified burial in keeping with your own beliefs, I swear. «I bet you have almost forgotten the senile old grandfather who joined your caravan of scoundrels, eh? In spite of your constant flow of insults, my mind remained as hard as stone. «Don’t get upset about my last few words. I did not shoot you and your eight friends for my own pleasure, nor to avenge the dozens of victims that you killed out of pure greed. Good and Evil, in the end, none of that truly matters to me. «I was hired to eliminate you all, and you are the last one, you must die, and as soon as you do, my own life can return to its normal state.» A small shadow crawled out from behind its rocky hiding place. In its frail hand, it was carrying a pistol that looked much too heavy for it. It was a ten-year-old boy, dressed in rags, with the stare of an assassin. A poor soul that had grown up all twisted, on the streets, and to whom other lives were of little worth. There was a hole right through him, the size of a large hailstone, yet he tried to run away into the distance... «No, kid, don’t run! I have you in my sights! Your soul is calling out for the merciful deliverance of my last shot.» The shot took out half of the boy’s head. He went down like a puppet whose strings have been cut. The shooter looked at him gravely, and then with a croaking voice, he began a prayer for the child’s soul. «I promised you a quick death with a stroke of my fire. It cannot be said that Thirty Coins would not grant his merciful kiss to a man in need.»
Base : Regular
Unique
27
Defensive Shot Order Discretion 4 C S Harmless Passive • 2 CMD - Until the end of the turn, replace the Spiritual Damage ability of the Musket of Longinus with Penetrating Strike 2. Sniper S T Trained Gunman Passive • 1 CMD - During the next ranged attack that Thirty Coins makes this old
teel
topped
ime
turn, if his intended target is engaged, only the intended target can be hit by the attack (don’t compare the number of odd and even «to hit» scores). Musket of Longinus Hits Damage Spiritual Damage 1 3 Range 12 2 4 Reloading 3 5 4 7 5 9
Independent Damned One Asexual Unbeliever Movement 3 Shooting Skill
5
Combat Defense 2 Protection 1 Life Points 8 Faith Command -
179
FactionS
Russian Trapper Independent Human Male Christian
(Orthodox)
Base : Regular Limited 2
3 -
Shooting Skill
5 Combat 4
3
2
Defense
2 Protection 14 Life Points 4
1 -
0
Orders
26
4 Movement -
The inscriptions had come true, we had reached the lands of smoke! It was a labyrinth of ruins that must have reached all the way to the frontiers of Aussonia, a land of mists so thick we could hardly see our hands in front of our faces. The weather there never changes, except, they say, when it is Easter on Earth. At that time it rains blood. Thankfully, we were only passing through and had no intention of checking that awful legend. With God’s will, we would soon reach the fountain of youth, then the edge of the forest of myrtle where the cursed souls wander. And then... We were finally reaching the end of our quest! But for a chance to see all these wonders, we would have to be quicker than our pursuers. The soldiers of the Emir, of course, but also the gang of Luciferians who had decided to chase after us. The very thought that such an abominable host was on our heels was enough to give us wings. Even so, our company was taking a well-earned break, just time for supper and a little sleep. Pepo and I were huddled near the fire, listening to the songs of Damir, the scout who was leading us so surely through the mists. My companion asked him where he was originally from, and in a hesitant French, the man explained to us that he came from far away Novogorod. We had all had a little to drink and as this camp fire in the middle of the mists was a perfect place for story-telling, we soon learned that Damir was an outlaw in his own country. Long ago, his brother had married a very beautiful young peasant girl, so beautiful that her husband became the envy of the whole village. So much so that a local lord had her kidnapped, and her poor husband killed. Swearing to avenge his older brother, our brave Damir found a way to join the huntsmen of the evil sire. He had to wait a long time to finally reap his revenge, but finally, one night, Damir left him lying in the snow with a broken leg, on the territory of the bear that they had been tracking all day. That could have been the end of his story, but Damir obviously felt it deserved a conclusion filled with superstition. The lord had, he said, been closely linked to the Baba Yaga, a terrible witch from his country. So if Damir had been forced to flee his country in haste, it was not so much to avoid the gallows but more to escape the teeth of the hungry carnivourous spirits of the forests of the motherland. That was why he had signed up to serve in Hell, for he believed that the angry spirits would not follow him that far! His epilogue seemed to me to be nothing but an old wives’ tale. Pepo on the other hand, took this tale of witchcraft very seriously, and his teeth began to chatter frantically. The rough mercenaries, who had been listening distractedly to our conversation, teased him kindly about his gullibility, until a terrific cracking noise was heard, coming from a few fathoms away. In a second, our blood ran cold and our faces became pale as ghosts. All except Damir, who jumped to his feet and grabbed a firm hold of his axe. Staring intently at the mists, he warned us, «Gentlemen, I am afraid we have company!» Searching for Gethsemane, or the true tribulations of two monks in Hell, by Brother Alberto Codicci
Ambush Discretion 5 Strider Scout
Skinning - 1 CMD This order can only be used when the Trapper kills an enemy unit. Until the end of the game, he gets Terror, or +1 to the ability if he already has it, to a maximum of Terror 3. Trap Laying - Free • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique This order can only be used when an enemy unit moves within 10 Fathoms of the Russian Trapper while performing a Charge, Run, or Retreat action. The enemy unit is Knocked Down and takes 3 damage, ignoring PR. If, for some reason, the enemy unit isn’t knocked down due to this ability, it can finish its movement and activation normally.
Faith Command
180
Two-handed Axe Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 Cumbersome 2 5 3 6 4 8 5 10
The mercenarieS
Deserter When exactly did my heart begin to falter? I really couldn’t say precisely, but the facts are there. That day I faltered indeed. Traitor, coward, turncoat: you can call me a thousand names. I can live with any of them. Do not think that I made this decision lightly; one cannot leave ones companions without a very good reason. The shame of doing so weighs on my heart every day that God sends, as if an eagle was squeezing my chest between its sharp and powerful talons. All the same, I can see a glimmer of light on the horizon, a hope that I may be able to live without the eternal weight of my shame. I will undoubtedly manage to forget, to erase this unfortunate episode from my existence. But still... It had barely been a month since we arrived in Hell. The few skirmishes I had taken part in only involved the odd roaming band of damned ones or a few French or Reformist scouts. My company was composed of solid Swiss soldiers, hardened by the fires of war. We had no trouble winning control of the land from the damned or the foes from the nations Above. Obedience, discipline and precise movements, those were our defining features. Teams of arquebusiers patrolled around our forest of pikes and halberds. The rough tracks that we marched along were hard on our bodies, the sweat ran down our dusty faces, our morions were heated to burning point by the intense orange glow in the distance. I was sweating every last drop of water from my body into the heavy cloth of my uniform. Our column was marching forward, raising a cloud of dust behind us, to the sound of the fife and the drum, our captain and our standard leading the way. It was a day like any other, two hours before we set up camp for the night. But that was the day that everything changed! In our pride, we did not send out the usual string of scouts. Why should we, after all? What could possibly happen to us, we who had always triumphed! As mistakes are rarely made in ones, our officer misjudged the terrain we were heading into and sent us marching straight into a dried out hollow, riddled with abyssal pits. It was at the worst possible moment that the damned attacked us. The sea of our army was split up into thin trickles of men, winding carefully between the dark depths. At that moment I could hear a million vile scratching noises coming up from the pits, and seeming to grow ever nearer. I could feel the fear rising amongst the men, the officer’s horse was whinnying as if it was in agony: something terrible was going on down there! They exploded upwards in a geyser of flesh and steel, driven by an indescribable hatred. Buzzing through our ranks, spreading death and suffering, the Damned Ones of Wrath were chopping us to bits before we could even move into a fighting formation. The arquebusiers could not do much to help us, the enemy was already engaged in close combat. They took to their heels, only to meet the immediate discomfort of being confronted with terrible angry ones or big greedy bastards. Blown far away by the horde from the abyss, I was one of the very few survivors of this unfortunate expedition. With only my halberd and a few meager rations to my name, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, far away from that unspeakable butchery. Nothing was of any importance to me any longer, not the last few of my comrades fighting heroically against the impious legion, nor Leopold, my lifelong friend, gravely injured and begging me to help him. I could feel the sweat running down my spine, every hair on my body standing on end with fear. I was screaming, crying with terror, no demon could catch me... Since that baleful day, I have sold my services to the highest bidder, with no morals and no cause. I do what I have always done, I fight, and above all: I survive!
Halberd Hits Damage Piercing 1 3 Slashing 2 4 Cumbersome 3 5 Lunge 2 4 8 Receive Charge 5 11
181
Trooper Human Male Christian
(papist)
Movement 4 Shooting Skill Combat 4 Defense 3
3 3 2
Protection 2 Life Points 5 Faith 0 Command -
11
Unlimited Base : Regular
1 0
FactionS
Damned Rank and File Trooper Damned One Male or Female Agnostic 4 Movement -
Shooting Skill
3
Combat
3
Defense
0 Protection 4 Life Points 0 Faith -
Command
Base : Regular
Unlimited
Darkness, shadows, despair: my whole world was defined by those three words. For how long had my life been confined to this trio of poverty? I do not know. The scattered remains of my spirit must have chased away the concept of time, probably to protect me from the throes of madness... Why else? The muffled cries that found their way to my ears reminded me that I was not the only poor soul wandering through this damned hole. May you all be damned, men from Above! As if the Underworld was not punishment enough in itself, you had to come add yourselves to our long list of tortures! You see us as even less valuable than one of your simple tools. You may laugh as much as you like, one day you will all join us... One day, very much like any other day, a ray of light appeared. Had the humans decided that there was some small interest indeed in searching this pit? «Listen up, you blasted abominations!» yelled a red-faced man with a mustache. «I’m going to leave you a chance to prove that you are a little more worthy than usual. I’m going to let ten of you out of this stinking pit, and not one more! Shut your clappers, you sons of whores, the first one to open his gob gets it!» Naturally, what was bound to happen, happened: my ragged pack of companions all raised their hands and begged to be chosen, screaming «Pick me! Pick me!» at the top of their voices. The response was immediate: three small glowing fireballs were dropped into our midst and exploded with a deafening noise. Standing there without moving, spattered with blood, body fluids and shattered skull bone, I felt my sanity slip slowly away. The word «You!» dragged me back to reality. Visibly, my boundless stoicism must have made quite a good impression on my masters. I was thrown a rope, which I climbed up slowly but surely, towards my hypothetical paradise! A great many men were lying there, agonizing, being eaten alive by some strange illness, shaken by spasms and gushing blood. A group of humans with pointed helmets were firing their guns and cannons into the pink mist that was rising in front of us. Far away in the distance, I could hear the sound of dozens of drums, accompanied by the sound of a hundred horrible animals bellowing... «You!» spat a sinister-looking man in my direction. «Take this pick and go join the line! If you fight, you will be a free damned one!» added the brutish soldier, as his grin gave me a glimpse of his blackened teeth. With the pick in my hand, my options were dwindling. I had never been a fighter before: my only possible option would be to dodge the blows. At least, that left me with a real chance of making it through this. I was surprised to see that some of my unfortunate companions were looking quite comfortable with their weapons. Memories from their past, perhaps? Although we had lost half of our numbers during the first wave of the attack, we managed to pull through honorably. This fratricide fighting was most unpleasant to me, but it was either that or accept to disappear for good. hoose one of the Suddenly, I heard a voice. Soft, beautiful, fascinating... following options «Join me, son of Hell, join me that I may give you back your true place, your name, your past...» I felt deeply troubled by this, almost shocked, but this offer seemed to be the best opportunity I was going to get in these lands. At the time, there was no way I could have accepted the request... And yet... As if the voice had sensed my inner debate, it answered me: «The time draws closer. A step aside at the right moment, fake your own death, and during the next wave, throw yourself at the nearest man...» A daring plan indeed, but damn was it devilishly dangerous! However, this time, my natural cowardice would have to be silent! So, that day, in the confusion of the battle, I outdid myself...
C
:
C haotic Charge and Fury Defensive Combat 3 Dodge 2 and Mvt +1 Rapid Strike ( ) Ricochet 2 attack
9
182
Makeshift Weapon Blunt or Piercing or Slashing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
The mercenarieS
Squamata Nomad During my many adventures in the lands of Hell, I have often had to collaborate with some very strange individuals. As far as I am concerned, as long as a newcomer proves to be quite competent, that he knows how to stay humble and in his rightful place, and that he does not indulge in foul depravaties, he has every chance of fitting perfectly into my little family. My dear reader, you who dare to venture into the twists and turns of my improbable journeys, deep into the heart of a bottomless well of knowledge, I can safely say that in all my life as a free man, I have rarely encountered any creatures as mysterious as the Squamata nomads! These fascinating creatures, who are always willing to sell their military services to any kind of customer, call themselves the Eternal Travelers. Wandering creatures from a race of Lost Ones, they chose the name of Travelers with care, even though, to the outsider, the term could seem rather redundant. After long and intensive research into a subject of particular interest to me, a glimpse of an answer, albeit a very fragmented one, appeared in the depths of my mind. The Lost are a group of dammed that appear in a surprising light to common people. To be perfectly honest, there are a great number of scholars who will shamefully admit that they know or understand little about this mosaic of infernal beings. Until quite recently, the Lost way of life was mainly based on the model of a nomadic people, mainly warriors, united around a powerful and charismatic leader. This rough existence allowed the members of the group to feel a sense of belonging to a primitive society, providing support and protection for one another. Of course, since then, Bran Carnoth has changed many things, much water has flowed under the bridge... The Travelers turned away from that «tribal» way of life a long time ago. These free-spirited people have gone so far as to reject the leadership of any chief, preferring to take their existence into their own hands. Some writings found carved on the walls dating back to times immemorial bear witness to the existence of Squamata nomads back in pre-Christian times. The reasons that led to their rebellion are still unknown to this day. One day, the Squamata leaves his group, because of boredom or discontent, and without looking back, he begins his long life as a traveler, alone. To survive, the «Traveler» hires out his services to the commanders of Hell’s companies, always in need of good swordsmen. The wars between Demon kingdoms have long been the main source of income for these soldiers of fortune. One day I hired one of these Travelers myself, Quintus, an old Roman soldier, who was killed while guarding an obscure frontier in Germania. Thanks to him, I learned more about these Squamata nomads than I had done in a whole year of research! Quintus explained to me his sudden desire for freedom, his dreams of wild expanses and his need for calm and introspection! I must say I was as blown away as you must be, on hearing this very strange revelation. These demons are searching for some kind of inner peace that their very condition denies them. Who would have thought it? However this desire has a painful backlash. As they travel further away from their «family», as if the Underworld was punishing them for their lack of devotion to the roots of evil, the Squamata nomads lose part of their natural strength and martial abilities, in exchange for a sharper and more independent mind. Quintus told me that this price was a small one to pay compared with their possibility of redemption. A damned escaping from Hell by achieving redemption, now that would be interesting! I questioned my friend Malik ibn Youssouf about this, jokingly remarking that I could see many similarities between the Saracen’s quest and the insane desire for paradise of the Squamata nomads. Strangely enough, for once, he did not laugh... Baptiste Valombre «Thoughts on the people and curiosities of the Underworld, Volume 5: the Lost.»
Unlimited
12
Trooper Lost Male Agnostic Movement 5 Shooting Skill -
First Contact Scout Strider
Combat 3 Defense 4
Faith 0 Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 7 5 9
2 3
Protection 2 Life Points 7
Short Sword Slashing
4
5 0
Command -
183
Base : Regular
184
The immortalS
he Immortals
The damned bureaucrat moved closer to the window to gaze upon the vista of Diya offered from the bamboo tower where he was held captive. He knew that this land was hostile to men, allowing them its fruits only at the price of arduous work. But, from his vantage point, the surrounding lands seemed particularly serene. Beyond the village, the fields stretched out, then the hills and finally the capital, Yūmíng, profiled on the horizon. This earthly-looking stretch was but a small portion of the domain, his purgatory. It was surrounded by the frozen deserts which kept the monstrous armies from entering the kingdom. From Yūmíng, at the heart of the territory, the cyclopean shafts reached the Eighteen Hells in which sinners would absolve their sins. It was also the path one would need to take to reach the secret sanctuary of Yanluowang, named Míngfū. Gui Wanrong saw a young woman carrying laundry to the vats. She was dressed for working in the fields, but bore mannerisms betraying the noble rank of her past life. He smiled and called his guard, Ho Han Xu, a demon with a particularly jovial expression. As the heavy footsteps of his jailor could be heard in the next tunnel over, Wanrong surprised himself by imagining himself on a walk with her. The demon entered the luxurious cell yawning, as though he had just been woken up from a nap. Glancing over to Wanrong’s shelves, he saw the roll of parchment that the bureaucrat had painted while the village was working in the fields. He deciphered a few lines before slipping it under his belt.
“Death is a trauma which radically affects the soul. When the damned reach Hell, most of them have lost their memory. However, the spirit of the dead continues to be the sanctuary of the vices which have sullied their past life. If a criminal does not remember his misdeeds, anger, pride or even greed continue to gnaw at him. A damned one does not breathe, sleep or eat – he is dead and vital needs are unknown to him. However, a glutton will still continue to feel the pangs of hunger – a horrible torture for a soul which has forgotten how to appease its trouble. But intuition of what it was in life may bring it to learn how to eat anew. Sometimes, demons will teach it out of spite. They will thus reveal to it its vice and goad it to its eternal damnation. For if the dead descend to Hell, it’s either to find the way to their final rest or regain their place among the living. For the dead, to lower one’s self by repeating the excesses of a past life will keep the soul from attaining serenity. See this noble. When alive, he killed by pride as he had the power to do so. Damned, he’s dispossessed of all that made him great. He no longer remembers any of it but his soul suffers from it. Give him a sword. Do you think he’ll seek redemption or the fastest way to appease his torment? The dead are left to fend against their darkest desires. They’re thrown in a terrifying, underground land, on a road filled with pitfalls and traps. Fear and pain are their daily bread. Between these two damned, which one was the headsman, which one the victim? Demons don’t bother with this sort of distinction. They draw the dead into their fiefs to inflict on them various tortures. Of course, the sinner will catch their eye while the virtuous soul will pass by more easily... Some damned have been walking for centuries on the roads of Hell. It’s said that King Minos awaits them at the Nine Irises to judge them. But how many of them will reach the end of their quest? It’s with this question that the history of Diyu begins; the history of King Yanluowang’s revolt. Our sovereign was one of the nine archdemons, known by his peers under the name of Zairitsha. He went to those of his kind and asked of them to set out order among the damned. He showed them how to give Hell a harmonious government. The other eight archdemons were insulted by his arrogance and chased him off his throne. They destroyed his domain and massacred his followers. Zairitsha was betrayed and imprisoned by his most faithful vassal.
“A new masterpiece?” asked the guard. “This looks nothing like your usual compilations of jurisprudence.” “Maybe I’ve finished cataloging my earthly knowledge. It’s time to write down what the mandarins of this country have allowed me to see” “What a wonderful idea” said the demon with a disapproving frown. “Who is the young woman over there?” asked Gui. “I have never seen her before in the village.” “She’s just arrived” answered the demon, nodding. “When alive, she gave birth to a bastard, which caused upheaval in her noble house.” “An adulteress? We should find a husband for her before rumor causes any trouble among the community” said Gui Wanrong. “Yes, yes” said the demon as he left the cell.
This is how the story of Yanluowang, King of Hell, and Protector of the Qin People begins.”
The following day, Gui Wanrong woke up with the first ray of light. After getting dressed, he found a roll of blank parchment left on his shelves. He grabbed his brush and immediately began to write.
Gui Wanrong laid down his brush and raised his head. The white light from the underground dome was fading. The peasants would soon be coming back from the fields.
“When people from Qin die, they appear on the underground reflection of Mount Mingshan. With this desert and snowy expanse, Yanluowang grants them an extremely serene passage to death, as they are not confronted
185
FactionS rous Hell, openly admit their most secret misdeeds. These are written down on dragon-parchments by the infernal mandarins who accompany the expedition. These are magical rolls which are animated by the essence of the lemures which haunt the domain. When a fact is written on such a parchment, it immediately appears on other dragon-parchments – thus our entire bureaucracy is warned the moment a damned one confesses. This task is vital and the burden of the mandarin is heavy, for if he makes a mistake or lies when writing down the deeds, he will be thrown in the Seventeenth Hell, for such is the law of Yanluowang. The expedition allows the repentant damned to return alone towards the kingdom, they will go through a gateway of sulfur to return to the lands. There a highranking official will be waiting for them to reveal to them which of the Eighteen Hells they will have to visit to expiate their crimes. There are souls who will never admit their misdeeds, as it is their nature. They will, for a time, avoid the torture of the Eighteen Hells, but in truth their sentence will be much harder and longer, as no one escapes the justice of Yanluowang, Lord of the Dead. “ Gui Wanrong laid down his brush and walked to the window, as he always did when he was gathering his thoughts. He was surprised to see the young adulteress sitting on a stone bench next to the vats. She was looking in his direction and sent him a quick wave of the hand. Her friendly smile sculpted her mouth beautifully and the skin of her throat, in the daylight, gleamed with an exquisite clarity. Gui Wanrong returned her greeting before hastily returning to work. “The damned sent to the Eighteen Hells suffer punishments and various tortures as the price for their crimes. The harshness of their sentence and the time spent in the torture chambers deeply affect their bodies. They are marked by the metamorphosis of the underground realm: fangs, lumps, horns, hooves and much more deformities are the stigmata of their vice. Thus, they become hybrids. This mark can affect the damned as it can affect the living: all those who let themselves be ruled by an excessive temper and who spend a long time in the land of the dead. It’s a supernatural property of Hell, and Diyu is not the exception to the rule. However, the metamorphosis often causes an allegiance to Chaos; in Diyu the term hybrid is used in a very specific way. It designates the rank of one who, living or dead, has seen himself be infected by his vice and has triumphed over it. Those who fail this trial are thrown into the Eighteenth Hell, where their soul is destroyed. It’s why the mark of hybridization is not always a sign of infamy for the people of Yanluowang; it is part of the harmony of Yin and Yang, just like the alliance between humans and demons. The damned of the kingdom work in the villages of Diyu, split into districts. Their work is hard and often laborious. The dead are constrained to asceticism, they
with terrible visions of Hell as soon as they wake. Quite the opposite – solitude, meditation and asceticism allows them to recover their memory, the first step on the purging of their sins. For as long as this retreat on the sacred mountain lasts, demon sentinels keep watch without ever showing themselves. There is a thousand ways of knowing if a damned one has reclaimed the memories of his past life. He suddenly begins to suffer from the cold, prays to his ancestors or yet attempts to make himself tools. The soul is then ready for its next trial. We gather the damned for a long march through the frozen desolation surrounding the domain. The expedition crosses the borders of Diyu. Before the birth of Yanluowang, the kingdom was one of the nine archduchies which bordered the devil’s isle. By leaving Diyu, the damned can contemplate the horror and the chaos which prevail outside of our lands. It is at that point that they become conscious of their duty of submission to the laws of our lord. For if they rebel, they could be abandoned to the nightmarish and barbaric horizons which offer themselves to their sight at that moment. The first rule is to admit your crimes. Infernal mandarins accompany the walkers to note the admission of their crimes. Among the Imperial Sentinels, demons are keeping close guard to prevent any insanity, while humans are deployed as scouts and on the flanks to face possible assaults from barbaric enemies. Everywhere in our lands, this division of tasks between Imperial Sentinels can be found. The demons are in contact with the damned and watch over them, while the humans protect the domain against outside invasion. Thus, their souls are not influenced by the sins of the dead. If we talk about the kingdom, it’s in opposition to the rest of Hell. However, Yanluowang has sworn allegiance to the Jade Emperor, and so the domain is part of the Qin Empire; this is why the sentinels protecting it belong to the imperial house, the House of Jade. The task of our lord is to watch over the people after their death. In that way, he watches over the harmony of the Yin and the Yang and guarantees the empire will remain, even when great trouble divide the living and the throne falls into the hands of impostors. For that reason, also, our demonic bureaucracy compiles much information brought from the land above. When there are wars, our mandarins know the number of warriors fallen in battle and which province they come from. If a great criminal is put to death, his upcoming arrival in the kingdom is known to us. In the same way, by the simple reading of judgments passed in the land of the living, our bureaucrats can guess which magistrate is corrupt and which is virtuous. All observations are written down, as they will be used as clues to find the true nature of the damned. But there is no better way to bare a soul than to obtain a confession from it. Most of them, at the sight of barba-
186
The immortalS mind’s eye, bringing a fruit to the beautiful woman and getting her attention with a knowledgeable speech about law. However, the end of the daydream was becoming more and more obvious. Wanrong grew shameful and went to seek refuge in the darkest corner of his cell. That night, when the demon discovered the blank parchment, he inquired about the state of the captive. The only answer he received was the old magistrate asking for news about the one he had waited for all day.
harvest fruit they see wither in their very hands, as most infernal lands are cursed. The slightest misdeed can cause trouble for the villagers, for the law of Yanluowang is strict – all must absolve their sins. Before being able to join even these communities, those damned who have been found guilty of crimes must serve their sentence in the Eighteen Hells. They will leave the Hells marked by metamorphosis. We often see them act with more fervor in their work. Their loyalty to our sovereign is faultless, as they have known the chambers of tortures of Diyu and endured what horrors reside in them. For all damned, there are, in the end, only two results. Those who fail will see their soul destroyed in the Eighteenth Hell. The others, after a long and rigorous existence of damnation, will be given a potion of oblivion by the authorities. Some say that it brings the serenity of eternal rest, but most believe that it offers reincarnation of the soul in the cycle of life. There are criminals in Diyu, but also evil souls who believe they can escape the laws of the demonic bureaucracy. Those never admit their crimes. They tell, at best, a made-up story, in which other characters are accused of being behind the actions they took. They return through the sulfur gate believing that they have avoided the worst. They start to live their lives in the villages, counting the days as if the end of their damnation was close believing they can slip by unnoticed. But it is in their nature to cause trouble, often by getting others accused instead of themselves. They believe they can avoid being caught as they did when they were alive. Sooner or later, their actions will be exposed in broad daylight. And until that time, all they will have done is increase the number of hells they will have to go through to purge themselves of their evil actions. For even though the hierarchy of Diyu seems invisible, it is nonetheless omnipresent. And the agents of the king know how to use their most diverse wiles to obtain the truth.”
“She asked to work with the others. She was becoming bored alone in the village” answered the guard. “Is that really prudent?” interrogated Wanrong. “We’ll see” said the demon. “In that case, may I invite her to drink tea, tomorrow? I’m to be confined in this tower, but I’m allowed visitors, aren’t I?” In response, the guard harrumphed, “Why not” The next morning, Gui Wanrong decided to get back to work. “The alliance between the living and the demons is the alliance of the Yin and the Yang. But this harmony must be found in all things. Humans themselves must bear it within them. Warriors who leave the world of men to come serve in the underground realm follow the teachings of the House of Jade. It is established on Earth, looks up to the sky and extends to here, down below. It teaches warriors to purge themselves of all their ills, to remain pure in order to succeed at their task over the centuries. For, as soon as the gate to the great beyond is stepped through, time no longer flows for the living. Thus they are raised to the status of the champions of ancient times who pierced the secrets of immortality. The living follow ascetic rites and observe in all things a great discipline. Those who show signs of tiredness are tested, in ways the masters know they will fail. They are pushed to break their allegiance to the House of Jade, for it is turned to the Light. For the Light alone is not enough – others must seek the Darkness, for such is the law of Yanluowang. All things must have balance. As there is Yin and Yang, so too is there Light and Dark. These fallen warriors will have to let the vice gnawing at them grow within them, most often the shame and rage of having been banished. They will have to learn to master the metamorphosis of the underground realm, for as soon as an immortal no longer follows the rites of the House of Jade, he begins to feel the symptoms of hybridization. But whether they follow one path or another, the immortals fight under a single banner, for they embody a single principle. The will of our sovereign is their sole preoccupation and the task is important. Diyu was created to maintain the balance, restore justice among the dead, too long looked down upon by the archdemons. Yanluowang opposes them, but he also fights against the Luciferians who put off the time of harmony to an uncertain future, till Judgment Day.”
On that night, when the demon Ho Han Xu came to take the writings of Gui Wanrong, the latter pressed him with questions about the young adulteress. The guard evaded them all… all but one: “As you’ve advised me, I’ve kept her apart from the others to prevent any trouble. This is why she’s spent her day under your windows, as there was no one else left in the village while everyone was toiling in the fields.” This news deeply troubled Gui Wanrong. The next day, at dawn, he stood near the window instead of working on his blank parchment. We waited patiently to see her come. But, as noon arrived, she still wasn’t there and the mind of the old magistrate grew feverish, imagining her sitting on the stone bench in a lascivious pose. As the afternoon passed, the damned that Wanrong saw in his mind was becoming more and more unclothed. Sometimes, he appeared in his
187
FactionS The demon sighed.
Gui Wanrong laid down his brush, for he was hearing the sound of a soft step in the corridor. He greeted his guest with all the respect due to the rank of her past life. She was troubled by that. They exchanged but a few words, shame and shyness growing between them. The old magistrate wanted to warn her against life in the community, explain to her how, a young, beautiful and single woman risked becoming the cause of trouble in the village. When the mistakes of her life would be learned about, the women would begin to fear for their husbands and the latter would begin to court her.
“It’s been so long, I don’t remember very well... Why do we keep that man hostage in a tower?” he asked. “For each day he spends writing on a scroll, he must stay one extra day to leave a scroll blank. It’s a sad fate, but that’s all an old magistrate deserves” answered the mandarin. “But, it is said that he was virtuous in life, wasn’t he?” inquired the demon” “We discovered when he stayed in Yūmíng that he had spent his existence laying down rules to constrain the people to a greater discipline. That’s very good, but unfortunately, we also discovered that he was unable to apply those very rules to his daily life, which denotes a deep vanity. Here again, he allows himself to give in to his sin, believing that his writing about our lands will have a use of some sort while we already have thousands of scrolls like his in our coffers. And what about his relationship with that young noble? He wants to get her attention for fear that she would compromise herself with the men of the village and repeat the mistakes of her past. But what is he doing, if not allowing himself to be seduced?” “They have given each other their vows and we will be celebrating their wedding shortly... a very chaste marriage at that since he’s under lock and key in his tower and visits are restricted...” the demon noted. “Exactly!” exclaimed the mandarin. “What better than romance to remind a damned the needs of the flesh? And how is the poor child going to sate those needs? With a legitimate husband kept under key, or by cheating on him with the rest of the village?” The demon hesitated momentarily. Then continued, “Wouldn’t it be simpler, to brick up the woman in the tower and send the vain fool to wear himself out in the fields? One and the other would thus be kept from their temptation...” “Quite the opposite!” interrupted the mandarin. “For them to repent for their sins, we must first have them confront them. It’s our mission: to take care of all the dead by learning from their past, not just worry about having criminals be purged through their sentences.”
It was a temptation that the demonic bureaucracy was consciously exposing the young woman to, in order to test her. However, Wanrong did not have the courage to reveal all that to her. His first idea when inviting her was to ask her to marry him by explaining to her that it was the best way to protect her from an ill he knew was unavoidable. Strangely, he felt she had guessed his intentions and they now seemed ridiculous to him. He decided to keep them quiet. Ho Han Xu’s arrival put an end to this first meeting. A few days later, an infernal mandarin and his escort came to the village to collect information about the behavior of the damned. He saw a gorgeous young woman, sitting on a stone bench. She was waving at a man, a recluse in a bamboo tower: “Why does the damned Gui Wanrong stay in front of his window so?” asked the mandarin. Ho Han Xu looked up to the underground dome while thinking in advance about all that could be said on that subject. No matter how hard it was for him, he made a detailed account of the facts he had been a witness to. When the demon was finished, the mandarin started writing his own deductions about the whole affair. Ho Han Xu could read this, over the shoulder of the mandarin: “As surely as he flatters her by wanting to take her under his protection, she tries in return to gratify him with her charms. And thus they condemn each other. One by allowing herself to go down the path of carnality, the other down the path of vanity.”
From the Stories of Diyu
188
The immortalS
Cheng Xiao-Chen, Imperial Bureaucrat To Cheng Xiao-Chen time seemed to slow down as the pack of Infernal Ambassadors reached him. He could see every hair move in unison in the coat of the horned one leading them. It and the rest of the pack jumped into the river in an attempt to try and surround him. He welcomed their eagerness to get in close, it allowed the lemure he had invoked, only a moment before, to catch them all in the cloud of gas created when it vanished releasing the spell he had entrusted it with. The choking, stifling gas did not affect Cheng and it caused the Ambassadors’ fighting prowess to be greatly reduced. Instead of perishing immediately, as the horned ones surely thought was likely, the wizened and calm old man retaliated with clawing motions and trained strikes almost faster than the eye could follow. Feeling as though he was a serenely floating leaf on the wind Cheng spun, blocked, and struck repeatedly feeling the vitality flow from his opponents into himself whenever he connected. “How woefully undisciplined these savages are to have underestimated me so badly” thought Cheng. The Imperial Sentinels that had accompanied him out into Hell from Diyu rushed to his aid. Though he probably could have handled the rabble himself, he and his band had important errands to be done and could not spend long engaged with demonic war bands. As distasteful as it was for the infernal mandarin to leave the serene order of Diyu and travel through the pointless chaos of Hell at large, he understood that Diyu couldn’t be totally cut off from the rest of Hell, no matter how much he might not like it.
Orders
Spiritual Interference
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique The enemy Company immediately loses all its CMD points. It will recover them during the next upkeep phase as normal.
Vae Vae
soli
Hybrid Male
Bloodthirsty 3 Charisma Expertise Enlightened Immunity (poison) Leader Prescient Regeneration 2
Buddhist (Yanluowang) Infernalist 1/1 Mentalist Movement 4/73
/6
Shooting Skill Combat 43
/5
Defense 43
/5
Life Points 14
Aura
Breath
-
Protection 1
victis
of the
Spells
of the
7
Faith 3 2/
Dragon
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Enemies Enemy units within the area of effect of this aura get -1 CBT. Units in contact with Cheng Xiao-Chen after charging have Slow, until the end of the charge’s attack sequence.
Curse
Officer
4
Command 6
Dragon
Vanished Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure. The target of this spell suffers the Cursed 3/3 state.
Blessings
of the
Dragon
Residual Allied units within 4 fathoms of the lemure gain the Natural Talent ability. Units that already have this ability aren’t affected.
Sharp Claws Slashing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 4 + Life Drain 1 4 5 + Life Drain 1 5 6 + Life Drain 2
189
Unique 60 Base : Regular
FactionS
Li Tsu Tsin, Imperial Counselor Officer Hybrid Female Buddhist (Yanluowang) Infernalist 2/2 Mentalist
Base : Regular Unique
Listening carefully, Li Tsu Tsin gently stroked her foul hybrid tail, her constant reminder of the Eighteen Hells. It tended to trace symbols of magical power into the air of its own volition. Usually, they were ones she already knew. Sometimes they were new symbols she had not been aware of before. Consequently she kept a close watch on her tail in somewhat idle moments. One could never let such potentially powerful information just slip by. Arching her back slightly she returned her attention to the bureaucrat droning away before his peers, reporting on average grain yields and other such mundane business of the kingdom. Normally she would not be included in such mindless bureaucracy. Her current interests brought her here as she was investigating the very official who was talking, to ensure that he was living and working as he should. Her special talents made her especially suited for such a role. She studied his mannerisms, his inflection, his posture, everything about her subject. Starting to place the hooks mentally that would allow her access to his deepest, darkest secrets and desires. The process brought her to know her subject better than they knew themselves. While there was supernatural energy involved in the final exertion of complete control, this total knowledge of her subject was important, and almost as powerful on its own. You could of course force the connection with enough energy, but the knowing made it significantly easier. She would spend a few days developing the connection and control, and then she would rifle through the burreacrats life looking for anything untoward in his mind. While her lengthy stay in the Eighteen Hells had been a nightmare in many ways, Tsu Tsin believed that it had also awakened her new abilities. Thus her torment was doubly blessed. Not only did it purify her and put her soul back on the correct path toward serenity and enlightenment, but it also had granted her powerful abilities to be used in the service and maintenance of the state.
44 5/8
4/ 7
-
Movement Shooting Skill
-
43 Combat / 5
43 Defense / 5
1
Protection
10 Life Points 7
3 2 Faith / 3
5
Command
Bloodthirsty 3 Charisma Defensive Combat 3 Expertise Enlightened Leader Regeneration 2 Ricochet
190
Immortal Blade Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 + Stunned 5 6 + Life Drain 3
The immortalS
Orders
Perfidious Possession
Passive • X Permanent CMD • Unique
Target an enemy Trooper or Independent in contact with Li Tsu Tsin. Then, both players secretly write down how much CMD they will bid. After both players have decided how much CMD they will bid, the bids are revealed. If you bid higher than your opponent, then the targeted unit is Controlled until the end of the game. If your opponent bids equal to, or higher than you, then nothing happens to the targeted unit. The CMD bid by each player is permanently spent. If half of your opponent’s bid is greater than the amount of CMD you bid, you permanently spend CMD equal to half of their bid instead. It is, of course, possible to bid 0 CMD. If the target of this order is an Independent unit, then your opponent only pays permanent CMD equal to half of their bid. Vae soli Vae victis
Aura
Tormented Spirits Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Cumulative • Allies Allied units get Whirlwind Attack while in the area of effect of this aura.
Spells
Exchange Soul
Residual When Li Tsu Tsin invokes a lemure to cast this spell, eliminate a regular based allied Trooper with a cost equal to or less than 20 AP. If the lemure subsequently comes into contact with a regular based Trooper unit with a cost equal to or less than 20 AP, you may choose to replace the contacted Trooper with the allied Trooper eliminated earlier due to this spell. The replaced Trooper is eliminated in the same way as the original Trooper. If a player’s Trooper is replaced in this way, they gain control of the lemure until the end of the game, and may replace contacted Troopers in the same way. When a unit is brought back from being eliminated due to this spell, they return to the game in the state that they left it and waiting. A unit eliminated due to this spell will not be affected by it for the rest of the game after returning to the battlefield. If the lemure that this spell was cast through is killed while carrying a Trooper, then the Trooper is killed as well.
Smile Lady Residual While the lemure that this spell was cast through is in contact with an engaged allied unit, the CMD cost of orders received by the engaged unit are halved. Also, the Light/ Dark CMD restrictions of orders received by the engaged unit are ignored as long as the lemure is in contact.
191
18
FactionS
Kuan Yin, Naga Priestess Independent Demon Female Buddhist (Yanluowang) Mentalist
Base : Extra Large
The girl trembled as she edged her way closer to the mouth of the cave. She had always been told not to disturb the priestess as she was deep in contemplation, but she was unsure where else she could even turn. Wiping her nose on her sleeve she steeled herself and edged closer to the dark recess in the rock. “Be not afraid child” a sibilant voice told her from the dark. “I have heard you coming for quite some time, and it is rare for the souls in the village to come out to visit the fearsome hermit priestess. I am intrigued.” The girl looked to the side, her eyes downcast: tears welling into her vision once more. Maybe coming to the priestess hadn’t been the right thing to do … Seeing the black and purple marks on the girl’s face Kuan Yin moved forward out of the cave. The girl shied away fearfully from the naga’s alien physique.”Ah … now you see why I am the hermit priestess of your village. Be not afraid, as I said, I am intrigued.” “What has brought you here girl?” Looking her over the naga, she was struck by her raven hair, her skin shining like pearl even in the wane light. “I am not sure I should say” the girl replied. Chuckling some at the response, the priestess turned the girls gaze up towards her own with one of her hands. The suffering and rage that danced there was confirmation of what the priestess already suspected. “As I thought, you have been shattered by the desires of men! Normally I do not take a hand in such things, but tonight I shall return with you to show your attacker how such actions are dealt with in Diyu. We shall confront the truth of the matter.” Kuan Yin returned to her cave for her weaponry and slithered down toward the village with purpose, the somewhat stunned girl following along in her wake.
Orders
Unique
Motivation
Free • 1 CMD
After your opponent resolves the effects of an order, an allied unit becomes Brave until the end of the turn. Attack of the Cobra Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
Kuan Yin gets Rapid Strike (Attack) until the end of the turn. Attack of the P ython Passive • 1 Permanent CMD m
Kuan Yin gets Rapid Strike (Defense) until the end of the turn.
Aura
Lemure Devourer Permanent • 6 Fathom Radius • Cumulative • Lemures (Allies Immune) Enemy lemures can’t move into the area of effect of this aura. An enemy lemure that starts its activation within the area of effect of this order takes 1 damage and must finish its activation outside of the area of effect if possible. If it isn’t possible for a lemure affected by this aura to move out of the area of effect, they must move away from Kuan Yin in a straight light as far as possible. Enemy lemures can’t release the spell that was cast through them while they are in the area of effect of this aura.
30 6/9
5/ 8
-
Movement Shooting Skill
-
54 Combat / 6
3 2 Defense / 4
0 Protection
Bloodthirsty 3 Combat Sense Enlightened Runaway
12 Life Points 6
43 Faith / 5
1
Command
192
Blades Hits Damage Piercing 1 4 Slashing 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 12
The immortalS
Chan Lee They day of the confrontation saw a large crowd gathered to bear witness to the “trial.” The court had retained a fighter of great renown to champion the victims. Wielding a sword like no other fighter could the champion had not been defeated in hundreds of duels. A fearsome opponent by any measure. Most people assumed that the outcome of the trial by combat was a foregone conclusion.
Independent
Circling each other the two combatants took the measure of one another. The accused had chosen not to wield a weapon, knowing that he was more deadly with his body alone than with any weapon he might take up. The court’s champion took the first aggressive action, lunging in an attempt to run the accused through. Demonstrating his quickness, the accused pivoted while launching fast closed fist strikes that the champion only narrowly avoided himself. In this way the two combatants worked their way back and forth across the sand ring that had been set up for the ordeal. Moving between offense and defense fluidly both combatants searched for any weakness in their opponent.
Hybrid Male Buddhist (Yanluowang)
Though the duel was a stunning display of martial prowess, it was being fought with total concentration by its participants. The crowd of onlookers didn’t cheer for either combatant or even discuss what was happening. This was a solemn occasion. The hush was only broken by the sounds of the combatants exerting themselves. Eventually fatigue caught up with the accused, allowing the court’s champion to find an opening, delivering a vicious slash across his face and knocking him to the ground. With his sword tip against his opponent’s throat the champion looked to the judge. The mandarin in charge of the proceedings nodded for the champion to continue. Chan Lee’s last thought before the sword went through his throat was “How did it come to this?”
Bloodthirsty 3 Enlightened
Loyal
Man-at-Arms 5
Orders
Movement 5/84/
7
Shooting Skill -
-
Combat 65/
7
Defense 43/
5
Protection 0
Iron Fist
Passive • 1 permanent CMD
You may only use this order if Bloodthirsty is active. If, during the next close combat attack sequence he is involved in this turn, Chan Lee causes damage, any form of protection is ignored. Iron Shirt Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
After you use this order, Chan Lee can’t perform any other actions other than to pass this activation. Until the end of this action phase, Chan Lee has a PR of 5 vs shooting, blast, or explosive attacks. R edirection of Momentum
Life Points 12
5
Faith 3 2/
4
Command 1
Unique
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
Until the end of his activation, if Chan Lee scores at least 4 hits during a close combat attack sequence, he may throw the opposing enemy model. You move the thrown unit up to 6 fathoms, ignoring terrain and other units, to a point that is in clear terrain, and not within the control area of, or engaged with an enemy unit. The thrown unit is Stunned. Units on an extra large base can’t be thrown by this order.
Bare Hands Blunt Piercing
Hits Damage 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 6 5 8
193
26 Base : Regular
FactionS
Blade Master, Human Since I joined the forces of our lord, Yanluowang, I have faced many, many different enemies. Demons from the outside, damned bandits, wizards, men, beasts … and of course other masters come to challenge me. Though I appear young, I have seen many lifetimes worth of combat. I have survived nine hundred and sixteen duels. I see that some of you don’t believe me, let me assure you that I would never speak falsely of such things. I say this without vanity, merely to give you some idea of the experience that I speak from. Within this great multitude of adversaries, not one has fought the same as any other.
Independent Human
So which is more important? My strength? My agility? Neither! It is my ability to read a situation and arrive at the correct tactics to overcome my enemy that is my most important trait. It is true that physical and mental discipline are required to reach the required level of ability, but without the ability to reason for yourself in the chaos of a confrontation, your strength and agility will be wasted.
Female Buddhist (Yanluowang)
The elders among you know that I favor the Cat Stance, and my zhanmadao blade. Yet every enemy that has met their end at my hands loses because they are out thought and out maneuvered. This way I am in the correct place at the correct time to strike the killing blow. You must fight the opponent. Not their stance or their weapon… the opponent. You must be like water, flowing and changing. Filling any space you find yourself in. You must adapt to the opponent rather than trying in vain to win according to your own preferences.
Base : Regular
Orders
Limited 3/2
Opportunistic
Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Reaction
This order can only be used after you have finished the activation of one of your units due to Vae Soli, and before the your the activation of an enemy unit. Activate the Blade Master. The Blade Master must be waiting to be able to use this order. Ardent Spirit Free • 2 CMD
This order can only be used during a melee action performed by an enemy unit that has at least 1 re-roll available to it. The Blade Master has a DEF of 6 until the end of the combat sequence.
30 5 -
4
Movement Shooting Skill
-
65 Combat / 7
43 Defense / 5
0 Protection 12 Life Points 6
2 1 Faith /
Combat Sense Defensive Combat Enlightened Fast 2 Fury Natural Talent 2
3
1
Command
194
Swords Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 Piercing 2 4 3 6 4 8 5 10
The immortalS
Blade Master, Hybrid “The situation is quite simple,” said the Blade Master. “A border village will always arouse the lust of the enemy. This makes the revolt that is brewing in this village very suspect. I saw that the peasants had been trained for war. This of course reinforced my hypothesis that a spy was present and attempting to upset the order of things. So I pressed the village chief to eat, drink, and while away some time in philosophical discussion with me. Normally the chief was very reluctant to sit with me and only able to make his decision after being absent from my presence. This suggested that there was some other he had to consult, a manipulator in the shadows whispering to the chief what he should and shouldn’t do, before answering my inquiry.
Independent Hybrid
“To my surprise, the chief returned quickly and my request was granted. I knew then that whatever sly devil was at work here thought that he could placate and remove me from the area by facilitating anything I might need, as he had used the harvest as a pretext to spread strife and confusion within the harmony of Diyu. “The peasants were acting very peculiarly, they had started their revolt right before the harvest was brought in. Therefore they weren’t in a strong position to continue the uprising for the long term. They showed disobedience to our lord without being able to make full use of their property. When the chief attempted to bargain the bringing in of the harvest towards freeing the villagers from the yoke of servitude to our rightful Lord Yanluowang, I knew for certain that alien influence was at work. Such a preposterous notion could only come from an outsider.” From “The Tale of the Flashing Blade.”
Orders
Perfect Footwork
The Blade Master swaps positions with an allied model that has the same base size that is in contact with him. The swap can’t be reacted to (with abilities, attacks of opportunity etc ...). After swapping positions, the Blade Master may then act normally for the rest of his activation. Mimicry Free • 1 CMD
During the next close combat attack sequence that the Blade Master is involved in, choose a special ability of the unit the Blade Master is fighting. For the combat sequence, the unit the Blade Master is fighting loses the chosen special ability, and the Blade Master gets it. You can’t choose weapon special abilities or Invulnerable with this order. You may only choose abilities that are actually printed on the card of the unit the Blade Master is fighting. This order can only be used once per Action Phase on any given unit, and can’t be used on lemures.
Hits Damage 1 3 2 4 3 6 4 8+Stunned 5 11
Buddhist (Yanluowang)
Attraction 3 Bloodthirsty 4 Combat Sense Demoralize Strider
Movement 5/9 Shooting Skill Combat 6 Defense 4 Protection 0
Passive • 1 CMD • Unstoppable
Swords and Tentacles Slashing Blunt Piercing Lunge 2
Male
195
Life Points 13 Faith 2 Command 1
Limited 3/2
30 Base : Regular
FactionS
Imperial Sentinel, Human Be the metal. The armor is your body. Your arm starts to move. You concentrate all of yourself into handling your weapon. Your powerful blows are delivered without any wasted or random movement. If you must die, then you will take at least your opponent with you.
Independent
Be the wood. Items fashioned from the living substance are your allies. You are a tireless sentry that resists exposure to weather. Rain, ash, mud: all cover you. The enemy will not perceive you due to this oneness with your surroundings, though you are there right out in the open. You are closer to your opponent than they are to you.
Human Male
Be the land. You don’t know hunger, exhaustion, or deprivation. You only know service to the Emperor. Elsewhere the seasons come and go, dynasties rise and fall, yet you have never left your post. Always vigilant. Your opponent underestimates you greatly when he believes he has surprised you.
Buddhist (Yanluowang)
Be the water. You do not change the principles that I have set out, you simply bend yourself to the task. If you despise the enemy, it is merely because he ignores the will of our great people. Any force our enemies bring to bear will be returned by you and your compatriots multiplied a thousand fold.
Base : Regular Limited 3/2
Be the fire. You and the other Sentinels shall take the field of battle only at your lord, Yanluowang’s request. Learn to contemplate his anger rather than your own. You will feel his ire rise through the ground to you when enemies attempt to invade or destroy the harmony of Diyu. If we take the initiative to attack, the momentum of our lord’s anger and our peoples will shall unite in you. “The Training of an Imperial Sentinel.”
Order
Whirlwind Attack Free • 1 Permanent CMD Until the end of the action phase, the Imperial Sentinel gets +2 CBT, Whirlwind Attack, and Elusive. Until the end of the action phase, if the Imperial Sentinel dies, kill an enemy trooper of your choice that was in contact with him.
29 4 Movement 3 -
Shooting Skill
-
54 Combat / 6
43 Defense / 5
3
Protection
12 Life Points 6
3 2 Faith / 4
1
Command
Enlightened Fury Loyal Tenacious Halberd Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 Piercing 2 4 Cumbersome 3 6 Eager 4 9 Lunge 2 5 11
196
The immortalS
Imperial Sentinel, Demon “Summon your rage. Yanluowang commands it! While the mortal Sentinels must maintain their path of discipline and external defense of the realm, we must embrace the path of aggression and internal vigilance. Light and Dark. Yin and Yang. Our fierce brutality will give balance to the tempered fighting style of our human brothers. The system envisioned by our great lord requires it!
Independent Demon
They will be of metal, of wood, of fire…. We shall be of blood! The blood that has washed over lands both Above and Below through eons of combat and chaos. The blood that gives power and strength to both living and damned. The blood that will redeem us once shed…”
Male
The Demon Sentinel continued to rant, carried away by his rage. His eyes rolling in their sockets, his mouth swollen and reddened yelling while spinning his spear.
Buddhist (Yanluowang)
Order
Toad Warrior Passive • 2 Permanent CMD• Unique The Imperial Sentinel gets +1 DEF, -2 CBT, and Terrifying until the end of the game. Ultimate Sentinel Passive • 1 CMD The Imperial Sentinel gets either Attraction 4 or Protective until the beginning of his next activation. This order may only be used once per activation.
Bloodthirsty 3 Entangle Loyal Tenacious
Movement 3/6 Shooting Skill Combat 5 Defense 4 Protection 3 Life Points 12 Faith 3 Command 1
Halberd Hits Damage Slashing 1 2 Piercing 2 4 Cumbersome 3 6 Eager 4 9 Lunge 2 5 11
197
Limited 3/2 29 Base : Regular
FactionS
Soul Carrier Upon seeing the pack of lizard like beasts, the bureaucrat turned to Zhang Ming with a command forming on his lips. Unfortunately, one of the beasts burst from the reeds and cut the head from the peasant closest to where it had been hiding before the mandarin could speak. Ming, understanding that the bureaucrat could only want him to do one thing, called forth the choking, soul-impregnated mist from the water bearing yoke around his neck.
Trooper Hybrid
As usual, chaos descended with the mist. Half seen figures and motion in your peripheral vision where common inside the mist. While Ming and the other peasants traveling with the party, and in the surrounding fields, where not choked by the mists as others where, they still couldn’t see well through it. As the mists billowed out, the beast snatched the body of the peasant it had beheaded and retreated back into the reeds noisily. As Ming knew, the lizards normally took grisly trophies to decorate their feathers and hide from any bodies they were able to seize, as well as sustenance.
Male Buddhist (Yanluowang) Mentalist
Ming turned to follow the mandarin, trudging more slowly under the weight of the yoke, as he retreated shouting to the peasants to herd them back away from the Lost raiding party. Though he could tell the beasts did their best to track the group of Immortals, the mist ensured that only a few peasants where lost rather than possibly the whole group.
Base : Regular Unlimited
Ming was glad he could do his part to help safeguard Diyu. By allowing the peasants to withdraw from the area the Immortals where able to arm them and organize them to help repel the larger war party of Lost that had made it across their borders.
Auras
Uniting Mist Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Cumulative • Troopers • Yanluowang allies If an allied Yanluowang Peasant suffers damage while in the area of effect of this aura, you may transfer all the damage points taken to another allied Yanluowang trooper also in the area instead.
Fetid Mist Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Yanluowang (Immune) Non-Yanluowang units within the area of effect of this aura suffer Cursed 1/1. If a non-Yanluowang unit was already Cursed before entering the area of effect, the power and duration of the Cursed state are increased by 1. A unit may only suffer the affects of the Fetid Mist aura once per turn.
19
4 Movement 3 3
-
-
2
Shooting Skill Combat Defense
0 Protection 10 Life Points 3
3 -
2
Faith Command
Dodge 2 Evasive Harmless Runaway Regeneration 2 198
The immortalS
Peasants The existence of a peasant in Diyu’s kingdom was an especially hard one. Ho Han Xu regularly contemplated their predicament. From what he could tell, they where better off than other damned souls in Hell. They weren’t tortured incessantly, they remembered who they had been, and had some hope of reaching enlightenment. Most importantly they weren’t forced to embrace the degradation of their own souls to attempt to climb the Luciferian hierarchy in an attempt to better their lot in Hell. Even Ho Han Xu felt the difference this made in his own demonic life. While these where advantages to be sure, sometimes it seemed that remembering the past so clearly and remaining tied to the material world made the peasants life in Diyu almost as intolerable. They didn’t get to forget their sins and throw themselves into a new life.
Trooper Hybrid Male
Rubbing his tired toad like eyes, Ho Han Xu continued his vigil over the vast and orderly fields of the village that he was assigned to guard. The damned lived a parody of their past, condemned to starve in the wild hope of a return to earthly existence. The sight of the food they were digging up in the underworld was but a cruel echo to remind them of all they had lost. The fast imposed upon them would be far less cruel if it were broken more than once per year. Maybe, in its own way, the extension of the material world into Hell was just as hellish for the peasants in Diyu’s kingdom as the torments that awaited any other soul, the demon once again mused. There was no escape from the Jade Throne, only a hope that, through purification and adherence, enlightenment would be reached.
Buddhist (Yanluowang)
Combined Attack Tenacious 2
Movement 4 3 Shooting Skill -
-
Combat 4 3
Ho Han Xu’s demonic visage split into a smile. How fitting he thought. As it is Above, so is it Below.
Defense 3 2 Protection 0 Life Points 9 Faith 2
4 1
Command -
Flail Hits Damage Blunt 1 3 Cumbersome 2 5 Eager 3 7 Lunge 2 4 9 5 11
Spear Hits Damage Slashing 1 3 Cumbersome 2 5 Eager 3 7 Lunge 2 4 9 5 11
199
16
Unlimited Base : Regular
FactionS
0
Candle
he lemures
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever His back arched with the effort, his face dripping with sweat, his arms braced against the spoke, Edmond pushed the wheel of torments. As he did, the young Christian’s mind began to wonder if he would not have been better off dying like the other men defending the fort. Shot down in the heat of the battle, or taken later on by the cramps or the rotting wounds, did it matter? At least everything would have been over and done with by now. But the Lord, with his mysterious ways and ever questionable mercy, had seen good to prolong his suffering. Edmond pushed the wheel of torments, chained to one of its gigantic spokes like the thirty Damned Ones beside him. Knowing neither hunger nor fatigue, the Dead pushed relentlessly and Edmond could only try to follow their rhythm and pray that the guard’s systematic whipping would target someone else. Their warden was a twisted giant whose face - if by some chance he actually had one - was hidden by an ancient mask. He never spoke, and seemed as indifferent to the passing of time as his captives. Probably another Damned one, thought the young man. Why did these poor bastards have to endlessly turn this wheel? Edmond did not know and he really didn’ t care. The young man had spent many a year studying, and he knew enough about philosophy to realize that one can only truly meditate on ones own misfortune by considering that of others. The only thing he was certain of was that the Luciferians that were enslaving them gained no profit from this punishment. The wheel did indeed work the mechanism of a well, but nobody bothered to collect its dark, stinking waters. The mechanism only brought up a tiny trickle of water, and the stream that flowed out of it soon disappeared into the dust. In the end, the wheel was merely a tool to cause the suffering of those who turned it.
10 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection 1
A few months earlier, in New Jerusalem... «Aristotle is a scoundrel!» shouted a drunken student. «Silence! By the grace of God, will you be silent! You are, sir, in a place of faith and learning, not a stable yard! And you are not the one sitting the exam today, so I would thank you to spare this wise assembly your opinions. Hum... Now, young man, let us return to the subject of lemures.»
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
6 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection 2
Life Points
Life Points
Oh, Edmond wouldn’ t be pushing it for long, in a few hours he would die of thirst. No-one would bother to unchain him, and his body would carry on turning until it had rotted enough for his bones to slip between the chains. He would not be the first, far from it. The ground was littered with skeletons, most of them dressed and armed, but all their bones were clean of flesh. There was not an ounce of skin or cartilage left. An armada of lemures were lazing about, biding their time. There were dozens and dozens of them, hiding under the skulls, skulking away in holes or daringly perched on the wheel itself. They were all waiting for him to breathe his last breath, ready to rush in and pick his very last phalange clean of meat. One of them was becoming particularly adventurous. Although lemures can pretty much look like anything at all, this one was pushing the boundaries of grotesque. It resembled some kind of fish, perched on a pair of bird’s legs, and its squamy skin was covered in spines. It was standing on the spar that Edmond was chained to, and it was already gazing at him hungrily. At that instant, Edmond hated it, it and all its kind. And yet, these strange creatures of Hell had everything to do with the adventures that had brought him to where he was now. In fact, his interest in the lemures was the main reason for his presence Below. Paying no attention to the beating wings above his head, Edmond closed his eyes and let his mind wander away down the winding paths of his memory.
0
Rascal
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable Strider
Every university and college in the world is subject to heckling from the audience, but here in New Jerusalem it was even more frequent, in these troubled times where old ideas were constantly challenged by the latest dis-
200
The lemureS coveries. Edmond tried to remain concentrated in spite of the crowd. The theology examination was no easy matter. Why had he not chosen to debate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, or the incoherences of the Reform, instead of choosing to present his work on a subject as controversial as lemures. Before him sat his contradictors, the most feared professors of the recent establishment. Leading them was Father Rinaldi, a Jesuit. It was enough to say that he was to truth what a highwayman is to a stagecoach. The man had a great talent for defending an idea and its complete opposite in the
a transitional form for those who died while in Hell. But that theory was one he had uncovered by reading demonic grimoires, and he had no intention whatsoever of defending it in front of half a dozen priests, all convinced to be the utmost authorities in theological matters. He was better off quoting the oh-so-Catholic nonsense of Greingard than the satanic writings of Abaadoth. «Err... Once, we have accepted this as truth, we can indeed presume that it would be useful to classify the lemures in categories as Aristotle did with animals. However...» «However?» hissed Abbot de Bruyel, raising his eyebrows. «However, it would not be wise to do so. No indeed! For they are not truly animals.» said Edmond, raising his voice as the crowd had again begun to chatter at the name of Aristotle. «Silence!» shouted Rinaldi. «Hum, please elaborate on that thought, young man.» «Well, these beings appear through spontaneous generation. They are born from the very earth of Hell and do not reproduce.» «Is this not also the case of animals, who appear on Earth unexpectedly by the Grace of God. It is a fact well known by specialists and has often been observed! What is more, to return to the subject of lemures, Abbot Greingand has provided many examples of these beings mating.» «Yes, indeed, master Rinaldi. However, err... I maintain that in the case of these diabolical creatures, the act is purely fornication, with no intention of reproduction. In fact, the sex of lemures is a subject that could, alone, fuel many discussions. Of all the individuals I have observed, some were visibly male, others seemed female, but in many cases they were neither gender. Or on the contrary both! They are the spawn of chaos, and their anatomy follows no rules whatsoever. This is yet another reason why it is unwise to attempt to classify them in categories.» «It is, most of all, your excuse for not having done so!» snapped the Jesuit.
0
Carabia Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
5
Movement
6 Defense 0 Protection 2
Life Points
B urrower Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable S trider
space of a single sentence, and it was precisely during this kind of test that he liked to remind everyone of this talent. At his side sat the Abbot de Bruyel, although not as quick a mind, his was one with as great a reputation, especially at the Sorbonne in Paris where he had taught scholastics for many years and where his opinions were most highly regarded. At least, that was what he often claimed. As for Edmond, he thought that if this man was such a great thinker, so precious to all of Christianity, the clergyman would hardly have been sent to officiate in Hell. «So, lemures?» «Err... So... Err... Lemures. My dear masters, finally we can agree, at least, I think, to say that lemures are in fact... are to the Underworld what rats are to our world Above. As Abbot Greingand has so brilliantly demonstrated, they are yet another of Lucifer’s attempts to imitate in his own realm the creatures that our Lord created and disposed on the Earth’s surface. And... Well, quite obviously, these attempts have all failed. The Devil is quite incapable of reproducing the miracles of God.»
0
Haborym Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
8 Movement
Flattering their own preconceived ideas was the best strategy he had left. The student did not believe a single word of what he had just said. He was quite convinced that lemures were the spirits of the dead,
6 Defense 0 Protection
201
2
Life Points
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable
FactionS
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
6 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection 2
Movement
6 Defense 0 Protection 3
Life Points
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable
The fathers were muttering comments about Edmond’s latest arguments to each other and the student took advantage of this brief respite to calm his mind by contemplating the recently finished ceiling of the examination room. Some of the colony’s artists had painted a bright blue sky where God the Father sat in majesty, surrounded by cherubs. In golden letters, the words «Orant» and «Laborant» reminded the beholder that they were in a Catholic college, the only one in the city of New Jerusalem. The Council of the Six had not asked the Pope for it, the colony had many other, higher priorities than building a University of Art and Theology. His Holiness Urban had, however, insisted on granting them this gift. He would not have missed this occasion to remind everyone of his power and legitimate influence for anything in the world. This «place of faith and learning» was not only a symbol of the Church’s intellectual superiority; it was an outpost of the Dogma. The professors there were watchers, on the lookout for any new ideas to arrive in the colony. Was the slavery of the Damned legitimate? Could a Catholic negotiate with a
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
5
Life Points
Dodge 4
tongue, he added it to the ball of myrtle that he had now formed in his mouth. A foul taste was now spreading through his mouth, but he knew that the worst was still to come.
0
Babul
0
Eludos
«Beelzebub! By the kneecaps of Beelzebub!» A small winged creature was croaking as it flew around in circles above Edmond’s head. It was Angelus, the one-eyed man’s lemure, so-named because he resembled the gargoyles on church roofs. The creature settled on Edmond’s welcoming shoulder. God only knew what it could have been up to since its master died, several hours before. «Beelzebub! By the kneecaps of Beelzebub!» The one-eyed man had picked up the lemure when he found it wounded by a spell that had failed to kill it. He had patiently taught it to repeat short phrases as some do with certain types of tropical birds. But its parrot-like talent was not its only one. Angelus also had magpie-like traits, and it was almost always carrying the object of some petty theft in its claws. This time, it was bearing a few myrtle branches, an unexpected treasure! Edmond wondered at that moment if it was just chance or divine intervention. Or maybe someone had sent him the lemure... Or maybe... Could the lemure have consciously picked those flowered branches? The young man gave him
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable Régénération
a most grateful look. Overcoming a most natural revulsion, he licked at the lemures claws to gather a few leaves in his mouth and began to chew them frantically. His eyes passed over the fleshless bodies that he trampled endlessly. after a quarter of a turn, he caught a glimpse of what he was looking for. A silver medallion was lying there, half buried in the ground. It took Edmond several passes to work it completely free and many more to grasp it with the toes of his bare foot. Thankfully, Angelus understood what he was trying to do and flew down to grab the chain. Edmond easily got him to drop the medallion in his hand. By pressing it against his steel chains, he managed to break off a link of chain and leaned forward straight away to put it in his mouth. With his
0
Fahad Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
6 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection
202
2
Life Points
Discretion 4 Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable
The lemureS
eliever Lemure / Asexual / Unb
6 Movement 6 Defense
«What can you tell us about the way they feed?» «Feeding is quite a mystery when it comes to lemures. Although they are driven by a regular desire to feed, they do not seem to really need to do so. As with copulation, it is a tendency that is more of a habit for them than a response to a natural need.» «Let us get to the facts. Tell us of this road to damnation that is Infernalism.» «Ah, err, yes... Infernalists. There is indeed, practised among the Demons, an art to feeding the lemures. By giving them certain decoctions and elixirs, the inhabitants of the Underworld can enchant them and send them as messengers to carry their spells. There are many different types of formula that all correspond to a precise result. Some of them require incredibly complex brews or noble ingredients: pearls, amber, ivory, rare berries. Sometimes it takes years to obtain the correct potion. But there are also effects that can be rapidly obtained with vulgar elements such as rocks or ashes. Quite often, the lemure is destroyed by the spell it is carrying: their bellies can be ripped apart and their guts spilled, or they can melt like the wax of a candle. Other charms can cause them to explode as if they were filled with gunpowder.»
0 Protection 2
Lemure / A sexu a l / Unbeliever
7
Movement
6 Defense 0 Protectio n 2 Life Point s
Harmless Elusive Insignificant
Maverick Intangible Inv ulnerable
Life Points
strange wave of relief that he raised the tip of the bone to his open mouth. Not once did he ever wonder whom the bone had once belonged to. Anything but that. The powdered bone entered his mouth and came into contact with the mixture of myrtle and saliva wrapped around a shred of silver. Edmond was a long way from his stills and the formula was far from orthodox. But he had no choice. He half-closed his eyes, pretending to give in to exhaustion, and leaned forward onto the bar. The lemures came closer, some of them letting out a happy twittering that could almost have been a language. Finally, the fish-headed balloon lemure came close enough to brush his fingers. «What would you say of the minds of these lemures?» «Well, my masters, lemures do indeed appear to be completely stupid. A vast majority of them behave like animals. But like cunning animals I may add. One could, for example compare their minds to that of a dog who knows how to obey its master and behave loyally. Or to that of a rat who will learn not to fall for the same trap twice. As they grow older, their minds become sharper and some can become as intelligent as a young child. Abbot Greing and even tells the tale of a lemure that could not only speak but that had the wisdom of a grown man. We can assume that in this case the lemure must have been a thousand years old.»
Getting hold of a femur had been easier than Edmond would have thought. Angelus provided precious help and the guard, absorbed by his whipping, was not paying any attention to his fumblings. On the other hand, rubbing it against his chains while pushing the accursed wheel was a torture. His hands had gradually grown callosities and become covered in scratches, but now they were bleeding. So it was with a
Rabab
0
Prizrak
Saracen or a Demon? Or even worse, a Protestant? What was the true nature of lemures? The Church had a duty to answer these, and all other questions as rapidly and as firmly as possible, so as not to let the weeds of free thought grow. Up Above, Urban was forcing Gallileo to renounce his theories, and down Below, he was imposing his views on Hell.
0
Ringhioso
0
/ Unbeliever Lemure / Asexual
Harmless Elusive Insignifican t Maverick Inv ulnerable evitation L
4 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection 1
203
Life Points
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable Ricochet 4
FactionS
0
Xian
Once again, Edmond believed he had not told them the whole story. The Christian thinkers tended to minimise the intelligence of lemures a little too much, as he believed that these creatures did indeed have a soul. Infernal authors had in turn told of lemures that had been brutally awakened to consciousness by archdemons, as if they knew of a way to unlock the spirit of these grotesque larvae and alight the flame of evil within them. But he would have been foolish to speak of this during his test. Some readings should remain secret.
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
6 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection 2
When he saw Edmond grab the fish-headed lemure, the guard dropped his whip and pulled out an old sword as he ran towards the prisoner. But the young man was quicker. Pressing the joint of the lemure’s jaw, he forced the vermin to open its mouth and spat the ball inside. The lemure began to inflate at a spectacular rate. It hopped like a toad out of Edmond’s hands and exploded in a fireball as it hit the guard’s chest. The whole upper body of the demonic jailer was consumed by a bright blue flame in an instant.
Life Points
Harmless Elusive Immunity (Piercing) Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable
0
Chung Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
4 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection 3
Life Points
Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable Entangle
His blackened remains and his clothes fell to the ground among the skeletons that Edmond had been endlessly trampling. The young Infernalist was groaning and weeping profusely. He had been hit by his own spell and his shoulder was now branded with a terrible burn. However, the tears mingling with his dripping sweat were also tears of joy. The demon’s keys were lying at his feet. He got a quick glimpse of them before the heavy, docile feet of a Damned one trod them into the ground: the idiots were still pushing. He knew that even with the help of Angelus, it would take several turns of the wheel before he could grab them. But it was merely a question of time. His back arched with the effort, his eye twinkling with hope, his body fueled with a new energy, Edmond pushed the wheel of torments.
0
Hou-Chi Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
5/8 Movement 6 Defense 0 Protection
204
1
Life Points
Bloodthirsty 3 Harmless Elusive Insignificant Maverick Invulnerable
Playing the gamE
Bienvenue dans le Playing the game monde d’H ell Dorado luck decide on the battle you are about to wage, use the following table: 1d6 Scenario 1-2 Conquest 3 Scavenging 4 Defense 5 Ambush 6 The Dominant player decides which scenario will be played.
Scenarios The protagonists in Hell Dorado don’ t fight just for pleasure (well, at least not all of them do...). To create a good reason for the Companies to clash, you must either choose or randomly determine a scenario before each game. Each scenario offers special rules and important victory conditions which define when the game stops and who won is determined. The total destruction of the opponent is often desirable but not always necessary, as you will see.
The scenario has to be read by both players and if it requires the selection of an attacker and a defender, (see p. 207) this must be done immediately, either randomly or by mutual agreement (if the two players cannot reach an agreement, or if either of them does not wish to decide randomly, then the Dominant player decides whether they will be the attacker or defender). The players then take their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield. The Dominant player chooses which table edge they will take if there is any question about which player gets what table edge. The players then choose a type of battlefield (see p. 213 for a complete description of this process) and place the appropriate terrain elements.
There are four basic scenarios described here: Conquest, Scavenging, Defense and Ambush. The first two represent clashes between two Companies with the same objectives. The latter are clashes between an attacking Company and a defending one. You will also find in this chapter four more complex scenarios pitting pre-determined forces against each other over a battlefield of pre-set terrain. The more complicated scenarios are intended for more experienced players.
You will find below (see p. 207) the definitions of specific rules used in scenarios. It is not necessary to know these rules up-front; you only need to learn them when they are needed for a scenario you are playing.
A Note to Beginners During your first few games of Hell Dorado, just use the generic terrain elements described on p.216 without using any of the battlefield creation and conflict zone rules. Later, when you master the rules and the capabilities of your forces, you will be able to use the full rule set..
The selection of a scenario is always made after the Companies have been built by the players.
The next step is to deploy the opposing Companies. The order and areas that players will deploy their units in are defined by the scenario being played. Exception: Units with the Advance Deployment and Ambush abilities are placed after both Companies. If both players have such units, the player with the most units having these abilities chooses in which order they will be deployed (in the case of a tie, the player holding Dominance decides). As with standard deployment, all the troops from one Company deploy before the troops from the other Company. Once the battlefield has been prepared and the opposing Companies have been deployed, all that’s left to do is to start the game!
Prepraring for a Scenario
Before starting a game of Hell Dorado, each player will need to work out their Dominance value. Following this the players must decide on which scenario to play. If the players can’t agree on which scenario to play, then roll at random on the chart below. As is true in all miniature combat games, no two Companies have the same chance of winning a given scenario. One should remember that to overcome without peril is to triumph without glory.
Which Scenario to Select? For the very first game, the Conquest scenario is the simplest. But thereafter, if the players want to let
206
Playing the gamE is a strip 5 fathoms wide by 30 fathoms long set against one of the sides of the board.
Fixed Duration
Summary for Setting up a Game of Hell Dorado The order of these various steps must be scrupulously followed. Decide how large a game will be played : The players agree on the size of the Companies they will Command. The base value is 200 AP. Select companies : Both players secretly build the list of the units they will field. Determine initial Dominance : Without revealing the exact force composition, each player announces the Dominance value of their Company. Choice of the scenario : The scenario to be played is selected. The attacker and defender, if necessary, are also determined. All these choices can be made either by consensus, randomly, or chosen by the Dominant player. Choice of table edge : The Dominant player chooses a table edge as their own, the opposing players gets the table edge directly opposite from the one chosen by the Dominant player. Determination of battlefield type : The players determine the type of battlefield either through mutual agreement or randomly. Setting up the terrain : During this rather complex phase, the players will “create” the game board using the terrain elements they have (see p. 214). Setting up the units : The players place their units in the order given in the scenario (see the description in each scenario). Usually, it’s the player holding Dominance who decides who will set up first. Play !
The scenario ends at the end of the turn given in the description.
Heavy Objects
Heavy objects follow all of the rules outlined above for light objects. Additionally a unit carrying a heavy object gets -1 Shooting Skill, -1 Combat, and -1 Defense. In addition, a unit carrying a heavy object, cannot run, charge, or retreat.
Light Objects
A unit must be in contact with an object and use a Concentration action to pick it up. A unit carrying a light object moves, fights and acts normally. Putting down a light object is a passive ability. To pass on a light object to a friendly unit in contact requires a Focus action. A unit can only carry one object, be it light or heavy. If the bearer of an object dies, that object is placed where the bearer was when he died. An object on the ground is represented by a marker the size of a medium base (30mm diameter). An object on the ground is flat and does not hamper movement in any way. An object carried by a miniature is removed from the battlefield and placed on the recruitment card of the unit carrying it. Insignificant units cannot carry objects.
Mystical Control
of an A rea In order to gain Mystical Control of an area (defined by the scenario), each side calculates the total Faith of all their units whose base is at least partially within the area (excluding Insignificants). Unbeliever units are considered to have a Faith of 1 for this total. The Company whose total Faith is the highest, gains control of the area. If a unit straddles two zones it may control, it is considered to be present only in the zone containing most of its base. Obviously in the case of a tie, no one controls the area.
Definitions Attacker
In the Defense (see p. 211) and Ambush (see p. 212) scenarios, one of the players will be on the offensive and will be referred to as the attacker. To achieve victory, he will have to succeed in the mission assigned to him. It is determined randomly by a roll, or agreed upon (if the two players cannot reach an agreement, or if either of them does not wish for a random draw, then the Dominant player will decide whether they will be the attacker or defender).
Size
of the Battlefield The base size for a Hell Dorado table is a square with 30 fathom sides. It is usually divided into 9 squares, each with 10 fathom sides.
Stragglers
Units marked as stragglers are not present on the battlefield at the beginning of the game. They might have been held back by hostile forces, or by appalling weather conditions. During each maintenance phase after the first one, any player who has Straggler units may try to have them join the game. The player rolls 1d6 for each of the figures. The unit will enter the battlefield on a roll of 5 or 6. During the third maintenance phase, the unit will enter on a result of 4, 5 or 6. During all subsequent maintenance phases, it will be brought into play on any roll of 3+. For each unit, the player may, before the die is cast, spend one point of permanent Command to automatically succeed and have the unit show up without making any roll. A player may also spend a Command point after the roll to re-roll the die. Units that come into play in this way are placed in contact with the edge of the board (except if they have the Ambush ability), in the normal deployment zone of the owner and out of all enemy control zones. They activate normally during the action phase of that turn. A unit with the Advance Deployment or Ambush abilities can use them when it comes into play.
Conquest Points
Some scenarios use Conquest Points (abbreviated CP) to determine the winner of the game.
Defender
In the Defense and Ambush scenarios, one of the players will be striving to prevent his opponent from reaching his victory conditions and will be referred to as the defender (surviving the attacker’s assaults is often a good way of preventing him for being victorious). It is determined randomly by a roll, or agreed upon (if the two players cannot reach an agreement, or if either of them does not wish for a random draw, then the Dominant player will decide whether they will be the attacker or defender).
Deployment Zone
In most scenarios, each player has a deployment zone where he will place his units at the beginning of the game. When a unit is placed in a deployment zone, its base must be completely in the zone. The typical deployment zone in Hell Dorado
207
Playing the gamE this once. Therefore, a variable duration game cannot last more than two turns more than the limit stated in the scenario.
Strategic Control
of an A rea In order to gain Strategic Control of an area (defined by the scenario), each side calculates the total Command of all their units whose base is at least partially within the area (excluding Insignificants). The Company whose total Command is the highest, gains control of the area. If a unit straddles two zones it may control, it is considered to be present only in the zone containing most of its base. Obviously in the case of a tie, no one controls the area.
Conquest
In this scenario, two Companies have been ordered to control a crucial location in Hell. No matter the losses, they must pay in blood for every fathom of ground gained.
Setup
and
Deployment
Players can deploy their units anywhere within 5 fathoms of their table edge. The Dominant player chooses which player will deploy all of their units first; then their opponent deploys all of their units.
Surprise
Units activating on a turn in which they are surprised can only perform one of the following actions: Shoot, Walk, Attack, Melee or Concentration.
Duration
The game is played in 4 turns with variable duration.
Swarm
Special Rules
If a Company has this ability, all of its non-unique members can come back into play each time they are eliminated. They return to the game during the maintenance phase of the turn after they have been killed. Units that come into play in this way are placed in contact with an edge of the board in the normal deployment zone of the owner and out of any enemy units control areas. They activate normally during the action phase of that turn. A unit with the advance deployment ability can use it when they come into play this way. A swallowed unit cannot come back until it has been completely digested.
None.
Victory Conditions
The table is divided into 9 squares, each with a 10 fathom side (the same as those used in placing terrain). At the end of each turn, the player who has tactical control of each square is determined. Each square controlled scores the player controlling it a number of conquest points (CP) as noted by the diagram below. At the end of the game, the player with the most conquest points is the winner. If both players have the same number of conquest points, then the game is a draw.
Tactical Control
of an A rea In order to gain Tactical Control of an area (defined by the scenario), each side calculates the total number of their units whose base is at least partially within the area (excluding Insignificants). The Company that has the most units in the area, gains control of it. If a unit straddles two zones it may control, it is considered to be present only in the zone containing most of its base. Obviously in the case of a tie, no one controls the area.
Conquest:
Tie Minor Victory Major Victory Masterful Victory
Same number of Conquest Points 1-2 Conquest Points ahead 3-5 Conquest Points ahead 6+ Conquest Points ahead
Scavenging
Variable Duration
Hell is rife with enough precious substances, ancient relics and riches to drive the most steadfast of mortals mad. Even the Demons and the Lost, are constantly searching for lost objects and alchemical substances that will allow them to climb the ladder of power with more certain footing. This sce-
A scenario with a variable duration nominally ends at the end of the turn given in its description. However, one of the players may decide to spend one point of Command during the maintenance phase of this theoretical last turn in order to make the game last one more turn. Each player has the possibility to do
Blue Player Side 1 CP for the blue player 3 CP for the yellow player
1 CP for the blue player 3 CP for the yellow player
1 CP for the blue player 3 CP for the yellow player
2 CP for either player
2 CP for either player
2 CP for either player
3 CP for the blue player 1 PC for the yellow player
3 CP for the blue player 1 PC for the yellow player
3 CP for the blue player 1 PC for the yellow player
Central Zone
Yellow Player Side
CONQUEST
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SCAVENGING
Playing the gamE of the table. Additionally, treasure tokens can’t be placed within 2 fathoms of another treasure token or within 2 fathoms of a table edge. Once all of the treasure tokens have been placed, starting with the Dominant player, each player can move one treasure token up to 2 fathoms for each unit in their Company with the Scout ability. Players can deploy their units anywhere within 5 fathoms of their table edge. The Dominant player chooses which player will deploy all of their units first; then their opponent deploys all of their units.
nario pits two Companies against each other for a newly discovered and important source of riches. This time, no thought will be spared for holding ground, the desire for the coveted riches is all that matters.
Setup
and
Deployment
First place a treasure token in the center of the battlefield. Then, before units are deployed, starting with the Dominant player, players alternate placing 6 more treasure tokens on the battlefield. Every treasure token must be placed within 2 fathoms of the center line
The Song of the Tortured
Special Rules The considerable mental powers of both Nazir and Asaliah allow either of them to harness the power of the imprisoned souls to give their Company an advantage against their enemies.
(Special Conquest Scenario)
Recently arrived in Hell, Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad
is tormented by recurring nightmares that disrupt his prayers to Allah. Each night, he travels in a dream world where the spirits of the dead try, in vain, to contact him. He can communicate with them somewhat, though not in great detail, and he gradually becomes aware that a nearby site of power is the source of his nightly disturbances and that there, the spirits he has been conversing with are waiting to be released from their eternal torment. Nazir gathers his best fighters and sets out motivated by the intention to overcome his nightmares and harness the obvious magical power at hand. Unfortunately for him, Asaliah, the Rebel Angel, has also heard the spirits call for aid and was on her way intent on punishing them for their insolence. Only muscles of steel and unwavering Faith will win the day!
When a player scores conquest points for holding a square of the board, they may reduce the number of points scored to instead grant their entire Company a bonus. Instead of scoring 2 CP from one area of the board, a player may score 1 CP and grant their Company either +1 MVT or +1 FTH during the next turn of the game. Instead of scoring 3 CP from one area of the board, a player may score 1 CP and grant their Company either +1 SHS or +1 CBT during the next turn of the game. Even if a player scores conquest points from multiple squares of the board at once, they can’t increase the same characteristic of their Company more than once. The Song of the Tortured follows all of the rules for the standard Conquest scenario, other than the special rules and restrictions above.
Forces: One player fields a Demons Company consisting of: Asaliah An Infernal Ambassador A Succubus 3 Damned Ones of Sloth 3 Damned Ones of Wrath The other player fields a Saracens Company consisting of: Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad Chams Al Majid A Hashishin A Hunting Panther 2 Pillars of Faith 4 Blessed Warriors
Block of Rock
Battelfield The game takes place on the Howling Plains, and the conflict zone rules are not used. Before placing any other terrain during terraforming, put an Eternal Whirlwind at the center of the battlefield. The whirlwind represents the tortured souls attempting to escape their bondage.
Large Ash Dune
Eternal Whirlwind
Large Ash Dune
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Millenary Tree
Infernal Haze (2 points)
Playing the gamE Duration
number of treasure tokens in their deployment zones, then the game is a draw.
The game is played in 6 turns with fixed duration.
Special Rules
Scavenging
Tie Minor Victory Major Victory Masterful Victory
Treasure tokens are heavy objects.
Victory Conditions
At the end of the game, the player with the most treasure tokens in his deployment zone is declared victorious. All tokens count whether they are on the ground or carried by friendly or enemy units. If both players end with the same
Defense
is in contact with a treasure token the player who controls the unit may look at the token with out revealing it to their opponent as a passive action. Once a unit picks up a treasure token the number on the back is revealed to all, and the unit may gain benefits while carrying the object as outlined on the chart below.
The Calyx of Skulls
(Special scavenging scenario) In his quest for absolute military power, Bran Carnoth has been searching for months to try and locate the Calyx of Skulls, an unholy relic that allows the bearer to steal an enemy’s life force by drinking their blood. But, when he and his pack begin to explore the ruins where they have heard rumor that the Calyx lies, they encounter a band of Westerners with a purpose much more mundane. Profit! Everything that comes from Hell is worth about its weight in gold back on Earth. They are not even aware of the significance of the spot, but they do know that many relics of worth are usually to be found in any necropolis. The new owner of the Calyx will be baptised in blood!
1 - Potion of Eternal Life: The bearer gets Regeneration. 2 - Ring of Disappearance: The bearer gets Intangible. 3 - Cloak of Shadows: The bearer gets Discretion 5. 4 - Sacrificial Dagger: The bearer gets +1 CBT. 5 - Demonic Sword: The bearer gets +2 CBT. 6 - The Calyx of Skulls! Victory Conditions At the end of the game, instead of the player with the most treasure tokens in their deployment zone winning, the player with the Calyx of Skulls in their deployment zone wins the game. It doesn’t matter whether the Calyx is being carried be a friendly unit, enemy unit, or is just lying on the ground. If it is in a player’s deployment zone, they win the game. If the Calyx is not in any player’s deployment zone then the game is a draw.
Forces: One player fields a Westerners Company consisting of: Francisco Vargas Aidan Saint James Sara Zingaresce Anna Bogna Pavlova A Swashbuckler A Missionary 3 Arquebusers The other player fields a Lost Company consisting of: Bran Carnoth A Sling Maiden A Maggot Bearer A Fangs of the Pit 2 Squamata Warriors 2 Retiarius
Same number of Treasure Tokens 1-2 Treasure Tokens ahead 3 Treasure Tokens ahead 4+ Treasure Tokens ahead
Infernal Haze (2 points)
Heap of Ruins
Battlefield The game takes place in a Necropolis, and the conflict zone rules are not used. The Calyx of Skulls uses all of the rules for the Scavenging scenario excepted where noted below. Special Rules No treasure token is placed in the center of the board. The 6 treasure tokens that are placed should be numbered from 1 to 6. Before the treasure tokens are placed they should be turned face down so that the players can’t see the numbers on them, and then mixed up. Once this is done, they should be placed as normal.
Field of Ruins
Field of Skulls
All of the treasure tokens are light objects except for the Calyx of Skulls, which is a heavy object. If a unit
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Field of Ruins
Altar of the Ancient Gods
Hill
Playing the gamE
DEFENSE
Not all battles are between evenly matched forces. It’s quite common for a Company to be reduced in numbers due to wounds, separated by events outside of their control, or attacked by an enemy better prepared and more numerous. When this happens, the only solution is to hold at all costs.
Blue Player Deployment Zone
Setup
and
Deployment
The defender’s deployment zone is a 10 fathom square located in a corner of the battlefield. The attacker’s deployment zone is a strip 5 fathom wide running along the two table edges opposite of the defender’s deployment zone (see image). The defender deploys his units first.
Duration
The game is played in 5 turns with fixed duration.
Special Rules
The defender must choose a group of units from his Company worth at least a total of 80 AP. The units chosen aren’t deployed at the beginning of the game and are held back as Stragglers. Yellow Player Deployment Zone
Victory Conditions
role a 6 then the Infernal Cold conflict zone will trigger. Other than that, the conflict zone rules are not used.
Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold
Special Rules
(Special Defense Scenario)
Victory Conditions
Asaliah has Swarm for the duration of the game. The attacker wins the game if all non-Insignificant defending units are dead at the end of the game. In any other case the defender wins.
For many years Bran Carnoth and his band of primitive Lost have resisted the demonic power of Asaliah. She is incredulous that such an uneducated and slow warrior as Bran can resist her dominating will. While Bran is certain that Asaliah wishes to use him as pawn in her larger nefarious designs. Asaliah can no longer bear the living proof of her failure. This time, Bran and his pack will be exterminated once and for all. Can Bran’s brute force overcome Asaliah’s treacherous beauty?
Stalagmites (2 points)
Forces:
Icy Fields
One player fields a Demons Company consisting of: Asaliah An Infernal Ambassador A Succubus 3 Damned Ones of Sloth 3 Damned Ones of Wrath The other player fields a Lost Company consisting of: Bran Carnoth A Sling Maiden A Maggot Bearer A Fangs of the Pit 2 Squamata Warriors 2 Retiarius
Snowy Flats
Infernal Cold
The Lost are automatically the defenders in this scenario. Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold uses all of the rules for the Defense scenario, except where noted below.
Refuge
Battlefield The game takes place on the Icy Wastes. The Dominant player rolls during the upkeep phase of each turn, if they
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Hill
Playing the gamE The player that has strategic control of the defender’s deployment zone at the end of the game is the winner. If no one has strategic control of the defender’s deployment zone, the game is a draw.
Scavenging
Tie Minor Victory Major Victory Masterful Victory
Setup
No one controls defender deployment zone Control of defenders deployment zone AND 1-35 more AP of survivors than opponent Control of defenders deployment zone AND 26-84 more AP of survivors than opponent Control of defenders deployment zone AND 85+ more AP of survivors than opponent
Deployment
Duration
Ambush
The game is played in 5 turns with variable duration.
This scenario represents a situation where the defender doesn’t wish to fight the attacker. The defenders will do their utmost to flee the battlefield as fast as possible, while the attackers will attempt to force a confrontation that the defenders won’t escape from unharmed.
Special Rules The defender can’t choose an Insignificant unit to be carrying the pact at the beginning of the game. Carrying the pact doesn’t hinder a unit’s actions in any way. The pact can’t voluntarily be given to another unit. If the unit carrying the pact dies, the fact that they where carrying it must be revealed. Then, if the unit carrying the pact was killed in close combat, their killer picks up the pact. If the unit carrying the pact was killed some other way, a token representing the pact is placed where the unit carrying it was. Any unit moving on to or over the pact will pick it up.
The Pact (Special Ambush Scenario) Using her powers of seduction and domination Asaliah has corrupted a powerful Saracen general. All that remains is to show the proof of his corruption to his superiors. Fearing this exposure the general has sent a troop of fanatical warriors in his service to retrieve the pact signed with his blood in an unguarded moment. They are tasked with making the sure the pact never reaches its destination. Will Asaliah succeed in poisoning the soul of one of her enemies?
Victory Conditions If the pact is still on the battlefield at the end of the game, the attacker wins. If the defender manages to move one of their units, who is carrying the pact, off of the table edge that is directly opposite their deployment zone, they win the game immediately.
Forces: One player fields a Demons Company consisting of: Asaliah An Infernal Ambassador A Succubus 3 Damned Ones of Sloth 3 Damned Ones of Wrath
Lava Lake
The other player fields a Saracens Company consisting of: Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad Chams Al Majid A Hashishin A Hunting Panther 2 Pillars of Faith 4 Blessed Warriors The Demons are automatically the defenders in this scenario.
and
First the attacker must split their Company into two different groups that each contain at least 50 AP worth of units. Then the defender sets up in their deployment zone, which is a rectangle 6 fathoms wide across the center of their table edge and 10 fathoms deep on to the board. Then the attacker deploys one of their groups to each of their two deployment zones, both which are rectangle strips 5 fathoms wide and 15 fathoms long that run along the table edges that are perpendicular to the defender’s table edge as shown in the diagram below. To reiterate, the attacker must deploy one of the groups they made earlier to each of their two deployment zones.
Lava Pond
Searing Rocks
The Pact uses all of the rules for the Ambush scenario, except where noted below. Battlefield The game takes place in a Burning Hell area, and the conflict zone rules are not used.
Searing Rocks
Special Rules The defender must make a secret note of which of their units is carrying the pact before setting up their units.
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Playing the gamE The defender is Surprised during the first turn of the game. Non-Insignificant defending units can exit the battlefield at any time by moving off of the table edge directly opposite their deployment zone.
AMBUSH Exit Area for Defenders
Victory Conditions
Blue Deployment Zone
Blue Deployment Zone
The attacker scores 2 CP whenever a non-Insignificant enemy unit is killed. The defender scores 2 CP for each non-Insignificant friendly unit that moves off of the table edge opposite their deployment zone, as well as 1 CP for each non-Insignificant enemy unit that is killed. At the end of the game, the player with the most conquest points is the winner. If both players have the same number of conquest points, then the game is a draw.
Ambush
Tie Minor Victory Major Victory Masterful Victory
Same number of CP 1-2 CP ahead 3-4 CP ahead 5+ CP ahead
Yellow Deployment Zone
•
Battlefields
•
A Note to the Beginners During your first few games of Hell Dorado, just use the generic terrain elements described on p.189 without using any of the battle field creation and conflict zone rules. Later, when you master the rules and the capabilities of your forces, you will be able to use the full rule set. I know, I already said that, but it is worth repeating again, so everybody is well aware of it.
The players face off in a pre-designed battlefield (table with built-in terrain, layout pre-defined in the specific scenario, ...) – in which case, the Dominant player will choose an available deployment zone. The players must set up terrain on a clear battlefield – this is the usual situation and the subject of the following rules.
Selection
of the
Battlefield Type
Firstly, the players will have to agree on the type of battlefield (in particular take into account the available terrain items). If the players cannot or do not wish to reach an agreement, they need only roll a die and look up the following table:
A standard Hell Dorado game is played on a square battlefield that is 30 fathoms by 30 fathoms. The set up of this battlefield can be generic (described thereafter) or specific to given scenarios. The way the battlefield is laid out ultimately affects the Companies that battle on it.
1d6 1 2 3 4 5-6
Battlefield set up and selection is always done after Companies have been created by both players.
Battlefield Type Icy Wastes Burning Hell Necropolis Howling Plains The Dominant player gets to choose.
Marking the Terrain Zones
The players take up position on opposite sides of the table, facing each other. The battlefield is then divided into 9 terrain zones of equal size. These zones can be visualized by placing a token at each of their corners.
Setting up the Battlefield
In Hell Dorado, setting up the battlefield, before the start of hostilities, is a game phase in and of itself. Two distinct situations can occur:
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Playing the gamE
Reconnaissance
of the
Obviously if a player doesn’t have any Scouts set aside then they won’t be able to choose to utilize the second or third options above. Once all the recon tokens have been placed, resulting in one per terrain zone per player, the next, and most interesting step starts: terraforming.
Terrain
Each player puts aside the units in their Company with the Scout ability. Each player gets 9 reconnaissance tokens: • 1 with a value of 0 • 2 with a value of 1 • 2 with a value of 2 • 2 with a value of 3 • 2 with a value of 4
Terraforming
Once both players have placed all their recon tokens, all the tokens that are not already face up are turned over.
The player with the most Scouts decides who will place the first recon token. If the number of Scouts is tied, then the Dominant player will decide. Taking alternating turns, the players do one of the following options with their turn until all of the recon tokens have been placed: • Place a recon token face down on one of the terrain zones. Each player can only place one token per zone (at the end, each zone will contain exactly 2 tokens, one per player). • A player may move one of the Scouts they set aside earlier back with their Company to turn one of their opponent’s recon tokens face up. • A player may move one of the Scouts they set aside earlier back with their Company to have their opponent place their next recon token face up.
• If both tokens are of the same value, the area becomes a conflict zone (see p 216). Conflict zones won’t have any terrain set up in them. • If the two tokens have different values, the token with the lower value is discarded. The player who placed the token with the higher value in the area will get to set up the terrain in that area by spending a number of points on terrain equal to the number on the recon token.. The total number of conflict zones is recorded. This is to be able to compute the frequency of the effects that will be caused by conflict zones.
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Playing the gamE Plot (small
field) Elements of this nature are represented by one of the following options (according to player decision and elements availability): one surface measuring between 4 and 6 fathoms length and width or 2 surfaces between 2 and 4 fathoms length and width.
After all of the tokens have been turned face up and the number of conflict zones is noted, the Dominant player chooses a zone where they have a recon token and sets up the terrain for that area by spending a number of points on terrain elements. When setting up terrain, the following rules must be followed: • Points for an area can only be spent on terrain for that area; they can’t be saved to be used in a later area.
General Effects
• All of the available points must be spent.
• Impassable terrain elements can’t be placed within 2 fathoms of another impassable element.
A unit is in or on a terrain element if any part of its base is on the terrain element.
• Terrain elements can’t be placed on top of each other.
Blessed X (characteristic – – immunized or affected)
xample: A player has one of his markers with a value of 3 in a zone. He has to place some terrain elements inside that zone worth a total of 3 points. If he decides to use basic elements, he can place a block of rocks (1 point) and stalagmites (2 points) there.
keyword
While on this type of terrain, a unit gets +X to the statistic named by this effect. If this effect is followed by a keyword, the description of the effect will cover whether the units of the keyworded type are the only ones affected by, or immune to this effect. If the effect is not followed by a keyword, it will affect all units that are on the terrain.
Once the Dominant player has chosen an area and sets up the terrain for it, it is then their opponent’s turn to do the same thing. The player’s go back and forth in this way until the terrain for each area of the board has been set up.
Clear
Any area that has no terrain elements or units on it is Clear terrain.
Terms Used to Describe Terrain Elements
Cursed X (characteristic – – immunized or affected)
keyword
Deadly X (type of damage – – immunized or affected)
keyword
Cursed terrain is identical to Blessed terrain, except that cursed terrain gives a penalty to the named statistic rather than a bonus.
Hell Dorado uses a set of general characteristics to define any terrain element.
of an
Elements
Effects with or without value When the name of an effect is followed by a value, the value corresponds to a game parameter used in the description ofthe effect. If the name of the effect is not followed by a value, should a value be needed, it will be 1. Just like the special abilities of units.
• Terrain elements placed in an area can’t cross out of that area into another.
Size
of the
Element
The following terms are used to describe how large a terrain element is:
Any unit in this type of terrain during the upkeep phase will take X points of damage, ignoring PR.
Construction
Difficult
Elements of this nature are about 2 to 3 fathoms long and wide.
It is not easy to move in this terrain. Units may enter, exit or move through the area while performing an action that allows a move either equal to or less than the unit’s MVT normally. In order to enter, exit or move through the area while performing an action that allows a Movement rate above the unit’s MVT (Charge or Run for example), the player controlling the unit must spend 1 CMD. This use of CMD is not an order.
Cluster
Elements of this nature are 3 to 5 fathoms long and wide.
Barrier
Elements of this nature are 3 to 4 fathoms long and half a fathom or less wide.
Impassible
Building
Elements of this nature are 6 fathoms by 4. They must also be at least 4 fathoms high.
It is impossible to go over or stop on such an element. It usually only applies to terrain more than 2 fathoms high. Unit control areas do not cross over Impassable terrain.
Field
Obstructive
Elements of this nature are represented by one of the following options (according to player decision and elements availability): one surface measuring between 8 and 10 fathoms length and width, 2 surfaces between 4 and 6 fathoms length and width, or 4 surfaces between 2 and 4 fathoms length and width.
The terrain element obstructs Line of Sight, and therefore adds 1 to the final difficulty of Shooting. This penalty is applied once for a Line of Sight that crosses the element, regardless of range or how long the Line of Sight is ‘over’ the terrain element,
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Playing the gamE but is cumulative if the Line of Sight crosses several elements with this characteristic. This term is also used to define the nature of a terrain element that hampers the sight but does not protect from shooting (fumarole, fogs, vegetation, etc.). The Line of Sight and cover rules then apply as usual. It is important to know that this term, when applied to an element, covers the whole area regardless of the actual physical appearance of the terrain piece.
nal realm, factors that can’t be taken into account by the Companies about to fight because combat is joined before either of them has the time to fully assess the location. For each type of battlefield there are 3 types of conflict zones. At the beginning of the game before deployment, roll to determine which zone will will be used throughout the game. Roll a d6: a result of 1-2 indicates the first zone, 3-4 the second, and 5-6 the third.
Opaque
Part of this element obstructs Line of Sight. Opaque terrain has specific parts that block Line of Sight (crystals, rocky outcrops, flesh outgrowth, etc.). The Line of Sight and cover rules apply as usual. It is important to know that only certain parts of the element are Opaque (as opposed to Obstructive elements where the entire element affects Line of Sight). For example, a dozen stalagmites on an 8 x 6 fathom surface are all individually considered Opaque but the zone itself is not - it is possible to draw a clear Line of Sight between the stalagmites located in the area.
Conflict Zone Frequency Number of Conflict Zones Frequency 1-2 6 5 3-4 5 or more 4
During each upkeep phase, the Dominant player rolls a d6. If the result is equal to or greater than the frequency as outlined on the table above, the conflict zone will trigger. Otherwise, nothing happens. This roll is made at the beginning of the upkeep phase before anything else happens. Conflict zone effects are immediate and do not continue from one turn to the next.
Overlay
It is possible to place another terrain element over this one (or the contrary if applicable).
Battlefield Type
Any battle happens in some part of Hell, there are as many Hells as there are ways to imagine them. Players should feel free to design a particular battlefield with its specific rules, conflict zones, and terrain elements. We have provided rules for 4 different regions to give a groundwork of common areas and terrain.
R adiant (State or Special Ability – Keyword – Immunized or Affected)
As soon as a unit enters this type of terrain it is affected by the specified state or special ability. Unless otherwise stated in the description of the terrain or by the consumed effect, the special ability or state ceases to affect the unit as soon as the unit leaves the element. A unit that already has the specified state or special ability will not be affected, except if the specified S/SA is of a level higher than its own. If this effect is followed by a keyword, the description of the element effect will explain whether units with the keyword are the only ones affected or immunized to the effect. If this effect is not followed by a keyword, it will affect all units that are within the element.
Generic Terrain Elements
First, there are elements that can be found on any battlefield in Hell. A player can always select terrain elements from this category when placing terrain.
1 Point Elements Block of Rock
Special
Cluster – Impassable – Opaque This element represents a large jutting rock.
This element has special, non-standard, effects that will be explained in its description.
Hill
Unique
Special – Overlay You can place a hill of any size, which can even overlap into adjacent areas. The center of the hill must be located in the area it originates from.
This element can only be placed once on any battlefield.
Effect of terrain elements on close combat We have seen how elements can affect Line of Sight and shooting. Buthand-to-hand combat can also be slightly modified by terrain elements. Any unit located at least half a fathom higher than its opponent gets a +1 CBT bonus. On the other hand if the head of the lowest unit does not reach the base of the highest unit there is no contact and, as a result, no hand-to-hand combat can take place between them.
Stalagmites
Cluster – Difficult – Opaque This element is made up of several stalagmites that hamper Movement and Line of Sight.
2 Point Elements Infernal Haze
Cluster – Obstructive Multiple small vents that do not hamper Movement are letting out a haze which, while non-toxic, affect Line of Sight.
Conflict Zones
When two players bid the same number on a terrain area the result is a special effect called a conflict zone. The zone or zones in question are free of terrain elements and the Dominant player rolls at the beginning of each turn to determine whether and what type of special effect will occur on the battlefield. Conflict zones represent chaotic elements of the infer-
Rock
Plot – Impassable – Opaque This element is similar to the Block of Rock, but much larger.
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Playing the gamE
Stalagmites
Crevice
Plot – Difficult – Opaque This element simply covers more surface than the 1 point element of the same name.
Field – Impassable This element is exactly the same as the 3 point element of the same name, except larger.
3 Point Elements
Rocky Outcrops
Infernal Haze
Field – Impassable – Opaque This element is similar to the Block of Rock or Rock, except even larger.
Plot – Obstructive This element is exactly the same as the 2 point element of the same name, except larger.
Icy Wastes
Crevice
of
Hell
Even if popular imagery describes Hell more like a lava desert than a frozen steppe, the various marches that make up Hell have many faces, and one of them is a frozen waste where living conditions are exceptionally harsh. The bite of the cold and the frequent
Plot – Impassable An opening in the ground which completely blocks units from moving across it.
Stalagmites
Field – Difficult – Opaque This element simply covers more surface than the 1 or 2 point elements of the same name.
4 Point Elements Infernal Haze
Field – Obstructive This element is exactly the same as the 2 or 3 point elements of the same name, except even larger.
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Playing the gamE snow storms remove any chance of an easy exploration. Today, death dresses in white.
4 Point Elements
1 Point Elements
Cluster – Opaque – Special – Unique This magical crystal formation grants martial prowess to units that fight near it. During every upkeep phase both players can give +1 CBT to one of their units. They can refuse to do so if they like. This bonus lasts as long as this terrain element is present on the battlefield. This bonus can’t be given to the same unit twice in any one game. If one player refuses to give the bonus for two consecutive turns, then the crystal element explodes, removing it from the battlefield, and causing 2 damage, ignoring PR, to any unit within 3 fathoms of the element, or that has received the CBT bonus from the element. If a unit that has received the bonus is within 3 fathoms of the element, then they take 4 damage instead of 2, again ignoring PR, when the element explodes.
Crystals of Power
Snowy Flats
Plot – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Runaway) This element is a powdery area of an exceptional lightness and depth.
Bite of Steel
Plot – Overlay – Deadly (cold) – Special This part of the battlefield is home to a particularly cruel magical cold. Whenever a unit in this area of terrain takes damage from a hand-to-hand attack, they take an additional 2 damage.
2 Point Elements
Ancestral Heroes
Snowy Fields
Construction – Impassable - Opaque – Special This terrain element is a huge block of ice, in which can barely be discerned the forms of two fighters locked in combat. A unit in contact with this element can use an action that includes a hand-to-hand attack (Melee, Attack, etc …) to try and break the ice. When rolling for the attack sequence, any die that scores a 6 is a hit. The unit that causes the tenth hit breaks the ice block, frees one of the heroes entrapped within it, and dispatches their adversary. The player who controls the unit that breaks the ice chooses a Trooper or Independent of the same faction as their Officer from their collection of models worth 30 or less army points and replaces this terrain element with the chosen unit. The chosen unit joins the Company of the unit that got them free of the ice, all Company composition rules must be observed when choosing the unit to bring into the game. If the new unit has a CMD, it isn’t counted for the Companies Command Pool until the next upkeep.
Field – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Runaway) This element is the same as the Snowy Flats element, except larger.
Icy Plot
Plot – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed) This terrain element is made up of a frozen lake with a surface smoother than a mirror. Note that the Movement penalty associated with the Slowed state only takes effect if the unit starts its activation in the element and lasts until the start of its next activation.
Refuge
Building – Impassable – Opaque This is a building left by some unknown infernal explorers. Generally, these buildings are sturdy and well secured. Hence, while infernal adventurers may open them during their travels, it is impossible to take the time to enter them during a skirmish.
Conflict Zones
First Zone: Thin Ice
Special – Difficult – Deadly 3 (Cold) – Special – Overlays
3 Point Elements Haze of Frost
Field – Overlay – Obstructive - Radiant (Discretion 4) – Deadly (cold) This terrain is a zone of cold so intense that it blurs Line of Sight and freezes fingers, ears and noses. Staying there too long will be the death of the cowards who sought sanctuary there.
Hill
Icy Fields
Refuge
Field – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed) This element is the same as the Icy Plot, only larger.
Hill Haze of Frost
Icy Wastes of Hell 218
Playing the gamE If this zone triggers, the Dominant player places a 4 fathom diameter, disk, terrain element in one of the conflict zones. This terrain element represents a section of ground that has suddenly transformed into a flash-frozen pond. Once the terrain element has been placed, the Dominant player takes a d6 and drops it from a height of at least 8 fathoms as close as possible to the terrain piece, without endangering any miniatures of course. The disk is then moved along the same vector that the dice took when it struck the table a number of fathoms equal to twice what was rolled on the die that was dropped. If any part of the thin ice would move off of the battlefield, it stops instead. If this conflict zone triggers again, move the terrain element that was originally created by this effect again in the same way outlined above.
a last attack sequence against its opponent before losing the Berserk state.
Lava Pond
Plot – Impassable Like the Lava Crater this element is entirely made of molten rock, only larger.
Burnt Statues
Plot – Opaque – Cursed (Faith – Troopers – Affected) – Special The ground in this type of area is littered with broken and burnt statues of people the person who enters love and admire. The memory of things past haunts any who enter the area and makes them doubt themselves. Units in this element gain Spiritual Damage for all of their attacks if they did not have it, but lose this damage type if they already had it.
Second Zone: Infernal Cold
If this zone triggers, any unit that ends its activation less than 3 fathoms from its starting point, takes 1 point of damage, ignoring PR. Additionally, a unit that doesn’t move from its starting position at all takes an additional point of damage, which also ignores PR.
3 Point Elements Burning Mists
Field – Overlay – Obstructive – Radiant (Wounded) – Blessed 2 (Combat) Small vents let out toxic gases with strange effects: mere mortals become combat monsters, but fall victim of convulsions caused by intense pain. The wounded state does not affect units which cannot usually be wounded. Fanatical units become Fanatical rather than wounded.
Third Zone: Flash Freeze
If this zone triggers, one, randomly chosen unit from each Company is immobilised for the rest of the turn.
Burning Hell
This type of battlefield is the stereotypical archetype of what most people would think of as being Hell. Heavy ash clouds sully both the body and soul, while large crevices spew forth lava and slag. Fighting in such a place is a challenging experience, even for the most hardened and jaded of combatants.
Lava Lake
Field – Impassable This element is exactly like the Lava Crater or Lava Pond, only larger.
4 Point Elements
1 Point Elements
Lava Well
Lava Crater
Construction – Special If a unit is on this element for two consecutive upkeep phases, they will get +1 MVT, +2 CBT, +1 FTH, Immunity (Fire), and Regeneration until the end of the game. If the unit that receives these bonuses is killed, each unit in their Company will take 2 damage, ignoring PR. Only one unit from a Company can have these bonuses at any one time.
Cluster – Impassable This terrain element is entirely made of molten rock.
Mists of Hell
Plot – Overlay – Obstructive – Radiant (Berserk) Small vents in the ground emit a reddish mist that provokes anger in living beings’ hearts. If a Movement induced by the Berserk state leads a unit to exit this element, that unit will fight a last attack sequence against its opponent before losing the Berserk state.
Well of Peace
Plot – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed) – Radiant (Regeneration) – Radiant (Immunity – Fire) – Special These pools of pure water are like boils on Satan’s ass. They are havens of peace that offer, to strangers as well as to demons, a moment’s respite in this war without pity. They will also remove Consumed states from a unit (even Durable ones) if they are on the element during the upkeep phase. Exceptionally, the Consumed states disappear before the damage from those states is applied.
Searing Rocks
Field – Deadly (Fire) This element is made up of a great many sharp rocks that are as hot as the breath of an efrit.
2 Point Elements
Conflict Zones
Hellish Smoke
First Zone: Fire Storm
Field – Overlay – Obstructive – Radiant (Berserk) – Blessed 2 (Combat) This terrain element is made up of small vents in the ground that emit a heavy black smoke. The rage and desire to overcome that assails the warriors who breathe it make these places the crucible of a thousand battles. If a Movement induced by the Berserk state leads a unit to exit this element, that unit will fight
If this zone triggers, every unit on the battlefield that isn’ t immune to fire takes 1 damage, ignoring PR, every unit becomes accelerated, and the difficulty for all Shooting is raised by 1.
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Playing the gamE 3 Point Elements
Second Zone: Heat Wave
If this zone triggers, Troopers become Slowed, any unit that moves farther than its MVT must spend a CMD to do so and takes 1 damage, ignoring PR.
Soul Accumulator
Construction – Impassable – Opaque – Special When a unit is killed within 5 fathoms of this element, its controlling player loses 1 Command point, and their opponent gains 1 Command point until the end of the turn.
Third Zone: Lava Geyser
If this zone triggers, one of the 9 terrain areas of the board is chosen at random. Every unit within that area of terrain takes damage as though they where within the area of effect of a 3/2 fire explosion. Survivors are affected by Consumed (Fire 1/5). Units affected by this Consumed state will take damage this turn from it.
Necropolis
of
Field of Ruins
Cluster – Difficult – Opaque Vague remains of ancient and more or less human constructions, these bits of walls and piles of rubble can make Movement difficult and block Line of Sight.
Hell
Charnel
Battlefields of the this type can represent fields of skulls, places in Hell which appear following colossal and bloody earthly battles, or the high places of worship for the most powerful creatures of Hell, etc. In these places, the dead howl in the ears of living like the damned, and powers more terrible and ancient than demons feed on flesh and souls. Even demons avoid these places, where creatures reside that are older than mankind, older than earth itself...
Field – Difficult – Cursed (Faith) – Radiant (Frenzy – Troopers – Affected) These tangled bodies are the remains of a recent combat. One can even very often hear the supplications of creatures hovering between life and death.
4 Point Elements
1 Point Elements
Alter of the Ancient Gods
Construction – Deadly – Radiant (Immobilized) – Special – Unique This terrain element is usually the shape of a throne, an altar or a pedestal. It makes those who take possession of it powerful beyond all imagining but also causes their premature aging. Any unit climbing onto the altar of the ancient gods is immobilized for the rest of the game. From that moment on, the unit cannot be healed and loses any Regeneration ability it may have had. From then on, once per turn as a free action, the player who controls the unit located on the altar can add the CBT of that unit to another of his units CBT. The enhanced unit keeps the bonus for the duration of the current turn.
Field of Laments
Field – Radiant (Berserk) The howls of the damned imprisoned and tortured in these places make the units in it raving mad. If a Movement induced by the Berserk state leads a unit to exit this element, that unit will fight a last attack sequence against its opponent before losing the Berserk state.
Gigantic Skeletons
Plot – Radiant (Regeneration) – Radiant (Slowed) – Opaque Large demonic animals have come here to die and their highly magical nature profoundly affects all who approach.
Field of Glory
Pile of Skulls
Field – Deadly – Blessed 2 (Combat) This terrain element is littered with a few impious banners. Its true nature is revealed when a unit enters it. The tortured spirits of powerful fighters attack the unit from all sides, scourging their flesh while also making them surpass themselves in combat.
Plot – Difficult Thousands of skulls carpet this whole area. They tend to break underfoot and hamper Movement.
2 Point Elements
Field of Biters
Heap of Ruins
Field – Deadly – Blessed 2 (Protection) This element is covered with an impossible number of slimy carnivorous slugs. As soon as a unit enters it, the slugs cover it in order to devour the unit. Ironically, this slimy mass boosts the PR of any being it covers.
Field of Decomposing Bodies
Conflict Zones
Cluster – Difficult – Opaque Vague remains of ancient and more or less human constructions, bits of walls and piles of rubble can make Movement difficult and block Line of Sight.
First Zone: Howling of the Damned
Field – Difficult – Deadly – Radiant (Terror – Officers and Independents – Affected) This mass of decomposing bodies sullies both armour and flesh. Fighting in such a place greatly affects the morale of units who are not yet used to the horrors of Hell.
When this zone triggers, all units on the battlefield are considered ‘wounded’ if they were not already wounded. The wounded state does not affect units which cannot usually be wounded. Fanatical units become Fanatical rather than wounded.
Second Zone: Glory of the Unknown
Field of Skulls
When this zone triggers, Independents take 2 damage, ignoring PR, and Troopers recover 2 Life Points.
Field – Difficult This element is exactly like a Pile of Skulls, except larger.
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Playing the gamE Third Zone: Glory to the Heroes
Necropolis of Hell
When this zone triggers, Troopers take 1 damage, ignoring PR, and Independents recover 2 Life Points.
Howling Plains
of
Hell
Hill
The Howling Plains of Hell are gloomy tracts of infernal desert. The sky always seems low and the local fauna is stunted and sick. One can travel days or even weeks without encountering a watering hole or anything living that is more complicated than worms feeding on the decomposing cadavers of other travellers. The worst part of these areas has to be the incessant tortured howling. This chorus of disembodied horrifying cries have a toll on morale that is easy to underestimate and make each night an unending nightmare that one fears they will never wake up from.
Hill Soul Accumulator
Block
of
Rocks
1 Point Elements Millenary Tree
Large Ash Dune
Construction – Impassable – Opaque A last remnant of antique vegetation, the lifeless tree sits on the plains like a wart on the nose of a bishop..
Field – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Discretion 5) This element is the same as the Ash Dune, except larger.
Ash Dune
4 Point Elements
Plot – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Discretion 5) This small hill-shaped terrain is always swept by howling winds that stir up large grey dust eddies.
Well of Souls
Construction – Impassable – Special – Unique This well can be a simple hole in the ground, or a more elaborate construction. In the latter case, it is possible to move around the well, though the hole itself will always remain impassable. A construction around the hole will be considered opaque, while the hole itself will never block Line of Sight. It is from these holes that lemures emerge, the souls of some of the dead who are reborn in Hell. If an Infernalist ends their activation in contact with this well, they can immediately invoke a lemure of their choice, associating one of their spells with it. This lemure will not count towards the maximum they can invoke or control. An Infernalist can only use the Well of Souls in this way once per game.
2 Point Elements Mouth of Hell
Construction – Impassable – Obstructive – Special A Mouth of Hell is a sinkhole that emits foul smelling fumes. Lemures can’t stand the fumes and won’t go anywhere near it. Lemures can’t come into contact with a unit that is in contact with a terrain element of this type. Nor can Infernalists invoke a lemure if they are in contact with a Mouth of Hell.
Refuge
Building – Impassable – Opaque This is a building left by some earlier unknown infernal explorer. Generally, these buildings are sturdy and well secured. Hence, while infernal adventurers may hope to open them in their travels, it is impossible to take the time to enter them during a skirmish.
Eternal Whirlwind
Construction – Impassable – Opaque – Special – Unique This terrain element takes the shape of a huge whirlwind that blows tons of dust into the sky. The violent winds that surround it threaten the footing of anyone who comes near. Any unit within 3 fathoms of the whirlwind will suffer -1 MVT and -1 CBT, but cannot be the target of shooting. A unit with a weapon that creates explosions cannot target a point within 3 fathoms of this element. This element does not protect units from blast weapons.
3 Point Elements Quagmire
Field – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed) – Radiant (Regeneration) This terrain element is a large watering hole with astonishing healing properties. Unfortunately one must enter the mud to benefit from its effects. The stench of death and pus that follows you for days after those ablutions may force the less courageous to reconsider. Note that the Movement modifier that comes with Slowed only takes effect when the unit starts its activation in the terrain and will last until its next activation.
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Howling Plains
of
Hell
Playing the gamE Zones
of
Conflict
First Zone: Maddening Howls
Hill
If this zone triggers, both players immediately lose all Command Points they currently have.
Second Zone: Slag Storm
If this zone trigger, every units gains Discretion 4. Also no unit has a control area while this zone is in effect.
Stalagmites
Third Zone: Rain of Larvae
If this zone triggers, large necrophagous worms that burn flesh and stick to the bodies of the living start falling from the sky. Units on the battlefield take 1 damage, ignoring PR, and get +1 PR.
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GallerY The westernerS
The demonS
The saracenS
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GallerY The losT
The immortalS
The mercenarieS
224
1635 1635…
iolence whispers with a silver tongue directly to people’s hearts. We kill V for faith. Wealth, power, and glory … in the mud and debris of a great battle, a gate to hell opens. People caught in the aftermath of war are engulfed by the portal. Missionaries, soldiers, settlers, great captains … elow a dangerous new world awaits them, a new world to plunder, explore, B build, and exploit! A world dominated by Demons since time immemorial. A world overrun by humans from eastern lands on a mystical quest. A place where terrors and wonders lurk, their name’s lost to humanity an eternity ago.
This is the new horizon of the world of Hell Dorado!
Hell Dorado is a skirmish miniatures war game that lets you enter this epic and brutal world. This is the core rule book! It contains everything you will need to conquer Hell itself: Game rules, company lists, background information, scenarios … To bring the game fully to life look for Hell Dorado miniatures by Cipher Studios, available from a fine retailer near you!
www.cipher-studios.com ISBN : 978-0-615-46218-9
