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  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
   
  Dreamtime
  
   
  1995 by Greg Porter
  Published by: 
  Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
  P.O. Box 1121
  Collinsville, VA 24078 USA
  http://www.btrc.net/index.html
  Illustrations: 
  Darrell Midgette
  Computer graphics: 
  Greg Porter
  Assistance: 
  Cathy DeMott, Jasper Merendino
  First printing: 
  December 1995
  Hypertext edition 1.0: August 1997
  All rights reserved. Protected by the Universal Copyright
  Convention and the ever-present spirits of our ancestors.
  Violation of copyright is a taboo, and transgressors will be suit-
  ably cursed until proper atonement is made.
  Dreamtime is a trademark of BTRC for its aboriginal fantasy 
  supplement for CORPS. CORPS is BTRC's trademark for its
  omniversal roleplaying system.
  Intro
  This is the .pdf version of Dreamtime, identical in most respects
  to the printed version, with the exception of some color here and
  there. As always, body text in red is a hyperlink to elsewhere
  (blue), but there aren't that many in this document. If you are
  interested enough to have bought this, we'd like to point out a
  couple of links of note. Links were current at the time of printing.
  The Ancient World Web
  http://atlantic.evsc.virginia.edu/julia/AW/meta.html
  An index to various ancient topics, from 
  virtual tours to UFO's from Atlantis.
  Myths
  http://pubpages.unh.edu/
  ~cbsiren/myth.html
  Cultural myths and legends by 
  geographical area.
  Happy surfing!
  CREDITS
  
  
  
  3
  3
  The Dream
  No one knows what the Earth Mother dreamt before She
  made the People, only that She dreamt alone, for She told
  us so. Then, one Dream, She dreamt of us, and a great
  place filled with many things. Things both great and small,
  that walked, and flew and swam and crawled. There were
  wonders above and below, and everywhere She walked in
  Her Dream, She saw something new and fascinating. But as
  with all dreams, She eventually awoke from it. While the
  memory was fresh in Her mind, She made this Dream real,
  walking and creating and setting forth the wondrous things
  to multiply all the empty spaces of Her Dream. But, the
  Creation was a tiring thing, as all women will tell you, and
  She returned to Her rest before it was complete, and before
  all Her mistakes could be undone. But, She rested anyway,
  knowing that she would Dream of what went on in Creation,
  for She made it part of Herself. So, there are many things in
  the world that are not right, but all of Creation lets the Earth
  Mother sleep, for who knows what She might change if She
  awakens again?
  We are the People, the last thing made by the Earth Mother.
  Formed from Her body at the end of Her work, we were
  small, and She had given her gifts to all the other shakt.
  “Give us fangs”, we said, “that we might bite and tear”, but
  She had given all the fangs to other shakt. “Give us claws
  then, that we can claw and climb”, but those too were gifts
  already given. She had neither strength nor speed of limb to
  give us, nor wings or even fur to protect us from the cold
  winds. “Is there nothing you can give us, that we not be the
  least of the shakt?”, we asked of Her. Earth Mother thought
  very long, and we worried that She might unmake us, for we
  were small and insignificant, and She was very tired and
  wanted to rest. But She looked upon us and smiled. “I have
  one gift left to give, and I give it to you. I give you Myself.
  You may take of Me what you need, so long as you show
  Me respect, and since all shakt are of Me, you make take of
  such of them as you have courage to challenge. Now go,
  lest I change My mind. You are special, and I will Dream
  much of you, last of My Children.” And then she went to Her
  hidden place, and returned to Her sleep.
  The People knew not what to do with this gift at first. The
  tree shakt left nuts upon the ground, but they hurt our teeth.
  Then one of the People took of the Earth Mother, and used
  a rock to smash the nut, and was no longer hungry. Then a
  Wintersleeper came for the nuts, and another of the People
  took a great stick and struck it dead, even though it had
  fangs and claws. A third took a pointed rock and cut off the
  skin, to keep from being cold, and the People saw the great-
  ness of the Gift. In time we learned to use the Gift in many
  ways, and to speak to the invisible shakt, bound to our will
  by the Earth Mother.
  We are the People, the last shakt of the Earth Mother. We
  use her Gift, and we use it wisely, for we live upon Her, and
  She is Dreaming of us.
  Designer’s Notes
  Dreamtime is a game where you should leave your precon-
  ceptions at the door. It might look a lot like a campaign set
  in a prehistoric human time, 
   
  but how do you know? Your
  characters might not even be human, on a world that is not
  remotely like Earth. Your characters know that they are, that
  the world is, that it is a large and dangerous place filled with
  many things that defy comprehension and powers so great
  that their true nature is cloaked in symbolism, lest it take
  notice of you. At the same time, you are special, the favored
  children of the Earth Mother, to whom She has given gifts
  bestowed on none of Her other creations.
  Maybe someday the elders of Atlantis and Mu will speak of
  you as legendary heroes, or maybe you are from a future so
  terrible that it completely wiped out humanity, and you are
  the next species to evolve, the advanced machines of an
  extinct humanity trying to understand and shape you while
  you struggle to understand and shape them. You don’t
  know, and you never will. You just have to make the best of
  it, and try to understand what you can.
  While there are some illustrations scattered throughout the
  rules, keep in mind that they only represent one possible
  interpretation of Dreamtime. We’ve made a deliberate effort
  to keep things vague in way that gives you a feel for the way
  your characters will think. They do not think in terms of
  exact numbers past 10 or so. They don’t measure time in
  hours, leave written messages, or have vast wealth. Their
  worldview may have certain inconsistencies to our way of
  thinking, but which are perfectly reasonable to theirs.
  Immerse yourself in the world of Dreamtime, and meet the
  challenges as they come. You may be surprised at how
  much you anticipate each new adventure in this strange
  new world.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  INTRO-
  DUCTION
   
  11
  
  Getting into character
  Life in Dreamtime is both simple and complex at the same
  time, and there is a certain mental frame of reference you
  need for your characters. You have no writing, or even the
  concept of writing. You can’t leave notes, write things down
  for later reference or make maps. The closest thing you
  have to abstract representation is the markings you make in
  caves for ceremonial purposes, and someday you might
  conceive of something like maps or hieroglyphs. You have a
  good memory, for all your traditions and formal teachings
  are oral in nature, and the legends of the past are your
  guide to daily existence. You have no clocks, and no way or
  need to accurately measure time. In the short term, there is
  the rising, setting and zenith of a number of the shakt, like
  the Sun and Moon. When you travel, the directions are
  counted as by the rising and setting of the Sun, the land-
  marks along the way, and how many days’ walk it takes at
  that time of year. You note the phases of the Moon shakt as
  her moods change, and the passing of the seasons, but
  large amounts of time are measured not in decades, but in
  generations and their important events.
  You are hunter-gatherers, living in small communities no
  greater than the Earth Mother will support, and packing up
  and moving on when times get bad. If it is not made of
  wood, leather, stone or bone, you don’t have it. Your clothes
  are simple tanned hides, with or without fur as the season
  warrants. Your dwelling is a frame of wood with hides over it
  and a grass or hide sleeping mat. It can be broken down
  and lashed to the back of the small pack animals you own,
  the pohnee, if you need to move it. Your knife is chipped flint
  with leather wrappings, your bow simple hardwood.
  One of the best ways to divorce yourself from modern-era
  thinking is to give the GM your character sheet. Once you
  have created a character, you need never see the numbers
  and stats on that piece of paper again. You can have a list
  of your possessions, and make written notes of your deeds,
  but your actual stats, levels of injury and the slow changes
  that experience brings will always be somewhat of a mys-
  tery. You can no longer think of your character as a rules
  mechanic, only as an abstract personality. Instead of having
  ASP, your character has the favor of the spirits, an intangi-
  ble quantity that you can call on in time of need, but you
  never know exactly when your spiritual luck will run out.
  This adds a bit of work for the GM, who must now handle all
  skill tests and attribute rolls for all the characters, but in the
  long run it is probably worth it.
  Character Generation
  Before you get too far along with a character idea, remem-
  ber that you are living in a world without a net. No hospitals
  to patch you up, no police, no hotels, no fast food, no noth-
  ing. You have you, any travelling companions, and to a less-
  er extent, your relatives, village and Clan. Almost everyone
  is expected to pull their own weight as soon as they are
  able. Your stats and skills should reflect this degree of self-
  sufficiency. Characters are supposed to be heroes in
  Dreamtime, and start off with 150AP and 150SP, plus or
  minus any amount from ads and disads. The average per-
  son has stats at the low end of the average range described
  below, around 100AP and 50SP before any ads or disads
  are taken into account.
  Average male
  Average female
  STR
  5
  STR
  4
  AGL
  4
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  4
  AWR
  4
  WIL
  4
  WIL
  4
  HLT
  5
  HLT
  5
  POW
  3
  POW
  3
  Total
  107AP
  Total
  107AP
  STR
  Everyone works for a living, and is used to carrying heavy
  loads at times. Only the elderly escape the full burden of the
  semi-nomadic life you lead. Males are tough and wiry, and
  have an average STR of around 5-6, and females have an
  average of 4-5. In the winter, this is still not enough to keep
  from being encumbered by the heavy skins you wear to
  keep out the winds that rush down across the plains. If you
  are travelling with any significant amount of goods, you will
  be encumbered somewhat, and you should get used to
  most physical tasks having +1 Difficulty as a result.
  AGL
  This is an average of 4-6. Your lifestyle encourages hand-
  eye coordination for the hunters, but one can live by gather-
  ing and the use of snares in good times, and never have to
  lift a spear or bow. Cleverness in setting traps (AGL skills)
  can offset lack of coordination in other areas if you don’t
  need or expect to use weapons that often.
  AWR
  This is an average of 4-6. Just because you are primitive,
  does not mean you are not alert and aware. The world is full
  of subtle cues you must notice and interpret correctly in
  order to prosper. The more you use magic, the more likely
  you want a high AWR. Having one especially keen sense
  (as a Physical Ad) is not uncommon.
  44
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  5
  5
  WIL
  This is an average of 4-6. The People have those who are
  strong and weak of will, those who lead, those who follow,
  those who persevere in the face of adversity, and those who
  seek the easy way out. There are certain standards of
  appearance, ways to dress and carry yourself to gain the
  attention of the opposite sex, or to inspire loyalty, fear or
  admiration, and high or low WIL or an appropriate Physical
  Ad will apply in this case as well.
  HLT
  This is an average of 5. You are a hardy people, with little
  formal knowledge of medicine, relying on herbs and magic
  to cure your ills. Those who are not healthy often do not sur-
  vive when the evil spirits pass over the village, especially in
  the winter. In addition, the long walks you do every day in
  search of food give you a natural stamina. Those with lower
  HLT are usually the elderly, or those whose other natural
  abilities mean their HLT is less important.
  POW
  This is the spirit given to you by the Earth Mother. If you
  have a POW of 1, you are Afflicted, and should get a
  Natural Debility in POW as well. You may never, ever do
  magic of any kind, and no spirit will hear your voice, no mat-
  ter how long or hard you call. The shamen wonder about the
  the Afflicted, trying to decide if they have so little magic that
  spirits cannot see them, or keep their spirit hidden from a
  secret fear. The Earth Mother often protects such of her chil-
  dren from harm. A character with a POW of 1 can buy the
  Block power as an inherent ability as the only exception to
  their Affliction. This costs 16SP, and subtracts 1 from the
  POW of any effect targeting the character. It is always on,
  and cannot be controlled, so it stops helpful as well as hurt-
  ful magics. A person who is Afflicted is thus immune to the
  spiritual effects of most taboos, but may still suffer social
  stigma from violating them.
  One with a POW of 2 or more can work magic, and the high-
  er the POW, the better. The average for the People is 3, and
  few shamen ever have a POW of more than 7.
  Ads & Disads
  Certain character advantages and drawbacks are possible
  for Dreamtime characters, while others are not, or are
  strongly curtailed.
  Age
  Characters may start at any age, with appropriate aging
  rolls. Non-player characters suffer double aging effects. Life
  isn’t easy, and health problems tend to cascade and feed
  upon each other until the body is no longer a suitable home
  for the shakt it holds.
  Authority
  There are only three real Authorities a character can have,
  Clan Elder, Clan Champion, and Village Shaman. The latter
  is the only one they could possibly start a game with. The
  others must be earned.
  Shaman
  Authority to decide village spiritual matters 
  1SP
  Authority to perform rituals on/for the dead 
  1SP
  Authority to arrest within jurisdiction 
  1SP
  Minimum Spirit Knowledge skill of 4 
  -2SP
  Minimum POW of 4 
  -1SP
  In addition, the shaman must have some sort of shamanic
  ritual spell to hold office, although it is conceivable that one
  could be a charlatan with no magic talents whatsoever.
  Naturally, the more skilled the shaman, the more prestige
  they will have in the village. Any given village will seldom
  have more than one shaman and one shaman-in-training.
  Some villages have no shaman whatsoever, and if there is
  only one shaman to serve several villages, this individual
  will seldom need worry about food and shelter (and might be
  protective of their “territory”).
  Background
  Background is mandatory. All characters must have at least
  2AP or SP worth of background (200 words), to give the GM
  and player a feel for the character. In addition, background
  is required or strongly recommended as part of other ads or
  disads.
  Contacts
  Contacts can be either temporal or spiritual. Just about any-
  one can be a Contact. This can represent NPC friends, peo-
  ple who owe you favors, or a fairly solid but informal busi-
  ness relationship with someone who has a skill or talent you
  need. A spiritual contact is a very lesser shakt, a spirit guide
  that can provide intangible aid when performing certain
  magics. The amount is seldom more than a slightly
  decreased Difficulty or slightly increased effect. The GM
  may also use such a spirit guide to do foreshadowing, or
  send cryptic messages or warnings in dreams. Such a
  Contact might also be a watchful ancestor who has not yet
  rejoined the Earth Mother.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  6
  6
  Dependence
  This disad is not allowed unless the player can come up
  with an exceptional background to justify it. There are mood-
  altering herbs that the People know of, and which may be
  used to see visions of dubious usefulness, and it is possible
  to have a psychological addiction to them. Since most of
  them are seasonal, this means the character will have a
  yearly withdrawal session when they have to go without.
  Destiny
  Characters may have a Destiny if desired. If the GM thinks
  the group will hold together for some great and shared
  Destiny, all characters may have the same Destiny if they
  want it .
  Enemies
  Characters are unlikely to start the game with any spiritual
  foes, but they might have mundane ones. A Level 1 or 2
  Enemy is possible within your own Clan, and can represent
  past misdeeds, suspicions or professional rivalries. You will
  be unpopular and unwanted anywhere within your own Clan
  where you have Enemies, and this will translate into
  increased Difficulty on all interpersonal tasks. A low level
  Enemy can also represent obnoxious relatives that wear
  upon your time, resources and patience.
  You may have a Level 3 or higher Enemy with other Clans.
  You will not be welcome on Clan lands, and you will either
  be run off, captured or killed, depending on the level of
  Enemies and the nature of your offense.
  All Enemies must be described as part of your character
  background, and approved by the GM.
  Extra limb
  This is not allowed as a character trait. A character may
  have a power that grants them an extra limb, or they may be
  missing a limb to gain points, however.
  Fame
  Characters may have 1 or 2 levels of Fame to represent
  past heroic deeds, like being a former Clan champion, slay-
  ing a monster, having spoken to a great or greater shakt
  (and lived), and so on. People with positive levels of Fame
  will do better in negotiations, be more welcome in strange
  villages where their deeds are known, and are seen as good
  people to have around.
  Negative fame is the opposite, and has much the same
  social effect as Enemies. You are known for having brought
  a curse upon a village, being leader of a disastrous hunt,
  having repeatedly violated taboo, or other bad things.
  People will want to distance themselves from you, lest your
  bad karma transfer to them.
  Frailness
  Frailness is allowed for skinny or elderly characters, but is
  not recommended.
  Habitual Behavior
  This is not normally allowed, since the level of population is
  low enough that strangers automatically stand out, and
  habitual behaviors are just a small part of this.
  Height/Weight
  Characters can have the normal variation in height and
  weight. Most characters will about 10cm shorter than mod-
  ern characters, but since this is uniform across all the Clans,
  you get no points for it.
  Immortality
  Characters may not have this advantage. Certain powerful
  NPC’s may have it, and it is an advantage that can be
  acquired through very long term roleplaying. ASP in excess
  of the maximum allowed may be put towards it, and any
  adventure in which the character successfully finds some
  information or makes a character decision that moves them
  tangibly towards this goal will qualify as 1 or possibly 2AP
  towards it. Any age-related AP gains during play may also
  be devoted to this goal. Acquiring it would be the culminat-
  ing event of many long adventures.
  Note - The limited form of Immortality could be an excellent
  adventure hook. Three generations ago (about 50 years),
  there was a very bad year. The omens and shamans said
  an malign force walked the land, stealing the shakt from the
  People. The people of entire villages disappeared, their huts
  left empty with possessions inside. Some said it was a
  shaman who had made a pact with unwholesome things
  from Elsewhere. Great heroes went in search of this
  shaman. Some found nothing. Some did not return. The dis-
  appearances stopped, and great thanks were given to the
  shakt of the departed ones. But now, a traveller and trader
  of things and tales has said that he passed a village with no
  one there...
  Inheritance
  Life is uncertain and full of risk. Characters replacing those
  who have passed on to the next world may have an
  Inheritance from the previous character.
  Luck
  The world is full of magical energy, and Luck is certainly
  possible for any character who wants it.
  Natural Aptitude
  Characters may have Natural Aptitude on one attribute or
  skill. Many legendary figures from your Clan’s past probably
  had this advantage.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  7
  7
  Natural Debility
  This disad is allowed but not generally recommended.
  Characters who are Afflicted can never consciously practice
  magic, and may normally never increase their POW, so hav-
  ing a Natural Debility in POW will not make them significant-
  ly worse off than they normally are.
  Non-combatant
  This is possible, but very difficult to play. You are not a
  hunter or fighter of any kind. You eat food that you trap or
  find growing in the wild, or you have skills of such useful-
  ness that you need not hunt, since others pay you food and
  goods to ply your trade.
  Pain tolerance
  Very useful, and probably recommended for any character.
  Life can be hard, and you have to learn to ignore the minor
  pains in order to get things done.
  Papers
  The concept does not exist in Dreamtime. Even the cere-
  monial objects used by shamans have no intrinsic authority
  they bestow upon the owner.
  Physical Ad
  These are relatively common, and characters may avail
  themselves of this advantage within the limits of the rules.
  Characters may have one of the following ads on POW: +2
  to resist spells, or +2 to effective POW when casting spells.
  The former makes you harder to be targeted by certain
  spells, while the latter gives you a higher effect when cast-
  ing spells. Those who are Afflicted can have the increased
  POW for resisting spells if so desired.
  Physical Lim
  While the magic of the shakt can restore most physical mal-
  adies, the potential cost is sometimes too high to risk.
  Physical Lims could represent problems you have had from
  birth, or past injuries you have sustained.
  Psych Lim
  The world is a strange place, full of mystery. Your charac-
  ter’s personality may be shaped by the unknown or past
  experiences, and a handful of minor Psych Lims or a few
  major ones are not unlikely, so long as they are appropriate
  for Dreamtime and you have background notes for any
  major ones. Suggestions include personal taboos, which act
  like any other if you violate them, codes of honor, attitudes
  towards members of other Clans, or fears or phobias relat-
  ing to events in your past.
  Think of your character as a legendary hero in the making.
  Such larger than life figures often have larger than life flaws
  that are part of their legend. A hero with great mood swings,
  going from rage to depression, an outcast, whose tale is one
  of redemption, or a seeker of knowledge who paid too high
  a price for wisdom, all these are heroic faults.
  Cultural Psych Lims
  While each Clan has its own codes of behavior, certain
  things are common to all Clans, and all characters are
  expected to conform to the following:
  Respect for the elderly
  Respect for shamans
  Respect for Clan elders
  Respect for taboos
  Respect for any shakt you take a gift from (like the Deer 
  shakt after you make a kill)
  Not having one of these is worth 4AP or SP for each one,
  since they are Level 2 Psych Lims, and you will take +2
  Difficulty in any task that involves dealing with other people
  and that Psych Lim. For instance, if you don’t have respect
  for the shakt, the chance of you being chosen hunt leader is
  at +2 Difficulty. If you have no respect for Clan elders, you
  are +2 Difficulty in getting to speak or gain a favor from
  them, and so on.
  Size
  Giantism and dwarfism is not unknown among the People.
  One level of either is permitted, and the character should
  have some Fame or other notoriety that affects the way peo-
  ple react to the character. If you are of the Clan, your Size
  will be accepted, but people may still be wary of you. Giants
  tend to be warriors, and dwarfs tend to gain respect through
  shamanic endeavors.
  Toughness
  Characters may have as many levels of Toughness as they
  care to buy. This is the Dreamtime, and the blood of the
  shakt can run strong through your veins. As specified, you
  pay double for each level past the first unless you have
  some trait that explains the Toughness. A STR of ≥7 is suffi-
  cient in Dreamtime to qualify as such a trait.
  Tricks
  A character may have a trick, if they can think of one appro-
  priate to this culture. This could be a knack for lighting fires
  with primitive tools, scooping fish from the water with your
  bare hands, or sleeping in a tree without falling out. Clever
  players can no doubt think of others.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  88
  Vulnerability
  Characters may have this, but it is not recommended. One
  example of a Dreamtime Vulnerability would be an allergy
  to environmental factors like pollen. A Level 1 or 2 allergy
  would be a serious if not crippling impairment during the
  spring, when the plants are beginning to bloom, since they
  would take a +1 or +2 impairment each hour until incapaci-
  tated. Such a character would have to spend the spring in
  high, clear places away from all plants in order to function at
  all. A character with an allergy to bee stings would take a +1
  or +2 non-lethal impairment from each bee sting, and would
  probably have some strong Psych Lims about bees and
  stinging insects in general.
  Wealth
  There is no currency in Dreamtime, only barter. A person’s
  wealth is measured in their material goods, and their ability
  to keep them. Characters have no “savings”  or “income” in
  the traditional sense. They can start off with 8 items from the
  equipment list, and a one-person hut or 4 additional items. If
  they have a hut, then they are a member of a particular vil-
  lage, with the associated privileges and responsibilities.
  Anything after that is acquired solely through character
  action or interaction. The personal interrelations needed in a
  barter economy insure that people who need things stay on
  good terms with those who can provide them.
  Managing to acquire goods and services is a part of day to
  day life that players will need to learn, and also to learn the
  way the People would think and negotiate.
  Firehair
  “Brond, it is said that you make fine arrows. The deer
  shakt is unhappy with me, for I lost arrows these past
  days, and had others break upon the rock. Can you make
  some fine arrows for my bow?”
  Brond
  “But I also must eat, and if I am making your arrows, I
  cannot hunt. What will you offer me to calm the growling
  of my belly?”
  Firehair
  “I will bring to you the flesh of yesterday’s hunt which I
  was going to have tonight. Will that be enough?”
  Brond
  “But you want several arrows, and fine ones. Not only
  shall I miss hunting, I must also get new flints to make the
  heads, feathers of the groundbird so it flies true, and
  strips of sinew with which to bind them. Winter comes
  sooner that you suppose. Bring for me the flesh you
  spoke of, and I will start work on your arrows, and give
  you enough for your hunt tomorrow. But, I shall also
  require the hide of a deer, and the antlers and sinew.
  These you must give to me before the moon becomes full
  again.”
  Firehair
  “You ask much of me.”
  Brond
  (shrug) “You lost a lot of arrows.”
  Firehair
  (grumble) “I will do as you wish.”
  The deal is concluded. Brond is charging a steep price, but
  he is also giving Firehair some of his arrows on credit. If
  Firehair dies, Brond is out of luck. Brond’s mate makes jew-
  elry and other useful items from the antlers, so he is helping
  her with the part about the antlers, thus allowing her to for-
  age for food instead of bartering for antlers. Her likely fruits
  and vegetables will go well with the meat Firehair will pro-
  vide, and keep both of them fed for a few days. Firehair gets
  some arrows immediately, thus increasing his chances of
  maintaining his status as hunt leader, and thus getting a bet-
  ter share of any major kills. Everyone gets what they want,
  and both sides have an approximate idea of what the other
  wants and needs. If Firehair is known to be wasteful of
  arrows, Brond may keep more than the normal surplus on
  hand. If Brond’s wife is known to use antlers a lot, Firehair
  may have a few stashed away, even though he doesn’t use
  them himself.
  Even with the limited commodities available, there is some
  organized long-distance trade. For instance, salt moves
  inland and becomes more valuable on the way. Flints of
  high quality travel to places that have none. Exotic hides
  and stones may be traded as a measure of status, and the
  fruits of a particular magical gift may travel great distances
  as trade goods (like fine weapons or tools like needles and
  fishing hooks).
  D
  DREAMTIME
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  9
  9
  Skills
  The following skill tree is used for Dreamtime characters.
  Explanations of special skills follow.
  Combat skills (AGL)
  Projectile weapons
  Bows
  Spears
  Rocks
  Melee weapons
  Knife
  Spear
  Club
  Unarmed combat
  Punch
  Kick
  Hold
  Block
  Medical (AWR)
  First aid
  Trades (AWR)
  Armorer
  Knives
  Bows
  Spears
  Cooking
  Leatherworking
  Animal handling
  Basketweaving
  Pottery
  Academics (AGL)
  Dance
  Ceremony
  Academics (AWR)
  Art
  Biology
  (Herbalism)
  Astronomy
  (Omens)
  Meteorology
  Native language (free)
  Other Clan languages (-2)
  Legends (-1)
  Own Clan
  Other Clan
  Singing
  Poetry
  Spirit knowledge
  Theater
  (Disguise)
  (Sleight of hand)
  Area knowledge (AWR)
  Clan lands (-1)
  Shakt (-1)
  Environment (AWR)
  Survival
  Warm climate
  Cold climate
  Dry climate
  Hunting
  (Stealth)
  (Tracking)
  Environment (HLT)
  Running
  Swimming
  Climbing
  First aid
  This works as described in the basic rules. There is no
  advanced medical knowledge to provide a basis for surgical
  skills. You heal naturally, with magic, or not at all. Certain
  shamanic rituals may involve serious injury to the patient,
  such as to let out spirits of disease, but this is not usually a
  valid therapeutic technique.
  Armorer
  An armorer knows how to make weapons, and the prepara-
  tion of any intermediate items needed for those weapons,
  like a shaft sander for arrows, sinew preparation, etc. The
  usual elements for any Dreamtime weapon come from the
  following list: Stone, wood, sinew, bone, feathers.
  Cooking
  Not usually a prime economic skill, it may gain favor in the
  winter months when preparing dried foods into tasty dishes,
  or making the best use of partially spoiled meat, or knowing
  how best to keep decay spirits from infesting unattended
  foods.
  Leatherworking
  This is the skill you use if you want to cure or work any raw
  hides you procure. If you cannot make things for yourself,
  you will have to barter to have someone else make them for
  you.
  Animal handling
  This is skill in dealing with Pohnee and Dog, how to treat
  them and feed them and tend to any wounds they get.
  Basketweaving
  Wicker and grass can be used to make lightweight contain-
  ers, useful to those who forage for plants, and to hang from
  the inside of your hut to keep things off the damp ground.
  Good baskets last a long time, therefore the skill is not wide-
  ly needed, and their cost fairly high.
  Pottery
  The People have learned to make stone grain grinders and
  stone pots, good enough for cooking purposes. They can
  also make clay urns, useful to store foodstuffs in dry places,
  away from the ever-hungry mouse shakt. Pottery skill is also
  used to make fired beads, and the skillful potter knows the
  secrets of colored glazes. The leap to making fired pottery
  has not been made yet.
  Dance
  The art of body motion is useful in some magics, and also
  for attracting and seducing potential mates of either sex. It
  can provide a complementary skill bonus for other skills if
  used correctly.
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  DREAMTIME
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  Ceremony
  In addition to knowing the magic rituals to appease the spir-
  its, the respected shaman also knows the proper cere-
  monies of a non-magical sort. These are gestures of
  respect, the proper hides to wear, foods to eat and gifts to
  offer. More importantly it provides the physical skills needed
  for rituals involving symbolic letting of blood, walking on
  coals and other dangerous physical feats.
  Art
  The making of a representation of a thing that is not the
  thing itself is a concept that has not yet been born, but to
  make a thing that is pleasing to the eye requires this skill as
  well as the skill needed to craft the item.
  Biology
  This is a general purpose naturalist skill. The character
  knows something of the comings and goings of seasonal
  animals, the places to aim for best effect on natural crea-
  tures, what plants grow in what season, where they can be
  found, and what they do. The Herbalism skill applies solely
  to the properties and knowledge of plants.
  Astronomy
  You know the comings and goings of the Sun shakt, the
  Moon shakt and the lesser shakt of the skies. You may be
  able to tell the moods of the Moon shakt, and when she is
  likely to challenge the Sun shakt, or become very angry and
  when the People should avert their eyes from her gaze. If
  you know of omens, you know less about when the shakt
  come and go, but you do know what their comings and
  goings mean, and hints of the future brought by the Bright
  Spears and the White Maiden.
  “And the People of all the Clans lived in fear that winter, for
  the shamen had spoken of the coming of the White Maiden,
  and she had not appeared. Instead, many Bright Spears fell.
  The shamen said this meant the White Maiden had been
  slain in battle, and there was strife among the shakt. Indeed,
  Sun shakt seemed not to look upon the People, and Storm
  shakt strode across the land with terrible fury...”
  Meteorology
  Interpreting the whims of the Storm shakt and the lesser
  wind shakt can be useful on occasion.
  Legends
  This is the oral history of your Clan, tales of great heroes
  (and fools), and how they did their great deeds. In desperate
  times, people turn to the legends for guidance, and in nor-
  mal times they are a common-sense primer on how to do
  things, and how not to do things.
  Singing
  While formal voice training is in the far distant future, a
  melodious voice and sense of rhythm can be useful in cer-
  tain magic rituals, and in charming lesser shakt to your will.
  Poetry
  This skill is required to perform magic using only the shakt,
  rather than shamanic rituals or inborn gifts of the Earth
  Mother. Even shamanic magic can be assisted by this skill.
  Anyone with a high enough POW can use poetry to gener-
  ate a magic effect, but it is always risky, and may have a
  high price.
  Spirit knowledge
  This is the knowing of the names of the shakt, where they
  live, how to get their attention, and convince them to do your
  bidding. All shamanic magic is based on the knowledge of
  spirits. Since people are but spirits in tangible form, this skill
  also helps one to see the heart of a person, sometimes con-
  cealed beneath an outward guise, and it may also help you
  convince that person to do certain things by speaking to
  their inner spirit.
  Theater
  This skill provides the shaman with impressive outward trap-
  pings for ceremony and some magics. Also, many shakt are
  not that bright, and can be fooled by a shaman who has the
  outward symbols of a shakt that the other shakt would be
  favorably inclined towards. For instance, a shaman might
  disguise themselves as a deer when going to the sacred
  place of the deer shakt, so as to avoid the protections
  against intruders. It may also fool an angry shakt who is
  looking for the disguise, and not the shaman underneath.
  Using theater skills effectively can decrease the Difficulty of
  some tasks that require Spirit Knowledge skill.
  10
  10
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  11
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  Sample Difficulties
  Below are some sample Difficulties and times for various
  tasks, along with some description of special tasks.
  First aid 
  Difficulty
  Stop bleeding injury (1 min) 
  Amount eventually 
  fatal roll made by
  Armory 
  Difficulty
  Make arrow (1 day) 
  2
  Make knife (10 hours) 
  1
  Make large knife (1 day) 
  2
  Make spear (2 days) 
  3
  Make small ax (1 day) 
  2
  Make large ax (2 days) 
  3
  Make club (2 days) 
  3
  Make bow (1 day) 
  2
  Almost anyone can make these weapons, given time. A high
  skill lets you make them much faster. For instance, a person
  with Armory skill of 4 could make a knife in little more than
  an hour. All Armory skills assume the character has all raw
  materials needed and the tools required for use of the skill.
  This means if you are on the open plains, finding spear
  shafts could be hard. The time also includes any waiting
  time needed to have hide glues cure, etc. All Difficulties for
  making items assume you only have average tools for time
  purposes and are using an “out of combat” bonus on the
  base Difficulty. Exceptional tools for these or other tasks of
  making would only come as gifts from the shakt, either as
  items or a gift of wisdom on how to make them.
  Leatherworking 
  Difficulty
  Prepare 1 hit location of hide (5 hours) 
  2
  This time and Difficulty represents the labor needed to make
  the hide usable. The actual tanning or curing process may
  take weeks, but the leatherworker can engage in other work
  while this is going on. This time also takes into account any
  of the very simple preparation needed to make the leather
  suitable for leggings or other worn items.
  Animal handling 
  Difficulty
  Train Dog to attack with you 
  3
  Care for Pohnee 
  3
  Basketweaving 
  Difficulty
  Make small basket (1 day) 
  2
  Make large basket (2 days) 
  3
  Make Pohnee baskets (10 days) 
  5
  Pottery 
  Difficulty
  Make stone pot (5 days) 
  2
  Make clay urn (2 days) 
  3
  Make beads (5 days) 
  2
  To make beads is relatively simple, but since they are jewel-
  ry, the creation of attractive ones is a function of the artistic
  skill of the maker. The worth of beads fluctuates with quanti-
  ty, but if scarcity is maintained, the base quantity is worth
  about as much as a bow, quiver and two dozen arrows.
  Art 
  Difficulty
  To make a thing pleasing to the eye 
  +4 to normal
  Biology 
  Difficulty
  To glean information about an unknown thing 
  5
  To find stip grass (1 hour) 
  4
  To find bac grass (1 hour) 
  5
  To find marion berries (4 hours) 
  7
  To find shaktbane (4 hours) 
  9
  To find fireeyes (4 hours) 
  9
  To find gonzoroot (4 hours) 
  8
  To find visionroot (4 hours) 
  8
  Preserve fresh herbs for several days 
  6
  To glean information from an unknown creature is to figure
  out where it might be vulnerable, what parts are good to eat,
  what are its habits, etc. The various aspects of this require
  different techniques. To find if it is good to eat, you have to
  kill one. To know its habits, you must follow it. These tasks
  take varying amounts of time.
  The herbs are plants which the People have knowledge of.
  Each of the plant shakt can give a gift to the People. The
  plant shakt only grow where they will, and will not respond
  to the wit or magics of the People, having lost their power if
  their shakt are not pure. If a character finds a special herb,
  they will find no other of that herb within the space of half a
  day’s walk, for they have searched that area already. Each
  automatic success gives you an extra dose of the herbs, or
  secret knowledge of where a plant is for later use (provided
  no one else finds it first). A truly lucky shaman will know a
  place where a plant grows that is also positively aspected.
  Then the shaman can work a poem to hide the plants and
  the area from being found by others, renewing the enchant-
  ment as necessary. The exception to this depletion of
  resources is bac grass and stip grass, which are common in
  most areas. Most special herbs lose their shakt within a day
  of being plucked, but the skilled herbalist can keep them
  potent for several days.
  Stip grass - The juice from the crushed stems slows the
  flow of blood from a cut, and provides a -1 Difficulty to First
  Aid tasks. Stip grass is found spring through fall near
  streams and rivers.
  Bac grass - When bound on a wound, broken stems of bac
  grass adds 1 to the HLT of the injured person. This must be
  repeated each day for long term effect. Bac grass is found
  on sunlit plains, in small patches where the ground is drier in
  the summer and fall.
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  Marion berries - Marion berries grace one with the blessing
  of the winds, and for a short space they give the person who
  chews them an addition of 1 to their AGL. The berries can
  be dried and saved. Most of their shakt leaves them, but
  these dried berries can be prepared with hot water, and the
  drink will keep one awake through the longest night. When
  the wind shakt leaves you in either case, you lose 1 from
  your AWR until the next rising or setting of the sun. Marion
  berries grow on small bushes on windswept hills, and are
  found only in the spring, or summer on the highest hills.
  Shaktbane - The fronds of this fern are unsightly to all shakt,
  and they will not go near to places where it grows. All magic
  by or against a person carrying fresh shaktbane is at +2
  Difficulty, and it gives -2 to the Difficulty of coercing unwhole-
  some shakt. Some say the carrying of shaktsbane protects
  one from taboo as well. Shaktsbane can be found spring
  through fall near the center of marshes and bogs, growing
  on isolated pockets of land where no creature dwells. 
  Fire eyes - The red flowers of this plant are especially loved
  of all fire shakt, and to toss them into a fire is to invite the
  shakt of that fire to come forth and grant you a small boon. It
  can tell or show you all that transpires within sight of any fire
  that is less than a day’s walk away, so long as some ashes
  of the fire eyes remain, perhaps for a handful of breaths. Or,
  the shakt can be made to come forth at any time before the
  next sunset, to set fire to any single item you touch and
  which will burn. Fire eyes only bloom in the fall, and grow in
  rocky areas far from grass and trees. The fire shakt cannot
  go there, so they are very happy when people bring them.
  Gonzoroot - The madness of many shakt comes upon one
  who chews this root. Their body is opened to all shakt who
  would want to reside there, but banishes them again later.
  While under the influence of these shakt, the person has
  Pain Tolerance, and if they already had Pain Tolerance, it
  counts vs. lethal injuries. They will see visions of the living
  and dead, and will not know the difference. While pos-
  sessed, they will fight with all skills at +2 Difficulty, but also
  with an Initiative 2 points higher, giving them an extra action
  each turn. To use gonzoroot too much is to invite despair
  and permanent possession by unwholesome shakt.
  Gonzoroot is found near the roots of ancient trees, and can
  be found year-round unless the winter is especially harsh.
  Visionroot - Fresh or dried, one who partakes of these will
  sever the ties of shakt and body, and they may walk among
  the shakt until the visions leave them. This is disorienting
  and dangerous, for the People have only wit and guile in the
  shakt world, and can be led astray or hurt, never to find their
  bodies again. The user must decide what they want to do in
  their vision, make a GM-set AWR task to glean useful infor-
  mation (at least Difficulty 10), and then make a Difficulty 8
  HLT task to avoid the toxic side effects of the fungus (+1
  lethal impairment per point the roll is failed by). Visionroot is
  found in mid-summer, on old rotted logs in great forests.
  Astronomy
  Difficulty
  Predict the Moon shakt’s moods
  6
  Vaguely predict the future based on sky omens
  6
  To successfully use this skill in either way gives you vague
  foreshadowing information of the GM’s choice. Another pos-
  sibility is to use unusual phenomenon as a signal for widely
  separated groups to act at the same time.
  Meteorology
  Difficulty
  Predict natural weather a day in advance
  5
  Each day after that
  +1
  The normal comings and goings of Storm shakt are some-
  what predictable, though less so than Sun shakt. To be
  aware of his rolling across the hills and plains before he
  arrives allows the People to plan when to hunt and gather,
  and when to seek shelter in their huts.
  Poetry
  Difficulty
  Compose a poem of 1 second (10 seconds)
  1
  Compose a poem of 2-4 seconds (20 seconds)
  2
  Compose a poem of 5-9 seconds (1 minute)
  3
  Compose a poem of 10-16 seconds (2 minutes)
  4
  Compose a poem of up to a minute (1 hour)
  7
  Compose a poem of up to 10 minutes (1 day )
  11
  Compose a poem of up to an hour (1 week)
  14
  To use poetry to manipulate the shakt is usually done with
  preparation. The length of the poem must match the casting
  time of the spell desired, and to attempt a long casting with-
  out a prepared poem is great folly. This is a task of making,
  and one uses poetry to shape the words, just as one would
  use a knife to shape wood. However, poems are very small,
  and do not take as long as might be expected. Short poems
  can be made up on the spur of the moment, if needed, but
  the Difficulty above reflects an “out of combat” bonus (+2 to
  this Difficulty to compose a poem while fighting). Whenever
  a character has to make a poetry task, they must first com-
  pose the poem, and then use their poetry skill to recite it.
  Characters may use spare time to compose poems for a
  specific task, and keep records of their nature and length. If
  the GM is keeping track of skills, then the GM should make
  these skill checks and give the player an indication of how
  successful the character thinks they were.
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  Food is a combination of animal and vegetable matter,
  whatever is handy in the season in question. This could be
  tubers, berries, fruit, grains, small or large animals, fish,
  honey or whatever can be made into bite sized pieces,
  chewed up and swallowed. To represent the random chance
  of getting an animal as part of the foraging, characters can
  roll dice for their skill instead of getting an automatic suc-
  cess. This means they can only get food for one day in most
  cases, but if they roll a “1”, assume they have bagged game
  with a useful hide. Roll 1d10 and add any automatic suc-
  cesses the character could have gotten. The result is the
  number of points of “hit locations” of uncured hide gained.
  Example - Firehair goes hunting alone later that summer,
  and rolls a 1. He would normally get 2 automatic successes,
  so he rolls 1d10 and adds 2, getting a total of 5. He has an
  animal or animals with 5 points of hit locations to make into
  clothing, sleeping mats, etc. Note that this is not 5 hit loca-
  tions, but 5 points worth of hit locations. The chest is a roll of
  3-4, so this is 2 points worth of hit locations, for instance.
  If this rule is used for a group of hunters, it is almost certain
  that someone got an animal if the hunt is successful.
  Determine the amount of hide normally. The leader has first
  chance at any hide, trading each location on a 1-for-1 basis
  with food, and the rest distributed equally among the
  hunters (including the leader).
  D
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  Survival
  Difficulty
  Find enough food for one day (4 hours)
  Spring (warm climate)
  5
  Summer (warm or dry climate*)
  4
  Autumn (cold or dry climate*)
  5
  Winter (cold climate)
  7
  *depending on campaign area
  Note - Simple math will tell you that in order to survive year
  round, a character will need a Survival skill of at least 4, and
  even this means they will have to spend extra time in the
  summer to get the surplus needed for the winter. In bad
  years, people with a skill of only 4 often do not survive with-
  out support of relatives.
  Characters in Dreamtime are hunters and gatherers.
  Unless you are injured, ill or elderly (and have people who
  care enough to feed you), each character is responsible for
  putting food on their own table. In average times, you would
  use the skill Survival, with any secondary skills for other cli-
  mates, or Tertiary skills for the area in which you live.
  If you have an automatic success, you get an extra day of
  food for each point in excess of the Difficulty. If you have
  multiple people going on a hunt, the Difficulty is the same,
  but you have a much better chance of being able to bag
  larger game. The hunting parties should check for success
  based on the skill of their leader. Success by the leader
  means that everyone gets food based on the leader's suc-
  cess, although the level of any automatic success is
  increased by 1 for the leader, and decreased by one for
  everyone else. Failure by the leader means that no one gets
  food. Hunt leaders are most popular in areas and times
  where the average skill and Difficulty of a successful hunt
  means occasional failures for the average hunter.
  Example - Firehair  is leader of a summer hunting party,
  and has a survival skill of 6. He is automatically successful,
  and is counted as having a skill of 7 for success purposes,
  gaining today's food and 3 extra day's worth. Everyone else
  in the party is counted as having a skill of 5, and only gets
  today's food and 1 extra day's worth.
  Note - Overly successful hunting for a long period can anger
  the mother shakt of the beasts you hunt.
  
  14
  14
  Natural powers
  Characters can have certain powers imbued into their being
  by birthright from the Dreamtime. A character may have up
  to 30SP in paranormal powers in addition to any shamanic
  rituals they may know.
  If a character starts the game with a paranormal power, it is
  assumed to be a blessing of some type, either directly from
  a shakt, or because that somewhere in the character’s fami-
  ly is the blood of one or more shakt. Each power must be
  fully described as to how the character acquired it, how it
  affected their upbringing, childhood and social status, and
  the way it manifests in play. If the player can’t do this, then
  the character can’t have the power.
  The only mandatory requirements on such a natural power
  are that they be approved by the GM, and that the power
  has the limitation: Immutable. Things to watch for are pow-
  ers that make the character completely immune to any
  weapons or damage normally encountered, automatically
  disables most foes, or which bypasses many of the features
  that make the Dreamtime challenging. The GM has the right
  to 
   
  retroactively limit gifts that prove too unbalancing, and
  should let players know this beforehand. For instance, being
  able to fly at a constant high rate of speed bypasses lots of
  wonderful terrain features the GM can use, and makes the
  character able to perform feats of transport, communication
  and reconnaissance that would be otherwise impossible.
  There is no problem with trying such things with verse and
  dance, since there is always risk, and the more you do it,
  the riskier it gets. Being able to reliably perform game unbal-
  ancing miracles is what you have to watch out for. To keep
  a group diverse, it is recommended that any group of char-
  acters have no more than 2 people with the same power.
  Having a group of characters all with Wind Bows, Stoneskin
  and Windgift would be a bit contrived, and any plot compli-
  cation that might hinder one would hinder all. A suggestion
  is to make a list of all the gifts available, and write them on
  small slips of paper, each gift written the number of times
  you will let a character have it. Then pass out the slips of
  paper equally to the players, avoiding one person getting
  the same gift more than once. Then the players can trade
  the slips among themselves, and may purchase the gifts
  they end up with their SP if they so desire.
  Known or legendary gifts.
  The following are sample paranormal powers that are prob-
  ably known to most people through legends and tales.
  These inborn gifts hinder the development of tools, since if
  one person is around who can do things much faster and
  easier with a gift, there is great disincentive to develop a
  way to do it that is slower and more cumbersome. Since
  many villages have someone with at least a small gift, the
  cumulative disincentive is quite high. There are countless
  gifts in addition to the ones below, but these provide a sam-
  ple to spark your imagination.
  Wind bow
   
  G
  This is an intangible bow that the wielder calls forth with
  their own shakt. A normal arrow can be fired from it with
  great skill, and no loss of normal or magical strength.
  Blast
  Ranged
  5SP (arrows have range)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the bow can be seen, and the 
  arrows tracked)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid HLT loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (firing decision is conscious)
  Requires focus
  2SP (power can’t be used without 
  arrows)
  Requires a second to use
  -1SP (plus time to draw a new arrow)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP
  Requires gestures
  -1SP (you look like you're using a bow)
  Requires a combat skill roll -3SP (use bow skill)
  Range mod of 4
  +4SP (it is a very accurate bow)
  Only used at Aptitude
  -3SP (max. damage from arrow is POW 
  Aptitude)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  8SP
  “And !jon carried arrows, but little else, for he had the bow of
  the wind. Although he was strong, the bow was not, and the
  arrows were less than what a stronger person might use. It
  mattered not to !jon, for he was clever with the wind bow,
  and placed the arrows with great skill...”
   
  i The ‘!’ sound is a glottal stop, done by pressing the tongue
  to the roof of the mouth and rapidly pulling it down to the
  bottom of the mouth.
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  15
  Firemaker
  G
  One of the lesser fire shakt has taken a liking to you, and
  will manifest upon your call. More friendly or larger fire shakt
  have allowed themselves to be wielded as fearsome clubs
  or knives, but this is rare. In a world where there are no
  easy normal ways to make fire, this is a fairly common gift,
  and it would be rare for any village to be without one such
  person (who is usually welcome on long winter journeys).
  Blast
  No range
  2SP (you must touch what you want to 
  set alight)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the fire is easily visible)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid HLT loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Requires focus
  2SP (power must be applied to some-
  thing burnable)
  Requires 10 seconds
  -4SP (the fire shakt must be called from 
  its wanderings)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP (the fire shakt comes, burns 
  something, then leaves)
  Requires vocalization
  -1SP (you must call the shakt to come)
  Causes special effect
  +5SP (the shakt may be very selective 
  in how and what burns)
  Only used at Aptitude
  -3SP (which is quite enough to ignite 
  damp tinder)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  5SP
  Stoneskin
  G
  The Earth Mother watches you in her Dream, and protects
  you with Her strength. Your skin is supple as the finest hide,
  but becomes hard as stone when you would suffer harm.
  Armor
  No range
  2SP (the power cannot be extended 
  past you)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Visible effects
  2SP (your skin changes visibly when 
  struck)
  Constant
  5SP (the power is always with you)
  Independent
  2SP (the power works whether you 
  desire it or not)
  Inherent
  5SP (power requires no outside 
  talismans)
  Only used at Aptitude
  -3SP (probably an AV of 1/0 or 2/0)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  10SP
  “And Stoneface was a great champion, and used his gift not
  to defend, but to attack. He would grab his foe by the shoul-
  ders, and then strike his face into theirs, his nose becoming
  a fearsome beak that none could withstand...”
  Seagift
  G
  The Sea shakt knows you, and keeps you safe from its
  watery embrace. If you are in the sea or the rivers that run
  to the sea, you can breathe the water like the seaswimmers
  do. Your shakt must be strong, or the sea shakt cannot find
  you to help you (POW of ≥3 for automatic protection).
  Protect
  No range
  2SP (you may not extend the power)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Invisible effects
  5SP (aside from not drowning, there is 
  no visible sign)
  Constant
  2SP (does not drain the character)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate, so 
  you can’t sleep)
  Inherent
  5SP (power is inherent to you)
  Requires a Psych Lim
  -3SP (you must show respect to all 
  shakt of the water)
  Only works in rivers, seas
  -1SP (the water must be touching the 
  sea shakt)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  12SP
  “Waterfriend was beloved of her village, for in the year of ice
  in summer, she brought back many fish from the sea that all
  in the village might eat. All gave thanks and respect to Sea
  shakt, even to this day. For her are named the beads of the
  sea, Waterfriend's Tears...”
  Telekinesis
  G
  A lesser shakt of the winds is your ally, and relieves you of
  your burdens. It is mischievous and flighty though, and will
  not follow you into your hut or any small places.
  Telekinesis
  No range
  2SP (power may not be extended)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Invisible effects
  5SP (the winds are subtle and unseen)
  No drain
  2SP (the wind helps you without price)
  Automatic
  5SP (the shakt does what it wills)
  Inherent
  2SP (you need no thing to gain the aid)
  Only where winds blow
  -1SP (for the People, this is almost 
  everywhere)
  Only used at Aptitude
  -3SP (the amount lifted by this STR 
  doesn’t encumber you)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  9SP
  “Manyfingers, of the village near the smoking hills, was born
  upon the peak, and the shakt of the West Wind blessed her.
  She walked lightly upon the ground, and did dance such as
  to amaze and delight the lesser shakt. She became a great
  shaman, and many elders asked that she be the one to do
  the rituals of departing when their shakt departed to the
  underworld...”
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  16
  16
  Rockshaper
  N
  The character can feel the hidden powers of the Earth
  Mother’s Creation, and can touch and reshape Her body.
  This is permitted, because She gave the People the Gift of
  taking from Her what they need to survive. You can make
  stone of earth, and earth of stone, so long as the part you
  shape is a whole thing, separated from others of its kind.
  Once you know the secret of a stone or earth, you may hold
  that name in your heart and change it at a later time.
  Rockshapers are rare, but they can make very fine knives
  and spear points by shaping the flint with their bare hands.
  Create
  No range
  2SP (you must touch what you want 
  to shape)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the earth or stone glows when 
  shaped)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid HLT loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Requires focus
  2SP (must have material to shape)
  Must have a POW of ≥6
  -1SP (you must have a powerful 
  shakt to feel the hidden earth)
  Requires 10 seconds to use-4SP (the hidden form of stone or 
  earth must be called)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP (each shaping is a separate 
  magic)
  Requires vocalization
  -1SP (you must call the hidden name 
  of the rock or earth)
  Power may be “prepared”
  +5SP (you may trigger a specific 
  effect in no time once it is 
  prepared)
  Causes a special effect
  +5SP (you may alter the moisture of 
  the earth or stone)
  May only be used at Aptitude-3SP(which still shapes at least 5kg 
  of earth or stone)
  Must alter a whole thing
  -3SP (you may only change an object 
  your POW can lift)
  May only create stone/earth-4SP (all Creates are limited)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  5SP
  “Endar the Unloved was a rockshaper, but cared not for his
  Clan or People. He feared the Sun and Storm, and made his
  hut the body of the Earth Mother, where the People first
  lived. Its mouth was made of many stones made one by his
  gift, and he would work terrible magics on all who
  approached. His disrespect angered the Earth Mother, and
  one day She rolled in Her sleep, and the next one to travel
  near his cave saw that it was no more. And we knew that
  this was proper, that those who live in the Earth Mother are
  too weak to walk beneath Storm and Sun, and She takes
  them back unto Herself in time...”
  Beastgift
  N
  You have been blessed by a particular beast shakt. You
  may look through the eyes and hear through the ears of any
  of that kind of beast if you can overcome its shakt in spirit
  combat. If you lose, the shakt of that beast will claw at your
  shakt, and you will feel the pain in your body. In addition,
  you may never harm, partake of or use the body of that type
  of beast, or use your gift to allow these things to happen.
  This is the price that the mother shakt of that beast imposes
  for allowing you to see through her children.
  Clairsentience
  Range
  5SP (you must be able to see the 
  beast when concentrating)
  Self only
  2SP (power only works for owner)
  Invisible effects
  5SP (the beast acts normally while you 
  are watching)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid POW loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Inherent
  5SP (You need no talisman or charm 
  to work the power)
  10 seconds to use
  -4SP (you must engage the shakt in 
  spirit combat)
  Requires gestures
  -1SP (you must mimic the conflict with 
  the beast shakt)
  Requires POW vs.POW+4 -3SP (you must overcome the beast 
  shakt)
  Causes a special effect
  +5SP (the beast will not harm you while 
  you use the power)
  Backfires
  -3SP (you take non-lethal injury of 
  POW used if you fail)
  Requires a Psych Lim
  -3SP (you must abide by mother 
  shakt’s conditions)
  Only w/a single beast type -3SP (you must choose a type of beast 
  to see through)
  Immutable power
  -5SP (may not be altered)
  Total
  7SP
  “Longstrider travelled much, and learned the wisdom of
  many things. One day he spied a young talen, far from its
  high nest, and too small to fly. This he placed in his pouch,
  and climbed to its rocky perch. There, though buffeted by
  wind shakt, and attached by the mother talen, he placed it
  back in its nest, taking nothing. That night he dreamt of the
  talen shakt, for it was her place that he had climbed. She
  spoke ‘Since you have challenged mine to do me a kind-
  ness, I give the same to you. The child of your next mate
  shall challenge the shakt of my children, as you did with
  your body. If they succeed, they shall see through my chil-
  dren as though they were there, but if they fail, they shall
  bear the scars on their heart as you do on your arms’. And it
  was so. The child of Longstrider's mate was See-far, who
  was a great hunter and learned other wisdom from the ways
  of the talen...”
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  17
  17
  Shamanic magic
  Aside from gifts of the Earth Mother to individuals, there is a
  limited and relatively fixed number of magic rituals which the
  People have acquired over time from the Earth Mother or
  other shakt. A person who knows some of these rituals is
  often a shaman, or a shaman-in-training, a process that
  takes many years to complete, and which is full of mystery
  and secretly held knowledge.
  Shamans do not go through all their pomp and ceremony for
  no reason. All magic involves the spirits, and one must get
  their attention to make a spell work. They can be cajoled,
  humored, tricked, convinced, saddened or enraged by the
  skilled shaman, and that is what Spirit Knowledge skill rep-
  resents. The shaman knows the true heart of a thing, and
  uses their words and gestures and anything else available
  to get the shakt to do what is desired. Since people have
  shakt, it can be used on them to modify their behavior.
  Someday this might be called body language or psychology,
  but for now it is knowing how to speak to the spirit of a thing.
  When a skill roll is required, the skills of singing, ceremony,
  dance and theater may be able provide complementary skill
  bonuses, or offset some special side effect of the ritual.
  Aside from these few rituals, the only magic is gifts and
  poetry.
  Banishing the unwholesome
  I
  This ritual removes unnatural taints from someone who has
  committed taboo. It does not restore any injuries or other
  permanent effects of the taboo, but prevents them from con-
  tinuing to occur. Any healing or recovery needed is at the
  natural rate. If the ritual is performed on one who has not
  atoned for the taboo, the taboo is still lifted from them, but is
  transferred to the shaman instead, who may not lift it from
  themselves until they atone for the taboo in the way the orig-
  inal victim would have had to.
  Block
  No range
  2SP (you must touch the person to be 
  relieved of the taboo)
  Others
  5SP (may remove taboo from anyone)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the hands of the shaman glow 
  and the taboo is seen)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid HLT loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Focus
  2SP (shaman must have a spirit rattle, 
  whose noise helps weaken any 
  taboo forces)
  Must have a POW of ≥3
  -1SP (you must have moderate power 
  of personal shakt)
  Requires an hour to use
  -7SP (shamanic rituals are time-
  consuming)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP (each attempt must be separate)
  Vocalization, gestures
  -2SP (you must speak and gesture of 
  the taboo and atonement)
  Requires Difficulty 6 skill roll-1SP (uses Spirit Knowledge skill)
  Special effect
  +5SP (causes annihilation rather than 
  negation or opposing power)
  Backfires
  -3SP (shaman gets taboo if recipient 
  has not atoned)
  Only used at Aptitude
  -3SP (enough to counter a taboo)
  Only counters taboo/curse -3SP (it will not Block other beneficial or 
  harmful magics)
  Time Multiple, same limits +5SP (this lets the Block be as 
  permanent as the taboo)
  Total
  10SP (the Time Multiple has a minimum 
  cost of 5SP as well)
  “And the warriors came back from the taboo swamps bear-
  ing the shaktsbane the shaman had asked for, that he might
  make talismans of protection for their quest. Though they
  had the shaktsbane, they were yet afflicted with curses of
  weakness and trembling, for they had gone in without its
  protection. The shaman called forth the taboo, who were
  many and small, and they were pulled from the arms and
  legs of the warriors. They bore small swellings where each
  one had entered, and which lingered for a day after the
  taboo was gone...”
  D
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  18
  18
  Speak with Ancestors
  G
  This ritual calls the shakt of a dead person to answer the
  questions of the living. If the ritual is successful, the spirit of
  the deceased comes forth from the Underworld, and the
  Guardian of the Dead is compelled to let them pass.
  However, the Guardian is not disturbed lightly, and exacts a
  price for each spirit that passes.  If the Guardian is treated
  with disrespect, or the rituals are not followed, the Guardian
  will bind the spirit of the shaman and then take the
  shaman’s body and do it grevious harm. This ritual can also
  be used to speak with spirits displaced from their bodies, or
  to shakt, but one must be in the presence of the spirit or
  shakt, and the spell puts no compulsion upon them.
  The spirits of the dead are beyond cares of life, and will
  answer truthfully to any questions the shaman asks, but will
  not volunteer information unless they are very recently
  dead, and would be inclined to help the shaman who asks.
  The dead dream endlessly until they become one with the
  Earth Mother again. So long as a part of their body remains
  whole, their shakt can be called, and the amount of memory
  they have is based on the amount of their body that is left. It
  is said that some shamans keep the skulls of the shamans
  before them, to ask wisdom in times of need. It is also said
  that some keep the skulls of their foes, and guard them well,
  so that their spirits will never truly find rest.
  Detect
  No range
  2SP (you must be with the remains)
  Others
  5SP (anyone the shaman is touching 
  may speak with the dead)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the body of the shaman glows 
  and the shakt is seen)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid HLT loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Focus
  2SP (shaman must have part of the 
  body whose spirit is to be called)
  Must have a POW of ≥3
  -1SP (you must have moderate power 
  of personal shakt)
  Requires an hour to use
  -7SP (all shamanic rituals are time-
  consuming)
  Vocalization, gestures
  -2SP (you must speak and gesture of 
  the things you are doing, like 
  tricking or fighting the Guardian)
  Difficulty 6 skill roll
  -1SP (uses Spirit Knowledge skill to 
  bypass Guardian of Dead)
  Requires POW vs. POW+2 -2SP (shaman must draw back shakt of 
  dead person)
  Special effect
  +5SP (allows two-way communication)
  Special effect
  +5SP (dead are compelled to tell truth)
  Side effect
  -1SP (you get +1 non-lethal headache)
  Backfires
  -3SP (Guardian possesses shaman)
  Only speak with spirits
  -1SP (this is not much of a limit, since 
  shakt are everywhere)
  Total
  10SP
  Blessing of the Earth Mother
  G
  This ritual is cast upon those who are called upon to do
  heroic deeds for the Clan. The shaman calls upon the spirits
  needed for the blessing, and binds them with their will to the
  person to be blessed. The name and history of the person to
  be blessed are spoken, along with the great deeds to be
  done, to impress upon the spirits the importance of protect-
  ing their charge from all harm. The spirit of the shaman is
  weakened by this ritual, and so the blessing only lasts until
  the quest is completed, or the hero or the shaman dies.
  Each part of a person’s shakt can be so blessed, so that
  they are stronger, faster, keener of vision, or sturdier of
  heart or limb, and each blessing is a separate ritual.
  Note - Like poetry, the maximum duration this power can be
  made to last is approximately one week. Some shaman can
  prepare the spell, so that it lasts a week from when it is acti-
  vated, allowing a character to travel far and then call upon
  the blessing when needed.
  Add
  No range
  2SP (you must touch recipient)
  Others
  5SP (power may bless anyone)
  Invisible effects
  2SP (while the casting has effects, the 
  power is not seen)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid POW loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Inherent
  5SP (shaman needs no talismans to 
  work the magic)
  Must have a POW of ≥3
  -1SP (you must have moderate power 
  of personal shakt)
  Requires an hour to use
  -7SP (all shamanic rituals are time-
  consuming)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP (each attempt must be separate)
  Vocalization, gestures
  -2SP (you must speak and gesture of 
  the worthiness of recipient)
  Difficulty 6 skill roll
  -1SP (uses Spirit Knowledge skill)
  Requires POW vs. POW+4 -3SP (must bind shakt to target)
  Backfires
  -3SP (shaman or recipient takes 
  opposite effect if failed)
  Power can be prepared
  +5SP (shaman may let target call upon 
  power when needed)
  Time Multiple, same limits +8SP (the shaman can make the 
  duration as long as a week)
  Total
  16SP
  D
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  19
  19
  Journey to the Endless Dream
  I
  This ritual is cast upon the remains of the dead (or the
  largest remaining piece), to sever the ties the spirit has to its
  former home, that the spirit of the dead one may go and
  rejoin the Earth Mother in Her endless Dreaming. The body
  is then just bone and flesh, and the spirit of that person may
  never again be called forth. The shaman laments in the
  place of all those who held that person dear, speaks of their
  deeds so that all may hear and remember them, and tells
  the spirit that they need not watch over their mates, children
  and Clan, but may rest in peace, knowing that the living
  shall be safe and that the dead shall not be forgotten. This is
  a simple ritual, but if it is done wrong, the watching spirit of
  the dead one can become angry, and haunt the place, or
  possess the shaman performing the ritual.
  Block
  No range
  2SP (you must touch the remains)
  Others
  5SP (power may send anyone to rest)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the shakt of the deceased 
  becomes visible)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid POW loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Focus
  2SP (shaman must have largest 
  remaining piece of deceased)
  Must have a POW of ≥3
  -1SP (you must have moderate power 
  of personal shakt)
  Requires an hour to use
  -7SP (all shamanic rituals are time-
  consuming)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP (each attempt must be separate)
  Vocalization, gestures
  -2SP (you must speak and gesture of 
  the life of the deceased)
  Difficulty 6 skill roll
  -1SP (uses Spirit Knowledge skill)
  Requires POW vs. POW+0 -1SP (must impress shakt of the dead)
  Special effect
  +5SP (the permanence of the Block is 
  total banishment of the shakt
  and cannot be undone)
  Backfires
  -3SP (spirit of the dead is made angry 
  and tries to harm shaman by
  possessing an animal to attack 
  him)
  Only sends the dead to rest -4SP (it will not Block any other type of 
  magic)
  Time Multiple, same limits +5SP (this lets the Block be as 
  permanent as the shakt)
  Total
  10SP
  Bind the Angry Spirit
  I
  This ritual is used to remove angry or unclean spirits from
  one who has been possessed. The shaman must be more
  clever than the possessing spirit in order for the spell to
  work. The shaman forces the spirit from the body of the vic-
  tim, and holds it while the person regains possession of the
  body. Once this is done, if the victim is free of taint, the
  angry spirit is denied entrance, and must depart to whence it
  came. If the shaman is not as powerful as the spirit, the spir-
  it may choose to possess the shaman instead. If the spirit is
  clever, it can often escape this way, for the former victim
  may be bound to prevent them from doing harm, and the
  spirit bound in the body, but a possessed shaman could
  walk free. If a shaman cannot be found to bind the angry
  spirit, then the victim must often be killed. This banishes the
  angry spirit. While the body dies, the true spirit of the person
  can eventually find rest with the Earth Mother, rather than
  going through the pain of seeing its body perform unwhole-
  some acts to taint the memory of family and friends.
  Block
  No range
  2SP (you must touch the person who 
  is afflicted)
  Others
  5SP (power may work on anyone)
  Visible effects
  2SP (the nature of the shakt is seen)
  Drain
  2SP (POW Aptitude vs. Difficulty of 
  POW used to avoid POW loss)
  Conscious
  5SP (using the power is deliberate)
  Inherent
  5SP (shaman needs no talismans)
  Must have a POW of ≥3
  -1SP (you must have moderate power 
  of personal shakt)
  Requires an hour to use
  -7SP (all shamanic rituals are time-
  consuming)
  Requires conc. each use
  -2SP (each attempt must be separate)
  Vocalization, gestures
  -2SP (you must speak and gesture to
  draw out angry spirit)
  Difficulty 6 skill roll
  -1SP (uses Spirit Knowledge skill)
  Requires POW vs. POW+0 -1SP (must challenge the power of 
  angry shakt)
  Backfires
  -3SP (the shaman can be possessed if 
  they fail)
  Special effect
  +5SP (success means the opposing 
  magic is broken, not just
  nullified for the duration of spell. 
  This is slightly different than
  countering a taboo, since a 
  possession implies constant
  control, rather than passive pain)
  Only dislodge angry spirits -4SP (the power cannot be used for 
  other attack or defense)
  Total
  10SP
  D
  DREAMTIME
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  20
  20
  Earth Mother’s Touch.
  This ritual is important, but it is not quite a spell, just a cul-
  turally important use of poetry that some are known to do. If
  two people are mates, and feel that this bond is permanent,
  they may weave a poem of binding and blessing upon each
  other. If successful, they each increase their POW by one
  so long as the other lives. If their mate dies, they lose this
  blessing, and permanently lose an additional point of POW.
  In addition, each one feels some of the pain of the other,
  and some of the joy, over any distance. If characters wish to
  do this, it should be taken very seriously. If the character is
  not actually in love with the mate, or it seems that one or the
  other is intent on using the extra POW for personal gain,
  then the ritual will automatically fail. Whichever of the two
  has ulterior motives will have all their past misdeeds and
  future intentions made known to all who witness the ritual by
  all the shakt in the area, and the conniving one will be under
  a taboo violation that only the Clan's mother shakt can lift.
  Poetic magic
  In addition to gifts and shamanic rituals, the world still
  seethes with the leftover forces of Creation  and countless
  shakt of all kinds. By speaking loudly to the invisible world of
  the shakt, you can convince, cajole or fool them into doing
  your bidding, since this is part of the Earth Mother’s Gift.
  In game terms, all characters who are not Afflicted are
  assumed to have 10SP towards the use of any paranormal
  power they want to try. All magic of this type has the follow-
  ing mandatory conditions:
  Non-ranged
  2SP (magic can be used on self or at 
  range of touch only )
  Usable on self only
  2SP (magic can be used by you only)
  Visible effects
  2SP (magic is highly visible)
  Drains POW
  2SP (user must use POW Aptitude vs. 
  POW used to avoid drain)
  Requires conscious control 5SP (magic must be deliberately 
  chosen to work)
  Inherent
  5SP (magic requires no focus)
  Vocalization required
  -1SP (user must speak)
  Minimum POW of ≥2
  -1SP (Afflicted cannot do this magic)
  POW vs. POW+0 test
  -1SP (if magic affects a target with 
  POW)
  Poetry skill roll
  -1SP (requires use of Poetry skill at
  Difficulty of POW used)
  Backfires
  -3SP (appropriate to spell)
  Uncommon weakness
  -1SP (there is always a hidden 
  vulnerability)
  Total
  10SP
  This allows the character to use their Poetry skill to attempt
  magic of any kind with the limitations and advantages listed.
  The limitations listed are the minimum levels required, and if
  necessary they can be made more restrictive, but never
  less.
  Example - Frehd the Fearless thinks a magical trap is in the
  empty hut he is investigating, so he murmurs a quick poem
  to the shakt to let him find lurking shakt (Detect power). He
  decides to only use his POW Aptitude of 1 to avoid drain,
  which gives him an effective AWR of 1, and a Difficulty of 1
  on his Poetry skill, which is no problem. He can now hear
  magical energies with his ears, and might sense the thrum-
  ming of a lurking shakt waiting to wrap the hut around him
  and smother him.
  D
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  21
  21
  Now, to work magics with other special effects or greater
  potential, the character needs to find power limitations to
  match the cost of any advantages they want. For instance, if
  Frehd wanted to use his Detect power for combat targeting,
  for instance to be able to strike the shakt with a magical
  weapon, then his Detect power would need “causes a spe-
  cial effect”, i.e. allows combat targeting. This costs +5SP on
  a power, so Frehd must find -5SP in limitations. He chooses
  to have the Detect only work at POW Aptitude (-3SP), since
  that is where he is using it anyway, and to take 2 seconds to
  use the poem (-2SP), which balances things out. He really
  ought to add range to the power as well (+3SP) or he will
  only be able to hear the shakt while it is within touching dis-
  tance. If all he wants to do is strike it with a weapon, this
  short range will suffice.
  To get mighty magic requires great limitations. For instance,
  to get any type of Multiple, you would have to find the entire
  cost of the Multiple somehow. So, one might increase the
  casting time to an hour (-7SP), require a POW vs. POW+4
  task to be successful (-2SP more than normal), require a
  Difficulty 10 skill roll (-2SP more than normal), have a side
  effect (-1SP), give it a common weakness (-2SP more than
  normal), and limit the power to a specific purpose (probably
  about -3SP more), for a total of 17SP more than the base
  amount, enough to put up some whopping big magic, espe-
  cially if several people cast a power with the special effect
  “Multiple only applies to someone else’s casting”. This lets
  each participant cast a Multiple on the casting of the central
  person. Of course, failing any skill rolls can be catastrophic
  at high levels of power. If multiple people attempt to com-
  bine poems to get a greater or common effect, the Difficulty
  of any poetic task is increased by 1 for each person over the
  first.
  One problem with using poetry is that the shakt are easily
  bored and annoyed. Each time you use a poem to cast a
  power, you take a permanent -1SP to the use of that power,
  forever. So, if Frehd tried to use poetry to do another Detect,
  he would have to find another 1SP of limitations to make it
  work. Perhaps he would use a longer poem, or one more
  pleasing to the shakt (higher Difficulty). But, each time it
  gets harder and harder, until the shakt will not respond any-
  more to you, no matter how hard you try. And remember
  that if you attempt a spell and fail for any reason (including
  not having enough limitations), it backfires, as the shakt will
  punish you for wasting their time.
  Backfires
  Whenever a poem or any other spell backfires, the backfires
  are appropriate to the power used. Some ideas are below.
  Power
  Backfire
  Absorb
  Target absorbs from caster
  Add
  Subtract
  Armor
  Adds to damage done
  Blast
  Caster takes blast
  Block
  Adds to effect
  Clairsentience
  Target knows of attempt and learns info
  Create
  Dangerous creation
  Detect
  Temporary deafness, blindness
  Dominate
  Caster becomes weak-willed
  Precognition
  Dangerously bad prediction
  Protect
  Illusion of protection only
  Shapeshift
  Malformed shift, caster shifts badly
  Subtract
  Add
  Telekinesis
  Angry uncontrolled shakt
  Telepathy
  Possession, target knows of attempt
  Teleport
  Random movement
  Last note - The shakt will do you favors, but the only per-
  manent favors are gifts bestowed at birth or by powerful
  shakt. To use poetry to gain a permanent blessing upon
  oneself always backfires. If not immediately, at some later
  date when the shakt realizes that the person is asking far
  too great a service. The greatest service any shakt will will-
  ingly bear is no more than a quarter of a moon (i.e. a week).
  Aspecting
  Certain inherently powerful areas provide +1 to +5 SP
  towards use of a power appropriate to the aspecting, and
  subtract -1 to -5 SP from use of a power inappropriate to the
  aspecting. These can be temporary aspects, like a campfire
  being used for a bonus to a fire-related spell. Another bene-
  fit of aspected areas in your favor is that the quantity and
  proximity of spirits means you don’t take permanent penal-
  ties for using a poetry repeatedly in such an area. Any
  penalties you have already accrued still apply, but you do
  not take additional ones after you leave the area. 
  Places where the Earth Mother has suffered wounds are
  negatively aspected towards creation and healing, and posi-
  tively aspected towards destruction and decay. The closer
  to the injury, the more pronounced the aspecting. Areas
  known to be a specific part of the Earth Mother, or where a
  great aspect of Creation took place are aspected towards
  healing and creation, and against destruction. A Clan shrine
  is an example of a place that is positively aspected (+3), for
  it is where the Earth Mother put the first People of that Clan.
  Other minor areas (+1) can be very small, and general
  knowledge of them is a separate Area Knowledge skill.
  Remember that this skill will give you automatic knowledge
  of a certain number of these areas, but only general ideas of
  others (two days walk west of the Finger Rocks, where a
  great tree straddles a small stream...).
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  22
  22
  Magical talismans
  Legends of the People speak of different kinds of magical
  talismans, most of which are leftover parts of Creation that
  still possess some facet of the Earth Mother's power. Those
  that fall from the sky are highly prized, and shamans often
  find these first, since they weave poems of finding to know
  when new ones have fallen, and if they have knowledge of
  Astronomy they may know the ways of the shakt and when
  they are most likely to fall.
  Sunstones - During the days of Sunwolf, the sun shakt
  gave him the gift of making these. They are rocks taken
  from the highest peaks, which he laid hands upon for many
  hours, after which they glowed with an eternal light of their
  own. These were prized by villages and travellers, and once
  there were many of these, but over the generations many
  have been lost or broken. None have been given that gift
  since, so the Sunstones that remain are highly prized.
  “And there was a friend of Sunwolf named Algar, who had a
  Sunstone as a gift from Sunwolf. In the year of ill omens and
  the red sun, he and his companions were set upon by
  laughing wolves that live in the lands of Clan Sem. Sorely
  were they pressed, and many had fallen. Algar took his
  Sunstone, and spoke words of power. The Sun shakt came
  forth from Algar's hand, and blinded the wolves, and they
  burned and smoked from the Sun shakt's fury. And then the
  Sun departed, leaving only darkness, for all who had seen
  that light were blinded for a time. Algar was blinded for a
  space of days, and his hand remained scarred for the rest of
  his years, for the Sunstone had burned it like fire, and itself
  had cracked and broken from the heat.”
  Black tears - These are oblong lumps of a black, glassy
  material that sometimes fall from the sky. It is known that
  they are powerful talismans for scrying. Each one contains
  10SP worth of magical energy, which can only be used
  towards a spell that gains visual information of some type,
  gained by looking into the glass while casting the spell.
  Each use subtracts 1SP from the tear, but not the user’s
  ability to cast that spell, until its power is lost and it crumbles
  to dust. What is not known, is that these black tears are the
  tears of the Moon shakt, which she sheds that she may gain
  knowledge of the world. All that is seen through a black tear
  is also seen by the Moon shakt.
  “There was a shaman of Clan Ugrik, near the river that flows
  from the great hills to the east, who had by great fortune
  several of the black tears that fall from the sky. He asked
  many questions, and saw many answers, and was counted
  wise among his people. One day, he asked to see the shakt
  from which these gifts came. No one knows what his vision
  was, save that it was terrible, for his eyes were blinded by it,
  and his voice was taken from him. He lived for the space of
  a season, and was no more a shaman, for his voice was
  silenced, and when he wept, his tears were always black...”
  Pointed rocks - These are bluntly conical rocks, about the
  size of a fist. They are known also to fall from the sky, and
  are believed to be leftover stuff from the Earth Mother’s cre-
  ation, returning to her. If broken when a spell is cast, they
  can provide a single Multiple of any type, for as long as that
  spell is maintained. These rocks are very rare, and any
  shaman would count themselves lucky to have one, for it is
  a status symbol showing they can, at need, cast mightier
  magics than anyone else.
  “In the year of Terror, when madness fell upon the People,
  and Clan fought Clan, for which the Elders made the Moot,
  that it not happen again, in that year Clan Ugrik fought a
  great battle against Clan Far Traveller. Many did not return,
  for there was great magic worked upon that field. Many of
  the pointed stones of power were broken. There was fire
  and water and Things that none know of today, for those
  that survived would never speak of what they saw, save to
  make that place taboo to all the People, lest they wake
  things best left sleeping.”
  Motherstones - These are rippled ovoids of a strange black
  rock, very rare. Few know their true purpose, but all who
  encounter one cannot help but notice their weight and feel.
  They are the flakes scratched from the Earth Mother when
  the Moon shakt fought against her exile at the end of the
  Dreamtime. With skill and much time, a motherstone can be
  hammered into a fearsome knife or spearhead which shat-
  ters stone, and which goes through hide better than any
  stone point. There are perhaps two of these weapons
  among all the Clans, and the tales say that they have been
  with those Clans for generations.
  “Clan Far Traveller had a spear made from the Motherstone
  many years ago, and the Clan champion kept it in his village
  with the other things his valor had gained him. An evil send-
  ing flew into his village one day, sent from one who remains
  unknown to this day. Its hide was as rock, and the arrows
  and spears of the village were as puffs of air to it. Zsar the
  champion was able to wound it with his magic spear, but the
  thing wrested the spear from him with its beak, and flew
  away, but its wounds had weakened it, and it and the spear
  fell into the swamps to the south, in the direction of Clan
  Sem. No magics ever found the beast or the spear, and
  though Zsar was greatly saddened by its loss, he remained
  Clan champion for many years, and was the teacher of
  champions for many years after that.”
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  23
  23
  The Life of the People
  The People are a Tribe, which is split into three Clans, each
  of which borders the others. As far as they know, they are
  the chosen children of the Earth Mother, and if there are
  other Clans or Tribes, they are unknown. Each Clan has
  many villages, each one a loosely knit community that is
  somewhere below the loading capacity of the surrounding
  terrain, usually at least two day’s walk from the nearest
  other village. The territory of each Clan is several week’s
  walk across, and villages on one side barely speak the
  same language as those on the other, grading gradually into
  the language of the neighboring Clan. Within a village, there
  are village elders and possibly a shaman, but most individ-
  ual actions are their own responsibility. Informal hunting par-
  ties are often arranged, usually on a seasonal basis to catch
  migrating game animals. It is taboo to have a mate from the
  same village, so bloodlines are kept mixed, although the
  People do not see it that way. It is just a taboo, so that is the
  way things are done.
  Birth
  A birth is a joyful event in good times, and a sad event in
  bad times. In good times, a birth brings new life to the vil-
  lage, and the promise the Clan and the People will live on.
  In bad times, the promise is not there, for too often the new-
  born must be abandoned because of a lack of food. The
  Earth Mother looks after all mothers, and birth, while painful,
  rarely has complications unless the shakt of the mother or
  child is tainted somehow.
  The shakt of a newborn is fragile and easily shaped, and
  many parents compose poems of blessing and destiny for
  their child, and bind the magic to its tiny shakt before it is
  fully formed. This is where many of a character’s gifts may
  come from. This is a risky business, and failure can curse
  both the parents and the child. While the shaman may
  remove the taint from the parents, the child will be tainted
  for life. In exceptionally bad cases, the ill will of a shakt will
  be visited upon an entire village. Most who compose poems
  for this purpose take exceptional care, and only ask moder-
  ate blessings of the shakt.
  Daily life
  For the average person, a day consists of foraging, return-
  ing home, working on chores, trades or discussion, going to
  sleep, rising and doing it again. In average years, half a
  day’s work is sufficient to acquire food, and slowly acquire
  enough surplus to get you through bad times, and the rest of
  the day can be spent on other activities as desired. This can
  include child rearing, crafts, practicing skills or engaging in
  discussions around the central village campfire. Imagine
  walking down to the river to find good reeds for a basket,
  using rocks to pound out the stiffness of a rough-tanned
  hide while talking with a friend who is flint-knapping to make
  a spear point, or making a small bow to give to your mate’s
  child to teach him how to be a hunter, while the littlest chil-
  dren chase and play with Dog, who puts up with it because
  they are the young of his pack.
  As long as the hunting is good, the furs are warm and the
  shakt are happy, life goes on in this way without much
  thought. If game or food becomes too scarce, the village
  packs their belongings on the Pohnee and travel packs,
  walks a few days to a week to where the hunting or foraging
  is better, and settles down again. Since the average village
  only stays in place for a few years before moving on, no one
  can never know where everything is, and you must usually
  ask directions when leaving the area of the villages you
  know.
  Family
  Most adult characters will have relatives within the village or
  other nearby villages. One benefit of relatives elsewhere is
  that if you identify yourself as such and your relatives accept
  you, you can avoid the formality of challenges. Characters
  are expected to help out parents, or brothers or sisters and
  their children to some extent. It is a cruel child that denies
  shelter and food to their own kin, but it is irresponsible of kin
  to ask for things that they should be able to provide them-
  selves. The awkwardness of unwanted relatives living with
  you does happen in Dreamtime, and there are various sub-
  tle and not-so-subtle means of dealing with it. Characters
  are left to figure these out on their own while trying to avoid
  social stigma. The GM should not burden characters this
  way unless there is a good reason for it. A Level 1 Enemy
  could easily be obnoxious relations who sponge off the
  character’s livelihood, or a Contact as a relative could ask
  for favors on occasion (“Stoneheart and his mate lost their
  hut when the wind shakt tore it apart, and they need a place
  to stay. Brother, can you shelter them until I return from a
  hunt with enough hide to let them rebuild, which I hope shall
  be very soon, and you know this is truth...”)
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  DAILY LIFE
  
  24
  24
  Death
  Death is a part of life, and comes in many ways. The body is
  seen as a home for the person’s shakt, and like a knife or
  basket, eventually it wears out, and the shakt must return to
  the Earth Mother. This is perhaps seen as the best death, to
  have lived a full life, gained wisdom and respect, and to
  return that fullness of life to She who gave it to you. 
  The different Clans honor their dead in different ways. Clan
  Far Traveller returns the body to the Earth Mother, and the
  dead one is often arrayed with the tools and possessions
  they held dear. The place in which this is done is one where
  it is felt the shakt was most at home. A hunter might be near
  a good hunting ground. A shaman might be near a well-
  aspected place, if one is known. Anyone might express a
  desire to be close to their mate, even if the body no longer
  holds the shakt of a person. The ritual of separating the
  shakt from the ties to the body is sometimes performed, but
  this is usually a decision of any mate, and based on the
  availability of a shaman.
  Clan Ugrik respects their dead by returning the body to the
  other shakt of the world. It is left in a place the beasts know
  of, and returned to the Earth Mother through her other chil-
  dren. The ritual of separating the shakt from the body is
  always performed, if at all possible. If not, the skull is pre-
  served so that the ritual may be performed upon it at a later
  time.
  Clan Sem respects their dead by insuring they return to the
  Earth Mother as soon as possible. A great fire is made upon
  which the body is burned. The greater the person, the
  greater the fire that is built, and truly great Clan members
  are consumed upon the dry rocks by fire shakt called for the
  occasion. When the ashes have cooled, they are cast into
  the air, cast upon the earth, and cast upon the water, that
  the spirit be rejoined with the Earth Mother, where it properly
  belongs. For this reason, they do not need the ritual of sepa-
  rating the shakt from the body, and few Clan Sem shamans
  know this ritual.
  In all the Clans, to dishonor the Clan is to invite the pain of
  not being properly respected upon your death, and having
  measures taken to insure your shakt does not see its final
  rest for as long as possible. Those who have secretly done
  terrible things may also try to arrange things so that they
  can postpone their final reckoning with the Earth Mother as
  long as possible.
  Other
  For a simple people in a primitive world, life can still have an
  amazing wealth of detail and mystery. Basic things can have
  a lot of importance, and the unknown can totally shape the
  way you think and act.
  The Women’s Secret
  The laws of cause and effect are not entirely known in
  Dreamtime. If you throw a rock up into the air, it usually
  comes down again. If you scatter seeds on the ground,
  sometimes they come up again. What the women of the
  Tribe know, and the men do not, is that it takes a man to
  help a woman have a child. As is, while men are stronger
  and faster, women are the ones who bring life to the Clan,
  and this gives them a permanent status in Clan affairs that
  they might otherwise lack. While the Clan or village leader
  may be a man, since men are expected to fight, the elder
  women and female shamans are the advisers and guides to
  these leaders, and their word is held in high accord.
  While mating can be fun, and is often with an exclusive part-
  ner, it is not seen by men as leading to pregnancy. To
  become with child is just something that happens to women
  sometimes, when the Earth Mother blesses them. The male
  takes a protective interest in the child because the welfare
  of his mate is involved. This is another of those things that
  “just is”. It would take more than casual disclosure of the
  secret to make it believed, and no woman would do so, for it
  would raise the hands of all women against her for the rest
  of her life. And to be honest, as long as the men get theirs,
  they don’t really care. All of the gendered spirits know the
  truth of things, as do a few of the others, but they have no
  reason to say one way or the other. The Storm shakt knows,
  and has the power to make it believed if he so chooses.
  When and how he does reveal this is certain to be to his
  advantage, and not just on a whim.
  As far as female characters go, contraception is a matter of
  abstinence. There are not any herbs known for this purpose,
  though poetic magic can always work the desired effect.
  This is not done lightly, as to spurn a child is to spurn the gift
  of the Earth Mother to all women. While the Earth Mother
  sleeps soundly and dreams, she may still notice what her
  child has done, and all shakt return to her eventually. In
  times of privation and need, the women elders may sanction
  this, and the woman avoids a taboo the men do not know of.
  Also in time of need, a child may be left to die of exposure
  so that others will have the food to live, but these things are
  not spoken of often.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  25
  25
  In campaign terms, players can assume that any female
  character who has a mate will eventually have children,
  unless they have a Physical Lim of sterility (4AP or SP). And
  if their mating is known to the womenfolk and the character
  does not get pregnant eventually, they will get 2 Levels of
  negative Fame, since the Earth Mother has obviously turned
  her face from the character, and withheld her blessings.
  Assume casual encounters have a 1 in 10 chance of caus-
  ing pregnancy (which may be avoided with 1ASP if it hap-
  pens, or made to happen with 1ASP if it doesn’t).
  Since a Dreamtime campaign is designed to cover the life-
  time of a character, with long pauses at certain points, it is
  possible that a female (or male) character could settle down,
  start to have a family, and 5 or 10 years later be yanked out
  of a secure life by some threat to People, Clan and loved
  ones. If this is a village or Clan decision that asks sacrifice
  of a character, then of course it is the village or Clan respon-
  sibility to take care of and protect the children until the char-
  acter returns.
  Side note - A side effect of the women’s secret is that selec-
  tive breeding of animals like Dog is an unknown concept,
  and a child with red hair born to dark haired parents is not
  viewed with any suspicion by the male mate...
  Taboo
  A taboo is a serious thing in Dreamtime. There are certain
  natural laws of cause and effect that are not violated casual-
  ly. For instance, pre-meditated murder is virtually unknown.
  The body of the victim is a naturally aspected site for asking
  the dead person’s spirit who the killer was, and if this does
  not suffice, the Clan shakt is most certainly interested in the
  untimely death of one of her children. Interclan fights, chal-
  lenges and natural causes are part of the natural order,
  however, and accepted as a part of life.
  In addition, there are other taboos which are not lightly vio-
  lated. There are certain animals which the Clan shakt finds
  unclean and which must never be eaten, as well as the flesh
  of any person, especially a member of the same Clan.
  Certain places are also taboo, or doing certain things in cer-
  tain places. No one knows exactly why these things are
  taboo in many cases, just that they are. Often, sickness is
  associated with a taboo, but one that the sick person does
  not know they have violated. The shaman must find the
  proper atonement, and the victim has atoned, the taboo can
  be properly lifted. A few taboo are just groundless supersti-
  tion, but many are true, little pockets of chaotic energy left
  over from Creation, where doing certain things causes seri-
  ous repercussions.
  A person who violates a taboo usually feels the backlash by
  the next sunrise or sunset, in the form of an appropriate
  curse. This is represented by a 1 point Subtract on an attrib-
  ute, with a permanent duration. Since this is a spiritual back-
  hand for being stupid or evil, then the exact attribute affect-
  ed should be related somehow to the type of taboo violation.
  “...and he who walks through the forbidden woods shall be
  made weak, that they walk there no more...”
  “...for Windstrider was blinded by pride, and saw not the
  nature of the food he ate, and the evil spirits that dwelt with-
  in it churned his bowels and stole his health...”
  A curse of any kind can be negated by an opposing Subtract
  of permanent duration (the two cancel each other out and
  vanish). However, a taboo is more than just a game
  mechanic, it is a cause and effect part of everyday life. If the
  taboo is because of lingering spiritual forces best left undis-
  turbed, then the curse can be removed normally. But if the
  curse is brought about by breaking a taboo that is an affront
  to the Earth Mother or the Clan shakt, then anyone who
  removes that curse instead has it transferred to themselves
  instead. Such a curse can only be removed without risk if
  the cursed person undertakes a task to purify their spirit.
  Once this is completed, the curse can be safely removed.
  Understandably, any shaman asked to remove a curse will
  first undertake a lot of research to identify the type of curse
  that is being dealt with.
  Challenges
  Peace is largely maintained between the Clans. Organized
  warfare is not actually taboo, but there are enough natural
  resources that it is unnecessary, and the deliberate killing of
  another just to walk upon a different part of the Earth Mother
  is considered a Bad Thing, done only in necessity.
  Upon entering the territory of another Clan’s village, it is cus-
  tomary for a group to be challenged. Someone in that village
  will offer challenge to the leader of the visitors, usually some
  form of Brawling (unarmed, completely tool-less). This chal-
  lenge lasts until one party gives up or no longer able to con-
  tinue. How real or symbolic this combat is depends on how
  the Clans feel about each other at the time. This satisfies
  the need to symbolically protect the territory of the Clan,
  without resorting to bloodshed. If the village champion wins,
  the guests are obliged to provide some form of payment for
  hospitality, or may simply sleep within any defensive hedge
  the village might have. If the visitors win, the village is
  obliged to provide a night’s food and shelter. This provides
  for interesting politics between the village champion (who
  does the fighting), and the village elder (who gets the pay-
  ment for hospitality).
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  k
  26
  26
  Clan Moots
  Once each year, on the longest day of the year, all the
  Clans in the region meet at the Meeting Ground. This is an
  island on a river flowing through the region, and it is agreed
  that it belongs to no Clan. All Challenges are suspended for
  anyone who is travelling to the Moot, but only shelter is
  obliged to be provided. With Clans having physical borders
  and human emotions being what they will, conflicts will arise
  between Clans. Each village may send one person to repre-
  sent them at the Moot, and each Clan chooses one person
  to represent them in disputes. It is considered a great honor
  to be chosen as Clan or village representative, and a lot of
  politics goes on behind the scenes for the choosing. If a vil-
  lage has a shaman, the shaman is usually the representa-
  tive, and the wisest shaman is hopefully the one chosen to
  be the Clan representative. This small group of people
  hears all disputes between people of different Clans, and all
  agree to abide by the decision of the Moot, whether they like
  it or not.
  In addition, there are certain “disputed territories” between
  Clans, such as river islands, a particularly nice valley for
  hunting, etc. Each Clan has a Clan champion, which is cho-
  sen during the two weeks of the Moot. Each Clan’s champi-
  on fights the champion of whichever Clan the territorial dis-
  pute is with. The winner’s Clan holds that land until the fol-
  lowing Moot. This particular ceremonial combat is also a
  prestige event, and one which requires a certain amount of
  wit and guile. Since the preliminary fights are over only two
  days before the main challenges, a person can fight their
  way up to Clan champion position and end up being too
  badly beat up to do well against other Clans. While a chal-
  lenger always has the option of using fists and feet, most
  challengers use holds and pins, to force an opponent to give
  up because they are immobilized. However, if another
  Clan’s challenger specialized in punches and kicks, you
  might end up at a disadvantage.
  Usually, the magically toughest and physically strongest
  bruisers are the Clan champions, and the fights have been
  known to take hours, with long pauses to recover stamina,
  wary circling and muscle-bulging stalemates. A lot of side
  bets take place in these fights, and attempts to rig the fights
  are not unknown. However, such bad sport is usually uncov-
  ered by shamans, and the offender beaten to a bloody pulp.
  The Pohnee
  Pohnee are small beasts of burden that the Earth Mother
  gave your people at the end of the Creation. Their shakt
  would rather they die than allow themselves to be ridden,
  but if captured young, can be trained to carry burdens.
  Large scale fencing is impractical, so domestic Pohnee are
  hobbled to prevent them from running away. This and the
  sure supply of food they get from the village keeps most
  close by when needed. Dog can be trained to protect the
  Pohnee from Wolf, but Dog hasn’t learned yet how to herd
  them for the People. Pohnee are essential to carry heavy
  burdens when a village moves, and they provide meat and
  hides without hunting if you do not use too many of them.
  The killing of Pohnee must therefore be sanctioned by the
  village elders, and the Pohnee divided according to need
  (which is often influenced by status).
  P
  POHNEE
  OHNEE
  STR
  9
  AGL
  6
  AWR
  6(1)
  WIL
  6
  HLT
  7
  POW
  1
  Description
  Compact muscular body and short legs, usually in a solid
  shade of brown or grey. Pohnee run wild in many areas, and
  travel in small groups for protection from Wolf.
  Mass:
  230kg
  Variation:
  ±40kg
  Length:
  2.5m
  Size modifier:
  -1
  Good reaction roll:
  Ignore you
  Neutral reaction roll: Move away warily
  Bad reaction roll:
  Run away
  Climate:
  Temperate
  Terrain:
  Plains
  Special abilities:
  Toughness x.7
  Run at up to 14m/sec
  Skills:
  Bite (DV1 combination), skill 2
  Kick (DV3 combination), skill 2
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  27
  27
  The Dog
  When the Moon shakt fought with the Earth Mother during
  the Dreamtime, the Moon did not fight alone. Some of the
  lesser shakt fought on her side, just as many shakt fought
  on the side of the Earth Mother. The greater Wolf shakt
  fought with the Moon, while a lesser shakt fought with the
  Earth Mother. When the Earth Mother won, she made it so
  the Wolf shakt would always be displaced by the People,
  and raised the lesser Wolf shakt to be the companion of the
  People, for the Wolves would bear them eternal enmity. This
  is why the dogs stay with the People and protect them, and
  why they hate the wolves. And the wolves, lonely for their
  Moon shakt, howl to her in the night, and the Wolf shakt
  plots mischief against the People and the animals we use.
  There is only one kind of dog, the Dog. Its shakt is a lesser
  one, and easily distracted, but usually an ally of the People.
  Her children will treat the people as part of their pack, and if
  raised well, will protect the People and their animals from
  harm. To teach Dog to do a specific thing is unknown, and
  the best that can be expected is that it will sense its pack-
  mates mood and act accordingly. Dog is not killed and eaten
  except in the worst of times, for Dog shakt is a friend of the
  People. It is not forbidden to kill the young Dog when there
  are too many, for Dog is greatly blessed by the Earth Mother
  and the People know Dog shakt is not smart enough under-
  stand the limits of what She can provide.
  D
  DOG
  OG
  STR
  2
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  5(1)
  WIL
  3
  HLT
  5
  POW
  1
  Description
  Dog, with thick fur in shades of black, brown and gray.
  Mass:
  20kg
  Variation:
  ±5kg
  Length:
  1.0m
  Size modifier:
  +0
  Good reaction roll:
  Friendly approach
  Neutral reaction roll: Watch and do nothing
  Bad reaction roll:
  Threaten to attack or attack
  Climate:
  Anywhere the People are
  Terrain:
  Anywhere the People are
  Special abilities:
  Frailness x2.0
  Run at up to 11m/sec
  Enhanced sense of smell
  Skills:
  Bite (DV1 lethal), skill 3
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  28
  28
  l
  n
  n
  y
  U
  The Deer
  The Deer are the beasts the People love the most, for they
  give us warm furs, strong horns, good meat and sinews for
  our bows and lashings. They are shy, for Deer shakt does
  not want us to take her children for granted. She smells us
  sneaking upon them, or sees us with her wary eyes, and her
  children flash their tails at us and run away. The clever
  hunter can sneak upon them though, or a group can scare
  them into the spears and bows of others. We take of Deer
  shakt only what we need, so that she does not drive her
  children away from us.
  DDEER
  EER
  STR
  4
  AGL
  1
  AWR
  6(1)
  WIL
  3
  HLT
  5
  POW
  1
  Description
  Brown to reddish-brown medium herbivore, males being
  somewhat larger and seasonally equipped with antlers.
  Mass:
  75kg
  Variation:
  ±15kg
  Length:
  1.6m
  Size modifier:
  +0
  Good reaction roll:
  Ignore you
  Neutral reaction roll: Watch warily, fleeing if you approach
  Bad reaction roll:
  Run away
  Climate:
  Any
  Terrain:
  Plains, Forests, Mountains
  Special abilities:
  Toughness x1.0
  Run at up to 15m/sec
  Skills:
  Gore (DV1), skill 4
  Stealth, skill 5
  The Tusks
  These are the greatest of the true children of the Earth
  Mother, standing as tall as one person upon another, and
  with a great hairy hide large enough to make a hut by itself.
  The Tusks are seldom seen anymore, for the People offend-
  ed the Tusk shakt. Some hunted with plants of ill shakt, and
  others drove many tusk off cliffs, because they lacked the
  skill or courage to take one with weapons. Many tusk bloat-
  ed in the heat of Sun shakt, their horns and hide and meat
  feeding only the eaters of the dead. Tusk shakt was wroth
  with the People, and drove her children from our lands. If
  they return, we take only one, so that Tusk shakt sees we
  pay her the proper respect.
  TTUSK
  USK
  STR
  24
  AGL
  4
  AWR
  6(1)
  WIL
  6
  HLT
  5
  POW
  3
  Description
  Very large quadruped with coarse long brown hair, with pre-
  hensile trunk and mighty curled horns upon its jaw.
  Mass:
  5,000kg
  Variation:
  ±1,000kg
  Length:
  6m
  Size modifier:
  -3
  Good reaction roll:
  Ignore you
  Neutral reaction roll: Move away from you
  Bad reaction roll:
  Defend its herd mates
  Climate:
  Temperate or equatorial
  Terrain:
  Plains
  Special abilities:
  Toughness x.2
  Run at up to 13m/sec
  Skills:
  Grab, skill 4
  Tusk (males only)(DV6 comb.), skill 4
  Trample (DV12 comb.), skill 2
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  29
  29
  The Lesser Thrasher is perhaps as strong as a warrior, with
  claws that rend and teeth that tear. The shakt of the Lesser
  Thrasher speaks to the Wolf shakt, and the lesser thrashers
  hunt together, with the cunning of wolves. They are more to
  be feared than the Thrasher, for they are small and fast, and
  can see things the Great Thrasher cannot.
  LLESSER
  ESSER TTHRASHER
  HRASHER
  STR
  6
  AGL
  6
  AWR
  5(1)
  WIL
  7
  HLT
  5
  POW
  1
  Description
  Medium bipedal creature with powerful foreclaws and a tail
  that represents about half its body length. Powerful jaws,
  forward-facing eyes, a wary but aggressive disposition.
  Mass:
  150kg
  Variation:
  ±30kg
  Length:
  2.5m
  Size modifier:
  -1
  Good reaction roll:
  Ignore you
  Neutral reaction roll: Watch but not attack
  Bad reaction roll:
  Attack you
  Climate:
  Average to wet equatorial
  Terrain:
  Plains or forest
  Special abilities:
  Toughness x1.0
  Inherent AV of 1/0 on body
  Inherent AV of 1/1 on head
  Run at up to 15m/sec
  Skills:
  Bite (DV3 lethal), skill 4
  Claw (DV3 lethal), skill 4
  The feeblest of these is the Great Spined Bull, which is often
  eaten by the Thrasher. It does not eat the People, but only
  the things that grow from the ground. It is still a great beast,
  and can be aroused to wrath by spears and arrows. While it
  is eaten by the Thrasher, not all Thrashers survive the fight,
  and they are overtaken by the great wounds left by the
  spines of the Bull.
  There are more of the Elder Beasts, but they are not proper
  creatures, and if you stay out of the taboo places, you have
  no reason to know of them.
  The Elder Beasts
  When the Earth Mother made her Dream real, that she
  might dream of it again, Her first works were not what She
  truly wanted. While they walked or flew or flopped upon the
  ground, they were not Her Dream, so She took them back
  unto Herself and started over. A very few of their shakt, see-
  ing their time at an end, hid in far places where the Earth
  Mother did not see them, and came back out when She fell
  asleep. The elder beasts are terrible to behold, and eat not
  only their own kind, but any who enter their places. For this
  reason, their valleys and woods are taboo, lest you be
  eaten, or entice them to leave their hidden places and come
  to the places of the People.
  The greatest of the elder beasts is the Thrasher, that stands
  above the greatest tusk, whose teeth tear one in half, and
  whose tail crushes bones like men snap twigs. Thrasher
  runs like the Pohnee, and the ground shakes beneath his
  feet. If you fight him, you will be forever lost, for there will be
  no bones left for the calling of your spirit.
  TTHRASHER
  HRASHER
  STR
  22
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  5(0)
  WIL
  9
  HLT
  7
  POW
  3
  Description
  Large bipedal creature with small foreclaws and a tail that
  represents about half its body length. Powerful jaws, for-
  ward-facing eyes, lousy disposition.
  Mass:
  10,000kg
  Variation:
  ±2,000kg
  Length:
  10m
  Size modifier:
  -3
  Good reaction roll:
  Ignore you
  Neutral reaction roll: Watch but not attack
  Bad reaction roll:
  Attack you
  Climate:
  Average to wet equatorial
  Terrain:
  Plains
  Special abilities:
  Toughness x.2
  Inherent AV of 2/2 on body
  Inherent AV of 3/3 on head
  Run at up to 15m/sec
  Skills:
  Bite (DV6 lethal), skill 4
  Tail (DV5 comb.), skill 2
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  Chaos Things
  There also also other things, things that gnaw at the Earth
  Mother, for they are what should have been unmade. When
  She made the Greater Shakt, some were not of her Dream,
  but of a past nightmare. These She banished Elsewhere,
  but some clung to her by a tooth or claw, and where that
  tooth or claw touched Her, unwholesome things spread like
  a festering wound. Earth Mother is great, and the wounds
  are small on Her, but they are large to the People who live
  upon Her. These things are not proper, and have their own
  shakt which the People do not understand and dare not
  speak of. It is good that these things cannot stray far from
  the area from which they come, but in bad years the places
  grow larger, and the beasts stray farther into our lands.
  Since we are of the Earth Mother, and someday we will
  rejoin Her, we must fight these things and drive them back,
  challenging their shakt and unmaking those of the People
  seduced by the promises of these ones from Elsewhere.The
  lands in which the Chaos Beasts live are the Bad Places.
  They are taboo, and none may go there without the blessing
  of the Clan elders. Speak not of these things under the open
  sky, lest things from the Bad Place hear you.
  The Underpeople
  When the Earth Mother first thought of the People, She was
  not satisfied with Her first creation, and this She set aside
  for later. By the time She made us, She had forgotten about
  these first people, and they were not unmade like many of
  the creations we see buried in Her rocks from time to time.
  30
  30
  They are not People, for they have not the Earth Mother's
  gift, but they can speak some of our words and play with our
  things as though they understand them. They can be dan-
  gerous if there are many of them, but they fear us, for they
  know we have the Earth Mother's blessing and they do not.
  The Underpeople are somewhere between beasts and
  People. They have a small vocabulary which can used in
  simple sentences. They can fashion and use crude tools, but
  that is about it. They are no match for any Clan, and have
  been pushed out of prime lands into less hospitable territory.
  In a few generations they will be all but extinct, and in a few
  more they will be only a memory. For now, most Clans have
  them as peaceful neighbors who only occasionally have to
  be killed for killing animals on Clan land. The Underpeople’s
  only real skill is at woodscraft, and they can often be bribed
  to give guidance through strange forests, provided you can
  find them and communicate what you want. The
  Underpeople can work no magic, and are born with a 1 point
  Block vs. all magics. They are basically too simple to under-
  stand taboos, so this is a good thing. Since most Clans will
  not live in taboo places, Underpeople there have a bad rep-
  utation, and are either considered tools of evil spirits, or so
  fierce and skilled in magic that they can live in taboo areas
  without harm, neither of which is actually true.
  U
  UNDERPEOPLE
  NDERPEOPLE
  STR
  4
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  4(2)
  WIL
  4
  HLT
  7
  POW
  1
  Description
  Medium bipedal creature that looks like a cross between a
  beast and the People.
  Mass:
  50kg
  Variation:
  ±10kg
  Length:
  1.5m
  Size modifier:
  +0
  Good reaction roll:
  Approach you
  Neutral reaction roll: Watch warily
  Bad reaction roll:
  Run screeching and climb a tree
  Climate:
  Average to wet equatorial
  Terrain:
  Forest or nearby plains
  Special abilities:
  Frailness x1.5
  Run at up to 10m/sec
  Skills:
  Bite (DV1), skill 3
  Tool use, skill 2
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  31
  31
  The Spirit World
  The world is full of unseen forces, usually called shakt, a
  term which is both singular and plural. Each shakt has a
  name and purpose, which the People can often shape to
  their advantage.
  Earth Mother
  She is the all-encompassing force which created the uni-
  verse. Her body is the world, from which all living things
  spring. She is everything, and Her attributes are reflected in
  the shape of the world to those who have eyes to see. She
  sleeps now, somewhere in a remote region of the spirit
  world. She can be roused from Her slumber by great magics
  to speak to Her children, but all Her children, even the
  greater shakt, hesitate to do so. This is because She Who
  Made the World does not like to be roused without good
  reason, and if Her Creation gives Her too many problems,
  She might just unmake the whole mess and start over
  again.
  The Greater Shakt
  When the Earth Mother saw the greatness of Her Dreaming,
  She saw that it would require constant maintenance to stay
  in harmony. To this end She created the Greater Shakt,
  each with their own mandate and place to fill. Some of these
  spirits did not work out, and were banished from this exis-
  tence to “Elsewhere”, and others were determined to be
  superfluous but possibly useful, so they were exiled to
  places far from Her work. A few of the greater shakt fell into
  peril after She fell asleep again, and are either asleep or
  unconscious, but still powerful and influence the world in
  subtle ways. 
  In game terms, the greater shakt have an effective POW of
  approximately 100, an innate and perfect use of all magic
  associated with their nature, including Area, Power, Target
  and Time Multiples, and an ability to manifest in human
  form. Each of them also has weaknesses associated with
  their nature, weaknesses which they might not even be
  aware of.
  The Storm shakt
  He is the most powerful of the Earth Mother’s spirits. The
  Sun shakt hides behind the world each night, but the storms
  are with us always, and the Sun shakt is never brave
  enough to actually descend below the clouds. When the
  Earth Mother separated the wholesome creatures into male
  and female, she temporarily imbued the Storm shakt with
  the “primordial maleness”, to help her in her work of cre-
  ation. When she retired to her cosmic bed after creation was
  finished, she took back what she had given the Storm shakt,
  but not the memory of it. The Greater Shakt, being gender-
  less, knew neither the male or female emotions or desires,
  went about their appointed duties and cared not for the
  wants or needs of the other aspects of the Earth Mother’s
  creation. The Storm shakt however, had known desire and
  ambition for a short time, and the memory lingered. After the
  Earth Mother went back to sleep, he stole the “primordial
  maleness” from beside her sleeping mat, and returned to
  the world. These male attributes are why he is a capricious
  and ambitious shakt. While the sun shakt follows his
  appointed path, the moon rises and sets, and the rivers flow
  to the sea, the storms arise where they will, the blessings of
  rain given or withheld as he sees fit. He looks upon
  Creation, and sees himself as the most powerful force in it.
  As long as the Earth Mother sleeps, he sees no reason why
  he should not manage all things in Her absence. Her cre-
  ation is resistant to change, however, so his plans are only
  now coming to fruition. In addition, the Earth Mother was a
  little more clever than he, and put in some safeguards to
  prevent tampering. Powerful though he is, he cannot bypass
  these spiritual traps himself, and requires lesser creations to
  slip in unnoticed and open the gates from within.
  The Moon shakt
  She is the only other Greater Spirit to have gender. The
  Earth Mother originally wanted to have a portion of Her
  awareness always watching over Her Creation, and created
  the Moon shakt from Her own essence to be this watcher.
  Eventually, She decided that this was not a good idea. She
  could not banish part of herself to “elsewhere”, so She
  exiled the Moon shakt far from the other parts of Creation.
  The Moon shakt was most unhappy with this, but has
  remained bound to her place in the sky, her countenance
  brightening and darkening with her moods. She is almost
  alone, for few other shakt are so high in the sky, and few of
  the People have been elevated into the points of light that
  shine down upon their children. She is a pale and unblem-
  ished disk, her spiritual features hidden from mortal eyes.
  She is a powerful shakt, and despite the distance of her
  exile, she still calls to the Sea shakt for help, but it cannot
  reach her, and sometimes challenges the Sun shakt to bat-
  tle, which she always loses. As the most powerful female
  shakt, the Moon also calls to all women, and they feel the
  pain of her exile, and the wounds she suffered in her strug-
  gle to escape exile.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  32
  32
  The Sun shakt
  The Sun is the second most powerful of the shakt that affect
  the world on a daily basis, and probably the smartest. While
  the Storm shakt is here and there, doing many things all at
  once, the Sun shakt moves far above the clouds and looks
  down on all things. The Sun sees all things that move in the
  daylight, and the Sun thinks long and hard upon what it
  sees. The Sun lacks the male attributes and passion, but is
  capable of understanding their benefits. He has lived
  through the eyes of men in past generations, and each time
  gains a little more wisdom and ambition. Like the Storm
  shakt, the Sun shakt’s plans have been thwarted by the
  Earth Mother’s protections, and the Sun also needs tools or
  champions to further its ambitions.
  The Sea Shakt
  The Sea shakt is the slowest of the greater shakt. The Sea
  is tossed by the Storms and pulled by the Moon, but
  remains calm beneath. The job of the Sea is to provide a
  place for all those creations whom the Earth Mother does
  not tend for Herself, to be a place to which the rivers can
  flow, and a way to divide Her separate Creations so that
  they do not interfere with each other. People realize this,
  and know that grave perils can befall those who journey
  beyond sight of the Earth upon the Sea. Legends tell of
  grave perils and strange and distant lands, but few voyage
  outwards, and fewer still return.
  Great Shakt
  Each creation of the Earth Mother has a great shakt to tend
  to it. These are female shakt, since they are the mothers of
  all their kind. Each one see the comings and goings of its
  children, and whispers guidance in their ears. The Shakt of
  the Geese whispers to them that North Wind shakt comes,
  and they fly away, and it whispers to them when it is time to
  return in the spring. The Shakt of the Deer whispers to them
  when hunters approach, and they flee our bows. But, she
  does not whisper to all of them, because it is their part of the
  Earth Mother’s plan that some be killed to be our food and
  clothing. For that, we give thanks to Deer Shakt for each
  one we kill, and kill no more than we need, lest Deer Shakt
  whisper to her children to leave our lands and not return.
  The Great Shakt are not omnipresent, but one does not
  treat them lightly. They are still more powerful than any per-
  son, and they can withhold their blessings from an entire
  Clan for the actions of an individual. Great magics have
  been worked to call, appease or even bind the Great Shakt,
  but these are risky, and the price of failure is too high to
  even think about. If a Great Shakt is harmed in any way, it
  reflects in the health of her children. If Deer Shakt is hurt,
  then she cannot whisper to her children, and they are more
  easily hunted. She cannot give the does new spirits for their
  fawns, and they are stillborn or malformed. The deer will
  sicken and die without her protection, since the lesser spirits
  of sickness are not warded off by her presence.
  Each Clan also has a Great Shakt, the mother of the Clan.
  She whispers to her children in dreams sometimes, but
  more often than not, she sleeps herself and does not wish to
  be roused. Making of a people is hard work, and like the
  Earth Mother, she rests afterwards. Each Clan has a day
  each year in which the shamans call upon the Clan Spirit at
  her shrine, thank her for the blessings she has bestowed,
  and ask for continued blessings in the next year. In times of
  great crisis, some may dare to petition her individually, but
  to do so without the permission of the shamans is a great
  taboo, for if the Clan Shakt is displeased, her wrath may
  affect all the people, not just the petitioner. In game terms,
  the great shakt have an effective POW of approximately 25,
  an innate and perfect use of all magic associated with their
  nature, including Area, Power, Target and Time Multiples,
  and an ability to manifest in human form. The nature of their
  magic is much more specific than that of the Greater Shakt,
  however. Each of them also has weaknesses associated
  with their nature, weaknesses which they might not even be
  aware of.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  33
  33
  Lesser shakt
  In modern times, many of these might be referred to as the
  “laws of nature”. Lesser spirits inhabit all places and things,
  put there by the Earth Mother as part of her greater plan. It
  is the job of plant shakt to make sure the plant turns its face
  towards the Sun shakt, the job of the brook shakt to bring
  waters to the river spirit, the job of the lesser wind shakt to
  herd the clouds at the Storm shakt’s behest, and so on.
  These lesser shakt are almost always under the domain of a
  greater shakt. While their comings and goings are usually
  not noticed, any great mischief will certainly be found out
  eventually, since lesser shakt are none too bright, and fairly
  talkative. In game terms, a lesser shakt has a POW of 1-10,
  a limited magic associated with its nature, and a pretty good
  knowledge of all that happens in its sphere of influence.
  Only the more powerful ones can manifest in any form. All of
  the lesser shakt tend to have similar personalities, associat-
  ed with their nature. Fire shakt are like puppies, allies of the
  People from way back, eager but not very bright. Larger
  ones tend be a bit surly, though. Plants are slow and may
  take a while to notice you. Rivers are placid or aggressive,
  depending on water level, and gusts of wind see a lot, but
  have tiny attention spans.
  Manifestations
  Most shakt can manifest in physical form. While they can
  technically manifest in any form they want, most are bound
  by their nature to a single form or a select few forms, as
  befits the shakt in question. For instance, the Storm shakt
  appears as a large, well-muscled man of dark complexion.
  The Sun shakt appears more as a bronzed Adonis, not as
  powerful looking, but still formidable. The difference is that
  the manifestation of the Storm shakt is in all respects a man,
  while the Sun shakt is actually genderless where it counts.
  Lesser shakt are fully bound up in the process of manifesta-
  tion, using all their POW to achieve the desired form, while
  greater shakt only put a part of themselves and an indepen-
  dent part of their awareness into lesser manifestations. If the
  Storm shakt were to dedicate his being to a physical mani-
  festation, he would stand taller than the clouds and stride
  across the mountains. As is, he is just a very powerful man,
  and the storms continue unabated around the world, since
  so little of him is actually needed for the manifestation.
  When a greater shakt manifests in this way, the personality
  is that of the greater shakt, but the thoughts and memories
  are its own, until such time it chooses or is forced to depart
  the world of the flesh. So, if you are going to hurt a manifes-
  tation of a greater shakt, you better make sure he, she or it
  doesn’t see it coming.
  Shakt do what they do because they were made that way.
  We see because we have eyes, and hear because we have
  ears. The storm shakt makes the winds blow because he
  has «◊∆^», and the Sun shakt lights the world and moves
  across the sky because it has °¬¸ˇ•. If these terms mean
  nothing to you...then you understand. A mortal can't ask the
  Storm shakt for wisdom about weather or the winds,
  because the Storm shakt doesn’t know. It is just what he is.
  They are raw power with purpose and personality, and usu-
  ally have little practical knowledge to give to the People.
  This is not to say they are lacking in insight, or do not have
  great and terrible wisdom to impart, it is saying that the
  People seldom have the understanding of the answers, or
  even what questions to ask.
  A side effect of this is that when they manifest, they are per-
  fect, strong and dextrous, but have little or no idea of how to
  use tools or skills. They are far from helpless, but at the start
  of a Dreamtime campaign, they will have few skills above
  their Aptitude, or have Familiarity at best. The skills they do
  have will be ones that were useful in previous manifesta-
  tions, or which draw greatly from raw physical force, like run-
  ning and brawling.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  34
  34
  Shakt may also manifest by entering the body of another.
  This gives them the physical stats of the body, but the men-
  tal stats and lack of skills of the shakt. If the shakt gets a
  being with child, or becomes with child, that child will be
  born as a weak manifestation of the shakt. A person who
  goes into a taboo place might possibly become possessed
  by a shakt that was banished “elsewhere”, and find a way
  back to Creation by this route. Most times, the thread is
  seen early, and the child killed right after birth, but some-
  times the mother will find a way to hide the nature of the
  child, and it will gain power as it grows, and try to find a way
  to open a path for the other shakt to return. This is usually
  considered a Bad Thing, and Clan differences are temporar-
  ily forgotten in a combined effort to rid the body of the Earth
  Mother of such an aberration before she wakes up angry
  and irritable.
  Challenging a shakt
  Each shakt has a day of the year that it considers special for
  one reason or the other, or a time and place when they look
  more carefully upon the world below. For instance, at noon,
  on a hot long day, upon the highest place within sight, you
  are as close to the Sun shakt as you are likely to get, and it
  to you. If you call loud and long enough to the shakt you
  seek, it may notice you, and if there is something about you
  that piques the interest of the shakt, it may manifest to see
  what the tiny child of the Earth Mother is up to. The greater
  spirits can often be persuaded to enter into challenges
  (remember, they are not that bright), with each side offering
  something substantial as a wager, of approximately equal
  value. If the deal seems lopsided in your favor, perhaps you
  are not looking at it the right way. And such is the way of the
  world, that these deals are binding and irreversible.
  Example - Shenna Earthdaughter gains the attention of the
  shakt of the North Wind, for she and her companions sorely
  need a fast way to cross the great inland sea to the south,
  and they remember a legend where the hero was carried a
  great distance by a wind shakt. The North Wind sees this
  young woman who dares to challenge it to a bareknuckle
  fight, and agrees, provided that if it wins, she will name her
  first child after its unpronounceable shakt name. Of course,
  the shakt does not say that this is a way for it to cheaply
  manifest in human form, and eventually gain experience into
  the true nature of the People, as it hears rumors the greater
  shakt are doing. If she loses, her first child will be human in
  body, but with a spirit not of man, but of the North Wind.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  35
  35
  Character backgrounds
  The People are also known as the Tribe, and the Tribe is
  made up of three Clans: Far Traveller, Ugrik and Sem, of
  which the Clan shakt are Travelling Woman, Small Woman
  and Mother Sem.
  Each Clan has separate burdens its children must bear, and
  the reasons for this date back to the oldest Clan legends.
  Clan Ugrik
  Where the Earth Mother made Small Woman is a sacred
  place, and spring where she knelt to take her first drink is
  the shrine of Clan Ugrik. It is taboo for anyone to enter that
  valley save on the Day of Remembering, or without the per-
  mission of a Ugrik shaman.
  For many generations the people of Clan Ugrik lived in this
  valley, and when there were so many people the animal
  shakt had no place to live, Clan Ugrik still would not leave,
  but hunted elsewhere and always returned to this place. The
  Earth Mother was eventually awakened by so many feet
  walking upon her in the same place, and She was angered.
  She drove Clan Ugrik from the valley, and told them that
  never again could they live there. And because they had
  small minds and small goals, they would always be a small
  people, with small lands.
  And so it has been. Clan Ugrik has always been in disfavor
  and gotten the least of the blessings whenever great gifts
  have been given by the shakt. Their lands are the smallest,
  and their people are the shortest.
  Limitations
  All
  Clan Ugrik characters may never have a great
  Destiny, and no Clan Ugrik character may start
  play with any Attribute or skill higher than the 
  best character from another Clan in the same
  Attribute or skill. This is worth no points.
  Clan Far Traveller
  The place where the Earth Mother made the first Clan moth-
  er is a sacred place. When the Earth Mother made
  Travelling Woman from Herself, and set her down to walk
  upon Creation, where her feet first touched ground is the
  site of the Clan shrine. No one knows exactly where this is
  anymore, for the nature of Far Traveller is to seek new
  places. The Clan shakt still hears her children on the proper
  days, however, for she understands and loves her children,
  even if they don’t visit her anymore.
  Far Traveller took much of the Earth Mother when they were
  new, more than they needed, and many times just for the
  taking. When they had taken all the Earth Mother and the
  mother shakt could give, they moved to a different place.
  The many shakt conferred among themselves to punish Far
  Traveller as they could. Since Far Traveller had hurt the
  mother shakt, the mother shakt would not hear their calls.
  No woman of Far Traveller may ever call upon a mother
  shakt, for they will not hear, and will not respond. This is
  their eternal shame for abusing the Gift of the Earth Mother.
  Limitations
  Female
  Physical Lim. +10 Difficulty to call upon any 
  female aspected shakt other than the Clan 
  shakt, Earth Mother and Moon shakt (basically 
  they are forbidden to call upon any animal 
  shakt). This is worth 10AP or SP.
  Clan Far Traveller lives mainly upon the plains, and is
  known for their skill with the bow. They are hardy and
  accustomed to walking long distances across the hilly grass-
  lands which they prefer to call home.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  THE CLANS
  
  36
  36
  Clan Sem
  Mother Sem was set down upon a hilltop where she could
  see the great Inland Sea, and her people strive to walk
  down that hill on the path she took at least once in their
  lives, for this hilltop is the shrine to Mother Sem.
  The people of Clan Sem did not have the plains of Far
  Traveller, nor the great and deep forests Clan Ugrik lives in,
  but a land less blessed by the Earth Mother, with some
  plains and some forests. The Clan argued among them-
  selves on which was best to live in, some spreading nuts on
  the plains that new trees might grow, others hewing down
  the trees that there might be plains, until the land was nei-
  ther plains nor forests, but clumps of trees and great
  amounts of bushes and scrub and rocks. And finally they
  called upon Mother Sem to ask for guidance, and she woke
  and was terrible in her anger to her own children. She said
  “What have you done to the great and green land which the
  Earth Mother gave to you to live upon?” And they argued
  among themselves, each village elder blaming the others,
  until she silenced them with a wave of her hand. So angry
  was she, that she cursed her own children and all their chil-
  dren forevermore, that if they will not have peace among
  themselves, they will never have peace with others. And
  though Mother Sem wanted to take this back as soon as
  she said it, her words had great power and linger to this day.
  The people of Clan Sem still fight among themselves with
  words, and no matter how they try not to, they always find a
  way to make enemies of friends, and turn both the hand of
  People and shakt against them. Their fighting has made
  them powerful, for none want them as enemies, but it has
  not made them great, for none want them as friends.
  Limitations
  All
  All members of Clan Sem must have the 
  Psych Lim “doesn't trust outsiders” at Level 2 
  or better (4AP or SP).
  Clan Sem lives mostly along the shores of the great Inland
  Sea, and the rivers that run into it. Only they may have skill
  at handling boats upon the Inland Sea.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  37
  37
  The Blood of Heroes
  For those who think that a Dreamtime campaign is set in
  too simple a world to have great adventures, or that you
  cannot find enough challenge in a world of stone and wood
  and leather, let us present the short histories of two NPC
  characters, who lived through a Dreamtime of their own, and
  which the adventure provided is based upon. If you don’t
  use these characters as powerful NPC’s, then use them as
  examples of legendary figures from the past, leaving out or
  editing those parts which you choose to incorporate into
  your own Dreamtime campaign.
  S
  SHENNA
  HENNA EEARTHDAUGHTER
  ARTHDAUGHTER
  Lvl
  STR
  4
  AGL
  7
  AWR
  6
  WIL
  5
  HLT
  6
  POW
  6
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  7
  Kicks
  +3 .
  Survival
  5
  Spear
  3
  Armory
  6
  Bow
  7
  Spirit knowl.
  3
  Poetry
  4
  Gifts
  Wind bow (DV2)
  Stoneskin (AV2/0)
  Firemaker
  Walk-on-water
  Rockshaper
  Shenna is an outcast daughter of Clan Far Traveller. For her
  birth, her mother made an epic poem asking the shakt of
  Earth, Wind, Fire and River to bless her child. The spirits
  came, but Shenna was born in the heart of winter, and the
  Fire shakt that came was unhappy. It gave its smallest gift,
  and then burned down most of the village. Shenna and her
  mother were both outcasts, and barely tolerated in all parts
  of Far Traveller. Shenna grew up having to defend herself
  against others who bullied her. She was small, but hard to
  hurt, and this gave her the time she needed to learn how to
  fight back. Her mother died before Shenna became a
  woman, and Shenna has lived alone ever since. She is out-
  cast because of her birth, but tolerated because she can
  make the finest spear points and arrowheads by turning
  hand-mixed clay and mud into solid stone. She is not liked,
  but few try to harm her more than once because she fights
  like a trapped yeowler. One of her fighting secrets is to use
  her ability to turn mud on her hands and feet into stone
  before a fight, which does +1 damage.
  Shenna is somewhere between her 15th and 18th year, and
  she is tired of being an outcast. She will seek adventure with
  anyone who promises glory and renown, that she might
  clear her name.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  LEGENDS OF
  THE PEOPLE
  
  38
  38
  Her magics kept her healthy, if not young, but the world had
  changed, and her part was drawing near an end. Shenna
  Windwalker challenged the Sun shakt to a last fight to
  secure a lasting blessing for her people. He was wise to her
  ways, for she had bloodied the nose of the Sun in her youth,
  and Sun shakt declared the challenge to be of grabs and
  holds, not of fists and feet. Shenna was dismayed for she
  was old, and strong only in magic. She fought well, and
  fought until almost defeated, but surprised and pinned the
  Sun to the ground by using a magic boon from the Storm
  shakt, which she had guarded for many years for such a
  dire need. Her husband and lover, the shakt of the North
  Wind, then used his powers to make Shenna into a lesser
  shakt, and she disappeared from this world to the invisible
  world. She still speaks to her people if they call, and when
  the winter winds howl down from the hills, but fall gently on
  the villages, Clan Far Traveller knows it is because Shenna
  remembers them.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  Shenna's Saga
  Shenna Earthdaughter was a slight maiden with a fire in her
  eyes and pain in her heart. Without any mate, she went on
  adventure to get away from those who shunned her, and to
  make a name for herself, to escape a past that she was not
  responsible for. 
  She fought many creatures, both natural and unnatural, and
  carried many scars as a result. She upset the elders of the
  Clan by entering the challenge to become Clan champion,
  for in those days it was not a thing done by the women.
  Many wished to ban her from the Moot ground, for she
  would not still her voice until allowed to fight, but the Clan
  women persuaded the elders that she should have the
  chance to be defeated as any other, and that it might teach
  her a lesson. 
  Although she fought well, and defeated many, there was
  always at least one who fought better and she never
  became Clan champion. However, she did become a war
  leader second only to Frehd the Fearless, and a hero for all
  the women of Far Traveller. When the Storm shakt revealed
  the women’s secret to men, she and her followers tried
  valiantly to suppress it, ultimately to no avail. So she
  searched the world for knowledge, and stole secrets from
  beneath the notice of the Storm shakt. These she changed
  and taught only to women, so that they might be strong in
  ways that the men could not be.  But she learned things the
  greater shakt wished to remain hidden, so they bedeviled
  her and those she taught, until she made rivals of one
  against the other, and so engaged, they forgot about her.
  She learned a way to use a spear with a broken point as a
  new weapon, and to dance while fighting so that none could
  strike her. These were New Things, and her Clan benefited
  much from them.
  In her later years, she used magic to call the shakt of the
  North Wind to her, and bound a spell of love upon its heart,
  so that it became her mate, and she became Shenna
  Windwalker. In time, the North Wind truly fell in love with
  her, and learned of the ways to become a man from the
  other shakt. She journeyed many weeks to find the Clan
  shrine in the distant lands, and fought the guardian of the
  dead to gain entrance to the underworld. There she secured
  a blessing for her unborn child from her ancestors, and
  some say the Earth Mother herself. She had three children,
  whom she fought to protect, and who became mighty
  heroes in their own right. She taught the People how to build
  huts of stone, and to entice the lesser plant shakt to do her
  bidding, that the Clan never need forage for grains. 
  Shenna also reaped the sorrow she had sown in younger
  years. In her greed for wisdom many years past, she had
  released forces best left bound and spoke poems best left
  unsaid. They came into their own and brought great, great
  sorrow upon the Clan. Many of the Clan died to set things
  right, and she was very nearly among them.
  
  39
  39
  FFREHD
  REHD
  THE
  THE FFEARLESS
  EARLESS
  Lvl
  STR
  6
  AGL
  6
  AWR
  5
  WIL
  7
  HLT
  5
  POW
  4
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  4
  Punch
  +2
  Hold
  +2
  Flame touch
  4
  Survival
  5
  Poetry
  5
  Spirit knowl.
  3
  Singing
  3
  Dance
  3
  Seduction
  3
  Gifts
  Keen vision (+2 AWR to spot things)
  Clear voice (+2 AWR on social skills)
  Stonebody (AV of 4/0)
  Flame touch (melee DV4)
  Frehd was born to great power, and has never needed to
  learn much else. He has a well known reputation that no
  weapon can harm him, and no man can resist him. He is the
  current Clan champion of Far Traveller, though it should be
  noted that he cannot use the flame touch in challenges,
  which are supposed to be tests of raw talent. His supernatu-
  rally tough hide is an incredible advantage, and Frehd is an
  excellent brawler and wrestler. He was born with no spells
  to aid others, so he will never be a shaman, but he can han-
  dle the backlash of failed spells more than others, and has
  become an accomplished poet, with other skills to bolster
  his words. He can bring the spirits to his aid to help when
  his own lack of skills harms him. His voice, strength and skill
  do him no harm with the womenfolk either.
  Frehd is in his 22nd year, sees that he may someday
  become a Clan elder, and is seeking wisdom. His pride
  demands that he find it far from most of Far Traveller, so
  they will not see the knowledge he lacks.
  Frehd's saga
  Frehd was born to be a warrior and leader of men. Strong in
  battle, many would follow if he was the one who would lead
  and brave the spears and arrows of those who opposed the
  Clan. It was Frehd who helped rescue the shakt of the
  Pohnee from the evil shamans of Clan Ugrik upon the
  Forbidden Isle, and he who gained the blessing of the shakt
  of the Pohnee to ride all her children, and their children, for-
  ever more.
  By his heroism, Frehd gained the attention of the Storm
  shakt, who looked upon the world of men with ideas of great
  change in his heart, and needed a voice to speak them. It
  was to Frehd first that the women’s secret was given, and to
  him that the word of the Storm shakt was first preached. He
  was sent on many vain and fruitless quests to distant lands
  by the Clan elders, urged by the elder women who hoped
  fervently that he would not return. But return he did, with
  even more glory than he left with, and men finally heard the
  women's secret and believed, thus changing forever the way
  of the People.
  Frehd witnessed and survived the return of the Moon shakt,
  when she became flesh and fought the Earth Mother for
  dominion over Creation. The earth is still scarred from
  where they stepped and their bodies fell, and Her blood still
  flows from some of the great rents their bodies and fists and
  feet made during the battle. With the help of the Storm
  shakt, the Moon shakt lost the battle, and was hurled back
  into the sky, where her scarred body has remained ever
  since.
  When the Shaman who was Not allied with the shakt who
  were banished, and chaos came forth from the Bad Places,
  it was Frehd who led the first army of all the Clans, and
  crushed the forces of the shaman in the Great Battle. The
  wholesome shakt who were threatened by the shakt from
  Elsewhere blessed Frehd with the knowledge of how to put
  the magic of the world into things that would do your bid-
  ding, and the Storm shakt gave Frehd the knowledge of
  making a thing that was only the thought of a thing, and not
  the thing itself. This was a great magic he struggled with for
  many years, and which only the wisest could learn from him.
  In the fullness of time, Frehd became the Clan Elder of Far
  Traveller, had many children, and wrought mighty magics
  with the secret knowledge he taught only to the men. He
  lived long, and even when he was old and feeble, no other
  Clan would raise their hand against Far Traveller, so great
  was his reputation.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  40
  40
  Pohnee
  The author is partial to Clan Far Traveller, so this adventure
  is designed around a problem for a group of up to six char-
  acters from Clan Far Traveller, although the problem is one
  that all Clans will find important for one reason or the other.
  If you have a small group, take into account that some may
  be incapacitated, weakened or dead by the time of the final
  confrontation. Read through the entire adventure and adjust
  the threat level accordingly. The adventure may be straight-
  forward, but is not necessarily easy. Point out that stupid
  actions, even heroic ones, can get you killed. Understanding
  the dangers of Dreamtime is a lesson best learned early.
  Intro
  The adventure begins about a month before the Clan Moot.
  It is a time of barter and preparation. The local challenges
  are finishing up, and soon the champions of many villages
  will be travelling to the Moot to decide who is Clan champi-
  on, and in the end, who is champion of the People for the
  year. Many People from all Clans will be there, and those
  who have skins, beads or other things to trade will be there
  as well, to trade for other things from distant Clan lands.
  Beyond the normal barter and fighting and preparations,
  there is an undertone of concern. No Pohnee were born this
  spring around the village, and travellers say the same is true
  around other villages. In some years, some places have few
  or no Pohnee, but it is very rare that no Pohnee are born
  over such a wide area, and there are rumors that no Pohnee
  have been born anywhere for many months.
  This is a greatly disturbing thing, for Far Traveller relies on
  the Pohnee to carry the baskets and draw the sledges the
  Clan uses when a village is to be moved. Without Pohnee,
  life will be harder and less prosperous. As a result, those
  who have Pohnee that come when they are called, or who
  have Pohnee hides for barter, are much more loath to trade
  them, and much more wary of strangers around the areas
  where the Pohnee graze.
  It is a thing the elders and shaman speak of in hushed
  tones, and many who would not normally hazard the journey
  are going to the Moot, to seek and gain wisdom.
  The characters will have varying reasons to go the Moot,
  and should not need to be prodded. A character could easily
  be village champion and thus go. A craftsperson might have
  wares to barter, and a shaman could seek other shamen for
  wisdom or trade of knowledge. It also makes for easy travel-
  ling, since village challenges are often suspended since so
  many village champions are not at home. Hospitality may
  not be great, but villages welcome the barter and news
  brought by travellers.
  Moot Isle
  Moot Isle is a substantial piece of real estate on a great river
  that marks the boundary between Clan Far Traveller and
  Clan Ugrik. The river runs wide on one side, and narrow on
  the other, and can be reached from the one shore by a great
  shaping of stone done by shamans generations past. The
  bridge sees constant traffic, for the isle never has enough
  dry wood for fires, and the small game is found and eaten
  well before the Moot actually begins. So, those who did not
  heed their elders advice on bringing much food are going
  hungry and having to hunt or barter at a disadvantage for
  food. Treat all foraging survival rolls as +2 Difficulty before
  the Moot, and +3 Difficulty during and after the Moot.
  Survival skills with a specialization in fishing are only at +1
  Difficulty, and professional fishers usually have fresh fish for
  barter for only slightly outrageous offers.
  The Moot itself takes up about a week, and is filled with
  barter, challenge and meetings of elders and shamen who
  arbitrate disputes, discuss taboos, the weather and just
  about anything else at extraordinary length. Characters will
  only be hearing things secondhand, since they are unlikely
  to be in on privy council. However, people involved in these
  councils may have their eye on the characters...
  Moot challenges
  Characters can be involved in Moot challenges, even if not a
  village champion. Wagers of one person against another are
  common, even if neither party is a major contender, simply
  for the gain of goods a win will bring. A Moot challenge
  requires only an agreed on piece of ground, usually about 6
  meters across. Rules are simple: No maiming, no weapons,
  and the first person to leave the ring, admit defeat or be ren-
  dered unconscious is the loser. Characters who get involved
  with this can face a number of styles of fighter. First is the
  conventional brawler, who pummels you into unconscious-
  ness. Second is the proto-sumo, who uses sheer bulk and
  strength to force you from the ring without ever hurting you.
  Last is the grappler, who uses strategic holds and pins to
  cause you unbearable pain and force your submission. All of
  them may have a gift that enhances their ability in hopefully
  surprising ways. And if they made it this far, the challengers
  are probably built with about the same amount of points as
  the player characters, some a bit less, some a bit more.
  Someone dishonest might hire a ringer to challenge a char-
  acter and fight dirty. This may get the ringer expelled, but if
  the character is badly hurt, it makes it easier for the other.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  ADVENTURE
  
  41
  41
  Spice the days with challenges and rumors, and let the
  characters do what they want in the way of finding out infor-
  mation, trying to make advantageous trades and so forth.
  These things take time, so a handful of questions and some
  well played challenges can take up most of the early days of
  the Moot. This is appropriate to the leisurely pace of life the
  People usually have.
  One departure from the normal schedule becomes apparent
  about two days into the Moot. The elders of the three clans
  have agreed that the final champion challenges will be held
  a day early, and no reason is given. This creates a stir,
  since the last day of the Moot is given to judgements and
  the possession of disputed lands that will be decided by the
  Clan champions. It seems that if the champions fight a day
  early, then the business of the Moot will be over a day early,
  and all those trades that people were waiting on until the
  end of the Moot suddenly take on a little more urgency.
  On the next day, anyone who cares to be observant will see
  a number of elders and shamen watching preliminary chal-
  lenges, and murmuring among themselves. What is odd
  about this is that they are also closely observing challenges
  made between people who are already defeated, and who
  may be engaging in a friendly wager, or just plain practice.
  Moot only comes once a year, and many have travelled a
  long way to get there, so you might as well hang around,
  even if you stand no chance of being Clan champion.
  If any of the characters are demonstrating extreme martial
  prowess, or using other gifts or talents in a public and cre-
  ative fashion, someone important may come by their place
  of encampment and just watch for a while.
  Not much will be said after this, although the elders and
  shamen will still be looking around, although not so obvious-
  ly. At least one of the characters will be approached by a
  messenger from the elders, and asked if they plan on stay-
  ing until the last day of the moot. If the answer is “yes”, the
  messenger will tell the character that there may be a special
  pronouncement after the last judgements are made. If the
  answer is “no”, the messenger will ask the character to
  reconsider, for they may have a great opportunity come their
  way. No detail will be given.
  Behind the scenes
  The failure of the Pohnee shakt to protect her children has
  been a matter of much discussion and great concern.
  Secretly, and without permission of the Ugrik Eldest, a
  group of Ugrikan shamen has woven a great spell to capture
  and bind the Pohnee shakt, for Ugrik is a people of the
  forests, and do not use Pohnee for much. It is thought that
  this will weaken the other clans, and through this, allow
  Ugrik to expand and prosper.
  The Ugrik Eldest is at the moot. He is a good person, but is
  getting old, and his mind has weakened to where he does
  not see the treachery of his most powerful shamen. This
  makes him the perfect dupe, since his words will always ring
  true. Magical attempts to see if anyone here knows what is
  truly going on are more likely to be aimed at the most pow-
  erful, and so will fail to see the true culprits. The other Ugrik
  elders and shamen here do not know of the plot, save for
  one, a shaman by the name of Basa, who is appearing at
  the moot as a minor shaman, and excluded from the most
  privy meetings. He is actually quite powerful and clever. He
  knows much of what is going on in private council by deduc-
  tion and observation, and can infer more from the scraps of
  conversation he picks up from loose lips.
  Basa is making himself known as having a reliable talent or
  two useful to what he thinks the elders are up to, and makes
  sure he is observed using them. He also is watching to see
  how well others fight, and making mental notes on who he
  thinks will win.
  The Champion's Challenge
  The characters have a few days before the final challenges
  are made, with the last day beforehand generally reserved
  as a day of rest so that any  bruises accumulated will have a
  chance to heal. Since the final challenges have been
  advanced a day, the preliminaries have also been
  advanced, and characters involved will probably be a little
  busier than they thought.
  A typical challenger is on the next page. This person could
  be of any Clan, and is someone who might have already
  defeated several lesser opponents. Characters with good
  fighting skills can be presumed to mop up anyone of lesser
  prowess than this.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  42
  42
  PPOHN
  OHN--s
  sA
  A
  Lvl
  STR
  6
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  6
  WIL
  6
  HLT
  6
  POW
  3
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  5
  Holds
  +2.
  Kicks
  +1.
  If you want a character to fight several people, the same
  basic stats will apply, but the level and specialization of
  skills will be a little different from person to person.
  When it comes down to the semi-finals, each Clan will have
  a strong contender, plus possibly a character or two.
  Characters aren't actually expected to make it this far, but if
  they do, they will have a stiff fight vs. one of these people
  before they face the other Clan champions.
  J
  JOKULH
  OKULH (C
  (CLAN
  LAN S
  SEM
  EM))
  Lvl
  STR
  5
  AGL
  8
  AWR
  6
  WIL
  5
  HLT
  6
  POW
  4
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  6
  Blocks
  +3.
  Kicks
  +3.
  Jokulh has the power to Subtract his POW from the Armor
  Value of anything he touches, which makes his kicks much
  more effective against tougher characters (can't reduce
  Armor to below zero). He is hard pressed to escape if
  grabbed by a stronger character, so he usually covers his
  skin with grease before a fight, giving him a 2 point edge
  when trying to avoid being grabbed or escape from being
  grabbed. His nickname is “rockcrusher”, but he mostly uses
  his talent to shape wood into bowls, hammers and other
  useful items. He has a selection of wares here for sale, and
  they are fairly popular. 
  S
  SREB
  REB,,
  SON
  SON
  OF
  OF M
  MORIT
  ORIT (C
  (CLAN
  LAN U
  UGRIK
  GRIK))
  Lvl
  STR
  9
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  5
  WIL
  7
  HLT
  7
  POW
  3
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  5
  Grab
  +2.
  Grab legs +1.
  Grab fish +1.
  Pain Tolerance
  Increased Size (one level)
  Woodskin (inherent Armor of 1/0)
  Sreb is the son of Morit, an ogre-like hunk of a woman, all of
  whose children have been large and powerful, but none so
  much as Sreb. Many would think of someone so powerful as
  a sullen nasty sort, but Sreb is actually highly thought of
  among those who know him. He can fly into incredible rages
  if provoked, but it is hard to provoke someone who can
  ignore the punches and kicks of ordinary people, and who
  can pick up and carry a grown man under each arm. His
  fighting technique is rather simple. He grabs an opponent by
  the legs, and then uses them as a human club, beating
  them against the ground until they give up.
  Sreb is a hunt leader, and usually uses a great bow that
  only he can draw. He hones his brawling skills by wading
  the turbulent river near his village and catching fish with his
  bare hands.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  43
  43
  BBNIRRUT
  NIRRUT (C
  (CLAN
  LAN FFAR
  AR TTRAVELLER
  RAVELLER))
  Lvl
  STR
  6
  AGL
  6
  AWR
  6
  WIL
  6
  HLT
  6
  POW
  4
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  6
  Block
  +1.
  Punch
  +3.
  Pain Tolerance
  Bnirrut has the Dominate power at low levels, which he can
  only use to influence existing emotional traits. In a fight, he
  tries to gauge an opponent's spirit, and amplify any traits
  that can be used to his advantage. Any time he can push a
  Psych Lim to more than a character's WIL, he can alter the
  level of caution or aggression his foe has by the the differ-
  ence. For instance, if a person's overconfidence was made
  to be 2 more than their WIL, then he could alter their modi-
  fied defense down by 2. This power only works as long as
  he can maintain eye contact, and his fighting style is based
  on this fact. If a character is affected by Bnirrut, they can
  make a single Spirit Knowledge task vs. his skill at blocking
  to see this aspect of his style.
  The Final Day
  The GM should properly represent the spectacle of the
  Champion's Challenge, even if characters are not directly
  involved. The moot and the challenges are the most enter-
  tainment a person is likely to see all year, and the chal-
  lenges are a good place to make bets and possibly go home
  with more than they came with. Roll randomly to see who is
  favored among the three clans. A bet on the favorite would
  net a value of half again what is offered, the median chal-
  lenger would double your bet, and the underdog would triple
  it. To prevent spiritual interference, all the challengers are
  examined by shamans for any magics that could be used to
  alter the odds.
  After the feasting that lasts well into the night, comes the fol-
  lowing day. The three Clan champions, and a number of
  other worthy fighters (which should include at least one
  character) are summoned to the great lodge where the
  Elders hold session. Here they are told the terrible truth of
  what is going on. The Elder of Clan Ugrik will rise to his feet
  with the aid of a younger shaman, and address the group.
  “As many of you know, the Pohnee are weak, and their
  mother shakt does not protect them. This is not just a prob-
  lem of one place. All the clans have seen their Pohnee
  weaken over the past year, with many born without life, or
  too weak to survive. The great shamans of the the three
  Clans have undertaken quests to speak to the Pohnee
  shakt, but she is not to be found. The lesser shakt say that
  she has been taken from the lands of the shakt, and is being
  held among the lands of the People.
  This is a terrible thing, for it means that among the People
  are those who would bind the shakt and wish her children
  harm, a great abuse of the Earth Mother's gift. If such a
  thing had been done in the sight of the People, we would
  know how and where. Pohnee shakt has been hidden, and
  hidden well, but we now know she is somewhere in the
  lands of my Clan, a thing which shames me and my people.
  If she is here, she must be in one of the Bad Places where
  we do not go, and we of Clan Ugrik feel that our squabbles
  are but a bending of grass compared to the great wind that
  will sweep the lands should this thing be allowed to contin-
  ue. The Elders have decided that great warriors must travel
  into the Bad Places of our Clan, to seek out the Pohnee
  shakt, and free her, that all of the People may have her
  blessings again.”
  Each of the other Clan Elders will rise and deliver a similar
  speech, if only for the benefit of those in the audience who
  do not speak all the Clan tongues well.
  The warriors and challengers are being split into groups
  based on their prowess and the combined Elder opinion on
  which Bad Place is most likely to have the captive Pohnee
  shakt. The three Clan champions are being sent with
  shamen and blessings to the most likely place, and lesser
  places are doled out to other groups.
  Basa has been involved in these plans for he has shown a
  great knowledge of Ugrik territory. Through his connivance,
  he has managed to arrange to be the main shaman of what-
  ever group is going to the true area where the Pohnee shakt
  is being held, and the group he will be leading is none other
  than the characters.
  After the selection is over, the Elders will grant lifting of
  taboo to each group, based on the taboo that is to be violat-
  ed and the specific nature of each group. Since all the most
  powerful shamans are here, they all know that if the heros
  complete their quest, it is right for any taboo they have
  picked up to be lifted from them. The resources of the
  Elders are not great, but their influence is. If there is any
  small thing that a group feels they need for their trip, the
  Elders will attempt to help, based on the Influence of the
  group, the length of their trip and perceived danger. This
  could range from a skin for water to a fine spear or some
  parts of a powerful poem. Since characters have no
  Influence at this point, they are not likely to get much.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  44
  44
  The Deceptions of Basa
  Basa is clever and will work hard to gain the character's
  trust, so that he has more tools to use against them. He has
  an arsenal of hidden knowledge and dirty tricks to use. He
  will play as many as possible in a manner so as to seem to
  be actually helping the group. Aside from his machinations,
  the roughly one week trip to the Bad Place will be relatively
  uneventful.
  BBASA
  ASA
  Lvl
  STR
  5
  AGL
  4
  AWR
  6
  WIL
  6
  HLT
  5
  POW
  5
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  4
  Spear
  3
  Survival
  5
  Clan lands
  5
  Spirit knowl.
  5
  Ceremony
  3
  Theater
  3
  Legends
  4
  Poetry
  4
  Herbalism
  4
  Basa knows the rituals of Banishing the Unwholesome,
  Speak with Ancestors, and Bind the Angry Spirit. He has a
  spear, knife, travel sack, waterskin, a variety of pouches on
  a thong around his waist, some ceremonial jewelry made of
  bone and beads, and skins with an AV of 1/1 on his torso
  and lower legs. He also has a single Black Tear, which has
  a handful of uses left. His possession of such a valuable
  thing and willingness to use it is one reason why he was
  chosen for this quest over a more qualified shaman.
  Day 1 - Basa will meditate each night in an obvious fashion,
  claiming to try and speak to shakt to glimpse the future.
  Most of the time he actually is trying this, mainly to see if his
  deceptions will be unmasked, and how he can cover himself
  in that event. In game terms, characters who find out about
  him and plan a surprise will find that he has a contingency
  plan of some kind.
  Day 2 - On the second night, Basa will claim to have seen
  visions of unwholesome shakt emanating from a great hole
  in the ground, and piercing the bodies of the characters. He
  offers a remedy to this potential problem. He will perform a
  solemn dance and chant around the campfire, while the
  characters sit inside the circle he dances and pass around
  the special jerky, made from the meat of an Afflicted beast.
  Thus will the characters be invisible to the unwholesome
  shakt, who will search in vain until daybreak, when they
  must return to their dark places. This whole charade is just a
  way to get characters to eat human flesh, for that is what the
  jerky is truly made from. The strip of jerky that Basa eats is
  of course untainted. This is a taboo violation, and before
  sunup those who partook of the forbidden food will lose a
  point of STR until the taboo is lifted.
  “If a man eat the flesh of another, he thinks he partakes of
  the strength of that man, but he shall not gain that strength,
  and shall lose his own besides...”
  This is a serious taboo, and will stick with the characters
  until they can find a shaman who can give them a suitable
  quest of atonement. This does not have to be a great quest.
  It could be something straightforward, but difficult, like find-
  ing and asking forgiveness from the living relatives of the
  person whose flesh they ate.
  Day 3 - Basa, who will appear weaker and more haggard to
  match the characters, will take a path that leads along the
  sandy, lightly wooded banks of a river. At some part of this
  journey, the sand will actually be quicksand, and the lead
  character will be sucked in. It is unlikely that this will kill any
  characters, but if the group has taken a wide front through
  this open area, two or more characters could be trapped at
  once, and in their weakened state, Basa might have an
  opening to spear potential rescuers, and let the rest drown.
  If this seems unlikely, Basa will be heroic in his efforts to
  save the trapped character, and thus win some more trust.
  Day 4 - Basa claims to have had bad dreams about his per-
  sonal future, and wants to let the characters know what he
  does about the Bad Place in case he doesn't make it.  It is a
  taboo place, a swamp that gradually becomes dry land in
  the middle, and in the middle of the dry land is a lake. The
  taboo is one that one should eat or drink nothing from within
  the swamp, so all the food the characters will need for the
  journey to and from the center, and as long as they stay will
  have to be carried in or magically created. 
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  45
  45
  In the center of the lake is an island, and this island is held
  to be the Bad Place itself, a corrupted wound on the body of
  the Earth Mother where a poison fang once touched her. In
  the swamp live the Underpeople, who are unaffected by the
  taboo, and who can provide guides through the most dan-
  gerous parts if bribed with polished stones. In the central
  lake lives a great serpent, who sleeps through the day, and
  leaves the lake to hunt at night. What is actually on the
  island, Basa is not sure.
  Actually, Basa's supply of polished stones are pieces of pol-
  ished Underpeople bone, one of the few ancestor worship
  concepts the local Underpeople have grasped. These were
  taken by Basa and other conspirators, and showing them to
  a group of Underpeople is likely to drive them into a nasty
  but probably futile frenzy. Basa will make sure and leave
  these behind if he has to make a hasty departure. There is a
  great serpent in the lake, but it only hunts during the day
  (not night). It becomes torpid if it leaves the lake at night,
  and only is active when it is sunny and warm. The taboo
  about eating or drinking any thing from the swamp is true,
  and is fairly common for swampy taboo places. The
  unwholesome shakt of the place will live in the body of one
  who violates the taboo, and make them ill, taking away their
  health (lose 1 HLT). The characters have dispensation to go
  into the Bad Place, so if they violate taboo, any shaman can
  lift it without harm. Basa told the truth about the taboo
  because it would seem suspicious to reverse the truth on
  this item, and if the characters decide he was lying about
  the rest of his story, they might think he lied about the taboo
  as well.
  Day 5 - The terrain begins to gradually thin out. The woods
  that make up much of Clan Ugrik's lands thin out and even
  vanish in places, and at the edge of one of these areas will
  be a Clan Ugrik village. Basa, as an Ugrik shaman will make
  the ritual challenge for the group, and explain the nature of
  their quest. This is met with grunts and nods of assention,
  and despite the bad news, people are eager to meet heros,
  and find out news of the Moot, since the characters are the
  first travellers to pass this way since then. The characters
  will have an opportunity to eat well and rest, but there is no
  one here who can help lift the taboo that Basa has hopefully
  laid on the characters (the local shaman is at the Moot).
  Basa will collect food for the remainder of the trip, and poi-
  son the food at the bottom of each sack with powder from a
  bag of herbs he carries. Detecting its taste is a Difficulty 8
  task, and is only possible on AWR Aptitude or the regular
  level of any skill with herbal concoctions. After a full meal of
  the dusted food, a character must make a Difficulty 9 HLT
  task, or suffer the shakes or convulsions. This is an
  increased Difficulty to all AGL tasks equal to the amount the
  roll is failed by. This is recovered like a non-lethal impair-
  ment. It probably won't kill the characters, but it can make
  them easy targets for a day or so. Odds are the characters
  won't get to this food until they are already in the boundaries
  of the Bad Place.
  Day 6 - The terrain becomes rocky, and there are numerous
  small cliffs as the characters head down into a large valley.
  The swamp can be glimpsed from vantage points on this
  descent. Basa will leave the party at this time if he has not
  done so already. At a particularly nasty narrow path on a
  cliff above a river, Basa will “slip” and fall, grabbing at a
  character in front of him as he does so. If he can make an
  AGL task vs. the character's STR+AGL, he pulls the charac-
  ter over with him. If he rolls a 10, he fails and his attempt is
  seen for what it is, a deliberate attack. In any case, he has a
  prepared poem that goes off, granting him the ability to sur-
  vive the fall onto the rocks and the torrent at the bottom. He
  will pull his waterlogged self out of the current somewhere
  downstream and head off for the Bad Place by a shorter
  route. If a character falls at this point, treat it as a 20 meter
  fall, after which they have to make three Difficulty 6 swim-
  ming tasks. Each failed task adds 1 to the Difficulty of the
  others, and if they are all failed, the character drowns. A
  character who has ASP to burn should probably do so to
  avoid this fall if at all possible! Otherwise, the injured char-
  acter washes ashore some distance downstream, probably
  in need of medical attention. If a character wants to try some
  poetry on the way down, or someone else wants to try and
  save a falling character by this means, they have 2 seconds
  to pull it off.
  To top it off, when the characters get to the bottom of the
  cliff, they will find that there is no easy crossing of the river
  that bars their path. They can either lose an entire day by
  going back up the cliff and finding another route, or try to
  cross the narrow but violent torrent. A conventional attempt
  to swim across will be treated as if a character had fallen
  into the torrent, but at a base Difficulty of 4 instead of 6,
  since they get to pick the time and place of entry.
  Day 7 - The Bad Place is reached, and is pretty much as
  described. Characters will find it slow and rough going, and
  along hard day's hike will get them to the edge of the lake.
  This will entail accumulating 6 points of exertion per hour for
  unladen characters, so any further activity for the day is
  problematic. If they can get guidance from the fearful
  Underpeople, the journey will take only most of the day, and
  is not much more difficult than a normal hike through muddy
  terrain. The lake is deceptively placid, and is perhaps larger
  than the characters thought. The distance to the island is
  farther than most would care to swim, especially with a giant
  serpent in the lake, and the Underpeople have no boats. To
  get across, characters will need to build a raft or use magic.
  Construction of a usable raft will take about a day using
  hand axes. Magic will be substantially quicker, but remem-
  ber that this is a Bad Place, and magic of making and cre-
  ation will be at increased Difficulty. In this case the shores of
  the lake are at +2SP on poetry, and the island is at +3SP.
  Note that poetic magic of destruction and decay is at -2SP
  or -3SP, and cumulative penalties are not taken. Characters
  should be warned that many nasty spells could be waiting
  for them there.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  46
  46
  G
  GIANT
  IANT
  S
  SERPENT
  ERPENT
  STR
  14
  AGL
  4
  AWR
  6(1)
  WIL
  7
  HLT
  7
  POW
  6
  Description
  Extremely muscular and massive snake-like creature, with
  rough, raspy scales that blend in very well with the browns
  and green-greys of the local vegetation. It has four eyes set
  in a head the size of a large man's torso, and heavy scales
  and ridges protecting the eyes and other parts of the head.
  Mass:
  400kg
  Variation:
  n/a
  Length:
  8.0m
  Size modifier:
  -2
  Good reaction roll:
  Investigate and attack
  Neutral reaction roll: Attack
  Bad reaction roll:
  Attack
  Climate:
  Temperate
  Terrain:
  Taboo lakes
  Special abilities:
  Toughness x.5
  Swim at up to 4m/sec
  Slither at up to 7m/sec
  Armored head/neck (AV1/0)
  Pain tolerance
  Skills:
  Strike (DV4 combination), skill 4
  Crushing bite (DV4 combination), skill 4
  Grab, skill 4
  Stealth, skill 4
  Remember to take into account the extra size of the giant
  serpent both to be hit, and to give it extra reach and other
  benefits in melee.
  The giant serpent is a slightly chaotic beast left over from
  Creation, and has lived in this lake since the beginning of
  time. It sleeps at night upon the island, and swims in the
  lake during the day. It mainly eats large fish, but often goes
  ashore and lies in wait for something to walk past its huge,
  stationary bulk. It strikes with its powerful head and jaws,
  crushes the prey, and swallows it whole. It will sense any
  major disturbances in the water of the lake, and will assume
  it is something tasty to eat. It will grab and attempt to drag
  down any bulk that is moving across the water, like a swim-
  mer or raft. If taken by surprise, anyone on the raft when it is
  struck will need to make a Difficulty 7 AGL task to avoid
  falling off. Tasty characters are preferred to crunchy rafts,
  and since characters are a big mouthful, once the serpent
  has one, it will swim off and attempt to consume its meal.
  The bite of the serpent is a blunt combination damage of 4,
  and will be repeated once a turn until the prey stops strug-
  gling, or the serpent has taken +2 in impairments, at which
  point it will let go and swim rapidly away.
  The Island
  The island has no name that anyone knows. It is simply the
  Bad Place. It is perhaps big enough to support a small vil-
  lage, but there seem to be no large animals here, or even
  birds flying over it. The grasses are tinged with gray, and the
  bushes and trees are stunted and twisted. Rocks permeate
  the soil, and in the center of the island is a small, rocky hill
  that bleakly dominates the surrounding terrain. A quick
  investigation of the island will reveal a number of things.
  First, this island has seen many visitors, some of them
  recent. A pair of hide boats are pulled up on shore, and foot-
  prints in dried mud show that several people have been
  here for some time. A character with any sort of Tracking
  skill can make a Difficulty 5 task to recognize some of the
  more recent tracks as made by Basa's feet. How recent
  depends on whether or not he is still alive. Second, this
  island is a regular home of the great serpent. Its spoor and
  trails are unmistakable, and seem to be more numerous on
  a particular side of the island.
  The main conspirators in this drama have been living here
  for several months, tending and guarding the captured
  Pohnee shakt. She was tricked into assuming material form,
  and then knocked out. For many months, she has been kept
  drugged into a stupor from which she cannot recover. She
  cannot find enough awareness to abandon her material
  form, and her weakening state is reflected in the health of
  her children. She is kept in a cage in a cave in the central
  hillock, and does not see the Sun shakt or Moon shakt, or
  feel the rain and wind of Storm shakt. She eats and drinks
  enough to stay alive, purely from instinct. The rocks of this
  place are permeated with the Earth Mother's suffering, and
  no divinations can see the Pohnee shakt through it.
  The center of the island is the center of the Bad Place, and
  characters will eventually need to go there. There are a
  number of well-used paths that lead in that direction, and
  which lead directly to the mouth of a large cave. The first
  character to see the cave will see a figure with a spear out-
  side the cave entrance. If the figure sees the characters, it
  will duck back into the cave and will not reappear.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  47
  47
  Even if Basa has not made it this far, guests were eventually
  expected, and preparations have been made.
  Preparation One
  Deception in depth. The path to the cave is uphill through a
  tangle of small boulders, and characters can either follow it,
  or leap from rock to rock. The easiest path from rock to rock
  has an illusory rock in the chain. Anyone who jumps onto it
  will take an involuntary 2 meter fall onto a handful of sharp-
  ened stakes, for three DV2 lethal attacks in addition to
  falling damage (nasty GM's can have the stakes be hollow
  and full of swamp muck). Making a Difficulty 8 AWR task
  before the final leap will tell a character there is something
  fishy about the “rock”. The path itself has a pit trap with simi-
  lar stakes, but this is disguised by a layer of mud and grass
  with footprints across it. Characters stumbling into this will
  take a DV2 lethal attack to each foot. In addition, there are
  stakes pointing down and at an angle from the sides of the
  pit, and anyone who falls in will be pinned in place, as the
  stakes will pierce them if they try to free themselves.  The
  first part of the pit trap is reasonably well disguised, and
  small enough to jump over. The trap actually extends a
  meter or two past its apparent edge, and will neatly catch
  anyone who sees it and tries to just jump over it. Digging
  and disguising this pit took a significant amount of work, and
  it is expected to get some results.
  Preparation Two
  You have to come in sometime. The entire mouth of the
  cave is the triggering area for an area effect flame Blast
  spell. The first character to get even with the cave mouth
  without saying a key work in Ugrik tongue will set it off. It is
  an 8 point lethal Blast in the central and adjacent hexes, a 4
  point Blast in the next two hexes, and a 2 point blast in the
  last two hexes. Invisible characters or those who can be so
  stealthy as to avoid been “seen” by the spell (AWR 5, zero
  range) can avoid this.
  Preparation Three
  The cave has natural ventilation, and characters nearing the
  cave mouth will smell the scent of damp underground, and
  human and Pohnee habitation. Shortly after entering, they
  will also smell choking smoke pouring down the tunnel. A
  fire is kept lit in the cave for warmth and light, and damp
  bundles of stinging ivy have been laid on it. This acrid
  smoke will make characters take a Difficulty 6 HLT task or
  take a +1 Difficulty to AWR tasks and HLT tasks, which they
  recover like exertion losses.
  Preparation Four
  Anyone making it this far will have to engage in combat to
  defeat the Ugrik shamen and their allies. The darkened cave
  is lit only by diffused sunlight and small bowls with tallow
  and reed wicks. In addition to the guards and shamen, they
  have a pair of dogs who are actively hostile to everyone
  except those who belong here.
  There are no villains cackling over prisoners here. Those in
  the cave will neither give nor expect mercy. There are no
  slaves and no prisons, and no expectation that any Clan
  would raise a hand to help these shamen or their helpers.
  What is likely is a dark nasty struggle in the fetid dampness
  of the underground prison, desperate men fighting desper-
  ate battles, knowing that their lives depend on it.
  S
  SZALL
  ZALL
  THE
  THE A
  AFFLICTED
  FFLICTED
  Lvl
  STR
  6
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  5
  WIL
  5
  HLT
  5
  POW
  1
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  5
  Punch
  +2 .
  Knife
  4
  Spear
  3
  Survival
  5
  Bow
  4
  Szall is the healthiest of those on the island. He can work no
  magic, but the taboo of the place has no hold upon him,
  unlike the shamen and other warriors. He is here because
  he believes it is for the good of his Clan, even if her person-
  ally has some doubts. He has a bow, knife, a pair of spears
  and AV1/1 hides upon his torso and lower legs. He will
  shoot at the first person to come down the tunnel, and then
  grab a spear and interpose himself between the characters
  and a friendly shaman. One of the dogs especially likes
  Szall, and will not leave his side. It will try to grab and hold
  onto/gnaw the leg of anyone who attacks him, and won't let
  go until it is knocked out or killed.
  P
  PO
  O!!MAR
  MAR
  Lvl
  STR
  5
  AGL
  4
  AWR
  4
  WIL
  5
  HLT
  5
  POW
  4
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  5
  Punch
  +1 .
  Thrown axe
  4
  Axe
  4
  Survival
  5
  Gifts
  Starsight (can see in
  the dark very well)
  Ambidextrous
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  48
  48
  Po!mar was a strong and agile warrior, but he has been in
  this place too long. Even Blackwing's shamanic talents can-
  not help the taboo, for Po!mar cannot make proper atone-
  ment, and Blackwing does not want to bear taboo for both of
  them. His stats and those of the others reflect their current
  state of health, and should not be adjusted down for taboo
  violations. Po!mar was humiliated badly once when chal-
  lenged in Far Traveller lands, and this shame has followed
  him so much that he has negative Fame from it. He is here
  and suffers taboo because it is his revenge against Far
  Traveller. He will attack anyone who appears to be Far
  Traveller in preference to other Clans. He carries an axe in
  each hand, and two more on easily broken thongs around
  his waist. He has thick skins on his torso (AV1/1), and a
  headdress made from the skull and hide of a wintersleeper
  (AV3/1). This protects his head and neck except for his face.
  S
  SKYCATCHER
  KYCATCHER
  Lvl
  STR
  4
  AGL
  4
  AWR
  5
  WIL
  5
  HLT
  5
  POW
  4
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  3
  Block
  +1 .
  Survival
  4
  Animal handl. 3
  Poetry
  4
  Gifts
  Walk-on-air (can fly at 1m/sec)
  Beast-friend (can Add to a beast's WIL for reaction purposes only)
  Skycatcher has the ritual of Speak with Ancestors, but no
  others. He is an assistant to Blackwing, and tends to the
  health of Pohnee shakt. In the long-term, he is probably the
  most important person here, for without his knowledge,
  Pohnee shakt would probably die or escape. He will attempt
  to hide if combat commences, and recite a poem to change
  himself into a talen, and fly off the island and away to safety
  if his side loses. He has no weapon save a stone knife, and
  only wears skins on his torso and feet (AV1/1). Skycatcher
  doubts the wisdom of Blackwing's actions, but is loyal to him
  regardless. He will kill for Blackwing, but would much prefer
  to escape with his skin intact. Only the most treacherous of
  actions towards him by his own side would make him
  change his mind.
  B
  BLACKWING
  LACKWING
  Lvl
  STR
  3
  AGL
  5
  AWR
  7
  WIL
  5
  HLT
  4
  POW
  6
  Skills
  Level
  Brawling
  2
  Block
  +1 .
  Bow
  4
  Survival
  4
  Poetry
  7
  Ceremony
  5
  Theater
  5
  Herbalism
  5
  Dance
  3
  Legends
  4
  Gifts
  Gaze of pain (2 point mental blast, targeted like a bow)
  Blackwing is the leader and instigator of this Ugrikan plot,
  and is a powerful shaman who knows all the rituals of his
  Clan. It was he who called the Pohnee shakt to the world of
  the flesh, and who enthralled and captured it. He is old, has
  only his skins, and is not a warrior. In a fight, he will draw
  back and weave poems as fast as he can. Ideas might be:
  An Area effect Subtract so that only someone who can see in the 
  dark can act freely
  Shapeshifting a dog into something more chaotic and nasty
  A wall of fire (Area effect Blast) around himself as protection
  Pick an effect desired, then roll 1d10 and add 1. This is how
  many seconds it will take to generate the effect. Assume he
  is successful on any roll except a “10”. In addition, he has 2
  ASP to use, either to make skill rolls or avoid injury.
  If defeated, he does have one final weapon to use in this
  struggle. If he is mortally wounded or about to be struck with
  a death blow, he will look upon his attacker, smile a faint
  smile and hoarsely whisper “I prevail”. On his death, a great
  burst of magical energy will pour forth from his eyes and
  mouth, swirling violently around for several seconds before
  vanishing into the rocks of the cave wall. All will remain still
  for several seconds, and then a low rumbling will be felt
  underfoot. The walls and ceiling of the cave will begin to
  crumble, raining stone upon the hapless characters, the
  Ugrik foes and the Pohnee shakt. Roll with a skill of 1 vs. a
  Difficulty of 10 each turn for each person in the cave, and
  decrease the Difficulty by 1 every other turn after the first. If
  this “skill roll” is successful, a chunk of rock is about to strike
  that person, with a combination DV of 3. A character can
  forfeit their action to get out of the way of this. 
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  49
  49
  If a character declares they are leaving, it will take them 5
  turns to get out, plus 1 for each time they lose ground by
  dodging rocks. If the character can't get out by the time the
  rocks are falling every turn (about 20 seconds), the ceiling
  and walls will collapse, burying them under hundreds of tons
  of rubble.
  Final resolution
  A number of things can happen over the course of this
  adventure, each with its own repercussions.
  Characters are all killed. Bummer. They either had extra-
  ordinarily bad luck, were really stupid, or you put in far too
  many antagonists. There really shouldn't be more than one
  person dealing with each character in the final confrontation.
  Think about what went wrong, discuss it frankly with the
  players and try to do better next time.
  Characters find out the truth, but are not successful.
  They will have to escape the Bad Place and get help, proba-
  bly at the last village they stopped at. The local shaman will
  be back by then and may be able to help the characters
  recover from wounds or taboos. If the characters are slow,
  Basa or one of the other shamen will arrive there first and
  poison the village with stories of the character's treachery
  (how they shoved him off a cliff, etc., etc.).
  Characters prevail, but cannot rescue the Pohnee shakt.
  If the Pohnee shakt is crushed in the rubble of a collapsing
  cave, she will become a formless shakt again, and be free
  of the bondage she had endured. Not knowing exactly what
  transpired, she will not know or really care how that she was
  freed, but will make sure that any surviving conspirators
  come to bitter grief. If at some later date she should ever
  speak to a character and realize that they were one of those
  who had helped her, she may offer them a valuable boon in
  gratitude.
  Characters succeed mightily, vanquishing foes and res-
  cuing the Pohnee shakt from her imprisonment. She will
  regain her awareness in a day or so. When she does, she
  will act as a frightened Pohnee would, rising to her feet,
  snorting and backing away from the characters. When she
  senses the intent of the characters, she will calm down, but
  still be a little skittish, and will eventually speak to the char-
  acters in a melodic and seemingly distant feminine voice.
  Characters can tell the tale of what has transpired in the
  time she was absent, and Pohnee shakt will listen intently,
  pawing at the ground occasionally and turning her ears to
  better hear what any given character is saying.
  If she is impressed, and she probably is, she will offer a
  boon of some type to the group as a whole. This could be
  something as basic as lifting all taboos the characters have
  accumulated. Or, it might be something valuable, but which
  is cryptic and requires hard work to gain the full blessing.
  Pohnee shakt is not the wisest of the shakt, but she knows
  the People have a great cunning to understand and make
  new things, which she does not. Something that she sees
  has great power, but cannot herself fathom would be a suit-
  able gift. Such things might be:
  The Medicine Wheel - A carved wooden handle that forks
  to a “Y”. Between the prongs is strung a braid of beads on
  rawhide, and on this string of beads is a stone disk with a
  hole in the middle. When the stone is spun by rolling it
  across a hand, it makes a rattling, chittering sound. It is not
  magical, and has no shakt in it. If you do not understand it,
  then it is sufficiently cryptic. Take our word that it is a thing
  of great importance in the Dreamtime.
  The Pohnee's Burden - Just as the characters carried the
  Pohnee shakt from the cave, so shall she let her children
  carry the characters. The characters get the idea that this
  can be done, and nothing more. Learning to ride, bridle and
  otherwise harness the Pohnee are skills which they must
  learn on their own. You can decide whether or not this gift is
  only to the characters and their children, or all the People.
  Mark of the Pohnee - Before she vanishes to the spirit
  world, she will walk over to a rock, and strike it with her
  hoof. Sparks will fly, and left upon the rock is a curious
  mark. ”Whenever you see this mark, you will think of me”,
  she says, and then vanishes. It may be some years before
  this idea truly takes hold in the characters, but eventually
  they will realize that even though it looks nothing like a
  Pohnee or the hoofprint of a Pohnee, when they see that
  mark or shape in nature, they think of the Pohnee shakt.
  The only ones who can understand it are those who were
  there, or their children. Someday, they may find the wisdom
  in this, or it may come about many generations later, if the
  characters and their descendants have many children.
  Heart of the Pohnee - Pohnee can walk and run far, some-
  thing she has not been able to do for too long. In return for
  rescuing her, she will give each character the blessing of
  her health, which they may call upon once, whenever they
  choose. This will give the character +5 HLT for a week after
  they call upon the blessing.
  Gift of the Pohnee - Since you have returned her to
  beneath the rain and sun, and she can drink from the rivers
  and run along the sea, she will intercede for the characters if
  they ever need help from the Sun, Storm, Sea or a single
  River shakt. When any member of the group asks a boon of
  these shakt or does a poem that calls on them, and calls on
  the favor of the Pohnee, the Difficulty of the task is reduced
  by 5. Only one such boon is granted with each shakt for the
  entire group, not one per shakt per person. That is, there
  are four boons to be split among the entire group, and any
  person can call upon one of those boons without the con-
  sent of the others in that group. Yes, this can cause friction
  and problems for the characters, but we did say that Pohnee
  shakt was not the wisest of the shakt.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  
  Initiative Range
  Extra
  Rate
  Ranged weapons
  Caliber
  DV
  mod
  mod
  Size
  TL
  Mass
  clip
  of fire
  Clip
  AV
  Cost*
  Origin
  Thrown rock (comb.(b)) n/a
  STR/4(n)
  +1
  -1.
  2
  1
  .4kg
  -
  1
  -
  2
  0
  -
  Thrown spear (leth.(p)) n/a
  STR/4(n)+2
  -3
  0
  7
  1
  1.5kg
  -
  1
  -
  2
  12
  -
  Thrown axe (leth.(c))
  n/a
  STR/4(n)+2
  -3
  -1.
  3
  1
  1.2kg
  -
  1
  -
  4/2
  12
  -
  Bow 4 (lethal(p))
  n/a
  2
  +1
  0
  5
  1
  .7kg
  -
  1
  -
  1
  5
  -
  Bow 5 (lethal(p))
  n/a
  3
  +1
  1
  6
  1
  1.3kg
  -
  1
  -
  1
  6
  -
  Bow 6 (lethal(p))
  n/a
  4
  +0
  1
  7
  1
  1.9kg
  -
  1
  -
  1
  7
  -
  Bow 7 (lethal(p))
  n/a
  6
  +0
  2
  8
  1
  3.0kg
  -
  1
  -
  1
  9
  -
  Arrows, 6
  n/a
  -
  -
  -
  3
  1
  .6kg
  -
  -
  -
  1
  3
  -
  Melee weapons
  Initiative 
  (skill modifier)
  Damage
  DV
  mod
  Length
  Size
  TL
  Mass
  Prim.
  Sec.
  Tert.
  AV
  Cost*
  Origin
  Small knife (-1)
  lethal(c/p)
  +0
  +1
  2
  1
  1
  .3kg
  Melee
  Knife
  -
  2
  4
  -
  Large knife (+0)
  lethal(c/p)
  +1
  +0
  2
  2
  1
  .6kg
  Melee
  Knife
  -
  2
  6
  -
  Hand axe (+0)
  lethal(c)
  +2
  -3
  2
  3
  1
  1.2kg
  Melee
  Axe
  -
  4/2
  12
  -
  Large axe (+0)
  lethal(c)
  +3
  -4
  3
  5
  1
  2.0kg
  Melee
  Axe
  -
  5/3
  20
  -
  Club (+0)
  combination(b) +3
  -4
  4
  9
  1
  2.5kg
  Melee
  Club
  -
  4
  20
  -
  Spear (+0)
  lethal(p)
  +2
  -3
  5
  7
  1
  1.5kg
  Melee
  Spear
  -
  2
  12
  -
  Armor
  TL
  Armor Value
  Protects
  Mass
  Size
  Cost*
  Special notes
  Skins
  1
  1/1
  Torso
  .7kg
  -
  10
  Applies normally vs. most weapons
  Arms
  .5kg
  -
  5
  Lower legs
  .7kg
  -
  5
  Winter skins
  1
  2/2
  Torso, arms
  3.5kg
  -
  20
  Applies normally vs. most weapons
  Legs
  2.0kg
  -
  10
  Animal skull helmet
  1
  3/1
  Head & neck, not face
  2.0kg
  -
  20
  Applies normally vs. most weapons
  Fur cap
  1
  0/1
  Head & neck, not face
  .5kg
  -
  3
  Applies normally vs. most weapons
  Equipment
  TL
  Mass
  Size
  AV
  Cost*
  Special notes
  Jewelry
  1
  .3kg
  2
  1
  10
  Strictly ornamental or status-related
  Waterskin
  1
  2.0kg
  3
  1
  2
  Holds enough for a person for a day
  Carrying sack
  1
  2.0kg
  50
  1
  2
  Holds up to Size 40 of items
  Armory tools
  1
  1.0kg
  3
  2
  20
  Things needed to make any type of weapon
  Wicker carrying basket
  1
  1.0kg
  50
  1
  5
  Holds up to Size 45 of items
  Belt pouch
  1
  .2kg
  5
  1
  1
  Holds up to Size 4 of items
  Leather rope, 10 meters
  1
  5.0kg
  5
  2
  10
  Strong enough to support a large person
  Hut, per person
  1
  30kg
  200
  2
  100
  Room for a person to sleep and store things
  Sleeping mat
  1
  1.0kg
  10
  1
  2
  Usually rolled up and carried when travelling
  Fur blanket
  1
  2.0kg
  10
  1
  5
  Provides a 10°C temperature shift
  Pohnee
  1
  -
  -
  1
  50
  Pohnee sledge
  1
  15kg
  200
  3
  20
  Can also be used to move an injured person
  Dog
  1
  -
  -
  1
  10
  Loyalty and intelligence varies
  *Cost is not in Cr and is given only for comparison purposes, and all values are subject to supply, demand, and how much the seller likes you.
  D
  DREAMTIME
  REAMTIME
  EQUIPMENT
  
  Name: _______________   Height: _____cm   Age: ____
  Level
  Pts
  Apt
  STR
  AGL
  AWR
  WIL
  HLT
  POW
  STR
  AGL
  AWR
  WIL
  HLT
  POW
  Occupation: ___________   Weight: _____kg   Appearance: _________________________   
  Background: ________________
  ™
  BLACKSBURG TACTICAL RESEARCH CENTER
  Carrying capacity:
  Unencumbered (STR2 x .25)   
  Half encumbered (STR2 x .5)
  Full encumbered (STR2 x 1)
  2x encumbered (STR2 x 2)    
  3x encumbered (STR2 x 3)    
  4x encumbered (STR2 x 4)   
  5x encumbered (STR2 x 5) 
  Mass
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  Penalty
  -0
  -1
  -2
  -4
  -6
  -8
  -10
  AP
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  SP
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  Cost
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  Skills:
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  ___________________
  Total skill cost
  Level
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  Exp.
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  ____
  Melee defense
  Base defense
    plus Dodge
    plus Block
    plus both
  : ___
  : ___
  : ___
  : ___
  SP
  May be photocopied for personal use
  =Non-lethal  
  =Lethal  
  =HLT  
  2 
  6  
  7  
  Melee offense
  Punch
    Damage
  Kick
    Damage
  : ___
  : ___
  : ___
  : ___
  Carried items
  Hat  
  ____________
  ____________
  Shirt pocket
  ____________
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  Jacket
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  ____________
  ____________
  Trouser pocket
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  Boot/ankle
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  Jewelry, etc.:
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  Other:
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________
  ____________    
  ____________    
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  ____________ 
  Size
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  ___
  Mass
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  ____kg
  Permanent Injury Record  
  ASP's  
  Exertion
  Current
  HLT
  Whole 
  body
  Other
  Health & Armor  
  AV: __/__  
  AV: __/__  
  AV: __/__  
  AV: __/__  
  AV: __/__  
  AV: __/__
  AV: __/__
  3-4   
  5  
  8  
  9  
  10  
  1 
  Ads & Disads
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  ________________________
  Base Amount
  Total AP and SP
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Corps/CORPS 2e - BTRC7102 Dreamtime.pdf