TEXT: Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  1
  EMER ATLAS  I:
  • HÆSTRA •
  & the History
  of the Emerian Empire
  
  2
  Shadow World
  CREDITS
  Writing, Design and Layout: Terrence Kevin Amthor
  Illustrations: Elissa Mitchell, Gail McIntosh,  T. K. Amthor
  Color Maps: David Martin and Elissa Mitchell
  ICE Contacts: John Curtis, Pete Fenlon
  Playtesters: Amy, Adam, Mike, Karl & Ruth.
  Faithful Companionship: Nanûk the wonder-husky
  This book would not have been possible without many
  early morning cups of fresh-ground joe, not to mention
  multiple mugs of tea (Earl Grey, hot), and many grande
  lattes made by my favorite barista. Other inspiration
  supplied by Haydn, Byrd, Vivaldi, V. Williams, and many
  others.
  And the author will always be grateful to Miss A.
  Norton. Eet and Murdoc Jern started me down this path
  long ago.
  ON THE COVER
  The cover scene depicts a view looking south to the Sea
  of Votania from a hill near the city of Orian. Straight
  ahead is the island of Votania itself, the summit wreathed
  in clouds. Hanging in the sky is the great moon Orhan, its
  atmosphere clearly visible as it shrouds the land below.
  Near Orhan is the evil moon Charón, home of the Dark
  Gods. The slender pillar to the left is one of the many
  Navigator Obelisks which dot the land.
  ABOUT THE TYPE
  This Shadow World book was composed using
  Microsoft Word 5.1 mostly on a trusty Powerbook 145b
  and laid out in PageMaker 6.0/6.5 on a Power Mac 7100
  running good old System 7.5.1.
  The text was set in Minion, Minion Condensed and
  Minion Expert typefaces. Headers were set in Caslon An-
  tique. Other typefaces used include: Viner Hand and
  Ovidius
  Minion is an Adobe original face  designed by Robert
  Slimbach and derived from type of the late Renaissance.
  ABOUT THE GRAPHICS
  The cover art was created using Bryce 2.1 from
  Metatools, and the cover was composed using Adobe
  Photoshop  4.01 and Quark 3.32, using a PowerMac 8600/
  200. Some graphics were created or manipulated using
  Photoshop and its many features.
  Many interior graphics are from the Dover Art books
  Historic Costume, Arms & Armor, Decorative Borders, and
  others, and other copyright-free sources. Others were
  created using KPT Bryce. More Bryce illustrations can be
  found at the Shadow World Website.
  Produced and distributed by:
  Eidolon Studio
  P.O. Box 57083
  Washington, DC, 20037-7083.
  Email: Terbob@aol.com
  www: http:users.aol.com/terbob
  For the latest product information, as well as fiction
  and other free goodies, check the Shadow World web
  page: http:users.aol.com/terbob.
  Thanks to Pete Fenlon at ICE for helping to get the Shadow
  World back in print, to my playtesters (Ruth, Karl, Amy, Adam and
  Mike), and especially to all the fans on the internet who have helped
  keep the Shadow World alive during the time of darkness.
  Copyright © 1997 by Terry Kevin Amthor and Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc.. No reproduction or transmissions are permitted in any form, whether electronic,
  mechanical or manual, without the express permission of the Publisher. Shadow World® and Rolemaster™ are trademarks of Iron Crown Enterprises. All rights
  reserved. Printed in USA.
  Stock #6110
  
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  3
  • FOREWORD •
  After wandering long in the darkness, the Shadow World at last again sees the light. This book
  represents the first in what will hopefully be a long line of sourcebooks about the world of
  Kulthea.
  While Shadow World devotees will find that—in general—the new books are very similar to
  the old books that I wrote (Eidolon, Master Atlas, Jaiman). However, one thing that the Shadow
  World was criticized for was the number of high-level NPCs, and from them the assumption that
  SW was a high-level world. Well, the critics are half-right. I did spend an inordinate amount of
  time (and space) on some high-level characters who if opposing most PCs would wipe up the
  courtyard with them, or if allied with the PCs would probably do things for themselves rather
  than count on a bunch of ‘low-levels.’ The problem, however, isn’t that SW is all high-powered,
  its that they are most of what has been detailed. Starting with this book, we take a closer look at
  specific areas of the world, and include stats and background for NPCs more in line with the
  characters.
  Regarding the system, I was surprised when talking to people on the internet how many are
  still using Rolemaster 2nd Edition (the ones with the red spines which came out in 1989) rather
  than RMSS. I must admit that I too, still use RM2D, but it’s not because I have anything against
  RMSS. Closer to the truth is that I’m just more comfortable with the older version, after helping
  to develop it and using it for all these years. Besides, the Shadow World was born under that
  system, and I’m not about to alter the stats of all those characters appearing in books like Eidolon
  and the Master Atlas Second Edition. The stats in these books will be based on RM2D, but with
  notes for RMSS where necessary. I will also be including some RMSS-specific information (e.g.,
  training packages) in appendices or at the web site. For those who are using RMSS, you can
  either adjust the powers of the high-level NPCs and artifacts, or explain them by saying that they
  originate in a time before a weakening of the Essænce.
  But hopefully what you most want out of the Shadow World is the unique feel and history of
  the place, and the interesting people and beasts who live there. So, grab your Kynac and a fistful
  of Eidolon Gold Notes, we’re going home.
  T.K.A.
  Summer 1997
  
  4
  Shadow World
  Fowler said “Are you trying to be clever or something?”
  “I don’t have to try,” retorted Tommy. “I am clever.”
  —FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, 1984
  BASED ON THE PLAY BY JULIAN MITCHELL
  
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  5
  EMER BOOK ONE:
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  PART I : INTRODUCTION
  7
  1 • Shadow World & Rolemaster ................................ 8
  2 • Integrating the New Emer material ...................... 8
  3 • About Culture & Civilization ................................ 8
  4 • Crime & Punishment........................................... 10
  5 • Cultural Structures .............................................. 10
  6 • Getting Around .................................................... 13
   PART II: HISTORY OF EMER
  15
  1 • The First Era ......................................................... 16
  Interregnum ............................................................... 17
  2 • The Second Era of ire........................................... 18
  3 • The Third Era of ire ............................................. 22
  4 • Recent Events ....................................................... 37
  5 • Calendar Notes..................................................... 43
  PART III: HÆSTRA
  CLIMATE & DENIZENS
  45
  1 • Climate & Geography .......................................... 46
  2 • Flora...................................................................... 49
  3 • Fauna .................................................................... 50
  4 • Races ..................................................................... 52
  PART IV: REALMS &
  KINGDOMS OF HÆSTRA
  61
  1 • Danarchis ............................................................. 62
  2 • Bodlea ................................................................... 64
  3 • Miir ....................................................................... 66
  4 • Vornia ................................................................... 69
  5 • Stroane.................................................................. 69
  6 • Zinvar ................................................................... 72
  7 • Talæn .................................................................... 72
  8 • The Emerald Forest.............................................. 73
  9 • Sarnak ................................................................... 74
  10 • Izar Coastal Towns ............................................. 77
  11 • Komaren Cluster ................................................ 77
  12 • Ton-Bor .............................................................. 79
  13 • Skystone City...................................................... 80
  14 • Port of Izar ......................................................... 82
  15 • Independent Islands........................................... 82
  PART V: PLACES OF INTEREST
  89
  1 • The Coral Road .................................................... 90
  2 • Ash Lairs & Deep Gates ....................................... 91
  3 • Votania .................................................................. 91
  Aldain Ruins ............................................................... 91
  Forge Complex Ruins................................................. 92
  The Ahrenthrôk .......................................................... 92
  Acropolis of the Titans ............................................... 92
  4 • Portals ................................................................... 92
  Gate of Yæra ............................................................... 92
  Obelisk of Thase ......................................................... 93
  5 • Holy & Unholy Places .......................................... 93
  Temples of Eissa.......................................................... 93
  Shrines of Iloura......................................................... 94
  Halls of Kieron ........................................................... 95
  Temple of Mynistra at Bentara .................................. 95
  Shrines of Akalatan .................................................... 95
  Acropolis of Scalu at Desamis Point.......................... 95
  Temple complex at Muartaar ..................................... 95
  6 • Other Lairs & Places of Power ............................. 95
  PART VI: OTHER POWERS
  101
  1 • Changramai........................................................ 102
  2 • The Eight ............................................................ 105
  3 • The Secret Circle ................................................ 109
  4 • The ‘‘Alliance’ ..................................................... 110
  5 • Amethyst League ................................................ 111
  6 • The Black Dawn ................................................. 111
  7 • The Sirens of Sorak ............................................ 111
  8 • Neighboring realms ........................................... 111
  9 • Pirates & Bandits................................................ 112
  10 • Powerful Beings................................................ 113
  11 • Interesting Personalities................................... 113
  PART VII: ADVENTURES &  IDEAS
  115
  1 • The way to Sarnak.............................................. 116
  2 • Ghosts of Zinvar ................................................ 117
  3 • Adventure Ideas.................................................. 118
  PART VIII: MAPS
  119
  PART IX: INDEX
  131
  
  6
  Shadow World
  A Navigator in the process of ‘Jumping’
  
  Part One: Introduction
  7
  I
    have travelled far across the continents of Jaiman, Emer, and beyond; yet I feel my quest has just
  begun. The Phoenix pendant of Rhakhaan warm against my breast, I turned to face the bright-
  ening sky in the east. The Cloud Caravel beneath me bobbed gently in the river water; soon we
  would be airborne. We would sail out of Haalkitaine, south to Emer. But not to bustling Sel-kai or
  lovely Artha. No, this time I would be entering new territory; places barely seen or spoken of except
  among the secretive Loremasters. Randæ Terisonen stood at the prow with the Navigator, and—as
  ever—Jad was by my side. Now the quest would begin, a quest more strange, wondrous and terrifying
  than even I could imagine.
  Kalen Avanir
  From his Travel Journals
  In this section is a brief overview of the scope of the new Shadow World® series presented by
  Eidolon Studio, and Shadow World’s relationship with ICE’s Rolemaster® system.
  Secondly, this section provides some general information that should be helpful in under-
  standing and using the material later in the book.
  • PART I •
  INTRODUCTION
  �    �    �
  
  8
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  1 • SHADOW WORLD
  & ROLEMASTER
  The Shadow World was born many years ago; its exact
  date is hard to pinpoint. Vog Mur was the child of Pete
  Fenlon in the late 70’s, predating even ICE. Then came
  Rolemaster, and the Loremaster series: Cloudlords of
  Tanara, Iron Wind, and a handful of others.
  Then came the realization that it was time to create an
  entire world to support the Rolemaster system (and Fan-
  tasy Hero™ at the time) so the Shadow World was formally
  christened. Years passed and ICE made the decision that it
  was time for something new, and discontinued the Shadow
  World series in its incarnation of the time. Now, however,
  we take up the tale of Kulthea soon after it left off.
  2 • INTEGRATING THE NEW
  EMER MATERIAL
  For GMs who have led adventures in Emer before
  based on the old Emer book, there may need to be some
  reconciliation with the new Eidolon Studio material.
  As for earlier Amthor writings, there is little inconsis-
  tency. However, there may or may not be conflicts with
  other Shadow World books (e.g., Amthor has never read
  Curse of Kabis); therefore only the Atlases, Jaiman, Iron
  Wind, Cloudlords and Eidolon are considered Canon.
  There are also many new elements: cities, towns, and
  other sites not mentioned before. These can simply be
  considered omissions from what was a rather cursory
  previous Loremaster survey of the continent.
  The timeline has also been advanced a year or so, and
  we have the catastrophic event of the theft of the Northern
  Eye to precipitate a few changes.
  3 • CULTURE & CIVILIZATION
  While this book focuses on a portion of the continent
  of Emer, it seems important to review and discuss the
  environment of the Shadow World as a whole, and what
  life might be like in such a place.
  In some ways Kulthea is not unlike our earth; men have
  the same psyches, the same wants and goals and desires.
  However, the routes to these goals are sometimes differ-
  ent. And there are powerful forces at work in Kulthea;
  things dismissed as superstition and scam in our world are
  very real mystical and magical energies in the Shadow
  World. And more peoples than mortal men live on Kulthea.
  Immortal Elves rule timeless kingdoms, while gods and
  demons walk the earth. And the planet is swept by super-
  natural storms, the magical Flows of Essænce run amuck.
  But while demons and sorcerers are real, they remain
  fairly unusual characters. Many a peasant has toiled his
  entire life in the fields of his lord and never once seen even
  the lowliest magical spell.
  CIVILIZATION ON KULTHEA
  The people of Kulthea’s march towards civilization has
  been sidetracked several times, usually by cataclysmic wars
  fought among the gods with Men and Elves as their reluc-
  tant pawns. These wars leave little in their wake, and the
  pawns are left to rebuild from scratch. In addition, the
  presence of magic on the Shadow World has taken its toll in
  retarding technological and scientific advancements. Many
  things are just easier to do with magic. If you really can turn
  lead into gold, the scientific method goes out the window.
  However, not everyone can use magic, and those who
  can tend to charge for their services (witness the Naviga-
  tors), or simply withhold them, so others continue to
  struggle along and make slow progress.
  It is the same way with governments. Advances are
  made, governments expand to the limits of practical size,
  then often collapse. Once again, as well, there are super-
  natural forces on Kulthea which prey on the vices of men
  and precipitate the destruction of governments which
  might otherwise have survived. The Emerian Empire is an
  example.
  Earlier in the Third Era the Empire spanned virtually
  all of Emer in a monarchy unmatched in size, wealth and
  power. But it had finally grown too large to support itself,
  and with the help of  sinister agents of darkness, it crumbled
  into anarchy.
  Only in the last few centuries has the continent emerged
  from the chaos and wars which reigned in the aftermath
  of that fall. Several regions have established variations on
  what on earth is known as a feudal government. It is
  important to understand how this arrangement works in
  order to get a feel of what life is like in this environment.
  This way, the Gamemaster can covey this rich milieu to
  the players and create a more satisfying gaming environ-
  ment for all involved.
  FEUDALISM ON KULTHEA
  Put simply, feudalism is the relation between a lord
  and his vassals or knights, those who pledge fealty or
  allegiance to him. He, in return promises to protect them
  from outside attack. This hierarchical system may extend
  upwards to a king and the lords beneath him. Lords are
  granted land to administer, and they build a castle, around
  which grows up a town.
  
  Part One: Introduction
  9
  Much of Emer (for instance, virtually all of Miir,
  Stroane and Vornia) is controlled by small kingdoms like
  this, with constantly warring factions, shifting allegiances
  and rival lords. In these regions, the land is dotted with
  castles every 12-15 miles (a day’s march) with villages
  huddled around each.
  LORDS
  Successful knights under a great lord are granted land
  and wealth, and can then set themselves up as ruler of a
  fief. These lords are rulers of their tiny realm (often as
  small as a parcel of land half a day’s walk in all directions).
  They protect their serfs and administer their lives as
  absolute authority.
  KNIGHTS
  Usually high-born, a knight aspires to become a lord in
  his own right. In the meantime he swears fealty to another
  and serves him with his sword and counsel.
  SERFS
  These people are bound to the land they work. Not
  exactly slaves, since their lord does not own them, never-
  theless they are servants with usually few rights. Their lord
  protects them in return for their labor and allegiance.
  They usually have some land for their own use.
  THE RISE OF CITY-STATES
  Independent of these kingdoms have arisen several
  centers of power based not upon military strength and
  fealty, but by the power of commerce and trade. Izar,
  Kaitaine and Sel-kai are perfect examples of  this situation.
  THE MERCHANTS & ARTISANS
  With the rise of cities and trade comes the opportunity
  for those with ambition and skill to gain wealth of their
  own. Merchants travel from place to place trading their
  wares, while skilled artisans (including in many cases
  spell-users) are in demand and may choose their em-
  ployer. Banking and an early incarnation of the corpora-
  tion allow the easy transfer of money and investment.
  RELIGION & MAGIC
  Thrown into this volatile political mix are two other
  powerful elements: wielders of magic, and representatives
  of rival gods. Clerics and priests seek to increase the
  influence of their various deities (and so grow their own
  political influence and wealth). On Kulthea they wield
  very real power, often the ability to heal wounds and raise
  the dead.
  Meanwhile several factions of spell-users offer their
  services, though always for a price. A Truthsayer of Itanis
  is a coveted status symbol in any wealthy royal court, while
  many lords have a  court Magician or Seer on retainer.
  THE PLACE OF MAGICIANS & MENTALISTS
  The difference between an Essence-user and a Mental-
  ist is a subtle one to all but learned scholars and those who
  use the power themselves—and between them is often a
  bitter rivalry. The hybrid Mystics are usually looked upon
  with disdain and suspicion by both.
  Spell users are not all that uncommon on the Shadow
  World; in fact perhaps one in ten humanoids has the
  potential either to wield the Essence or the power of their
  own mind. Much more rare is the opportunity to train
  and hone this raw potential into something that can be
  used as tool—and weapon. The wealthy and/or very for-
  tunate may attend a college where the magical and mental
  arts are taught. This way they may learn spells and the
  methods of directing their energies.
  
  10
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  THE PLACE OF CLERICS
  The Lords of Orhan, the Dark Gods of Charón, and
  countless local deities all have their followers. These men
  and women can literally tap into the power of their god
  and wield a tiny portion of their supernatural ability.
  Those with this aptitude may join a monastery, temple or
  church to learn the ways of their chosen god or goddess.
  THE FLOWS OF ESSÆNCE
  Swirling across and through the planet are the Flows of
  magical energy known as the Essænce. Like rivers, they
  have branches, pools, side currents and eddies. And like
  those liquid channels they can be very real barriers to
  travel and trade. Unlike rivers, however, flows are often
  invisible, and move at will. They can spring up overnight
  and create a barrier as real as a mountain range to divide
  a realm or even a town. This raw Essænce is the origin of
  all arcane power on Kulthea, whether it be endowed
  within the Mentalist’s mind, or for the Magician to tap, or
  within the god to be channeled.
  4 • CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  The way that a society deals with its criminals says a lot
  about that society itself. Some places, notably Danarchis
  and Sel-kai to the east, consider themselves enlightened.
  With their magistrates and judges, they observe a process
  an adhere to a set of laws. Punishment usually involves a
  fine or incarceration rather than physical
  abuse or maiming.
  On the other hand, less ‘sophisticated’
  (or bureaucratic) governments depend on
  punishments sometimes meted out by the
  nearest nobleman or even the lord of a small
  castle. These—usually smaller and more ru-
  ral—governments with less prison space resort to
  public flogging or caning, a few hours or days in the
  stocks, branding, or sometimes mutilation, such as
  cutting off a finger, hand, foot, or castration, or
  putting out an eye.
  While to a lady in Eidolon or a Loari artist
  in Námar-Tol this may seem brutal and
  barbaric, these places do not have the luxury
  of prisons and guards. The accepted phi-
  losophy is that punishment must be swift
  and severe in order to serve as a deterrent.
  5 • CULTURAL STRUCTURES
  The section below discusses some general aspects of
  low-technology societies and gives the GM some guide-
  lines should he need to further develop the cultures de-
  scribed in Emer or invent cultures of his own.
  In addition, the terminology defined below is fre-
  quently used in the various cultural summaries, so it
  would behoove the GM to familiarize himself with it.
  SUBSISTENCE PATTERNS
  Below are some terms used to describe the food gath-
  ering ways of various cultures.
  Hunter/gatherers.  These groups rely on big game for
  food, have low population densities, and exist in a no-
  madic or semi-nomadic state.  Extreme temperatures,
  rough terrain, and/or poor soil discourage any form of
  agriculture.  Bands or tribes may have distinct hunting
  circuits and therefore establish vague territorial bound-
  aries.  Urbanization is virtually nil, although certain spe-
  cific sites may be sacred and the focus of periodic societal
  gatherings.  High protein meat diets are supplemented
  with nuts, fruits, berries, and occasionally fish.  Wild
  grains are rarely used.
  The average group size is normally limited to 25-50
  people.  The territory is limited by the availability of water,
  wild foods, and game, and the overall proximity of these
  staples to each other.  Population density varies from .05
  to 10 people per square mile.
  Men normally do the hunting because the mobility
  requirement conflicts with childbearing.  Women usually
  gather supplemental foodstuffs, an often arduous task
  that accounts for up to seventy percent of
  the group’s nutritional intake.  As with
  most extremely mobile groups, few old or
  weak people survive for any length of time
  (e.g.,  they may perceive their presence as
  a burden and wander off to die).  In addi-
  tion, possessions are usually limited to
  what one can comfortably carry.
  Slash and burn agriculturists.  These folk rely on
  hardy yet primitive vegetables, mostly grains
  and tubers.  Often poor soil, harsh climates,
  steep grades, or dense foliage prevent a
  society from exploiting the land any more
  efficiently.  Farming revolves around the
  clearing of an area by slashing large foliage
  obstacles and burning off the remainder.
  Normally one crop is harvested per year,
  and the land is again cleared by burning.
  Since the soil is quickly exhausted, move-
  ment to new cultivated areas is frequent.  Coarse grasses
  replace the cleared forest in the abandoned fields.  The
  replenishment of the trees takes decades or centuries.
  The Stocks
  
  Part One: Introduction
  11
  Fishing and gathering may supplement the diet.  The
  population density varies from 1 to 20 people per square
  mile.
  Herders.  Herding peoples survive by supplementing a
  modest agricultural base with meat and dairy products
  taken from goats, sheep, cattle, and the like.  Generally, the
  relatively small parcels of fertile soil are re-
  served for cropland or gardens, while the less
  arable territory is given over to the herds.
  Although the fertile land is provided with
  adequate fertilizer and is depleted rather
  slowly, overgrazing can exhaust the limited
  foliage elsewhere.  Therefore, large areas are
  needed for the herds, since some rotation of
  the grazing lands is required.
  Seasonal movements between lowland and
  highland pastures occur on occasion and serve
  to counter soil depletion and subsequent ero-
  sion.  Mobility can also conquer the prob-
  lems of drought and famine, which can dev-
  astate the animal-based food supply.  Unfor-
  tunately, it is harder to hide from disease,
  and a herding group can suddenly find itself
  without food, should their flocks contract a
  severe illness.  The people’s proximity to
  their animals also makes them more suscep-
  tible to contagious disease.  Herder popula-
  tion densities vary from 3 to 40 people per
  square mile.
  Fisherfolk.  Fishermen may supplement their
  diet by gathering or gardening.  Normally these
  folk live on islands, beside the coast, or along rich water-
  courses, and get most of their nutrition from fish, shell-
  fish, sea mammals, and other related delicacies.  Some of
  these societies are akin to hunters and gatherers, and
  move periodically, as a result of weather or the flow of
  food sources.  Others live a more sedentary existence,
  usually in comfortable seaside spots.  This sort of subsis-
  tence produces population densities between .5 and 50
  people per square mile.
  Mixed economies.  These groups emphasize rotational
  farming, often yielding large amounts of food, mostly
  grains and vegetables.  Modest amounts of meat, dairy
  products, and fish round out the diet.  Such societies
  generally possess large tracts of arable soil, and devote
  their surplus land and harvests to providing for animals,
  or as storage for future use.  Within these areas, popula-
  tion density varies from 10 to 100+ people per square
  mile.
  TECHNOLOGY
  The following technological periods are examples which
  reflect a common course of development among most
  intelligent humanoid species and are particularly appro-
  priate for Kulthea.  Various societies on the Shadow
  World have technologies ranging from Old Stone Age
  through Iron Age and even beyond.  For convenience,
  the various ‘levels’ are assigned numbers so
  they can be noted in the cultural descrip-
  tions throughout this book.
  One might wonder how a wide range
  of technological levels can exist in such
  close proximity, especially given the
  amount of trade on Kulthea. This situation
  is understandable, however, because tech-
  nical advancement depends on skill,
  knowledge and the proper facilities. For
  instance, the Bodlean Dalesmen have nei-
  ther the skill nor the equipment to make
  fine steel, even though they might know
  the formula. However, iron is fine for
  most purposes, and what steel imple-
  ments they need they could buy in trade
  from Danarchis or Miir. In another ex-
  ample, the making of the anti-gravity
  metal Xenium requires not only sophisti-
  cated equipment,  but the formula is a
  closely guarded secret held by a few Alche-
  mists.
  Virtually all Kulthean societies fall into
  the Pre-Technology categories; the Tech-
  nology categories are given primarily for ref-
  erence and the occasional aberration.
  PRE-TECHNOLOGY LEVELS
  Level Description
  1
  Stone Age. Crude stone tools used; little or no
  cultural development.  Fire, basic spoken lan-
  guage.  No art, no agriculture, no medicine.
  Natural metals used late in this period.
  2
  Bronze Age. Crude metalworking, agriculture, and
  simple art forms.  Settled cultural groups.  Basic
  written language.  The wheel, oared galleys, herbal
  healing, crude spears and bronze swords.  Stone
  used in important buildings.
  3
  Iron Age. Refined weapon and tool-making, so-
  phisticated agriculture.  The beginnings of sci-
  ence and philosophy.  Regional governments.
  Keystone arch, water power, chemical medicine,
  scale armor.
  
  12
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  4
  Medieval Age. Steel alloys (swords, chain-mail),
  sailing ships.  Art and language refined.  Wind-
  mills.  The pointed arch allows for greater unsup-
  ported spans.
  5
  Early Renaissance Age. Regional Governments
  become more sophisticated.  Art is a powerful
  force.  Rigged sailing ships, telescopes.
  6
  Late Renaissance/Pre-industrial Age. Superior
  metals, advanced cultures with national govern-
  ments. The beginnings of ‘technology’: printing
  press and first clocks developed.  Balloons, medi-
  cal experimentation.  (Optionally: gunpowder)
  TECHNOLOGY LEVELS
  7
  Fossil Industrial Age. Steam power allows first
  automated machinery.  Automobiles, prop air-
  craft, railroads, direct current electricity, vac-
  cines and anesthetics used in medicine.  The
  telegraph.
  8
  Electronic Age. Transistors, then Silicon chips
  revolutionize technology.  First computers, jet
  aircraft, nuclear bombs.  Organ transplants, prac-
  tical working prosthetics, antibiotics in use.
  9
  Early Space Age. Interplan-
  etary exploration, supercon-
  ductors, optical electronics,
  voice interaction with com-
  puters,  artificially intelligent
  (sentient) computers, prac-
  tical heavy energy weapons,
  antiviral drugs, cryogenics,
  cloning, human/computer
  interfaces (Cyberspace™).
  10
  Fusion Age. Clean energy,
  widespread interplanetary
  travel, advanced bioengi-
  neering (Alterant Repli-
  cants), small-scale ter-
  raforming.  Practical hand-
  held energy weapons.  Cancer defeated.
  11
  Molecutronic Age. Truly organic computers,
  nanocircuitry, slow FTL (faster-than-light) ve-
  hicles span interstellar distances in decades.
  12
  Gravitic Age. Gravity fields understood and neu-
  tralized on a limited scale.  Tachyon and inertial
  field physics in early stages.  Energy screens devel-
  oped.  Planetary scale terraforming.
  13
  Antimatter Age. Control of fields, knowledge of
  hyperspace.  Interstellar communication (Ta-
  chyon Beam Dictor), fast FTL vehicles, matter/
  antimatter harnessed, interstellar governments,
  powerful energy weapons.  Personal shields.
  (Space Master™)
  14
  Early Matter/Energy Age. Basic control of energy/
  matter movement and form.  Short range
  (<100,000 km) matter transmission.  Planet build-
  ing (Dyson spheres, Ringworlds), fast
  terraforming.  (Beyond Space Master.)
  15
  Late Matter/Energy Age. Total control of energy/
  matter movement and form, manipulation of
  matter into different molecular structures
  through use of complex machinery.  Long range
  (10 LY+) matter transmission through hyper-
  space.  Early experimentation with inter-planar
  travel.    (Far beyond Space Master; Lords of
  Essænce Tech Level.)
  16
  Planar Control Age.  Access to parallel dimen-
  sions through technology, personal units to ma-
  nipulate matter, mental interaction with ma-
  chines.  Time travel, consciousness without need
  of physical body.
  17
  Beyond imagination.
  SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS
  In the unique world of Kulthea,
  the introduction of such factors as
  the Essænce and artifacts of the
  ancient Lords make it difficult to
  categorize technological advances
  into a simple, clear progression.
  Below, we offer some guidance and
  information.
  Water/Wind Power: The crudest
  form is the windmill, or the
  waterwheel, both used to grind
  grain between large stones.  Water
  power is more steady and reliable.
  Windmills are only usually used in
  coastal areas or plains where wind
  is relatively constant.  More sophisticated machines such
  as pumps and conveyors came later.
  Steam Power: A few advanced societies have developed
  crude steam turbines — usually to operate mills, propel
  ships, or other simple machines.
  Printing: A handful of cultures have developed a crude
  method of printing — though nothing as advanced as a
  press with movable type.  And the vast majority of societ-
  ies with a written tongue are as yet satisfied with just that
  — writing it.
  Alloys: Many of the more advanced societies have devel-
  oped sophisticated smelting processes, allowing them to
  
  Part One: Introduction
  13
  unlock the earth’s priceless metals from their surround-
  ing ore. In addition, they can combine metals to create
  strong alloys such as steel.
  Gunpowder: The secret of this potentially devastating
  tool has yet to be unlocked, by even the most advanced
  cultures on the Shadow World.  The power of magic as
  stagnated any desire for a chemical explosive, and the
  mysteriously fluctuating effects of the Essænce can have a
  transmuting effect on chemical reactions.
  Machines:  A few of the most advanced groups have
  mastered the concept of gears and pulleys and have cre-
  ated complex mechanisms.  While electricity is far from a
  reality, inspired inventors have harnessed water, wind,
  and even steam to drive machines.
  Medicine: The medical arts owe most of their sophistica-
  tion to the devotion of religious Healers and those who
  follow the mental disciplines of Lay Healing.  The latter,
  through intense study and mental energy, are able to
  perform feats of surgery comparable to the most ad-
  vanced science of Space Master’s Terran Empire.
  Herbs also provide potent medicinal cures; these en-
  chanted plants are capable of anything from relieving
  minor pain to reviving those thought to be in an irrevers-
  ible coma.
  Astronomy: Kultheans as a rule have an unusually well-
  developed understanding of their place in the cosmos.  In
  many cases this may be attributable to the wealth of
  knowledge — however fragmented — left behind by the
  Lords of Essænce.  For instance, despite the fact that the
  globe cannot be circumnavigated (because of the barriers
  of the Essænce), any goatherd knows that the world is a
  sphere, and that it whirls around the huge burning orb of
  the sun (along with a number of other spheres).  Things
  begin to break down, however, when one inquires as to the
  number of other planets and their names.
  POLITICAL STRUCTURES
  Typical political structures or governmental systems
  include the systems which follow.
  Anarchy.  Actually, the absence of a working structure or
  government, generally leading to complete disorder and
  confusion.
  Clan.  A large group of families or bands (family groups)
  which claim descent from a common ancestor and have
  strong blood ties.  They are typically ruled by a chieftain or
  warlord, although a council of representatives (e.g., el-
  ders) may possess some or all of the real power and
  authority.
  Democracy.  A society where the ultimate power is vested
  in the citizenry.  Under this system, each citizen has an
  equal vote.
  Dictatorship.  Absolute power, but not necessarily au-
  thority, is held by one person (the dictator).
  Feudal.  A somewhat decentralized system based on vari-
  ous tiers of landholders (possessors or owners).  Those
  with lesser holdings (vassals) derive their grants and secu-
  rity from those above and, in return, provide the greater
  landholder (lords) with goods (e.g., food) or services (e.g.,
  troops).  Such a system is often hereditary.
  Monarchy.  Absolute power and authority is held by one
  overlord, the monarch (e.g., king, queen, emperor, em-
  press, etc.).  Such a system is generally hereditary.
  Oligarchy.  Power and authority rests in the hands of a
  small number of individuals (oligarchs), who may form a
  coalition or elite upper class.
  Republic. Supreme power rests in one or more
  representative(s), governmental assemblies elected by the
  citizenry.  Citizens may or may not have practical equality
  (i.e., an equal vote).
  Theocracy. A state where the ultimate political power and
  authority rests with those who hold supreme religious
  power and authority.  The overlord is often considered a
  deity or divine representative.
  Tribe.  A group of related clans or a large collection of
  people who maintain the same culture and consider them-
  selves brethren.  They are typically ruled by a council of
  elders (e.g., clan chieftains) and/or a high chieftain or
  king.
  6 • GETTING AROUND
  The varied lands of Hæstra may be traversed in a
  variety of ways; obstacles when they arise are as often
  political as geographic or elemental.
  GM Note: much useful information about travel and
  encounters can be found in the Rolemaster book
  Gamemaster Law.™
  BY LAND
  The Hæstra mainland is crisscrossed by an ancient
  network of paved roads: the highways built by the Emer-
  ian Empire. About twenty feet wide (enough for wagons
  to pass) they are paved with flagstones, sloped for drain-
  age, and have league markers (a league is approximately 3
  miles; markers tell distance from Votania). Solidly built
  stone bridges span creeks, rivers and ravines. These roads
  connect virtually all of the large city-states, though they
  
  14
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  are in varying stages of disrepair. In general, the roads are
  in better shape around the Sea of Votania and deteriorate
  as one moves away from that body. In Bodlea the highway
  is intermittently covered by eroded soil and weeds.
  Secondary roads are of packed earth, though most are
  kept clear by area residents and have some markers.
  Finally, there are what can only be called paths, rutted and
  winding, barely wide enough at times for two horses to
  travel side-by side. These can have underbrush perilously
  close to the path (a perfect hiding place for bandits), and
  at times the path itself can seem to vanish.
  ON FOOT
  Travellers on foot usually walk 8-12 hours a day, taking
  several breaks. Considering this, one should assume that
  a group can cover 12-15 miles a day on roads, perhaps a bit
  more if they are in excellent shape and push themselves,
  less if the terrain is not ideal. Not surprisingly, manors and
  villages dot the landscape about 12-15 miles apart, espe-
  cially along major roads.
  MOUNTED
  If everyone in the group is mounted and the way is easy,
  one can cover as much as 20-25 miles a day. Obviously, it
  is assumed that the mounts are rested periodically. If the
  group has resources to get fresh mounts every few hours
  they can cover considerably more territory.
  BY SEA
  The western coast of Emer is always busy with trade
  ships. From Sel-kai far to the east ships arrive in Artha
  daily, continuing on to the Port of Izar, then to Aquitar
  and on to Kaitaine in the south.
  It is 13-18 days from Artha to Izar, a long journey once
  broken by a stop at Zinvar. But since the mysterious
  destruction of the port city over a hundred years ago, the
  island is shunned.
  While there are not many strictly passenger ships on
  Kulthea, many trade vessels have a few cabins and they
  will sell passage to travellers. Depending on the size and
  nature of the ship, passengers may have anywhere from
  feather beds and private rooms with their own steward
  and fine meals to hammocks and eating with the crew.
  While the Sea of Gold is usually fairly tame, and the bay
  of Izar calm, each can be choppy—and storms are not
  uncommon in spring and fall. Further north, the Melurian
  Straits are always fraught with tricky currents, and storms
  can suddenly  appear year-round.
  BY AIR
  Skyships stop daily at all the major ports in Hæstra:
  Artha, Izar, Sarnak, and Aquitar, less frequently at Dynax,
  Relian, Arakin, Orian and Nysellin.
  The Loari Airbarges, on the other hand, skirt the coast,
  travelling only from Danarchis to Izar, then on down to
  Kaitaine, a few stopping off at Aquitar. They are not seen
  over the Hæstra mainland.
  BY NAVIGATOR
  These guides are usually hired to guide Skyships or large
  sea vessels with important cargoes. Some wealthy mer-
  chants who travel overland will also hire a Navigator to
  make the journey go more smoothly. Navigators rarely
  are called upon to teleport passengers very far except by
  the very wealthy and powerful. (PCs could go an entire
  campaign without seeing a Navigator Jump a client.).
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  15
  • PART II •
  HISTORY OF EMER
  With Notes On Other Realms
  “You have no idea what’s begun here.”
  The Jenaar Emissary to the Shoneb Emperor
  Just before she teleported away to escape capture
  Northern Thuul
  TE 5028
  Walk the way the fishes know
  Safe beneath the domain of storms
  Living stone arches above
  All life allied; the world is one.
  Entry is gained by knowing the key
  Clues aplenty left by the door where
  The fish speak.
  Translation of an Earthwarden Codex
  Interregnum, date unknown
  
  16
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  1 • THE FIRST ERA
  c. -80,000 FE (Approximately 200,000 years before the
  present time.)  A cataclysm of cosmic proportions sends
  shock waves through the universes, and causes a ‘gate’ or
  ‘tear’ in the inter-dimensional fabric.  A group of non-
  corporeal entities enters this space-time, fleeing the
  destruction of their own universe through the gate.  They
  close this gate (though it can never be completely sealed)
  but find that they cannot leave the solar system because
  the unique location of Kulthea in space-time maintains
  its singular association with their home universe.  Be-
  yond the system, the peculiar radiations are too rarefied
  to maintain their life-force.  They arrive at a moon
  orbiting the gate planet Kulthea (not wishing to interfere
  in the natural evolution occurring on the planet itself),
  alter the moon’s ecology to their liking (including mak-
  ing the moon the focus of their power), and take up
  residence.  They are to become the Lords of Orhan.
  Also at this time, a tiny black hole (its origins also
  possibly in another universe) strikes Kulthea, passing
  through the world and erupting out the other side.  It
  extrudes core material behind it as it exits, and the Pillar
  of the Gods (a pinnacle of black crystal and metal several
  miles high, located in central Thuul) is created.  Severe
  earthquakes and tidal waves cause widespread devasta-
  tion, especially in the region surrounding the pillar.
  c. -30,000:  The first indigenous intelligent race on Kulthea
  — the Altha  — discover fire.
  c. -20,000 — -18,000:  Althan culture develops a tech-
  nology which allows them to conquer the stars.  The
  world becomes the center of an explosion of interstellar
  colonization.  Many  planets become homes for seedling
  cultures.  The Lords of Orhan shield themselves on their
  moon, employing illusion and misdirection to keep the
  Althan race away.
  c. -16,000: First appearance of the mighty comet Sa’kain
  in the Kulthean solar system.  In Kulthea’s sky it is like a
  huge column of fire clearly visible by day and making the
  night as bright as sunset.  Unbeknownst to the inhabit-
  ants of the Shadow World, Sa’kain’s entry into the sys-
  tem has reopened the a new inter-dimensional rift,
  destabilizing the current balance.  The Lords of Orhan
  are unable to close this interface, so Kulthea is subjected
  to irradiation by the strange energies of another uni-
  verse.  This energy interacts with all matter in the system,
  infusing it with what is later known as the primal Es-
  sænce. In addition, the Kulthean system becomes vul-
  nerable to intrusions from the Planes and the Void.
  c. -15,000:  First discovery of the Essænce by the Althan
  scientists of Kulthea.  (Inhabitants were aware of unex-
  plainable energies since the dawn of their civilization,
  but were previously unable to analyze their nature or tap
  their power.)  Genetic manipulation enhances latent
  abilities to control the force.  Members of the K’ta’viiri
  (family? clan? sub-race?) show special aptitude.  The
  Althans soon discover that the Essænce is unique to the
  Kulthean system.  In addition, certain materials are
  shown to retain, augment, or resist the Essænce. Strange,
  violent creatures from other dimensions appear peri-
  odically on Kulthea, but are little more than a nuisance.
  As this is the first of the Emerian Atlas supplements, it seemed appropriate to include an
  expanded timeline for the continent as a whole — with an extra focus on the Emerian Empire,
  which was centered here in Hæstra. This history is far more exhaustive than previously published
  and is essentially a composite of many Shadow World texts. Nothing so complete could be found
  anywhere on Kulthea except perhaps on the Loremaster island of Karilôn or the great library of
  Nomikos on Ormian. Other large libraries might contain sections of this material, but especially
  the Emerian Empire history would be relatively fragmentary. It should be noted that even this
  accounting is by no means complete; after the fall of the Emerian Empire, this record concen-
  trates mainly on Hæstra. Later books will reveal events in other areas of Emer in further detail.
  Secret or covert activities are included in italics; these are events and actions that the PCs
  could not be aware of without special means such as a vision or access to secret texts. Also, events
  before the year “0” (i.e., during the shadowy First Era and the Interregnum) are also essentially
  unknown and are included mainly for the GM’s reference. Terms in other languages are either
  OE (Old Emer), K. (Kugor, the language of the Great Drakes), Ir. (Iruaric), or I (Iylar, high-
  Elven).
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  17
  However, many of the Althans are also true Psionics,
  able to tap their own energy reserves. (Psionic power is
  a personal energy which a percentage of all thinking
  beings in this universe may possess; it is unrelated to the
  Essænce.)
  c. -15,000 — -10,000:  Althan civilization begins to evolve
  into a unique combination of technology and ‘magic’
  (the Essænce power).  Society also polarizes, with the
  Essænce adepts (mostly the K’ta’viiri) becoming a privi-
  leged upper class.  A number of Portals are constructed
  on Kulthea (and several on Charón); these gateways
  allow direct access to a selected few of the parallel dimen-
  sions.  Althan scientists master techniques for opening
  and closing such gateways, sometimes using artifacts
  such as powerful crystals.
  c. -14,500: First reappearance of the
  comet Sa’kain.  It returns every 1500
  years, though the proximity to
  Kulthea varies dramatically with
  each pass: sometimes brighter
  than Orhan in the night sky,
  sometimes all but invisible to the
  unaided eye.  Its presence coin-
  cides with violent Flowstorms and
  serious disruption of the Portals.
  c. -14,000 — -10,000:  After a se-
  ries of battles across the stars, the
  K’ta’viir family rules a large por-
  tion of the galaxy in a vast Empire,
  maintaining control by virtue of
  their superior Psionic powers and their mighty star-
  fleets.  Their dynasty survives for millennia.
  c. -10,000 — -6000: The K’ta’viiri begin experimenting
  with cosmic forces to open gates in other regions of
  space.  Their hope is to tap the Essænce elsewhere.  All
  such attempts end in spectacular failure.
  Also, many peoples and creatures from other planets
  are brought to Kulthea and experimented with.  Masters
  of genetics, the Lords of Essænce alter plants, animals,
  and races to suit their whim.  These unusual races
  include the Krylites, the Saurkur, and the Kuluku.
  c. -2000 — -250:  The Emperors are increasingly corrupt
  and sadistic, showing little respect for life or the continu-
  ity of galactic stability.  This perverse trend culminates in
  the Ascension of the Empress Kadæna in c. -510.
  c. -250 — 0: Rebellion against the K’ta’viiri begins, insti-
  gated by the Lord Utha, a cousin within the family.
  Political, technological and Psionic powers are used in a
  sweeping attempt to overthrow the current Empress-
  goddess.
  The Lords of Orhan — fearing the complete destruc-
  tion of life on the Shadow World — rescue representa-
  tives of their favorite animal and plant species from
  Kulthea and bring them to Orhan.  Indeed, large areas of
  Kulthea are laid waste as the Uruths destroy the most of
  the K’ta’viiri, using channels of raw Essænce.   The
  backlash from this power destroys or damages many of
  the ancient Portals, leaving them ‘open’ without control.
  Strange creatures and destructive  demons of the Void
  swarm into this universe through the broken Portals.
  Although the rebellion is successful, the result also
  brings about the complete downfall of the Althan Civi-
  lization.  Worlds are destroyed, their popula-
  tions reduced to a primitive existence.
  c. 0:  The final conflict of Utha and Kadæna
  takes place on Kulthea.  Kadæna is be-
  headed by Utha himself, wielding a
  weapon known as the Soulsword.
  By a last effort of Utha, the Flows of
  Essence are altered to imprison the in-
  truders: by placing the ‘Eyes of Utha’ at
  the poles, he limits further influx of the
  strange and hideous creatures.  While it
  was always believed that Utha caused
  the Flows to shift dividing the world
  into hemispheres, that was merely a
  side-effect of the crystals which he
  placed at the two poles of the planet.
  Their real effect was to insulate Kulthea from the radia-
  tions of the inter-dimensional rift, and thus inhibit
  Demonic incursions from the Void. It is restored to the
  balance before the coming of the comet.
  However, much of the world is now a wasteland.
  Recovery for Kulthea will be a long and painful process.
  It is said that a few of the K’ta’viiri and Uruths survive,
  placing themselves in suspended animation to awake at
  a later time.
  A secret cabal is formed at this time; led by none other
  than Utha’s son Dænkú, it is made up of eight surviving
  rebels and calls itself the Ahrenreth (Ir. “Secret Circle”).
  Their mission is to ensure the safety of the Eyes of Utha and
  to continue to close the errant Portals (or  ‘Shadowgates’).
  These Portals, though severely inhibited by the Eyes of
  Utha, still allow demonic beings limited access to Kulthea.
  INTERREGNUM
  Also called the “Long Night”, this period lasts approxi-
  mately 100,000 years.  The world begins a slow return to
  stability.  Many lands are lost beneath the waves as the
  A Scribe at the
   Library of Olas Shryak
  
  18
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  clouds condense.  Only the most sturdy peoples survive
  the period, and most are held at the lowest level of civili-
  zation.  Unfortunately, many of the survivors are twisted,
  evil creatures such as the deformed Lugrôki and subterra-
  nean Trogli — and worse things, evil intruders from the
  end of the First Era.  The Krylites, insectile people, main-
  tain their culture hidden deep beneath the Spine of Emer
  and slowly elevate into a technically advanced society. The
  Dwarves also manage to survive by hiding underground.
  During this time the Lords of Orhan seed some of their
  ‘rescued’ peoples back on Kulthea, among them the Elven
  and human races.  The Fey Folk (Nymphs and Sylphs,
  Naiads and Dryads) first appear—creations of the Lords
  of Orhan sent to guard over the vulnerable races.
  It should be noted that the Loremasters have chronicled
  (though in only the most general terms) the rise and fall of
  at least three civilizations during this time. They are
  known—among other names—as the Jinteni, the Wôrim,
  and the Taranians. The Jinteni were probably centered in
  southern Emer; the Wôrim from the eastern lands be-
  tween Emer and Folenn, and the Taranians lived on a land
  mass in the Lonely Sea, which sank during a terrible
  earthquake near the end of the Interregnum. Of these
  cultures little remains. The most remarkable legacy of the
  Jinteni may be the City of the Dead in southwest Emer.
  There were also several powerful groups active during this
  time, among them the Earthwardens, who are credited
  with construction of the Coral Roads.
  The Dænkú Ahrenreth is also active for many thousands
  of years.  But one by one, these immortal men and women fall
  victim to various disasters.  Three are believed killed in
  combat with servants of the Agoth.  Two are slain by the
  backlash of closing Portals, and two others perish destroying
  a cult of hidden Kadænan survivors.  Twenty thousand years
  after the fall of the K’ta’viir empire, only Dænkú himself
  remains.  Unable to bear continuing alone, he constructs a
  secure vault on an isle south of Jaiman and places himself in
  suspended animation.  Sophisticated machines are set to
  awaken him if the Essænce is disturbed.  (What even Dænkú
  does not know is that one of his order — Ondoval — was not
  killed but caught in a warp of time. Far more horribly,
  another of the Order was captured by the Agothu and taken
  into the void.  By some unspeakable method, the female
  K’ta’viir was impregnated and bore a child.  It consumed the
  mind and body of its mother and sought a way to return to
  Kulthea.)
  The machines fulfill their instructions after about sixty
  thousand years, during a particularly close pass of the comet
  Sa’kain.  Dænkú wanders the globe for centuries, finding
  that the world has blossomed.  Races have multiplied, and
  ancient wounds have healed.  He suspects intervention, but
  is as yet unable to pierce the magical veils shrouding the
  Lords of Orhan.  Dænkú assumes the guise of an Elven sage
  and begins to gather other wise Elves together.  He takes the
  name Andraax.
  2 • THE SECOND ERA OF IRE
  1: Founding of the College of Loremasters by Kirin T’thaan,
  Ilmaris Terisonen, and Andraax. All three are suppos-
  edly Elven, though Andraax is actually a Lord of Es-
  sænce. The College is based on the isle of Karilôn, the
  location hidden. The purpose of the Loremasters is
  twofold: first to serve as an instrument for gathering
  knowledge and information so that it is not lost; and
  second to disseminate this information ‘for the advance-
  ment of civilization.’ This date is not a coincidence; this
  is the beginning of ‘Loremaster Reckoning’ after the
  interregnum.
  c. 100: A large Elven community, migrating from the east,
  settles on the green islands east of Emer. They name their
  home Námar-Tol.
  450: First Loremaster-recorded appearance of the comet
  Sa’kain, a burning mass that hangs in the Kulthean sky
  for weeks. As it passes near the planet, it disrupts the
  function of the Eyes of Utha, and opens a door into a
  multitude of universes—including the Void. The comet
  returns every 1500 years. Soon after this event the Dark
  Gods begin to appear on Kulthea. To counter this, the
  Lords of Orhan create manifestations of themselves and
  accept followings. The origins of the Dark Gods remain
  unclear, though some suspect they are actually former
  Lords of Orhan who turned from the benign ways of
  their brethren. Others hold that they are early manifes-
  tations of the Unlife, or even ‘failed’ experiments by the
  Althans to create non-corporeal life. Perhaps only An-
  draax knows the truth.
  450: Dænkú (Andraax) discovers a surviving K’ta’viir,
  who is gathering evil creatures in Mulira. After a spec-
  tacular battle the former servant of Kadæna is slain—but
  his half-K’ta’viir son (Lorgalis) escapes.
  500: The Loremasters call the first Council of Karilôn, a
  gathering of seven leaders, to address a variety of issues.
  Joining Kirin T’thaan, Ilmaris Terisonen, and Andraax
  are Tanris Dekdarion, a  Loar Warrior Monk), The Linær
  Cleric Yael Ziriv-kari, the Loar Bard Ilmaris Terisonen,
  and the Loar Astrologer Romenor Tartalus.
  825: Six powerful Titans settle on the mountainous isle of
  Votania in the center of Emer. They decide that this
  mighty continent needs order and begin to gather ser-
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  19
  vants. The Loremasters take note but elect not to inter-
  fere.
  1000: Andraax re-forms the Dænkú Ahrenreth, dedicated to
  maintaining the balance. As a lord of Essence and son of
  Utha, he is one of the few who even partially understands
  the real purpose of the Eyes of Utha. Kulthea hangs on the
  threshold between universes—a wild, chaotic one where
  magic rules; and the one where only physical laws apply.
  The Eyes hold the world in the open doorway, allowing
  Essence to work while maintaining the world in this uni-
  verse. Should the eyes be destroyed, the world may fall one
  way or the other. Either all magic will fail or the world will
  enter a universe where flowstorms are continuous and the
  Unlife rules. The comet Sa’kain complicates things, as it
  seems to have multiplied the access to other universes.
  c. 1000:  Warrior-mages on huge steeds begin purging the
  wilds in central Emer, driving out the ubiquitous Gark
  and Lugrôki hordes.  These knights are harbingers of the
  coming of the Masters.
  1073: A pantheon of godlike beings (the Titans) calling
  itself the “Masters of Emer” claims all of central and
  northwestern Emer. Their home is the mist-shrouded
  isle of Votania. Lordly beings, they are the size of giants,
  yet handsome and fair, and immortal. They rule through
  an order of warrior-mages (the Xiosians) but appear for
  festivals and ceremonies, riding out of the sky on en-
  chanted chariots drawn by Pegasi.
  c. 1073 — 5000: Under the Masters, most of the rustic
  Shay peoples are driven out of Hæstra, and the Laan
  settle in various areas.  By 2000 the central and eastern
  regions are well populated with the Laan (who in the
  Third Era are referred to as the ‘“Old Race”).  The Laan
  build beautiful strong cities of granite and marble, and
  their knowledge of science and magic exceeds for a time
  any that has yet to be seen on Kulthea since the Long
  Night.  But they are more easily called to the Darkness,
  and beginning as early as 3000, servants of the Unlife
  begin their slow work to undo the power of the Laan.
  1075 — c. 1200:  Another Master known as Kio Viax joins
  Titus Híaz (who is their Military Captain) to lead a
  mighty army through the Gap of Uj.  By the end of the
  century they drive out the Goblins of Murlog and subju-
  gate the upstart peoples to the southwest.  The early
  horsemen tribes worship Viax as a god.
  1200 — 1218:  Titus Híaz, now joined by Ria Xain, crosses
  the Spine of Emer east and easily subjugates the nearby
  SE regions.  Xain takes up rule of Khûm-kaan while Híaz
  moves on southwest.  Meanwhile,  the Master Xaym Jyax
  marches towards Tai-emer, quelling war between the
  peoples there.
  1220 — 1229: Híaz, after crushing the Garks of Onar,
  leaves Xaix Yjan in control; Híaz and Mira Zyan then
  civilize the Anzeti of Silaar; she remains to rule.  (The
  Islands of Námar-Tol are left unassailed; whether the
  Masters elected to ignore the Elven peoples or a secret
  pact was struck is uncertain.)
  1230:  Titus Híaz returns to Votania triumphant: all of
  Emer is in the hands of the Masters.  Each rules a region
  as lord and god.  An era of peace and prosperity for the
  entire continent ensues, lasting nearly two millennia.
  1950: The comet Sa’kain returns, as it does every 1500
  years, triggering massive flowstorms and random gate
  openings.
  c. 2,000: First Loremaster-recorded appearance of ser-
  vants of the Unlife. The Unlife is a dark power—a force
  for total destruction and death—originating in another
  universe, allowed access to this one through a combina-
  tion of the Eyes and the Comet. Unlike inhabitants of the
  Planes and even the Void, whose actions and purpose
  A Laan Lord and his wife,
  circa 1500 SEI
  
  20
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  seem unfathomable, the Unlife is a single force with
  many servants and incarnations. Dark cults—followers
  of the Unlife—begin to spring up.
  2200: The Council of Loremasters decides to take a more
  aggressive stance against dark forces.
  c. 2500: Establishment of the Changramai Monastery in
  the Choak mountains of northern Emer. It is believed
  that the Changramai are disenchanted Xiosians who left
  the service of the Titans (In fact, some are; however, the
  founder is Tanris Dekdarion, the Loremaster, grandfa-
  ther of the famous T’vaar Dekdarion). Their quasi-
  religious order seems filled with contradictions to out-
  siders, but they are soon renowned as unsurpassed war-
  riors in unarmed combat
  2530: (Jaiman) Founding of the Library of Nomikos in
  southern Jaiman (by Andraax). It is ad-
  ministered by a monastic order of
  sages and scribes.
  3100: The first stirrings of discord
  among the Masters of Emer. Two
  (Mira Zyan of Silaar and Xaix Yjan of
  Onar) are unhappy with their re-
  gions and wish to reapportion the
  lands. Titus Híaz refuses to do so.
  c. 3200 — 3350: Goblins begin raiding
  in Uj again; Garks multiply in the Ru-
  laash Forest of Onar and terrorize the Kuluku;
  Lugrôki breed in the Spine of Emer and begin raids on
  the lowlands of Hæstra.
  3300: Founding of the first guild of Navigators, a secretive
  group which offers guaranteed safe travel as a service—
  to anyone who can afford their fee. Their powers are
  based largely on a discovered cache of ancient artifacts
  known as ’compasses’ which allow the user to tap the Flows
  for safe teleportation.
  c. 3300 — 3700: The Navigator Guilds spring up across
  the globe (or at least the western hemisphere). At first
  there is competition between the Guilds, uneven service,
  and low fees. Navigators can only be found and hired at
  large cities.
  3345: Forces of the dark god Andaras attack Uj via land
  and sea.  Because of the ongoing fight amongst the
  Titans, the Master of Uj (Kio Viax) leads an army him-
  self.
  3347: The fight for Uj climaxes with a confrontation
  between the Titan Kio Viax and the god Andaras. Kio is
  nearly slain before his brethren arrive to help. Uj is
  overrun, signaling the end of the undisputed reign of the
  Masters.
  3450: The comet Sa’kain returns.
  c. 3500: The six mightiest of the Great Drakes, at the
  behest of Voriig Kye, gathers at the ancient breeding
  caves at Ssoiayig Saer  (K: “Caves of the Drakes’ Birth-
  place”). They agree to form an alliance of sorts.
  c. 3450 – 5000: Much of Emer continues to be fragmented
  by incursions from various enemies and by the growing
  threat of Goblins, Lugrôki and Trogli. Dragons and
  other terrible enchanted beasts are everywhere, wreak-
  ing havoc and destruction. Corruption spreads through
  the Xiosians as well. The Masters settle their grievances
  by the end of this period, but enemy forces have grown
  too strong for them to overcome. They can only hold
  Hæstra, watching as the civilizations they
  worked so hard to build collapse into
  dust. Soon even the Laan of Hæstra
  begin to revolt, seduced by dark gods.
  3451: Birth of Tethior the Smith in
  Námar-Tol, son of the noble house of
  Jeranian.
  3453: Birth of  Krelij (later known as
  ‘The Swordmaker’), Tethior’s younger
  brother—and eventually his rival.
  Over the next dozens of centuries both will create a
  number of powerful tools and weapons to aid in the fight
  against the Unlife.
  c. 3600: The White Dragon Oran Jatar approaches Krelij
  and secures his assistance in creating the Dragon Helms.
  There are to be Six, the number of the Dragonlords. In
  return, Krelij learns much of the arcane arts of alchemy—
  including the working of laens and eog.
  c. 3500–3700: Rise of the realm of Thanor in Silaar.
  According to the sparse surviving records, this kingdom
  was ruled by a divine priest-king aided by an elite hier-
  archy of wizard-warriors. These people appear to be of
  the Jaaderi race. Many of the Thanorian ruins contain
  Orhan-marble, indicating that they were skilled masons
  and in tune with the Essence.
  3710 — 3730: Convinced by the legendary Navigator
  Orbaal jen Zamain that the Navigators cannot survive in
  their present state, a summit is  convened among leaders
  of all the Guilds. After literally years of negotiation, the
  Navigator Guild Alliance is formed. Pricing is rigidly
  fixed, and the Guild Alliance sets up a sophisticated
  network of obelisks, allowing anyone to ‘summon’ a
  Navigator just by touching the obelisk and requesting
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  21
  one. The Navigators make their home at the center of the
  land known as Iyxia. Annual Conclaves are held at their
  headquarters there, a sprawling citadel called Nexus.
  (Note: Erroneous accounts give the origin of the Navigator
  Alliance as late as TE c 5000).
  3744: The Dragon Helms are completed, and the Six gather.
  What they do not know is that Krelij, using the knowledge
  gleaned from the Dragonlord, also made six rings. These
  would allow a human wearer to assume the powers of a
  drake. They are known as the Daath Leerssoi (K. “Maker
  of the Shadow Drakes”). He tells no one of their existence
  but makes note of them in his secret journals. Soon after the
  helms are distributed, the golden dragon Kydak Dûm,
  vanishes.
  3840: Tethior and Andraax begin work on the Six Crowns of
  Jaiman.
  3910: (Jaiman) Six realms arise with the Six Crowns as
  their foci. Dominating the continent, they wield their
  items for Light and hold back the Unlife (including the
  assaults of Lorgalis) for a long period. Even the Flows of
  Essænce are altered, creating sea lanes for the trade ships
  to escape the pirates of Ulor.
   c. 4000: The Thanorian kingdom is in its heyday, occupy-
  ing northern Silaar, with satellite states in southern
  Silaar, Námar-Tol, and Tai-Emer. Theirs is a land where
  magic is commonplace. The city of Thenia on the shores
  of the Lake of Glass is a place of graceful towers of
  alabaster and crystal. This is in stark contrast to most of
  Emer, which is populated by warring tribes or loosely
  allied feudal lords.
  • (Jaiman) The Order of the Priests Arnak is formed by a
  manifestation of the Unlife known as the Iron Wind. They
  establish themselves in six locations across the continent of
  Jaiman. Tools of evil, they work to destroy society and
  civilization from within.
  4145: The youngest daughter of the Priest-king of Thanor
  has an affair with a handsome white-haired stranger (he
  is in fact Akalatan the Dark Spirit, servant of Klysus the
  Serpent God). She becomes pregnant and her lover aban-
  dons her. In shame she flees to the province of Arûl in
  southern Tai-emer, having her twin children there—
  one boy and one girl. She names them Sendar and Sendil.
  Other than having white hair (unheard-of among the
  Thanorians, considered of Jaaderi stock), they appear to
  be entirely human. The children grow up under the
  cloud of being bastard nobility. No one would believe
  that their father is a dark demigod.
  4175: Sendar, now a decorated Warrior-mage in the
  Thanorian army, is appointed governor of Arûl. His
  sister Sendil, a Mystic, is always near him.
  4179: Sendar declares the Priest-king of Thanor (his uncle)
  to be corrupt and a false leader. He names himself lord
  of Arûl and Thanor, and reveals apparently supernatural
  powers. Civil war breaks out.
  c. 4180: Seeing a threat from the power of Thanor to the
  southwest and an opportunity with the rebellion of Arûl,
  the Dragonlord Voriig Kye begins to amass his armies and
  constructs a fleet on several isolated isles.
  c. 4200: Preceded by a series of earthquakes and brutal
  storms, the fleets of the “Lord of Encla Turic” (Voriig
  Kye) assault the Silaar and Tai-emer coast from the
  north and the south. The Dragonlord’s armies utterly
  destroy the realms of Thanor and Arûl; Thanor’s trea-
  suries are looted and cities laid ruin. Sendar and Sendil
  vanish.  Voriig himself leads a series of devastating
  assaults on Thenia and central Silaar. He is largely re-
  sponsible for the formation of the Vœrken Mire. The
  twin demigods escape to a secret temple in the Pelegris
  Mountains where Akalatan casts them into a magical
  sleep.
  4430: Tethior’s son A’kesh is born, the product of a brief
  romance. The mother—actually a Dyar mystic—does not
  tell the father of his child but instead apprentices the boy to
  Krelij.
  4495: Krelij reveals the Daath Leerssoi to A’kesh.
  4790: Tethior (with the aid of Andraax) creates the Ilarsíri.
  4980: (Jaiman) A cataclysm of uncertain origins destroys
  the capital of Zor and lays waste to the central region of
  that kingdom. The Zorians, ever hungry for ancient tech-
  nology, uncovered a terrible weapon from the lost realm of
  Tarania. They unwittingly triggered it, causing an explo-
  sion not unlike a thermonuclear blast. The city was vapor-
  ized, the land all around melted to slag. Radiation persists
  to this day. Fortunately, the Crown, sword and pendant of
  Zor had been removed to the refuge of Gryphon College by
  loyalists and were not destroyed. Zor would never rise again
  as a kingdom, however.
  c. 5000: (Jaiman) While every ruler of the remaining Five
  Kingdoms dons the crown at coronation and is ‘at-
  tuned,’ a growing recognition of the crowns’ mind-
  altering effects (and a wariness of the influence of Priests
  Arnak) leads to a tendency to wear them less frequently.
  Without the will of the wearer, the powers of the crowns
  to enforce borders are weakened. Border conflicts begin
  to spring up across the continent. Only the kings of
  
  22
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Rhakhaan don the crown with any frequency, and that
  realm is the only one to survive into the Third Era intact.
  5230: Tethior and Krelij have a confrontation which reput-
  edly ends in Tethior killing his younger sibling in self-
  defense. (Krelij is killed, despite many rumors that he
  survived.) The incident leaves Tethior unbalanced with
  grief and guilt. He at times assumes the personality and
  appearance of his brother, and eventually becomes The
  Nameless One. A’kesh witnesses the killing, unaware that
  Tethior is his real father. He flees with one of the Daath
  Leerssoi. Tethior finds another of the Dragon-rings in the
  wreck of Krelij’s workshop. Andraax later takes the other
  four.
  c. 6200: (Jaiman) Every kingdom on the continent is at
  war on at least one front. Within decades, U-Lyshak and
  Saralis cease to exist as united realms. The designs of
  Tethior and the Loremasters have been largely undone.
  6203: (Jaiman) An Ordainer appears in southwest U-
  Lyshak and leads an army of evil creatures south. Mor-
  tals flee before the demonic lord.
  c. 6400-6450: All across the western hemisphere, govern-
  ments destabilize, criminal activity rises, cultural and
  racial hatreds inflame. This is partly caused by the cor-
  rupting influence of organizations such as the Priests
  Arnak and other dark religious orders preaching intoler-
  ance and subversion, but there seems to be literally
  something in the air causing tempers to shorten and
  aggressive behavior to increase. Goblins and Lugrôki
  breed in large numbers and are seen walking openly in
  the daylight—something they never dared do in the past.
  They burn farms and ambush travelers with impunity.
  Once again dragons and other fearsome creatures are
  seen with growing frequency. At the bidding of the Dark
  Gods, the undead rise and demons appear to rape and
  kill unchecked.
  6441: Because of increasing dangers and flow instability,
  Navigators suspend commercial travel services until
  further notice (until the end of the war). While it is not
  widely known, they offer their services to the Loremasters
  and their allies through the end of the Wars of Dominion.
  6450 – 6820: Wars of Dominion The arrival of the Comet,
  severely disrupting the Flows, triggers the apocalyptic
  war.
  The disruptions of the Wars cause a ripple in space-
  time, reopening several Portals. Ondoval of the Ahrenreth
  returns to Kulthea, but he has been driven insane by his
  eternity in another dimension. His soul is corrupted by the
  Unlife.
  With the aid of the Lords of Orhan and the Titans, the
  Dark Gods are driven back and imprisoned on Charón,
  their powerful servants destroyed. Many valiant Lore-
  masters and Sages are killed, however.
  6820 – 6825: At the conclusion of the war, the Loremasters
  coordinate a massive effort to set enchanted, immortal
  Guardians at the many Portals to guard against new
  incursions of dark forces.
  Tethior is said to have been a casualty of the wars but in
  fact goes into hiding. The Masters of Emer retire to their
  palace-city atop Mount Votania (in the center of Emer),
  setting guardians about the perimeter and a barrier of
  clouds about the city.
  3 • THE THIRD ERA OF IRE
  c. 1 – 1000: The weakened Loremasters begin to aid the
  rebuilding of civilizations. Across most of the hemi-
  sphere, it is a struggle to survive in a dark age which has
  destroyed much of what the Loremasters labored so long
  to build. A few scattered enclaves survive, but they are
  under siege in a world of chaotic forces. Wild demons,
  undead and evil creatures roam free for centuries, only
  slowly hunted down and destroyed.
  • Jaiman fares better than most lands of the hemisphere,
  perhaps because of the crowns—even though only
  Rhakhaan’s rulers wear them with regularity. As a result,
  while the lands themselves are not ravaged as some
  others, the other four governments are either ineffectual
  or nonexistent (Zor is, of course, no more); their royal
  artifacts lost or hidden.
  • On Emer, Votania is a haunted island, shrouded in
  clouds of mist. Most of the continent reverts to wilder-
  ness broken by isolated city-states.
  c. 300: A group of Dyari Elves, led by the Dark Prince
  Quentar Daal, arrive on the western shores of Emer. They
  are traveling east from their homeland, seeking new lands
  to settle. After some exploration they find a high hidden
  vale in the Mountains of Gold, and a cave complex directly
  beneath. They establish a small kingdom of their own and
  name it Skystone.
  350: The Dyari of Skystone encounter the Dwarven king-
  dom of Ton-Bor further south under the mountains. After
  an initial period of mutual suspicion, they make an alli-
  ance. The naturally secretive Dwarves agree to broker the
  Dyari goods to the outside world—while preserving the
  anonymity of the Dark Elves—in return for a commission.
  408: After travelling across Kulthea, Ondoval returns to the
  Guarded Isle, original gathering place of the Dænkú Ahr-
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  23
  enreth. He decides that it is his duty to reconvene the
  Ahrenreth, and ventures forth again to gather a new cabal.
  He is insane.
  888: Ondoval convenes the Dænkú Ahrenreth, giving it the
  new name ‘Cult of the Secret Circle’ (Jerak Ahrenreth). The
  members: Churk Ta, Schrek, Ondoval, Lorgalis, A’kesh
  (son of Tethior), Darí Holvir, Oan Lyak and Shanarak.
  Their goal: to free Kulthea from the oppressive barrier
  surrounding it and allow complete access to the Flows of
  Essænce. They and their servants begin the process of
  reawakening the heart of the Ahrenreth, a great focus-
  crystal. However, Ondoval does so by the use of human
  sacrifices. But even Ondoval does not possess the power to
  destroy the Eyes of Utha… yet. He requires certain artifacts
  from the First Era. Construction begins on the Eight ‘Se-
  crets’ (or ‘Ahreni’), towers and citadels scattered through-
  out the world to act as centers for the plan of the Cult.
  898-1108: Construction of the Ahren-lyax (Ir. “Dreaded
  Secret”) in central Ræl. It is also later known as the Tower
  of Vour.
  c. 900: Schrek, with the help of the forger A’kesh, creates an
  item to allow him to retain his human form indefinitely.
  Schrek erases A’kesh’s memory of creating the Faaw Shryaac,
  (K. “Talisman of Hiding”). It is a translucent red stone
  roughly in the shape of a humanoid heart, which pulses
  with a reddish light, set on a staff or Dír-wood, held in place
  by a setting in the shape of a black dragon-claw with silver
  talons. However, the talisman also locks Schrek into hu-
  man form, and without it he cannot assume his true shape
  or access all of his powers.
  Andraax, wandering far in the East, is awakened as if
  from a dream. His memory remains fragmented, but he
  knows that something is terribly wrong.
  c. 1000: An organization calling itself simply the Alliance
  is formed in central Agyra (the western-most equatorial
  continent).
  c. 1000–1500 (Jaiman) Rhakhaan consolidates power along
  approximately its old Crown-enforced borders. Much
  of Haalkitaine City is rebuilt. The other four realms also
  rebuild during this period, though Tanara is now the
  domain of the Dúranaki.
  1085: Aldaron comes to Emer, transported, most sup-
  pose, through a Portal. Actually, he and his group are from
  a colony ship which arrived in this system from a far planet
  of the Althan Empire. He leads a fair people who begin to
  settle the continent. While not immortal, he seems to age
  slowly even for his race, which is long-lived. Some of the
  Laan (now referred to as the ‘Old Race’) resent his
  presence, but most welcome a unifying force. The People
  of Aldaron were never many, numbering perhaps only a
  few hundred when they first appeared. They tend to-
  wards fair hair (even white or silver) and skin, with blue-
  gray eyes. They have a youthful mien for most of their
  lives, then age slowly. Life span is usually about 500
  years.
  C. 1100 —  1300
  (AGE OF  CONSOLIDATION)
  Aldaron’s charisma and determination (not to men-
  tion powerful tools and weapons, the exact nature of
  which are now lost to history) earn him the respect of his
  neighbors. He establishes his home at Votania, building a
  mighty citadel on the northern slopes of the mountain.
  Only the uppermost peak remains mist-shrouded, and
  Aldaron orders that it is off-limits. From this base—
  Aldain Castle—and using a combination of diplomacy
  and disciplined armies (and apparently a natural talent
  for Mentalism), he solidifies his hold on central Emer.
  Aldaron easily brings all of the bucolic Shay and Talath
  tribes of central Hæstra under his control. Eventually
  even the most willful (some would say arrogant) Laan
  people in more civilized lands are for the most part
  convinced to ally under Aldaron’s flag.
  1105/1 ER (Empire Reckoning): Aldaron sets up tempo-
  rary quarters on the northern banks of the inland sea of
  Votania. He also founds the Eight Orders and directs the
  creation of the Artifacts of the Orders.
  • The workshops of the Ahn Sye Ni-Vulma (OE. Order of
  the White Flame) are constructed along the rocky west-
  ern shore of Votania. The first Master of Ni-Vulma is
  Kerento T’ara. He gathers an elite circle of Laan and
  Elven smiths and they begin to create the artifacts of the
  Eight Orders.
  1112: Construction begins on Aldain Castle on the north-
  ern shore of Votania itself.
  1125: The comet Sa’kain returns, though on this pass it is
  relatively distant.
  1130: The Garks of the northern Spine of Emer are virtu-
  ally eradicated by Aldaron’s armies.
  1135: The Murlogi of the Forbidden Ridge are driven into
  their caverns and the entrances into Hæstra are sealed.
  1144: Most of the Lugrôki of the Mountains of Gold are
  scattered and their king slain by Lord Kendos. A nonag-
  gression treaty is made between Aldaron and the Dwar-
  ven kingdom of Ton-Bor under the mountains, but
  Skystone City, the hidden Dyar kingdom, remains se-
  cret.
  
  24
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  1145: Hæstra is secured; Aldaron names Kendos the Grand
  Duke of Hæstra. The regional capitol of Ardan is estab-
  lished in Hæstra, along the foothills of the Mountains of
  Gold. Its symbol is the Unicorn.
  • Aldaron names himself King of Hæstra and in a grand
  ceremony he founds the eight orders: Ahn sye Nokora (E.
  “Order of the Flaming Sword,” the King’s Guard), Ahn
  sye Zanar (OE. “Order of the Cloak”), also known as the
  Crimson Cloak or Crimson Order, the priests of the
  official religion of the Kingdom—worship of the one
  god Zanar), Ahn sye
  Talaus (OE. “Order of
  the Ring”), a group of
  magicians), Ahn sye
  Shan (E. “Order of the
  Sun”), Animists re-
  sponsible for the agri-
  cultural health of the
  kingdom, also special-
  ists in herbs and drugs),
  Ahn sye Takla (OE.
  “Order of the Four
  Winds”), the messen-
  gers of the King), Ahn
  sye Woloka (OE. “Or-
  der of the Eye”), a
  group of Seers and As-
  trologers to advise the
  King), and Ahn sye
  Nomoke (OE. “Order
  of the Hand”), a secre-
  tive society whose pur-
  pose was always un-
  clear. In fact, the name
  ‘Ahn sye Nomoke’
  means Order of the
  Mask; they are a sort of
  secret elite guard, spies
  for the king both inside
  and outside the realm).
  Lastly, the Ahn sye Ni-
  vulma (OE. “Order of the White Flame”), a guild of
  craftsmen and artisans who were the master smiths for
  the King and creators of the artifacts). More is written
  about the eight orders in the Other Powers section.
  1187: Sailing south along the western coast, Aldaron’s
  forces secure western Uj and head east. Regional capitol
  of Leonas is established at the mouth of the Daluj river in
  Uj. Its symbol is the Wyvern.
  1190: Aldaron returns home for a few years to supervise
  the growth of his capital city.
  1192: The Loremasters first learn of the Alliance, and send
  a few agents to ascertain their alignment. They are unable
  to penetrate the secret Brotherhood. However, the Alliance
  sends one of their own back to infiltrate the Loremasters.
  This spy must be cautious, however. Andraax can recognize
  a Thalan on sight.
  1204: From his citadel  of Ahrenraax (Ir. “Secret Claw,” one
  of the Eight Secrets of the
  Jerak Ahrenreth) the
  Ordainer Morloch com-
  pletes his subjugation of
  eastern Thuul. He turns
  to the southwest.
  1208: Voriig Kye encoun-
  ters a servant of the Ahr-
  enreth and traces it back
  to the Ahrenæk, in Onar.
  He also discovers A’kesh
  and they meet.  Voriig
  gathers a few hints about
  Schrek as well (but Voriig
  does not learn of the Faaw
  Shryaac). Voriig decides
  that he should be a mem-
  ber of this council, if for
  no other reason than to
  keep an eye on them.
  1210: Churk Ta of the
  Jerak Ahrenreth dies un-
  der mysterious circum-
  stances. A’kesh nominates
  Voriig Kye to replace him.
  1261: After several years
  of bloody strife, the in-
  digenous Jaaderi people
  of Tai-emer are subju-
  gated by Aldaron. A re-
  gional capitol of Relas is
  established in Tai-Emer, at the mouth of the T’voca
  river. Its symbol is the Lion. Aldaron heads further east
  while his brother Aldanor leads a fleet across the Sea of
  Tears to the north.
  1262: Aldaron advances into the land of the Nuyan Khôm.
  Not only are the Nuyani better horsemen but they are
  skilled in a style of unarmed combat unknown to the
  Emerians. However, the Nuyani are fewer in number
  and they have little defence against the Imperial cross-
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  25
  bows. Aldaron’s losses are heavy but he eventually makes
  his way to the capitol of Ashenoq. Aldaron asks to meet
  the Nuyani warlord (Hûta’arn) Tasan Nuyin, but in-
  stead the Nuyani surrender. He is lead to the Warlord’s
  palace where he learns that Tasan has committed sui-
  cide. Aldaron is named the new Hûta’arn of all the
  Nuyani. Meanwhile, Aldanor founds a regional capitol
  in northern Silaar, at the northern tip of the Rust Moun-
  tains. It is called Corinn; its symbol is the Hawk.
  1286: Heading south, Aldanor moves into Khûm-kaan,
  settling Coronan at the mouth of the Sybarus River.
  1298: Voriig Kye determines to some extent the nature of
  Schrek’s powerful Faaw Shryaac (K. “Talisman of Hid-
  ing”) and convinces another of the Eight—the Lyax
  Khâng—that Schrek is a threat. The Khâng (an elf named
  Nandaar Darian at the time) manages to steal Schrek’s
  staff and gives it to Voriig. The Dragonlord keeps it for
  nearly five millennia, during which time he has his cohort,
  the Dragonlord-alchemist Oran Jatar separate the staff
  into three parts. He removes the red jewel in the center
  leaving an empty gap between the four claws. The gem
  becomes known eventually as the Dathmaur Shryak (K.
  “Heart of Agoth”). Now the top of the staff is called
  Raathtruliik  (K: “Cold leaping flame”), and between the
  claws the staff glows sometimes—especially near Schrek,
  creatures of the void—and of course the Heart. The lower
  part of the staff, a rod of Dír-wood is the Riig Prona (K.:
  Ember of Hope”) The top of the staff is given to the Elven
  brothers on Vog Mur to keep, while the heart itself is
  guarded in Voriig’s vault, and the rod is kept by Jatar.
  1300: Aldaron’s unification of central Emer essentially
  complete, he declares himself the Emperor of Emer. At
  a grand ceremony he presents the four scepters of the
  Archduchies, crowns his brother Prince of Coronan.
  The Four Realms are:
  Name
  Region
  Symbol
  Ardan
  Hæstra
  Unicorn
  Relas
  Tai-emer
  Lion
  Corinn
  Silaar
  Hawk
  Leonas
  Uj
  Wyvern
  Plus the Princedom of  Coronan, covering the region of
  Khûm-kaan.
  c. 1300: Navigators venturing into Alliance territory (cen-
  tral Agyra) are told they are not welcome. At first they
  ignore the warnings, but after a Jenaara (with twenty
  Kal’chah) materializes in the center of the Great Hall at
  Nexus on Iyxia to press the Alliance’s wishes, they quickly
  relent (and after the intruders have left they reinforce their
  magical defenses). This event is a closely guarded secret
  among the Navigators. If anyone should ask to go to Agyra,
  they are simply told that it is off-limits. This marks the
  beginning of an uneasy truce between the Navigators and
  the Alliance. Since this time, the Navigators have been
  essentially giving ground as the Alliance assumes total
  control over more and more land. The Navigators have
  warned the Loremasters of the Alliance, but the Loremas-
  ters are reluctant to interfere—and unsure whether the
  Alliance is even a bad thing.
  1300 — ≈1500 / 200 — 400 ER:
  (AGE OF EXPLORATION)
  Aldaron ends many ships out from Emer to explore
  the surrounding isles and lands across the seas. In addi-
  tion to securing the remainder of the Emerian continent
  under his rule, Aldaron establishes relations with realms
  to the west, south and north. Attempts to explore the
  lands east in Iyxia are turned back by powerful Essænce
  flows.
  1307: Aldanor’s fleet arrives on the shores of Námar-Tol.
  He is greeted politely but coolly by the regional lords. By
  the time he makes his way to the capitol, the Prince has
  learned Aldanor’s intentions: to annex the Isles for the
  Empire. While the ships of the Elven fleet are individu-
  ally superior, they are outnumbered by the Emerians; on
  land the vast armies of the Emperor are overwhelmingly
  superior. While the Elves might hold off an attack, they
  have little stomach for warfare with such an enemy. After
  meeting with the Council of Lords, the Elven Lords of
  Námar-Tol sign treaties with Aldaron, essentially agree-
  ing to be a protectorate state, independent but under the
  wing of the Empire. The Elves are not pleased at paying
  tribute but they are surrounded and vastly outnum-
  bered. The Emperor agrees not to interfere with the
  internal workings of their land.
  c. 1310-1320: Aldanor explores Khûm-kaan and estab-
  lishes settlements along the northern coast. Expeditions
  sail up the rivers to the foothills of the Black Mountains,
  but do not penetrate the deep jungles. The Kuluku
  people remain in hiding.
  1317: Janel Vonn, a Loari Magician of Námar-Tol, is
  named to the Order of the Ring.
  1318-19: Aldaron sends agents into Jaiman.
  1320: Aldaron abandons the idea of annexing Jaiman,
  partly because of the peculiar geopolitics of the land (i.e.,
  the magical crowns). Instead, he secures a nonaggres-
  sion treaty with the southern kings of that land. He
  directs the Duke of Leonas in Uj to explore south.
  
  26
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  c. 1320-1332: Aldanor sails out of the bay of Zalkali and
  back south into Onarian waters. He continues east past
  the Rulaash region and to the grasslands of central Onar,
  a land known as Ahnasan. There he encounters the
  Kinsai, riders of huge six-legged panthers. The Kinsai are
  semi-nomadic—barbarians to Aldanor’s eyes. He claims
  the land in the name of the Emerian Empire, though the
  Kinsai seem unimpressed. Continuing east the Prince
  arrives in Malqanar and discovers the Shuluri, the Sea-
  elves. Aldanor meets with their leaders and after some
  negotiation they form a simple alliance. The Shuluri
  grant an area of land to Aldanor on which to build an
  outpost.
  1322: Bethis Hirl, Lord High Seer of the Order of the Eye,
  is found dead in his quarters; apparently he committed
  suicide. The Laan Vartain Leganto is named to succeed
  him.
  1325: The famed Laan explorer Jelred Tain, under com-
  mission from the Duke of Leonas, rounds the spur of
  Ræl. He is the first to do so, after many ships are lost in
  the Dead Sea. Continuing east, he passes through the
  treacherous Spire Straits between Ræl and the continent
  of Falias. Only 20 miles wide and filled with rocky barren
  islands, the straits also harbor swift, unpredictable cur-
  rents. Tain enters the Rælian Bay.
  1326: Jelred Tain lands on the Isle of Jade and nearly loses
  his life to unspeakable creatures there. He escapes but
  many of his crew do not. They continue westward to the
  Rælian mainland, claiming it for the Empire. The natives
  greet Tain as a god.
  1332: The Satellite capitol of Shanish is established in
  Onar, along the northern coast.
  1340: Aldaron marries one of his own people, Isil.
  1341: Colony ships from Leonas in Uj make the danger-
  ous passage to Ræl and a satellite capitol of Intil is
  established in eastern Ræl, though at this point it is
  Emerian in little more than name. Ræl is so isolated from
  the rest of the continent that there is little threat from
  Imperial fleets or armies. The colonists treat the natives
  like little more than animals, hunting and enslaving
  them. By the end of the century the indigenous people
  are nearly extinct.
  1368: Isil bears Aldaron a daughter: Vania.
  1372: Aldaron doubles the size of the Order of the Silver
  Sword from 88 to 176 plus an equal number of adher-
  ents.
  1388: Isil bears a son, Terenis.
  c. 1400-1420: The Komaren Isles and the Shinh Archi-
  pelago west of Emer are brought under rule, and most of
  the pirates who had been flourishing there are rooted
  out. Rumors of the Alliance in Agyra are first heard in the
  Emerian court of Aldain. Aldaron sends a few agents
  from the Order of the Hand. When they return a few
  months later, a few note that their behavior is somewhat
  changed (They are actually Brotherhood spies in disguise).
  1415-17: The young Prince Terenis distinguishes himself
  as a warrior and commander in the Shinh and Komaren
  campaigns, captaining the flagship of the Imperial fleet.
  1425: Ships from the Emerian Empire encounter the
  Kingdom of the Desert Jewel (Gethyra).
  1428: Gethyra and Emer sign a peace treaty. Embassies are
  established.
  1430: As arranged by Aldaron and the Church, Terenis
  marries the Laan woman Syba, daughter of the Na-Fulk
  (OE. Archduke) of Relas.
  1431: Explorers enter the Ring of Thuul and encounter
  the Pillar of the Gods. They also discover the isle of
  Iordan and the Jhordi, a race of telepathic, blue-skinned
  men and women. Jhordi emissaries return to Emer.
  Much of southern Thuul is a shadowed land populated
  by evil races.
  1432: Aldaron first hears of Terenis’ illicit liaisons from
  agents of the Order of the Hand, but does nothing.
  1434: Rumors spread of Terenis’ infidelity. Court gossip
  is that his consort is Jaad, one of the Knights of the Silver
  Sword (a man). The Aldain court is rocked by scandal.
  1437: Terenis divorces Syba and ‘marries’ Jaad by declara-
  tion, in defiance of the religion of Zanar (homosexuality
  is quietly tolerated in more liberal sections of Emerian
  culture but open relationships of this type are frowned
  upon in society and disallowed by the official church).
  Despite pressure from the Cho-Na-kudai (Lord High
  Priest), Aldaron refuses to banish Terenis. Nor will he
  either bless or condemn the ‘marriage.’ However, he
  declares his daughter Vania is ordained heir, despite
  tradition of the male being selected as heir.
  1439: Vania marries the Laan Lord Estar of Leonas, shift-
  ing some focus from Terenis.
  1440: Terenis survives an assassination attempt (the as-
  sassin, a woman, is thwarted by Jaad). He retires for a
  time to the Imperial winter palace in the Komaren
  Cluster.
  1451: Londoris, Lord High Mage of the Order of the Ring,
  founds the Olas Shryak (K.: “Library of Essænce”) with
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  27
  the sage T’jamiis (really the Dragonlord Voriig Kye) at the
  source of the Lene river.
  1462: Emerians encounter the Shoneb Kingdom. The first
  meetings do not go well, the Shoneb being an aggressive
  and suspicious culture. Emerian explorers shift their
  attentions more south.
  1466: Aldaron’s brother Aldanor, Prince of Coronan, dies
  of an unknown illness. His son Keil succeeds him.
  1480: Aldaron lays aside the Scepter of Emer, and his
  daughter Vania assumes the throne. To her are given
  over the symbols of rulership and the allegiances of the
  Eight Orders. Aldaron retires to the Houses of the Dead.
  At his departure ceremony are many dignitaries from
  far-flung realms, including the GreatKing of Gethyra
  and the Crown Prince of Rhakhaan.
  1482: Tyganis, the Zanar Cardinal of Ardan, begins to
  pressure Vania to banish her brother and his lover from
  Emer. She refuses, but at her urging Terenis and Jaad
  maintain a low profile at court.
  1493: Gorjar, the Fulk of Relas, contests Vania’s authority
  and attempts to secede from the Empire. But the Em-
  press reacts swiftly, sending a large force into the Relas
  region and arresting Gorjar by the dawn of 1494.
  c. 1500: At their compound on the Aaen Vulm (K.: “Isle of
  Glass”) on the Rælian Bay, members of the Order of the
  Sun begin genetic experiments on various flora. They are
  aided by the powerful Animist Durnanga (in reality Drül
  Churk).
  • (Jaiman) The Magician appears in Haalkitaine. Under
  his influence the emperors wear the crown less fre-
  quently, and expand aggressively into surrounding lands.
  1512: Vania gives birth to a son: Vanaar.
  1525: Vania has another son: Vemik.
  1535: Vania’s husband Estar dies in what is announced as
  a hunting accident in the forests of Norg near the eastern
  edge of the Forbidden Hills. In fact he was is found
  beheaded along with the rest of his hunting party. (They
  were ambushed by Shards of Viour.)
  1543: Vania remarries: this time a Laan lord of Corinn
  named Shanar (really the Dyar Elf Shanarak, a.k.a. Kort
  Hulum, of the Jerak Ahrenreth).
  1548: Vania’s eldest son Vanaar is slain in a hunting
  accident. While circumstances surrounding the inci-
  dent are quite different than those of Vanaar’s father
  Estar (Vanaar is shot by an arrow, apparently by acci-
  dent), there is speculation at court that the deaths are
  part of some plot.
  c 1550 - 1600: (Emer) Vania’s last few years are marred by
  corruption among her ministers and—despite a strong
  and even hand—disaffection in the outlying provinces
  and possessions, and nearly continual uprisings. She is
  also forced to pay some regional armies for their alle-
  giance, thus creating mercenary forces who will work for
  the highest bidder. Corruption in the military becomes
  rampant, and naval ships are little more than privateers.
  • In Coronan (the Princedom controlling the lands of
  Khûm-kaan and Onar), Keil maintains control over the
  Shay peoples of western Khûm-kaan, but Onar and Ræl
  essentially fall out of contact.
  • In Nuyan-Khôm, the individual warlords begin to assert
  more and more authority, and the Duke of Silaar is
  essentially powerless to stop them.
  • In Tai-Emer, the indigenous Jaaderi people of the Lion
  Province of Relas begin to chafe under the increasingly
  oppressive rule. Skirmishes and civil disturbances be-
  come common
  • In Uj, The Wyvern Province of Leonas suffers attacks
  from the Charn Raiders in the highlands, and the no-
  madic Rhiani tribes—always only nominally part of the
  empire—ignore all Leonas authority.
  • Finally, in Ardan, the land of the Unicorn and the heart
  of the empire, the counties begin to chafe under harsh
  Ducal rule and ever-increasing taxes needed to pay for
  the army.
  1551: Accusing them of plotting against the Empress,
  Vania disbands the Order of the Hand and banishes their
  leader, the Laan/Iylar Mystic Barul Xygarus. In fact, the
  Order goes underground. They choose as their head-
  quarters an isolated tower in the Northern Spine of
  Emer. They become truly the Order of the Mask.
  1552: Vania gives birth to twins: Væric and Vinya. It is
  obvious that they are part Elven; Vania’s husband Shanar
  vanishes, the courts at Aldain and Corinn are rocked by
  this scandal: Shanar was apparently not a Laan but an Elf.
  Vania is accused of deception and sorcery. She eventu-
  ally reasserts her power and Væric is accepted as her son.
  1553: The Lord High Priest of Zanar declares the church
  independent of the Imperium and moves his official seat
  from Aldain to the Isle of Fire, off the coast of Hæstra.
  (The Isle of Fire had previously been a religious retreat).
  The church takes no official action against the Imperial
  family, but at the direction of the bishops, priests begin
  to openly speak out against certain empire policies.
  1555: At A-kesh’s suggestion, the Order of the White
  Flame relocates their home to the Ahrenæk in Rulaash.
  
  28
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  The rest of the Order does not realize the true nature of
  the installation until it is too late and they are under the
  spell of the Ahrenreth.
  1558: Vania’s second son Vemik is lost at sea. The half-
  Elven Væric is named heir to the Empire despite conser-
  vative outcries.
  1576: Vinya disappears (she joins the Cult of Stars).
  1588: Væric narrowly escapes assassination. The would-
  be assassin is never caught.
  1589: Væric marries the Lady Kyria of Leonas.
  1600: The strain of rulership takes its toll, and Vania
  passes the Scepter of Emer to her son Væric. She dies
  within a week; Emer mourns for eight days.
  1603: Archduke Welias of Corinn marries the Laan beauty
  Jysela.
  1604: Raiders from the south assault Ræl. The Imperial
  fleets, already stretched thin to maintain peace in other
  regions, are unable to protect the possession.
  1605: Archduke Welias names Jysela his co-ruler. Within
  weeks she (and the Seer Kesilex of the Order of the Eye)
  begins to institute ‘reforms,’ restricting the rights of
  many citizens. She also begins to speak against the
  Nuyani race, naming them inferior to the Laan and Old
  Race. Corinn forces begin to collect Nuyani books and
  scrolls. Certain civic leaders are taken in for ‘question-
  ing.’
  1607: Væric appoints a new Keeper of the Eye: Luarto
  Shang (it is Ondoval in disguise).
  1608: The Prince of Coronan is assassinated; his half sister
  Driselle seizes power with the blessing of the church. She
  refuses to acknowledge Væric as Emperor, instead crown-
  ing herself Queen of Coronan.
  1609: The Order of the White Flame recalls many of the
  Imperial Order artifacts and ‘enhances’ them (actually
  adding lenses made with the help of the Order of the
  Eye).
  1612: Racial tensions in Corinn reach a climax—Arch-
  duchess Jysela orders restrictive curfews  for all Nuyani.
  There is rioting in several towns, and within days of the
  proclamation, Jysela declares martial law. Her husband
  Welias—supposedly the actual ruler—is silent. Hun-
  dreds of Nuyani are arrested; many are summarily ex-
  ecuted as traitors. When scholars among the Laan speak
  out, they too are arrested as traitors.
  1617: Væric is besieged as the full decay of the heart of
  Emer is revealed. The provinces either rebel or are
  assailed by forces out of the frontier. The Emperor loses
  his elder son on the fields of battle.
  • Relas secedes; Væric is unable to hold it. Later that year,
  two cities in Ardan are burned. Væric’s seers (led by
  Ondoval) foretell the end of his rule within a year.
  • Isolated by the secession of Relas, the Silaar province of
  Corinn splits in two. In the southern region, the Nuyani
  are victorious (they are aided by supplies from the Elves
  of Námar-Tol), while Jysela manages to maintain con-
  trol of the northern mainland and the islands. While still
  part of the empire in name, Corinn is essentially inde-
  pendent.
  1618: Luarto Shang tells Væric that his remaining son and
  heir, the teenage Valaan, has betrayed him (a lie, but
  Væric believes it). Valaan is arrested and put on trial,
  convicted of treason through Shang’s skillful framing. In
  Væric’s moment of greatest anguish, Luarto Shang mur-
  ders him with a poisoned dagger, then steals many of the
  Imperial artifacts and departs.
  • Valaan escapes, rescued by the Storm Wizard and taken
  to Storm Castle.
  • Ageren Vuk, the Cho-Na-kudai (Lord High Priest) of the
  Order of the Cloak, names himself Emperor Regent and
  declares the eight-year old Silima Chark (a distaff niece)
  Empress. He has the backing of most of the Council, but
  there is dissent from some of the Orders. Ageren Vuk is
  extremely conservative, and believes that the fall of the
  Empire was because of sin and corruption. He orders
  martial law, censorship and strict adherence to oppres-
  sive laws.
  • As more priests fall under the shadow of the Ahrenreth
  by tapping its power, they are forced to pay a sinister
  price: the life-force of all who die under their care is
  channelled back to the jewel at the heart of the Ahr-
  enthrôk.
  1618-1648: The next 30 years are marked by Inquisitions.
  At first only books are burned and rights are restricted,
  but soon the terror escalates and ‘trials’ condemn hun-
  dreds to death, burned at the stake as heretics, sorcerers,
  and ‘the perverted.’ (This time is later referred to as the
  ‘First Zanarian Purge’). Loremasters rescue what texts
  they can, and free many innocents, but soon they are also
  targeted by the church. Silima remains a puppet Em-
  press, eventually marrying Vuk’s nephew, Horgo.
  • Ondoval abandons the Order of the Eye. His work in Emer
  complete, Ondoval begins his search for the Book of Gates.
  He travels into the East. The Order is in disarray; many of
  its artifacts are gathered by Zanar and the others.
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  29
  • The other Orders fail or break away one by one. The
  Church works to destroy them, painting the organiza-
  tions as tools of sorcery or politically corrupt. Some
  members go into hiding, while the leaders of a few others
  try to set up governments of their own. Zanar attempts
  to establish order on a religious rather than political
  basis, the Cho-Na-kudai endorsing leaders he feels will
  survive. The Four Winds Order vanishes; Eye, Sun,
  Silver Sword, Flame and Ring all disband. The Mask was
  always invisible.
  • There is widespread famine and disease as systems of
  trade, food distribution and bureaucracy break down
  • A nonaggression pact is made with Queen Driselle of
  Coronan, but it has little meaning considering the sepa-
  ration of the two realms.
  • By the end of this period, the western isles, Námar-Tol,
  and most of Uj has essentially seceded. The Emerian
  Empire has shrunk down to the region of Hæstra.
  1648: Ageren Vuk dies; he is succeeded by an even more
  cruel but politically inept cleric. Silima attempts to assert
  herself but her haphazard policies wreak havoc with the
  already faltering Imperial economy.
  1649: Silima dies suddenly (she was poisoned by her
  husband). Horgo’s bid to rule causes chaos.
  1649-1652  These three years mark the final death-throes
  of the Empire. Seven men and women sit on the throne
  in quick succession during this violent period. By 1652
  even the central continent is in anarchy, with a few small
  city-states ruled by petty despots, each constantly trying
  to destroy the others. Most of the People of Aldaron have
  fled into the mountains while the Laan retreat to islands
  or sail westward.
  1650-1660: Second Zanarian Purge. As the remaining
  vestiges of organized government collapse, Priests of
  Zanar continue to rile against sin and excess, while
  demanding heavy tithes. They are able to move between
  the warring city-states with relative impunity, as few
  warlords wish to anger the Church.
  • Sel-kai emerges as a small independent trading town on
  the Sharhya river. Its island location,  distance from the
  Imperial capital yet key location between Emer and
  Jaiman make it an ideal trade center.
  1653: Aldain City is sacked by raiders (mostly Shay brig-
  ands from the countryside). Only hours before the loot-
  ers reach the old city, a force of Loremasters and Naviga-
  tors enter and rescue what art, books and other treasures
  they can salvage. The last man claiming to be Emperor of
  Emer is slain on his throne. The city deteriorates into a
  partially ruined (and reputedly haunted) refuge for ban-
  dits and criminals.
  c. 1660-1700: Rustic peoples of Emer, tired of their pov-
  erty while the priests live in growing wealth, begin to
  fight back. Anti-church uprisings spread across the con-
  tinent, despite the very real power wielded by Zanarian
  priests. Zanarian missionaries are driven out of Tai-
  Emer and Silaar. The Elves of Námar-Tol take great
  pleasure in routing them from their island realm.
  c. 1800: Kaitaine has established a name as a trading center
  along the SW coast of Emer.
  • Aldain City is essentially abandoned; the isle of Votania
  is deserted.
  • The Yellow Death sweeps across all of central Emer,
  killing twenty percent of the mortal population. It is
  marked by high-fever and a yellowing of the skin and
  eyes. (It is an acute form of hepatitis; Elven races are
  immune.)
  c. 1900: The bucolic land of Lys is founded by Linæri
  disenchanted with Urulan and fearing the growing power
  of Rhakhaan. En route to their new home in southern
  Emer they are joined by others of their kind who depart
  Námar-Tol.
  1998: Ondoval recovers the Book of Gates. With it—and the
  power of the Secrets—he may open Portals to the past and
  begin his search for the Shadowstone.
  c. 2000-3000: (Emer) Most of the continent remains
  politically fragmented and slides into a Dark Age lasting
  over a thousand years. With the exception of a few
  enclaves and a handful of resilient trade centers, Emer is
  a thinly populated land.
  • The Dyari of Skystone City expand their underground
  realm and in high sheltered mountain vales. The Dwarves
  of Ton-Bor also expand their subterranean metropolis.
  • The goddess Mynistra first appears in Hæstra and cults
  following her spring up across the land.
  • Námar-Tol closes its borders for most of this period, the
  Elves fearful of the deteriorating situation on the main-
  land. Meanwhile, however, they continue their techno-
  logical advances.
  • (Jaiman) After many more years of relative peace under
  the influence of the Six Crowns, The Priests Arnak
  return to the realms of Jaiman. Under their evil influ-
  ence, the kings and queens wear the crowns less, opening
  the door to outside influence. The magical borders
  falter.
  c. 2000 (Jaiman: the Mur Fostisyr) The time setting of events
  as told in The Iron Wind.
  
  30
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  • (Agyra) The Alliance gains dominion over virtually all of
  Agyra.
  c. 2000 – 5030: Ondoval travels through time and space
  seeking the Shadowstone. He returns at various times to
  rest and call the Council, but as the ages pass, dissension
  grows in the ranks of the Ahrenreth, and Ondoval begins to
  communicate less with the order.
  2059 – 2065: A plague (known as the ‘lingering pain’)
  sweeps through northern Emer. It kills through a long,
  painful wasting disease, wreaking panic and death among
  the Laan, Shay, Nuyani, and Jaaderi.
  c. 2100: A Dragon Cult spreads over the Isle of Jade in SE
  Emer.
  2625: The comet returns once more.
  c. 2625-2700: Altered weather patterns (possibly caused
  by the return of the comet) increase the average tem-
  perature and reduce rainfall in regions of eastern Uj and
  Tai-Emer. These areas move from a semi-dry environ-
  ment to arid. Easternmost Uj becomes essentially a
  desert.
  2705: Shanarak (“The Fair”) Departs the Ahrenlaakh (Ir.
  “Lost Secret”) on an errand to the East. Schrek begins to
  infiltrate the citadel with his agents.
  2755: Shanarak returns to the Lost Secret to discover Schrek’s
  work. There is a battle between the two Lords’ forces and in
  the end Shanarak is victorious. However, Schrek inter-
  venes, summoning the power of the Ark of Worlds, sending
  the citadel and its surroundings into a parallel plane.
  c. 3000 – 4000: The Lords of Orhan begin to make appear-
  ances on Kulthea again, having vanished after their aid in
  the Wars of Dominion. They are more aloof from politi-
  cal affairs than before.
  • Kaitaine’s population swells, and her power-
  ful trade guilds explore further and further
  outward.
  • (Jaiman) In the northeast, the realm
  of the Dragonlord grows, while
  the western realms fall to
  armies of Lugrôki. The
  Dúranaki go into hiding.
  Only the Elven-realm of
  Urulan stands against the
  growing domination of Rha-
  khaan.
  3030: Kaitaine establishes a
  trade pact with the Elven realm
  of Lys.
  3050: Schrek sends his lieutenant Wargur to assume com-
  mand of the Ahrenæk from the Elf-lord Sigirus and the
  Alchemist A-kesh.
  3150: The Grotto Path is discovered by ships sent out by
  Kaitaine to find new markets. Ræl and the islands of the
  Rælian Bay are open to trade.
  3155: Kaitaine makes trade pacts with the Naal Triumvi-
  rate in western Ræl.
  c. 3200: A group of Emerians settle at the mouth of the
  Urij river; their land is called Sarnak. After the male
  leaders make a series of foolish decisions that threaten
  the realm, the women revolt and take control.
  3290: Hostilities between Naal and Ansidus in Ræl erupt
  into war.
  3300: Kaitaine caravans moving along the Scorpion Ridge
  have their first encounter with a Rhiani tribe.
  • The Naal/Ansidus war climaxes in a huge battle near the
  tower of Vour. The fight is inconclusive though many
  thousands die. An uneasy peace follows, and the battle-
  field is a haunted place thereafter.
  c. 3300 - 3500: In Silaar, the Nuyan Khôm begin a rise
  again from scattered clans into a group of provincial
  city-states. The lords (called ‘Tarns’),  form trade and
  antiaggression pacts.
  • The Loari of Námar-Tol continue to make technical
  advances, creating ever more complex mechanical de-
  vices.  Their skill with alchemy is unmatched on western
  Kulthea. They make tentative contact with Sel-kai and
  the Nuyani.
  3380: Trade explorers from Kaitaine enter the Bay of Izar
  (at first thought to be another ocean); they encounter
  the Amazon culture of Sarnak. Their first meetings end
  in disaster.
  3840: Trade agreements between Sel-
  kai and Kaitaine are signed.
  3980: The Laan lord Jengar
  Qatanen of Orian, a city-
  state at the mouth of the
  Alarna river (north of Vo-
  tania in Hæstra) secures fe-
  alty from several nearby
  lords and establishes the
  kingdom of Irdania, span-
  ning most of the old land of
  Miir. Jengar then launches
  on a campaign to expand
  his realm into the neigh-
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  31
  boring regions of Vornia to the west and Stroane to the
  east.
  3989: Jengar has lordship over most of the lands sur-
  rounding the Sea of Votania.
  3998: Jengar is killed while in the forest of Norg on SE
  Hæstra. He and his entire party are found beheaded and
  dismembered; many appear to have been drained of
  blood. (It was the Shards of Viour.) Jengar’s 15 year old
  daughter Lissane assumes the throne.
  3999: Many lords in Irdania express dissatisfaction with
  Lissane’s weak rule, while others compete to marry her
  and become king. Eventually the Lord Terok wins out.
  They are married and he is declared a member of the
  royal family of Qatanen. Soon after the wedding he
  asserts himself, and a period of peace begins for Hæstra.
  c. 4000:
  • A strange disease virtually wipes out the entire horse
  population of Silaar and Tai-Emer, crippling the fight-
  ing forces of the Nuyani. The disease is stopped at the
  Spine of Emer, however.
  • (Western Lands) The Alliance, already in control of
  Agyra, has spread over most of Mulira and into western
  Thuul. In addition to their subterfuge methods, they
  employ their swift war-catamarans to control the coasts.
  • (Jaiman) Rhakhaan now controls nearly all of the Jaiman
  mainland, having beaten back the Lugrôki and the armies
  of the Dragonlord. There is increasing prejudice against
  the Elven-kind, leading to internal strife. Many Elves flee
  the country for Urulan.
  4008: (Jaiman) Kelir VI names himself Emperor of Jaiman.
  War is declared on the Elven-realm of Urulan, and the
  two countries are at odds for over 500 years and three
  Rhakhaan emperors.
  c. 4008 - 4500: (Jaiman) While the two mighty realms of
  Rhakhaan and Urulan fight to the south, many lesser
  lords begin to quarrel amongst themselves for the north-
  ernmost lands of Jaiman.
  4015: Queen Lissane of Irdania gives birth to a son,
  Telemedar; however, she dies in childbirth.
  4020: Prince Terok marries again, a half-Elven woman
  named Selis.
  4024: Selis gives birth to a son, Xerion.
  4031: Prince Telemedar, at 16, is already a handsome and
  extremely bright youth, but those close to him see a dark
  side. Seeming to have little interest in the martial arts, he
  studies magic under the court Magician Belos, and his
  stepmother. Rumors also begin to circulate through
  court that Telemedar and Selis share a more intimate
  relationship.
  4034: Prince Terok of Irdania dies, under suspicious
  circumstances. Nevertheless, Telemedar Qatanen is
  crowned king at the age of nineteen.
  4035: Court Magician Belos dies of a fall from the Orian
  castle wall. Telemedar names his stepmother Selis to the
  post. Her influence at court grows, to the consternation
  of the Royal Council and lords and ladies of the court.
  The only other person who has Telemedar’s ear is a
  childhood friend, Kevik, the son of a wealthy Orian
  merchant.
  4036: Selis is pregnant; there is little doubt as to the father.
  At her urging, Telemedar expands Irdania into the
  Bodlean lands and makes plans to take Sarnak and
  Danarchis.
  4037: The war front to the north does not go well for
  Irdania. Kevik is found dead in his quarters, hours after
  counselling Telemedar not to accept Selis’ impending
  child as heir. Telemedar consults a Seer and learns the
  truth: Selis was behind his friend’s killing. Insane with
  rage and anguish, he brutally murders his pregnant wife.
  Telemedar is tried and executed. His younger half-
  brother, the 13 year-old part-Elven Xerion, is placed on
  the throne.
  4052: Like his brother, Xerion shows a preference for the
  magical arts—and sensual pleasures. He shows little
  interest in governing, preferring to spend his time in the
  intimate company of wine, food, young men and women.
  The kingdom is essentially ruled by Privy Council of
  lords.
  4056: At the insistence of the Privy Council, Xerion mar-
  ries: the 21 year old Celiana, Countess of Maray. She
  shows a skill at rulership he lacks, and while he descends
  ever deeper into decadence, she assumes control of the
  government. The northern aggression is halted, and
  Irdania makes peace with her neighbors.
  4066: At the age of 42, Xerion is stabbed to death in his bed
  by a slave boy who had been brought to him for ‘enter-
  tainment.’ Soon after her coronation as ruler, his wife
  Queen Celiana puts this incident behind her and purges
  the palace. A long period of stability ensues.
  4085: At Schrek’s urging, an Astrologer named Zagul is
  appointed to the Jerak Ahrenreth, taking Ondoval’s place
  as Arulis Kygari.
  4125: Sa’kain streaks past Kulthea again, wreaking havoc
  with weather and Essænce.
  
  32
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  4166: (Jaiman) The conqueror Ugus Fost (now ruler of
  most of NW Jaiman) is murdered and his realm de-
  stroyed by a demonic force (it is the Shards).
  4205: The First Skyship is constructed in Sel-kai by the
  Laan shipwright Leriu Valain and the Loari alchemist
  Teryk Altiar. The Merchant-prince of Sel-kai be-
  gins an ambitious project: to build a
  flying merchant fleet.
  4250 – 4600: The fame and wealth of
  Sel-kai grows. In 4600 the current
  prince embarks on a plan to con-
  struct a floating city.
  c. 4300: (Jaiman) NW Jaiman falls
  under the yoke of a lord known only
  as the Syrkakang. This would appear
  to be a successor to the one who
  threatened the Mur Fostisyr 2300
  years ago.
  4345-4349: King Perulin of Itanis,
  soon after his 100th birthday, claims
  that he has been visited by the spirit
  of Telemedar and his unborn child,
  and claims they are haunting the
  palace. The King’s delusions grow
  steadily worse over the next few
  years until he is incoherent. How-
  ever, strange, unexplainable events
  have begun to occur: fires starting
  spontaneously, eerie voices in the
  night, the walls of the King’s inner
  chambers seeming to bleed. Clerics
  summoned to cleanse the palace all
  fail. Finally, the king throws himself
  off a parapet. Perulin’s son Xerion is
  crowned; the mysterious events cease.
  4350 – 4365: Three apparently different
  plagues wipe out almost half the population of Hæstra.
  This, combined with a series of droughts and uprisings
  in the border lands, and the weak rule of King Xerion III,
  spells doom for the kingdom of Irdania. Several lords in
  Vornia split away into independent holdings. Fear of the
  plague severely limits trade and travel amongst the holds,
  and few ships from outside mainland Hæstra will go
  there, wary of contamination
  4365-4400: By the end of the century, most of Hæstra has
  deteriorated once again into a collection of small, petty
  kingdoms and a handful of more powerful city-states.
  Irdania is no more.
  A Gathering of Loremasters, including , Romenar Tartalus,
  Shayn al Xa’ar, Kirin T’Thaan, and Yael Ziriv-Kari
  c. 4400-5500: Most of Hæstra is in a dark age. Trade ships
  only enter the Bay of Izar to dock at Sarnak; others
  remain along the seacoast. Even Skyships do not enter,
  partially because of tales of at least one dragon terroriz-
  ing the land. Navigators add a surcharge for travel there
  for many years after the plagues have
  run their course. Bodlea, never densely populated, be-
  comes  a desolate empty land. Many castles and manors
  in the other regions are abandoned and fall into ruin.
  Even the city-states do not recover from the plagues and
  lack of contact.
  c. 4500:
  • In Ræl, the rival kingdoms of Ansidus and Naal escalate
  hostilities once again. Their ongoing conflict continues
  sporadically for a thousand years.
  • After millennia of wandering with fragmented memories,
  Andraax is caught in a flow-storm which restores his
  powerful mind. He is subject to fits of insanity, however.
  The K’ta’viir visits the Guardian Mind, only to find that it
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  33
  has been cursed by a spell from beyond the Pale. Andraax
  returns in disguise to Karilôn to discover what has tran-
  spired. There he learns of the plots of the Eight, and of the
  Alliance. He detects the Alliance spy, but his own disguise
  remains intact. He is unsure of what action to take—if
  any—to stop this group.
  • The (female) Dragonlord Ulya Shek discovers a partially
  functioning Lord of Essænce installation on a far western
  isle. Inside, she awakens an Althan Lady: Jenkyna. They
  form an alliance.
  4515: (Jaiman) The Emperor of Rhakhaan (the first to
  refuse the Phoenix Crown even at coronation) is assas-
  sinated after only three years as monarch; the realm,
  without a strong heir, is politically fragmented. The
  inconclusive (but mutually debilitating) war with Urulan
  is broken off.
  c. 4520 - 5000: (Jaiman) The weakened Urulan falls prey
  to sea-raiders and eventually disintegrates as a nation.
  Rhakhaan fares better, but her borders retreat to nearly
  where they once were when the Emperor wore the
  Crown. Meanwhile, the Syrkakang spreads his domin-
  ion to the northern border of Rhakhaan.
  4578: An alliance between three of the Eight (Lorgalis, Oan
  Lyak and Iæn Shiin) is formed at the Ahren-Lyax. They
  lure the Seer of Urulan to their hold, slay him, and Iæn
  Shiin assumes his post. He is instrumental in the realm’s
  demise.
  4650: The city of Eidolon rises in the sky above Northern
  Emer, a jewel of unsurpassed beauty and a triumph of
  Kulthean craftsmanship. It nearly bankrupts Sel-kai.
  c. 5000:
  • With the decline of terrestrial powers comes a rise of
  religious rivalries in Hæstra. Mynistra’s followers wield
  considerable influence in the southwest, while Priests of
  Andaras gain power in Stroane. Izar has always been
  largely a center for Shaal, the Orhan god of the sea. In the
  north, the Sun god Phaon sees a resurgence of popular-
  ity. The church of Zanar has fallen by this time to a little-
  known cult.
  • (Jaiman) The southeast is besieged by the dark forces of
  the Dragonlord. The Dúranaki retreat into their caves,
  leaving the Sulini and Myri to fend for themselves. Many
  Myri sail south and settle in the empty lands of Bodlea in
  Emer. Over the next few decades they colonize (albeit
  sparsely) much of the rolling land north of the Keyten
  river. They become known as the Talath.
  • (Western Lands) The Alliance encounters the Shoneb
  Empire in NW Thuul, and begins infiltrating their gov-
  ernment. They also send agents south into the Jan.
  5028: (Western Lands) A Jenaar emissary from the Alli-
  ance officially contacts the Shoneb Empire. She is at-
  tacked, and barely escapes, her Kal’chah guard—fierce
  and skilled as they may be—are outnumbered, forcing a
  retreat.
  5029: (Western Lands) The Alliance retaliates: Dozens of
  Kal’chah attack key government centers in the Shoneb
  Empire, and it collapses like a house of cards. The
  Emperor agrees to ‘join’ the Alliance.
  5030: Ondoval recovers the Shadowstone, an immensely
  powerful item once worn by Kadæna. As he returns—
  exiting a Portal in Mulira—the Portal is destroyed by the
  dark energy of the Shadowstone. The planar instability also
  allows the return of the Ahrenlaakh to this world. Ondoval
  retires to the Ahrentorg and plots his final assault on the
  very Essænce.
  5030 – Present: All but imperceptibly, Flow-storm activ-
  ity increases across Kulthea. Random Portal operation
  also intensifies, allowing more creatures of the Void and
  other planes into the world. The Loremasters, the Lords
  of Orhan, and a few others are aware—though they
  cannot determine the cause.
  5040: The Dragonlords Voriig Kye and Sulthon Ni-shaang
  are nearly slain in a trap laid by Schrek, the acting leader
  of the Jerak Ahrenreth. Both escape, however.
  c. 5100: The Loremasters learn that a dark power has built
  a citadel in the northern waters of the Endless Sea, but the
  area is swathed in a veil of shadow which they cannot
  penetrate. Agents sent in do not return. As the darkness
  grows, their concern intensifies.
  5188:
  • Ondoval declares himself the K’ta’kuli (Ir. “Lord of Shad-
  ows”). His court includes Ordainers and other powerful
  demons.
  • A power struggle ensues within the Jerak Ahrenreth, though
  Schrek quickly emerges as the final authority.
  • The fact of Ondoval’s return and full measure of his
  treachery are finally revealed to Andraax, even in his
  somewhat unsteady mental state. He begins the search for
  the Soulsword, the only instrument which might slay the
  wearer of the Shadowstone.
  c. 5200: (Western Lands) Alliance forces encounter
  Lugrôki in western Thuul and Mythenis. After attempt-
  ing to utilize them as laborers, they find them too diffi-
  
  34
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  cult to control. They begin a systematic destruction of
  this race, which they consider ‘worthless.’
  5210: Gelenad n’Chenn becomes Lord of Relian after the
  sudden death of his father. This is somewhat controver-
  sial because Gelenad is a priest of Phaon.
  5210-5220: Gelenad sends escorted trade representatives
  north to the Dales and Danarchis, west to Zinvar and east
  into Tai-emer. Over the next few years trade begins to
  grow, enriching Relian. His aggressive trade policies are
  welcomed, though his promotion of the religion of
  Phaon is not greeted with the same enthusiasm. Ten-
  sions increase between Relian and Arakin, which has
  become a stronghold of Andaras.
  5221-5225: Gelenad’s religious influence grows from
  merely openly following Phaon to making it the only
  tax-free religion in the land, and he begins to pressure
  citizens to convert. Finally, in 5225, the council of Mer-
  chants asks him to choose either his church or the
  Lordship. He retires to a monastery and the council
  assumes control of the city.
  c. 5300: The Dark Elves of Skystone discover an ancient
  installation. While not of the Lords of Essænce it is a
  technologically advanced geothermal power generation
  facility, possibly built by the Taranians during the interreg-
  num. After many years of work and study, they manage to
  repair and restart it. They find many other interesting
  devices, some a fusion of magic and technology.
  5430: The Loari of Námar-Tol develop the first airbarges.
  These huge, slow-moving steam powered air vehicles are
  greeted with awe and suspicion my most other people.
  5499: (Jaiman) The entire popula-
  tion of Plasidar (a Duchy of U-
  Lyshak) is wiped out. The first
  ships to arrive after the event find
  the port empty except for dozens
  of large cocoon-like objects. They
  flee when they hear a loud, pierc-
  ing shriek. (A nest of Kæden was
  found and accidentally awakened
  by the inhabitants, who were quickly
  subdued and cocooned). The island
  is left abandoned for over a cen-
  tury; all trade ships steer a wide
  berth past it and the boiling waters
  around Aranmor.
  5598: The Naal Triumvirate at-
  tempts to control access through
  the Grotto Path, taxing trade ships
  passing through. This move—a
  not entirely successful one—angers Kaitaine as well as
  Ansidus and the independent isles in the Rælian Bay.
  c. 5600: Tensions between the Naal Triumvirate  and the
  kingdom of Ansidus in Ræl escalate into open warfare.
  5615: Dyari immigrants—a faction exiled from Skystone
  City—come to the deserted isle of Plasidar and decide it
  is the perfect place to settle—and set up a pirating
  operation.
  5650: The comet returns. During the ensuing weeks it
  hangs in the Kulthean sky while strange and terrible
  events occur across the world.
  • Droughts strike Ræl for the next several years. By 5660,
  the region which was Ansidus is a wasteland.
  • Chronic famine in many lands.
  • The Prince of Sel-kai’s sky-yacht Nightflyer vanishes
  with his daughter on board. It returns periodically in
  later years, a ghost ship—and an evil omen.
  • Snakes rain from the sky in Tai-emer and Uj.
  • Erratic tides (even for a planet with five moons) cause
  widespread damage to coastal cities.
  • Another attack of the strange horse-killing disease sweeps
  across northern Emer, this time also affecting Hæstra.
  Three quarters of the horse population is lost. Each in
  their own way, the Lankanok and the Nuyani decide to
  seek alternatives.
  5650-c. 5700: The Animists and warriors of Lankanok
  embark on a breeding program to domesticate the Srill,
  large, herbivorous bipedal lizards, as an alternative to
  horses. (A brief flirtation with riding the carnivorous
  Empire Ruins on the Votania coast
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  35
  Quarnaks was abandoned when they kept eating their
  riders).
  5651: The High Priest of Ashenoq in the Nuyani lands
  goes into the wilderness to seek an answer to the loss of
  their horses. He fasts and prays to the god To-to-nar (‘the
  two-faced’; actually the Orhan gods Kieron and Jaysek).
  The gods hear his pleas… after five days of wandering the
  solution comes to him—in the form of a huge Gryphon.
  She is to be the mother of a stable of winged mounts for
  the elite warriors of Nuyan Khôm.
  5704: A Silvery Dragon is seen again, the mighty beast
  terrorizing the city of Eidolon. Yet it does no damage and
  vanishes into the clouds. Some claim that it had a human
  rider. Rumors abound that the Prince of Sel-kai is sub-
  sequently blackmailed into paying a ‘protection’ ran-
  som. These rumors are not true.
  5899: (Jaiman) Ilred IV dies in his sleep; is succeeded by
  his daughter Italana VI, who accepts the crown of Rha-
  khaan and welcomes the Magician.
  5910: More than a thousand years after its first aggression
  against Kaitaine, Vajaar declares sovereignty over the
  entire mainland of Uj west of the Daluj river. Itanis,
  Kaitaine and the Rhiani are all cut off from each other
  except by sea and a treacherous route (through the
  Scorpion Ridge) which only the Rhiani will brave.
  5912-5913: Two successive springs fraught with severe
  hurricanes buffet Kaitaine, the Komaren Cluster, and
  the entire SW Emer coast. Much damage is done, and
  shipping is disrupted. Only a few very precious cargoes
  guided by Navigators get through safely.
  5922: The Loremaster Selas Vey enters ruins believed to be
  of Jinteni origin in Uj, otherwise known as the City of the
  Dead. He is not heard from again.
  5945:  A man known only as the Nameless One arrives on
  the isle of Zinvar and predicts impending disaster to the
  thriving trade center in three years. (It is in fact Tethior
  the Elven Smith, using one of the Daath Leerssoi to conceal
  his appearance.)
  5948:  The people of Zinvar are overcome in one night by
  a mysterious plague of violent madness. The city burns.
  Zinvar becomes a deserted place, shunned by sea-travel-
  ers.
  5980: The Kuluku of the Quon jungle in Khûm-kaan, who
  have been trading with the neighboring Shay living near
  the Gap of Uj for centuries, suddenly vanish into the rain
  forest. They did not die but retreated to avoid becoming
  entangled in the turmoils of the Shay. In their seclusion
  they begin to arm themselves and train in earnest. They
  accelerate breeding of their still-secret mounts, the giant
  dragonflies known as Krell.
  6000: (Western Lands) Jenaar emissaries of the Alliance
  approach the kingdom of Gethyra. The king rebuffs
  them.
  • The population of Sel-kai City exceeds ≈150,000
  6019: The Nameless One enters the Palace of the Emperor
  of Nuyan Khôm and warns the ruler of a great disaster.
  That night the Butterfly Scepter of Khôm is stolen.
  6020-22: Plague devastates Silaar, killing 35% of the popu-
  lation of Nuyan Khôm, including nearly all of the Royal
  Family.
  6021-40: (Western Lands) The Alliance infiltrates Gethyra.
  6023: Piracy causes serious disruptions along the Lethys—
  Sel-kai trade routes; Plasidar is suspected.
  6035: Amidst the ruins of the old capital of Relas (one of
  the four regions of the old Empire) a new leader begins
  to rebuild. He names himself the Lord of Ardania.
  People flock to the site to take jobs, and the city begins to
  thrive again. The Lord even resurrects the ancient Ahn
  sye Nokora (Order of the Silver Sword) which once
  guarded the Emperor of Emer.
  6036: The head  of the Faaw Shryaac (The red gem alone
  becomes known as the Heart of Agoth) is stolen from Voriig
  Kye by the infamous (and allegedly insane) Loremaster
  Elor Once Dark. He, in turn, misplaces the artifact and it
  is lost.
  6037: Niév (a small town north of Arakin) passes many
  conservative laws at the urging of the local Priest of
  Andaras.
  6038: A total solar eclipse (by Orhan) over central Emer.
  Minor tremors shake the lands about Votania… for the
  next ten days and nights, strange lights are seen in the
  mists about the base and summit of the island.
  • (Jaiman) The Priest of Yarthraak arrives in Helyssa, a
  kingdom in the heart of old U-Lyshak.
  6039: The Nameless One warns the Priest-king of Pochanto
  of impending doom. He is ignored. Eight days later an
  earthquake levels the capital city.
  • (Jaiman) The Dyar pirate lord Guynar of Plasidar is
  assassinated; his three sons (Aenor, Kalon and Jerel) vie
  for power.
  • (Jaiman) An unusually harsh winter with deep snows
  continuing into spring causes hardships throughout
  eastern Jaiman. Snow-gark attacks on the Dúranaki
  become intolerable. The warrior T’Kaal Arain gathers a
  
  36
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  force and mounts a series of counterattacks, driving the
  Garks northward.
  Ondoval makes his first attempt to destroy the Northern
  Eye. His failure is nearly complete but spectacular, trigger-
  ing a violent Flow-storm and causing an incredibly severe
  winter for much of the northern hemisphere. He returns to
  the Shadowed Secret to regroup.
  6040: Rumors of visits by the Nameless One in southern
  Hæstra, Námar-Tol, and a southern city in the Lankan
  Empire.
  • The Lankanok, their elite cavalry astride the swift and
  agile Srill lizards, defeat the surviving Pochanti in north-
  ern Tai-emer, consolidating their hold on the region.
  • The Khurtûm (Priest-king) of Lankanok and the Lord of
  Ardania sign a pact of nonaggression. Lankan priests
  order more human sacrifices—many of them Pochanti
  prisoners.
  • (Jaiman/Plasidar) The eldest son Kalon takes control of the
  pirate realm; Aenor goes into hiding, and Jerel flees with a
  few loyal followers to southern Urulan.
  • (Western Lands) Gethyra agrees to come under Alliance
  ‘protection;’ their capital is occupied by Alliance war-
  riors.
  6041: The Katra of Stroane, urged on by his advisor
  Shatang (a high priest of Andaras), begins his expansion
  campaign, drawing nearby Miirian holds under his rule
  by oaths of fealty. Those who resist are laid siege. This
  expansion continues for the next few years.
  • Aenor of Plasidar changes his name to Aenor of Quaal and
  settles in Sel-kai City. With his share of pirate gold he sets
  himself up as a wealthy entrepreneur.
  • (Agyra) Dyari of the Alliance uncover a cave near the Sea
  of Fate in the center of the continent. The entire party is
  later found dead—dismembered and their heads miss-
  ing. Within weeks the entire eastern coast of the sea
  (known as the Green Beach) and nearby forests are
  terrorized by a murderous force which takes the heads of
  its victims. They released Shards of Ubenmas, including
  N’koru of the I-lat Norg.
  6042:
  • (Jaiman/Urulan) Jerel of Plasidar builds a base of opera-
  tions in southern Urulan. he names himself the White
  Swan. Ships flying his flag begin raiding along the eastern
  edge of the Melurian Straits, creating problems for Sel-
  kai, Danarchis, Præten and Lethys.
  • (Jaiman/Tanara) T’Kaal Arain succeeds his aging mother
  as Head-of-Family. He begins steering the Council of
  Families towards a greater awareness of the larger politi-
  cal situation in Jaiman—and alliance with Rhakhaan.
  6043:
  • (Jaiman) Empress Italana dies and her son Jerrin takes
  the throne of Rhakhaan, but refuses the Phoenix Crown.
  His younger cousin, Frelik, steals the crown and retreats
  north, claiming to be the true King.
  • (Jaiman) Gark raiders attack the Myri lands in the
  Tanaran foothills.
  • Dyari miners, delving deep under Skystone City, en-
  counter a connection to the Ash Lairs. Ever curious to
  the point of recklessness, they explore deeper.
  • The Nameless One is seen in Izar, but makes no public
  statements.
  • Reports of a huge red-gold dragon in the Spine of Emer
  near Tovor, at first dismissed as hysteria, persist. It is
  Motar Voorg.
  6044:
  • The forces of the Katra of Stroane move through Vornia,
  capturing hold after hold. The Archbishop of Helberna
  (the heart of the religion of Mynistra) refuses to yield and
  the city is laid siege.
  • A manor south of Tovor is destroyed—survivors tell of
  a huge winged fire-drake.
  • The Dyari of Skystone inadvertently release a mighty
  Ordainer—a Lord demon of the Essænce. It slays many
  of them before they drive it out. It takes up residence in
  the caves of the Lugrôki to the north, enslaving them.
  • (Jaiman) Prince Halek of Helyssa sends an explorer ship
  to Ulor—supposedly a lifeless island since the Wars of
  Dominion. The ship fails to return.
  6045:
  • Under the influence of Robersin, a Priest of Andaras,
  Niév becomes even more radically conservative. The
  cleric of Andaras preaches that all nonhumans are evil. A
  law is passed making it illegal to be an Elf in Niév.
  • (Jaiman) T’Kaal Arain becomes First Speaker for the
  Dúranaki.
  6045 – 6048: (Jaiman) Frelik, aided by mercenaries from
  Saralis, assaults the northern borders of Rhakhaan. He
  makes slow progress southwards.
  6046:
  • In the first enforcement of their anti-Elven law, an Elven
  traveller venturing into Niév is arrested and convicted of
  “being an Elf.” He is executed by beheading. News of this
  event travels far, and many Stroane trade partners
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  37
  threaten boycott. Niév trade suffers as traders avoid the
  town, but most of the residents are now caught up in the
  religious fervor.
  • (Jaiman) King Halek of Helyssa is slain while on a
  hunting trip. Halek’s son Kier vanishes that same evening
  and a search is begun. The Priest of Yarth accepts the
  Regency and maintains order.
  6046: After a long siege, Helberna falls to the army of
  Stroane. The Archbishop of Helberna is thrown into the
  dungeon.
  6047:
  • The Sarnak Council, aware that they may be the next
  target of the Stroane aggression, sends a beautiful agent
  to Arakin.
  • Voriig Kye calls a meeting of the Dragonlords. The five (the
  golden dragon is still missing—or dead) gather at Vog
  Mur, the first such meeting in millennia. While most
  (except Sulthon Ni’shaang) have little interest in the affairs
  of men and Elves, the Alliance, as well as Ondoval and
  Schrek, are cause for concern. However, only Voriig sees the
  true threat of Ondoval; the others succumb to the inevitable
  self-confidence of their inherent power.
  6048 (Spring):  Against the advice of his High Priest, the
  Katra of Stroane marries Vazia, a country maid of ques-
  tionable birthright.
  • (Summer) The Katra of Stroane is found dead in his bed,
  apparently murdered by his young wife—who has dis-
  appeared. His ten year old son Mikel is crowned Katra,
  but only in name. True power is shared between the Lord
  General of the military, High Priest Shatang of Andaras,
  and the Katra’s uncle, Prince Lorek. As news of the
  Katra’s death spreads, the Stroane forces begin to lose
  the initiative.
  • (Jaiman) T’Kaal Arain, returning from a diplomatic
  mission to Haalkitaine, narrowly avoids an ambush by
  unknown assassins in the Grey Mountain foothills. Saralis
  raiders cross the Pelyar mountains into Helyssa.
  4 • RECENT EVENTS
  • 6049 •
  • Lugrôki under the Ordainer of Gorlhach expand their
  realm under the northern Mountains of Gold. They
  enter the Ash Lairs.
  WINTER 6049
  • The Hard Winter in Hæstra: heavy snowfalls block high-
  ways. Parts of the Keyten river freeze over. Wild beasts
  sweep down from the Spine of Emer to harass Stroane
  and the Dales of Bodlea. Residents of the Stroane manors
  are more suspicious of strangers than usual, and the
  Bodleans barricade their villages. The Red Dragon at-
  tacks several more manors, though usually just to feed
  on livestock.
  • (Jaiman) The Priest of Yaarth escalates the search for the
  son of king Halek, missing since the night of his death.
  SPRING 6049
  • Hæstra is in turmoil as news of the Katra of Stroane’s
  death spreads.
  • (Jaiman) Yinka armies attack the southern Myri villages,
  breaking a thousand-year-old peace. The Bucolic people
  are unprepared and many are killed. A meeting of clan-
  leaders is held, and the Myri begin to arm themselves.
  • (Emer) Trogli from the southern Spine of Emer swarm
  out of their caves at night to attack the Shay of Khûm-
  kaan. The Kuluku are still not to be seen; it is suspected
  that they died in a plague, though no one dares enter the
  jungle.
  SUMMER 6049
  • (Jaiman) Yinka attacks intensify; a major assault on the
  river town of Ulir is turned back by the appearance of
  knights astride flying horses: the Cloudlords of Old have
  returned, wielding magical swords and wands which
  unleash the power of the sun. Further Yinka incursions
  are deterred by a Dúranaki presence. Cloudlord sightings
  continue.
  • (Emer) Cloudlords are seen near Eidolon. They fly close
  but do not land.
  AUTUMN 6049
  (Jaiman) Yinka attack the Sulini village of Shenin, but are
  turned back. Sulini are joined by Elven reinforcements
  from Urulan.
  • (Emer) Eidolon loses a dozen ships—supposedly in
  freak storms.
  FALL 6049
  • (Jaiman) Agents of the Priest of Yaarth are seen as far east
  as the Grey Mountains, seeking Prince Kier. The remote
  Yinka temple of Chakor is burned. There are no survi-
  vors, but rumors spread that it was Cloudlords’ work.
  • 6050 •
  WINTER 6050
  • The Nameless One is seen in Kaitaine.
  
  38
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  • The Nuyan-Khôm tell tales of ghosts wandering out of
  the old land of Thanor. Thanor has always been haunted,
  but now the undead seem to be multiplying.
  • (Jaiman) Frelik’s armies reach the border of Prevan, a
  province just north of Haalkitaine. Emperor Jerrin Talus
  Malvion Faslurin III orders his Lord Captain north with
  four legions to finally crush the would-be usurper. Cloud-
  lords assault the Yinka city of Achren, burning the city
  and sending Yinka fleeing into the hills.
  SPRING 6050
  • (Jaiman) Slowed by a long winter, the Emperor’s forces
  reach Prevan even as Frelik the Usurper attacks the
  provincial capital; the would-be Emperor is turned back.
  • The Loari inventor/adventuress Selia Rendanaar of Ná-
  mar-Tol mounts an expedition to the City of the Dead. She
  finds the lost journals of the Loremaster Selas Vey—and
  something else. In a laboratory deep within the catacombs
  of the city she discovers a cache of jewels of varying sizes, all
  faceted spheres. She determines that these have the power
  to absorb energy and release it to power devices—and
  vehicles, one of which she discovers and repairs. She and her
  party flee the city in the flying vehicle—barely escaping the
  site’s golem guardians—and return in secret to Námar-
  Tol.
  SUMMER 6050
  • With the death of the Katra of Stroane, expansion halts
  and generals try to consolidate what they have taken
  (Izar is spared). There is civil unrest but it is generally
  disorganized. The Bodleans remain safe behind the
  Keyten. Trade is tentatively reestablished with some
  neighbors, but local tax officials take advantage of the
  disorganized Stroane/Arakin government.
  • (Jaiman) Forces of
  Dansart from the Zor
  Wastes seem to aid the
  Usurper’s armies. Frelik
  reveals the crown to the
  Rhakhaan generals, cast-
  ing doubt amongst them
  (but the Usurper still
  does not dare to put the
  crown on).
  • Four of the Jerak Ahren-
  reth hold an informal
  meeting.
  AUTUMN 6050
  • Secret rebellious fac-
  tions form and grow in
  major Hæstra cities; lo-
  cal lords begin making
  plans to retake their
  lands—and perhaps ex-
  pand in the chaos they
  know is coming.
  • Many rumors of the
  growing realm of Arda-
  nia reach the court of Eidolon. The Lord of Ardania
  (really Y-tarmen, one of the 12 adherents of Ahrenreth) as
  established Ardan City, and at its heart the Palace of
  Gold. He is surrounded by a guard bearing the ancient
  Yarkbalkas. Also in evidence is the Order of the Eye, led
  by Iæn Shiin, an Iylar Elf and former Loremaster, now a
  member of the dreaded Jerak Ahrenreth.
  • (Jaiman) The Priest of Yaarth, claiming that Prince Kier
  is dead, seizes control of Helyssa. United with the forces
  of Lorgalis, he sweeps east towards Rhakhaan.
  A rare glimpse of Storm Castle, its shielding clouds
  torn away by a sudden wind.
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  39
  FALL 6050
  • Recruiters appear in several major cities in Emer, offer-
  ing opportunities for well-paying jobs in the new realm
  of Ardania. The lord of that city seems to have endless
  gold to spend. He does indeed, tapping the coffers of the
  Jerak Ahrenreth.
  • Rebellious activity in central Hæstra increases, funded in
  secret by Sarnak, Izar and Danarchis. Smuggling and tax
  evasion is rampant. The Stroane government, having
  taken out huge loans from Sel-kai to pay its mercenaries,
  and now unable to effectively collect new taxes, is near
  bankruptcy.
  • (Jaiman) The Empire of Rhakhaan is under siege on
  three fronts, and Jerrin Faslurin finds that his defenses
  are strained. Almost nowhere on Jaiman is unaffected by
  war.
  • The Storm Wizard, fearing the fall of Rhakhaan and
  subsequent collapse of civilization on Jaiman, gathers his
  powers. The conflict must be slowed, and he takes matters
  into his own hands.
  • 6051 •
  WINTER 6051
  1• 5 Minor earthquake in Sel-kai.
  1• 7 A dragon is sighted over Sel-kai. It circles a few times,
  then climbs near Eidolon, but does not approach any of
  the Skyships or airbarges before abruptly vanishing into
  the clouds. Opinions differ over the type, but many
  believe it is Silver. (It is Voriig Kye).
  1•11 Arrival of the Hûta’arn of Nuyan-Khôm in Sel-kai
  for trade talks. He sails into the harbor amidst a fleet of
  unusual ships, traveling up  through the Sea of Tears. He
  is only 30 years old (one of  few of the royal family to
  survive a plague 28 years ago) but a shrewd ruler. To-
  gether with his wizened great-aunt as trade minister, he
  is a formidable negotiator.
  • A strange flu-like illness strikes many Itanian Warlocks.
  All who succumb recover, though some suffer a terrible
  permanent side-effect: their Mentalist abilities are gone.
  There are rumors of a cure, an herb which grows in Námar-
  Tol.
  • (Jaiman) With dramatic suddenness, winter comes to
  nearly all of Jaiman in the form of a monstrous blizzard.
  The cold and snows cut off supply lines and freeze armies
  in their tracks. There are heavy casualties on all sides, but
  the weather works to the Emperor’s advantage. Never-
  theless, Frelik the Usurper renews his call for Jerrin’s
  abdication.
  The Loremasters suspect artificial intervention in the
  weather of Jaiman, but are unable to trace the source.
  They are understandably nervous that a source of such
  power can remain cloaked from their detections. The
  Navigators, always concerned about strange meteoro-
  logical phenomena, launch their own investigations.
  SPRING 6051
  • (Jaiman) The snows begin to melt, but heavy rains
  further slow progress of any forces in the Rhakhaan
  conflict.
  2•10 – 2•25: (Sel-kai) Heavy rains and melting snow cause
  the canals to rise to above flood stage. Minor damage to
  lower levels of some structures.
  2•15: the Bank of Sel-kai and Ullizi Bank call in their loans
  to Stroane. The realm is unable to pay, so the banks claim
  the collateral (the crown jewels) and declare themselves
  in charge of the government. They send agents to Arakin.
  2•18: (Stroane) A coup led by the Lord General Terell—
  backed in secret by members of Ahn Sye Zanar, Order of the
  Cloak—has the other two of the Trinity, as well as the
  agents of the Sel-kai Banks, arrested and the Katra’s son
  rumored to be killed (actually, he is taken to Ahrenreth).
  Terell declares martial law in Arakin. High Priest Shatang
  and the Katra’s Uncle are tried and executed for treason;
  the Sel-kai bankers are ordered to return home empty-
  handed. The Order of the Cloak asserts its influence.
  • (Sel-kai) The bankers return (by Navigator Jump), and
  within hours Sel-kai declares the Stroane government
  invalid. They make plans to recover their investment.
  2•31: A Portal opens on the plains of Miir in Hæstra and
  three beings from another time and place emerge. They
  are the Dreamlords. They depart for the East. This event
  unlocks the portal, and for several days, horrible crea-
  tures emerge: demons from and beyond the Pales. Fi-
  nally, Loremasters arrive and seal the portal. But many of
  the hideous beings remain free.
  SUMMER 6051
  • (Stroane) Lord General Terell has trouble maintaining
  power in the sprawling, recently taken lands of Miir and
  Vornia. Independent-minded lords reassert their au-
  thority and much of Hæstra is torn by warfare. Resis-
  tance in the cities becomes more widespread.
  • (Hæstra) Wild wolves and stranger creatures continue to
  range far from the Spine highlands to harass homesteads
  in the hills. The Choak Pass becomes a dangerous road
  except for well-armed caravans—and even they have no
  chance against the occasional forays of the Red Dragon.
  
  40
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  • (Jaiman) The Arnak Priest of Dansart sends his evil
  Messengers of Ulkya against the northern provinces of
  Rhakhaan. More strange creatures emerge from Zor to
  harass the Imperial forces (they are mutants bred by
  Dansart).
  AUTUMN 6051
  • (Jaiman) The Dragonlord Sulthon Ni’shaang consoli-
  dates his hold over Wuliris. He decides that Frelik has
  grown too powerful (he would prefer to see the Usurper
  and Emperor at each other’s throats indefinitely) and
  considers a move south into the Zorian wastes.
  • The deterioration of southern Hæstra continues: most
  lords refuse to pay taxes to Arakin, and desertion among
  the Stroane mercenary armies is rife.
  FALL 6051
  5•21: (Jaiman) At the climax of an important battle be-
  tween Helyssa loyalists and forces of the Priest Arnak,
  Prince Kier Ianis appears in his homeland amidst a
  tremendous surge in the Essænce. He is wearing the Sea-
  drake Helm. Under Kier’s leadership (and using the
  powers of the Helm) the armies of Yarthraak are driven
  back or destroyed.
  5•22: (Jaiman) Night skies above Jaiman are illuminated
  by unprecedented Flow-storm activity. The most in-
  tense disruptions are above the center of the continent.
  These storms are accompanied by minor but frequent
  earthquakes.
  5•23: (Jaiman) The main powers of the Sea-drake Helm
  fail (as do those of all six helm-crowns of Jaiman; the vault
  of Crowns is disabled). Prince Kier retreats into hiding
  and initiates a guerrilla offensive against reduced and
  disorganized armies of Yaarth.
  5•40: (Jaiman/Rhakhaan) The Emperor, in order to head
  off rampant rumors, declares Frelik’s claim irrelevant,
  since the Crowns are no longer true symbols of the
  rightful monarchs. Nevertheless, the realm is in chaos.
  • 6052 •
  WINTER 6052
  • Spurred by Bishops of Mynistra and Priests of Andaras,
  most of the lords of Miir and Vornia sever their ties from
  Arakin. Larger cities (Relian, Orian, Dynax, Helberna)
  are independent city-states, while across the countryside
  dozens of manors become essentially independent fief-
  doms. This situation creates an environment where
  bandits and highwaymen flourish. Trade suffers; the
  cities are full of former mercenaries offering their ser-
  vices as bodyguards. Many are not to be trusted. The
  realm of Stroane shrinks to the Lene river on the north
  and Qye to the south. Niév is an independent town, still
  dominated by a Priest of Andaras. The Archbishop of
  Helberna is freed from prison and soon elected Lord
  Mayor.
  • The Elves of Námar-Tol begin quietly buying up large
  amounts of raw Arinyark, the rare mineral crucial to
  making the antigravity metal Xenium. Their interest spurs
  more exploration for the mineral.  They are building a
  secret fleet of very small, fast Skyships, powered by the
  starstones—jewels found by Selia Rendanaar.
  • (NE Jaiman) The Dragonlord Sulthon Ni’shaang takes
  the initiative against depleted Zor and the Syrkakang,
  and seizes lands to the west and south. Earthquakes
  accompany volcanic eruptions in Ja’miil Targ.
  • The Izaran League is formed: a loose mutual-protection
  alliance between Sarnak, Izar, the Komaren Cluster, and
  Barellis.
  • The beginning of the Grand Campaign…
  • (Jaiman) The Dragonlord Sulthon Ni’shaang takes the
  initiative against depleted Zor and the Syrkakang, and
  seizes lands to the west and south. Earthquakes accom-
  pany volcanic eruptions in Ja’miil Targ.
  1•20 – 1•30: Schrek, Oan Lyak, and Darí Holvir of the Jerak
  Ahrenreth meet secretly and decide to begin a program of
  assassinations among their enemies to further disrupt po-
  litical situations.
  1•22: Ignatus Jurgon, a merchant baron of Sel-kai, is
  found murdered in his study. (It is the work of Saren
  Xanaari, revenge for House Jurgon illegally infringing
  on their trade.)
  1•33: (Sel-kai) First meeting of Olgivana Centaurus, Barrin
  Qaterris, Koren Maas (security minister), Enik Foor (Min-
  ister of State), and  Boren Alsec (Commerce Minister).
  Olgivana puts forward her plan to have Barrin succeed
  Prince Rylec.
  1•35: (Jaiman) One of the Priests Arnak in Lethys is
  murdered by a Cult of Stars assassin.
  1•54: Rylec Qaterris, Prince of Sel-kai, narrowly escapes
  assassination. Three days later, the alleged attacker (a
  woman in black) is found dead on the steps of the
  Prince’s Palace. City gossip says she had on a steel ring—
  mark of the Grey Ring. She was a Cult of Stars assassin,
  indeed caught and killed by the Grey Ring.
  1•66: The Cult of Stars assassinates the Loremaster Gireg
  Jaan, who had been investigating the Jerak Ahrenreth.
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  41
  SPRING 6052
  • Zornaq, High Prælector of Vajaar in Uj, annexes the
  Komaren Cluster, declaring it a haven of sin and evil and
  in need of a religious purge. The Komari (having no
  interest in becoming part of religiously oppressive Va-
  jaar) retaliate, precipitating a series of naval battles. The
  defenses of the port of Aquitar on Komaren are rein-
  forced. Kaitaine, geographically and politically caught in
  the middle, declares neutrality, but is forced to further
  fortify the ports and patrol the island perimeter.
  • (Jaiman) The Cloudlords demoralize the Y’kin govern-
  ment. This frees Rhakhaan forces fighting on the south-
  ern fronts to defend the east and north.
  2•1 (Jaiman) Frelik begins his march towards the Rhakhaan
  capital, accompanied by only 50 guards. He claims to be
  coming under the flag of truce to negotiate peace.
  2•11: (Stroane) General Terell is murdered by one of his
  generals, triggering a revolt in Arakin. There is rioting
  and the royal palace is burned and looted. Chaos rules
  for several days before another officer (Guard Captain
  Snythe) gains control of the city.
  2•15 (Jaiman) Frelik arrives outside Haalkitaine. Instead
  of negotiating, he declares himself Emperor. In a brief
  ceremony,  Frelik’s Advisor Belock places the Phoenix
  Crown on his head, and the Usurper, anticipating that he
  be granted tremendous powers by the crown, demands
  that the Emperor abdicate. He barely finishes his decla-
  ration, however, when two black-clad women appear
  nearby and attack Frelik and Belock. Frelik is slain at the
  very gates of Haalkitaine, but Belock apparently fends
  off the attacker and vanishes. There is a simultaneous
  attempt made against the Emperor Jerrin himself, but he
  is saved by the Loremaster/ Changramai Master T’vaar
  Dekdarion. The assassin is captured before she can
  escape or kill herself and placed under heavy guard. She
  is believed to be a member of the Cult of Stars.
  2•15 (Jaiman) The Jerak Ahrenreth’s plan to create chaos in
  Jaiman backfires as the Emperor of Rhakhaan’s greatest
  threat is removed while the Emperor himself is saved
  through intervention of the Loremasters. Oan Lyak, the
  ‘Dreaded Assassin’ and mistress of the Cult of Stars, swears
  that she will personally slay the Loremaster T’vaar Dek-
  darion.
  2•16: (Jaiman) Taking advantage of the demoralized and
  leaderless condition of his enemies, the Emperor orders
  an attack. The Phoenix Crown is recovered and the
  Usurper’s guard is arrested. As news of the Imperial
  victory spreads, Frelik’s forces all surrender or flee.
  2•16 (Jaiman) Oan Lyak orders the liquidation of the Cult
  member who failed in her mission. The Emperor’s would-
  be Assassin is murdered in her high-security cell, despite all
  precautions.
  2•20: (Jaiman) After being assured by the Loremasters
  that the Phoenix Crown no longer exerts magical control
  over the wearer, the Emperor announces the date of his
  coronation: the first day of summer.
  2•25: Zener Morndaak (the Loremaster who’s report on the
  status of the Crowns may have been read in Nomikos) is
  captured in Urulan by a shadowy group know as the Silver
  Claw.
  2•35: Zener Morndaak dies under torture.
  2•39: (Jaiman) T’vaar Dekdarion is attacked in Haalkitaine
  Palace. He fends off the would-be killer but is wounded
  with a poison knife. The assassin, a woman in black (an
  agent of the Cult of Stars) escapes. Dekdarion falls into
  a coma.
  SUMMER 6052
  • The Vajaar-Komari war continues with little progress.
  The few times Vajaar forces make land on a Komaren
  island they are ferociously attacked by the infamous
  Blood Brethren. The Izaran League allies also come to the
  Komari’s aid.
  3•1: (Jaiman)  Jerrin Talus Malvion Faslurin III is crowned
  Emperor of Rhakhaan by Eldest Loremaster Kirin
  T’thaan. Many envoys from other countries attend,
  including Dúranaki, Elves, many Melurian lords, the
  Prince of Sel-kai (arriving by skyship) and Cloudlords.
  The celebration lasts ten days. With heavy security by
  Palace Guards, Changramai, and Loremasters, there are
  no incidents.
  3•23: Eidolon trembles and tilts a fraction of a degree for
  a few seconds, causing a panic among residents. The city
  rights itself and stabilizes, but the cause for this alarming
  event is not discovered.
  3•44 Klyrunak of the Ahrenreth arrives at the Watching Isle;
  his search for the Tomb of Andraax is almost over.
  3•48 Klyrunak enters the Tomb of Andraax and encounters
  Tya’ar. Andraax is alerted to the intruder.
  3•49 Unable to make sense of the Lords of Essænce vault,
  Klyrunak proceeds to the Hall of Worlds, where Andraax
  catches up with him. The Mystic is no match for a Lord of
  Essænce, but Andraax is unable to fully shield his identity
  from the Ahrenreth adherent. Klyrunak escapes with this
  knowledge and his life, no more. Andraax remains here to
  meditate and converse with Tya’ar, then goes to Karilôn.
  
  42
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  • Tensions escalate between the Elves and mortals of Sel-
  kai. Scuffles between rival gangs of thugs increase.
  • Sendar and Sendil, demigod offspring of Akalatan, are
  awakened by their father. They emerge from their secret
  mausoleum and he directs them to the Heart of Agoth.
  The twins then make their way towards Kenezán, capital
  of the Lankan Empire.
  AUTUMN 6052
  • (Jaiman) Kier Ianis claims his throne in U-Lyshaak. He
  sends messengers to The Elven Forest, Norek, and
  Rhakhaan asking for aid.
  • (Jaiman) While no longer in control, the forces of the
  Arnak Priests are still troublesome to the governments
  of Jaiman. They retreat into shadows to build again.
  FALL 6052
  • Large Arinyark deposits are found in the Scorpion Ridge
  near Jantanen. Miners from Sarnak and other nearby
  towns flock to the site despite hazardous conditions.
  5•58: The Nameless One appears alone in the Garden of
  Songs on Karilôn. He warns of an impending global
  catastrophe and vanishes. A few Loremasters claim to
  have seen six fingers on his hands, while a few believe
  they caught a glimmer of gold in his eyes, spurring a
  rumor that the Nameless One is in fact the legendary
  sixth Dragonlord: Kydak Dûm, the Golden Dragon.
  Andraax is there in disguise; he and Tethior each see
  through the other’s illusion, but Tethior flees.
  • 6053 •
  WINTER 6053
  1•1: (Just after Midnight on New Year’s Eve; the North Pole)
  The insane K’ta’viir lord Ondoval, accompanied by three
  K’ta’viiri lieutenants, enters the Northern vault and takes
  the Eye of Utha. He is unable to destroy it, but has created
  a vessel which controls its powers. Two of the Lords are
  killed and Ondoval is badly wounded, but he escapes back
  to the Shadowed Secret with the Eye.  Immediately, the
  Southern Eye attempts to compensate (The Lords of Orhan
  also lend power to the Southern Eye, but they cannot
  continue this indefinitely) but is unable to fully protect the
  globe. Kulthea shakes with a worldwide earthquake. And
  that is just the beginning.
  AFTERMATH OF THE LOSS
  OF THE NORTHERN EYE
  (THROUGH WINTER 6053)
  • Essænce storms wreak havoc; the hemisphere curtain
  (the Wall of Darkness) breaks down in random areas.
  • The entire globe is swept by storms and aftershocks for
  the next 2-3 days, causing widespread flooding, property
  damage and thousands of deaths.
  • Coasts are buffeted by tidal waves. Portals everywhere
  sporadically open and close, drawing in any beings and
  animals nearby or spewing forth strange creatures.
  • The Navigators suspend service for 30 days. (their com-
  passes behave erratically for 10-20 days before returning
  to normal function.) Most sea travel is virtually impos-
  sible for 10-20 days; perilous for another 10-20 because
  of storms.
  • Sel-kai Skyships, being more fragile and susceptible to
  Essænce than sea vessels, are grounded by order of the
  Prince for a full 30 days.
  • Eidolon is shaken by tremors for hours; a few residents
  flee to the ground. Meanwhile, Sel-kai City suffers the
  worst floods in 200 years. There are scattered fires but
  they are for the most part contained due to the well-
  prepared fire-marshals.
  • Meteor showers rain fire down all over the planet; com-
  bined with lightning storms and volcanic eruptions they
  trigger raging fires. These would be far worse except for
  the widespread downpours and blizzards.
  • The Great Kaitaine Fire. A meteor strikes the city and
  triggers terrible devastation; fires burn for days. Over
  half of the city is destroyed or rendered uninhabitable.
  Undaunted, the Guilds begin reconstruction.
  • A land mass rises out of the center of the Lonely Sea. It is
  part of the lost continent of Tarania.
  • Many other cities across the planet are damaged by
  earthquakes and the fires which are triggered by them.
  Several dormant volcanoes become active, spewing ash
  into the sky.
  ≈1•1 The Loremaster Council is called into emergency ses-
  sion (attended in secret by Andraax), and the Navigator
  Guild Alliance convenes a conclave (they gather as soon as
  the Essænce storms subside enough for travel)…
  • Schrek summons a gathering of the Jerak Ahrenreth. They
  gather to discuss the deeds of Ondoval and how to salvage
  their own plans for dominance; they are at odds with the
  Priests Arnak, several Dragonlords and other factions.
  
  Part II: A History of Emer
  43
  Schrek is becoming desperate to locate the Heart of Agoth
  and regain his full powers before the collapse of the protec-
  tion of the Eyes. He attends the council with a new body-
  guard, a very large humanoid wearing a full helmet. Schrek
  claims that the guard is in fact the infamous Shar-Bu, lord
  of shards who can literally kill with a smile…
  1•35: While the seas are still stormy, the Komari launch a
  devastating sneak attack against Vajaar, via a coral road.
  They infiltrate Vajaar’s war harbors and sink two-thirds
  of her fleet while it sits vulnerable, docked in harbors.
  The Komari demand the Prælector’s immediate surren-
  der. He is humiliated, defeated by a nation of sherki.
  SPRING 6053
  (THE PRESENT)
  • While the weather stabilizes somewhat, sea storms are
  still common—as are sightings of and attacks by a vari-
  ety of fearsome sea creatures. For the next few months,
  valuable, nonperishable cargoes are rerouted via land
  routes.
  • Stories reach the main cities that several Navigator-
  guarded caravans across Hæstra are attacked by high-
  waymen. In every case, the Navigator leaves the crimi-
  nals dead or crippled, to the delight of the caravan
  leaders, despite a surcharge. The Navigator Leadership
  relaxes their noninterference policy in certain circum-
  stances.
  • (Jaiman) Settlers flee the Lu’nak region, claiming the
  ‘Forest Demons’ have returned.  The New Syrkakang
  (ousted from much of Lu’nak) asserts dominion over all
  the Myr Fostisyr.  The Fustir, Ky’taari and Udahir are in
  hiding.
  • A Jenaar emissary from the Alliance arrives in the belea-
  guered Vajaar to offer aid in return for Alliance member-
  ship.
  • The Light dragon Ssamis T’zang emerges from her eyrie
  to terrorize the inhabitants of the Scorpion Ridge.
  5 • CALENDAR NOTES
  Any culture is going to have days out of the year set
  aside as special for one reason or another. The reason
  for such days can be religious or secular, ephemeral or
  practical. Below is a summary of holidays observed by
  some major cultures in Jaiman and Emer.
  THE KULTHEAN CALENDAR
  Before launching into a description of holidays, a
  review of the common calendar is in order. This reckon-
  ing was developed by the Loremasters, and is used by the
  Navigators and most cultures on Emer and Jaiman.
  SEASONS
  Kulthea—like any planet with an axial tilt and regular,
  elliptical orbit—has four celestial “seasons.” Their formal
  beginnings and endings are largely ignored however (ex-
  cept by astronomers, and for a few holidays) in favor of the
  much more obvious pentennial phases of the great moon
  Orhan.
  There are four landmark dates in the seasonal year of
  Kulthea, two Solstices and two Equinoxes:
  Solstice: When the sun appears to be farthest from the
  planetary equator. There are a ‘summer’ and ‘winter’
  Solstice, the latter signifying the first day of the calendar
  to year to many Kulthean cultures.
  Equinox: Where the sun passes the planet equator. The
  vernal occurs when the sun appears to pass from the
  south to the north; autumnal when it appears to move
  north-south.
  MONTHS
  Rather than follow the above pattern, most cultures
  have adopted ‘seasons’ which mirror the five months,
  each seventy days long. These are listed as follows, begin-
  ning with the winter solstice, when Orhan is new:
  Winter: The period of deepest cold.
  Spring: Weather grows warmer; planting season.
  Summer: Warmer weather still, yet (relatively) pleasant.
  Autumn: Hottest weather, then cooling. The last day of
  autumn is usually an indicator for harvest.
  Fall: Temperatures drop; harvest; preparations for Win-
  ter made.
  This varies from culture to culture of course, depend-
  ing on climate, hemisphere, and social orientations. (The
  Southern Hemisphere, for instance, goes in reverse.) The
  names given here are conventionalizations.
  However, Orhan begins each month new, waxes to full
  on the 35th, and wanes again towards the end of the
  month.
  WEEKS
  There is a shorter period marked by many of the more
  sophisticated Kulthean cultures, the ten day span which is
  delineated by the phases of Varin, the Second Moon.
  Unlike the huge Orhan (which appears much larger than
  even earth’s moon in the sky), Varin barely shows a visible
  disk. It is rather bright, however, and can be seen on even
  sunny days.
  
  44
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  However, since seventy days is a rather cumbersome
  length of time to keep track of, most people think in terms
  of ten-day weeks. Following are the names of the days as
  declared by Loremasters, and their Erlin (common Elvish)
  translation:
  DAYS OF THE WEEK:
  Erlin Name
  Translation
  Significance
  Orhayen
  Moon-day
  Varin is full
  Buryen
  Fire-day
  Usivyen
  Water-day
  Melyen
  Earth-day
  Ordyen
  Air-day
  Maryen
  Dark-day
  Varin is new
  Kyayen
  Star-day
  Aryen
  Sun-day
  Kindagyen
  Cloud-day
  Purlyen
  Wind-day
  The day of the full moon is considered the first day of
  the week, and is market day in many cultures.
  Note: Unlike a modern industrialized week, in medieval
  societies there is no ‘work week’ and ‘weekend,’ everyone
  works every day. Religious services are held early in the
  morning or in the evening. Because of this, holidays are
  even more significant.
  LOREMASTER RECKONING
  Interestingly, the Loremasters ignore Varin for official
  record-keeping purposes, using Orhan exclusively to di-
  vide the Kulthean year. Dates are recorded as “TE 5090,
  Orhan 4, day 45” for example. This means the 45th day (of
  70) of the fourth month (otherwise known as Autumn in
  the northern hemisphere) in the year 5090 of the Third
  Era. It might be even more briefly recorded as 5090•4•45.
  The Scribes of Nomikos and all the Navigator Guilds also
  use this simple but effective calendar system.
  
  Part III: Denizens
  45
  I
   could hardly believe our luck—we were no more than an hour from the port of Orian, up
  from the unhappy little town of Qye. Maybe those tales about a giant kraken in the Sea of
  Votania were really just no more than tales. Going by ship saves days over travelling by land.
  Hard to believe that so many crusty mariners would be afraid of a rumor though…
  The sun went down and darkness swept across the waters all around us. I felt a cold wind on my
  face; saw clouds moving in from the north. Looked like a storm coming… then suddenly I was
  thrown off my feet and nearly over the balustrade as the ship lurched backwards. Had we hit a some
  hidden rocks just under the surface? Then I saw them—two then three, then more, like huge blind
  serpents coiling over the rail and onto the deck: tentacles. One knocked a man overboard as you or I
  might swat a bug. Then another wrapped around a crewman and lifted him into the air like a doll,
  screaming. Other tentacles, dozens of feet long, gripped the ship, and we began to list badly to star-
  board.  The first mate was yelling for everyone to grab harpoons and swords, but it seemed like there
  would be no stopping this monster…
  Maret Skeldo, of the Trader Ship  ‘Blue Morning’
  �    �    �
  Second largest of the four main continental regions of Emer (the others are considered to be
  Tai-emer, Khûm-kaan and Uj; Onar, Silaar, Ræl and the islands are considered ‘lesser regions’ by
  conservative geographers), Hæstra is the most widely cultivated and the most densely populated
  of Emer’s varied lands  Its mild climate, fertile soil, and available resources make it an ideal
  region for human habitation.
  In this section the climate and basic geography are discussed. Also described are some typi-
  cal—as well as not so typical—flora, and fauna, and the races who inhabit the Hæstra region.
  • PART III •
  HÆSTRA CLIMATE & DENIZENS
  
  46
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  1 • CLIMATE & GEOGRAPHY
  Shielded on nearly every side, Hæstra is protected from
  all extremes of nature.  The humid mid-latitude climate is
  ideal for agriculture; no wonder that Hæstra has been
  called the breadbasket of Emer.
  HÆSTRA CLIMATE
  Following is some general climate-related information
  which serves as a guide and key for terminology used in
  the various areas of Hæstra.
  CLIMATE TYPES
  The climate of Hæstra is tremendously variable, de-
  pending on latitude, prevailing winds, proximity to coasts,
  Essænce Flows, mountains, and a plethora of other fac-
  tors.  The Weather Map shows some basic wind and Flows
  information, and utilizes the terms defined below to
  provide basic guides as to the typical weather activity for
  a given area.
  Rainy Tropical: At most, one or two dry months; all
  months warm or hot.
  Wet and Dry Tropical: A well-developed dry season with
  one or two rainy seasons; all months warm or hot.
  Semiarid Tropical: Light precipitation, rapid evapora-
  tion; all months warm or hot.
  Hot Arid: Negligible precipitation, rapid evaporation; all
  months warm or hot.
  Humid Subtropical: Precipitation in all seasons with
  maximum in summer; long warm summers, cool win-
  ters.
  Dry Subtropical: Hot dry summers; cool, moderately
  rainy winters.
  Humid Mid-latitude: Precipitation in all seasons with
  maximum in summer; long warm or hot summers, cold
  winters.
  Temperate marine: Numerous rainy days in all seasons
  with moderate total precipitation, higher precipitation
  in highland areas; warm summers, cool winters.
  Semiarid mid-latitude: Light precipitation; warm or hot
  summers, cool or cold winters.
  Arid mid-latitude: Extremely light precipitation; warm or
  hot summers, cool or cold winters.
  High altitude: Climate varies with elevation, latitude, and
  exposure.
  TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
  In addition to the weather map, the chart below pro-
  vides some temperature and precipitation guidelines.
  As noted above, most of mainland Hæstra is well-
  protected from coastal storms.  Precipitation is generally
  moderate, however, and actually heavy in the late spring
  (supplied from the Bay of Izar and the Sea of Votania).
  Summers are mild, the temperature rarely exceeding 90°
  F.  While often during the winter the temperature dips
  below freezing for days at a time, rarely does Hæstra
  experience truly bitter cold.
  A more detailed depiction of Hæstra’s weather picture
  can be gleaned from the weather table below.
  HÆSTRA WEATHER TABLE
  Lowlands
  Hills
  Coasts/Isles
  (Miir, Vornia)
  (Bodlea)
  (Danarchis)
  Winter
  15-35°
  10-30°
  35-50°
  Mod Sw/Rn
  Mod Sw/Rn
  Normal Rain
  Breezy
  Breezy
  Windy
  Spring
  40-55°
  35-50°
  40-65°
  Rainy
  Normal Rain
  Rainy
  Breezy
  Breezy
  Windy
  Summer
  70-90°
  60-80°
  65-85°
  Moderate Rain
  Moderate Rain
  Normal Rain
  Calm
  Breezy
  Breezy
  Autumn
  60-80°
  50-70°
  60-80°
  Moderate Rain
  Moderate Rain
  Normal Rain
  Calm
  Breezy
  Breezy
  Fall
  40-60°
  30-50°
  45-60°
  Normal Rain
  Mod Sw/Rn
  Normal Rain
  Breezy
  Windy
  Windy
  KEY
  Temperature: is expressed in degrees Fahrenheit as the aver-
  age daily low-high.  Note that most Kultheans do not
  describe temperatures so precisely; they simply say the
  temperature is cold, cool, warm, or hot.  Mountain tem-
  perature refers to the habitable regions between 1,000-
  3,000' above sea level.  To calculate temperature at higher
  altitudes, subtract 1° for every 300' more above sea level.
  Precipitation: refers to the % chance of rain or snow falling on
  a given day.  In the higher altitudes of the Spine of Emer and
  Gold Mountains, snow will usually occur when moderate
  Snow/Rain yields a precipitation result.
  Moderate Rain: 15% rain; partly cloudy.
  Moderate Sw/Rn: 5% snow; 2% sleet; 8% rain; partly cloudy.
  Normal Rain: 25% rain; partly cloudy.
  Rainy: 40% rain; cloudy.
  Wind: Speeds are given in miles per hour.  Above the tree line,
  winds are considerably more forceful.  Treat Breezy as
  Windy, and Windy as High Winds (20-60+ mph)
  Calm: 0-9 mph; or consult Sea Winds Table (-20).
  Breezy: 5-20 mph; or consult Sea Winds Table (-5).
  Windy: 10-40 mph; or consult Sea Winds Table (no adjust-
  ment).
  
  Part III: Denizens
  47
  SEA WINDS TABLE
  Calculate the wind speeds at sea, around islands and
  along the coast according to the following table (percent-
  ages reckoned according to an open-ended D100 roll).
  When rolling for the coast of a sheltered bay, reduce the
  total by 20.
  Wind Condition
  Normal Roll
  Fall Roll
  Dead Calm (0-1 mph)
  01
  01
  Light Winds (2-7 mph)
  02-25
  02-25
  Moderate Wind (3-7 mph)
  26-74
  26-74
  Strong Wind (8-18 mph)
  75-89
  75-84
  Gale (32-54 mph)
  90-96
  85-92
  Storm (55-72)
  97-00
  93-97
  Hurricane (73+ mph)
  —
  98-00
  MOUNTAIN RANGES
  The ranges which guard Hæstra’s borders are formi-
  dable barriers.  All are relatively young mountains except
  Choak, a legacy from an earlier epoch.
  Hæstra is bordered on the south by the Forbidden Hills;
  beyond lies the desert of Uj. To the west stands the Izaran
  Crest, and to the east the mighty Spine of Emer. Northeast
  are the Mountains of Gold.
  THE SPINE OF EMER
  Separating Hæstra and Tai-emer and extending far
  beyond Hæstra southwards, the Spine of Emer is one of
  the most prominent features on the face of Kulthea.
  Beginning south of the Choak Mountains, the ridge runs
  unbroken for over 1500 miles.  Only at
  the famous Gap of Uj does the Spine
  pause before rising again to run south
  another thousand miles.  With a sharp
  dogleg east, the chain makes a twisting
  path southeast before finally sinking into
  the sea 800 miles further.  The Spine of
  Emer has many tales to tell, for it has
  many residents both above and below
  its surface. Scattered through its peaks
  are also several dormant volcanoes. One
  is active: Mount Gorath, about 400 miles
  south of the northern tip of the range.
  Gorath spews smoke on a regular basis
  and surrounding lands are shaken with
  tremors. It has not had a major eruption
  in decades, though it seems only a mat-
  ter of time before Gorath shows its an-
  ger again. Two of the Spine’s largest
  peaks also bear specific mention:
  Shúthos: The Iruaric name means ‘fiery
  mountain.’  Indeed the snow-covered tip of
  Shúthos glows with red fire as the sun sets.  At the southern
  terminus of the north spinal ridge, the Fiery Mountain over-
  looks the Gap of Uj.  Though no match for Larnthos, Shúthos
  is a respectable 11,000 feet in height.  Its upper portions are very
  sheer.
  Larnthos: This mighty peak was named ‘tall mountain’ with
  good reason.  It stands at nearly the same latitude as the peak of
  Votania, but rises to a height of 17,000 feet.  The pinnacle is all
  the more spectacular from the east.  (The southern Hæstran
  plains are nearly 4000 feet above sea level, reducing Larnthos’
  relative height.)
  CHOAK MOUNTAINS
  Like an afterthought, the Choak Mountains cap Emer,
  rising up in an inverted ‘T’ shape a hundred miles north
  of the last peak of the Spine.  Ironically, they are much
  older than any of the other mountain ranges on Emer.
  Apparently they survived geological turbulence which
  much of the rest of the region did not.
  MOUNTAINS OF GOLD
  A ridge of hills jutting up from the ocean, they form a
  sheer barrier between central Hæstra and the stormy
  waters of the open sea — isolating the Elven Isle of Talæn
  and a handful of neighbors from the mainland.  Named
  for their golden color in the sun, they also embrace rich
  mines of that precious element.
  THE IZARAN CREST
  These old, rolling hills lie along the eastern banks of the
  Bay of Izar, separating Sarnak from the lands to the east
  and north.  The Crest is much higher on
  the Bay side, the last fold before the
  great plateau (which holds central
  Hæstra and the Sea of Votania) falls to
  the level of the ocean.
  SCORPION RIDGE
  Named for the hooking line of the
  ridge not unlike the curled barb of a
  scorpion, the ridge encloses the south-
  ern portions of the Bay of Izar.  It is
  rocky and the slopes are steep, but a few
  hardy groups have made their homes
  along its flanks. The Ridge also has
  several dormant volcanoes and three
  known active ones.
  MORBEK HIGHLANDS
  A vast area of ancient mountains
  whose peaks have long ago worn down,
  the Highlands still rise to a respectable
  altitude.  Mining attempts in these hills
  have yielded nothing of value, proving
  
  48
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  them to be worthless as well as ugly.  However, ancient
  lore speaks of a kingdom beneath the Hills, populated by
  strange, stunted people. These are the Murlogi, and under
  these hills and the Forbidden Ridge is their realm-under-
  the-mountain. And even further down are the Ash lairs.
  FORBIDDEN RIDGE
  High and sheer, the Forbidden Ridge is true to its
  name: the peaks are almost barren of vegetation and
  composed of a black rock, giving them an ominous qual-
  ity. However the Ridge is rich in minerals of many kinds,
  including jewels, silver and rare materials. But also lurk-
  ing under the Ridge are the tunnels of the Murlogi.
  SEAS & WATERWAYS
  Bounded by seas to the west and north, this region’s
  coasts are erratically populated because of the often treach-
  erous coastlines. Inland Hæstra is a well-irrigated land,
  with countless rivers, streams and small lakes throughout
  the landscape.
  OCEAN & COASTAL HAZARDS
  The nature and frequency of dangers faced by seafarers
  varies somewhat from body to body, but most share some
  common perils. Many islands are ringed by treacherous
  coral reefs that can rip open the hull of any ship, or
  sandbars lurking just beneath the water surface. Even a
  cautious captain can run aground of these, his ship trapped
  forever. More unpredictable are whirlpools and water-
  spouts (tornadoes at sea). The former can draw a ship
  down into the depths to vanish without a trace; the latter
  can wreck sails and masts, or even lift a ship out of the sea.
  And the sea is not immune to Essænce Storms. These
  sometimes form with normal storms or hurricanes to
  create a force of terrible destruction.
  Then of course there are sea beasts: sharks, giant sea-
  turtles, sea-drakes, giant squid, sea-serpents…
  The Barrier Isles form an intimidating boundary between the
  Sea of Gold and the Forbidden Sea
  
  Part III: Denizens
  49
  SEA OF GOLD
  Most of the northwest coast meets this relatively calm
  sea, named long ago perhaps for the adjacent mountains
  or the lovely hue it acquires at sunset.
  STRAITS OF MELURIA
  While reefs are less of a problem here than further
  south, the Straits are infamous for their strong currents,
  spontaneous whirlpools, and of course the boiling seas
  around Aranmor in southern Jaiman.
  FORBIDDEN SEA
  North of the Barrier Isles (named appropriately for
  their many jagged spires, deadly reefs, barely submerged
  rocks and unpredictable currents), the cooler waters are
  also rougher and deeper than the Sea of Gold—and more
  often stormy. Few mariners brave the open ocean here.
  BAY OF IZAR
  Another prominent feature on the Emerian landscape
  is the huge enclosed bay along the western coast.  Shel-
  tered by the Scorpion Ridge along the south and the
  Morbek Highlands to the southeast, the waters of the bay
  are calm and easily navigable.   There is little land upon
  which to gain a foothold, the only flat shores lie to the
  northeast.  Land meets water in rocky shoals along much
  of the rest of the coast, and in the southwest sheer cliffs
  loom.
  There are three primary ports on the bay: the Port of
  Izar at the mouth, the town of Bentara along the northern
  coast, and the city of Sarnak, lying to the far east of the bay
  and shielded under the Morbek highlands.
  KEYTEN RIVER
  The Keyten River travels east-west across northern
  Hæstra, dividing the Bodlean states from the expanding
  arm of Stroane.  It is wide and deep, an excellent waterway
  for travel, though all boatmen shun the haunted city of
  Zinvar on the isle at the mouth of this river.
  One of the most famous mystical beings of Hæstra is
  Kellus, a powerful Naiad of the river Keyten who protects
  the bucolic Bodleans from southern aggressors.
  ALANA RIVER
  Originating in the Spine of Emer, the River Alana
  winds its way southwest to empty into the Sea of Votania.
  THE LANGASSE
  Langasse flows nearly north-south from the Moun-
  tains of Gold into the Sea of Votania.  Once this river
  literally flowed with gold from the rich mines, but now it
  is only blue.
  URIJ RIVER
  Urij flows down from the foothills of the Forbidden
  Ridge into the Bay of Izar.  The upper reaches of this river
  are swift and dangerous — far too rocky to be navigable.
  VOTANIA
  Geographically and historically, Votania is a place with
  few rivals in the picture of Kulthea.  It has been home to
  the Emperor of Emer, the Masters of Emer, and conceals
  still a secret citadel beneath its green flanks.
  This isle lies near the heart of Emer, at the center of
  most comprehensive maps of the Western Hemisphere.
  Guarded by the deceptively calm Sea of Votania, the isle is
  rarely visible, clothed in a thick veil of mist.  The sea is a
  freshwater body and very deep.  Tales of some sort of
  kraken-like monster living in the depths of the sea are
  unsubstantiated, but rumors and sightings have persisted
  for millennia. Votania is also the nexus of a flow coil—a
  spiral of Essence energy spiraling out from the island and
  across the continent.
  NATURAL RESOURCES
  The Spine of Emer — especially the central region —
  is a rich repository of valuable minerals.  It is no wonder
  that Stroane has become a wealthy nation with such a
  copious base.    In addition to coal, iron and copper, the
  mountains yield up quantities of gold and silver, Shaalk,
  Keron, Eogs, and even Kregora.
  The Mountains of Gold were once a plentiful and easy
  supply of that yellow metal, but their easily-accessible
  supplies seem to have dried up.  Tales of new veins are
  always circulating, but most are dismissed as wild rumors.
  A rare vein of Orhan Marble is not completely depleted
  in the Forbidden Ridge, but it is also difficult to reach.  The
  only practical access is by water over the Sea of Votania, a
  voyage few dare to undertake.
  2 • FLORA
  Hæstra’s temperate climate allows for a wide variety of
  plantlife. Many types of deciduous tree are common, as
  well as many coniferous forests, especially to the south-
  west.
  DÍR TREES
  The black wood of Dír is among the most prized of
  hardwoods, being similar to ebony.  Durable and fine-
  grained, it makes superior staves and bows.  Its dark
  beauty is unmatched in elegance.
  The Dír tree itself is deciduous and grows in a tall,
  vertical trunk with short, horizontal branches.  Its small
  
  50
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  leaves are nearly round with a dark underside and a silvery
  green upper face.  Dír tree seed pods are disc-shaped,
  curling under at the edge to create an aerodynamic air
  pocket.  The bark of the tree is nearly black like the core.
  Dír trees, while best known in the north of Jaiman, are
  found primarily in the northern regions of Hæstra, SW
  Uj, and Ræl.
  HOEN TREES
  Also deciduous, the Hoen has an overall form similar
  to the oak, but with large three-lobed leaves which have a
  light golden color in autumn.  The bark of the tree is even
  lighter than the silver birch, and the wood itself is natu-
  rally a pale color which makes it quite valuable.  It makes
  excellent bows.
  Hoen trees are rare but flourish when tended by Elves.
  The isle of Talæn is heavily forested with them, and the
  Emerald Forest is said to have a number deep in its
  embrace. Elsewhere they are scarce, though a few can be
  found in the western regions.
  MIRAN TREES
  This deciduous beauty is rarely encountered outside of
  Elven lands.  Originally only found on Urulan, seedlings
  were brought by Elven colonists in the early centuries of
  the Third Era.
  Mirans are similar to maples in many ways, but with
  lighter, smooth bark and rounded, dark green leaves
  which turn deep gold in the Fall.  Miran seeds are like
  walnut-sized acorns, dark brown with a golden cap.  They
  are delicious to eat, and a handful can provide a full day’s
  sustenance. In Hæstra they can only be found on Talæn
  and in the Emerald Forest.
  BORE-BURRS
  Small shrubs found in hilly regions sprout these shiny
  brown burrs which catch on the clothes of a passing man
  or steed and cling. They can sense body heat, and if not
  removed within a few minutes, the tiny organism inside
  sprouts. It will burrow into the flesh (the host may feel a
  sting), making a home in muscle or fat tissue. Once the
  burr ‘bites’ it requires a deep incision to remove it, other-
  wise the burr drains one hit the first day, two the next,
  three the third, etc., as it grows. After 10 days the only way
  to stop it is to remove the limb or major surgery by a Lay
  Healer. Left unchecked, the burr with grow, making the
  affected area swell and deform, until the host lapses into
  unconsciousness and eventually dies. If a host is bitten by
  several burrs at once he may die within a few days.
  Whether plant or animal it is uncertain, but death this way
  is said to be extremely painful.
  FOGFLOWERS
  Resembling a lily, these lovely white flowers give off a
  sweet scent during the day, but as night settles, they exude
  a bluish mist.  Herbalists theorize that the mist is a
  defensive mechanism, driving away nocturnal beasts which
  would consume the Fogflower’s sweet leaves.  The fog-like
  emanations of these flowers can be considerable; a field of
  fogflowers can blanket the countryside in a heavy mist,
  only burning away in the late morning sun. They are
  common in southern Bodlea.
  SIENE
  Said to be the gift of the Orhanian god Kieron, Siene is
  a bush which produces a luminous orange berry.  The
  berries do not keep well, but
  can be made into a preserve.
  In any case, a small amount of
  the fruit has the effect of
  cleansing the body of any in-
  toxicant in seconds (it also
  cures hangovers).  This
  miracle fruit is indispensable
  for curing addictions; it is also quite rare. It can be found
  on the slopes of Votania and the southern shores of the Sea
  of Votania.
  THOKOT
  A sturdy shrub, Thokot is able to thrive in even the
  most hostile of environments.  It has small bluish leaves
  and produces bitter red berries, but Thokot’s main feature
  is the 4" long thorns which grow all over the plant.  These
  thorns exude a sticky fluid which has the effect of a mild
  to moderate nerve poison.  Shadowy landowners use the
  bush to guard their borders. Thokot is rare in Hæstra, seen
  only along the shores of the Bay of Izar.
  3 • FAUNA
  While one might think that much of Hæstra is settled,
  there are still wide stretches of virtually untouched forest
  and moor. In these lands many beasts both common and
  enchanted make their home. Also, the flora and fauna of
  the mainland differs greatly from that of the islands.
  MAINLAND FAUNA
  Following is a discussion of some typical beasts which
  inhabit the inland areas of Hæstra.
  BIRDS
  On the interior mainland can be seen the usual variety
  of normal temperate avains, from sparrows to hawks and
  
  Part III: Denizens
  51
  falcons. The huge Rocs are rare but there are eyries in the
  Spine of Emer.
  BLACK SQUIRREL
  Actually large, ebony-furred flying squirrels, these imps
  look like normal rodents, but are actually voracious car-
  nivores. Huge swarms of them have been known to swoop
  out of trees and overpower unwary travellers.
  GHOST HOUND
  Deadly and silent, these huge pale dogs travel in packs
  all along the upper flanks of the mountainous Spine of
  Emer.  Their breath is freezing, and the icy claws of a Snow
  Hound will freeze their prey to the bone.
  NIGHT HOUND
  Night Hounds shun the sun, wandering by starlight
  when their coal black coats conceal their presence.  They
  have luminous yellow eyes and are silent like the Snow
  Hounds. Night Hounds are larger than their Ghostly
  brethren, often waist high at the shoulder and weighing in
  excess of 200 pounds
  GRYPHON
  Enchanted animals with the head and wings of a huge
  hawk and body of a grey panther, gryphons are an awe-
  inspiring sight. They are somewhat intelligent and usually
  very dangerous. Preferring their lofty aeries to lowlands,
  they are rarely seen away from the peaks of the Spine of
  Emer.
  GEMSTING
  These huge, semi-intelligent scorpions are more com-
  mon in Uj, but can also be found along the beaches near
  the Mountains of Gold. It is these which the Dyari of
  Skystone City have tamed and made into fearsome mounts
  for their defensive guards.
  UNICORN (WHITE)
  A beast of unequaled beauty, the unicorn resembles a
  graceful pure white horse with a single spiraling horn
  projecting from its forehead.  The whorled horn can be
  either gold or silver, but always has an unnatural, metallic
  look about it.  Unicorns, while intelligent, have an inscru-
  table outlook, and will almost never embroil themselves
  in mundane events.  They are incredibly rare, but sightings
  seem to occur most often in the vicinity of Flow-storms.
  Unicorns are creatures of the Essænce and are apparently
  able to travel through the Planes with ease.  They also have
  an intrinsic mastery of spells, many having access to the
  lists Shield Mastery, Lofty Bridge, Elemental Shields, Spell
  Reins, and Warding Power (see the Master Atlas Book).
  It is believed by many Kulthean cultures that a Unicorn
  sighting is a guide or harbinger.
  ISLAND FLORA & FAUNA
  Most of the western isles (e.g., Komaren, Barellis, the
  Rashelles) are tropical or sub-tropical, with rain forest
  covering most of their rugged land. These are home to a
  vast array of wildlife.
  PRIMATES
  Some of the less densely settled islands still have popu-
  lations of apes and other primates—including some of the
  large, hostile Grey Apes.
  SNAKES
  A variety of snakes large and small make their home on
  the isles. Some are venomous while others are constric-
  tors. The largest are the giant pythons of the Rashelles.
  TREE FROGS
  Common on the is-
  lands, these amphibians
  come in a variety of col-
  ors and are usually quite
  tiny. However, some
  have a highly poison-
  ous secretion on their
  skin, while one type can
  spit a reduction poison
  up to twenty feet if frightened.
  BIRDS
  The islands feature a wide assortment of brightly-
  plumaged birds, including some very large parrots. Some,
  especially the prized Falta-bird, are hunted for their beau-
  tiful feathers. Others are kept as pets.
  The Falta bird
  
  52
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  WATER FAUNA
  The temperate waters along the western coast are
  home to a wide variety of fish and sea mammals. And the
  fresh water Sea of Votania harbors its own mysteries.
  Dolphins, whales and sharks are among the larger
  creatures to be encountered in the seas; few whales are
  seen close to the shores, while sharks prefer the more
  southern areas. Dragon turtles and sea serpents are also
  known to live in these waters.
  KRAKEN/GIANT SQUID
  At least one kraken has been encountered within the
  Sea of Votania; there may be more than one, or the sea
  may actually be connected to subterranean bodies of
  water through deep tunnels. Giant squid are spotted along
  the coast periodically.
  Kraken rarely attack ships, tending to dwell at great
  depths. However, when food is short they venture into the
  shallows and will attack anything they consider threaten-
  ing.
  4 • RACES
  The races common to Hæstra are described in detail in
  this section.
  ELVES
  General Inf.: Males 6'-6’10", 150-200 lbs.; females, 5’6"-
  6’2", 115-165 lbs; highly resistant to extremes of natural
  heat and cold; death occurs only through violence; 2 hours
  of meditation each day suffice in place of mortal sleep.
  Superior hearing and vision; can see outdoors at night as
  full daylight.
   Elves are very similar to humans, except they are
  generally taller and have elongated ears with points at the
  top, slightly larger eyes, and more delicate features. Men
  have no facial hair, and they have almost no body hair,
  while scalp hair grows thick and full throughout their
  lives. Elves mature as humans, but once the reach adult-
  hood they do not age.
  Many Elven cultures revere the Lords of Orhan, while
  others follow lesser deities and the more rustic spirits of
  forest and river.
  HIGH ELVES (IYLARI)
  The most lordly of all the Elves, two Kindred make up
  the Iylar race: the Linæri and the Loari. There is also an
  offshoot tribe of the Loari known as they Dyari.
  Linæri (Iy.: ‘Singers’)
  The Linæri possesses golden-blond hair, blue eyes, and
  fair skin.  While of the High Race, they prefer open spaces
  to structures, and when they build homes they are always
  very airy designs filed with light and warmth.
    True to their name, the Linær are a musical people.
  Even the least of them can play the harp or sing, while the
  more talented compose music or delight the ear with
  expertise on several instruments.  Garments of white,
  silver or gold enhance the nobility of the Linæri de-
  meanor.
  Loari (Iy: ‘Builders’):
  The Loari, have raven-black hair, predominantly
  brown, grey-blue or hazel eye color, and fair—even pale—
  skin.
   While the Loari love nature as much as the Linæri,
  they seek to unlock its hidden secrets rather than enjoy
  it in its untouched state.  They are unsurpassed at gem-
  cutting, architecture, an the making and working of
  alloys.  Their egos are also unsurpassed among Elves and
  men — except perhaps by those among their kind who
  have turned to darkness: the Dyari.
  Dark Elves (Dyari):
  Despite their name, the Dark Elves do not have darker
  skin than their brethren, in fact they are often very fair-
  skinned, and have pale—even white—hair. Their ears
  frequently have more pronounced points than the other
  Elves; their eyes are grey, black, or sometimes amber.
  Often, however, they are so similar to their Loari brethren
  that it is difficult (at least for mortals) to tell the difference.
  The Dark Elves instead gained the name because of
  their reputation for serving darkness. It is true that many
  of their kind have been seduced by the lure of the Unlife
  (many of the Priests Arnak are Dyari, for instance), but
  most Dyari are merely what one might call ‘mercenary.’
  Porpoises are common in
  the Sea of Gold
  
  Part III: Denizens
  53
  They embody the worst traits of the Loari but to the
  extreme: they are vain and arrogant, considering all other
  races (including other Elves) to be inferior. They have a
  lust for power, whether it be gained by magic or might,
  and they have love technology. But while the Loari love
  machines partly as clever creations in themselves, the
  Dyari see them primarily as tolls to gain wealth and power.
  Forest Elves (Erlini).
  Forest Elves most often have sandy hair and light blue,
  green, or grey eyes.  Like the Linæri, they prefer to live
  close to nature in her unaltered state.  When they employ
  tools and structures these are always subtle and clever of
  design, simple yet practical.
  These are the most prevalent of the Elven-kind by far,
  and in many areas they have interbred with mortal groups
  to create a hybrid race.  (See Half-elves below.)  However,
  when a culture of Erlini has been isolated for a long period,
  they are very shy and resist becoming involved in the
  affairs of humans or High Elves.
  Aquatic Elves (Shuluri):
  Aquatic Elves are a rare and elusive breed of Elves
  having both gills (hidden inside their throats)
  and lungs, able to exist equally well on land
  or in water.  They physically resemble
  High Elves, but are very pale, with
  blond or white hair. They also have
  slightly webbed hands, elongated,
  webbed toes, and an inner eyelid
  which helps to protect the eye while
  underwater. Aquatic Elves may
  live on land or in water; typically
  they reside near coral reefs or
  other shallow water areas.
  Half-Elves (Ta-lairi):
  The variety in Half-Elves
  stems not so much from the subtle
  variance in Elves, as the more pro-
  nounced differences between the
  Mannish races.  The common dif-
  ferent kinds of Half-Elves are
  noted in the race chart in the
  Master Atlas, with stat differ-
  ences.
  The Ky’taari of the Mur
  Fostisyr and the Sulini of
  Tanara are examples of this
  fusion; there are numerous
  other cultures whose people
  are — as a group — de-
  scended from an Elven-man-
  nish mix.  They are almost always mortal, though enjoy-
  ing a slightly longer life span, remaining healthy and hale
  until very near the end, then aging very rapidly over the
  last 5 years or so, of life.
  Individuals who are children of a pure-blood Elf and
  pure-blood Human may be given a choice (by Eissa, one
  of the few gods to have the power to grant such a choice)
  whether to be mortal or immortal—or it has been pre-
  determined at birth by genetics (aka ‘the will of the gods’).
  MANNISH RACES
  In addition to the common racial types described in
  the Master Atlas Inhabitants Guide, there are a number of
  specific racial types who make their home on Emer.
  Anzeti: 5’4"-6’0" tall, no professional limitations.  Life span:
  100 years.
  The Anzeti are a smallish people but hardened greatly
  by the unfriendly climate of the chilly climes they inhabit.
  Dark haired, with red-brown skin and green or hazel eyes,
  they reside almost entirely in the high, mountainous areas
  of central Emer.    They are generous, quiet, and shy, for
  they are seldom encountered by other races.
   Jiner: 5’4" – 6’4" tall, slender, no pro-
  fessional limitations.  Life span:
  70-100 years.
  Similar to the Y’nar (see
  below) in facial features, but
  tend to be more tall and lean.
  Eyes are usually brown or
  amber, and a distinguish-
  ing feature is the epicanthic
  folds (the small overlap of
  skin over the eyes).   Jineri
  also have the ‘flattened’ fea-
  tures: small noses, wide,
  prominent cheekbones and
  forehead. Their hair is always
  coarse and straight, and they tend
  to have darker skin that the Y’nari.
  Laan: (High Men; related to the Zori in
  Jaiman): 5’8"–6’10" tall, no profes-
  sional limitations; life span 100-200+
  years.
  The Laan tend to be even taller
  than the lordly Elves, but more
  heavily boned and physically
  stronger, though perhaps less
  nimble than the Elven-kind.
  Their hair is dark brown or
  coal black, eyes blue, grey or
  Bren Kælerion, a Linær Elf
  From the Sketchbook of
  T’sandar Vey
  
  54
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  occasionally a bright green, and they tend to be fair-
  skinned, from very pale seeming to a ruddy but light
  complexion.  Few of the men sport beards, and many have
  little or no facial hair.  The Laan are great warriors, leaders
  and empire-builders: their ambition matches their great
  stature.  They are concentrated in Emer in the Kaitaine
  vicinity and in verdant hills of Hæstra.
  Shay (Common Men): 5’4" - 6"2" tall, no professional
  limitations, though Essence and Mentalism user would be
  particularly rare.  Life span: 50-80 years.
  Made up of a mixture of several racial subgroups, the
  Shay peoples are shorter than most other races but stocky
  and hardy.  They usually have brown hair and fair skin,
  with eyes blue, hazel or brown.  Shay men are more hirsute
  than most other races, and are likely to let their facial hair
  grow. Shay are most prevalent in Tai-Emer and the south-
  ern and central regions of Hæstra.
  Talath (Northmen; also Myri in Jaiman): 5’10"-6’10" tall,
  no professional limitations, though spell users would be
  very rare.  Magical arts are frowned upon on most cultures.
  Life span: 70 - 100 years.
  The Talath are a hardy race, blond and blue-eyed.
  They have cultures in Northern Hæstra, and because their
  appearance suggests a people of a cooler clime, are be-
  lieved to have migrated from Jaiman.  Powerfully built,
  the Talath are of amazing size and strength.  Most have a
  fair countenance; the men have little or no beard.  Both
  sexes are big-boned and have a strength borne of a life of
  hard work and pure spirit.
  Tending to be a people of simple means, the Talath
  have never been empire builders, preferring to live in
  small villages tending their sheep and crops.  They are
  often subjugated by other peoples, but even this seems not
  to phase them overmuch — unless they are assailed by
  servants of the Unlife, in which case they fight with a
  fevered determination.
  Thesians: 5’6" – 6’6" tall,  slender, no professional limita-
  tions. Life span: 60-90 years.
  The graceful Thesians, with their dark brown skin, full
  lips and flattened noses, could well be descendants of the
  famed Jinteni race. Loremasters base this conjecture on
  what few statues and reliefs they have found which can be
  linked to the lost Jinteni. In Hæstra there are very few
  Thesians except on Thesmoq, where they are virtually the
  entire population. Other Thesians on Emer are for the
  most part in Onar and Khûm-kaan. All Thesians have
  dark brown eyes, very dark skin, and have little hair,
  except on their scalp, where it grows in very tight curls.
  Long-fingered hands are also the norm.
  Phylos Chantari of Izar, son of A Thesian
  father and Loari mother. Note the pointed
  ears and dark coloring.
  Charcoal drawing by
  Kendar Deramien, Loremaster
  Y’nar: 5’0" - 6’0" tall, no professional limitations, though
  they tend more towards Mentalism than the Clerical or
  Essence pursuits.  Life span: 60-80  years.
  Concentrated mostly in the northeasterly regions of
  Emer — especially the hills of the great Silaaran peninsula
  — the Y’nari are a quiet people.  Small but hardy, they
  have fair skin and little body hair, but scalp hair is thick
  and while it can be straight or curly, it is almost always
  black (or, in rare cases, silver).  Eyes are usually brown or
  amber, and a distinguishing feature is the epicanthic folds
  (the small overlap of skin over the eyes).   Y’nari also have
  ‘flattened’ features: small noses, wide, prominent cheek-
  bones and forehead.
  Fauns: 5’6"-6’4" tall; run almost twice as fast as a man; no
  suggested limits on profession. Life-span: immortal, part
  fairie
  Spirits of the woods and fields, Fauns are a somewhat
  mysterious race, and apparently have a number of sub-
  groups. Some possess the hind legs of a goat; others only
  the hooves of a goat instead of human feet, and others
  have normally developed human bodies. All, however,
  display small goat horns springing from the invariably
  chestnut curls that cover their pointed ears. Fauns are
  boyishly handsome (beardless), muscular young men
  with an infamous libido. They are musically talented and
  they shamelessly employ their enchanting voices to be-
  guile humans into their arms.
  
  Part III: Denizens
  55
  One bizarre aspect of the
  race is that they are all male.
  Fauns mate with other hu-
  manoid females, and if the
  child is male, there is a 20%
  chance of it being a Faun.
  When not following
  their baser passions, mem-
  bers of this race have been
  known to produce great
  works of art, music and
  poetry. Some have become
  skilled Alchemists and
  smiths. At least one is
  known to have been a Navi-
  gator.
  UNDERGROUND
  RACES
  Dwarves:  4'–5’6" tall, 90-
  200 lbs, no professional
  limitations, resistant to ex-
  tremes of temperature. Av-
  erage life span 150 years.
  Superior night vision: can
  see up to 100’ in total dark-
  ness (infra-red vision).
  A secretive, subterranean people, Dwarves tend to
  keep to themselves in their underground empires. They
  are suspicious of other races, though they sometimes find
  kindred spirits among the Loari and Dyari.
  Short and powerfully built, they seem ideally suited for
  a life underground, though their homes are usually much
  more than a mere warren of tunnels: they have con-
  structed entire cities and palaces under mountains. Male
  Dwarves almost always grow thick beards. They usually
  wear thick wool and linen clothing, sometimes with leather
  trim. While Dwarves may be of any profession, they tend
  towards mining, construction and craftsmanship. Many
  are Alchemists.
  In terms of worship, some follow Iorak or Valris, while
  others follow local deities. A few have fallen to follow dark
  gods.
  The Loremasters believe that the Dwarves began living
  underground long ago during the interregnum to hide
  from the fearsome creatures on the surface. They face a
  different threat however: sometimes their digging leads
  them too far and the stumble upon a tunnel to the Ash
  Lairs.
  There are at least four distinct tribes of Dwarves,
  though few but they can tell them apart.
  Trogli: 4’6"-5'6" tall; sug-
  gested professional limita-
  tions: no spell users (option-
  ally, only low-level Channel-
  ing-related spells); fear day-
  light, but can become accus-
  tomed to it; average life span:
  50 years.
  Trogli fear all things
  alien to the underground
  world.  Terror keeps them
  far from the surface and
  entrances where sunlight
  penetrates; encounters with
  beasts or Men from the sky-
  covered fields quickly be-
  come bloody frays driven
  by panic.  Trogli possess
  muscled bodies with blu-
  ish-white skin; their eyes
  glow in the darkness with
  an eerie red light.  Sloping
  foreheads and massive jaws
  form the contours of their
  large heads and long,
  tangled, black hair grows
  from their scalps.  Trogli
  often wear armor and wield weapons stolen from their
  foes, but use stones as clubs or missiles when they have
  nothing else.
  DARK RACES
  Murlogi: (called in some areas goblins) 3’6"-4’6" tall;
  suggested professional limitations: no spell users; excellent
  night sight, blinded by daylight (-75 to all activities if
  outdoors); strong; average life span: 80 years.
  Round-headed creatures with snub noses and wide
  mouths, Goblins possess greenish, yellow skin and toeless
  feet.  Mechanically inclined, the Murlogi have invented
  many machines to torture as well as those useful in
  warfare.  Utility and strength mark most of their creations,
  but they are invariably inelegant like their creators.  Murgoli
  are skilled miners, enlarging their underground king-
  doms by connecting nearby caverns with tunnels.  Often
  an entire mountain range (The Morbek Highlands are an
  excellent example) may be webbed by these passages.
  Goblins stay below ground by day, but night sees them
  swarming the lands in search of brutal amusement.
  Garks: 4'-4’6" tall; suggested professional limitations: no
  non-channeling spell users; average life-span is 30 years.
  Sculpture of a Sleeping Faun
  From the Ruins of Aldain City.
  Sketched by T’sandar Vey
  
  56
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Mottled grey fur covers
  all of the ape-like Gark, ex-
  cept the palms and soles of
  his feet. Long arms hang to
  his knees, and a powerful,
  prehensile tail grows from
  the base of his spine. Most
  Garks possess only limited
  intelligence, and usually use
  crude weapons such as
  clubs, hatchets, and spears.
  They wear simple, decora-
  tive clothing and organize
  themselves by family
  groups. Each group shares
  a large nest suspended high
  above the ground in the
  trees. Occasionally, males
  band together to raid the
  homes of nearby Mannish
  peoples. Garks are omnivo-
  rous, but some groups relish the taste of raw human flesh.
  Garks have been trained by some dark sorcerers and
  lords to act as a crude military force, and though they are
  powerful fighters, they are not as easily disciplined as the
  more military Lugrôki.
  LUGRÔKI
  Lesser: 4'-5' tall; partially blinded by direct sunlight (-50 to
  all activities); suggested professional limitations: no spell
  users; average life-span: 100 years.
  Greater: 5'-6' tall; dislike, but can operate normally in
  sunlight; no suggested professional limitations; same as
  lesser Lugrôki in other respects.
  Grotesque faces with slanting eyes and flattened snouts
  full of sharpened tusks further deform the heavily built,
  muscled body with its long arms and thick, swarthy hide.
  Cannibalistic cruelty motivates their distorted souls, and
  a Lugrôk respects little save superior force. Most are
  superb smiths, but they rarely make items unassociated
  with war. Lesser Lugrôki are born to live, fight, and die in
  darkness; they hate the stars and moonlight, but panic
  under the brighter sun. Greater Lugrôki are smarter and
  tougher; they can operate in daylight and possess superior
  skills in speaking, reasoning, and fighting; some superior
  individuals have been known to be spell-casters. Lugrôki
  are frequently confused with Goblins due to their similar
  gruesome physiognomies and proclivities, but if legends
  are to be heeded, their origins are very different.
  A Lugrôk
  DEMONS
  In addition to the demons covered in
  the Master Atlas, there are many more
  which have not been thoroughly covered.
  These include entire races of Essænce De-
  mons living in parallel worlds near our
  own. One such alternate-Essænce world is
  Azdyaer (Ir. “Home of dark thirsts”) which
  the inhabitants call Kai-tjiin. It is related to
  the dark god Klysus (perhaps he rules there)
  and his Demigod Akalatan.
  This planet is a warm, humid world
  always cloaked in clouds, filled with
  rainforests and volcanic islands. It is ruled
  by a hierarchy of Procreator demons, all
  devoted to base carnal pleasures of every
  kind. They enter the Shadow World when
  they can, to rape humans and Elves with
  the intent of propagating their race. They
  are summoned by the priests of the Python
  cult on Rashelles (and by Priests of Klysus
  in Lankanôk). Sometimes appearing as powerful and
  fantastically virile men; sometimes possessing the priest
  and transforming him, they ravish their victim—male or
  female—and plant their enchanted seed. If the victim
  survives, a female may be pregnant with a demon-spawn,
  giving birth in just 90 days, 25% chance the experience
  kills her. The father then returns to claim his offspring.  A
  male may be ‘infected’ and slowly become essentially a
  were-demon (rules as for werewolf, except were-demon
  attempts to ravish nearest humanoid).
  DEMON TYPES
  All fall under the classification of Procreator demons,
  though their powers differ slightly from those of the
  archetypal Procreator. Their normal appearance is de-
  scribed below, though all can assume a fair form (except
  during insemination, when their true form is revealed).
  All have a musky odor they cannot hide, and are naked in
  their natural form. All know the following lists to their
  own level: Evil Mentalist Mind Subversion, Mind Domi-
  nation Mentalist Base Mind Control, Houri Base (RMC
  IV pg. 60, if available) Influences, Alluring Ways.
  Reveling in emotional (and physical) torture, they like
  to dominate their mate. If by seduction and deception
  (preferred by the Go-tjiin and Jo-tjiin), they use spells or
  their irresistable fair form to entrap their mate, only
  revealing their beastly form in the throes of passion.
  Alternatively (the method preferred by the Khal-tjiin-kai)
  they seize and subdue the nearest man or woman and
  brutally rape them, enjoying the emotional and physical
  
  Part III: Denizens
  57
  damage they inflict. But the ultimate goal of all Procre-
  ators is to create more of their kind, either through
  offspring or transformation.
  Go-tjiin-kai: (“servile-demon-men”)
  (Type III demon, level 6-10, 50% chance of appearing)
  Least of the three known races of Azdyaer, the Go-tjiin are
  often slaves or servants of the Jo-tjiin. They appear natu-
  rally as tall (6´6˝ – 7´), muscular and virile youths with pale
  skin, oversized, pointed ears, small fangs, glowing gold
  eyes, hairless except for metallic-golden hair spiked up
  from their heads.
  Jo-tjiin-kai: (“Master demon-men”)
  (Type IV Demon, level 11-15, 4 PP/lvl, 45% chance of
  appearing) Taller than the Go-tjiin, (7´6˝ – 8´) the masters
  have red-brown skin, huge musculature, pointed ears
  taller than their head, small black horns, fangs and their
  fingers have retractable claws. Their eyes glow with an
  orange light. Fantastically virile, they also have a two-
  foot-long prehensile tongue which can strangle a man
  (among other things). They are hairless except for a long,
  mohawk-like mane of black hair on their heads.
  Khal-tjiin-kai: (“Terrible demon-men”)
  (Type VI Demon, level 21-30, 6 PP/lvl, 5% chance of
  appearing) Though about the same height as the  Go-tjiin,
  (7´6˝ – 8´) these terrifying lords are far more powerful and
  dangerous. They have glistening black skin like marble
  which burns to the touch. Their bodies have hugely over-
  developed muscles and they are grossly virile. Totally
  hairless, they sport large pointed ears and a set of ebony
  curving horns, from their fanged mouth they can extend
  a 4-foot-long, blood-red prehensile tongue. Their over-
  sized hands have curving claws like steel and their eyes
  glow a deep, hungry red. They are insatiable.
  ATTACK RESULTS
  Demon
  Critical
  % Chance
  (Depression+Stress)
  ‘Impregnated’
  Type III
  C (1 each)
  20%
  Type IV
  D (1 each)
  50%
  Type VI
  E (2 each, plus 3 A heat))
  80%
  DEMONS
  Bs
  MxPce/
  Speed
  Size/
  AT
  #
  Outlook
  Type
  Lvl
  Rt
  MMBns
  MS/AQ
  Crit
  Hits
  (DB)
  Attacks
  Enc
  (IQ)
  Go-tjiin kai
  8
  60
  Fspt/30
  MF/FA
  M
  150
  11(60)
  150LBa(2x)/150LGr/Spells/Special
  1-3†
  Cruel (VH)
  Type III Procreator, attempts to subdue, grapple and ravish target. May use spells (see text).
  Jo-tjiin-kai
  17
  80
  Spt/20
  MF/FA
  M
  190
  12(60)
  180LBa(2x)/180LGr/Spells/Special
  1-2†
  Cruel (VH)
  Type IV Procreator, attempts to subdue, grapple and ravish target. Tongue grapple: 80MGr. May use spells (see text).
  Khal-tjiin-kai
  25
  100
  Dash/10
  MF/FA
  L
  240
  19(50)
  230LCl(2x)/250LGr/Spells/Special
  1†
  Cruel (VH)
  Type VI Procreator, attempts to subdue, grapple and ravish target. Tongue grapple: 100LGr. May use spells (see text).
  Pale VI Demon
  27
  150*
  Dash/50
  VF/FA
  M/LA#
  250
  12(60)
  180LCl(2x)/130LBa/100MBi†/150LCr§1
  Cruel(AV)
  * Special
  † If encountered randomly; otherwise depends on how many are summoned.
  
  58
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  MONSTERS AND DANGEROUS PLANTS OF HÆSTRA
  Bs
  MxPce/
  Speed
  Size/
  AT
  #
  Outlook
  Type
  Lvl
  Rt
  MMBns
  MS/AQ
  Crit
  Hits
  (DB)
  Attacks
  Enc
  (IQ)
  Bore-burrs
  0
  0
  0
  N/A
  T
  1
  4(0)
  10TPuncture/Special
  5-50
  N/A
  Black Squirrel
  0
  30
  Dash/40
  FA/FA
  S/-
  20
  1(40)
  20TBa/10SBi/30SBi
  5-100
  Bellig
  Gemsting
  4
  80
  Run/10
  MF/VF
  M/I
  85/F
  12(40)
  60LPi(2x)/80LSt/poison
  1-3
  Hungry
  Giant Spider
  Lesser
  3C
  60
  FSpt/30
  MF/FA
  S/—
  30D
  3(30)
  20SPi/40SSt/poison†/Special
  2-20
  Hungry(NO)
  Greater
  8F
  80
  Spt/20
  MF/FA
  M/I
  160F
  4(40)
  70LPi/75LSt/poison/Special
  1-10
  Hungry(LI)
  Major
  20G
  100
  Dash/10
  FA/VF
  L/LA†
  350G
  12(60)
  120HPi/90LHo/poison/Spells/Special 1
  Cruel(HI)
  Night Hnd
  5
  150
  Dash/20
  VF/FA
  M/—
  100
  4(30)
  90MBi/50GBreath
  1-10
  Bellig.
  Sea Serpent
  15G
  100
  FSpt/20
  MF/FA
  H/SL
  400G
  16(30)
  90HGr/150HCr†/80HBi/90WBr[Heat] 1
  Aggres.
  Sentinels
  Warders
  10
  —
  —
  —
  LA
  300
  20(0)
  Special
  Pair
  Protect (SU)
  Guardians
  10
  —
  —
  —
  LA
  400
  20(0)
  Special
  Pair
  Protect (SU)
  Shards
  Lesser
  15H1000‡ Dash/50
  BF‡/BF‡
  M/II
  175G
  12(50)‡
  120lcb(2x)(Slash)/poison§
  1-5
  Cruel(AV)
  Greater
  25H1000‡ Dash/50
  BF‡/BF‡
  M/LA
  225H
  12(50)‡
  150lcb(2x)(Slash)/poisn§/100Bolt‡
  1
  Cruel(VH)
  Lord Shards
  Hoar-Ak
  45
  1000†
  Dash/50
  BF†/BF†
  M/II
  300
  12 (90)*
  220lcb(2x)(slash)/Poison3 /Bolt 170† 1
  Cruel (HI)
  Snow Hnd
  6
  150
  Dash/20
  VF/FA
  M/—
  90
  4(30)
  70MBi/50IBreath/30CBreath
  1-10
  Bellig.
  Unicorn
  10
  160
  Dash/40
  BF/VF
  L/I
  200
  11(80)
  200LHo120MBa†/110MTs†/Spells
  1
  Good(SU)
  SPECIFIC BEASTS
  Motar Voorg
  38G
  200
  FSpt/15
  VF/FA
  H/SL
  450G
  16(50)
  100HBi/140HCl/110HBa/70HHo/100FBr* 1
  Varies(VH)
  Red-gold  Dragon (Fire Drake) of N. Spine of Emer. Fire Breath Weapon
  Ssamis T’zang
  34G
  250
  Dash/25
  BF/VF
  H/SL
  300G
  12(60)
  80HBi/100HCl/70HBa/100HHo/120LBr*
  1
  Varies(HI)
  Blue-white Dragon (Light-Drake), Southern Scorpion Ridge. Lightning Breath Weapon
  BEAST & MONSTER CHART CODES
  # Enc: This is the size range of a typical pack of the creatures when
  encountered in or near their lair.  A pack will often contain a wide range
  of levels/ages (including some young).  Often, only a patrol comprised
  of fewer members will be encountered away from the lair.  If no range
  is given, one such creature is normally encountered.
  Outlook: a general measure of the creature’s outlook, attitude,
  demeanor, and/or reaction/behavior pattern.
  IQ: This is a measure of the monster’s reasoning and memory ability.
  The statistic is not normally given for animals since their actions are
  often based upon instinct.
  * — Special.
  4 — On ground, movement rate is G of that given, “run” is the maximum pace,
  the DB is halved, and claw (Cl) attacks cannot be used.
  * Reduction Poison; poison level is equal to level of Kæden attacker.
  †Special: see text and rules
  ‡ — Special.
  NOTES FOR THE GREAT DRAKES
  Attack Patterns for Drakes: (wyverns and fell beasts  [see flying beasts table] follow a
  similar pattern)
  Each round while in flight, a drake may:
  1) use its breath weapon (if able) and if diving on a target, it may also use:
  a) its horn attack (roll each critical twice and take both results) or
  b) its claw attack (can be used as a HGr attack to attempt to grab smallertargets) or
  c) its bash attack (can be used as a HCr attack with double damage in anattempt to
  land on a smaller target).
  On land or in the water a drake may use:
  1) its breath weapon (if able to) and one claw attack or one bash attack or
  2) its horn attack and one claw attack and its bash attack (tail) or
  3) its bite attack and one claw attack and its bash attack (tail) or
  4) two claw attacks and its bash attack (tail).
  Changes in Base Movement Rate due to Environment: The base movement rates
  above for drakes and wyverns are for movement in their primary environment (air, land
  or water; listed after the creature type above). The chart below gives the percentage of
  primary base movement rate which may be used in other environments. In parentheses
  after the percentage is the actual base movement rate for a ‘mature’ drake of the given
  type. A dragon in flight must be in a dive to achieve a ‘pace’ of ‘FSpt’ (x4) or ‘Dash’ (x5,
  a power dive). No drake may ‘FSpt’ or ‘Dash’ underwater.
  Winged
  Winged
  In Air
  On Land
  Fire Drake
  100%(200)
  30%(60)
  Light Drake
  100%(250)
  20%(50)
  
  Part III: Denizens
  59
  UNDEAD
  Bs
  MxPce/
  Speed
  Size/
  AT
  #
  Outlook
  Type
  Lvl
  Rt
  MMBns
  MS/AQ
  Crit
  Hits
  (DB)
  Attacks
  Enc
  (IQ)
  Wôrim Wight
  15D
  50
  Spt/10
  SL/VF
  M/LA#
  145E
  1(90)
  110We[Cold]/90LBa(Cold)/Spells
  1
  Protect(AV)
  Jinteni  Wraiths
  lesser (IV)
  10C
  70
  Dash/30
  MF/VF
  M/II#
  120D
  1(70)*
  80We[Cold]/70LBa/Special/Spells
  1
  Cruel (SU)
  greater (V)
  15F
  60
  Dash/20
  MD/BF
  M/LA#
  165E
  1(50)*
  100We[Cold]/90LBa/Special/Spells
  1
  Cruel (HI)
  Undead Sorcerers
  Corpse Candle
  7H
  -
  -/-
  -/-
  M/I#
  100A
  1(30)
  Spell/Special(4 Con pt/rnd)
  1
  Cruel (LO)
  Found in the Wailing Marshes
  Ghost Wolf (IV)
  10H
  120
  Dash/30
  FA/VF
  L/LA#
  200A
  4(55)*
  100LBi/75MCl50/Special
  1-5
  Berserk(NO)
  LAND ANIMALS OF HÆSTRA
  Bs
  MxPce/
  Speed
  Size/
  AT
  #
  Outlook
  Type
  Lvl
  Rt
  MMBns
  MS/AQ
  Crit
  Hits
  (DB)
  Attacks
  Enc
  (IQ)
  Bats
  small
  0A
  50
  FSpt/40
  VF/VF
  T/—
  4A
  1(60)
  10TBi100/20SBi(6)
  1-100
  Passive
  large
  1A
  90
  Dash/30
  VF/VF
  S/—
  10A
  1(60)
  20SBi100/30MBi(3)
  1-50
  Normal
  Bears
  Large
  10G
  90
  Spt/10
  MF/MF
  L/I
  230G
  8(30)
  85LGr60/65LCl†/70MBi§/90MBa40 1-5
  Aggres.
  Small
  5E
  80
  Spt/20
  MF/MF
  L/—
  150F
  8(20)
  60LGr60/50LCl†/50MBi§/70MBa40 1-5
  Aggres.
  Beaver
  2A
  40
  Run/20
  MD/MD
  S/—
  40C
  3(35)
  40SBi100
  1-5
  Timid
  Bee/Wasp
  0A
  30
  Dash/30
  MD/VF
  T/—
  1
  1(40)
  0TSt80/0TPi20/20TSt(10)
  1-300
  Normal
  Birds
  small
  0A
  70
  Dash/30
  FA/FA
  T/—
  5A
  1(70)
  O0Pi50/0TCl150/0SCl(6)
  1-200
  Timid
  large
  1A
  100
  Dash/30
  FA/FA
  S/—
  8A
  1(50)
  0SPi50/0SCl50/20MCl(3)
  1-100
  Timid
  Cats
  Large
  5D
  100
  Dash/30
  FA/MF
  M/—
  100E
  3(40)
  40MCl40/60MBa60/60MBi§
  1-2
  Aggres.
  Small
  3C
  110
  Dash/40
  VF/VF
  S/—
  60D
  3(60)
  30MCl30/20SBi30/Both40
  1-2
  Aggres.
  Condor
  4C
  100
  Spt/10
  FA/MF
  M/—
  90E
  1(30)
  50LCl100/45MPi  4
  1-2
  Passive
  Deer
  2B
  130
  Dash/30
  VF/FA
  M/—
  70F
  3(40)
  20MHo90/20MTs10
  2-20
  Timid(N)
  Dogs
  Large
  4C
  120
  Dash/20
  VF/FA
  M/—
  65G
  3(40)
  45MBi100
  2-20
  Aggres.
  Small
  2B
  100
  Dash/30
  FA/FA
  S/—
  45F
  3(50)
  50SBi100
  1-10
  Normal
  Eagle
  3C
  130
  Dash/20
  FA/FA
  M/—
  30E
  1(30)
  50MCl100/35SPi   4
  1-2
  Aggressive
  Falcon
  2B
  200
  Dash/40
  VF/BF
  S/—
  20E
  1(60)
  45SCl100/20SPi   4
  1-2
  Aggressive
  Hawk
  2B
  150
  Dash/30
  VF/BF
  S/—
  25B
  1(50)
  40MCl100/25SPi   4
  1-2
  Aggressive
  Owl
  1A
  100
  FSpt/20
  FA/FA
  S/—
  20A
  1(50)
  35SCl100/10SPi   4
  1-2
  Normal
  Rabbit/Hare
  1A
  100*
  Dash/40
  VF/FA
  T/—
  10D
  1(50)
  0TBi100/10SBa(6)
  1-10
  Jumpy(N)
  Rodents
  Large
  1A
  30
  FSpt/10
  MD/MF
  S/—
  15B
  1(20)
  10SBi100/20TBi
  2-20
  Timid(N)
  Small
  0A
  20
  FSpt/20
  MD/MF
  S/—
  8A
  1(30)
  20TBi100/20SBi(6)
  2-20
  Timid(N)
  Sheep (Male)
  2B
  110
  Dash/50
  FA/FA
  M/—
  45E
  3(40)
  60MBa100/50MTs§
  1-10
  Normal(N)
  Wolf
  3C
  110
  Dash/20
  FA/FA
  M/—
  110E
  3(30)
  65MBi100
  2-20
  Aggres.
  
  60
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND WATER CREATURES OF HÆSTRA
  Bs
  MxPce/
  Speed
  Size/
  AT
  #
  Outlook
  Type
  Lvl
  Rt
  MMBns
  MS/AQ
  Crit
  Hits
  (DB)
  Attacks
  Enc
  (IQ)
  Alligators/
  Small, water
  1A
  40
  Run/20
  MD/MD
  M/—
  85D
  7(20)
  50MBi100/30SGr§/Special *
  1-10
  Aggres.
  Large, water
  3C
  50
  Run/10
  MD/MD
  L/—
  20E
  7(10)
  80LBi100/80MGr§/Special *
  1-10
  Aggres.
  Dolphins/Porpoises
  Dolphin
  8F
  80
  FSpt/40
  VF/FA
  L/—
  80E
  1(40)
  50MBa80/40MBi20
  20-100
  Normal
  Porpoise
  7E
  80
  FSpt/35
  VF/FA
  L/—
  85E
  1(40)
  60MBi100
  2-20
  Normal
  River Dolphin
  6E
  80
  FSpt/30
  FA/FA
  L/—
  70E
  1(40)
  50MBi100
  2-6
  Timid
  Fish
  Large
  3C
  90
  Spt/20
  FA/FA
  L/—
  35D
  4(20)
  50MPi100
  1-5
  Normal
  Medium
  1B
  70
  Spt/30
  FA/FA
  M/—
  20B
  3(30)
  30SPi100/40MPi(3)
  1-20
  Normal
  Small
  0A
  50
  Spt/40
  FA/FA
  S/—
  8A
  1(50)
  0TPi100/10SPi(6)
  1-100
  Passive
  Frogs
  Frog
  0A
  10*
  Run/20
  SL/FA
  T/—
  A
  3(30)
  0TBa20/0TGr80/20TGr§
  1-10
  Timid
  Toad
  0A
  10
  Run/10
  SL/FA
  T/—
  A
  3(40)
  0TBa30/0TGr70/10TGr§
  1-10
  Normal
  Tree Frog
  0A
  10*
  Run/10
  SL/FA
  T/—
  A
  3(40)
  0TBa30/0TGr70/10TGr§
  1-10
  Normal
  Jellyfish
  0A
  5
  Walk/0
  IN/IN
  T/—
  2
  1(30)
  Touch gives 1-10 hits
  1-100
  Passive
  Killer Whale
  9F
  100
  FSpt/25
  VF/VF
  H/LA
  450H
  8(20)
  100LBa30/110HBi70/150HGr§
  1-5
  Belligerent
  Lizards
  Small
  0A
  10
  Dash/10
  VF/FA
  T/—
  A
  3(60)
  0TBi60/0TCl40/20SBi(6)
  1-10
  Normal
  Large
  1B
  20
  FSpt/0
  MD/MD
  S/—
  0C
  3(50)
  10SBi50/20SCl30/Both20
  1-10
  Normal
  Sharks
  Large
  5E
  100
  FSpt/20
  FA/FA
  L/—
  180F
  4(20)
  100LBi100
  1-10
  Belligerent
  Small
  2B
  80
  FSpt/30
  FA/VF
  M/—
  90E
  4(40)
  60MBi100
  1-20
  Aggres.
  Snakes
  Boa/Python
  3C
  30
  Run/0
  VS/MD
  L/I
  5F
  3(0)
  70MBi30/60MGr70/90LGr§
  1-2
  Aggres.
  Non-Poisonous
  0A
  40
  Spt/10
  SL/VF
  S/—
  0B
  1(40)
  20TBi100/0SBi(6)
  1-5
  Normal
  Sea Snakes
  1A
  30
  Run/10
  SL/FA
  S/—
  0B
  1(40)
  30TSt100/Poison†
  1-2
  Normal
  Viper
  1B
  40
  Spt/10
  SL/VF
  S/—
  5B
  1(30)
  20SSt100/Poison†
  1-2
  Normal
  Squid
  Small
  1A
  40*
  Run/30
  MF/MF
  S/—
  20B
  1(50)*
  40SGr100/30TPi†
  1
  Normal
  Medium
  3B
  60*
  Run/20
  MF/MF
  M/—
  40D
  1(30)*
  60MGr100/40SPi†
  1
  Normal
  Large
  6D
  80*
  Run/10
  MD/MF
  L/II
  70E
  1(30)*
  80LGr100/60MPi†
  1
  Normal
  Giant (Kraken)
  10E
  100*
  Run/10
  MD/MF
  SL
  130F
  1(20)*
  100HGr100/80LPi†
  1
  Normal
  Turtles, Aquatic&Land
  Small, water
  0A
  30
  Run/10
  SL/SL
  S/—
  0B
  12(20)*
  20SPi90/30TBa10
  1-2
  Passive
   land
  0A
  5
  Run/0
  CR/SL
  S/—
  0B
  12(20*
  0SBi100
  1-2
  Passive
  Large, water
  2B
  40
  Run/10
  MD/MD
  M/—
  0E
  12(0)*
  50MPi70/60SBa30
  1-2
  Passive
    land
  3C
  10
  Run/0
  CR/SL
  M/—
  0E
  12(0)*
  20MBi100
  1-2
  Passive
  Whales
  Baleen
  10G
  100
  Spt/10
  MF/MF
  H/SL
  700H
  8(50)
  80HGr50/75HBa50
  2-10
  Passive
  Beaked
  6E
  90
  Spt/20
  MF/MF
  H/LA
  400G
  8(40)
  85HPi75/60LBa25
  6-10
  Timid
  Narwhale
  7E
  90
  Spt/30
  MF/FA
  L/LA
  300F
  8(50)
  80HHo60/60LBi20/50LBa20
  2-10
  Normal
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  61
  • PART IV •
  REALMS & KINGDOMS OF HÆSTRA
  O
  ur horses shuffled through the deepening snow and I wondered once again why we didn’t
  take a ship north from Arakin and save ourselves several days of road travel in winter. But
  Randæ had been evasive, saying only that our eventual destination was inland and this
  would work out better in the end.
  But the weather was turning against us. The snow seemed to be falling harder with every minute
  and several inches already lay on the ground. By my reading of the map we were nearly upon a town
  called Niév—a perfect place to spend the night—but Randæ was talking about skirting the town and
  heading east towards the foothills of the Spine of Emer tonight. This seemed ill-advised, to put it
  mildly.
  “I would rather not stay in Niév.” He sighed finally, after I asked him a third time.
  “Why not? Do you have a reputation there?” I smirked.
  “No.” I could see the troubled look on his face as he turned to me, even through the falling snow.
  “We will find we are not welcome there.”
  “Why is that?” Jad demanded.
  They do not like Elves in Niév.” Randæ said ominously.
  Kalen Avanir
  From his Travel Journals
  �    �    �
  Second largest of the four main regions, Hæstra is the most widely cultivated and the most
  densely populated of Emer’s varied lands.  Its mild climate, fertile soil, and available resources
  make it an ideal region for human habitation. On the other side of the coin, that means that the
  rich lands are coveted and frequently fought over.
  Following is an overview of the current geopolitical forces within the region of Hæstra. Brief
  summaries of a few neighboring realms may be found in the following chapter, Other Powers.
  
  62
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  This chapter is meant to provide geographic and cul-
  tural information for the various realms and cities, spe-
  cifically as noted on the color player map. Information on
  secret or lost sites will (with a few exceptions such as
  Skystone City and Ton-Bor) be found in Part VI, Places of
  Interest.
  GM Note: as a point of reference, Hæstra’s land mass is
  comparable to that of Spain, France and Italy com-
  bined. Similarly, it is about the size of California and
  Nevada together. The Komaren Cluster alone is nearly
  as large as England. Try to keep this in mind when
  imagining the variety of realms and terrain here.
  Also within this section are two charts. One is a military
  summary of the fighting forces of the various realms. The
  other is a selection of NPCs, two or three representing
  each realm. These are included to aid the GM in adventure
  ideas and encounters for the PCs. Basic RM2 statistical
  information is provided which can be easily adapted to
  RMSS. If more system detail is required the GM can create
  it as needed.
  1 • DANARCHIS
  Occupying a rocky peninsula (the northernmost ex-
  tension of Hæstra), Danarchis is a small but powerful
  maritime kingdom.  Aside from trading with the simple
  Bodlean peoples, they have little contact with the inland
  affairs of Hæstra — instead reaching out across the seas
  for their riches.  Danarchis also controls all of the small
  islands surrounding the realm, to the Forbidden Reef to
  the west and the  Elben Archipelago to the east.
  The kings of Danarchis learned long ago that there was
  much more profit to be earned from trade with the
  stubborn Bodlean Dalesmen than through conquest.  As
  a result, the King has declared that his people must never
  attempt to seize land beyond the peninsula, and the Talath
  have agreed not to settle in Danarchan land.  Danarchis
  and Bodlea have since had a friendly and stable relation-
  ship for many centuries.  Besides, Danarchis has its hands
  full dealing with the troublesome Honakh of Præten and
  his sea-raiders. Being a practical people, they realized that
  the slow but honest Bodleans would make better allies
  than enemies. Beyond trade with Bodlea, Danarchis has
  little contact with inland Hæstra.
  Lethys (a huge city in southern Jaiman), Izar, Kaitaine
  and Eidolon all trade at the Danarchis port of Artha, a
  bustling city with beautiful white marble towers and
  seaside plazas.  The king of Danarchis resides in a gleam-
  ing palace on a hillside overlooking Artha.
  NOTE TO VISITORS
  Visitors to  Danarchis—especially to Artha or the other
  larger towns—will find a friendly, if somewhat aloof,
  homogeneous Laan population. The towns are spotless,
  and there is minimal crime (city guards are very much in
  evidence) and moderate corruption. Posted everywhere
  in Danari, Erlin and Shay are placards listing a number of
  infractions and their punishments, including spitting and
  littering (5 bp) and  public drunkenness (night in jail and
  1 gp). For more serious crimes, the accused is brought
  before a Magistrate.
  RESOURCES/EXPORTS
  Olives are a rarity elsewhere in Emer and Jaiman but
  seem well-suited to the Danarchan hillsides.  These as well
  as wine, clams, shrimp and crabs harvested in the shel-
  tered bays are all high-demand exports for this small
  realm.  Healing herbs of various kinds are cultivated in
  sheltered coastal areas as well, and fishing is a major
  industry.
  There are also rich deposits of tin and nickel in the Blue
  Hills — and a blue-green ore which the merchants of Sel-
  kai and Námar-Tol pay a rich price for, though they are
  evasive when asked its purpose.  The Danarchan Priests
  say that it has some Essænce powers, though it is of no use
  to them. (The material is Arinyark ore, a key element in the
  making of anti-gravity Xenium.)
  Artha is also a major trade corridor, with spices and
  pepper coming from the western isles; raw materials from
  the Scorpion Ridges; and silks, finished goods, coffee and
  tea from the east.
  IMPORTS
  Danarchis has an insatiable need for timber to main-
  tain its large fleets and cotton for sails and clothing.  The
  city obtains most of these supplies from the Bodleans
  (except cotton, much of which comes from Tai-emer and
  western Uj), in return for wine and finished goods. It also
  imports salt, spices and luxury goods.
  Flag of Danarchis
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  63
  PLACES OF INTEREST
  While most of Danarchis is rural hills covered by grass
  or forest, vineyards or olive orchards, there are some
  bustling trade centers and other spots of interest.
  ARTHA
  Danarchis has only one true city, but the kings have
  lavished all their love and wealth on this metropolis for
  generations. While other towns in the kingdom are fish-
  ing villages of whitewashed brick, Artha has many
  buildings of pure white marble. Her streets are
  paved with stone cobbles, and there are many
  courtyards and squares filled with fountains
  and grand sculpture. Artha is perched on a
  rocky hillside overlooking a sheltered bay,
  with extensive harbor facilities. It is also
  well-protected by the Danarchan fleet and
  a large contingent of the king’s guard.
  A visitor to Artha will find a cosmo-
  politan city with a healthy selection of
  goods. Traders come from Izar and Sel-
  kai, the coasts of Jaiman and even as far as
  Kaitaine.
  Nestled at the feet of the Blue Hills along
  the steep western coast, Diaspar is an iso-
  lated town, accessible only by sea and a
  narrow pass over the mountains to the more
  gentle east slope. It is a place of steep winding
  streets flanked by whitewashed houses, a way-station
  for trade ships but not a major trade center. Diaspar is
  known for two things, however: its large, black olives
  grown in the hills above the town, and the beautiful blue
  sapphires mined nearby.
  ALBEMARA
  The Lighthouse of Albemara, though not a great bea-
  con like the Lights of Izar, is a comforting sight for sea-
  captains navigating the western coast of Danarchis. Even
  so, navigation around the horn is perilous; the seas around
  the town perched far out on a peninsula are calm, but they
  hide danger beneath the surface
  DANARCHAN ISLES
  Ringing Danarchis are dozens of islands and countless
  atolls. Some inhabited, others little more than barren
  rocky outcrops. Coral reefs and tricky currents make
  navigating among them a job for the experienced sea
  captain.
  The  Elben Archipelago, six larger islands and numer-
  ous tiny outcroppings, is currently under Danarchan
  protection. Over the last several hundred years it has been
  an object of contest between Artha and the Honakhs of
  Præten, falling several times to the latter realm. The
  islands have strategic value, lying between the two king-
  doms and along the heavily traveled Melurian Straits.
  Beyond that however, they are not of great value, being
  sparsely populated by sheepherders and potato growers.
  The seas are rough around most of the coastlines, and
  some of the isles still have active volcanism.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: Of Laan descent, the Danarchans are
  tall with dark hair and fair skin.  They tend to be
  more slender than the more imposing pure-
  blood Laan, and a few have lighter, often
  curly hair.  Their origins are less clear.
  Political Structure: Monarchy.  The
  golden scepter passes to the eldest son
  when the king reaches the age of 100,
  abdicates or dies (whichever comes
  soonest). There is also a royal Senate of
  elected men, though they have limited
  power.
  Society and Culture: In Danarchis men
  control government and business,
  while women are the final authority in
  the household. Marriages are arranged,
  usually within the same class, and the man
  comes to live with the wife’s family. To outsiders
  and in most social situations, Danarchans are polite to
  the point of being overly formal; rudeness and disrespect
  is not tolerated. The one exception is on certain evenings
  when women remain at home while men often gather for
  raucous parties involving copious wine and food, and
  good-natured games of skill.
  Technology:  TL 3.  While Danarchan smiths have the
  working of iron and a few alloys, they have yet to master
  fine steel, buying what little they need from others  The
  making of enchanted weapons is beyond their ken.  How-
  ever, they are unusually advanced in their shipbuilding
  skills, having very seaworthy rigged ships second on Emer
  only to those of Elven design.
  Arts & Architecture In the cities (of which there are two
  besides the port-capital of Artha, not counting more than
  a dozen villages), the Danarchan architectural skills are in
  full flower, revealed in graceful towers, temples and pal-
  aces of gleaming white marble.  They are equipped with
  clean running water and sewage facilities. The remaining
  villages which dot the coast and mountainsides are rustic
  gatherings of stone cottages.  The stone is of necessity as
  much as a desire for permanence; there is very little
  available timber in Danarchis, and most is used for ships
  
  64
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  or fuel. Danarchis is known for fine pink coral jewelry—
  and a unique form of dramatic pantomime play, often
  using elaborate costumes and masks. There are a few
  travelling Danarchan play troupes, in high demand in
  cities throughout Emer.
  Clothing: In the usually mild climate of this coastal realm,
  the Danarchan men wear simple kilts or loose shorts,
  while women almost exclusively wear billowing pants and
  an over-tunic.  Brightly dyed silks are always in demand
  here; Danarchans buy all they can get from the Sel-kai
  traders who bring such cloths from Nuyan Khôm.
  Military Structure:  Danarchis’ strength is in its navy.  It
  has a large fleet of galleys which patrol the calm coastal
  waters, warding off attack by the Præten raiders.  (Note
  that these ships are of a radically different design than the
  fast, rigged trading vessels).
  Currency: Danarchis mints its own pieces of silver, the
  weight matching a standard set by Eidolon.
  Language: Danari is the official language, which has its
  roots in Old Emer.  In fact, it is more similar to that lost
  tongue than any other language spoken on Emer today.
  Diet/Subsistence: Mixed economy in most mainland;
  Fisherfolk on islands. Fish is a staple, supplemented by
  domestically-grown vegetables and some mutton.  Some
  eat corn-meal, but wheat bread is preferred (much of the
  wheat supplied by Bodlea).
  Worship: Unusually cosmopolitan, Danarchans worship
  the entire Orhanian pantheon, though they frequently
  call upon Shaal, the master of the Seas, for favorable
  weather  (For insurance, they ask his servant Neela to
  moderate him should Shaal lose his infamous temper.)
  There is a large and influential priesthood — many of
  them Channelers of some skill — who maintain temples
  to the gods. Priests of Zanar and Andaras have had little
  success in gaining a foothold here.
  2 • BODLEA
  More of a region than a specific government, this
  rolling land of hills and valleys north of the Keyten river is
  home to a collection of Talath dales, a term referring to the
  independent valley-towns and the farm/pasture lands
  surrounding them.  The dales are relatively isolated, mak-
  ing only sporadic contact between each other.  However,
  the southern dales benefit from contact by river trade with
  the Elves of Talæn and the Miirians, and the northern
  Dales trade with Danarchis.
  One of the moors of Bodlea. Note the standing stones, part of some ancient ruin.
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  65
  Reasons why southern lords have not annexed this
  land are as many as the sheep which graze on it.  The soil
  is not as fertile as that in the Miirian land, so has (rela-
  tively) limited agricultural value. Because of cold winds
  off the western coast, Bodlea is considerably cooler and
  sees more rain than the rest of Hæstra. The Talath, while
  disorganized, are ferocious fighters when defending their
  homesteads.  Another reason, and perhaps the most bi-
  zarre, is the superstitious fear among the southern forces
  that the river Naiad Kellus will rise up to defend the simple
  Dale-men.
  GM Note: It is in fact true that there is a river Naiad in
  the Keyten, and he does protect the Bodleans when he
  can. He is not omnipotent, but has an awareness of all
  who enter or pass over his river. More information on
  him can be found in the Other Powers section.
  NOTE TO VISITORS
  The Bodleans are known for their simple hospitality,
  but they also have an instinct for those who mean them
  harm. Most are outgoing and friendly, ready with general
  information and harmless gossip. Crime and corruption
  are minimal. There are virtually no inns in Bodlea except
  in the cities, but travellers are always welcome to spend
  the night in a barn.
  CARLSDALE
  Located in the very foothills of the Blue Hills, Carlsdale
  is in an upland vale and is the closest of the dales to
  Danarchis.  It is also one of the largest and wealthiest of
  the Bodlean villages.  Carlsdale has large flocks of sheep
  and grows corn, wheat and cotton, in addition to a wide
  variety of vegetables.
  MILLSDALE
  The largest producer of wheat in Bodlea, Millsdale lies
  near the windy, rock-strewn western coast.  Much of the
  shoreline is rocky cliffs, so the Talath of Millsdale have
  little to do with the sea (which is fine with them; Talath
  seem to have a racial fear of the open ocean).
  HIGHDALE
  Another upland valley community, Highdale is nestled
  in the western hills of the Choak Mountains.  Somewhat
  isolated from the other dales, Highdalers tend to have an
  (uncharacteristic) superiority complex.  They are still
  friendly with other Bodleans, but affect a superior air.
  DALE SYMBOLS
  Dale
  Symbol
  ≈Population
  Carlsdale
  Three Stars
  600
  Millsdale
  A Bundle of Wheat
  400
  Rakesdale
  A Raven
  350
  Allesdale
  An Eclipsing Sun
  300
  Highdale
  A Gryphon
  300
  Yorndale
  A Running Horse
  200
  Alainsdale
  A Spread-winged Eagle
  300
  Galendale
  A Tree
  250
  Uppsdale
  A crossed sword and Scythe
  300
  Wyerdale
  A Wyvern
  400
  Gravesdale
  A Yellow Rose
  250
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: With their big-boned physiques, blond
  hair and smooth, fair skin, the Bodleans are very closely
  related to Talath stock.
  Political Structure:  Each Dale is ruled by a council of the
  seven Eldest (male or female).
  A Talath Shepherd boy from Uppsdale
  pencil and watercolor, from the sketchbook
  ‘Peoples of Emer’ by Haldak Vatay
  
  66
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Society and Culture: Patrilineal and
  patrilocal, women when they marry
  move into the home of the man.
  Households are run exclusively by
  the eldest man. The Bodleans have a
  rich oral history, and while writing
  is known to them it is usually taught
  only to the town shaman or healers.
  Technology: TL 2.  The Bodleans actually make rather fine
  copper and tin implements, and thanks to their trade with
  Danarchis have little reason to pursue ironwork on their
  own.  Their pottery is also simple but attractive. Few
  Bodleans can afford a very good loom, so they trade raw
  wool for cotton and linen cloth.
  Arts & Architecture Very rustic wood structures with dirt
  floors and thatch or wood-shingle ceilings are the norm;
  sometimes important structures in a given Dale are con-
  structed of stone.
  Clothing: Simple wool or cotton clothing: shirts with
  suede or wool pants are the rule in
  Bodlea’s cool climate.  The men will
  sometimes go shirtless and the
  women switch to cotton dresses when
  the weather gets hot.
  Military Structure: None as such.  If
  the Dale is threatened, the Elders will
  raise a militia.
  Currency: None internally; barter is
  practically the exclusive mode of
  trade. Most Bodleans have a few coppers squirreled away
  for special purchases when a travelling merchant comes
  through, however.
  Language: Revealing their Jaimani origins, the Talath of
  Bodlea all speak what they call Tal, a sophisticated and
  beautiful language which is very close to the speech of the
  Myri of Tanara.  This musical, lilting tongue is one of the
  most complex in Emer.
  Diet/Subsistence: Herders/Mixed Economy. Basic fare of
  vegetables (greens and tubers), wheat breads, fowl and
  mutton are the staples of this bucolic people. Cows are
  usually kept for dairy products.
  Worship: The Bodleans recognize the pantheon of Orhan
  — especially Iloura and Oriana.  But they are also super-
  stitious and pay homage to a vast array of local and
  household spirits . Those near the Keyten River in particu-
  lar worship Kellus.
  3 • MIIR
  Miir is a name given to the region situated south of the
  Keyten river, and between the Langasse to the west and
  Alana to the east. This region known collectively as Miir is
  actually a collection of semi-independent lord-holdings,
  and scattered homesteads. The wilderness is strewn with
  beautiful if mysterious ruins.  It is a rolling land with many
  small valleys.  The downs of Miir have the richest soil in
  Emer and were once the heart of the Emerian Empire
  under Aldaron. As with Stroane and Vornia, many of the
  Miir lords hold titles passed down since the days of the
  Empire.
  Up until nine years ago most of Miir had been united
  under the Kings of Orian for several centuries.  Like
  neighboring Vornia, Miir is a land of feudal alliances. To
  the north, Relian remains an independent city-state, grown
  wealthy and powerful through trade across the Keyten
  and the Choak Gap.
  However, the Orian pact was splintered nine years ago
  when the Katra of Stroane lay siege to Orian and de-
  manded the King’s surrender. Taken completely by sur-
  prise by this aggression after centuries of peaceful coexist-
  ence, the king was unable to summon the help of the vassal
  lords and Orian fell. The Katra received the king’s alle-
  giance and married his daughter.
  Recent events have disrupted this  political situation
  (see the timeline) and Miir is once again in turmoil.
  MIIRIAN TOWNS AND HOLDS
  Orian and Relian are the two cities which anchor Miir
  at north and south. Most others are towns which have
  grown up around feudal manor holdings. In addition to
  those listed, there are numerous farms and small villages
  scattered across the countryside. Virtually every 15 miles
  or so along most roads one will encounter a small manor
  or castle.
  ORIAN
  A walled city on the north shore of the Sea of Votania,
  Orian is built on ancient foundations. Here during the
  time of the Emerian Empire stood a port which served
  ships making the 50 league journey by water from the
  capital city of Aldain on Votania.  Upon those remains was
  built the capital of the kingdom of Irdania. While not
  architecturally as grand as either of these, Orian is a
  thriving city centrally located in Hæstra.
  Visitor Notes: Entry fee: 5 bp. Orian is fairly cosmopoli-
  tan, though one does not see many races other than Shay
  or Laan. Crime and corruption are moderate.
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  67
  RELIAN
  On the southern bank of the Keyten River just before
  it joins the cold, swift Taursa, Relian is a crossroads
  between Bodlea and the heart of Hæstra. Traders coming
  through the Choak Gap pass through here, as well as those
  coming overland from Danarchis. This city-state has an
  unusually diverse population: here one might see Anzeti
  from the Emer highlands, Bodleans who have abandoned
  rural life for  the city, and even a few Jaaderi—mostly
  immigrants from Pochantos, fleeing Lankani repression.
  A few Loari Elves also make their homes here. The vast
  majority of the population remains Shay, however, fol-
  lowed by Laan.
  Relian is administered by the Chamber of Five: The
  High Priest of Phaon, the Grand Guildmaster, and three
  wealthy lords.
  Visitor Notes: Entry fee: 3 bp. Crime is becoming preva-
  lent, especially with the influx of Pochanti. Corruption
  is moderate.
  BORNAY
  A small town just south of the Keyten, Bornay grew up
  beside an ancient Empire-era bridge, the only one span-
  ning the Keyten River for three days’ walk in either
  direction. The town and bridge are controlled by Lord
  Dennys of Bornay Castle.
  PELLERN
  A way-stop along the
  Imperial highway from Re-
  lian to Bentara on the Iza-
  ran coast, Pellern is a poor,
  run-down community
  which has seen better days.
  Once it was a wealthy min-
  ing town, when gold flowed
  from the mountains, but
  most of the veins in the area
  are tapped out. Aging Lord
  Dreygen is ill and his wife—
  the young Lady Wintessa,
  daughter of Lord Dennys
  of Bornay—is unhappy
  here. She takes out her bit-
  terness at marrying the sick
  old man by punishing the
  serfs and carrying on barely
  concealed affairs.
  CHELZARIA
  At the meeting of the upper Langasse on the north and
  the Deer Run river on the south, this sizable town is still
  mining its wealth from the mountains as well as from field
  and river. The Count Harond is an eccentric man (and an
  astrologer) but he and his daughter are fair and competent.
  It is a common suspicion among the townsfolk that
  there is an underground fortress of Elves nearby, but it is
  not discussed in front of strangers (except perhaps under
  duress or a sufficient bribe). Many townsfolk have glimpsed
  what appear to be tall dark men on huge scorpion-like
  steeds in the night, or shadowy travellers with an Elvish
  mien on the roads. Exactly where this city is they do not
  know, but suspect it is somewhere to the south, perhaps 10
  leagues or so.
  HELBERNA
  This bustling town is not only a busy trade center on
  the shores of the Votanian Sea but is also the home of the
  high temple of the goddess Mynistra (See Other Powers).
  The High Archbishop of the Mynistran Church is located
  here as well, and much of the surrounding land is ruled by
  lords who are also bishops of her faith. (Politics and
  religion are inextricably intertwined in Hæstra as well as
  many other places on Kulthea.)
  From the three-sided High Temple of Mynistra over-
  looks the city on a nearby bluff, a powerful reminder of the
  goddess’ presence.
  The High Temple of Mynistra near Helberna
  
  68
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  child to cement an alliance. Among the wealthy however,
  many learn to play a musical instrument, and most women
  are skilled with sewing and embroidery. Noble boys are
  trained in weapons with the aim of becoming a knight.
  Children of either sex who show aptitude for the arcane
  arts are sent to a school to hone their skills (having a child
  with magical talent is very prestigious, not to mention a
  possible source of advantage over others).
  Technology: TL 2-3. Varies somewhat from manor to
  manor. The larger cities possess a greater sophistication.
  Clothing: The majority of Miirian people wear wool or
  cotton clothing and leather shoes. Only the wealthy lords
  and their ladies can afford the finer fabrics such as velvet
  and silk.
  Arts & Architecture Strictly wood structures except in a
  rare important building, such as a lord’s castle or a temple.
  Military Structure: As noted above, Miir’s military is
  made up of the many feudal lords’ knights, and when
  necessary the raised militia of serfs.
  Three Sisters of Mynistra
  pencil and watercolor, from the sketchbook
  ‘Peoples of Emer’ by Haldak Vatay
  Visitor Notes: Entry fee: 2 bp. Helberna
  has a very large Laan populace, with Shay
  being second in number. Crime and cor-
  ruption are moderate.
  ToVOR
  This town has the unfortunate distinc-
  tion of being near the reputed lair of Motar
  Voorg the Red Dragon. The great beast has
  not yet attacked the town, but he has raided
  farms and destroyed several manors in the
  area. Lord Lystor is at a loss; beyond offer-
  ing a 1,000 gold piece reward for the head of
  the dragon (many have tried to slay the
  dragon, all have failed).
  ALKARTEK
  Alkartek is a sprawling castle overlooking a
  vast territory in central Miir, a land with rich
  soil and plentiful ancient ruins. Many were
  broken down long ago for stones to build new
  houses and bridges, but there are still quite a
  few scattered among the rolling wheat fields.
  Old Lord Nemeck is unsure how to pass on
  his territory to his twin sons, who at 20 are
  eager to assume responsibility.
  BOKPENTOK
   The town rests on the north shore of the
  Alana River, at a crossroads between three large
  cities. Bokpentok is surrounded by a low stone
  wall, and Count Hirotha’s castle is an ancient but
  sound structure. A large abbey of Mynistra is also located
  near Bokpentok, just over the river to the south.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: For the most part, the Miirians are of Shay
  descent, though some—especially those of the merchant
  and landed classes—show evidence of Laan blood in their
  ancestry.
  Political Structure: Varies somewhat from village to vil-
  lage, but most are controlled by the local lord in his castle,
  who in turn is answerable to a regional lord. The overall
  political picture is shifting constantly as various lords
  struggle to dominate each other.
  Society and Culture: A typical feudal society: most of the
  wealth and leisure time is available only to the lords and
  their families. The serfs labor with little time for recre-
  ation, and their lives are controlled by the lord, sometimes
  to the point of who and when they can marry. Of course,
  even the offspring of lords will probably have no say in
  their future spouse, being betrothed to another lord’s
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  69
  Currency: Barter is a common system of trade; coins
  minted in Arakin, Izar, Danarchis and even Sel-kai are
  also seen.
  Language: All speak dialects Shay; some speak a bit of Old
  Emer; and Erlin.
  Diet/Subsistence: Herders/Mixed Economies. Wheat,
  corn and tubers are staples, supplemented with beef, some
  mutton, fowl and greens.
  Worship: Mynistra is by far the most followed deity in
  Miir, though many Lords of Orhan are called upon as
  ‘lesser gods.’ A few even follow ‘Dark Gods.’
  4 • VORNIA
  The grasslands between the Bay of Izar and the Gold
  Mountains were never densely populated.  Vornia is more
  of an ancient regional name than a political delineation;
  there is no central government or any unifying force to the
  scattered population. The Cultures here are essentially
  similar to those of Miir, though there are a few Jineri
  immigrants from the western isles. See the Miir informa-
  tion above for cultural information.
  JENNIS
  Nestled in a vale near the western end of the Forbidden
  Ridge, Jennis is a town under a shadow. It and several
  surrounding villages are ruled by the Bishop Timmon
  V’nar, a Laan priest of considerable powers, who also
  holds the title of Baron.
  The Bishop of Jennis is by claim a follower of Mynistra,
  but fifteen years ago he turned from following her to the
  worship of Moralis the dark god. It is a tragic tale of
  unrequited love and jealousy which may one day be told,
  but suffice it to say that the Bishop goes through the
  motions of following Mynistra by day while leading per-
  verse dark ceremonies to Moralis by night.
  From the fortified abbey complex overlooking the
  town he rules with an ever tightening grip, giving the
  sadistic captain of the guard a free hand to keep the people
  in line.
  GELBENTEX
  Baroness Midenna rules her small domain with a firm
  but even hand from her fairy-tale castle perched on the
  cliffs overlooking the Sea of Votania. In addition to being
  a skilled administrator, Midenna is an accomplished ma-
  gician. During the town’s revolt against the Stroane occu-
  pation she used her powers against the armies of the Katra.
  BENTARA
  The Count of Bentara is the young Bryce Korel, who
  succeeded his father last year at the age of 19. The elder
  Korel was killed along the road from Izar, apparently by
  bandits. There were rumors that the boy arranged his
  father’s death, but no proof. Meanwhile, he has proven a
  capable leader and managed to keep his council of advi-
  sors in line—including the power-hungry Sorcerer
  Ventine. Bentara is one of two key land routes from
  mainland Hæstra to Izar and the sea, and also the main
  trade point with the Dwarves of Ton-Bor
  DYNAX
  On the shores of the Sea of Votania and just a day’s
  march from the eves of the Emerald Forest, Dynax stands
  at a critical trade juncture, just over the mountains from
  Sarnak and the western isles. The city is also in a state of
  political turmoil, having just overthrown its feudal lord
  Wurlek (he is in prison) but the new Guild Council is
  mired in petty bickering. Midenna of Gelbentex is consid-
  ering a takeover, but in the meantime it is a standing joke
  in Dynax that no one knows who is in charge. Trade is
  uninterrupted, however, and the main bureaucracy con-
  tinues to function as before. Unfortunately, it is rife with
  corruption. Bribery and embezzling is widespread. Crime
  is a growing problem, and Dynax is becoming known as a
  city of thieves.
  5 • STROANE
  Stroane is a kingdom in great turmoil. Just a decade
  ago it was poised to control almost all of Hæstra; today it
  is on the verge of complete collapse.
  A few years ago, the Katra (‘king’) was murdered by his
  young wife, an act which smacks of a conspiracy of some
  sort (she was an assassin sent from Sarnak).  But the wife
  escaped, and the other members of this supposed plot
  have yet to be uncovered.
  The Katra’s son
  Mikal—just ten
  years old—was
  ruler in name
  only, the actual
  administration
  being handled by
  a 
  triumvirate
  made up of the
  highest military of-
  ficial (the Lord Gen-
  eral), the Katra’s most eminent advisor (the Andaras High
  Priest Shatang) and the Katra’s uncle (Lorek, Prince of
  Vornia).  The three were frequently at odds, and the
  government was unstable. One by one the local lords
  began to reassert their independence, until the Lord Gen-
  Crest of
  Stroane
  
  70
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  eral—with the backing of the Church of Zanar—insti-
  gated a coup and had the other two rulers put to death.
  However, he was unable to stop the deterioration of the
  realm, and now Stroane has shrunk to the Lene river on
  the north and Qye to the south. Lord General Terell now
  fights to maintain order in a kingdom fraught with troubles
  inside and out.
  ARAKIN
  The capital city and trade center of Stroane, Arakin lies
  along the eastern shore of Vul Arus (I. “enchanted wa-
  ters,” the old name of the Sea of Votania).  A city of dark
  grey stone, it is a forbidding sight.  Arakin is surrounded
  by a high wall with many towers and battlements.
  Visitor Note: 8 bronze pieces are charged to enter the city
  (a bit stiff), and the Stroane military is everywhere, but
  rather than maintain order they are often the cause of
  trouble. Brawls and fights are common, drunkenness
  rampant. Crime and corruption are pervasive. In gen-
  eral, Arakin has become a very rough town.
  TETERANTOR
  For the most part Teterantor is an unremarkable manor,
  its wealth derived from mines in the shadow of the Spine
  of Emer and grains from the surrounding fertile land.
  However, townsfolk will tell you that strange things have
  begun to happen in Teterantor recently. The Lord Garan
  Tholen has not been seen during the day for the last few
  months, nor his eldest son in 30 days. All proclamations
  have been made by the Lord’s secretary. When seen after
  sundown he looks pale and tired. Also, people have begun
  to disappear from the town without a trace. Some fear that
  the lord has become some sort of wraith… or a vampire.
  He has become a vampire, and feeds on the people by night..
  He was made so by the minstrel Xanar Trellian, who only
  travels by night.
  NIÉV
  Despite its relative proximity to the city of Arakin, Niév
  is a backwater town ruled in name by the Baron Jerel
  Hunoren. However, the real power rests with his advisor,
  the Priest Robersin of the cult of Andaras. Under Robersin’s
  influence the town has become paranoid and suspicious
  of all outsiders, especially those other than the Shay. Elves
  are specifically hated, to the point that it is now illegal to
  be an Elf in Niév. Many travellers now avoid the town,
  staying east of it and fording the Lene river a few miles up.
  The town of Qye, looking northeast. The water is an inlet of the Sea of Votania.
  Etching by  Dendenien of Orian
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  71
  Guard Captain Snythe, Lord General Terell,
  Zanar Priest Marik Ch’toy
  pencil and watercolor, by Haldak Vatay
  QYE
  The town of Qye (pronounced ‘kye’) is a grim place in
  the shadow of the Spine where the sun never seems to
  reach. The castle of Lord Dremnock broods over the
  huddled buildings, an ancient pile of stones.
  People of this town do not look you directly in the eyes,
  their gaze always shifting from place to place. They seem
  glad enough to see visitors, but at the same time they are
  not very talkative. This is especially true when one is
  planning to take the Norg Road to Cloud Pass, because
  they are afraid of revealing the secret, the Terror in the
  Trees
  Just five miles from the outskirts of Qye lie the eaves of
  the Forest of Norg. once a game preserve for the Emperor
  of Emer. However, something which slept there for many
  years was awakened: Shards. The river Imanas roars down
  through this dark and brooding wood from where the
  Spine of Emer meets the Forbidden Ridge. Beside the river
  is the Norg Road, a winding way which becomes steep and
  twisting as it rises into the Spine to Cloud Gate, a
  narrow pass across the mountains into northwest-
  ern Khûm-kaan, and the edge of the new king-
  dom of Ardania.
  The fortunes of Qye have improved in re-
  cent years with the rise of Ardania in the east,
  and increased trade through Cloud Pass. If
  word should get out of the Terror, this new
  income would dry up. So they must stay quiet.
  So what if a few merchants become food for
  the Demons…
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: The majority of the Stroane
  population (about 85%) is Shay, with most of
  the remainder (predominantly the merchant
  and noble classes) being Laan. Elves and the
  other races are rare
  Political Structure: While theoretically an ab-
  solute monarchy, Stroane is currently under
  the ‘temporary’ rule of Lord General Terell. At
  present the throne is occupied by the boy Mikal,
  though Guard Captain Snythe has real control of
  the government (if anyone does).
  Society and Culture: With resources strained from
  the long aggressive war, there has been little time for
  the arts in Arakin.
  Technology: TL 4.  Stroane is one of the most tech-
  nically advanced realms in Hæstra.
  Arts & Architecture (housing) Multi-storey stone struc-
  tures in Arakin.  Fully transparent glass windows, wood
  and coal-burning stoves.
  Clothing: Elaborate wool, cotton and imported silk clothes
  are worn by the upper classes (wealthy merchants and
  nobility), while the middle merchants and craftsmen wear
  simpler, but high-quality garb. The peasantry wears cot-
  ton or wool shifts.
  Military Structure: The large standing army is well-
  equipped, with a very regimented structure, though there
  are increasing problems in the ranks: desertions, insubor-
  dination, etc. Shortswords and broadswords are the pre-
  ferred weapons, and Stroane composite bows are of high
  quality.
  Currency: A silver coinage is minted in Arakin; some
  other cities will no longer accept it, however, claiming that
  it has been diluted with lead.
  
  72
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Language: There is a ceremonial tongue known fluently to
  about 30% of the population as “Old Emer,” but it is
  actually a distant corruption of that ancient language.  All
  speak Shay, their common tongue.
  Diet/Subsistence: Herders/Mixed Economies. The people
  of Stroane enjoy a well-rounded diet of beef, mutton, a
  variety of breads and cheeses, tubers and greens.
  Worship: Although there are a few temples dedicated to
  some of the Lords of Orhan, the churches of Zanar and
  Andaras are currently dominant.
  6 • ZINVAR
  Until 5948 — barely a hundred years ago — Zinvar was
  one of the preeminent trading centers on Emer.  A large
  island, it was an independent city-state at the mouth of the
  Keyten river . It had ties with the Dales, Danarchis, Kaitaine,
  and even Sel-kai and Zinvar had become a wealthy port to
  rival Kaitaine.
  Then, in 5945, a man who only called himself the
  Nameless One arrived in Zinvar and announced that the
  city would fall within a year.  After he wandered the city for
  8 days foretelling doom, he was asked to leave the island.
  For three years all was normal in Zinvar, and the city
  prospered.  Then, three years later to the day (so the tales
  go), a ship with tattered black sails came riding into the
  western port at sunset, against the wind.  It maneuvered
  into the port as if a skilled crew was at the sails, yet
  lookouts could see no one on deck.  The ship touched the
  stone dock and vanished.  Then the madness began.
  Whether it was a plague or a curse of one of the Dark
  Gods will never be known.  While legends say that no one
  escaped, a few Navigators did.  Fleeing instantly, those
  whose Jumps did not go awry were mind-blasted idiots
  who only recovered after months of treatment.  Those
  who did not escape attacked each other with the nearest
  weapon — or their bare hands.  Trading ships who arrived
  later that evening saw the port ablaze, great fires reaching
  hundreds of feet into the air. They turned away.  For days
  Zinvar burned, columns of smoke visible for miles.  Sup-
  posedly no one has yet returned to the cursed isle… and
  lived to tell of it.
  7 • TALÆN
  This island off the western coast of Emer is a idyllic
  haven of Erlini.  While only 150 miles from the cursed
  island of Zinvar (they could see it burn on that day), the
  Elves of Talæn had never been in close contact with the
  island.  Talæn has a moderate climate and is covered
  almost entirely by forest, dominated by the massive navaal
  trees.  Reefs surround the island, making it treacherous to
  approach.  While the Elves will help those who are ship-
  wrecked or otherwise in trouble, they do not welcome
  casual mortal visitors.
  FLORA AND FAUNA
  Talæn is a microcosm of nature, supporting an inter-
  esting array of plant and animal types.  Its proximity to the
  mountainous coast of Hæstra (barely fifty miles at the
  nearest point) allows many birds to travel there.  Some-
  how an array of other temperate-climate creatures also
  made their way, including deer, goats, and a variety of
  other herbivorous creatures.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: Pure Erlin stock.
  Political Structure:  Monarchy.  King Seylars rules here
  with his wife, Queen Linnea.  Descent is through the eldest
  child.  The main village is located in the southern bay of
  the island.
  Society and Culture: The population of this peaceful
  island spends its time tending the plantlife, protecting its
  borders, and in art and song. To visitors they seem to be
  in a dreamlike existence, unhurried and unconcerned.
  But if threatened they are deadly foes. Aside from the
  unquestioned authority of the king and queen, there
  seems little other structure to this society. Some couples
  wed while other Elves move through casual relationships.
  Technology: TL 2-4.  The Elves are skilled craftsmen,
  devoting their energies mainly to works of art and musical
  instruments. They also have simple but seaworthy sailing
  vessels.
  Arts & Architecture The Erlin live in huts along the edges
  of forest glades, or in light houses constructed in the trees.
  Each hut is roofed with fronds sealed with beeswax, while
  the walls are living vines.  The floors of these houses are
  thick moss or planks.  Any cooking is done in outdoor
  stoves of stone and iron.
  Clothing: Simple cotton or silk tunics are the norm.  Face-
  paints are often used for decoration, as well as seashell or
  coral earrings and bracelets.
  Military Structure: All Talæn inhabitants are taught to
  use a longbow and a knife, though there is no standing
  fighting force as such. The Erlin also possess many small,
  swift and maneuverable boats.
  Currency: None.
  Language: Erlin.
  Diet/Subsistence: Gatherers/Fisherfolk. Seafood and a
  wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown on the island.
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  73
  They drink a fine mead (an alcoholic beverage made from
  fermented honey; the Erlin are accomplished beekeep-
  ers).
  Worship: Iloura, Jaysek and Kieron are favorites of the
  Talæn Elves, and they have a mixed respect and fear for
  Shaal.  The Elves of Talæn hold frequent banquets in
  honor of the Lords of Orhan.
  8 • THE EMERALD FOREST
  Situated between the Sea of Votania and the Bay of
  Izar, this extensive forest contains a plethora of wild plants
  and animals — and not a few sentient life forms as well.
  Though the Miirians and Vornians say it is haunted, the
  Forest is the home of many of the Fairy Folk, a group of
  Fauns, and a secretive community of arboreal people.  The
  master of the Emerald Forest is a powerful being; one
  might call him a god.
   The Forest is surrounded by an invisible barrier which
  inhibits entry by those unwelcome — which constitutes
  anyone but the Fauns and Forest-folk themselves, as well
  as dangerous wild animals.
  GM Note: If uninvited, one must successfully resist 10th
  level Channeling or feel unease, increasing as one moves
  further in until it is unbearable.
  THE FAUNS
   The colony of Fauns who make their home under the
  eaves of the Emerald Forest do so at the sufferance of the
  Forest Folk.  They repay this hospitality by guarding the
  forest perimeter and helping to protect the wood.
  Among the most ‘human-like’ of the several races of
  Fauns,  these are handsome youths with smooth tanned
  skin and beardless faces.  Their bodies overall (including
  legs and feet) are as a muscled human’s, only their small
  curling horns on their head protruding from chestnut
  hair betraying their Fairie origins.  They prefer to run
  naked, though some will clothe themselves in green kilts
  when travelling outside the Forest.
  Most Fauns are skilled with the bow and a melee
  weapon; all are excellent musicians and singers. They
  spend much of their time at play, or dancing, singing and
  partying. Their libidinous reputation is well-deserved.
  They revere Kieron, toasting him often at their banquets.
  This group has a hierarchy among them, with a sort of
  pack or gang mentality. The current leader is Kearo, who
  maintains his place as much with his charisma as by his
  superior prowess.
  GM Note: Many have Bardic spells, and they are
  mischievous. They have been known to waylay travellers
  just for fun, or even hijack a wine shipment.
  THE PEOPLE OF THE FOREST
  A small community resides deep within the Emerald
  Forest, powerful beings with Animistic abilities who are
  unlike any other race on Kulthea.  The People of the
  Emerald Forest are secretive and wary of outsiders, but are
  not unkind.  They almost never venture forth from their
  haven, and—as mentioned before—a warding presence
  prevents unwanted intruders from entering the perimeter
  of the forest.
  On the rare occasion when members of the Forest Folk
  out, they are seen only as if through a misty haze, their
  features never to be easily made out.  One thing is certain:
  though the wood is a perilous place, it is most so for
  creatures of evil intent.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins:  Unknown, though the Forest People have
  similarities to Nymphs and Elves, yet are of neither race.
  They are immortal, yet reproduce like men and Elves.
  Whether they can be killed is unknown, though it is said
  that powerful Dark Essænce can weaken them.  Physically
  small, rarely does a member of either sex reach 6' in height.
  Their skin is fair and their eyes are always green, though
  hair color may vary from pale blonde to dark brown.
  Political Structure: The Forest People have a King and
  Queen, though among them all are considered equal;
  their Lord and Lady serve to speak for them and judge in
  disputes.  Little more in the way of law or government is
  needed.  (Kel—see below—is thought of more as a be-
  nevolent presence than a ruler, and he is too easily dis-
  tracted and impulsive to be an administrator.)
  Technology: TL 2.  The Forest People use little in the way
  of metal; iron and steel are materials which fear and avoid.
  These metals interfere with their magic; whether steel can
  actually do harm because of their nature is unclear.  The
  knives which some warriors use are of a green glassy
  substance which may be laen, though how this rustic
  people could master the art of laen-working is a puzzle.  A
  few weapons are also of a greenish metal (beryllium)
  found only in one other place on Emer, the jungles of
  Khûm-kaan.
  GM Note: The Forest People are reduced to half their
  effective level for spell-casting in the presence of iron
  within 10 feet, (including PPs).  Those wearing lots of
  iron (like armor) get a +30 to RRs vs. their magic.
  Weapons of iron are Of Slaying the Forest People.  They
  will attempt to flee when faced by it under all but most
  extenuating circumstances.
  
  74
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Arts & Architecture None.  They live in the forest glades
  and in the trees under the sun and stars.  Man-made
  structures of any kind make them uneasy.
  Clothing: Finely woven tunics of a silky material which
  shimmers green-blue (+50 to hiding), breeches of a soft
  suede-like hide, and sometimes boots of similar (though
  thicker) hide.  Often they go barefoot.
  Military Structure: None.  All seem to be proficient
  warriors in some form of combat or other, however.
  Many are skilled Animists, Druids and Shamans.  Others
  are experienced with a long bow, knife and quarterstaff.
  Currency: None.
  Language: Though they have their own unique, lilting
  tongue, it appears that most Forest people know the
  rudiments of Erlin (Common Elvish) and Old Emer.  All
  are versed in the ancient Earth-Channeling tongue Enruth.
  Diet/Subsistence: Herbivorous, the Forest People forage
  for their food.  The forest provides all they require; agri-
  culture is a foreign concept to them.
  Worship: The inhabitants of the Emerald Forest are mas-
  ters of Channeling powers, and though their leader is
  capable of godlike feats, they do not ‘worship’ him.  In-
  stead, he leads the people in a worshipful respect — and
  unity with — the earth itself (much like the Fairie-folk).
  Though the Forest Folk clearly have magical items of their
  own, they dislike outside magic.
  KEL
  A powerful Dryad-like being, Kel ranks with the Spirits
  of Orhan in his resilience.  (In fact, the Loremasters
  believe that he was once a Spirit of Orhan who surren-
  dered many of his powers to live permanently in the
  Emerald Forest.)  In temperament he is like a playful boy
  — though he protects the Forest People as his own chil-
  dren.  Kel almost never assumes his 12' form because he
  considers it intimidating and against his character.  How-
  ever, if he or his people are truly threatened, he will.
  Kel usually wears a bright green tunic with darker
  tights and moccasins. He  is linked empathically to a huge,
  sentient Oak Tree in the center of the Forest, and between
  them they maintain a barrier of protection about the
  entire wood.  If dangerous intruders enter, he is immedi-
  ately aware of it.
  System Notes: If the wood is threatened, Kel can
  increase its power to that equal to  a Great Warding
  Perimeter.  Should Kel be defeated, his spirit returns to
  the tree and the perimeter retreats to just around the
  Vale of the Tree.  Should this mighty tree be somehow
  destroyed while Kel’s spirit is recovering there, he would
  be slain.
  THE GREAT OAK
  It is an ancient, huge tree, 150’ tall, with branches extend-
  ing almost 100’ out from the trunk. The trunk itself is over ten
  feet in diameter. Acorns from the oak are 3x normal size, and
  enchanted: six can provide a day’s nutrition.
  System Notes: Sentient Tree, defends as a Super-Large
  Creature, 1,000 hits, AT 20 (200).  It is intelligent and
  can speak mentally to Kel or the Forest People.  It Knows
  the Animist Lists Plant Mastery, Animal Mastery and
  Nature’s Lore to 50th, except all ranges are to the
  perimeter of the Forest.   It controls the Warding Perim-
  eter around the Forest, and also knows Warding Power
  and Warding Lore to 90th level.  If necessary, it can
  cause the entire forest to rise up in defense — a truly
  frightening concept to would-be enemies.
  9 • SARNAK
  To the south of the river Urij, slag-like hills rise steeply
  to the impassable Morbek Highlands. To the north
  stretches the rocky Forbidden Ridge.  At the mouth of this
  A Stroane Guard at Arakin
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  75
  swift and cold River lies the city-state of Sarnak, realm of
  the amazon warriors.
  Situated strategically on the trade route between the
  coastal mining villages along the bay and the inland
  settlements, Sarnak guards the shortest route to Votania,
  and the only pass from Hæstra to western Uj. Many
  caravans travel through the Storm Pass to Sarnak, and the
  city has grown wealthy and powerful—but this was not
  always so.
  The most notable feature of Sarnak society is the role
  of the sexes.  Women rule this land, and men are subser-
  vient domestics who look after the children, cook, sew,
  farm, and perform all other domestic chores.  The women
  are the warriors, heads of government, and usually the
  craftsmen. Once Sarnak was like most other cities which
  had outgrown their feudal lord: ruled by wealthy guilds
  and merchants. But a series of foolish mistakes made in
  the interest of short-term gains almost ruined the town.
  The women conspired to rescue their city. They drugged
  the male leaders and soldiers and imprisoned them.
  Then the women took control.
  While the Warrior-Amazons of
  Sarnak are known throughout Emer,
  the people of Sarnak do not consider
  themselves a martial society. While
  women are trained as fighters, they
  are not an aggressive people, only
  attacking when they consider them-
  selves threatened. And they only re-
  sort to war when diplomacy and
  other means have failed. As a classic
  example, rather than face Stroane
  on the battlefield and lose hundreds
  of lives, they sent an assassin to kill
  Stroane’s leader and collapse the
  realm’s government, removing the
  threat.
  SARNAK CITY
  Located on the southern shore of the
  river Urij, the city is constructed on a
  bluff of rock overlooking the river and
  the eastern portion of the Bay of Izar.
  Sarnak City itself is a looming presence, a
  jumble of dark towers and parapets de-
  signed to look impressive and to be im-
  pregnable. Inside it is not so grim, many of
  the shops and houses being painted bright
  colors. It is also unusually clean, boasting
  an efficient sewage system. The Director-
  ate meets in the Administration Center, a
  cluster of interlocking towers. This is also the site of the
  Sarnak treasury.
  THE REALM
  The land claimed by the Directorate of Sarnak lies
  along the coast to the southwest, up the steep valley
  behind the city to the east.  On the eastern front the state
  is guarded from the north by the Emerald Forest, and on
  the south by the Morbek Highlands.  There is a pass south
  to the Charn Plateau in Uj.
  VISITOR NOTES
  All the women of Sarnak are cooly polite to visitors.
  They will attempt to address the first female of the group,
  but will deal with men. 3 bp are charged to enter the city,
  plus tariffs on trade goods. Crime and corruption are
  minimal; the Amazons have little tolerance for either.
  Two women of the Sarnak Directorate confer while a
  (male) page stands by to attend them
  
  76
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  On the outskirts of Falkenna, along
  the coast of the Bay of Izar, looking
  south. Note the Sarnak watchtowers.
  Etching by  Dendenien of Orian
  TRADE
  As a crossroads, Sarnak sees a wide variety of goods.
  Trade has increased lately as the Sea of Gold has become
  a less desirable route from the north to Izar.
  RESOURCES/EXPORTS
  In the hills east of Sarnak, people of this small realm
  have built countless terraces to hold the plentiful rainfall
  and drainage from the mountains.  In these stepped fields
  they grow cranberries and rice, potatoes and other veg-
  etables.  On the drier hillsides to the southwest they grow
  grapes for wine. Sarnaki wine is no match for that of
  Danarchis, but it is plentiful and relatively inexpensive.
  The Sarnaki export wool, salt and wood and some
  finished goods: weaponry, armor, and steel tools.  They
  are also known for their mercenaries.
  IMPORTS
  As mentioned above, Sar-
  nak has little flat land for
  farming.  They import wheat
  and corn from Vornia, red
  meat from Vajaar, grains and
  cotton from Bodlea.
  CULTURAL
  SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: Primarily of
  Shay but with clear Laan in-
  fluence.  The women are un-
  usually tall, often exceeding
  6´.
  Political Structure: Repre-
  sentative democracy. Ruled
  by a council of five women
  known as the Directorate,
  elected by the female popu-
  lace.
  Society and Culture: Men are
  considered inferior except in
  domestic matters. They do
  not vote, cannot own land,
  and are not permitted to carry
  weapons 
  (except 
  a
  quarterstaff). Women may
  have more than one husband,
  and wealthy women may also
  have a ‘harem’ of servant men.
  Despite the heavy trade
  through Sarnak, most out-
  siders see little of their pri-
  vate life. Men when seen in public always have their eyes
  cast down and speak quietly. All women are addressed as
  “Mistress.”
  Technology: TL 3-4. The Sarnak smiths have mastered
  steel-making and are able to craft fine armor and weapons.
  Arts & Architecture The city of Sarnak is a fortress, with
  high granite walls and buttressed towers.  The interior of
  the city is somewhat more colorful, with many banners
  and gardens. But the atmosphere is one of a defensive,
  inward-looking people.
  Clothing: The climate of Sarnak is almost uniformly
  balmy, so that clothing’s only purposes are decoration
  and modesty.  Men are often shirtless, and the women
  usually wear a simple, functional tunic.  Silk toga-like
  garments are worn by the women at important festivals,
  political and cultural events. The
  Amazons keep their hair no
  longer than to their shoul-
  ders; many keep it trimmed
  very short or worn up.
  Military Structure: This se-
  curity-oriented society has a
  large and well-equipped
  standing army and navy.
  Women occupy all positions
  of authority, while men serve
  support functions. Men may
  not carry or learn any weapon
  besides the quarterstaff. There
  is an elite core of soldiers
  known as the Shaitan, skilled
  in many weapons as well as
  the arts of reconnaissance and
  sabotage. The woman who
  killed the Katra of Stroane
  was from this group.
  Currency: While a silver coin
  is minted, barter is often em-
  ployed.
  Language: A tongue called
  Arlak is spoken exclusively,
  which appears to have roots
  in Old Emer, but has changed
  radically.  The women are also
  taught Erlin. Most women
  have basic reading and writ-
  ing skills, but it is forbidden
  for men to learn reading and
  writing.
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  77
  Diet/Subsistence: Mixed Economies. Tubers, wheat breads
  and vegetables supplement a diet heavy in seafood and red
  meat.
  Worship: Atheistic,  the Sarnaki and consider all super-
  natural beings to be “magicians with overdeveloped egos.”
  9 • IZAR COASTAL TOWNS
  Currently, Falkenna is a satellite state of Sarnak while
  the other four are independent towns, each ruled by a
  lord. Most of the residents are Shay, except Baymar,
  whose population is mainly Jineri. All owe most of their
  wealth to the Scorpion Ridge, which provides miners with
  salt, iron, tin, copper, silver, gold, many precious and
  semi-precious gems…  and even Eogs and laen.
  FALKENNA
  Only recently the Count Dennik of Falkenna swore
  fealty to the Directorate of Sarnak. He is not thrilled at
  being lorded over by women, but his knights proved no
  match for the amazons.
  This spur of the Forbidden Ridge yields up diamonds
  and silver, enough to keep the Count well-off even after
  paying taxes to the Amazons. And not as glamorous but
  hardly less valuable is the salt mined from vast caves
  nearby.
  JANTANEN
  Huddled in a narrow valley at the foot of the Morbek
  Highlands, Jantanen is constantly under threat from
  Murlogi raiders by land and pirates by sea. However, the
  rich gold, emerald and Eog mines nearby make the perils
  worth while. Lord Iorn was killed a few years ago in a raid
  by the Goblins, but his widow, Lady Cinnamona, has
  proven a skilled leader and administrator.
  SLYK
  A growing town overseen by the ambitious Lord Rislian,
  Slyk trades in lumber from the surrounding forests and
  cut at their mill, as well as iron, tin, platinum and precious
  gems from the mines.
  The hills above Slyk are also the only known place in
  Emer where the rare lifegiving herb Saliva grows.
  FEN-JORL
  This town would be more wealthy if the insane Count
  Gilden didn’t squander his fortunes made on Eog and
  sapphires and amethyst on his sprawling and increasingly
  baroque castle. It is a spectacle easily seen from well off the
  coast and a source of resentment from the common
  people. Gilden’s son Raen is an ambitious teenage boy
  who might soon solve the problem…
  BAYMAR
  This fortified village overlooking the Fulla River enjoys
  a brisk trade with the Komari and Izar. The looming
  Scorpion Ridge is rich in a wide variety of minerals and
  wood which the Jiner Lord Halluan of Baymar trades with
  Komaren for finished goods.
  10 • KOMAREN CLUSTER
  Upon arrival at Aquitar, the capital city of Komaren,
  the uninformed first-time traveler will notice something
  unusual about the populace. It may take a moment to pin
  down this difference, but once it is realized it becomes
  obvious. First, in most of the city, there are almost no
  women to be seen anywhere in public. In many feudal
  societies this is not that strange, as women are usually
  relegated to domestic life—and on some societies they
  must either cover themselves completely or are forbidden
  to go out in public because it would be considered im-
  proper. However that is not the reason for the scarcity
  here; women are welcome to visit Komaren—though few
  would find reason to settle here.
  The next thing that a visitor will probably notice is that
  many of the men of Komaren exhibit uncharacteristic
  affection—for each other. Komaren is a realm which has
  become a haven for the sherikaan, (a somewhat deroga-
  tory Old Emer term for men who prefer the intimate
  company of other men). This orientation is accepted in a
  few cultures, ignored in many, and vigorously opposed in
  some—especially some very religious societies.
  This is not to say that all the men of Komaren are this
  way, but most at least have some such leanings. It has
  become a normal and accepted part of the culture and in
  fact is an integral part of the Blood Brethren, the elite
  Komari fighting force. Like many of the western islands,
  the Komaren Cluster was sparsely populated for millen-
  nia by Jineri, and then annexed by the Emerian Empire
  around SE 1400. The Komaren isles were a rich resource
  for woods, spices and seafood, as well as pearls and citrus
  fruits. Also, of course, the islands held a strategic location
  bridging the north and south of Emer.
  The Emperor even built a winter palace on the south-
  ern shore; Prince Terenis retired here for awhile to escape
  scrutiny at the Imperial court.
  Perhaps it began with Terenis; perhaps it was a coinci-
  dence that the Prince and his warrior lover Jaad came
  here, but over the years Komaren’s  reputation as a haven
  for  the Sherikaan has spread, attracting immigrants from
  all over the hemisphere.
  
  78
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  A pair of Blood Brethren show off helms, spears
  and a shield—trophies from their victory over
  the Vajaari
  pencil and watercolor, from the sketchbook
  ‘Peoples of Emer’ by Haldak Vatay
  NOTE TO VISITORS
  Entry to Aquitar costs 3 bp, plus cargo tariffs. Crime is
  minimal, corruption moderate.
  The Komari are for the most part an easy-going soci-
  ety, but the one thing they have no patience with is
  intolerance for their orientation. A disparaging word
  could get the offender banished.
  THE BLOOD BRETHREN
  The Brethren are composed of two-person teams who
  are mates  (usually male, though there is a contingent of
  females) who have sworn oaths to protect each other to
  the death. Many also have at least rudimentary Mentalist
  abilities and the two are telepathically linked. This ex-
  plains the legendary ferocity of these forces and their
  reputation for never surrendering. Other armies (espe-
  cially the Vajaari) regard the Brethren with a mixture of
  contempt and grudging respect.
  The Brethren serve either on Komari naval forces or on
  land as elite ‘special forces’ groups. Most are trained in a
  variety of weapons and unarmed combat. Some are skilled
  assassins while others are experienced in open warfare. All
  are among the best warriors on Emer.
  In terms of armor the Brethren usually wear leg and
  arm greaves of an unusual leather-like material. (Actually
  it is treated sharkskin: it becomes soft and spongy on one
  side—not unlike neoprene—and retains its tough
  abrasiveness on the outside; especially effective against
  slashes and punctures). Some also wear a reinforced
  sharkskin breastplate, though rarely do they don helms.
  For clothing they wear only a short red kilt and sturdy
  sandals. Part of their pre-battle ritual involves painting
  the partner’s face, arms and chest with runes in a bright
  red and blue body paint, giving each warrior a unique and
  fearsome appearance.
  One special group among the Brethren are sea war-
  riors. They may serve on ships, but their preferred mode
  of travel and attack is atop trained killer whales. A whale
  can easily carry both men great distances. These forces are
  also sometimes accompanied by loyal dolphin familiars.
  The link between man and sea-mammal is closer here
  than any about Emer, except perhaps for the Sea-elves of
  distant Onar.
  AQUITAR
  The capital of the Komaren Cluster is a large crescent-
  shaped city which curves around a bay of many docks.
  Komari architects faced a serious challenge when build-
  ing their city: the tides here are unusually severe, even
  for Kulthea. Waters rise and fall twenty feet or more
  every day. The solution: the entire city floats on large
  rafts, connected by bridge ramps which can pivot and
  tilt to accommodate the shifting altitude of the city
  raft-islands. Supporting the islands is a combination
  of bubblekelp and island trees.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: The Komaren citizenry is predomi-
  nantly a mixture of Jineri and Laan descent, plus a
  constant influx of Loar and Erlin Elves, Shay, Itanians,
  and just about every other race.
  Political Structure: A republic where all adults may vote
  to elect representatives to the Assembly. They in turn
  elect two Speakers, who share considerable power.  Resi-
  dence for 1 year is required for full voting citizenship;
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  79
  After one month newcomers may be granted provisional
  citizenship.
  Society and Culture: Komari culture is essentially unique,
  being a nation of immigrants, with few ‘families’ in the
  classic sense. However, they do tend to create their own
  type of family, either pairing or a group creating a com-
  munal household. Athletic games are a favorite pastime,
  as well as music and dance.
  Technology: TL 5. While superficially a simple culture,
  the Komari retain much of the knowledge and techniques
  of the Old Empire.
  Arts & Architecture: The Komari use a variety of beautiful
  tropical woods to create their low, sweeping architecture.
  Roofs are ornate, while solid walls are few. Instead they
  utilize moveable screens and roll-up shades for privacy,
  allowing cool breezes to flow through the building. The
  only structures built primarily of stone are governmental
  or civic, but these show skill with stonework and mastery
  of the arch and buttress. Every town has at least one
  theater, as the Komari enjoy performance arts of every
  kind.
  Clothing: The balmy climate of the isles mean clothing is
  primarily for decoration or modesty. Men usually wear a
  short belted tunic or just a kilt; women a similar, longer
  tunic. All wear simple leather sandals or barefoot. Jewelry
  is usually minimal: either sex may wear a ring, pendant or
  earrings; little more. Most men wear their hair very short—
  even shaved around the ears.
  Military Structure: The most famous (or infamous) of the
  Komari forces are the Blood Brethren, skilled warriors who
  operate in pairs. In addition the government has a sizable
  standing army and navy, always wary of Vajaar to the
  south.
  Currency: They do not mint their own coins, accepting
  any standard weight currency.
  Language:  Erlin is the primary language, though many
  continue to speak a dialect of Old Emer.
  Diet/Subsistence: Mixed Economies/Fisherfolk.  Seafood,
  grains and a wide variety of vegetables are staples. Komari
  culinary skills are widely renowned.
  Worship:  Most Komari are atheistic, though some follow
  the Lords of Orhan who accept them: Jaysek and Kieron.
  11 • TON-BOR
  Within the southern region of the Mountains of Gold
  lies one of the few Dwarven enclaves remaining on Kulthea.
  Others on Emer are rumored to be in the Spine of Emer
  and the Crystal Cliffs far to the east.
  Little has been said about Dwarves in the Shadow
  World before; they are a race unusually isolated both
  culturally and genetically. Legends among men that the
  Dwarves came from stone are just that: legends. However,
  they differ from men and other races in many ways. They
  are resilient and resistant to heat, but cold makes them
  sluggish. They are able to ‘hibernate’ if necessary for
  months or even years in a state of deep sleep.
  Stocky and hirsute, almost all Dwarven men grow
  thick beards. They have tough skin but deft hands, and it
  is true that many are skilled craftsmen. Dwarves can see
  after a fashion even in the darkest cave, but bright sunlight
  bothers them.
  Some men claim that Dwarves have no soul, but
  Dwarves tend to be the most fervently religious of races.
  All revere the Lord of Orhan Iorak, but each clan also has
  a local patron deity.
  Dwarves are ruthless warriors with a special hatred for
  the Murlogi and all demons.
  TRADE
  The Dwarves of Ton-Bor trade almost exclusively with
  Bentara to the south (and, secretly, the Dyari of Skystone),
  though sometimes they will deal with Chelzaria.
  RESOURCES/EXPORTS
  The Mountains of Gold yield up a wide variety of ores,
  and the Dwarves are masters of smelting and alloys. They
  even have mastered the working of Eogs. Their
  weaponsmiths have no equal except among the most
  skilled High-elves. Dwarven metalwork usually bears a
  forceful, utilitarian style.
  IMPORTS
  Unusual foodstuffs, cotton, wool, ale, leather and woods
  are constantly in demand in Ton-Bor.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: Dwarves of the Gold-root clan differ from
  the other clans in that they tend to be somewhat taller,
  with lighter hair and beards.
  Political Structure: Ton-Bor is a Patrilineal Monarchy.
  King Valtor III has been ruler for 35 years.
  Technology: TL 5. Dwarves share a love of mechanical
  devices with the Loari and Dyari Elves, and while they
  tend towards a more functionality-oriented approach to
  design, their works have a certain practical elegance.
  Arts & Architecture Vast underground halls decorated by
  ornate carving and sculpture mark the grand style of the
  Dwarves.
  
  80
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Clothing: Wool with leather trim is the usual garb, pants
  and tunic with heavy boots for both sexes. Dwarves like to
  dye their fabric bright colors.
  Military Structure: Ton-Bor is guarded by a large garrison
  of well-equipped warriors.
  Currency: Dwarves mint a full range of coins, all with
  detailed stamped designs
  Language: All speak Tonic, the guttural Dwarven tongue
  which they teach no outsider. Most of Gold-root clan also
  know some Shay and a smattering of Erlin.
  Diet/Subsistence: Mixed Economies.  Roots, tubers and
  mushrooms are supplemented by imported vegetables
  and meats. Dwarves are also big ale and beer drinkers.
  Worship:  Iorak is revered especially by smiths, but the
  local god Torgon is widely worshipped as the patron god
  of Ton-Bor.
  12 • SKYSTONE CITY
  In the Mountains of Gold, what began as a precious
  metal mine long ago has grown into a grand, mostly
  subterranean city. Ruled by an elite class made up entirely
  of Dyari Elves, this hidden metropolis is unknown except
  to a very few outside the city. Actually, the city is much
  older even that its Dyari inhabitants. The four roads and
  main halls date to well into the Interregnum. Just who
  built these massive tunnels and what happened to them is
  a mystery.
  THE UPPER CITY
  High up in a narrow mountain valley stands a small
  cluster of white stone towers surrounded by a few terraced
  fields and gardens. This is the tip of the iceberg which is
  Skystone City; long winding stairs lead down into the
  main city deep below. Watchmen stand guard at the
  towers while others cultivate the land. Trained falcons
  also watch the perimeter by day, and large bats guard by
  night.
  The Southern Light of Izar, looking south along the Scorpion Ridge
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  81
  THE GREAT HALLS
  The main city is based upon a cruciform, four great
  underground roads extending almost a mile to the north-
  east, northwest, southwest and southeast, each ending in
  a great gate. These identical gates, actually massive iron
  doors fifty feet high and wide, set on sliding tracks, can be
  closed to seal the road.
  To the southwest the road leads under the mountains
  almost a hundred miles to the Dwarven city of Ton-Bor.
  Northwest it leads 30 miles to a huge grotto opening onto
  the sea. Here the Dyari have built a small fleet. Northeast
  the doors have been sealed—they lead down to a maze of
  caves and an area of the old city that has been taken over
  by a Lugrôki colony. Southeast the road opens into a deep,
  narrow valley. Chambers near this secret entrance serve as
  stables for the Gemsting steeds.
  THE UNDER CITY
  Many levels extend below the road level, deep under
  the roots of the mountains. At the lowest point they join
  with the Ash Lairs and connect to Deep Gates. It is here
  that the Dyari inadvertently released an Ordainer, who
  caused great damage before finally being driven out.
  TRADE
  Only the Dwarves know of the secret city, and because
  of this they are the Dark Elves’ largest trading partner. A
  few agents also carry small items by land, and the Dyari
  have a fleet which travels to nearby ports, but for the most
  part they depend on Ton-Bor. One might expect the
  Dwarven-people to take some financial advantage of this,
  but they value fairness, to the Dyari advantage. They also
  prize the fine jewelwork and magical devices which the
  Dark Elves are far superior at producing. And the Dyari
  can work laen, a skill even the Dwarves have yet to master.
  DEFENSE
  The Dyari jealously guard the Obsidian Vale—the
  narrow valley which shelters the entrance to their secret
  metropolis. In addition to Gemsting patrols there are
  several lookouts carved into the black rock flanking the
  valley. Intruders who are in danger of discovering the
  entrance are either killed or captured and made into slaves
  to work the deep mines.
  A force of warriors ride Gemstings—huge scorpions
  10-14 feet long. The riders sit in a saddle on the back, and
  the scorpion’s stinger arches over his head.
  CULTURAL SUMMARY
  Racial Origins: As with all Dyari, they are an offshoot of
  the Loari tribes from long ago.
  Political Structure: A monarchy in which the eldest child
  of either sex inherits the throne. The current king of
  Skystone is Valdemarion Amaroth, who has ruled for over
  five hundred years.
  Society and Culture: A rigid caste system based partially
  on race is the rule here. Dyari are either nobles, priests or
  artisans. Other races live in the city: humans and other
  Elven tribes are all laborers, little more than slaves who
  mine or farm or are domestic servants. Many have tried to
  escape Skystone; none have succeeded.
  Technology: TL 5-6. The Dyari are masters of mechanical
  and magical devices, adept at making springs and tiny
  gears. They are also among the few who have knowledge
  of the working of Læn
  Arts & Architecture The Dyari architectural style tends
  toward smooth, stepped surfaces, sometimes with many
  One of the curving avenues of Izar
  Etching by  Dendenien of Orian
  
  82
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  angles. For ornamentation they utilize geometric patterns
  and blocky muscular sculpture. Music is not very com-
  mon—though the Dark Elves do sometimes employ a
  variety of percussion instruments. In the realm of perfor-
  mance art, poetry and drama is extremely popular, for the
  latter they prefer lengthy plays with elaborate, intertwin-
  ing plots, often ending in ironic tragedy.
  Clothing: The Dyari like deep reds and blues, and espe-
  cially black. Many wear wool garments trimmed with
  black leather and silver clasps, sometimes with red or
  purple accents. Leather is always in demand in Skystone,
  as is cotton and silk. Social events are frequent and cloth-
  ing is a status symbol. They also like to wear their hair in
  a highly stylized fashion, braided or curled, sometimes
  woven with ribbons or metallic threads.
  Military Structure: Besides the city guard, all adult Dyari
  are trained with weapons. All others are forbidden any
  kind of weapon for fear of uprisings.
  Currency: Skystone does not mint its own coins but uses
  Kaitaine, Danarchis or Izar currency.
  Language:  All speak Dyari and Erlin, most also know
  some dialects of Old Emer and Shay.
  Diet/Subsistence: Mixed Economies. Besides a wide vari-
  ety of vegetables and fruits from their gardens above, the
  Dyari enjoy red meat, breads, and dairy products. Their
  foods tend to be spicy as well. Dyari of Skystone  have an
  unending thirst for Námar-Tol wines, also peppers and
  spices from the western isles.
  Worship: Andaras, Moralis and Scalu each have a follow-
  ing here, though most Sorcerers and Astrologers worship
  at the altars of  Kesh’ta’kai.
  13 • PORT OF IZAR
  Located at the tip of the northern peninsula guarding
  the entrance to the bay of Izar, this independent city-state
  has been growing steadily in wealth and size for many
  years. The Lord Mayor of Izar has become little more than
  a figurehead, while real power rests with the Council of
  Guilds. In addition to being located at a key location for
  trade, Izar has become a center for skilled craftsmen. The
  city’s gracefully curving walls protect her vast wealth and
  teeming population within. Izar’s circular port is always
  bustling with ships.
  NOTE TO VISITORS
  A truly cosmopolitan city, Izar is home to representa-
  tives virtually every race on Emer and beyond. It is a
  bustling trade center and source for goods of all kinds.
  Entry costs 5 bp, crime (mostly robbery and petty
  theft) and corruption (mostly bribery) are moderate.
  THE LIGHTS OF IZAR
  These monstrous twin lighthouses were constructed
  by Aldaron during the heyday of the Emerian Empire
  thousands of years ago, but have been maintained in fairly
  good condition. Each tower is of stone, and almost five
  hundred feet tall; the method of their construction has
  been lost; how such tall slender towers can stand in the
  face of storms and earthquakes is a mystery many present-
  day architects would love to unravel.
  Each tower is topped by a small chamber surrounded
  by glass. In the chamber is an enchanted crystal which
  glows with a powerful light. The southern one glows blue-
  violet while the northern one glows amber.
  14 • INDEPENDENT ISLANDS
  There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of islands
  scattered along the northwest coast of Hæstra; no one has
  mapped them all. Most of these are in fact little more than
  fragments of reef, or lifeless outcroppings of volcanic
  rock. New islands are constantly rising out of the sea and
  others vanishing, the result of underwater volcanism.
  THE BARRIER ISLES
  Extending in a great arc west from Danarchis, this
  string of isles and atolls divides the Forbidden Sea on the
  north from the Sea of Gold to the south. The Barriers
  extend thousands of miles further north almost as far as
  the Mur Fostisyr. Few of these are habitable, however,
  being either coral rings or dark jagged spires, steep towers
  of stone jutting out of  the sea. A few have vegetation
  clinging to their flanks, but they are also surrounded by
  treacherous reefs and sand bars lurking just below the
  surface of the water. Beyond this narrow strip of shallows,
  the ocean depth on either side of the ridge plunges swiftly
  to many hundreds of leagues.
  The Barrier isles would appear to be an ideal vehicle for
  one of the legendary Coral Roads, and indeed an ancient
  avenue travels beneath this string of barren islands. The
  southern entry is hidden beneath a rocky outcropping on
  the coast of Danarchis. The road splits far to the north, one
  fork heading east to Mulira and the other continuing
  north under the ice to the polar regions.
  THE ISLE OF FIRE
  A single island about 20 miles off the Hæstra coast, the
  Isle of Fire is the domain of the Lord High Priest of Zanar.
  His palace is perched high on a bluff near the southern end
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  83
  of the island, and protected by many guards and magical
  wards.
  GM Note: more on the Isle of Fire will be revealed in
  later books.
  BARELLIS ISLAND
  North of Komaren and southeast of the mountainous
  semicircular isle of Thesmoq, Barellis is  fairly large—
  nearly 400 miles north to south.
  The earliest residents of Barellis were the Jineri people
  (see Thesmoq below), and it was inhabited as well during
  the Emerian Empire. However, the Governor did not
  depart when the Empire abandoned the isle, instead nam-
  ing himself Prince of Barellis. There was large Laan popu-
  lation on Barellis, and over the centuries they have inter-
  mingled with the Jineri. The Princedom has survived to
  the current day, though it has evolved into a government
  with relatively powerful regional lords. Barellis has a small
  but respectable fleet, kept alert by constant harassment
  from Shinh pirates.
  Barellis has trade relations with Komaren, Danarchis,
  Kaitaine, Izar and Sarnak, and even Sel-kai skyships are
  known to visit the sheltered Barellian coves. Especially
  popular exports are pepper, cinnamon, and other spices.
  Extending from the southern tip of Barellis is the upper
  arm of the Nivean Atolls, which separate the Sea of Gold on
  the east and the Narrowing Bay from the Lonely Sea to the
  southwest. While few know it, there is an entrance to the
  Coral Road at the very tip of Barellis. One avenue rises
  above the sea to  the west and Agyra (and provides a way
  towards the risen land of Tarania), while another pro-
  ceeds under water east to Emer. The Emerian exit is near
  the southern finger of land guarding the Bay of Izar.
  RASHELLE ISLANDS
  Just north and east of Barellis, the Rashelles are a
  cluster of  islands long ago separated from the influence of
  the Emerian Empire. The population is entirely Jineri,
  scattered throughout the lush jungles in small arboreal
  tribes. Most of the Rashelle islands are wilderness; one
  would not call it civilized. Cymonum is little more than a
  large fishing village.
  The Rashelles—especially the main island—are home
  to several potent and rare herbs, most related to the
  nervous system and magic. Rud-tekma, Gort, and Zapic
  can be found here, as well as Sek (relieves coma) and Efrid
  (massive nerve regeneration). Adventurous herb seekers
  often come here, but some do not return, victims of the
  Cult of the Python.
  CULT OF THE PYTHON
  Controlling the villages over the southern part of the
  island, this cult has existed for thousands of years. Deep in
  the jungle is a sprawling temple complex devoted to
  worship of the snake-god (Akalatan). There is one high-
  priest and a hierarchy of lesser warrior-priests under him;
  they are political as well as religious leaders who wield
  total authority.
  Along much of the southern coast are scattered stone
  totems: pillars carved to resemble writhing snakes, with
  the top a huge snake head facing outward: a warning to
  intruders. Many have ignored these warnings and paid the
  price. Intruders are quickly captured and brought before
  the Priests of the Python. Some are killed, some kept as
  slaves. Others—particularly young men and women—
  are held prisoner until the next Incarnation Night (every
  New Orhan). There they become the subjects of a bizarre
  and perverse ritual involving the priests and priest-ini-
  tiates and summoning of the Procreator demons.
  TEUSILYA
  This tiny isle rests halfway between the westernmost of
  the Rashelles and the Thesmoq Domain, but is an inde-
  pendent realm. It is the home of Lord Agonar, a half-elven
  lord who divides his residence between here and Sel-kai.
  Agonar’s origins are shrouded in the past, but he has
  controlled Teusilya since the days of the Emerian Empire,
  when he used his powers to cloak the island from Imperial
  explorers.
  Somewhat of an inventor, the lord has a large work-
  shop and a metals forge, where he and his assistants create
  all manner of mechanical contrivances.
  Aside from a small manor house and outbuildings, and
  some cultivated land, the island is mostly covered in
  forest. However, Rashellians will tell you that Teusilya  is
  protected by many guardians conventional and magical.
  SHINH ARCHIPELAGO
  The scattering of isles, reefs and atolls extending be-
  yond the Komaren Cluster and separated from the Ko-
  mari by treacherous reefs, Shinh is known only as a group
  of isles and atolls inhabited by wild beasts and pirates.
  THESMOQ DOMAIN
  Those who study astronomical phenomena and effects
  on Kulthea would immediately point to the island of
  Thesmoq as the result of a meteor impact millions of years
  ago. The land mass is a mountainous semicircle around a
  tiny steep isle. While the remainder of the circle is not
  obvious on a map, it is still there lurking just below the
  waves.
  
  84
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Thesmoq was first colonized by immigrants from the
  Mulirian continent probably during the Second Era. They
  resemble the Y’nari race in many ways, though taller and
  more slender with darker skin; some also display Elven
  racial features such as arching eyebrows and slightly
  pointed ears. Loremasters refer to this race as Jineri. The
  island came under the control of the Emerian Empire
  during the early Third Era, an Imperial Governor and
  occupying force nevertheless having little effect on the
  internal tribal government.
  The fall of the Empire and departure of the governor
  and  his  entourage had even less immediate effect, though
  several hundred years of isolation have caused a break-
  down of central authority on Thesmoq. Currently the
  island is said to be ruled by a collection of independent
  lords, though few specifics are known. Protected by a
  combination of  Essence barriers and encircling reefs, they
  remain relatively isolated from surrounding lands. How-
  ever, the Alliance knows of Thesmoq and its many valu-
  able resources, and they have already begun their program
  to bring Thesmoq within the fold.
  The mild climate and mountainous terrain combine to
  create a beautiful land with rainforests on the mountains
  and warm black beaches, especially on the interior of the
  old crater facing the Thesmian Bay. Out of the center of
  the bay juts a small island which the Thesmoq people
  name Aeoni. It is uninhabited, though the residents know
  of its existence. The sides are sheer rock and landing is
  nearly impossible, except at a tiny cleft in the rock on the
  western side where a hidden platform allows access to a
  winding stair. Upon the summit is an ancient temple,
  dating to the Second Era.
  REALMS NPCS
  This chart is designed mainly to aid the GM in creating encounters with ‘normal’ locals in Hæstra. Most are the type of NPC the players are likely to
  run in to or wish to contact. Very brief biographical information is also provided; the GM should feel free to expand this if desired to further ‘flesh out’
  the NPC. GMs could also ‘move’ these NPCs to a similar locale to fit in with the movements of the PCs.
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  BODLEA
  Betram of Carlsdale
  6
  74
  1(20)
  Y
  N
  60ss
  35 short bow
  10
  Talath Shaman (Animist). Age:36 Sex: M Eyes: blue Hair: blond Build: stocky Height: 6´2˝ Items: Amulet, x2 PP  Spells: 3 Animist Base lists to 10th
  Profile: Curious, friendly. Unusually knowledgeable about ruins around Bodlea. Will trade info and (minor) healing herbs in return for interesting
  information.
  Reana of Millsdale
  4
  36
  1(5)
  N
  N
  31 dagger
  50 longbow
  0
  Talath Fighter Age: 32 Sex: F Eyes: blue Hair: blonde, long Build: full figure; strong Height: 5´11˝ Profile: A farmer and skilled potter, Reana is
  raising her son and daughter alone. Her husband Teris vanished 2 years ago; it is suspected he was killed by Lugrôks or wolves. She has been granted
  freedom to marry again by the elders but has no desire to.
  DANARCHIS
  Varta Benerius
  5
  81
  9(40)
  Y
  Y
  86 broadsword
  65 shortsword
  10
  Laan Rogue Age: 26 Sex: F Eyes: blue Hair: black (ponytail) Build: slender/strong Height: 6´1˝ Items: black custom leather breastplate/greaves +10,
  stainless steel sword, +10. Profile: First mate aboard the trade ship Northern Zephyr (which also carries passengers in moderate comfort), she is a
  strong-willed woman loyal to her crew and captain; knowledgeable about the Sel-kai—Kaitaine trade route. Often seen at the Shady Vineyard, a tavern
  in Artha. Navigation, Weather Watch, Sailing, others +60
  Antonus Pergulis
  8
  69
  1(30)
  (Y)
  N
  65 dagger
  90 Firebolt
  10
  Laan Mystic (gem merchant) Age: 34 Sex: M Eyes: dark blue Hair: black (neck length) Build: lean Height: 6´7˝ Spells: All Mystic base to 10th,
  Invisible Ways, others Items: Spectacles of seeing: allow him to attempt to see through illusion as 30th lvl; bracelet, leather with silver clasp, +4 PP for
  Mystics; silver/amethyst ring. Profile: Member of the Amethyst League he reports on any strange activities or people.
  STROANE
  Toron Baalik
  3
  41
  13 (30)
  Y
  N
  72 short sword
  55 spear
  5
  Shay Fighter (deserting officer) Age: 24 Sex: M Eyes: brown Hair: brown Build: lean Height:  5´9˝   Profile: Hiding out in the countryside doing odd
  jobs for farmers, Toron does not wish to turn to a life of crime; one of the few of the hundreds who have abandoned the Sarnak army to make such a
  choice.
  Marek Imaren
  2
  34
  1(15)
  Y
  N
  48 broadsword
  15 short bow
  10
  Shay Rogue Age: 19 Sex: M Eyes: Hazel Hair: light brown/short Build: very muscular Height: 5´8˝ Items: a +5 steel broadsword with a green laen
  orb in the pommel (his pride and joy). He does not realize that the sword is magic and Of Slaying Undead. Profile: A page in Sarnak Castle by day,
  Marek works as a busboy in the Gilded Goblet tavern most nights. The remainder of his spare time is spent practicing with the sword and building his
  body. Marek is bright and knows many secrets of the Castle, from political intrigues to hidden passageways. He is looking for a way out of his dull life...
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  85
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  MIIR
  Serena, Priestess of Mynistra.
  5
  33
  1(5)
  N
  N
  45 quarterstaff
  +25 Shockbolt
  5
  Shay Cleric Age: 28 Sex: F Eyes: brown Hair: brown Build: slight Height: 5´6˝Spells: 4 base Cleric to 10th, 2 Closed, 2 Open lists Items: Tiara of
  Mynistra, +3 spells. Profile: A young priestess serving in the city temple at Orian, she sees many different travellers in need of healing—and hears
  many things. She is a notorious gossip, though not in a harmful way.
  Borno Vey, Prospector
  3
  29
  1(0)
  N
  N
  48 Short sword
  27 dagger
  5
  Shay Fighter Age: 52 Sex: M Eyes: brown Hair: grey; grey beard Build: average Height:  5´11˝ Items: Headband, casts Directed Light 1x per day.
  Profile: Makes a marginal living on ore he finds in the Gold Mountains, spending most on cheap wine at inn along the foothills. He has seen the Dyari
  Gemsting riders, but everyone in the locals towns he haunts think he must have been drunk.
  VORNIA
  Marto the Barkeep
  5
  41
  1(0)
  N
  N
  45 dagger
  —
  0
   Shay Rogue Age: 28 Sex: M Eyes: brown Hair: red-brown Build: stocky Height: 5´ 8˝ Profile: Owner of The Bursting Barrel in Bentara, Marto is
  easily the prime source of local news and gossip. With his wife and four children he runs a respectable tavern and inn. Most skills in cooking and
  related fields.
  Lady Skella Fenton
  7
  47
  1(5)
  N
  N
  —
  —
  0
  Laan Scribe Age: 48 Sex: F Eyes: blue Hair: black  Build: average Height:  5´9˝ Profile: A woman of minor nobility, Fenton resides at Dynax, but has
  made journeys to the Libary of Shrynaar, and even the great Library of Nomikos. She is fascinated with the history of Hæstra and is writing a book on
  it. Many skills in research, languages.
  SARNAK
  Velta ka Norno
  9
  94
  1(30)
  Y
  N
  88 broadsword
  105 long bow
  10
  Laan Fighter (Administrator) Age: 41 Sex: F Eyes: blue Hair: black/braids Build: slender Height:  5´10˝   Items: +10 steel sword Profile: Assistant
  Minister of Trade, she has many skills related to diplomacy and administration, (assume >+50 in each)
  Ketarian na Kono
  3
  43
  1(35)
  Y
  N
  65 short sword
  54 spear
  15
   Thesian Fighter Age: 23 Sex: F Eyes: dark brown Hair: black Build: sinewy Height:  5´11˝  Profile: A Recent arrival at Sarnak, Ketarian is one of the
  many Thesians to have joined the Amazon realm lately. Her cocoa-colored skin is still very unusual on the Hæstra mainland, but Sarnak is one of the
  realms where all races are accepted. She is currently serving in the City Guard.
  PORT OF IZAR
  Kylen Marsto
  4
  43
  1(30)
  Y
  N
  65 scimitar
  55 light crossbow
  10
  Thesian Rogue (sailor) Age: 26 Sex: M Eyes: brown Hair: black/short/kinky Build: muscular Height: 6´2˝ Skills: assume >+50 in all sailing skills
  Items: Boots of sea-legs: +50 to all balance/moving maneuvers on a ship; Storm-ring: predicts storms up to 48 hours; also storm direction (wrong
  10% of the time) Profile: Currently employed aboard the trader Spindrift, he is a happy-go lucky young man in search of adventure. He is a skilled
  sailor and basically honest, but likes to party and frequents the port bars of Izar and Aquitar.
  Imaria, Sister of Eissa
  15
  63
  14(35)
  Y
  Y
  55 mace
  (Absolution)
  10
  Laan Cleric Age: 45 Sex: F Eyes: green Hair: blonde, long worn in a bun Build: slender Height:  5´9˝   Spells: Channels, Life Mastery to 20th; Blood/
  Bone/Nerve/Organ/Muscle Law to 20th; Concussion Ways to 20th.  Items: gold tiara, x4 PP for Clerics of Mynistra;  Profile: First Sister of Healing,
  Imaria is in charge of the clinic of the Mynistra temple at Izar. While a caring woman, she comes off as cool and a bit distant.
  THE KOMAREN CLUSTER
  Jak Legan
  7
  81
  14(30)
  Y (10)
  Y
  105 handaxe
  +91 net
  25
  Laan Ranger  Age: 28 Sex: M Eyes: blue Hair: black/very short Build: muscular Height: 6´4˝ Spells: Items: ‘sharksin’ armor, +10 steel handaxe,
  floating shield of scales Profile: ‘Blood Brother’ (i.e., mate) of Zeno (see below), the two are rarely separated and fight as a team. Recently returned
  from their crushing attack on Vajaar, they are stationed at Aquitar, and live in an apartment in the city. They are often on guard duty on the docks.
  Both are familiar with the coast, and have some knowledge of the islands. Might take laeve to serve as guides/guards.
  Zeno A’chai
  6
  90
  1(90)
  (Y) Y(arm) +90R4STR/+85R3S+T +100/50/50 Jata
  30
  Loar/Laan Warrior Monk  Age: 33 Sex: M Eyes: green Hair: black/short Build: muscular Height: 6´5˝ Items: Set of black alloy bracers: one is x3PP,
  other casts Shield spell 3x per day; +15 enchanted Jata† Profile: Changramai-trained, Blood-brother of Jak (see above).
  Raen Willow
  4
  38
  1(15)
  (Y)
  N
  45dagger
  35 Shockbolt
  15
  Jiner/Thesian Animist. Age: 20 Sex: M Eyes: dark brown Hair: black, curly/very short Build: medium Height: ?´?˝ Spells: Items: Profile: Found,
  barely a year old, washed up in a small covered boat on the shore of a western Komaren Isle, Raen was adopted by a family there. His right arm is
  malformed and underdeveloped, with his right hand merely a small thumb and two fused fingers. His adopted parents will never know if he had been
  abandoned by parents not wanting a deformed child, or if he had somehow been swept there by a storm. At any rate, he was accepted and nurtured—
  unusual in a world where there is little room for the crippled. His animistic talents were quickly recognized, and he hones them in his spare time. He
  works in the Dark Brew tavern (specializing in coffee beverages) in Aquitar.
  
  86
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  BARELLIS
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  Ursenda Nymar
  10
  98
  15(35)
  Y
  Y
  120 Scimitar
  90 dagger
  -5
  Laan Fighter (Knight)  Age: 34 Sex: F Eyes: grey Hair:black, very long  Build: slender Height:  6´1˝  Items: +10 magic scimitar Profile: Eldest
  daughter of Lord Keten Nymar, she is in charge of the perimeter guard. A tough, headstrong woman, she is determined to show she is fit to rule, rather
  than her conniving younger brother.
  Bentis Wratana
  5
  48
  1(30)
  Y
  Y (arm) 65 rapier
  45 dagger
  15
   Jiner Thief (Pirate) Age: 21 Sex: M Eyes: light brown Hair: black, short Build: slender Height:  6´4˝  Items: +15 long knife (strikes as rapier), boots
  of silence. Profile: Often seen in Nysellin (Barellis’ main town), he is actually associated with some pirates whose base is urther south along the coast.
  Bentis loiters about looking for potential targets.
  RASHELLES
  Denas
  3
  45
  1(10)
  N
  N
  +30 handaxe
  —
  15
  Jiner Fighter (Fisherman) Age: 36 Sex: M Eyes: brown Hair: black, long in braids Build: lean Height: 6´3˝  Spells: Items: Profile: Lives with his wife
  and three children in a small village of huts along the eastern coast of the main island. He is friendly but protective, and speaks a few words of Erlin. He
  knows where the Cult of the Serpent complex is.
  Soronomi
  6
  81
  1(35)
  Y
  N
  +85 handaxe
  +75 blowgun (poison)
  15
  Jiner Rogue (Python Guard) Age: 25 Sex: M Eyes: light brown Hair: black, short Build: lean/muscular Height:  6´3˝ Items: +10 steel handaxe,
  blowgun, armed with a level 3 poison which is delivered with any crit above “A”; RR failure means target at -30; second hit within one day means
  unconsciousness for 24 hours. Profile: One of the Guardians of the Python, he protects the temple and sometimes participates in raids to capture
  victims.
  Kyto vo Tamen
  12
  71
  1(40)
  (Y)
  N
  +65 dagger
  +35 Grip of the Python.
  10
  Jiner Priest (Sorcerer/Evil Mage) Age: 29 Sex: M Eyes: emerald green Hair: black, very short Build: lean Height:  6´5˝ Wears a loincloth and beautiful
  feathered mantle. For rituals is naked except for a falta-feather headdress.  Spells: Sorcerer Base Mind/Flesh/Soul Destruction to 10th, Evil Magician
  Dark Summons to 20th Items: Armlet in shape of snake, x3 PP enhancer for Sorcerer, casts Shield 3x/day; jade & silver pendant, adds 10 levels for
  demon control rolls; +10 obsidian dagger, used for sacrifice rituals. Profile: One of the Priests of the Python God (an incarnation of Klysus), Kyto
  participates in the perverse rituals of snake worship and summoning the Procreators. He is cruel and his lusts are insatiable. He can cast a fatal
  channeling: Grip of the Python. Target who fails RR is down and begins receiving Crush criticals every round, statrting with “B” and increasing,
  continuing to take “E” crits until dead. Kyto can stop the process at any time before death.
  EMERALD FOREST
  Jano
  7
  88
  3(30)
  N
  N
  +90broadsword
  +75net
  10
  Faun Bard Age: ? (looks ≈18) Sex: M Eyes: green Hair: curly red-brown Build: lean/muscular Height:  6´2˝  Spells: 4 Bard base to 10th, 1 Closed
  Essence to 5th, 1 Open Essence to 10th. Skills: Singing85 Dancing70, Seduction90. Items: +10  fighting net, +25 black wood broadsword with green
  laen edge. Profile: One of the elders among the Fauns of the Emerald forest (though to look at him you would never know it), Jano is hardly less
  playful and mischevious than in his youth many years ago. He is always on the lookout for attractive strangers to seduce (either sex, but they must
  have an AP or PR of 80 or above). Jano is usually naked or wears a loincloth.
  Lonni
  6
  58
  1(25)
  N
  N
  +72 rapier
  +58 comp bow
  20
  Half-Dryad Thief Age: ? (looks ≈25) Sex: F Eyes: green Hair: brown Build: slender Height:  5´1˝  Items: +15 beryllium knife (strikes as rapier), +5
  comp bow. Profile: Lonni is a member of the perimeter guard along the Emerald forest eves; she is wary of all outsiders. She wears a camoflage green
  tunic and pants. S&H90, Tracking87.
  Kel the Dryad
  90
  300
  4(200)
  (Y10)
  (Y)
  280 Flail
  340longbow
  80
  Animist Age: ? (Appears ≈ 16). Eyes: Brilliant Green. Hair: Red-brown. Build: Slender. Height:  5’10" (or 12'). Race/Sex: Godlike being/Male.  Skin: fair.
  Demeanor: Playful/mischievous..  Special Abilities: Large Creature Critical Table.  When 12' tall, resists as a Super-large creature. “Stun” result forces him
  to parry; “Stun No Parry” means he is stunned, but may parry.   Haste at will. Resists vs. all forms of magic (Mentalism, Essence, Channeling) equally,
  using his level to resist.  If he succeeds, there is no effect; Spirits never suffer any ‘partial effects’ from spells. Skill Bonuses: Climb240; Swim240; S&H180;
  Perc240; Chan240; Amb±15; AMov100 all; MASt180; MASw180; Acro240; Act120; AnTr90; Dance240; Diving90; Music180; Seduct240; Sing180; StarG90;
  Subdu200; Track240; Trick180; Tumb120. Spells: Base Spell OB is 90; Directed Spell OB is 180 (Water Bolt).  Kel knows all Animist and Druidic Base lists
  to 90th, all Channeling Open and Closed and Base Clerical Spell lists to 50th lvl. Quarterstaff: As +45 Flail and allows parry as many as six foes (inc.
  missiles and those behind) a round.  Longbow:  +45, it has 3x normal range and has no subtraction for intervening woods.  Arrows shot from it burst into
  green flame and should be considered Holy and  Of Slaying creatures of the Unlife and any Demons (they are not really on fire and will not hurt any flora).
  Amulet:   x6 PP enhancer for Channeling, glows in proximity to demons of the Void and the presence of the Unlife.
  Enchanted Oak
  120
  1000
  20(200)
  (Y)
  (Y)
  120HBa (4x)
  150LGr
  none
  Defends as a Super-Large Creature. It is intelligent and can speak mentally to Kel or the Forest People.  Knows the Animist Lists Plant Mastery, Animal
  Mastery and Nature’s Lore to 50th, except all ranges are to the perimeter of the Forest.   It controls the Warding Perimeter around the Forest, and also
  knows Warding Power and Warding Lore to 90th level.  If necessary, it can cause the entire forest to rise up in defense.
  Notes:
  * Indicates a Shield or Greave protection is due to magical garment, shield spells, etc.
  † A Jata is a unique three-bladed throwing weapon used by the Changramai monks. See Other Powers for more info.
  ‡ Only delivers second attack if a critical is delivered by first attack that round.
  L: Large Creature Critical hit table
  SL: Super Large critical hit table
  
  Part IV: Realms & Kingdoms
  87
  HÆSTRA MILITARY/CITIZENRY CHART
  Melee
  Missile
  Type/Rank
  Home/Race
  # encntrd
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Shield
  OB
  OB
  MovM
  DANARCHIS
  Ship Officer
  Laan
  3/ship
  8
  90
  10(10)
  N
  110rapier
  70dagger
  10
  Captain or first mate of defensive fleet or better traders.
  Ship Crewman
  Laan
  10-20/ship
  3
  45
  1(10)
  N
  65rapier
  30sb
  5
  Crew of defensive fleet or better traders. Also might be encountered in port.
  City Guard
  Laan
  varies*
  5
  70
  14(20)
  Y
  90bs
  —
  5
  In Artha or other large cities.
  BODLEA
  Dale Warrior
  Talath
  ≈10-30/Dale
  6
  110
  9(20)
  Y
  100ss
  80sb
  10
  Leather Breastplate, iron or low steel sword.
  Dale Levy
  Talath
  ≈50-200/Dale
  2
  50
  1(10)
  N
  35 varies
  20 varies
  15
  No uniform, they will fight with whatever is available; usually an axe or pitchfork in melee, rocks or a spear or sling for missile. A few have iron swords
  and short bows.
  CITY GUARD (LARGER CITIES, MIIR /VORNIA/STROANE)
  Guard Captain
  Laan
  varies*
  10
  110
  15(30)
  Y
  120bs
  90 light crossbow
  0
  Lieutenant
  Shay
  varies*
  5
  80
  9(30)
  Y
  90bs
  --
  0
  Guard
  Shay
  varies*
  2
  65
  1(30)
  Y
  55ss
  --
  5
  CONSTABULARY (SMALLER TOWNS)
  Constable
  Shay
  1
  6
  65
  1(10)
  N
  65 ss
  --
  -5
  Deputies
  Shay
  6-20
  1
  32
  1(0)
  N
  40 ss or club
  --
  0
  STROANE (N ADDITION TO GUARDS AS ABOVE)
  Military Captains
  Laan
  1
  10
  110
  15(30)
  Y
  120bs
  110cp
  15
  Green Surcoat, Gold helm. Shield is black with Stroane emblem.
  Military Soldiery
  Shay
  varies*
  1
  20
  6(20)
  Y
  40ss
  15sb
  Green Surcoat, Green helm. Shield is black with Stroane emblem.
  SKYSTONE CITY
  Patrol
  Dyari Elf
  2-6
  4
  56
  18(35)
  Y
  75falchion
  68lcb
  5
  Black alloy armor, Lightcrossbow with spring loading (fire every round), +5 steel falchion.
  Mounted patrol
  Dyari Elf
  2-6
  5
  90
  18(35)
  Y
  120whip
  100lcb
  20 (mtd)
  Black chitinous armor (made from gemsting), Lightcrossbow with spring loading (fire every round), +10 barbed whip
  Mount
  Gemsting
  2-6
  6
  140
  12(30)
  N
  60LPi(2x)/80LSt/poison
  20
  Giant scorpion with saddle and reins
  City Guard
  Dyari Elf
  1-20
  3
  44
  18(35)
  Y
  55falchion
  40lcb
  5
  Black alloy armor, Lightcrossbow with spring loading (fire every round), +5 steel falchion.
  TON-BOR
  City Guard
  Dwarf
  1-20
  3
  52
  15 (30)
  Y
  67 battle axe
  60 heavy cb
  0
  Only found inside the underground city, usually at entrances or important ares
  Patrol
  Dwarf
  2-3
  5
  71
  13 (30)
  Y
  90 battle axe
  85 heavy cb
  0
  Usually outside the city guarding the perimeter. +10 steel axe.
  TALAEN
  Better Warriors
  Erlini
  1-3
  10
  100
  1(50)
  Y
  120ss
  140lb
  30
  Forest Green tunic and breeches +15 Long Knife (ss table,puncture instead of Krush), +20 Long Bow.
  Warriors
  Erlini
  1-20
  4
  65
  1(40)
  Y
  80ss
  100lb
  25
  Forest Green tunic and breeches.  Long Knife (ss table,puncture instead of Krush), +10 Long Bow.
  EMERALD FOREST
  Better Warriors
  Nyph/Erlin(?)
  1-2
  10
  120
  3(60)
  N
  110 knife
  130lb
  30
  Long Knife (ss table,puncture instead of Krush).  Some have Animist/Druid spells.
  Common Warriors
  Nyph/Erlin(?)
  1-10
  5
  90
  3(50)
  N
  80 knife
  100lb
  20
  Long Knife (ss table,puncture instead of Krush).  Some have Animist/Druid spells.
  Fauns
  Faun
  1-4
  4
  90
  3(40)
  Y
  90bs
  70sb
  30
  Some have Bardic spells.
  Sentient Tree
  Tree
  2-10
  5
  200
  11
  N
  60LBa(3x)
  60LCr
  0
  Cannot move from rooted spot; act only when awakened by Great Oak.
  Kel and Great Oak—NPC Chart
  
  88
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  Melee
  Missile
  Type/Rank
  Home/Race
  # encntrd
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Shield
  OB
  OB
  MovM
  Sarnak
  Captains
  Shay/Laan (female)
  varies*
  6
  110
  17(40)
  Y5
  110bs
  60cp
  10
  Soldiery
  Shay/Laan (female)
  varies*
  2
  40
  13(30)
  Y
  50bs
  30cp
  5
  Men
  Shay/Laan (male)
  varies*
  1
  65
  1(10)
  N
  25qs
  —
  5
  KOMAREN CLUSTER
  Guard Officer
  Laan
  varies*
  10
  120
  1(30)
  Y10
  120bs
  100cp
  15
  Guard Soldier
  Laan
  varies*
  4
  80
  1(15)
  Y
  100bs
  70cp
  10
  Blood Bretheren Captain
  Laan
  varies*
  8
  120
  14(55)
  Y10
  140bs
  90hcb
  0
  Sharkskin armor, protects as +10 chain but encumbers as leather. +10 rustproof alloy broadsword
  Blood Bretheren Soldier
  Laan
  varies*
  4
  60
  14(55)
  Y10
  95bs
  50hcb
  0
  Sharkskin armor, protects as +10 chain but encumbers as leather. +10 rustproof alloy broadsword
  BARELLIS
  Knights
  Laan/Jiner
  varies*
  5
  75
  9(30)
  Y
  98 falchion
  85 bola
  10
  Patrol estates of the lords. Often on horseback
  Peasants
  Jiner/Shay
  varies*
  0
  8
  1(0)
  N
  5
  0
  0
  Inhabit the villages around the lords’ castles. Generally passive, but will fight with whatever is available; usually an axe or pitchfork in melee, rocks or
  sling for missile. A few have short bows.
  RASHELLES
  Warrior (family head)
  Jiner
  varies*
  2
  18
  1(10)
  N
  25 dagger
  35 short bow
  10
  Inhabit the native villages. Generally passive, but will fight if threatened.
  Python Warrior
  Jiner
  varies*
  6
  81
  1(35)
  Y
  +85 handaxe
  +75 blowgun/sp
  15
  Guardians of the Python,  protect the temple and sometimes participates in raids to capture victims. +10 steel handaxe, blowgun, armed with a level 3
  poison which is delivered with any crit above “A”; RR failure means target at -30; second hit within one day means unconsciousness for 24 hours.
  MURLOG
  Better Warriors
  Goblins
  1-4
  4
  70
  8(30
  Y
  75melee
  45missile
  5
  Usually encountered (always underground or at night) with lesser warriors below. They use weapons taken from their downed foes—sometimes steel
  or magic ones.
  Lesser Warriors
  Goblins
  2-20
  2
  35
  8(30)
  Y
  40melee
  20missile
  0
  Always encountered underground or at night. Weapons are usually crude bronze swords, clubs or spears.
  GARKS
  Warriors
  Gark
  1-10
  2
  55
  3(20)
  N
  40 melee
  20missile
  15
  Semi-human, apelike beings. Tribal, fight with club and rocks. Also can attack with their tail: 50Sgrapple.
  ASH LAIRS UNDER MTNS OF  GOLD
  Trogli Warrior
  Trogli
  1-100
  3
  65
  3(30)
  Y
  55 melee
  25 misile
  Trogli Captain
  Trogli
  1-2
  8
  110
  13(20)
  Y
  120 melee
  45 missile
  Troll Captain
  Mountain Troll
  1-4
  10
  250
  16(40)
  N
  120club
  100rock
  10
  Ordainer of Argaath
  Demon
  1
  60
  400
  20 (80)
  N
  200HBa/250HuCr; 300whip
  15
  Fire Law list to 20th, See Master Atlas 2nd Edition, or RM Creatures books for additional powers.
  KEY:
  • ‘varies*’ means that the number encountered will depend heavily on the situation. City guardss on patrol usually work in pairs; troops in larger
  numbers. Off-duty personnel could be encountered individually, or in groups of 2-6; some might be drunk or hostile depending on the PCs and their
  attitude.
  • Shields equal to 20 or 25 of DB. An * means that armor is magical or specially made.
  • Note defensive bonuses include Quickness and shield. Shield references include  quality bonuses (e.g. “Y5” means “yes, a +5 shield”).
  • Unless otherwise stated, mounted troops have fully effective OBs when fighting from mount.
  • Unless otherwise noted, the OB given for Martial Artists (abbr. ‘mar’) is for rank four. The letter folloing indicates skill in either strikes (stk) or
  sweeps and throws (swt).
  
  Part 5: Places of Interest
  89
  • PART V •
  PLACES OF INTEREST
  4 Fall, 5945 TEI
  We have arrived at the entrance to the Caves of Danaar, forty leagues from the town of Pellern
  near the birth of the Langasse river. If the opening is any indication, these caverns are overrated. Just
  a crack in the rocks up among the foothills; I would never have seen it. I think Lord Kalariak only
  found it again because of the peculiar formation nearby—an archway of stone perhaps fifty feet tall,
  apparently natural in origin. We’ll camp outside tonight before entering the caverns. I continue to
  have doubts about the Lord’s expectation of finding one of the caches of the legendary Earth Wardens
  here.
  6 Fall, 5945 TEI
  I must admit that indeed the entrance was deceiving: already I have seen wonders like none
  before in all my years of exploring beneath the surface of the earth. Pillars of crystal, luminous plants
  and shimmering lakes. Here and there are signs of ancient habitation as well…
  26 Fall, 5945 TEI
  We have been wandering through these caves for days, going ever deeper. Our food and water
  supplies are running low; the last underground river was four days ago—if that contraption of a
  clock can be trusted, since there is no night or day here. I fear that we have lost our way, even the
  Dwarven guide Gerenn seems at a loss…
  28 Fall, 5945 TEI
  All are nearing exhaustion. Kalariak foolishly decided to go forward after point of no return.
  Temperature seems to be rising… Desperately need water…
  
  90
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  29 Fall, 5945 TEI
  Just when all hope seemed lost, we stumbled upon a cavern lit by glowing moss, revealing a vast
  underwater lake. We drank out fill and rested, feasting on the delicious blue berries which grow here
  in the dim light. Now we continue on, Gerenn having found a new tunnel. The warmth here is
  strange, and there are peculiar smells.
  (no date entry)
  No time… Huge cave, fires, sulfur. A city, black towers… tombs with incredible treasures, gems.
  Possibly city of Earth Wardens. Attacked by hideous creatures from below… gates to the Ash lairs…
  Gerenn dead, others wounded… no way out…
  From the Notebook of Anulis Batanadies,
  Kalariak Expedition
  (book was found, edges burned, at the mouth of the Langasse River)
  While one might think that the severe weather and geologic contortions of the Shadow World
  would cause any physical creations of previous civilizations to be quickly lost, the Essænce some-
  times acts in strange ways. The lands of Kulthea are scattered with haunting reminders that the
  world has been home to many peoples before the present tenants.
  While surviving evidence of the Lords of Essænce is extremely rare, the few remaining instal-
  lations are especially priceless—and perilous. The Lords had a mastery of magic and technology,
  and between these powers they created ways to preserve their secret hideaways even through the
  millennia since they ruled this section of the galaxy.
  More common are ruins of civilizations which rose and fell during the Second Era and earlier
  in this, the  Third Era of Ire. A few reminders even survive from the time vaguely referred to by
  Loremasters as the Interregnum. This was the period between the destruction of the K’ta’viir
  Empire and the founding of the College of Loremasters (the date considered to be the first year
  of the Second Era of Ire), a period of as much as 100,000 years. While the Loremasters would like
  to take credit for single-handedly returning civilization to Kulthea, in fact many cultures rose and
  fell during that vast span of time. Legacies of a few of those peoples have endured, to awe and
  mystify scholars and adventurers.
  1 • THE CORAL ROAD
  A vast network of avenues linking the continents, the
  Coral Road was at first attributed to the Lords of Essænce,
  but was in fact built some time during the Interregnum,
  before the Second Era. It was designed as a safe method of
  travel between continents when the seas were even more
  perilous, and frequent flowstorms made magical travel
  almost impossible.
  Few have heard of the Coral Road, and fewer still have
  walked any of its winding ways, but many of the routes
  survive even today.
  The road is sometimes under the water, following coral
  reefs; at other times it is above the waves connecting
  strings of atolls. Once the entrances to the roads were
  grand gates, but most have been sealed or destroyed. A few
  were hidden and locked with powerful spells. The Lore-
  masters and Navigators know a handful of these secret
  ways, but most are lost. A complete map of the Coral
  Roads would be priceless; even a partial one highly prized.
  The roads are wondrous works of craftsmanship united
  with the natural growth of coral. Often the tunnels and
  passages have crystal windows cut in them, affording
  
  Part 5: Places of Interest
  91
  vistas of storm-tossed seas above, and tranquil views of
  swimming fish in the waters below.
  Written records of events before SE 1 are notoriously
  rare and unreliable, but evidence suggests that most of this
  network was constructed/grown sometime between
  -10,000 and -5000 SE, by a group known as the Earth
  Wardens. Probably Elven in nature, their influence is
  implied by these and other works all across the hemi-
  sphere.
  CORAL ROAD ENTRIES
  Entrances to the Coral Road vary tremendously in
  design, though virtually all are now cleverly concealed to
  appear as natural formations. They are either very near a
  coast or even located just offshore on a small island, the
  actual door hidden by magic and skillful workmanship.
  Difficulty in finding the door varies with each entrance,
  but discovering one by chance is very unlikely.
  The Navigators and Loremasters know of a few dozen
  coral road entries; undoubtedly many more still lie undis-
  covered.
  DANARCHIS CORAL ROAD ENTRY
  A rocky pinnacle rises out of the sea just off the
  northwestern tip of Danarchis, one of dozens of such
  islands. This one is distinct only because of an ancient
  granite archway on the coast facing the isle—a symbolic
  door. Three hundred feet of shallow water separate the
  coast from the isle, and there, fifty feet up the sheer rock
  face in a niche in the side, Very Hard to locate, is a secret
  door. Pressing a nearby stone (seemingly a cluster of
  quartz) triggers a counterbalance to swing the great stone
  door inward. A wide stair spirals 100´ down and opens
  onto the coral passageway. A vaulted corridor about 20´
  high and wide, it curves westward beneath the sea. One
  branch heads north where it opens at the Mur Fostisyr,
  and continues to the north pole. Another branch dives
  deep beneath the ocean to rise again at the Thesmoq
  Domain, underneath a tiny sacred isle. It sweeps further
  west before joining the road which lies along the reefs
  extending from the Komaren entry.
  KOMAREN CORAL ROAD ENTRY
  On the southern coast of the main island there are
  many rocky outcroppings. One of these conceals a spiral
  stair down to the domed antechamber. The road heads
  west and joins the road from Thesmoq before continuing
  to a small outcrop near the risen land of Tarania.
  THESMOQ CORAL ROAD ENTRY
  In the center of the Thesmian Bay lies the tiny island of
  Aeoni, crowned by an ancient temple from the Second
  Era. But the temple conceals an even more ancient secret:
  a Coral Road entry.
  2 • ASH LAIRS & DEEP GATES
  Far beneath the surface of the Shadow World, flows of
  water and magma have carved vast mazes of tunnels and
  caverns. Kulthea is a world riddled with secret caves, and
  the darkest of these are the Ash Lairs.
  ASH LAIRS
  Even the Loremasters know little of this underworld—
  it remains largely unexplored. However, it is the home to
  many creatures and beings: demonic refugees from other
  planes, hideous spawn of inter-species matings, and other
  things unthinkable. Wild tales of this realm tell of every-
  thing from maze-like tunnels to huge caverns enclosing
  entire cities. Demons of the Essænce and those of the
  Fourth through Sixth Pales in particular make their homes
  here.
  Even the Trogli rarely venture into these depths, though
  Goblins, Trolls and Lugrôki find their way into the lairs—
  whether by plan or misfortune—inevitably to become
  subjugated by the demonic residents. Cave Worms and
  similar beasts also dwell here.
  DEEP GATES
  Entrances to the Ash Lairs are the Deep Gates, physical
  and magical doorways from the surface world to the lands
  below—and beyond. Fortunately for surface dwellers,
  these access ways are few and most are closed by en-
  chanted locks. However, take care when exploring a cav-
  ern, especially when the air turns from cool to an uncom-
  fortable warmth with a scent of sulfur…
  3 • VOTANIA
  This great mountainous isle near the center of Emer
  has always been a focus of power and mystery. The coast
  is a mix of fine sand and treacherous rocks guarding a
  narrow border of habitable ground. Soon, however, the
  steep flanks of the mountain rise at a seemingly impos-
  sible angle towards the summit, nearly three miles above
  the surface of the sea. No mortal has set foot on the
  uppermost peak of Votania in millennia—and returned
  to boast of it.
  ALDAIN RUINS
  At the northern tip of the island, Aldaron built a
  beautiful palace and the capital of his empire. Aldain was
  a metropolis of slender marble towers and colonnaded
  courtyards, with gardens and fountains everywhere. But
  
  92
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  that was thousands of years ago, and little remains of the
  city but tumbled walls and broken columns. the city was
  plundered soon after the fall, and has been looted many
  times over the ages, but it holds treasures still for those
  clever and determined enough to seek them out. It also has
  its own guardians… and some say it is haunted.
  FORGE COMPLEX RUINS
  Along the western shores lie the ruins of a vast  com-
  pound. This was the first home of the Ahn Sye Ni-Vulma,
  the Order of the White Flame. It was closed in TE 1555
  when the order moved to the Ahrenæk at the urging of A-
  kesh. This complex has also been the target of looters,
  though not as much so as Aldain City. Many of the
  facilities are underground and hidden, and some have yet
  to be reached by robbers. They are equipped with many
  protections, however, so seekers of wealth should beware.
  THE AHRENTHRÔK
  The evil order known as the Jerak Ahrenreth makes its
  home deep beneath Votania, in a sprawling complex of
  chambers. A physical entrance to the Ahrenthrôk lies
  concealed on the northern coast of the Sea of Votania, but
  it is well guarded by magical warders. More about the
  Ahrenreth is discussed in the “Other Powers” section, and
  details of this holding will be revealed in an upcoming book.
  ACROPOLIS OF THE TITANS
  From a small cove on the southern coast of Votania, a
  wide staircase spirals up around the flanks of the moun-
  tain, eventually reaching the summit many thousands of
  steps later. This is the only way to reach the Acropolis of
  the Titans; no Navigator will take you there.
  Hardy climbers will encounter obscuring fogs (actu-
  ally low clouds) near the summit. The upper portions of
  Votania remain wreathed in clouds at all times.
  Treasure-hunting visitors will find disappointment at
  the end of their labors, for all that stands upon this lofty
  height is a cluster of grand but simple temple-like build-
  ings (one dedicated to each Titan). The acropolis appears
  abandoned (the titans who are here choose not to show
  themselves) unless someone tries to tamper with or deface
  anything. This will bring forth a terrible storm, powerful
  enough to literally blow the intruders off the summit.
  4 • PORTALS
  Portals (otherwise known as ‘Gates’) are an integral
  part of the Shadow World. Most were created during the
  First Era or Interregnum, though the power to make them
  was still not uncommon in the Second Era. Few now have
  the skill or desire to undertake such a project.
  Most Portals function in a—relatively—mundane fash-
  ion, transporting whomever steps through it safely and
  instantly from one place to another. However, some
  Portals have the power to send one to another time, or
  even to another world. And since most Portals operate in
  both directions, they give beings on the other side access
  to this world.
  Below is a selection of Portals still functional in Hæstra.
  Some are fully active while others have been closed but can
  be re-opened. This is not meant to be a complete list; GMs
  should feel free to add Portals as appropriate for their
  campaign. Additional portals may exist within other sites.
  GENERAL PORTAL ATTRIBUTES
  Active Linked: The most common type of Portal, it is like
  an interdimensional door, opening at one specific place at
  the other side. One steps through and is suddenly at the
  terminus of the Portal.
  Active Variable: This type of Portal is not tied to one
  specific location at the other ‘end.’ Rather it may have
  several possible openings at pre-determined Portals, or
  may even be random.
  Dormant/Inactive: A Portal is usually inactive (as op-
  posed to closed) because it requires a key to open it. Keys
  may come in the form of anything from a magical token,
  to a spoken word, to a gesture, to in at least one case a real
  key. If the key is used properly, the Portal becomes active.
  Closed/Sealed: This is a functional Portal which has been
  magically blocked (usually by the Loremasters). Powerful
  spells interfere with the functioning of the Portal, pre-
  venting anyone from going through it. The Portal still
  radiates power but cannot be used unless the spells are
  broken.
  Dead: For whatever reason, the power is gone from this
  Portal. It give off little or no magical energy, and appears
  to be completely inactive. There have been a few cases,
  however, when a Portal thought to be dead has suddenly
  reawakened...
  GATE OF YÆRA
  This powerful Portal began as a great geode more than
  15 feet in height.  Located in the foothills of the Mountains
  of Gold, it stands amidst many ruins on a rocky plateau.
  This place — now known as Yæra — was most likely a
  scholarly center of the Earth Wardens, though its exact
  nature is long forgotten, as its manuscripts have turned to
  dust.  Whether the Laan opened this Gate is uncertain; it
  dates from a time preceding that people.
  A sorcerer of considerable skill worked his spells, and
  split the geode.  Therein were revealed two perfect hemi-
  
  Part 5: Places of Interest
  93
  spheres, their cores glittering with amethysts.  But one
  hemisphere remained for only an instant before vanishing
  in a silvery flicker of Essænce.  The other, held upright on
  a pedestal of fine marble, serves as the entrance, and the
  vanished half is the exit far away.
  The Gate is not constantly functioning, and the origi-
  nal method of controlling it is long lost; perhaps it was by
  some enchanted item or command.  However, the Gate
  will activate at seemingly random times.  A flowstorm will
  open the door, or sometimes a powerful use of Essænce
  nearby.  But just as often the hollow will fill with a
  shimmering light for no obvious reason, and the air in the
  courtyard around the Gate will become still; almost elec-
  tric.  In the sparkling core of the geode, one can see faint,
  shifting scenes, as if the other terminus of the gate is
  actually moving through space or time.  The exit point has
  never been determined.
  The effect will last for a few seconds or an hour — again
  there is no pattern — and the Gate closes again.  Naviga-
  tors stay well clear of it.
  OBELISK OF THASE
  A three-sided pillar of black adamantine stone, the
  obelisk stands in the ruins of an ancient city (there are
  actually several such obelisks, but the rest are undiscov-
  ered in wilderness areas, or buried, or underwater). The
  pillar is ten feet across on each side at the base, rising up
  and tapering to a needle point sixty feet in the air.  While
  the surface of the Obelisk appears to be smooth and
  featureless most of the time, when it is troubled by the
  Essænce, strange characters appear on its faces, glowing
  blue and green and red.
  It is older than the ruins which surround it, though it
  shows no sign of age.  An artifact of the Lords of Essænce,
  it is a portal of sorts.  By speaking the correct phrase in
  Iruaric, the surface of the obelisk becomes permeable.
  One can step inside, into a triangular chamber about eight
  feet per side.  In the center is a slender triangular pedestal
  three feet high, on the surface of which is a complex touch-
  pad/mental control surface.  By using thought-commands
  and/or touching key combinations, the inside walls change
  to indicate the various locations the obelisk-transporter
  can deliver you to.  Some are obviously destroyed now.
  Once a selection is made, one merely steps through and is
  there.  Someone could theoretically step into the Ahr-
  enthrôk or any of a number of still-functioning Lords of
  Essænce installations from here.  But, there is no one left
  alive who still knows the code phrases except Andraax and
  a handful of K’ta’viiri in deep sleep.
  5 • HOLY & UNHOLY PLACES
  Here are a few examples of temples and shrines associ-
  ated with various deities.
  TEMPLES OF EISSA
  These structures whether in a city or the countryside
  are usually a rectangular temple with a complex of at-
  A Portal of the Lords of Essænce, located near a ring of stones ruin
  
  94
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  tached buildings. Priestesses of Eissa (all who serve Eissa
  are women) live here and maintain the temple. many are
  also Healers and Clerics who will cure the sick and heal
  wounds (in return for a hefty tithe).
  Eissa preaches that those mortals who are pure of spirit
  and follow her teachings will be released to a divine
  oblivion when their body dies. The same is true for Elves
  who die, and others who grow tired of the world may be
  chosen to travel to Orhan itself and live there in dreamy
  bliss.
  SHRINES OF ILOURA
  Rather than one specific shrine, this is representative of
  probably hundreds of small, rural structures scattered
  across Kulthea.  As Iloura is the Mother of the Earth, so it
  is only appropriate that her shrines are usually simple and
  located in the wilds.
  While some may be no more than a shallow cave with
  a slab of rock to roof it, others have corbeled arch door-
  ways with a short corridor leading to the chamber.  Iloura’s
  shrines are always dug at least part-way into the ground,
  but there is usually a small roof-vent to let in a ray of light
  and allow smoke to escape.  Always above the entrance is
  the symbol of Iloura: three leaves in a branch.
  The altar itself is a round stone with a large circular
  depression in the center and a small depression on either
  side.  In finer shrines, set in each of the side depressions is
  an unusual material called smokestone.  It looks like rock
  but is organic, and can be soaked in a liquid steeped in
  certain herbs.  When dried, it can be lit and smolders for
  about eight hours before going out.  (After cooling for ten
  or so hours, it can be lit again, and re-used in this manner
  almost indefinitely).
  The smoke from the stones releases an incense which
  allows one who is a follower of Iloura to have visions —
  should the Lady Iloura wish it.
  The stones are lit and the center depression is filled
  with fresh water.  The adherent must be alone in the shrine
  and spend the night.  Whether they have a vision or not
  (requires a successful Meditation roll) they will awake
  rested in the morning.
  A Typical Rural Shrine of Iloura
  
  Part 5: Places of Interest
  95
  HALLS OF KIERON
  Kieron’s preferred method for his followers to show
  their devotion is music, festivals and revelry. In return he
  makes sure the wine is always sweet and the hangovers
  mild. Kieron brings levity and fun to balance the serious-
  ness of some of the other gods. Because of this his ‘temples’
  are designed to be concert halls and party rooms. These
  are maintained by attendants who receive tithes to cover
  expenses.
  TEMPLE OF MYNISTRA AT BENTARA
  This temple is on a bluff overlooking the town of
  Bentara in Miir. It is the chief temple of the local goddess
  Mynistra, a large structure with three colonnaded wings.
  For more on the goddess herself, see Other Powers.
  SHRINES OF AKALATAN
  One of several temples in larger cities, this one is
  devoted to the Dark Spirit Akalatan, the ‘son’ of Klysus.
  Followers of the Serpent god must make regular sacri-
  fices (usually they must give some of their own bodily
  fluid) to appease him and ensure health and life. Priests of
  Akalatan teach that failure to do this will result in return-
  ing in the next life as a slave in a demon-world.
  Periodically, there will be special closed ceremonies to
  which only the devout are invited. At these shadowy
  events often culminate in a  sacrifice to Akalatan some sort
  of perverse ritual of bonding with the god through a
  summoned Procreator demon.
  All priests of Akalatan are men, who for some reason all
  appear young and virile until the moment of death, when
  they age within a span of seconds to old men (this ex-
  tended youth is a benefit of their perverse rituals and
  drinking ‘blessed’ fluid).
  Shrines are six-sided buildings with a small sanctuary,
  and a stair down to many chambers below ground where
  priests and servants live. Not surprisingly, a snake motif
  dominates, including snake-headed men.
  ACROPOLIS OF SCALU
  AT DESAMIS POINT
  There is a spit of land ten leagues north of Jantanen in
  the Bay of Izar. The hills are fertile, covered with tall grass
  and scattered trees, but this peninsula, known as Desamis
  Point, lies empty. Loremasters believe that the place was
  once the domain of an evil lord—the remains of his castle
  still stand somewhere along the coast—. but it was all
  destroyed when he turned against the god Scalû. At the
  very tip of the peninsula the land rises in a rocky cliff,
  hundreds of feet above the water. It is here that the Temple
  of Scalu once stood.
  A treacherous narrow stair cut into the rock is the only
  way up there short of flying or teleport, and at the summit
  one is greeted by a sprawling, walled complex of temples
  and other structures. This was a monastery once inhab-
  ited by dozens of monks devoted to the Bringer of Night.
  Now there are only ruins and the moaning cry of the wind.
  System Notes: Those foolish enough to spend the night
  on the peninsula will have terrifying nightmares. Each
  night on the peninsula afterwards, they will suffer an
  attack from the Evil Mentalist Base Mind Disease list.
  The GM should roll 1D10 to determine the spell level,
  then roll an attack with no range mod. For Neurosis,
  Phobia, and Psychosis, the GM should choose things or
  acts which seem appropriate for the character.
  TEMPLE COMPLEX AT MUARTAAR
  This desolate plateau in the Forbidden Hills southwest
  of Qye holds the remains of temples to Scalu, Klysus,
  Andaras, Inis, Moralis and Z’taar, plus numerous smaller
  temples to lesser evil demigods. It dates to the end of the
  Second Era, when many dark gods had large followings,
  just before the Wars of Dominion. The complex seems
  abandoned, but there are many traps and hidden magics,
  and three demons of the Sixth Pale remain magically
  trapped here for all time, waiting for new toys to amuse
  themselves with.
  6 • OTHER LAIRS &
  PLACES OF POWER
  Below are several miscellaneous sites of interest which
  the PCs may have to pass near, or they might be destina-
  tions in themselves.
  BURIAL MOUNDS OF THE JINTENI
  Pre-dating the Wôrim, the Jinteni were centered in
  what is now Uj, but had many colonies in Hæstra and
  Khûm-kaan. Their burial mounds can be found through-
  out Miir and Vornia. Usually visible now as a circular hill
  of earth about ten feet high and thirty feet in diameter,
  these mounds cover a small tomb, accessed through a
  small door. Of course, the door is now covered by earth
  and grass. Inside these tombs (provided they have not
  been looted) one may find gold, platinum, art treasures,
  or even an ancient magical item. However, disturbing the
  tomb may release the angry Wight of the entombed.
  LAIR OF MOTAR VOORG
  The Red-gold dragon lives in the Heights of the Spine
  of Emer, east of Tovor. Motar is a fairly typical Mature
  Fire-drake, highly intelligent but bent only on the acqui-
  
  96
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  sition of treasure and destruction of all who threaten him.
  Until recently he was in hibernation, but has awakened
  and is hungry and not too happy about his new neighbors.
  Motar loves tales and word-games, and actually has
  much knowledge of the Second Era—not to mention
  considerable treasure from that time. He enjoys music
  and conversation, and has even been known to allow a
  particularly gifted Bard to leave his lair unharmed, though
  empty-handed. (He has been visited by the Loremaster
  Randæ Terisonen.)
  Motar’s home is a warren of caves about a thousand
  feet up the Spine of Emer. The entrance is easy to see by the
  cascade of bones and rusted armor strewn down the
  mountainside by the opening. Among the tens of thou-
  sands of gold pieces, hundreds of jewels, and dozens of
  magic items in Motar’s treasure hoard is the Holy Sword
  of Kuor.
  HOLY SWORD OF KUOR
  Description: A large bastard sword fashioned of a dull
  grey alloy. The edge is like a razor and never requires
  sharpening. The blade is etched with a fine tracery and
  runes which are barely visible. The guard is a simple “T”
  shape, roughly formed—but it is of Star Iron. The hilts
  are wound with black wyvern-skin, and the pommel is
  an orb of black Læn. The scabbard is also of black
  wyvern-skin trimmed with titanium.
  Powers: Those who do not worship one of the Lords of
  Orhan or are not pure of heart can barely lift the sword.
  To wield it they would be at -30. In the hands of a
  virtuous servant of Kuor, however, it becomes light and
  easy to swing, and has the following powers:
  1. +30 OB
  2. Attacks using the “Holy” critical hit table (in addition
  to regular criticals against normal-sized opponents).
  2. When drawn from its scabbard it creates a sphere of
  anti-magic five feet in radius where no spell may func-
  tion (no RR). Magic items’ innate powers operate nor-
  mally but they cannot cast spells.
  THE EYRIE OF SSAMIS T’ZANG
  A Light-Drake, Ssamis resides high in the Scorpion
  Ridge east of the coastal town of Slyke.
  Unlike Motar, Ssamis is cruelly mischievous, and en-
  joys ‘playing’ with her prey before killing it, much as a cat
  does with a mouse. She is also extremely vain, even for a
  female drake, and will let an skillfully flattering intruder
  live for some time before eating him.
  Ssamis’ hoard is not as extensive as Motar’s but is still
  a very great treasure-trove.
  THE WÔRIM BARROW-DOWNS
  Little is known of the Wôrim, whose civilization rose
  and fell during the Interregnum, except that at one time
  they apparently inhabited most of Hæstra.  All that re-
  mains of this ancient culture are several scattered bar-
  rows, mostly in Miir and southern Bodlea. The barrows
  are usually marked by a low stone structure and a large
  oval pillar with an inscription. Over time some of these
  have collapsed, or the stones partially covered or broken.
  Some of these tombs have been looted for the treasures
  buried with the Wôrim. Many
  of the residents of these bar-
  rows are still here—manifest-
  ing as Barrow-wights. Any-
  one walking within 100 of the
  downs might attract the
  wights.
  THE WAILING
  MARSH
  In western Vornia, be-
  tween the northwestern end
  of the Izaran Crest and the
  shores of the Bay, lies this
  swamp. It straddles the road
  between 
  Bentara 
  and
  Falkenna, looming over about
  fifteen miles of the ancient
  highway built by the Old
  A Temple of Cay in SW Hæstra
  
  Part 5: Places of Interest
  97
  Empire. Once this road was raised above the swamp—a
  causeway with periodic low bridges to allow the waters to
  flow beneath. But the road has sunk in places, and a few
  bridges have collapsed, making this a treacherous route.
  Year-round it is warm and muggy in the marsh, even
  oppressive. The air is still and the sun never reaches
  beneath the trees. Often a dark mist will rise from the
  waters.
  The marsh is infested with alligators and large con-
  strictors, but the greatest peril is the wailing deep in the
  swamp.
  CYPRESS TREES
  Overshadowing the swamp are these great coniferous
  trees, their roots fanning out above the watery ground like
  living buttresses. Those who have been in the swamp say
  that the trees have an awareness.
  THE WAILING WATERS
  In the heart of the swamp, where the cypress trees grow
  thick and tall, are the wailing waters. The site of a battle an
  age ago, it is now a watery graveyard for numberless souls.
  Within this region are what are commonly known as
  Corpse Candles. These appear as handsome men or beau-
  tiful women trapped under the waters. Unlike the usual
  type, however, these also can he heard, a sad song wafting
  through the swamp. Those ensorcelled by their spell will
  soon join the wailing.
  System Notes: All within 100’ must make a SD RR vs.
  1st level or be drawn to look into the waters of the
  undead. Afterwards treat as a normal Corpse Candle .
  PCs may also unwittingly look into the water and be
  trapped even if making a successful RR vs. the wailing.
  THE GREY GROVE
  In a shallow valley in central Miir, astride a tributary of
  the Alana river, stands an ancient forest. While made up
  of a mix of trees, it is predominately oaks, willows, elms
  and pines.
  Within this grove lurk many hostiles: Sentient Trees, a
  colony of Garks, Giant Spiders, and Black Squirrels.
  THE BODLEAN MOORS
  Bodlea is a vast area of rolling land. Most Dales are
  situated on higher ground where farmland has the best
  drainage. Between these higher elevations are regions of
  open lowland which form either marshes or just perenni-
  ally moist heath. These moors usually covered in grass or
  moss, with a few scattered trees, odd rocky outcroppings,
  and ruins of farms, temples and castles whose owners have
  long been forgotten by all but the Elves. Morning fogs
  linger in these areas, and the sun never seems to shine as
  bright. Creatures natural and supernatural lurk here.
  These are the Bodlean Moors.
  MOOR INHABITANTS
  The foggy moors provide a home to numerous birds
  and animals, most harmless. The most dangerous normal
  creatures are probably the few roving wolves. However,
  foul beasts inhabit the darker regions: black squirrels,
  giant spiders, ghost wolves, and even a few Cave and Hill
  Trolls. There are also rumors of a nest of land wyverns
  south of Wyerdale.
  THE GLEN OF NORG
  In the Glen of Norg, astride the
  northern face of the Forbidden Hills,
  the Shards of Hoar Ak settled at the
  bidding of the Ahrenreth. They drank
  the blood of the lowland breed. Perhaps
  this is why Hoar Ak traded brown for
  burgundy.
  More on the Shards and the I-lat can be found in the
  Master Atlas 2nd Edition. There is also basic Shard infor-
  mation in the Rolemaster Creatures books.
  GM NOTES
  The potential power and terror of Shards cannot be
  stressed enough. Of all the constructs they are the most
  devilishly powerful and cruel.
  When moving in combat their pace is anywhere from
  a Shardic sprint (confined space) to dash (open areas,
  including forests), making their DB -300 to -500; virtually
  unhittable by normal means. They pause for only part of
  a round to fire their deadly disks. To have any chance of
  hitting a Shard, one must be on opportunity fire with a
  missile weapon and anticipate where they will stop (within
  a 30° firing arc). Attempting to melee with a Shard in
  combat is suicide.
  The one defense against Shards is invisibility, and even
  this is less than perfect because of the Shards’ superior
  senses of hearing and smell. If the target is invisible and
  flying or moving silently, add 80 to their DB. If they are
  invisible but not successfully moving silently, they are
  only -50 to their DB.
  And remember, Shards are not merely brutal but cruel,
  and their dietary preferences make resurrection difficult
  at best.
  
  98
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  ORACLE OF SYNE
  Built into a cliff-side in the Forbidden Ridge— high up
  the face of the bluff — is a great arched doorway, on either
  side of which sits a staid warder.  These statues of wizened
  kings which flank the entrance to the Oracle of Syne have
  no magical power, but they stand guard just the same.
  And the narrow winding path to this remote entry dis-
  suades the faint of heart as well.
  Once past the eternal scrutiny of these doormen, a
  corridor slopes gently downward for several hundred feet.
  It is dark but for luminous runes which glimmer on the
  black walls.
  At last the visitor reaches a vast domed hall, lighted
  from far above by a small opening in the center of the
  arching roof.  In the center of the chamber is a well: a
  round opening framed by grey stone, a shaft descending
  into the depths of the earth.  This is the Oracle.
  To ask a question of the Oracle, the visitor must cast an
  offering into the well (no one has ever heard it hit bot-
  tom).  The Oracle has a supernatural ability to judge the
  relative sacrifice of an offering.  One man’s offering of a
  loaf of bread might be sufficient while a rich man’s offer
  of a diamond and gold necklace is not enough.  Some say
  the Oracle is fickle; others say it is all-knowing.
  If the Oracle deems the offering insufficient, there is a
  stony silence, and the supplicant will get no answer, even
  if he throws in more.  If, however, the gift is appropriate,
  the Oracle speaks:
  “Your offering is welcome and well-given.
  What do you ask of the Oracle of Syne?”
  The visitor may then inquire about a single concept
  (one aspect of a place, a thing, a person, etc.)  The Oracle
  will answer, sometimes in a clear single word, sometimes
  in cryptic verse.  But it will always give some useful (if
  initially obtuse) reply, and in the asker’s most familiar
  tongue.  The Oracle will rarely answer more than one
  question per day from a visitor, no matter how rich the
  offering.
  STANDING STONES OF NILÔM
  GM Note: The standing stone described here are typical
  of many sites scattered over Hæstra and sections of Tai-
  emer and Khûm-kaan. The GM may wish to adapt the
  A Cave of the Shards of Hoar Ak
  
  Part 5: Places of Interest
  99
  layout and powers and have the characters encounter
  similar structures elsewhere.
  The rolling hills of Bodlea have a few features of note,
  among them a number of defiant stands of trees — and
  the Standing Stones of Nilôm.
  The structure takes the form of two concentric rings of
  tall, roughly cylindrical pillars surrounding a circular
  platform which rises three steps above the ground.  The
  rings are 100 and 60 feet in diameter, and the platform is
  20 feet across.  The pillars in the rings are made of a blue-
  grey stone.  The outer pillars are about ten feet tall while
  the inner pillars rise to around fifteen feet; they are consid-
  erably eroded but one can just make out cryptic, hiero-
  glyphic patterns on their surfaces.  The platform is of a
  grey stone and much smoother.
  Once, long ago, there was an avenue lined with smaller
  stones which led to the stream a hundred yards away, but
  this road has been fractured in several places, many of the
  pillars lying broken on the grass.  It is no longer a safe place
  to travel along.
  However, the circle retains much of its ancient virtue.
  When awakened by need, it can be a fortress against evil.
  STANDING STONES POWERS
  1. All stones begin to glow when a demon or servant of the
  Unlife (essentially any ‘evil’ being) ventures within 1000'.
  2. Any ‘evil’ being or creature attempting to pass through
  (meaning between the stones or over them) the outer
  ring receives an “A” Disruption critical and must make a
  RR vs. 20th level.  Failure means the creature is thrown
  backward, success means it has gotten through the Ward.
  3. As 2 for creatures attempting to pass the inner ring,
  except the critical is “B” and the RR is vs. 30th level.
  4. As 2 for creatures attempting to climb on to the plat-
  form, except the RR is vs. 40th level.
  5. Very powerful creatures may have spells which enable
  them to pass the Wards, or even damage them, as is
  evidenced by the broken avenue.
  6. The Wards do not stop good spells from being fired out,
  though evil spells must make the same RR as physical
  action.  The Wards do not interfere with physical missile
  attacks of any kind.
  A Typical Standing Stones ruin in Bodlea or Miir
  
  100
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  101
  • PART VI •
  OTHER POWERS &
  PERSONALITIES
  The sun was shining and it was one of those perfect days for travelling: not too hot or humid, nor too
  cold but brisk enough to be comfortable while hiking. We had just stopped to rest on a low hill over-
  looking a farm when they appeared. Randæ sensed it before anyone else, and ordered us to lie flat on
  the ground. Then the Phoenix pendant turned cold against my skin, almost burning me with the
  chill, and a moment later we all felt the tingling, when your hair stands up just before lightning
  strikes.
  The sun itself seemed to dim and turn grey as, not a stone’s throw away, a bluish light flickered
  near the ground and a shimmering oval of light appeared out of thin air. The oval rimmed what
  looked like a rippling mirror perhaps thrice a man’s height—it was a Portal.
  For a moment the gateway to another dimension floated silently, then the creature emerged. It
  was not unlike a large squid, levitating upright by some power with its tentacles hanging below it and
  wavering sinuously. But the upper ‘body’ was bloated and translucent with apparently three saucer-
  like eyes spaced about it, and within we could see a monstrous pulsing brain.  I had never seen any-
  thing like it before, an unspeakably hideous thing beyond imagination.
  But Randæ apparently knew its ilk…
  “Thresh!” He hissed under his breath. “This is bad.”
  But it would get worse. The thing floated forward, then rotated slowly as if surveying the area. We
  held our breath. Then the Portal shivered again and another horror appeared, more bizarre than the
  first. A huge, bloated fish with shimmering diaphanous fins, for a moment it seemed strangely beau-
  tiful. Then I noted that it was covered with large, round, unblinking eyes. And from its toothy maw
  protruded a cluster of tentacles, dripping with luminous slime. I felt bile rise from my stomach at the
  unnatural foulness of this thing.
  And while we were watching this monster, the Thresh had darted across the field to hover above
  one of the cattle grazing nearby. It lowered slowly onto the apparently unwary beast, its wavering
  tentacles encircling it. Then the body lunged downward and the poor creature let out one plaintive
  cry. It was over quickly; within a few heartbeats the cow was a desiccated heap of bones and hide.
  As if on queue, the two then flew away to the north with startling speed. We all let out a breath,
  and Jad proceeded to become noisily sick.
  Kalen Avanir
  From his Travel Journals of Emer
  
  102
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  This portion of the book is dedicated to groups and
  individuals who—whether they act openly or in secret—
  have an impact upon Hæstra and environs. The intention
  is to devote attention primarily to more local influence;
  organizations such as the Loremasters and Lords of Orhan
  have been covered in detail in the Master Atlas.
  1 • CHANGRAMAI
  MONASTERY
  Established around S.E.I. 2500  by none other than the
  Loari master of unarmed combat, Loremaster Tanris
  Dekdarion (an ancestor of the current Loremaster and
  Changramai master T’vaar Dekdarion, as well as the
  infamous Dúranak Prince, T’revor Dekdarion), the school
  is named  for the ancient changrama technique of mind/
  body fusion.
  It is more a school and training center than a true
  monastery. In fact, while many adherents follow a devo-
  tion to the Lord Cay of Orhan, no organized religion is
  practiced in the walls of the Changramai compound.
  ENROLLING
  All are welcome to enroll in the Changramai school,
  though very few are granted entry. Those older than
  young adolescence are also unlikely to be accepted be-
  cause of the complications of beginning training later in
  life. Rigorous testing is required to be granted entry; only
  one in perhaps 100 who seek admission are accepted.
  RANKS AND LEVELS OF ABILITY
  Young men and women who pursue the discipline of
  changrama progress through a complex series of ech-
  elons. The exact nature of these vary slightly depending on
  the chosen curriculum, but the terminology is essentially
  the same.
  STUDENTS
  The Monastery takes in a few orphans as children and
  essentially adopts them. These children are very well
  cared-for through to adolescence. If they have the apti-
  tude and desire, they are offered the chance to become
  initiates. Alternatively, they may continue to live and
  work in the shelter of the monastery, or depart to seek
  their fortune.
  INITIATE
  All who enter as adolescents or adults are initiates,
  usually for five years. They are given a series of tests to
  determine their aptitudes and preferences, and set upon a
  course of additional schooling and training.
  VEILS
  There are ten levels or veils, of skill and development in
  the Changramai discipline. These levels are somewhat
  theoretical; T’vaar Dekdarion himself has only reached
  the Ninth Veil, by his own declaration.  A Changramai
  Monk advances to a higher veil though a trial, a test of
  mental, physical and spiritual ability  in which the monk
  proves he has earned a new designation. Judgement is
  made by a tribunal of  masters.
  GM Note: These Veils are not tied absolutely to specific
  system levels,  though for convenience they may roughly
  correspond to 5 level increments (i.e., 1st level equals the
  First Veil, 5th level = Second Veil, 10th level = Third Veil,
  etc.).
  The veil level is signified by the color of the small raised
  collar band around the traditional  white robes, and on the
  left cuff of the robe or other garment.
  Veil
  Color
  First ............................................ White
  Second ........................................... Tan
  Third .............................................Grey
  Fourth ............................................ Red
  Fifth ........................................... Green
  Sixth ........................................ Maroon
  Seventh ......................................... Blue
  Eighth ........................................Purple
  Ninth............................................Black
  Tenth ........................................... Gold
  RANKS OR RIBBONS
  A second designation of skill is called degrees or Ranks.
  These are specific sets of ability related to the two basic
  schools of martial arts taught at the Changramai school.
  There are four ranks for each of the two basic styles,
  ranking designated by small triangular pips on the collar.
  Ranks for the Talshya method (utilizing mostly striking
  attacks) are placed on the left side while ranks for the
  Renshya (involving mostly unbalancing and throwing
  maneuvers) are placed on the right side. The pips are
  usually worn only at ceremonial occasions.
  MONKS AND WARRIOR MONKS
  The Changramai training embraces training philoso-
  phies both with and without the aid of spells. Thus,
  graduates may either be pure physical warriors or users of
  Mentalism as well. While the Mentalist Monk has an
  additional training regimen, the differentiation is not
  often made to outsiders.
  GM Note: While RMSS continues to consider Monks of
  Essence and Bards of Mentalism, in the Shadow World this
  is reversed for all NPCs (GMs may do as they wish with
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  103
  their Player-characters). Monks use Mentalism, Bards
  tap the Essence; this is the ‘Amthorian’ philosophy from
  RM 2nd Ed.
  THE CHANGRAMAI TATTOO
   All who pass the first Veil are given a small red
  triangular tattoo on the back of the left hand. From a
  distance the tattoo looks solid, but upon close inspec-
  tion it is actually a very intricate pattern. The tattoo is
  also enchanted in nature, and very difficult to coun-
  terfeit.
  Optionally, the monk may also have a second
  tattoo, a tiny red triangle (pointing down) under the
  left eye. This makes it clear to everyone that the
  wearer is a Changramai.
  CHANGRAMAI BODYGUARDS
  The monastery does not hire out monks for guard
  duty unless they have passed the Third Veil, (GM
  Note: this is usually around 10th level) and have a total
  of four ranks in martial arts.  However, monks hired as
  bodyguards never wear rank or veil insignia as they
  would reveal to possible opponents the monk’s area
  and level of expertise.
  A monk may be hired through one of the offices
  located in most of the larger cities in Emer or Jaiman.
  Rates vary tremendously depending on the person or
  item to be protected, where (or if) they are travelling, etc.
  The minimum is 2 Monks for day/night protection at 10
  gp/day and up. This is always split 50-50 between the
  monks and the Monastery.
  Changramai Monk Novitiates sparring.
  From the Sketchbook of
  T’sandar Vey
  TYPICAL CHANGRAMAI BODYGUARDS
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  Kark Jenael
  11
  113
  1 (85)
  N
  Y(arm) 101StkR4; 96SwTR4
  90/20 jata*
  25
  Loari Warrior Monk. All Adrenal moves 58, Subdue 55
  Sargon Jerell
  10
  85
  1(80)
  (Y) Y(arm) 90StkR4
  80/30 jata*
  20
  Jineri Monk. Three Adrenal moves 55, Subdue 50, All Base Monk lists to 10, Shield Mastery to 5.
  Bren Jenjanus
  13
  120
  1(95)
  N
  Y(arm) 111StkR4; 90SwTR4
  100/80/30 jata*
  20
  Loari Warrior Monk. All Adrenal moves 62, Subdue 70
  Horek Trinn
  14
  115
  1(90)
  N
  Y(arm) 118StkR4; 85SwTR3
  102/50/20 jata*
  10
  Laan Warrior Monk. All Adrenal moves 80, Subdue 65
  Idarien Chye
  22
  98
  1(100)
  (Y) Y(arm) 90StkR4; 85SwTR4
  110/30/20 jata*
  25
  Loari Monk. 4 Adrenal moves 70, Subdue 80. All Base Monk to 20th, 3 other lists
  Thierry of Ravensdale
  9
  88
  1(70)
  N
  Y(arm) 100StkR4; 95SwTR3
  80/40/20/20 jata*
  15
  Talath Warrior Monk. All Adrenal moves 65, Subdue 50
  Valen Tai
  16
  125
  1(90)
  N
  Y(arm) 105StkR4; 117SwTR3 130/60/60/30 jata*
  10
  Nuyani Warrior Monk. All Adrenal moves 58, Subdue 55
  • Jata: This circular, three-bladed weapon rolls on the broadsword table, with range as a spear. Skill in its use is taken in a way similar to martial
  arts, except subsequent ranks are instead targets in the same throw (max ranks: 4). All targets must be within a 120° arc. The thrower may use his
  last attack bonus instead as a ‘return’, causing the jata to come back to him. Thrower may opt to catch the jata, making a maneuver roll with the
  applicable attack bonus. Failure means a roll on the thrown weapons fumble table; failure by over 100 means an unmodified attack on the thrower.
  
  104
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  2 • THE EIGHT
  IMPERIAL ORDERS
  Long ago these eight elite groups served Aldaron and
  his successors, the Emperors of Emer.  As agencies of the
  Empire, they aided in administrating the realm and moni-
  toring activities throughout the far-flung lands.  Some
  also served as foci of learning and  storehouses of knowl-
  edge. Each order had a First Minister, who sat at council
  with the Emperor.
  It was assumed that all the orders  were disbanded
  when the Emerian Empire collapsed in the years following
  T.E. 1650.  All except Zanar did vanish from view, and
  some actually disbanded.  But the kernel of their origins
  remained, and some have returned to serve as enclaves
  against disorder.  Some fell under the shadow to arise
  again as twisted mockeries of their former mission.
  GM Note: A brief overview of the orders is included here;
  more will be revealed of their current activities and mem-
  bers in later books, especially for those located in other
  regions of Emer.
  ARTIFACTS OF THE ORDERS
  Each of the Eight had powerful items associated with
  them, forged at Aldaron’s command. The  Smith and
  Alchemist Kerento T’ara,
  one of Aldaron’s people,
  was the creative force be-
  hind these artifacts.
  T’ara’s understanding of
  magic was slightly differ-
  ent, having come from a
  parallel world. With him
  he brought a new per-
  spective on the flows—
  and a powerful use for
  the rare crystalline ele-
  ment Laen.
  Laen combines an en-
  chanted nature along
  with some of the tensile
  strength and  optical
  properties  of glass and
  the malleability of steel.
  It was mainly the optical
  properties of the mate-
  rial that T’ara was able to
  exploit, creating lenses
  which in effect focused
  and filtered the very flows
  of Essence.  Into each item was integrated a lens—a
  cabochon of transparent laen, tinted to match the hue of
  each order.
  However, in 1609 SEI, Ondoval (disguised as Luarto
  Shang, the Lord High Seer of the Emerian Empire) and A-
  kesh recall many of the old artifacts to be ‘enhanced.’
  Instead, they alter the purpose of the lenses to link them
  with the Dark Jewel of the Jerak Ahrenreth, and  each lens
  acted as a scrying and recording device, allowing the
  members of the Order of the Eye to ‘see’ through each lens
  at will. Once a lens was recovered, they could also view
  everything that the lens had ever seen. In this way the
  Order of the Eye was able to spy on even the most secret
  meetings and events. Just as each order had a color asso-
  ciated with it, one might know the origins of a lens by its
  clear tint.
  Order
  Lens tint
  Eye ..................................................... Violet
  Silver Sword ........................................ Grey
  Scarlet Cloak ........................................ Red
  Ring ...................................................Green
  Sun ...................................................Yellow
  Four Winds ......................................... Blue
  Hand (Mask) ..................................... Black
  White Flame....................................... Clear
  AHN SYE
  WOLOKA
  The Ahn sye Woloka
  (E. “Order of the Eye”)
  was once the association
  of Seers who aided the
  Emperor with foretellings
  and communication with
  the far reaches of the em-
  pire.  They were corrupted
  during the later years of
  the Empire by Ondoval
  (founder of the Jerak Ahr-
  enreth),  when he—dis-
  guised as the Seer Luarto
  Shang—rose trough the
  ranks to be named the
  Lord High Seer and
  Keeper of the Eye. He
  used the altered power of
  the lenses of the other
  orders to spy on them and
  engineer their undoing.
  Eight were the servants of Dænkú.
  Powerful lords, they served a greater master.
  But time was cruel and War put an end
  to the Power of Dænkú.
  The Eight returned, yet they sought new guidance:
  Ondoval filled the void with Darkness.
  While Dænkú slept for the second time,
  His Cult turned from the Narrow grey path.
  Crystal reflections were to defeat the Eyes
  If both are lost then hope dies.
  Few guessed the purpose of the Cult of Old,
  subtle as whispers in a gale.
  Now their actions speak and realms fall.
  The Order meets again in the Hallowed Hall.
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  105
  The Order was suppos-
  edly destroyed in the ensu-
  ing chaos after the fall of the
  Emerian Empire.
  But Iæn Shiin (now one
  of the Eight of Ahrenreth)
  stepped in and salvaged the
  trappings of the group.
  Today they live again, and
  they seek the Aenfaw—spe-
  cifically the Heart of Agoth
  — but not for Schrek.  Iæn
  Shiin is an ally of Lorgalis
  first, and has learned of
  Schrek’s search for the arti-
  fact.  He hopes to secure the
  item first and therefore put
  it where the demonic Lord
  will never find it.  He uses
  the Order of the Eye to cover
  his actions.
  As in the original struc-
  ture, there is the Lord High
  Seer, eight Lord Seers and
  sixteen adherents. Iæn Shiin is the Lord High Seer, the
  current headquarters of the Order is the Isle of Glass,
  located in the Rællian Bay.
  THE LENS CIRCLETS
  The Lord High Seer and each of the eight Lord Seers
  possess a magical circlet with mystical scrying powers. In
  form they are copper metal headbands  studded all around
  with green laen jewels. Affixed to the band in front is a
  complex metal apparatus which can swing down over one
  eye, allowing the wearer to look through a tinted lens  and
  access the item’s powers. In addition, there is a second clip
  which can hold another lens pivoting down in front of the
  first. A lens from one of the other orders can be inserted
  here, and the wearer can view anything the lens has ever
  witnessed.
  Other Powers:
  1. Can view at will as if through any of the other lenses of
  the Eight Orders.
  2. x4 PP Seer spell enhancer
  ORDER OF THE CLOAK
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  Vorga the Inquisitor
  20
  90
  1(50)
  (Y)
  N
  88 mace
  +45 Absolution Pure
  15
  Laan Evil Cleric. All base Evil Cleric to 20th, 6 others to 10th. Scepter of Zanar (with lens), +30 robes of Defense
  Gragor the Priest
  12
  68
  1(30)
  N
  N
  68 mace
  +20 Black Channel
  5
  Laan Evil Cleric. Lesser Scepter of Zanar (+10 Mace). All base Evil Cleric to 10th, 5 others to 10th. Black Channel: Wrath of Zanar: range 50´, RR
  mod -10. Target bursts into flame, one “B” crit for every 10 pts failure.
  Bortok Khog, Champion
  15
  165
  18 (50)
  Y
  Y
  155 mace
  90 heavy crossbow
  -20
  Laan Fighter. +10 armor, Mace of Zanar (+20, additional disruption crit one less than any other crit)
  Darmis au Boj, Champion
  10
  120
  18(35)
  Y
  Y
  125 mace
  75 heavy crossbow
  -25
  Laan Fighter. +5 armor, Mace of Zanar (+10)
  Klendo Xhaak, Champion
  7
  93
  18(35)
  Y
  Y
  100 mace
  80 heavy crossbow
  -35
  Laan Fighter. +5 armor, Mace of Zanar (+10)
  A Lens Circlet, holding two lenses
  
  106
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  3. Multiplies range (in time and/or space) of all Seer Base
  spells x4.
  4. Multiplies duration of all Seer Base spells x4.
  AHN SYE NOKORA
  The Ahn sye Nokora (E. “Order of the Silver Sword”)
  was the Emperor’s house bodyguard.  Traditionally, these
  impressive men wore flowing silver and white robes and
  had full helms of steel. Their swords were polished to a
  silvery finish, and the  elite of this guard wielded a special
  weapon called a Yarkbalka.
  Now they have revealed their presence again, and
  serve a man known as the Lord of Ardania and reside
  with him in the Palace of the Sun in southern Tai-
  emer.  All have the same grey robes and
  helm of their predecessors, and ride great
  steeds.
  THE YARKBALKAS
  These strange weapons resemble
  large broadswords (bastard swords), but all
  are fashioned of a special titanium-eog alloy
  which has a distinctive silvery hue.
  Common Yarkbalka Powers: Treat as 2-h
  sword, -10 when use one-handed;  +10 and
  2x hits when used with both hands.  Could
  be summoned to hand of attuned wielder
  from up to 100' away with a thought.
  Fumbles on an UM 01-03, used 1-h or
  2-h.
  Superior Yarkbalka Powers: Sixteen
  High Guardians had special Yarkbal-
  kas.  The Superior weapons had pow-
  ers of the common blades, but in
  addition to striking as a 2-h sword when used one-
  handed, and a 2-h sword +20, 2x hits when used with
  both hands, these special blades could summon the
  Fireblade: the weapon bursts into intensely hot flame.
  The sword becomes a +30 2-h sword, dealing 3x hits and
  an additional Heat Critical of the same value. The Lord
  High Guardian had a similar weapon, except it was also
  considered Holy.
  THE HELMS
  The Sixteen High Guardians and the Lord High Guard-
  ian also possess enchanted helms. Fashioned of a silvery
  alloy, each had a smoky grey lens set in the forehead.
  AHN SYE ZANAR
  Once an honorable association — as were all of the
  Eight — the Ahn sye Zanar (E. “Order of the Cloak”; also
  known as the Crimson Cloak or Crimson Order) has
  become warped and their focus is meaningless.  Origi-
  nally—on the original world of Aldaron’s People—it was
  a priesthood who cared for the sick and honorably re-
  leased the dead. They followed a benevolent god of that
  world named Zanar; theirs is a monotheistic religion.
  However, upon arrival on Kulthea, the priesthood suf-
  fered a crisis: they were severed from contact with Zanar.
  At first they were welcomed by Eissa, who
  allowed them to believe that she was male
  and another ‘incarnation’ of their god;
  though the Zanarians were troubled by the
  existence of other gods.
  Then, in T.E. 1553 the Seer Luarto Shang
  (Ondoval in disguise) reveals to the Lord High
  Priest of Zanar that Eissa is really a woman and
  not even the most powerful of Orhan. In the
  depth of his crisis of faith, the High Priest is
  vulnerable to Ondoval and is tricked
  into redirecting his channelling focus to
  the Crystal, the heart of the Jerak Ahren-
  reth.
  As the years passed and more priests
  were replaced or converted to following
  the Ahrenreth in the name of Zanar.
  Now the Inquisitors of Zanar, driven
  by a misplaced religious fervor, they ter-
  rorize the land, demanding ‘tithes’ and
  ‘devotion to Zanar’.  The focus of the
  order is the Scepter of Zanar, a silver rod
  with a great red orb, now perverted into an instrument of
  death.
  This group controls an island off the Hæstran coast
  (the Isle of Fire, just north of the entrance to the Bay of
  Izar) and their religion is spreading across Emer.  The
  organization does not claim land, but rather seeks to
  subvert the peoples of neighboring realms to the religion
  of Zanar.  The Church promises longer life to its faithful,
  and in fact offers the chance to be raised from death
  should the body be brought to a temple quickly enough.
  They exact heavy taxes from their followers, and as their
  following in a given area grows they put pressure on the
  remaining peoples to join.
  PRIESTS
  The most innocuous of the followers of Zanar, the
  priesthood maintains the many temples which can be
  found in cities across Emer.  The high Priest of each
  temple can indeed raise the dead, but there may be side
  effects, as they may be channeling from an evil power.
  (GM discretion).  They also charge a stiff fee.
  A Yarkbalka
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  107
  INQUISITORS
  Men who travel the countryside in dark red robes with
  hoods and masks, the Inquisitors constantly search for
  ‘enemies of Zanar.’  All who use Channeling spells (espe-
  cially those who follow the Lords of Orhan) are consid-
  ered such, and the Inquisitors cast Excommunication upon
  them.  Those who openly defy the Inquisitors are often the
  victim of Firenerves, or even Bloodfreeze (a spell which
  causes the blood to harden in the veins over a period of 1-
  10 minutes, killing the target with agonizing pain) or the
  Hand of Zanar, a fatal channeling projection which causes
  the target to burst into flame.  The Inquisitors are a tool of
  terror, frequenting areas where there is resistance to the
  Order.  They also carry small scepters of silver, each with
  a lens in the head.
  The Inquisitors travel in pairs, in a black coach drawn
  by sable horses, and always escorted by four to eight
  Champions.
  When Inquisitors are seen in a town or other public
  place, people slink away — for they might be picked out
  for examination.  If such is the case, the two Inquisitors
  come towards you, while the Champions cut off escape.
  Then they ask:
  “Do you follow Zanar?”
  If the answer is no, you are ordered to convert imme-
  diately and pay 50 gold pieces.  Refusal to convert means
  one of the aforementioned spells is employed until you
  convert.
  If the answer is yes, they say: “Tithe five pieces of gold.”
  CHAMPIONS OF ZANAR
  Burly men in silver armor with red cloaks, they accom-
  pany the Inquisitors and act as bodyguards and enforcers.
  Champions have tall helms with red horsetail crests, and
  wield large silver maces.
  There are eight Lord Champions and one Lord High
  Champion.
  LORD HIGH PRIEST
  Head of the Church of Zanar on Kulthea, the Lord
  High Priest (also known later as the Lord High Inquisitor)
  resides on the Isle of Fire.  He rarely ventures forth from
  his opulent palace. The current Lord High Priest is Vogo
  Cthon-Raval, a cruel and depraved man. However, he is
  periodically possessed by the spirit of Schrek, a condition
  considered by his adherents as some sort of communion
  with Zanar. These possessions, however, are invariably
  marked by random acts of abuse upon whatever victims
  are available.
  THE MACES
  The Eight High Priests have maces of an enchanted
  nature; each also has a red lens in a special setting on the
  top. The maces are +15 and do an extra Disruption critical.
  The Lord High Priest’s  mace is actually a seven foot tall
  staff, x4 and +4 to channeling. It will also cast Protections
  IV and Spell Shield True at will (user must concentrate to
  maintain the Shield).
  THE ARMOR
  The Eight Lord Champions all had enchanted plate
  armor. In addition, they each have an ornate silver cloak-
  pin, with a red cabochon setting. This is, in fact the lens.
  AHN SYE TALAUS
  A cabal of Mages, the  Ahn sye Talaus (E. “Order of the
  Ring”) was always an arcane group, more secretive than
  any other—except of course the Order of the Mask.
  Because of the nature of their artifact, it was difficult for
  the Order of the Eye to create items of subtlety which
  incorporated a lens—and which the members of the order
  would use. Finally, they created sixteen small telescopes
  and one larger version.
  They survive to this day, but in two separate organiza-
  tions, often at odds with each other.
  THE GREY RING
  A secret council located in Sel-kai, the Grey Ring is a
  vigilante group of Mages and other spell users who have
  taken the law into their own hands. They mistrust the
  Talaus College (see below).
  THE TALAUS COLLEGE
  The other faction of the Order of the Ring remain
  isolated on an isle south of Lys.  Now known as merely
  Talaus, the island is a gathering-place of magicians and
  scholars of the Essænce.  They are allied with Lys, and
  cloak their presence from all who travel into the Bay of Uj.
  While not evil in nature, the Mages value their isolation
  and will protect it at any cost. More will be revealed about
  this group in Emer III
  THE RINGS
  Each member wears a grey alloy ring, composed of
  platinum and other alloys, engraved with runes. The rings
  are created for each member and each has unique powers
  and attunement.
  THE TELESCOPES
  These beautifully crafted instruments are about the
  length of a man’s forearm, and fashioned of polished
  walnut. At each end is a silver metal cap protecting the
  
  108
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  lenses. Each also has a matching case to protect it. The
  eyepiece cap screws off to free the smaller lens which
  doubles as a tool for the Order of the Eye. The telescopes
  operate like the real instrument, magnifying distant ob-
  jects by 20x. They also allow the user to see through fogs
  and clouds and at night as day. Finally, once per week they
  can see through any one solid barrier (e.g., a wall, a hill,
  even a single mountain) within 4 miles to view what may
  be on the other side.
  THE BOOK
  The focus of the Order is a great tome, the Book of the
  Ring. The Book was stolen in T.E. 5010 by an unknown
  thief and the Talaus College has been trying — unsuccess-
  fully — to recover it since.  (The thief was servant of Schrek,
  and the book is in the vaults of Ahrenthrôk).
  AHN SYE SHAN
  The Ahn sye Shan (E. “Order of the Sun”) is another of
  the Orders to be corrupted. Once the members of this
  order were masters of flora and wise in the ways of
  enchanted herbs.
  Their home is an island known only as the Isle of Glass.
  It is located in the Rællian Bay, surrounded by reefs. More
  will be revealed about this order in Emer III
  THE SUN AMULETS
  There were sixteen gold sunbursts about four inches in
  diameter and suspended from a golden chain. Each was
  hollow in the center to hold a yellow lens. Each was a +4
  PP enhancer, and may cast one Plant Mastery spell up to
  user’s level per day. The Lord High  Animist had a slightly
  larger amulet, which was +8 to Channeling spells, and
  User may ‘safely’ (i.e., only the normal failure chance)
  overcast any spell up to five levels above his own once per
  day. Caster must ‘know’ the spell.
  AHN SYE TAKLA
  The Ahn sye Takla (E. “Order of the Four Winds”) is
  still technically in existence, though it is not of the same
  nature as it once was.  Today its head is the Storm Wizard,
  and its members are the Storm Heralds.
  HORSES AND BRIDLES
  Four blue lenses once were set in the bridles of the
  Heralds’ mounts, set in the center of the horse’s forehead.
  Long ago, however, the Storm Wizard learned of the
  treachery of the Order of the Eye and the powers of the
  lenses. He removed them and has them now in a secured
  chest.
  STAVES
  Each herald carries a staff, a simple grey wood rod
  about five feet long and tipped with silver.
  THE HERALDS
  Also known as simply the Heralds, these beings are
  among the most mysterious and arcane on Emer.
  Each of the Heralds has a tabard bearing one of those
  four beasts (Unicorn, Hawk, White Lion, Wyvern) stitched
  in silver on a cloudy grey field.
  When a Herald is seen, he is always astride a great white
  stallion which moves at what seems a slow motion gallop.
  While the horse’s movements are slow, its velocity is not.
  No man nor beast nor vehicle has yet been able to keep
  pace with these strange riders.  And while these horsemen
  seem solid enough to the eye, they often rise off the ground
  as they ride, carried on nothing more substantial than the
  air.  These horses have no wings like the mighty steeds of
  the Cloudlords of distant Tanara; only some powerful
  enchantment keeps them aloft.  They seem to pay no heed
  to events around them and attacks against them are
  fruitless. Often, however, just the appearance of a Storm
  Herald is enough to drive away most creatures of Dark-
  ness.
  In fact, the four Heralds serve the Storm Wizard who
  long ago brought Aldaron to this world to unite it against
  the Shadow.
  While these four beings are sentient men, they carry
  an air of detachment which makes them seem little
  more than automatons.  In a very real sense, they are
  extensions of the Storm Wizard’s will.  It is virtually
  impossible to slay them, though the nature of their
  powerful defenses is mysterious.  If a Herald finds
  himself in a situation he cannot control, he simply
  vanishes.
  Though the four wear tabards with differing em-
  blems, all have essentially identical powers.  They all
  look similar as well: youthful yet somehow wizened,
  tall, with short black hair, fair skin, and grey eyes.
  THE HERALDS’ MOUNTS
  These appear as mighty white steeds with silver
  hooves. Their saddle and bridle is pale grey leather and
  trimmed with silver and hung with silver bells.  They
  are enchanted beasts, the like of which is no longer seen
  on the Shadow World.  In a sense, they are not alive at
  all, but are summoned spirits from another plane.  If
  killed, they will re-form at the Storm Castle.
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  109
  AHN SYE NOMOKE
  This order has been known as the Hand, and (errone-
  ously) the Serpent, but the Order of the Mask is closest to
  the truth. Always a shadowy organization, they were the
  Emperor’s spies—and the only group which refused the
  gift of lenses from the Order of the Eye. They were in fact
  disbanded at one point by the Emerian ruler, only to go
  underground.
  They have no set headquarters; their meeting place
  changes constantly (though their original meeting-hall
  was in the northern Spine of Emer). Their intentions and
  purpose have yet to be revealed. However, it is known that
  originally there were eight members and eight adherents.
  Each had a mask, which supposedly granted abilities akin
  to those of a powerful Mystic.
  AHN SYE NI-VULMA
  The Order of the White Flame was originally a guild of
  craftsmen and artisans who were the master smiths for the
  Emperor.  Now they serve only the Jerak Ahrenreth; their
  home is the Ahrenæk in Rulaash and their leader is A-
  kesh, bastard son of Tethior.
  THE VISORS
  There were eight and one of these; all simple laen
  shields attached to a headband so they could be swing
  down over the face—not unlike the visor of a helm. The
  eight conferred frontal immunity to natural and magical
  heat and cold, and were x4 PP enhancers for All realms of
  Alchemy. The one did as the others, but also, only when
  worn by the attuned Lord of the White Flame, it would
  project on the inside of the glass the spells for all Alchemy
  lists and all alchemical recipes at a command. Only the
  wearer could see them.
  3 • THE SECRET CIRCLE
  This section describes a secret order known amongst
  its members and followers as the Jerak Ahrenreth, or
  ‘Secret Circle.’  It is a cult of surpassing power and evil,
  with a convoluted history which reaches back far into the
  First Era.
  How this organization is used (if at all) is up to the GM.
  With such powerful agents and subtle operations, the Secret
  Circle could be behind any number of subversive operations,
  large and small.
  THE JERAK AHRENRETH
  An ancient cult, the Ahrenreth was called to order long
  before the founding of the College of Loremasters and
  before the first Navigator Guild was formed.  In fact, its
  origins lie in a different age, when the very face of Kulthea
  was different.  Its founding leader was a Lord of Essænce
  by the name of Dænkú — though in a later age he would
  be known as Andraax.
  THE FIRST SECRET CIRCLE
  In the hours that followed the death of Kadæna, Utha’s
  forces captured all of her K’ta’viiri followers who did not
  escape to other planes and stripped them of their powers.
  Then they routed her evil minions and either destroyed
  them or sent them back into the Void from which they
  came.  Utha then decided that Kulthea needed to be
  shielded from the threat of returning minions of the
  Unlife as well as demonic forces from the outer Planes —
  and Beyond.  He had set his Eyes to watch over the world,
  but feared that they alone could not maintain a watch
  against Darkness.  So he charged Dænkú with the task of
  forging an organization to protect the Eyes and maintain
  the safety of Kulthea.  To aid them he gave the Crystal, a
  mighty artifact through which flowed the Essænce.  With
  it, the Circle could tap vast energies, and it acted as a focus
  of their powers and purpose.
  This first Secret Circle, known properly as the Dænkú
  Ahrenreth, was made up entirely of K’ta’viiri, and was led
  by the man whose original name was said to be V’gliin.  As
  leader of the Circle, V’gliin came to be known as Dænkú
  exclusively, and his birthname was virtually forgotten.
  The Dænkú Ahrenreth did its duty for thousands of
  years, but at last the inexorable march of time and the
  attrition of conflict with the minions of the Shadow
  reduced the Circle to Dænkú alone.  Some were slain in
  combat with demons, some were swept away by the tides
  of the Essænce.  Among those lost into the Void was
  Ondoval, trusted friend of Dænkú.
  But at last there seemed to be peace, so the Chief of the
  Order slept deep beneath the earth, to be awakened should
  danger arise again.
  THE AHRENRETH REBORN
  At the Dawn of the Third Era, Ondoval returned from
  beyond the Void and opened the sealed gates of the
  Guardian Isle.  The old members of the Secret Order were
  long lost, but he resolved to refound the Circle.  But
  Ondoval was not as he had been when he entered the Void.
  His mind was twisted by the warped reality, and his
  purposes were not what they had been.   He strayed from
  the ideals of the original order and fell into evil.
  Seeking for minds of subtlety and power, he endeav-
  ored to gather a new Order and renew the Oaths as he
  remembered them.
  
  110
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  It was within the shadowed ruins of the original meet-
  ing place of the Dænkú Ahrenreth that Ondoval called the
  Cabal to order.
  He summoned forth the Secret Circle once again.
  THE AWAKENING OF THE CRYSTAL
  The Essænce Crystal still glittered within the deepest
  recesses of the Earth Vault, but its light was dim, wearied
  by time.  In his insanity, Ondoval decided that to re-
  awaken the Crystal would require the blood of sacrifices.
  The Eight went forth and returned with humans and Elves
  by the hundred.  Taking their warm blood in a sadistic
  ritual, the Eight added their own life-fluid — weakening
  themselves near death — and bathed the Crystal.
  The great faceted cluster did awake; only now its color
  was no longer clear like pure water but red like fiery blood
  from the depths of the wounded earth.  And the innocent
  blood of the victims of this ritual cracked the adamantine
  facets.  From the Crystal, Ondoval took seven splinters,
  and from each would grow a new Crystal, nourished by
  the blood of a thousand souls.  Borne of these seven
  splinters grew the Secrets, seven from the one.  Each serves
  as a local focus of the Unlife, puncturing the field of
  protection offered by the Eyes of Utha and granting
  Ondoval and the Ahrenreth additional powers.  Together
  with the Ahrenthrôk, the first hold, they were eight.
  THE CIRCLE OF EIGHT
  These eight beings serve as a focus and council; an
  alliance of evil unmatched in the Shadow World.  But it
  was not always so. The First Secret Circle was called to
  combat Kadæna and her cruel servants.
  Some aspects of the Circle remain the same, however.
  As before, the eight members assume titles associated with
  specific seats on the council, taking those titles as their
  names.  In some ways these were more than designations,
  for they were indicators of their role, and even became
  part of the owner’s identity.
  Those names have been changed, however, and new
  rings have been forged for the Eight of the Cult.
  4 • THE ‘‘ALLIANCE’
  GM Note: Much more on the Alliance will be revealed in
  later books, but since they are mentioned in the timeline
  and have begun to visit Emer, some background is in order.
  Late in the first millennium of the Third Era of Ire, a
  group of Dyari archaeologists (the less diplomatic might
  call them tomb-robbers) discovered an ancient vault of
  the Lords of Essænce. Inside, among other things, they
  discovered a sealed chamber, and being curious souls,
  they opened it. Within was a small circular room empty
  except for thirteen pedestals set in a ring. And upon each
  pedestal was a crystal orb, shimmering with a brilliant,
  prismatic inner light. Believing them to be artifacts of
  value, the Dyari brought them out of the vault. It was not
  until much later that they realized that within each orb
  was a presence…
  And so thirteen Thalan, imprisoned by the Lords long
  ago, were freed from their magical tomb. They each
  mystically impregnated a Dyar female with their presence,
  and as the fetus developed each moulded it to his or her
  purpose. The resulting children resembled Lords of Es-
  sænce as much as Dyari, and from birth they exhibited
  strange powers. Even before their bodies had fully ma-
  tured, these thirteen entities had exerted their mental
  powers over the current Dyari leaders. Rather than take
  prominent positions themselves, they assumed unobtru-
  sive administrative positions in the small Dyar kingdom,
  all the while gathering information and crafting their new
  organization. They also secured several caches of artifacts
  which the Navigators would call compasses, and kept them
  hidden for their own purposes.
  Over the next few hundred years the thirteen built a
  growing commercial empire around bureaucracy of their
  own, far outgrowing the Dyari. They became known as
  the Brotherhood.
  During this time the group sent out spies and agents,
  selecting races who could serve their needs. They brought
  back Jhordi and Kuluku and bred them as elite warrior
  teams.
  THE BROTHERHOOD
  At the  heart of the Alliance is the Brotherhood, a group
  of 13 Thalan Mystics, each with two Dyari adherents.
  Their physical forms are humanoid and immortal, resem-
  bling a fusion of Elf and K’ta’viir. They have all the special
  physical attributes of the K’ta’viir. Using subterfuge and
  manipulation, they brought the wild mannish tribes of the
  area under their control. Because the Brotherhood mem-
  bers are all experts at illusion, no one knows how many
  there are or where they may be at any given time—or even
  what they really look like.
  THE JENAAR
  The primary political emissaries of the Alliance are
  Dyari Elves. When going openly, they dress in similar
  black uniforms with red trim and a particular earring and
  hair style. They are known as the Jenaar, and approach
  neighboring governments making an offer to join the
  growing trade pact known as the Alliance. Acceptance,
  however, means far more than a trade agreement; it
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  111
  means coming under the Alliance dominion; refusal means
  destruction at the clawed hands of the Kal’chah.
  Other Jenaar are trained Mystics who secretly infiltrate
  other cultures and governments— initially in order to
  analyze their potential as future Alliance members, but if
  the culture refuses or is unsuitable, the Jenaar also act to
  destroy the structure from within, making it more vulner-
  able to outside attack.
  THE VA’TENN  & KAL’CHAH
  One Jhordi Mentalist (a Va’tenn) is in charge of a
  group of Kuluku warriors (Kal’chah). The most powerful
  among the Va’tenn possess a wristband which functions
  much like a compass. Using this, they are able to teleport
  into a secure place and strike without warning.
  5 • AMETHYST LEAGUE
  An elite trade organization and social society, the
  Amethyst League is headquartered on the isle of Pyridiis,
  part of the realm of Danarchis. All members wear an
  identical ring—a silver signet set with an amethyst. Each
  gem has a unique emblem cut into it, a seal to identify the
  individual wearer.
  The League is actually a cover for a crime syndicate,
  specializing in smuggling but also involved in other illegal
  activities. Many governments have tried to snuff them
  out, but because most are so localized, the League is able
  to go underground in that area until things ‘cool off’
  before resurfacing.
  6 • THE BLACK DAWN
  An insidious religious cult said to originate in southern
  Silaar, the Black Dawn is just beginning to insinuate itself
  into Hæstra. The group’s symbol is a gold sunburst with
  a black center, meant to symbolize an eclipse. High priests
  of the order carry a mace of gold with a black obsidian
  sphere in the center; lesser Priests wear an amulet of a gold
  sunburst with an obsidian cabochon.
  At present the Black Dawn has a very small following
  in the larger NE Hæstran cities, members meeting in
  homes and back warehouses. Rituals are said to involve
  self-mutilation and sorcerous summonings. Some Lore-
  masters theorize that the Black Dawn is an offshoot of the
  Order of the Sun, but this remains unconfirmed.
  GM Note: more will be revealed about the Black Dawn
  in upcoming books; in the meantime the GM may wish
  to plant a few ominous rumors.
  7 • THE SIRENS OF SORAK
  The Sirens are beautiful women of Elven character
  (though a few males have been reported), each usually
  accompanied by an elderly man. The general belief is that
  they come from a land to the south or east, but it is not
  certain
  GM Notes: The Sirens—like the Heralds of Darkness,
  and the Priests Arnak in Jaiman—are servants of the
  Unlife. Having destroyed the land of Gethanen to the
  east, they are moving into Emer. The Sirens have vary-
  ing powers and natures, but all are powerful Bards,
  using music and sound as deadly weapons. Some wield
  their power with subtlety, others with flagrant displays
  of raw power. More will be revealed of them later.
  8 • NEIGHBORING REALMS
  Below is a very brief overview of a few governments
  outside of Hæstra but which may have an influence on
  events there.
  It is important to keep in mind that only the most
  wealthy and well-travelled will have seen any of these
  places; to most they are merely exotic names and spots on
  a map.
  SEL-KAI
  A legendary trade city, Sel-kai (and its counterpart, the
  skyborne city of Eidolon) is known across the hemi-
  sphere. Home of the famed skyships, Sel-kai is a name
  synonymous with wealth, prestige and culture.
  The city of Sel-kai itself is essentially a sprawling cluster
  of islands at the mouth of the Sharhya River. Canals run
  between the isles, which are connected by dozens of
  bridges.
  Hovering high above, glittering in the sun, is the pal-
  ace-city of Eidolon. It is disc-shaped, with rings of shops
  and villas alternating with small parks and gardens. At the
  center is the Prince of Sel-kai’s palace.
  THE LANKAN EMPIRE
  Few of Hæstra’s inhabitants know much of the lands
  east of the Spine of Emer, and when facts are scarce there
  is always gossip and rumor to fill in the gap.
  While not technically the most advanced culture on
  the continent, the Lankani possess quick minds and an
  aggressive nature. They have conquered nearly all of the
  once-isolated tribal communities around them, and just
  ten years ago defeated the Pochanti, a kingdom further
  north along the coast of Tai-emer. For a culture which
  
  112
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  cannot work steel, has little use for the wheel and little
  desire to sail, they have become quite powerful.
  KAITAINE
  A trade center even larger than Sel-kai City (though
  perhaps not as famous or glamorous), Kaitaine is located
  in southwestern Emer Its ships trade all over the conti-
  nent, north to Jaiman and south to Falias and Thuul.
  PRÆTEN
  Two peninsulas and more than a dozen large isles mark
  the empire of the Honakh (‘king’ or ‘lord’) of Præten. This
  maritime country is isolated from the steppe-peoples of
  Tai-emer and seems more than happy to remain so. The
  Præteni are an aggressive people who have found them-
  selves in an unhappy location between two major trade
  powers. To the west lies Danarchis, an organized little
  realm with ties to every major shipping port from the Mur
  Fostisyr to Kaitaine, while not 500 miles to the east floats
  Eidolon, the only trade city whose fame (and legendary
  flying trade fleet) has spread across the entire hemisphere.
  As a result, Præten has had to resort to raiding to
  supplement its economy, its privateer ships making life
  difficult for Danarchis and the seagoing vessels of Eidolon
  as well.
  VAJAAR
  The Lord Praelector of this realm—located in SW
  Uj—has just been crushed by the forces of the Komari.
  Vajaar was the aggressor, seeking to annex the Komaren
  Cluster and exploit it. But, like so many campaigns by the
  Vajaari, this one ended in failure.
  9 • PIRATES & BANDITS
  With the breakdown of large governments comes iso-
  lation and suspicion. Sea lanes are no longer patrolled, nor
  roads maintained, and crime thrives.
  RAIDERS BY SEA
  In addition to numberless independent pirates, the
  sea-merchants of Hæstra have three forces to contend
  with.
  To the north, the isle of Plasidar is well-known as a
  pirate haven; their lord is Jerel, the White Swan, a ruthless
  Dyari Elf. East of Danarchis is Præten, which denies that
  its ship raid merchants on their way to Sel-kai, is clearly
  guilty. The Honakh is a dissembler and master of subter-
  fuge, and his ships fly no flag when they strike. Finally,
  Kellus the Naiad rises out of the Keyten River
  
  Part VI: Other Powers
  113
  west of Komaren is the Shinh Archipelago, a cluster of isles
  said to harbor many wild creatures—and a pirate base.
  HIGHWAYMEN AND BANDITS
  No safer than the seas are the roads of Hæstra in this
  troubled time. Poor, desperate serfs with no home turn
  from begging to stealing. Often they are armed with no
  more than a knife or pitchfork. More dangerous are
  deserting soldiers, and jobless mercenaries, mostly from
  the army of Stroane. On the positive side is that some
  sense of honor might be expected from these thieves;
  however the negative is that they are inevitably skilled and
  well-armed fighters. Then there are the professional high-
  waymen, merciless killers who will do anything to get your
  gold. They are most to be feared.
  Finally, there is at least one well-organized society of
  bandits: the Riders of the Golden Rose. All wear dark blue,
  including a silk mask and cap, and all have a beautiful
  golden cloakpin in the form of a rose blossom. They are
  skilled fighters, honorable after their fashion; some vic-
  tims say even polite. They are reputed to have an Elven air,
  speaking Erlin with a fair accent. They never harm their
  targets when it can be helped, and usually take only cash.
  GM Note: The Riders are in fact Elves and Laan,
  recruited into he service of a Linær/Dyar Bard who calls
  herself the Golden Rose. Her secret castle is in a vale
  among the foothills of the Spine of Emer, about ten
  leagues east of Relian.
  10 • POWERFUL BEINGS
  The following are special NPCs in Hæstra.
  KELLUS THE NAIAD
  Powerful among the Faerie, Kellus is tied to the Keyten
  River. He draws his strength from it and cannot leave it for
  very long. All of the land along the river is lush and
  beautiful, and it is the home of many varieties of animal.
  Kellus is the object of reverence by the Bodlean people,
  and in return he has used the river to help them defend
  themselves from southern attackers more than once. He
  can turn the river into a raging torrent, sweeping anything
  in it away to the sea.
  Kellus can assume a human form, a handsome, mus-
  cular youth with fair skin and pale blond hair. At other
  times he can rise out of the river, appearing vaguely
  human in form, but many times the height of a man and
  made up of the water of the river itself.
  MYNISTRA
  Powerful among the local gods of Hæstra, Mynistra
  could stand in her own domain (within Hæstra itself)
  against a Lord of Orhan. Outside of that region but within
  1000 miles of Helberna her powers and level are essen-
  tially halved. Beyond that she is reduced to a quarter of her
  normal powers and vulnerable; it would take dire circum-
  stances for her to go so far, especially when she could easily
  channel through a follower.
  Mynistra is known as the three-faced: Love, Wisdom,
  and Protector. To reflect this, some statues of her have
  three faces spaced around the head. Others have three
  separate statues reflecting the different natures. Though
  generally benevolent, the goddess does not suffer those
  who take her name in vain or worship her without feeling.
  The former might meet with an accident and the latter
  could find themselves without Power Points at a very
  awkward moment. Mynistra is not above being petty.
  Services are every 10 days (travelling worshippers are
  expected to make do even on the road); she enjoys singing
  and prayer, and small sacrifices of incense and flowers.
  11 • INTERESTING
  PERSONALITIES
  The following individuals are not particularly power-
  ful, but they are all unique and could be useful to add
  flavor to the PCs experience.
  BASHAR THE MERCHANT
  A wealthy man by most standards, Bashar Tremaine
  nevertheless travels on horseback (or in his covered wagon)
  from city to city and manor to manor. He carries a wide
  variety of wares, including herbs, ointments, jewelry,
  unusual trinkets, a few books, and even a selection of
  magic scrolls.
  With him is his wife Findell and two adult daughters—
  Naris and Baila. Both daughters are skilled fighters and
  help to guard the entourage.
  PHENO THE JUGGLER
  Pheno is not unlike many other travelling entertainers
  in Hæstra, travelling from manor to manor, putting on a
  show in return for a meal and a few coppers—except that
  he is actually a Loremaster. Not all Loremasters are lordly
  Elves who announce their presence. Many indeed are
  simple merchants and entertainers who travel alone and
  gather information from a different perspective.
  Pheno dresses in worn but clean clothes in bright
  colors; PCs will never know that he is a Loremaster, but if
  
  114
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  POWERS & PERSONALITIES
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  Kellus
  30
  250
  11(90)
  N
  (Y)
  180 mace (fist)
  120 water bolt
  30
  Naiad, tied to Keyten River.  Age: Immortal (appears ≈20) Sex: M Eyes: blue-green Hair: white-blond, shoulder length Build: muscular Height:
  6´/20´Spells: Mentalist Closed Liquid Manipulation, Mystic Base Liquid Alteration, Mystical Change to 30th. 300 PP. Spell range is within 100’
  of the river from any point in the river. Over max hits means he discorporates for 7-70 days.
  Mynistra
  160
  700
  20(150)
  N
  (Y)
  300 HBa(fist)
  300 lightning call
  200
  Goddess Age: Immortal (appears ≈25) Sex: F Eyes: green Hair: blonde, shoulder length, flowing Build: perfect Height: 6´/12´ Powers: As
  Lords of Orhan (Master Atlas 2nd Ed p 102) within Hæstra. Spells: All Channelling and Base Cleric. She particularly enjoys calling storms and
  lightning.
  Pheno
  20
  110
  11(35)
  (Y)
  (Y)
  140 broadsword
  95 dagger
  20
  Shay Thief (Loremaster)   Age: 36 Sex: M Eyes: brown Hair: short, dark brown Build: lean Height:5´9˝ Spells: All Loremaster Base to 20th
  Items: Tunic, protects as AT 11, Magic +20 broadsword (looks like poor iron), +20 throw and return dagger. Loremaster Ring, invisible at will.
  Bandara
  10
  40
  1(40)
  (Y)
  N
  35 dagger
  (spells)
  15
  Erlin Illusionist  Age: Immortal (appears ≈30) Sex: F Eyes: blue-green Hair:  Build: statuesque Height: 6´2˝ Spells: All Illusionist Base to
  10th, Rune Mastery, Lofty Bridge to 10th.
  Mikal
  7
  68
  9(35)
  Y
  N
  95 quarterstaff
  60 comp bow
  15
  Laan Rogue  Age: Immortal (appears ≈20) Sex: M Eyes: blue Hair: black, long Build: muscular Height: 6´4˝ Items: +15 quarterstaff.
  Trellian the Bard
  20
  130
  11(40)
  (Y)
  N
  95 broadsword
  (spells)
  10
  Laan Bard (Vampire)  Age: Immortal (appears ≈25) Sex: M Eyes:grey Hair: black, short Build: muscular Height: 6´5˝ Spells: A  Bard Base to
  20th, 5 Essence lists to 10th. Able to become mist form at will, other Vampire powers. Items: +20 harp, +25 magic laen sword.
  Bandits lie in wait along the road to Orian
  they take time to chat with him and buy him an ale, they
  might get a priceless gem of knowledge or two.
  BANDARA, MISTRESS OF ILLUSION
  A wood-elf, Bandara is very unusual for her race in that
  she enjoys travelling and interacting with mortals. Her
  companion—Mikal—is in fact a Laan. Together they go
  from village to manor to city, putting on shows in return
  for a few silvers. Bandara travels in more respectable
  circles than Pheno; She entertains lords and kings, and
  wears an air of mystery and power like a cloak. Her flashy
  shows are designed to impress and amaze those unfamil-
  iar with magic, and they do.
  TRELLIAN THE MINSTREL
  The handsome Trellian is in demand wherever he goes;
  his voice is like honey and his songs are unmatched in
  their ability to stir the heart and soul. He has been making
  the rounds of Hæstra and beyond for as long as anyone
  can remember, yet he still looks like a young man. When
  asked, he demurs, suggesting elven blood. But Trellian has
  a dark secret: he is a vampire. He must travel only at night;
  during the day he sleeps in a sealed box in his covered
  wagon. The only one to share his secret is his current
  assistant, the youth Kendo, who watches over him by day.
  After entertaining, Trellian slips into the night to feed. He
  takes little pleasure in this, but he must to survive. He
  usually manages to leave his victims alive, but sometimes
  he cannot help himself.
  
  Part VII
  115
  • PART VII •
  ADVENTURES AND IDEAS
  Z
  ek adjusted his pack for the umpteenth time, but he had run out of new places on his
  shoulders—all were sore. It didn’t help that the sun beat down on them through the
  humid haze, the heat making perspiration run down his back and soak his tunic. Who
  would have thought that it could be so hot this high up in the Gold Mountains? The Changramai
  Monk was beginning to feel faint; he wondered how the others were holding up. Just behind him,
  he could hear the labored breathing of the Talath youth Bandor, but he was stoic and uncom-
  plaining. Zek glanced back to see Bandor’s blond hair plastered to his scalp with sweat. And just
  in front, Kylen the Erlin from Komaren had stripped down to his white kilt, and seemed cool and
  tireless. But then he was an Elf, sure-footed as he climbed through the tumbled rocks, ever
  higher.
  “I can smell water!” Kylen called back. “Must be a stream nearby; we can rest—”
  The Elf was cut off in mid-sentence by a sound like a thunderclap. The ground trembled
  under their feet.
  “Wh-what was that?” Bandor looked up to Kylen for guidance.
  But Zek saw it first. “I think it has something to do with that!” He pointed to a sheltered niche
  not far away. It had been shadowed before, but now from that overhang game an eerie blue-green
  radiance.
  The three fearlessly clambered over to the source of the light, entering the niche as one—and
  stopping short. Before them, framed by a bright glow, was an upright oval perhaps eight feet
  high. It seemed to hover in midair. And within that oval, like a window, was an image of another
  world. Within the window it was night, on a rocky shore overlooking a stormy sea. But it was
  much more than a vision—they could smell the salt air and feel a cool sea breeze. And as if far
  away they heard the crashing waves.
  “A Portal…” Kylen said in a hushed voice.
  
  116
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  While these atlases are intended primarily as a source of background for GMs to create their
  own adventures and campaigns, we include here two relatively detailed adventures and a number
  of adventure and campaign ideas. Many of these are intended to be relatively ‘low-level.’
  Hopefully these, coupled with the rest of the book—especially Places of Note and Other Pow-
  ers—will give GMs inspiration for many hours of exciting campaigning.
  1 • THE WAY TO SARNAK
   The city-state of the Amazons, located on the eastern
  end of the Bay of Izar, is the goal of a caravan just up from
  the town of Qye, now resting in Arakin. They carry a
  variety of items, from spices to silks and rare herbs. The
  leader of the caravan, a Shay trader from northern Khûm-
  kaan named Belian Togg, needs a group of guards who are
  familiar with southern Hæstra to guide him overland to
  Sarnak. Normally Togg would go by sea, but the storms
  have been too frequent and treacherous—especially in the
  Melurian Straits—so now he is trying the land route.
  GM Note: This could serve as a mini-campaign for
  starting players, as most of the challenges early-on are
  relatively minor, building to such terrors as a Mountain
  Giant and the Light Drake. See the chart for the
  caravan NPCs
  THE GOAL
  To escort a caravan carrying a variety of goods safely
  from Arakin to Sarnak.
  ENCOUNTERS
  Following are things which might be encountered
  along the way. Keep in mind that Togg and his servants
  will not fight unless they have to (that is what he is paying
  the PCs for!).
  SPECIFIC ENCOUNTERS BEFORE STORM PASS
  Niév: This town is probably best avoided, especially if
  there are any Elves in the group. An Elf could be arrested
  on sight, which would certainly complicate things.
  Fauns: Only encountered at the Emerald Forest perimeter,
  the fauns will observe the caravan, and if it stays away from
  the forest, 50% chance they will ignore it. Otherwise, they
  will begin by taunting them from nearby trees.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Harmless Travellers: These could be traders (From a
  single traveler to a wealthy, navigator-led expedition.
  They might want to exchange rumors about trouble in
  the area.), soldiers on patrol, travelling minstrels, refu-
  gees, or something totally unusual. Most will simply nod
  to the group and move on.
  Bandits: Highwaymen are everywhere in Hæstra these
  days. Between the collapse of Stroane and the confusion
  caused by freakish weather, there is an increased sense of
  isolationism outside the cities, and everyone has got to
  watch his or her own back.
  Bandits can range from a bedraggled group of desper-
  ate lordless serfs to deserting soldiers to a well-organized
  band like the Riders of the Black Rose (see Other Powers).
  Inquisitors of Zanar: These troublesome priests tend to
  prey on smaller groups, but a wealthy caravan might be
  too much to resist. See Other Powers for a typical Zanar
  Group.
  Wild Animal/Monster: If it is within 3 days of a Flow
  Storm it will be a monster such as a demon; otherwise it
  will be a hungry bear, 3D4 wolves, or 1D4 Forest or Stone
  Trolls.
  Storm: A normal but severe storm. Horses may bolt,
  streams flood…
  Flow Whirlwind: A small, luminous green funnel cloud
  forms within a mile, accompanied by strange winds,
  clouds and lightning. Treat as a Large Flow-squall (Mas-
  ter Atlas 2nd Ed, pg. 29)
  Flow Storm: Treat as Major Flowstorm (Master Atlas 2nd
  Ed, pg. 29).
  ENCOUNTER ROLL
  Roll D100 2x daily on the chart below until 2 days past
  Dynax. Note that Togg will only travel on the road and by
  day. Some encounters (animals, bandits) are more likely
  at night when the group is camped.
  Roll
  Result
  01-40
  Nothing Unusual
  41-80
  Harmless Travellers
  66-69
  Bandits: Poor Serfs*
  70-74
  Bandits: Highwaymen*
  75-79
  Bandits: Renegade Soldiers*
  80-82
  Bandits: Black Rose*
  83-84
  Inquisitor of Zanar*
  85-90
  Animal/Monster
  91-96
  Storm
  97-99
  Flow Whirlwind
  00
  Flowstorm
  *If encountered already, roll again until a different result
  is obtained.
  
  Part VII
  117
  THE STORM PASS
  Giant Spiders: While preferring the night, these hideous
  arachnids will welcome prey into their webs at any time.
  Lesser (Roll 2D4) and greater (Roll 1D4) spiders may be
  encountered together, their webs closing in on the trail.
  Murlogi: A danger only at night, these vermin emerge
  from their underground cities after sundown seeking
  wealth and slaves. Roll  8 + 2D4
  Hill Trolls: Mostly in the lower elevations, these Trolls do
  not turn to stone, but they are blinded by the sun. Roll
  1D3
  ENCOUNTER ROLL
  Roll D100 2x daily on the chart below until the border
  of Sarnak. Note that Togg will only travel on the road and
  by day. Some encounters are more likely at night when the
  group is camped.
  Roll
  Result
  01-50
  Nothing Unusual
  51-65
  Harmless Travellers
  66-73
  Giant Spiders
  74-80
  Murlogi
  81-89
  Hill Trolls
  90-95
  Light Drake Sighting
  96-97
  Storm
  98-99
  Flow Whirlwind
  00
  Flowstorm
  Mountain Giant: The GM can decide whether the caravan
  should encounter the Mountain Giant—and if they
  track his path back to his lair.
  Optional Secret Tomb: The Lair of the Mountain Giant is
  merely the anteroom of an ancient tomb (Easy maneu-
  ver to notice the architecture, Hard to find the door in
  the back to the inner tomb.The GM could develop this
  to add treasure potential to the trip.
  Light Drake: Ssamis T’zang Actually resides far around
  the Scorpion Ridge, but there is a chance she will be
  flying in the vicinity. If a sighting is rolled (see above),
  there is a 20% chance she will see the group and decide
  she is hungry. She may just strafe the caravan and carry
  off a horse, or she may be in a nasty mood that day…
  REWARDS
  Togg will pay 700 gp. (100 in advance, 600 on arrival)
  plus food along the route for safe arrival of his caravan.
  This is a lot of gold, but still cheap compared to the cost of
  one Navigator. And Togg apparently has some cargo that
  will make it worthwhile. In addition, the PCs may keep
  anything they ‘find’ along the way, though detours are not
  permitted.
  2 • GHOSTS OF ZINVAR
  The isle of Zinvar has been supposedly uninhabited for
  over a hundred years—ever since the entire population
  simultaneously went mad and killed each other. Since
  then the place has a reputation of being haunted—or
  worse. In any city in Hæstra one can hear wild stories told
  third-hand of the brave (or foolish) who have traveled
  there only to barely escape with their lives. They speak of
  a few survivors reverted to animal-ways, of hordes of rats,
  and of wandering undead: those killed in the insanity who
  still walk the island.
  GM NOTES
  Much of southern Zinvar (formerly a region of farms
  and country estates) is now a wilderness. At the northern
  tip of the isle, where once stood Zinvar City.
  THE GOAL
  To go to Zinvar and return—unharmed—to prove
  that setting foot on the island will no longer cause insanity
  OBSTACLES & AIDS
  Few aids are available in this grim adventure, but there
  are perils aplenty. The ruined city is especially infested
  with foul creatures, though there are treasures to be
  found—few looters have dared to land on Zinvar.
  INHABITANTS
  Feral Humans: The few who were not killed were reduced
  to an animal-like state. Their descendants are barely
  human. They have almost no language, can’t use a
  weapon more sophisticated than a club, and run naked
  through the ruins and forests. They will attack on sight.
  10% chance/day of encountering 2-12 (2D6)
  Rats: Though not giant, these little beasts grow to be
  almost a foot long (not including the scaly tail). Found
  mostly in the city, they have grown bold and will attack
  in groups of 5-50 (5D10), especially underground or at
  night. 10% encounter a day, 50% at night, 80% under-
  ground.
  Birds: Flocks of vicious, bloodthirsty seagulls swarm about
  the coasts. 30% chance per day 10-60 (10D6) will attack
  any ship within a mile of the coast; 50% they will attack
  anyone on the beach.
  Skeletons & Zombies: These remains of the dead resi-
  dents are mostly found underground or in buildings,
  especially at night. 20% chance/day of encountering 1-4
  of either indoors during the day; 50% at night anywhere
  in the city
  
  118
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  REWARDS
  Whatever treasure they can haul away; once word is
  out that a visit to Zinvar does not equal instant insanity
  there will be a rush of loot-seekers.
  Discreet PCs could sell their information and possibly
  act as guides for an expedition mounted by a nearby lord
  or wealthy speculative merchants who realize the strategic
  importance of Zinvar.
  3 • ADVENTURE IDEAS
  Here are a few very brief adventure ideas for the GM to
  develop.
  WOLVES ON THE MOOR
  The Dalesmen of Bodlea are used to wolves prowling
  the less-settled areas, and the keep large dogs to protect
  their sheep. However, something much more fierce and
  cunning has begun to kill—and it has attacked humans as
  well. The Dalesmen would be in the PCs debt if they could
  capture or kill the beast (It is a werewolf; one of the Dale
  leaders).
  THE CORAL ROAD
  One of the PCs is mistaken for someone else, handed
  a note, a map and a curious key. Following the map, and
  interpreting the mysterious instructions leads the adven-
  turers to a Coral Road entrance.
  Just finding an entrance to the Coral Road is a valuable
  prize. The PCs could sell this information (and the key) to
  the Navigators or Loremasters for a considerable sum
  (≈5,000 gp.). Or, the road itself could be a path to many
  adventures. And of course, the people who mistakenly
  gave the key to the PC will be wanting it back…
  THE TWIN
  Someone runs into one of the PCs at a bar, and starts
  talking to him like he knows him, calling him by another
  name. If the PC plays along, the stranger inadvertently
  reveals a secret—perhaps a location of a secret tomb, a
  political intrigue, or a scandalous rumor. Suddenly the
  stranger realizes that the PC is not who he thought, and
  becomes angry and violent. What to do?
  RECONNAISSANCE
  The larger cities (Sarnak, Izar, Aquitar, Artha, Orian,
  Arakin) are constantly hungry for information about
  events in other places. They are especially interested in
  each other’s business, and the activities of larger places
  like Sel-kai, Kaitaine, Námar-Tol, etc.
  For the most part this is healthy competitiveness,
  though sometimes observation becomes spying… and
  spying becomes sabotage. Most cities have career ‘observ-
  ers’ stationed within the governments and business of
  their neighbors, though often they will use others for less
  sensitive (or more risky) information gathering. Travel-
  ling PCs with the right contacts could find these jobs
  lucrative and interesting—if they are careful and discrete.
  ADVENTURES NPCS
  Name
  Lvl
  Hits
  AT(DB)
  Sh
  Gr
  Melee Ob
  Missile Ob
  Mov
  BANDITS
  Poor Serfs
  25
  120
  11(90)
  Y*
  (Y)
  190 long kynac
  180 kynac
  30
  Highwaymen
  20
  90
  1(80)
  Y*
  N
  90da
  110 Fire Bolt
  10
  Renegade Soldiers
  25
  120
  11(90)
  Y*
  (Y)
  190 long kynac
  180 kynac
  30
  
  Index
  119
  • PART IX •
  INDEX
  A
  Acropolis of the Titans  92
  Age of Exploration  25
  Ahn  81
  Ahn Sye Ni-Vulma  23
  Ahn sye Ni-vulma  109
  Ahn sye Nokora  106
  Ahn sye Nomoke  109
  Ahn sye Shan  108
  Ahn sye Takla  108
  Ahn sye Talaus  107
  Ahn sye Woloka  104
  Ahn sye Zanar  106
  Ahrenæk  27
  Ahrenthrôk  92
  A'kesh  21
  Albemara  63
  Aldain Ruins  91
  Aldaron  23
  Alkartek  68
  Alliance  110
  Amethyst League  84, 111
  Andraax  113
  Anzeti  53
  Aquatic Elves  53
  Arakin  70
  Ardan  24
  Ardan City  38
  Ardania  30
  Arinyark  40
  Artha  63
  Ash Lairs  91
  B
  Bandara  113
  Barellis Island  83
  Barrier Isles  49
  Bashar  113
  Bentara  69
  Black Dawn  111
  Black Squirrel  51, 58
  Blood Brethren  41, 77
  Bodlea  64
  Bodlean Moors  97
  Bokpentok  68
  Bore-burrs  58
  Brotherhood  110
  C
  Champions of Zanar  107
  Changramai  20
  Changramai Monastery  102
  Chelzaria  67
  City of the Dead  18, 35, 38
  Cloudlords  37
  Compasses  20
  Coral Road  83, 90
  Coral Road Entries  91
  Coronan  25
  Cult of the Python  83
  Cult of the Secret Circle  23
  D
  Daath Leerssoi  21
  Danarchis  62
  Danarchis Coral Road Entry  91
  Dark Elves  52
  Demons  56
  Diaspar  63
  Dragon Helms  20, 21
  Dragonlords  20
  Drül Churk  27
  Durnanga  27
  Dwarves  55
  Dynax  69
  E
  Earth Wardens  91
  Earthwardens  18
  Eidolon  33
  Eight Orders  23
  Elben Archipelago  62
  Emerald Forest  73
  Emperor Regent  28
  F
  Faaw Shryaac  35
  Faaw Shryaac, see also Heart of
  Agoth  23
  Fauns  54
  Forest Elves  53
  Four Realms  25
  G
  Garks  55
  Gate of Yæra  92
  Gelbentex  69
  Gemsting  51, 58
  Giant Spider  58
  Giant Squid  52
  Go-tjiin-kai  57
  Golden Dragon  42
  Golden dragon  21
  Golden Rose  118
  Grey Ring  107
  Grotto Path  30
  Gryphon  51
  H
  Hard Winter  37
  Heart of Agoth  35, 105
  Helberna  67
  Highwaymen  118
  Holy Sword of Kuor  96
  I
  Iloura,  Shrines  94
  Inquisitors  107
  Irdania  66
  Iron Wind  21
  Isle of Fire  27, 82
  Isle of Glass  105
  Itanian Warlocks  39
  Izar Coastal Towns  77
  Izaran League  40
  
  120
  Emer I: Hæstra and the Emerian Empire
  J
  Jantanen  77
  Jenaar  110
  Jennis  69
  Jerak Ahrenreth  23, 104
  Jineri  84
  Jinteni  18, 54, 95
  Jo-tjiin-kai  57
  K
  Kaal Arain  35
  Kaitaine  111
  Kal’chah  111
  Kellus  65, 113
  Khal-tjiin-kai  57
  Kieron  95
  Komaren Coral Road Entry  91
  Komaren Isles  26
  Krelij  20
  Kuluku  25, 35
  L
  Laan  53
  læn  72
  Lankan Empire  111
  Leonas  24
  Lonely Sea  83
  Lord High Priest  107
  Lord of Encla Turic  21
  Luarto Shang  28
  Lugrôki  56
  M
  Ministra  67
  Morloch  24
  Motar Voorg  36, 58, 68, 95
  Murlogi  55
  Mynistra  113
  N
  Nameless One  35
  Narrowing Bay  83
  Navigators  20
  Niév  70
  Night Hound  51
  Nivean Atolls  83
  Northern Eye  36
  Nuyan Khôm  24
  O
  Obelisk of Thase  93
  Olas Shryak  26
  Ondoval  28
  Oracle of Syne  98
  Oran Jatar  20
  Ordainer  36, 81
  Order of the Hand  27
  Order of the Mask  27
  Order of the White Flame  27
  Orian  66
  P
  Pellern  67
  People of the Forest  73
  Period of  Consolidation  23
  Pheno  113
  Pirates  112
  Plasidar  35
  port of Izar  82
  Portals  92
  Præten  112
  Procreator  56, 83, 95
  R
  Rashelle Islands  83
  Relas  24
  S
  Sarnak  74
  Scalu  95
  Second Era of ire  18
  Secret Circle  109
  Sel-Kai  111
  Shaitan  76
  Shay  54
  Sherki  43
  Shinh Archipelago  26, 83
  Shoneb Empire  33
  Shoneb Kingdom  27
  Shuluri  53
  Silver Claw  41
  Skyship  32
  Skystone City  80
  Smokestone  94
  Snow Hound  51
  Ssamis T’zang  43, 58, 96
  Ssoiayig Saer  20
  Stroane  69
  Sybarus River  25
  Syrkakang  32
  T
  Talath  54
  Talaus College  107
  Temple of Mynistra  95
  Teterantor  70
  Tethior  20
  Teusilya  83
  Thesians  54
  Thesmoq Coral Road Entry  91
  Thesmoq Domain  83
  Tirellion  113
  Ton-Bor  22, 79
  Tree Frogs  51
  Trogli  55
  T'vaar Dekdarion  41
  U
  Unicorn  51
  V
  Va’tenn  111
  Vœrken Mire  21
  Voriig Kye  21
  Vornia  69
  Votania  91
  W
  Wars of Dominion  22
  Wôrim  18, 96
  X
  Xenium  62
  Y
  Yarkbalkas  38, 106
  Y'tarmen  38
  Z
  Zinvar  35, 72
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow World/Shadow World Emer Atlas I - Haestra.pdf