TEXT: © Palladium Books®
  By Kevin Siembieda and Ma�hew Clements
  For the Palladium Fantasy RPG
  ®
  ™
  Garden of the Gods
  Palladium Books® Presents:
  
  1
  Warning!
  Violence and the Supernatural
  The fictional world of the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game® is violent, deadly, and filled 
  with magic and monsters. It is an exotic realm where fictional magic, demonic creatures, gods, strange 
  people and beasts are commonplace. Other-dimensional beings, demons and sorcerers stalk and en-
  slave humans. Magic, monsters, gods, psychic abilities, insanity, cannibalism, war and heroic adven-
  ture are all elements of this book.
  Some parents may find the violence, magic, and supernatural elements inappropriate for young 
  readers/players.
  We suggest parental discretion.
  Please note that none of us at Palladium Books condone or encourage the occult, the practice of 
  magic, the use of drugs, or violence. Nor is there any intention to make light of real world faiths.
  A magical sourcebook for the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition.
  Easily adaptable to Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, and any game system.
  
  2
  PDF Edition – February 2021
  No part of this publication may be scanned, OCRed, reproduced or distributed in any way for electronic publication on the web/internet or any other 
  medium.
  Copyright 2020 Palladium Books Inc. and Kevin Siembieda
  All rights reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention, World Wide. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form 
  or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments 
  and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental.
  Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, Megaverse®, Powers Unlimited®, Coalition 
  Wars®, Wormwood®, and After the Bomb® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.
  Adventures on the High Seas, Aco, Age of Chaos, Algor, Algorian Sea, Baalgor Wastelands, Black Pit, Bearmen, Bizantium, Bizas, Black Pit, 
  Island Kingdom of Bizantium, Brgg, Dragons & Gods, Age of a Thousand Magicks, Age of Purification, Corpse Jelly, Coyles, Deevil, Defilers, Di-
  abolist, Dragondactyl, Dragonwright, Empire of Sin, Eandroth, Eastern Territory, Emerin, Epim, Fangs of the Old Ones, Floenry Islands, Fossarian 
  Warden, Garden of the Gods, Ghost Whip, Giant Slayer, Gigante, Great Ice Shelf, Great Northern Wilderness, Hoknar, Iceborn, Icy Ocean, Invincible 
  Warbringer, Kankoran, Knights-Fossar, Land of the Damned, Land of the South-Winds, Library of Bletherad, Lopan, Lopanic Games, Mind Mage, 
  Od, Old Kingdom, Psi-Healer, Monsters & Animals, Nar-Rabium, Nimro, Northern Hinterlands, Old Ones, Palladium of Desires, Rock Claw, Rod of 
  Shadow and Might, Sea of Despair, Serpent Lord, Shadow Beast, Shadow Coast, Summoner, Timiro Kingdom, Tristine Chronicles, Western Empire, 
  Wolfen, Wolfen Empire, Wolvenar, Yin-Sloth Jungles, and other names, titles and likenesses of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda 
  and Palladium Books Inc.
  Palladium Online: www.palladiumbooks.com
  Also visit us at facebook.com/PalladiumBooks
  Garden of the Gods™ – A sourcebook for The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition is published by Palladium Books, 39074 
  Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. Printed by Bradford & Bigalow of Massachusetts, in the USA.
  Dedication
  To Wayne Smith, one of my favorite players, a stalwart ally, friend and all-around great guy, and to Shawn Hall, a long time friend, 
  fan, and the guy who inspired me to write this book. I cherish you both.
  – Kevin Siembieda, 2020
  The cover is by Charles Walton II and Eduardo Dominguez S. It depicts a ranger and his Wolfen companions at the statue of the 
  Northern Pantheon deity, Wolvenar, patron of rangers, woodsmen, hunters, explorers, warriors, and Wolfen.
  Easily Adaptable to Rifts®, Phase World® & Other Settings
  Though designed with Palladium Fantasy specifically in mind, the many gods, blessings, magic artifacts, curses, ghosts, and most 
  certainly the 100+ quests and adventure hooks can be easily adapted to Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Phase World® and Three Galaxies™ 
  as deities, and as monsters or aliens in Heroes Unlimited™, Aliens Unlimited™, and perhaps even in Ninjas & Superspies™/Mystic 
  China™ and Nightbane®.
  Simply convert Hit Points and S.D.C. to M.D.C., and damage to M.D., point for point. So if a weapon or power inflicts 4D6 H.P./
  S.D.C. damage, it does 4D6 M.D. in a Mega-Damage setting. Easy.
  Any of the gods could be forgotten Earth deities or alien gods in Rifts® Chaos Earth® or Rifts® itself, or alien gods or strange 
  godlike extraterrestrials in Phase World® and the Three Galaxies and Heroes Unlimited™ or as rival demons in Nightbane®. Of 
  course, you would have to extrapolate on their stats if these ancient or alien gods appear in person; use Rifts® Conversion Book Two: 
  Pantheons of the Megaverse® or Dragons and Gods™ as your template.
  The ancient artifacts, Rune Weapons, and Holy Weapons can be just that in Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Night-
  bane®, and most other settings, or alien artifacts if you’d like.
  The adventure hooks, especially the random tables found in two or three places in this book, are templates for adventures in any set-
  ting. As Garden of the Gods™ was in the editing stage, I had more than one person comment that these quests and encounters could serve 
  as a guide for writing video games, movies, TV shows, novels, and all manner of stories in any medium. All you have to do is adjust to 
  the setting and technology level. For example, finding the ruins of an ancient civilization or lost people could take place in any setting, 
  from fantasy to our modern world or an alien planet. USE this tool for any of your game campaigns in any setting. Mix and match the 
  adventure hooks to create even more possibilities.
   
  This is the beauty of having one game system for many genres. Unleash your imaginations and have fun.
  
  3
  Palladium Books® Presents:
  A Sourcebook for the Palladium Fantasy RPG®:
  Garden of the Gods
  ™
  Written by: Kevin Siembieda
                      Matthew Clements
  Inspired by a concept and ideas by: Shawn Hall
  Additional ideas by: Charles Walton Jr.
  Editors: Alex Marciniszyn
                Wayne Smith
  Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein
  Cover Painting: Charles Walton Jr.
                             Eduardo Dominguez S.
  Interior Artists:
                             Amy L. Ashbaugh
                             Sires Jan Black
                             Nick “The Brick” Bradshaw
                             Dave Carson
                             Steven Cummings
                             Kevin Long
                             Michael Mumah
                             Apollo Okamura
                             Roger Petersen
                             Tanya Ramsey
                             Benjamin Rodriguez
                             Kevin Siembieda
                             Charles “Chuck” Walton Jr.
  Art Direction & Layout: Kevin Siembieda
  Typography: Wayne Smith
  Based on the RPG rules, text, characters,
  concepts and Megaverse® created by Kevin Siembieda.
  Special Thanks to Shawn Hall for inspiring this book and giving me its title; Matthew Clements for jumping in 
  to give me a hand; Glen Evans who is writing the companion Lopan book; to Chuck, Mike, Nick, Tanya, Eduardo 
  and all the artists whose artistry seemed to be divinely inspired for this book; and to the Palladium crew of godly 
  gamers and staff members – Alex, Wayne, Julius, Kathy, Chuck, Matthew, and Rex, who help tend Palladium’s 
  ever growing garden of wonders.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  – Kevin Siembieda, 2020
  
  4
  Contents
  Blessed with an Eye for Good  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
  Blessed with an Eye for the Hidden .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 60
  Blessed with an Eye for Secrets .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 60
  Blessed with an Eye of the Thief  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
  Courage/Valor, the Heart of a Hero .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 61
  Honor and Compassion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Generosity .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 61
  Godspeed  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Good Fortune  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Good Health & Fast Recovery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Heal Others  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Insight and Understanding  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Justice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Knowledge  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Luck in Battle  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Magical Attunement .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 62
  Piety .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 63
  Protection from Evil/Keep Us Safe  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  Protection from Faeries and their Magic  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  Protection from Magic  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  Protection from Psychics/Psionics  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  Protection from Temptation; Temperance  . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  Protection: Keep Hidden from Danger & Evil  . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Protection: Ward Off Supernatural Evil  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Rescuer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Safe Journey .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 64
  Sense Impurities .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 65
  Sharp Blades  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Sharp Eye  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Spiritual Cleansing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Stealth .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 65
  Strength of Body  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Strength of Spirit  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Strength of Will/Mental Fortitude  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Strength to Fight the Forces of Darkness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Sure, Quick Hands  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Wisdom about Life  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Wisdom about the Supernatural .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 66
  Miraculous Blessings & Miracles .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 67
  Miraculous Blessings for Champions of the Gods  . . . . . . . . 67
  The chance of a miracle being granted  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  Descriptions Miraculous Blessings & Miracles  . . . . . . . . 67
  Breathe without Air/Death Trance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  Crusader’s Armor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  Demon and Witch Slayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  Divine Influencer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  Divine Exorcism  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  Dragon Slayer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 69
  Firebrand  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Immortality  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Impervious to Fatigue .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 69
  Impervious to Cold  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Impervious to Fire .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 70
  Impervious to Poison  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Impervious to Possession  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Impossible Save or Catch  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Impossible Shot/Strike  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Impossible Strength .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 70
  Iron Skin .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 70
  Light Bringer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Lightning Bringer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Magical Insight/Awareness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Miraculous Bio-Regeneration .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 71
  The Garden of the Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  A Hero’s Story  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
  Nar-Rabium  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  The Defilers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Palladium of Desires .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
  Kenyon Barrtol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  A Bit of History .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 13
  The Island of Lopan .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
  The Garden of the Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 15
  Tristine Chronicles passage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  National Treasure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  The History of the Garden of the Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  The Nature of the Garden .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18
  Caretakers, Visitors and Avatars  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Naysayers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Into the Garden of the Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  The Verdant Gates  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Statues of the Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  Offerings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
  Random Offering Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  The Primeva .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 26
  Faerie Protectors .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 27
  Guardian Faerie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
  Walking Stick Faerie  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Outside and Around the Garden of the Gods  . . . . . . . . . 32
  Notable Towns Outside the Garden .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 32
  Krigan Heights .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 33
  Godsmire .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 34
  Briargrove  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  Tree of Ancestors .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 35
  Tree of Champions  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 35
  Northpoint  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
  The Power of the Garden  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
  A little about the deities & culture  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
  The Divine Garden  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
  Dreams, Visions, Voices & Visitations .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 39
  Dreams .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 39
  Waking Visions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
  Voices and Sounds .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 40
  Divine Visitation .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 41
  A Mission from God  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 42
  Following Signs from the Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
  Step One: Random Insight Tables  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
  01-10% Forgotten Tribe  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
  11-20% Ancient Ruins and Lost Civilizations  . . . . . . . . 44
  21-30% The Lost  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
  31-40% Forgotten Island/Valley or Lost Lands .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 46
  41-50% Lost Treasure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  51-60% Arcane Knowledge  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
  61-70% A Mission or Quest from a God  . . . . . . . . . . . 51
  71-80% Restoration of a Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
  81-90% Path of Revenge or Justice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
  91-95% Means of Divine Restoration .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 54
  96-00% Personal Revelation .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 54
  Step Two: Random Location Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 56
  Blessings & Miracles .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 56
  Deific Blessings .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 58
  Restrictions & Conditions of Blessings .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 58
  Duration of Skills  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
  Descriptions of Deific Blessings  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 60
  Blessed with an Eye for Danger .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 60
  
  5
  Miraculous Fasting  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Miraculous Healing & Revitalization .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 71
  Miraculous Recovery (Self or One Other)  . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Miraculous Restoration of I.S.P.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  Miraculous Restoration of P.P.E.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  Miraculous Saving Throw .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72
  Miraculous Survival .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72
  Phoenix Resurrection (Self) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72
  Protection from Dark Magic  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  Rain Bringer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72
  Resurrection, Other  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
  Shield from Storms  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
  Spell Casting, Combat  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
  Spell Casting, Defense  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
  Spell Casting, Helpful .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 73
  Spell Casting, Stealth/Spy .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 73
  Supernatural Strength  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
  The Gods’ Place in the World .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 74
  Fading and Forgotten Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
  The Return of a God .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 74
  Being Remembered and Rebirth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
  Champion of the Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 76
  Becoming a Champion of the Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 77
  Commitment to Duty  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
  Game Mechanics for the Champions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
  Random Methods and Quests to Restore a God  . . . . . . . . . 81
  Artifacts as a Reward or Gift from the Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . 83
  Other Rewards from the Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 84
  The Dark Side of the Garden  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
  Catching the Attention of Evil Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
  Champions of Dark Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
  Blessings from Dark Gods to their Champions .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 88
  The Danger of Awakening Long Forgotten Gods  . . . . . . . . 89
  Curses .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 89
  Random Curse Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
  The Ghost Knights .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  100
  The Truth Behind the Legend .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  101
  Muareota the Hidden  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
  Sir Amar Lelambac  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
  Lady/Sir Breineta Tarnim  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
  Sir Ecago Iddav  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
  The Ancient Order of the Fossarians .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  108
  The Solarium (castle)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
  The Glass Keep  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
  The Search for the Lost Titan .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  113
  The Three Remaining Pieces  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
  The Knights-Fossar O.C.C.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
  Fossarian Warden O.C.C. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  118
  Notable Members of the Knights-Fossar  . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
  Sir John Perrenact  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
  The Compass Point (sword)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
  Syindal (village) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  124
  The Lost Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
  Pantheon of Aco .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  125
  Aco .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  126
  The Juggernaut .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  128
  Forgotten Gods of the Pantheon of Aco  . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Abo the Lightning Bringer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  130
  Damu (or Daymu)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Ginja  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Kule  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Ma (or Mati) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Puno the Devious  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Wunja  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Kirron the Sky King (Centaur)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
  Human Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
  Loecin the Horseman  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
  Astunia, Maiden of the East  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  Nar-Rabium  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
  Lost Gods of the Church of Light & Dark  . . . . . . . . . . . 153
  Book of Thoth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
  Heka the Medicine Man  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
  Mandulis .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  157
  Lost Northern Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
  Blekyimr & Rilkyemb, the Lupine Twins .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  159
  Colni Axetree  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
  Varde the Mason .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  161
  Ordogir of the Long-Lance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
  Lost Elf Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
  Ylandris of the Crescent Moon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
  Ryael of the Full Moon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
  Lost Dwarf Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
  Aefyrl, the Bronzesmith  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
  Ilonec, the Steambearer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
  Lost Canine Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
  Ertwin, Warden of the Den  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
  Amyar, the Iron Wolf  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
  Lost Orc Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  175
  Skur, Orc God of Drink  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
  Echla, Orc Goddess of Love .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  177
  Eskelohrc, Orc Warrior Demigod  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
  Lost Goblin Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
  Gnirbin the Golden One  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
  Blade-Maiden Ihdeza  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
  The Forgotten Dragons of Dragonwright .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  183
  Lezari  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
  Nyislad .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  186
  Ometrua the Failed Usurper  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
  Gods of other Races .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  189
  Elder & Primordial Jungle Gods  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
  Modern Yin-Sloth Jungle Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  190
  Eliinak Crocodile God .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  190
  Enkclu the Tiger  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
  Gwon the Frog God  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
  Incol the Panther .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  196
  Lucenki the Monkey God  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
  Meleki the God-Ape .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  198
  Nytfol the Bat God .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  200
  Gods of Mystery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
  Bayus (Changeling God)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
  Imwail the Minotaur .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  202
  The Lost Titan  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
  Shadow of Lictalon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
  Tracall (Tezcat God) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  204
  Vyl the Reaching Darkness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
  The Black Pit .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  208
  Legends of the Black Pit  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
  Red Rock  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
  The Value and Dangers of Red Rock  . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
  The Black Pit Labyrinth .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  212
  Black Pit Random Find Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  213
  Fangs of the Old Ones  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  215
  The Danger of the Fangs of Legend .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  215
  Giant Slayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
  Rod of Shadows and Might  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
  Invincible Warbringer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
  
  6
  Serpent Lord .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  220
  Ghost Whip  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
  Encounters at the Black Pit  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
  Quick Find
  Adventure Hooks, See Random Insight Tables  . . . . . . . . . 43
  Artifacts of the Lost Gods
  Abo’s Hammer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Abo’s Helmet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Abo’s Lightning Javelin .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  132
  Abo’s Shield .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  132
  Adjudicator  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
  Aefyrl’s Golden Sword  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
  Amyar’s Tooth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
  Avenger, The  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
  Axe of Stone  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
  Beauty Shroud .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  150
  Blade of Eskelohrc  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
  Blekyimr’s Pendant  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
  Blessed Barding .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  146
  Book of Thoth .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  154
  Caparison (think a surcoat for a horse)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  Celestial Discus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Chest of Blades  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
  Cloak of Aco  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
  Cloud of Lezari  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
  Coincaster .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  182
  Crescent Axe  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
  Crimson Wreath of Leaves and Vines  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Crown of Snakes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
  Crystal Ball of Mystic Knowledge  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Damu’s Tears  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Dark Armor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
  Dark Star  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
  Druid’s Axe  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
  Earth Mother’s Hunting Bow  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
  Earth Mother’s Spear  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
  Echla’s Love Charm  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
  Eliinak’s Tooth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
  Ertwin’s Claws  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
  Eye of Gold  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
  Fr�g God’s Crown .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  195
  Ginja’s Mighty Pickaxe .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  135
  Ginja’s Mortar and Pestle .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  136
  Ginja’s Stone Hammer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
  God-Slayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
  Golden Finger Cymbals .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  138
  Gwon’s Tear .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  195
  Hawk Feather of Daymu  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Headdress of the Hawk  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
  Heka’s Ankh of Resurrection  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
  Heka’s Caduceus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
  Helm of the Nightsky  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
  Hide of Metal  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
  Hooves of Steel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
  Ihdeza’s Daggers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
  Into the Night  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
  Iron Cloak .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  162
  Jade Frog  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
  Jug of Merriment  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
  Jungle Vine Rope  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
  Kirron’s Flight Javelin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
  Little Helper .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  142
  Loecin’s Arrow of True Flight  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  Lovers’ Garland .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  178
  Lucenki’s Feather Fan .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  197
  Lyre of Serenity .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  139
  Mandulis’ Feathers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
  Mask of Conformity .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  137
  Mati’s Dance Drums  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Meleki’s Yumbuto Zezu  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
  Metal Needle of the Iron Wolf  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
  Moonedge Dagger .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  168
  Nightingale Flute  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Nytfol’s Beating Heart  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
  Nytfol’s Eye .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  200
  Orb of Mystery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
  Panther Claws .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  196
  Panther Cloak  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
  Pretty Marbles .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  198
  Prism of Heka’s Insight .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  156
  Rilkyemb’s Pendant .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  160
  Rod of Power  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
  Sacred Spearpoint .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  164
  Serpent Staff .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  184
  Shield of Mercy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
  Shield of Retribution  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
  Silver Mirror of Truth .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  202
  Silver-Eyed Aco Doll  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
  Sky Chariot  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
  Sky Hawk Pendant  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Spark, The .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  143
  Staff of True Seeing .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  137
  Steam Source  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
  Sword of Truth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
  Talisman of Change (Metamorphosis)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Tears of the Love Goddess  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
  Tiger God’s Claws  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
  Tiger Jaw  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
  Tower Shield  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
  Trident of Justice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Trident of Justice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
  Varde’s Hammer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
  Windsteed’s Reins and Bridal .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  146
  Winged Talisman  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
  Woodsman’s Ally .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  161
  Wreath of Flowers .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  150
  Wunja’s Black Box  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Blessings of the Lost Gods
  Adaptation .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  137
  Angry Armor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
  Archer’s Arm  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  Art .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  152
  Art of Dimensions .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  152
  Art of Diplomacy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
  Art of War .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  152
  Art of Words  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
  Blind Justice .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  158
  Bloody Vengeance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
  Brazen Courage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
  Brew Master .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  176
  Commanding Presence  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
  Confounding Reach .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  164
  Cosmic Power .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  205
  Craft of the Cunning  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  
  7
  Craft of the Deceiver  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Craft of the Seeker  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Craft of the Thief  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Crocodile Smile .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  192
  Curse of the Werewolf  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
  Dark Wolf .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  174
  Death from the Shadows  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
  Defend the Young .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  173
  Diamond Eyes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  150
  Dragon Slayer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  189
  Earworm (curse) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  140
  Emerald Fire .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  189
  Entropy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
  Evil Tidings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
  Face of Mystery .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  205
  Faithful and True  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
  Far Sight .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  132
  Fear of the Unknown  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
  Fear the Beast  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
  Fighting Spirit .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  129
  Find Lost Child  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
  Find the Earth’s Bounty .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  136
  Fly .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  186
  Follow Your Dream .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  143
  Forestwalker .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  161
  Fueled by Hunger  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
  Gleaming, The .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  182
  Good Health .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  150
  Good Hunting  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  173
  Guidance from Daymu’s Children  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Hawk-like Vision  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Healing Presence and Recruitment at Her Statues  . . . . . . . 187
  Heart of the Hero  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
  Hero Slayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
  Hide the Innocent  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
  Horse Caller .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  147
  Horse Whisperer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  Humility .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  162
  Hunter in the Dark  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
  Imagination  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
  In the Mood  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
  In the Mood, Too  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
  Inspiration to Fight  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
  Juggernaut’s Favor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Keen Ear (Imitate Voices and Sounds)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Keep Hidden from Danger and Evil  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Kindred Spirit Blessing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
  Lightness of Foot  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
  Lightning Bringer Miraculous Blessing .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  132
  Lone Hunter .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  175
  Lonely Heart  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
  Love’s Bonds  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
  Luck of the Gambler  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
  Miraculous Healing in the Garden of the Gods .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  156
  Moonshade – A Miraculous Blessing .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  167
  Moonsight .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  169
  Nature’s Bounty .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  201
  Nefarious Seducer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  183
  Negate Charm .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  151
  Nightflyer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
  No Mercy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Of Fire and Water .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  172
  One with the Earth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
  Orc-Crossed Lovers .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  178
  Pathfinder  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
  Play Musical Instrument like a Professional  . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Power of Love .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  166
  Power of the Crocodile  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
  Power of the Frog  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
  Power of the Minotaur  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
  Power of the Monkey  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
  Power of the Panther  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
  Prayers to Thoth .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  154
  Rain Dance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
  Razor-Sharpness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
  Reptilian Brain  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
  Reptilian Bravery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
  Restoration of Horses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
  Reward for a Rescuer of Lost Children .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  195
  Ruthless Resolve  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Sacred Pairing .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  166
  Safe Birth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
  Seeds of Healing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
  Sense of Wonder  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
  Serenity  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
  Serpent Slayer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  158
  Shadow Soldier  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
  Silent Hunter  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
  Sing Like an Angel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Skin of Bronze  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
  Sky Sculptures  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Smell Fear .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  192
  Spirit of Bold Recklessness .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  180
  Spirit of Fun .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  198
  Spirit of the Dwarf  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
  Spirit of Trickery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
  Storyteller  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
  Strength of a Grimbor Leader .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  200
  Strength of the Grimbor .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  200
  Strength of the Tiger  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
  Subterranean Travel .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  136
  Sweet Dream of Redemption  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
  The Mason’s Patron .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  163
  The Thirteen Spells in the Book of Thoth  . . . . . . . . . . . 154
  Third Eye  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
  Tiger Strike  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
  To Stir the Embers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
  Traveling Doctor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
  Trick the Wicked  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
  Truth without Fear  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
  Understand all Spoken Languages  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Varde’s Protection  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
  Ventriloquism .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  139
  Water Leaf  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Water-Seeker  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
  Wolf’s Call  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
  Woodworker  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
  Word of Honor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Curses .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 89
  Lost Gods Start  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
  
  8
  
  9
  The Garden
  of the Gods
  awaited them in the Disputed Lands. He only hoped he would 
  prove a worthy leader and be able to bring his friends home alive 
  and in one piece. That’s why he had spent what little money he 
  had left to travel to Lopan and to visit the Garden of the Gods.
  Ethan Axwell had prayed, and prayed hard, but no god spoke 
  to him nor peeled back the veil of time to show him his destiny. 
  The only creatures speaking to him were the frogs and insects of 
  the Garden as they croaked and buzzed about in the warm eve-
  nings of late spring. While his friends engaged in well-deserved 
  revelry every night, Ethan found peace and serenity walking the 
  Garden of the Gods. There scattered before him were an ar-
  ray of statues set along a maze created by the flowering bushes 
  and hedges. Butterflies and dragonflies, and the occasional Faerie 
  (always a treat for him to see) frolicked among the flowers and 
  vines as the last of the day’s sun slunk beneath the horizon. At 
  night, they’d be replaced by fireflies flickering and dancing in the 
  night, making the Garden feel all the more magical. The song of 
  the cicadas and frogs drifted on the wind along with the songs 
  and cries of night birds and nocturnal animals.
  As one approached an area dedicated to a particular deity, 
  the flora changed to reflect that particular god and the views 
  of his followers. Roses and lilacs of all colors and varieties were 
  common, but so were every other type of flower and blossom-
  ing vine. All of the gods were represented by a simple statue and 
  a stone bench, or by a line of statues when the entire pantheon 
  was represented. There were no towering shrines and temples, 
  because here, it was said, all the gods were equal. Most were 
  surprisingly modest, yet still impressive and inspiring. A few had 
  a little shelter (like a pagoda) over the bench or benches to pro-
  vide visitors some shade from the sun. Others had vine covered 
  trellises or shade trees, and a few a modest fountain or a quiet 
  pool of water. All beautiful and peaceful.
  The gardens around the older, lesser known gods or deities 
  that had fallen out of favor, or were worshiped mostly by Goblins, 
  Orcs and other nonhuman species, were usually less well kept. 
  Only a handful were overgrown and showed little sign of care. 
  In a few such cases, the statue had toppled over or was partially 
  sunken into the ground, or covered by a blanket of flowering 
  vines and underbrush, but this was the exception to the rule. 
  Most were well kept and breathtaking in their beauty.
  One particular statue of a god unknown to Ethan had caught 
  his eye. It was a statue made of grey and white marble, weathered 
  and pockmarked by what appeared to be at least a millennium of 
  wind and rain. It looked to be among one of the oldest statues. 
  Its garden also seemed less well maintained than some others, 
  but not too wild and looked to have been recently attended to.
  A Hero’s Story
  The Garden of the Gods was everything the young warrior 
  from the Eastern Territory had imagined. Growing up in the 
  New Kingdom, as the Eastern Territory is often dubbed, the 
  Garden of the Gods was the stuff of legend. And according to 
  legend, it was said that the pure of heart and noble heroes could 
  find divine inspiration there. And if especially lucky, even receive 
  a vision quest or blessing. Such was the secret desire of young 
  Ethan Axwell, but it had been six days now and, well ... nothing.
  Ethan’s band of adventuring buddies could not understand his 
  fascination with the Garden. They didn’t mind coming to see the 
  island, learn about the next Lopanic Games, and even see the 
  Garden of the Gods, but it was just a garden with a bunch of old 
  statues. Probably worth seeing so you could impress the girls 
  back home by truthfully saying you had been there, but a garden 
  is a garden. Their supplies secured for the next leg of their jour-
  ney into the Coyle dominated Disputed Lands in the North, they 
  did what most young men heading into war would do, spend 
  their nights in town drinking, dancing with pretty girls, and talking 
  of the great adventure that lay ahead of them.
  Ethan, on the other hand, was nervous. He was the de facto 
  leader of the group. It was nice that his friends saw him as a 
  Knight with honor and courage, and entrusted him to lead them. 
  Only he wasn’t a Knight. Not a true one. He was not born into 
  nobility and though mentored by a Knight, his training was basic 
  at best.
  Like so many people flooding into the Eastern Territory, his 
  family had dreams of becoming one of the new aristocracy in the 
  East. But they struggled to tame the land and make their mark. 
  Their modest wealth quickly being eaten up by the cost of com-
  ing to the East. All their hopes now rested upon the shoulders 
  of young Ethan, and he felt the weight of the responsibility he 
  carried.
  The twenty year-old had trained under the tutelage of a Bizan-
  tium Knight for a year and a half. The lad had accounted for him-
  self well in skirmishes along the fringe of the wild lands against 
  the indigenous Coyles and Orcs, and his mentor was as proud of 
  his performance as Ethan and his family. Still, he was no Knight, 
  and taking the Northern Lands from the Canine people didn’t 
  set well with the lad. It seemed wrong, even if they were savage, 
  inhuman monsters. So while Ethan’s friends dreamed of grand 
  adventure, fame and fortune, he had already experienced enough 
  combat to know the journey ahead would be no easy task, and 
  that there was nothing noble or glorious about war. Moreover, 
  he had heard stories about the North and the Wolfen legions. If 
  half of what was said about them was true, the skirmishes he and 
  his friends had participated in were nothing compared to what 
  
  10
  The figure of the deity was that of Nar-Rabium clad in robes 
  suggesting a mage or priest, but he also wore an armored chest 
  plate, carried a large shield on one arm, and a large sword hung 
  from a belt on one hip and a dagger and a mace from the other. 
  The lithe but muscular figure wore a pleasant expression on his 
  face, with a small, thin smile that reminded Ethan of his approving 
  father when he had bid him farewell. At the deity’s feet, carved 
  into the single piece of massive marble, were a stack of books, 
  scrolls, and a warrior’s helmet. The right arm was bent at the 
  elbow with a flat, open hand, palm up. In that hand burned a 
  small, blue fire that remained illuminated day and night, as if by 
  magic. Carved into the base was what Ethan correctly believed to 
  be the name of the deity in several languages – Elven, Dwarven, 
  Demongogian, Western, Northern, Eastern, and even Wolfen. The 
  last two surprised him, because they were clearly added in a 
  more recent decade. It was here, in the garden of this god, that 
  he felt most relaxed and at peace.
  “Are you a follower?”
  Ethan had been lost in his thoughts, so he had not realized 
  someone else had entered the garden of Nar-Rabium. (Note: 
  Pronounced “nar-ray-bee-um.”) Most people left after the sun 
  went down, and though a few of the statues and gardens around 
  them were lit up and attracted visitors night and day, most did 
  not, this one included.
  “Um ... what?”
  “Are a follower of Nar-Rabium?”
  “Who? Oh, him! The statue. No. I ... I just find it peaceful here.”
  “Indeed, it is quiet and beautiful here,” said the bearded man 
  dressed in the garb of the clergy. His blue and red robes were 
  soiled at the bottom from grass and dirt. His neatly trimmed 
  beard as white as snow. The stranger carried a tall, hooked staff 
  that looked like gnarled wood except it appeared to be plated in 
  gold and silver. The wizened stranger had a kindly face filled with 
  wrinkles that indicated the passage of many, many decades. Yet 
  despite his obvious great age, his voice was strong and his eyes 
  seemed to shimmer in the moonlight with the passion of youth. It 
  was instantly clear to Ethan that this man was a Priest. Undoubt-
  ably one of the Garden’s caretakers.
  “That’s new,” said the Priest, pointing at the blue flame with 
  his staff. “It appeared a few years ago. It means the church of 
  Nar-Rabium is growing again and Nar-Rabium is with us once 
  more.”
  “I don’t know about that,” said Ethan with a tone of disap-
  pointment. “I’ve seen no sign of any gods.”
  “What do you mean?” asked the Priest rhetorically. “The gods 
  and the splendor of nature are all around you.”
  “Oh, of course, I meant ... you know ... um ...” Ethan fumbled 
  his words, feeling a bit embarrassed.
  “Ahhh, the stories of visions and miracles,” said the Priest 
  with a smile. “Everyone comes here expecting an encounter with 
  the divine or receiving an inspiring dream, but most leave disap-
  pointed or imagine a sign in a dream or in the flowers means 
  more than it really does. Don’t feel bad, young sir. I have never 
  been graced with such an experience here in the Garden either, 
  and I have been paying my respects for a very long time.”
  The two men laughed. The ancient Priest made his way over 
  to the stone bench to sit, using his staff to slowly lower himself 
  down.
  “I think this is my favorite spot in the Garden,” said Ethan.
  “Mine as well,” said the Priest with a nod.
  “I don’t know this god, but for some reason, the name, Nar-
  Rabium, seems very familiar to me,” mused Ethan aloud.
  “Nar-Rabium is a very ancient god, all but forgotten until the 
  fabled Defilers adopted him as their patron.”
  “THE Defilers? The Defilers of gods, Destroyers of Set, Slay-
  ers of Demons, Bringers of Justice, and Champions of the Peo-
  ple?” asked Ethan with excitement. Every warrior of the Eastern 
  Territory and the North had heard the legends of The Defilers. 
  Ordinary adventurers of every race – human, Elf, Dwarf, Ogre, 
  Wolfen, and creatures unknown – who stood up for what was 
  right against impossible odds to protect the innocent and strike 
  down evil. Not one of them a king or knight. Each one starting 
  from the humblest stations in life, including thieves and monsters.
  The Defilers were all ordinary people said to have been 
  forged into heroes by the legendary tower of gold known as the 
  Palladium of Desires. It was once a place of wonder and mir-
  acles said to have stood somewhere in the North between the 
  mountains and Ophid’s Grassland in the Great Northern Wilder-
  ness. Something had gone terribly wrong at the tower, turning it 
  into a place filled with dark magic, monsters and demons. The 
  legendary Defilers cleaned out the Tower of Gold, stood against 
  every force of darkness that dared challenge them, saved count-
  less lives, built a great city, and came to represent justice, fair play, 
  and honor for all. They stand among the greatest heroes of all 
  time. The stories and songs of their heroic deeds are still told and 
  sung by soldiers and adventurers, peasants and kings alike.
  “Yes,” said the aged priest with an approving smile. “THE De-
  filers. I see you’ve heard of them.”
  “Of course I have. Every man-at-arms living in the East and 
  North desires to follow in their footsteps.”
  “Not every man-at-arms,” said the Priest in a disappointed 
  tone. “Far from it. But it is good to know the Defilers and their 
  patron, Nar-Rabium, are not forgotten.”
  “Well ...” mumbled Ethan. “We all know the Defiler stories. 
  Nar-Rabium, not so much. Though now that you mention it, I do 
  recall it as the name of the god who helped them strike down 
  the Lord of Hades in one of their greatest battles. I just wish ... 
  I, um ...”
  “What is it, lad?
  “I wish the stories were true and that the Defilers were real. I 
  would like to think that they realy were ordinary people, like me, 
  who became heroes and gods because of their actions and great 
  deeds. But father and my uncles say they are just fanciful stories 
  passed down to inspire children and entertain the troops.”
  “No disrespect to your father or uncles, young sir, but the 
  stories are absolutely true. The Defilers were real people. That, I 
  can assure you. And only one of the Defilers became a god. Ab-
  zurdra, the least likely of them all to become a deity, but the most 
  deserving,” said the Priest with a snort and a chuckle.
  “You seem to know the stories well, sir.”
  “I do, indeed.” said the Priest. “Do you know how the Defilers 
  came to meet Nar-Rabium?”
  “No, I don’t know that story.”
  “Well, then let me tell you.”
  The two men spoke and laughed late into the night. Ethan 
  enthralled by stories of Defiler heroics he had never heard be-
  fore. And told with such flair and passion by the old man that the 
  young warrior could almost imagine himself there with them. The 
  stories included the Defilers’ first great battles in which some 
  said the god Nar-Rabium joined the heroes in battle, in person, 
  
  11
  to strike down the demonic ruler of Hades, and died so that 
  the Defilers might live to destroy the monster and go on to 
  become the heroes of legend they were meant to be. After that 
  battle, the Defilers insisted Nar-Rabium still lived, and built many 
  shrines and churches to their beloved deity in the North and 
  East, bringing the deity many new worshipers. Some of those 
  places remained to this very day.
  “Nar-Rabium believed in the goodness of the Defilers,” said 
  the old man. “And in return, they believed in him, even when oth-
  ers proclaimed him dead. Thus, bringing a forgotten god out of 
  the shadows and back to life.”
  “You mentioned that before, but I don’t understand,” said 
  Ethan. “The gods are immortal, they cannot die.”
  “Yes. And no. There are many different beliefs about gods, but 
  here is what I believe. The gods are supernatural beings that func-
  tion very differently than we mere mortals. I believe they can die. 
  And Nar-Rabium sacrificed himself that day so that the Defilers 
  could live and stop a great evil that even the deity knew he could 
  not destroy on his own. But you see, a god does not need to be 
  slain in combat to perish. He may fade away into obscurity and 
  become powerless without the worship of mortals. If a god is 
  not remembered and spoken of, it is as if he does not exist at all. 
  Is that the death of a god? I suspect it is a fate worse than death. 
  Ahhh, but if people once again speak his name and believe in him, 
  praise him, I believe that deity returns to life. The same if they 
  never stop believing and praising his name for generations.
  “Take Nar-Rabium, for example,” continued the wizened 
  Priest with authority in his voice. “Nar-Rabium existed back in 
  the days long before the Elves, let alone the humans that have 
  come to dominate our world today. Nar-Rabium has always been 
  a force of light and goodness. He stood against the Old Ones and 
  was part of the plan to send them into the deep slumber that put 
  an end to their reign during the Age of Chaos.”
  “Wait,” protested Ethan. “I’m no priest or scholar, but my 
  studies have given me the privilege of reading the Tristine Chron-
  icles, and there is no mention of Nar-Rabium.”
  “And yet, here is his statue, and his prominent role in the 
  legend of the Defilers.”
  Ethan looked perplexed.
  The Priest continued his dissertation.
  “Being learned is good, Ethan, but not all knowledge is held in 
  books. Nor are the words of men always the truth. People like 
  to rewrite history in their own favor. That is why there has nev-
  er been a complete translation of the Tristine Chronicles proven 
  to exist. In my many years, I have seen 23 tomes of the Tristine 
  Chronicles. Not one of them identical. Each one is different. Each 
  one incomplete in some way. I have learned that the pages where 
  the names of all who stood against the dreaded Old Ones were 
  destroyed very early on, to prevent retribution by the followers 
  of the Old Ones, demons, and dark gods. Had they not been re-
  moved, you would know the name Nar-Rabium very well. Other 
  forgotten deities as well.
  “You see, gods function rather like the rise and fall of nations. 
  When a kingdom is strong and powerful, it becomes known and 
  its influence grows across the land. The larger it gets, the more 
  powerful and renowned it becomes. When its people lose faith in 
  it, or abandon it, the nation weakens, and it falls to more powerful 
  forces. It becomes a shadow of what it once was, or fades away 
  and is no more. Over time, it may be forgotten and fade from 
  our memories and the pages of history completely. Our world is 
  riddled with ruins of forgotten civilizations. The Old Kingdom is 
  so named because the glory days of the Elves and Dwarves are 
  gone. Two civilizations beyond our imagining, ravaged and laid to 
  waste by hatred and war.
  “Today, the power and influence of the Elves and Dwarves re-
  main here and there, but their great cities and grand civilizations 
  are a fading memory. Only a handful of their walled cities remain, 
  while countless crumbling ruins of their past greatness litter the 
  landscape of the Old Kingdom. The last remnants of a bygone 
  era the common people hear about in myths and legends, or we 
  lucky learned people read about in books. Of these last Elven 
  and Dwarven cities, many are gems hidden away from the eyes 
  of the world for fear they too become targets of destruction. 
  Their time of prominence is done. Even here on Lopan, where 
  Elves lead and teach, and Dwarves are welcomed, they are both 
  in the minority.
  “So it is with the gods. Long ago, before Elf or Dwarf, or the 
  time of men, Nar-Rabium, and many other deities now forgotten, 
  were the powerhouses of their age. Over time, things transpired 
  to change that. Today, Nar-Rabium and many of the ancient gods 
  of the jungle, the South, and the North, are all but forgotten. 
  Remembered and worshiped by just a handful. Kept alive in the 
  shadows by cults hidden within the Land of the South Winds and 
  the Yin-Sloth Jungles. And here, in the Garden. When they are 
  gone, so are those gods, like others before them.
  “Such was the fate of Nar-Rabium before the Defilers em-
  braced him and championed his existence by doing good in his 
  name. I would dare say that most of the temples and shrines to 
  Nar-Rabium scattered across the Great Northern Wilderness 
  and parts of the Eastern Territory were founded by the Defilers 
  and their followers.”
  “Like this statue here, in the Garden?” asked Ethan.
  “No. The Garden of the Gods has existed since long before 
  the Defilers were born. This statue has stood here for untold 
  ages, forgotten and buried by the passage of time. It was a few 
  Defilers who unearthed it, and restored it to its rightful place 
  of honor. I hear tell one of them tends to its garden to this 
  very day.” For some reason that last part made the old man 
  chuckle.
  “That’s impossible,” said Ethan. “The Defilers vanished ... um ... 
  nobody knows for sure ... but it was something like two or three 
  hundred years ago. And they took the Palladium of Desires with 
  them.” Ethan pressed his point gently and without disrespect to 
  his new friend. He had taken a quick liking to the old man and 
  meant no disrespect. He was very much enjoying the Priest’s 
  many stories, and truth be told, Ethan wanted more than anything 
  to believe the Defilers had really existed, and had started out as 
  ordinary people from humble beginnings like him and his own 
  friends. The idea that one or more of the Defilers could still walk 
  the earth pleased him to no end, but he had outgrown fairy-tales 
  and childish fantasies.
  The old Priest’s bones crackled like kindling as he stretched 
  out his legs and leaned forward to work the kinks out of his 
  spine. Sitting on the hard stone bench for so many hours had 
  aggravated his arthritis something terrible.
  “Ouch,” groaned the old man. “My bones are telling me it 
  is time I took my leave, young sir.” The Priest stood up, causing 
  more bones to crack and pop in response to his effort.
  “It has been a true pleasure and an honor, sir,” said the young 
  man.
  
  12
  “For me as well, Ethan,” said the aged Priest. “May I offer you 
  a parting word?”
  “Of course,” said the young Knight, appreciative of the old 
  fellow.
  “Do you know why Nar-Rabium chose the Defilers to be his 
  champions?”
  “No, sir.”
  “Because he is the patron god of unlikely heroes, lost causes, 
  and those who take a stand against impossible odds when it’s 
  the right thing to do. The Defilers faced countless villains and 
  impossible odds more times than I can count. They destroyed 
  the ruler of Hades before they became known to the world as 
  heroes. They entered Hades a second time and stood against the 
  combined forces of Heaven and Hell, yet lived to fight another 
  day. Do you know how?”
  “Because they had Nar-Rabium on their side?” speculated the 
  young warrior soon to face his own battles.
  “There is no doubt that it helped to have a noble god who be-
  lieved in them, but in the end, it was because the Defilers always 
  remained true to themselves. They never lost faith in the good-
  ness of people – all people, human and nonhuman. They believed 
  that one person – and better yet, 26 friends who stood together 
  – could accomplish the impossible, hold each other steady, and 
  beat the odds. That, my young friend, is what made them heroes, 
  and over time, legends.”
  The old man’s smile quivered as if struck by a sudden, deep 
  sorrow. He looked away for a moment and rubbed his eyes be-
  fore turning back to address Ethan.
  “I see those qualities in you, young sir. And I’ve become quite a 
  good judge of character in my many years. I think you would have 
  been welcomed into the ranks of the Defilers. Your friends too, 
  if they are anything like you. I know Nar-Rabium would believe in 
  you, if you would choose to believe in him.”
  “So you are a follower of Nar-Rabium, then?” asked Ethan.
  “Heh, not exactly. I believe Nar-Rabium died in that battle in 
  Hades. Sacrificed himself for the greater good. But I’m starting to 
  think it is damn hard to kill a god when people refuse to stop be-
  lieving in him or his Champions.” The Priest paused and pointed. 
  “Do you see that small flame in Nar-Rabium’s hand?”
  “Yes,” said Ethan.
  “I didn’t put it there. Nobody I know is responsible for it. It 
  just appeared one day maybe ten years ago. And I swear it has 
  grown larger and stronger just this past evening as we spoke. 
  That tells me Nar-Rabium is back in the world of mortals and 
  looking for a new generation of heroes to inspire. New Cham-
  pions who, like the Defilers, will lead by their good example and 
  stand for what is right against all odds. I wouldn’t be surprised if 
  you became one of those heroes.”
  The sincerity and emotion in the old man’s voice made Ethan 
  blush. “Oh, um, thank you, sir. I ... I could never be like one of the 
  Defilers.”
  “Nothing is impossible, lad. Remember that. Improbable, per-
  haps, but not impossible. Ah, but now I must be going. We’ve been 
  jawing all night. Look, the morning sun is starting to peek out 
  over the horizon.”
  Both men laughed as they looked at the pink, yellow, and blue 
  glow rising up through the trees.
  “Good sir,” said Ethan. “Our talk has been most enjoyable. 
  I thank you for your time and the wonderful stories. May I ask 
  your name?”
  “Ah, a last word to the wise, Ethan. I learned very early in my 
  youth to never tell anyone your true name. It can be used against 
  you by Witches and villains in all manner of dark magicks. Thus, I 
  have been known by many names, son. Most of them false. But ... 
  for you, young sir ... I am Kenyon Barrtol.”
  The old man made a slight bow, winked, and the two took 
  their leave.
  ********
  For the next two days, Ethan regaled his friends with tales 
  of Nar-Rabium and the Defilers. Before departing from Lopan, 
  Ethan wanted to leave the Priest a small donation from the win-
  nings he made from a good night of rolling dice. However, he 
  could find no Priest responsible for the shrine of Nar-Rabium, 
  nor did anyone know of such a person. Finally, the “unofficial” 
  head caretaker of the Garden of the Gods explained that indi-
  vidual Priests and groups of worshipers take it upon themselves 
  to care for or tend to a specific statue, shrines, and garden area 
  around it. They do so as a way to pay their respect to the deity 
  they worship and to give back a little something to the Garden. 
  In the case of Nar-Rabium, every spring and autumn, the garden 
  around it is pruned, weeded, and cleared, but no one has ever 
  seen the person, or persons, responsible. There was certainly no 
  elderly Priest charged with its upkeep.
  “He said his name was Kenyon Barrtol,” repeated Ethan.
  The caretaker shook his head, reiterating that there was no 
  local caretaker for Nar-Rabium. Then paused, and asked the 
  young warrior to repeat the name.
  “Uh huh,” said the caretaker upon hearing it again. A puzzled 
  look stretching across his face. “It is rumored that Kenyon is alive, 
  but that’s impossible. Kenyon Barrtol is human. If he were alive, 
  it would make him ... let me think ... more than 350 years old. 
  Maybe older than that.”
  “So, you do know the name?”
  “Well, yes, but ... the old man must have been having fun with 
  you, boy, or you heard wrong.”
  “No, I’m quite certain that was his name. I’m sure of it,” pro-
  tested Ethan who was becoming increasingly irritated. “So who 
  is Kenyon Barrtol?”
  “Why, he is Nameless. The founder and head of the Church 
  of Nar-Rabium.”
  “Wait!” exclaimed one of Ethan’s friends in disbelief. “Name-
  less? As in one of the founding members of the Defilers?”
  “Yes, exactly. Founding member and one of the group’s Council 
  of Leaders. When the Defilers finally disbanded, Nameless took 
  the mantle of Head of the Church of Nar-Rabium. According to 
  accepted local history, some say myth and lies, it was Nameless, 
  the Ranger Coake, the Cybernaut Xar Xar and a few others who 
  tracked down, unearthed and restored the ancient statue of Nar-
  Rabium, here, in the Garden of the Gods, more than two hun-
  dred years ago, before the great renovation. Nameless remained 
  head of the church for decades, though he would sometimes van-
  ish for years at a time on adventures and missions of good will 
  on this world, and some say in other realms of existence. Upon 
  his two hundred and fiftieth birthday, he stepped down to retire 
  and wander the land to spread the word of Nar-Rabium. It was 
  on that day that he revealed what is said to have been his true, 
  given name, Kenyon Barrtol. No one knows what became of him, 
  but over the decades since, people from all walks of life claim to 
  
  13
  have met him or fought at his side. Some say he wanders the land 
  to this very day. But ... as I said, that’s impossible.”
  Ethan smiled.
  “I have it on good authority that nothing is impossible.”
  **********
  A Bit of History
  Though Wolfen seafarers are said to have visited the island 
  of Lopan for generations, as have Elves, Dwarves and other peo-
  ple, few went far beyond its shores, and there are no records that 
  speak of statues. None except for a tiny handful of reports locked 
  away among the archives of the Library of Bletherad.
  One is buried in a ship’s log where the Captain of a Western 
  vessel carrying an expedition of hunters and trappers looking for 
  exotic fare and furs to bring back to the Empire of Sin, found 
  more than they had bargained for. It dates back 2,156 years.
  “My lookout insisted he had spied Wolf-People piloting the 
  three low, oar-driven vessels that raced away from us at aston-
  ishing speed. Soon, I was told, they vanished into the fog near 
  our destination of the island of Lopan. I deigned this a flight of 
  fancy as the inhuman savages could not be seafarers or possess 
  the knowledge of shipbuilding. I now question that assessment 
  as members of our expedition would later encounter the Wolf-
  People in the wilds of Lopan.
  “They were six days missing and behind schedule when six of 
  24 men finally made their way to our schooner anchored off the 
  northern coast. I will get a full recounting of their travails after 
  they settle down. All are quite shaken by their ordeal, and need 
  rest and time to collect their wits. I suspect their long exposure to 
  the elements has addled their minds, for the story they tell is too 
  fantastic to be believed.
  “According to the men, all skilled scouts and hunters, four 
  days into a successful hunt, they were beset upon by a flock of 
  Peryton. Dozens of them. Perhaps 60 or more. These winged 
  Demon Deer are well known to snatch sailors from the decks 
  of ships and carry them off to their mountain nests to feed their 
  young. Normally, I would question this account as I have never 
  heard of such a large flock and we are a good 300 miles from the 
  nearest mountain range. We ourselves saw no evidence of the 
  creatures, though we did experience the wicked storm that rolled 
  out from the northeast. A storm that the huntsmen believe drove 
  the Peryton out from their mountain retreat and swept them to the 
  northern shores of Lopan. As I said, normally I would not believe 
  their account, but each, to a man, relates the exact same tale with 
  the same look of horror in their eyes and terror in their voices.
  “They claim a flock of Peryton swept down like angry locusts 
  to take three men, then two others. Tearing them apart in mid-air 
  like ravenous sharks, blood and bits pelting the men below like 
  rain. As the sky bled, the rest of them fled to seek refuge under 
  the trees, but they offered little protection. The winged demons 
  plunged through the trees to give pursuit on hoofed feet, while 
  others flew above the canopy screeching and rattling the treetops.
  “Another three men would fall to the Peryton before nightfall. 
  Five more during the dark of night. All seemed lost when a hunt-
  ing party of the Wolf-People made their presence known. The 
  men were sure the wolves had come to feast upon them as well. 
  Instead, the savages pulled the men under some sort of large ani-
  mal hide that stunk like rotting fish on the beach. Man and wolf 
  
  14
  huddled together under this tarp, the size of a sail, for three days. 
  Though neither could speak to the other, the Wolf-People offering 
  the men food and water. And both man and beast took comfort in 
  each other’s presence. Finally, after days, the screeching stopped 
  and the sky was empty of Peryton. The Wolf-People packed their 
  gear, rolled up the tarp, pointed the men toward our location and 
  vanished, without fanfare, back into the woods like ghosts.
  “Whatever befell those men, our losses are too severe to con-
  tinue. This expedition is a failure.
  “Truth be told, I do not like this damnable island in the middle 
  of nowhere. Civilization is a thousand miles away and I haven’t 
  seen anything to make this trip worth our while. I don’t care how 
  many deer and elk or Unicorns there may be out there, it’s not 
  worth the cost in lives. Morale is low. The crew is afraid, and I 
  don’t blame them. It took forever to get here and all we’ve seen 
  are monsters and death.
  “Something killed these men. Whether it was six Peryton or 
  60, it doesn’t matter. While we waited for them, we heard bone-
  chilling animal cries the likes of which I had never heard before. 
  And our keen-eyed lookout insists he spotted a pair of dragons 
  playing in the sky off in the distance. Six other trusted crew mem-
  bers confirmed this. And I personally saw the Wolf-People at sea 
  in those strange boats, and Gryphons flying overhead, with my 
  own eyes.
  I have no idea how Elven colonies have come and gone on 
  Lopan over the ages. Or why they or anyone would want to live 
  on this god-forsaken rock, even if the southern shore is less dan-
  gerous. By my assessment, this island is a savage extension of the 
  Great Northern Wilderness and unfit for civilized people. I say 
  leave it for the wolves and dragons and gryphons. We’ll all be 
  happy to set sail on the morrow.”
  – Captain Thaddeus William Erwin
  The Island of Lopan
  Home of the Garden
  Lopan, and its sister island Phi, are both located inside the 
  Great Inland Sea at the center of the Palladium World. To 
  the civilized world in the South, Lopan is located in the eye of 
  the storm of modern politics – a quiet port at the center of the 
  world, surrounded by hostile lands and waters, and raging politi-
  cal turmoil all around it. The Wolfen and monster infested Great 
  Northern Wilderness lies due north, above it. The crumbling Old 
  Kingdom below it. The hostile and untamed wilderness and wars 
  of the Eastern Territory across the Inland Sea to the east. To the 
  northwest are the notorious Ophid’s Grasslands and the cursed 
  Land of the Damned sealed off from the rest of the world, but 
  somehow always a looming threat. To the west, the pirate-filled 
  waters controlled by the war-mongering and fading Empire of 
  Sin hungry to recapture its glory days of absolute power.
  The peaceful kingdom of Lopan is one of the youngest centers 
  of human civilization on the Palladium World. The large, long 
  island has been colonized many times over the eons. Elves her-
  alding from the New Kingdom (now known as the crumbling Old 
  Kingdom), made the best and longest runs at occupying Lopan. 
  Indeed, it was once a promising new horizon for the Elven Em-
  pire, with a handful of port cities and logging camps established 
  along the southern shores. However, after the apex of Elven 
  civilization collapsed after the Elf-Dwarf War, most of its forts 
  and new frontier cities slipped into ruin. The last time violence 
  touched its shores was during the Elf-Dwarf War, and part of 
  Lopan’s current prosperity is due to the fact that it has not seen 
  real war or invasion in thousands of years. Despite that, until the 
  last several centuries it has been seen as little more than a stop-
  ping point for ships and travelers to resupply before moving on.
  For the longest time, Lopan was mainly known for its horse 
  and sheep pastures, fine wine, excellent farmland, and idyllic lo-
  cations to build quaint summer cottages for the wealthy from the 
  Western Empire, Timiro, and the Old Kingdom. Its location at the 
  center of the Inland Sea had prompted many outsiders to assume 
  the island residents were master shipbuilders, but that has never 
  been the case. Though in modern times, Lopan has learned to 
  make solid, reliable skiffs, schooners and other light vessels for 
  short runs across the sea for trade with neighboring ports along 
  the coasts of the mainland, primarily coastal cities in the Old 
  Kingdom and Eastern Territory. Their shipwrights are becoming 
  known for beautiful work, but these vessels are nothing but boats 
  compared to the true ocean-going vessels used by Bizantium, Ti-
  miro and the navies of the Western Empire.
  Despite its mild climate and central location, however, the In-
  land Sea has always been a barrier to non-seafaring peoples, and 
  the Elf-Dwarf War ended its “official” colonization by the Elven 
  Kingdoms before it could expand. It is only in the Time of Man 
  that Lopan has been truly settled and for a consistent and long 
  period, though ironically, with Elven leadership and guidance by 
  the oldest city-states originally founded by Elves for generations. 
  Progress kept slow by the belligerence of the Western Empire 
  who controls the Gedorma Strait with an iron fist and cuts off 
  Lopan and the west coast of the Eastern Territory from the oceans 
  beyond, severely limiting trade with the outside world.
  It has been only in the last five or six centuries that the island 
  was able to build and sustain port cities in the south and east, 
  roads, farms and habitation by a growing population. Still, much 
  of the island continent’s interior remains undeveloped, and parts 
  in the North are nearly as wild and hostile as the Great Northern 
  Wilderness.
  This perception of being a second-rate, backwoods outpost of 
  no consequence and little value has largely changed with Lopan 
  creating reasons for outsiders to come and visit. The advent of the 
  Lopanic Games and heightened promotion of the games as well 
  as spreading the word about the mysterious Garden of the Gods 
  to the outside world, has played a tremendous and important role 
  in this regard. Though Lopan remains politically backwater and 
  largely rural, the island has the highest standard of living in all 
  the Eastern Territory. One of the most fortunate places for hu-
  man, Elf, and people of most races to be born, in all the world. 
  Empress Jeslynn of the Astura Dynasty, an Elf, is the present 
  ruler of Lopan and in her capable hands it is earning a place of 
  increasing prominence in the world.
  Lopan is at the center of the world. Travel times by boat to 
  the Eastern Territory, Great Northern Wilderness, and the Old 
  Kingdom are almost the same, depending upon the port of de-
  parture, and it is only a bit further to the northern outskirts of 
  the Western Empire. With the attention from the Lopanic Games, 
  visiting Lords and Ladies, warriors and adventurers, have come 
  to realize its prosperity, safety and central location makes Lopan 
  a natural place to gather funds and recruit supporters for crusades 
  and adventures in the world around it. Many mercenary com-
  panies, shipping ventures, and magical and religious causes are 
  
  15
  starting to be founded inside its borders, though most of them 
  have their eyes fixed outward on the world beyond Lopan. Spies 
  and agents working for one power or another often use Lopan, 
  and its neighbor Phi, as bases of operation, staging points, and for 
  the recruitment of adventurers and mercenaries.
  The primary feature that draws travelers from all over the 
  world to Lopan and takes advantage of its central location, is the 
  Lopanic Games. Athletic, equestrian, and knightly contests of 
  growing renown and importance that occur every three years and 
  involve challengers in tests of combat from many races and al-
  most every kingdom in the world. The Games are held in the spir-
  it of neutrality and fair competition, which has spawned a kind of 
  tourist industry on Lopan and travel infrastructure around them. 
  Attracting competitors and spectators from the world far beyond 
  the shores of Lopan.
  The Empress has encouraged the development of the games 
  and helps support them any way she can. In order to keep the 
  positive word about Lopan spreading, and to increase and main-
  tain trade and tourists year round, and not just during the games, 
  she has also allowed word to spread to the world about the Gar-
  den of the Gods.
  The large, established religions and cults may not like it when 
  pilgrims and the curious go rooting around the Garden, but Lopan 
  is far from the influence of powerful churches, and the forces of 
  the Empress maintain a solid hold on the population’s hearts and 
  minds through patriotism, might, magic, and the power of the 
  purse.
  The neutrality policies that have kept the island’s people out 
  of world conflicts and fostered the Lopanic Games have been ex-
  tended to religious neutrality as well, and nowhere is this better 
  represented than in the Garden of the Gods, open to all people, 
  regardless of religions and social status. The Games, in which 
  there are no restrictions on race, creed, or social status, are said 
  to have been inspired by the neutral-ground concept spoken of 
  in legends about the Garden of the Gods. Indeed, the island of 
  Lopan and its inhabitants have been spared the upheaval of war 
  and natural calamity for as long as any human can remember. A 
  calm and peace that some attribute to the presence and growing 
  renown of the Garden of the Gods.
  Lopan is mostly a nation of humans and Elves, but there 
  are also a number of Dwarves, Gnomes, and a smattering of 
  many other races. Though they are not counted as part of the 
  official population, Lopan’s rural and forested lands also makes 
  it the home of Centaurs and Faerie Folk who have inhabited 
  the island since time immemorial. It is also said to be visited 
  by dragons and other mystical beasts. The southern coast of the 
  Great Northern Wilderness is so near, Wolfen, Kankoran, and 
  Bearmen visitors are fairly common, and a few have even taken 
  up residence on the island. The general lack of the monster rac-
  es – including monstrous people common elsewhere the world 
  such as Ogres, Trolls, Giants, Ratlings, Kobolds, and Goblins 
  – means that many residents of Lopan are unaccustomed to 
  them. This expresses itself through fear and embracing rumors 
  and superstition about these people, especially with centuries 
  of stories about them marauding across the Old Kingdom and 
  causing problems most elsewhere. However, some Lopani are 
  almost completely devoid of the prejudice and human-centric 
  attitude found throughout so much of the rest of the world. And 
  even those who succumb to rumors about the so-called “mon-
  ster races” may fear them and believe outrageous stories, but do 
  not hate them. They regard them as exotic oddities of consider-
  able interest.
  Due to the fact that the island-continent has had Elven leaders 
  for centuries and that Elven remains the language of the learned 
  and is used in magic, formal titles, legal terms, trade, and the like, 
  it is the primary means of communication and most residents, 
  including humans, understand and speak it as their primary lan-
  guage. The human Eastern and Western dialects are also preva-
  lent, and all languages can be heard from visitors to the Garden 
  of the Gods and the Lopanic Games.
  Though Lopan is a signatory to the Charter of Dominion, 
  and technically a part of the Eastern Territory, it is also a fa-
  vorite, unofficial escape for Western Empire nobility, as well as 
  anyone trying to get away from the populated cities of the rest 
  of the world. This is especially true of the declining cities in the 
  Old Kingdom that must deal with constant threats from the Orc, 
  Ogre and Goblin barbarian hordes, as well as drought, famine 
  and war. For most people living along the shores of the Inland 
  Sea and Gedorma Strait, Lopan is remote enough to be safe from 
  invading armies, but close enough to reach by ship. It is known to 
  be safe, peaceful and uncrowded, but still civilized in parts, with 
  comfortable cities and rustic cottage homes for those who prefer 
  that kind of thing.
  The Garden of the Gods
  & the Religions
  of the World
  The Garden of the Gods existed long before the first humans 
  ever set foot on Lopan, before the earliest Elven explorers charted 
  and settled along the southern coast to establish outposts and a 
  few coastal cities, and before the Tristine Chronicles ever began 
  its account of world history, the statues of the gods stood nestled 
  among the flowers and trees. A tiny realm of its own, the Garden 
  is studded with statues that are said to depict ALL known gods, 
  as well as deities forgotten and lost over the ages. It is a divine 
  source of enlightenment with no affiliation to any one particular 
  deity, religion, or nation. It is considered a holy site that could 
  well be the remains of the primordial powers that gave birth to the 
  Palladium world, or even the universe.
  According to the most commonly accepted legends, the 
  Garden of the Gods was created a short time after the Old Ones 
  were defeated, by the gods themselves, to be a neutral zone where 
  they could gather in peace and solitude as equals among gods. 
  A place they could visit to find solace and comfort in its natural 
  beauty. There is even a passage in the Tristine Chronicles that 
  describes a place some believe to be the once, little known, Gar-
  den of the Gods:
  “Twas a short time after the Battle of the Gods, when the di-
  vine did gather to parlay at a place yet unknown to man and Elf, 
  Dwarf and Titan.
  “There, the divine decreed the land to be of neutral ground. 
  And so it was that they put forth their energy into the land, to 
  create hallowed ground where all gods would be remembered, 
  and no god would dare raise his hand or voice against a fellow 
  divine. The land was that day transformed into a lush garden for-
  
  16
  est that would persist throughout the ages. A place of beauty for 
  gatherings and serene reflection for the immortal and mortals, 
  alike.
  “Thus, it is said, that any god who violates the peace of the 
  Garden shall be cast out and punished. And woe unto those who 
  refuse their just punishment, for they shall suffer destruction at 
  the hand of their fellows.
  “And so it is, in the Garden on the Edge of Blackest Night, 
  that mortals shall find divine insight and the divine shall be re-
  minded of the Bleakness that reigned before them, so the world 
  shall never again know the Tyranny of Misery and Chaos that 
  made gods tremble and mortals weep.”
  – The Tristine Chronicles
  Many believe the mythical neutral ground where the gods once 
  gathered and may still gather, as described in the sacred Tristine 
  Chronicles, is the Garden of the Gods on Lopan. This assump-
  tion is given further credence by the fact that the Garden exists 
  on the edge of civilization before one enters the Great Northern 
  Wilderness, proper. Even today the Great Northern Wilderness 
  is considered to be a savage and foreboding land dominated by 
  monsters, snow, and long, dark winters. Though it is known as 
  the Great Northern Wilderness, for eons prior the Elves and Ti-
  tans called it the Dark Forest and before that, Kobolds, Goblins, 
  Orcs and other archaic monsters called it the Forest of Blackest 
  Night.
  For generations hunters and woodsmen told stories of an 
  idyllic paradise located toward the center of the island. A Place 
  of Good Hunting that never seemed to suffer from drought or 
  storms, and was renowned for its meadows, fields of flowers, 
  wild roses, and flowering vines that bore a bounty of berries and 
  fruit, nestled under a canopy of oaks and firs. They spoke too 
  of ancient stone statues – tributes to current and eldritch gods 
  – half concealed among the flowers and vines. A place of a by-
  gone time held sacred and avoided by the Centaur, and a home 
  to the Faeries. A place difficult to find and said to, sometimes, 
  leave people who would come upon it with insight and visions, 
  and even touched by a god. For these reasons, the ancient ruins 
  remained the stuff of local legend, and were left alone and un-
  disturbed for many centuries. For most Elves and humans colo-
  nizing the southern coast of Lopan, the Place of Good Hunting 
  and ancient statues swallowed up by the forest was largely un-
  known or just another tall tale about a land with many tall tales, 
  myths, and legends. To the outside world, nothing was known 
  of it at all.
  The magnificence of the statues was not made known until 
  some five or six hundred years ago. That’s when Elven histori-
  ans from the ruling house of Lopan in the South decided to see 
  what these stories were all about, and found what would become 
  known as the Garden of the Gods. The statuary were indeed 
  ancient, hidden among the dense bramble and flowering flora. At 
  that time, they estimated there to be two or three dozen ancient 
  statues, and partially excavated a dozen, made sketches, and re-
  turned to the city with stories and images of an ancient ruin – an 
  ancient burial ground, perhaps – located in a lush part of the wil-
  derness. But ancient ruins are commonplace in a world with a 
  long history like Palladium, and not much was thought of them at 
  the time. Only the little known Knights-Fossar of the woodland 
  monastery knew of the Garden and its greater significance, a se-
  cret they kept to themselves for the longest time.
  
  17
  For centuries, the Garden remained mostly forgotten, once 
  again becoming the subject of local folklore. An oddity to won-
  der about as the inhabitants of Lopan focused on more pressing 
  matters of making a life for their families on the shores of the 
  sprawling woodland island. The small Elven ports in the South 
  and East embraced the slow migration of humans in search of 
  a safe habitat to make their life. As humans slowly arrived in 
  greater and greater numbers, more and more fishing villages and 
  farms sprang up. So did the makings of towns that began to dot 
  the coastline. In time, they would grow into coastal cities and 
  give birth to the Kingdom of Lopan.
  All the while as Lopan’s human communities flourished and 
  grew with Elves chosen to lead them, the site of the Garden laid 
  fallow, untouched, but not quite forgotten. Finally, two hundred 
  years ago, another team of Elves and humans went to the site to 
  conduct a more serious study and excavation of the ruins. The 
  more vegetation they chopped away, the more remarkably pre-
  served statues they uncovered. First ten, then twenty, then forty, 
  and the number continued to grow. There seemed no end to the 
  statues hidden among nature’s splendor. As they went along, they 
  were inspired to establish paths and carve out areas that served 
  as picturesque garden areas to surround the statues and pantheons 
  of deities as they were uncovered and revealed. A surprisingly 
  easy task, as they often needed to do little more than preserve a 
  meadow, or cluster of fruit trees, or a patch of wildflowers, or a 
  glorious pond already graced with a fountain or statue of a god 
  resting on one bank, or in the center of the water. The garden por-
  tion of the excavation seemed to almost form by itself, as if the 
  paths they carved out of the wilderness were preordained.
  When the flood of human settlers coming from the West and 
  the Old Kingdom into the Eastern Territory began to flock to 
  Lopan, over the last century, half of the Garden was already ex-
  cavated and visited as a place of curiosity and beauty. So beauti-
  ful and awe-inspiring that early on it was decreed to be hallowed 
  ground and dubbed the Garden of the Gods. For what else could 
  it be, especially nestled among such natural splendor?
  As more inhabitants of Lopan and travelers from near and far 
  came to visit, word of the Garden began to spread. Every new 
  excavation of a god statue created more buzz and excitement. 
  Every report of a vision or miracle attracting more conjecture 
  and more visitors. The rulers of Lopan realized the potential 
  for the Garden as an attraction to go in hand with the Lopanic 
  Games, and expanded the excavation efforts (which continues to 
  this day). Soon, more than a hundred and fifty statues of gods, 
  known and unknown, had been uncovered, with a few more, and 
  their garden area, formed out of the thick brush of the Primeva 
  every year. As the garden grew, so did its reputation. Local in-
  habitants considered it a place of inspiration and good fortune, 
  and sometimes foreign visitors would wander out of the Garden, 
  speaking of prophecies and lost deities. Soon Knights and nobles, 
  Priests and Druids came to find purpose, quests, and missions 
  said to have been told to them by the gods. Though rare, there 
  were people who claimed miracles and visitations by the Gods of 
  Light and Dark, and other deities. A Timiro prince and a Western 
  nobleman, both claiming visitations by their respective gods, cre-
  ated quite a stir when they went home, and helped to boost the 
  notoriety of the Garden and tales – true or imagined – of blessings 
  and miracles.
  Around the same time, the Lopanic Games also began to gain 
  illustrious prominence, with many a visitor to the Games making 
  a trip to the fabled Garden of the Gods before heading home. For 
  many, both events were a profound once in a life time experience. 
  All of this built into a perfect storm of events for Lopan that has 
  created an economic boom, and for the first time ever, is bringing 
  the world to the humble island continent.
  Within the last ninety years, the Garden of the Gods has been 
  slowly made known to the outside world, with more people 
  learning of its existence every year. Half of its three hundred 
  (or more?) statues have been revealed as trees and dense under-
  brush have been cut away and true gardens with pathways and 
  sitting areas carved into the vegetation. Over the years, modest 
  fountains, benches, lanterns, and small shrines with candles have 
  been added, and every year a half-dozen new statues are revealed. 
  A small, but imposing keep has also been constructed to watch 
  over the Garden, built at the site of an age-old Elven hill fort. It 
  serves as a waypoint for travelers who wish to enter the Garden, 
  a monastery for pilgrims, and a refuge for those who have been 
  drawn inexplicably to the wilderness garden by powers they do 
  not understand.
  The Garden of the Gods has become a national treasure 
  on Lopan, yet it is also largely unknown to much of the outside 
  world, especially among the poor and uneducated. The Garden 
  and its statues are seldom spoken of outside of Lopan, Phi and 
  the Great Northern Wilderness. One reason is that organized re-
  ligions and civilized kingdoms are not quite sure what to make of 
  the place, or of the many rumors and wild stories about gods and 
  visions that surround it. No one knows the Garden’s true origin 
  or purpose, so discretion dictates it is best not to speak of it, nor 
  for established churches to sanction its existence and give it more 
  religious significance. To do so would give the Garden credibility 
  and power that could undermine existing religions and churches. 
  And those in power who benefit from them do not want that to 
  happen.
  Churches competing for followers don’t want the Garden to 
  become a Mecca that attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims who 
  might be swayed to worship another deity, or worse, to join a 
  rival church or religion. As a result, only locals in and around 
  Lopan, and a portion of the educated elite – members of nobility, 
  scholars, merchants, and practitioners of magic as well as sailors 
  and world travelers and adventurers – may know anything about 
  the Garden of the Gods. Most other people have never heard of 
  it, or if they have, only know of it from rumors and exaggerated 
  tales. When the subject of the Garden does come up, the leaders 
  of most established churches outside Lopan warn their followers 
  not to visit this “so-called Garden of the Gods,” lest they put their 
  faith in jeopardy and risk becoming the unwitting servant of some 
  unspeakable evil.
  Of course, the real reason is a combination of jealousy and 
  fear of competition, so they make up stories about evil and danger 
  in the Garden of the Gods to keep people away. The clergy wants 
  its people to turn to them, not seek answers in a mythical Garden 
  of unknown origin and purpose in a faraway land. As a result, 
  there are all kinds of wild stories, lies, and rumors about the Gar-
  den and the many “unknown gods” found there. Surprisingly, the 
  majority of the rumors and stories are mostly positive, if often 
  inaccurate, like a good ghost story with an air of the unknown, 
  mystery, and spookiness.
  Despite the organized effort to keep the Garden of the Gods 
  a secret, word of mouth is spread by pilgrims, tourists, sailors, 
  adventurers and competitors in the Lopanic Games who arrive by 
  
  18
  the shipful; most from the Western Empire, Timiro, the Old King-
  dom, Eastern Territory, and the Great Northern Wilderness. The 
  latter includes Wolfen, Kankoran and Bearmen, making Lopan 
  and the Garden one of the few “civilized” locations where these 
  beast men may be encountered.
  The Garden of the Gods has no official affiliation with any 
  church or religious organization. It is said to represent all of the 
  known pantheons, as well as many unknown. That means there 
  is no one religious organization that benefits from the Garden 
  nor do they make any claims to ownership or of the miracles at-
  tributed to it. As noted earlier, most clergy question the veracity 
  of the stories and warn people to stay away lest they fall prey to 
  some dark and dangerous force masquerading as their god.
  The Garden is politically neutral as well. The government of 
  Lopan makes no claim to the sacred place and leaves the Gar-
  den open and available to anyone who comes to visit, regardless 
  of race, nationality, creed, or social standing. There is no fee to 
  enter, no financial obligation or rite of passage. It is just there to 
  enjoy. Simple in its design. Beautiful with its meadows, flowers, 
  and hedge walls. Available to all, rich or poor, human and nonhu-
  man alike.
  The History of the Garden of the Gods
  The Garden of the Gods is a mysterious place steeped in myth 
  and legend. No one knows why, when, or who first built and 
  erected the more than 200 statues and modest shrines to the gods, 
  with easily another hundred or more yet to be unearthed. Every 
  known deity is represented along with many unknown and for-
  gotten gods, which only adds to the Garden’s mystery and won-
  der. Many, if not all, of the statues are believed to go back tens of 
  thousands of years, to long before the emergence of humankind 
  and the Elf-Dwarf War. Many scholars believe they date back 
  30,000 or 40,000 years, while others insist they date back much 
  further, to the legendary Time of a Thousand Magicks 70,000 
  years before the modern age, and possibly older. They point to a 
  famous passage in the Tristine Chronicles and claim the Garden 
  of the Gods to be nearly 100,000 years old and created by the 
  very deities who brought an end to the Old Ones and the notori-
  ous Age of Chaos.
  One source of such conjecture is the fact that there are statues 
  in the Garden, especially in the Primeva, the Untamed Garden 
  of Forgotten Gods, that are no longer known to humans or even 
  the long-lived Elves and Dwarves. These statues were cocooned 
  in walls of overgrown vines and bramble over the ages, some 
  swallowed into the trunk of trees, and there remain more yet to 
  be excavated and revealed in all their glory. From time to time, 
  adventurers or clergy, or Lopan court appointed excavation teams 
  hack through the vegetation to uncover a new ancient wonder, 
  such as the recent unearthing of a Gorilla god and a Panther de-
  ity. The latter carved out of a single, massive block of obsidian. 
  And of even greater excitement, the discovery of the lost Pan-
  theon of Aco and the Juggernaut.
  Another matter of debate is whether the Garden’s statues 
  were erected over a period of hundreds or thousands of years, 
  or whether they were all put in place within the short time span 
  of a single human lifetime or a few generations. While there are 
  some obvious new additions and restorations in recent decades, 
  most statues and monuments appear to be very old and look to 
  be around the same age. The timeless nature of the Garden of the 
  Gods makes it almost impossible to determine the true age of its 
  statues, and a god lost just a century ago may seem as old as an 
  idol from tens of thousands of years in the past.
  Over the last century, the Empress of Lopan and her forebears 
  have sanctioned and encouraged the exploration and maintenance 
  of the Garden. A few roads have been cut through the woods 
  between southern Lopan, the center of civilization on the island, 
  and Eastern Lopan, to the center of the island that is home to the 
  Garden of the Gods. The Solarium, a small castle-like monas-
  tery, has stood watch over the Garden long before the locals and 
  the rest of the world discovered its full majesty. The enigmatic 
  Order of the Knights-Fossar are known to be local heroes who 
  now extend their vigilant eye and protection to the farms, villages 
  and port city that has grown up in the region, as well as the visi-
  tors and pilgrims who come to the Garden. The monastery, like 
  the Garden, is autonomous and neutral ground. The Knights and 
  Wardens are said to serve and defend the Garden and protect the 
  people.
  Lopan’s royals and their advisors believe the Garden of the 
  Gods adds to the prestige and notoriety of the island-kingdom, 
  just as the Lopanic Games have done. As a result, they are culti-
  vating the Garden of the Gods carefully, maintaining it as a rela-
  tively undeveloped, neutral site, wary of offending a particular 
  god or religion, especially as the kingdom becomes more and 
  more dependent upon the money spent by visiting pilgrims and 
  the faithful.
  The Nature of the Garden
  The Garden of the Gods is a place of peace, a bastion of prayer, 
  meditation, and contemplation. Unlike so many other parts of the 
  world, there are few thieves watching from the shadows, few 
  highwaymen lurking along the road. Those who travel here with 
  evil intent generally find their thinking changed by exposure to 
  the Garden, and those who do not, best be on good behavior or 
  they are dealt with by the Champions and crusaders who visit it, 
  or the mysterious Knights-Fossar who watch over the region as 
  a whole. Lopan itself is a refuge from the outside world in many 
  ways, and the Garden is the most peaceful and idyllic setting on 
  the entire island.
  People experience the Garden differently depending on 
  their alignment, religion, species, and the nature of their visit. 
  Those who visit the Garden at different stages of their life will 
  find it changed, and their perception of the experience will 
  be altered as well. Memories of time spent in the Garden are 
  sometimes hazy and unclear, even though some of the most 
  profound experiences of a person’s life may happen there. 
  Time, distance, and reality are altered by the incredible power 
  of the gods.
  Though it is rather small when charted from the outside, the 
  Garden of the Gods is not bound by the limitations of convention-
  al geography. Its ten or twenty square miles (16 to 32 km) con-
  tains a miniature desert valley, snow-covered highlands, forests, 
  jungles and a murky swamp. When viewed from afar, these all 
  seem tiny, decorative and artificial, part of the manicured “hedge 
  maze” appearance of the Garden, but once inside the Garden’s 
  bounds, visitors realize that it may take a day or more to cross 
  some of the individual areas, and horizons seem to stretch and 
  expand as one travels.
  
  19
  The Verdant Gates are the entrances to the Garden, massive 
  arches of branches and flowering vines that mark the openings 
  to the Garden and lead to a maze of passages through the hedges 
  around the Garden’s interior. There are four Verdant Gates, fac-
  ing north, south, east and west, and as you approach them, you 
  are already able to spot butterflies, birds and magical creatures 
  such as Faeries and Sprites flitting about. The divide between the 
  divinity of the Garden’s interior and the everyday world beyond, 
  clear for any visitor to see.
  Inside the Garden is a land of splendor and wonder. In 
  addition to the statues of deities strewn across the grounds, but-
  terflies, birds, squirrels, and Faeries play and chase each other 
  through the trees, and the fruit and vegetables that grow here are 
  bright and vivid and healthy. The air and water are clean and 
  pure; free of any contaminants. Animals in the Garden tend to 
  be tame and unafraid, approach visitors, eating right out of their 
  palms, and sometimes following groups of pilgrims and adven-
  turers to beg for treats. Every sunrise and sunset is a spectacle, 
  every rainstorm washes the Garden clean and leaves a rainbow 
  in its wake. The night sky is a light show of stars serenaded by 
  frogs, cicadas, and other creatures. Fireflies dancing among the 
  flowers, trees, and statues only add to the glittering natural (and 
  supernatural) wonder of the experience. There is question why 
  people find inspiration here.
  Excavators and caretakers have created paths and walkways, 
  overlooks and places to sit and meditate whether it’s on wooden 
  or stone benches or the grass. Boards and paving stones mark the 
  most traveled portions of the Garden and candles, lanterns, and 
  torches hang from posts to help light the way for visitors. It is a 
  nice touch that makes the Garden glow with warmth and golden 
  hues, but it is unnecessary. At night, the Garden is always lit with 
  the sort of radiance you would expect from a bright full moon 
  whether the moon is actually full or the thinnest of slivers.
  For some exotic gods, years pass between visitations by pil-
  grims, and often when they return they find the Garden layout 
  seems to have changed from what they remembered, but then the 
  place is a maze to bring with and they assume they remembered 
  its wrong. The people who have excavated and sculpted the veg-
  etation into the lovely Garden everyone knows and loves insist 
  their effort have been guided by the gods themselves and mar-
  vel at how the paths and hedgegrows and flowers, meadows and 
  pods, seem to take on a life and purpose of their. It’s almost as if 
  they are merely the physical conduits through which the deities 
  have worked their magic.
  The current level of popularity toward a particular god or pan-
  theon often dictates how well cared for, trimmed, and immaculate 
  that area of the Garden may be, because they have many visitors 
  and volunteer caretakers who tend to it and keep it perfect. Thus, 
  some gods and their garden are well appointed and manicured, 
  the statue(s) clean and polished. Other areas are a bit more shag-
  gy and unkempt, while some others are poorly maintained and 
  somewhat overgrown, though still beautiful and alluring. Still 
  others are little more than a patch of wild flowers or flowering 
  weeds, or a wild tangle of plants and vines that may still cover 
  parts of the statue. The worst kept areas are overgrown with trees 
  and dense underbrush, the statues covered in a thick blanket of 
  moss that obscures the cut stone, or are cloaked in layers of vines 
  and bramble over centuries of time. So dense is the vegetation 
  in this area of the Primeva, the Untamed Garden of Forgot-
  ten Gods, that it is impossible to see the statues within its leafy 
  embrace until the foliage is cut away or a visitor finds himself 
  pressed up against one. Many statues of ancient and forgotten 
  gods are believed to exist in the Primeva, but they are virtually 
  inaccessible until walls of trees and vegetation are cleared and 
  they are carefully and artfully excavated. Their garden sanctuary, 
  like those before them, cut and carved from the existing trees and 
  plant life. Areas of forest and bramble are located in sections all 
  around the Garden, but the Untamed Garden of Forgotten Gods 
  is the largest area located in the deepest part of the Garden and 
  covers arcs of as of yet uncleared terrain.
  These statues of forgotten or nearly forgotten or unpopular 
  deities unearthed from the Primeva are sometimes in surprisingly 
  good condition, others are weathered and battered but most of 
  the features remain visible if unknown. For the local caretakers, 
  visiting scholars and the Fossarian Wardens, identifying the un-
  known deities become a mission. One that can sometimes take 
  a life or generations to determine with any sense of accuracy. It 
  helps when a deity reveals itself through visions and dreams, but 
  the data provided by people who make such claims must be veri-
  fied through ancient records and compared to myths and legends 
  of the past, if they even still exist.
  Somehow, the Garden also seems to be roughly divided by 
  age, with an outer ring of the newer and popular deities, such 
  as the gods of the pantheon of Light and Dark, an inner ring of 
  older known and less popular gods, a core of even older deities, 
  and the Primeva in the center where the edifices of truly ancient, 
  fading and forgotten gods lost for many millennia seem to be 
  most numerous, though not always. Of course, the actual age of 
  any particular statue and god is difficult, if not impossible, to 
  measure. It appears that many statues are arranged in the Garden 
  based upon the time they stopped being worshiped, rather than 
  the time of their birth/creation. The followers of a god may cling 
  to their beliefs for thousands of years in some far-off corner of the 
  world, while the rest of an entire pantheon may be forgotten or 
  only dimly remembered, which means they have been half buried 
  or completely consumed by the vegetation of the Garden, until 
  a Caretaker or pilgrim or royal excavation team happens upon 
  them one day.
  Whatever deific powers are at work in the Garden of the Gods, 
  they have prevented even the oldest, forgotten statues from being 
  completely eroded or destroyed by eons of weather and neglect. 
  They may be covered in a thick blanket of vines and vegetation, 
  and a few are known to be half-merged into the trunks of massive, 
  ancient trees, but they are never fully gone nor sunken and buried 
  into the earth.
  Some scholars believe that once a god’s churches and follow-
  ers are in danger of extinction in the outside world, and forgotten, 
  his statue slowly moves inward, from the Garden’s accessible 
  exterior, to more difficult to reach sections, to the forbidding in-
  ner gardens of the Primeva. This is complete conjecture, as to 
  systematically observe and study the Garden is a process that 
  would require tens of thousands of years, beyond the lifetime 
  of humans, Elves or even dragons. Other scholars and self-pro-
  claimed experts on the Garden, such as the Knights-Fossar, reject 
  this theory. Pointing out that many a deity who has been largely 
  forgotten from the annals of history, have been found with that 
  god’s pantheon and at locations throughout the Garden, not just 
  in the Primeva. However, they must admit that, for whatever rea-
  son, the statues of the most ancient and unknown deities seem to 
  be clustered within the Primeva. If those who believe the Primeva 
  
  20
  is a graveyard for forgotten gods are correct, it may be that even a 
  forgotten god who is a member of a pantheon or related to a god 
  that has retained worshipers, though they may be few in numbers, 
  remains attached to that pantheon or relative deity. And that is 
  why some forgotten gods have been uncovered in other parts of 
  the Garden, such as the pantheon of Aco.
  The lasting mystery: Of course, nobody knows how the Gar-
  den works, and the gods never talk about or reveal anything about 
  the Garden. Not who created it, when, why, how it works, or what 
  it all may mean. It just is.
  Beauty: The Garden represents a pure and ancient form of the 
  timeless energy that may have created the world. Every tree and 
  flower and blade of grass is a natural work of art. The water shim-
  mers with supernatural radiance, the sky is vivid blue on clear 
  days, and storms brew with heavenly magnificence, shapes, and 
  figures swirling up out of the clouds to cast bolts of lightning at 
  each other, but never do no harm to this place or those within its 
  confines. Every sunset and sunrise is a miracle unto itself, enough 
  to bring tears to the eyes of sensitive mortals. The animals of the 
  Garden are healthy and vital and not very aggressive, and every 
  landscape feels like a painting by a master artist brought to life.
  Divine Neutrality: No gods may manifest and take physical 
  form within the limits of the Garden, or so it is said. The divine 
  energy of the place prevents existing gods, Demon and Deevil 
  Lords, Alien Intelligences, Greater Elementals, and similar su-
  pernatural beings from entering the Garden in their godly form, 
  whether their purpose is to destroy it, bury it, resurrect their for-
  gotten brethren, or simply visit and admire the scenery. In mor-
  tal guise, with their powers suspended, it is said gods may walk 
  amongst the Garden, and indeed, caretakers and strange visitors 
  might sometimes be a god in mortal form. Here their avatar may 
  bask in the serenity and splendor of the Garden, or interact with 
  mortals to offer clues and guidance to those they meet, particu-
  larly those who may be on a quest to help that god or rekindle 
  the worship of their name. The Garden is not inclined towards or 
  opposed to any individual god, good or evil, religion or pantheon, 
  nor is it devoted to the gods of any specific race or region, no mat-
  ter how widespread their following may be in the outside world. 
  The Garden is a place for all.
  Hospitality: The Garden’s trees and plants abound with fruit 
  and berries that can be picked and eaten by visitors. Bees do not 
  sting intruders who harvest their honey, and fragrant herbs and 
  wild grains are found in rich patches. The favor of the gods bless 
  visitors with fresh air and clean water safe to breathe and drink 
  from any source.
  The temperature is mild and soothing, even in during the cold 
  and snowy winter months. The Garden’s animals are friendly, 
  and sometimes helpful, guiding lost visitors back to paths or lead-
  ing those who might follow them to the exit or to sources of food 
  and water. In addition to the natural bounty that the Garden pro-
  vides, caretakers are known for helping visitors and guests, and a 
  spirit of generosity and giving seems to fill the hearts of most who 
  pass through the Verdant Gates, leading pilgrims to share food 
  and water, wine, and song. The fear and suspicion that goes hand 
  in hand with meeting strangers on the road in the outside world is 
  absent inside the Garden.
  Impenetrability: The magic that makes up the Garden of the 
  Gods is as old and powerful as the world itself. No spell can sense 
  what is occurring within its bounds, no magic sight or looking-
  glass can peer into the Garden from afar. The hedges that make 
  up its outer walls are immune to fire, either magic or natural, and 
  cannot be pierced by any tool or weapon. Climbing the hedges 
  is impossible, as each individual branch/vine does not have the 
  strength to support a person’s weight, and will slip the grasp of 
  even the most skilled climber, and are too thick and dense for 
  someone to push their way through. Magically-shrunken intrud-
  ers and tiny Faerie Folk find an opaque, unbroken wall of leaves 
  and bramble at the center of the hedge, impossible to slip through, 
  thought they may fly over it.
  Modesty: The Garden of the Gods is a modest display. There 
  are no giant statues, massive temples, or towering shrines that out 
  do another. Here, all the gods stand as equals. None greater than 
  another. The larger a pantheon, the larger the section of Garden 
  they occupy; however, ALL statues are roughly the same size and 
  quality, with few larger than 8 or 9 feet (2.4 to 2.7 m) tall. Though 
  each divine setting is modest, there is a sense of wonder and awe, 
  beauty and inspiration that permeates the air. Those who set foot 
  within the Garden feel as if they are in the presence of the gods, 
  and of ancient power and wisdom far beyond that of any of the 
  mortal races. For anyone who has visited the holiest shrines of 
  the Palladium World or stood in the presence of an actual god or 
  goddess, the sensation will be familiar.
  Sanctuary: No armies may violate the tranquility of the Gar-
  den. Any military force with hostile intent that tries to enter the 
  Garden’s limits finds themselves unable to pass through any of 
  the Verdant Gates. Their horses refuse to walk into the Garden, 
  and soldiers find themselves stopped by what is essentially an 
  unshakable sensation that they must not enter and turn back or 
  go around; physically and emotionally unable to venture any fur-
  ther. The sensation is not unlike that of a child doing wrong who 
  suddenly realizes his parents are watching. The invading or con-
  quering soldiers can simply go no farther or do any harm to the 
  Garden or its statues. Ultimately, with a sense of shame or dread, 
  they turn around and leave without entering.
  The tall hedges that make up the perimeter of the Garden are 
  invulnerable to tools and weapons, fire and magic, and anyone 
  who tries to climb over them is unable to find a grip on the hedges 
  to scale them. Those who fly over finds landing inside the Gar-
  den from above to be difficult, as they automatically soar over 
  the glorious Garden and land at one of the four Verdant Gates. 
  The exceptions are Faerie Folk, insects, and birds. Faeries and 
  Sprites of all varieties visit and play in the Garden of the Gods, 
  including a few that are not known anywhere else. Also pres-
  ent are the occasional Brownie, Pixie, Grogach, visiting Lepre-
  chaun or Spriggan, and a few of the oldest, most magnificent 
  trees are inhabited by a protective but tolerant Nymph. The Faer-
  ies, Sprites, and Brownies are self-appointed protectors of these 
  grounds. Some working in concert with a favorite caretaker or the 
  other unofficial protectors of the Garden and Lopan, the Knights-
  Fossar. The wee folk warn the Knights and caretakers of suspi-
  cious individuals and any nefarious plot the Faeries may have 
  overheard. Even when the uglier and mean-spirited Faerie Folk 
  visit, such as the minuscule Bogie and the nasty Toadstool or 
  Puck, they stay to the shadows and don’t cause trouble for people 
  or their Faerie-kin. The worst of the Fey avoid the Garden, so 
  there is no chance of encountering a Hairy Jack, Kelpie, Kinnie 
  Ger, Dead Moon Hag, or Will-O-The-Wisp.
  Individual knights, soldiers on quests, groups of crusaders, 
  warrior-monks, mercenaries, adventurers, priests, sorcerers, 
  thieves and peasants, queens and kings with no intention to do 
  
  21
  harm to the garden or those within, may enter and move about 
  freely. The gods of the Garden seems to be able to sense the intent 
  of its visitors, and theoretically an entire army could march right 
  in one end and out the other as long as their mission was peaceful 
  or they harbored no ill will toward the Garden and the statues, 
  or any of the people within its enclosure. Whether the magical 
  inhabitants of the Garden, the Knights-Fossar, or the gods them-
  selves would allow any harm to come to the Garden is another 
  question, but it seems unlikely.
  Some caretakers and wise strangers are encountered only once 
  in a lifetime, then never seen or heard from again. They offer 
  advice or words of encouragement, suggest a quest or course of 
  action, and then vanish. It is said that, from time to time, these are 
  not real people, but avatars of the gods themselves, going about 
  in humble form to move throughout the Garden and walk among 
  mortals. A god may take the form of a caretaker, a pilgrim, a 
  crusader, a knight, a child, or a Goblin. As a result, it is common 
  practice to treat everyone with respect for the very reason that he 
  or she, young or old, human or otherwise, could be the avatar of 
  a god.
  On the other hand, the Garden of the Gods is visited by many 
  who do not linger or ever return. Many who visit only have 
  enough money to visit once in their lifetime. So it is possible 
  people looking for a sign from the gods or sage advice find it in 
  the words or kind deeds of a stranger rather than a deity in person. 
  But who is to say that a deity is not speaking through that person? 
  It is up to the visitor to recognize what it is they seek, and inter-
  pret what they see and hear, whether it comes from the divine or 
  the ordinary.
  Naysayers
  There are doubters from far away who insist the Garden is a 
  sham or nothing more than a pleasant fantasy that does not ex-
  ist in the real world. They do not accept the stories of those who 
  have journeyed to the so-called Garden of the Gods. They write 
  off the accounts of visions and godly visitations as dreams, delu-
  sions, and wishful thinking, or flat out lies by those who seek 
  to be special and important. Skeptics insist there is no divinity 
  at work on Lopan, just clever tricksters and ordinary magic har-
  nessed to con visitors out of their hard-earned coin. Even more 
  insidious, the caretakers, they claim, are charlatans speaking with 
  the voice and authority of the gods and using the Garden as a 
  front to further their own agenda, or worse, to lure people into the 
  service of dark and dangerous gods.
  Non-believers speculate that the messages and visions per-
  ceived to come from divine beings are, in reality, induced by the 
  Garden’s so-called caretakers, local priests, seers, and mages. 
  The visions, they claim, are implanted into the visitors’ open and 
  willing minds with drug-soaked food and drink, or by magic or 
  psionic powers.
  The heads of the Church of Light and Dark have gone so far as 
  to state, as fact, the words and actions of the mysterious caretak-
  ers put visitors into a suggestive, hypnotic state of mind, and then 
  use verbal commands and hallucinogens to impose their influ-
  ence over their victims. A “voice of a god” that offers advice and 
  sends unwitting believers off on quests in the name of a deity, but 
  which somehow benefits the perpetrator of this hoax or the Lords 
  of Lopan. The common rumor is that the clergy and caretakers of 
  the Garden prey upon religious faith, hope, and desperation, and 
  use drugs and hallucination to manipulate heroes and visitors to 
  secretly do the bidding of the church or cult they serve.
  Another popular naysayer’s theory is that it is all one big joke. 
  A hoax of epic proportion. It is well known that Faeries love to 
  trick and befuddle humans and other Big People, so visions, voic-
  es, and visitations could be nothing more than Faerie Magic used 
  to perpetrate an elaborate hoax to amuse the Wee Folk. Faeries 
  are, after all, reported to abound in the Garden and elsewhere on 
  Lopan. Two more reasons it is best to avoid this strange place.
  Caretakers, Visitors, and Avatars
  Many of the statues of the gods, and the garden around them, 
  have their own caretakers. Some have several, others only one or 
  two, or even just a person or small group of people who check 
  on the statue and its humble garden, clean up and weed the area, 
  and trim the vegetation once or twice a year. A few may see at-
  tendance only every few years or are tended to by unaffiliated 
  visitors who simply pitch in to help. Other areas in the Garden are 
  slowly excavated and restored by scholarly researchers appoint-
  ed by the Emperess of Lopan, and sometimes by the sanctioned 
  Fossarian Wardens, both of whom work to reveal and carve out 
  more Forgotten Gods and create more of the Garden out of the 
  Primeva. They also try to prevent any area of the Garden from 
  slipping into severe disrepair. This is especially true of the re-
  vealed Forgotten Gods who may no longer have any followers to 
  tend to their gardens. Away, elsewhere in the world, sometimes 
  secret texts are uncovered or a godly visitation reveals the iden-
  tity of a fading or forgotten god to a mortal who undertakes a 
  personal mission to the Garden of the Gods to restore a fading or 
  lost god(s) to a place of dignity, serving as caretaker for a time, 
  or even just making a single visit.
  Most Garden areas are maintained by volunteer caretakers 
  who are a collection of true believers and religious zealots. In 
  many cases, they are people who claim to have been personally 
  helped or inspired by the god or pantheon they now serve as one 
  of the Garden’s humble volunteers. Caretakers may be men and 
  women of any age. Few are clergy, however. Most are average 
  laypersons and none of them preach to visitors as such is not the 
  intent of the Garden and is considered to break with the neutrality 
  and equality for all gods. Rather, they tend to the physical gar-
  dens and the statue(s) of the god(s) in which they believe or sim-
  ply to keep the beauty of the Garden from disrepair. They speak 
  with visitors, sharing what knowledge they have of the Garden or 
  the Gods, and offering counsel and comfort to those who ask for 
  it. Of course, such individuals have their bias toward a particular 
  god or pantheon of gods, but most sincerely revere and appreci-
  ate the Garden’s spirit of respect for all and neutrality, and are 
  careful not to disparage any of the other deities found within its 
  leafy confines.
  
  22
  
  23
  Into the Garden
  of the Gods
  The Garden of the Gods is home to lush beauty and impossible 
  greenery. Trees grow strong and full, some straight and tall, oth-
  ers full and sprawling providing a natural green canopy to protect 
  visitors from the sun and weather. At many locations, the branch-
  es of trees on either side of a pathway arch over to create lovely 
  green tunnels for visitors to walk under; dragonflies, Faeries and 
  Sprites flying overhead or watching from the tree branches. Flo-
  ral tapestries of vines may drape down from the ceilings, pillars 
  and walls or down the sides of the hedgerows. Throughout the 
  weave of vegetation, birds and animals and Faerie Folk can be 
  seen fluttering about and playing with butterflies or dancing with 
  each other among the flowers. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if 
  it was a butterfly or Sprite that just bounced past your ear. Drag-
  onflies, cicadas, crickets, grasshoppers and bees also abound in 
  the Garden.
  It is a place where parks and lawns and other features that 
  seem small from afar take on new dimensions once one has ar-
  rived. Visitors are left with the realization that the Garden of the 
  Gods is a place where the normal rules of time and space seem to 
  be bent or broken. Many believe the boundary between the world 
  of mortals and the world of the divine is thin here, bridged by the 
  Garden itself. Some scholars who have studied the Garden of the 
  Gods believe it to be a concentrated remnant of the forces that 
  created the Palladium world long ago, and may be a dull reflec-
  tion of the Deific Realm or of infinity. Others think it is simply 
  a place honored and marked by the gods, and as such, is touched 
  by the divine, giving it special qualities and some unusual proper-
  ties.
  At dawn and dusk, the sun’s light is warped and bent slightly 
  around the Garden, making for spectacular and unique sunrises 
  and sunsets. During the day, the entire Garden shimmers from 
  afar like a mirage, sometimes looking like an island floating in 
  the air until one approaches close. The square box of neat, geo-
  metrically-perfect hedges appears to be an illusion or some trick 
  of the eyes.
  The Verdant Gates
  There are four gates along the Garden, facing precisely north, 
  south, east and west. Each gate is roughly 40 feet (12.2 m) high 
  and 20 feet (6.1 m) across, so even large beings should have no 
  trouble squeezing through. Each is festooned with flowers and 
  blossoms, a myriad of colors that dazzles those who enter. Bees, 
  hummingbirds and Faeries flutter through the air, and there is a 
  sensation of enchantment and excitement that is almost electric.
  The Verdant Gates feature no doors or other restrictions, but 
  looking through the gates into the Garden beyond has a distorted 
  mirage or reflective water appearance which can be a bit disori-
  enting for a moment as one passes through them going in and 
  out of the Garden. On the other side of the Gates, however, visi-
  tors are instantly and fully within the Garden where everything 
  looks normal but on an elevated and heightened level. Colors 
  seem brighter and more vibrant, be they the color of the leaves 
  and flowers or the sky and sun above. If there is a paradise in the 
  mortal realm, surely this is it.
  Hedgerows
  The borders of the Garden and many of its inner partitions have 
  hedgerows, veritable walls of tightly interwoven trees, bushes, 
  and hedges. These enchanted boundaries are immune to fire, both 
  regular and magical, and seem immune to weather. Storms are 
  never severe in and around the Garden of Gods, the plants always 
  green and healthy. Since their creation by those excavating the 
  Garden, they seem to be nearly indestructible and as permanent 
  as the Garden itself. They are also difficult to climb, as the indi-
  vidual branches and boughs are not strong enough to support the 
  weight of most climbers, and bend or snap off as someone tries to 
  find a handhold. Tightly woven, they are also impossible to push 
  through without chopping through the vegetation and inviting 
  the wrath of pilgrims and caretakers if not the gods themselves. 
  There are numerous potential defenders of the Garden, as most 
  visitors, whether crusading warriors, Priests, Wizard, or peasant 
  farmer, are not going to stand by while someone tries to deface or 
  destroy any part of the fabled Garden. That includes the denizens 
  of Faerie who live among the branches and within the meadows, 
  all of whom are quick to take action whenever necessary. One 
  can also imagine that the bees and insects and birds and wildlife 
  would also intervene if it ever became necessary, but so far it has 
  not.
  The outer hedges that serve as the boundaries of the Garden 
  are said to be impervious to fire, but the inner ones are not. That 
  said, it seems difficult to set any portion of the Garden of the 
  Gods on fire, and no blaze is known to have ever swept across 
  it, just as storms and inclement weather seem to skip over or are 
  barely felt within the Garden.
  The Terraces
  On the other side of the Verdant Gates, visitors find them-
  selves greeted by complex and geometrically stunning hedge 
  mazes upon large terraces that surround each entrance. The 
  Terraces separate the main sections of the Garden, creating 
  miniature environments unto themselves. Each of the four Ter-
  races have a few statues of gods built into them in shrines and 
  alcoves, but most of the statues are to be found further inside 
  the Garden.
  The hedge mazes of the Terraces are relatively simple com-
  pared to some of the truly exquisite features deeper within the 
  Garden of the Gods. They are a part of the Garden’s rites of ini-
  tiation, as much as anything else, enchanted with a timeless en-
  ergy that allows visitors to feel that they are leaving the normal 
  world behind. The Terraces force those who enter the Garden to 
  slow down and admire the beauty all around them, to explore 
  and take in the unusual nature of the place. Caretakers tend to the 
  plants and flowers here, though the outer hedges, ever since they 
  were first excavated, have always remained magically perfect and 
  flawless and in no need of human attendance.
  Garden Mazes
  Another famous feature of the Garden of the Gods are its maz-
  es. Hedgerows often wrap back around, forming mazes and odd 
  arrangements. There are a myriad of hedge mazes in many plac-
  es, with perfectly manicured walls of trees and shrubs that create 
  repetitive corridors that make navigation tricky. Tiled mosaics 
  with patterns can be found here and there to help guide visitors 
  
  24
  through the Garden and function as markers. As do the occasional 
  statue or small shrine.
  Most mazes are fun to travel and may lead to a small courtyard 
  lined with stone benches or one of the statues and its garden area, 
  or to a section of the garden that contains an entire pantheon. 
  There, in the courtyard, may be a statue of a god or something un-
  expected. This can be an ancient stone or metal mechanisms that 
  is a mechanical puzzle with moving parts, a monolith or stone 
  marker with pictograms or linguistic codes, lovely fountains, a 
  meadow, pond or stream with benches (and probably a statue of a 
  god), or a unique garden area where the quiet and respectful may 
  glimpse a rare and fleeting sight of a rainbow though it hasn’t 
  rained, a deer or Unicorn before it races back into the thick, Fa-
  eries, Sprites or Wing Tips often dancing among the flowers, or 
  they might see an ethereal Nymph who resides inside an ancient 
  tree. And though none have ever been found one, and the care-
  takers insist they do not exist, there are people who believe that 
  some mazes lead to a secret underground chamber where they 
  can find an ancient temple, or a magical relic, treasure or a Lep-
  rechaun’s pot of god.
  Woods and Thickets
  The Garden is a network of lawns and parks and paths that 
  weave through the woodland from which it was created. A vast 
  ornament of nature and divine splendor. In the most frequented 
  sections and largest thoroughfares, the grass is neatly cut, the 
  paths swept and spotless, the flowers and plants and trees per-
  fectly arranged. The hedges that make up the dividing walls of 
  the Garden break it up into smaller sections, each boundary as in-
  violate as the last. Each section is a world unto itself, with unique 
  plants and features and visitors.
  The Garden is also broken up with areas heavily wooded with 
  trees, thickets and glades. There are also sacred groves, copses 
  and lone trees, often incorporated into the hedges, paths and other 
  architecture of the Garden of the Gods. Thick undergrowth makes 
  natural barriers in places, and sometimes hides statues away from 
  the casual observer until they get close or turn a corner. Anyone 
  looking for the deepest secrets of the Garden must be prepared to 
  spend plenty of time making their way through the elegant natu-
  ral splendor. It is always best to follow the paths and go around 
  natural barriers like thickets as wild animals and Faerie Folk may 
  lurk within. Creatures that may be startled and attack, or unhappy 
  to have intruders stomping around their home.
  Statues of the Gods
  The one constant that continues throughout the Garden are 
  the statues and stone markers of forgotten gods. Each one has its 
  own little place of respect, a clearing, pedestal, circle, square, 
  platform or other subsection of garden within the Garden. Some 
  of these statues and monuments are overgrown, but most stand 
  clean and whole in a place of honor. All are roughly the same 
  size, as all the gods are considered equals in the Garden. Lo-
  cations to meditate and pray and converse with the deity(s) 
  represented by the sculpture. Points of potential contact where 
  people feel closer to their deity(s) or are inexplicably drawn to a 
  particular place or statue in the Garden, even if they don’t know 
  who the deity is or what he or she may represent. These smaller 
  courtyard gardens are the specific places where pilgrims come 
  to worship, and in some cases, may be the last shrines to the 
  gods they depict.
  Every statue is different, modest and roughly the same size, 
  for here upon these scared grounds, no deity is portrayed to be 
  greater than another. This applies whether the god is known or 
  unknown to mortals. And is one more reason why some estab-
  lished church sects and devotees dislike and rebuke the Garden, 
  because their deity or pantheon is depicted no mightier or more 
  important than any others. A bias and a perceived slight that some 
  mortal worshipers, particularly leaders of various churches, bring 
  with them into the Garden.
  Not only do these edifices portray a variety of gods of dif-
  fering shapes, race, and attire, some also serve as examples of 
  the culture and style of worship for that particular god or time 
  period. Some are flat stones with two-dimensional glyphs or por-
  traits carved into them. Some are traditional monoliths and other 
  stone markers with names and faces, or prayers and spiritual pas-
  sages inscribed upon them. There are statues of a god’s full form, 
  as well as busts, heads on pedestals, and stylistic representations 
  that could be an animal, object, geometric shape, pattern or sym-
  bol associated with the religion.
  Some visitors believe direct physical contact with one of the 
  statues is the best way to contact any deity in the Garden, whether 
  known or lost, but the truth is nobody knows when, how, or why 
  a god might choose to help or make its presence know to anyone. 
  The gods of the Garden are ancient and distant, some of them 
  weakened by the passage of incredible lengths of time and a lack 
  of worship and acclaim. The nature and sincerity of the individual 
  reaching out is likely to have a huge effect on whether a deity 
  pays attention to him or makes a connection.
  Most people leaving the Garden believe they have been 
  touched by the divine for just having visited this serene and beau-
  tiful place. And who is to say they have not. There is no doubt 
  there is something special about the Garden of the Gods, but it 
  is not a hot line to the gods or a wish granting miracle machine.
  The real magic of the Garden of the Gods may simply be 
  that it is a place where people take the time to put aside their 
  everyday worries and differences to reflect upon larger, greater 
  questions in life. They ponder about morality and mortality, what 
  is right and wrong, good and bad. They think about their own 
  life, their purpose in the world, and the best path in life for them. 
  Some ponder what they should do next, how to be better, stron-
  ger, wiser, kinder, or how to overcome a painful loss or fright-
  ening challenge. Some seek truth and desire justice. Others ask 
  of themselves many probing questions and, in effect, meditate, 
  whether they realize it or not, within the comforting beauty of a 
  place with a reputation for people finding the answers they seek. 
  And so most people come away with answers or inspiration, or 
  at least feeling better and more resolute. Who is to say with any 
  certainty whether they found the answers within themselves or 
  through divine inspiration directly from the gods?
  Whatever the case, every individual must choose for them-
  selves whether or not to accept the inspiration or path set before 
  them. The choice is entirely their own even if they received a 
  vision or visitation. The gods do not force anyone to do anything.
  Offerings
  Many of the pilgrims and crusaders who visit the Garden come 
  bearing gifts, sacraments, and offerings, not just for the god or 
  
  25
  gods they intend to visit, but also for the caretakers, fellow trav-
  elers, and as a generic appeasement to the Garden as a whole. 
  Many statues have offerings placed at their feet, whether they are 
  coins, food, drink, oils, perfumes, tools, weapons, animal hides, 
  bouquets of flowers, bones, skulls, gems or other items.
  What type of offering will attracts a god’s attention depends 
  on the nature of the deity and the sincerity and emotions that ac-
  company it. Many Dragonwright gods are rumored to respond 
  to bones, works of art, gold, gems, and the like. Gods from the 
  Pantheon of Light and Dark are said to prefer offerings of water, 
  green plants, tools, weapons, and symbolic figurines. The North-
  ern Pantheon gods are believed to have a greater appreciation for 
  furs, whale oil, axes, fish, and meat.
  These offerings come from the faithful, as well as caretakers 
  who regularly tend to the statues and graves. A large collection 
  of offerings indicates a god that still receives regular visitors, 
  and might have just been visited by followers who could still be 
  somewhere in the Garden. Few or no offerings could mean a god 
  is obscure or completely forgotten, but it could also indicate that 
  a caretaker recently cleaned up the area. If there is an accumula-
  tion of old, worn, weathered, rotted or rusted offerings, that is a 
  clear sign, however, that a particular deity has been lost to the 
  outside world for a very long time.
  Some of the Garden’s dark and evil gods require offerings 
  that are less palatable to virtuous folk; bones, dead animals, fresh 
  blood, even living victims for sacrifice. And while the gods of 
  the Garden do not judge mortals or are too powerless to inter-
  vene, visitors who feel a moral duty, righteous crusaders, and the 
  Knights-Fossar could all spell disaster for a Dark Priest or sor-
  cerer intending to contact or please his beloved or patron deity 
  through human sacrifice or other evils.
  Random Offering Table
  01-02% 1D4 pieces of fresh fruit.
  03-04% A bouquet of wild flowers.
  05-06% A single rose.
  07-08% A container of honey or fresh picked berries.
  09-10% A dead rodent, probably a mouse, mole, squirrel.
  11-12% A dead bird, probably a game animal such as quail 
  or duck, but could be a different type of bird, perhaps one that has 
  symbolic relevance to the deity or the person leaving the offering.
  13-14% A basket containing 1D4 small animals such as a 
  dove, kitten, squirrel.
  15-16% A basket containing 1D4 fresh fish.
  17-18% A basket containing 1D4 live snakes; 50% chance 
  they are poisonous.
  19-20% A basket containing 1D6+4 insects or spiders.
  21-22% Animal Hides/Furs: The hides or furs of animals 
  used as trade goods. Has a value of 1D4x100 gold.
  23-24% Bones – Animal Skull(s): 1D6 animal skulls of any 
  variety, but could have symbolic relevance to the deity or the 
  person leaving the offering.
  25-26% Bones – Assorted Bones: A little pile of animals 
  bones, probably from small rodents or birds, but could be some-
  thing more grisly, such as humanoid bones or a skull, possibly 
  of an enemy or a human sacrifice. Whatever they are, they have 
  symbolic relevance to the deity or the person leaving the offer-
  ing.
  
  26
  27-28% Bones – Human/Intelligent Creature: The skull of 
  a human or other intelligent being, or a handful of bones from 
  such a being. Probably an enemy or the remains of a human sacri-
  fice that has symbolic relevance to the deity or the person leaving 
  the offering.
  29-30% Coins – Gold: 1D4 gold coins.
  31-32% Coins – Silver: 1D4 silver coins or a small silver 
  nugget.
  33-34% Coins – Copper: 1D4 copper coins.
  35-36% Doll: Handmade doll like a children’s toy made 
  of cloth or an effigy of a loved one or the god, or of an en-
  emy, or something of significance to the deity or the person 
  leaving it.
  37-38% Figurines: Handmade figurines/carvings made of 
  wood. The carving could represent the god or a related mytho-
  logical figure, or be that of an animal or people/family, etc., any 
  of which could have a symbolic meaning for the deity or the per-
  son leaving the offering behind.
  39-42% Incense: A stick, wedge, or powdered incense.
  43-46% Candle: May be any size, but usually small or me-
  dium. May be lit or unlit. Lit candles are quite popular and so is 
  incense, above.
  47-48% Drink – Wine: A jug, flask or skin of wine. Good to 
  drink.
  49-50% Drink – Milk: A container of milk, almost certainly 
  gone rancid by the time the players come across it.
  51-52% Drink – Light Alcohol: A container of mead or beer. 
  50% chance it is still good to drink.
  53-54% Drink – Water: A jug, canteen or flask of water. 
  Good to drink.
  55-56% Drink – Rum: A bottle, jug, or skin of rum or other 
  hard liquor. Good to drink.
  57-58% Flowers: Bouquets and garlands of flowers have 
  been laid upon this statue, still fresh.
  59-60% Food – Grain: A loaf of bread or sack of wheat or 
  other grain or corn left behind for this god. May represent the 
  harvest. 50% chance that it is still edible.
  61-62% Food – Meat: A cut of meat, probably a haunch, leg, 
  wing or pot full of animal organs. 01-05% chance that it is still 
  edible.
  63-64% Semi-Precious Gemstone: Worth 1D6x10 gold.
  65-66% Gemstone: A small precious gem such as a dia-
  mond, ruby or sapphire, or piece of jewelry such as a wedding 
  ring, bracelet, necklace, etc., that has meaning to the deity or the 
  person offering it. Worth as little as 1D4 copper or as much as 
  3D6x10 gold, or simply has symbolic value that the deity will 
  understand.
  67-68% Instrument – Drum(s): 1D4 ceremonial drums.
  69-70% Instrument – String: Lute, lyre, harp, guitar, or oth-
  er musical string instrument.
  71-72% Instrument – Wind: Flute, whistle, or other musical 
  wind instrument.
  73-74% Oils: 1D4 vials of ceremonial oil, or a small bottle or 
  jug of olive oil.
  75-76% Perfume: 1D4 vials of perfume, unspoiled and still 
  fragrant.
  77-78% Tool – Hammer: A simple craftsman or smith’s 
  hammer or mallet, still usable. 1D4 damage.
  79-80% Tool – Woodsman’s Axe: A standard wood-cutting 
  axe, still sharp. 2D4 damage.
  81-82% Tool – Hand Axe/Handaxe (small): A small hand 
  axe or tomahawk/, still sharp. 2D4 damage.
  83-84% Sewing or Knitting Needle: 1D4 sewing needles.
  85-86% Fishing Hook: 1D4 fishing hooks or a fishing pole.
  87-88% Flag or Emblem: A flag or emblem that may repre-
  sent the deity, a defeated enemy, a heraldry flag or patch, a king-
  dom, or significance to the person making the offering, and simi-
  lar. Could also be broken sword or arrow, helmet, hand, head, or 
  skull of an enemy of the deity.
  89-90% Symbol: A holy symbol or other symbol that has 
  some significance to the deity, the church/followers of the deity, 
  or the person leaving it.
  91-92% Beads or Item: Prayer Beads, or Beaded necklace, or 
  headdress, gaunlet, gloves, worn out boots, horseshoes, a book, 
  or other item that has significance to the deity or the person leav-
  ing it.
  93-94% Weapon: Arrow or Spearhead: An arrowhead or 
  spearhead or the whole arrow or spear.
  95-96% Weapon – Ceremonial Dagger: A ceremonial dag-
  ger or scepter or other item of the kind used for rituals or hu-
  man sacrifices. 1D4 damage; worth 2D4x10 gold, but may hold 
  greater value as a religious symbol.
  97-98% Weapon – Sword: A soldier’s sword, still sharp. 
  2D4 or 2D6 damage depending on the type and size.
  99-00% Weapon – Other: A spear or mace or axe, or other 
  weapon left behind as an offering or a gesture to the deity or for a 
  Champion or hero who follows in his footsteps.
  The Primeva
  The Untamed Garden of Forgotten Gods
  Sometimes a dense cluster of mighty trees or vegetation locat-
  ed within a cleared and manicured area of the Garden is found to 
  conceal a statue of a deity nobody realized was there, still locked 
  within its leafy confines. However, the majority of statues wait-
  ing to be revealed exist in what is known as the Primeva or the 
  Untamed Garden of Forgotten Gods.
  The terrain of the Primeva is that of an ancient forest of trees 
  filled with dense bramble and thick tangles of vines and under-
  brush. Giant trees create a thick, umbrella-like canopy over ev-
  erything else, completely blocking out the sun in places, reducing 
  it to scant beams in others. The branches overhead are full of 
  life, from wild cats and snakes to squirrels and other small ar-
  boreal animals, birds, and insects of all kinds. Flowering vines 
  completely wrap around and encase statues sandwiched between 
  walls of saplings and thick underbrush, completely concealing 
  them. The brush is so dense you would need to spend hours chop-
  ping and cutting through the plants to make the slightest progress 
  in starting a pathway.
  The Untamed Garden of Forgotten Gods is the only part of 
  the Garden not directly connected to the rest of it with neat paths 
  and walkways. The landscape is so dense with vegetation that the 
  most intrepid of visitors cannot push their way through more than 
  a few feet before finding themselves blocked and barricaded, and 
  forced to turn back. Even those who can magically make them-
  selves only inches tall or are able to turn into mist have trouble 
  navigating what becomes a murky maze of tall grass and weeds, 
  dense tangles of vines and unrelenting bramble, bushes, and trees. 
  Those who have tried report quickly losing a sense of scale and 
  direction within minutes of difficult travel within the Primeva. 
  
  27
  The least fortunate get lost and fall victim to wild animals or the 
  environment, never to be seen again. The lucky ones are either 
  rescued and led out of the tangled mass by one of the gentler 
  denizens of this Faerieland, such as a Sprite or Faerie, or miracu-
  lously find their way back into the cleared area of the Garden by 
  accident. Such lucky survivors report simply stumbling out of the 
  dark labyrinth of the Untamed Garden or having followed a path 
  of sunlight or what they thought was an animal path, and always 
  without any idea where they had been or how to get back there 
  even if they had stumbled across a statue or monument.
  This is the main reason it takes so long to unearth new statues. 
  Another is nobody wants to damage any of the statues encased 
  within the living greenery while chopping through the vegeta-
  tion, making careful excavation essential. Skilled excavators and 
  landscapers work slowly and carefully to find and unveil the stat-
  ues of lost gods. Removing trees and cutting and shaping new 
  hedgerows out of the landscape. They preserve some clusters and 
  walls of trees and bushes and meadows as they go along to create 
  a lovely new area of the Garden. Cutting, chopping, and hauling 
  away the rest. In some ways, the formation of new areas of the 
  Garden cut out of the Primeva is like that of sculptors who work 
  in stone. They often say they envision an image trapped inside the 
  stone block and chip and cut away at it until the image is revealed 
  as a statue. The same can be said about the continuing formation 
  of the Garden, only on a much larger scale. The selection of what 
  trees and vegetation stays and what goes, and the trimming of the 
  trees, shrubbery, vines, and flowers are as much a work of artistry 
  as the statues and monuments that are uncovered from within. 
  The end result are garden paths, walkways and courtyards cut 
  and shaped to best present the ancient statues while leaving them 
  surrounded by natural splendor. A botanical wonderland filled 
  with exotic plants and flowers and trees, and accented by equally 
  magnificent fauna that lives in or visits the Garden.
  It is an operation that requires a delicate hand and finesse to 
  preserve not only the statuary, but also the bounty and beauty 
  of the living Garden. That includes the flora, nests, and habitats 
  of exotic birds, butterflies, and animals, but also the flowering 
  mounds and hiding places of the Faerie Folk who live here. The 
  Untamed Garden and other largely uninhabited forests and mead-
  ows on Lopan are home to an astonishing array of Faerie Folk. 
  Among them the rarest and most shy, like the Guardian Faerie 
  and Walking Stick Faerie, both of which are believed to exist 
  only on Lopan and perhaps in remote mountain valleys in the 
  Great Northern Mountains and a few secluded woodlands in the 
  Great Northern Wilderness.
  The most ancient of the Fading and Forgotten deities are found 
  within the depths of the overgrown Primeva, which has served as 
  a sort of hidden cemetery of lost gods for millennia, waiting to 
  be rediscovered and unveiled. Yet even here there is a sense of 
  wild, untamed beauty and wonder. Statues of ancient gods peek 
  out from among tall grass and leafy trees, or from their wrappings 
  of vines or carpets of moss, so overgrown with flora that it is dif-
  ficult to tell where the structure ends and the forest begins.
  The expert Lopani excavators tell all sorts of stories in which 
  they cut and trim and weave through the tangle of vegetation nev-
  er knowing when or where they might stumble across an ancient 
  idol, statue, monolith, small shrine, or marker of an elder and for-
  gotten deity as they cut a path through the greenery or force their 
  way through the underbrush. Often the discovery is unexpected, 
  happening when they bump their head or stand up or turn around 
  to stretch their aching muscles, only to see the stone face of a 
  lost god staring back at them from amongst the vegetation. Other 
  times the branch they used to pull themselves up or rock they 
  leaned against to rest a moment is part of a statue or the pedestal 
  upon which it rests. Statues, idols, small shrines, monoliths, and 
  stone markers are found throughout the overgrown forest that is 
  the Primeva.
  Ancient script and strange symbols from lost languages and 
  forgotten civilizations, and sometimes Runes and magic symbols, 
  adorn many of them. A source of clues and records for those who 
  may be able to interpret the esoteric markings. Whether realistic 
  or highly stylized, each statue or monument is an echo of the past 
  and a god that was once known to mortals. Some still are, but 
  perhaps only by members of a small cult or ancient religion prac-
  ticed by a tribe or village in a remote region, or by a tiny handful 
  of people scattered around the world. For many of these deities, 
  their statues in the Garden of the Gods/Primeva are the last ves-
  tiges of their existence anywhere in the world. The only place 
  where their image can still be found whole and mostly intact.
  The statues here are generally primitive and simple, the idols 
  and monoliths of stone-age peoples. Their faces look out from 
  within the dense undergrowth, and many of their shrines and 
  tombs are carved out of tree trunks, or so overgrown with vines 
  that it is difficult to tell where the structure ends and the forest 
  begins. The Boulder Sepulcher is the most noticeable of them, a 
  large, freestanding boulder the size of a small cabin with a sepul-
  cher carved right out of it. The entire exterior of the boulder has 
  been inscribed with ancient symbols of a lost language, but if it 
  held a sarcophagus inside, it has either been stolen or crumbled 
  away to nothing ages ago.
  The overgrown, yet to be excavated section of the Garden in 
  its wild beauty is larger than most visitors realize and is likely 
  home to another hundred, perhaps more, statues of deities hoping 
  to be rediscovered.
  Faerie Protectors
  Most Faerie Folk, but especially Faeries, Sprites, Brownies, 
  Spriggans, Pixies and even the cantankerous Bogies, who live 
  within, around, and near the Garden of the Gods, are among its 
  most vigilant protectors. They will chase and strike and use their 
  magic on anyone who tries to deface or harm the statues or the 
  Garden itself, while others fly or run to get help from the Knights-
  Fossar and visitors who they think will lend a hand. But there are 
  two rare Faeries that bear mentioning. (For information on a host 
  of Faerie Folk and a hundred other creatures and hundreds of ani-
  mals, see the Monsters and Animals™ sourcebook.)
  Guardian Faerie
  By Kevin Siembieda and Charles Walton Jr.
  Like their Faerie and Sprite cousins, Guardian Faeries are 
  beautiful, little butterfly-winged people who look delicate and 
  sweet. However they are larger, standing a full foot (0.3 m) tall, 
  wear decorative face paint – war paint, actually – and are much 
  more combative and quick to action. They are always ready to 
  fight and protect their homes (the trees and thickets they inhabit) 
  
  28
  and their friends and family. Hence their name, Guardian Faer-
  ies. They are also more serious than other Faeries and though 
  pleasant and playful, are much less likely to play pranks or steal 
  from Big Folk. In fact, they can be considered the Paladins of the 
  Faerie world.
  Visitors to the Garden who observe these majestic beings have 
  debated over whether the inquisitive and heroic Guardian Faeries 
  are indigenous to the Island of Lopan or migrated here during 
  some troublesome, dark and distant past from the Old Kingdom 
  or Great Northern Wilderness, as they have never been report-
  ed in any other parts of the world. Some intrigued observers of 
  Guardian Faeries have wondered if there might not be a mystical 
  bond between them and the Island of Lopan or the Garden of the 
  Gods.
  These pale green-skinned Faeries are extremely protective of 
  the Garden of the Gods, and work like a bee colony flying to 
  and fro as they help preserve and maintain the Garden. Guardian 
  Faeries are very attentive to their surroundings, and are quick to 
  buzz anyone they suspect has foul intentions. Other times they fly 
  around a person’s head two or three times before landing some-
  place within eyeshot and then stand there looking menacing and 
  stern, like an angry parent. This is a warning to let the person 
  or people know they are being watched and had better behave 
  themselves.
  Their protection extends to all inhabitants of the Garden 
  and any location the Guardian Faeries consider to be home or a 
  friend’s home. A friend’s home may include a beehive or wasp 
  nest. Guardian Faeries recognize the important role insects play 
  in pollinating the beautiful flora of the Garden and collecting the 
  plants’ nectar and the morning dew atop blades of grass, leaves, 
  and flowers petals. Vandals, thieves, and ruffians are confront-
  ed and scolded, or chased out of the Garden. As is anyone who 
  becomes threatening or physically accosts anyone within the 
  Garden. Such incidents are rare, and much more likely to hap-
  pen outside the Garden, but the Guardians are there to keep the 
  peace. The little Guardians have the ability to mark those they 
  consider to be enemies or potentially dangerous troublemakers 
  with a scent only they and other Faeries and Sprites can detect. 
  Such threats are aggressively monitored, and when they become 
  an active danger to people, statues, or a part of the Garden, the 
  Guardian Faeries (often accompanied by other Faeries) strike, 
  relentlessly harassing or attacking the marked person with their 
  “stingers” until they flee or are rendered harmless (knocked un-
  conscious, charmed, forced to perform the Faerie’s Dance, etc.). 
  The level of the Guardians’ aggression is dictated by the level of 
  disrespect, danger, and destruction the brigands represent.
  Dwarves, Orcs, Ogres, barbarians, and other discourteous 
  beings who have unwittingly spat or slobbered (or worse) onto 
  flowers or into fountains and ponds are scolded and warned (and 
  scent marked). Those who ignore the warning and continue to 
  despoil the Garden or the statues are attacked and stung till their 
  limbs or faces become swollen and filled with venomous agony. 
  Suspected thieves and troublemakers are watched carefully, in 
  alternating shifts between different Faeries who report back to 
  a Guardian. This includes monitoring their own. When other 
  Faeries steal from the Garden or from a visitor, they too suffer 
  the Guardians’ wrath. All Faeries are curious and like to peek 
  or sneak inside the garments, pouches, sacks, and belongings of 
  visitors to steal candy and sweets or interesting baubles, but NOT 
  in the Garden and not under the watch of the Guardian Faeries! 
  
  29
  The only time a Faerie or Sprite is allowed to sneak inside a Big 
  Folk’s luggage or bag is to determine if they have stolen property. 
  Of course, the Garden’s bounty is for everyone, so the Guardians 
  and other Faerie Folk pay no attention when fruits and berries and 
  vegetables are plucked and eaten.
  Most Faeries use their magic against humans and other Big 
  Folk, and so do Guardian Faeries; however, they are the most 
  combat oriented and quick to fight, attacking with needle-like 
  spears enchanted with a magical venom that burns and swells like 
  an allergic reaction to a bee’s sting. Because of this aggressive 
  behavior unusual for Faeries, their size, and uniquely different 
  magic, some people question whether Guardians are true Faer-
  ies at all, and wonder if they might not be magical agents of the 
  gods, or even the souls of fallen heroes that have been resurrected 
  into these flying Guardians. Such colorful speculation is fun and 
  quite common, but is not true. Guardians are true Faeries, just an 
  unusual and very rare breed.
  Alignment: Principled (15%), Scrupulous (65%) or Unprinci-
  pled (20%).
  Attributes: I.Q. 2D6+6, M.E. 2D6+5, M.A. 2D6+7, P.S. 1D6, 
  P.P. 2D6+10, P.E. 2D6+6, P.B. 3D6+12 (minimum of 20), 
  and Spd 3D6+5 running and 2D6x10+80 flying (typically 50 
  mph/80 km with bursts of speed up to 120 mph/192 km lasting 
  for 1D6+20 minutes).
  Size: One foot tall (0.3 m) and weighs one pound (0.45 kg) or 
  less.
  Natural A.R.: 7
  Hit Points: 2D6+60; Faeries are magical beings and tough for 
  their tiny size. Guardian Faeries are one of the toughest.
  S.D.C.: 2D6+20 (plus an additional 20 S.D.C. when human-size; 
  see Special Abilities).
  P.P.E.: 1D6x100 and can draw on ambient P.P.E. in the Garden 
  and along ley lines.
  Horror/Awe Factor: 9
  Natural Abilities: Fly and hover at will, Nightvision 90 feet 
  (27.4 m), see the invisible, keen normal vision, sense the loca-
  tion of water 60%, and sense the location of ley lines 80%.
  R.C.C. Skills: Speaks Faerie and Gobblely 98%, player charac-
  ters can learn two additional languages at the base skill +20% 
  bonus, Climb 60%/50%, Dance 70%, Identify Plants & Fruit 
  75%, Land Navigation 85%, Lore: Faerie Folk 90%, Preserve 
  Food 90%, Prowl 60% (+10% in the Primeva and dense for-
  ests), Sing 60%, Track Animals 50%, Wilderness Survival 
  90%, and W.P. Knife and W.P. Spear. Skills do not increase 
  with experience.
  Attacks per Melee: Four hand to hand attacks or two using mag-
  ic.
  Bonuses: +1 to strike, +2 to parry and dodge in flight, +3 to roll 
  with punch/fall/impact, and +1 to save vs magic.
  Magic Spells: Befuddle, Charm, Cloud of Smoke, Extinguish 
  Fire, Sleep, Tongues, and the Faerie’s Dance.
  Scent Marking (special): Guardians can magically create 
  what might be considered a faerie dust that sticks to the target 
  and goes unnoticed, marking him as an enemy or danger to be 
  wary of. This scent is recognized by all Faeries, Sprites, Pixies 
  and Bogies, but not the larger Faerie Folk nor other beings.
  Stinger Venom (special): Guardian Faeries can magically 
  enchant the tips of their spears with a venom that inflicts 1D4 
  damage from the initial sting/stab, +1 damage per round for 
  the next 1D4 melee rounds, and the site of the stab/sting burns 
  and swells up for the next 2D6 hours. When stung by 8 or 
  more venomous attacks, the victim is covered in large ugly 
  welts, marked as one of their victims, and suffers the follow-
  ing penalties: -2 on Perception Rolls, -2 on initiative and -10% 
  skill penalty.
  Grow to Human Size (special): This ability is limited 
  to 4 times per 24 hours and is used to frighten, startle, and 
  chase people away, and is very effective, especially when 
  several, foot tall beings suddenly transform into six foot 
  (1.8 m) tall angry warriors and their enlarged “stingers” 
  (spears) with them. When most opponents are outnumbered 
  by the suddenly human-sized Guardian Faeries, they either 
  run away or drop their weapons and surrender. Guardian 
  Faeries don’t mind when they run away shrieking like a 
  child, because their transformation is more for show than 
  fighting, and is used as a trick to intimidate and scare an 
  enemy, not fight. The giant-size (for them) transformation 
  lasts only for one melee round (15 seconds), and their fly-
  ing speed is reduced by half when big. Their enlarged ven-
  omous spears only inflict 1D6+1 damage, but do look more 
  menacing.
  Guardian Faeries may also enlarge themselves to human-
  size (they think of it as Elven-size) to tackle or grab someone, 
  or to grab an item, or knock an object out of an opponent’s 
  hands, as well as for other short term uses where being human-
  size is helpful. Though seldom done, a Guardian can use up all 
  four of his or her transformations consecutively to stay big for 
  one full minute (4 melee rounds/60 seconds), but then cannot 
  go big again until 24 hours have passed.
  Psionics: None.
  Habitat: The Garden of the Gods and remote forests and thickets 
  in northern Lopan.
  Notes: Guardian Faeries never wear armor, only light silks that 
  are woven by silk insects. As usual, Guardian Faeries are leery 
  of most Big Folk, though they have a healthy respect for Pala-
  dins and Knights, the Knights-Fossar and Fossarian Wardens 
  in particular, and know most local caretakers. Anyone who 
  appears to help in the upkeep and natural preservation of the 
  Garden of the Gods can slowly begin to gain their trust and 
  even friendship, which is a valuable honor.
  Unlike most Faeries, Guardian Faeries can wield two types 
  of weapons, a forearm mounted Wrist Stinger that is usually 
  made from a thorn or animal claw, or a spear made from wood 
  or from a sewing or knitting needle; both magically enchant-
  ed to deliver a venomous “sting.” These tiny weapons might 
  appear laughable and harmless in comparison to the heavy 
  broadsword, mace or battle axe carried by robust warriors, but 
  the Guardian Faeries are adept at stabbing Big Folk in vital ar-
  eas, including ears, lips, face, neck, hands, arms and legs, and 
  the damage and burning pain from the venom is no laughing 
  matter, especially when stung repeatedly or attacked by more 
  than one or two Guardians. When they aren’t carrying these 
  weapons, they hide them in secret caches inside trees, bushes, 
  and vines. Most have dozens of such weapon caches hidden 
  throughout the Garden, all too small and innocent for most 
  people to ever notice.
  All Faerie Folk appreciate and respect the courageous and 
  heroic Guardians, and happily join them in battle against ma-
  rauding Big Folk and threats to their homes.
  
  30
  
  31
  Walking Stick Faerie
  By Charles Walton Jr. and Kevin Siembieda
  Walking Stick Faeries, also known as Tree Faeries, are ar-
  boreal beings. They are the only Faeries without wings, but can 
  leap an astonishing 15 feet (4.6 m) across and 10 feet (3 m) up. 
  They run across tree branches and leap from limb to limb with the 
  agility of monkeys from the Yin-Sloth Jungles, performing acro-
  batics and gymnastics at breakneck speed and can survive a fall 
  of a hundred feet (30.5 m) with ease. Whenever desired, Walk-
  ing Stick Faeries can blend into their surroundings by becoming 
  motionless. Their stick-like appearance and ability to sprout any 
  type of leaves makes them look like just another branch or twig of 
  a tree or bush and nearly impossible to see. This ability to blend 
  in seamlessly with bushes and trees makes them nearly invisible 
  whether prowling in trees or through underbrush. This makes 
  them great spies and scouts in forest terrains.
  Having a life that spans centuries has made them shrewd 
  and cunning. Unlike most other Faerie Folk, Walking Stick 
  Faeries are happy to sell or trade their in-depth knowledge of 
  the forests they inhabit, as well as function as a scout or spy 
  for Big Folk. Their price can be coins or gems or magic, but 
  is usually wine, candy, honey, jams, fruit pies, cakes, cookies, 
  and other sweets.
  Walking Stick Faeries are very observant of their environment 
  and the life all around them, especially the comings and goings 
  of travelers, adventurers, magical creatures, and monsters. Be-
  ing so adept at hiding and being unseen, they are terrible gos-
  sips who are always eavesdropping on conversations and noting 
  where people are coming from, heading to, staying at, and what 
  they are planning.
  Like all Faeries, these beings are surprisingly strong and du-
  rable for their tiny, 6-8 inch (15 to 20 cm) stature and spindly 
  limbs. Even more so than their winged cousins. The little fellows 
  get along well with most Faerie Folk including Bogies, Pucks, 
  and Toadstools, but feel closest to Faeries, Sprites, Grogach, Pix-
  ies, and Will-O-The-Wisps. On Lopan they have come to like and 
  respect the Knights-Fossar and Elves in general, but tend to judge 
  every person on their own merit.
  The younger the Walking Stick Faerie (300 years and young-
  er), the more daring and adventurous they are, and likely to en-
  gage with other species much to the chagrin of their tribal lead-
  ers. The young are bold risk takers who like to travel woodlands 
  far and wide, seeking to communicate with people, regardless of 
  race, to learn about them and go on grand adventures. However, 
  sharing information with anyone other than fellow Faerie Folk re-
  quires bribes of honey, candy and other sweets, fresh sweet fruit, 
  wine, or a good story – they love stories and juicy gossip. Once 
  they begin to talk, Walking Stick Faeries will be sure to tell a big 
  story that often incorporates far more history and unnecessary 
  and outdated details than most travelers or adventurers care to 
  hear. This may cause listeners to fall asleep or lose their patience 
  and leave before hearing the end of the story, which might con-
  tain the most important parts of the story or critical information. 
  (“Oh, did I mention the cult worships an adult dragon? Hello, did 
  you hear what I said about the dragon? Hmm, I guess they don’t 
  care.) Bards, Rangers, Faerie Folk and Elves, however, seem to 
  know how to hold the most fruitful conversation with Waking 
  Stick Faeries and can get them to cut to the chase and get to the 
  important details in half the time without all the undesirable de-
  tails and boring history.
  Alignment: Typically Unprincipled or Anarchist, but there are 
  the occasional good and evil Walking Stick Faeries.
  Attributes: I.Q. 2D6+5, M.E. 2D6, M.A. 2D6+3, P.S. 1D6+1, 
  P.P. 2D6+12, P.E. 2D6+3, P.B. 2D6+10 (minimum of 17), 
  Spd running and leaping through tree branches and under-
  brush 2D6+50 or 40 mph (64 km) and often in terrain where 
  Big Folk can barely get through. Spd running on the ground is 
  1D6+16 or 15 mph (24 kg) for up to 5 hours at a time.
  Size: 6-8 inches tall (15 to 22.3 cm) and weigh 10-16 ounces (0.3 
  to 0.45 kg). The Elders are 20% thicker, taller and heavier, +2 
  to P.S. but 20% slower.
  Natural A.R.: 10 (11 for Elders).
  Hit Points: 2D6+45; Faeries are magical beings and tough for 
  their size. Walking Stick Faeries are among the toughest.
  S.D.C.: 2D6+20 (+12 for Elders).
  P.P.E.: 1D6x100 and can draw on ambient P.P.E. in the Garden 
  and along ley lines.
  Horror/Awe Factor: 9
  Natural Abilities: When motionless or prowling very slowly 
  they are virtually invisible (equal to the Camouflage skill at 
  95%), Nightvision 120 feet (36.6 m), see the invisible, keen 
  normal vision, sense the location of water 50%, and sense the 
  location of ley lines 80%.
  R.C.C. Skills: Speaks Faerie and Gobblely 98% (Player Charac-
  ters can learn three additional languages at the base skill +30% 
  bonus), Climb 98%/90%, Dance 50%, Identify Plants & Fruit 
  90%, Land Navigation 87%, Lore: Faerie Folk 90%, Preserve 
  Food 90%, Prowl 60% (+20% in forest environments, among 
  bushes, underbrush and vines), Track Animals 42%, Track 
  Humanoids 62%, and Wilderness Survival 90%. Skills do not 
  increase.
  Attacks per Melee: Three hand to hand attacks per melee or two 
  using magic.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls, +1 to parry and dodge, +4 to 
  roll with punch/fall/impact, and +2 to save vs magic.
  Magic Spells: Animate Object, Blinding Flash, Calling, Cha-
  meleon, Charm, Concealment, Detect Concealment, and 
  Tongues.
  Blend with Plant Environments (special): A chameleon-
  like ability in which the Walking Stick Faerie can magically 
  transform the leaves on its head and shoulders to match the 
  exact type of tree, bush, or plant it is hiding on, as well as 
  change the coloration of the leaves and their skin to blend in 
  with most any foliage, trees, and brush, no matter the environ-
  ment or season.
  Commune with Flora (special): Enables the Walking Stick 
  Faerie to influence the leaves and branches of trees, bushes and 
  vines to shift and drape or droop, or tighten in order to conceal 
  himself or other people, animals, or any objects, or for vines 
  to uncurl so it may use them to climb or swing, buds to bloom 
  and spread open, or a flower to close, or to release pollen, or 
  a tree its sap, or for acorns to drop and pelt those below, or to 
  irritate, distract, or confuse an animal or human adversary or 
  pursuer. However, cannot cause a plant to break its limbs or 
  branches, or completely uproot itself, or to expose itself to fire. 
  Range: Any number of plants within 10 feet (3 m).
  It should be noted that though a Walking Stick Faerie can-
  not control them, bees, wasps and other biting insects never 
  
  32
  bother or attack them, but arboreal animals like squirrels and 
  racoons as well as birds find them pesky and annoying and 
  may attack or knock them from their perch.
  Psionics: None.
  Notes: Never wears armor as their bodies are magical and hard 
  and rough like wood. These Faeries often gather in small 
  tribes of 6D6+6 members with an Elder leader, and live up in 
  the trees like squirrels or monkeys. The older they get (300+ 
  years), the less adventurous and gossipy they become, and the 
  more leery they are of Big Folk, especially humans, Dwarves, 
  and the monster races. However, those who know them main-
  tain a healthy respect and trust for the Knights-Fossar, Fos-
  sar Wardens, Druids, Gnomes, the canine races, and Garden 
  caretakers.
  Outside and Around
  the Garden of the Gods
  Civilization and an abundance of farms, villages, and fishing 
  communities, the port city where most pilgrims land, and the 
  Champion’s Village where the Lopanic Games take place, are all 
  miles away off the eastern shore of the Island of Lopan. Though 
  there are farms, homesteads, cottages, and hunters’ lodges, small 
  villages, and the towns that have sprung up near each of the Ver-
  dant Gates, for the most part, the rest of the countryside around 
  the Garden is mostly known for its tranquil beauty, especially 
  when compared to the Great Northern Wilderness and Eastern 
  Territory, or the bleak wastes of the Old Kingdom.
  In the land immediately surrounding the Garden of the Gods, 
  the air is pure and fresh, and there is a sense of enchantment, but 
  also a sense of danger and the untamed. In the forests around the 
  Garden of the Gods and to the north, rare and mystical creatures 
  are known to be much more common. From Faerie Folk of ev-
  ery stripe, to Centaurs and Unicorns, and exotic creatures like 
  the Pegasus and Gryphons, all the way up to roosting dragons, 
  Peryton from the northern mainland, ghostly Entities, and other 
  creatures and monsters. Here one may even spy the occasional 
  inquisitive dragon in the skies overhead, and these are just the 
  bold (or foolhardy) dragons that do not go in the guise of a human 
  or other lesser species. Wolfen longboats may also be spotted 
  along the northern coastline. Visiting Wolfen create too much 
  commotion when they dock at one of the port cities (though it 
  does occur), so many Wolfen find an alcove to anchor along the 
  north coast and walk in from there to visit the Garden or to trade 
  with the communities around it. Many do a little hunting on their 
  way in or back to their Dragon Ships.
  The Knights-Fossar do their best to keep order and patrol the 
  outskirts of the Garden, and do a good job of it, but they are few 
  in number and their resources are limited. Lopan authorities from 
  the big cities also make regular monthly visits to the communities 
  around the Garden, where they are happy to investigate crimes 
  and adjudicate disputes, but their main focus is the more heavily 
  populated areas along the coast.
  Threats Outside the Garden
  Outside the divine protection of the Garden, visitors here are 
  still vulnerable to pickpockets, thieves, bandits and outright at-
  tacks. Most crimes are committed by visiting outsiders, includ-
  ing Western pirates, who stake out the richest visitors and listen 
  quietly for tidbits about outgoing and incoming cargo ships they 
  can attack and plunder at sea, and vessels transporting the rich 
  and powerful that may be worth kidnaping at sea or on Lopan 
  before they board their ship. Such individuals can garner a decent 
  ransom, typically 6,000-12,000 gold each, but sometimes double 
  that. Less important people may only amount to a few hundred 
  gold in ransom. There are also wild beasts, hostile and wicked 
  Faerie Folk, and other brigands who come and go.
  Local authorities have jurisdiction over their own communi-
  ties, while the court of Lopan has overriding authority over all 
  communities and often handles the most heinous crimes (mur-
  der, kidnaping, etc.) and matters involving diplomatic relations 
  with other kingdoms. The Knights-Fossar are an independent and 
  autonomous authority that works with both the royal and local 
  authorities, and are well liked and respected by all law-abiding 
  inhabitants of the island continent, including the Centaurs, Faerie 
  Folk, visiting Wolfen, and the monster races. The Knights patrol 
  around the Garden of the Gods out to roughly 60 miles (96 km), 
  but also engage in long-range patrols to every corner of Lopan at 
  least a few times a year, including the infamous Black Pit.
  Pilgrims, crusaders and frequent visitors. Visitors of al-
  most any race and religious affiliation can be found outside the 
  Garden, making their way to or from one of the Verdant Gates 
  or neighboring towns. The same is true of the two well-traveled 
  main roads from the east and south. These are places where a 
  strutting nobleman from the Western Empire or Timiro may pass 
  a rabble of freed Orc slaves from the Old Kingdom, or priests 
  from Bizantium and the Land of the Damned might walk shoul-
  der to shoulder without ever realizing how far they both have 
  come to make such a meeting possible. Ogres, Trolls, Wolfen, 
  Minotaurs and other species oft considered monsters elsewhere 
  in the world might be on a pilgrimage just like any other coming 
  to the fabled Garden of the Gods. Kobolds, Goblins, and Orcs are 
  uncommon on Lopan, compared to the mainland all around it, but 
  they can be found on the island continent, usually as free, second-
  class citizens of the peasant class; typically laborers and farmers.
  Notable Towns
  Outside the Garden
  A lively and friendly town has sprung up outside each of the 
  Verdant Gates. Each is surrounded by scattered farms, orchards, 
  homesteads, hunting lodges and the cottage homes of the wealthy. 
  At least half of the cottages are owned by merchants and nobles 
  from the Western Empire, the Old Kingdom, and Eastern Terri-
  tory, and are locked up and empty half the time. So it is surprising 
  that burglaries and squatters are not more common.
  All of the towns and surrounding farm communities are quite 
  tame by the standards of the Old Kingdom, the Eastern Territory, 
  and most of the civilized and developed parts of the world. Each 
  offers stables for horses, boarding houses, restaurants, modest 
  shops to spend one’s coin and buy souvenirs such as holy sym-
  bols of the many deities, statues of Aco and/or the Juggernaut, 
  Aco dolls, charms, and jewelry, and places to find food and drink 
  and modest entertainment. Visitors and pilgrims can find lodg-
  ings and good local cuisine at reasonable prices. A typical, basic 
  
  33
  but cozy room is 15-25 gold a night. There are only a few luxury 
  suites or large rooms in each town, and most wealthy visitors 
  would not consider them luxurious at all; they cost a whopping 
  50-60 gold a night. Most meals are 2-5 gold and a mug of beer or 
  mead or a glass of wine is one gold, hard liquor or fine wine 2-4 
  gold. Still, most wealthy visitors consider the quaint charm of the 
  rural communities to be part of the experience when visiting the 
  Garden. Most visitors to the Garden only spend 1-3 nights in the 
  area, but some stay for a week or several weeks depending on the 
  purpose of their visit and their financial resources. Note: Upscale 
  accommodations and a wide selection of food, alcohol, and shop-
  ping can be had at the large coastal cities, especially where the 
  Lopanic Games are held, but the cost of everything is 2-3 times 
  more than the Garden communities even during the “off-season” 
  at the coastal cities, and 4-6 times more during the games.
  Krigan Heights
  Krigan Heights, near the eastern entrance to the Garden, is the 
  largest and most notorious of the towns around the Garden. It is a 
  short way outside the East Verdant Gate. Many athletes, knights, 
  warriors and adventurers stay in this sprawling, active and bois-
  terous town. There are many shops, taverns, places of entertain-
  ment, boarding houses, and stables, as well as a couple of magic 
  shops, three blacksmiths, an armory, two carpenters, a lumber-
  yard, a house of healing (mainly herbs and psychic healers), a 
  mortician, a cemetery for outsiders, a small temple and shrine to 
  Aco and the Juggernaut, and a few other deities, and most of the 
  other types of businesses you would expect to find in a growing 
  town frequented by rough and tumble outsiders, adventurers, and 
  common folk.
  Though a predominantly human population, visitors are like-
  ly to find the broadest range of races from all over the world in 
  Krigan Heights. In addition to lots of humans, there are visit-
  ing Dwarves, Kobolds, Gnomes, Goblins, Orcs, and to a lesser 
  degree, Ogres, Wolfen, Bearmen, and others, but there are few 
  Elves. The largest population of Elves living around the Garden 
  is at Briargrove.
  The Sea of Dreams is the largest and most popular tavern 
  in the entire town of Krigan Heights, especially among athletes, 
  warriors, and adventurers. It is attached to a large dance hall and 
  casino. All the games are honest, but still in favor of the house, 
  
  34
  and friendly competitions involving games of darts, knife and axe 
  throwing, arm wrestling, dice, and cards can be found here in 
  abundance. This is also the place where visitors are most likely to 
  get into brawls and encounter scoundrels, thieves, con artists, la-
  dies of ill-repute, mercenaries looking for work, and the wealthy 
  merchants and nobles looking to hire them. If you are seeking a 
  night of rambunctious fun, libations, gambling, or trouble, the 
  Sea of Dreams is the place for you.
  The Mystic Cloud is on the opposite spectrum of the Sea of 
  Dreams. It is a dark, quiet, and discreet drug den and place of 
  exotic pleasure. It has three communal areas where visitors can 
  get high and lay on mat-covered floors with dozens of other mel-
  low and zoned out customers. Custodians monitor these areas to 
  prevent robbery and other incidents. There are also many private 
  rooms that cost 10 gold an hour for the wealthy, clergy, and no-
  bility who seek privacy and better security. The Mystic Cloud 
  offers its patrons a wide range of conventional drugs and halluci-
  nogens as well as magic fumes, illusionary experiences, psionic 
  manipulation, and select Faerie Foods that create hallucinations 
  and strange but pleasurable effects.
  The authorities in Krigan Heights are mostly honest and in-
  credibly tolerant. They are used to men-at-arms, athletes, and 
  adventurer-types drinking too much, getting rowdy and carried 
  away, brawling, dueling, and being a public nuisance. Most are 
  either escorted to their boarding house or tossed into the drunk 
  tank or one of the many other jail cells at the sheriff’s office and 
  town jail. Those locked up are kept there until they sober up and 
  are released after a stern talking to, a warning to behave them-
  selves, and a small fine of 2D6 gold. If they caused damage, the 
  perpetrators are expected to pay for the damage and apologize 
  to the tavern or shop owner. All of this is eminently fair and 
  civilized. Murder and violent crimes are uncommon in Krigan 
  Heights, and rarer still in the other three towns.
  Godsmire
  The town of Godsmire is located a short distance from the 
  South Verdant Gate. It is named for the marsh, thickets, and man-
  grove trees on the outskirts of town, home to fish, ducks, geese, 
  pheasants, quail and other game birds and animals. The locals in-
  sist the area is enchanted and that the marsh and the forest around 
  it are blessed with an abundance of deer, boar, and game animals 
  that make it a hunter’s paradise. But that paradise is not without 
  its dangers, for it is said that Mermaids and a small clan of wicked 
  Kelpies live in the small, shallow lake (only 6-15 feet/1.8 to 4.6 
  m deep) within the marsh, and sometimes come out to toy with, 
  trick, or prey upon hunters and travelers. Kinnie Ger as well as 
  wolves and predatory felines also stalk the woods. Despite that, 
  Godsmire is a pleasant and lively country town even with visitors 
  who come to see the Garden.
  Every night, Godsmire and the woods and marshland around 
  it comes alive with the sounds of frogs and insects singing to the 
  moon. Fireflies lighting up the night one by one with their green 
  luminescence and congregating in harmless swarms so thick in 
  the warm summer nights that they cast a glowing light along the 
  pathways and between the trees.
  Many pilgrims and clergy stay at Godsmire, attracted by the 
  town’s reputation for being a wholesome, cozy, lights out by 
  midnight community of god fearing people. The town offers 
  clergy and pilgrims a number of small temples and shrines to the 
  gods of Light and Dark, Dragonwright, Aco and the Juggernaut, 
  the Northern Gods, Algor, and some others. The Church of Light 
  and Dark is currently building a new, larger church and rectory 
  that will be maintained by a cadre of priests, acolytes, and Garden 
  caretakers.
  The Blind Toad. Visitors to Godsmire might be surprised by 
  the delicious smells wafting from the Blind Toad, a large, popu-
  lar inn and tavern that draws visitors from around the Garden. 
  The Blind Toad’s rooms are small and cozy, the inn an island of 
  warmth and light and good cheer smoothered in delicious smells 
  of homemade bread and home cooked meals. There is warm food 
  and drink served day and night.
  There are other taverns and boarding houses, but the Blind 
  Toad and the Huntsman’s Lodge (a smaller version of the Blind 
  Toad on the other side of town) are two of the most popular gath-
  ering spots. Their down-home coziness and simple comfort food 
  are appealing to pilgrims, caretakers, and ordinary folk as well as 
  visiting knights, warriors and adventurers. Both are good, clean 
  establishments that serve basic alcohol such as Dwarven beer 
  and mead, an excellent selection of fine local wines, and a small 
  selection of hard liquor from the capital city; nothing imported 
  from the mainland. Country meals include various hearty vegeta-
  ble and meat stews, meat and potato meals (mainly goose, duck, 
  rabbit, and deer), delicious home-baked breads, meat pies, fruit 
  pies, and homemade fruit jams and honey.
  These two taverns are open to all regardless of race, creed, or 
  nationality. In the spirit of the Garden of the Gods, the proprietors 
  expect everyone to show tolerance and respect to one another 
  within the taverns and the connected inns. Anyone who gets too 
  rude or rowdy can expect to be tossed into the swamp by the one-
  eyed Troll who is the bouncer at the Blind Toad or by the lovely 
  Elven Wizard or her Ranger husband who run the Huntsman’s 
  Lodge. The Blind Toad is also visited by some of the Knights-
  Fossar, who help keep the peace as do other visiting knights and 
  heroes.
  The Mud Puppy is a popular bathhouse and mud spa powered 
  by a hot spring on the edge of town. Travelers and athletes can 
  enjoy hot baths or soothing mud baths to help relax and soothe 
  aching muscles. A hot bath costs one gold. A mud bath costs 5 
  gold. There are two separate areas, one that is communal for the 
  common man, and one for the aristocracy and wealthy, which is 
  more private and has scented candles and offers bath salts for 10 
  gold.
  Briargrove
  The predominantly Elven and human town of Briargrove is 
  located a few miles from the West Verdant Gate and was estab-
  lished centuries before the Garden of the Gods was discovered. 
  The settlers knew it was an enchanted forest home to Faeries 
  and that there were ruins of an ancient civilization reclaimed by 
  the forest, but they never imagined it was anything like what the 
  Garden of the Gods has become. Instead, they left the ruins and 
  statues and the Faerie Folk alone, and focused on settling and 
  developing the rich orchard-lands and building their lives. The 
  Elven founding forefathers discovered what they called a natural 
  orchard of fruit trees – mostly apple trees, but also pear and plum 
  trees. Acre after acre of them. There is also a portion of the Briar 
  made up of what they consider to be sacred groves of olive trees 
  and cedars.
  
  35
  The first farm colony was established in the Orchard-lands by 
  early Elven pioneers that date back to the first Elven colonists 
  thousands of years ago. Many of them met their end trying to es-
  tablish one of several Elven colonies forced to abandon their ef-
  forts, return to the New Kingdom, and try again every few gener-
  ations until they made it work. As a result, the governing Elves of 
  this community are honorable, hardworking, peace-loving family 
  clans. They are held in high regard by all people living in and 
  around Briargrove, and regarded as nobility. Not that the ruling 
  families of the town behave like nobles or knights. Nor do they fit 
  the arrogant and condescending stereotype for which Elves are so 
  notorious. They are grounded, pleasant, fair, and friendly leaders 
  who care about everyone in their town regardless of lineage or 
  race. That said, half the community is composed of Elves, 39% 
  humans, 8% Gnomes and 3% others, but there are no Dwarves.
  The town and all of the Briargrove community is one of the 
  quietest and most law-abiding towns anywhere on Lopan. The 
  orchards and surrounding forests are not without their dangers, 
  but are mostly bright and inviting during the day, starry-skied 
  and sheltering during the night. Butterflies and Faeries chase each 
  other through the branches of the trees and beams of sunlight, 
  bridges cross little streams, and the orchards all seamlessly blend 
  with the forest as a whole. Chimney-smoke from homes and 
  farms can be seen rising through the trees, and they seem to fit 
  comfortably into their wooded and pastoral surroundings. There 
  is no clear cutting of the forest or gutted land for farm crops.
  Woodsmen and hunters come and go, as do local residents, 
  some of them caretakers who tend to various statues of the gods 
  within the Garden. Visitors arrive from many different kingdoms 
  and nations to walk among the Garden, but Druids, Rangers, 
  woodsmen, Warlocks, Priests, scholars and other strong but quiet 
  and reserved people seem to find their way to Briargrove, while 
  warriors and adventurers tend to end up in Krigan Heights, God-
  smire, or Northpoint.
  Before the discovery of the Garden, Briargrove was notorious 
  among the inhabitants of Lopan for the Tree of Ancestors. A 
  massive oak, its trunk as wide as a barn, that stands alone atop 
  a hill. It is said to be the tallest tree on the island continent and 
  believed to be thousands of years old. Carved into the base of 
  the tree are inscribed the names of the early Elven settlers in the 
  region. Over time, many settlers and inhabitants of Lopan would 
  journey to the great tree to add the names of their own family 
  members and from whence they came. Fallen athletes, heroes, 
  and champions who perished in the defense of Lopan are now 
  also added to the tree, which has become something of a sacred, 
  living monument to the people of Lopan.
  There is another large tree within Briargrove, not far from the 
  Tree of Ancestors, but half its size. Named the Tree of Cham-
  pions, it is dedicated to every gathering of the Lopanic Games, 
  with the names of the winners magically inscribed upon its trunk.
  The Huntsman’s Hospite. In the middle of town, across from 
  the park that is the town square and place of festivals, is an im-
  pressive timber hall known as the Huntsman’s Hospite, a resting 
  place and watering hole where all are welcomed to share a meal 
  and good conversation, and enjoy a warm bed for the night be-
  fore heading out into the woods or off into the Garden again. The 
  Hospite is built completely out of black-brown timbers, soaked in 
  pitch to protect them from the rain. It sits amidst tall pine trees, 
  
  36
  steep-roofed, with wooden statues of Elven deities perched at 
  each corner above the gutters that siphon off the Briar’s soft but 
  frequent rainfall.
  Rangers and woodsmen, humans and Elves, Wolfen and Bear-
  men, and any who have an association with the forest, are the mix 
  of people found at the Hospite. Haunches of venison, deer pelts 
  and antlers hang from hooks around the covered porch, along 
  with game birds of all kinds. Priests and visitors are also wel-
  come, and the Hospite is known for its spirited philosophical and 
  theological debates as well as stories of adventure and gossip told 
  by visitors, and stories about the gods told by priests and scholars.
  the earth where gladiatorial style fights, competitions, duels 
  and grudge matches take place accompanied by much betting 
  and cheering. Most fights are not usually to the death, but death 
  matches do happen.
  The Tavern Divine is a large pub with heavy wood tables 
  and chairs. It is designed for human-sized people, but with 
  a section that has tables and chairs suitable for Ogres and 
  Wolfen and all the furnishings are designed to handle large, 
  heavy beings. The statues and holy symbols of more than a 
  hundred gods line the tavern’s walls, high up toward the ceil-
  ing to avoid damage from roughhousing and brawls. As you 
  might guess, the Northern Gods and deities favored by non-
  humans are the emphasis here, but most of the known pan-
  theons are represented. The tavern is run by a human scholar, 
  his wife, and their seven daughters, and his Ogre partner, his 
  wife, and four of their nine children. The rest of the Ogre’s 
  adult children are off adventuring on the mainland. The Tav-
  ern Divine is known for its spirited debates about the gods, 
  religion, kingdoms and politics on the mainland, and is full of 
  gossip about everywhere, but especially the Western Empire, 
  Old Kingdom, Eastern Territory and the Disputed Lands. Any 
  southerner looking for perspective from a non-human’s point 
  of view would do well to quietly sit at the back of any of the 
  establishments in Northpoint and just listen.
  Mercenary companies and anyone looking for muscle and 
  swordsmen can find plenty of potential mercs and adventurers 
  for hire in Northpoint. Particularly those who have no love for 
  humans, Elves, Dwarves or the Western Empire. And not just 
  muscle, non-humans have their share of Priests, Witches, War-
  locks, Necromancers, Summoners, and psychics, too. Pirates 
  are also said to recruit new crew members and specialists from 
  Northpoint’s transient visitors.
  A band of a dozen pickpocketing, purse grabbing, Goblin 
  thieves and a pack of bushwhacking thugs (mixed non-human 
  races led by an 8th level Ogre with Major Psionics) both live 
  nearby and regularly stalk Northpoint for easy marks. Neither 
  group are murderous. They mainly engage in robbery, con games, 
  trickery, cheating at cards, rolling drunks, bushwhacking people 
  on the road, and threatening visitors to turn over their valuables 
  or else. Both groups also kidnap and ransom visitors on occasion. 
  (“If you want your friend back, it will cost you 500 gold.” That 
  sort of thing.) However, the Goblins are a cowardly lot who flee 
  when things don’t go their way, grabbing and running off with 
  whatever they can carry. They never attack any group that out-
  numbers them or appears to be much more powerful. The Ogre 
  led group of thugs is more dangerous and violent, often beating 
  their victims and warning them to keep quiet and not report them 
  if they know what’s good for them, but try to avoid killing any-
  one. By not killing, they fly under the radar of the Lopan authori-
  ties, and the Knights-Fossar only intercede and make an arrest 
  when they catch the crooks in action.
  Other criminals and villains find their way to Northpoint as 
  well, and it is rumored that people at the Divine Tavern and Bro-
  ken Bones Inn both have connections to legitimate and under-
  world organizations, smugglers, pirates, and fences. In fact, the 
  Happy Orc Pawn Shop is a cover for a fence and smuggler, and 
  the Peekaboo Magic Shop dabbles in buying and selling stolen 
  magic items, fumes, Faerie Food, and poison. However, for the 
  most part, it is a safe, rough and tumble town, where humans, 
  Elves, and Dwarves are the rare minority.
  Northpoint
  Because it is the most remote of the four towns, this is where 
  you are most likely to encounter members of the so-called monster 
  races, including the likes of Giants, Trolls, Ogres, Orcs, Goblins, 
  Eandroth, Kankoran, Wolfen, Bearmen, Centaurs, and even the 
  occasional Spriggan, Pixie, Puck, and Leprechaun, among others. 
  There are a number of buildings constructed on a larger scale to 
  accommodate large humanoids, making humans and Elves feel 
  like they are child-size once again, and a few that are dug down 
  into to the earth to make Kobolds, Dwarves, and Goblins feel 
  comfortable. In keeping with the ideals of neutrality and equality 
  perpetuated by the Garden, most nonhuman visitors work hard 
  to be tolerant and civil toward each other and especially toward 
  humans, Elves, and Dwarves who, as a people, have enslaved and 
  persecuted their kind for millennia.
  As you might guess, Northpoint also has one of the larg-
  est populations of nonhuman inhabitants on Lopan. It is the 
  place where Ogres (5%), Orcs (25%), Goblins (20%), Cen-
  taurs (3%) and others (24%) choose to live. A sort of ghetto 
  of non-humans, though 21% of the population is human and 
  2% are Elves.
  The Broken Bones Inn and Tavern is massive in size. Its 
  brooding tavern the size of a gymnasium where meat-loving 
  people gather to dine on meat dishes and meat stews, and get 
  drunk on hard liquor, mostly rum and a local moonshine. Danc-
  ing, singing, wrestling matches, darts and knife throwing take 
  place inside. Outside in the courtyard contests of archery, spear 
  throwing and target practice take place, and there is a pit for 
  cock and dog fights. Next-door is a crude arena dug down into 
  
  37
  The Power of 
  the Garden
  A Disclaimer about Faith and God: This book is filled with 
  fictional deities. We speak of gods and their priests and followers 
  as if they are real, because that’s all part of the fictional setting of 
  the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game world and the fantas-
  tic adventure stories we create for it. These are not real gods or 
  religions, they are pure fiction.
  Nor do we have any intention to belittle or insult the faith you 
  may personally hold precious and dear. This is a make-believe 
  world of magic and supernatural beings called “gods.” These fic-
  tional “gods” may be good, selfish, evil, or mischievous. They 
  may champion heroes or consort with the fictional forces of evil 
  and fictional demons. These make-believe characters are inspired 
  by our own imaginations as well as ancient myths and legends 
  such a Odin and Thor of Norse mythology, Zeus and Hercules 
  of Greek and Roman mythology, Egyptian gods, and others, but 
  none are real nor intended to cast any disparaging light upon any 
  real faith, religion, or church in the real world. We apologize if 
  we have inadvertently offended anyone with this subject matter 
  in a fantasy game of adventure and heroism.
  – Kevin Siembieda, Publisher and Game Designer
  A little about the deities
  and culture of this world
  They may pray to one or several gods for good fortune, anoth-
  er god or three for success in combat, another deity for strength 
  of spirit, another for wisdom, another for good health, and so 
  on. It is common practice for travelers to acknowledge the most 
  prominent deity or pantheon of the local people when visiting 
  their region. So for example, when traveling through the Great 
  Northern Wilderness, a band of adventurers or warriors from the 
  South may make a sacrifice to Od or to one or more of the other 
  Northern Gods, or even the Wolfen gods, as a sign of respect 
  and to win that god’s or pantheon of gods’ good favor during 
  their journey. They certainly don’t want to insult the gods of that 
  region and bring upon themselves any misfortune. Such acts of 
  respect are not unlike bringing a bottle of wine or a dessert as a 
  gift to the host of a party or celebration at their home. It’s a com-
  mon courtesy.
  While most individuals favor one or several specific gods, 
  they believe in the existence of all gods, and tolerate many pan-
  theons and beliefs, including those of rival deities and evil gods. 
  This means that while some people may be devotedly committed 
  to a particular pantheon and church, they do not openly condemn 
  or fight people who are members of a different or rival church.
  In the Palladium World there is no one religion or god, and the 
  followers of these diverse churches and myriad deities may have 
  their own way of honoring their beliefs. Some will be steadfast 
  members of a specific church and donate regular offerings to that 
  church and help their priests when possible, but others who wor-
  
  38
  ship the same gods may not. Instead, they may give to the poor 
  or make a donation to a local temple or church only when they 
  can or when they think of it. They may even give such a dona-
  tion to people in need or to support a shrine or temple that has 
  nothing to do with the pantheon of gods they worship. Such an 
  individual may only give money when flush with cash, or may 
  choose to contribute in some other way, like physically assist-
  ing in the building of a temple or shrine, or feeding the hungry, 
  or protecting the church from a monster, villain, or group giv-
  ing the local church trouble. Read that last one as a forceful and 
  intimidating talk, threats, physical violence, and possibly worse 
  to resolve the problem, as most warriors and adventurers are in-
  clined to resolve problems with their fists and swords rather than 
  through diplomacy.
  As a general rule, most people, but particularly adventurers, 
  warriors and knights errant, approach life with a karmic philoso-
  phy. They believe every act of kindness, goodness, and heroism 
  is recognized by their gods and counts on their behalf, bringing 
  them the favor of their deities, no matter whom they help or pro-
  tect.
  Since most warriors and adventurers work hard and put their 
  lives on the line for a noble cause, fame, and fortune, most are 
  quick to join any religious festival, especially when booze, song, 
  dance, and merriment are involved. It doesn’t matter whether it 
  celebrates their gods or someone else’s. The only exception might 
  be a god or pantheon that is outright contradictory to their own 
  beliefs or a sworn enemy of the gods of their pantheon. However, 
  most people tolerate all religions and gods. They may believe 
  their gods or church are superior, but they tolerate other people’s 
  gods and beliefs. The exceptions are members of wicked and evil 
  cults known to worship demons or other forces of evil, who may 
  engage in human sacrifice and other acts of cruelty and evil.
  These same sentiments are reflected among the deities them-
  selves. Much like the mortals who worship them, most gods are 
  tolerant of other deities and pantheons, even rivals. For the most 
  part, that includes tolerating dark gods as a simple acceptance of 
  the duality of the universe. There is always a struggle to find bal-
  ance between good and evil, order and chaos.
  Yes, the different gods may be competitors for the hearts and 
  minds of the people, but the deities seldom engage in open war-
  fare against one another. Nor do they slaughter the other gods’ 
  followers. Instead, they try to win over people through their 
  Champions, priests and followers, and via the occasional act of 
  divine intervention. That said, public miracles and direct appear-
  ances by any god are exceedingly rare. More likely, when some-
  thing good or seemingly miraculous happens, people of diverse 
  faiths are all quick to attribute it to their own pantheon of gods or 
  their favorite deity. Of course, the gods are happy to take credit 
  for any perceived miracle(s) attributed to them, whether they ac-
  tually had anything to do with it or not. After all, it’s good public 
  relations.
  If they can get away with it, most gods even take credit for the 
  handiwork of another god’s direct miracle or the heroic sacrifice 
  of another deity’s Champion. This is as simple as not correcting 
  an incorrect presumption of who is responsible for what. Instead, 
  they let their Champions, priests, and people, in general, interpret 
  events as they want to see them. If that happens to give them 
  undeserved credit for someone else’s good work, so be it. Those 
  are the types of underhanded and sneaky things the Palladium 
  gods and their followers actively engage in. Of course, Cham-
  pions, priests and zealous followers have a way of convincing 
  themselves that it was their god or pantheon of gods who saved 
  the day, whether it is true or not, and may be willing to go so far 
  as to argue over it.
  Of course, sometimes things get nasty between various re-
  ligious groups and churches, with one or more sabotaging and 
  working against the other. This is not a friendly rivalry; this is 
  subtle, subversive political war. And sometimes literal, bloody 
  war. The gods don’t usually involve themselves in such conflicts, 
  but they don’t discourage them either. They just stand back and 
  await the outcome. Zealous beliefs also can lead to all kinds of in-
  justice and persecution in the name of a god or pantheon, and are 
  seldom encouraged or endorsed by any, except wicked, deities.
  The Divine Garden
  The Garden is a place of boundless beauty and mythical ener-
  gy. A realm unto itself, it is more than just a collection of interest-
  ing statues and stones. No one knows who carved the statues, and 
  changes to the Garden of the Gods seem to occur even without 
  the hand of man. The topography slowly shifts, plants grow or 
  wither at unusual speed, and statues sometimes appear and disap-
  pear as gods are forgotten and rediscovered in the outside world. 
  Areas that look like little lawns or parks from afar may stretch for 
  a mile or more once one is inside its area of the Garden, and the 
  mountain at its center appears to be nothing more than a small hill 
  when visiting it.
  The gods are said to be watching, and some believe they 
  are present in spirit, so most visitors are on their best behavior 
  when visiting the Garden. Moreover, there is no telling who may 
  be a deific avatar, or a priest able to call down divine vengeance, 
  or a Champion happy to fight on behalf of his deity. Rumors and 
  stories of magic, miracles, and divine enlightenment further this 
  reputation for the unknown and mysterious, and often the verifi-
  cation of strange events comes from a fellow visitor or a caretaker 
  who vanishes without a trace, never to be seen again. People who 
  come to the Garden are generally more introspective, seeking an-
  swers and guidance, so any encounter, no matter how ordinary, 
  is given extra weight by them. All of which makes anything that 
  occurs in the Garden suspect by naysayers and many outsiders.
  Yet it cannot be denied there are many acts of kindness and 
  charity that take place within the Garden that would be rare to 
  
  39
  find in the outside world. Sometimes wealthy nobles, knights or 
  religious officials visit the Garden expressly with the purpose of 
  doing good deeds, all in the hopes of winning the favor of the 
  gods in a place where they are said to be watching.
  Dreams and Visions,
  Voices and Visitations
  How does one identify and measure communication with the 
  gods?
  Some visitors to the Garden claim to have long dialogues with 
  their gods, and they may, but it is likely to be more their own 
  imaginings than reality. Most gods never make direct contact 
  or communicate with the people who worship them, not even 
  Priests. The greater the deity’s notoriety and number of worship-
  ers, the less likely the god is to make direct contact with a mortal 
  or interfere in their affairs. Mainly because it has plenty of fol-
  lowers and power, and doesn’t need to recruit more. And though 
  the gods are reputed to be more likely to hear you in the Garden 
  of the Gods than anywhere else, even if true, they are not likely to 
  respond or appear directly. If there is any response or communion 
  at all, it is likely to be subtle and open to interpretation.
  Any Caretaker in the Garden can tell you it is difficult to dis-
  cern when a deity has reached out and touched a mortal. After 
  all, where does any idea or inspiration come from? What drives 
  us flesh and blood mortals to explore and wonder about the world 
  and our place in it? What is the difference between coincidence 
  and divine intervention? Was that idea or decision entirely your 
  own, or was that moment of clarity or decisiveness a little push 
  from a deity? Ever think, “Well, it seemed like a good idea at 
  the time?” In the Palladium World, that impulse could have been 
  a tiny spark from a well intentioned or mischievous god. Or an 
  evil force speaking to the person’s weakness, anger, or greed, to 
  deliberately lead that person astray or to cause suffering for him 
  or those around him. Or any of it could have been an impulse or 
  rash decision made on the part of the person all by himself. That’s 
  how subtle the influence of the Palladium gods – good, selfish or 
  evil – can be upon any person.
  Dreams
  Dreams are the most common method the gods use to reach 
  out to visitors within the Garden. Though deities do not physi-
  cally manifest in or around the Garden of the Gods so it is said, 
  a deity may appear and speak to a chosen individual in a dream, 
  trance, or vision. Many of those who have spent the night within 
  the Garden recall waking to strange sights and sounds, sometimes 
  even to a conversation with a nameless stranger, only to awaken 
  again, later that morning, right where they went to sleep, never 
  certain if their experiences were a dream or part of waking reality.
  Dreams may seem real or they may be surreal and highly sym-
  bolic and difficult to understand, with metaphors and representa-
  tions whose meanings must be interpreted. Sometimes they are 
  flashes of images and sounds, accompanied by a sudden insight or 
  a realization that may not happen until much later on or a chance 
  encounter with someone or a place from the dream.
  The vast majority of visits with gods in the Garden occur with-
  in dreams or waking visions (see below), rather than face to face. 
  Even then, deities are likely to appear in the form of an animal, a 
  stranger whose face is cloaked in shadow, a ball of light, a talk-
  ing tree, a pillar of fire, an angel, or even as a disembodied voice 
  floating on the wind. The dream visage of the god may also be 
  that of an earthly avatar or agent such as a priest or seer who the 
  dreamer met at the Garden, or as someone familiar to the dreamer 
  who speaks from authority or with compassion and encourage-
  ment. This could be a deceased loved one or a long dead ancestor 
  come to guide and help their relative or friend, but whether this 
  is a true vision from a deity or the stuff of fantasy brought about 
  by being in such an enchanting environment, is impossible to say. 
  Then again, what mortal can measure how a god might choose to 
  inspire them?
  Advice, inspiration, a sudden realization, and taking action in 
  one’s life makes up the message of most dreams. The average 
  visitor to the Garden of the Gods is in search of enlightenment, 
  answers, lost cultures, purpose, and mysteries to untangle. Gods, 
  especially those eager to be rediscovered, are happy to entice 
  mortals to act upon age-old revenge against their enemies, in-
  spire good deeds, slay monsters, and to empower their Champi-
  ons and chosen people/races. They also generally interact with 
  visitors based upon their personality and alignment. Evil gods 
  tend to haunt or worry good characters and encourage evil ones, 
  while virtuous gods seem to attempt to frighten away evildoers 
  and ennoble crusaders and warriors who fight in the name of a 
  just cause or the cause of that particular deity. Heroes often ar-
  rive at the Garden seeking crusades, quests and opportunities to 
  help others and advance goodness. Villains seek prsonal rewards, 
  wealth and power at the expense of others or to advance chaos 
  and wickedness.
  Waking Visions
  Waking visions are very similar to dreams, only they occur 
  while the subject is awake, conscious, and at least somewhat 
  aware of what is happening, or what just happened. There are 
  many places in the Garden where waking visions are said to oc-
  cur: overlooks, forest clearings, meadows, flowering fields and 
  gardens, and natural displays of beauty, as well as at the foot 
  of one of the Garden’s statues of a god. This may happen while 
  in prayer to the god in question or while engaged in a religious 
  ceremony, or idyll musings, or out of the blue. Depending on a 
  person’s sincerity, focus, or connection to the divine, or just pure 
  chance, there may be an immediate reaction from one of the dei-
  ties represented by a statue.
  Outside stimuli is another method of receiving visions and in-
  sight, presumably by a god. Some clergy and caretakers may of-
  fer visitors food or drink or incense that has been drugged or en-
  chanted to induce a vision (or nightmare). Fasting may also lead 
  to visions. Some gods are believed to require a small offering of 
  meat, alcohol, fruit, vegetables, or the sacrifice of a small animal 
  or the worshiper’s own blood even if it is just a finger prick. But 
  for many others, the serenity and beauty of the Garden is enough 
  to evoke an inspirational dream or a waking vision.
  While dreams may have a narrative or ongoing motif, visions 
  are often brief encounters, an epiphany caused by something 
  someone says or something glimpsed in the Garden, or a static 
  image that flashes in the visitor’s mind or before his very eyes. 
  Words and sounds, images and shapes, and a chance, singular 
  encounter with a man, woman, or child, priest, traveler, Faerie, 
  
  40
  animal, tree, flower, or a seemingly extraordinary radiance or 
  shadow, cloud, or unexpected memory (and the emotions that 
  come with it) that provides meaning, insight, peace, or motiva-
  tion, or which evokes a daydream, image, or epiphany that has a 
  profound emotional impact upon its recipient, is said to have been 
  a message – even a waking vision – sent from a god. Such a vi-
  sion and the emotions, realization, or resolve that may come upon 
  a person may happen anywhere, at any time, within the Garden. 
  And often when it is least expected: turning a corner, looking at a 
  flower or pond, gazing at the stars or up into the sky, in the face 
  of a stranger, or sitting, standing barefoot, or lying upon the cool 
  grass. Sometimes the vision is little more than a silhouette bathed 
  in a beam of sunlight or a brief, meaningful conversation, the 
  sweet song of a bird, or the sound of distant music carried upon 
  the wind but the source of which is never identified. The visitor 
  having the vision or encounter blinks or turns away for a moment, 
  and the vision ends and the deity’s messenger is gone, but the 
  moment has weight, and is taken to be a divine message, omen, 
  muse, or prophecy. An image, sound, or handful of cryptic words 
  can go a long way for someone who came looking for meaning or 
  purpose, or divine inspiration. These are the dreamlike moments 
  and waking visions most people report.
  The most profound waking visions are exactly what most 
  people expect them to be. Often it is only perceptible to a single 
  person in a group. That person sees his/her god or images played 
  out before him like a movie playing across the sky. The images 
  and sound – sometimes just one or the other, and sometimes ac-
  companied by scents – are said to fill up the entire sky and thun-
  der across the landscape before the recipient’s eyes. Some report 
  it is as if they were swept away to another place and time. Oth-
  ers claim time freezes for everyone around him, while the deity 
  speaks only to him or reveals a vision to him. While the vision 
  recipient is held spellbound in the majesty of the divine and the 
  importance of the words and/or images dancing before him, the 
  people all around him experience no such thing. And though the 
  waking vision may last for several minutes, when it ends, only a 
  split second has passed in the real world.
  Other times, a waking vision lasts but a few seconds or a 
  minute or two: A beautiful maiden or warrior, or a magnificent 
  flower that opens before the viewer’s eyes, or perhaps radiant 
  with light or some other momentary image or reflection that could 
  be just as much a trick of light, or a momentary hallucinatory im-
  age like a mirage that vanishes with a turn of your head, or fades 
  before your eyes like a rainbow. And it all takes place before 
  anyone else can see it. That image and sounds, or words, how-
  ever, has (or will have) some significance to the person who saw 
  it. Or the vision is a sharp, clean image – a face, a landmark, an 
  insignia, a symbol, a moment in time – and may be accompanied 
  by a single spoken word, phrase, sentence, music or sound(s) that 
  may be straightforward and clear, or cryptic or without meaning 
  until seen again later in the real world.
  Why the gods seem to enjoy being mysterious and cryptic in 
  what they reveal in words and imagery is anyone’s guess. It may 
  have more to do with a disconnect between mortals and the divine 
  that distorts the message or is beyond the senses and full com-
  prehension of even the wisest of mortals. So that face, landmark, 
  insignia or fleeting image may come with a name or statement. 
  For example, let’s say the image appears like a moving holo-
  graphic projection displaying a beautiful maiden smiling sweetly 
  as she plucks a flower. In the vision a man (or monster) appears 
  out of nowhere and strikes her or pushes her to the ground, be-
  fore looking up so the person getting the vision can see his (or 
  its) face. Then, the vision is gone as quickly and unexpectedly 
  as it appeared. But before it faded, or while the scene was un-
  folding, like a snippet from a movie, the vision-seer hears the 
  words, “Save her.” “She must be rescued.” “Stop him.” Or, “The 
  wickedness must end.” Or, “She (or he) is the key.” Or, “She 
  (or he) holds the answers you seek.” Or even something more 
  enigmatic, “Light blossoms from the darkness,” or, “Where love 
  blooms there is hope if given the time.” Or it may speak the name 
  of the woman or the man (or monster), or the name of a place, 
  and nothing more. Or there may be a particular sound (chirping 
  crickets, cicadas, birds, laughter, running water, wind, a piece of 
  music), or no words or sounds at all.
  The recipient of this waking vision may know the people in 
  it, or not. Usually not, in which case, he may discover later who 
  one or more of these people may be via a chance encounter or 
  at a public event, or in a conversation, or in a picture or a book, 
  etc. More likely it will be through a chance encounter. But re-
  member, what is seen and heard in the vision can be interpret-
  ed in many ways. While it is natural for most of us reading the 
  example above, to immediately assume the woman is innocent 
  and in trouble, she could be the evil and dangerous one. Or they 
  could be lovers, or siblings, and countless other possibilities. So 
  people who receive any type of vision – waking, dreaming, or 
  otherwise – must always be cautious about how they interpret 
  what they see, hear, and think it means. This is even fuzzier and 
  less reliable when the vision is a symbolic omen where sounds, 
  images, colors, and symbols may all have meaning and demand 
  interpretation.
  Sometimes waking visions (and dreams) may also show a 
  battle scene or an image of ... well, anything: A robbery or mug-
  ging, a party at a castle or tavern, a street festival, two men facing 
  each other in a duel, a fire, a storm, a religious ceremony, a ritual, 
  a mage or monster casting magic, someone in jeopardy, some-
  one happy or sad, an animal, a location (be it a famous build-
  ing, mountain, forest or landmark, near or far, or completely un-
  known), or the face of a friend or an enemy, or a stranger, and so 
  on; with or without words and sounds. Note: In game play, Game 
  Masters should take full advantage of such images, words, clues, 
  riddles, insight, and messages. Have fun with it, but also try to 
  use this divine resource to inspire and help the player characters, 
  not mess with their minds or confuse and frustrate them.
  Voices and Sounds
  Voices and sounds are the most ethereal and mysterious mes-
  sages from the gods, often mistaken for, or explained away as, the 
  sound of the wind, music being sung or played in the distance, 
  Faerie trickery, or the conversation of strangers nearby but un-
  seen behind a hedge or in the next area of the Garden. Gods that 
  are weak, fading from memory or long-forgotten, may only be 
  able to reach out to mortals through faint whispers. This hushed 
  voice may be the last few shreds of their power before they van-
  ish back into nothingness. The Garden is also full of the voices 
  of stronger and more substantial deities calling out amidst the 
  songs of birds, serenading crickets, children at play, flowing wa-
  ter, and wind dancing among the leafy branches of the trees. The 
  voices of the gods speak in countless languages. Many of them 
  long dead, though gods have the means to speak any language, 
  
  41
  and often possess psychic and spiritual communication capabili-
  ties that enable them to reach out to mortals regardless of their 
  native tongue, and touch not just the ears or the mind, but emo-
  tions as well.
  Like the dream visions and waking visions, the voice may 
  come in a dream, where it will be loudest, or while the recipient 
  of the message is awake, where it will be a soft whisper. It may 
  simply say a person’s name, place, or object, or share a simple 
  message of encouragement, warning, or insight. “The Library of 
  Bletherad.” “To the Empire of Sin.” “The Olympiad you must at-
  tend (or enter and compete).” “There is another way.” “Trust your 
  heart.” “No good can come from your current path.” “Vengeance 
  is not justice.” “Trust your companions.” “Don’t trust your com-
  panion.” “Don’t be swayed by others, you know what is right.” 
  “Honor your heritage.” “Danger comes from the north.” “Seek 
  the truth.” “Beware the one who wears the feathered crown.” 
  And so on. By the way, some statement like, “Beware (or don’t 
  trust) the Black Dragon,” could mean a knight, prince, priest, etc., 
  whose symbol is that of a black dragon or who might be a priest 
  or worshiper of Dragonwright, specifically Styphon the Black; or 
  it could mean a living, fire-breathing dragon our hero has yet to 
  meet or has met in the past.
  Divine Visitation
  The rarest of encounters in the Garden of the Gods is a di-
  vine visitation. This usually involves meeting someone helpful 
  and wise or tough and insightful, whom you later realize was 
  probably an agent or an avatar of a particular god disguised as 
  a caretaker, pilgrim, blind beggar, warrior, healer, thief, mage, 
  farmer, visitor, or local. Only it turns out he or she is not a local 
  or is someone who died! In some cases, the person experiencing 
  a divine visitation knows or suspects this stranger is a messenger 
  or avatar of a god, but that is the exception, not the rule. Most 
  people who experience a divine visitation do not realize it until 
  circumstance and impossible coincidence points to this miracle. 
  Such a realization may occur hours, days, even years later and is 
  slowly pieced together. In other cases, the truth is never realized 
  or denied as impossible. (“But that would mean ... but that’s im-
  possible, right?”)
  A divine visitation is believed to be most likely to occur on 
  or near the anniversary of an important event, or when some-
  thing good, bad, or important is about to happen. But sometimes 
  it takes the right person (often the least obvious person) to visit 
  the Garden for a deity to make an appearance in whatever form 
  the god may choose.
  It is important to understand that it has been mutually agreed 
  by the deities, themselves, that the gods are unable to manifest 
  themselves as supernatural beings within the neutral grounds of 
  the Garden. Thus, a giant, glowing deity with a booming voice 
  and crackling energy or other immortal form can NOT appear in 
  the Garden of the Gods. Hence the visions and voices and dream 
  contact. However, powerful and popular gods, as well as the weak 
  ones hoping to be rediscovered in the Garden as they slowly fade 
  to nothingness, are said to be able to temporarily create physical, 
  seemingly mortal, avatars from nothing. This avatar may look 
  like any normal person or animal, or in the full visual likeness 
  and regalia associated with the god as recognized by mortals. 
  This person or animal avatar (which can talk) has no supernatural 
  abilities and appears as an ordinary mortal, not a god. Of course, 
  when the deity is done, he or she can vanish in the blink of an eye, 
  as if it were a ghost.
  Though a more invasive form of a divine visitation, the de-
  ity may temporarily commandeer the body of a mortal person or 
  animal through which to speak. This can be a trusted companion 
  or a complete stranger, or animal. This is not possession in the 
  usual sense, as the Garden’s benign energy makes possessions 
  extremely rare, but rather a temporary “borrowing” of a mortal’s 
  body and voice with which to speak and convey a message. This 
  means in most cases, the person through which the deity speaks, 
  realizes that an unearthly force wants to speak through him! This 
  chosen individual retains the use of his body and limbs, can think 
  and act clearly, and, like a medium, can ask the “force” to identify 
  itself. The god then speaks through him.
  The deity is likely to try to avoid scaring people by identifying 
  itself as a “friend” or “helper,” or it may reveal its divine identity. 
  (“I am Od, and I have reason to speak to X. Will you allow it?”) 
  At this point, only the person through which the deity wants to 
  speak, hears the god, and must give the deity permission to use 
  his or her body as a vessel through which to speak. An honor, in 
  and of itself, if the voice can be believed. If the person agrees, the 
  deity speaks through him. That person can hear and remember the 
  conversation and knows he is speaking in the voice of another be-
  ing – of a god. The mortal vessel can continue to think and move 
  of his own free will and is not panicked by this strange event. 
  Only his voice has been commandeered. The voice is different 
  than the person’s own speaking voice and may have an accent 
  and peculiar or different way of speaking. The voice either ad-
  dresses one particular person or the entire player group, and may 
  identify itself as a specific deity at the onset, or at the end of the 
  visitation. (“So says Kym-Nark-Mar.”)
  The deity is able to speak and converse as if it was present, 
  because it is, but speaking through a mortal is taxing for that in-
  dividual and can only be maintained for 3-6 minutes. A physical 
  avatar, on the other hand, can stay for 1-6 hours at a time and 
  reappear when the deity so desires. Both types of divine visita-
  tions can only take place inside the Garden of the Gods, though 
  they are rare. Note: The possessing deity or avatar vanishes the 
  moment the person steps out of the Garden, or when the god has 
  said his piece, whichever comes first.
  The people who experience divine visitation are considered 
  blessed, or chosen (and sometimes cursed). Those familiar with 
  the Garden’s ways may look to them for leadership or advice. 
  And though people may look to them for further messages and 
  communications from the gods(s), it is not likely to ever happen 
  again.
  Who are chosen for a divine visitation? You never know. 
  That is up to fate and the gods. All the classic methods for in-
  ducing visions may be used, including meditation, fasting, labor-
  induced exhaustion, sweat lodges, sensory deprivation, the use 
  of herbs, animal toxins, and drugs, or any combination of them. 
  Any technique or substance known to knock down mental walls, 
  reduce inhibitions, cause hallucinations, and make a person more 
  open and receptive to the supernatural and enlightenment, is be-
  lieved to increase the odds of seeing or hearing something super-
  natural inside the Garden.
  It should also be noted that certain gods are said to be stronger 
  at certain times of the day or night, or year, or during seasons or 
  on holy days associated with that being or what they symbol-
  ize. And even gods who like to inspire and guide (or manipulate) 
  
  42
  mortals, especially those who worship them, may be busy with 
  their own affairs for years, decades or centuries at a time. If pil-
  grims or adventurers are familiar with the rites of the god from 
  whom they seek a sign or insight, many believe it gives them a 
  huge advantage reaching out to that god(s), so a little research 
  could go a long way. But there is no hard evidence any of this is 
  true or works.
  How many of these experiences are legitimate contact with a 
  deity, and how many are visitors reading more into their experi-
  ence due to their desire to believe, is anyone’s guess. The latter is 
  most likely. That said, their experience, however it was induced, 
  and whether real or imagined, remains special, and evidence to 
  them that they have been “touched by the divine.” It is true, be-
  cause they believe it is true, and they see an omen or find insight, 
  wisdom, purpose, or a quest as a result of their experience, or 
  interpretation of it. To them, it could not be the result of simple 
  self-reflection or deep thought, it must be the divine.
  Most visitors to the Garden of the Gods enjoy serene and in-
  spiring moments, and feel like they have experienced something 
  special and worthwhile regardless of what happens. However, the 
  vast majority never experience a genuine divine visitation, vision, 
  or dream. Not even if they are kings and nobles, renowned he-
  roes, clergy, or worthy pilgrims who visit the Garden hundreds of 
  times. The same is true of the caretakers, some of whom practi-
  cally live on site.
  Of those who do have a vision or divine visitation, most of 
  them never expected one, and stumble across the mystical experi-
  ence or an encounter with living mythology all on their own.
  For those who have tried for years to contact a god and failed, 
  attempting to use other people as a medium is more likely an op-
  portunity for charlatans and con artists to take advantage of them. 
  There is no priest, mage, or psychic who has a direct line to the 
  gods. The deities do as they will.
  For the majority of pilgrims who make the trip and do not 
  experience visions or visitations, they are satisfied to have simply 
  stood in the presence of the gods. Still others visit to collect the 
  tales of people who claim to have witnessed miracles and won-
  ders in the Garden where the gods are said to visit.
  A mission from god
  As you can see, the Garden of the Gods is a fountain of inspi-
  ration. In its own subtle way, it is full of leads and insight for lost 
  causes and individuals in search of purpose. Of course, a visit to 
  the Garden of the Gods, regardless of the length of one’s stay, 
  frequency of visits, piety, and good intentions, is no guarantee 
  of finding anything of interest or spiritually moving, especially 
  if the gods sense some sort of ulterior motive. However, chance 
  encounters with fellow visitors might.
  Between the Garden of the Gods and the Lopanic Games, 
  throngs of people from all corners of the world visit the fabled 
  Garden and the nearby towns and central port cities. This has 
  turned Lopan into quite the hub for the latest news and gossip 
  about world events, war, and political intrigue. All information 
  that is helpful to knights, mercenaries, and adventurers in search 
  of wrongs to right, battles to join, quests, and opportunities. Like-
  wise, nobles and the wealthy send emissaries to recruit adventur-
  ers for missions of all kinds, all over the world. This may involve 
  quests for treasure, monster hunting, bringing evildoers to justice, 
  safeguarding good and legal operations, scouting, research, acts 
  of revenge, searches into the unknown, the acquisition of ancient 
  relics and magic, to piracy, thievery, the nefarious, and every-
  thing in between.
  There are also plenty of quiet intrigues, hidden ruins, groups 
  of eldritch non-humans, and mysteries to explore on the enig-
  matic island of Lopan and the regions surrounding it at the center 
  of the world, i.e. locations like Phi, Ophid’s Grassland, the shores 
  of the northern Old Kingdom Lowlands, the Eastern Territory, 
  the Disputed Lands, the Great Northern Wilderness, and even the 
  Empire of Sin is not all that far away. All accessible by ship and 
  magic for those willing to make the journey.
  For those blessed or lucky enough to glean mystical insight 
  from the Garden, whether directly or indirectly, their source of 
  motivation or sense of purpose may indeed come from the gods in 
  the form of a dream, vision, words, sounds, sights, or symbology 
  as interpreted by that individual. As previously noted, messages 
  and instructions from the gods may be incomplete or cryptic, and 
  must be untangled by the recipient. “Find the cave at the foot of 
  the blood drenched mountains facing east in the Old Kingdom 
  where the Orcs gather,” or “Seek out an island in the waters east 
  of Timiro, with jade shores and a great sundial amidst a lagoon.” 
  What does any of that mean and where could that be? Figuring 
  that out could become an adventure in and of itself, as might the 
  journey to get there.
  Lost gods and lost causes go hand in hand. The Garden 
  of the Gods is full of fading and forgotten deities in need of an 
  avenger or a Champion, or more followers. Many gods were 
  struck down in ages past by dragons, champions, armies, com-
  peting religions, and gods that still exist today. The power of 
  some fading and forgotten gods has dwindled as their followers 
  fell in numbers, were hunted down or lost their faith, and those 
  gods may still burn for revenge against the gods/religion that 
  displaced them, or long for a comeback, though their fall might 
  have happened thousands or tens of thousands of years ago. All 
  of this may lead to help from that god if the mortals’ actions 
  raise the deity’s power level, garner new followers, or under-
  mine that old rival or enemy.
  In addition to quests, causes, and the search for lost ar-
  tifacts, the gods may also bear more personal messages. They 
  can help an individual come to terms with personal problems or 
  weaknesses, or provide closure to an unresolved issue or past 
  failing. The gods can often see into the minds and hearts of 
  men, and can sometimes perceive a mortal’s past and potential 
  future as well. This makes them excellent counselors, as long as 
  their interests and those of whom they are advising are one and 
  the same. Untrustworthy gods can cause all sorts of mayhem by 
  abusing the faith mortals have in their divine nature. Friendly 
  and sympathetic deities are generally happy to help people find 
  enlightenment, purpose and joy, especially when they are fol-
  lowers or champion the deity’s cause. This is particularly true 
  of forgotten gods eager to regain their place in the world of mor-
  tals. They long to have their voices heard and to be remembered 
  and worshiped once again. For normal pilgrims who visit the 
  Garden without a further agenda in mind, this kind of wisdom 
  is usually what they seek, rather than Rune Weapons, magic, 
  fame, prophecies of power, or the secrets of ancient, lost civi-
  lizations.
  
  43
  Following Signs
  from the Gods
  Below are a number of optional tables that can be used to 
  generate quests, missions, insight, and inspiration for those who 
  seek them in the Garden of the Gods. Game Masters may roll 
  percentile dice for random determination or make deliberate se-
  lections.
  Step One:
  Random Insight Tables
  G.M.s, roll once on the random insight table, then once 
  on the corresponding secondary table for completely random 
  insights, or select the ones that seem to fit the characters, cam-
  paign, or setting best. To determine where a lost city, treasure 
  trove, missing individual, or object is located, either pick a 
  location to suit the god, campaign, or players, or use the ran-
  dom location table present at the end of the Random Insight 
  section.
  Roll on this table first, to determine which table to roll on 
  next (or pick one, and go to that table).
  01-10% Forgotten Tribe
  11-20% Ancient Ruins and Lost Civilizations
  21-30% The Lost
  31-40% Forgotten Island, Valley, or Lost Lands
  41-50% Lost Treasure
  51-60% Arcane Knowledge
  61-70% A Mission/Quest from a God
  71-80% Restoration of a Church
  81-90% Path of Revenge or Justice
  91-95% Means of Divine Restoration
  96-00% Personal Revelation
  Design Note: These tables are ful� of adventure hooks spawned 
  by the Garden of the Gods. Create your own adventures using 
  these tools or from your own imagining. Listen to your players 
  and the needs and desires of their characters for additional ideas 
  for adventure. What follows are just some possibilities.
  01-10% Forgotten Tribe
  Somewhere in the remote wilderness or on an unmapped isle 
  is a group of followers of one of the Garden’s gods. They are 
  mostly cut-off from the outside world, and probably have been 
  for some time. They need some sort of help.
  01-14% Primitive People: There are many remote high-
  lands, hills, mountains, badlands, deserts, jungles and deep 
  forests in the Palladium World that hide small tribes and bands 
  of people (humans, Elves, Dwarves, Titans, and others) that 
  have been isolated from modern people, civilization and cul-
  ture as a whole. Some of these groups are tiny civilizations 
  unto themselves, but others are stuck in a stone-age, tribal ex-
  istence, probably reliant upon muscle and primitive weapons 
  or magic to protect themselves and keep the harsh wilderness 
  at bay. Whatever their lifestyle, they are likely to be highly 
  xenophobic and suspicious of outsiders, even people of their 
  same race/species.
  15-28% Elves of a Different Era: There are groups of Elves 
  that retreated away from the world at various points in history, 
  most notably following the Elf-Dwarf War, and others who have 
  isolated themselves in ages since, like the Millennium of Purifi-
  cation, seeking to preserve their old culture and way of life in a 
  world where humans and other people outnumber them more and 
  more every year. Hidden citadels, fog-shrouded islands, oasis-
  forts, remote jungle or mountain retreats, and spectacular secret 
  cities built into mountains or tucked away in remote valleys, are 
  all the kinds of places where Elves might go to separate them-
  selves from the world at large.
  29-42% Forgotten Dwarves: With their subterranean nature, 
  there are countless places on the Palladium World where small 
  villages to entire cultures of Dwarves could still exist. Under-
  ground cave systems, inactive lava tubes, and cities carved out of 
  solid rock are all known shelters of Dwarves, but mountains and 
  rocky terrain of any kind also play to their natural advantages. 
  Dwarves are very skilled at hiding the entrances to these kinds of 
  habitations, however, and at defending them once they discover 
  intruders or believe themselves to be under attack. The same is 
  true of Kobolds and to a much lesser degree, Troglodytes.
  43-56% Feral Orcs: Orcs living a traditional, hunter-gatherer 
  existence can be found in certain backwards regions and fallen 
  kingdoms of the Palladium World, particularly the Yin-Sloth 
  Jungles, Baalgor Wastlands, and the periphery of the Old King-
  
  44
  dom. They worship old Orc and Goblin gods and know nothing 
  of the barbarian hordes of the Old Kingdom, slavery by humans, 
  Elves and Dwarves, or the urban poverty that defines the life of 
  many Orcs in human-dominated regions.
  57-70% Isolationist Giants: Giants usually hold smaller spe-
  cies in contempt, especially after generations of being hunted 
  and persecuted by them. Almost any large population of giants 
  will be found in some distant sanctuary, far from the civiliza-
  tions of smaller folk. Some of these refuges, like Mt. Nimro, are 
  well-known to outsiders, though their reputation protects them 
  from intruders. The Isle of the Cyclops is probably the most fa-
  mous example, spoken of in many kingdoms, but almost never 
  glimpsed by outsiders and non-giants. Note: In addition to the 
  True Giants described above, this may apply to Titans and Rahu-
  Men who feel out of step in time and ashamed of their past alli-
  ances with Elves, Dwarves and humans, as well as small commu-
  nities of Trolls and Minotaurs, and perhaps even a giant species 
  not commonly known.
  71-84% Dying Race: There are many rare races upon the hu-
  man world whose population is dwindling, from Minotaurs and 
  Bearmen, to Centaurs and Changelings, to Gnomes and many 
  types of Faerie Folk and elder monster races. Rather than be to-
  tally absorbed by more numerous and successful species, some of 
  their kind have retreated back into solitude and secret communi-
  ties, often just to keep their culture intact or their people safe. A 
  disconnection from their ancient deity or a threat to one of their 
  fragile communities or very existence could be why one of the 
  gods of the Garden is reaching out to send heroes or champions 
  to such long-lost people.
  85-00% Patron God: These isolationists have a patron minor 
  god, demigod, Greater Demon, dragon, witch or powerful mage 
  that has adopted them as its followers. This deity or protector is a 
  jealous leader, and uses its powers to keep those under its charge 
  separate from the corrupting influence of the outside world. De-
  veloping independently from outside forces, the beliefs and prac-
  tices of this tiny culture, village or cult may be quite strange and 
  extreme, especially to foreigners seeing them for the first time. 
  Worse, their godly patron or powerful protector has become a 
  despot tyrant or insane tormentor or enslaver, which is why a de-
  ity is trying to dispatch heroes to help these forgotten souls.
  11-20% Ancient Ruins
  and Lost Civilizations
  The history of the Palladium World is long, rich, and steeped 
  in mystery. Civilizations have risen and fallen. Ages of magic 
  and war, persecution and prosperity, have come and gone. Just as 
  there are statues of forgotten gods, there are a countless number 
  of lost civilizations and forgotten people. The ruins of their civi-
  lization, gods and magic can be found anywhere ... if you know 
  where to look or happen to stumble upon them. Ancient people 
  and secrets and treasure that sometimes reach through the sands 
  of time to influence the heroes and people of today.
  A lost city, temple, catacomb, or ruins buried (or partially bur-
  ied) by the dust of eons past. These ruins could contain treasure, 
  forgotten relics, magic, weapons, secrets, and ancient danger 
  ready to reemerge. Or just evidence of a civilization long gone. 
  It is lost for a reason, whether that it has been physically buried, 
  overgrown with vegetation, partially destroyed by war or calam-
  ity, or because it has a dark history best left forgotten and undis-
  turbed. Whatever the case, there are likely to be all manner of 
  challenges and dangers to overcome to reach it. There may be 
  savage bands of barbarians or bandits, Orcs and other monster 
  races, or monstrous creatures, dangerous animals, and geological 
  obstacles. And all too often, demons and monsters of the past be-
  ing unearthed for the first time in millennia.
  01-13% A Sea Port in the Desert (or plains or forest or 
  buried inside a hill): Once a harbor on a glittering sea, this port’s 
  watery claim to existence dried up long ago, and now its docks 
  sit high over a mud-caked flat that used to be a vast lake, wide 
  river, or part of the sea. The mostly buried skeletons of ships and 
  boats rest on the dry, cracked ground, sails long gone, many of 
  their timbers disintegrated over the ages, leaving only the thickest 
  wooden beams and bits of metal. The remains of old storehouses, 
  like the contents that may have filled the belly of some vessels, 
  are buried under the earth, and the remains of the past, even trea-
  sure, could be exposed any time there is an earthquake or a flash 
  flood.
  14-26% Fallen Splendor: Once a majestic city, this sprawling 
  ruin probably dates from before the Elf-Dwarf War, or possibly 
  from the semi-mythical time of the Prestida Kings. Marble floors 
  and beautiful mosaics are covered in dust and half-buried in sand, 
  and these ruins stretch for miles. Everything could be covered 
  in an age-old layer of ash, dirt, or mud, however, depending on 
  what disaster befell this former jewel. Palaces, marketplaces, and 
  countless common homes are crumbling back into the earth.
  27-39% Overgrown City Ruins: Deep within a forest or 
  jungle are the remains of a culture that once ruled over this 
  land. Any wooden edifices have rotted away, leaving only bur-
  ied stone foundations in their passing. Large portions of stone 
  or brick homes and buildings have crumbled or tumbled down 
  to the forest floor; some sunken back into the earth. Only the 
  city’s walls, watchtowers, temples and largest stone structures 
  remain at least partially intact, and they have become wrapped 
  and covered in the thick tangle of centuries of vines and lost 
  amongst the thickening trees and dense tapestry of vegetation. 
  Moss and vine covered monoliths and statues are likewise hid-
  den among the overgrowth or tumbled down to the forest floor. 
  Any tunnels hidden amongst roots lead down to ancient crypts 
  and chambers, and it is difficult to tell in places where the forest 
  begins and the ruins end.
  40-52% Buried Temple: A grand temple or cathedral from a 
  different time is buried in centuries of mud, rising earth, or shift-
  ing sands. Mounds and hilltops are likely to be the tombs of old 
  buildings and towers hidden beneath their hulking forms, and a 
  little digging will be all it takes to reach an old door or window 
  that leads down into the largest hill to reveal the halls of a forgot-
  ten temple complex. What monsters, magic, mysteries, or trea-
  sure may lay in wait inside its forgotten bowels is there for the 
  bold to discover.
  53-65% Crumbling Castle: A fortress that used to lord over 
  its surroundings, this castle keep and shattered walls succumbed 
  to a siege or fire many generations past. Its ruined walls are in-
  defensible against any serious army, but this old fortification is a 
  perfect hideout for thieves or monsters, or could be turned into a 
  temporary base camp for mercenary warriors or adventurers ex-
  ploring or working in the region. Its crumbling walls can be rein-
  forced with lumber, mud bricks, or stone, but it would take years 
  and a small army of builders to even begin to restore the castle 
  and its many sections of toppled defensive walls.
  
  45
  Dark magic or a curse might have been responsible for the 
  castle’s undoing, however, and it may still maintain its hold on 
  the place, or a new threat may have taken up residence. And any 
  location that saw the slaughter of its inhabitants or a mighty clash 
  of armies may be haunted by ghosts and evil spirits. Such places 
  do not give up their secrets easily, and underground chambers, 
  crypts, or tunnels below the depths of the castle’s dungeon, and 
  yet to be discovered, may still contain its dangerous secrets, de-
  mons, magic, or treasure.
  66-78% Abandoned Monastery or Mountain Stronghold: 
  High upon a mountain, seaside cliff or sitting upon some ancient 
  hill or crossroads, this impressive structure used to be a monas-
  tery, church, holy place or mountain refuge. It could have been 
  defiled or partially destroyed in some great battle, or its faithful 
  may have perished or simply walked away in the aftermath of a 
  plague, fire, or loss of their devotion.
  79-91% An Underground City: This one-time thriving city 
  of ages past had to be abandoned when water levels rose or di-
  minished, or a river shifted its course, or agricultural resources 
  dried up, or fell to some kind of disaster, earthquake, famine, 
  plague, invasion, dark magic, or evil force, making its residents 
  leave or leading to their demise.
  This is most likely a Dwarven or Kobold city of old, but 
  it could be an underground city built by ancient Minotaurs, 
  humans (a secret base or community), Changelings (a hid-
  ing place/refuge), or even Elves, or a forgotten race of people 
  whose existence stretches back tens of thousands of years. If 
  the construction is crude, the simple chambers and tunnels 
  might be the handiwork of ancient Goblins, Ratlings, Troglo-
  dytes, Maxpary, or other species barely remembered or com-
  pletely forgotten. What monsters, magic, mysteries, or trea-
  sure may lay in wait inside its forgotten bowels is there for the 
  bold to discover. Or this underground habitat may have been 
  found and inhabited many times by many different people 
  over the millennia. What ghosts, monsters, magic, mysteries, 
  or treasure it may have held may be long gone or still waiting 
  to be found.
  92-00% Sunken City: A thriving city in ages past, this site 
  had to be abandoned when water levels rose, a river shifted its 
  course, an Earthquake pulled it underwater, or some kind of evil 
  magic created a devastating deluge. Only the spires and rooftops 
  of the tallest buildings now extend up from the water, the rest 
  of the city, parts of it collapsed, rests at the bottom of the lake, 
  river or sea. Buildings and toppled ruins are mixed in amongst 
  seaweed and silt, just a few feet below the surface; the water no 
  more than 40-60 feet deep (12.2 to 18.3 m). Statues look upward 
  at the world they once knew, sharks and groupers and the oc-
  casional sea monster lurk in doorways or peer out from beneath 
  collapsed roofs. Treasures lost here are probably still unpilfered, 
  though anything that dissolves or rots or rusts in water will have 
  decayed long ago.
  21-30% The Lost
  With their incredible powers and perspective, gods are able to 
  hear the pleas and prayers of those in need. Few pray harder than 
  those who have been lost or cut off from their families, friends, or 
  from civilization as a whole. In the alternative, this table may ap-
  ply to a seemingly lost cause, unless it can find support or heroes 
  to champion it.
  01-10% Lost Innocent: A baby, toddler, child, group of chil-
  dren, or a mentally challenged innocent (an elder with dementia, 
  a severely autistic teen or adult, etc.) has gone missing and is be-
  lieved lost, kidnaped, or worse! In this world of magic and mon-
  sters, cults and villains, the missing could have simply wandered 
  off and lost their way, or been kidnaped, perhaps as an act of 
  vengeance or held for ransom, or taken for some other nefarious 
  purpose: prey to be eaten, or for human sacrifice, enslaved, tor-
  tured, or other malicious reason. If there are signs of a struggle or 
  other victim left injured or dead where they lay, the worst should 
  be expected. However, being lost and alone in the wilderness can 
  be just as dangerous for the innocent and people not prepared for 
  such an environment. Not the least of which includes danger from 
  wild animals, monsters, Faerie Folk, bandits, wicked travelers, 
  the elements, and the environment (ravines and trenches, fallen 
  trees and rivers, bogs and so on).
  The prayers of the innocent (or the loved ones who fear for 
  them) may be heard by a god who may take pity and send help 
  through the Garden of the Gods or a priest, hero, or someone 
  looking for a sign or purpose. Of course, those looking for the lost 
  innocent may have to face one or more of the dangers themselves 
  before the child or innocent person can be found and rescued.
  11-20% Kidnaped Bride or Groom: Potential brides are 
  sometimes kidnaped by an overzealous would-be-suitor, power-
  ful noble, jealous rival, or wicked individual. Romantic rivals, 
  stalkers, madmen, and members of the monster races might try 
  to take a woman, or man, betrothed to another before they are 
  married, or just newly married. Spurred on by jealousy, mad-
  ness, or revenge, they may kidnap and run away with the bride 
  or groom to keep as their mate, whether the person wants this 
  or not. (Usually, not!) This can also apply to teens, men and 
  women, stolen to be forced into marriage by barbarians, mem-
  bers of the monster races, particularly Ogres, and other savages 
  who sometimes steal women who are forcibly married to the 
  kidnaper, or forced into bondage and captivity as a slave or for 
  the purpose of bearing children. In the case of monsters, the 
  person may be taken as a slave or plaything to work and serve 
  them, for carnal pleasure against the victim’s will, and other 
  foul purposes. Carried off in secret and probably overpowered, 
  the captive’s only hope is a desperate prayer to any god who 
  might be listening.
  It should also be noted that in certain societies of humans, 
  Coyles, Orcs, Adram and some tribal peoples, the male takes/
  kidnaps the unmarried female of his desire to be made his bride. 
  This is usually a willing victim and “the taking” nothing more 
  than tradition or ceremony and a bit of theatrics, but not always. 
  Abductions of people of all genders, races, and species happen 
  all the time throughout history. Such kidnapings can expand into 
  brutal rivalries, feuds, and physical battle. Winner takes the fe-
  male. One-on-one battles to win the woman who has been taken 
  by a rival or an enemy are to the death in only 20% of the chal-
  lenges. In most cases, a sound defeat is sufficient, but that de-
  pends largely on the two combatants and their cultures. In some 
  instances, a tribal chief, elder, or Shaman intercedes to announce 
  the winner and put an end to the fight over the bride. If stolen by 
  a rival or enemy tribe, which is a common practice, the parents, 
  family and friends, as well as the warriors of the entire tribe, may 
  give chase to get the kidnap victim back. As you might imag-
  ine, this clash of warring clans or tribes can lead to considerable 
  bloodshed and all-out war.
  
  46
  21-30% Knight for Ransom: After a battle, many common 
  soldiers are executed, forced into slavery, imprisoned, or simply 
  driven off as a bothersome rabble. Knights and nobles and some-
  times important members of the clergy, however, carry a high 
  value, and are often captured to be sold back to their own family 
  or kingdom. Clad in chains and locked away in a dungeon or a 
  cage at a war camp, the captive must wait for word to be sent and 
  the ransom to be paid, before the victim(s) is returned to their 
  army, homeland or family; a process that could take months. And 
  if no ransom is forthcoming, only the gods can save them from 
  their fate, as most captive Knights, Paladins and heroes are either 
  slain or stripped of everything and put into slavery.
  31-40% Captured Priest or Priestess: Many monasteries 
  and churches go basically undefended, reliant upon the favor 
  of the gods and respect for religion to protect them. Barbarians 
  and apostates have no qualms against violating religious sanc-
  tity, however, and delicate targets are often raided, their follow-
  ers carried away, and holy treasures pillaged. Any unfortunate 
  souls taken prisoner might be ransomed back to the church, if it is 
  wealthy enough, but could just as easily be forced into slavery or 
  held as potential human sacrifices. While their god(s) may have 
  forsaken them, others could be more receptive to their plight and 
  come to their rescue.
  41-50% Regretful Runaway: Many people who run away 
  from their homes and lives do so under harried circumstances, 
  without time to plan or prepare supplies, or knowing what to ex-
  pect in the world at large. Getting lost in the wilderness, or on 
  the cobblestone streets or back alleys of a city, is not an unlikely 
  outcome. This individual has run from bad circumstances into 
  worse, or has otherwise seen the error of his or her ways and 
  is in need of help, even from distant and forgotten gods or kind 
  strangers.
  51-60% Lost Cause: This can be any person, group, town, 
  kingdom, religion, goal or cause of good or noble intent that 
  needs a champion. Without intervention by heroes or adventur-
  ers willing to take on impossible odds, the underdogs behind the 
  good cause are hopelessly outmatched and likely to be squashed 
  by the forces of evil. Whether they and their champions win or 
  lose is up to the Game Master, clever playing, and fate (the roll 
  of the die).
  In the alternative, dark gods may seek a similar champion, 
  cultists, group of followers, or adventurers to revive an ancient 
  terror, a forgotten belief or cult, or bring about tragedy and harm 
  to others. Lost causes are not always noble and good, though such 
  well intentioned individuals may be duped into helping to un-
  leash evil and suffering. And it may be up to heroes and adventur-
  ers to stop such evil schemes from succeeding.
  61-70% Lone Survivor: The single survivor of a massacre, 
  sacrifice, plague, war, ritual gone awry, or other disaster, is hurt, 
  hungry, lost and alone. Whatever tragedy befell this individual, 
  it is probably right on his heels, or the battle could be with isola-
  tion, climate, environment, or hostile creatures. At least one of 
  the gods sees this plight, however, and is reaching out to anyone 
  who might be able to assist or rescue the poor suffering or trapped 
  and lost soul.
  71-80% Castaway, Outcast, or Lost Champion: Lost in the 
  dense woods, surrounded by steaming jungle, trudging through a 
  barren desert, or floating on a piece of wreckage, those who have 
  given up hope of rescue have no choice but to reach out to the 
  gods. Their pleas may go unheard by active gods with huge fol-
  lowings and countless enemies, but the gods fading from memory 
  or already forgotten in the Garden have centuries to listen for 
  faint calls and whispered prayers. They stand much to gain by 
  recruiting new champions, adventurers, and followers, especially 
  ones who owe them their lives. The gods cannot go after these 
  individuals themselves, however, and must find willing agents to 
  ride to the rescue for them. This is one such quest.
  In the alternative, alone in the wilderness, that hermit or mys-
  terious stranger without memory of his or her past, is more than 
  he or she may seem. A hero (or villain) who became lost in defeat 
  or tragedy and sought to lose himself in the wilderness or in a 
  bottle of booze, or both. This lost soul is ready for redemption 
  and/or the world still needs him, and one or more of the gods of 
  the Garden have sent you and your group to find him.
  81-85% Bearer of Secrets: Someone who has witnessed a 
  dark secret at the heart of some mystery, conspiracy, or cult has 
  made a run for his life with pursuers looking actively for him. 
  With knives waiting around every corner, this fugitive(s) is pray-
  ing to stay alive and escape those who hunt for him. What the 
  fugitive knows is worth killing for, and anyone who helps him 
  could become privy to valuable and dangerous information. In-
  formation that could make the adventurers become targets them-
  selves.
  86-90% Lost Treasure (or Relic): Only those who will use 
  such a boon to the benefit of the god’s wider and larger plans 
  (good or bad) are likely to be given the clues to such a grand 
  discovery. Whether they wittingly or unwittingly serve a greater 
  good or impending evil, is yet to be revealed. And it is not neces-
  sarily the discoverers who will benefit from such a treasure or 
  weapon of destruction.
  91-95% Lost Magic: This ancient and lost magic secret, ar-
  tifact, or weapon may be the stuff of legend or completely lost 
  to the annals of history. However, some god in the Garden has 
  decided, for good or ill, that it is time for this item, spell, secret, 
  or cult to resurface. Good luck.
  96-00% Lost God: For too long this deity (good, selfish or 
  evil) has remained forgotten. It is time for a comeback. How ex-
  actly this unfolds should be dictated by the Game Master and the 
  actions/reactions of the player characters.
  31-40% Forgotten Island,
  Valley, or Lost Lands
  This may be a land of promise, a lush paradise, a place of 
  magic, a land of secrets, or a domain of danger, possibly kept se-
  cret by a god or Demon Lord as a haven for his or her people, or 
  a place and people who are outcasts or chose to be forgotten. This 
  island, mountain, or jungle valley, hidden plain, underground 
  realm, lagoon, or mountain plateau is undiscovered and unknown 
  by civilization (except perhaps, by a trusted few). It is a waiting 
  gem or a land of peril for anyone who finds it. In most cases, any 
  inhabitants, be they humans, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Change-
  lings, or other species of humanoids, known or unknown, are 
  suspicious and wary of outsiders. And scared of what may hap-
  pen if the outside world should learn of their idyllic home. Note: 
  Moreover, this forgotten land is so remote and/or isolated in such 
  an unusual location that it is almost impossible to ever find again 
  after it is left behind. Unless stated otherwise, there is only a 5% 
  chance of successfully returning and finding it again! This is true 
  even if the adventurers make a comprehensive map with notes 
  
  47
  and leave markers to follow. Some markers and landmarks get 
  overgrown or go missing, or the landscape seems different than 
  before and icons such as a river or lake may have moved or dried 
  up, and seem to have vanished, etc. There could be a spell or illu-
  sion that plays a part in veiling this place of splendor and plenty.
  01-15% Mining Country: A pleasant enough valley or stretch 
  of forest in or around hills or mountains, but nothing out of the 
  ordinary until its caves or ancient and forgotten mines are discov-
  ered. Here lies rich, mostly untapped veins of one or more miner-
  als and precious ores. A boon to anyone, but of particular value 
  to Dwarves, Kobolds, Alchemists and other mages who require 
  gems to work their magic. A source of one or two of the follow-
  ing: Gold, silver, copper, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, 
  or other precious or semi-precious gems; a natural treasure in it-
  self. 1D4+6 hours of panning for gold or digging for nuggets or 
  gemstones provides each participant actively mining with gold, 
  silver, or gems worth 1D6x100+700 in gold per day.
  It should be obvious to even the most dense of characters that 
  if word gets out about this remarkable find, it would create a gold 
  rush effect, bringing thousands of prospectors to steal their dis-
  covery. So keeping this place a secret is of utmost the importance. 
  A secret made all the easier to keep because no matter how cer-
  tain the characters may be that they can find this treasure trove 
  again, they have only a 5% chance of successfully returning and 
  finding it again! This is true even if they make a comprehensive 
  map with notes and leave markers to follow. (Some go missing, 
  get overgrown, etc.)
  If there are inhabitants, odds are that they won’t mind if visi-
  tors stay for a while and even take precious ore and gems away 
  with them. There is either so much or the gems and gold or silver 
  have little or no value to the inhabitants, that they are happy to let 
  the “visitors” have some. They may even pay them a small for-
  tune for simple tasks or give them a bunch of precious metal and/
  or gems. (Game Masters, perhaps as much as 2D6x1,000 gold for 
  each character! But now the adventurers need to haul it back to 
  civilization without losing it or having it stolen. And you should 
  make them work for it.) ALL of this is on the condition that the 
  “outsiders” are respectful of the people, their traditions and su-
  perstitions, as well as the land, and do not destroy the surround-
  ing landscape or harm or enslave the people or the animals in the 
  area. FYI: Deeper in the mine(s) may be a dragon(s), Elemental, 
  or animals the inhabitants consider to be friends or sacred, and 
  not to be harmed in any way. Animals outsiders might consider 
  to be dangerous monsters and seek to destroy them. Animals that 
  keep outsiders away from the richest veins, and may threaten, 
  kill, and devour intruders or those who abuse their friends, i.e. the 
  local inhabitants. If the land or animals are harmed, the inhabit-
  ants fight the intruders, incapacitate them, and remove them from 
  this special place. Taking them a considerable distance before 
  letting them free. If the strangers/player characters are too threat-
  ening, cruel, hostile and destructive, the local inhabitants of this 
  lost land may have no choice but to kill them. Maybe feed them to 
  the creatures in the mines/cave tunnels, etc. Or such a dragon(s) 
  or monster(s) may be their protector and deal with troublemakers 
  from the outside, personally and roughly. Players, be smart, take 
  what you can get and leave in one piece on good terms. Note: 
  These conditions may be applied to any of these lost lands.
  16-30% Fertile Farmland: A lush stretch of arable farm-
  land that seems to appear out of nowhere, probably in a valley, 
  around an oasis or flood plain/river lowland, beyond what may 
  seem like a wall of stone, mountain, trees, or debris. One of the 
  gods has set this land aside for his or her followers, or simply as 
  a special place of beauty and serenity, before other matters took 
  precedence. This is a place of plenty where wild wheat and corn 
  or rice, fruit trees, and berries, and other edible plants as well as 
  game animals, abound. It is the perfect spot to rest for a few days 
  and re-provision, or even for starting a village or settling a group 
  of refugees.
  If inhabited, the people may be friendly and welcoming or 
  wary and standoffish, but not outright hostile unless threatened or 
  attacked. Any farmland and crops tended to by inhabitants are all 
  high yield and never seem to suffer from disease or infestations.
  31-45% A Verdant Paradise: This could be a sunny light 
  forest or jungle meadow filled with flowers, fruit trees, a source 
  of fresh drinking water, and ample game animals. It is nestled 
  away in a mountain valley, an uncharted island, or almost any un-
  populated area just beyond a dense and menacing or dead forest, 
  harsh and desolate land, over the a hill in a desert, hidden inside 
  a canyon or the crater of a dormant volcano, atop a mountain 
  plateau, or as impossible as it may seem, inside an underground 
  cavern. (The latter may be the result of magic, a pocket dimen-
  sion or other phenomena.)
  46-60% A Hamlet in a Valley: Rising terrain and walls of 
  rock, or desolation, or a morbid and foreboding forest hides this 
  secret valley and its inhabitants. A place that long ago enjoyed the 
  protection and patronage of one of the Garden’s forgotten gods. 
  A small settlement of people (any race or mixture of people) ex-
  ists here in harmony with their surroundings. While the inhabit-
  ants come and go to trade food, animal hides/furs, and perhaps 
  herbs or other modest, natural resources from their secret valley 
  with outsiders, they lie about their real home, which is a well kept 
  secret. They are probably peaceful, but may harbor a dark past, 
  or a dangerous secret such as they are Changelings, cultists who 
  worship a forgotten or forbidden god, etc.
  61-75% Cavernous Realm: An underground expanse perfect 
  for colonization by any of the subterranean races of the Palla-
  dium World, or for use as a hideout or secret refuge by those un-
  able to convert it into a real city or fortress. Natural caverns that 
  stretch for miles and underground waterways both make up this 
  lost chamber, along with two or more secret entrances and exits 
  difficult to spot from outside. Hot springs or some other reason 
  keep the underground at a comfortable warmth, even if the out-
  side world is cold and hostile.
  In the alternative, this could be a long abandoned city built 
  by ancient Dwarves, Kobolds, or other people. Or it could be a 
  pocket dimension or a portal to another world.
  76-87% Island within an Enchanted Lake: Hidden by 
  magic and mirage, there is an island within a large lake or sea 
  that has gone undiscovered by those who walk the lake’s shores. 
  Unseeable from land or air, it takes a small boat and an act of 
  faith to reach this island paradise, which might conceal a temple, 
  treasure, community of Faerie Folk, a forgotten people, or even a 
  dimensional nexus.
  88-94% Distant Land or Island: Located far from shore, this 
  island, or island volcano, or mountain peak, or mountain valley, 
  has never been visited by outsiders. With guidance from a god(s), 
  however, the player group is able to find it. Provided they can find 
  the means to get there. If an island, they will need passage on a 
  ship with a crew willing to risk the journey into unknown waters 
  or seas known to be dangerous, and survive the lengthy journey. 
  
  48
  Anything or anyone they find on the island is likely to predate 
  humanity’s rise to power, or at least has been isolated for several 
  millennia and grown apart from the known world.
  95-00% Inaccessible Land or Island: Perfectly visible and 
  known to travelers, this island, mountain peak, mountain valley, 
  or underground, has a reputation as a death trap such as dangerous 
  reefs no vessel can navigate, monster infested waters, shrouded in 
  mist and magic, or protected by steep, unscalable cliffs that may 
  be said to be cursed or inhabited by demons or deadly monsters. 
  The Land of the Damned, the Sea of Despair, and the towering 
  peaks of the Great Northern Mountains that serve as a barrier to 
  keep people out of the Land of the Damned, are three examples 
  of such places, but there are other, smaller, often isolated places 
  that also exist. Places where rumors and legends speak of death, 
  and dangerous and unspeakable horrors await. Places that, while 
  no one knows for certain, should be avoided or are said to harbor, 
  or be cursed, or filled with danger and holding nothing worth the 
  risk to visit. Anything could await intrepid adventurers and fools 
  who should manage to visit such a frightening domain – the de-
  scendants of shipwreck survivors or those who were magically 
  banished to the inescapable location, monsters, demons, ancient 
  and forgotten people, forbidden or forgotten magic, a lost relic, 
  ancient treasure, ancient shrine or temple, etc., or a combination 
  of some or all of the above.
  stashed away long ago when the god’s believers were numerous 
  and wealthy. It could be the legacy of ancient good or evil, or the 
  art and treasure of a lost civilization or deity, a dangerous relic or 
  magic item hidden to keep people safe or hidden by an evil being 
  so that it does not benefit the worthy, and so on, hidden anywhere 
  in the Palladium World. That often means a steamy jungle, un-
  tamed wilderness, a remote mountain top, the belly of a mountain 
  or volcano, and other remote and mysterious places. However, 
  it could also be hidden somewhere among modern civilization, 
  locked away in a vault of a church, kept secret by at cult or noble-
  man, in a dragon’s lair, or lost in some ancient catacomb few 
  people know about deep beneath the city, or the ruins of an old 
  Elf, Dwarf or Titan city, etc.
  What true plans the god(s) may have for this treasure may or 
  may not benefit those who unearth it. The deity(s) involved may 
  have bigger plans for the treasure and for those who found it. 
  Odds are it will serve a greater purpose or cause that benefits 
  more than (or someon instead of) the player group. Still, it takes 
  them on an epic adventure that could change lives on many dif-
  ferent levels.
  01-10% Arms and Armor – Standard Fare: The god reveals 
  the location of a collection of normal large and small swords, 
  spears, shields, daggers and axes. Also features 1D6+1 chain 
  mail hauberks and 1D4 suits of chain and plate and/or 1D4 suits 
  of splint or plate armor. All in excellent condition. Enough to 
  supply and upgrade everyone in the group while leaving enough 
  to sell and make 2D4x1,000 gold to help finance a mission or 
  split among the team members. This military cache is likely to be 
  found somewhere on or around Lopan along the coast of the In-
  land Sea off the shores of the Old Kingdom or Eastern Territory, 
  or Great Northern Wilderness, but could be located at the player 
  group’s destination or near another objective as part of divine as-
  sistance on a quest.
  11-20% Arms and Armor – Magic Weapons: The players 
  are granted a vision showing them where to find 1D4+2 enchant-
  ed weapons, hidden away for heroes sent on a special quest. The 
  weapons are to be returned where they were found when the mis-
  sion is done, though the G.M. may elect to let the player group 
  keep one or two if they earned it, and/or allow them to borrow the 
  weapons if they continue to do missions for that god or pantheon.
  1. Flaming Short Sword or Cutlass: Inflicts 2D6+6 damage.
  2. Flaming Goupillon Flail (or Ball and Chain if preferred): 
  Inflicts 3D6+6 damage.
  3. Magic Battle Axe: Inflicts 4D6 damage and magically re-
  turns when thrown.
  4. Magic War Hammer (or Mace if preferred): Inflicts 2D6 
  damage to normal opponents, 4D6 damage to demons and is In-
  destructible.
  5. Three Lightning Javelins (or three arrows if preferred): Con-
  tained in an ornately carved quiver with a single eye, mountain 
  peaks and lightning bolts. Each has one, explosive use, inflicting 
  1D6x10 damage and can be thrown (or fired if arrows) 50% far-
  ther than is normal. Destroyed after it is used/thrown/fired.
  6. A silver plated weapon of choice, large or small: Has two 
  Magic Weapon Properties of choice. See page 249 of the Pal-
  ladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for more information on 
  magic weapons and options.
  21-30% Arms and Armor – Enchanted Armor: 1D4 suits 
  of magic armor is hidden somewhere within range of the god’s 
  divine powers of detection. Each armor magically adjusts to the 
  41-50% Lost Treasure
  This category promises gold and diamonds, weapons and ar-
  mor, books, spell scrolls, and rare resources, but there are many 
  different types of treasure in life, including knowledge and 
  wisdom, purpose and love. This secret treasure may have been 
  
  49
  size of the wearer, provided they are roughly human sizes no 
  larger than 9 feet (2.7 m) tall.
  1. Cloak of Armor: Looks and weighs like a normal hooded 
  cloak, but has an A.R. of 14 and 90 S.D.C. The cloak may look 
  plain and simple or have fancy trim and even symbols or an em-
  blem on it. If the latter, the people who find this cloak probably 
  do not know what the symbols or emblem/crest represents (in this 
  case add 20 more S.D.C.). G.M.s, have fun with this.
  2. Leather of Armor: Looks and weighs like a normal suit of 
  soft leather armor, but provides an A.R. 15 and 145 S.D.C.!
  3. Invisible Armor: Only the wearer of the armor can see it, 
  and only a person of good or Unprincipled alignment could see 
  it in the first place, though it looks to be made of molded glass. 
  Vanishes when a person of good or Unprincipled alignment puts 
  it on. It has A.R. 15, 100 S.D.C. and is also made to be magically 
  Lightweight (half) and Noiseless.
  4. Magic Splint Armor (full suit): A.R. 16 and 180 S.D.C. 
  (magically enhanced), and two powers of choice from the list on 
  page 249 of the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition.
  31-40% Arms and Armor – Rune Weapon: The god can 
  sense the presence of a Rune Weapon and shares this information 
  with one or all of the player characters in the hopes of winning 
  their favor. Wherever it is hidden, it is likely to be far away and 
  difficult to reach, or require the defeat of a powerful guardian, 
  monster, or mage. Lesser Rune Weapon 01-80%; Greater Rune 
  Weapon 81-00%. Design as most appropriate to your game. See 
  page 250 of the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for 
  more information. In the alternative the item could be a Holy 
  Weapon (see page 252 of the Fantasy RPG) and probably an an-
  cient relic.
  41-50% Scrolls and Books: Books are extremely rare and 
  valuable in the Palladium World, whether they are scientific 
  manuals or collections of children’s tales. Libraries, academies, 
  and the courts of kings are often willing to pay handsomely for 
  any tomes that they can copy and add to their collections. These 
  volumes are worth 3D6x1,000 gold to a buyer in a large city or 
  king’s court. The book may also be a source of valuable myths, 
  legends, lore, maps, or insight about a particular church, ruling 
  family, kingdom, region, god, pantheon, relic, curse, magic, or 
  secrets.
  If a magic scroll, it will contain a total of 1D4 spells (any from 
  levels 1-8) and may be cast by anyone with sufficient P.P.E. and 
  the ability to read the scroll. Typically written in Elven/Drag-
  onese or one of the human languages.
  51-60% Magic Items or Spell Scrolls – Minor: One or 
  more of the Player Characters are shown the location of a total of 
  1D4+1 magic items (rings, simple crystals, magic powers, mag-
  ic potions, charms/holy symbol) or 1D4+1 magic spell scrolls. 
  Typically, the value of each magic item is 35,000 gold or less; 
  often much less, 6,000-20,000. (See page 253 of the Palladium 
  Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for information about magic rings, 
  charms, talismans and potions.)
  In the case of spell scrolls, each scroll contains one low level 
  spell; a level 1-5 spell invocation. (G.M.s, make it something that 
  will be useful in this adventure or quest at some point, but not 
  essential.) A scroll may be used by a mage to learn the incanta-
  tion as part of his permanent repertoire, but this takes time and 
  the scroll is destroyed in the learning process. Or the spell written 
  upon the scroll may be read aloud to cast that spell one time by 
  anyone who can read the language it is written in, and has suf-
  ficient P.P.E. to activate the spell magic. The level 1-5 (pick one) 
  spell is cast with the Spell Strength of a 5th level Wizard. As usu-
  al, the text vanishes upon being cast, leaving a blank scroll in its 
  place. (Note: Scrolls are most often written in Elven/Dragonese 
  or one of the human languages. See page 247 of the Palladium 
  Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for information about scrolls.) No 
  spell on any of these scrolls is greater than a level five spell in-
  vocation.
  61-70% Spell Scrolls or Magic Artifacts – Major: One or 
  more of the Player Characters are shown the location of a total of 
  1D4+1 magic items (charms/talismans/medallions in the form of 
  a holy symbol, an ancient magical holy relic, magic rings, crys-
  tals, potions, simple magic weapon that is a Demon or Deevil 
  Slayer, or a magic item with a value of no more than 200,000 
  each. And could be an ancient and holy artifact or relic with 
  healing power, promote visions and premonitions, or hold other 
  magical power(s) that has religious or historical significance to a 
  particular god, pantheon, church, or people. (See page 253 of the 
  Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for information about 
  magic rings, charms, talismans and potions.)
  In the case of spell scrolls, 1D4+1 magic spell scrolls are 
  found. Each scroll has two spells written on it, one low level 
  spell (level 5 or less) and one medium to high level spell (level 
  6-10). A mage may use the scroll to learn a new incantation 
  as part of his permanent repertoire, but this takes time and the 
  scroll is destroyed in the learning process, and though one may 
  be learned, both spells are lost. Or a spell written upon a scroll 
  may be read aloud to cast that spell, one time, by anyone who 
  can read the language it is written in and has sufficient P.P.E. 
  to activate the spell magic. Once used, that specific spell van-
  ishes from the scroll, but the other spell remains until it is read 
  and activated. (Note: Scrolls are most often written in Elven/
  Dragonese or one of the human languages. See page 247 of the 
  Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for information about 
  scrolls.)
  Note: The treasure may be owned or guarded by a band of 
  criminals, cultists, Witches, monsters, or other danger, and may 
  be considered part of its treasure, nest, burrow, or lair.
  71-75% Silver: A buried or hidden treasure of silver coins or 
  bars, worth up to a total of 2D6x10,000 gold. This much silver 
  is no trifle, however, and will require pack horses and wagons to 
  transport. May require numerous trips to remove it all. The trea-
  sure may be owned or guarded by a band of criminals, cultists, 
  Witches, monsters, or other danger, and may be considered part 
  of its nest, burrow, or lair.
  76-80% Gold: A buried or hidden treasure of gold worth up to 
  3D6x10,000 gold. This much gold is no trifle, however, and will 
  require several pack horses and wagons, because is it is way more 
  than can be carried by the characters without them. May require 
  numerous trips to remove it all. The treasure may be owned or 
  guarded by a band of criminals, cultists, Witches, monsters, or 
  other danger, and may be considered part of its nest, burrow, or 
  lair.
  81-85% Diamonds and Gems: A buried or hidden treasure 
  of precious stones worth up to 4D6x10,000 gold. This much trea-
  sure is no trifle, however, and will require pack horses and wag-
  ons to transport. May require numerous trips to remove it all. The 
  treasure may be owned or guarded by a band of criminals, cult-
  ists, Witches, monsters, or other danger, and may be considered 
  part of its nest, burrow, or lair.
  
  50
  86-90% Knowledge: A valuable or lifesaving clue(s), se-
  cret, or vital information is revealed at this location. This might 
  come from an inscription or painting on a wall, statue, or altar in 
  a temple or ancient ruin, or from a scroll, book, or artifact found 
  at the location. If it is a non-magical scroll, book, or artifact of 
  some kind, this object may have a value of 1D6x10,000 gold to 
  the right person (a god’s Champion, priest, follower, king, etc.), 
  and may reveal even more information or present greater power 
  to that person or group; or it may function as a key to unlock even 
  greater secret knowledge or solve an ancient mystery; or if a holy 
  object, in the right person’s hands (a high priest, Diabolist, Witch, 
  specific person, etc.), it provides them with knowledge or power, 
  provided they have the ability to use the relic properly. Or was 
  that knowledge revealed only to one of the Player Characters?
  In the alternative, this knowledge may be vital to the suc-
  cess of the player group’s mission/quest/goal, or help the player 
  group in some important way, or help the innocent person(s) the 
  group is trying to protect or rescue. Or perhaps the knowledge or 
  proof of something helps them bring about justice, right a terrible 
  wrong, or promote a great good. Such knowledge could be sci-
  ence, technology, books, or information and a location of a ben-
  eficial resource such as drinking water, fertile land for farming, a 
  place filled with animals to hunt, a sacred object, a magic item, a 
  pool of healing, a hidden place of safety, a secret passageway to 
  avoid being seen or to get to someplace quickly, and so on.
  91-95% Wisdom: This may be an understanding or epiphany 
  about oneself, life, love, people, compassion, mercy, honor, no-
  bility, acceptance of others, dealing with a problem, unraveling a 
  mystery, and so on, probably with long-lasting ramifications and 
  importance.
  96-00% Purpose or Love: One or more characters in the 
  player group find purpose for their life or a new mission/quest as 
  the result of this Garden of the Gods inspired adventure. Or the 
  character(s) come to realize they love and support a particular 
  cause, kingdom, god, goal, or person, and are at peace with that 
  realization or decision and where it might lead them next.
  lost language, and can interpret texts or inscriptions given enough 
  time.
  16-30% Religious Texts: Lost teachings and holy books, pos-
  sibly the key to restoring a forgotten god’s following. These rare 
  and valuable missing pieces of history might be worth a small 
  fortune to the right collector, church or cult, but could also get 
  the Player Characters marked for robbery of that text, or death by 
  zealots looking to suppress the information!
  31-45% Maps and Charts: Sea charts are of inestimable 
  value to seafaring nations, kings looking to survey their domain, 
  explorers, smugglers and pirates. Maps showing the positions of 
  fortifications and military defenses, especially those along critical 
  areas like the Gedorma Strait, could be worth a king’s ransom to 
  the right political opponents. There are old Elven, Dwarven, Ti-
  tan, Kobold, and others records and maps that show the location 
  of ancient lost or fallen cities, temples, tombs, mines, undiscov-
  ered islands, ley lines, or dimensional nexus points, that may con-
  tain treasure, magic, danger, and intriguing secrets locked away 
  in their ruins or at their locations. They may also show a different 
  or more complete view of the world than any modern maps made 
  over the last 4,000 years, and contain information and details the 
  modern descendants of these people have lost or forgotten. Such 
  rare original books, non-magical scrolls, and maps are highly 
  prized in places like the Western Empire, Timiro, and Bizantium 
  where they could fetch 1D4x1000 gold each, sometimes much 
  more depending on the information.
  46-60% Stories and Myths: Through visions and voices, the 
  players are made privy to one of the great stories or secrets of the 
  Palladium World, its past or its mythology. A lost god reaching 
  out is probably a central figure, but this could also be a direct 
  account of a fabled event in the distant past, the identity of an un-
  known force behind a significant event, a curse, a weapon or relic 
  of historical significance (and its possible location), a bit of lost/
  unknown history or info about a particular people, or the telling 
  of a widely-known myth or piece of history from a different per-
  spective. The Player Characters now know the truth, the missing 
  backstory from one of the world’s powerful races or a lost people, 
  or simply tales of heroes and villains lost to time.
  61-75% Spells – Good: Spell scrolls for 1D4+1 low level (1-
  5) healing, protection (resistance, impervious, Extinguish Fire, 
  etc.), and/or sensory spells (sense this or that, See Invisible, 
  etc.) are hidden nearby and offered to the player group to help 
  them through their upcoming quest or travails they don’t know 
  are coming. If there are no magic users amongst them, the spell 
  scrolls can be sold or kept for bartering and trade, or replaced 
  with a minor, helpful magic item such as a ring, bracelet or me-
  dallion of protection, or sensory awareness.
  76-90% Spells – Evil: Spell scrolls for 1D4+2 spells (level 
  1-7) that involve domination, torture, manipulation, and control 
  of others. Available spells include: Agony, Animate and Con-
  trol Dead, Befuddle, Blind, Blinding Flash, Charm, Charismatic 
  Aura, Compulsion, Constrain Being, Control the Beasts, Domi-
  nation, Fear, Fool’s Gold, Increase Weight, Paralysis: Lesser, 
  Trance, Turn Dead, and Words of Truth. They can be utilized by 
  one of the group’s magic users or kept for their value in trade.
  91-00% Tristine Chronicles Segment: A lost piece of the 
  legendary Tristine Chronicles is relayed to the listener/beholder, 
  probably just a few lines or a page or an image/drawing. This lost 
  passage could have an incredible amount of meaning and signifi-
  cance, especially if it fills in a piece that helps to clear up debate 
  51-60% Arcane Knowledge
  Tales from a different age, records of magic or historical 
  events, religious texts, a lost secret, even lost segments of the 
  Tristine Chronicles that have been misplaced over the eons. Dif-
  ficult to copy and spread, even with the aid of magic, knowledge 
  and information is often worth even more than gold or gems.
  01-15% Lost Language: A “Rosetta Stone” style tablet or 
  scroll that translates a lost and dead language into something 
  more universal, most likely Elven/Dragonese. Anyone with the 
  Literacy skill in the more common translation language receives 
  the equivalent of Literacy at 50% and Language at 30% in the 
  
  51
  between differing schools of thought amongst historians. Or it 
  may be minor and without obvious importance, but nonetheless a 
  welcomed addition.
  61-70% A Mission or Quest from a God
  These missions are hero quests a deity may bestow upon noble 
  heroes, adventurers and those seeking purpose or a god’s favor. 
  Note: Any villain, monster, army, or force of evil or chaos that is 
  “run off,” is only a temporary fix that may not be acceptable to a 
  deity (or the people being rescued). Unless destroyed or rehabili-
  tated and truly turning over a new leaf, the villain(s) or monster(s) 
  will only come back at a later date or go someplace else to work 
  its insidious evil anew. Likewise, villains and monsters may seek 
  revenge upon the heroes who have foiled their scheme and ruined 
  their cruel fun or bid for power or wealth. This could make for 
  a reoccurring villain to cause trouble or go after and attack the 
  heroes/Player Characters.
  01-10% A Rising Darkness: This could be a new evil, mon-
  ster, demon, vampire, zombies, or danger that is born from dark-
  ness and evil, and probably a powerful creature of magic or of 
  supernatural origin. This new and burgeoning menace has arrived 
  from someplace else and must be found and rooted out. It could 
  be a conquering and cruel warlord or ruler whose counsel is a 
  demon or other wicked force, a dark priest, a Witch or evil mage, 
  monster or group that is secretly or openly spreading, growing in 
  power or invading/destroying and causing suffering. It must be 
  reckoned with before it becomes unstoppable.
  11-20% A Gathering Storm: This could be a person or 
  group, event or cause, political or religious movement or alle-
  giance that is already present and is either evil and self-serving to 
  begin with, or turning evil and belligerent as it grows in strength 
  and numbers, and plots against the good and the innocent. The 
  evildoers (thieves, assassins, cultists, Witches, wicked nobles or 
  warlord, church/priest, or something more monstrous) may be 
  raising an army or gaining support, or waiting until they are pow-
  erful enough to strike in a decisive manner. Unless nipped in the 
  bud, it will cause great suffering, sorrow, war, discord, destruc-
  tion, and death.
  21-30% A Terrible Injustice or Wrong to Right: This could 
  be any number of things or events that have hurt people or set 
  into motion events and practices that continue the injustice or 
  wrongdoing and cause more people to suffer. It must be stopped 
  and the course corrected. This may involve rooting out hidden 
  monsters and evil forces that are manipulating and pulling the 
  strings from the shadows, or blackmailing leaders, engaging in 
  acts of terrorism, stalking people, and creating an environment of 
  fear and cruelty, or paranoia and injustice, or all of the above. The 
  root cause of this evil (demon, vampire, monster, cultist, crimi-
  nals, evil mage, etc.) must be found and eliminated, and perhaps 
  a new leader(s) put into power.
  31-40% A Dark Secret to be Uncovered: And in so doing, 
  exposing injustice or evil to be openly challenged and opposed 
  or destroyed outright. As usual, this could be many things, 
  including a secret enemy, a secret fiend exerting its influence 
  or via mind control, demonic possession or magic, a diaboli-
  cal plot or conspiracy that must be stopped, a terrible wrong 
  or murder concealed and tearing the community or leadership 
  apart, the source of a curse or supernatural manipulation, and 
  so on. If an unknown, evil power behind the throne, pulling the 
  strings for its own terrible agenda (revenge, the acquisition of 
  power or wealth, etc.), it must be uncovered and stopped, run 
  off or destroyed.
  41-50% A Monster or Monsters on the Loose: A single 
  monster, demon, vampire, dragon, or a group or horde of mon-
  sters or inhuman barbarians, or raiders, are preying upon the 
  innocent. Their wicked ways are unchecked and terrorizing the 
  countryside. They must be stopped, run off, or destroyed in order 
  for peace to be restored. Eliminating the leader and the second-
  in-command may do the trick, or not. If the latter case, our heroes 
  will have to deal with the entire band or they’ll just regroup and 
  the problem starts all over again.
  51-60% Dark or Forbidden Magic: Some source of dark 
  magic – a Witch, an insane mage, an evil dragon or other creature 
  of magic, dark god, dark priest, a cursed artifact, cursed Rune 
  Weapon, Necromancy, or evil enchantment is causing grief and 
  trouble. That could include people going mad, magical mutation 
  or illness in the animals or the people, crop failure, drought, and/
  or the attraction of sinister mortal, magical, or supernatural forc-
  es. The source/cause must be uncovered and stopped or reversed, 
  run off, or destroyed in order for peace to be restored. This dark 
  magic may have been done with deliberate intent or unwittingly 
  unleashed – such as forbidden or forgotten magic activated or 
  released with disastrous results.
  61-70% Rescue Mission: This may be a search and rescue 
  mission that is anything but simple and straightforward. It may 
  require defending and protecting an important object/relic or in-
  dividual, group or entire community of people taken prisoner by, 
  or under siege from, a mortal or monstrous or supernatural or 
  magical enemy. Such a mission could involve a prison break, res-
  cue from a slave camp, cult, Witches’ coven, monster or group of 
  monsters, or protection from a dragon, spirits, demons, Deevils, 
  Elementals, or other invader or a conquering army.
  71-80% A Cruel Tyrant: A cruel tyrant and his or her hench-
  men and enforcers have usurped the throne or taken a community 
  (large or small) as their domain. Their subjects suffer under cruel 
  and unjust laws and treatment, are beaten or tortured or slain 
  when they speak out or take a stand against the tyrant. Things 
  will only get worse if the tyrant is left unchecked. Such villains 
  are often power-mongers or madmen who will stop at nothing to 
  get the power, wealth and glory they seek. And they only want 
  more. More power. More people forced to bow before them. Or 
  worse, the cutthroat may have an agenda of genocide against a 
  particular people – Changelings, Wolfen, Ogres, Elves, Dwarves, 
  humans, or whomever the tyrant finds to be undesirable – or some 
  other mad agenda. If not stopped, the tyranny of death and cruel 
  subjugation will only spread.
  81-90% Betrayal/Treachery: An act of betrayal or treachery 
  has set into motion events that could unleash something terrible, 
  topple a nation or church, change a kingdom (or the world!) for 
  the worse, instigate war and ethnic cleansing, or other terrible 
  event unless it is stopped, or the wrong/treachery that is setting 
  the crisis into motion righted or avenged and stopped. This could 
  involve finding and rescuing an imprisoned king or leader (or 
  god!); destroying the new regime and putting fair good people in 
  their place; showing the betrayer’s true colors and revealing his 
  crimes/treachery to get the people to rise up and overthrow him 
  and reinstate the old or build something new and better, and so 
  on.
  
  52
  91-00% An Ancient Evil: Something evil and forgotten or 
  only spoken of in myths and legends has risen up from the bottom 
  of the sea or some forgotten, dark, dank corner of Hell to bring a 
  new generation of strife and destruction. This could extend to an 
  ancient god, Demon Lord, ancient dragon, cursed Greatest Rune 
  Weapon, an ancient evil and unholy relic of immense power, a 
  forgotten minion of the Old Ones, or the actions of their follow-
  ers. One such continuing threat are plots to awaken the slumber-
  ing Old Ones by cults and madmen who worship the monstrous 
  deities and wish to see the Age of Chaos reborn.
  In the alternative, this could be a mission to rescue, protect or 
  reinstate an Ancient Good. The god or pantheon wants a fading 
  or forgotten god, or belief, or leader that is a force of good to be 
  remembered, recognized, and grow to inspire goodness and breed 
  order, equality or acceptance, and peace.
  71-80% Restoration of a Church
  For many gods, the lack of belief and worship over the years 
  is the cause of their being forgotten. The Garden is one of the 
  last places known to hold any signs of their past existence in the 
  realm of mortals. The only way to bring them back is to spread 
  their name and their doctrine again among the world of mortals.
  01-20% Find the Faithful: This god’s followers are cut 
  off from their long-lost deity, far away in some corner of the 
  world well removed from the Garden of the Gods and civili-
  zation. The players must find these worshipers and reconnect 
  them to their forgotten divine patron, even just by telling them 
  of the existence of the Garden of the Gods and the presence 
  of the deity’s statue there. These people’s beliefs might have 
  changed or died out generations ago, but they still know many 
  of the old legends. If they could be shown that their ancestors’ 
  ancient god still exists and cares about them, it may rekindle 
  their faith. Some evidence on one’s side and some knowledge of 
  the mythology in question will go a long way towards making 
  that case. Perhaps the deity even makes an appearance or the 
  adventurer group can prove this by destroying an evil that has 
  plagued these people for centuries, and that only they and their 
  lost deity know about. Or the heroes restore an ancient, missing 
  artifact, or free the people, etc.
  21-40% Desecrate the Desecrators: The god in question fad-
  ed from power when its followers were wiped out and its church 
  razed to the ground. In order to rise from the ashes and rebuild 
  a base of followers, the fading or forgotten god must impose the 
  same fate upon the descendants of his enemy(s). The killing of 
  priests and smashing of temples may seem distasteful, but these 
  violators are likely to be followers of demonic or wicked dei-
  ties themselves, and stopping them will put an end to their own 
  religious crimes and twisted practices. Depending on the player 
  group and how far the G.M. and players want to take this story-
  line, it could end with them fighting the evil god!
  41-60% Lost Temple or Holy Place: The holiest site in this 
  god’s following has been lost, abandoned or somehow magical-
  ly shifted into another dimension or de-powered. To return the 
  god’s followers to power, his or her temple must be rediscovered 
  and filled with the voices and prayers of the faithful. The temple 
  (or other holy place) is probably located at the end of a harrow-
  ing journey and controlled or inhabited by dangerous people, 
  monsters or spirits unwilling to relinquish it. Moreover, whatever 
  dark forces caused it to be lost long ago could still be watching 
  over it, looking to maintain their control and lashing out at who-
  ever tries to take it away.
  61-80% The Lost Teachings: This god did not fall in battle, 
  but faded away when his or her words and translated teachings 
  were corrupted and twisted until they lost their original and true 
  meaning, or a rival or enemy lied and distorted the truth. Now the 
  truth must be brought to the faithful and restored, and they must 
  be convinced of its veracity, even if the current priesthood or nay-
  sayers and doubters view the truth as falsehoods and heresy, and 
  will protect their folly and false teachings to the death.
  81-00% The Homeland that was Promised: Before this god 
  lost his or her faithful or was forgotten, he or she vowed to lead 
  an army of followers to a promised land set aside just for them. 
  That mission never took place, but those followers’ descendants 
  still wait for the day that their god returns or sends a messenger 
  to take them to their promised refuge. The deity has decided it is 
  time, and has reached out to the heroes or adventurers who vis-
  ited the Garden to serve as his shepherds to lead his flock to the 
  promised land where the people can thrive and heap glory upon 
  that god’s (or pantheon’s) name.
  81-90% Path of Revenge or Justice
  Gods, priests and people have been cast down, and perhaps 
  doomed to fade and be forgotten due to the actions of others, and 
  may have burned for thousands of years with the desire for ven-
  geance. Whether active or forgotten, the anguished call of such 
  deities can be heard by visitors who listen for it or share their 
  anger or lust for revenge and justice. Such mortals may hear the 
  whispered names of those who have done the deity harm or be 
  visited with a vision that illustrates the terrible wrong and in-
  spires them to right that wrong or avenge the god or his worship-
  ers, who may have suffered mightily for their devotion.
  This table can be used to determine a quest in which the he-
  roes who accept the mission must oppose/fight/stop (or avenge 
  the victims of) the danger listed below. Alternatively, evil char-
  acters would join and support/help to perpetuate the wrong, the 
  injustice, or the wickedness and battle anyone who tries to stop 
  it. These quests are deliberately broad and vague and can be 
  easily applied to any number of bad guys and situations, but will 
  almost certainly put them in opposition with another god and/or 
  his minions, henchmen, or followers. A fate that could earn the 
  lasting wrath of an evil deity, Demon Lord, and/or those who 
  serve it. As usual, roll percentile dice for random determination 
  or pick one.
  01-16% Specific Deity: The god beseeches the players to take 
  revenge against a particular god who did him harm in ages past. 
  This may not bring the offended god back to power or truly right 
  the wrong, or completely help those who follow him or her, but 
  it will at least go a long way towards restoring some kind of kar-
  mic balance. This could be a wide range of vengeful actions that 
  may include stealing or destroying a holy relic, temple, shrine, 
  etc., worshiped by the enemy god’s followers; slaying the rival 
  deity’s right hand, priestly leader, powerful monster or hench-
  man, prophet or other important individual(s); doing any number 
  of things to undermine or diminish the rival deity’s reputation, 
  church, and following, and other acts of sabotage. Such a quest is 
  not likely to require the heroes to destroy the god himself, though 
  it could, and if the opportunity should arise, their patron god may 
  encourage them to do so.
  
  53
  17-31% Religion: The followers of a specific religion or cult 
  are responsible for wiping out this god’s church, followers, or 
  perhaps once slew or banished the deity from the realm of mor-
  tals. (Note: Slaying a god, demon, and most other supernatural 
  beings in the physical world of mortals destroys the being’s 
  physical manefestation in that reality, sending the being back 
  into the ether, but does not destroy it forever. Over time – of-
  ten millennia – the supernatural being reforms to live again. And 
  seeks revenge.) In this case, the deity wants key people within the 
  religion to pay for their crimes. In order to settle old debts, the 
  church or cult’s leaders targeted by the angry deity must suffer 
  or die, or perhaps their temples burned and their treasures, magic 
  items, and relics taken from them.
  32-46% Race/People: Often such a mission is to destroy the 
  last of some great evil, but sometimes the wrath is much less no-
  ble. It may be petty and not very godly, but sometimes, an entire 
  group, religion, organization, or species earns the ire and wrath 
  of a god. This could be because they fought against or defied that 
  deity at every turn, inflicted a severe and painful wound or wrong 
  upon the god, are responsible for an act of supreme betrayal, or 
  turned their back on that deity. As a result, this god – typically a 
  selfish, evil, or vengeful deity – seeks to destroy them for their of-
  fense. The god would like nothing less than to have the skulls of 
  every last one of the offending people left around their shattered 
  temples and altars. Or the vengeful deity may learn that some 
  members of this people or group marked for obliteration have 
  survived, and wants to see the last of their kind finally rooted out 
  and wiped from the face of the world.
  In the alternative, a more subjective and forgiving deity may 
  send the heroes to protect the people targeted (or the last of their 
  kind) from the wrath and destruction of a vengeful god. If an evil 
  deity, the monster’s wrath may know no bounds, and never be 
  fully satisfied, or may unfairly spread to include innocent people 
  undeserving of such a cruel fate. And sometimes, even gods can 
  lose their way. If the vengeful deity is, or was, of good or self-
  ish alignment, the god’s anguish, sorrow, or lust for revenge has 
  blinded or twisted his/her perception of what is right and wrong, 
  just and fair. Thus, it is the heroes’ mission to protect the people 
  targeted while trying to make the deity see reason or find com-
  passion and forgive the last of these people for their sin against 
  him, and let them live in peace. This is particularly true of people 
  who are truly sorry or have forsaken their own evil ways and 
  seek forgiveness and a chance to redeem themselves, or just go 
  on without any kind of negative involvement with that deity or 
  his followers. This is often the case with descendants of a people 
  who were not directly involved in the wrong against the deity, are 
  good and kind, and simply want to live in peace without that god 
  in their lives one way or another.
  47-61% Culture/Region: This god’s wrath is directed at a 
  particular location, an entire region, or a particular culture/belief 
  or way of life. Any people who embrace those beliefs and prac-
  tices are regarded as enemies and face the deity’s wrath and pos-
  sibly destruction. As above, heroes may be sent on a quest to find, 
  undermine or destroy the last of some great evil culture, such as 
  an evil cult, a particular legacy of pirates, a gathering of villains, 
  monsters, or the demonic, or to protect people from such a foul 
  culture, cult, villains or environment.
  Sometimes a god or pantheon’s wrath is much more sweep-
  ing over the land, and sometimes unfair and stretching across the 
  centuries. The timeless perspective of gods is far different from 
  that of mortals, and the fact that the people who wronged them or 
  deserved punishment have been dead for hundreds or thousands 
  of years in a particular region might mean next to nothing. Yet a 
  deity’s curse or punishment placed upon a particular location or 
  region may be left in place for eons, or even forgotten about. Its 
  subtle effects imposed upon all who enter it or try to make it their 
  home. This includes a great number of possible consequences, 
  such as making a particular area attractive to monsters or men 
  of violence, or subjected to severe or unpredictable weather and 
  storms, poor hunting, poor crops, insect plagues, bad luck, con-
  flict, and trouble. Some have wondered if the Disputed Lands (or 
  the cultures of the barbaric and savage Coyles or the invading 
  Eastern humans) have been cursed to suffer the wrath of one or 
  more dissatisfied or angry gods. The blasted and desolate Baal-
  gor Wastelands and ruination of the Elf and Dwarf nations after 
  the folly (some say madness) of the Elf-Dwarf War may be other 
  examples of such a deific wrath and punishment placed upon a 
  culture or region.
  Anyone traveling through or operating within such a place or 
  culture will be subjected to the conditions imposed upon it by that 
  deity(s). And may face travails and challenges that may build and 
  strengthen them or crush them, which is one reason a deity may 
  send adventurers on a quest to such places or cultures. Another 
  may be to help the innocent people there who face some new 
  danger or trouble and need help. Or because some ancient relic, 
  treasure, or weapon is located there and needs to be found (for 
  any number of reasons), or must be stopped from being found by 
  the wrong people, or will help the heroes on their real quest or 
  further their goals, turn them into champions, etc.
  62-76% Kingdom/Dynasty: The lines of kings are long, and 
  just as power is handed down through the generations, so may be 
  an ancient feud with a god or Demon Lord long thought defeated. 
  This quest may involve restoring the god’s honor by destroying 
  or overthrowing the living descendant of the monarchy (especial-
  ly if he’s a tyrant or evil), or to protect and defend a noble and 
  good king (or even a scoundrel if he is ultimately good for the 
  kingdom/people despite his corruption or foibles) from an evil 
  god and/or the deity’s henchmen or assassin who wants him or 
  his children or entire family killed or left in ruin.
  In other cases, the entire town or kingdom may be in jeopardy 
  and the schemes of the evil or vengeful deity and his agents must 
  be stopped before it is too late. Kevin’s Lord DeSilca tournament 
  game is a great example of such a quest. In it, the heroes must 
  stop the evil king, Lord DeSilca, from completing a depraved cer-
  emony and human sacrifice before the stroke of midnight. First, 
  they must find his secret lair where the ceremony is to take place. 
  Second, they must battle their way through minions and monsters 
  to get to the ceremony. Third, they must stop the ceremony, pre-
  sumably by slaying the powerful and demonic Lord DeSilca or by 
  any means possible; which means going up against DeSilca and 
  more minions. If they fail, Lord DeSilca becomes a new Demon 
  Lord of Hell. Worse, the entire kingdom ruled by Lord DeSilca, 
  and everyone in it, including the heroes themselves, will be di-
  mensionally teleported to Hades, where they become the newly 
  appointed Demon Lord’s tortured subjects and minions.
  77-88% Individual: A living mortal is the focus of this god’s 
  need for vengeance, whether it be someone who is the person, or 
  the ancestor of the person, who committed the crime for which 
  they must pay, or the holder of a specific office or position, in 
  possession of something important such as a powerful magic, rel-
  
  54
  ic, Rune Weapon, knowledge, etc., stolen from the deity or one 
  of his minions or church, and similar. It could also be a strangely 
  specific prophetic request, “the richest man in Bizantium” or the 
  “firstborn son of the high priest of Dragonwright,” for example. 
  The god might not be intentionally vicious or hateful in this re-
  quest, either, simply bound by some age-old spell, promise or 
  oath, put in place by a rival god or powerful enemy.
  89-00% Ancient Monster: The target of this wrath is some 
  sort of ancient being, dragon, monster, demon or perhaps a rival 
  god or powerful servant of that god. Smug and safe, the perpe-
  trator of the terrible wrong is confident it has been successfully 
  covered up by lies or by the ages past. As a result, this monster 
  does not expect the hand of vengeance to reach out for it after so 
  long, or through such an indirect route as Champions, heroes, or 
  adventurers given a quest at the Garden of the Gods. Anything 
  capable of defeating a god or its church, however, is going to be 
  quite a match for even the most skilled and best equipped group 
  of heroes.
  91-95% Means of Divine Restoration
  Any of the known gods and pantheons may seek to restore or 
  help a people, church, religion, group, or cause that is dedicated 
  to them or close to their heart.
  In the case of fading and forgotten deities, the god may seek 
  to restore his or her own position in the world of mortals. To be 
  recognized and worshiped once again, and in so doing, be re-
  stored and revitalized in the mortal and deific realms to proudly 
  walk among the other gods. Some of these forgotten gods know 
  how they can be brought back to their former power, but need 
  lesser beings, Champions, Priests and followers to assist them 
  in order to accomplish it. This may be a first step in a plan that 
  will take decades or centuries to see success, or action designed 
  to help along or re-energize an existing mission of divine res-
  toration for a fading or forgotten god, especially if the plan has 
  stalled or is facing opposition from the forces of darkness or a 
  rival deity.
  01-20% Recovery of a Sacred Object: This could be a 
  weapon, tool, jewelry, gem, statue, piece of bone, symbolic item, 
  remains of the dead, a relic, a sacred object, etc., that represents 
  the deity and his or her role in the cosmology of the Megaverse. 
  The object may be enchanted, magical, or completely ordinary 
  except for what it symbolizes or means to the god’s followers 
  or enemies. Lost in ages past, this sacred object is probably in 
  the possession of the god’s most hated enemy or some other evil 
  being(s), or hidden deep within some forgotten labyrinth, ruin, 
  or remote and dangerous place in the world. Moreover, there 
  may be others who upon learning of the sacred object, want it for 
  themselves to sell, to gain power, to undermine the deity or his 
  followers, etc.
  21-40% An Eye for an Eye: In order to restore this god, his 
  or her deific rival must be undermined or perhaps tricked. This 
  means almost anything, from slaughtering the rival or offending 
  god’s followers, destroying temples, or defeating the actual god 
  in combat, to stealing or destroying something (or someone or 
  someplace) important, sacred, or valuable to the deity in order for 
  the god seeking restoration to intimidate, manipulate, or black-
  mail that deity so that he or she may be restored. Only with team-
  work, cunning, powerful magic, and/or divine assistance may any 
  of this be possible.
  41-60% Pilgrimage to a Distant Land: To restore this god, 
  the heroes must conduct a journey to a distant land or remote 
  and dangerous place. They carry a piece of a relic or a sacred 
  object, magic item, a statue, a holy symbol, a bag of earth, a to-
  ken, or something else that must be returned to, or reestablished 
  at, this place or to the people living there. Once it is returned, 
  some ancient wrong is righted, a curse is broken, a prophecy is 
  completed, a people’s faith is restored, and so on. In the case of 
  a deity seeking restoration, the gesture helps bring the god back 
  to the world of mortals. It could be a first step or a final step, or 
  something in between, but it helps reestablish the deity and/or his 
  followers.
  61-80% In Search of a Rare Trophy: Sometimes an object 
  is required to restore a god that is not a one-of-a-kind match, but 
  is still rare and difficult to obtain. This could be dragon bones 
  or scales, the skull of a powerful monster or person, vampire’s 
  teeth, an exotic victim to be sacrificed, the blood of a nobleman, 
  etc. Bringing the trophy to an appointed location where it can 
  be sacrificed to the deity or placed someplace of significance (a 
  particular church, temple, shrine, tomb, mountain peak, sea, the 
  Garden, etc.), it rights a wrong, fulfills a prophecy, etc., and/or 
  sets into motion the deity’s return to prominence or power.
  81-00% Quest for Divine Fire: Somewhere, likely far away 
  or someplace hard to reach, is a lost temple to this particular god. 
  Within it is an eternal flame, a fire that has burned since the god 
  was forgotten by time, but weakens and shrinks with each pass-
  ing millennium. In order to help restore this god to the world 
  of mortals, a torch lit from the eternal flame must be brought 
  to someplace of significance (a particular castle, church, temple, 
  shrine, statue, tomb, mountain peak, the Garden, etc.), and once 
  placed there it continues to burn without additional fuel or care, 
  and grows larger and brighter as the deity grows in power or tri-
  umph. Or the flame may indicate the deity’s protection or that it 
  watches over this place or people, or that they are his chosen, and 
  so on. Keeping the torch or lantern lit with this flame for a journey 
  of hundreds or thousands of miles is a unique challenge, as any 
  number of untimely events can douse a lit flame, no matter what 
  precautions are taken. That said, it must not be extinguished, and 
  otherwise it flickers and burns until it is delivered. Or will it? The 
  longer the journey takes, the smaller the flame becomes.
  96-00% Personal Revelation
  Rather than knowledge of the outside world or clues to put 
  them on the trail of age-old unfinished business, this god has 
  granted insights to within the recipient’s own mind and personal-
  ity. If that person or group of people are receptive to the some-
  times uncomfortable information, visions and insight, this droplet 
  of divine wisdom could be worth more than any treasure or secret 
  buried in time.
  01-14% Unknown Lineage: The god reveals an unknown 
  truth regarding one or more of the Player Characters’ history – 
  ancestries, a famed or reviled ancestor, royal blood, mixed heri-
  tage, or some other truth about who he or they are on a funda-
  mental level. This information could be glamorous and exciting 
  or very unsettling depending on what that truth is and the char-
  acters’ upbringing, beliefs, attitudes, and prejudices. This could 
  be a shocking, “Luke, I am your father” moment or information 
  that is welcomed and serves to strengthen the characters’ resolve 
  or sense of purpose.
  
  55
  15-28% Destiny: One or two (all?) members of the player 
  group are fated for glory, adventure, and/or tragedy. How much 
  the god can see of the future, and how much the deity is willing to 
  reveal at any given moment, depends on the characters and their 
  level of devotion and service to the deity and its cause. (Game 
  Masters, reveal only what you feel comfortable revealing at any 
  given time, and remember, clues and info from the gods are often 
  cryptic and mysterious.) And though a god may help guide that 
  destiny, fulfilling it is entirely up to the individuals. Otherwise, 
  the god helps them out along the way with the occasional bless-
  ing, clue, bit of information (which should have to be uncovered, 
  not just handed to them), and motivation. If the character(s) re-
  fuses to accept this destiny, he/she/they are likely to lose the de-
  ity’s support and/or be subjected to a number of coincidences and 
  incidents that point or nudge them down that path nonetheless. A 
  reluctant hero is still a hero.
  29-42% Dark Connection: This god has taken it upon him 
  or herself to reveal a dark and ugly truth to one (or a few) of the 
  characters. The dark connection is revealed either with malicious 
  intent to harm or challenge the hero, or in hopes that the truth 
  shall have a positive and motivational overall effect. This could 
  be almost anything – the villain, monster or deity they oppose 
  once hurt or destroyed his church, village, tribe, or family; or 
  perhaps the group let this villain escape in the past (or a family 
  member did); or a family member or trusted community leader 
  has betrayed them, made a deal with the devil or betrayed the 
  king or the village for his own personal advancement or to protect 
  his own family; or was once accused of a terrible crime connected 
  to this current circumstance/adventure (this could be true or a 
  false accusation), or was (is!) a member of the evil cult or crimi-
  nal organization, or worshiped and served the god or demon that 
  the character and the player group must now fight.
  This info is usually provided to a) motivate, and b) provide a 
  chance to right a wrong, redeem the family’s name, prove him-
  self to be a hero, exact revenge, help those in need (be there for 
  others, because in the character’s own past there was no one to 
  oppose such evil, and he knows how that feels or how that sce-
  nario ends), or to garner glory or wealth, etc., but whatever it is, 
  it should motivate or propel the character into action. Whether it 
  is a positive, reckless, or negative response is up to the character 
  and his teammates who also have influence over him.
  43-56% Family Secret: Similar to #29-42% above, only 
  even more personal. The god can see into a character(s)’ past and 
  knows the truth concerning a dark past or despicable and perhaps 
  notorious deed (murder, robbery, betrayal, servant of a horrible 
  evil or murderous cult, etc.) by a family member. The family 
  could be from foul beginnings, covering up some awful secret, or 
  guilty of a shared crime or blasphemy. This news could shake a 
  character(s) down to their foundation, making them question the 
  ones they love the most and everything that makes them who they 
  are. As above, this info is usually provided to a) motivate, and 
  b) provide a chance to right a wrong, redeem the family’s name, 
  prove himself to be a hero, exact revenge, help those in need, and 
  so on. In the alternative, a demon or dark god may reveal the info 
  to discourage and make the hero doubt himself and give up on 
  his quest.
  57-70% Inner Workings: Divine intuition and perception 
  can see right through one or more of the characters, and a few 
  revelatory words can make this inner truth evident to that indi-
  vidual. Many people go through life without confronting uncom-
  fortable realities, and the instant enlightenment provided by a god 
  via a dream or a voice in his head, can be just as effective as 
  years of self-discovery, only compressed into a single moment of 
  exposure to divine truth. There is a 20% chance this may cause 
  the recipient to develop a random insanity or a prejudice towards 
  a particular species, group, god, villain, or religion. Similar to 
  #29-42% and #43-56%, above, this info is usually provided to a) 
  motivate, and b) provide a chance to right a wrong, redeem the 
  family’s name, prove himself to be a hero, exact revenge, help 
  those in need, and so on. In the alternative, a demon or dark god 
  may reveal the info to discourage and make the hero doubt him-
  self and give up on his quest.
  71-85% Psionic Awakening: There is a chance that one of 
  the characters is a latent psychic, with undeveloped skills waiting 
  to see the light of day. Roll Percentile: 01-60% the character is 
  an undeveloped Minor Psychic and as such selects two Sensitive 
  or Healing psionic powers (or one of each) and gets 1D4x10+20 
  I.S.P. 61-00% the character is an undeveloped Major Psychic 
  and as such selects a total of four psionic abilities from one of 
  the following categories: Healing, Physical or Sensitive and gets 
  1D6x10+30 I.S.P. – or since these latent capabilities are being 
  ignited by a god – one Super-Psionic ability may be selected in-
  stead of the four lesser abilities. No further psychic powers mani-
  fest, this is it, but the character does get 1D6 I.S.P. per each new 
  experience level.
  86-00% Mystical Awakening: If one of the characters is a 
  spell casting magic user, including Mystic, Druid or Shaman, 
  he receives divine knowledge that enables him to permanently 
  know 1D4+2 new spell invocations. The spells can be selected 
  from any level 1-9, giving this favored individual access to spell 
  knowledge that may be difficult and expensive to acquire. He also 
  receives a permanent bonus of 3D6+20 P.P.E. to cast them. If 
  a Diabolist the character gets the P.P.E. boost and 1D4+1 new 
  wards or spells, whichever the character prefers. If a Summoner, 
  he gets the P.P.E. boost and the knowledge of two new circles or 
  1D4+1 spells, whichever is preferred.
  A character who is a healer of any kind (Psi-Healer, Sha-
  man, doctor, nurse, midwife/doula, herbologist, etc.), teacher, 
  cook, baker, theologian, clergy, or other nurturing, care-giv-
  ing profession gets a permanent bonus of 15 P.P.E. and the 
  ability to heal others by laying of hands. Each healing stops 
  bleeding, closes the wound, kills infection and restores 1D6+6 
  Hit Points and 2D6 S.D.C.; can only heal one person at a time. 
  Repeated healing on the same person (or animal) has a cu-
  mulative healing effect. Each healing/laying of hands costs 
  this unique individual 5 P.P.E., but P.P.E. recovers at a rate 
  of one point per hour, double when sleeping, and quadruple 
  when meditating. This character also enjoys a +5% bonus to 
  all Medical skills and abilities (if any), and is, him or herself, 
  +10% to save vs coma and death.
  A character mystically awakened but is neither a mage or heal-
  er, but rather some sort of fighter (Merc, Ranger, Thief, Assassin, 
  etc.), laborer, farmer, or other profession, gets a permanent bonus 
  of 10 P.P.E. and all their physical attacks with any weapon, or 
  even their bare fists, inflict an extra +8 damage to supernatu-
  ral beings (gods, demons, Deevils, Entities, Creatures of Light, 
  angels, Elementals, ghosts, spirits, Astral Beings, energy beings, 
  vampires and other undead), and can cast spells from scrolls 
  provided they have the ability to read it and sufficient P.P.E. to 
  power the spell.
  
  56
  Step Two:
  Random Location Table
  Roll percentile dice for random determination of where a god 
  inspired dream, vision, visitation, inspiration, or rumor might 
  send a Player Character or adventurer group; or just pick what 
  best fits the game and the players.
  01-03% Isle of the Cyclops/Isles of the Four Sisters
  04-07% Eastern Territory – Llorn Region
  08-11% Eastern Territory – The Disputed Lands
  12-15% Eastern Territory – The Tegyn Peninsula
  16-19% Baalgor Wastelands
  20-22% Great Northern Wilderness – Shadow Coast/Bar-
  barian Lands
  23-26% Great Northern Wilderness – Algor Mountains or 
  Dragon Claw Region
  27-29% Great Northern Wilderness – Interior
  30-31% Great Northern Wilderness – Hinterlands
  32-33% Great Northern Mountains
  34-37% Island Kingdom of Bizantium
  38-41% One or more of the Floenry Isles
  42-45% Lopan
  46-49% Old Kingdom Lowlands
  50-53% Old Kingdom Mountains
  54-56% Old Kingdom Coastline/Inland Sea or the Island 
  of Phi
  57-60% Mount Nimro or Moount Nimrod or Southern 
  Old Kingdom
  61-64% Ophid’s Grasslands
  65-68% Timiro Kingdom
  69-72% Western Empire – Caer Itom or West Kighfalton
  73-76% Western Empire – Scarlet Mountains or Old 
  Kingdom Frontier
  77-79% Western Empire – The Vequerrel Woodlands or 
  Middle Kingdoms 80-82% Yin-Sloth Jungles – Western Por-
  tion
  83-85% Yin-Sloth Jungles – Southern Portion
  86-87% Yin-Sloth Jungles – Mountains bordering the 
  Baalgor Wastelands
  88-90% Land of the South Winds – Coastal, Big Cities, 
  Shipyards, Pirates 91-92% Land of the South Winds – Inte-
  rior/Cults
  93-94% Land of the South Winds – Jungle Region/Myste-
  rious/Untamed
  95% Island of Y-Oda/Library of Bletherad or Island of Zy
  96% Southern Islands at the Edge of the World
  97% Great Ice Shelf beyond Bizantium, Domain of the Ice 
  Born
  98% Land of the Damned – Chaos Lands/Mountains
  99% Land of the Damned – Eternal Torment
  00% Land of the Damned – The Bleakness
  Blessings
  & Miracles
  There are no sections of the Garden that are specifically good 
  or evil. Everything is mixed and scattered throughout the vari-
  ous areas of the Garden. In many places, entire pantheons, or 
  families of gods, are represented in the same area. Like any 
  family, there will usually be a father and mother figure and be-
  nevolent good gods as well as troublemakers, tricksters, and 
  evil ones – the black sheep of the deific family. The passage 
  of time sometimes changes the significance of the gods, even 
  within a pantheon, with shifting importance of a particular de-
  ity and how he or she and other members within the pantheon 
  may change over the course of time. And as always, certain 
  gods will be seen as more important or relevant to the times 
  than others. Thus, there may be a deity(s) you might not ex-
  pect to be found standing among a known pantheon because 
  that deity(s) was affiliated with those gods long ago, but not so 
  today in these modern times. Likewise, there may be statues of 
  unknown gods standing among the members of a popular and 
  renowned pantheon because their names and value have faded 
  over the millennia. Leaving them forgotten or nearly forgotten, 
  but they remain part of the deific family even if they are re-
  garded as less important or no longer remembered by mortals of 
  this day and age. It is these fading and forgotten deities who are 
  most likely to reach out to people in the hope of rekindling their 
  place among gods and men. This occurs as moments of inspira-
  tion, dreams, visions, and visitations, as already discussed, but 
  also as blessings and miracles granted to those the gods believe 
  are deserving or who champion their name or cause.
  The miracles and blessings attributed to the Garden of the 
  Gods are just as varied as the many known and forgotten gods 
  represented there. Depending on one’s race, religion, alignment 
  and inner motives, good, selfish, or evil gods may reach out with 
  very different blessings based on their unique powers, sense of 
  morality, and personality. A Champion of good may be cursed 
  by an evil god, where a god of a good alignment may choose to 
  support heroes and crusaders of good intention.
  Skeptics, including the priests and religious orders of estab-
  lished churches, are wary of the visions and miracles attributed 
  to the Garden of the Gods, and often see the place as a threat to 
  their established churches and religious traditions. As a result, 
  many priests warn their flocks away from making visits to the 
  Garden of the Gods, and openly question whether this is a holy 
  place at all. Fearful they may lose the support of their faithful, 
  many priests and churches try to convince their followers that the 
  Garden of the Gods is a danger best avoided, lest they find their 
  beliefs tested and be led astray.
  In truth, these clergy are terrified of losing their power base 
  and influence over the masses who turn to them for guidance and 
  support the church with donations and tithing. They fear a sup-
  posed vision or message from an unknown or unrecognized deity 
  might take precedence over their own teachings, church dogma, 
  and power structures, causing their followers to choose a new god 
  or take a new path that leaves the clergy and their church behind 
  
  57
  and out on the street. They fear a devious charlatan or cunning 
  members of a rival church could lurk in the Garden posing as 
  the voice of a god or goddess to lure their faithful away to a rival 
  church by promising them lies of favor and a new covenant with 
  a deity who claims to make the pilgrims their “chosen people.”
  The fact that the gods of the Garden do not work that way, 
  and make certain no such trickery takes place within the Garden 
  itself, is beside the point. After all, most of these fearful members 
  of the clergy have never actually visited the Garden themselves, 
  so it represents their worst fears and compels them to make false 
  assumptions and spread lies based on those falsehoods. They 
  don’t believe they need to visit the Garden, because they have 
  their calling and don’t need reaffirmation from who knows what 
  with its own agenda of trickery and deception.
  Some concerned clergy and power-mongers have convinced 
  themselves that the Garden of the Gods is the Scam of the Centu-
  ry, and believe that works of magic, particularly healing, restora-
  tion, and visions (which could be the result of magical illusions), 
  are cast by the caretakers, or members of a rival church or even 
  secret cabals and evil cultists looking to undermine established 
  religions. At least that’s how the elite members and priests of 
  many established churches choose to handle questions about the 
  Garden of the Gods. They chastize and criticize the Garden with 
  self-righteous indignation and fury, claiming it is all hokum and 
  fakery. All this bluster and condemnation a simple precaution to 
  preserve what they know and understand, and to hold on to the 
  social and political power that their position within established 
  churches brings to them.
  Such warnings and efforts to discredit the Garden of the 
  Gods have not stopped the ever increasing stream of pilgrims 
  visiting over the many years. Anyone desperate enough for a 
  god’s favor or seeking a little hint of the divine, does not let the 
  words of a self-serving priest or fearful zealot stop them from 
  making the trip to Lopan to experience the wonder of the Garden 
  for themselves.
  As for fakery and imposters posing as the voices of gods, 
  while this may happen from time to time away from the Garden, 
  it does not take place in the Garden itself. That’s one of the mysti-
  cal or divine aspects of the Garden of the Gods. Most people are 
  so touched by its serenity and the presence of the divine, that even 
  criminals and people of ill-repute do not practice their disrepu-
  table crafts within the Garden’s confines. It is as if the Garden 
  has a subtle calming effect on all who visit, making them feel at 
  peace and find a sense of wonder and awe they may have forgot-
  ten since childhood. Many a scoundrel has laughingly recounted 
  forgetting about any plans to hurt, deceive, or rob people after 
  setting foot inside the garden. A sensation that often lasts for days 
  after leaving it. Some brigands say their visit to the Garden of 
  the Gods gave them pause to examine their life and to reconsider 
  the criminal path they had chosen. While the visit to the Garden 
  may momentarily soften the hearts of thugs and criminals, caus-
  ing some to temper their criminal activities for a few days, or of-
  fer uncharacteristic mercy to their next handful of victims, most 
  return to their foul ways and don’t look back. Still there are some 
  who take stock of their life and make a change for the better (or 
  worse, as the case may be). Such is the influence the Garden of 
  the Gods has on many people.
  Still, the naysayers and the powerful who fear the Garden 
  might undermine them, insist that all works of magic and heal-
  ing, visions and miracles, are fake. Many point an incriminating 
  finger at the Garden’s mysterious caretakers as being respon-
  sible for such deception and fakery. This claim is preposterous, 
  because most of the caretakers are not practitioners of magic nor 
  powerful priests. The vast majority are ordinary people from all 
  walks of life. Yes, some may be recent converts or the devoted 
  faithful who maintain a small section of the Garden and the stat-
  ues of certain gods within the Garden enclosure, but a “caretaker” 
  is just as likely to be a visiting pilgrim, soldier, mercenary, sailor, 
  adventurer, merchant, farmer, or peasant. As such, they possess 
  no special powers nor mystical abilities. Many are transient visi-
  tors who become so moved by their experience, or by the splen-
  dor of the Garden, that they decide to take it upon themselves 
  to prune and tend to their favorite area or favorite god before 
  heading home. Most of these visitors who care for the Garden 
  spend an afternoon, or an entire day, or a few days tending to that 
  area of the Garden before leaving, never to be seen again. A bit 
  of charity in a once in a lifetime experience. Content that they 
  did their small part in keeping the Garden maintained and well 
  manicured for the next group of visitors.
  Yes, a stranger could wield magical or priestly powers or 
  psionic abilities – and the Garden of the Gods is visited by many 
  types of mages, priests, psychics, and traveling heroes – but why 
  would an individual work such magic upon another stranger?
  There may be an answer to that. Some have theorized that a 
  visitor could be compelled to do so by one of the deities, but that 
  would still mean divine intervention via a third party. However, 
  the gods seldom behave in such a direct manner, and most deities 
  care little about the affairs of mortals whether they be nobility, 
  renowned heroes, or common peasants.
  It is more likely any such magical or priestly intervention 
  comes as an act of individual charity. The Garden is known 
  to touch the heart and move its visitors, especially the most 
  sincere and heroic, inspiring them to show compassion to oth-
  ers and to do good to help those in need. Many visitors to the 
  Garden say they feel connected to the world in a profound 
  manner. In that moment of kinship and connection, such a vis-
  itor may choose to work his magic or use his powers to help 
  another. And in that same moment, may choose not to take 
  credit for the kind deed, but to cast his magic or prayer from 
  leaf-cloaked anonymity. Such kind souls taking solace in the 
  warmth and goodness of the act itself without any desire for 
  credit or thanks. The fact that the Garden or one of its gods 
  may be assigned responsibility for “the magic” or “miracle” is 
  of little consequence.
  It should be noted that though people choose to believe that 
  the many deities portrayed by the statues visit the Garden of the 
  Gods in the form of a physical avatar or disguised as a caretaker 
  or visitor, such an occurrence has never been proven. Not ever. 
  People just presume this must be the case, but nobody knows 
  this for a fact. Not the residents of Lopan, or even the priests 
  and caretakers who live on the island and frequent the Garden 
  on a regular basis. Thus, it is impossible to tell what is the direct 
  handiwork of a god or simply an act of kindness and compas-
  sion.
  Claims of secret cabals and cults at work within the Garden 
  are also complete nonsense, lies, and misguided fears. There is 
  no such thing. The closest anyone comes to a secret cabal is the 
  heroic Knights-Fossar, and they champion honor and goodness 
  and truth, with no desire to sway anyone’s belief in one god or 
  another.
  
  58
  Deific Blessings
  It is possible to get the attention of a god when visiting the 
  Garden, and perhaps win his or her interest, and get bestowed 
  with a Blessing. A work of magic that helps or enhances the re-
  cipient for a short while. A Miracle or Miraculous Blessing is an 
  even more potent, impressive and rare act of divine magic. Most 
  are granted to people with a noble cause or who agree to cham-
  pion a deity, pantheon of gods, or one of the deity’s causes.
  Some Deific Blessings are immediate and bestowed after a vi-
  sion or meditation at a statue of a deity within the Garden, some-
  times without the recipient realizing it. Other times a Blessing is 
  a kind of reward in exchange for the individual or group pledging 
  to perform a task or a quest on the god’s behalf.
  Conditional Blessings like those attached to a quest, often 
  require proof of loyalty and the recipient’s worthiness to serve 
  a deity in such a fashion before the Blessing is bestowed. Some-
  times potential Champions, Priests, heroes, and the faithful die in 
  this process, but the benefits of assisting a god, from Blessings 
  to acclaim and tangible reward (treasure, Holy Weapon, magic 
  item, etc. that may result from such a vision quest), is more than 
  enough motivation for many a would-be hero or true believer. 
  After all, they have already sailed and ridden far to visit the Gar-
  den of the Gods, probably in search of inspiration, guidance, or 
  a purpose.
  Though the Blessings are presented here as a Random Table, 
  in many cases it may be better for the Game Master to select the 
  Blessing most appropriate and best suited to the character and 
  the vision quest/mission/adventure that awaits him and his team-
  mates. As a general rule, the Blessing should probably be tailored 
  to the character and/or his goals and intentions, so consulting with 
  the player to know what those are is a good idea. So might ask-
  ing him which Blessing he or she thinks would be most suitable 
  for the character at this time. Remember, however, the gods may 
  have other plans in mind for the character (or the player group), 
  so selecting a different Blessing or making a random determina-
  tion (roll percentile dice) may be equally appropriate.
  If a randomly rolled Blessing, we suggest the player rolls 
  the dice. After all, it is his character’s destiny being determined.
  Blessings are scarce and unpredictable. Not everyone in the 
  player group is going to receive a Blessing from a god, only one 
  or two characters, at the Game Master’s discretion. (G.M.s, try to 
  be fair and avoid favoritism.)
  So who should be blessed? At first blush, the bold, coura-
  geous warrior or powerful mage may seem to be the right candi-
  date for a Blessing, but does a character who is already powerful 
  or blessed in so many other ways, really need a god’s Blessing? 
  Or is it the humble Druid or Scrupulous Ranger, or the fledg-
  ling and uncertain Priest, or Thief with a heart of gold, or the 
  brave Vagabond, who is more deserving or more in need of the 
  Blessing? Or perhaps it should be the character who, in the mo-
  ment of truth, will play an unexpected and instrumental role in 
  the group’s quest. (Think the Hobbits in the Lord of the Rings.) 
  Someone whom the god, in his or her infinite wisdom, knows will 
  stand true and deserves the Blessing.
  Game Masters, have fun with Blessings, but please do NOT 
  feel obligated to hand them out like candy to any character, not 
  even one, for any reason. Do what is best for the story and for the 
  enjoyment of the entire player group.
  Similarly, if a player decides his character has been blessed 
  by a deity after a visit to the Garden of the Gods due to circum-
  stance and coincidence such as lucky rolls of the dice or outstand-
  ing role-playing, but you know he has not been blessed, do not 
  correct that mistaken presumption. Let the player and his fellow 
  players believe that he or she, or they, have earned the favor of a 
  god. Why? Because that misconception may drive the character’s 
  behavior and the story in directions you didn’t anticipate, and 
  lead to loads of fun for everyone. And don’t forget, a Blessing 
  might manifest and become evident at a later time, after the char-
  acter has proven himself worthy in the eyes of the deity watching 
  him or the group. Game Masters should always try to be flexible, 
  listen to the players, and play to those characters to create a dy-
  namic adventure and powerful moments in the game.
  Restrictions and
  Conditions of Blessings:
  In each case, the Blessing only lasts for one quest, crusade, or 
  mission, which may resolve quickly in a matter of hours or take 
  days, weeks, or months.
  Number of Blessings: Typically one per chosen individual. A 
  Champion of the Gods is an exception, as this individual gets to 
  pick two Miraculous Blessings and one of the comparatively less-
  er and more common Deific Blessings described in this section.
  A Priest or Shaman may pray for a Blessing or a Miracle as per 
  the character’s O.C.C., and a Blessing may be given as a gift from 
  a deity, especially in the Garden of the Gods, usually for a quest 
  or reward for a grand service, sacrifice, or loyalty.
  Duration of Bonuses AND Special Skills or Abilities that 
  come with the Blessing:
  The recipient of a Blessing gets two benefits. First are bo-
  nuses that last throughout the mission starting from the moment 
  the Blessing is granted.
  Bonuses: Bonuses last for the entire quest, crusade or mis-
  sion, or until the Blessed does something to lose the deity’s favor 
  and, as a result, the Blessing is removed or suspended. Loss of a 
  god’s favor may occur when the Blessed individual does some-
  thing evil, cruel, immoral, or otherwise contrary to the deity’s 
  sensibilities and what the god represents/stands for/symbolizes. 
  Favor and the Blessing may be won back, but it takes a lot of ef-
  fort and sincerity.
  Second, are special skills or abilities the Blessed individual 
  receives when he prays and calls upon the deity he believes has 
  gifted him with the Blessing for help.
  Skills: The skills or special abilities of a Blessing come into 
  play ONLY when the Blessed individual calls upon his god in 
  prayer to grant him the abilities to save the day; i.e., save a life(s), 
  defeat a foe, or accomplish something important, probably on the 
  deity’s behalf, or which reflects well on that god or moves the 
  quest/mission a step closer to being accomplished. Such skills 
  and/or abilities last for 7 days every time this part of a Blessing is 
  activated. This is in addition to bonuses already in place.
  The Blessed individual receives ALL the skills and/or abili-
  ties listed under the Blessing at the level of proficiency indi-
  cated for those special skills, even if they conflict with his own 
  O.C.C. or level of experience. Note: If the character already has 
  that skill at a higher proficiency, then add a +10% bonus to it 
  
  59
  for the next seven days, after which the character’s skill returns 
  to normal.
  G.M. Note about Skills: As always, you, as the universe, can 
  elect whether or not a prayer is successful and the Skill portion is 
  granted, even if the player fails his roll, but do not be overly gen-
  erous or protective. The roll of the dice is Fate, and failure may 
  lead to other adventures or a life lesson for the character. Players 
  should not become dependent upon the intervention of deities and 
  neither should you. Be fair and even handed, and 99 times out of 
  one hundred, let the dice dictate divine intervention or the success 
  of a skill or ability.
  Duration of Skills Bestowed via a Blessing: One week (7 
  days). A typical Deific Blessing provides 2-4 skills or a special 
  ability intended to help the person on his vision quest. As a re-
  sult, the skills/abilities may be oriented to the individual or to 
  the quest and journey upon which he is embarking. The Blessed 
  individual does NOT learn these skills over time, nor does he 
  get to keep them as a permanent reward. In some cases, the skills 
  function more as luck in a particular area whenever the char-
  acter makes a quiet prayer (“Aco, help us.”), and the Blessed 
  individual may not even realize he possesses one or more skills 
  or a special ability. (“Hey, I found a secret door, again.” Or, “I 
  don’t know how I was able to hide and slip away unseen like 
  that. Thank Amyar.” Or, “I’m telling you, there is something off 
  or dangerous about that guy. I can feel it. I know it.”) That said, 
  most Blessed individuals come to realize the skills or special 
  ability are part of a Blessing and will call upon their deity when 
  it is most needed. Actually, most people who have been Blessed 
  get into the habit of praying to their deity whenever they need 
  strength, guidance, confidence, or help, and come to credit the 
  deity for their successes, which is exactly what the gods want. 
  (“Isis, give me strength.” “Heim, guide my arrow.” “Ra, shine 
  your protection upon us and show us the way.” “Thank Od, for 
  our victory.” And so on.)
  Success Rate of Being Granted the Skills when Needed: The 
  granting of the skills or special ability provided by a Blessing is 
  not automatic or constant like the Blessing’s bonuses. The more 
  the deity is called upon, though appreciated, the lower the chance 
  the god provides the skills/abilities.
  The first time a deity is called upon to help by granting the 
  Blessed individual the skills/special abilities of a Blessing, the 
  result is automatic and instant. As always, the imbued skills lasts 
  for 7 days.
  The second request, there is a 95% chance the god is listening 
  and grants the skills/abilities. A failed roll means no skills are 
  granted, and the next time the god is called upon, it counts as the 
  subsequent request (in this case a third request, below). Bonuses 
  from the Blessing, however, remain in place.
  The third time, there is an 85% chance the god is listening and 
  grants the skills/abilities. A failed roll means no such skills are 
  granted and the next time the god is called upon, it counts as the 
  subsequent request (in this case, a fourth request).
  The fourth time, there is a 75% chance the god is listening and 
  grants the skills/abilities. A failed roll means no such skills are 
  granted and the next time the god is called upon, it counts as the 
  subsequent request (in this case, a fifth request).
  The fifth time, there is a 65% chance the god is listening and 
  grants the skills/abilities. A failed roll means no such skills are 
  granted and the next time the god is called upon, it counts as the 
  subsequent request (in this case, a sixth request).
  The sixth request and onward, there is 45% chance the deity 
  bestows the special skills/abilities. The Blessed individual prob-
  ably still has the god’s favor, but there is a point when the gods 
  expect their followers, heroes, and even Champions, to stand on 
  their own two feet, and rely upon themselves to achieve their 
  goals. Blessings are meant to help in a critical moment and against 
  dangerous foes, but are NOT intended to make the Blessed into a 
  superhuman or reliant upon divine intervention, which is what a 
  Blessing is on a small scale. It is time to stand on your own feet 
  and use the gifts you were given at birth. Strength of willpower, 
  conviction, tenacity, and heart and soul commitment are bless-
  ings everyone possesses. They are the true stuff of heroes, though 
  are not always used.
  Of course, as always, the bonuses from a Blessing last until 
  the quest or mission is accomplished. Note: Those vanish only 
  if the Blessed individual is not sincere and focused upon his ap-
  pointed task.
  Granting the Skills/Abilities in a Moment of Great Need, 
  Even if the Roll Fails: As always, Game Masters should be flex-
  ible and take everything into consideration when a character 
  turns to his deity for help. Gods should NOT bail out a character 
  every time he or his group find themselves in trouble. However, 
  if the Blessed has really earned it, and if you (the G.M.) believe 
  the god would, indeed, grant the skills/abilities of a Blessing – 
  perhaps even when they are not requested – regardless of how 
  many times the character has already asked and received it – 
  then do so.
  That said, there is something about a slim chance and hitting 
  it that makes people shout for joy and feel special, so you might 
  want to enforce the 45% chance rule after the fifth request. Under 
  this situation, the die roll hitting a low number may make the 
  character feel like he really is living his destiny and indeed has 
  the favor of the god or pantheon that has Blessed him. Game 
  Masters, use your judgement and the quality of role-playing be-
  ing displayed (as well as dramatic effect) as your guide. Remem-
  ber, the bonuses granted by the Blessing remain in force until the 
  character’s quest from a god is accomplished or the deity takes 
  them away.
  The Shared Blessing Alternative: If the Blessed individu-
  al is appealing to a deity to help him AND his entire group of 
  teammates, he and everyone in the group enjoys the bonuses, but 
  at half of what’s listed (round down), and everyone except the 
  Blessed, enjoys a +5% bonus to their existing skills for a three 
  day period. The specific Skills and skill bonuses listed in a Bless-
  ing are only available to the Blessed individual who earned the 
  Blessing, not everyone, and only when he calls upon his god, as 
  described above.
  The power and wisdom of the gods: Any of the Blessings, 
  Miraculous Blessings, and Miracles presented in this book may 
  be granted by ANY deity, whether the god is known or forgotten, 
  good, selfish, or evil.
  Additional Blessings unique to a specific deity are found in the 
  descriptions of the fading and lost gods that have been revealed 
  within the Garden. Most are little known or forgotten by modern 
  people and would like to be rediscovered and worshiped. These 
  fading and forgotten gods still command a bit of divine power 
  within the Garden of the Gods and wherever their statues and 
  shrines remain. It is at these places where deities are most likely 
  to reach out to mortals they find worthy, promising, or in need 
  
  60
  of help, with inspirational dreams, visions, and visitations, and 
  bestow upon them quests and blessings.
  Descriptions of Deific Blessings
  01-03% Blessed with an Eye for Danger
  04-05% Blessed with an Eye for Good
  06-08% Blessed with an Eye for the Hidden
  09-10% Blessed with an Eye for Secrets
  11-12% Blessed with an Eye of the Thief
  13-15% Courage/Valor – The Heart of a Hero
  16-18% Honor and Compassion
  19-20% Generosity
  21-23% Godspeed
  24-26% Good Fortune
  27-29% Good Health & Fast Recovery
  30-31% Heal Others
  32-33% Insight and Understanding
  34-36% Justice
  37-38% Knowledge
  39-41% Luck in Battle
  42-43% Magical Attunement
  44-45% Piety
  46-48% Protection from Evil/Keep Us Safe
  49-50% Protection from Faeries and their Magic
  51-53% Protection from Magic
  54-55% Protection from Psychics/Psionics
  56-57% Protection from Temptation; Temperance
  58-60% Protection: Keep Hidden from Danger & Evil
  61-62% Protection: Ward Off Supernatural Evil
  63-65% Rescuer
  66-68% Safe Journey
  69-70% Sense Impurities
  71-73% Sharp Blades
  74-76% Sharp Eye
  77-78% Spiritual Cleansing
  79-81% Stealth
  82-84% Strength of Body
  85-87% Strength of Spirit
  88-90% Strength of Will/Mental Fortitude
  91-92% Strength to Fight the Forces of Darkness
  93-95% Sure, Quick Hands
  96-98% Wisdom about Life
  99-00% Wisdom about the Supernatural
  Deific Blessings of the Gods
  01-03% Blessed with an Eye for Danger: This Blessing 
  makes the individual keenly alert and aware of danger in all envi-
  ronments, on the street, in the wilderness, in combat, and at play 
  and relaxing.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to notice suspicious charac-
  ters who mean to do harm to the Blessed individual, his team-
  mates, the innocent, or someone he cares about or is protecting. 
  This includes noticing someone who is following or spying on 
  them, readying to attack, laying in ambush, and to notice trip-
  wires and traps. +1 on initiative and +1 to dodge and avoid or 
  circumvent danger, cannot be surprised by attacks from behind, 
  and +1 to roll with impact.
  Skills: Detect Ambush 75%, Detect Concealment and Traps 
  65%, Recognize (not use) Poison 70%, and Streetwise 60% for 7 
  days per activation of the Blessing.
  04-05% Blessed with an Eye for Good: This is often the 
  Blessing given to someone who has a good heart and wants to 
  help people. It enables the Blessed individual to recognize good 
  people and good intentions, and sense evil and foul intentions in 
  people.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize when someone 
  has a good heart, is sincere, has good intentions, is honorable and 
  trustworthy, as well as +1 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, and +1 to 
  save against mind control and possession.
  Skills: Detect Concealment and Traps 70% and the equivalent 
  of the magic spell or psychic ability: Sense Evil at no P.P.E. or 
  I.S.P. cost; line of sight (must see the bad guy), 100 foot (30.5 m) 
  range, at will for 7 days per activation of the Blessing.
  06-08% Blessed with an Eye for the Hidden: The Blessed 
  becomes astute at finding the hidden and concealed. This in-
  cludes finding things that have been lost and misplaced, or stolen 
  and hidden nearby.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to notice when something is 
  out of place or to notice telltale markings or clues that indicate the 
  location of a secret panel, door, passage, hiding place, crypt, etc., 
  and how to access it. Also likely to notice camouflage, traps, and 
  places where someone might try to hide an object or valuables.
  Skills: Detect Concealment and Traps 80%, Locate Secret 
  Compartments and Doors 75%, and Recognize (not use) Poison 
  65% for 7 days per activation.
  09-10% Blessed with an Eye for Secrets: The Blessed has 
  an eye for noticing details and piecing together clues and figuring 
  out their meaning, uncovering plots, and at the Game Master’s 
  discretion, recognizing suspicious behavior and deception, and 
  someone who is trying to pick a lock, pick a pocket, or avoid eye 
  contact.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to notice when someone is 
  holding back, not sharing, leaving out details, and probably ly-
  ing, or has just stolen/Palmed or Picked Pockets and is hiding 
  what he stole on his own person or quickly hid nearby, and can 
  find it.
  Skills: Intelligence 80%, Interrogation Techniques 75%, 
  Cryptography 70% (and in half the usual time), and Detect Con-
  cealment and Traps 65% for 7 days per activation.
  11-12% Blessed with an Eye of the Thief: Whether good, 
  selfish or evil himself, the Blessed individual suddenly has the 
  eye of a thief and becomes keenly aware of items of value and 
  their worth, as well as likely thieves and criminal behavior.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to recognize valuables, 
  wealthy targets, locations vulnerable to or ideal for breaking and 
  entering, and likely thieves and criminals.
  Skills/Abilities: Forgery 75%, Gemology 80%, and Recognize 
  Weapon Quality 70%. The Blessed also has the special ability 
  to recognize likely thieves, pick pockets, cardsharps, con artists, 
  bandits, pirates, smugglers, and other criminals who engage in 
  robbery, smuggling and fencing of stolen goods, and when such 
  villains are casing a place or watching a person to target for their 
  next crime, 70%. In addition, the Blessed can recognize law en-
  forcement officers, city guards, and soldiers even when they are 
  undercover, 60% for 7 days per activation.
  
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  13-15% Courage/Valor – The Heart of a Hero: This is more 
  than not being afraid of monsters and horror, it is staying calm 
  under fire and courage of conviction. To stand up for what is right 
  and to protect those who cannot stand up for themselves, despite 
  the possible personal cost to oneself. Bravery in the face of oppo-
  sition, humiliation, hardship, physical pain, threat of death or per-
  sonal loss. To face one’s fears and act when action is necessary 
  for the welfare of others, but is not foolish, reckless, or suicidal 
  in taking such action.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize when someone 
  is in need of help and to identify what the danger or problem may 
  be; +10 to Hit Points, +10 to S.D.C., fatigues at half the usual rate 
  and recovers twice as fast, +1 to save vs disease and poison, +2 to 
  save vs Horror Factor, +20% to survive coma and death, and +1 
  to ALL other saving throws.
  Skills/Abilities: Military Etiquette 75%, Heraldry 70%, Rec-
  ognize Weapon Quality 65%, and the special ability to stand 
  strong and brave. Anyone using Interrogation or Seduction to get 
  the hero to talk and reveal information and secrets that would hurt 
  other people, his god, or cause, suffers a penalty of -50%. This 
  hero will never betray his friends, allies, or any innocent peo-
  ple counting on him, even if it means his own death. Telepathy, 
  psionic probes, and mind control cannot force betrayal nor pull 
  such information from him either. Lasts for 7 days per activation 
  of the Blessing.
  16-18% Honor and Compassion: This Blessing helps the re-
  cipient to stay true, noble, and honorable. His word is his bond, 
  and no matter what, the Blessed individual endures, he manages 
  not to become jaded and cold-hearted, and maintain the ability to 
  be just and kind, and show mercy to those who deserve it. As a 
  result, he is able to stop himself from killing, torturing, or doing 
  something terrible or wrong in the heat of the moment.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize when a person is 
  sincere or honorable and likely to live up to a promise or commit-
  ment, and to know when an untrustworthy blackguard is lying; 
  also +1 to disarm, +2 to pull punch, and +1 to roll with impact.
  Skills: Public Speaking 80%, First Aid 75%, and Intelligence 
  70% for 7 days per activation.
  19-20% Generosity: The Blessed individual has a kind and 
  generous spirit, is quick to pitch in and help a friend, lend money, 
  and share his good fortune with the less fortunate.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to notice acts of kindness and 
  to recognize when someone needs help but may be too proud or 
  shy to ask for assistance, as well as +2 to notice a good deal, sale, 
  or opportunity, and +2 to roll with impact.
  Skills: Gemology 75%, Recognize Weapon Quality 70%, 
  Dance 65% and Karmic Balance for 7 days per activation. Kar-
  mic Balance: This has the Blessed see his kindness and generos-
  ity returned to him via the people he has helped and been kind to 
  (and their appreciative friends and family) willing to share their 
  meager resources with him. They may buy him food or drink, 
  provide a place him and perhaps any polite and respectful friends 
  to sleep or dine in their home, vouch for the Blessed character, 
  provide basic medical treatment, share information and rumors, 
  and may even be willing to hide him and his allies from enemies 
  who hunt them.
  21-23% Godspeed: The Blessed individual is gifted with 
  feats of speed that should lead to a prosperous or successful and 
  safe journey.
  Bonuses: +10 to Spd attribute, +2 to roll with punch, fall, or 
  impact, and +5% to Physical skills where such a bonus is ap-
  plicable and makes sense (Acrobatics, Climb, Swimming, etc.).
  Skills/Abilities (special): Forced March, +1 attack per melee 
  round, and has excellent physical speed (see bonus above), sure-
  footedness, and performs most tasks and skills in half the time 
  without sacrificing quality or being reckless for 7 days per activa-
  tion of the Blessing.
  24-26% Good Fortune: People who receive this Blessing 
  are luckiest when helping or protecting others, and are lucky in 
  ways you might not expect, such as surviving a fall or impact 
  that should have killed them, narrowly avoiding an accident 
  or injury (“That arrow missed you by a hair!”), finding great 
  bargains, saving against disease and poison, and similar; G.M. 
  discretion.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize people in need 
  as well as to spot opportunities and bargains. The Blessed indi-
  vidual is also impervious to disease and poison when caring for, 
  transporting, or protecting the sick or innocent in need (+2 to save 
  otherwise), and takes half damage from a Critical Strike, attack 
  from behind, or Death Blow. +30 to save vs coma and death, 
  and is able to make a complete recovery from having Hit Points 
  reduced to low as 25 below zero!
  Skills: Gemology 70%, Recognize Weapon Quality 65%, and 
  Lore: Magic 60% for 7 days per activation.
  27-29% Good Health and Fast Recovery: The Blessed in-
  dividual enjoys tremendous good health and resistance against 
  sickness.
  Bonuses: Immune to ordinary illnesses and disease from the 
  common cold, bacterial food poisoning, and the flu, to the bu-
  bonic plague; +1 to save vs poison, magic fumes, Faerie Food 
  and the penalties/side-effects and duration from them are half; 
  +2 to save vs magic-based illness/disease, and when affected by 
  
  62
  them the symptoms and penalties are half; +20% to save vs Coma 
  and Death.
  Skills: Brewing 75%, First Aid 70%, and has the special abil-
  ity to heal quickly. Recovers 1D6+1 Hit Points and 2D6 S.D.C. 
  are healed per 24 hours of rest and recovery.
  34-36% Justice: This Blessed individual is keenly aware of 
  injustice and is empathetic to its victims, compelling him to want 
  to right wrongs and help people. He develops a strong sense of 
  right or wrong and fair play, and has a desire to make things right. 
  Likely to take up lost causes and help the underdog despite per-
  sonal risk or the odds against them.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to tell when people are down-
  trodden, suffering under injustice and cruelty, and when some-
  one has a kind heart and is sincere, honorable, and trustworthy; 
  +1 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, +1 to save against mind control 
  and possession, and is himself trustworthy and able to evoke trust 
  90% among those who need his help and intimidate the perpetra-
  tors of injustice and tyranny 80%.
  Skills: Heraldry 70%, History 65%, Public Speaking 75%, and 
  has the special ability to recognize injustice, bullies, tyrants, and 
  cold-hearted people in positions of authority who are corrupt and 
  abusing their power 80%, for 7 days per activation.
  37-38% Knowledge: The Blessed individual is bestowed a 
  range of helpful knowledge including understanding all languag-
  es and the ability to ride any type of animal suitable for riding.
  Bonuses: +1 to Perception Rolls (all), +1 to parry, +5% to all 
  of the character’s normal skills, and the ability to magically un-
  derstand and speak all languages at 75%; enough to be conver-
  sant and have a good understanding of what is being said. This 
  language ability does not kick in until the Blessed hears the lan-
  guage spoken by another.
  Skills: Dowsing 75%, First Aid 80%, General Repair 70%, 
  History 65%, Identify Plants and Fruits 60%, and Horsemanship: 
  General and Exotic Animals (any), both at 55%, for 7 days per 
  activation.
  39-41% Luck in Battle: This Blessing makes the individual 
  alert in combat, and aware of danger in all environments, on the 
  street, in combat, and at play or relaxing.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to notice suspicious charac-
  ters who mean to harm the Blessed individual, his teammates, 
  the innocent, or someone he cares about or is protecting. This 
  includes noticing someone who is following or spying on them, 
  readying to attack, laying in ambush, and to notice trip wires and 
  traps. Also +1 on initiative and +1 to dodge to avoid or circum-
  vent danger, cannot be surprised by attacks from behind, and +2 
  to roll with impact.
  Skills: Detect Ambush 75%, Detect Concealment and Traps 
  65%, and Recognize (not use) Poison 70% for 7 days per activation.
  42-43% Magical Attunement: This Blessing bestows upon 
  the recipient the ability to recognize and sense magic.
  Bonuses: +1 to save vs magic, +2 to save vs curse, and if a 
  practitioner of magic, +5% to all O.C.C. Abilities.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Lore: Magic 75%, Lore: Geomancy 
  & Ley Lines 70%, and the ability to detect magic at will and 
  without P.P.E. cost, the same as the spell Sense Magic, for 7 days 
  per activation. In addition, the Blessed individual is able to sense 
  if an item, potion, circle, or symbol is magical, as well as if a 
  person is a practitioner of magic and which type of magic they 
  practice! However, the attuned individual will not know what a 
  magic potion, object, circle or symbol means or does, just that it 
  is magical.
  Note: If a practitioner of magic, the Blessing also provides the 
  mage with +15 P.P.E. and increases the duration and range of his 
  magic by 10%.
  30-31% Heal Others: The Blessed individual is given the gift 
  to heal others (not himself) through the laying of hands, three 
  times per 24 hours without P.P.E. cost.
  Bonuses: The Blessed individual is impervious to disease, +2 
  to save vs poison, and enjoys a +5% bonus on all Medical skills. 
  Furthermore, those he or she treats are +20% to save vs coma and 
  death and recover in half the usual time.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Holistic Medicine 75%, Identify 
  Plants and Fruits 70%, Brewing 65%, and the ability to heal oth-
  ers by touch and prayer, four times per 24 hours without P.P.E. 
  cost for 7 days per activation.
  Each healing touch stops bleeding, closes wounds, kills infec-
  tion, and restores 1D6+4 Hit Points and 2D6 S.D.C.; can only 
  heal one person at a time. Repeated healing on the same person 
  (or animal) has a cumulative healing effect.
  32-33% Insight and Understanding: This Blessed individ-
  ual is self-aware and cannot be easily tempted or swayed from 
  his strength of conviction and sense of honor and duty to others. 
  More importantly, this Blessing reinforces his awareness and em-
  pathy to the plight of others, and he is compelled to be compas-
  sionate, reassuring and helpful.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize when someone 
  else is having a crisis of conscience, fearful, and considering do-
  ing something they will live to regret or is counter to their align-
  ment. This awareness enables the Blessed individual to try to in-
  tervene and prevent the person from doing something terrible or 
  damaging to himself or others. In addition, the Blessed individual 
  is +1 on initiative, +1 to save vs mind control and illusions, and 
  +2 to save vs possession.
  Skills: Sing or Play Musical Instrument like a professional to 
  inspire, comfort, or soothe the spirit of others 80%, Public Speak-
  ing (moving, inspiring, comforting, helpful) 75%, History 70%, 
  for 7 days per activation of the Blessing.
  
  63
  44-45% Piety: The Blessed individual strives to be more 
  humble, grounded, and spiritual. He or she probably went to the 
  Garden of the Gods to be touched by the divine, find a way to 
  help people in need, or find a purpose in the service of his de-
  ity. The pious character tries to live a simple austere life, spends 
  money and time to help the poor and people in need, and tries to 
  be self-effacing, humble, compassionate, kind, and merciful, par-
  ticularly to those of lower caste. The Blessed individual tries to 
  see kinship and equality in all people, and tries to accept even the 
  monster races as his brethren. The character probably feels most 
  at home among the common folk and clergy rather than royalty 
  and the aristocracy, even if he, himself, comes from royalty or a 
  higher station in life. If the latter is true, it probably makes him a 
  black sheep and a disappointment to his family.
  Bonuses: +1 to roll with punch, fall or impact, +2 to save vs 
  curse, and +5% to have his deity hear and answer his prayers as 
  long as he remains humble and pious.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Dowsing 60%, First Aid 70%, Lore: 
  Religion 80%, and +1 attack per melee when defending/protecting 
  the weak and innocent, and followers of his deity. Common people, 
  peasants, slaves, monks, and clergy feel comfortable and safe with 
  the Blessed individual, and are willing to break bread with him and 
  share their hopes, dreams, fears, and what they know. Trusting that 
  he will keep their secrets no matter what. This is especially true of 
  priests and worshipers of the same god the character serves or who 
  has given the character his blessing and favor.
  46-48% Protection from Evil/Keep Us Safe: This Blessing 
  makes the individual alert and aware of wickedness, abuse, cru-
  elty, and crimes against humanity, such as slavery, torture, and 
  murder, and those who engage in such acts.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to notice bullies, abusers, sla-
  vers, torturers, killers, assassins, tyrants, evil monsters, demons, 
  Deevils, and supernatural evil. This includes noticing when such 
  villains are watching him, tailing him, readying to attack, or about 
  to assault an innocent victim. Also recognizes the signs, tools, 
  and the practice of torture, human sacrifice, and dark magic.
  +2 to roll with impact, +1 to save vs curses, magic, and illu-
  sions, +1 to save vs Horror Factor and psionic attacks cast by 
  such evildoers, +2 to save vs possession and the powers of the 
  vampire.
  Skills: Escape Artist 75%, Lore: Demons & Monsters 70%, 
  and Lore: Religion 65% (with a focus on dangerous cults, gods 
  and religions) for 7 days per activation.
  49-50% Protection from Faeries and their Magic: Faerie 
  Folk, even the malevolent ones, do not attack, enchant, or subject 
  the recipient of this Blessing to their mischief and games, unless 
  he provokes them or attacks them first. If the Blessed individual 
  remains polite and respectful, he might even be able to speak with 
  the Fey and negotiate deals and safe passage for others.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to notice Faerie Circles, 
  Mounds, and other indicators of the presence of Faerie Folk, as 
  well as to tell when one is up to no good (trickery, robbery, an at-
  tack, etc.), +2 to save vs Faerie Food and +2 to save vs all Faerie 
  Magic. Moreover, the penalties and duration of Faerie Magic are 
  half when the Blessed individual does fall victim to it.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Lore: Faerie Folk 80%, Identify 
  Plants & Fruits 70% (to find sweet berries and honey to win a Fa-
  erie’s favor or to trade for info and safe passage), and the ability 
  to understand and speak Faerie Speak for 7 days per activation.
  51-53% Protection from Magic: The request for this Bless-
  ing usually comes from someone who is going into opposition 
  against an opponent who wields magic and casts spells. Superior 
  resistance to the power of magic.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to notice dangerous magic, 
  wards, circles, Wizards, Witches, Necromancers, evil cultists, 
  Priests of Darkness, dragons, other creatures of magic (Sphinx, 
  Scarecrows, Lizard Mages, etc.), and supernatural evil. This in-
  cludes noticing when such beings are watching him or the player 
  group, tailing them, readying to attack, or about to assault an in-
  nocent victim. +1 to roll with impact, +2 to save vs magic spells, 
  +1 to save vs illusions, circles, wards, fumes, and unwanted po-
  tions, +2 to save vs Faerie Magic and Foods, and +2 to save vs 
  curses.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Lore: Demons & Monsters 60%, 
  Lore: Geomancy & Ley Lines 65%, Lore: Magic 70%, and 
  knows when a mystic symbol, circle, or ward is activated and 
  dangerous, and recognizes the rituals that evoke magic, open di-
  mensional portals, summon the supernatural or create a magical 
  horror such as animated dead, Golems, Mummies, and Zombies, 
  as well as rituals that call for a blood sacrifice, for 7 days per 
  activation of the blessing. Note: The Blessed individual cannot 
  read most mystic symbols and may NOT know what the ward, 
  circle, or symbol means, except as noted above – unless he is a 
  practitioner of magic himself. The latter has a very clear idea of 
  what the magic or symbol means, what it does, and the full level 
  of danger the magic represents.
  54-55% Protection from Psychics/Psionics: The request for 
  this Blessing usually comes from someone who is going into op-
  position against a psychic or has a fear about psychics and be-
  ings with psionic powers, especially the abilities to read minds 
  and emotions, mind control, and manipulate others. As a result, 
  he prays to seek protection from such powers whether they are 
  wielded by mortals or non-humans.
  Bonuses/Ability (special): +3 to Perception Rolls to notice 
  Mind Mages and other psychics, spirits, ghosts, and the supernat-
  ural, as well as people who may be possessed, mind controlled, 
  or being manipulated and controlled by psionic powers or magic. 
  Also +2 to save vs illusions, +1 to save vs psionics and mind 
  control of all kinds (including drugs and magic), and +1 to save 
  vs possession.
  Moreover, the Blessed individual’s thoughts and emotions are 
  closed off at all times to psionic probes and manipulation simi-
  lar to the psychic power of Mind Block, only more powerful and 
  expansive. This makes the protected Blessed individual impervi-
  ous to Detect Psionics, Empathy, Empathic Transmission, Bio-
  Manipulation, See Aura, Sense Evil, Sense Magic, and Telepathy! 
  However, this also means the individual is unable to get helpful 
  empathetic and telepathic transmissions from allies and helpful 
  spirits, and cannot use any psychic abilities he may possess him-
  self. Some beings with psionic abilities may consider him a threat 
  because they cannot “read” him.
  56-57% Protection from Temptation; Temperance: The 
  Blessed individual is able to exercise personal restraint, self-
  control, and discipline. Most people have certain dangerous at-
  tractions, weaknesses, and proclivities. Most of us resist those 
  urges when they threaten to become destructive, but for others, it 
  is a life-long struggle. This can range from the abuse of alcohol 
  and drugs to sex, to dangerous risk taking, or a lust for glory, 
  
  64
  importance, wealth, and/or power. All things that may distract 
  and lead an individual astray to make bad choices and mistakes 
  that may hurt him and those around him. The Blessed individual 
  who requests this Blessing knows this about himself (or the deity 
  provides it knowing he will be challenged and tempted) and prays 
  to be given the strength not to fall prey to such “distractions and 
  temptations” while on this quest or adventure.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to notice when someone is 
  deliberately trying to use his proclivity(s) against him; +3 to save 
  vs all types of temptation and charm attacks whether they be 
  seduction, magic, psionics, or illusion based. This includes the 
  words, charm and seduction of Deevils, demons, dark gods and 
  their minions. Also +2 to save vs curses and vs possession.
  Skills and Abilities (special): Streetwise 75%, Detect Ambush 
  60%, and the special ability of being able to resist temptation 
  whenever the Blessed individual realizes someone is trying to 
  tempt or manipulate him 80% for 7 days per activation of this 
  Blessing. However, the Blessed who has resisted temptation may 
  choose to convincingly play along and fool an enemy into believ-
  ing he has given in to the temptation, or is charmed/seduced, in 
  order to turn the tables on them or trick them. Interrogators suffer 
  a -40% penalty when trying to get information out of the Blessed 
  individual.
  58-60% Protection: Keep Hidden from Danger and Evil: 
  The Blessed individual tends to be a protector concerned about 
  the safety and well-being of others.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize good hiding 
  places, exits, and escape routes, +1 to recognize an increasingly 
  dangerous situation, +1 to save vs disease, and +10% to save vs 
  coma and death.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Camouflage 80%, First Aid 75%, 
  Wilderness Survival 70%, and the special ability to hide and keep 
  people safe for 7 days per activation of this aspect of the Blessing.
  The Blessed individual is able to hide himself and a group of 
  other people from danger and evil that may be hunting for them. 
  This divine intervention works rather like the Chameleon spell, 
  and is applicable only when the intention of the Blessed indi-
  vidual and those with him is hiding to escape and survive, not 
  sneak in and attack. Moreover, he and the people must be actively 
  trying to hide someplace that is out of the way – under the stairs 
  or porch, inside a tunnel or cave, up in the rafters or tree branches, 
  scrunched down behind furniture or inside a closet under some 
  clothes or behind boxes, under camouflage or foliage, or tucked 
  away in a shadow – not out in plain sight.
  This is a completely defensive magic intended to hide and 
  protect, not to conduct espionage or breaking and entry. As long 
  as the Blessed and those hiding are trying to be quiet and re-
  main hidden, they will not be found! Miraculously, the sounds 
  of muffled whimpering, soft tears, heavy breathing, etc., are not 
  detected, nor is the scent of people, sweat, or blood; not even by 
  creatures with keen olfactory and audio senses. More amazing is 
  the fact that they cannot be seen via a crystal ball or searching 
  Elementals or Astral Beings while they are hunkered down and 
  hiding. However, the moment they leave their hiding place to 
  make a run for it, or to attack, the divine concealment is broken 
  and they can be detected by hunters nearby.
  The Blessed individual also has incredible luck choosing the 
  safest route and narrowly escaping danger and disaster, especial-
  ly when he is escorting or trying to rescue innocent people from 
  danger. Thus, he is likely to get all or most of the innocent people 
  across a bridge before it collapses or is washed out, or narrowly 
  escapes or avoids a rock or mudslide, gets out of a burning build-
  ing or crumbling ruin before it caves in, etc.
  61-62% Protection: Ward Off Supernatural Evil: This 
  Blessing makes the recipient something of a walking holy symbol 
  that is able to challenge and keep evil at bay. Limited to Lesser 
  Deevils and Demons, Wild Vampires and Lesser Entities such as 
  Poltergeists and Haunting Entities.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to notice when supernatu-
  ral evil is at work or threatening harm, has taken possession of 
  someone, and similar; impervious to the vampire’s bite (can be 
  slain, but not turned into a vampire) and its powers to charm and 
  hypnotize, +2 save vs all types of other charm attacks, curses, and 
  possession.
  Skills and Abilities (special): Lore: Demons & Monsters 80%, 
  the ability to intimidate and hold lesser supernatural evil at bay 
  80% – includes Lesser Deevils and Demons, Wild Vampires, 
  Poltergeists and Haunting Entities – by looking stern and tough 
  and commanding them to stay back and do no harm. Secondary 
  Vampires are wary and hesitant to attack this individual, almost 
  as if they can sense something special and dangerous about him, 
  but are not held at bay for long. This intimidation tactic to keep 
  lesser supernatural evil at bay like hungry but timid dogs may 
  also work on lesser Faerie Folk and timid or superstitious mon-
  sters and bandits, 45% chance. However, none of these beings are 
  held at bay if they are attacked by the individual or anyone near 
  him. The spell is broken.
  This Blessed individual is also able to create a Globe of Day-
  light (same as the spell) two times per 24 hours at no P.P.E. cost. 
  Each Globe has a maximum duration of one hour and can be can-
  celled at will.
  As usual, these skills and abilities are available for 7 days per 
  activation of this aspect of the Blessing.
  63-65% Rescuer: This Blessing provides stealth and cunning 
  to rescue and escape.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls that involve recognizing 
  when someone is in trouble and in need of rescuing, recogniz-
  ing avenues of escape and good timing to make an escape. Also 
  +2 to disarm and entangle, +1 to pull punch, and +10 to M.A. 
  attribute whenever trying to evoke friendliness, convincingness, 
  trust, intimidation, or bluffing in order to rescue someone. The 
  latter includes talking trouble away to avoid a fine, capture and 
  imprisonment on behalf of another, or to bluff his way into a 
  sheriff’s office, court, holding area, slave pen, or prison to help 
  break someone out.
  Skills: Detect Traps and Concealment 70%, Escape Artist 
  75%, and Pick Locks 65% for 7 days per activation.
  66-68% Safe Journey: The Blessed individual and those ac-
  companying him have good fortune in their travels even under 
  the worst conditions.
  Bonuses: +1 to dodge, +2 to roll with punch, fall or impact, 
  +1 to save vs poison, +3 to save vs disease, and +10% to save vs 
  coma and death.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Identify Plants & Fruits 70%, Land 
  Navigation 75%, Wilderness Survival 80%, and the ability to 
  somehow always seem to find the safest, least peril-filled path of 
  travel for 7 days per activation of this aspect of the Blessing. This 
  includes miraculously finding the way out of a burning build-
  
  65
  ing or forest, narrowly avoiding or successfully escaping a flash 
  flood or mudslide, landslide, avalanche, or earthquake, crossing 
  a bridge moments before it is washed out or collapses, managing 
  to escape the notice of bandits waiting in ambush or given a pass 
  by them (“I like you, move along.”), managing to sidestep a trap 
  or pit, and similar travel pitfalls.
  69-70% Sense Impurities: This Blessed individual is given 
  the gift to sense impurity and contamination.
  Bonuses: Impervious to disease, +3 to save vs poison, and +2 
  to save vs magical sickness, curses and Faerie Food.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Brewing 75%, Cook 70%, Use 
  & Recognize Poison 65%, and the ability to sense when food 
  and beverages might not be properly prepared and dangerous to 
  consume. Also knows when water might be contaminated or the 
  environment is not clean and unsuitable for habitation (dirty or 
  contaminated room, tent, bedding, wagon, supplies, tools, etc.), 
  and knows it is best for him and others to avoid it. (“I wouldn’t 
  eat that. The food is bad. Or has spoiled or been poisoned.”) This 
  includes knowing not to eat berries and plants that are poisonous 
  to people.
  71-73% Sharp Blades: The Blessed character’s blade weap-
  ons become magically polished and sharpened, and never get 
  dull. Moreover, in his hands they do damage to the magical and 
  supernatural, vampires, demons, etc., as if they were lesser magic 
  weapons (normal damage).
  Bonuses: +1 to strike, +2 to damage, and +1 to disarm when-
  ever any blade weapon is used, and the Blessed individual feels 
  confident when going into battle with a blade weapon.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Recognize Weapon Quality 70% 
  (+10% for blade weapons) and W.P. Paired Weapons but only 
  with blade weapons (if the character already has W.P. Paired 
  Weapons, substitute with W.P. Targeting/Throwing Weapons) 
  for 7 days per activation.
  74-76% Sharp Eye: This Blessing makes the individual alert 
  and notice details and clues concerning danger, ambush, and be-
  trayal, that others might miss. Applicable to all environments, on 
  the street, in the wild, in combat, and at play or relaxing.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to notice details and clues, +1 
  to dodge, +5% to skills that require vision and attention to detail 
  including Art, Detect Ambush, Detect Traps and Concealment, 
  Forgery, Intelligence, and Tracking skills.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Intelligence 75%, Surveillance/
  Tailing 70%, perfect close-range and distance vision, cannot be 
  blinded by sunlight, glare, or Blinding Flash, Nightvision 300 
  feet (91.4 m) for 7 days per activation.
  77-78% Spiritual Cleansing: This Blessing removes nega-
  tive energy, all non-deific curses, hexes, Possessing Entities/spir-
  its, or lasting spells intended to control, befuddle, or dominate the 
  individual, bringing the Blessed individual back to normal and 
  feeling positive.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize people and plac-
  es that are likely to be under a curse and locations where spirits, 
  ghosts, and demons may be present; +1 to save vs illusions and 
  mind control, +3 to save vs possession, impervious to the bite and 
  powers of vampires, and +2 to save vs magic cast by Witches, 
  Deevils and demons.
  Skill/Ability (special): Is able to instinctively cast Exorcism 
  and Turn Dead, equal to a 5th level spell as often as four times a 
  day for the seven day duration of a Blessing’s skill or ability be-
  ing granted and the Blessing activated. Moreover, Entities, ghosts 
  and spirits leave him alone unless he attacks them first.
  79-81% Stealth: The Blessed individual walks softly and 
  moves silently. He tends not to draw attention to himself except 
  when attention is warranted or desired.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls regarding noticing guards 
  and security measures, finding the quietest and/or least notice-
  able way in and out of a building or room, and the quietest and 
  least noticeable route of travel indoors and out, on the street or in 
  the wilderness.
  Skills/Ability (special): Unseen (similar to the Chameleon 
  spell) when hiding, motionless in shadow or among the cover 
  of thick foliage. Prowl 60%, Tracking but only the Counter-
  Tracking portion of the skill to cover his trail, follow parallel, 
  etc., 65%, and Surveillance/Tailing 70%.
  82-84% Strength of Body: The Blessed individual exhibits 
  strength and fortitude to withstand physical punishment and can-
  not be broken through work, fatigue, beatings, or torture. This 
  individual has courage of conviction and the fortitude to stand 
  strong to help others regardless of personal danger; fights to de-
  fend the innocent and battle evil, and always tries to do the right 
  thing.
  Bonuses: While the Blessing is in place, the individual en-
  joys an additional 20 S.D.C., is +3 to save vs disease, poison, gas 
  and fumes, +1 to save vs magical sickness or infirmity (Agony, 
  Blind, Mute, Paralysis, Sickness, Petrification, etc., as well as 
  Faerie Food and dangerous magic potions), but takes full dam-
  age from other types of magic and spells, +1 to save vs psionic 
  Bio-Manipulation, +1 to save vs possession, and +40% to save vs 
  coma and death.
  Skill/Ability (special): When the Blessed individual’s help is 
  needed, he exhibits a number of special capabilities.
  1. Can lift and carry twice what someone with his P.S. should 
  be capable of accomplishing.
  2. Can withstand the effect of fatigue through sheer force of 
  will. Lasts twice as long before fatigue begins to set in, and re-
  covers from fatigue in half the time.
  3. Can keep fighting or helping people – pulling people from 
  a burning or collapsed building, hauling needed supplies despite 
  injuries, hold a great weight regardless of injury or the strain on 
  his body, and similar. In fact, the Blessed individual is able to 
  suffer damage until Hit Points drop to 30 points below zero, at 
  which point he collapses. However, even then, the Blessed still 
  lives, though barely. Roll to survive vs coma and death with the 
  +40% bonus noted above.
  4. Incredible recovery: 1D6 Hit Points or S.D.C. (start with 
  Hit Points) per hour of rest and recuperation even when given 
  only the most basic and sparse medical treatment. Double the Hit 
  Points and S.D.C. recovered via magical (spell, priest, or potion) 
  or psionic healing, and recovers from injuries and coma in 10% 
  of the normal time with no negative side effects and minimal 
  scarring.
  85-87% Strength of Spirit: The recipient’s sense of right 
  and wrong, good and evil, cannot be swayed, corrupted, 
  bought, or dampened. The character is fair, honest, and com-
  passionate. This individual remains strong and true even un-
  der the most demoralizing conditions. No matter what, this 
  Blessed individual is a beacon of strength and hope for his 
  
  66
  teammates and anyone who hears him speak or witnesses his 
  strong character in action.
  Bonuses: While the Blessing is in place, increase M.A. attri-
  bute to 22 (or +4 to M.A., whichever has the greater effect to 
  evoke trust and intimidation), +1 to save vs Horror Factor and all 
  types of mind control (psionic, magical, drug induced, etc.), +2 
  to save vs possession, +4 to save vs insanity, and +15% to save 
  vs coma and death.
  Skill/Ability (special): Public Speaking 90% and the special 
  ability to bring hope and steadiness to those around him. When 
  morale is low and people are fearful or becoming despondent, 
  the Blessed individual can buoy their spirits and keep them from 
  giving up hope or deserting. Allies, friends, and people who rec-
  ognize this individual’s inner strength and goodness, and trust 
  the Blessed person, rally around and draw strength from him and 
  his words. This keeps them strong and from giving up for as long 
  as the Blessed individual stands with them, giving ALL a bonus 
  of +1 to save vs Horror Factor, mind control, possession, and 
  insanity!
  88-90% Strength of Will/Mental Fortitude: The Blessed 
  individual has emotional and mental strength to withstand adver-
  sity and cannot be broken mentally. This individual has courage 
  of conviction and will stand fast to help others regardless of per-
  sonal danger, fight for what he believes in, and to do the right 
  thing.
  Bonuses: +1 to save vs all psionic attacks and Horror Factor, 
  +2 to save vs illusions, +2 to save vs all types of mind control 
  (psionic, magical, drug induced, etc.), charm and domination 
  (magical or otherwise), +4 to save vs possession (all), +10 to save 
  vs insanity, and +30% to save vs coma and death.
  Skill/Ability (special): When the skills Interrogation Tech-
  niques or Seduction are used against the individual Blessed with 
  Strength of Will, they suffer a -50% penalty; and no matter what 
  anyone does to the Blessed (physical or psychological torture, 
  threats, intimidation, etc.), they cannot break his spirit or sense 
  of right and wrong, nor loosen his tongue to betray others or 
  reveal secrets. Generally speaking, this individual can NOT be 
  forced to do anything against his will and he will never betray, 
  kill, or do serious harm to a loved one, friend, ally, or innocent 
  person.
  91-92% Strength to Fight the Forces of Darkness: This 
  Blessing is more than brute strength and endurance, it includes 
  remaining brave, just, and honorable in the face of evil, and not 
  be corrupted by it, bend to it, or respond in kind with equal cru-
  elty.
  Bonuses: Fatigues at half the usual rate and recovers twice 
  as fast, recovers P.P.E. and I.S.P. in half the time, +2 to save 
  vs curses and possession, +1D6 to damage the forces of dark-
  ness, including demons, Deevils, dark gods, Witches, evil 
  Priests, Necromancers, vampires, the undead, the animated 
  dead, and creatures of magic and supernatural beings of evil 
  alignment. Note: If a mage, the damage bonus applies to 
  spells as well as physical attacks, and the magic user enjoys 
  a +10 P.P.E. bonus for the duration of the Blessing. Same for 
  psychics, but they get +10 I.S.P. The same for Clergy, but 
  they get +6 P.P.E., and a +7% bonus that their god will hear 
  and answer their prayers!
  Skills: Lore: Religion 80%, Lore: Demons & Monsters 75%, 
  and Lore: Magic 70% for 7 days per activation.
  93-95% Sure, Quick Hands: This is a Blessing request that 
  often comes from warriors, archers, thieves, assassins, and arti-
  sans.
  Bonuses: +1 to strike with thrown weapons or bow weapons 
  of any kind (short bow, long bow, crossbow, etc., as well as with 
  a sling) whenever such a weapon is used, and +1 attack per me-
  lee when using archery/firing arrows from a bow weapon of any 
  kind (short bow, long bow, crossbow, etc.), or sling, for the entire 
  melee round.
  In addition, the Blessed individual has sure, steady hands that 
  will not lose their grip, tremble, slip, or drop tools or objects. 
  This provides a +5% bonus to any skills that require nimble 
  fingers and dexterity of the hands, including such skills as Art, 
  Carpentry, Escape Artist, Forgery, General Repair, Play Musical 
  Instrument, Preserve Food, Skin & Prepare Animal Hides, Rope 
  Works, Sculpting, and all Medical, Rogue (other than Ventrilo-
  quism), and applicable Physical skills that require hand-eye coor-
  dination and dexterity.
  Skills/Abilities (special): General Repair 75%, Rope Works 
  70%, and Play Musical Instruments that require the use of the 
  fingers and hands at 65% for 7 days per activation.
  96-98% Wisdom about Life: The recipient of this Bless-
  ing is wise and compassionate. He or she is often able to tell 
  when it is time to take a stand, take action, or stand down, 
  and when it is best to yield or retreat, as well as determine 
  what is fair and what is not. Tends to keep his head even when 
  someone is trying to provoke him or his comrades to engage 
  in rash or violent action. Tends to consider the consequences 
  of his actions before taking them and does not sweat the little 
  things. Also tends to be kind, tolerant, and understanding, and 
  finds time to smell the roses and enjoy people and life’s small 
  pleasures.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize potential trou-
  ble and treachery from strangers, enemies, and many situations; 
  +1 to disarm and pull punch, and +1 to roll with punch, fall or 
  impact.
  Skill/Ability (special): Anthropology 75%, History 70%, Lit-
  eracy (all common languages) 65%, and can usually tell when 
  someone is trying to con/trick/cheat him or those around him 
  70% for 7 days per activation, as well as having a strong sense of 
  right and wrong, justice and fairness.
  99-00% Wisdom about the Supernatural: The Blessed indi-
  vidual has an eye for the presence of the supernatural, both good 
  and evil, and senses whether their words and promises can be 
  trusted or not.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize the presence and 
  the handiwork of supernatural forces: Deities, Spirits of Light, 
  Deevils, demons, ghosts and spirits, people who are possessed, 
  the foul magic of Witches, Demonic and Magical Familiars, 
  Necromancers, and Summoners, and is not frightened by them 
  or their minions, as well as the ability to tell when a supernatural 
  being means no serious or lasting harm, and when such beings 
  are angry and ready to attack or hurt someone. In addition, +1 to 
  save vs Horror Factor and insanity, +1 to save vs curses, and +2 
  to save vs possession.
  Skills: Lore: Demons and Monsters 80%, Lore: Religion 70%, 
  and Dowsing 65% for 7 days per activation.
  
  67
  Miraculous Blessings & Miracles
  Miraculous Blessings for Champions of the Gods
  on the deity’s behalf, such as the Restoration or Resurrection of 
  a hero or innocent, sending rain to nourish crops, stop and dispel 
  a violent storm, etc.
  The chance of a successful Miraculous Blessing being 
  granted varies as follows (and always at the Game Master’s dis-
  cretion):
  Remember, a Blessing from a god is a rare and precious gift. 
  Miracles and Miraculous Blessings are much rarer.
  Hero, Warrior, or Adventurer of Good Alignment: 2%; +5% if 
  on a quest or adventure acquired at the Garden of the Gods.
  Devotee or Worshiper of Good Alignment: 2%; +5% if on a 
  quest or adventure acquired at the Garden of the Gods.
  Priests: As listed under the Priest O.C.C. plus an additional 
  +7% to all prayers if on a quest or adventure specifically given 
  to the cleric by his deity or acquired at the Garden of the Gods.
  Champion of the Gods: A Champion’s prayer for a Miracle 
  on behalf of someone other than himself, or for an additional Mi-
  raculous Blessing on a temporary basis in order to destroy an 
  unspeakable evil or to perform a great good in the deity’s name, 
  has a better chance of being answered than most. 45%, +10% if 
  on a quest or adventure specifically given to the Champion by his 
  deity or acquired at the Garden of the Gods.
  Everyone Else: 1%; +4% if on a quest or adventure acquired 
  at the Garden of the Gods.
  Duration: The duration of a Miraculous Blessing or the fre-
  quency in which a special ability(s) may be accessed is found in 
  the description of each. Some are instant, while others last for 
  a short period. Which are which is usually pretty obvious and 
  understandable.
  Most people who receive a Miraculous Blessing either see an 
  instant result or possess the special ability(s) for one hour.
  Only Champions of the Gods may be able to perform the spe-
  cial ability one or more times per 24 hours for as long as they 
  faithfully serve that deity to the god’s expectations. See specific 
  Miraculous Blessings for details and limitations.
  Descriptions of Miracles
  and Miraculous Blessings
  Breathe without Air/Death Trance
  Crusader’s Armor
  Demon and Witch Slayer
  Divine Influencer
  Divine Exorcism
  Dragon Slayer
  Firebrand
  Immortality
  Impervious to Fatigue
  Impervious to Cold
  Impervious to Fire
  Impervious to Poison
  Impervious to Possession
  Impossible Save or Catch
  Impossible Shot/Strike
  A Miraculous Blessing granted to a Champion of the Gods 
  is two, sometimes three (usually as a reward after remarkable 
  service) of these high-powered Blessings which become a per-
  manent special ability the Champion can call upon on a regular, 
  though limited, basis. That miraculous feat or power(s) is typi-
  cally available once or a few times (as described in each descrip-
  tion) a day, for as long as the Champion of the Gods serves his 
  chosen, primary deity, faithfully, loyally, and to the best of his 
  ability. A Champion must keep the deity’s approval and favor to 
  be so Blessed. Should the Champion deeply or frequently disap-
  point the deity, fail to properly serve the god, or worst of all, defy 
  or betray the god or the god’s cause, he loses the god’s favor and 
  support. When this happens, the Miraculous Blessing and any 
  Blessing bestowed upon the failed Champion is stripped away in 
  an instant and without warning or fanfare. The Champion will in-
  stinctively know when and why a Miraculous Blessing has been 
  stripped away, though the reason should be quite obvious to him. 
  Winning back a god’s favor after losing it is no easy task, and 
  may be impossible depending upon the level of egregiousness or 
  hurtfulness.
  A Miracle. The Miraculous Blessings described below may 
  also be granted as a Miracle – meaning a miraculous answer to a 
  prayer. Such a Miracle may also be granted directly from a deity 
  or through an emissary such as a Priest or a Champion.
  A Miraculous Blessing may also be temporarily gifted to a 
  Priest, Druid, practitioner of magic, warrior, hero, devotee, wor-
  shiper, or just about anyone who touches the heart of the deity.
  Both types of Miracles are usually in direct response to a sin-
  cere and heartfelt prayer on behalf of someone else or a worthy 
  cause. If the god approves or endorses the cause, favors the re-
  cipient (or the person making the prayer), or if the Miracle is in 
  the deity’s best interest, especially if helps to stop, undermine, 
  or destroy a hated enemy or rival, or saves many lives, the god 
  may grant it or some other Miracle it may deem to be better or 
  more fitting. Note: Whether a Miracle or Blessing of any kind is 
  granted, regardless of how many may pray for it or how deserv-
  ing the recipient may be, is always left to the discretion of the 
  Game Master and the roll of the dice. It is a Miracle because it 
  comes from a divine source and is rare and often spectacular and 
  otherwise impossible.
  Unlike the Miraculous Blessings granted to a chosen Cham-
  pion (in effect an active sales representative and soldier of the 
  god), Miracles gifted upon all other people have a much shorter 
  life span. A duration of one hour or an immediate result are most 
  common.
  Miracles are rare and precious, so they are not handed out 
  causally nor frequently. They are usually granted or performed 
  as a response to an immediate crisis, a cause the god supports, or 
  as a reward for heroic service or sacrifice above and beyond the 
  call of duty. Whatever the circumstance, a Miraculous Blessing 
  (and most any Blessing) is typically designed to help with one 
  immediate or specific event, battle or crisis. Miracles, in particu-
  lar, often occur at a critical moment that should make a critical or 
  profound difference. In the alternative, as noted, it may also be 
  gifted as a reward or thank you for spectacular service or sacrifice 
  
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  Impossible Strength
  Iron Skin
  Light Bringer
  Lightning Bringer
  Magical Insight/Awareness
  Miraculous Bio-Regeneration
  Miraculous Fasting
  Miraculous Healing & Revitalization
  Miraculous Recovery
  Miraculous Restoration of I.S.P.
  Miraculous Restoration of P.P.E.
  Miraculous Saving Throw
  Miraculous Survival
  Phoenix Resurrection (Self)
  Protection from Dark Magic
  Rain Bringer
  Resurrection, Other
  Shield from Storms
  Spell Casting, Combat
  Spell Casting, Defense
  Spell Casting, Helpful
  Spell Casting, Stealth/Spy
  Supernatural Strength
  Breathe without Air/Death Trance: Like the spell, the re-
  cipient goes into a trance and appears to be dead to survive in 
  hostile and airless environments. This is really a stasis trance 
  in which the hero’s metabolic rate slows to a crawl. The re-
  cipient of this Miracle can breathe without air and survive 
  extreme cold, heat, smoke and other toxic conditions, even 
  being submerged underwater or exposed to deadly levels of 
  radiation or outer space without ill effect. The person in the 
  trance senses if he is about to be attacked or seriously harmed 
  (stabbed, beheaded, burned, etc.) and can choose to wake up 
  in a heartbeat, alert and ready for action. Note: There is a 15% 
  chance the recipient receives a new dream vision, instructions, 
  a nudge, or new information regarding his mission, or reaf-
  firmation from his deity if it is appropriate or needed. This is 
  automatic if the deity is the one who wants or needs to com-
  municate with the individual.
  Champions can perform this trance at will for a maximum of 
  24 hours per level of experience, lasting for as long as desired per 
  trance within that time frame. One hour per level of experience 
  for all other recipients of this Miracle.
  Crusader’s Armor: The recipient of this Miraculous Bless-
  ing sees his armor magically enhanced with 100 S.D.C. regard-
  less of the material, leather, chain, splint, plate, etc., and weight is 
  half the usual amount. But the most amazing aspect is that dam-
  age inflicted upon the armor is magically restored, making the ar-
  mor fully restored to its full S.D.C., polished, shining like it was 
  freshly forged and unscathed. There is one condition: the armor 
  must retain at least one S.D.C. point in order for it to be magi-
  cally restored. If reduced to zero or below, the Blessing comes 
  to an end.
  For a Champion of the Gods, damage inflicted upon the Cru-
  sader’s Armor is restored once every 48 hours, sooner if prayed 
  for and if the god responds to that prayer.
  For other people, the 100 S.D.C. bonus and light weight is put 
  in place immediately, and one magical restoration of the armor 
  automatically occurs when the restoration is most needed.
  Demon and Witch Slayer: The recipient of this Miraculous 
  Blessing is +1 to save vs possession, +3 to save vs the spells, 
  magic, and abilities of a Witch, and inflicts 2D6 extra damage 
  with attacks directed at Deevils, demons, vampires, other undead, 
  animated dead, Witches, and the Witch’s supernatural familiars 
  and minions. This applies to all such creatures, not just those 
  under the command of a Witch. The damage bonus applies to 
  any weapon(s) held in the Blessed individual’s hand, making it, 
  in effect, a Holy Weapon against such beings only, as well as 
  his bare-fisted punches, kicks, head butts, etc. Note: In Mega-
  Damage settings, the character inflicts M.D. damage to Witches 
  and supernatural evil, but not against mortals, dragons, or crea-
  tures of magic, unless they are a Witch. Witches are linked to 
  evil supernatural beings, making them vulnerable to miraculous 
  empowerment.
  Note: If the recipient of this Miraculous Blessing is a mage, 
  the damage bonus applies to spells as well as physical attacks, 
  and the magic user also enjoys a +20 P.P.E. bonus for the dura-
  tion of the Blessing. Same for psychics, but they get +20 I.S.P. 
  Same for Clergy, but they get +15 P.P.E., and a +10% bonus that 
  their god will hear and answer their prayers! The damage bonus is 
  only applicable against Witches and demonic forces of darkness.
  For a Champion of the Gods this is a constant ability, for oth-
  ers who receive this as a Miracle prayed for and received, dura-
  tion is one hour.
  Divine Influencer: This Miraculous Blessing gives the 
  Champion the gift of gab of a charismatic motivational speaker 
  or preacher whenever he speaks about his deity and tries to win 
  people over to follow the god he represents. This is the equivalent 
  of the Public Speaking skill at 90%, but the Blessing also gives 
  the Champion the ability to evoke trust and confidence in himself 
  and his deity, 80%. The result is that people whom he has rescued 
  or helped are inclined to praise the deity he champions, build a 
  shrine or temple in the deity’s name, and sing songs and tell tales 
  of how the Champion’s god helped save them, performed mir-
  acles, and how all should hail this divine and benevolent god. 
  Repeated acts of protection, rescue and charity are likely to get 
  a large number of the local population to begin to worship the 
  deity.
  This earns the Divine Influencer a +10% bonus to be heard by 
  his god whenever he seeks the deity’s guidance, help, blessing, 
  or a miracle, in prayer. A privilege most Influencers use wisely 
  and sparingly.
  For other people who are not a Champion of the Gods, this is a 
  Miracle that has been prayed for and provided for a limited time, 
  i.e. a particular speech, sermon, presentation, or event, seldom 
  lasting for more than one hour.
  Divine Exorcism: This Miracle is the answer to a prayer. It is 
  NOT an ability that can be performed any time by a Champion, 
  and is applicable to only one or two people at a time.
  A Divine Exorcism means it is an automatic success as the 
  possessed recipient of this Miraculous Blessing is touched by 
  a deity, forcing any and all Entities, spirits, demons, or other 
  being(s) from their body, including any unwanted splintered es-
  sence of another god or Alien Intelligence! The evil force(s) is 
  not only removed from the body and mind of its victim, but sent 
  back to the plane of existence from whence it originates, without 
  any chance of it possessing someone else upon exiting its victim. 
  In addition, the victim of the possession feels relieved and untar-
  
  69
  nished by the wicked and horrid thing that once possessed him; 
  no lasting insanity as a result of the experience. Moreover, the 
  person restored by this Miracle is +5 to save vs possession and 
  curses, and +1 to save vs mind control of any kind, for the next 
  year.
  Dragon Slayer: The recipient of this Miraculous Blessing is 
  impervious to the poison, eye beams, and breath attacks of drag-
  ons and inflicts 2D6 extra damage to dragons and other creatures 
  of magic, including Scarecrows, Sphinx, Mummy Immortalis, 
  Lizard Mages, Faerie Folk, Adram, etc. This bonus applies to 
  weapons held by the Blessed individual as well as his physical 
  attacks: punches, kicks, head butts, etc. Note: In Mega-Damage 
  settings the character inflicts M.D. to dragons and creatures of 
  magic, but his normal damage to mortals, demons, and super-
  natural beings.
  For a Champion of the Gods this is a constant special ability. 
  For others who receive this as a Miracle prayed for and received, 
  duration is one hour.
  Firebrand: The Champion can magically turn any weapon 
  held in his hand into a flaming weapon that inflicts an extra 1D6 
  damage to mortal opponents and an extra 2D6 damage to super-
  natural evil, wicked monsters, and creatures of magic. This is 
  done at will at no P.P.E. cost, and remains in place for as long as 
  the Champion requires it.
  For a Champion of the Gods, being a Firebrand is a constant 
  ability he can call upon at any time in the service of his deity.
  For others who receive this as a Miracle prayed for and re-
  ceived, the duration is one hour.
  Immortality (Conditional): Even if only a single hair re-
  mains in this world, the Champion completely regenerates and 
  returns to life within 1D4 hours after his death! Likewise, he is 
  impervious to disease, gas, fumes, poison, radiation, and even 
  magical sickness, but remains susceptible to curses, mind control, 
  illusions, and possession. In addition, the immortal heals at a rate 
  of 10 Hit Points per 8 hours, and when Hit Points are healed, 
  S.D.C. is restored at 15 points per 8 hours.
  This Miraculous Blessing is an exceedingly rare gift given to 
  only the greatest of Champions who have proven themselves, or 
  to someone in whom the deity sees great things. It is never grant-
  ed to kings or heads of state, politicians or church leaders. Should 
  a recipient of Immortality achieve such an esteemed position, the 
  Blessing comes to an end.
  In many cases, the recipient is not made aware of this gift until 
  he dies. And even after returning to life the first time or two, he 
  cannot be sure it wasn’t a one time Resurrection. Thus, most as-
  sume they can die the same as any normal person until after 3 or 
  4 deaths, or when they realizes they are aging at a tiny fraction 
  compared to those around them; every passing year is like one 
  month to them.
  As usual, the god who bequeathed the Blessing is the only one 
  who can take it away, and may do so at any time, for any reason. 
  Immortality is rescinded when the recipient of this great gift uses 
  it in a reckless, casual manner (life is precious and should never 
  be taken for granted), or tricks or betrays his god, or commits a 
  horrendous crime or disappoints the deity so badly the god cannot 
  find himself able to forgive, or feels he must punish the Blessed 
  individual.
  The end of Immortality may also come when the god has de-
  cided the Champion’s work is done, or the time has come for 
  the immortality to end for any number of reasons. Under these 
  circumstances, the god will let the Champion know that it has 
  either, a) removed the immortality so that he can finally grow 
  old as normal from this moment forward, and live out his life as 
  an ordinary mortal; or b) that his time has come and he will soon 
  die. The deity will either show the Champion his fate in a dream 
  or vision in which he sees himself lying dead or dying, or more 
  likely with people mourning over him, or celebrating his life after 
  his death; or the god may appear and speak to his Champion in 
  a dream or vision saying something like, “You have done well. I 
  am proud of you, but this shall be your last battle,” or “You will 
  soon join me when our enemy falls” or, “when the quest is fin-
  ished,” or “when the song of victory rings out,” etc. That said, the 
  god seldom reveals when, where, how, why, or by whose hands 
  the Champion shall meet his end. Only that the end is coming 
  soon and he should strive to die well. Note: Such a triumphant 
  life usually comes to an end after a victory, saving a life, defeat-
  ing a foe, or sacrificing his own life to save another or to save a 
  cause. If the Champion does not meet his fate heroically in battle, 
  he dies quietly and peacefully in his sleep.
  In this regard, Immortality as a Miraculous Blessing is con-
  ditional and limited because it comes with an expiration date. 
  For many humans and other beings with a human-like life span, 
  this Immortality Blessing lasts for 1D6x10+80 years from the 
  time it was bestowed. In some rare instances two or three time 
  longer. For long-lived species like Elves, the length of time is 
  1D4x100+300 years from the time is was bestowed. Remember, 
  however, the Immortality Blessing is conditional, so sometimes 
  it is not any longer than that of a human, and much shorter if the 
  recipient fails or betrays the god.
  Immortality is also sometimes bequeathed as a curse to punish 
  someone who must live through a tragedy when he would rather 
  die, and endure a long, sorrowful or challenging life. One of the 
  downsides of Immortality for anyone is watching everyone you 
  come to care about age and die, and the world change around 
  you, for better or worse. In some cases, death is allowed when the 
  victim has finally changed his ways, learned a life lesson such as 
  lasting humility and/or compassion for others, or attained enlight-
  enment or another high ideal that is difficult to attain in a single 
  lifetime; or when the deity decides he has suffered or endured 
  enough. Note: The longevity aspect of Immortality is most likely 
  applicable to an NPC (Non-Player Character) or villain, who has 
  existed for decades or centuries, and can make an excellent reoc-
  curring enemy.
  Impervious to Fatigue: The recipient of this Miraculous 
  Blessing can engage in heavy, relentless labor, combat, or other 
  activity without feeling the effects of fatigue for one hour per P.E. 
  attribute point, before he even starts to feel tired; seldom suffers 
  from physical exhaustion.
  For a Champion of the Gods this is a constant ability, for oth-
  ers who receive this as a Miracle prayed for and received, dura-
  tion is 18 hours.
  Impervious to Cold: Immune to cold, freezing rain, snow, 
  frostbite, hypothermia, snowblindness and hail; no damage. The 
  recipient of this Miraculous Blessing can sleep naked in the snow, 
  walk through a blizzard, swim through ice cold water, and handle 
  ice and snow without injury or discomfort. Magic weapons made 
  of ice inflict only 30% damage. However, while the cold, ice, and 
  snow cannot hurt the recipient of this Miraculous Blessing, being 
  
  70
  struck by falling debris, and impact damage from possibly being 
  slammed into trees, rocks, objects, or buildings when caught in 
  an avalanche still applies, but damage is 30% of normal. Being 
  caught in an avalanche and buried alive by it does no damage, 
  and the Blessed individual will miraculously survive and climb 
  out unscathed.
  For a Champion of the Gods this is a constant ability, for oth-
  ers who receive this as a Miracle prayed for and received, dura-
  tion is up to 72 hours. They feel cold but are not hurt by it.
  Impervious to Fire: Immune to heat, fire, smoke, and sul-
  fur, the Champion is able to pick up and handle burning hot em-
  bers, coals, burning wood, white hot metal, lava, boiling liquid, 
  etc., and can walk through a blazing inferno, molten rock, swim 
  through lava, and walk through magical flaming barriers without 
  harm. Magical flaming weapons inflict only 30% damage, and 
  he can drink boiling hot soup and beverages. However, while the 
  fire, heat, and smoke from a burning building or forest cannot 
  hurt the recipient of this Miraculous Blessing, being struck by 
  falling debris inflicts full damage.
  For a Champion of the Gods being impervious is a constant 
  ability, for others who receive this as a Miracle prayed for and 
  received, duration is one hour.
  Impervious to Poison: The Champion who gets this Miracu-
  lous Blessing is immune to poisons, venoms, toxic gases, and 
  infection from cuts or injury, and +1 to save vs magic potions and 
  Faerie Food. For a Champion, this Blessing is always “on.”
  For most others, this is a Miracle prayed for and received for 
  one hour of immunity, or to completely negate and cure a poison 
  already ingested or inflicted. The Miracle completely eliminates 
  the poison and immediately restores any Hit Points and S.D.C. 
  lost due to the poisoning or venom. The person feels completely 
  fine with no lingering side effects or penalties.
  Impervious to Possession: The Champion who gets this Mi-
  raculous Blessing cannot be possessed by any means and is +1 to 
  save vs curses and mind control (all). The Champion is constantly 
  closed off to the supernatural world, which also means he cannot 
  see, hear or communicate with ghosts, spirits, or Entities.
  For most others, this is a Miracle prayed for and received for 
  one hour of immunity, or to completely negate and cure a person 
  of possession similar to an Exorcism, except the possessing force 
  is pushed out and chased off, but not forced back to its originat-
  ing dimensional realm. It lingers and can search for a new victim. 
  Moreover, the victim may suffer from exhaustion and possible 
  insanity from the events of the possession.
  Impossible Save or Catch: The Champion is able to catch 
  an object or person who is thrown, dropped, falling, or needs to 
  be knocked or pulled out of harm’s way, as often as once per 24 
  hours. This includes a diving catch and tumble and roll without 
  injury to himself or to the person or animal he just saved/moved 
  out of harm’s way.
  For most others, this is a Miracle prayed for and received for 
  ONE important action to save or catch.
  Impossible Shot/Strike: Once per 24 hours, the Champion 
  can make an automatically successful strike that hits no matter 
  how difficult the attack or how small the target. This can be done 
  with a weapon in hand or a thrown weapon, or arrow shot, and 
  it inflicts double damage or does what the Champion intended, 
  e.g. disarmed an enemy, shot an object out of someone’s hand, 
  knocked an object out of reach, shattered a vial of poison or a po-
  tion, pinned an enemy’s sleeve, cloak or jacket to a chair, door, 
  tree, etc., and similar, once per 24 hours. The range is double 
  whatever is normal for that weapon or object. For example, 1,280 
  feet (390 m) for a long bow, 100 feet (30.5 m) for most hand-
  held weapons not designed for throwing (knife, sword, battle axe, 
  mace, club, staff, pole arm, etc.), 200 feet (61 m) for a spear, and 
  600 feet (183 m) for a javelin.
  For most others, this is a Miracle prayed for and received for 
  ONE important attack; double damage.
  Impossible Strength: Twice per 24 hours the Champion is 
  able to lift, carry, or pull 60 times the weight he can usually han-
  dle. Likewise, he can hold a door closed or object tight as if he 
  had a Supernatural P.S. of 50, and throw objects weighing less 
  than 500 pounds (225 kg) up to 600 feet (183 m), and objects 
  weighing as much as 2,000 pounds (900 kg) up to 60 feet (18.3 
  m). Moreover, he can match any opponent in a wrestling match, 
  even if the opponent has Supernatural P.S. greater than his own, 
  but he cannot best him, only equal him, unless he is the stronger 
  of the two.
  Duration: For Champions it is 10 minutes per P.E. attribute 
  point. For other people, one hour total.
  Iron Skin: Natural A.R. 17, +30 Hit Points, +100 S.D.C., in 
  addition to the Champion’s usual H.P. and S.D.C. points, which 
  means he can fight in light armor, or with little or no armor if 
  he so chooses. Wearing conventional armor only provides more 
  protection. Lost Hit Points and S.D.C. recover at the rate of 10 
  points per hour. Moreover, once per 24 hours the Champion can 
  instantly rejuvenate, restoring ALL Hit Points and half of his 
  S.D.C., and feel rested, not fatigued in the least. A Fatal Flaw: 
  The Champion also has a small weak spot – an Achilles’ Heel 
  – that has no armor protection and when struck, suffers double 
  damage, plus a 10% chance of stunning the Champion. Stun 
  means reduce his melee attacks and combat bonuses by half for 
  1D4 melee rounds! Roll percentile to determine where the weak 
  spot is located, or pick one:
  01-10% Back of the Head.
  11-20% Temple on the Side of the Head.
  21-30% Ears.
  31-40% Chin.
  41-50% Elbow.
  51-60% Kidney Area.
  61-70% Small of the Back.
  71-80% Groin.
  81-90% Knee.
  91-00% Heel or Ankle.
  Duration: Constant for Champions, but for most people, this is 
  a Miracle prayed for and received for 1D6 hours.
  Light Bringer: The Champion can perform a Blinding Flash 
  and Globe of Daylight spell twice per 24 hours with no P.P.E. 
  cost. The effect and duration is equal to a spell cast by an 8th 
  level Wizard.
  In addition, the Champion cannot be blinded by light, and can 
  see in darkness as long as there is moonlight, stars in the sky, or 
  other source of ambient light available. Range of Sight: 800 feet 
  (244 m).
  Moreover, the Champion can fire a light blast as a signal or 
  as a focused beam of light (i.e. a laser beam), at will. The laser 
  blast inflicts 2D6 damage and has a range of 500 feet (152 m). 
  
  71
  Each light blast counts as one melee attack. +2 to strike with light 
  blast. Note: Because this is sunlight, the light blast inflicts double 
  damage direct to the Hit Points of vampires and most other beings 
  vulnerable to sunlight, triple damage to Shadow Beasts. More-
  over, when the Light Bringer is about to use his light blast, his 
  hands are bathed with a warm light as if a radiance is glowing 
  from inside his hands. Since his hands glow with the light of the 
  sun, his bare fist punches do 2D6 damage direct to Hit Points 
  of vampires and others vulnerable to sunlight, and a mere touch 
  does 1D6 damage. Holding out the glowing hand, open palm, 
  will hold Wild Vampires at bay, but only 10 feet (3 m) away, and 
  Secondary Vampires at 6 feet (1.8 m) away. The latter may screw 
  up the courage to charge and attack, but probably target people 
  other than the Light Bringer.
  For most people other than a Champion of the Gods, this is a 
  Miracle prayed for and received for 1D4 hours and usually for a 
  specific conflict or mission.
  Lightning Bringer: The recipient of this Miraculous Bless-
  ing is able to perform a Call Lightning spell once per 24 hours, 
  inflicting 1D6x10 damage (equal to a 10th level spell without 
  P.P.E. cost), up to 300 feet (91.4 m) away, and is himself imper-
  vious to electricity and lightning.
  In addition, the Champion can fire an electric bolt from his 
  hands. Damage: 3D6 damage per blast. Range: 120 feet (36.6 m). 
  Each bolt counts as one melee attack. +2 to strike with electric 
  bolts. Note: When he is about to fire an electric blast, his hands 
  crackle with a bluish-white light.
  As often as once per 7 days (4 times per month), a Champion 
  of the Gods is able to teleport to where lightning has struck, or 
  teleport to a location on the ground, on a ledge, rooftop, tree, etc., 
  below where a lightning flash has just appeared in the sky, but he 
  must be able to see the lightning flash to teleport there.
  For most people other than a Champion, this is a Miracle 
  prayed for which enables them to cast one Call Lightning (10th 
  Level power), one Lightning Teleport, and the abilities of imper-
  vious to electricity. They can also fire a 3D6 damage electrical 
  blast from their hands for a period of one hour; each blast counts 
  as one melee attack same as above.
  Magical Insight/Awareness: This Miraculous Blessing en-
  ables a Champion of the Gods to cast the following spells at no 
  P.P.E. cost, three times each per 24 hours: Eye of Thoth, Faerie 
  Speak, Heal Self, See the Invisible, See Wards, Sense Magic, 
  Sense Traps, and Tongues. Duration and power level is equal to 
  an eighth level spell.
  For most people, this is a Miracle prayed for and received for 
  one hour. Each listed spell can be cast once, or two of the spells 
  listed can be cast three times each.
  Miraculous Bio-Regeneration: 1D6 Hit Points or S.D.C. is 
  restored once every melee round, until the recipient is completely 
  healed to normal. For Champions of the Gods, Bio-Regeneration 
  is constantly in effect.
  For most people, however, this is a Miracle prayed for and 
  active for 1D4+1 hours.
  Miraculous Fasting: The recipient of this Miracle can go 
  without food or water for up to one day per P.E. attribute point; 2 
  days per P.E. point for Champions of the Gods. Remember, this 
  is a miraculous occurrence, so there are no ill effects nor discom-
  fort – no loss of Hit Points or S.D.C., no weakness, and no signs 
  of starvation. Even after many days, the individual feels hunger 
  on par with having skipped a meal, and remains perfectly healthy 
  and hydrated.
  Miraculous Healing and Revitalization of Another: This is 
  the gift of healing by touch given to a Champion of the Gods to 
  help others. One time per 24 hours the Champion can miraculous-
  ly heal and revitalize one person via prayer and laying of hands.
  Note: A Champion of the Gods may perform more than one 
  Miraculous Healing and Revitalization of Another in a 24 hour 
  period, but at the personal cost of 2 P.P.E. points and 10 of his 
  own Hit Points! P.P.E. and Hit Points sacrificed in this manner 
  do not begin to recover by any means until 24 hours have passed, 
  forcing the hero to function at a diminished capacity until that 24 
  hours has passed. The Champion’s P.P.E. and Hit Points spent 
  to heal another regenerate at a rate of 2 P.P.E. and 10 Hit Points 
  per each subsequent 24 hours. This miraculous healing cannot be 
  used to heal oneself, only others.
  When this miracle is bestowed upon a Priest, Shaman or 
  Psychic Healer in response to a prayer or requests for a miracle, 
  an instant Miraculous Healing and Revitalization takes place 
  upon the intended recipient of the healing. Clergy, Shaman and 
  Psychic Healers are able to heal one person per level of their ex-
  perience within a 24 hour period, or they may heal that number 
  all at the same time.
  In either situation, a Miraculous Healing and Revitalization 
  restores the strength and energy of the living, requiring the person 
  intended to be healed to have at least one Hit Point. The miracle 
  instantly negates poison and its symptoms (and penalties), cures 
  earthly illnesses (but not chronic disease like arthritis, cancer, 
  diabetes, and similar), stops bleeding, heals wounds, removes 
  fatigue, and all penalties and side effects associated with the ill-
  ness or injury. Half of the individual’s Hit Points and S.D.C. are 
  restored in an instant. The healed individual sits up feeling as fit 
  as a fiddle and ready for action. No scarring, no fatigue.
  Miraculous Recovery (Self or One Other): Once per 24 
  hours, the Champion of the Gods can will himself to be instantly 
  brought back up to full Hit Points and S.D.C., provided he has 
  not slipped to less than two Hit Points! This is usually done when 
  seriously beaten or injured and bleeding out. Most call upon it 
  when down to less than 15 Hit Points. Requires one full melee 
  round (15 seconds) of concentration and prayer, during which the 
  Champion cannot fight or engage in any other activity, not even 
  speak, except to mutter his prayer to his god. The Miraculous 
  Recovery is guaranteed as long as the Champion has his deity’s 
  favor and support. In the alternative, the Champion can put his 
  Miraculous Recovery on one other person of his choice.
  A Miraculous Recovery performed by a Priest, Monk, Sha-
  man, Prophet or other holy being on behalf of another person is 
  possible in answer to a prayer while kneeling at that person’s side 
  along with the laying of hands. 1D4 minutes of prayer is required 
  by the person doing the praying and asking for the Miracle (oth-
  ers may join in and also pray if they would like, but this one per-
  son is the main voice calling out to their god), and he must focus 
  on prayer and communing with his deity, nothing else. Chance of 
  success depends on the success ratio of the Priest, Shaman, etc., 
  communicating by prayer with his god.
  When the god responds and grants the Miracle, the recipient is 
  instantly restored to full S.D.C. and Hit Points, and feels strong 
  and ready to fight or engage in strenuous activity. Instantly re-
  
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  moves fatigue, cures illness and the effects of poison and elimi-
  nates their penalties and side effects, stops bleeding and heals 
  wounds.
  Miraculous Restoration of I.S.P.: All spent I.S.P. of one in-
  dividual is instantly regenerated to full, one time. This Miracle 
  is an answer to a prayer, with an instant result. The Miraculous 
  Restoration of I.S.P. can be for the person making the prayer, but 
  more often it is on the behalf of someone more deserving or ca-
  pable. Often a psychic who can make a difference in saving lives, 
  defeating an enemy, or furthering a cause. Whether a Champion 
  of a God or other person, this Miracle is only possible through 
  prayer and divine intervention.
  Miraculous Restoration of P.P.E.: All the spent P.P.E. of 
  one individual is instantly regenerated to full, one time. This 
  Miracle is an answer to a prayer, with an instant result. The Mi-
  raculous Restoration of P.P.E. can be for the person making the 
  prayer, but more often it is on the behalf of someone deserving or 
  capable. Often a magic practitioner who can make a difference in 
  saving lives, defeating an enemy, or furthering a cause. Whether 
  a Champion of a God or other person, this Miracle is only pos-
  sible through prayer and divine intervention.
  or falls off, the Death Blow or hanging fails. It may hurt and has 
  a 50% chance of knocking out the Champion or seem to kill the 
  Blessed individual, but he is fine, just stunned for 1D6 minutes 
  and suffers 1D6 damage direct to Hit Points.
  As a Miracle for someone other than a Champion, the prayer 
  must take place while the person is missing/buried, or first found 
  and seems to be dead or unconscious. If the prayer for the Miracle 
  is successful, the person awakens a few melee rounds later and is 
  okay, except for a few bumps and bruises.
  Phoenix Resurrection (Self): This is a Miraculous Bless-
  ing that is sometimes bestowed upon a Champion of the Gods, 
  a priest, or a very important person to the deity or his plans. In 
  fact, the Blessing is often put in place before the individual dies. 
  In most cases, the recipient does not know the Blessing is even 
  in place, as it is often a surprise gift or reward a god may bestow 
  upon those who greatly impress the deity, or as a reward for ex-
  ceptional service or personal sacrifice to the god or his cause. For 
  a heroic Champion of the Gods who has provided great service 
  and loyalty to his deity, this may be a third Miraculous Blessing, 
  which he may know nothing about.
  For most people, this is a one time Miracle not to be abused, 
  because it will not happen again.
  When the recipient of this great gift has died and is beyond 
  any form of medical or conventional magical recovery, the per-
  son rises within 1D6 minutes, completely whole and with 50% of 
  his Hit Points (the rest recover as normal), all of his S.D.C., and 
  feels fine, as if he has just awakened from a restful sleep. If the 
  person had been dismembered, cut into pieces, crushed, burned, 
  or otherwise horribly mangled or disfigured, the Blessed individ-
  ual rises, like the Phoenix, completely whole and healed as long 
  as the head survived and is mostly intact. There is no risk of an 
  insanity from the shock of dying, and the resurrected Champion 
  does not remember the shock or pain of dying.
  Also see Resurrection, Other.
  Protection from Dark Magic: The Miraculous Blessing 
  makes a Champion of the Gods +2 to save vs curses and dark 
  magic such as Witchcraft, Necromancy, Domination, Sickness, 
  Charm, Petrification, and Death spells, as well as any spells, po-
  tions, wards, circles, and Faerie Food cast or created by demons, 
  Deevils, dark gods, Old Ones, and other evil supernatural beings, 
  evil Faerie Folk, and other wicked creatures of magic. Further-
  more, the damage, duration and penalties/side effects of spells 
  cast by such wicked creatures are all half.
  For a Champion of the Gods, this Blessing is in place for as 
  long as he has the favor of his deity. For others this Miracle is 
  available only via prayer and when that prayer is answered, the 
  protection lasts for only 1D4+1 hours.
  Rain Bringer: The Blessed individual is given the gift to 
  summon beneficial rain sufficient to grow crops and to provide 
  good, pure drinking water for one growing season; reversing or 
  preventing drought without fear of flooding. In addition, the Rain 
  Bringer cannot drown, and electrical and lightning attacks do half 
  damage during the season of growth and rain. Whether a Cham-
  pion of the Gods or other person, this Miracle is only possible 
  through prayer and divine intervention.
  Resurrection, Other: A miraculous healing that not only re-
  stores the recipient to full Hit Points and S.D.C., but also reat-
  taches severed limbs, even a severed head, provided the severed 
  Miraculous Saving Throw: Once per 24 hours, the Cham-
  pion gets an automatically successful save vs any one thing (poi-
  son, magic, psionic attack, possession, etc.) or one miraculous 
  dodge, whenever he calls for it.
  For most people other than a Champion, however, this is a 
  Miracle prayed for and received for one specific battle or quest 
  and is one or maybe two saves total at a critical moment that ben-
  efits the cause or other people. In the alternative, the Miraculous 
  Blesssing may be bestowed as a reward for the recipient’s hard-
  fought efforts or sacrifice.
  Miraculous Survival: This Miraculous Blessing enables a 
  Champion of the Gods to miraculously survive something that 
  should have killed him: A fall from a great height, a building 
  collapsing on top of him, an earthquake, avalanche, mudslide, 
  rockslide, tidal wave, plague, poison, etc. He may be pinned and 
  trapped by debris, and need help being pulled from the rubble, 
  mud, or snow, but not only does he survive, he comes out of it 
  with only a few minor bruises and scratches. Likewise, he can 
  survive a Death Blow, hanging, or beheading; the blade shatters 
  
  73
  body parts are present and the recipient of this magic has not been 
  dead for more than 30 days. Requires the laying of hands by the 
  individual who is praying for this Miracle, usually with much 
  fanfare in the name of the deity granting the Miracle. Scarring 
  is minimal. Whether a Champion of the Gods or other person, 
  Resurrection, Other is only possible through prayer and divine 
  intervention.
  Shield from Storms: This Miracle provides protection from 
  all types of storms. Though the storm rages all around them, ev-
  eryone under the protection of this Miracle – one specific person, 
  a group, building, village, city, or an entire kingdom – is mi-
  raculously protected from the storm, high winds, lightning, hail, 
  snow, flooding, tidal surge, etc., and left unharmed. For them the 
  “storm” is a mild and harmless weather event.
  Whether called upon by a Champion of the Gods, a Priest, or 
  other, this Miracle is only possible through prayer and the grace 
  of a god.
  Spell Casting, Combat: A Champion of the Gods who is 
  NOT a practitioner of magic is able to manifest four offensive 
  spells once each per 24 hours, at no P.P.E. cost. The Champion 
  simply calls upon the spell and it happens, without knowledge of 
  magic or spell casting. The four spells can be selected from the 
  following, but once selected, those four spells cannot be changed.
  Spells Available for Selection: Befuddle, Blind, Blinding 
  Flash, Carpet of Adhesion, Cloud of Smoke, Energy Bolt, Fear, 
  Fire Ball, Fire Bolt, Fuel Flame, Globe of Daylight, Magic Net, 
  and Paralysis: Lesser.
  Spell Strength: Each is cast as if by a 6th level Wizard regard-
  less of the Champion’s own level of experience.
  When bestowed to a Champion of the Gods who is a practi-
  tioner of magic or Priest, the Blessed individual gets to select the 
  four spells as above, and cast them without expending his own 
  P.P.E. In addition, as often as once per 48 hours, the Wizard or 
  Priest Champion can pray for one additional combat spell from 
  Spell Invocations level 5-10 or Elemental Spells level 1-6, and 
  cast it without using up any of his own P.P.E. Plus the mage’s 
  own combat spells inflict an extra 1D6 damage.
  As a Miracle bestowed upon someone other than a Champion, 
  select four spells from the list, or one spell that is level 4-10, as 
  described above, but the one or four spells are available only for a 
  maximum of one hour per P.E. attribute point. If not used within 
  that time frame, the ability to cast these spells vanishes.
  Spell Casting, Defense: A Champion of the Gods who is 
  NOT a practitioner of magic is able to manifest four defensive 
  spells once each per 24 hours, at no P.P.E. cost. The Champion 
  simply calls upon the spell and it happens. He has no knowledge 
  of magic or spell casting. The four spells can be selected from the 
  following, but once selected, the four spells cannot be changed.
  Spells Available for Selection: Armor of Ithan, Breathe With-
  out Air, Chameleon, Death Trance, Energy Field, Impervious to 
  Fire, Impervious to Poison, Increase Weight, Mystic Alarm, Ne-
  gate Poison, Repel Animals, See Wards, Sense Traps, and Turn 
  Dead.
  Spell Strength: Each is cast as if by a 6th level Wizard.
  When bestowed to a Champion of the Gods who is a practi-
  tioner of magic or Priest, the Blessed individual gets to select the 
  four spells, as above, and cast them without expending his own 
  P.P.E. In addition, as often as once per 48 hours, the Wizard or 
  Priest Champion can pray for one additional defensive spell from 
  Spell Invocations level 5-10 or Elemental Spells level 1-6, and 
  cast it without using up any of his own P.P.E. Plus the duration of 
  the mage’s own defensive spells lasts 40% longer.
  As a Miracle bestowed upon someone other than a Champion, 
  select four spells from the list, or one spell greater than 4th level, 
  as described above, but the spells are available for only a maxi-
  mum of one hour per P.E. attribute point. If not used within that 
  time frame, the ability to cast these spells is gone.
  Spell Casting, Helpful: A Champion of the Gods who is NOT 
  a practitioner of magic is able to manifest four helpful, non-com-
  bat spells once each per 24 hours, at no P.P.E. cost. The Cham-
  pion simply calls upon the spell and it happens. He has no knowl-
  edge of magic or spell casting. The four spells can be selected 
  from the following, but once selected, the four spells cannot be 
  changed.
  Spells Available for Selection: Climb, Concealment, Cure Mi-
  nor Disorders, Decipher Magic, Extinguish Fire, Globe of Day-
  light, Ignite Fire, Mend Cloth, Negate Poison, Seal, See the Invis-
  ible, Swim as a Fish, and Weightlessness.
  Spell Strength: Each is cast as if by a 6th level Wizard.
  When bestowed to a Champion of the Gods who is a practi-
  tioner of magic or Priest, the Blessed individual gets to select the 
  four spells, as above, and cast them without expending his own 
  P.P.E. In addition, as often as once per 48 hours, the Wizard or 
  Priest Champion may pray for one additional helpful spell from 
  Spell Invocations level 5-10 or Elemental Spells level 1-6, and 
  cast it without using up any of his own P.P.E. Plus the duration of 
  his own helpful spells lasts 50% longer.
  As a Miracle bestowed upon someone other than a Champion, 
  select four spells from the list, or one spell greater than 4th level, 
  as described above, but the spells are available for only a maxi-
  mum of one hour per P.E. attribute point. If not used within that 
  time frame, the ability to cast these spells is gone.
  Spell Casting, Stealth/Spy: A Champion of the Gods who 
  is NOT a practitioner of magic is able to manifest four stealth 
  and spy related, non-combat spells once each per 24 hours, at no 
  P.P.E. cost. The Champion simply calls upon the spell and it hap-
  pens. He has no knowledge of magic or spell casting. The four 
  spells can be selected from the following, but once selected, the 
  four spells cannot be changed.
  Spells Available for Selection: Chameleon, Charismatic Aura, 
  Climb, Concealment, Detect Concealment, Escape, Fingers of 
  the Wind, Float in Air (no sound of footsteps or creaking floor 
  board, and leaves no footprints!), Invisibility: Simple, Levitation, 
  Multiple Image, See Aura, Shadow Meld and Weightlessness.
  Spell Strength: Each is cast as if by a 6th level Wizard.
  When bestowed to a Champion of the Gods who is a practi-
  tioner of magic or Priest, the Blessed individual gets to select the 
  four spells, as above, and cast them without expending his own 
  P.P.E. In addition, as often as once per 48 hours, the Wizard or 
  Priest Champion can pray for one additional stealth/concealment/
  spy spell from Spell Invocations level 5-10 or Elemental Spells 
  level 1-7, and cast it without using up any of his own P.P.E. Plus 
  his own spells have a longer range and duration; increase by 20%.
  As a Miracle bestowed upon someone other than a Champion, 
  select four spells from the list, or one spell greater than 4th level, 
  as described above, but the spells are available for only a maxi-
  mum of one hour per P.E. attribute point. If not used within that 
  time frame, the ability to cast the spells is gone.
  
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  Supernatural Strength: The Champion of the Gods is given 
  Supernatural Strength, not just for fighting but to work, build, 
  protect, and help others. This inhuman strength remains in place 
  for as long as the Champion keeps his deity’s favor. A Champion 
  gifted with Supernatural Strength is also +2 to Perception Rolls to 
  recognize when someone is physically spent, weak and in need of 
  help, and he fatigues at 10% the usual rate, recovers from fatigue 
  after only 20 minutes of rest, and is +20% to save vs coma and 
  death.
  While the blessing is in place, increase the Champion’s ev-
  eryday P.S. attribute to 25 (or +5 to P.S. if the P.S. is already 
  20 or greater). See page 17 of the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 
  2nd Edition, for damage, plus the Blessed individual is able to 
  throw weapons and objects 50% farther than normal, and can lift 
  and carry 50 times his P.S. attribute number in pounds. (P.S. 25 
  means he can lift and carry 1,250 pounds/562.5 kg, a P.S. 30 = 
  1,500 pounds/675 kg.)
  For most people other than a Champion, when this Miracle 
  is granted, it provides them with Supernatural Strength for 1D4 
  hours, and is usually provided at a critical moment in a battle or 
  to save lives, or help others. This may involve holding something 
  together, preventing a support beam from collapsing, holding the 
  castle gates closed (or open), smashing through a door or wall, 
  carrying people to safety, firefighting, building, etc., as well as 
  fighting.
  The Gods’ Place in the World
  Fading and
  Forgotten Gods
  A resource for power and adventure
  Deities draw strength and power from within themselves, but 
  also from the worship, prayers, and sacrifices of their followers. 
  Without this lifeline from mortal worshipers, the gods weaken, 
  become forgotten and eventually fade away into oblivion. How 
  many hundreds of thousands or millions or billions of years that 
  may take is not information the gods share with mortals. Such a 
  lonely existence as an unrecognized spark or fading shadow of 
  their former selves must be an unpleasant ordeal for deific beings.
  With worshipers gone and the deity becoming forgotten in the 
  mortal realm, their power and omnipotence fade, and even see-
  ing into the mortal realm becomes difficult and foggy, almost as 
  if developing cosmic deafness and cataracts. In time, the deity’s 
  essence and influence becomes limited to only the few remaining 
  statues and shrines that represent them. A last fingerprint connect-
  ing them to the mortal realm. The spoken word of their exploits 
  and mythology also maintains a connection to the mortal realm, 
  as do songs and prayers, but the old stories, songs, and myths are 
  usually among the first things to go as people forget about a deity 
  and have no reason to call his/her name, pray to him or care in 
  any way. Some gods have existed as mere flickers around their 
  statue in the Garden of the Gods for fifty or sixty thousand years, 
  and there are lost statues and gods that could be older.
  However, even the most archaic god can return to full life, 
  if rediscovered and re-energized through the belief, prayer, and 
  worship from mortals. The trick to rebirth for any deity is finding 
  a way to attract new followers to sing his or her praises and to 
  get more and more people to join in their acknowledgment of the 
  deity via prayer, songs, and worship. The more worshipers there 
  are, the stronger and healthier the deity.
  The Return of a God
  Every time a fading or mostly forgotten deity’s name is men-
  tioned, it is like a tiny energy jolt. Every prayer or song a wel-
  comed and encouraging voice off in the distance. The more wor-
  shipers, the louder and closer the voices become and the greater 
  the life-giving energy. Until, finally, the prayers of the many 
  sound like a choir singing with a full orchestra playing just for 
  him and/or the god’s entire pantheon.
  The deities who have statues in the Garden of the Gods are 
  connected to their edifice in a subdued existence beyond time and 
  nature. Each statue in the Garden is an earthly conduit to the deity 
  it represents. Many of the popular and widely worshiped gods are 
  so powerful that they see and hear the mortal world around them 
  whenever and wherever they desire, ranging far and wide with 
  their disembodied perspective. Others are not so fortunate. They 
  are weak for lack of worshipers or have been forgotten over the 
  passage of time. They can only behold that which happens direct-
  ly around their physical representation in the mortal world such 
  as a statue, shrine, temple, or church in their name or the name of 
  the pantheon of which they are a member. Such fading and by-
  gone deities are closeted-in with their own thoughts and musings 
  in a kind of mystical solitary confinement that can slowly drive 
  some gods mad over many millennia. Other deities find resolve or 
  a new purpose, and try to reach out and find their way back to the 
  realm of mortals through gathering recognition and worshipers.
  It is the belief, faith, love, and prayers of mortals that gives a 
  god a connection to a particular planet and its people. When that 
  link becomes too thin and tenuous, the deity fades from existence 
  on that world. Over time, the god may be become completely 
  powerless and unable to effect change or have any influence in 
  that world whatsoever. This means no contact with mortals, no 
  delivering of visions or prophetic dreams, and certainly no mir-
  acles, no divine interventions, or direct appearances in person.
  Certain magical places (i.e. locations with high levels of 
  P.P.E.) may be the exception, but even there the deity is probably 
  nearly powerless. A place like the Garden of the Gods is yet 
  another rare exception, because it’s not magical, it is divine. The 
  presence and influence of so many gods makes the fabled Garden 
  something truly rare and unique. The statues of the gods, known 
  and unknown, are a powerful, and in some cases, last link to that 
  mortal realm.
  The statues in the Garden of the Gods are one way for a 
  fading or forgotten deity to stay connected to the mortal realm 
  and try to recruit new Champions, priests, and worshipers. Here, 
  
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  76
  even forgotten gods still have a tenuous link to the mortal realm. 
  This is true even if their statue is overgrown and hidden with 
  vegetation, or deteriorated and damaged by the passage of time 
  and loss of worshipers. These lost gods are able to hear prayers 
  and conversations and see what is happening around their stat-
  ues, especially when their name is invoked, or the conversation or 
  prayer is leveled directly at them, or is about them. It is the only 
  way these deities can glean news about the present world. For 
  those still lost in the Primeva, it may have been years, decades, or 
  centuries since the weak, forgotten deity has been able to glimpse 
  the world of mortals, or to converse with anyone other than the 
  Garden’s birds and squirrels.
  Being Remembered and
  Rebirth into the Modern World
  Scholars and theologians have many different theories about 
  the nature of the gods’ nether-existence within the Garden, but 
  most agree that deities are so powerful even in what we would 
  consider to be death, a portion of that god’s being remains as an 
  echo or reflection somewhere in the Megaverse, perhaps forever. 
  A tiny spark of divine essence that lingers like a firefly or hot 
  ember that is all that remains from a once brilliant fire, waiting to 
  be rekindled, drifting through the night.
  The Garden of the Gods is a place where that divine spark 
  finds its way and lingers at its statue. A place where disem-
  powered gods lost and forgotten over the ages find themselves 
  slowly drawn toward its inevitable pull. A pseudo-existence in 
  the world of mortals where they can funnel a bit of divine energy 
  to touch the people who visit and stop to look upon their visage. 
  For most people, that “touch” may be nothing more than a feel-
  ing of serenity, inspiration, or a spark of an idea. Or it could be 
  a sense of reassurance that they are on the right path or need to 
  change their ways.
  Other times, the deity may be able to reach out and touch a 
  visitor in a more profound manner, giving the individual a sud-
  den epiphany, vision, or dream quest. Any of which can begin to 
  rekindle the deity’s place in the world of mortals by inspiring the 
  right person. Someone who acknowledges the deity and carries 
  that god’s memory and good will with him beyond the Garden. 
  Better yet, if that person continues to call upon the deity for guid-
  ance and inspiration, tells others about the god, and encourages 
  them to do likewise.
  Forgotten gods are desperate to stop slipping away into obliv-
  ion, so they muster what energy they can to find a way back into 
  the hearts and minds of people. Eager to be recognized and wor-
  shiped once again, these lost gods are the most likely to reach out 
  in a noticeable way and to search for a Champion of the Gods. 
  To those few, but special people, the lost gods may communi-
  cate through signs and omens, dreams and visions. They may 
  go so far as to give a hero, Champion, or someone they believe 
  has a special destiny, a Blessing, or provide an artifact or a Holy 
  Weapon for a holy quest – or more likely the knowledge of where 
  to find such a treasure. The Fading and Forgotten gods are also 
  more likely to respond to the prayers of their Champions, Priests, 
  and newly recruited worshipers in a time of need, especially if 
  it advances the deity’s own agenda or it will help to rekindle his 
  memory in the hearts and minds of mortals. Unless there is some-
  one telling people myths and legends about the deity, and singing 
  his praises in story, poems, and songs, it is nearly impossible to 
  recruit new followers or remind the world of his existence.
  The only way for a deity or a pantheon of gods to be reborn in 
  the realm of mortals is for that being to be rediscovered, acknowl-
  edged and worshiped by the people of that world. And not by a 
  small group of people, but tens of thousands or millions, or bil-
  lions are even better. The challenge becomes how is that possible 
  when a god is already forgotten, or worshiped by a tiny handful 
  of devotees. It is a feat made all the more difficult in a world 
  where technology is primitive and communication is mainly lim-
  ited to word of mouth. Difficult, but not impossible.
  This is where a Champion of the Gods comes into play. A 
  Forgotten god needs a hero to do great things in his name and 
  to shout his name for all to hear. A traveling salesman to spread 
  the word and display great feats of heroism and the miraculous 
  so that people are wowed and seek to learn more about the deity 
  who, through his Champion, has come to help them.
  Champion of the Gods
  You might think priests and the building of shrines and tem-
  ples would be the first step in establishing a base of followers 
  for a forgotten god. Sometimes that is the case, and sometimes 
  it works. However, more often than not, a god or pantheon of 
  Fading or Forgotten gods needs one or more Champions to lead 
  the charge.
  Champions of the Gods are part super-hero, part salesman, 
  and part showman. A valiant and flamboyant heroic (or villain-
  ous) messenger who battles evil (or good), slays monsters, and 
  performs with flare and much fanfare in the name of his deity 
  – the god he champions. A god who, in return for being its van-
  guard and voice in the world, bestows the Champion with Mi-
  raculous Blessings to empower and impress.
  Make no mistake, while a Champion of the Gods may promote 
  and shout the name of his patron deity from the rooftops, tell 
  stories of adventure and the miraculous at every turn, and may 
  even perform miracles, he is a showman, not prophet or priest. 
  In fact, most Champions of the Gods are not clergy nor religious, 
  and sometimes are not enlightened, or kind, or merciful, at least, 
  not at first. Rather they tend to be warriors and want-to-be world 
  builders who use their swords and wits to slay monsters, right 
  wrongs, and make the world a safer place to live. Many are war-
  riors and adventurers from ignoble beginnings, and even ruffians 
  and scoundrels out for personal wealth and glory, but possess a 
  heart of gold or hidden potential for goodness or greatness (or 
  redemption) that the deity can see or sense, and seeks to unlock. 
  And so, he empowers and inspires and challenges the would-be 
  heroes to rise to their potential and make the world a better place 
  in the deity’s name. More than that, to shout the god’s name and 
  sing the deity’s praises about the many great feats they accom-
  plish together. The deity cares not if his Champion does so from 
  
  77
  every street corner, rooftop, or tavern, as long has he promotes 
  and makes the Forgotten god known to others. The Champion’s 
  job is to serve as the god’s advocate and PR guy with the express 
  purpose of winning over an ever-growing legion of worshipers.
  For many a Paladin, Knight, or adventurer, to win the support 
  and Miraculous Blessings of any god is the stuff of dreams and 
  could make them legends. The promise of fame and glory, not to 
  mention power, is motivation enough to accept the challenge of 
  becoming the herald for a god. Meek and humble, yet unrealized 
  heroes are likely motivated from the beginning with good inten-
  tions and a desire to do good. For these modest heroes to have a 
  deity ask of them to serve as Champion is an honor beyond imag-
  ination, and one that cannot be denied. In blind arrogance, rogues 
  and scoundrels serving a god of good intentions are likely to think 
  they are so clever and canny that they have pulled the wool over 
  a deity’s eyes, and are happy to take advantage of a foolish god 
  willing to empower them. Never suspecting that it is the god who 
  is playing them, or sees more to the ignoble mercenary, thief, or 
  assassin than they have ever seen in themselves.
  Showmanship and spectacle is required of the Champions of 
  the Gods. Slaying an evil dragon, hunting a coven of Witches, 
  destroying demons, rescuing fair maidens, protecting women and 
  children or entire villages, stopping power-mad Wizards, build-
  ing an orphanage or temple, righting wrongs, and defending the 
  innocent are all the stuff of songs and stories that last for genera-
  tions. Songs and stories that are told and retold, over and over 
  again, and spread across the land attracting attention to the deity 
  and his or her great Champion, first as exciting gossip, then as 
  songs and stories, and eventually, with any luck, into the storied 
  history of the god or pantheon of gods of a growing church and 
  its devoted followers.
  These exploits may make such heroes famous, but being a 
  Champion of the Gods is not about the herald garnering fame and 
  glory, it is about drawing attention and praise to the god he serves 
  and represents. To win the deity’s ever increasing attention and 
  a growing number of worshipers. Each new spectacle generating 
  more songs and stories to be told. And the more they are told and 
  spread far and wide, the more weight they carry. People impressed 
  by the miraculous feats and grand adventures may start praying 
  to that god themselves, even if they have no firsthand knowledge 
  of the events told. The more people talk about, and begin praying 
  to, the god, the more likely a base of believers begin to worship 
  that deity (or pantheon of deities) on a regular basis. This is likely 
  to generate a belief system and mythology that takes on a life of 
  its own. In the vernacular of today, the Champion is a networker 
  who helps the god to go viral, and overnight (really a matter of 
  years or decades), that lost god is rediscovered and reborn into 
  the world of mortals.
  The hardest part is getting things started, but the next diffi-
  culty is keeping the momentum going. To keep attracting new 
  followers and to build upon the base. It is only when a loyal and 
  growing base of worshipers is established that shrines and statues 
  are built, dogma established, and priests and churches develop.
  It is the job of every Champion of the Gods to lead the way 
  and kick-start the process, and for priests and acolytes to keep the 
  faith and the god(s) alive in the hearts and minds of the people. 
  With additional preaching and work by priests and followers, 
  new worshipers are cultivated and more churches are established 
  and maintained. If a forgotten god is able to win over enough 
  worshipers, he/she is reborn. The more worshipers and greater 
  the belief in that god, the more powerful the deity becomes, and 
  the stronger his connection to that world. This fuels the deity and 
  his excited and dedicated followers who keep the momentum go-
  ing for generations, growing the deity’s power and influence in 
  that region.
  This is no easy task in a world where there are many pan-
  theons of popular gods and powerful, established churches. It is 
  hard to compete. Lost gods and old religions experiencing redis-
  covery and resurgence are likely to be methodically undermined 
  and viciously persecuted by the existing powers that be. Not by 
  the deities directly, but rather by their mortal followers. On most 
  worlds, church, politics, and power go hand in hand. The people 
  who have risen to power via a particular pantheon or church are 
  not going to share it easily, nor give it up without a fight. Compe-
  tition and rivalries between churches can get very ugly. Reputa-
  tions deliberately smeared, lies spread, scandals exploited, acts 
  of sabotage, theft, arson, extortion, and even murder deployed to 
  undermine and destroy upstart rivals, all to hold onto their own 
  power base.
  This is where Champions of the Gods may be deployed again, 
  though as a rule, Champions are only recruited to get things start-
  ed. Still, they can serve a purpose in maintaining allegiances to 
  a pantheon and to churches, especially during war, disaster, and 
  other challenging times. Gods and churches may need a Cham-
  pion to be their poster child and public relations guy at various 
  points in their existence.
  Becoming a Champion of the Gods
  – a way to empower any O.C.C.
  Becoming a Champion of the Gods can, in theory, happen to 
  anyone, however it is a rare privilege. One that comes with great 
  responsibility, danger, and true commitment, if not devotion, to a 
  specific god and perhaps others in the same pantheon.
  It is the deity who chooses his Champion, and approaches 
  him or her with the offer. Not that this stops an endless caval-
  cade of warriors and heroes who engage in courageous and noble 
  acts and make daily prayers offering their services to the gods in 
  hopes that such a great honor may one day fall upon them.
  When a deity offers a person the opportunity to become his 
  Champion, the individual is under no obligation to accept and 
  will not be punished for refusing. Intelligent and aware people 
  realize the position of Champion is as much a burden and a curse 
  as it is a blessing and an honor.
  The Vessel of a God
  First, the chosen mortal must understand that the deity 
  works through him. This means the person who accepts the hon-
  or of Champion of the Gods must open his heart to that deity in 
  order to receive the Miraculous Blessings. Powers that are meant 
  to help the Champion accomplish the important task placed be-
  fore him.
  This creates a lasting and powerful bond between the deity 
  and his Champion(s). A shared connection and purpose that en-
  ables the deity to see into his Champion’s heart. Some see simi-
  larities to the bond that is established between a Witch and her 
  evil supernatural master. However, there is no pact, just a sincere 
  and genuine promise and commitment to serve and promote that 
  deity and his causes. A commitment the Champion may walk 
  
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  79
  away from at any time, though many find that to be difficult. And 
  though some Champions eventually retire and live out the rest of 
  their life as an ordinary person, most meet their end in the line of 
  duty at the hand of a villain or monster.
  The words and actions of a Champion must be sincere in 
  order to keep a god’s favor. Lip service is not enough for a 
  Champion of the Gods to receive favor and blessings from 
  his god or pantheon. He must be active and sincere. HALF of 
  his earnings, for many Champions two thirds, are invested in 
  promoting the deity he has chosen to champion. That means 
  feeding the poor (“This feast comes from god X”), defending 
  the weak and innocent (“In the name of god X I shall protect 
  you”), righting injustice (“God X has sent me to bring you 
  justice”), and so on. This may include paying for the building 
  of statues, shrines, orphanages, hospitals, and defenses, while 
  encouraging people to pray to and acknowledge his deity or 
  the pantheon of gods. If these things are not done on a con-
  stant basis, and the Champion loses favor from his god, the 
  Blessings and connection with the deity may stop. Likewise, 
  over time, or when the appreciative but fickle deity feels he no 
  longer needs his Champion, such favor may come to an end, 
  leaving the Champion to fend for himself without divine guid-
  ance or the powers of a god to back him.
  Commitment to Duty
  Second, the Champion must be truly committed to the god 
  he serves. As described above, the Champion of the Gods is re-
  sponsible for great deeds in the name of the deity who has chosen 
  and blessed him. Not only that, but he becomes a living repre-
  sentative of that deity and his pantheon. The Champion’s job is 
  to make the deity look good, to spread positive word about the 
  deity, and to win over converts and worshipers. Failure to make 
  this a priority in the Champion’s life or hurting the deity’s repu-
  tation shall see the Blessings removed and the title of Champion 
  revoked.
  It is important to understand that Champions of the Gods, 
  though pitchmen and representatives of the deity, are NOT 
  priests, shamans, prophets, or acolytes, though any of those 
  could, in theory, become a Champion. Champions of the Gods 
  may come from any walk of life and be any occupation. The posi-
  tion and responsibilities of the Champion make it most attractive 
  to, and often best suited for, men-at-arms and adventurers, but it 
  may be a practitioner of magic, a psychic, a Ranger, a farmer, or 
  any profession or station, though seldom clergy as their calling 
  is different.
  The exact criteria for being chosen is known only to the gods, 
  and they vary considerably from deity to deity based on the gods’ 
  alignment, level of power, and purpose. Ultimately there is some 
  intangible quality or aspect of character that attracts a deity to a 
  potential Champion. A yearning and sincerity, perhaps, that calls 
  out to the deity louder and more vibrantly than the multitude of 
  others seeking divine favor. Being a Paladin or a hero, good and 
  brave, is not enough.
  In some instances, the Champion has already proven himself 
  to be noble and heroic when he gets the call. Said individual 
  or small group of heroes has managed to capture the attention 
  of the deity via his, her, or their devotion, tireless promotion 
  of the deity, and impressive deeds they do in the deity’s name. 
  Deeds that inspire stories and songs of praise for that god. As 
  a result, the deity decides to make one or a few members of 
  the group his Champions, the others their heroic companions or 
  entourage. However, if such an individual or group is already 
  doing the deity’s work, the god doesn’t need to empower any of 
  them to become an “official” Champion of the Gods, unless the 
  deity believes by doing so he/she/they would be an even greater 
  advocate and asset.
  In other cases, the individual or small group is recruited by 
  the deity via a vision, dream, or physical appearance by the deity. 
  (If a small group or team of adventurers, all may have the same 
  vision, dream, or visitation.) Regardless of the manner in which 
  the deity communicates, the person is able to accept or decline 
  without negative consequences.
  As soon as the chosen candidate accepts becoming a Cham-
  pion, he automatically understands that he is the deity’s hand 
  and responsible for doing great things in the god’s name. As 
  well as becoming a relentless promoter of that god. From that 
  moment on, everything the hero does is done in the name of that 
  particular god or pantheon. Triumph in battle and good fortune 
  is by the grace of the deity. Defeat and misfortune are a test 
  of the Champion’s mettle and commitment. Whenever evil or 
  injustice is uncovered, and wrongs righted, the Champion gives 
  credit to his deity and encourages everyone to give thanks to 
  the god with him. He is the vessel through which the deity does 
  good works, helps people, and delivers his message. Most im-
  portantly, such public acts of heroism are how the Champion 
  recruits people to follow the deity or pantheon he represents. 
  (Of course, in the case of Champions serving dark gods, this 
  may start with acts of heroism, but is likely to turn manipulative 
  and corrupt, even fear-inducing over time, like gangsters taking 
  over a town.)
  The Champion of the Gods may be one lone individual, or one 
  person within a larger group, or an entire, small group of adven-
  turers who are all Champions of the same god/pantheon, though 
  such a group is seldom more than 8-12 people. It should be noted 
  that most Champions do not insist that every member of their 
  team or family believe in the deity he champions. It would be nice 
  if they at least acknowledged his god along with their own, but it 
  is not a requirement. The Champion simply takes it as part of his 
  mission to win them over to his god’s side over time through his 
  good example and great feats.
  Some established and cocky Champions conduct crusades and 
  quests and battle tyrants and monsters in the name of a particular 
  god or pantheon, but most are much more subtle about it. They 
  don’t make a public spectacle or give credit to the deity they 
  champion until after they have completed their quest or finished 
  a successful crusade. To make too much of a fuss before a cam-
  paign succeeds can lead to folly. A very public defeat can hurt 
  the deity’s reputation and turn away potential followers. Only 
  in certain triumph should a Champion praise the deity. Such ac-
  knowledgment and praise is also best delivered with humility, not 
  in boastful arrogance, as the latter has a habit of coming back to 
  haunt the Champion.
  When grateful people ask how they can repay the Champion 
  and his assembly of heroes for dethroning a tyrant, slaying mon-
  sters, or righting a terrible wrong, the Champion tells them to 
  raise a statue and pay homage to his god(s). He explains how 
  he could not have accomplished what he/they have done without 
  the blessing of his god. Of course, Champions often give their 
  deity(s) much more credit than the deity’s actual involvement 
  
  80
  may warrant. Seeing all good fortune as a blessing of that god 
  or pantheon. After all, the Champion is a dedicated front-man 
  and promoter for his deity, humbly asking the grateful people to 
  give thanks and praise to his god – the god who has saved them 
  all – and if they can, to build a shrine and praise the god or start a 
  church in the deity’s name.
  By giving the god or pantheon all the credit, declining re-
  ward or giving reward money to the community or the poor, 
  requesting only that those they have helped thank the deity 
  and praise his glory, the Champions of the Gods are creating 
  lasting goodwill and further spreading knowledge of their god 
  through their benevolent actions. Each great deed for which 
  a song or poem is written, or story recounted, names the god 
  whom the Champion serves. Moreover, the deity’s Champion 
  tells the people that they are now under the watchful eye of 
  said deity, and that if they continue to revere and worship the 
  god, they will remain under his or her protection and receive 
  more blessings. Something most grateful people are happy to 
  consider.
  As a rule, a Champion of the Gods does not demand people 
  give up the deities they may already worship, but to simply ac-
  knowledge the god who has delivered them, and if they can find 
  the place in their hearts to do so, to add the deity to the other gods 
  they revere. Of course, the Champion may gently point out that 
  these other gods were absent or powerless in this matter, where 
  his god was not. Inferring his deity is superior and more worthy 
  of their worship.
  The more impressive the Champion’s deed, the more likely 
  the people are to happily agree. However, many small good deeds 
  and acts of charity can be just as effective as a spectacular event. 
  “I give money to your orphanage in the name of god X.” “We will 
  help you rebuild your farm, your home, your town square, your 
  defensive wall, etc., in the name of god X.” And as he and his 
  teammates or hired hands rebuild, they speak of god X and all the 
  exploits and miraculous things god X has done for the Champion 
  and other believers.
  Such stories and myths are often exaggerated, but effective. 
  “It was only by the wisdom of god X that I came to your town.” 
  “God X gave me the strength (or insight, or endurance, etc.) to 
  save/rescue/protect your town, or to destroy evil so and so, etc.” 
  Depending on the Champion’s gift for gab and alignment, the 
  exaggerations may be quite extensive.
  “There I was traveling to the Old Kingdom, when the 
  heavens opened and the sun painted a golden path to your 
  town. I immediately knew this to be a sign from god X and 
  that your people were in dire need of deliverance from a 
  great evil. I followed the path of light to your village (town, 
  city, kingdom) where the moment I arrived I knew it was 
  my destiny to bring you liberation (or justice, peace, what-
  ever.)” And so on.
  All quite dramatic and entertaining. After all, this storyteller 
  is the hero who saved the day against impossible odds through 
  the divine intervention (whether real or imagined) of god X. He 
  is the triumphant hero, so why should they not believe him? Why 
  would he lie?
  This method of evangelizing is extremely powerful and effec-
  tive. People love exciting and dramatic stories, the more dramatic 
  and spectacular the better. (“Did you hear about – fill in the blank 
  – it’s unbelievable.” The reaction of most people is, “What? No. 
  Please tell us more about it.” Fantastic “real” stories sweep across 
  the countryside as fast as juicy gossip, and are told and retold. Of-
  ten becoming even more outrageous and overblown, and may be 
  told for generations if the event is truly unbelievable and miracu-
  lous, or saved hundreds or thousands of people. (“Remember the 
  time when god X sent the great hero So and So to save us from 
  villain Y, or monster Z?”) And as the tale is repeated, the name, 
  wisdom, mercy, and power of god X and his Champion gain more 
  awe and admiration.
  When combined with many such events by the same god at 
  the hand of his Champion and his teammates, people really take 
  notice and both god and man may become the stuff of myth and 
  legend that stands the test of time. In addition, the people who 
  hear these amazing stories, not just the people who lived through 
  them, are likely to start praying to that deity so that they too may 
  be liberated from evil, or tyranny, or whatever plight they suffer. 
  And if deliverance should come, whether it be by their own hand 
  and courage, or the intervention of an outsider(s), they are likely 
  to give that deity the credit, and all become worshipers. Ironi-
  cally, growing the god’s reputation and mythology, and attracting 
  more worshipers.
  A Target
  Lastly, a Champion of the Gods must realize that accepting 
  this position and title makes him the target of evildoers and ri-
  vals. The deity’s enemies and rivals become his enemies. The 
  deity’s history becomes part of his legacy. There is no escaping 
  it. Champions of the Gods have a target painted on their backs, 
  and there are plenty of ne’er-do-wells all too happy to take a shot 
  at it. The very nature of who the Champion is and what he rep-
  resents makes him the enemy of those who serve the forces of 
  darkness, and vice versa if a Champion of an evil god. There is 
  always someone looking to take the Champion down. Some hope 
  to make a name for themselves by slaying a great hero, crimi-
  nals and other villains may see the Champion as an obstruction 
  to their plans or goals that needs to be eliminated, while others 
  want to defeat or destroy the Champion as a service to their own 
  dark god or criminal organization, or out of revenge, or sense 
  of justice. Many villains, evil monsters, demons, henchmen, and 
  Priests of dark gods enjoy hunting and destroying Champions of 
  the Gods just to remove one more inspirational force of good 
  from the world (or vice versa). Just as there are demon slayers, 
  there are hero slayers.
  Champions of the Gods often serve a deity of good alignment, 
  but evil gods may also have their Dark Champions. Selfish and 
  evil cutthroats who seek power and glory, or like to hurt others, 
  or believe in the evil agenda of the deity they serve. As you might 
  imagine, Dark Champions and Champions of Light clash if for 
  no other reason than their beliefs are diametrically opposed. They 
  are the yin to the other’s yang, and always in opposition and con-
  flict with one another.
  In addition, there may be religious and political rivals who are 
  also out to undermine or destroy the Champion in order to pre-
  serve or further their own agenda. Kings, Lords, powerful mer-
  chants, warlords and criminals, as well as the leaders and priests 
  of rival religions, may see a Champion as a threat, rival, enemy, 
  or an obstacle to be removed.
  Being a Champion of the Gods comes with plenty of baggage 
  and danger. Yet, few turn down an offer directly from a deity and 
  that comes with blessings and superhuman powers.
  
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  Game Mechanics for the
  Champions of the Gods
  1. Anyone can, potentially, become a Champion of the 
  Gods. There is no O.C.C. restriction and the Champion is NOT 
  an O.C.C. in and of itself. Rather, Champion of the Gods – or 
  Champion of Light or Dark Champion – is a title and position that 
  comes with Blessings and the special abilities, bonuses, and skills 
  that accompany them.
  Though there are no O.C.C. restrictions, few members of the 
  clergy ever receive this honor. Most Champions seem to rise up 
  from the warrior and adventurer classes. Perhaps because the 
  very nature of the occupation requires courage, daring, risk tak-
  ing, a willingness to fight, and an understanding that a violent 
  death is a likely end. Only sometimes is a Champion of the Gods 
  a practitioner of magic, psychic, or other O.C.C., but ANY per-
  son of any occupation from peasant to nobleman to rogue, can 
  became a Champion should he or she win the attention and favor 
  of a god.
  2. Being a Champion of the Gods is not a free ride to pow-
  er, fame, and glory, and few ever amass a great fortune. Great 
  responsibility, sacrifices, and duty comes with the title and posi-
  tion. The fate of the vast majority of Champions is to die in the 
  line of duty.
  Fail to live up to those responsibilities and the god may not just 
  strip the person of his or her Blessings and cut-off all communi-
  cation with his ex-Champion, (the most common consequence), 
  but the deity may also punish him by seeing to it that trouble 
  and challenges plague him for the rest of his life or until he finds 
  his way back to the deity or destiny. Some deities, particularly 
  cruel and vengeful gods, may curse their former Champion. That 
  said, the gods understand their Champions may stumble, make 
  mistakes, and lose their way, and try to give them the chance to 
  correct mistakes and find themselves. Cutting them off, or worse, 
  only when the Champion seems hopelessly lost, betrays the de-
  ity or one of his causes, or no longer represents the deity and his 
  agenda. Also see Duration.
  3. Gifts from the gods. All Champions receive the following:
  ! Two Miraculous Blessings of choice.
  ! One Deific Blessing. This may be of choice or at the discretion 
  of the deity (i.e. the G.M.).
  ! Prayers heard: 40%, +10% if on a quest or adventure specifi-
  cally given to the Champion by his deity or acquired at the 
  Garden of the Gods. Remember that connection between the 
  Champion and the deity who has chosen him? This special re-
  lationship and favor has the benefit of the Champion’s prayers 
  being answered, including special one-time miracles, espe-
  cially when they are for a greater good and for the benefit of 
  others, or one of the deity’s causes.
  4. Duration of Service and Blessings: The length of time one 
  may serve as a Champion of the Gods varies greatly. It may be for 
  one specific quest, crusade, or military campaign, but it is more 
  likely an honor and responsibility that lasts many years, decades, 
  or a lifetime. Sometimes a prolonged lifetime.
  A Champion of the Gods earned the favor of a god either 
  through his or her deeds or because the deity recognizes the indi-
  vidual’s potential and wants to cultivate it while at the same time 
  furthering his or her own needs and agenda.
  A Deific Blessing or Miraculous Blessing may be granted to 
  anyone as a reward or thank you gift from a deity. Such Blessings 
  usually last for one use, or a limited time. Often a very limited 
  time of one hour, a few hours, a day, or a week.
  The Blessings bestowed upon a Champion of the Gods usu-
  ally last for as long as he manages to keep the deity’s favor and 
  his services as Champion are desired. That is usually years to a 
  lifetime. Champions are, as a general rule, people destined for 
  greatness and chose by a deity for that reason.
  Note: A Deific Blessing or Miraculous Blessing may be grant-
  ed to anyone as a reward or thank you gift from an appreciative or 
  moved deity. Such Blessings usually last for one use, or a limited 
  time. Often a very limited time of hour, a few hours, a day or one 
  week.
  The Blessings bestowed upon a Champion of the Gods lasts 
  for as long as he manages to keep the deity’s favor and his ser-
  vice as Champion are desired. That is usually years to a lifetime. 
  Champion are, as a general rule, people destined for greatness 
  and chosen by a deity for that reason.
  Random Methods & Quests
  to Help Restore Lost Gods
  There are events, relics, artifacts, and people that can help re-
  store a Fading or Forgotten deity. The random table that follows 
  provides a number of quests, challenges and opportunities that 
  can help to restore a god. Usually by attracting followers, de-
  stroying an enemy, or exacting justice or revenge.
  01-06% Quest – Discover a Lost Temple: There is a lost 
  shrine or temple out there, likely in the land where this god was 
  once worshiped. Probably a remote, sacred location or secret site 
  located in a hostile and dangerous land. In order to restore the 
  god, the temple must be found and a holy relic or artifact found 
  and returned to a particular church, the Garden, or other specific 
  location for all to see.
  In the alternative, the group may need to take an artifact or 
  relic to the lost shrine or temple and place it there on the altar or 
  in the hands of a statue, etc. In either case, this item is not magical 
  or worth money. However, it may be sacred or hold other signifi-
  cance to those who recognize it. For example, the local people 
  upon seeing it returned may immediately renew their worship of 
  the deity and/or the entire pantheon, and spread the word that 
  their beloved god has returned (or is trying to). In addition, the 
  player group may have had to defeat or destroy an evil mage, 
  monster, or other villain to make this possible, in the process lib-
  erating the town and enabling the people to worship freely – or 
  the heroes may still have to liberate them in order to complete 
  this quest.
  07-12% Quest – Find the Prophet: There is at least one true-
  believer out there who remembers and worships this god. The 
  players must find him or her and either bring the prophet back 
  to civilization or deliver to him a relic or message to get him to 
  believe again and spread the word with renewed faith and energy. 
  This prophet may have no idea of the importance attached to him-
  
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  self, and might need to be convinced of the role his god requires 
  him to play. Or is a political criminal who must be smuggled out 
  and escorted back to civilization because he is persecuted and 
  hunted for false crimes.
  13-18% Quest – From the Garden to the Church: A sacred 
  object, possibly part of the god’s statue or symbol or relic pro-
  vided by the deity (or they might need to recover it first), must be 
  taken to the center of worship for whichever religion or pantheon 
  the god was once a part of, or that which has taken his place. 
  This has important significance to the deity’s fading followers or 
  enemies.
  19-25% Quest – Recover Lost Knowledge: Teachings, 
  myths, and doctrine relating to this god have been lost to time. 
  They exist somewhere, however, in the form of forgotten scrolls, 
  books, or inscribed tablets. Once these are located and brought 
  to the deity’s remaining followers or to scholars and historians, 
  they will happily announce this great find and share these myths 
  with the public, making the lost god be spoken of once again, and 
  attracting worshipers.
  26-31% Quest – Recover Sacred Object(s): A holy object 
  associated with the deity must be found and returned to the Gar-
  den or some other location or a specific person, in order to help 
  restore this god. The object could be a Holy Weapon, symbolic 
  object, relic, an enchanted article of clothing, magic amulet, etc. 
  Whatever the item is, it is likely to be incredibly valuable (worth 
  2D6 million gold) and possibly revered as well, so whoever or 
  whatever is in possession of it is unlikely to easily part with it. 
  In addition, there will be plenty of brigands who will try to steal 
  or take it for themselves, so the Player Characters need to be pre-
  pared for plenty of intrigue and trouble on their return trip, espe-
  cially if rumors spread about what they have come looking for 
  and have in their possession.
  32-37% Quest – Reveal the Unbelievers: False teachings 
  have been spread throughout the remaining cults or church re-
  garding this deity, and blasphemers and heretics are now in key 
  positions of power to deny the deity his or her rightful place in 
  the heavenly order. Once this handful of priests are exposed and 
  removed, or killed, a proper balance of worship is restored, grad-
  ually bringing more people into the fold and jump-starting the 
  return of worshipers.
  38-43% Revenge Quest – Ancient Being: One or more old 
  foes or evil force, such as an elder dragon, Greater Demon or 
  Deevil, Sphinx or other mighty creature or group, was respon-
  sible for the downfall of this god or the destruction of the last 
  church or group of worshipers who believed in that god. They 
  (or perhaps their wicked followers) still exist. In order to allow 
  the deity to get a foothold in the world, those responsible must 
  be hunted down, one by one, and brought to justice or destroyed.
  44-50% Revenge Quest – Kingdom or City: A particular 
  kingdom or royal family played a pivotal role in undermining 
  this god, possibly by formally rejecting the god and forbidding 
  the people from worshiping the deity. They either put all statues, 
  shrines, and symbols into storage or tore them down and smashed 
  them to pieces. Then replaced the deity with another god or pan-
  theon, or Demon Lords. The descendants of that royal family 
  must be won back, perhaps through good deeds performed by the 
  Player Characters or by destroying an unspeakable evil, or other-
  wise made to reinstate the lost deity and the kingdom’s people en-
  couraged to once again celebrate and worship the god. This may 
  involve toppling the current regime and/or rival priest(s) pulling 
  the royals’ strings, and replacing them with followers who sup-
  port the old god.
  51-56% Revenge Quest – Pantheon or Religion: The pan-
  theon that once was family to this deity, or the religion that 
  worshiped him or her, turned their backs on the deity; similar to 
  #44-50%, above. To help restore this god’s place in the world, 
  that slight must be corrected, or avenged with attacks on the gods 
  themselves, the heads of the religion/church, or the descendants 
  of those responsible.
  57-63% Revenge – Race or Species: Like #44-50%, above, 
  the leaders or a particular clan/tribe of a single race either aban-
  doned or helped to destroy this god and/or churches and follow-
  ers in ages past. This might include their wiping out the people 
  who once worshiped the deity or toppling the god’s churches and 
  persecuting his or her followers. They must pay for the sins of 
  their ancestors in order for this god to rebuild his place in the 
  world.
  64-69% Revenge – Specific Deity: Another deity was re-
  sponsible for slaying or banishing this god into near oblivion, 
  and perhaps stole or caused the deity’s followers to switch their 
  allegiance to that other god. This may have involved lies and de-
  ception, threats and persecution, etc. Exacting revenge against 
  the deity’s hated adversary is required for the wronged god to find 
  his footing and return to the world of mortals. Of course, fighting 
  a god or Demon Lord is no small matter, but even the divine can 
  be brought to justice for their crimes. Involving other gods in the 
  matter may be the only realistic way to find a resolution, how-
  ever, or toppling his church and replacing it with their deity’s.
  70-75% Rescue: A prophet, priest, king, hero, or a seeming-
  ly ordinary person imprisoned and locked away in a dungeons, 
  chained, and condemned to hard labor, or sold into slavery. This 
  individual (or perhaps a small band of people) has some signifi-
  cance to the god and importance in the restoration of the deity, 
  and must be rescued!
  A prison break can be tricky when the prisoner is held captive 
  by the forces of evil, but can be even trickier if imprisoned by the 
  forces of good! In the latter case, the prisoner has, most likely, 
  been framed or falsely accused of wrongdoing, or is a victim of 
  mistaken identity. To free the falsely imprisoned individual, the 
  heroes may have to fight heroes, and if caught, would be impris-
  oned themselves. To avoid this, our heroes may need to get the 
  accuser/liar to recant the accusation, or to find the true perpetrator 
  and get him to confess, or find conclusive evidence to prove the 
  prisoner is innocent and get the authorities to set him free. This 
  can be made all the more difficult if the prisoner has powerful 
  enemies with influence in high places. A great service or heroic 
  deed, like saving the queen or prince, or the high priest, might 
  win a powerful ally who can provide amnesty for the prisoner or 
  can pull strings to get the prisoner release. However, if the pris-
  oner has enemies out to get him, released from captivity may only 
  make him or her a target for further skullduggery and attacks. 
  Perhaps deadly attacks. More intrigue and adventure ensues, be-
  cause the deity won’t be happy if the person is released only to 
  be slain. Good luck.
  76-81% Build It and They Will Come: The mission is to 
  find the many pieces of a statue, shrine, holy relic or artifacts, 
  or a collection of relics (stone tables, talismans, holy symbols, 
  bones, jewels, objects, books, scrolls, etc.), and put them back 
  together and restore them to where they belong, or to build a new 
  place for them to be publicly displayed (a shrine, temple, church, 
  
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  etc.). Of course, the pieces and objects have been scattered across 
  the world and lost or are in the hands of others not amenable to 
  turning them over; at least not for free. This would be rather like 
  the Knights-Fossar’s quest to find and restore the missing pieces 
  of the Titan statue, or finding the scattered body parts of Osiris.
  In the alternative, the heroes may be assigned to rebuild or 
  erect from scratch a new monolithic statue, shrine, temple, 
  church, etc., on the ruins of a similar place of prayer and worship. 
  One probably destroyed ages ago. This may require raising the 
  funds to buy the land, and hire the workers (or recruiting a suf-
  ficient number of new worshipers with the right skills) to build 
  what is needed.
  The situation may become complicated if a rival church, pow-
  erful merchant, noble, or group of people are opposed to the re-
  construction of the structure, or are opposed to the deity or his 
  religion, or the type of people who worship the god. This could 
  lead to all kinds of trouble to undermine construction: permit 
  problems, threats against the workers, sabotage, theft, destruc-
  tion, and so on. Or the site may be in a remote wilderness, and 
  building it seems foolish or pointless. However, if the characters 
  are true to the god and build it anyway, after it is built, people are 
  attracted to it like flies to honey. Its presence is an inspiration and 
  encourages worship.
  82-88% Restore a Person: An important person has been 
  toppled from a position of power, leadership, or place to do good. 
  This may be the rightful leader of the land, a knight, a noble 
  priest, a healer, a heroic protector, a peacekeeper, or anyone who 
  was devoted to helping people, preserve law and order, stand up 
  for what is right, and so on. A rival, enemy, cruel opportunist, or 
  the forces of evil have conspired to remove him from his place 
  of influence for their own foul agenda, be it revenge, power, or 
  profit. It is the job of the Champion and his allies to help restore 
  this individual to his rightful place or to help him find a new way 
  to help people and do good.
  This assignment gets more difficult if the forces continue to 
  work against them, or if the person’s spirit has been broken. The 
  individual may feel abandoned by his god and/or the people, de-
  feated and beaten (perhaps physically as well as metaphorically), 
  overwhelmed, lost to self-pity or depression, or be too afraid to 
  continue. Afraid not for himself, perhaps, but for those who fol-
  low him and who will be victimized and hurt by the forces against 
  them. The adventurer group must find a way to champion this 
  person, refuel his passion and commitment to continue his impor-
  tant work, and if required, to protect him and his people from the 
  forces working against them, or destroy those forces.
  89-91% Sacrifice a Rare Treasure: A difficult to obtain rare 
  and precious treasure trove, object, weapon, book, scroll, object 
  stolen from a deific realm, a rare alchemical substance, a relic, or 
  artifact must be found, acquired, and either destroyed, or more 
  likely offered up and given to the god who requested it in order 
  to help bring the deity back into the realm of mortals. The trea-
  sure may be a single powerful holy or magical object, or several 
  objects, and have symbolic power and/or great historical or reli-
  gious significance, in addition to sentimental and monetary value; 
  or could just be a huge quantity of gold or gems. Acquiring this 
  rare treasure may very well hurt or undermine a noble family, 
  leader, church, religion, city-state, rival, or enemy of the deity.
  92-94% Sacrifice a Rare Creature: An extremely rare and 
  valuable creature must be sacrificed to this god in order to 
  help power and restore the deity. Could be a dragon (hatchling 
  or adult), giant, Lizard Mage, Ki-Lin, Nymph or other rare 
  Faerie, Sphinx, Unicorn, Waternix, Za, Zavor, Angel-Demon 
  Serpent, Skreed or other rare monster from the Northern Hin-
  terlands or Land of the Damned, an angelic being such as a 
  Spirit of Light, and similar. Sometimes a specific creature 
  or person that is one of the last of its kind. Generally only a 
  requirement from an evil or selfish god, death god, vengeful 
  god, Demon Lord, and other foul deific beings, and those with 
  a unique moral perspective.
  95-96% Sacrifice a Specific Individual: Someone in particu-
  lar must be sacrificed to this god. This might be the high priest 
  of a church or religion, a king, queen, nobleman, chief, famous 
  hero, enemy, rival, or descendant of someone involved with the 
  god in ages past, or an innocent person designated by the deity. In 
  many cases, this is someone responsible for great harm or painful 
  betrayal.
  97-98% Sacrifice the Blood of the Innocent: Ritual Blood 
  Sacrifices are necessary to help power and restore this lost god. 
  To make matters worse, those offered up should, ideally be in-
  nocent of any serious wrongdoing. Generally only a requirement 
  from an evil or selfish god, death god, vengeful god, Demon 
  Lord, or deity from a distant time when worshipers frequently 
  gave their lives to grant power to their gods. This may be a quest 
  the Player Characters cannot accept, even if those to be sacrificed 
  are limited to one or more hated members of the monster races, 
  the people of a specific kingdom or race, or a rival band or church. 
  The deity requires a sacrifice of 1D6 people a week. Death cults 
  and worshipers of the dreaded Old Ones happily agree to this 
  bloody carnage.
  In the alternative for any of these Sacrifice options, the quest 
  may be to prevent the sacrifice by rescuing the intended victim 
  or by slaying the would-be sacrificer(s), probably a High Priest, 
  Witch, Necromancer, Summoner, etc.
  99-00% Sacrifice – Willing Victim: This god requires the 
  death of one specific person of significance (his or her Champion 
  or Priest, perhaps) or of sentient, living beings to be empowered 
  and restored, but there is a twist: the victim(s) must offer their 
  lives up to the god willingly! For some religions known for pro-
  ducing zealots, this process will be as easy as sharing the news 
  with the right people, but for most deities long lost to the world, 
  legions of fanatical followers are a thing of the past. One specific 
  individual or one willing sacrifice a month as part of an arcane 
  ritual of the past.
  Artifacts as a Reward
  or Gift from the Gods
  Most gods have enchanted artifacts, Holy Weapons, and mag-
  ic items associated with them. These are often weapons or tools 
  the god, himself, has used, or created in the past and given to 
  other Champions, kings, priests, or heroes. This also means the 
  item may be a part of the mythology that makes up the deity’s 
  background and have additional symbolization and meaning, 
  or historic significance. Sometimes the presence of the artifact 
  buoys spirits, inspires people to action, and can turn the tide in a 
  battle. Most, if not all of the god statue descriptions, elsewhere, 
  include one or more Artifacts of Note.
  Sometimes the deity personally hands the artifact over to 
  the recipient, but more often than not the recipient must earn 
  
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  it. This usually involves going on a quest to search for the lost 
  artifact (the god providing clues to its possible whereabouts) 
  or performing a mission, favor, or service for the deity (noth-
  ing easy), during which the artifact should be something the 
  adventurer group can recover, or for which new clues to its 
  whereabouts are unearthed. A location that could be anywhere 
  in the world, and sometimes is located on another planet or 
  dimension.
  As you might expect, the artifact is likely to be lost or 
  locked up and hidden away in the treasure trove of a dragon, 
  a powerful wizard, king, one or more powerful monsters, or 
  other villains. Or it may have been hidden and guarded by 
  cultists, monsters, or other villains who oppose the deity and 
  do not want it to be found. Or the object may be wielded by 
  an evil noble, a priest or wizard, monster, or other villain (or 
  hero!) who uses it as one of his own weapons, perhaps his 
  favorite or most valuable weapon. Ultimately, the adventurer 
  group must locate and acquire the artifact in a way that fits the 
  alignment and values of the deity they represent or are trying 
  to help. Wholesale murder is not likely to be condoned by 
  most gods.
  Acquisition may mean fighting the current owner and his 
  henchmen, or battling the priests, sorcerers, monsters, or people 
  guarding it, or sneaking in to steal it, or negotiating a deal to 
  get it. A deal is likely to involve the Player Characters having to 
  perform a dangerous or morally challenging service, or acquir-
  ing something (or someone) the owner of the artifact wants in 
  exchange. Again, this will not be an easy task, but should provide 
  the G.M. with fodder for adventure, maybe even many nights of 
  adventure.
  By the way, a recovered artifact does NOT automatically 
  go to the deity’s Champion or Priest. It should go either to the 
  team member who can use it best or the person who earned it 
  the most, i.e. sacrificed the most to acquire it, played a cru-
  cial role in its acquisition, etc. Sometimes a recovered artifact 
  is not intended for any member of the player group, but for 
  someone else entirely! Another hero or people who needs it, 
  a king, a church, perhaps returned to the family of the right-
  ful owner, or to make good a promise, inspire people, or have 
  some other purpose. Sometimes these artifacts are the key to 
  restoring a Fading or Forgotten deity’s place in the world, or 
  reminding people of the god’s power and the importance to 
  once again worship him.
  If the artifact or relic is intended for a Champion or a specific 
  member of the player group, the deity may or may not weigh 
  in on the matter. Should the recipient of this gift later lose the 
  weapon, he and his teammates should assume they are expected 
  to get it back.
  Note: The gods can often sense the location of the artifacts 
  associated with them, and if it suits their purpose, can share this 
  information with their followers, or even random visitors to the 
  Garden of the Gods. This is how they are able to provide clues to 
  its location or who may possess it. However, since the adventur-
  ers must earn a god’s favor and trust as well as earn this great 
  prize, there are always challenges or a hidden agenda on the part 
  of the god. For example, in the process they may liberate a village 
  or town from bad guys or monsters, save lives, destroy an enemy, 
  undermine a rival, and/or raise awareness of the deity’s return to 
  the world of mortals, and so on.
  Other Rewards from the Gods
  Helping to restore a Fading or Forgotten god is an enormous 
  undertaking, and the generosity of the god is of a scale to match. 
  Deities are beings of immense age and power, and in addition to 
  magic wisdom, they have worldly knowledge, access to artifacts, 
  and the ability to manipulate the minds and bodies of mortals. 
  Having won the favor of a god is a rare and incredible achieve-
  ment. The smart and delicate application of a deity’s power and 
  influence can leave the favored fulfilled with purpose, rich, fa-
  mous, or even sitting on a throne.
  What follows are gifts and rewards that are not Blessings or 
  Miracles per se (though a few border on them), but rather gifts 
  and rewards that may be given to those who help the Champion. 
  This may include teammates to people encountered along the 
  way and who play a pivotal role in the success of a mission, help-
  ing the heroes, or furthering the deity’s agenda.
  Game Master Note: G.M.s, when granting such a gift or re-
  ward, select one gift that is the most appropriate for the character 
  being rewarded or which should come in handy for the next quest 
  or upcoming adventure. If it doesn’t matter or you want a ran-
  dom, quick pick, roll percentile dice.
  01-05% Call to the Divine: A godly means of communica-
  tion, whether it be a talisman, amulet, enchanted instrument or 
  other magic device. When in need, this will summon the god to 
  the player(s)’ location within 1D4 melee rounds! Can only be 
  used once.
  06-10% Mental Strength: +1 to I.Q. and M.E. or M.A. at-
  tributes.
  11-15% Physical Strength: +1D4 to P.S., or P.E., or Spd; 
  pick one.
  16-20% Physical Toughness: Add 1D6+4 to Hit Points and 
  1D6+6 to S.D.C.
  21-25% Artifact, Enchanted Bow: A magic bow or cross-
  bow that fires magical arrows made of pure energy that appear 
  when the bow string is pulled back. Range: 350 feet (107 m). 
  Damage: 3D6 damage each. Unlimited availability of energy 
  bolts but only for the person to whom this gift was given, not 
  anyone else, not even a Priest or Champion of the Gods.
  26-30% Artifact, Symbol of the God: This is a lesser magic 
  weapon based on one of the weapons the deity is known to use 
  or a weapon that is shaped in some way to be a holy symbol as-
  sociated with the deity. The weapon inflicts 4D6 damage, is +1 
  to strike, and when held above the wielder’s head, holds at bay 
  animated dead and Wild Vampires.
  31-35% Lesser Rune Weapon: See page 250 of the Palla-
  dium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for more information.
  36-38% Greater Rune Weapon – One Greater Power: See 
  page 250 of the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for 
  more information.
  39-40% Greater Rune Weapon – Two Greater Powers: 
  See page 250 of the Palladium® Fantasy RPG 2nd Edition for 
  more information.
  41-45% Heaven’s Kernel: This magic seed grows into an 
  enchanted tree in 1D4 minutes after being planted in the ground. 
  The tree bears a dozen different types of fruit and vegetables, 
  enough to feed over a hundred people. Anyone resting beneath 
  the shade of the tree recovers Hit Points, S.D.C., I.S.P., and 
  P.P.E. at four times their normal rate. The tree remains for one 
  week before fading away.
  
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  46-50% Magic of the Gods: Select a single magic spell from 
  first, second, or third level, and add 2D6+6 P.P.E. to the recipi-
  ent’s base P.P.E. If the recipient is a spell caster, he or she re-
  ceives the bonus P.P.E. and may select a magic spell from any 
  level equal to or less than his or her own experience level.
  51-55% Psychic Awakening: Select a single Psychic Sensi-
  tive or Healing psionic ability and add 1D6+6 I.S.P. If the re-
  cipient is a psychic character, he or she may select a total of two 
  powers from any psionic category, except Super-Psionics.
  56-60% Skeleton Key: This enchanted key can open any lock 
  or door. Even those that have been sealed by magic are not im-
  mune to its power, unless the spells to Seal them were put in place 
  by an extremely skilled spell caster (11th level or above). As a 
  magic object it is worth 500,000-900,000 gold, but is probably a 
  priceless tool and memento to the recipient if for no other reason 
  than it came from a god! Something to be passed down for gen-
  erations as a family heirloom.
  61-65% Talisman – Dimensional Portal: Same as the spell. 
  Can be used up to three times before the talisman no longer func-
  tions, but is worth 1D6x100 gold as a piece of jewelry, and may 
  be priceless as a keepsake from a god to the recipient.
  66-70% Talisman – Restoration: Same as the spell. Can be 
  used up to three times before the talisman no longer functions, 
  but is worth 1D6x100 gold as a piece of jewelry, and may be 
  priceless as a keepsake from a god to the recipient.
  71-75% Talisman – Resurrection: Same as the spell. Can be 
  used up to three times before the talisman no longer functions, 
  but is worth 2D6x100 gold as a piece of jewelry, and may be 
  priceless as a keepsake from a god to the recipient.
  76-80% Talisman – Summon & Control Storms: Same as 
  the spell. Can be used up to three times before the talisman no 
  longer functions, but is worth 1D4x100 gold as a piece of jewel-
  ry, and may be priceless as a keepsake from a god to the recipient.
  81-85% Talisman – Teleport Superior: Same as the spell. 
  Can be used up to three times before the talisman no longer func-
  tions, but is worth 1D4x100 gold as a piece of jewelry, and may 
  be priceless as a keepsake from a god to the recipient.
  86-90% Wisdom of the Gods – Impart Knowledge: Select 
  a single skill from the Communications & Performing Arts, Do-
  mestic, Medical, Science, or Scholar, Noble & Technical catego-
  ry. The skill starts at the base level +20%. Permanent.
  91-95% Wisdom of the Gods – Skill Boost: Increases three 
  skills of choice by 10% each. Permanent.
  96-00% Wisdom of the Gods – Increase in Experience 
  Level: Instantly boosts the character’s experience level by one, 
  with all of the subsequent bonuses, Hit Points, and effects.
  The Dark Side of the Garden
  Evil exists in the Garden
  Uninformed outsiders might believe the entire Garden to be a 
  con job, a ruse set up by the government of Lopan or prankster 
  Faeries, but those who are familiar with its wonders know the true 
  dangers the Garden possesses. While it is a magnet for heroes and 
  crusaders, for pious pilgrims and faithful priests, it is also home 
  to selfish and evil gods alongside the good, and the servants of 
  Darkness are drawn to the Garden as well as those of Light.
  Lured by the promise of great power, wealth, fame, or ven-
  geance, Champions of Evil, Priests of Darkness, cultists, and fol-
  lowers of evil gods also make their way to the Garden. They visit 
  for the same reasons as anyone else, to feel close to their deity or 
  pantheon, commune with their gods to find inspiration, purpose, 
  and quests, and in the hope of receiving Blessings, inspiration, 
  and guidance. The only difference is they do so with wicked and 
  sinister intentions in their hearts.
  Others come in search of malevolent patrons among the fading 
  and forgotten gods. A deity they feel they can relate to or who un-
  derstands them. A deity to help them find themselves and release 
  their dark potential. In such cases, the individual may be hurt and 
  lost. Consumed with hatred, anger, jealousy or lust for power, 
  revenge, or a hunger they cannot quite understand themselves. 
  A hunger that can only be satisfied with blood or cruelty. Others 
  seek fame and fortune and are willing to take it by any means 
  necessary. Still others believe that to be feared is the same as to 
  be respected, and are willing to do or become something strange 
  and terrible to be feared and respected. All these misanthropes 
  come to the Garden of the Gods to find validation and hope, laced 
  with wickedness and cruelty.
  And many find it.
  They give themselves to the comforting darkness, becoming 
  the willing instrument of foul-hearted gods who desire to bring 
  suffering, death, and chaos into the world. These savvy deities 
  dangling the promise of whatever these tortured souls want most 
  – for a price. Most dark gods can feel the ache of regret and sense 
  the boiling forbidden desire inside a person a mile away, and 
  know exactly how to nurture it inside their new disciple. Convinc-
  ing their pupils of evil and treachery that they can make them feel 
  whole again or can help them feed the insatiable hunger gnawing 
  inside of them. An evil deity may offer his or her dark disciples 
  lost secrets of magic, powerful weapons, blessings, or a sense of 
  belonging and purpose to win their undivided support. Spiritually 
  empowered, the servants of Darkness go into the world using lies, 
  betrayal and force to take what they or their deity desire. These 
  are selfish and evil people who relish fast rewards and share little 
  if any empathy with those they victimize or torment. Each step 
  down the path of Darkness is easier than the last. Self-indulgence, 
  lies, trickery, and depravity are all part of their wicked ways.
  Dark gods are no different than any other deity in that they 
  seek Champions, worshipers, followers, and priests to keep 
  their names alive and rooted in the hearts and minds of mor-
  tals, even if it involves fear and disdain. Like other deities, they 
  too offer inspiration, visions, miracles and blessings, twisted 
  though they may be. And they too search for Champions to 
  spread their name and attract followers who promote the god 
  and the virtues of selfishness, ruthlessness, greed, aggression, 
  avarice, theft, murder, and all the other deadly sins. To these 
  gods and their followers, the forces of good and Light are weak 
  fools and sheep waiting to be eaten by the bold lion or stealthy 
  
  86
  wolf, which of course, are them and their followers. The re-
  ward for being bold and ruthless? The power, wealth, and fear/
  respect, or whatever else it is that the individual may seek, or 
  think they need to be happy and content.
  Gods of Chaos and Darkness, especially the fading and for-
  gotten evil deities, are often more active in recruiting potential 
  new followers and making unholy alliances with mortals, than 
  the gods of order and virtue. Of course, these gods of Darkness 
  are anxious to stir up trouble and create fear and chaos because it 
  has been such a long, long time since they have had the opportu-
  nity. They may even seek revenge against rival churches and old 
  enemies, or delight in killing heroes and Champions.
  These foul beings are experts in exploiting human weakness, 
  and know how to speak to the lonely and disenfranchised and 
  fuel the raw emotions to make people snap and do terrible things. 
  As such, they like to target the downtrodden, outcasts, and the 
  shunned (including the monster races). Their angry and tortured 
  souls are like putty to be molded by the forces of evil who know 
  exactly how to prey upon their emotions, fears and desires. Angry 
  and vengegul misfits, scoundrels, thieves, and murderers may be 
  willing to do almost anything, and kill whomever they must, one 
  at a time or by the multitude, when an evil god encourages them 
  to do so, or convinces them that they are special. One of the “cho-
  sen,” destined for greatness.
  Such foul deities are happy to grant a motivated, disturbed 
  individual Dark Blessings, an Unholy Weapon, ancient artifact, 
  or forbidden magic to help their new disciple of evil get on their 
  way. Such misbegotten mortals are only too happy to start a cult 
  or secret sect in the name of their new supportive god. And bring 
  chaos and suffering upon those they hate or despise. Just as most 
  have no qualms about conducting ancient and forgotten rituals 
  that involve the sacrifice of animals or people. For the powers 
  of Darkness, it is all about balancing the cosmic scales between 
  good and evil, and just having fun at the expense of others. The 
  forces of Darkness lack empathy, so they never seem to tire of 
  watching mortals suffer and destroy each other.
  Gods of good and evil are distributed in somewhat equal mea-
  sure throughout the Garden of the Gods, usually clustered within 
  a pantheon of deities, or gods of a particular realm, such as the 
  Demon Lords of Hades and the Lords of Dyval, both collected 
  in their own areas as two different, evil pantheons. As far as the 
  gods of the Garden are concerned, there is a bit of a gray area 
  when it comes to good and evil. Many are from ancient times 
  and primitive eras where their concept of right and wrong and 
  the distribution of justice may be more brutal or stark than can 
  be expected in the current age of chivalry. Followers of some of 
  the elder gods – especially those of Unprincipled, Anarchist, and 
  Aberrant evil alignments – may view cannibalism, ritual torture, 
  slavery, the summoning of demons, and the sacrifice of human 
  captives and animals as a normal part of life and ritual. These 
  norms vary from culture to culture, though obviously heroes, 
  Champions of good, other crusaders of Light and Order, the Im-
  perial forces of Lopan, and the Knights-Fossar, are all going to 
  take issue with these extreme and brutal forms of worship taking 
  place anywhere within their jurisdiction. Such acts are never al-
  lowed nor take place within the Garden of the Gods, not even in 
  the shadowy tangle of the Primeva. Magic and rituals of any kind, 
  good or evil, must be taken elsewhere, outside the Garden. Most 
  black-hearted villains don’t engage in their evil ways until they 
  leave Lopan entirely, but not always.
  Catching the Attention of Evil Gods
  Gods of Light and goodness may reach out to visitors in the 
  Garden and offer knowledge, healing, and guidance to help in-
  spire mortals to do good and charitable acts, promote peace and 
  acceptance, and engage in quests and crusades that champion the 
  deity’s good name, but so do the gods of Darkness.
  Dark gods are also present in the Garden. Waiting for those 
  who share their self-serving and cruel outlook on life and the 
  world. They are happy to encourage, bless, and make arrange-
  ments with ruthless and untrustworthy individuals hungry for 
  power, fortune, fame, or vengeance. There is no shortage of 
  people willing to compromise their morals in return for personal 
  gain, but filling a church with these self-serving personalities cre-
  ates a very different group of followers than the normal selfless, 
  devoted types that are most often associated with religious faith 
  and the heroic adventurers who are attracted to the fabled Garden. 
  With that said, a common enemy or goal, coupled with personal 
  gain, avarice, and vengeance against said enemy, are often the 
  glue that holds many sinister cults and secret societies of like-
  minded rapacious cutthroats together.
  Dark gods are also always on the lookout for new converts. 
  Often relying upon the manipulation of strong emotions, trick-
  ery, deception and treachery to tempt and lure good people 
  into their service. Those who are – in the moment – under 
  duress, feeling desperate or lost to hot emotions such as love, 
  hate, sorrow, anger, desire, or who lust for revenge or justice 
  that seems unlikely to come from any other means, are the 
  most vulnerable during this time to the promises that come 
  from a dark god.
  Temptation and justification are the specialty of dark gods. 
  Evil has a way of justifying what it does and preys upon the fes-
  tering sorrow and shattered dreams of the hopeless, calling upon 
  them to consider a darker option. The promise of a fast, seem-
  ingly easy path to power, glory, fortune, and sweet revenge can 
  tempt people of any alignment, causing them to consider com-
  promising their virtue and to let dark emotions and desires over-
  ride reason and goodness, even if it is just for a moment. But for 
  many, that one moment is all it takes to send them tumbling into 
  the abyss and on a new, dark path. Doing what’s right and good 
  is often the more difficult way to go. And one that requires con-
  viction, self-discipline, and painful sacrifice, while the dark path 
  is usually direct and easy, because it doesn’t care about conse-
  quences or who might get hurt along the way. Depending on the 
  circumstances and emotions involved, making the right choice 
  can be difficult for the best of us, let alone for someone who is in 
  emotional pain or who may already be predisposed to selfishness, 
  greed, and cruelty.
  This means even pilgrims of good alignment who visit the 
  Garden of the Gods in hopes of divine enlightenment may open 
  their minds and hearts only to find a much darker presence wait-
  ing for them. One that tugs at their own inner darkness and inse-
  curities, promising reward in exchange for simple acts of justifi-
  able selfishness and cruelty in an allegiance to a different sort of 
  deity.
  Fading and forgotten evil deities in the Garden are especially 
  anxious to attract and corrupt visitors in the hopes of rekindling 
  a cult of new followers in their name. It only takes one fanatical 
  devotee or Champion of the dark god to begin actively recruiting 
  others and circulating forbidden knowledge.
  
  87
  It is important to note that the powers of Darkness have no 
  greater sway over visitors than gods of Light and goodness. In the 
  end, it is left to each person as to whether they listen to the voices 
  of good or evil that may speak to them. It up to every person to 
  choose from right or wrong. Those who choose to do the right 
  thing can silence the beckoning darkness and stay on the path 
  of goodness. However, those who grow tired of being good and 
  kind and patiently awaiting their just reward, may choose other-
  wise. That said, the powers of Darkness (and goodness) cannot 
  force anyone to do anything against their will. For a person in 
  turmoil about to make a tough decision, simply approaching the 
  statue of an evil god may be enough to begin hearing whispers 
  and seeing glimpses of tantalizing rewards for going down a dark 
  path. People who find themselves considering that dark passage 
  need to extract themselves from such tempting but morally wrong 
  thoughts before they compromise themselves. Time to approach 
  a god of Light or leave the Garden, for the moment, entirely.
  Champions
  of Dark Gods
  Despite the presence of kind and gentle pilgrims, visiting 
  heroes, the Knights-Fossar, and the watchful eyes of the self-
  appointed caretakers, Witches and Champions of Dark Gods 
  are certainly born within the Garden’s bounds. A dark god, es-
  pecially a fading or forgotten god of darkness, may be willing 
  to invest a lot of his waning deific energy and efforts into one 
  or a few followers. Making them into dark messiahs who will 
  hopefully reignite the flames of belief in that evil deity. (See the 
  Palladium Fantasy RPG® for information about Witches and 
  Priests of Darkness.)
  Champions of Dark Gods work very much the same way 
  as any Champion of the Gods, though some are less flamboyant 
  and may be downright secretive (leaders of cults and sects). That 
  said, some are just as bold and in your face as any Champion 
  of the Gods, making big moves, slaying or undermining heroes 
  (i.e. enemies of Darkness), conquering people, murdering kings 
  and wizards, taking what they want, and causing all sorts of grief 
  and trouble. For every triumph, they, of course, give credit where 
  credit is due, to themselves and their dark god.
  Such Dark Champions are magnets for monsters and other 
  cutthroats who see them as a means to power and opportunity for 
  themselves. For them, if worshiping and promoting a new god is 
  required to get the power, fame and wealth they long for, then so 
  be it. That’s how insurrection sometimes starts among hordes of 
  Ogres, Orcs, Goblins, Coyles, and other members of the monster 
  races – all they need is one powerful and/or charismatic leader 
  offering freedom, bloody revenge, or power – and they flock to 
  him. The fact that he or she offers them the opportunity to raid, 
  rob, and kill the people they hate (e.g., humans, Elves, Dwarves, 
  Titans, Gnomes, and others), is the delicious frosting on the cake. 
  As word of each successful raid, attack, and conquest spreads, 
  more monstrous people and evildoers join their ranks and agree 
  to worship that dark god of blood and fortune. In addition, other 
  groups may begin to call upon that dark deity and rise up to start 
  their own campaigns of savagery, raiding towns and villages, 
  raping and kidnaping people, and engaging in other nefarious or 
  murderous deeds. The most hate-filled and wicked may engage 
  in wholesale slaughter or genocide, sending hundreds or thou-
  sands of people to their doom on the sacrificial altar to appease 
  their dark god, as well as engage in all manner of terrorism and 
  bloodletting. All of it to the delight of the dark god(s) that in-
  spires them.
  The same can also be said for scoundrels, thieves, tormented 
  or hate-filled survivors of a war, gang violence, or other brutal 
  life experience. Likewise, excommunicated priests, banned or 
  disgruntled fighters, exiled nobles, heroes and warriors who have 
  lost more than they can bear (loved ones, land, title, homeland, 
  position, etc.), may succumb to their hate or sorrow and become 
  unexpected candidates to be a Champion of the Dark Gods. 
  Willingly choosing to serve a selfish or evil deity so they may 
  be Blessed darkly and exact a terrible vengeance or acquire the 
  wealth, power, and station denied to them in the name of the self-
  ish or evil deity who has empowered them. Worse are the villains 
  who are agents of chaos and evil to begin with, that intentionally 
  seek out the opportunity to serve a force of darkness. Offering 
  their service to a selfish or evil deity as a dark Champion for their 
  mutual advancement and reward.
  Rather than serving good, the Champion and worshipers of 
  dark gods are expected to perform feats that align with the pur-
  
  88
  pose and goals of their selfish or evil deity. This may include 
  theft and blackmail, murder and destruction, or acts of terrorism 
  and wholesale slaughter. And though you might think such de-
  spicable and violent actions are par for the course, all too often 
  evil comes wrapped in an attractive and alluring package. One 
  that seems sincere and compassionate, helpful and caring, but is a 
  corrupting and manipulative influence to lead people astray. Such 
  vile individuals are sneaky and cunning. They use their honeyed 
  words and deeds to encourage wrongdoing of every kind. A 
  wolf in sheep’s clothing secretly preying upon the flock it walks 
  among at every opportunity. Such black-hearted Champions of 
  dark gods take pleasure in turning people against each other, 
  creating an atmosphere of distrust or outright paranoia, causing 
  discord and insurrection, and getting good people to do terrible 
  things.
  Wicked agents of Darkness and chaos – be they cultists, 
  Witches, zealots, or Champions of dark gods – like to create and 
  spread lies and false rumors, cheat, trick, rob, vandalize, sabo-
  tage, seduce, instigate trouble, and engage in all kinds of heinous 
  acts to harass and hurt their rivals and enemies. Most lack em-
  pathy and seek only to improve their own fortune and those of 
  their deity.
  The worst of the lot have no qualms about threatening, black-
  mailing, kidnaping, beating, or killing people to get what they 
  or their deity wants. Freeing imprisoned criminals and madmen, 
  unleashing monsters or sending bandits upon a village, restoring 
  or defending evil cults, assassinating high officials and noble 
  leaders, and leading like-minded followers into battle against 
  rivals and the forces of good are all par for the course for a 
  Champion of dark gods. Some even develop a taste for bringing 
  down good Champions of the Gods and heroes, and hunt them 
  down. Such blackguards may strike by trying to destroy their 
  reputation via slander or by framing the good guys for a crime 
  they did not commit, but many enjoy hunting down heroes and 
  good Champions of the Gods and killing them outright. The at-
  tacks by such hero slayers run the gamut from one-on-one duels 
  and gunslinger-style showdowns in the street to ambushes and 
  surprise attacks, or by tricking others to do their dirty work for 
  them.
  Champions of dark gods can be just as resourceful and dedi-
  cated to their deity as any force for good. Like all Champions of 
  the Gods, they are inspired and empowered by the foul deity they 
  serve. Since the forces of good and evil are philosophical oppo-
  sites, the Champions of Light and those of Darkness are natural 
  enemies and opposing forces. While this may make Champi-
  ons who are encouraged and empowered by selfish or evil gods 
  scorned outcasts or self-serving criminals in law abiding societ-
  ies, they are heroes and leaders to people who share their dark 
  view of the world. Like any Champion, even the worst of villains 
  willingly and happily spends his money (and compels people) 
  to builds statues, shrines, and temples to his deity(s), and insists 
  his god will bring him and all of them freedom, power, glory and 
  wealth.
  To barbaric and brutish societies where the law of the jungle 
  reigns supreme, and cunning and might makes right, the savagery 
  and ruthlessness of such dark Champions are seen as strengths 
  and virtues. Moreover, these selfish and evil Champions under-
  stand the dark side of human nature enough to share their ill-got-
  ten gains with, and very publicly fight for, the violent rabble who 
  are candidates to worship their deity. After all, everyone appreci-
  ates anybody who spends money on them, improves their lives or 
  station, or saves their lives or community. Desperate people are 
  less likely to question their benefactor’s motives until it begins to 
  negatively impact them. So help them and give them a piece of 
  the action (money and prestige), and many will turn a blind-eye 
  to wrongdoing or try to justify it.
  It is common for a Champion of dark deities to spend half to 
  two-thirds of his earnings/treasure to further the goals of the deity 
  he champions. Money used to hire thugs and henchmen or mer-
  cenaries and specialists (assassins, wizards, healers, scouts, spies, 
  snitches, etc.), make bribes and payoffs, acquire special services, 
  re-supplies and upgrades to weapons and gear, get poison and 
  magic items, fund secret rituals and cults, pay for hideouts and 
  meeting places, etc. All are necessary expenses the Champion 
  must fund. So is money spent on parties, booze and food to keep 
  his underlings and the people he is trying to win over to worship 
  his deity, impressed and happy.
  Such acts of kindness and generosity are just another sort 
  of bribery and manipulation to make his underlings and marks 
  feel important and appreciated and willing to support the dark 
  Champion and pray to his deity. Of course, such a villain’s 
  generosity only goes so far before intimidation, extortion, 
  and brute force are applied. Most evil beings resort to threats 
  and physical violence to command and use fear and force to 
  maintain their hold over others. Defy them, cheat them, be-
  tray them, perhaps even question them, let alone challenge or 
  humiliate them in public, will bring about swift and brutal re-
  taliation. Beatings, leg-breaking, torture, and murder are the 
  common responses to enforce their will and maintain control. 
  Toe the line and do what your are told, or else, is the golden 
  rule of evil, violent people.
  Allow such dark Champions, tyrants, and ruthless criminal 
  elements to establish a foothold, the more corruption, fear and 
  discord will spread. Where people are impoverished and desper-
  ate, and acts of wickedness and criminality go unpunished, the 
  seeds of evil find rich soil in which to bloom. And dark Champi-
  ons are only too happy to plant those seeds whether it is through 
  empty promises and lies or by instigating growing discord, fear, 
  and violence.
  Blessings from
  Dark Gods to their Champions
  In addition to the usual range of Deific Blessings, dark gods 
  may give their Champions, Priests, and select devotees special 
  “Blessings” that suit their dark nature and foul intentions.
  Same as always, the Champion of dark gods receives two Mi-
  raculous Blessings and one Deific Blessing. Everything that ap-
  plies to the Champion of the Gods of good alignment, applies to 
  the Champion of selfish and evil gods. The difference is that a 
  Blessing may be in reverse.
  Examples: 1. Instead of being a Demon Slayer, use those 
  same bonuses and skills to be an Angel Slayer or a Hero Slayer. 
  The Blessing is fundamentally the same, only the targets are dif-
  ferent. Someone who hunts and destroys Spirits of Light, good 
  Champions of the Gods, demigods and other supernatural beings 
  of good alignment and reputation. Perhaps that includes Paladins, 
  Knights, and heroes of good alignment known for fighting the 
  forces of evil or who oppose the Blessed individual’s deity and/
  or his followers.
  
  89
  2. Protection from Evil/Keep Us Safe, would become Protect 
  us from Good/Keep Us Safe. The Blessing is largely unchanged, 
  except the bonuses apply to fighting good, and the skills or abili-
  ties apply to hiding from good, not evil. Simple.
  3. Blessed with an Eye for Danger is fundamentally unchanged 
  though now the danger is the authorities/lawmen, heroes, and 
  adventurers of good alignment who may be out to stop the evil 
  Blessed individual from stealing or cheating or killing. Likewise 
  with Rescuer, the only difference being who the dark Champion 
  is rescuing and from whom. Most likely the rescue is from heroes 
  or the authorities rather than a criminal or monster, but it could 
  be both!
  4. Others like Luck in Battle, Insight and Understanding, Safe 
  Journey, Good Fortune, Sharp Blades, and many others are the 
  same for characters of any alignment. The same for Dragon Slay-
  er, as the bonuses and skills/abilities apply to all dragons, though 
  a character of evil alignment may now target dragons of good 
  alignments.
  The Danger of Awakening
  Gods Long Forgotten
  Some of the fading and forgotten gods that rest within the 
  Garden are innocent victims of the progress of time. Their fol-
  lowers long since extinct. Others, however, were deliberately 
  wiped from history, their temples destroyed, their priests and 
  acolytes slaughtered, their monuments knocked over and shat-
  tered or buried beneath the earth. Lost gods that are the em-
  bodiment of pure evil and chaos that have been rightly cleansed 
  from the world at the expense of the lives of many heroes and 
  innocent victims.
  It is only with the utmost care, research and prayer that a 
  being possessing the overwhelming power and authority of a 
  god should be brought back to active worship within the mor-
  tal realm. Some dark gods are truly monsters consumed with 
  bringing pestilence, war, and suffering to mortals. These beings 
  may border on the insane, and consume any mortal they come 
  across once they are set free again within the mortal realm. Or 
  the wicked, revived forgotten deity may take perverse delight in 
  releasing something terrible back into the world which should 
  have been left lost and long forgotten. While most clergy and 
  scholars insist that such primal and depraved deities are NOT 
  part of the Garden, just as the dreaded Old Ones are not rep-
  resented in the Garden, they cannot know that with absolute 
  certainty.
  Waking an evil god that has been long forgotten is an extreme 
  and dangerous act. One that could have consequences far beyond 
  what the people responsible (the Player Characters?) had ever 
  intended. There is a balance among the gods, and restoring the 
  wrong deity might result in a disturbance of the heavenly balance 
  of power and the Celestial Order. While the negative results of 
  making an incredibly powerful enemy are obvious enough, even 
  having a deity as a friend or patron can draw those associated 
  with it (especially the Player Characters) into a conflict far be-
  yond their ability to understand or influence. For many deities, 
  particularly the dark gods, demons and most supernatural evil be-
  ings, humans, Elves, even dragons and lesser gods, are nothing 
  more than playthings for their amusement and pawns in their own 
  twisted games and sardonic agendas.
  Curses
  While the Gods of Light and most deities do not usually lash 
  out at people — the gods are usually very subtle and almost invis-
  ible, leaving people to the fates of their own making — some of 
  the Gods of Darkness are petty and vindictive, while others are 
  pranksters who like to cause trouble for mortals. Just as benefi-
  cent gods can bestow a Blessing, a god, especially a dark god, 
  may curse those who provoke them or earn their ire. Such deities 
  may make the lives of the mortals to whom they take a disliking, 
  and especially servants whom they consider to be a disappoint-
  ment, failure, or traitor, miserable and tormented via a curse.
  Such curses are usually limited to the deity’s Champions, al-
  lies, servants, minions, priests, and elite worshipers who annoy 
  or fail them, not innocent bystanders, common worshipers, no-
  ble heroes, or even enemies — UNLESS such heroes humiliate 
  and disrespect the god in person, right to his or her face. A curse 
  may also be inflicted upon any character who comes into direct 
  physical contact with an evil and hostile god, or to someone who 
  attempts to engage a god in any kind of psionic link or magi-
  cal communion. Opening oneself up to the wicked deity for any 
  reason, even something as simple as trying to read a deity’s mind 
  or the performance of a Mind Bond, let alone a foolish attempt 
  to mentally possess, charm, dominate, or control a deity, even 
  his avatar, can result in receiving a curse. No saving throw when 
  opened and connected to a deity. Note: Demon and Deevil Lords 
  are considered dark gods, as are Alien Intelligences and Vampire 
  Intelligences.
  Duration of a Curse
  Duration of a Simple Curse: 2D6+24 hours. The dark god or 
  trickster deity just wants to lash out, make a point, or have a little 
  cruel fun, so the curse lasts for only 2D6+24 hours. Sometimes 
  twice that long; G.M.’s discretion.
  This curse can be lifted by another deity, a Spirit of Light or 
  via a successful Exorcism at half its usual level of success, pro-
  vided the character performing the Exorcism is no less than 10th 
  level. It may also be removed via a successful Remove Curse 
  magic spell.
  Duration of a Long-Lasting Curse: Special. An angry or 
  cruel dark god is able to make a curse long-lasting. This curse 
  can only be lifted when the afflicted individual either redeems 
  himself in the eyes of that angry or malevolent deity, apologizes 
  and performs a quest or service (nothing easy or good), or has the 
  curse lifted by a powerful priest, practitioner of magic, or another 
  deity. If a quest or service is required, the curse remains in place 
  until the quest or service is completed, whether it takes days or 
  decades.
  
  90
  Permanent Curse! Location or Object. These powerful 
  curses are considered permanent, but are the least common and 
  typically placed upon an object of great importance or great mag-
  ical or divine power, such as a magic weapon, Holy Weapon, 
  holy relic, or artifact, or a location.
  Cursed Location
  A particular location that is cursed delivers that curse upon 
  those who enter, unless they save versus magic. Such a location 
  is usually a small and defined location such as a specific crypt, 
  tomb, cave, shrine, sepulcher, room, treasure chamber, or secret 
  sanctum. This curse afflicts anyone who enters the forbidden 
  place. Roll to save vs magic with a penalty of -2 to save.
  Sometimes, the curse at a location only applies to the persons 
  who remove any objects from it (coins, weapons, books, statues, 
  holy symbol, artifact, sacred items, or other objects), or who dis-
  respect or deface the location and/or the objects inside (walls, 
  statues, altar, relics, valuables, the dead, etc.). This location is 
  under the protection of a god or a pantheon of gods, and anyone 
  who tries to destroy, deface or disrespect it and the items inside 
  (steals, trashes or vandalizes the place, defecates inside, etc.), 
  pays for their actions with one, two or three curses depending on 
  how much they angered the god(s).
  Note: The god who inflicted the curse upon a person, object or 
  location can lift it at any time, from any distance, across dimen-
  sions, and without making a personal appearance.
  Cursed Object, Weapon or Artifact
  A deity may place a curse on an inanimate object, usually an 
  important and/or magical weapon, shield, helmet, armor, piece 
  of jewelry, magic item, or an artifact. This is particularly true of 
  dark gods and trickster gods. In all cases, such a curse becomes a 
  permanent part of the object.
  Who is affected by a cursed object? Most cursed objects 
  (70%) affect anyone and everyone who owns it, regardless of 
  that person’s alignment, race, or allegiance. In this case, whoever 
  takes possession of the cursed object suffers the effects of the 
  curse for as long as the object is in his possession. This is auto-
  matic. No saving throw. The curse takes effect after 24 hours of 
  possession or upon drawing blood with it, whichever comes first.
  Curse of a Specified Nature: Thirty percent (30%) of cursed 
  objects are intentionally designed to affect only a specific tar-
  get. Such targets are usually very broad. For example, the curse 
  might only afflict an owner of a specific alignment group (i.e., 
  good, selfish, or evil), but not any other alignment; or it might 
  affect a specific race (for example: affects only humans or Elves, 
  or Dwarves and Elves, and no one else, or everyone except that 
  race), or the curse may be designed to afflict those of a certain 
  allegiance or affiliation such as people loyal to a particular god, 
  pantheon, king, nation, religion, church, organization, O.C.C., 
  etc.
  Rune Weapons, Holy Weapons, religious artifacts, relics, and 
  powerful magic items are the types of objects most likely to con-
  tain a curse, whether it affects anyone who owns it or is designed 
  to include or exclude people of a specific alignment, race, place 
  of origin, or affiliation.
  Ownership. Ownership means that the character claims it for 
  himself as one of his possessions/belongings, acquired by one 
  means or another, and keeps it on his person or among his oth-
  er possessions. This means that even if the cursed item is not 
  actually on the person, but placed in a container or hidden in a 
  vault a thousand miles away or in another dimension, it still be-
  longs to that person, thus the curse remains in full effect. Since 
  most cursed objects are a powerful ancient artifact or relic, Holy 
  Weapon, magic weapon, or other type of magic item, they are 
  coveted for their power and used despite the danger of a curse.
  Any attempt to use a magical or clerical “Remove Curse” on an 
  individual who possesses a cursed object will fail as long as that 
  person lays claim to it. It is not enough to put the cursed object in 
  the closet or in storage. As long as the person who owns it keeps 
  it as one of his possessions, the curse remains in place. Only after 
  the object in question has been given up, sold, or thrown away 
  is any lingering enchantment broken. For this reason the term 
  “ownership” is clearly defined.
  Possible immunity. A devoted true believer who has the fa-
  vor of the specific deity who placed the curse upon the object, 
  may be immune to its curse(s). Whether the person be a priest 
  or ordinary person, as a devout worshiper and servant of the de-
  ity, he is impervious to the curse and is able to handle and use 
  the object without suffering from the effects of the curse placed 
  upon it.
  Likewise, a simple courier who knows not what he trans-
  ports, and does not use the cursed object, nor covet it for himself, 
  is also immune to the curse. However, if the person transporting 
  the object knows what it is and wishes it was his, or puts it to use, 
  he suffers the curse until he delivers it to the intended recipient/
  owner of the package containing the cursed object.
  Knowledge of the curse. It should be noted that most cursed 
  objects are known to be cursed. In fact, there is often an inscrip-
  tion on the object or where the object is kept, housed, or hidden, 
  that warns people it is cursed and to leave it be. Many cursed 
  objects also have a history known in lore and told in stories. Still 
  many people take possession of a cursed object because of its 
  power or value hoping the stories of a curse are false or because 
  they believe they will be spared.
  The Commonness of Cursed Objects
  Ultimately, whether an object is cursed, and which curse that 
  may be, is left in the hands of the Game Master (see the table that 
  follows). However, the following is a basic guideline that may 
  be useful in determining the likelihood of an object being cursed. 
  Remember, most of these items are rare to begin with.
  ! Newly crafted magic weapon or item made in the last 900 
  years: 1%
  ! Modern religious artifacts, relics, and magic weapons 1,000-
  5,000 years old: 5% are cursed.
  ! Ancient religious artifacts, relics, and magic weapons 6,000-
  45,000 years old: 10% are cursed.
  ! Ancient religious artifacts, relics, and magic weapons 50,000-
  100,000 years old or older: 20% are cursed.
  ! Ancient religious artifacts and magic weapons created by the 
  Old Ones or one of their elite minions: 25% are cursed.
  ! Royal artifacts, weapons, or heirlooms: 3% are cursed.
  ! Royal artifacts, weapons, or heirlooms from a despot, evil, or 
  hated king or royal family: 7% are cursed.
  ! Ancient Elven weapons and artifacts: 8%
  ! Ancient Dwarven weapons and artifacts: 12%
  
  91
  ! Newly created Holy Weapon or Artifact: 1%
  ! Holy Weapons older than 6,000 years: 10%
  ! Lesser Rune Weapons: 15% have one curse.
  ! Greater Rune Weapons: 22% have one curse, 9% have two 
  curses, and 2% have three curses! Always ancient, thousands 
  of years old.
  ! Greatest Rune Weapons (super rare): 14% have one curse, 4% 
  have two curses, and 1% have three curses! Always ancient, 
  thousands of years old.
  ! Powerful magic weapons and sacred artifacts of Demon or 
  Deevil Lords, elite minions and officers: 22% are cursed and 
  may be of ancient or alien origin.
  Breaking the Curse of the Gods from an Object
  1. The simplest way to break a curse placed upon an object 
  is for the “owner” to intentionally rid himself of the cursed ob-
  ject. It must be deliberately relinquished and gotten rid of, aban-
  doned, thrown away, sold, or given way. Do this, and the curse 
  should be broken as it is attached to the object, not the person. 
  Note: Putting the cursed object in storage is not disposing of it. 
  Throwing it in a river is. Furthermore, in some cases, particularly 
  cursed religious artifacts, it may require the object be returned 
  to the rightful church or temple for the curse to end. In the latter 
  case, just getting rid of it may not be good enough to remove the 
  curse. The cursed individual must return it to its rightful place for 
  the curse to be lifted from him or he remains cursed till the end 
  of his life.
  2. Lost. If the cursed object is lost or abandoned for more than 
  72 hours, the curse on its recent owner should come to an end.
  3. Theft. If a cursed object is stolen and claimed by the thief, 
  or sold or given to another person, it becomes that new person’s 
  property, and the curse begins on its new owner after 24 hours. 
  This breaks and ends the curse upon the previous owner.
  4. Death. Many times the curse results in the death of its own-
  er, at which point the object is either lost or changes hands and 
  finds a new owner. That new owner becomes the latest victim of 
  the curse.
  5. A Conditional Curse. In some cases, the curse may be 
  conditional and comes with a method to lift the curse attached 
  to the object. This is likely to be a particular deed, fulfilling a 
  quest, or performing a service or favor on behalf of the god or 
  person who put the curse upon the object. This may range from 
  slaying a specific dragon, rescuing somebody, liberating a town, 
  restoring something, etc., but the mission is never easy. After this 
  feat has been accomplished, the cursed object must be returned 
  to where it was found or delivered to a specified place or person 
  (priest, noble family, cult, church, etc.) and the curse shall be 
  lifted. Seldom is a cursed object allowed to be kept by the person 
  it has afflicted without the curse remaining in place. This message 
  and conditional terms/challenge/quest/mission may come from 
  the god himself, his avatar, a vision, a dream, or agent such as a 
  priest, caretaker, angel, demon, etc., or just someone who knows 
  the object and its legend.
  In all cases, whoever comes into ownership of the cursed ob-
  ject next, suffers the same curse. Though in the case of a con-
  ditional curse, it may end when the deed required to break the 
  curse is accomplished (think, Beauty and the Beast) – or – a new, 
  equally difficult mission/quest may be required for the new own-
  er to break the curse.
  A curse always begins 24 hours after taking possession of it 
  and lasts for as long as the person owns it or until the condition/
  deed required to break the curse is accomplished. As noted, the 
  Conditional Curse remains in effect even if the object itself is 
  not on its owner’s person. It doesn’t matter if the cursed object 
  is kept at home or in a vault miles or dimensions away, as long 
  as the person lays claim to it – owns it and keeps it – the curse 
  remains upon him.
  Curses are tricky, deific magic and may linger. There is a 
  20% chance a powerful curse remains with the person for 1D6 
  months after getting rid of the cursed object. Likewise, any in-
  sanities that may result from a cursed item will remain until cured 
  by a Mind Mage or other means. The cursed item will, of course, 
  continue to inflict its enchantment on every “new” owner who 
  claims it. Only a Conditional Curse ends the moment that condi-
  tion is met.
  Removing a Curse
  Removing a curse is different than breaking a curse imposed 
  by an object.
  Removing a curse from a person can be attempted by a vari-
  ety of means. The Remove Curse spell can be quite effective, and 
  a Priest (the more experienced/higher the level, the better) can 
  also attempt to remove a curse; both subject to the limitations of 
  the process. Most deities can remove a curse from a person even 
  if they are not the god who imposed it in the first place, but ALL 
  these means are likely to require a high cost on the part of the 
  person being alleviated of the curse. The price to remove a curse 
  from a living person is likely to be more than money. In most 
  cases, it requires a trade of services, the performance of a quest, 
  or the granting of a favor that can be asked in the future, at any 
  time, and cannot be denied or refused.
  Removing the curse from an object is infinitely more dif-
  ficult than removing its effects from an afflicted person. Curses 
  placed upon an object (or location) by gods, Demon Lords, Alien 
  Intelligences, and Rune Magic are almost impossible to negate. A 
  Priest or Alchemist must be 10th level or higher to even attempt 
  such a daunting task and has a pitiful half percent per level of 
  experience to temporarily negate a curse imposed by a god or by 
  a supernatural being of god-like stature. Rune Weapon Curses are 
  included in this elite category because Runes are the magic of the 
  dread Old Ones and draw upon the life essence of one or more 
  living beings trapped within the Rune Weapon. If the object has 
  more than one curse, the process must be repeated for each.
  As usual with a curse, a Priest or Alchemist can attempt to 
  remove the curse only once. Either the one attempt works, or it 
  doesn’t. However, other experienced Priests may try their hand 
  on the same cursed object (once each). Note that the Remove 
  Curse magic spell or a magic scroll is completely ineffective in 
  removing a curse from an enchanted object or location.
  If by some miracle a high level (10th level or higher) Alche-
  mist or Priest manages to make a successful Remove Curse from 
  an Object (has a 5% chance at 10th level), roll percentile dice 
  on the following table to determine how long the curse remains 
  negated. Most return to the object (or location) over time because 
  the god’s magic is greater than any mortal.
  01-30% Curse is removed from the object for 1D4 weeks.
  31-55% Curse is removed from the object for 1D4 months.
  56-70% Curse is removed from the object for 2D6 months.
  
  92
  71-85% Curse is removed from the object for 2D6 years.
  86-98% Curse is removed from the object for 2D6 decades.
  99-00% Curse is permanently removed! Rare.
  Only the most powerful of gods, like Thoth, will even consid-
  er trying to remove a curse that is permanently embedded upon 
  an object or a location, and even that deity may not be able to 
  remove it. Only the deity who imposed it can do that with any 
  certainty, and most are not willing to do so voluntarily.
  Game Master Warning: It is unfair to give a character a 
  curse or cursed object without the player knowing what he or she 
  is getting into. Ninety percent of the time, the Player Characters 
  (potential owners of a cursed object) should be given fair warn-
  ing, in advance, via legends, myths, ancient writings, lore, rumor, 
  or the fact that an item is said to be cursed.
  Speaking of Warnings: As noted earlier, the object itself or 
  the pedestal or altar upon which it rests, or the crypt or chamber 
  where it is kept, is likely to bear a warning etched or mount-
  ed onto it. Such inscriptions maybe go something like this: Be 
  warned all who enter. Take nothing lest ye befall a terrible fate at 
  the whim of the gods. Or, Only the chosen may use this weapon/
  artifact/etc. All others shall be cursed and suffer until their death. 
  And similar warnings. Such a warning may also be delivered by 
  a priest, acolyte, caretaker, worshiper, or person who knows the 
  local history or legends.
  Determining the Curse
  Roll percentile dice to make a random determination of a 
  curse, or select the one that seems most appropriate under the cir-
  cumstances and the nature of the deity. Note: Many curses have 
  specific penalties while others have environmental or obvious 
  consequences. All involve role-playing and character interaction.
  01-02% Accident Prone: The victim of this curse is plagued 
  by clumsiness, knocking things over, dropping things, stumbling, 
  bumping into people (perhaps the wrong person), stepping into a 
  puddle or manure, spilling drinks, accidentally overpaying, and 
  not noticing possible danger or trouble (trap, brawl, thug, bandit, 
  law enforcement, etc). Many of which make noise and draw at-
  tention to him. Likewise, his words, actions and intentions may 
  be interpreted the wrong way.
  Penalties: Drops weapon on a roll of 1-6, is -2 on Perception 
  Rolls, -1 on initiative, -1 to strike, parry and dodge, -1 on all 
  saving throws, and -10% to Physical and Domestic skills, Rope 
  Works, Sailing, any kind of building, and skills involving decep-
  tion, hiding, and stealth.
  03-04% A Grim Fate Awaits at the Hand of a Dangerous 
  Monster: Whenever the cursed individual faces a true monster 
  such as a demon, Deevil, vampire, werebeast, dragon, Scare-
  crow, Scorpion Devil, Sea Monster, Sphinx, Manticore, Maxpary 
  Shambler, Melech, Mummy, Mummy Immortalus, Worm of 
  Taut, Yema, and countless other demonic, supernatural, or mon-
  strous foes (but not the monster races, see below), he is nervous 
  and off his game.
  Penalties: -1 attack per melee round when fighting such be-
  ings, and -3 on Perception Rolls, -2 on initiative, -2 to roll with 
  impact/fall, -2 on all saving throws, -2 to save vs possession, and 
  -2 to save vs Horror Factor.
  05-06% A Grim Fate Awaits at the Hand of One of the 
  Monster Races: Whenever the cursed individual faces any of 
  the so-called monster races – Wolfen, Coyles, Ratlings, Giants, 
  Trolls, Ogres, Orcs, Goblins, Lizard People, Bug Bears, and oth-
  ers, he is nervous and off his game.
  Penalties: -1 attack per melee round when fighting such be-
  ings, and -1 on Perception Rolls and initiative, -2 to dodge and 
  disarm, -2 to pull punch, -2 to roll with impact/fall, and -1 on all 
  saving throws.
  07-08% A Grim Fate Awaits at a Dark Place: In dark, 
  dank environments such as basements, cellars, caves, tunnels, 
  Random Curse Table
  Using Curses in a Game (optional)
  By Kevin Siembieda, Randy McCall & Matthew Clements
  Game Masters may want to add spice or mischief to a cam-
  paign by making a particular magic item cursed. A curse can 
  make for some nasty additions to ancient relics, Rune Weapons, 
  objects of magic, religious artifacts and other odds and ends. 
  Most cursed objects have magical properties and infamous histo-
  ries that go back thousands, or tens of thousands, of years.
  Matthew and I (Kevin Siembieda) have expanded the list of 
  curses presented in the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition, 
  page 262. Any of these delightfully wicked curses can spice-up 
  a game and keep players on their toes. Of course, the inclusion 
  of these foul enchantments are entirely optional and left up to 
  each individual Game Master. They are not a requirement for the 
  game.
  
  93
  face to face with the animal (lion, bear, stag, bull, wild boar, 
  snake, spider, monster, etc.), startles it, or has it cornered. Even 
  blackbirds, blue jays, and crows may swoop down to chase this 
  person away (at least 50 feet/15.2 m) from their nest or young. 
  Note: Not applicable to an animal Familiar or any beast with 
  whom the character shares a magical, mental or empathic link.
  Penalties with Animals: -30% to all skills involving working 
  with or handling animals, including all Horsemanship skills, Ani-
  mal Husbandry, and Track & Trap Animals. This curse is espe-
  cially painful for Druids, Knights, horsemen, breeders, farmers, 
  and animal handlers. Note: Not applicable to an animal Familiar, 
  because it is one with the person to whom it is linked, and re-
  mains loyal and true.
  17-18% Bad Luck: The victim of this curse is plagued by 
  misfortune. As a result, he is most likely to be targeted by prank-
  sters, Faerie Folk, mischievous children, bullies, drunks, punks, 
  thieves, pick pockets, con artists, brawlers, attackers, unwanted 
  solicitation, and other types of trouble. Bad luck also follows 
  him in cards and games of chance as well as being overcharged, 
  sold inferior or defective products, getting stale beer, foul wine, 
  spoiled food and so on.
  Bad Luck Penalties: -1 to parry and dodge, -3 to pull punch, -2 
  to disarm, and -20% to the skills Land Navigation, Camouflage, 
  Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment & Traps, Locate Secret 
  Compartments/Doors, Tracking (all), and -20% to ALL Espio-
  nage and Rogue skills!
  19-20% Boils: The victim of this curse is covered in boils 
  or warts or other type of inflamed lumps on the skin across his 
  body. The boils are irritating and uncomfortable, especially when 
  trying to sleep and when struck. Many people avoid the cursed 
  individual for fear that his boils may be contagious.
  Boils Penalties: Reduce M.A., P.B., and Spd attributes by 
  20%, the latter because movement and the weight of armor is 
  uncomfortable when moving; -1 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initia-
  tive, -1 to strike, parry, dodge, entangle, and roll with impact/fall; 
  double all penalties, including reduced Spd, when wearing any 
  type of armor heavier than studded leather.
  21-22% Breaking: The victim of this curse seems to be ex-
  tremely unlucky or clumsy; any breakable object in his posses-
  sion somehow becomes broken within 24 hours of acquiring it, 
  no matter how well wrapped or protected it is. For example, a po-
  tion in a bottle placed in the character’s backpack may be broken 
  when he is knocked backwards, an arrow miraculously strikes 
  only the bottle, a runaway horse plows into him, or tramples the 
  pack, or the item breaks when he takes off the pack and sets it 
  down regardless of how gently. This curse is extremely subtle, 
  but very effective, and may extend to the breaking of straps, rope, 
  belts, reigns, shoelaces, string, and similar items.
  Breaking Penalties: In addition to the above, -30% to Brew-
  ing, General Repair, Rope Works, Sculpting & Whittling, Sail-
  ing, and Play Musical Instrument.
  23-24% Clouded Vision: This cursed individual finds it dif-
  ficult to see whenever he is in a dangerous or stressful situation, 
  afraid, and whenever he needs to read.
  Penalties for Clouded Vision: Vision becomes blurred as if 
  looking through a pair of very smudged and dirty eyeglasses or 
  a filter. -4 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initiative, -2 on all combat 
  maneuvers (strike, parry, dodge, disarm, pull punch, etc.), -4 to 
  strike with a long-range weapon, thrown weapon, bow and ar-
  row, etc., and -30% on skills requiring clear vision, such as Art, 
  dungeons, attics, and even a dense forest, or any land known as 
  a “place of darkness,” like the Land of the Damned, the cursed 
  individual cannot shake a sensation of impending doom and func-
  tions at a diminished capacity while in that dark place.
  Penalties: -1 attack per melee round when fighting at such a lo-
  cation, -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initiative, -1 to strike, parry 
  and dodge, -1 to roll with impact/fall, -2 on all saving throws – 
  double the penalties when fighting Shadow Beasts and demons or 
  gods of night/darkness or death.
  09-10% A Grim Fate awaits from the power of Ancient 
  Magic: Whenever facing ancient magic whether it be a person, 
  an ancient sorcerer, good or evil, including the minion/Witch of 
  an ancient deity or demon, an elder dragon, Rune Weapon, Holy 
  Weapon, artifact, relic, magic ward, magic symbol, etc., that is 
  more than 2,000 years old, the cursed individual is ill at ease and 
  off his game.
  Penalties: -1 attack per melee round when fighting/opposing 
  ancient magic or the being who wields it, -2 on Perception Rolls 
  and initiative, -2 to roll with impact/fall, -3 to save vs all magic 
  including magic illusions and mind control, as well as magical 
  possession, -2 to save vs Horror Factor involving ancient magic, 
  and a penalty of -10% on all Lore skills.
  11-12% A Grim Fate Awaits in a Distant Land: Any place 
  more than 900 miles (1,440 km) from home or an exotic realm 
  very different than where the cursed individual was raised. This 
  includes the Land of the Damned, alien worlds, and other dimen-
  sions.
  Penalties: -1 attack per melee round when fighting at such a 
  location, -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initiative, -2 to roll with 
  impact/fall, -15% on all Wilderness skills as well as Climb, De-
  tect Ambush, Detect Concealment and Traps, and Rope Works.
  13-14% Anger: Hot temper and emotion clouds the cursed in-
  dividual’s judgment and decision-making ability whenever he is 
  mocked, humiliated, pranked, feels helpless, cheated, threatened, 
  bullied, tricked, provoked or drinks too much. This character is 
  an angry drunk.
  He responds by lashing back with angry words, foul language, 
  breaking things, punching a wall, shoving, or fighting without 
  thinking about who it is he is lashing out at, or the consequences 
  his angry outburst may reap for himself and his teammates. This 
  hotheadedness makes him unpredictable and unreliable, espe-
  cially in situations requiring self-control and discretion. Time for 
  some role-playing.
  Anger Penalties: In addition to the above, whenever angry and 
  fighting, the cursed individual is -4 on Perception Rolls, -3 to 
  pull punch or disarm, -10% on skill performance, and generally 
  oblivious to the time, goings-on and people around him except 
  for the target of his anger.
  15-16% Animal Enemy: All animals, even domesticated 
  dogs, cats, and bunny rabbits, take an instant disliking to the 
  cursed individual. They are uncooperative and fearful of this per-
  son. They do not follow his commands and will snap or claw 
  at him when he tries to pet or hold an animal. If he manages to 
  hold a pet in his arms, the animal squirms and tries to get away, 
  run off, and hide. This is true even of his own pets, and horse or 
  riding animal. Cattle, sheep, chickens and other livestock whine, 
  grunt, bark, squeal, and run away as soon as he approaches them.
  Wild animals immediately assume the cursed individual is a 
  threat to them and their mate or young, and either run away or 
  attack. An attack always happens when the cursed person comes 
  
  94
  Forgery, Pick Pockets, Pick Locks, Tracking, Writing, etc., under 
  dangerous, stressful and scary situations, and whenever reading 
  is required.
  25-26% Cold: The victim of this curse is always cold. No 
  matter how many layers of clothes he is wearing or how hot it 
  may be. If the combined temperature around the character (blan-
  kets, fireplace, furnace, etc.) exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit 
  (37.7 Celsius), there is a chance the character may fall uncon-
  scious from heat exhaustion (must roll above 16 on a 1D20, P.E. 
  bonuses can be added to this saving throw), but at least he feels 
  warm. If there is no one around when he collapses, the victim of 
  the curse continues to lose one S.D.C. or Hit Point every 1D4 
  hours from dehydration and heat exhaustion. The character re-
  covers in a few hours if given water and his temperature is low-
  ered, but he will again feel cold and uncomfortable. Loves hot 
  environments and layers of clothes.
  Penalties for Feeling Cold: -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initia-
  tive, -1 on all combat maneuvers (strike, parry, dodge, etc.), skill 
  performance suffers a -5% penalty, and reduce speed by 20% due 
  to encumbrance from many layers of clothes, blankets, gloves 
  or mittens, etc., and the character tends to be irritable and short-
  tempered; triple penalties when the cursed individual is suffering 
  from heat exhaustion.
  27-28% Confusion: This curse reduces the victim’s I.Q. by 
  two points. If this reduces the I.Q. below the minimum needed to 
  perform the functions of the O.C.C., then the character is unable 
  to use any of his O.C.C. Special Abilities (forgets them), and all 
  O.C.C. Skills and O.C.C. Related Skills are performed at -10%.
  Confusion Penalties: In addition to those above, -5 on Per-
  ception Rolls, -2 on initiative, and -30% on skills that require 
  memory and direction such as Forgery, Heraldry, History, Land 
  Navigation, Lore, Identify Plants & Fruits, Medicine, Use & Rec-
  ognize Poison, and Wilderness Survival. Moreover, the character 
  is easily distracted, has no sense of time, and may not recognize 
  a dangerous situation or people – friends and enemies alike – he 
  has only met in passing or seen a few times, forgets names, ad-
  dresses and secret codes. Practitioners of Magic, Mystics, and 
  Priests cannot remember new spells learned within the last six 
  months and may need an extra moment, 7-15 seconds (half to one 
  full melee round), to remember a spell or to recognize a magic 
  ward, Rune, symbol, or circle.
  29-30% Cravings: The unfortunate victim of this curse suf-
  fers cravings for a particular type of food or drink, G.M.’s discre-
  tion. This might be a particular fruit, vegetable, flower, root, or 
  bark, the most expensive Dwarven beer or mead, wine, brandy, 
  whiskey, or the cheapest rot gut moonshine possible, or a specific 
  ordinary and common food, or exotic dish, unusual cooked ani-
  mal (cat, dog, muskrat, Gruunor, Land Squid, Rock Crawler, Gi-
  ant Spider, etc.) or uncommon animal part (brain, tongue, heart, 
  liver, kidney, hoof, tail, etc.), animal blood, or the notorious and 
  ubiquitous Goblin Stew, or some other food equally disgusting to 
  humans. About Goblin Stew: Goblin stew can be found wherever 
  there are groups of Goblins and/or Orcs. It consists of potatoes or 
  other root vegetables, available vegetables of all kinds, but espe-
  cially carrots and radishes, rat meat, and lots of it, and worst, in-
  cluding the flesh of other animals and humanoids. Goblin Stew is 
  a potluck brew that may also include most any meat byproduct, or 
  meat from any animal, but typically cat, dog, horse, mice, moles, 
  snakes, lizards, amphibians, worms, and insects, as well as tree 
  bark, a little dirt and/or horse dung for flavor, and so on, but rat is 
  the key ingredient. Goblins and Orcs love Goblin Stew and could 
  eat it very day. Ogres, Trolls, Ratlings, Kobolds, and some other 
  monster races tolerate it or substitute rat and bugs with the meat 
  and bones of their humanoid victims. Most “civilized” people – 
  including humans, even barbarians, Elves, Dwarves, Coyles, and 
  Wolfen, avoid it like the plague.
  The craving occurs 1D4 times per day. To resist it the victim 
  must make a successful save vs magic of 15 or better. A failed 
  roll means the cursed individual will do almost anything to sat-
  isfy his craving, which lasts for 1D4 hours every occurrence. 
  Game Master Note: Which is why it should be something fairly 
  common and reasonably available, even if it is disgusting or ex-
  pensive.
  Cravings Penalties: Until the cursed individual is able to sat-
  isfy this consuming craving, he is distracted for 1D4 hours or 
  until he can get some, whichever comes first. The cursed soul 
  keeps thinking about “it” and how he might get hold of some 
  above all else, and is -4 on initiative and Perception Rolls, -2 to 
  strike, parry, dodge, and disarm, and -10% on all skills. Gener-
  ally, the G.M.s should not make the desired food or drink too rare 
  or obscure.
  31-32% Dislike: The victim of this curse effectively be-
  comes an irritant to all people around him, and strangers take an 
  immediate dislike to him. Merchants and wait staff either over-
  look the individual or do not want to deal with him, service for 
  this guy is terrible, he may be overcharged (1D4x10%), people 
  tend to avoid or move away from him, drunks and trouble mak-
  ers take a dislike toward this person and give him grief or start 
  a brawl, and similar incidents that occur when someone doesn’t 
  like a person. They probably don’t even know why they dis-
  like him, just something about the cursed individual makes him 
  unlikeable.
  Penalties for Dislike: In addition to be being targeted for trou-
  ble, reduce M.A. attribute by half. After 6 months, there is a 01-
  44% chance of the character becoming paranoid to some degree. 
  Probably not extreme at first – see insanity tables for some pos-
  sibilities. This curse and the accompanying paranoia usually van-
  ishes after the curse is removed or the cursed item is eliminated. 
  However, if the character has the cursed item for four years or 
  more, any insanity will remain.
  33-34% Envy: A resentful covetousness toward the abilities, 
  fame, wealth, a possession (one particular item or loved one), 
  or a number of possessions of another person. This may include 
  being jealous/desirous of another’s success, possessions, social 
  status, abilities, popularity, wealth, etc., to the point of distraction 
  and resentment. Envy may lead the envious cursed individual to 
  target the object of desire and try to acquire it by any means nec-
  essary. In the alternative, the cursed individual’s envy and resent-
  ment may turn into an obsessive rivalry and hatred that leads to 
  theft, sabotage, defamation of reputation, mockery and belittle-
  ment, and/or violence directed at the person he envies. Takes 
  satisfaction in other people’s misfortune, seeing others harmed, 
  brought low, or knocked down a peg or two, if he envies them or 
  what they have.
  Penalties of Envy: This cursed individual becomes petty and 
  meanspirited. After two months duration of this curse, change the 
  character’s alignment to Anarchist if he was of a good alignment, 
  Miscreant if selfish or evil, and reduce M.A. and M.E. by 20% for 
  the duration of the curse. After the curse is removed or broken, 
  the victim may have regret for his actions motivated by envy, 
  
  95
  and may seek to make amends. He is also likely to have made his 
  share of enemies during this period.
  35-36% Fatigue: The cursed individual feels tired and worn 
  out even when he gets sufficient sleep and rest.
  Fatigue Penalties: Reduce Endurance and Speed attributes by 
  30%, -1 on initiative, -4 to damage after six minutes of fighting or 
  heavy work, because the character is feeling fatigued and weak, 
  -20% to ALL Physical skills, and suffers from fatigue in HALF 
  the time as he should, requiring frequent rests.
  37-38% Fleas: The victim of this curse attracts fleas, is cov-
  ered in bites and is scratching all the time. Cannot seem to get rid 
  of the fleas no matter how much he tries washing and cleaning his 
  clothes, bathing, etc.
  Penalties for Fleas: Reduce the victim’s M.A. and P.B. by 
  30%, and any corresponding bonuses from high attribute num-
  bers to impress, charm and intimidate, etc. Moreover, people 
  keep their distance for fear of getting fleas (never pleasant) and 
  the character may not be allowed inside some boarding houses, 
  taverns and other establishments, particularly if they are clean 
  and wholesome or upscale and expensive.
  39-40% Fumbles: The cursed individual has trouble holding 
  onto objects, from his weapon to a spoon, because his fingers just 
  seem clumsy and unsuitable for delicate work.
  Fumble Penalties: Drops weapon or object on a roll of a 1-6 on 
  a D20, -20% on skills that require dexterity and nimble hands, in-
  cluding Art, Carpentry, Climb, Disguise, Escape Artist, General 
  Repair, Rope Works, ALL Medical skills, ALL Rogue skills, and 
  any other skills that require nimble hands and fingers.
  41-42% Glow (Glowing Body): The flesh of the cursed in-
  dividual glows softly with a white light. This light is not enough 
  to illuminate an area to read in darkness or guide the way, but 
  is more than enough to attract attention and be seen in the dark. 
  The light can be concealed only under several layers of heavy 
  clothing or wrappings that need to include covering the face and 
  hands. This makes the victim look strange, perhaps diseased, and 
  appear menacing. In fact, the cursed individual may be mistaken 
  to be a mummy or a leper, or a fugitive trying to conceal his true 
  nature or identity.
  Penalties for Glow: Without a hood, mask, gloves and body 
  coverings, the odd effect reduces the Physical Beauty by 20%, 
  and instills a Horror Factor of 9. The unusual glow attracts both 
  night insects and first attacks in combat due to suspicion and fear 
  of the glow or the means taken to conceal it. In addition, these 
  distractions make the character -2 on initiative and constantly 
  concerned about how people will react to him, good or bad. 
  Prowling at night without a heavy covering is impossible, and 
  -5% with one. The victim must have the curse removed or suffer 
  its effect even after the item is discarded.
  43-44% Glowing Eyes: The victim of this curse has his eyes 
  glow with white, yellow, or red light and energy. Most people 
  who see such a person assume he is inhuman and probably an evil 
  monster, a demon, or possessed by a demon, and will attempt to 
  kill or drive him out of town, or exorcize him. (Note: While cler-
  ics and wizards know the proper methods of Exorcism, there are 
  a lot of people who think that physical pain can drive a demon out 
  of a person through beatings, whippings, burning, torture, etc.)
  Penalties for Glowing Eyes: Although this curse raises a char-
  acter’s M.A. to 22 it only serves to intimidate and create an at-
  mosphere of distrust and fear, rather than cause trust or charm; 
  Horror Factor 10. Furthermore, those who can use magic or 
  psionics to See Aura, see a strange aura emanating around the 
  cursed individual, causing friend and foe alike to view this per-
  son with suspicion, fear and distrust. As a result, anything the 
  cursed individual says is generally regarded as lies, half-truths, or 
  temptation. And the glow and ripple of energy from the eyes only 
  increases when the person is angry, scared, or frustrated.
  45-46% Greed: The cursed individual is consumed by the 
  pursuit of material gain, and is willing to risk everything to get 
  more of whatever it is he desires, especially if the reward is great. 
  Like a gambling addict, he may take chances that risk his money, 
  belongings, savings, or his life, to get what he wants. That may 
  include making a deal with the devil and other unsavory types. 
  Secretive about what he owns and, like a dragon, may hoard valu-
  able objects, and may consider stealing and using trickery, lies, 
  and manipulation to get what he wants. Actions may be blinded 
  by greed. Easily tempted.
  Penalties: -30% to save vs Seduction, -2 to save vs magical 
  charms and mind control. +5% to the skills Card Shark, Gemol-
  ogy, and Locate Secret Compartments/Doors, but they drive him 
  to take risks and he never knows when to cut his losses.
  47-48% Gluttony: Excess overindulgence of food, alcohol, 
  drugs, money, and other pleasures and extravagances – addic-
  tive behavior and selfishness – the cursed individual is likely to 
  withhold the subject of his gluttony/wantonness (food, booze, 
  money, etc.) from the poor and even teammates, friends and fam-
  ily in need. (“Let them eat cake.” “Mine, mine, mine.” “Sorry, 
  can’t spare any.”) Regardless of the character’s alignment, when 
  it comes to the subject of his gluttony (one or more vices), this 
  cursed individual puts his own needs and desires above all oth-
  ers. Loves to party and overindulge (doesn’t know when to quit) 
  in all the good things and vices life has to offer. Conversely, he 
  may greatly overpay or promise services to get an exotic morsel 
  of food, drink, drugs or exotic pleasure.
  Penalties of Gluttony: In addition to earning the resentment 
  of others, the cursed individual is so obsessed by his gluttonous 
  desires and overindulgence that he loses track of time, has little or 
  no empathy for others, and is -4 on Perception Rolls and initiative 
  and -20% on all skills when partying, drinking, or indulging in his 
  desires; -30% to save vs Seduction and -3 to save vs magical and 
  psionic illusions, charm and mind control when they appeal to his 
  gluttonous desires.
  49-50% Hallucinatory Noises: The victim of this curse hears 
  suspicious noises and strange sounds throughout the day and 
  night. The noises are always suggestive that they come from one 
  or more intelligent living creatures, such as whispering voices 
  with words that cannot quite be heard, the scratching of clawed 
  feet on stone, the tread of footsteps, the clank of armor, the creak 
  of floorboards or a door opening, the rustle of a cloak, a cough, a 
  groan, a growl, laughter, etc. The cursed person can never be sure 
  whether the noise is real or just a hallucination, so he is always on 
  edge and often suffers from anxieties, paranoia and exhaustion.
  The noise occurs most often during quiet times when the char-
  acter is about to relax, rest, or sleep. They also happen in dark-
  ness especially when alone, during guard duty, when listening at 
  a door, while waiting in ambush, hiding, etc.
  Penalties/Insanity: Months or years of this constant stress can 
  lead to insanity. After the owner of this cursed item or cursed 
  existence has experienced the noises for 90 days, the person 
  will acquire his first phobia (fear and apprehension). Note that 
  in this case the initial phobia is more like paranoia and extreme 
  
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  jitters rather than outright terror. However, after another 1D4+2 
  months, it becomes a full blown phobia. Add one of the follow-
  ing phobias for every six months the cursed item is owned or the 
  person is cursed: 1) darkness, 2) closed doors, 3) graveyards, 4) 
  undead, 5) Shadow Beasts, 6) the invisible, 7) sleep, 8) Elemen-
  tals, 9) vampires, 10) werebeasts.
  After five years, there is a 60% chance of acquiring one of the 
  paranoid or schizophrenic insanities (see neurosis). Roll for each 
  year after three years of ownership of the cursed item. Stop once 
  the illness appears. Note: The insanities will remain even after 
  the curse is lifted.
  51-52% Haunted: The victim of this curse is haunted by 
  something he has done or failed to do. This may be guilt or re-
  gret over a wrongdoing (lying, cheating, tricking, stealing from 
  someone, cowardice, etc.), failing to help or rescue someone, or 
  feeling responsible for someone’s death or other loss. The guilt 
  may be deserved or undeserved. In the latter case, the Haunted 
  feels guilt, because he wasn’t there to help save the day, or failed 
  despite his best efforts, or feels guilty because he survived while 
  teammates or innocent people died. Not only is this cursed indi-
  vidual haunted by guilt and/or regret, but he may actually think 
  he sees the person(s) who died or whom he cheated, failed, or 
  caused to die, as a face in the crowd or standing across the street, 
  but disappears when he gets closer, or even as a ghostly visitor. 
  This person(s) may also haunt his dreams.
  Penalties from Being Haunted: -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on 
  initiative, -1 to dodge and disarm, -2 to save vs illusions and pos-
  session, and reduce M.E. and M.A. by 20% for the duration of 
  the curse.
  53-54% Headaches: The cursed individual is constantly af-
  flicted by painful headaches, especially when under stress and in 
  life and death situations.
  Headache Penalties: -1 to strike, parry, dodge, and disarm, 
  -15% on all skills. Under crisis situations, the headache gets 
  worse, making concentration and spell casting difficult, and the 
  cursed victim is always the last to strike or take action. Spell 
  casters and psychics can only cast two spells or use two psionic 
  powers per melee round.
  55-56% Heat: The victim of this curse is uncomfortably 
  warm all the time, even when sitting in a cold bath or standing out 
  in the snow. Loves cool weather, snow, and winter conditions.
  Heat Penalties: In addition to possibly catching a cold from 
  wearing too little clothes (resistant to frostbite, +2 to save, and 
  lasts 10 times longer before frostbite occurs), -2 on Perception 
  Rolls, -1 on initiative, -1 on all combat maneuvers (strike, parry, 
  dodge, etc.) and reduce speed by 10% when in an environment 
  warmer than freezing temperatures. Double the penalties when 
  the cursed individual is subjected to heat greater than 90 degrees 
  Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).
  57-58% Heavy Arms: The character’s arms and hands be-
  come heavy and unmanageable whenever a sure and steady hand 
  is necessary. This includes combat, when carrying weight, when 
  strength is necessary, and the performance of skills under stress-
  ful conditions (combat, danger, an emergency, etc.), making ev-
  ery task difficult and inaccurate when it matters most.
  Heavy Arms Penalties: -20% on all Physical and most Rogue 
  skills, and any skill requiring the dexterity of hands (Climb, Palm-
  ing, Pick Locks, etc.) and strength of arms; -1 to strike, disarm 
  and pull punch, -2 to parry, pin, and entangle, and the character 
  finds it virtually impossible to write for more than five minutes.
  59-60% Heavy Legs: The character’s legs become heavy and 
  slow, as if trying to run through deep snow or water. This afflic-
  tion occurs whenever speed, surefootedness, stealth or strength 
  are required. This includes combat, when carrying weight, when 
  strength is necessary, and the performance of skills under stress-
  ful conditions (combat, danger, an emergency, etc.), making ev-
  ery task difficult and ponderous when it matters most.
  Heavy Legs Penalties: Reduce Speed by half, -20% on all 
  Physical skills (including Prowl), Horsemanship, and Tracking 
  (all). The victim of this curse finds it virtually impossible to run, 
  walk, or stand for more than 30 minutes and needs frequent rest 
  stops.
  61-62% Ill at Ease: The cursed individual feels uncomfort-
  able and worried that something bad is going to happen to him, 
  his teammates, or people he cares about. This knocks him off of 
  his game and makes him distracted and tense as if there is too 
  much on his mind or he is only half listening.
  Penalties for Being Ill at Ease: While the curse is in place the 
  victim is constantly looking over his shoulder and is likely to 
  misunderstand things said to him, lose track of time, have trouble 
  relaxing and sleeping, and finds it difficult to trust strangers. Re-
  duce M.A. and M.E. attributes by 20%, -2 on Perception Rolls, 
  -20% on Communication and Performing skills, -10% on all oth-
  er skills, but +1 to dodge and roll with impact/fall, and +1 to save 
  vs Horror Factor (always expecting trouble).
  63-64% Insect Attraction: This curse attracts annoying in-
  sects. Flies, bees, wasps, and gnats circle around the head and 
  body of the cursed individual. Mosquitoes, lice and ticks love to 
  infest his clothes and armor, and live on his body. Such insects 
  in the area are drawn towards the cursed character before anyone 
  else.
  Penalties: The omnipresent and repulsive insects reduce the 
  person’s P.B. and M.A. attributes by half, and cause a Horror 
  Factor (revulsion) of 12. After all, it’s not pleasant to sit near 
  somebody crawling with bugs and with another couple dozen 
  winged insects buzzing around him. Note: While an Alchemist 
  may be able to create some type of insect repellent, it will not re-
  pulse insects attracted by the curse. They remain no matter what 
  is done. This does not apply to such monstrous insects as Gruu-
  nors, Rock Crawlers and giant insects.
  65-66% Lead-Foot: The afflicted is unable to walk softly, 
  prowl or be stealthy. He has a heavy foot and makes loud foot-
  falls when he walks, no matter how hard he may try to walk slow-
  ly and softly.
  Penalties of Lead-Foot: Reduce Spd by 10%, -20% on Ac-
  robatics, Climb, Dance, Gymnastics, and Swimming; -40% to 
  Prowl and Surveillance skills, and anyone tracking him enjoys 
  a bonus of +20% to follow his trail. Cannot walk discretely or 
  quietly.
  67-68% Loss of Confidence: The cursed victim loses con-
  fidence in himself. This curse may be inflicted in an attempt to 
  teach the character humility or as punishment.
  Penalties: Reduce M.A. and P.B. attributes by 30% for the 
  duration of the curse. Reduce any corresponding bonuses and 
  abilities related to those attributes, such as charm, impress, in-
  timidate, etc., according to the new (temporary) cursed attributes. 
  Skills and fighting abilities are unimpaired UNTIL the cursed 
  individual is faced with a life and death situation such as com-
  bat, a duel, someone else’s life hangs in the balance, etc. Under 
  such circumstances, the victim of this curse becomes hesitant and 
  
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  unsure of himself: -1 attack per melee round, reduce ALL com-
  bat bonuses (initiative, strike, parry, dodge, disarm, roll, etc.) by 
  HALF! Likewise, -10% to all Communication and Performance 
  skills. Saving throws are NOT affected by this curse.
  69-70% Lost: The Wrong-Way Charlie has no sense of direc-
  tion and constantly loses his way unless there is a companion to 
  lead the way. If trying to figure out which road to take or which 
  direction to go (even if he’s gone there a thousand times), the 
  cursed individual inevitably selects the wrong way, or the one 
  that has trouble (washed out road, muddy, rocky, rickety bridge, 
  etc.), or leads to danger (Wolfen raiders, bandit ambush, monster, 
  ghosts, wicked Faerie Folk, evil sorcerer, dangerous wild animal, 
  people in trouble and in need of help, etc.).
  Penalties for Lost: -5 on Perception Rolls involving direc-
  tions, travel, and finding a location, -40% to Land Navigation, 
  Surveillance, Tracking and Wilderness Survival skills, and -10% 
  on ALL other Wilderness and Espionage skills.
  71-72% Magic Disruption: The cursed individual is not in 
  touch with magic and has difficulty using and controlling it. A 
  truly terrible curse for magic users and priests of any kind.
  Penalties for Magic Disruption: Reduce P.P.E. by 30%, re-
  duce the range of spells and magic abilities by 20%, -1 to Spell 
  Strength, and -2 to save vs ALL magic, including spells, Wards, 
  Circles, Charms, Illusions, and magical mind control.
  73-74% Misery: Sadness fills the heart and mind of the cursed 
  individual. The victim is weighed down by a sense of grief or a 
  great sadness or loss. He tends to see the sadness, suffering, and 
  misery in the world, which only fuels his own melancholy. This 
  person is quick to lose hope and want to give up in the face of 
  adversity. Sympathizes with the poor and downtrodden, widow-
  ers, and orphans, and feels their pain and is likely to try to help 
  them and protect them.
  Penalties for Misery: Reduce M.A., M.E., and Spd attributes 
  by 20%. Motivation becomes a challenge: -5% on all skills, triple 
  the skill penalty when things look hopeless, and -1 to save vs 
  Horror Factor and psionic attacks.
  75-76% Misunderstanding: In dealing with people of other 
  races and customs, the victim of this curse always, even upon 
  making a successful Language, Literacy, or Lore skill roll, mis-
  understands what he has read or what others have said to him, 
  just as he will misspeak and others misunderstand him and his 
  intentions. This too often results in accidental insults, fistfights, 
  brawls, challenges to duels, paying too much money for a product 
  or service, false accusations leveled at him, and constantly put-
  ting his foot in his mouth and getting himself in trouble. Note: 
  If a mage, scrolls cannot be properly read and do not work, and 
  mystic symbols, wards, Runes and circles are misinterpreted/mis-
  read, always with negative consequences.
  Penalties of Misunderstanding: -30% to ALL Communication 
  skills, Heraldry, History, Intelligence, and Lore skills, as well as 
  the use, reading, and interpretation of magic circles, scrolls, sym-
  bols, Runes, and Wards.
  77% Mumble: No matter what the victim of this curse tries 
  to say, no one is able to clearly hear and understand him because 
  he “mumbles.” Volume goes up and then down to a mumble or 
  slur of words. Even if the victim tries to shout, it will come out as 
  nothing more than a “Look owwoohmuhhhuhmhhhyaauhh!” All 
  who hear the cursed individual speak only have a 50% chance of 
  completely understanding what is said. Characters listening must 
  roll for every two sentences spoken.
  Penalties of Mumbling: -40% to ALL Communications and 
  Performing skills and cannot convey messages or information to 
  others. Magic spells may be cast but nobody knows what the in-
  cantation may have been. Telepathy is not affected by this curse, 
  though the character’s thoughts may be a little jumbled and filled 
  with frustration.
  78% Phantom Odor: The cursed individual suddenly smells 
  odd or badly at random times for no apparent reason; 10 foot (3 
  m) radius. Farther when it is carried by the wind. Lasts for 4D6 
  minutes at a time.
  No amount of bathing or perfume can conceal these odd and 
  often foul odors. The smells come and go 3D4 times a day. After 
  awhile, the victim of such a curse is unable to tell whether the 
  odors he smells are from something in the area or a manifesta-
  tion of the curse. Depending when the odor appears, it can ruin a 
  successful Prowl or Tracking, reveal where the character is hid-
  ing, or his location when invisible, and enable others, especially 
  animals and beings with a keen sense of smell and track by scent, 
  like the Wolfen and Coyles, to easily track him (and anyone with 
  him) by the unusual smell. Of course, the strange odor is also 
  annoying and disturbing to other people and keeps many away.
  Penalties for Phantom Odor: Reduce the victim’s M.A. by 
  20%, and P.B. by 10%, as well as any corresponding bonuses 
  from high attribute numbers to impress, charm and intimidate, 
  etc.; -30% to Prowl and hide when the smell is active, and people 
  keep their distance whenever the odor appears, because it smells 
  so bad, like sour milk or rotten eggs. People are likely to assume 
  the individual has bad personal hygiene or a strange illness to 
  smell that bad, and avoid him. Likewise, the cursed individual 
  may not be allowed to stay at boarding houses, taverns, and other 
  establishments, particularly if they are clean and wholesome or 
  upscale and expensive, and is likely to be denied entry or asked 
  to leave parties, festivals and gatherings. Note: This curse can be 
  played for laughs and drama.
  79% Pride/Hubris: Regardless of the cursed individual’s 
  alignment, he exhibits extreme selfishness, an overblown sense of 
  importance, and a lack of empathy and compassion toward oth-
  ers. The victim of this curse becomes obsessively self-absorbed 
  and prideful. He seeks excessive admiration and exalted personal 
  image to the point of lacking dignity or self-respect. This cursed 
  individual takes foolish chances, always assumes he’ll figure 
  things out off the cuff and come out on top – often putting other 
  people in jeopardy. When he fails, he throws someone else un-
  der the bus or blames unforeseen circumstances, but never takes 
  responsibility even when the mistake and his troubles are clearly 
  his own doing. Pride compels him to blame others for his fail-
  ings, never to accept blame, never apologize (finds an excuse or 
  lies about it), and always tries to paint himself and his decision in 
  the best light. All that ever matters is that the cursed individual is 
  seen in a positive light and he gets all, or most of, the credit for 
  good things and feats of heroism. He takes credit for the work and 
  sacrifice of others, lies about his own accomplishments and fail-
  ings, may bribe/pay others to lie on his behalf, and puts himself 
  before others. Too prideful to ask for help even when desperate, 
  only makes matters worse.
  Penalties for the Curse of Pride: In addition to the obvious, 
  this is likely to earn the cursed individual many enemies and the 
  resentment and disdain of others. People who have suffered as a 
  result of his mistakes and lies will want nothing to do with him, 
  don’t trust or respect him, and the aggrieved and angry may tar-
  
  98
  get him and his associates for revenge, robbery, sabotage, and 
  physical violence (beaten, tarred and feathered, run out of town, 
  and worse). After the curse is broken, the victim of it is likely to 
  feel shame and have regret over his past actions motivated by 
  the curse of pride. He may seek to make amends. A difficult, if 
  noble, task.
  80-81% Psionic Disruption: The cursed individual is not in 
  touch with his third eye and psychic abilities. Any cursed indi-
  vidual with psionic abilities feels a clouding and confusion within 
  his mind, making it difficult to use his mental powers. A truly 
  terrible curse for psychic characters of any kind, and this curse is 
  usually reserved for such people.
  Penalties for Psionic Disruption: Reduce I.S.P. by 30%, re-
  duce duration of psionic powers by half, and -2 to save vs ALL 
  psionic attacks, as well as possession, illusions, and magical 
  mind control.
  82-83% Rage: The cursed individual becomes a hot head 
  ruled by intense anger. This rage causes him to throw caution 
  to the wind and to start hurling insults or throwing fists, or pull-
  ing his sword and fighting whenever he feels disrespected, bul-
  lied, mocked, humiliated, or attacked. Don’t call him a coward or 
  stupid, because he’ll fight you to prove he is not or to make the 
  accuser apologize. The cursed individual may also rather fight 
  and escape rather than being taken prisoner, even if it is just for 
  questioning. In the heat of rage the character loses sight of conse-
  quences and will fight larger, more powerful opponents and fight 
  when outnumbered, and inflicts a considerable amount of damage 
  from his brutal attacks. Though he stops short of killing someone, 
  he may beat them badly, break bones, damage property (smash 
  windows, furnishings, etc.), and hurt someone much more than 
  he intended.
  Penalties: +1 to strike and +1 to save vs Horror Factor in rage 
  fueled brawls and duels, but -6 on Perception Rolls (does not no-
  tice the authorities coming to arrest him or reinforcements com-
  ing to kick his behind, etc.), -4 to dodge and disarm, -6 to pull 
  punch, and forgets what he was supposed to be doing until the 
  fight is over, even if it is of critical importance. Such violence is 
  likely to get the individual into plenty of trouble, get him jailed 
  and owing restitution for damages, and earn plenty of enemies. 
  Probably considered a dangerous and violent loose cannon avoid-
  ed by disciplined and honorable people such as Knights, Paladins 
  and other heroes. After the curse is removed, he may feel shame 
  and have regret over his past actions motivated by the curse of 
  rage, and may want to make amends.
  84-85% Rags: The curse of rags causes any clothing, belts, 
  bags, and armor worn/carried by the cursed individual to deterio-
  rate, tear and break, rapidly becoming nothing more than tattered 
  rags by the end of a one week period after being acquired. Normal 
  armor and clothes lose 10 S.D.C. per day, while magical armor 
  loses only one S.D.C. per week. Likewise, any pouch, coin purse, 
  bag, or water skin carried by the individual also tatters and causes 
  the belongings and valuables to spill out. When the S.D.C. of 
  the armor or clothing is exhausted, reduced to zero, it becomes 
  useless tattered rags and remnants that barely cling to the cursed 
  person’s body and offer no protection.
  Penalties for Rags: As per physical deterioration of clothes, 
  bags, and armor described above. In addition, reduce M.A. by 
  10% and P.B. by 20% as the person wears tattered rags. The 
  cursed individual is likely to be mistaken as a penniless beggar or 
  other person of low station due to his shabby appearance. Many 
  afflicted with this curse wear only an inexpensive robe or toga 
  that can be replaced when it falls apart and have allies carry their 
  armor and belongings.
  86-87% Reduced Healing: The cursed individual heals pain-
  fully slowly.
  Penalties of Reduced Healing: A person afflicted with this 
  curse only heals one S.D.C. and Hit Point per day by natu-
  ral means. Magical and psionic healings restore half the usual 
  amount when used upon the cursed individual; e.g. a healing that 
  would have restored 9 points of damage only restores four (round 
  down). The spell of Restoration automatically fails to restore lost 
  limbs, and even a Resurrection has only a 25% chance of work-
  ing successfully! When attempting to recover from a coma, the 
  victim of the curse gets no bonuses to save, base recovery only.
  88-89% Reduced Vision: The victim’s day and night vision 
  is reduced to a maximum of 30 feet (9 m)! Past that point the 
  vision is blurred and faces, features and signs are impossible to 
  distinguish.
  Reduced Vision Penalties: Attempting to fire ranged weapons 
  at targets beyond 30 feet (9.1 m) has a penalty of -6 to strike, 
  and the cursed cannot recognize familiar faces, enemies, banners, 
  crests and symbols, nor people, animals, and monsters that may 
  represent an impending danger.
  90-91% Rust: The cursed individual’s metal weapons rust 
  and weaken, inflicting less damage and may break upon impact. 
  Wood, bone, and stone weapons are not affected, but any metal 
  bands, wire, nails, screws, or clamps that may hold the weapon 
  together or hold it in place in a handle are affected. Metal armor 
  is also affected.
  Rust Penalties: All metal weapons are -3 to damage for the 
  first month. After that, the dull, wobbly, rusty weapon is -5 to 
  damage and has a 50% chance of breaking, or the metal blade/
  component falling away from a non-metal handle when involved 
  in heavy combat and at the beginning of every new week. Reduce 
  the A.R. (Armor Rating) for all metal armor by one (so if an A.R. 
  14, reduce to 13 and so on), and reduce S.D.C. by 10% per month 
  until zero S.D.C. remains and it falls apart.
  92-93% Sloth: Lack of empathy and motivation. Cold and 
  indifferent to the suffering and plight of others. This curse un-
  dermines and hinders the character’s undertakings, causing him 
  to be lazy, bored, and dispassionate about everything. He lacks 
  empathy for others and has no passion for life, doing only the 
  minimum to get by, to the point of his own undoing. (Gets fired, 
  loses or gambles away his possessions, lets people down time and 
  again until they abandon him, fight him in anger, or worse.)
  The cursed individual is careless and unconcerned about his 
  own needs, and could not care less about anyone else’s. Nothing 
  has a sense of importance or urgency, even when it involves mat-
  ters of life and death. Deadlines and meetings are missed, mes-
  sages to be delivered are forgotten, preparations are put off, time-
  liness is nonexistent, and important duties and responsibilities are 
  ignored or performed without care. Everything this character is 
  assigned is performed with bored indifference, careless attention 
  or inadequate craftsmanship. When something goes wrong, the 
  slothful individual shrugs and doesn’t care. He’s more concerned 
  with drinking, partying, sleeping, and just watching the world go 
  by.
  Penalties: In addition to the above, the cursed is always the 
  last on initiative, reduce M.A. and M.E. by 10%, and -20% on 
  all skills.
  
  99
  94% Sickness: The cursed individual presents with the con-
  stant symptoms of a severe cold or the flu. As a curse, after 30 
  days, the penalties are reduced by half for one week (7 days) and 
  the victim seems to be getting better. Then the curse and penal-
  ties come right back with force for another 30 days, and repeat 
  until the curse is lifted. Symptoms include body aches, fatigue, 
  fever, nausea, occasional vomiting from running or other means 
  of moving fast, runny nose, watering eyes, stuffed up head, and 
  coughing.
  Penalties from Sickness: Reduce Speed by 30%, -2 attacks per 
  melee round, -2 on Perception Rolls, -2 on initiative, -2 to strike, 
  parry, dodge and disarm, -10% on the performance of ALL skills, 
  and -1 on all saving throws. Fatigues in half the usual time and 
  coughing and the sniffles inflict a -20% penalty to Prowl, Track, 
  and hide.
  95% Spoilage: This interesting curse causes all food, wine 
  and water carried by the cursed individual to spoil within 24 
  hours. Even food preserved in containers, dried or smoked be-
  comes a rotten mess not suited for consumption by people. 
  Wine and beer become sour and undrinkable, and water dis-
  colored, bitter, and tainted. This curse is also applied to food 
  and drink carried by any porter hired by the character and sup-
  plies carried on a horse or other creature owned by the cursed 
  individual.
  Penalties of Spoilage: Eating or drinking spoiled items causes 
  food poisoning, fever, nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting. -1 
  attack per melee, reduce Spd by 40%, -4 to ALL combat maneu-
  vers (Perception Rolls, initiative, strike, parry, dodge, etc.), and 
  -20% to all skills for the next 4D6+20 hours.
  96% Stink: The cursed individual exudes a constant, pu-
  trid stench that is enough to make everyone within five feet 
  (1.5 m) gag and choke and want to move away as far and as 
  fast as possible. It can still be smelled for a 15 foot (4.6 m) 
  radius, but not to the point of gagging, and much farther down 
  wind. No amount of baths or perfumes can cover or disguise 
  this stench.
  Stink Penalties: Prowl, Invisibility, Chameleon magic, and 
  hiding are impossible, and creatures who can track by scent 
  are +20% to follow and find this character. Reduce the vic-
  tim’s M.A. by 30%, and P.B. by 20% as a result of the ter-
  rible stench coming off his body, as well as any corresponding 
  bonuses from high attribute numbers to impress, charm and 
  intimidate, etc. People keep their distance and assume the in-
  dividual is “cursed” or has some strange and terrible disease, 
  so they avoid him like a leper. The cursed individual will NOT 
  be allowed to stay at even dive boarding houses, trashy tav-
  erns, and other low establishments – a barn or tent out back, 
  maybe – and is likely to be denied entry or asked to leave par-
  ties, festivals and gatherings.
  97% Voices: A pair of voices only the cursed individual can 
  hear, fill his head whenever an important or moral decision needs 
  to be made. Each voice offers moral advice about his intentions, 
  choice or plan. This is like the cartoon devil appearing on one 
  shoulder encouraging bad behavior, revenge and criminal activ-
  ity, while the angel sits on the other shoulder advising against 
  it and encouraging kindness and goodness. Ultimately, this un-
  wanted discourse can be distracting and maddening, or just plain 
  perplexing.
  Penalties from Voices: -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initiative, 
  -1 to strike, parry, and dodge, -10% on ALL Communications 
  skills, and the victim of this curse may engage the voices only he 
  can hear in verbal conversation, yell at them, cuss at them, etc., 
  which may make him seem to be schizophrenic, unstable, and 
  dangerous. Reduce M.A. by 20% as a result. Note: The voices 
  listen and respond when he speaks to them, but they often only 
  confuse or annoy the cursed person.
  98% Vulnerability: The cursed individual is vulnerable to 
  all manner of attacks. This may include emotional vulnerability, 
  making him too trusting, kind, and merciful even to those who do 
  not deserve such consideration.
  Penalties of Vulnerability: -2 to parry, dodge and disarm, -2 on 
  ALL saving throws (magic, psionics, illusions, possession, Hor-
  ror Factor, etc.), and has no ability to roll with impact/fall/punch 
  (takes full damage).
  99% Weakness: Physical weakness no matter how muscle-
  bound he may be.
  Penalties: Despite the cursed individual’s P.S. attribute, he has 
  NO damage bonus from P.S., inflicts -2 damage from all physical 
  attacks, and can only lift, pull, and carry one third the amount he 
  should be able to.
  00% Wrath/Revenge: The victim of this curse becomes ob-
  sessed with revenge on anyone who hurts him or those he cares 
  about. This quickly turns into uncontrolled feelings of anger, ha-
  tred, and lust for retribution against the offender(s). This may 
  result in cruel and publicly embarrassing pranks, pointless duels, 
  brawls, feuds and acts of sabotage and violence, even murder. All 
  in the name of justice and fair play, but which often goes well be-
  yond fair retribution. Wrath is often cruel, merciless, and over the 
  top (think The Punisher). Such as beating someone within an inch 
  of their life because they bumped into the cursed individual or ac-
  cidently offended or harmed him or a teammate, or insulted them, 
  or tried to rob or cheat them, or flirted with his girlfriend, etc. As 
  a rule, the punishment/retribution does not fit the offense, it is 
  much too brutal and extreme. And is sometimes self-destructive 
  or directed at an innocent person. Likewise, innocent bystanders 
  sometimes get hurt.
  Penalties of Wrath: Has trouble controlling his rage, and 
  becomes obsessed with revenge even though it may have neg-
  ative, painful and even deadly consequences for himself or 
  his associates. Good aligned characters become Anarchist for 
  the duration of the curse, and selfish or Aberrant characters 
  become Miscreant or Diabolic. Is likely to be feared as a psy-
  chotic, violent brute and a dangerous loose cannon. After the 
  curse is removed, he may feel shame and have regret over his 
  past actions motivated by the curse of wrath, and may want to 
  make amends.
  
  100
  The Ghost Knights
  A Legend of Lopan
  Of Lopan’s many secrets and mysteries, one particular thorn 
  in the side of the Knights-Fossar and the inhabitants of Lopan 
  near the Garden is the legend of the Ghost Knights. A trio of in-
  famous specters known to haunt the roads and woodlands around 
  the Garden, but never within the Garden of the Gods itself.
  The legends and tall-tales surrounding the Ghost Knights are 
  conflicting and contradictory. Some claim they are fallen heroes 
  who died in service to the gods of the Garden, and now forever 
  ride through the night still protecting the ancient grounds. Many 
  others believe them to be the opposite, fallen knights whose acts 
  of selfishness and treachery have condemned them to forever 
  walk the countryside, haunting the living and slaying those to 
  whom they take a disliking. Others claim they are demons jeal-
  ous of the Garden and of the Knights-Fossar, so they dress like 
  knights and haunt the roads and woodlands around the Garden 
  of the Gods where they kill and feast upon the flesh and blood of 
  heroes and the innocent.
  Stories and reports of encounters with the Ghost Knights are 
  equally conflicting and contradictory. Not all who encounter one, 
  two or three of the Ghost Knights have a harrowing experience. 
  While the ghosts are known to threaten people, challenge war-
  riors to combat, and chase, beat, rob, torture, and kill many of 
  those they encounter, other times they simply accompany a trav-
  eler for a while. Talking and exchanging pleasantries before rid-
  ing off into the evening fog without incident.
  Some encounters are so benign that it is only afterward that 
  the travelers realize they had ridden with one or more of the 
  fabled Ghost Knights without incident. In these tales of en-
  counters, the unknown knight(s) simply walks or rides out of 
  the darkness or the fog that often envelops the island of Lopan, 
  to accompany the traveler(s) for a ways. Conversation can be 
  about anything, but is mostly small talk about where the person 
  hails from, whether they live on Lopan, who they are visiting, 
  why they are here, their experience in the Garden of the Gods, 
  and which gods and religions they hold dear. But conversation 
  could just as easily pertain to subjects of war, combat, adventur-
  ing, the politics of kingdoms away from Lopan, crimes, women, 
  drink, family, hunting, fishing, and the weather. There are even 
  some reports of the Ghost Knights coming to the aid of travel-
  ers under attack by bandits or a monster, or by showing the 
  lost travelers the right way to their destination. Many people 
  realize they have just had an encounter with the Ghost Knights 
  when they turn around and the Knight has vanished into the 
  night mist.
  When the apparitions share something about themselves, 
  what they say is mostly lies. They may claim to be knights of the 
  realm, or visiting crusaders from a distant land visiting the Gar-
  den or come to experience the Lopanic Games. Sometimes they 
  claim to be on a pilgrimage or a quest, and other times they pose 
  as members of the Knights-Fossar on patrol to keep the roads safe 
  for gentle folk, or are in search of a fugitive.
  There seems to be no reliable pattern for whom the specters 
  help or victimize. For every tale of a friendly, helpful, or benign 
  encounter, there are ten involving violence and savagery. Thus, 
  the Ghost Knights are the stuff of legend and feared by all. If you 
  
  101
  think you are being approached by one or all three, word to the 
  wise is to run like the wind and pray they do not catch up with 
  you.
  More often than not, an encounter with even one or two of the 
  Ghost Knights is a terrifying experience. The ghosts seem to like 
  to chase and harass travelers, especially warriors and clergy. Rid-
  ing them down on horseback, or appearing on foot out of nowhere 
  to beat and rob them along the road, or challenge one of them to a 
  duel; usually to the death, winner taking possession of the loser’s 
  weapons, armor, and valuables. Other times the ghost(s) demand 
  steep payment, or combat, in order for the traveler(s) to pass un-
  molested, or they attack without warning or provocation and beat 
  the travelers to within an inch of their lives, or kill some without 
  mercy and leave a few to tell the tale. Such combat may be done 
  without the ghost(s) saying a word, or it may involve taunts and 
  challenges.
  The Ghost Knights may appear on foot or on horseback in full 
  armor and knightly regalia, or buck naked. A Ghost Knight may 
  ride out of the fog and mist or step out of the darkness as if they 
  were part of it. A few stories suggest the ghosts may also drop 
  down from the night sky above, snarling and ready for combat. 
  Other times what starts out as a friendly conversation suddenly 
  turns bad and violent, leaving any survivors wondering what they 
  said to spark the onslaught.
  Those who claim to have fought a Ghost Knight and survived 
  to tell the tale – usually because the ghost found them to be a 
  worthy opponent and allows them to live – say that the ghost 
  feels solid, though they do not bleed, and of course, can vanish 
  and reappear anywhere at will, as ghosts are wont to do. When 
  the chase or the battle is done, the specter simply vanishes. Rid-
  ing away on horseback or melting into the fog or the surrounding 
  darkness.
  Whenever someone goes missing at night, especially along 
  the woodland roads and when the missing are men-at-arms, ad-
  venturers, Wizards or noblemen and their bodyguards, the Ghost 
  Knights are blamed. For while some are allowed to live and oth-
  ers are left dead in the road where they were slain, other people 
  vanish completely. Never to be seen again.
  The Truth Behind the Legend
  These knights are neither ghosts nor jealous demons, they are 
  vampires created by something terrible and unknown deep un-
  der the Garden that even the Order of the Knights-Fossar, said 
  to know everything about the Garden of the Gods, do not know 
  exists. Each drawn to the pull of an ancient evil that calls itself 
  Muareota the Hidden. This parasitic would-be deity has lan-
  guished in an area of the catacombs beneath the Garden of the 
  Gods for so many tens of thousands of years that even the gods 
  have seemed to forgotten she is there.
  Muareota has been long forgotten by the outside world. Buried 
  in catacombs that predate the Garden itself, and cloaked from all 
  but those to whom she wishes to reveal herself. Which are few. 
  Her name and her followers cleansed from the annals of history 
  long before Elves and Dwarves rose to dominance. A primitive 
  Vampire-Like Intelligence from a bygone era, Muareota could 
  only whisper temptations of power and evil for thousands of 
  years, until she finally caught the ear of an aging Elven warrior. 
  One of the first Knights-Fossar by the name of Sir Amar Lelam-
  bac.
  Sir Lelambac was lured into the catacombs one night by a 
  curious voice that spoke to him while he camped at what would 
  become the Garden of the Gods. Then, it was an unkempt tangle 
  of forest and vegetation known to harbor some statues from a 
  forgotten time. Though he had camped here many times before, 
  he had never noticed an opening down into the earth. The voice 
  softly, sweetly, called to him, and so he went. Down into the 
  crypts and catacombs he had never known existed. Through 
  twisting tunnels he was pulled down further and further, until 
  finally, beyond the veil of roots and fallen rock, he came face 
  to face with the idol of Muareota. There she sat, resting inside 
  the little, ancient shrine that was her prison for the ages. The 
  horrid thing – resembling a miniature version of an Old One 
  with many eyes and tentacles, and bat wings – sat surrounded 
  by eternally-lit candles that never burned out, flickering in the 
  darkness. A smiling, mocking face carved from pale gray stone 
  seemed to welcome the Knight. Stranger still, Sir Lelambac felt 
  safe and at home.
  The monstrous thing invaded Sir Lelambac’s mind with the 
  gentleness of a kiss and the welcoming embrace of a woman. 
  Intoxicating and inescapable from so close, not that he wanted to 
  escape, Muareota pulled him to her and he submitted, willingly. 
  Hungrily.
  Before he could shield his soul or his thoughts, Sir Lelambac 
  was bombarded by visions of wealth and power and an existence 
  that would last a thousand lifetimes, even to an Elf such as he. 
  The knight, bitter from not advancing further and faster within 
  the human-dominated Knights-Fossar, accepted Muareota’s 
  sensual embrace. He agreed to a pact for immortality with full 
  knowledge of the monster he would become. In that moment he 
  writhed and twisted, and the smiling idol of Muareota looked 
  down with loving approval upon the Master Vampire born that 
  night. Her Champion and consort.
  As dark gods often do, Muareota’s promises were all lies ... or 
  at least only half-truths. Now that she granted Sir Lelambac im-
  mortality and the powers of the living dead, he was forever linked 
  to her and her alone. He and she were as one. Partners in darkness, 
  bound to one another in eternity. And since Muareota’s shrine is 
  actually a prison that binds her to the forgotten catacombs, her 
  night spawned powers are dampened by the Garden of the Gods 
  above her. Suffocating her, holding her below the earth, unable to 
  move or break free to soar into the night sky where she belongs.
  So too is Sir Lelambac trapped. Able to rise only on nights 
  when the moon is full or nearly so, as well as when there is no 
  moon at all. When he rises, he can travel no more than 100 miles 
  (160 km) from his creator and master. The rest of the time he 
  sleeps in his underground lair and dreams of freedom and the 
  conquest of the human race and all mortals of this world. It is the 
  same for the other two so-called Ghost Knights who serve him 
  and Muareota. Each a Secondary Vampire of his creation.
  Their shared goal is to find a way to free the vampire-like god 
  of darkness buried in the catacombs so that she may again enter 
  the world of mortals. When that glorious day happens, Sir Lelam-
  bac shall be seated next to her as her right hand, consort, and em-
  peror. The other two Ghost Knights serving as generals destined 
  to build and lead an army of darkness, composed of the living and 
  the dead, to conquer and bring the world to its knees.
  To make this promise happen, they must find a way to release 
  Muareota from the enchantment that imprisons her beneath the 
  Garden. A task made all the more difficult for the fact none of 
  
  102
  them can travel more than 100 miles (160 km) from the location 
  of her shrine, and are only active at night some 5-7 days a month.
  So when Sir Lelambac and the other two Ghost Knights are 
  hungry or angry, or frustrated, they lash out at the living, attack-
  ing and killing travelers, or beating them to a pulp and taking 
  their valuables to fund their search for Maureota’s freedom. They 
  feed by tearing out the throats of their victims or bleed them in 
  such a way that it looks like torture or battle wounds. Leaving no 
  marks or evidence that vampires prowl the soil of Lopan. It is a 
  ploy that has worked for centuries as not even the Knights-Fossar 
  and the legions of adventurers and heroes who visit the Garden of 
  the Gods and the Lopanic Games have any suspicion that vam-
  pires are at work anywhere near the treasured bastion of peace 
  and enlightenment that is the Garden.
  The Ghost Knights emerge and travel on the nights they are 
  able, prowling the land around the Garden in search of clues, ru-
  mors, legends, and unwitting agents to help them find a way to 
  release Muareota, and themselves with her. The Ghost Knights 
  seem like phantoms because they are able to turn into mist and 
  seem to float away or vanish into the fog or among the trees. 
  When out of sight, they may then turn into a bat or wolf for a 
  faster method of travel and other means to spy upon the living. 
  The rare few who ever discover their dark secret are hunted down 
  and murdered, if not by the vampires, then by one of their many 
  agents.
  The cunning Ghost Knights are careful not to make more of 
  their kind, because they too would be trapped in the same area on 
  Lopan, and too many vampires are likely to be noticed. For now, 
  they make use of mortal agents to serve them.
  Agents are any evildoer or witless pawn willing to take coin 
  to perform a task and not ask too many questions. Such agents 
  include thieves and pirates, spies and snitches, but more often 
  they are tavern-keepers and well-intentioned pilgrims, scholars, 
  priests, mages, and adventurers hired to find a particular bit of 
  information or to acquire an ancient artifact, tome, or magic item. 
  Other individuals are charged with unraveling certain mysteries 
  of the past and to unearth theories about magic that could cap-
  ture and contain a Vampire Intelligence or a dark god, and how 
  to break such a spell. As such, many unwitting “agents” (which 
  are most) of the Ghost Knights believe they are serving a good 
  cause and helping one of the Knights-Fossar or a champion of the 
  realm. To this end, each of the three Ghost Knights have many 
  such well-intentioned agents – unsuspecting pawns in a danger-
  ous game – and a network of spies and snitches in the towns and 
  cities of Lopan, and every port city of the Old Kingdom and the 
  Eastern Territory along the Inland Sea. All with ears to the ground 
  and eyes open for anyone who might be able to provide answers 
  or clues to what their imprisoned master seeks. Note: The Ghost 
  Knights attack and rob wealthy travelers to get coin, jewelry, and 
  other valuables to fund their operations and pay their agents.
  People who may hold the answers these fiends seek or may 
  have connections that could lead to new clues to pursue, some-
  times go missing in the night. Snatched off the street or at the 
  edge of the Garden, sometimes pulled from their beds as they 
  sleep. Most simply vanish. Their belongings and all, gone with 
  them. Resources with which the Ghost Knights pay the agents 
  and spies, or taken to make it look like the missing person had 
  simply moved on, or skipped out on their hotel bill. These ab-
  ductions and disappearances are so well crafted and there are so 
  many visitors to this part of Lopan, that foul play is seldom ever 
  suspected. If there is no sign of violence, there is no crime, and 
  who could possibly keep track of all the people who come and 
  go? Visitors come and go without notice or bidding farewell all 
  the time, and people skipping out on a rooming bill is not uncom-
  mon.
  Over the centuries, Sir Lelambac has demonstrated his Elven 
  patience by biding his time and slowly gathering information and 
  support for Muareota. A Death Cult that worships the dark god 
  has been established in the Land of the South Wind where her fol-
  lowers search for ways to free their god. The cult leader was re-
  cruited by Lelambac personally when she visited Lopan in search 
  of a purpose. In her case, the Garden held no special insight nor 
  inspiration. That came from a handsome Elf she met outside a 
  tavern. A man who said he could feel her yearning and could give 
  her the purpose she so desperately sought.
  There is also a Western Pirate Captain who attacks ships leav-
  ing Lopan that Sir Lelambac has identified as carrying riches and 
  targets for capture and ransom. The money is split 50/50 between 
  the pirate and one of Sir Lelambac’s most trusted henchmen on 
  Lopan – a man and his sister completely under the knight’s vam-
  piric thrall. He also has scholars and mages plumbing the depths 
  of the Western Empire for ancient lore and magic concerning the 
  living dead. The Empire of Sin has been plagued by vampires for 
  ages, so it seems an ideal place to find someone familiar with the 
  ancient Muareota and the dark magic that could break her impris-
  onment. He also has a band of thieves plotting to steal an ancient 
  tome from the Library of Bletherad. A forbidden book kept under 
  lock and key, out of sight from visitors to the Library. An ancient 
  text which may hold the answers he seeks. He is also consider-
  ing sending intrepid heroes on a fool’s quest into the Land of 
  Damned to secret for the answers he seeks. After all, is it not the 
  last bastion of the oldest and most forbidden magicks? If the an-
  swers he seeks are anywhere, surely it must be there. The trick is 
  getting agents in and out of that god-made prison, alive. No easy 
  task for the greatest of heroes or tenacious of madmen.
  Hired agents and pawns are scattered across the world. Find-
  ing people worldwide is one of the advantages to living on Lopan 
  where people of all races and stations of life come from all lands 
  in search of divine insight at the Garden or glory and wealth in 
  the Lopanic Games.
  Lady Breineta Tarnim and Sir Ecago Iddav are the other 
  two Ghost Knights, Secondary Vampires created by Sir Lelam-
  bac in service to Muareota. There have been others created by 
  Sir Lelambac, but they proved to be disappointments, requiring 
  him to destroy them. These two, however, have proven worthy 
  servants to him and Muareota.
  Each of the trio have secret, underground lairs around and be-
  neath the Garden of the Gods. Protected chambers where they 
  can shelter during the day. They journey out into the world of the 
  living only on the nights they can, a few times a month. Always 
  outside the Garden, never within, for they cannot walk upon the 
  hallowed ground of the Garden itself. For these three undead, the 
  Garden of the Gods is like an open-air church or holy place they 
  can cannot enter. At least not on the surface and among the Gar-
  den itself. They can, however, function just fine in the pitch black 
  catacombs beneath the Garden.
  Occasionally, one of the Ghost Knights adopts a cover persona 
  and attempts to infiltrate the Knights-Fossar for a short period of 
  time, looking for another suitable victim to persuade over to the 
  darkness, or to ferret out any information the Knights-Fossar and 
  
  103
  their knowledgeable Wardens may have about them, vampires 
  in general, and Muareota and the magic that condemns her. So 
  far, the Order of the Knights-Fossar know nothing about them, 
  Muareota, or their secret network of agents and spies. Nor do 
  the Knights-Fossar, or anyone anywhere, seem to know about 
  the dark goddess Muareota. For the desperate Ghost Knights, 
  this is both welcomed news confirming they are, indeed, superior 
  to mortals and worthy to be Muareota’s chosen elite, but also a 
  source of anguish, for how can they release her if she is forgotten 
  and unknown by all but the three of them?
  When making contact with a Knight-Fossar, the vampires usu-
  ally pretend to be crusaders or minor nobles on missions from 
  one noble lord or another. Representatives from far away whose 
  stories cannot be verified or disproved. Claiming exhaustion and 
  having just arrived before the break of day, the infiltrating vam-
  pires can justify sleeping throughout the day, until dark for a few 
  nights before suspicions may arise, but by then, the vampires will 
  have moved on. In some cases, the wicked undead use their vam-
  pire powers to make the Knights or innocent visitors forget they 
  ever met, or to plumb their minds and try to pull secrets out of 
  their heads. These clever and methodical monsters like to know 
  their enemies very well, and prefer to be the ones pulling the 
  strings whenever they can. Likewise, the handful of mind con-
  trolled servants of Sir Lelambac and his two Secondary Vampires 
  are completely loyal to them and would die before betraying their 
  masters.
  The stories and rumors surrounding the Ghost Knights who 
  haunt the woods have persisted for centuries, and many a knight 
  has tried to uncover the truth and hunt these “men or monsters” 
  down. So far, without luck. The few who get too close to dis-
  covering the truth are found slain on the road, or perish under 
  mysterious circumstances, or disappear. If Sir John Perrenact, 
  current leader of the Knights-Fossar, were to discover that such 
  monsters lurk under the Garden of the Gods and impersonate the 
  bold knights of the Order, he would likely conduct an organized 
  campaign to sweep the catacombs on a mission to destroy the 
  vampires. But there, Muareota can manifest some level of power 
  in the dank darkness, and she is able to cloak her location and 
  those of her loyal servants from the eyes of the living. Revealing 
  herself and the shrine that represents her only to those she wants 
  to find her. As a result, neither Sir John nor any member of the 
  Order of the Knights-Fossar have any clue about the Darkness 
  that lurks below the Garden, and perhaps it is better that way. Not 
  even the Mind Mage Clerah Odhaln has yet sensed this monster. 
  However, if she should ever meet one the Ghost Knights herself, 
  that might change, and the Ghost Knights might have to slay her 
  or capture Clerah and turn her into one of them before the Mind 
  Mage could sound the alarm.
  Sir Amar Lelambac
  Sir Amar Lelambac is the Master Vampire who created the 
  other two Secondary Vampires who serve him. He is a brilliant 
  strategist and tactician, a planner with keen insight on human be-
  havior, and leads the campaign to free Muareota with relentless 
  resolve. His vampire abilities to control and manipulate others to 
  get what he desires have only improved over centuries of prac-
  tice, even if it is only for 5-7 days a month. He is truly the mas-
  termind behind the vampires’ operations on Lopan, and if anyone 
  can find a way to release the dark god Muareota, it is he.
  Sir Lelambac is a monster with a mission. All his life his supe-
  rior mind and talents were never appreciated and he was always 
  held back and thwarted by those envious of him. At least, that’s 
  the way he sees it.
  The truth is, Amar’s cutthroat tactics, treachery, and arro-
  gance never earned him many friends or respect. In life, he 
  was more feared and hated than trusted and admired, and that 
  kept him from advancing among the Knights-Fossar. Now, at 
  
  104
  last, he serves a master who appreciates his talents and meth-
  ods. She has put him in an elevated position and he shall not 
  fail her.
  Lelambac’s vampire lair is in a deep, dark offshoot of 
  the Elven Ossuary, a place where he feels at home among 
  long-dead spirits of his kind, even if their faces and voices 
  torture and condemn him as a traitor to all living things. A 
  concealed door built into a wall of Elven bones hides the 
  chamber, well-crafted and long-aged to the point where it is 
  almost indistinguishable from its surroundings (-45% to Lo-
  cate Secret Compartments/Doors). He is so old that no one 
  within the Knights-Fossar has any memory of him whatsoever. 
  His name, of course, is listed among the Knights as one of the 
  early members of the Order, but there is nothing else noted 
  about him other than that he went missing and his body was 
  never recovered.
  Sir Amar Lelambac, Quick Stats
  Elf, Master Vampire of Muareota
  Alignment: Diabolic.
  Attributes: I.Q. 23, M.E. 21, M.A. 25, P.S. 33 (Supernatural), 
  P.P. 26, P.E. 22, P.B. 24, Spd 24.
  Age: 1904 (494 at the time of conversion into a vampire).
  Experience: 10th level ex-Knight-Fossar, now a Master Vam-
  pire.
  Horror Factor: 14
  Hit Points: 205. S.D.C.: 67. Vampire Bio-Regeneration.
  Natural A.R. (Vampire): 12
  P.P.E.: 40
  I.S.P.: 163
  Disposition: Cool, calm and calculating, but burns inside with 
  a lust for power and recognition. Cunning, patience and the 
  ability to see the big picture are three of his greatest assets, and 
  makes him more dangerous than any of the others.
  He is quite fond of Breineta despite the fact that she has 
  refused to be his bride. He just cannot help but to admire her 
  spirit and talents. He finds the brooding and brutish Ecago 
  to be an effective weapon against their enemies and enjoys 
  watching him intimidate, interrogate, and tear people to piec-
  es. Both Secondary Vampires remain loyal allies whom he 
  feels he understands and can trust.
  Skills of Note: All Fossar-Knight O.C.C. skills frozen at 10th 
  level proficiency, all other skills (O.C.C. Related, Secondary, 
  etc.) are forgotten.
  Natural Abilities: All abilities of a Master Vampire, includ-
  ing Nightvision 1,600 feet (488 m), echolocation, vampire 
  metamorphosis (mist, wolf, bat), Vampire’s Bite, create 
  vampires, mind control, Hypnotic Suggestion, Summon 
  and Control Vermin (rats and mice), Summon and Control 
  Canines, impervious to most weapons, Super Regeneration 
  (2D6 Hit Points/S.D.C. per melee round and completely 
  regenerates overnight unless utterly destroyed), does not 
  breathe or bleed, can smell blood up to one mile (1.6 km) 
  away, Prowl 50%, etc. (See Western Empire™, page 208, 
  for complete details.)
  Attacks per Melee: Six.
  Bonuses (all): +3 on initiative, +8 to strike, +9 to parry, +8 to 
  dodge, +7 to pull punch, impervious to all forms of mind con-
  trol, magic sleeps and paralysis, impervious to most ordinary 
  weapons, impervious to normal fire and cold, and +5 to save 
  vs Horror Factor.
  Damage: Fights tooth and claw, or may use a weapon, magic, or 
  psionics.
  Bite Attack – 3D6+6 (not to turn an opponent into a vam-
  pire)
  Punch, Restrained – 1D6
  Punch or Claw Strike, Full Strength – 5D6+18
  Power Punch/Claw Strike – 1D6x10+18 but counts as two 
  melee attacks.
  Kick, Full Strength – 5D6+18
  Vulnerabilities: A wooden stake through the heart instantly puts 
  it into a coma or stasis sleep (remove the stake and instantly 
  returns to bloodthirsty life), weapons made of wood inflict 
  normal damage direct to the vampire’s Hit Points, silver weap-
  ons do double damage, sunlight does 1D6x10 damage direct to 
  Hit Points per melee round, a magical Globe of Daylight does 
  3D6 damage per minute and should keep most Secondary and 
  Wild Vampires at bay. A vial of Holy Water/Blessed Water 
  does 3D6 damage per six ounce (177 ml) vial, and running 
  water does 6D6 damage (first from S.D.C. then Hit Points) 
  per melee around when the vampire is exposed to running/
  moving water.
  Psionic Abilities: As is standard for a Master Vampire. Consid-
  ered a Master Psychic and saves vs psionic attack on a 10 or 
  higher. Mind control over other vampires it has created and 
  any Wild Vampires, and all other Master Vampire powers 
  (see Western Empire™, page 208, for more details). I.S.P. 
  163.
  Magic Items: A magical map of the Garden of the Gods with the 
  ability to Teleport the user and anyone within physical contact 
  to any point in the Garden that they choose. Can be used once 
  every 24 hours.
  Equipment of Note: Nowadays, he uses his Supernatural 
  Strength and vampire powers to overcome his enemies, but 
  he still keeps his gold inlay, magic broadsword (2D6 damage, 
  +1 to strike and parry; Dwarven quality, and enchanted to be 
  indestructible and ever sharp). He also has a ball and chain 
  (2D6+2) and a set of knives and picks for torture.
  Plate and Chain Armor the exact colors of the Fossarian 
  Order, as he was once one of their members, magically made 
  to be silent, and still maintained as a measure of pride. A.R. 
  15. 100 S.D.C.; looks new.
  Money and Valuables: Sir Lelambac has accumulated a small 
  fortune that he uses to pay his “agents.” He has the following 
  at his beck and call: 497,000 in gold, gems and a little silver. 
  In addition, he has a couple dozen common magic potions 
  for his mortal agents, things like Healing (4), Chameleon (3), 
  Invisibility (3), Negate Poison (5), Sleep (3), and Shrink (2). 
  Game Masters may add 1D6+2 other potions at a quantity of 
  one each. He also possesses a few vials of poison, a bottle of 
  Faerie Wine, a few lesser Holy Weapons, a few magic items, 
  and a pile of quality weapons and a few suits of armor taken 
  from some of his victims. He would have much more wealth 
  accumulated, but his worldwide network of spies and agents 
  searching for the puzzle pieces to free Muareota requires 
  much coin.
  
  105
  Lady Breineta Tarnim
  A Western Noble and something of a maverick, Sir Tarnim, 
  as she prefers to be addressed, is one of a few, rare females in 
  the world who is an actual trained knight, not just awarded an 
  honorary position of knight and allowed to ride with her male 
  counterparts. It is a title and rank that was earned, not bought, and 
  that makes her proud and cocky. When the visor of her helmet 
  is down, her skills and fighting acumen are such that her oppo-
  nents never know this knight is of the “weaker sex.” A term she 
  abhorred, so she delights in being the best of the best, and enjoys 
  defeating and besting male knights, warriors and louts whenever 
  the opportunity present itself. And that was before she gained the 
  Supernatural Strength and powers of a vampire.
  In life, she was what indelicate company might call a “bad 
  ass.” She always felt more comfortable on the field of battle or 
  in a tavern partying and debauching with her fellow knights and 
  soldiers, than sitting among the nobility. Though she started her 
  knighthood with noble intent, the “real world” made her hard and 
  cold, turning a Scrupulous alignment into Anarchist, and as a 
  vampire, Aberrant evil.
  As one of the living dead, Breineta retains something of her 
  code of honor, and her word of honor will not be broken. She 
  must swear on that honor, however, or her word means nothing, 
  and she curses and lies and cheats with the best of them.
  Sir Breineta Tarnim is cold and merciless in combat and as 
  treacherous as they come toward those she does not respect, 
  which is most people. Her idea of mercy is a quick death rather 
  than a slow and painful one, and she is no stranger to the art of 
  torture. As a vampire, more than ever she sees herself and her on-
  again, off-again lover Sir Lelambac, as superior to most mortals.
  Amar seduced her before granting her the gift of undead im-
  mortality. He may have had intentions to make her his immortal 
  bride, but Brei is too wild and free-spirited to be tamed, even 
  by him. She likes men, particularly knights and fighters of every 
  variety, and enjoys having her way with them. A proclivity that 
  annoys Sir Lelambac and sometimes puts their secret existence in 
  jeopardy. She insists her partying with, and seduction of, men is 
  to get information to further their cause, and for the most part that 
  is true, but her bold and blatant overconfidence is troubling for 
  the much more cunning and subtle Master Vampire.
  “Sir” Tarnim’s vampire sanctuary is hidden in a cleft near the 
  Krigan Heights. A small cave that is difficult to spot unless one 
  is standing right in front of it and looking for it (-25% to Locate 
  Secret Compartments/Doors). Protected by spiked pits, rock falls 
  and often guarded by wolves, her coffin is a crude, stone sarcoph-
  agus that she took from the tomb of a Lopan noble. It is hidden 
  away among dead-ends and circular tunnels, making it difficult to 
  pick out from many similar sarcophagi.
  Lady Breineta Tarnim,
  Human, Secondary Vampire, Quick Stats
  Alignment: Aberrant evil.
  Attributes: I.Q. 20, M.E. 17, M.A. 24, P.S. 25 (Supernatural), 
  P.P. 21, P.E. 18, P.B. 15, Spd 17.
  Age: 591 (36 at the time of conversion).
  Experience Level: 8th level Knight (Western Empire).
  Horror Factor: 12
  Hit Points: 130. S.D.C.: 57.
  Natural A.R. (Secondary Vampire): 10
  P.P.E.: 30
  I.S.P.: 95
  Disposition: A natural leader with a good head for strategies and 
  tactics, Brei is bold and confident, even haughty and arrogant. 
  In combat she is deadly and merciless, bold and daring. Some-
  
  106
  times too bold and too daring. She is very cocky and likes to 
  prove she is as good or better than any man by besting them 
  in battle. She especially loves to go against Knights, Palladins, 
  and Champions of the Gods.
  Skills of Note: All Knight O.C.C. skills only (Western Empire) 
  frozen at 8th level proficiency, all other skills are forgotten.
  Natural Abilities: All abilities of a Secondary Vampire, includ-
  ing Nightvision 1,600 feet (488 m), echolocation, vampire 
  metamorphosis (mist, wolf, bat), Vampire’s Bite, create vam-
  pires, mind control, Hypnotic Suggestion, Summon and Con-
  trol Vermin (rats and mice), Summon and Control Canines, 
  impervious to most weapons, Super Regeneration (2D6 Hit 
  Points/S.D.C. per melee round and completely regenerates 
  overnight unless utterly destroyed), does not breathe or bleed, 
  smell blood up to one mile (1.6 km) away, Prowl 50%, etc. 
  (See Western Empire™, page 209, for complete details.)
  Attacks per Melee: Four.
  Bonuses (all): +2 on initiative, +4 to strike, +5 to parry, +5 to 
  dodge, +3 to pull punch, impervious to all forms of mind con-
  trol, magic sleeps and paralysis, impervious to most ordinary 
  weapons, impervious to normal fire and cold, and +3 to save 
  vs Horror Factor.
  Damage: Fights tooth and claw, or may use a weapon, magic, or 
  psionics.
  Bite Attack – 2D6+3 (not to turn opponent into a vampire)
  Punch, Restrained – 1D6
  Punch or Claw Strike, Full Strength – 3D6+10
  Power Punch/Claw Strike – 5D6+10, but counts as two me-
  lee attacks.
  Kick, Full Strength – 3D6+10
  Vulnerabilities: It is difficult for Brie to refuse a challenge, espe-
  cially in physical competition with men. A tendency that can 
  get her into trouble.
  As a vampire, a wooden stake through the heart instantly 
  puts her into a coma or stasis sleep (remove the stake and in-
  stantly returns to bloodthirsty life), weapons made of wood 
  inflict normal damage direct to the vampire’s Hit Points, sil-
  ver weapons do double damage, sunlight does 1D6x10 dam-
  age direct to Hit Points per melee round, a magical Globe of 
  Daylight does 3D6 damage per minute and should keep most 
  Secondary and Wild Vampires at bay. A vial of Holy Water/
  Blessed Water does 3D6 damage per six ounce (177 ml) vial, 
  and running water does 6D6 damage (first from S.D.C. then 
  Hit Points) per melee around when the vampire is exposed to 
  running/moving water.
  Psionic Abilities: As is standard for a Secondary Vampire. Con-
  sidered a Major Psychic and saves vs psionic attack on a 12 or 
  higher. Mind control over other Secondary vampires she has 
  created, and any Wild Vampires (see the Western Empire™, 
  page 209, for more details.). I.S.P.: 90.
  Magic Items: A pair of Gryphon Claws (2D6 damage) she rarely 
  uses these days and a pair of silver daggers (1D6+2 damage) 
  that returns when thrown.
  Equipment of Note: The Lady uses her Supernatural Strength 
  and vampire powers to overcome her foes, but she still carriers 
  her Western Scimitar (2D6 damage), and a matching pair of 
  silver, Dwarven daggers (1D6+2 damage each) enchanted to 
  return when thrown.
  Her old armor is black and red Splint armor (A.R. 16, 
  S.D.C. 78), but she seldom wears it anymore, except when the 
  three ride out impersonating knights and crusaders. Always 
  a warrior at heart, she is more likely to be seen wearing soft 
  or studded leather armor, more for show than function, with 
  leather straps and armbands, tall leather boots and a short skirt.
  She also tends to the dark steeds that are stabled and cared 
  for at a local farm off the beaten path. The family is only too 
  happy to make extra money by caring for the three horses of 
  what they believe are noble knights. There is her dusky grey 
  mare, Sir Lelambac’s black stallion and Sir Iddav’s dark 
  brown, black maned mare.
  Money: She wears only a simple gold band with a small em-
  erald on her right hand, and a pair of diamond earrings. To-
  gether they are worth 15,000 gold. She also has 4D6x1,000 
  gold worth of valuable in her lair, but otherwise tends to spend 
  her money freely. She carries on her person 2D4x1,000 worth 
  of gold and gems at any given time. However, she considers 
  it an art to get foolish, lusty males to buy her whatever she 
  wants. She’s very good at it and seducing men without using 
  her vampire powers.
  Sir Ecago Iddav
  Sir Ecago Iddav was a hulking brute of a man who lived for 
  combat and victory even before he died and rose reborn as a Sec-
  ondary Vampire. Raised in the Eastern Territory, he grew up with 
  a chip on his shoulder and an agenda to prove he and his family 
  deserved their noble status as much as any Timiro, Western Em-
  pire, or Old Kingdom family with a long lineage. For Ecago, that 
  proof came on the field of battle.
  The man has always been a bully and becoming a vampire has 
  only exacerbated his contempt for lesser beings. Which is most 
  people, mortals and otherwise. He is the least patient of the trio 
  and the most discontent with being such a powerful being trapped 
  on Lopan. When there is a fight to be had and people to kill, it is 
  Sir Iddav who is sent to dispatch them. Not because he is the best 
  for the job, but to let him vent his blood lust and give him a mo-
  ment of joy. The towering 6 foot, 5 inch (1.9 m) brute longs for 
  the time when he can lead armies of vampires and mortal minions 
  in conquest against the kingdoms of the known world.
  Sir Iddav sleeps through the day in a chamber cut into the 
  roots of one of the massive trees found on the outskirts of the 
  Godsmire. The roots more resemble giant, curling tendrils that 
  arch up out of the ground and plunge back in. Each covered in 
  moss and fungus. Carved into the side of one of the largest roots 
  is a secret door, with another root leading to a walkway. The door 
  is a secret panel covered in moss and is camouflaged against in-
  truders (-25% to Locate Secret Compartments/Doors). Inside is 
  a simple cell with a heavy, wooden coffin, watched over by bats 
  and ravens that roost in the nearby trees.
  Sir Ecago Iddav,
  Human, Secondary Vampire, Quick Stats
  Alignment: Miscreant evil.
  Attributes: I.Q. 17, M.E. 18, M.A. 19, P.S. 30 (Supernatural), 
  P.P. 20, P.E. 19, P.B. 9, Spd 28.
  Age: 407 (41 at the time of conversion).
  Experience: 6th level Knight (Eastern Territory).
  Horror Factor: 12
  Hit Points: 151
  
  107
  S.D.C.: 82
  P.P.E.: 110
  Disposition: A skilled warrior who likes to throw his weight 
  around, bully others, and is given to violent outbursts. He lusts 
  for battle and killing, and is happy to fight over the slightest 
  altercation. Keeping this mad dog reined in all the time can be 
  a problem for Sir Lelambac. Like most males, Sir Tarnim has 
  Sir Iddav wrapped around her little finger, but she has little 
  respect for him except as a warrior.
  Skills of Note: All Knight O.C.C. skills only (Eastern Territory) 
  frozen at 6th level proficiency, all other skills are forgotten.
  Natural Abilities: All abilities of a Secondary Vampire, includ-
  ing Nightvision 1,600 feet (488 m), echolocation, vampire 
  metamorphosis (mist, wolf, bat), Vampire’s Bite, create vam-
  pires, mind control, Hypnotic Suggestion, Summon and Con-
  trol Vermin (rats and mice), Summon and Control Canines, 
  impervious to most weapons, Super Regeneration (2D6 Hit 
  Points/S.D.C. per melee round and completely regenerates 
  overnight unless utterly destroyed), does not breathe or bleed, 
  smell blood up to one mile (1.6 km) away, Prowl 50%, etc. 
  (See the Western Empire sourcebook, page 208, for com-
  plete details.)
  Attacks per Melee: Four.
  Bonuses (all): +3 on initiative, +4 to strike, +3 to parry, +3 to 
  dodge, +2 to pull punch, impervious to all forms of mind con-
  trol, magic sleeps and paralysis, impervious to most ordinary 
  weapons, impervious to normal fire and cold, and +5 to save 
  vs Horror Factor.
  Damage: Fights tooth and claw, or may use a weapon, magic, or 
  psionics.
  Bite Attack – 3D6+6 (not to turn an opponent into a vam-
  pire)
  Punch, Restrained – 1D6
  Punch or Claw Strike, Full Strength – 5D6+18
  Power Punch/Claw Strike – 1D6x10+18 but counts as two 
  melee attacks.
  Kick, Full Strength – 5D6+18
  Vulnerabilities: A wooden stake through the heart instantly puts 
  it into a coma or stasis sleep (remove the stake and instantly 
  returns to bloodthirsty life), weapons made of wood inflict 
  normal damage direct to the vampire’s Hit Points, silver weap-
  ons do double damage, sunlight does 1D6x10 damage direct to 
  Hit Points per melee round, a magical Globe of Daylight does 
  3D6 damage per minute and should keep most Secondary and 
  Wild Vampires at bay. A vial of Holy Water/Blessed Water 
  does 3D6 damage per six ounce (177 ml) vial, and running 
  water does 6D6 damage (first from S.D.C. then Hit Points) 
  per melee around when the vampire is exposed to running/
  moving water.
  Psionic Abilities: As is standard for a Secondary Vampire. Con-
  sidered a Major Psychic and saves vs psionic attack on a 12 
  or higher. Mind control over other Secondary vampires he has 
  created, and any Wild Vampires (see the Western Empire™, 
  page 209, for more details.). I.S.P.: 110.
  Magic Items: The Axe of Nyrravi, a magic weapon conjured by 
  the Elves during the Elf-Dwarf War and is a family heirloom. 
  How his family got possession of this weapon is a matter of 
  questionable circumstance and is part of the family’s secret 
  and seldom spoken of history. It turns into a flaming axe upon 
  command 5 times per day for up to 10 minutes (40 melee 
  
  108
  rounds) at a time. It delivers 4D6 damage and returns when 
  thrown when not aflame, and 6D6 damage and returns when 
  thrown when covered in magic fire.
  Equipment of Note: His other favorite weapons are a silver-
  plated bastard sword (2D6+4 damage, +1 to strike; Kobold 
  quality) that he could wield one-handed even before he had 
  Supernatural Strength, as well as a war hatchet (throwing axe, 
  2D4 damage) he won in combat from a Coyle war chief during 
  a campaign in what is now the Disputed Lands a couple hun-
  dred years ago. He also has a matching pair of pearl handled 
  knives (1D6 damage each).
  His Full Plate Armor is a blue-grey color with blue accents 
  that resembles that of the Knights-Fossar. A.R. 17, 133 S.D.C. 
  remaining and shows signs of wear and combat. Though he 
  doesn’t need to wear armor as a vampire, he still likes to do so 
  as he believes it is befitting of his stature as a knight.
  Money: The angry warrior has 59,000 in gold and gems, and 
  20,000 gold worth of weapons and gear, all stashed in his lair. 
  When on the prowl at night, he seldom has more than 60 gold 
  coins and gems worth 1,000 gold on his person.
  The Ancient Order of the Fossarians
  “To protect the Garden, to protect the innocent – and to fight 
  forever more for the honor of the gods.
  Steel and silence.
  Fellowship and faith.”
  - The Pledge of the Knights-Fossar
  Long before humans settlements began to dominate the 
  shores of Lopan, trappers and adventurers of many races have 
  visited the island only to return with tales of vast wilderness, 
  monsters, Centaurs, and strange knights living in the forested 
  interior. Whether they were rescued from a brigand or a mon-
  ster, or simply glimpsed a figure on horseback riding through 
  the wilderness, the stories of mysterious Elven and human 
  knights on Lopan have persisted for centuries. Alongside tales 
  of the mythic knights are countless legends about a Glass Keep 
  that appears and disappears into thin air, ghosts, godly visita-
  tions, dragons, tribes of Centaurs, Faeries, Sphinxes, and a hole 
  in the earth that leads straight to Hell.
  
  109
  As Elven and human settlers would learn, many of these sto-
  ries had elements of truth. The reality behind tales of mysterious 
  but heroic knights is not a myth or a legend, but a long-held se-
  cret. Nearly a 3,000 years ago, an Elven Paladin by the name of 
  Sir Langer Accenhal uncovered evidence of a long lost deity of 
  knights and heroes. A forgotten deity once worshiped by the Ti-
  tans of old. The very Titans who stood against the Old Ones and 
  fought many of their minions. Only a few passages in the Tristine 
  Chronicles mentions the name Fossar as the god of the Titans, but 
  he is there. One deity in a small pantheon of gods worshiped by 
  the giant Paladins of old.
  Sir Accenhal had followed a lead that brought him to the re-
  mote island of Lopan in search of this deity. Elves and Titans had 
  once been close allies, and he thought if he could find proof of 
  this god and restore knowledge of the deity to the world, it would 
  help restore the ancient friendship between his people and Titans 
  that had been destroyed during the folly of the Elf-Dwarf War.
  Sir Accenhal had already journeyed near and far in search of 
  wisemen and scholars who might know something about the Ti-
  tan deity Fossar. Just as he was about to give up, clues brought 
  him to the island of Lopan. After weeks searching through the 
  island’s wilderness, the Paladin met a wizened Gnome Druid 
  who told him of a dense area of forest that generations of his 
  people called the Forest of Mystery. A place that legend held was 
  touched by the gods. Here, he told the knight-errant, he might 
  find what he sought.
  His resolve pushed to its limits, Sir Accenhal told himself, one 
  last investigation, and then he would go back home to the Old 
  Kingdom. The night of his journey into the forest was black as 
  pitch and tried to drown him in a torrential rain that had lasted 
  all day and into the night. Miserable and downtrodden, his squire 
  having abandoned him and most of his possessions gone, Sir Ac-
  cenhal was leading his horse through the storm when he spotted a 
  roaring fire flickering through the trees. Curious, and suspecting 
  witchcraft, he approached with sword in hand, only to find that 
  the fire was protected from the rain by a strange glass structure. A 
  Glass Castle Keep, almost invisible from afar, and most certainly 
  the result of enchantment which he decided was the work of the 
  divine.
  Apart from the blazing fire in the hearth, the little castle and its 
  translucent halls were empty. Sir Accenhal tied up his confused 
  horse near the fire and both exhausted souls fell asleep, sheltered 
  from the pouring rain. When he awoke, the forest around him was 
  gone. The Glass Keep had reappeared within a lush garden full of 
  stone statues. Educated and familiar with the Tristine Chronicles 
  and other legends, Sir Accenhal instantly knew they were some-
  place touched by the gods.
  He took the reins of his horse, and they left the Glass Keep to 
  set off into the garden. The path was a like a maze and he thought 
  he could catch glimpses of people – pilgrims – admiring and 
  praying to the various gods but they appeared and disappeared 
  like phantoms not really there at all. He recognized many of the 
  god statues, while others were figures of mystery to the knight. 
  When Sir Accenhal would later recount his journey, he said he 
  couldn’t remember how long he walked through the garden of 
  statues, but it felt like the better part of an entire day, though he 
  did not feel hungry or fatigued.
  Finally, he found himself standing before a stone monument 
  that featured only a pair of stone feet, broken below the ankle. 
  He remembered later, in that moment, thinking how odd that this 
  was the only broken statue, its pieces missing. Looking up, there 
  was a flash of light and suddenly, standing before him was a gi-
  ant ethereal knight, standing upon the pedestal of the stone feet. 
  It was a Titan, stern and noble. The very symbol of chivalry and 
  gallantry from a different age. Though Sir Accenhal could make 
  out every detail, the figure was transparent like the phantom peo-
  ple he had seen during his trek through the garden.
  The phantom knight looked down upon Sir Accenhal and 
  spoke:
  “What you witness before you is what once was, and what is 
  yet to be. I am Fossar, God of Knights and Heroes who oppose 
  Chaos and Evil, protectors of the Good and the Innocent.
  “But I am lost to time and to this Garden, just as this Garden 
  of the Gods has been lost to the world of men for millennia. But 
  that shall not always be. A new age is creeping upon us. In time, 
  the Garden shall be rediscovered, and with it, many of the Lost 
  Gods. Yet without my statue present, my pantheon and I shall re-
  main forgotten and lost for the ages to come. Never to walk upon 
  this world again.
  “I beseech you, noble knight, return my statue to its place in 
  the Garden so that we may be remembered. So that we may in-
  spire a new age of heroes to stand against the powers of dark-
  ness. Promise me you’ll do this for us, no matter the cost, or how 
  long it may take, and I shall grant you the power of the Glass 
  Keep and grace you and those who follow with out blessings. 
  Champion this cause in my name, good sir, and this shall help 
  guide your way and defeat those who oppose you.”
  There was another flash, and a sword floated in the air before 
  Sir Accenhal. Dwarven Runes bore the name Compass Point, a 
  weapon made beautiful and deadly through ancient craftsman-
  ship and magic. Upon studying the blade, he realized that a deco-
  rative jewel in the hilt was actually a compass that pointed off 
  towards the horizon, always to the same place. Sir Accenhal felt 
  the power of the silver blade as he took hold of the hilt, looked up, 
  nodded, and accepted his divine mission.
  “Yes, I will do this. I have already spent years searching for 
  you, Lord Fossar.”
  Yes, I know,” said the Titan deity, a thin smile on his face, 
  and tears welling up in his eyes. “How else would you have ever 
  found me?”
  “Should I seek out the Garden first, or am I...?”
  “The Garden shall be found by others,” interrupted the Titan 
  deity. “That is ordained. And when it is, it shall help those who 
  follow in your footsteps find what you seek on our behalf.
  “Know this, Good Knight, if you and yours do not restore my 
  statue before the last of the Forgotten are unveiled within the 
  Garden, making it whole, but for me, we shall be lost forever. 
  Our fate rest in you hands. Fight with honor and live well, my 
  Champion.”
  A flash of lightning and an eruption of thunder awakened Sir 
  Accenhal. It had all been a dream.
  No. Not a dream. Though he and his steed were in the exact 
  location inside the Glass Keep where they had fallen sleep, he 
  clutched in his right hand the sword, Compass Point, and above 
  him stood the Glass Castle Keep.
  With renewed vigor and the energy of an Elf half his age, Sir 
  Accenhal rode off to where the magic sword pointed. Its true 
  north being the next piece of the statue to uncover and liberate. 
  After a long and harrowing journey that lasted a decade, Sir Ac-
  cenhal was eventually led to the Lost Hand of the Titan god. The 
  
  110
  first missing piece of seven lost pieces. A quest in which he had 
  nearly perished a dozen times. If he were to recover the remaining 
  six to fully reassemble the Titan, he knew he would need help.
  Sir Accenhal sought out other knights known to him as well as 
  others he knew only by reputation. He also spoke to a few sym-
  pathetic minor nobles. He shared with them his story of the Titan 
  Fossar and his vision of the Garden, told them of his vision quest, 
  and solicited their help. To his surprise, most agreed to join him, 
  and those who did not, took his secret to their grave. On that day, 
  the Order of the Knights-Fossar came into existence. His new 
  team and noble patrons constructed a monastery-style fortress on 
  Lopan at the location where Fossar and the Glass Castle Keep had 
  first appeared to him. This seemed both appropriate and an ideal 
  location. If they were to scour the world searching for the missing 
  statue pieces, Lopan, at its center, seemed like a good base of op-
  erations. As it would turn out, when the Garden of the Gods was 
  rediscovered centuries later and long after Sir Accenhal’s death, 
  it was only an hour’s distance, at full gallop, to the West Verdant 
  Gate. Two or three hours at a more reasonable pace.
  Sir Accenhal eventually succumbed to the long years, but not 
  before passing on his knowledge and his quest to the dedicated 
  men and women of the Order of the Knights-Fossar. Kept se-
  cret for a few thousand years, the monastic order of Knights-Fos-
  sar has never wavered from its mission to restore the Titan deity 
  and keep the Garden safe. As settlers began to arrive, first a new 
  generation of Elves from the Old Kingdom and elsewhere, then 
  humans, and in the last several centuries as the result of mass 
  expansion into the Eastern Territory, more Elves and humans 
  and myriad other settlers and heroes. To the Knights-Fossar, 
  the Lopanic Games are a godsend bringing ever more paladins, 
  knights and heroes to their doorstep to help the recruit eyes and 
  ears from across the world, as well as new members to join their 
  order. The Knights-Fossar have struck deals with the rulers of the 
  island over the many centuries that have allowed them to main-
  tain their independence, autonomy, and secrecy. To this day, even 
  most inhabitants of Lopan know little about the old monastery or 
  the noble Knights-Fossar who live there. Nothing beyond rumors 
  and speculation, but all accept the Knights-Fossar as trustworthy 
  heroes because they have proven themselves to be heroic defend-
  ers of the land and the people of Lopan many times for as long as 
  anyone can remember.
  As the population of settlers on Lopan grew, mostly human 
  settlers, some Elves and Dwarves, and some others, the Gar-
  den of the Gods was discovered, but it has been only over the 
  last one hundred years, that so much of it has been revealed and 
  shared for all to see. As spectators, patrons and combatants flock 
  to the Lopanic Games in ever increasing numbers, they also go 
  to visit the Garden. Thus, the rest of the world is learning about 
  the Garden of the Gods making it an attraction that is growing in 
  popularity along with the Lopanic Games. Some are already call-
  ing it one of the wonders of the world. Which in turn, attracts an 
  increasing number of visitors and religious pilgrims. A fact that 
  both pleases and worries the Order of the Knights-Fossar.
  On one hand, the Knights-Fossar are pleased people are able 
  to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the Garden and rediscover 
  fading and forgotten gods, most of whom seem to represent order 
  and virtue. On the other hand, they worry about the future of the 
  Garden, Lopan, and the fate of Fossar and his Pantheon of Hero 
  Gods. They cannot fail him. Yet when they succeed, the mis-
  sion of the Knights-Fossar is complete. Do they disband? Join 
  the defenders of the realm? Find a new purpose? Will Fossar ap-
  pear to give them a new mission? All questions for another time, 
  as the Knights must still find the three remaining missing pieces 
  of the statue. Meanwhile, while the Knights and the Fosssarian 
  Wardens search for new clues to lead them to the missing pieces 
  of the statue, others watch over the Garden of the Gods as the 
  ancient order has done for more than two thousand years, now, 
  and speak with other knights and visitors in the hope of uncover 
  new clues to the whereabouts of the three remaining parts of the 
  statue. Their presence and good example responsible, in part, for 
  making the Garden of the Gods being open and available to all 
  people without exception.
  It has been long rumored that one or more members of Lopan’s 
  monarchy have been, and still are, secret members of the Knights-
  Fossar, and that is one of the reasons the order has been allowed 
  to exist and operate as an independent military force that does 
  not answer directly to the Crown. Some also suspect the Order of 
  the Knights-Fossar are supported and financed, at least to some 
  degree, by the Crown. That includes horses and the renovated So-
  larium which has been expanded and reinforced with additional 
  masonry and magic. There is even a conspiracy theory among a 
  few outside powers that the Knights-Fossar have been the power 
  behind the Imperial Court of Lopan since the beginning. And 
  that the entire kingdom has been founded as a kind of cover for 
  their activities and a bid to control the destiny of the Garden of 
  the Gods and its homeland. That theory is completely false, but it 
  is one of the more recent rumors as Lopan and the Garden grow 
  in prominence.
  The people of Lopan really don’t care who the Knights-Fos-
  sar are or who finances their operations. They are heroes and pro-
  tectors, and that’s good enough for them. The ancient order stays 
  out of politics and has never been accused of anything untoward. 
  They have always been honest and valiant, and quick to help peo-
  ple against all threats. They are everything knights are supposed 
  to be. The fact that the order is predominately humans and Elves 
  sits well with the settlers of the past few centuries as they mirror 
  the composition of the island’s population and ruling body. Most 
  local inhabitants automatically presume the Knights-Fossar are 
  the Protectors of the Garden of the Gods and the realm, and never 
  question that assumption. Besides, most members of the Order 
  were born and live on Lopan, so they are seen as noble friends 
  and neighbors, and fellow citizens of the country.
  As for the Order’s “veil of secrecy,” that’s only something 
  that bothers people in power outside Lopan. The ruling body, 
  as well as the people, endorse and support the noble Order of 
  the Knights-Fossar. Most common folk do not think twice about 
  it. The rich and powerful have a long history of doing as they 
  please without ever notifying or consulting with the people. It is 
  just how monarchies and feudal kingdoms work. So to the com-
  mon people, the Knights-Fossar are no different. As long as the 
  knights remain trustworthy and kind, they are accepted without 
  a second thought. Not just accepted, but celebrated as heroes and 
  defenders of Lopan. And because the knights have a long record 
  of helping during all manner of crisis, be it rebuilding after a 
  storm, finding a child lost in the woods, repelling pirates, and 
  many other acts of heroism, the Knights-Fossar are held in the 
  highest esteem and respected and welcomed by all.
  Whatever the knights true role in Lopan’s history and govern-
  ment, the age-old quest to reassemble the statue of the Lost Titan 
  remains their primary purpose and ongoing mission. Though four 
  
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  of the seven pieces are displayed with pride at the Solarium, there 
  are still three left scattered out across the world, many leagues 
  distant from the Garden of the Gods.
  Compass Point only functions in the possession of a true 
  champion, but the noble Knights-Fossar fit that role to a tee. The 
  quiet support of the Imperial Court of Lopan, among others, has 
  helped the knights search far and wide on behalf of their patron 
  god. However, the sword only points out the general direction 
  of the next missing piece, it does not indicate a precise location 
  or who may possess it. The search has been a long, difficult task 
  with many decades passing without a viable lead. In that time, 
  legends of the Knights-Fossar have spread alongside tales of the 
  Garden of the Gods, and people are starting to take note and won-
  der about the deity that has inspired such conviction and heroism.
  Already several Knights and Wardens have fallen in the pur-
  suit of the fifth piece. Every time the bearer of Compass Point 
  perishes, the sword re-materializes within the Glass Keep, and 
  the Knights-Fossar hold a solemn ceremony for the loss of an-
  other of their members. Still, the Order of the Knights-Fossar 
  vow to find the Lost Titan and to protect the Garden of the Gods 
  for all time. These committed soldiers are inspired by a thirst for 
  truth, justice, and for completing the statue so that Fossar and 
  his pantheon of heroes gods become known to new generations 
  of people. Of heroes. And with any luck, help bring peace and 
  harmony between the Eastern Territory and the Wolfen Empire.
  Defenses of the Knights-Fossar
  The Order is small in number, and many of its Knights and 
  Wardens are away from Lopan looking for new leads about the 
  remaining pieces of the Titan’s statue or off on goodwill mis-
  sions in other parts of the world. About half of the Knights-Fossar 
  have a Squire or other assistant of some kind, and when out in 
  the world, the Knights and Wardens often join forces with local 
  heroes and adventurers who are glad to join a knight’s journey.
  Some of the Fossarian Wardens are Psi-Mystics, but the 
  majority of the Order are Knights and Paladins, or Fossarian 
  Wardens who might be thought of as scholar-knights and spies. 
  (See Knights-Fossar and Fossarian Warden O.C.C.s at the end 
  of this section for details.) However, there is also a smattering 
  of other men-at-arms, Long Bowmen, Rangers, Druids, Wizards 
  and psychics who consider themselves to be friends and allies of 
  the Order that volunteer to assist on missions or help around the 
  Solarium on Lopan on a regular basis. Out in the world, adventur-
  ers, mages, and mercenaries are often happy to join a good cause, 
  especially if they can get a percentage of any booty they might 
  acquire together. Working with knights of any kind is always 
  good for a freelancer’s reputation and credibility, and it’s good 
  to have a friends in high places when you need a favor. Likewise, 
  the Knights-Fossar’s sterling reputation on Lopan attracts friends 
  and allies who are residents of Lopan as well as visitors to the 
  island who are happy to assist whenever called upon. It is a badge 
  of honor to be able to tell stories about defending the Garden of 
  the Gods or riding with the Knights-Fossar righting wrongs and 
  fighting evil.
  The Order’s numbers fluctuate as champions come and go, or 
  are killed in the line of duty in foreign lands or in service of the 
  Garden of the Gods, and protecting the innocent. At their small-
  est, there were only a few dozen. Today, however, their numbers 
  approach three hundred. Only the actual Knights and Wardens 
  are considered members of the Order, privy to all its secrets and 
  assets. Many are born into, and raised within, the Order of the 
  Knights-Fossar. Offspring of the members who see following in 
  the footsteps of their parent(s) or relatives as their duty or des-
  tiny. Other knights and outsiders are invited into the Order after 
  proving themselves many times in battle and on quests with the 
  Knights or Wardens, or on behalf of the Order.
  In addition to the Knights and Wardens there are Squires, 
  volunteer militia, retainers, helpers and family members who 
  help out with the more mundane tasks of maintaining the Order 
  – kitchen duty, cooking, cleaning, tending to the horses, and simi-
  lar duties. A few hundred who help on a daily basis live in and 
  around the Solarium. Others are scattered across Lopan.
  Estimated Members of the Knights-Fossar
  100-120 Knights-Fossar, half of whom are away.
  130-160 Fossarian Wardens, half of whom are away.
  Helpers and Attendants
  60-80 Squires, half of whom are away.
  40-60 Sworn Retainers on site at the Solarium.
  40-80 Bowmen and various Men-at-Arms on site at the Solarium.
  300-350 Family members of the Knights and Wardens at the So-
  larium.
  800-1,000 extended family and friends, as well as 30-40 retired 
  knights living in nearby villages, towns and cities, but most 
  residents of Lopan will happily assist the trusted Knights any 
  way they can.
  The Solarium
  Stronghold of the Fossarian Order
  Poised on a strategic hill overlooking the Korbeo River, the 
  Solarium is home to the Order of the Knights-Fossar. Around 
  it are open plains of cleared forest that are now home to a few 
  rustic farms and grassy fields used by shepherds. Glinting in the 
  sunlight, it is a small, stone edifice, wrapped protectively around 
  the Glass Keep, a magical greenhouse at the castle’s center.
  Parts of the Solarium have been in place for generations, the 
  old fortress-monastery that sheltered the Fossarians during their 
  long centuries of secrecy. In the last hundred years, however, 
  the castle has been renovated and expanded, as the monarchy of 
  Lopan has taken a private interest in the Order, so it sends masons 
  and builders from time to time to maintain and improve the facil-
  ity. The Crown also sends supplies to them every spring.
  The Solarium is intended to be a light fort, a safe haven and 
  base of operations for the Order of the Knights-Fossar who own 
  the land where the Solarium sits and the fields around it. It is 
  more of a fortified monastery than a true castle. The Glass Keep 
  at the center of the castle is a source of potent magic, and one 
  of the secret tricks in the Order’s defenses. It is not intended to 
  withstand major assaults or dominate a rebellious countryside.
  It is a castle, to be sure, much more imposing than a simple 
  walled village. And it is well-provisioned with a year’s supply 
  of grain on hand at all times, and has its own well whose waters 
  cannot be cut off by outside forces. The stables at the Solarium 
  usually house 100-200 horses, 50 mules, donkeys and draft 
  horses for work around the castle, and there are four catapults 
  and a dozen large arbalests to help break a potential siege. How-
  ever, a large army equipped with catapults and trebuchets, not 
  
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  to mention giants, mythical beasts, or powerful magic, would 
  be able to take the Solarium in a matter of a few weeks rather 
  than months.
  Within its walls, the outer ring of the castle features stables, 
  storehouses and quarters for the villagers in case of siege. An-
  other wall protects the inner ring, home to the living quar-
  ters of the Knights-Fossar, the ranking Fossarians, the castle’s 
  well, library and strongroom where gold, artifacts, and valu-
  ables are kept. This inner ring is built with a “hollow” section 
  at its interior. However, the courtyard at the very center of the 
  Solarium is where the mysterious Glass Keep manifests. This 
  area is kept clear at all times, and if a sudden twinkle begins 
  to appear in the air, any children or animals playing in the 
  castle’s center are quickly shooed away, as the Glass Keep is 
  about to reappear.
  Inside the great hall of the Solarium where the knights gath-
  er for special guests, meetings, festivals, and special events, 
  is a large, guarded display where the recovered pieces of the 
  Lost Titan are kept. There are seven pedestals upon four of 
  which rest the right leg, left arm, hip, and torso of the Titan. 
  Three remain empty, waiting for the left leg, right arm, and the 
  head. All are guarded by magic and knights. Moreover, most 
  people do not know they are kept here, nor do they realize the 
  importance and value of these artifacts. One of the Order’s 
  many secrets.
  Should the Solarium ever come under attack (it never has, 
  yet), the Knights-Fossar will fight bravely to defend it, but only 
  for as long as it takes to evacuate via the magical Glass Keep. 
  The small village of people and those who support and help main-
  tain the Solarium would take shelter inside the Glass Keep at the 
  castle and be whisked to safety first. Once they have been ushered 
  away, the Glass Keep would return for the knights, teleporting 
  back within the Solarium to enable the estate’s embattled defend-
  ers to likewise retreat, regroup, and devise a response. Once the 
  people and the knights are magically carried to safety, attackers 
  find only an empty compound, while the Knights-Fossar reorga-
  nize nearby. Undoubtedly, a few riders will be sent to the Impe-
  rial Court of Lopan to solicit aid or ascertain if they too are under 
  assault, while the rest reorganize and plan their response to the 
  invasion.
  For assaults that the knights choose to face, the Solarium has 
  a tall outer wall around it at the base of the hill upon which it 
  stands. Archers and Wizards stand guard in the five guard towers, 
  prepared to shower would-be attackers with arrows and magic 
  spells. The walls are thirty feet (9.1 m) tall and 10 feet (3 m) 
  thick, with the towers itself reaching 50 feet (15.2 m) toward the 
  heavens. The knights have a handful of arbalests mounted on the 
  battlements, along with four catapults and a single trebuchet on 
  the inner defense.
  A second set of walls, the same height and size as the first, is 
  near the top of the hill, closer to the Solarium. The three towers 
  around this central area are all poised overlooking the castle’s 
  gates, so attackers that breach the outer wall must face the wither-
  ing fire of the inner defenses; again, arrows, spear men and magic 
  users. The climb up the hill is physically demanding in armor, 
  slowing down and tiring out invaders making the ascent across 
  the open field.
  All of these defensive measures are designed to slow down 
  assailants, buying time for the Knights-Fossar to mount a defense 
  while the people are evacuated via the Glass Keep located inside 
  the Solarium. If the Glass Keep is currently manifested some-
  where else, the Order’s leaders need time to summon the Keep 
  back to the Solarium, and then send it on its way again filled with 
  refugees.
  Of course, if the Order believes it can repel the invaders, they 
  all stay and fight.
  The Glass Keep
  Some visitors to the Solarium speak of the beauty and curi-
  osity of its fabled Glass Keep, while others swear that no such 
  structure exists. There are guests who have spent long weeks at 
  the Solarium and never seen the notorious Glass Keep, while oth-
  ers are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it, the sunlight dancing 
  off its glassy surface from afar, the very first time they come by. 
  It is the magical nature of the Glass Keep that is the source of 
  these rumors, with both types of visitors only reporting what they 
  have seen with their own eyes.
  For generations, the Glass Keep was just a legend. Travelers 
  and herdsmen would see its reflection upon the horizon, but few 
  reliable individuals claimed to have ever touched or set foot in-
  side. Whenever someone tried to prove the stories, riding to the 
  site of the Keep with a throng of people eager to see the legendary 
  tower for themselves, it would be gone. Gone without so much 
  as a single blade of grass out of place. The individual making the 
  claim teased and taunted for the wild goose chase that must have 
  been born out of hallucination or too much to drink. It was not 
  until Sir Langer Accenhal found the Glass Keep that the phenom-
  enon finally found a worthy champion to partially control it and 
  use it for good.
  Today the Glass Keep is associated with the forgotten god of 
  the Titans, Fosssar, champion of knights and heroes, and the Or-
  der of the Knights-Fossar. Now the Glass Keep has found a per-
  manent ally and subsequent place to rest, though even today it ap-
  pears and reappears at the Knights-Fossar’s Solarium at random, 
  without apparent rhyme or reason. Some speculate that because 
  the statue of the Titan has been defaced and scattered across the 
  world, the Titan god all but forgotten, and the Titan giants them-
  selves a fading species, the forgotten god can only maintain its 
  existence in the realm of mortals for brief periods of time. The 
  Knights-Fossar neither confirm or deny the existence of the Glass 
  Keep, but it does exist and the Solarium seems to be its primary 
  landing zone. When it does appear, 4-5 times a year, it remains 
  for 1D4 weeks before it vanishes again, the glass becoming a bit 
  yellow and cloudy 24 hours before it vanishes. Morever, they 
  know it will appear during a crisis. It serves as their secret refuge, 
  whenever it does manifest, and is their most sacred sanctuary. 
  They are happy to let the rest of the world believe the Glass Keep 
  is the stuff of legend.
  The Order of the Knights-Fossar know this, as do some Fa-
  eries, Centaurs and Gnomes, but the Glass Keep periodically 
  manifests at four different locations on Lopan, north, south, 
  east, and west. The Solarium has been constructed around its 
  manifestation in the east, not far from the Garden of the Gods. 
  A ready-made castle that has a large courtyard which the Glass 
  Keep appears within. At the other locations, however, the 
  Glass Keep appears in the middle of the countryside, with no 
  evidence of its presence after it vanishes. Though sometimes 
  there are some footprints and hoofprints that seem to come out 
  of nowhere and ride off into the distance. That’s because the 
  
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  Knights-Fossar use it to move about the countryside of Lopan 
  like a magical teleport machine. Whenever the Glass Keep van-
  ishes, everyone inside at the time goes with it. This enables the 
  knights, horses and all, to travel from one part of the island 
  continent to another with unnatural speed or seem to appear out 
  of nowhere.
  Before the Knights-Fossar, the Glass Keep would appear and 
  disappear at seemingly random intervals and locations, some-
  times remaining in one place for 3-4 weeks, sometimes only for 
  3D4 minutes. After intense study by the Order’s own Psi-Mystics 
  and allied mages and psychics, they have learned how to “encour-
  age” the Keep to teleport, accelerating the process even though 
  they have little control over which location the Keep chooses to 
  manifest or how long it will linger there. The Knights-Fossar use 
  the Glass Keep to move rapidly around the outskirts of the island, 
  and their sudden appearance and disappearance has certainly 
  contributed to certain legends surrounding the Order that suggest 
  the knights themselves are superhuman, demigods or celestial be-
  ings of some sort.
  The various wings and chambers of the Keep hold strange and 
  exotic plants that the knights have found within the Garden or in 
  their quests around the world. Some of them bear herbal/medici-
  nal or magical properties of their own, and some are connected 
  to various deities. The Garden of the Gods is very, very old, and 
  certain plants from distant times and long-lost eras can only be 
  found within its reaches. Others are dependent upon magic or the 
  presence of the divine, and cannot be removed from the Glass 
  Keep without instantly shriveling to dust and blowing away on 
  the next breeze.
  Once the Titan’s statue is fully reassembled, Sir Accenhal’s 
  pact with the god shall be fulfilled, and the Knights-Fossar be-
  lieve the Glass Keep shall become theirs to inhabit and command 
  evermore. They also believe they will be entrusted with a new 
  mission or purpose, though they do not know how any of this 
  will manifest. Nor do they know whether the Glass Keep and 
  its magic is tied to the Lost Titan god (that’s what most believe) 
  or whether it is linked to the Garden of the Gods as some be-
  lieve. There is a belief among some of the Knights-Fossar that, 
  should the Garden of the Gods ever come under threat, the Glass 
  Keep shall manifest in the middle of the Garden, and they will 
  be tasked to fight as Champions of the Gods, empowered by the 
  many deities all around. Others wonder if the Keep might not 
  expand to encompass the entire Garden to protect it from attack. 
  Both notions are pure conjecture, because the Glass Keep has 
  never appeared within the Garden nor any closer than the Order’s 
  castle.
  Another mystery pertaining to the Glass Keep is the 
  strength of its walls, for they have never been tested. Many be-
  lieve the Glass Keep is indestructible or is 10 times more sturdy 
  than the walls of an ordinary castle, and is self-healing – self-
  repairing any damage that might befall it. Truth is, nobody, not 
  even the Knights-Fossar, knows what magic is at work, the limits 
  of its power, or exactly what role they truly play in the mystery 
  of the Glass Keep. Despite the Fossarian Wardens’ best efforts, 
  they have uncovered no information about a magical Glass Keep 
  throughout the annals of history.
  The Search for
  the Lost Titan
  Over the centuries, the Knights-Fossar have located four of 
  the seven missing pieces, each one on display at the Solarium, the 
  stronghold of the Fossarians near the Garden of the Gods. Once 
  the remaining three pieces are recovered, the Lost Titan can be 
  fully reassembled, and he and his pantheon of fellow gods can 
  join the Garden of the Gods and be rediscovered.
  No one knows who or what could have shattered the Titan’s 
  statue or absconded with the seven pieces to scatter them across 
  the world. If the deity knows, he has not chosen to reveal the 
  answer, so the Order searches for those answers as well. It seems 
  unfathomable that any being other than a god or an Old One 
  could possess the secret to overcoming the powerful magic of 
  the Garden, or escape the wrath of the gods. Whatever feud or 
  ancient grudge led to the breaking apart of the statue of the Lost 
  Titan is almost certainly a holdover from a different age.
  Whoever has possession of the pieces is likely to be using 
  them in some way, and drawing power from the artifacts (and the 
  Titan god, himself?). That was certainly the case with the pre-
  viously recovered pieces. Which means recovering the missing 
  components is never as easy as finding one in an ancient crypt or 
  buried in a farmer’s field. It is always in the clutches of someone 
  or something wicked and powerful. It makes sense; otherwise the 
  Titan would not have needed knights and heroes to recover them. 
  The Knights and Wardens had hoped those who possessed the 
  missing pieces might be the descendants of those who stole the 
  statues pieces so that they could unravel the origin of the theft and 
  who was responsible, but that has not yet been the case. Whoever 
  is responsible for the deed appears to have deliberately hidden the 
  pieces where beings with evil intentions could find them and use 
  them for purposes most foul. Some of them passed down for gen-
  erations before being lost and rediscovered ages later. All who 
  have it hold it in high regard or worship the piece, and always 
  seem willing fight to the death to keep it. And those who have a 
  lost piece often have it well hidden in a place not easy to find or 
  survive. A place where dark forces are at work to forever keep 
  the statue from being assembled. These evildoers will fight to the 
  death and call upon other dark gods, perhaps even a slumbering 
  Old One, whom the Titans fought so long ago, to help keep the 
  Knights-Fossar from recovering it.
  
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  The search for the statue of the Lost Titan is an ongoing quest. 
  One that has occupied the Knights-Fossar for centuries, and one 
  that is becoming more urgent as more and more elder and forgot-
  ten gods are excavated from the Primeva. Aspiring knights and 
  heroes who wish to prove themselves within the Order are known 
  for gathering together in small groups and taking up the enchant-
  ed sword Compass Point to guide them to the next missing piece 
  of the Lost Titan, the left leg.
  The last party to head off in search of the Lost Titan followed 
  Compass Point southeast, sailing for the coast of the Old King-
  dom and riding off into the lowlands. No one knows what befell 
  the party of knights and retainers, but almost three months after 
  their departure, Compass Point reappeared within the Glass Keep 
  of the Solarium, indicating the death of those champions. None 
  of the last knight’s companions have returned to Lopan or sent 
  word, leading many to believe that the entire party met its fate 
  on one of the Old Kingdom’s ancient roads. Since then, Compass 
  Point has not lit up in the hands of another, whether they are a 
  sworn Knight of the Fossarians, or a promising crusading hero 
  from a distant land. Some have wondered if the enchanted Rune 
  Blade or the Titan needs time to mourn, or is waiting for more 
  clues to be uncovered as to who possesses the relic, rather than 
  send another party of inadequately prepared heroes to their doom. 
  At least now the Fossarian Wardens and Knights have a location 
  to research and investigate undercover.
  In the time between quests, the search for clues leading to all 
  three of the remaining pieces continues, as well as lesser missions 
  and good deeds to occupy the Order of the Knights-Fossar. Er-
  rands for other gods, duties protecting the Garden and the Solari-
  um, and the occasional favor for the Empress of Lopan and other 
  allies. It is the search for the Lost Titan, however, that elevates 
  the Knights-Fossar to notoriety.
  Anyone, Knight-Fossar or heroic stranger who rides back to 
  the Solarium with a piece of the Titan in tow, is due for extrava-
  gant feasts, fine drink, stories, and songs of his or her triumph, 
  and a general outpouring of small gifts, respect, and oaths of ser-
  vice. No one is completely sure what will happen when, or if, the 
  Titan is completely reassembled. “The power of the Glass Keep” 
  are the words that Sir Accenhal supposedly heard told to him by 
  the Titan. None among their number are sure what will happen to 
  the individual who completes the Titan statue, or the Order as a 
  whole. To ask the Lost Titan in prayer would be to show a lack of 
  faith in him and their destiny.
  The Three Remaining
  Pieces of the Titan
  Since the inception of the quest, four of the seven pieces of the 
  Lost Titan have been discovered. The remaining three, the left 
  leg, the right arm, and the head of the Titan, remain to be found, 
  scattered someplace unknown across the world. No one is certain 
  where they may be found, only that the next piece, the left leg, 
  is somewhere to the southeast of Lopan. And based on recent 
  events, that someplace is in the Old Kingdom Lowlands. Near or 
  far, it is impossible to be sure, and the three groups that have set 
  out for the leg have all failed, perishing in the process.
  While no one knows where the other two pieces might be, 
  the Fossarian Wardens are always searching libraries and halls of 
  records for clues that might lead to them with or without the help 
  of the sword Compass Point. Generally impossible to confirm or 
  cross-reference, these clues tend to be rumors and speculation, 
  often part of history or mythology. Tales of enchanted statues, 
  stolen away from their distant home are of particular interest. So 
  far, only one of the four recovered pieces was found entirely us-
  ing clues and ancient texts without the help of Compass Point.
  The Titan’s Left Leg
  The current focus of the Knights-Fossar, locating the left leg 
  of the Titan, has already cost the lives of three parties of knights. 
  All that is known for sure is that the leg is either somewhere in the 
  Old Kingdom or on the other side of it, southeast of Lopan. In Ti-
  miro or the Land of the South Winds, perhaps, or even the Floenry 
  Isles. Each of the three doomed champions set out through the 
  Old Kingdom, taking the land route, and each of them disap-
  peared in turn. That could mean the Titan’s Leg and those who 
  possess it are in the Old Kingdom, or it means taking the land 
  route through the Old Kingdom is too dangerous at the moment. 
  It is common knowledge that savage hordes of Ogres, Orcs, Gob-
  lins and others are on the rampage at the moment. Perhaps taking 
  a sea route to the South is a better plan of action.
  Only one alleged survivor has returned from any of the three 
  missions sent after the Titan’s Left Leg. A Dwarven prospector 
  who claims to have fallen in with the Knights-Fossar and the he-
  roes they assembled along the way. The Dwarf managed to make 
  it back to Lopan where he shared his story with the Order in one 
  of Lopan’s coastal cities.
  If he is telling the truth – and he does seem to know the names 
  of the knights and allies from that group – a tribe of Ogres in the 
  Old Kingdom are believed to worship the leg and draw magical 
  power from the stone relic. They are not ordinary Ogres, how-
  ever. They are covered in strange, mystic symbols of power and 
  exhibit an unknown type of magic they used against the Knights-
  Fossar in three different assaults by the knights. It was during the 
  second assault that the Dwarf was severely injured and taken to a 
  Dwarf/human outpost to have his wounds cared for. Wounds that 
  became infected and led to a series of fevered dreams that nearly 
  killed him and ultimately cost him his lower leg.
  In those dreams, he claims to have been haunted by a mas-
  sive black shape. A naked warrior the size of a Titan, but which 
  seemed to be more shadow than flesh and bone. Black as night it 
  was, save for the glowing red and gold symbols across its ebony 
  body. Orange flames seemed to burn from the monster’s eyes and 
  show from the mouth whenever it spoke or laughed. As the fe-
  ver and the tortured dreams worsened, the Black Titan (or was it 
  something else ... something worse?) would mock the Dwarf and 
  his companions, reporting how its minions, the strange Ogres, 
  fought pitched battle after battle, and defeated the Knights-Fos-
  sar at every turn, whether it be a stealth raid with the intent to 
  steal the leg or outright battle. On the night the Dwarf nearly died 
  burning with fever, the horrid blackness showed him the battle in 
  which the knights and their allies perished. Betrayed by one of 
  their own, boasted the Black Titan.
  The Black Titan laughed mightily and told the Dwarf that he 
  would soon join them in death. And he might have, if a human 
  Psi-Healer had not extracted a tiny piece of stone still inside his 
  body. A weapon fragment from one of the Ogres’ weapons that 
  the Healer claims was hot to the touch and glowed orange until 
  it was removed and thrown out the window and onto the dirt. 
  
  115
  As soon as the fragment had been removed, the fever broke and 
  recovery happened quickly.
  According to the Dwarf, the fever has burned away much of 
  his memory about his time with the Knights-Fossar, including 
  any idea where the battle with the strange Ogres took place, and 
  the outpost that cared for him while wracked with fever. His care-
  takers might very well have been nomadic Wayfarers. He does 
  not recall and cannot remember a face. Nor can he recall whether 
  the confrontation took place in the Old Kingdom or elsewhere.
  After the fever broke and he was well enough to travel, he 
  vaguely remembers wandering, half out of his mind, across all 
  manner of terrain, but nothing he can identify. Nothing he can re-
  call as a landmark. It was only after he found himself at the edge 
  of the Inland Sea that his mind calmed, and he knew he must find 
  the Knights-Fossar on Lopan to report what he could. Something 
  inside him, a sense of duty to the fallen knights he had befriend-
  ed, compelled him to make the long journey to Lopan, so that the 
  Knights-Fossar would know what had befallen their comrades. 
  The crippled Dwarf’s tale seems credible, and since he is penni-
  less and broken in body and spirit, the knights have asked him to 
  stay with them at the Solarium. The Dwarf is forever grateful and 
  has become one of the monastery’s resident caretakers.
  Now, all he wants to do is forget the entire affair. There at the 
  monastery and in the Garden, his mind is quiet. Peaceful. Free of 
  the tortured shards of memory that surface as nightmares. Under-
  standably, he does not like to speak of the experience (what little 
  of it he can remember), and loyally serves the Knights-Fossar. To 
  speak of the experience causes pain and fear. The Dwarf, Leop-
  old Sturn, never leaves the grounds of the Fossarian monastery 
  except to visit the Garden of the Gods. He will not even venture 
  into one of the neighboring farms, let alone one of the port cities. 
  He will never agree to join a mission to find the Ogres or the Left 
  Leg for any reason. No threat of death nor any reward is great 
  enough for him to go back again.
  The Titan’s Arm
  The missing right arm of the Titan is supposed to hold the 
  magic sword Compass Point. Scholars amongst the Fossarians 
  have uncovered a few clues, placing the arm somewhere on a 
  northern island. Whether it is one of the Northern Islands that 
  make up Bizantium, or another smaller, possibly uncharted isle, 
  is unknown. Some fear it could be an island somewhere within 
  the Sea of Despair or off the coast of the Land of the Damned. 
  Knights of Bizantium are just as uncertain of such an island as 
  their southern comrades, though they wonder if the clue points 
  even further north than the Kingdom of Bizantium and into the 
  domain of the Iceborn. They also wonder if earning the guid-
  ance or blessing of a god in the Northern Pantheon might be of 
  help.
  The Titan’s Head
  The final piece of the Titan is its missing head and face. The 
  most powerful component, this is most likely to be worshiped as 
  a god or idol of its own. It is possible that whoever smashed and 
  stole the Titan discarded the other pieces and made off with just 
  the head as their primary objective. With eyes looking off into the 
  future beneath the raised visor of a helm, the Titan’s head is said 
  to ever stare towards Lopan and the Garden of the Gods.
  The masterful Fossarian Wardens have uncovered a few clues 
  leading to the Head of the Lost Titan, but what the clues suggest 
  is dire indeed: The Yin-Sloth Jungles or a Cult in the Land of the 
  South Winds near the edge of the jungle. Others argue that it rests 
  somewhere in the Land of the Damned, which might also explain 
  the source of dark magic capable of removing a statue of a god 
  from the Garden’s sheltering embrace. There are a few optimists 
  who believe the head is somewhere in Ophid’s Grasslands, but 
  Sir John Perrenact, Lord of the Knights-Fossar, believes the Or-
  der’s greatest battle will come when it is time to recover the Head 
  of the Lost Titan, and may require the entire force of the Knights-
  Fossar and every brave soul foolish enough to ride with them.
  Knight-Fossar O.C.C.
  “Blessed is the blade that cuts down evil in any guise, and 
  blessed is the hand that wields it.
  We are servants of the gods, and no king may command us. 
  For the Titan! For the Garden! For the Glass Keep! For all that 
  is good!”
  The Knights-Fossar and the Fossarian Wardens are not a stand-
  ing army nor a police force. They have only taken to the field as 
  a whole a few times in their entire history, and for centuries they 
  operated completely in the shadows, with no formal connection 
  to even the Imperial Court of Lopan, which functions as one of 
  their patrons. They do not answer to a king or queen. That makes 
  the Order of the Knights-Fossar one of the few independent com-
  bat forces in the world that is not a pirate or mercenary company, 
  and not directly under the supervision and control of a sovereign 
  kingdom. A fact not realized by outsiders, and kept secret by the 
  Order and the Empress of Lopan.
  Though they help people in need and right wrongs, they have 
  their own agenda in the service of their god, Fossar the Titan, pa-
  tron of Knights and Heroes. All members of the Order serve and 
  worship Fossar as their main deity, and as his Champions, they 
  took his name for their order.
  As part of their self-appointed duties, the Knights-Fossar have 
  watched over the Garden of the Gods for generations, guarding 
  its sacred grounds. They typically ride through and around the 
  Garden in ones or twos, in search of pilgrims in distress and mon-
  sters and evildoers to thwart. The Garden of the Gods is usually a 
  tranquil sanctuary, but sometimes dangerous beings and wicked 
  minions of dark gods slip through the Verdant Gates looking to 
  defile the peace of the Garden. While the knights maintain the 
  Divine Neutrality of the Garden as one of their highest principles, 
  anyone who dares to spill blood inside the Garden’s boundaries 
  earns their wraith and brings down vengeance upon themselves 
  at the hands of the Order.
  They are also searching the world over for texts, clues and 
  secrets that can reveal more about the Garden’s many mysteries, 
  the Glass Keep and their beloved Titan deity. Their crusade is 
  for knowledge, their quest to serve the gods as holy warriors in 
  pursuit of lost history and to restore Fossar to his rightful place in 
  the Garden and in the world.
  The Knights-Fossar also patrol the countryside around the 
  Garden and across the island continent. They uphold order in the 
  many smaller ports, fishing villages, and communities across the 
  island. And not just the obvious Elf and Human communities. 
  
  116
  The Knights-Fossar stop in to check on, and help out at, the Cen-
  taur villages, Gnome communities, and Faerie villages. The Or-
  der has, over the centuries, established a special bond with most 
  people on Lopan, and the many non-humans and Faerie Folk, in 
  particular. This is especially true of the Faerie Folk that live in the 
  Garden or count themselves among its protectors. Brigands who 
  think the Lopan back-country is a completely lawless free range, 
  learn otherwise the hard way at the hands of the Knights-Fossar.
  Every one of the Knights-Fossar and Wardens is an experi-
  enced warrior trained in the ways of the knight and the code of 
  chivalry. All are ready to ride into battle at a moment’s notice 
  and give their life for cause and country, god and Garden. The 
  Knights-Fossar recruit both squires and battle-hardened knights 
  and heroes to join them on their crusades, teaching squires, and 
  learning from fellow knights new information on many subjects 
  as well as different approaches to strategies and tactics. They 
  may also invite some to join their Order. As a result, the Order 
  has Knights-Fossar and Fossarian Wardens who hail from many 
  kingdoms and nations, from one side of the Palladium World to 
  the other. All brought together by the desire to help bring back a 
  noble god, protect the Garden, and help the innocent.
  The heroes are trained to appear and disappear like the legends 
  they are supposed to be, striking before an enemy can get their 
  bearings and vanishing back into the wood and shadows.
  Unlike knights who serve within large militaries, the Knights-
  Fossar are really only trained to fight singly or in small squads or 
  platoons. They are not soldiers in an army, and members of the 
  Order are taught to be self-sufficient, resourceful, independent, 
  and highly motivated. Quests away from the shores of Lopan can 
  take years to unfold, and knights have to be trusted to carry on 
  without the encouragement or support of their brethren. There is 
  no pay or salary kept for them back home, and even the renown 
  and fame that other knights get from their good deeds may be 
  denied a Knight-Fossar, as they often work in secrecy.
  One of those secrets is continuing the search for the miss-
  ing pieces of the Lost Titan’s statue and clues that might lead to 
  them. While not every knight will lead a quest to liberate a miss-
  ing piece himself, many band together behind those knights and 
  heroes who have had personal visions or unearthed a lead worth 
  investigating. Every member in the Order of the Knights-Fossar 
  works to support others within the Order as well as other noble 
  causes, Champions of the Gods, and anyone who stands to pro-
  tect the innocent and smite evil. Whether in search of the miss-
  ing pieces of the Titan’s statue, tracking down different relics or 
  lost magic, digging through tomes and ruins searching for clues 
  hidden in the past, or championing some other good cause, all 
  members of the Order of the Knights-Fossar (both Knights and 
  Wardens) are part warrior, scholar, and archaeologist, who seek 
  out buried truths with sword and shield to protect them.
  Special Abilities of the Knight-Fossar O.C.C.
  1. Champion of the Titan: The Order of the Knights-Fossar, 
  as a group, are warriors who fight in the name of the Titan god, 
  Fossar. They are his Champions and may receive 1-3 Blessings 
  from the Titan or any like-minded deities within the Garden who 
  take a liking to one of the knights, or if their quest will benefit that 
  deity or people he or she cares about.
  In addition, ALL Knights-Fossar are recognized by supernatu-
  ral enemies to serve with conviction a higher power, imposing a 
  Horror Factor of 13 (Greater Demons, Demon Lords, demigods 
  and gods are impervious). Moreover, any weapon in the hand of 
  a Knight-Fossar, whether magical or not, does its normal damage 
  to supernatural evil such as vampires, demons, Deevils and Enti-
  ties. The knights are also +1 to save vs possession, disease, and 
  Horror Factor, and are +10% to save vs coma and death.
  2. Glass Armor: The Knights-Fossar use a variety of tech-
  niques to grant themselves stealth and secrecy, from simple tricks 
  like basic camouflage, to soft-soled boots and wrapped armor to 
  muffle sound, to enchantments that quiet their horses’ hooves.
  Their most potent magic, however, has been derived from the 
  power of the Glass Keep. When completely still and desiring 
  not to be seen, their connection to the Glass Keep allows light to 
  pass through them and their armor, making the Knights-Fossar 
  essentially invisible as long as they don’t move. If they attack, 
  cast a spell, walk, swing their arm, use a psionic power, or move 
  from their spot, the enchantment is lost, making them fully vis-
  ible in an instant. The knight automatically has initiative during 
  the first melee round of combat when he attacks an opponent who 
  did not know he was there, invisible, a moment ago. The magic is 
  imbued within the knight himself, not the armor he wears, so as 
  long as he is clad in metal armor (chain mail, splint, plate, plate 
  and mail, etc.), this power is available to him.
  Duration: For as long as he stands, sits or lies still, but requires 
  at least 30 seconds (two melee rounds) without movement for the 
  invisibility to engage. The knight remains invisible while stand-
  ing still, not intangible, so they are vulnerable to damage from 
  blind attacks and area effect attacks. Likewise, they are visible to 
  people who can see the invisible and may be revealed by smoke, 
  paint, mud, etc.
  3. Champion of the Garden: Whenever fighting inside the 
  Garden of the Gods to defend the Garden or to protect visitors 
  inside the Garden, all the knight’s usual bonuses get an extra +1 
  and the knight magically heals from damage at the rate of 2D6 
  per melee round!
  Knight Fossar O.C.C. Stats
  Alignment: Principled, Scrupulous, or Unprincipled alignment. 
  Knights-Fossar are champions of good, and while some may 
  become embittered over the years (Anarchist or Aberrant), 
  there are few Anarchist or evil knights among the Order.
  Minimum Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 9, P.S. 10, P.P. 12 and 
  P.E. 9 or higher.
  O.C.C. Skills: Knights and Paladins within the Order of the 
  Knights-Fossar both get the same skills.
  Archaeology (+10%)
  Camouflage (+10%)
  Dance (+10%)
  Heraldry (+20%)
  History (+20%)
  Horsemanship: Knight
  Land Navigation (+15% due to their travels as knights-errant)
  Language: Native Tongue at 98% plus two of choice (+15% 
  each).
  Literacy: Elven (+20%)
  Locate Secret Compartments/Doors (+10%)
  Lore: Religion (+15%)
  Military Etiquette (+15%)
  Mathematics: Basic (+15%)
  W.P. Lance
  
  117
  W.P. Shield
  W.P.: Two of choice.
  Hand to Hand: Expert, which can be changed to Hand to 
  Hand: Martial Arts or Assassin (if evil) for the cost of one 
  O.C.C. Related Skill.
  O.C.C. Related Skills: Select two other skills from the Commu-
  nication skill category and five other skills at level one, plus 
  select one additional skill at levels three, six, nine and twelve. 
  All new skills start at level one proficiency.
  Communications: Any (+10%).
  Domestic: None.
  Espionage: Any (+10%).
  Horsemanship: Exotic only (+5%).
  Medical: First Aid only.
  Military: Any (+10%).
  Physical: Any; except Acrobatics and Gymnastics.
  Rogue: None.
  Science: Any (+5%).
  Scholar/Technical: Any (+10%).
  Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
  Wilderness: Wilderness Survival and Track & Trap animals 
  only.
  Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select four Second-
  ary Skills from the previous list at level one, and one addi-
  tional skill at levels five, ten and fifteen. These are additional 
  areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonus 
  listed in the parenthesis. All Secondary Skills start at the base 
  skill level. Also, skills are limited (any, only, none) as previ-
  ously indicated in the list.
  Experience Table: As per the Knight and Noble O.C.C. or Pala-
  din, if the Fossarian is a Paladin.
  Starting Equipment: Two sets of clothing, boots, a pair of high-
  quality leather gloves, belt, bedroll, backpack, two large sacks, 
  two small sacks, a water skin, and a tinder box.
  A riding horse of good to excellent quality, probably raised 
  by the knight. The horse has 30+2D6 S.D.C. and 6D6 Hit 
  Points, running speed 33, value 1D4x1000 gold!
  Special Magic Items: 1D4+3 Magic Bandages, 1D6+20 
  feet(6.4 to 7.9 m) of Cherubot Rope, Gem of Direction, Quill 
  of Endless Ink, and a bottle of Mystic Ink (invisible ink) all 
  kept in a large Enchanted Bag.
  Additional resources depending on the mission: Knights-
  Fossar are also able to requisition horses, chain mail, basic 
  weapons and other goods from the supplies the Order keeps 
  at the Solarium. This includes select magic items such as 
  Cherubot Rope, Fire Wick, Cloak of Guises or Invisibility, 
  Cloak of Shadows, Chasers, Gem of Direction, Eye of the Cat, 
  Magic Restraints, enchanted armor and magic weapons, in ad-
  dition to the Knight’s own, personal weapons, some passed 
  down through generations. Special items may be awarded 
  only for the accomplishment of the special mission or quest 
  and are required to be returned to the Order’s armory at the 
  end of the mission. Knights and Wardens are especially care-
  ful to protect and return such items, even more than their own.
  G.M.s, use your discretion and consider the character, his 
  or her level of experience, the circumstances, and importance 
  of the mission, before allowing anything too powerful or elab-
  orate. Experience and reputation within the Order go a long 
  way. The Order of the Knights-Fossar is well-equipped and 
  its knights are the Champions and defenders of the Order, the 
  Garden and the gods, and often sent out to deal with threats 
  and enemies, as well as to explore and research some of the 
  most dangerous clues concerning the pieces of the Titan stat-
  ue. It is they who are sent out to “recover” the pieces and other 
  rare, ancient tomes and artifacts that have fallen into the hands 
  of evil and powerful villains. They are also placed in charge 
  of security, quests, scouting missions, gathering information, 
  construction and other undertakings that might require skilled 
  warriors.
  On Lopan, at least, the Order of the Knights-Fossar is sup-
  plied and funded by the crown and various pious benefactors 
  the world over, and can count on support from the Imperial 
  Court, local nobles, local authorities, and of course, members 
  of their own Order. However, visiting heroes, Champions of 
  the Gods, and adventurers may be honored to help the knights 
  and fight at their side, especially in times of crisis. Though 
  separate and independent from Lopan’s own military, it may 
  supply the Knights-Fossar with a ship, siege equipment and 
  magic support. G.M.s, use your discretion, but the Knights-
  Fossar are an elite fighting force and long-standing heroes of 
  renown, and champions of justice. They are well provisioned, 
  especially when setting off in search of the Lost Titan or on 
  missions to far-flung kingdoms to spread word of the Garden 
  or as emissaries of one of the gods or the Kingdom of Lopan, 
  itself. Though they do not serve Lopan per se, the Knights sup-
  port the ruling body and will go on missions for the Crown and 
  fight to defend their homeland.
  Armor: Starts with a suit of chain mail (A.R. 14, S.D.C. 44) or 
  scale mail (A.R. 15, 75 S.D.C.).
  Weapons: Starts with a small shield, a dagger, a lance (2D6 
  damage), and one weapon for each W.P., plus one additional 
  weapon of choice (a minor magic weapon with one or two 
  abilities such as a special Color, Glow, Eternally Sharp, one 
  Extra Die of Damage, or Turns Holder Fire Resistant). All are 
  basic S.D.C. weapons of good to very good quality.
  Any one of the aforementioned weapons can be of excep-
  tional quality (Kobold or Dwarven), with a bonus of +1 to 
  strike and parry or +2 to damage. Additional weapons, Holy 
  Weapons, and magic weapons/items are usually acquired later.
  Money: The character starts with 1D6x100 in gold to start, plus 
  the Order provides free room and board, conventional and 
  magical medical care/healing, and takes care of all of the 
  Knights’ and Wardens’ basic necessities. In short, they live 
  in comfort.
  Booty acquired on quests and missions goes to the Order 
  to fund its continuing operations and re-supplies, and the 
  Knights are usually reimbursed for all reasonable (and con-
  firmed) expenses. The knights and heroes involved get a small 
  percentage for their role in the acquisition of money and sup-
  plies, but seldom more than 10% divided between them and 
  those who may have been hired or volunteered to help. The 
  Knights-Fossar on special missions may also be entrusted with 
  large sums of money from the coffers of the Order (usually in 
  gemstones as they are easier to transport than heavy gold or 
  silver). Such money is used to purchase additional supplies, 
  magic, information, pay bribes, hire adventurers, to purchase 
  ancient tomes and relics, etc., and so on.
  Like other knights, the Knights-Fossar are usually part of a 
  family of landowners with holdings somewhere in the world, 
  often Lopan or the Eastern Territory. If they are operating 
  
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  in an area where they have family (parents, siblings, uncles, 
  aunts, or other relatives), they may be able to call upon them 
  for lodgings, food, water and basics like fresh horses, weap-
  ons, medical treatment, a place to hide and lay low, current 
  rumors, and basic supplies. Moreover, the Knights-Fossar 
  are recognized by most (not all) kingdoms and settlements 
  throughout the Eastern Territory, so they can expect coopera-
  tion from many people there. G.M.s, use your discretion and 
  keep in mind the time and difficulty required for travel in the 
  Palladium World. A “quick” trip back home is usually a mat-
  ter of weeks or months, a journey that is generally too long to 
  be attempted in the middle of a campaign.
  line for the Garden of the Gods, and have assembled a complex 
  overall picture of the divine infrastructure that supports the world 
  of mortals. They are sometimes priests and monks from the vari-
  ous religions of the world, those who have followed the teachings 
  of their spiritual leaders to a dead end, and now seek to broaden 
  their horizons by learning from the great divine graveyard that is 
  the Garden.
  Most are scholars and historians first, Protectors of the Order 
  second, and theologians last. They try to focus on facts and truth, 
  and view all faiths with equal weight as they seek to catalog and 
  understand all the gods just like any other aspect of the world.
  Whatever their personal motivation, Fossarian Wardens are 
  intimately familiar with the Garden of the Gods, the gods them-
  selves, and the religions of people. They meet on a regular basis 
  to compare notes, share knowledge and new theories, and to in-
  form their brethren of new discoveries, ideas, and developments. 
  Wardens are at the forefront of unearthing new clues regarding 
  the whereabouts of the Titan God’s missing pieces of statue, and 
  may lead missions and quests with adventurers of all kinds in at-
  tempts to follow-up leads, find new leads, and to recover the last 
  pieces of the Lost Titan. They are based out of the Solarium on 
  Lopan, the home of the Order, located at the center of the known 
  world. They work hand in hand, alongside the Knights-Fossar, 
  their comrades and brethren in the Order of the Knights-Fossar. 
  Wardens and the knights are equals and fellow truth-seekers.
  Wardens are generally the overseers of all operations, and 
  work to keep the Order fully manned, supplied, and focused on 
  its various responsibilities, goals, and missions. All while staying 
  small and unobtrusive enough to avoid being targeted by a major 
  world power or religion. Their loyalty to the gods and the Garden, 
  the Titan God in particular, supercedes any obligation to family, 
  faith and kingdom, and every Knight-Fossar and Warden is will-
  ing to sacrifice his or her life to protect the Order, the Garden, and 
  the statue of the Titan.
  Special Abilities of the Warden O.C.C.
  1. Lore – The Garden and the Gods: Base Skill: 25% +5% 
  per level of experience, +20% when it comes to lore about the 
  Garden and/or the known gods.
  The Wardens are the scholars and historians of their Order and 
  have mapped and scouted out the Garden of the Gods as much 
  as is possible. They are familiar with all the gods, are the ones 
  who usually ascertain the identity of fading and forgotten gods, 
  and are able to navigate the enchanted, ever-shifting terrain of 
  the Garden with absolute reliability. They know the many myths 
  and legends of the Garden and all known gods, and work on dis-
  covering the identities and histories of the lost gods as they are 
  excavated and cut loose of the Primeva.
  Arguably, the Fossarian Wardens are the greatest authorities 
  on the gods (not just the history of Lopan and the Garden) in the 
  known world. In large part, because they try to stay impartial and 
  take a scientific and analytical approach that does NOT involve 
  trying to prove or support any particular church, religious dogma 
  or political position. They want the truth, with all its warts and 
  ugly spots. Thus, Wardens try to analyze religion from the per-
  spective of an outsider and without bias. They are knowledgeable 
  about the relationships between deities more than the individual 
  tenets of faith, and they study many gods without necessarily 
  worshiping them. This skill can be used to identify a newly en-
  countered god’s place in the pantheons of the world, if any, as 
  Fossarian Warden O.C.C.
  “Every mystery has its source, every myth its grain of truth. If 
  we must question the gods themselves in order to make reason of 
  the world, then the Garden is the place to start.”
  The Fossarian Wardens are the scholars and mystics who 
  study the Garden of the Gods and try to make some sense of its 
  supernatural properties. These men and women are explorers and 
  skilled thinkers who have made their way to the Garden from a 
  thousand different origins, some drawn to Lopan by divine provi-
  dence, some by their own curiosity, and some actively recruited 
  by the Knights-Fossar.
  Often found copying and combing through texts at the Solari-
  um, Wardens are tasked with putting together some kind of time 
  
  119
  well as their past history with the other gods and the various races 
  of the world.
  To this end, they have secretly acquired an exact copy of the 
  most complete and ancient volume of The Tristine Chronicles 
  known to exist. The original is kept under lock and key at the 
  Library of Bletherad and the Fossar’s precise, handmade recre-
  ation of this copy took 50 years to complete by expert archivists 
  and artisans at the Library. It should be noted that the Fossarian 
  Wardens and the keepers of the fabled Library often quietly and 
  secretly share and exchange knowledge, secrets and ancient ar-
  tifacts with each other. In fact, there are 2-4 Wardens living on 
  site at the Library of Bletherad at any given time. Some spending 
  years sifting through ancient tomes, scrolls, tapestries and rel-
  ics searching for clues and information they may have missed in 
  the past, or misinterpreted, or only recently unearthed. Likewise, 
  there are usually one or two representatives from the Library 
  staying with the Wardens at the Solarium.
  Whenever one of the Knights-Fossars or Wardens recover 
  an ancient tome or artifact they do not need, or which they feel 
  would better serve the public at the Library, they sell or trade it 
  (for other relics, information or help) to the Library of Bletherad.
  2. Protectors of the Order (Counterespionage): Base Skill 
  (for Wardens only): 30% +5% per level of experience.
  The Wardens are also the Protectors of the Order and all its 
  knowledge. As such, they are vigilant of threats to their Order, 
  their work/research, the often forgotten and forbidden knowledge 
  they collect and keep in books and journals, their secret treasure 
  trove of books and artifacts (perhaps second only to the Library 
  of Bletherad), the Garden of the Gods, and Lopan.
  Information and suspicions about potential threats and danger 
  are passed on to the Knights-Fossar who quietly investigate and, 
  whenever possible, nip nefarious schemes and plots in the bud, 
  their perpetrators disappearing or meeting with a grim fate, be-
  fore they become a serious problem.
  The Garden of the Gods, itself, has many enemies. Primarily 
  envious and worried church and religious leaders who fear Lopan 
  and/or the Knights-Fossar will, one day, use the Garden of the 
  Gods to undermine and usurp their current positions of power and 
  authority. As a consequence, these outside powers believe the 
  Garden, Knights-Fossar and the leaders of Lopan must be spied 
  upon and watched like a hawk. From time to time, spying evolves 
  into undermining, stealing or destroying evidence and relics that 
  might contradict their religious teachings and dogma, or into 
  simple theft because they want some of the valuable or magi-
  cal artifacts, and similar skullduggery. It is not uncommon for a 
  Knight-Fossar, Warden, or hired adventurers away from Lopan 
  and known to be working for the Order or engaged in a vision 
  quest from the Garden of the Gods to be detained, even kidnaped, 
  and interrogated by people in power, be it a king, queen, noble 
  lord, church leader, cultist, zealous faithful, or the henchmen of 
  a rival god. Don’t forget the Order of the Knights-Fossar col-
  lect secrets and ancient artifacts and magic, all things that worry 
  people in power, and which are also valuable, attracting robbers 
  and evildoers happy to steal whatever they have found, and fight 
  or kill to get it.
  It is the job of the Fossarian Wardens to learn of such plots 
  and help the Knights shut them down. This makes the Fossarian 
  Wardens a sort of secret police with their own network of friends, 
  fans, supporters, assets, snitches and spies. In our modern real 
  world, this would be considered counterespionage.
  The skill also involves recognizing undercover agents and 
  spies, thieves and assassins, and enemies of the Garden, the Or-
  der, the Gods and the Garden. This may involve their own spying, 
  but many keep their ear to the ground, analyzing information, 
  recognizing a potential threat and alerting the Knights-Fossar to 
  investigate and quell the problem. If diplomacy and further in-
  telligence gathering is required, one or more Fossarian Wardens 
  may be part of the investigatory team.
  Note: Sometimes when a Knight-Fossar is not available or 
  a threat seems minimal, or the investigation is better served to 
  bring in outsiders as to not implicate the Order of the Knights-
  Fossar, the Wardens or a Knight may hire or manipulate a group 
  of adventurers or mercenaries (i.e. the player group) to do the 
  job. This may be under the false pretense of protecting someone 
  of importance from a stalker, guarding somebody or someplace 
  from assassins or thieves, transporting something of value, steal-
  ing something for them, protecting the Garden, a vision quest 
  from a god, and so on. Such covert operations are probably con-
  tracted through a go-between, so that the Order is never implicat-
  ed. The go-between/front-man may not know he or she is doing a 
  service for the Order of the Knights-Fossar either!
  3. Champion of the Garden. Whenever a Fossarian is fight-
  ing inside the Garden of the Gods to defend the Garden or to 
  protect visitors inside the Garden, all their usual bonuses get an 
  extra +1 and the Warden magically heals from damage at the rate 
  of 2D6 per melee round!
  Fossarian Warden O.C.C.
  Type One: Scholar and Protector of the Order
  Alignment: Any good alignment or Unprincipled. The Fossar-
  ians are pious men and women who seek to serve the gods and 
  others before themselves, even if some are more upstanding 
  than others.
  Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 11 or higher, P.S. 10; a high M.A. 
  and M.E. are helpful but not necessary.
  O.C.C. Skills:
  Anthropology (+15%)
  Archaeology (+15%)
  Basic Math (+20%)
  History (+20%)
  Intelligence (+20%)
  Languages: Native Tongue at 98% plus two of choice (+20% 
  each).
  Literacy in Elven (+20%).
  Lore: One of choice (+15%).
  Prowl or Escape Artist (+10%), pick one.
  Streetwise or Cryptography (+15%), pick one.
  Surveillance (+20%)
  W.P.: One of choice.
  Hand to Hand: Basic can be selected for the cost of one O.C.C. 
  Related Skill, Expert for the cost of two, or Martial Arts for 
  the cost of three O.C.C. Related Skills.
  O.C.C. Related Skills: Select five other skills at level one, plus 
  select one additional skill at levels 3, 6, 9, and 12. All new 
  skills start at level one proficiency.
  Communications: Any (+10%).
  Domestic: Any.
  Espionage: Forgery (+10% to recognize forgeries), only.
  Horsemanship: General or Exotic only.
  
  120
  Medical: Any.
  Military: Heraldry only (+10%).
  Physical: Any, except Acrobatics, Gymnastics and Wrestling.
  Rogue: Any.
  Science: Any (+10%).
  Scholar/Technical: Any (+10%).
  Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
  Wilderness: Land Navigation only.
  Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select two Second-
  ary Skills from the previous list at level one, and one addi-
  tional skill at levels three, six and nine. These are additional 
  areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonus 
  listed in the parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base 
  skill level. Also, skills are limited (any, only, none) as previ-
  ously indicated in the list.
  Experience Table: As per Knight and Noble O.C.C.
  Starting Equipment: One weapon for each W.P., two sets of 
  clothing, a pair of boots, hat, belt, bedroll, backpack or satchel, 
  one large sack, one medium sack, 1D4 small sacks, a water-
  skin, food rations for 1D4 weeks, 1D4 sticks of charcoal, 2D4 
  sticks of graphite (for writing and drawing), two crow quill 
  pens, a bottle of ink, 4D4 sheets of parchment paper, a 100 
  page note/sketchbook, small mirror, and a tinder box.
  Special Magic Items: Book of Secrets, Quill of Endless 
  Ink, and a bottle of Mystic Ink (invisible ink), all kept in a 
  medium-sized Enchanted Bag.
  Wardens are also able to requisition horses, chain mail, 
  basic weapons and other goods from the supplies the Order 
  keeps at the Solarium. This includes select magic items such 
  as Cherubot Rope, Fire Wick, Cloak of Guises or Invisibility, 
  Cloak of Shadows, Chasers, Gem of Direction, Eye of the Cat, 
  and Magic Restraints. G.M.s, use your discretion and consider 
  the character’s level of experience, reputation, and circum-
  stances before allowing too much or anything too powerful. 
  However, the Order of the Fossarians is well-equipped and 
  Wardens often deal with matters of counterespionage, scout-
  ing missions, gathering information, research, and the acquisi-
  tion of clues and information, as well as undertakings to fer-
  ret out spies and enemies, all of which might require special 
  equipment and resources.
  Armor: Starts with studded leather (A.R. 13, S.D.C. 38) and 
  generally like light or medium armor. High ranking and ex-
  perienced Psi-Mystic Wardens can get a magical Scholar’s 
  Leather of Iron which looks like soft leather armor but has 55 
  S.D.C. and an A.R. of 15.
  Weapons: Starts with a dagger and one other weapon as per each 
  W.P. All are basic S.D.C. weapons of good quality. Magic 
  weapons and other equipment must be acquired later.
  Money: The character starts with 200 in gold, but may be able 
  to draw more from the coffers of the Order if there is a 
  specific purpose in mind, like paying a bribe, hiring a ship, 
  or offering a gift in return for passage through hostile ter-
  ritory.
  Fossarian Warden O.C.C.
  Type Two: Psi-Mystic Warden
  The Fossarian Wardens also recruit and count among their 
  numbers Psi-Mystic Wardens. This character has the same 
  background and orientation as the Fossarian Warden O.C.C., but 
  possesses magic and psychic powers. Abilities they use in their 
  research and as Protectors of the Order.
  This character has ALL the magic and psionics of the Psi-Mys-
  tic O.C.C. but a different range of skills, weapons and equipment, 
  as follows, below. It should be noted that most orient their magic 
  spells and psychic abilities to further the goals of the Order of the 
  Knights-Fossar and best serve them in their position of Warden.
  Alignment: Any good alignment or Unprincipled. The Fossar-
  ians are pious men and women who seek to serve the gods and 
  others before themselves, even if some are more upstanding 
  than others.
  Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 11 or higher; a high M.A. and 
  M.E. are helpful but not necessary.
  O.C.C. Skills:
  Anthropology (+15%)
  Archaeology (+15%)
  Basic Math (+20%)
  History (+15%)
  Intelligence (+10%)
  Languages: Native Tongue at 98% plus two of choice (+10% 
  each).
  Literacy in Elven (+15%).
  Lore: One of choice (+15%).
  Surveillance (+15%)
  W.P.: One of choice.
  Hand to Hand: Basic can be selected for the cost of one O.C.C. 
  Related Skill, Expert for the cost of two, or Martial Arts for 
  the cost of three O.C.C. Related Skills.
  O.C.C. Related Skills: Select one Related Skill at levels 1, 3, 6, 
  9, and 12. All new skills start at level one proficiency.
  Communications: Any (+5%).
  Domestic: Any.
  Espionage: None.
  Horsemanship: General or Exotic only.
  Medical: First Aid only.
  Military: Heraldry only.
  Physical: Any, except Acrobatics, Gymnastics and Wrestling.
  Rogue: Any.
  Science: Any (+5%).
  Scholar/Technical: Any (+10% on Lore, Language and Lit-
  eracy only).
  Weapon Proficiencies: Any.
  Wilderness: None.
  Secondary Skills: The character also gets one Secondary Skill 
  from the previous list at levels 2, 5, 9 and 13. These are ad-
  ditional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of 
  the bonus listed in the parentheses. All Secondary Skills start 
  at the base skill level. Also, skills are limited (any, only, none) 
  as previously indicated in the list.
  Experience Table: As per the Psi-Mystic O.C.C.
  Starting Equipment: Two sets of clothing, a pair of boots, hat, 
  belt, bedroll, backpack or satchel, one large sack, one medi-
  um sack, 1D4 small sacks, a waterskin, food rations for 1D4 
  weeks, 1D4 sticks of charcoal, 2D4 sticks of graphite (for 
  writing and drawing), two crow quill pens, a bottle of ink, 4D4 
  sheets of parchment paper, a 100 page note/sketchbook, small 
  mirror, and a tinder box.
  Special Magic Items: 1D4+2 Magic Bandages, Quill of 
  Endless Ink, and a bottle of Mystic Ink (invisible ink), all kept 
  in a medium-sized Enchanted Bag.
  
  121
  Wardens are also able to requisition horses, chain mail, 
  basic weapons and other goods from the supplies the Order 
  keeps at the Solarium. This includes select magic items such 
  as Cherubot Rope, Fire Wick, Cloak of Guises or Invisibility, 
  Cloak of Shadows, Chasers, Gem of Direction, Eye of the Cat, 
  and Magic Restraints. G.M.s, use your discretion and consider 
  the character’s level of experience, reputation, and circum-
  stances before allowing too much or anything too powerful. 
  However, the Order of the Fossarians is well-equipped and 
  Wardens often deal with matters of counterespionage, scout-
  ing missions, gathering information, research, and the acquisi-
  tion of clues and information, as well as undertakings to ferret 
  out spies and enemies, all of which who might require special 
  equipment and resources.
  Armor: Studded leather (A.R. 13, S.D.C. 38). Most prefer light 
  armor. High ranking and experienced Psi-Mystic Wardens can 
  get magical Scholar’s Leather of Iron which looks like soft 
  leather armor but has 55 S.D.C. and an A.R. of 15, or some 
  other enchanted armor.
  Weapons: Starts with two silver-plated daggers (1D6 damage), 
  and one weapon for each W.P. All are basic S.D.C. weapons 
  of good quality. Magic weapons and other equipment must be 
  acquired later.
  Money: The character starts with 200 in gold, but may be able to 
  draw more from the coffers of the Order if there is a specific 
  purpose in mind, like paying a bribe, hiring a ship or offering 
  a gift in return for passage through hostile territory.
  Notable Members
  of the Knights-Fossar
  Sir John Perrenact
  The current headmaster and leader of the Ancient Order of the 
  Knights-Fossar, lifelong crusader, pilgrim and champion of the 
  realm, is Sir John Perrenact. The Lord of the Solarium and the 
  most revered and honored knight among them. Born into one of 
  Lopan’s eldest families, many of his Elven ancestors have count-
  ed themselves amongst the Fossarians. Sir Perrenact conducts his 
  duties out of respect for them, and the traditions they stand for, as 
  well as reverence for the gods, and his Great, Great, Great, Great, 
  Grand Uncle, Sir Langer Accenhal, founder of the Order.
  Born in one of Lopan’s wealthy, coastal cities, young John 
  Perrenact grew up enjoying a life of privilege and education. 
  Training in the arts of the horse and knight was expected of him, 
  and his family was part of Lopan nobility. As a squire, he un-
  dertook a long mission into Lopan’s countryside with a pair of 
  fellow aspiring knights, the three youngsters setting out to prove 
  themselves and test their mettle against the island’s bandits and 
  monsters known to gather in the northern wild lands.
  Riding along the coast, they spotted a Wolfen longboat putting 
  a raiding party ashore. Heavily outnumbered, the squires let the 
  raiding party move inland before they attacked the longboat, slew 
  the pair of guards left behind, and set the craft ablaze. The raiders 
  must have seen the rising smoke, however, for as the would-be 
  knights set off in pursuit, they found themselves ambushed by a 
  dozen experienced Wolfen warriors. Both of Perrenact’s fellow 
  squires perished in the attack, and though they cut down two of 
  their foes, the future Knight-Fossar stood face-to-face with ten 
  snarling Wolfen, hopelessly outmatched. As he was about to 
  meet his fate, he said a quiet prayer to any god who might be lis-
  tening, and the sound of hooves approached. With no more warn-
  ing, a force of six knights bearing a strange banner charged the 
  Wolfen, lancing any who tried to fight and riding down the sur-
  vivors. The knights returned to find young John Perrenact saying 
  prayers over the bodies of his companions, and were impressed 
  with the squire’s bravery and piousness.
  The knights took the lad back to the Solarium, and John Per-
  renact was surprised to find both an uncle and a distant cousin 
  amongst the knightly order. They explained to him the mission of 
  the Knights-Fossar, and the realities of the Garden of the Gods, 
  as opposed to the myths spoken of by children and superstitious 
  peasants, and even nobility. His uncle explained that the lad’s 
  mother and father had different, safer, plans for his future, which 
  is why they never told him about the Knights-Fossar or his fam-
  ily connection to them. For Sir Perrenact, however, it seemed as 
  if the hand of destiny – or perhaps it was the Titan Fossar – had 
  guided him to the Order. The lad held no resentment toward his 
  parents, but decided to ride with the Knights-Fossar on a quest 
  in the Old Kingdom where he could learn more about his Elven 
  heritage. That was all it took for him to realize his place belonged 
  with the Order of the Knights-Fossar. He had actually felt that 
  way the moment he set foot into the Solarium, and received his 
  own knighthood from the commander of the Order. In deference 
  to his parents, the young knight returned to the life of a noble 
  on Lopan for another several decades, supporting the Order and 
  quietly promoting their interests at the Imperial court. After the 
  loss of a dozen Knights-Fossar and the Order’s commander, who 
  led a campaign on a disastrous mission in search of one of the 
  Lost Titan’s missing statue pieces, Sir Perrenact took leave from 
  his lordly position and returned to the Solarium to help the Order 
  rebuild. He rediscovered his passion for being a crusading knight 
  and protecting the innocent, and secretly serving as a humble 
  steward to the gods, and rose to a position of leadership. Seven 
  years later, when the Master of the Fossarians stepped down, the 
  Order almost unanimously nominated Sir John Perrenact as their 
  new commander, and for nearly a century he has guided the Or-
  der of the Knights-Fossar with a firm hand and a level head.
  Bold yet level headed, experienced, and physically strong, Sir 
  Perrenact is a true champion who can hold off a dozen foes at 
  once and is a terrifying opponent for any evildoer who tries to 
  escape justice or stop the Order from fulfilling its quest for the 
  Titan God. He is skilled with a dozen different weapons and flu-
  ent in just as many languages, capable of conducting a diplomatic 
  mission or a cavalry charge with equal grace and tact. His days 
  of personally following the Compass Point in search of the Lost 
  Titan are over, however, and the rare occasions that Sir Perrenact 
  takes to the field are always to protect the Order, the innocent, or 
  the kingdom of Lopan.
  Sir John Perrenact, Quick Stats
  Alignment: Principled.
  Attributes: I.Q. 19, M.E. 15, M.A. 17, P.S. 22, P.P. 17, P.E. 14, 
  P.B. 21, Spd 18.
  Age: 356
  Race: Elf.
  
  122
  Experience: 14th level Paladin.
  Hit Points: 71
  S.D.C.: 25
  P.P.E.: 11
  Magic Items of Note: First and foremost, Compass Point! The 
  mystical sword said to have actually belonged to the Titan 
  Fossar, Compass Point is entrusted to Sir John Perrenact. Part 
  of his duty as Master of the Order of the Knights-Fossar is to 
  seek out new champions to bear the sacred blade, and also to 
  judge their worth as warriors and examples of knightly virtue.
  The Compass Point, a Greater Holy Weapon and a Weapon 
  of a God:
  Indestructible: Compass Point cannot be destroyed by 
  any mortal means. Any attempt to melt, dissolve or break the 
  sword apart will force it to disappear and re-manifest back at 
  the Glass Keep.
  Recall: When the champion(s) in possession of Compass 
  Point fall in battle, the sword will vanish into thin air with a 
  flash of light, only to reappear 1D4 days later within the Glass 
  Keep of the Fossarians.
  Bonus: +1 to strike, +1 to disarm, and +5% to all prayers 
  to Fossar.
  Magic Spells: It can cast Healing Touch (3D6 Hit Points/
  S.D.C. six times per 24 hours, double to Titans), Remove 
  Curse (70% chance, once per curse), Sense Evil (changes color 
  in the presence of evil, turning black, 50 foot/15.2 m radius), 
  and once per generation (every 20 years) Resurrection with a 
  rate of success of 70% (+10% on a Knight-Fossar or Fossarian 
  Warden, or when used on anyone in the Garden of the Gods), 
  but can only be tried one time on the deceased. It either works 
  or not. Resurrection cannot be attempted again until at least 
  another 20 years has passed.
  Magic to Locate the Missing Pieces (Special): Guide to the 
  missing pieces of the Titan’s statue from the Garden of the 
  Gods. The compass embedded in the handle of Compass Point 
  has a needle within a gemstone that points toward the next 
  piece of the Lost Titan, no matter how far away it may be. 
  No magic or magnetic field can disturb the orientation of the 
  compass, and after a piece is found and returned to the Glass 
  Keep, Compass Point automatically seeks out the next piece 
  of the Titan’s statue.
  Damage: 5D6+6 against most opponents, 1D6x10+30 
  against supernatural evil, demons, etc., and 4D6x100 dam-
  age against Old Ones and their empowered lieutenants. And 
  though nobody knows it, Compass Point makes its wielder 
  impervious to the magic and mind control of all Fangs of the 
  Old Ones and is one of the few things that can be used to 
  destroy a Fang! WARNING & DANGEROUS SECRETS: 
  When a Fang is destroyed by Compass Point, it releases the 
  tiny fragment of the Old One contained in that weapon. When 
  that happens, there is a 25% chance the essence infuses itself 
  into another magic weapon, seeking out a Holy Weapon first, 
  so that it may corrupt it and turn it into an instrument of evil, a 
  less magic weapon next, or weapon of Dwarven or Jotan qual-
  ity (turning into a weapon of evil with 1,000 S.D.C. and all the 
  powers of the Fang reduced by half.) If that does not happen, 
  the essence finds its way back to the Old One who created it 
  and merges back with it. The danger with that is there is a 1% 
  chance it awakens that slumbering Old One! Pray that never 
  happens. These secrets are known only to the Titan Fossar, 
  but he is unable to share them (too weak) until his statue is 
  restored inside the Garden. Upon that day, the Compass Point 
  becomes part of the statue, held in the Titan’s right hand. It 
  is then an artifact that Fossar may elect, from time to time, to 
  give to a Knight-Fossar or other hero for special quests. Note: 
  Should the Order fail, and the statue not be made complete by 
  the time all the other Forgotten Gods are revealed from the 
  Primeva, Compass Point turns to ordinary stone, all its magic 
  disappears, and the Titan and the other deities in his pantheon 
  are forgotten by all but the Order of the Knights-Fossar. All 
  O.C.C. bonuses and magic provided to the Order by the Titan 
  also vanish.
  High Wizard Miasar Vaas
  The most powerful spell caster among the friends and allies of 
  the Order is Miasar Vaas, a Wizard born in the city of Caer Net-
  tebe in the Western Empire. In his studies of the mystic arts, he 
  began to dig up information on lost gods and religions, and found 
  evidence of the ancient patron god of the ancestors of House Inin-
  dri, rulers of the Kighfalton Plains. Once a powerful pastoral cul-
  ture of mounted warriors, they were absorbed into the early West-
  ern Empire, their religion displaced and buried beneath thousands 
  of years of history. Through various magical means, Vaas was 
  able to detect an echo of the forgotten god he sought, coming 
  from the island of Lopan.
  The young mage closed up his laboratory in Caer Nettebe and 
  hired a ship for Lopan. While the Garden was still mostly un-
  known in those days, Vaas’ knack for trusting his feelings and 
  finding the unusual served him well. It wasn’t long before he 
  found himself at the Garden of the Gods.
  Vaas staggered through the Verdant Gates like a man fight-
  ing his way through a blizzard, the power of the gods practically 
  deafening to his ears. Voices pulled him in, deep into the Briar of 
  the Fallen, to an overgrown statue hidden amongst twisting roots. 
  Instantly Vaas knew he had found the ancient god he sought, 
  Loecin, Horseman of the Plains, lost to time. The mage carefully 
  cleared away the vines and roots, brushed the statue clean, and 
  spent the next three days in solemn meditation, absorbing wis-
  dom and communing directly with a different era. When Vaas 
  was done, he returned to reality to discover he was lost, starving 
  and disoriented. Weakened, he was on the verge of collapse when 
  a mounted knight strode out into a clearing like a vision or hal-
  lucination.
  When Vaas awoke, he was in a strange tower made of glass. 
  The knight who had rescued him was sitting there, helmet in 
  hand. She identified herself as Lady Kelsin Murroe, a minor 
  noble from the Eastern Territory who had left her lands be-
  hind years before, after a pilgrimage to Lopan. She admired 
  the mage’s bravery and commitment, and was humbled by the 
  nature of his quest. Lady Murroe’s Western Empire ancestors 
  had once ridden across the Kighfalton Plains, and Loecin had 
  long ago been a revered war-god to her ancestors. The god had 
  been a mystery to her until she joined the Knights-Fossar, their 
  knowledge of the gods and history being vast. The Knight ex-
  plained that if Loecin had reached out to Vaas’ from hundreds 
  of miles away, that his fate must be tied to him or Lopan in some 
  way. After all, he had been chosen and called here by a god few 
  knew or remembered. In the months ahead, Vaas studied the 
  
  123
  Knights-Fossar and watched as the Glass Keep disappeared and 
  re-materialized. He knew that he had stumbled across unique 
  spellcraft, here in the Lopan countryside, and that it had to mean 
  something for him. A fast friendship developed between Vaas 
  and Lady Murroe and others in the Order.
  Miasar Vaas never returned to the Western Empire. He has 
  made the Solarium his home for decades now, married Lady 
  Murroe, and was sworn in as a Fossarian Warden by Sir John Per-
  renact, nearly 25 years ago. The mage has gone on many quests 
  for the Order and uses his significant magical acumen to invoke 
  ancient powers, communicate with the ethereal spirits of the Gar-
  den and assist the Knights-Fossar in battle.
  The strange properties of the Garden of the Gods are difficult 
  for laymen to navigate or even understand. And they confounded 
  the young Vaas for many years, as well. It was not until he real-
  ized that the power and wonder of the Garden wasn’t magical per 
  se, but the divine. A product of the gods’ will and essence rather 
  than magic energy as understood and used by mortals. The High 
  Wizard uses his extensive experience and knowledge to educate 
  new, young Fossarian Wardens and allied spell casters who come 
  into the service of the Order, always careful not to share too many 
  secrets, too soon.
  Miasar Vaas, Quick Stats
  Alignment: Unprincipled.
  Attributes: I.Q. 21, M.E. 19, M.A. 17, P.S. 11, P.P. 10, P.E. 9, 
  P.B. 12, Spd 10.
  Age: 53
  Experience: 10th level Wizard.
  Hit Points: 65
  S.D.C.: 6
  P.P.E.: 214
  Skills of Note: Horsemanship: Knight, Language and Literacy: 
  Western (native), Eastern and Elven, all at 98%, Lore: Magic 
  98%, Lore Religion 90%, Math: Basic 98%, in addition to the 
  abilities of the Wizard and the Special O.C.C. Abilities of the 
  Fossarian Warden.
  Spells of Note: Armor of Ithan (10), Astral Projection (10), 
  Blinding Flash (1), Breathe Without Air (5), Calling (8), Call 
  Lightning (15), Carpet of Adhesion (10), Charm (12), Climb 
  (3), Cloud of Slumber (4), Commune with Spirits (25), Con-
  cealment (6), Create Magic Scroll (100+), Decipher Magic 
  (4), Detect Concealment (6), Dimensional Pocket (30 or 140), 
  Energy Bolt (5), Escape (8), Eyes of Thoth (8), Extinguish 
  Fire (4), Heal Wounds (10), Heal Self (20), Faerie Speak (5), 
  Familiar Link (55), Globe of Daylight (2), Heal Self (20), Im-
  pervious to Fire (6), Invisibility: Simple (6), Invisibility: Su-
  perior (20), Levitation (5), Locate (30), Magic Pigeon (20), 
  Memory Bank (12), Mute (50), Mystic Alarm (5), Mystic 
  Portal (60), Negate Magic (30), Phantom Horse (60), Protec-
  tion Circle (Simple) (45), Remove Curse (140), Seal (7), See 
  the Invisible (4), Sense Evil (2), Sense Magic (4), Sleep (10), 
  Speed of the Snail (50), Swim as a Fish (6), Tongues (12), 
  Water to Wine (40), and Words of Truth (15).
  Magic Items of Note: Medallion with the ability to Teleport 
  three times daily, Cloak of Guises, and a medium-size En-
  chanted Bag (a pouch) that contains a Fire Wick, Gem of 
  Direction, Book of Secrets, Quill of Endless Ink, a bottle of 
  Mystic Ink (invisible ink), 3 Magic Bandages, and 20 feet (6.1 
  m) of Cherubot Rope.
  Additional resources depending on the mission: As a 
  high ranking member of the Order, Vaas is also able to 
  requisition horses, chain mail armor, basic weapons, and 
  other goods from the supplies the Order keeps at the So-
  larium. This includes select magic items, Magic Restraints, 
  enchanted armor and magic weapons, in addition to those 
  above.
  Note: His wife Lady Murroe-Vaas is an 11th level Knight-Fos-
  sar, age 55, Scrupulous and a good influence on her husband.
  Clerah Odhaln
  Just as Miasar Vaas serves as the chief wizard to the Order, 
  Clerah Odhaln is a psychic who uses her abilities to further the 
  Order’s goals and invade the minds of its enemies. While she 
  may be young compared to Vaas, Odhaln is a psychic power-
  house and a force to be reckoned with.
  Hailing from the far north of Bizantium, Clerah Odhaln 
  once worked as an acolyte of Od, father of the gods in the 
  Northern Pantheon. However, she began to obsess over the 
  teachings of Algor, the lost Sea God of the North, long ago 
  separated from the other gods of the Northern pantheon. 
  Searching through the church’s texts, she found references 
  not just to Algor, but to other gods and goddesses gone long 
  unheard of. When Odhaln tried to bring her revelation to the 
  attention of the priesthood, she was rebuffed and told focus 
  on the Northern Pantheon, the greatest of the gods. When she 
  made too much noise and tried to take her findings directly to 
  the nobility and then the people of Bizantium, she was ban-
  ished from the islands and excommunicated from the church 
  of the Northern Pantheon.
  Living on the mainland for the first time in her life, Odhaln 
  found the Shadow Colonies to be just an extension of her troubles 
  in Bizantium. No one was interested in her “new” beliefs and 
  questions about the gods, as long as they flew in the face of the 
  traditional church teachings. Soon Odhaln was on a ship heading 
  south, in search of a refuge that worshiped Algor and was will-
  ing to discuss the rest of the gods no longer part of the Northern 
  Pantheon.
  Odhaln never found that refuge. In heavy fog in the Great In-
  land Sea, the captain of the blinded ship was relying on Clerah’s 
  psychic intuition to navigate when the ship smashed into a rock 
  and foundered, drowning everyone else onboard. Odhaln drifted 
  through the foggy netherworld, treading water, carried by the cur-
  rent, unsure just how long she floated before the dark shape of 
  land emerged from the fog ahead.
  The sandy shore on which she had washed up was Lopan, 
  and the pair of crab fishermen who picked her up off the beach 
  took Odhaln to the nearest port town. There she learned of the 
  Garden of the Gods without even needing to be told, gleaning 
  the information right out of the minds of people who were un-
  certain whether or not they should betray the secret. Once she 
  saw the Garden for herself and felt the presence of the divine, 
  Odhaln was able to use her mind powers to learn about the 
  Knights-Fossar, said to know more about the Garden and the 
  deities than anyone.
  Clerah realized that it was fate that had driven her ship into 
  the rocks, perhaps the god Algor’s grisly way of drawing her to 
  the Garden and/or the Knights-Fossar. For a time, she decided 
  
  124
  to make exploring the Garden her primary occupation, and she 
  might have become a Caretaker, had it not been for a chance 
  meeting with one of the Fossarian Wardens. One night, she 
  caught a stranger performing a ritual in front of one of the stat-
  ues in a dark corner of the Garden. Odhaln could sense the evil 
  emanating from both the statue and the mysterious visitor, and 
  was going to try to interrupt the ritual when an armored figure 
  rode up with a lantern in hand and challenged the stranger. The 
  two of them did battle, warrior against witch, until it seemed 
  that the evil spell caster would prevail, fighting below the smil-
  ing idol of the evil god the witch served. Clerah chose this mo-
  ment to emerge from the shadows and silence both witch and 
  weakened god with her overwhelming mental powers. With the 
  field of battle leveled, the Fossarian Warden was finally able to 
  dispatch his foe.
  He introduced himself as a fellow warrior, and Odhaln, still 
  young, finally began to respect herself for the fearsome mental 
  weapon that she was. When the Warden offered to introduce 
  her to the Knights-Fossar, she jumped at the chance to meet this 
  group she had already learned much about. Back at the Solarium, 
  she made her own introduction as a searcher of truth in need of a 
  purpose. The exile and castaway was finally home. She has spent 
  years now as one of the Knights-Fossar’s most trusted friends and 
  allies. She studies the gods, still worships Algor, as well as Fossar 
  and a few other forgotten gods, and uses her powers to help the 
  noble knights and heroes who accepted her and have shared the 
  knowledge the gods.
  Clerah Odhaln, Quick Stats
  Mind Mage
  Alignment: Unprincipled. She was Anarchist when she first met 
  the Knights-Fossar, and their good influence has kept this 
  powerful Mind Mage from using her abilities for personal gain 
  and sliding into selfishness and power-mongering.
  Attributes: I.Q. 14, M.E. 26, M.A. 19, P.S. 9, P.P. 13, P.E. 12, 
  P.B. 14, Spd 15.
  Age: 31
  Experience: 8th level Mind Mage.
  Hit Points: 40
  S.D.C.: 6
  P.P.E.: 9
  I.S.P.: 252, high even for a Mind Mage of such a young age and 
  level of experience.
  Psionic Abilities (special): ALL Psychic Sensitive Abilities 
  (her focus), Ectoplasm (varies), Exorcism (10), Levitation 
  (varies), Lust for Life (15), Nightvision (4), Bio-Manip-
  ulation (10), Bio-Regeneration (20), Empathic Transmis-
  sion (6), Group Mind Block (22), Hydrokinesis (varies, 
  and what really saved her in the shipwreck, not that she 
  remembers it), Hypnotic Suggestion (6), Mind Bolt (10), 
  Mind Bond (10), Psi-Shield (30), Psi-Sword (30), Resist 
  Fatigue (4), and Resist Hunger (6). In time, she’ll master 
  most psionic abilities.
  Magic Items of Note: A pair of enchanted throwing axes that 
  magically return when thrown, family heirlooms she took with 
  her when she left Bizantium.
  Syindal
  Syindal Population:
  400+ Villagers; farmers, laborers, sheepherders, and noncom-
  batants.
  100 Specialists; cooks, bakers, stablehands, smiths, carpen-
  ters, wheelwrights, and a few merchants and Druids.
  Note: Does not include visitors, which can range from a dozen 
  to a hundred at any given time. More during the Lopanic Games.
  This village has grown outward from the Solarium and has 
  adopted the name Syindal, the word ancient Elves first used for 
  the region. Syindal is a sleepy little town that would be little more 
  than a farming village if not for the Knights-Fossar whom they 
  support as well as help secure the Solarium’s food supplies.
  The most infamous venue in Syindal is the Margoode, a tav-
  ern and boarding house known for its philosophical debates be-
  fore its food and drink. It is here that priests, monks, scholars, 
  theologians and average folk from all walks of life gather for 
  heated discussions regarding the gods, the Garden, the Old Ones, 
  the churches that seem to run the world, and any other contro-
  versial topics that might arise. People feel a sense of pride and 
  ownership of their own culture and religion (most worship the 
  Titan Fossar here), and this is still certainly true at the Inn, but 
  there is also an unspoken agreement that religions are all equally 
  valid here, or at least open for discussion. Intellectual debates, 
  exposure to foreign ideas, and strong drink all contribute to make 
  the Margoode a place where many visiting hardliners see with 
  new eyes. Converts are made here, and priests, prophets and pil-
  grims already excited by their visit and experience at the Garden 
  of the Gods, speak with a passion and conviction rarely found in 
  the average church or temple, let alone a tavern.
  While debates and arguments and comparisons are constantly 
  ongoing, the nightly disputations are the main event. An hour 
  after sundown, the tavern is at full capacity, the patrons are loos-
  ened up, and two different sides are brought out for a theologi-
  cal debate. Sometimes these affairs are quite formal, planned and 
  researched and presented, sometimes they descend into drunken 
  shouting matches, where the faithful speak from their heart (or 
  their gut) more than their brain. Disputations often take on a “my 
  god is better than your god” kind of quality, despite the sense of 
  fairness that the facility generally represents. There are “refer-
  ees,” as well, usually Fossarian Wardens or Knights, present to 
  enjoy the spirited debates and to keep people from engaging in 
  fisticuffs and head bashing. The Margoode is generally packed to 
  capacity during these events, the biggest social gathering in the 
  village outside of holidays, and people from neighboring farms, 
  homesteads and villages sometimes join in on the action.
  
  125
  The Lost Gods
  ings, and long-term granted to a Champion of the Gods, with the 
  all the same condition as described early.
  Unless stated otherwise, any Blessings or Artifacts of Note 
  that provide magic spells also provide the P.P.E. necessary to cast 
  them. The Blessed individual or wielder of the artifact or magic 
  weapon does not need to use their own P.P.E. reserve (if any). 
  The same is true of psionic abilities and I.S.P.
  Pantheon of Aco
  The Forgotten Gods of the Cosmic
  Pantheon of Aco & the Juggernaut
  Long before human or Wolfen rose up from barbarism, the 
  Palladium World was a very different place. The dreaded Old 
  Ones ruled the world and everything in it suffered for it.
  Few gods dared to stand against the dark gods and none – not 
  even together as a deific army – could destroy these Lords of 
  Chaos and Sorrow. Those who tried, like the gods of the Z’ka 
  Pantheon, were systematically hunted down and destroyed in 
  spectacular fashion, one god after another tormented and killed. 
  Their worshipers forced to bend their knee to the gods of Chaos 
  and Sorrow, or else. Those who refused or whose proclaimed de-
  votion was recognized to be untrue, suffered by the hundreds of 
  thousands in torment and finally, in death.
  While other gods wrung their hands or schemed in futility, 
  only Aco of the Cosmos, the Juggernaut ever at her side, and 
  other members of their pantheon dared to openly speak against 
  and quietly oppose the Old Ones. Aco used her powerful magic 
  to hide women and children, protecting them in her sheltering 
  darkness from the wrath of the Old Ones. Their survival saved 
  entire species of people, gave mortals hope, and bought time for 
  the seeds of resistance to take root and grow among the rest of 
  the gods.
  While Aco and her mighty friend, the Juggernaut, hid and pro-
  tected mothers and children, insuring a future, the other gods in 
  her pantheon whispered conspiracy and insurrection in the ears of 
  celestial deities who they knew also despised the Old Ones. Some 
  say, it was Aco (other ancient and half forgotten myths suggest it 
  was Kule or Wunja) who hatched the notion of putting revenge 
  aside, and not trying to destroy the unstoppable Old Ones, but to 
  render them powerless in eternal slumber. And that it was Aco, 
  herself, with the Juggernaut and Abo (or Kule or Wunja, or per-
  haps all five deities working in concert scouring infinite realities) 
  who are said, by some, to have found the magic necessary to lock 
  the Old Ones in everlasting sleep.
  As one of the oldest religions in the world, Aco and the mem-
  bers of her pantheon were revered and worshiped, long ago by 
  ancient people such as the Titans, Rahu-Men, Cyclops, Algor and 
  other giants, reptilians, and people much older and long since 
  forgotten. As millennia passed, civilizations rose and fell. As the 
  All the known and worshiped gods from around the world 
  have statues and well-attended gardens in the Garden of the 
  Gods. They are the most prominent and well appointed garden 
  areas, though none are larger or better than any other god in the 
  Garden. They just have a larger number of pilgrims who visit 
  their areas, and a dedicated number of caretakers to make sure 
  their area is always maintained and in good to excellent condi-
  tion. Note: These popular and notable gods are described in detail 
  in the Dragons & Gods sourcebook.
  The deities in the pages that follow are, for one reason or an-
  other, either the gods fading from the public consciousness, or 
  lost gods. Many of the Fading and Forgotten gods were once wor-
  shiped by people and civilizations that have, themselves, slipped 
  into obscurity or no longer exist, and may also be forgotten. Their 
  statues in the Garden may be one of a few places left in the entire 
  world where their statue remains. And in some cases, may be the 
  only remembrance left anywhere. The areas of the Garden with 
  the Fading and Forgotten gods are often overgrown or poorly 
  kept, as they have few, if any followers or caretakers.
  Since they are little known or completely forgotten deities, 
  their descriptions and history are kept short. We focus upon a 
  short summary, their Holy Artifacts, and their unique Blessings 
  they may bestow upon those they deem worthy to help encourage 
  their rebirth into the world of mortals, or with whom they feel a 
  special bond and seek to help them find their potential and pur-
  pose. In addition to these special, notable Blessings, most gods, 
  good and evil, can bestow any of the Blessings described in the 
  earlier pages of this book.
  Remember, by reaching out and touching mortals of any 
  species, these Fading and Forgotten gods may be able to find 
  a Champion and followers to prevent themselves from vanish-
  ing completely. With additional work from mortal Champions, 
  knights, heroes and followers, the deity may be able to rekindle 
  his or her base of followers and be reborn.
  About Artifacts of Note: Each statue description of the dei-
  ties in this section includes a category called Artifacts of Note. 
  These are unique and infamous or legendary Holy Weapons and 
  magic items associated with that particular deity. As these are an-
  cient and Fading or Forgotten gods, most artifacts listed are also 
  ancient and may be little known or forgotten, except by the deity 
  himself and the most learned of priests or scholars.
  About Blessings: Theoretically, any deity, of any alignment, 
  is able to grant any of the Deific Blessings and Miraculous Bless-
  ings described earlier in this book. Based on the god’s history, 
  alignment, orientation, and what they may symbolize, specific 
  deities are likely to lean toward particular types of Blessings 
  (healing, knowledge, combat, magic, etc.).
  In addition, each statue description includes one or more 
  Blessings that are special and unique to that particular god. Like 
  the Artifacts of Note, the Blessings listed under a deity are just 
  the most infamous or legendary. There may be others that are 
  forgotten and lost in time (G.M. discretion). Those listed can be 
  granted as short-term Deific Blessings or as Miraculous Bless-
  
  126
  eldritch races faded from existence, so did their gods. Blinking 
  out, one by one. Of the Cosmic Pantheon of Aco, only Aco and 
  the Juggernaut remained half-remembered and cherished enough 
  to stay entrenched in the consciousness of many diverse people, 
  but they were no longer a major influence in the world. It was 
  only Aco’s great deed to hide countless millions of children and 
  their mothers from the vengeful eyes of the Old Ones that kept 
  her legend alive, and the Juggernaut by association.
  In a way, the gods of the Cosmic Pantheon brought this fate 
  upon themselves. Aco and the gods associated with her are shock-
  ingly humble and unassuming. They have never been showy or 
  grandiose. They have never encouraged big, fancy temples and 
  cathedrals. Nor do they endorse hate or elitism among their fol-
  lowers. Instead, they try to inspire all people, regardless of race 
  or social status, to find their passion and place in the world, and 
  champion creativity, goodness, and acceptance. These exalted 
  ideals rarely inspire fanaticism. Perhaps that is because no mem-
  ber of Aco’s pantheon appeals to the fundamental greed and ava-
  rice of their worshipers.
  The past aside, Aco, the Juggernaut, and the rest of the for-
  gotten pantheon are being rediscovered thanks to the Garden of 
  the Gods and the Lopanic Games. On Lopan, away from the 
  feuding nations and powerful churches of established kingdoms 
  across the rest of the known world, Aco and the Juggernaut 
  have grown to be the unofficial gods of Lopan. Many of the ide-
  als, hopes, and dreams of these noble deities are embraced by the 
  hearts and minds of most island inhabitants, as well as by legions 
  of athletes and dreamers who come to watch and participate in the 
  Lopanic Games – a noble idea in and of itself. And as they and 
  their rediscovered pantheon become known by word of mouth to 
  the many who visit Lopan, word of these forgotten gods spreads 
  across the world. Many are learning about Aco and the Jugger-
  naut and the other deities in their pantheon for the very first time.
  Pantheon of Aco
  and the Juggernaut
  Aco and the other gods within her pantheon have more interest 
  in high ideals and encouraging enlightenment and wonder, than 
  getting involved in the petty interests and ugly political squabbles 
  of their mortal followers. None of them condone inequality or 
  injustice for any justification, and they represent the spark of hu-
  manity and compassion in all beings from Elves and humans to 
  Orcs and Wolfen. Perhaps another reason this pantheon has had 
  trouble keeping followers in the past.
  Aco
  Aco has never really been forgotten. Over the millennia, be 
  they human, Elf, Dwarf, Goblin or Troglodyte, Aco dolls have 
  been given as toys to children of all races as a good luck charm. 
  Newborn babies are often brought to a temple of Aco, or a Priest 
  of Aco is summoned for a “Blessing of Baptism” to welcome the 
  child into the world. Yet despite this, Aco’s role in saving the 
  world and stopping the Old Ones had become systematically un-
  dermined by the larger, more powerful religions like the Church 
  of Light and Dark, and the early millennia of Dragonwright. In 
  
  127
  recent decades, that has been changing. The Garden of the Gods 
  and the ever growing popularity of the Lopanic Games has played 
  a huge role in this for her and the Juggernaut.
  Aco is the undisputed head of the pantheon – the All-Mother 
  if you will – with the ever loyal and incorruptible Juggernaut 
  seated at her right hand. The two are practically inseparable and 
  trust each other above all others.
  For Aco, in particular, everyone has value and something to 
  offer the world even if it may seem to be on the least significant 
  level to mortals. For her, everyone is a building block that creates 
  the greater cosmos. That is why in her secret war against the Old 
  Ones, she hid children and women from the monsters’ terrible 
  wrath. And in so doing, infused those she protected with hope and 
  a quiet inner strength to persevere against all odds.
  Mythologically, Aco is the symbol of the ultimate, over-
  whelming blackness upon which the entire universe is built. She 
  is the darkness behind the celestial bodies that glow so bright that 
  the darkness is often overlooked, and she is at peace with that.
  Aco is best known for her ability to hide herself utterly. Van-
  ishing from all, even the gods, who, try as they might, cannot find 
  her when she wishes not to be found. None of the gods have ever 
  figured out where or how she is able to disappear so completely. 
  Some speculate that Aco has the power to “unmake” herself, so 
  that she actually ceases to exist for a time, but neither god nor 
  mortal knows if this is true, and if it is, how she manages such an 
  impossible feat.
  Though Aco is known to be able to hide, she is no coward. 
  Quite the opposite, she has become the symbol of hidden strength 
  and inspires courage and tenacity. She is a resourceful thinker 
  known to defeat her enemies by outwitting them rather than out-
  right destroying them, and she is revered among the deific as a 
  god among gods, so when she chooses to address them, her words 
  carry great weight and all stop to consider them.
  For ages, Aco has been regarded as the patron god of women, 
  defender of women, and protector of mothers and children. Many 
  of the larger temples dedicated to her have an orphanage and 
  childcare facility associated with it. The majority of her priests 
  are female, usually middle-aged and mature women, but also in-
  cludes male priests (20%). All are sympathetic to the plight of 
  females and always try to help and protect women. More than 
  ever, Aco represents the emancipation of women, but without 
  emasculating males. That is why the virile and masculine Jug-
  gernaut is almost always depicted at her side. Not as her protector 
  or husband, but as her equal and friend.
  Aco believes in second chances and redemption, and she 
  champions those who choose such a difficult and admirable path. 
  She always has a soft place in her heart for anyone who feels as 
  if they must hide in the shadows or face persecution. All of this 
  has drawn women of all races to see Aco as their deity, but also 
  Changelings who must hide their true face and identity lest they 
  be destroyed, and others who live in the shadows or in shame. 
  Many a female knight, athlete, or adventurer looks to Aco and the 
  Juggernaut as their gods.
  Alignment: Aberrant (was Principled).
  Statue Description: A beautiful young maiden standing next 
  to her companion and equal, the Juggernaut.
  Caretakers: There is a group of grandmothers, mothers and 
  daughters calling themselves the Women of the Starlit Night, all 
  of whom are residents of Lopan. They have maintained the gar-
  den around the statues of Aco and the Juggernaut for generations, 
  and know every detail about the two gods and their heroic past. 
  Since the rest of the pantheon has been revealed, they now tend 
  to the garden around them as well, and seek to learn everything 
  they can about these deities.
  Some of that information has come to the Women of the Starlit 
  Night, and others, in visions, as well as vision quests that send 
  gladiators, heroes, and adventurers, male and female, to find lost 
  texts and artifacts about the other deities in the pantheon so that 
  the world may come to know and worship them. After all, these 
  non-assuming gods have played an important role in inspiring 
  mortals since the beginning of time.
  The Women of the Starlit Night are not the only ones who tend 
  to the gardens around the Pantheon of Aco and the Juggernaut. 
  Female warriors, priests, mothers, and most female visitors feel 
  a connection to Aco and the Juggernaut, and are likely to take 
  time to tend to the garden around them. Many female visitors and 
  children also leave flowers and Aco dolls at the god’s feet as a to-
  ken of their respect and love. As a result, the garden around Aco, 
  though small, is one of the most beautiful of them all, filled with 
  roses that bloom year round, as well as other flowers.
  Artifacts of Note: The Cloak of Aco: This legendary item 
  has not been seen in 50,000 years. It is a hooded black cloak 
  covered in black lace and tiny gemstones around the edge of the 
  hood and collar that sparkle like stars. Three times per 24 hours, 
  should the wearer wish to be hidden and unseen, all she or he 
  needs to do is to pick a place to sit, stand, or hide, pull the hood 
  over her head, and wish to be unseen. This is not invisibility, 
  and the ability to see the invisible does not reveal the hidden 
  person. She is unseen as if she was not there at all. This may 
  take place on a crowded, sunlit street or inside a crowded room, 
  hallway, an open field, anywhere. Though people do not see 
  the wearer, they move around her without running into her. No 
  known magic, psychic ability, nor power of the gods can pierce 
  this veil of “unseen.” Moreover, any child in the arms of the 
  Cloak wearer, or tucked under the Cloak with her, even if not 
  completely covered, is also unseen. The magic remains in place 
  for as long as those under the Cloak of Aco remain in place 
  without stepping away from where they stood when activated 
  and do not attack or use any other magic or psionic abilities. As 
  long as the Cloaked person or people (as many as two adults or 
  six children, in addition to the Cloak wearer), stand in place, 
  they remain unseen for hours.
  Silver-Eyed Aco Doll (Protection): A simple Aco doll made of 
  faded burlap that is an off-white color with eyes made of silver-
  colored buttons (unique because Aco dolls always have black 
  eyes), sewn to the doll with black thread. Any child in posses-
  sion of the doll, as well as her siblings, are impervious to dis-
  ease, magic (all), psionic attacks, possession, curses, and demons 
  and Deevils. Evil supernatural beings barely take notice of them 
  and choose not to bother them when they do notice. However, no 
  such demon, evildoer, or adult recognizes the doll to be special or 
  magical in any way.
  When the doll is put under the roof of a school, orphanage, 
  hospital, temple, or home with children, all the children feel safer 
  and are protected from disease, curses, possession, and disaster 
  (they miraculously survive fire, flood, plague, etc.). Evil super-
  natural forces, including ghosts and Entities, immediately sense 
  the protection of Aco and will not set foot inside the building 
  nor dare bother these children or their caretakers and pets; the 
  evildoers stay their hand against these children and do them no 
  
  128
  wrong. The kids are also +1 to save vs magic, psionic attack, and 
  poison, double when inside the building itself, for as long as they 
  are a member of that school, orphanage, or home where the doll 
  “resides,” until the age of 16 or the doll is removed and taken 
  away from the building. Moreover, whatever a child prays to Aco 
  or the Juggernaut while holding the Silver-Eyed Aco Doll, his 
  or her prayer is heard and one of those two gods will take action 
  to answer the prayer. It is not likely to be handled directly by 
  either god, but the deity will send someone to help the child or 
  the institution that cares for the child/children. The gods only an-
  swer prayers essential to safety, creativity, and happiness. Thus, 
  neither Aco or the Juggernaut answer a prayer to make the family 
  rich or turn them into royalty, or similar outrageous requests, but 
  will protect and hide them from danger and evil, reunite child 
  with parent or a loved one, liberate them from cruelty, and simi-
  lar.
  When this holy artifact is placed in a room where a woman is 
  giving birth, whether she knows the doll is there or not (it could 
  be under the bed, under a pillow, in a dresser drawer), the mother 
  always survives childbirth free of trouble or complications, and 
  the child is born healthy and whole.
  The Silver-Eyed Aco Doll is, of course, indestructible and 
  seems to quietly, subtly, get passed along to other children in 
  need over and over again.
  Blessings: Safe Birth: Mother gives birth without risk of life 
  or complications, and the child is born healthy and beautiful, even 
  if there had been concern about breach birth, premature birth, or 
  other issues about child birth, deformity, or health.
  Hide the Innocent: Just as detailed in the legends telling how 
  Aco hid women, mothers, and children from the wicked Old 
  Ones, she is able to hide any child and siblings, mother, or grand-
  mother from evil, provided they are traveling or hiding together 
  in a close group; within 100 feet (30.5 m) of the child or the 
  mother in possession of an ordinary Aco doll. Such a Blessed 
  child, woman, or group somehow manage to escape the notice of 
  the dark gods, demons, Deevils, evildoers, and their minions who 
  may seek to do them harm. The one requirement, besides being 
  female or a child (young ones can be males and females under 
  the age of 16), they must be actively hiding or fleeing from the 
  evildoers wishing to kill, enslave, abuse, or otherwise harm them. 
  Not only are they hidden from discovery, but they leave no trail 
  that can be followed.
  Protection: Keep Hidden from Danger and Evil: Same as the 
  Blessing of the same name described earlier in this book, page 64.
  Note: For more powers, details, and information about Aco, 
  see Dragons and Gods, pages 96-99.
  The Juggernaut
  The Juggernaut is the embodiment of the fighting spirit, 
  bold, playful, and eager for challenges to test his mettle, ac-
  companied by a powerful sense of fair play, sportsmanship, 
  and teamwork.
  The Juggernaut has always been associated with the sun, and 
  represents raw primal strength and unbridled passion. In bygone 
  days he was also the god of the harvest and the earth, but over the 
  eons he has been largely recognized as the patron god of athletes 
  and gladiators throughout the world, as well as knights and war-
  riors who embrace chivalry and honor. While it may not sound 
  important, Aco holds the elevated position of helpmate and pro-
  tector of Aco, making him her hand, and the second most impor-
  tant god in the pantheon.
  With the Lopanic Games becoming the Mecca for athletes and 
  athletic competition, knowledge about the Juggernaut and his 
  number of followers has grown a hundredfold. Even before the 
  games, athletes everywhere made small sacrifices to the Jugger-
  naut and sought his blessings. Most arenas, large gymnasiums, 
  and other buildings devoted to athletic events and gladiatorial 
  games, worldwide, have included a small shrine to the sun god 
  somewhere near the changing rooms. But on Lopan, the Jugger-
  naut is the most iconic and revered god of the Lopanic Games. 
  Small shrines and statues of the Juggernaut are everywhere, espe-
  cially in and around the arena, the pavilions, and the fields where 
  competitions take place. His visage graces archways and appears 
  on medals awarded to the winners of the games. His name is 
  called out in thanks and praise when an athlete wins a competi-
  tion, and in hushed whispered prayers for blessings of courage, 
  strength and good fortune before every event. His likeness – or 
  he and Aco together, like their statue in the Garden – is even sold 
  as small statues, pendants and charms for necklaces and brace-
  lets by merchants who cater to athletes and tourists who take 
  them back home, from wherever they came, as a keepsake and 
  remembrance. All of which advances his reputation and Aco’s 
  around the world, far and wide. Increasing the number of wor-
  shipers and devotees, not just for them but even bringing atten-
  tion to the recently rediscovered gods in the remaining pantheon. 
  Of course, since this pantheon was nearly completely forgotten, 
  with only Aco and the Juggernaut being widely remembered, the 
  Cosmic Pantheon is now known as the Pantheon of Aco or the 
  Pantheon of Aco and the Juggernaut, or much to the chagrin 
  of the Church of Light and Dark and other regional gods, as the 
  Gods of Lopan. The latter being a bit ironic since these deities do 
  not originate from the region nor are they the kingdom’s official 
  church or gods, though that may change in another generation 
  or two as the Lopanic Games and their patron gods grow more 
  celebrated and famous.
  Alignment: Unprincipled (bordering on Scrupulous). The 
  symbol of the sun, harvest, power and earth, patron of athletes, 
  gladiators, acrobats, honorable warriors, and fathers.
  Statue Description: A muscular, human-looking warrior, 
  usually clad in nothing more than sandals, a loincloth and a gladi-
  ator’s helmet. Usually in the company of Aco, which is certainly 
  the case in the Garden of the Gods.
  Artifacts of Note: Helm of the Nightsky: This indestructible, 
  gladiatorial helmet is made of a dark metal said to come from a 
  star. It is a dark, cobalt blue color with silver trim and gives its 
  wearer the following special bonuses and abilities:
  +1 to save vs illusions and mind control, see in darkness 
  (Nightvision 1,200 feet/366 m), see Shadow Beasts even when 
  they are cloaked in darkness (a huge advantage), and four times 
  per 24 hour period the wearer can Shadow Meld, the same as 
  the spell, but as if it were cast by a 20th level Wizard. There is 
  one more ability, the wearer can turn invisible outdoors at night 
  and leaves no footprints, not even in mud or snow at night, pro-
  vided he is away from a strong light source such as a campfire, lit 
  torches, or a lantern.
  According to legend, the Helm of the Nightsky was a gift 
  from Aco given to the Juggernaut. In turn, he gave it as a gift 
  to an honorable warrior in the distant past and told the warrior 
  to have the Helm passed on to another deserving fighter before 
  
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  he died. A tradition said to have been continued for tens of thou-
  sands of years. The Helm of the Nightsky is said to surface for a 
  new fighter whenever its powers are needed the most, especially 
  in the defense of the innocent, women, and children. Note: The 
  bonuses and abilities described above are NOT available to any-
  one who has cruel or evil intentions, or who abuses women and/
  or children. For him, the artifact is nothing more than an unusual 
  helmet.
  Trident of Justice: This golden trident seems to have been 
  forged entirely from one metal mold from top to bottom, each 
  tip eternally sharp. Whoever wields this magical artifact is +1 
  to strike, +2 to disarm and entangle, +3 to pull punch, and can 
  hurl the Trident up to 1,000 feet (305 m). The Trident of Justice 
  returns to the thrower after it strikes, magically teleporting from 
  its target back into the hand of its owner. It inflicts 3D6 damage; 
  double damage to tyrants and supernatural evil, 3D6x10 damage 
  against dark gods, Greater Demons, Demon Lords, Old Ones and 
  other Alien Intelligences. Hence the Trident is also known as the 
  God Slayer.
  Celestial Discus: A heavy black disc with white dots repre-
  senting the constellation of Aco in the sky such as those thrown 
  in the Lopanic Games and other athletic competitions. This is 
  another fabled artifact that has not been seen in at least 10,000 
  years. The disc has a few different uses. In all cases, the Dis-
  cus flies back into the hand of the thrower a split second after it 
  strikes. Each toss counts as one melee attack.
  1. When the Celestial Discus is hurled at a gate or door, in-
  cluding the reinforced fortified doors and/or iron gates/portcullis 
  of a castle, it blows them wide open, one at a time. The structure 
  suffers minimal (5D6) damage, but is forced wide open.
  2. When the Celestial Discus is thrown at an enemy and hits 
  (+2 to strike), it does 5D6 damage and has a 75% chance of 
  knocking an opponent off his feet no matter how large, heavy, 
  or powerful that opponent may be. A victim of knockdown loses 
  initiative and one melee attack. Moreover, if the victim is a giant, 
  a dragon, or a supernatural being, including Greater Demons and 
  gods, they know they face someone wielding a powerful artifact 
  of a god, and that realization may give them pause to reconsider 
  their attack or to stop and parlay.
  3. When the Celestial Discus is hurled into the sky, night or 
  day, it blazes like a comet across the heavens before returning to 
  the thrower; counts as two melee attacks. Whenever this happens, 
  it signals the Juggernaut (and don’t forget Aco is likely to be with 
  him) to look at what is happening below where the Discus just 
  flew, because it is important. Any prayer for help, a Deific Bless-
  ing, Miracle, or request for a divine intervention directed toward 
  the Juggernaut or Aco, and made by the owner of the Celestial 
  Discus, a Champion of the Gods, or a Priest, Monk, or Shaman 
  in the group, is +40% to be heard. G.M. discretion as to whether 
  or not the Juggernaut (and/or Aco) responds, and to what degree 
  of power.
  Blessings: Fighting Spirit: The Blessed individual has a keen 
  sense of right and wrong, honor, and courage that is not easily 
  destroyed by his enemies or the forces of evil.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize the innocent and 
  the meek, and when they are in trouble or under the thumb of 
  wickedness and cruelty.
  Whenever the Blessed individual is fighting to protect or liber-
  ate the innocent and the meek, or is fighting to save lives (not for 
  personal gain of any kind), he or she fatigues at half the usual rate 
  and is +1 attack per melee round, +1 to strike and parry, +2 to dis-
  arm and entangle, +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact, +2 to save vs 
  disease and poisons (and symptoms, penalties, and duration are 
  half when he or she does succumb), +1 to save vs Horror Factor, 
  and +40% to save vs coma and death. When the Blessed comes 
  out of the coma, twice the usual amount of Hit Points and S.D.C. 
  are restored, and healing is at twice the normal rate.
  Skills: Forced March, Military Etiquette 80% and W.P. Blunt 
  or W.P. Staff.
  Juggernaut’s Favor: Applicable only to athletes, gladiators, 
  and characters of any O.C.C. entering into athletic competition/
  contest be it arm wrestling, axe throwing, boxing, wrestling, 
  jousting racing (running, swimming, riding a horse, etc.) and oth-
  er sports and physical competitions. The Blessed individual feels 
  confident and sharp as he or she enters into athletic competition, 
  but has a realistic idea of his/her own abilities.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Roll to recognize trained athletes 
  and gladiators and size them up, as well as to recognize ways to 
  take advantage of an opponent’s weaknesses, including playing 
  to their vanity and arrogance.
  Skills/Abilities: +1D6% bonus on all Physical and Horseman-
  ship skills during combat and competitions, General Athletics 
  (and the bonuses associated with it), Swimming 75% (or a +10% 
  bonus if the character already has this skill), and Recognize 
  Weapon Quality 70%.
  Word of Honor: The Blessed individual’s word of honor can-
  not be broken and is a sacred vow.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognizes ways to fulfill 
  his promise, +1 to strike and parry, +5% skill bonus on the skills 
  required to fulfilling the promise, and +6 damage against those 
  the Blessed individual has vowed to bring to justice or destroy!
  Skills: Escape Artist 65%, Public Speaking 80%, and 
  2D6+80% to evoke truth and inspire confidence whenever he or 
  she gives their word of honor privately or in a public speech, but 
  the character must live up to his or her promises and word of 
  honor. Even deities and demonic beings are willing to trust this 
  individual’s word of honor.
  The Forgotten Gods
  of the Pantheon of
  Aco and the Juggernaut
  The deities of the Pantheon of Aco and the Juggernaut all tend 
  to be idealists who see the larger picture and harbor high hopes 
  for the future of mortals and gods alike. For them, the meaning of 
  life has little to do with war and the attainment of power (which 
  all too often lead to corruption, injustice, and destruction), and 
  everything to do with finding joy and fulfilment in life through 
  creative expression, the arts, athletics, and appreciation of each 
  other’s differences, strengths, and weaknesses, for no one is per-
  fect, not even the gods.
  These empathetic deities are free thinkers who often reject 
  convention and the values of many mortals, including those who 
  think of themselves as “civilized.” For example, they reject the 
  notion that women are the weaker sex; that Ogres, Orcs, and 
  Goblins are incapable of rising out of barbarism and can never 
  
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  be more than second-class citizens unworthy of equal rights; or 
  that Wolfen and even Coyles are evil, savage monsters to be de-
  stroyed, or that any of the races in the world are inherently supe-
  rior to any other.
  In general terms, the gods of the Aco Pantheon despise slav-
  ery, tyrants, bullies, and all manner of injustice by those who need 
  to prove themselves superior through acts of cruelty, degradation, 
  and war. They had high hopes for the Elves and Dwarves who, 
  at one point, seemed to be attaining wisdom and enlightenment, 
  and wept when the two destroyed all they had built in an insane 
  war that took the noble Titans, Rahu-Men, and other people down 
  with them. Now, the Aco Pantheon looks warily toward humans 
  and Wolfen for hope of a better future.
  Despite the Aco Pantheon’s high ideals and the fact that they 
  were among the first to stand against the powerful Old Ones to 
  bring an end to the Age of Chaos, many of the deities are Un-
  principled or Anarchist. An aspect of their dual natures. Most 
  are pragmatic yet philosophical and idealistic, accepting that with 
  good there must be evil, that with order is born chaos and vice 
  versa, and that injustice and war are inevitable as is entropy for 
  all things. They and mortals alike must wait through such storms 
  and hope for the best outcome. While they watch and wait, they 
  nudge certain mortals they come to admire or favor toward what 
  they hope is wisdom and a better way. But they seldom take sides 
  or a direct hand in the affairs of mortals, nor heavily favor any 
  one civilization over another. Inspiration is one thing, direct in-
  volvement is quite another. The only exception may come when 
  another god or pantheon’s involvement has unfairly tipped the 
  scales or when there is a grievous wrong that demands to be right-
  ed. Aco and the Juggernaut and most members of her pantheon 
  believe the destiny and achievement of mortals should be left in 
  their own hands.
  It should be noted, that the farther in the past one is able to 
  look – to the Time of a Thousand Magicks and before – it seems 
  clear that the Pantheon of Aco and the gods of Light and Dark 
  (Isis, Osiris, Thoth, Set, etc.) were equally celebrated and openly 
  associated with one another. There is no doubt they stood togeth-
  er to lead the charge against the Old Ones with many other an-
  cient and little known gods and forgotten people. Yet, over time, 
  something happened to divide them and conspired to cause one 
  pantheon to be nearly forgotten and the other to shine and be em-
  braced by millions for generations. It has been only the memory 
  of the heartfelt courage and heroics of Aco and the Juggernaut 
  that has kept the pantheon from being forgotten completely.
  As the gods of the Aco Pantheon and their storied history are 
  being rediscovered, the Church of Light and Dark is not pleased 
  and seems worried that their deities may be toppled from their 
  elevated station. The two pantheons are clearly rivals now, and 
  though the gods do not speak of it, there is undeniable tension and 
  animosity between the two. Ancient secrets and hard feelings that 
  are yet to be seen as to how they may play out.
  Abo
  The Lightning Bringer
  Abo is a four-armed, one-eyed giant said able to see across 
  the cosmos and into a person’s soul, and even glimpse possi-
  ble futures. He is the symbol of light and power, and known as 
  the Lightning Bringer. However, Abo is not just the Bringer of 
  Lightning, for just as lightning pierces black storm clouds and 
  illuminates dark skies, so does he bring the light and power of 
  knowledge.
  Once worshiped by many people, including Elves and 
  Dwarves, today Abo is nearly forgotten, worshiped almost exclu-
  sively by the fading races of the Cyclops, the four-armed Rahu-
  Men, the heroic Titans, and other giants who use their might to 
  bring justice, peace, and enlightenment, not unnecessary war or 
  destruction. According to ancient Titan and Elven religious texts, 
  Abo is credited for bringing reason and knowledge to the ancient 
  world in regard to the use of fire, the forging of metal, and the 
  making of weapons and armor. Knowledge that can be used to 
  build and protect or to kill and destroy. Abo, though a fierce war-
  rior, is also the god of fair play and mercy, and the All-Father of 
  the Cyclops, who say it was Abo who brought the Cyclops the 
  secrets of making their lightning weapons.
  One of the world’s most ancient Elven texts is preserved un-
  der lock and key at the Library of Bletherad. This scroll, known 
  as the Titan’s Words, is believed to refer to a much older Titan 
  scroll or book. According to the Titan’s Words, Abo once studied 
  magic under the Great Old One known as Xy, Power Incarnate. 
  The two might even have been friends, because this text says Abo 
  dared to challenge his mentor on more than one occasion and 
  lived to tell the tale.
  This text goes so far as to claim Abo foolishly believed himself 
  Xy’s equal and tried to fight him in a one-on-one battle. This hap-
  pened when the gods of the Cosmic Pantheon first began to rise 
  up against the Old Ones. Abo thought a defeat of Xy would bring 
  a swift end to their war. He was very wrong. Abo was handily 
  defeated by Xy during this battle of magic. Crushed and humbled 
  in short order, he was shown rare mercy from Xy, and allowed to 
  crawl away, broken and near death, but alive.
  The author of this ancient text was also a firm believer that 
  Thoth is really Xy transformed by his own dark magic. (An un-
  supported and hotly contested matter of great controversy by the 
  enemies and rivals of the Church of Light and Dark.) He goes 
  on to claim that Abo is responsible for that transformation. That 
  after his crushing defeat, he knew none of them could take on Xy, 
  alone or together, and that a different tack needed to be taken. 
  Abo used his knowledge of Xy to eliminate the Chaos Lord to 
  inflict a different sort of defeat. He did this by pulling the strings 
  of the Old Ones Ya-Blik (Betrayal) and Al-Vil (Envy) and plant-
  ing the seeds for their epic treachery against Xy. Tricking Xy 
  into using his own magic to take himself out of the picture, inad-
  vertently transforming himself into something different, the de-
  ity that would become known as Thoth. And Thoth would fight 
  the Old Ones and contribute mightily to their defeat. A brilliant 
  scheme conceived by Abo, or so this author claims.
  As further evidence he quotes the following passage in the 
  Tristine Chronicles. A passage that naysayers insist could be 
  about anyone and mean almost anything:
  And lo, the Light of One-Eye did see a Path, and whis-
  pered into the ear of Betrayal and stoked the fire of Envy to 
  bring about what would be the end to Power as known, and 
  put forth into motion the ruination that would lead to a new 
  and most welcomed of beginnings.
  Other fragmented historical records and myths confirm that 
  Abo’s knowledge included the art of magic and that he somehow 
  knew Xy and had associations and conflicts with him. Whether 
  
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  132
  that was as a student, willing servant, spy, or slave is unclear. It 
  is also known that Abo was one of the first gods to strike out in 
  defiance against the Old Ones, attacking Xy in righteous indigna-
  tion and disdain. These writings also confirm that as an example 
  to other nascent gods, Abo was savagely punished for his inso-
  lence and nearly perished. Which may be why his face is never 
  shown, always covered to conceal the scars that cannot be healed. 
  Though the mighty and once beautiful body of Abo was broken 
  in countless places, his incorruptible spirit remained unbreakable. 
  So impressed was the Power Incarnate that he let Abo live, con-
  fident that the god had learned his lesson and would never dare 
  to defy him again. He was wrong. Abo’s sacrifice and courage 
  inspired others to join him to plot in secret from the shadows to 
  find a way to overthrow the Old Ones. And when they were ready 
  to stand united against the Lords of Chaos, Abo led the charge 
  with Thoth, Anhur, and the Juggernaut at his side.
  According to another source, an ancient Rahu-Man song, Abo 
  was once the handsomest of gods, only the Juggernaut came 
  close, but when he raise a fist against his cruel master, he was 
  beaten and brutalized and left half dead. The experience, the song 
  says, left him all the wiser and more cunning, but “though he 
  strode among the clouds with his celestial brothers and sisters, 
  never did he show his tortured face again.”
  Alignment: Unprincipled.
  Statue Description: A hulking 9 foot (2.7 m) edifice of blond 
  stone, with four arms and a stylized with face white and black 
  faceplate for a head. In the classic tradition of depicting Abo, one 
  right hand bears a lightning bolt, raised and ready to throw, an-
  other bears a small shield, one left hand clutches a large hammer 
  with a spike at the opposite end, and the other is balled into a tight 
  fist. Teeth are clenched, and one eye looks out.
  Caretakers: As shocking and unnerving as it may be, since 
  the statue of Abo was uncovered, small groups of Cyclops make 
  regular pilgrimages to the statue of their revered deity and tend 
  to his statue and the surrounding garden. They sometimes look in 
  on the statues of the other members of the pantheon, particularly 
  Ginja and Puno, and contribute to the care of their garden areas 
  as well.
  Holy Artifacts: Abo’s Hammer: A magical hammer that can 
  be used by a metal worker, blacksmith or armorer to make any 
  weapon or armor in one-third the time! The Hammer does 2D6 
  damage in combat, but when raised above the wielder’s head it 
  can be commanded to unleash a 4D6 damage lightning bolt as 
  often as twice per melee round (each blast counts as one melee 
  attack, 200 foot/61 m range, +3 to strike with lightning). The 
  wielder of Abo’s Hammer is also impervious to lightning and 
  fire.
  Abo’s Lightning Javelin: A crooked javelin or short spear that 
  has unerring accuracy and strikes as a thundering lightning bolt. 
  Range: 900 feet (274 m). Damage: 6D6. Vanishes after it strikes 
  and reappears in its owner’s hand, wherever he may be, so that it 
  can be hurled once per melee round. The wielder is also impervi-
  ous to lightning.
  Abo’s Shield: A small, round shield for giants, a large shield 
  for human-sized warriors, it is a simple metal shield that doesn’t 
  look like anything special. In fact it has a few small gashes and 
  a crack running down one side. However, it is indestructible and 
  three times per 24 hours is able to cast an Armor of Ithan upon 
  its wielder or one other; 200 S.D.C. and a duration of one hour or 
  until all S.D.C. are depleted.
  Abo’s Helmet: An oddly featureless helmet with an oval, 
  white and black face-covering that conceals the face except for 
  the mouth. The wearer sees through one long slit. The indestruc-
  tible helmet conceals the voice and identity of the wearer and 
  gives him the constant ability to See the Invisible and Nightvision 
  (600 feet/183 m) whenever the helmet is worn on his head. In ad-
  dition, the wearer can cast each of the following spells two times 
  per 24 hours: See Aura, See Wards, Sense Evil, and Sense Magic 
  (10 minute duration for each), and Tongues (2 hour duration).
  Blessings: Hawk-like Vision: Enables the Blessed individual 
  to see like a hawk, can read a sign or see an insignia or face up 
  to one mile (1.6 m) away, as well as notice details. Archers and 
  spearmen get one extra attack per melee round, are +1 to strike, 
  and can hit a target 50% farther than normal range.
  Far Sight: A glimpse of a possible future or future detail, usu-
  ally as it relates to an important or life and death situation, that 
  can change the outcome. This may be seeing the face of an en-
  emy, learning a secret about an enemy or rival, seeing a coming 
  danger, and similar.
  Lightning Bringer Miraculous Blessing: Described elsewhere. 
  May also grant any Deific or Miraculous Blessing but tends to 
  favor the Knowledge and Wisdom Blessings.
  Any Deific Blessings or Miraculous Blessings that involve 
  Knowledge and Magic are also favored by this deity.
  Note: As an unintended consequence of unearthing the statue 
  of Abo, and Lopan authorities allowing Cyclops to visit the Gar-
  den and tend to the statue and the other forgotten gods of the 
  Aco Pantheon, the Isle of the Cyclops is establishing diplomatic 
  relations and trade with the Lopan government. A fact that makes 
  some kingdoms uneasy.
  Damu or Daymu
  A beautiful female god, Damu (pronounced day moo) repre-
  sents nature, the seasons, and the forces of nature; namely earth, 
  earthquakes, rock and mud slides, plants, growth, wind, rain, and 
  birds. According to myth, she lives among the clouds and when 
  you see a cloud that resembles an animal, person, or object, it is 
  one of her sky sculptures or a bit of whimsy meant to delight and 
  inspire mortals. She is also responsible for rainbows and spring 
  and summer showers. As sweet and delightful as Daymu can be, 
  her anger manifests as terrible storms, thunder and lightning, and 
  may bring about flooding, making her a bringer of life and de-
  struction.
  Among some ancient cults in the South, there are forbidden 
  myths that speak of how Daymu once had a torrid love affair 
  with Anhur, Slayer of Enemies. He is the Warlord of the dark 
  Gods of Taut in the Pantheon of Light and Dark. Anhur is said to 
  have been irresistibly attracted by Daymu’s duality; her warmth, 
  beauty and kindness on one hand, and her wild, reckless, and dan-
  gerous nature on the other. Their romance burned hot until she 
  left him in a fury over matters unknown, but it was a serious mat-
  ter. According to some tales, whatever the reason for the break 
  up, it caused a lasting enmity between the Gods of Light and 
  Dark and the Cosmic Pantheon of Aco, and may be the reason the 
  Gods of Light and Dark have tried to undermine (destroy?) and 
  ostracize their relationship with mortals and steer away potential 
  new worshipers. Daymu and Anhur still long for one another, but 
  know their love can never be, not without one of them betraying 
  their own pantheon.
  
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  Caretakers: Faeries and Sprites, and of all people, Lepre-
  chauns, who all adore her. Gnomes, who generally gravitate to 
  nature gods, are also among those who worship her and tend to 
  her statues and the garden around her. However, Gnomes, like 
  Faeries and Sprites, are a dying species, which is why Daymu is 
  a fading god, forgotten by the world at large and never known to 
  humans, Wolfen, or other members of the monster races, until 
  recently. Since her statue’s rediscovery in the Garden, Kankoran, 
  Wolfen, and Bearmen, as well as others close to nature, have 
  gravitated toward her. In fact, the Wolfen find all the gods in the 
  Pantheon of Aco alluring and worthy of their respect and honor. 
  If the Wolfen should adopt and actively worship the Pantheon of 
  Aco, Daymu and the other nearly forgotten gods of the Pantheon 
  may all find renewed strength, life, and presence in the world.
  For their part, the gods of the Aco Pantheon have no qualms 
  about being worshiped by canine people and other non-humans. 
  They welcome all people.
  Artifacts of Note: Damu’s Tears: A pocket-size, metal flask 
  capped with a cork attached to the flask by a thin chain. The flask 
  holds eight ounces which magically replenishes at a rate of one 
  ounce (29.5 milliliters) every 24 hours.
  When the water inside is sprinkled upon a field of crops or 
  orchard – only a few drops waters 40 acres – the crops grow tall 
  and bountiful, with triple the usual yield, and do not suffer from 
  drought, disease, or infestation. Moreover, the soil is replenished 
  with nutrients for a good, normal crop next season.
  In addition, a single drop is able to purify 50 gallons (189 li-
  ters) of contaminated or poisoned water making it fresh and safe 
  to drink.
  Drinking one ounce (29.5 milliliters) from the flask magically 
  provides all the water and hydration a person needs for an en-
  tire day (24 hours) even with heavy exertion; ideal for traveling 
  through deserts.
  Crimson Wreath of Leaves and Vines: This artifact makes the 
  wearer +1 to save vs poison, +2 to save vs punch, fall or im-
  pact, +10% bonus to all Wilderness skills, and three times per 24 
  hours, the wearer can perform the Chameleon spell and Climb 
  spell at no P.P.E. cost, equal to a 10th level Wizard.
  The most impressive power, however, is once per 24 hours 
  the wearer can summon and create a suit of armor that appears 
  to be made of fall leaves with hues of brown, red, and yellow, 
  but offers the protection of splint armor: 182 S.D.C., A.R. 16, 
  virtually weightless and silent. The armor lasts until the armor 
  is reduced to three or less S.D.C., or the wearer no longer wants 
  it in place and wishes it away. The wearer can remove the armor 
  to sleep or other reason by wishing the leaves temporarily away. 
  The leaves float off the wearer and into a small pile next to him. 
  If the wearer walks away more than 12 feet (3.7 m), the enchant-
  ment ends and the armor is no longer available until the next 24 
  hours passes. The time table starts when the armor is destroyed 
  or wished away. Note: Leaves do not actually need to be present 
  and available, they magically appear in a swirl of wind and color, 
  and the armor can be created indoors or outdoors, in a desert, or 
  anywhere.
  The Hawk Feather of Daymu: Though it looks like an ordi-
  nary feather from a red-tail hawk, it radiates of magic. At will, 
  the person who has the Feather, whether it is held in hand, at-
  tached to a staff, walking stick, or bow, or worn around the neck 
  as a talisman or as a piece of jewelry (necklace, earring, brooch, 
  etc.), stuck into a hat, wreath, headdress, or simply tucked into 
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  Statue Description: A beautiful, angelic, winged Elven wom-
  an. Tall, thin, shapely, with a pretty face and Elf ears, long blonde 
  hair cascading down between her white feathered wings. Daymu 
  wears a wreath of leaves and her legs are always entwined in 
  leafy vines; connection to the earth and life. In the left hand of 
  the statue is a small, eternal flame that burns with the colors of 
  autumn; vibrant reds, orange, and yellows.
  
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  the hair (the Feather must be exposed to the air), can hover, float, 
  or fly. There is no limit to the number of times the person uses 
  the Feather for this purpose nor duration. If the person wishes to 
  fly above the trees for hours at a time, he may do so. Speed: 60 
  mph (96 km) maximum, but may float and ride the wind, or hover 
  and float above the ground; VTOL capable. Altitude: 5,000 feet 
  (1,524 m). Warning: Flying is fun and helpful for adventuring, 
  however, enemies will assume that a flying person is dangerous 
  and target the individual for attack in order to take this flying 
  threat out first. A person floating or flying in the air, especially 
  above the trees or buildings, is likely to give away his and his 
  teammates’ position and alert evildoers and bushwhackers to 
  their approach. Likewise, a flying man or woman (not applicable 
  to animals), and even someone floating inches above the ground, 
  is going to attract attention, perhaps unwanted attention. Such a 
  feat shouts magic or magic object, money, importance, power, 
  and potential trouble from the flyer and all associated with him. 
  People are likely to look upon them with a concerned and wary 
  eye and may assume the worst. Use flying with caution. Note: 
  Whoever has possession of the Feather has the power to fly.
  Sky Hawk Pendant: Whoever wears this gold pendant studded 
  with blue sapphires is perceived as a friend to birds and most ani-
  mals that soar through the sky. As a friend, these animals will not 
  attack the Pendant wearer unless he or she attacks them first, and 
  even then, unless cornered, the animal is likely to fly away rather 
  than fight. This applies mainly to birds and bats, but also includes 
  the Pegasus, Peryton, Gryphon, Owl-Thing, Feathered Death, 
  Drakin, Dragondactyl, and similar winged, flying animals. Ani-
  mals that are familiars or are tamed and have an owner or master 
  will only attack or spy upon the wearer of the Sky Hawk Pendant 
  if commanded to do so by their master, or if attacked first.
  The magical pendant has no effect on intelligent winged beasts 
  such as dragons, the Sphinx, Dragon Wolf, Loogaroo, Waternix, 
  Wing Tips, Za, Faerie Folk, and other beasts with human-level 
  awareness and intelligence. Nor the monstrous undead Yema 
  which is usually controlled by a sentient being, or other undead 
  and supernatural beings.
  Blessings: Guidance from Daymu’s Children: The Blessed 
  individual is watched and, in a way, protected by ordinary birds. 
  When the individual has lost his way, a single bird or a small 
  flock of birds will land near him and look him over. Then it chirps 
  or sings and flies a short distance, lands, and waits, perhaps chirp-
  ing, singing, or calling out like a crow but in a cheerful or playful 
  tone. This bird wants him to follow it, and the animal repeats the 
  process when he comes close to its perch, until he finds his way 
  back to the road or right path, or the direction he needs to travel.
  The Blessed instinctively knows the bird(s) is trying to lead 
  him down the right path, sometimes physically and other times 
  metaphorically. Thus, if the bird is leading him a direction other 
  than where he and/or the adventurer group had intended, it is 
  because he/they are needed elsewhere. This is most likely to 
  be someone in need of help, but it could also lead to something 
  he/they should see, a source of information, food, or help, or 
  to someplace/someone that provides a clue or a warning sign, 
  or an opportunity. Likewise, the Blessed individual knows that 
  when birds are singing and playful, the path and area around 
  him is safe. When they stop singing, outsiders and possibly 
  danger lurks within earshot of the Blessed. And when a crow, 
  raven, blackbirds or other birds cry out in a loud, agitated man-
  ner, danger is near or coming. Should such a bird or flock fly 
  past very near the Blessed individual, calling out as they flee 
  and quickly zoom away and out of sight, he knows the danger 
  is near. The larger the fleeing flock, the larger and more serious 
  the danger, or the greater the number of the enemy or monsters. 
  And often the threat comes from the direction the birds are fly-
  ing away from.
  Sky Sculptures: Periodically, the Blessed individual sees im-
  ages and omens in the clouds that only he or she can see that 
  provide clues or encouragement, or point the way. For example, 
  a gathering of beautiful clouds and bright sky with the sun behind 
  them is a sign of a job well done and a stamp of approval, so is a 
  rainbow. Dark or ordinary clouds with beams of sunlight shining 
  through means the worst is behind him. A shape in the clouds 
  that resembles an arrow, spear, or figure pointing means go in 
  that direction or keep heading that way, just as a cloud that looks 
  like a hand with the palm facing out, a fist, toppled trees or a wall 
  or mountain, means stop or proceed with caution, as does dark 
  clouds ahead. Walking toward a cloud that resembles any crea-
  ture with its jaws wide open means that the Blessed and his team 
  are heading into danger, probably serious danger or an enemy 
  that wants to devour/destroy them. And similar.
  Water Leaf: The Blessed individual floats on water like a dry 
  leaf and cannot be drowned even if submerged and held under-
  water for more than an hour. The Blessed can also swim at a base 
  skill of 55% (or +10% to that skill if the person already has it) and 
  may submerge or dive underwater when it is so desired.
  Note: Blessings involving travel, survival, healing, restoration 
  and resurrection are also among her favorites to bestow.
  Ginja
  The deity known as Ginja represents raw power and the sub-
  terranean world and all people who live underground: Kobolds, 
  Dwarves, Goblins, and Troglodytes, and also appeals to Orcs and 
  Trolls, the giant Jotan and some Titans, so he is often depicted 
  without much detail to his hulking, rough hewn, masculine form. 
  Thus he can represent many different people. Nor does he usu-
  ally wear clothing or armor, or carry a weapon. He doesn’t need 
  them. Ginja is said to be the most physically powerful of the gods 
  of the Aco Pantheon and draws strength from the earth and its 
  molten core, but draws inspiration and strength of spirit from all 
  living things. The bowl Ginja is often depicted holding or carry-
  ing represents the world and the bounty it holds, while the pestle 
  represents the power to extract and shape what the world offers 
  its inhabitants.
  Built like a bear and as strong as any warrior god, many are 
  surprised to learn that Ginja is gentle and shy. Like the people he 
  represents, he would rather hide underground or wander remote 
  mountaintops, canyons, and wildernesses where he can enjoy the 
  natural beauty and avoid the politics and squabbling of people 
  (and gods). A gifted artist himself, Ginja likes to sculpt and work 
  with his hands, and it is said that some mountains and volcanoes, 
  canyons and strange rock formations are examples of his greatest 
  creations. Among them, the Great Northern Mountains designed 
  to contain the minions of the Old Ones locked inside the Land of 
  the Damned and to keep other people out. It is no surprise then 
  that Ginja has a soft place in his heart for sculptors, metal work-
  ers, blacksmiths, artists, poets, musicians, and most creative, art-
  ful people.
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  
  135
  Statue Description: A rough, powerfully built, male figure 
  carved from stone. He is crouched, his right hand touches the 
  ground, the left hand holds a bowl (sometimes a mortar and pes-
  tle) which represents the world and all it holds.
  Caretakers: As a rule, visiting subterranean people – 
  Dwarves, Kobolds, Goblins, etc., the occasional Jotan Giant, Ti-
  tan, Rahu-Man, Troll, and Spriggan, and sculptors and artists of 
  all races. However, Ginja does not mind if his garden area is a bit 
  overgrown or wild, because it is more natural.
  Artifacts of Note: Ginja’s Stone Hammer: A simple looking 
  hammer carved from a single piece of stone. It bestows the skill 
  and endurance of a blacksmith to whoever possesses it. The char-
  acter can work with metal to make basic objects and tools, shoe a 
  horse, and maintain, sharpen and repair weapons and armor as if 
  he possessed the Field Armorer skill at 95%, and does so in one 
  quarter the usual time! The wielder of the hammer is also imper-
  vious to heat, fire, lava, and molten materials.
  As a weapon, Ginja’s Hammer inflicts 4D6 damage to most 
  mortal beings, 4D6+20 to Earth Elementals and Golems made of 
  stone, metal or any earthen substance.
  Ginja’s Mighty Pickaxe: This indestructible holy artifact is a 
  metal pick attached to a simple wooden handle that has magic 
  symbols burned into the wood in silver. One end of the of the 
  metal tool is a sharp, pointed pick, the other end a shovel-like 
  axe blade, both one piece shaped from the same piece of iron. 
  According to legend, Ginja made the Pickaxe himself and it was 
  
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  his favorite tool for mining, tunneling, and fighting. He lost the 
  Mighty Pickaxe toward the end of the war against the Old Ones, 
  only for it to be found and taken up by a Titan Paladin who slew 
  many enemies with it. Ginja took this as a sign for him to pass 
  it on to others, so he blessed it with magical powers said to be 
  drawn from his own essence and lets the tool/weapon find its way 
  into the hands of others as the fates may decree.
  Ginja’s Mighty Pickaxe was originally giant-size, but magi-
  cally shrinks or grows to accommodate whoever possesses it. 
  That person is able to make a tunnel his full height through dirt 
  or solid rock at the inhuman speed of two feet (0.3 m) per min-
  ute and is said to be able to chop through any substance as if it 
  were weak sandstone. In addition, any tunnel dug by the Mighty 
  Pickaxe is secure and will not collapse for 14 days. If the tunnel 
  is reinforced with timber and support beams during that time, it 
  will stand secure for decades.
  The Mighty Pickaxe also bestows the following skill abili-
  ties: Masonry 95%, Land Navigation 90% (+5% underground), 
  Gemology 85%, and Locate Secret Compartments/Doors 70% 
  (+20% when the structure is made of stone or built under-
  ground). Moreover, two times per 24 hours the wielder can cast 
  each of the following spells at no P.P.E. cost to himself: Breathe 
  without Air, Reduce Self, and Mystic Portal, equal to a 20th 
  level Wizard.
  As a weapon, Ginja’s Mighty Pickaxe inflicts 4D6 damage to 
  most mortal opponents, 5D6+20 to Earth Elementals and Golems 
  made of stone, metal or any substance derived from the earth, and 
  2D4x100 against Old Ones, Dark Gods who once served them, 
  and Alien Intelligences like them. Note: The A.R. (Armor Rat-
  ing) of opponents with Natural A.R. as well as the A.R. of man-
  made armor is two points less against the Mighty Pickaxe. Thus, 
  an A.R. of 17 is reduced to 15, an A.R. of 15 is reduced to 13, 
  and so on.
  Ginja’s Mortar and Pestle: Any food or drink placed in the 
  bowl is purged of any poison, parasites, or harmful minerals. Any 
  herbal medicines, brews, soups, stews, or food prepared with the 
  mortar and pestle turn out perfect for whatever is needed. Bo-
  nuses for whoever possesses the artifact are +10% to Brewing, 
  Cooking, and Holistic Medicine skills.
  Blessings: Find the Earth’s Bounty: The Blessed individual 
  can sense the location of edible berries, fruits, nuts, vegetables, 
  crops, mushrooms, roots, bark, and honey, as well as tobacco, 
  healing herbs, healing minerals, and water. When it come to wa-
  ter, the Blessed individual can sense the location of a body of 
  water that is safe to consume up 100 miles (160 km) away, will 
  know what direction to travel and if it is large (probably a lake or 
  river) or small (a pond, stream, etc.). When water is scarce on the 
  surface, and the land is parched, the Blessed individual can sense 
  when there is an underground source of water and how deep he 
  must dig to access it. Note: Does not include the ability to locate 
  precious ore and minerals like bronze, silver and gold, nor gems, 
  but the Blessed individual is able to recognize the value of gem-
  stones while this Blessing is in effect.
  Subterranean Travel: The Blessed individual never gets lost 
  and can always backtrack the way he came and find his way 
  out, as well as sense underground water and whether it is safe 
  to drink, sense underground peril and traps, and can understand 
  and speak all the languages of subterranean people, including 
  Dwarven, Kobold, Goblin, Trodloydyte, and others, at 90% 
  proficiency.
  Kule
  Among the Cosmic Pantheon, the enigmatic and mercurial de-
  ity Kule (pronounced kyool), is said to accept all people who seek 
  enlightenment, and is a symbol of learning, knowledge, magic 
  and mystery. According to ancient texts, Kule brought language 
  and civilization to the Minotaurs, Titans, Rahu-Men, and other 
  eldritch races. As such, the deity may be considered the patron of 
  any people rising out of barbarism in the pursuit of culture and 
  civilization. In these modern times that would be humans and the 
  Wolfen. However, Kule is long forgotten by humans and after be-
  ing rediscovered in the Garden, most humans have no interest in 
  Kule. As for the canine people, from Coyles and Kankoran to the 
  mighty Wolfen and Bearmen, they have alone taken a strong dis-
  liking to the deity and want nothing to do with him/her. Instead, 
  the disenfranchised, the learned who are persecuted or feared for 
  their pursuit of knowledge, sorcerers, Witches, cultists, keepers 
  of forbidden knowledge, and assassins seem to be the ones who 
  gravitate toward the god. While Kule likes to believe she/he is a 
  god for all people, those who pursue knowledge above almost all 
  else, schemers, and power-mongers are among this god’s most 
  favored followers. And in the last century, Changelings.
  Kule has been discovered and embraced by Changelings, who 
  fit many of the criteria noted above. They have quickly adopted 
  this mysterious, faceless deity as their own, and Kule has em-
  braced them for it. In fact, one cult of extremists claim to be the 
  Children of Kule. What, if anything, may arise from this associa-
  tion is yet to be written.
  Though the gods of the pantheon do not speak of it, Kule’s 
  endless curiosity and pursuit of knowledge leads the shady deity 
  to conduct cruel and harmful experiments. Some of these “ex-
  periments” are psychological and sociological in nature, others 
  are physical, and still others involve magic and transformation. To 
  
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  study the effects of magic, as well as the nature of people and many 
  aspects of the world at large, Kule has been known to set into mo-
  tion events and ideas that cause discord, strife, and sorrow so he/
  she may study the outcome and observe how different people react 
  to the same stimuli. This lack of empathy has earned Kule the less 
  known reputation of being a cold and joyless monster. Among the 
  gods in the Pantheon of Aco, only the trickster Puno finds Kule to 
  be fascinating and delightful in her/his own way.
  Alignment: Generally considered Anarchist, but other myths 
  suggest Kule may be Miscreant evil. If nothing else, the deity 
  seems to switch from one alignment to another, leaning toward 
  good and helpfulness sometimes and toward evil other times, 
  particularly when angry and vengeful. The rest of the time Kule 
  keeps his/her thoughts and self-serving agendas to himself. The 
  god finds anarchy and change to be exciting and interesting, so 
  she/he is an instigator who likes to stir the pot, inspire ideas (good, 
  bad, and indifferent), provoke people to take action, and can be 
  ruthless, especially in the pursuit of that which the deity desires.
  Statue Description: An androgynous figure (can’t tell if it is 
  a man or woman, or even human) dressed in a simple gown that 
  hangs down to the sandaled feet and laced up the ankles. The 
  oddly long sleeves hang down below the knees and completely 
  cover the hands. There are no facial features. No nose, no lips, no 
  ears, no eyes, no hair. In the Garden the figure stands as if waiting 
  or looking outward. In other ancient depictions, Kule holds in the 
  right hand a gnarled wooden staff with a small crystal ball at the 
  top, the long sleeves, flowing behind it, and a book in the other.
  Caretakers: There is no dedicated group of caretakers. In 
  fact, nobody knows who tends to Kule’s statue and the flower-
  filled garden area around it. Like many statues and their gardens, 
  visitors stop to prune, trim, and care for the area as a gesture of 
  respect and appreciation. Since Changelings now worship Kule, 
  visitors of any shape and appearance could really be some of 
  them in disguise.
  Artifacts of Note: Crystal Ball of Mystic Knowledge: A 
  small, clear as glass crystal that lets its owner cast each of the 
  following spells, with no P.P.E. cost to himself, once every 24 
  hours: Constrain Being, Decipher Magic, Detect Poison, Eyes of 
  Thoth, Locate, Sense Magic, Sense Traps, and Tongues, with the 
  potency of a 6th level Wizard.
  Note: If the Crystal Ball is smashed into pieces (it has an 
  A.R. 10 and S.D.C. of 80), it releases a grateful Spirit of Light, 
  a Tharsis. Kule had captured and imprisoned the Spirit of Light 
  inside the Crystal Ball as the power source for its magic. As a 
  sign of its appreciation, if it can, it will share what information 
  it knows to help the Player Characters on their current quest or 
  journey, and heal all injured in the party. If evil supernatural 
  beings (or Kule) is in the area and a threat, the Tharsis will 
  linger for up to 12 hours to either keep them at bay or to help 
  fight them.
  Mask of Conformity: This is a plain, white, featureless mask 
  made of porcelain that mimics Kule’s own. There are openings 
  for the eyes and the thinnest of a slit for a mouth. When pressed 
  against the face, the Mask gently adheres to the skin and stays at-
  tached without need of a strap. The Mask may be worn to conceal 
  one’s identity, but twice per 24 hour period, the wearer can per-
  form a metamorphosis into any humanoid creature, from Grim-
  bor to Rahu-Man, growing fur and extra limbs and increasing or 
  decreasing in size and mass as required to fit in. When the meta-
  morphosis happens the mask disappears, becoming an invisible 
  part of him. When slain, the Mask and its wearer return to their 
  normal appearance and the Mask slides off the face.
  The ultimate spy device, The Mask of Conformity enables 
  the wearer to look like anyone of any humanoid species, and can 
  change gender and the timber of his voice just as easily. More-
  over, the mask wearer can understand and speak the language of 
  the being he is imitating at 75% proficiency, but only while in 
  that form. If the being has wings and can fly, or a prehensile tail 
  and can climb or swing through trees, fins and the ability to swim 
  underwater, etc., so does the transformed Mask wearer. The fake 
  identity is always average in appearance, however, as to not at-
  tract unwanted attention because the purpose is to “fit in,” but the 
  wearer’s attributes and learned skills are unchanged.
  Though the wearer of the Mask may “conform” in appearance 
  to fit in among those around him – or as any humanoid being 
  known to him, if he so desires – the imposter does not conform 
  to their ideals or values and is often a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
  The duration of the metamorphosis is one hour per experience 
  level of the wearer to a maximum of 23 hours. The Mask of Con-
  formity is not indestructible, but has 200 S.D.C. that recovers from 
  any damage inflicted to it at a rate of 8 S.D.C. points per hour.
  Staff of True Seeing: An indestructible, gnarled wooden staff 
  with a half dozen different gems placed along its length, and a 
  small crystal ball at the top of the staff. By holding the crystal up 
  to his eye, its owner is able to cast each of the following spells, 
  with no P.P.E. cost to himself, once every 24 hours: Detect Con-
  cealment, Eyes of the Wolf, Globe of Daylight, Second Sight, 
  See Aura, See the Invisible, See Wards, and X-Ray Vision, with 
  the potency of a 6th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Adaptation: The Blessed individual adapts to 
  changing circumstances, crises, and environmental conditions 
  quickly and with minimal penalties or side effects from trauma, 
  sorrow, fear, and insanity. The character heals three times faster 
  than normal, is impervious to insanity, +2 to save vs disease, +3 
  to save vs possession, and the effects, penalties, and duration of 
  curses, Faerie Food, and debilitating magic such as Agony, Be-
  fuddle, Blind, Charm, Confusion, Domination, and similar, are 
  reduced by half and have no permanent effects.
  No Mercy: The Blessed individual is cock sure of himself and 
  his choices, makes decisive snap decisions, and seldom hesitates 
  once he has made up his mind. Whether the outcome is good or 
  bad for him or those around him, the Blessed individual never 
  second-guesses his choices nor apologizes for them. Like the god 
  who bestows this so-called Blessing, the recipient lacks an em-
  pathic connection to his opponents and cares not for what hap-
  pens to them. When crossed or opposed, the Blessed individual 
  shows his enemies and rivals no mercy, humiliating or crushing 
  them utterly, and taking satisfaction and joy in their embarrass-
  ment and defeat. Bonuses: +1 on Perception Rolls, +1 attack per 
  melee round, +1 on initiative, +1 to save vs illusions and Horror 
  Factor.
  Ruthless Resolve: The recipient of this Blessing can cast the 
  following spells, once each, per 24 hours, without cost to his own 
  P.P.E. reserve: Charismatic Aura, Calling, Charm, Domination, 
  Escape, Life Drain, Memory Bank, Multiple Image, and Repel 
  Animals.
  Understand all Spoken Languages: Upon hearing any lan-
  guage, the Blessed individual is able to understand and speak it at 
  95% proficiency. This ability lasts for as long as the Blessing is 
  bestowed which could be an hour, 24 hours, days, or years.
  
  138
  Ma or Mati
  Mati (pronounce Mah-tee) or Ma for short, is the goddess of 
  music, songs, and sounds. According to myth she filled the world 
  with sound, from the humble cricket and howling wind, to song 
  birds and music. Mati is the most innocent of the gods in this 
  pantheon and functions as a muse to inspire singers and writers, 
  musicians and theatrical performers, all of whom she adores. She 
  uses sound to charm and soothe, as well as to annoy and torment, 
  and when she must, as a weapon of destructive power – a thunder 
  clap to cause an avalanche or a sonic blast that deafens or inflicts 
  damage. Though beautiful and lithe, sweet Ma is strong and resil-
  ient, and able to handle herself in battle. According to one ancient 
  and forbidden text, she is said to be the daughter of an unnamed 
  human-looking goddess (some say Rurga or Bennu the Phoenix) 
  and one of the deities of Dragonwright.
  To get around she soars through the sky, bareback, upon a 
  white Pegasus and is often accompanied by a flock of song birds. 
  Riding into battle she sits astride a mighty Sphinx accompanied 
  by a pair of Gryphons, all of whom love her so they will sacrifice 
  themselves to protect her. She is also friends with the noble Cen-
  taur God Kirron.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A beautiful Elven woman with pointed 
  ears and the tail of a dragon! She is usually depicted scantily 
  clad or completely nude. Ma or Mati has multiple arms, typically 
  6, but can make as many as 6-10 arms and hands appear and is 
  sometimes depicted as such. A few of the arms hold various mu-
  sical instruments like a Lyre (string instrument like a small, hand-
  held harp), flute, Pan pipes, a lute, finger cymbals, and similar, a 
  song bird like a robin (or a small cute bird) perched on one finger.
  The garden area around her is one of the most beautiful and 
  always filled with song birds and other musical animals such as 
  crickets, cicada, frogs, and buzzing insects. In fact, many a visitor 
  swears to have seen birds and butterflies or fireflies, Sprites, and 
  Faeries dancing around the statue in the early morning sunlight, 
  evening, and nighttime.
  Caretakers: There is no one dedicated group of caretakers. 
  However Faeries, Sprites, and Brownies often tend to it, as well 
  as the occasional Grogach. Visiting minstrels and bards who of-
  ten find ideas and inspiration in Ma’s garden as well as the four-
  armed giant Rahu-Men and some worshipers of Dragonwright 
  also keep the grounds trimmed and lovely.
  Artifacts of Note: Mati’s Dance Drums: A pair of small, high 
  quality tribal drums. When used with positive intentions, such as 
  to celebrate, dance and have fun, as well as when accompanying 
  other instruments or song, the drums add to the quality of the mu-
  sic (+10% to the skills of all others singing or performers playing 
  an instrument). This happy music helps to uplift everyone’s spir-
  its. Ideal for celebrations and boosting morale as the people leave 
  feeling positive and happy.
  When used with negative intent, the beating of the drums 
  sound ominous, and create a sense of worry and dread among 
  all enemies or rivals who hear the drum (up to one mile/1.6 km 
  away). They are -2 on Perception Rolls, -1 on initiative, -1 to on 
  all combat bonuses (strike, parry, etc.) and -10% on the perfor-
  mance of skills, unless they make a save vs magic of 16 or higher!
  When used in a magic ritual the Dance Drums raises the avail-
  able amount of P.P.E., providing an extra +1D6 P.P.E. per each 
  participant who is dancing, singing, an performing in the ritual. 
  This can be a great amount when many people are willing partici-
  pants in the magic ritual.
  Golden Finger Cymbals: A pair of small, finger cymbals that 
  when worn on the right hand and clapped together, lets loose a 
  bolt of lightning and a delightful chime. The electrical blast is +4 
  to strike, does 4D6 damage and has a range is 700 feet (213 m). 
  Each blast counts as one melee attack.
  
  139
  When worn on the left hand and clapped together, they un-
  leash a sonic blast that inflicts 2D6 damage and has a 50% chance 
  of knocking an opponent off his feet. Victims of knock down lose 
  initiative and one melee attack. Range is 350 feet (107 m) and 
  each blast counts as one melee attack.
  Lyre of Serenity: Any gentle or happy song played causes the 
  listeners within a 200 foot (61 m) diameter around the lyre player 
  to relax and feel calm and lackadaisical, lazy and lethargic. This 
  includes animals and monsters as well as people. They are not 
  likely to notice anything unusual or odd, and are slow to respond 
  when they do: -4 on initiative, -2 attack per melee, reduce all 
  combat bonuses and Speed attribute by half. To save vs the Lyre 
  of Serenity/magic, the victims must first be on edge or see some-
  thing wrong or unusual, at which point they need to roll a 15 or 
  higher to save. A failed save means they ignore what they thought 
  they noticed and go back to listening to the dreamy music. If at-
  tacked, the spell is broken for that one person, the ensuing fight 
  is barely noticed by those around them until they are attacked or 
  roll a save in response to the fight near them.
  Moreover, people whose ears are plugged with cotton or wax, 
  magically made deaf, or are known to the lyre player and de-
  liberately excluded from the effects of the enchantment, are not 
  affected and perform at their full capacity. Not only that, but they 
  can perform Espionage and Rogue skills against the lackadaisical 
  victims with a +20% bonus. This is because serene and sanguine 
  listeners of the sweet music are not likely to notice someone per-
  forming Pick Pockets even when they or the person in front of 
  them are the victim, or Pick Locks in the corner, or a Disguise 
  or an Escape, or Palming, or Concealment, or a search for a se-
  cret door (Locate Secret Compartment/Doors), a person sneaking 
  around or out the door (Prowl), etc. Note: The victims of Serenity 
  are NOT completely charmed and oblivious to what’s happening 
  around them, so the unaffected characters using such skills must 
  still exercise finesse, expertise, and caution. A failed roll on their 
  skill will be noticed by the individual they are performing it on 
  or against, and counts as something wrong or unusual to give 
  that victim a chance to save vs magic and break the enchantment 
  on them. An attack or any physical pain automatically snaps the 
  victim out of the daze.
  In the alternative, if the player of the Lyre of Serenity delib-
  erately plays a song or repetitive sound that is annoying and dif-
  ficult to enjoy, it makes all who hear it agitated and aggressive. 
  This makes them cranky, alert, and inclined to notice anyone or 
  anything that is wrong, out of place or a threat. +2 on Perception 
  Rolls, +1 on initiative, +1 to save vs magic and psionic attacks, 
  and those not affected are -20% in the performance of Espionage 
  and Rogue skills.
  Nightingale Flute: The sweet music from this magic flute 
  charms feathered beasts, making them passive and non-aggres-
  sive. This applies to all birds including birds of prey and game 
  animals as well as Gryphons and the rare Pegasus, making them 
  easy to catch. Moreover, the flute player can approach the ani-
  mal, which is as tame as can be toward him, and immediately 
  mount and ride the feathered animal bareback, provided it is large 
  enough to carry him; Horsemanship skill of 80%. The animal re-
  mains obedient to the flutist for up to three hours, but only he 
  can ride it. Should the animal sustain injuries, the enchantment is 
  broken after it loses half of its Hit Points, and it flies away. Note: 
  Though a sentient being, the Nightingale Flute also charms the 
  strange being known as the Adram, compelling it to stay calm, 
  not attack or steal, and to mostly tell the truth and be helpful, but 
  only for as long as the music is playing and the creature is not un-
  der attack. (See the Monsters & Animals sourcebook for details 
  about the Adram, as well as the Gryphon, Pegasus and hundreds 
  of other creatures.)
  Blessings: Keen Ear (Imitate Voices and Sounds): Recognizes 
  all sounds as well as the quality of music. The Blessed individual 
  can identify the sounds of birds, bugs, animals, musical instru-
  ments, commons noises, the squeak of a hinge, and the voices of 
  peoples.
  Not only that, but the individual can imitate voices, animal 
  calls, and other sounds with pitch perfect quality that would fool 
  a person’s own mother. This provides a bonus of +15% to the fol-
  lowing skills: Disguise, Imitate Voices & Impersonation, Public 
  Speaking, and Sing; +5% to Language skills and Interrogation.
  Play Musical Instrument like a Professional: The Blessed In-
  dividual is able to play one chosen instrument to divine perfec-
  tion, solo or with a band or orchestra. All who accompany the 
  Blessed up their game and play better (+10% skill bonus for each 
  muscian). The music is so beautiful and compelling, the Blessed 
  individual is able to move his or her audience, filling them with 
  whatever emotion he or she desires. This music is so wonder-
  ful it always raises people’s spirits, boosting morale and making 
  people feel positive, happy and productive; +5% bonus on the 
  performance of all skills, and work 20% more quickly and ef-
  ficiently for the next 8 hours.
  In the alternative, the music may be melancholy and haunt-
  ing, making listeners feel sad and introspective, -2 on Perception 
  Rolls and -1 on initiative, work 20% slower, and are -5% on skill 
  performance for the next 8 hours.
  Sing like an Angel: The Blessed individual is able to sing with 
  absolute perfection, solo or with another or a group in symphonic 
  harmony. The singing is so beautiful and compelling the Blessed 
  individual is able to move his or her audience filling them with 
  whatever emotion he or she desires. Thus the singer may be able 
  to move people to tears and get them to agree to be merciful 
  (forgive a crime, release a prisoner), or kind and generous (help 
  someone in need, feed, clothe, house, provide medical care and 
  comfort, etc.). Or it can stoke emotions of patriots or righteous 
  indignation to get them to take a stand, not to be afraid to fight 
  or to want to fight right then and there. The latter can cause an 
  impromptu protest, demonstration, a violent riot and looting, or 
  an angry mob demanding justice and blocking streets, or seek-
  ing vengeance and blood (a lynch mob). Likewise, the singer can 
  make people feel nostalgic, warm and fuzzy, loving and apprecia-
  tive, moved to pray or sing or hold hands and hug.
  It is a sort of psychic attack on the emotions requiring a save vs 
  psionic attack of 14 or higher. A save means the singing sounds 
  nice but does not touch their emotions nor compel them to action 
  in any way. Those who do not save are caught up in their emo-
  tions for as long as the song can be heard, and for 1D6 minutes 
  after it stops. In addition, those under the influence lose track of 
  time and are unaware of things happening around them; -4 on 
  Perception Rolls, -2 on initiative, and stop doing whatever they 
  were doing to listen to the singing and get lost in the emotions or 
  beauty of the singing. As you can see, this Blessing can be used 
  for good, selfish or bad intent, so it is granted with great care and 
  deliberate intent.
  Ventriloquism: The Blessed individual can throw his voice 
  up to 20 feet (6.1 m) away without the slightest trace that he is 
  
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  speaking. This ability can be used for fun to entertain, to trick 
  others, or to confuse and distract an opponent. (“What was that? 
  Who’s there?”)
  Curse (special): Earworm (curse): The victim of this curse 
  cannot get a particular song or melody out of his head as it plays 
  non-stop over and over again in an endless loop. This is distract-
  ing and frustrating and makes sleeping restless and difficult, 
  meditation impossible, and inflicts the following penalties after 
  72 hours: -2 on Perception Rolls, -2 on initiative, -20% on skill 
  performance and reduce Spd by 20%. If so afflicted for more than 
  a month, the victim may develop an insanity. Roll percentile or 
  pick one.
  01-20% Hates music and musicians and tries to stop or de-
  stroy the source of the terrible noise.
  21-40% Phobic response. Dislikes music and singing and 
  wants to get as far away from it as possible. If he can make the 
  music stop without resorting to violence, he will. Otherwise suf-
  fers the same penalties as above if forced to listen to it for more 
  than 2D4 minutes.
  41-60% Paranoia. Dislikes Bards, musicians, and singers, 
  and never trusts them regardless of their alignment and good 
  deeds, and always suspects and assumes the worst of them.
  61-80% Depressive response. Becomes despondent as if in a 
  trance when subjected to music by instrument or signing. Reduce 
  speed, number of attacks, combat bonuses, and skill performance 
  by half.
  81-00% Psychotic response. Music in all its forms, even 
  humming and whistling, causes immediate and intense agitation. 
  The victim will demand it be stopped and is quick to resort to 
  threats and violence to make it stop. (“I said no music!!”)
  Puno the Devious
  Puno represents the duality of human nature: Capable of great 
  good and kindness, but equally capable of great evil and selfish-
  ness. He is consider to be the god of philosophy, writing, and 
  politics, as well as lies, deception and trickery. Puno is disarm-
  ingly charming and playful and has a great sense of humor. He 
  loves to drink, party, and enjoy the pleasures of life, but can turn 
  sullen and vindictive at the drop of a hat. Puno enjoys practical 
  jokes and surprisingly can take a joke, but does not like to be pub-
  licly humiliated, and the perpetrators of such humiliation shall 
  pay dearly for such an offense.
  This fickle deity is generally loyal to the gods in the Aco Pan-
  theon, but to few others. A scheming opportunist, Puno likes to 
  get involved in the schemes and conflicts of others, however, he 
  may change his position and switch sides as circumstances de-
  velop or as his whims and desires dictate. He especially enjoys 
  secretly supporting both sides in a conflict to get the best deal 
  for himself from both. Puno also likes to pit one enemy against 
  another, pulling their strings from the shadows, and all for the fun 
  and challenge of it. Puno tries to take advantage of every situa-
  tion that comes his way and seems to manage to come out on top 
  regardless of who wins or loses. While some see his actions as 
  betrayal, he consider himself to be ruthless and sharp; a player 
  who knows how to manipulate and take advantage of any given 
  situation (and people) and come out on top. However, he always 
  does so with good humor and a “this is business, nothing per-
  sonal” attitude. When someone beats him at his own game, Puno 
  is likely to be a good sport about it, not hold a grudge, laugh, 
  and compliment them. He is impressed by those who are able to 
  trick or outsmart him, and they win his respect and favor, at least 
  temporarily, provided they did not publicly humiliate him in the 
  process. To Puno, most of life is a game. One he enjoys playing 
  and doesn’t mind cheating at to win.
  This trickster god is not so much evil as he is a cunning con 
  artist and instigator who only looks out for himself or whoever 
  has won his favor for the moment. Speaking of which, the charm-
  ing cheat has a soft spot for children and beautiful women. That 
  includes Aco, who he adores and for whom he would consider 
  doing almost anything. Though he would never admit it, he also 
  grudgingly respects and admires the Juggernaut and all he and 
  Aco stand for, not that Puno could live by their standards. As a 
  result, the Trickster has helped and protected Aco and the Jugger-
  naut as well as the innocent Mati, more times than anyone could 
  imagine. That includes the gods themselves. Puno has worked 
  hard to cultivate his image and reputation as the charming and 
  irascible rogue who is only out for himself, and dangerous to any 
  who crosses him, so he cannot be seen as soft or caring. Thus, 
  his help and acts of charity for his fellow deities are done from 
  the shadows and through third parties unaware they are doing his 
  bidding. His affection and respect for the three gods are among 
  his most closely guarded secrets. (Of course, Aco knows, but she 
  returns the favor by not letting on, not even to the Juggernaut who 
  dislikes Puno.)
  Anyone who has dealings with the cunning deity should not 
  be fooled by Puno’s gentleman gambler act. He is a profiteer who 
  can be an utterly ruthless and manipulative cutthroat capable of 
  cruel and terrible revenge. He seldom stops to think about how 
  his actions may hurt others, and when he does, he seldom cares. It 
  is all part of life’s game. This means you can never be sure when 
  Puno is being sincere and true and when he is lying and trying 
  to manipulate you; or when his whim has changed and you have 
  gone from friend or ally to his next victim or a pawn in a bigger 
  scheme.
  Alignment: Anarchist through and through. Outside his own 
  pantheon, Puno has a reputation among the other gods that he is 
  an untrustworthy conniver who betrays his friends and allies.
  According to dreams and visions given to people who know 
  little or nothing about the deity, but are trying to connect with 
  Puno, he tells them that he is noble and cunning, and only wants 
  to help them. In reality, any quest he may send them on will have 
  some benefit for him. He also informs them he was bold and clev-
  er enough to trick many minions of the Old Ones and set them up 
  for ambush and defeat. And did so without the Great Old Ones 
  ever knowing he was responsible. Whether such stories are true 
  or lies is another matter entirely.
  Statue Description: Puno has the head, horns, and upper body 
  of a Minotaur warrior, and the legs of a bull as if it were standing 
  on its hind legs (Minotaurs have human-like legs), and the black 
  feathered wings of a vulture.
  Caretakers: There is no dedicated group of caretakers and 
  Puno’s garden is always one of the most unkempt and overgrown. 
  The Minotaurs, gamblers, thieves, con artists, and scoundrels that 
  worship him care little about the tending of a garden.
  Artifacts of Note: Talisman of Change (Metamorphosis): The 
  Trickster deity can assume any form and so can any wearing this 
  talisman said to made from two of his own feathers. It may be 
  worn around the neck or on a bracelet or pinned to a hat or ar-
  ticle of clothing. When held and the wearer concentrates upon the 
  
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  metamorphosis desired, he may turn into any living creature larg-
  er than a rat but no larger than a Minotaur: a large lizard, snake, 
  cat, dog, wolf, hawk, horse, Gnome, human, Elf, Orc, Wolfen, 
  and any humanoid, male or female. If worn as a necklace the 
  talisman can remain on the animal or person, its gold chain magi-
  cally growing or shrinking to accommodate the size and shape 
  of the new form. Otherwise, the magic item must be guarded by 
  a trusted ally, and who can be trusted with such a powerful and 
  rare magic item.
  The duration of the metamorphosis is for as long as desired, be 
  it minutes, hours, days, or weeks. The transformed individual can 
  return to his true, original form at will even without the talisman, 
  but cannot transform again unless he possesses it. If the creature 
  he has metamorphed into can fly, climb, swim, etc., so can the 
  transformed user of the talisman, but his attributes and learned 
  skills are unchanged. He can also speak in animal form.
  When in possession of the talisman, metamorphosis can be 
  performed as often as three times per 24 hours.
  
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  The Imposter’s Talisman is not indestructible and had 120 
  S.D.C. If reduced to as little as one S.D.C. point Puno can magi-
  cally restore it, if he should choose to do so. If destroyed while 
  the owner is transformed, he is forever locked in that form. Only 
  Puno or Abo (or Thoth) can return the person to normal, but they 
  will want something in return.
  The Little Helper: A small, indestructible, silver-plated throw-
  ing dagger, easily palmed and concealed. +2 to strike when 
  thrown, inflicts 1D6+2 damage, and magically returns to the 
  thrower. Maximum range is 100 feet (30.5 m). The other magical 
  feature that helps one such as Puno and his followers is the dag-
  ger’s ability to fit into any lock or manacle, no matter how small 
  or large the space for a key, and open it.
  Blessings: Craft of the Deceiver: The Blessed individual is 
  charming and blessed in skills of deception and manipulation.
  Bonuses: Increase M.A. attribute to 22 (+4 if M.A. is already 
  20 or higher), +1 on all Perception Rolls, and +1 to disarm.
  Skills: Disguise 90%, Imitate Voices & Impersonation 80%, 
  Prowl 70%, and the ability to understand and speak all languages 
  the moment he hears it spoken 60%.
  Craft of the Cunning: The Blessed becomes more aware of the 
  criminal world and ways to avoid trouble and capture.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize thieves, con art-
  ists, smugglers, and other criminals, and +5% on all Espionage 
  and Rogue skills.
  Skills/Abilities: Escape 80%, Forgery 75%, Palming 70%, 
  Streetwise 65%, and the ability to cast the spell Concealment two 
  times per 24 hour period. The spell has the duration and potency 
  of a 5th level Wizard.
  Craft of the Seeker: The Blessed individual has an eye for 
  finding and acquiring information and things of value.
  Bonuses: +1 to all Perception Rolls and +1 to roll with punch/
  fall/impact.
  Skills/Abilities: Surveillance 80%, Pick Locks 75%, Intel-
  ligence 70%, and Track Humanoids 65%; the ability to read 
  Elven, Dwarven and all human written languages 60%, and the 
  ability to cast the Decipher Magic spell upon himself once ev-
  ery 24 hours. The spell has the duration and potency of a 5th 
  level Wizard.
  Craft of the Thief: The Blessed individual is a thief and a 
  scalawag who may use his Blessing to do good or for personal 
  enrichment.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize fellow thieves, 
  bandits, and pirates, as well as the authorities, and +5% on all 
  Rogue skills.
  Skills/Abilities: Gemology 65%, Prowl 80%, Pick Pockets 
  75%, Pick Locks 70%, and the ability to cast Fool’s Gold once 
  every 24 hours. The spell has the duration and potency of a 5th 
  level Wizard.
  Luck of the Gambler: The Blessed individual is a risk taker, 
  whether it is with games of chance or in life.
  Bonuses: +1 to dodge, +3 to roll with punch/fall/impact and 
  +1 to save vs illusions.
  Skills: Card Shark 90%, Palming 80%, Recognize Weapon 
  Quality 70%, and the ability to cast Blinding Flash twice every 
  24 hours. The spell has the potency of a 5th level Wizard.
  Wunja
  Wunja is an aloof wunderkind even to the deities of its own 
  pantheon. A god of ideas, creativity, and visions, Wunja instills 
  inspiration and a sense of wonder to all people, and some say to 
  the gods as well. The deity lives in a dream dimension as a spirit 
  or energy without body or form. Wunja communicates only in 
  dreams and through visions where he appears as a disembodied, 
  soothing voice, or as a vaguely humanoid ghostlike wisp, or a 
  simple sphere of light the size of a coconut. As the Bringer of 
  Ideas,Wunja has little interest in material things, riches, or power. 
  His area of interest is the metaphysical and conceptual, of intan-
  gible beauty and wonder, and of emotions, feelings, and the intel-
  lect. Wunja gets the same excitement and thrill from a new idea 
  as an athlete in physical combat. It is little wonder then, Wunja 
  the Dreamer is detached from the physical world. And yet his 
  psychic connection to life and fascination with ideas and creation 
  gives the deity a profound understanding of people and the emo-
  tions, fears, and desires that drive them.
  Alignment: Unprincipled.
  Statue Description: People have trouble relating to a glowing 
  ball of light or a flowing mist that takes on a vaguely humanoid 
  shape. As a result, Wunja is usually depicted in sculpture as a 
  humanoid figure who looks more like a featureless mannequin 
  than any specific race or species of people, and there is no strong 
  indication of gender. In the Garden, Wunja’s statue has long legs, 
  a thin body, undeterminable gender, and abstract arms and hands 
  that could just as easily be the legs and hooves of a horse. Of all 
  the statues in the Garden, it is arguably the strangest, for though 
  it is presumably made of earthly, polished black stone, the uni-
  verse seems to be reflected across it. Touching the statue, a visitor 
  feels only the cool smooth surface of stone, but night and day, 
  stars and glowing orbs slowly move across its visage. Whether 
  they are real suns and constellations or a representation of Wunja, 
  himself, is anyone’s guess. A tongue of flame like that of a small 
  campfire, burns floating above Wunja’s head, and a shaft of sun-
  light shines through the trees and upon the statue like a spotlight, 
  night and day, regardless of cloud cover.
  Caretakers: There is no dedicated group of caretakers for the 
  statue of Wunja. And though people from all walks of life visit 
  and gaze upon the strange statue, often for a long time. Most walk 
  away scratching their heads. It is the common man who is look-
  ing to advance his or her station in life, or who hungers to prove 
  their valuable to those who only see a peasant or a nobody who 
  seems to find inspiration and courage from Wunja. The god also 
  attracts dreamers and visionaries of every stripe, from men of sci-
  ence and engineering to artists, poets, storytellers, and those who 
  possess psychic abilities.
  Artifacts of Note: Wunja’s Black Box: A polished wooden, 
  black cube that could be a child’s building block, small enough 
  to fit easily inside a pouch or pocket. Whoever possesses the cube 
  is prone to finding solutions by thinking outside the box and sees 
  the beauty and wonder of the world all around him.
  The box instills its owner with a bonus of +2 to all Perception 
  Rolls, the ability to see through illusions after one melee round, 
  a sense of connection to the universe and everything in it, and 
  instills the following psionic abilities: Commune with Animals 
  (6), Commune with Spirits (8), Dispel Spirits (10), Empathy (4), 
  Meditation (0), and Sense Dimensional Anomaly (6), along with 
  80 I.S.P. points. The abilities and I.S.P. come from the Black 
  
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  The Spark: Also known as the Spark Gem, it is a clear dia-
  mond containing a tiny sphere of light that moves around inside 
  the gemstone like a firefly inside a jar. The person who possesses 
  this indestructible artifact sees the world in a positive light and 
  has a hopeful and energetic attitude that is difficult to dampen 
  even with magic or psionics (+2 to save vs Agony, Domination, 
  and Charm spells, as well as the psionic attacks Catatonic Strike, 
  Empathic Transmission, Mental Illusions, Mentally Possess Oth-
  ers, Mind Wipe, Nightmares, and any sort of Charm or mental 
  manipulation.)
  Touching The Spark to a another person’s forehead or temple 
  has a number of possible results:
  1. It may spark an important or helpful forgotten memory, 
  clue, or bit of information, provided it was there in the first place.
  2. Calm and bring temporary clarity to a victim of shock, 
  trauma, or madness to provide an important or helpful memory, 
  clue, or bit of information. When the person slips back into his 
  tormented state of mind, he is calmer and more at peace for the 
  next 48 hours.
  3. Sparks the person’s will to reject demonic possession, 
  +20% bonus for a successful of an exorcism (magic or psionic), 
  or provides the victim of a magical Trance, Hypnotic Suggestion, 
  or Charm, or an illusion, another chance to save, this time with 
  a +2 bonus.
  4. Spark Truth. When combined with a compelling or compas-
  sionate plea or argument, and touched to the forehead or temple, 
  a person withholding information may feel regret and confess or 
  reveal information that can protect or save lives, stop a tragedy 
  or crime, or right an injustice. Game Masters, either use your dis-
  cretion regarding the result or roll 1D20. A roll of 13 or higher 
  sparks a moment of conscience and the truth, or the revealing of 
  vital information or a clue.
  In addition, when placed on the chest above the heart of a 
  wounded or dying character, it sparks his will to live, providing 
  a +20% to save vs coma, +2 to save vs poison or disease, and 
  restores 1D6+1 Hit Points.
  Blessings: Wunja is able to see the potential in mortals and 
  likes to inspire and encourage those who have what it takes to 
  make their dreams come true. Thus, his dream quests, missions, 
  visions, and inspiration are often journeys of self-discovery for 
  the Blessed individual.
  Follow Your Dream: The Blessed individual is inspired to 
  reach for the sky and to follow his dream and strive to achieve 
  his heart’s desire. This is almost always a noble desire, purpose, 
  or high ideal.
  Bonuses: +4 to any one attribute (this is permanent!) but is 
  often one of the three mental attributes, +20% to one of his ex-
  isting skills of choice, +10% to one other skill, and +5% to one 
  other. Skill bonuses should be assigned by the player and ideally 
  applied to skills that should help him follow his or her dream.
  Skills: Art 65%, History 70%, Horsemanship: General 75% 
  and Mathematics: Basic or Astronomy and Navigation 80%.
  Sense of Wonder: The ideals and spirit of the Blessed in-
  dividual cannot be disillusioned or crushed. The Blessed stays 
  true to himself and his noble ideals despite the odds or the litany 
  of naysayers. His resolve and nobility are an inspiration to oth-
  ers who are inspired to help him in any small way they can: 
  medical treatment, food and water, a place to hide, information, 
  clues, small amount of money (4D6 gold), and reasonable sup-
  port.
  Box, which regenerates the 80 I.S.P. at the start of every new 24 
  hour cycle. Without the box, the person has only 40 I.S.P. avail-
  able and the abilities and I.S.P. vanish completely after 2D6+10 
  hours. Wunja’s Black Box is what provides the I.S.P., the psion-
  ics, and bonuses.
  
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  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize clues and details 
  others may have missed and impervious to torture and interroga-
  tion. No matter the amount of mental or physical torture, threats 
  and questioning, the Blessed Individual cannot be broken. Not 
  the threat of death or Telepathy probes or mind control of any 
  kind can force him to betray a friend or confidence, or pry in-
  formation out of him that could hurt another person. Loyal and 
  trustworthy to a fault.
  Skills/Abilities: Detect Ambush 75%, Public Speaking 70% 
  and the psionic ability Sixth Sense at will and at no I.S.P. cost for 
  five minutes at a time.
  Sweet Dream of Redemption: This Blessing is reserved for 
  individuals who are sincerely looking to redeem themselves for 
  past wrongdoings, a terrible mistake, horrible wrong, or a wicked 
  or selfish life. The Blessed individual seeks to change his ways 
  and find his way back to honor and goodness, or to become a 
  different, better person. This is likely to require 1D4+2 quests or 
  missions.
  Special: If the one who dreams of redemption manages to stay 
  true to his personal goal of doing what’s right and becoming a 
  better person, the character’s alignment changes to Scrupulous 
  good, regardless of where it started. The trick then is to stay on 
  the right track.
  Bonuses: +3 to recognize temptation to fight or avoid it, and 
  +3 to recognize injustice so he may be able to help right the 
  wrong, +1 to disarm, +2 to pull punch, +1 to save vs punch/fall/
  impact, and +10% to save vs coma and death.
  Skills/Abilities: Detect Ambush 75%, First Aid 80%, and the 
  psionic ability of Empathy at will and at no I.S.P. cost for five 
  minutes at a time.
  Kirron
  The Sky King (Centaur)
  Though not an official member of the Pantheon of Aco, Kir-
  ron is an ancient deity known to have strong ties and associations 
  with them. According to an ancient myth, Kirron, Mati, and Day-
  mu have gone on adventures together as well as fought at each 
  other’s side across the cosmos many times. A heroic deity of the 
  Centaurs, Kirron is said to have raced across the sky delivering 
  messages, rescuing the wounded, and transporting combat troops 
  across the world like a blazing comet in the fight against the Old 
  Ones and their legion of minions.
  Kirron is a noble warrior with the soul of a poet and a singer 
  of songs. Though he is still worshiped by Centaurs, their num-
  bers are small, and Kirron is mostly forgotten by all other people, 
  including Elves and Titans who once worshiped him long ago. 
  Thus the fading deity seeks to make himself known to modern 
  people, particularly cavalry soldiers, knights, equestrians, and 
  warriors. Knights errant and wandering adventurers, as well as 
  Centaurs, should find this noble warrior god very appealing.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A handsome, male Centaur Warrior, 
  shield in one hand, sword in the other, rearing up on his hind legs.
  Caretakers: There is no one dedicated group of caretakers, 
  though Centaurs living on the island do come to worship and take 
  care of the statue’s garden when the mood strikes them. Centaurs, 
  long mistreated and enslaved by many other species of people, 
  are reclusive and avoid contact with most people, so they visit 
  the Garden at night and the early morning hours when few if any 
  people are present.
  Over the last 50 years, Kirron has been discovered and adopt-
  ed by one the most unlikely of people, the nomadic Wayfarers. 
  They tend his Garden whenever they visit, as do calvary warriors, 
  
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  knights, and equestrians, who recognize a kindred spirit in the 
  Centaur.
  Artifact: Hooves of Steel: A set of iron horseshoes that are 
  indestructible, never wear out, and whatever horse or Centaur 
  wears them sees its speed increase an additional 15 mph (24 km) 
  added to the wearer’s normal speed. The Centaur or animal wear-
  ing them never goes lame and does not fatigue, enabling the Cen-
  taur or horse to run at full speed for up to 48 hours before needing 
  to slow down, stop to eat or drink water, and rest for 1D4 hours.
  Sky Chariot: This legendary artifact is a war chariot with rails 
  to hold onto along the edge. It is large enough to hold as many as 
  four human-sized riders. When attached to a team of 2-4 horses, 
  the animals’ speed is increased by 20%, the warriors experience 
  a smooth ride regardless of the terrain or speed, and can fire bow 
  weapons or throw javelins and spears without needing to hold on 
  for fear of falling off. Moreover, the horses can leap a distance 
  of 15 feet across (4.6 m) and up to 10 feet (3 m) high, and have 
  the steeds, chariot, and all, landing soft as a feather at full gallop 
  without losing its rider(s).
  When pulled by a pair or quartet of Centaurs, the team can 
  run and pull the chariot up into the air to 300 feet (91.4 m) high, 
  with as many as four human-size passengers riding in the chariot.
  Speed on the ground when pulled by Centaurs: 30 mph (48 
  km) added to their normal speed.
  Speed in the sky when pulled by 2-4 Centaurs: 60 mph (96 
  km), added to the normal speed.
  Whether on the ground or in the air, the Centaurs can fight, 
  usually with bows or javelins, but at half their number of attacks 
  as they are focused mainly on racing at the enemy and doing what 
  their warrior passenger(s) need of them.
  Kirron’s Flight Javelin: The Javelin is one of Kirron’s favor-
  ite weapons and this slender, magic weapon, tipped with blue 
  steel that faintly glows, inflicts 4D6 damage and returns to the 
  thrower (teleports) after hitting. Throwing Range: 900 feet (274 
  m). When not needed as a weapon, the Flight Javelin turns into 
  a toothpick that can be stowed in a pocket, pouch, saddlebag, or 
  clenched between the teeth.
  Human Gods
  Humans have existed for tens of thousands of years, but the 
  Time of Man only stretches back for the last six thousand years 
  or so, and is considered to have begun after the collapse of Elven 
  and Dwarven civilization two thousand years after the Elf-Dwarf 
  war. The Stone Age spirits and gods from primitive eras millen-
  nia earlier in the human saga, before recorded human history, 
  have been long forgotten. They never had the following or lon-
  gevity of full-fledged gods with ties to great pantheons, and many 
  of these small-time divine beings have been replaced.
  Gods from the first human kingdoms, the era of the Prestida 
  Kings in the Old Kingdom mountains, hail back to a lost age 
  of prehistory whose records have been all but destroyed. At that 
  time, humans were essentially hill tribes that grew in sophistica-
  tion, mainly thanks to education and guidance from the Elves, 
  and in the process of enlightenment many of their old idols were 
  left behind for the worship of more “civilized” gods.
  In their expansion, both the Western Empire and the Eastern 
  Territory conquered, displaced or absorbed many smaller hu-
  man tribes and nationalities, not to mention pockets of culturally 
  unique Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds and other races. 
  Many of the gods that these natives were once beholden to are 
  now lost to time, their followers gone over to Dragonwright, the 
  Northern Pantheon, or the Church of Light and Dark. See the 
  Yin-Sloth/Southern Gods section for more ancient lost gods once 
  worshiped in the vast southern jungles by ancient civilizations 
  that rose and fell long ago, and nobody, not Elf nor dragon re-
  members.
  Loecin the Horseman
  Loecin the Horseman is an ancient god from what is now the 
  Western Empire. Originally a patron of the horse-tribes of the 
  Kighfalton Plains, his followers grew fewer and fewer as the 
  tribes of horsemen settled down into cities and farms and left their 
  nomadic lifestyle behind. Where horse-archers and mounted war-
  riors once rode across hundreds of miles of grassy plains there are 
  walls and fences, pastures and manors, and the fine horses raised 
  here are all born the property of knights and nobles.
  With long hair and leather armor, Loecin looks the part of an 
  ancient mounted warrior from a time before humans had really 
  developed knights and metal weapons. The world he remembers 
  was one of campfires upon the open plains, where a camp or a 
  caravan was the closest thing to what we would call civilization. 
  These nomads prayed to Loecin for their horses to be sure-footed, 
  give birth to strong foals, and that the land would always be plen-
  tiful for grazing.
  Unlike so many gods who met a violent end or whose wor-
  shipers were slaughtered, Loecin simply faded away as his name 
  was forgotten in the outside world. The days where lone riders 
  would see the giant god and his fabled white horse off on the ho-
  rizon were over. The ancient warriors who invoked his name as 
  they tended to their mounts or charged into battle, are long gone.
  Since being uncovered in the Garden of the Gods a few de-
  cades ago, knights and adventurers are rediscovering the tales of 
  heroism and daring not only of Loecin, but of the horsemen who 
  once worshiped him and called for his blessings. This is espe-
  cially true in the kingdom of men – the Eastern Territory – where 
  new knights of new nobility, heroes, and adventurers are carving 
  out their place in the wild forests. It is also true on Lopan where 
  the equestrian god has been adopted by the Centaurs living in 
  the less developed portions of the island. The worship of Loe-
  cin is rumored to have also spread among some Centaur tribes 
  in Ophid’s Grasslands. The Knights-Fossar also hold Loecin in 
  high esteem and count him among the deities they turn to for 
  blessings and inspiration. For his part, Loecin welcomes all who 
  choose to honor and worship him, be they human, Centaur, or 
  other people.
  Though such reports are usually attributed to too much drink, 
  there have been a few accounts from visitors, often knights 
  and equestrians participating in the Lopanic Games, who claim 
  to have seen the fabled god riding across the land on his Great 
  White Warhorse Windsteed. Others claim to have been visited 
  by Loecin in their dreams or while meditating in the Garden. For 
  them, the warrior and huntsman deity brings encouragement or 
  suggests ways for them to challenge themselves to greater ac-
  complishments. All of which gets people talking and wins the 
  ancient horseman new believers who call upon his favor. Sadly, 
  elsewhere in the world, Loecin’s followers are few and far be-
  
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  tween. Civilized people in places such as the Western Empire, 
  Timiro, Bizantium, and even the Old Kingdom and Land of the 
  South Winds see Loecin as nothing more than a sentimental relic 
  of a bygone era. Not a contemporary god for people of today.
  Also Known As: Loecin the Equestrian and the Centaurs’ de-
  ity.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  The Statue: An athletic horseman on the back of his mighty 
  warhorse Windsteed. He has a sword at his side and a bow in his 
  hands. Loecin and his horse both have eyes of diamonds insepa-
  rable from the statue itself, no matter how much a visitor may try 
  to pry or dig them loose.
  Caretakers: The Kighfalton Riders are a group of acolytes 
  who worship Loecin, recruited from amongt the riders, horse 
  breeders and stable hands of the Kighfalton Plains in the Western 
  Empire. Their goal is to reintroduce the worship of Loecin into 
  the Empire, but they are a small and poor organization with no 
  ties to any of the large churches, so progress has been slow. The 
  Knights-Fossar, Long Bowmen, and the occasional Lopan Cen-
  taur also drops by the statue to pray and clean up the area.
  Artifacts of Note: Windsteed’s Reins and Bridal: This en-
  chanted set of reins allows any horse to be ridden comfortably 
  and safely without a saddle. The rider sits on the horse secure 
  and unable to be thrown off against his will. The reins add a bo-
  nus of +20% to all Horsemanship skills, and those without horse-
  manship receive the equivalent of Horsemanship: General at a 
  proficiency of 65% when using the reins. Whenever the artifact 
  is placed on a wild horse, the animal becomes tame enough for 
  the rider to mount it, and after 30 minutes of riding, is tame and 
  willing to be saddled and ridden by anyone who treats it with 
  kindness.
  Loecin’s Reins are rumored to have been lost somewhere in 
  the Old Kingdom when the knight who had them was slain in 
  an ambush while putting down an Orc invasion a few hundred 
  years ago. Another rumor has it that Windsteed’s Reins and Brid-
  al were recovered and quietly brought back to Kighfalton Plains 
  before vanishing again. This legend suggests the reins may be 
  somewhere in the Kighfalton Plains. However, whoever pos-
  sesses them may have no idea how valuable they are, or why they 
  seem to make riding any horse so much easier.
  Blessed Barding: Loecin’s famed white warhorse Windsteed 
  was said to be dressed in a leather and silver barding only when 
  the warrior god was entering into the fiercest of battles. Eons ago, 
  Loecin lent his armor to an Elven Longbow horseman entering 
  into a battle against the forces of darkness. The gift helped the 
  Elf warrior and his companions win the battle. Impressed, Loecin 
  told him to keep the barding and when he no longer had need of it, 
  to give it to another worthy horseman. The Blessed Barding has 
  been passed on countless times and participated in many battles 
  before it disappeared. According to legend, the Blessed Barding 
  and its rider were lost during a ride across Ophid’s Grasslands en 
  route to the Northern Hinterlands. Rumor is the artifact has fallen 
  into the possession of a Centaur chieftain who uses it as his own 
  personal body armor.
  The Blessed Barding of Loecin is said to protect any horse that 
  wears it from all attacks. It has an A.R. of 18, an S.D.C. of 600, 
  but weighs virtually nothing, and does not encumber a horse in 
  any way. In addition, the horse does not tire, horse and rider are 
  
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  made impervious to fire, the horse cannot be possessed or control 
  by anyone other that the barding’s owner, and the armor’s S.D.C. 
  completely regenerates ever 24 hours.
  Caparison (think a surcoat for a horse): This cloth Caparison 
  is white with silver Xs sewn onto it to symbolize two crossed 
  arrows. The Caparison magically adjusts to fit any sized horse, 
  and it keeps the animal warm in cold temperatures and snow, and 
  cool in hot temperatures and sand. In addition it keeps the animal 
  hydrated until it can find water.
  Loecin’s Arrow of True Flight: According to legend, from 
  time to time Loecin gives a valiant Knight, Long Bowman, 
  Ranger, Horseman or Centaur a single arrow completely made of 
  silver, yet as lightweight as an ordinary arrow. When the arrow 
  is given – it usually appears at a knight’s feet or in a bowman’s 
  quiver. This happens only after Loecin appears in person as a 
  ghostly specter upon his horse, or in a dream or vision, saying, “I 
  give you this arrow to vanquish your enemies and destroy evil. 
  Use it only when it is most needed. Your heart will tell you when 
  that moment has arrived.” Some recipients are said to have kept 
  that arrow for decades before using it, while others let if fly later 
  the same day.
  Though the arrow has tremendous combat capabilities, Loe-
  cin’s Arrow of True Flight – never misses when the purpose is 
  true – such a gift has been used to save lives in other ways than 
  slaying an enemy. This has included cutting the noose of the 
  wrongly convicted, severing the chains of a slave, cutting loose 
  an anchor, felling a tree with one shot, and slicing the ties of a 
  rope bridge to prevent an enemy from crossing it. The stories are 
  many and varied.
  The Abilities of Loecin’s Arrow of True Flight: Range: 1,500 
  feet (457 m). Damage: 1D6x10+30 damage. 2D6x10+30 against 
  vampires and most supernatural evil and wicked creatures of 
  magic. 2D6x10+90 on the roll of a Natural Twenty! 1D6x100+90 
  against a Master Vampire or Vampire Intelligence. Bonus to 
  Strike with Arrow: Never misses a target that is true, otherwise 
  +4 to strike in ordinary combat; +8 to strike when it is to save a 
  life. Note: Only one arrow is ever given in a person’s lifetime, a 
  great honor. After it is fired it returns to the shooter for one more 
  use. On the rare occasion Loecin appears a second time to bestow 
  a second arrow, it is said the Twice Blessed will not survive the 
  conflict in which the arrow is used. That fight will be the hero’s 
  last grand battle. There have only been a few times that Loecin’s 
  Arrow of True Flight has been passed down from a parent to one 
  of his offsprings or a friend.
  Blessings: Archer’s Arm: The Blessed individual feels new 
  confidence using a bow, almost as if it were a part of him.
  Bonuses: +1 attack per melee round and +1 to strike with any 
  bow weapon. In addition, and the Blessed shooter can hit a target 
  50% farther than the usual range for that weapon, and neither the 
  bow nor its string will break in his hands.
  Skills/Abilities: W.P. Archery (if the character already has the 
  Archery skill he gets an additional +1 attack when using a bow 
  weapon for the entire melee round ONLY), Recognize Weapon 
  Quality 90% but only as it applies to bow weapons, arrows, and 
  crossbow bolts, including the ability to instantly recognize magic 
  arrows.
  Horse Caller: The Blessed individual is able to sense the pres-
  ence of wild horses, Pegasus, and Unicorns within five miles 
  (8 km) of him. When the animals come within sight, he can ap-
  proach them as if he were one of them, and call the animal over 
  to him. It will let him touch it, feed it, groom it, and tend to any 
  wounds the animal may have. The animal and even a herd will let 
  the Horse Caller travel with them and may (50% chance) protect 
  and defend him for 1D4 melee rounds before running away.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize a horse, mule, 
  or donkey in distress and in need of rest, mending, or help, and 
  +1 to dodge any animal. If in the way of a herd of horses, cattle, 
  or buffalo, the animals will run around the Blessed individual 
  as long as he stands still in one spot. Anyone in his arms and/or 
  standing directly in front and behind him are also protected.
  Skills/Abilities: Animal Husbandry 90%, but only as it ap-
  plies to horses, and similar animals such as the Pegasus, and 
  Horsemanship: General 60%. The ability to heal horses, restoring 
  4D6 Hit Points and 10 S.D.C. and mending a pulled or strained 
  muscles and minor fracture of the bone. This healing can be per-
  formed at will as often as four times per 24 hours at no P.P.E. cost 
  to the Horse Caller.
  Horse Whisperer: The Blessed individual feels comfortable 
  around horses, mules, donkeys, Pegasus, and similar animals, and 
  they feel relaxed and comfortable around him. This allows the 
  character to approach, tame, and ride them with ease.
  Bonuses: +10% to all Horsemanship skills and does an extra 
  +2 damage when striking from horseback.
  Skills/Abilities: If the Blessed individual did not have a Horse-
  manship skill he gets Horsemanship: Knight 80% and Horseman-
  ship: Exotic Animals (Any animal) 60%; plus the ability to tame 
  any horse and similar animals in one tenth the usual amount of 
  time, and is able to recognize the quality of such beasts at 95%. 
  Blessing only works on one horse at a time. However, the Horse 
  Whisperer has too much respect and appreciation for the Kilin 
  and the Unicorn to try to tame or capture one.
  Restoration of Horses: This Blessing applies only to animals, 
  and though the animal’s owner usually prays for the Blessing, it 
  is the animal Loecin may elect to restore. This may be any animal 
  from horse or mule to squirrel to dog. This Blessing is most often 
  bestowed upon animals brought to the Garden, but may also be 
  considered as a miracle in response to a prayer (rare). Instantly 
  the animals is restored and feels replenished. If lame or sick the 
  beast is healed and feels completely nourished and rested as if it 
  had just been fed, watered, and groomed, leaving it frisky and 
  ready for action. If there was a fractured bone or a wound, 4D6 
  Hit Points are instantly restored and the rest mends completely 
  within 2D6+12 hours. If the steed is a Gryphon, Pegasus or Pery-
  ton with a broken wing, the wing is instantly healed enabling the 
  animals to fly.
  Astunia
  Maiden of the East
  Long ago, Astunia was a love goddess worshiped by humans 
  living along the eastern coast of the Great Inland Sea. She is the 
  patron goddess of young lovers and couples as well as spring 
  and flowering plants. Belief in her name spread from one village 
  to the next, until countless tribes throughout the land that would 
  some day become the Eastern Territory, counted her among the 
  gods of their pantheons. But that was long ago, and Astunia is 
  nearly forgotten by all.
  Innocent and carefree, Astunia was undone by the jealousy of 
  other gods. According to myth, envious of her beauty and adora-
  
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  149
  tion of so many followers, the Warrior Sea Goddess Lista tricked 
  Astunia into leaving her homeland behind, and trapped her with 
  foul magic, far away on the island of Phi, shrouding it forever in 
  thick fog so Astunia could not escape. There, legend has it, she 
  shed tears for her lost lovers, her followers, and her home. And 
  where her tears fell, they became diamonds embedded within the 
  ground.
  With Astunia missing and unable to defend herself, Lista and 
  her followers tore down her statues, temples, and shrines, and 
  slandered the good name of the gentle goddess. They have con-
  vinced people that she is not the god of true love, young lovers, 
  togetherness, and spring beauty, but rather a vengeful hag who 
  really symbolizes love turned ugly, envy, and jealous rage. The 
  type of jealous rage that leads to terrible acts of retribution, scorn, 
  and murder.
  Falsely vilified and scandalized, Astunia was quickly shunned 
  by those who once worshiped and turned to her regarding matters 
  of the heart. Within a few centuries she was rejected and forgot-
  ten by the young and lovelorn. Millennia later, Astunia is one of 
  the Fading deities within the Garden of the Gods. No longer able 
  to walk among the world of mortals as she once did. She would 
  like to hate Lista for what she has done, but hatred is not in her 
  nature. Instead, she pities and forgives the spiteful and vindictive 
  warrior goddess, and seeks no revenge. Astunia desires only to 
  return to life as a celebrated patron of love.
  It is ironic, but Lista has completely forgotten about Astunia 
  and the rivalry she once felt toward her. The traditionally cold 
  and uncaring goddess could care less if Astunia should return to 
  the world as a goddess of love – as long as her foolish believers 
  do not grow to outnumber her own. The warrior goddess consid-
  ers Astunia to be weak and too compassionate and merciful. A 
  fool who believes that true love conquers all and is more power-
  ful than war and combat. That makes them ideological polar op-
  posites and rivals, if not natural enemies.
  Lista feels no guilt for her past actions, but will do it again if 
  Astunia should being to reach the level of popularity she once 
  had. However, earning such a large number of worshipers again 
  will be a difficult task. Lista’s followers have done a great job 
  of demolishing Astunia’s reputation and leaving her with the 
  black mark of being a jealous, cruel goddess who symbolizes the 
  jilted lover that seeks terrible revenge. This false reputation is 
  entrenched in most people’s minds, and Lista’s many followers 
  continue to profess such vitriol and lies, making it difficult to 
  overcome.
  Astunia was able to escape her magical prison on Phi only be-
  cause she was so forgotten and diminished as a goddess of love, 
  that the magical enchantment no longer recognized her as she 
  faded toward oblivion. Now that she has escaped, if she can re-
  cruit enough followers to be reborn among mortals, she’ll be able 
  to leave the Garden of the Gods, too. That is all she really wants: 
  To again function as a celebrated and worshiped deity who is a 
  symbol of love, couples, and flowering beauty. Away from Phi, 
  she is free of the imprisoning magic still in place on the island. 
  However, if Astunia should physically return to Phi, the magic 
  that imprisoned her will reactivate and hold her prisoner once 
  more.
  Note: Any diamond found on Phi is said to be one of the tears 
  of Astunia, but they are ordinary diamonds that have no magical 
  properties. Or are they? Diamonds found on Phi are of uncom-
  mon quality, exceptionally clear and bright when cut, especially 
  in a tear shape. Typical value of a Phi raw diamond is 1D6x1,000 
  for the smallest, and 2D6x1,000 gold each for medium-sized; 
  large diamonds are uncommon on Phi.
  Sometimes the diamond found is already superbly cut and 
  shaped. Myth has it that long before the Elf-Dwarf War, when 
  Astunia was powerful, pirates captured a king’s ransom of dia-
  monds from an Elven mine. The gems had been unearthed on Phi 
  and cut by skilled jewelers on site, a common practice of Elves 
  long ago. The treasure hoard was meant for Astunia’s church on 
  the mainland of what is now known as the Old Kingdom. It is said 
  she was so enraged by the pirates’ theft, she called up a powerful 
  gale out of nowhere and the storm sank only the pirate ship car-
  rying the diamonds. All crew members survived, but the treasure 
  was lost. To this day, it is said from time to time one or two of 
  those diamonds wash ashore after a late winter or spring storm, 
  and find their way into the hands of young lovers, young married 
  couples, a family in dire need, or an adventurer on a noble quest.
  Alignment: Principled.
  Statue Description: A nude maiden carved from white mar-
  ble emerging from a cornucopia of flowers and fruits. The statue 
  stands in the middle of a small pond that is surrounded by flower-
  ing hedges and vines. Astunia is stepping down as if she is about 
  to go for a swim.
  Caretakers: There is an order of mothers and daughters that 
  have maintained her statue in the Garden. They have also kept 
  the worship of the True Astunia, Goddess of Love, alive for thou-
  sands of years, handing down their traditions from one generation 
  to the next, but it is not enough to restore her. There are usually 
  only a few worshipers at any given time, so only one Caretaker is 
  present at the Garden most of the time. These dedicated follow-
  ers know every detail of Astunia’s past and are willing to share 
  the Legend of the Tears and curse the name of Lista. They would 
  love to find Champions who could help their beloved goddess be 
  restored.
  Artifacts of Note: All of Astunia’s artifacts only work for 
  characters of good alignment; sometimes Unprincipled but only 
  if the person has potential to be better, or to become a hero, or a 
  savior of the innocent, particularly children and women. Charac-
  ters of Anarchist and evil alignments get nothing.
  Tears of the Love Goddess: As she faded away from reality, 
  Astunia was supposed to have shed tears that turned into glitter-
  ing diamonds as they fell to the earth. Somewhere on Phi is a cliff 
  overlooking the ocean, facing east, where the eyes of virtuous, 
  young maidens in love (of good alignment and noble intentions) 
  are said to be able to see 1D6 of the Tears sparkling under the 
  light of the moon, though they are invisible to all others. As soon 
  as one of the Tears of the Goddess is retrieved by such a maiden, 
  the others vanish from sight (for the moment). A Tear of the Love 
  Goddess is also sometimes bequeathed to heroes and Champions 
  of the Gods.
  The magical Tears of the Love Goddess are large, cut dia-
  monds each worth 2D6x10,000 gold and function as a magic tal-
  isman or charm. When given to a young maiden or young lovers 
  of Principled or Scrupulous alignment and high ideals, the Tear 
  brings them true and lasting love as well as good fortune. Not 
  vast wealth necessarily, but good health, strong, healthy children, 
  and a long, loving relationship with powerful family bonds.
  When a Tear of the Goddess is given to a Principled or Scru-
  pulous Champion of the Gods, female or male, it grants the in-
  dividual the following, provided the recipient NEVER sells or 
  
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  trades the Tear for personal gain, or only does so to save a life. +5 
  on Perception Rolls and the wisdom to recognize looming dan-
  ger to them and their loved ones, including liars and deceivers 
  who mean them harm or looking to take advantage of them or the 
  people in their community. Also impervious to the Love Charm 
  spell and love potions, +1 to save vs other charm spells, illusions, 
  and dark magic, +5 to save vs disease, +2 to save vs poison, and 
  +10% to save vs coma and death.
  Such a Holy Artifact is usually a rare gift given to a potential 
  hero, Champion, or noble by Astunia at the Garden of the Gods, 
  but sometimes to an ordinary person who does good work in their 
  community. When this happens, the recipient has a dream or vi-
  sion (sometimes an actual visitation!), and when the Goddess 
  vanishes, the Tear is visible, sparkling like a star inside the pond 
  near the foot of her statue. The chosen recipient immediately no-
  tices it and knows what it is and that is meant for them (it sparkles 
  only for her or him). The visit by the goddess explains this is a 
  special gift to help the recipient do good. She selects only good 
  people she can tell are empathetic to others, loving, caring, just, 
  and merciful, or have great potential to be a kind and compas-
  sionate leader or hero. Note: If a good alignment drops to Anar-
  chist or evil, all bonuses and abilities are lost, and the diamond’s 
  value drops by 50%.
  Beauty Shroud: This holy garment is said to have been worn 
  by Astunia when she was trapped on Phi. It is a single piece of 
  white linen, and when worn by a mortal it increases the indi-
  vidual’s M.A. and P.B. attributes +8. The Shroud becomes in-
  visible when worn, and does not get in the way of a character’s 
  movements nor restrict their vision. Rumor has it that the Shroud 
  is in the possession of the daughter of Empress Jeslynn, a young 
  woman renowned for her beauty and kindness, slated to marry 
  an influential grandson of the Duke of Llorn. If she were to be 
  deprived of her enchanted garment there is no telling what might 
  happen to the potential marriage, or the important political ties 
  that go with it.
  Wreath of Flowers: This wreath of simple flowers worn on 
  the head is a sign to Faerie Folk, good and evil, that the wearer 
  is under the protection of the goddess and is to be left alone – no 
  pranks, no trouble. Once every 24 hours the wearer can cast the 
  Chameleon spell, equal to an 8th level Wizard in strength and 
  duration; triple duration if protecting/hiding/shielding the inno-
  cent. It is also said that if a woman is seeking to become pregnant 
  while wearing the Wreath, she will succeed. Wearing the Wreath 
  while giving birth guarantees an easy, trouble free birth for both 
  the child and the mother. The Wreath of Flowers stay fresh and 
  alive indefinitely, turning brown only when Anarchist or evil be-
  ings acquire it.
  Blessings: Diamond Eyes: This blessing makes the recipient’s 
  eyes light up and sparkle as if they were diamonds. While the 
  blessing is in effect, the recipient can automatically See Auras 
  and See the Invisible same as the psychic abilities of the same 
  name. No expenditure of I.S.P. or P.P.E. necessary.
  The blessing lasts for 48 hours as a short-term blessing. When 
  given to a Champion, the hero may call upon the ability at will 
  for as long as she or he remains in the good graces of the goddess. 
  Range: 500 feet (152 m), line of sight required.
  Faithful and True: The Blessed individual is unshakeably loy-
  al and true to those who matter most.
  Bonuses: Impervious to all forms of seduction, +3 to Percep-
  tion Rolls to recognize looming danger to her, loved ones and 
  teammates, as well as to recognize liars and deceivers who mean 
  her and her teammates harm or looking to take advantage of them 
  or the people in their care. Cannot be forced to talk under torture 
  and will die before being unfaithful or betray a loved one. +1 
  melee attack when fighting to protect a loved one, a woman with 
  child, or young lovers (+2 attacks if the child is their own or the 
  person in danger is their spouse or lover). Bonuses are available 
  only to characters of a good alignment.
  Skills/Abilities: First Aid 70% and the Blessed individual can-
  not be tricked, manipulated, or forced to hurt or betray the people 
  loved and who matter most, not even when under the influence 
  of magic, mind control, Hypnotic Suggestion, illusions, or pos-
  session!
  Good Health: The Blessed individual’s lover or spouse, and 
  their children are strong of body and mind (+1D6 to their S.D.C., 
  +2 to save vs disease and poison, and +20% to save vs coma and 
  death).
  Bonuses: The Blessed individual, specifically, receives 
  +1D6+6 Hit Points, +3 to save vs disease and poison, and +20% 
  to save vs coma.
  Skills/Abilities: The penalties/effects/symptoms and duration 
  of illness and negative/debilitating magic and psionics is half, 
  and the Blessed recovers Hit Points and S.D.C. at twice the rate 
  as normal.
  Love: The recipient of this Blessing is not afraid to show his 
  or her feelings of love, friendship, empathy, and compassion to 
  others, especially those who are most important to the character. 
  Merciful in combat, generous to friends, loyal and true to his/her 
  lover or spouse.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize insincerity and 
  manipulation, +1 to save vs charm magic, and if in love, is imper-
  vious to all types of seduction.
  Skills/Abilities: The psionic power of Empathy, at will with-
  out I.S.P. cost, and the Blessed individual knows, just knows, 
  when someone is pretending to love him/her for their own gain 
  or agenda such as to get something from them like money, in-
  formation/secrets, revenge, a relic like the diamond, access to 
  someone they know, etc. In addition, the Blessed individual will 
  know when he or she has found true love; a partner who is loving, 
  honest, caring, and true.
  Love’s Bonds: A supernatural bond that links the Blessed In-
  dividual to their lover, spouse, children and beloved family mem-
  bers.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to notice when a loved one is 
  feeling sad, worried, or something is wrong.
  Skills/Abilities: The recipient of this Blessing shares a sort 
  of telepathic link with whom he/she shares a deep bond of love, 
  such as a spouse, child, beloved parent or sibling, or romantic 
  partner. Does NOT include friends and comrades, nor more dis-
  tant family members or ex-lovers.
  The Blessed individual instantly knows when those loved ones 
  are sick and ailing, in serious trouble, hurt and the severity of the 
  injury, dying, or killed, and where they are at that moment! If they 
  are being victimized or under attack, the Blessed sees the face or 
  image of the perpetrator and their present location. The Blessed 
  individual can transmit this information to his lover, spouse, par-
  ent, or sibling, and is able to convey the need for them to go to the 
  person in trouble or in need of help if it is the appropriate action; 
  i.e. they can help. If that knowledge will put them in danger, the 
  character can withhold sending this info. The Blessed individual 
  
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  can also send feelings to his loved ones when he is thinking of 
  them in a positive and loving manner.
  Range: 2,000 miles (3,200 km). When given to a Champion, 
  the hero may call upon the ability at will for as long as she or he 
  remains in the good graces of the goddess. Range: 6,000 miles 
  (9,600 km).
  Negate Charm: This Blessing negates any enchantment that 
  has the person under its power.
  Bonuses: Instantly free from the clutches of magical and 
  psionic Charm, Love Charm, Domination, Charismatic Aura, 
  Befuddle, Empathic Transmission, and similar magic or psionics 
  that addle the mind and enables another to influence or control a 
  person against his or her knowledge or will, as well as seduction. 
  However, it has no effect on illusions or possession. Moreover, 
  the freed individual is +3 to save vs similar magic and psionic 
  attacks for the next 1D6 days.
  Skills/Abilities: When freed, the Blessed individual instantly 
  snaps out of it and recognizes what’s real and true, including real-
  izing who put them under their influence.
  monstrous beings from the world, rather than destroy them out-
  right, and participated in the scheme to put them into the Sleep of 
  Ages and end the time of chaos. A symbol of compassion, mercy, 
  and understanding, Nar-Rabium is a god of peace and learning, 
  but is not afraid to stand against the forces of tyranny and wick-
  edness. This has led to a number of clashes against the forces of 
  hell with both the demons of Hades and the Deevils of Dyval. 
  However, it is the denizen of Hades with whom Nar-Rabium has 
  a long-standing enmity and lasting feud.
  The warrior scholar deity is well versed in the ways of magic 
  and dimensional travel, and is the kind of being who encourages 
  people to walk a mile in another person’s shoes before judging or 
  condemning them. He tries to understand the position of every-
  one in a conflict to find common ground through words and rea-
  son rather than by the sword. However, though Nar-Rabium tries 
  to find a peaceful resolve, he is a capable and courageous fighter 
  with an excellent head for strategy and tactics. Among the gods, 
  he is a diplomat and a voice of reason, but he also accepts there 
  are times when one must take up arms, stand strong and fight. 
  Nar-Rabium hates oppression and cruelty, injustice and wicked-
  ness, and has often stood to protect those who cannot stand up 
  for themselves, and he expects the same from his Champions and 
  followers.
  Nar-Rabium’s battles against the Lords and minions of Ha-
  des are legendary. In fact, it was the Defilers leading the charge 
  against the forces of evil and Nar-Rabium’s direct intervention 
  that famously liberated an entire town from evil and slew the 
  reigning Lord of Hades. This catapulted the deity back into the 
  public consciousness in dramatic fashion, and the fabled Defilers 
  would go on to Champion Nar-Rabium for the next 200 years. 
  Together they built a strong following among the people living 
  along the eastern edge of Ophid’s Grasslands and throughout 
  the North – Wolfen, Bearmen, humans, Elves, Dwarves, and 
  Gnomes of the Great Northern Wilderness among them. In ad-
  dition, most people living in the Kingdom of Bizantium and the 
  Shadow Colonies know the many stories about the Defilers and 
  Nar-Rabium, and one third worship the deity. A good number 
  of people on both sides of the conflict in the Disputed Lands be-
  tween the Eastern Territory and the Wolfen Empire in the Great 
  Northern Wilderness also know of him and pray for Nar-Rabium 
  to grant them some of his famed wisdom and diplomacy to find a 
  solution to the rising tensions in that region before it erupts into 
  all-out war.
  It has been a long time since a new Champion of the Gods has 
  walked the forests of the North with the Blessing of Nar-Rabium. 
  With a Wolfen War brewing in the Disputed Land, and Nar-Rabi-
  um’s flame of wisdom growing in the Garden of the Gods, the 
  time has come for a new group of heroes to take up the mantle 
  of the Defilers and carry on their good work. That means Nar-
  Rabium has returned to this mortal realm to find such Champions 
  to not only help the downtrodden and the poor, but to prevent 
  humans and Wolfen from following the same tragic path of de-
  struction that befell Elves and Dwarves. The deity hopes to show 
  them there is plenty of room for both humans and the canines to 
  coexist. That is Nar-Rabium’s new goal.
  What only a tiny handful of the Defilers suspected was that 
  Nar-Rabium perished that day in the mortal realm fighting the 
  Lord of Hades. The two striking each other with simultaneous 
  death blows and vanishing in a cloud of mist and sulfur. Ken-
  yon Bartol, aka Nameless, insisted Nar-Rabium had simply gone 
  Nar-Rabium
  Nar-Rabium is a deity that dates back to before the battle of 
  the gods against the Great Old Ones. He has been worshiped by 
  ancient Titans, Rahu-Men, Elves and people and civilizations that 
  have risen and disappeared tens of thousands of years ago. His 
  popularity was fading by the Time of a Thousand Magicks and 
  had waned long before Elf and Dwarf civilizations had reached 
  their zenith. By the time humans rose to dominate the world, Nar-
  Rabium was long forgotten.
  Nar-Rabium is a force of light and goodness who stood against 
  the Old Ones and helped push through the plan to remove the 
  
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  back to the Deific Realm to rest and heal. However, neither he 
  or anyone ever heard from Nar-Rabium from that day forward. 
  Nameless feared his god may have, indeed, died in the battle. 
  And while Nar-Rabium’s sacrifice turned the tide that won the 
  day, he believed the deity was dead and gone forever. As a tribute 
  to the noble god, Nameless and the Defilers went on to destroy 
  evil wherever it was found, and helped countless people from 
  princesses and kings to the lowliest of peasants, all in the name 
  of Nar-Rabium. They accumulated worshipers for their deity, had 
  hundreds of statues, shrines, and temples built, won over tens of 
  thousands of worshipers for their deity and established an entire 
  religion that thrive to this day. They never lost faith that their 
  deity would, some day, return to the mortal realm. A wise plan, 
  because the death of a god is not the same as it is for mere mor-
  tals. When a god dies in the mortal realm, he is not extinguished 
  from existence, only from that mortal plane, and over time, he 
  can return to it.
  Nar-Rabium is back, and he is looking for new Champions to 
  fight the forces of evil and defend the innocent.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: The embodiment of the warrior-poet or 
  philosopher king, the deity is always portrayed wearing the armor 
  of the fighting classes, the robes or coat of a scholar or mage, 
  sword hanging from his belt, and a shield in one hand, a stack of 
  books in the other hand or piled at his feet.
  Ancients text depicts Nar-Rabium as a tall slender figure with 
  features that could be male or female, though “he” seems to have 
  always been associated with the male gender. Over the last sev-
  eral hundred years, largely due to the influence of the Defilers, 
  Nar-Rabium’s image has become decidedly more masculine and 
  human. And that is reflected in the statue found in the Garden, 
  even though it must have existed there for tens of thousands of 
  years. This suggests the statue has morphed or changed in recent 
  centuries either via magic or may have something to do with the 
  deity’s rebirth into the physical realm of mortals. It is said that 
  when Nar-Rabium appears to a group of people, each sees him in 
  the form they expect him to be. Since his Champions among the 
  Defilers were predominantly human, most people, including the 
  canine races, think of the deity as being human or human-like.
  The statue of Nar-Rabium in the Garden shows a man with 
  wavy hair clad in a long coat that suggests the robes of a scholar, 
  mage or priest, but under the coat is the armored chest plate of a 
  warrior. A large shield is held in one hand, a blue flame rises up 
  from the other, signifying the god’s return. A sword hangs from 
  a belt on one hip and a dagger and a mace on the other. Laying 
  at the god’s feet, carved from marble, is a stack of books, a few 
  scrolls, and the warrior’s helmet. Carved into the base is Nar-
  Rabium’s name in all the known languages.
  Caretakers: There is no designated caretaker or group liv-
  ing on Lopan designated to care for the statue or its surrounding 
  garden, yet it is fairly well kept. From time to time, Bards and 
  minstrels, scholars and mages, knights and mercenary warriors, 
  Titans and Wolfen warriors can be seen tending to the garden 
  surroundings.
  Artifacts of Note: Shield of Mercy: When used to protect the 
  innocent the wielder of this indestructible shield is +2 to parry, +3 
  to lunge and position himself with it in time to shield others, and 
  is able to cast the following spells twice per 24 hours at no P.P.E. 
  cost: Energy Field, Circle of Concealment, Circle of Flame, and 
  Wink-Out. All equal in strength and duration to an 8th level Wiz-
  ard. Note: As a blunt weapon, the shield inflicts 1D6+1 damage 
  and is able to magically grow and shrink to accommodate the size 
  of its current owner.
  Sword of Truth: An indestructible broadsword made of sil-
  ver. The blade inflicts 2D6+2 damage to most mortal opponents, 
  4D6+4 against Witches, vampires, and werebeasts, and 1D6x10 
  damage to demons and Deevils, as well as casts the following 
  spells twice per 24 hours at no P.P.E. cost: Heal Wounds, Sense 
  Evil, Tongues, and Words of Truth. All equal in strength and du-
  ration to an 8th level Wizard.
  Trident of Justice: An indestructible three-pronged trident 
  made of iron. The trident inflicts 3D6+2 damage to most mortal 
  opponents, 6D6+4 against Witches, and 1D6x10+8 to demons 
  and Deevils. The blunt end of the weapon does 2D6 damage. The 
  Trident of Justice is able to cast the following spells twice per 24 
  hours at no P.P.E. cost: Energy Disruption, Escape, Magic Net, 
  and Size of the Behemoth (and the Trident grows with its wielder 
  giving it an additional bonus of +10 to damage). All equal in 
  strength and duration to an 8th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Art: The Blessed individual has a keen eye for 
  visual artwork in its many forms, drawings, paintings, etching, 
  sculpture, etc., and is able to assess their value and draw inspira-
  tion and clues from them.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize fine artistry as 
  well as clues that may be hidden in art, and is +2 to save vs magic 
  circles.
  Skills: Art 80%, Forgery 75%, Sculpting & Whittling 70%, 
  and Archeology 65%, and once per 24 hours is able to cast the 
  spell See the Invisible at no P.P.E. cost. Equal to an 8th level 
  Wizard.
  Art of Dimensions: The Blessed individual is given the ability 
  to understand a little about dimensional travel and wield a bit of 
  dimensional magic.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize when dimen-
  sional magic is at work or the likely presence of the demonic; also 
  +1 to save vs possession and curses.
  Skills/Abilities: Mathematics: Basic 80%, Astronomy & Nav-
  igation 75%, and is able to cast each of the following spells twice 
  per 24 hours: Energy Bolt, Sense Dimensional Anomaly, and 
  Time Slip at no P.P.E. cost. Equal to an 8th level Wizard.
  Art of Diplomacy: The Blessed individual is better equipped 
  to stay calm under fire and keep his cool when being baited or 
  manipulated.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize when a person 
  is open to negotiation or just playing along and has no intention 
  of living up to the terms and conditions being discussed. Also +1 
  to save vs magical and psionic charms, .
  Skills/Abilities: Intelligence 80%, Public speaking 75%, 
  History 70%, and Lore: Demons & Monsters, as well as able 
  to cast each of the following spells once per 24 hours: Charis-
  matic Aura and Tongues at no P.P.E. cost. Equal to an 8th level 
  Wizard.
  Art of War: The Blessed individual is granted the wisdom of 
  the warrior.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize enemy weak-
  nesses and vulnerabilities, morale, and identify leaders, +1D6+12 
  to S.D.C., +1 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, and +1 to save vs Hor-
  ror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Detect Concealment and Traps 65%, Detect 
  Ambush 70%, Intelligence 75%, and Surveillance 80% and once 
  
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  per 24 hours is able to cast the spell Armor of Ithan upon himself 
  or one other at no P.P.E. cost. Equal to an 8th level Wizard.
  Art of Words: The Blessed individual has a gift for words, 
  spoken and written.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize styles of writ-
  ing, quality of writing and clues that may be hidden in writing, 
  riddles, and the spoken word, as well as +2 to save vs Wards.
  Skills/Abilities: Literacy 75% even if the character had been 
  illiterate, he can now read Elven and the human languages, as 
  well as read Runes 65%, Cryptography 70%, Writing 75%, and 
  is able to cast each of the following spells twice per 24 hours: 
  Decipher Magic and Tongues at no P.P.E. cost. Equal to an 8th 
  level Wizard.
  Lost Gods of the
  Church of Light & Dark
  The Church of Light & Dark is one of the oldest and most es-
  teemed gods and religions of the Palladium World. Primarily as-
  sociated with humans, it has followers of many races, especially 
  in the southern half of the world, below the Eastern Territory, 
  where the Northern Pantheons holds less sway. The church is an-
  cient, and many of its gods older still. Few deities in the Pantheon 
  of Light and Dark have been obscured by the sands of time. They 
  remain as vibrant and relevant as ever.
  Ma’ip, the realm of the gods of Light and Dark, is home to 
  several empty monuments and abandoned godly domiciles. The 
  Demiurge P’tah, who wrote of the formation of the cosmos and 
  the Megaverse itself, once studied the Garden many ages hence, 
  and the scholars of the church are one of the few bodies of learned 
  men that know more about the Garden than simple myth and su-
  perstition.
  There is immense pressure from factions within the church to 
  repress and disparage the deities of other pantheons, especially 
  those who have been lost and forgotten. The deities that remain 
  jealously hoard their power and demand the attention of their fol-
  lowers. This is particularly true of Set and Anubis. Osiris lives 
  the same existence as the many Fading gods, consigned to a kind 
  of non-life, waiting to be reassembled and resurrected.
  Statues of all the known gods in the Pantheon of Light and 
  Dark are in perfect condition and have immaculate gardens and 
  hedges that see regular care and attention in the Garden of the 
  Gods. What follows are the deities that have faded from the peo-
  ple’ hearts and minds, or have small groups of devotees and/or 
  cults within the larger, popular church. Many are ancient deities 
  who have been pushed aside by the flashier and dynamic deities 
  in the Pantheon.
  Book of Thoth
  The Book of Thoth is not a statue of a god, but an artifact so 
  powerful that after it was lost sometime after the end of the Time 
  of a Thousand Magicks, it reappeared a few millennia later nes-
  tled and forgotten within the untamed and undiscovered Garden 
  of the Gods where it remained undiscovered for more than fifty 
  thousand years. It is uncertain if Thoth is ever coming back for 
  it, or if the forgetful god long ago crafted a new book in its place.
  The statue is a stone book that rests open upon a stone pedes-
  tal. The entire piece is carved from a single block of limestone, 
  yet the pages of the book are as thin as parchment and turn easily. 
  Every one is inscribed with symbols nobody, neither mage nor 
  clergy (or Fossar-Warden), can identify or read other than the 
  inside covers which both bear the symbol for Thoth in a large 
  glowing Rune.
  Those able to sense magic detect powerful energy emanating 
  from the Book of Thoth, and even those unskilled in the magic 
  arts are able to see soft light radiating from it during the day and 
  feel a certain buzzing in the air. At night the entire book radiates 
  as if the sun were held inside its pages, each of the indecipherable 
  glyphs and symbols glowing orange, red, or blue depending on 
  the page. No magic spell or arcane Blessing from a god is able to 
  reveal what is written. Many speculate the language is of Thoth’s 
  own invention, protected by magic, and known only to Thoth.
  Alignment: Not applicable. Thoth is Unprincipled.
  Statue Description: Its appearance is described above. An 
  indestructible stone book filled with mystic symbols set upon a 
  stone pedestal. Though the indestructible pages can be turned and 
  examined by visitors, they cannot be torn or cut from the book, 
  nor defaced with paint or any other substance (they run right off) 
  and the perpetrator of such a deed is likely to be attacked and 
  run off by Faeries or Sprites. Nor can the book be lifted from the 
  pedestal and the pedestal seems to be rooted to the very ground. 
  No creature or magic has been able to lift or harm the book or its 
  pedestal.
  Caretakers: Priests, acolytes, and followers of the Church of 
  Light and Dark, including a team that lives on Lopan near the 
  Garden.
  Historians, scholars, and, most of all, Wizards, enjoy coming 
  to study the Book of Thoth. Many copy its pages with great care 
  and accuracy even if they cannot read or understand the sym-
  bols inscribed upon them. As a result, there are times in which so 
  many people want access to the Book, just to see it or touch or 
  
  154
  kiss it, and study and copy pages, there is often one or more care-
  takers, priests, or acolytes present to encourage people to move 
  along so everyone can have a moment with the sacred, magical 
  tome. Sorcerers, artists, and other learned people who wish to 
  copy pages are asked to do so quickly and only copy one page 
  per visit. If they want to come back repeatedly to wait in line to 
  see a new page, or huddle in a crowd around the Book, that’s 
  okay. If there is no line of people, the visitor can spend as much 
  time studying or sketching and copying as many pages as he or 
  she would like. The hours between midnight and sunrise have 
  the fewest visitors. Access to the Book of Thoth is most difficult 
  and limited whenever the Lopanic Games are held and during 
  festivals and holy days involving the Pantheon of the Gods of 
  Light and Dark.
  Despite the number of people who would like to spend a lot of 
  time with the Book, there is seldom pushing or fighting over it. 
  Most people are happy to give other visitors time with the tome. 
  Of course, the average visitor simply wants to gaze upon it, touch 
  a few pages, or kiss the Book and say a little prayer before mov-
  ing on. There is also space in the garden area for people to mill 
  around and pray to Thoth and other deities in the pantheon.
  Artifacts of Note: The Book of Thoth is the artifact, and in 
  addition to the many indecipherable pages of text, there are some 
  pages at the back of the tome that can be read, but only by visi-
  tors using the Eyes of Thoth spell. Inscribed on the last pages of 
  the book are thirteen fundamental spells used in several different 
  ancient rites of mummification no longer remembered. Some be-
  lieve this includes the ritual to create the creature known as the 
  Mummy Immortalis.
  Magic users able to cast the spell Eyes of Thoth are drawn to 
  one of the 13 Spells in particular each visit. Which spell page 
  differs with every person’s experience and with each return visit. 
  Whoever can read the page is able to learn that spell, and speaks 
  of returning to learn the remainder of the 13 spells. Reading the 
  spell embeds mental images that show each step of how to cast 
  the invocation. When done reading, the spell is permanently 
  known to the mage. If the spell is already known, reading the 
  page in the Book of Thoth makes it all the more understandable 
  and easy to cast, which means it now costs the spell caster half the 
  usual P.P.E.! Only one spell may be learned per visit to the book 
  over a period of years (see below).
  The Create Mummy spell ritual is one of these spells, but it is 
  often the 13th revealed. Each of the spells are indeed, a necessary 
  component in the secret Necromantic ritual to create a Mummy 
  Immortalis. However, the ritual itself explaining how to use 
  the 13 spells in conjunction with other components to create the 
  monster is either deliberately left out, missing, or written in the 
  indecipherable language elsewhere in the Book of Thoth.
  Multiple trips to the Book of Thoth 1D4 years apart reveals 
  a new one of the 13 spells. Since most sorcerers do not return 
  13 times over as many as five decades, few ever discover that 
  upon reading and learning the 13th spell invocation (all 13 must 
  have been read and learned from the Book), Thoth appears to the 
  person in a vision to permanently bestow upon him 1D6x10+30 
  P.P.E. to be added to the character’s personal P.P.E. reserve, 
  and raises Spell Strength +1 regardless of the mage’s experience 
  level! Furthermore, Thoth offers the mage a quest to unearth a 
  forgotten secret. This could be anything, perhaps a clue to the 
  location of one of Osiris’ missing body parts, or a lost artifact, 
  or ancient ruin, or magic artifact, an important person, or special 
  place to learn the Mummy Immortalis ritual, and so on. The se-
  cret may have historical, magical, religious, god/pantheon related 
  significance, or other relevance to the mage, his team, a kingdom, 
  or the world at large.
  Blessings: The Thirteen Spells in the Book of Thoth (for Wiz-
  ards, Other Mages, and Priests ONLY). Roll on the following 
  table to determine which of the 13 spells presents itself within 
  the mage’s mind. The character will retain full knowledge of that 
  spell forever, with no ill side effects. Somehow, he knows if he 
  returns many times 1D4 years apart, a new one of the 13 spells 
  will be revealed to him. If a spell already read and learned or 
  relearned from the book is rolled, re-roll or pick a different one. 
  Create Mummy is usually the last spell revealed, but it does not 
  have to be. There could be a reason Thoth reveals the spell sooner 
  – perhaps so the mage recognizes it when he sees it being per-
  formed, or to use it to help others. Note: Only characters capable 
  of learning magic, such as a Wizard, Necromancer, etc., and to a 
  much lesser degree, Priests who possess the Eyes of Thoth spell 
  are able to read and attain this mystic knowledge.
  01-08% Breathe Without Air
  09-16% Trance
  17-23% Impervious to Fire
  24-31% Impervious to Poison
  32-39% Mend Cloth
  40-47% Mystic Alarm
  48-55% Negate Poison/Toxin
  56-63% Seal
  64-70% Sense Magic
  71-77% See Aura
  78-85% Transferal
  86-92% Sleep
  93-00% Create Mummy
  Other Blessings: Prayers to Thoth made at this location 
  (Thoth’s statue is with the pantheon of Light and Dark elsewhere 
  in the Garden) may be heard and answered, however, Thoth and 
  other popular deities seldom find the need to interact much with 
  mortals.
  Heka the Medicine Man
  Heka was once the most powerful wielder of magic in the en-
  tire Pantheon of Light and Dark. Known as a Healer, in ancient 
  times, the offices of Wizard and doctor were one and the same. 
  As part of his studies of the human condition, Heka developed 
  strong magic, and could perform all kinds of miracles and won-
  ders, in addition to his ability to heal the sick – gods and mortals 
  alike.
  Though he was a gifted Healer and spell caster, Heka could 
  not compete with the relentless intellect and spectacle of Thoth, 
  God of Wisdom, or the other more flamboyant gods in the Pan-
  theon. Heka may have explored much of the realm of magic, but 
  when Thoth’s curiosity turned in that direction he was left far 
  behind. Thoth not only learned every spell and secret that Heka 
  had developed and uncovered over thousands of years, he created 
  his own spells and entire forms of magic. Heka found himself left 
  out, pushed aside, and obsolete. His fate is partly his own doing. 
  Heka is a quiet god, not flashy like most members of the Pan-
  theon. He is more concerned with observing, learning and healing 
  than wealth or glory or armies of worshipers. He gets lost in his 
  studies and vanishes from sight for centuries at a time. Not wise 
  
  155
  when trying to keep the attention and worship of fickle and short-
  lived mortals. As a result, Heka’s name was spoken less and less 
  every generation, until all but forgotten except by the most schol-
  arly and religious. Today, as it has been for millennia now, Thoth 
  has become the renowned Master Sorcerer and Scholar Supreme 
  of most magic users, scholars, healers, nobility, merchants and 
  many others who have turned to the clever and powerful Thoth.
  Heka is not forgotten, but is little known except among studi-
  ous like-minded mortals, explorers, doctors, Shamans, Healers 
  and some mages, particularly Diabolists, who continue to wor-
  ship and call upon the deity. This is the only thing that has kept 
  the God of Medicine and Curiosity from vanishing. Thus, though 
  Heka is knowledgeable and powerful in the ways of magic and 
  healing, he is largely lost to the realm he had helped create. A sec-
  ondary figure lost to the shadows in a pantheon of greater gods.
  Heka, the Medicine Man
  Also Known As: Heka the Healer and Heka the Searcher.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A statue of a man with a ceremonial pha-
  raoh’s beard wearing the robes of an ancient Priest of Light. In his 
  hands is a staff made of two intertwined serpents.
  Caretakers: There are a pair of young Priests of Light who 
  find peace and purpose tending to the statue of Heka. They hope 
  to pick up secrets from the old medicine man that cannot be 
  learned from the study of Thoth’s teachings. However, Heka’s 
  magic is old and often primitive compared to that which the 
  world knows today.
  Artifacts of Note: Heka’s Caduceus: A scepter of two snakes 
  winding around a winged scepter. An artifact of great healing 
  power, the Caduceus enables its wielder to can cast the spells 
  Globe of Daylight, Purification, Negate Poison/Toxin, Heal 
  Wounds (Superior: 3D6+12 Hit Points and 2D6 S.D.C.), Cure 
  Minor Disorder, Cure Illness and Remove Curse. Each spell can 
  be used up to three times per 24 hours and are equal to a 10th 
  level Wizard. Morever, whoever wields the Caduceus is impervi-
  ous to disease and all types of Paralysis spells.
  The Caduceus was last heard of in the Timiro Kingdom, where 
  it was in possession of a local lord’s courtly physician. That said, 
  some insist there are actually four Caduceus, but nobody knows 
  where these ancient relics may be found. One was in the hands 
  of a Dwarven leader but both he and the artifact were lost during 
  the Elf-Dwarf War. Another is believed to be held by a cult or a 
  band of pirates somewhere in the Land of the South Winds, and 
  the third is said to have been lost in an expedition to the Great 
  Northern Wilderness, possibly in the Disputed Land.
  Heka’s Ankh of Resurrection: A gold medallion eight inches 
  (20.3 cm) tall, that can be handheld or worn as a piece of jew-
  elry around the neck, as part of a helmet or headdress, or on a 
  belt, or attached to a scepter or staff. The Ankh is a powerful 
  tool of resurrection created ages ago for a Titan warrior who 
  opposed the Old Ones and their minions. The ancient magic 
  embodied within it has greater reach than the fabled Resurrec-
  tion spell. The Ankh can be used to attempt to resurrect indi-
  viduals who have been dead for up to ten years! The chance of 
  success depends on how long the person has been dead. In all 
  cases, whether the resurrection succeeds or the magic fails, it 
  cannot be used again on any individual until a period of time has 
  passed. Nor can the Ankh be tried on the same person more than 
  once. When the magic is successful, the deceased returns to life 
  
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  feeling strong and refreshed as if he had just awakened from a 
  restful sleep. All Hit Points and S.D.C. restored, and there is no 
  trauma, no insanity for having died. In fact there is no memory 
  of the moment of death or the exact cause. (“I remember, be-
  ing charged by the Black Knight, but ... then nothing.” Or, “I 
  remember, falling ...” “There was this burst of light and ... I 
  don’t remember.”)
  Chance of a Successful Resurrection:
  99% chance of success when deceased for up to five weeks, 
  but the Ankh is drained of much energy and cannot be used again 
  to try to resurrect anyone for two months.
  95% chance of success when deceased for up to six months, 
  but whether successful or a failure, the Ankh cannot be used 
  again to resurrect anyone for six months.
  90% chance of success when deceased for up to one year, but 
  whether successful or a failure, the Ankh cannot be used again to 
  resurrect anyone for one year.
  85% chance of success when deceased for up to three years, 
  but the Ankh cannot be used again to resurrect anyone for five 
  years.
  75% chance of success chance of success when deceased for 
  up to six years, but whether successful or a failure, the Ankh can-
  not be used again to resurrect anyone for a decade!
  65% chance of success chance of success when deceased for 
  up to ten years, but whether successful or a failure, the Ankh can-
  not be used again to resurrect anyone for 20 years!
  Note: When in the hands of one of Heka’s Champion of the 
  Gods or a devotee/priest with the purest intentions, add +5% to 
  the rate of success.
  The wielder of the Ankh is also able to magically heal himself 
  or one other person of his choosing in an instant. This can be per-
  formed only twice a year, and instantly and completely restores 
  him: ALL Hit Points and S.D.C., no fatigue, no hunger, and works 
  no matter how severe the injury, provided it was performed while 
  he still had at least one Hit Point. This includes restoring a lost 
  limb, an eye or tongue, and heals internal injuries. The wielder is 
  also impervious to disease so he may tend to the sick, +2 to save 
  vs poison, and +30% to save vs coma. As a weapon, it does 1D6 
  to most opponents, but 1D6x10 damage to animated dead, mum-
  mies, zombies, vampires, and supernatural beings that represent 
  death or the dead.
  Heka’s Ankh of Resurrection is one of the greatest and most 
  sought after of Holy Artifacts in the known world. One is ru-
  mored to be hidden in one of the vaults at the Temple City of 
  Sekti-Abtu, the center of the Church of Light & Dark. The High 
  Priests of the church use the Ankh’s power for themselves and 
  to garner favor from the rich and powerful. When asked about it, 
  they vehemently deny having it, and there are no official records 
  or correspondence to support the rumor.
  Prism of Heka’s Insight: It is said that he who looks through 
  the Prism can See Aura of the person before him and perform 
  a Psychic Diagnosis, both the same as the psionic abilities of 
  the same names. The Prism also reveals to its wielder whether 
  a magic Rune, ward, or circle is active and charged with magic, 
  and provide him with the basic understanding of what it does 
  (protect, sound an alarm, inflict pain, etc.). Likewise, it will re-
  veal an aura that identifies whether or not an item, weapon, scroll, 
  potion, is enchanted and magical though it does not reveal what 
  magic it may be. (“Yep, it’s a magic potion, but I don’t know 
  what it does.”)
  Blessings: Miraculous Healing in the Garden of the Gods: 
  The Caduceus held by the statue of Heka in the Garden of the 
  Gods is able to channel healing energy to anyone Heka chooses 
  to bless with healing, provided the person(s) comes before the 
  god at his statue and makes a plea to be healed. Heka is more 
  impressed if the prayer is for someone else. That someone else 
  can be present or not. If not present, one of the lilies that abound 
  in the area around Heka’s statue all year long, must be taken to 
  the person to be cured and placed upon his forehead. It is said 
  that if the god was touched by the plea to help someone else, 
  the healing magic is conveyed to the person in need. Of course, 
  big miracles such as healing the lame, restoring and awaken-
  ing someone in a coma, giving sight to the blind, and healing 
  incurable or severe disease overnight, are especially rare occur-
  rences, but they can happen. Moreover, they are seldom instant, 
  but rather the person begins to recuperate within 24 hours of 
  receiving the blessing/or being touched by one of the lilies that 
  grow near the statue, and makes a full recovery in one tenth the 
  usual time.
  However, Heka often helps good and noble adventurers and 
  warriors recover 2D6+6 Hit Points/S.D.C., and/or receive the 
  same results as the spell Cure Minor Disorder or Cure Illness 
  spells an hour after the plea was made. Double the healing for 
  practitioners of magic, Psi-Healers, doctors, and shamans of good 
  or selfish alignment, all occupations Heka favors.
  In addition, though the recipient may not realize it at first, 
  those going on a noble quest to rescue people and save lives may 
  be given the following bonuses: +3 to save vs disease, +1 to save 
  vs poison, +10% to save vs coma and death, and heal more quick-
  ly (+3 Hit Points/S.D.C. per period of healing, or per a magical 
  or psionic healing touch). Duration of these bonuses are for the 
  duration of the rescue mission or until the quest is completed or 
  mostly fulfilled.
  Seeds of Healing: A rare physical manifestation in which the 
  Blessed individual receives a gift in the form of a packet of 
  small seeds. When planted, even in the poorest of soil, and wa-
  tered daily, an herb garden grows to full maturity within three 
  days! The herbs include some of the rarest healing plants and 
  roots.
  Skills/Abilities: The Blessed individual temporarily possesses 
  the knowledge of how to use and prepare herbs and plants for me-
  dicinal purposes: Holistic Medicine 85%, Brewing 80%, Biology 
  75% and Identify Plants and Fruits 70% for seven day, double 
  during an outbreak or crisis. More miraculous, there is always 
  just enough herbs to treat everyone in need of them during that 
  period.
  Traveling Doctor: In the legends, Heka was known for travel-
  ing from village to village, curing the sick and healing injuries.
  Bonuses: Impervious to disease, +2 to save vs poison, and +1 
  to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Surgeon/Medical Doctor 80% and the recipi-
  ent of this blessing can correctly diagnose (100%) any disease 
  and sickness, and is able to tend to any wound, injury or illness 
  with perfect care and no adverse complications (no infection, 
  minimal blood loss, minimal scarring, etc.). In addition, penalties 
  and side effects for his patients from illness or injury are half, 
  and recovery happens in one third the usual time. This applies 
  only to treating others. Duration is for the duration of a particular 
  job, quest, or humanitarian mission, or for one month, whichever 
  ends first.
  
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  Mandulis, the Fallen Hawk
  An early cousin of Horus, Mandulis was one of the Pantheon’s 
  minor gods during the aeons of its foundation. He was once a fig-
  ure of justice, serenity, and self-respect, but fell victim to murder 
  and intrigue at the deific level.
  Following the death of Osiris, Horus stepped in to a position 
  of primacy within the Pantheon, alongside Ra and Isis. Mandulis 
  was preparing to accept a greater role within the celestial arrange-
  ment as well, in an effort to counter the dark power of Set and 
  Anubis. One day, however, as Mandulis was flying over the des-
  erts of Ma’ip in the form of a hawk, he heard the voice of Horus 
  calling to him from within an oasis of cool, clear water. Mandulis 
  descended to investigate, and saw a reflection of Horus in the 
  water, entreating him to come closer. Never suspecting it was a 
  trap, fearful that his cousin had fallen victim to some evil magic, 
  Mandulis reached out to Horus – and was pulled under the waters 
  by the snapping jaws of Apepi the Immortal, an evil dragon-beast 
  that had just been made immortal by the power of Set, further tip-
  ping the balance between Light and Dark. Apepi proved his loy-
  alty by killing and consuming Mandulis before he could mature 
  into a true God of the Light, and it would take millennia before 
  Light and Darkness could be brought into harmony once again.
  Since his death in the mortal realm, Mandulis has been ob-
  sessed with the destruction of Apepi the Immortal. He knows 
  that Apepi cannot be permanently killed, and has been slowly 
  exploring the necessary magic that would be required to trap and 
  imprison the evil dragon of Set forever.
  Where once he was a promising champion of good, now Man-
  dulis burns with the need for revenge and seeks one or more 
  Champions of the Gods and other heroes and adventurers to a) 
  harass and if possible, imprison or destroy Apepi, and b) to thwart 
  and undermine the Gods of Dark within the pantheon of Taut, 
  particularly Set, Anubis, Bes the Depraved, and Apepi the Im-
  mortal. In fact, Mandulis would take great delight to have Apepi 
  killed a thousand times over. Madulis wants this more than being 
  restored to the world of mortals with worshipers and churches, 
  but if that will help him exact his revenge, he will do it. (Note: 
  See Dragons and Gods for details about Apepi, the Pantheon of 
  Taut, and many other deities.)
  As a deity that was once good and represented justice, Man-
  dulis still likes to use Paladins, knights, and heroic fighters and 
  adventurers as its Champions, heroes, and minions. The deity has 
  become skilled in making sure their quests sound noble and just, 
  not acts of hatred and revenge. And he has become very good at 
  this. Mandulis retains a code of honor, and his word is his bond. 
  In addition, the god retains a soft-spot for humans, so the inspira-
  tional visions, quests, and guidance really do usually help the in-
  nocent and downtrodden, and destroy evil, they just also happen 
  to foil the plans or directly hurt the deities in the Pantheon of Taut 
  
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  that Manudulis loathes. The deity has no love for the Demons of 
  Hades nor the Deevils of Dyval.
  Alignment: Aberrant evil (was Principled). Mandulis is ob-
  sessed with revenge and is always scheming to undermine the 
  gods of Taut, their church, and their Priests. Sometimes this in-
  cludes the Church of Light and Dark, and even the Gods of Light 
  within the Pantheon because they tolerate the likes of Set, Anubis, 
  Apepi, Bes, and the Tautons. Moreover, Mandulis does not seem 
  to care that he sends scores of Paladins and heroes to their doom 
  on missions against Set, Apepi and the other dark gods. He is too 
  consumed by hate and revenge to care. For him, these warriors 
  are just the casualties of war – his private and quite personal war.
  Statue Description: A statue of a perched hawk with the head 
  of a man.
  Caretakers: None, though Priests and worshipers who come 
  to tend to the Gods of Light and Dark (Mandulis’ statue rests 
  near the Gods of Light), also clean and trim the small garden area 
  around Mandulis.
  Artifacts of Note: Mandulis’ Feathers: The feathers of Man-
  dulis are enchanted items from before his death and fall into dark-
  ness. Originally given as a boon to knights and heroes, the feath-
  ers may be used for good or ill.
  Mandulis’ feathers are the essence of lightness; any heavy ob-
  ject, armor, or cargo that a feather is pinned, glued, or tied to 
  feels like it weighs no more than 20 lbs (9 kg) regardless of its 
  actual weight and size. Moreover, when worn in the hair, in a 
  hat, or as part of a headdress the person wearing the feather can 
  lift and carry (but not throw, nor pull) 1,000 pounds (450 kg) per 
  each P.S. attribute point. Thus, a person with a P.S. of 9 can lift 
  and carry up to 9,000 pounds (4,050 kg); a P.S. of 20 is able to 
  lift 20,000 pounds (9,000 kg), and so on. Burning the feather and 
  breathing in the smoke and fumes turns the ordinary P.S. of one 
  person into Supernatural P.S. for the rest of his life.
  Of more than one hundred feathers given away in the distant 
  past, it is rumored 11 remain, scattered across the south from the 
  Baalgor Wastelands to the Yin-Sloth Jungles and Land of the 
  South Winds. The rest lost or burned over many millennia. One 
  is rumored to be in the hands of a Tezcat Shaman or Chieftain. 
  Another belongs to an unnamed pirate who plunders ships in the 
  south seas and is said to have a secret refuge on one of the Floen-
  ry Islands.
  Headdress of the Hawk: An elaborate headpiece with a pair 
  of ram’s horns, two cobras wrapped around each other and a sun 
  disc in the middle. The Headdress allows the wearer to see with 
  the eyes of the hawk, providing a 180 degree, bird’s-eye view-
  ing perspective as if hovering 200 feet (61 m) above the ground. 
  Using the Headdress, an individual can see up to a distance of 9 
  miles (14.4 km), weather conditions permitting, in all directions, 
  right over the tops of trees and small hills. Weather (fog, rain, 
  snow, etc.,), plant-life and changes in elevation and terrain may 
  block or reduce line of sight, and the perspective is fixed above 
  the character. There is no limitation on amount of use; activated 
  and deactivated at will. Note: The wearer can also see the invis-
  ible and has Nightvision up to 600 feet (183 m).
  There are rumors that the Headdress is the prize possession 
  of a Troll chieftain leading a clan of Ogres and Orcs in the west-
  ern part of the Old Kingdom. He uses it to spot enemies coming 
  before they can sneak up on his war camp, enabling them to set 
  deadly traps and ambush points and lay in wait, and to success-
  fully evade forces too large or powerful for them to handle easily.
  Blessings: Blind Justice: The angry deity preys upon this 
  Blessed individual’s feelings about injustice, cruelty, and ineq-
  uity and encourages the recipient to give in to his righteous anger 
  to destroy such callous slavers, tyrants, and overlords and liberate 
  those kept under their heel.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize the leader of 
  a group as well as harsh, unfair conditions and the downtrod-
  den; +1 to strike when fighting for justice or to liberate people 
  from tyranny, slavery, and evil, and when fueled by righteous 
  anger and/or indignation, the Blessed individual fatigues at half 
  the usual rate, +1 attack per melee round, and inflicts +4 damage 
  in combat. Against Witches and supernatural beings, including 
  Spirits of Light and gods of any alignment, the character inflicts 
  double damage. Note: On the downside, the Blessed individual 
  is ruthless and merciless in combat, and is willing to incur a con-
  siderable amount of collateral damage to destroy the greater evil.
  Skills/Abilities: Heraldry 75%, Military Etiquette 70%, and 
  History 65%.
  Serpent Slayer: The angry deity preys upon this Blessed indi-
  vidual’s hard feelings about evil and monstrous beings such as 
  dragons, sea serpents, Lizard Mages, and other reptilian monsters 
  and deities such as Apepi, Sebek, and serpent gods as well as 
  Tautons and Gargoyles, and destroys them before they hurt more 
  people.
  Bonuses: Impervious to dragon fire and other dragon breath 
  weapons, +3 to save vs magical Petrification, +1 to roll with 
  punch/fall/impact, and +1 to save vs magic.
  Skills/Abilities: Language: Dragonese/Elven 80%, Lore: De-
  mons and Monsters 75%, and inflicts 6D6 damage with a bare 
  fist punch or kick or weapon damage +6D6 but only when fight-
  ing dragons, and reptilian creatures. Note: On the downside, the 
  Blessed individual dislikes and distrusts all reptilian beings and 
  those who worship them, especially dragons. The character tends 
  to be ruthless and merciless in combat, and is willing to incur a 
  considerable amount of collateral damage to destroy the reptilian 
  menace.
  Trick the Wicked: This Blessed individual is often a rogue or 
  trickster willing to bend the rules and deceive others.
  Bonuses: +1 to save vs mind control and possession, and is 
  able to perform Death Trance (self) at will at no P.P.E. cost; equal 
  to a 5th level Wizard.
  Skills/Abilities: Imitate Voices & Impersonations 80%, Ven-
  triloquism 75%, and Disguise 65%. In addition, just as Set used 
  the voice of Horus to trick and lure Mandulis to his death, this 
  blessing allows the recipient to perfectly imitate the voice of Set! 
  This ability can be used to trick and intimidate Tautons and other 
  minions of the Lord of Darkness, including Apepi the Immortal, 
  and can give pause to the gods themselves. Intimidating as is the 
  presence of Set, his imitated voice has a Horror Factor of 12 when 
  the voice is recognized as Set’s.
  Lost Northern Gods
  Despite being shared between humans and Wolfen, two of the 
  most populous groups of peoples upon the Palladium World, the 
  Northern Religion’s high-water mark is years in the past. The 
  people of Bizantium, many of whose ancestors followed the 
  Northern Pantheon of Od, now primarily worship Algor, a god 
  who broke away from the pantheon and now exists apart from its 
  
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  other deities, rarely interacting with them. Other churches have 
  prominence within Timiro, Land of the South Winds, the East-
  ern Territory, the Western Empire, and the ever changing Old 
  Kingdom. Ragnarok never came, and with its passing, much of 
  the apocalyptic preaching of the Northern Church lost its life-or-
  death immediacy. Odguard is a fierce realm of warriors and fro-
  zen fields, and the mortals of the Palladium World would rather 
  pray for bountiful harvests and safe voyages upon the sea than a 
  heroic death amidst fire and steel. Thus, even the Northern Gods 
  are likely to be abandoned and forgotten over the next millen-
  nium or two. Some already are, and even their rediscovering in 
  the Garden is likely to have little significance.
  Blekyimr & Rilkyemb,
  The Lupine Twins
  Once infamous troublemakers, a shame upon Odguard, Ble-
  kyimr and Rilkyemb are a set of twins, son and daughter of Od, 
  but born of a human woman. When Epim discovered that Od had 
  secretly brought them to Odguard to be raised as demigods, she 
  cursed the children, and they were cast aside to the icy wilderness 
  to be raised by wolves.
  The boy and girl grew up as savages, stealing and raiding, 
  and causing mischief among the other gods and inhabitants of 
  the realm. They became known for stealing newborn babes both 
  in Odguard and the mortal realm, raising and turning them into 
  thieves and pickpockets before sending them back into the world 
  tattooed with strange symbols and weakened to the suggestions 
  of evil beings.
  The two wolf-children became so troublesome their own fa-
  ther was forced to hunt them down. Od’s lightning struck twice 
  from the sky, and the errant demigods were scorched from the 
  realm of Odguard. They were able to manifest again within the 
  mortal realm for a time, and caused much mayhem among the 
  early Wolfen. Finally, their names were wiped from the records 
  of the Northern Pantheon, their meager worshipers dwindled to 
  virtually none, and their days were numbered. Soon the twins 
  slipped away from the physical realm and were forgotten, until 
  the last remaining visages of them were recently unearthed in the 
  Garden of the Gods.
  Alignment: Miscreant (Blekyimr) and Diabolic (Rilkyemb). 
  Both are creatures of cruelty and chaos, and have no honor.
  Statue Description: A pair of apparently-floating statues that 
  appear to be swimming or flying in a circle, one following after 
  the other. There are pedestals beneath them that support the stat-
  ues, but they are of dark rock and difficult to see at first. Blekyimr 
  is a young man with a face of blank, expressionless obsidian, 
  Rilkyemb a young woman with a simple face of blank alabaster. 
  Their bodies are nude and formless.
  Caretakers: None, though sometimes hooded figures are 
  seen in the night offering up prayer or sacrifice to the dark twins. 
  Coyles may also find the savage and cruel twins to be worthy of 
  their worship, but few Coyles ever venture to Lopan.
  Artifacts of Note: Blekyimr’s Pendant: A sign of divine birth, 
  this pendant has an image of Od on one side and the image of 
  
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  a human woman on the other. It is cast from black metal, and 
  enables the bearer to become invisible during the night for up to 
  thirty minutes at a time. It can be used twice per night, and does 
  not work during the day. The pendant is supposedly somewhere 
  in the Wolfen Empire, near the Disputed Lands.
  Rilkyemb’s Pendant: A mirror of Blekyimr’s Pendant, only 
  cast from gleaming white metal. The bearer can turn invisible 
  twice per day, for up to thirty minutes at a time. Does not work 
  during the night. This pendant was said to be in the possession of 
  a Wizard on the Island of Phi who was studying it to try to learn 
  its magic secrets, though this rumor is from years ago.
  Blessings: Evil Tidings: The Blessed individual is usually a 
  trickster, con artist/thief, assassin, slaver, or someone who has 
  foul intentions. It is said that anyone consumed with jealousy, 
  anger, hate or vengeance and stops to linger or pray in the garden 
  of the statues of the twins will be inspired with a way to exact 
  revenge, often by striking at the target of their ire by stealing or 
  hurting their children, spouse, friends, or reputation, or through 
  murder and wickedness.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls involving revenge and in-
  flicting suffering, +1D4 to M.A. attribute, and double damage 
  from an attack from behind or surprise.
  Skills/Abilities: Escape Artist 65%, Track Humanoids 70%, 
  and Use & Recognize Poison 75%.
  Wolf’s Call: The Blessed individual is encouraged to give 
  vent to the savagery he has tried to keep locked up inside. Not 
  even loyal to his “wolf pack,” i.e. teammates or people, he or 
  she is ruthless and without mercy in combat, and believes in the 
  law of the jungle, the strong takes what they want and do as they 
  please. They are the Alpha dog or the wolf in sheep’s clothing 
  hiding among the flock (other adventurers or heroes).
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize team leaders 
  and subservient henchmen and minions, +1D4 to P.S. and +1D6 
  to Spd attributes.
  Skills/Abilities: Animal Husbandry 65%, Breed Dogs and 
  Wilderness Survival 80%. Raised by wolves, the twins are flu-
  ent in the language of animal howls and calls, including wolves, 
  coyotes, Perytons, Gryphons, the canine races, and other wild 
  animals of the North, and are able to imitate them to evoke fear 
  or to call such beasts to them. The Blessed individual is also able 
  to communicate with wolves and dogs with a proficiency of 65%, 
  and understand and speak Wolfen at a proficiency of 85%.
  Colni Axetree
  The feller of trees, Colni is the patron god of woodcutters 
  and axemen. Despite the necessity of his craft, he was always 
  a secondary god compared to warriors and smiths, huntresses 
  and deific royalty. As part of his worship, churches, shrines and 
  monuments to Colni were only ever constructed of wood, and as 
  a result, did not stand the test of time compared to the idols and 
  places of worship of the other gods. Generation after generation, 
  his followers stopped rebuilding the shrines of Colni, and gradu-
  ally he was forgotten.
  In his time, he walked through the forests of Odguard and 
  fought many mythic beasts in his travels. His greatest exploit was 
  the defeat of a legendary Will-o-the-Wisp known for grabbing 
  travelers off a path and devouring them whole. Colni won the 
  battle and chopped the tree into logs and boards, building a liv-
  ing cabin for himself that serves as his home in Odguard. The 
  
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  cabin is still there, and still alive, but Colni’s whereabouts are 
  unknown. Presumed to be off exploring or on a grand adventure. 
  Since his statue was uncovered in the Garden of the Gods, it has 
  attracted a great many visitors because it is the only one made of 
  petrified wood. Druids, Rangers, hunters, woodsmen and certain 
  forest people like the Kankoran and Bearmen, but not the warlike 
  Coyles or Wolfen, are attracted to the statue and his garden area, 
  surrounded by tall trees.
  Alignment: Unprincipled with leanings toward Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A stern, bearded, bald human figure 
  holding a large woodcutter’s axe before him, seemingly carved 
  out of a single standing tree. The wood has clearly been chipped 
  and whittled away, with rough-hewn edges, yet is hard as stone 
  and never ages or molds.
  Caretakers: A woodsman named Helig, formerly of Bizan-
  tium’s Shadow Coast, watches over Colni’s statue and visits al-
  most every evening. He converses with the god frequently, but 
  as a simple woodcutter, there is little he can do to spread Colni’s 
  name back to the outside world.
  Artifacts of Note: The Druid’s Axe: This enchanted, single 
  blade axe can coax the forest into giving up its lumber with-
  out ever harming a single tree. Two times per 24 hours the axe 
  can magically create three cords of firewood (enough for a cold 
  night) or magically conjure a log cabin that lasts for 12 hours, 
  enough to weather most storms. Three times per 24 hours, the 
  spell Extinguish Fire may be cast equal to a 10th level Wizard, 
  and the wielder, like the indestructible artifact, is impervious 
  to fire.
  As a weapon, the magic axe inflicts 2D6 damage to most op-
  ponents, but 1D6x10 damage to Earth Elementals and beings 
  made of wood. In addition, one time per 24 hours, the axe can fell 
  24 saplings the thickness of a human’s leg in a single cut, or 12 
  full grown trees four times as thick as a typical human with three 
  chops of the Druid’s Axe. Any tree cut down by the magical axe 
  gives birth to a new tree that regrows to the size it was when it 
  was cut down in one quarter the normal time and onward at its 
  normal pace. It can also cut through any chain forged by mortals 
  in a single chop (chain mail armor suffers double damage against 
  this blade).
  The axe was last known to be somewhere on one of Bizan-
  tium’s lesser islands, but has since disappeared. According to 
  popular rumor it was taken by a sect of Druids to someplace in 
  the Great Northern Wilderness where it and Colni Axetree are 
  worshiped.
  The Woodsman’s Ally: This enchanted axe is made entirely 
  of wood, yet its blade is as strong and sharp as any made of steel. 
  Three times per 24 hours, the Woodsman’s Ally can fell a tree 
  with a single blow, no matter the strength or skill of the person 
  who holds it, or the size of the tree. Note: The magic only works 
  on normal trees, nothing magic, enchanted, or supernatural, but 
  can cut right through a sapling or an ancient oak with the same 
  amount of ease.
  As a weapon, the magic artifact inflicts 2D6 damage and can 
  be thrown up to 100 feet (30.5 m), and return to it owner. It also 
  makes its wielder impervious to fire, find water (Dowsing 75%), 
  and able to float on the surface of water as long as he has the axe 
  in his possession; the magical wooden axe floats.
  The Woodsman’s Ally is supposedly in the hands of a Kan-
  koran (some say a Bearman) somewhere near the Disputed 
  Lands.
  Blessings: Forestwalker: Colni was known for his ability to 
  move through woodlands without disturbing the plants or wild-
  life and grants the recipient the ability to do the same.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls involving the forest and 
  travel through it to find game animals, follow trails and avoid its 
  pitfalls, +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact, and +10% to survive 
  coma and death.
  Skills/Abilities: Land Navigation 80%, Track and Trap An-
  imals 75%, Wilderness Survival 70%, and the ability to move 
  silently through wooded terrain (equivalent of Prowl 75% in 
  woodland environments only, zero indoors, in cities, and under-
  ground; those that already have Prowl receive a bonus of +20% in 
  woodlands). Moreover, animals will not run at the sight or scent 
  of the character, allowing him to move through herds, flocks, or 
  other groups without causing them to flee unless he attacks one of 
  them; making hunting extremely simple as well.
  Woodworker: The Blessed individual discovers he or she has 
  an affinity for working with wood and can do so in half the time 
  as trained professionals!
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize distressed and 
  rotting wood, and flimsy construction.
  Skills/Abilities: Boat Building 75%, Carpentry 80%, Sculpt-
  ing & Whittling 70%, all performed in half the usual time, and is 
  able to tell the quality of wooden materials and finished products 
  65%.
  Varde the Mason
  Long ago, Varde was one of the Northern Pantheon’s most 
  illustrious gods, a warrior defender of the Realm and builder of 
  walls and castles. His fortified edifices dotted Odguard, tow-
  ers and redoubts, long curtain walls and endless aqueducts that 
  stretched off over the horizon. Determined to prove the full mag-
  nitude of his power and wisdom to defend against any assault, 
  Varde found a mountain at the center of Odguard populated by 
  hordes of hostile, barbarian Dwarven tribes and flocks of furious 
  dragons, and there laid down the cornerstone of what would be 
  his ultimate fortress. It took centuries to build, but Varde man-
  aged to complete his vision, despite the enemies he had to drive 
  away as he laid every single brick. For what seemed like eternity, 
  the Stronghold of Varde held against the attackers that crashed 
  against it like waves, part of the land, a natural feature of the 
  defense.
  Varde’s followers poured arrows and catapult stones down 
  in all directions, in defense of the walls and towers supposed to 
  be unassailable. His determined enemies proved too much for 
  even the god of castles, however, and the “ultimate fortress” he 
  constructed, built of pride as much as anything else, eventually 
  succumbed to the endless siege of tunneling Dwarves and drag-
  ons raining fire and magic from the sky. Varde’s castle tumbled 
  down around him, his followers slaughtered, and with it all, his 
  pride and power. Humiliated and ashamed of his own hubris, 
  Varde became a broken vagabond doomed to wander Odguard 
  forever and alone, away from anyone who might count on him 
  for protection.
  Never to build a fortress again, and finding himself to be un-
  worthy of followers, Varde has slowly faded from the hearts and 
  minds of mortals. Existing as a hermit and beggar only in Od-
  guard. The ancient fortresses in the Palladium World that bear 
  his name upon their cornerstones and foundations are all very 
  
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  old, and stonemasons no longer say prayers to Varde as they lay 
  down castle walls.
  Alignment: Unprincipled.
  Statue Description: Varde’s statue is a mystery. At first 
  glance, it appears to be a warrior in full plate armor, standing 
  with his arms crossed, a large, two-handed hammer in hand. One 
  blinks, however, and the warrior is suddenly replaced by a min-
  iature castle’s tower. Blink again and the warrior is back. No one 
  is certain which form is a more honest representation of Varde.
  Caretakers: There are four Lopani stonemasons who know 
  the deity’s past and regularly visit his statue in the Garden of 
  the Gods as a source of inspiration for their own work. None 
  of them near the Garden, however, but at least one makes a pil-
  grimage from southern Lopan on a monthly basis to tend to the 
  place. These masons know the secrets of Varde, have learned his 
  history, and their own projects have benefitted greatly from the 
  advice of the master. At least one castle in southern Lopan is built 
  atop blocks inscribed with the name of Varde.
  Artifacts of Note: The Iron Cloak: This garment looks like 
  any normal hooded cloak, though it is fine material and has the 
  name of Varde stitched along its borders. It weighs next to noth-
  ing, and grows or shrinks to accommodate the size and proportion 
  of its wearer. The magical cloak offers the same protection as 
  solid plate armor: A.R. 17 and an S.D.C. of 200, except the Iron 
  Cloak magically regenerates in 24 hours after losing S.D.C. or 
  being completely destroyed! The cloak was stolen from one of 
  Varde’s champions years ago by Goblins and is said to adorn the 
  shoulders of a Goblin king in the Old Kingdom. Another story 
  agrees the Cloak was stolen by Goblins, but now protects a cruel 
  Ogre warlord in the Old Kingdom. Neither possibility sits well 
  with Varde.
  Varde’s Hammer: A large, two-handed sledgehammer, its 
  head inlayed with silver Runes and mystic symbols. The hammer 
  is of considerable weight and heft, so only a person with a P.S. of 
  20 or greater can handle it as tool or weapon (all others can barely 
  lift it and are -3 to strike, parry, and disarm when trying to use it). 
  Though always a large two-handed weapon, it magically shrinks 
  or grows to be the proportional size for its wielder.
  As a weapon, Varde’s Hammer inflicts 3D6 damage to most 
  mortal opponents, 6D6 to creatures of magic such as dragons and 
  stone walls, and 1D6x10 damage to Earth Elementals, Golems, 
  and other magical or supernatural stone or earth beings.
  Twice per 24 hours the wielder of Varde’s Hammer can also 
  cast the following Elemental spells: Crumble Stone, Mend Stone, 
  and Travel Through Stone, without P.P.E. cost. Equal in duration 
  and strength to a 10th level Warlock.
  Blessings: Humility: Varde often recognizes the arrogance 
  and blinding pride that once existed in himself, in others, espe-
  cially among Paladins, Knights and bold adventurers. From time 
  to time, he reaches out and tries to warn mortals not to follow in 
  his footsteps with visions of his greatest failure and clues about 
  danger or challenges they may face in the near future. The de-
  ity encourages them to always do their best, but to never believe 
  they are infallible. To accept that as brave and capable and well-
  intended as they may be, there is always an enemy that is better 
  or more cunning, or more determined than they. That someday, 
  they will face defeat and innocent people shall pay the price for 
  it. That there are things worse than death.
  Though he cannot yet find it in his own heart to forgive him-
  self, Varde encourages others to try to be prepared for failure and 
  
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  loss, and to forgive themselves for when it befalls them, and to 
  get back up and stand for what’s right and to help those in need. 
  But to so with humility and empathy toward those they battle 
  as well as those they protect, and that the protection of the in-
  nocent is more important than their reputation or the acquisition 
  of power.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize when the 
  Blessed individual or his choices or actions are putting others in 
  danger or jeopardizing a greater good/cause, as well as when oth-
  ers are putting their ego or politics before the welfare of others. 
  This awareness enables the Blessed individual to stop himself 
  and right the course, or to try to intervene when someone else in a 
  position of authority is making that mistake. With a little luck, he 
  can prevent the person from making a terrible mistake that costs 
  lives. In addition, the Blessed individual is +1 on initiative, +1 to 
  disarm and entangle, +1 to pull punch, and +1 to roll with punch/
  fall/impact.
  A blessing and a curse, the Blessed individual is also given 
  the gift of the psychic ability Empathy. Empathy may be per-
  formed at will at no I.S.P. cost to the Blessed, however, it often 
  engages on its own whenever the Blessed is around frightened or 
  suffering people regardless of their race or which side they are 
  aligned. Empathy is intended to help the Blessed individual relate 
  to people and learn to be compassionate and wise, and most of all, 
  to prevent the hero from making the same mistakes of pride and 
  overconfidence he did.
  Skills/Abilities: General Repair 80% and Masonry 75%.
  Varde’s Protection: As a warrior god of defense, Varde still 
  likes to champion warriors, adventurers, and those going up 
  against impossible odds.
  Bonuses: +2 to P.S. attribute, +1 to parry and dodge, +2 to roll 
  with punch/impact, and +1 attack/action per melee round when 
  battling evil or protecting the innocent or downtrodden.
  Skills/Abilities: Camouflage 75%, Field Armorer 70%, Rec-
  ognize Weapon Quality 65%, and W.P. Shield.
  The Mason’s Patron: The deity still represents masons and 
  stone workers, including artisans who work in stone, and from 
  time to time bestows inspiration and/or his blessing upon them.
  Bonuses: +15% bonus to the skills Art, Masonry, and Sculpt-
  ing & Whittling, and +10% to related building skills such as 
  Ropeworks, Mathematics: Basic, General Repair, Carpentry, and 
  Boat Building to launch or finish their current project.
  Skills/Abilities (special): The extra abilities to recognize 
  flawed stone and weaknesses in existing walls and foundations 
  of any stone structure and fortifications 75%; and the ability to 
  recognize the best quality stone 80%.
  Ordogir of the Long-Lance
  Ordogir, the Warrior of the Long-Lance, was a patron god 
  of pikemen and the master of the lance and pole arms. He was 
  known in legend as a slayer of dragons and giants, and many 
  warriors would offer up prayers to him before facing down a cav-
  alry charge or standing their own in a phalanx or shield wall. In 
  many battles, Ordogir fought alongside Od and Hoknar, Heim 
  and Wolvenar. He ate at the table of the gods and atop his banner 
  were the skulls of three infamous dragons. These trophies would 
  be his downfall, however.
  Legend has it that while Ordogir slept, the three dragon 
  skulls awoke, bewitched by the magic from an unknown as-
  
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  sailant whose identity was never determined. Some believe an 
  envious Loknar was behind the attack. Others a vengeful Sty-
  phon the Black of Dragonwright. Whoever was behind the dark 
  magic, the dragon skulls came to life and bit the fabled warrior 
  into dozens of pieces from the ankles up in a grisly spectacle. 
  Upon discovery of the crime scene, the skulls covered in blood 
  and gore, Hoknar smashed the three skulls into a thousand piec-
  es, but it was too late to save mighty Ordogir. He gathered the 
  remain in a sack and took them the All Mother Epim to try to 
  resurrect the fallen deity slain in such a treacherous and un-
  fair manner. However, the resurrection of a god in the Deific 
  Realm is never an easy matter, not even for a deity as powerful 
  as Epim. The grieving All Mother consulted with Locknar (an 
  unfortunate turn of Fate if he was the one responsible for the 
  unsolved murder), and together worked magic that is said to 
  have kept a spark of Ordogir alive. Nestled in a garden within 
  a forest in the mortal realm, away from civilization. A land that 
  would one day become known as Lopan.
  Supposedly, the magic worked that day fused the fate of Or-
  dogir with the dragon skulls that destroyed him, and yes, that 
  was Locknar’s doing. The day each skull is reassembled, they 
  will transform into Ordogir and he will immediately manifest 
  once again within Odguard, whole and fully restored. Putting 
  the puzzle pieces of the skulls back together is the most expedi-
  tious means to restore the deity. One problem, the remains of 
  the smashed skulls disappeared before Epim or Hoknar could 
  retrieve them. Presumably, gathered and taken away by the per-
  petrator or an accomplice, so there would be no evidence. Until 
  the skulls can be found and put together, Ordogir is slowly re-
  generating, like a person healing while in an induced coma, but 
  it will take many eons for him to be fully restored. Recovering 
  the shattered skull fragments is the only way to bring the deity 
  back quickly.
  Alignment: Unprincipled leaning toward Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: The statue of Ordogir is seated in a 
  place of prominence atop a pedestal, both rendered from white 
  limestone. He holds a pole arm with an unusual spear head in 
  his left hand and his foot rests atop the skull of a dragon he has 
  slain.
  Caretakers: None dedicated to him alone. Sometimes war-
  riors or devotees to the Pantheon of Northern Gods visit Ordogir 
  and tend to the upkeep of his garden when stopping by to pay 
  their respects and see the imposing statue.
  Artifacts of Note: The Sacred Spearpoint: A lost speartip, 
  cast from a single piece of iron ore, was once part of one of Or-
  dogir’s weapons that broke in combat. The loose Sacred Spear-
  point is small enough (the size of a man’s hand) to fit inside 
  most large pockets, pouches, purses, medium sacks, or back-
  packs.
  When placed at the end of any length of wood, whether it be 
  a club, stick, tree branch, broom or axe handle or well-crafted 
  spear shaft, the Sacred Spearpoint instantly adheres to it and the 
  shaft transforms in length to a full-sized, 16 foot (4.9 m) long 
  pike.
  Damage: 3D6+2 damage to mortal enemies, 6D6+4 damage 
  direct to the Hit Points of dragons, sea serpents, and giants, and 
  1D6x10+6 damage direct to the Hit Points of supernatural gi-
  ants, serpents and worms, including Worms of Taut, Serpent 
  Lion, Sand Worm, Naga Deevil, and the Serpent Greater Deevil, 
  as well as serpent deities!
  Bonuses: In addition, the wielder is +1 to strike, +2 to parry 
  and +2 to disarm with the weapon, and once every 24 hours, the 
  wielder is bestowed with an additional 50 Hit Points when he 
  needs them most. This is an automatic defense mechanism that 
  engages whether the character calls for them or not before he 
  is slain. 150 Hit Points when battling a dragon or giant, 450 Hit 
  points when fighting a Greater supernatural serpent or god of 
  dragons and/or giants.
  When such a lengthy weapon is not needed or gets in the way 
  due to is length/size, the owner may remove the Sacred Spear-
  point as if it pops right off and on (it does), but only he can do 
  so. Likewise, if the weapon should break, the Sacred Spearpoint 
  separates from the broken shaft and can be recovered to be used 
  again. As a result, most canny warriors carry a wooden staff or 
  cane and when a larger, more deadly weapon is needed, places 
  the blade on it to activate the transformation.
  Note: When the Sacred Spearpoint is used by a Gladi-
  ator, Paladin, Knight, Cavalryman, or any horseman with 
  a war steed, the weapon becomes a lance (same damage as 
  above). If the Gladiator, Knight, horseman is on foot, the Sa-
  cred Speartip may turn into one of the following pole arms, a 
  Lucerne Hammer, Glaive, Halberd, Saber Halberd or the pike 
  as described above, whichever the skilled warrior prefers, but 
  damage is always the same. For any other O.C.C., including 
  Mercenary Fighter and Ranger to Thief or peasant, the weapon 
  is always a pike.
  It is rumored there are at least three such ancient and magi-
  cal Sacred Speartips. One of which is said to be in the capable 
  hands of the Western Empire’s greatest gladiator champion, 
  Shahhall, who steps into the arena armed with only a dagger 
  and a wooden staff. He surprises his enemies and thrills the au-
  dience by turning the staff into a pike or pole arm to slay his 
  opponents.
  Blessings: Ordogir still reaches out to knights, paladins and 
  cavalry men as well as slayers of giants and dragons, from his 
  dream state and into their dreams to inspire, encourage and some-
  times to bless.
  Confounding Reach: When pitted against a much larger en-
  emy, the Blessed individual is able to dart and weave in and out 
  to get in close to strike with conventional weapons, fists or kicks 
  without penalty due to his own small stature
  Bonuses: +2 to strike with handheld or thrown weapon, +1 
  to dodge without loss of a melee attack and +1 to save vs magic 
  and dragon breath weapons whenever fighting giants and drag-
  ons. Unafraid of giants and dragons, no Horror Factor appli-
  cable.
  Skills/Abilities: W.P. Staff, W.P. Pole Arm, and once every 24 
  hours is able to cast the spell Size of the Behemoth without P.P.E. 
  cost, equal to an 8th level Wizard.
  Inspiration to Fight: Ordogir also visits warriors and would-
  be heroes and Champions in their dreams to inspire them to join 
  a noble cause or take up arms against evil in all its forms, but 
  especially to slay wicked giants, dragons, and larger than human-
  sized monsters. Sadly, this would include Wolfen, Bearmen, and 
  other beings eight feet (2.4 m) or taller.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls regarding giants and drag-
  ons, +10% to Track Humanoids when they are giants or dragons 
  (or a base skill of 50%), and +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact.
  Skills/Abilities: Horsemanship: General 75%, Lore: Demons 
  & Monsters 70%, and W.P. Pole Arm or Spear.
  
  165
  Lost Elf Gods
  The Elves are one of the eldest races on the Palladium World, 
  and the gods they worship have changed and evolved over the 
  ages. There are many deities who were once sacred to millions of 
  Elves, but whose followers have dwindled away throughout time 
  and who no longer enjoy the power or presence they once had. 
  Elves were the first mortals to discover the Garden of the Gods, 
  oh so long ago, and there are many Elven myths and tales from 
  ancient times that reference it. While some human kingdoms and 
  religions may try to suppress knowledge of the Garden and the 
  gods within it, most Elves know of the Garden from childhood 
  stories, and there are many Elven pilgrims who brave the Great 
  Inland Sea to visit the Garden and commune with deities both 
  known and thought forgotten. Boats bearing Elves on their way to 
  Lopan are common between the shores of the Old Kingdom and 
  the island itself. (Note: All Elves have the equivalent of Lore: 
  Garden of the Gods, but at a skill rate of only 10%, to reflect the 
  amount of rumor, misinformation and interpretation that has been 
  added to the truth over the passage of time.)
  Ylandris of the Crescent Moon
  For ancient Elves, Ylandris was one half of the pair of lovers 
  Ylandris and Ryael, both skilled warriors and explorers. Ylandris 
  was the crescent moon and Ryael the full moon, and together 
  their love lit up the night sky. They played their part in the celes-
  tial order of the New Kingdom for thousands of years, until the 
  tumultuous events of the Elf-Dwarf War tore them apart.
  Though Ryael was a peaceful god, his name was invoked 
  many times during the war as warriors waited for the full moon 
  and prayed for him to guide their night attacks. The full moon 
  had once been a symbol of tranquility, a way to enjoy the night, 
  but during the bloody heights of the war it became a portent of 
  fear. Dwarves and Elves closed their windows and barred their 
  doors on nights of a full moon, not for fear of werebeasts, but of 
  the raiding parties and ambushers who would, guided by the light 
  of the moon, slip into the night to strike at each other’s forts and 
  slaughter their enemy, starting with the slashing of the sentries’ 
  throats.
  Though Ylandris did everything she could to prevent it, Ryael 
  gradually became twisted by this change in worship. Once a deity 
  of love and peace, fighting only to defend the realm, he trans-
  formed into a brutal and vengeful warrior god, cold, silent, and 
  foreign to mercy. Where once he was half of a pair of carefree 
  lovers, now he shunned Ylandris and sought only to murder and 
  battle the hated Dwarven enemy and their allies.
  Ylandris never recovered from her lover becoming consumed 
  by hate and driven by boiling fury. For the last thousand years 
  of the Elf-Dwarf War, the crescent moon hung blood red in the 
  sky, painted by her divine sorrow. A capable and heroic warrior, 
  herself, she began to try to inspire both sides to find a way back to 
  peaceful coexistence. However, the bloodshed was so relentless 
  and terrible that Ylandris often worked in secret to foil raids and 
  save innocent civilians, women, and children from the insanity 
  unleashed by both sides in the conflict. So much senseless killing 
  and destruction, it made Ylandris want to fade away and leave it 
  all behind. When the Elf-Dwarf War finally came to an end, she 
  did just that. Unable to look at Elf or Dwarf without heartbreak 
  
  166
  and sorrow, Ylandris went silent and disappeared, abandoning 
  her followers and her deific duties. In short order, she was for-
  gotten, most of her shrines and temples already destroyed in the 
  war or torn down in shame due to her close association with the 
  bloodthirsty and reviled Ryael.
  Alignment: Principled.
  Statue Description: An Elf maiden looking sadly down at the 
  ground, with a disc behind her inscribed with a large crescent 
  moon.
  Caretakers: None. Sometimes visiting Elves help look after 
  her resting place, but the aura of sadness around Ylandris drives 
  most people away. In most cases it is the deity who inspires mor-
  tals, but in this case, it is the god who needs to find inspiration 
  and hope from mortals. Until then, she tearfully watches from the 
  shadows, still too crestfallen to resume her place as a deity to be 
  respected and worshiped.
  Artifacts of Note: Crescent Axe: A weapon that Ylandris took 
  from Ryael in a futile attempt to dissuade him from becoming a 
  god of blood and vengeance. The blade is a red crescent moon 
  with otherworldly sharpness. The indestructible Holy Weapon 
  inflicts 5D6 damage, is +3 to strike and parry at night, gives the 
  wielder perfect nightvision, and can cast the spells Sense Traps 
  and Invisibility: Simple up to three times per night, but only at 
  night. One legend suggests the Crescent Axe is someplace within 
  the Garden where Ylandris hid it long ago within the dense forest, 
  never imagining it would be turned into the Garden of the Gods.
  Blessings: Heart of the Hero: The Blessed individual finds the 
  courage to do what is right and remain true to himself and his 
  cause, no matter how scared and tempted he may be to do other-
  wise. Nor does the character become bitter or hardened by war 
  and cruelty. Somehow, he is able to maintain his sense of right 
  and wrong, compassion, and commitment to the people counting 
  on him.
  Bonuses: +1D4 to M.A. and +1 to M.E., and people find the 
  character to be dashing and heroic for the duration of the Bless-
  ing. +2 to damage, +1 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, +2 to save vs 
  disease and poison, +1 to save vs possession and Horror Factor, 
  and +20% to save vs coma and death.
  Skill/Ability (special): Heraldry 80%, Lore: Demons & Mon-
  sters 75%, Rope Works 70%, Dance 65%, and people find the 
  Blessed individual to be trustworthy and admirable.
  Lonely Heart: This Blessing is usually given to someone who 
  has experienced a great loss, usually the loss of a lover or the 
  death of a loved one such as a dear friend, spouse, parent, close 
  family member, teammate, mentor, etc., but it may be the loss of 
  a kingdom/homeland/village, people who had counted on his pro-
  tection, or a reputation and position important to the individual. 
  The Blessing is intended to help the person, a) to find some mea-
  sure of acceptance and peace so he or she can move forward, and 
  with that peace, a sense of hope to continue onward, b) to find a 
  shared commonality and empathy for others who have endured 
  similar loss, and c) to be kind to others and practice compassion 
  and mercy when it is deserved.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize when another 
  person(s) is suffering from a broken heart and loss, and the ability 
  to empathize and reach that person in words and deeds, and +1 to 
  parry and entangle.
  Skills/Abilities: First Aid 65%, Intelligence 70%, Public 
  Speaking 75%, and the ability to understand and relate to others 
  who are suffering from a broken heart or the loss of a person, 
  people or place precious to them. This connection enables the 
  Blessed individual to be heard and for him to be seen as a kindred 
  spirit who understands their sorrow and state of mind. As such, 
  the Blessed individual is regarded as someone they can trust, and 
  whose advice or request should be considered, as well as being 
  someone they can confide in. The latter may lead the disenfran-
  chised, sorrowful, and mournful to share information and help the 
  Blessed individual.
  The openness and sincerity of the Blessed individual may 
  even be enough to talk someone out of hurting or killing another 
  person in anger or revenge, or from committing suicide or com-
  mitting a crime. The Blessed individual and the other character 
  both roll a D20. The high roll wins. So if the Blessed individual’s 
  roll is higher than the other person, he has managed to convince 
  the suicidal, hate-filled, vengeful, or desperate character to give 
  up his plans and go home to grieve or to lay down his sword and 
  leave. +2 bonus to the Blessed individual if he promises to per-
  sonally see to it justice is served via proper the channels, or that 
  he shall deliver the just revenge.
  If the other character’s roll is higher, he wins, and ignores the 
  Blessed individual’s plea and moves forward with his revenge 
  scheme, murder, or crime.
  Win or lose, this persuasion roll can be performed only one 
  time per 24 hours and only on one specific person at a time.
  If the person’s lust for revenge and bloodletting is fueled by 
  the Bloody Vengeance Blessing (see Ryael, below), the vengeful 
  character is +3 to save. If the hate-filled or vengeful character 
  fails to save, he stays his the hand for the moment while he con-
  siders the appeal made by the lonely heart. Roll against that num-
  ber again 24 hours later. If the character consumed by Bloody 
  Vengeance fails to save a second time, he gives up his plan for 
  retribution and either seeks a more just and fair punishment via 
  the proper authorities or lets go of his hate entirely and moves on 
  without further incident.
  Power of Love: The Blessing provides additional commitment 
  to fight and sacrifice for those you love without losing the capa-
  bility to be merciful and kind. A renewed energy and commit-
  ment when fighting to save a loved one or dear friend, or a cause 
  the Blessed individual strongly believes in.
  Bonuses (conditional): +2 to P.S., +20 S.D.C., +1 attack per 
  melee round, +1 to strike and disarm, +2 to damage, fatigues 
  at half the usual rate, and is impervious to Horror Factor, but 
  ONLY when fighting to save or protect a loved one, dear friend, 
  or someone or a cause the Blessed individual cares about deeply, 
  and cannot be mind controlled, charmed, possessed, and forced to 
  harm that person or people.
  Skills and Abilities: Escape Artist 75%, Surveillance 70%, 
  and Swimming (or Acrobatics, whichever is needed) 65%, and 
  can tell when a loved one or friend is in trouble even if the person 
  tries to deny it, 95%.
  Sacred Pairing (special): This blessing creates a mystic bond 
  between two lovers or non-romantic best friends. As a result, 
  each can read the other’s thoughts and emotions like an open 
  book, and each understands the other in a profound way. The 
  Sacred Pair support each other and give each other strength and 
  courage to persevere and survive anything together.
  Bonuses (conditional): Each is +1 on Perception Rolls (all), 
  +3 on Perception Rolls that involve trying to tip off or leave a 
  clue or warning for the other that only they will recognize as 
  such, +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, parry and dodge, +1 to pull 
  
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  punch and roll with punch/fall/impact, +1 on all saving throws, 
  +2 to save vs Horror Factor, +5% skill bonus, and increase Spd 
  by 20% to reach each other when in need, but ONLY when they 
  fight at each other’s side or back to back as a team/pair, or when 
  trying to get to/rescue/help the other! The two work together like 
  a well oiled machine.
  Skills and Abilities: The strength of two: When one beseeches 
  the other to resist or fight disease, magic, mind control, illusion, 
  possession, or Horror Factor/fear, the other is motivated and in-
  spired to try again and try harder to do so. This results in a re-roll 
  to save with a +3 bonus. They can even fight death (+40% to 
  save vs coma and death and recover in half the time!), and when 
  locked in combat and fighting side by side or back to back against 
  a common enemy or fighting to protect the other, they get the 
  bonuses noted above.
  One cannot be forced to betray or harm the other. Not through 
  lies, manipulation, illusion, possession, nor via magic or psionics 
  of any kind. If one of the pair seems to have done so, the other 
  knows it is not genuine and should play along, knowing it is a 
  trick or ploy of some kind, or that an accusation of betrayal or 
  harm by an outsider is false. Each always knows when the other 
  is scared, happy, worried, lying, truthful, injured, sick, or when 
  something is wrong, 95%. They are almost certain to pick up on 
  clues and hints spoken by the other.
  Moonshade – A Miraculous Blessing: Ylandris may impart 
  her ability to control the light of the moon upon her Champion 
  or those she is blessing and bestowing the miracle upon; may 
  be an individual or a group. The Blessed individual can control 
  the amount of ambient light around him/them at night, increasing 
  or decreasing the amount of light to either cloak themselves in 
  darkness even as they move forward to attack or away to escape 
  (+10% to Prowl skill or base Prowl of 50%, whichever is great-
  er), or to illuminate an area or enemy in the light of the full moon.
  Area of Effect and Range: The recipient himself or him and a 
  group of people, or an area as large as a 100 foot (30.5 m) radius 
  up to 800 feet (244 m) away. Note: Those who are cloaked by 
  Moonshade also possess the equivalent of Nightvision 200 feet 
  (61 m) while cloaked by its magical darkness. Note: Effective 
  only at nighttime. Duration may be a single night or as much as 
  seven days. When granted as a permanent Blessing to a Cham-
  pion of the Gods, the character can use Nightshade as often as 
  three times in a single night. Each activation lasting as long as 2 
  hours at a time.
  Ryael of the Full Moon
  God of Blood and Vengeance
  For ages, Ryael was the god of the full moon and its comfort-
  ing glow, bringing an enchanting light into the world of darkness 
  a few days a month. There was a time when Ryael may have jest-
  ed he was a lover not a fighter, but the Elf-Dwarf War changed 
  that. Being besieged by prayers born in sorrow and hate turned 
  his heart as cold and hard as the moon. Century upon century 
  of prayers from millions of followers on the side of the Elves 
  begging him for help against their sworn Dwarven enemy and to 
  avenge acts of brutality, wholesale slaughter, and atrocity by the 
  murderous enemy, tore at his heart. Over time, he, like his fol-
  lowers, lost sight of justice and became consumed by hatred and 
  bloodlust, changing his deific energies forever.
  The god of love and compassion, transformed into the god of 
  vengeance and death. Assassination and ambush his new hall-
  mark. A fierce and angry god who lit up the night sky so that his 
  followers could find their enemies in the darkness and strike them 
  down from the shadows.
  Soon Ryael cared nothing about love or peacemaking. He was 
  lost to vengeance and lived for bloody retribution. He answered 
  his followers’ prayers by fueling the depths of their hatred and 
  lust for revenge. Encouraging that every atrocity by the hands of 
  the Dwarves and their allies be met in kind with greater atrocity 
  and more bloodshed. An eye for an eye until the Dwarves were 
  punished and made to bow down on bended knee to their Elven 
  superiors.
  When the war came to a tragic and sorrowful end, Ryael was 
  shocked and confused. How could the war be over when Dwarves 
  still drew breath? It didn’t matter that both of their civilizations 
  lay in ruin. The hate-driven god was not done until the Elves 
  were the clear winner and Dwarves crushed under heel. He was 
  even more confused by the prevailing sorrow and regret that rose 
  up from both sides, and dumbfounded when Elf and Dwarf laid 
  down their swords, embraced, and forgave each other (as best 
  they could). Vowing to never engage in a war driven by unrea-
  soning hate and vengeance ever again. The Dwarves, destroy-
  ers of the gleaming Elven city of Baalgor, dismantled their Rune 
  Forges and swore to forsake the use of magic in all its forms 
  forevermore. Elves, too, destroyed their Rune Weapon factories, 
  disbanded their armies and gave up many forms of magic deemed 
  to be the dark arts and a corrupting influence. The next genera-
  tion would spearhead the Age of Purification so that magic might 
  never be used in such a destructive manner ever again.
  And with it all, they forsook Ryael, God of Blood and Ven-
  geance. What statues of his and those of his divine consort 
  Ylandris, still stood, were torn down and destroyed in shame 
  and regret. His followers abandoned him. No, not abandoned, 
  rejected him outright and worked hard to forget him, for they 
  never wanted to have anything to do with the bloodthirsty de-
  ity who had reflected and fueled their madness ever again. So 
  it was that Ryael was pushed from the memory of his followers 
  and enemies alike, both of whom wanted to forget what they 
  had done with his blessing. Never again would they allow them-
  selves to go down the path of blind vengeance, and never would 
  they be able to recover from the devastation unleashed by their 
  own hands.
  Suddenly, Ryael was alone. His place in the celestial order 
  erased. It was only then that he realized the love of his life was 
  not at his side, and had not been for more than a thousand years. 
  Worse, she hid from him and was nowhere to be found. With only 
  his hate and rage and lonely thoughts to keep him company, Ry-
  ael’s heart, already as cold and dead as the surface of the moon, 
  festered and putrefied.
  Today, the God of Blood and Vengeance is worshiped by only 
  a few secret cults and orders of assassins and nefarious criminals 
  who cling to his name as a god of wrath and murder. Perhaps if 
  he could have laid down his sword and put aside the hatred, he 
  could have transformed again to become merciful and wise, but 
  he could not. Ryael feels robbed of his revenge and deserted by 
  everyone he once loved and supported. To his twisted way of 
  thinking, he sacrificed Ylandris and everything, only to suffer be-
  trayal and condemnation by the very people he loved and whose 
  prayers he had answered. His only crime was giving them what 
  
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  they had asked of him. And for it, he is reviled and shunned and 
  willfully forgotten.
  Ryael accepts his place as an outcast god of darkness, and 
  embraces the foul villains who now worship and call upon him. 
  Cutthroats and criminals who pray to him seeking inspiration and 
  blessings to murder and commit crimes in the name of revenge 
  and bloody justice, or in the name of greed and cruelty. He no 
  longer champions the Elves or any of their causes. They rejected 
  him, so he rejects them, and sends doom to punish them for it.
  To that end, the God of Blood and Vengeance has become a 
  patron and source of inspiration for the so-called monster races 
  of the Old Kingdom. Encouraging them to pillage and slaugh-
  ter Elves and Dwarves alike, and to tear down the last vestiges 
  of their crumbling civilizations. Such inhuman marauders and 
  bloodthirsty savages are his chosen people now. Selfish, greedy 
  villains out only for themselves or serving as agents of chaos and 
  destruction.
  As you might imagine, Ryael loathes Dwarves above all oth-
  ers, and sees noble heroes and clergy of any species as suckers 
  and fools who put their lives on the line for impossible ideals and 
  an empty promise of a better world. A world where goodness 
  and peace shall prevail. He feels the same disdain for the Gods 
  of Light and anyone who strives to be good, compassionate, and 
  merciful. To Ryael, they are the cruel and merciless ones for tor-
  turing people with lies of hope and charity in an ugly world of 
  hopelessness and wickedness.
  It is no wonder Ylandris weeps and hides from the mad god 
  of death and vengeance. Within the Garden, their statues face 
  in opposite directions, so close to each other, and yet separated 
  entirely and forever.
  Alignment: Miscreant (was Scrupulous).
  Statue Description: An Elven warrior, his armor and true na-
  ture hidden under a hooded cape and the long shadows cast by the 
  full moon behind him. The moon glows like a lamp and Ryael’s 
  cape is wrapped around his body and held in front of his face 
  with his other hand to shelter him from the light and conceal his 
  dangerous identity.
  Caretakers: None, and most locals and caretakers feel a sense 
  of dread in his area of the Garden and shun it. Priests and learned 
  people who know or suspect the identity of Ryael pretend not 
  to know him, and have nothing to do with the deity. Only Elves 
  blinded by hate, and those who hunger for revenge still find their 
  way to him, as do thieves, assassins, and the occasional misguid-
  ed warrior or adventurer. Such worshipers pray for his favor in 
  battle or to avenge a grievous wrong. Little do they realize they 
  ask guidance from a deity whose light and wisdom only leads to 
  hate, murder, and unquenchable bloodlust.
  Artifacts of Note: Moonedge Dagger: This foul magic weap-
  on is a tool of murder and assassination. It gives its wielder the 
  ability to see in darkness 1,000 feet (305 m, double when the 
  moon is full), +10% to Prowl and hide, and once per 24 hours is 
  able to cast the Shadow Meld spell at no P.P.E. cost; equal to an 
  8th level Wizard.
  Damage: 1D6 damage from Moonedge during the daytime. 
  2D6 damage at night, double damage to creatures of darkness 
  such as Ghouls, Shadow Beasts, vampires, werebeasts, and oth-
  ers. Additional Damage: When Moonedge pierces the flesh and 
  tastes its victim’s blood, the magic blade releases a slow acting 
  poison. The poisoned victim recovers lost Hit Points and S.D.C. 
  at half the usual amount, including healing magic, spells, and 
  psychic healing, and Negate Poison has no effect! The victim 
  feels tired and under the weather, reduce Spd by 10% and -1 to 
  initiative, strike, parry and dodge, and -10% to save vs coma/
  death. Worse, the victim loses 1D6 Hit Points every 24 hours, 
  twice as much during a full moon, and any Banshee in the area 
  
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  may circle, wail, and follow him like a hungry vulture longing 
  for his death. This daily loss of Hit Points is bad, especially under 
  combat conditions. Those with the Lore: Magic or Lore: Religion 
  skill have only a 25% chance of realizing what’s going on and 
  how to cure the victim(s). A Healer or psychic with the ability 
  of Psychic Diagnosis as well as most Alchemists can discern the 
  cause and reveal the easy remedy: The only cure to negate the 
  poison of Moonedge is to lay down in an open field under the 
  light of a crescent moon for two full hours.
  The Avenger: An indestructible silver bastard sword that 
  glows faintly in the dark, thrice as brightly under a full moon, 
  during which the sword inflicts double damage!
  The Avenger inflicts 2D6 damage to Elves and most mortal 
  opponents, 4D6 damage to Dwarves, 1D6x10 damage to Spirits 
  of Light and deities of any alignment (he hates them all), and 
  2D6x10 damage to Elven and Dwarven deities, except Ylandris 
  whom Ryael still loves, though he hates himself for it. The 
  Avenger only does 2D6 damage to her.
  Blessings: Ryael may choose to bless anyone of any race, 
  including Elves and Dwarves who are filled with hate and seek 
  revenge. His Blessings often lead to murder, bloodletting, and 
  destruction, sometimes including the destruction of the one who 
  is Blessed. Ryael also favors assassins, thieves, pirates, slavers, 
  criminals, and the cruel and wicked, but his most favored are 
  those tortured by hate and sorrow, and who lust for terrible ven-
  geance.
  Bloody Vengeance: This Blessing stokes the fires of the re-
  cipient’s dark emotions and desire for blood soaked revenge. The 
  individual becomes consumed with revenge that he and Ryael 
  may call justice. A revenge that is likely to be unfair and more 
  severe than the wrong deserves. Of course, the Blessed individual 
  is so blinded by his sorrow, pain, or hate, he or she does not see it 
  that way, and only wants the person responsible to suffer and pay 
  for his crimes. It is only after the Blessed individual has exacted 
  his revenge that emotions cool and he realizes the punishment 
  did not fit the crime, and that it is he who has caused the greater 
  injustice.
  Bonuses: Blind determination provides +3 on Perception Rolls 
  to figure out clues, follow trails, and find the target of his revenge; 
  +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact, 
  +1 to save vs mind control, +20% to save vs coma/death. Ryael 
  likes to encourage quests for revenge, the bloodier the better, and 
  those who receive this Blessing are usually ruthless and relent-
  less in their quest for revenge, and merciless in its execution. The 
  only way for the individual to be stopped before carrying out his 
  mission of death is if someone or something is able to intervene, 
  touch his heart, and cool the hot emotions long enough for him to 
  see reason and administer true justice, not torture and bloodshed.
  Skills: Prowl 65%, Surveillance 70%, Track Humanoids 75% 
  (+10% when it is the target of his revenge he is tracking), and Use 
  & Recognize Poison 60%.
  An unintended consequence is that the Blessed individual 
  learns the hard way that revenge is not sweet, but bitter, and does 
  nothing to take away his own sorrow and pain. Moreover, his 
  act of bloody revenge or cruel and merciless punishment may, 
  in turn, cause a loved one, family member, or teammate of his 
  victim (or of those who may have gotten hurt or killed when they 
  got in the way of the Blessed individual’s quest for vengeance) to 
  seek revenge upon him and/or those associated with the vengeful 
  Blessed individual.
  Moonshade – A Miraculous Blessing: Same as Ylandris, de-
  scribed previously.
  Moonsight: The Blessed individual is gifted with an extension 
  of Ryael’s godly powers of perception.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to notice Elves, +4 to notice 
  Dwarves and creatures of the night, +1 to strike, +3 to damage at 
  night (not in darkness, but at nighttime), double those bonuses 
  when the moon is full or nearly full.
  Skills/Abilities: Astronomy and Navigation 80%, Literacy: 
  Dwarven 80%, Literacy: Elven 95%, Locate Secret Compart-
  ments & Doors 75%, Nightvision 600 feet (183 m), and the abil-
  ity to recognize weapons, tools, armor, symbols/heraldry, and 
  architecture made by Elves 75% and Dwarves 60%, and is able 
  to estimate the age of the construct and its value or significance 
  at 60% proficiency.
  Shadow Soldier: Every Blessing like this makes him more a 
  god of darkness. Ryael can still convey the powers that Elven 
  warriors called upon him for during the Elf-Dwarf War in order 
  to slay their hated Dwarven adversaries.
  Bonuses: +20% to Prowl (or a base skill of 60% for those 
  without the skill), +1 to strike and dodge in darkness, and inflicts 
  double damage with attacks from behind and on a Natural (un-
  modified by bonuses) roll to strike of 17-20, but only at night or 
  from the shadows.
  Skills/Abilities: This blessing makes the recipient blend with 
  the shadows of the night. When completely concealed in a shad-
  ow or dark place, and standing still, the Shadow Soldier cannot 
  be seen unless a light is shined directly on his position. Anyone 
  looking for the Blessed individual while he is cloaked in shadow 
  is -3 on Perception Rolls to notice him and -2 on initiative when 
  they do. In addition, once every 24 hours the Blessed individual 
  can cast the spells See the Invisible and Shadow Meld at no P.P.E. 
  cost to himself; equal to an 8th level Wizard, double the spells’ 
  duration when the moon is full or nearly full.
  Lost Dwarf Gods
  Just like their taller cousins, the Elves, Dwarves are a race 
  whose high-water mark has come and gone. There was a time 
  when the Old Kingdom Mountains sheltered cities of countless 
  millions of Dwarves, and where it seemed like every mountain 
  or mineral vein throughout the world had come to know the ring-
  ing blows of their picks and hammers. After the devastation of 
  the Elf-Dwarf War, however, the Dwarves were scattered and 
  separated, and are now far fewer in number than they once were. 
  Though there are a few underground and mountain cities remain-
  ing, many Dwarves are members of human communities around 
  the world.
  With so many of their cathedrals, churches, and holy shrines 
  buried deep underground, it is easy for gods beloved of the 
  Dwarves to be forgotten by surface dwellers. In some ruins and 
  buried cities, there are churches and temples filled with the skel-
  etons of Dwarves who died at their place of worship, praying to 
  gods who could not or would not help them. Over the ages, dust, 
  dirt and desecration by Goblins and Orcs have destroyed many 
  of the holy places of the Dwarves. Though many of the ancient 
  Dwarven deities have been adopted by humans, there remain 
  some who are forgotten until unearthed from the Primeva within 
  the Garden of the Gods.
  
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  Aefyrl, the Bronzesmith
  An old deity from the early ages of Dwarven civilization, Ae-
  fyrl was once one of the most powerful and widely-worshiped 
  gods. The Dwarven god of bronze, he was the keeper of the 
  knowledge required to mix copper and tin into the ancient alloy, 
  and his wisdom allowed the Dwarves to make tools and weapons 
  far superior to those of stone. The march of progress continued, 
  however, and while bronze is still in use throughout the world by 
  cultures of all kinds, including Dwarves, when the iron age came 
  in, Aefyrl was on his way out. Where warriors once prayed to 
  him that their bronze shields would hold, or that their hammers 
  would strike true, the tools, trinkets, fasteners and other items still 
  made from bronze don’t garner the same level of appreciation 
  or acclaim. Aefyrl slipped from being a mighty god of war, to a 
  toolmaker, to a minor deity displaced by gods of iron and steel.
  Alignment: Unprincipled.
  Statue Description: A regal Dwarven smith holding up an 
  ingot of copper and an ingot of tin.
  Caretakers: There is an order of Dwarven bronzesmiths from 
  the Old Kingdom who remember the name and face of Aefyrl and 
  have handed down the last remaining religious texts that refer-
  ence him from one generation to the next. They always have at 
  least one of their members serving as caretaker within the Gar-
  den, sometimes two.
  Artifacts of Note: Aefyrl’s Golden Sword: An indestruc-
  tible, bronze short sword that has outstanding balance and does 
  remarkable damage for its size. It inflicts 3D6 damage to most 
  opponents, 6D6 to sea serpents/sea monsters, and is +1 to strike 
  and parry. In the hands of a Dwarf, the bonus to strike and parry 
  is +2 and there is an additional damage bonus of +4.
  Tower Shield: This large, bronze shield has an A.R. 13, an 
  S.D.C. of 130, and regenerates within 24 hours from its handgrip 
  whenever damaged or destroyed. It has the magical ability to de-
  flect missile attacks; any arrow, crossbow bolt, sling stone, even 
  a cannonball or catapult stone, that impacts within 10 feet (3 m) 
  of the shield is harmlessly cast aside and never touches the shield 
  nor those shielded behind it.
  Blessings: Brazen Courage: The first Dwarven phalanxes 
  fought with bronze shields and spears, and learned that faith in 
  their weapons and each other could hold the line against fear-
  some enemies. Aefyrl reflects this bravery upon the recipient of 
  the Blessing.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize precious metals 
  and ores, +1 to strike and parry with spears and pole arms, +2 
  to damage with spears and pole arms, and +1 to save vs Horror 
  Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Military Etiquette 80%, Gemology 75%, Rec-
  ognize Weapon Quality 70%, W.P. Shield equal to an 8th level 
  warrior, and can throw a spear or javelin 20% farther than is typi-
  cal.
  Skin of Bronze (Miraculous Blessing): The skin of the Blessed 
  individual turns into enchanted bronze as if he were a living 
  bronze statue or some sort of Golem.
  Bonuses: A Natural A.R. of 13, +70 S.D.C., +3 to damage 
  from punches and kicks, resistant to fire (half damage) and can 
  parry weapons with his bare hands, including flaming weapons! 
  When the bonus 70 S.D.C. is reduced to zero, the person returns 
  to normal flesh and blood. If the Blessing is intended for sev-
  eral days, it will reappear once every 24 hours under combat 
  
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  conditions and remain until the S.D.C. is reduced to zero again, 
  but bio-regenerate at a rate of 1D6+6 S.D.C. per hour. Increase 
  weight by 30% and reduce speed by 10%.
  Duration is typically one battle or 24 hours, sometimes as long 
  as seven days. When granted to a Champion of the Gods, the 
  character is able to activate the Skin of Bronze at will, three times 
  per 24 hour period for up to two hours at a time. The Skin of 
  Bronze vanishes when its S.D.C. is reduced to zero or below, but 
  may also be canceled at will by the Blessed individual.
  Skills and Abilities: Field Armorer 75%, Recognize Weapon 
  Quality 70%, and the power to turn to bronze as per above.
  Spirit of the Dwarf: The Blessed individual has some of the 
  abilities and tendencies of Dwarves for the duration of the Bless-
  ing. This includes a taste for beer and mead, and a preference for 
  Dwarves. Has a mild distrust of non-Dwarves, especially Elves. 
  Identifies with and trusts Dwarves above all others.
  Bonuses: +1D6 to P.S. attribute, +2 to P.E. attribute, +10 
  S.D.C., and Nightvision 90 feet (27.4 m), but -10% to Spd.
  Skills and Abilities: Detect Concealment and Traps 70% 
  (+10% underground or when made of stone or bronze), Land 
  Navigation 60% (+15% underground), and the ability to recog-
  nize weapons, tools, armor, symbols/heraldry, and architecture 
  made by Dwarves 75%, and is able to estimate the age of the 
  construct and its value or significance at 70% proficiency. Feels 
  comfortable underground and in tight spaces, and when among 
  Dwarves.
  Ilonec, the Steambearer
  The goddess Ilonec was known long ago as the Steambear-
  er. In old Dwarven myth, she brought icy water to the gods 
  of the Dwarven forge that they used to cool their weapons, 
  throwing out great clouds of steam. Geysers that erupted from 
  the land were supposed to be evidence of her work, and smiths 
  and water bearers alike offered prayers and sacrifice to her 
  name.
  According to Dwarven legend, Ilonec went down to the shore 
  of an ancient lake to draw cold water for her daily task. Shrouded 
  in the cloud of steam that garbed her day and night, she floated 
  down to the water’s edge, and fog began to cover the entire lake. 
  There was a sound of rippling in the water, and the cry for “help” 
  in Dwarven – and Ilonec was gone, never to be seen outside the 
  Garden of the Gods again.
  It was a great serpent that caught and took her away, one of the 
  many legendary beasts that ply the depths of deep lakes and seas 
  of the world. According to myth, the creature (perhaps, a deity it-
  self) still lives and holds Ilonec as its prisoner, where she is forced 
  through dark magic to serve as its water bearer and slave, mak-
  ing the serpent hot baths and cooking and brewing for it. While 
  under the monster’s thrall, Ilonec can do little to help herself, so 
  she waits to be freed and allowed to walk among the gods and 
  mortals once again. The sea monster is said to live somewhere in 
  the Great Inland Sea or the Sea of Despair.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: Ilonec is a statue of a Dwarf maiden 
  within a fountain, where endless steam rises in clouds. She has 
  two water vessels balanced on a pole held over one shoulder.
  Caretakers: There is a Dwarf Priestess named Hinnea who 
  tends to the fountain and the statue within. She escaped war in 
  the Old Kingdom and made her way to the peace and safety of 
  
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  Lopan, before discovering the Garden of the Gods and naturally 
  gravitating towards the Dwarven deities.
  Artifacts of Note: Steam Source: An enchanted water vessel, 
  when the Runes upon this artifact are activated by the user’s will, 
  a huge cloud of steam is produced, obscuring the vision of every-
  one within or nearby. The steam cloud is approximately 120 feet 
  (36.6 m) in diameter and inflicts no damage, though it does douse 
  any fires within its reach and melts snow and ice.
  Blessings: Of Fire and Water: Ilonec’s magic is in the mixing 
  of elemental forces. Fire does half damage, and those under this 
  Blessing will also find themselves unable to drown, same as the 
  Breathe Without Air spell.
  Bonuses: Recipients of this Blessing take half damage from 
  magic attacks involving fire, water, and ice, cannot drown, are 
  impervious to steam and heat, resistant to fire (half damage), and 
  swimming speed is 3x the Spd attribute.
  Skills/Abilities: Brewing 75%, Fishing 70%, Swimming 65%, 
  Cooking 60%, can breathe underwater as long as necessary, and 
  survives any depth for as long as the Blessing is in place. The 
  Blessed individual is also able to cast the following spells as often 
  as three times per 24 hours: Ignite Fire, Fuel Flame, and Extin-
  guish Fire at no P.P.E. cost, equal to a 7th level Wizard.
  Water-Seeker: As Ilonec is a goddess of steam and bearer of 
  water, the Blessed individual receives a range of water and fire 
  abilities.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls involving water and noticing 
  poison and impurities in water and other liquids, impervious to 
  cold and steam, and can carry 10 times the normal weight for 
  the character’s P.S. when lifting, carrying and transporting water.
  Skills/Abilities: Dowsing 80%, Swimming 75%, and three 
  times per 24 hours can cast the spells Cloud of Steam (Water 
  Elemental Spell) and Purification (water and liquids only) at no 
  P.P.E. cost, equal to a 7th level Wizard.
  Lost Canine Gods
  The ascendant Wolfen are believers in Algor and the North-
  ern Pantheon, but also have traditional Wolfen gods that they 
  still worship, a bit less every year, perhaps, but worshiped none-
  theless. While it is known as an Empire, the Wolfen state has 
  many different remote tribes, isolated villages and snow-cov-
  ered secrets, and there is no telling what beliefs an individual 
  Wolfen might subscribe to. Coyles and Kankoran, on the other 
  hand, though being absorbed into the Wolfen Empire, have not 
  lost touch with their age-old forms of worship, and most still 
  remember and count the elder Wolfen and nature deities among 
  their gods. It is the so-called civilized world of humans, Elves, 
  Dwarves and other non-canine people who know nothing of 
  these deities.
  Despite their long tribal past, the Wolfen are a species and 
  culture that has evolved swiftly and risen to heights of sophis-
  tication that took humanity far longer to reach, and may have 
  never been accomplished without inheriting so much from the 
  Elves. Wolfen have also adopted Bizantium’s religious prac-
  tices, human ship designs, and even certain legal and cultural 
  institutions. Most gods are happy to accept worship from any 
  source, and there are even a few who have restyled themselves 
  to appeal to the canine races, going about in a more suitable 
  lupine form.
  Ertwin, Warden of the Den
  Ertwin is a classical goddess who was once worshiped by all 
  the various canine races. She was a patron of mothers, fathers and 
  pups, and more specifically, of the dens that primitive Wolfen 
  would dig to shelter their young from the elements. As the Wolfen 
  evolved from intelligent animals into civilized creatures, how-
  ever, they increasingly abandoned their instinctual, den-building 
  lifestyle for one of huts and tents and wooden lodges. Ertwin, an 
  essential deity to stone-age Wolfen, is now seen by many as a 
  primitive throwback to a different era. Generally only mentioned 
  in old scrolls and written accounts of Wolfen oratories, Ertwin 
  is still remembered and worshiped by many Wolfen, especially 
  tribes and villages on the very edge of their civilization and in the 
  Disputed Lands. Among the more primitive and savage Coyles 
  as well as the nature oriented Kankoran, she is as vibrant and 
  important as ever. They see her as a nurturing Earth Mother and a 
  symbol of the land, the seasons, wildlife, and birth.
  Alignment: Principled.
  Statue Description: A stout Wolfen matron in early Wolfen 
  tribal attire. The ground behind her has been sculpted to resemble 
  the early stages of digging a den.
  Caretakers: There are a pair of Wolfen mothers who lost 
  their children during a conflict in the Disputed Territory and have 
  taken it upon themselves to watch over Ertwin’s resting place and 
  preserve her memory in their honor.
  Artifacts of Note: Ertwin’s Claws: These enchanted clawed 
  gauntlets can be used to swiftly excavate a den into the earth, no 
  matter how dry, rocky, sandy or frozen it may be. The wielder 
  can create a small, underground cavern roughly 10x10x15 feet 
  
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  (3x3x4.6 m) in 1D4 melee rounds, providing protection from the 
  elements or a secret hiding/resting place.
  As a weapon, the claws inflict 2D6 damage to most oppo-
  nents, 5D6 damage to Earth Elementals and Golems made from 
  the earth.
  The wearer can cast each of the following spells once per 24 
  hours at no P.P.E. cost, equal to an 8th level Wizard: Seal, Eyes 
  of the Wolf, and Repel Animals.
  There are said to be at least two sets of Ertwin’s Claws, one 
  somewhere in the eastern portion of the Disputed Lands, the other 
  in the southern section of the Great Northern Wilderness north of 
  Lopan.
  Earth Mother’s Hunting Bow: An enchanted wooden bow that 
  when used for hunting game animals only, is +4 to strike and in-
  flicts 2D6+4 damage, double damage on a roll of 18, 19, or 20 to 
  make a quick, easy kill. -1 to strike and only 2D6 damage when 
  used as a weapon against sentient beings.
  Earth Mother’s Spear: An enchanted wooden spear with a 
  stone spearhead that when used for hunting game animals only 
  (NOT hunting people or combat) or defending oneself or others 
  against an animal attack (including animalistic monsters like a 
  Devil Scorpion or Peryton), is +2 to strike, can be thrown 300 
  feet (91.4 m), magically returns to its owner in an instant, and 
  inflicts 2D6+10 damage, double damage on a roll of a Natural 
  (unmodified) 18, 19, or 20 to make a quick, easy kill. The spear 
  inflicts 1D6+5 damage without bonuses, and has normal range 
  (100 feet/30.5 m), when used against sentient beings.
  Blessings: Defend the Young: This Blessing is usually be-
  stowed upon those who protect infants, the young, and pregnant 
  women and mothers.
  Bonuses: Anyone fighting to protect a baby, child, youth, 
  woman with child, or mother of any race receives a bonus of +2 
  on Perception Rolls to recognize when a mother or child is in 
  danger or distress, +2 to strike and parry, +1 attack per melee 
  round, and +1 to save vs Horror Factor. Only works when pro-
  tecting a child or mother.
  Skills/Abilities: Cook 80%, First Aid 75%, Skin and Prepare 
  Animal Hides 70%, and Ventriloquism 65%.
  Good Hunting: The Blessed individual is keenly aware of his 
  surroundings outdoors, and hunting and tracking abilities are 
  heightened.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to notice animal tracks, trails, 
  and other signs of animal life, +2 to strike using ranged weapons 
  such as spears, javelins, bows and arrows, even slings to strike 
  and kill game animals only, +1 to dodge an animal attack, and +1 
  to save vs poison.
  Skills and Abilities: Land Navigation 65%, Track and Trap 
  Animals 75%, and Wilderness Survival 70%.
  Amyar, the Iron Wolf
  There are gods who have been killed by other deities, or 
  whose followers have dwindled away over long millennia. There 
  are gods who have been displaced by newer deities or been made 
  victims of fate beyond their control. Amyar, the Iron Wolf, how-
  ever, was deliberately buried and covered up by the Wolfen, hid-
  den from future generations in order to wipe him from the world 
  forever.
  Known for his invincible iron skin, Amyar was an unstoppable 
  force of evil and chaos. He would come to demand sacrificial 
  victims and kill on a whim or for pleasure during the full light of 
  day, knowing no mortal challenger could harm him, and even de-
  ities took pause before confronting the monster-wolf. The symbol 
  of savagery and cruelty, ancient Wolfen and Coyles would pray 
  for his blessings before they went into battle or would ask that 
  their enemies be cursed with a pox or misfortune. Early Wolfen 
  learned to appease Amyar with gifts of slain animals and sacrifi-
  cial offerings of captured enemies, but still the Iron Wolf would 
  claim the lives of the innocent, particularly pups and children, to 
  slake his divine bloodlust.
  With the other gods unwilling to stop the ravages of the Iron 
  Wolf, the Wolfen took it upon themselves to erase him from his-
  tory. Wolfen Priests forbade the worship of the monster even 
  against enemies and monsters, and warriors burned down temples 
  and shrines, smashed statues, and scratched out his inscriptions. 
  Amyar was cleansed from art and poetry, and the few Wolfen 
  twisted enough to personally follow his cult were hunted down 
  and slain! Even speaking his name was prohibited out of fear the 
  monster might return.
  Amyar retaliated for a few years, lashing out at the canine 
  people who tried to undermine him by undermining them, and 
  via curses and Dark Champions, but without followers and di-
  vine recognition, the vicious wolf-god quickly weakened before 
  finally disappearing completely. Slipping into the realm of for-
  gotten myth, defeated by a strategy all of his rage and strength 
  and wickedness could not withstand.
  Alignment: Diabolic.
  Statue Description: A simple, stylized wooden carving of a 
  wolf. Upon close examination, it becomes clear the wolf’s skin is 
  made up of iron plates held together by pins.
  Caretakers: None are known, and the area of the garden 
  around the statue is usually a bit overgrown and wild. Fitting 
  for this savage deity. It is rumored that werebeasts worship the 
  Iron Wolf and that anyone seen tending to the garden of Amyar 
  should be assumed to be a Werewolf or other were-creature in 
  human guise, or a dangerous cultist, all of whom are best to be 
  avoided.
  Artifacts of Note: Amyar’s Tooth: A wooden war club lined 
  with the teeth of Amyar’s own divine young, slain by him so 
  that none could grow up and challenge him. The weapon inflicts 
  3D6 damage to most mortal opponents, but does 1D6x10 to were-
  beasts, dragons, and all creatures of magic.
  Once per 24 hours, the wielder of Amyar’s Tooth can meta-
  morph into a wolf. Duration is limited to a maximum of six hours. 
  In canine form, the transformed individual has the speed and 
  abilities of the wolf, while retaining his own intelligence, skill 
  knowledge, and ability to speak. In the alternative, the Tooth’s 
  owner can transform into a Wolfen, but not a specific person, and 
  only for a maximum of three hours. As a Wolfen, only the char-
  acter’s size and appearance changes, all other abilities remain the 
  same, except increase Spd by 20% and P.S. by 10% while in the 
  large Wolfen form.
  Hide of Metal: Said to be the pelt of one of the Iron Wolf’s 
  own children, the full suit of scale mail is made up of hundreds 
  of metal plates that ripple and move without great weight or en-
  cumbrance, allowing the wearer to move about as if he were not 
  wearing armor at all. The Hide of Metal magically grows, shrinks 
  and conforms to the shape of the wearer regardless of race, and 
  does not clink and clunk or make noise, so the wearer can still 
  Prowl and deploy stealth.
  
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  The armored Hide has an A.R. of 16, S.D.C. of 300, and com-
  pletely regenerates with the morning sunrise. However, if the 
  Hide suffers double its damage capacity (600 points), it is de-
  stroyed, crumbling into dust.
  If the few remaining myths are true, Amyar has killed hun-
  dreds, perhaps thousands, of his young, turning each into a Hide 
  of Metal, suggesting there may have once been hundreds of these 
  suits of armor. Both Elves and Dwarves deployed a few dozen 
  during the Elf-Dwarf War, and it is rumored that a few might still 
  be found in the ruins of the Old Kingdom or buried at the sites 
  of terrible battles. Another is rumored to be hidden at a frozen 
  temple in the Algor Mountains, and that the Library of Bletherad 
  has at least one secured away from the public within one of its 
  archival vaults.
  Metal Needle of the Iron Wolf: This eight inch (20 cm), metal 
  needle is a tool for torture and interrogation. Damage is only one 
  point (1D6 to werebeasts), but the needle stabbing into its victim 
  is agony and has a number of magical capabilities.
  Twice per 24 hours, the following spells may be inflicted upon 
  anyone impaled by the Metal Needle: Agony, Blind, Domination, 
  Heal Wounds (to keep victims from dying before they reveal 
  the desired information), Paralysis: Lesser, Trance, and Death 
  Trance. In the latter case, as long as the needle is impaled inside 
  the victim, the person appears to be dead, but really is not. Which 
  can be a horrifying experience for the victim, who is awake and 
  can hear and feel what is happening to him (people removing 
  his gear, talking about performing an autopsy, burying him alive, 
  etc.). Whichever spell is invoked, the victim must roll a 17 or 
  higher to save vs magic, or suffer the consequences of that spell, 
  but the needle must be stabbed into the victim’s body and left 
  there for the spell to remain in effect.
  Against werebeasts, the needle inflicts 1D6 damage with each 
  stab. If the needle is left inside the creature’s body, it prevents 
  metamorphosis from humanoid to beast and vice versa. It also 
  prevents healing/Bio-Regeneration. As long as the needle is im-
  paled in its werebeast victim, the creature cannot transform for up 
  to 12 hours. After which the enchantment is broken. Of course, 
  removing the needle from a prisoner and reinserting it reactivates 
  the magic. The enchantment is also broken as soon as the needle 
  is removed, so one must make certain it is placed where a prison-
  er/victim cannot reach it himself, of the prisoner should be placed 
  in manacles or otherwise restrained.
  Duration: The torturous magic remains in place for as long as 
  the needle is inside the body, up to one hour maximum. Remove 
  it and the spell is instantly broken.
  Blessings: Dark Wolf: The recipient of this Blessing is the 
  enemy of goodness, law and order.
  Bonuses: +1 attack per melee round, +2 to strike, dodge, and 
  parry, +3 to damage, and +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact, but 
  only when fighting against opponents of good and Unprincipled 
  
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  alignments; double the bonuses when fighting Gods of Light or 
  their avatars.
  Skills and Abilities: Land Navigation 75%, Track Humanoids 
  70%, and has the psionic abilities (or equivalent) of Commune 
  with Animals, Commune with Spirits, See the Invisible, Sense 
  Good (fundamentally the same as Sense Evil), and Sixth Sense, 
  equal to an 8th level Mind Mage, at no I.S.P. cost. Each ability 
  may be used as often as three times per 24 hour period.
  Fear the Beast: This Blessing conveys a portion of Amyar’s 
  ferocious aura of fear and terror upon the Blessed individual and 
  makes him fearless.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize fear in others, 
  +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, and impervious to Horror Factor, 
  which also makes the Blessed individual overconfident and reck-
  less.
  Skills and Abilities: Supernatural Horror Factor of 14 in com-
  bat and when angry, and all opponents are -1 on initiative and 
  Perception Rolls. Moreover, for good or ill, Amyar’s aura ob-
  scures the Blessed individual’s own, so that anyone who can see 
  his aura sees evil, supernatural association but not possession, 
  and cannot tell anything else about the individual other than that 
  he should be feared.
  Lone Hunter: This Dark Blessing is usually given to proverbi-
  al lone wolves who are solitary and predatory, such as assassins, 
  spies, thieves, and other cutthroats who usually work alone and 
  are ultimately self-serving.
  Bonuses: Apply only when the Blessed individual is alone: 
  +10% to Espionage, Military and Rogue Skills, +1 on Perception 
  Rolls, +1 to strike and dodge, and +2 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Intelligence 65%, Surveillance 70%, and 
  Track Humanoids 75%.
  Curse (special): Curse of the Werewolf: Amyar has the abil-
  ity to curse an individual by turning him into a Werewolf. To do 
  so, the cruel god must possess a werebeast (any type) and attack 
  and bite the person to be cursed. When a bite draws blood and 
  Amyar, through the werebeast, speaks the words of the curse, it 
  is delivered upon the intended victim. From that day forward, he 
  or she turns into a savage Werewolf during each full moon for 
  the next 3D6+6 years. Most cursed victims don’t survive more 
  than a few years, because unlike the magical creatures/people 
  who are shape-changing werebeasts, the curse turns its victim 
  into a savage monster that craves killing and the consumption of 
  flesh and blood. The flesh and blood of humans, Elves, and other 
  humanoids. The transformed person loses all sense of himself as 
  a Werewolf and behaves like a mad dog. The beast is compelled 
  to hunt and kill 1D4 people that night, eating only a small por-
  tion of each, typically the soft parts (stomach, throat, face, etc.). 
  If people cannot be found, the Werewolf will hunt deer, elk, or 
  slaughter twice as many sheep, hogs, or cattle. Though they are 
  canine, Wolfen and Coyles are not exempt from the Werewolf’s 
  hunting.
  The victim of the curse has no recollection of his animal iden-
  tity or the killing spree, thus he will be shocked and disturbed 
  when he awakens in a nearby woods or back alley, naked and 
  covered in blood and gore. From time to time, the cursed indi-
  vidual may dream he is a large wolf hunting people or animals, 
  and sometimes the wolf in his dreams may hunt him. The cursed 
  individual may live in denial, or eventually come to realize he is 
  the monster. However, he has no idea how to break the curse that 
  comes to him at night, once every month.
  Unlike the magical werebeasts who are vulnerable to silver, 
  the victim of the Curse of the Werewolf can be harmed by any 
  weapon. However, in addition to the cursed individual’s own 
  S.D.C. and Hit Points, he gets an additional 100 S.D.C. and Bio-
  Regenerates 2D6 Hit Points or S.D.C. per melee round when 
  transformed into a Werewolf. In addition, P.S. becomes Super-
  natural and Spd is doubled in wolf form.
  All humanity is erased while in the form of the beast. The 
  victim becomes a hulking, animalistic monster, 50% larger than a 
  typical timber wolf, driven by instinct and bloodlust, but is cun-
  ning and wicked, and smart enough to hide, lay in ambush, use 
  surprise attacks, hit and run tactics, and flee when outnumbered 
  or seriously injured. The beast is also able to avoid traps and is 
  not lured by hunks of meat or a dead carcass, because it hunts 
  and feeds only upon live humanoid prey. When it kills animals, 
  it does so out of frustration and only slays them, never eats them. 
  The Werewolf is also impervious to poison and drugs.
  Removing the Curse of the Werewolf requires either getting 
  Amyar to remove the curse (that will cost dearly, and involve 
  murder and bloodshed in the malevolent deity’s name, be it an 
  act of revenge or just wickedness), or getting another deity to 
  remove the curse, which will also require some great service or 
  the fulfillment of several quests. Some gods may refuse to get 
  involved, fearful of inviting Amyar’s wrath upon themselves, 
  or because they don’t believe they should get involved with the 
  handiwork of another deity, whether that god is insane and sav-
  age like Amyar, or not.
  Lost Orc Gods
  Orc society is fragmented at this point in history, with count-
  less Orcs living as slaves in places like the Western Empire, 
  Timiro, and the Land of the South Winds, or as second-class 
  citizens and indentured servants. Free Orcs, Ogres, and Goblins 
  live in a thousand tiny communities that have been uprooted and 
  resettled dozens of times over the centuries. These are found in 
  places like the Baalgor Wastelands, the Old Kingdom, parts of 
  the Eastern Territory and Great Northern Wilderness, and other 
  unsettled jungles and wilderness areas not yet dominated by “civ-
  ilized” people.
  Long ago, however, Orcs once lived a life more akin to that of 
  any other tribal people, with nomadic groups throughout the Yin-
  Sloth Jungles and Land of the South Winds, and the beginnings 
  of a society forming in and around what is now the Old Kingdom. 
  There are many old gods from this time of Orcish history that 
  have been lost to the ages even to the Orcs themselves. However, 
  a few have been rediscovered in the Garden of the Gods and their 
  whispered stories are beginning to resurface outside the Garden. 
  Many Orcs in the rest of the world have turned to the gods of their 
  neighbors, their masters, or those native to new lands where they 
  settle down. Many others worship more tangible beings as dei-
  ties, such as dragons, giants, demons, and other powerful beings.
  Reaching the Garden of the Gods through the ports of Lopan 
  for Orcs, Ogres, and other subhuman races can be a bit challeng-
  ing, as many ship’s captains, innkeepers, and city guards are sus-
  picious and unaccustomed to the sight of these monster races. 
  Living so close to the Old Kingdom and being the home of the 
  Lopanic Games, every inhabitant of Lopan has heard their share 
  of war stories and frightening tales about Orcs and the monster 
  
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  races they associate with. Arriving by boat at a busy port is advis-
  able, as a visitor of almost any race is unlikely to draw too much 
  attention in the bustling crowds. The wilds of the Lopani interior 
  are a bit more accepting of Orcs, especially the town of North-
  point and the other areas in and around the Garden, and unlike the 
  humans, Dwarves, and Elves who come to visit as pilgrims, Orcs 
  might also be accepted among the handful of Goblin communi-
  ties hidden throughout Lopan’s forests, hills, and caves.
  Skur – Orc God of Drink
  Skur and his counterpart, Echla, the Orc gods of drink and 
  love, respectively, are a mythical husband and wife duo who once 
  brought laughter and warmth into the lives of Orcs the world 
  over. Many theologians believe their loss has left the Orc race 
  dour and downtrodden, and the behavior of many Orcs leaves 
  this difficult to deny. Most gods worshiped by Orcs in the modern 
  era are gods of war, pain or power, but Skur is known in legend 
  for bringing diverse groups together, transforming the infighting 
  Orcish warriors into comrades and defenders of their people and 
  hunting grounds.
  In distant times, he was the patron of hunters, brewers, strong 
  drink, campfires, and storytelling, and his followers and prayers 
  were critical in holding the society of the Orcs together in a time 
  when they were less culturally fragmented. Many were the myths 
  of epic parties and celebrations hosted by the jovial Skur, who 
  liked to party hardy and break bread with potential allies and en-
  emies alike. The deity was known to win over many a rival in this 
  fashion, but was also known to be a defender of the people when 
  necessary.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A jolly Orc with a round belly, numerous 
  piercings and dreadlocked-hair, drinking from a clay jug.
  Caretakers: Occasionally, Orcs visit in search of their peo-
  ple’s lost history and culture, and help clear the Orc statues and 
  tend to the area, sometimes crafting simple wooden structures. On 
  moonlit nights, the friendly glow of campfires can often be seen, 
  accompanied by the sound of singing in Orcish and the clinking 
  of mugs. Sometimes these are real Orc pilgrims, sometimes ap-
  paritions of the past. If one sees firelight and hears voices around 
  the statue of Skur at night, a dozen drunken Orcs are likely the 
  culprits. Goblins and the occasional Ogre are also attracted to 
  this deity.
  Artifacts of Note: The Jug of Merriment: Skur’s most power-
  ful artifact was the Jug of Merriment, an indestructible clay ves-
  sel that has been missing for many thousands of years. With the 
  magic ability to turn water into strong beer (Orcs usually prefer it 
  over wine), the Jug is perfect for any social event. It also creates 
  an aura that gives off a bonus of +20% to any skill used to en-
  tertain, such as Play Musical Instrument, Dance, Sing, Juggling, 
  Writing/Storytelling, and Ventriloquism within 500 feet (152 m). 
  Legend has it that the Jug is somewhere in the Old Kingdom, 
  buried along with the ruins of a once-great Orc city from a distant 
  era.
  Blessings: Brew Master: Anyone granted this Blessing pos-
  sesses superior skills and abilities involving the making and con-
  sumption of alcohol. If one is ever going to challenge an Ogre, 
  Troll, or Dwarf to a drinking contest or engage an innkeep in a 
  test of wits after several rounds of white lightning, it should be 
  the recipient of this Blessing.
  
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  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize drunks, alcohol-
  ics, and when someone has imbibed too much libation, giving 
  them loose lips (i.e. they say too much and share secrets with a 
  drinking buddy), or booze has made them dull-witted and sus-
  ceptible to trickery and deception; +2 to save vs poison, +10% 
  to his own skills, and +1 on initiative when competing with other 
  drinkers.
  Skills and Abilities: Brewing 80%, Holistic Medicine 75%, 
  Dance 70%, Sing 65% (the latter seems like 90% to fellow drink-
  ers having a good time), and can drink twice as much as the aver-
  age Dwarf or Troll, which is saying something, before becoming 
  truly inebriated himself. In addition, the Blessed individual can 
  recognize the quality of any alcoholic beverage and accurately 
  judge its strength/potency 80%.
  Storyteller: No matter how good (or bad) the Blessed indi-
  vidual was at telling entertaining and captivating stories before, 
  he is outstanding when Blessed as a storyteller by Skur.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize clues hidden in 
  stories as well as recognizing when someone is working a con 
  game, +4 to M.A. attribute, and +1 to save vs mind control (any).
  Skills and Abilities: Public Speaking 80%, History 70%, and 
  the Blessed individual speaks with captivating words and man-
  nerism, loudly and clearly, making every story an entrancing tale. 
  So entrancing that everyone listening is unlikely to notice any-
  thing secretive or subtle going on around them (-3 on Perception 
  Rolls) and giving the associates of the Blessed individual a +10% 
  bonus to skills such as Intelligence, Locate Secret Compartments 
  and Doors, Pick Locks, Pick Pockets, and Prowl against those 
  enthralled by the story. They just don’t notice what they are up 
  to when captivated by the Storyteller. Applicable only to those 
  within range of the Storyteller; a 200 foot (61 m) radius.
  In the Mood: Usually bestowed upon an entire group for 
  1D4+1 weeks. The recipients of this Blessing carry with them the 
  positive and merry spirit of Skur, keeping morale high even in the 
  face of adversity.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to locate booze or a tavern 
  or party, and +1 to save vs negative magic (Agony, Domination, 
  dark illusions, etc.) and mind control.
  Skills and Abilities: Dance 75%, Sing 70%, and the contagious 
  ability to make those around them feel just as festive and friendly 
  as they. Any inn, tavern, saloon, campfire, feast, dance, party, or 
  gathering attended by this merry group only fuels their festive 
  spirit and spreads their sense of fun and camaraderie to everyone 
  present. Enmity will be forgotten, new friendships and romances 
  kindled, and everyone involved will have the time of their lives. 
  If used properly at a gathering of adversaries or a lord’s feast, 
  these positive, fun-loving vibes can help settle tensions, or put 
  an entire tavern or castle at ease and invite open discussion and 
  reasonable resolve to disputes and settlements. Deals will be fair, 
  even generous, and people walk away feeling happy and satisfied.
  Echla, Orc Goddess of Love
  Echla was once the Orc goddess of love and beauty, the aspi-
  ration of every Orc maiden, the dream of every lonely warrior. 
  The eternal consort of Skur, the god of drink and merriment, their 
  magic was a potent combination that brought light and warmth 
  and reckless revelry to the lives of their people. Just as images of 
  Skur were carved into clay drinking vessels and painted on bar-
  rels, images of Echla once adorned tent-flaps and bedrolls, and 
  
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  there was an Orc tradition based on placing a figurine of Echla 
  under the pillow or the bed of new couples as a blessing of fertil-
  ity and good fortune for the family.
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  Statue Description: A marble female Orc standing on a 
  square base with remarkable realness, radiating beauty and se-
  renity that one would think impossible for an Orc, stone or not.
  Caretakers: Orc maidens are sometimes mysteriously drawn 
  to the Garden after the loss of a loved one or in search of their true 
  love. They leave flowers at the site of the statue, and sometimes 
  linger for a few days to tend the grounds and maybe catch the eye 
  of a handsome Orc or Ogre warrior visiting the Garden.
  Artifacts of Note: The Lovers’ Garland: A crude bouquet of 
  wildflowers and sweet-smelling grasses, the Garland is said to 
  be lost somewhere in the Land of the South Winds, supposedly 
  within the tomb of a pair of tragic Orcish lovers who took their 
  own lives when they could not be together. Immune to the effects 
  of time, the Garland appears as a bouquet of fresh and vivid flow-
  ers amongst the dust and deterioration all around it.
  Anyone wearing the Garland around her neck, on her head, 
  or wrapped around her arm or waist, heals at twice her normal 
  rate, is +2 to save vs charms and deceptions/illusions intended 
  to deceive or hurt her, and enjoys a bonus of +3 to the P.B. at-
  tribute as part of Echla’s aura of romance. Those attracted to the 
  Garland wearer regard the person (male or female) as trustworthy 
  and desirable, but are not charmed or compelled to do anything 
  they would not ordinarily consider.
  Echla’s Love Charm: A gold charm of two flowers entwined 
  together with a small diamond in the center of each flower. It 
  can be put on the chain of a necklace or bracelet, or worn as an 
  earring or brooch, etc. When given to a person as a gift of affec-
  tion, the recipient falls madly and devotedly in love with the gift 
  giver, same as the powerful and dangerous Love Charm spell. 
  One of the wicked aspects of this artifact is that the Love Charm 
  can be given on behalf of someone else. (“That handsome knight 
  in the corner asked me to deliver this to you on his behalf.” Or, 
  “That beautiful maiden wants you to have this for good luck.”) 
  The Love Charm magic lasts for as long as the Charm is worn, 
  and the recipient never wants to take it off. When the Love Charm 
  is removed, the effects of the magic linger for another 48 hours 
  before the enchantment is broken.
  Over time, the recipient of the Love Charm may come to feel 
  genuine emotions and desire for the gift giver, however, the ar-
  tifact is usually used for more nefarious purposes that lead to 
  trouble for one or both of the people unwittingly involved, and 
  may even lead to violence and murder.
  Blessings: In the Mood, Too: The Blessed individual’s better 
  qualities are elevated, making him or her a better, more caring, 
  honest, and noble person. With any luck, the experience will make 
  the Blessed individual aspire to be a better, more compassionate 
  and noble person, permanently. The Blessing makes the recipient 
  a dashing figure that people find attractive and trustworthy, which 
  may lead to romance and love. Since the Blessing truly makes the 
  recipient better and is only given to people with a good heart, it is 
  seldom used to deliberately manipulate or use others.
  Bonuses: People looking for a romantic partner are +2 on their 
  Perception Rolls to notice the Blessed individual and see him or 
  her in a positive and romantic light. The Blessed is +1D6 to the 
  M.A. attribute as Echla charges the individual with charisma, vi-
  tality, and romantic energy.
  Skills and Abilities: Dance 75%, Sing 70%, and magically un-
  derstands all Languages at 60% (+10% to Orcish/Gobblely).
  Orc-Crossed Lovers: A Blessing to find a mate who will be 
  compatible and the two will compliment each other. The match-
  making powers of Echla are conveyed upon the recipient of this 
  Blessing. This individual is inspired by romance and love, and 
  will want to try to help star-crossed lovers.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize romantic set-
  tings and when the love on a person’s face is true, versus those 
  who are pretenders or simply lust for another person. The Blessed 
  individual is also +1 to save vs magical and psionic charms and 
  mind control.
  Skills and Abilities (special): The Blessing enables the Blessed 
  individual to see both halves of a potential romantic pairing, one 
  highlighted by a bluish-white aura, the other by a warm yellow 
  aura, visible only to the Blessed individual whose role is that of 
  the matchmaker, usually with a specific person in mind. In some 
  cases, the Blessed is a protector of true love. (“These two are 
  meant for each other and belong together, we can’t let the king, 
  or their parents, or whoever, tear them apart.” Or, “Not only are 
  these two good for each other, their pairing will benefit the king-
  dom, or the town, or their family, etc.”)
  The aura indicates two compatible individuals when they are 
  within sight of the Blessed individual. Whether the Blessed in-
  dividual decides to share this information or try to introduce the 
  pair to each other, or encourage an already blossoming romance, 
  or discourage a blossoming romance that is a bad one, is up to 
  him. There is no guarantee the pairing will lead to a wonderful 
  life or a blissful marriage, however, just that these two people 
  are potentially ideal for each other. Moreover, when a pairing 
  is wrong, a red or black aura appears around the one who is the 
  problem/wrong/dangerous. Red aura indicates jealousy and anger 
  and likely abusive nature. Black indicates a selfish or evil person 
  who is using the other person for his or her own purpose, and 
  there is no genuine feelings of love at all.
  Eskelohrc,
  Orc Warrior Demigod
  Eskelohrc was a warrior who, in ages past, proved himself as 
  such a great leader and Champion of the Gods that he was el-
  evated to a position amongst the Orc divinity. His legend tells 
  the tale of an ancient Orc kingdom that existed along the edge of 
  the Yin-Sloth Jungle. When a mighty army of Elves descended 
  from the New Kingdom to invade and conquer the comparatively 
  primitive Orcs, they banded together to create an army to stop 
  them. When the two forces met on the field of battle, however, 
  the Orcs could not decide upon a single general. With the Elves 
  charging at their disorganized enemy, there was no time to settle 
  the matter, and the Orcs were in danger of losing the battle before 
  it had even begun. Everyone was looking for a leader to follow, 
  but no single warrior was willing to take the responsibility upon 
  himself.
  Breaking the deadlock, Eskel emerged from the battle-line and 
  rushed at the Elves with a fearsome war cry. The other warriors 
  followed his lead and surged forward as one, accidentally strik-
  ing with a totally unexpected level of cohesion and discipline. 
  The Elves assumed Eskel, the foolish warrior at the front of the 
  attack, was a hero or tribal warlord, but in reality, this rank-and-
  
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  file Orc was a nobody fighting his first battle. Despite their best 
  attempts to isolate the Orcish “general,” the Elves could not bring 
  Eskel down, and before long, an improvised honor guard of vet-
  erans had formed around him, also assuming he was someone of 
  importance. This concentration of elite soldiers finally broke the 
  momentum of the invading army, and the tide of battle turned, 
  with the Orcs carrying the day – and carrying a victorious Eskel 
  away on their shoulders. He had been a common soldier when the 
  fight began, but now he was a general, born on the field. A posi-
  tion of leadership that suited him well.
  The myth of Eskelohrc grew with every telling, and before 
  long the story told of the Prince of the Orcs, a warrior and com-
  mander with all the intellect and prowess of an Elven lord, who 
  had boldly ridden forth to lead his people in their time of need. In-
  deed, Eskel had a good head for strategies and tactics, especially 
  for an Orc, and proved to be a natural leader who brought peace 
  and prosperity to his kingdom. Beloved by all, their new leader 
  grew old and wealthy, though he was fortunate enough to never 
  fight against such long odds again. By the time of his death, the 
  stories had built up so much that Eskel was worshiped as a living 
  god and regarded as the patron saint of the Orcs. As a result, the 
  other Orc deities decide to impart some of their divine energy 
  upon him and made Eskel an immortal demigod known as Es-
  kelohrc. For the next thousand years, his spirit walked among the 
  Orcs, guiding and blessing many of their champions. However, 
  without new leaders such as Eskelohrc, the fledgling Orc civiliza-
  tion collapsed and they fell back to their barbaric ways and again 
  splintered into many small, disorganized tribes. Eskelohrc was 
  forgotten.
  Modern Orc warriors no longer pray to the long forgotten 
  Eskelohrc before battle as they used to, and now he exists only 
  in the Garden of the Gods and in the notes of some scholars. 
  From common man, to hero of aspiring warriors, to demigod, 
  Eskelohrc’s journey has been long and unpredictable and full of 
  unexpected honors. Now that his statue has been rediscovered, 
  might he again surface as a deity and become a true god?
  Alignment: Principled.
  Statue Description: A stoic warrior holding his hand aloft as 
  if he were bearing a sword or spear. The weapon itself is gone, 
  however; whether it was once a stone part of the statue or a real 
  blade, nobody knows.
  Caretakers: An Orc warrior known as Grunnelohrc watches 
  over the statue and its surroundings. He is a 6th level Orc Mer-
  cenary Warrior who claims to be a descendant of Eskelohrc him-
  self. He is extremely protective over the statue and respectful to 
  all visitors, including humans and Elves, but if anyone gets him 
  talking they will find out he has never heard the voice of the god, 
  and is beginning to wonder why his deific ancestor will not an-
  swer his prayers or stir from his divine sleep.
  Artifacts of Note: Blade of Eskelohrc: This legendary 
  bronze sword is a Holy Weapon whose full power can only be 
  wielded by an Orc. To all others, it feels heavy and awkward, 
  with the weight of a sledgehammer, and inflicts a meager 2D4 
  damage and offers no special powers or bonuses. In the hand of 
  an Orc, however, the ancient Holy Sword inflicts 5D6 damage, 
  is +1 to strike and parry, and gives its wielder the following bo-
  nuses: +l one to save vs magic of all types, +2 to save vs poison 
  and disease, and +2 to save vs Horror Factor. When possessed 
  by the same Orc for 13 months, it also provides a +2 bonus to 
  his I.Q.
  
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  Moreover, all Orcs in a group or army led by an Orc wielding 
  the Blade of Eskelohrc are +1 to strike, +1 to save vs poison and 
  disease, +1 to save vs Horror Factor, and feel loyal to, and confi-
  dent in, the sword bearer as their leader. They trust his decisions, 
  obey his orders, and will fight to protect him.
  In addition, each of the following spells can be cast once every 
  24 hours at no P.P.E. cost to it wielder: Armor of Ithan, Cloud of 
  Smoke, Healing Touch, Impervious to Fire, and See the Invisible, 
  equal to a 5th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Spirit of Bold Recklessness: The Blessed individu-
  al feels wildly confident and bold and is willing to take chances.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize an opportuni-
  ty or danger, +1 on initiative, +1 to pull punch, +2 to roll with 
  punch/fall/impact, and +2 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills and Abilities (special): Military Etiquette 75%, Rec-
  ognize Weapon Quality 70%, and the special ability to re-roll a 
  failed saving throw or roll to parry or dodge, two times per new 
  battle/fight.
  Commanding Presence: Others, especially Orcs, look up to the 
  Blessed individual, who radiates confidence and courage.
  Bonuses: Increase M.A. to 24 (80% chance to evoke trust 
  or intimidation, high for anyone, but especially an Orc), +20 to 
  S.D.C., and +2 to save vs Horror Factor and illusions.
  Skills and Abilities (special): Horsemanship: General 75%, 
  Military Etiquette 70%, and he is a true inspiration and leader to 
  his troops, who will follow him anywhere and do not question his 
  orders. However, they scatter like frightened children should he 
  be slain before their eyes!
  Lost Goblin Gods
  Goblins are known as cutthroats and opportunists, bandits and 
  thieves, but they were once a proud, if simplistic subterranean 
  race not too different from Troglodytes. As they move more and 
  more up into the surface world and leave their traditional lifestyles 
  behind, Goblins have lost touch with many of their old gods and 
  entire systems of religion. Considering their underground origins, 
  temples and monuments from these ancient deities are generally 
  buried, hidden from the sight of surface dwellers.
  Modern Goblins worship a wide variety of gods, including 
  many from the Yin-Sloth Pantheon. They also follow dragons 
  and other powerful beings, and are often swept up by the allure 
  of established religions without really believing in their gods’ 
  principles. Goblins are generally selfish and unconcerned with 
  the afterlife, and typically do not make for the most faithful of 
  worshipers.
  There are Goblins living in the cities and towns across Lopan, 
  but they are generally regarded as second-class citizens. There 
  are also a number of small clans and tribes of Goblins throughout 
  the interior of Lopan living in caves, ruins, and dark forests, who 
  generally only emerge at night and live in fear of the humans and 
  Elves who ride past on mighty horses. These Goblins, especially 
  those hailing from the infamous Dessimer Farmstead, pose a mi-
  nor threat to pilgrims and travelers, and are a constant nuisance 
  for the Knights-Fossar, as they are con artists and thieves, happy 
  to rob and trick people out of their belongings, and sometimes 
  engage in kidnaping and ransoming off the people or livestock 
  (“Hey, where’s my horse?”) for 1D6x10 gold or for booze, food, 
  and other treats.
  What most people forget is that Goblins are descended from 
  Faerie Folk, most of whom have, over the ages, lost their Fa-
  erie powers. Only the Cobbler Goblin retains any of the Goblin’s 
  mystical abilities. However, most Goblins do maintain the Fa-
  erie Folk’s playful and mischievous nature. The problem is their 
  idea of fun and games are cruel pranks and practical jokes, and 
  tricking and cheating, mugging and robbing other people. Their 
  targets? Almost everyone, especially humans, Elves, Dwarves, 
  Gnomes, Faerie Folk and their fellow Goblins, but everyone, 
  from Ogres to dragons and even deities, is a potential mark. As 
  a result, a friendly and cheerful Goblin is just as dangerous as a 
  threatening one, because behind that smile and good cheer is a 
  Goblin sizing up his next mark or victim. Trying to figure out 
  how gullible the person is and how much he can con out of them 
  or pick their pockets before they catch on. Small and wiry, the 
  wily Goblin’s favorite moves involve snatch and grab and other 
  hit and run tactics, with the little buggers sliding under tables, 
  darting through crowds and between the legs of large people, and 
  making a run for it. Most have already plotted out a dark place 
  in an alley, under a porch, or in a hole for them hide from angry 
  pursuers. And don’t think Goblins can’t be deadly. Some are just 
  as vicious and bloodthirsty as any Orc or Ogre, and gather in 
  small bands. Many Goblin bandits use numbers, the element of 
  surprise, and ambushes (another favorite tactic) to get the upper 
  hand on larger, stronger enemies and victims. They also associ-
  ate with other villains, criminals, and monster races, particularly 
  Orcs, Ogres, and Trolls.
  Goblins routinely visit the Garden of the Gods to pray at the 
  feet of Goblin deities and other gods just like anyone else. More 
  importantly, they come to pick the pockets and backpacks of a 
  few unsuspecting visitors, especially in the neighboring towns 
  and on the road. However, Goblins are most dangerous in the 
  wilds of the undeveloped woodlands, where they may live and 
  work with other nefarious Faerie Folk such as Bogies, Pucks, and 
  Toadstools to waylay travelers and explorers.
  Gnirbin the Golden One
  Gnirbin is a long-lost Goblin god of mining and riches. He 
  was infamous in Goblin mythology for having golden skin and 
  a single, gleaming eye with the ability to see veins of gold right 
  through mountainsides, and for stealing mining secrets from the 
  Dwarves and bringing them back for the Goblin people to exploit. 
  Many of the wealthiest Goblins in ancient history were Priests 
  of Gnirbin, as his rituals and blessings were known to lead the 
  faithful to untold mineral wealth. Gnirbin’s disciples wore robes 
  trimmed in gold and silver, and many an archaic Goblin lord or 
  chieftain ruled with a witch doctor at one side and a Priest of 
  Gnirbin at the other, lest their people go impoverished.
  Legend says that during a war under the ground between 
  Dwarves and Goblins, Belimar the Dwarf, god of the Northern 
  Pantheon, once did battle with the golden-skinned Gnirbin. Be-
  limar was armed with a platinum shield and sword, Gnirbin a 
  gold and silver sword and shield studded with diamonds. Slashed 
  by each other’s dazzling weapons, bleeding rubies and sapphires 
  from their wounds, they fought from tunnel to tunnel, collapsing 
  caverns and carving new ones as they went. During the fight, Be-
  limar dropped his shield, and Gnirbin, entranced by its polished, 
  platinum facade, had his head struck from his shoulders, with 
  the silvery gleam of riches still reflecting in his eyes. The de-
  
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  ity’s body is said to have turned into a puddle of molten gold that 
  seeped into the ground like water and vanished from sight. The 
  Dwarves went on to win the war, crushing an entire kingdom of 
  Gnirbin’s followers and several others who sought vengeance in 
  the name of their slain deity.
  Known for their statues and treasures of gold, silver, and 
  gems, zealous and greedy Dwarven Priests and soldiers launched 
  a campaign to track down and pillage all temples and shrines of 
  Gnirbin the Golden One, looting them of their valuables, destroy-
  ing his statues and temples, and slaughtering anyone who stood in 
  their way. In a short time, Goblins became too afraid to worship 
  the deity for fear of being slaughtered by Dwarves and treasure 
  hunters searching for Gnirbin’s temples of gold. So it was that the 
  Golden One and his ancient religion were soon forgotten to time 
  and Goblin civilization was reduced to barbarism.
  Today, the only statue of Gnirbin known to exist is found 
  within the Garden of the Gods. There the deity waits to be redis-
  covered and restored among the Goblins so he may exact revenge 
  against the Dwarven people and the hated god Belimar. Gnirbin 
  has no love for any of the Northern Gods, but it is Belimar who 
  slew him and inspired the Dwarves to persecute his people and 
  destroy his religion, so Belimar is the most despised of all gods.
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  Statue Description: Gnirbin’s statue is a giant, stylized eye 
  being held aloft by a headless Goblin. The eye’s pupil is a mas-
  sive gold coin bearing the likeness of Gnirbin. Of course, it is 
  made of gold and built into the statue, but is impossible to remove 
  or scratch.
  Caretakers: Two Goblin prospectors and their families have 
  adopted Gnirbin and live nearby in a shack in Godsmire. Known 
  as Hutzeldorf and Kennigin, they are obsessed with the pursuit 
  of gold and riches and listen to the oft-incoherent musings of 
  Gnirbin for clues as to where to send their adult children to begin 
  their next dig. They are “civilized” Goblins who have spent years 
  living on Lopan near the Garden as well as frequenting various 
  port cities, especially during the Lopanic Games to place wagers 
  on the outcome of the many games and contests, and to pick the 
  pockets of countless visitors. In an attempt to better fit in and to 
  sound fancy and important, they have adopted human names, and 
  go about in silks and fine clothes whenever they are not up to 
  their necks in dirt digging for gold and silver.
  Artifacts of Note: The Eye of Gold: Gnirbin’s Gleamin Eye 
  was famous for its ability to see through solid rock to find veins 
  of silver and gold. The Eye of Gold is said to be a real, sacred 
  artifact: a ball of solid gold, with a pupil of platinum. It is inde-
  structible, and cannot be hammered apart or melted down, even 
  by an Alchemist. The Eye is supposedly still at the site where 
  Gnirbin fell, deep underground somewhere in the Old Kingdom, 
  sitting in a circle of rubies amidst the ruins of a lost Dwarven city. 
  Below it, where the Golden One’s blood was spilled, is said to be 
  the richest vein of gold in all the land.
  In the possession of a mortal, legend contends that the Eye 
  will turn towards the nearest and largest source of gold, whether 
  it be a mineral deposit or a chest of coins. It can sense gold within 
  a mile (1.6 km) radius, and automatically orients itself with no 
  need for further activation or invocation on the part of whomever 
  possesses it. It is simply a matter of the person in possession of 
  the eye noticing when it looks in the direction where gold can be 
  found.
  Legend also contends that when the Eye replaces one of the 
  eyes of a Champion, it will turn his skin tough and golden (+50 
  Hit Points and +500 S.D.C., Natural A.R. 14), and turn him into a 
  God-Slayer. If the God-Slayer is willing to sacrifice his eye and 
  
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  hunt down and try to slay Belimar, he is rewarded with gold and 
  fortune beyond his wildest dreams. Against mortal opponents, 
  the God-Slayer’s attacks inflict an additional +1D6 damage with 
  a weapon or bare hands. Against supernatural beings, the dam-
  age bonus is +1D6x10, and against gods, damage is a staggering 
  1D4x100 points. The God-Slayer is also said to be able to see 
  the invisible, sense the divine, and Bio-Regenerate all lost Hit 
  Points and S.D.C. at every sunrise, is impervious to mind control 
  and possession, and Entities fear and flee from him as long as the 
  Eye of Gold remains in his head, where it functions as his magi-
  cal eye. Destroy Belimar and restore Gnirbin and reap incredible 
  reward.
  The Coincaster: An enchanted hammer, lost at a gold mine in 
  the Yin-Sloth Jungle, the Coincaster is a small smith’s hammer, 
  not suitable for combat, but is indestructible, and has the unique 
  ability to turn raw ore into beautiful, finished coins. A single tap 
  of the hammer transforms an amount of copper, silver, gold, or 
  platinum into shiny, polished coins of equivalent weight and pu-
  rity, with a tiny image of Gnirbin smiling upon one side and the 
  word “prosperity” in Gobblely upon the other. Value per coin 
  (varying in size depending on the metal) is 20 gold each.
  Blessings: The Gleaming: The Blessed individual receives a 
  portion of the infamous Eye of Gold’s discerning abilities.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize precious metals, 
  gems and other valuables, and +1 on initiative to snatch up gold 
  and gems before anyone else.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Gemology 80%, Recognize Weapon 
  Quality 75%, Palming 65%, and the ability to see precious met-
  als and gems. Nuggets and veins of gold, as well as rubies, sap-
  phires, and diamonds within sight, will glow like mirrors in the 
  sun, even underground, making them instantly identifiable and 
  visible and almost impossible to conceal, even within treasure 
  chests, pouches, purses or the pockets of clothing. Beware, the 
  Blessed individual’s focus is on gold and wealth, even if he has 
  good intentions for its acquisition and use, which may lead to him 
  becoming obsessed with the acquisition of treasure and make him 
  greedy and selfish, or cocky and arrogant.
  Blade-Maiden Ihdeza
  A warrior-maiden deity from long ago, Ihdeza was known in 
  Goblin myth for killing her lovers and using their swords and 
  knives to create her Dress of Blades. It is said that a hundred Gob-
  lin princes and warriors were captured by her beauty, and that 
  each one paid for his love with his head. Ihdeza was renowned 
  as a ruthless and vicious fighter, and an inspiration for any lady 
  Goblin who decided to take up arms or kill a lover who had done 
  her wrong. The Blade-Maiden Ihdeza is more than a war god, she 
  is also known as a selfish seductress who is willing to take what 
  she wants via seduction or by force, and the embodiment of cruel 
  vengeance when she is denied what she wants or is rejected or 
  betrayed.
  Ihdeza met her end after other deities turned on her and she 
  was cast out of her own deific realm. Savage and untrustworthy, 
  she had few allies, and despite the actions of her dark priestesses, 
  witches and devoted assassins, her worshipers and cults slowly 
  waned away over the centuries as she was forced to wander the 
  mortal realm. What became of her, nobody knows. Ihdeza had 
  been completely forgotten until her statue was recently revealed 
  in the Garden.
  
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  Many are now beginning to realize that blade-glyphs found 
  across ancient Goblin, and sometimes Kobold and Dwarven ru-
  ins, once represented the Blade Maiden Ihdeza, illustrating that 
  her worship once included other subterranean people. Scholars 
  and historians wonder if worshiping Ihdeza is a corrupting influ-
  ence, because her glyphs are almost always scratched out and de-
  faced by the people who once worshiped her, all clearly rejecting 
  her at some point and deliberately pushing her away. Some ques-
  tion if this deity of vengeance and war might have had a hand in 
  the mad inception of the Elf-Dwarf War, perhaps working from 
  the shadows to punish the descendants of those who had rejected 
  her as a deity so many millennia earlier. It is certainly within her 
  character to do something like that.
  Alignment: Miscreant.
  Statue Description: A marble statue of a surprisingly beauti-
  ful Goblin maiden sitting cross-legged upon the surface of a giant 
  stone dagger. From afar, it seems that she is dressed in scale-
  mail, but upon closer examination, each scale is a blade, linked 
  together into an armored dress.
  Caretakers: There are three mysterious Goblin maidens who 
  watch over Ihdeza’s resting place. Granted eternal youth by their 
  goddess, these three are actually Witches in compact with Ihdeza, 
  and in addition to keeping the statue’s garden area orderly, they 
  also fly off to various Goblin tribes across Lopan, the Old King-
  dom, and the Great Northern Wilderness, looking for handsome 
  young Goblins to sacrifice to their lady. They believe that if they 
  can sacrifice five hundred Goblins to Ihdeza and collect their 
  blades, their goddess will be restored.
  Artifacts of Note: The Chest of Blades: Carefully stockpiled 
  by the Witches of Ihdeza over the years, this chest contains more 
  than 150 daggers and short swords, most of them in excellent con-
  dition, along with vials of blood drawn from their sacrificial vic-
  tims. The Witches intend to bring their goddess back via multiple 
  magical rituals, for even they have not heard directly or clearly 
  from their patron goddess, and do not know the whereabouts of 
  Ihdeza. They know not whether she sleeps upon a mountain, rests 
  in a forgotten subterranean chamber, wanders the world of mor-
  tals in disguise, or whether she is the victim of memory loss or 
  is held captive by some fiend. Whatever the case, they believe 
  sacrificing 500 Goblin blade wielders will magically bring the 
  Blade-Maiden to them so they may start to rebuild her name and 
  her base of followers.
  If the chest is destroyed or its contents stolen and sold, the 
  Witches must start again, a process that could take a decade or 
  more as they try to be secretive and discreet. (Note: On the other 
  hand, if a player group wishes to bring Ihdeza back to life, they 
  can join the Witches in finding new Goblin victims to sacrifice, 
  but each must be handy with a knife or sword, and the Witches 
  need to perform the ritual and the actual bloodletting.)
  Ihdeza’s Daggers: There are supposedly five magical, silver-
  plated daggers scattered throughout the Palladium World that 
  were created for Ihdeza. Each was once one of her personal weap-
  ons used for assassination and murder, taken away from the god-
  dess by the gods, and thrown to the wind when they cast her out 
  of the Deific Realm. These weapons have a mind of their own, 
  and can be used by anyone with or without the W.P. Knife skill.
  The daggers are Lesser Rune Weapons that can only be used 
  by those of an evil or selfish alignments and are +2 to strike, +1 to 
  parry and disarm, and inflict 4D6 damage in combat, in addition 
  to the other abilities common to Lesser Rune Weapons.
  Blessings: Angry Armor (special): Ihdeza’s dress of blades 
  was known for slicing attackers who dared to challenge her in 
  combat to pieces. This Blessing makes the sharp edges of the 
  Blessed individual’s own metal armor (must be metal) cut like 
  blades, but only when he or she is attacked or engages in combat. 
  A slash of the fingertips does 2D4 damage, a punch or Karate-
  style chop with the side of the hand does 2D6 damage, so does 
  a elbow or knee jab, or kick. Anyone who tries to entangle or 
  wrestle with Blessed individual suffers 2D6 damage per each at-
  tempt. Same damage to anyone who tries to body block or tackle 
  the Blessed individual with Angry Armor.
  Nefarious Seducer: The Blessed individual is granted the pow-
  ers of seduction for a selfish or evil end. This may be sexual, but it 
  may also involve other forms of seduction such as seducing oth-
  ers with the promise of wealth, power, or revenge. And revenge 
  is always bloody.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize envy, jealousy, 
  lust, desire, hatred, vengeance, etc., that can be an opening to 
  seduce and manipulate others; increase M.A. to 22 (70% chance 
  to evoke trust or intimidate), +1 to strike and disarm, +1 to pull 
  punch, +2 to save vs poison and disease, and impervious to all 
  types of charm magic and psionics.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Concealment 75%, Palming 70%, 
  Use & Recognize Poison 65%, and the ability to seduce and ma-
  nipulate others to acquire information, gain access to a place or 
  person (usually to rob, threaten, or kill them), get ill-gotten gains 
  or something of value or importance, etc., or to seduce another 
  person(s) into doing something terrible such as an act of betrayal, 
  murder, or treachery (blackmail, frame, torture, kidnaping, etc.).
  Razor-Sharpness: According to legend, Ihdeza could sharpen 
  blades with her forked, snake’s tongue. This Blessing puts a fresh 
  edge on all the recipient’s bladed weapons, including knives, 
  swords, spears and axes that do not dull for as long as the Bless-
  ing is in place.
  Bonuses: +1 on all Perception Rolls, +1 on initiative, and +2 
  to damage with blade weapons.
  Skills: Military Etiquette 70%, W.P. Knife and W.P. Sword. 
  Substitute W.P. Throwing Weapons if one or both of these W.P.s 
  are already known to the Blessed individual.
  The Forgotten
  Dragons of Dragonwright
  The four major dragons of Dragonwright, Kym-Nark-Mar, 
  Zandragal, Kormath and Styphon the Black, are the primary dei-
  ties of the religion, but the church is also known for absorbing 
  lesser gods into the ranks of their pantheon. These secondary dei-
  ties are not placed on the same mythical level as the four god-
  dragons, but they are worshiped and acknowledged, and ancient 
  dragons of legendary age sometimes aspire to godhood as part 
  of the Dragonwright Pantheon, though they are rarely accepted 
  into it.
  Dragons without the ageless popularity of the four main god-
  dragons have been forgotten by many of the church’s worshipers 
  or find themselves worshiped by smaller factions and cults within 
  Dragonwright. Thus, their deific powers dwindle until they can 
  find new worshipers and Champions of the Gods to represent 
  them and revitalize their fading image. Three of these lesser 
  
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  Dragonwright deities have gotten a bit of a boost when their stat-
  ues were rediscovered in the Garden. However, humans, Wolfen, 
  and most humanoids have moved away from the worship of drag-
  ons, so their fate still hangs in the balance.
  The Church of Dragonwright is a devoted and militant organi-
  zation, and its four gods and the three newly revealed god-dragons 
  in the Garden all have well-kept garden areas tended to by Priests 
  and temple guards sent to guarantee their preservation and safety 
  by the Church. There are Priests, scholars and spell casters of 
  Dragonwright who spend their entire lives investigating the lost 
  god-dragons and suggesting ways to increase their recognition as 
  official and known gods of the fabled pantheon. Holy warriors 
  from Dragonwright often visit the Garden of the Gods to receive 
  Blessings from these and the more famous god-dragons before 
  a quest or crusade, though the top leaders of the Church, itself, 
  all claim the Garden to be an illusion, a myth, and that only the 
  clergy can speak to the gods and represent their voices and will.
  The fact that there are only a few new dragon statues in the 
  Garden is a testament to the faith and diligence of Dragonwright’s 
  followers, as their gods are seldom forgotten or rejected.
  Lezari
  Little is known of Lezari, a dragon who was once worshiped 
  by a sprawling, ancient civilization within the Yin-Sloth Jungles 
  for thousands of years before it collapsed long ago. His followers 
  became isolated from the rest of Dragonwright as they drifted 
  into barbarism, however, and gradually began to turn to other 
  Jungle gods. Forgotten in the rest of the world, Lezari’s reliance 
  on the people of a single region was his undoing. With his pool 
  of worshipers gone, except for a few cults, he found it more and 
  more difficult to assume physical form and leave the dragon 
  realm. After his last temples were forgotten or repurposed, he 
  found himself a mostly forgotten god. The last of his known stat-
  ues found only in the Garden.
  Lezari symbolizes flight, freedom, and the heavens, and is said 
  to have brought rain to fill the rivers and to water the rainforests 
  so his people could thrive. Though known to the followers of 
  Dragonwright, few worship him today. Still he clings to the belief 
  he will be rediscovered and reinstated somehow, so one day his 
  majestic form will, once again, become known and praised by 
  many. Few Priests of Dragonwright speak of him, however, his 
  name purged from the holy records, not out of malice, but out of 
  a desire to not confuse the simple mortal worshipers or dilute the 
  flow of prayers to the four primary god-dragons. Rivalry between 
  dragons is legendary, and that sense of competition transcends 
  even to the gods. It was the other four famous deities who encour-
  aged their to remove the names of the “lesser god-dragons” and 
  to stop telling their stories and myths. For Lezari to become an 
  openly acknowledged part of the Dragonwright pantheon again, 
  he’ll have to do much of the legwork himself via new Champions 
  of the Gods and the recruitment of new followers devoted to him 
  first, and then the rest of the pantheon. A difficult task.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A long, serpentine dragon curled around 
  a pedestal with bright, flaming eyes.
  Caretakers: Apart from the general maintenance of the Drag-
  onwright cultists, there is a single Priest named Namse Virdan 
  who has devoted many years to the study of Lezari. He believes 
  the rebirth of Lezari would help extend the Church of Dragon-
  wright into the Baalgor Wastelands and Yin-Sloth Jungles where 
  many potential converts await. He is a fanatic whose dreams are 
  mostly delusions, but there are a few tribes of various species in 
  the Jungles who remember the name of Lezari through myths 
  passed down via the spoken word for generations.
  Artifacts of Note: Cloud of Lezari: According to Legend, the 
  Cloud of Lezari was kept in a bronze box decorated with jade 
  clouds and silver filagree. Inside the box is a piece of magical-
  ly preserved cloud said to resemble a puff of white, spun sugar 
  (think fresh cotton candy) that can be pick up and held in hand. 
  Actually, the hand can be slipped under the cloud and whoever 
  holds it, commands it!
  The cloud can grow to fill a room or an area 50 feet (15.2 m) 
  in diameter. For everyone except the owner of the Cloud (he who 
  possesses the box that contains it), it is as if they were suddenly 
  plunged into a pea soup fog. However, the possessor of the box 
  can see perfectly, as if the cloud were but a light mist, and move 
  around inside of it without penalty, and get close to others in the 
  Cloud (he is unseen until within 3 feet/0.9 m), and attack. The 
  Cloud can be left in one place (an entrance hall, a courtyard, over 
  a sea vessel, etc.) or it can follow its owner; maximum speed is 
  20 mph (32 km).
  In the alternative, the cloud can flatten and be used as a float-
  ing platform upon which it owner can stand upon to hover and 
  fly (maximum speed 20 mph/32 km, maximum altitude is 10,000 
  feet/3.048 m). The cloud can be as small as a flying carpet big 
  enough to hold its owner and/or him and a few people, or as large 
  a 50 feet (15.2 m) in diameter to carry 3-4 dozen soldiers, live-
  stock, or crates of supplies or treasure, weighing up to 60 tons.
  The owner of the Cloud may also inhale it! As long as the 
  Cloud is inside of his body, he can breathe without air, is imper-
  vious to smoke inhalation, poisonous/toxic clouds and magical 
  fumes, impervious to disease, impervious to lightning, impervi-
  ous to falling (floats to the ground and stops, hovering above it), 
  can levitate, hover and fly (10,000 feet/3,048 m, 20 mph/32 mph 
  speed), and can fire 3D6 damage electrical bolts from his finger-
  tips up to 300 feet (91.4 m) away; each blast counts as one melee 
  attack. Duration is indefinite and ends when he so desires and 
  exhales the Cloud back into the box. Note: Whoever has pos-
  session of the bronze and jade box – the size of a child’s lunch 
  box – controls the Cloud of Lezari, and if it falls into the hands of 
  another, can be forcibly removed from inside the previous owner.
  It should be noted that many believe the Cloud of Lezari is 
  pure myth and was never real because there is no record of it in 
  the annals of history. Only a story in the Tristine Chronicles in 
  which Lezari himself wielded the Cloud in battle against the Old 
  Ones. Others contend that if it is spoken of in the sacred Tristine 
  Chronicles it must be real, except the Cloud of Lezari has never 
  been found by any mortal. Even that claim is in doubt, as one of 
  the earliest kings of the Western Empire was said to possess a 
  magic that could cloak his ship in a cloud upon the water and he 
  fired lightning from his hands. Could this have been the Cloud of 
  Lezari? (Note: In the possession of Lezari or any deity, the cloud 
  is four times larger and more powerful.)
  Serpent Staff: Also known as the Jade Staff, this holy artifact 
  is said to have once belonged to the head of Lezari’s church, once 
  a popular faction within the larger Dragonwright that rivaled the 
  followers of the four primary deities ages ago. The Staff is made 
  of jade and has a long serpentine dragon curled around the top 
  half. It is said to have surfaced hundreds of times over the last 
  
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  80,000 years, but has not been seen in at least two centuries. It 
  was last rumored to be in the possession of a Land of the South 
  Winds pirate who disappeared, fate unknown, somewhere in or 
  around the coast of the Yin-Sloth Jungles.
  As a weapon, the Serpent Staff inflicts 2D6 damage to most 
  opponents, 4D6 damage to the animated dead and undead, and 
  5D6+10 damage to demons and their host, such as Gargoyles and 
  the Fallen.
  Its main power, however, was influence over the weather. The 
  wielder of the Serpent Staff is impervious to electricity/lightning, 
  and is able to cast the following spells two times per 24 hour 
  period at no P.P.E. cost and equal to a 10th level Wizard: Float 
  
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  in Air, Levitation, Call Lightning, Calm Storms, Summon and 
  Control Storm, and Summon Fog.
  Note: The Serpent Staff has 300 S.D.C. that regenerates 
  1D6x10 S.D.C. per hour. However, if destroyed, it unleashes a 
  hurricane force storm over a 200 square mile (518 square km) 
  area that lasts for 1D6+1 days, causing severe flooding and im-
  mense damage.
  Winged Talisman: A holy talisman inscribed with an image of 
  Lezari, this artifact was lost by a Dragonwright Priest somewhere 
  in the Eastern Territory city of Llorn. The talisman grants the 
  wearer the magic power to understand and speak all languages 
  75% (+15% for Dragonese/Elven) as long as the Talisman is 
  worn, and can cast the spells Fly as the Eagle and Swim as a Fish 
  upon himself three times per 24 hours at no P.P.E. cost equal to 
  a 10th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Fly: A Miraculous Blessing, the Blessed individual 
  has no fear of heights and can call upon his deity through prayer 
  to be granted the power to fly.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to notice changing and 
  threatening weather conditions and wind direction, +3 to roll with 
  punch/fall/impact, and the Blessed individual survives falls from 
  any height! As he fall his descent slows and he seems to glide 
  down to the ground landing on his feet as light as a feather.
  Skills/Abilities: Acrobatics 80%, Climb 75%, and can fly, four 
  times per 24 hours, able to hover and fly up to a maximum speed 
  of 50 mph (80 km) for as long as one hour per activation. Maxi-
  mum altitude is 15,000 feet (4572 m).
  Lightness of Foot: The Blessed individual is said to move 
  about as light and carefree as the wind.
  Bonuses: +2 to roll with punch/fall/impact, and the recipient 
  of this blessing does not feel the weight of his belongings, includ-
  ing armor, weapons and gear, and can move about as if unencum-
  bered; removes all movement penalties from weight or mobility 
  restrictions of armor.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Acrobatics 75%, Climb/Scale Walls 
  70%, Prowl 65%, and when his prayers are granted, leaves no 
  tracks or scent to follow because he actually walks a few inches 
  above the surface of the ground, mud, snow, or ice.
  Rain Dance: Another Miraculous Blessing, the Blessed indi-
  vidual is given the power to bring an end to a drought and bring 
  life-giving rain to save crops and provide drinking water.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize good, clean 
  drinking water, and +5% to Wilderness skills.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Dowsing 75%, Brewing 70%, Swim-
  ming 65%, and the ability to bring life-giving rain via a two hour 
  ritual involving song and dance that must not be interrupted, and 
  which drains the Blessed individual physically and magically: 
  reduce P.P.E. to zero, and reduce P.S., P.E., P.P., Spd attributes 
  and all combat bonuses by half for 1D4 days. The rain that comes 
  immediately, and sporadically over the next month is the perfect 
  amount to restore and nurture the land, crops, and water reserves 
  without causing flooding or storm damage.
  Nyislad
  Nyislad is a tragedy within Dragonwright, a dragon of impec-
  cable character and quality who was mortally wounded in battle 
  against Styphon the Black. In a distant era 15,000 or 20,000 years 
  ago, Dragonwright was united for a time, and the combined wor-
  ship had made Styphon more powerful and arrogant than ever 
  before. With his attempts to undermine the other gods and their 
  Church becoming more frequent, Nyislad, a minor god-dragon 
  associated with the Floenry Isles, took it upon herself to humble 
  the mischievous and destructive deity.
  With an army of loyal followers at her side, Nyislad used her 
  knowledge of Dragonwright’s rituals and secrets to summon 
  Styphon right into an ambush. The giant, evil god-dragon only 
  laughed at the army of pitiful mortals and mages who hoped to 
  strike him down with arrows and the simple spells of humans. He 
  opened a massive Rift that sent the entire force spinning away 
  into a different dimension. Nyislad, alone, was no match for 
  Styphon, who crushed his enemy in a battle that gave birth to 
  many myths and legends of its own among the primitive people 
  who were witness to it. With her near “death,” Styphon drank 
  the blood of his defeated opponent, and cast her remains into the 
  closing Rift to tumble into dimensional oblivion.
  Though Styphon the Black has pronounced Nyislad dead, he 
  doesn’t know that. Her consciousness, warped and twisted under 
  the effects of space and time as magical energy drained out of her 
  ravaged body, but she still lives. It has just taken her a number 
  of millennia to recover and find the way back to the Palladium 
  World, as the recent rediscovery of her statue in the Garden of 
  the Gods seems to symbolize. She now reaches out to visitors in 
  the Garden and at her ancient statues and shrines in the Floenry 
  Islands where she still has a small, but loyal following, includ-
  ing the primitive Grimbor and Hytril, among others, healing the 
  sick and the wounded, and encouraging heroes and do-gooders. 
  She is looking for a few people to become her Champions of 
  the Gods and rebuild her followers in order to regain her right-
  ful place in the Pantheon of Dragonwright. Something that the 
  spiteful, power-monger Styphon will try to prevent. This means 
  Nyislad also encourages mortals to oppose and undo Styphon’s 
  evil schemes and undermine his position within the Church and 
  among his followers.
  Alignment: Unprincipled. She was Principled, but her experi-
  ence has made her vengeful and disillusioned. That can change 
  for the better, becoming Scrupulous if she finds the right Champi-
  ons and heroes and followers with good and noble hearts.
  Statue Description: A statue of a battered and wounded drag-
  on, perched with its head low and missing one wing.
  Caretakers: The Priests and acolytes of Dragonwright keep 
  her resting place clean and well-maintained. There are several 
  Priests who have become affiliated with the goddess, but not 
  enough to reestablish her widespread worship within the religion, 
  yet.
  Artifacts of Note: Crown of Snakes: A gold-plated crown of 
  seven entwined snakes with emeralds for eyes. This artifact en-
  ables the wearer to see like a snake, seeing infrared light (Night-
  vision 500 feet/152 m) and the heat given off by living creatures, 
  making hiding from her very difficult, and is excellent for finding 
  people and animals at night and in cold environments, tracking 
  still-warm footprints (no more than 15 minutes old); +20% to 
  all Tracking skills. In addition, the wearer can see the invisible, 
  see Shadow Beasts even in darkness, is impervious to all dragon 
  breath weapons and the petrification beams of the Cockatrice, 
  and can read and speak Dragonese/Elven 95%. This artifact is 
  rumored to have been lost somewhere in the Great Northern Wil-
  derness, near the coast of the Inland Sea, when it fell into the 
  possession of a Wolfen Knight who was bringing the relic to the 
  leader of his tribe.
  
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  Snake Sword: A magical, silver-bladed broadsword that does 
  3D6 damage, is +2 to strike, +1 to parry and disarm, and which 
  can turn into a large serpent (A.R. 15, 80 S.D.C.) that can fight 
  and attack its owner’s opponents! Three attacks per melee round, 
  +2 to strike, parry and dodge, and each bite inflicts 3D6 damage. 
  When the “snake” suffers 80 points of damage or more, it turns 
  back into a sword and flies into the hand of its owner where it can 
  be used as a blade weapon, but cannot turn back into a fighting 
  serpent for 48 hours.
  Blessings: Healing Presence and Recruitment at Her Statues 
  (special): Anyone upon who she takes pity or seeks to win over, 
  and who prays to her for help or guidance and comes within 15 
  feet (4.6 m) of her statue in the Garden of the Gods or one of her 
  few remaining shrines on the Floenry Islands, is automatically 
  healed 2D6 Hit Points/S.D.C. or is cured of minor disorders/ill-
  nesses with all symptoms and side-effects instantly removed. She 
  also has a 33% chance to remove a lesser curse, and provides a 
  +20% bonus to perform a successful exorcism. Those she helps 
  dream of Nyislad the next time they fall asleep. In the dream she 
  encourages them to strive to be good and kind to others, and to be 
  wary of Styphon the Black and his conniving and wicked Priests 
  and followers. To those she believes can be of greater service, 
  the goddess may offer inspiration, a vision, an additional Bless-
  ing, or an invitation to become a Champion of the Gods in her 
  name to recruit new followers dedicated to her specifically, and 
  the Dragonwright pantheon in general. Her quests are missions to 
  help others and destroy evil, many of which do things to hurt and 
  undermine Styphon and his Priests and followers.
  Reptilian Brain: The Blessed individual is inspired to be a 
  cold, ruthless combatant, who is quick and decisive in his actions 
  to take down his enemies and defend those under his charge. His 
  idea of mercy is a swift death to those who don’t deserve it. This 
  isn’t evil, but is callous and merciless.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize the Priests and 
  servants of Styphon the Black and other evildoing scum who need 
  to be put down like a mad dog; +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, +3 
  to damage (double against the Priests and minions of Styphon), 
  +1 to save vs magic and possession, +15% to save vs coma and 
  death, and +1 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Detect Ambush 75%, Surveillance 70%, and 
  Track Humanoids 65%.
  Reptilian Bravery: The Blessed individual is inspired to be 
  bold and brave. The same boldness that Nyislad needed to chal-
  lenge Styphon the Black.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize the Priests and 
  servants of Styphon the Black and their evil schemes, as well as 
  
  188
  to recognize people in need of help and suffering under tyranny; 
  +2 on initiative, +1 to strike, parry and dodge, +2 to pull punch, 
  +1 to save vs magic and possession, +10% to save vs coma and 
  death, +1 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Escape Artist 75%, Intelligence 70%, and 
  Recognize Weapon Quality 65%.
  Serenity: Though her hatred of Styphon, and wicked beings 
  like him, borders on the obsessive (a trait she recognizes in oth-
  ers), she realizes she must find balance and is still able to meditate 
  and find peace, mercy, and focus. She tries to help other vengeful 
  or tormented souls to likewise find peace and balance even as she 
  struggles with her own. The Blessed individual is given moments 
  of clarity, peace, and calm as Nyislad quiets the restless heart and 
  mind.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize when he is over-
  reacting or lost to hot emotions and rein himself in, +1 to disarm, 
  +2 to pull punch, +10% bonus to Science and Scholar, Noble and 
  Technical skills when they are needed most.
  Skills/Abilities: Fishing 75%, Play Musical Instrument 70%, 
  and the psionic abilities: Meditation (0) and Mind Block (4), and 
  1D6+7 I.S.P., but is not considered to be a psychic.
  that left scars across the very landscape of the world, he slipped 
  away to recover his energy. After the battle with his fellow drag-
  ons, his name was cursed within the early cults of Dragonwright, 
  and, denied the acclaim of his worshipers, Ometrua could only 
  recover a fraction of his former power.
  He tried to expand his personal cult into different dimensions 
  and domains, but the Church of Dragonwright’s excommuni-
  cation reached far and wide, and gradually the name Ometrua 
  went forgotten in the outside world, and the dragon-deity found 
  himself weak and condemned to the shadows, forgotten and 
  miserable. Ometrua has burned with desire for vengeance ever 
  since, but none are willing to challenge the might of Drag-
  onwright in his name, not even Styphon the Black, who sees 
  Ometrua as a dangerous rival best kept under their heel. Any-
  one who tries to revive Ometrua risks inviting the wrath of the 
  other Dragonwright deities and their followers. Should Ometrua 
  ever manage to again rise to power, it would ignite a civil war 
  amongst the heavens and put the lives of Dragonwright’s mortal 
  followers in danger, as they would be the first to suffer under 
  Ometrua’s wrath.
  Alignment: Miscreant (was Scrupulous).
  Statue Description: A wingless Thunder Lizard carved from 
  gray granite, poised to strike, with its poisonous, green fire breath 
  and lashing tail.
  Caretakers: None. The Dragonwright Priests and cultists 
  who watch over the other statues leave Ometrua deliberately un-
  attended.
  Artifacts of Note: None, or so it is said. The teachings of 
  Dragonwright would have you believe every physical object con-
  nected to Ometrua – fallen from one of the greatest of the dragon 
  gods to one of the worst due to his insatiable lust for power and, 
  now, vengeance – has been sought out, found, and destroyed by 
  the other god-dragons. Mention of his name are few even in the 
  holy scriptures of Dragonwright. Still, such a force of boiling 
  rage and vengeance is not without its resources.
  Dark Star: A morning star made of a mysterious black 
  metal said to enable its wielder to summon and control 1D4 
  Shadow Beasts once per 24 hours, and grows or shrinks to 
  accommodate the size of its wielder. As a weapon, it inflicts 
  2D6 damage to most opponents, but 4D6 damage to reptil-
  ian beings, vampires, zombies, and creatures of darkness, and 
  4D6+6 to dragons.
  Shield of Retribution: A V-shaped shield whose surface is pol-
  ished and reflective like a mirror. It once represented truth and 
  justice, but now protects the wicked and vengeful. The shield is 
  indestructible, +2 to parry, does 2D6 damage as a weapon, and 
  shields its bearer from the breath attacks of dragons, making him 
  impervious to them all, as well as resistant to fire (half damage), 
  and able to parry fire balls and fire blasts and energy beams (no 
  damage to him or the shield). The latter includes deflecting the 
  Petrification beam of the Cockatrice, Gorgon/Medusa, and Mag-
  got demon.
  Blessings: Death from the Shadows: The Blessed individual is 
  given the ability to be stealthy and hidden in darkness where he 
  may strike at his enemies like a panther in the darkness.
  Bonuses: Double damage from behind and surprise attacks.
  Skills/Abilities: Prowl 50% (+20% in darkness), Track Hu-
  manoids 70%, and is able to cast the spells Darkness (an Air Ele-
  mental spell) and Shadow Meld twice per 24 hours without P.P.E. 
  cost equal to a 10th level Wizard.
  Ometrua the Failed Usurper
  Only whispered of in the modern age, Ometrua has been lost 
  and hidden within the Garden for tens of thousands of years, lon-
  ger than any of the other forgotten Dragonwright gods. Cast aside 
  after a failed rebellion against the other gods, Ometrua was once a 
  champion of the innocent, with a good heart and noble intentions. 
  A divine warrior and beast of legend, he thought himself power-
  ful enough to challenge even Kym-Nark-Mar. Unfortunately, he 
  overestimated both his own strength and his support among the 
  rest of the pantheon, and after he was bested in a mighty battle 
  
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  Dragon Slayer: Same as the Miraculous Blessing.
  Emerald Fire: A Miraculous Blessing, typically granted for 
  one hour or one particular battle up to 48 hours. Those who earn 
  this Blessing are able to breathe the infamous Green Fire of the 
  Thunder Lizard.
  Bonuses: Impervious to fire and poison, +1 to save vs Horror 
  Factor.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Green Fire Dragon Breath: A poi-
  sonous vapor that looks like green flame. Range: 50 feet (15.2 
  m), and inflicts 1D6 damage and paralysis that lasts 1D6 melee 
  rounds unless the target saves vs magic of 14 or higher to humans 
  and other mortals; 3D6 damage to supernatural beings, dragons 
  and other creatures of magic like the Sphinx and Faerie Folk; and 
  6D6 damage against Elementals. The fire breath can only be used 
  against a single target at a time, and can be employed once per 
  melee round.
  To Stir the Embers: The simmering hatred that keeps Ometrua 
  tethered to the mortal plane, strongest within the Garden of the 
  Gods and a few shrines of secret cults in the Land of the South 
  Winds, can be transmitted to a willing recipient of this Blessing.
  Bonuses: +3 to Perception Rolls to recognize people burning 
  with dark emotions that can be easily manipulated into acts of 
  violence and bad things; +2 to save vs mind control and posses-
  sion, +10% to all Espionage, Military and Rogue/Thief skills as 
  the individual’s mind is focused on dark purposes.
  Skills/Abilities: Imitate Voices and Impersonation, Public 
  Speaking 70%, and magically understands and speaks all lan-
  guages at 75%.
  Gods of Other Races
  There are deities of many races and cultures, present and 
  long past, known to exist in statue form within the Garden. 
  Almost every intelligent race, even those with limited intellect 
  compared to humans, Elves or Dwarves, engages in spiritual 
  practices and beliefs. Many may pray to the powerful and estab-
  lished gods that have worshipers of all types, but there are also 
  more private and personal gods that are tied to small groups and 
  individual races.
  Centaurs have a small number of Centaur gods, but have lost 
  many of their tribal beliefs as their people have been depleted 
  over the years.
  Eandroth are most often associated with Dwarven gods 
  and the Northern Pantheon, though they may worship any de-
  ity. There are a few Gnome deities, as well as Dragonwright and 
  other human-dominated religions.
  Faerie Folk are often affiliated with nature gods of all types, 
  but just as often scoff at religion and belief, seeing such activities 
  as strange preoccupations of humans and the like.
  Giants, Titans, and Rahu-Men have gods of their own, old 
  and powerful deities, but often worship the same gods as Elves 
  and humans, and frequently revere their own kings and chieftains 
  as living gods, seeing themselves as halfway between god and 
  mortals already.
  Goblins, Hob-Goblins, and Orcs generally worship a mix 
  of Goblin, Orc, and regional deities, in addition to those of 
  large religions, but will worship any deity with whom they 
  feel a connection. This includes selfish and trickster gods, and 
  those deities who speak to the disenfranchised and monster 
  races. Kirgi the Rat God and other gods of thieves, assassins, 
  and tricksters as well as various Demon and Deevil Lords of 
  Hell are all worshiped by these beings and many of the mon-
  ster races.
  Kobolds and Troglodytes generally worship a mix of Goblin 
  and Dwarven deities, in addition to their own, obscure gods, and 
  the deities of the large religions, such as the gods of Light & Dark 
  or Northern Pantheon depending on the region where they were 
  born and raised.
  Ogres ans Trolls are primitive species, but Trolls are an old 
  race and may worship Yin-Sloth gods or other ancient deities. 
  Ogres are a much more recent people/mutation, however, and 
  those who follow religious practices often take to well-known 
  modern gods like those of the Northern Pantheon or the Church 
  of Light & Dark.
  Other Monster Races: Adram, Bug Bears, Dwarvlings, 
  Feathered Death, Gromek, Lizard Men, Lizard Mages, Loog-
  aroo, Minotaurs, Ratlings, Syvan, Tezcat, and others relegated 
  to the category of monster races, seem to mostly follow the dei-
  ties of the Pantheon of Light & Dark and the ancient Yin-Sloth 
  gods as well as worship Demon and Deevil Lords as their deities. 
  Sometimes they worship dragons and other powerful creatures as 
  gods whether they are truly deific or not. There is a Harpy god-
  dess prominently featured in many Yin-Sloth religious inscrip-
  tions, though there is no corresponding statue in the Garden, so 
  there must be at least one cult of her worshipers somewhere in 
  the Yin-Sloth Jungles and the Harpy statue yet to be revealed in 
  the Primeva.
  People of the North. As a people of the north, Bearmen, 
  Emerin, Gnomes, Kankoran, and Northern Barbarians tend 
  to look toward Algor, the Northern Pantheon, Wolfen gods, and 
  nature gods, in addition to their own obscure tribal deities. How-
  ever, depending on where these beings grew up, can include any 
  god or pantheon.
  Note: Demon Worship. When speaking about gods, people 
  often forget about the Lords of Hades and Dyval, each one a dei-
  fic being, and represented in the Garden of the Gods. The mem-
  bers of any race, from human and Elf to Goblin and Orc may 
  worship, or turn to, any of these dark gods, especially in times of 
  trouble and need, and when emotions run hot. As noted above, 
  many of the monster races choose to worship demonic Lords of 
  Hades or Dyval. Such deities are perfect for those looking for 
  revenge or bloodshed against the dominant species or those who 
  persecute them.
  As one might expect, the statues and garden areas featuring 
  the Lords of Hell are not as heavily visited by their followers 
  as other Garden areas of predominantly popular and good dei-
  ties. One reason is Priests of Darkness, Witches, and followers 
  of foul and wicked deities do not want to expose themselves as 
  servants of evil to those who may be watching. However, as a 
  wonder of the world, all portions of the Garden attract throngs 
  of visitors who marvel at the artistry and antiquity of all the 
  statues. Moreover, many uneducated peasants and farmers are 
  likely to have no idea the statue they are looking at is a De-
  mon Lord or dark god. As a result, most servants of evil slip 
  in with crowds of sightseers and casual visitors to avoid being 
  recognized, and caretakers come at night or at the crack of dawn 
  before the Garden becomes crowded with visiting pilgrims and 
  sightseers.
  
  190
  Elder & Primordial
  Jungle Gods
  See Dragons & Gods, pages 178-191, for complete informa-
  tion about the Church of the Seven Waters, and the most terrify-
  ing and ancient of the Southern Gods. Monstrous beings that 
  include the likes of Yin-Sloth the Terrible, Pith the Snake God, 
  Tark the Spider God, and Lopnel the Warrior, among others.
  All six of these savage and primordial deities were, over time, 
  replaced by the gentler Yin-Sloth Jungle deities known today and 
  described in the pages that follow. Most of the elder gods, except 
  for Tark and Lopnel, are nearly forgotten even in the south, and 
  completely unknown to people beyond the Yin-Sloth Jungles and 
  the Land of the South Winds. Even in these places, the terrible 
  deities are worshiped only by ancient cults and dark, forbidden 
  religions.
  In the distant past, these monstrous and demonic, bloodthirsty 
  gods were worshiped out of fear and nihilism, or out of hate and 
  the desire to annihilate one’s enemies. Wholesale slaughter of 
  one’s enemies and human sacrifice were both endorsed and en-
  couraged by these deities. The fearsome visage of each is found 
  in the Garden of the Gods, where most visitors find them to be 
  disturbing and frightening even in this place of beauty and toler-
  ance. Few linger among them for long, and seem to gravitate to 
  the more modern Jungle deities.
  Considering the selfish and wicked disposition of most of 
  these primordial beings, it is surprising that they do not see the 
  Jungle gods who evolved after them as rivals but as little broth-
  ers and sisters. While the agendas of these two jungle pantheons 
  sometimes cross paths and clash, they do not oppose or fight each 
  other or their respective followers. This may be a result of the 
  nihilistic pragmatism of the primal gods.
  Modern Yin-Sloth
  Jungle Gods
  Often referred to as the Jungle Pantheon and Animal Pan-
  theon (and not to be confused with the Southern Gods, above), 
  even these so-called “modern” deities of the Yin-Sloth Jungles 
  are some of the most ancient in the world. The knowledge and 
  worship of some have faded over the ages, like the more savage 
  deities who came before them, but most remain popular in the 
  southern lands. As popular as ever among the tribal people and 
  nonhumans of the jungle as well as to many inhabitants of the 
  Land of the South Winds. Located not far from the primal Elder 
  Jungle deities, the Garden presents vine-covered statues of noble 
  jungle animals and strange animal-human hybrids: the Modern 
  Jungle Gods.
  Many of the deities in the Jungle Pantheon were once wor-
  shiped widely by ancient civilizations that have risen, fallen, and 
  been forgotten, as well as by primitive humans and nonhuman 
  people in many lands. As these cultures grew in sophistication, 
  however, they began to follow new deities, including many that 
  had already grown into worldwide figures through Dragonwright 
  and other major pantheons such as the gods of Light and Dark, 
  Aco and others. Gods that were worshiped throughout the world 
  long ago, but are only known in the south today. And now be-
  cause of the Garden of the Gods, they are beginning to be redis-
  covered.
  Eliinak the True Crocodile God
  As a Jungle god, few civilized people have ever heard his 
  name, but the ancient deity, Eliinak, is known and feared by the 
  people of the jungle and Land of the South Winds, and revered by 
  Lizard Men and some cults. A symbol of power, fear, treachery, 
  and danger lurking quietly and patiently below the surface, he is 
  the patron deity of pirates, assassins, murderous thieves, slaver 
  traders, practitioners of forbidden magic, and certain cults.
  Eliinak is not a member of the pantheon of Light & Dark, but 
  there is a connection. A few ancient myths suggest Sebek, the 
  Crocodile of that Pantheon, is the treacherous little brother of Eli-
  inak. Sebek, jealous of his brother’s renown and fearful reputa-
  tion among the Jungle gods, is said to have betrayed the jungle 
  deities by abandoning them to join the Pantheon of Taut, the dark 
  half of the Church of Light and Dark, taking Eliinak’s Tauton 
  minions with him. Sebek tricked the demonic crocodile beings 
  to come with him on a mission for his borther. The Tautons were 
  originally the supernatural minions of Eliinak and served as his 
  elite shock-troopers and enforcers. Sebek believed his betrayal 
  and bringing the Tautons to serve the rival pantheon would earn 
  him a high place within the great and powerful pantheon of Light 
  & Dark, putting him on par with Anubis or Anhur. While it earn 
  him a place in the Pantheon, Set had other thoughts on the matter. 
  The Lord of Darkness commandeered the army of Tautons for 
  himself, and relegated Sebek to the roster of Lesser deities within 
  
  191
  the Pantheon of Taut. Though Sebek wields more power than he 
  ever did among the Jungle gods, he is disappointed with his com-
  paratively minor position within the church and among the other 
  gods of the pantheon.
  Eliinak understands Sebek’s betrayal in the name of power 
  and position, but can never forgive him for it. This was not a be-
  trayal against just him, but the entire pantheon of Yin-Sloth Jun-
  gle gods and made them look weak and foolish. This has earned 
  Sebek the lasting enmity of all the jungle deities, branding him 
  a traitor and their mortal enemy. Given the chance, Eliinak will 
  gladly kill and devour little brother, wiping him out of existence 
  forever, so Sebek must be careful.
  What irks Eliinak most is the loss of his army of Tautons to 
  rival, Set. When the Crocodile deity approached Set to broker 
  a deal for the return of his minions, Set would not consider re-
  turning even a fraction of them. Nor would Isis, Osiris, or Thoth 
  intervene on his behalf. This power-play announced to every pan-
  theon that the gods of Light & Dark were making their move to 
  take the spotlight among all mortals and any bond of friendship 
  and allegiance that may have existed with other pantheons had 
  come to an abrupt end.
  In ancient times, the deities of the Yin-Sloth Jungle were ev-
  ery bit as powerful and popular as the gods of Light & Dark, so 
  all of this has created a bitter animosity and lasting rivalry be-
  tween the deities of these two pantheons. However, only Eliinak 
  burns with hatred for them, Sebek and Set most of all. For their 
  part, the Tautons are nothing but pawns in a bigger game. They 
  has only ever served Eliinak out of fear, but they fear Set even 
  more than the mighty Crocodile god. Thus, for tens of thousands 
  of years they have considered themselves the minions of Set and 
  part of the Pantheon of Taut. Mocking and laughing at Eliinak 
  who likes to send mortals to hunt and destroy his old minions at 
  every opportunity.
  Eliinak, the self-proclaimed “True” Crocodile God, happily 
  uses mortals to undermine the Church of Light & Dark and its 
  deities at every turn. It is ironic, but the evil Eliinak is willing 
  to Bless heroes and adventurers of good alignment, and creates 
  Champions of the Gods of any alignment if he believies he can 
  manipulate or corrupt them to battling his hated enemies and lit-
  tle brother. Minimal manipulation and lies are required because 
  most mortal adventurers and heroes (as well as assassins and evil-
  doers) believe their empowerment by the dark god Eliinak will 
  have good results. Most convince themselves they are fighting 
  fire with fire, and because they have good and just intentions, it 
  is they who are using the Crocodile god to do good, not the other 
  way around. They see wicked Eliinak’s Blessings as an unlikely 
  means to a good end, though some fret he may revoke them on a 
  whim or when their usefulness has come to an end. Eliinak finds 
  it all quite amusing. He is less concerned about helping the forces 
  of good than he is about exacting revenge upon the deities who 
  stole from him and laugh in his face about it. Besides, he subtly 
  works to corrupt the heroes and Champions of Light who fool-
  ishly turn to him and accept his Blessings. Quietly and patiently 
  encouraging them to give in to their dark emotions and to revel in 
  revenge and bloodletting, and rewards their darkness with heady 
  power, fame, and fortune.
  Though the rest of the Yin-Sloth animal deities have no love 
  for the rival deities in the Church of Light & Dark, it is only 
  Eliinak who obsessively seeks revenge, and longs to destroy Set 
  and Sebek. He takes great delight in sending out duped heroes to 
  be a constant source of consternation for his hated rival gods and 
  delights in every small victory.
  It bears noting that the Crocodile god gets along well with the 
  Monkey god. Eliinak actually enjoys the Monkey god’s sense of 
  humanity and shenanigans, and appreciates that Lucenki actively 
  harasses and undermines the deities, Priests, and followers of the 
  Church of Light and Dark. The Monkey god feels Eliinak was 
  deeply wronged and, in addition, has a deep disdain for arrogant, 
  humorless power-mongers, which fits the deities of that panthe-
  ons to a T. Thus, the Monkey enjoys humiliating and taking those 
  deities goes down a peg or two whenever he can. It has become 
  something of a fun and challenging game for Lucenki, which puts 
  him in a favorable light with Eliinak. So favorable that, should 
  it ever become necessary, the Crocodile deity will come to the 
  Monkey god’s aid (and sometimes the mortals Lucenki favors) to 
  protect him from the wrath of the gods of Light and Dark. So far, 
  Lucenki is too smart to get himself in hot water.
  Alignment: Miscreant.
  Statue Description: A stone crocodile, seated like a man, 
  with arms spread open and deceptively inviting.
  Caretakers: None, that are known of, however, like many of 
  the Jungle gods, their garden areas and statues are tended to by 
  various visitor as well as Faerie Folk. In this case, mainly by Bo-
  gies and Toadstools.
  Artifacts of Note: Eliinak’s Tooth: This holy relic is a large 
  crystal crocodile tooth the size of a dagger mounted into the pearl 
  
  192
  handle of a knife. It may be used as a deadly weapon to stab and 
  slice and also impart magic upon its wielder. Eliinak’s Tooth is 
  said to currently be in the possession of a war chief in a tribe of 
  Lizard Men along the border of the Yin-Sloth Jungles and the 
  Land of the South Winds. Prior to that, it had belonged to a Tez-
  cat chieftain before he and his warriors were vanquished by the 
  Lizard Men.
  As a magical, Holy Weapon the crystal tooth inflicts 1D6+3 
  damage to most mortal opponents, but 1D6x10 damage to Tau-
  tons, demons, and Deevils, and 2D6x10 against Sebek and any 
  of the gods of the Church of Light and Dark. Some believe it 
  was originally created by Eliinak and given to a Champion of the 
  Gods to slay Sebek. Since his brother still lives, it is apparent any 
  such attempts have thus far failed.
  No crocodile or similar animal will attack whoever possesses 
  Eliinak’s Tooth and Tautons fear it to such a degree they are hesi-
  tant and fight its wielder at half their usual bonuses and number of 
  melee attack, but only after making a roll to save vs Horror Fac-
  tor. (A roll of 14 or higher is required for Tautons and Lesser De-
  mons to save against the enchanted object.) Twice per 24 hours 
  the wielder of Eliinak’s Tooth may also cast the spells Breathe 
  Without Air, Call Lightning, Control the Beasts, and Swim Like 
  a Fish at no P.P.E. cost equal to a 9th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Crododile Smile: The Blessed individual’s ability 
  to be intimidating and respected out of fear is bolstered by this 
  Blessing. Over time, the individual may see threats, blackmail, 
  and torture as an acceptable and valuable means to an end, which 
  could effect an alignment change, sliding into the selfish or evil 
  spectrum.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize shady charac-
  ters who are snitches, smugglers and traders of information or 
  who can be recruited for such dirty work.
  Skills/Abilities: Intelligence 70%, Interrogation 75%, and 
  when the Blessed individual wants to be intimidating, he smiles 
  in such a menacing way he has an 85% likelihood of being intimi-
  dating whenever he wants to be. Moreover, criminals and danger-
  ous people accept the Blessed individual as one of their own and 
  are willing to do business with him, hiring him for his services 
  or offering him theirs. Just remember, there is no honor among 
  thieves and treachery is inevitable.
  Power of the Crocodile: The Blessed individual possesses as-
  pects of the crocodile.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize the weakest/
  most vulnerable in a group and opportunities for attack, +20% 
  to S.D.C., +1 to strike, +2 to damage regardless of P.S., +1 to 
  entangle, +1 to save vs poison and disease, has no fear of water, 
  and double the bonuses listed here when in the water and increase 
  swimming speed by 50%.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Prowl 50% (+25% in water), Swim-
  ming 80% (or a 20% bonus if the character already has the skill), 
  plus the special abilities of Nightvision 200 feet (61 m) and hold 
  breath for 1D6+12 minutes, as well, letting the Blessed individual 
  move through water without commotion or strong ripples at slow 
  speeds to strike from the water with the element of surprise, like 
  a crocodile.
  Smell Fear: The Blessed individual begins to understand how 
  to use the power of fear to be respected and attain power over 
  others, and can practically smell it in others.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize people who 
  are frightened and fearful, and who or what it is they fear most. 
  He also notices opportunities and potential victims vulnerable to 
  threats, blackmail, and extortion.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Prowl 60% (+10% in water), Use 
  and Recognize Poison 70%, plus whenever the Blessed individ-
  ual is trying to intimidate some or engages in combat radiates a 
  Horror Factor of 15, and also has the psionic ability of Empathy 
  (4) and 2D6+12 I.S.P.; uses it to target and manipulate people and 
  gauge an opponent (does his adversary hate him, fear him, etc., 
  as their emotions may indicate the ferocity and commitment in 
  which they fight).
  Enkclu the Tiger
  Enkclu the Tiger is the symbol of power, courage and per-
  sonal strength, and is the Jungle god of war. Warriors often pray 
  to him for courage and strength, and in the days of old, painted 
  themselves in tiger stripes before they went into battle, which 
  some jungle tribes still do. He is a formidable warrior skilled in 
  combat, but also merciful and fair. Though a jungle deity, En-
  kclu is the patron of all trained warriors and athletes as well as 
  those who have the heart of a warrior and great personal courage. 
  Though sometimes referred to as the Jungle King in myths and 
  legends, Enkclu and Meleki the All-Father are friends and allies 
  who never challenge or betray the other, and though Enkclu re-
  gards himself as the greater warrior, he acknowledges Meleki as 
  the head of the Jungle pantheon.
  Of all the deities of the Yin-Sloth Jungle Pantheon, Enkclu 
  the Tiger and Lucenki the Monkey God are the two most popu-
  lar among “civilized” people. They are worshiped throughout the 
  Land of the South Winds and Floenry Islands, even reaching into 
  parts of the Western Empire and Timiro. Both are popular among 
  warriors, Gladiators, adventurers, athletes, pirates, smugglers, 
  and daring thieves.
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  Statue Description: Half of the Enkclu statue is a fierce, 
  wide-eyed tiger with a single golden fang showing. The other 
  half seems weathered and worn or unfinished, to represent that 
  Enkclu respects and endorses all warriors and courageous people 
  of any species, including humans.
  Caretakers: A number of retired human warriors living on 
  Lopan regularly care for the statue and its garden area. Each is 
  a member of the Tiger Club, an elite group of warriors, knights, 
  and adventurers with tavern-like lodges. The largest Tiger Club 
  Lodge is in the Champions’ Village, but there is a satellite lodge 
  in Krigan Heights and elsewhere, including a couple on the shores 
  of the Old Kingdom and the Eastern Territory. Men-at-arms, es-
  pecially if renowned for bravery or a great deed, are always wel-
  come at a Tiger Club Lodge and get a 30% discount on food and 
  drink, but not lodgings.
  Artifacts of Note: The Tiger God’s Claws: A matched pair of 
  Bagh Nakh style weapons. Each is a set of small, steel claw-like 
  blades that fit between the fingers. (Note: Ordinary Tiger Claws 
  
  193
  are popular among the assassins and some pirates in the Land of 
  the South Winds and inflict 2D4+1 damage). These magic arti-
  facts is considered be a Holy Weapon that provides its wielder a 
  bonus of +1 to strike and inflicts 4D6 damage to all opponents.
  When both pair of the Tiger God’s Claws are used in combat, 
  one for each hand, the wielder enjoys one extra melee attack. 
  Moreover the A.R. of body armor and even the Natural armor of 
  opponents, is one point less against the Claws. So an A.R. of 16 
  is 15 against the Tiger God’s Claws.
  In addition, twice per 24 hours the Claws can inflict double 
  damage (1D4x10+6) and once per 24 hours it can restore 4D6+6 
  Hit Points and S.D.C. to the body of its wielder.
  Tiger Jaw: A wooden war club studded in what looks like the 
  fangs of two dozen tigers. The indestructible weapon inflicts 3D6 
  damage to most opponents, 6D6 damage to serpents, including 
  dragons, Lizard Men, all reptilian creatures, and Worms of Taut. 
  The wielder is able to cast the following spells once each per 
  24 hours, Armor of Ithan, Invisibility: Superior, Nightvision, and 
  See the Invisible at no P.P.E. cost equal to a 10th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Silent Hunter: The Blessed individual becomes 
  calm, steady, quiet and stealthy.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to identify escape routes and 
  ways in and out in which one is least likely to be seen; +1D6 to 
  Spd attribute, +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, +1 to roll with punch/
  fall/impact, and impervious to Horror Factor.
  Skills: Prowl 75% (+10% in darkness and jungle/rain forest 
  environments), Surveillance 70% (10% under the cover of dark-
  ness and jungle/rain forest environments), Track Humanoids 60% 
  (+10% in darkness and jungle/rain forest environments), and the 
  ability to leap 10 feet (3 m) high or across, increase distance by 
  30% with a running start.
  Strength of the Tiger: The Blessed individual is imbued with 
  the aspects of the tiger.
  Bonuses: +25 to S.D.C., +6 to damage with all physical at-
  tacks be it from punch or kick or handheld weapon in addition to 
  normal damage regardless of the character’s P.S., +1 on initia-
  tive, +2 to strike and parry, +1 to entangle, +2 to pull punch, +1 
  to save vs poison and disease, +1 to save vs magic, +10% to save 
  vs coma and death, and +4 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Wilderness Survival 75%, Track & 
  Trap Animals 65%, Land Navigation 70%, and is able to carry 
  twice the usual weight for the character’s P.S. attribute.
  Tiger Strike (special): The recipient of this blessing becomes 
  deadly in hand to hand combat.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize opponents who 
  have superior martial skills such as Paladins, Knights, Assassins, 
  Gladiators, boxers, etc., +1 attack per melee round, +6 to dam-
  age with punches and Karate-style open hand chops or with a 
  handheld weapon in addition to normal damage regardless of the 
  character’s P.S., +1 to disarm, +1 to pull punch, and +1 to save 
  vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities: Climb/Scale Walls 60% (or a +20% bonus if 
  the skill is already known), W.P. Paired Weapons, and the abil-
  ity to leap and pounce on an opponent without injury to oneself 
  and knocking him down. 01-66% likelihood of knocking a victim 
  down. Victim of knockdown loses initiative and one melee at-
  tack, giving the pounce the initiative and the next attack!
  Gwon the Frog God
  Myths and legends seem to agree this benevolent Jungle deity 
  was driven mad by his enemies and cast into an unknown dimen-
  sion never to be seen again. However, Gwon is not dead, only 
  missing. Ironic since he is the patron of lost children and lost 
  causes, as well as friend to children, Faerie Folk, and other small 
  beings. This includes Goblins, particularly the rare and magical 
  Cobblers, Faeries, Sprites, Pixies, Brownies, Toadstools, and Bo-
  
  194
  Alignment: Principled.
  Statue Description: The Frog God is a working fountain in 
  surprisingly good repair. Water pours from under the frog like 
  a miniature waterfall into a lily pad-filled pond of water that 
  is refreshing and good to drink. The fountain is located within 
  a meadow overgrown with wild flowers and flowering vines. 
  Its shallow pond is abuzz with dragonflies and butterflies and 
  abounds with all manner of frogs that play and frolic during 
  the day while bullfrogs sing through the night. Adult visitors 
  often overlook this fountain, a statue of a playful, forgotten 
  deity, but children, especially young children under the age of 
  twelve, seem to find their way to this part of the Garden and 
  enjoy chasing butterflies (and playful Faeries) and trying to 
  catch frogs.
  Caretakers: The primary Caretaker is Henry — Uncle Hank 
  to children. Most kids take an immediate liking to the man and 
  are quick to help him with his chores. Henry is an enigmatic fig-
  ure who seems to appear only when he desires to do so. Some 
  claim he is actually an avatar of the Frog God, but Henry denies 
  it and calls such stories foolishness.
  Hank, as he is known to those he takes a liking to or who be-
  come his friend, is a handsome, older human male with thinning 
  white hair and appears to be in his early sixties. He has absolutely 
  no tolerance for bullies of any age, nor anyone who thinks they 
  are better than anyone else. Hank despises slavers, dislikes the 
  rich and aristocracy (at least until they have proven themselves 
  not to be arrogant and self-entitled), and has little regard for cler-
  gy. Henry prefers honest, hardworking common people, noble 
  warriors, artists, and entertainers, and he loves children.
  gies, but also Gnomes, Hytril, Kankoran, Wing Tips (a dozen of 
  which are found in this part of the Garden), the cubs of the feline 
  Emerin, and children of any species.
  Legend has it that anyone searching for a missing child and 
  prays to the Frog God for help shall be assisted in finding the 
  little one. To further support this claim, many searchers speak of 
  having dreamt the location of a lost child and soon after found 
  him or her at that exact place. Moreover, many a local child who 
  has gone missing in the wilderness of Lopan – and some say, 
  occasionally those from Phi, the Eastern Territory, and even the 
  southern edge of the Great Northern Wilderness – have been 
  found sleeping within the garden of the Frog God, unharmed and 
  uncertain how it is they came to be there.
  Children who appear in the Garden report being lost and 
  scared until nightfall when the Song of Frogs brought them com-
  fort and moonbeams illuminated a path to a safe place. Some-
  times that safe place is near their home or an area free of danger 
  until rescuers arrive, and other times it is miles away and across 
  the Inland See, in the Garden of the Gods. Others report chasing 
  an iridescent dragonfly or frog until they were too tired and had to 
  lay down to rest or sleep someplace safe or near home. Still others 
  have told stories of being visited and cared for by a pretty pixie 
  maiden clad from foot to chin in a flowing green dress of silk and 
  riding a large, green and blue frog or dragonfly by standing on 
  its back. She would regale them with tales of the Frog God, the 
  details of which can never quite be remembered, and helped them 
  find food to eat, fresh water to drink, and avoid predators until 
  they found their way into the arms of rescuers or safety at the foot 
  of the Frog God fountain on Lopan.
  
  195
  The caretaker can be gruff toward strangers and children who 
  misbehave, but comes around to them when they settle down. 
  He is friendly and playful with polite and respectful children and 
  always seems to have a piece of candy in his pockets for every 
  child he encounters. He is never preachy nor does he pretend to 
  be anything other than an ordinary guy. Yet, he often has good in-
  sight and wisdom to share for those willing to listen and is always 
  sticks up for others. Unlike some of the other caretakers, Uncle 
  Hank has no formal education, cannot read or write, was born and 
  raised on Lopan, and has no special ability to bring about visions 
  or visitation from the Frog god or any of the deities. Nor has he 
  ever had a vision himself. He knows every path and shortcut in 
  the Garden, so when he wants to do so, he can lead visitors to 
  wherever they want to go inside the Garden or to the Verdant 
  Gates in half the time it would take anyone else.
  Artifacts of Note: Jade Frog: A small, smooth frog statue 
  made from jade and feels cool to the touch. It is small enough to 
  fit in the palm of an adult’s closed hand, a pocket or small pouch, 
  and may be worn as a charm, talisman, or on a necklace.
  Mosquitoes and biting insects never bite or bother the owner 
  of the Jade Frog and he or she is impervious to disease and +3 to 
  save vs poison. In addition the little statue’s owner is able to cast 
  the spells Breathe without Air, Faerie Speak, Negate Poison, and 
  Swim as a Fish twice per day at no P.P.E. cost equal to an 8th 
  level Wizard.
  Gwon’s Tear: An oval shaped, blue sapphire the size of a Rob-
  in’s egg. Whoever possesses it can see the invisible, see through 
  murky water, Nightvision 200 feet (61 m), and breathe underwa-
  ter indefinitely.
  Frog God’s Crown: A wreath made of leafy vines that gives 
  its wearer a Natural A.R. 12, an extra 50 S.D.C. and the ability to 
  cast each of the following spells (many Water Elemental spells), 
  Calling, Color Water, Create Fog, Create Water, Float on Water, 
  Heal Burns, Locate, Salt Water to Fresh, Water Seal, and Water 
  to Wine, once per 24 hours at no P.P.E. cost equal to an 8th level 
  Warlock.
  Blessings: Find Lost Child: The recipient of this selfless Bless-
  ing is given divine assistance in finding a lost or abducted child.
  Bonuses: +3% to notice clues concerning the missing child’s 
  whereabouts as well as to notice slave traders and likely kidnap-
  pers and smugglers; +10% to Tracking, Land Navigation, and 
  any other skills necessary to find the lost or abducted child. If the 
  Blessed individual must fight the abductor(s) he receives a +1 to 
  all combat bonuses and saving throws while fighting the bad guys 
  to rescue the kids.
  Skills/Abilities (special): The Blessed individual may receive 
  a vision or dream indicating the location of the lost child/chil-
  dren, and possibly see the abductor and his intention for the child 
  (human sacrifice, to be sold into slavery, to be eaten, and so on). 
  Similarly, the individual may have a dream(s) that warns of an 
  impeding danger that may threaten the welfare of children, and 
  be given clues or hints about what the danger is and when it may 
  strike. (A dream about a man in silver plate armor rounding up 
  children in cages and placing their parents in chains, or the hilt 
  of a particular sword or a tattoo, etc., that reveals the one respon-
  sible or bringing the danger, and so on.)
  Kindred Spirit Blessing: The Blessed individual is almost al-
  ways someone who is compassionate and kind and who retains 
  a sense of childlike playfulness and appreciation for life’s little 
  wonders like a beautiful garden, sunset, or rainbow.
  Bonus: +3 on Perception Rolls to notice cute, sweet, and 
  touching moments and natural beauty, +1 to pull punch, +1 to 
  save vs disease and poison, and Faerie Folk do not target him 
  for harassment or pranks, and any food and drink offered by the 
  Faeries will not be enchanted or poisonous.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Baby animals and their mothers as 
  well as children (all races) and Faerie Folk, including Goblins, 
  take an immediate liking to the Blessed individual, as if they 
  somehow know he or she is no danger to them and can be trusted. 
  In fact, they are completely trusting until the Blessed individual 
  proves otherwise, at which point they are horrified, become com-
  pletely uncooperative, and flee.
  When the Blessed individual responds to them in a friendly, 
  patient, and kind manner, mother animals will let him play with 
  their babies and protect him as well as the babies, should dan-
  ger appear. As for children of Faerie Folk and Goblins, they 
  know more than many adults give them credit for, and cheerfully 
  help the Blessed individual even if the adults and parents will 
  not. This may include clues and information, a secret place to 
  hide known only to the child or Faerie, sneaking the individual 
  (and his friends if he vouches for them and they are not ornery or 
  scary) food, medicine, clothes, disguises, a horse, and so on. The 
  little people’s cost for their help? If the person and his big friends 
  should stand up for and/or protect the little people, he/they will 
  earn the little people’s lasting affection and help. They will even 
  come to his aid and defense, even if it jeopardizes their own lives!
  Power of the Frog: The Blessed individual is endowed with 
  aspects of the frog.
  Bonuses: +1 on all Perception Rolls, +4 on Perception Rolls to 
  recognize dangerous and poisonous insects and snakes, and water 
  not fit for drinking or swimming in; +2 to dodge, +1 to roll with 
  punch, fall, impact, and can hold breath for 1D6+12 minutes.
  Skills/Abilities: Camouflage 70%, Dowsing 75%, Swimming 
  80%, Nightvision 200 feet (61 m), and can leap 12 feet (3.6 m) 
  across and 6 feet (1.8 high).
  Reward for a Rescuer of Lost Children: It is said that some-
  times an adult who comforts and helps one or more lost children 
  to find their way home safely may earn that individual or group 
  the favor of the Frog God, especially if peril and great effort was 
  involved.
  Bonuses: The Blessed individual(s) is said to find personal tri-
  umph and good fortune soon afterward, or for those who have 
  lost their own way, to find direction and purpose, or balance in 
  their lives.
  Skills/Abilities: Not applicable. Instead the rescuer(s) of 
  children enjoys a bit of good fortune as noted under Bonuses. 
  Game Master discretion as to what that is. Note: While fame, 
  fortune, and the acquisition of magic are likely to be the first 
  things to come to the minds of most players, good fortune can 
  be many things: finding an escape route from certain death or 
  peril, not being seen by an enemy, not catching a debilitating 
  disease, an opportune/miraculous saving throw (any, and even 
  if the player’s actual roll to save, dodge, etc., was a failure), 
  someone willing to heal them or hide them from their pursuers 
  at little or no cost, discovering important information or clues, 
  and so on. And good fortune that comes as money or magic does 
  not have to be a king’s ransom or a rare and powerful magic 
  item, just an unexpected and helpful amount of cash or benefi-
  cial magic item, perhaps even something that is beneficial at a 
  later date rather thatn in the present.
  
  196
  Incol the Panther
  Incol the Panther was once part of a trio of cat gods, alongside 
  Enkclu the Tiger and a Cheetah god whose name and likeness 
  have been completely forgotten even within the Garden of the 
  Gods. Incol symbolizes, agility, stealth, and silence to Enkclu’s 
  strength and courage. She is a patron of hunters, man-hunters, 
  assassins, thieves, and pirates, as well as those who are secretive 
  and hide, such as Changelings.
  Like most of the modern Yin-Sloth deities, she is completely 
  unknown to civilized people and northerners, but remains popular 
  throughout the jungles, the Land of the South Winds and Floenry 
  Islands, and even among a few cults in the Western Empire.
  Alignment: Miscreant.
  Statue Description: A sleek, stalking panther carved from a 
  single piece of obsidian. Like many of the Jungle god statues, the 
  black panther is draped in vines and is so realistic it seems almost 
  as if it were alive.
  Caretakers: None. At least none who are official, and yet the 
  garden around Incol, though a bit overgrown with tall grass (the 
  way panthers like it) and near a grove of trees (where panthers 
  like to perch themselves), the garden is not in a state of neglect. 
  Visitors often clean up the most obvious areas that need tending 
  to, and several Brownies and Faeries take care of the rest.
  Artifacts of Note: Panther Claws: A pair of panther claws at-
  tached to a length of wood to create a sort of mystical war club to 
  slash and tear at an opponent. As a weapon the claws inflict 3D6 
  damage to most opponents, +6 against serpents, including reptil-
  ian beings and dragons, and may be used to climb, providing a 
  +10% bonus to the Climb skill.
  Panther Cloak: This artifact is an ancient, indestructible and 
  magical hide of a black panther worn as a hooded cloak. When 
  the hood is pulled over the head and the wearer desires to hide 
  or remain unseen in any jungle or forest environment, he is con-
  cealed the same as the Chameleon spell (see page 190 of the 
  Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition for complete details). 
  In the urban jungle of towns and cities, the Panther Skin Cloak 
  enables its wearer to blend into large crowds of people, his or 
  her face and garb unrecognizable amid the multitude even if his 
  pursuers know him well. In both cases, the wearer must have the 
  hood up, be trying to remain unseen, and be motionless or mov-
  ing very slowly and inconspicuously.
  More than that, the skin itself can change color and pattern 
  to that of tawny and black-spotted leopard skin, solid black, or 
  a medium mottled brown. It also offers armor protection: A.R. 
  of 14, 110 S.D.C., and makes its wearer resistant to fire and heat 
  (half damage). HOWEVER, if the S.D.C. of the Panther Cloak is 
  reduced to zero or less, it falls away in tatters and vanishes. It will 
  reappear, completely restored and whole within 24 hours, but not 
  to the person who let it be destroyed. Incol keeps it hidden until 
  the god finds a new, more worthy person to gift it to.
  Blessings: Hunter in the Dark: The Blessed individual be-
  comes more deadly in the dark.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognizes an opponent’s 
  weakness, an easy target to attack or fight as well as I.D. those 
  who represent the greatest danger. The following bonuses apply 
  only in darkness whether indoors, outdoors, or underground: +1 
  on initiative, +1 to strike, +3 to damage – double damage from 
  surprise attacks in darkness, and on a Natural Roll (unmodified) 
  of 18, 19, or 20, and +5% on all Espionage skills.
  
  197
  Skills/Abilities: Prowl 55% (+20 in the dark), Surveillance 
  75%, Track Humanoids 60%, Track & Trap Animals 70%, and 
  Nightvision 200 feet (61 m).
  Power of the Panther: The Blessed individual is granted as-
  pects of the panther/leopard.
  Bonuses: +1 on initiative, +1 to strike and dodge, +3 to dam-
  age, +1 to pull punch, +3 to roll with punch/fall/impact, and +5% 
  to all Wilderness skills.
  Skills/Abilities: Acrobatics 70%, Climb/Scale Walls 75% (or 
  a +20% bonus if the skill is already known), Prowl 50% (+20 % 
  in darkness), Track and Trap Animals 70% (or a +20% bonus if 
  the skill is already known), and the following special abilities 
  when this part of the Blessing is activated: Climb trees and scale 
  walls at the same speed the Blessed individual can walk and run; 
  is able to leap up to 20 feet (6.1 m) high and 10 feet (3 m) across; 
  and takes no damage from falls less than 40 feet (12.2 m) high, 
  and half damage from falls at greater heights.
  Lucenki the Monkey God
  A playful but cunning and wily trickster god worshiped in the 
  Yin-Sloth Jungles and throughout the Land of the South Winds. 
  The Monkey God is the symbol of good fortune, playfulness and 
  imagination. It is that imagination which make the Monkey God 
  so clever and resourceful, and a little bit dangerous. The deity 
  loves knowledge and magic, and though he can be helpful and 
  fun, he is often an instigator and troublemaker who likes to stir 
  the pot and challenge the authorities and the status quo. He is 
  revered and honored by scholars, storytellers, entertainers, and 
  practitioners of magic, as well as tricksters, thieves and the no-
  madic Wayfarers (traveling thieves and entertainers; see The 
  Rifter® #80 for more details).
  Like all of the Jungle gods, Lucenki has no love for the deities 
  of the Church of Light & Dark and likes to make its Priests, aco-
  lytes, and followers look foolish and get them into trouble. Often 
  Lucenki’s vision quests get heroes to do something that either 
  helps his pantheon or hurts or undermines the Church of Light & 
  Dark. This means the trickster deity is happy to send his Cham-
  pions, heroes and adventurers (who probably have no idea what 
  he’s up to), against the rival Church and its deiites. The Monkey 
  god delights in embarrassing, robbing, and hurting the Church of 
  Light and Dark. His favorite ploy is to deprive the Church of rel-
  ics and artifacts, and to hurt the Church and its gods’ reputation 
  with lost truths and forgotten history that shows the deities in a 
  bad light (even if he knows those “truths” are false or incorrect).
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  Statue Description: A large-eyed, monkey with a silly grin 
  on its face, whose staring gaze seems to encompass all who come 
  near. The statue’s arms and tail are raised upwards towards the 
  sky.
  Caretakers: None. At least none who are official, and yet the 
  garden around Lucenki is bright, cheerful, and delightful. Filled 
  with a wide variety of flowers and visited by butterflies, dragon-
  flies, and an array of Faerie Folk who can relate to his playful and 
  mischievous nature, such as Pixies, Sprites, and Faeries, includ-
  ing the Protectors and Walking Stick Faeries. Some suspect it is 
  they who tend to the garden area of the Monkey God.
  Artifacts of Note: Lucenki’s Feather Fan: As a clever and 
  playful trickster god, this brightly colored, folding fan provides 
  its wielder with a handful of spells, chief among them: Metamo-
  phosis: Human and Metamorphosis: Monkey (special). To per-
  form one of the Metamorphoses, the wielder covers his or her 
  face with the fan and wishes to transform. Both can be performed 
  as often as once per 24 hours at no P.P.E. cost to the wielder. 
  Duration, however, is limited to 90 minutes maximum, but may 
  be cancelled at will.
  Metamorphosis is usually performed for the purpose of climb-
  ing, breaking and entry, spying, tailing, and infiltration. As a 
  monkey (not a chimp or any ape), the transformed individual has 
  a prehensile tail and all the abilities of a monkey. Metamorpho-
  sis: Human is most useful in the hands of a nonhuman, but some-
  one who is human to begin with can alter his appearance as to 
  not be recognized, but cannot be used to make himself look like 
  a specific person. Gender is always the same as the person, him 
  or herself.
  The wielder of the fan may also cast each of the following 
  spells once per 24 hours: Blinding Flash, Death Trance, Faerie 
  Speak, Multiple Image, and Repel Animals at no P.P.E. cost, 
  equal to an 8th level Wizard.
  Ever the trickster, the delicate-looking feather fan may be used 
  as a blunt weapon. Folded, the fan does 1D6+1 damage and can 
  be used to parry swords and other weapons. When the fan is open, 
  it can be used like a small shield to parry attacks, including ar-
  rows and thrown javelins and spears (as well as bullets and en-
  
  198
  ergy blasts), but without benefit of bonuses, unmodified die rolls 
  only. Any roll to parry projectiles must match or exceed the at-
  tacker’s roll to strike. A Natural Twenty is always a successful 
  parry even if the attacker’s roll was higher with bonuses.
  Jungle Vine Rope: The artifact appears to be a simple 10 foot 
  (3 m) length of rope made of jungle vines. However, anyone 
  bound by it cannot untie or cut the indestructible vines to get 
  loose. When used to lower oneself down from a great height, the 
  Jungle Vine is tied to something on one end and let to hang down, 
  magically extending as long as 500 feet (152 m). When the owner 
  of the Jungle Vine wants the rope to untie, all he has to do is wish 
  it to be undone and it is. If the rope was tied to someplace high up, 
  it unties and drops down to where he is. If the Vine Rope’s owner 
  is rendered unconscious, it automatically unties and returns to a 
  10 foot length of vine rope.
  Pretty Marbles: A matched pair of multi-colored marbles, each 
  the size of a walnut. They are attractive and interesting as play-
  things to children and Faerie Folk, but transform into weapons 
  upon command. One is a sickle, the other a Tomahawk. Both in-
  flict 2D6 damage to most opponents, 5D6 damage to giants, and 
  instantly returns to their wielder when thrown; maximum throw-
  ing range: 120 feet (36 m), +2 to strike and parry. 1D4 damage 
  as a marble that is thrown at somebody and returns to its owner 
  after it hits.
  Blessings: Imagination: The Blessed individual is more imag-
  inative, inventive and resourceful than ever. Everything and ev-
  eryone seems interesting and sparks thoughts and ideas.
  Bonuses: +2 to I.Q., M.E., and M.A. attributes (apply any 
  applicable bonuses), +3 on Perception Rolls to notice clues and 
  details others may miss, including holes in stories and flaws in 
  logic; thinks in and outside the box and may take risks; +5% to 
  all Communications, Science and Technical skills.
  Skills/Abilities: Art 70%, Public Speaking 75%, Rope Works 
  65% and twice per 24 hours is able to cast the following spells, 
  Decipher Magic and Tongues at no P.P.E. cost and equal to a 7th 
  level Wizard.
  Power of the Monkey: The Blessed individual possesses as-
  pects of the monkey.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize opportunities 
  for fun and profit (the latter may include valuables to steal), as 
  well as places to explore, +1 to dodge, +3 to roll with punch/fall/
  impact, and has no fear of heights or of falling.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Acrobatics 75%, Climb/Scale Walls 
  70%, Palming 65%, and Concealment 60%, and climbs like a 
  monkey (quick and steady), able to leap 9 feet (2.7 m) across/
  lengthwise and 4 feet (1.2 m) high!
  Spirit of Fun: The Blessed individual likes to play and goof 
  around and enjoys silly fun, which can make him entertaining to 
  children and people with a similar disposition, but annoying to 
  serious-minded people and authority figures.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize other fun-loving 
  people as well as fuddy-duddies and stuffed shirts to make the 
  brunt of jokes and pranks; +1 to dodge and pull punch, and +2 to 
  roll with punch/fall/impact.
  Skills/Abilities: Climb/Scale Walls 70%, Dance 75%, Imitate 
  Voices and Impersonation 65%, and Sing 60% or Juggling (pick 
  one).
  Spirit of Trickery: The Blessed individual is able to avoid be-
  ing found responsible for committing petty crimes, pranks, and 
  mischief.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize the authorities 
  and to realize when it is time to call it quits and quietly slip away; 
  increase M.A. to 22 (75% chance to evoke trust, but only 60% to 
  intimidate), +1 to dodge, +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact, and 
  +5% bonus to all Espionage or Rogue/Thief skills, pick one set.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Disguise 75%, Palming 70%, Pick 
  Pockets 65%, Ventriloquism 60%, and the special ability to look 
  convincingly sincere and innocent, making him or her the last 
  person to be suspected of a crime or mischief, if suspected at 
  all. (“Okay, you can go,” the policeman says to the Blessed in-
  dividual, “but the rest of you stay right where you are. I’ve got 
  questions. Fess up, who did this?”)
  Meleki the God-Ape
  Father of the Grimbor
  Once revered as the father of the entire Grimbor species and 
  revered as the Lord of Jungle deities, Meleki was one of the most 
  powerful of the old Yin-Sloth gods. Primitive humans worshiped 
  him alongside Tezcat, Lizard People, Cat People, Dragonmen, 
  Krog, Hytril, and the mighty Grimbor themselves. Even Elves 
  and Dwarves once associated Meleki and his pantheon of Jungle 
  gods with the vast jungles of the south and revered his name. 
  Most of his followers were Grimbor, Tezcat, Lizard People, 
  and other denizens of the jungle, however, and for a time, those 
  people abandoned the God-Ape and the Jungle gods. This took 
  places ages ago, when the nascent civilizations of Elves and 
  Dwarves were growing and expanding into the unclaimed wil-
  derness around them. A time when the Elves and Titans claimed 
  the Baalgor jungles and many of the mountain valleys and north-
  ern expanse of the rainforest, driving the tribal people from the 
  jungle paradise that had been their home since any could remem-
  ber. When they fought back, they were slaughtered by the tens of 
  thousands. Their simple weapons and primitive ways no match 
  for the iron weapons and magic of the ancient Elves and Dwarves.
  
  199
  Those who survived and looked on from the edge of the jungle 
  to watch their beloved forest razed and great cities of wood and 
  stone rise up in their place. The Elven and Titan Kingdom of 
  Baalgor remained a garden paradise and the pride of the Elven 
  New Kingdom, but it had no place for the primitive jungle tribes 
  whose people suffered mightily in the process of the other’s rise 
  to civilization. As their native homelands were taken from them 
  and the jungle cultivated to become farmland or replaced by cit-
  ies to make way for more “civilized” people, the jungle tribes 
  lost faith in the God-Ape and his empty protection. The Grimbor, 
  Tezcat, and other jungle people’s prayers turned toward outside 
  deities and war gods in the hope of connecting with a greater 
  power that could help preserve their hunting grounds and their 
  people from the advancing Elves, Dwarves, Ogres, and humans. 
  Alas, their efforts were in vain, for no god they turned to made 
  the slightest different, and none were ever as vigilant and caring 
  of them as was Meleki the All-Father.
  Fortunately, Meleki, in his divine mercy and wisdom, con-
  vinced the other Jungle gods to accept the people when they came 
  back to worship them, and resumed their position as the primary 
  pantheon of most jungle people. The Grimbor and Tezcat the 
  most devoted of them all. Even the Dogres who came later wor-
  ship the Jungle pantheon, while the Tezcat people worship both 
  the modern Jungle gods and the more savage Elder Jungle gods 
  of the Southern pantheon.
  Much like the Canine deities in the North, the Jungle gods are 
  largely unknown to the civilized world. To the people of the Yin-
  Sloth Jungles and to many in the Land of the South Winds, 
  however, Meleki and the rest of the Jungle gods remain important 
  and vital deities who have been worshiped for ages. Considering 
  the history recounted above, most jungle people will not consider 
  worshiping any god of the invading humans, Elves, Dwarves, and 
  monster races, and know nothing of the Northern gods. In ad-
  dition to the tribal people of the Yin-Sloth Jungles, the gods of 
  the Jungle pantheon are worshiped by many in the Land of the 
  South Winds, human and non-human alike. And though they her-
  ald from many different lands, the Jungle deities are worshiped 
  by many of the pirates and freebooters who sail its warm south-
  ern waters. Likewise, there are many secret cults throughout the 
  Land of the South Winds, especially among the farmers and poor, 
  which are many, who follow one or more of the Jungles gods, if 
  not the entire pantheon. This, despite the infiltration of popular 
  religions like Aco & the Juggernaut, the Church of Light & Dark, 
  and Dragonwright.
  Meleki the God-Ape is the symbol of raw power, fertility, 
  leadership, dignity, and loyalty. He is the All-Father of the Yin-
  Sloth Jungle pantheon of animal deities and his wrath is to be 
  feared. Among the pantheon are gods who are more clever and 
  cunning, stealthy and strong, but none are as noble and trustwor-
  thy, and all respect and accept him as their leader. He is also a 
  god of peace and communication, unafraid to use his strength and 
  power to maintain peace and to protect his people. However, in 
  the case of the advance of civilization, first by the early Titans, 
  Elves, and Dwarves, later by humans, Ogres, Orcs, and others, 
  was too much for any deity or pantheon to halt – the Land of the 
  South Winds, for example, was once all part of the Yin-Sloth Jun-
  gles, and much of it is jungle still, though it was the more tamed 
  eastern half of the Yin-Sloth. The God-Ape peacemaker is will-
  ing to accept any people of any species who worships him and his 
  pantheon of fellow Jungle deities, and may impart his Blessings 
  upon those who share his values and live to right wrongs, defend 
  the weak and innocent, or bring about peace though it may first 
  require combat. As one might expect, Meleki most favors people 
  who protect and preserve the forest and the tribal people still liv-
  ing in its interior, and never Blesses those who follow tyrants or 
  who persecute the Grimbor, Tezcat, Lizard Men, and other jungle 
  dwellers, or wantonly lay waste to the jungle.
  Alignment: Scrupulous.
  Statue Description: A gold-plated Grimbor seated with 
  all four limbs on the ground. Crude pictograms are etched and 
  scratched into the surface of his golden skin, and a triangle of 
  silver covers half the statue’s back.
  Caretakers: A stalwart Grimbor by the name of Yyrtuk 
  guards over Meleki’s statue and garden area as if watching over 
  his own family group. He was freed from the hold of a cargo 
  ship that docked at Lopan, and chose to remain at the Garden of 
  the Gods after discovering the statue of Meleki. He is a friend to 
  travelers, and can generally speak for both the Grimbor and the 
  Tezcat concerning religious matters.
  Artifacts of Note: Meleki’s Yumbuto Zezu: This powerful 
  Grimbor war club is charged with lightning energy, and can 
  also summon rain to foil one’s enemies or restore the lushness 
  to a landscape. The Zezu is supposedly placed in a position of 
  prominence atop a ziggurat within the Yin-Sloth Jungles, but 
  the tribe of Grimbor that protects the old ruins view the object 
  as their most prized possession and will defend it with their 
  lives.
  As a blunt weapon it inflicts 5D6 damage to most opponents, 
  +6 against supernatural evil, demons, Deevils, etc., and when the 
  war club is thrown (it inflicts 5D6 damage, maximum range: 300 
  feet/91.4 m), it crackles with energy and magically returns to its 
  owner in an instant.
  The war club can also fire an electric blast once per melee 
  round that counts as an extra melee attack and inflicts 5D6 dam-
  age; 100 foot (30.5 m) range. It also makes its wielder impervious 
  to electricity/lightning.
  Magic: The wielder of the Yumbuto Zezu can also cast the fol-
  lowing magic spells once per 24 hours, Call Lightning, Thunder 
  Clap, Summon Fog, and Calm Storms without P.P.E. cost and 
  equal to a 8th level Wizard. Even more impressive, as often as 
  once every 24 hours, the Yumbuto Zezu can create a front of rain 
  clouds up to three miles (4.8 km) in diameter with a duration of 
  one hour, or until cancelled by the wielder, whichever is shorter. 
  The rain is used to wash away scent, tracks, and trails, obscure 
  sound (i.e. the escape of the tribe/group, or their approach as they 
  sneak up on an enemy, +10% to Prowl), and to reduce visibility 
  and slow the travel of enemies.
  Blessings: Pathfinder: One of the responsibilities of a Grimbor 
  tribal leader is to keep his people safe and find them safe passage 
  through the jungle, find food and a safe haven to camp and live. 
  The Blessed individual gains a greater sense of responsibility to 
  others and has a keen eye for danger.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize safe places to 
  camp and live as well as to recognize potential danger, includ-
  ing people who are likely to be untrustworthy or cutthroats and 
  predatory monsters and animals lurking in the shadows or wait-
  ing to pounce; +1 to disarm and entangle, +1 to save vs poison 
  and disease and +5% to all Wilderness skills.
  Skills/Abilities: Detect Ambush 75%, Identify Plants and 
  Fruits 70%, and the psionic abilities of Sense Evil (2), Sense 
  
  200
  Magic (3) and Sixth Sense (2) and 2D6+10 I.S.P. with which to 
  use them.
  Strength of the Grimbor: The Blessed individual is imbued 
  with the physical aspects of the Grimbor.
  Bonuses: +30 to S.D.C., +6 to damage with all physical at-
  tacks be it from punch or kick or handheld weapon regardless of 
  the character’s P.S., +1 to pull punch, +2 to save vs poison and 
  disease, +1 to save vs magic, and +5% to save vs coma and death.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Wilderness Survival 75%, Track & 
  Trap Animals 65%, Land Navigation 70%, and is able to carry 
  twice the usual weight for the character’s P.S. attribute.
  Strength of a Grimbor Leader: The Bless individual has an 
  enhanced sense of duty, right and wrong, fair play, justice, and 
  responsibility to his teammates and anyone who counts on him or 
  to whom he has given his word.
  Bonuses: +2 to recognize potential trouble and avoid it, or to 
  recognize increasing hot emotion and poor morale to calm things 
  down or to raise spirits before they escalate into a serious prob-
  lem, as well as recognizing people in need of help or guidance. 
  Along those lines, +1 to M.E. and P.S. attribute, and increase 
  M.A. attribute to 25 (85% to evoke trust or intimidation; both 
  used to get people to calm down, back off and listen to reason, 
  or to trust him and his team, as well as to get people to work as 
  a team). Other bonuses: +5% to all communication skills, +4 to 
  damage, +1 to disarm, +2 to pull punch, +1 to save vs magic, poi-
  son and disease, and cannot be forced to betray an ally, his tribe, 
  friends or family (he or she would rather die first), +10% to save 
  vs insanity, and +20% to save vs coma and death.
  Skills/Abilities: Public Speaking 75%, Intelligence 70%, Es-
  cape 65%, and can magically speak all languages 75%.
  Nytfol the Bat God
  Nytfol is the guardian of the night and spirits, and symbol of 
  birth/fertility, rebirth, and death because bats seems to disappear 
  during the day and come out at night, often from caves in the 
  ground and trees, and because small bat species spread pollen and 
  all bats spread seeds in their droppings. Nytfol is also considered 
  to be wise and sees all as she watches over the people and the 
  animals of the jungle. As such, many Shamans and Priests pray 
  to her for guidance in finding game animals to hunt, food of the 
  vine, healing herbs and roots, drinking water, and warning signs 
  of approaching enemies.
  She is also the patron of defenders of the land and protectors of 
  the people such as Knights, Paladins, tribal warriors, and heroes 
  whom she may Bless, as well as her favored people: Shamans, 
  Druids, and Rangers. She chooses to have the ghosts of two an-
  cient Champions of the Gods who served her well to represent her 
  and speak on her behalf. One or both knights appear in dreams, 
  visions, and sometimes in person as ghostly, but helpful specters 
  to offer adventurers, heroes, and knights or a newly appointed 
  Champion of the Gods quests, encouragement, and advice based 
  on their decades of experience. Both ghosts are of Scrupulous 
  alignment and date back 6,000 years; one is human, the taller one 
  is an Elf. In her wisdom, Nytfol has chosen them to speak for her 
  because, a) they are more relatable to the dominant species – hu-
  mans, Elves, and Dwarves as well as warriors in general – than 
  a bat which is often associated with darkness and evil by many 
  cultures, b) they do not look like a primitive jungle animal who 
  may be perceived as not knowing anything about the world be-
  yond the jungle, and c) because she cares about the entire world 
  not just the Yin-Sloth Jungles, though the jungle is her first prior-
  ity. As she sees it, bats exist in most environments worldwide, 
  making all lands, but the frozen wastes beyond Bizantium, part of 
  her domain. That said, Nytfol is only widely known to the people 
  of the jungles, the Land of the South Winds, and the Baalgor 
  Wastelands.
  When Nytfol makes an appearance in a dream, vision or in 
  person, it is a rare privilege and likely to mean she has come to 
  speak about a matter of grave importance. Though a bat-winged, 
  fur-covered humanoid, she is quite beautiful and exotic, and at 
  the same time a bit eerie and unnerving.
  Alignment: Unprincipled.
  Statue Description: An eight foot (2.4 m) tall stone monolith 
  of a stylized bat, her wings folded and her lower body entwined 
  with thick vines and seed pods that some people mistake for ten-
  tacles.
  All around the statue is nature’s bounty of fruit bearing trees 
  and vines – mulberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, straw-
  berries and others that seem to bloom at intervals year round de-
  spite the season. Fruit trees rather than the usual hedgerows mark 
  the boundaries of the garden of Nytfol and all the fruit is for the 
  taking by hungry visitors and pilgrims.
  Caretakers: A number of local Druids and farmers come and 
  tend to the statue and garden area on a regular basis. It is also 
  visited by Protector Faeries and Walking Stick Faeries.
  Artifacts of Note: Nytfol’s Eye: A rare, blue sapphire that is 
  set into a ring. It gives the wearer perfect vision and the ability 
  to cast each of the following spells as often as twice per 24 hour 
  period: Climb, Commune with Spirits, Eyes of the Wolf, and See 
  the Invisible, at no P.P.E. cost, equal to an 8th level Wizard.
  Nytfol’s Beating Heart: A green sapphire that seems to pulsate 
  in beat with the human heart. When buried in the ground, whether 
  
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  it is in a forest or at a farm or orchard, it blesses and nurtures 
  1D6x10+40 acres of land and make all the plants grow strong and 
  bountiful, staving off blight, insect and rodent infestation, and 
  even drought. The yield of crops and fruits will be triple what is 
  normal and even when the gem is removed, it leaves the ground 
  restored of nutrients and ready for the next season’s crops. Like-
  wise, the water of any stream or well within the area of enchant-
  ment is kept pure and clean, restored if it had been contaminated. 
  When on the person who owns it, the individual is impervious to 
  poison and disease.
  Into the Night: A rare, black sapphire that is set into a pendant 
  that can be worn as part of a necklace, talisman, or brooch. It 
  gives its wearer Nightvision 100 feet (30.5 m) and the ability to 
  cast each of the following spells as often as twice per 24 hour 
  period: Extinguish Fire, Float in Air, Metamorphosis: Animal 
  (double duration when a bat), and Shadow Meld, at no P.P.E. 
  cost, equal to an 8th level Wizard.
  Blessings: Any of the usual Blessings, especially those in-
  volving Wisdom and learning, and the following specific to her.
  Nature’s Bounty: The Blessed individual – often someone 
  who is already appreciative of and/or knowledgeable in nature, 
  such as Druids, Rangers, Shamans, and Farmers – feels a strong 
  connection to nature, the outdoors, and wildlife.
  Bonuses: +5% on all Science skills, +2 to save vs disease and 
  poison.
  Skills/Abilities: Brewing 70%, Cooking 65% (+10% for dish-
  es that are predominantly fruit or plant based), Holistic Medicine 
  75%, and Use & Recognize Poison 60% (+20% to recognize and 
  avoid poison). Of any skills that may be already known to the 
  Blessed individual, apply a +15% skill bonus.
  Nightflyer: The Blessed individual develops an affinity for the 
  night and is most active, awake, and alert at night, provided he 
  gets a minimum of 5-6 hours sleep during the day.
  Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls at night and to recognize and 
  identify the sounds of night insects and animals, as well as people 
  and things that seem to be out of place; keen hearing, +1 on initia-
  tive, +1 to dodge, +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact, and impervi-
  ous to diseases carried by insects.
  Skills/Abilities: Astronomy and Navigation 75%, Mathemat-
  ics: Basic 70% and is able to cast the spells Climb, Fear, Float 
  in Air, and Fly as the Eagle, once each per 24 hour period at no 
  P.P.E. cost, equal to an 8th level Wizard, but double each spell’s 
  duration at night.
  Tracall
  This strange, faceless god is a powerful and erratic deity, re-
  garded as a secondary god within the Modern Jungle pantheon, 
  primarily worshiped by the Tezcat. His full description is located 
  among the Gods of Mystery.
  Gods of Mystery
  To mortals, all deities are mysterious supernatural beings, but 
  some are stranger and more enigmatic than others. The gods that 
  follow are little known or long forgotten deities, and may have 
  been servants or sworn enemies of the dreaded Old Ones, hailing 
  from an age impossible for humans to even imagine. Many of 
  these deities were lost to the outside world eons ago, but are still 
  worshiped within the Land of the Damned or deep underground 
  in hidden sanctuaries, and by secret cults.
  Bayus,
  Changeling God of Essence
  Bayus was once the most important of the Changeling gods, 
  representing their mercurial essence, and a symbol of joy and ex-
  ploration. Changelings of old would pray to him (it?) to insure 
  they would not forget who they really were while assuming the 
  form of other people, and that they would always stay true to their 
  own people no matter what face they wore. Bayus is represented 
  by a massive sphere with veins or lines throughout.
  When Changelings were discovered by other races, their 
  shape-changing abilities made them feared and persecuted be-
  yond reason. How could you ever trust a being who could steal 
  your identity and become anyone? How could ordinary people 
  ever feel safe? In order to prevent Changelings from creeping 
  into positions of power, they, their religion, and their deity, it was 
  decided, had to be erased from the face of the world and history 
  itself. A sentiment that is shared by almost all civilization, from 
  humans and Elves to Orcs and Wolfen.
  Since the age of the Prestida Kings, Bayus has become a whis-
  per, a mystery. Forgotten even by most Changelings for a thou-
  sand years. Only a few followers exist in some tiny cults hidden 
  within human civilizations, and these keepers of Changeling his-
  tory, religion, and culture see their numbers reduced every year 
  as the endless persecution continues.
  Alignment: Anarchist.
  
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  Statue Description: A silvery metal sphere with white veins 
  running through it floating stationary, a few feet above the 
  ground. It is warm to the touch and oddly comforting.
  Caretakers: None are known, for to take care of the Change-
  ling’s sphere brings suspicion and fear upon them. If Bayus has 
  any caretakers, they are Changelings in the form of humans and 
  other species hidden among the visiting pilgrims.
  Artifacts of Note: Silver Mirror of Truth: A hand mirror about 
  the size of a tennis racket. It is magical, and indestructible, and 
  reveals the true identity and nature of the face reflected upon its 
  surface. Vampires are shown to be fanged monsters, Changelings 
  as their true self, people in disguise as who they really are, with 
  nobles shown in silks and rich garb or a crown upon their brow, 
  a knight in disguise may appear in the mirror clad in full armor, 
  and so on. A powerful tool in the right hands, a dangerous one in 
  the wrong.
  Blessings: In addition to the usual fare, Bayus offers a few 
  unique ones. Third Eye: The Blessed individual has his psychic 
  “Third Eye” opened, giving him certain psychic abilities com-
  bined with an awareness that we are all part of the greater uni-
  verse and need to learn compassion and to appreciate each other 
  for our differences.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize people with an 
  axe to grind against those who are different or feared, as well as 
  to recognize people who feel out of place; +1 to dodge, +1 to pull 
  punch, and +1 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities (special): When prayed for, the Blessed indi-
  vidual has the following psionic abilities for a period of seven 
  days: Empathy (4), Healing Touch (6), Meditation (0), See the 
  Invisible (4), Sense Evil (2), Sense Magic (3), and has 3D6+16 
  I.S.P. available to use them. Recovers I.S.P. the same as a Major 
  Psychic.
  Truth without Fear: The Blessed individual becomes more 
  open to new ideas and willing to explore a wider range of pos-
  sibilities and take risks on others who he feels are trustworthy.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize trustworthy 
  people and when someone is telling the truth; +1 on initiative 
  to protect others or fight, +1 to dodge and roll with punch/fall/
  impact, +2 to save vs psionic and magic attacks that evoke fear or 
  hate, and +2 to save vs Horror Factor.
  Skills/Abilities (special): When prayed for, the Blessed indi-
  vidual has the following psionic abilities for a period of seven 
  days: Meditation (0), Object Read (6), Resist Fear (8), Sense Di-
  mensional Anomaly (6), and Telepathy (4), and 3D6+16 I.S.P. to 
  use them.
  Imwail the Minotaur
  Long ago, the Minotaur race was one of the most powerful and 
  numerous in the world, beholden to dark gods now lost. Imwail’s 
  standing stone in the Garden was one of the first discovered and is 
  located among the many popular deities. This leads many schol-
  ars to believe many Minotaurs must exist in the world. Not just as 
  hidden cults, but large tribes, most likely within labyrinths deep 
  below the surface of the Old Kingdom and in the Land of the 
  Damned.
  Minotaurs are the largest of the subterranean races, but prefer 
  to live on the surface. Some ancient legends suggest they were 
  surface dwellers either cursed by the gods or otherwise driven to 
  live underground.
  
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  Imwail is the Minotaur All-Father and symbol of strength, uni-
  ty, and survival. He is represented in the Garden not by a life-like 
  statue, but by a simple stone monolith surrounded by additional 
  large standing stones believed to possibly represent lesser Mi-
  notaur deities. Little is known about Imwail because few people 
  know much about the Minotaur race or culture. What is known 
  paints them as brutal, warring beasts to be feared and destroyed. 
  That sentiment has everything to do with the Minotaurs’ dark his-
  tory when they were minions and shock-troops for the Old Ones. 
  When war was brought against the Old Ones, legions of Mino-
  taurs battled the forces of Light. And when the Lords of Chaos 
  were defeated, Minotaurs were among the eldritch races spared 
  and imprisoned in the notorious Land of the Damned. Placed 
  there in the hope they would someday learn virtue and goodness 
  and earn their freedom.
  Not all Minotaurs were evil warmongers or henchmen of the 
  Old Ones, however, and they were allowed to live among the rest 
  of the people of the world. Sadly, the Minotaurs’ allegiance to 
  the Old Ones perpetuates the misconception that they are all evil 
  monsters, causing them to be feared and slaughtered. To avoid 
  this grim fate, many returned to a life underground in the Old 
  Kingdom and Baalgor Wastelands, untrusting and hateful of hu-
  mans, Elves, and most surface dwellers.
  Alignment: Imwail is Unprincipled, and the patron god of 
  nonhuman warriors and the wrongly persecuted, not just Mino-
  taurs.
  Statue Description: A five foot (1.5 m) tall flat stone with the 
  image of a bull/Minotaur’s head etched into its surface. In front 
  of the marker is a simple stone altar where visitors often burn 
  candles and pray. Behind it are eight other standing stones, some 
  larger than Imwail’s. Whether the entire unit of stones represent 
  the god or the Minotaur people or additional Minotaur deities, is 
  a mystery.
  Caretakers: None that are known. Other local caretakers and 
  pilgrims sometimes claim to see Minotaurs leaving offerings for 
  Imwail, but such visitors seldom linger and usually avoid contact 
  with others, wary of a confrontation or mistreatment. Minotaur 
  warriors sometime stay as Northpoint, most arriving from the Old 
  Kingdom to visit the Garden or to compete in the Lopanic Games.
  Artifacts of Note: Axe of Stone: A large battle axe whose 
  blade is made of stone and magically grows or shrinks to a man-
  ageable size based on the wielder. It does 4D6 damage to most 
  opponents, 1D4x10 damage to Elementals (any), and twice per 
  24 hour period, is able to bestow Armor of Ithan equal to a 10th 
  level Wizard.
  Rod of Power: A stone staff that inflicts 3D6 damage as a 
  weapon and can unleash bolts of fire (3D6 damage each, 200 
  foot/61 m range), but each blast counts as a melee attack. The 
  wielder is also impervious to fire, heat, smoke, sulfur, and lava, 
  and is able to cast the following spells, Cloud of Ash, Earth Rum-
  ble, Travel through Earth, and River of Lava, once each per 24 
  hour period equal to a 10th level Wizard.
  Blessings: One with the Earth: The Blessed individual feels an 
  affinity with the earth and nature.
  Bonuses: +5% to all Wilderness Skills and +1 to save vs dis-
  ease and poison.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Botany 75%, Mathematics: Basic 
  70%, Track & Trap Animals 65%, and is able to cast the spells 
  Animate Plants, Chameleon, Dig, and Rot Wood, once each every 
  24 hours at no P.P.E. cost, equal to an 8th level Earth Warlock.
  Power of the Minotaur: The Blessed individual feels an affin-
  ity toward Minotaurs and the earth.
  Bonuses: +30 S.D.C., +6 to damage, +2 to strike and parry, 
  +1 to save vs magic, +3 to save vs disease and poison, +3 to save 
  vs Horror Factor, is not claustrophobic, and has a keen sense of 
  direction underground.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Archaeology 60%, Land Navigation 
  65% (+15% underground), Lore: Geomancy and Ley Lines 70%, 
  Track & Trap Animals 75%, and has Nightvision (60 feet/18.3 
  m).
  The Lost Titan
  See the Knights-Fossar for details about the Titan’s Feet, the 
  Titan god Fossar and the Knights who are his Champions. Fossar 
  may also provide inspiration, visions, quests, and the full range 
  of usual Blessings to other warriors and adventurers he finds wor-
  thy, and whose intentions are noble and good. His Champions 
  of the Gods, however, are the Knights-Fossar and the Fossarian 
  Wardens. His greatest Blessing, the Glass Keep. His greatest arti-
  fact, Compass Point, both given to the Knights-Fossar.
  Shadow of Lictalon
  This is a statue of mystery. An enigma even to the Fossarians 
  who have studied it for centuries. Priests, psychics and mystics 
  who have attempted to commune with the deity report nothing or 
  that they sense only a faint echo of power. Most claim the statue 
  is silent and dismissive of mortals, but others insist they have 
  heard a single word, just a whisper, that could well be their imagi-
  nations if it did not repeat the same word every time: “Zaglore.” 
  
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  What that may mean is anyone’s guess, but it gives Wizards and 
  gods reason for concern.
  The legends of Lictalon are many and diverse, so nobody 
  knows anything for certain. Most believe he was the immensely 
  powerful, first Elven Arch-Mage, Lictalon, who ascended to dei-
  fic status via means unknown.
  Alignment: Unknown, but probably Anarchist.
  Statue Description: A statue that is barely a humanoid shape 
  carved from black obsidian. White swirls and lines believed to 
  represent magic energy are etched across the entire statue. One 
  hand is a fist, the other is open. The figure seems to be walk-
  ing upward or ascending into the heavens, though some have 
  wondered if he is shaking his fist at the heavens or gods. Known 
  to always be in search of new ideas, knowledge, and magic, the 
  movement of the figure may represent Lictalon’s endless quest.
  Caretakers: None, that are known, yet its area is clear and 
  clean. Faerie Folk perhaps?
  Artifacts of Note: Unknown, as the deity seems no longer 
  interested in the mortal realm.
  Blessings: Unknown, as the deity is not known to have ever 
  reached out to mortals.
  doing so, the benevolent god is, himself, driven mad and known 
  for wildness and uncontrolled energy. Events like volcanic erup-
  tions, earthquakes, sudden storms, an unexpected attack, inexpli-
  cable events and mysteries are all attributed to Tracall.
  Tracall is as much a concept as a god, and that is one of the 
  reasons his worshipers are few, and why he is, in effect, a sec-
  ondary deity in the larger Jungle pantheon. An important but un-
  relatable god to be respected and feared (as insanity often is), but 
  just one of many in the Pantheon of Jungle gods barely thought 
  about by most people. There are, however, cults in the jungle 
  and the Land of the South Winds where Tracall is the only deity 
  worshiped. His followers in these cults are often educated schol-
  ars and Wizards and people in pursuit of ancient and forbidden 
  knowledge, dark secrets, and paths to power. However, it all ul-
  timately results in madness. Almost every member of the Cult 
  of Tracall is quite insane. Each suffering from several forms 
  of insanity, most commonly obsessions, phobias, and paranoia, 
  but also other (1D6+3) insanities. Only the youngest and newest 
  members of the cult are usually not yet touched by madness or 
  their afflictions are comparatively few.
  Most of these cultists are nihilistic in their beliefs and unpre-
  dictable and contradictory in their words and actions. The most 
  deranged sometimes unleashing monsters and dark magic upon 
  the world, and becoming a source of chaos and danger that must 
  be stopped or destroyed along with whatever it is they have un-
  leashed into the world. What secret knowledge, rites, and rituals 
  drive these men and women mad is unknown, and best left that 
  way. Some believe the members of the Cult of Tracall possess 
  some of the ancient and forbidden knowledge and magic that was 
  destroyed during the Age of Purification, and which may date 
  back to the Time of a Thousand Magicks and older. The truth 
  is, each Cult of Tracall is different from the others, sometimes 
  greatly different, and what secrets and magic they may know is 
  often impossible to get, because they speak in riddles and gib-
  berish and outright nonsense. Still, it is from the Cults of Tracall 
  that the Ghost Knights hope their agents will find a way to free 
  Muareota from her prison under the Garden.
  Alignment: Aberrant.
  Statue Description: A nine foot (2.7 m) tall stone megalith 
  that resembles the Tezcat’s territory markers when glimpsed 
  from afar, and recognizable to anyone who has traveled in the 
  Yin-Sloth Jungles. Up close, however, the swirling, etched pat-
  terns are clearly something else. What that is, no one can agree. 
  Some see a stylized face, others the swirling cosmos, others just 
  patterns and designs that may represent an ancient and forgotten 
  language.
  Caretakers: None, other than the local Faerie Folk who also 
  tend to some of the other members of the Jungle pantheon, and 
  the occasional visiting scholar or mage.
  Artifacts of Note: The Orb of Mystery: This curious artifact is 
  a sphere the size of a grapefruit made of glass. It is said to contain 
  a spark of mystery at the very center; a glimmer of electricity 
  and swirling gas. Unlike other objects that are lost to the world, 
  the Orb is at the very center of the strange statue of Tracall, and 
  can be picked up and held by those Tracall wants to help or en-
  lighten. Its magic immediately activates and besieges the mind 
  of whoever holds it, and any friends, family, teammates or in-
  nocent bystanders within a 10 foot (3 m) radius of the Orb. Their 
  heads bombarded with swirling images and sounds and snippets 
  of scenes and words as if fast forwarding through a movie or 
  Tracall
  Tezcat God of Mystery
  Tracall is a difficult god for scholars to study, as there have 
  never been any written records about this strange deity. The Tez-
  cat people who are the main worshipers of the deity pass on in-
  formation about the deity and religion only through oral tradition 
  and are not keen on sharing it with outsiders. Tracall is said to 
  symbolize order, magic, secrecy, isolation, and madness. To the 
  Tezcat, the faceless, shapeless deity is a primordial force whose 
  role in myth is to devour the chaos and uncertainty of the world 
  so that what remains can have order and structure. However, by 
  
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  more like clicking through TV channels. None of it makes sense 
  in the present, but will in the future. Instinct compels the holder 
  of the Orb to put it back. The moment he does, the swirl of images 
  and sounds stop, and the crystal goes dark.
  The Orb of Mystery has just revealed things about the future, 
  only they don’t make sense until later, in that moment in time. 
  When that happens, the person experiences a moment of deja vu 
  and with it, has a sudden flash of insight. For example, the char-
  acter may suddenly know the man or woman before him is the 
  person he seeks, or can help, or is the enemy, or will become one 
  soon. Or he may suddenly know there is a back room, or back-
  door exit, or where a secret room is located and how to open the 
  door, or that a person is lying or telling the truth, can be trusted or 
  not, or that by going down this road or alley they’ll get ambushed 
  by the king’s guard or bandits and should be avoided, and so on, 
  but not until they meet that person or step into that room or alley. 
  Such insight happens out of the blue, without warning, at random 
  times, and at the Game Master’s discretion, but are usually help-
  ful glimpses of knowledge moments before something is about 
  to happen.
  Blessings: The Blessings from this mysterious deity are rare 
  and powerful, and all may result in lasting mental trauma and 
  insanity.
  Face of Mystery: The Blessed individual is granted magical 
  anonymity.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize vampires and 
  people in disguise, is +3 to damage vampires and other undead 
  regardless of the weapon held in his hands or with his bare fists, 
  and is impervious to the bite and powers of the vampire. The 
  strangest thing is he can change the appearance of his own face 
  to that of any humanoid species, but only his face, not the rest of 
  his body. Moreover, most adversaries and eyewitnesses to his ac-
  tions cannot remember him enough to identify him. Each unable 
  to remember what he looked like, each with a different, nonde-
  script recollection.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Disguise 75%, Imitate Voices and 
  Impersonation 70%, Ventriloquism 65%, and the ability to un-
  derstand and speak all languages 60%.
  Insanity: 50% chance of becoming forgetful and losing his 
  own sense of identity and history, resulting in him confusing the 
  deeds and stories of other people with his own, and forgetting 
  many of his own accomplishments and deeds; making him seem 
  to be a compulsive liar or terribly confused.
  Cosmic Power: The Blessed individual is imbued with mysti-
  cal power that may lead to him coveting power when the Blessing 
  ends.
  Bonuses: +2D6+6 to Hit Points, Natural A.R. 12, impervious 
  to electricity and energy but not fire, and +5% to Scholar/Techni-
  cal skills.
  Skills/Abilities (special): The ability to cast each of the fol-
  lowing spells, Armor of Ithan, Dispel Magic Barriers, Energy 
  Bolt, Energy Disruption, Fire Bolt, Mystic Portal, and Negate 
  Magic, once every 24 hour period at no P.P.E. cost, equal to a 
  10th level Wizard.
  Insanity: 65% chance of becoming obsessed with attaining 
  power and/or magic/magic items, the more powerful the better, 
  50% chance of developing 1D4+1 other obsessions or phobias, or 
  a few of each, and one random insanity.
  Entropy: The Blessed individual becomes interested in chang-
  ing energy and the idea that order moves into disorder.
  Bonuses: Stops aging for the duration of the Blessing, imper-
  vious to disease, +2 to save vs poison, and becomes fascinated 
  with death and spirits.
  Skills/Abilities (special): The Blessed individual is able to cast 
  the spells Age, Commune with Spirits, Constrain Being, Fuel 
  Flame, Life Drain, Speed of the Snail, and Swords to Snakes, 
  once each per 24 hour period at no P.P.E. cost, equal to a 10th 
  level Wizard.
  Insanity: 55% chance of becoming obsessed with death and/or 
  immortality, 45% chance of developing 1D4+1 phobias.
  Fear of the Unknown: The Blessed individual’s fear of the un-
  known and mysterious are ramped up, and as with most people, 
  his knee-jerk reaction is to destroy that which he fears, includ-
  ing Changelings and other shape-changers, the practitioners of 
  unknown or forbidden magic, Witches, and objects and symbols 
  from the past which seem contrary to history or frightening in 
  some way. Has trouble trusting others, especially if they keep 
  secrets or whisper among themselves, and is generally suspicious 
  of everyone.
  Bonuses: +2 on Perception Rolls to recognize conspiracies 
  and people plotting against him and his teammates, +1D6 to Spd 
  attribute, +1 on initiative to flee or attack, +1 to strike, +3 to save 
  vs mind control (all) and illusions, and impervious to possession.
  Skills/Abilities (special): Cryptography 75% (to uncover se-
  crets and conspiracies), Surveillance 70% (for the same reasons 
  and to tail and spy upon those he doesn’t trust), Escape 65%, 
  and the special ability to recognize Witches, people who are pos-
  sessed, spies, and people in disguise, 60% (+10% if they are plot-
  ting against him, his teammates or community).
  Insanity: 60% chance of lasting paranoia and distrust of 
  strangers, outsiders, shape-changers, practitioners of magic, and 
  the supernatural, including deities and the Garden of the Gods, 
  and a 50% chance of 1D4+1 phobias.
  Vyl the Reaching Darkness
  The Reaching Darkness is one of oldest deities known to the 
  Palladium World. Though sometimes associated with the Jungle 
  pantheon, he is actually much older and not of the jungle. Also 
  known as the Tentacled God, he is a long forgotten deity once 
  worshiped by beings just as forgotten who lived along the coast 
  of the Scarlet Waters. It is rumored that Vyl was once worshiped 
  by early humans of what would become the Western Empire and 
  is still worshiped by secret cults among the aristocracy within the 
  Empire of Sin. Some believe, it is the influence of the Reaching 
  Darkness that has helped promote Western Empire aggression 
  and war after war throughout its sinister history. Those who know 
  of the dark god believe Vyl was the source responsible for giving 
  the Empire the knowledge to build Demon Black Ships and was 
  the bringer of vampires to the region. Both intended as a source 
  of power to vanquish the Western Empire’s enemies (and to pro-
  mote the chaos and depravity Vyl loves to wallow in).
  A creature of chaos, Vyl the Reaching Darkness likes to tease 
  and tempt mortals and encourage their darkest nature and give 
  vent to greed, envy, lust, hatred, vengeance, cruelty, depravity, 
  etc. According to little known legends, the horrid god was wor-
  shiped by many of the eldritch races now locked away in the for-
  bidding Land of the Damned. Though nowhere near as powerful 
  as the Old Ones, Vyl was just as sinister and corrupt, a close and 
  trusted associate of the terrible Old Ones. A being who would 
  
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  have certainly been destroyed by the gods and heroes taking a 
  stand against the Old Ones had he not brokered a deal with them 
  for his own survival. Vyl saw the glorious Age of Chaos drawing 
  to a close and did not want his own demise to come with it. So 
  he came to the gods with a way to end the standoff, saving untold 
  lives of both gods and mortals via his betrayal of the Old Ones, 
  but on the condition they would spare him from any punishment.
  Crawling forth from the depths of despair came the 
  Reaching Darkness. His tangle of sins and wickedness 
  trailing behind him like a mass of slithering serpents.
  And lo did the Reaching Darkness ooze into the light 
  promising the only means by which the divine united could 
  bring forth their plan to lay low the Great Old Ones in eter-
  nal slumber, before they learned of it and found a way to 
  escape their deserved fate. For only the Tentacled God was 
  trusted enough to sit amongst the Lords of Chaos and, un-
  beknownst to them, let loose the magic to bring an end to 
  their terrible reign.
  The price for his betrayal and bringing the bloodbath of 
  the war to an end, a small, but terrible choice.
  And he said unto them, thou must be in agreement to ev-
  ery last one, that I shall live free and unshackled amongst 
  the mortals and an equal among the divine, unharmed and 
  left to my own device, ever after.
  And so it was, with much trepidation, agreed upon by 
  all. For lo, the Reaching Darkness be the lesser of evils, 
  and a necessary means to end the Age of Chaos.
  And the Darkness smiled.
  – A passage from the Tristine Chronicles
  Over time this dark deity has been largely forgotten by most 
  mortals, but it is impossible to know if that was fate or by his 
  own design. After all, the Reaching Darkness lives and flourishes 
  in darkness and anonymity. He needs no shrines and temples, 
  because in a way, everyone knows him through his handiwork: 
  the many dark and wicked acts at the hands of mortals and gods 
  alike. A corrupting force whose many tendrils slither out from 
  the vile darkness into the world, whispering luscious temptation 
  and encouraging selfishness, depravity, cruelty, hate, revenge and 
  dark satisfaction at the expense of others.
  For a very long time, the Reaching Darkness’ main place of 
  influence came from the darkest corners and secret cults within 
  the West. Nicknamed the Empire of Sin for good reason. With 
  his statue unveiled in the Garden of the Gods, Vyl wonders if a 
  new Age of Chaos, where he sits as king, might be at hand. With 
  access to throngs of visitors from around the world coming to the 
  Garden seeking inspiration and purpose, he now has greater ac-
  cess to potential worshipers than he has known in 100,000 years.
  For the moment, the Reaching Darkness tries to contain his 
  own lust for power and worship. He is driven by the same self-
  destructive darkness he so loves to inspire in others. He is the 
  embodiment of Chaos, and for too long has he held himself in 
  check. Satisfied with thousands of small triumphs of people slid-
  ing into his dark embrace. But now ... the possibilities of greater 
  chaos, war, and destruction beckon him.
  Alignment: Miscreant, with a wicked sense of humor. He 
  likes it when mortals suffer, especially when he’s pulling the 
  strings and pitting brother against brother.
  Statue Description: A grinning thing with dozens of tentacles 
  hanging at his side but ready to reach out. Vyl’s garden area is the 
  most unkempt, with many gnarled and looming trees, bramble, 
  and dark corners. At night, it is the most ominous location in the 
  Garden, dark and foreboding.
  Caretakers: None, other than some of the evil Faerie Folk.
  Artifacts of Note: Dark Armor: A suit of magical black ar-
  mor trimmed in silver, that is lightweight, makes little noise, A.R. 
  17, S.D.C. 200 and regenerates 1D6x10 S.D.C. for every human 
  
  207
  sacrifice made to it. The armor can be restored even when it has 
  been reduced to tatters with no S.D.C. remaining. It is rumored 
  that several suits of Dark Armor existed in the early days of the 
  Western Empire and that a few still exist.
  The Adjudicator: A bastard sword made of dark grey metal 
  with Runes that glow red. The weapon does 5D6 damage to 
  most opponents, +10 against Paladins, Knights, Champions of 
  the Gods and heroes of good alignment, and 1D6x10 to Spirits 
  of Light and deities. It also has all the usual powers of a Lesser 
  Rune Weapon.
  Blessings: Fueled by Hunger: The hunger may be hate, ven-
  geance, wealth, power, or any dark emotion that becomes a moti-
  vating obsession. The Blessed individual is powered by relentless 
  determination to sake his hunger, becoming a cruel and murder-
  ous monster in the processes. His idea of justice is unreasonable 
  and cruel and comes at the end of a sword or noose.
  Bonuses: Driven by hate provides +3 on Perception Rolls to 
  figure out clues, follow trails, and find the target of his wrath or 
  means to satisfy his hunger, only it is never enough or is replaced 
  by a new hunger. +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, +1 to roll with 
  punch/fall/impact, +1 to save vs poison and Mind Control, imper-
  vious to possession, +30% to save vs coma/death, and is ruthless 
  and relentless in his quest.
  Skills: Prowl 75%, Surveillance 70%, Track Humanoids 65% 
  (+10% when it is the target of revenge), and Concealment 60%.
  Hero Slayer: This dark Blessing fuels the recipient’s disdain 
  and revulsion of heroes. It is more than brute strength and endur-
  ance, it includes being ruthless and without mercy, and encour-
  ages torture and other acts of cruelty.
  Bonuses: +2 to Perception Rolls to recognize heroes of good 
  alignment, fatigues at half the usual rate and recovers twice as 
  fast, also recovers Hit Points, S.D.C., P.P.E. and I.S.P. twice as 
  quickly, +1 one melee attack, +1D6 to damage the forces of good 
  and light with all attacks be it by fist or weapon and whether the 
  opponent is mortal, a creature of magic, or supernatural being. 
  Note: If a mage, the damage bonus applies to spells as well as 
  physical attacks, and the magic user enjoys a +10 P.P.E. bonus 
  for the duration of the Blessing. Same for psychics, but they get 
  +10 I.S.P. The same for Clergy, but they get +6 P.P.E., and a 
  +10% bonuses that their god hears and answers their prayers.
  Skills/Abilities: Lore: Religion 80%, Lore: Demons & Mon-
  sters 75%, and Lore: Magic 70%.
  Perception Rolls
  The Perception Roll first appeared in the Nightbane® RPG 
  as a means to simulate the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, 
  taste, and touch – and situations requiring a character to notice 
  something. It is a fun tool the G.M. can use to determine whether 
  a character’s “Spidey-Sense” is tingling to notice danger, trouble 
  approaching, clues and hints, people in need of help, hear some-
  thing important, and similar. It has since become a staple in most 
  of our games.
  Here are the quick nuts and bolts rules:
  Roll 1D20 same as a saving throw, and you must match or roll 
  above the number listed below.
  4 Easy: Roll 4 or better to notice or hear something that is 
  easy to spot out in the open or should stand out on its own, or is a 
  loud sound or moderate in a quiet environment. There is a small 
  chance of not noticing something because it does happen. (“Geez, 
  it’s right under my nose. How could I have missed it?”)
  8 Moderate: Roll 8 or better to notice or hear something that 
  is not out in the open or somewhat blends in with its surround-
  ings, or the lighting may be dim or too bright and glaring, or 
  there may be flashing lights or areas of deep shadow, and/or the 
  ambient noise level makes it difficult to hear or pinpoint sounds 
  and words. This Perception probably requires a bit of focus and 
  some looking around.
  14 Challenging: Roll 14 or better to notice or hear something 
  that is hidden or out of plain sight, disguised, muffled, or lost in 
  its environment, or lighting may be poor, the surroundings clut-
  tered or crowded, etc., all of it requiring focus and a deliberate 
  effort to search or listen carefully.
  Visual and spoken clues and hints, noticing things out of place 
  and markings, seeing through a disguise, recognizing a face or 
  symbol or tattoo in a large crowd, or for a chance encounter or 
  glimpse to be recognized for who or what it is, also fall into the 
  Challenging category, 14 or better.
  17 Difficult: Roll 17 or better to notice or hear something 
  that has been carefully and deliberately hidden or obscured, or 
  someone who is actively trying to hide, Prowling and avoiding 
  being seen, actively hiding or keeping a secret, or trying to per-
  ceive anything or anyone in a very difficult environment – very 
  loud and noisy, total darkness/blind, fog/mist/snow or other bad 
  weather or environmental conditions, being in a large, noisy, 
  moving crowd, traffic, people talking and/or pulling at you in a 
  noisy and dimly lit environment, and so on. An intense focus and 
  effort are required to notice anything under difficult circumstanc-
  es or conditions.
  
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  209
  The Black Pit
  from the edge of the Black Pit know it is unnatural and a place to 
  be avoided. Small children and babies are known to start wailing 
  as soon as they get within a half mile (0.8 km) of the Black Pit 
  and won’t stop until they are taken at least a mile (1.6 km) away.
  Dogs, horses, mules, donkeys, and livestock get jumpy and try 
  to turn away from the direction of the Black Pit as soon as they 
  get within a mile (1.6 km) of it. Within a half mile (0.8 km), many 
  stop dead in their tracks and refuse to take another step closer, 
  even when beaten within an inch of their life. Animals that can 
  be led to the Black Pit are obviously frightened and quick to bolt 
  at unexpected loud noises and sudden movement. Most take off 
  at the first opportunity, running home or a safe distance at least a 
  mile (1.6 m) from the Black Pit.
  Any animals that actually make it to the edge or go inside the 
  Black Pit become agitated and aggressive, with dogs and other 
  hunting and guard animals behaving in a feral manner. Some-
  times attacking each other, and always growling or whining the 
  entire time. The alignment of the visitors makes no difference to 
  the overall experience. Good or evil, everyone has the same reac-
  tion to this place. People of evil and Anarchist alignments feel a 
  strong sense of self-preservation, making them much less willing 
  to risk their own necks to explore a mysterious, cursed cave. Who 
  cares what secrets it may contain, their knee-jerk reaction is to 
  avoid the Black Pit in favor of more promising opportunities with 
  less uncertainty and risk. People of good alignments feel nervous 
  and afraid. Of course, anyone can fight these feelings and venture 
  inside anyway. Most turn away and leave. A wise decision.
  Legends of the Black Pit
  According to popular legend, the “stench of evil” is so strong 
  around the Black Pit because it is not made of stone and dirt, but 
  is actually an exposed portion of a slumbering Old One. A giant 
  tentacle or limb, perhaps. Legend claims going down into the lab-
  yrinth of caves is actually traveling down into the physical body 
  of a (petrified?) Old One. Though there is no evidence to support 
  this theory, the explanation would seem to explain many things, 
  especially why Elemental Magic has no effect on the stone of the 
  Black Pit.
  The opening to the Black Pit is a gaping, open wound in the 
  earth that refuses to heal. Its sides resemble a quarry, with nine-
  teen step-like levels made up of a type of jet black stone that 
  looks as if it has, at some point, been excavated. Where the black 
  stone is uncovered, the lush plant life ends. No vegetation grows, 
  not even moss. The step-layers lead down further and further, 
  ever deeper into the endless Pit below.
  The black stone is incredibly hard and resistant to damage, 
  making it very difficult to cut or mine. Though black as night, 
  it is unlike obsidian or any other mineral in the known world. 
  Moreover, Elemental Magic cannot influence the black stone or 
  even approach to within a mile (1.6 km) of the Pit. To many, this 
  is further evidence that the stone is not rock at all, but the hide of 
  an Old One and the cave an exposed artery or windpipe that leads 
  The mysterious Black Pit of Lopan is a legendary abyss that 
  scholars believe has existed for as long as the Garden of the Gods 
  or longer. It is a unique absence of anything, a gap in the very na-
  ture of reality that may stand as a counterbalance to the Garden. 
  The dark yin to the Garden’s yang, which is why it is mentioned 
  here, after the Garden of the Gods. It is rumored that a hidden 
  portal in the darkest heart of the Primeva leads to the mysterious 
  Pit in the northwestern part of the island – a half-mile (0.8 km) 
  wide expanse that drops away into what appears to be infinity.
  Though much less storied, the Black Pit is every bit as enig-
  matic as the Garden of the Gods, and much more ominous. It is 
  seldom spoken of by Garden Caretakers, the Knights Fossar, or 
  most inhabitants of Lopan, and when it is, it is usually in hushed 
  whispers. The simple solution would seem to be to fill it in, cover 
  it up and pretend it never existed, but that has proven to be im-
  possible. Any and every attempt to fill in the Black Pit has ended 
  in disaster. First, Elemental Magic does not work on the Black 
  Pit nor within a one mile (1.6 km) radius around it. Even more 
  frightening, Elemental beings, even Greater Elementals, refuse 
  to come with one mile (1.6 km) of the infamous Pit. Curious ad-
  venturers and work teams dispatched to the location often meet 
  with tragedy and disaster. Accidental deaths, bad luck, strange 
  disappearances, thefts, murder, menacing ghosts, and monsters 
  from the shadows are all mishaps known to beset those who dare 
  to try to cover up the Black Pit.
  The Order of the Fossarians has considered fencing it off, 
  posting guards or somehow making the Pit off-limits. However, 
  reaching the other side of the island is daunting enough in itself, 
  and too many Knights and heroes have vanished trying to explore 
  the Black Pit or work within its reaches. Besides, despite the 
  many disturbing myths, legends and rumors about the Black Pit, 
  in the thousands of years that it has existed, whatever darkness or 
  evil rumored to lurk within has always remained contained. No 
  monsters or demons have been reported emerging from the Black 
  Pit, and the only people known to become victims of its power 
  are those who dare to go inside or try to excavate its stone.
  Of those who have ventured down into the Black Pit, most 
  either return with stories about tragic accidents, curses, and ghost 
  stories, or disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. Al-
  most everyone agrees the Black Pit is cursed ground that radi-
  ates evil and brings misfortune to those who step into its dark 
  embrace.
  Most visitors never get closer to the Black Pit than is neces-
  sary to look over its edge, and even they report a sense of evil 
  and dread that hangs over the site like a heavy fog. Wolfen and 
  others with heightened senses claim the Black Pit actually smells 
  of evil and death. The hackles of fur running down the back of 
  their necks stand up on end even before they take their first step 
  down into the abyss. Minor Psychics, mages and clergy say they 
  can all feel the presence of a foreboding darkness. Mind Mages 
  and Greater Psychics report having felt the touch of pure evil, 
  unadulterated by any concepts of virtue, goodness or morality. 
  Even completely average and ordinary people who look down 
  
  210
  inside the sleeping behemoth. These same, superstitious people 
  insist that the Red Rock found running throughout the caves are 
  the veins of the monster and the glowing energy within the Red 
  Rock the blood of an Old One turned to stone.
  Like the Garden of the Gods, rumors and myths abound re-
  garding the Black Pit. The stories of a slumbering Old One are 
  just one tale of many — though they are the tales that have taken 
  hold of the imaginations of scholars and inhabitants of Lopan 
  who study the geological aberration. Other myths and legends 
  claim the Black Pit is an exit point for another evil god or a group 
  of isolated, archaic people who have managed to burrow their 
  way out from the Land of the Damned, beneath the Great North-
  ern Mountains, and out into the world of mortal men. Three such 
  tunnels are said to exist, and wherever the tunnel exits, there is 
  a Black Pit just like the Pit on Lopan. The locations of the other 
  two are unknown, but rumors place them in the Western Empire 
  and the Yin-Sloth Jungle. Actually, there are stories that place 
  them just about everywhere, except none but this one on Lopan 
  have ever been located. As a result, most learned people reject 
  this myth as pure fantasy.
  Some say the Black Pit (and two others?) was dug out by three 
  dragon gods of Dragonwright who were wrongly imprisoned in 
  the Land of the Damned, but even its magic could not hold them. 
  Only Kym-nark-mar was spared imprisonment, and according to 
  at least one myth, he is the reason the other three were cast into 
  the Land of the Damned. Other myths claim the Black Pit was 
  made by a cadre of Lizard Mages or Mummies Immortalus that 
  dug the tunnel to claw their way out of the Land of the Damned 
  and back into the world. Still other legends suggest the Black Pit 
  contains a portal to the Great Rift or fabled Citadel in the Land 
  of the Damned, or to the very pits of Hades or Dyval. However, 
  all of these seem unlikely as there have never been reports of de-
  mons or Deevils, or anything monstrous emerging from the Black 
  Pit. And if the tunnel leads to the Land of the Damned, why isn’t 
  there a constant parade of monsters coming through it?
  Another myth popular in Lopan and the Eastern Territory is 
  probably born of prejudice and hatred rather than fact. According 
  to this myth, the Black Pit is the dark progenitor responsible for 
  the creation of the Wolfen, Coyles and Kankoran, species that 
  crawled up out of the Black Pit and found their way to the Great 
  Northern Wilderness to give birth to all canine people. Another 
  legend suggests it is the birthplace of the Iceborn, but neither as-
  sertion holds any water.
  If there is a common thread to many of the myths and leg-
  ends, it is that the Black Pit is somehow connected to the Land 
  of the Damned. If that is true, it goes to reason that if one could 
  find the correct tunnel system, they could sneak in and out of the 
  cursed Land of the Damned without having to brave the Great 
  Northern Mountains! Many scholars argue this is pure fantasy 
  and that there is no evidence to support this theory; no creature 
  that has emerged from the Black Pit originating from the Land of 
  the Damned. Then again, how would anyone ever really know? 
  The Pit is not monitored.
  As noted, misfortune and disaster seem to befall those who 
  enter the Black Pit. This has led to a persistent rumor that the 
  Black Pit is cursed and that anyone who sets foot on the Black 
  Stone becomes subject to whatever dark forces and foul magic 
  may be afoot. Indeed, for the entire time they remain in the tun-
  nels, all who enter the caves suffer the same penalties that result 
  from taking possession of Red Rock (described below). Further-
  more, there are dark forces and strange magicks active within the 
  tunnels of the Black Pit, all of which wield powers that can have 
  deadly consequences. In many cases, however, those who travel 
  deep into the labyrinth of caves become lost and simply die from 
  dehydration or starvation, a cruel but mundane end in this place 
  that abounds with magic. Others flee in terror, and rather than 
  face ridicule for their cowardice, slip off the island never to speak 
  of their time within the Black Pit.
  A small percentage of people claim to have entered the Pit 
  without incident. Claiming to have found nothing out of the ordi-
  nary. They return with stories of nothing unusual except for the 
  oddity of the stone itself and the disquieting silence of the pitch 
  black tunnels. Tunnels that seem to stretch off endlessly into the 
  darkness.
  Red Rock
  Red Rock is another strange anomaly unique to the Black Pit. 
  As one goes deeper into the Pit, veins of Red Rock begin to ap-
  pear. Red Rock glows like lava, but is smooth to the touch like 
  volcanic glass after it has cooled. Though the Red Rock does give 
  off low levels of light and is warm to the touch, it does not burn 
  nor provide enough heat to keep a person warm; it only raises the 
  ambient air temperature a few degrees. Like the Black Stone of 
  the Pit, Red Rock is especially hard and dense, and chipping a 
  piece loose from a wall or ceiling requires considerable strength, 
  effort, and strong tools. Most ordinary picks, tools and weapons 
  break in the attempt.
  To dislodge a small piece of Red Rock a character must en-
  gage in the following: Roll 1D20 to strike as usual. A roll of 9 or 
  less causes the tool or weapon to break in half without damage 
  to the vein of Red Rock. A roll of 11-19 weakens the Red Rock, 
  but requires 1D4+2 additional successful rolls to strike within 
  the same 11-19 range of results to eventually chop out a chunk 
  of Red Rock the size of a chicken egg. Rolls that are 20 or higher 
  with modifiers have the same results as rolls of 11-19, and sev-
  eral well placed strikes should dislodge a small piece of stone. A 
  Natural 20, however, chops out a piece of Red Rock the size of 
  an apple. Of course, a failed roll (1-10) that causes the weapon 
  or tool to break, requires a different one to be used in order to 
  continue trying to chop a piece of rock from the vein. Note: Holy 
  Weapons and Rune Weapons of good or selfish alignment seem 
  no more effective than ordinary weapons, except they don’t break 
  on a failed roll, they just scratch the rock. Magic weapons with 
  an evil alignment can dislodge an egg-sized chuck of Red Rock 
  in two successful tries.
  The rare magic weapon made of Black Stone that came from 
  the Pit can cut out a chunk of Red Rock with one successful strike 
  (10 or higher and does not break when the roll is 10 or less). Such 
  weapons and tools (rare) can also be used to mine, cut, and shape 
  slabs of Black Stone. It is rumored that a secret trade guild or cult 
  in the Western Empire – the same one that builds the illegal De-
  mon Black Ships – is able to create these kinds of stone weapons 
  and tools, mainly for the creation of the Demon Ships. However, 
  these magical stone-cutting blades are not Rune Weapons. The 
  distinction of such a creation goes to one of the long forgotten 
  archaic races.
  According to some legends in the Great Northern Wilderness, 
  a forgotten insect-like people condemned to imprisonment in the 
  Land of the Damned created Rune Magic and crafted the first 
  
  211
  Rune Weapons for the Old Ones from stone. In fact, these leg-
  ends suggest that the same, subterranean beings are responsible 
  for the Black Pit. That it is the exit from a tunnel system that took 
  untold generations of them to dig in order to escape from the 
  confines of the Land of the Damned. They hate everyone, so they 
  made the tunnel system a deliberate maze to prevent others less 
  clever and tenacious than they, from using their tunnels to also 
  escape. Such was the malicious nature of these hateful beings. 
  The legend says they may have burrowed through the earth for all 
  eternity if a chorus of voices had not sung out to them, beckoning 
  them to Lopan. There they dug out and stepped into the light of 
  day for the first time in generations, leaving a black scar that can-
  not be sealed: The Black Pit.
  This same legend says that it was one of the Old Ones who 
  taught this favored minion race the early secrets of Rune Mag-
  ic. Secrets that were later traded to, or more likely stolen by, 
  Dwarves long before the advent of the Elf-Dwarf War. Dwarves 
  would quickly abandon heavy stone weapons for those made of 
  steel. Rune Weapons would help Dwarves forge one of the great 
  civilizations of the Old Kingdom.
  Though most scholars reject this account as pure fiction, every 
  few centuries, Stone Rune Weapons manage to find their way 
  out of the Land of the Damned in the hands of triumphant heroes 
  and warriors. This fact gives credence to the possible origin of 
  the Black Pit, and that there may be a long, winding secret way 
  in and out of the Land of the Damned. It also suggests the lost art 
  of Rune Magic might still be practiced there in some form, by 
  somebody.
  The Value and Dangers of Red Rock
  Red Rock continues to glow when removed from the vein of 
  rock in the Black Pit. The light it sheds is dim and sometimes 
  seems to pulse slightly. The light is so dim that not even a dozen 
  stones are enough to read by (less than one candle). However, 
  inside the Black Pit, veins of the stone function as emergency exit 
  lights to mark passageways and provide visitors just enough light 
  to find their way in the darkness.
  Red Rock is sometimes used by Alchemists to create vari-
  ous types of jewelry, amulets and ornamentation on the hilts of 
  weapons. Red Rock polishes nicely and as an amulet or talisman, 
  holds 50% more P.P.E. than ordinary gemstones. That said, Red 
  Rock is almost always used to contain curses that inflict their 
  foul magic upon the wearer/user/owner of the item. Rumor has it 
  that Red Rock may have other magical properties and uses, all of 
  them harmful, but its Alchemical secrets are closely guarded. Its 
  use in magic makes Red Rock valuable, 1D6x1,000 gold per egg-
  sized portion, sometimes double or triple that amount, depending 
  on the buyer (who is usually up to no good).
  Red Rock, also known as the Spirit Stone and Bad Luck 
  Stone, because anyone who keeps Red Rock of any size, even as 
  small as a pea, on his person, in any form – a part of jewelry or 
  an oddity kept in a pouch or pocket as a paperweight or memento 
  – becomes a magnet for dark forces and misfortune until it is 
  returned to the ground.
  In game terms, any character who has Red Rock on his per-
  son is likely to be targeted first in an attack, robbery, kidnaping, 
  prank, or confidence game. Trouble in all its forms just seems 
  to find its way to this person, including false accusations, sus-
  picions of wrongdoing, a case of mistaken identity, bar brawls, 
  bad luck at gambling, misplacing or losing valuables, accidents, 
  etc. Moreover, ghosts, spirits, Entities, the more malicious Fa-
  erie Folk, Witches, demons and evil supernatural beings are at-
  tracted to it, or take notice of the person in possession of Red 
  Rock. If an evil individual, the dark forces may consider him to 
  be a potential ally or henchman. Selfish individuals are regarded 
  as someone who can be corrupted or manipulated. While people 
  of good alignment are seen as marks, inviting tricks, torment and 
  victimization, often just for the fun of it. Meanwhile, ghosts/Enti-
  ties may haunt the good character or seek his help, all of which 
  leads to trouble and mayhem.
  In addition to the misfortune and cloud of negativity described 
  above, characters in possession of Red Rock suffer the following 
  penalties:
  1. -2 on Perception Rolls that involve dark magic, Witches, 
  Entities, demons and evil supernatural forces.
  2. -1 on initiative against dark magic, Entities, demons and 
  evil supernatural forces.
  3. Reduce bonuses to evoke trust by half, and people tend not 
  to believe the cursed individual even when he’s telling the truth.
  4. Mistaken identity. Frequently mistaken for a troublemaker, 
  criminal or fugitive. In a brawl, he is likely to be blamed for start-
  ing it or for causing the most trouble or damage.
  5. -20% on skills that involve stealth, gambling and luck.
  To rid oneself of this trouble and misfortune, the Red Rock 
  must be returned to the earth or someone else must take posses-
  sion of it; this means the rock must be stolen, taken, or sold to 
  have the curse lifted and follow the new owner. Red Rock can-
  not just be given away or left on the side of the road. The ideal 
  method of disposal is to toss it back into the Black Pit. However, 
  casting it into a tar pit, bog, swamp, an active volcano, lava, or 
  just digging a hole and burying it, will do the trick. Simply leav-
  ing it in a drawer at home or throwing it away is not sufficient and 
  the curse remains in place. Selling it for at least 10 gold passes the 
  bad luck on to the buyer. When ridding themselves of Red Rock, 
  characters of good alignment will want to dispose of it in such a 
  way that it is not likely to come in the possession of an innocent 
  person who will suffer for it.
  A Boon to Witches
  There is one group that benefits from Red Rock more than Al-
  chemists: Witches. They already embrace chaos and are in league 
  with the forces of evil, deal with wicked intentions and dangerous 
  forces, and inflict suffering upon others in the name of supernatu-
  ral evil. As such, the Red Rock is of benefit to a Witch. Any spirit 
  or evil being the Red Rock may attract can be of benefit to the 
  Witch, and is likely to see a potential ally, partner or henchman, 
  not a victim. Which, in turn, may bring the Witch good fortune 
  through evil deeds and nasty allies.
  Possession of a single Red Rock bestows upon the Witch the 
  following special bonuses:
  1. +2 on Perception Rolls involving Entities, demons, dark 
  magic and evil supernatural forces.
  2. +1 on initiative against Champions of Light and good su-
  pernatural forces.
  3. +20% to bonuses to evoke trust or sympathy, and the Witch 
  lies convincingly to most people.
  4. Keeping the Red Rock on the Witch’s person – a gem in a 
  ring or pendant or other piece of jewelry, imbedded into a wand, 
  
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  staff, weapon, talisman, amulet, or just kept on her person in a 
  pouch or pocket – increases the Witch’s P.P.E. base by 20%. The 
  bonus applies only as long as she has the Red Rock on her person 
  or in hand.
  5. S.D.C. damage heals at a rate of 4D6 per 24 hours, but not 
  Hit Points.
  6. Spent P.P.E. recovers twice as quickly when the Red Rock 
  is held in the Witch’s hand and caressed, or otherwise embraced.
  Note: Somehow, all Witches know about the benefit of Red 
  Rock and are willing to buy it, though seldom for what an Al-
  chemist will pay. Instead, they tell those suffering misfortune 
  from Red Rock they can remove the curse through a simple ritual 
  (all a sham) and giving the person 1D6x10 gold for the cursed 
  stone. Buying it, to transfer ownership from him to the Witch, is 
  the necessary component in this transaction. The pretense of the 
  ritual is to make it seem like the Witch is performing a service so 
  that the individual may trust her later, or fall for some other scam.
  The Black Pit Labyrinth
  Travel inside the caves and tunnels of the Black Pit is difficult 
  and dangerous. There is only one way in – and presumably one 
  way out through the labyrinth of tunnels, but nobody has ever 
  reported finding the exit. Depending on what legend you believe, 
  that other opening/exit is someplace in the Land of the Damned 
  or may be through the mouth of an Old One.
  The Pit seems infinite when looking down from the opening, 
  but climb down far enough and the opening becomes narrower 
  until it ends at a sloping cavern. There is a steep decline before 
  leveling out, but you can still tell you are advancing at a slight 
  slope downward.
  Very quickly, travelers lose their sense of direction and time. 
  This is true even of beings accustomed to subterranean life, such 
  as Dwarves, Kobolds and Troglodytes, who suffer a penalty of 
  -20% to their sense of direction. Everyone else is -40%. Leaving 
  behind a trail of rope, twine, chalk markings, chisel marks, etc., 
  cannot be recommended enough.
  The tunnels are all crude. They might be considered natural 
  if not for their consistent shape and size, the black and red rock, 
  and the way the tunnels twist and turn, rise and drop. There are 
  no rooms or signs of chambers. The surface is rough and mottled, 
  more like poured concrete than chiseled stone. There are no signs 
  of bricks or blocks, nor markings from tools or wooden supports. 
  These are not tunnels made by Dwarves or men, nor Elementals. 
  All the tunnels are uniform and look the same. They are round, like 
  a tube, making walking a bit awkward at times, and surrounded by 
  black stone with threads of Red Rock that dimly lights the way. 
  There is no natural rock or dirt. A fact that gives subterranean 
  people like Dwarves and Kobolds the creeps. These tunnels were 
  either created by an unknown magical process or they really are 
  traveling though the arteries inside the body of a petrified Old One 
  as some legends claim! The latter is quite a leap, but such is the 
  strangeness and level of paranoia within the Black Pit.
  Most tunnels are barely tall enough to accommodate the full 
  height of a human (roughly 7 feet/2.1 m in diameter), requiring 
  Wolfen and other tall creatures to travel bent forward or crawl-
  ing on all fours, adding to their discomfort and uneasiness. How-
  ever, there are, at irregular intervals, smaller tunnels that branch 
  out from the main arteries. These are half the diameter of the 
  main corridors, requiring humans and large folk to crawl along 
  on their hands and knees to pass through them. Many of these 
  small branches continue to narrow until they reach a dead end or 
  intersect with another tunnel. Remember, some theorize that this 
  is a deliberate labyrinth. A maze that would seem to have been 
  created by an army of madmen, as there are many dead ends and 
  go-arounds that lead back to a central tunnel.
  Unlike natural caves and tunnel systems, there is no flora 
  growing inside, nor animals, not even the spiders and bats com-
  mon to natural caves. There is also an absence of water. The 
  caves are dry and barren, and the only water available to travelers 
  is in the casks or waterskins they bring with them. Another reason 
  to not travel too deep or get lost. Indeed, the skeletal remains of 
  various intrepid souls can be found as you travel deeper. (Note: 
  Game Masters can offer a bit of treasure, such as a dagger and 
  other weapon, a few gold or silver pieces, maybe even a magic 
  scroll preserved by the dry conditions, but any water or potions 
  are likely to have evaporated long ago. See the Random Table, 
  under Looting the Dead, below.)
  The deeper one goes, the staler the air becomes. It is breath-
  able, but musty and dry. Every few hours there is an unexpected 
  and unnatural breeze that lasts for about a minute. The supersti-
  tious believe that this is the Old One at the bottom of the tunnels 
  breathing in and out as it sleeps. It also gets warmer. The average 
  temperature inside these caves is 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 C) 
  with portions becoming even warmer in the deeper reaches, pos-
  sibly the source of stories suggesting the caves of the Black Pit 
  lead to Hell.
  Areas of some tunnels are filled with miasma – a choking gas 
  cloud that fills small caverns and passageways. It clings to an 
  area like a fog and never seems to dissipate. The only way to get 
  past a miasma cloud is to hold one’s breath for a lengthy stretch 
  of time or use magic that enables the travelers to Breathe Without 
  Air. The length of tunnel filled with miasma varies, but is usu-
  ally 1D4x100 feet (30.5 to 122 m). Traveling through miasma 
  obscures vision, like traveling through a fog – can only see 1D6 
  feet (0.3 to 1.8 m) ahead, and the vapors sting the eyes and cause 
  them to water. Finding the remains of dead travelers, perhaps lit-
  erally tripping over them or their gear, is especially likely in a 
  miasma cloud.
  Any living creature that breathes within a miasma cloud 
  feels lightheaded and suffers 1 point of Hit Point/S.D.C. damage 
  per melee round (15 seconds) and the following penalties: -1 on 
  initiative, -2 on Perception Rolls, -2 to strike, parry and dodge, 
  and strangely, the noxious mist has a dampening effect on magic 
  spells: reduce range and area of effect of spells cast from within 
  or into a miasma cloud by 30%.
  Looting the Dead
  From time to time, travelers may come across the withered or 
  skeletal remains of other travelers who never found their way out 
  of the Black Pit alive. Most appear to have died of thirst or star-
  vation, but some may show signs of combat and mortal wounds. 
  Whether these death blows came from a traveling companion – 
  madness is rumored to occur in the caves of the Black Pit – or 
  something else, is impossible to tell. Another reason to turn back, 
  perhaps.
  The dead may offer opportunities and reward for daring to ex-
  plore the tunnels of the Black Pit. If one is lucky, the dead man 
  may have a container of precious water that has not yet complete-
  
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  ly evaporated, but the older the corpse, the less likely that is the 
  case. However, the remains of the dead may offer other supplies 
  such as rope, a bedroll, blanket, sack, tinder box, chalk or char-
  coal, a comb or brush, a pocket mirror, and similar items common 
  to brave adventurers, including weapons, armor, or a shield.
  Finding a corpse can be startling, especially if a person falls 
  over it while traveling through a miasma cloud, or finds several of 
  them, a whole party of explorers perhaps, nestled in a corner, or 
  strewn across a length of tunnel; Horror Factor of 12. Sometimes 
  only an item left behind or dropped along the way is found laying 
  on the floor, waiting for a new owner.
  Knowledge that such booty may await them in the depths of 
  the Black Pit sometimes attracts brazen or desperate bandits and 
  adventurers to brave the tunnels to plunder the remains of the dead.
  Black Pit Random Find Table
  Choose or roll percentile on the following table for random de-
  termination of what salvageable goods may remain. Remember, 
  some corpses may have already been stripped. There may also be 
  discarded equipment left along the way, like an empty waterskin, 
  cloak or clothing left behind as the wanderers became too weak 
  or too hot to carry them, or felt too claustrophobic, and thought 
  removing layers of clothing, backpacks and sacks would be more 
  comfortable.
  Game Masters, you should decide when such a find is made, 
  but it should not be very often. Likewise, please feel free to alter 
  these items and add your own.
  01% 6D6 gold.
  02% A dagger (1D6 damage).
  03% A dusty backpack or satchel, empty.
  04% 6D6 feet (1.8 to 11 m) of rope or twine and a wooden 
  short staff (inflicts 1D6 damage).
  05% Empty bottle and a cork; reusable and worth 2 gold as 
  glass containers are uncommon and expensive.
  06% 1D6 gold coins or 2D6 silver coins scattered on the floor.
  07% 1D6 empty waterskins, and a leather satchel bag.
  08% 2D6 silver coins and a pair of leather gloves.
  09% A small bag or purse containing a pocket mirror, comb, 
  brush and a tinder box.
  10% Bedroll and blanket – or a bag of stale but edible bread 
  and cheese. Enough for 1D6+1 people or that many days of food.
  11% Holy symbol of one of the known gods on a broken 
  chain. If gold it’s worth 300 gold. If silver it is worth 100 gold. 
  If some other common substance (wood, stone, etc.) it is worth 
  40 gold.
  12% Several broken vials, a small bag, and a belt or empty 
  pouch.
  13% 1D6 gold coins in a pouch or purse along with a writing 
  quill, two pieces of white chalk, and a small bottle of dried ink.
  14% Hooded cloak still in fine condition.
  15% Small treasure chest, smashed open and empty. There is 
  blood on the chest, floor and wall. All that remains of value are 
  a cutlass, two small sacks, one large sack, two empty wineskins, 
  and an empty 5 gallon (19 liter) keg. 100 yards/meters away are 
  the skeletons of two Orcs and what looks to be the hand of an 
  Ogre. Any valuables have been looted.
  16% A rope ladder, a medium sack containing 3 iron spikes 
  and a mallet, a bedroll, a silk scarf, a leather hat, a hooded cloak, 
  a full suit of Dwarf-sized double chain mail (A.R. 15 and has 59 
  S.D.C. left), a pair of leather boots, and the corpse of a Dwarf 
  wearing only a shirt and pants. Each item was dropped onto the 
  floor about 30 yards/meters apart. 30 yards/meters further ahead 
  is the corpse of a human male dressed in traveling clothes wear-
  ing battered studded leather armor (has 18 S.D.C. left). There is 
  20 gold in a pouch, a pair of matching daggers, a small sack, bed-
  roll, and an empty waterskin on the human. Both appear to have 
  died of thirst or starvation.
  17% A lantern and a tobacco pouch. The chewing tobacco is 
  dried out.
  18% Bag containing jerked or smoked meat still fresh enough 
  to eat; an eight day supply for one person.
  19% Skin containing lantern oil or a floppy hat and an empty 
  water skin.
  20% Two medium sacks. One contains 2 torches and a tinder 
  box.
  21% 1D6 candles and a snuff box. The snuff inside is still 
  good.
  22% Skin or flask of wine (half gallon/1.9 liters) or a bottle of 
  quality hard liquor such as rum or whiskey.
  23% A pair of human-sized sandals and a neatly folded pile of 
  clothing in a stack. This person intended to come back for them.
  24% A waterskin with one gallon (3.8 liters) of drinkable wa-
  ter.
  25% One medium-size sack, three 6 foot (1.8 m) lengths of 
  chain, two wolf traps, and a bear trap.
  26% A short sword and an empty waterskin – or – a piece of 
  jewelry (a ring, bracelet, necklace) worth 5D6x10 gold; pick one.
  27% Dead Body: The corpse of a Centaur! There is a spear 
  laying at its side and an empty saddlebag still attached to its back. 
  Inside is what must have been food rations that have dried up and 
  are no good, as well as two empty waterskins.
  28% Dead Body: The corpse of a human wearing studded 
  leather armor and a metal helmet, still good enough to wear, but it 
  must be stripped from the dead body and it is permanently stained 
  from blood and fluids from the body as it rotted and decayed. 
  Gross.
  29% Dead Body: Corpse of a human or Elf wearing full chain 
  mail armor (A.R. 14 and has 30 S.D.C. left), a belt with pouches 
  containing a tinder box, pocket mirror, two gems worth 100 gold 
  each, and what must have been food of some sort. A wooden staff 
  is on the ground next to him.
  30% Dead Body: The remains of 1D4 bodies all stripped 
  clean.
  31% Dead Body: The corpse of a Knight or successful war-
  rior and his dog. He appears to have been human or Elf. Clad in 
  plate and chain armor (15 A.R., and still has 93 S.D.C.). There is 
  also a small shield and a knife in his boot. Any other belongings 
  have been already taken or left behind elsewhere as his sword 
  scabbard is empty.
  32% A book of prayers to the gods of Light and Dark, a sim-
  ple holy symbol and a small pouch with three vials of holy water.
  33% A short spear (1D6 damage) and a dagger (1D6 damage).
  34% Dead Body: It is too decayed to have anything of value 
  left or has already been robbed by scavenging bandits.
  35% Dead Body: A human Priest or Wizard, as he is clad in a 
  hooded robe covered in his own blood. A broken lantern lies next 
  to the body. Anything of value has been taken.
  36% Dead Body: A human or Elf female. 2D6x10 gold has 
  spilled from a torn or rotting pouch on her belt. There is also a 
  
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  dagger and a bastard sword, and the remains are still clad in a 
  half-suit of Chain Armor. Anything else of value has rotted away.
  37% Dead Body: A Wolfen clad in tattered leather armor, a 
  broken halberd pole arm at his side. A tomahawk/throwing axe 
  (2D4 damage) and one gold piece are under the body, should any-
  one look.
  38% Dead Body: Looks to be a human male. Whatever armor 
  and gear he may have had is gone, but there are still 1D6+4 iron 
  pitons, a mallet, 20 feet (6.1 m) of rope, and climbing equipment, 
  plus one gold piece tucked into his boot.
  39% Dead Body: Looks to be a human male. He wore no 
  armor and is garbed in a cape and the tattered remnants of cloth-
  ing worthy of a nobleman. What’s remarkable about this mostly 
  skeletal corpse, is that there is a wooden stake in its chest! There 
  is a gold ring on one finger (worth 500 gold) and what looks to 
  be a scroll. The scroll is tucked under the body and removing it 
  or the ring may jostle the body and cause the stake to tumble out. 
  The scroll is Globe of Daylight. (Or whatever 4th level or lower 
  level spell the G.M. may desire. It is also the G.M.’s discretion as 
  to whether this is the remains of a vampire or not.)
  40% Dead Body: Looks to have been a Ranger based on his 
  attire and the long bow at his side. The quiver contains only one 
  arrow. Weapons and anything else of value must have been lost 
  prior to his untimely demise.
  41% Armor: A full suit of splint armor left laying on the 
  ground. A.R. 16, and still has 69 S.D.C.
  42% Magic Scroll: Breathe Without Air.
  43% Dead Body: Appears to be a human male dressed in a 
  robe and cloak. Inside a large pouch is a candle, a tinder box, a 
  book with blank pages, a diary written in Elven, and two scrolls: 
  Tongues and Heal Wounds.
  44% Magic Scroll: Create Bread and Milk, just laying on the 
  ground. 6th level potency.
  45% Magic Scroll: Armor of Ithan, 5th level.
  46% Magic Scroll: Climb, 5th level.
  47% Magic Scroll: Detect Concealment, 5th level.
  48% Magic Scroll: Sense Traps, 6th level.
  49% Magic Scroll: Swim as a Fish, 7th level.
  50% Magic Scroll: Shadow Meld, 5th level.
  51% Magic Potion: Invisibility: Simple, 5th level.
  52% Magic Potion: One Healing.
  53% Magic Item: Gem of Direction.
  54% Magic Item: Crystal of Light.
  55% Map – Ancient: Portrays the Garden of the Gods, but 
  with a layout that is different than the one known today. May 
  be worth 2D4x1,000 gold to the Fossar Knights or other noble, 
  historian or person of learning.
  56% Map of the Garden of the Gods. A recent map that 
  shows all the currently excavated statues of the gods. Worth 1D6 
  gold.
  57% Map – World Map. A map of the entire Palladium 
  world with sea routes. Could be thousands of years old, because it 
  is marked with kingdoms and nations around the beginning of the 
  Elf-Dwarf War! If authentic, it is worth as much as 2,000-8,000 
  gold to the right person, but most local merchants only offer 100-
  600 gold for it.
  58% Map of the Black Pit! A small portion of the Black Pit is 
  mapped. Includes the tunnel(s) the player characters have already 
  traveled plus a little further ahead, showing two dead ends and a 
  tunnel that continues for a while before the map stops. If authentic, 
  it is worth as much as 20,000-60,000 gold to the right person, but 
  most local merchants think it’s a fake or way too dangerous to buy. 
  The group might be offered as much as 100-1,000 gold for it by 
  another adventurer, noble or clergy. The latter two, just to keep it 
  out of the wrong hands. If authentic, the group might have their 
  ticket to fame and fortune, assuming they can get in and out of the 
  Land of Damned alive. The myths and legends of this land is full of 
  monsters, demons and curses, but also of forgotten magic and for-
  bidden knowledge that could lead to wealth and power for anyone 
  bold enough to take the risk. Note: Or the merchants are correct, 
  it is a fake not worth anything! G.M. choice. May substitute with 
  a few coins or piece of jewelry or equipment worth 2D4x10 gold.
  59% A blank scroll, tinder Box, skin of lamp oil, and 1D4 
  torches.
  60% Skulls or Skeletons: 1D4 humans and one battered hel-
  met.
  61% Skulls or Skeletons: Mixed group,human, Dwarf, Elf; 
  1D6+2 remains.
  62% Skulls or Skeletons: 2D6 Goblins or Orcs.
  63% Skulls or Skeletons: 2D4 Kobolds or Dwarves.
  64% Skulls or Skeletons: 2D4 humans or Elves.
  65% Skulls or Skeletons: The floor is covered in the bones of 
  at least 1D6+6 people of various species, but they are all broken 
  and scattered making them impossible to identify without spend-
  ing months to do so.
  66% Skulls or Skeletons 1D4 Ogres.
  67% Skulls or Skeletons: One or two Minotaurs.
  68% Skull and Crossbow: A human or Elf skull next to a 
  dusty crossbow and 1D6 bolts.
  69% Tool: Large pick/mattock (3D4 damage) or a maul (2D4 
  damage).
  70% Tool: Lantern with enough oil for 1D4+2 hours of light.
  71-72% Tool: Two pickaxes. Damage: 3D4 each. Or a ham-
  mer (1D4 damage) and 1D4 metal spikes.
  73-74% Tool: 1D4 shovels. Damage: 2D4. Or a frying pan 
  (1D6 damage) and a meat cleaver (1D6 damage).
  75-76% Tool: One pickaxe, Kobold Quality. Damage 3D4+4.
  77-78% Weapon: Knife. Damage: 1D6.
  79-80% Weapon: Kobold quality throwing knife. Damage: 
  1D6, +2 to strike when thrown.
  81-82% Weapon: Small shield and a short sword.
  83-84% Weapon: Large shield.
  85-86% Weapon: Short sword. Damage: 2D4.
  87-88% Weapon: Large sword. Damage: 2D6+2.
  89-90% Weapon: Crossbow and 2D6+6 crossbow bolts.
  91-92% Weapon: Mace or morning star. Damage: 2D6.
  93-94% Weapon: 1D4 spears with a silver blade. Damage: 
  2D6 each.
  95% Weapon: War hammer. Damage: 3D4.
  96% Weapon: Battle axe. Damage: 3D6.
  97% Weapon: Dwarven quality bastard sword. Damage: 
  2D6+6, excellent balance. May substitute with a different weapon 
  with the same damage, or a gem or a few gems worth 1D6x1,000 
  gold.
  98% Weapon: Battle axe or pole arm. Dwarven quality. 
  Damage: 3D6+6, +1 to strike and parry and glows faintly in the 
  dark. May substitute for a different weapon the same or similar 
  damage and bonus that magically glows or has a unique magical 
  color, making it a simple magic weapon! Or substitute for a gem 
  or a few gems, or jewelry worth 4D4x1,000 gold.
  
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  99% Weapon: Longbow with 1D6+2 ordinary arrows (2D6 
  damage each), and 1D4 Cyclops Lightning Arrows (1D6x10 
  damage each) in a quiver!
  00% An ancient-looking book, filled with page after page 
  of maps of the Black Pit! If the author can be believed, this book 
  shows the trail of tunnels leading from Lopan to the Land of the 
  Damned. The correct path allegedly marked in red and covers 
  more than 1,000 miles.
  Game Master Note: Please feel free to adjust to your own 
  style and/or the needs and desires of your players and their char-
  acters.
  Also see Encounters later in this section.
  by Faerie Folk who had no desire or use for such weapons. That 
  island is Lopan.
  The weapon(s) have remained lost since the day the last of the 
  Old Ones’ lieutenants were defeated, once and for all. Though 
  buried deeper than any mortal can dig, the gangrenous evil locked 
  inside the Fangs of the Old Ones still burns hot, and seeps into 
  the earth above them. After many centuries, the festering can-
  cer of these Fangs pushed up and outward until it broke open to 
  the surface. This ugly ulcer of tormented earth is the Black Pit. 
  Somewhere inside the cursed bowels of the labyrinth, the Faeries 
  of Lopan say, are two or more Fangs of the Old Ones. Waiting, 
  impatiently, hungrily, to be unleashed upon the world once again. 
  Each one at a different location in the Black Pit, waiting for a 
  new, living conduit for its wickedness. Weapons of destruction 
  and chaos that must never surface again.
  It is interesting to note that no church, no king, no modern 
  people, not even the inhabitants of Lopan, have ever heard this 
  legend. For it is a well kept secret. If any of the gods know of it 
  (surely Thoth or Aco must know), they do not speak of it. It is a 
  secret held tight-lipped by a few of the Faeries of Lopan. Passed 
  on to chosen leaders among their tribes, so that the Faeries may 
  find and warn a few, select heroes to prevent a Fang from ever 
  being removed from the Black Pit.
  In the current day, the only mortal with whom the legend has 
  been shared is the leader of the Knights-Fossar, and he’s not sure 
  whether to believe it or not. Neither he nor the Faeries have told an-
  other soul. All are fearful that if people learn of this legend, every 
  would-be world conqueror, power-monger, tyrant, and misguided 
  hero, and perhaps even a god, would come from far and wide seek-
  ing to unearth a Fang for himself. To know what the power of a god 
  feels like, no matter the danger or what terrible fate might be un-
  leashed upon the world. It is the nature of people to think they can 
  beat the odds. That they are incorruptible, wiser, smarter, stronger, 
  and capable of wielding such a power without terrible consequenc-
  es. That they can use it to make the world a better place. Others 
  covet such great magic, regardless of consequence, to further their 
  own ends. Whether it be for power and conquest, or to smite an 
  enemy, exact revenge, or to become king or queen.
  And so the Black Pit remains a quiet secret — for now.
  The Danger of the
  Fangs of Legend
  Without exception, no mortal, dragon, or Demon Lord can 
  take possession of a Fang of the Old Ones and escape its corrupt-
  ing influence. In time – often a shockingly, short amount of time 
  – the heart of the Fang’s owner becomes warped, twisted, evil, 
  and falls to madness. It is said that though it may take centuries, 
  even a god will succumb to such a fate. Thus, no man nor deity 
  should use a Fang of the Old Ones for any reason, not even for a 
  short amount of time. To wield a Fang of the Old Ones in just one 
  battle is enough to be seduced by its power.
  Plummeting into the Abyss:
  Phase One: This weapon must be mine. The Fang feels good 
  in the person’s hand. It seems to have perfect weight and balance 
  as if made special for him. If normally a two-handed weapon the 
  person can handle it just fine with one or both.
  Fangs of the Old Ones
  The Truth about the Black Pit?
  A much older and nearly forgotten legend told by the Faeries 
  of Lopan is a very different story than the other myths about the 
  Black Pit. According to this tale, there is no slumbering Old One 
  buried deep inside the earth, but rather several magic weapons of 
  incredible power created by the Old Ones. These magic weapons 
  predate Rune Magic and are said to be many times more powerful 
  than the Greatest of Rune Weapons. Each one imbued with the 
  tiniest fraction of a Great Old One’s splintered life essence with 
  which to power it, which makes the weapons radiate evil, magic, 
  and power. A fragment of evil that is alive and awake inside the 
  weapon that contains it.
  During the Age of Chaos, these weapons were once known as 
  the Fangs of the Old Ones. Each is indestructible and said to be 
  able to corrupt anyone who wields it, even the gods themselves. 
  The Old Ones would create such devastating and powerful magic 
  weapons to give to their most loyal, top lieutenants as a mecha-
  nism to control and command the lesser beings placed under their 
  oversight. Fangs of the Old Ones gave these tyrants the power 
  and authority to lead armies of minions and rule over armies of 
  slaves. Weapons said to rival the power of the gods, to strike 
  down any man, giant, dragon or god who dared to rise up and 
  oppose the Old Ones. When the Old Ones were cast into slumber, 
  their lieutenants fought to restore them, but fell to the combined 
  might of gods and dragons, mortals and magic. Afterward, the 
  Fangs of the Old Ones were confiscated and said to have been 
  scattered across the world – some say across the cosmos – where 
  they will never be found. Only one unnamed deity said to be in-
  corruptible was entrusted with this task, so that no god could be 
  tempted to use one.
  According to the lore of the Lopan Faeries, two or more of 
  those weapons were buried deep in the bowels of the earth. They 
  know this only because a few of their ancient forefathers wit-
  nessed it. At the time, a hundred millennia ago, that location was 
  a remote island in the middle of nowhere. A place inhabited only 
  
  216
  Once held, the wielder does not want to let the Fang go. He/
  she/it becomes convinced he is best suited to wield the weapon. 
  And if there are any concerns, he is confident he is in control and 
  there is nothing to fear in his possession. (“You know me. You 
  trust me. I can do this. I’m in control.”) Sadly, that’s not true. 
  Whoever holds the weapon immediately feels its power coursing 
  through his veins. In an instant, the person feels special, chosen, 
  destined for greatness (or more likely, infamy). He will refuse 
  to relinquish it to any other person, with the possible exception 
  of a god. Nor can he bring himself to cast it someplace where it 
  can never be found. This is the case even if the individual knows 
  what the weapon is and has heard the legend. He speaks with such 
  sincerity and conviction, it’s hard not to believe him and want to 
  trust him with the item. (See the bonus to M.A./Mental Affinity 
  and P.B./Physical Beauty such weapons bestow upon those who 
  possess a Fang.)
  If the present owner of the Fang can be convinced that he is 
  falling under its influence and is persuaded to discard it some-
  place where it should be impossible to find, he escapes a terrible 
  fate. It is ironic, but characters of good and selfish alignments are 
  the ones who have the most difficulty giving up a Fang. They can 
  see the potential for incredible good while gaining favor and glo-
  ry for themselves in the process. (“I can become the greatest – fill 
  in the blank – the world has ever known.”) Refusing to accept that 
  the fragment of the Old One within it will never let that happen. 
  The best of intentions twisted, emotions overwrought and turned 
  into unreasoning obsession, and madness that destroys any good 
  the person might have accomplished and causes only suffering 
  and sorrow, usually on a horrific scale.
  Phase Two: Trust no one. Within a matter of days of possess-
  ing a Fang, its owner becomes suspicious of everyone’s motives. 
  They covet his magic weapon. They are envious of the power he 
  holds in his hand. They resent the great deeds he can accomplish 
  with the weapon. They whisper behind his back. This paranoia 
  only grows and isolates him from his true friends and good inten-
  tions. He is alone and trusts no one. He can trust only himself. Only 
  his intuition is correct. And of course, they want him to forsake the 
  Fang so they can get it for themselves. He’s not stupid. He sees 
  right through their facade of concern and desire to help him.
  As with Phase One, if he can be convinced to get rid of the 
  Fang he can escape a grim fate. However, that becomes increas-
  ingly difficult and unlikely.
  Phase Three: The Chosen One. The wielder of the Fang is 
  convinced he has been chosen by the gods to wield the weapon 
  and to lead whatever crusade or champion whatever cause he has 
  decided upon. If of a good alignment, this will be a just and noble 
  venture, and he will be heroic and brave, but also driven because 
  he knows it is the right thing to do. Every crusade from this point 
  on is “the right thing to do.” He’s convinced of it, even when it is 
  not, or it costs too many lives, or has terrible consequences. It is 
  his destiny, and nobody can change his mind.
  While in this manic frame of mind, the owner of the Fang 
  may accomplish great and good things. But they won’t last. Each 
  triumph makes him more convinced of his own power and infal-
  libility. That the choices he makes are the correct ones. He no 
  longer listens to counsel from others, takes crazy risks, and goes 
  up against impossible odds. Worse, he sends people who trust 
  and believe in him into dangerous and outrageous situations that 
  may cost them everything. Sooner or later, the Chosen One is 
  going to get people slaughtered in droves. He won’t understand 
  how that can happen – it’s his destiny to triumph, after all – and 
  blames others, or an unforeseen turn of events, for his failures.
  As with Phases One and Two, if he can be convinced to get 
  rid of the Fang he can still escape a grim fate, and further tragedy 
  can be averted. Sometimes, if he or his plans result in the deaths 
  of many, or someone special, especially if an innocent person or 
  people who trusted him and did as he had told them to, the shock 
  restores reason. He/she/it recognizes the terrible thing(s) he has 
  done, and that the weapon is bad. Too dangerous for anyone, and 
  needs to be taken where it can never be found. True enough, but 
  it needs to be done immediately, because this clarity only lasts 
  3D6+24 hours.
  The Chosen is correct in thinking only he is the one to dispose 
  of the cursed object, because anyone else who takes possession of 
  it will fall prey to the Fang just as he did. Repeating Phase One and 
  onward. Of course, anyone who takes the Fang won’t see it that 
  way. (“Sir Julius couldn’t handle it, but I’m different. I can use this 
  weapon for good. I can control it. I know I can! Trust me!)
  If the weapon is not disposed of within that window of re-
  morse and sound reason (3D6+24 hours), the owner of the Fang 
  quickly slides back into paranoia, obsession, and utter madness. 
  (“What was I thinking? It’s crazy to hide this treasure. Yes, I 
  made a mistake. That’s all. A tragic mistake. People died, but 
  I’ll make sure that never happens again. I shall avenge them and 
  make those responsible suffer like they cannot imagine. In fact, I 
  know exactly how to do it. Yes, vengeance shall be mine!”) And 
  guess where this resolve and new idea is coming from, the es-
  sence of the wicked Old One within the Fang. When this happens, 
  the Chosen will never again consider relinquishing the weapon. 
  Move on to Phase Four.
  Note: If the Chosen actually follows through and puts the 
  Fang where it should never be found, like tossing it into a volcano 
  or the deepest ocean, he will feel pain on par of losing a beloved 
  parent or spouse. The ache of loss haunts him to the point that he 
  may (25% chance) consider finding a way to retrieve the weapon 
  he disposed of, or to find a new Fang. This period of loss and 
  mourning lasts 3D6+6 months. During which the character feels 
  inferior, ashamed, and foolish, suffering self-doubt and the fol-
  lowing penalties: -1 attack per melee, -2 on initiative, -1 to strike 
  and parry, and -10% on the performance of all skills.
  Phase Four: I am infallible. By this stage, the master of a 
  Fang (it is the Fang who is the master of him, but he cannot see 
  that) is a delusional, Miscreant or Diabolic psychopath whose 
  word is law. He can do no wrong. When people die, they are 
  collateral damage worth the cost. When the innocent suffer or 
  perish, it’s not his fault and there are many to blame other than 
  himself, or their suffering is a necessary sacrifice. If the enemy 
  was responsible for a tragedy, they shall be made to suffer for it. 
  If one of his lieutenants was responsible for a mishap or titanic 
  loss, even if he was following orders, that scapegoat is punished 
  or killed for “his” incompetence. The madman gives in to im-
  pulse and every dark desire he has. He takes what he wants re-
  gardless of consequence, and is likely to engage in all manner of 
  cruelty and depravity. (Think Vlad the Impaler or any number of 
  murderous despot tyrants). His every action ruthless, heartless, 
  and self-serving.
  He will never give up the Fang, and cannot be tricked out of 
  it. He is obsessed with keeping it safe at his side, even when he 
  sleeps, and trusts no one. Those he fears or suspects are conspir-
  ing against him are eliminated. If the Fang is forcibly taken from 
  
  217
  him he seeks to recover it at all costs. Until then, he may seek 
  out other magical weapons and artifacts, though no one of them, 
  or ten thousand of them, can compare to the Fang he has lost. 
  He also seeks to take revenge upon those who took it away from 
  him, and does not stop with them. He’ll find, torment and eventu-
  ally kill every person, and destroy everything they hold dear. The 
  madman is more ruthless and merciless than ever, and when he 
  rises to power again (in his mind an inevitability), he will make 
  the entire world bow down before him. This is a villain whose 
  best outcome is to be put down like a mad dog for the sake of 
  everyone else.
  All Fangs of the Old Ones
  Have the Following Features:
  Also Known As: Chaos Weapons and World Slayers!
  Alignment: Miscreant or Diabolic, and, in short order, turns 
  whoever possesses it into the same alignment.
  Weapon: A Fang is always a weapon, usually one that draws 
  blood. Each is one of a kind. Even when a sister weapon was cre-
  ated it would be somewhat different. No one knows how many 
  Fangs of the Old Ones were ever made. It is believed there were 
  very few. A sentiment reinforced by the fact that no one has ever 
  found one, yet. Although that assumption is based on shabby and 
  incomplete historical records, and may not be true.
  A few passages in the Tristine Chronicles do not come right 
  out and say it, but hint that one or more Fangs of the Old Ones 
  may have surfaced from time to time. Always resulting in hor-
  ror and death before the powerful weapon vanishes. One such 
  “blade cursed with unholy and forbidden magic never known to 
  man or beast” (beast in this case referring to beings such as drag-
  ons) is reported to have been used to forge the Western Empire 
  from ground bathed in blood. Another weapon “born from dark-
  est night,” is said to have corrupted the heart of a noble Dwarven 
  Wizard-King who had sworn to put a peaceful end to the Elf-
  Dwarf War. Instead, he would unleash the dark magic that wiped 
  out millions and left behind the scorched earth known today as 
  the Baalgor Wastelands. An act that would help bring about the 
  end of the war, but would also topple both civilizations, and have 
  Dwarves forsake magic forever more.
  Indestructibility: Though not a Rune Weapon or Holy Weap-
  on, a Fang is utterly indestructible. Fused with the essence of a 
  Dreaded Old One, it is said the Fang’s power comes directly from 
  those who slumber, and that the deeds of those in possession of 
  a Fang are made known to the sleeping Old One(s) as wonderful 
  dreams.
  Damage: Varies with each weapon, but is always consider-
  able.
  Perfect Size, Weight and Balance: Whoever takes posses-
  sion of a Fang finds it to be the perfect size, weight and balance, 
  as if it were made for him. Two-handed weapons can be used 
  in one hand and the weapon magically grows or shrinks propor-
  tional to its owner.
  Corruption of the Wielder: He who takes possession of a 
  Fang of the Old Ones is corrupted and driven insane as per the 
  four Phases described above. Moreover, the owner may exhibit 
  traits of the specific Old One whose essence is locked inside the 
  particular weapon.
  Fortification of the Chosen: He who possesses a Fang (they 
  can never truly be owned) receives a bonus of +100 Hit Points, 
  +200 S.D.C., Natural A.R. of 13, 1D6x10+40 to his current P.P.E. 
  base (whether he’s a spell caster or not), and recovers from dam-
  age at a rate of 2D6x10 Hit Points or S.D.C. every 30 minutes! 
  +50% to save vs coma and death, and can recover from being 
  reduced to 100 Hit Points below zero. Impervious to disease.
  Attribute Bonuses: +1 to I.Q., +11 to M.A., +10 to P.S., +2 to 
  P.E., +6 to P.B., and +6 to Spd. +4 on Perception Rolls to recog-
  nize people conspiring against him or trying to deprive him of his 
  cherished weapon.
  Power: Each Fang of the Old Ones was created for a specific 
  purpose and with a specific minion in mind. A lieutenant or en-
  forcer who served as a trusted right hand, and was either a god-
  like being to begin with, or transformed into one by the Old One 
  in recognition for his service and obedience.
  As a consequence, people, even creatures of magic such as the 
  Sphinx, Lizard Mage, Mummy Immortalis, dragons, and similar 
  beings, are able to access only a small percentage of what the 
  Fang is capable of doing. The few Fangs describe, below, are just 
  some the Faeries of Lopan know about.
  Never Lost Forever: The power and malevolence locked 
  inside each cursed weapon of the Old Ones is such that it can-
  not be locked away and contained or hidden forever. If thrown 
  into a boiling volcano, one day the Fang will be expelled in 
  a volcanic eruption or spill floating on top of a lava flow. If 
  dropped into the ocean, one day it will be washed ashore by a 
  storm, or found amongst a shipwreck with sunken treasure, or 
  be discovered inside the belly of a beast. Sooner or later, it will 
  find its way back into the world to cause sorrow and mayhem. 
  It may take centuries or millennia, but it will find a way, just as 
  two or more are forcing themselves up through miles of earth on 
  Lopan, and have created the Black Pit so that some adventurous 
  soul(s) can find his way to them. These weapons of chaos and 
  destruction have been interred there for so long, they have been 
  able to channel the magic of one or more Old Ones to create 
  other evil manifestations and even a portal to the Land of the 
  Damned.
  Since the Faeries know about these weapons, two or more of 
  them may exist inside the Black Pit. Others may be located else-
  where.
  Note: The Faeries of Lopan believe two or three of these in-
  famous and terrible of Fangs wait to be discovered someplace 
  inside the Black Pit. One other is rumored to have been lost in the 
  Yin-Sloth Jungle or Land of the South Winds, and another some-
  place in the Great Northern Wilderness or Ophid’s Grasslands. 
  But really, nobody knows.
  Giant Slayer
  This weapon is a large battle axe made of a porous metal not 
  known to mortals. It is forever stained red by the blood of the 
  countless giants it has slain – Titans, Rahu-Men, and others. It 
  was created to pacify the giants who refused to bend their knee to 
  the Old Ones, and to strike down all giants who took arms against 
  their masters.
  The Essence: A tiny splinter of Netosa.
  Range: 1,000 feet (305 m) when thrown and returns to its 
  owner unless its owner wants the blade to remain inside his op-
  ponent to inflict agony.
  Damage: 4D6 damage against most mortal opponents, 
  4D6+10 against taller than human creatures, including Mino-
  
  218
  taurs, Wolfen, Bearmen and Trolls. 1D6x10+10 damage against 
  mortal giants (damage comes off S.D.C. first), and 1D6x10+60 
  direct to Hit Points against giant-sized demons, Deevils, and gods 
  who typically take a giant form or are worshiped by giants. Each 
  cut from its blade burns as if on fire.
  Inflict Obedience through Pain (special): When used against 
  giants only, and the blade bites deep into the giant’s flesh, not 
  just his armor, the wielder of the Giant Slayer can leave the axe 
  imbedded in his opponent and not have it return to him. The vic-
  tim suffers initial damage (1D6x10+10), and is incapacitated by 
  burning agony. The Giant Slayer cannot be removed by its victim 
  or anyone except the owner of the axe. As long as it remains 
  imbedded, its victim is racked with burning pain and can barely 
  function. Any effort to move or fight requires tremendous effort 
  and willpower. Penalties: Speed is reduced by 90%, skill perfor-
  mance is -60%, attacks per melee are reduced to only two, -7 to 
  all combat maneuvers (strike, parry, dodge, etc.). If the giant is a 
  psychic or a mage, the use of psionics and spell casting is nearly 
  impossible, focus and concentration scrambled by the searing ag-
  ony; or a roll of 01-50% the victim is able to get off one psionic 
  power or spell. If he fails to do so, no I.S.P. or P.P.E. is expended, 
  but one of his two melee attacks/actions is used up for that round.
  The axe wielder is able to inflict more pain and 1D6 damage 
  direct to Hit Points by simply touching, tapping, or wiggling the 
  axe. The idea is not to kill, but to inflict agony as punishment for 
  disobedience or rebellion, or to publicly humble, humiliate, and 
  break giants forced into his service, or to intimidate, torture and 
  interrogate enemies. When the wielder of the axe is satisfied with 
  the result (submission of his victim, acquires the info he wanted, 
  suitably humbled his victim, or has had enough sadistic fun), he 
  can remove the battle axe in such a way as to inflict 1D6x10 dam-
  age, possibly slaying his giant victim, or he can instantly heal all 
  the damage he had already inflicted as he removes the axe. Leav-
  ing only an ugly scar and the painful memory of the experience.
  Special Abilities Granted to its Owner: Understands all 
  giant languages 95% as well as Gobblely; giants recognize the 
  owner of Giant Slayer as a danger to giants and are fearful and in-
  timidated by him as per M.A. attribute; +1 attack per melee when 
  fighting true giants and takes no damage from breath attacks by 
  giants (frost, fire, etc.), and he who possesses Giant Slayer has no 
  fear of giants.
  Note: It is said that when the Giant Slayer was in the hands of 
  the Old One’s lieutenant, the range was five times greater, dam-
  age could be doubled or tripled on a whim, and when he raised 
  the Giant Slayer above his head and demanded obedience, all gi-
  ants within a 2,000 foot (610 m) radius had to comply. To resist 
  the Giant Slayer, a 16 or higher to save was necessary. Failure 
  required doing as commanded whether they wanted to or not, no 
  matter how cruel or terrible. Atrocities that tore at the souls of 
  those forced to comply. The few who were able to resist that first 
  time (made a successful save) could always resist Giant Slayer. 
  But that meant they were systematically hunted down and de-
  stroyed.
  Rod of Shadows and Might
  This weapon is a large staff made of a black, polished met-
  al not known to mortals. At the top and bottom of the staff are 
  spikes resembling thorns. It was created to command and pacify 
  the undead and their masters who refused to bend their knee to the 
  Old Ones, and to destroy the undead who cannot be controlled. 
  Vampires are powerful beings that belong to a rival power of 
  darkness, and contain the essence of a Vampire Intelligence. As 
  a result, they are impervious to the will and mind control of the 
  Old Ones.
  The Essence: A tiny splinter of Agu.
  Also Known As: Slayer of Vampires.
  Range: Melee combat, or is able to usurp control of all zom-
  bies, animated dead, and Shadow Beasts within a 200 foot (61 
  m) radius.
  Damage: 3D6+3 damage against most mortals. 1D6x10 dam-
  age to vampires, zombies, mummies, animated dead, Ghouls, 
  and Shadow Beasts. 1D6x10+40 against Master Vampires, and 
  1D6x100 against Vampire Intelligences and their Demonic Fa-
  miliars, as well as Demon Lords and dark gods who are Lords of 
  the Dead.
  Turn Dead (special): Same as the spell of the same name; 
  equal to a 10th level spell caster. Can be performed as often as 
  necessary.
  Moreover, the dead – zombies, mummies, animated dead, and 
  Wild Vampires, Ghouls and Shadow Beasts – refuse to attack he 
  who possesses the Rod of Shadows and Might. He can walk right 
  through an army of them without fear of being assailed.
  Command the Dead (special): Zombies, mummies, animated 
  dead, and Wild Vampires without a Secondary Vampire to com-
  mand them to do otherwise, can be commandeered by the wielder 
  of the Rod of Shadows and Might. The owner of the Rod need 
  only to raise it above his head and demand they obey him. All 
  such creatures within a 200 foot (61 m) radius stop in their tracks, 
  and turn to him for his next command. All recognize the essence 
  of the Old One known as Agu and submit to it. Duration: Until 
  one hour before the next sunrise, after which they flee.
  Whatever the command, the dead, Ghouls and Shadow Beasts 
  obey without resistance, even turning against the one who may 
  have raised them from the grave, magically created them from 
  the remains of the dead, or summoned them from the beyond. 
  The dead obey if told to return to the grave as well as any order 
  to work, fight, etc. Likewise, if Shadow Beasts are told to return 
  to the Shadow Realm, they do so, but are also happy to follow 
  commands to terrorize, torture and kill.
  The Old One, Agu, is the symbol of life and birth because both 
  represent struggle, suffering, and chaos. As a result, death and 
  darkness are his rivals. This means he who possesses Shadows 
  and Might is not tempted to command legions of dead, but to 
  send them away or counteract the Necromantic magic, return-
  ing them to lifeless bones and rags. He who possesses the Rod 
  of Shadows and Might is only likely to command them to fight 
  or perform a task when it serves his immediate purpose and/or 
  involves defending the living or thwarting a rival. This could in-
  volve forming a defensive line between people and a charging 
  army, or to fight to protect him and any teammates/allies, or to 
  save a life, foil an enemy, and so on. Afterward, the Rod’s owner 
  has no use for the dead, Ghouls or creatures from the Realm of 
  Shadows. Note: Only the dead under the direct command of a 
  Demon or Deevil Lord or a god cannot be usurped in this man-
  ner. Vampires are also impervious to the commands of the Rod 
  of Shadows and Might. Only the savage and feral Wild Vampires 
  without a Secondary Vampire to lead them are frightened enough 
  to comply, and do so with some hesitance. As far as the force 
  within the Rod is concerned, vampires are dangerous rivals and 
  
  219
  the enemy of the living to be destroyed. This heated hatred is 
  infused into whomever wields the Rod.
  Special Abilities Granted its Owner: Nightvision 1,000 feet 
  (305 m; can see in total darkness), understands the spoken word 
  and behavior of all dead and undead beings, all of whom recog-
  nize the owner of Shadows and Might as an enemy or a supe-
  rior force and either submit to him, or in the case of vampires, 
  flee or battle him. Impervious to Necromancy and all powers of 
  vampires; cannot be turned into the undead, impervious to their 
  mind control, etc. Bonuses: +1 attack per melee when fighting 
  vampires and other undead or animated dead, and impervious to 
  Horror Factor when it involves animated dead, zombies, vam-
  pires, other undead, Ghouls, Shadow Beasts and Necromancers.
  The owner of the Rod is able to cast the following spells three 
  times per 24 hour period at no P.P.E. cost to himself: Commune 
  with Spirits, Death Trance, Heal Wounds, and Globe of Daylight, 
  all performed as if cast by a 10th level Wizard.
  Note: It is said that when the Rod of Shadows was in the hands 
  of the Old One’s lieutenant, it had triple the range, damage could 
  be doubled on a whim, and when the minion raised the Rod of 
  Shadows and Might above his head and summoned it, the sun 
  itself would answer. (Actually, a super-version of a Globe of 
  Daylight that could light up an area one mile/1.6 km in diameter 
  and atomize any vampire or Shadow Beast caught in its radiance 
  within a melee round.) He could also use the Rod to come and go 
  from the Shadow Realm, where he could travel without fear of 
  being attacked.
  Invincible Warbringer
  The Invincible Warbringer is a large, silver bastard sword with 
  a blood red gem set into the base of the blade on each side of 
  the sword. The weapon can be wielded in one or both hands, the 
  latter usually to deliver severe damage or a killing blow. Who-
  ever possesses this powerful blade is quick to think of himself as 
  an invincible warlord. Deluded and corrupted by bloodlust, the 
  madman may consider himself a hero or champion of the people 
  even as he becomes a bloodthirsty tyrant or killing machine. He 
  is not satisfied with commanding warriors, but wants to lead them 
  into combat himself. In battle, he who possesses the Invincible 
  Warbringer always targets the enemy’s most powerful leaders 
  and warriors himself.
  By Phase Two, the Invincible Warbringer makes its owner 
  overconfident and prone to underestimate his enemies. This leads 
  to increases in risk-taking and reckless strategies and tactics for 
  both himself and the people under his command.
  By Phase Three, mercy and compassion are no longer in his 
  vocabulary, so taking prisoners is rare, and mass murder, com-
  mon. The bodies of the slain often hoisted up to swing from trees 
  or their heads mounted on poles to line the road as an example 
  to all others.
  By Phase Four, the warrior is quite mad, cruel, and lives for 
  combat and bloodletting. He may even drink the blood or eat the 
  organs of worthy opponents.
  The Essence: A tiny splinter of Ya-blik.
  Range: A sword used in melee combat or to unleash lightning 
  up to 1,200 feet (366 m).
  Damage: The sword inflicts 5D6 damage against most mortal 
  opponents and creatures of magic. 1D6x10+6 against the super-
  natural, including demons and Deevils, their Host, Netherbeasts, 
  war mounts, Worms of Taut and Dark Priests. 1D6x10+40 direct 
  to Hit Points against gods.
  Two-Handed Power Strike (special): Does double damage, 
  but counts as three melee attacks.
  Electric Blast (special): 4D6 damage per electric blast, +12 
  against demons, Deevils and Worms of Taut, as noted above. 
  Range 100 feet (30.5 m). Each blast counts as one melee attack.
  Lightning Bolt (special): 2D6x10 damage per lightning bolt. 
  Range: 1,200 feet (366 m). Each lightning bolt counts as three 
  melee attacks.
  Command a Squad of Demons or Deevils (special): When 
  the wielder of Invincible Warbringer hold it high above his head 
  and demands they accept him as their lord and master, 1D4+2 of 
  the following will comply, provided they are present: Worms of 
  Taut, Deevil Host, Sub-Demons, Lesser Demons and/or Lesser 
  Deevils and similar lesser demonic beings. Does not apply to 
  Entities. These new recruits do whatever he demands of them 
  and may even oppose their own kind and Greater Demons once 
  they become his. They stay with him as loyal servants/soldiers 
  until he releases them or they are destroyed. He cannot command 
  new Lesser Supernatural beings unless he releases the ones he 
  has. When released, most flee without incident, too afraid of the 
  power of the sword, and grateful to be free to go. Note: As a 
  slayer of such beings, no demonic creature can use the blade. In 
  their hands, damage is only 2D6, the electrical blast and lightning 
  do not work for them at all, they are -2 attacks per melee round, 
  and -8 on all combat maneuvers.
  Invincible Warbringer also enables its owner to ride any hell-
  spawned riding mount, Netherbeast or large Worm of Taut as 
  his war steed. If the character has a Horsemanship skill he gets 
  a +20% skill bonus to ride the animal. If not, he gets a base skill 
  of 55%.
  Special Abilities Granted to its Owner: Understands and 
  speaks Demongogian and all languages of evil supernatural be-
  ings, 95%. Demons, Deevils and similar beings recognize the 
  owner of Invincible Warbringer as being linked to an Old One 
  and that the weapon is a Demon/Deevil slayer. They are fearful 
  and intimidated by he who possesses such a weapon and respond 
  to him as per his M.A. attribute.
  Combat Bonuses: +2 attacks per melee round against all op-
  ponents, +4 on Perception Rolls to identify the leader and most 
  powerful or dangerous opponent in a group, +1 on initiative, +1 
  to strike and parry, does not fatigue, can go without food or water 
  for 1D6+6 days, impervious to fire and smoke, has no fear of de-
  mons or infernals, and all Lesser Demons and Deevils are afraid 
  to attack he who possesses Invincible Warbringer, even if they 
  outnumber him 100 to one. Greater Demons and Demon Lords 
  are jealous and resentful of him, but are not likely to take action 
  against him unless he attacks them first. And they know their kind 
  can never use the sword.
  Vulnerabilities: Cold and Holy Weapons inflict double dam-
  age to the wielder. He craves fighting and killing, and finds it 
  difficult to refuse a challenge to combat; and impossible to refuse 
  if publically challenged or humiliated. Tends to be bloodthirsty 
  and reckless, often underestimating his enemies, which can get 
  him into serious trouble.
  Note: It is said that when the Invincible Warbringer was in 
  the hands of the Old One’s lieutenant, the range was four times 
  greater, damage could be doubled or tripled on a whim, and when 
  he raised the sword above his head and demanded obedience, 
  
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  200 demons or infernals would comply. To resist the Invincible 
  Warbringer, Lesser supernatural beings needed a 19 or higher to 
  save, Greater Demons/Deevils required a 15 or higher to save. 
  Failure required doing as commanded whether they wanted to 
  or not, no matter how cruel or terrible. Acts of evil that most de-
  monic creatures embraced unless it went against their own kind. 
  The few who were able to resist that first time (made a successful 
  save) could always resist Invincible Warbringer, but those who 
  opposed the wielder of the blade or his masters were systemati-
  cally hunted down and destroyed.
  Serpent Lord
  One of the most powerful of the Old Ones’ weapons, Serpent 
  Lord is said to have slain more than 50,000 dragons, including 
  two of the forgotten gods of Dragonwright! It is a staff entwined 
  by two dragons or serpents with the heads of two particular drag-
  ons, one devouring the other. At the bottom of the staff is a spike. 
  The staff is said to look as if it were carved from a single piece of 
  green jade and is indestructible. Though they all have the same 
  abilities, there are said to be several Serpent Lords created by the 
  Old One Ya-ahk-met. One of each dragon species devouring a 
  different dragon species.
  In the days of the Old Ones, he who held the Serpent Lord had 
  dominion over all but the most ancient and powerful dragons and 
  is said to have been able to command as many as twenty adult 
  dragons at a time.
  The Essence: A tiny splinter of Ya-ahk-met.
  Range: 1,000 feet (305 m) when thrown and returns to its 
  owner unless its owner wants the staff to remain inside his op-
  ponent to inflict agony.
  Damage: Blunt or slash and stab with the pointed end. 4D6 
  damage against most mortal opponents, +10 against all reptilian 
  people and animals, 1D6x10+30 direct to Hit Points against drag-
  ons, and 1D6x100 against ancient dragons and dragon gods. Each 
  cut or stab from its blade stings of icy cold.
  Submit to the Serpent Lord (special): When the wielder of 
  Serpent Lord has reduced a dragon’s Hit Points by half and stabs 
  the staff into the dragon, he may try to force the creature into 
  submission. Dragon Hatchlings need a 16 or higher to save. A 
  young adult dragon (650-1,300 years of age) needs 14 or higher. 
  An adult dragon of some experience (1,400-4,000 years) needs to 
  roll 12 or higher to save. Ancient Dragons are near or older than 
  their typical life span which varies with species, but is typically in 
  the 7,000-11,000 year range, and are impervious to submission, 
  as are dragon deities.
  When a dragon submits to he who possesses a Serpent Lord, it 
  cannot attack or harm him, and must bow before him (humiliat-
  ing for a dragon), and allow him to ride it should he desire to do 
  so. It must also protect him from others, even its own kind, and 
  will fight to the death to do so if necessary! However, it does not 
  have to obey any other orders as if it were charmed and com-
  pletely obedient. For example, it is not magically forced to reveal 
  a secret, betray a friend or ally, nor take him to its secret treasure 
  trove. That said, the dragon may find it best to comply to avoid a 
  beating, torture, more humiliation, or death.
  A dragon who has fallen to submission cannot run away or 
  fight back against the wielder of the Serpent Lord while under 
  submission. Worse, it can NOT Bio-Regenerate the damage in-
  flicted by Serpent Lord while under its submission. Leaving it 
  vulnerable and afraid. After 48 hours, the dragon is able to at-
  tempt another saving throw (+2 to save this time). If success-
  ful, the enchantment is broken. Most do not risk attacking their 
  enslaver and try to flee at the first opportunity. A wise move, 
  because their “Lord and Master” realizes the submission has been 
  broken within 1D6+1 minutes and he is likely to try to reestablish 
  submission, or slay the dragon!
  The number of dragons: He who possesses Serpent Lord can 
  force into submission as many as three adult dragons or six drag-
  on hatchlings (under the age of 650 years old), or a combination 
  of the two.
  Serpent Lord also enables its wielder to ride any submissive 
  dragon at a 90% skill level, and keep one or more submissive 
  dragons at his side as protectors.
  Reverse Death Blow (special): He who possesses Serpent 
  Lord becomes obsessed with attaining dragon treasures even 
  more than humiliating and slaughtering them. Thus, when Ser-
  pent Lord delivers the final killing blow with the spiked end of 
  the staff plunged into it, the moment of death is suspended, and 
  he may offer the dragon a deal. This usually takes the form a 
  whispered conversation in the ear of the dragon while Serpent 
  Lord remains stabbed in its body. The dragon’s last sparks of 
  life ebbing from its paralyzed (near-death) body. The deal is, he 
  will allow the dying dragon to live, but only if it either agrees to 
  bow down before him and call him “master,” right then and there, 
  in public, or it surrenders its treasure trove to him. Immediately 
  taking him to the treasure and leaving without incident, or truth-
  fully and clearly revealing its location and any traps and defenses. 
  The beast must pick one, or die. Note: These are non-negotiable 
  terms, though the wielder of Serpent Lord may agree to release 
  the dragon’s teammates/allies unharmed (more people to recount 
  how he bested the dragon), or not punish the innocent as part of 
  the deal.
  If the dragon refuses, it dies, taking double damage when Ser-
  pent Lord is removed from its body. If it agrees to either condition, 
  it must truthfully comply and leave immediately without harming 
  the person who defeated it. The magic of Serpent Lord prevents 
  the dragon from seeking revenge or attacking for 72 hours. Most 
  dragons are so humiliated by the terrifying near-death defeat that 
  they try to put it all behind them and never retaliate for fear they 
  will not survive the next time.
  When the dragon agrees, it must comply – there is no way 
  around this magical pact – and the madman removes Serpent 
  Lord upon the dragon’s last dying breath. Instantly and miracu-
  lously, one quarter of its Hit Points are restored. Weak but alive, 
  it is allowed to leave, tail between its legs. He who possesses 
  Serpent Lord smug in his triumph and/or newfound riches of the 
  dragon’s treasure.
  Special Abilities Granted to its Owner by Serpent Lord: 
  Understands and speaks Dragonese and any rare language of 
  dragons as well as Elven at 95%, and knows all legends and lore 
  about dragons. Dragons recognize and despise Serpent Lord. 
  They are fearful and intimidated by he who possesses it as per the 
  M.A. attribute of the wielder.
  Combat Bonuses: +1 attack per melee when fighting a dragon 
  or any reptilian, +3 on Perception Rolls to recognize a dragon in 
  disguise/metamorphed to look like something else, impervious to 
  poisons from reptiles, impervious to ALL dragon breath attacks 
  AND magic spells cast by a dragon (but is vulnerable to the same 
  spell cast by a human or other species of creature), +2 to strike, 
  
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  parry, and disarm dragons and reptilian enemies only, +2 to pull 
  punch (likes to toy with them), and has no fear of dragons or 
  lizard beings.
  Vulnerabilities: The wielder is vulnerable to dragon psionic 
  attacks. Tends to be so arrogant and superior that he often under-
  estimates the beasts. He who possesses Serpent Lord becomes 
  obsessed with attaining a dragon’s treasure as well as publicly 
  humiliating them by defeating them in battle and allowing the 
  beast to live only if it bows before him and calls him “master,” or 
  surrenders its treasure trove to him. Sometimes this is too much 
  for a prideful dragon to take (+2 to save), and gives it renewed 
  fury to fight and try to kill he who possesses the Serpent Lord. 
  Other times, the cocky person torments or toys with his dragon 
  victims for too long, often keeping one or two imprisoned or en-
  slaved, and regularly beaten, tortured and humiliated.
  Note: It is said that when one of the Serpent Lords was in 
  the hands of an Old One’s lieutenant, the range was three times 
  greater, damage could be doubled or tripled on a whim, and as 
  many as 20 adult dragons (or 40 hatchlings) could be pacified and 
  controlled at a time. Just imagine an overlord with 20 dragons to 
  protect him and enforce his will.
  Then as now, there is always the evil or Anarchist dragon who 
  chooses to willingly serve he who possesses a Serpent Lord. They 
  may do so to share in the power, or to exact revenge against a 
  mutual enemy, or in hopes of attaining some or all of the treasure 
  he accumulates.
  Ghost Whip
  The Ghost Whip is a bullwhip made of a flexible, transpar-
  ent material that feels like leather. For human-sized beings, it is 
  9 feet (2.7 m) long, but can grow as long as 20 feet (6.1 m) for 
  beings that are much taller. The weapon requires only one hand 
  to use and feels more like an extension of your own arm than an 
  object to be used. As the name suggests, it has influence over the 
  physical and the ethereal, able to let its wielder see the invisible 
  and strike ghosts, Entities, Astral Travelers and creatures made of 
  energy and shadows. Unlike most Fangs, the Ghost Whip turns 
  its wielder into a calm, soft-spoken and deadly killer who goes 
  quietly insane without most people realizing the depth of insanity 
  and danger until it is too late.
  He who possesses the Ghost Whip is alert, observant and 
  treacherous, laying ambushes and traps, and attacking from be-
  hind or without warning. Watching and waiting, silent like a 
  cobra, and striking when least expected. Allies beware, because 
  over time, his loyalty and allegiances fall away until his schemes 
  and desires are all that matter. Any friendship or act of kindness 
  or support is a pretense with betrayal looming in the future.
  The Essence: A tiny splinter of Al-vil.
  Range: A bullwhip used in melee combat. It has a 9-20 foot 
  (2.7 to 6.1 m) range depending on the size of the being who wields 
  it; triple that length in the Astral Plane or the realm of the gods.
  Damage: The whip inflicts 3D6 damage against most mortal 
  opponents and creatures of magic, +10 to physical supernatural 
  beings like vampires, werebeasts, and demons. 5D6 against Enti-
  ties, Ghosts, Spirits, Astral Beings, energy beings, and Shadow 
  Beasts even when they are in shadow. 1D6x10+20 direct to Hit 
  Points against Spirits of Light, Elementals and similar beings of 
  energy, light or the elements, or deities that symbolize the sun or 
  the stars.
  Special Abilities Granted to its Owner: Is able to understand 
  and communicate with these ethereal and strange beings, sees the 
  invisible (a constant power), including people made magically 
  invisible, ghosts and spirits, energy beings and Elementals. The 
  wielder of Ghost Whip recognizes and understands all Entities 
  and its wielder is impervious to their psionic and magical attacks 
  as well as possession, but not their physical attacks. Ghost Whip 
  can strike and damage such beings even if they are normally ethe-
  real in the physical plane. That includes Astral Travelers and spir-
  its. Note: See the Monsters & Animals sourcebook for complete 
  details about Entities, and Dragons & Gods for Elementals and 
  Spirits of Light.
  Ghost Whisper (special): Entities, ghosts, energy beings and 
  Elementals recognize the Ghost Whip and know how dangerous 
  it and its wielder are to them. They are fearful and intimidated by 
  he who possesses such a weapon and respond to him as per his 
  M.A. attribute +5, because few mortals in the physical realm can 
  see, touch and hurt them as he can. Most do not dare attack or 
  trouble him, especially lesser beings, and all are willing to com-
  municate with him and consider what he has to say. Which means 
  he may be able to convince them to attack a specific person or 
  target, but they do not fight to the death and are likely to stop after 
  2D6 minutes, unless they, themselves, have a reason to fight or 
  torment for a longer period.
  Ghostly Companions (special): He who possesses the Ghost 
  Whip has 1D4+1 Poltergeists with him at all times. The Entities 
  function like attack dogs and pranksters. And whenever one or 
  more Tectonic Entities are present, he can take control of one of 
  them and command it for 1D6+3 minutes.
  Magic (special): The wielder of the Ghost Whip can cast each 
  of the following spells up to three times per 24 hour period, each 
  cast as if by a 10th level Wizard: Astral Projection, Banishment, 
  Breathe Without Air, Commune with Spirits, Constrain Being, 
  Control/Enslave Entity, Energy Bolt, Exorcism, Fear, Fingers of 
  the Wind, Float in Air, Globe of Silence, Heavy Breathing, and 
  See Wards.
  Combat Bonuses: +1 attack per melee round when fight-
  ing Entities, energy beings, ethereal beings, and Elementals. 
  +3 on Perception Rolls to identify supernatural possession and 
  the presence of such beings and forces. +1 on initiative, +1 to 
  strike, dodge, disarm and entangle, impervious to possession 
  and the psionic and magical attacks of Entities, and unafraid of 
  Entities, Spirits, Elementals and energy beings. +20% to Prowl 
  skill. If he doesn’t have the skill, he gets it at the base level of 
  45%.
  Vulnerabilities: Holy Weapons and electricity inflict double 
  damage to the wielder. He who possesses the Ghost Whip seems 
  cool, calm and reliable. Steady as a rock in control almost all of 
  the time. However, the character is becoming increasingly ruth-
  less, paranoid and self-serving with every passing day. He keeps 
  his machinations and treacherous schemes to himself, because he 
  trusts no one and will turn on anyone if it benefits him. The Ghost 
  Whip seems to attract Assassins, Thieves and psychics, though 
  not usually Mind Mages.
  Note: It is said that when the Ghost Whip was in the hands of 
  one of the Old One’s lieutenants, the range was double, damage 
  could be doubled on a whim, magic spells were cast as if by a 
  30th level mage, and he could command 100 Haunting Entities, 
  100 Poltergeists, and 20 Greater Entities or Lesser Air or Fire 
  Elementals.
  
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  Encounters at the Black Pit
  Anyone who camps within a half mile (0.8 km) of the Black 
  Pit may hear voices, and have strange dreams or nightmares 
  about the Black Pit and dying there. G.M. discretion as to the 
  nature and truthfulness of the dreams or the voices whispering in 
  their heads. All of this gets worse once the character(s) enters the 
  Black Pit — or not. Some people never experience bad dreams, 
  voices, or frightening encounters.
  Any of the encounters listed below can also happen outside 
  the Black Pit, but are much less frequent and less extreme or life 
  threatening. Moreover, most are terrestrial encounters such as 
  one or more Faeries warning them that they should leave this evil 
  place. No kind Faerie Folk will go inside the Black Pit. On the 
  rare occasion that one does, such as the bold Pixie, it will not be 
  for long, and it makes a fast exit at the first sign of a ghost, mon-
  ster or trouble. The nastier, menacing and thieving Faerie Folk 
  may make an appearance outside or inside the Black Pit, as might 
  mortal thieves, bandits, spies, and con-artists.
  Voices and Dreams: While characters of good alignment feel 
  dread, and selfish alignments feel uncertain and wary, characters 
  of evil alignment feel extra confident and bold the farther they 
  travel inside the Black Pit. They feel as if something of great 
  promise awaits them, if only they can find it. Most Anarchist and 
  evil characters inside the Black Pit are willing to take chances 
  they might not take when away from the place. Some may also 
  feel the urge to lie, cheat, and do bad things to others they may 
  encounter or even to their comrades. A small number hear voices 
  or have dreams in which a humanoid shadow with 2D6 tenta-
  cles and 1D6 eyes appears and speaks about seizing opportunity, 
  trusting no one, being ruthless and fierce, dark magic, and the 
  majesty and power of the Old Ones, who they are encouraged to 
  embrace and emulate. And some might hear a Fang pleading to 
  be found and the glory of its use.
  Note: The Entities, Faerie Folk, and other monsters are de-
  scribed in the Monsters & Animals sourcebook.
  01-02% 1D4 Faeries appear to warn adventurers this is not a 
  safe nor a good place and that they should go back to town and not 
  come back. They will not reveal any secrets, but may regale people 
  with stories about ghosts, monsters and curses. Some true, some 
  not, all of them exaggerated. They will not enter the Black Pit.
  03-05% A Kelpie out to kill people. It appears to be a beauti-
  ful black stallion that trots away when approached. It wants to 
  lure one or a few adventurers away from their comrades so it can 
  transform and attack them. Runs off for the nearest body of water 
  if the people it attacks prove to be more than it can handle.
  06-08% A Brownie warns travelers this is not a safe nor a 
  good place and that they should go back to town and not come 
  back. That there is nothing of value in the Black Pit, only ghosts 
  and danger. Brownies are shy creatures so it will not say much 
  more before running off. He will not enter (or go any farther if 
  inside) the Black Pit.
  09-12% Two Kinnie Ger, a mated pair. They make their 
  home somewhere nearby or inside the Black Pit. They often stalk 
  adventurers who come to the Black Pit as well as adventurers 
  who get separated and lost inside the tunnels; easy prey. The pair 
  typically pick off one or a few people who have wandered off on 
  their own or are at the tail end of a group. Dragging captured or 
  slain prey away to finish off and eat! They run off if the person(s) 
  they attack prove to be more dangerous and hard to kill than 
  expected. Note: May substitute for a pair of Hairy Jacks or 3-4 
  Toadstools or Pucks.
  13-16% A Leprechaun makes an appearance. He’s here to 
  chat and drink booze. The player characters’ booze, of course. 
  He doesn’t know anything about the Black Pit that isn’t common 
  knowledge. This amicable and cheerful little fella is more inter-
  ested in the adventurers and hearing their stories, especially about 
  their successes, wealth and magic items. His goal is to get them 
  drunk and trustful or distracted so he can pick pockets and steal 
  valuables for his pot of gold. Leaves at the first sign of trouble, but 
  might return when most of the group is asleep to rob them. Note: 
  Can substitute with a thieving Pixie, or an evil or Anarchist Saytr 
  or a Hairy Jack, though the latter may clearly seem malevolent 
  and dangerous, but won’t attack a group that is too large and likely 
  to be able to overpower him. He’ll lurk in the shadows a distance 
  away and wait for an opportunity to strike, or attack when the ad-
  venturers exit the Black Pit and think the worst is behind them.
  17-20% A wicked Dead Moon Hag. She is looking for 
  plunder and/or someone to eat. She is especially fond of eating 
  Gnomes and young humans, especially beautiful young women, 
  but she’s not that fussy. She pretends to be an innocent old wom-
  an who is looking for her pet cat, dog or grandchild (and his play-
  mate) and it/he/she/they went into the Black Pit even though she 
  told them not to. When asked why she isn’t afraid to go into the 
  Black Pit alone, she insists the legends and tall tales are gross ex-
  aggerations to thrill and scare the tourists, and that any dangerous 
  people or ghosts are deep inside the Pit. She may ask the group to 
  help her find her missing loved one, because she’s afraid they’ll 
  get lost and die of thirst or hunger. Note: If appropriate or desired 
  for the player group, she may have some teammates. 2-4 Bogies 
  that ride on her shoulders and back, tucked under her scarf or 
  shawl, and in the folds of her baggy, layered clothing. She has a 
  cane or wooden staff to support her seemingly frail body, but has 
  a dagger hidden in each of her boots.
  21-23% 1D4+2 Toadstools that hate “big people” and are out 
  for blood.
  24-26% Three Pucks and one Toadstool looking for a fight. 
  They may kill or just try to beat up and rob “big people.”
  Ghosts & Troublesome Entities:
  27-35% Poltergeists are mischievous spirits with small intel-
  ligences and little or no memory of their past life. They feed on 
  the P.P.E. and emotions of the living (so do Haunting Entities, 
  below), and like to startle, scare and confound the living. That 
  means making noises such as footsteps, heavy breathing, bang-
  
  223
  ing and thumping. They also knock over items, stack skulls, send 
  bones clattering across the floor, blow out candles, touch and trip 
  people, and make loose objects hover and possibly fly right at 
  people. None of this is life threatening or seriously damaging, but 
  it can be scary and unnerving. It’s the Poltergeist’s idea of fun. 
  1D4 of them are encountered.
  36-40% A Syphon Entity has inhabited an object such as a 
  piece of jewelry, amulet, gemstone, lantern, comb, tool, weapon, 
  small shield, helmet, or a skull. It encourages anyone who takes 
  possession of that item to do selfish and bad things, and/or to take 
  dangerous chances.
  41-45% 1D4 Ghosts of those of good alignment who died 
  recently or long ago try to warn people that only death and sor-
  row awaits them in the Black Pit, and that they should leave and 
  never return. The Haunting Entities never reveal what dangers 
  lurk ahead, nor do they ever mention the Fangs of the Old Ones. 
  No good spirit ever mentions them or reveals their location un-
  der any circumstance. Quite the opposite, if a character or group, 
  even if they are heroes and of good alignment, are getting too 
  close, the ghosts do whatever they can to lead them away from 
  it by any means possible. Sometimes that’s a wild goose chase 
  about finding a treasure that doesn’t really exist. Other times it 
  may include leading them into the arms of bandits, evil Entities 
  or monsters. Better that these foolish and obstinate adventurers 
  perish than unleash the evil of the Old Ones.
  46-50% Haunting Entities of evil alignment are malignant 
  echos from the past. They harass, lie to and trick people, leading 
  them in circles or into the clutches of bandits, deadlier Entities, 
  and monsters out of spite and resentment for the living. They are 
  happy to see people suffer and die, or get scared out of their wits 
  and run screaming out of the Black Pit. Most don’t know anything 
  about the Fangs of the Old Ones or where one might be hidden. 
  If one does know, it’s because it sought the weapon while alive 
  and died trying to acquire it, so it is not going to help someone 
  else accomplish what it could not. 1D4 of them are encountered.
  51-54% A Tectonic Entity made of bones attacks. This is a 
  hodgepodge of mismatched bones and skulls to build a human-
  oid, bipedal shaped body with which to attack and kill. Like all 
  Tectonic Entities it is drivens to inflict pain and suffering upon 
  mortals while it feeds on their emotions and P.P.E. energy. To get 
  the P.P.E. energy, which is doubled at the moment of death, the 
  Tectonic Entity needs to kill its humanoid prey. Those with high 
  amounts of P.P.E. energy are attractive, but the Entity knows 
  they are also the most dangerous, so it is more likely to go after 
  someone with 2-40 P.P.E. before attacking somebody with more. 
  Destroy its physical body and the threat is over, at least for now.
  All Tectonic Entities in Physical Form have 4 attacks per me-
  lee and are +1 on initiative, +3 to strike, +2 to parry and dodge, 
  +2 to save vs magic, +1 to save vs psionic attacks, +10 to save 
  vs Horror Factor, and +15 to damage due to a P.S. 30. May also 
  attack via Telekinesis as per the psionic ability. Has 20 I.S.P. 
  (See the Monsters & Animals sourcebook, page 53, for com-
  plete details.)
  This Collection of Bones Tectonic Entity has 150 S.D.C., an 
  A.R. 10, P.S. 30, Spd 12, and four attacks per melee round. Dam-
  age: 2D6+15 or via Telekinesis.
  55-58% A Tectonic Entity made of Leather and Rags. 
  Same as #51-54% above, but has 200 S.D.C., a Natural A.R. 
  11, P.S. 30, Spd 12, and four attacks per melee round. Damage: 
  2D4+15 or via Telekinesis.
  59-61% Tectonic Entity made of Metal, Armor, Shields, 
  Debris and Weapons, making it one of the deadliest of all. 
  Same as #51-54% above, but has 500 S.D.C., a Natural A.R. 
  16, P.S. 30, Spd 12, and four attacks per melee round. Damage: 
  5D6+15 or via Telekinesis.
  62-65% 1D4+2 Tectonic Entities, each of which has Ani-
  mated a Skeleton. Being attacked by Skeletons can be a har-
  rowing experience. Each has 90 S.D.C., a Natural A.R. of 9, Spd 
  12, and four attacks per melee round. Damage: 2D6+15 or via 
  Telekinesis.
  66-70% Madman. Some are violent, some friendly, others 
  shy and reclusive, some are paranoid, or schizophrenic, or delu-
  sional. All are out of their heads and drawn to the Black Pit for 
  any number of reasons. They may be waiting for their teammates 
  or a sign from a deity; or believe being there is their destiny, 
  but can’t remember what that destiny is; or live in or around the 
  Black Pit with their “friends,” the ghosts, Faeries, monsters, or 
  memories of people they lost in the Black Pit.
  Some are thieves and others are violent and attack adventurers 
  until they leave his area of the tunnel, or pay him a toll for pas-
  sage (anything from a single silver or gold coin to food or water, 
  candy or alcohol, to a trinket like a feather or shiny object), or 
  until they are able to physically restrain or slay him.
  The most dangerous are the ones who search for, and probably 
  speak to, a Fang of the Old Ones. A quest for power they refuse 
  to give up, though they may not even remember why they want 
  it so badly or what it is they seek. Some of these are serial killers 
  because the voice(s) from the abyss tell them to do so.
  “It’s mine! You can’t have it!”
  “What’s yours?”
  “Don’t play dumb. I know why you’re here. It’s mine!”
  “We don’t want it.”
  “Liar! Die!!”
  And attacks and fights until the intruders or he are killed or 
  restrained. This battle can be fierce under any circumstances, but 
  can be really bad if the insane seeker of a Fang is a skilled war-
  rior or powerful spell caster such as a 1D6 level Knight, Sol-
  dier, Mercenary Warrior, Thief, Assassin, Priest, Wizard, Witch, 
  Summoner, or Mind Mage, as it is often those with the courage, 
  means and learning who seek the power and knowledge of such 
  ancient artifacts as the Fangs of the Old Ones and who explore 
  places like the Black Pit in search of fame, power, or wealth.
  Of course, “it” is one of the Fangs, but the person has been 
  driven insane by his obsession to attain one and his inability to do 
  so. Crazy, he still searches the labyrinth, probably the same tun-
  nels over and over again. He has driven away all who ever cared 
  about him and squandered his fortune on ill-fated expedition after 
  expedition.
  Not all Madmen are murderous or violent. Some are just 
  crazy beggars who need food and water, but refuse to leave the 
  Black Pit. If dragged away they will find their way back.
  Others speak to the dead and other spirits (and even a Fang) 
  and do not want to leave their ghostly “friends.” If dragged away 
  they will find their way back. Moreover, this madman may be 
  protected by 1D6 Poltergeists and/or Haunting Entities, or even 
  a Tectonic Entity, which attack when they think their “friend” is 
  being attacked or taken away against his will. They also bring 
  him water and food stolen from adventurers or taken from the 
  dead. Gifts from adventurers of food, water, soap, and maybe a 
  new set of clothes or a blanket are appreciated but unnecessary.
  
  224
  In ALL cases, not even a psionic probe, Telepathy or Mind 
  Bond can pierce the veil of insanity and reveal the madman’s past 
  or what “it” may be, or who his “friends and voices” or “god” 
  are. The insane attracted to the Black Pit, or driven insane by the 
  dark forces at work there, are too far gone to reveal much of any-
  thing. And whatever may be glimpsed will be a jumble of images, 
  thoughts and emotions all out of context.
  71-75% Human Bandits. There should be one bandit for each 
  player character. Each Thief is one level less than the player char-
  acter, plus 1D4 second level bandits. The bandits may be Thieves 
  out to mug the character or player group via finesse and picking 
  pockets, or at sword point, and are happy to take obvious items 
  of value and run off without any further incident of violence. If 
  challenged or attacked, they fight only long enough to escape.
  76-80% Mixed Group of Bandits. There should be one bandit 
  for each player character. Each Thief is one level less than the play-
  er character, plus 1D4 second level bandits. This is a racially mixed 
  group of bandits, probably a combination of humans, Orcs, and 
  Goblins or an Elf or Dwarf or two. They are thugs, a mixed group 
  of Thieves and Mercenary Warriors who are used to taking what 
  they want by force. They threaten and fight anyone who challenges 
  them, retreating only when it appears they are clearly outmatched 
  or half of them are seriously injured or slain! They are not out to 
  kill people, but they have no problem fighting and hurting people, 
  and if necessary, killing a few people when their victims refuse to 
  cooperate. Sometimes an example needs to be made.
  81-85% Mixed Group of Bandits. There should be one ban-
  dit for each player character. Each Thief is the same level as the 
  player character, plus a leader who is a 3rd level Wizard, Witch, 
  or Mind Mage. They may be all the same race or a racially di-
  verse group that combines humans with any of the other common 
  people of the region, probably a combination of humans, Orcs, 
  Goblins, Elves, Dwarves or Centaurs. They are thugs, a mixed 
  group of Thieves and Men-at-Arms O.C.C.s (Mercenary Warrior, 
  Ranger, etc.) who are used to taking what they want by force and 
  are quick to use deadly force.
  86-90% Treasure Hunters. These are probably a group of 
  adventurers and fortune hunters very much like the player group. 
  Those of good alignment may try to be helpful, sharing food and 
  water, tending to the injured and sharing information. Others are 
  more wary of strangers and keep their plans and what they know 
  to themselves.
  Selfish Treasure Hunters are likely to try to get information 
  from the player group and others they encounter but don’t like 
  to share what they know, or the resources they have, with others. 
  They hold their secrets tightly and may look for ways to mislead 
  those they consider competing rivals. That may include lies and 
  misdirection that lead the player characters on wild goose chases, 
  to dead ends, and into danger. Such a group may also steal from 
  others.
  Evil aligned Treasure Hunters are similar to the selfish ones, 
  only they are willing to take more extreme action like mugging, 
  fighting, killing and capturing and selling rivals into slavery or 
  trading them for supplies from slavers and pirates, and unscru-
  pulous merchants. Lopan is safer than most places and there are 
  generally more good people than bad, but there are still cutthroats 
  and evildoers.
  Monster Encounters: Since Lopan, as it is known today, was 
  settled by humans, it is largely populated by humans and their al-
  lies, most notably Elves and Dwarves. There are not many of the 
  people humans indelicately call the monster races: Trolls, Ogres, 
  Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, Wolfen, and others. However, there are 
  those non-humans who come to visit the Garden of the Gods or to 
  participate in the Lopanic Games, as well as the occasional pirate, 
  thug and fortune hunter.
  And of course there are wild animals and monsters that may 
  make the Black Pit their home.
  91% 1D4 Ogres who will take advantage of those they think 
  they can defeat and rob, or kill and loot.
  92% 1D4+2 Orcs who will take advantage of those they think 
  they can defeat and rob, or kill and loot.
  93% One Troll who leads 1D4 Goblins. They are all cut-
  throats who will take advantage of those they think they can de-
  feat and rob, or kill and loot. May be substituted with 1D4 Mi-
  notaurs.
  94% One Dragon Wolf or Lizard Mage investigating the 
  Black Pit.
  95% 1D4 hungry Gruunors attack. May be substituted with 
  1D4 Rock Crawlers or Giant Cave Spiders (not found on Lopan, 
  and yet ...).
  96% One Shadow Beast attacks and tries to kill whoever tries 
  to get past it. It never explains why or what it may be protecting. 
  May substitute with a Zavor (which is bad news).
  97% A Mummy Immortalis searching for you know what. 
  May substitute with a Scarecrow or Sphinx!
  98-00% One Spirit of Light appears and warns the 
  adventurer(s) that there is nothing worth their time or their lives 
  inside the Black Pit and tells them to turn back. First, it pleads 
  with them to turn back, saying that despite their good intentions, 
  they threaten the balance of good and evil and must not advance 
  any farther. If the adventurers refuse and continue on, it may 
  throw up some barriers. Like the Ghosts of good alignments, if 
  the Spirit of Light cannot convince them to abandon their current 
  course, it will try to mislead them on one fool’s errand and one 
  dead end after another. It may also run them into evildoers, Enti-
  ties or monsters that will hopefully make them turn tail and leave, 
  or kill them. Better they die than unleash the evil of the Old Ones.
  However, a Spirit of Light has a few other cards to play. Their 
  somewhat twisted sense of balance might have it think, if these 
  heroes are so hellbent on fighting monsters or finding great ad-
  venture, or challenging the Old Ones (or forces they don’t under-
  stand), it may send them to the Land of the Damned!
  There are two ways to get to the Land of the Damned. One is 
  the labyrinth carved out by the archaic creatures that dug their 
  way out of their prison only to perish in the world that had for-
  gotten them. This is a long, arduous underground trek that finally 
  opens up to a natural cave network that leads out into the Darkest 
  Heart.
  The other is a dimensional portal that instantly teleports them 
  into the Bleakness and too close for comfort near the fabled Cita-
  del.
  Note: Four Spirits of Light, all the same or each different, ap-
  pear to anyone getting too close to one of the Fangs of the Old 
  Ones. They don’t play games or engage in deception. They tell the 
  travelers they must turn back. Period. Sorry, but they cannot allow 
  them to pass. If the Spirits are rebuffed, they attack with deadly 
  force, even if the adventurers are of good alignment and heroes. If 
  the adventurers wise up, the Spirits of Light allow them to retreat, 
  and do not pursue them. If the heroes do not relent, the Spirits of 
  Light fight to the death with the intention of destroying them.
  
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         2568 Zombie Graveyard Mouse Pad – $9.95
         2575 Rifts Poker Cards 1 (full color) – $11.99
         2576 Rifts Poker Cards 2 (line art) – $11.99
         2586 Rifts® Soft Touch Ballpoint Pen with 
  Stylus – $5.00
         2587 Rifts® Logo Coffee Mug – $10.99
         2588 Rifts® Property of the CS Mug – $10.99
         2589 Pal. Fantasy® Dragon Mug – $10.99
         2594 Dead Reign® Zombie Mug – $10.99
         2595 Rifts® Titan Robotics™ Mug – $10.99
         2596 “Gamer” Mug – $10.99
  Note: T-shirts, hats and more can be found online.
  Rifts® Miniatures
         MI8002 Xiticix Pack – $18.00
         MI8004 Coalition Dog Pack – $18.00
         MI8005 Men of Magic Pack #1 – $18.00
         MI8006 Cyborgs Pack #1 – $18.00
         MI8007 Simvan & Ostrosaurus Pack – $18.00
         MI8008 Coalition Skelebots Pack #1 – $18.00
         MI8009 Coalition SAMAS Pack #1 – $22.00
         MI8010 Coalition Sky Cycle Pack – $22.00
         MI8015 Damaged Skelebots Pack #1 – $12.00
         MI8016 Cyber-Adventurers Pack – $18.00
         MI8017 Rogues & Scout Pack #1 – $18.00
         MI8018 Brodkil & Witchling Pack – $18.00
         MI8019 Damaged Skelebots Pack #2 – $18.00
         MI8020 Psi-Stalkers & Scouts Pack #1 – 
  $18.00
         MI8021 Shadow Beast – $12.00
         MI8023 Lord Magus – $6.00
         MI8026 Coalition Dog Boy in DPM-D1 
  Armor – $6.00
  www.palladiumbooks.com
  
  www.palladiumbooks.com
  ®
  Garden of the Gods™
  A Palladium Fantasy® Sourcebook
  The Garden of the Gods™ sourcebook is a toy box of gods, magical blessings, ancient artifacts, and hundreds of opportunities and 
  adventure ideas for players and Game Masters alike.
  The
  The Garden of the Gods is said to be a place of miracles and wisdom. A place where people of all occupations and races, nobility and the 
  poor, come to find inspiration, blessings and adventure. Many insist the gods themselves are present and may visit heroes and followers in 
  dreams, visions, or in person as an avatar. The gods also look for champions and assign heroic quests and gifts of knowledge and magic. 
  Here, all gods are equal and many a forgotten god seeks to be rediscovered and worshiped by offering blessings, vision quests, and magical 
  artifacts to potential heroes to champion their name.
  There is also an evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit.
  There is also an evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit.
  ● 212 Blessings.
  ● 101 Magic Artifacts. 
  ● 45 Forgotten gods. 50+ Curses and dark magic.
  ● 100+ Random quests and encounters, and each god offers adventure hooks.
  ● Restore forgotten gods to power. Become a Champion of the Gods.
  ● 5 Weapons of destruction created by the Old Ones.
  ● Godly insight, visitations, knowledge and purpose.
  ● Godly insight, visitations, knowledge and purpose.
  ● The Garden of the Gods and its protectors.
  ● Ghosts, Faeries, mysteries, and ancient secrets.
  ● Rumors of a secret way to the Land of the Damned.
  ● The Black Pit, a place of legend and dark secrets. Is it a counterbalance to the good of the Garden, or something more sinister?
  ● Easily adapted to Rifts®, Phase World®, and any game system.
  ● 224 pages of wonder and adventure by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
  One game system – a Megaverse
  One game system – a Megaverse® of adventure!™
  $26.99
  Cat. No. 475
  ISBN-10: 1-57457-250-4
  ISBN-13: 978-1-57457-250-6
  Dragons & Gods™ (Fantasy)
  The Pantheons of Dragonwright, the Northern Gods, the 
  Church of Light and Dark, Jungle Gods and others, dragons, 
  Elementals & more.
  ● 40+ gods and notable churches and cults.
  ● 20+ Demonic Lords, Supernatural Intelligences, more.
  ● 
  ● 14 dragons, plus 12 Elementals and 4 Spirits of Light.
  ● Rune Weapons, Holy Weapons, and more.
  ● The perfect companion for the Garden of the Gods™ 
  sourcebook. 232 pages.
  Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One
  Easy to adapt to Palladium Fantasy and other settings.
  ● 80+ creatures described in detail, updated and expanded.
  ● 
  ● Monsters, animals, alien horrors, giant insects, & more.
  ● Easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Powerful art.
  ● Includes basic S.D.C. stats for each creature description.
  ● By Siembieda, Walton and others. 256 pages.
  Available in stores everywhere
  Also from Palladium Books®
  Monsters & Animals™ (Fantasy)
  300+ monsters and animals described, statted and accompanied by maps showing their location. Classic 
  monsters like the Chimera, Manticore, Sphinx, etc., plus many unique creatures such as Bearmen, Devil 
  Digger, Entities, Faeries, Lizard Mage, Mummy Immortalis, Tree Eels, and more.
  ● 120 Fantasy monsters, easy to adapt for most settings.
  ● 
  ● 200+ S.D.C. animals, notes, and maps.
  ● Maps showing where in the Palladium World they are found.
  ● Conversion notes and tips. Easy to adapt to Rifts® and Phase World® (as alien creatures), Heroes 
  Unlimited™ and other settings. 240 pages.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Palladium Fantasy/2nd edition/PFRPG 2d - Book 19 - Garden of the Gods {PAL475P}.pdf