TEXT: European colonialism stretches back to the days of the Roman Republic, though its 
  modern history begins with the voyages of the great 15th century Portuguese and Spanish 
  navigators. Today, many of the European powers have colonies across the globe. Some, 
  like France, Germany, and Great Britain, are on the ascent, while the superpowers of old, 
  Portugal and Spain, are waning. Aside from occasional clashes with the Ottoman Empire, 
  that still holds parts of southeastern Europe in its ailing grip, the continent appears to be at 
  peace. Beneath the surface of political calm, though, the twin currents of colonial ambition 
  and avarice are swirling and gaining strength. It may not be known to the common man, 
  but those in positions of power sense war is coming.
  New Leagues
  Below are new Leagues of Adventure suitable for player characters. They follow the 
  rules for the Rank Resource presented in the core rules.
  New Argonauts Club
  Interest in ancient Greece dates back many centuries. Study of the Classics is required 
  for most courses in universities across Europe, and antiquarians have long picked over 
  the ancient bones of its many ruins. To most, the tales of the Greek heroes are naught but 
  myth, but there have always been learned men who believe the stories of old are based 
  firmly on facts. These men (and women) formed the New Argonauts Club in 1795.
  Though other scholars consider the New Argonauts to be eccentrics at best and lunatics 
  at worst, Schliemann’s discovery of Troy and Evan’s preliminary work on Crete has given 
  them pause for thought. Undeterred by critics, the League is continuing its work, funding 
  expeditions across Greece and parts of the Near East.
  Starting Skills: Pick two from Academics (History or Literature), Anthropology, Art 
  (Sculpture or Writing), Expeditions, Investigation, Linguistics
  Special: Club members must speak the Greek language group. As scholars, this auto-
  matically gives them knowledge of Ancient Greek.
  The Stratford Players
  A collective of amateur and professional thespians and scholars of literature, the Strat-
  ford Players are a dramatics society dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare. While 
  202108
  Author: Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  Editing: Robert Davis
  Graphic Design: Robin Elliott
  Globetrotters’ Guide to
  The Old World
  www.tripleacegames.com
  Permission is granted to print this ebook. No site licence is given.
  This game uses the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, developed by Exile Game Studio (www.exilegames.com). Ubiquity Roleplaying 
  System, Exile Games Studio, and all associated logos and trademarks are copyright, Exile Games Studio, LLC. Used with permission.
  ©2012 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Adventure and all related marks and logos are  
  trademarks of Triple Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
  •             •
  
  the thespians put on shows across the world, the scho-
  lastic members search for copies of lost plays, such as 
  The History of Cardenio and Love’s Labour’s Won. Most 
  performances are given in English, but the troupe is not 
  beyond translating plays into other tongues in order to 
  win over new audiences.
  Starting Skills: Pick two from Academics: Literature, 
  Art: Writing, Investigation, Linguistics, Performance
  Europe Gazetteer
  This section follows the pattern laid down in the 
  core rulebook. Entries for countries already described in 
  Leagues of Adventure are not duplicated here, though 
  there may be additional notes and places of interest.
  Austria-Hungary
  Dominating Eastern Europe, the Austro-Hungarian 
  Empire, the second largest European nation in terms of 
  area, is the only major power with no overseas territo-
  ries. That said, it has its eyes firmly fixed on the Balkans, 
  whose states have recently slipped the shackles of Otto-
  man rule, though only as a means of blocking Russian 
  expansion in the region.
  Although ruled by Franz-Jospeh under the title of 
  Emperor-King, Austro-Hungary comprises two distinct 
  parts. The northern and western territories fall under 
  the auspices of the Emperor of Austria, while the King 
  of Hungary governs the remainder. Despite being one 
  empire in name, the two regions maintain separate par-
  liaments and prime ministers.
   So ingrained is the division that citizens are either 
  Austrian or Hungarian, with dual citizenship forbidden. 
  Austrians are considered of higher status than Hungar-
  ians, while the various subjected natives of other lands 
  rank below the Hungarians.
  BudAPEST
  Spanning both banks of the mighty and majestic Dan-
  ube, the towns of Buda and Pest have been a single city 
  since 1873. Despite the city having been settled for mil-
  lennia, the current incarnation dates from the late 17th 
  century—Buda and Pest were destroyed almost entirely 
  during the battle to remove the Ottomans, who had gov-
  erned Hungary since 1541.
  Capital of Hungary, Budapest is emerging as a city to 
  rival Paris for its architecture and opulence. From the 
  majestic Hungarian Royal Opera House to the domi-
  neering Buda Castle to the grand Hungarian Parliament 
  Building (which will be finished in 1904), Budapest is a 
  city more than capable of taking one’s breath. For those 
  with money, the mansions that line Andrássy Avenue are 
  the place to live.
  While much of Eastern Europe remains locked in the 
  medieval age, Budapest is modern. Electric streetlights 
  illuminate the center, with the rest of the city becom-
  ing electrified by 1893. Work is currently under way to 
  complete the underground railway, the Millennium Un-
  derground (only the second one in Europe), with the 
  first train due to run between the city center and the 
  Városliget (“city park”) in 1896, in time for the Hungar-
  ian millennium celebrations.
  CSEjTE CASTLE
  The crumbling castle was once home to Countess 
  Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (1560-1614). Later, it served 
  as her prison and tomb. Educated, erudite, vain, and 
  likely insane, the countess was accused of mutilating and 
  murdering young girls. According to witness statements, 
  the many victims were covered in bite marks, and many 
  were completely drained of blood. Stories began to circu-
  late Bathory was a vampire, or somehow used the blood 
  to retain her youthful appearance. Although she was ar-
  rested, Bathory was never charged or convicted of any 
  offense. The authorities, though, took no chances—the 
  countess was walled inside a suite of rooms in the castle, 
  and remained there until her death. 
  What became of her remains is a mystery. One story 
  says her corpse was taken to her home in Ecsed and 
  placed in the family crypt. Another says she was interred 
  in the walls of the castle, an iron stake rammed through 
  her chest to prevent her rising as one of the undead.
  POPOvO POLjE
  Northwest of Dubrovnik, a coastal city located in 
  Croatia, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, stands the 
  necropolis of Popovo Polje. The mausolea that dot the 
  area are widely believed to mark the graves of Bogomils, 
  an heretical sect who held that the material world was 
  the construct of Satan, a son of God (known in their 
  creed as Satanail). The tombs are unusual for their mark-
  ings—people celebrating, dancing stags and horses, 
  suns, moons, spirals, swastikas, and the alchemical sign 
  for Venus (the modern symbol for females).
  TrANSyLvANiA
  While Moldavia and Wallachia have joined to become 
  the Kingdom of Romania, Transylvania remains part of 
  the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
  Although they constitute the majority of the popula-
  tion, Romanians do not enjoy the same legal rights or 
  leagues of adventure
  
  •                   •
  •                  •
  
  freedoms as their Hungarian overlords. In 1892, key Ro-
  manian officials wrote to the Emperor, in his role as King 
  of Hungary, demanding equal rights. The Emperor’s re-
  sponse was to have the authors arrested and sentenced 
  to lengthy spells in jail.
  Castle dracula
  The figure of Dracula presents something of a dilemma 
  for Leagues who dabble in and investigate occult mat-
  ters. On the one hand, Vlad III Dracula is a recognized 
  historical figure, a cruel and bloodthirsty tyrant better 
  known as Vlad the Impaler, who defended his homeland 
  against the invading Turks in the 15th century. On the 
  other hand, they know all too well that the antagonist of 
  Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a tale few readers realize is an 
  account of an actual incident, was a vampire.
  Not even Jonathan Harker, who had the misfortune 
  of being Dracula’s guest, has been able to shed light on 
  whether these persons are one and the same, or whether 
  the vampiric count adopted a pseudonym to disguise 
  his true identity. The potted history Dracula spoke to 
  his guest mentions he is a scion of the “Dracula line,” 
  though this may simply have been to keep Harker in the 
  dark about his true origins.
  Equally unknown is the exact location of Dracula’s 
  castle. The solicitor swears blind it lies along the Borgo 
  Pass, but no ruins even vaguely matching his account ex-
  ist there. Two other castles, Bran and Poenari, do have 
  historical ties to Vlad III, but they do not match the de-
  scription and are located many miles from the pass.
  Some have begun to wonder whether Harker’s mem-
  ory was altered by the count to conceal his true home, or 
  if his traumatic experience had caused him to create false 
  memories. A few sympathetic souls believe Harker’s ac-
  count is accurate, but that the count has employed some 
  occult means of concealing the fortress.
  Cioara
  The central Romanian village of Cioara is nothing 
  special. A settlement of just a few hundred souls, re-
  cords indicate it was founded to house settlers in the 
  14th century by order of the King of Hungary. A recent 
  archaeological find has put Cioara firmly on the Leagues’ 
  map of interesting places. 
  A hunter catching rabbits lost his small dog in a war-
  ren. Forced to scrape away the earth, he discovered three 
  clay tablets amid a jumble of human bones. What makes 
  the tablets special is that they have pictograms on one 
  side. While they bear some relation to ancient Sumerian, 
  they appear to be a previously unknown script.
  Adventure Seeds
  * Emperor Franz-Joseph is hiring globetrotters of 
  good renown and character. A person or persons un-
  known has broken into St. Stephen’s Basilica and stolen 
  the mummified hand of Saint Stephen I, the first King of 
  Hungary, a venerated relic.
  * Anarchists have delayed work on the Millennium 
  Underground with acts of sabotage and destruction. If 
  construction isn’t completed on schedule, the govern-
  ment faces a huge public backlash and a massive loss of 
  honor. Fearing their own organizations have been infil-
  trated, the Hungarians have been forced to look to the 
  Leagues for help in ending the disruption.
  * Not everyone believes the story of the Bogomil 
  gravestones. There are scholars who hold that the site 
  is a vast map, and that whoever can unlock the secret 
  contained in the stones will discover the route to a great 
  treasure. Whether this treasure is material or spiritual, or 
  even supernatural, is open to debate.
  * The Romanian government has released photo-
  graphs of the Cioara tablets to the Leagues, along with 
  a reward for whoever can decipher the script. As the 
  globetrotters begin their work, it soon becomes clear the 
  characters form a written map, but to where?
  Bulgaria
  Freed from centuries of Ottoman rule in 1878, Bul-
  garia is a dishevelled country. Its natural resources have 
  been exploited, its industry is negligible, its agricultural 
  land is undeveloped, and its coffers are empty. Unlike 
  elsewhere in Europe, the land is predominantly in the 
  hands of individual farmers, creating a patchwork quilt 
  with little drive to expand their output.
  Ottoman grip has not been fully relinquished, for 
  the young nation is technically under their sovereignty. 
  True control, however, now lies in the hands of Prince 
  Ferdinand, a relative of the late Russian Tsar. He was the 
  choice of Austro-Hungary but, despite their blood link, 
  his election was disputed by his distant kin. As of 1895, 
  relations slowly begin to improve.
  Elected by Bulgarians chosen by the major European 
  powers, the prince is extremely popular in his country, 
  and he is a keen botanist and philatelist.
  All is not well, though. When the European powers 
  drew up the country’s borders a sizeable portion of na-
  tive Bulgarians ended up in Macedonia, which remains 
  under Ottoman control. Serbia and Greece also claimed 
  the territory, the former because of the high Slavic popu-
  lation, the latter from historical precedent. Violence has 
  so far been avoided, but the entire region is a hotbed of 
  anarchists, revolutionaries, and subversives.
  Ruler: Prince Ferdinand (1887-1908, then as King of 
  Bulgaria until 1918)
  vArNA
  The Black Sea port of Varna has been of strategic im-
  portance since the time of the Greeks. Though it suffered 
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  
  •          •
  
  extensive damage shortly after the Crimean War, the port 
  has emerged as a major supplier of wheat and a key trade 
  hub. Although not the capital, such is Varna’s importance 
  it is home to a dozen foreign consulates. Never fully 
  exploited by the Ottomans, and hastily rebuilt after the 
  fire, Varna is a cramped city of narrow lanes bordered by 
  tightly packed wooden buildings.
  Unbeknownst to the current inhabitants, within the 
  city limits lies an ancient necropolis. Concealed in the 
  ground are hundreds of skeletons, many buried with ex-
  quisite gold objects. As well as jewelry, among the dead 
  are gold maces. Given the softness of the precious metal, 
  these were likely ceremonial rather than tools of war. 
  Although the culture obviously understood metallurgy, 
  other grave goods are typically Stone Age—flint blades, 
  shells, and colored beads. Did the ancient people actu-
  ally manufacture the gold relics, or were they gifts or 
  trade items from a more advanced culture?
  Adventure Seeds
  * A worker digging a drainage ditch in Varna has un-
  earthed a small number of gold objects alongside flint 
  tools. The Midas Society plans on investigating in the 
  hope of discovering clues that might lead them to the 
  fabled “Midas machine.”
  * A spate of gruesome murders in Varna has gone 
  largely unreported in the Western newspapers. Several 
  Leagues concerned with the supernatural have learned 
  that the victims were found drained of blood. Knowing 
  that Dracula boarded the Demeter at Varna, the Leagues 
  are worried another vampire might be about to make its 
  way to central Europe.
  Finland
  Formerly part of Sweden, the Grand Principality of 
  Finland has been part of the Russian Empire since 1809. 
  After consolidating their hold over the territory, the Rus-
  sians, convinced of the Finns loyalty to the Tsar, began to 
  allow increased independence. Most notably this has re-
  sulted in Finnish, previously suppressed by the Swedes, 
  to rise as the national language, and allowing limited 
  autonomy by means of the Diet of Finland, a legislative 
  assembly made up predominantly of nobles, but with 
  clerical, burgher, and peasant members. Throughout 
  its existence, the Russian Tsar, under his title of Grand 
  Prince, rules the Grand Principality of Finland.
  In 1899, the policy toward Finland changes, and the 
  Russians make attempts to rein in the powers of the Diet 
  and transfer key ministries to Russian control. The Diet 
  declares the move illegal, sparking increased tensions. 
  Finland has maintained its own army since 1878, 
  though one limited to 5600 men. Only Finnish citizens 
  may enlist, and for some there is little choice. Every year, 
  a lottery is held, with the unlucky winners serving from 
  one to three years in one of the 32 reserve companies, 
  depending on their level of education (the better one’s 
  education, the shorter the term of conscription). Even 
  those who escape the lottery must perform military ser-
  vice for one month over a period of three years.
  Gouged by glaciers in eons past, Finland boasts in 
  excess of 180,000 lakes and almost as many islands. Save 
  for a few hills, Finland is largely flat, and very heavily 
  forested. Not surprisingly, timber exports account for a 
  sizeable portion of the country’s economic output.
  Ruler: Grand Princes Alexander III (1881-1894), 
  Nicholas II (1894-1917)
  Adventure Seeds
  * In Finnish mythology, the land of Pohjola, which 
  lay somewhere to the north of Finland, was ruled by a 
  powerful witch. Among her possessions was the Sampo, 
  a magical mill that churned out gold. The story ends with 
  the Sampo being destroyed. 
  After completing a minor task for a Scandinavian pa-
  tron, the globetrotters are rewarded with a Viking map. 
  On it is an island far into the Arctic Ocean, its location 
  marked with a mill wheel. Could Pohjola and the Sampo 
  be based on truth? Someone thinks it is, for the expedi-
  tion is hotly pursued by the Midas Society, who desire the 
  witch’s wealth (and preferably the mill) for themselves.
  France
  Following the capture of Napoleon III in 1870, the 
  Second French Empire collapsed. In its stead rose the 
  Third French Republic. French politics is currently di-
  vided between the Republicans, the Monarchists (who 
  desire a constitutional monarchy reinstated), and the 
  Authoritarians (who desire an autocratic leader).
  Tensions between the State and Catholic Church are 
  running high. Such is the antipathy, the Republicans have 
  entered a pact with Masonic lodges to spy on army of-
  ficers deemed to be devout Catholics and prevent them 
  from attaining promotions.
  CArNAC
  The immense megalithic landscape of Carnac com-
  prises multiple rows of menhirs (standing stones), tu-
  muli (burial mounds), dolmens (stone tomb), and stone 
  circles and rectangles.
  Scholastic interest in the site dates back to the late 
  18th century, and over the last century hypotheses have 
  included druidic cults, grave markers, the playing stones 
  of giants, the remains of buildings washed away in the 
  Biblical Flood, a treasure map, and star maps. The latest 
  theory, put forward by H. de Cleuziou in 1887, argues 
  they align to the sunsets on the solstices—a supposi-
  tion as good as any other. In legend, they are either the 
  leagues of adventure
  
  •        •
  •        •
  
  remains of a Roman army petrified by Merlin or pagan 
  warriors transformed into stone by Pope Cornelius.
  There are around 3000 stones in total, though less 
  than a quarter are actually upright. When the monu-
  ments were erected is currently being debated. Many 
  scholars are proposing dates that go back far into man’s 
  early history, while a small few look to mighty Atlantis.
  CHArTrES CATHEdrAL
  A splendid Medieval High Gothic cathedral, the Ca-
  thedral of Our Lady of Chartres, to give it its full name, 
  is an architectural masterpiece. Although the current 
  structure was constructed in the 13th century, it is in a 
  remarkable state of preservation, having shrugged off the 
  effects of time and several fires. Its three transepts are 
  bedecked in religious carvings representing both the Old 
  and New Testaments.
  On the floor of the nave, laid out in white stone, is a 
  spiral labyrinth. One should not think of it as a maze de-
  signed to confuse and amuse. There is but a single route, 
  which encompasses every spiral and loop. Some scholars 
  posit that during the Middle Ages, walking the labyrinth 
  took one on a spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, thus sav-
  ing one from having to undertake the long and arduous 
  journey. However, there is no evidence to support this or 
  any other theory.
  Historical accounts show that a cathedral has stood 
  on the site since the 9th century. One local legend, 
  though, claims the earliest religious building was not 
  Christian, but a druidic temple whose worship centered 
  around a “virgin who will give birth.” Few scholars take 
  this story seriously, but among the Leagues there is much 
  speculation that the crypts contain clues to the origins 
  and practices of this mysterious sect.
  True or not, the cathedral does house a sacred relic of 
  the Virgin Mary—the Sancta Camisa, the tunic worn by 
  Mary as she gave birth to Jesus. It is kept in the treasury, 
  and never brought out on public display due to its fragil-
  ity. According to legend Charlemagne, the Holy Roman 
  Emperor, acquired it, after a crusade to the Holy Land in 
  the late 9th century.
  CHâTEAu dE MONTSéGur 
  When the first castle was built here is unknown. In 
  1204, Raymond de Péreille, the lord of Montségur, 
  elected to rebuild the ruined castle that stood on the 
  flat peak of a 4000 feet high mountain. Shortly after its 
  completion it became the center for the Cathar faith (an 
  heretical sect with many similarities to the Bogomils). 
  During the Albigensian Crusade, the castle was besieged 
  for nine months, finally capitulating in 1244.
  Legends tell that during the final days of the siege, a 
  daring group of Cathars scaled down the mountain car-
  rying with them a treasure. The nature of this treasure 
  is open to debate, with candidates running from coins 
  to esoteric scriptures to the Holy Grail. In some stories 
  the Cathars slipped away into the night, never to be seen 
  again. In others, they entered a network of caves running 
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  
  Foreign Medals
  This section details notable medals and chivalric 
  awards given by countries other than Great Britain.
    France
  * Médaille Militaire: Awarded to non-commissioned 
  or enlisted soldiers for acts of bravery in action 
  against an enemy force.
  * National Order of Agricultural Merit
  Commander, Officer, or Knight.
  * Palm Académique: Awarded to any person who 
  contributes to French education and culture.
    Germany
  Different German states had their own medals and 
  chivalric order. This entry concentrates on Prussia.
  * Blue Max: Formerly the “Pour le Mérite.” Highest 
  military award for officers. A civilian version exists 
  for services to the humanities, natural science, and 
  fine arts.
  * Military Merit Cross: Highest military honor for 
  non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers.
  * House Order of Hohenzollern
  Grand Commander, Commander, Knight, Member.
    russian Empire
  * Gold Sword for Bravery: Awarded to military per-
  sonnel and civilians for bravery while serving the 
  Russian Empire.
  * Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called: 
  Highest order of chivalry, awarded for outstanding 
  civilian or military service. It has only a single class.
  * Order of St. George
  First Class, Second Class, Third Class, Fourth Class
  * Order of St. Vladimir
  First Class, Second Class, Third Class, Fourth Class
  
  through the mountain by means of a secret passage. It 
  was in the labyrinth of tunnels they secured their secret 
  treasure to ensure it never fell into Catholic hands.
  Some scholars have associated the fortification with 
  the story of Parzifal, a Grail romance written at roughly 
  the same time the castle was being rebuilt. The name 
  of the Grail castle was Montsalvat, which has the same 
  meaning as Montségur—”safe mountain.”
  FOrEST OF FONTAiNEBLEu
  Forty or so miles southeast of Paris stands the ancient 
  and tangled woodland known as the Forest of Fontaine-
  bleu. Since time immemorial it has been the haunt of 
  robbers, fugitives from the law, and other fringe mem-
  bers of society. 
  There are strange carvings in the many caves that 
  dot the landscape. Often placed in virtually inaccessible 
  areas, such as high on the walls or in recesses barely 
  wide enough to squeeze an arm into, they have a child-
  like quality. Human figures are shown with rectangular 
  bodies, neckless heads, and sunken eyes. Some have 
  their arms outstretched; others have them by their 
  side. What makes them strange is that each figure has 
  just three fingers. Accompanying the figures are other 
  symbols—crosses, circles, spirals, lattices, hourglass-like 
  shapes, and indented circles. Are the figures and symbols 
  merely the work of uneducated and bored bandits and 
  fugitives, or is there a hidden message in them?
  LE MAS-d’AziL
  In 1889, French archaeologist Edouard Piette (b. 
  1827) explored the cave of Mas-d’Azil. In addition to 
  bones belonging to mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses, 
  he also discovered a cache of several thousand painted 
  stones. Among the abstract decorations he recognized 
  symbols that closely related to ancient Cypriot, Greek, 
  and Phoenician letters. That early explorers or traders 
  might have deposited these, perhaps as offerings to their 
  gods, were discounted by where they were found—bur-
  ied beneath the prehistoric bones.
  Piette has named the culture and unknown language 
  Azilian, and has dated it to around 12,000 BC—an ep-
  och before Atlantis supposedly sank beneath the waves. 
  Could the stones be the writing of the Atlanteans, the 
  characters later adopted by Mediterranean cultures?
  LEBOuS
  The ruins of Lebous stand on the southern coast of 
  France, not far from the town of Montpellier. All that 
  remains of the site today are foundation stones, but they 
  tell a very interesting story. Surrounding the promontory 
  on the landward side were seven stone towers joined by 
  fortified walls. Further back was an enclosure, in which 
  the inhabitants lived in wooden houses. Not an ounce of 
  cement was used to construct the mighty fortifications.
  Local legends tell that the site was built by men “from 
  across the sea,” refugees from a great city that had fallen 
  to ruin. The few academics who have visited the ruins 
  suggest the strangers might have been refugees from 
  Troy though, in all honesty, they could name a dozen or 
  more cities matching the vague description.
  PrOviNS
  Located in the Champagne region of France, Provins 
  is best known to tourists for its medieval city walls and 
  fortifications, and the beautiful roses cultivated here 
  (epicureans may wish to sample the rose petal jam, rose 
  honey, and rose candy produced locally).
  What few outsiders realize is that beneath the town 
  is a maze of corridors leading to chambers with arched 
  roofs supported by columns. The upper layers are Me-
  dieval, and are well known to the local populace. It is 
  widely hypothesized the subterranean chambers were 
  excavated to store provisions in the event of a siege, and 
  evidence of soot on the ceilings indicates that people 
  perhaps lived here for extended periods at some point 
  in time.
  Deeper down is an older network of passages and 
  rooms. These are considerably older, and cruder in work-
  manship. The chambers are also much larger, averaging 
  close to 200 yards. Carved into the walls are stylized sun 
  discs and concentric circles, along with fish and skulls.
  yS
  Long ago, so it is said, a great city was built below sea 
  level in the waters of the Bay of Douarnanez (western 
  Britanny). A mighty embankment breached by a single 
  gate kept the Atlantic Ocean back. King Gradlon held the 
  sole key. Each day he would unlock the gate at low tide 
  to allow the island’s river to empty into the ocean before 
  securing the barrier as the tide rose.
  The king had but one child, a daughter whose tastes 
  ran to the perverse. A black widow, she would engage in 
  orgies, only to kill her lovers as the dawn broke. Tempted 
  by the Devil (or possibly an agent of a jealous rival city), 
  she stole the key from her father. In the midst of a ter-
  rible storm the gate was opened, allowing a monstrous 
  wave to flood fair Ys and condemn it to a watery grave. 
  Only the king, a virtuous man, survives the catacylsm.
  On a calm night, when the moon is veiled by cloud, 
  fisherman claim bells can be heard in the bay, a ghostly 
  tolling warning off Ys’ impending doom. A popular local 
  legend says that Ys will one day emerge from the sea, but 
  leagues of adventure
  
  
  only when Paris is drowned beneath the River Seine. A 
  heavily altered version of the tale of Ys exists as Le roi 
  d’Ys, an opera which debuts in 1888.
  Adventure Seeds
  * A scholar studying the stonework of Chartres, after 
  recent renovation work to clear away centuries of grime, 
  has discovered a scene that appears to show the Ark of 
  the Covenant being taken from Jerusalem by the Queen 
  of Sheba. He is seeking funding and companions to fol-
  low up the clues and track the legendary relic.
  * Local legends name a side chamber in the cave of 
  Mas-d’Azil as the Hall of the Temple. Edouard Piette 
  has recently uncovered documents that reveal Cardinal 
  Richelieu ordered the roof destroyed with gunpowder in 
  1625. This has aroused the scholar’s curiosity; for what 
  reason could the man of God have for blowing up a cave? 
  Currently busy with other projects, Piette seeks reliable 
  scholars and adventurers to investigate further.
  * An academic and friend of the globetrotters contacts 
  them regarding a curious find. While rummaging in the 
  British Museum basement, he came upon a pair of con-
  joined stone fingers with a peg at the base. Written upon 
  the fingers in old French was a single word—Montségur. 
  Believing he has stumbled across a clue that may lead to 
  the legendary treasure of the Cathars, he asks his friends 
  to investigate further. Rather absent-minded in his dot-
  age, he neglects to inform them he has also contacted 
  other potential helpers—parties who will stop at noth-
  ing to acquire the fingers.
  * Workmen in Provins have accidentally broken into 
  the deeper layer of subterranean chambers. The city 
  elders seek trustworthy explorers to delve into the dark-
  ness, map the extent of the passages, and determine who 
  constructed them.
  * While undertaking renovation work of his church, 
  Bérenger Saunière, priest of the sleepy Pyrennes village 
  of Rennes-le-Château, discovers parchments hidden in-
  side a pillar. Unable to decipher the texts, he is forced to 
  ask for help. Through a network of friends and contacts, 
  he eventually becomes acquainted with the globetrotters. 
  The parchments, which are encoded and date from the 
  Visigothic period (4th century AD), point to a great trea-
  sure hidden somewhere in the landscape surrounding 
  the village. Unfortunately, elements within the Catholic 
  Church have caught wind of the find and are determined 
  to thwart any expedition.
  * The Society of Aquanauts proposes an expedition to 
  search the seabed for traces of lost Ys. Accomplished div-
  ers, historians, weird scientists, and engineers are being 
  hired to help with the underwater exploration.
  * Lying on the ground in western Brittany, shattered 
  in four pieces, is a colossal standing stone. Intact and 
  erect, it would have reached a height of over 65 feet and 
  weighed 280 tons. The Society of Antiquarians is offering 
  a reward to any globetrotters who can quarry, transport, 
  and erect a similar stone on the site using no modern 
  tools or machines.
  Germany
  Germany is at war with Great Britain. This is not a war 
  of blood and bullets, but of becoming Europe’s leading 
  industrial nation. Now united, the former German states 
  are pooling their resources, leading to a boom in output 
  and an increase in national pride.
  Fearing itself becoming trapped between its old en-
  emy France and the might of Imperial Russia, Germany 
  forged an alliance with Russia and Austro-Hungary. That 
  union collapsed in 1887. Within the military, elements 
  are pushing for war against Germany’s eastern neigh-
  bors. While the government has rejected this plea, it has 
  not been able to prevent a secret cabal from stirring up 
  trouble with the Russians. 
  Meanwhile, the Emperor has ordered Germany to 
  expand her overseas colonies, pushing her into a race 
  to grab unclaimed territory before her European rivals. 
  Ironically, the British have aided her in this goal as a 
  means of spiting France.
  CASTLE FrANkENSTEiN
  Castle Frankenstein has stood on the outskirts of 
  Darmstadt, in southwest central Germany, since the 13th 
  century. Today it is abandoned, having gone from an an-
  cestral seat to a hospital before being left to the elements 
  in the 18th century. It was occupied again briefly in the 
  early part of the 19th century.
  Johann Konrad Dippel was a 17th century German 
  alchemist, theologian, and physician. For reasons un-
  known, he attempted to purchase Castle Frankenstein. 
  His eagerness to own the castle transcended sanity, for 
  he was prepared to give away the secret formula to his 
  Dippel’s Oil, an elixir of life, in return for the deeds. Al-
  though he never became the castle’s owner, he did stay 
  there for an extended period. 
  In a macabre foreshadowing of things to come, Dippel 
  experimented with reanimating corpses and soul trans-
  ference. Whether his experiments were successful or not 
  is unknown. Regardless, word of his activities quickly 
  spread to the local communities, and the destruction 
  of one of the castle’s towers during a thunderstorm of 
  supernatural intensity was the last straw—Dippel was 
  run out of town, chased by an angry mob of pitchfork-
  wielding peasants.
  Following his death in 1734, Dippel’s notebooks van-
  ished, only to resurface almost a century later in Geneva, 
  in the hands of one Victor Frankenstein, whose macabre 
  practices were documented by Mary Shelley. Although 
  Swiss by birth, Frankenstein made his way to the castle 
  that bore his name to conduct his experiments. Fol-
  lowing the murder of his wife Elizabeth, Frankenstein 
  abandoned the castle to search for the monster. It has 
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  
  •          •
  
  remained vacant since that day, slowly succumbing to the 
  unrelenting passage of time, and greatly feared by the 
  villagers who live in its shadow.
  HAMBurG
  The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, a city-state, 
  sits on the banks of the River Elbe. Some 70 miles from 
  the North Sea, it is nonetheless the third-largest port in 
  Europe, and the point of entry for many globetrotters 
  who elect to travel to Germany by means of ship. Home 
  to many shipping agents and companies, it is also the 
  point of exit for central European globetrotters. Ham-
  burg is a city of splendid architecture, historical build-
  ings, excellent railway links to the rest of Europe, and 
  bridges—it boasts over 2000 of the latter.
  TEuTOBurG FOrEST
  Dominating western Germany, the range of low, for-
  ested mountains known as Teutoburg Forest are familiar 
  to students of history. Amid the dark boughs, dense veg-
  etation, and dank bogs, three Roman legions met their 
  end on the spears and swords of the Germanic tribes. 
  The exact location of the battle was never detailed, and 
  thus remains a mystery to this day. Several attempts to 
  unearth the remains of those who fell have only resulted 
  in bruised egos and empty pockets.
  Standing on Grotenburg Hill, the remains of a hill 
  fort, is the Hermannsdenkmal (“Hermann monument”). 
  Erected in 1875 by Emperor Wilhelm I, the monument 
  comprises an arched stone base upon which stands a ro-
  manticized figure of Arminius, the Germanic leader who 
  led the horde against the Roman invaders, his sword 
  held aloft to signal his victory.
  Adventure Seeds
  * Villagers living in the vicinity of Castle Frankenstein 
  have reported seeing lights at the long-deserted castle. 
  What the mysterious intruders might be searching for is 
  unknown, but rumors of a secret laboratory have long 
  been circulating.
  * Several rusted metal items, among them a Roman 
  sword and pieces of armor, have gone on auction in Ber-
  lin. The brochure is vague on their origins, saying only 
  they were found in the region of the Hermannsdenkmal. 
  Several Leagues believe the battlefield might well lie 
  around, or beneath, the statue. Unfortunately, it is a sign 
  of German nationalism, and any excavations would be 
  denied a permit unless led by a German archaeologist.
  * In 1892, cholera sweeps through Hamburg. A few 
  weeks after the outbreak begins, a German solicitor by 
  the name of Thomas Hutter arrives in London and de-
  mands to meet with several Leagues. Extremely sick and 
  apparently insane, he manages to utter only two names to 
  the Leagues before he dies of cholera—Transylvania, and 
  Count Orlock. Intrigued, the Leagues are determined to 
  discover the identity of Count Orlock and unravel how 
  he relates to the cholera outbreak.
  * The Germans have begun the construction of a su-
  per-weapon, an enormous cannon mounted on a railway 
  truck. Capable of firing a shell over 50 miles, the British 
  government wants the weapon destroyed and the plans 
  in their possession. In order to prevent a diplomatic 
  scandal should any of its agents be captured, it decides 
  to hire freelance globetrotters.
  Great Britain
  Ruler of the air and seas, Great Britain is also the 
  greatest superpower the world has ever seen, with an 
  empire on which the sun never sets (according to one 
  wag because God doesn’t trust the British in the dark). 
  Such power and prestige does not come easily, and 
  throughout the age of Leagues of Adventure the country 
  is embroiled in numerous wars to expand and solidify its 
  overseas holdings.
  kiNG ArTHur
  Interest in the legend of King Arthur and his knights 
  is waxing. Le Morte d’Arthur, Mallory’s famous story, is 
  reprinted in 1817 for the first time in almost two centu-
  ries, leading to works of literature, painting, and poetry. 
  While the basic myths are known (mixed as they are with 
  Medieval French romances), there has been little scho-
  lastic interest in pursuing the legend. For those who do 
  wish to delve into the past, the West Country of England 
  is steeped in Arthurian folklore.
  Cadbury Castle
  Situated on the southern side of the Somerset Levels 
  and rising 500 feet above sea level, the hill fort known 
  as Cadbury Castle has a commanding view of the coun-
  tryside. Although the four sets of earth ramparts were 
  constructed around 500 BC, the hill fort remained in use 
  throughout the Roman period and into the early Dark 
  Ages, finally being abandoned around the end of the 6th 
  century (save for a few decades of occupation in the early 
  11th century).
  It has been associated with Camelot only since 1542, 
  and that link is tenuous, based purely on the vague simi-
  larity between the names.
  However, local tales of indeterminable age speak of 
  King Arthur and his knights sleeping beneath the sum-
  mit, and more than one local (possibly worse the wear 
  for cider) has claimed to have seen spectral riders atop 
  the castle ramparts on dark nights.
  leagues of adventure
  
  •              •
  
  Glastonbury Abbey & Tor
  Once one of the richest monasteries in England, the 
  abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII, its treasury 
  plundered, and its walls toppled. Part of the reason for 
  its fabulous wealth was the donations from pilgrims 
  who came to see the grave of King Arthur, which was 
  unearthed in 1191. During work in the graveyard, the 
  monks uncovered a gravestone inscribed with the leg-
  end, “Here lies interred the famous King Arthur on the 
  Isle of Avalon.” Beneath the stone were two skeletons, 
  one male and one female.
  What became of them in unknown, but in some sto-
  ries the monks interred the bones under nearby Glaston-
  bury Tor, the site concealed by the erection of a church. 
  This structure collapsed during an earthquake, though 
  a second building was hastily erected. All that remains 
  today is a solitary tower, the rest having been torn down 
  during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
  That Glastonbury Tor should mark Arthur’s resting 
  place is not that unusual to those who know the stories 
  of old. One legend tells that the hill is the entrance to An-
  nwn, the land of faeries where eternal youth was granted 
  to all. Of greater interest to scholars, until the surround-
  ing Somerset Levels were drained between the 12th and 
  17th centuries, Glastonbury Tor was a very prominent 
  island in a wetland—Avalon, Arthur’s supposed resting 
  place, was also an island.
  Tintagel Castle
  Inhabited since the Roman period, Tintagel Castle 
  stands on a rocky promontory on the west coast of Corn-
  wall. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, King Arthur 
  was conceived in the castle thanks to Merlin’s trickery. Al-
  though few scholars accept the story as fact, the discovery 
  of a stone bearing the name Artognou, found alongside 
  coins from the Arthurian era, has raised eyebrows among 
  the Leagues. Translating as “Bear-Knowing” in Celtic, it 
  is remarkably similar to Arthur (which also translates as 
  “Bear”).
  LONdON
  Great Britain’s capital city is inexorably tied to the for-
  tunes of the Empire. As the Empire expands, so to does 
  the population of London. At the turn of the century it 
  harbors one million souls, but as the century nears its 
  end that figure has risen to over six million.
  The latest construction rising into the sky is Tower 
  Bridge. Drawn up in response to the commercial growth 
  of the East End, the new river had to allow river traffic to 
  sail beyond its span. The final design was for a bascule 
  bridge (its span swings upward). Work is well underway, 
  and the bridge is scheduled for completion in 1894 (at a 
  cost of over £1 million). It has already drawn criticism for 
  its “absurd design” and “pretentiousness.”
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  
  More Tea & Medals
  Military medals fall into two categories—campaign med-
  als, awarded to soldiers who fought in a particular cam-
  paign, and bravery awards. In Leagues of Adventure, char-
  acters actively involved in a war, whether intentionally or 
  not, may be awarded campaign medals as recognition for 
  their service to Queen and country.
    Campaign Medals
  * Ashanti Star: Struck in 1896 for veterans of the Fourth 
  Anglo-Ashanti War.
  * British South Africa Company Medal: Awarded in 1896 
  to veterans of the First Matabele War. A second is struck in 
  1897 to mark the Second Matabele War campaign.
  * East and West Africa Medal: Issued to soldiers serving 
  in East and West Africa between 1887 and 1900. British 
  officers and soldiers receive a silver medal, while native 
  bearers a bronze medal.
  * East and Central Africa Medal:  As above, but for duty in 
  the regions between 1897 and 1899.
  * India Medal: Awarded from 1895-1902 to mark service 
  in the various Indian campaigns. Awarded to British and 
  Indian soldiers.
  * Queen’s Sudan Medal: Awarded in 1899 for service dur-
  ing the 1896-1898 campaign in the Sudan.
    Bravery Medals
  * Victoria Cross: Awarded to soldiers of the Empire who 
  display the “most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or 
  pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme de-
  votion to duty in the presence of the enemy.”
    Other Medals
  * Albert Medal: Awarded to recognise the saving of life. Is-
  sued in gold (First Class) and bronze (Second Class), and 
  further differentiated by one design for saving life on land 
  and the other at sea.
  * Indian Order of Merit: Awarded to native Indian officers 
  serving with the British Indian Army. Three classes, First, 
  Second, and Third, exist.
  * Order of British India: Chivalric award given to native 
  Indian officers for long and loyal service. Second Class re-
  cipients may use the title Bahadur (hero), and First Class 
  ones Sardar Bahadur (heroic leader).
  * Polar Medal: Awarded to members of polar expeditions 
  for “extreme human endeavour against the appalling 
  weather and conditions that exist in the Arctic and Ant-
  arctic.”
  
  Bethlem royal Hospital
  The Bethlem Royal Hospital is a lunatic asylum no-
  torious, until very recently, for the cruel and inhumane 
  treatment of its patients. During the 18th and early 19th 
  centuries, members of the public could pay to gaze at the 
  inmates and amuse themselves at their crazed behavior. 
  Fortunately, this practice has now stopped, and the visit-
  ing of a patient requires a written order from one of the 
  governors. As well as housing those branded as lunatics 
  or idiots, it also houses criminals and paupers. Patients 
  are labeled as curables or incurables.
  The hospital stands in Southwark, on the south side 
  of the Thames. A relatively new construction (it moved to 
  the site in 1816), it boasts a library and a ballroom. Each 
  evening, male and female patients deemed capable of 
  social interaction are allowed to mingle in the ballroom 
  (normally they are housed in separate wings).
  The word bedlam owes its origins to the hospital, and 
  even today the institute is known by that name.
  Tower of London
  Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066, the 
  Tower of London has been expanded and repaired down 
  the centuries. Initially a royal residence, it has been used 
  as an armory, a notorious prison, a menagerie, a fortress, 
  and a treasury. Today, it houses the Crown Jewels, which 
  are protected by the Yeoman Warders (more popularly 
  known as Beefeaters, supposedly because they were 
  entitled to eat a large ration of beef each day), an ar-
  mory, and gun platforms. It remains available as a prison, 
  though it has not officially housed any prisoners in many 
  decades.
  Ravens have long been associated with the Tower, 
  drawn no doubt to the rotting corpses of prisoners put 
  on display as a warning to others. According to legend, 
  Charles II was a keen astronomer, and chose the Tower 
  for the site of an observatory. Unfortunately, the ravens 
  seemed to enjoy using his telescope as a target for their 
  droppings. Enraged, the king ordered the birds killed, 
  whereupon he was duly informed that if the ravens were 
  killed, he would lose his kingdom. The observatory was 
  moved to Greenwich, and the birds became an integral 
  part of the castle. Over time, the legend has mutated, 
  spelling doom to the monarch should the ravens ever 
  leave (their wings are clipped).
  Bizarrely, as only the British can be, the ravens, of 
  which there are officially six, are enlisted members of the 
  army, and can be dismissed from service for conduct not 
  befitting a soldier of the crown.
  LyONESSE
  Thirty miles off the tip of Cornwall lie the Isles of 
  Scilly, an archipelago of 145 islands, five of which are 
  sparsely populated. Cornish mythology tells that long 
  ago the isles were joined to Cornwall, and the land in 
  between was known as Lyonesse. Quite when and how 
  the land sank beneath the waves is unknown, but early 
  Christian myth described it as a land of sinners punished 
  by God. Modern legends say the capital, Lethesow, is 
  intact, the tops of its towers visible beneath the waves on 
  nights of the full moon.
  SkArA BrAE
  On the wind swept Orkney Islands, which lie off the 
  northern coast of Scotland, once stood a large knoll, a 
  local landmark but otherwise inconsequential. In 1850, 
  a terrible storm battered the coast, stripping the grass 
  and soil from the knoll. On investigating the damage the 
  following day, the nearby inhabitants were shocked to 
  find that where the knoll once stood lay the preserved 
  walls of a village. Despite being widely reported, the site 
  has attracted very little scholastic interest.
  Constructed of drystone walls, the village comprises 
  a number of homes linked together by passageways. 
  The entire complex had only two entrances, making it 
  very defensible. With the island largely devoid of trees, 
  the builders used stone for their furniture—beds, seats, 
  storage boxes, cupboards, and even doors (locked by a 
  stone bar). More unusually, the builders incorporated a 
  drainage system and toilets, a feature not seen elsewhere 
  until the arrival of the Romans.
  Carved above the doors and bedposts are strange 
  symbols. Most consist of diagonal lines, possibly an early 
  form of writing, but just as possibly mere decoration 
  pleasing to the eye. More perplexing are a number of 
  carved stone balls. These have a number of knobs, rang-
  ing between three and 160, and have no easily discern-
  ible function.
  Who built the village is a contentious point among 
  historians and antiquarians. Few scholars have visited 
  the remote site, and most opinions proffered are based 
  on a few blurred photographs and second- or third-hand 
  verbal reports. The Picts are the favored candidates. Oth-
  ers include the Phoenicians, Romans, and Vikings.
  SiLBury HiLL
  In the county of Wiltshire, not far from the stone 
  circles at Avebury and Stonehenge, stands Silbury Hill, 
  an artificial chalk mound rising 130 feet above the sur-
  rounding countryside. Despite excavations in the 18th 
  and 19th centuries (the last one being in 1886), nothing 
  has been found within the mound. In most instances, 
  the excavations ended in financial ruin for their patrons, 
  for accidents and injuries were frequent.
  The story that lures men to spend fortunes digging 
  tunnels and hiring miners concerns King Sil, a monarch 
  who ruled long before the Romans placed a sandal in the 
  leagues of adventure
  10
  
  green and pleasant countryside. Upon his death, his fol-
  lowers constructed a life-size golden statue, which they 
  seated upon an equally realistically scaled horse. Over 
  this was constructed the mound of Silbury Hill.
  viTriFiEd FOrTS
  Found mainly in Scotland, vitrified forts are enclo-
  sures whose walls are not cemented or mortared to-
  gether, but are instead fused through the application of 
  intense heat. Antiquarians are divided into two camps. 
  One argues the heating was done to strengthen the wall; 
  the other argues the exact opposite. Likewise, there are 
  divisions over when the forts were constructed and by 
  whom. What neither faction can agree on is exactly how 
  the process was achieved. Experiments to reproduce the 
  fusing have all failed.
  Adventure Seeds
  * Lord Fansworth of Wincanton has uncovered evi-
  dence that he is a direct descendant of King Richard the 
  Lionheart, whom he believes carried Excalibur in battle 
  during the Crusades. Convinced he is the rightful King 
  of England, he seeks Excalibur to prove his claim. No 
  scholar, he seeks gullible globetrotters to do his dirty 
  work for him, after which he plans to dispose of them.
  * Britain is imperiled! Someone has stolen the ravens 
  from the Tower of London. So far the government has 
  kept the theft under wraps, but word is bound to reach 
  the public soon. Globetrotters of utmost discretion are 
  being hired to investigate.
  * A friend of the globetrotters has been researching 
  old legends concerning Silbury Hill. Rather than being 
  at the base of the mound, as previous excavators have 
  thought, he believes the statue of King Sil lies under-
  ground, literally beneath the hill. He is seeking funds 
  and helpers to burrow a tunnel to prove his theory.
  * During the Middle Ages, the baggage train of King 
  John (of Robin Hood infamy) took a shortcut across part 
  of the Wash, a vast bay and estuary on the east coast of 
  England, during one of his frequent court trips. Caught 
  by the tide, the train, which included a sizeable portion 
  of the treasury, was lost to the incoming tide. Following 
  the discovery of silver coins by fishermen, the Leagues 
  are racing to investigate the watery grave with all haste.
  * One of the globetrotters (preferably an alienist or 
  doctor) is called upon to treat a patient at Bethlem Royal 
  Hospital. During treatment, the patient speaks lucidly 
  about a treasure map and a lost city. Questioning the 
  staff, the globetrotter learns the man recently returned 
  from overseas, and went mad soon after. Can the word 
  of a lunatic be taken seriously?
  * London is in panic! Spring-heeled Jack, the devilish 
  figure last seen in the capital in the 1840s, has returned 
  to haunt the streets! While some Leagues suspect the fig-
  ure might be supernatural, others look to weird science 
  to explain his amazing ability to jump onto the roofs of 
  buildings and bound over high walls.
  Greece
  The history of Greece is well known, as are many of its 
  majestic monuments, the teachings of its philosophers, 
  and the deeds of its mighty heroes. Its modern history 
  begins in 1821, when the people rose up against the rul-
  ing Ottomans. Its autonomy acknowledged as a free na-
  tion by France, Great Britain, and Russia, the Ottomans 
  backed down, unwilling to test their mettle against such 
  mighty enemies.
  As elsewhere in the region, Ottoman rule did little to 
  prosper the country. Infrastructure and communications 
  are almost nonexistent, it lacks the raw materials neces-
  sary for industrialization, agriculture remains at subsis-
  tence levels, and formal education outside the cities is 
  negligible. This is not to say everyone is poor. A small 
  few have prospered as merchants, and ship ownership 
  brings great wealth to a tiny elite.
  True democracy is a new concept in Greece, having 
  been instituted only in 1864. Until then (and largely after-
  ward), politics is dominated by key families. Political strife 
  and corruption have helped prevent modernization, and 
  heavy taxes force Greece into insolvency in 1893. Not for 
  the last time in its history, Greece is forced to answer to 
  foreigners to help pay off its crippling debts.
  Language in Greece is as divisive as its politics. Most 
  peasants speak Demotic, a variant of the Greek tongue. 
  The educated elite, however, have a mind to rekindle 
  the glories of the past. They have created Katharevousa, 
  a language that sits somewhere between common and 
  ancient Greek. It is the language of politics, trade, and 
  the newspapers, but is largely unreadable by the masses. 
  In game terms, a globetrotter who speaks the Greek 
  language group knows both variants, whereas a Greek 
  peasant knows only Demotic.
  Nationalism is on the rise, fuelled not only by libera-
  tion and the desire to free traditional Greek regions from 
  Ottoman control, but by the struggle to claim Macedonia, 
  a region contested by Bulgaria and Serbia and governed 
  by the Ottomans. Political unrest, propaganda, and 
  armed struggle are all too common in northern Greece.
  The Story of Talos
  The tale of Talos, the bronze giant who protected 
  Crete, is not unknown to the Leagues. Indeed, it in-
  trigues many of them. The basic legend states that Talos 
  was a gift from the gods, created by Hephaestus, the god 
  of metalworking. Each day he circled the island three 
  times, throwing boulders at any approaching ships. His 
  one weakness was the nail in his ankle. Removed, it al-
  lowed Talos’ life fluid, described as an ichor not unlike 
  molten lead, to escape.
  Several Leagues desire to find the remains of Talos. 
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  11
  •        •
  
  The Daedalus Society believes Talos was an automaton, 
  an early form of weird science created by Daedalus (as 
  alluded to in some variations of the myth). Elements 
  within the Society of Aquanauts claim Talos was in fact a 
  submersible, possibly of Atlantean design, for how else 
  could it circle an island three times each day? The Gun 
  Club suspects the giant was in fact a cannon, as alluded to 
  by its capability to throw boulders immense distances.
  Adventure Seeds
  * A fisherman working the waters off the small island 
  of Antikythera (located off the northwest tip of Crete) 
  has discovered a strange object in his net. Although heav-
  ily corroded, it clearly has mechanical gears. The Leagues 
  of Adventure interested in the Talos legend have caught 
  wind of the discovery, and are busy making plans to pur-
  chase the object and search the seabed for further clues.
  * A madman has threatened to activate a weird sci-
  ence device he calls an Earthquake Inducer in Athens un-
  less his demands are met. Unable to pay the extortionate 
  ransom, the government turns to the Leagues for help.
  italy
  The ancient city-states of Italy were swept aside in 
  1871, when the country finally became a unified nation. 
  Even the Vatican has fallen, the pope a self-declared pris-
  oner in his palace.
  Previously held back in a near-feudal culture, the 
  Italians are embracing modernization. Extensive con-
  struction of railways in the north now links the country 
  to France, Germany, and Austria. Agriculture has been 
  revolutionized, again in the north, bringing a new era of 
  prosperity and growth, at least for the landlords. Foreign 
  investment has seen the construction of new factories. 
  Although the south has not benefitted as much, Italy is a 
  modern nation. 
  Rapid modernization, though, has come at a terrible 
  price. Agricultural workers are hired on short-term con-
  tracts, with no guarantee of work each year. Without 
  work, the people starve. Disease is rampant in the rural 
  communities, and overseas loans have left the country 
  with staggering debts, making it unable to deal with 
  the growing crisis. In the south, 80% of the population 
  are illiterate, natural disasters have left many homeless, 
  and taxation is high. The scent of rebellion is in the air. 
  Political infighting and lack of popular support lead to a 
  rapid succession of governments, which only exacerbate 
  attempts to improve the lot of the common man.
  Seeking to divert attention away from its internal 
  problems, Italy has turned to colonialism. A late player 
  to the game, it finds itself limited to resource poor ter-
  ritories, and lacks the finances to make any major expan-
  sions. Desiring Tunis but unwilling to anger the French, 
  it has cast its gaze further afield. Military conquests have 
  resulted in the creation of Italian Eritrea (on the coast 
  between Sudan and Ethiopia). Attempts to expand into 
  Ethiopia in 1895 meet with disaster, and result in huge 
  embarrassment for the beleaguered European nation.
  Meanwhile, dissent at home continued to grow. 
  In 1898, workers in Milan went on strike to complain 
  against the famine sweeping the land and the continuing 
  price hikes that were preventing them from buying back 
  goods. The government’s response was swift and brutal, 
  resulting in the deaths of over 100 citizens and many 
  injuries. In a move that only further fuelled resentment, 
  king decorated the commander of the army, General 
  Fiorenzo Bava-Beccaris. 
  Two years later, King Umberto’s error of judgment 
  would come back to haunt him—in 1900, he was assas-
  sinated by an American-Italian anarchist seeking ven-
  geance for the murdered strikers.
  GriMALdi CAvES
  That modern mankind originated in Europe and 
  spread elsewhere around the globe is, to the scholars of 
  the late 19th century, undisputed fact. However, a recent 
  find in Italy has thrown that hypothesis into turmoil.
  The caves in the vicinity of Ventimiglia, which lies 
  close to the Mediterranean border with France, have 
  long been known to have once been the repose of 
  ancient man. A few years ago, Prince Albert of Monaco 
  financed expeditions to investigate the caves in more 
  detail. Among the bones of prehistoric beasts and stone 
  tools were two skeletons.
  Detailed analysis has revealed their features are not 
  those of Europeans, Neanderthals, or Cro-Magnon man 
  (a generic term for early humans used after the discovery 
  of skeletons in 1868), but of an unknown race. Short 
  and possessing a bone structure indicative of strong 
  musculature, they have elongated craniums. While some 
  scholars have argued they are of southern African stock 
  (and thus are the ancestors of black Africans), others 
  question whether the skeletons actually have any ances-
  try to modern humans.
  rOME
  Undeniably the most famous city in Europe, Rome is 
  awash with ancient ruins, Renaissance palaces, and Ba-
  roque fountains and churches. Combined with the many 
  libraries and museums (most public, some private), it is 
  a dream city for antiquarians and architects alike. Unfor-
  tunately, the plethora of ruins has contributed to limited 
  modernization within the city center.
  The Palladium Stone
  According to mythology, Zeus sent down a statue of 
  Pallas Athena (the Palladium) from the sky to Dardanus, 
  leagues of adventure
  1
  •     •
  
  the founder of Troy. The wooden statue was imbued 
  with the power to protect the great city. Its magic was 
  most evident during the Trojan War.
  Troy may have weathered the assault for eternity but 
  for an act of treachery. Helenus, the son of Priam, ruler 
  of Troy, was blessed with prophetic powers. He had also 
  fallen out with his brother and father over Helen of Troy, 
  when her hand in marriage was awarded to his brother 
  after the death of Paris. Helenus revealed the secret of 
  the Palladium to the Greeks. Two Greek heroes, Odys-
  seus and Diomedes, snuck into Troy one night and stole 
  the statue. Within weeks, Troy was a burning ruin, having 
  fallen for the ruse of the “Trojan Horse.”
  Centuries later, the Palladium reached the city of 
  Rome. Legends tell that the magical statue safeguarded 
  the city for many hundreds of years, allowing Rome to 
  extend its power across much of Europe and North Af-
  rica. What became of the statue is unknown.
  Some legends say Emperor Constantine had the sa-
  cred object moved to Constantinople. This story may 
  hold water, for whereas Rome fell to barbarians, the 
  eastern city held off determined Arab assaults in the 7th 
  century. Yet Constantinople was sacked in 1204, during 
  the Fourth Crusade, an indication the Palladium had 
  moved on yet again.
  SyBAriS
  The lost city of Sybaris has much in common with 
  the tale of sunken Atlantis. Standing proud on the west-
  ern shore of the Gulf of Taranto (the void between the 
  “heel” and “sole” of Italy), it was founded by the ancient 
  Greeks. Possessed of fertile agricultural land and quick 
  to develop a multicultural society, something shunned 
  by other Greek colonies at the time, Sybaris and its citi-
  zens grew fabulously wealthy.
  Through trading treaties and military conquest, the 
  city expanded its territory, eventually ruling over much 
  of southern Italy. Its army was as impressive as its treasur-
  ies, and texts tell that the king could field 5000 knights, 
  making it the superior of Athens many times over.
  Unfortunately, wealth led to decadence and deca-
  dence to corruption, for the people wanted for nothing, 
  and thus had no aspirations or goals beyond further 
  hedonism. The city fathers yearned for greater luxuries 
  and more extravagant displays of opulence. The cruel 
  hand of tyranny grasped the city, driving many to flee to 
  neighboring towns. When the tyrant Telys’ demand that 
  the exiles be returned from their places of refuge was ig-
  nored, he summoned the mighty army to war. Weakened 
  by good living, the Sybaratic host was defeated. Fuelled 
  by victory and revenge, the exiles sought to erase the city 
  from history. The nearby river was diverted, condemning 
  Sybaris to drown in water and silt. Across the ancient 
  world, Sybaris became a byword for excessive prosperity 
  and pride, the vengeance wrought upon it divine retribu-
  tion for the excessive love of wealth over the gods.
  Today, the city is all but a myth, known only to Clas-
  sical scholars, while its name remains synonymous with 
  opulence and hedonism.
  Adventure Seeds
  * A long, hot summer has caused the waters of the 
  River Crathis to recede. Peasants fishing in the region 
  have reported seeing a section of wall. The Leagues are 
  planning expeditions to investigate and excavate before 
  the waters rise and swallow the site again. Some do so out 
  of historical scholarship, while other seek the fabulous 
  wealth supposedly drowned alongside the occupants.
  * The Hollow Earth Society believes the Grimaldi Man 
  skeletons are those of denizens from the Hollow Earth, 
  visitors who brought knowledge to early humans. It de-
  sires an expedition to study the bones in more detail and 
  investigate the many caves in the region for a possible 
  route to the center of the Earth.
  * A member of British intelligence contacts the globe-
  trotters (old friends or trusted supporters of the Empire) 
  and arranges a meeting at the opera. Before he can do 
  more than reveal a name, he is murdered. Armed with 
  just the name, the heroes are drawn into a wide-rang-
  ing search for the Palladium Stone. Much is at stake, for 
  Prussian agents also seek the relic. If they succeed, Berlin 
  will be impregnable, giving the Germans a valuable tool 
  should they ever elect to declare war in Europe.
  Malta
  Part of the British Empire since 1814, the island of 
  Malta is strategically situated between the Straits of 
  Gibraltar, gateway to the Mediterranean, and the Suez 
  Canal, gateway to the Indian Ocean. As a result of the 
  trade network between Great Britain and India, Malta 
  has prospered since British occupancy. The island is also 
  home to the British Mediterranean Fleet.
  The size of the fleet, the largest the British Royal Navy 
  commands, is impressive—ten first-class battleships and 
  a dozen or so smaller ships—but what is more impressive 
  is that the harbor can accommodate the entire squadron 
  at the same time. Naturally, this makes it a natural draw 
  for foreign agents.
  While many globetrotters are likely to stop off here 
  at some point, if only to stretch their legs for a few days 
  while their ship resupplies, others are drawn to the is-
  land for its prehistorical ruins and artifacts, and to visit 
  Valetta, the capital. It is also a grand city, ideally suited 
  to the tastes of gentlemen explorers. Benjamin Disraeli 
  described it as “a city of palaces built by gentlemen for 
  gentlemen,” whose noble architecture equals, if it does 
  not excel, any capital in Europe.
  Ruler: Governors Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Au-
  gustus Smyth (1890-1893), Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur 
  James Lyon Fremantle (1893-1899), Lieutenant-General 
  Sir Francis Wallace Grenfell (1899-1903)
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  1
  •      •
  
  MEGALiTH TEMPLES
  Dotted across the island are a series of ancient mega-
  lithic ruins of monumental scale. Current opinion is that 
  these are temples, though what deities may have been 
  worshipped here is debatable. The complexity of the 
  sites, coupled with the size of the stones, have led some 
  archaeologists to question whether the builders might 
  have been Egyptians. While geography would allow this 
  supposition, the only inscriptions found in the ruins 
  have been stylistic rather than hieroglyphic in nature. 
  More perplexing are the deep ruts that cut through 
  the bedrock in perfectly straight lines. They have the 
  outward appearance of railway tracks, but many end at 
  the waterline (or disappear over sheer cliffs in elevated 
  terrain).
  Among the finds that have intrigued the Leagues over 
  the last few decades are the bones of elephants and hip-
  popotamuses. While the bones of such creatures have 
  long been studied in Africa, those of Malta share one very 
  unusual trait—they are all pygmies, averaging only 5-6 
  feet at the shoulder.
  Adventure Seeds
  * The Hollow Earth Society and Sumeria Club are at 
  loggerheads over the origins of the Maltese temples. The 
  former argues they were built by descendants of an ante-
  diluvian race who emerged from the Hollow Earth, while 
  the latter favors the Sumerian progenitor race.
  * A scholar who has visited the Maltese temples has 
  recently seen photographs of Skara Brae. It is his opin-
  ion that the two sites share a great deal of similarity, and 
  he is seeking funds to investigate the various sites in the 
  hope of finding evidence of common builders.
  * In 1893, two battleships of the British Mediterra-
  nean Fleet, HMS Victoria and HMS Camperdown collide 
  during maneuvers off the Libyan coast, resulting in the 
  deaths of over 350 sailors, including the commander of 
  the fleet. Although officially a tragic accident, the Admi-
  ralty suspects foul play was involved (HMS Victoria sank 
  in just 15 minutes). Trusted men and woman are sought 
  to investigate the sunken wreckage of the warship.
  * In 1530, King Charlves V of Spain granted the Knights 
  Hospitaller the island of Malta. In return, the knights 
  were to send him one Maltese falcon every year. Unable 
  to meet their obligation in 1539, they instead sent a gold 
  statue of a falcon encrusted with gems. Pirates captured 
  the galley, and the treasure promptly vanished from his-
  tory. Until now, that is. 
  While leaving their club by carriage, the globetrotters 
  discover the previous occupant has left behind his wal-
  let. Learning of his address from his calling cards, they 
  reach the house to find the unfortunate man dying and 
  thugs ransacking his house. Before he dies, the man 
  points them toward a book in his library. Inside is an old 
  map marked with a falcon’s head. The race is on to find 
  the Maltese Falcon.
  romania
  Until recently, Romania was a state within the Otto-
  man Empire. Long oppressed and treated as second-class 
  citizens by the earlier Hungarian kings and later the Ot-
  tomans, the Romanians finally threw off the last vestiges 
  of foreign suzerainty in 1878 following the Russo-Turkish 
  War. Though forced to cede territory to Russia, the coun-
  try was officially recognized as an independent state.
  As in other European countries formerly under Otto-
  man rule, much of Romania is backward through no fault 
  of its own. High taxation and lack of economic invest-
  ment have left it trailing far behind Europe’s industrial-
  ized nations. That said, King Carol has always been keen 
  to improve his nation.
  Before the advent of the kingdom, when Romania was 
  a semi-autonomous principality, he oversaw the installa-
  tion of gas street lighting, limited electricity, and horse-
  drawn trams in Bucharest, the capital. Since becoming 
  king, investment in the city has increased dramatically. 
  New buildings and wide boulevards are springing up, 
  and their architecture has earned the city the title, “The 
  Paris of the East.” No longer tied economically to Austro-
  Hungary, private enterprise in Bucharest has boomed. 
  Carol, enamored of the Leagues, has extended an invita-
  tion for them to open clubhouses in Bucharest.
  Despite having suffered centuries of persecution, the 
  Romanians place similar restrictions on the Roma, also 
  known as the Gypsies, who live here in large numbers.
  Modern Romania comprises the states of Moldavia 
  and Wallachia. Transylvania remains part of the Austro-
  Hungarian Empire until the next century.
  BiSTriTA MONASTEry
  Founded in the 15th century, the Romanian Orthodox 
  Church building is located in Moldavia, on the eastern 
  flank of the Carpathian Mountains. The monastery was 
  an important center for calligraphers and chroniclers 
  throughout Romanian history, and today houses an 
  impressive collection of Romanian works dating back to 
  the 12th century. Known as the Black Library, the library 
  takes its name from the interior walls, which, according 
  to local legend, were ravaged by fire in 1538. The books, 
  however, were saved from destruction by the interven-
  tion of Saint Anne, to whom the monastery is dedicated.
  Adventure Seeds
  * The need for research materials has led the globe-
  trotters to Bristrita Monastery. While browsing through 
  the Black Library, they discover an ancient map of Tran-
  sylvania. Marked on the Borgo Pass is an unnamed castle. 
  Could this be Castle Dracula?
  leagues of adventure
  1
  •         •
  
  Scandinavia
  Although separate countries, the three nations that 
  form Scandinavia share much in the way of language, 
  culture, and customs. They are tied together by the 
  Scandinavian Monetary Union, which fixes exchange 
  rates. The scheme is so successful that currencies from 
  the countries are accepted across Scandinavia without 
  question, being seen as good as the local currency.
  dENMArk
  Denmark occupies the northern half of the Jutland 
  Peninsula and the hundreds of islands that lie off the 
  coast. The southern portion, divided into two states 
  (Schleswig in the north and Holstein in the south) is part 
  of the German Empire. While the Germans endeavor to 
  absorb the Danish into the greater Teutonic mind set 
  (such as introducing laws that only German be spoken 
  in schools), the Danes struggle to retain their national 
  identity and culture. Despite lacking natural resources, 
  Denmark’s position and willingness to engage in open 
  trade has enabled her to industrialize. The growth of 
  industry has also altered the face of politics. Once held 
  by the educated elite, many positions of power are now 
  being taken by the lower classes.
  SWEdEN & NOrWAy
  The United Kingdom of Sweden and Norway has 
  existed since 1814, when Norway, formerly part of Den-
  mark-Norway, was ceded to its neighbor during the Na-
  poleonic Wars. As a result, its overseas territories of the 
  Faeroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland were transferred 
  to the Danes. Although ultimately under Sweden’s con-
  trol, Norway has a separate constituion.
  Sweden
  Sweden is a modern country and has embraced tech-
  nology and innovation. The old system of communal 
  village farming has been swept aside, replaced by large 
  farms. As a result, this has freed up manpower to work 
  in the factories (although a large number of Swedes have 
  migrated to the United States in recent decades). 
  Stockholm, the capital, is enjoying a period of major 
  development. Parts of the old, cramped city are being 
  demolished, replaced by new streets, esplanades, and 
  buildings (the latter with electricity and telephones). 
  However, the city renewal does not yet stretch to the 
  suburbs. Around the factories, shantytowns have devel-
  oped. Whereas the center has sewage draining and run-
  ning water, the shanties have poor sanitation, and are 
  rife with disease.
  Although not currently involved in any wars, all male 
  Swedes must undertake two-years of military service, 
  and gymnastics (intended to produce fit young adults) is 
  compulsory in all schools. Skiing, long a popular form of 
  recreation, has been promoted to encourage patriotism, 
  heroism, and environmentalism.
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  1
  Anarchists
  The late Victorian age is a turbulent time. Nation-
  alism and the belief in common rights for all men 
  is at fever pitch despite millennia of feudalism. It 
  is important to note that anarchists are not com-
  munists, nor are they proponents of social chaos. 
  Indeed, many rally against communism. Rather, 
  anarchism is a philosophy that rejects the need for 
  state control over mankind, favoring instead paid 
  voluntary labor (no work, no pay) and a non-hier-
  archical system where equality is king. Essentially, 
  the individual is free to act as he desires, so long 
  as the common good is supported, without others 
  imposing their will and desires upon him. Naturally, 
  anarchy also applies to religion, which, in the eyes 
  of anarchists exists only to control the masses and 
  reinforce one viewpoint over all others. Liberals are 
  often portrayed as anarchists by the state.
  Whether such a state can work is hotly debated by 
  philosophers and freethinkers across the globe. 
  Many European anarchists point to the American 
  Indians, whose culture embodies many anarchist 
  principles yet is not lawless or chaotic, as proof the 
  system has validity.
  Free love, popular in the United States of America, 
  is an anarchist train of thought espousing equal 
  rights for women in matters of marriage and con-
  traception, areas that favor men. Anarcho-commu-
  nism supports small communes, each individually 
  governed, but joined together in a mutually benefi-
  cial federation. Instead of money, they favor access 
  to communal supplies as a reward for labor and 
  participation.
  Some anarchists favor a peaceful social revolution 
  through pamphlets, letters, and oratory. Others use 
  the bomb and bullet to get their point across. The 
  various states consider both to be subversive and 
  dangerous elements.
  •             •
  
  Most of the population lives in the south. As one 
  heads north, the country becomes heavily forested. In 
  the west, separating Norway and Sweden, a range of 
  mountains stretches north to south. The south enjoys 
  warm summers and cold winters, while the north (a size-
  able portion of which lies inside the Arctic Circle) has 
  short, cool summers, and long, harsh winters.
  Sweden is currently engaged in a diplomatic battle 
  with Great Britain. When Britain announced it was open-
  ing an airship route to Scandinavia, the Swedes naturally 
  assumed it would fly between London and Stockholm. 
  However, the British chose to terminate the line in Kris-
  tiana (Oslo), a move that has the Swedes infuriated.
  Norway
  Although answerable to Sweden, the Norwegians 
  remain fiercely independent. The treaty that formed the 
  United Kingdom allows them a separate constitution and 
  parliament. As the decade ends, Norway and Sweden 
  become locked in a trade war. With a commercial treaty 
  set to end in 1897, Sweden switches to a protectionist 
  economy. In retaliation, the Norwegians increase trade 
  tariffs for their neighbors. The capital, originally named 
  Oslo, has been known as Kristina since 1877. A major 
  trading center, the city is struggling to recover from an 
  economic boom that unexpectedly collapsed in 1889. On 
  the outskirts of Kristiana stands the Holmenkollbakken, 
  a ski jumping hill. Created in 1892, the slope becomes 
  the focus of an annual skiing competition.
  Norway is a long, thin country. The interior is moun-
  tainous, with little useful land, while the coastline is 
  rugged, broken by long, deep, steep-sided fjords. Thou-
  sands of small islands lie off the coast, providing a barrier 
  against the worst of Atlantic storms.
  Adventure Seeds
  * A Norwegian prospector recently brought a sample 
  of a strange, silvery metal (which he enigmatically called 
  a “giant’s bone”) to the attention of a scientist. Upon 
  testing, the metal proved to be both exceptionally light 
  and remarkably strong—an ideal material for making 
  warships and land dreadnoughts. The prospector has 
  disappeared and the sample stolen from the scientist’s 
  laboratory. Unsure who else to turn to, the scientist con-
  tacts the Leagues for help.
  * A fisherman sailing the frozen waters of the Arctic 
  Ocean has reported seeing a Viking longship inside an 
  iceberg. The Leagues are racing to locate the vessel before 
  the ice melts and the vessel sinks beneath the water.
  Spain
  Spain is a country used to unrest. Following almost a 
  century of civil wars and political chaos, an attempt was 
  made to stabilize the country in 1874. Unfortunately, the 
  chosen means came about through political fraud—the 
  Conservative and Liberal parties conspired to take it in 
  turns to rule, sidelining all other political parties. Despite 
  the rampant corruption, Spain has begun to drag herself 
  into the modern age, investing vast sums in a belated 
  and ultimately doomed attempt to bring herself to a level 
  equal with the other great powers.
  Spain’s overseas territories once stretched from Can-
  ada to the southernmost tip of South America, as well as 
  the western Pacific. Over the last century, this has been 
  steadily eroded. Of her American holdings she maintains 
  a grip only on Cuba, and in the Pacific she is confined 
  to the Philippines and Guam. By the end of the century, 
  even these have slipped through Spain’s fingers. In Af-
  rica, she controls a few slivers of land—Spanish Sahara 
  (on the west coast), the northern coast of Morocco, and 
  Equatorial Guinea—scraps unwanted by France, Ger-
  many, and Great Britain.
  THE LAdy OF ELCHE
  During excavation work on a private estate, workers 
  unearthed a spectacular and mysterious stone bust. Ap-
  parently female (some viewers have claimed it is male), 
  the figure has an elaborate headdress with large coils on 
  each side of the face, and copious amounts of jewelry 
  hung around her neck. Strangely, there is a hole in the 
  back of the bust. No pottery, bones, tools, or inscriptions 
  were discovered with the bust, giving archaeologists no 
  clues to its origins. While there are some Carthaginian 
  and Greek elements recognizable in the image, most are 
  totally alien. French archaeologists quickly purchased 
  the bust. It is currently on display in the Louvre.
  Needless to say, the Leagues have expressed keen 
  interest in the bust., though so far they have been de-
  nied permission to examine it in closer detail. Theories 
  are flying around like bees around honey, and plans are 
  already afoot to excavate in the vicinity of the find in the 
  hope of finding more treasures, or at least something to 
  help date and originate the bust.
  Adventure Seeds
  * The Lady of Elche was on display at the Louvre. It 
  has been stolen, and only a few weeks before a panel of 
  esteemed archaeologists and League members is due to 
  meet in Paris to analyze and debate the origins of the 
  bust. If the bust is not returned in time, France’s honor 
  and reputation will be tarnished. Help is required.
  * A scholar has found a map supposedly drawn up 
  by Christopher Colombus in 1493, on his return from 
  his first voyage. It shows an island in the Caribbean that 
  appears on no modern charts. Enamored of mysteries, 
  the Leagues propose to investigate.
  * The discovery of French Napoleonic coins in the 
  Spanish Pyrenees, as reported in the newspapers, has led 
  to rumors of a lost payroll wagon train in the vicinity. 
  leagues of adventure
  1
  •      •
  
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  1
  Fearful Officer
  Archetype: Military Officer Motivation: Redemption
  Style: 3
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 2
  Charisma: 2
  Dexterity: 3
  Intelligence: 3
  Strength: 2
  Willpower: 3
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 6
  Move: 5
  Defense: 5
  Perception: 6
  Stun: 2
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Bureaucracy
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Con
  2
  3
  5
  (2+)
  Diplomacy
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Empathy
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Expeditions
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Firearms
  3
  1
  4
  (2)
  Melee
  2
  2
  4
  (2)
  Ride
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Talents
  Danger Sense (Retains his full Defense rating when 
  surprised or ambushed)
  Resources
  Follower 0 (Batman)
  Rank 0 (The Four Feathers Club; +1 Social bonus)
  Rank 1 (Army Lieutenant; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Coward (+1 Style point whenever he gives up without 
  a fight or abandons his friends to save his own skin)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  0N
  (0)N
  Light revolver
  2L
  0
  6L
  (3)L
  Arming sword
  3L
  0
  7L
  (3+)L
  “Even as i walk through the 
  shadow of the valley... oh, 
  bugger this, i’m off!”
  Character Background
  I had little choice but to join the army. My family has 
  served the Crown for many generations, and there was 
  no other option my father would permit. Disobedience 
  was impossible, for it is not in my nature to question the 
  will of others, especially men such as my father.
  My first posting saw me sent to Africa, where I was a 
  member of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition of 1886 that 
  endeavored to relieve the besieged governor of Equato-
  ria from the Mahdist forces. Wet behind the ears and un-
  tested in battle, I was given command of a half-company 
  of infantry that would form part of the rear guard.
  After many months marching, my command was or-
  dered to drop back from the main column, for we had 
  heard word that Mahdist troops were attempting to move 
  behind our ranks. They ambushed us before we could 
  form a defensive formation, falling upon us like savages. 
  My heart failed me, and before a shot had been fired I 
  fled into the jungle. How long I ran I cannot say, but I 
  stopped only when I could no longer hear the sounds of 
  firing and the screams of the dying.
  Perhaps it was my conscience that urged me to return 
  to the scene of the fighting. Maybe it was a perverse cu-
  riosity, or a glimmer of hope that the men had emerged 
  victorious. The latter notion was soon dispelled, for it 
  was readily apparent the company had been massacred 
  to the last man. I wept for hours, though whether it was 
  from guilt or relief that none knew of my cowardice 
  I shall never know. On rejoining the column I lied to 
  the captain, telling him I had been sent as a runner to 
  fetch reinforcements. I returned with the relief column, 
  already knowing what we would find, but urging hope in 
  the men that we could bring our comrades to safety.
  On my return to London I promptly joined the Four 
  Feathers Club. I had received no such token of coward-
  ice, but my sin weighed heavily on my soul. I remain an 
  officer, for I know I shall never know peace until I have 
  paid penance for each and every man who fell in battle 
  that day. I know my presence would not have changed 
  the outcome, but every day I live is a slight on the honor 
  of those who perished. Though my heart is still craven, 
  I shall strive to be a better man, to fight with honor and 
  bravery, and to erase the ghastly images that haunt my 
  dreams to this day.
  roleplaying
  You are a man torn between fulfilling his duty to the 
  Crown, redeeming his soul for past transgressions, and 
  saving his own skin. These conflicting needs tear at you, 
  often forcing you to make moral decisions you would 
  rather avoid.
  
  Stargazer
  Archetype: Academic 
  Motivation: Truth
  Style: 3
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 3
  Charisma: 2
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 3
  Strength: 3
  Willpower: 2
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 5
  Move: 5
  Defense: 5
  Perception: 5
  Stun: 3
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Academics: 
  History
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Athletics
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Expeditions
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Investigation
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Linguistics
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Science: 
  Astronomy
  3
  4
  7
  (3+)
  Survival
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Talents
  Time Sense (Always knows the time)
  Resources
  Contacts 0 (Equipping; +1 bonus)
  Follower 0 (Chronicler of Adventures)
  Rank 1 (Royal Astronomical Society; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Condescending (+1 Style point whenever she proves 
  someone else wrong or establishes her own superior-
  ity.)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  1N
  (0+)N
  “i told you i commanded the 
  sun. Now, let us go and no 
  harm will befall you or your 
  people.”
  Character Background
  I still remember the day my father took me to the 
  British Museum. It was there and then I determined to 
  become an archaeologist. Fortunately, my grades were 
  sufficient to earn me a scholarship to a good university, 
  for my father was a humble bank clerk, hard working but 
  content with his lot in life.
  During my second year we studied Stonehenge. While 
  my tutor droned on about druids, it suddenly occurred 
  to me that the entire structure, vast as it was, was nothing 
  less than a calendar. After all, it was built in an age when 
  men had no means of establishing dates, and such things 
  were essential for knowing when to plant and when to 
  reap. My suggestion, which I had inadvertently vocalized 
  to the class, was dismissed with a raised eyebrow and a 
  reminder that we were discussing primitive men.
  Knowing that I was right, I immediately applied for 
  a second course, this one in astronomy, for only by 
  having knowledge of the stars could I prove my theory 
  beyond doubt. Passing both courses, I commenced on 
  my doctorate—a detailed study of Stonehenge and how 
  it functioned as a calendar. Of course, such thinking was 
  against common opinion, and, lesser men that they are, 
  the board chose to deny me my rightful qualification. 
  They graciously acknowledged my intelligence, and ex-
  tended me the chance to write a second thesis. I rejected 
  their placating offer, called them jackanapes, and left 
  behind the cumbersome burden to the intellect that is 
  academia. Fortunately, the Royal Astronomical Society, to 
  whom I had also submitted my paper, was more accom-
  modating, and offered me a place in its ranks. A few even 
  agreed, in part at least, with my ideas. 
  Since that day, I have spent long months drawing de-
  tailed maps of ancient standing stones and circles both 
  here and in France, where there are sufficient examples. 
  The knowledge I have gained would prove my theory 
  even to an idiot, but I have discovered something more, 
  something deeper. There are subtle clues both in the 
  stones and ancient histories, clues below the perception 
  of men with closed minds and dull wits, which hint at 
  a progenitor for the construction of calendars. Ancient 
  man did not accidentally stumble upon the knowledge 
  of the heavenly sphere and the means to map its pass-
  ing—a greater intellect instructed him.
  roleplaying
  You know that ancient man understood the move-
  ment of the heavens to an advance level, and anyone 
  who disagrees is an incompetent buffoon.
  leagues of adventure
  1
  
  Globetrotters’ Guide to the Old World
  1
  Thespian
  Archetype: Artist 
  Motivation: Duty
  Style: 3
  Health: 5
  Primary Attributes
  Body: 3
  Charisma: 3
  Dexterity: 2
  Intelligence: 3
  Strength: 2
  Willpower: 2
  Secondary Attributes
  Size: 0
  Initiative: 5
  Move: 4
  Defense: 5
  Perception: 5
  Stun: 3
  Skill
  Base
  Levels
  Rating
  Average
  Academics: Litera-
  ture
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
     Plays
  6
  (3)
  Art: Writing
  3
  3
  6
  (3)
  Diplomacy
  3
  1
  4
  (2)
  Empathy
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Linguistics
  3
  2
  5
  (2+)
  Melee
  2
  2
  4
  (4)
  Performance
  3
  4
  7
  (3+)
     Acting
  8
  (4)
  Talents
  Captivate (Can attempt to entrance his opponents dur-
  ing combat)
  Resources
  Fame 1 (Actor; +2 Social bonus)
  Follower 0 (Personal assistant)
  Rank 0 (The Stratford Players; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw
  Stubborn (+1 Style point whenever his inflexibility 
  causes him trouble)
  Weapons
  Rating
  Size
  Attack
  Average
  Punch
  0N
  0
  0N
  (0)N
  “Sir, i am reciting the Bard. 
  kindly stop waving that spear 
  at me and sit down!”
  Character Background
  Seeking that I should be suitably learned in matters of 
  law, my father insisted that I attend university. My friends 
  were varied, and featured among them young men who 
  favored amateur dramatics. Short of a player, they ca-
  joled me into taking a minor role in one of their plays. 
  My appearance was brief, but I was smitten immediately. 
  The appreciation of the crowd proved no lure, for it was 
  the words I spoke that captured my soul. 
  At once I changed my course, discarding law in fa-
  vor of literature, for I craved to understand the deeper 
  meaning of the words I had spoken by rote. I joined the 
  dramatic society, and was soon performing in the lead 
  roles, as well as directing players. Such was the passion 
  I felt for Shakespeare that I forsook all thoughts of be-
  coming a man of leisure or business, as my inheritance 
  would allow, and set myself upon the road to becoming 
  an actor and a teacher, for I believe in my heart of hearts 
  that Shakespeare transcends culture and language, and 
  can be a tool for both instruction and healing. After all, 
  what culture cannot not relate to the tragedy of Hamlet 
  or the avarice of Macbeth?
  That I should seek to become an actor drove my father 
  into a fit of apoplexy that would do Macbeth an injustice 
  as he watched Birnam Wood come calling at his castle. 
  Naturally he cut me off without a penny and forbade my 
  name to be spoken within our ancestral hall. I hold no 
  grudge, for he is a man of simple tastes, and sees neither 
  art nor wisdom in the works of the Bard.
  My first overseas recital came about quite by accident. 
  I was accompanying a friend on an expedition to India, 
  my services hired as a chronicler of his activities. Upon 
  hearing that the local raja had never heard of Shakespeare 
  I at once broke into verse. Such was his joy that I was 
  soon performing for an audience of local dignitaries.
  That is when it struck me. While I could perform the-
  ater in England to my heart’s content and enjoy acclaim, 
  there was a world that knew naught of the Bard and his 
  plays. At once I resolved to put straight this defect of 
  literature and culture.
  I must beg your pardon, good sir, for my performance 
  of Hamlet for the chieftain is due to commence precisely 
  at seven of the clock, and the Bard waits for no man.
  roleplaying
  Shakespeare is your life. You feel it is your duty to 
  ensure that his work lives on, and that through his plays 
  men may come together in common harmony. You live 
  your life according to a schedule of theater engagements, 
  and refuse to be swayed. God forbid circumstances 
  should require you to cut short a performance!
  
  Sample Henchmen
  Chauffeur
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Craft: Mechanics 4, Pilot: Automotive 5
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Overconfident (+1 Style point whenever he is
  whenever he is 
  forced to ask for help or when his bravado gets him in 
  over his head))
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Composer
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Art: Music 5, Performance 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Condescending (+1 Style point whenever
  whenever 
  he proves someone else wrong or establishes his own 
  superiority))
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Consulting detective
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Perception 7, 
  Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Empathy 5, Firearms 4, Investigation 5, Stealth 
  4, Streetwise 4
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Inscrutable (–2 penalty on social rolls when 
  trying to connect with other people; +1 Style point 
  whenever she is misunderstood or her mysterious mo-
  tives cause trouble))
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Light revolver 6L
  Cracksman
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Demolition 4 (Explosives 5), Larceny 4 (Safe-
  cracking 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Criminal (+1 Style point whenever he is hurt
  whenever he is hurt 
  by his negative reputation))
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Fencing instructor
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 2, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Acrobatics 4 (Balance 5), Melee 4 (Swords 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever he refuses
  whenever he refuses 
  to help someone in dire need))
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Rapier 7L
  Land dreadnought Crewman
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Strength 2, 
  Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Willpower 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Perception 3, 
  Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Craft: Mechanics 3, Gunnery 4, Pilot: Automo-
  tive 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: hard of Hearing (+1 Style point whenever his
  whenever his 
  poor hearing gets him into trouble or causes a critical 
  misunderstanding))
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Politician
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Con 4 (Bluff 5), Diplomacy 4 (Politics 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Stubborn (+1 Style point whenever his inflex-
  whenever his inflex-
  ibility causes him trouble, or he forces others to go along 
  with his idea))
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Solicitor
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, Strength 1, 
  Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Willpower 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Perception 4, 
  Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Academics: Law 5, Bureaucracy 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Honest (+1 Style point whenever his honesty
  whenever his honesty 
  causes trouble))
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  leagues of adventure
  0
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Leagues of Adventure/Globetrotters Guides/Globetrotters Guide to the Old World.pdf