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VOLUME 1
Best of Fenix is © Åskfågeln. All rights reserved.
EDITORIAL
THROUGH A SWEDISH FILTER
BEST OF FENIX WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO OUR CROWDFUNDERS ABOUT THE COVER
Mattias Andersen, Svend Andersen, Johan Andersson, Magnus Jaen, Gerall Kahla, Christian Karlsson, Jonas Karlsson, Jörgen We have no clue what we would do without Lukas Thelin,
Andersson, Tomas Andersson, Stefan Anundi, Ingo Beyer, Anton Karlsson, Martti Karonen, Scott Kehl, Ed Kiernan, Christoffer the talented illustration artist we at Åskfågeln (our com-
Bexelius, Robert Biskin, Jonas Bjornfot, Jason Blalock, Alexis Krämer, David Lai, Rolf Larsson, David Leben, William Leicht, pany is named after a mythical bird – the Thunderbird)
Brandeker, Hans Brunnström, Jose Luiz Ferreira Cardoso, Jonas Lidén, Corey Liss, Kym Malycha, James Martin, Igor Coura are happy to have as our inhouse lead artist. Lukas is re-
Edouard Contesse, Astrid Cordenius, Andrew Cowie, Walter de Mendonça, Jason J Middleton, Edward B. Moretti, Rick Neal, sponsible for the bulk of our illustrations and our number
Croft, Axel Davidsson, Steve Dempsey, Eugene Doherty, Lorraine Jesper Nordström, Robert Ojamo, Christofer Olsson, Juhana one cover artist. This particular image was developed to
Donaldson, Louis Dubois, Bryant Durrell, Johan Englund, David Pettersson, Pookie, Robert Rees, David Rehbinder, Brian Rogers, accompany Kenneth Hite’s article Shadows of Babylon,
Engström, Mikael Engström, Tina Engström, Johan Eriksson, Kelley Rogers, Åsa Roos, Evelina Rosenius, Åke Rosenius, and was originally the cover on our issue with on Urban
Henrik Falk, Ken Finlayson, Johan Gustavsson, Peter Baltzer Christian Sahlén, Carl-Johan Schenström, J. Quincy Sperber, Fantasy. As always when Lukas makes a cover, we
Hansen, Peter Hansson, Greg Hartman, Eric W. Haste, Benedikt Martin Svensson, Mats Torgelsson, Martin af Uhr, Cato Vandrare, encourage you to go looking for details in it, since you will
Heck, Wilhelm Hedin, Alan Hillgrove, Patrik Hjorth, Jonas Holdt, Luis Velasco, W. Vernon, Ngo Vinh-Hoi, Carl Wanglöf, Simon always find some easter eggs hidden in the images.
Antoine Imhoff, Ola Ingemansson, Francisco Jose Garcia Withers and Petter Wäss
1
CONTENTS
BEST OF FENIX
LOVESONGS
78 FOR LAMBCHOPS 82 WONDROUS STRANGE 84 AUBEROND
2
VOLUME 1
9
19
39
67
77
107 BERNARD THE BARBARIAN 20 CRAC des DRACA 40 SPELL SINGERS
3
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
IN THE NORTH
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 4/2011 “Times will continue to change. There is no northern boundary
beyond which commercial enterprise cannot go till North meets
North on the opposite shores of the Arctic Ocean as East has met
West on the Pacific.”
– Vilhjalmur Stefansson, The Northward Course of Empire
N
obody expected it to happen so regions climbed. The Arctic regions, now, they treating ice. Gold, always magnetic in its own
fast. And they definitely hadn’t were something else. There, melting glaciers eldritch way. Titanium in Greenland; cobalt
expected it to come from the Sun. and changing salinity actually lowered the in the Taymyr. Oil and gas for the last limping
The New Carrington Event washed sea levels. All those Siberian ports, dug out combustibles, and selenium and gadolinium
over Earth in 2045, the largest solar storm by Soviet slave labor a century ago, were for solar foil and hard-bubble chips. The big
ever observed. Computers crashed, satellites suddenly miles inland, and the Lena and the lanthanum boom in Novaya Zemlya started
fried, economies choked and tottered. Then Yenisey cut new channels through the muddy it, and then the thorium strike in Baffinland
came the Jenkins Event, and the Troedsen plains to the sea. New lands emerged, breach- drew 25,000 Americans tired of rationing
Event, and then they just started naming ing the surface for the first time in a million and crowd-zoning, and more than a little tired
them like hurricanes, and then they stopped years. The Northwest Passage opened up, but of the generals in Denver.
naming them because the Storm Wars had old channels closed: Ellesmere Island became The move was on: “Go North, young man!”
started and they had other, bigger worries. Ellesmere Land as Greenland expanded. The Canadian government tried to stop the
Chinese and American radiant weapons didn’t But who did the new lands belong to? Not Americans, or at least corral them; the Pro-
broil the atmosphere – the sun storms were al- just the new lands from the Arctic seabed, visional Committee in Denver almost tore
ready doing that – but they broiled a few cities but the suddenly melted tundra, where the itself apart trying to decide whether to crush
in a few countries before the Party collapsed permafrost broke up and the soil breathed, American emigration or Canadian resistance.
in Xian and the generals took over in Denver. and suddenly wheat could grow after some Alaska stepped lightly, flying the flag and pay-
In the twenty years after the Peace, even the genegineered clover started the nitrate cycle. ing tribute, but in Fairbanks and Barrow folks
sun storms settled into a new normal of omi- Wheat and soybeans could grow there, in the started saying openly that it might be time to
nous omnipresence, of aurora borealis visible Yukon and the North Slope and Greenland try elections again. The Russian government
in Miami and Cairo. Technology settled into and Kamchatka. The clover that fed the soil couldn’t even try to stop the Chinese pioneers,
its new normal of everything triple-hardened also fed musk oxen and reindeer; the new but the Ten August Republics found it easier
and land-linked in fullerene cables, of air ranches spread across Canada, Siberia, and to harass and hijack each others’ expansio-
travel only in emergencies, of solar foil on car Lapland. Grain and meat loaded onto trains nary efforts – er, “fraternal harmonization of
hoods and rooftops and rechargeable coils in in the new boomtowns: Murmansk and the trans-Amur” – than to cooperate. Siberian
everything from blasters to locomotives. Narvik, Norilsk and Churchill and Juneau. cities cut their own deals, and betrayed their
The tropics were simple hell, but most of It could feed the crowded cities in the new own foes, and the North’s geopolitics began
them had flooded when the seas rose. Every- tropics, Dallas and Rome and Odessa and to crack and melt like its permafrost had.
where else just moved south on the weather New Nanjing sweltering in the hurricanes The New European Union made threatening
map: Baltimore had Miami’s old weather, and and jammed into the concrete warrens built noises after Greenland declared its inde-
Miami had Belize’s, and Belize was under- for the refugees and built up by their children. pendence; Sweden and Finland and Estonia
water. With the Gulf Stream flowing past And there was more: rare earth lodes, and established early transit quotas and enforced
Africa now, northern Europe only heated by cobalt group deposits. Platinum and cesium them reliably and honestly, but NEU saber-
two or three degrees Centigrade – nothing and chromium and lithium and everything rattling over Spitsbergen and border closings
compared to the ten or twelve that the Arctic the world starved for, unlocked by the re- on the Baltic kept the Scandinavians on edge.
4
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
The great powers scowl as their boldest in Spitsbergen (currently embroiled in a the Arctic sea floor and Siberia increasingly
citizens strike out for the North, homes- “range war” between NEU- and Russian- melts out of Moscow’s grip, the open range
teading and prospecting and escaping. They backed gangsters over newfound chromium grows. Herds of reindeer and ovibos (not
grumble about “environmental devastation” deposits) has shot up since the Event – to the called “musk oxen” any more, at least not in
as they greedily devour the minerals and pre-Event temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska supermarkets) roam ranches across Yakutia
food shipped south. But for now – for right (about -6°C). The cold replaces the desert and Nunavut, to be driven to whichever
now -- they can’t do anything about it. Now heat as the overwhelming environmental market their meat will bring the best price
-- right now – is the time of the North, for the danger in this Western: going out without an in the hardest currency. Japanese and Kor-
best and bravest of mankind to make a new insulated tent or enough knowledge to dig ean slaughter-men set up enormous robotic
world where the coastlines are unmapped out an igloo means going to your death six abattoirs on the shores of Kamchatka and
again, where the lines of latitude meet, where months out of the year. Look at Westerns like Baffinland, crewed by Filipinos and Nigeri-
the sun is always coming up. Jeremiah Johnson, those set in Montana or in ans hoping to earn enough to rescue their
the high Rockies, for inspiration; read up on familes from their drowned homelands. Ox-
the Donner Party and the Yukon Gold Rush. boys drive the ovibo herds for thousands of
The grandeur of the towering glaciers of miles to collect tax-free gold from the bosses
“The element that most clearly defines Greenland replaces Monument Valley; the of a slaughter-town that exists only for three
the western is the symbolic landscape whisper and creak of the ocean and the ice weeks before the container ships pull away
becomes the new soundtrack instead of the for the season. These quick-towns throw out
in which it takes place and the influence howl of the coyote and the buzz of the cicada. fullerene networks and dump the south’s
this landscape has on the character Frontier towns are low and prefabricated, digital crop onto hard drives and dedicated
spread over with solar foil glinting in the players; vids and news and data of all kind
and actions of the hero. This is, I think, dazzling sky at night; the saloons dug into to be taken back North and nursed through
why this particular formula has come the ground and braced with stone. Near the the cold winter. Vagrants and varmints
saloon, the sauna; near the sheriff ’s office, the plague these towns, as they do the mining
to be known by a geographical term SnowCat park. A town a little richer, or a little boomtowns and the genetic farms growing
more strategic, than its neighbors might even frost-proof vegetables and UV-resistant fish.
… [This] symbolic landscape is a field have a thorium-salt reactor, a slightly upgra- In the North, it’s not the natives that pose
of action that centers on the point of ded version of the reactors once found only the biggest threat. The hard-eyed men in
on nuclear submarines. Elsewhere, solar foil Berlin and Moscow and Denver and Xian
encounter between civilization and drinks up whatever the angry sun can pour send blaster rifles and disruptor bombs to
wilderness … settled society and out; lithium and lanthanide batteries charge the “Inuit Liberation Front” and the “Saami
up in the summer, and keep a trickle of heat People’s Army” and the “Irtysh Soviet Brigade”
lawless openness.” going in the winter. While it’s not enough to slow down the North, to smash the new
– John G. Cawelti, Adventure, Mystery, and Romance electricity to keep the cold at bay everywhere, world building there, to stall their rivals, and
it’s enough to keep most of the lights on, the to create pretexts for incursion. But even
This setting, as you may well have figured libraries running, and a few vehicles charged. if every single Inuit wanted to “go Apache”
out, is a Western moved a century into the And a few more weapons. and fight the new settlers, there just aren’t
future and restaged in the far North. This The cowboy’s six-shooter still exists, but enough of them to do it. No, for the most
time around, though, these pioneers might be hauling bullets into the Arctic isn’t easy or part, it’s newcomers and first-comers, Arctic
anything: not just Americans, but Canadians, cheap. Blasters can be recharged from the garrisons left without pay after the Storm
Europeans, Russians, Chinese, Korean, Japa- reactor head, or from solar foil if you’re pa- Wars, or icebreaker crews turned pirate or
nese -- anyone from the northern hemisphere tient. The most common is the Norinco ZM- cannibal or worse. It’s these outlaws and
can get to the North if they try. India’s urban 66, a Chinese heavy pistol churned out by the their kind, like the Greer Gang, that come
masses and Rajput ranchers alike come north millions as standard armament in the final whooping down on a farmstead and drive off
on repurposed oil tankers, riding out the tro- throes of the Storm Wars. But Raytheon and the stock and kill the kids. It’s bandits like the
pical storm belt with fellow “Northbounders” Samsung and KBP have their own models, Inaksesiya Bratva that ambush the trawlers
from Yemen and Senegal and unloading in and a gun that can start a fire is no minor ranching salmon and crab in the Bering and
the no-man’s-lands of Greenland and Siberia, convenience when you’re alone in the North. the Beaufort Seas when they make landfall;
in boom ports like Ittoqqortoormiit and Ma- Not that you’re alone often – every frostbuster criminals fled North like “Fat Fingers” Jiang
gadan. From there, rails reach north into the travels with a husky dog or a string of them or made there like “Black” Alvar Tuovinen
melting glacier valleys and thawing perma- if he can. The Novosibirsk Commune has that rob prospectors or bomb rail lines.
frost plantations, stretching out for mining finally re-bred the Kuznets horse, giving the “No law above the Circle,” they say. In many
camps and new towns, but building railways Arctic “ox-boy” a heavy, reliable mount that ways, that’s welcome news: the generals in
is hard where no government offers right- can take the cold. Strings of Kuznets mares Denver, the oligarchs in Moscow, the Euro-
of-way and subsidies, and where night-time (or canisters of Kuznets ova) are worth their crats in Berlin, the mandarins in Xian can’t
temperatures can still freeze metal to skin. weight in rare earths anywhere above the quite reach all the way to the Pole. Their taxes
Just because the Arctic is warmer doesn’t Circle, crashing the price of Canadian Rustic don’t get collected; their radio orders can’t
mean it’s warm. Sure, in July now coastal ponies, which eat and travel light enough for breach the auroral static; their angry claims
Greenland gets into the teens, and Siberia the thin fodder and thinner ice up North, but get ignored. Their aircraft crash in the high
and the Canadian Northwest Territories get can carry less. storms, or fry in the constant lightning. Their
into the twenties. In July. But the average But the Canadian Rustic remains a good soldiers freeze, or get lost, or simply melt into
year-round temperature in Barrow, Alaska ranch pony everywhere the open range still the snow to become Northerners themselves.
is still freezing. The January temperature exists – and as more new lands emerge from Perhaps a Mountie or a Rikspolisen officer or
6
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE NORTH
7
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
resentful governments, seek to colonize the drawing board; they can be player characters, ning with hunger, the suicidal blackness that
North: not just mining and oil but datacorps NPC gangsters, or weird encounters. puts the gun in your hand when you hadn’t
and banks, try to drain the North’s resources Or they can be magical creatures. The even known you brought it with you on the
into the hot, wet south. Like railroads and solar storms might have done more than SnowCat. The sailors putting in at Dutch
land barons in the Johnson County War, they melt the North and heat the Earth; they may Harbor and Verkhoyansk and Kirkenes tell
hire their own gangs and gunfighters, turn have recharged the world’s mana field. If their own stories, of manlike things living
their own memeticists and agitators loose that mana is most readily accessible, or most underwater, revived by the waning cold. The
on the frontier. easily measured up in the auroral stream (as Margyr, demon of Inuit and Norseman alike,
Or you can start edging a little further in Philip Pullman’s Golden Compass), then all cold wet claws and greenish-black hair,
toward biopunk: toward Transhuman Space, the North has yet another draw: it’s where pulling men overboard or whispering in the
Trinity, Blue Planet, and Bioshock. The magic works. Or where it works best. See voice of dead mates and lost lovers.
North is at the forefront of genetic engine- The Barsoom Project, the second Dream It’s the work of a moment to introduce
ering, not just for crops and farm animals Park novel, for accessible Inuit magic in a a full-blown cult of Ithaqua into the North,
but for greater human durability in the Arctic. science-fiction context. The magic might be possibly in the guise of the Inuit sky deity
Improved cold resistance in blood and sub- subtle: spirits and charms, a lucky brush Torngarsuk. If you can find a copy of the
cutaneous fat, nictitating membranes to cut from an Arctic fox or a malevolent tupilaq old Pagan Publishing campaign The Walker
snow-blindness, UV-resistant skin, ability to built of hide and sinew to spy and wound. in the Wastes, updating it from the 1920s
store vitamins in fat cells – all of these shifts Or it might be overt and large-scale: angels to the 2080s may take some doing, but the
are common recommendations by Northern summoned by the HAARP facility in Alaska; payoff will be worth it. Otherwise, get a copy
ob./gen. specialists. More radical transhu- jotunn stamping around wielding rune ma- of the Ithaqua Cycle anthology and get
man designers in cutting-edge Reykjavik or gics; Finnish witches whistling up storms and reading, possibly joined with Brian Lumley’s
Greenland’s wide-open “sin city” Sisimut add animating buildings. Perhaps the angakkuit, “Rising With Surtsey” to incorporate Arctic
direct solar energy cells, fur, and even gills to the Inuit shamans, have sung Greenland free, Deep Ones or even Cthonian matriarchs
the mix. And nobody quite knows what the and weave spells around the Circle keeping creating the Arctic tectonic uplift for their
genelabs in newly-independent Tomsk and the jets and missiles at bay. Gunslingers pack own purposes. The melting Greenland ice
Krasnoyarsk are brewing, finally freed from blasting rods instead of Glocks; magical polar cap can reveal the ruined castles of Clark
all oversight except the almighty Eumark. bears fight duels in armor; alabaster towers Ashton Smith’s Hyperborea, complete with
If you’d like, you can take this setting an- rise from the restored Thule. Anything is formless avatars of Tsathoggua and ebon
other half-turn toward Shadowrun by adding possible in the North, with will and skill and stelae carved by the hand of Eibon himself.
some genegineered “fantasy races.” Russian aurora-light in your eyes. Remember that H.P. Lovecraft’s own “Call of
genelabs grow rusalki: tall, thin, psionically Cthulhu” features a cult of Cthulhu amongst
gifted, amphibian humanoids, designed as the Inuit of Greenland, and both “Polaris”
spies, or pleasure-models, or prospectors and “The Horror in the Museum” mention
for underwater mineral lodes. Instead of “A large thing, I am told, vaguely like a the lost polar civilization of Lomar, home
dwarves, use saru: self-aware monkey-like man, yet infinitely unlike him. Details are at one time to the fearsome Great Old One,
bioroids, machine savants programmed to Rhan-Tegoth!
maintain the infrastructure and computer very distorted and unreliable. It is said to Discovering Clark Ashton Smith’s Commo-
network of a depopulated, geriatric Japan. have been an air elemental, but there are riom or Lovecraft’s Olathöe is only the start
And why not add trolls as well, built by of the weirdness you can add to this setting
a Norwegian-German biotech contractor weird hints of something of incredible if you have a mind to. The legendary North is
as Arctic shock troops for the NEU: tough, age, that rose out of a hidden fastness alive with possibilities, from crashed UFOs (a
thickset, night- and cold-adapted, with gorilla la The Thing From Another World), to a Nazi
muscles, long orangutan-style arms, baboon in the far north, from a frozen and Redoubt powered by the mysterious Green
fangs, and the ability to eat corpses for forage. Ray, to a lost Viking colony living in a volcani-
One more: During the latter stages of the
impenetrable plateau up there. cally warm and fertile valley, to the Magnetic
Storm Wars, a plague broke out in Oregon: Of this I can venture nothing. Dr. Jamison Mountain of Jules Verne and Arabian Nights
sufferers turned green and grew a new set of alike, to a frozen Captain America. And don’t
bony dentrifices as their skulls reshaped. The mentions a ‘Plateau of Leng’ …” forget the biggest possibility of all: the height
plague was retroviral, rewriting the victims’ – August Derleth, “The Thing That Walked on the Wind” of High Strangeness, the Hole at the Pole! Yes,
genetic code; they developed pack instincts, ever since Edmond Halley, the entrance to
and appetites for human flesh. The generals the Hollow Earth has been firmly fixed at the
blamed the outbreak on a Chinese bio-bomb; Or perhaps it is darkness in your eyes, the North Pole. Symmes and Bernard and all the
the surrender party blamed a U.S. military darkness of the six months of night, the dark- other dreamers believed you could just sail
bio-war experiment gone wrong. In either ness of the cold waters under the glaciers in into the Hole, but they didn’t count on the
case, Oregon Retroviral Carriers – or ORCs – central Greenland. Western settings can turn glacial cover capping the entrance. But now,
were penned up, put to hard labor, or enlisted, to horror, after all: Deadlands shows us that, under the radiant lash of the angry Sun, the
based on the local commander’s whim. Any as does the movie Ravenous. And as 30 Days glacier has withdrawn and the Hole is open
of these specimens of homo mutandis might of Night reminds us, so can the Arctic. Even in once more. What could lie within? Atlan-
rebel, reprogram, desert, or escape, heading the most innocuous version of the setting, the tean survivors? Dinosaurs and sea serpents?
North to make a new life for themselves. North is full of tales of the Wendigo: the can- Gateways in time and space; a universe of
Whether such things appear in your North nibal spirit that possesses those caught alone adventure, all waiting inside the top of the
is up to you. You can leave all these extra in the wilderness, the wind-demon that howls world. Further up, and farther in: the North
variations in the deep background, or on the out of the sky smelling like predator and bur- extends in all directions, the eternal frontier.
8
BERNARD
ÅKE ROSENIUS
9
ROLEPLAYING
DAVID BERGKVIST
MYTHS &
LEGENDS TEXT DAVID BERGKVIST Myths and legends make up the bulk framework of most role-
ILLUSTRATION JOHAN EGERKRANS playing game fantasy worlds. They provide hordes of mytho-
logical and strongly mythologically inspired creatures who
populate these games – such as elves, dragons, trolls, gnomes,
dwarves, centaurs, fauns, and so on. When we look at ancient
religious mythology, we find even more stuff, borrowed into
nearly all our favorite fantasy worlds. J.R.R. Tolkien and many
of the other early writers who defined the genre were well
versed in germanic, celtic and nordic mythology, and based
large parts of their most successful works on this knowledge.
As a game master playing contemporary fantasy roleplaying
games, you will do well to pay some attention to these fairy tales,
myths and legends from our real world, because if you get to know
the origins of your typical fantasy elements, you will be able to
dodge rote stereotypes and find new and interesting ways to use
the familiar stuff.
This article presents a few of thoughts and tips about how to use
myths, fairy tales and legends in your roleplaying games. I’ll talk
about basing adventures on specific myths, and will also present
two creatures from norse mythology that you may not have heard
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 5/2008 about.
10
MYTHS & LEGENDS
11
ROLEPLAYING
DAVID BERGKVIST
12
MYTHS & LEGENDS
13
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
VAMPIRES
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
E
veryone knows of El Dorado, the Chibcha capital of Tunja in 1537, looting it Raleigh sailed for the Caribbean in 1595,
mysterious country of gold in the of its golden treasure. Even after this success, kidnapping Queseda’s nephew Antonio de
heart of South America. But El Do- however, Queseda continued his quest for Berrio from Trinidad. With Berrio’s infor-
rado, “the gilded,” began as the name El Dorado, mounting two more expeditions mation, Raleigh proceeded up the Manamo
of a man, and became a city, then a country. without result and dying embittered in 1579. River in Venezuela, christening it the River
Before we return it to the form of man – At some point it occurred to the Spanish of the Red Cross. Raleigh eventually reached
though more than man – we should refresh to ask: where did the Chibcha get their gold? the Orinoco, but supply shortages and the
ourselves with a dip in the waters of legend. What still greater golden city, El Dorado the dangers (from the Indians, the Spanish, and
On the shores of Lake Maracaibo in 1529, Gilded, sent its dust to the golden king? Here, the oppressions of nature) forced him to turn
the German explorer Ambrosius Dalfinger more legends came to the fore; a mutineer back before he ever found Manoa. Raleigh
asks a local Indian where he got the golden named Martinez left marooned in the jungle spun this failure into renewed prestige for
ornament he wears. No fool, the Indian re- in 1537 emerged with a deathbed tale of a Queen Elizabeth, but when King James came
sponds with the story of a different tribe, far golden city, Manoa, in the center of a much to the throne, Raleigh found himself jailed in
away, where there is so much gold that the larger Lake Parima, somewhere to the east. the Tower on murky charges of atheism and
king himself is painted with it, “el hombre It was Martinez’ story that drove the next treason. Raleigh somehow wrangled royal
dorado,” The Gilded Man. El Hombre Dorado, cycle of El Dorado searchers eastward into permission for one last attempt, which col-
goes the story, must wash a coating of gold Venezuela’s Guiana Highlands, indeed a lapsed when his men attacked a Spanish fort
dust off his skin into the waters of a still rich source of gold. One searcher, Pedro Sar- without orders, raising the alarm all along
mountain lake every year as an offering to the miento de Gamboa, had spent much of the the coast. Raleigh returned to England, and
sun god. For a wonder, the nameless Indian 1570s hunting down renegade Incas in the to his execution.
was describing an actual ritual, practiced by Peruvian highlands, searching for his own With the dissolution of Raleigh’s alchemi-
the Chibcha people on the shores of Lake mythical golden Lake Patiti. Sarmiento deci- cal plans, Manoa goes through its own trans-
Guatavita several hundred miles inland, in ded that Manoa was a far-flung Inca outpost, formation, moving into northern Brazil and
what is now Colombia. Dalfinger was only and he had the poor fortune to get captured becoming a lost Egyptian city over a rich sil-
the first would-be looter to die trying to find by an English ship in 1586; Sir Walter Ra- ver mine. This, at least, was the tale of Roberio
that legendary lake full of gold: he took an leigh heard his tale and promptly set about Dias, a mestizo who claimed that his father,
arrow in the neck in 1533. After several failed planning his own expedition to the Golden the Indian Muribeca, had learned of them
and fratricidal expeditions, the conquistador Land, consulting alchemists and magi such from his father, a Portuguese sailor. Dias
Gonzalo Ximenez de Queseda reached the as Thomas Hariot and John Dee. had enough money to bribe his way out of
14
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
5
prison rather than disclose the location of his
TOP
Mines of Muribeca; and after he died in 1622,
a cottage industry sprang up in searches for
Muribeca (which, like El Dorado, became a
place rather than a person). In 1753, after a
ten-year search, Francisco Raposo discovered
a “cyclopean” lost city somewhere in the Mato
Grosso of southern Brazil (clear across the
continent from the first El Dorado rumors),
complete with mysterious white men and
an unknown treasure. Or so he claimed, in
a document he filed with the Viceroyalty
describing his discovery. This report was
promptly lost until 1865, when Sir Richard
Francis Burton’s wife discovered and trans-
POSSIBLE OTHER ABILITIES OF GOLDEN VAMPIRES lated it. Burton’s subsequent trip into the
You can give your golden vampires any power you care to: they might be able interior is one of his least well-documented.
to shapeshift into vampire bats (native to tropical South America) or jaguars, Another British adventurer stirred up by
jump across the clearing, turn to lake mist, or tear a musket in half. Here are Raposo’s report was the theosophist and mys-
five less common vampiric abilities that reflect the alchemical origins of the tic Colonel Percy Fawcett. One of Fawcett’s
bloodthirsty fiends of El Dorado. Ignore what you don’t like, and introduce expeditions, into the Brazilian interior loo-
the rest as a surprise for your players. king for mysterious monster tracks, gave
Conan Doyle the inspiration for The Lost
World. Fawcett also drew inspiration from
Ductile Flesh British pulp writers; H. Rider Haggard gave
Gold is the most extensible and malleable of the metals. It can be pulled into Fawcett a basalt idol which he claimed was
long wires, or it can be beaten into micron-thin sheets. Golden vampires can found in a Brazilian “lost city” – Fawcett took
extend their limbs, fingers, and necks for yards; this can look exceedingly it to a psychic, who proclaimed it Atlantean.
horrible if you plan the encounter right. They can also reshape their skin and Between psychometry and Raposo’s report,
alter their build to resemble anyone they have seen, pass through the tiniest Fawcett was eager to venture deep into the
cracks and mesh, and use their extensible fingers to grip victims in an Mato Grosso jungle searching for the lost
unbreakable coil of metallized flesh. Atlantean city he referred to as “Z.” He set
out with only his son Jack and Jack’s friend
Raleigh Rimmel in May of 1925; his last com-
Finding Treasure munication with the outside world occurred
Because of their connection both with subterranean demon-figures like on May 30. On Fawcett’s peculiar insistence,
Chibchachum (the Lord Under the Earth of the Chibcha) and with the no search party went after him until February
True Gold, alchemical vampires can find buried treasure and locate gold. 1927, by which time he had vanished as surely
Not only does this keep them in funds, they can track a victim by their as Raposo’s city, the last casualty of El Dorado.
wedding ring or gold fillings no matter where they hide.
16
CITY OF THE GOLDEN VAMPIRES
Elixir, the Secret of Life. The final stage of disappears or flees back down the mountain next ridge. The Church burned a few vam-
alchemy is the rubedo, the reddening, as the passes, flails across the swamps, bloodied pires at the stake, but could never entirely
stone passes through a bath to incarnate the and maddened. The hinterland between the convince itself it had rooted out the whole
Sun – a perfect analogy of the Chibcha ritual Pacific and the Orinoco becomes known as demonic taint; some local witches confessed
of Lake Guatavita. “Tierra Rubedo,” the Land of Reddening. under the Question to serving “los vampiros,”
And what do we know about Chibcha Even with the known dangers of venturing some ranchers and prospectors brought back
rituals? They beheaded their enemies, and into Tierra Rubedo, the imagined rewards sightings of golden shadows fading into the
decorated their temples with such trophies. drive men on. El Dorado surely holds vast ri- jungles and mountain caverns. Fire and loo-
They staked slaves to the ground during the ches: gold, emeralds, cinnabar, and perfumed ting died down; the Spanish settled in. And
construction of new temples. They raided woods come down to the tribes in between as happened throughout New Spain, the new
their enemies for young boys specially trai- the Spanish and the vampires, traded for settlers found themselves marrying into the
ned by Chibcha priests to “converse with steel and dyed cloth, for salt and silk and local aristocracy. True, the absolute ruling
the Sun.” Those young boys wound up also furs. And for slaves: the trade from Africa to class – the bishops and governors, the holders
beheaded, their blood spattered around Cartagena is the vilest of a vile business, but of royal monopolies on emeralds and gold –
the temple interior – and on more of those it pays better than even the silver mines. The married wives from Spain and Germany. But
stakes. During droughts, the Chibcha yet most feared and blasphemous pirates swoop the second rank – the ambitious soldiers, the
again sacrificed a youth, coating the rocks down on Spanish treasure ships and sell the industrious merchants and builders, the
of the sacred lake or mountain with blood. crews inland for another fistful of emeralds. scholarly clerks and enginers – they married
Combine rubedo, alchemical transformation, Necromancers flee the Inquisition, bringing the Chibcha ladies. Their children drank deep
and blood rituals somehow contained by books of lore and slaves of their own to trade of their mothers’ traditions and customs,
impalement and beheading: El Dorado is the to the vampires for black alchemical secrets. and their mothers lived a long time. The up-
City of the Golden Vampires. At its heart is the Bold thieves set out to see if they can snatch per class kept to themselves in the Palacio
sacred lake (possibly a large stone basin) full a few stones or ingots from a border keep; and the Cathedral; always they dreamed of
of powerful alchemical blood, the true Red mercenaries offer to train the vampires’ retiring to Madrid or Corunna. The creoles,
Elixir. Bathing in the lake turns base matter vassals (or their victims, but the vassals the children of the land, spread their blood
to gold – and weak human flesh to undying pay better) in pike and cutlass; Jesuits seek to the new towns and cities; eventually they
vampire muscle and sinew. to convert another clan to Christ from the dreamed of taking their land for themselves
Thus the truth, or at least one possible worship of Chibchachum and Zadacoa. And … and for their blood.
truth, behind the lie and legend of El Dorado. every few years another company of would- In 1821, taking advantage of a revolution
What does this portend for your players? be conquistadors, burning with holy zeal in Spain, the creoles proclaimed their inde-
How can you use it in a game? The City of and golden greed, plan the assault on Tierra pendence in a bloodless coup d’etat. (Mostly
the Golden Vampires can take any number Rubedo that will surely succeed this time, by bloodless; some of the royal governor’s staff
of guises, play any number of parts, over the the grace of God. were never found.) The former Spanish pro-
centuries of its existence. In the next section, This is, to all intents and purposes, a low vince of New Granada became the Republic
I provide four possible stories to stage in that fantasy setting with pirates, druids, and bar- of Santa Sangre. After the traditional scuff-
setting, or rather four possible scrims to show barians, and a Dark Land of Evil square in the ling over boundaries with Ecuador on the
the setting against, each in its own era. They middle of it. Europeans might have their own south and British Guiana on the east, Santa
are not necessarily all connected to each magic (sorcery or necromancy, for example), Sangre settled down to its new nationhood.
other; rather, consider them four possible or be dependent on Arawak Indians and Afri- Unlike most of the new nations of Latin
futures of the City laid out above. can slaves for their ancestral versions of voo- America, Santa Sangre kept its financial
doo. God might grant His clergy healing and house in order, paying its debts to British
other miracles; or native shamans might be railroad companies and French shipbuilding
16th and 17th Centuries: able to use the plants and mosses in the rain firms in gold and on time. Industry expanded,
forest to create amazing salves and potions. especially in the port cities of Cartagena and
TIERRA RUBEDO Weapons and armor range from arquebus Maracaibo – and visitors swore the capital of
Supported from the sea and bristling with and half-plate to blow-guns and war paint. Bogota was more advanced yet. Experimental
cannon, the Spanish can hold Cartagena and Use Skull and Bones d20, the Savage Worlds chemists and engineers began visiting Santa
Maracaibo forever. Some local Indian tribes, RPGs for Solomon Kane and Pirates of the Sangre, and some of them stayed. The unique
tiring of serving as cattle for the vampires, Spanish Main, or your favorite pirates-and- alloys and combustibles produced by Santa
welcome Spanish overlordship: the cros- vampires supplements for more inspiration. Sangran laboratories found their way into
ses and consecrated ground of the mission aerostats and land-walkers in America, Prus-
churches seem to keep away the worst of the sia, and even the Japanese Empire.
attacks. Further inland, the cannibal tribes 19th Century: But all does not necessarily shine bright
have long adapted to – even worshipped – in Santa Sangre. Although regular elections
their golden rulers: they fight with frenzied THE SHADOW OF produce Presidents and Prime Ministers
abandon, firing arrows coated with paraly-
tic poison. They take the victims prisoner, SANTA SANGRE from both parties, Gustavo La Dorada has
been Finance Minister for decades – like his
passing them ever higher in the northern Although the Chibcha held out for decades, father before him. Santa Sangre reluctantly
Andes, destined to slake the vampires’ thirst. they finally fell to the patient onslaught of the abolishes slavery in 1889, along with Brazil –
These prisoners are the only Europeans to Catholic Church and the Spanish cannon. The and the eastern provinces occasionally ripple
see the City of the Golden Vampires, and they Spanish drained the lakes, but never found with rebellions that seem more desperate
do not return. Indeed, every would-be con- the troves they had expected; the gold was than most. The factories in the Andes have
quistador expedition sent into the interior always just gone missing, always over the an inexhaustible appetite for workers – and
17
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
ever more laborers never return to their vil- to name just a few options. Other options it to stanch wounds and draw out infection;
lages. Imperial Brazil, Britain, and America rotate our golden vampires out of medieval observers report seeing the tendrils of the
all wish to see Santa Sangre humbled, as do alchemy and into modernist monstrosity: plant seemingly drink the blood and pus
many other great powers. Their agents, along Perhaps the golden vampires are Atlanteans, from a gash. Such a thing interests the com-
with rival inventors, labor activists, adven- or aliens, or psychopathic Aryan supermen, pany; they buy the lake or run off the locals,
turers and explorers search for the secret of or all three. Could the golden vampires have and string up some hurricane fences and
Santa Sangre. been androids built by unguessable precur- motion detectors.
This is our vampiric El Dorado at the heart sors? Time-travelers evolved for a horrific Inside the wire, corporate botanists and
of a steampunk land of mystery suitable for future, guarding the lake where their DNA biochemists start testing, exposing the plant
Savage Worlds: Rippers, Airship Pirates, first formed? Turn the golden vampires into to blood under every kind of laboratory con-
GURPS Steampunk, or other similar games: servitors (or constructs) of Tsathoggua or dition. They run DNA samples, recombining
make Santa Sangre as inaccessible as you Shub-Niggurath, and twist El Dorado into an what they can on-site, and sending the rest
wish. Perhaps folk in the Bogota highlands alien necropolis suitable for Call of Cthulhu back to Atlanta or Amsterdam for further
around the capital all speak Chibcha, rather or other Lovecraftian games. sequencing. Pieces of the plant travel all
than Spanish; perhaps rumor hints at a “true Of course, the Lost City of V might be a over the world, researchers keeping in touch
capital” somewhere in the forest; perhaps vampire legend, not a mortal one. Finding constantly, always feeding it blood. Finally,
Santa Sangre, like Japan, forbids foreigners the Lost City of V, say the elders in weak they hit on the correct combination, lost
to reside anywhere but its designated ports. moments and the new-fledged kin in greedy since Quesada’s men slaughtered the local
In country, of course, the vampires rule ones, renews a vampire’s connection to the Chibcha and drained the lake looking for
through their Spanish consorts. Their alche- blood. All weaknesses are washed away; gold and emeralds. The lake starts to refill
mical lore is the mysterious source of wha- a single drop of blood from the Lost City with red, viscous water. The researchers find
tever steampunk technology you introduce revives dead flesh and powers dead mus- themselves going down to the shore, moving
into the world: the Red Elixir is an inexhaus- cle for a month. Perhaps, they whisper to in the old ways, opening their own veins,
tible power source, while the Aureo Rubedo each other, it even washes away vampirism, walking into the muddy maroon swamp.
strengthens steel and makes lightweight restoring true life at last. This can just be a Perhaps they drown or behead a worker or
alloys suitable for giant robots and zeppelins fleeting rumor in a Vampire game, or the six, again in the old ways. Perhaps they drive
alike. But of course, it all has to come from center story line of a Princely expedition or a stake through the heart of one particularly
spilled human blood: the entire industrial vampiric civil war. recalcitrant biologist, pinning her to the bot-
world of this world depends on literally drain- Or finally, perhaps the city itself is the tom of the lake and pouring her blood into
ing the veins of Santa Sangre’s workers. vampire: drinking the hopes and lives of the thirsty rootlets.
In a particularly dark world, Santa Sangre’s explorers and conquistadors: Dalfinger, de The company’s scientists start bringing
secret is no great secret: the other powers Ordas, Herrera, Aguirre, Orellana, Quesada, bigger samples out of the jungle, infecting
are trying to develop their own vampiric Raleigh, and scores more, along with their their colleagues all over the world with a
alchemies and death-driven technologies, men and bearers and slaves. For a hundred desire to come to the facility. There, they can
rather than trying to destroy the City of the years it glutted itself on such men, then it work all night and never tire. There, they can
Golden Vampires. lay satiated and bloated for a time. Now it finally understand the plant at the heart of
craves another feast, and its dreams and their experiments. There, they can master the
visions trickle out of the jungle and down mysteries of blood.
1920s and 1930s: from the mountain valleys. It has planted its This is a modern-day campaign seed that
contradictory journals and its disorienting can introduce vampires into any setting
THE LOST CITY OF V maps, slowly grown in the minds of men lost from Delta Green to Dark Champions. Or
Somewhere in the interior of South America in the jungle and released to tempt more prey. make it a story arc for Hunter: the Vigil or
is a city that will make you immortal. Not “fa- The city smells the greed on the wind, slavers any iteration of Werewolf. The plant and
mous forever,” literally immortal. This is the at the rival universities and dictatorships its minions could be a Big Bad for a Buffy
story of the Lost City of V, told at Adventurers’ planning their expeditions, and waits behind the Vampire Slayer RPG game, or a weird
Clubs and Geographic Societies in New York its walls, where tiny veins of gold and scarlet rival for a Vampire chronicle. The plant and
and London – and in sealed offices and dark glow and wane in time to the roaring, pulsing its vampire consciousness are distributed
chambers in Berlin and Moscow. Old archives tide of the scarlet lake at the city’s heart. all over the world in the corporation’s labs,
are unsealed, wild rumors tracked to their and those of its research partners and affi-
source. Every drunk from Buenos Aires to liates. It drains and twists the corporation’s
Panama City has an audience for their wild Six Months From Now: personnel, even while it fills the corporation
tales of golden cities in the jungle. Rival with unnatural life: research grants and
expeditions have already come to blows on THE MURIBECA FACILITY investment capital are flowing in for such
the docks of Cartagena and the streets of Ca- Somewhere in the jungles of Colombia or a promising wonder drug. The plant might
racas; gunshots are exchanged deeper down Venezuela, or maybe it’s Brazil after all, a be an aspect of some dark plant god, or just
the Orinoco and the Amazon. And deeper multinational pharmaceutical company an inhuman parasite slowly extinguishing
yet, a golden vampire sleeps at the bottom studies a dizzying array of plants, lichen, human independence – and once its DNA
of a lake that looks like boiling blood under fungus, and other unique products of the is on sale in every drugstore in the world,
the tropical sunset, waiting for new slaves to rain forest’s variegated ecology. Following what then? Possibly only a desperate quest
abase themselves on the shore. native rumor, the corporation finds one im- to the heart of darkness in South America
This legend can kick off a pulp campaign mense plant – maybe it’s a creeper, or possibly can turn the tide, scouring El Dorado clean
for Spirit of the Century, Hollow Earth Ex- a forest mold, could be a fungus – stretched with fire and poison before its promise of
pedition, Pulp Hero, or GURPS Cliffhangers, over the bottom of a dry lake. The locals use gold and life destroys everything.
18
BERNARD
ÅKE ROSENIUS
19
CraC des DraCA
”And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels
were cast out with him.”
Revelation 12:9
Only one of the six survived this first meeting, and that only lasted long enough for
him to ascend to the fortress on the surface to tell his brothers what had happened.
That there, beneath the castle of Crac des Chevaliers, the Devil had been unleashed
into the world, and any salvation was no longer possible.
The dragon sluggishly roused himself from his deep lair and into the fortress that
had grown up around him while he slept. Having woken in a bad mood, he ambled
around through stone halls and corridors, crushing and devouring any creatures he
happened upon; some who wandered around in a raving frenzy, some who attacked
him with bows, swords and spears, and some who wept and prayed to God. When
there was no longer any movement in the castle, and the demon’s hunger was satia-
ted, he dragged himself out into the great courtyard and allowed the scorching Syrian
midday sun to warm his dark scales as it had not done in a very long time.
During the next month, the dragon made himself at home in the fortress. With great
pleasure, he read the letters and texts the creatures had left behind, studied all the
maps that decorated the walls, and happily gathered all the gleaming treasures and
armour that had been scattered along the castle walls and in the great rooms. When
he had finished, the dragon decided it was time to investigate the world around him.
Lazily, effortlessly, he spread his articulated wings and left his nest—which would
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 5/2009 hereafter be known as Crac des Draca.
20
CraC des DraCA
W
hen, in 1176, the six knights of cultures, war, heroism and infinite evil, neys to unfamiliar lands with limited law and
found their way down into sex, intrigue, and the promise of forgiveness order). Pilgrims were welcomed in Jerusalem
the interiors of Crac des Che- of sins and ultimate paradise. Add to this a as they meant an influx of money, and Jesus—
valiers to explore the possibi- real-live dragon and how can you go wrong? or the prophet `Îsâ, as he was known within Is-
lity of expanding the fortress downward, they When we set about writing it, however, the lam—was a revered figure in many circles, and
had no idea that their actions would forever article began to shift focus somewhat. What therefore worth a pilgrimage. This changed,
change the face of history. At that time, the began as a relatively ordinary description however, in the beginning of the 9th Century
Knights of the Order of St. John were one of of this alternate reality with a plethora of as the Seljuk Turks took control of the area
the most powerful forces in a weak and splin- campaigns and adventure ideas added in, and made it very difficult for the pilgrims to
tered Crusader State, surrounded ever more has instead started to focus more on the tales reach Jerusalem. This horrified Pope Urban
by the well-organised Saracens. Despite the that can exist in such a world where religion II in Europe, and at the Council of Clermont
fact that the Crusaders, with the help of the is an all-encompassing force. Hopefully, this on November 27, 1095, he gave an emotional
Order of St. John and their friend Raymond will benefit all types of campaigns where speech urging crusaders to liberate the Holy
II, Count of Tripoli, were conquering Saladin religion plays a large part, if one — contrary Land and the Holy City. The response was
at Homs, not far from Crac des Chevalier, the to expectations — were to decide that the enormous. Everywhere, people fastened a
Crusader State of Outremer, which had been Crusades + a dragon = true. fabric cross to their clothing as a sign that
founded less than a hundred years prior, was The format is: First, a factual background they had heard the summons, and the battle
entering its final days. for the Crusades State of Outremer, then a cry “God wills it!” echoed throughout Europe.
The Order’s discovery in Crac des Cheva- section that covers the “alternate” history, i.e., Organising a Crusade is no easy task, and
liers would do nothing to change this, but it what happens when the dragon makes his many of those who took up the cross were,
did cause more than one person to wonder entrance into the already infected conflict. to be blunt, more of a hindrance than a
if this was perhaps the end of days for the When this background is established, we can help. Nevertheless, during 1096, a number
entire world. delve into the medieval person’s faith and of armies departed. The journey wound its
conclude with a number of questions that way through the Balkans and through By-
will hopefully trigger the imagination further. zantium, where relations with the Christian
ALTERNATIVE REALITIES We hope you enjoy it! Emperor Alexius I Comnenus were strained,
to say the least. Once the armies had finally
A WORLD OF WHAT IF? reached the Middle East, they took different
I’ve long been fascinated by alternative HISTORICAL BACKGROUND routes and achieved different results, but in
realities and counterfactual history. It always the end, several areas came under control
starts with a “What if?” and then swells rapid- The Crusades – of the Crusaders, including the County of
ly into a large detailed fantasy in which new
possibilities present themselves. Fortunately, A Short Summary. Edessa. After a great siege, the main forces
conquered Antioch and then marched on
I’m not alone in this. The question “What if?”
fills the pages and ideas of literature, films
How short? Very! toward Jerusalem, which was also taken after
a short siege on July 14, 1099. The conquest
and even games, giving me many opportuni- Though the Crusades State of Outremer is of Jerusalem was a massacre in which all
ties to revel in the vivid imagination of these nearly a thousand years in the past, we have a inhabitants—Muslims and Jews alike—were
types of stories: great deal of information from and about that slaughtered by the victory-drunk Christians.
• What if Hitler had won the war? period of time. There is no lack of material The goal of the Crusades was now achie-
The Man in the High Castle to immerse oneself in, and we can say with ved and many who had taken up the cross
by Philip K. Dick. a good deal of certainty that we both know were satisfied and felt the mission was
• What if Jules Verne was right? quite a bit about many of the events that accomplished. Back in Europe, power and
The recent film of took place there, as well as the motivations status awaited them, along with their loved
Journey to the Center of the Earth. behind a number of those events. Despite ones. Most Crusaders returned to Europe,
• What if the Indians took over Mars? this, or perhaps because of this, I will give a and those who chose to stay were forced to
The campaign world The Red Planet short overview of the crusades so as to give create a small, vulnerable state in an area
from Best of Fenix, Volume 3. a basis for our alternate history. Short, that where the hostility surrounding them was
is, in relation to the material and complexity, understandably great.
Crac des Draca began as just such a “What but still hopefully thorough enough to pro-
if?” My wife Maria and I had seen an illustra- vide a solid base on which to build the alter-
tion of the inspiring Ola Larsson, shown to nate reality. If you wish to know more about The Crusader State
us by Anders and Tove — the same illustra- Outremer, the information is just a click (or
tion is featured on the previous page. We library visit) away. of Outremer is Formed
brainstormed a bit on the image and what Once Jerusalem was taken, work began to
was taking place within it, when Maria said, transform small conquered areas and ci-
“They look a bit like Crusaders. What if some 1095 – Europe Begins the First ties to one unified state with a functioning
Crusaders encountered a dragon?” And thus, governance—a task that was easier said than
an alternate history was born. Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands done. From the start, there was a struggle for
This setup is perfect for gaming. The Cru- Though Jerusalem had been in the hands of power. Would the new state be under secular
sades State of Outremer already has all the the Muslims since the 7th Century, Christians or ecclesiastical control, and who then would
dramatic ingredients needed: power strugg- made pilgrimages to the Holy City without become the leader? Two primary candidates
les on a near-global scale, religious conflicts any major problems (other than the usual came to light, by virtue of their titles from Eu-
on several levels, human hardships, meeting dangers pilgrims encountered on long jour- rope, but in the end, Godfrey of Bouillon won
22
CraC des DraCA
the greatest support and became the reigning
head. During Godfrey’s time, the kingdom The Second Crusade 1. It was a family feud where different
factions of Baldwin’s family fight for po-
expanded, and when, upon his death, he left 1144 the Turks captured one of the establis- wer, without any ideological or religious
everything to his brother Baldwin, it had hed Crusader States: the County of Edessa, undertones.
begun to resemble a single homogenous state. creating much anxiety in Europe. In order
Baldwin successfully continued the mission to recapture Edessa and further strengthen 2. It was a political and religious fight
to expand the kingdom with many triump- the Christian domination of the Holy Land, between Outremer’s “old” Orientalised
hant battles against the Saracens. the Second Crusade was launched. The ent- aristocracy and the religious hardliner
husiasm was still great and many took up the newcomers (even if some of these were
cross. They primarily organised themselves not newcomers at all, but simply allied
The Formation of into two armies in defence of the Holy Land: with them).
one German and one French. Both armies
the Crusader State reached the area but the German Army was The truth is likely somewhere in between. It
Under Godfrey and Baldwin, the kingdom nearly obliterated in a massacre early on. is in any case indisputable that clear battle
was patterned after the western European The French army and the remnants of the lines appeared during Baldwin’s short reign.
feudal model with counties and vassal sta- German soldiers finally reached Jerusalem, The factions consisted of:
tes. When Outremar was at its largest, it and after much discussion, they decided
consisted of: to attack Damascus, which was the largest
• The Principality of Galilee Muslim town near Jerusalem. The siege of The old Orientalised aristocracy.
• The Lordship of Oultrejourdain Damascus became an embarrassing fiasco This group sought greater peaceful solutions
• The Lordship of Sidon and was ended in under a week. The majority with the Saracens under the leader Saladin.
• The County of Jaffa and Ascalon of the surviving participants from the Second Some of the most prominent personalities
Crusade gradually trickled back to Europe, were:
Ruling these areas were prominent vassals keeping quiet about their exploits.
who, in exchange for the power and wealth
their areas provided, were loyal to the king Baldwin IV – The Leper King
of Jerusalem. Open Power Struggle From a very early age (long before accession
to power), it was clear that Baldwin was a
over Outremer leper, and his health declined steadily during
Other Crusader States As if the fiasco of the Second Crusade was his reign. This did not stop him from initially
In addition to the largest and most central not enough, the Crusade State was now th- being a warrior king with a number of minor
Crusader States were a number of other, rown into an open civil war between mother victories over other leaders in battle, inclu-
smaller ones. These states supported each and son. First, the conflict led to Melisende ding Saladin. As the years when on, Baldwin’s
other, for the most part, as Christians and and Baldwin III dividing the land between health deteriorated more and more as he lost
Crusaders, but there were also a number of them, but later, Baldwin laid siege to his fingers and limbs, and became afflicted with
power struggles and intrigue among them. mother in Jerusalem. He won the battle and blindness, all due to the leprosy. During the
Periodically, the areas were also formally sub- took full power. When both Melisende and final time of his life, Baldwin was depicted
ordinate to Jerusalem in matters of foreign Baldwin III later died, Baldwin had no heirs, as being “carried in a barrel”. Before he died,
policy, even if they retained their autonomy. and the rule passed to Baldwin’s brother he named Baldwin V, Sibylla’s son with Guy,
These other Crusader States were: Amalric I. In order for Amalric to become as co-regent with Sibylla.
• The County of Tripoli king, however, the Jerusalem council Haute
• The County of Edessa Cour insisted he annul his marriage to
• The Principality of Antioch Agnes of Courtenay, whom they considered Raymond of Tripoli
to be too closely related to Amalric. Their Raymond belonged to one of the oldest and
children Sibylla and Baldwin IV, however, most prominent families in the kingdom of
Keeping Power in the Family were counted as genuine and consequently the Crusaders. He served a short time as the
When Baldwin died, he was without sons and became important pieces in the upcoming guardian regent for Baldwin IV, and when
heirs, and his rule passed instead to his rela- power struggle. Baldwin died, was extremely interested
tive (probably a cousin) Baldwin of Bourcq. When Amalric died, he was succeeded by in who would succeed him. Raymond is
He continued to expand the kingdom and Baldwin IV, also known as The Leper King. frequently described as perhaps the most
then left it to his daughter Melisende and Orientalised of the Crusaders, with relatively
her husband Fulk V Count of Anjou, on the close ties to Saladin, among others.
condition that their son, Baldwin III, was na- The Struggle for Power
med co-sovereign. Fulk, who held the actual
power, was not well liked, and only through Ruins Outremer The Ibelins
force and cunning was he able to maintain From Amalric’s death and the young Balian and Baldwin Ibelin were prominent
power over the Crusaders. He battled with Baldwin’s accession to power (with an ap- players with close ties to Raymond of Tri-
both the Saracens and the Christians to re- pointed guardian regent, called a Bailil) poli. The Ibelins were at the center of many
tain the kingdom’s sovereignty—something in 1176, until Baldwin’s death in 1184, an schemes that took place in Outremer, and
he did quite successfully. Soon after Fulk’s intense battle for power raged on among they cleverly positioned themselves for
death, Melisende and Baldwin III retook various factions with many different motives. future power through strategic marriages.
control of the kingdom, and things became There are two primary interpretations of the Both brothers were also distinguished
progressively worse. power struggle: warriors.
24
CraC des DraCA
25 25
CraC des DraCA
The Newcomers Knight Orders Saladin
This group had a more hardball approach to
the Saracens and actively sought out conflict
A Power to be Reckoned with ”Righteousness of the Faith”
with Saladin. A key element to this group
was there support for the newcomer Guy of
to the End and Beyond The one man who, more or less by himself,
came to signify the end of the Crusades was
Lusignan as regent. Parallel to, and intricately interwoven with, none other than Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn
the various clans vying for power in Outre- Ayyūb—or simply Saladin, as the Crusaders
mer were the established orders of knights called him.
Sibylla who had a great deal of authority and influ- Saladin was a kurd from Tikrit, born into
Sibylla, Baldwin IV’s sister, was married at ence in the area. First among these, during power and wealth, thanks to the successes
the age of sixteen to William Longsword Outremer’s days of glory, were the Hospital- of his father and uncle. He received the best
of Montferrat, cousin to the kings of both lers (the Order of St. John) and the Knights possible education, both academically and
Germany and France. The marriage rapidly Templar. Both these orders combined the militarily, and quickly learned to navigate the
produced a son, Baldwin V, but William died life and aspects of the religious orders dangerous and intrigue-filled Muslim world
soon after. This gave her the best standing in with the ideals and weapons proficiency where the Sunnis and the Shiites regularly
the entire kingdom since her little brother of knights. During a large part of the 12th opposed one another.
Baldwin IV would not produce any heirs Century, these orders were extremely pro- By being bold and aggressive, like his
and the power eventually fell to her. Sibylla minent in Outremer, both politically and father and uncle before him, Saladin soon
seems to have used her position as “trophy” militarily. Based in forts located all over the began to win military victories and gain po-
very cleverly and emerged the winner of Holdy Land, they guarded caravans, aided pularity. With a great deal of luck (or perhaps
most of the kingdom’s schemes and power pilgrims, and maintained a basic order in the mercy of Allah), Saladin frequently mana-
plays. When she married Guy of Lusignan, the conquered areas. No king of Outremer ged to be in the right place at the right time
he had a legitimate claim to power after acted without first consulting the heads of to further bolster his power. Before Saladin
Baldwin’s death. these orders. They were often on the same had turned 45, he had taken firm control over
side of any given issue, though sometimes the entire Muslim Middle-East from Egypt
they sided with the various factions in the to Syria, and could then begin to tackle the
Guy of Lusignan power struggles that took place. The fact problem of driving out the Christians.
Guy was the newcomer who gave the faction that some of the most influential schemers As Saladin fought the Crusaders—some-
its name. Raised in France, he journeyed to and planners of intrigue were members of times winning, sometimes losing—he became
Outremer sometime during the 1170s, and the orders of knights did nothing to simplify known for his moderation, his reason, his
arrived right in the middle of the power the situation. grace and generosity. Even the Christians
struggles. When Raymond of Tripoli and against whom he fought reluctantly admitted
the Ibelin brothers tried to pressure Sibylla that Saladin possessed many of the knightly
to marry into the Ibelin family, she instead The Knights Hospitaller ideals that prevailed at that time, and he was
married Guy, and he was thrown directly into a highly respected opponent.
the fray. When Baldwin IV died, and Sibylla (Order of St. John) This did not stop Saladin from being mer-
stood to ascend to power, it was demanded The Knights of the Order of St. John arose ciless when he deemed it necessary, but he
that she have her marriage to Guy annul- from a hospital organisation that had existed did not commit unnecessary bloodshed just
led—which she did, on the condition that she in the Holy Land since the 7th Century. In the for the sake of it.
could then freely choose her own husband. beginning of the 12th Century, they received
Once she was crowned, she exploited this the official status as the hospital order, and
concession and again married Guy, placing soon thereafter, the order evolved a military The Battle of Hattin
him firmly in power. Guy was closely allied branch tasked with protecting hospitals and Following a number of inflammatory attacks
with Raynald of Chatillon. the pilgrims who travelled in the area. The on caravans, carried out by Raynald of Chatil-
Knights Hospitaller bore black tabards with lon, the truce with Saladin, the leader of the
a white cross. Saracens, was broken, and Saladin led an
Raynald of Chatillon attack against the kingdom.
Raynald of Chatillon played an important Raymond of Tripoli and Guy of Lusig-
role during the larger part of the time of The Knights Templar nan—who had nearly come to open conflict
the Crusades and was constantly a source of The Knights Templar were founded by God- with one another after Guy’s ascension to
conflict and controversy. He was known for frey of Saint-Omer and Hughes of Payens in power—united, along with other knights
his boldness and aggression, and achieved 1119 and immediately received the support like the Ibelin brothers, and looked for ways
both spectacular victories and spectacular of King Baldwin II. The area surrounding the to defeat Saladin. Saladin tried to lure them
losses. After one of these losses, he was im- Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount, from and the great Christian army away from the
prisoned by the Saracens for 17 years. When which their name was derived, was granted water by attacking Raymond of Tripoli’s
he returned to power, he allied himself with to the order, whose purpose was to provide fort at Tiberias and taking Raymond’s wife
Sibylla and Guy, and played a large part in safety to the many pilgrims who travelled to hostage. Raymond knew from experience
helping Guy to become king. It was Raynald the Holy Land. Before long, the order gained that Saladin was known to treat his prisoners
who provoked Saladin to attack, which led to great influence and wealth, and were consi- well, and spoke out against attacking Saladin,
the fall of the Crusader State, and it was also dered—before the battle at Hattin—the area’s realising he could free his wife at some later
Raynald who convinced Guy to march toward strongest single force. The Templars bore time. Guy, however, decided to go out to meet
that fateful loss at Hattin. white tabards with red crosses. Saladin in the desert wilderness.
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The enormous Christian army was con-
stantly besieged by mounted Saracen archers,
continued on toward Jaffa, but not before
executing the more than 3000 prisoners The Dragon
and when thirst and exhaustion had finally of war from Acre who were still being held The Dragon aroused by the Hospitallers is a
set in, the Saracens massacred them, and in for ransom. This outrageous deed stained gigantic winged reptile with gleaming red
doing so, doomed Outremer to extinction. Richard’s reputation despite later victories. scales. Both wings and head have horny out-
Many noble knights, including large Jaffa was conquered when Richard won an growths, and its eyes glow in the dark. When
numbers of Hospitallers and Knights important battle against Saladin, but the the dragon opens its maw, a burst of flame
Templar, were taken prisoner. Foremost victory was short-lived, as it did not provide more than twenty meters long sweeps out, bur-
among them are King Guy and Raynald of any strategic advantage. Richard realised ning everything in its path, including stone.
Chatillon. The latter was killed by Saladin that Jerusalem was easy to conquer but The dragon claws its way forward on strong,
himself, as revenge for Raynald’s many impossible to hold in the long run, once the muscular legs and sharp talons. Despite its
transgressions. Crusaders returned home, but the pressure enormity, it can be surprisingly fast over short
from the other Crusaders to retake the Holy distances. The dragon flies without care with
City nevertheless compelled him to move in slow, powerful beats of its wings, more labou-
The Fall of Jerusalem that direction. The attack on Jerusalem, ho- riously at first, and then picks up frightening
After the batlle of Hattin, the remaining Chris- wever, came to naught when Saladin again speed when entering steep dives, which is why
tians were no longer able to keep Saladin at attacked Jaffa and forced Richard to come dragons prefer to start from higher positions.
bay, and soon, the most important Crusader to its defence—which he did boldly. In the Behind the glowing eyes hides an intelligence
cities had been conquered, including Jerusa- end, though, both Richard and Saladin had and slyness that allows the dragon to easily
lem. Upon entering Jerusalem, all Christians burned through most of their resources and get an understanding of anyone it encounters.
were given safe passage out of the city, unlike neither of them were any longer in a posi- It can smell fear and reveal a lie by reading
the previous massacre of Muslims and Jews tion to inflict more damage on the other. A the heartbeat and perspiration of the person
when the Christians took the city less than a three-year truce was negotiated and Richard before them. It recalls events so far back that
hundred years prior. returned home to deal with his Rebellious mankind’s collective memory cannot reach,
brother John and his friend the Sheriff of and it casually registers everything it passes.
Nottingham… It can secrete hormones that affect people it
The Third Crusade The Third Crusade resulted in a minor meets without their awareness, and its voice
After the fall of Jerusalem, a new religious success for the Christians, but far from the functions like a magical musical instrument
fervor moved through Europe and people in glorious goals they had set for themselves. it can play to invoke in people emotions such
unprecedented numbers took up the cross, as sadness, excitement, fear, and more.
and this time, the Crusades were led at a Despite all this, the dragon is not invincible.
much higher level than ever before. Europe’s The Further Crusades It’s somewhat softer belly is vulnerable to at-
three most powerful rulers—Richard the Li- Over the next hundred years, Europe conti- tack, as are its eyes and open mouth. A burst
onhearted from England, Philip II of France, nued to send Crusaders to the Middle East of targeted arrows or a well-placed lance or
and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick at regular intervals. Usually, Jerusalem was spear could cause it severe damage. The dragon
Barbarossa— joined together in a common the target, but sometimes they turned the is aware of this, however, and keeps a careful
cause. The people of Europe simply could not attack towards other Muslim areas such as eye out for missile weapons. Those who still
see how the Saracens could possibly stand Egypt. The ultimate purpose of these further attempt to injure the dragon will suffer the con-
against such a formidable force. crusades, however, was always to recapture sequences, as will anything and anyone that
Frederick Barbarossa was a veteran of the the Holy Land. The final six Crusades only happens to be in their vicinity. Terror, which
ill-fated Second Crusade, and knew enough to ever managed to strengthen their position in spreads extremely rapidly, teaches people how
ensure he was thoroughly prepared. Having the Holy Land in the short term, and when it will go for those who dare to attack the dra-
managed to reach Asia Minor and achieved the Mamluks of Egypt finally captured Acre gon, as well as for any who harbour such fools.
an initial battle against the Turks, he became during the Ninth Crusade, the Christians lost The dragon has fairly primitive impulses even
ill and fell from his horse and drowned while their final foothold in the area. The Crusader if it seeks to fulfil these with relatively sophisti-
crossing the Salef river. This event led many States’ tale was over. cated means. It desires safety, comfort, a stable
in the German army to return home, and the food reserve, stimulation, and affirmation. It
armies of the Third Crusade thereby lost an has a need to feel powerful and in control, and
important leader and a large part of its force AN ALTERNATE REALITY wishes to dominate those it comes into contact
and strength. with in order to achieve this. For this reason, the
Philip II Augustus and Richard the What if? dragon requires human sacrifice. Not because
Lionheart’s armies left later than Frederick What if everything in Outremer was just as I humans are its only, or even its preferred diet,
Barbarossa’s, but they journeyed by sea described, with power struggles and constant but because it wants to establish power and
and reached Acre in 1191. Acre was under battles with hostile surroundings. What if all control. In the same vein, it desires humans for
siege by the Christian forces, and with Phi- the people living there were exactly those stimulation and affirmation. No other creature
lip and Richard’s additional troops, Acre people briefly outlined above. can challenge and titillate the dragon with its
surrendered and bought its freedom with Now imagine what would happen if, in actions, its strong emotions, and its more or
a ransom sum that Saladin promised to 1174, just a few years before Baldwin IV less clever attempts to outsmart the enormous
deliver. Philip returned to Europe—to deal became king, the Hospitallers in Crac des reptile the way humans can. Consequently, the
with some matters at home, and because of Chevaliers managed to awaken a dragon. dragon wishes to surround itself with enemies.
an ever-growing conflict with Richard regar- A completely new world comes to life, one It wants to hear their flattery and make them
ding leadership of the Crusaders—leaving his that is even crazier than the reality, and that’s feel as if they have a chance of winning.
army with Richard the Lionheart. Richard saying something… Is the dragon evil? The dragon is…a dragon.
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Christianity’s First Meeting OUTREMER out in a fight. After a while, any news would
be better than all the nervous anticipation
with the Dragon The Christians React and continuous inner conflict. Finally, after
weeks of useless back-and-forth discussion,
If the dragon had encountered other people While the dragon returns to sleep beneath there is news.
at another time, perhaps the meeting would the Syrian sun, messengers race from Crac’s
have ended differently. Perhaps other people courtyard to Jerusalem. From here, the news
would have fled and the dragon would have spreads quickly to all corners of the earth. The Dragon Takes Outremer
remained dormant a few millennia more. But In Jerusalem, Amalrik quickly gathers the A rider arrives from Antioch with a message
at that time in that place, things could only important men and women to counsel. When that both shocks and horrifies. The dragon
go one way. When the Knights of the Order of irrefutable evidence is presented, none hesi- has attacked the city at dawn and set it alight.
St. John saw the dragon, they believed it was tate—something must be done. Old enmity It swept systematically and deliberately back
the Devil himself. These men who cautiously is put aside and rivals over power stand side and forth over the city time and time again
made their way through the gigantic portal by side. An expedition is sent to Crac while and burned it so thoroughly that the fires
beneath the castle were a brotherhood for the patriarch of Jerusalem immediately sets eventually raged out of control and decima-
whom the Bible was as certain and natural course for Rome and the papal seat. ted the entire city. The death toll is appalling
as their violent mission in the world. When No one in the expedition could have pre- and the dragon seems to have done this for
they caught sight of the dragon, they saw a pared themselves for that first meeting. This no apparent reason. No demands were placed
creature that St. John described in chapter group was stronger than many other victo- on the city, nor was anything taken. The only
12 of the book of Revelation: rious armies during Outremer’s history; the discernible purpose seems to have been the
king himself is in the vanguard and bears destruction itself.
”… And there appeared another wonder in the true cross as a protective shield. Yet none During the next month came more news
heaven; and behold a great red dragon, of the military geniuses in the expedition of the same variety. Tearful stories of devas-
having seven heads and ten horns, and knew how to tackle such a unique problem tation and terror. Cities and villages set fire
seven crowns upon his heads. And his as a dragon, and this is their downfall. The for no reason. Finally, when the desperation
tail drew the third part of the stars of dragon swoops down from Crac and before had become so great that a new expedition
heaven, and did cast them to the earth: a defence can be mounted, the field is a bla- to face the dragon was in the works, an ex-
and the dragon stood before the woman zing inferno. Massacre is unavoidable. When planation was forthcoming. A knight from
which was ready to be delivered, for to the remains of the expedition flee back to Toron, exhausted and rambling, arrived
devour her child as soon as it was born. the Holy City, many knights of renown are with a new tale of the dragon’s deeds. After
And she brought forth a man child, who abandoned. Left behind in the burning gras- having rested, he is at last recovered enough
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: ses are nearly a hundred Hospitallers, two to relay the message he was sent to deliver.
and her child was caught up unto God, dozen Knights Templar, one Ibelin brother, He describes how the dragon has attacked
and to his throne. And the woman fled a cousin of Sibylla, the patriarch’s brother, Toron and how the fortress was defenceless
into the wilderness, where she hath a and many more. No loss is greater, however, against a winged creature for whom even
place prepared of God, that they should than the king himself, and the true cross the thickest stone walls are meaningless.
feed her there a thousand two hundred he bore. Many believe this is a sign that all The dragon had savagely assaulted Toron,
and threescore days. hope is lost. and killed and devoured most of its defen-
And there was war in heaven: Michael dants. The knight had been allowed to live,
and his angels fought against the dragon; however, as the dragon wanted to send this
and the dragon fought and his angels, A New King and message: All cities, towns and villages in the
and prevailed not; neither was their area must pay tribute to their new master.
place found any more in heaven. And a Time of Waiting For every citizen, they must pay 100 grams
the great dragon was cast out, that old After the first crippling defeat, Haut Cour, of gold, to be delivered to Crac before the
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, Jerusalem’s governing council is gathered, next full moon.
which deceiveth the whole world: he was along with the leaders of the Hospitallers After so much destruction, this news comes
cast out into the earth, and his angels and the Knights Templar. Baldwin IV is almost as a relief, and makes the situation
were cast out with him.” crowned at just 13 years old, and Raymond with the dragon seem manageable, with some
of Tripoli is appointed as his Bailil along level of human logic. The dragon is greedy,
For the brotherhood, there could be no doubt. with Raynauld of Chatillon. A new strategy they think; it is a simple robber baron, and
Fear, perhaps, but not doubt. A warrior of is adopted: while waiting for word from the as such, it can be dealt with. A quick count
Christ who encounters the Devil can do one pope, any conflict with the dragon is avoided reveals approximately a half million people
thing only. and all cities, towns and villages are fortified in Outremer, meaning 50,000 kilos of gold.
None of the six knights survived long at in anticipation of what the dragon might do They posit that the dragon cannot possibly
this first meeting, and the dragon woke in a next. Grains and emergency supplies are conceive of this number and they can likely
most unpleasant mood. The black-clad men stored in secure warehouses and conflicts get away with reducing this number consi-
with the white cross, and all others who may with the Saracens are mostly ceased, even if derably. And if the gold is delivered to the
bear such a symbol, would never be forgiven, this may mean concessions. dragon a little at a time, more can be learned
for dragons hold grudges and their memories Despite the fact that both Raymond and about it, and eventually find a weakness to
are long. The dragon and Christendom could Raynauld vowed to put their bickering aside exploit.
not have met under worse circumstances, in the seriousness of the moment, it does not Haut Cour eagerly begins to organise the
though it’s difficult to imagine any other take long before the frayed nerves and stress tribute. Greed is something they understand
outcome. of constant waiting causes them to break and can relate to.
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How much is too much? The Third Council of the Lateran great wrath, because he knoweth that he
hath but a short time.” Now is the time of
Just in time for the next full moon, a caravan In Rome, Pope Alexander III convenes the tribulation, because in the face of the devil,
of pack animals rolls up to Crac’s castle gates. Third Council of the Lateran to discuss the there is no escape nor respite. The Lord him-
The total weight of the gold is more than news from the Holy Land. Bishops across the self cast this beast out into the desert, and
25,000 kilos. Citizens of Jerusalem and the Christian world gather to discuss the theo- we who follow him and his testimony must
surrounding areas are collectively holding logical ramifications of what has happened. now do the same when its fury affects us.
their breath. What few outside the council know, however, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman,
A week goes by and then a messenger from is that the Revelation to John has already and went to make war with the remnant of
the dragon arrives. He is pale and haggard, been consulted and debated in secret during her seed, which keep the commandments
and explains that he is the only person from the past few years as more and more bishops of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
the caravan who has been allowed to live. have considered the signs of Revelation to be Christ.”
Trembling from head to foot, he relates the fulfilled. Now that the dragon has appeared, The time for our wandering in the
news that the dragon is satisfied with the these previously whispered opinions have wilderness has come, and from St.
tribute, and that a similar amount must be been given free reign and all the portents are Michael’s Sunday, all faithful are
delivered to Crac upon every third full moon. being reported: recommended to join in a 40-day fast.
Outremer has bought itself some time, but This is also a time for confession and
at an extremely high price. Eventually, gold 1. 1156 penance, for the time when we all face
in such amounts will be difficult to acquire, A reign of hail and fire destroys the entire city of Dublin. our Saviour may be near. But, like the
and worse: by devouring all the men in the 2. 1163 Lord, we will shall conquer and Satan
caravan, the dragon has implicitly indicated A burning mountain crashes into the sea off the coast will be brought down. We, Bishop of Rome,
a demand for human sacrifices. How far must of Libya and annihilates a dozen coastal villages. successor of Peter, and emissary of Christ,
they go to appease the Devil? How much is All ocean life in the surrounding area dies. call on all faithful souls to take up the cross
too much? 3. 1167 and gather yourselves into Christ’s new
In eastern Russia, a star plunges from the heavens. army, which shall journey to the Holy Land,
It obliterates everything it touches and the sky above God’s own country.
EUROPE the Earth darkens. The weather is not back to normal
for more than a year.
At the head of this faithful band will be
the newly formed Knights of the Order of
The Dragon Humiliates 4. 1168 St. Michael. We place in their hands all
Frederick Barbarossa The Tigris and the Euphrates rivers dry up inexplicably,
and the region is plagued by drought and starvation.
our power and authority. With the Spear
of Destiny and the True Cross, which
Meanwhile, in Europe, there has been an 5. 1173 awaits them in the Holy Land, they will
ongoing, lengthy and difficult power struggle Recurring downpours flood the Tiber and put the be victorious in the name of Christ. He
between the secular and ecclesiastical fac- Vatican under water for several years in a row. who falls on this sacred mission will fall
tions. Frederick Barbarossa has positioned 6. 1174 with their sins forgiven and the Lord shall
himself against Pope Alexander III and Crete and Cyprus are awash with locusts, grant him a place by His side. “And they
supported several antipapal leaders in a row. which destroy all crops. loved not their lives unto the death.”
When news of the dragon reaches Alexan-
der some months after its first appearance, it Reactions are mixed and opinions differ. For
also reaches the very well-informed Frederick many, it is obvious that the end is nigh, while A Religious Wave
Barbarossa, who instantly recognises its others are afraid but doubtful. What is clear,
importance and begins to scrutinise his own however, is that the disagreements will not Sweeps the Globe
actions. Is it feasible to oppose the papal seat remain hidden once the council is dissolved. In the wake of Alexander’s speech, a religious
in the light of what has happened? Alexander must act forcefully in order to av- wave like nothing seen before swept through
Frederick Barbarossa shuts himself away oid worry and panic. A Europe which is afraid Europe. So many people take up the cross
for three days of strict fasting. When he that the end of days has come—whether or not and want to join the army of Christ that it
finally emerges, he has made a decision to this is the case—will benefit no one, and lead creates chaos and confusion. Churches and
journey to Pope Alexander III in a veritable only to chaos and misery for all. At the same monasteries are flooded with people seeking
Walk to Canossa. time, Alexander cannot deny the existence of confession and penance, and gifts to the
At the papal seat, barefoot and clad only the dragon, and thereby Satan’s presence on church reach an unprecedented level. Many
in a tunic, Barbarossa prostrates himself Earth. When the council is over, Christendom of the continent’s foremost knights apply to
on the f loor of St. Peter’s Cathedral and gathers to hear Alexander speak. the Order of St. Michael, but only a small
humbly kisses Alexander’s feet. With him is minority are granted admission. Others are
the anti-papal Paschal III, whom he actively given command over portions of the Christian
supported, and Barbarossa delivers him to Ex Cathedra army and begin to prepare themselves for the
Alexander for judgement. Additionally, Bar- “From Peter’s chair, as Christ’s representa- Third Crusade. The secular powers submit un-
barossa gives Alexander his sword and offers tive here on Earth, we are now speaking to conditionally to the leadership of the Holy See.
to travel personally to the Holy Land to battle you in this, humanity’s most difficult time. Riots are now breaking out across Europe.
the dragon if the pope so wishes. In the Holy Land, the beast, that ancient Infidels, particularly Jews, are persecuted
The enormity of this extremely symbolic serpent, who is known as Devil and Satan, and the Church does not stop their massacre
act is missed by no one, and all worldly has risen out of the darkness. “Woe to the as it had on previous occasions. Allegations
power in Europe closes ranks loyally behind inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for against those who are said to be following in
the pope. the devil is come down unto you, having the footsteps of the beast increase dramatical-
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ly, and witch burnings become commonplace
across large parts of the continent. The hunt
accepted. As the leader of the Knights of St.
Michael, he is given the unlimited resources The Army of Christ
for heretics intensifies and in many places
the situation is used as an excuse to purge
of the pope and tasked with gathering all the
best knights in the world and richly equip-
Stands Ready
the ranks of unbelievers and demand trials ping them in order to slay the dragon. Though the organisation is huge and the
and executions. A new movement of hostages Frederick accepts the mission with religi- preparations are lengthy, finally the army
arises in northern France and spreads like ous zeal. Since many of Europe’s finest are of Christ is ready to go, and the Order of St.
wildfire throughout the Christian world. applying to enter the Order, Frederick nar- Michael is ready to lead, and the pope bles-
People gather into large processions where rows the selection down to a mere few of the ses those gathered at St. Peter’s Square. Now
they flagellate themselves with whips, pu- very best fighters. With carte blanche from everything is in God’s hands.
nishing themselves to receive forgiveness the Vatican, he brings in the continent’s most
for their sins. In parts of central Europe, this skilled armourer and has soon produced
movement becomes so prevalent that society weapons and equipment of a calibre few THE WORLD OF THE SARACENS
is nearly paralysed. could ever afford. With that same authority,
Barbarossa requests relics from churches The Saracen’s
The Knights of the
and cathedrals from all over Europe. Though
everyone has felt the seriousness of the situa- View of the Dragon
tion with the dragon, this last request causes The news of how the dragon took possession
Order of St. Michael offense, but Alexander III is adamant: the of Crac des Chavaliers quickly reaches Syria
At the behest of Alexander, the Order of St. Mi- Order of St. Michael will receive whatever where Saladin has cleverly manoeuvred
chael is created, and Frederick Barbarossa’s it asks for. Soon, solemn processions depart himself into the position of sultan of Syria
offer to seek out and battle the dragon is from Santiago de Compostela, from Cologne, and Egypt. Saladin has already begun to pre-
from London, from Milano, and from many pare for battle with his final rivals, and then
other cities, and make their way toward intends to turn his eye on the Crusaders and
Rome where the relics are collected by the become Islam’s sword against the Christians.
the Knights of St. Michael. The dragon, however, turns Saladin’s plans
There is a sense of impatience and many on end, and he is forced to return to the mos-
desire that the Order of St. Michael depart as que along with the Quran scholars of Damas-
soon as possible, but Barbarossa stubbornly cus. After intense debates and negotiations,
refuses. “If the dragon is to be slain, we can- they finally come to a careful conclusion:
not rush off unprepared.” And while the Either the creature they’ve received reports
weaponsmiths spewed out smoke and relics of is the beast mentioned in the 27th Surah,
were collected, new information about the chapter 82 of the Quran, and as such, was
dragon and its deeds continuously seeps in sent by Allah to tell the infidels that they
from the Holy Land. When the time is ripe, did not believe the signs they had seen, or it
Barbarossa does not intend to fail. is a hitherto unknown but terrible creature
that should be studied carefully before any
action is taken.
A Mountain of Gold In either case, the interpretations give
The gifts to the church pour in, and Alexander way to joy and contentment. Either Allah
and his closest advisors secretly decide on an has shown his greatness by fulfilling the
alternative plan whose privacy is of utmost prophet’s words and revealing the infidels,
importance. Despite the enormous theologi- or the Christians have been set upon by an
cal problems and implications, they decide incredibly dangerous enemy that they will
that, whether or not the Third Crusade or the need to deal with in some way.
Knights of St. Michael are successful, they
will send an emissary to the dragon with a
bribe. The dragon will be offered a mountain Disappointing News
of gold, larger than anything previously col- Before long, Saladin hears the same message
lected. Perhaps with such a tribute, the dra- as the cowering King Baldwin in Jerusalem:
gon can be convinced to go away. As the leader the dragon is burning and destroying cities
for this expedition and this unprecedented in Outremer. Saladin knows better than most
cargo of gold, Alexander gleefully selects that in many of these cities dwell true belie-
Paschal III. Based on the news that reaches vers under the thumb of the Crusaders. This
the Vatican from the Holy Land, there is little news dampens his spirits and leads to new
likelihood of the plan succeeding, or of the discussions. Is it possible that Allah, in his
emissary returning alive, but nevertheless, desire to teach the infidels a lesson, would
no stone should go unturned. Meanwhile, also be willing to kill his faithful servants?
maintaining the secret is vital, not only be- No conclusions are reached and Saladin
cause such a large amount of gold would be cautiously continues to strengthen his posi-
extremely tempting for bandits, but because tion in Syria while carefully following the
the Vatican cannot be seen to be negotiating development in Outremer, and waiting for
with the devil. an opening.
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IN THE NOW AD 1179 looks out upon domains it now views as its
own. The courtyard is covered in mankind’s
What happens Young King Baldwin IV still rules in Jerusa-
lem. He is regent now, without a bailil, though
largest collected treasure, but no thief dares
approach. Before the army of Christ arrived
in the Holy Land? in this difficult position, he sometimes wis- to the Holy Land, the tributes were punctual,
hes both Raymond and Raynald were there. but recently that has all changed. The dragon
In an alternate reality where the passage Criticism of the king is harsh and there is no has been challenged and the overwhelming
of time f lows in another channel than solution in sight. power now positioned against it has forced
our own, there are many possibilities and The Holy Land has been transformed into a it to be cautious. The situation has become a
potential tracks. Here are some of the pos- garrison. Christian soldiers have been statio- cat-and-mouse game that amuses the dragon,
sible streams. Use those that fit into your ned in each village, each city, and each town. and for the most part it stays in the castle’s
particular reality. Each rooftop and turret is occupied with courtyard, enjoying the sun’s warmth and
archers and heavy crossbows. Day and night, pondering its next move.
they watch the skies, and often the alarm The Knights of St. Michael lick their
An Unexpected Development goes up, evoking fear in those who attempt wounds and consider their next move as
No one in 1174 could have foreseen where to sleep: Dragon! Dragon! The nervous wai- well. No other force has come closer than
Outremer would be just a couple of years ting is endless and the sun is without mercy they to defeating the dragon. On more than
later. Many speculated as to what would hap- month in and month out. Lack of supplies one occasion, they have injured the beast,
pen when the Third Crusade reached the Holy is beginning to be a huge problem, as arable albeit at a terrible price. Frederick Barba-
Land. Some believed that the Knights of the land is more and more frequently prone to rossa lies awake at night, grinding his teeth
Order of St. Michael would cast the dragon fires, and the Saracens are doing all they can in an attempt to find the dragon’s weakness.
down into the underworld, as predicted by to block transports to Outremer. Whispered rumours abound as to how he is
Alexander III. Others thought that the end of No force in the world has been able to cast losing his mind.
days was upon them and that the Beast would the dragon out of Crac, despite innumerable Saladin has now managed to become the
soon rule over all the living. None could have futile and gruesome attempts. At the top of Saracens’ unopposed leader and has turned
predicted how this would go. Crac des Draca, as it is now called, the dragon his attention to Outremer and Al-Quds. The
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CraC des DraCA
Christian grip on the Holy Land has never
been greater, but their enemy has never been Baldwin’s Exodus The True Cross versus
stronger.
After much careful watching and praying,
The joy over finding the True Cross grows
further when miracles begin to take place in
the Sign of the Dragon
Saladin has come to the conclusion that the
creature is not the beast from the Quran, but
its presence. One of the priests who helped
remove the cross from its hiding place reco-
- Under the Sun
he has also determined that it is intelligent vers his sight in one eye; a worker who had The existence of the dragon was bad enough
and rational. also helped is miraculously cured of the boils in and of itself, but an enemy city full of
Given the idea that “my enemy’s enemy is that had plagued him. traitors in the middle of Outremer was just
my friend”, Saladin has decided to pursue an The True Cross clearly has amazing po- a step too far. When Tripoli raised the flag of
arrangement with the dragon. The rumour wers. No one is more pleased about this than the dragon, the Crusaders were forced to act.
among the Saracens is that such a meeting is Baldwin, the Leper King. Despite being only Many also believed it was a chance to bear
imminent. The rumour among the Christians 18 years old, he is extremely weak due to the True Cross into battle.
is that it has already taken place. his disease, and has already lost fingers, and In garrisons across the land, soldiers ea-
his face has become disfigured. For him, the gerly awaited the opportunity to break the
True Cross means the possibility of a long monotony of watching the skies. Anything
The Spear of Destiny Vanishes life, which he previously could never even was better than simply waiting for an at-
When the Order of St. Michael reaches Jeru- have hoped for. tack. Things were quickly organised and be-
salem, they have already received the news of The cross was brought to Baldwin, who fore long, the army processions were headed
how the True Cross was lost in the dragon’s basked in its radiance and gently touched toward Tripoli.
first attack. It is a great loss and causes a brief the rough wood of its surface. Yet no miracles When the army reached the City of the
slump in morale and conviction, traits the occur, and the whispers begin. Soon, the Beast, they spotted an army gathered to
knights normally value as additions to their whispers have spread throughout the Holy meet them. From long lances waved ban-
regular armour. City and transformed into cries and shouts. ners with the dragon’s image, and there
When a caravan from Antioch arrives to The king is clearly not in God’s graces, and was row upon row of foot soldiers wearing
Jerusalem carrying the Spear of Destiny, the this explains for many why they have not yet strangely shaped helmets. It was unthinkable
knights’ faith is again emboldened. With the defeated the dragon. that such a relatively small city like Tripoli
help of the Order’s armour-master, the relic In one instant, the king has doomed him- could have succeeded in creating such an
is restored, and is once again a spear of the self, and the newly appointed patriarch He- enormous army.
highest quality. raclius seizes the moment. The king is forced Before the Crusaders even managed to
During the Knights of St. Michael’s first to abdicate and is banished from Jerusalem. form up properly, the defenders of the City of
and most successful attack on the dragon, In shame and disgrace, he rides out of the the Beast dashed forward in a brutal attack
the Spear of Destiny is used. Witnesses Holy City surrounded by those loyal to him. with no thought for their own welfare. Even
among the survivors describe how the young Exactly where he goes and what he does the Christian army stood no chance against
Robert Longsword, brother-in-law of Sibylla, remains a mystery. such a fanatic horde, and soon both the centre
plunged the spear into the dragon’s belly just and right flanks were broken.
before he is crushed by the beast. It would most certainly have been a huge
Since the spear is never found afterward, The City of the Beast loss for the Crusaders had the patriarch
it is believed to be in the creature’s belly still. Less than six months after the dragon’s first Heraclius not chosen just that moment to
Tales abound that the spear, with God’s help, attack, the first ones appeared. Those who unveil the True Cross. Surrounded by a
is slowly but surely making its way deeper admired the dragon and feared its power. force of Knights Templar, Heraclius raised
into the dragon’s body and that when the Rather than fight, they chose to capitulate the relic in all its radiance above his head,
spear finally reaches its heart, the Holy Land and transform their fear into worship, which and even the most rabid of the dragon’s fol-
will be free. they demonstrate with the mark of the dra- lowers ceased their attack. Some fell to the
gon on their hands or foreheads. ground while others wept, and still others
Initially, there were only a few of them, turned and fled. What had looked to be a
The True Cross is Discovered reviled and despised, but when the dragon crushing defeat quickly turned into a disor-
During the reinforcement of David’s Gate, attacked and slaughtered everyone in the derly, undecided end. But the True Cross had
near the Holy Sepulchre, a young bricklayer town of Nin — except for those bearing the shown its strength, and soon there would be
accidentally destroys an old wall and disco- sign of the beast — this changed quickly. new battles.
vers a void inside. From the void shines a Their numbers grew and soon they were in
radiant light that makes all the builders stop the majority in most places, and bloodshed
in fear and wonder. When the void is exami- followed. Arrival of
ned more closely, they discover a broken and Tripoli was the first city to fall completely
stained piece of a beam surrounded by such under the mark of the beast, and soon it Richard the Lionheart
a bright light that it hurts to look directly at became the City of the Beast. No one who Back in Europe is a man who has grown
it. Before the patriarch has even managed was not marked was permitted to live or weary of simply sitting and waiting for news
to arrive on the scene, the entire Holy City shop there. from Outremer. Though he is soon to inherit
knows that the Lord’s miracle has occurred When the dragon demanded tribute, pe- a great kingdom, his restless temperament
and that the True Cross is returned to them. ople from Tripoli sacrificed themselves wil- prevents him from waiting any longer. With
A few even dare to question whether the lingly to their master, and when the dragon some money he has collected, and a number
previous cross was indeed the true one when wanted an army to fight under its banner, of loyal knights, he sets off toward the Holy
comparing it to this newfound one. they were quick to take up weapons. Land, against his father’s will.
34
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35
CraC des DraCA
A QUESTION OF FAITH – THE MEDIEVAL GALLERY
Imagine someone from today’s Europe who does not believe in oxygen. So- Johan Bären
meone who maintains that it is utter nonsense that there is an invisible gas Johan Bären is the son of a veteran Crusader from
everywhere that we would almost immediately die without. Such a person the Second Crusade, Wilhelm Bären. He has travel-
led from German more to make his father
probably doesn’t exist, and if they do, there is likely something wrong with
proud than because of some burning desire
him or her. To not believe in oxygen is insane, deviant behaviour. This is ex- to fight for the Holy Land. Johan hates Out-
actly like the medieval person’s relationship with God. There was no one who remer with a passion. He hates the climate,
does not believe in God, and if such a person could be found, they were likely he hates the dry air, he hates all the un-
crazy. For those of us living today, in generally more secular times, it can be godly people, and he hates the double
difficult to not transfer our modern view of religion—as an individual choice, standard among those who hold power
something that can be relative, and interpreted differently for each person—to in Outremer. Despite this, he is a cons-
the past. But if you wish to play a medieval character and truly understand cientious knight who does his best to
perform the tasks given him.
their point of view, it is good to leave this modern view behind.
God: Johan fears God and feels con-
The starting point must be that God exists and is important for each person. stantly unable to fulfil the demands
Then there are incredibly many interpretations of the meaning of God’s word God makes. He knows that God sees into
and the church’s teachings, and how that affects a person’s life. People can lose his heart and he is also aware that God
faith in the church as an institution, they can doubt, debate, and interpret does not find the love there spoken of
Biblical texts, but they will never assume that they will not be accountable in the Bible.
for their lives before God on the final day. A good life: A good life is a life without hardship,
At the same time, people are always people. Just because you believe in where one is allowed to live their life, raise a
family, and teach one’s values to the coming
something, are convinced that there is a set of rules and precepts to follow,
generations.
know in your heart what is waiting for you after death, does not mean that Death: Death is the final watershed. In purga-
you will act consistently and logically in your everyday life in the same way tory, the wheat will be separated from the
your faith and conviction might indicate. People are the victims of all sorts of chaff, and those who are found wanting in
motivations and weaknesses. They want one thing and do another. They sin God’s eyes must face hell.
and hope everything will be all right anyway. They are human. And alone with The dragon: The dragon is not the Devil, but is
one’s own thoughts, they must deal with this, before the God they know exists. sent by the Devil. That is why this is not
Here are examples that demonstrate a breadth of opinions and interpreta- the end of days. People cannot imagine
what the end of days will really be like.
tions regarding the concept of God and how faithful people look at their sur-
roundings. Use as inspiration for non-player characters in your own scenarios.
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CraC des DraCA
37
CraC des DraCA
SUMMARY ADVENTURE-SEEDS
The recipe for this alternate reality is clear:
Take an authentic Outremer. Add one dragon.
FOR CRAC des DRACA
Stir and see what happens. But what can Outremer and the dragon also offer many
you do with this material? There are several adventure-filled opportunities:
possibilities:
• Inspiration for your own
alternate realities. Killing the Dragon
• Closer examination of The dragon is at the castle Crac. Like Smaug,
the Crusades and the he must be slain. God wishes it! How is it
medieval person’s faith. possible to get close to such a powerful and
• Campaign environment intelligent creature? What are its weaknesses
where you can set your and what obstacles must we overcome in
own stories. order to even get close enough to try?
38
BERNARD
ÅKE ROSENIUS
39
ROLEPLAYING
PETE NASH
SPELL SINGERS
In this issue we present a mercenary group of sword wielding,
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 1/2014
solely of females and eunuchs, male members
all being castrated before puberty in order to
sorcery singers, which can be utilised as foes in established ensure a higher vocal range. There is no stigma
for a castrato within the order as both sexes
campaigns, or perhaps an organisation that Player Characters are viewed with equality, progression based
solely upon vocal ability. Ranks are as per the
can aspire to join. These spell singers have nothing to do with the brotherhood rules (see RuneQuest 6 page 286)
series written by Alan Dean Foster, but since he is a great author but have different names; these being Aspirant,
Accompanist, Choralist, Melodist and Diva.
anyway, I highly recommend almost all of his books. For those The diva of the Sirens generally remains at
the monastery unless the entire order is em-
further interested in song-based magic I cautiously suggest the ployed, such events occurring during major
wars or if the monastery itself is threatened.
Spellsong Cycle by L. E. Modesitt Jr. Otherwise the Sirens are hired out in small
groups numbering between 1d6+6 members
depending on the task. These are comprised
mainly of Accompanists, with several Chora-
THE SIRENS OF SYRACUSE Name lists and a sole Melodist in overall command.
Due to their extreme deadliness, this is nor-
The Sirens of Syracuse are an infamous The Sirens of Syracuse mally enough to deal with most problems.
mercenary troupe of spell-singing warriors
that spend their entire lives wandering and Nature Hiring
fighting, alienated by most common folk, The order first started out as a reclusive group The Sirens are unusual in that they have se-
in search of mercenary work. According to of elderly monks, who practiced over-tonal veral services they sell. As entertainers, spell-
rumour they sell their tongues and blades in singing as a method of tapping mystical po- singers are paramount amongst all vocalists.
exchange for children, who are taken back to wers, eventually developing a crude ability So beautiful and entrancing is their music,
the iron-grey monastery of Syracuse located with magical shouts. Practices changed how- that they can charge thousands of silver pieces
high in the most remote and isolated moun- ever with the first woman granted admittance for a single performance – the majority of this
tain range of the world. Those fosterlings that to the order, whose voice seemed capable of money being sent back to their monastery to
survive the training become spell-singers more potent effects. Further research was support the order. Hired out as a bodyguard or
themselves, continuing the order. performed augmenting the choral abilities a military unit however has a far more sinister
Currently lead by the incomparable Thelx- of their members, primarily through surgical and painful cost. Either the eldest pre-pube-
iepi, a statuesque woman of keening voice experimentation upon the vocal chords. scent child of the person being guarded (their
and icy countenance, the Sirens have cut a Since those times the order has mastered first child if they are yet to have children), or,
bloody path through history. They have tur- many melodious and sorcerous techniques a child from each family who will benefit if
ned the tide of many battles, though at great which have drawn attention to their remote a village, city or country is saved. Thus only
cost to even their own side and have even monastery from those seeking them as en- the most desperate ever condescend to hire
destroyed renowned wizards and diabolical tertainers, bodyguards or battlefield units. the Sirens, often invoking the hatred of their
monsters. As mercenaries they fight neither Such mercenary work is dangerous however, own people at the appalling price.
for good or evil, but only for those who are so all spell-singers are trained in the use of
willing to meet their dreadful price. weapons for self defence. Magically potent, Membership
Foes often abandon their plans when hea- capable warriors and often dangerous to All membership requirements are standard,
ring that the Sirens have been commissioned their allies, the Sirens are highly regarded as per the RuneQuest rules.
to fight against them, yet the spell-singers and greatly feared.
are not always victorious. An arch-mage of Aspirant (Common Members)
sufficient power can sometimes defeat them Organisation Aspirants live like ascetic monks, dressed
from afar, or cunning tricks such as rendering The Sirens have changed greatly from their identically in coarse woollen robes, eating
an army permanently deaf can make them first days as a small order of grey bearded old plain foods and working hard from sunrise
immune to the siren’s songs. monks. Nowadays their numbers are formed to sunset performing all the menial tasks
40
SPELL SINGERS
Melodist (Overseers)
A choralist who reaches mastery in several of
the order’s skills is rapidly promoted to Melo-
dist. The primary responsibility of a Melodist
is to act as commanders of small mercenary
troops, negotiating strategy and recompense
with those that hire them. Melodists may also
perform bodyguard work, but usually only
to employers of significant status who often
gift the monastery with additional rewards
over and above the base cost. In return, the
melodist gains opportunities to overhear
41
ROLEPLAYING
PETE NASH
42
SPELL SINGERS
43
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
SHADOWS of
BABYLON “The king spake, and said, ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built
for the house of kings by the might of my power, and for the honour
of my majesty?’”
– Daniel 4:30
T
TEXT KENNETH HITE he epitome of urban fantasy is su- The Hittites sacked Babylon 150 years later,
rely a city that is itself a myth: both and thus began centuries of foreign rule. Ho-
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN grounded in baked brick and gilded wever, Babylon remained the most important
in magical radiance. Of course, you city in Mesopotamia: the Gate of the Gods, the
can see flashes of such sights in the great Sacred City, the City That Grasps the Bridle of
cities of the new millennium: San Francisco, Heaven and Hell. Hammurabi carried these
Hong Kong, Nairobi. But often the fantasist titles and more away from the Sumerian city
seeks urban myth in the past, cities sunk of Nippur, the previous nexus of divine power
deep in centuries: London, Tokyo, Moscow, in the Land of Two Rivers. Babylon’s god Mar-
Istanbul. Surely, then, our road is clear: travel duk overthrew Nippur’s god Enlil, assuming
back still further, to when urbanism and fan- many of his powers in Heaven, and writing
tasy were one and the same, to an era when himself into Enlil’s myths. For over a millen-
the gods themselves raised cities by the first nium after Hammurabi’s dynasty fell in 1595
river banks. Let’s travel back millennia: back B.C., possession of Babylon made its holder
to Babylon. special in the eyes of the gods, conferring a
Nobody knows when Babylon was foun- sort of “high kingship” on its rulers: much
ded; its original site almost certainly lies like occupation of Rome in late antiquity, or
underneath the Euphrates River. When the of Jerusalem during the Crusades. Even the
first Akkadian-speaking settlers arrived fearsome Assyrian emperors had themsel-
around 2500 B.C., they found a place called ves crowned both in their home city and in
‘Babillu,’ and decided that it was the “gate Babylon until, in 703 B.C., the Babylonian
of the gods” or bab-ili in Akkadian. Why? king Marduk-apla-idin (Merodach-Baladan
Because Babylon, even then, was touched in the Bible) rebelled against the Assyrian
by magic, by fantasy, by Powers outside our emperor Sennacherib. Sennacherib thought
comprehension. Sargon of Akkad, the first he solved the problem of Babylon by leveling
empire builder, boasted that he “built Baby- the city in 689 B.C. and deporting its popula-
lon in front of Akkad” – 600 years later, Ham- tion to Nineveh, but his sons recoiled at his
murabi the Great built a Babylonian Empire blasphemy and toppled a statue onto him
where Sargon had ruled. By Hammurabi’s eight years later.
time (circa 1750 B.C.), Babylon held 65,000 Sennacherib’s successor Esarhaddon re-
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 5/2012 people; it was the biggest city in the world. built Babylon and received his crown from
44
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
46
SHADOWS OF BABYLON
47
ROLEPLAYING
KENNETH HITE
Kulullu BABYLON,
Kulullu are half-fish, half-man beings who live in the ocean, the river swamps, or the arti-
ficial Abzu lake in the center of the Esagila. Powerful sorcerers and sages, they teach men THE HOUSE OF THE GATEWAY
esoteric arts and tools; they have their own eerie agenda. Ancient astronaut theorists be- Starting with perhaps the most mundane
lieve them to be aliens from Sirius; their name indicates a connection to Lovecraftian evil. possibility, imagine a time portal between
ancient Babylon and your city setting – which
might be modern Baghdad, or it might be
Lilitu anywhere. Time portals hardly have to obey
Lilitu are angry, winged female demons who kill children and pregnant women by poison geography, after all. Possibly it’s a hyperspace
or by befouling the air. They haunt deserts and open country, but enter the cities when gate opened by studying cuneiform found in
plague demons open the way for them. A variant, the ardat-lili, more resemble succubi an ancient tomb or on a new-raised island. It’s
than harpies. Their queen gained quite a reputation in Hebrew myth as Lilith. opened to lay a pipeline through, of course,
but it doesn’t just bring back oil. It also
opens the way for gods and monsters, either
Rabisu overtly or as the secret cargo of Babylonian
Rabisu crouch in alleys and entranceways, waiting to seize unwary passersby. They are immigrants to the future. In this kind of cam-
demons, but take solid form while lurking in shadows. They resemble the redcaps of paign, perhaps the “fantasy world” behind the
Scottish legend, or the ghouls of later Arabian lore. wainscoting turns out to be another physical
world – one as superior in magic and demonic
arts as our world is in technology and science.
Sirrush Such a campaign might resemble Sha-
Sirrush is the more familiar name, but is actually a very common mistransliteration of dowrun, or Dark Conspiracy, or even a weird
the word mushussu. In either version, it refers to the Babylonian dragon: a thick, reptilian version of Mage as the oil-fueled Technocracy
body with the hind legs of a raptor, the forelegs of a lion, and the head and tail of a horned squares off against the gugallu magi. Borrow
snake. The sirrush attends to the city god: it is a source of wisdom, power, and terror. In the a hint from Torg and have Babylonian magi
Apocrypha, the prophet Daniel defeats a sirrush by exploding it. trying to reconsecrate modernity to Marduk
48
SHADOWS OF BABYLON
while Médécins Sans Frontieres tries to rise in Paris and Vienna; ensi interpret the underworld demons. When Nabopolassar’s
battle disease-utukku with recombinant will of Marduk for czars and presidents. diggers found a temenu of Sargon, they had
DNA therapy. Or take a leaf from Wraith: only Some factory towns – Providence and Man- priests who knew the ancient rites: they built
moderns possessed by ekimmu can operate chester, Eskilstuna and Chicago – remain free, a new temple to hold him, and even with that,
on both sides of the gateway, but the ekimmu if you don’t count the fish-men in bulletproof Nabopolassar’s empire was virtually posses-
seek only death and destruction. tanks behind bank and factory doors. And sed by the shade of Hammurabi. When Robert
once a year, more gods assemble in London Koldewey or Leonard Woolley dug up temenu,
for the Akitu, and imprison just a little they brought them back to Berlin or London.
BABYLON, more of the human world. Play this world The entire Ishtar Gate is in the Pergamon
with your favorite steampunk ruleset, from Museum in Berlin, while figures from the gate
WHICH HATES INJUSTICE! Runepunk to Iron Kingdoms to Clockwork are in Detroit, Istanbul, Gothenburg, Paris,
Or perhaps the connection goes the other & Chivalry. Or amp up the angst with Hero- Munich, Toronto, Philadelphia, New York,
way. After the fall of the Etemenanki, Mar- Quest, WFRP, or Narosia, or any other game Chicago, Providence, Boston, and New Haven.
duk leads the gods in search of a new Tower in which men feel the breath of the gods as And that’s just one vector, just one goddess.
to Heaven, and finds one – in 1931, in New they pray not to attract them.
York City, when the Empire State Building
opens. The skyscrapers are the new ziggurats, BABYLON, TO WHICH THE CLA-
reopening the paths from heaven for the BABYLON,
Babylonian gods. This can be a wild pulp MOR OF ALL LANDS IS THE SAME
setting, featuring sky-gods living in hanging THE CITY WHICH RENDERS NOT One of Babylon’s neighborhoods was named
gardens on the city roofs, and bold aviators
battling lilitu or the monstrous lion-headed THE ARROGANT PERFECT Eridu, after an older rival Mesopotamian
city. Although records are spotty, it’s entirely
Imdugud bird. Just like in ancient Babylon, Perhaps Babylon is an opportunistic infec- possible that many of Babylon’s quarters
images of wrestlers keep demons at bay: tion, lying in wait in the clouds of pulverized were named after or represented other cities:
demon-fighting heroes must wear tights and cuneiform tablets kicked up by tank treads Babylon was, in a very real sense, every city
capes! Translate Sidereal magic from Exalted and blown aloft by helicopter rotors. Sol- in the world. The Tower of Babel, remember,
to the modern zodiac, blend in White Wolf ’s diers, humanitarians, and profiteers in Iraq joined all mankind before fragmenting
old Adventure RPG and go wild! breathed in the sacred names of gods and human languages; the Babylonian Captivity
Or it can be a setting of secret and subtle the atropotaic emblems of demons. First encompassed not only Jews but every subject
horror as ancient gods seep down onto the Saddam drained the Abzu, the Euphrates people of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire; the
cities, their talons sinking into mankind’s marshes where Eden once flowered, then Whore of Babylon seduces and degrades all
banks and businesses just as the temples did American JDAMs and MOABs blew open the humanity. Babylon haunts all cities at once,
in Nebuchadnezzar’s time. Marduk opens Pit of Babylon. In the new millennium, the bleeding in over the beltways and motorways
the pit of Abzu to reconnect his new Tower, monsters of Babylon clung invisibly to the (chariots rode around Babylon’s walls) and
and the rabisu crawl into tenements while land’s tyrant and seized the new invaders by welling up through the rivers and canals
girtablullu arm themselves in the subways, the soul. They spread their cult in the post- (the Euphrates flows out of Eden, into every
and kulullu plot in the sewers and beneath invasion chaos, they spread back to home river in the world). Rabisu lurk wherever you
the harbors. The shatammu turn a blind eye ports and Western cities. In that connection, don’t recognize a doorway; each hoodie or
to the encroaching demons, preferring build doesn’t MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall Cros- sweatshirt conceals a scorpion exoskeleton;
cults and count dividends. This might be a sing in London (built after the first Gulf War, ardat-lili stalk prey on street corners; sirrush
Call of Cthulhu mod, or a Deadlands Noir when British soldiers marched through the breathe out the naphtha-petrol the cities
build. Inanna is the original gorgeous dame ruins of Ur) look a lot like a ziggurat? Perhaps must inhale or die.
in distress, after all. the ekimmu run the intelligence services now, Babylon is everywhere, in every tick of the
and we have a lovely Night’s Black Agents 60-minute hour (invented by the Babyloni-
setting on our hands. ans) and every fold of an astrology column.
BABYLON, WHICH KNOWS THE The crescent of Islam, the Maltese Cross of
the Crusaders; both Babylonian emblems.
ORDINANCES AND DECREES BABYLON, THE CITY WHOSE Traffic and bureaucracy replicate both the
Steampunk it up instead: in 1815, architects chaotic Abzu and the lawgiving Nabu; colored
proposed a 110-meter tall, 22-level ziggurat BRICKWORK IS ANCIENT lights blink on and off in the highest reaches
for Trafalgar Square in London rather than Or perhaps the gods and monsters of Babylon of our postmodern ziggurats. In the GURPS
the relatively restrained column there now. possessed the archaeologists, just as they did Madness Dossier setting, the Babylonian
(That’s one level for each year of the Napo- Nabopolassar and Nabonidus 2500 years Anunnaki sleep behind the scrim of human
leonic Wars … and for each of the Major earlier. Under important buildings such as history, waiting to awaken at any moment and
Arcana in the Tarot.) Perhaps in some alter- temples, gates, and palaces, Babylonian (and controlling mankind in the meanwhile th-
nate history the Trafalgar Pyramid opens Sumerian) urban designers buried temenu. rough linguistic programming. Other games
the way for Nabu, Lord of Scribes, to capture These were brick boxes holding “nails” of could posit other metaphysical conspiracies:
William Blake’s Babylon-on-Thames for his bronze or clay designed to cosmically fix the Marduk could be the grandest of Exarchs
father Marduk, while the kulullu reveal ar- city in place, along with statues of the kings in Mage: the Awakening, or Lucifer in In
cane secrets of steam to human rebels and and ensi who founded or rebuilt the temple or Nomine, or the First and Last Godwalker in
conspirators … for a price. palace. The temenu identifies the sacred loca- a cosmic-level Unknown Armies game. Who-
Ley lines and canals spread across Britain tion, ensures its connection to man and to the ever grasps the hands of Marduk, they do so
and America, Sweden and Prussia. Ziggurats gods … and blocks infiltration of the city by in the court of Babylon, Entrance to All Lands.
49
ROLEPLAYING
LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK
51
ROLEPLAYING
LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK
When Frodo and the fellowship of the ring struggle to bring of previous cultures help to set the stage for
the present, and with this in mind, it is useful
to consider the following:
the One Ring to Mount Doom, they are constantly moving • Where in the cycles of peak cultural
advancement and low point of
through the ruins of an older, more powerful civilisation. cultural decline do you intend to
set your campaign?
Temples, colossal statues, and city ruins are everywhere • What function do the ruins have
in your current story?
you look, which helps very much to set the mood.
RUINS ARE LIKE ONIONS
– MANY LAYERS
Once you have decided what role the ruins
I
will play in your campaign, it is time to decide
n the same way a character is given a
background when it is created, in order
ROLE OF THE RUINS what they will look like and what function
they will have. At this point it is appropriate
to have a means of explaining their
behaviour, a world must be given a back-
IN YOUR CREATED WORLD to remember that each civilisation tends to
build in and around the ruins of the previous
ground in order to adequately explain why it Imagine a world where everything is new and one and that traces of previous cultures
works the way it does. Usually, a world—much fresh. Every piece of land is untouched and are therefore mixed among the layers. It is
like a character—has gone through several waiting. Each spadeful of earth is the first therefore important to think about one or
different and widely shifting stages before and never will you find a shard of pottery more cycles of previous cultures in order
it has settled into its current state. The ruins that was buried there centuries before. Every to determine in which way their remnants
travelled through by today’s adventurers, the new building is the first of its kind, and the have been mixed together. To help you get
archaic texts they encounter, the artefacts word ruin hasn’t yet been invented, for there started you can use the descriptions below
they unwittingly (and mistakenly) wear as has never been a need. Does such an idea of typical examples of ruin creation for an
adornment on their codpieces are all part seem exciting or even possible? Yes, perhaps advanced culture, typical effects of the fall of
of the ancient bones of the world which you, if you’re playing a story in which you are the cultures, and common issues that rise when
the game world’s constructor, have created. first to colonise a new planet or world, but one culture builds itself up in the ruins of the
Just like archaeologists and paleontologists otherwise, not really. We know that there has previous one. For extra clarity I also include
of today, your players, with the help of all always been someone or something that has a number of follow-up questions.
these other things, will attempt to create an come before, and that has left traces of itself
image of how the world once looked, and it behind that affect us in various ways. We are
is therefore worthwhile to carefully think today the sum of all previous experiences that POWER STRUCTURES OF
through how things used to be, what they have taken place, and our culture reflects in
have become, and what they one day will many ways those who came before us. AN ADVANCED CULTURE
be. Inevitably, the players, like scientists in Fantasy literature and film often stresses What does an advanced culture need in order
all times, will draw a number of erroneous those who came before. The idea is that ad- to build pyramids that stand for thousands of
conclusions based on what they find, but vanced cultures go in cycles, and that these ad- years, to inspire argonauts who defy gravity
this is all part of the enjoyment of creating vanced cultures tend to succeed one another, or to leave behind black obelisks on deserted
and burying ancient cultures. So that your interspersed with periods of decline. A typical planets?
world-building can be as impressive as pos- feature of the genre is that these ancient cul-
sible, so that the mosaic of your world can be tures are described as being more powerful,
as multi-faceted as possible, and so that your and the setbacks they faced are portrayed as Power and Riches
players’ conclusions about the past can be as being extremely difficult. Consequently, we The advanced culture must either have a
entertaining as possible, this article will ho- get scenes in which the heroes wander among very strong central power figure, such as a
pefully help you in the making of your ruins. ruins from a mightier time than anything that king, emperor, pharaoh, etc., with the ability
could be imagined today. The past becomes and wherewithal to tax a broad population,
somewhat mystical, and the future offers or it must be as cosmopolitan as possible so
WHO IS THIS ARTICLE FOR? either more setbacks (as in The Lord of the that there are a number of competitive elite
This article is written broadly so that it can be Rings) or promises a return to the greatness types with enormous bank accounts and a
used in any type of other-worldly campaign, of the past (such as in David Brin’s novel (and great need to prove themselves, or have one
though scifi, fantasy, or other similar cross- the less successful film of the same name) or more religions with economic and political
genre dimension-hopping speculative fiction The Postman). A third alternative is that the muscle to flex.
is most fitting. The advice and ideas surroun- story is set in a period of decline and life is so
ding the creation of advanced cultures from difficult that the story never really manages
the past are likely most useful for game mas- to take a stance regarding the future because Questions
ters or writers who engage in world building, the characters are so busy dealing with the Who was it who held the reins of power in
and the concrete examples at the end can be present (as in Mad Max). Ruins then serve as your world in the past? Was it shared by seve-
tweaked and modified as desired according a reminder of everything that has been lost. ral different people or factions, and if so who?
to taste and to suit the world being created. Regardless of the direction of the story, ruins How did these powers relate to each other?
52
UPON THE KINGS OF OLD
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LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK
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UPON THE KINGS OF OLD
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LONG HAVE I DESIRED TO LOOK
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UPON THE KINGS OF OLD
Adventure Idea
One of the two bickering rulers in the area
around Gudjaran has decided to take con-
trol of the stylite fortress in order to once
and for all tip the balance of power in her
favour. She soon realises, however, that just
as in the past, the fortress is not so easily
taken by military power alone. Other, more
flexible solutions will be needed. The player
characters are hired to do just that, but not houses surrounding the pyramids pop up like cannot understand how anyone can avoid
long after they have begun to come up with a weeds, filling every surface right up to the speaking of them, or why anyone would
solution, they are contacted by the leader of edge of the pyramids, but never farther than even want to talk about them. But strangely
the rival kingdom, who has heard whispers that. The pyramids are completely free from enough, they always leave the city without
of the plan, and he offers them a great reward human influence. No extensions are visible a single photo of them, and when they tell
if they will instead do the same job, but for anywhere, no fences, no antennae or flashing their friends back home of Belsomparat, they
him. The warrior order of the Heatherfire billboards. The street grid and the expanded mention the lovely weather, the inexpensive
has spies in both kingdoms, and it is only a transportation system has been adapted to handicrafts, and the picturesque Potala river
matter of time before the player characters’ flow around the pyramids, and no tunnels that runs through the old part of the city. And
mission reaches their ears. go beneath them, despite the logistical pro- nothing else.
blem their existence creates. The 17 stepped
pyramids are untouched.
The Stepped Pyramids Adventure Idea
The player characters have been connected
of Belsomparat Mystery to the security department of an extremely
General Why do the pyramids remain untouched
after such a long period of human develop-
popular entertainment program. An adven-
ture show, known throughout the world, will
Belsomparat is a modern megacity with ment? Why are the pyramids not adapted finally be set in the city of Belsomparat. On
skyscrapers of steel and reinforced concrete/ to fit the current socio-economic factors? foot and in the air, the competitors will move
gigantic ancient boulders/nano-joined bio- Why have the pyramids not been torn down through the city performing tasks along the
mass. Stretched out over countless square to create a luxury palace for some robber way. As always, the show is used to advertise
miles is a population of millions and millions baron? Why are the pyramids not full of the city and the country as much as possible,
of people in a bustling metropolis. Within visitors from near and far, climbing their with many sweeping images of the city’s beau-
this city are the most corrupt slums and most every surface and admiring their ancient tiful skyline. The characters’ job is to see to it
luxurious palaces. Public transport winds its charm while eating pyramid ice cream from that the recording continues without distur-
way through the area like a gigantic spider nearby ice cream trucks? And why, WHY, bances from nearby fans or desperate fortune
web, and the aether is filled with communi- do the people of Belsomparat—known for hunters. This time, however, the filming is
cations on all frequencies and channels, both their constant talking — never speak of the having problems. The camera equipment is
technological and metaphysical. pyramids? constantly breaking down, and the person
responsible for both A and B photography is
behaving progressively and alarmingly more
Facts Facts bizarre each day.
Right in the centre of Belsomparat are 17 It is obvious to anyone travelling to the city
stepped pyramids in a variety of sizes. The that the pyramids geographically dominate
largest competes with the highest skyscra- Belsomparat. Despite this, the people of the FINAL WORDS
pers at 170 metres, and the smallest reaches city live as if the pyramids do not exist. We hope this has inspired you in the crea-
a mere 40 metres above the ground. The Strangers to the city always marvel over the tion of your world, to help make it rich and
average height is around 90 metres, and the fantastic pyramids that they could not read vibrant, enlivening the adventures soon to
size of the bases varies with the height. The about in any guidebook or brochure. They take place there. Good luck!
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CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
THE CHAMBER
TEXT CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER Imagine there is a force/product/entity in the universe so
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
destructive/horrible/malevolent that it potentially has the power
to destroy the world as you know it – not just now, but also so far
into the future that you can’t even imagine what kind of people
will live then. Imagine that you somehow have managed to
contain this threat – bottle it up, box it in and keep it under locks.
What would you do to discourage people to release it again, long
after you were gone, long after everyone that remembered were
gone, long after the memory of your whole society had vanished
from the world? How would you keep the nosy, power hungry,
stupid, clumsy or just plain unlucky humankind from actively or
accidentally enter into the chamber?
The Chamber is an article that studies this dilemma. In one way
it’s a hands on discussion on how to contain something lethal and
discourage anyone from breaking that containment. In another
way it’s a philosophical discussion on how language and culture
changes so much over time that it’s almost impossible for us to
even imagine who our future descendants will be – and what they
will be able to do.
Finally it examines the question if you, as a game master, ever
could introduce such an element and then manage to dissuade
your players from examining it, once they knew of it. They are
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 1/2013 players after all.
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THE CHAMBER
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KENNETH HITE
WEREWOLVES
OF DACIA
TEXT KENNETH HITE
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 1/2012 “According to Strabo, the original name of the Dacians was
Daoi. A tradition preserved by Hesychius informs us that daos
was the Phrygian word for ‘wolf’.”
– Mircea Eliade, Zalmoxis: The Vanishing God
I
n an earlier Age of the world, twin brot- to his teachings. For 54 years, he taught them day and night, neither rising nor setting, over
hers were born, the heirs to a throne. A certain secret arts, and the ways of war, and Kogaion, unnerved those who saw it at first.
usurper buried their mother alive un- to venerate the Wolf as their own mother. He But for centuries, as Zalmoxis’ wolves warred
der the Earth and ordered them killed, called them “Daoi,” meaning “wolves,” and his among themselves for primacy, the countries
but they had been stolen away by a kindly country Dacia. of men could forget that the moon once rose
shepherd who left them in the forest to hide. Then Zalmoxis decided to take a bride. and set. The Dacian packs remained behind
There, they were suckled by the Wolf Goddess, But not just any bride; his wolfish nature be- Isarnodur, the Iron Gate at the entrance to
Luperca, who adopted the boys as her own. came consumed and fascinated with Bendis, Dacia where the Danuvius runs swift. The
When they grew to manhood, they slew the goddess of the Moon. Again, he called to his Greek cities warred with each other, and with
usurper and freed their people. They decided mother; again, she came. That day, Luperca Persia. The Persians conquered the East, and
to build a city of their own in Tyrrhenia, hunted the Moon, driving it into the path of then Alexander conquered the Persians. He
where the River Tiber was narrow enough to the Sun and freezing it in an eclipse. Then she brought together Greek philosophers and
cross and wide enough to travel on, on good leaped up and swallowed Bendis, bringing Persian magi, Babylonian astronomers and
ground ringed by seven hills. But during the goddess in her jaws to the cave of Bucegi, Hebrew sages, in his great city of Alexandria-
a quarrel over which hill to build on, one where her son Zalmoxis waited. Luperca in-Egypt to calculate a way to restore the
brother slew the other in a fit of rage. told Zalmoxis to wait there for her return, Moon, to find hints or reports of the Ring
If the murderer had prayed for forgiveness, and keep Bendis safe until then. Luperca that could free Bendis and the world of men.
and held games to honor his brother’s death, took the ring of sunlight from around the During Alexander’s reign, he searched for
the story might have turned out differently. moon’s shadow. For nine days, she smelted the Ring in all corners of his empire. He
But he did no such thing, and claimed the city it into white gold, to make a Ring that could died of poison before he, or they, could suc-
as his own, alone. The murdered brother sank bind the Moon forever in marriage, and give ceed. Then, 54 years after Alexander’s death,
into the Earth and cried out to his mother for its wielder power over the Sun as well. But things changed again. The curse of Zalmoxis,
revenge. His foster-mother, Luperca, heard before she could bring the Ring to her son, the wedding-gift of Luperca, began to spread.
his call, and came. Luperca wrapped him in Zalmoxis’ wolfish nature won out and he Over the Carpathian Mountains around
a wolf skin and carried him to the gates of ravished Bendis in the cavern beneath the Dacia, and Isarnodur, the moon stayed dark
Avernus, the Underworld, ruled by Orcus the Mountain of Kogaion. At that moment, the for 54 more years. Then a sliver, then a cres-
Devourer. She bought him passage through full moon over Kogaion turned blood red cent, then a half, then full, all for 54 years, as
the Underworld, and brought him a thousand for three days. When the blood drained from gray and watery daylight showed itself while
miles away to a land ringed by mountains, the moon’s face, the moon stayed full and the sun crossed the sky. Farther out, in the
north of Thrace. She promised him not just a bright. It has been full and bright over Dacia lands of Moesia and Dardania, and in the
city of his own, but a whole country, and she ever since then, for over 700 years. The wolf- cities of the Getae on the coast of the Black
gave him a new name: Zalmoxis, from the warriors Zalmoxis had trained took their new Sea, there was a greater semblance of daylight
Thracian word meaning “animal skin.” He bestial forms and stayed in them, undying and the full moon lasted only 27 days. Still
emerged from a cave and the people of that lords of an endless night under a silver moon. farther out, in a ring of grassland running
land worshipped him as a god and listened The sight of the moon pinned in place both through Pannonia and arcing all the way
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KENNETH HITE
east to Sarmatia, the full moon lasted only its on holocausts of human sacrifice. Bands of and Umbraea. They wear bracelets of cunningly
accustomed three days, and only the tarnish Germani, driven south by hordes of Orcii, chased gold, mined by myrmidons in Hyperbo-
of the blue sky by day – and the unmoving, sacked the City. The great soldier-consul rea and wrought by Amazon witches to channel
unsetting moon – betrayed anything amiss Marius broke them and pushed them out of wolfish thoughts away. They carry silver-tipped
to the eye. Italy, but the damage was done. If the City spears and arrows, sovereign proof against
But many still sensed something of the had ever had a name, it lost it then: it became werewolves since Alexander’s day. The riders
matter, deep in their bones and blood. Those Urbis Tyrrhis, simply the City in Tyrrhenia. of Alania are riven by clannishness and pride,
who bore any of the marks of the werewolf, Its consuls tore the City apart themselves in but welcome warriors from all lands into their
inside or outside – born on the seventh day, civil war, brother against brother for fifty ranks – the City’s general Lucius Artorius Cas-
a single eyebrow, born under a birth caul, years as the werewolves poured out of Dacia tus, exiled by the consul Caracalla, has risen to
fingers of equal length, crossed the path of a and conquered Moesia and Pannonia and high position among them.
werewolf, mark of the pentagram on the hand Sarmatia, Thrace and Illyria and Noricum, Caracalla has driven many good men
or body, drunk from a wolf-print or seen an under Burebista, their new great king. Only out of the City with his erratic ways and
Evil Eye, harboring wolfish thoughts of greed Spartacus’ army of gladiators, cutting their increasing paranoia. The other lords of the
and lust and hunger – became wolflike killers way north out Italy and out of slavery, could West – the consul of Hispania, the vergobret
under the full moon. Some changed shape, or would stand and fight the Orcii and were- of Belgica, the ard rhi of Prydain – distrust
others grew their fur on the inside and stayed wolves. And even then, Spartacus was killed, his word and keep their own armies close
cunning. All such killed, in frenzy or in am- and his Spartaci were left as men without al- against attack from Avernus or the City. In the
bush or by stealth. When one in five, or even legiance, ranging across the West protecting East, Caracalla has thrown the weight of the
one in seven, people in a country are cursed the free lands as best they can. City behind the solar cult of Helios-Ge-Baal,
to become killers for 27 days – it frays the Mithradates of Pontus held the Dacians despite the clear insanity of its theocrat Bas-
bonds of merchant and temple alike. Cities back in the East, with mighty herbs and sianos, lord of Syria, who believes himself to
fell to riot, hills to vendetta. elixirs, and with the powers of the magi and be a reincarnation of Alexander and rightful
Past the three-day ring, as the full moon armies of Amazons behind him. Even Deca- king of Egypt. Needless to say, the current
over Isarnodur waned to gibbous, the effect eneus, Burebista’s sorcerer supreme, could Ptolemy and Cleopatra disagree forcibly;
worsened again 216 years ago, and spread. not break Mithradates’ cohorts, fed as they scholars from the City find it harder to get
Now, the full moon lasts only eight hours in were on moly and garlic and wolvesbane. access to the Library in Alexandria as a result.
Thessalonica, but it recurs every three days. In the West, a new threat arose as the moon Pontus, Armenia, and the Amazons remain
In Pergamum and Dalmatia, the full moon came to fullness over Isarnodur. Cruach, a tight allies against Dacia and the City alike;
lasts for barely an hour, but recurs every eight druid corrupted by dark studies, opened Carthage and the pirates of Umbraea wait like
hours: thrice daily, a fifth of the city plots the the way to the underworld Avernus in Gaul, coursing hounds for the call from Decaeneus.
death of the rest. In Athens, the full moon’s whistled a horde of demons out, and created And yet there is reason to hope. In this,
wolf madness lasts but six minutes, but it his own Orcii loyal to his runes and geas. Only the 972nd year since the founding of the
returns every hour. The curse finally vitiates an army under the City’s brilliant consul City, the moon over Isarnodur turned dark.
itself in Aquilea and Ancona, at the north Julius Caesar kept the Averni from sacking Only the mightiest of werewolves can raven
end of the Adriatic: every six minutes, those the City in their turn. He defeated his rivals, in the Carpathians and the coast; a way
possessed of lycanthropy become murderous unified the lands of the City, and traveled to into Dacia cracks open for the bold for the
beasts for forty seconds. In such countries, ci- Egypt to seek an alliance with Alexander’s next 54 years. Admittedly, there are still
vilization becomes impossible; packs of mur- successors against Dacia. the marches of Moesia or Dardania to pass
derous cannibals prey on wandering families, Decaeneus, some say, is an avatar of Zal- through, or the monstrous tides and storms
or go mad with feral hunger. They serve only moxis himself, a shadow walking the upper of the Black Sea to weather. (The nearness
Orcus, and no other gods, though these Orcii world while his body stays trapped in the of the moon makes the sea dangerous in any
yet fear the name Zalmoxis. These are the midst of his rape of Bendis, searching for the phase.) There are Burebista’s human armies:
lands of Umbraea, the lands of the Shadow. Ring that will free him and grant him power conscripts and slaves of a hundred tribes, to
over all the Earth. Whether he or Burebista be sure, but a quarter million of them stand
“The martial ritual designation triumphed truly rule in Sarmizegetusa, the royal and guard even when no werewolf watches. One
holy city of Dacia, is unknown to mortal men. cannot simply walk into Dacia. But a brave
at the moment of the greatest political and Burebista commands the armies, but Caesar fellowship, with a keen stratagem or the right
military expansion of the kingdom. It was and Mithradates broke those armies. Then magical protections, could strike into Dacia
Decaeneus’ paid assassins slew the consul and bring back vital knowledge – perhaps
the triumph of the young ‘wolves.’ Julius Caesar; his worm-tongued conspirators even a clue to the whereabouts of the Ring.
Caesar had well realized the danger repre- betrayed Mithradates to an ambitious son. Indeed, every lead must be followed up, every
sented by this new military power, and he But Caesar and Mithradates had held out Dacian black codex sifted for clues, every
just long enough. The moon over Isarnodur weak spot of the enemy destroyed now, say
was preparing to attack the ‘wolves’ of the began to wane, and only those werewolves the savants of Alexandria. For if this opportu-
Danube when he was assassinated.” who could change their own skins through nity passes, then in 219 years the moon will
– Mircea Eliade, Zalmoxis: The Hidden God charms or power of blood could count on the once more shine full over the Iron Gate. At
might of Luperca in battle anywhere beyond that time, the curse of Zalmoxis will expand
Such have matters stood for centuries. The the Carpathians. once again as it did before. And the City will
City on the Tiber waxed to rule all Italy, then The Alans, a Sarmatian tribe from north fall forever, the Orcii flood across the lands
waned as the moon over the Carpathians of the Caucasus, rode west and into the seas of West and East alike, and the world plunge
waxed. Carthage broke it, perhaps, wresting of grass in Pannonia, staking a claim to the into a great Dark Age, lit only by an ever-full,
a victory at Zama, a gift from their gods fed three-day belt between the Dacian conquests ever-shining werewolf moon.
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WEREWOLVES OF DACIA
In this age, the wars of men and werewol- blood. Their bones and frames are light; the
“The Vulture Cataphracts are commissioned ves hold the stage, with the ravening Orcii skilled among them can fly on wind currents
to fly about the country and bring before the trapped somewhere between by their cursed with a carefully held cape or spread toga. Rich
appetites. But there are other beings in the and exalted Selenites wear glass clothing; the
king any stranger they may find, so of course world: tree-wights in the great alder forests poor make do with bronze or copper, worked
they arrested us and brought us before him. of the North, stony ghilan in the deserts of like wet paint by the Selenites’ arts. Their ar-
When he had looked us over and drawn his the South, myrmidons in Hyperborea and si- mor is hardened, lacquered shells and husks
rens in Libya. Too, solitary beasts such as the of beans and nuts they grow stronger than
conclusions from our clothes, he said: phoenix, unicorn, basilisk, and kraken know steel; their weapons are the sword, javelin, and
‘Then you are Greeks, are you, strangers?’ much and speak some of that to their chosen lance. They brought down with them from the
and when we assented, ‘Well, how did you – or fated – heroes. But three other races may Moon their three-headed vulture steeds, and
yet have some part to play in these affairs, and their fleas-of-burden larger than any elephant.
get here, with so much air to cross?’ We all seek the Ring for their own ends. When they die, they turn to smoke and flow
told him all, and he began and told us about The first such race are the Selenites, the upward to the Moon to dwell there as fog.
himself: that he too was a human being, inhabitants of the Moon come to Earth when The Selenites seek the Ring to free Bendis
Zalmoxis captured their home and held it fast. and the Moon, that they may return to their
Endymion by name, who had once been They are tall and bald, with ears like leaves and lunar palaces. For now, they live on mountain
abducted from our country in his sleep, and beautiful eyes they detach from their sockets tops where the cold, thin air reminds them
to seek out beauty and horror wherever they of their captive home. King Endymion keeps
on coming there had been made king of the find them. They have a hollow abdomen ins- his court atop the Alps; other Selenite nobles
land. He said that his country was the Moon tead of guts and stomach, subsisting only on li- rule along the Pyrenees, the Caucasus, and
that shines down on us.” quids: dew for a preference, but they will taste the Mountains of the Moon in far Aethiopia.
– Lucian of Samosata, A True History (c. 150 A.D.) stronger stuff. Some Selenites grow lustful or The second race are the Fauns, blend of goat
angry on Earthly wine, or thirsty for human and man dwelling deep under the roots of
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TOP 5
Europe’s forests. Short, hairy, and mercurial, themselves completely invisible from both.
the fauns spend their time composing eerie Then they can do as they like in Prydain, no
musics and dancing in wild abandon. Fauns matter how the Britons there press and breed.
have horns and hooves, but (except when
fighting for mates) fight with axes, slings, and “Then Morgoth of Huan’s fate bethought
sickles. They are surprisingly strong and wiry,
and agile into the bargain. Some warlike fauns
long-rumoured, and in dark he wrought.
have begun wearing Selenite armor; others Fierce hunger-haunted pack he had
PLACES THE RING MIGHT BE wear cunningly tooled scale mail of leather that in wolvish form and flesh were clad,
Where’s the Ring? That’s up to you. boiled hard. They know all the arts of every but demon spirits dire did hold;
But here are some guesses that might plant and herb, from mandragora to dande- and ever wild their voices rolled
be true in your game. lion to fly agaric, and are gifted healers and
warlocks. Any spell cast in song or scent, a faun
in cave and mountain where they housed
first made. Zalmoxis’ passage under the Earth and endless snarling echoes roused.”
A Dragon Hoard drove many of them above ground for the first – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lay of Leithian
Although there are dragons in Libya time; others had lived long in the great woods
and in Prydain, the Ring is surely in of Italy, Germania, and Gaul. They command By now it should come as no surprise that
the hoard of the greatest dragon of all: no kingdom of their own, although some Ger- this setting is a riff on Tolkien’s Middle-Earth,
Ladon, who guards the Golden Apples man tribes have interbred so much with fauns warped through a classical sensibility with
of the West and the Golden Fleece of that, for example, the sons of the Quadi stand a a hefty helping of werewolves. As such, you
the East. Ladon knows the secret places head and a half shorter than most men, while should be able to play it using anything from
of the Earth, where uttermost East and men and women of the Andori sport delicate, Legend to D&D to The One Ring to Eon. The
West meet. There, he keeps his greatest curling blue horns. The Fauns seek the Ring only tricky part might be adapting the vari-
treasures, heaped up about him. Should not for the moon but for the sun: with its power, ous races: the Orcii can just be orcs with a
one disappear, cities would burn as he they can grow their plants in all weathers, and splash of zombie, and the Holbytlan a simple
searched for it. extend their forest demesnes throughout the stew of halflings, kobolds, tieflings, and trog-
wastes, or even all across the world of men. lodytes depending on what races you have to
The third race are little-known and less seen. work with. The Selenites and the Fauns split
Hyperborea They dwelt in the islands of Prydain when it up the standard elf and dwarf signifiers in
The ring is Apollo’s property, as it was was Albion, and even before that. They still rather different ways, but it shouldn’t be too
made from the golden rim of his Sun’s dwell in those islands, in burrows and bar- hard to sort out. Most Fauns have some sort
chariot wheel. He keeps it in his temple rows under hills and behind thorn hedges, of druid-like gifts; most Selenites can fly and
at the top of the world, guarded by griffins harvesting their weeds and strange fruits for detach their eyes for “spy eye” clairvoyance.
until he can find out how to restore this their feasts. They can eat anything, but prefer You may also want to reverse the moon
stolen shard of his power. their own food, cooked their own way, with orientation – I left “full moon makes were-
their own flavors. They drink their ale and wolves” because that’s what our modern
mead from bell-shaped beakers, and inhale myth demands, but it almost seems more
India gums and incense in pipes. Despite their love logical that they would flourish in the new
Everything else is in India: manticores, of such intoxicants, they cannot be harmed by moon, when Greek and Roman myth insisted
unicorns, people with dog heads or faces poisons of any kind, and cannot become were- such dark magics worked. The period of the
in their bellies, empires of elephants and wolves. They are called Coblyn, or Holbytlan, full moon (or whichever phase you select)
valleys of jewels. Why not the Ring? words meaning “dwellers in holes” to the increases by cubes farther into Dacia from
Britons and the Belgae. They are small, even the Alans’ three-day zone: Dacia proper will
smaller than some fauns, and their feet are be under a full moon for 157,464 years, and
At the Bottom of the Sea covered with scales like those of snakes. Their in the vault where Zalmoxis and Bendis are
The Ring lies fallen in the muck at the eyes are small and narrow, snakes’ eyes; their trapped by his rape, the moon is “full” for 3.9
bottom of the Black Sea. Or some other arms are slightly too long for their size, and quadrillion years! No wonder time stopped.
sea. Or in the belly of Cetus, the great their legs slightly too short. Some Holbytlan On the outward side of Alania, the length of
Whale. Get your Odyssey on; add mer- paint or tattoo themselves with woad, but no the full moon period drops off by one-ninth
folk and Deep Ones. matter how brightly painted, if a Holbytlan each time: 8 hours, then 53 minutes, then 5.9
wishes to hide it takes the eyes of a Selenite minutes, then 39.5 seconds. (I liked the feel of
to find him. Their scaled feet move utterly that pattern better than with cube roots, but
My Pocketses silently over rock, earth, and foliage, and can feel free to change it if you value smooth cur-
The Ring is somewhere that nobody cling to the most unlikely spots in the walls ves more than I.) If you don’t have the Roman
recognizes it: lying on a merchant’s of a cave or ruin. Their weapons are the short calendar conversion in your head, the year is
table in Gades, or in the ear of a spoiled bow, the dagger, and the lariat, although they 219 A.D. Although it’s pretty clearly a nationa-
princess in Petra. It might lie neglected do not go to war as a rule. In the hands of a list product rather than a purely archaeologi-
in the corner of a burnt-out villa in Coblyn, any stone can become a dagger or an cal one, I recommend Ion Grumeza’s history
Corinth, or sit wedged on the finger arrowhead, though flint or obsidian is still Dacia: Land of Transylvania: Cornerstone of
of a eunuch slave in Capri. Tracing it best. They value steel bodkins, though, and Ancient Eastern Europe if you can find it for
involves looking for tiny omens, and happily use them if available. The Holbytlan plenty more on weird barbarians, Zalmoxis
maybe for people the werewolves never seek the Ring as a trophy from both Sun and the Deathless God, and the great and final war
seem to attack. Moon; they wish to use its magic to make between the two sons of the wolf.
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MASTER YOUR
STYLE
HOW TO IDENTIFY AND CONTROL YOUR GAMEMASTER STYLE
TEXT THOMAS ALLVIN ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
A good way to develop yourself as a gamemaster is to identify your own style.
No two gamemasters are alike, they all have their unique way of designing scena-
rios, describing settings and events, and steering the game forward. If you have
been a GM for the same group of players for a long period of time, they will have
started to recognize your specific ”GMing Style”, and consequently form a number
of assumptions about how the in-game reality works when you are at the helm.
SOME EXAMPLES conventions and consistency permits a degree
of pseudo-reality in an imaginary world.
• Most NPC’s are dishonest and unreliable It’s a disadvantage since the players can
and always try to trick or mislead the use their knowledge of your style to predict
PC’s in different ways. what is going to happen in an adventure. They
• The PC’s can shoot their way through will soon learn which type of NPC they can
most adventures, even non-action scena- trust, when a plot twist is to be expected and
rios based on detective work or diploma- that their arch enemy is waiting behind the
tic intrigue, as long as they are persistent double doors straight ahead, not behind any
or reckless, and have brought enough of the smaller doors on the side. By detecting
fire-power. the small signals that you subconsciously
• All bad guys, no matter how evil, are ac- emit during the game, the gamers will know
ting rationally in pursuit of well-defined when an action scene is coming up, when
objectives and are thus open for rational it’s advisable to search a room for hidden
arguments, if only the PC’s can find the objects or when they should look over their
right ones. shoulders. It’s similar to when a movie au-
• The PC’s never start the adventure with dience can hear from the musical score that
enough knowledge, and must therefore the monster is about to show up. Another
start by collecting information and intel- consequence of certain styles is that they
ligence. might promote certain behaviors that are
As you can see from these random examples not very healthy in a longer-term perspective.
there are almost an endless number of ways It’s therefore quite useful to identify your
for a GM to, consciously or unconsciously, own GMing style. This will make it possible
set his or her own mark on a gaming world. for you, at chosen moments, to break your own
These marks are both an advantage and a conventions thus creating more interesting and
disadvantage. unpredictable adventures; whilst also fixing
It’s an advantage since the GMing style gives those GM behaviors that have an adverse effect
the game world a certain consistency that ma- on the game as a whole. To illustrate, I will go
kes it seem more real, allowing players to make through some common ways in which a specific
assumptions how the setting works. Rules, GMing style can influence the in-game reality.
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THOMAS ALLVIN
adventures always are what they seem to be, If you realize that the game has been
then the players will never pause for thought. caught in such a ”death spiral” of suicidal
They will never reflect on the fact that they shenanigans and lucky escapes, swift action
were just given two different accounts of the is needed. One suggestion is to intervene, and
same event, that the ”crime lord” they are directly communicate to the player that ”Your
about to whack looks a lot like an ordinary character realizes that it would be suicide to
office worker with three kids, or simply that confront the dragon armed only with a fruit
everything just seems too neat. Instead, they knife. Maybe you should plan a bit more?”
just steam ahead, guns ablaze. Be wary of If you prefer you could let a NPC deliver
these symptoms, and serve the players a this harsh message. If this doesn’t help, you
balanced diet! should consider killing off the PC’s once, ho-
pefully making their successors more careful.
RISKY BUSINESS
Most PC’s would be classified as risk-prone ORDINARY WORLD
by most insurance companies. Yet some play- How is the ordinary, common reality in your
ers seem to be extra willing to expose their world presented? How much in-game time is
characters to unnecessary danger, especially spent on more or less colloquial tasks? When
if the alternative would be to use the good ol’ the PC’s get up in the morning, are you just
brain. This might be particularly common noting that they probably have breakfast or
with more inexperienced players, but also do they have to play out going down to 7-11
those that can’t seem to come up with a better to buy coffee and bagels? Or is no one thin-
plan for the moment. Are people disappearing king about breakfast at all because a squad
from the graveyard in the middle of the night? of stormtroopers has already breached the
Well, then one of us should go there in the airlock and the PC’s are making their way to
middle of the night and check it out. Is that the escape pod?
moon actually the Empire’s new space station? Genre is of course of important. If the
I can’t believe our luck, load your weapons! focus is on action and heroics, long discus-
This kind of player are always challenging for a sions with customs bureaucrats and detailed
gamemaster. You assumed that the PC’s would visits to the ATM would just slow everything
sneak into the fort using stealth; however down. But in more realistic games, these
they storm up to the main gate. You think the things could help anchor the world or maybe
PC’s will run away when the mighty Balrog (if so desired) instill the feeling that the
appears; instead they just stand there with a characters are small, ordinary people set
smug smile on their faces and draw swords. against a powerful system. However many
So, where does the GM style fit into this? gamemasters are unable to modify their style
Well, in the same way that ”society” can to suit genre. For example, in games that take
be blamed for youth crime and unsocial place in present time (or in other modern set-
behavior, the gamemaster can be partially tings, like Cyperpunk), it might be extremely
blamed for PC’s with suicidal tendencies. The important to know if the PC’s have licenses
process works like this: roleplaying games are for their heavy weaponry or not - what if
essentially about exciting adventures where they get checked by the police? You should
danger is always near, so it’s only a matter think carefully about how present ordinary
of time until a PC does something more or life is in your game, and if it actually fits to
less reckless. The question is if the player the genre.
has to pay a price for this recklessness? Most
gamemasters would hesitate in killing off a
whole group of PC’s even if this would be TIME FLIES WHEN
the result of a correct consequence of their
actions. Creating new PC’s always takes time, YOU’RE HAVING FUN
and maybe the whole campaign has to be A gaming session constantly changes time-
scrapped because of the result, so why not scale. Depending on how interesting a certain
let the players get off easy? Maybe the Death part of the game is, the description of events
Star is currently evacuated due to a fire drill? may become more or less detailed. Some-
The problem with this solution is of course times you use a very rough time-scale (”A
that it rewards careless behavior, thereby couple of months passes...”), sometimes real
generating more of it. If the PC’s always make time (for example during dialogues between
it out unharmed from the most difficult situa- PC’s and NPC’s), or even more detailed for
tions they will never stop and think before combat time. These changes take place on the
confronting danger the next time. After all, meta level of the game, which means that the
it’s a lot of work to find information about the players are aware of it but not their charac-
strength and number of the enemies, so why ters. In most cases the switch from one scale
do it if it doesn’t affect the outcome? to another is unimportant and don’t cause
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ÅSA ROOS
ADVENTURES This article describes the way I write adventures, and what
methods I use. I don’t mean I use them every time, or that all of
the adventures are derived from the same template, but rather
that I keep these methods in the back of my mind, and return to
them should I get stuck, or if I’m going to write for someone other
than myself. Every tool that works is a good tool.
TEXT ÅSA ROOS SYNOPSIS When writing, I almost always use questions
as my starting point. This forces me to think,
ILLUSTRATION LUKAS THELIN
Synopsis is an English word, meaning sum- and sometimes the answers give me unex-
mary. Writing a synopsis is a good thing, pected plot twists.
for several reasons. It gives a clear picture Who are the main characters? Are they
of the adventure’s plot, a distinct plan for player characters, or a game master’s cha-
what scenes I am going to write, which game racter? Who does the story revolve around?
master characters that are important to the Keep in mind that it is not necessarily the
adventure, and all things necessary to drive main characters that need to be focused on.
the story forward. Maybe they have simply been hired to get rid
• What is the catch? What is it that draws of someone, or perhaps the lead role is played
the main characters into the story? by a place, or an object?
What is it that makes them want to What defines the game master characters?
explore my adventure? If I do not know Are they heading towards their doom? Are
this, motivating the players might prove they looking for something? Is there an ob-
difficult. stacle they must overcome?
• Is all the information there? I do not What is the driving force for player cha-
write ”Discovering the secret causes racters?
them to lose all faith in the Swedish What is the driving force for the person
judiciary system”. Obviously, the secret that the story revolves around (if this is so-
is important, so I will include it in the meone other than player characters)?
synopsis. What do the player characters have to gain?
• Write from beginning to end. Or to lose? How will this affect the world
All the important scenes: introduction, around them?
confrontation, climax, and ending have Is there a secondary storyline, or further
to be included. This means I must know motives amongst the characters? If so, what
where I want my adventure to go, before are they?
I write it. Of course the adventure may What is the dramatic peak of the main story-
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 6/2010 change during play, but if I don’t know line? Does a sword have to be broken? Does
EXTENDED WITH MATERIAL FROM roughly how it is going to end, or why it the dragon have to be slain? Will the shrewd
is going to end this way, it could make it criminal be put to justice, and convicted for
THE AUTHOR’S BLOG DISCORDIA.SE hard for me to structure the scenes. the crimes he or she committed?
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ÅSA ROOS
What do the player and game master cha- • The game master needs material to work how it affects them. As a writer, I aspire to
racters want to achieve? What basic needs do with. This may prove demanding to a wri- amuse my audience (and if it is not your
they want to satisfy? If you have several main ter who wants to give players and game preference, you might want to reconsider),
characters this is a great opportunity to find masters a good open adventure. For and most of the time, the things my players
out how their different reasons intertwine, example, looking at The Armitage Files, want are the following:
and works for or against these characters. Do an adventure from Pelgrane Press, which • To experience a new place, be a part of a
the characters have personal driving forces? by my definition is an open adventure, story they have never been a part of before.
And how do these forces push the story for- there is about five times as much written • To be someone they can not be themselves.
ward? This is an important point. Without a material if compared to one of the very • To perform acts they could never
sequence of events, the adventure will not linear adventures in Hard Helix. otherwise perform.
feel relevant. Keep in mind that this is not • The time aspect. An open adventure may • To feel able and intelligent, and to
necessarily about a physical development, it be hard to time, and could drag out. Espe- be in control of the adventure.
might also be about emotional development. cially if the players have no clear goals.
At what point do the player characters or There are other reasons for role playing than
the main characters face a crucial decision? I leave it up to you to decide which manner of these – for example having fun or socializing
When reaching the climax of the story, a cru- writing is the best, but keep your target group with friends – and as a game master it is my
cial decision that changes the game master in mind. If the game is aimed at beginners, job to consider the needs of all my players
or game master character is often required. it might be easier for them to play a linear adven- as I write the adventure. When I write for
What decision must your player character ture, as they receive guidance on their actions. others, these are generally the four points I
or main character make? A more experienced group will probably want try to observe.
to take control of their gaming experience Most media, such as film, books, theatre
and shape it by their own preferences, thus and TV-series, are of course able to bring their
OPEN, OR LINEAR ADVENTURES an open adventure will suit them better. audience to places they have never seen be-
What is an open adventure? I define an open I personally try to stick to a hybrid of the fore, but only a few are able to fulfill the latter
adventure as a scenario which allows the play- two, which can be hard enough as it often me- two points; amusement parks, masquerades,
ers themselves to choose where in the world ans that the volume of text grows rapidly. At live action role playing games, computer ga-
they want to go, based on the information the same time I am a game master who likes mes, and of course role playing games. If I as
provided by game master, and the informa- to improvise my stories, and I enjoy letting a writer can realize these things, I have succee-
tion in their character sheet. It means that the the players run fairly free. It is usually more ded. How well I do it depends on the elements
players aren’t locked to a fixed sequence of fun for both game master and players, when I add. I can share my philosophies and politi-
events that the players cannot prevent. They creating an adventure together. cal views, I can shock the players, and console
do not always have to go to a certain place, to them, I can challenge them, and their curio-
activate the next event in the adventure. sity. But it is the four point above that gives
A linear scenario on the other hand, con- THE ADVENTURE me, as an author of adventures, the ability to
tains a number of scenes that has to be pre- mesmerize the players with my stories.
sented in a certain order to ensure that the IS THE MECHANICS
adventure works all the way, and to make In certain contexts and role playing games,
sure events that are supposed to happen, mechanics and story are so close that the THEME
actually happens. mechanics are adapted solely to tell a certain I believe that a story should have an overall
kind of story, or even just one specific story. theme in order to keep together.
The purpose of using mechanics so closely What is my adventure about? Good versus
OPEN ADVENTURES attached to a story is most of the time that the evil? Is this enough? Do I want to engage my
creator of the game means to give the players players? If so, I try to give them a theme they
Benefits a specific experience. Amplifying the gaming understand and are interested in.
• An open adventure provides the players experience in this manner can provide really I try not to give in to the temptation of
with the option to go where they choose, intense, and special, gaming sessions. But it using old clichés. I often work at finding new
act as they want, and play with locations, limits the type of story that can be told. The stories, or at least new takes on old stories. Do
events and game master characters In more you attach mechanics to the story, the we really need more adventures that begin at
brief, an open adventure gives the play- less flexible it becomes, but also better at an inn? A question I often use when writing is
ers a lot of agency, the ability to control conveying that which it was meant to. ”can the opposite also be true?” – meaning that
what they want to experience. In order to make an adventure with integra- if the players are going to rescue the princess
• An open adventure is enjoyable for the ted game mechanics, it is important to really and kill the dragon (a cliché in itself ) I will
experienced game master, who likes to im- figure out which mechanics that work with ask myself if they should try to rescue the
provise, and make the adventure their own. the story, and makes it stronger. Should there dragon and kill the princess instead. Thus
be a game master? How are events activated? creating a less predictable story. When you
Do the rules lead the game, or do the players? are writing you can choose to use politics,
Drawbacks. war, or jealousy as your theme, the options
• The players may feel that there is a lack of are endless. Try to find a theme that engages
objective to their actions. Since they have CREATING SOMETHING THAT you personally, this way, you will probably
the power to go where they want, they find your way to a story that affects not only
may also find themselves lost. They are THE PLAYERS CARE ABOUT you, but your players too. Choosing themes
not being guided towards their goal, as My biggest challenge is to create something will not affect how you tell your story, but it
they themselves decide what that goal is. that my intended audience cares about, and sets the guiding principle.
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ÅSA ROOS
76
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ÅKE ROSENIUS
77
ROLEPLAYING
MÅNS DANNEMAN
LOVESONGS
for LAMBCHOPS
ON THE ART OF USING MUSIC IN ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
TEXT MÅNS DANNEMAN WHEN THE LAMBS ARE SILENT DARWIN DANCES AND SINGS
ILLUSTRATION MAGNUS FALLGREN I watched The Silence of the Lambs in secret, We seem to have an inherited ability to react
with no sound. It was not as scary as everyone to sound, song, and music. Some evolution
told me! Years later I realized what i had done theoretics alledges that song and music have
wrong. Music plays an obvious role in movies, have played the part of the peacocks tail
but not as obvious in role playing games. To feathers, when it comes to sexual selection
roleplay is to tell, and experience stories in in humans, and that song may even have
the company of others. To feel more of certain united social bonds, and made them stronger.
feelings, to experience things we never could, Distorted sounds have been shown to
or want, in ”real” life. We watch horror mo- remind us of the warning calls of animals,
vies in order to get scared without having to and the screams of children that triggers the
deal with psychotic cannibals. Or maybe we body’s systems for fight or flight. An example
watch comedies to laugh a bit extra, without is the screaming strings in Hitchcocks Psycho.
having to wake up in Las Vegas with a hango- Very dull sounds can have a similar effect,
ver, next to Mike Tyson’s tiger. The stronger maybe since they are similar to the sounds
emotions the storytelling triggers, the more of predators. The characteristic ”dum-dum-
exciting it gets (up to a point, when it comes dum-dum” in Jaws is a classic example on
to unpleasant feelings). We probably won’t how to put this to use. Note also that the
finish or remember a movie or a book that faster pace could be reminding of the faster
doesn’t affect us in any way. In role playing pulse of a heart.
games, the story, the chain of events, and the However, birds chirping, waves rolling
characters themselves evoke emotion, but and slow, steady-paced sounds often has a
there are ways to amplify these emotions. relaxing effect. The theory is that throughout
This article aims to spice up your thoughts history these sounds have indicated that no
and ideas on how to create and amplify emo- predators are around. Man has, accordingly,
tions in role playing games, using music. So, inate tendencies to react to sound, and you
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 1/2014 how do you make your lambs scream? as the game master can use this.
78
LOVESONGS FOR LAMBCHOPS
79
ROLEPLAYING
MÅNS DANNEMAN
80
LOVESONGS FOR LAMBCHOPS
81
ROLEPLAYING
PETE NASH
82
WONDROUS STRANGE
Yet a few years after came several iconic many other human concepts such as women’s seemingly contradictory aspects of Arab so-
settings which divorced themselves from rights, intra-family marriage, slavery, human ciety. In fact my recent Monster Island Sword
pseudo-medievalism. First and foremost sacrifice, democracy vs autocracy, freedom & Sorcery setting was based heavily on 19th
amongst these were the worlds of Tékumel of religion, even pederasty – which seems Century books studying Polynesian culture
(Empire of the Petal Throne) by Professor horrific to us today, yet was embraced by the and at some point in the future I hope to pro-
M. A. R. Barker and Glorantha (RuneQuest) founders of our western philosophy! duce a setting based upon the Mahabharata,
created by Greg Stafford. Both worlds were The fundamental twists of human society which I believe is one of the richest sources
unique for their time, drawing upon an in- are invaluable when giving a game setting of myth and adventure ever written.
depth knowledge of cultures alien to most its unique flavour, whether to act as a foil for Of course gaining access to such literature,
players. Sadly although RuneQuest and players (via their characters) to fight against, especially in Scandinavia, is almost impossible
thereby Glorantha gained significant trac- or to make the world exotic, unsettling and outside of a library, but there are plenty of won-
tion in Europe, the States less so, the lands perhaps educational for those playing in it. derful books available on the internet from
of Tékumel soon sank out of public sight. Indeed, both history and anthropology before copyright began, Project Gutenberg
Most Americans seemed more comfortable are the very best source for creating strange being a good place to start (www.gutenberg.org).
with ‘traditional’ medieval fantasy tropes of new ideas for RPGs, not only in the cultures Enter ‘Exploring’ in the search box and you
Tunnels & Trolls, Chivalry & Sorcery, and so encountered, but for plot lines too. There will be granted access to hundreds of works,
of course Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. was a time when the Classics (the literature of both a delight to read and a bottomless source
Why was this? Well, not only did TSR Ancient Greece and Rome) was preeminent of of idiosyncratic habits and rituals of now
dominate the RPG market unchallenged for university degrees because within the works long lost societies. I mean how can you go
half a decade, but SF&F literature was now of those long dead scholars was captured an wrong with titles like “The Adventures Of The
filling with stories inf luenced heavily by almost complete picture of human strife and Chevalier De La Salle And His Companions,
success of Lord of the Rings. Ethnocentrism consequence, whether it was war, politics, In Their Explorations Of The Prairies, Fo-
is the tendency to view foreign or historical social justice, revolution, treachery or hubris. rests, Lakes, And Rivers, Of The New World,
cultures from the perspective of one’s own, The higher echelons of the British Civil And Their Interviews With The Savage
so to a degree it is understandable that most Service were once reserved for those with Tribes, Two Hundred Years Ago”.
Americans and Europeans were more com- Classics degrees and for good reason. I’ve lost There are books about the outlaw hunters of
fortable with settings which were a part of count of the number of scenario plots I’ve the Russian Pacific coast, Australian aborigi-
their own cultural background. Thus setting taken directly out of Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita! nes, secret visits to the Tibetan plateau, explo-
bias was more about ease of immersion and Likewise some of the most popular books rers living with Inuit peoples, and countless
secondarily the lack of availability of non- I’ve written have opened the eyes of the publications concerning the barbaric tribes of
standard fantasy, than any reduction in the reader to foreign cultures and their truly North and South America. All of which would
educational level of gamers. alien perspectives on daily life. Can you ima- be simple to adopt into a campaign world,
gine gaming in a bustling city which has no whether as an outlying human nation or as
police force and within whose walls the army the culture of a non-human race or species.
THERE ARE MORE THINGS IN is forbidden to enter? Sounds implausible Can you imagine a fantasy game where the
that such a place could function, no? Yet the gnolls are the flourishing civilisation at the
HEAVEN AND EARTH, HORATIO, city of Rome up until the end of the Republic centre of the world, following Aztec beliefs
THAN ARE DREAMT OF IN YOUR did indeed lack any official law enforcement.
Another example might be ritualised wars
and traditions, whilst the suppressed and
hunted humans are primitive seal hunters
PHILOSOPHY where the objective is capture, not kill your
opponent; the forbidding of certain social
and whalers living in the arctic regions? Blood
sacrifices drawn from pulling barbed vines
Since those early days of RPGs fantasy set- classes from attacking enemies of a different through your own genitalia, priceless golden
tings have diversified somewhat, often ad- status; or allowing single combats to occur treasures, skull decorated ziggurats and mighty
ding a blend of science fiction or post apoca- in the midst of battle ignored by the other feathered headdresses – and the Gnolls might
lyptic to their background, to add a soupcon participants – as can be found in the cultures be the good guys in their own eyes, because if
of strangeness. However their cultures tend of Mezoamerica, the ancient Indus Valley and the blood stops flowing the world just might
towards the monolithic, and exotic species recorded in heroic Greek tales. come to a titanic end! Base the entire cam-
often suffer the ‘Human in a Rubber Mask’ There is almost nothing strange or weird paign on the adventures and discovery of Hi-
trope. There is also a perceivable lack of that a human society hasn’t already done at ram Bingham in his Inca Land, Explorations
imagination when creating societies which some point in history. Matriarchal rule, child in the Highlands of Peru and there’s a game
do not follow the usual monarchy or republic sacrifice, populations totally segregated by you could play off the bat with a minimum of
political systems, nor escape modern precon- sex, geriatricide, you name it, its been done research. Actually, that sounds like so much
ceptions of ethical/unethical behaviour. before in real life! fun I might have to run that myself!
In fact many new games being published It does not matter whether you have just
nowadays are openly attacked for not repre- picked up the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dra-
senting modern behaviour, no matter the fact WHERE YOU SHOULD START gons or use RuneQuest which is inherently
that such traditions are constantly evolving Some of the most entertaining and indeed suited to modelling foreign cults and cultures.
and cycling throughout history. What we inspiring books I’ve ever read have been the Read a little bit about strange and engrossing
passionately believe is morally correct right journals of explorers, especially those of the peoples of other times and places, knock up
now, will be overturned by our children, and last two centuries. As an example, works like a rough map, jot down a short list of names,
children’s children. For instance, homosexu- The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawren- places and gods, then play it by ear. Go forth
ality has been in and out of vogue since it was ce and Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger and break your ethnocentric shackles and
first recorded five thousand years ago, as have were my first insights into the complex and see what the rest of the world has to offer...
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CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER
AUBEROND
TEXT CHRISTOFFER KRÄMER …It’s been six days since our tracker and the final guards departed for the Peacock Spire Clan
ILLUSTRATION PÄR OLOFSSON to find help. As we have heard nothing from them nor from the Peacock Spire people, we
can only hope that their deaths were quick and that their souls can be found before they are
doomed to wander for eternity, like the wretched Safhalad.
Our last bioseeker fell when he ventured out under the cover of darkness to the savage
Hiatus grove, just outside our sanctuary, in order to harvest a meagre fistful of food for us.
Not even his vast knowledge of everything that is hunting us could save him. His death was
the final push we needed. Last night, we deliberated and mutually agreed that our clan was
lost, and that we must do what we could to fortify other clans. Our priests and mages have
therefore just left this plane in an attempt to travel in spirit to another clan. Their bodies lie
cold before me and I pray that their souls can find a home in some other recently departed
bodies in a safer place than this.
Because we have not had any creators here in many months, our air filters have finally
given up. Thick clouds of rufu pollen have penetrated into the sanctuary and the air has be-
come more and more difficult to breathe. My friend and devoted companion Sardakinn, who
through all the battles and hardships has never strayed from my side, just forced her helmet
upon me. Both she and I know that the helmet is a part of her Galvaraan and that when she
and the helmet are parted, they will both die. But she does it to buy me some time. Time to
end our clan’s chapter in this world.
The air in the helmet tastes different, a bit organic, and I can feel how the coral tries to re-
pel me, as some kind of foreign creature. It’s like an illustration of the situation we Elfvaar are
in. Our own world tries its best to reject us, to force us to leave, as if we were an unfamiliar
organism and not Saladaar, the beloved pinnacle of creation that we thought we were. It will
probably succeed in the long run, but we will not enter into oblivion without a fight. It is, how-
ever, the irony of fate that we Saladaar, in our struggle to remain, have become something
other than what we were.
Sardakinn’s skin, pale as the finest spider webs even under normal circumstances, has
faded nearly unto transparency, and she breathes no more. I hear the sound of scraping
claws on the stairs of our sanctuary and can only guess at what kind of abomination has
crept down past undefended gateways. I will save this text, with the final power left in the
crystal of my forefathers, in the hope that some other Saladaar will find it and add our clan’s
story to his chronicle.
I see my bane now, disgusting in its revelation, but I am not afraid. I may never have
learned to fight, but my forefathers’ songs have taught me all I need to know about dying.
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 5/2005 – Tarfalfa, bard of the Rainbow Weavers Clan
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in special ceremonies led by priests. When allow their souls to enter special crystals them in the flesh or in the spirit. While ani-
an Elfvaar dies, the soul goes first to a place harvested from Auberond’s interior. Within mals and plants have adapted, evolved and
that is a sort of limbo, which can be very these crystals, the souls’ full power can be mutated rapidly since the start of the de-
dangerous. Elfvaar who die alone or far from stored in the form of a pale blue glow, and evolution, the Saladaar have remained phy-
their kin risk being unable to find their way then, like a battery, they can be used to drive sically unchanged. Not because mutations
home, and, depending on the individual’s the security systems, the vehicles, and even have not occurred, but because the Saladaar
willpower and desire to live, their souls may the weapons. The fact that the souls within do not allow them to continue to exist. The
gradually forget what they once were, and these crystals is eventually obliterated, mea- consensus is that this may not be kind, but
become lost and unsaved — a Safhalad. Most ning they can never join the company of the that it is necessary.
souls in these circumstances choose to seek ancestors, is a price the Elfvaar are willing to
refuge in other living beings, such as animals pay, and is an indication of their willingness
or trees, in an attempt to retain awareness of to sacrifice themselves for their kin. The Network
who they are for as long as possible, while a Across Auberond, the struggle for way of
few choose to stay in limbo. Even for those living and life itself, as well as to be as strong
who have found refuge, if their souls are not SALADAAR & MALFASHOUD
as possible, the Saladaar try to be unanimous
guided correctly, eventually their memories in their decisions. Central to this is keeping
will fade and the only thing remaining will be ”Our shadows are alive close contact and communication with one
an incredibly intelligent animal, or powerful
plant, while those in limbo will simply fade and they seek our death.”
another, but in this dangerous world where
each excursion outside the haidaar is a poten-
to a pale shadow. In a dangerous world where What was once a proud people, has, under tial suicide mission, keeping in touch is dif-
nearly everything can kill, most Elfvaar fear pressure from the planet’s de-evolution, gra- ficult. This is where the priests and mages
meeting a Safhalad more than anything else. dually changed to two peoples: Saladaar and come in. With magic spells such as teleporta-
The souls that reach Hadesh are believed Malfashoud. Though they are in many ways tion and spirit walking, the various clans can
to retain a great curiosity for those they left so similar that they would be considered the keep lines of communication open, though
behind and that they are following the events same, they differ in a few crucial ways, and this is an energy-sapping process fraught
on Auberond. Most Elfvaar are convinced it becomes clear that they are two very dif- with peril. The most powerful clans have
that the ancestors also have the power to ferent creatures. solved this by setting up a permanent link by
affect the real world and that they keep a using a spell that is kept active using several
protective eye on the living. In gratitude, the ancestor crystals, which are slowly depleted.
Elfvaar offer prayers and symbolic sacrifices SALADAAR
This communication link is called Nodaan —
to their ancestors, and many homes have the network — and it can only work as long
small, richly decorated altars and shrines. “Never before have such as new Elfvaar continue to die and add their
There is a growing fear among the Elfvaar,
however, that the changes in Auberond have beautiful songs been written spiritual energies to the crystals. During the
last thirty years, the nodaan has not ceased
somehow separated Hadesh from the real
world and that the ancestors are no longer
about such an ugly fate.” a single time.
able to see or reach through the planes. This Central to the group still calling itself the
could also be the explanation for why the Saladaar is the refusal to change themselves. Clans
transformation has been allowed to go as This is perhaps somewhat ironic considering Despite the difficult trials and tribulations
far as it has. This fear is also reinforced with that they have already transformed into a encountered by the clans on Auberond,
regard to the advancement of Valgaard, one people who, instead of singing songs and there are still many Elfvaar left. Some clans
last extreme way out. playing games, devote all hours of the day to are large, with hundreds of members, while
fighting for survival as if they were merciless others are just tattered remains consisting
battle machines. of only a dozen or so. The list of clans that
Valgaard
This is, however, an extremely sensitive have been completely wiped out is long and
Valgaard, the force of the ancestors, is the issue for all Saladaar, and they discuss it at constantly growing. In accordance with the
most extreme example of how the Elfvaar’s length, as if they are working to convince Saladaar’s desire to preserve what they once
fight for survival changed their faith and way themselves. The core of the rationale is: the were, each clan carefully chronicles every-
of living. The touching ceremony previously Saladaar are and will remain a beauty-loving, thing that happens, and these chronicles are
held when an Elfvaar died, when, with the singing, frolicking, and life-loving people deemed the clans’ most important possession.
help of ancient spells and the power of the no matter how much blood they must spill If a clan faces potential destruction, it is vital
mourners’ love, the soul of the deceased was in order to preserve this fact. It does not that their chronicle be sent to another clan
freed from the shackles binding it to the body, matter that they no longer have any time to so that no detail is lost. A clan’s chronicle is
to be permitted to join the company of the spend on the things they hold most dear and often viewed as being far more important
ancestors in unbridled joy and enlighten- important, so long as they do not forget those than each individual member of the clan.
ment, has now changed. When an Elfvaar things. Circumstances beyond the Saladaar’s
dies today, these ceremonies are held only control may force them to live differently,
in certain cases. The struggle for survival has eat differently, clothe themselves differently, Clan Examples
gone on so long that not even the strength of behave differently toward one another, learn Next follows a few short descriptions of
the souls of those who died can be allowed different abilities, engage differently with some of the clans. You can of course add any
to go to waste. Though it is not a spoken their surroundings, view death differently number of clans, and they can be of any size,
requirement, for no one can claim another and see life with new eyes, but they will not have any type of power relationship, or be in
Elfvaar’s soul, nearly all Elfvaar choose to let nature or the planet’s de-evolution change any predicament you wish.
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The Azure Singers Clan Their hairaam lies deep underground and
is thought to be virtually impregnable to
mages who have travelled there and together
they now work to develop a more powerful
The Azure Singers Clan is likely the largest enemies from the outside. weapon than anything currently existing.
remaining clan in Auberond. With close to The Crystalmakers Clan is central to the
seven hundred members, the clan is even Saladaar network since this clan mines prac-
larger than it was during the time prior to tically all crystals used for Valgaard. These The Peacock Spire Clan
de-evolution. This is primarily because the crystals are delivered to the other clans via The Peacock Spire Clan is a small and steadily
clan assimilates remnants of other clans physical or magical means and the clan has declining clan with just under fifty members.
who have already been wiped out. The clan more mages than many others. The whims of fate have placed their hairaam,
includes therefore a number of Elfvaar from Two threats against the Crystalmakers will a freestanding granite spire, in the way of
the Daydreamers clan, the Crescent Moon soon present themselves: It is becoming har- an unusually aggressive clan of Malfashoud
Clan, the Cascade Riders Clan, and so on. der and more dangerous to extract crystals led by what is rumoured to be a Saf hald
The strength of numbers makes the Azure as the mineshaft is getting deeper, and tec- who found refuge in a creature resembling
Singers Clan the only clan in Auberond that tonic activity threatens to gradually pull the a dragon. Other clans have made attempts
can actively and aggressively purge and Crystalmakers’ hairaam farther down into to come to the Peacock Spire’s rescue, but to
broaden their own territory. The area in their the ground, essentially burying the clan alive.
no avail. The battle and the spire are seen by
haidaar, a cliff whose steep face towered over many as a symbol of the fight that continues
a beautiful lake, is limited, however, and the across all of Auberond.
Azure Singers Clan suffers from a severe lack The Dawnhunters Clan
of space. The Dawnhunters Clan has fairly recently be-
There are ongoing discussions within come a relatively small clan of just over sixty The Rainbow Weavers Clan
the clan about the potential advantages of members. Previously, the clan was almost a The Rainbow Weavers Clan is just one of the
dividing it into two, but the idea of leading hundred and fifty Elfvaar strong, but a toxic many clans that have disappeared completely.
an exodus from the Azure cliff in order to parasite took hold in their hairaam and killed No contact with them has existed for a very
create a new hairaam is so daunting that no a majority of the population. long time, and nearby clans are gradually ac-
one wishes to take on such a task. One effect of this has been that the clan cepting the fact that another clan has met its
now has a larger supply of the Valgaard unhappy destiny. The Rainbow Weavers were
ancestor crystals than any other clan. The added to a list full of lost clans, such as the
The Crystalmakers Clan Dawnhunters’ hairaam, an ancient cliff temp- Water Lily Builders Clan, the Northern Lights
The Crystalmakers Clan is a medium-sized le with many interconnected chambers has Scribers Clan, the Dragonfly Sailors Clan, the
clan with nearly two hundred members. therefore become the center for a number of Firefly Lighters Clan, and so on.
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in which the pods swell to a hundred times mour, and transportation, there is of course • What is the name of the clan?
their original size, blow away in the wind other exciting technological and biological • What is the origin of that name
until they meet something sharp, where- equipment to spend their creative energies — what is the clan’s history?
upon they pop, and their contents explode on. Communication, tools for construction, • Is the clan Saladaar or Malfashoud?
everywhere in a rain of acid. As a weapon, the locks, devices for capturing and taming wild • How big is the clan?
pods are harvested beneath the surface of the organisms, and so on. Simply continue in the • Where is the clan’s haidaar, and what
swamp and then stored in breakable contai- same spirit as the items mentioned above. does it look like (in a general sense)?
ners. These containers are then thrown like Combine nature’s most bizarre elements
grenades. As a means of transportation, these with a little old-fashioned mechanics and At this point, further questions can be asked:
same containers are broken, and the swollen slap on a few spells or ancestor crystals as • What is the clan’s main
seedpods are collected within a magical field needed. survival problem?
and used as both a hovering weapon and a • Who or what are the clan’s
transportation platform. main enemies?
CAMPAIGN SUGGESTIONS • What are the demographics of the clan?
How many clan members belong to
Mounts “Our lives had become the each archetype?
A number of animals on Auberond can be
ridden by Elfvaar, but because all of them cruellest drama created to • What is the morale level in the clan?
• What is the decision-making process?
are wild, and breeding with the purpose of
creating tame versions of the animal is sel-
entertain perverse gods.” Is there unanimity? Are there factions
that pull in different directions?
dom possible, riding animals usually means • What alliances and contacts does
finding temporary transport with highly un-
willing animals, controlled through the use
Creating a Clan the clan have with other clans?
• Is there anything that makes this clan
of chemical injections or magic. Examples of Creating a clan is a reasonable first step unique compared to all the other clans?
mounts include large lizards, giant insects, for a game master wondering how to start
great cats, and enormous snakes. a campaign in Auberond. The clan will be With these questions, a game master has a
everything to the players, so it’s a good good basis to work from, and the process
idea to create an exciting and interesting of creating a clan and pondering on these
Research group that they can identify with. When questions has likely already generated a
Because Elfvaar living in the shadow of extin- creating a clan, the following questions whole host of ideas for campaigns and
ction need so much more than weapons, ar- can be helpful: scenarios.
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character. Having death be always present be an incredibly potent way to set the stage
in this way allows for wonderfully intimate for the players as they time after time are
emotions, heroic death scenes, sorrow and tossed between hope and despair, triumph
doubt. Yummy! and failure in the campaign. Each time the
players’ characters have discussions about
optimism for the future or pessimism at the
Elements and Issues world around them, they become aware that
A death world like Auberond easily creates no matter what they try, nothing is ever going
huge, complicated issues that can be built to work. They can take part in the dramatic
on and woven into the campaign. Is survival build-up of the end of the campaign. The cam-
worth any cost? Exactly what is one prepared paign can begin in a clan, follow that clan to
to die for? How important are ideals and its demise, watch as the players are forced to
principles in the larger scheme of things? be assimilated into one or several new clans,
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OZ IS DROWNING!
EXTENDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR THIS ANTHOLOGY ILLUSTRATION OLA LARSSON
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SOME NOTES ON ADVENTURES DOWN UNDER game master for adventurous purposes are
therefore limited to the ASIO (Australian
THE COLD WAR The Commonwealth of Australia comprises
Australia proper, Tasmania, some outlying
Security Intelligence Organisation that hand-
les both external espionage and internal
This gaming anthology is not the right place minor islands and archipelagoes (e.g. Christ- counter-espionage), the CIB (Commonwealth
for a lengthy excursion into the Cold War, mas Island and the Cocos Islands), colonial Investigations Branch, a federal police with
because thousands of books have already territories in New Guinea and the Bismarck less than one hundred officers) and the mi-
been written on that subject. I recommend Archipelago, plus a vast unrecognized land litary. Australia’s professional armed forces
Wikipedia to get an introduction into the claim in Antarctica. Australia of 1950s con- have an outstanding reputation, earned in
woes of the 1950s. tains both European-style metropolises at the Libyan Desert and the jungles of New
However, it is worth pointing out that the the coast, like Sydney and Melbourne, and Guinea during World War II and recently in
1950s was a ruthless decade. Its political rural settlements in the desolate outback of the hills of Korea.
rhetoric may appear shrill to us sixty years the interior. This variation opens the door
later because of the ever-present specter of for all sorts of adventures, ranging from
nuclear war. urban spy thrillers to pseudo-westerns and Journalists
Uneasy peace exists in Europe after the end monster action. Another campaign approach is investigative
of the Greek Civil War in 1949, but in Asia Australia, being a member of the British journalism. In the mid-1950s, Australia has
there are several major armed conflicts, e.g. Commonwealth, participated on several no national newspaper, but the game master
in Kashmir 1947, in Korea 1950-53, in French fronts in World War Two: North Africa and can create a fictional Sydney-based morning
Indochina 1946-54, in Malacca 1948-60. Also, Greece 1940-41, New Guinea 1942-45 and paper – The Morning News – that will finance
Israel and its neighbors have plenty of border Borneo 1945. In 1940-41 German merchant investigations of whatever strange events are
skirmishes 1948-56. raiders prowled along her coasts and in occurring. Its ambitious chief hires a few vete-
The Soviet Union is characterized by Sta- 1942-44 Japanese bombers based on Bali ran adventurers to assist the journalists when
linist paranoia, whereas people in the West repeatedly attacked the port of Darwin in the they travel across land and sea in search to
see the Communist bloc as an existential Northern Territory. the great scope.
threat. Both sides brandish nuclear arms After the war, the federal government
in their rhetoric, but whenever military launches an ambitious program to attract
commanders suggest using atom bombs European immigrants. Most of those that Private Investigators
(e.g. in Korea and Vietnam), those notions come are Britons, Greeks, Cypriots and A third strategy is to let a wealthy individual,
are immediately quashed by their political Dutchmen that seek a new life far away from e.g. a retired businessman, sponsor a team of
masters. devastated Europe. The immigration policy private investigators. This fellow is suspici-
The goal of the US strategic plan for World aims at a “White Australia”, an attitude that ous of all the strange things he has read about
War Three (see Operation Dropshot in Wi- is uncontroversial in the 1950s. In the same in the newspapers and he believes that the
kipedia) is to quickly devastate the Soviet way, most people view the discrimination of government is covering up something. There-
Union and China by nuclear and conventio- the Australian Aborigines as “normal”. fore he recruits half a dozen adventurers and
nal air strikes. The Soviet Union has similar Australia is a significant western actor in gives them a mission: find out what is really
plans for Western Europe, but a trans-Arctic the Cold War. Most citizens support the close going on. The code name is Project Minerva.
air attack on the distant United States would ties to the United States that were cemented
be difficult to execute successfully. in 1942. The country hosts British nuclear
The superpowers’ intelligence organiza- tests and missile experiments in several Character Skills & Professions
tions carry out clandestine activities every- remote places. When Chinese Maoists rebel A team of adventurers should contain a broad
where in the world “to thwart enemy plots”. in British-ruled Malaya in 1948, Australia set of backgrounds and skills considering the
Such operations range from spying to assass- sends grounds forces to support the colo- variety of missions in the campaign, dealing
inations and coups-d’état. Because of mis- nial government. When North Korea invades with e.g. wilderness treks, urban espionage,
judgments, such plans often fail or cause South Korea in 1950, Australia contributes scuba diving, air travel and ocean voyages.
misery for common people in the targeted infantry and aircraft to the UN-led coalition Keep in mind that a lot of male Australians
countries. For instance, Guatemala and Iran opposing the attack. participated in World War Two, so characters
suffer CIA-led coups justified with anti-Soviet The Soviet Union carries out several in- aged 35 to 55 may have extensive, though
arguments, whereas in 1948 the democratic telligence operations in Australia (see the somewhat outdated, military experience.
government in Prague is toppled by the local Petrov Affair on Wikipedia). The Australian A suggested set of team members:
communist party with support from the government is openly hostile to all kinds of • A pilot to handle air travel
Soviet Union. communism and even tries to outlaw the • A detective for surveillance and
The extraterrestrial invasion will shift local Communist Party. The disputes shut investigations in urban locations
world history into a new path. Many conflicts, down the diplomatic relations between the • A paramedic to treat those that
such as the Suez War and the Hungarian two countries at a few occasions. get injured
uprising in the autumn of 1956, may not even • A soldier for close protection and
occur. But the distrust between the Soviet heavy weaponry
Union and the West is so profound that they Player Characters • A zoologist to investigate any strange
will find it hard to cooperate even when Earth creatures appearing in the adventures
is heading towards a huge disaster. After all, The Government Men • An engineer to study peculiar devices
their anti-German alliance in 1941-45 had Australia is a federal country, in which law discovered during the campaign
merely been a marriage of convenience with enforcement is mostly handled by its states. • A bushwalker to ensure that the team
no genuine friendship and trust. The federal organizations available to the survives in the hostile outback
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Situation on Site The Task • The biorobots used some sort of quick
snail-style way of locomotion on dry
After five hours in the air, the Catalina ap- In the 1950s, Antarctic research had become land, thereby leaving slimy trails.
proaches the location where the Celestina “everyday science”, even though carried out The trails go up from the water into
ought to be. After a while the adventurers will under extreme conditions. In 1949 Australia the ruins of the station buildings and
be able to discover the ship adrift and listing established Polar Station Zulu on the coast back to the water. Waves have washed
10 degrees to port. The Celestina shows fire of its Antarctic territorial claim. The base is away any trails on the sea bottom.
damage, but currently neither flames nor used by scientists from many universities • The manners in which the humans
smoke are visible. The ship does not respond for research on, among other things, glaciers, were killed indicate what weapon
when hailed by radio and no sailors are seen seals and penguins. Usually it is crewed by 30 technology the invaders used.
on the deck. Several life boats appear to be people. Zulu communicates with Australia The biorobots launched harpoons
missing. by short-wave radio. During summers, it is over short distances with great force,
If the adventurers board her, they will dis- visited twice by a supply ship transporting and used clawed tentacles to rend
cover that she has been abandoned in haste. goods and people. and tear and to manipulate objects.
However, the fire that she has suffered seems One day the station does not respond when (There are no traces of long-range
to have extinguished itself. The forward cargo hailed by radio. The team of adventurers are weapons, because those currently
hold is badly damaged. An object has crashed asked to investigate and they head south available are designed for deep-ocean
through its top hatch with great force and in a Catalina. Their briefing papers contain environments.)
started a fire among the grain sacks in it. The drawings of the base installations and a crew • The biorobots have removed
crew has tried to extinguish it by hosing it roster. some large technological items
with sea water. Polar Stations Zulu comprises six major (such as the radio) and the army
If the adventurers carry out an airborne buildings erected on an ice-free stretch of rifles, because that is what the
search operation, they will discover the three gravel beach and a safe distance from the invaders want to study right now.
missing life boats after approximately one shoreline. The base is professionally construc- • There are no biorobot remains.
hour. The boats are tied together and con- ted and will hardly be damaged the weather. Pieces of broken biomachinery
tain the complete crew. Nobody is seriously There are backup generators and spare parts were carried away into the sea;
injured or missing. on site, so technical problems would hardly the invaders are security-minded.
knock out the radio completely. Therefore, • Five men are missing. They ran
there must be serious trouble. away in panic during the attack
Clues and may be tracked into the icy
During this adventure the game master may wilderness above the coast.
provide the following clues: What really happened Whether any of them has survived
• A careful investigation of Zulu has been the target of a surprising is up to the game master – it depends
the damaged cargo hold results nightly raid out of the oceanic abyss: bio- on her plans for the campaign.
in the discovery fragments of robots crawled ashore to investigate human Survivors will give somewhat
an unknown material (an extra- technology. The invaders are currently re- inconsistent accounts for the dreadful
terrestrial advanced ceramic – searching humanity to understand how we creatures that attacked the base under
a substance that is completely might threaten them and how they best the cover of darkness.
unknown to human chemists could neutralize us. The station was quickly
in the 1950s). wrecked and most of the crew was killed, but
• The sailors explain that they a few managed to escape inland. There are Optional Soviet Complications
were watching a falling meteor no photographs or other documentation of The game master may let the Soviet polar
when the forward cargo hold what happened. research ship Akademik Barazin turn up
suffered an explosion. War at the site. Moscow’s radio intelligence
veterans think that it resembled agency has noticed that Station Zulu is
a detonating artillery shell. Situation on Site unexpectedly off the air and they, too, want
When the fire would not go out When the adventurers arrive at Zulu, they to know why.
and the electrical system failed, will find a devastated site with 25 corpses. During the encounter, the Soviet maritime
thereby shutting off the water Devices like the radio set and generators officers are suspicious (particularly if the
pumps, the captain ordered the have been removed, some with force, some adventurers work for the private Project
crew to abandon ship. without. The human remains have been torn Minerva) because of the distrust between
by violent tentacles or impaled by spears. the Soviet Union and Australia, and there-
The crew had had five Australian army fore they are unwilling to cooperate closely
Complications rifles, primary for hunting. These guns are or provide major assistance. The Akademik
It is not a trivial matter to climb from the now missing, but they must have been used Barazin is a civilian state vessel and therefore
Catalina’s inflatable dinghies to the deck in battle because there are scores of used her captain will only authorize use of force
of the Celestina without any proper equip- cartridges scattered in the building where if the Australians pose an obvious threat to
ment, because the ship’s sides are tall, wet the crew barricaded themselves during the his crew. There are a dozen Kalashnikovs in
and bare. battle. the ship’s gun locker for such emergencies.
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Natural weapons
More to read by Anders Blixt The walker is “programmed” for self-protection.
For close protection: One attack arm with a chop-
Anders Blixt is an SF author and one ping claw at each end (range about 5 feet). One
of Sweden’s most experienced RPG spray organ on the back: it will squirt a liquid
designers. He has a particular liking for solvent up to 60 feet away (arc of fire 360°) The
alternate history fiction and gameworlds, liquid attacks and dissolves the body tissues of
often with retro touches. Saga Games has terrestrial organisms, causing deep fearsome
published Oz is Drowning (after the first wounds. Cloth or plastics do not offer much
publication in Fenix) and two of Anders’s protection. The biorobots has ten squirts in a
dieselpunk campaigns for its Swedish gland. It takes one hours to “recharge” one squirt.
RPG Parallel Worlds. Anders’s ”alternate-
Antarctica” spy novel The Ice War is
available in an English translation as an Energy
ebook at Smashwords Biorobots do not eat or breathe. Instead they
have organic reserves inside in the body to
(https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/517357). be consumed on operations. These reserves
last about two weeks.
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ÅKE ROSENIUS
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FIVE MINUTES TO
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F
ive minutes to twelve is a campaign and then begins to tick inexorably on. What Another and even more diabolical (and
based around a mysterious artefact. is it ticking forward to? Why it is the end of therefore more fun) method is to have the
This article contains a brief introduc- the world, predicted by the twelfth culture’s time be accelerated. Perhaps five minutes to
tion of the artefact itself, along with portion of the clock. twelve is the first time the clock starts tick-
some ideas on how it can be incorporated in Fortunately, the clock is not a part of the ing for a whole year. The players then have
one of your regular campaigns, or how you predestination. The apocalypse may be in- plenty of time to see the signs and formulate
can construct an entire campaign specifically evitable in the long run, but it is possible to a plan to stop the end of the world. The next
dedicated to the artefact. Enjoy! put it off. Especially if you know it’s coming! apocalyptic incarnation is then only eleven
A particularly sharp-eyed group of people months, allowing less time to ponder and act.
(the characters!) could — with access to the The third incarnation is only ten months, and
THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK doomsday clock — be able to predict the so on. This will likely lead to a lot of crazy
According to Terry Pratchett and — at least signs of the times and act in such a way as to rushing around at the end.
in spirit — other prominent observers of the ensure the ancient prophecies and tales of the
human condition, we humans are just sto- end of days do not come to pass as foretold.
rytelling chimpanzees who shape the world The clock would strike twelve and the world ONE-TRICK PONY
with the stories we tell about it and about our- would remain. At least for a short while, since
selves. A recurring tale in almost all cultures the doomsday clock’s minute hand inevitably OR A NEW TÉKUMEL?
is that of the end of the world: Armageddon, slides toward the next five-minutes-to-twelve How can you use the doomsday clock? As
Ragnarök, Acharit Hayamim, etc. So if the position, and a new culture’s apocalypse ap- the game master, you can use the clock in
idea of, and the story about, the apocalypse pears on the doorstep. Over and over again. pretty much any game environment you
are somehow imprinted in us as a species, want — even one that’s completely made up
perhaps there is a grain of truth to it. Maybe (since the apocalypse is likely as colourfully
there is, as has been taught for thousands of THE RECURRING APOCALYPSE described in space as it is among the goblins
years on the Indian subcontinent, a cyclical The doomsday clock requires a bit of research and trolls in fairyland, and among the vampi-
nature to reality, a predetermined rhythm from the game master and the players. It res and werewolves in the world of shadows).
of growth, prosperity, and ruin. Perhaps would be good to begin with the apocalypses The big question is whether you want to use
our memories of downfall is a future echo that players are likely most familiar with, the clock as a one-time dramatic device (in a
of something that has already happened such as the Christian Armageddon or the limited adventure) or as a recurring element
before, over and over again. And maybe, Norse Ragnarök. Starting with these can help (as a whole campaign).
just maybe, there is something that survives familiarise the players with the concept and
each cycle. Something that records events whet their appetites before starting in on the
and keeps time. An ancient relic belonging more complicated downfalls like the Babylo- DOOMSDAY CLOCK AS FOCUS
to the universe’s own horologist. This is the nian end times or the fall of the Aztecs. Once
doomsday clock. they get to this point, they will have gained OF AN INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURE
The clock itself is not so spectacular that enough momentum that they will be able If you use the doomsday clock as a main in-
it attracts any attention. It looks like a large to bite off the ruin of the ancient Egyptians gredient of a single adventure, you will have
pocket watch made of polished metal whose and Tibetans, as well as the final hours of the created a great matinee-style action scenario.
colour shifts somewhat depending on how Maori and the Inuit. The player characters find and clumsily ma-
the light falls upon it. The clock’s face is ad- For each apocalypse the characters manage nage to start the doomsday clock, and then
mittedly not typical, but not really any more to stop, a new one begins, and those charac- guilty conscience and survival instinct per-
unusual than many other artistic clocks out ters who have been trying to find any little suade them to do whatever they can to stop it.
there. The number twelve appears in all posi- advantages (so, basically everyone) will start In this version, there is no time to allow
tions, though it is written in different number devouring information on mythology just to years to drift by slowly, bringing signs of the
systems from different cultures. Each twelfth keep ahead of the pack. apocalypse slowly to light. It is important to
portion of the clock also has other small em- start the action right away and have Fenris
bellishments that tie back to that particular wolves and Princes of Peace wake immedia-
portion’s culture. To the archaeologist or the TIME SCALE – tely once the clock has started the countdown.
historian, the clock holds many clues, but for Obviously, their work is impeded by the fact
the uninitiated, it mostly appears to be a piece SYMBOLIC OR ACCELERATED? that other groups want the clock for their
of jewellery or artwork. Five minutes can seem like an awfully short own evil purposes.
Upon opening the back, one might be im- amount of time to stop impending doom, but A good way out of the doomsday mess in
pressed by the intricate exposed clockwork, keep in mind that much of the time described this type of adventure could be that the player
but not until it is examined under a powerful in these end-of-days myths are mostly symbo- characters — while they are attempting to put
magnifying glass or microscope can one tell lic, so it can be assumed that this is the case a stop to the first or second end of the world
just how intricate the clock’s mechanisms even for the doomsday clock. — desperately try to find a way to get the clock
are, or just how completely it is strewn with Note that five minutes to twelve is the to stop ticking. Perhaps they won’t be able to
tiny symbols, many of them unknown to equivalent of “in the nick of time” or “at the stop the apocalypse from happening, but at
people today. last second” or any other similar phrase that least they can put it off for a time. Maybe the
When the watch is wound — that is when its denotes time in a vague way . final scene which ends the adventure will be
true peculiarities shine forth. And by then, it In this version, you can imagine that as the characters wrapping the pocket watch
is probably too late. The minute hand winds soon as the clock is running and is at “five in a cloth and placing it in a box right beside
silently around until it stops at five minutes minutes to twelve” the first signs pointing the Ark of the Covenant inside the infinite
to twelve (the first twelve at the top, that is ) toward the end of the world appear. warehouse.
110
FIVE MINUTES TO TWELVE
111
CARD GAME
PETER HANSSON
FENIX FIGHTERS
A COMPLETE CARDGAME FROM GIGANTOSKOP
TEXT PETER HANSSON When the Swedish gaming magazine Fenix reached 50 issues we
ILLUSTRATION MAGNUS FALLGREN became the longest living Swedish magazine in our particular niche.
OLA LARSSON
ÅKE ROSENIUS
We celebrated that with an issue full of complete games of different
LUKAS THELIN kinds. Fenix Fight was the contribution from the renowned Swedish
gaming company Gigantoskop, with titles such as Spank the Monkey
in their repertoire. The game play is a duel, where two players at a time
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FENIX 2/2012 face each other. It can also be played as tournaments.
PREPARATIONS lows), otherwise, one player will win. Note
that the cards have the same ability to win, so
Copy or cut out at least two game boards and that even if a player’s opponents have Power
two sets of cards (6/player) from the card versions of their cards, Wing, for example,
stock appendix included in this volume will beat both Claw and Claw Power.
of Best of Fenix (or print them out from The player who won the round gets the
your pdf-file). For a little more durability, number of points indicated by the token of
we recommend placing the cards in plastic the played card. She then moves her match-
sleeves. You will also need four tokens per ing token one step to the right. This means
player. that the first and second time a player wins,
Each player takes a game board and a set she gets 1 point, but the third time, she gets
of 6 cards (Beak, Claw, Wing, Beak Power, 2 points.
Claw Power, Wing Power). Each set is label- When the token reaches the square marked
led with its own phoenix in order to more Power, you can exchange this card from
easily distinguish them from one another. your hand with the Power version of it on
Place one token on square 0 of the point the table. These cards are “better” versions
scale of your game board, and the three of the originals. In addition to them beating
Each player has a set of six cards remaining tokens on the first positions of the same cards as before, they now also beat
Wing, Claw, and Beak (leftmost positions). their own non-power versions. For example,
Set aside the three Power cards and place Wing Power beats both Claw and Wing, but
the three others in your hand. loses, as usual, to Beak.
The first time a Power card wins, the player
gets 1 point and the token is moved, as usual,
RULES one step to the right. After this, it is no longer
This is essentially a rock-paper-scissors game, possible to move farther to the right and all
but with a twist. You can of course play your additional wins with this card give 2 points.
cards randomly, but in order to win, you must If both players play the same Power card,
be able to outsmart your opponent. both players win that round.
In each round, players secretly select a card The first player to reach or exceed 10
from their hands and then they reveal their points wins the Fenix Fight. If both players
card simultaneously. reach 10 points simultaneously, the one who
Wing beats Claw, Claw beats Beak, and has the most points wins. If both players
Beak beats Wing. If both players select the have the same number of points, the battle
same card, nothing happens (except in the continues until one player has more points
Each player has a game board. case of Power cards; more information fol- than the other.
112
CARDS FOR FENIX FIGHTERS
Beak Claw Beak Claw
POWER POWER
POWER POWER
POINTS
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Winged Warrior 1 1 2 1 2
Beak Claw Wing
POWER POWER
POWER POWER
POWER POWER
POINTS
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
FENIX
FIGHTERS
Thunderbird
FENIX
FIGHTERS
Winged Warrior
Killer Claw 1 1 2 1 2
POWER POWER
POWER POWER
POINTS
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Skullz 1 1 2 1 2
Beak Claw Wing
POWER POWER
POWER POWER
POWER POWER
POINTS
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
FENIX
FIGHTERS
Killer Claw
FENIX
FIGHTERS
Skullz
BEST OF FENIX – VOLUME 1
Best of Fenix includes some of the best gaming material
from the Swedish gaming magazine Fenix – translated
to English. In Best of Fenix you will find inspiring material
written directly for Fenix’ readers by renown international
game designers such as Kenneth Hite and Pete Nash, but
also some of the best from the Swedish arena. To top it off,
we got our own comic strip Bernard the Barbarian, crea-
ted by Åke Rosenius and at least one stand alone game in
every issue. In this our first anthology you will find myths
and legends of different kinds, some true to classic source
materials and others warped through a brand new filter.
© 2015 Åskfågeln
www.askfageln.se