Quoth the Raven

The World’s Most Unofficial Ravenloft Netzine

1 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

2 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 A Wild Stab in the Mist

Salutations If you are reading this, chances are that you have decided to download the second issue of Quoth the Raven, the world’s most unofficial Ravenloft netzine. The first issue was quite the learning experience for myself and the other editors, though we were still hoping to lean a little more than we did. There were a lot of questions floating out there, but not a lot of answers to be had. The community wasn’t shy to express dissatisfaction, but there was no clear voice concerning suggestions for the future. In a lot of ways, this second issue is another first. This issue is a second probing stab into the mists. We’ve made a few changes and we’re hoping to get a clear response from the audience. Readers from the first issue will note that the netzine has changed in format, but not in content. The three-column format is out and the typical two-column style is back in. Furthermore, the intro fiction has been abandoned for the most part. This is the first issue featuring Fan Fiction, which we hope will be a common occurrence. More importantly, the content is becoming much more focused to a particular theme. This issue includes the Shining Bay, a cluster of advanced domains, The March of Progress, an examination of cultural levels, and other material geared to an advanced cultural level. It is important for readers to know that this is the theme of this issue, not the theme for the entire magazine. In future there will be issues on other themes. For example, there are works in progress for an entirely medieval themed issue, as well as an issue based on the infamous Carnival. I would like to take this space to remind our readers that this magazine depends upon them for both content and for feedback. The editors of Quoth the Raven want to produce a useful product, but we need help to do that. Feel free to share with us your feelings about this magazine and make suggestions for the future. Tell us how you feel about the length of the magazine, the size of the articles, the themes or anything else. We can’t make this magazine better without your help. In any case, enjoy the issue and let’s all hope this second stab hits something.

ScS.

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4 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Table of Contents Features The Rat 7 Growls in the Night 111 Original Fiction A Watcher in the Woods By Sean Poindexter By Stephen “ScS” Sutton The Shining Bay 13 Gregori Ambermist 113 Nosos, Paridon, and Timor Fruit from the Seed of Evil By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By Shane Glodoski From the Lab 41 Okraina 117 Diseases of Malus Sceleris As Cold as a Witche’s Heart By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By Dmitri Zorin Extraordinary Expertise 43 Masterwork Firearms Masque of the Red Death By Stephen “ScS” Sutton Crossroads of Gothic Earth 123 Whispers in the Dark 51 Mining the Demon Ore Blackpowder Magic By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By Stephen “ScS” Sutton Secrets and Sorcery 125 Children of the Night 53 The Brotherhood of Alchemy The Invisible Man By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By David “Jester” Gibson Knowledge is Power 129 The March of Progress 59 Science in Gothic Earth Cultural Levels in Ravenloft By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By Stephen “ScS” Sutton Tactics and Techniques 141 Character Development 87 Scientific Feats The Thrillseeker By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By Stephen “ScS” Sutton Perilous Pursuits 143 Dr. Rudolph van Richten 91 The Mad Scientist A hero through the Ages By Stephen “ScS” Sutton By David “Jester” Gibson

Heinrich’s Curiosities 95 Van Richten’s Lost Arsenal Credits By David “Jester” Gibson Contributors 147 Corners of the Core 105 Editors 148 Missaconic Univeristy By Stephen “ScS” Sutton

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6 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 The Rat Original Fan Fiction By Sean “The_God_Brain” Poindexter [email protected]

It was raining when the rat woke up from his brief and fitful slumber. This wasn’t anything new, it always seemed to be raining, and when it wasn’t raining, a pale mist choked the horizon. The rat didn’t consider such things, the world only existed in so far as he could feel, see and smell. At that moment all he could feel was hunger, not an unusual sensation for a rodent…but he while he couldn’t see anything to eat, he could smell it. There were others about him, rats like him with mangy black fur and wiry, whip like tails. He didn’t bother them, and they didn’t bother him, but they were his competitors in this life. The rat twitched its nose to pick up the scent of what he could eat, and he found two trails. Following the first, the closest, he found he brethren swarming the soft swollen earth…the body of a black flyer had fallen here. The rat sat up on his haunches and licked his front toes, his way of keeping himself busy while he examined the scene. There were at least twenty of his siblings here, chewing on bits and pieces of the dead flyer. It was hardly worth his effort to fight past them for what was left, most of what he smelled was already being eaten. He nodded his head in frustration, then fell to all fours and scurried away before any of the others took notice of him. The rat took his time in finding the other scent. It was difficult for the rain; the musky stench of the earth and bits of past meals on his own coat distracted him. He took to compulsively licking his fur several times, having to consciously stop to focus on finding the scent again. When he found it, he would trample over the soggy weeds and grass until he lost it again, and then go through the frustrating procedure of finding it once more. In about an hour or so, as rats measure these things, he found himself in the tall weeds. The rat remembered why he didn’t go into the tall weeds, why there weren’t other rats here right now following this scent. The rat realized that he would have been better off fighting with his siblings for scraps of the flyer. It was too late now; the rat was in the hunter’s land. It was bad enough that the hunter came stalking the rats in their own home when it got bored or hungry, but to be so brazen as to actually go to the hunter…he shouldn’t have let his stomach control him so much. The rat realized he was licking his fur again, and he stopped abruptly in frustrations. Concentrate, he thought to himself, concentrate and you might live another night. The hunter wouldn’t expect any of us to come up here, so maybe there is a chance…then he smelled it again. Oh my…so much of it…so much stronger than before. He was close, so close to it…so close to a meal that was all for him. None of the other rats would dare crossing the hunter to get to it…at any other time he would have remembered what a rat looked like after the hunter finished with it, finished tearing its fur open with its shiny

7 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 white teeth and claws the size of a rat’s leg…but tonight all he could think of was the scent of food. He was already on his way when he finally decided to go forth. The scent was vivid now, constant and unwavering. This seemed meant to be, he though…this was a meal he was supposed to have, even though it would likely be his last. He’d had a long life though; survived many things and he would likely survive this as well. Past the weeds he came to a gate. Lightening flashed and lit up the sky, and the rat recoiled as its sensitive ears twitched from the thunderclap that followed. In the brief flash of illumination, the rat saw a house past the gate, up a stone path at the top of a hill. He’d never journeyed this far into the land of the Hunter before, perhaps this was where the hunter lived? No, far too large for the Hunter, this was a home of the Giants. Was something the Giants had worthy of a rat to eat? The scent seemed to be saying yes, and when the pumping of his little heart lessened he scurried through the gate and into the yard. The scent took him behind some giant buildings, where the earth was muddy and wet again. In his entire racing about he hadn’t noticed that it had stopped raining, and the unearthly mist was rising up from the earth again. In the distance, towards the source of the mouth-watering scent, the rat now heard something that the rainfall had muffled before. It was a chopping sound, like something hard and metal hitting something soft. It was rhythmic, like the rat’s heart, though occasionally broken by the sound of dragging. The rat advanced, until in the mists ahead he could see the breathtaking sight of a giant, its shadowy silhouette stabbing the earth with a spade. So powerful were the giants, the rat thought to himself, that they reshape the very earth beneath them! Surely, there would be something this giant would have that he could eat. He watched intently as the giant finished his work, finally drawing close enough that it was more than a shadowy figure, he was a bearded giant with grey hair and filthy clothes. He was surrounded by other piles of soggy earth, and before him lay a shallow hole, the bottom of which was filled with a brown pool of dirty rainwater. The rat twitched its nose and raised its head up to get a stronger taste of the scent, and found that it was all around him! The very earth was full of it, and the strongest point of it was coming from a large black bag that the giant had with him. The rat was just about to advance on the bag, when the giant threw his digging spade to the earth. It almost struck the rat, which instinctively dived out of the way only to lose his footing and fall into the hole. He hit the pool with a splash, and closed his eyes as water surrounded him. Panic took his body and he scrambled to bring his face up from the murky fluid, then he gained a tentative hold on the muddy wall of the pit and pulled himself up into the air. The giant then hurled the pack into the pit with him, once again knocking the rat into the water. This time though, he was able to pull himself to the top of the bag and avoid the risk of drowning. Now the questioned remained: would he be able to get out of this hold before the giant threw something else at him? The answer was no, but it didn’t matter because when the rat realized that his meal was under his feet, he elected to stay in the hole. He made his way into one of the openings of the bag and found his toes touching something cold and firm. The giant was hurling earth back into the hole, but it didn’t matter to the rat. He’d dug himself out of worse, and the hunter didn’t dig, so he would be safe with his meal.

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Long before the earth was packed, the rat was chewing on the soft, cold flesh of his meal. He pulled bits of flesh from bone, swallowing it greedily then moving on to another fresh piece of the prize. It wasn’t until his hunger was abated, and he began to look for a warm place to rest, that he realized what he’d been feeding on: the body of a giant. Awe took him for a moment, the moment when he found the hand. It was like his, but obviously larger and furless. His wormy tail lashed about nervously and he examined the fingers, feeling each of them and sniffing the skin gently. He found that it was smaller than the hand of the giant who had buried this one, and on its finger it bore a shiny new treasure, a ring! Some of his siblings had taken treasures from the giants before, but nothing this shiny or delicate! It was perfect, he could take this with him and show it to the others so that they would know that he had been in the land of the hunter and the land of the giants…but no, then they would covet it and a cleverer rat would steal it, and he’d never be able to enjoy its glitter and shine again. No, he though, this would be his prize alone. He would keep it himself and never let any of the others see it. It took him a while to gnaw the finger from the hand, but it came off with a little fight. Less simple was removing the ring from the flesh, but this could be accomplished later. Besides, he would likely become hungry again before he got home, and this meat would serve his belly well. With the prize in his teeth, he set to the task of digging himself out of this hole, and once he’d accomplished that it would be back to the land of the rats. The earth was still moist and malleable, and before long the rat’s filthy head poked through the earth and he was facing the cool embrace of night again. The mists were thicker than before, and they obscured his passage. He’d been down there for at least an hour or so, as rats measure these things. The scent of other meals to be surrounded him, rising up from older, less defined mounds of earth that encircled the one from which he’d come. What treasures, either shiny or chewable, lay buried in those? It was too risky to try, and the rat was no longer hungry so he could focus on his survival more easily; though that didn’t stop him from compulsively licking the bits of his last mean from his fur every few minutes. He left the scents behind him, and scurried across the law in the direction he thought he’d come. He was almost to the gate, when he heard the hunter. Had it been a clearer night, the hunter would have already taken him. But the earth was wet and the hunter hated the wet, so his movements were awkward and clumsy by comparison. The hunter’s eyes gleamed in the night, and his mouth opened to reveal those dreaded teeth. He was far from the rat, but he could still smell the scent of one of his fallen siblings on the hunter’s breath. The rat was confident that the hunter had not noticed him, at least until the hunter began to creep towards him. Think, focus…the rat though as he stopped licking his fur and glanced about. Pick up your prize, he thought to himself as he took it into his teeth and looked for an escape. There was a house, the giant’s house not far from here. The rat had gotten mixed up in the rain, the mist was too thick and it had confused him, drawing him closer the house than he intended to go. He might make his escape, but if he were to run now the cat would take to pursuit, and he would become a meal. Salvation came when the great metal gate swung open and a team of four-legged giants came storming in, dragging a wheeled box behind it. The hunter, startled by the

9 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 sound more so than the rat, was distracted for but a second, and the rat took his leave. He scurried up through the moist grass into the house, running under a door. The hunter was behind him, but the rat had sufficient lead and agility to escape. He was in the house now, safe at last from the hunter…but not from the giants. The ground here was hard and bare, and there was a pleasing warmth that rose up from a cackling fire in the distance. The rat carried his treasure to the fire and curled up next to it on a row of stone, letting the heat dry the caked mud to his mangy fur. What he enjoyed most was the shine and sparkle on his treasure, the red and yellow flames reflecting in the shiny glow of the metal surrounding the pale, cold flesh of a giant’s finger. Such luxury was not to last, however…then a door swung open and several giants filed into the room. The rat scurried away frantically, finding a bookshelf to hide behind as he watched nervously for any signs of the hunter coming in with them. No hunter, but he did see the giant from before, in cleaner clothing, talking to three other giants. One of them, the one being talked to, was older than the others, and bore a look of worry or concern. The giant the rat recognized was explaining to him something, and the two other giants stood back away as though they weren’t sure what was going on. The elder giant then broke into tears, shaking his head and looking about the room, while the familiar giant placed his hand on his shoulder and offered some sign of condolence. It was then that the rat remembered that he’d left his treasure by the fire! Looking across the room, he saw it there as plain as day, resting on the giant’s finger. Nervously, he rubbed his hands and whipped his tail, then with a sharp bite of his lip departed from the safety of his hiding place and advanced upon his treasure. The giants seemed too distracted to care about him anyway, and with any luck he’d have his treasure and be out of there before they even noticed. No such luck, it would seem…for just as he was within an inch of his prize one of the giants let forth a scream. The rat froze, then looked up to see all five of them advancing upon him. The rat took one last look at his treasure, the glittering sparkle in the firelight and the musty scent of the flesh, and darted back to his hiding place. He peered over his shoulder once he was there to make sure that the giants weren’t about to catch him, when he saw a curious thing: they weren’t interested in him at all… The elder giant looked intently at the rat’s treasure, then reached forth slowly with a quivering hand. He took the prize into his fingers and raised it to his face, wiping the tears from his eyes and examining it closely. The shaking subsided, and was replaced by a tremble of grief, followed by an explosion of rage. The familiar giant attempted to flee, but the others grabbed him. The older giant was screaming so loud it made the rat turn down his ears, and the other giants we striking the familiar one with pieces of wood to subdue him. From here, the rat followed the giants out into the yard. HE knew that being close to the giants should dissuade the cat. He followed them only because the elder giant still had his treasure, and perhaps when he wasn’t paying attention he would drop it and the rat could reclaim his prize. This didn’t happen, however. Instead, one of the giants threw the familiar one to the earth next to the mounds he had been digging in earlier that night. The familiar one seemed to protest, but the elder giant struck him in the face with his boot. With that, the familiar giant retrieved his spade and began to dig; until the earth

10 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 was opened again and there before them lay the remains of the giant the rat had fed upon earlier that night. The next few minutes, as rats measure these things, were a clamor of frustration and fear for the rat. The giants took to beating the familiar one again, but at no point did they ever relinquish his prize. They made him dig more, until upwards of twenty mounds in the earth were opened and the bodies of a smaller giant revealed within. Sometime during all this it had begun to rain, and the mists enshrouded the scene like a garden wall. The rat shivered in frustration, watching the giants stomp about the defiled earth, frantically going from one hole to the next, then recoiling in disgust and anger at the contents therein. When the last hole was overturned, the elder giant pointed at the familiar one, now covered once again in mud and filth. He screamed as the two men took him away, dragging him out of the yard and into the forest behind them. The rat, his mind still obsessesed with his prize, followed the group. They moved faster than he, and by the time he’d caught up with them they were holding the familiar one to a tree. He struggled in vain, as the two stronger giants pulled his arm back and held it to a branch. The elder giant drew forth from his coat a hammer and a long, slender, rusty nail, which he drove into the flesh of the familiar giant’s hand, securing him to this tree. He screamed and begged, but that didn’t stop the elder giant from driving a nail into the other hand, then into each foot…until the familiar giant was secured to the trunk and branches. To further dissolve his chance of escape, they wrapped a rope around his waist and the body of the tree, and then left him there in the rain, screaming. Thoughts of the prize were gone now, as the rat had found something even shinier to adore. Before him, writhing in pain and agony was warm food. The rat drew close, not yet confident that the giant couldn’t hurt him. When he was sure of it, he took a few cautionary sniffs and found himself becoming drunk on the aroma of blood. Then he scurried away, back to the land of rats. He would alert them all, and they would follow. Tonight there would be a great feast, as every rat in the countryside would descend upon the giant and finally taste the luxury of warm food! Better than any prize, the rat would be a hero, the champion who had braved than land of the hunter and the land of the giant, and brought his siblings the most beautiful prize of all. The mists parted way before him, almost tunneling his advance and he scampered thoughtlessly through the mud and grass, his wormy tail whipping behind.

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12 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 The Shining Bay Evil Walks Foggy Streets By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

The fog was rolling across the whistle, but before he bring it to his lips streets of the city and steam was rising he could hear the sounds of other from the sewers. The white light of the whistles singing their shrill cries street lamps was swallowed up in the through the fog. In a second Parker had vapors, illuminating the mist and reached the source of the scream. He obscuring all that lay beneath its shroud. stood before an alleyway, strewn with Constable Parker sniffed the air and was garbage and litter. At the center of the pleased when he didn’t gag. That storm of rubbish lay a woman. Parker afternoon the wind had changed and the didn’t have to look twice to be sure; he fumes from Nosos had spilled across the knew she was dead. whole island. The stink had only begun The young constable was running to dissipate. before he could string together a In the distance the foghorns coherent thought. There was a trail of sounded from the Queen Mary Bridge. blood, dripping away from the body. He Even from his spot in the center of the bolted down the alleyway, almost West End, Parker could see the slipping on some rubbish as he turned marvelous structure. Miles long and the corner. His eyes caught a glimpse of taller than any tower, the Queen Mary movement around the corner; he Bridge spanned the amazing gap followed after. Like a run away freight between the sister cities. The ancient train, Parker charged through the black steel structure was a lit up with lantern, maze of filth that was the West End. In just as it was every night. The bridge the dark they were unfamiliar ways, a was buried in evening fog, but in his labyrinth of crumbling bricks and gloom. mind Parker could remember the huge Yet he refused to slow down for a bridge, linking the tiny islands of the second. Shining Bay into a line of stone and Now he could sense his quarry, see steel, connecting Timor to its ruler the invisible cape flapping in the Paridon. To the East the great clock blackness, hear the sounds of the racing tower of Buckminster Abby was striking footsteps over his thundering strides, feel twelve. The sounds of the huge iron the hot breath of the murderer. Turn bells rang out in their booming bass toll, after turn, the murderer tried to lose ringing out over the sleeping city. As the him. Parker was too quick, to agile to bells rang from afar, the sounds of a be lost. The young man gripped his scream pealed out. baton so tightly it hurt. His heart was Parker bolted down the sidewalk. exploding with each beat; the vein The source of the scream was close by, behind his eyes bulged horribly. Each so parker moved with as much haste as step brought him closer and closer; he possible. He tried to reach for his patrol could almost reach the flapping cloak.

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Now they neared the edge of the alleys, of a daze to have anything better to do. Parker could see the light of the Thus occupied, Parker wasn’t watching lanterns. With a final burst of speed, he when the gray haired constable reached over took his target. down to the corpse and carefully Arms interlocked, pumping legs removed the ring on its middle finger; a tripped one another. Both bodies ring inscribed with a triangle and an collapsed onto the cold hard concrete eye, a ring identical to the one on the and rolled painfully from the alley and constable’s own finger. into the street beyond. Parker kicked hard into the other man’s body, eliciting The Shining Bay a tortured cry. His throat ached with pain, his heart struggled against the Geography adrenaline, but still Parker forced The Shining Bay, also known as himself up and brought his foot down. Zherisia, is a new cluster with a long The cloaked murderer screamed in history. The Shining Bay was forged agony, dropped the bloody scalpel he from a false history; a past that did not held and brought his hands up to block exist several decades previously, though the incoming blow. Parker was is as real to the denizens of that domain swimming in a sea of rage; in his few as any history is to the people affected years on the force he had seen too many by it. bloodied bodies. He wasn’t going to let The Shining Bay is an island several this animal escape. miles east of Nova Vaasa and south of The baton fell again and again, Graben Island. The island is dominated cracking bone and splitting flesh, and by the city state of Paridon, a massive again and again his foot dug deep into and sprawling metropolis greater than the cloaked man’s side. The murderer any city on the Core. Flanking the state was dead twenty strikes before Parker of Paridon is its allied nation Nosos. stopped. Exactly how long Parker stood Nosos is a barren waste, choked with aghast, staring down on the body, he fumes and black slag. The two lands could not tell. It wasn’t long before the nearly encircle the body of water from sounds of whistles caught up with him. which the island gets its name, the The first constable on the scene was Shining Bay. someone Parker had never seen before, In the middle of the Bay stands an old, gray haired man in uniform. The Paridon’s sister city, Timor. Timor is a man said something, but Parker didn’t tiny but densely populated city, built hear him. More constables arrived after upon an island and connected to Paridon a while. Most of them were older, fatter by a massive bridge of steel and stone men, out of breath. Each one gave the that straddles the tiny string of islands corpse a kick, whistling with approval. between the cities. A ring of black rock “Good job, kid,” was the most surrounds the island of the Shining Bay. common statement. “You got the West The island gains its name from the only Borough Butcher!” Parker didn’t hear natural usable harbor completely much more than that. He was still encompassed by Paridon city, where the coming down from the adrenaline high. water and river eroded the rock. The other men ushered him away from the scene, he followed, still in too much

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History nobility overthrew the Zherisian The people of the Shining Bay share Monarchy in a bloodless coup. The city- a common lineage, they all belong to the state was made into a republic, ruled by ethnic group known as the Zherisians. an oligarchy of nobles. Yet as time Their tiny island evolved from an passed the aristocracy became decadent original city-state, which stood where and corrupt. The need for science and Paridon now exists. A hereditary advancement petered out and the two monarchy ruled the city-state for cities began to decline. Tight centuries, fostering the growth of culture restrictions were placed upon learning, and science. It was in this early time allowing the oligarchy to control the that Timor was colonized. The flow of ideas and advancement. The Zherisians were reluctant to expand into knowledge of Paridon’s golden age the city, for legends foretold that it was disappeared within only a generation. built upon a nest of horrible monsters, The land fell into corruption and monsters that eventually devoured the immorality. So great was the decline, people that first colonized Timor. that the people scarcely realized that Nonetheless Timor was colonized and their island had left their native ocean built into a sister city for Paridon, ruled and emerged in a strange world of mist by its own aristocratic council. and shadows. Timor was nearly impossible to Despite the rampant corruption and reach by sea, for the island is lifted free immorality, there remained a hidden of the bay by a wall of sharp rocks, force at work, secretly fostering ethics making any attempt to dock nearly and morality. The Celebrants of impossible and terribly hazardous. To Humanity was founded to preach the facilitate the colonization, subterranean ethics of Humanism to the masses. With tunnels were engineered. From both the support of the commoners, a popular sides, cavernous tunnels were dug revolt brought the royal line back to through the soft rock beneath the bay, power under a constitution that divided allowing the tunnels to emerge inside of power between the royalty and nobles. the island, breaking through the weak By 745, the Monarchy and its stone the made up the interior of the Parliamentarian supporters took power island, far away from the unbreakable for its own. rock of the shore. The pneumatic Timor remained the sanctuary for tunnels allowed steam-powered the Oligarchy and a war arose between locomotives to pass between the cities the two states. Timor was battered, but under the Bay. However, as the its position was solidly defended. In the centuries of prosperity passed, traffic end, Timor was starved into submission. between the island and the mainland Rather than retake the city, Paridon expanded beyond the bounds of the decided to exploit the populous. The tunnels. The mighty Queen Mary, a monarchy exchanged food for massive bridge of steel and stone was manufactured goods, at a rate of constructed from Paridon to Timor, exchange that favored Paridon spanning over a number of small atolls immensely. Timor declined and many in the bay. of the buildings decayed, the stores and As time passed, so to did this golden shops of Timor were converted into age. After centuries of rule, the wealthy urban factories and textile mills where

15 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 the population laboured to make enough celebrants, the Celebrants of Humanity goods to afford to eat. mostly remains a monastic order, Nosos was colonized shortly after instructing Celebrants in the art of self- the suppression of Timor in 747. The perfection by training them as monks. area had once existed as an impenetrable Also at work in the Shining Bay is forest, guarded by barbaric druids. The the gentleman’s club known as the people of Paridon ignored the forests of Divinity of Mankind. This organization Nosos, though they secretly hungered for is known as a popular philosophical the riches of the area. When Malus society, an exclusive club where men of Scelerius appeared, the city of Paridon wealth and power can meet and privately saw a great economic boom. The vast discuss matters of business, politics, forests were converted into charcoal and science and spiritualism. These clubs sold at high prices to the lands on the meet at lodges, which are located all Core. After the forests came the mines over the Shining Bay. and the metals they carved from the Magic is a mysterious force at work earth. Nosos was made into an in the world, one that defies reason and independent state in a joint agreement rationality. As a consequence, between Paridon and Nosos’ House advancement in magical knowledge is Councilors. The city of Paridon lost severely lacking in the Shining Bay. nothing by granting Nosos its freedom, Wizards and sorcerers are extremely for it allowed the city to levy hefty taxes rare, looked at more as a novelty than a upon goods transported from Nosos, to serious profession. The priests of other domains, by way of Paridon’s foreign gods are looked down upon with ports. pity. Faiths that profess rational ideals are viewed favorably, while those that Politics and Religion stress blind devotion and tradition are The island of the Shining Bay is shunned. Psionics are so rare in ruled by the Zherisian Monarchin Ravenloft that they are completely conjunction with a body of appointed unknown in the Shining Bay. lords. The official religion of the Shining Bay is a highly sophisticated Advanced Cultural Level faith, based upon the underlying The domains in the Shining Bay are philosophy that becoming more human much more advanced than those of other is the only manner in which a being may areas in the demiplane. Rifles are attain perfection. considered to be martial weapons and The Celebrants of Humanity have pistols are simple weapons. recently begun to tap into the divine Furthermore, characters and non-player force of perfection, issued forth by the characters with the classes aristocrat or General Will of Man. This General Will expert should be granted the class serves as a “moral judge”, acting in the alterations as prescribed for those classes same role normally filled by a God. The in the Gothic Earth conversion, detailed domains of this faith are knowledge, law in the article Those Who Delve the Dark and strength and the underlying found in Quoth the Raven Issue 1. alignment is lawful neutral. Despite the recent appearance of spell casting

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Figure 1: The Shining Bay - Island in the Nocturnal Sea refineries of the domain. Every drop of Nosos water is infested with a variety of Cultural level: Industrial (12) organisms, most of which are Landscape: Sparse ecology debilitating if not fatal parasites. (despoiled wasteland). The land of Nosos is permanently shrouded in Nosos is a blasted wasteland, dominated an awful acidic stench and the skies are by endless hills of slag and gaping pits always blackened with the fumes that into the earth. The land is devoid of any belch from the domains metal refineries animal life, except for the flocks of and coal furnaces. Rainstorms are pigeons and seagulls migrating between frequent in Nosos, each deluge brings a townships. The earth of Nosos is flood of acrid water that corrodes metal scorched by the sun and devoid of any and burns the rock black. Seasons are plants, leaving the land a desert even on all but indistinguishable since the black the shores of the Yellow River. The smog traps heat in the domain. Winter is river gains its name from the sulfur in the only noticeable season; it can be the water, spewed forth by the metal identified by the noticeably colder climate and the fall of ashen snow. At

17 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 all other times the temperature is high experience at the sides of their parents. and the air is humid. Periodically the The members of the upper class are domain is smothered in a fog of fumes cynical and without scruples. Success is coming from the “roasting yards”. This measured by how much one can exploit smog reduces visibility to zero, though it the impoverished people directly beneath causes no immediate harm to anyone one’s self. The members of the upper who is forced to breath it in. class are highly competitive between The cities of Nosos team with life, each other; murders, conspiracies and though it is a life choked by equal parts theft are well-established social misery and fumes. Every building in the institutions. The upper class maintains a is covered in a layer of black soot, and council, under the guidance of the the streets reek of sewage, for few council’s chairman, Malus Sceleris. homes posses plumbing. After a rain, the This council oversees the common waste seeps into the ground and interest of all members of the upper accumulates in the basements of class, maintaining the status quo. buildings at the bottom of hills. The renters are the lower class of Rats and scavenging insects thrive Nosos. They are a downtrodden lot; in these conditions, as do a plethora of their suffering is the foundation upon diseases. Where Nosos meets the which Nosos was built. The renters are Nocturnal Sea the land becomes hard hopelessly poor and indebted; they and jagged rock. These rocks are very their children labor without end in the resistant to any attempt to hew them, so mines and refineries of Nosos, earning no true harbors exist. Just off the coast only enough to feed their families until of Nosos is Garbage Island, the storage they grow old, are injured, or become dump for all of the domain’s excess debilitated by a disease. The renters live materials. Garbage Island is a thriving in terror of exile to Garbage Island, the ecosystem for seagulls, pigeons, feral punishment that befalls anyone who cats, rats, mongrel dogs and diseased cannot afford to rent land in the cities. humans. The only established religion in Settlements: Copperpit (pop 657), Nosos is the Celebrants of Humanity. Garbage Island (pop 112), Nicklebelt These missionaries are struggling to gain (pop 894), Northton (pop 545), Nosos the trust of the people. Little success has Proper (pop 2700) been made amongst the upper class of The Folk: Population 4950; Nosos, for many of these nobles have Humans 99%, other 1%. Languages – been lured into the gentleman’s club Zherisian. known as the Divinity of Mankind. The folk of Nosos divide into two Even those not of that society resist the classes, the owners and the renters. The Celebrants, for the aristocrats fear that owners are the elite of Nosos; they are the church will unite the people against the rail barons, the slumlords, the their oppressors. company directors and the storeowners. The Law: The House of Councilors These people live lives of relative luxury writes the laws of Nosos and oversees in rich estates on the high ground on the the enforcement of its Charter. The edges of the cities. This upper class is Chief Executive, Malus Sceleris, leads fairly well educated, though most of the House. This governing body meets their experience is gained from hands-on infrequently, most of its duties are to

18 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 approve new taxes to be placed on the the payment of an expensive “green impoverished poor of Nosos or pass new tax”, roughly one gold piece each month laws to oppress them. for every cubic foot of flora. Only the The individual aristocrats enforce wealthy nobles of the domain can afford laws in Nosos, each of who maintains a to pay it, which makes gardens around small force of personal thugs. These their manors a status symbol of the thugs are a critical component in the highest caliber. Of course the poor of laws of Nosos, for they are the only the domain cannot afford to pay the fee, force keeping the downtrodden poor in so many of them have never so much as line. The assembly of workers is always seen a living plant. Trees are completely considered unlawful. The upper class is forbidden by law. terrified by the prospect of organized Trade and Diplomacy: Resources laborers, so they do anything to keep that – Coal, copper, gold, iron, metallurgic from occurring. There is an unofficial knowledge, nickel, silver, steel. Coinage reward offered for any information – pound (gp), shilling (sp), pence (cp). leading to the arrest of labor organizers. Nosos is built on trade. Nosos has There are few places where the workers no harbors of their own, so they rely are not so desperate as to pass up an upon the exchange of goods through opportunity to earn a hand full of Paridon’s ports. The railroads of Nosos coppers by betraying their friends. are critical for this purpose; the massive The greatest offences in Nosos are beasts of black steel haul the refined theft, murder and unlawful assembly. metal ore to the factories of Paridon Crimes are prosecuted in the courts where they are turned into finished controlled by the House of Councilors, goods. Nosos is filled with shops selling obviously there is a powerful bias in goods purchased from Paridon. Though these courts against the poor laborers the people of the domain are brought to trial. Sharp minded barristers impoverished, they do enjoy many and stern Justices of the Peace ensure benefits from the miracle of metallurgy. that the courts never fail to place poor Were it not for metal stoves, glass plates, criminals in prison and rescue wealthy woven clothing, cheap bread and cast aristocrats from injustice. iron pots, the people of Nosos would Punishment for minor offences is never be able to endure the unhealthy usually a hefty fine, though the more conditions under which they live. serious crimes are resolves by There is no natural source of food in incarceration into the Nosos Jail. For Nosos, so it depends on the purchase of important offences, such as the murder bread, grains and meat from Paridon. of an aristocrat or unlawful assembly, Native sources for meat are all but the sentence is usually permanent exile nonexistent. There is a steady trade in on Garbage Island. Prisoners sent to that pigeon meat, and an unofficial trade in horrible place are never seen or heard of rat, cat and dog meat substituted for again. For cases like murder the imported beef and pork. The sentence is almost always death by impoverished customers know the truth, hanging. though pretending that it is proper fare is Of the laws in Nosos, the most the only thing allowing them to enjoy perplexing is the “green tax”. The their meal. possession of any kind of plant requires

19 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

Characters: Classes – aristocrats, Mackie dueling pistol, silk top hat, white experts, fighters, rogues. Skills – bluff, gloves. craft (clock making, gunsmith, 1 From “Those who Delve the locksmith), diplomacy, Profession Darkness”, Quoth the Raven Issue #1 (engineer, locomotive engineer, miner). Feats – toughness, great fortitude, jaded, Background skill focus (bluff) Malus Sceleris began life as the Characters native to Nosos may use neglected son of a widower druid. firearms as though they were not exotic Malus’ father never recovered from the weapons. Any form of pistol is a simple loss of his wife and subconsciously weapon and rifles are martial weapons. blamed the child for her death in childbirth, as a result he never able to give his son love or affection. Instead he Malus Sceleris became a pure disciplinarian, lecturing Darklord of Nosos the young boy without end. At an early Male human aristocrat 4 expert 2 age Malus learned to resent his father, manipulator 2: CR 8; SZ M Humanoid for while the man tended lovingly to (5ft 8in. tall); HD 8D6 +18; hp 42; Inn trees and animals, he showed nothing +1; Spd 30; AC 11 (+1 dex); Atk: +5, +8 but scorn for his own flesh and blood. melee (dagger 1D4+3), +7 ranged The old man continuously lectured the (dueling pistol 1D10, *3, 50 ft.); SA boy in the ways of the great circle, trying diseases, spells, trickster; SQ Curse, to teach the boy to listen to the voices of Immunities; AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +7, the forest and the spirits of the departed Will +10; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 16, druids who still dwelled within. Yet Wiz 13, Cha 20. Malus was deaf to the voices, and for Skills and Feats: bluff +21, that, his father ignored him. diplomacy +19, gather information +17, Malus became a resentful teen; innuendo +11, intimidate +13, though he was apt at hiding his true knowledge (chemistry) +12, knowledge emotions, he learned that he needed to (pathology) +12, perform +9, read lips release his anger. He accomplished this +10, sense motive +14; machiavellian, by striking at everything for which his skill focus (gather information), father stood. Malus became the opposite lightening reflexes, logical mind, skill of his father; he became light hearted focus (bluff), skill focus (diplomacy); and out going, a charming young man 1 Class Abilities : Discretion, with a quick smile and a quicker tongue. Expertise, Noble tongue, Power is With his charms, he inspired a Knowledge, Renown, Stiff Upper Lip, group of villagers to settle in the forests compelling conversationalist, world of Nosos. He knew that the villagers wise. would instantly come into conflict with Spells Memorized: Charm his father. From the shadows, he played Spells Known: cause fear, charm both groups against each other. As the Languages: Zherisian, Vassi, conflict escalated Malus experimented Darkonese, Grabenite with the best ways to defile the forests Signature Possessions: black cape, his father loved. Uncontrolled fires and designer shoes, expensive cane, fine silk clear-cutting quickly proved too boring suit, gold watch, jeweled dagger +3, to satisfy his needs, so Malus looked into chemicals and diseases. In these

20 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 sciences he found the best means by sadistic entertainment until the sun which he could plague life and despoil began to drop behind the trees. In the the land. With a means of revenge at red light of dusk the forest was bathed in hand, all that stood in his way was his orange light. father. Malus tried unsuccessfully to Malus buried his father amongst the secretly poison the old man, earning trees for he wanted his father’s spirit to nothing for his attempts but stern feel the same agony he would visit upon scolding for using dangerous herbs. The the forest. As Malus dropped the last old druid might have suspected his spade of earth upon the grave, something danger had Malus not been such an tugged at the edge of his consciousness. accomplished liar. After the failure, At first he dismissed it as the buzzing of Malus turned to disease. One day he a fly or a trick of the mind, yet as the road out to the city beyond the forest and night grew around him the voice became carefully gathered fouled water as well clear. It was the sounds of the forest, the as blood, pus, sweat and other fluids whispers of the trees and the echoes of from those dying of diseases. With his the druids. Malus was horrified, for in vile mixture of toxins he returned home his father’s death he had gained the and polluted his father’s bed. abilities that he had always reviled. The old druid returned that night, Somewhere in the chorus he heard a exhausted from a physical confrontation sound that struck his very soul, a voice with the villagers. Finding his son there, that pierced his heart and unleashed a something overcame him and the old torrent of misery. It was the voice of his man embraced his son for the first time. father, whispering the words that he had After so many fights with ignorant never uttered in life: outsiders, the old druid had finally come “I love you, son.” to appreciate the son who had never left Malus shrieked in horror and pain. his side, the only other being with whom The old man had been ignorant to the he could share his feelings, the only very end, never doubting his son’s person who would be left after himself loyalty for a moment. It was then that to carry on the struggle. For once, Malus understood love, just as he came Malus was at a loss for words. The to understand true sorrow. In a fit of young man knew that he was feeling a futile rage, Malus set the forest ablaze. sensation he had never felt before, Desperate to silence the voices, he something very unusual and alien. Yet scorched the woods, stamped upon the the feeling passed too quickly, whatever grasses and defiled the groves. The next part of Malus that might have wanted to day Malus retreated to the village and explore that feeling was long atrophied. took refuge in the structures of stone. In Malus covered his face with a fake smile the safety of the manmade houses he and told his father to rest. plotted the destruction of the forest. He By the coming of the dawn the druid knew that only by exterminating all of was wracked with agony. His body was nature could he silence the voices and being assaulted by countless parasites, quell the guilt gnawing at his soul. each releasing toxins into every organ in his body. Malus watched as his father’s Current Sketch body seized and shivered. The tough old Malus is a man of only 30 years. He priest lasted for hours, offering Malus is a handsome specimen, always outgoing and spirited. His face is never

21 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 absent of his shining smile, which varies Falconovia. Malus drives the workers of between a trustworthy grin to a fiendish Nosos like a cruel slave master and sneer. Malus never leaves his home manipulates the other aristocrats of wearing anything but the most expensive Nosos to do the same. He is terrified fashions from Paridon or the Core. In that should the ceaseless industry of public Malus is witty and extremely Nosos come to a halt, nature will reassert charming, but in private, to his enemies, itself and he will again face the forgotten he is diabolically ruthless and smug. horror that lurks in his nightmares. Alone, Malus could never have To ensure that it never happens, destroyed Nosos. However, finding Malus has made it his business to keep people willing to help him was a simple the workers at their labors. Malus baits matter. Malus used his charms to the people of Nosos, keeps them chasing convince the village folk to recklessly after wealth and material gain. The scour the land while he arranged a laborers are kept downtrodden; the lucrative trade agreement between Nosos crushing load of debts and injustices and Paridon. The city of Paridon had no dashes their hopes and dreams, keeping shortage of men willing to defile nature them in their place. Malus enjoys for a profit. Malus lured the most oppressing the poor and helpless, there is ravenous businessmen to Nosos and no form of entertainment more enjoyable convinced them to assist him in opening to him than watching his thugs pummel mines, mills and smelters. those who can’t pay their rent. The In his efforts to silence the voice of young man knows that he cannot treat the forests, Malus has scorched the land the aristocrats in the same manner, so of Nosos. The trees have been harvested instead he manipulates these nobles into and carried away, the earth has been corruption and evil, and taking vicarious sundered and the air poisoned with toxic joy from the malice they sew. chemicals. He has made the land into a barren waste, buried its life beneath Combat dunes of lifeless sand and mountains of Malus despises combat; he feels that slag. Yet the scouring of life from it is beneath a man of his abilities. Yet Nosos is incomplete. Each morning he is not so naive as to believe that his Malus can hear the hum of life growing bodyguards would always be able to deep beneath the layers of soot and slag. protect him. Malus always carries a Deep in the crevices of his mind, he dagger, an heirloom he stole from a knows that he can never truly destroy family exiled to Garbage Island. nature. Yet Malus will not give up his Complimenting the dagger is a dueling quest. pistol. Malus never leaves his home He has blocked out the traumatic without at least one bodyguard, most of memories of the night of his father’s whom are third level warriors. death, yet he fears to hear the voice of When faced with a threat, Malus nature again. Malus has decided that the usually lets his natural charms do his best manner in which he can stomp out work for him. His skill as a manipulator life is to encourage mankind to wage an allows him to fascinate and even make unending battle against it. He has made suggestions to opponents who might himself into a robber baron, a slumlord otherwise have been hostile. and the harshest taskmaster east of Curse: Malus is haunted by the half forgotten horrors of the night he buried

22 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 his father. Malus has been granted the damage and life-drain. Malus does need supernatural druidic sense of his parents; to eat, drink and breath, but no amount he is able to speak with trees at will and of toxicity in food, liquid or air can harm can sense their presence within a mile him. Malus can use his own body as a radius. However, the presence of trees vector for diseases and poisons. Usually horrifies Malus, for every tree within the he carries a debilitating disease or domain whispers with the voice of the poisonous chemical on his hands, extinct forest. When Malus senses such wearing his signature white gloves to a plant in his domain, he suffers from the prevent accidental contact. effects of a failed fear check. Trickster: Malus possesses an Immediately Malus sends his minions to inhuman charisma, a force of will that stamp out the offending flora. His inspires trust in even the most wise and abilities allow him to pin point the wary. Normally player characters location of the plant within an area of ten cannot be influenced by diplomacy or yards. Malus is loath to bear the intimidation attempts made by NPCs. presence of any plant, be it the shrubs of Whenever Malus uses his skills to a garden or a single flower in a vase. intimidate, or negotiate or use his However, these puny plants cannot manipulator abilities upon player speak to him, they merely buzz with the characters they must make an opposed hum of life. As a result, Malus allows sense motive check. If the check fails, the wealthy aristocrats of Nosos to then they play into Malus’ hands. possess gardens around their mansions, Characters engaged in combat or who if they pay the “green tax”. possess prior knowledge of Malus’ Diseases: Malus maintains a staff machinations gain a +4 circumstantial of scientists who are experts in the bonus to their opposed check. creation of diseases. Malus himself is well versed in diseases, so he proposes Lair most of the theories to the creation of the Malus Sceleris dwells in Sceleris pathogens. In his laboratories Malus Manor, positioned on the top of “Snob keeps a vast store of lethal and parasitic Hill” in the center of Nosos Proper. creations. With his immunities to Sceleris Manor is home to a dozen disease, Malus can smear these servants, half a dozen guards and compounds on his hands and deliver Malus’s pathogen laboratory. The them to a victim with a touch. Of the building is made of blackened wood and plethora of diseases at his command, he built into the shape of a diamond. The is known to have at least one disease three-story structure features servant designed to debilitate his enemies, one quarters, guest rooms, a dining hall, a that creates a catatonic state and at least ballroom and a rock garden built in the one capable of inducing madness. These center. Like most mansions in Nosos, a diseases are always of the highest tall stone fence protects Sceleris Manor. virulence. The difficulty class for the Guards patrol the barren grounds of the fortitude check is usually 20 and the manor, protecting its owner form incubation time is never more than a assassins and would be thieves. single day. Mechanical traps protect certain rooms Immunities: Malus is immune to within the manor house are protected by, all forms of diseases, poisons, ability including Malus’s bedroom and laboratory.

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Closing the Borders in a curve down from the southeast, When Malus wills that the borders through the moors, into Lake Rhastik close, huge mountains of slag rise up and down to the Nocturnal Sea. The from the ground. The slag neat the top is land of Paridon receives a huge amount molten, causing damage as magma. The of rain for a domain of its size, so the skies become thick with choking fumes River is almost always full. There are and a storm of acid rain throws back any numerous moors and peat bogs in the fliers or anyone foolish enough to slog domain, mostly in the East of the through the molten slag. On the coast of domain, though a few tiny swamps can Nosos, the waters become extremely be found in the lower grasslands. These fierce with the approach of a storm. No bogs are dismal places where the trees swimmer or sea craft can avoid being block out the sun and no light can escape dashed upon the rocks, nor can any flier the muddy, brackish waters. escape the tempest. The most important area of Paridon is the metropolis of the same name. Seat of the monarchy of the Shining Bay, Paridon Paridon is a living artwork Cultural level: Industrial (12) commemorating the glory of reason. Landscape: Paridon is home to the The city is a sprawling jungle of stone largest, most populous city in the entire and mortar. The Rhastik River feeds the known demiplane. Paridon makes up city with water, and the countless ships the majority of the Shining Bay; the from Darkon, Graben Island, Liffe, and domain contains the island’s only usable Nova Vaasa feed it with foodstuffs. The port. The harbor is located in the south city is devoid of any greenery; say that west of the domain, and is covered in of Queen Mary Park, located in the ports and docks. The rest of the domain center of the city. The city is known to is encircles by the impenetrable black foreigners as the city of lights, for the rocks that line the coast. In the Northern streets are always illuminated by oil corners of the land these rocks are a lanterns. Beneath the city is an shear cliff face, separating the land from expansive system of sewers and tunnels. the Nocturnal Sea by a deadly drop into Abandoned by man, these cavernous the foaming surf. The land around the shafts were once a magnificent city of Paridon is dominated by rolling pneumatic train tunnel, facilitating trade grassy hills. These grasslands are between Paridon and the sister city of divided up by highways of worn earth Timor. Now the need for those tunnels made by the shepherds who graze their is gone, all that travels through them are flocks on the land. Beyond the the rats and other fell things. grasslands are the domain’s only forests. Settlements: Barrington (pop 82), These are thin woodlands, populated Chattem (121), Diblum (54), Melbrook with a plethora of wild birds and the (75), Groening (62), Paridon (pop 39 foxes that prey upon Paridon’s sheep. 245), Sheffield (pop 65), Slymouth (pop The forests are made upon of mostly 245), Yorkville (pop 60) deciduous trees, though the fumes from The Folk: Population 40 050; Nosos are giving pines and other Humans 99%, other 1%. Languages – evergreen trees a competitive edge. Zherisian. The Rhastik River splits the domain and the city of Paridon. This river runs

24 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

The people of Paridon are divided city of Paridon, a bootblack’s son could into the upper, middle and lower classes. become a doctor, if he can afford to pay The lower class represents the for the education. Indeed, such a doctor uneducated labourers of Paridon society. might even be able to wriggle his way They work in the countless factories and into high society and marry his way into docks, as well as bakeries, farms, the upper class. The middleclass men fisheries and slaughterhouses. These commonly dress in black business attire, people are a slovenly folk; their speech the women wear modest dresses. is peppered with slang, have little The upper class of Paridon is made appreciation for art or science and they up of the wealthiest members of society. live in squalor. The lower class dwells They are the landowners, owners of in the gloomy slums, both in the successful businesses, partners in Westborough (the North West Corner) prestigious law firms, members of and Bay Side (the dock area). They Parliament and highborn nobles. The make little money for their efforts and upper class is an exclusive society of partake of few of the advantages of their refined gentlemen and delicate ladies. society. The lower class of Paridon has The upper class is very discerning in its privilege that no peasant or serf in the members, money and marriage is never a Core possesses, the ability to move up in guarantee of entry. Without exception, social class. If they can save enough the members of the upper class are elitist money to have their children educated or and self-superior. They enjoy a standard apprenticed to a craftsman, then the of living beyond that of the richest whole family can benefit from the nobles of the Core and have access to all presence of a middleclass relative. of the greatest luxuries known to man. Despite this, many of the poor folk Wealthy men tend to dress in black coats squander their money on the cheap beer and trousers; women prefer bonnets as manufactured in Paridon’s breweries. well as long dresses of any colour. Alcoholism and domestic abuse is The people of Paridon value reason universally abhorred, but it is also a fact and intellect over any other trait. of life in the city. These impoverished Though birthright is respected, it is labourers wear simple, grey clothing. never an excuse for a lack of manners or The next class is the middleclass, a dull wit. The people of Paridon made up of educated professionals and worship no Gods and partake in no craftsmen. Everyone from the superstitions. Their only religion is the shopkeepers to the doctors and barristers Celebrants of Humanity, a religion of Paridon are considered middleclass. governed by the “General Will”, the The members of the middleclass invent, collective unconsciousness of all market and sell the manufactured goods humans. This General Will is the spirit that drive the economy of Paridon. It is of all human morals and ethics; it is the impossible to overlook the influence of source of all intuition and the ultimate capitalism in the middle class. Outsiders destination of the deceased. Beyond this might mistake this drive for simple belief, the folk of Paridon put their faith greed, and although avarice does play a in science and logic. role, the industriousness of the Paridon The Celebrants preach a harsh breed middleclass is driven by the of puritanical morals, emphasising opportunities available to them. In the modesty and chastity above all else.

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While the lower class has mostly ignored offenses are often fines, whose proceeds this view of sex, the middleclass and go to the victim. upper class are socially bound show the The Paridon Constabulary enforces same aversion as the Celebrants. Both Law and order. The constabulary is a women and men dress in conservative professional police force based in and concealing clothing. Rotterdam Yard in the Eastern half of The Law: Paridon is a the city. Ignorance of the law is not constitutional monarchy. The official considered an excuse for an offense, so head of state is Queen Anne, heir to the outsiders are encouraged to be on their ancestral crown. The head of best behavior. Criminal offenses are government, however, is the Prime punished by imprisonment in the Minister Sir Winston Chapelmount, Regional Jail, located on the leader of the House of Commons. Northwestern corner of the city. The jail The House of Commons, a body of is a cesspool of criminals and other professional politicians elected every scum, though it is many times more four years, writes the laws. These civilized than any dungeon in the Core. parliamentarians meet for ten months Trade and Diplomacy: Resources each year at the building from which – beer, cast iron, ceramics, culture, they derive their name. Laws are designer clothing, furniture, glassware, debated and if passed then sent to the jeweler, manufactured goods, scientific House of Lords, a body of aristocrats knowledge, shipping, usury, steel goods, appointed for life by the ruling monarch. textiles, and wool. Coinage – pound This house either accepts or rejects new (gp), shilling (sp), pence (cp). laws or taxes, though they have no direct The booming economy of Paridon is control in the creation of a budget. dependent upon foreign trade. Paridon Should a law or form of tax be approved, maintains massive fleets of merchant it goes to the monarch, who may or may vessels that buy raw materials like not accept it. lumber from neighboring domains and Laws in Paridon are based on a long bring them to Paridon. These raw series of precedent, though there is a materials are then sent to factories either significant movement calling for a in Paridon or sent over the Queen Mary simple codified system. Criminal law is Bridge for manufacture in Timor. The not unlike that of any other domain. finished goods are sent out to Nova Assault, fraud, murder, rape, and theft Vassa, Graben Island, Liffe or Darkon, are all serious crimes, punishable by where they fetch a hefty price. The imprisonment or in some cases death. outside Domains depend upon Paridon The civil law of Paridon is extremely to manufacture products like cheap extensive, encompassing business textiles or delicate metalwork, so they practices, contract law, labor rights, have a vested interest in maintaining libel, medical malpractice, negligence good relations with the Shining Bay. and slander. Punishments for civil

26 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

Figure 2; Brick Street - Commerce center of Pariodon

Paridon is highly dependant on The countryside around Paridon is Nosos and Timor. Nosos is the source filled with farmers and shepherds. Most of all of Paridon’s metal and coal, of the food in Paridon is imported from allowing the domain to keep shipping Darkon and Nova Vaasa, but a good and heating costs down. Paridon has a amount of vegetables are grown in the vested interest in the exploitation of the domain. The main use of the workers in Nosos, so the government of countryside is for sheep grazing. Sheep Paridon has never spoken out against the are the domains main source of meat as brutality in that domain. Timor is the well as the only stable source of wool. other critical cog in Paridon’s The wool from sheep are processed and machinery. Timor is kept is submission turned into finished products in the by a series of tariffs on foodstuffs, which textile mills and sweatshops of Timor, make food so expensive that the only to be sold in Paridon to merchants, Timorese are forced to labor ceaselessly and from there shipped to domains on in order to survive. the Nocturnal Sea. Paridon uses a complex form of Lamb meat and beer are the last two economic management. “Shares” in a significant items in the economy. Lamb business are exchanged at the Currency is so expensive that most families can Exchange on Brick Street, just north of only afford to eat the organ meat. There the House of Commons. There are a are a wide variety of dishes served from great number of banks in Paridon, which the lesser meats of lamb, including a loan money to the merchants who ship mishmash of internal organs called the goods of the Shining Bay throughout haggis. Beer is a watery ale brewed the Nocturnal Sea. from foreign grains. This beer is both a cheap and fine tasting beverage, popular

27 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 amongst everyone in the domain, even Background though the upper classes express a token More than a century ago, Sodo lived disdain for the brew. amongst a tribe of doppelgangers in the Characters: Classes – aristocrats, city of Paridon. These shape shifters clerics (the Church of Mankind), lived lives of comfort and ease as experts, fighters, monks, rogues. Skills immortal parasites upon society. Unlike – bluff, craft (clock making, gunsmith, normal members of their race, these haberdasher, locksmith, tailor, tanner, doppelgangers were kept immortal by weaver), diplomacy, knowledge (history, the use of an alchemical formula, held economy, royalty, politics), Profession by their clan elders. More than his kin, (banker, constable, driver, engineer, Sodo desired constant admiration and lawyer, merchant, sailor, shepherd). glorification, and sought it out in his Feats – logical mind, Machiavellian, false identities. He basked in fawning skill focus (bluff, craft skills, profession and pampering, and used his tribe of skills) doppelgangers to manipulate the society of the city so that his guise might be Sodo constantly bombarded with the attention Darklord of Paridon he so craved. Dread Doppelganger aristocrat 6: Yet Sodo’s selfish machinations led CR 10; SZ M Shape changer; HD 4D8 + him into conflict with the rest of his 6D6; hp 44; Inn -1; Spd 30; AC 15 (-1 clan. The elders disapproved of all of Dex, +6 natural); Atk: +5 (2 slams +9, the attention focused on one of their 1d6); SA Detect thoughts; SQ curse, members; as well they were envious of immunities; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, his charismatic leadership. As a means Will +12; Str 10, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 18, of punishing the upstart, they ordered Wiz 16, Cha 16. him to leave his current guise and Skills and Feats: bluff +24, surrender it to one of the senior diplomacy +18, disguise +22, gather doppelgangers. information +14, listen +13, innuendo Sodo was livid, but like a skillful +14, intimidate +10, knowledge (local) chameleon, he never showed the +8, knowledge (history) +8, knowledge slightest anger. Instead, he prepared to (arcana) +9, sense motive +22, spot +9; strike at his enemies from the shadows. alertness, dodge, machiavellian, skill He mingled with unwitting humans focus: bluff, skill focus: diplomacy, skill dupes and created the Divinity of focus: sense motive Mankind. To its human members it Class Abilities1: Discretion, appeared to be a gentleman’s club, Expertise, Noble tongue, Power is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and to Knowledge, Renown, Stiff Upper Lip. concealing the debauchery of its Languages: Zherisian, Darkonese, members. To Sodo it was a weapon by Grabenite, Sithican, Vassi. which he could strike at the Elders. Signature Possessions: Crown of Sodo skimmed money and human Queen Anne, exquisite dress, gown or members from the Divinity to form the robe of office, golden scepter, royal “Bilderbergers”. These “Bilderbergers” signet ring, royal jewels. were devoted to two tasks, assassinating 1 From “Those who Delve the the elder doppelgangers and creating a Darkness”, Quoth the Raven Issue #1 powerful magical item, the Fog Crown.

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To remove the doppelganger elders, restraint. The city-state steadily lost its Sodo initiated a revolution to overthrow amazing scientific marvels, as well as the Zherisian Monarchy. In this second the ethics and morals that held it civil war, Sodo could mask the deaths of together. Sodo made a token effort to the Clan Elders as typical political stem the senseless loss, but his disability assassination of Republicans and made him the subject of scorn rather Royalists. In the meantime, Sodo than of the respect due to an elder. constructed a fiendish device that would These younger doppelgangers had bind the doppelgangers to his will. The reason for their cruelty to their lord. Fog Crown would give him the ability to Since Paridon first appeared in assume the appearance of a Ravenloft, in the year 586, the remaining Doppelganger Elder, a feat normally doppelgangers faced the horrible impossible. He used this ability to issue prospect of aging and dying. Without orders to his doppelganger clan, using the alchemical knowledge held by the them to create the oligarchy that would deceased Doppelganger elders, the rule Paridon. remaining creatures began to age. To Even in his inhuman heart, he knew stave off the terrifying prospect of death, that it was an abominable act. For they had used an item known as the Fang though the doppelgangers were a society of the Nosferatu as a means of collecting of shallow immortals, the Elders of the human life force and transferring it to clan were the very progenitors of their themselves. Every twenty years they race and the only source of guidance for struck, slaying thirteen humans with an these evil beings. More importantly, enchanted blade. These killing became these elders held the alchemical formula attributed to the serial murderer Bloody that allowed doppelgangers to stave off Jack. age. The destruction of the elders had Abandoned by his immortal kin, doomed their race to inevitable age and Sodo appealed to humans. With great death. For that act of ultimate treachery, effort, he was able to convince the last Sodo befell an awful curse. Just as his remaining men of the “Bilderbergers” to plans came to fruition, a gray fog rolled act as his proxies in the Divinity of forth from the streets of Paridon, Mankind. The Divinity had become a covered the whole of the Shining Bay, secretive society; dedicated to the rebirth and lifted it from its ancestral ocean to of the ethics and morals they once the cold waters of the Nocturnal Sea. corrupted, as well as the preservation of For his evil, Sodo was given that for science and reason. Under Sodo’s which he had sacrificed so much, the guidance, the Divinity was largely shape of a doppelganger elder. He was responsible for the uniting of numerous bound into the gangly shape of an small religious sects into the Celebrants ancient monster, greatly weakened and of Humanity in the year 690. Through slowed by the geriatric body. No this religious organization, the Divinity artificial magic or makeup could hide his fostered the growing Royalist hideous gaze, so he was forced to hide in movement, which brought about the the sewers and live in filth, while his return of the Monarchy. fellow doppelgangers lived in luxury. In The Constitutional Monarchy drove the absence of true elders, the unguided out most of the doppelganger clan, who doppelgangers exploited Paridon without were masquerading as the majority of

29 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 the aristocratic oligarchy. With the the glory he always craved. As the doppelgangers in disarray, Sodo’s mighty Queen Anne II, Sodo reigns over henchmen seized the Fang of the the wealthiest city in all of Ravenloft, Nosferatu. The divinity of mankind then enjoying amazing wealth and prestige. obtained the Fog Crown, which had been Yet Sodo is unable to enjoy the fruits of spirited away by the mists and been his machinations. renamed as the Crown of Queen Anne. The courtiers around him are all With both relics, Sodo’s conniving schemers, as Sodo can readily Bilderbergers enacted a ritual to claim detect from their thoughts if not from his the life force of human victims, just as own expertise. Indeed, he can sense that the doppelgangers had done. Yet instead every word of praise, every sycophantic of transferring the life force to the sentence, is a bold faced lie, masking doppelgangers, they channeled it into the their own desires for wealth and Crown. With the power stored in the privilege. From his own minions, he can Crown, Sodo was able to change his sense endless resentment from the power appearance to that of a single person, the he has over them. Indeed, faced with the monarch of the Shining Bay, Queen endless storm of lies and the deception Anne the Second. So he ended the Sodo prefers to sulk in solitude. torment of his monstrous visage, and With his fantasy turned to dust, finally seized power over his kin. Sodo mostly ignores the world around him. The House of Commons and the Current Sketch House of Lords look after the governing With the power inside of the Crown, of Paridon, leaving Sodo to concentrate Sodo cowed the doppelgangers. The his waning attention upon the Divinity of crown allowed Sodo to issue out the Mankind and the Bilderbergers. Sodo precious life force as he saw fit. Those knows he can’t enjoy the attention and doppelgangers that displeased him were glory he craves, so instead he makes due stricken with mortality, while those with depravity. doppelgangers and humans that pleased While the Celebrants of Humanity him were blessed with youth and vigor. preaches a puritan ethic of morals, Sodo Sodo created a web of minions, all kept encourages secrete debauchery. The loyal with the threat of age. only pleasure he can enjoy is the The gathering of life force became humiliation and debasement of everyone much more difficult a task than had been around him. Indeed, he takes a perverse for the doppelgangers. Maintaining pleasure in using proxies to tempt nobles Sodo’s form drains the energies in the into foul acts, and then blackmailing crown, as well, the increased number of those aristocrats with scandalous humans involved in the life-giving ritual information, forcing them to plead, beg required more energy than could be and prostrate themselves before their produced from the “Bloody Jack” queen. murder sprees. To compensate, the Beyond his sick and twisted Bilderbergers have arranged for many hobbies, Sodo’s only concern is more murders, using a variety of continuing the murders that feed the different tools to gather life force. Crown. Sodo leaves that to the immortal Though Sodo can only assume the Bilderbergers and their servants in the form of the Queen, it is more than Divinity of Mankind. enough to ensure him the comfort and

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Combat Closing the Borders Despite his natural weapons, Sodo When Sodo wishes to close the hates combat. His doppelganger form is boarders the domain becomes enveloped that of an elder, which is physically in a blanket of thick fog. Any person or decrepit and slow. More over, Sodo is sea going vessel that attempts to pass loath to leave the shape of Queen Anne through the fog finds itself traveling the Second. The Darklord surrounds back towards the center of Paridon. himself with the Royal Guard, an elite private army of fifty so warriors ranging Timor from 1st to 4th level. Sodo also relies Cultural level: Enlightenment (11) upon the Bilderbergers, and their Landscape: Sparse ecology (city). servants in the Divinity of Mankind, to The city of Timor is a festering urban enforce his will. At his disposal are a jungle, the rotting corpse of a once number of monks, rogues and assassins. prosperous city. There are numerous Curse: Sodo lacks many of the towering buildings that teeter on the abilities of a doppelganger. He no loner verge of collapse, and there are countless possesses the ability to change self or cavernous edifices that remain apply a glamour to his possessions. So abandoned and empty. The streets long as he possesses the Crown of remain clean for the most past, for they Queen Anne he may appear as his guise are still heavily trafficked by the horse to Queen Anne the Second, but should it carts pulling food from Paridon and be removed he instantly reverts to his goods from the numerous textile and monstrous doppelganger form. metal factories that make up Timor’s Detect Thoughts (Su): At will industry. Sodo can detect thoughts as the spell There are no indigenous plants in cast by an 18th level sorcerer (save DC Timor, say a few sickly flowers in a 14). Sodo can activate and suppress this rooftop garden. Rats, dogs and other ability at will. urban pests scrounge out a living in the Immunities (Ex): Sodo is immune rubble of the past, while the humans of to sleep and charm effects. Timor live in the crumbling apartment Lair complexes and factories. The only Sodo rarely leaves the safety of proper food stuffs available to the people Westingham Palace, a luxurious castle of Timor is the expensive grains and on the North Eastern corner of Paridon. meats imported from Paridon The Royal Guard fiercely patrols the The island of Timor rises about ten castle, arresting any unwanted intruders feet from the ocean, held aloft by a ring and turning them over directly to the of impenetrable black rock. The interior Paridon Jail. The palace itself is a of the island is made of softer rock, and marvel of architecture and opulence. is porous with the countless tunnels and Amongst the 100 rooms in the palace are pipelines carved into the island. Indeed, a nearly thirty guest rooms, a dozen below the surface of Timor lies a studies, the most extensive library East sprawling network of subterranean of Dementlieu, and the grandest tunnels more complex than any mine on ballroom in the entire Core. the Core. Directly beneath the streets is the intricate sewer system, a series of pipes

31 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 that flush sewage waste into the ocean. The train tunnels team with rats and The sewers are mainly black iron pipes other fell things. The pneumatic tunnels no larger in diameter than a few inches; were once a major trade artery, so the however there are several maintenance connections between the tunnels and the tunnels running through the tangled surface are numerous. Old, barricaded mess. These sewers link to the many stairways still link the streets to the basements dug beneath almost every tunnels, and several abandoned buildings building. are known to hold ancient lift shafts. Just beneath these sewers is the Finally, below the old pneumatic cistern, the holding space for Timor’s tunnels is the “Hive”. Aptly named, the fresh water. The cistern is similar to a Hive is a series of ancient lava tubes subterranean lake, fed by the storm carved into the soft rock. Many of the drains in the city streets. The cistern tunnels are high enough for a grown man also is home to a massive steam driven to walk upright. The hive is rumored to pump, which is the beating heart of be an ancient den of sleeping horrors, Timor, sending fresh water back to the though man alive has ever entered them. surface. The different levels of the Further down are the old pneumatic underground environment are actually train tunnels, which extend beneath the linked to one another by a series of Shining Bay and lead into an identical malignance tunnels. These tunnels lead system beneath Paridon. Since the to the surface, usually emerging in Timorese no longer possess the technical buildings that have been converted into knowledge to repair the crumbling factories. Such shafts are often boarded tunnels, the passages are abandoned. up and barricaded.

Figure 3: Timor - Cross-section of the island

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Settlements: Timor (10, 000) down to take back the tunnels. That day The Folk: Population 10 000; the city came to a halt as the populous Humans 100%. Languages – Zherisian. listened to the screams of the men The people of Timor are a fighting and dying below. That night downtrodden lot, for they are slaves to was even worse. The ancient plumbing Paridon in everything but name. The throughout Timor was rocked by a price of food and fuel is kept horrible tremor, and when the pipes ridiculously high, so the people of Timor burst they sprayed forth a shower of must labour ceaselessly to afford the blood and gore. The toilets and bathtubs commodities sent over the Queen Mary backed up and vomited a spray of Bridge. As such, their lives are centred crimson, as well torn bits of human on the factories and textile mills where flesh. they work. These impoverished folk Needless to say, the City Council of dress in uniformly drab, conservative Timor has forbidden anyone to enter the clothing. Grey’s and blacks are the most sewers. At night, the doors of Timor are common colours. barricaded shut. The only people The people of Timor have forsaken allowed to descend into the depths are all forms of spirituality. They are, the courageous civil engineers who however, a very superstitious lot. The maintain the Cistern. Even then only a people of Timor are terrified of the pair of men are allowed down at a single night, as well as the maze of tunnels time. Anyone caught outside in the beneath their city. Shortly after the war night will never be allowed inside, at with Paridon a band of men tried to least not until daybreak. Since the reopen the pneumatic tunnels and of the enacting of these policies, Timor has dozen so explorers, only one returned become more peaceful. Disappearances alive, mad with terror. The sole survivor are now rare, but the remain a terrifying claimed that they had awakened an army possibility. The people live in constant of horrors, monsters who had swarmed fear of their own lives, so heroism is a up from the “Hive” and infested the foreign concept. pneumatic tunnels, the Cistern and the The Law: The laws of Timor are sewers. written by the City Council, which are Since that dreadful day the people of the last remains of the Aristocratic Timor have been plagued by the Oligarchy that once ruled Paridon. The predations of the monsters of the deep. council oversees the factories and textile At first people disappeared off of the mills of Timor, ensuring that the people streets at night, and a curfew was set. produce enough goods to make the Soon afterwards the homes and factories quotas. of Timor proved futile to block out the The Timorese constabulary enforces monsters. Whole families vanished over laws, which is nothing more than a few night, leaving only pools of blood and dozen men with clubs. The Constables wet trails leading from the bathroom or spend most of their time bullying the from small holes in the wall or floor. laborers of Timor, ensuring that they Factory workers left alone, even for only produce enough goods for the factory a minute, disappeared without a trace. owners. An effort was made to take back the Punishments for most offenses are sewers, a posses was formed and sent the same; forced labor without pay.

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Serious offenses are punished by either poison); SA Acid blood, Poison; SQ hanging, or exile to the sewers. The Curse, Darkvision 120 ft, hive mind, Council tries criminal offenders, and is light sensitivity; AL NE; SV Fort +8, quick to rule against the defendant. Ref +4, Will +9; Str 27, Dex 12, Con 20, Officially Timor lives under the same Int 14, Wiz 14, Cha 14. laws as Paridon, though the council is Skills and Feats: balance +8, hide horribly corrupt and is willing to ignore +5, listen +10, move silently +7, search any offence for a bribe. +3, spot +8; Improved Grab, Multi- Trade and Diplomacy: Resources attack. – furniture, manufactured goods, scientific knowledge, textiles. Coinage – The Hive Queen is a disgusting pound (gp), shilling (sp), pence (cp). aberration, with the torso of a woman The economy of Timor depends on and the bloated body of an ant queen. the factories and textile mills. The only Her face is a twisted horror, dominated food and fuel available to the Timorese by huge red eyes. Her body is covered is the expensive imports from Paridon. in a rubbery black hide, as thick as an As such, the Timorerse are practically elephant’s. She has six insectoid legs, slaves to Paridon. The laborers of Timor large clawed arms and a bulbous, work in the mills and factories. Among transparent abdomen that constantly their many functions, they turn wool into pulsates with the writhing of the cloth, carve furniture, and forge gelatinous horrors within. Paridon’s steel into finished goods. The only trading partner of Timor is Background the tyrant city Paridon. Everything that The Hive Queen was not always a enters or leaves Timor crosses over the hideous abomination; untold centuries Queen Mary Bridge. The amazing ago she was a human princess gifted bridge is fiercely guarded by Paridon’s with astounding beauty. Sadly, her only soldiers, who stop any unauthorized appearance hid her monstrous ambition. traffic on the bridge. She coveted her mother’s crown and Characters: Classes – aristocrats, sought a way to remove the Queen from experts, fighters, rogues. Skills – bluff, the thrown. craft (clock making, gunsmith, The princess learned that horrible haberdasher, locksmith, tailor, tanner, monsters known as markith once weaver), diplomacy, knowledge (history, plagued the kingdom. Decades ago, the local), Profession (engineer, merchant). Queen ordered a campaign to drive the Feats – logical mind, skill focus (bluff, abominable creatures back into the caves craft skills, profession skills) that spawned them. The Queen had even constructed her castle and the city around it over the extinct hive of the Hive Queen markith. Despite the conquest, the aging Darklord of Timor Queen periodically ordered men to Female Markith Queen: CR 12; SZ explore the empty hive, to ensure that no H, Abberation (10ft by 20ft/10 ft); HD markith haunted the depths. With that 10D8 +50; hp 100; Inn +1; Spd 30, knowledge the princess prepared a climb 20 ft; AC 19 (-2 size, +1 dex, +10 scheme to frighten the old Queen to natural); Atk: 4 claws +13 melee death with the image of a markith. (2D4+8), bite +11 melee (2D8+4 and

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The princess sought out a reclusive through the castle and forced her way wizard and seduced him. The conniving into the abandoned hive beneath. There woman promised her wizard lover she brooded in the shadows, miserable wealth and influence over the kingdom over the loss of both her kingdom and once it became hers and in return, the her beauty. In time she came to hate the wizard was to use his eldritch magic to surface people and desired to transform the princess into the exterminate them. nightmarish image of a Markith Queen. For years she fostered an army of All the while, she plotted with her pawn, markith, rebuilding the hive her mother the Captain of the Guard to assassinate once destroyed. She struck the city, the wizard once his role was completed. washing away the humans of the surface The conspiracy seemed complete, in a black tide of gibbering monsters. and for weeks the princess made the With their prey exterminated, the preparations to lure her mother into a markith drones began to dissolve away place no one else could witness the from hunger. The Hive Queen bitterly transformation. Yet while the girl retired to the innermost depth of the hive maneuvered her victim, the wizard and placed herself into hibernation. investigated the faithfulness of his For eons the Hive Queen slumbered, murderous lover. It took him only a dreaming of her lost beauty. As she short while to discover her infidelities, slept, the Zherisians colonized the ruins as well as her intentions towards of her kingdom, creating the city of himself. Timor. In the aftermath of the war One moonlit night the princess led between Paridona and Timor, a party of her elderly mother into the castle explorers blundered into the Queens gardens. On cue, the wizard cast a spell brood chamber and awoke her. to transform the princess into the bloated beast, and as planned, the queen died of Current Sketch pure terror. The princess screeched in Calm and rational after her rest, the triumph, and bid the wizard to remove Hive Queen understood the danger of the illusion. Her joy turned to horror as exhausting her human prey. She the wizard laughed in her hideous face, discovered that her inhuman body fed as and explained that he had cast no easily on the essence of fear and terror as illusion, that she had been transformed on flesh. The Queen sustains her markith into the hideous markith queen. and herself by harvesting horror from the Yet in that same moment, the human cattle above, taking lives only to Captain of the Guard struck. The soldier ensure a constant flow of fear. had lain in wait on the castle parapet, The Queen despises her hideous watching for the queen to die and for the subjects, as well as her own aberrant wizard to appear. Before the princess form. She longs for the humanity and the could beg the wizard to undue his spell, kingdom that once were hers. Still the captain fired a poisoned bolt from his possessed by human desires, she crossbow, slaying the enchanter even as occasionally sends her hunters to abduct he laughed. human companions for her Trapped in her hideous form, the entertainment. These guests rarely live princess was overcome with inhuman long, though their screams echo in the rage. The monstrous markith rampaged tunnels for years afterwards.

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Combat to slay their mother and seize the Hive In combat the Hive Queen is a fore their own. nightmare made flesh. When pressed Light Sensitivity: The Hive Queen into melee she rises up on her back legs suffers a –1 penalty to all attacks in light and rends flesh with both pairs of equal to a candle or starlight. In the forelegs. The Queen lacks the stinger brighter illumination of a torch or a normally possessed by markith queens, lantern the penalty increases to –2, and so she relies even more heavily upon her in daylight or in an area affected by claws and her poisonous bite. daylight spell the penalty raises to –4. Acid Blood: The blood of the Hive Hive Mind: The Hive Queen can Queen is a concentrated acid. Each time telepathically communicate to all she is struck with a slashing weapon the markith hunters under her control. wound vomits a spray of green Should a markith under her command luminescent acid. Anyone within ten slay a markith queen, all markith feet of the Queen must make a reflex spawned by the deceased queen come save against a DC 15 to avoid being under the Hive Queen’s control. This struck by the spray. On a failed save the extends over a radius of five miles. acid deals 1D4 points of damage on the Lair first round and another 1D4 points of The Hive Queen spends her time damage on the following round. brooding in the depths of the ancient Markith hunters are naturally immune to Hive. A huge complex of tunnels carved this particular acid. by lava many millennia ago, the Hive is Poison: The bite of the Hive Queen shaped like an inverted pyramid. carries a lethal toxin. The poison has a The circular walls of the hive are fortitude save DC 20, the primary covered in a thick mucous excreted by damage is 2D6 temporary constitution, the hunters. The Hive is crawling with and the secondary damage is 1D6 markith hunters, who burry themselves temporary constitution damage. in the walls and lie dormant until Curse: As part of her curse, the activated by the Queen. The Queen’s Queen lacks the stinger of a Markith chamber is located at the very bottom of Queen. Instead, she bears the horrible the Hive. This cavernous chamber is weight of her bulbous abdomen. Inside encircled by a moat of acid, which is this transparent sack, horrible mutants crossed by a single bridge of bone and writhe as they are birthed. Once each mucous. day she gives birth to a new child. These creatures begin life as formless Closing the Borders ooze, which evades all of the Queen’s The borders of Timor are presently attempt to destroy it. After a few hours closed. The rocks around the island are it takes the shape of a carrion stalker, impenetrable, they have lifted the whole impersonator, reaver or even a markith island up out of the ocean and make any queen. attempt to enter or leave by sea These spawn naturally despise their impossible. The Queen Mary Bridge mother. In the case of the male and the old pneumatic tunnels have abominations, they ignore their mother circumvented the borders. and prey on the people of Timor. Markith Queens however, are compelled

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Tome of the Guardians The Crown of Queen Anne By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected] Picture by Bobby Storey

purity of the monarchy. It is believed The Crown of Queen Anne that since the return of the Crown heralds the return of the Golden Age. The Crown of Queen Anne is an Only the Queen and her minions exquisite headpiece made of white gold, know the true nature of the crown. The red velvet and adorned with countless true Crown of Queen Anne has never white diamonds. The crown is a and will been recovered, since it breathtaking specimen of craftsmanship, remained on the world from which made by the jewelers of the long past Paridon was taken. The doppelganger golden age of Paridon. Despite its Sodo commissioned the creation of the namesake, the crown appears to be a crown by his minions in the Divinity of fitting piece for both male and female Mankind. The crown was created as a monarchs. The crown is shorter than magical item to give Sodo the power to most crowns, made of a golden circlet assume the shape of a doppelganger supporting four arches that link together elder. The elders themselves were the above the velvet top. Diamonds run the first of their race, the keepers of the diameter of the golden circlet and the secret of immortality. With the crown in supported arches. A single ruby sits on his position, Sodo felt free to the very top of the crown. This gem is exterminate the elders and assume said to glow with a crimson nimbus. leadership over the clan, even though he History damned himself and the others to The history of the crown is mortality. extensive, dating back to the ancient The crown was lost to the mists for golden age of Paridon and the absolutist a time, while the doppelgangers set monarchy that presided over that age. about a new method of keeping The crown is reported to have been themselves immortal. The shape shifters commissioned by the semi mythological discovered an enchanted dagger known founder of Paridon, Queen Anne the as the Fang of the Nosferatu, a blade that First. Historians of that golden age could draw life force from humans and claimed that the crown was lost to the bestow it to themselves. For centuries aristocratic revolutionaries, who sold the the doppelgangers used the dagger to crown to foreign buyers. However, the murder humans under the guise of administration of Queen Anne the Bloody Jack and maintain their own Second recovered the crown and brought existences. it back to Paridon. The crown is a In the year 690 Sodo’s minions, the celebrated symbol of the strength and Bilderbergers, recovered the Fog Crown and stole the Fang of the Nosferatu.

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Sodo used both items to create The age of so many minions requires almost Crown of Queen Anne, an item that constant sacrifices. The Bloody Jack combined the power of both. The power murders have continued, occurring once of the Crown allows Sodo to harness the every twenty years, slaying thirteen life draining power of the Fang and individuals. However this bloodletting bestow its ability onto other weapons. proved insufficient to provide the crown When these weapons are used to murder with enough life force. To supplement humans, the life force is transmitted to the drain, the Bilderbergers used their the Crown. Sodo uses this life force to connections in the Divinity of Mankind circumvent his curse and appear in the to arrange for more murders. form of a human, the Queen. As well, The final power of the Crown is to he uses the life force to bestow enchant weapons. Weapons thus immortality on his human and enchanted become artifacts with a doppelganger minions. chaotic evil alignment, an intelligence of 12, and wisdom of 14 and a charisma Powers score of 14. Artifacts enchanted in this The Crown is inextricably linked to manner gain a +1 enhancement bonus. Sodo. While it can be removed, its Anyone slain by such a weapon cannot powers cannot be utilized by anyone but be resurrected except by a wish or a Sodo. Should the crown be removed miracle spell. from Sodo he will lose the ability to The weapons are distributed to appear in human form and in one hour murderers who are trained and revert to the shape of a doppelganger conditioned by the Bilderbergers. elder. So long as it is on his head Sodo Currently there are half a dozen of these is affected with a change self spell as if Stalkers committing murders to fuel the cast by an 18th level sorcerer. This Crown. Each of these killers operates effect can only disguise Sodo as Queen with a different method and targets a Anne. particular type of prey. The Crown also has the ability to remove one year of age from a humanoid or shape shifter character. This reversal of age removes the physical ability penalties derived from old age, but it does not remove the bonuses to mental abilities. However, should a character use the crowns age reversal, he will not gain benefits from aging unless he first ages to the required age normally. A single humanoid or shape shifter can only benefit from this aging reversal once in a year. Sodo uses this power to keep the Bilderbergers and his doppelganger minions dependant upon him. The life force within the Crown of Queen Anne is constantly drained by Sodo’s use of its change self ability, as well, the cost of reversing the

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The Stalkers The Hook is the terror of the young The Axe Monkey is perhaps the people of the suburbs surrounding most horrific of the murderers unleashed Paridon. The Hook is described a man upon Paridon. The beastly murderer obscured by a dark, hooded coat with strikes three or four times a year, usually one hand. Where his left hand might older men, who are slain in their own have been is a gleaming metal hook. homes with an axe. The murderer The Hook slays at irregular intervals, scrawls grotesque lymrics in blood never striking more than two or three beside the body. The constabulary is times in a year and never in the same under the impression that the Axe place twice. He usually strikes in the Monkey is a master burglar, since there summer months when young people are are no signs of his entrance or exit. The about at night. Most of the young Axe Monkey is in truth an ape, people of Paridon refuse to believe in the conditioned by the Bilderbergers to Hook. It is a common belief that the murder. Hook is a fairytale devised to keep them The Dangler stalks the East side of from engaging in mischief and other the River, preying on foreign merchants, youthful recreational activities. and immigrant store clerks. Victims are Pride, say the Celebrants, is a deadly usually attacked in their place of sin – especially when Scalper prowls the business, just after sundown. Signs, streets. Known also as the Demon such as a lack of a struggle, seem to Barber, this mad man stalks Paridon’s suggest that the dangler was known to citizens, taking hair as his grisly the victim or at least not considered a trophies. Scalper is in fact a mad threat. The weapon of choice for the Celebrant monk, who wears beneath his dangler is a noose, which is used to vestments, a coat of human hair. Scalper garrote the victim from behind. The prefers unescorted ladies, or gentlemen victim is then hung from an elevated with thick beards. position, allowing the body to dangle. Finally, the Mangler is the bane of The dangler strikes once every three or the sailors who frequent the docks of four months. Paridon. Described as a hulking brute, Every so many months, the people more than seven feet tall the Mangler of Paridon discover the body of a haunts the shadowy piers. The weapon prostitute washed up on the river used by the brute is a pair of blood Rhastik. Though these deaths are stained gloves, which cover hands that largely ignored by the callous can break bones and rend flash. The constabulary, a few investigators search Mangler has never been caught since he for the culprit. These alienists have vanishes in the maze of buildings on the devised an extensive profile of the docks. The broken bodies of sailors are suspect they call “River Man”, and found of the piers often, with perhaps as though he eludes capture each murder many as a dozen victims in a given year. sheds more light on his identity.

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40 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 From the Lab Diseases of Malus Sceleris By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

Most nobles have a hobby with the infection is made against a DC of 16. which to occupy their free hours. Some The disease incubates for 1D6 days and men pursue books, other collect works then strikes. of art and some play games. Yet the lord Dum Dum fever attacks a victim’s of Nosos, Malus Sceleris, pursues a very metal capacity. Each day the victim different past time. Obsessed with must make a successful fortitude save disease, Sceleris has gathered together against the disease or take 1 point of an assortment of amoral biologists and temporary intelligence, wisdom and set them to the task of creating new charisma damage. The disease plagues with which he afflicts Nosos. progresses in this manner until the In the laboratories of Sceleris abilities of the victim are reduced by a manor, these scientists experiment with total of five points. Afterwards, the new pathogens. Inside the laboratory victim begins to suffer from the same they have discovered amazing insights symptoms of a randomly determined into the nature of sickness and disease, moderate madness effect. This madness revelations that could be used to save does not incur ability damage, nor can it countless lives, but are instead used to be removed by psychological therapy. end them. It is Malus’ belief that disease The madness effect remains on the is critical to keeping the poor laborers of victim until the disease is removed. The his domain weakened, to prevent them victim continues to make fortitude saves from rising against the upper class. The each day to attempt to throw off the diseases concocted in the lab also allow effect. Malus a means by which he can murder, The disease carries a number of debilitate or discredit his political rivals. different symptoms including fever and These diseases represent futuristic profuse sweating. As the victim loses technology for Nosos. The theories and his mental faculties he begins to slur his designs for these diseases are contained speech, forget important details, and in the records concealed in Sceleris behave erratically. Furthermore, Malus manor. The secretes of the disease has seen to it that rumors attribute Dum culture are known only to Malus’s team Dum fever as a disease carried by of pathologists. prostitutes. This combination assault upon the intellect and reputation is more Dum-Dum Fever than enough to permanently remove any rival. Dum-Dum fever is a pox designed by Malus to discredit his rivals. The disease is spread by contact, usually delivered by Malus himself with a handshake. The fortitude save to resist

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poison them with the concentrated Elevens version of the disease. The poor of Nosos are known to Concentrated Elevens infects a body carry many diseases, though they are through ingestion. The fortitude save to rarely educated enough to draw the resist the concentrated disease is 18, distinction between them. There is only elevens has an incubation time of 1D4 one scourge that stands out in the minds days. Each day the character must pass of the urban poor, the elevens. The the fortitude save or he begins to suffer elevens is the most dreaded ailment, for from the lethal effects. After failing this it is universally fatal. The disease is save the character begin takes 2 points of known for its only symptom, two temporary constitution damage. The muscles on the back of the neck standing character suffers another 2 points of erect, forming two parallel lines running ability damage every two hours up from the shoulders to the head. afterwards until death. Death is Those who show this symptom are inevitable unless the character can surely doomed, for no one has survived receive magical assistance, or the “having his eleven’s up”. antidote. The disease is spread by ingestion. The antidote is a tightly kept secret, Malus Sceleris sends agents to pour the but rumors of it have spread throughout disease in the river. In this form the Nosos. Malus actively denies any disease is somewhat mild. The pathogen involvement with the disease, as well as rarely takes root in a healthy body, so any knowledge of the cure. This is the wealthy elite of Nosos has nothing to merely a subtle way of suggesting to the fear. Even the urban poor are somewhat upper class that Malus has some resistant to the parasite, though the virus connection to the disease and does can accumulate in the body and cause indeed possess the antidote. This actual harm. Merely drinking the antidote is an elixir that immediately polluted water of Nosos has little chance ends the progression of the disease and of hurting a player character. When allows the character to naturally heal the Malus desires to quietly eliminate a damage taken. troublesome pauper he has his agents

42 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Extraordinary Expertise Masterwork Firearms By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

Wilson was waiting in the branches Yet as the carriage crashed into the side of a pine tree, his legs shivering in the of the trench the guards were thrown to cold of the early winter mourning. He the ground while the horses reared. One shifted his hands underneath his coat, man fell to the side, while the other trying to keep them as warm as possible. sailed into the ditch and was trampled The wind was as gentle as a whisper, but beneath the horses’ panicked hooves. still it robbed his skin of precious Wilson stepped over to the fallen warmth. man, aimed his belt pistol into the The highway was silent, with remaining guard’s face, only to realize nothing more to disturb the fresh snow that the man’s double barreled rifle was than a freezing gust of wind. Wilson in his hands, pointed into Wilson’s gut. sighed out loud, not caring if anyone “Okay slow poke,” Snarled Wilson. heard him. “Drop the pea shooter and I’ll let you “Shhh!” Hissed Roberts. Wilson live”. The guard just laughed. just gave him a nasty look. “To hell with you,” he retorted, “Where the hell is that caravan?” “This is a Weston Thunder Stick. It’ll Whispered Wilson, “I’m freezing my blow a hole in you the size of a stones off.” grapefruit.” “Shut up,” replied the other “Weston?” Replied Wilson, “That highwayman, “It’ll be here any minute,” dwarven garbage? You couldn’t hit the Wilson didn’t respond, but instead road with that cheap trash.” caressed the pistol shoved into his belt. “And what do you have?” Retorted As if on cue, the silence of the mourning the wounded guard, “That’s a Mackie was broken by the clip clop sound of a musket. It’ll blow up right in your face.” shod horse trotting up the cobblestone “That’s a load of turkey shot!” road. Shot back Wilson, “Just the kind of The carriage slowly approached. garbage a race traitor would spout off!” Two guards sat atop the coach, on either “Eat me, you dumb ass bigot!” side of the driver and scanned the road Snarled the guard. Meanwhile, a ahead, oblivious to the danger in the disgusted Roberts grew impatient. woods. As they neared the two robbers, “Kill the fool, you moron.” He Roberts aimed his rifle. shouted. Wilson turned to reply. He The firearm spat fire and thunder opened his mouth but was cut off by the and the carriage driver collapsed from sound of a rifle. The guard rolled over his seat. As he fell the horses charged onto his belly as the bandit fell. As the forward, oblivious to the ditch dug into other robber fled, the guard cocked the the road and concealed by the snow. second barrel and fired. The man The guards took aim with their rifles. collapsed face first into the bloodied

43 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 snow. The wounded guard slowly rose to expanded outwards like a weed, choking his feet. the market dry of customers. “Couldn’t hit the road, huh?” He Robert Mackie died a wealthy man sneered. “Mackie trash,” He hissed as in 703 and left his company to his son he spat on Wilson’s corpse, while George Mackie. George was even more cradling his beloved gun. driven than his father and he vigorously campaigned in Darkon to “modernize” History Darkonian warfare. George Mackie found few men he could rely upon to run For as long as there have been satellite shops and even fewer men who firearms in Ravenloft two names have could be trained to craft guns on their dominated the market; Weston and own. Mackie. These two firearm companies Rather than dealing with humans, have expanded across the core and even Mackie turned to the gnomes and to the into lands beyond, hoping to out do one dwarves of Darkon. The Darkon people another and conquer the firearms trade. marginalized these poor people; they Mackie were forbidden by law to own farmland Robert Mackie founded The Mackie and worked for noble lords as miners, Company in the year 663 in Lamordia. blacksmiths or merchants. Mackie Bob Mackie was a simple gunsmith with found that the dwarves had a keen mind a poor aptitude for his own craft. Yet for firearms and their natural what Mackie lacked in skill he more craftsmanship abilities allowed them to than made up for in salesmanship. learn the gun craft with ease. The Mackie focused his efforts on selling his gnomes with their alchemical skills poor merchandise to travelers, preaching made excellent powder smiths. A dwarf to them the power of the gun over all merchant named Weston was chosen to other weapons. Mackie relied heavily head this organization of demihumans upon these naive travelers, for without and in 710 Mackie and Weston opened them it is unlikely that he would have up a shop in Il Aluk to bring guns into sold even a single rifle to the discerning the heart of Darkon. customers of Lamordia. The Mackie organization reached Mackie’s business thrived. He the pinnacle of its power, with a stake in offered merchants free training in the use every shop in the Core; say a few hold of firearms and free gunpowder on the outs in Lamordia. Every case of powder provision that they would spread and every pistol had Mackie’s name pamphlets in their own lands, advertising burned upon it. Even though records Mackie’s guns. Though Mackie never from the time show that the company did learn to build a decent weapon he was not making as great a profit as it had seized the international firearm trade would in latter decades, it still cannot be for his own. He drained the land of denied that the Mackie Company had apprentice gunsmiths and left his reached the peak of its power and competitors in the dust. By the year 700 influence. the true master gunsmiths of Lamordia were confined to small family shops in Lamordia, while the Mackie Company

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Weston The Gun Battle George Mackie retired early in 724, Right from the start Mackie and leaving his spoiled son Harold Mackie in Weston were at each other’s throats. charge. Weston the dwarf had already Weston had drawn first blood; the been under great strain from George Mackie Company was severely wounded Mackie, since the massive profits the from the loss of the dwarven gunsmiths merchant made were not reaching the and was hemorrhaging profits in the gnomes and dwarves who labored to North and East. Harold Mackie resigned make the company productive. Giving as owner and pawned the company off the company to Harold was an even on his sister Catherine Mackie. The greater blow, for the young man was an Mackie Empire was quickly crumbling inept businessman and flagrantly wasted into dust and it looked as though it might money. By 728, Weston had had be the beginning of the end. enough of Harold’s incompetence and Yet Catherine was not as shaken as started his own company. her little brother for she envisioned a Weston led an exodus of dwarves new financial empire, a pure monopoly from the Mackie Company, stealing the cleansed of the taint of demihuman majority of the gunsmiths the company blood. The first step in her plans was to had in its employ. Mackie was furious eliminate the competition from Weston’s with the loss, but there was nothing he company. As the Dwarf Weston was could do to stem the tide of revolt. traveling through Nova Vassa to the Instead, he instituted a vengeful policy company headquarters he was felled by a that forbade dwarves to work within the sniper’s bullet. Company. Many of the employees The dwarf employees of the Weston considered it to be a boneheaded Company were furious but unshaken. decision that might latter come back to The independent dwarves quickly haunt them. reorganized under the leadership of a Weston’s Company “bought out” council of elder merchants, known as the many of the dwarf owned shops in Board of Directors. These directors sent Darkon and Nova Vaasa. Though assassins after the Mackie family, and Mackie attempted to pursue legal action though they slew the elder George and against the theft of his businesses, he his son Harold, Catherine was too wily found that there was nothing he could to be caught. do. The Darkonese government had The battle was joined, and it would never enjoyed the idea of their military be fierce. Catherine was not content to becoming dependant on a foreign let the Weston Company make a business, so the courts were paid a visit monopoly over Darkon, Nova Vaasa and by the Kargat and a favorable verdict the Nocturnal Sea; Mackie shops sprung was achieved. Similarly, in Nova Vassa up and began to challenge the Westons Weston bribed the right judges to secure for dominance in the trade. The Board an amicable ruling. The Mackie shops of Directors retaliated by sending their in the North and East corners of the Core own feelers into Borca, Richemulot and were bought for a pittance and the Dementlieu. Violence sparked between Weston Company was born. the two rivals, urging the shops to hire on thugs and criminals to wage the war.

45 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

Yet the true war was waged in the The Mutual Defense Organization workshop. The real power lay in the between Borca, Dementlieu, Richmulot ability to capture the market for and Mordent has purchased countless firearms. Since 736 the two companies weapons from either company. The have battled to devise the perfect militaries of these nations plays either firearm. The human scientists of the company off against each other, keeping Mackie Company are constantly quality up and costs down. Artillery reinventing the firearm. It is their work weapons called cannons have begun to that spawned the wheel lock, which show themselves, and though these superceded the matchlock, and latter the mammoth contraptions are flint lock which has come to dominate unimpressive, both companies swear that the market. they will become critical weapons in the Yet while Mackie is always looking future. to the future, the dwarves perfect the present. The Weston Company focuses Penetration upon improving older designs and There is an important distinction perfecting a single weapon. Their slow, between the primitive matchlocks and organic approach has allowed them to wheel locks of the first few firearms and build much more powerful and reliable the quality weapons made by the Mackie weapons than their opponents. and Weston companies. These firearms The Mackie Company focuses upon project bullets with such force that the the human market for guns, using their metal bullets can tear through metal, human-only hiring policy to an bone and the thickest hide. advantage. Mackie weapons are simple All of the firearms described below to maintain, slow to break down, and are capable of negating some of the emphasize accuracy and range. This has armor class bonus granted by natural made them popular to the soldiers of the armor and mundane forms of armor. Mutual Defense Alliance as well as to Whenever a character makes an the farmers and commoners of the Core. attack with a firearm, the target of the Weston, on the other hand, builds attack only receives a bonus equal to weapons for the discerning consumer half of that that should have been and the firearm fanatics. Their weapons granted by natural armor or by mundane are harder to maintain and generally forms of armor. The enhancement have a shorter range. However their bonuses from magical effects, dexterity power and penetration is unrivaled by bonuses, deflection bonuses, bonuses any weapon on the Core. from cover and circumstantial bonuses The real winner of the battle are not halved in this manner. between the companies is the consumer. For example, a Borcan rifleman Both companies have kept prices down takes aim at a Falconovian knight, and improved the quality of firearms dismounted. The knight has a total AC exponentially. Some scholars believe of 19, with a bonus of 8 from his full that if as much effort was put into plate armor and +1 from dexterity. medicine was in weapons, mankind However, in regards to the rifleman’s might be immortal. It is true that firearm attack the knight has only an AC of 15. technology is much more advanced than might otherwise have been.

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deals 1D10 points of damage on a Prototypes successful hit and threatens a critical The design of weapons is an range of 20/*3. The dueling pistol is ongoing process. Both companies are in built for increased accuracy but only a tight competition to devise new within a short range, hence the range weapons. Both companies compete with increment is only 50 ft. each other for the same market, yet they try to attract the same market by Belt Pistol focusing on a different angle. The Firearms are a valuable tool to Mackie plays up the race angle; they pirates, brigands, highwaymen and the design their weapons for humans and men who would try to stop them. These advertise their products to the common men respect the great power of a pistol, man. Consequently, these guns are yet they need weapons that are ready to designed for simplicity. The Weston use at a moment’s notice. The master Company focuses on the gun craftsmen of the Weston Company took aficionados, men who appreciate a this need to mind when they built the powerful firearm no matter how belt pistol. complex it might be to maintain. The belt pistol features a recessed The following is a list of the powder chamber, which can hold a prototype firearms appearing all over the bullet, wadding and powder safely in Core. They represent the latest advances place. Belt pistols can be jammed into in firearm technology. belts, thrown back and forth and even operated in the rain without reducing Mackie Dueling Pistol their effectiveness. Most importantly, This weapon was designed to appeal the belt pistol features a snub nosed to the nobility of Borca, Dementlieu and barrel and a specially designed pistol Richmulot. The Dueling pistol is a long grip. and elegant weapon, the barrel and stock When placed in a holster or jammed are decorated with gold plate and the into a belt or bandolier a belt pistol can barrel is polished to a shine. The striker be drawn as a free action. A character is made of brass, except on the nose of may only draw one belt pistol as a free the hammer and the wood of the stock is action in a single turn. Belt pistols deal always of a fine, dark maple. 1D10 points of piercing damage on a The dueling pistol has a very long successful hit and threaten a critical barrel, designed for maximum accuracy. range of 20/*3. Belt pistols are short Attacks made with the pistol gain a +1 ranged weapons; they use a range masterwork bonus. Furthermore, a man increment of 30 ft. Belt pistols are sold who bears an elegant weapon of this cheaply and the price is generally kept variety gains a temporary +1 bonus to constant. Except in extenuating charisma based skill checks while circumstances, a belt pistol costs 50 gold interacting with individuals who pieces. appreciate firearms. Dueling pistols like this are costly; Mackie Rifle they cost twice as much as conventional The Mackie Company has invested pistols. In a CL 9 domain a Mackie a great deal of its energy to take over the Dueling pistol can command as much as hunting market. Traditional muskets are 100 gold pieces. The dueling pistol too inaccurate and short ranged for

47 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 effective use as a hunting tool. The capable of compressing the explosion of master gunsmiths of the Mackie powder and adding extra force into the Company spent years developing a way shot. The result is a weapon with to make bullets move in a straighter path unsurpassed “stopping power”. The for a greater distance. A “rifled” barrel mighty force of the charge makes the proved to be the most effective method. bullet tumble through the air. While this Groves cut into the barrel cause the allows the bullet to deal more lacerating bullet to spin as it leaves the barrel, damage, it makes the shot less accurate causing the motion of the projectile to be at long ranges. In the more advanced a tight spiral that causes it to move in a areas, the Weston Company adds a straighter line. second barrel to the rifle. This allows Since its release the rifle has the Thunder Stick twice the firepower of fulfilled the greatest desires of the another rifle, making it the most Mackie Company. The Mackie rifle has powerful handheld weapon to be bought become extremely popular amongst the at any price. Each barrel must be peasant farmers of Borca, Mordent and loaded, as if a separate rifle. Both Dementlieu. The Weston Company has barrels can be fired as a single attack, or since created a cheaper clone of the rifle, as two separate attacks. but it is much less popular amongst the A Thunder Stick deals 1D12+2 human peasants, and such was never piercing/slashing damage on a successful produced in significant numbers. hit. The Thunder Stick threatens a A Mackie rifle deals 1D12 points critical range of 20/*3 and has a range of damage with each successful hit and increment of 100 feet. The Weston threatens a critical range of 19-20/*3. Company is attempting to sell their The rifle uses a range increment of 200 Thunder Sticks to a market that has very feet and weighs 10 pounds. The Mackie little confidence. Thus, the price is kept Rifle is exceptionally accurate; all attack at a paltry 60 gold pieces, though in rolls made with the rifle are made with a more advanced domains the price jumps +1 masterwork bonus. The Mackie rifle to a respectable 70 gold pieces. The is only sold in Borca, Mordent and double-barreled thunder stick is only Dementlieu, where is costs only fifty sold in the most advanced domains, and gold pieces. there they fetch the princely sum of 80 gold pieces. Weston Thunder Stick The Weston Company found that Cannon penetrating the markets of foreign lands Cannons were developed by the was difficult. Many of the primitive Mackie Company mainly as a method of peoples beyond the core had never heard arming ships on the Sea of Sorrows. of a firearm and were ignorant of its They were adapted for use in ground power. The Weston Company built the warfare as a means of destroying Thunder Stick to emphasize the fortifications and striking large groups of usefulness of a firearm in placing infantry. The nations of the Mutual massive amounts of power into a single, Defense Pact arm their fortresses and unstoppable blow. castles with these cannons, making them The Thunder Stick is an advanced almost impossible to assail. form of musket. It uses state of the art A cannon is a large sized weapon, metallurgy to create a powder chamber weighing five hundred pounds at the

48 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 least. The cannon fires an explosive ball 15 allows a character caught in the blast at great velocity. Each shot requires to take only half damage. Reloading a nearly thirty times the amount of cannon requires at least three rounds and gunpowder used in a pistol. The cannon a crew of at least two men. Firing a is fired by making an attack roll against loaded cannon requires only an attack an AC of fifteen, modified by range. On action. Cannons have a range increment a miss the cannon ball veers off from the of 200 feet and they do not threaten any target by 10 feet for each point by which critical range. Cannons are expensive the attack roll missed. weapons; a single cannon costs at least When a cannon ball lands it three hundred gold pieces. Actually explodes, dealing 4D6 points of fire, obtaining a cannon is more than a matter piercing and slashing damage to of money since both the Mackie and the everything within a fifteen-foot radius. Weston Company have signed exclusive A successful reflex save against a DC of rights to cannon weapons to the MDP.

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50 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

Whispers in the Dark Black-Powder Magic By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

firearm. With the casting of this spell all Arcane Accuracy bullets fired from the target firearm penetrate through any armor. Attacks Alteration made with the enchanted pistol are made Level: sorcerer/wizard 3 as ranged touch attacks, thus ignoring Components: V, S any deflection or natural armor bonuses Casting Time: 3 to the target’s armor class Range: Touch Target: One light firearm Duration: 1 round per level Reload The firearm has long been a favorite Conjuration amongst mages who prefer the massive Level: sorcerer/wizard 2 power and penetration of a firearm to Components: V, S, M traditional missile weapons. However, Casting Time: 3 few classic spells can augment the power Range: Touch of a rifle or pistol. To address this Target: One firearm problem several wizards in the Core Duration: 1 round per level devised a spell to turn mundane bullets Wizards and sorcerers prefer the into lethal magical missiles. firearm to regular missile weapons, This spell allows an arcane spell however during a combat situation caster to temporarily enhance the reloading a cumbersome rifle or pistol is accuracy of a firearm. So long as the difficult. A mage in Borca was the first firearm is enchanted thusly, the range to address this problem. increment is increased by 50%, the For the duration of this spell the threat range of the weapon is doubled firearm does not need to be reloaded. At and the bullets gain a +2 magical the beginning of each round a quantity enhancement bonus to hit and damage. of powder and one bullet is conjured into the chamber, where it may be fired. Penetration Only one quantity is conjured each round. Alteration The material component for this Level: sorcerer/wizard 1 spell is the quantity of gunpowder and Components: V, S, M bullets to be used through the spell. The Casting Time: 2 spell only lasts a number of rounds equal Range: Touch to the quantities of gunpowder and Target: One firearm bullets used up in the spell. Powder and Duration: 1 round per level bullets not used by the end of the spell This spell is designed to augment are not returned. the natural penetrating power of a

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52 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Children of the Night The Invisible Man By David Gibson aka the Jester [email protected]

When I first conceiver of this I was avoiding my tormentors. Then things unsure why I should write this, or more grew worse. accurately for whom. It is unlikely I will I was still young when it happened ever show this small tome to anyone, no that the incident is a blur in my young more than I would speak aloud the memory, but still old enough to contents. It is not for myself that I put remember the shaking of the earth, the quill to paper. So it is for prosperity that blackness of the sky and the rise and fall I write. For someone to read after I am of the thick, cool mist. My young arms dead so my actions and deeds will not be wrapped tight in ignorant fear around forgotten. Yes, for if there is one thing my mother’s legs as I buried my face in that sends a dark chill up my spine it is her rough skirt. When it ended two of the the thought of vanishing without a trace. neighboring lands were gone, seemingly I have been forgotten enough in my wrenched from the ground. The life… simplistic folk blamed magic and like the My tale begins many years ago in a frightened sheep they were lashed out at land some leagues away in the realm anything they saw as different, things known as Tempest, in the very Core of such as a inhumanly pale child. this land. For me it was never a happy They did not come right away. I still land, for I was born different. My skin remember that. They talked about it first and hair were pale and white while my for a long time. Looking back my parents eyes were a dark pink in hue. Later I had ample time to pack and leave, but would learn I was named an albino, but they did not believe the villagers would at the time I only knew myself as a freak. really turn on them. But they did. They At first the people of the town ignored came with torches and farm tools with me. If they did glance in my direction I the priest urging the crowd forward. He could feel them looking down on me. didn’t lead himself but gestured the way Judging my appearance as some form behind the safety of several of the larger divine punishment for some unknown sin villagers. In a panic my parents turned of my parents. There was no pity from to their last hope, the Vistani. their harsh accusing eyes. The children The vagabonds were camped nearby were worse. When they saw me they and my parents fled to them with what would throw stones at me while shouting little savings they had. They handed me taunts and insults. I cannot remember over without a thought and paid the clan which stung more. It did not take me to take me past the borders into another long to learn it was better to hide than realm. My parents then left me alone and face them. I sometimes spent hours returned home confident that they would crouched in the sharp underbrush be unmolested now they had disposed of me. Their house was burnt to the

53 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 foundation during the night killing both. experiments. I write experiments but to As for myself the gypsies kept their word my younger self they were torture and carried me away, smuggled in one sessions. I was subjected to all manner of the wagons. of tests and examinations. I was Once we crossed over into Darkon electrocuted and bled, forced to imbibe they declared they had fulfilled their end numerous foul tasting chemical of the bargain and the treacherous folk cocktails, all in the name of science. immediately sold me to the nearest I had been in the service of Doctor buyer. I gain a sliver of satisfaction from Carradine, for that was his name, for the the knowledge that they did not receive better part of two years before the too large of a sum for my bondage as I pharmacist announced he had realized was ‘flawed goods’. My condition left that my condition had to do with light, or me sensitive to the burning glare of the rather how my skin reacted to it. He sun; the rays of which could leave me announced that it would not be hard for with burns and horrid growths over my him to cause my skin to react as a body with too much exposure. Given my normal person’s would. He was also little usefulness I passed from employer convinced that it could aid someone who to employer for a number of months was normal in avoiding burns and before landing in the employment of one cancers from the sun. He carefully tested Captain Peck, a sailor on the Nocturnal his chemicals on a few samples patches Sea. The dark and overcast sky that of my skin before forcing the burning clings to that forsaken body of water chemicals over my body. He rubbed it proved to be a blessing for me. I was into my hair and dripped it into my eyes. able to earn a worthwhile living without I cannot describe the sensation; there suffering burns to my sensitive flesh from are not the words to express the pain. the sun. The work was hard and I will My body felt as it were on fire. I was not repeat in writing the many cruelties paralyzed with the intense pain that inflicted on me during my stay on that wracked my thin frame. I could not even vessel, but for the first time in my life I truly scream for the extra suffering it felt like I was not a useless being. My inflicted on the flesh of my poor neck stay was not permanent and I was soon and face. sold to a scientist who made his home in It took hours for the agonizing the land of Zherisia. This was how I burning to stop, or at least decrease to came to reside in the city of Paridon. tolerable levels. But the joy I felt the first The alchemist who was fascinated time I looked in the mirror. The light by my condition paid the captain in full pink or my skin and the blonde locks of for me. He was curious on why I was my hair. The light gray shade of my eyes. different and the mysteries I might hold I stepped out into the sun, my body still the answers to. He put me to work in his tingling for the doctor’s treatment, and shop where I spent many long hours let the warmth of the sun roll over me. I pasting labels on bottles of walked through the crowd and felt pharmaceuticals. The work was long and accepted. No, more than that, I felt I received but a few farthings in desired. I was not average, I was better, payment. During my stay the doctor a handsome young man. The pain that gave me a rudimentary education so I had tortured my body only a day earlier could better serve him in his studies and

54 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 seemed to have been worth it. But my joy I would normally hesitate to do I did was short lived. anyway without regret. I stole and I spent much time in front of a burgled repeatedly. I laughingly looking glass. In all honesty I still do. tormented others. Later the doctor would Touching my face to test if it was real discover why. In the meantime I also and not some beatific dream. But joy enjoyed the benefits of my charming new gave way to horror when the paleness human face with the handsome and returned. Slowly my face lightened to its charismatic appearance that won the past whiteness then grew even more pale hearts of many a young maiden that I by and transparent. So pale that I could see chance I encountered in the streets. A through my skin as if it were the finest few soft words and a gently offered crystal. But it was not just my skin. I flower and how they swooned for me. watched as my muscles and sinews and Ecstasy! They consumed my thoughts bones faded one after the other and and how I could not follow through with before long I was looking at nothing. In my early attempts at wooing due to my a rage I shattered the mirror and being held prisoner to the waxing and attacked the traitorous chemicals that waning of the sun. had removed me from the world. Doctor The doctor quickly became secretive Carradine hid in fear until my rage and ignored my queries on his progress. subsided. He was shocked to witness the Eventually, fearing the worse, I crept once docile servant of his explode. The into his study and read through his rage of years of abuse matched with a notes. To my horror I discovered the stolen dream pushed my young mind doctor was working not on a way to beyond the limit. It was not the last time. make me visible but a way to return me I sat in silence attempting to look at to my previous condition, the pitiful half- my nonexistent hands for hours. I was life I had led. The pale youth, the albino, oblivious to the inevitable passing of the forgettable freak! It also described time and did not notice the moonset and the potential side effects the chemicals the sun gradually begin to rise. I did, might have had on my mind. He was however, notice my hand become flesh questioning my very sanity! What little and bone again instead of a transparent humanity his foul concoctions had left ether. The doctor later explained it to me me with! After meticulously copying his but I had already surmised what was notes over a fortnight I confronted the happening. As long as the sun was in the doctor with my knowledge and accused sky I was a ruddy flesh and blood man, him of withholding from his aid. He but once it set I would fade into a solid retaliated by accusing me of spying and phantom. I begged the doctor to finish treachery. Before I knew it we were his experiment and find a way to make literally at each other’s throats. me normal permanently and he agreed. I sometimes wonder if the potion But he lied. that cursed my being really did impair I began to experiment with my my judgment. My faculties are newfound bodies. At first with the unseen unhindered and my mind is as sharp and one I discovered the privilege of quick as ever, however the lingering observing other and how people act doubt remains. My actions give me when they think they are alone. I reason to pause and reflect, reflect of surprised myself with my actions, things such times as the struggle. We thrashed

55 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 senselessly around his laboratory Evasion, Invisibility (see below), Low- upturning tables and chemicals. Soon Light Vision, Immunities, Sneak attack: the room was ablaze in fire that had +3d6, Uncanny Dodge; AL NE; SV Fort ignited by some unknown means. +4, Ref +8, Will +7; Str 15, Dex 17, Con Flammable chemicals spread the blaze 15, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 17 quickly throughout the building as I Skills and Feats: Alchemy +11 (13), quickly fled as fast as I could. I leapt Appraise +4 (6), Bluff +11 (14), through a window cutting my arms and Diplomacy +5 (8), Disguise +5 (8), sides in the process. Looking behind me Forgery +6 (8), Gather Information +3 I could not see the doctor through the (6), Hide +11 (14), Innuendo +3 (3), smoke of the raging inferno. Later I Jump +4 (6), Listen +5 (5), Move would return and poke through the ashes Silently +11 (14) Search +4 (6), Sense for remains for naught. All his Motive +5 (5), Spot +5 (5), Swim +3 (5), equipment and notes had been consumed Tumble +4 (6); Blind Fighting, leaving only my protected copies. Expertise, Iron Will, Power Attack. Incomplete at best and lacking the Languages: Darkonese, Tempesti, knowledge Carradine committed only to Zherision. his innermost thoughts. Equipment: Backpack, noble’s Freed from responsibility I took outfit, alchemy kit. what valuables remains and sold them to start a new life. I discarded my old name Current Sketch and took up a new name, one for the new Gryphon continues to live life in as person I was. It did not take long to grandiose a manner as he can while establish myself through careful perusing a permanent cure for his blackmailing and theft. In the right condition. Or at least a way to control hands information is power beyond his invisibility. The few notes that he reason. And I had the means to procure recovered are woefully incomplete and it. I wasted no time setting myself up in only offer a fragment of the procedure respectable society, buying all the proper that gifted him with invisibility. He has clothing and a nice estate. Building an performed a few crude tests on subjects; identity as a old relative of a respected mostly stray animals, to test his progress family who had only just recently with no positive results as of yet. His returned from foreign lands where I had skills as an alchemist are highly been receiving the education deserving inadequate and he is seeking someone of me. Now I just have to claim who can aid in his research. Willingly or everything else that I deserve. not. Gryphon is also heavily concerned with his businesses and day-to-day Raine Gryphon, the affairs. He owns several smaller Invisible Man businesses and some minor property that Male human Rog6/Exp2: CR 9; he leases out. Currently Gryphon is Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD primarily interested in expanding his 8d6+16; hp 65; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; AC 13 holdings and portfolio. (+3 Dex); Atk: +7 Melee (1d6+2; crit Gryphon is a bright, intelligent 18-20/x2, rapier) or +8 Ranged (1d10; individual that has devoted himself to crit 19-20/x2, heavy crossbow); SQ become a public figure and the center of attention. During the majority of his life

56 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 he has been ignored and feared and if these tales are true, but unwilling to labeled an outsider for being different. take the chance. Now he considers himself normal for the first time in his life, at least during the Combat day. He despises being ignored or being Gryphon prefers to strike quickly treated as if he does not matter, despite and suddenly in the dark before his the power and potential his invisibility victims know they are even under attack. offers he hates the anonymity of it. He then waits until they light a torch or Nevertheless he continues to use it to get candle and are assured their attacker has whatever her desires. He does not view fled before striking again. Given he his actions as wrong; he is merely cannot carry or hide a weapon he has to making up for an inequality in nature. resort to using whatever is handy to Gryphon is fond of parties and strike, he does prefer using the victim’s social events and often throws large own weapon against them. If possible he balls. Over the years he has been slowly will use poison or drugs to make the improving his social standing and death seem natural or sabotage the area reputation throughout the domain. for an accidental death. However, Gryphon’s ambitions are If faced by powerful foes with area- hindered by the fact that all his events effect spells or powerful magic Gryphon have to end before night falls and his is more likely to flee and attack when he secret is revealed. This is coupled with has the advantage. He knows that he the fact that Gryphon is often associated cannot wear amour while invisible and is with ‘new money’ in the elite circles of venerable to being struck by a lucky society and labeled a young upstart. His blow. claims to ‘old blood’ and a rich heritage While not invisible Gryphon avoids are still questionable and tentative, combat directly. He is more likely to something he is trying to fix. summon the town constabulary or During his life Gryphon sees servants than fight directly. However, if himself as having been repeatedly pressed into a fight, such as through a betrayed; in his mind his parents, the duel, he will equip himself with the villagers, the Vistani, and doctor appropriate armor and weapons. Carradine all stabbed him in the back. Invisibility (special): Gryphon’s As a result Gryphon is paranoid of being invisibility is a chemically induced double-crossed. He uses his power to supernatural ability and is unaffected by ensure the loyalty of his associates and such spells as dispel magic. At sundown habitually spies on his allies. Due in of every day Gryphon slowly fades away part to his upbringing and also to its and is undetectable within ten minutes. ability to discover him Gryphon fears The reverse happens every dawn. The and distrusts magic. Given the rarity of invisibility only affects Gryphon and not mages in Paridon he does not encounter his clothes or any items he happens to be them often, but has heard tales of other carrying of pick up. However Gryohon’s lands where they are common. Likewise invisibility is not dispelled if he makes Gryphon is distrustful of demihumans. attacks. He has heard tales that seem see heat and As his invisibility is not truly fears that they may be able to see him magical in nature and manipulates the even in the dark. He still does not know very light around him, spells that detect invisibility do not function as efficiently

57 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 against him. See Invisible only shows a Throw (at a DC of 15) or be blinded for misty outline of a figure and likewise 1d4+1 rounds. While blinded he suffers True Seeing only reveals a cloudy a –2 to attack rolls, saving throws, skill humanoid figure. This lowers Gryphon’s and ability checks. During the day the concealment to nine tenths or one-half sensitivity is lessened but Gryphon is cover respectively. Neither spell offers still wary of the light. During enough detail for an identification to be particularly bright days he has taken to made other than such broad descriptions wearing darkened glasses while outside. as humanoid. The potion that gave Gryphon his Gryphon’s body is photosensitive powers did not actually have any mental and partially absorbs and responds to the side effects. The change in his amount of light around him. When there personality was a result only of the is an unlimited amount of light he sudden lack on inhibitions and the becomes visible and as the light dims he removal of the possibility of being vanishes. Unnatural sources of light such caught. The sudden freedom and power as candles and lanterns off too limited a affected the reserved and repressed source of light to cause a reaction. Even individual more than he realized. This the Daylight spell proves ineffective in has worsened since he discovered the making Gryphon visible. This potential of the treatment affecting his photosensitivity also grants Gryphon mind, he know has an excuse to blame another added ability in that his eyes his questionable actions on. The more absorb more light while in darkness foul deeds he commits the less giving him low-light vision. He can see responsible he feels. twice as far than normal under dim Immunities: Due to his unique conditions. A side effect of this is a mild condition, Gryphon is immune to any light sensitivity. As he partially absorbs attempt to magically discern his location, available light a sudden change in scrying, and any attempt to detect his brightness may blind him. The casting of thoughts or discern his alignment. No Light of a similar spell is too gradual but magical divination can detect his a large spark or explosion is painful. presence, whether in the present, past or Gryphon must make a Reflex Saving future.

58 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 The March of Progress Cultural levels in Ravenloft By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

The world is an ever-changing The lands of the Demiplane of place, caught in the ceaseless march of Dread represent areas taken from a progress. The land and the people are multitude of worlds. Each of these areas never static, for forces of advancement special and unique, they contain and decay are relentless in pulling a societies at different stages of society in either direction. As each sophistication. In the years after their generation comes ascendant, they bring incorporation into Ravenloft, these with them the lessons learned from their societies have interacted with one forefathers, gaining and losing the another, becoming more and less wisdom of those who came before them. advanced in certain areas. These As the years pass the old are replaced by domains still vary from one another, and the young, the mind controlling the flow can be distinguished by their cultural of society are ever changing. As a levels. While domains are meant to be generation ages and becomes more the representation of their Lord’s experienced their views and philosophies torment, it cannot be denied that there change, altering their behavior. are living people within the domain. So The interactions between primitive long as there is time and a number of and advanced societies stimulate change, sentient beings within a domain, change for good and for ill. Wars, trade, is inevitable. entertainment and art cause changes in Cultural levels represent the themes societies, either by making institutions at work in a domain, not merely the level stronger or weaker. Society can never of technology. A domain of high remain static; it is always changing; technological sophistication is not becoming simplified or complex, open plagued by the same problems that or conservative, intellectual or hinder life in primitive domains, nor are emotional. primitive domains vexed by the ethical A cultural level is a snap shot in and moral dilemmas arising in more time, a measure of the advancement that advanced domains. This article we will a society has reached. They are a series explore the different cultural levels of a of generalizations used to describe a society, as they relate to the people and society, to sum up the philosophy ruling places in that domain. Given the themes a society and the sophistication of described in this article, a Dungeon science and technology. Civilizations at Master might decide to alter the cultural the same cultural level may still vary, levels of his campaign, either rising or there plateaus of advancement within lowering the level, to fit the atmosphere each level and often a given society that he wishes to create. straddles two or more different levels in different areas of development.

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communication, the manner in which Signs of the Times members of society express and Cultural levels can be differentiated communicate thoughts and feelings. by a number of criteria. These areas of development represent the most important and most visible differences Diversity that separate one society from another. Some societies do not follow the The first area in which domains very is general path of cultural evolution. A in thought. Thought represents the given culture might never have left the theories governing the actions in the Stone Age, but rather increased the domain, the beliefs held by the people sophistication of their primitive within. Thought encompasses several technology to accomplish goals deemed topics; the first is political theory, the impossible by more advanced societies method by which leaders are chosen and Some societies may posses only the justification that those leaders use for stone and wood as tools, yet organize governing their people. The next is themselves with the sophistication of a religious theory, the spiritual beliefs of Bronze Age people. If a culture is at a the people and the application of those given level but does not exhibit the same beliefs to real life. themes and ideologies of that level then Following this is the guiding the DM must decide which he feels is principles of morals, ethics and laws more important in deciding the CL, held by society. The next topic is technological sophistication or the science and education, the methods by theme. which people investigate the world around them and the manner in which Savage Culture: CL 0 they instruct others in that knowledge. This is the most basic stage in The final area of thought is economy, the cultural advancement, the very bottom. underlying principles by which people At this stage in development there is no make their economic decisions. form of life that can be considered After thought comes the second sentient. While their may be animals means of distinction for a cultural level, that are intelligent, perhaps even capable technology. Technology is expressed by of being civilized or domesticated they a number of different means. First and are still trapped in the mindset of an most notably is the level of armor and animal. There is no mode of thought in weapon technology; the armor that this cultural level, evolution is the only protects a culture’s warriors and the law and those who refuse to change will weapons those warriors wield. The next inevitably vanish from the earth. The area of technological development is strong eat and the weak starve, the equipment, the sophistication of the tools foolish are killed and the clever survive. society uses to accomplish its goals. The This is the most simple and basic level, third area is architecture, the manner in and for that reason it can continue to which structures are designed and built. exist for countless millennia until The fourth level is that of circumstance causes some intelligent transportation, the method of moving species to evolve and shatter the people or objects from one location to monotony. another. The fifth and final area of technological development is art and

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Domain experiences. There is no economy in a There is no domain in the demiplane Stone Age culture, trade is accomplished that represents this level of with barter and exchange rates are set by advancement. The Wild Lands are the the current need for the item. closest approximation, though since the Technology animals of this domain are capable of Weapons are extremely primitive in speech and rational thought, they can early Stone Age cultures, but war like hardly be considered mindless beasts. cultures quickly develop sophisticated weapons. Arrows, clubs, daggers, darts, Stone Age: CL 1 javelins, sling stones and spears can be This is the first true stage of cultural made from bone, flint and wood. Armor advancement. In this stage, sentient life is limited to leather, hide and small has gained self-awareness, the ability to wooden shields. make complex plans as well as the Equipment is significantly primitive. intelligence to implement those plans. Metal is completely unavailable, so This results in the birth of society, and anything that cannot be made of bone, from that, a new culture. Stone age leather, stone or wood is unavailable. cultures are governed by primary Items like flint weapons and rope require philosophy, survival. a great effort by the culture to create, as such rope is a precious commodity with Thought which Stone Age societies are reluctant Individuals and families group to part. Architecture is very primitive; together to form tribes. Within these homes are made in natural caves, piles of tribes individuals take on roles that insulating snow, trees or in primitive reflect their abilities, together they huts. accomplish the numerous tasks required Transportation is limited to tamed to gather food and water, raise their animals or rafts. Artistic impulses are young and defend themselves against channeled into a wide variety of crafts, hazards. Leaders are chosen from those ranging from wood and stone carvings, men and women who are best able to to cave paintings, to songs and rhythmic lead the tribe. music. Language develops quickly in a Spiritualism is a natural occurrence, Stone Age culture, though no form of intelligent beings yearn to give order to writing has been developed. the universe as well as communicate with nature. At this stage of Domain development spiritualism is limited to An example of a Stone Age culture primitive spirits. is the goblins living in the forests of Morals and ethics are directly linked Tepest. These goblins live in tribes deep to the need to survive, whatever benefits in the shadowy forests, struggling to the tribe is considered good and what survive. These stoic creatures have ever harms the tribe is considered honed their mastery of flint weapons to wrong. an art, an art unappreciated by the Science and education are woefully humans who find themselves on the undeveloped. Science is limited to receiving end. experiments with wheels, mud and fire and education is limited to shared

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Morality, ethics and laws become Bronze Age: CL 2 codified by the ruling religion. The The Bronze Age is the dawn of true Gods also have a temporal role, for the civilization. In this stage a society has ruler usually justifies his power by left the forests and jungles and begins to associating himself with the will of the reshape the land to better suit its own Gods. Obedience to the ruler and to needs. In the safety of the first cities, Gods is considered good, while dissent Bronze Age people are finally able to and heresy is wrong. Punishments for focus all of their efforts on cultivating a the breaking of laws can range from select few skills. This specialization will slavery, to mutilation to death. Slavery cause their society to be much more is a brutal institution in the Bronze Age, efficient at providing for itself, though it slaves have no rights and may be slain will generate a rift between those who’s by their masters without reason. specialty is to lead and those who’s role Scientific development is painfully is to serve. slow. Medical knowledge advances Though society is more efficient, beyond simple herbalists; in fact survival is a struggle. Life is very primitive surgery can be accomplished. uncertain and there is but a fine line Metallurgy is still beyond a Bronze Age separating feast from famine. As a civilization; they treasure items such as result, the people are very fatalistic and copper for its hardness and gold for its concerned with death. malleability. Astronomy is of great Thought value to the people of the Bronze Age, The guiding political theory of the and it is believed that through the Bronze Age is the rule of a single, understanding of the stars one can hereditary leader. This ruler guides the predict the future. Economy develops in efforts of a small number of people. the Bronze Age; a single important Life is still simple in the Bronze Age, so commodity is used as a standard for this ruler can make all of the important trade in the earlier period and the first decisions by himself. The ruler is served coins are created in the latter periods. by a number of personal guards and Technology advisors, who ensure that his decrees are Weapon technology is a low priority carried throughout society. for a Bronze Age culture. Combat is Religion is advancing beyond the ritualistic, mostly comprised of a loose worship of spirits. Bronze Age cultures confederation of men meeting at an worship a plethora of Gods, sometimes agreed place and attacking one another paying homage to as many a single God until one group yields. It is only at the for each individual person. In the latter part of the Bronze Age where true Bronze Age man has become separate armies evolve and the need for superior from nature, and it is believed that this weapons and armor arises. Axes, separation is reflected in the afterlife. daggers, flails, hammers, maces, scythes, The aforementioned Gods usually take sickles and whips can be made, though the role of administering this afterlife. the most advanced material available for To ensure passage into death, elaborate these weapons is bronze. Armor is tombs are devised. The body of the mainly ceremonial, the advances in deceased is considered sacred as is the technology have allowed for the creation property placed within a tomb.

62 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 of padded armor and the small shields muddy plots along the banks struggle to known as bucklers. produce enough to support the Since the move to civilization, the population. As a result, everyone in level of sophistication in tools has Har’Akir understands the proximity of increased substantially. Copper and death. Death is naturally sacred to these bronze are used to create hardened tools, people; the dead and their bodies are capable of breaking stone. Oils can be respected and protected. The people are extracted from plants and animals and very concerned with the afterlife, so they kilns can be used to make decorated obey their priestly leaders without bowls and pots. Architecture has question for fear of damnation. advanced to mud brick houses, walls and huts. It is this advance that allowed the Iron Age: CL 3 society to leave the caves and forests The Iron Age evolves from the that once sheltered them from the Bronze Age, only after several elements. Transportation now includes millennia. This is an exciting age, the well-made rafts, boats powered by struggle for survival is over and mankind paddles, chariots and large carts pulled has won. Advances in agriculture have by animals. made life more stable, the folk no longer Art is developing to express the fear starvation of drought, so now they growing religious feelings of the people, can turn their attention to other matters. as well as glorifying the society’s rulers. The people concern themselves with This art is usually very conservative, changing the world around them, the static and unchanging throughout great conquest of nature and the civilization of stretches of time. The first written the savage. The people of the Iron Age languages appear, though these are are obsessed with heroic individuals, usually hieroglyphs that are often those who use human qualities like stylized drawings of the object to be bravery, logic and reason to overcome described. This simple format makes nature. Indeed, this is the era of heroes, reading simple, which is an important where mortal legends walk the earth. consideration since the citizens of the society are too busy with their work to Thought spend time learning to read and write. The god-kings of the Bronze Age Communications are tightly controlled have disappeared and been replaced by by the ruler for parchment, papyrus, relatively more humble kings. These stone walls and clay tablets are the only kings are vibrant individuals that lead tools for recording words and they are city-states. These kings hope to earn all too expensive for commoners to buy their people’s love and respect and are for themselves. happy to associate with men and women Domains of great renown. In the Iron Age, kings, who are assisted by numerous advisors, An example of a Bronze Age culture rule the government. These kings are is the people of Har’Akir. The people of absolute in their power; no one who may this land live under a theocracy, which question their decrees and no law binds fills the gap left by the absent God- them. They are responsible only to the Kings. The people of Har’Akir lead Gods. very uncertain lives; the waters of their Oasis are fickle and unstable, so the

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At this cultural level religion is Technology becoming more refined. Gods are much With so much money flowing in and more human than the Gods of old, for out of an Iron Age civilization, greed is they are motivated by human needs and bound to lead to war. Iron Age weapons human emotions. Gods take on much are not much more advanced than those more defined domains, such as war or of the Bronze Age; the main difference wisdom or nature. The priests of these between the two is the use of superior Gods oversee sacrifices, rituals and iron as opposed to brittle bronze. festivals held in these Gods names. Relatively light iron is being used to Since life is so much more stable, the create large sized shields and tower public concerns for death and the dead shields, as well as breast plates and become much less pressing. Tombs are helmets. New tools can be made with still well designed, but they are much iron and a variety of other metals now less conspicuous and much less purified by the same processes used to important to the spiritual afterlife. refine iron. The laws of this age are codified Canals, dams, and aqueducts allow and published in public. Punishments the farmers of the Iron Age to bring run from death to slavery. Slavery in water and nutrients to more land than this form is different from the slavery of before, allowing them to grow much the Bronze Age. Slaves have a few legal more food than was ever possible. rights and are treated as an indentured Architecture is making bold new leaps servant rather than actual property. forward, stone is carved into ornate Slaves often become friends with their columns to support huge structures masters and most eventually earn their above them. Carpentry is becoming freedom. much more important, with iron tools to In this stable and secure culture, cut lumber elaborate homes can be scientific thought blossoms. Now that constructed from wood. Land man has free time, he can pursue transportation is still limited to carts and intellectual pursuits. Logic is being animals, but sea travel has expanded into perfected as are mathematics. sailed boats called triremes and massive Philosophers use both logic and math to seagoing crafts called galleys. create a theoretical picture of the world, Marble busts are appearing, as are skillfully approximating fundamental statues of bronze. The walls of homes scientific constants without the use of and tombs are painted in slavish detail, experiments. Metallurgy is the hallmark mimicking the real image of the subject of this age, the ability to purify iron matter. The pottery that facilitates trade allows civilization to create the tools it becomes the medium for art; they are needs to remake the land and ensure a finely decorated with images of stable flow of food and water. Advances mythology and history. Plays and in sailed boats and clay pottery allow stories told in the form of prose are Iron Age cultures to send foods and appearing as well. Written other goods over long distance to trade communication is blossoming with the with other civilizations. As a result, the creation of an alphabet. Not everyone in economy is vibrant. Precious metals are society can spend the time to learn to exchanged as currency, which greatly read, so those with the ability to read and speeds the exchange of goods. write are in high demand.

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Domains As time passes the civilization will The Iron Age is a short-lived period, fall into unimaginable decadence, for its progressive attitudes quickly lead depravity and decay. The age of heroes the people into the Classical Age. The has long past; morals and ethics are only domain possessing an Iron Age meaningless and physical prowess is all culture is the city of Necropolis. that is respected. The decadent people Necropolis has not lost their ability to enjoy nothing so much as seeing a forge iron, though other advances have champion fall to the next. This is an age been lost. The undead of Necropolis where civilization places its trust lead a parody of an Iron Age existence. completely into the wisdom of mortal These creatures lack the vocal spirit men. of living Iron Age peoples, but they Thought share the same feelings. The people of Republics are born in this age, free Necropolis are driven to expand the men are given the ability to “vote” to realm of the dead; they feel that their either directly make decisions or elect undead existence is the first sign of the representatives to government. This is hour of ascension. They have thrown the age of the first politicians, as well as themselves into the role and seek to the first bureaucrats. Towards the end of claim all of Darkon for the dead. Their the Age ambitious despots replace the hero is none other than Death, the one republics. These despots usually creature who exemplifies all of the accommodate some limited democracy, qualities of the dead. The denizens of as well as the institutions of the former Necropolis dream of “civilizing” the part of the Age. The culture of the chaotic life around them. Classical Age is organized into a nation or an empire. Classical Age: CL 4 Religion is in a serious decline. The The Classical Age is the next step human champions of this culture take beyond the Iron Age. The Classical Age greater precedence than the gods of old. is the zenith of civilization, a time of Clerics of the old gods are respected; the unprecedented confidence where common man has no use for religion. civilization has become more than was Cults arise in isolated areas, heralding ever dreamed possible. Humanity has the beginning of newer, more powerful elevated itself to unprecedented glory, gods. More often than not these cults filling his civilization with wonderful are persecuted and ridiculed by the beauty. The people of this culture are mainstream culture. Laws and justice in proud of their society and never restrain these cultures are becoming very themselves from expressing the glory of advanced. Courts are now being used to their culture. Yet when a society has try criminals, rather than sending men reached its peak, it must by definition before nobles. At this age slavery is still face a future decline. The people of this an integral part of civilization, though as culture have lost the sense of survival society decays the respect for slaves that drove their Iron Age ancestors, and diminishes. as such, they will not be able to Science is advancing at a much recognize the dangers that will befall slower rate than in the Iron Age. them. Medicine is advancing to service the ruling classes of society, allowing these

65 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 corpulent degenerates to indulge in Art has expanded in small hedonism for decades longer than they increments. Colorful arrangements of might have lived. The economy has hundreds of tiny stones, known as grown considerably since the Iron Age; mosaics are used to illustrate scenes trade can be accomplished across oceans from life on any surface. and continents. The self-indulgent Communications have not expanded despots will bankrupt the nation to much, despite the introduction of paper. immortalize their glory, after which the The written word is used almost whole economy begins to collapse. exclusively as a means of disseminating political propaganda. Technology Warfare is very advanced at this Domains period. Huge armies are organized and There are several domains at the equipped with steel arms and armor. same level of technology as a Classical Cavalry are being perfected; saddles and Age culture, yet few represent the all of stirrups compliment riders with long the cultural traits. Shri Raji is the best swords. The first professional soldiers example of a Classical domain, for it are begging to appear, men who dedicate represents a civilization just after its their lives to fighting for the glory of peak. Society is extraordinarily their civilization. Chain mail makes its sophisticated, but it is decaying. first appearance, though in very limited There are no republics in this quantities. The rank and file soldiers are domain, but the people view religion in equipped with short swords and spears, the same light. The cults of Kali have pikes, or javelins. taken power, yet the people of Shri Raji Steel is replacing iron as the metal have no more respect for the Gods than of choice for tools, allowing them last any other classical culture. Natives of much longer. As a consequence, they this domain despise the evil around are a much wiser investment and are them, but they are too apathetic to strike wider spread throughout the nation. back. The people are losing faith in Architecture is an integral part of the humanity, yet they have nothing better in glorification of the state, so naturally it which to place their trust, at least for the advances. Ornate columns and moment. statuesque carvings adorn every building. The arc and dome make the Dark Age: CL 5 construction of massive structures The Dark Age comes after the fall possible. The use of bricks in place of of a classical civilization. Civilization stone blocks allows for the creation of placed all of its trust in humanity, and huge walls and elaborate fortresses. for its faith it has been rewarded with Large mansions can be built for the destruction. Natural disasters cut off wealthy; the commoners live in travel and trade, barbaric invasion communal urban buildings. demolish the civilization or perhaps civil Transportation has not expanded, though insurrections. Whatever the cause, the the galleys of the Iron Age have been corrupt Classical civilization is too weak improved upon. Roads and bridges to survive the challenge. The economy make land travel easier; as well they collapses leaving individual regions to allow the state to erect toll stations. fend for themselves. The militaries that

66 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 once kept law and order vanish, leaving of learning left; all knowledge is passed civilization under the law of the jungle. from parent to child. The economy of The cities begin to decay, and while the culture has collapsed, and the they remain civilized they degrade back majority of trade is accomplished to a more primitive state. The people of through barter. Crops are grown and the Dark Age retain some of the most sent directly to the ruler, with the farmer practical advances in science and skimming his meager share. Slaves, also culture, forsaking the decadence that known as serfs, own nothing and earn plagued their ancestors. A Dark Age nothing. culture is a stoic culture; the people are interested only in practicality. Steel is Technology still widespread, as are many of the Technology has not decayed to advances in weapons, riding equipment same extent as civilization, but the and architecture. stifled economy makes arms and armor A true Dark Age culture has lost terribly expensive. In a land few useable faith with weak humans and placed its roads cavalry become much more faith in the hands of gods. Cults that important. Tools have barely changed once were ridiculed and persecuted gain since the classical age, though they are power in the dark corners of the nation. harder to come by. Only a ruler can New religions form, creating strange and afford to purchase metal implements for exotic pagan pantheons. Throughout the use by his slaves. Dark Age these faiths battle for The architecture of the cities is in supremacy. decay and the rural structures are primitive. This is not due to a lack of Thought knowledge; rather the poor economy Politics have become extremely makes stone and brick to expensive for simple in the Dark Ages. The strong common use. Primitive motte-and- lead and the weak serve. Kings, thanes bailey castles are the structure of choice and random despots unite warriors for the rulers of the rural areas. Homes beneath them and carve random spheres are either small huts or large communal of influence. These rulers administer long houses. Galleys are no longer over peasants, who are treated as nothing practical, since it is nearly impossible to more than slaves. There are no constants gather a number of rowers to power the in religious thought in a Dark Age vessel. Instead, smaller long ships culture. Some areas may believe dominate trade. Barbarians in Dark Age strongly in a monotheistic religion, cultures perfect the shallow bottomed others may partake of a cult, and still long boat making transportation quick others may have degenerated into the and easy by ocean and by river. worship of nature. These faiths are a Art initially declines due to the serious issue, for faith alone drives the impracticality of the past time. barbaric Dark Age people to civilization. Communications are at an all time low; Law and justice is a simple affair, the for with so much chaos and confusion will of a ruler is law. The only way of over the land it is nearly impossible to enforcing the law is by the sword. send messages over great distances. Punishments are typically brutal. Science and learning is stagnant in the Dark Age. There are no institutions

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Domains feudalism, a system where rulers trade The cruel weather and the land to other nobles in exchange for surrounding cliffs isolate the domain military service. This creates a complex from more civilized cultures, making and convoluted web of loyalties between Vorostokov a perfect example of a Dark vassals, which results in confusion and Age culture. The boyar Gregor Zolnik divided loyalties. and his brutal minions rule this land. Nobles are associated with ruling The people of this land are ignorant of religion; in theory monarchs derive their science and technology, though they authority by the will of the dominant possess the secret of steel and many god. The dominant church owns its own other advances. Faith in the domain is land and its own serfs. More over, the no issue for there are no other competing church is the official leader of the entire religions. Without another religion to empire, serving as the only intermediary offer contrast, the true theology of between mortals and Gods. Theology is Vorostokov is undefined and slaved to the doctrine of the ancient past, unimportant. though religious leaders have a limited ability to set new doctrine. It cannot be overstressed how tenuous are the secular Early Medieval: CL 6 bonds between early medieval Though the Dark Age represents a kingdoms. It is the church that mediates tremendous fall, it is a temporary set disputes, encourages trade and organizes back. The Medieval Age arises from the efforts between individual rulers. labors of the stoic Dark Age people. Of Without the church, the society is no the faiths battling in the Dark Age, one more organized than its Dark Age religion eventually finds a method of predecessor. Religious leaders tightly civilizing the culture again. This control the flow of theological religion then becomes a supreme, information, since this information is the universal religion. basis for all laws. The church has a Indeed, this universal religion unites court system separate from those used by the rulers and transforms the barbaric the nobles, though both are unfairly peoples into a semi-organized empire of biased against the poor serfs. Heresy kingdoms. The most influential leader against the dominant religion is never in this Age is the chief religious leader tolerated and always severely punished. of the dominant religion. The dominant Scientific advancement is greatly church wipes away all other religions, retarded by the collapse of trade and offering minimal tolerance for other communications. Learned scholars still faiths. labor in the cities but religious Thought organizations are the main source of learning. Science is mostly ignored, The major political theory replaced with alchemy and superstition. governing the Early Medieval Age is a Craftsmen have too little free time to dual government. The nobles and explore new ideas and technology; as a monarchs take on the military result new products must come from an responsibilities of government, an outside source. Apothecaries, herbalists important role since religious wars and and midwives dominate medicine. In forced conversion are extremely truth, these people are amateurs, relying common. These nobles live under

68 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 completely upon experience, superstition need for victory outstrips antiquated and good judgment. ideals. The economy is ruled by Steel tools are cheap enough for Manorialism, a socio-economic system lords to give them to their subjects. under which peasants are bound to the Smithies can create any tool that is not land of nobles. In truth, this is a standard, but they charge high prices as formalization of the same quasi-slavery well as collecting their Lord’s cut of the under which the Dark Age peasants profits. The spinning wheel allows for lived. Serfs are bound to a low level the creation of a weaving cottage nobleman called a lord and may never industry, where peasants convert raw leave the land that they are allotted. wool into thread, and thread into Peasants pay taxes to their lord, rent the finished goods. This allows serfs to land they farm, tithe to the church and make more money by which they may are charged for the use of mills, bridges, support themselves while making smithies and any other service offered. clothing and textiles much cheaper and As well, each serf is required to work a more readily available. number of days on the lands of the lord Architecture is advancing to meet and may be conscripted into military the needs of society. The high service. importance of religion is reflected in This is harsh deal for the serf, but in architecture. Pointed “gothic” arches this arrangement he is guaranteed a safe appear everywhere and flying buttresses and stable life. Lords make only a little allow structures to become huge man- profit from Manorialism, though they made caverns. The small temples of the still live lives of luxury. Nobles, who Dark Age are replaced with inspiring use a terribly complex system of churches. Castles are built of stone, individual privileges to skim off of the allowing the lords within to fortify their top, carry out all taxation. This makes lands. Homes are made of wood, a far taxation very inefficient and keeps the improvement over the huts of their Dark nation poor. Taxes are usually collected Age forefathers. Transportation is still in the form of grain, which is later limited to the level of the dark ages. bartered for gold or goods by nobles. Small improvements have been made to long ships, which can now carry much Technology more goods and many more soldiers. Arms and armor have advanced due The best means of land transportation to their increased importance to violent remains man’s reliable servant, the medieval culture. Chain mail armor horse. becomes wide spread, as does heavier, As religions become ascendant art and more rare forms of armor such as becomes a growing outlet for faith. In scale mail and banded mail. Long these cases, art usually portrays Gods swords and lances appear to arm and their servants as mighty conquerors, mounted warriors called “knights”. brining order to a chaotic land. Art Infantry are armed with pole arms and seeks to illustrate real life, but images armor piercing swords to counteract the tend to be flat. Nonetheless, they mounted legions. Bows and crossbows portray more emotions than were seen in are appearing, though the nobility as a the ages long past. cowardly scorns them. It will only be at the very end of this period where the

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Domains The ruling religion is losing some There are only a few domains that power, since it is no longer necessary to can retain this instable state, one of unite the culture and must now contend which is Tepest. Tepest is a land with the ambitions of kings. without nobles; it is merely a collection Nonetheless, the church serves as the of independent settlements united only chief advisor to nobles, holds land, by the Church of Belenus. retains legal authority and is the single The church oversees all matters that most important body in all the lie beyond the scope of a village elder, civilization. The religion is similar to a and retains authority within villages as step in the noble hierarchy, albeit the well. Faith is the focus of all artistic highest such step. Theology is focused endeavors in Tepest; active belief in the upon offering morals and ethics to the church is required of all Tepestians. people, offering a guide for life as well Deviation from the norm is not accepted, as a vision of the afterlife. nor is anything that can be construed as Monasteries dedicated to theology heresy. The pitiful economy of the appear and the men and women within domain is strangled by the tithes of the steadily expand their studies of their god church, used to fund the expensive and the world he or she created. This inquisition against the fey. creates a scholarly atmosphere of learning, making these monasteries islands of learning on a sea of ignorance Late Medieval Age: CL7 and superstition. Despite the The differences between the Early professional attitude, these monks are Medieval Age and the Late Medieval little more than historians. They do not Age are subtle but important. The late conduct their own experiments but rather medieval age is the perfected version of memorize the knowledge of ancient the early medieval age. The institutions peoples and regurgitate the that were created in the early medieval presuppositions of their extinct age have been shaped into efficient predecessors. organizations. Life in this period is very Manorialism remains unchanged, stable, and though there is still war, though certain advances make the starvation, and plagues, society has the system less effective. In some cases the ability to adapt and survive. taxes imposed upon peasants is Thought converted from amounts of grain into coinage, which may backfire upon the Feudalism remains the reining nobles should the value of the coins political system, however by the late drop. Monarchs enforce written medieval Age it is a much more polished agreements between peasants and version. Monarchs sit at the head of nobles, entrapping short-sighted lords in intricate hierarchies of vassals. The a permanent and unprofitable agreement. nobles are ranked by their importance, with each noble being directly overseen Technology by another noble of the next higher rank. The late medieval age is This system is much more efficient and characterized by the appearance of gives the Medieval society a line of longbow and crossbows. The longbow succession. will remain the weapon of choice for hunters, though its role as a weapon of

70 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 war has not yet been realized. Long Paper is becoming wide spread, proving composite bows are also making their to be an excellent material upon which debut, though they are viewed more as the scholarly monasteries may record an experimental weapon than as a their theological and scientific finished product. The crossbow, discoveries. Indeed, these monks are however, is an immediate hit among reproducing countless volumes of holy mercenaries and any lord wealthy texts. enough to outfit a unit with the expensive weapon. The crossbow Domains remains a rare and expensive item, but A late medieval civilization is a very its ability to pierce solid armor and stable society, capable of remaining in deliver massive force becomes the stuff that state for several centuries. There are of legend. many domains that remain at this stage Armor is advancing to meet the of cultural evolution. Nova Vaasa is one challenges of warfare. Half plate mail is such domain, though it must be invented, giving knights a heavy armor recognized that the Church of the that offers almost complete mobility. Lawgiver has much less influence than a The craftsmen of the late medieval age traditional medieval church. are privilege to technology of which The people of Nova Vaasa are their forefathers could only have dreamt. beaten down beneath the oppressive Mechanical gears power the first clocks, hand of the nobles, who have a though these are huge clocks powered by stranglehold on the economy. Noble large gears. Glasswork is advanced to privileges allow these aristocrats to drain an art, and block printing appears to the life from trade, harshly taxing the facilitate the faster production of bound movement of goods and making books, replacing the scribes of the early themselves wealthy in the process. The medieval age and giving the wealthy Church of the Lawgiver maintains a nobles an amazing new luxury upon number of Cathedrals, taking an active which they squander their fortunes. role in stamping out political dissent and Architecture advances to service the maintaining order. needs nobles and churchmen. The simple churches of the early medieval Chivalric Age: CL 8 age are replaced with great cathedrals. The chivalric age is a period of Huge spires and towers appear with unprecedented glory and nobility. The increasing frequency, serving as civilization has refined the institutions of towering metaphors for man’s efforts to the late medieval world to create a much reach the heavens. Stained glass appears more efficient and powerful civilization. in the windows of cathedrals, giving the Like both medieval eras, the chivalric parishioners an inspiring vision of the era is time of faith and devotion to the glory of their god. church. While the people are much Men and women that fail to fall into more confident in the strength of the mould of Manorialism might become humanity, they remain humble before wandering minstrels and poets. These their gods. Despite its devotion, society “bards” sing the glory of the medieval cannot hide its ambition. This is a world, intermixing the concepts of faith period where society is driven to expand and “perfect love” into tales of chivalry.

71 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 and conquer, crushing heathens and Middle Age counterparts and intermix believers alike. faith with scientific reason, creating a The knight is the main military unit method of applying logic to problems of of this era. These horse-mounted philosophy, theology and science. This warriors bear enough weapons and method is known as scholasticism and it armor to make them into unstoppable Scholasticism is the mode of all terrors upon the field of battle. It is only scientific thought in the late medieval after the evolution of huge units of world. Scholasticism allows the church bowmen that the knights are finally to create institutes of education, which curbed. Knights hone their art through binds society’s intellectuals to the elaborate tournaments that feature jousts, church through indoctrination. As a sword duels, and many other forms of consequence, science is supported by the mock combat. church, but is bound by religious ideals. Monks, priests and church educated Thought laymen conduct real experiments, trying In the chivalric age Monarchs are to reveal their god’s hand in the absolute rulers. To best take advantage perfection of the natural world. The first of the expanding economy, the chivalric doctors begin to appear; defeating age requires a strong leader. The apothecaries, herbalists, and midwives monarchs seize the reins of power and with their church sanctioned degrees in take a much more active role in medicine. governing, taking on many of the roles The economy of the Chivalric traditionally left to nobles. Though the culture falls under the control of guilds. feudalist hierarchy remains in place, they Craft and professional guilds are formed; have drawn all the authority from the creating an organization that sets the system and focused it upon themselves. price of goods and labor. Members of The nobles derive their power from the this guild include apprentices, king; serfs are the property of the king, journeymen and the master craftsmen. and all land in the nation is the property Master craftsmen train apprentices to of the king. become journeymen, who then travel to The kings of the chivalric age are other masters to learn the craft. The free to break and rewrite law as is their guild requires journey men to create a will. The nobles of this time period are “master work”, an item of amazing still powerful in their own right, but the quality before they themselves can hand of the monarch is an ever-present become masters and set up their own challenge to their authority. The ruling business. church may be the only body untouched Guilds allow monarchs, nobles and by the king. This church allows the king the church to influence the population to gain power equal to its own. The with minimal effort. To fund the many church loses some of its temporal power, wars fought in this time, money lending its lands and serfs, but it retains the same is invented. Lending money for profit, influence it once had over monarchs and or usury, becomes an extremely nobles. The church remains the one profitable venture. This is the dawn of institution the monarch cannot banking, and though it is slow to expand intimidate. in the Chivalric age, it will explode in The monasteries of the Chivalric the Renaissance. age take the curiosities of their Late

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Technology cathedrals of the church become ornate This is a particularly violent period structures. Castles develop the classic of time, where kings vie with one appearance, with moats, drawbridges, another for power. The mounted warrior and multiple defense walls protecting a is perfected in this age, producing the keep. chivalric knights for whom the age gains Cities are growing to serve the its name. These knights are protected by needs of the wealthy nobles; a bustling full plate, an armor that completely town, filled with craftsmen, services protects the warrior but conserving most castles. The carpentry of these freedom of movement. Heavy lances cities is amazing to behold, applying and bastard swords appear, allowing advanced ideas of mathematics into the these mounted warriors to pierce the structures and shaming the architects of armor of their enemies and deliver less advanced cultures. Transportation massive damage upon their foes. Long has seen a few modest advances. There bows and crossbows finally gain the are slight improvements on horse carts popularity they deserve. When in the and sleighs, allowing farmers and hands of an expert, these long-range merchants to move their wares further weapons are lethal, even to knights. with greater speed and efficiency. Long The first matchlock rifles appear, ships are becoming larger, allowing giving even the most inexperienced kingdoms to ship more goods through warrior the ability to penetrate armor and rivers and over seas. Sailing ships strike the vulnerable humans within. appear, allowing civilization to traverse These weapons take a full round action the expanses of oceans, though these to load however, like all firearms, their ships are extremely expensive. bullets ignore half of the armor class Art is still a major outlet for faith, bonus applied by mundane and natural however it reflects a different view of armor. Tool craft is highly advanced; faith. The Chivalric world is much more small tools can be created to facilitate stable than the earlier ages, the need for intricate work. Clockwork is appearing a powerful orderly god has past. Gods with greater frequency; in fact a and their servants are portrayed as more household clock is a common feature in human, either more loving or just more the house of a noble or aristocrat. merciful. While these religious figures Compasses appear, allowing for better are still infallible, they are more closely navigation. associated with human emotions and The architecture of the Chivalric needs. Age resembles that of the medieval age, Poetry becomes popular even however society finds itself creating amongst the amateur nobles. In this age, more and more elaborate structures. worship and love become intermingled Bridges, aqueducts and dams are made in art, making love poetry and religious into grand edifices of stone brick. poetry indistinguishable. Paintings and Religious buildings are the focus of portraits are becoming extremely amazing architectural advances, huge popular, since the artistic community has domes and ornate arches support abandoned the antiquated ideas of flat 2 breathtaking cathedrals. The homes of dimensional form and replaced it with a rural peasants remain almost unchanged, three dimensional mimicry of reality. but the castles of nobles and the

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Domains power and the source of prestige, and are Borca is a fine example of a thus in high demand. This is the driving chivalric culture. Ivana Boristi is the force behind the Renaissance. absolute authority of Borca. The nobles The Renaissance is the rebirth of and churchmen derive all of their power civilization. Indeed, humanity has from Ivana, all of Borca’s land is her reversed all of the damage caused by the property to be distributed by her will. fall of the Classical civilization and Under her singular guidance Borca’s created a new golden age of art, culture economy is consistently expanding, and science. Like the classical culture utilizing the advances in technology to before it, a Renaissance culture puts its create manufactures products for sale in faith in humanity. Yet unlike the fallen other domains. The crafts of Borca are classical civilization, the Renaissance run by the highly organized guilds, tempers its confidence with faith in a which allow Ivana and her minions to God. Faith in religion is intermixed with enforce policy throughout Borca’s humanism, a liberating philosophy that, industries. to a limited extent, frees mankind from the religious dogma of the medieval age. This is an important feature, for this is The Renaissance: CL 9 an age where the growing tide of The Renaissance is entirely an urban capitalism is working its way into movement. The advances in the religion. chivalric age allow the population to Despite the confidence of the soar, which in turn generates a massive renaissance age, it is a time of death and population explosion is cities. Advances disease. The urban centers that birthed in banking and money lending draw the Renaissance are havens of death and craftspeople and merchants into the disease. While the wealthy live long, cities, turning them into crowded city- healthy lives, the urban poor wallow in states. These city-states are easily as filth and infections. Indeed, the only wealthy as large kingdoms, and with the thing supporting the population is the use of professional mercenaries, equally constant influx of rural peasants seeking as dangerous. a better life in the city. The Renaissance cities are thriving metropolises built entirely upon trade, Thought whether that is usury or the exploitation To enter the Renaissance age a city of trade routs. Merchant families control must be both huge, and enjoy autonomy. the cities; they exercise more political Most often this means that the city is an and economic influence than most independent city-state, though the capital monarchs. These families compete city of a kingdom might also enjoy this fiercely for control, and though they are status. The management of such a city is exceptionally wealthy they are a task far too complex to be left up to a constantly struggling to turn a profit. monarch, even one as powerful as a This is the age of “conspicuous Chivalric monarch. Indeed, the needs of consumption”, where the rich middle the city state give rise to the two political class of non-noble merchants buy items theories of the Renaissance: Republics of art, fashion and literature to increase and Despots. their social status. Philosophy, science In the republic system a quasi- and works of literature are signs of democratic council of men is organized

74 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 to set all of the laws, policies and It is this corruption that has regulations to support the city. This weakened the oppressive hand of the “commune” is made up of wealthy church and freed culture from antiquated merchants, men elected to their position doctrine. Indeed, in the depths of by land owning citizens, rather than decadence, the church sponsors the very hereditary nobles. These men are culture that undermines its power. The chosen for their skills, ensuring that church becomes the main patron of the qualified leaders fill the important Renaissance, commissioning works that offices of the commune. In truth, these glorify mankind with lip service to communes are gatherings of the leaders religious undertones. of the wealthiest merchant families. The Renaissance is a golden age of The next theory is despotism. In scientific discovery. The wealthy this case, the head of the single most nobles, churchmen and merchants fund powerful merchant family rules as an learned men with incurable curiosity. absolute dictator. This patriarch, or These scientists may be amateurs or matriarch, makes all laws and policies, scholars trained in scholasticism, they and pays lip service to a figurehead may be logical and methodical or they republic. might be eccentric and irrepressible. Both forms of government fulfill the Whatever their personality, these needs of the ultra-dense cities of the scientists are free of most of the barriers Renaissance. They give citizens a that held their forefathers. While they chance to observe government in action must be cautious not to openly challenge as well as participate in that governing. Church doctrine, they are free to explore The renaissance rulers are many times almost every topic under the sun. more efficient than typical hereditary Doctors open large medical schools, monarchs, for they could neither have producing large numbers of educated reached nor maintained their position men to service the growing population of without extensive expertise in wealthy patients. diplomacy, economics and politics. Massive trade drives the The Renaissance is an age where the Renaissance economy. Banks and religion from the medieval age becomes private usurers offer loans to merchants, arrogant and corrupt. No religion, no explorers and warlords, allowing them to matter how devout, can help but become undertake grand endeavors. The need to arrogant after so many centuries of stimulate the economy forces explorers absolute power over civilization. The to drive further into the world beyond unique nature of Ravenloft cuts off the city, to discover new resources and communication between clerics and the new customers. deities they worship. This allows priests Inevitably, the Renaissance culture to become self-assured and conceited. sets up colonies outside of its own lands. Inevitably, these priests become so self- These colonies are designed to extract assured that they succumb to some form natural resources like gold and send of avarice. These churchmen become them back to the mother civilization, more like nobles than like priests, they where they are bought for a pittance and seek personal wealth and power as well greatly enrich the mother civilization. as the luxuries that those bring. These colonies are the first of their kind, and as such they are primitive,

75 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 inefficient and entirely dependant on the can be mass-produced at a cost low mother country for support and enough for anyone to buy. leadership. Usually these colonies are Architecture in the Renaissance is as formed through the settlement of rich and elaborate as an artist’s dreams. unoccupied lands, though subjugating an With the unlimited wealth at the hands indigenous people to the will of the of patrons architects are allowed to run mother country could also create such a wild and create masterpieces of marble colony. and granite. Domes and arches are used frequently, as are giant vaulted ceilings. Technology Columns similar to those from the The renaissance is the age where Classical age make an appearance as armor becomes obsolete. Though well. Renaissance cities are wild jungles breastplates and other forms of of brick and stone. The population of protection will still be in use, they are no these cities is so dense that almost every longer considered to be practical. building is some form of a residence. Indeed, the Chivalric age has shown that Apartment buildings allow dozens upon armor is no match for arrows or dozens of families coexist within one crossbow bolts, let alone the bullet. huge structure, utilizing the same Firearms, for the simple reason of pluming fixtures. The Renaissance age logistics, dominate warfare in this age. heralds the return of plumbing, the Bullets and powder are much easier to transportation of water to and from transport than bulky arrows and quarrels, buildings through pipes. Not since the making an army outfitted with muskets classical age has civilization enjoyed the much easier to move than bowmen. benefits of plumbing, though even in the Matchlocks still make up the bulk of the Renaissance only the urban apartments firearms in the culture, though expensive and wealth manor houses can afford this wheel lock cavalry pistols begin to luxury. appear. Horsemen are still critical to a Transportation goes hand in hand renaissance army, though these men with trade. By the renaissance age the rarely wear more than breastplates and sailing ship is perfected, resulting in carry blades called sabers. Pikes and massive vessels capable of moving pole arms remain extremely popular as a hundreds of men, or many tones of cheap way to arm ground forces for goods over huge distances. This is a battle against both infantry and cavalry. critical advance, since this bulk The first pocket sized watches transportation is crucial to the trade that appear, allowing everyone from the powers the Renaissance. middle class to nobles to own a piece of Free of many of the religious time. Telescopes and microscopes begin controls of the past, and sponsored by to appear as well. Diamond cutting the permissive middle class and technology increases, as does sewing decadent churchmen, art explodes in the and weaving. In fact, huge spinning and Renaissance. Art is everywhere in a weaving machines appear, making the Renaissance city, it is so prolific that process of turning raw wool into a textile even a commoner can afford to purchase product a much faster process. Most a small trinket or two. The human form importantly, the first movable type becomes the subject of intense study; printers appear. For the first time, books human bodies are rendered in lifelike

76 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 detail in paintings, drawings, stone and merchants and their loose money metal sculpture. Portraits and other abundant. paintings are created with beautiful oil Art and culture in Dementlieu is paints and preserved by exciting new unbound and flourishing beneath the methods, which promise to keep permissive aristocracy. Science and Renaissance artworks nearly immortal. medicine are similarly advanced. The interior walls and ceilings of Indeed, Dementlieu is the envy of the buildings are often decorated with core. original artworks. Writing and poetry The government of the domain is are not idle in this period, indeed great neither despotic nor truly democratic, works of poetry are being sponsored and but a hybrid between the two systems. written by the wealthy elite of society. This unique position gives Dementlieu Communications are exploding with an amazingly efficient and reactive the invention of the printing press. The government, capable of passing laws and printed word is as cheap as water and policies to counteract the quickest crisis. almost as prolific. Pamphlets regarding philosophy, politics and religion Game Modifications circulate on the streets, causing It should be recognized that by the Renaissance leaders to pass laws to limit Renaissance period certain elements in and, to an extent, protect freedom of the society have changed significantly. It press. More importantly, books are might be prudent for Dungeon Masters being published at an astounding rate. to offer players the ability to use the Books are written on every subject, aristocrat or expert as a basic player disseminating Renaissance ideas at an character class. Furthermore, the DM astounding rate. Indeed, holy books are might consider using the modifications now copied and sold, allowing anyone to to these classes proposed in Quoth the read the words of their God. No one can Raven: Issue #1 in the article “Those foresee the conflicts that will arise when Who Delve the Dark”. nearly every commoner has access to the Next, in the Renaissance setting the holy texts and can interpret the word of use of the firearm has become much God for themselves. more common than that of more primitive weapons. Indeed, though the Domains complicated matchlocks of the Chivalric The best example of a Renaissance period were unwieldy and exotic, the culture in Ravenloft is Dementilieu. much more reliable wheel locks of the Dementlieu is essentially two cities; Port Renaissance are many times more easy a-Lucine and Chateaufaux, and the to use. Dungeon Masters should be inconsequential rural areas divided up encouraged to give characters native to a between the two. Renaissance culture proficiency in rifles The cities are free from the tyranny though they were martial weapons and of religion; indeed the local church of pistols as though they were simple Ezra behaves as a patron of the arts. The weapons. wealth of Dementlieu is fluid; the nation is based upon trade rather than agriculture. The constant ebb and flow of money enriched the middle class of the domain, making spendthrift

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commoners, can meet and advise the Age of Absolutism: CL 10 king. While the Renaissance was a The importance of religion resurges movement of freedom, the age of in the Absolutist regime. Indeed, the absolutism is an age of oppression. The justification for absolutism lies in the freedoms of a Renaissance city divine right of the monarch. For this eventually end in chaos and reason, absolute monarchs become governmental impotence. Independent enforcers of the dominant religion. The city-states inevitably prove inferior to religion prospers from the power of the their enemies, massive kingdoms. monarch, though they technically have The nation state truly takes shape in lost power. this era, as the land is divided between Early in this period, monarchs the families of kings, rather than by embroil their nations in wars of religion. nobles who’s allegiance might shift. Since the crown is attempting to win the The age of absolutism is an age of trust of the church, it finds itself driven constant warfare. The imperialistic to do battle with other kingdoms over desires of the monarch, coupled with the religious matters. However, as the age obligations to the dominant church progresses monarchs lose this create a drive for conquest. Absolutist dependence, and so religion eventually nation states will throw themselves into becomes a political non-issue. the bloody fray, risking everything for Scientific development is the possibility of gaining precious land. maintained at a level almost equal to that Thought of the Renaissance. The economy of the The political system of the time is culture is booming, so there is pressure absolutist monarchy. This monarchy on scientists to discover new differs greatly from monarchies of the technologies to be exploited. Science past because of its emphasis on the conflicts with the blind religious faith individual power of a single monarch, that has characterized society for rather than a hierarchy of nobles. millennia. Logic, reason, and Absolute monarchs assume all authority experimentation conflict strongly with in their kingdom; they delegate as little superstition and spirituality. Though power as possible and involve science is struggling against the yolk of themselves in every matter of state. This religious doctrine, the necessity of creates an atmosphere where common scientific discovery prevails. The born officials can advance above nobles. eccentric curiosity of renaissance Indeed, the Monarch is so confident that scientists is replaced with the rigid he can afford to appoint officials scientific method, a mode of analytical according to ability, rather than loyalty. thought that eliminates personal bias and Independent city-states and stresses experimentation. principalities are cowed to the monarch, With the increase in the monarch’s and the kingdom becomes a true nation power, so does his share in the wealth of state. To keep the people placated and the nation. The king focuses much of to further undermine the power of his attention on the economy, and the nobles, the monarch sets up a parliament nation naturally benefits. The nation where representatives from the three becomes specialized to produce estates, the church, the nobility and the profitable products.

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The exploitation of colonies in the rotation and planting techniques. These Renaissance is replaced with the new procedures have necessitated the superior Mercantilist system. In this advancement of farming and system the colonies become more self construction tools. Even a simple farmer sufficient, yet treaties with the mother makes use out of the tools of an architect country bind them. The colony is forced or an artisan. to send raw materials to the mother Now that cannons have made castle country at a cheap cost, and those walls useless, the homes of noblemen materials are transformed by the mother become monuments of decadence and country into finished goods, which are opulence. Pointed towers, adorn many sold back to the colony or other nations castles and manor houses, and huge at an inflated cost. arches appear in bridges and other buildings. On the more common end of Technology the spectrum, buildings are becoming Arms and armor make a small leap much more refined. The old peasant in this age. Flintlock rifles begin to shacks and hovels are replaced with appear towards the end of the Age of houses of wood or brick. Windmills Absolutism, making the unwieldy appear in larger numbers, making grain matchlocks obsolete. Bayonets appear milling much more common and in massive numbers, allowing inexpensive. musketeers to double as spearmen. As To facilitate trade dams, canals and well, batteries of cannons appear in land locks have been built to allow merchant warfare, making the castles of the barges to travel far up rivers and deliver Chivalric age obsolete and nearly goods. Indeed, locks allow boats to useless. Armor is vanishing from the travel into the highlands and lowlands of battlefield. Shields are gone forever, and a kingdom. Ocean shipping is becoming the breastplate is on its last leg. Aside even more advanced. Ships are from their symbolic significance, armor becoming bigger, armed with cannons is useless. Cavalry remains an important and even armored. Horse carriages are unit, but the pikes and pole arms that becoming important for land travel, once countered horsemen have been allowing nobles to travel in style. discarded. Communications are expanding Mercenary armies are found rapidly. Though the monarch might throughout the absolutist society, desire to control the media more closely, allowing a nation to gather large the proliferation of the printing press is numbers of quality soldiers at a moments too powerful a force for even an absolute notice. The trade ships crucial to monarch to control. The first shipping are pressed into military service newspapers begin to appear, allowing during times of war, allowing nations to current events and political commentary gather a huge navy without suffering the to reach even the lowliest citizen. burden of paying for a standing navy. Wealthy aristocrats, who intend to The Agricultural Revolution immortalize themselves sponsor art. characterizes the age of absolutism. These oil paint portraits give future This is an exciting time for farmers, generations an idealized view of these because new developments in science individuals, forsaking realism for beauty. have revealed the usefulness in advanced irrigation, land reclamation, crop

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comes to pass; either the monarch The Enlightenment: CL 11 willingly shares power with parliament The scientists and philosophers of or the nation fails and a violent the Age of Absolutism open a window revolution ensues. Either way, the of thought and allow the light of reason nation stabilizes and becomes prepared to penetrate society and banish the for the challenge of the enlightenment. darkness of superstition and ignorance. In some enlightened societies the The enlightenment is the triumph of absolutist monarch becomes an reason and humanity; it produces a brave “Enlightened Despot”. In many ways, new world filled with men and women this is nothing different from the who can freely question anything and absolute monarchy; say that the mandate everything in society. of power comes from the rational need “Philosophs”, the new breed of for a powerful, educated ruler, rather philosophers, preach enlightened ideas than divine right. The enlightened in the cafes and salons of society. While despot tries to spread some, but not all aristocrats and nobles struggle to stamp enlightened ideas. Amongst these ideas out the enlightenment, the movement are codified laws, reforms to make a remains popular with students, freer economy and increasing the legal fashionable bourgeoisie and ambitious status of peasants. These despots are monarchs. The new ideas of philosophy, assisted by parliaments, organized art and politics flourish in cafes and bodies of representatives from the fashionable salons. The cafes are the different areas of the kingdom. These haunts of artists, radicals and university parliaments handle minor details and are students, and as such they are hot beds still subject to dismissal at the monarch’s of rebellious thought. The much more whim. moderate and acceptable salons are Religious tolerance is the hallmark maintained by wealthy women and of the Enlightenment. After the bloody attended by the more moderate religious wars of the Age of Absolutism, philosophs. the foolishness of intolerance is exposed. One of the most important elements The dominant religion loses even more of the enlightenment is the secular power; by the end of this age it transformation of civilians into citizens. will be a purely spiritual organization From the chaos of war and the economic with little or no political importance. explosion, peasants are forced to become New modes of religious thought appear motivated, independently minded in this atmosphere of tolerance. workers and on occasion, militiamen. Science and religion fought one With these skills comes the ambition to another in the Age of Absolutism, and play a role in the governing of the by the Enlightenment science has nation. emerged as the victor. Chemistry, Thought mathematics, engineering and every The Absolutist monarchs inevitably other science are advancing at an disappear. With the amazing challenges amazing pace. Universities are infected of a thriving economy, only the most with the scientific method and produce outstanding monarch is fit for the countless scientists, who delve into the challenge. Eventually a weak monarch secrets of the universe with limitless comes to power, and one of two things courage and curiosity. Certain

80 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 enlightened despots experiment with timepieces inexpensive enough for even cheap, state-run schools for the youth of common folk to own. Hand driven the nation, creating the first “high machines allow tool and gun makers to schools”. mass produce items, giving them a Medicine is free of antiquated ideas; universal form that allows for the quick autopsies, surgeries, transfusions, exchange of spare parts. vaccines, pharmaceuticals and many Hot air balloons appear, giving more miracles of scientific medicine mankind the first taste of flight. Slow increase the length and quality of life. and clumsy, these behemoths will spark Of the many discoveries made in the imagination and drive man towards this time, electricity is the most the conquest of the air. noticeable. The mystery of harnessed Communications are expanding as lightening perplexes science, and goads newspapers and printed books it forwards. proliferate. National postal services The economy of an enlightened allow for cheap communication in cities society is vastly superior to that of the and throughout the nation. Competing previous ages. The old barriers of trade with these post offices are private tariffs and noble privileges are under delivery services. These heavily armed attack; new forms of taxation appear to riders carry letters, packages, cash and increase efficiency. The mercantile anything else, for the right price. colonies are more important than ever, The ideas of philosophs spread by though the colonists themselves buck the way of the written word. Plays and oppressive limits the mother country has other forms of drama entertain the elite imposed upon them. and the masses alike. As well, new and exciting ideas are being fostered in the Technology medium of painting, though decadent There is little change in the Rocco portraits are the most prolific. technology of weapons in the Enlightenment. Rifled barrels make an appearance, allowing bullets to be fired Industrial Revolution: CL 12 at greater distance and accuracy. The enlightenment transforms the Cannons are becoming bigger and more minds of civilization, but it is the arrival specialized, antipersonnel grapeshot of the steam engine that truly changes appears as well. Armor has vanished the world. All societies require someone completely from the field of battle, even to accomplish labor, but after the as a ceremonial costume. The real Industrial Revolution that the burden of advancement comes in organization. that labor is borne by a machine. The Men appointed for their skill lead peasants from the enlightenment struggle armies, and the promise of advancement to provide a better life for their children, drives soldiers to be all that they can who themselves become the become. Citizen militias supplement businessmen of the industrial revolution. professional armies in times of crisis. The industrial revolution takes to heart Tools have made only a scant few the theories of the enlightenment advances since the age of absolutism. philosophs. Free economy, greater Theories of mathematics and physics democracy and rational ideas are all have allowed for the creation of incorporated into society. pendulum-powered clocks, making

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Thought industrial culture; it plays no part in The changes of the enlightenment politics and has little sway over the are taken to the next step. Scheming thought of the time. Though while parliamentarians and silvered tongued religion has lost power, it has gained the lords replace weak monarchs. While freedom to concentrate totally upon monarchs remain as figureheads and offering moral guidance to society as heads of state, the leaders in parliament well as food and shelter to the needy. are the true head of government. This Though the battle between science and atmosphere of freedom breeds amazing religion is decided, there will be confidence in society. The economy numerous classes in the future. soars with invested capital. The colonies Advancements in science are of the nation, assuming they didn’t occurring at a tremendous rate. revolt during the previous ages, are Universities are the source of every important cogs in the nation’s advance. The term scientist becomes machinery. An industrial revolution synonymous with an accredited degree. society tries to advance preexisting The growing need for machines drives colonies and exploit new lands. advances in metallurgy. As well, The laws of an Industrial Revolution theories in chemistry, biology and Age society are enforced by a publicly mathematics are occurring with each funded police force, under the control of month. This age begins with the birth of government. Judges, who oversee the steam engine, which powers machines arguments made by opposing councils, capable of performing more work at a conduct trials. The judicial system of faster rate than any human. the Industrial Revolution is separate Many of the mysteries of electricity from the monarchy and the government. have yet to be explained. However, All citizens are, at least in theory, equal mankind has finally made the connection before the law. between electricity and magnetism. As the rural regions conflict with The economy of an industrial urban industry, there are bound to be culture is booming. The appearance of violent clashes. Civil disturbances, and steam driven machines has allowed a even civil wars are not uncommon. As given nation the ability to produce much most as a concession to the rural areas, more goods than it ever could have power in parliament is divided up based produced with purely human labor. Raw on region rather than population. The materials like wool or metal are turned rural areas often have disproportionate into finished goods by machines. power, creating “Rotten Boroughs”, Entrepreneurs and partnerships form areas with little if any population that companies. Clever, self-motivated men enjoy representation as great as whole can literal move from rags to riches in cities. Corruption runs rampant in the their life times. Banking becomes a Industrial Revolution parliament. Votes critical element to the economy, since it are bought with bribes and threats, and is through bank loans that the businesses power is brokered to the highest bidder. are created. The disastrous conflict with science This booming economy has a darker proves to be nothing more than the death side, however. The cost of the opulence rattle of organized religion. Religion is of society is borne by the poorest not an important part of the life in an citizens. This age is the death of the

82 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 manorialism economy. No longer do allowing for mining operations at great laborers and employers meet face to depths as well as allowing greater face. The factory owner and the factory sophistication in urban sewage systems. worker are permanently separated, More importantly, these steam engines resulting in disputes over hours, wages power human operated machines, which and safety. Labor laws are nonexistent, can accomplish more work in a faster as are the rights of laborers. Worse off time than any human. are the rural peasants. The advances in Ships continue to grow larger and agriculture allow a few small farms to more heavily armed and armored. The produce the same amount of crops as the sailing ship remains the foundation of huge farms of the past. As well, the most trade, but steam ships are steadily industrial economy encourages overtaking them. The first, clumsy landowners to focus efforts on the steam ships appear in the last years of production of a single crop. This makes the Industrial culture. Horse drawn thousands of peasants obsolete and in the buggies and carts are popular for both way of profit. Owners enclose rural and urban transportation, though farmlands and cast the tenant farmers for peasants the reliable foot, or a horse into the streets. when possible, is the transport of choice. As this ages goes on, some Technology imaginative inventors experiment with a Advances in firearm technology land based steam engine. These clunky, occur quickly as gunsmiths devise more steam driven “locomotives” are slow and efficient weapons. Rifles are much more ugly, but they can pull huge trains of accurate, powerful and longer ranged carts along tracks of steel, making the ox than their ancient flintlock predecessors. and horse carts of the past obsolete. The invention of the “bullet” Indeed, by the end of the age, these revolutionizes firearms, finally combing trains become very useful in moving cumbersome powder, wadding and other people across long distances. firing compounds into a single, easily Communications in the industrial loaded cartridge. Repeating rifles age are critical for the economy. appear, as do shotguns, capable of firing Newspapers are a critical tool for the cones of lethal steel pellets. Pistols dissemination of news regarding politics, known as revolves appear, allowing the economics, religion, science and any wielder to rapidly fire bullet after bullet other subject under the sun. Books are without reloading. However, due to cheaper and more readily available than matters of cost, logistics and a lack of ever before. The first telegraphs appear trust in the self-restraint of armed in this age, utilizing the relatively new soldiers, armies of this cultural level still electromagnetic technology. Quick utilize single fire muzzleloader muskets. communications can be made over huge Artillery expands as well. Cannons distances, fostering democracy, become more accurate and longer newspapers and all other forms of ranged, and Gatling guns emerge. communication. To service the wide variety of Art in the industrial age is bolstered machine in existence, mechanical tools by the confidence of the age. Novels have become much more common and appear as a method of pure sophisticated. The first wood powered entertainment, as well as a medium for steam engines appear as water pumps,

83 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 social commentary. Romanticism government serves the interests of both appears as a reaction to the rational the wealthy captains of industry and the enlightenment. Emphasizing emotion, masses, arousing the ire of neither group the Romantic dramas and novels look and retaining support from both. back to the simple passions of the past. Religion and science continue their Nature becomes a popular subject eternal battle. Organized religion has among artists, as does the simple become much more tolerant of other lifestyle of farmers. Other artists take a faiths, it now focuses all of its efforts more intellectual look towards art and upon setting morals standards for begin pioneering new methods of society. Now that mankind has been painting, abandoning the desire to paint elevated so highly above nature, the realistically and experimenting with Victorian society is encouraged to imagery. behave accordingly. Death, sex and anything else beyond the grasp of pure Victorian Age: CL 13 science are considered to be taboo. Death is hidden away from society and The Victorian Age is a glorious age, wrapped in the last vestiges of where the successes of the Industrial mysticism. Sex and other biological Revolution have made a nation into an functions are condemned by religion and empire and elevated the middleclass polite society, hidden away from society. citizens of the nation to a lifestyle Science continues on in its golden enviable by the aristocrats of more age. Universities and colleges train primitive cultures. scientists and technologists, both of Mankind marvels at its own glory, which are in high demand. New theories for no goal seems beyond its grasp. emerge to describe the universe around Steamships ply the oceans and coal- mankind, theories which are put to the burning locomotives crisscross the land test and used to create new products. on ribbons of steel. So proud is society, The economy remains the most that it is blind to the follies of its own important issue to an industrial nation. ambition. Sooner or latter a Victorian The civilized nation continues to make Age society goes to war with another. A its profits by selling its manufactured Victorian society easily crushes a goods to less advanced nations, but a primitive appointment, but against a new emphasis is placed upon lending technological equal the inevitable war money. Victorian nations become becomes long, drawn out and disastrous embroiled in the disputes of smaller for both sides. nations, since the capital lent to these Thought nations represent an investment of The parliaments of the Industrial significant economic resources. The Age are firmly entrenched in the corporate system becomes more and Victorian Age. There are numerous more important to the Victorian culture, token reforms to the ruling political these investments allow the middle class system, and the most blatant corruption to save money, without draining the from the Industrial Revolution is economy. removed. Government settles into a Labor rights often conflict with the moderate balance between idealistic needs of the economy. After the violent honesty and cynical greed. The clashes in the Industrial Revolution

84 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 come the much more bloody battles wave of new inventions are offered to between management and labor. Despite the public, including light bulbs and the resistance of government and the even ammonia refrigerators. upper class, labor either organizes and In this age, the first combustion makes collective bargains, or forms a engines are devised. Land machines socialist resistance. called automobiles are seen, though in the beginning of the age they are nothing Technology but novelty toys of rich men with too Since the dawn of time man has little sense to purchase a horse cart. invested his intellect to that most Towards the middle of the age the pressing of goals: slaying his enemies. automobile gains more acceptance, and The Victorian age sees the birth of the by the end of the Victorian age they are most deadly weapons ever seen. appearing in every corner of the nation. Advances in metallurgy and munitions Diesel engines also appear, allowing allow for the creation of amazing new huge automobiles called trucks to lug weapons of war. Most importantly are loads almost equal to that of a train car. bolt-action rifles, efficient and long The sailing ships of the past remain ranged weapons that replace the in the seas, though only as a novelty. repeaters of the Industrial age. These Steamships grow to be huge vehicles, rifles can be augmented with telescopic larger than most structures ever built by sights, which allow snipers to strike man. These steam ships can even be down victims like the hand of God. built into massive weapons of war. Semiautomatic pistols appear as a side These battleships are not alone in the arm, as do hand held explosives called waters. Towards the very end of this age grenades. Artillery makes a huge leap the technology of batteries and diesel forward with field guns, mortars and the engines, creating submersible attack lethal machinegun. Barbed wire and boats. The U-boats terrorize the ocean, landmines also make bloody debut. sinking enemy ships like the vengeful Armor remains ineffective against hand of Neptune. these horrible weapons of war. The Zeppelins replace hot air balloons as cavalry of ages past begins to vanish. mankind’s leading method of air travel. Replacing it are the armored vehicles of These great behemoths appear in the all types. latter half of the age and grow in Tools become many times more popularity both as a means of sophisticated than they were in the past. transporting people and also as a weapon In this age of machines man finds use for of war. a plethora of wrenches, screwdrivers, The final advancement in bolt cutters, and hundreds of other transportation is the airplane. In the devices. Advances in chemistry produce middle of this age the airplane appears electrical “batteries”, which can deliver as a synergy between aerodynamics and electrical power. Towards the latter part internal combustion engines. These of this age electrical power plants appear airplanes grow more and more in cities. Most are powered by the sophisticated, though their very nature as burning of coal in a steam engine, powered flying machines their size. In though waterfalls power a few the latter part of this age the airplane hydroelectric plants. With the becomes a lethal weapon of war, appearance of cheap electricity comes a

85 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 deploying machineguns, rockets and out “radio waves”, which are detected by even bombs. the mechanism and converts the signal Communications are influenced into the same code as telegraphs. In the greatly by the recent scientific very end of this age the wireless evolves discoveries. In the early half of the age to the level of sophistication where telegraph wires appear everywhere. By sound waves can be sent back and forth. the middle of this age these telegraphs Literature and drama continue on are replaced with a new invention known their way. As literacy increases through as the telephone. To increase efficiency society, the market for novels and other these machines use “party lines”, books increases. Paintings continue to allowing a small community to share a become more and more abstract; single line. eccentric artists explore the natures of The telegraph is replaced with the form and imagery, creating strange wireless telegraph, a device that sends works that forsake realism.

86 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Character Development Thrill Seeker By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

These thrill seekers travel extensively. Character Archetype Their fortunes allow them to spend The thrill seeker is an adventurer in money freely and move all over the the classic sense. A free spirit by nature, world. The families of thrill seekers a thrill seeker yearns to travel, to describe their black sheep as an explore, and to learn. Thrill seekers “explorer”. This is semi-legitimate chafe on the confines a day-to-day profession allows thrill seekers to be existence, so they live every moment of accepted by the mainstream society that their lives as though it were their last. looks down on such irresponsibility in The thrill seeker ventures out into the the aristocracy. world looking for excitement and Other thrill seekers are poor drifters. adventure. They thirst desperately for Born in a less than wealthy family, they sensation; they seek out strange new have no money to support their habits. sights, sounds, tastes and smells. Yet rather than settle down and make a Indeed, the thrill seeker is always on the living, they become drifters. These move. In a world as rich and diverse as vagabonds are wanderers, trekking by Ravenloft the thrill seeker is constantly foot from village to village. They make bombarded with stimulation. Thrill their living however they can, often as seekers sail the Nocturnal Sea, go on seasonal workers. Others become true safari in Shri Raja, trek through the adventurers, joining others of like wastes of the Frozen Reaches and interest and forming adventuring parties. happily tell their tales to enthralled audiences in Borcan cafes. Personality Thrill seekers are full of energy; Background every moment is like a crazy whirlwind. Oddly enough, thrill seekers often These characters live for the moment come from mundane backgrounds. They and throw caution to the wind. This grow up in the heart of monotony and attitude is often associated with are fed a diet of constancy. Sooner or carelessness, for thrill seekers are driven latter they begin to gag on that diet. At to take unnecessary risks. These first the thrill seeker explores his home. characters have little patience as well. They climb trees, poke into cellars, and With so much curiosity pushing them tramp through the swamps and forests forward, they rarely think before they and any other place that no one else has act. Planning, research and calculations seen. are foreign words to the Thrill Seeker, Most thrill seekers are wealthy who would rather jump straight into the people. Often they are noble children, fray. born beneath an older sibling, and thus Actions speak louder than words, blessed with both freedom and money. and thrill seekers say a great deal. When

87 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 they want to express a feeling, they do it places were few men have ever seen. In through a grand gesture, the more public Ravenloft, this often draws the thrill the better. They think with their hearts, seeker into conflict with creatures that their stomachs, and other parts of their would rather have been found. anatomy. They are almost always joyful, glossing over sadness with a Role-playing hearty laugh and a stiff drink. Thrill seekers are almost always joyful and outgoing. They enjoy taking Psychology risks and bragging about their Patience, good judgment and cool accomplishments. Sometimes these heads are not to be found on a thrill people can be arrogant, the details of seeker. Thrill seekers have a deep other people’s lives often seem boring wanderlust; they hate to stay in one since they themselves lead such place for too long a time. Ever since interesting lives. Thrill seekers hate childhood the thrill seeker has been responsibility, so they avoid it at all looking to escape the monotony of an costs. ordinary life. The thrill seeker Thrill seekers are loath to research, desperately wants to avoid the same fate calculate or plan ahead. This kind of that befell his parents. Repression is the preparation takes far too long and tests worst fate that can befall a thrill seeker their patience to the fullest. Forethought because he wants to live passionately takes the fun out of life, as far as the and to express all of the feelings within. thrill seeker is concerned. It is best to let When a thrill seeker becomes trapped in the eggheads do all the thinking. a mundane existence, he becomes Finally, thrill seekers hate to follow morose and melancholy. orders. Its not that they mind sharing the spot light, but rather, they don’t like Patterns being told what to do. In any Thrill seekers love to take risks. organization the thrill seeker is sure to They see themselves as the ultimate make a bid for leadership. Thrill seekers gamblers; they enjoy leaving everything like to be leaders, which comes naturally to chance and reacting to the resulting to them since they are always charging chaos. Wherever there is danger, thrill forward. They don’t actively undermine seekers flock. They congregate on the the authority of others, but when the frontiers of civilization, but also in the opportunity to take charge arises they dark places where people fear to tread. pounce on it. Thrill seekers love to experience new sensations. They often experiment Classes and Prestige classes with alcohol and drugs, but also with Thrill seekers are often members of exotic foods and beverages. Thrill the aristocrat class, since they were seekers like to take the back roads in raised as aristocrats. However, thrill life. Always looking for the possibility seekers abandon this class almost of adventure, they happily sacrifice immediately. speed for the scenic route. Bards and rogues are common class The thrill seeker joins adventuring choices for thrill seekers. These classes parties to explore the world and find new give the thrill seeker the skills and experiences. They like to travel to abilities that complement their style. strange and exotic places and go to

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Classes like cleric, monk and wizard possessed of the charisma that marks a are very out of character for a thrill thrill seeker. As well, the thrill seeker’s seeker. Praying to gods requires more exploration of his free spirit ties directly devotion than a thrill seeker is willing to in with his exploration of his powers. show, and studying musty spell books is the most boring torture known to a thrill Suggested feats seeker. While the abilities of a monk are Courage, and Open Mind are attractive to a thrill seeker, the harsh excellent feats for thrill seekers. The discipline and lawfulness contrasts too feat improved initiative characterizes the sharply with their personality. impulsiveness of a thrill seeker, as does The sorcerer class is not uncommon, lightning reflexes. Thrill seekers make since many sorcerers are homeless excellent muses, as described by the feat, drifters. These sorcerers are already and often possess the feat nine lives.

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90 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Dr. Rudolph van Richten A Hero through the Ages By David Gibson aka Jester [email protected]

In all of the Demiplane of Dread, (6), Profession Apothecary +10 (12), there is no hero as well known or Prof: Herbalist +8 (10), Wilderness Lore respected than Doctor Rudolf Van +6 (8); Literacy, Skill Focus: Heal, Skill Richten. No single adventurer has ever Focus: Profession: Apothecary, brought so much hope to the land, or University Education banished so much evil. His name is Languages: Balok, Darkonese, synonymous with his three weapons: Draconic, Falkovian, Mordentish, Vaasi. knowledge, wisdom and an indomitable Equipment: Backpack, traveler’s outfit, will. holy symbol, wooden stakes (short Yet heroes are not born, they are spears), and a healer’s kit. made. Even the great van Richten began The statistics represent Rudolf Van his career as a lesser man than he Richten just after he first started his eventually would become. While van quest and adventures, in the period from Richten might always have carried a around 706 in the Barovian Calendar. brilliant mind, he earned his wisdom and He is almost middle aged, probably just relentless spirit. The following statistics less than 35 years old since he was born represent van Richten during the in 671 BC. His hair is blonde and neatly different phases of his life: as an amateur trimmed, although it shows signs of investigator, an expert hunter and, at the growing sparse on top. He is a small and pinnacle of his career, the legend. thin man with a crooked smile and a twinkle in his eye that still shines Rudolph the Amateur through his burden of grief. He still resides in the city of Corvia Male human, Exp5/ Rog1: CR 6; in central Darkon although he has not Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 6d6+6; lived there long. He moved from his hp 33; Init +3; Spd 30ft; AC 16 (+2 ancestral home of Richten House in studded leather, +4 Dex); Atk: +5 Melee Rivalis after the death of his family. (1d6+2; crit 19-20/x2, short sword) or Van Richten is new to his role and +7 Ranged (1d10; crit 19-20/x2, heavy probably shows it. While still a force for crossbow); SA Sneak attack: +1d6; AL good he has not yet published any of his LG; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 14, guides, neither has he so much as Dex 18, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 12 thought of recording his experiences or Skills and Feats: Alchemy +8 (11), methods. He is more of a doctor and a Craft: books +8 (11), Gather Information healer than the slayer of night stalkers, +8 (7), Heal +10 (12), Hide +2 (6), Intuit though he is driven to remedy that Direction +6 (8), Knowledge: Nature +6 situation. In this period of his career, he (9), Knowledge: Local History +8 (11), is more likely to find himself in over his Knowledge: Arcana +1 (4), Knowledge: head than triumphant. In fact, he has yet Monster Lore +2 (5), Move Silently +2

91 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 to even encounter a werewolf, a golem Equipment: Backpack, traveler’s or anything other than the Vistani or outfit, holy symbol, a small mirror, vampires. wooden stakes (short spears), holy water Van Richten wages a war against vials, silver dagger, a healer’s kit. He evil and self-doubt. He is neither as also has access to numerous books and strong nor as young as the adventurers volumes of lore, very few of which he he meets during this period. These are carries at any given time. He also carries the formative years when van Richten whatever items are necessary for the realizes he cannot simply charge into the hunt he may currently be on. lair of the beast armed with a sword, he Van Richten currently has must arm himself with something more possession of the Crimson Obsidian powerful than bravado: knowledge. Ring, his magical saber Platocks’s Legacy, an enchanted/cursed stake Vitae Dr. Van Richten, The Expert Seeker, and just recently acquired the Amulet of Anubis while researching his Male human, Exp 5/Rog 3/Sch 2: next book. CR 10; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD These statistics represent van 10d6; hp 45; Init +3; Spd 30ft; AC 15 Richten during the period just after the (+2 studded leather, +3 Dex); Atk: +6 Grand Conjunction, around 740 BC. He Melee (1d8; crit 19-20/x2, +1 saber) or is a man in his old age; balding with +9 Ranged (1d10; crit 19-20/x2, heavy blonde-gray hair he allows to grow long crossbow); SA Evasion, Sneak attack: in the back. He has seen so much pain +1d6, Uncanny Dodge; AL LG; SV Fort and over the years lost everyone he has +2, Ref +7, Will +11; Str 11; Dex 17; ever grown close to, yet the sparkle in Con 10; Int 18; Wis 16; Cha 14 his eye shines as brightly as ever. The Skills and Feats: Alchemy +8 (12), doctor currently resides in Mordentshire, Climb +4 (4), Craft: books +8 (12), the place to which he fled after Decipher Script +4 (8), Gather discovering the true nature of Azalin Information +10 (10), Heal +10 (13), Rex. When not investigating evil, he Hide +4 (7), Intuit Direction +6 (9), maintains a herbalist shop. Knowledge: Nature +6 (10), Know: Van Richten survived his early Local History +10 (14), Knowledge: years and inspired a new generation of Arcana +11 (15), Knowledge: Planes +5 monster hunters. His first text on the (9), Knowledge: Monster Lore +10 (14), subject monsters, Van Richten's Guide to Know: Ravenloft +5 (9), Listen +4 (7), Vampires, has been continuously Move Silently +4 (7), Open Locks +4 published since 735. Since that time he (7), Profession: Apothecary +10 (13), has done four more, regarding the topics Prof: Herbalist +8 (11), Ride +2 (5), of ghosts, liches, lycanthropes and the Search +9 (13), Sense Motive +5 (8), created. The guides to the ancient dead Spell craft +4 (8), Spot +6 (9), Use and fiends have yet to see publication. Magical Device +5 (7), Wilderness Lore The reputation and legacy of the good +9 (12); Literacy, Skill Focus: Heal, doctor will be cemented through the Skill Focus: (Knowledge: Monster publication of his guides. Lore), Skill Focus: (Profession: Apothecary), University Education Languages: Balok, Darkonese, Draconic, Falkovian, Mordentish, Vaasi.

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vials, silver dagger, a healer’s kit. He Rudolf Van Richten, The also has access to numerous books and Legend volumes of lore, very few of which he Male human, Exp5, Rog5, Sch5: carries at any given time. He also carries CR 15; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD whatever items are necessary for the 15d6-30; hp 31; Init +2; Spd 30ft; AC 14 hunt he may currently be on. (+2 studded leather, +2 Dex);); Atk: Van Richten owns the Crimson +8/+3 Melee (1d8-1; crit 19-20/x2, +1 Obsidian Ring, his magical saber saber) or +11/+6 Ranged (1d10; crit 19- Platocks’s Legacy, an enchanted/cursed 20/x2, heavy crossbow); SA Eldetic stake Vitae Seeker, the foreign Amulet of Memory, Evasion, Sneak attack: +3d6, Anubis, and the doctor also took True Scholar, Uncanny Dodge; AL LG; possession of the Pocket watch of SV Fort +1, Ref +8, Will +12; Str 8, Dex Jugend some years ago. 14, Con 7, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 15 This is the elder van Richten, from Skills and Feats: Alchemy +8 (13), the period of 750BC, just before his Appraise +2 (7), Climb +4 (3), Craft: disappearance. Age is creeping up on books +8 (13), Decipher Script +4 (9), the renowned slayer. He is weak and Gather Information +15 (15), Heal +11 lacking much of the vigor of his youth (14), Hide +4 (6), Intuit Direction +6 and middle years. His health has (9), Knowledge: Nature +8 (13), Know: recently taken a turn for the worse and Local History +12 (17), Know: Arcana his own treatments are proving +20 (15). Know: Planes +7 (12), Know: ineffective. He has lost most of his Monster Lore +21 (26), Know: friends and his eyes carry the deep Ravenloft +14 (19), Listen +7 (10), burden of sadness and survivor’s guilt. Move Silently +4 (6), Open Locks +4 His face is heavily lined with both years (6), Profession: Apothecary +11 (14), and the remainders of many battles and Prof: Herbalist +8 (11), Ride +2 (4), roads. His thinning gray hair is once Search +11 (16), Sense Motive +5 (8), again trimmed. If amused he still Spell craft +5 (10), Spot +8 (11), Use demonstrates his lopsided grin although Magical Device +5 (7), Wilderness Lore much melancholy lurks in the +9 (12); Library: (Know: Arcana, expression. Monster Lore), Literacy, Skill Focus: He has published all of his guides Heal, Skill Focus: (Know: Monster and has been working on-and-off on Lore), Skill Focus (Prof: other projects. He has been attempting Apothecary), Track, University to maintain some semblance of a Education retirement for many years and he has Note: Monster Lore and Arcana get made peace with both life and the a +2 when Van Richten uses his Library. Radanavich clan. However there are still Languages: Balok, Darkonese, monsters to be vanquished and research Draconic, Falkovian, Mordentish, Vaasi. to be accomplished. If asked for help Equipment: Backpack, traveler’s the good doctor still might offer his aid, outfit, holy symbol, a small mirror, if only in the capacity of an advisor. wooden stakes (short spears), holy water

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94 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Heinrich’s Curiosities Van Richten’s Lost Arsenal By David Gibson aka Jester [email protected]

The golden rays of dusk filtered the item was perfect. Heinrich smiled through the clouds on the horizon. With back with rotten, yellow teeth. night falling the streets were being “How much did you say?” Inquired emptied. The shopping crowd was the collector. From the tone it was disintegrating as the dinner hour obvious that he already knew the price. approached and the trendy streets of This was the first move in haggling. Port-a-Lucine were being steadily Heinrich glared back. evacuated. As the sun slowly fell only “Vive hundred corona,” He spat one store remained open; a quaint little back, his accent as thick as the smoke hovel surrounded by fancy boutiques that filled the room. There would be no and salons. haggling this evening. In the shade of the taller buildings, “Five hundred?” Repeated the this edifice had rotted. The remains of a dementlieuse collector, emphasizing the once fine boutique, the paint adorning F. “That’s outrageous,” He laid the the store was pealed with age and the triangular pendant upon the counter, windows were boarded up. Light feigning indifference. “ I won’t pay it.” filtered through the spaces between the The second attempt to negotiate roused boards, blocked by the occasional Heinrich’s ire. The old man reached out movement in the store. with his twisted claw and retrieved the The collector frowned as he amulet. examined the item. From behind thick “Stupid boy,” he scolded as he put spectacles, two eyes scanned the amulet. the item back in its place beneath the The collector has the sharp eyes of an glass counter. “Don’t you know who last eagle, searching for even the minutest owned this amulet?” The aristocrat sign of prey. But it was not field mice or stifled a condescending chuckle. sparrows those eyes sought, it was “Who could make that bauble worth imperfection. five hundred corona?” The old man From the other side of the counter, didn’t bother to hold in his mirth. He Heinrich glowered. His Borcan pride laughed out loud, hacking and wheezing was severely hurt by the man’s scrutiny. when his ancient lungs ran out of breath. Impatiently the gnarled old man butted out his crude cigarillo into a gorilla- Crimson Obsidian Ring hand ashtray. The primate paw was This is a small ring carved from steadily filling with white ash. The unusually red obsidian. The naturally collector looked up from the amulet for a produced glass is typically formed from moment, a look of displeasure carved volcanoes or lightning strikes, similar in into his face. There was only one thing texture to the much more common black that could make a collector that sour; obsidian. The ring has carefully been

95 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 polished and smoothed to prevent cuts Powers but has numerous scratches and scrapes The wearer of the Crimson Ring is from years of use. defended against the powers of undead History and their negative energies. Every month the ring defends the wearer against There were only a handful of these losing a maximum of 1d4 levels and 1d8 rings crafted and only one has been permanent ability score points. If the known to survive the ravages of time. wearer chooses he can sacrifice the Legend tells that more than a century remaining protection of the month, ago a brave party of adventurers was provided that at least half is left, to cast engaged in pitch battle with a powerful Negative Energy Protection as a fifth undead being. The melee raged for hours level sorcerer. Undead suffer no ill as the heroes’ weapons all proved effects from casually touching the ring, useless against their powerful foe. One but if such a creature were to wear the by one they slowly fell to their lifeless ring, it prevents the use of its energy foe. draining attacks. The ring is not cursed At last, only two men stood to fight and can be removed at any time. the lich. The party’s wizard gathered the last of his energy for one final spell; he Van Richten’s History knew it would be wasted against the Long after those that had crafted the deathless fiend for the foe was already ring all retired or passed on, the ring was preparing a counter-spell. Seeing the passed to other crusaders of light. dilemma, the group’s fighter tackled his Sometimes from a retiring hero to a enemy and pinned him to the ground younger one, while other were pulled even as the lich drew the mortal’s life from the dead hands of less successful from his body. The magic user took the adventurers. opportunity to cast the conjuration and In the year 736, just after the brought a powerful lightning storm publication of his guide to vampires, a down on top of both the hero and retired adventurer showed up at Doctor monster. Lightning hailed down from van Richten’s home. The maimed hero the heavens and obliterated them both. presented van Richten with a small ring When the smoke and debris cleared wrapped protectively in a rag as a gift. the survivors examined the crater and For many years the old adventurer had found the two mangled corpses. After been looking for some worthy hero who disposing of the bodies, one of the group needed the ring. The old hero explained noticed the bottom of the crater where the powers and creation of the ring in the bodies had lain was covered in large great detail, along with the warning that shards of dark red colored glass. being a champion was not the Obsidian formed in the storm and occupation for the faint of heart. The permanently stained by the mixing blood doctor graciously, if suspiciously, of the two fallen. Cursed with the accepted the gift. The former hero twisted ichor of the damned but blessed limped away slowly into the parting with the valiant blood of the heroic. The mist, never to be heard of again. Since glass was carefully harvested and crafted then the ring has proven useful on into jewellery and the magic user several occasions and even saved the carefully brought out the inherent power good doctor from almost certain death. trapped inside.

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enough for Platock to develop a firm Platocks’s Legacy respect for the middle aged human. The +1 Magical saber young elf respected the doctor as a An ornate and functional weapon fellow educated adventurer and scholar forged in the style used by the elves of and they stayed up late in the nights Sithicus. The long curved blade is discussing matters pertaining to magic stylized with leaves and vines inscribed and the arcane as well as the forces they into the blade, a closer examination will fought against. When the doctor returned show the leaves to be wolfs bane and home to Mordentshire the pair continued mistletoe. Platlock’s Legacy does the their talks through written standard 1d8 damage and has a threat correspondence. range of 19-20 (x2). It weighs only 3 lbs, One night tales reached the pointed a pound less than standard sabers, given ears of the Forsaken of a large pack of the high quality of the metal and ghouls infesting a local slaughterhouse. featherweight elven make. As with all There was talk that the butcher was sabers it gives a +1 circumstance bonus insane and raising them to use against to attack rolls while mounted during his enemies or anyone he thought had combat. wronged him. Platlock, despite the advice of Jameld, snuck into the shop History: Platlock the Forsaken was a solo to investigate and slay the ghouls. scholar and wizard in Sithicus. He was Platlock trusted in his elven blood to orphaned at a young age when both his defend against paralysis and his magical elf parents were devoured by ghouls. skills to release the cursed souls. He was Platlock himself was mauled and bore mistaken. To this day Platlock is still the scars of their attack on his face for unsure if the butcher was a ghoul lord, a years afterwards. At an early age the twisted necromancer, or something else. youthful elf dedicated himself to the Yet whatever its true nature might have magic arts as a means to exact revenge been, Platock was sure that the supposed against the undead that plagued his ghouls were in reality, ghasts, and people. powerful ghasts at that. Over the years he grew skilled He quickly felt his flesh harden with the art and was responsible for and stiffen with their blows and saving many lives while also sending collapsed rigidly to the ground, all too many undead to the world beyond. He conscious and alive as they fell hungrily met up with several other champions and on him. Eventually help arrived in the joined with them in several crusades form of Jameld and several torch against the living dead. Once such hero wielding guardsmen. Platlock’s life was was the elven ranger Jameld of Hroth. saved but it was too late for his legs. He The two did not see eye-to-eye and both would remain crippled and injured for thought the other to be arrogant and the rest of his days. The damage done cocky. Platlock often ignored the elder had weakened his health and Platlock elf’s advice on preparation and was in a constant state of illness and forethought. After years of a loose infirmity. He would often disintegrate companionship Jameld introduced into prolonged coughing spasms or Platlock to one Rudolph van Richten, a seizures. scholar associate. Together the three journeyed for a brief time, but long

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The elf resigned himself to research and training the young children Vitae Seeker of rich families. Mostly in the art of +1 Mutated Heart-seeker Short Spear reading and writing acting as a private Vitae Seeker is a long ash short tutor, but occasionally in some of the spear with a fire hardened and blackened simpler magical skills. The elf grew tip. The tip shows wear and use but is as bitter and angry at his fate and longed to sharp and deadly as ever. It was carved once again fight the good fight. He did from a single long branch or trunk of a his best to train new heroes and tree and polished smooth. The spear champions but longed to be personally used to be longer but was cut to a responsible for dispatching undead manageable size and a leather and bone again. He would never avenge his family grip added to the lower half. in a chair. History Platlock poured himself into The elite Talons of the Falkovnian magical research and had a special army are ever vigilant against infiltrating sword crafted. It cost much of his life Kargat spies or agents. Especially savings to pay for the ornate and delicate undead ones. Knowing the fondness weapon. Over a period of months the Azalin has for the undead and the fact wizard labored placing incantations and that members of the Kargat at higher enchantments on the blade, devoting his echelons are often vampires (revealed energy and what little power he had left after numerous grisly torture sessions), into the blade. The final part of the spell Drakov is often less than civil to any proved too much for his weakened frame vampires who make a nuisance of and he expired with the casting. He was themselves in his realm. Many are found the next day slumped over his accused on the spot of being agents of legacy. Detailed instructions told that it the Kargat, brutally tortured, and was to be delivered to Rudolph van summarily executed. In keeping with Richten in Mordentshire. Drakov’s preferred form of execution Van Richten whole-heartedly they are impaled on large stakes and left accepted the weapon; it was the only outside, luckily (or unfortunately) for the way for Platlock to ever avenge his vampires they are instantly immobilized family and any other family. It serves as and only suffer for a single night before constant reminder to the doctor of what the sun rises and the burst into flames. is worth fighting for but also the price of In order to assure the death of the revenge and rashness. captured vampires, several pikes were enchanted as heart-seekers. Several of Powers: In addition to the standard +1 these spears were used repeatedly and enchantment bonus to attack and over the course of a few decades began damage, Platlock’s Legacy grants the to change. The magical blood of the wielder lowlight vision when undead empowered the wood; the unsheathed. The saber is also able to inherent power of the blood strengthened inflict critical hits upon undead, which the already enchanted weapon. are normally immune to critical hits. The Several of the pikes were lent out sword also bestows a +2 enchantment during vampire hunts over the years. In bonus to fortitude saving throws to the event that the blood suckers were resists a ghoul’s paralyzing touch. revealed to be undead under the thrall of

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Azalin. The Lich quickly stopped been quickly sired to slow him down sending high members of the Kargat to from his prey, but the doctor could still spy, if he ever did, but vampire spawn not let the pack continue to exist. He were easy enough to dominate and create turned around and headed back. and if any survived to bring back The scholar arrived at the lair information they would have proved several hours after an squadron of their resourcefulness and skill. The soldiers. Cautiously investigating van Falkovnian army still continues these Richten found the two forces had vampire hunts, but not every group crippled each other leaving several returns. warriors barely clinging to life and several vampires retreated to their Powers coffins to heal. In one room was a Vitae Seeker is treated as a normal soldier gripping a short spear tightly in +1 Heart-seeking short spear unless it is his dead hand where it was plunged into used against a vampire. When it is held the cold breast of a bloodsucker. The against its desired foe it becomes a +2 pale undead hands tightly gripped the Keen weapon (double the threat range, neck of the throttled and energy-drained 19-20/x3). Even if the spear fails to soldier. The doctor dispatched the pierce the heart of a vampire, it still remaining vampires and prepared the debilitates the undead by soaking up corpses of the soldiers to prevent their some of the vampire’s blood. After as resurrection. On leaving he took the successful strike the vampire suffers spear the soldier had used. effects as if it had not fed that day. Its Vitae Seeker posed a conundrum to powers are reduced as if it had lost an the scholar once he unearthed its nature age category and suffers one negative and history. He was worried about the level. The effects are immediately lifted continued exposure of it to vampire if the vampire manages to consume 4 blood and possible further change or points of constitution (a day’s worth of corruption. He was also worried about it blood). After feeding the spear turns a falling into the wrong hands if he dark ruddy red color for twenty-four discarded it. Destroying it would also hours, during this period its thirst is prove to be difficult. Instead he decided satiated and it cannot drain another day’s to continue to use it. If it changed at all worth of blood from a vampire. he could dispose of it then and at least he The enchantment on Vitae Seeker would know what to look for if he also renders it immune to non-magical encountered something similar, and it fires. Even against magical fires it would be useful and save many lives in proves resistant and its saving throws are the meantime. made with a +4. See VRA for information on the Heart Seeker enchantment. Amulet of Anubis Magical Amulet Van Richten’s History The Amulet of Anubis is a small While on the trail of a powerful bronze triangular pendant on a brass elder vampire, van Richten encountered chain with a small silver ankh in the rumors of a small pack of fledgling center of the triangle. The amulet is of a vampires outside the Falkovnian town of style found primarily in the Amber Stangengrad. He suspected they had Wastes, particularly Har'Akir and Sebua.

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The main triangle is three inches on each across of the the rare surviving tailsmins. side and less than a quarter on an inch The amulets were designed as a defense thick. Its apperances dates it as centuries against the servants of the old pharohs. old, if not more, but remarkably well As they were still honored dead it would preserved. be unthinkable to harm them or think of harming them so the tailsmen was History simply used to prevent any incidents. In the ancient religion of the Amber Wasters life does not end with death, the Powers soul leaves for the life after. However, a When worn by living creature the spirit may chose to return to the mortal tailsmen shields the wearer from being plane if it so choses and requires a body detected by undead creatures. As long as to inhabit. To make sure the spirits of the wearer remains almost completely kings and nobels will find a vessel to motionless the amulet acts as the spell inhabit if the soul requires there is an Invisibility to Undead cast by a tenth elaborate prepration made of the body, level sorcerer. Free willed undead gain mummification. The king or nobel may the standard save to resist the effects of also require retainers and servants in the the amulet. If the wearer moves the next life so his court is often to be amulet simply grants a +15 enchantment entombed beside him, they are given the bonus to the hide and move silently great honor traveling onward to the next skills against undead. Free willed and life with their lord and master. Some are inteligent undead gain a saving throw to less than willing to make the trip. negate the bonus as above, but also add Construction of tombs worthy of any bonuses gained from a high high kings and great monarchs are often inteligence to their roll. The Amulet was unconstructable within the lifetime of designed to work on servants, not the king. He might commison the project masters. to commence and oversee the If any hostile actions or motions are construction, but there is no guarantee made the enchantment is broken. Even that he will live to see its construction. as simple an act as drawing a sword The grandest of tombs require immediately cancels out the effects of generations of labour after the king’s the amulet. Once a month the amulet passing to complete. As a result workers can, as a special ability, turn or rebuke and slaves are often required to work (depending on wearer’s alignment) around the resting place of their departed undead as a cleric of half the bearer of lord and his servants. Sometimes for the amulet’s level. many years. Occasionally the occupents There is a hidden side to the are less than pleased with the amulet’s power that few alive know disturbance, and have been know to kill about, even van Richten has yet to or assault workers. In order to protect dicover this enchantment. The ahnk, the valuable workers and eingineers the amulet’s symbol, represents both life and church had several of these amulets death. If the Amulet of Anubis is worn crafted. by an undead its powers are reversed. Since that day the secrets of making The wearer effectively benefits from the pendants has been lost, as have all Invisibility to Living and can once a the people who owned one. Except for month Turn Living! the few traders and explorers who come

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The final power of the amulet, for help as he closed his eyes and held useable by living or dead, is that it acts his ears tightly. The torches went out as as a holy (or unholy) symbol of he huddled in the darkness, wedged whatever alignment the wielder is. This tightly into a corner, until the screams of effect works only if the wielder truly his friends and the movement of the believes in a higher power and has faith unseen stopped. When all was still the in a deity. The belief does not have to be youth rose in a delayed panic and ran for for a benevolent or even a real god, as the door hoping he would be freed now. long as the faith is present. Attracted back by his motion the creatures in the tomb moved for him and Van Richten’s History finished their task. Centuries later van During his research for his book on Richten found the youth, the amulet still Ancient Dead the doctor began a brief clutched tightly in the skeletal hand, as if excursion to the desert domains in search it could protect him from the end itself. of first hand documentation and witnesses, if not actual ancient dead. During an exploratory trip into a large Pocket Watch of Jugend tomb van Richten and his guide Enchanted timepiece discovered a secret passage that had This is a large silver watch with a previously been missed. The well- polished silver chain. The face is made disguised trapdoor led into a lower level of crystal and platinum with gold hands. of the catacomb. The numbers themselves are inlaid with Cautiously they proceeded and gold. It fits easily into the palm of the found a small party of workers and hand and it requires winding once a day, slaves who had been slain centuries ago but after being wound it keeps perfect by creatures unknown. They had been time. The outer cover is decorated with a finishing the construction of the room carving of the three fates: the maiden, when something awoke and investigated the mother, and the crone. Each of the them. three figures holds an hourglass, all at Partially for fear of letting varying times. something out that was supposed to stay History in and partially keep the rest of the During his time, Hans Jugend was a slaves from panicking the section was rich man in Lamordia who owned many quickly sealed off. Most of the group did of the larger breweries in the land. His not last long enough to asphyxiate in the wealth helped him acquire shares in chamber. One of the people trapped various shipping companies and farms. inside was the young son of the engineer His beer and rye is still shipped to in charge of continuing the construction. nearby domains and fetches a notable Although it broke his heart to do so the price. His home in Ludendorf was engineer had no choice but to seal his opulent and one of the largest in the city only child in, as a final desperate act the and there was little that he could not father slid the amulet in a slim hope that acquire if he desired. He was a happy its magic would protect his son. and boisterous man, until his fortieth Realizing what he had the young birthday that is. He reflected that there adult slid the warding talisman on and were now fewer days ahead than behind hid in the corner as the fate befell his companions. Franticly they cried to him

101 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 and that most likely he would soon be beyond to craft a replica of the dead. timepiece. One designed specifically for He was a rich and powerful man but him. Meanwhile his Adversary, as like every wealthy individual discovers Jugend named him, continued to thwart there is no way to pay-off the Reaper. his efforts. It appeared as if incidents But Jugend would be damned if he was involving the Adversary were growing not going to look. He poured much of nearer and nearer Lamordia, as if he his wealth into cures and potions and were tracking down Jugend. The attempts at immortality. All in vain. His aristocrat ignored that and continued traders were told to inquire for anything with his obsession. The years weighed that could be of use while in the foreign heavily on him and he felt few were left. lands. The years flickered by. Eventually Finally his own timepiece had been Jugend was forced to sell many of his built. Jugend hired magicians and side businesses to a rivals to continue his wizards to work their enchantments on quest. There was no lead so insubstantial the timepiece. He kept it continually on that Jugend would not investigate. him, repeatedly pulling it out to examine It was the patron of a run down bar it and observe the ticking of the hands. in Mortigny that offered the most This just drove him further into his tantalizing information. The patron obsession as the seconds continued to claimed to be a retired adventurer who tick past. But he could not help to watch had once encountered a mystic watch the small hands flicker past. To make that could slow or even stop time itself, matters worse his timepiece did not work for a price. It was known as the in the way he expected, it did not Timepiece of Klorr. Jugend then devoted permanently stop his aging. It merely much of his remaining resources, which masked the signs of his age. In were still quite vast, into procuring and desperation hired more and more learning all there was to know about the wizards and brought his coffers closer to Timepiece of Klorr. emptiness. It was not long before rumors of the The watch was agonizingly close to watch reached Jugend’s ears and the completeness when the Adversary aristocrat sent out minions to retrieve it. finally tightened the noose around Anyone that got in his way was Jugend. Impotently the aristocrat eliminated. The longer they took the watched as the public was turned against more impatient he grew. However, every him and his remaining businesses seized. time his employees grew close the watch Facing numerous charges from the local vanished without a trace or someone Baron and law enforcement Jugend fled beat them to the scene. The hunters were from the domain. But his Adversary repeatedly blocked and slowed down at anticipated his moves and pursued. He every turn, it appeared as if someone was waiting for Jugend who walked else was hunting the Timepiece through right into his trap. There was a struggle the mists, and attempting to prevent and the former rich man barely escaped Jugend for getting it. with his life. Upon pausing he realized Infuriated Jugend split his attention. that during the melee the unfinished He continued to have his men hunt for watch had been left behind in his the watch but he also hired skilled forgotten jacket. In horror Jugend craftsmen from across the core and realized that all the works of his life had

102 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 one by one been lost or ruined. individual uses it for a second time that Everything he had was gone except for year after the effects wear off it what little valuables he had left. The permanently ages the user a year! This ruined man impotently rode into the sudden aging also doubles the length of misty night and realized he did have one the debilitation period. The debilitation more thing left, the desire for revenge. period has to have expired for the watch to be useable again. Powers The watch is unfinished and The Pocket watch of Jugend incomplete. The vital final incantations reverses the ravages of time for a limited and spells were never cast on the duration. The watch requires repeated timepiece. If it is finished the watch winding but if it is wound backwards it functions as above but has the option to begins to literally turn back the clock on transfer the extra years from repeated the winder. The negative effects of aging use to someone else. The user simple has to the physical stats are removed for a to hold the watch with someone else period of twelve hours. A middle-aged when the time period expires and the individual gains +1 to strength, victim suffers both the aging and constitution, and dexterity, an old debilitation in the user’s stead. However individual gains +3, etc. The individual the user still returns to their normal age. does not visibly change with the It will never completely and exception of the renewed vigor. permanently reverses the aging process! Negative effects to the body such as the loss of sight or hearing are also reversed. Van Richten’s History If after the effects take over the Not every case Doctor van Richten watch is turned back again the user works on involves a monster or creature. regresses physically to as they were This is one such case. During a peculiar during their prime, the late teens to mid rash of murders and assaults in a nearby twenties. The change is seamless and city the doctor noted a pattern to the restores all minor visible physical eyewitnesses’ reports and the use of disabilities, but not severe damage such powers that could be deigned as the loss of a limb. However the cost supernatural. The doctor decided to of this regression is a reduced duration, investigate but by the time he arrived the it lasts for but six hours. attacks had ceased. No sooner had be After the time has elapsed the years begun to pack to return home than they catch up to the user in seconds. The began anew, only with different style, sudden aging leaves the user debilitated targets, and modus operandi. for one full day for every age category After several false starts and reversed. A middle-aged individual repetitions to the pattern of the murders suffers for a single day while an old stopping only to begin again the doctor individual suffers for two, and so on. began to speculate he was dealing with a During this time the person receives a –2 new race or category of villain instead of penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, the single entity he had previously and physical skills and heals at only half assumed. After much research the doctor the normal rate! continued to be confused. The final There is a limit to this power death of every string almost always however. The watch can only safely involved a victim that matched some of perform this once every year. If an the descriptions of the killer.

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Investigation into that individual often murders and disappearances as he could. proved connections to several of the When the doctor tied Jugend to the death previous targets. But then the murders of the local mayor’s son. The soldiers would start up again in a different style quickly moved in and seized his assets altogether. and stormed the aristocrat’s house. But It was only after comparing Jugend slipped away. interviews with the final victims’ Van Richten knew that the Beer associates that the pieces fell into place Baron would not let his obsession go so and van Richten realized the thing that easily and guessed that Jugend would he had been hunting was quite literally head for the place of the last know that. A thing. A cursed object. The sighting of the Timepiece of Klorr. doctor sighed and discarded his notes on Quickly heading to the nearest inn on the a time manipulating vampire or route he prepared an ambush with disturbed body hopper and instead several companions in wait for Jugend. researched the Timepiece of Klorr. After a brief conflict with Jugend’s The doctor began following the trail bodyguards the scoundrel made a break of the watch as it bounced from hand to for the door. Van Richten quickly hand and pocket to pouch. But often as tackled the fleeing villain an firmly he grew close he noticed other travelers gripped onto his jacket. Jugend simply asking about it; strangers that slid out of the garment and ran away as interviewed people violently or fast as his weakened frame could carry destroyed evidence after they had seen him. Before van Richten could catch up it. The doctor redoubled his efforts to Jugend made it to his carriage and rode find the timepiece before them and off. encouraged people to stay with family Inside one of the pockets of the for their own safety after he had received dropped jacket van Richten found the useful information from them. Noticing pocket watch. Given Jugend’s obsession the continued attempts of the strangers it was not hard to surmise its purpose van Richten began to track them and later investigation confirmed it. backwards while still investigating the Van Richten still keeps and wears timepiece. It took much time but Jugend’s pocket watch. He knows that it eventually the good doctor traced them is incomplete and by keeping it close he back to Lamordia and the ‘Beer Baron’ hopes to prevent its conclusion. He Hans Jugend. seldom uses it knowing full well the Heading to Ludendorf, van Richten dangers, and saves its enchantment for found out as many dirty secrets as he desperate situations when his plans could on Jugend and proceeded to unravel and he need his youthful speed implicate the aristocrat in as many and endurance to survive or save lives.

104 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Corners of the Core Missaconic University By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

the University. Just on the edge of the Missaconic University cliffs, overlooking the boathouse is the two-story home of the dock master and Two miles North of Mordenshire his family. stands Missaconic University, the On the south side of the property foremost institution of learning in the stand the homes of the professors. These land of Mordent. The campus is an acre houses are fine, two stories tall cut out of the forests on the coast of the dwellings, except for the Dean’s house Sea of Sorrows. A single road of beaten that is much bigger and contains a earth divides the property in two, linking separate dwelling for servants. The the highway to the University. groundskeeper, stable master and their The grasses on the property are families reside in smaller homes, on the always kept neatly manicured and free of other side of the road. weeds. The estate also features The University itself is made of numerous garden arrangements of local three buildings, the Desmarais Library, and exotic flowers. The gardens are Thorneloe Hall and the Fraser building. maintained with great care and due to The Desmarais library is a three story careful selection they are always in tall building, adorned with windows on bloom, except for the winter season. every side. Well-manicured shrubs border the The bright red brick of the building gardens and the roadway. There is a is showing some signs of graying with deep pond in the Northwest corner of the age. A thin covering of ivy is crawling property, which is a common hang-out up the South wall. The gardening staff for students. A few groves of apple trees has kept the ivy away from the main make up the last remains of the orchard entrance on that side, as well as the that once stood on the property. windows. The library is a quiet In the Northwest corner of the building, with fine plaster walls to property is the gardening shed and the absorb sound. The floor is made of hard huge glass green house that holds wood, but the second and third floors are growing flowers and plants of all types. carpeted. The first and second floor are The cliffs on the edge of the sea are filled with bookshelves, reference files no more than a stone’s throw West of the and reading cubicles. On the second property. Built into the cliff face is a floor is a student reading room, outfitted staircase, which leads down onto a sandy with leather chairs and fine tables. The beach. This long stretch of beach is third floor is taken up by the Museum, a mostly empty, except for the large collection of various artifacts collected boathouse at the bottom of the stairs. by the University. The basement is a This boathouse holds a number of small cool, dry, and stone structure, broken up sailing vessels, which are the property of

105 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 by support columns. The basement is Fraser Building contains classrooms on used both for storage of artifacts, as well the first and second floors, and as old records. laboratories on the third floor. The Thorneloe hall is the student Fraser building is built into the hill, so dormitory building. The three-story there are two floors beneath the first. edifice is made of white stone bricks and The first “basement” emerges out of the can hold almost five hundred students, hill underneath the first floor. This floor with two to a room. The building contains the University infirmary, the contains a small library, a commons surgical theater, and the Fraser room, six classrooms, state of the art Auditorium, a huge room built big plumbing, a kitchen, an extensive enough to hold an audience of five storeroom and dining hall. The building hundred for a lecture, a presentation or is divided into two wings. The North any other function. Beneath this floor is wing is the men’s dormitory, while the the sub basement. The sub-basement south wing contains the kitchen, dining contains the furnace room and extensive room, residences for the university staff, storage rooms. and the dormitories for the twenty so Further down the road are half a female students. A series of dumbwaiter dozen houses. These are fraternity elevators are built into the Hall, as is a houses, sponsored by wealthy families. state of the art heating system. Beside These houses are home to roughly a Thorneloe hall is a small chapel to Ezra. hundred students in total. The buildings A Chaplin who preaches from the lawful are mostly new, built in various years good sect services this chapel and after 730. The houses are maintained by lectures in the University’s limited the fraternity organizations and theology department. membership is very exclusive The Fraser Building is a massive four-floor edifice of red brick. The

Figure 4: Missaconic University

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dissection of human corpses. The History villagers of Mordenshire have a respect The Missaconic family first moved for the University, but also a healthy from Darkon to Mordent in the year 650, dose of mistrust. In the 75 years it has fleeing persecution by the cult of the stood, the University has suffered a Overseer. Walter Missaconic first disproportionate share of scandals. bought the property from a destitute Murders, suicides and issues of human merchant and used the land to plant an experimentation haunt the history of the orchard. The orchard made little money, campus. but Walter was still wealthy enough to The Missaconic family has passed build a fine home and send his son the University through marriage to the Harold to the university of Il Aluk. current Dean, Edward Thorneloe, in the Harold was little more than an year 730. Dean Thorneloe has invested intellectual dilettante, but he was a his time into increasing the prestige of charismatic young man and made many Missaconic University. Unlike his connections in the academic world of the Missaconic in-laws, his family is native Core. to Mordent, and so is more trusted by the Harold Missaconic inherited the people of Mordenshire. In 735 orchard after a scourge of woodworms Thorneloe invited an anchorite of Ezra to had swept the field in 679. Rather than found a chapel on the campus, both to undertake the tedious task of replanting, service the spiritual needs of the students Harold decided to build a University. In and to lecture in the faculty of theology. the following years the land around This token gesture has helped to allay Mordent changed rapidly. Lands like some of the fears of the superstitious Lamordia and Borca emerged from the villagers and foreign intellectuals of mists, showering the demiplane with academia. educated aristocrats and intellectuals. Thorneloe has seen to it that old, Harold gathered a number of investors unflattering records of the University and three partners to oversee the have disappeared and old grievances University. Three businessmen, Francis settled quietly. The scandals of the past Desmarais, Ian Fraser, and Patrick have been covered up with bribes, Thorneloe, put forward money and their extortion and lies. For the most part the own services as the Deans of the strategy has worked. Already faculties. Missaconic University has become third Never reaching the same level of amongst all of the institutions of learning prestige as the universities at Il Aluk or in Ravenloft. The surviving faculty Dementlieu, Missaconic University from Il Aluk’s university has mostly languished in relative obscurity. The overlooked Missaconic University, but University has been a haven for less than the flood of Darkonian scholars reputable professors and less than superb displaced many lesser scholars, who students. Periodically there have been found their way to the Missaconic murders or other scandals at the campus. university. The controversial faculty of Medicine has always conflicted with the superstitious views of the Mordentish people, especially concerning the

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Carne operates the biology department. Present Carne’s department shares a close A new class of students is being relation to the School of Medicine, run admitted. Wealthy young people from by the Lamordian Doctor Bradshaw. An the southern Core, who might have elderly alienist from Dementlieu, Dr. traveled to Dementlieu, are heading Francis Mesmer, runs the growing straight for Missaconic University. Most psychology department. Finally, the of these students are bright and curious anchorite Father Gladcow lectures in the people, overwhelmed by the academic theology department. environment. Freed from the The staff of the university is superstition that binds their people, they extensive, including the grounds keeper plunge headlong into science, exploring William Edborough, his brother Shamus the secretes of the natural world with the stable master and smith, the Dock impunity. This bold attitude can lead the Master Jameson Blithe. The wives and occasional student into danger; the mist children of these men work as servants holds secrets that are best left in the homes of the professors and the undiscovered. fraternities. An elderly Borcan janitor and several maids from Dementlieu and The Faculty Mordent service the campus buildings. The Dean of the University is An fairly elderly Invidian woman named Edward Thorneloe, a white haired man Margery Grinka runs the library with a passing into old age. Thorneloe is a tyranny that rivals the Dukkar’s. fiercely conservative man, bent on The staff positions of the University maintaining his University’s reputation. are filled with many of the people He despises the careless scientific brought in by Thorneloe since 735. As curiosity that once characterized such, they know very little about Missaconic, and works hard to keep the Missaconic’s long history of scandal and students and faculty grounded in reason. secrets. The groundskeeper, the maids A pious man by nature, he has tried to and the other staff keep there suspicions turn Missaconic into a theological to themselves, but if pressed they will academy. However, the church of Ezra share some of the stories they have has never forgotten the old horror heard. There are rooms in Thorneloe stories, so they are cautious in their hall where the maids refuse to enter after investment. In an attempt to attract more sundown, and the groundskeeper knows anchorites to the campus, Thorneloe is of some spots of earth on the property cracking down on “immoral” behavior that must never be dug up. Thorneloe on campus. has threatened the staff into silence, but The University has many different even he can’t keep them from grumbling faculties. A professor from Darkon, now and then. Bunsen Honeydew, runs the Chemistry department with the help of his assistant known only as Beaker. Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth runs both the faculty of physics and mathematics, teaching the advanced knowledge from his native Paridon. The Borcan scholar Doctor

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rely on less than reputable means to Adventure Hooks obtain a suitable subject. ™ Professor Carne has been planning to mount an specimen finding ™ Dr. Bradshaw, like most physicians expedition to an exotic land beyond from Lamordia, is concerned with Mordent. His primary desire is to the lack of ethics in the medical travel to the fabled Wildlands, but he profession. Despite his attempts to might also sail to the exotic instill caution in his students, more Markovia. Neither cheap nor naive, than one young man has been caught Carne is looking for some performing experiments in the nature experienced hunters and some sell of life and the reanimation of dead swords to add security. tissues. Recently, pieces of corpses have been vanishing from cold ™ Dr. Mesmer is desperate to prove his storage. Loath to worry the Dean theories regarding hypnotherapy, and the students, Bradshaw looks for particularly his studies of the some outsiders to help him discern hypnotic state in dying patients. the identity and the intentions of the Without the support of Dean thief. Thorneloe, Mesmer might have to

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Growls in the Night A Watcher in the Woods By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

The wood between Mordent and themselves. Their skeletons had been Richemulot is a place forsaken by man. stripped of flesh, the bones gnawed upon The wilderness once bore the name of and their house torn apart. Jersey, an extensive clan of simple folk In the rubble he had found the who eked out a meager existence in the journal of one of the Jersey women, a depths of the woods. As the tale goes, poorly written series of scribbles that the Jerseys were a solitary clan. They told a story of corruption and decay. were a queer folk, as the Mordentish The Jersey’s had indeed fallen into people would describe them, given to paganism, for after a series of poor violent bouts of heavy drinking and crops, plagues and cold winters they had possessed of the poorest manners. resorted to devil worship to save them. Occasionally one of their numbers As insane as it seemed, it had worked. would enter Mordenshire trading pelts, The family had survived, disease was herbs and other oddities for strong staved off, and one of the women was alcohol and gunpowder. even blessed with a child. Though, as It was clear to the Mordentish the journal went on it became clear that people that since the Jersey’s never the child was no blessing. The ultimate married into any other family, they must price for the family’s survival was the have been inbreeding. As well, there birth of a child of evil. were rumors that the Jersey family had An evil spawn of darkness was descended into devil worship. birthed to the Jerseys. A hideous Enlightened folk claimed that these abomination, neither man nor beast. The rumors were baseless, though some folk Jerseys had locked the child in the root claimed they saw strange things moving cellar, but one night it escaped. Over the on the edge of the forest. years it preyed upon the members of the After a few decades, the problem Jersey clan, until it had scoured the solved itself; the Jersey family woods of human life. disappeared altogether. No one bothered The poor traveler babbled his own to look for the family, though travelers part in the story. For after he discovered passing through the forest kept an eye the ruins, he was beset upon by the devil. out for any signs of the old Jersey The hideous creature had chased him farmsteads, purely out of curiosity. through the forest, sweeping at him with One day a traveler emerged out of its claws and harrying him with its the Jersey Forest, pale as a ghost and ungodly howl. Only by the greatest of shaken to the core of his being. The luck did he evade the creature. poor merchant babbled a terrifying story, Since then, no Mordentish man has that he had found the remains of a Jersey dared to set foot in the Jersey Forest for farmstead, and the remains of the Jerseys fear of meeting the Jersey Devil.

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Jersey Devil Medium sized outsider Combat Hit Dice 7d8 (49) The devil does not need to eat, but it Initiative +3 Speed 20 ft, flight 50ft enjoys slaying humans. The creature AC 17 (+4 natural, +3 dex) usually shadows a lone traveler, using Attacks 2 claws +7/+7 bite +5 different methods to build up fear. Often Damage 1D4+4 claw, 1D4+4 bite this means making obvious noises in the Face/Reach 5 ft night, arranging rocks and sticks in Special Attacks Unholy screech Special Quality Low light vision patters around the traveler's camp sight Saves Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +7 at night, or leaving the remains of former Abilities Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int victims to be found. 12, Wiz 14, Cha 9 When the devil is satisfied with the Skills Balance +10, Hide +10, victim's terror, he attacks and devours Move silently +10, wilderness lore +8, Listen the hapless human. The devil is loath to +8, Spot +8, Search +8, attack wild animals. For reasons swim +11, animal empathy unknown it has some empathy with these +6 creatures. The creature attacks animals Feats Fly by attack, multiattack only in response to an attack. Climate/Terrain Lake sides, rivers and swamps The devil prefers to swoop down, Organization Solitary make an attack and then rise just out of Challenge Rating 7 the opponents reach. If the devil stalks a Treasure None group, he tries to use terror tactics and Alignment Chaotic evil his unholy screech to break the group up, Advancement By class then tracking each one down and slaying The Jersey Devil is an unholy them. hybrid of a fiend and a human woman. Low light vision (ex): The devil The creature was designed by its can see twice as far as a human in the progenitor as a parody of a civilized dark, and distinguish colors. Scent (ex): man, though its chaotic nature makes it The devil can track by scent, and sense more like a true fiend than any cambion. enemies within 30 ft. The jersey devil appears as a Scent (ex): The Jersey Devil has grotesque chimera. The creature has a the ability to track by scent. head similar to that of bighorn sheep, Unholy Screech (su): As a full including goatee and curling horns. The round action the Jersey devil throws creature sprouts huge membranous back its head an issues a hideous cry, wings from its back, and its feet are while stamping its hooves into the cloven. The devil bears claws and fangs ground. The sound has been described made of black iron. The entire creature as similar to the whistle of a demonic is covered in a thick black fur. kettle, as human is boiled alive within.

Anyone within 50 ft hearing the scream must make a fear check against a DC 17.

112 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Gregori Ambermist Bitter Fruit from the Seed of Evil By Shane Glodoski [email protected]

If a tree falls in the forest, loincloth around his waist, made from and no one is around, his old leather armor. Gregori is always does it make a sound? armed with two throwing axes and caries Ask the tree yourself. a sickle, which he hangs from his belt. -Old Mordentish saying Background Gregori Ambermist Born an only child in a small town CR 5; Size M Human/Plant (5 ft., 5 of foresters, Gregori grew to appreciate in. tall) Rgr4; HD 4d10+4 plus 2d8+4; the forests. He was at odds with many hp 51; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 of the townsfolk, including his father, for (+2 Dex, +5 natural armor); Attack their practice of logging. He was apt to +4/+4 melee (1d4+1, diseased talon, run away into the forest and sabotaging right hand) and (1d6+1, sickle, left the logging effort in a vain attempt to hand), or +7 ranged (1d6, throwing axe, save the wildlife. Range 10 ft.); SA disease; SQ bark skin, Upon reaching adulthood, he joined plant, favored enemy (beasts), fire a small sect of druids in their sacred vulnerability, half damage from piercing, grove some days travel into the woods. spells; SV Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +3; AL There he came to worship the land and CG; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis learned how best to nourish it. Yet 14, Cha 7. despite his devotion he failed to attain Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Hide +5, the gifts of the druids. Knowing his Knowledge [Nature] +2, Knowledge calling must be elsewhere, he headed [Religion] +2, Listen +5, Move Silently into the forest for comfort. Over the +5, Spot +5, Wilderness Lore +7; years of Gregori’s absence the town had Ambidexterity, Dodge, Power Attack, grown and with it so to did the Track, Two-Weapon Fighting. devastation to the forest. Despite the Spells per day: (1/0/0/0) druids and his best efforts to prevent it, Possessions: Silver sickle, 2 the forest was being mercilessly throwing axes, 4 belt pouches harvested. One night the villagers Gregori appears as a squat, dark awoke to find their homes ablaze. skinned man. He has long bushy brown Gregori saw the smoke from his hair and a goatee, which are actually tiny camp in the woods and he ran to the roots that sprout from his skin. These town only to find his father trapped in roots absorb moisture from the air as his burning home. Rushing in to save wells as sunlight for nourishment. him, Gregori tried desperately to pull his Gregori’s right arm is covered in bark father from the blaze, only to find his that ends with a hand that has sharp strength and endurance insufficient. The gnarled talons. He wears a simple smoke had nearly brought them both to

113 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 death’s door, when Gregori’s father contact. Gregori is also haunted by the choked his last words, commanding his ability to hear animals and plants, son to leave him and save the town. though he cannot speak to them without Escaping the blaze, Gregori found magic. This interaction with nature his right arm was horribly burned and gives him no comfort, for every plant useless. After the fire, the villagers and animal taunts him with deeds of his wasted no time in blaming the druids for past and for his failures. the fire. Gregori had his doubts but the Gregori has isolated himself from pain in his body and soul was greater. the world around him, he is as unfeeling As the villagers stormed toward the to the outside as an oak, though his heart grove, he followed without the slightest beats with a pain that only a human intent of interfering. could feel. When confronted with In truth, the druids had not caused someone wielding the powers of a druid the blaze. A inebriated ale merchant, does become much more animated. having dropped his lantern pole upon his Druids of any kind arose his deepest own wares, had both started and anger. Ironically, only by conquering perished in the fire. The druids pleaded these challenges can he alleviate his their innocence, begging the mob to curse. To remove the curse, Gregori disperse. Gregori shouted back at the need only to assist a druid in some druids, retorting that they had done significant manner and embrace the nothing to save it either. With that, the ways of nature once more. On some town people flew into a violent frenzy level of awareness Gregori knows that and attacked, burning the sacred grove this is the only way to end his suffering. and slaying the priests as they begged However his hatred is greater than his for mercy. reason and he refuses to accept this As the last druid lay dying, he solution. pointed at Gregori and cursed him, “As you were blind to our faith, and now Combat accept theirs, so shall you embrace both, Gregori has most of the abilities of a in body and soul!” ranger, as well as those from his plant- like gifts. In combat, he initially attacks Current Sketch with his throwing axes to keep enemies Gregori’s curse has manifested itself far enough away so that he will not in two ways, that of his appearance and infect them. When he is forced to enter in his ability to interact with plants and melee he attacks with the talon from his people. Any person he touches will right hand and the silver sickle in his left slowly change into a shambling mound, hand. given enough time and a significant Disease (Ex): Upon a successful degree of contact. While any non- strike from his right hand, Gregori intelligent plants he touches shall slowly transfers a terrible disease. Those who wither and die. He brings misery to all fail a fortitude save against a DC of 14 he touches and has become as horrible a begin to sprout vegetation from their blight as any fire or reckless flesh. For one round afterwards, for deforestation. Gregori has dedicated his each point of damage suffered from the efforts to protect nature from himself, as talon attack, the victim will sprout vines well as anyone with which he comes in and branches from the infected area.

114 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

This has the same effect as the spell stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject entangle cast by a 4th level sorcerer to critical hits. centered upon the victim. The only way Fire Vulnerability (Ex): Gregori to keep these vines and branches at bay takes double damage from fire attacks is to burn the infected area. unless the attack allows a save, in which After an incubation period of 1-3 case he takes double damage on a failure days the victim changes into a shambling and no damage on a success. mound. When used upon non-intelligent Gregori also can be turned by the plant life the disease merely slays the presence of fire. For this event, the plant. wielder of the fire is treated as a cleric Bark skin (Ex): Gregori’s dark for determining level. Gregori cannot be tanned skin has the texture of bark, controlled or destroyed by this giving him a natural armor class bonus vulnerability. of +5. Half Damage from Piercing (Ex): Plant: Immune to mind-influencing Piercing weapons deal only half damage effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, to Gregori, with a minimum of 1 point of damage with each successful attack.

115 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

116 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Okraina As Cold as a Witch’s Heart By Dmitri Zorin [email protected]

Cultural Level: Chivalric (8). the cold death. The climate of Okraina Landscape: Full Ecology ranges in temperature from 30 degrees (Temperate Forests and Hills). The Celsius in summer to -30 degrees in domain of Okraina (O-KRAI-na) is a winter. Thunderstorms are common region of rolling hills, pristine evergreen during the spring thaw and snow can forests, small springs and the large river descend even in October. Blizzards are Volra. The animals of the domain are commonplace, so much so that they are varied and numerous and many forests believed to be sent by Chort, a fiend remain untouched by any man’s axe. from local tales. Large packs of wolves, ferocious bears Buildings in Okraina are made of and mystical “feys” keep people at bay. whitewashed bricks with thatched roofs The job of a lumberjack is considered and gaily-colored shutters. The houses of rather dangerous indeed. Nonetheless, middle-class sport slanted roofs of wood the forests boast a huge variety of trees as well as beautiful wooden figurines including birches, willows, ashes, oaks, placed over the entryway. The homes of spruces, maples, and pines. the nobility are less houses than they are The Volra River is the only route for palaces. Built of red brick, with slanted trade. Its lazy waters carry barges with roofs of green or blue tile, these goods from the principality’s towns mansions feature personal shrines, Yargorod and Gzhansk to the three small stables and baths. The villages are villages on its banks, Dikanka, centered around churches, usually on the Sorochinka, and Vlasinovka. Farmers hill overlooking the river. Townsfolk often open up trenches into the river, are crowded behind the thick walls of forming ponds near the fields. There is a white stone, dwelling in houses built pond system along all the length of the wall-to-the-wall along narrow streets. Volra. Small and large, overgrown with At the heart of either town there is an lilies these ponds make the perfect spots inner fortress, called a “Kremlin”. It for locals to bathe and wash clothing. contains the palace of the local ruler as The river itself is deemed too dangerous well as churches and barracks of town for those activities, with all the tales militia. regarding “vodyanois” and “rusalkas”. Major Settlements: Yargorod (pop. More dangerous than myth, whirlpools 12,000), Gzhansk (pop. 3,000), Dikanka sporadically appear on the river’s (pop. 300), Sorochinka (pop. 500), surface and drag unwary swimmers to Vlasinovka (pop. 250).

117 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

Figure 5: Okraina The Folk: Population – 17,500. show herself in public with her head Humans 93%. Half-elves 4%. Elves 2%. bare. The nobles always dress in Other 1%. Languages – Vaasi*. splendid finery, be it holiday or not, for Religions – Yarilo (a.k.a. Belenus)*. no purpose greater than impressing Okranians tend to be of average commoners. The style is generally the stature, with wide hips and large breasts same, although the materials vary. Silk, among women. The hair ranges from satin and finely cured leather are black to light brown and eyes are usually preferred. Boyars, as local nobles are the shades of gray or blue. The clothes known, tend to dress in long robes that among commoners tend to be simple and reach to the floor. practical. Men wear leather trousers and The people of Okraina are perfectly jackets and women wear long skirts and adapted to the cold climate. In fact, they blouses. On holidays white shirts with enjoy the cold winters. When the river bright red embroidery are worn, as well and its satellite ponds freeze over, young as loose trousers with red lines on the and old alike enjoy skating and playing sides and bright, multicolored skirts. with snowballs on the ice-covered Volra. Kerchiefs are common, for custom The folk are never afraid to brave the dictates that a married woman cannot night, though they only do so when it is

118 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 necessary. A peculiar custom amongst The Law: A hereditary aristocracy, the locals is to maintain a sweathouse. led by Prince Vasili the Cruel, rules In these saunas men and women alike Okraina. Vasili resides in his palace in wash at the same time, without the Yargorod and is known, as it is reflected slightest discomfort. Bathing in the in its name, for the severe punishments sweathouse is the most common form of he issues to disobedient boyars and hygiene practiced by the peasantry. commoners alike. He has also enforced The natives view half-elves as large taxes to strengthen his military, as people “blessed by feys”. These people he hopes to bully the church into are believed to be lucky and are blessed releasing some of its power. In truth, a with many traits, such as the ability to civil war is slowly brewing, as his policy discover hidden treasure. Natives rarely met with dissent among the clerics, the encounter pureblooded elves, since the boyars, and the commoners alike. Vasili sylvians prefer living in secluded himself is not evil or ruthless, though, communities deep in the forests. Half- for he has been caught in the sway of his elves are friendly towards strangers and councilor. Little is known of this possess amazing patience but once advisor, but it is whispered that he is a roused to anger they are as cold and powerful enchanter. merciless as a winter blizzard. Pure The law is enforced by the local blood elves are much less tolerant of boyars and the principality’s militia humans; they dislike any visitors to their backs each boyar. The boyars are communities although they won’t attack forbidden to retain a personal army, for outright. Preserving the culture and lore ambitious boyars of the past were of their declining race is the chief responsible for multiple coup-d’etats. concern of the elves, though they do not Peasants who can’t pay rent are used as think humans or even half-elves are house slaves by boyars. This indentured capable students. servitude is less harsh than true slavery, Society varies greatly in Okraina. for the slaves are provided with decent There is no limit to the depths of poverty food and lodging and are even paid a that the peasants can befall, while the wage. As soon as one has saved enough middle class and the nobles are endlessly to pay the original debt he is freed. rich. Naturally, this breeds enmity Bands of rebellious peasants, between the social classes in the highway robbers and barbaric goblins principality. Drunkenness in the pose a serious threat outside the town peasantry is common as are civil walls. The clashes between them and disturbances. With nothing in their militiamen occur with an alarming rate. future, peasants find solace in a powerful Deeper in the forests, no law is enforced. liquor called vodka. The only god Beasts, both magical and natural, occupy venerated in the Okraina is Yarilo, the the forest depths. Hags, goblins, same God worshiped under the name arayashkas, leshiys (as treants are Belenus. His church maintains a strong known) occupy the woods, while feys grip on the populace minds and like nochnicas, polevicks and poludnices occasionally clashes with boyars and dwell in hills and plains. The river and prince for the control over lands. ponds hide vodianoys, aquatic remnants and drownlings, which are known to the locals as rusalkas.

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Trade and Diplomacy: Resources – wheat, corn, millet, barley, cabbage, Anna Sparatoga potatoes, apples, water-melons, melons, Darklord of Okraina sunflowers, oat, beet, hemp, chickens, Female human Sor 10: CR10; SZ M cattle, fish, wine, limestone, leather (5ft. 8in. tall); HD 10d4+10; hp 32; Init goods, parchment, books, powder. +7(Dex & Improved Init); Spd. 30; AC Coinage – ruble (gp), polushka (sp), 14 (touch 14, flatfooted 11); Atk +5 kopeika (cp). melee touch (by spell) or +8 ranged As the residents have only recently touch (by spell); SA spells; AL NE; SV discovered that they are cut off from the Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +10; Str 10, Dex other parts of their former world, the 17, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 20. domain has no trade or diplomacy Skills and Feats: Concentration +14, connections with other nations. The Diplomacy +12, Hide +3, Listen +3, natural resources of the domain allow it Spot +3, Spell craft +12; Great to sustain itself indefinitely. If no trade Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Spell route is discovered soon the nobles are Focus (Enchantment), Spell Focus likely to mourn the loss of their precious (Necromancy), Spell Penetration; silks and satins since they can’t be Sorcerer Spells per day: 6/8/7/7/6/3. manufactured in the Okraina itself. Base DC= 15 +spell level, 17 + spell Characters: Classes – Cleric, level for Enchantment and Necromancy Druid, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, spells. Sorcerer, and Wizard. Skills – Sorcerer Spells known: 0- ray of Diplomacy, Intuit Direction, Perform frost, detect poison, daze, light, disrupt (singing, balalaika), Ride, Swim, undead, detect magic, read magic, Wilderness Lore. Feats – Toughness, prestidigitation, resistance; 1- charm Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency person, cause fear, ray of enfeeblement, (firearms). shield, magic missile; 2- Tasha's hideous Adventure Hooks: The PCs enter laughter, see invisibility, spectral hand, the village Sorochinka and encounter a invisibility; 3- hold person, suggestion, funeral procession. A ruckus ensues halt undead 4- charm monster, when it is discovered that the village's polymorph self; 5- summon monster V; only priest lies in the coffin. The coffin Possessions: Chort's phylactery, had belonged to the body of the mayor’s kerchief of charisma +3(as cloak), ring daughter, who was lain within the casket of protection +1, ring of wizardry I. that mourning. The young girl herself Anna is a woman in her mid 20’s, had died under mysterious circumstances her hair is raven black and her eyes as only a few days previously. The priest green as a cat’s. Anna prefers large skirts was new to the village and had been sent and loose blouses, usually wearing a here by the Yargorod Cathedral. black jacket over the latter. She never Strangely, the young cleric’s hair is forgets her make-up, considering the completely white. Stranger still, the issue of looks to be of paramount mayor’s daughter's body is missing. importance.

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Background love. Yet with one act of murder Long ago on a distant world, a fiend committed, it was an easy task to plan known as Chort delighted in playing another. One evening on the eve of Ivan cruel tricks on people. This fiend Cupala Day, an ancient pagan holiday, eventually heard of an unfortunate when his first wife was away in the young girl who lived with her father the forest the sorceress and her lover were village blacksmith in abject poverty. enjoying each other’s affections in the Eager to corrupt the innocent, Chort elder’s house. At this very moment fey set off to the remote village. He tempted creatures executed the witch’s orders to the girl with promises of wealth, power find and lure her rival to the riverbank and the influence over men she secretly and drown her. All went according to craved and the two managed to strike a plan and the elder gladly married Anna. bargain. In return for magical powers, However it soon became apparent that he would have possession over her soul his previous wife’s soul did not find rest after death. Chort thought he had gotten in the afterlife, her spirit returned as the best of the foolish girl but he would ghost and haunted the couple. After the soon come to regret his bargain. first few incidents, the witch took it upon The girl was given power over herself to protect her recently acquired magic arts and eagerly put them to her position of power and, using arcane service. She began by establishing rituals, managed to keep the ghost at control over her father, then improving bay. This ritual was required to be her already pretty and delicate features. repeated everyday to prevent ghost from During one of their frequent journeys to manifesting, and Anna guaranteed the the regional festival, where all local loyalty of her husband. merchants and craftsmen were eager to Then an unforeseen happened. The participate, she and her father elder’s daughter from his first wife encountered a village elder and the returned from her studies in the distant elder’s wife. This meeting pushed the capital. The young lady was as old as ambitious witch’s plans further, she her new stepmother, so tension arose understood her next step should be to quickly between them. Anna began to make this authority figure merry her, slowly poison the girl’s life, first she whatever the cost. Her father was against ordered her to perform an unimaginable his daughter’s frequent travels to the number of difficult household chores, nearby village, so after an evening of having fired the serving maid. Then she loud and violent confrontation she started to bully the pure young lady, who summoned a fey creature from a nearby was still ignorant of her stepmother’s river to murder the unfortunate man and evil nature. As soon as the witch disposed of the body. The following day understood she couldn’t bully the girl she set off to the village of her chosen into leaving her father’s house, she would-be spouse. For several weeks staged a chance encounter with her thereafter she bided her time but stepdaughter during the elder’s absence. eventually, using her natural and magical The young girl, considering herself charms, she bound the elder to herself. alone and deciding to alleviate her However, though the elder was suspicions of her mother’s intents, careful to conceal his adultery from his sneaked into her parents’ room and wife, he was reluctant to marry his new started searching for anything that could

121 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 tip the scales in the favor of her theory, the first rays of sun. Since finding fresh that her stepmother was taking youngsters poses a serious problem, advantage of her father’s sickness and Anna periodically endures some grief and slowly poisoning him to take cosmetic damage. She can hide her his title for herself. deformities with mundane cosmetics, but Suddenly, she noticed a big black these are a short-term solution. cat, staring at her intently from an open In her secluded village she can door to the room. Never having avoid unwanted attention, attention encountering a cat, the girl started to which she is sure to draw were she back off towards the wall as it lunged at relocated to one of the cities. Since she her. At the last moment the girl depends on the ignorance of the snatched her father’s scimitar form the villagers, the fear of others discoveriy wall and scored a glancing blow on the can make her desperate. It is at these cat’s left paw. The cat, screeching times that she is most dangerous. horribly from pain, scrambled from the The fiend Chort is unable to leave room. the secluded land in the mists. Incapable The next day, when the family to bring woe to others, he is cursed to gathered around the table, the lass made play out his frustration on the few a terrible discovery: her stepmother’s denizens of the domain. He hates Anna left arm was bandaged and the blood for ensnaring him but he can do her no already gathered at the edges of the cloth harm since she possesses his phylactery. in some places. Not certain what to Anna is aware of the phylactery in her think, the girl left her home to wander in possession, but she has never revealed to solitude on the banks of a nearby river. Chort in which item his life force So great was her boggle that she didn’t resides. Since Anna’s arcane abilities notice the coming of twilight. In this depend upon Chort, and since he is much magical hour, when she came across a more powerful than she, the witch is small pond near her village, she noticed content to keep the phylactery a secret. several young girls playing in the water. Thus far this blackmail has kept Chort Thinking them to be locals, she waded bound to her in an uneasy truce. into the pool to join them. The feys dragged her underwater, where she was Combat drowned. The last thing the unfortunate Anna avoids combat at all costs; she elder’s daughter saw was her fears even the slightest harm to her face. stepmother’s cruel smile from the other When confronted with a threat she uses side of the water. That night the mists her spells to dominate the minds of her enveloped the region, taking the village enemies and turn them against one and the surrounding area into Domains another. At first opportunity she flees, of Dread. and summons fey creatures to do her evil bidding. These murders are coordinated Current Sketch so that while the creatures are dealing Each week she loses one point of with her enemies she is elsewhere, charisma if she doesn't perform certain creating a perfect alibi for her were ritual. The ritual requires that she something to go wrong. seduce a young man then ride on his back until the dawn and slay him with

122 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Crossroads of Gothic Earth Mining the Demon Ore By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

scoured Sudbury of native plant life; say Sudbury birch trees that thrive in the acidic soil. The people of Sudbury are a diverse Hidden deep within the thick forests folk; the major ethnicities include of the Canadian north is the growing Finnish, Italian, Ukrainian, German and mining community of Sudbury. Sudbury Irish immigrants. While these is roughly two hundred miles northwest immigrant communities have integrated of Toronto, located in “the Sudbury seamlessly into society, they still Basin”, a huge valley cut out of the congregate into ethnic areas. Exclusive earth. The region is serviced by the social clubs like the Ukrainian Hall and Canadian Pacific Railway and is the Caruso Club unite these communities surrounded by countless lakes and and promote their culture. creeks. The population is small, The Sudbury region is sustained numbering only around 3000 completely by mining. The two major individuals. New immigrants are Mining companies are Falcon Bridge arriving every day to work in the rapidly and the International Copper Company, expanding mines. Inco for short. Like any industrial In the sea of lush woodland Sudbury company, both corporations are often at stands as a barren island of black rock odds with the miners and their attempts and mounds of slag. The township is to organize labour. Conflicts are supported by the growing mining frequent, but are kept peaceful by the operations exploiting the amazing wealth Sudbury Regional Police. of minerals beneath the earth. Ore is drawn from the earth and brought to the History area known as Copper Cliff, where it is The Sudbury region was first used smelted. The smelting procedures are as the site for a massive lumber devastating to the environment. Huge operation. The timber felled in the tracts of forests are clear cut and piled Sudbury Basin was sent down into the into a trench known as a roasting yard. United States to rebuild Chicago after Raw ore is deposited over the wood, and the disastrous fire there. Surveys the entire mix is set ablaze for days on carried out in 1883 by the Canadian end. The rock of the Sudbury area is so Pacific Railway discovered the presence rich in sulfur that the smelted ore of copper in the rock. Initial tests releases noxious fumes as it melts. The confirmed copper, but the first mineshaft resulting cloud blankets the entire sunk found a much greater abundance of Copper Cliff area for days, leaving the nickel. This proved disastrous, for rest of the Sudbury area relatively nickel was a nearly worthless metal with unharmed. Though the fumes dissipate, few applications. This “demon ore” they generate acid rain, which has slowly rose in value as the world turned

123 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 to mechanization. The nickel mined in As the mines sunk deeper and Sudbury makes up four fifths of all of deeper into the earth the miners began to the nickel used in the creation of uncover deposits of a strange mineral. machines. In 1892 the region of Though the unusual metal baffled Sudbury became an official township. assayers, the Fellowship immediately

recognized the mineral as mithral. Since

then the Fellowship has taken an obsessive interest in the mines of Forbidden Lore Sudbury. Mithral is a precious tool to the Fellowship of the Crimson Dawn and Sudbury is located in the depths of they do not wish to let so much as a North Ontario, so it seems an unlikely sliver escape their grasp. location for a cell of the Fellowship of Sudbury is an isolated town in the the Crimson Dawn. The Fellowship middle of the forests of Northern took an interest in the town early in Ontario. In the deep shadows of the 1889. The qabal of wizard had difficulty forests dark things lurk. Like most areas in forging the magical items they needed of Canada, Sudbury’s winters are fierce. for arcane research. The extreme Blizzards and flurries cut off all escape temperatures needed to in the creation from the town by mid December, ending process were difficult to produce by the siege only in March. Townsfolk are normal means so locating their operation known to go missing in the winter white near the Sudbury roasting yards was a outs and few bodies are to be found in matter of convenience. The qabal owns the thaw. Some people whisper that a stake in both mining companies, dark shapes move about in the midnight allowing it unlimited access to the snow, calling out with voices that sound smelting facilities. like the whipping wind.

124 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Secrets and Sorcery The Brotherhood of Alchamae By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

The members of the Brotherhood of Alchamae are on a quest for knowledge. Activities The goal of the brotherhood is to The primary activity of the qabal is facilitate the expansion of mankind’s research and experimentation. The understanding of the universe. To this individual members of the qabal often end, the brotherhood believes that there work alone on their own projects. The are no secrets that mankind does not qabal itself is mainly seen as a method of deserve to know and that no knowledge, sharing knowledge, obtaining funding, no matter how profound, can be allowed materials and assistance. The to stay hidden. The Brotherhood is Brotherhood often organizes the creation undisturbed by such frivolous ideas like of new scientific institutions in the hopes culture or religion, for such concepts of training and recruiting new members. only serve to cloud the mind. As well, The construction of laboratories, the Brotherhood is unconcerned with both scientific and magical is another educating the rest of mankind, for most major activity of the qabal. These members view the rest of their species as laboratories are often hidden in rural an ignorant swarm of primates. They settings, where members are free to believe that knowledge belongs only to a come and go without the fear of scrutiny. select few, those who are prepared to The Brotherhood possesses the most make sacrifices. extensive libraries of magical knowledge in the entire world, though these libraries History are scattered across the world. The While the members of the qabal occasionally organizes the creation brotherhood are meticulous in recording of a scientific device or the crafting of a their scientific and arcane knowledge, magical item. Such enterprises always they are less than diligent in recording create items of exceptional power. their own history. The records of the Finally, the brotherhood maintains a Brotherhood only date back to thirteenth network of warehouses for all manner of century Persia, though there are allusions equipment, ranging from electrical to a connection to the ancient qabal “The components to magic potions. Stone”, founded by the legendary Merlin. Throughout history the qabal Membership and has influenced the advance of science around the world. The qabal has had its Organization difficulties; many senseless tragedies in The brotherhood is made up of men history can be traced to a failed and women who are dedicated to the experiment in science or magic. pursuit of knowledge. Members are chosen from the most dedicated scholars

125 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 and occultists. High intelligence is the major requirement, though creativity and Resources meticulousness are also critical qualities The Brotherhood of Alchamae in recruits. Once in the Brotherhood maintains the world’s biggest stockpiles members are sworn to obedience to the of chemical compounds, electronic qabal. This obedience takes the form of components, manufactured goods, and an oath, which requires members to scientific devices. These stockpiles are share all knowledge discovered by them located in urban warehouses across the after their admittance into the qabal and world and are accessible to all members. to contribute a small percentage of their With a single telegraph, a member of the income. Qabal members are often called qabal could have anything from a vat of upon to consult with other members on sulfuric acid to a steam driven walking projects and to assist in the procurement machine sent by train or boat to his of special materials. location. The Brotherhood of Alchamae is led The Brotherhood also maintains by a council of ten learned scholars, huge libraries of scientific data, which elected by their colleagues to the council are accessible to members and even the for life. These leaders serve as educated public. In addition, the administrators for the qabal and are Brotherhood also possesses a series of responsible for collecting dues, magical laboratories, warehouses of organizing group projects and minor magical items, and libraries of maintaining the libraries, laboratories arcane knowledge. These labs, and stockpiles of materials. Needless to warehouses and libraries are well say it is an unpopular job for all but the guarded but made accessible to most full most ambitious members. members. Beneath this council is a collection Through the cooperation of loyal of retired scientists and occultists who members, the brotherhood controls a assist each council member in the lengthy list of patents, including the execution of their duties. These patent for the light bulb. The assistants are the connection between the Brotherhood owns and operates a Council and the individual cells. Cells handful of factories and universities. are often made up of a single qabal Finally, the brotherhood is well funded member and his or her friends and from the dues of its members. Requests henchmen. These cells pursue for funds require some diplomacy (DC individual projects and report their check 20), as do requisitions for magical findings to the qabal. items (base DC 22). Scientific The brotherhood also maintains a equipment is often shared freely, though handful of enforcer cells. These cells are any equipment lost or used up must be made up of one full member and a group replaced. of loyal henchmen trained to use intimidation, violence and even murder Adventure Hooks to maintain secrecy and loyalty in the The Brotherhood of Alchamae is an qabal. excellent patron for a group of adventurers. A single member of the qabal might be in contact with the party, sending them on all manner of missions

126 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 without ever explaining the true nature mage hand, mending, open/close, arcane of the party’s work. Members of the mark, detect magic, read magic. 1st brotherhood make poor villains, since level spells; alarm, endure element, hold they are usually peaceful people portal, shield, grease, mage armor, possessed of good intentions. There are unseen servant, comprehend language, those jaded scientists who have divested identify, magic missile, animate rope, themselves of human emotion, but they enlarge, erase, feather fall, magic are in the minority. weapon, shocking grasp. 2nd level With a single connection to the spells; arcane lock, obscure object, Brotherhood, a party of adventurers Melfs acid arrow, locate object, see might be privilege to vast stores of invisibility, flaming sphere, shatter, alter scientific devices and magical self, cat’s grace, knock, pyrotechnics. knowledge. Of course, the price for 3rd level spells; dispel magic, explosive such assistance usually involves runes, nondetection, flame arrow, sleet procuring exotic items for the qabal. storm, clairaudience/clairvoyance, tongues, gust of wind, lighting bolt, Thomas Alva Edison illusionary script, blink, fly, greater magic weapon, haste, keen edge, shrink Male human, 6th level expert/6th item, and slow. level qabalist: CR 12, SZ M humanoid;

HD 12D6+12, HP 54; Inn 1; Spd 30; AC By 1890, Thomas Alva Edison is a 10; Atk 7/2; SA none, SQ none; AL LN; man of thirty-three. In that short time he SV: fort 5, Reflex 5, Will 10; Str 11, has invented the stock ticker, the light Dex 12, Con 12, Int 17, Wiz 14, Chr 12. bulb, the phonograph and a plethora of Skills and Feats: alchemy 10, other inventions. Despite the lack of appraise 5, bluff 8, craft: invention 20, formal education, Edison is an concentration 5, diplomacy 7, forbidden accomplished inventor and is part owner lore 8, knowledge: applied physics 20, of the General Electric manufacturing knowledge: chemistry 9, knowledge: corporation. The extraordinary inventor mechanical physics 9, profession: has not limited himself to the world of engineer 10, profession: telegraph science; he has also delved deeply into operator 5, research 12, sense motive 5, to supernatural. Edison is one of the spell craft 13, spot 5. Skill focus: most prominent members of the qabal (knowledge: applied physics), Skill known as The Brotherhood of focus: (knowledge: chemistry), skill Alchamae. Edison is an accomplished focus (craft: invention), Skill focus: mage, and has created a number of (bluff), Skill focus: (diplomacy), Skill useful magical items for the focus: (spell craft), Skill focus: brotherhood. There may be no one else (forbidden lore), Scribe scroll, craft upon Gothic Earth who so naturally wondrous item, brew potion, craft mixes magic with science. magical arms and armor, Edison has developed a number of Languages: English, Latin, Greek, devices that combine the power of Arabic futuristic science with magical spells. Qabalist spells per day: 4/4/4/3; Edison has never risen to a position of Base DC=15 + level leadership in the qabal; between Spell Book: 0 level spells; managing his investments and furthering resistance, ray of frost, detect poison,

127 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 both his scientific and magical research, discover that Edison has a habit of Edison has no time to manage a secret stealing their ideas and taking the credit society. Edison enjoys his status as a for himself. At the same time, junior celebrity within the qabal; he is fed with members of the brotherhood have much a steady flow of information and to learn from the master inventor. supplies at the cost of lending out his Edison’s voice pulls great weight in inventions. the Brotherhood; he has contributed When faced with a problem, Edison huge amounts of cash from his calls upon his own henchmen. As a co- corporation, designed dozens of devices owner of General Electric, Edison is free and crafted countless magical items. to maintain a staff of security officers The full resources of the Brotherhood whom he uses as muscle when the need are at Edison’s disposal, which makes arises. Edison works with a small staff him a powerful ally and a dangerous foe. of apprentice experts and qabalists. Edison is well aware of the horrors of These apprentices perform most of the the Red Death and will not expose the odd jobs, creating mundane magical Brotherhood. If necessary, he will call items or devices needed in the upon the enforcers of the brotherhood to construction of larger inventions. eliminate anyone who threatens the Edison’s staff is in constant flux. As the secrecy of the qabal. apprentices grow in ability they often

128 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2

Knowledge is Power Science in Gothic Earth By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

Science is not just a skill for strange that were previously unavailable. NPCs, men in white coats; it is a mode of villains and player characters have the thought that governs everything in the ability to create items that can modern world. When an individual accomplish feats that were impossible encounters a problem that he cannot before, even by magic. Some Dungeon resolve by conventional means, one Masters may decide to completely solution may be to use the scientific ignore these rules, especially since few method to invent a tool to accomplish Gothic Earth campaigns stray into such the task. The 1890’s were a time of science fiction. However, DMs should advanced scientific breakthroughs and be encouraged to keep these rules in marvelous inventions and these new mind when incorporating scientific advances in technology are useful tools devices into their campaigns, even as to the heroes and villains of gothic earth. background material. If an NPC created Scientific skills allow characters to a device, then he or she should possess create inventions, real items that they the level of skill to have accomplished can use to accomplish their goals. the task. The DM must take an active The following rules summarize the role in any design process. The procedures for creating a scientific Dungeon Master must be sure that the device. Each device requires a unique difficulty in creating the device is process to create it, but the process of proportional to the power offered by the the creation scientific devices always invention. Furthermore, the Dungeon follows some given guidelines. Devices Master must be sure that no character take all manner of shapes and forms. creates a device that interferes with the Scientific devices can be machines, a campaign. chemical compound, a specially bred plant, a mathematical formula or even a Designing Devices kind of medical procedure. Characters Designing a scientific device is the can create scientific devices by using process of a character imaging an character skills to create a theory, a invention and using his or her skills to design and finally construct the device. make it a reality. Any character of any There is no limit to the power that can be character class can undertake this harnessed by science, though the level of process. power is proportional to the difficulty in creating the device. Skill Checks It is obvious that these rules will Skill checks are the mechanism for change the balance of the campaign. the design process. The design process Characters with many craft, knowledge is not without its pitfalls, for when one and profession skills will gain options makes a mistake one hardly is aware that

129 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 a mistake has been made. Even a simple nerve impulses. A successful theory error early in the design process can check using the knowledge skill doom the whole project to failure. When knowledge: applied physics would allow a character makes a check that fails to Westhouse to imagine a way to reach the DC by more than five points, artificially transmit sound into electrical he or she has failed but does not realize nerve impulses. In addition, a theory their failure. The character continues on check using knowledge: medicine is from that point, unaware that their required to determine the manner in attempts are doomed to failure. At every which the ear will interact with Chew- other point in the process, such as related chew’s body. knowledge or profession checks, the character may make another skill check Design for the failed skill, at the same DC of the Once the theory has been developed check that was previously failed. If that it is time to design the actual device. roll succeeds then the character realizes Designing a device involves determining his error and can begin again. the material needed, drawing diagrams The exact consequences of a failed of the finished device as well as any skill check are left to the DM. other tasks involved in the proper Sometimes the error is correctable, with planning of the project. Designing a simple adjustments to the project. In device requires another related other cases the error is realized too late knowledge check, though there is a and the entire process must be started possibility that it may be a different again from scratch. knowledge skill than the skill used to develop the theory. Furthermore, it is Theory possible that a device that uses more To create a device, a character must than one discipline in its theory check have a general idea of how it will may require more than one designing function and what it will accomplish. check. A design check is made against a This part of the design phase is the base DC of 20. “theory” check, which represents the For example, Professor Plumworth formulation of a sensible theory. In this is attempting to devise an antidote to check a character calls upon his or her scorpion venom. He will use the knowledge of the subject and determines knowledge: toxicology check to theorize the various qualities that his device must an antidote. The actual design check, possess to accomplish the desired task. however, is knowledge: chemistry The theory check is made by a related check. For though the theory by which knowledge check against a base DC of the antidote works is derived from 20. Some times a single invention toxicology, the actual synthesis of the covers two or more areas of science. In antidote requires extensive knowledge of these cases, the device will require more chemistry. This relates to the required one theory check for each discipline of knowledge of the chemical properties at science. work, such as creating a compound that For example, the mad Doctor will neutralize the poison and sweep it Westhouse wants to create an artificial out of the blood system. Just as ear for his minion, Chew-Chew. This Plumworth would never have know how artificial ear must be able to detect sound the chemical works without knowledge and transform the sonic energy into of toxicology, so too would he have no

130 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 clue as how to create the antidote require the invention of a mathematic without knowledge in chemistry. equation. The design phase ends with the construction of a blueprint, a series of Construction plans, a chemical equation or a proposal The construction of a device is the for an experiment. final phase in the design process. It is a complicated affair. The DM, based on Materials applicable factors, should determine the The construction of a new device amount of time that would be required requires the proper materials. The actual for the construction of the device. collection of the materials may be Certain rules should guide this decision. difficult, since many of the materials A device the size of a house should may be expensive, exotic, or perhaps probably take longer to build than a illegal to procure. The actual materials handheld instrument, furthermore a needed are determined by the design device of many intricate parts should check, and are left up to the DM as to require more time to construct than a how they should be collected. Often simple solid piece. new technologies require components Construction requires the successful that have never before been built. In use of a related skill. Many skills are these cases the character must theorize, used in construction checks. The design and construct these parts, or synthesis of a chemical compound contact another individual to have such requires the use of the skill profession: an item created. chemist, the building of a small For example, the creation of a phonograph device would require the massive digging machine requires at use of the craft: invention skill, the least three separate components. The construction of a structure would require machine requires a power source, an the use of a profession: engineer check. apparatus for both drilling and Just as with the theory and design movement and finally a life support processes, devices that cover more than system. Without these three one discipline may require more than components, the machine cannot be one skill check in construction. For completed. If the three cannot be example, Westhouse’s artificial ear obtained, they must be designed from would require a craft: invention to scratch. actually build the ear, followed by a Dungeon Masters should remember surgery check made with the skill that very powerful or very complex profession: medicine to install the device inventions might require the creations of in his minion’s head. The base difficulty other inventions. One common way in class for a construction check is 20. which the Dungeon Master may increase Not all devices need be constructed. the difficulty of creating a device is to Mathematic equations skip this phase, as require the creation of a mathematic does any “device” which is not an actual equation. Indeed, mathematics is the object. This includes medical language of the universe. It is procedures and psychological mathematic equations that show treatments. inventors the finer details of the finished product. A Dungeon Master should feel free to require that a complex invention

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Collaboration Cutting Edge technology It is rare that any one individual There are often problems when a completes every phase of the scientist tries to use “cutting edge construction process without outside technology”. When a character makes a help. Sometimes one individual check involving technology or completes the theory phase and knowledge that is new to the 1890’s but publishes this theory. Another is still based upon well-established individual may take this theory and then knowledge, the DC increases by 5. An complete the design phase. That example of this would be devising anti- character could send the blueprints on to venom, which was new to Gothic Earth others whom collect the materials and in 1890. The DM may decide that such then send them to a final individual a device would require the successful whom actually constructs the device. In creation of a new mathematic equation these cases, each character involved before the character can attempt the makes his own skill checks. In the event theory or design checks. Such an that any roll fails by five, no one is equation would be considered cutting aware that an error was made, unless the edge technology for the purposes of its next individual in line automatically DC modifier. attempts the check to realize the error. Futuristic Technology “Futuristic technology” is nearly Modifiers impossible to work with. This scientific There are a variety of modifiers that knowledge often exceeds the rules of apply to knowledge checks and to the conventional knowledge. When a process of designing and building character makes a check involving devices. The constraints of modern science that is based upon knowledge as knowledge make skill checks more yet unknown, the DC increases by 10. difficult. An example of this would be the Obsolete Technology creation of an electro-cathode ray or a submersible steamship. When a character makes a skill A DM may further rule that the check to work with “obsolete character must devise an original technology”, such as the outdated mathematic equation, using the skill phrenology, the DC of profession checks knowledge: mathematics before they can and knowledge checks are increased by even begin making knowledge checks or 2. profession checks regarding the theory Modern technology check and design check in the creation Modern technology is simple to use of such advanced devices. Such an for a trained scientist. When working equation is considered futuristic with technology that is in common use technology for the purposes of Difficulty during the 1890’s or with knowledge class modifiers. that is well established in the 1890’s, the Improbable Technology DC remains unmodified. Steam engines “Improbable Technology” breaks and telegraphs are examples of modern the rules of modern knowledge. This technology. classification covers technology and science that would be impossible under

132 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 the known rules of science. Working with “Improbable technology” increases Disciplines of Knowledge the DC of skill checks by 15. Examples For the purposes of skill checks, of such technology would be anti-gravity science is divided up amongst as series ships, digging machines, invisibility of disciplines. This reflects the nature if serums, mechanical automatons or even a character’s knowledge and education. sentient electrical thinking machines. The disciplines of chemistry are a As with futuristic technology, the formality. The same rules that govern DM may rule that an original chemistry also govern biology and mathematic equation is necessary before physics, mathematics apply to nearly attempting the theory and design checks. discipline of learning. The separate Such an equation would be considered disciplines are merely convenient ways Improbable technology for the purposes to divide up the massive amount of of difficulty class modifiers. knowledge mankind has amassed. It is easiest to study the disciplines Fantastic Technology separately, and learning the individual While improbably technology may applications of universal principles. confound modern science, fantastic technology drives it to madness. Biology Fantastic technology contradicts logic Biology is quite literally the study of itself. Fantastic technology is beyond life. This discipline is further divided human understanding, only a few people into several knowledge skills. of a genius intellect can grasp fantastic The skill knowledge: botany gives a technology, and even they cannot claim character to use extensive knowledge of to understand the forces at work. These plants, covering a variety of species, geniuses work as if on instinct, never plant anatomy, plant diseases, plant consciously understanding the science at byproducts and so on. work, yet still producing fantastic The skill knowledge: medicine gives technology. Fantastic technology a character expertise in modern medical includes such things as time machines, knowledge. A character with this skill inter-dimensional gateways, perpetual has an extensive understanding of the motion, and light-speed engines. functions of a living body as well as the Working with fantastic technology modern methods of treating the body. modified the DC of any skill check by Knowledge: pathology is the +20. Furthermore, fantastic technology focused understanding of diseases. This is a nerve-wracking experience. The skill can be used to identify certain rare human mind is stretched beyond its diseases, techniques in breeding limit; the power of the brain takes the microorganisms, and even methods of mind beyond the realms of nature and treating all manner of diseases, in opens it to infinite possibilities, many of animals, humans and plant. which shatter man’s concept of space, The skill knowledge: toxicology time and reality. Whenever a character covers the wide variety of poisonous makes a check to work with fantastic materials known to man. This skill technology he must make a madness allows characters to identify poisons by check against a DC 15. various physical properties and the symptoms the cause. This skill also covers knowledge of antidotes and anti-

133 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 venoms, which are a relatively new field Mathematics in Gothic Earth. Mathematics is perhaps the most Finally, the skill knowledge: important discipline. To put it zoology gives a character an advanced poetically, mathematics is the language understanding of the known species of of the universe. Utilizing algebra, animals in the world. This skill allows a trigonometry and calculus, a character to identify animals and to mathematician might be able to define recall pertinent information regarding nearly any phenomena in mathematic habitats, behavior and the anatomy of terms. The skill Knowledge: animals. Mathematics is a very useful tool to any As a baseline, most knowledge scientist. Any character with five or checks from this discipline should be more ranks in knowledge: mathematics against a DC of 15. For further note, gains a synergetic +2 bonus to any since all of these separate skills are knowledge or profession checks in any covered within the same discipline, the scientific discipline other than feat educational degree grants its bonus mathematics. to all of these skills. A successful use of the Knowledge: Chemistry mathematics skill allows a character to develop a new and original equation or It could be said that everything to learn a new equation. Such equations larger than an atom and smaller than a come into play in the design of devices. star falls within the rules of chemistry. Designing a new equation is the same as From predicting the melting point of the construction of a device. In these steel, to estimating the acidity of a cases, the skill knowledge: mathematics raindrop, the skill knowledge: chemistry is used for each check. When covers a huge range of subjects. Though developing a new mathematic equation, chemistry covers a wide variety of it should be considered cutting edge phenomena, the skill knowledge: technology or even futuristic technology. chemistry gives the character sufficient In rare circumstances, a new equation knowledge to understand the underlying may indeed be fantastic technology. rules of nearly every chemical property. Sometimes, when a character is cut off From boiling points, to heats of from scientific texts, isolated from combustion, to the rates of reactions, the outside knowledge, the character must skill knowledge: chemistry allows a devise equations that are considered chemist to recall these properties with a “Modern technology”. successful check against DC 10. This skill also allows characters to make Physics, Applied estimations. For example, by noticing If chemistry covers everything the greenish rust like substance on the larger than an atom and smaller than a bars of a prison, a character could star, then everything beyond those determine that the bars contain large boundaries are the sole property of the amounts of copper. Estimating the discipline of physics. Physics covers a composition of a substance usually staggering array of phenomena, too requires a laboratory, chemicals, many for one skill. For the purposes of equipment and intensive tests, with a DC game play, physics is divided between to the knowledge: chemistry check 15. two disciplines. Without these materials, the DC is 25.

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The first discipline, applied physics design a psychological “device”. Such a will include some of the newest device would be a form of therapy with discoveries of science in the 1890’s. would assist in the recovery of patients, The growing field of electricity, induce madness or bring about some molecular and atomic theory, and other psychological effect. radiation all fall within this field, as does light theory (which is a form of Scientific Professions radiation), magnetism and There are two aspects of science, the electromagnetism. The skill knowledge: theoretical and the practical. Though the applied physics allows a player to theoretical aspects are a pure intellectual identify the underlying principles of exercise, the practical portion requires these phenomena. A character with this intuition, experience and skill could identify the effects of an professionalism. The individual electromagnet, or of radiation. The DC divisions of the profession skills of such a check would be only 20 if the characterize the practical aspects of character had access to a lab, proper science. Though it is not required, equipment and eight uninterrupted educational degrees are very important hours. Without all of these factors, the to the use of these professions. physicist must make a risky guess, making the check DC 30. Profession: Biologist: This profession Physics, Mechanical is simply the profession of a biologist. This is the second discipline of A biologist usually focuses upon one of physics. This discipline covers the the separate biological skills. This skill better-known areas of physics. has little effect for game play. It covers Hydrodynamics, gravity, momentum, the ability of a character to write these are all covered in mechanical scientific reports and to conduct physics. Like applied physics, the biological experiments. primary use of the skill knowledge: mechanical physics is to identify the Profession: Chemist: This skill forces at work in a given phenomena. represents the characters ability to write Since mechanical physics works with formal laboratory reports, to prepare more visible phenomena than applied equipment and to synthesize chemical physics, the DC to the check is 15 with a compounds. A character uses this skill proper lab and 20 without. in the creation of devices. As well, the character can create items such as acid Psychology and alchemist’s fire using the same DC Even by the 1890’s, psychology was as alchemists would use, as described in not an exact science. In many cases, the Player’s Handbook. psychologists were forced to work by trial an error in an attempt to determine Profession: Engineer: This is the skill what techniques were capable of curing of applying mechanical physics to the dementia. The skill knowledge: construction of structures and large psychology represents a character’s devices. Though skills such as craft and understanding of the human mind and knowledge can be used to devise the the techniques of curing madness. Using blueprints for large devices and this skill, characters can theorize and

135 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 structures, it requires the engineer madness checks. This skill can also be profession to actually build the object. used to utilize psychological “devices”.

Profession: Medicine: This is the skill Using Devices of healing. The actual use of this The rules that govern the use of a profession is described in the document device vary with the type of device. A “Gothic Earth Enhancements” and will vehicle requires the use of a skill such as not be repeated here as well. The skill pilot: automobile. A device that is fired profession: medicine is also use to finish like a gun would require an attack roll the construction of medical related and a proficiency in a similar type of devices, to install such devices, and to weapon. For example, an electro- utilize medical procedures created by the cathode ray would require an attack roll rules for constructing devices. as made with a rifle. A surgical

procedure or a psychological technique Profession: Physics, Applied: Like the would require the use of a skill such as other professions, this skill allows the profession: medicine or profession: character to create formal scientific psychology. When a character must use reports, and operate equipment related to a device as a weapon, the weapon might applied physics. This is quite be considered an exotic weapon if it is significant, because the skill profession: exceedingly strange, such as a applied physics covers the growing mechanical tentacle. science of electricity. A character with this profession can work with electrical circuits, devising them, building them Sample Devices and repairing them. Edison’s Ethereal Disruptor Profession: Physics, Mechanical: This Background skill allows a character to write formal Thomas Edison is known to be the scientific reports and operate equipment most prolific inventor in the world by related to mechanical physics. This skill 1890. What is not generally known is does not allow characters to repair a that Edison is also one of the most mechanical device, that skill is covered prominent members of the cabal the by the skill craft: repair. Brotherhood of Alchamae. Edison splits his energy between scientific and arcane Profession: Psychology: Though research, though he tries to combine psychology is not the most scientific these two discipline as often as possible. areas of knowledge, that profession does The Ether Disrupter is one of the fit within the realm of science because of products of such a combination. As the the scientific process upon which Brotherhood researched the paranormal, modern psychology is based. The skill it discovered a link between ethereal Profession: psychology works in the resonance and the behavior of certain same manner as described in the types of charged particles. Edison Ravenloft Core rules. Using this explored this phenomenon and began to profession, a character can help others formulate a hypothesis; if he could recover from failed fear, horror and disrupt the behavior of the charged particles, he believed he could also

136 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 disrupt the ethereal resonance in the Using the Device general area. The device has enough batteries to Edison then set about creating a be activated for a total of twelve hours. device that could rapidly produce The device can be recharged using an powerful electromagnetic fields of alternating current generator, which varying strength and intensity. This should be readily available in a city. effect would continuously shake the Alternately, the device can be run strait particles, thus keeping the particles in from a generator for an indefinite period the ether unstable. Edison built the of time. The device is activated with a device in 1885 and successfully tested it single switch. Once activated, the in several different locations. The ether disruptor creates a magnetic field in a disruptor was not only able to disrupt the radius of two hundred and fifty feet. ethereal resonance but also the This field passes through wood, glass magnitude of ghosts in the area. High- and steel. Only lead, concrete, or rock ranking members of the Brotherhood barriers of more than four inches and close friends of Edison know about thickness stop the disruptor. the Disruptor, though only Edison Once activated, the ethereal possesses the designs or the theoretical resonance of area within the radius notes. There are three ethereal begins to drop by one rank for every disruptors in the world, each being held hour. The rank continues to drop until it by a cell of the Brotherhood in London, has dropped a total of four ranks, New York and Germany. dropping to a minimum of first rank. As the ethereal resonance of the area drops, The Device so too does the rank of any ghost within Edison’s Ethereal Disruptor stands the area. Any incorporeal undead lose four feet tall, two feet wide and one foot one hit dice per hour within the diameter deep. The device weighs more than two of the Disruptor; to a minimum loss of hundred pounds and contains a large four hit dice. These hit dice return as number of copper coils, batteries, soon as the incorporeal undead leave the capacitators and other electrical area of effect or the disruptor is components. Each of the components deactivated. Undead killed by the loss must be custom built for a disruptor. of hit dice are permanently destroyed. The total cost of the parts is a little more than two hundred dollars. As well, the Side Effects purchasing of such materials may even The device has no real side effects draw the attention of the Brotherhood. to the living. Edison is reluctant to lend The construction of the disruptor his notes or designs to anyone not of the requires a successful profession: applied Brotherhood. The Brotherhood will physics check for cutting edge pursue anyone whom steals the notes, technology. Edison’s notes constitute a designs or one of the disruptors. successful theory for cutting edge technology; as well his designs contain enough information to constitute a successful design check for cutting edge technology.

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Professor Griffon’s Invisibility bludgeoned to death, stabbed and even Formula shot. Many of the events not far from eyewitnesses, sometimes even in locked Background rooms. Though the police grilled In the year 1884, an American countless witnesses, they discovered that scientist by the name of Professor no one had seen the murder. The terror Richard Griffon began a series of increased within Boston until one night, fantastic experiments. Griffon had been when the home of the Dean of Physics at a chemist with a significant background Harvard University burnt down. The in applied physics. His early work Dean and his family narrowly escaped, involved the creation of a material that after the dean awoke in the night, would emit light of the exact frequency, discovered the fire and shot at an unseen wavelength and angle of any incident intruder lurking in the shadows. The light that struck it from the opposite end. body of the intruder was not recovered Light particles would be propagated from the rubble, and the remains of the through matter; in essence it would house were carted away. appear that light would travel right The lab of Richard Griffon was through the compound. In his early never discovered. The scientist’s former years, Griffon attempted to generate abode was never discovered in the urban funding for his research, but because his maze of decay. Whatever discoveries work was still in the theoretical stage, he made by the tragic genius, remain to be failed. In near poverty, Griffon unearthed. continued his work in the slums of The Device Boston, hoping to create an isolate the The Invisibility Formula may no elusive compound. In the year 1888, longer exist, but surely Griffon’s notes Griffon succeeded in creating and remain. With one of Griffon’s three isolating the compound, which he dryly personal notebooks, a character has dubbed “refractive serum 8”. access to a successful “theory” for an Though he had succeeded in improbable technology. If a character creating his compound, further funding possesses all three, he or she has access proved impossible. Critics dubbed it an to enough information to constitute a absurd novelty, an impractical curiosity. successful “design” for an improbable Despite his years of labor, his efforts technology. Anything that remains of were lauded and ridiculed. Griffon the actual compound is most likely watched as his hopes vanished like so decayed and decomposed beyond all use. much refractive serum. It was then that The formula is successfully constructed Griffon retired to his lab within the with a profession: chemist check. slums and was never seen again. The compound itself is a silvery In the weeks that followed, many of organic liquid. The formula does not the intellectual elite of Boston began to evaporate at room temperature, but suffer mysterious accidents. At first the decays into an inert compound after a phenomena were subtle, such as day of exposure to air or water. With the unexplained falls and horse carriages original design from all three of that ran amok. Afterwards the Griffon’s notes, the time required to circumstances became more deadly. synthesize a single dose of the formula is Notable scientists were found only an hour. To construct on dose of

138 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 the formula, a character requires a liter Roentgen’s Electrical Projector of alcohol, forty grams of silver, ten grams of mercury, a Bunsen burner Background costing 10 dollars and a set of glassware In 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen costing at least 50 dollars. The discovered the X-ray, a form of radiation glassware and the burner can be reused, unknown to man. Not long afterwards, a the alcohol can be distilled from regular man whom identified himself as an spirits with a profession: chemist check official of the German Military against DC 10. approached Roentgen and commissioned him to build a device that could project a Using the Device powerful stream of electricity. Not long A living organism must ingest the after Roentgen completed his electrical formula. The bloodstream actually projector, his laboratory was burglarized. circulates the inert compound throughout The device and many of the notes within the body, where it begins to take effect. the lab were stolen. The only item that Once ingested, the effects of the formula remains is the project book that are slow to occur. From the inside out, Roentgen had taken to his home the the formula is distributed. After an hour, night before. the character becomes completely When Roentgen reported the invisible. This invisibility confers all of robbery to the military, he was informed the benefits associated with invisibility. that the military knew nothing of the The formula remains in effect for 36 electrical projector. Roentgen remains hours. After that, the user’s immune in the dark as to who stole the projector, system begins to destroy the invisibility. though he believes that the unidentified At this point, the user’s body fades in man whom commissioned its and out of visibility over the course of an construction must have been connected hour. During this period, the character to the robbery. The true culprits remain receives a +10 bonus to hide checks. unknown. Whether it was a cabal, the After the hour, the user is completely German government, or a foreign visible until the next use of the formula. military, none can say. Side Effects The Device The inert matter of the invisibility Roentgen no longer possesses his formula hinders the functions of nerve projector, but he still possesses his cells. Though the effects end when the notebook and the original designs in his immune system begins to remove the project-book. The notes consist of formula, they remain strong throughout enough information to constitute a the course of the serum. The moment successful theory for a futuristic the character ingests the formula, he or technology. Further more, both the she makes a madness check against DC notes and the project book together 25. A failed check indicates that the contain enough information to constitute character suffers from the effects of a successful design for a futuristic paranoia. These effects might even technology. Only one projector has ever persist after the formula is done, if the been built, though Roentgen is very DM chooses. reluctant to build another. Once built, Roentgen’s electrical projector looks similar to a scattergun

139 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 with a bulky box running the length of becomes accustomed to the device and the barrel. The box constitutes a can use it in the same manner as a primitive electrical battery, containing regular rifle. A successful hit from the concentrated acid. This battery supplies projector causes 3D8 electrical damage. the power for the projector. The The range increment for the construction of the projector requires a projector is only fifteen feet, with a battery, which is expensive and must be maximum range forty-five feet. Each custom built, a series of copper coils, battery holds enough charge for fifteen specially cut glass lenses, a huge shots. Replacing the battery requires a capacitator and assorted pieces of wood successful profession: applied physics and metal. Designing the projector from check against DC 15. Fortunately, the the theoretical notes requires a batteries can be recharged while still successful knowledge: applied physics installed, requiring an alternating current check. The construction of the projector generator. Recharging the battery requires a successful profession: applied requires no check, needing only a few physics check. instructions. Using the Device Side Effects Roentgen designed his electrical There are no side effects to the use projector to be used as a weapon. The of the electrical projector. The battery projector is fired in the same manner as a upon the devise is fragile and contains rifle, though it requires practice to be concentrated acid under pressure. The used effectively. A character must make battery has a hardness of only 2, and is a wisdom check against DC 15 after destroyed after 6 points of damage. using the projector. If the check fails, Once destroyed, the battery sprays the the projector remains an exotic weapon, acid in a ten-foot burst. but if the check succeeds a character

140 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Tactics and Techniques Feats of Science By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

official degree also confers other Ahead of the Times bonuses. The degree will allow a +2 bonus on charisma-based checks to The character is possessed of a far interaction with educated individuals thinking mind, capable of making huge whom hold degrees in the same subjects. leaps of logic. In short, the character is Although an officer could possess a ahead of the times. degree in tactics, this degree does not Prerequisites: Minimum actually assist that officer in tactics intelligence modifier +1. checks. Strategy and leadership cannot Benefit: Designing or working with be taught from textbooks and lecture, “cutting edge” technology carries no they must be learned by experience. modifier for advanced technology. Special: This bonus stacks with bonuses from the skill focus feat. Educational Degree The character possesses an official First Approximation degree from an accredited institute of The PC has acquired the ability to higher learning. make quick calculations by making Prerequisite: The PC must have quick and easy approximations of attended an accredited institute of higher values. This allows the PC to make learning for a number of years. This accurate estimates without difficulty. period of learning takes up eight months Prerequisite: The PC must have of the year, and at least eight hours of minimum intelligence and wisdom work each day of those months. An bonuses of +1. intelligence of 12 is also required, as is Benefit: The PC can make wisdom of at least 9. Except in special calculations without the need for circumstances, a significant cost must calculating tools. These calculations are also be paid for tuition, as well as books, accurate to a significant degree and can room and board. be made in a short period of time. The Benefit: Each time the PC acquires feat gives allows a player to take ten on this feat, he/she must choose and area of any knowledge or profession check knowledge such as archeology, applied where calculations are necessary, even physics (electronics), biology, botany, when the situation is stressful. chemistry, engineering, history, law, medicine, physics, or any other subject at the DM’s discretion. Speed Reader This feat adds a +2 bonus to craft, The PC has the ability to read knowledge, profession or research skill written text at an amazing speed. This is checks based upon that subject. An an amazing skill that anyone might

141 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 develop with a little practice. The real much as glimpses written text he may trick to speed reading is not reading make an intelligence check against a DC quickly, but rather instantly of 15. If the check is successful then the understanding written text. character has read and comprehended Prerequisite: There are no the entire page in only a split second. A prerequisites for this feat. PC with this ability takes only half the Benefit: A PC with this ability may normal time to make a research check. read and retain knowledge from written Also the PC may take 10 on a research text with an amazing speed. If the PC so check even during stressful conditions.

142 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Perilous Pursuits Mad Scientist By Stephen “ScS” Sutton [email protected]

“Knowledge Brings Fear!” all barriers and ignore all risks in a blind -School Motto of Mars University pursuit of knowledge. Mad scientists hold nothing beyond the reach of Science more than a mode of science, everything from doorstops to rational thought, it is a lifestyle. To the deities are subject to a Mad Scientist’s educated men and women of the world, investigations. More often than not, a science is an obsession. More than any Mad Scientist holds a deep grudge for philosophy, than any religion, science society. Sometimes mad scientists turn allows mere mortals to gaze in wonder at their amazing intellect against society, in the beauty of the cosmos and learn the a petty attempt to strike back. Other secret laws that bind reality into a mad scientists try to convert modern coherent continuum. The thrill of society to their way of thinking, either discovery can be as intoxicating as wine, through friendly persuasion or by force. and many times more addictive. The devotion of a Mad Scientist to There are a few men and women his field of study is rewarded with who become overcome by science. knowledge beyond that of his more They fall into obsession and eccentricity orthodox kin. His understanding of his as science devours their life one day at a discipline is unmatched by conventional time. These are the movers and shakers scientists, some would say decades of the scientific community, the blessed ahead of his time. Mad scientists are scientists who divine the laws of the often recruited by organizations, both universe and bring them back to the heroic and villainous, and given the world of men. opportunity to prove their theories. Yet science is not a benign force. Other mad scientists are loners and Science violently conflicts with religion, eccentric inventors, who tinker in poorly superstition and tradition. Often this lit labs, seeking answers to questions no confrontation is a minor disagreement, one asked. but it can escalate. The machinist view of the universe inherent in science conflicts with traditional conservative Mad Scientist (MadS) thought. Sometimes these conflicts can Hit Die: d6. consume the unstable scientific mind. Requirements: 8 ranks in any When a scientist becomes frustrated scientific knowledge skill and the feat with conservative, contemporary society, “skill focus” taken for any scientific he stands of chance of abandoning all skill. Non-lawful alignment. ties to society and becoming a mad Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier. scientist. Mad scientists are reckless Class Skills: Alchemy, rogue scholars, people who would break Concentration, Craft (any), Gather

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Information, Knowledge (any), Spot, level than any other human being’s. and Profession (any). Indeed, the mind of a Mad Scientist is Weapon and Armor Proficiency: filled with infinite knowledge. Though A mad scientist gains no proficiency in this knowledge is beyond human weapons or armor. comprehension, the Mad Scientist is slowly learning to tap that cosmic Class Abilities awareness on the subconscious level. A Adaptive Mind: At fourth level a Mad Scientist with this ability is never Mad Scientist gains the ability to required to devise a mathematical flawlessly utilize his own devices. The equation to create a device. Mad Scientist gains proficiency in any When creating a device, a Mad weapon or armor he personally designs. Scientist with this ability can choose to As well, when making skill checks to tap into his infinite knowledge and skip use deices he has personally designed he the design check. A mad scientist who gains a competency bonus to the check skips a check taps into his cosmic equal to his levels in the Mad Scientist unconsciousness and instantly derives prestige class. the necessary design and incorporates it Field of Expertise: At first level a seamlessly into the construction of a Mad Scientist may choose a scientific device or records it upon paper. discipline as his field of expertise. Naturally, the use of this infinite When making craft, knowledge or knowledge is extremely risky to the profession checks that apply directly to characters sanity. For each check that a this field the Mad Scientist gains a +2 Mad Scientist chooses to skip he must competence bonus. At third level and make a madness check against a base fifth level a mad scientist may choose DC of 5, increased by the modifier for another field of expertise. Possible the technological level. fields of expertise include biology, As a Mad Scientist becomes more chemistry, mathematics, applied physics experienced with the inner workings of (electricity and electronics), mechanical his cosmic unconsciousness, the risk to physics and psychology. A Mad his sanity diminishes. At fifth level a scientist may choose a given field only Mad Scientist may use this ability to once. In cases where more than one skip the “theory” check in the design scientific discipline is required, the phase. A Mad Scientist may then decide bonus is not granted unless both to skip either check or both checks, disciplines are “fields of expertise”. making a madness check for each check Illogical Mind: A Mad Scientist is skipped. defined by his irrational faith in his own Obsessive Focus: The devotion genius. A character that becomes lawful of a Mad Scientist to his work is nothing in alignment cannot take levels in this less than obsession. This obsession class. Furthermore, a Mad Scientist makes a Mad Scientist more than a little cannot take the feat Logical Mind. If a unhinged. The Mad Scientist suffers a character with the feat “Logical Mind” penalty to charisma-based checks equal takes a level in Mad Scientist, the feat to his level in the Mad Scientist class. “Logical Mind” is removed and replaced Yet this unbalanced state makes the with the feat “Open Mind”. brilliant mind of a Mad Scientist Mad Genius: The intellect of a radically different than that of a normal Mad Scientist works on a very different

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human. The Mad Scientist gains a bonus scientific devices using a wide variety of to resist mind-influencing and mind unorthodox materials. When reading effects equal to his Obsessive determining the materials needed to Focus score. As well, the Mad Scientist construct a device, a Mad Scientist may gains a bonus to concentration checks decide to improvise. The cost for and all fear and horror checks equal to instruments, lab equipment and other his score in obsessive focus. components is halved, or, with the DM’s Unorthodox Materials: Naturally approval, removed completely. eccentric, a Mad Scientist never frets However, should a Mad Scientist about the little details in the design improvise materials, the construction process. A Mad Scientist can build check required is increased by 10.

The Mad Scientist Level Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special Bonus Save Save Save 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Field of Expertise, Obsessive Focus +1, Illogical Mind 2nd +1 +1 +1 +3 Obsessive Focus +2, Mad Genius, Unorthodox Materials 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Field of Expertise, Obsessive Focus +3 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Adaptive Mind, Obsessive Focus +4 5th +2 +2 +2 +4 Field of Expertise, Mad Genius (theory), Obsessive Focus +5

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146 Quoth the Raven: Issue 2 Credits

social activism. I live in a ridiculously Contributors small apartment with my girlfriend Amanda, and my cat Odin. I've been Bobby S. Storey playing DnD for 12 years, and I've been [email protected]. into in Ravenloft since the premiere of Artist for “Jack the Ripper” and the Ravenloft Boxed Set. I'm also well “Pistol Dwarf”. known (and loved?) on the Malodorous He has been role-playing for a Goat Tavern message board as The God number of years now, integrating his Brain: the lovable vegetarian illithid pictures into games to give a visual enthusiast geek. image of the fantasy worlds and its Shane Glodoski inhabitants. For more art check out [email protected] http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/loth/s/i/silve Creator of Gregori Ambermist rhertz/silverhertz.html and if you have I have always been a fan of any requests or commissions just send Ravenloft, ever since the black box set me a mail or leave a comment. fell in my hands; I was forever drawn to David “The Jester” Gibson the lands of mist. When not working in a [email protected] most vile domain known as the real Creator of D20 van Richten, Van world, I am an avid reader and writer of Richten’s Forgotten Arsenal and The fantasy and especially gothic horror. Invisible Man among other things. Course I would greatly like to dedicate Repeatedly the token Canadian and this to my brother Aaron, who bought Ravenloft fan since the Red Box (which me the basic red box set and showed me was bought less than a year after being that I didn't have to take the dice out of introduced to gaming in general). It's the family board games to play games of been a long road filled with many, many my own creation, there already was crappy ideas and bad adventures. something like that. Thanks Aaron. Hopefully there have been a few Zorin, Dmitri improvements. The 3E van Richten is [email protected] dedicated to anyone who has spent the Creator of Okraina better part of a week updating a Born in 1983, Moscow, Russia. character over and over, fixing Student of Moscow Institute of Radio, uncountable mistakes and errors. Electronics and Automatics (MIREA). Sean “The Godbrain” Poindexter Been playing D&D since approximately [email protected] 1996-97, entered the mists in 1998. Author of The Rat. Enjoy gothic fiction, movies... jungle I'm a Sociology student at MSSC music and aggressive skating. Favourite College in Joplin Missouri. In addition writers: J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, to Ravenloft and 3rd Edition DnD, my B. Stoker, and Ed Greenwodd (yes, I interests include writing, movies, and play Forgotten Realms too).

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fiancée, Renee, who has been both Editors patient and understanding of all my role- Jason “Javier” True playing interests. [email protected] Stephen “ScS” Sutton With the possible exception of [email protected] Planescape, Ravenloft has been my This issue is the second in our line favorite setting to both play in and DM. of Reloaded issues, though it was the These particular tastes in campaign first issue to set the guidelines for future settings probably explain why I have a issues. For a number of reasons, this tendency to use various fiends in issue remains one of my favourites. It Ravenloft and have a gothic mood in reall gave me a chance to put some of many of my Planescape adventures. my greatest ideas on paper for every one When I'm not brainstorming for new to see. As always I would like to thank adventure ideas, my time is typically all of our contributors, and our readers spent between finishing my medical for supporting QtR. degree and helping plan my wedding. In fact, I would like to dedicate this to my

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