Sample File Layout By: Tom Hutchings Translated By: Claire Mehegan

Credits

For Le 7ème Cercle Original Concept: Neko Line Developer and Art Direction: Neko Rules System: Florrent Original Writing: Neko, Antoine Bouet, Yanick Porchet, Thibault Daprement and Florrent Proofreaders: Antoine Bouet, Yanick Porchet, Gwenael Keck, Neko and Florrent Cover art: Antonio José Manzanedo Luis Interior Illustrations, Graphics and Maps: Jérôme Huguenin, Emile Dennis, Antoine Bouet, Florrent and Xavier Colette Original French Layout: Florrent

For Cubicle 7 Line Developer: Andrew Peregrine Creative Director: Dominic McDowall-Thomas Art Director: Jon Hodgson Managing Editor: Andrew Kenrick Additional Writing by: Andrew Peregrine Edited by: David Moore Sample file Layout by: Tom Hutchings Translated by: Claire Mehegan

Special thanks Neko and Florrent, the lorekeepers of Avalon

To better capture the feel of post-Roman Britain, Keltia uses Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD) in dating instead of Before Common Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE).

Avalon (English Language Edition) © 2014 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited,. Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited is a UK Registered Company (Reg. No. 6036414).

ISBN 978-0-85744-261-1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, carved into the side of a mountain, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

2 Avalon

Contents

Introduction...... 4 An Irish Ballad ...... 62 Avalon or Ynys Affalon...... 4 Introduction...... 62 Kêr Is, the Village Swallowed by the Sea. . . . . 5 Welcome to Caer Cynghanedd!...... 63 The Other World ...... 7 On the Trail of the Saxons...... 65 The Enchanted Isles...... 7 Pursuit to the Coast...... 66 Annwyn, the Kingdom of the Departed. . . . . 8 NPCs and Extras ...... 67 Gwynn ap Nudd ...... 8 Aspects of the Other World ...... 10 The Witch of Brin-Ryth...... 69 The Nature of the People of the Wind...... 12 Introduction...... 69 Powers ...... 15 The Oncoming Storm ...... 70 The Ancients...... 19 Journey to Brin-Ryth...... 70 Audience with Olwedd ...... 71 Avalon ...... 22 Tower of the Witch...... 72 The Sacred Heart of the Summer Country. . . . 22 Right Hand of the Hag...... 73 Spells of Avalon: Advanced Magic ...... 26 Riding the Storm ...... 73

The Pearl of Manawyddan ...... 31 The Sacred Sword ...... 75 The Land Facing the Sea...... 31 Avalon ...... 75 Staying in Kêr Is ...... 36 Kêr Is, the Pearl of Ar y Mor...... 87 The Return to Avalon...... 90 Creatures and Monsters...... 43 New Monster Traits...... 47 Index ...... 92 Relics ...... Sample48 file Village of the Beast...... 50 Introduction...... 50 A Hard-earned Rest ...... 51 A Cry in the Night...... 55 The Hunt for the Beast ...... 57 Back to the Village...... 59 Epilogue...... 59 NPCs and Extras...... 61

3 Introduction

“Celtia, at the crossroads of the peoples of the North and the South, Avalon or Ynys Affalon on the borders of the old world and the new, at the frontier of the earth and the sea, at the limits of the visible world and the invisible world.” – Alan Stivell, Délivrance The legends regarding Avalon are confused, and their origins long-distant. The etymology (Ynys Affalon/ We have been in the habit, since Yggdrasill, of Affalach means ‘Isle of Apples’ in Welsh) suggests that it discussing in our introductions the reference points was surely one of the Celts’ Fortunate Isles, a land where and key facts (historical or otherwise) we’ve used. This fruit is abundant, linking the legends with the visit of is to point you to our preferred sources so you might the Dead to the Hesperides, the islands of golden apples use them as additional sources of ideas. You may or in Greek myth. Other islands with apple trees exist near may not wish to use them. Those whoSample find this of no fileYnys Prydein, besides, also sacred to the Celts. interest may pass by these pages and use only what we have wrought from these sources; after all, this is Origins a game, not a historical treatise. But we hope thus to satisfy those who love legends and who wish to seek Before the 12th century, there is no trace of the island. The Isle out the original sources. of Man and the Isle of Arran are both called by the Irish Emain Ablach, “Island where the apples grow”. These are islands with The Isle of Avalon appears to be entirely linked a strong druidic influence, but nothing seems to link them to Arthur and his legend, since he is supposed to with Arthur or any other war chieftain of the same era. sleep there, surrounded by priestesses, awaiting his triumphal return, which will usher in a new golden It was Geoffrey of Monmouth who first linked the age. We will give that due consideration. It is possible legendary island to his tale of the Round Table by adding that the choice of Ys – or Kêr Is in the Breton language Morgane, an enchantress surrounded by her eight sisters, – may seem stranger to our readers; yet the first tales who welcome the dying King Arthur to the Isle of Avalon. of the village swallowed by the ocean do not come from Brittany but from Wales, land of the original Later, she will be thought of as a healer, then as the King Arthur. They are thus perfectly legitimate in King’s sister, opposed to Camelot and to Guinevere Keltia. This will also allow our adventurers to have a (her incestuous relationship with Arthur appears only little break in the city, if they have had their fill of the in the 18th century Vulgate). English countryside. Avalon is thus clearly an island, a fortunate island, and a 4 sacred island, if not an island of the Other World. Perhaps Introduction

an island where reside members of the Tlywyth Teg, an we decided to keep Glastonbury – Ynys Wydrin – not as island where the dead, having rejoined their loved ones, Avalon itself, but as a portal to the Other World, to the celebrate while awaiting reincarnation, if they desire it. legendary isle lost in the mists (and later associated with It is an island that blesses its inhabitants with eternal Gwynn ap Nudd, our King of the People of the Wind and happiness, accessible only in the sleep of death. of the dead). As Keltia remains a roleplaying game we decided to choose the legends that were both historical Location and interesting, but also verified by archaeologists. But where is this island to be found? In most of the Welsh Kêr Is, the Village and Irish legends, these marvellous islands are found far way to the West, where the Irish gods, the Tuatha de Danann, Swallowed by the Sea retired. Since the de Danann left, the islands can be reached only after death. In Wales, it is possible to follow a pretty faerie creature or to lose oneself in the mists and arrive by chance on these shores. There are many legends of villages that were flooded Traditionally, Avalon is associated with Glastonbury and its or otherwise destroyed (sometimes by divine anger). Tor. In fact, this originated with Giraud de Barri’s (Gerald From Pavlopetri off the Peloponnese peninsula of of Wales) report in 1190 of how the monks of Glastonbury Greece, the biblical Gomorrah (its name means ‘below uncovered the tomb of Arthur and Guinevere after the the waters’ or ‘submerged’) to Thera, ancient Santorini, accidental destruction of the monastery by fire. The which was surely Plato’s Atlantis. Mythic tales are full of supposed discovery (a famous case of pseudo-archaeology) mysterious, historic or fantastical cities. made it possible to refill their coffers and rebuild the monastery by bringing anew an influx of pilgrims. The Probable Origins of Ys

This manipulation was upheld by Kings Henry II and “Seithenhin, awaken and come out, Edward I, who were anxious to see Arthur, a messiah for look at the fury of the sea.” the Welsh independence movement, dead and buried. – The Black Book of Carmarthen, Welsh texts However, the location of Glastonbury Tor remains of Samplesome file interest. In the distant past the Tor (hill) was an island, and We know that there were three waves of Briton the surrounding plains of Somerset were submerged by emigration from Cornwall and from the north of waters and marshes. It was thus necessary to travel there Wales. The first is linked to the presence of soldiers from by barge. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of Britain in the Roman Rebel Army of Macsen Wledig constructions dating to the Dark Ages, and non-Christian (although recent discoveries suggest that he did not tombs. Remains of banquets could indicate that there were land in Britain at all, but at the mouth of the Rhine), pagan celebrations and sacrifices at the top of this hill. who settled after his death in Llydaw (Armorica) There were plenty of apple trees, which could explain the among the remaining Welsh Romans. The second link with the legendary Ynys Affalach. wave was composed of nobles of the Britanno-Roman aristocracy, perfectly integrated with the agreement of As for the myth regarding the coming of Joseph of the Franks and the Church of Gaul. The third postdates Arimathea (or even Jesus Christ himself), this dates the Arthurian saga and is thus not relevant to Keltia. to the 12th century (and the famous thorn bush to the We will not consider here the fantastical allegations of 16th), and has nothing to do with the Christianisation Geoffroy of Monmouth, long historically discredited. of Great Britain. The first religious establishment in Glastonbury was founded by the Saxons at the If one considers that the Britons of Armorica came beginning of the 8th century. in fact from Wales and from Kernow, it should be remembered that there are two legends regarding So we have an island, in the middle of the marshes, flooded cities in Britain: that of the Isles of Scilly covered with apple trees and thought of as a place of (ancient Lyonesse off the coast of Kernow), and the more recent myth of Ys as we know it, Caer Wyddno sacred celebrations. Admittedly, Bardsey Island – Ynys 5 Enlli – in Wales is also a good candidate. Nonetheless, (the Fort of Gwyddno). This fort, which archaeologists now place in Cardigan existed, they nonetheless postdate Keltia. The same Bay, was supposed to protect the Plain of Gwyddno problem occurs with kings before the 7th century; they (Gwyddno Garanhir, the lord of the Cantre’r Gwaelod) have no historical basis and are entirely invented. with its dykes. They were opened at low tide to evacuate In this context, with no reliable sources, we have had the water from the wet ground and closed at high tide. to settle for Welsh genealogies, comparing versions But the gatekeeper, a certain Prince Seithenhin, drank and choosing the most credible, particularly for Wales far too much one time and did not close the gates. The and Cornwall. We have also integrated the popular sea engulfed the fort and submerged the land around it. hypothesis that the Phoenicians (the traders of By good fortune, King Gwyddno was able to flee with antiquity) could have created a trading post in Britain, his son and a few men, as well as his daughter, saved as they did in Spain, a stopping point on the road to by a man called Gwynn and his fast destrier (horse), Kernow in Ynys Prydein and its tin and lead mines. whose shoes skimmed over the water, barely touching it (Manawyddan or Gwynn ap Nudd, perhaps? This We wished to create a bridge between Wales and would mean that she died or belonged to the Tylwyth Armorica, to make Ys the marvellous and bewitching Teg. Ahès is sometimes considered to be a memory of twin of Avalon, a Celtic pearl free of the dross of the bansidhe). oblivion, anathema and folklore.

But there are even older versions of the tale, in which Sources Seithenhin is one of King Gwyddno’s war chieftains, protector of the flood-prone lands and Lord of Maes These are our principal sources, in addition to those Gwyddno. His daughter Meredid (perhaps ‘pearl’, but already indicated in the Keltia core book: sometimes translated ‘cry of the sea’) is the priestess who must render homage to the god or goddess who • La legende d’Ys, Christian Guyonvarc’h protects the city from the waters. Alas, to avenge her • Histoire de la Bretagne tome 1, Joël Cornette lover who died on the battlefield on her father’s orders, • D’une Bretagne à l’autre, Bernard Merdrignac she does not fulfil her duty and works loose a stone, • Les royaumes celtiques, Myles Dillon, Christian-J. letting in the elements in their full fury. She dies during Guyonvarc’h et Françoise Le Roux the storm. The legend of Ys brought back to Britain • Les druides, J.L. Brunaux seems to have been strongly influencedSample and inspired file by this one, since it significantly post-dates it, with And for free inspiration: the first mention of the flooded city dating to the 16th century (certain parts of the legend are mentioned in • Creep, shadow, creep!, Abraham Merritt the Lay of Gradlon, dating from the 12th century, but • The King of Ys, Poul and Karen Anderson not the city of Ys, much less Dahut/Ahès/Aeth). • The Warlord Chronicles trilogy, Bernard Cornwell (beginning with The Winter King) We use the name Kêr Is, which in the language of • The Mabinogion Tetralogy, Evangeline Walton the Britons can mean the low city (Kêr Izel), • The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley Ys being its French version. Our Welsh friends and any Keltia characters coming from Ynys Prydein would say Caer Is.

We hope that our Briton friends will not hold it against us that that our Kêr Is bears little resemblance to that found in the very Christianised legends that have been in vogue since the 19th century.

We have left aside the legends and hagiographies of saints, more or less historical, of the 6th century (the Seven Saints of Britain). If one takes the view that, despite their symbolism (seven is not a number but 6 a symbol) and the legends surrounding them, they The Other World

The Other World

“But, one day, my friend, we will go together to the There are many stories of heroes who meet a splendid Fortunate Land from which none return… young girl, richly dressed, emerging as if by magic from The sun shines not there, and yet none regrets its light: a lake, and are taken by her to the Other World. These it is the happy land of the living.” are tales from ancient times. But since Romanisation and – Tristan et Iseult. Song 6. J. Bédier the distancing from the Old Religion, the People of the Wind and other supernatural creatures are becoming The Enchanted Isles rarer and less trusting, sometimes vindictive and bitter. Whatever name is given to it, and no matter how it is reached, the Other World is both the land of the Faerie People and of the gods of the Old Religion, and the There are legions of ‘Fortunate Islands’ in literature Kingdom of the Dead. The two categories of inhabitant and Celtic legend. They generally symbolise the Sampleabode file do not necessarily mix, as they have different knowledge, of the Old Gods, faerie people (such as the Sidhe or the aspirations and visions of the world. This chapter will Tylwyth Teg) and, by extension, the dead, as this is the look at the inhabitants of these territories separately. Other World.

They include Annwyn, the Plain of Pleasures, Tir-na- nog, the Land of Eternal Youth, the Land of the Living The Names of the Other World and the Land of the Blessed; they are often islands, or Annwyn (the world underground) territories which can be reached only by crossing water The House of Donn (Tech Duinn) or passing through a cairn, itself a symbol of death. The Plain of Pleasures Whether it is by boat on the sea, diving beneath the The Land of the Living waters of a lake or going deep into the darkness of a The Lands of Eternal Youth burial mound, it is impossible to get there alone. These lands are forbidden to living mortals, and to reach The Country of the Blessed them it is essential to have a guide, often a supernatural The Fortunate Isles being or a priestess of high rank, and, of course, a The Beautiful Isle pressing reason to disturb the peace of these domains The Crystal Isle and their inhabitants. Caer Siddi (the fort of the Sidhe)

7 Annwyn, the Gwynn ap Nudd Kingdom of the Departed

The king of the Tylwyth Teg is not only an Oberon, a “king of the Faerie creatures”. His role is that of This kingdom is, according to legend, morea psychopomp (guide for souls) a warrior and a subterranean than aquatic. The druids claim that it is, formidable hunter. Son of Lludd (Nudd) Llaw Eraint, in fact, all around us and at the same time nowhere warrior god and healer and thus grandson of Dôn on this earth, separated from us by the mists, like a and Beli Mawr, the god of war and of death, Gwynn parallel dimension. ap Nudd is a complex and primordial god. Praised for his extraordinary calm and his exemplary conduct, he It is accessed via funeral cairns, lakes, or simply by can nonetheless be extremely violent when he sees it becoming lost deep in the forest or the mist. This as necessary (see sidebar). Often described as having happens especially when the veil between the two a “blackened face”, perhaps covered in dark tattoos, worlds is thinner, for example during the festival of typical of the Ancients, his name in Welsh nonetheless Samhain, or after certain invocations. means “pure, sacred, white”, the colour white being associated with him and thus with the supernatural.

So Where do Souls go after Death? Lord of the Host, Hope of Armies

“It matters little what will come. What must be He is also a formidable warrior, mounted on a great black will be. horse, Du Moroedd (the only one which can carry him), All must die three times before they rest at last.” which links him symbolically to the dead spirits of the – Prophecy of Gwenc’hlan brave men of Ynis Prydein, who he assembles on the battlefield, silent witness to their end in this world. Reincarnation or eternal rest? ItSample may seem file Accompanied by his favourite dog, Dormath, and by contradictory, but it seems that before one his pack of pale bloodhounds with glowing red eyes, he may feast with one’s loved ones and with the guides the deceased to one of the entrances of Annwyn, gods and faerie creatures in the Land of Eternal the Other World (perhaps Ynys Wydrin). He is an Youth, one must be reincarnated in order to ambiguous god, who stretches out a compassionate hand acquire true wisdom, gradually and over the and helps those who have perished to return home, a course of a number of lifetimes. The druids ferryman towards another world, a symbol of deliverance explain, too, that rebirth is not imposed, but for the wounded and for heroes killed in combat. that often the soul itself decides to live through other experiences so as to progress towards His fearsome cortège also includes the Wild Hunt, eternal life. Heroes are, for the most part, old of which unwise peasants may regret crossing the souls, strengthened by experience gained over path (see page 66 of the Keltia Core Rulebook). the course of many lives to enable them to reach He is sometimes accompanied by his father’s sister, the sublime shores of the Enchanted Isles. In Arianrhod (the Goddess of the Silver Wheel), in his any event, there is no hell and no purgatory duties as psychopomp, but never on the battlefield. and, should souls haunt the living, it is either done through choice or because they are under Despite these terrifying aspects, Gwynn ap Nudd is a curse. categorically not a demon or a malevolent spirit, even if the Christians liken him to one. Nonetheless this god may appear fearsome, wearing a stag’s antlers, taking on the role of a god of nature, as the ancient horned 8 representation of the Mother Goddess. He is also a god The Other World

of hunting and can often be seen galloping across the darkest forests, mounted on a great horse, this time grey. His pack of pale dogs, the dogs of Annwynn, with their red eyes and ears, accompany him.

Gwynn ap Nudd, the Holly King, Lord of Death

As the god of death, he also represents winter and the whiteness of snow. Holly King, brother and lover of the beautiful Creiddylad, he sets off in pursuit of her when she flies away with a suitor, Gwythyr ap Greidawl. Alas, Gwynn carries her off before their marriage can take place and the beauty is forced to remain forever in the castle of her father, Llud Llaw Eraint. Each Spring her brother and her suitor (now representing the Oak King) battle to keep her there, as a symbol of the renewal of Life in the springtime and of the struggle against death and the cold of winter.

Gwynn ap Nudd here shows a cruel and pitiless aspect, obliging one of his noble prisoners, Cyledr ap Nwython, defender of the sister’s fiancé, to eat his own father’s heart. This may Samplebe seen file as an additional torture inflicted on the bereaved young man, which will drive him mad (and lead him to take the name “Wyllt”, meaning savage, mad, given over to nature). It can equally be seen as an initiatory rite of long-forgotten origin, allowing Cyledr to see beyond illusions. It can also act as a memory of the antique burial rites of the Ancients (see page 19).

9 The People of the Wind welcome those who find Aspects of the themselves lost in this place, if they respect its customs: Other World not to ask any questions about the place, to join in their dances and their frolics. If the characters show too much curiosity, their hosts will smile instead of answering, and will propose something to drink or one of the delicious local delicacies. If they persist, the The Other World has many levels. People of the Wind will lose interest in them and will become distant and indifferent, no longer responding To the dead awaiting reincarnation, the Other World to anything after indicating the path back. appears, under the influence of the Lord of Death, as a vast forest, thicker and darker than those of Ynys It is impossible to attack the inhabitants of these lands. Prydein, dimly lit by luminous rays which do not come Punches or sword thrusts sink into air, which will from the sun. It is not a hostile place and the animals suddenly become elastic, weapons refuse to leave their present do not seem aggressive towards humans, but sheath. The attacker’s hosts will shake their heads with rather calm, even amicable, although distant. The a disappointed smile, as if faced with an angry child surrounding silence is peaceful: no cries of birds, no who will have to be punished, and he will find himself bleating, no rustling. If one listens closely, the forest at the exact spot where he left the mortal world, the seems rather to pulse softly, with a slow and reassuring mists having finally and definitively dissipated. Where rhythm, like a heartbeat. The Ancients say that one is grave offence was caused, the offender will also bear an then in the lap of the Mother, ready to be reborn. There invisible sign on his or her forehead. Only the Ancients is nothing to worry about. and their descendants can see it, as can the Tylwyth Teg, of course. The visitor will henceforth be persona One may encounter those who are deceased, but they non grata in the Other World. pay no heed to others and do not respond to questions. It is as if they are lost in their thoughts or are listening Logically, gods and mortals do not mix even in these to an internal voice, and they sometimes sink into lands, but it is very difficult to determine whether the thickets, disappearing from the sight of all. There is name by which any given god is known (according to nothing for player characters to do in Samplethis place. Game filenationality and language) is his original name. One Masters are advised only to use it in visions. In this could easily have drunk with and spent time with case, a known person may address the dreamer, for a Gwynn ap Nudd, Arianrhod, Gwyddon or other gods warning (be aware that the dead are not omniscient) or without having the slightest idea of their identities, if for a last goodbye. they do not wish to reveal them.

The Lands of Eternal Youth, in turn, are home to The happy souls one may encounter (deceased parents, the People of the Wind, and to happy souls who friends, brothers, beloved spouses) have cast off their have accomplished their journey through several former mortal identities along with their mortal reincarnations. Imagine vast beaches of an opaline sand bodies. They may recognise their former names and under a gently rising sun, kissed by lazy cerulean waves. identities, but speak of them as one of many roles Verdant prairies crossed by streams bursting with life, that they have taken on and will refer to them in the fields of flowers, refreshing waterfalls, welcoming third person. Their relationships and burdens are only woods, gentle valleys, and castles sparkling like crystal, distant memories, whether pleasant or painful. Souls with wide open doors. There, the inhabitants meet to will sometimes understand the pain and the worries feast, to share a cup of nectar, play or listen to music, of mortals and will sympathise, but they will ask them, sing and dance. Couples can be seen losing themselves with a great smile, to rejoice with them over what has in the arbours of the gardens and talking gaily as the become of them. silver moon rises.