PCI 1110 Player’s Guide to Arcanis Players Guide to Arcanis Cover: Paul (Prof) Herbert Artists: Toren Atkinson, Andrew Baker, Alex Bradley, David Griffith, Veronica Jones, Eric Lofgren, Richard Pace, Scott Purdy, Hian Rodriguez, Jason Walton Developers: Pedro Barrenechea, Matt Blank, Henry Lopez, Sean Molley, Kristy Weaver (Ockunzzi), Nelson Rodriguez, Derrel Weaver, and Eric Wiener Editors: Matt Blank, M. Sean Molley, Kristy Weaver (Ockunzzi), Derrel Weaver Layout: Ruben Smith-Zempel Art Direction: Jim Beck Contributors: Aaron Dulgar, Brendan Robertson, Duane Choquette, Brian Schoner, Casey McGirt, Chris Sanders, Daniel Perez, David Chappell , David Lopez, Eric Gorman, James Zwiers, Jeffery Witthauer, John Komala, Kerry Nelson, Matt Blank, Nick Grover, Paul Dennis Waltman, Richard Pace, Robert A. Maxwell, Sean Williamson, and Vincent Au Special Thanks To Adrian Estergaard, Robert Maxwell, Sean Molley, Brian Schoner, Russell Timm, Derrel Weaver. Ramon Guillen, Matthew Tearle, Jeffery Witthauer, and James Zwiers. Miami Playtest Team GM: Lynn Register Players: Laura Register, Melanie Register, Albert Solano, Michele Ann Hernandez, and Lazio “Laz” Quintana. Out of Town Play Testers GM: Jeff Huston Players: Lauri A Scheinholtz, Mark Henderson, and Dennis Walters, Prestige Class Design Program Richard K. Krick Team Paradigm: Henry Lopez, Nelson Rodriguez, Eric Wiener, M. Sean Molley, Matt Blank, Peter Barrenechea Except as otherwise identified, all portions of this publication are © 2000-2004 Paradigm Concepts, Inc. All rights reserved. The mention of, use of or reference to any company, trademark or product in this publication is not a challenge to the trademark of copyright in question. Dungeons & Dragons ® and Wizards of the Coast ® are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used with permission. The D20 System and D20 System Logo are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used under the terms of the D20 System Trademark License. ISBN 1-931374-30-9 PROLOGUE alerius Quintus val’Mehan, walked into his “Henceforth, the gods will speak through me.” modest home in the Subura district of Grand A burst of blinding, golden radiance suddenly materialized Coryan pale and shocked. His only servant in the air above the gathered throng. The intense light approachedV the centurion and removed his helmet and armor momentarily blinded us, but as I blinked my eyes clear, a gingerly, but try as he might, the faithful slave could not pry massive, glowing humanoid figure became visible, floating his master’s grip from the hilt of his gladius. It was only when over the temple square. It was glorious, and radiant, and the Mistress of the House came and soothed his worried brow terrible as it surveyed all. Amid the murmurs of the crowd, a that the centurion finally relaxed his death grip enough to single word could be heard, whispered by a hundred mouths: carry the weapon away. “Valinor.” First one, then another, then whole sections of the Taking the bowl of watered wine, she proffered it to her crowd began to kneel. husband’s tightly clenched lips. “Quintus, what has happened? The Patriarch, though, remained standing. “No,” he said, Are you hurt? You look as though the shade of your father quietly at first. Then, louder, “Do not be deceived by this appeared before you.” blasphemous trickery!” Throwing his head back, the Patriarch Still absorbed in his own thoughts, the centurion managed gestured broadly, calling upon the light of Illiir to cast aside a mirthless grunt. “If only it had been that, Cass. I swear to illusions and reveal the truth. The radiant figure merely Sarish that I’m still not sure what I saw.” Glimpsing at the watches implacably, looking no less real than it did before. wine bowl as if seeing it for the first time, Quintus took it with I saw fear begin to show in the Patriarch’s eyes then, but a shaking hand and guzzled it down in one gulp. he would not surrender. Raising his holy symbol, he screamed, Cassandra val’Mehan kneeled before her husband as he “Begone, creature of evil!” But the glowing entity remained dropped into his chair. “Tell me what you saw, Quintus. What resolutely present. His eyes wide with shock and fear, the did the Emperor do at the Temple Square?” Patriarch simply stared dumbfounded. “Do? He turned the empire on its head.” “You see, Felician?” said the Emperor. “It is you who are the blasphemer. You seek to rebuke a Valinor on the very t was impossible not to notice the huge crowd of steps of the Temple of the Pantheon. You are not fit to be the Coryani citizens gathered in the square before the Patriarch. You are not fit to be the Vessel of Illiir. You are not Temple of the Pantheon. I was stationed with other fit to live.” And as the glowing figure watched in silence, the membersI of the Legion of Vigilance in a watchful semicircle Emperor drew his own ceremonial gladius and with one swift atop the stairs. The crowd fell silent as Emperor Calsestus blow, the Emperor of Coryan stabbed the unresisting Patriarch emerged from the temple, his face impassive. Queen Alezha through the heart. Eyes still staring upward, the Patriarch glided along beside him, the Patriarch followed a few steps collapsed to the temple steps. behind with his head bowed, and more legionnaires escorted At last, the shining being spoke. Its voice was impossibly all three. All eyes were on the Emperor as he stepped forward, full, sonorous, and rich, its raised one hand and spoke. The acoustics of the temple square words absolutely clear. Even as it spoke, its words are marvelous, and even those at the fringes of the crowd can appeared written in the sky above, in enormous letters of hear him clearly. golden fire. “Calsestus val’Assanté, I anoint thee the Chosen “Patricians...citizens...friends, I come to you today not to of the Pantheon. Let none doubt that your will is the will of celebrate the anniversary of the gods.” my coronation, but to bring you grave news. I also bring Even as the words echoed around the square, groups you hope; hope which the Empire has not known since its of slaves stationed about were goaded into motion. Ropes earliest days. groaned and pulleys squeaked, and a tremendous statue was “I have learned that Felician val’Mehan, the very Patriarch slowly lifted into place atop the Temple of the Pantheon. of the Mother Church, has been conducting secret negotiations Finally, reaching its full height, standing proudly atop the with the heretical priests of the Dark Triumvirate of Canceri.” temple, was a statue of the Emperor Calsestus, and the statue Over the gasps of the crowd, the Emperor presses his attack. of Illiir that was once the tallest monument in Grand Coryan “Do you deny the charge, Patriarch?” now stood, quite literally, in the Emperor’s shadow. I saw the Patriarch lift his head for the first time; his age- lined face stoic. “I do not deny that I have been dealing with assandra stared speechless at her husband, not Canceri temple officials. But I-” daring to believe his words, but knowing them to “SILENCE, heretic!” The Emperor’s bellow echoed be true. The Patriarch dead? A Valinor appearing across the square. “By doing so, for theC first time in centuries? “Quintus, what will you do?” you have acted to subvert the will of the very Church you Standing, the centurion gently pushed away from his were selected to lead. By your own wife and called for his servant to fetch his armor. Strapping admission, you, the so-called Vessel of Illiir, have been his gladius to his side, he looked determinedly into his wife’s working in darkness, dealing with eyes. “I have known Felician val’Mehan since I was a boy and the servants of evil. Felician, renounce what you have have always thought of the Patriarch as being one of the last done and admit your guilt, and Illiir - truly good beings left upon Arcanis. I cannot believe that he and I – may yet be merciful.” would betray the empire or his faith. The Patriarch gazed levelly at the Emperor for a long Cinching the final straps securing his lorica moment before answering. “I regret nothing. I renounce segmentata, he continued more to himself than to those nothing. I have done what I believe to be right, and Illiir knows listening. “I will go out and find others who believe as I and that I am innocent.” uncover the truth.” “Think you so?” Calsestus laughed. “You are guilty by Hugging herself in a vain attempt to stop her your own admission. You shaking, Cassandra whispered, “And if you find that the are a heretic and a traitor to the Empire, to the Church, Emperor has deceived us all?” and to the gods themselves. No wonder “Then the Empire will shatter and the streets of its the gods have been silent, Felician; you, their chosen city will be awash with blood.” vessel among mankind, are not fit for them to speak through. But they have found a new vessel, Patriarch. 2 3 FOREWORD Foreword hen Arcanis was first published One other major variant is the way the Gods in late-2001, it quickly became are portrayed. There is no one god of Evil which is evident that it was a very different opposed by the obligatory god of Good. The Gods kind Wof D&D campaign world. Here was a world of Arcanis are not so easily categorized for they do where political intrigue, sweeping epic story-arcs and not have an Alignment. These ultra-powerful beings equally grand villains awaited players; a world where defy such moral trappings as they are as above Man a keen mind and diplomacy were as important and as a mortal is to an insect.