Credits Contents Author Playtesters Lawrence Whitaker Nathan Baron, Simon Credits & Contents 1 Bray, Mark Billanie, Jason Introduction 2 Additional Text Denton, Colin Driver, Darran Aaron Dembski- Driver, Mark Galeotti, Mark The Young Kingdoms 6 Bowden Gedak, Tammy Gedak, Daniel Haslam, Mark Character Creation 34 Editor Howe, Thomas Howe, Skills 46 Richard Ford John Hitchinson, Andrew Equipment 55 Cover Art Lamburne, Alan Moore, Pete Nash, Daniel Rothman, Combat 64 Chris Quilliams Mark Rowe & Michael J Logo & Map Young Adventuring 80 Iordanis Lazaridis Publications Lords of the Million Spheres 85 Manager Proofreading Ian Belcher The Silver Grimoire 109 Ron Bedison Production The Seventh Dark 128 Interior Director SampleCreatures file 140 Illustrations Alexander Fennell Heroes & Villains 151 Black Sheep Studios, Special Thanks Leonardo Borazio, Michael Moorcock, Pete Index 161 Martin Hanford, Ryan Nash & Richard Watts Character Sheet 164 Horvath, Phil Renne Additional Thanks & Chris Quilliams Map 168 Ian Kaufman & John White Copyright Information Elric of Melnibone ©2007 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. All art and text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing. All signifi cant characters, names, places and items featured in Elric of Melnibone the distinctive likenesses thereof and related elements are trademarks of Michael Moorcock and Multiverse Inc. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Game License, please go to www.mongoosepublishing.com. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom. This product is a work of fi ction. Any similarity to actual people, organisations, places or events is purely coincidental. RuneQuest is a trademark (TM) of Issaries, Inc. Produced under license from Issaries. All rights reserved. Printed in the UK. 1 IINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION or ten thousand years the Bright Empire of This is the time of the Young Kingdoms. This is the Melniboné has ruled the Earth, the shadow of beginning of adventures at the End of the World. Fits Dragon Lords reaching far and wide. From the icy fjords of Tarkesh to the Boiling Sea and sands of Dancing at the Dorel; from the Marshes of the Mists and the forests of Jharkor to the Ragged Pillars separating the empire from End of Time the unknown, unmapped East; across the oceans to take The spotlight in the world is fi rmly on Elric, as noted in in the Isle of the Purple Towns, Pan Tang and the mist- both Michael Moorcock’s stories. That is to be expected shrouded Sorcerers’ Isle. Melniboné, greatest of empires, from the works based on Elric’s life, but there is still room has reached that point all empires inevitably reach, when for Games Masters and individual characters to make a decadence overtakes sense, and the corrupting infl uence difference. That is where this book comes in. of power undermines confi dence and control. Elric’s saga spans ten or so years of Young Kingdoms This is the time of the Young Kingdoms. This is the history, from the time Elric leaves Imrryr to travel for beginning of the End of the World. a year, through his many years of wandering the world and other planes, culminating in the fi nal battle that A storm approaches. Its architect is Elric, last emperor of reshapes the Young Kingdoms. This book describes Melniboné. An albino Prince of Ruins: a weakling and a this decade, referring to events in the recent past, those mighty sorcerer, a poet, a lover, a kin-slayer and a pawn occurring, and in the near future. Elric is abroad in the of the Lords of Law and Chaos. The agents of the world’s world, Theleb K’aarna hatches his schemes against the destruction are the capricious Dukes of Hell and a sinister, southern continent, Myshella and Tanelorn, and the Sea sentient runesword forged to destroy a race of gods, but Lords gather to plan the razing of Imrryr. So the default destined to destroy this cycle of time and herald the start setting for this game is during the time of Elric, but no of new empires, though none will ever come close to the precise date or period is given. Games Masters may majesty or infl uence of fading Melniboné. choose any point in the ten years of the saga, using the momentous events Elric causes, as either a backdrop to Yet, despite the cataclysm, this is a timeSample of adventure, filetheir campaigns, or to include the adventurers in them. intrigue and romance. Against the backdrop of There is still time for many adventures in the years before Melniboné’s decline, new nations are emerging and Elric wields Stormbringer in the great battle against seizing control of its fragmenting empire. This is the Chaos. Although the fate of the Earth is set by the stories time of men and, whilst brief, it is no less bright than not everything is set in stone. Characters can still trek the Empire of Melniboné, and as the Earth approaches across the Weeping Waste, heavy blades held in tired its darkest hours, humankind can, and will, make a hands as they keep alert for signs of bandit ambush; or difference. stalk through the forests of Jharkor, ever-aware that they are being preyed upon by otherworldly monsters. This book describes the world of Elric of Melniboné and the Young Kingdoms. It details its lands, its peoples, its Some Games Masters will lead their players through possibilities and its doom. It offers an insight into the the intrigue-laden, cold-hearted court of Imrryr the schemes of the Lords of Law and Chaos and provides Dreaming City – plotting, scheming and duelling their Games Masters and players with the tools to adventure way to both glory and infamy while their empire dies alongside Elric, Moonglum, Rackhir and Myshella. around them. Other characters may fi nd themselves Adventurers can aid, thwart or ignore the grand designs clutching axes as they sail to the Dragon Isle, ready to of the Lords of the Million Spheres and can carve for topple the towers of the Dreaming City and slaughter the themselves quests, legends and even their own empires. inhuman race that lives there. The Seventh Dark chapter, 2 JJouspevdujpoouspevdujpo 33 Sample file Sample Adventuring Elric is one of the icons of fantasy fi ction, his Details movement, fatigue, healing and other necessary story spanning over forty years of superb writing, aspects of adventuring in the Young Kingdoms. including short stories, novels, comics, music and the spoken word. Familiarity with Michael Lords of the Million Moorcock’s Elric milieu is presumed, but, for a Spheres condensed overview of this fi ne body of work, Cults and religions found in Elric’s time. see Synopsis of the Elric Saga beginning on page 135. The Silver Grimoire A detailed examination of magic in the Young Kingdoms, including rules and guidance for allegiance with a beginning on page 126, provides some additional ideas particular cosmic power and treading the Moonbeam on placing campaigns before Elric’s birth; either at the Roads. Bright Empire’s height, during the war with the Dharzi, or in the aftermath of that war at the very start of the time The Seventh Dark of the Young Kingdoms. A section for Games Masters, offering notes and advice on running Elric of Melniboné campaigns, including an What Is In This overview of the Elric saga. Book? Creatures Elric of Melniboné deals with the world of Michael A Young Kingdoms bestiary and guide to the demons and Moorcock’s infamous character, the albino sorcerer- supernatural beings of the Elric saga. swordsman Elric. This book presents Games Masters and players with all they need in order to create and run Heroes & Villains adventurers set in the Young Kingdoms. Descriptions and statistics for the key players in the Elric saga. Elric of Melniboné contains the following chapters. The Young Kingdoms About Michael An introduction to the world and each of the major Moorcock nations, powers and races in the Young SampleKingdoms at the fileThere are few living authors as prolifi c as Michael time of Elric, including Melniboné and Pan Tang. Moorcock. Born in 1939, he published his fi rst novel in 1961. Throughout the 1960s and 70s he was the editor Character Creation of the hugely infl uential New Worlds magazine, which Creating a Young Kingdoms adventurer; full rules and actively championed ground-breaking fantasy and guidance on generating characters for Elric of Melniboné imaginative fi ction. Michael’s Jerry Cornelius novel The games, using the RuneQuest engine. Skills What is Needed Besides Full rules for utilising and developing skills in the Young Kingdoms. this Book? Elric of Melniboné uses the RuneQuest game Equipment engine but is otherwise self-contained. The Detailing currency, weapons, armour and adventuring RuneQuest Companion and RuneQuest Monsters gear required for survival in the world of Elric. may prove to be of use although they are not essential to getting the most from this book. Combat Full rules for melee and ranged combat. 4 Condition of Muzak, won the 1977 Guardian Fiction prize, and he has been accorded no less than three ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards. In 2002 Michael was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Elric is his most famous and enduring creation. The albino began life as a reaction to both the brawny heroes of Sword and Sorcery fantasy and the detailed epics of JRR Tolkien. Michael reversed the traditional clichés, questioned the role and nature of the ‘hero’, and delved into the psychology of his most famous character in ways unseen in fantasy literature.