Hands of Clay

Player’s Guide

Magic

Magic is ubiquitous and can be felt throughout the lands, permeating the plane and lending it’s entropy to daily life.

In smaller towns the townsfolk tell tales of strange places in the wilds, that concentrate magic to work bizarre and unpredictable effects on the unexpecting traveler. Such locations tend to shun reliance on magic while many of the large cities embrace the presence of magic and actively seek it out to improve every day life.

Necromancy

In the aftermath of the Damwain Massacre, Cyfannedd saw a wave of independent bans against the practice of Necromancy. This eventually spawned The Coedlin Agreement; a formal diplomatic document signed by the kingdoms of the surface world, regulating the practice of certain schools of magic.

While the intent of the treaty was to eradicate the discipline in it’s entirety the Ikasian University lobbied for a loose definition of the term necromancy. As a result the agreement is less restrictive than the piecemeal bans that it replaced.

The sight of necromancy is extremely rare and almost never witnessed or acknowledged in public. Despite that, the experiments performed by the newly established Ikasian University’s department of archaeology and the afterlife are strikingly similar. The university’s scholars are careful to avoid the use of certain phrases and mask their conversations with academic terminology.

Magical Items

Tangible effects of magic’s pervasiveness are easily found through the realm. Physical objects touched by magic are commonplace although their capabilities may be trivial. Most common folk would reasonably own at least one or two such trinkets and they may serve a practical purpose or simply provide entertainment.

Cursed Items

Not all magical items are useful or benign. A family heirloom tainted by the blood spilled in a horrendous act, a holy symbol desecreated by black rites or a simple mistake by an experimenting enchanter. Whatever the cause, these cursed objects often take on a will of their own which they use to influence their victims.

Identifying Magical Items

The wide variety in magical items and their effects make identifying one quite difficult. Although their properties can usually be discovered by careful experimentation there is a risk of unintentionally activating an unwanted effect.

The safest means of identification is either by using the Identify spell or by paying an expert to identify it for you. Most cities will have an artificer but rarer items may require someone with specialized experience.

Identify

1s-level divination (ritual)

Casting Time:

1 minute

Range:

touch

Components:

V, S, M (a pearl worth at least 100gp and an owl feather)

Duration:

Instantaneous

You choose one object that you must touch throughout the casting of the spell. If it is a magic item or some other magic-imbued object, you learn its properties and how to use them, whether it requires attunement to use, and how many charges it has, if any. You learn whether any spells are affecting the item and what they are. If the item was created by a spell, you learn which spell created it.

If you instead touch a creature throughout the casting, you learn what spells, if any, are currently affecting it.

Perun Aureate, Goddess of Light

The mighty warrior goddess Perun is the youngest of the Tylwylth Teg siblings and sister to both Nix and Eilmar. She is often shown clad in golden armor and carrying her great scythe, Dyrnwyn.

Alternatively she is envisioned as an elvish figure in richly adorned brown and orange robes, with strands of sunlight flowing from her hair. Perun governs the domains of light, truth, war and the harvest, and serves as the patron goddess of the high-elves.

Cults of personality have formed around her making her the patron god of multiple splintered religious orders. Her staunchest followers prophesize an event known as the Great Harvest wherein the goddess will reap the unworthy from this world. Iconography includes a golden scythe, lantern or sheaf of wheat.

Other Names: Harvest Mother, Radiant Queen, The Golden Scythe

Bendith, of the Silver Spire

Acting as both weaver and caretaker of the tapestry of souls, Bendith is the matron of magic. It is her iconic silver spire that anchors the great tapestry to the realm of Cyfannedd and by her grace that the people of the world may employ it for their own uses.

In the early eras of Cyfanned, Bendith wove her tapestry and gifted the world magic, however it took little time before she was horrified to see the speed with which her gift was perverted. Angered by those who would violate the sanctity of her weaving, she wove into existence the Tylwylth Teg and charged them with protecting the great tapestry.

As mother of the elven triplets, all elves revere the Goddess to varying degrees. She is also favored by many who call upon the tapestry, such as wizards and enchanters. Bendith governs the realms of magic, order and weaving.

Other Names: Elf Mother, Mistress Weaver

Nix, The Two-Faced God

A deity of shadows and secrets, the two-faced god is the middle child and sibling to both the Goddess of Light and God of Dark. Not known for directly intervening in the mortal realm, there are few stories of Nix’s preferred physical appearance. Instead the god of dusk and dawn prefers to work through subtlety, employing servants to do their bidding. Public worship is uncommon but a travelling priesthood can be found in various corners of the world. They are the patron of the drow, favorite of the Bard College of Whispers and godhead of some druidic circles.

Other Names: The Peacekeeper, The Silent One, The Bridge

Eilmar, The Still God

Keeper of the Soulwell, Eilmar is god of the domains of darkness, tranquility, invention and creativity. Often he is depicted as an unwavering candle, a symbol of self-illumination. He champions stoicism, internal peace and the constant battle for control. Contrary to the fervor of his younger sister Perun, the elder sibling advocates for self-reliance and ingenuity making him the favorite deity of the wood-elves, as well as gnomes, inventors and multiple monastic orders. His followers tend to live on the edges of society but are no less mindful and caring of their communities.

Those born under an eclipse or shooting star are considered marked by the Still God’s hand, often bearing darksign on their body. It is believed that a child marked by Eilmar will develop unique traits, personalities or even become sorcerers.

Other Names: The Calm, Voidkeeper, Star-Eater

Virris, The Scribe

The lord of souls, Virris is the king of scribes and master of storytelling. When an individual leaves their mortal shell, their spirit is brought before the Storyteller God whereby it recounts it’s life story. Virris then judges this story and either weaves it into the fabric of the universe or casts it into the soulwell, to be watched over by the Still God.

Souls worthy of being enshrined in the great tapestry often manifest themselves in the living realm in many different ways. Loved ones may catch a glimpse of a deceased individual’s face or a city under threat may witness the spirit of it’s former guardian protect it once again. In some rare cases souls may even achieve reincarnation. Virris is represented by a scroll, runestone or scales.

Other Names: The Judge, The Chisel, Master Weaver

Llud Embercloak, God of the Hearth

Favored by both dwarves and halflings, Llud Embercloak is the fiery tempered god of hearth, masonry and hospitality. Legends describe great feasts within his hall and place great emphasis on the heavily spiced dishes and endless drink while also warning of invoking the host’s wrath by acting as poor guests.

He is depicted as a short-framed bearded individual carrying a loaf of bread or a drinking horn. The hearth god is a patron to stonemasons, miners, bakers, woodcarvers and more. Due to his popularity among craftsmen, his likeness can be found adorning many of Cyfannedd’s cities.

Other Names: Breadfather, Lord Ore, Embertooth

Mamau, the Generous

Often depicted as a shorter woman, Mamau is the goddess of knowledge and tricksters as well as patron of the fey. Legends describe her as a dealmaker who often twists the terms in her favor. While the outcomes of such deals almost never resolve in the ways imagined by those involved, it is often still to their benefit.

Those who manage to charm the goddess find themselves gifted with rewards and power while charlatans that attempt to cheat or renege on their deals suffer her displeasure.

Mamau is the mother of Llud Embercloak and Hulda Stone-Crown. Her followers are diverse including the likes of hags, fairies, wizards and halflings. She is often represented as an acorn or a jug of water or wine.

Other Names: The Crone, Laughing Llyn

Tegau, the Inverted Tower

The maiden Tegau saw Bendith‘s great tapestry and coveted it’s power but Bendith refused to share her threads. Tegau turned to harvesting souls from the dying, capturing them before they could be witnessed and judged by Virris. Upon discovering Tegau’s treachery Bendith became enraged and sent her children to capture the goddess and forced her to take an oath to never interfere with the judgements of souls again.

Humiliated, Tegau swore to undo Bendith’s order and birthed the gods Ostol-Gost, Hornfel Razorhand and Skarn Blackstorm to champion her mother’s cause.

Tegau is revered as mother of the Yuan-ti and worshiped by both wild-magic users and necromancers. She is often associated with magic, chaos and death.

Other Names: The Maiden, The Wildling, The Unraveller

Hulda Stone-Crown, Goddess of the Sea

The great sea-queen Hulda is often depicted as an elvish figure with a jagged crown. Mistress of the domains of commerce and loss, she is associated with all that is changing in the world. Those suffering from loss will often pray to her seeking to transform their grief into a force for good. Grieving worshippers cast their sadness and loss into the sea so that Hulda might take it, reforge and carry it on her waves as new opportunities to others.

Hulda is most commonly favored by merchants and sailors but a zealous cult has recently formed, foretelling of a coming great wave which will reclaim all of mankind so that Hulda may forge life anew in her image. Iconic representation of the sea queen often takes the form of a jagged crown, fish or an otter.

Other Names: Grieftaker, Giftgiver, The Wave

Ostol-Gost, the Father God

Lord of blood and clay, Ostol-Gost is the creator and patron of the orcs who eventually rose against him in a bloody civil war. Their rebellion culminated in patricide and the only known example of a god ever being killed. The murder of their creator led to the social ostracization of the orcs, who have fled the cities as a result. Ostol is often depicted as having many wives, each of which represented a lesson or moral in the Orc culture. He is symbolically referenced by a drop of blood, a clay bowl or a man with orcish features surrounded by multiple women.

Other Names: The Betrayed, The Mad Potter, The Many-Wived

Skarn Blackstorm, the Consuming

Never forgetting his mother’s treatment at the hands of the other gods, middle-child Skarn Blackstorm seeks to bring about a new era of disorder. To sow chaos and dissent, his monstrous children creep from the darkest depths of the world; their only desires to devour and torment.

The souls of his worshippers are sworn to him and upon their death, their soul-stories are used to construct the abominations serving soldiers for his army. It is said that an eclipse will herald the completion of Skarn’s forces and then a great horde will emerge on a wave of darkness from the deepest crevices of the world, ushering in an end to the time of elves and humans. Skarn is the patron god of gnolls and some goblins and is associated with madness, storms and vengeance.

While it is rare, some do have reason to worship Skarn; often seeking power. Those that live long enough find themselves rewarded with madness.

Other Names: The Graverobber, Skarn Corpse-friend, Coldheart

Madoqua, the Great Stag

The meek-appearing King of the Forest is believed to silently tread the many woodlands of the world in the form of a great white stag. While the druidic cicles often receive his favor there are few, if any, stories of his communicating with other mortals. It is said that at times when his forests are threatened, he is able to manifest lightning from his horns and will use it to burn large swathes of groves so as to eliminate the danger. This is often explained as the cause of forest fires.

Other Names: Thunderhoof, Clovenfoot, Pure-Spirit

Hornfel Razorhand, the Putrid

A flock of birds feasting on the carcasses of a battlefield. A swarm of rats scurrying across the city’s underbelly. Waves of diseased fish washing up dead on the beach. These are the calling cards of the Razorhand, an incarnation of disease, poison and envy. While he is the primary deity of goblin-kind, he is not without human or elven worshippers. Many civilized cities will host at least one of his temples due to their priests’ unquestionable expertise in the fields of health and disease. The clergy are known as the Sendagilea.

Similarly there are tales of Hornfel’s benevolent acts, restoring health to wild regions of the world by culling the overpopulated and answering the prayers of families with disease-stricken loved ones.

Other Names: Plaguebreath, The Spoiled, Child-Thief

Races

Cyfannedd’s inhabitants vary greatly and cataloging them is a difficult task. The following is a selection of the more populous residents along with their cultures and histories.

Dwarves (Coraniaid)

The dwarves are a widespread people with strong personalities and a shared love of food and drink. Outsiders participating in dwarvish feasts will see a racuous and chaotic thunderstorm where the well-traveled will recognize a well-practiced complex social event.

Most civilized cultures accept and welcome dwarves; often with open arms. Known as dependable and trustworthy, the dwarves can be found in every social echelon although there is a clear preference to work as trades or craftsmen.

The mythos of the patron god and progenitor of the dwarves, Llud Embercloak, includes many tales of his conflicts with the elven gods. Likewise, a deep-rooted distrust exists between dwarves and elves which, although rarely vocalized, affects their day-to-day relationships. Despite this, most elven towns will host a dwarven baker as their skills with bread are realm-renowned.

Dwarven communities are often kingdoms led by a technocratic monarchy with the dwarvish term for king translating literally to “Master Miner”. Leaders at every level of governance are expected to have appropriate expertise within their fields. Temples of worship for dwarven gods can be found in even the smallest of hamlets. Worship of other deities is technically allowed but not commonly witnessed in public.

Dwarf Traits

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.

Subraces

Hill Dwarf

Hill Dwarves are by far the most populous dwarf found in Cyfanned. Those who have immgirated to shared communities may have assimilated with their surroundings, changing or blending their religious and cultural ideals. They tend to get along well with most other races. Hill dwarf settlements are sprinkled across the continent with no major representative.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Mountain Dwarf

The mountain dwarves hail from a vast alpine region to the northeast, comprising several neighboring kingdoms. They are hardy miners and engineers and tend to be less trusting of the other races. Although less frequently seen in the smaller towns, they can be found in some of the large cities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

Elves (Ellyllon)

The elves are a vast and complex people that encompass many divides, factions and kingdoms. Most races see them as prideful but are willing to acknowledge their natural magical prowess. They can often be found in academic or advisor roles but the few that turn to crafting or trades can be relentless in their pursuit of perfection.

Elves tend to settle in organized communities with well defined hierarchies and carefully planned districts and architecture. Despite being accepted and welcomed in most other societies, migration is rare as they prefer living within in an Elven city.

Worship in elvish cities typically revolves around the Tylwylth Teg trinity and the Elf Mother, Bendith. Temples to other gods can be found in some of the elven cities but they are never as elegant or opulent in appearance.

Elf Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, an elf typically claims adulthood around the age of 50 and can live to be 750 years old.

Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.

Subraces

High Elf

These fervent and fair-headed followers of the goddess Perun are largely found in the southern kingdom of Orihuellia. Often described as overly prideful, their self-regard is not without some cause. In the past century they have weathered a brutal invading goblin horde, spurred on by The Razorhand and subsequent plague by the Putrid God’s hand. While their home land of Orihuellia is currently at peace, their numbers have not yet recovered and their memories have not faded.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.

Wood Elf

Unlike the High Elves, these dark-featured tree-dwellers live in unwalled cities, deep in the hearts of forests. Their homes are built high among the trees, connected by bridges and arranged in concentric rings around a central temple to Eilmar. Communities are often isolated, which has led to each population having their own unique traditions. Despite this cultural variation, the wood elves share a fierce loyalty to each other and settlements can be assured of help from neighboring forests. Towns are more typically found in the old forests of the east and in the alpine woodlands to the north.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when your are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Dark Elf (Drow)

The matriarchal residents of the underdark are zealous worshippers of the god Nix and their priestesses occupy the highest levels in their community. The theological government has no tolerance for other deities, or even outsiders. Despite this, they are more aptly described as isolationists than militant fanatics. It is rare to find a drow in surface communities where they tend to stand out due to the dark skin tone that they share with their duergar and deep gnome neighbors.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Superior Darkvision. Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.

Drow Weapon Training. You have proficiency with rapier, shortswords and hand crossbows.

Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of the attack, or whatever you are trying to percieve is in direct sunlight.

Drow Magic. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach the 3rd level you can cast the faerie fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability do so after a long rest. When you reach the 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait per long rest and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Half-Elves

Born to a mixed lineage, half-elves can be found in human or elven communities although they often find themselves combatting discrimination in both. They may be treated with indifference in the larger cities but their presence in more rural environments can take on contentious tones but rarely comes to direct confrontation. Perhaps strangely, half-elves often find themselves most comfortable in dwarven-majority societies where they are forgiven for their elven descent and treated much as any other outside.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age. Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice.

Gnomes (Korrigan)

The fastidious gnomes tend to gather in the hills and mountainous regions of Cyfanned. They often see life and the world as something to be prodded and researched in the search for some sort of system order. The other races have many stories of gnomes losing sight of the rest of the world, lost in a feverish obsession with experimentation and answers. Whether such stories are allegorical or literal, the pursuit of knowledge is central to much of gnomish society and has led the other races to treat gnomes with a weariness, especially in more rural townships where structures tend to be more flammable. At the same time, gnomes are known to be the driving force of innovation in the world and many world-changing events have begun in a gnomish lab or notebook. Gnomish religion varies but worship of Eilmar is common amongst their communities.

Gnome Traits

Your gnome character has certain characteristics in common with all other gnomes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age. Gnomes mature at the same rate humans do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by around age 40. They can live 350 to almost 500 years.

Alignment. Gnomes are most often good. Those who tend toward law are sages, engineers, researchers, scholars, investigators, or inventors. Those who tend toward chaos are minstrels, tricksters, wanderers, or fanciful jewelers. Gnomes are good-hearted, and even the tricksters among them are more playful than vicious.

Size. Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnomish. The Gnomish language, which uses the Dwarvish script, is renowned for its technical treatises and its catalogs of knowledge about the natural world.

Subraces

Rock Gnome

While most commoners are unlikely to have ever met a gnome, the few that have, probably encountered a rock gnome. Comprising the majority of gnomes seen in the realm, rock gnomes are a clever and curious people that dwell in homes built into hill sides. The uncomplicated facade of their domiciles should not be mistaken for simplicity as the interiors of their structures are often host to complicated layouts involving winding tunnels and rooms alive with an assortment of fizzing liquids and strange sounds. From the surface, a gnomish town looks like a gridwork of round holes into the hills but for the well-acquainted, these are portals to a vast society rife with discovery and dwelling just below the surface.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Artificer’s Lore. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply.

Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a time.

When you create a device, choose one of the following options:

• Clockwork Toy. This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes noises as appropriate to the creature it represents.
• Fire Starter. The device produces a miniature flame, which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action.
• Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it is closed.

Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin)

Not content with a community right beneath the surface, ancestors of the deep gnomes pushed further, eventually reaching the underdark. Upon discovering they were surrounded by an endless silence and a wealth of exotic resources they established a new community with the aim of creating a haven for innovation and study. Instead their resolve was endlessly tested as the fledgling community was subjected to the non-stop series of threats and dangers offered by the underdark. Their struggles have cultivated an unabashedly independent people and a suspicion of most other races.

Ability Score Increase. When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. You can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Superior Darkvision. Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.

Gift of the Svirfneblin. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the Nondetection spell with it, without requiring a material component. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Gnomish Magic Resistance. You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against spells.

Svirfneblin Camouflage. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check, you can make the check with advantage. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Languages. Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.

Halflings

East of the Orihuellian penninsula sits the homeland of the mild-mannered Halflings. The gentle coastal region poses few environmental threats and provides an easy life for the dimunitive people. Although small in stature and soft-spoken in nature, a Halfling’s voracious love of food, drink and celebration could match the greatest appetite. As accomplished fishers, farmers and herders, they are a practical people with little need for the luxurious or ostentatious.

Despite their minimalist lifestyles, Halflings are a small community making their appearances outside of their homeland somewhat rare. When wanderlust does strike, the halfing is a welcome site to any feast and their presence is considered a status symbol in most societies. More rural communities consider it a sign of good luck when a halfling knocks on their door.

The primary religious views of the halflings revolve around Llud Embercloak who is spoken of with both admiration and fear. Fishermen and those along the coast will worship Hulda Stone-Crown while farmers may pray to the harvest goddess Perun.

Halfling Traits

Your halfling character has a number of traits in common with all other halflings.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. Almost all halflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.

Subraces

Lightfoot

The jovial lightfoot peoples tend to settle near bodies of water, with the majority living near Lake Mornia or along the southern coast.

Their ability to step quietly has led to them developing a reputation as practical jokers, but this stereotype belies the seriousness that they devote to enjoying the finer things of life. When it comes to mealtime, festivities and music there are none that can claim to be as studious as the lightfoot halflings.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Kalimshiri

The halflings hailing from the desert penninsula of Kalimishir are more serious than their lightfoot cousins and typically have darker features. They tend to cohabitate with humans, living in towns that dot the coastline due to it’s more hospitable moderate climate.

Socially they are much more subdued in appearance but great cultural emphasis is placed on the value of music, poetry, debate and philosophy. Most adults would be expected to be able to either play at least one instrument, sing or perform recitations.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Cultural Pastime. You gain proficiency in Performance or with an instrument of your choice.

Philosophical Debater. You gain proficiency in Persuasion.

Humans

The ability to find humans in nearly any level of society serves as a testament to their diplomancy and ambition. Although they live shorter lives than elves or gnomes, and do not share the natural strength of dwarves or orcs they have made their mark among most of the civilized world. Their rapid spread has led to resentment and negativity among some but their tendency to prove useful has managed to quell any large-scale resistance. Having intermingled so long they are now commonly accepted in most communities and viewed as equals (or as close as some races come to having equals).

The result of such wide dispersion has led to vast variations in cultures and identity. Humans have often found themselves fighting against their fellow-men on opposing sides as a result of their alliances with outside races.

Human Traits

It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores each increase by 1.

Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.

Subraces

An increased sense of individuality has led to an ever-evolving ecosystem of human identity. Instead of a sense of greater community and social placement, they tend to describe themselves by the location of their homes, or by governance.

Kingdom of Ardacia

The long-legged Ardacians hail from the northeastern corner of the continent where they live by a strict code of chivalry. Life is difficult for an Ardacian, but by working hard, they are guaranteed safety, food and a home. Often distrustful of outsiders, the fair-skinned humans can be found with blonde, brown and black hair.

Caelir

The Caeliri horse-masters hail from the central plains of the continent, far beyond the boundaries of the city of Caelir, for which they are named. Physically they are of medium height with a stocky frame, dusky skin and green or brown eyes. Though rare, some Caelir display dark violet eyes.

Ikasi

While the city of Ikasi is most known for it’s magical university, it’s demographics are diverse. To outsiders Ikasians appear to have a polar personality taking a serious tone when it comes to their work; but in social gatherings the full breadth of their dark sense of humor can be found on full display. They tend to be slender, of moderate height and have green or brown eyes.

Kingdom of Rottkund

Hailing from the east, the fledgling Kingdom of Rottkund is protected by a coastal mountain range. It’s people are a somber bunch with a redder skin tone, thick dark hair and a muscular frame. Their sense of humor can be quite dry and their accent can be difficult for visitors to understand.

Tribes of Norundr

The Norundr inhabit the icy inhospitable archipelagoes of the northwest. It is rare to find one outside of the tribe but they are almost always tall and muscular in structure with fair-skin, lighter hair and signature bright blue eyes. Often their warriors will shave their heads completely as a sign of strength in a frozen land.

Orcs

Burdened by the actions of their ancestors, Orcs are looked upon with great distrust stemming from the patricide of their god and creator, Ostol-Gost. Once considered master sculptors, peerless clayworkers and ferocious warriors, the civil war that culminated in the death of their god has left them as a spectre of the once proud people. Where before they were a regional power, their communities have since been driven from most of their former homes and now strive for a meagre lifestyle in hostile environments.

Never fully recovering from the past, their history has been a sequence of conflicts in which they have ceded more and more land to the other races leaving them fewer strongholds. Striving for a better life, many orcs immigrate to larger cities where they are looked upon with suspicion. The Orcs are an intuitive people that strive for acceptance and the chance to build a new future, as equals.

Orc Traits

Your orc character has certain traits deriving from your orcish ancestry.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Orcs mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.

Size. Orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc.

Subraces

Urban Orc

In the aftermath of the collapse of orcish society, a rift spawned between the refugees. While many turned to their heritage and tribes others sought a new direction and migrated to the city. The generations born and raised in urban environs are well acquainted with cultures and traditions of the other races and have developed an impressive habit of going unnoticed in a densely populated room or street.

Urbanite. Advantage on Stealth checks in cities or crowds.

Multicultural. You have proficiency in Insight.

Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.

Tribal Orc

Contrary to their urban brethren, some orc clans chose to embrace an isolationist approach. Recognizing that their bloody campaigns of the past would have made them few friends, they believed that the act of deicide would be used as justification for persecution. Instead the sparse clans have taken up residence in the remote areas of the world, looking to found a new future for their people.

Tribal Education. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the orcs, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Raised in Wilderness. You may choose to gain proficiency in either Medicine, Nature or Survival.

Hunter’s Training. You are proficient in the use of nets and may use a bonus action to attack with a net once per turn.

Half Orc

Orc communities tend to hold resentment towards most other races but have a unique seat in their camps for humans, which they see as having accomplished much the same goals that they desire. This respect is one explanation for the prevalence of half-orcs. Despite acceptance for the cause, the child of a human and orc couple often faces ostracization and discrimination, with the oldest orcs considering their existence an affront against their people.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Hardened Upbringing. Your difficult childhood has taught you to find strength where others would have none. Once per short rest you may roll your hit die with advantage, and take the greater of the two values.

Culture

The kingdom was initially established to create an Elvish homeland but has gradually adopted a much more liberal approach to the other races. Despite this relaxation of immigration laws, pride is a common theme among inhabitants and often takes the form of nationalism and zealotry. The kingdom has long sought to distance itself from it’s warmongering image and made efforts to re-establish itself as a bastion of civilization and culture by founding several colleges and commissioning great works of infrastructure and art.

Military service is mandatory for all elvish citizens while non-elvish residents instead pay a tax as a means of funding Orihuellia’s defenses.

Religion

In coordination with the relaxed immigration laws, private worship has been legalized throughout the kingdom but public temples to gods other than the Tylwylth Teg and Bendith remain banned. Temple squares can be found in most large cities, comprising of four temples of worship surrounding a public fountain or plaza. The largest and most intricate of these temples is usually dedicated to the high elf goddess Perun Aureate.

Missionaries routinely venture to the kingdom’s remote locations preaching the message of the elvish pantheon and the supremacy of Perun. More recently these proselytizers have begun venturing beyond Orihuellia and become a point of contention for their neighbors.

Politics

Since it’s inception Orihuellia has existed as a religious monarchy who’s leadership is granted by divine right from the goddess Perun Aureate. Rulership has passed by bloodline from the founder Llŷr Urian through five generations to the current monarch King Izae Urian, second of his name. As the country’s boundaries expanded, a feudal style of governance was put into place and tracts of lands were gifted to Barons and Dukes to govern in the name of the crown.

The king also relies on an array of counsellors to consult with, typically comprising members of the nobility.

Social

Higher social echelons are nearly entirely elvish with the greatest portion being high-elvish. Wood elves are easily found in urban environments but are uncommon in rural lands. Most other races occupy the middle class or below depending on perceived degrees of “culture” and “education”.

Nobility dictates the highest social standing, with the Great Houses often exaggerating their historical ties with the kingdom’s founder to inflate their reputations. Great effort is made to keep their internal conflicts out of the public eye but rumors of the vicious blood feuds are whispered throughout the cities.

King Izae‘s push to open the border has been met with mixed reception by the nobility. Some have made efforts to embrace the efforts wholeheartedly while others are either cautious to adapt or voice an open opposition.

Diplomacy

Several approaches to diplomacy have been enacted by Orihuellia over the years but they have nearly all been underpinned by military might. This central diplomatic theme has led to relatively rapid border expansion and left the kingdom with a plethora of natural resources. From a technical point of view the last major military excursion occurred almost half a century ago with the northeastern push to claim coastland and eject the hostile Yuan-Ti from the swamplands. Despite this justification a large portion of lands inhabited by Orcs was also seized and the residents evicted.

While not considered an official “military campaign” the southern border of the penninsula is a frequest witness to conflicts between Orihuellian military outposts and the local wildling tribes. Previous strategies to claim the southern strip of the penninsula have halted and incursions with the locals are treated as a simple fact of life rather than a true threat.

The Shining City of Arrantza

Seated in central Orihuellia, the kingdom capitol of Arrantza overlooks rolling hills that transform from emerald to gold with the seasons. Concentric walls have been erected over time to safeguard the growing populations but increased immgration has spilled over leading to the creation of slum neighborhoods near the gates.

The innermost walls mainly contain the palace, which serves as the king’s residence, as well as a magnificent temple square featuring the elven gods with an emphasis on their progenitor, Perun. At the center of the square sits a series of marble monuments embossed with golden reliefes depicting the kingdom’s founding.

Erresuma

This capitol city of the newly formed Erresuman Duchy sits on the coast in the northeast of Orihuellia. The city is uniquely situated at the mouth of a delta, at the edge of a swathe of swamplands. The lands were emptied of their Yuan-Ti inhabitants in a brutal military campaign nearly three decades ago. Since then the region has benefitted from an influx of funding from the crown leading to it’s key role as a port of trade and source of fish and sugarcane.

Culture

If you were to compare any two Bergaran’s in the street you would be hard-pressed to find a common theme between them. Little unifies the city’s residents other than a focus on commercial success. While technically humans and elves claim to be the majority, the truth of such a statement is likely to change with the arrivals and departures of ships on any given day. Race is given far less weight in Bergara than most other Cyfannedd communities, making it a destination of hope and opportunity for many migrants.

Religion

The city’s approach to religion is a mixture of indifference and apathy which naturally makes it the target of zealous missionaries from the world over. As a result the city boasts one of the most diverse and impressive religious quarters on the continent, containing shrines and temples to nearly any deity.

Social

For most of the city, social standing is tied to both wealth and rank within your Guild. Higher ranked individuals can typically expect respect from city residents.

No official hierarchy has been codified but social rank has naturally grown from the amalgamation of varying cultures. Broadly speaking there is no technical nobility however houses with large stores of wealth or resources have consistently dominated the city’s industry and politics. In many cases this means occupying top leadership positions within the guilds, with some guildhalls having been managed by the same family since their founding.

Politics

Leadership decisions are made by a council composed of both guild leaders and the heads of various noble families. No formal government has ever been put in place and the existing system grew naturally as the town progressed. Access to and membership in the council is voted on by it’s members meaning a promotion to guild leader or ascension to the head of a wealthy family does not guarantee you a seat at the table.

Diplomacy

The city’s territory exceeds it’s walls and lays claims to the resources in it’s immediate surrounding vicinity, a point of contention with it’s southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Orihuellia. Compounding the issue is the city’s free-worship stance allowing for public prayer and advocacy for any religious deity, which conflicts with Orihuellian religious doctrine. The subject has earned Bergara the nickname of The Atheist City.

As a defensive measure, the city has formally begun the process to join the Free City-States Defensive Pact, an alliance between several other city states in the region guaranteeing miltiary support if any member is threatened.

Sendagilea

Temples to the god Hornfel Razorhand can be found in most large urban environments where they act as both places of worship and houses of healing. These important civic centers are managed by the Razorhand’s priesthood, the Sendagilea, who might charitably be described as having eccentric qualities.

Priestly training is a closely guarded secret but the organization’s public rituals and practices warrant a mixed response of intrigue and revulsion. While most civilized communities would prefer to exile the Sendagilea altogether, their usefulness has forced many to turn a blind eye to the festive reverence of diseases and religious iconography depicting life in decay.

Members typically join at a young age and are often children that have been orphaned by disease, war or famine. The priesthood has also served as a source of refuge for members of nobility fleeing political repercussions.

The Combine

Orihuellia’s secretive elite vanguard act as both royal guard and one of the larger religious military orders for the goddess Perun Aureate. Members are rarely witnessed, outside of ceremonial roles, but their presence can be felt across the kingdom and beyond.

Inside its borders the Combine are often a source of pride and painted as a protective force tirelessly working to protect their homes from foreign invasion.

The group’s operations have been the target of criticism from some of Orihuellia’s citizens and neighbors. It’s reputation for aggressive tactics has led to it being blamed for disappearances, particularly if the missing individual had a loud political voice.

The Bathyskard

Although they are only recently formed, the number of fervent members of the Bathyskard has grown rapidly. They are led by their founder and self-annointed prophet Getari Bul, who has foretold the coming of an apocalyptic event, the Great Wave. Devotees work to protect against and prevent the pending destruction by offering daily oblations and prayers to the sea goddess Hulda Stone-Crown.

Local congregations focus exclusively on raising alms and recruiting, often using dramatic public services in which members engage in theatrical acts of worship to prevent the Great Wave. Membership is open to all and recruits are directed to the Bathyskard’s headquarters where they receive room and board during their induction and training.

Most view the religious order as a pestilence and a doomsayer cult that seeks to prophet by striking fear in those that do not know better. Some view their local chapters as a source of petty theft and crime.

Ikasian University

At the heart of the city of Ikasi sits the Grand University. A sprawling compound with it’s own wealth of secrets, the location has long served as a sanctuary for mages and scholars. It is here that the next generation of magical masters are trained and the secrets to the soul tapestry are teased from long hours of research and experimentation.

Ikasi’s name is ubiquitous and the University’s reputation is far reaching. In most corners of the world simply saying the University is enough.

In the interest of avoiding political clashes, the school’s official policy is of absolute neutrality, which it has maintained for eighty years.

Famed as it is, the university has not been free of scandal. A few examples follow:

• The modern embargo on necromancy followed a series of disappearances of Ikasi residences. Several students and staff were found to be responsible. This culminated with the Damwain Massacre which saw nearly an entire town butchered.

• During the Great Coraniaid Civil War it was revealed that a group of faculty members were conspiring to dethrone a dwarven king in exchange for access to rare magical reagents.

• An alchemy member claiming to have discovered transmutation of metals to gold, went on a spending spree with the results of his discovery; buying highly valuable items and artifacts. It was later discovered that he had instead made a deal with a fey and the gold turned to ash after three days. The stolen items were not recovered.

• Following a heated argument between two senior faculty members, a lecturer on alteration attempted to demonstrate the school of Alteration’s potential by transforming an unexpecting foreign dignitary into a pigeon. The startled diplomat flew off, joining a nearby flock of pigeons and could not be found until the spell wore off six days later.

The Arcane Consortium

The arrival of one of the Consortium’s roaming merchants often becomes an impromptu spectacle for many of the small towns of the world. These ambassador vendors wander the roads selling common folk magical trinkets with entertaining or practical uses; however stories have surfaced of peasants unwittingly buying extraordinary powerful devices.

These representatives are a public face to a much more powerful collection of scholars, inventors and purveyors of powerful magic. Originally founded in the Underdark by fastidious deep gnomes the organization has been a driving force of innovation across the plane.

The consortium has adapted with it’s growth, to form loosely regulated chapters which operate mostly independently. The decentralization has allowed some chapters to extend membership to other races.

It is rare to interact with one of their scholars directly but many cities and kingdoms give patronage to the group in exchange for the latest technological advances, granting the Consortium political power.

Despite the uncentralized structure the members are nearly universally tight-lipped about their inner-workings.

Act I

Part 1: Introduction

The sun casts rays of light through the humidity, lending an air of enchantment and delight to the buzzing port city of Erresuma. A small crowd has formed in the duchy capital’s central plaza, where a team of dark skinned gnomes appear to be hard at work.

The deep gnomes are actively gesturing back and forth between each other while waving foreign devices around the strange structure that they have temporarily erected in the plaza square. Two tall stone archways sit across from eachother separated by what appears to be an unfinished road or bridge. A variety of crates, boxes and containers are stacked off to one side.

Some tables, covered by canopies, have been arranged in front of the archways and walled off from the eyes of commoners by means of a makeshift fencing. At one such table you spot an older high-elf noblewoman, along with what could only be a maidservant.

Seated a couple of tables away is a clean-shaven human male, dark-haired and clothed in the iconic robes of a wizard. He is attempting to read from a book covered in foreign symbols, while hopelessly wiping at the flood of sweat that coats his forehead using a silk cloth.

You arrive to this scene and look down at your ticket to double check that this is the correct location and that you aren’t suffering some sort of fever dream from the humidity. For better or worse, you have arrived at the right place and you will soon be one of the first people in the world to experience being a passenger on the Arcane Consortum’s newest invention. Something called “a train”.

Exploring the Train

Each day on the train will be split into several stages, such as morning, afternoon and evening. During this time players may choose to explore the train. When they enter a train car, they can see what npcs are present or if an event is occurring in that car. If they choose to interact with the occupants of that car then that will be their action for that period of the day.

Alternatively, players may choose to avoid exploring the train for part of a day and take a short rest instead.

Once each player has taken their action for that round then either a meal or rest event occurs.

Meal Events

Morning and Afternoon stages are followed by the Breakfast and Dinner stages. Sorry halflings, lunches are not included, even on a magical train. In a meal event all players and npcs are seated in the dining car and will engage in conversation.

Rest Events

Following the dinner event, Players will return to their rooms to take a long rest. Various events may occur during the night that can lead to a lack of sleep or a well-rested state.

Names of Interest

Dossier (NPCs)

Drystan Ondarra

Drystan Ondarra is the personal bodyguard of Duke Aneirin Hanmer.

Gustavo Pritchard

Gustavo is a member of Duke Aneirin Hanmer’s house guard.

Countess Branwen Glasscoed

The countess is the paternal grandmother of King Izae II’s current wife Elised Glascoed, Queen of Orihuellia. House Glascoed is highly respected within the Kingdom and has long had the favor of the monarchy. Insightful minds would credit the current success of the house to the Countess. The shrewd minded woman has lived in the world of intrigue and politics for many years and carries a score card that would worry most professional diplomats and politicians. The reason for her presence on the Arcane Express is unclear. Normally it would be surprising to see her venture anywhere far from the capital.

Physical Appearance

In bygone days, Branwen’s long blonde hair glowed as if it was spun from gold and blessed by the Goddess Perun herself but the flaxen yellow has given in to time and taken on a brilliant white shade. The dowager is of a shorter height for a high elf and dresses conservatively, perhaps to play up the image of a simple grandmotherly character. Her hair is often kept under a wrap, but may be let down to shoulder length during more festive events.

Nia Castell

Nia is handmaiden and assistant to the Countess Branwen Glascoed. Although she does not have the Countess’ years of experience she is still a clever woman.

Physical Appearance

Lady Castell is tall and slender, with the faintly brown skin tone common to most wood elves. Long strands of glossy black hair hang down below her shoulders.

Ellis Beswyck

Quiet and soft-spoken, the Ikasian University graduate gives an impression of being anxious, especially in social situations but given a chance to talk about his field of study he comes alive with passion. At school he fell in love with the subject of history. At University he pursued an education in “archaeology” which combined his hobby with the study of magic. His expertise is Orcish history, culture and religious traditions.

Physical Appearance

Ellis Beswyk is clean shaven with dark and unkempt wavy hair. He wears the traditional robes of a mage, rarely having a good reason to adopt other dress.

Conjestina “Jesty” Holbeck

The merchant Jesty Holbeck is a salt of the earth Dwarf with an ear for opportunity and a good nose for lies. Her presence on the Arcane Express appears to be one of commercial interest.

Physical Appearance

Madame Holbeck is on the shorter end of heights for dwarves but maintains the standard stout appearance. Her black hair is worn long in a single braid down her back. Aside from her boots, her clothing is largely practical and designed for comfort although an emblem has been embroidered on both sleeves of her tunic featuring a golden sceptre. Her footwear is a luxurious leather, potentially of dragonhide or some other exotic material.

Kaifas Terfel

The disenchanted Kaifas Terfel is a veteran soldier of Orihuellia and served under Duke Hanmer during the Erresuman Campaign.

Since his time in the military he has taken on various mercenary and security roles. Currently he is serving as head of security, under contract by the Arcane Consortium, to ensure the success of the train’s inaugural journey.

Physical Appearance

Of average height for high elves, Kaifas is distinguished by strawberry blonde hair and a distinct scar along the left side of his face. His hair is kept short, reaching ear length with slight curls.

Shamon Pountfret

The small statured Shamon Pountfret makes up for her size with a boisterous personality and particularly audible voice which she uses frequently for speeches, jokes or spontaneous bouts of singinging. If life is one big journey then, in her mind, it might as well be entertaining on the way.

Physical Appearance

Standing at a common halfling height of 2’10”, the bard wears a mixture of eccentric clothing of different colors and leather accessories that appear well traveled. A small lute hangs forever at her side.

Part 2: Tragedy Unfolds

Calamity has struck after less than 48 hours in to the three and a half day inaugural journey of the Arcane Express. Whilst navigating the underground caverns, beneath Duitama Mountains, a blinding flash of light erupted from the train’s interior. Only seconds later the vehicle was forced to a complete stop and besieged by strange creatures.

A brave few of the passengers were able to stage a defense and defeat the raiding party. As the emergency settled, it’s toll became clear, leaving the party with two tragic deaths and a murderous mystery to resolve.

To make matters worse, the blinding flash in the dark depths below the mountains has likely piqued the interests of the subterranean denizens. Although their high altitude in the cavern offers some safety, it will be only a matter of time until something discovers a way to them.

Everyone is a potential suspect. Those hoping to survive will need to keep an eye over their shoulders while they both investigate and work quickly, to restore the train, and escape the dangers of the dark.

The Investigation

You have entered a new stage on your journey aboard the Arcane Express. After only two days the wondrous ride of luxury and comfort has been plunged into intrigue and mystery. A fellow passenger has been murdered and the train is inoperable. What more could go wrong?

Exploring the Train

Players now have two main goals. Obtain evidence to discover the murderer’s identity and find a way to get the train running again.

Setting

It is difficult to tell while underground but you believe it is the evening of the second day. You currently sit in a broken down magical train on a rocky pillar. The train sits on its rails, bridging several similar stone columns. The front half of the train sits on a bridge spanning two pillars.

Act II

Introduction

The sun had already begun to set, at the end of a warm but windy day, when the citizens of Bergara were struck with the vision of the Arcane Express, falling from the sky in pieces, and crashing into a public square. This was made all the more unusual given that none had seen a train prior.

The peculiarity of the event was enough to stir the city watch to react quickly, rushing to secure the scene. There they found the bloodied and battered bodies of several adventurers clinging to life as they freed themselves from the wreckage.

The survivors were moved to safety and the remnants of the Arcane Consortium’s great train was searched, eventurally revealing the dead body of an Orihuellian general and ambassador Duke Hanmer. Inspection of the foreign diginitary’s body indicated he had been murdered, prior to his sudden appearance in the city. With this revelation, the city guard arrested the survivors, acting on the orders of a city Councilor,

Rumors multiplied over night and gossip permeated the conversations of the commoners and nobility alike. Families struggled to guess if this would mean war with Orihuellia. Merchants began taking stock of all the supplies that tend to run short in an invasion, looking for ways to profit, while the city’s nobility debated the best next steps. A thousand curses were uttered for the Duke’s murderers, who would plunge their city in to war and ruin.

During all of this, you remain quiet, your mind swimming in oblivion as your body struggles to recover from the wounds that tend to come with hitting the ground inside of a falling train. You lay in a cold cell beneath the ground, chained to the wall alongside your companions. When you awake, you will have to deal with a changed world… and the matter of your imminent execution.

Escaping Your Prison

The odds of escape are not in your favor. Heavy weights restrain your legs and your arms are shackled tightly to the wall. In the dimly lit dungeon you see your fellow travelers slowly coming to consciousness, on your left and right. On the far wall you see a filthy malnourished individual with long dirty red hair. His arms are shackled at the elbow, leaving him dangling from the wall. To your right is a dimly lit corridor. You hear the faint sound of grating iron from down this hallway.

Names of Interest

Dossier (NPCs)

Kalojan Abaroa

More likely than not to offer a wink and a smile, the good-natured Kalojan hails from the eastern kingdom of Rottkund and serves as the assistant to the Clayworker’s Guildmaster in Bergara. He speaks with a typical Rottkunden accent, which can be difficult to follow for the unitiated, and has a jovial disposition along with the famous dry sense of humor of his homeland.

Physical Appearance

The guild secretary has a lanky appearance and is slightly taller than the average man. Loose curls of dark black hair adorn his head and his face is wrinkled with smile lines. None of that matters though as his apperance is dominated by the presence of a massive black moustache that sits on his face like a drunken caterpillar attempting to touch it’s toes.

Lord Alfor Vettisborn

The mysterious Lord Vettisborn has obtained his position as Guildmaster of the Bergaran Clayworker’s Guild at a very young age, despite having no experience in the craft. Regardless, he has proven to be an effective leader and has directed the fading guild to a resurgence in influence and popularity. His success has also led to an invitation to sit on the Bergara City Council.

Physical Appearance

In concert with his air of intrigue, Lord Vettisborn has a penchant for dressing in predominantly black clothing with little adornment. He is of average height for a human, clean shaven and wears his hair short.

Locations

Bergara

The Copper Trunch

(Guilds District, Tavern, Lodging)

A dingy tavern that serves as the watering hole for the city watch. The decor is cheap but so are the drinks. There’s little risk of a fight breaking out either, unless you have a death wish, and even then there are better places in Bergara to fulfill one’s wishes.

Faendal’s Blades, Bows and Bashers

(Guild District, Weapons)

Faendal’s time as a mercenary taught him the value of a good weapon. After a particularly difficult contract, he decided to retire with his remaining limbs and opened a store in Bergara. All items for sale were hand chosen by the high elf veteran.

Lord Dubravko Ridahl

The golden haired Lord Ridahl has rapidly climbed the ranks of Bergaran society to become one of it’s most powerful political players. Although he arrived in the city as a name of no consequence he has obtained both a title of nobility and now heads the port’s Dockworkers Guild; one of the most influential organizations in the city. As a result of his good fortune, he sits on the City Council and his approval is sought for most decisions of government.

Some members of the city living in the less elegant districts do not speak so highly of his actions, although only ever behind closed doors. His reputation has previously been criticized for the use of violence and predatory tactics, although most accusations seem to eventually recant or just disappear altogether.

Physical Appearance

Lord Ridahl stands nearly a head above most other human men, with a solid frame. He wears a short beard which has grayed early for his age, offsetting his blond hair. His style of dress emphasizes his social station, as his garments typically feature gilding and embroidery. Seeing him, there is no room to question his wealth and status.

Garth’s Garmaments

(Guild District, Armor, Weapons)

There are many ways that a master smith may choose to express their artistry. With an eye for style, the dwarven master Garth has skillfully merged fashion and practicality, producing some of the most sought after clothing, arms and armor in the city.

Locational Services

Although it’s narrow storefront is unassuming, it houses the cartographic savant, Childa Tonstall. The sharp witted halfling is a veritable fountain of knowledge regarding the continent’s terrains and peoples. If the location still stands, she can likely draw you a map to it.

Wilhelmina’s Leather & Lace

(Dwarven District, Speciality Armor, Weapons)

As leaders on dwarven lingerie the storefront is located deep in the Dwarven District. Their clothing line is held to a high standard and all apparel is guaranteed to be battle-ready. Madame Wilhelmina, the store’s desirable proprietor, is considered to have one of the finest silk beards in the city.

Party Journal

Session 5

The ignominious arrival of the Arcane Express turned out to be a one way ticket to the gallows. Whether it be the workings of the Gods or some guardian angel, the party somehow survived their expedited execution and escaped with little more than sore necks.

Some members of the party didn’t appear to recover quite as quickly. Chimalma’s brush with death seemed to have left a mark on her.

With a new appreciation for life and unexpected employment, the party navigated Bergara, searching for their employer’s contact and attempting to keep a low profile… by getting pulled into a public brawl.

The party escaped the pursuit of the city watch with the help of a suave dwarf but they unfortunately lost track of Seanus along the way. With some help from new acquaintances, both groups managed to meet at the Copper Trunch, where they debated how best to seek out the mysterious agent.

Exhausted, bruised, battered and recently executed, the party managed to drag itself into the Copper Trunch and order a round of drinks. It has surely been a very long day and one can only guess what they have had to tell themselves to find the strength to continue on.

Session 6

The party entered the Copper Trunch only to discover it filled with members of the city watch. They casually purchased rooms and fare for the night while trying to avoid unwanted attention; until Fane found herself the target of accusations from the tavernkeeper.

After reassuring the barkeep of their innocence, by way of coin, the party met with their contact, who turned out to be a familiar face. The party then retired to their rooms for the night, while Fane sought a more subtle means of reaching the tavern’s second floor.

During the night Seanus capitalized on a burst of energy and labored to create a magical suit of armor. With the arriving morning, he eagerly demonstrated his creation for his fellow adventurers, to a tepid response.

The arrival of daylight meant the party would need to cleverly sneak their friend, Fane from the premises. An attempt at subtlety failed and Madrigale quickly created a distraction by buying several rounds of drinks for the morning patrons, most of whom were city guards at the end of a night shift.

In the racuous carousing that followed, Fane crawled out of the tavern without notice and immediately set off to find her missing companion, the cat.

Chimalma took the opportunity to load up on supplies for the road, by buying the house out of all of their sausage buns while Brynn found common ground with a drunken guard, lamenting the dangers of alligators.

Perhaps inspired by the success of his shiny suit, Seanus found himself the center of the inn’s attention, where the patrons began handing him mug after mug of ale. He downed each to their cheers and for a brief moment began to understand camaraderie.

But Seanus flew too close to the sun and in a drunken fit he attempted to perform a backflip whilst wearing his armor. The thud of his falling on his back was punctuated by the sounds of vomiting into his helmet. He crawled out of the tavern to the roar of laughter, leaving a trail of vomit and tears behind.

Madrigale helped sober his friend up via submersion in a water trough and the two were shortly joined by Fane. The cat accompanied the druid and gave no signs that it had only just relinquished command of a feline insurgency at a nearby fish market.

The party set off for a marketplace for supplies. As they navigated the plazas the aromas of one of Bergara’s spice stalls briefly stirred memories of home.

Armed with new equipment and a map the party readied to leave the city, in pursuit of their target but were quickly distracted by calls for help from a nearby dark alleyway.

After charging into a dark alleyway in the streets of Bergara, the party found a young woman in a state of distress. She explained she had been mugged by two thugs who had had stolen her deceased mother’s ring and fled through a nearby doorway.

In an uncharacteristic fit of altruism, the party battled their way into the structure, fighting several thugs. After freeing Brynn’s from a traumatic experience with a carpet, they ventured upstairs to discover a strange workshop.

Session 8

While inspecting the workshop, they discovered a shelf holding several jars full of an active green substance that seemed to pulse inside of it’s container. After some time, one of the jars fell from the shelf, and landed on a table. Intrigued, the ever curious Seanus Buckman retrieved the vessel and opened it, only to be met with a face full of very upset green ooze.

After successfully separating the slime from Seanus, several other jaws began falling from the shelf, shattering as they hit the floor. Enraged, the artificer was ready for them.

Ever the compassionate, Fane Wilhelmina attempted to gently prod the creatures away using her staff only to have it pulled from her grasp.

With her staff held hostage, she began worrying it would soon become collateral damage for a very angry Seanus.

Her fears were justified.

Now without her trusted staff, the druid Fane sought for a new tactic and turned to her orc companion for inspiration.

Meanwhile, the source of inspiration Chimalma was feeling somewhat deflated by the encounter with their slimey enemies.

Once the oozes had been throughly decimated by a perhaps overly enthusiastic Seanus, the party took a moment to a reflect on their current states.

Those touched by the oozes were disoriented after the encounter and found that their memories had become hazy.

Declaring the second floor of the building clear, they climbed to the third floor.

On the third floor they found a private study containing an indignant gnomish wizard and his familiar. The confrontation turned hostile and the party was saved from incineration when Fane charged at the smug spellcaster, in the form of a bear, and ended his life.

Exploring the floor, they found a curious journal and research notes as well as a unique ring in a display case. By this point they had become suspicious of the story fed to them by the girl and began debating what to do with the ring.

In the end, they settled on giving the ring to the girl who quickly expressed her thanks and fled.

Session 9

It was early afternoon when the party emerged from the alleyway, unsure of how to feel about killing the strangers and returning the ring to the girl. Debating their next move they decided to pick up any last minute supplies and leave Bergara, before someone discovered their deeds.

Before leaving, Seanus decided to obtain an expensive reagent by going directly to the source. In a nearby local fishmarket he purchased as many oysters as were for sale and managed to offend the fishmonger within minutes of speaking. Thankfully his efforts were saved by the charismatic whirlwind, Brynn. With Oysters in hand the party set out on foot from Bergara’s South Gate.

By the end of the first day, the party had setup camp on the edge of the Chattering Wood. While foraging for dinner, Fane found was distracted by a woodland creature and followed it back to camp, leaving Madrigale stranded in the woods. The patient cleric was then rescued by the charitable Chimalma, but only after she gave him a good scare.

Returning to camp they found their companions watching as a rabbit rifled through their packs, looking for ingredients to add to it’s already boiling pot of soup. The incensed Chimalma was very upset when the rabbit tossed one of her sausage rolls on the ground, with disdain.

After a painfully long wait, their long-eared friend declared dinner ready and treated the party to a delicious and nourishing meal.

Following a restful night, the party set off again, eventually stumbling on the old ruins of an orcish water site. Inspecting it, they found the site had been tainted by foul rituals. In an effort to purify the location, they emptied their water flasks into central bowl (with the exception of Fane) and Brynn attempted a prayer over it. The prayer was not particularly great but whatever gods were watching could tell that she really put her heart into it and accepted it nonetheless.

In a dehydrated state the party continued on, encountering several strangers near a bridge. Out of sight they debated how to approach them.

Opting for a peaceful route the party strode forward to speak the strangers. Madrigale, still dwelling on the events at the orc ruins, took the moment to hold back and contemplate… while reapplying his hair grease.

Negotiations at the bridge were tense but when one of the strangers fell into the water, the two groups worked together to save them from dropping over a waterfall. The party was then reunited with the familiar face of Donny Bash.

After crossing the bridge the party attempted to use Madrigale’s cauldron to collect new drinking water but the mysterious presence of hair grease on the rope led to the currents yanking the cauldron from their grasp. Instead, they filled their flasks with cheap wine offered by their friend Donny.

At night, they took watch in pairs and reflected on the past events. Taking the first watch, Seanus attempted to console Madrigale over the loss of his cauldron.

Madrigale reflected on his own behavior.

The men’s watch was followed by Brynn and Chimalma who also chose to review the recent events, albeit with a slightly different take.

Chimalma, feeling that Madrigale was overreacting, concurred.

With the arrival of morning, Madrigale, feeling something nagging at him from the night before, discovered footprints near their camp site. The party continued on towards their destination, aware they were being followed.

Eventually, they reached their destination, the ruined remains of the once great Red Dome, one of the former great temples dedicated to the orc god Ostol-Gost.

Investigating the perimeter of the templer, Madrigale took the opportunity to confide in Chimalma that the exposure to an orcish heritage, which was alien to him, had left him with questions of identity. Her response was ever practical.

Perhaps it was this advice that led him to charge into the domed ruins of the temple, alone. Sliding down the debris of a ruined wall, he found a great room with a glowing purple sphere on a pedestal, and a floor covered in bones. Perhaps interpreting his friend’s advice a bit too literally, he immediately placed his hand on the strange object. The floor began to quake in response, shifting beneath his feet and several skeletons began began rising.

It was quite high pitched.

The Party

Brynn Giuthas Mór

A strange wood elf hailing from the eastern forests, Brynn arrived in Erresuma with her heart on her sleeve, Eilmar‘s flame on her chest and a mouse on her shoulder.

Throughout life there are times to think and times to act. Brynn will undoubtedly shine in the latter. If acting fails to yield the desired results, she consults her mouse friend, Mar-Jorund, for advice.

When navigating the complex maze of society, she tends to speak first and think maybe. For this paladin, the word subtlety has just enough syllables to make her suspicious of anyone using it.

Aboard the Arcane Express

Despite the best of intentions she somehow found herself under a watchful eye by the train’s head of security, Kaifas Terfel. Being unable to find the right words had never stopped Brynn before but this was different. He was the first man who had even considered yelling at her and she had no idea how to react.

In the face of a murder the intriguing distraction of the head of security quickly faded. Brynn’s focus sharpened and her instincts for justice took hold as she began a brutal quest for answers; interviewing her fellow passengers and leaving two in tears as she pressed them for information. Although her methods may have been questionable, the results were undeniable as she slowly began piecing together the past day’s events.

In Pursuit of the Guilty

A close brush with death has done little to dim Brynn’s good nature and spirit. Choosing not to reflect on the experience, the wood elf has instead focused on finding the individual who has framed her and her newfound friends for murder.

Seanus “Show Me Your Engines” Buckman

Endlessly intrigued by the arcane and perpetually perplexed by social interaction, the innovative Seanus Buckman works tirelessly to emit an aura of confidence that fools nobody. His demure demeanor falls away only in the face of an insatiable hunger to learn. Once he has a subject in his sights, he is relentless in his pursuit for knowledge.

One can only guess at the reasons for his riding on the Arcane Express but it is probably safe to assume that they are magical in nature.

As his journey continues we will see whether he can use his curiosity to drive him to new heights or whether his inquisitiveness will lead him down a treacherous path in search of understanding, at all costs.

Aboard the Arcane Express

Initially cautious to avoid attention on the train, the shy artificer shed all pretense of bashfullness once calamity struck, by charging into battle in defense of the train.

However when confronted with the tragic murder of a fellow passenger, he was hesitant to get involved with the investigation and instead opted to put his talents to use by “making train go out“.

After a minor distraction to study a magical cabinet and inadvertently transforming another passenger into a pig, Seanus’ concentrated efforts to repair the engine saw the passengers reach Bergara.

Despite having no known experience with the process, he was able to work closely with a Consortium Engineer and repair a bifurcated leyline in the train’s engine room; a dangerous operation even for a trained professional.

In Pursuit of the Guilty

As he approached the gibbet, Seanus took on a wistful demeanor, perhaps contented to finally be released from the mystifying complexities of conversation. Reflecting on his life he relished in having at least seen the engine of the Arcane Express.

Discovering his head still firmly attached to his neck, the artificer has embraced a new love of life.

Fane Wilhelmina

After waking up in a street gutter and discovering herself to be in a strange foreign city, Fane Wilhelmina followed the only clue she had that could help explain the gaps in her memory. The very image of disorientation and confusion, the wood elf strode into the center of Erresuma’s plaza chasing a mildly disinterested black cat.

Despite her best efforts to solicit answers from the cat, her feline companion proved uninterested in helping to piece together her past; but when the doors to the Arcane Express opened to it’s passengers, the cat calmly walked on board; and Fane followed.

Aboard the Arcane Express

Fane had cautiously kept herself from the focus of her fellow passengers as she grappled with a missing memory and unfamiliar setting, but when she witnessed the suffering of innocent creatures she wielded her voice with an uncompromising stubborness. Her unabashed compassion did not apparently extend to the murder of a high-elf noble, as her reaction to the death of the Duke was largely muted.

As her fellow passengers began investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder, Fane slipped away, following Seanus to the engine room. Her efforts to avoid the others were slightly hindered after she allowed herself to be folded up inside of a magical cupboard and teleported to a dimensional pantry full of mouth watering food and drink. Unfortunately her right to the vittles was challenged by the voice of the dead and Fane fell short of it’s demands.

For failing to answer the dismebodied voice correctly she was ejected back from the cupboard and temporarily transformed into a pig. Fane then found herself having to convince her hungry fellow passengers that she was not on the menu; an experience that may have left her slightly jaded to their suffering.

In Pursuit of the Guilty

When confronted with the potential of her own death, Fane’s only concern was where her feline companion had escaped to. After narrowly escaping the noose and reconnecting with the cat, she began trying to piece together her missing memories.

Her first clue came in the form of a terrified tavern keeper, shaking in fear as he recalled the his last encounter with Fane and a mysterious woman.

Chimalma

The practical Chimalma has little time for idle chitchat. For this tenacious orc, if the conversation does not lead to food then it is time wasted.

Focused and driven, when she stepped into the city plaza she immediately made for her best chance of securing her next meal; her fellow orc and former acquaintance, Madrigale. The exact nature of their past relationship is unclear but some tension certainly remains. This could be compounded by Chimalma’s tendency to help herself to her associate’s rations.

Although often short with words, Chimalma finds other avenues of expression and acts with indomitable authenticity. Her rugged individualism has helped her to successfully navigate between meals but will it be enough to carry her through the challenges that await?

Aboard the Arcane Express

Chimalma’s initial demeanor might well have been described as “lethargic” but at the prospect of a meal or a chance to swing her sword she comes alive. The train has so far provided her with opportunities for both, although perhaps not enough to satiate.

During the investigation of the murder of Duke Hanmer, Chimalma befriended the last living member of the Duke’s entourage, Drystan Ondarra. The two compared notes while searching for information before a tense encounter with another pair of passengers put an end to their conversation.

Some time later, during efforts to restore power to the train, Chimalma whet her appetite for violence again when the efforts to repair the train somehow manifested a variety of strange hostile creatures in front of the survivors.

In Pursuit of the Guilty

Where the others escaped the noose unharmed, Chimalma suffered a nightmarish vision. She lost a part of herself that day, only to find it replaced by something else.

Having been set up for a crime she didn’t commit, she focuses on pursuit of the true culprit; and maybe some snacks along the way.

Madrigale

The familial Madrigale is an orc without a home. Adopted by the gnomish house Madrigale, famous inventors of cabbage based inks and dyes, the similarly named child has grown to adulthood and now continues his adoptive family’s legacy while striving to build a reputation of his own.

The sojourner has taken up residence in Orihuellia and made obvious effort to adopt the culture. Fluent in high elvish and gnomish, the cleric has proven competent at interacting with the kingdom’s upper classes.

Although his interest in the Arcane Express is unclear, perhaps it is in some way related to his fellow passenger and former acquaintance Chimalma, with whom he shares a murky past.

Will his efforts to immerse himself in Orihuellia’s culture pay off or will he perhaps find a different type of family during his voyage?

Aboard the Arcane Express

The maverick cleric has never been afraid of moving against the grain or acting independently but his willingness to fly solo has placed him in the focus of a murder investigation and left him with several periods of time without an alibi.

Determined to prove his innocence, he led the efforts to search for evidence but was quickly frustrated by his lack of progress. Suspicious of Drystan Ondarra and desperate, he attempted a bluff that devolved into a tense standoff and only narrowly avoided bloodshed.

As if atoning for his past actions, the cleric threw himself into the fray during efforts to restore the train’s power, using his energies to keep his exhausted comrades alive.

In Pursuit of the Guilty

Imprisoned on arrival to Bergara, he searched for a path to freedom while his companions silently contemplated their situation. Even as he stepped up to the hangman’s rope, Madrigale’s eyes darted over the crowd, holding out for some hope.

The cleric’s prayers were answered and his life spared by a local noble, in exchange for his service. Reflecting on the failures of his past, he has thrown himself into chasing down the murderer and proving his innocence.

Glossary

* Arcane Express, the

- A mode of transportation invented by the Arcane Consortium. It was cofunded by the Kingdom of Orihuellia, under King Izae Urian II, and the city-state of Bergara. The creation connected the city of Erresuma to Bergara, bypassing the region’s mountains and swamps.

* Ardacia, Kingdom of

- A vast human kingdom on the north east of the continent.

* Arrantza

- The capitol city of the Orihuellian kingdom.

* Bathyskard

- A doomsayer cult revolving around the goddess Hulda Stone-Crown and her prophet, Getari Bul.

* Bergara

- The atheist city state region north of the kingdom of Orihuellia.

* The Burgundy Coast

- The name for the coastline stretching from western Orihuellia, north past Bergara, to the Sea of Munatas.

* Coedlin

- A wood elf city nestled in the central forests of the continent.

* The Coedlin Agreement

- A political treaty that formalizes magic rites and outlines certain practices which are subjected to partial or total regulation. It officially codifies the complete ban of necromancy. Signing parties are predominantly governing bodies from the surface.

* Coraniad Civil War, the

- A war that occurred nearly 140 years ago that involved nearly every dwarven kingdom and which lead to the the complete dissolution of the Hill Dwarf kingdoms and splintering of the two great Mountain Dwarf monarchies Machion and Wetewodd into several smaller kingdom. The period immediately after was known as the Great Collapse.

* Cyfannedd (/kəˈvanɛð/)

- The name of the plane and it’s lands that this campaign takes place in.

* Damwain

- A lively fishing village located south of the grand city of Ikasi. It is most significant for being the location of the Damwain Massacre.

* Damwain Massacre, the

- A horrific event in which a group of renegade Ikasian Wizards unleashed several undead monstrosities on the villagers of Damwain. This led to the banning of necromancy.

* Duitama (/dwi’tama/) Mountains

- A mountain range located in the north of Orihuellia. It separates the Kingdom of Orihuellia from it’s northern neightbor, the city-state Bergara. The mountain range holds cultural and religious significance to the local orc tribe. It’s southeastern valleys empty into marsh and swamplands.

* Dyrnwyn

- Perun’s golden scythe.

* Elised Glasscoed

- Wife of King Izae II and Queen of Orihuellia.

* Erresuma

- The coastal tradeport and capitol city of the Orihuellian duchy of Erresuma.

* Getari Bul

- Leader of the Bathyskard and self-declared prophet of Hulda Stone-Crown.

* The Great Collapse

- The period immediately following the end of the Coraniad Civil War that led to the collapse of multiple dwarven kingdoms and governments.

* The Great Wave

- An apocalpytic event prophesized by the Bathyskard in which the goddess Hulda Stone-Crown will hammer the lands with monstrous waves, wiping the unworthy from them so that she may remake the word.

* Idwal Urian, King

- Previous king of Orihuellia. Father of Izae Urian II.

* Ikasi

- The city of mages and home of the Grand Ikasian University.

* Izae Urian II, King

- Reigning king of Orihuellia.

* Kalimishir

- A penninsula on the southern edge of the continent. It sits east from Orihuellia, across a Bay of Priddy.

* Llŷr Urian

- The founder of the kingdom of Orihuellia.

* Machion, House

- An ancient mountain dwarf lineage and one of the main belligerents of the Coraniad Civil War. Shortly after the end of the war the weakened monarchy was unable to prevent several regions from declaring independence. The house continues to exist but never managed to regain control of it’s former subjects.

* The Mothers

- The goddesses Bendith, Mamau and Tegau, who have each birthed other gods.

* Nyfed, House

- A proud High-Elven house with a long and distinguished history dating back to the founding of the Orihuellian Kingdom. Their device features a kestrel atop a tower.

* The Peacock Betrayal

- A nickname for the Orcish civil war that ended with the death of their God-Creator, Ostol-Gost.

* Priddy, Bay of

- A bay on the southern edge of the continent. It is bordered by Orihuellia to the west and the Kalimishir penninsula to the east.

* Pissed Corans, the

- The name of a predominantly dwarven street gang known for their anarchistic tendencies and dislike of elves. At one point they were a well established criminal organization but their influence has been usurped by more professional crime organizations. Now they are mostly comprised of violent disillusioned groups found in city slums.

* Romsdel

- A two-player tactical board game based loosely on the events of Romsdel Valley. Gameplay revolves around army size and logistics.

* Romsdel Valley, the Battle of

- A historically significant battle that took place in the fertile valley of Romsdel during the Coraniad Civil War. The strategically important location witnessed several smaller clashes during the course of the war but reference to the valley is often linked to the last and largest battles, between the Kingdom of Wetewodd and the Kingdom of Manchion, which included a large army of allied hill dwarves. Although technically outnumbered, Wetewodd’s forces were able to draw the battle to a stalemate after both sides experienced heavy casualties. It is theorized that this was the turning point leading to the Great Collapse.

* Sendagilea

- The healer priesthood of the god Hornfel Razorhand. They can be found in most urban cities and are considered masters of healing.

* Svirfneblin

- The deep gnomes that live in the underdark.

* Tylwylth Teg

- The name of the elvish triplet gods, Perun Aureate, Nix, and Eilmar.

* Wetewodd, House

- A dwarven house and monarchs of the Wetewodd kingdom. At their peak, the house’s authority encompassed 75% of all mountain dwarves. It was one of the chief belligerents in the Coraniad Civil War. By the end of the war the kingdom splintered into several smaller monarchies.

* Yuan-Ti

- A race of humanoids that worship Tegau and idealize the snake form. They can be most often found in swampy regions and have a dislike for most other races with a particular hatred for high-elves.