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'd20 System' & the 'd20 System' logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. & are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. Wizards of the Coast is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States & other countries & is used with permission. d20 Modern, Dungeons & Dragons, & Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States & other countries & are used with permission. Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition Core Books published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. or the use of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game’s Core Rulebook published by Paizo. This product utilizes updated material from Dungeons & Dragons v.3.5 & from Pathfinder. Pathfinder material is denoted by a superscript P. This book contains material from the following: Material originally from Legacy of Maela: Campaign Setting (LoM: CS), material originally from Legacy of Maela: Remote Regions (LoM: RR), & material originally from Legacy of Maela: Dreams & Darkness (LoM: DD). New material originally from Legacy of Maela: Catacombs (LoM: Cat) is marked with an omega (Ω).
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Table of Contents Credits ...................................................... 1 Table of Contents..................................... 2 Introducing Maela, 520 DR...................... 8
Inside Maela ...............................................................8 Geography: Social...................................................8 Geography: Physical ...............................................9
Outside Maela.............................................................9 Celestial & Stellar Bodies.......................................9 Planes....................................................................10
Time in Maela...........................................................11 Seasonal Time.......................................................11 Calendar/Orbital Time ..........................................11 Maelaen Timeline .................................................11
Chapter 1: Other Races of Maela ........... 18 Ala-Albain ................................................................19 Cobrata .....................................................................20 Crylian ......................................................................22 Dracos.......................................................................24 Ethren .......................................................................25 Hysephi.....................................................................26 Merren ......................................................................27 Sabudae.....................................................................28
Chapter 2: Class & Prestige................... 30 Classes ......................................................................30
Assclown ..............................................................30 Disciple of Jake (a.k.a. Cat Paragon) ....................33 Elderwitch.............................................................35 Elemancer .............................................................39 Embodied (Elemental Spirit Casters)....................42 Gambler ................................................................44 Ninja .....................................................................46
Prestige Classes ........................................................49 Adept Summoner ..................................................49 Battle Mage...........................................................51 Bound Mage..........................................................53 Cahlorian Dragoon................................................55 Cahlorian Spellwing .............................................57 Combat Specialist .................................................59 Corsair of Tyl........................................................60 Courgine Skydancer..............................................62 Darkseer................................................................64 Dire Cook .............................................................66 Drachehüter...........................................................68 Dracherudelmeister ...............................................69 Forlorn ..................................................................71 Ghost Warrior .......................................................73 Gnomish Toymaker ..............................................75 Halfling Hair-Binger.............................................77 Knight of the Iron Crown......................................79 Ley Master ............................................................81 Mage-Slayer..........................................................83 Mashscaran Curser................................................85 Mashscaran Deathdancer ......................................86 Master Scholar ......................................................87 Metamagus............................................................89
Pistol Duelist ........................................................ 91 Resonator ............................................................. 93 Shadow Conjurer.................................................. 94 Sorcery Genius ..................................................... 97 Spider Mage ......................................................... 99 Tyl Wrestler ....................................................... 102 Vandorian Militant ............................................. 104 Winterwarden..................................................... 105
Chapter 3: Feats ................................... 109 Regional Proficiency .............................................. 109 General ................................................................... 110 Item Creation.......................................................... 119 Metamagic/Metapsionic ......................................... 120 Monstrous............................................................... 121 Racial ..................................................................... 122 Sigil ........................................................................ 123 Legacy.................................................................... 126
Legacy of Alfred ................................................ 126 Legacy of Aspen ................................................ 127 Legacy of Celwin ............................................... 127 Legacy of Dellipheran ........................................ 128 Legacy of Dungar............................................... 128 Legacy of Dyne .................................................. 129 Legacy of Endrewen........................................... 129 Legacy of Gob-jna.............................................. 130 Legacy of Hellianger .......................................... 130 Legacy of Hoppe ................................................ 131 Legacy of House Syr .......................................... 131 Legacy of Kyrenth Dulgok................................. 132 Legacy of Nexcantion ........................................ 133 Legacy of Serena Vallesk................................... 134
Chapter 4: Religious Matters ............... 139 Deities of Maela ..................................................... 139 Cult of the Reborn.................................................. 142 The Living Saints ................................................... 142
Chapter 5: Equipping Maela................ 145 New Weaponry....................................................... 146 Unique Armor ........................................................ 151 Other Equipment .................................................... 151 Luxury Goods ........................................................ 152 Siege Engines......................................................... 153 Special Materials .................................................... 155 Alchemical Items ................................................... 158 Poisons ................................................................... 159 Magical Catalysts ................................................... 162 Unique Flora & Fungi ............................................ 163
Chapter 6: Adventuring in Maela......... 166 Maela & Adventurers ............................................. 166 Meeting Places ....................................................... 170 Hazards .................................................................. 171 In-Game Games ..................................................... 178 Calling the Shots .................................................... 179 New Combat Options ............................................. 180
Variants for Improved Unarmed Strikes............. 180 New Combat Actions ............................................. 180 New Combat Tools ................................................ 181
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Playing Children, A Treatise...................................183 Nemesis Ideas .........................................................186
Chapter 7: Magic, Psionics, & Their Use.............................................................. 187
The Web .................................................................187 Magic Use...............................................................187 Psionics & Magic....................................................188 Spell Points .............................................................188 Spell Points Tables .................................................189
Assassin Spells....................................................190 Bard Spells..........................................................190 Blackguard Spells ...............................................190 Cleric Spells........................................................190 Druid Spells ........................................................191 Paladin Spells......................................................191 Ranger Spells ......................................................191 Sorcerer/Wizard Spells .......................................192
New Spells..............................................................193 Chapter 8: Magic Items........................ 204
Armor Special Abilities ..........................................204 Specific Armors ......................................................205 Weapon Special Abilities........................................206 Specific Weapons ...................................................208 Elixirs .....................................................................210 Grimoires ................................................................211 Reversible Items .....................................................213 Rings.......................................................................214 Rods........................................................................215 Universal Items.......................................................215 Wondrous Items......................................................216 Cursed Items ...........................................................221 Minor Artifacts .......................................................221 Major Artifacts........................................................224
Chapter 9: Metamodern Era Gear........ 236 Firearms ..................................................................236
Firearms & Magazines........................................237 Exotic Firearms...................................................237 Firearm Modifications ........................................237 Specific Firearms ................................................238
Cannons ..................................................................239 Cannon Attacks...................................................239 Cannon Types .....................................................239
Munitions................................................................240 Explosives...............................................................241
Explosive Modifications .....................................241 Equipment...............................................................243 Magic Items ............................................................243
Magical Ammunition..........................................243 Magical Explosives.............................................244 Other Magical Items ...........................................245
Vehicles ..................................................................248 Vehicle Basics ....................................................249 Power Sources ....................................................250 Vehicle Modifications.........................................251 Land Vehicles .....................................................252 Boats & Ships .....................................................255 Flying Vessels.....................................................256 Meet the Crew.....................................................257
Chapter 10: The Shatterdeath Wars, 1820-2820 DR ............................................... 261
Beginning of the End …......................................... 261 The Metamodern Era.............................................. 261 2810 DR: A New Age… ........................................ 263 The End is Near!?................................................... 263
New Hazards, Old Threats ................................. 263 Old Faces, New Acronyms................................. 264
Chapter 11: Kingdoms & Regions ......... 265 Continents of Maela ............................................... 265 Alliquin .................................................................. 265
Alliquin Forest [Region] .................................... 265 Dannic [Federation of Cities] ............................. 266 Highforests [Region] .......................................... 268 Qualitin [Federation of Cities]............................ 270
Corthallaunduel ...................................................... 272 Corth-mon [Kingdom]........................................ 272 The Dunnshires [Federation of Cities] ............... 274 Forests of Insanity [Region] ............................... 277 Maju-lis [Kingdom]............................................ 279 Mayndria [Kingdom].......................................... 281 Orshia [Region].................................................. 284 Sessuulle [Kingdom] .......................................... 285 Turan [Federation of Cities] ............................... 290 Vandella [Federation of Cities] ......................... 292
Ortho ...................................................................... 295 Niccal [City-State]............................................. 295 Old Ortho [Federation of Cities] ........................ 296
Pyce........................................................................ 299 Terrabinth............................................................... 302
Baergla, Blue Dragon Kingdom [Kingdom]....... 302 Cahlor, Red Dragon Kingdom [Kingdom] ......... 304 Dor-Cran [Region] ............................................. 308 Elvenwood [Region] .......................................... 309 Grelich, Black Dragon Kingdom [Kingdom] ..... 310 Laumandtel [Region].......................................... 311
Vathamon............................................................... 312 Djeknu Mountains [Region] ............................... 312 Efflind [Kingdom].............................................. 314 Gillon Peninsula [Region] .................................. 317 Lemlión [Federation of Cities] ........................... 318 Morz [Kingdom] ................................................ 321 North Passage [Region]...................................... 322 Northern Forests [Region].................................. 324 Quas [Federation of Cities] ................................ 324 Vathamon Mountains [Region] .......................... 326
Oceans of Maela..................................................... 328 Agulin Ocean ......................................................... 328
Frozen Sea [Region]........................................... 328 Gillon Gulf [Region] .......................................... 329 Haho Islands [Region]........................................ 330 Heelino [Region] ................................................ 332 Oak Island [Region] ........................................... 333 Poreuvian Gulf [Region] .................................... 335 Sea of Roads [Region]........................................ 336 Tarathian Sea [Region]....................................... 338 Trillum Sea [Region].......................................... 339 Vessuel Sea [Region] ......................................... 340 White Sea [Region] ............................................ 341
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Western Ocean........................................................342 Black Forest Island [Region] ..............................342 Herrion [City-State] ............................................342 Isle of Tyl [City-State] ........................................344 Red Strait, “Hai Oniakai” [Region] ....................345 Sea of the Dead, “Sigol-gil Bada” [Region]........346 Sea of Demons, “Onibada” [Region] ..................346 Sea of Tyl [Region].............................................347
The Everlight ..........................................................348 Everlightar Timeline ...........................................349
Everlight Kingdoms................................................351 Belngard [Kingdom] ...........................................351 Dimwhittle [Federation of Cities] .......................353 Elaindael [Kingdom]...........................................355 Kalbarok [Kingdom]...........................................357 Kithan [Federation of Cities] ..............................359 Mirathien [Kingdom]..........................................361 Vandelar [Kingdom] ...........................................363
Everlight Regions ...................................................365 The Illuminated Sea [Region] .............................365 Unspoken Lands [Region] ..................................367 Western Infernos [Region]..................................369
The Hi’yang Islands................................................370 Celtious...................................................................370
Chenris [Island State]..........................................370 Dal’Lendu, Hawkmo [Kingdom] ........................374 Dal’Lendu, Ranshin [Kingdom]..........................376 Jetherin, Bestras [Kingdom] ..............................378 Jetherin, Shareeky Rainforest [Region] ..............380 Jetherin, Whithroth [Kingdom]...........................381
Darkmog .................................................................382 Mishdong [Island State] ......................................382 Talmious [Island State] .......................................385 Uograthran [Island State] ....................................388
Nefarus ...................................................................391 Blacson [Island State] .........................................391 Cal’dren [Island State] ........................................392 I’isteran [Island State].........................................393 Jigsaw [Island State] ..........................................395 Sez’drak [Island State].......................................396 Vagista [Island State]..........................................397
Chapter 12: Organizations ................... 400 Artisans’ Guilds ......................................................400
Airs of the Aria ...................................................400 Brothers of the Banded Drum .............................401 Hammerspring Guild ..........................................402
Mage Guilds ...........................................................403 Black Robes ........................................................403 Blue Robes..........................................................404 Green Robes........................................................405
Mercenary Guilds ...................................................406 The Wolf Packs...................................................406
Merchants’ Guilds...................................................408 Grelichian Merchants..........................................408 Overseas Parcel Service......................................409
Thieves’ Guilds.......................................................410 Black Silks ..........................................................410 Bloodhandles ......................................................412 Fleet of Blades ....................................................413 The Jackals..........................................................414
Other Organizations ............................................... 415 The Dreadfang.................................................... 415 The Mashscara ................................................... 416 Order of the White Rose..................................... 417 Rangers of the Red Leaf..................................... 418
Chapter 13: Monsters & More ............. 420 Animal.................................................................... 420 Araphyn.................................................................. 423 Archifor.................................................................. 423 Army ...................................................................... 424 Blight Maggot Swarm ............................................ 429 Boogie .................................................................... 430 Bragonat ................................................................. 431 Centipede, Monstrous............................................. 432 Charyb, The............................................................ 433
Field Combers .................................................... 434 Crystal Mecha ........................................................ 435
Feats for Crystal Mecha ..................................... 436 Deep Lamprey........................................................ 437 Demonsword .......................................................... 438 Demontri ................................................................ 439 Dire Animal............................................................ 440 Drifter..................................................................... 442 Drogle .................................................................... 443 Dryad, Bonsai......................................................... 444 Duern’i ................................................................... 446 Elemental, Enlightened .......................................... 447 Elemental Spirit...................................................... 447 Elf Subraces ........................................................... 448
Drelufon ............................................................. 448 Eldracin .............................................................. 449
Follower ................................................................. 450 Furkin..................................................................... 451
Caniko ................................................................ 451 Felika.................................................................. 452
Giant, Illumos......................................................... 453 Glaestik .................................................................. 454 Glowwing, Monstrous............................................ 454 Glowwing Swarm................................................... 455 Golem, Cyclops...................................................... 456 Hodag..................................................................... 458 Ichor ....................................................................... 459 Infernoan ................................................................ 460 Leongoulle ............................................................. 461 Loward ................................................................... 462 Mage Adder............................................................ 463 Manterin ................................................................. 464 Manticress .............................................................. 465 Mayndrian Guardian .............................................. 465 Mindar (Mind-Raper)............................................. 466 Minor Dragon......................................................... 468 Nightscreamer ........................................................ 469 Night-Thing............................................................ 470 Ooze ....................................................................... 471
Blood Pudding.................................................... 471 Slickoil Ooze...................................................... 472
Paxia....................................................................... 473 Phaetian Knight...................................................... 474 Pixie, Maerdian ...................................................... 475 Scorpitra ................................................................. 477
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Snakewyrm .............................................................478 Spherark..................................................................482 Spider, Monstrous...................................................482 Spynner...................................................................484 Stonefellow.............................................................485 Tekan Orc ...............................................................486 Tyburon ..................................................................487 Uth-malu.................................................................488 Viper Ant ................................................................489 Vulf.........................................................................490 Wrathful..................................................................491 Zombie, Abyssal .....................................................492 Zombie, Callow ......................................................493
Chapter 14: Surviving Legends ............ 494 The Good ................................................................494
Alfred the Redmage ............................................494 Aspen, Archmage................................................496 Dyne Aldris.........................................................497 Celebrius.............................................................499 Krelix the Archivist ............................................500 Sable Rohr, Lady ................................................501
The Bad...................................................................502 Dellipheran Ga’thal’ari, Archmage.....................502 Drendyl Vulat .....................................................504 Endrewen Ulancar...............................................505 Hellianger ...........................................................507 Nexcantion, Lord ................................................508 Vaelia Gorren, General .......................................510
The Ugly & The Not-So-Evil .................................511 The Bane (Bounty Hunter)..................................511 Biff the Unicorn ..................................................512 Evayn Corleis......................................................513 Lontier of Illsbrook (Free-Lance Assassin).........515 Rangus ................................................................516 Rengard’s Eater Beasts .......................................517 Syr Tane Crowstone............................................518 Yavin ..................................................................519
Chapter 15: Simple Starters ................. 521 I. The Prince’s Game ..............................................521 II. Tarrasque Island .................................................521 III. Volcanic Ice ......................................................521 IV. The Sword of Hellianger...................................521 V. Dellipheran’s Rise to Power...............................523 VI. From Slave Soldiers to Freedom Fighters.........523 VII. Jewels of Trillamon.........................................523
Sample Story: The Untouchable Two!................523 VIII. A Keep Campaign..........................................532
Sample Campaign Notes: Vengeance .................532 Assassination Attempt ........................................532 Uninvited Guests.................................................533 Secrets in the Shade ............................................535 Maiden of Lithen ................................................536 A Friendly Game of “Tag! You’re It!” ...............537 Hamlin Council...................................................538 Animal Apathy in Hamlin...................................539
IX. Pirate Campaign ...............................................542 Sample Campaign Notes: Merchants to Pirates ..542 Contacts ..............................................................542 Some Town Members .........................................543 Niccalese Trouble in Port....................................545
Sahuagin Ambush! ............................................. 546 Ruins of Latria.................................................... 548 Defenders of the Catacombs............................... 549 The Rusty Tea (Ship & Crew)............................ 554 The Maiden’s Fury (Ship & Crew)..................... 555 The Black Lily (Ship & Crew) ........................... 557 The Bloodgutter (Ship & Crew) ......................... 559 The Dread Alice (Ship & Crew)......................... 561
X. The Lords of Mayndria: Oriental Campaign ..... 563 The Players......................................................... 563 Plot Hooks.......................................................... 563 The Village of Antakwa ..................................... 564 Lunghai Shrine Guardian ................................... 566 Sadamoru & the Mito Clan ................................ 567 Dissent in Enshu Province.................................. 568 Ilung Inn & In Hot Water ................................... 568 Mayndrian Sneaks .............................................. 569 The Tournament ................................................. 570 Mayndrian Traps Course .................................... 575
XI. Founding a Town ............................................. 578 Sample Campaign Notes: Resettlement.............. 578 Burruthia’s Resettlement.................................... 578 Instigators........................................................... 581
XII. God Quest: The Catamorphus......................... 585 Alliances & Motivations .................................... 585 Plot Points .......................................................... 586 Encounter at Jalav’vim....................................... 586 Mayndrian Hazards ............................................ 587 Red Jungle Inhabitants ....................................... 588 Aegis Covey ....................................................... 589 Temple of the Dragon ........................................ 590 Search for the Mizareen ..................................... 592
XIII. Quest for the Swords of Utegrestoraes .......... 595 Scroll of Tolman ................................................ 595 Swords of Utegrestoraes..................................... 595 Return of Dweneth Kaelis .................................. 596
XIV. Thieves’ War................................................. 597 Guild War in Ballindan ...................................... 597
XV. Brawl of the Titans ......................................... 598 Rampant Destruction.......................................... 598 The Heroes ......................................................... 598 The Villains........................................................ 599 The Loners ......................................................... 602 The Godlings...................................................... 604
XVI. Book of Swords............................................. 605 Gambling with Fate............................................ 605 Death of a Ranger............................................... 605 The Book of Swords........................................... 607 An Abandoned Keep .......................................... 608 Rivlin Thieves .................................................... 610 Kidnapping of a Princess.................................... 611 A Celebration ..................................................... 613 Greed of a Lord (Repeat Encounter) .................. 615 Oria Corlu (Hilt Ruby) ....................................... 616 Grave of Kendric (Drynthwehr) ......................... 618 Ballindan’s Royal Treasury (Pommel Ruby)...... 619 Sarus’ Tower (Scabbard Ruby) .......................... 623 King’s Library (Scabbard Ruby) ........................ 626 Lair of Karrakus (Scabbard Ruby) ..................... 627 Rising of a Wraith .............................................. 629
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XVII. Misadventure of the Reject ...........................632 Tournament Scoring ...........................................632 Plot: A Mutiny ....................................................632 The PCs...............................................................632 S.S. Reject [The Ship].........................................633 The Crew ............................................................634 Game Beginning .................................................637 Day 1: Exploring the Ship...................................637 Day 2: Mage Goes Down! ..................................638 Day 3: Whittling the Crew..................................640 Day 4: Last of the Monsters................................640 Day 5: Putting the Pieces Together.....................641 Day 6: Port!.........................................................642 Party Scorecard...................................................643 Individual Scorecard ...........................................644
Chapter 16: Treasure of Teloceja Module.............................................................. 645
The Module.............................................................645 Beginning with a Hook ...........................................645 Ice Fields of Pyce....................................................645
Frost Giant Castle ...............................................646 Kobold Village....................................................647 Lair of the White Dragons ..................................648
Ruins of Teloceja ....................................................649 Palace/Halls of Teloceja .........................................650
Main Floor ..........................................................650 Second Floor.......................................................668 Cellars (Underdwelling)......................................680 Top Level (Battlements) .....................................683
Kobolds of the Palace .............................................685 Chapter 17: The Obsidian Flame Module.............................................................. 687
Chapter 18: Extra NPCs..................... 775 Armies.................................................................... 775
Morz Infantry ..................................................... 776 Courgine Windriders .......................................... 777
Bands, Clans, & Tribes .......................................... 778 Chromithian Party .............................................. 778 Ja’tul Tribe ......................................................... 779 Heartwood Guardian .......................................... 780 Orc Band ............................................................ 782 Pirates of the Stoneshrine [Metamodern] ........... 783
Courts & Cults........................................................ 785 Evil Priests ......................................................... 785 The Visiting Prophets......................................... 786 Daisan Lo & His Court....................................... 787
Dragons .................................................................. 789 Fortune Seekers...................................................... 790
Newbies & the Next Step ................................... 795 Father & Son ...................................................... 796 Little Druid......................................................... 797 Newly Weds ....................................................... 798 New Party in Town ............................................ 799
Other Monsters....................................................... 800 Chapter 19: Futuristic .......................... 802
Campaign Starters ...................................... 806 I. RGH 101 (Recent Galactic History)........................................................................... 806 II. The Last Fleet.......................................... 810 III. Peace of Mind in 2518 ....................... 816
Appendix: Assistance............................ 822 Index..................................................... 825
Tables Table 0-1: Maelaen Calendar........................................11 Table 0-2: Maelaen Timeline........................................12 Table 1-1: Racial Ability Adjustments .........................18 Table 1-2: Aging Effects...............................................18 Table 1-3: Random Height & Weight...........................18 Table 2-1: Assclown .....................................................30 Table 2-2: Disciple of Jake ...........................................33 Table 2-3-a: Elderwitch ................................................35 Table 2-3-b: Spells Known ...........................................36 Table 2-3-c: Elderwitch’s Shadow................................38 Table 2-4-a: Elemancer.................................................39 Table 2-4-b: Elemancer Bond.......................................40 Table 2-5: Embodied ....................................................42 Table 2-6: Gambler.......................................................44 Table 2-7-a: Ninja.........................................................46 Table 2-7-b: Ninja Unarmed Damage...........................48 Table 2-8-a: Adept Summoner......................................49 Table 2-8-b: Summoned Monster CR Limits................49 Table 2-9: Battle Mage .................................................51 Table 2-10: Bound Mage ..............................................53 Table 2-11: Cahlorian Dragoon ....................................55 Table 2-12: Cahlorian Spellwing ..................................57 Table 2-13: Combat Specialist......................................59 Table 2-14: Corsair of Tyl ............................................60 Table 2-15: Courgine Skydancer ..................................62
Table 2-16: Darkseer.................................................... 64 Table 2-17: Dire Cook ................................................. 66 Table 2-18: Drachehüter............................................... 68 Table 2-19: Dracherudelmeister ................................... 69 Table 2-20: Forlorn ...................................................... 71 Table 2-21: Ghost Warrior ........................................... 73 Table 2-22-a: Gnomish Toymaker ............................... 75 Table 2-22-b: Toy Rank & Modifications.................... 75 Table 2-23-a: Halfling Hair-Binger.............................. 77 Table 2-23-b: Hair Statistics......................................... 77 Table 2-24: Knight of the Iron Crown.......................... 79 Table 2-25: Ley Master ................................................ 81 Table 2-26: Mage-Slayer.............................................. 83 Table 2-27: Mashscaran Curser.................................... 85 Table 2-28: Mashscaran Deathdancer .......................... 86 Table 2-29: Master Scholar .......................................... 87 Table 2-30: Metamagus................................................ 89 Table 2-31: Pistol Duelist............................................. 91 Table 2-32: Resonator .................................................. 93 Table 2-33-a: Shadow Conjurer ................................... 94 Table 2-33-b: Shadow Creatures: Stats ........................ 95 Table 2-33-c: Shadow Creatures: Augmentations ........ 95 Table 2-34: Sorcery Genius.......................................... 97 Table 2-35: Spider Mage.............................................. 99 Table 2-36-a: Tyl Wrestler ......................................... 102
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Table 2-36-b: Tyl Wrestler: Weakening Grapple........102 Table 2-37: Vandorian Militant ..................................104 Table 2-38: Winterwarden ..........................................105 Table 3-1: Regional Proficiency .................................109 Table 3-2: Bragonat Advancement .............................110 Table 3-3: Follow Through.........................................112 Table 3-4: Totemic Animals .......................................117 Table 3-5: Item VG.....................................................119 Table 3-6-a: Damage Dice Caps .................................123 Table 3-6-b: Sigil Base Level Value...........................124 Table 3-6-c: Sigil Effects ............................................124 Table 5-1: New Weaponry..........................................145 Table 5-2: Weapon Modifications ..............................149 Table 5-3: New Armor & Shields ...............................150 Table 5-4: Alcohol Consumption................................152 Table 5-5: Siege Engines ............................................154 Table 5-6: Blackvein Items.........................................155 Table 5-7: Bloodspike Items.......................................155 Table 5-8: Soulstones (100% Purity) ..........................157 Table 5-9: Steel-Silk Items .........................................158 Table 5-10: Alchemical Items.....................................158 Table 5-11: Iceblood Poison .......................................159 Table 5-12: Poisons ....................................................160 Table 5-13-a: Average Poison Damage ......................160 Table 5-13-b: Poisons .................................................161 Table 5-14: Gallatium Crystals ...................................162 Table 5-15: Bloodspike Statistics ...............................164 Table 6-1: Lemanva Leprosy ......................................172 Table 6-2: Critical Hit Table.......................................179 Table 6-3: Variant Improved Unarmed Strikes...........180 Table 6-4: Material Hardness & Size Modifier...........181 Table 6-5: Armor & Weapon Hardness & HP ............182 Table 6-6: Embarrassing Rumors ...............................186 Table 7-1: Haven Strength Modifiers .........................187 Table 7-2-a: Spell Points By Class .............................189 Table 7-2-b: Bonus Spells Points................................189 Table 8-1-a: Grimoires: Spell Base Prices ..................212 Table 8-1-b: Grimoires: Material Cost........................212 Table 8-2: Combat Rods .............................................215 Table 8-3: Battlegem Ray Prices ................................217 Table 8-4: Spell Gems ................................................219 Table 8-5: Sword Rings ..............................................220 Table 8-6: Meter-less Metronome...............................222 Table 8-7: Tri-tone Xylophone ...................................223 Table 8-8: Boris’ Beholder Bagpipes..........................224 Table 8-9: The Eye of Wrath ......................................225 Table 8-10-a: Rod of Plagues: Diseases......................226 Table 8-10-b: Rod of Plagues: Plagues.......................226 Table 8-11: Staff of Lesinius ......................................226 Table 8-12: Thornrast .................................................227 Table 8-13: Mundane Items ........................................229 Table 8-14-a: Minor Magic Items...............................230 Table 8-14-b: Medium Magic Items ...........................231 Table 8-14-c: Major Magic Items ...............................232 Table 8-14-d: Additional Items...................................233 Table 8-14-e: Random Armor, Shields, & Weapons ..234
Table 8-14-f: Spells.................................................... 235 Table 9-1: Firearms .................................................... 236 Table 9-2: Scopes & Range Increments ..................... 236 Table 9-3: Cannons .................................................... 238 Table 9-4: Munitions.................................................. 240 Table 9-5: Explosives................................................. 241 Table 9-6: Metamodern Armor .................................. 242 Table 9-7: Explosive Enhancements .......................... 244 Table 9-8-a: Metamodern Random Weapon .............. 246 Table 9-8-b: Metamodern Gear & Magic Items ......... 247 Table 9-9: Vehicles .................................................... 248 Table 9-10: Vehicles: Speed Conversions.................. 249 Table 9-11: Power Sources: Canvas Sails .................. 250 Table 9-12: Fuel Economy......................................... 251 Table 9-13: Vehicle Modifications............................. 251 Table 9-14: Wagons ................................................... 253 Table 10-1: Timeline of the Shatterdeath Wars.......... 261 Table 11-1: Everlightar Timeline ............................... 349 Table 11-2: Hi’yang Timeline.................................... 390 Table 13-1-a: Army Damage Modifier....................... 425 Table 13-1-b: Army Space ......................................... 425 Table 13-1-c: Army Challenge Rating ....................... 426 Table 13-1-d: Army Training ..................................... 428 Table 13-1-e: Army Maintenance .............................. 428 Table 13-2: Field of a Thousand Derelicts ................. 434 Table 13-3-a: Mecha Behavior................................... 435 Table 13-3-b: Mecha Advancement ........................... 436 Table 13-4-a: Night-Thing Minor Abilities................ 470 Table 13-4-b: Night-Thing Major Abilities................ 470 Table 13-5: Tyburon as Special Mounts..................... 487 Table 13-6: Uth-malu Statistics.................................. 488 Table 13-7: Abyssal Zombie Attacks ......................... 492 Table 14-1: Thornrast................................................. 501 Table 14-2: Endrewen’s Followers ............................ 506 Table 15-1: Soulforged Progression........................... 596 Table Q-1: Some Random Encounters ....................... 689 Table Q-2-a: Major Tunnel Characteristics................ 689 Table Q-2-b: Minor Tunnel Characteristics ............... 689 Table Q-2-c: Major Cavern Characteristics................ 689 Table Q-2-d: Minor Cavern Characteristics ............... 690 Table Q-3: Obstacles.................................................. 690 Table Q-4: Events ...................................................... 690 Table Q-5: Western Line: Encounters ........................ 692 Table Q-6-a: Anazor: Catacomb Loot ........................ 697 Table Q-6-b: Anazor: Courtyard Trap........................ 701 Table Q-7: Anzakrez: Group Challenge Rating ......... 713 Table Q-8: Balsgreth: Encounters .............................. 716 Table Q-9: Eiden: Encounters .................................... 727 Table Q-10: Hienlaris: Encounters............................. 735 Table Q-11: Kreejul: Nassdraca’s Tears .................... 742 Table Q-12: Lightlake: Encounters ............................ 751 Table Q-13: Monument: Encounters .......................... 755 Table Q-14: Ralstuul: Encounters .............................. 757 Table Q-15: Vestus: Encounters................................. 768 Table Q-16: Yellowteeth: Encounters ........................ 773
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Introducing Maela, 520 DR
Inside Maela Strewn throughout the vast expanses of space, there sparkle worlds of life. The material plane is not limited to one, two, or even three such planets. Hundreds, thousands, & possibly millions exist—oases in the black emptiness of the universe. Maela is one such world. Harboring its own variety of flora & fauna, it is by no means isolated from the influences of humans, elves, dwarves, & the like.
Geography: Social Many races & cultures make up the inhabitants of Maela—called Maelaens. The peoples of Maela & their cultures both blend & clash. In this text, you will find a wide spectrum of cultures. All the standard races have a place in Maela. Many have their own lands. Even in the most isolated kingdoms & regions, though, there is interaction between the different races. No race is entirely cut off from the rest of Maela’s people.
Elven Lands Elven lands tend to be isolated from other major areas. Main elven areas include Efflind—considered the main cultural center of the elven peoples, Laumandtel—first of the settled elven lands, the Highforests of Alliquin, & Alliquin Forest. There are a number of other areas of considerable elven population scattered around the different wooded places of Maela. As a rule, elves tend to keep their distance from other major civilizations.
Dwarven Lands Dwarven lands tend to also be isolated, but this is due to their preferred locations. Dwarves have major societies in the Djeknu Mountains, the Great Northern Mountains, the Dor-Cran, & the North Passage. They also currently have one of the most tolerant & diverse cities of the world, Turan, which is just south of Orshia & the Great Northern Mountains. Dwarves have been integrating themselves into societies for years. Though many of their number tend to keep to themselves in mountain strongholds, other dwarven communities live in general peace among the other races.
Gnome Lands Gnome communities are not evident at first glance. Most gnomes, it seems, have integrated into larger societies, especially in the major kingdoms of Maela. Part of the reason that gnome communities are not visible is because many exist amid other communities. Gnomes keep large
records of their extended families & tend to be able to find some sort of relative in nearly any major city they visit. Gnome culture is alive & well. There are gnome communities that exist on their own as well. Southern Ortho, Alliquin, & Mayndria are but a few places where isolated gnome communities exist away from the cities.
Halfling Lands Quas, Ortho, the Dunnshires, & Alliquin are the four major geographic areas traditionally viewed as halfling lands. Halflings, of course, are not limited to these areas. They are found in almost every kingdom & region throughout Maela with a few exceptions. Halflings, like gnomes, have found it relatively easy & beneficial to integrate into the larger communities around them.
Half-Elf Lands Half-elves have only a few tiny parcels of land that they can call their own. One of these places is the cliff forests just north of the North Passage & the area around it. Elves from Efflind & humans from Quas & Morz see a lot of each other in this major trading area. The half-elf communities developed out of these human-elf interactions & have their own unique culture & villages in the area. Besides the few exceptions, half-elves have been integrated into larger societies much like gnomes & halflings.
Half-Orc Lands Half-orcs rarely have an easy time integrating anywhere. In Maela, a number of half-orc societies have developed independent of orcs & humans. One such society is the Durthno Tribes—a collection of nomadic tribes that traverse the lands of Vandella, Corth-mon, & Orshia. Other half-orcs have melded, as best they can, with the diverse populations of surrounding communities. In most societies, though, half-orcs are rare.
Human Lands Human-run kingdoms dominate Maela. Willing to establish communities & societies almost anywhere, humans have explored & inhabited areas other races ignored or simply did not have the initiative to settle. In other cases, humans have been the conquerors who came in & laid claim to other races’ lands. In still other cases, humans were the visitors who settled alongside the other races & eventually grew to the dominant population. However it happened in whatever area, humans can be found nearly everywhere in Maela.
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Other Lands The major races are not the only ones to have lands, kingdoms, & societies of their own. Dragons, dracos, orcs, goblinoids, gnolls, fey, & many others have these things. While exploring this book, many of these places will be revealed, others are yet to be found.
Geography: Physical The physical face of Maela is varied to a great degree. Most normal geographical features can be found in the world along with a few new features.
Climates & Environs All climatic conditions & environments can be found in Maela. Climatic conditions vary among temperate, arid, gulf, tropical, & other zones. There are deserts, tundra, alpine forests, rain forests, & many other environments. There are a number of areas where the dominating climate & the local environment of an area do not match up. One example would be Vessena’s Teeth in the kingdom of Cahlor on Terrabinth. Here a jungle exists, surrounded by a temperate climate. It is due to Maela’s strong magic content that such anomalies do occasionally occur.
Ocean Currents Maela has prevailing ocean currents that are dictated by Lunas, the main moon of Maela. As with most other planets of the material plane, the warm ocean currents favor the western shores of Maela while the cooler ocean currents favor the eastern shores. Keep in mind, complex areas like the Trillum Sea & the Sea of Roads see a number of odd current patterns. For this reason, it is not uncommon to run into countercurrents that have warm waters brushing eastern shores & cool waters brushing western shores.
Tectonic & Volcanic Activity All of Maela’s continents ride atop one or more tectonic plates. Most of the mountains around the planet are caused by the movements of these plates, & there are a few areas of high volcanic activity. Mayndria, the islands of the Sea of Demons, & the Haho Islands are all areas that experience high levels of volcanic & tectonic activity. These geomorphic activities are not always negative nor viewed as negative by the peoples who live in such areas. For instance, though people do not like the earthquakes that are prevalent in Mayndria, the Mayndrians do enjoy the numerous natural hot springs that cover almost the entire region & surrounding islands.
Temperature Temperatures fluctuate greatly across Maela. As a general rule, the closer one gets to the White Sea & the farther south, the warmer it tends to become. The farther north one gets, the colder it tends to become. One will find, though, that this pattern is not always true (observe the section on Climates & Environments above). Maela’s Equator is located just south of the White Sea & undoubtedly sees the hottest temperatures besides the Sol-Lemanva & Namaha Deserts.
Outside Maela There are many things that affect & influence events on Maela that occur outside the lands.
Celestial & Stellar Bodies Maela has a number of important celestial bodies that either orbit or are orbited by Maela.
Laset-tuin Obviously the sun, also called Laset-tuin, is of great importance to Maela. The world orbits this young yellow star in 365.25 days. Traditionally, Laset-tuin is believed to be, or at least represent, the mirror-shield of the Overlooker of the Day, Laset. For this reason, & for Laset-tuin’s effects
on weather & season, the comings & goings of the sun have found their place in the ritual life of
many Maelaens.
Lunas Lunas is the primary moon of Maela. It
orbits the world in exactly 28 days. The Full Moon, or Nova Luna, is
celebrated around Maela each month. Moon Day, as this time
is called, always lands on the same day of
every month in the current year (See
Calendar/Orbital Time below). The passage of Lunas marks the major planting & harvesting seasons for many Maelaen peoples & determines when major festivities should take place. It also greatly affects ocean currents & the movements of migrating animals by land, sea, & air.
The Twins, “Schaes-umbra & Dolre-end” Two smaller moons called the Twins or Schaes-umbra & Dolre-end orbit Maela within the larger orbit of Lunas. Both moons orbit each other as they orbit Maela. The orbit of the twin moon around Maela is 18 days. The moons orbit each other every 22 days. To the naked human eye, both Schaes-umbra & Dolre-end appear to be identical in shape, color, & size. Elven astrologers have noticed that Schaes-umbra has a distinct
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crown of craters on its northern pole. They also found that Dolre-end has a massive crater near its equator. Thanks to these small differences, the two moons can be told apart if observed carefully. The human observer will notice, for instance, that Dolre-end has a “belt-buckle” with a speckled midriff due to the debris field. They will notice, too, that Schaes-umbra has a spotted & speckled pole due to the crown’s massive debris fields & craters. The race between these two celestial bodies holds great religious significance for many followers of The Racing Twins (See Chapter 4: Religions, Schaes & Dolre). The title of leader is always switching between the two as the Twins continue their never-ending race.
Other Planets There are seven other planets in Maela’s solar system. Each of these planets is known to orbit around Laset-tuin thanks to years of elven astronomic observations & studies. The planets are Melin-lasu, Talla-lasu, Trillamon-lasu, Torin-lasu, Ailox-bala, Rengard-bala, & Balkarod-bala. The four planets ending in “lasu” are closer to Laset-tuin than Maela. The three ending in “bala” are further from Laset-tuin. Celestial alignments are often of important note; it is likely that 520 DR will be an important year for them.
The Stars Stars serve both religious & historical functions. Whereas the dwarves have used the earth itself as the means of remembering history, the elves have relied upon the stars. Humans, who usually do not live as long as either race & have a harder time appreciating the changing earth & stars, tend to think more in terms of people & major events. Whether or not stars are used in history does not negate their importance. The stars offer light & life to Maela when Laset-tuin, Lunas, or Schaes-umbra & Dolre-end are not reflecting light onto the earth. Constellations offer direction to sailors & overland caravans. Constellations also provide a basis for many stories, myths, legends, & lore. Their value to society is reflected in the pursuits of astrologers, astronomers, historians, clerics, & other peoples along with a variety of institutes. Almost all races have some of their number investing time with the stars.
Planes Gateways to other planes of existence, though not prevalent, can be found in various places across Maela. Most of these gates are known about & heavily guarded. There are no known gates that are set up for public use. All are privately owned & their locations kept secret. Of course, magic users have figured out how to transport themselves to planes without using gates. This form of interplanar travel is becoming more common, & it is open to the public for those willing to pay.
This does not mean that interplanar travel is commonplace. Travel & trade with other planes take place infrequently, & it is often done only by a select group of individuals.
Other Planes There are a number of additional planes that have connections to Maela: Mournland: Objective directional gravity; timeless; self-contained; magically morphic; no elemental traits; minor negative-dominant; normal magic. This plane is a giant, inverted sphere with the lands, rivers, mountains, & cities all clinging to the inside walls. In the plane’s center is a colossal sphere of annihilation several miles in radius. The plane itself is thousands of miles in diameter & hosts cities & villages populated by ethereal people who live out their lives in this strange world. Anyone who visits the plane finds that gravity pulls toward the massive void in the center of the plane. Gravity pulls any objects not touching an individual toward the ground above. Visitors are forced to traverse the world in an inverted state all the while they are there. If a visitor becomes ethereal, gravity reverses, & they find themselves among the living, breathing citizenry of Mournland whose sky is always brightened by a never-setting sun. It is generally assumed that Mournland is cursed. The ghostly citizens of Mournland’s cities are thought to be lost souls. When citizens die, they appear to visitors to emerge into the physical world. They are then fated to roam the inverted world, assuming they do not fall into the void below. Nefsian: Normal gravity; flowing time (slowed); infinite size; divinely morphic; no elemental traits; minor positive-dominant; neutral-aligned; normal magic. Nefsian is the original home-plane of the elves of Maela. It is the Realm of the Feyfolk & is filled with a single infinite tree that lives therein. The tree, called the Lorithal, occasionally grows in upon itself, forming liquid portals that act as gateways to other planes. The portals appear as simple pools of water. On the other side of these portals, the Lorithal sends shoots that grow into a tree in the soil of that plane, hiding its origin-pool deep in its heart. These extradimensional “branches” of the Lorithal are called Eoghin & allow travel to & from Nefsian. Many fey besides elves inhabit Nefsian. Many fear & even loathe outsiders who intrude upon their home without invitation. Planar Bazaar, The: Normal gravity; normal time; finite size; alterable morphic; no elemental traits; no energy traits; neutral-aligned; normal magic. The Planar Bazaar is a relatively small demiplane that serves as a huge interdimensional marketplace. The lowest level of the Planar Bazaar resembles a massive tavern floor (100 yards square) littered with tables, chairs, stools, & benches. The ceiling disappears into the misty heights, ringed by the railings of higher levels. Three of the tavern’s walls are lined with 90 gates with a huge bar dominating the last wall. In the corners are
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floating disks that take visitors up to the higher levels which radiate out from the central tavern like rays from a sun. Halls can extend miles from the central tavern, & there are currently 63 levels to the bazaar; each level being 20 feet above the last. Thousands of stores, money-changers, & other businesses can be found throughout the bazaar’s halls. Nearly anything & everything can be purchased or sold at the Planar Bazaar, & its hallways seem infinite. A small fee of 10gp per hour will purchase a visitors’ guide who will lead them to any particular stores or areas they are looking for in the bazaar. Vastness, The: Objective directional gravity; normal time; finite size; alterable morphic; no elemental traits; no energy traits; lawful-aligned; normal magic. This bizarre plane is actually a gigantic city whose sheer mass sent it tearing into the Astral & Ethereal Planes. From the inside, the Vastness appears to be an infinitely long tube with the city build upon the inside surface. The 10-mile diameter tube slowly bends & eventually coils while those coils eventually coil upon themselves. From the outside, the Vastness appears as a titanic stone construction made of bands upon bands of tightly coiled rope. The Vastness is believed to have been originally built by an extinct race who desired a monument to show their strength & vision. They forged an army of constructs which they sent to work with one order, “Build”. So for countless eons, the constructs have worked to build & expand the monstrous city. The home world of the extinct race was completely absorbed into the Vastness along with any other materials the constructs can collect. It is guessed that the constructs continue to build, forever expanding the twisted & abandoned city.
Time in Maela Time is important. Ask any villain, ask any hero, & they will assure you of that. The movement of Lunas is the main instrument used to measure time.
Seasonal Time There are four major seasons throughout the calendar year. Spring, Summer, Autumn, & Winter all occur for roughly one quarter of the year. Far to the north, winter is dominant & reigns eternal. Eventually, winter’s dominance shrinks the further south one goes; its season lasting fewer & fewer days. The season of summer takes over in the south, growing longer & longer in season until it is dominant all year round.
Calendar/Orbital Time One year in Maela is 365 days long. The year is divided into 13 months of 28 days each. There is a single day, called Novadia or New Day, which marks the time between the beginning of the upcoming year & the ending of the previous year. Every four years, New Day is 2 days long instead of one. There are 52 weeks in a year. There are 4 weeks in each month, & each week is 7 days long. Every month, Moon Day—the day of the Full Moon, also called Nova Luna—is on the same day of every month during the year. Every year, Moon Day will be on a different day—usually one day earlier than the previous year if New Day is a single day long. Shown here is the elven calendar. It is commonly used throughout Maela. Only a few isolated dwarven kingdoms do not adhere to it & have their own calendars.
Table 0-1: Maelaen Calendar
Month Month Name Seasonal/Solar Events
0 Novadia Day(s) between years, Winter Solstice
1 Emperia 2 Loerdast 3 Thusiol 4 Orelliol 7th—Spring Equinox 5 Veredast 6 Benol 7 Equidion 14th & 15th—Summer Solstice 8 Maelas 9 Vordelast 10 Orellias 22nd—Autumn Equinox 11 Thusias 12 Laerlast 13 Regnia
Maelaen Timeline The ages have not crawled by in Maela without event. No, there are a number of very important events that have taken place throughout history. Even so, everyone marks events differently. Many kingdoms have their own series of holidays & holy weeks, but there are some events that all Maelaens know of, or at least have heard about. This sample timeline lists some of the major events of the past 14,000 years or so. Human history is generally considered to have begun around 1000 EC, whereas elven history goes back to around –10000 EC. In 3880 EC, the world greatly changed, & a new age was said to have begun. (Timeline displayed after maps.)
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Table 0-2: Maelaen Timeline Date Major Events –10000 EC First elves create first kingdom in Laumandtel 0 EC The last elven migration to Nefsian 1053 EC Creation of the Eternal Kingdom of Corth-mon 1107 EC Humans settle Mayndria 1220 EC Reign of the Black Country & Hellianger 1290 EC Defeat of Hellianger 1292 EC Founding of the Magna Dultharcana Compia 1301 EC Sinking of Lost Island 1308 EC Creation of the Order of the White Rose 1310 EC Founding of Vandor, Teloceja, & Teka Empires 1684 to 1731 EC Goblin Plague of Vathamon 1973 to 1998 EC Plains Wars between Morz & Quas 2570 EC Fall of the Teka Empire 2890 EC Fall of Teloceja 3280 EC Establishment of Sessuulle 3289 EC Rise & Fall of Nexcantion in Sessuulle 3357 EC Settlement of Tyl 3654 EC Humans settle Terrabinth, King Erbentine rules 3700 EC Fall of Vandor, Fall of the city of Oria Corlu; Death of Gob-jna, King of the Orcs 3701 EC Beginning of the Dunnshires-Ortho wars 3819 EC Fall of the Orthan monarchy 3880 EC (0 DR) Dellipheran’s rise to power; Establishment of the Dragon Kingdoms 3 DR Defeat of Dellipheran at hands of Dyne the Avenger 4 DR Creation of the Rangers of the Red Leaf 11 DR Fall of the city of Latria 128 DR Creation of the Hammerspring Guild 320 DR Founding of the Airs of the Aria 495 DR Awakening of the Three Lich Kings; Establishment of the OPS 505 DR Fall of the Three Lich Kings 517 DR Freeing of Ulguleta Demon 520 DR Year of the Great Solstice, 10th Generation EC (Empiricus Centurion) DR (Draconia Regalia)
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Western Maela
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Eastern Maela
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Aspen By Charles Gibson
The flame dancing from my fingertips cleared the air of the thick cobwebs as I entered the long-neglected crypt. “Looks like someone’s been in desperate need of a housekeeper,” I muttered to myself. “Could at least have kept things up for the occasionally visiting sorcerer or tomb robber.” I suppose it’s not at all uncommon for someone in my line of work to run across the occasional “dirty place”; after all, I chose to be an adventurer. This of course meant glamorously dangerous jobs for supposed huge payoffs. Often, this turned out to be a complete fabrication, leading me to seek more secure ways to gain capital. But, sometimes, the treasure was right where it was supposed to be; usually right underneath the dragon that it belonged to. “That damned dwarf better have sold me a real map, or I’m going to take great pleasure in making him squirm,” I thought. “Also, his wife, any children, brothers, sisters…” My pleasant thoughts of petty revenge were cut short as I noticed the vaporous form wavering in the air before me. About time something interesting happened… “Who dares disturb the tomb of the Unmaker?” moaned the ghost. “To trespass on this ground is to forfeit life!” This sort of exchange really doesn’t excite me anymore. Call me a bit jaded, but it’s really quite overdone. Maybe when I was still an apprentice, threatening my life would have meant something, but now days, death threats are just way too common to get a strong reaction. “Just me; nothing to get excited about, Gramps,” I called out to the ghost, starting my way into the gloomy crypt. “I’m on the list; this Unmaker guy is actually expecting me. I think I can find my own way in…” “If you will not leave this ground,” interrupted the ghost, “then I will be forced to remove you myself. Now, I give you one final chance: Leave this place at once, or be destroyed!” My answer was in a language rarely spoken in casual conversation anymore. To call it a dead language would be an insult to the drakes that still use it, & they don’t usually take kindly to being insulted. “Corono Deflagro!” With my serpentine words & motions, a glow of pale blue fire surrounded the ghost. He probably wouldn’t realize it for several more seconds, but the flame was pulling his form entirely into the material plane. Once that happened, he wouldn’t be able to hide from my spells by shifting into a non-solid state. &, after that, he’d be mine. “When will you flesh bags ever learn?” snarled the ghost as he started toward me. “When you have the option of leaving or dying, always take the former. After I extinguish your life here, I will be free, & you will be this tomb’s new guardian… That is, until the next brainless treasure-seeker finds this place. That could only take centuries, if you’re lucky!” I started to get worried; my spell wasn’t affecting the ghost as it should. I didn’t want to take this battle onto the ethereal, or I would lose any advantage I still had. This battle could get very ugly, very quickly. I started weaving a new spell into reality; one I hadn’t completely worked all the bugs out of yet. I figured, at worst, it would kill me before the ghost could do the job. I hoped this would exempt me from that guard position with the long hours & no paid vacation. “Sacro Celebro Flagrans!” The spell was designed to fill the material area with a pillar of holy flame, while simultaneously filling the ethereal area with an influx of positive energy, forcing the ghost to get out of there & exist materially. Just for the record, nothing pisses a ghost off more than a burst of positive energy… unless it’s mockery. Unfortunately, I seem to have a small problem controlling my outbursts. Really, I’ve been working on it. For just a second, the chamber lit up in a magnificent flash of brilliant light. The spell worked beautifully, & the ghost seemed to be fading from reality in the aftermath. That’s when I made my mistake; just a small comment on the ghost’s ineffectiveness at doing his job. Dyne swears that my tongue will be the thing that kills us all one day. “Some bang-up guard job you did, dumbass. I swear, it’s the only thing you were kept in existence for, & you sucked at it. I would hope that if I were kept around for one simple reason, I would at least have the ability to do it well. I mean, I barely broke a sweat, & you’re destroyed! Talk about a blow-out! I mean, I know I’m good, but this was the worst showing I think I’ve ever seen… & I’ve seen more than the Tarrasque’s share, if you know what I mean. This was truly the worst of the worst. I think I’ll just go enter this in my journal now, so Dyne & I can have a good laugh over it later at the tavern. Wait right there so I can get a few choice comments from you.” That’s when the ghost decided he had enough in him for another round. Unfortunately, I was so busy boasting & walking past him that I didn’t even see it coming. All I felt was an icy cold finger pass through my chest & touch my beating heart. At least, it was beating when he touched it. “And now, foolish mortal, we see who the true victor is. I may be going to my final rest, but you will be trapped here, guarding the lost tomb for all eternity. Oh yes, you’ll be able to relish that ‘victory’ for many years. Let me know how that turns out for you. Dumbass.”
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Introducing Maela, 520 DR
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My strength was fading fast. I struggled to remain calm; to keep the darkness from closing in over my vision. I was quickly losing the ability to form coherent thoughts, & that would be just as deadly as the ghostly finger keeping my heart from beating. Then the thoughts started: I’ve really done it this time; how could I have slipped like that? This is only supposed to happen to other adventurers, not to me… Okay, try to concentrate… How can I hurt him? I need to make him let go before it’s too late. If his finger is in my heart, then he must be at least partially solid. Problem is, I don’t have much for ‘up close & nasty’ spells… I made my decision & struggled to form the words. This spell would be hard enough to cast without the hand gestures; let alone the icicle in my chest. I knew it might kill me to cast it, but if I didn’t then the ghost would gladly do the job for me. I also figured death would be a great chance to catch up on some sleep for a change. After what seemed like days, I spit the words out with everything I had left in me. “Corpus ab Cremare!” Just for the record, turning your body into liquid fire hurts… a lot. Even being nearly immune to all types of heat & fire, this spell still hurt. The good news is that it also hurts anything near, on, & especially inside of you. Luckily, the ghost was no exception. The shock of suddenly being arm deep in a pool of liquid fire dissolved his material form suddenly & violently, exploding in a burst of cold ectoplasm. I could feel his presence lessen, & begin to fade away completely as my heart started back up & my body regained its true form. “Nicely done mortal; nicely done. None have bested me in combat before, especially being so close to death themselves. It would seem that the curse that traps me here also keeps me from being completely destroyed. I would advise you not be around when I regain my form, or the results could end up being quite different… “The chamber you seek is straight down the long hall, inside the main doorway. If you do not have the keyed phrase to enter, I will see you in the afterlife. May we never meet again, flesh bag.” I watched the ghost fade from view as I pondered his words. I was weak now; weaker than I’ve ever been from casting a spell. I suppose the long minutes with no heartbeat didn’t help the situation either. Oh well, what doesn’t kill me will make me stronger, right? If that’s true, I should be swinging a club & calling myself “Ugg” by now. “Well, I’ve come this far, I might as well check out this chamber that the ghost told me about. Wonder how much loot this ‘Unmaker’ guy has… & wonder what’s not nailed down?”
Ω I reached the main door & looked it over. It seemed normal, even with my Magesight on, until I examined the door jam more carefully. “That’s the tiniest ward sigil I’ve ever seen! It’s so cute & tiny I wish I could take it home with me! Makes me wonder just how powerful it could be…” Remembering the ghost’s words to me, I decided not to tempt fate again today. After all, I’d already been spared once, & Fortune has probably turned her head the other direction by now. Better play the part of caution. I took the crusty map the dwarf sold me & memorized what apparently was the pass code. I felt a bit silly saying it aloud, & even wondered briefly if it was a decoy. That would definitely put a damper on my continuing existence. I decided to chance it anyways, & damn the consequences. “Bob the Wise Sage changes his stockings only on Prayer Days.” The door to the crypt slowly & creakingly swung open to reveal a dark chamber with a single sarcophagus in the middle. The room was thickly covered in dust & cobwebs, with no footprints leading in or out of the room. I slowly stepped into the room, half expecting to be vaporized at any moment. I gingerly approached the sarcophagus & appraised the carving on the tablet. Here lies the Unmaker was all that was inscribed. The face on the carving seemed to change with the flickering of my finger-flames, showing a face either madly gleeful or deeply sad & regretful. The rest of the carving showed a suit of plate armor with a spellbook in the right hand & a longsword in the other. “Enough with the aesthetics; let’s get to the loot!” I slowly pried the facing from the sarcophagus until I could see into the gloomy interior. I slowly lowered my finger-flame into the tomb until the contents were revealed to me. I found the interior to be nearly empty, save for a ball of pure darkness resting inside. I honestly had no idea what to think. “What the hell is this? Where the hell is my treasure? I’m so pissed off right now that if this tomb weren’t made of stone, I would burn it to ashes! I’m almost pissed enough to try anyways! Gods damn it all to hell!” After a few minutes of both verbal & literal fireworks, I began to calm down enough to think about the ball of darkness once again. Which is good, because most often it’s the things you don’t notice that will kill you. The darkness unfurled itself & stood into a shape closely resembling the one on the lid of the sarcophagus. In fact, I would go as far to say that it most likely was the person depicted on the lid. As I turned to examine it a bit more closely (and to burn it as necessary), the shape looked at me & then spoke in hollow ringing tones.
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Introducing Maela, 520 DR
17
“So… you are the one who has set me free after all these years. I long to see how time has shifted the shape of my beloved Maela; I wonder if I shall still recognize her. No matter, she will soon be mine again. In thanks for unwittingly freeing me, I shall not take your life today, young man. But our paths will cross again, & next time you will not be given any such consideration.” “Who exactly are you?” “I am the Unmaker; also called the Dark Son of Balkarod. I am returned to bring a new era of darkness; one that will see the end of this world. It is my Father’s will & the Final Prophecy of Maela. By freeing me, you have condemned your world to a vile & agonizing death… & for that, you have my thanks, mortal.” With those words, the shape melded into darkness & was gone. I heard mocking laughter echo through the crypt as I steadied myself. After a brief pause to add a new name to the List, I turned & quickly walked out of the burial chamber. I had some people to contact, preparations to make, & a godling to hunt down. After all, I couldn’t help but feel that I would be held at least partially responsible for this simple misunderstanding. That’s the way it always seemed to work, anyways. “First on my to-do list: I need to contact Dyne & tell him the news. He’ll love this one, & I know he’d hate to miss this kind of opportunity… “… Gods damn it…”
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Chapter 1: Other Races of Maela
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Chapter 1: Other Races of Maela
“What does race... ... Have to do with it? Everything, my comrade. Everything.” –Gob-jna, 3688 EC. There are many races throughout Maela. Humans, gnomes, dwarves, elves, hobgoblins, & halflings are common enough as are many others. Occasionally, an adventurer will appear who does not fit the common mold. Listed below are some of the other playable races that roam Maela’s various lands. Almost all these races, except perhaps the dracos, are quite rare & live in small groups away from larger settlements.
Table 1-1: Racial Ability Adjustments
Race Ability Adjustments Favored Class
Ala-Albain +2 Con, +2 Wis, –2 Str Barbarian Cobrata +2 Dex, –2 Int1 Druid Crylian +2 Int Psion Dracos +2 Str, +2 Cha, –2 Wis Sorcerer Ethren +2 Dex Monk Hysephi +2 Con, –2 Wis Fighter Merren +4 Dex, –2 Str Ranger Sabudae +2 Dex Ranger 1. Cobrata always have an Intelligence score of at least 3.
Table 1-2: Aging Effects Race Adulthood Middle Age1 Old2 Venerable3 Maximum Age Ala-Albain 20 years 35 years 50 years 70 years +1d20 years Cobrata 25 years 50 years 75 years 100 years +3d20 years Crylian 30 years 80 years 130 years 180 years +5d20 years Dracos 20 years 70 years 170 years 320 years +4d100 years Ethren 100 years 170 years 240 years 300 years +3d100 years Hysephi 30 years 60 years 90 years 120 years +3d20 years Merren 60 years 85 years 110 years 135 years +1d100 years Sabudae 20 years 40 years 60 years 80 years +1d20 years 1. Upon reaching Middle Age, characters receive –1 Str, Dex, Con & +1 Int, Wis, Cha. 2. Upon reaching Old Age, characters receive –2 Str, Dex, Con & +1 Int, Wis, Cha. 3. Upon reaching Venerable Age, characters receive –3 Str, Dex, Con & +1 Int, Wis, Cha.
Table 1-3: Random Height & Weight Race Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier1 Ala-Albain, male 5’ 10” +2d12” 110 lb. HM x (1d4) lb. Ala-Albain, female 5’ 6” +2d12” 80 lb. HM x (1d4) lb. Cobrata, male 3’ 0” +2d4” 35 lb. HM x 1 lb. Cobrata, female 2’ 9” +2d4” 30 lb. HM x 1 lb. Crylian, male 4’ 0” +2d12” 100 lb. HM x (1d4) lb. Crylian, female 3’ 10” +2d12” 80 lb. HM x (1d4) lb. Dracos, male 5’ 2” +2d6” 130 lb. HM x (1d6) lb. Dracos, female 4’ 8” +2d6” 90 lb. HM x (1d6) lb. Ethren, male 4’ 6” +2d6” 90 lb. HM x (2d4) lb. Ethren, female 4’ 6” +2d6” 85 lb. HM x (2d4) lb. Hysephi, male 5’ 6” +2d10” 140 lb. HM x (2d4) lb. Hysephi, female 5’ 2” +2d10” 100 lb. HM x (2d4) lb. Merren, male 2’ 6” +2d4” 25 lb. HM x 1 lb. Merren, female 2’ 4” +2d4” 20 lb. HM x 1 lb. Sabudae, male 5’ 0” +2d10” 120 lb. HM x (1d6) lb. Sabudae, female 4’ 6” +2d10” 90 lb. HM x (1d6) lb. 1. Multiply weight modifier by the height modifier to determine how many extra pounds the character weighs.
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