Characters

[DavetheLost]

We can start off with character generation. I 'll go through the steps and post information here.

[DavetheLost]

Character creation is going to be a little involved due to th eimportance of character backgroundwhich takes up several pages in teh rulebook. Background and origin along with character class help determine a character's starting skills.

The basic system is a D&D variant.

Attributes are teh standard Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma rolled in order on 3d6. As the average range for human attribute scores is 8-13 you make take points from attributes above 13 and use them to raise low attributes to 8. You will also get the chance to swap in a 14 for one of the prime attributres of your class if it is lower. If you end up with a set of scores that just don't look like a character you want to play, roll up a different one.

[DavetheLost]

Origins:

Kirsi Warrior people, famous for csvalry

The people of Kirsi (“KEER-see”) are warriors, the sons and daughters of the hard border lords that rule what was once the eastern frontier of the Nyalan Empire. Their armored lancers are famous throughout the Three Lands, and their iron-shod cavalry thundered through seas of Eternal soldiers in the days of the Long War. Even the least Kirsine peasant knows something of how to hold a weapon, and even the lords of Kirsi do not dare attempt to take the swords from the hands of the common people.
Since the Long War ended forty years ago the Kirsi have been embroiled in an endless succession of civil wars, internecine squabbles, and usurpations. The nominal king, the Dia, rules only the land beneath his horsemen’s hooves, and the common people suffer bitterly from the feuding of their lords. Many peasants have been driven from their villages by the fighting, and noble families have been left impoverished or scattered among the hills.
The Kirsi dwell in the north-central part of the Yellow Land, in the dry hills and scrubland that abut the Mountains of the Sun. Their cities are of adobe and scrub-oak, simple and square and sun- baked. The fortresses of the nobles are built of quarried stone, and some date back for centuries, back when Kirsi was still the eastern frontier of empire and its lords still had the wealth to afford Nya- lan architects and artists. Ancient estates and ruined monuments still litter the hills.
The Kirsi are very dark-skinned, as dark as the Lokossans to the far southwest. Their features are straight and sharp, and their straight black hair is worn long by both men and women. The men braid it to better cushion their helmets or wear it up in colorful cloth turbans, while the women decorate theirs with bright ornaments and veils of dyed cotton. White robes split for riding are common to all, often worn over tunics and trousers for both sexes. The rich- ness and color of the underdress is a sign of the wearer’s wealth and importance.
The Kirsi are proud, contumacious, and fierce. They recognize only their chosen lord, and that only so long as he continues to advance his warriors’ interests. Unlike some other lands, any peas- ant with the will and ferocity to stake out his own glorious name in the dry hills may come to be counted as noble as any other lord, if only he can hold his fame against those who would take it from him.
Most Kirsine adventurers are warriors in the tradition of their people. Many such soldiers are knocked loose from their lands after ending up on the wrong end of a war or from the sudden collapse of their patron noble house. Marabouts and griots are not unknown either, with the Sun Faith strong in the Yellow Land and every noble clan needing at least one griot to pronounce their virtues and mighty deeds. Ngangas from Kirsi are even rarer than usual, as few with the gift for manipulating ashe ever have the op- portunity to learn the necessary skills to wield it. Those who do are often deep in the bush, far away from warriors who understand only steel. Some find it best to depart their home before they are condemned by some paranoid noble or mobbed by witch-fearing local peasants.

KirSine BanDit
Whether an actual marauder or simply a soldier obliged to go freelance in unorthodox ways, the fast-riding bandits of Kirsi are a scourge on their neighbors. They strike swiftly on their sturdy hill-country horses and sweep away before the locals can muster a defense. Some bandits repent of their thieving ways and seek a more noble life, and others simply find the typical activities of a Spear to be more or less the same as their former employment.
Skills: Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Perception, Ride, Stealth, Survival
KirSine noBle
You were of a noble clan once... you still are, really, if you want to be precise. But they lost a fight they couldn’t afford to lose, or you did something they couldn’t ever forgive, and now you’re cast upon your own resources in the world. It’s up to you to avenge their fall, redeem your name, or just forget what you once were.
Skills: Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Leadership, Perception, Persuade, Ride
KirSine peaSant
Warriors must eat, and the retinues of the nobles are too proud to till the earth, even if they weren’t constantly fighting. The peasants of Kirsi are tough, cynical, and often veteran warriors from their days as conscripts in a local lord’s army. Many tire of the endless struggle, and some decide to act on their weariness.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Survival, Trade/Farmer
KirSine SCholar
Kirsi is not famous for its scholars, but some historians have the patience and personal courage to track the constant shift of noble clans and borderlines within the kingdom. Others salvage the histories that would otherwise be lost to indifference, and remember the songs and chants that praise heroes long since gone down to the dust.
Skills: Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Language, Medicine, Scholar, Occult
KirSine SCout
A sword must be directed to be of use, and the armored fist of the lancers is useless when a target is not to be found. These light-clad scouts cross the hills with speed and silence, capable of surviving unaided for long periods in the hills as they search for enemy troops. They are not expected to engage the foe di- rectly, but only to find him and get away in time to alert their allies.
Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Navigation, Ride, Stealth, Skills: Survival

KirSine SohanKit
The sohankit are the home-grown spirit healers, sorcerers and charm-makers of the Kirsi, most often found in remote villages and in the darker corners of the adobe cities. Their actions can easily be construed as “harming others through witchcraft”, and so most find it necessary to avoid the official notice of nobility, even if they fashion charms for them under the cover of night. Most have no actual magical abilities, though they often have some measure of occult learning.
Skills: Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Medicine, Perception, Stealth, Occult
KirSine SolDier
Some commoners are “fortunate” enough to find a place in the permanent retinue of a Kirsine lord. These men- and a few steel- hard women- trade a lifetime of border skirmishes and sudden ambushes for the bread and beer of a soldier. Sometimes the loss of a lord or some unendurable mistreatment sends them looking for a different life. Their services are prized in other lands, though the climate and horse-sickening parasites of the southern kingdoms make it difficult to muster large bodies of cavalry beyond the northern lands.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Leadership, Ride, Tactics
KirSine SunriDer
Paladins of the Sun Faith, the Sunriders are stern-minded war- riors for justice. Many of them are former soldiers who have sickened of the endless fighting and seek to defend the common people from noble depredations. Others are raised from youth to join the order, trained by older Sunriders who have settled in their villages or towns. A few are even cast out for some sin.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Leadership, Ride, Priestcraft
KirSine Sun teaCher
The great majority of Kirsine are faithful devotees of the Sun Faith, revering the Sun as the supreme deity and following the Four Corners of the Mountain laid down by the prophet. Not every Sun Teacher is gifted with the talents of a marabout, but the people require teaching, prayer, and guidance all the same.
Skills: Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Leadership, Persuade, Scholar, Priestcraft
KirSine urBanite
The cities of Kirsi are not so vast as the sprawling metropoli of Nyala or the teeming market-towns of Sokone, but they are cit- ies all the same. The people who dwell there must all have some useful trade to call their own if they are to earn their bread.
Skills: Any One Skill, Business, Combat/Any, Culture/Kirsi, Ride, Trade/Any

Lokossa Grim warriors and sorcerers

The grim Lokossans (“low-KOH-sah”) dwell in the thick southern jungles of the Green Land, standing fast against the constant incursions of the bestial Night Men from across the Akpara River. Their warriors are armed for battle by their mighty ngangas, and the greatest of these sages is enthroned as the Ahonsu, the sorcerer- king of Lokossa. No other land is so wound about with witchcraft as is Lokossa, and even the greatest of the Nyalan emperors could not overcome the sorcery of its mysterious lords.
The Lokossans live bleakly regimented lives. Commoners farm patches of cleared land within the jungle or harvest its fruits, game, and fish. Every village is the property of a noble clan, and its inhabitants are little better than slaves to the will of their lords. Some are literally so- slavery is more common in Lokossa than in any other land, not least because of the grim yearly rites of human sacrifice required by many of the most powerful ngangas. The “Traditions”, as they are called, are said to provide the ngangas with the strength they need to hold back the Night Men from overrunning the country. The people dread being chosen for such an offering, but most accept it as a sad necessity for their common survival.
The Ahonsu rules with a hard hand over his people, expressing his will through the numerous noble clans, each of which is marked by a magically potent bloodline. Commoners who show the talent for manipulating ashe are married into a noble clan and elevated to a higher rank, while the great majority of the clan that lacks mystical aptitude are set to officering in the army or serving as clerks and officials in the villages. A noble may have unquestioned command over his people, but even he is but a slave to the service of the Ahonsu, and none dare defy the witch-king’s commands.
Only in wandering is freedom. Those who flee their villages or noble palaces can live long lives free of another’s will, but they must keep moving. Too long a residence in one place will mark them as the property of whichever lord owns that land. The need for freedom has driven many Lokossans into pilgrimage far from their homes- and many more to leave their bones beneath the jungle’s eternal green.
The Lokossans are a very dark-skinned people, with dark eyes and tightly-curled hair that is often cropped short or kept in elaborate braids. Their features are more lush and rounded than those of the other Five Kingdoms, and many among them incise delicate lines of ritual scarification on their bodies as part of initiation rites or magical practices. Some among the nobles endure the excruciating use of certain rare plant dyes to give their scars brilliant, jewel- bright hues, both to announce their rank and to demonstrate their indifference to suffering. In the humid heat of the southern jungles, clothing ranges from minimal to near-nonexistent depending on the work that is to be done, though men and women not engaged in war or labor favor chiffon-light wraps of woven leaf fibers dyed in beautiful patterns and rich colors.

loKoSSan apprentiCe
Some are born with the gift to channel ashe, the magical force that fuels the nganga’s arts. This gift may come from a strong bloodline, from a supernatural mark at birth, from a life- changing event, or from the touch of a great spirit, but whatever its source it is prized in Lokossa. Every noble house is eager to gather as many potential ngangas to them as they are able, the better to enhance their sorcerous might. Not all apprentices prove suitable for mastering the nganga’s red arts, however, and some students decide to take a different path to glory- whether or not their master approves.
Skills: Culture/Lokossa, Language, Leadership, Medicine, Occult, Scholar
loKoSSan hunter
What cannot be grown from the unwilling earth or drawn from the rivers must be hunted beneath the jungle’s boughs. Lokossa relies more upon game and jungle provender than do the other kingdoms of the Three Lands, and most Lokossans who are not peasants are hunters. These practiced souls are skilled at stealth and the downing of big game, but many find employment in the regiments of the Lokossan army to scout out the movements of Night Men warbands. Few such military scouts live long enough to retire to their richly-deserved honors.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Lokossa, Perception, Stealth, Survival
loKoSSan lagreDi
In the Three Lands, those who defy the boundaries of custom or nature touch upon a dangerous power. The lagredis are those men who have partaken of certain potions and rituals, assuming the social and sometimes physical role of women. The process is believed to grant them unusual magical potency, and it is not uncommon for male nobility to seek them for wives. The Ahonsu himself is expected to have several such spouses, com- monly entrusted with the subtle oversight and monitoring of important matters.
Skills: Business, Culture/Lokossa, Occult, Perception, Per- suade, Stealth
loKoSSan noBle
Not every noble is in perfect harmony with their clan. Some prove... problematic, for one reason or another. Sometimes they incur the sorcerous anger of a more powerful kinsman, or fail in some great duty, or are simply an obstacle in the ascent of a more ambitious relative. These nobles retain their pride and their learning, but have little else when cast forth upon the world. Some families prefer not to have such disgraces sully their clan’s name with continued life, and hunt them still.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Lokossa, Leadership, Occult, Tactics
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loKoSSan peaSant
There are those with worse lots in the Three Lands than the peasants of Lokossa, but there are not many of them. These peasants labor as virtual slaves under their masters’ rule, their only route to glory running through military service against the Night Men or talent as a nganga’s apprentice. Some seek to make a different way for themselves in a more distant land.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Culture/Lokossa, Stealth, Survival, Trade/Farmer
loKoSSan prieSt
The great majority of Lokossans are followers of the Spirit Way, giving particular reverence to the shades of dead Ahonsus in their palace-tombs. Others are servants of the spirits of the jungles, the rivers, or the sky, enlisting such aid as they can against the enemies of their people. Few have any true magical power, but their encouragement and their understanding of curses and magical afflictions make them useful to their people.
Skills: Culture/Lokossa, Leadership, Medicine, Occult, Per- suade, Priestcraft
loKoSSan reaper
Just as the lagredi is thought to gain mystical power by transgressing the boundary between male and female, the Reaper is said to obtain great martial ferocity by abandoning her femininity for the masculine role of warrior. Among these amazons number restless farm girls, dissatisfied wives, convicted criminals, and ambitious young noblewomen, and together they are some of the most feared warriors in all Lokossa. They have all the rights of men and an honored place in Lokossan society, but they buy it with fearsome bloodshed and their skill with the two-handed “great razor”.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Combat/Blade, Culture/Lo- kossa, Survival, Tactics
loKoSSan SolDier
While the armies of Lokossa are officered by nobles, it is the common folk who make up the rank and file of their swords- men. The short-bladed ida sword is the weapon of choice among them, the better to clear away brush and deliver brutal chops and thrusts in the close quarters of the jungle. Most are simple village conscripts raised by noble levies, but even those forced to the work recognize the importance of their duties. Without the armies of Lokossa to hold them back, the bestial Night Men of the south would be burning Nyalan temples within a year.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Lo- kossa, Tactics, Trade/Any
loKoSSan runaway
Slavery is disturbingly common in Lokossa. Criminals, the im- poverished, war prisoners, and even disgraced nobles all face degradation to slavery, and from their number are first chosen the sacrifices to be made at the yearly Traditions. Most slaves remain obedient out of hopelessness, fear, or family bonds, but some have the will to flee their oppressors.
Skills: Athletics, Culture/Lokossa, Navigation, Perception, Stealth, Survival
loKoSSan urBanite
Lokossa is not abundant in cities, but it has its share of them fashioned of hard jungle woods and laboriously-quarried stone. Most such places exist as commercial and craftwork centers for the country, taking in the noble-gathered tribute of the coun- tryside and transforming it into the host of goods and military supplies necessary to sustain society. Private commerce is more limited, but every citizen must be skilled at something if he is to escape the displeasure of the city’s lord.
Skills: Any One Skill, Business, Culture/Lokossa, Language, Perception, Trade/Any


Meru Cattle herding nomads

In the golden seas of grass that cover the southern Yellow Land the Meru (“MAY-roo”) are the masters of the land. Their great herds of cattle tread paths laid down by their forefathers in generations past, pausing only until the pasture is depleted. Their villages are temporary affairs of thatch, sticks, and piled thornbush walls, but these people maintain many secrets long since lost to others.
The Meru did not exist as a people until the start of the Long War, when their Sun Faith ancestors fled the kingdom of Deshur after the martyrdom of their prophet. They refused to bow to the Gods Below and preferred escape to the savannahs to the forced worship that was demanded of them. Once on the plains, the in- digenous tribes recognized their need for allies in the war to come, and taught the Meru’s ancestors how to herd and live in their new home. Intermarriage and assimilation of the far-fewer indigenes was swift, and now their culture exists only in a few isolated fami- lies and a small strain of Spirit Way faith among the otherwise uniformly Sun Faithful Meruans.
The Eternal King sent legion after legion into the savannah to kill the rebels, but the nomadic lifestyle and ceaseless wandering of the Meru kept them constantly ahead of the Deshrites. They learned the use of special weapons suited to crushing the bones of the im- mortals, and their siare throwing-clubs and great runku war staves are still symbols of defiance against the Sixth Kingdom. They are proud of their freedom, and the wandering families of the Meru are only loosely ruled by an elected Elaigwen, a “city-chief” cho- sen from among the patriarchs of the greatest Meru clans.
The Meru are a nomadic people. Their history has led them to shun lasting settlements, and many clans meet only at appointed times and places to trade, find wives, and renew old pacts. A few makeshift market towns and farming settlements of thatch and thornbush dot the savannah, but these settlements last only so long as the water and pasturage endure. In the days of the Old Kings the Nyalan Empire laid claim to the Yellow Land, but their legions often failed to even find the indigenous dwellers in the grass sea, let alone exact tribute from them.
The Meru resemble their Sixth Kingdom ancestors, with cop- pery, golden-brown skin and features less severe than their Kirsine neighbors. Those families with strong native influence tend to be much darker-skinned, though they usually retain the straighter black hair of other Meru. As with the other people of the Five Kingdoms, eye colors are varying shades of dark or hazel hues. Those with different hues are usually considered marked by the spirits in some way.
Meruan adventurers are most often young men and women who wish to make a name for themselves before starting a family. The gold they gather can buy them a bride-price or a herd of their own, or earn a girl the glory she requires to chart her own life. Their warriors are famed for their hardiness and courage in the face of Eternal foes, and their olabons preserve many secrets that their Deshrite ancestors brought out of the Sixth Kingdom. The Sun Faith also gives rise to many young marabouts who feel the need to spread the faith beyond the boundaries of the yellow grass sea.

Meruan artiSan
The vast majority of Meru’s adult men are herders, and much of the craftwork and other necessary professions are carried on by women and those men without the strength to run with the herds. These artisans provide almost all of the leatherwork, bone-carving, woodwork, weaving, and other skills vital to any clan. Even these “sedentary” Meru are often marked by superb conditioning and hardy strength from their long journeys.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Business, Combat/Any, Cul- ture/Meru, Trade/Any
Meruan healer
The Meru retain many of the secrets of Deshrite medicine and know sophisticated techniques for dealing with the wounds and contagions inflicted by the Eternal legions. Their healers have cause to use their arts, not least on the precious cattle that are the great support of the wandering clans. Many healers are women, as Meruan custom credits them with a greater power to purify tainted spirit and flesh. Even when clans are feuding at their hottest, only the most degenerate will dare to harm a healer.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Meru, Medicine, Oc- cult, Trade/Herder
Meruan herDer
Where the common folk of other lands are peasant farmers, the people of Meru are herdsmen. Their lives are bound up with their cattle- they drink their blood, eat their flesh raw in memory of their ancestors who had no time to kindle fires when they escaped the Sixth Kingdom, and make their clothing and tools from leather and bone. They eat no plant food they cannot gather while herding or take from the small gardens planted in their temporary villages and market-towns. Herding is tradi- tionally a male role, but there are times when loss of men in war or simple necessity require a sturdy young girl to go out and protect the herds from lions and thieving strangers.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Meru, Navigation, Survival, Trade/Herder
Meruan olaBon
Despite their lack of great cities or sophisticated physical tech- nology, the Meru guard much ancient lore passed down from their Sixth Kingdom ancestors. Much of what they know has long since been lost beneath the black sands of the east, and they protect this knowledge carefully as a token of their ances- tors and their right to be counted the true and faithful heirs of Deshur. Olabons often deal with supernatural conundrums whether or not they have the power of a full-fledged nganga.
Skills: Athletics, Culture/Meru, Language, Occult, Percep- tion, Scholar

Meruan outCaSt
Within the roving families of the Meru, the patriarch’s word is law. Execution is almost unknown as a punishment, but exile is more common. These outcasts have done something unforgiv- able or incurred the anger of a tyrannical elder, and are now condemned to walk the savannah alone. Other clans might be persuaded to accept them only after they have proven that their condemnation was no true measure of their worth.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Meru, Navigation, Stealth, Survival
Meruan SCout
The clans must know what awaits their herds, and whether the grass is good or the water has dried beneath the Yellow Land’s sun. Meruan scouts can run for hours without flagging and know every pace of the golden grass sea. Their skills are prized by those generals fortunate enough to have them in service.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Meru, Navigation, Stealth, Survival
Meruan Spirit prieSt
The Meru are overwhelmingly followers of the Sun Faith and fiercely proud of their piety. The remnant are often those de- scended from the original inhabitants of the savannah, those who consider themselves Meru but who refuse to abandon the customs of their ancestors. These spirit priests serve the gods of grass and cattle and rain, appealing to the unseen powers to bring abundance and help for their people.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Meru, Leadership, Occult, Priestcraft
Meruan SunStaff
Meru does not raise armies as the other kingdoms do. Every clan’s herdsmen are expected to be able to defend both their people and their cattle as the need arises. Some Meruans are more skilled than others at war, however. These “sunstaves” take the great two-handed runku as their symbol, a weighted staff wielded by their ancestors to crush the bones of the Eternal.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Club, Culture/Meru, Leadership, Occult, Tactics
Meruan Sun teaCher
The priests of the Sun Faith have few fixed rites compared to the intricate rituals of the Spirit Way. The long wanderings of the Meru have discouraged them from requiring temples or specific edifices of worship. Instead, they provide prayer, example, and guidance to their fellow religionists, and are trusted for their superior understanding of the Sun Faith’s holy scriptures. They do not lead the clans, but every patriarch is expected to have at least one as a trusted advisor.
Skills: Athletics, Culture/Meru, Medicine, Perception, Per- suade, Priestcraft
Meruan traDer
The Meru are not a mercantile people, especially compared to their Sokone neighbors, but they have need of goods from the wider world all the same. Their blacksmiths must have iron to work, their herbalists must have distant extracts to cure, and every clan seeks word from its neighbors in between their sched- uled meetings to trade brides, cattle, and news.
Skills: Athletics, Business, Combat/Any, Culture/Meru, Nav- igation, Persuade


Nyala Sophisticated urbanite

The northwestern corner of the Three Lands is a rich and fertile domain of rolling hills, broad-leafed forests and well-watered meadows. The griots tell of many ages long past in which men fought over this good land, but in the age before the Long War it was the home of the Nyala (“nn-YAH-lah”) and the throne of their mighty empire. It was their inexorable advance that finally drove the Deshrites into the eastern mountains and goaded their king into pacting with the powers he found there. Their neighbors re- member this, and the Nyalan Empire is not praised in their songs.
When the Eternal marched out of the black deserts of the east, the Nyalans were cast into confusion. For generations, they struggled more to hold their querulous provinces to obedience than to drive back the Eternal, and it was only in the reign of the final Emperor Kaday that their efforts to regain Kirsi and Sokone were aban- doned and diplomacy was tried instead. The last emperor bound together an alliance that broke the Eternal at last, but he died in its doing, and since then the Nyalans have only dreamed of what their ancestors once ruled.
The cities of Nyala are famed for their massive walls and exquisite stonework, and the Nyalans are proud of their heritage of art and beautiful craftsmanship. Much was learned from the giants of the Mountains of the Sun, but since these titans turned in anger to- wards humankind the Nyalans have elaborated upon their own tastes and fashioned marvelous works of masonry and wrought metal.
Nyalans are often a haughty people. Their nobles cherish grand ti- tles to domains that were lost a hundred years ago, and every peas- ant farmer in the realm can claim relation to some long-vanished prince. The griots of Nyala are renowned for the depth of their memories and grace of their art, though of late they have had little to praise. The king of Nyala is called the Mai now, and the Mai is a tired old man who knows he is not his father’s equal.
The Nyalans are slim-featured, tall, and straight-haired, with skin the color of polished mahogany. At times their line throws sports of coloring, most often among the nobles- white manes, jewel- toned eyes, or strange patterns upon the skin like brightly-colored tattoos. Tradition says that such marks show giantish blood from the ancient days in which Nyala learned the secrets held by the titans of the Mountains of the Sun. In clothing they make con- cessions to work by wearing dyed trousers and tunics, but prefer to be seen in intricate layered robes of rich brocade and delicate dyework, with sleeves flaring wide above the wrist. The wealthiest wear robes of native silk, a cloth that can be manufactured no- where else in the Three Lands.
Nyalan adventurers are often forced into it by necessity. The Nya- lans are proud, but their pride does not always match their purse- many families slump into ruin over the generations as they lose the lands they once depended upon. The commoners who remain are weighted with heavier and heavier taxes and find themselves driven by need to seek life elsewhere. And there are always those who can no longer tolerate the slow, sad decay of their homeland and seek to spark it into new life with their courageous deeds.

nyalan artiSan
The crafters of many lands have grace and beauty in their work, but the artisans of Nyala are too proud to let even the humblest of their workings go unadorned with well-worked art. Whether expressed in elegant, simple lines or intricate engravings, the Nyalans insist on finding beauty all around them, and honor those who bring it forth with artistry and power. Bitter rivalries are quick to develop in such a climate, however, and belonging to the wrong artistic school of influence can be a potentially fatal error in the overheated confines of Nyalan politics. Some such artists find it wiser to seek inspiration abroad until matters cool at home.
Skills: Any One Skill, Artist, Business, Culture/Nyala, Per- suade, Trade/Any
nyalan CleriC
While the Sun Faith is present in Nyala, the majority of its people are followers of the Spirit Way and revere the old gods of empire and their ancient fanes. The clerics of Nyala are all individually devoted to particular gods and spirits, but are ex- pected to be able to perform other rites when necessity demands it. Few have the special friendship with the divine that marks a true marabout, but all of them have a solid grounding in the duties of a priest and the administration of a temple.
Skills: Business, Culture/Nyala, Leadership, Medicine, Per- suade, Priestcraft
nyalan Courtier
The court of the Mai orbits a weary old man with little person- al influence beyond the capital city, but the deals struck there among the great magnates can echo to the very borders of the kingdom. Even common-born men and women can aspire to profit by becoming useful ornaments to court or officials in the service of some great clan. Unfortunately for such climbers, the nobility is much more inclined to expend them than suffer the consequences of a failed scheme, and so many courtiers find it necessary to make sudden and drastic changes in their careers.
Skills: Any One Skill, Artist, Culture/Nyala, Perception, Per- suade, Stealth
nyalan hiStorian
The griots of every land sing the great deeds of past heroes and vanished kings, but the historians of Nyala make a less aesthetic effort at remembering. They once charted the surging advance of the Old Kings, and now they record the slow dwindling of Nyala’s glory. In the former times every noble house was expect- ed to have its dry historian as well as its inspiring griot, but in these days compromises are made in supporting such luxuries. Some scholars are compromised right into a life on the road.
Skills: Any One Skill, Artist, Culture/Nyala, Language, Per- suade, Scholar

nyalan hollow prinCe
Nyala teems with “noble” houses that have nothing but a glori- ous past. For some, their land claims were abandoned by Em- peror Kaday in buying the alliance that ended the Long War. For others, the collapse of trade and rise of banditry turned their farms and fields into wastelands. Some lost their titles to the grasping of greater nobles, and some simply drifted into a dreaming solitude that refused to acknowledge the truth until the last trade ingot was spent. Many of these “hollow princes” must grub their living beside their former peasants.
Skills: Any One Skill, Combat/Any, Culture/Nyala, Leader- ship, Survival, Stealth
nyalan noBle
When Emperor Kaday abandoned Nyala’s claims on the break- away provinces of Kirsi and Sokone, entire swaths of nobility were ruined overnight. They could no longer support them- selves on subsidies to help them reclaim their land or claim the glory of domains that would never again be theirs. Those nobles that remained were left to fight over a suddenly-straitened do- main, and beneath their Nyalan elegance is raw red savagery.
Skills: Business, Combat/Any, Culture/Nyala, Language, Per- suade, Leadership
nyalan peaSant
In every land there must be someone to support the elite, and the peasants of Nyala are the base upon which rests the whole tottering edifice of the nation. The rich valleys and rivers of the northern Green Land fed an empire in the time of the Old Kings, and the peasants of Nyala are richer and more profit- minded than most. In these days, it only means that there is more to be peeled from them by rapacious nobles.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Business, Culture/Nyala, Survival, Trade/Farmer
nyalan plotter
No land is so thick with schemes as is Nyala, where the plots of ten generations coil and turn on themselves. They do not lack for schemers, secret agents, members of hidden societies long since forgotten by most of their own members, and partisans of causes that were hopeless in their grandfather’s youth. Some causes are noble and just, such as the extirpation of slavery or the advance of their nation. Others have purposes of more pri- vate benefit, and are willing to do whatever they must to satisfy long-forgotten vows.
Skills: Combat/Any, Culture/Nyala, Perception, Persuade, Security, Stealth
nyalan Sage
The learned of Nyala are wide-ranging in their interests, and many delve into the subtleties of the spirit world and the strange paths of the occult. These sages often vaunt of magical powers, but the number among them with the genuine arts of the ngan- ga are few. Even those who understand the truth rarely have the gift necessary to manipulate ashe. Still, their limited knowledge remains useful to the desperate.
Skills: Culture/Nyala, Language, Medicine, Occult, Percep- tion, Scholar
nyalan SolDier
The legions of Nyala are not what they once were. In the former days they were a serried sea of armored spearmen, the iron of Kirsi and the gold of Sokone allied with Nyalan elan to form the spine of empire. Those that remain in this lesser age are often the mere playthings of some wealthy noble. Not all are content to live such a life, and some quit their former legions for braver work.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Nyala, Culture/Nyala, Leadership, Survival, Tactics


Sokone Rich land of artisans and traders

Between Nyala in the green northern hills and Lokossa in the hot southern jungles dwell the merchants and tradesmen of Sokone, (“so-KOH-nay”) thick along the banks of the mighty Iteru River. The Sokone are the richest of all the Five Kingdoms, and their dar- ing pursuit of gold and precious trade has made them exemplars to every merchant in the land. Those who have no hope in their own land come to Sokone to find riches. Some even succeed.
Sokone’s cities teem with artisans and traders, chaffering beneath dyed canopies in the shadow of domed buildings painted in reds and blues and golden yellow hues. Pungent spices from the hill plantations are heaped high on woven mats, and the cattle of Meru are sold next to exotic birds from the deepest Lokossan jungle. All things can be found in the cities of Sokone for those who have a discerning eye and a bulging purse.
Sokone was one of the first provinces of the Nyalan Empire to break away from the old rulers when the Eternal armies marched down the banks of the Iteru. Something about the free-flowing water was hateful to them, and the reed barges of Deshur were abandoned in favor of dry-shod legions. The Sokone were ravaged by their attack, but the Nyalan emperor was more concerned with succoring the border marches of Kirsi than defending their south- ern tributaries. In fury, the Sokone abandoned their fealty and determined to fight the Eternal without Nyala’s aid.
Their battle was long and bitter. The former capital was overrun and transformed into the Silent City that still squats by the Iteru’s waters, filled with remnant Eternal that no kingdom has yet dared to root out. The merchant-princes of Sokone duel each other with words and gold and sometimes knives in the dark, and some are beginning to find profit in the trade of human lives. Cults of a hundred fantastic varieties hawk their spirits in the markets, and some promise things that ought not to be promised from gods that
should never be named. All things can be found in Sokone, but some of them would prefer not to be discovered by the righteous.
The people of Sokone share traits of all the Five Kingdoms. The jewel-colored eyes of Nyalan noble clans can be seen on men with the ebony skin of Lokossa, and every other mix of nations has its presence in the markets. Clans form about businesses and trades rather than strict matters of lineage, and the Sokone think noth- ing of marrying outsiders if the strangers are capable and strong. Without the rigid decorum of Nyala, the grim oppression of Lo- kossa, or the clannishness of the Kirsi or Meru, the people of So- kone are by far the most cosmopolitan and individualistic of the Five Kingdoms.
But by the same token, those of Sokone are also least likely to aid their kinsmen and associates. Men and women are expected to stand upon their own feet, and if they cannot, it is a pity rather than a problem for their relations to solve. Many adventurers go forth for no more exalted reason than to make a living in a way more fascinating than spice-selling or a peddler’s pack. Some of them even live to glory in the wealth their bold choice brings.

SoKone arBiter
With so many traders, there must be law, and the arbiter is one expected to support such a need. He or she is versed in the com- plex body of Sokone mercantile law, and is hired by merchants to advise them and to arbitrate in matters of disagreement. Once an arbiter is mutually chosen, their decision is final, and there is often much pressure on them to choose “wisely” for the more powerful party. Some arbiters find it necessary to decamp in the face of potentially fatal disappointment from such a merchant.
Skills: Business, Culture/Sokone, Language, Perception, Per- suade, Scholar
18
SoKone artiSan
The craftsmen of Sokone make many things. Perhaps they do not make them so beautifully as the Nyalans, or with such ex- pertise in armory as the Kirsi, or with so many secret sorceries as the Lokossans, but they make up in abundance what other kingdoms claim in excellence. Sokone artisans often work to- gether in large workshops, each taking part of a task to speed the completion of the whole. It is profitable work, but tedious, and not all can bear the thought of such a life.
Skills: Any One Skill, Artist, Business, Culture/Sokone, Per- suade, Trade/Any
SoKone entertainer
Where there is free-flowing wealth, there are those ready to help in its spending. Entertainers can be found singing in the marketplace, dancing for rich merchants, performing feats of jugglery or clever storytelling, or conducting more carnal com- merce beneath the shadowed eaves of painted buildings. The greatest are acclaimed as peerless artists or universally-desired courtesans; the rest make do on what their wit or body brings. For some, necessity leads them to seek the more illicit pursuits that clever hands and daring make possible.
Skills: Artist, Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Sokone, Per- suade, Stealth
SoKone peaSant
All must eat, and the Iteru’s waters cannot bring so many barges of rice and mealies as to feed an entire kingdom unaided. So- kone’s peasants are often cruelly shorn by their merchant-prince patrons, but they also have access to goods and specialized equipment unknown in other lands. Their valleys and river- banks are not quite so fertile as Nyala, but they get by- at least, those who do not decide to hurl down their hoes and find work less redolent of manure.
Skills: Any One Skill, Athletics, Business, Culture/Sokone, Survival, Trade/Farmer
SoKone prieSt
The marabouts of Sokone are notorious for their... versatility in spiritual matters. Just as the land is filled with every description of people, so it also teems with every variety of faith, and a priest who wishes to have a patron must often demonstrate a certain ecumenism in their beliefs. Sterner-minded Sun Faith partisans and Spirit Way devotees disapprove of this syncretism, but the Sokone give it little mind. So long as the gods are appeased, it does not especially matter what they are called. Sometimes a priest promises more than his god can deliver, however, or is called to bring a new spirit’s glory to those ignorant of its sacred power. Such a life promises adventure, if not longevity.
Skills: Business, Culture/Sokone, Language, Medicine, Per- suade, Priestcraft
SoKone riDer
One of the most precious commodities to a merchant is in- formation- knowledge of distant prices, of far market condi- tions, and of new opportunities to be discovered before a rival learns of them. Many rich merchants employ riders to make regular journeys throughout the land, monitoring their affairs and watching for new possibilities. It is a more exciting life than some, but some of these riders find their talents more useful for adventurous ends. Others betray their patrons and feed hints to a rival’s servants in a form of treachery that can be quite profit- able, if unhealthy for a rider who is discovered in it.
Skills: Business, Combat/Any, Culture/Sokone, Culture/ Traveller, Navigation, Ride
SoKone riverfolK
The mighty Iteru river is the spine of Sokone’s commerce, and many men and women make their living on the barges and trade villages that rely upon it. Others dwell in the deep swamps of the coastal delta until need or ambition drives them forth.
Skills: Any One Skill, Combat/Any, Culture/Sokone, Naviga- tion, Stealth, Survival
SoKone SolDier
The Sokone do not have a famous martial tradition like the Kir- sine or the Lokossams. Instead, they have money- much, much money. Even their common foot soldiers are better-equipped than the veterans of some other nations, and if much of their wealth is expended in useless ostentation, enough of it goes to practical ends to make them a dangerous enemy.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Sokone, Perception, Survival, Tactics
SoKone thief
Where there are merchants, there are thieves, and the thieves of Sokone are notorious for their insolent daring. Even the most vigilant guards and most ingenious traps do not deter them from their ends, whether pilfering the merchant-princes’ palaces or snatching a mango from a peddler’s stall. While such deeds of daring make good stories in the marketplace, the harsh punish- ment for thieves in Sokone can drive many to seek lands where they are not so well known.
Skills: Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Sokone, Perception, Security, Stealth
SoKone traDer
The merchants of Sokone are famous for their willingness to go anywhere and deal with anyone in pursuit of mercantile success. The most cautious ones work mundane trades in the settled lands, brokering a bit of this for a bit of that. The more ambitious plunge into far lands to discover such wealth as must be theirs.
Skills: Business, Combat/Any, Culture/Sokone, Culture/ Traveller, Persuade, Survival


[DavetheLost]

Character Classes: Griots are the praise-singers, counselors and historians of the Three Lands. While they have ample artistry to entertain and de- light, their greater purpose is to guard the societies they serve. They remember the customs and the laws, judging the deeds of the small and great alike by their praise-songs or castigations. If your concept has to do with defending ideals or a surpassing skill at music and speech, the griot class is a good choice.
Marabouts are the friends of the spirits, those souls touched with a special relationship with the divine world. Whether the sober teachers of the Sun Faith or the fervent devotees of the Spirit Way, these believers can call down favors from the gods they serve and act as channels of enlightenment to their people. If you wish to wield magic related to the spirit world, you should pick this class.
Ngangas are sorcerers, wielders of that subtle force known as ashe. Ashe is the potential within all things, the quality that makes it enact its substance upon the world. Ashe is the heat of fire, the wetness of water, the way through confusion to make a desire real. Ngangas wield dark and dangerous rituals and incantations to call up ashe and direct it to their will. If you desire to be a sorcerer reli- ant only upon your own powers, you should pick this class.
Warriors are the heroes of their people, the valiant swordsmen, canny rogues and brash adventurers who use their physical might to defend their chosen cause. Warriors are the toughest, hardiest class, capable of enduring the most hardship and suffering before they fall. As they grow in expertise, they do not acquire magical abilities, but instead learn idahuns, “replies” that are special mar- tial techniques. If your character concept has nothing to do with magic or a griot’s eloquence, you should pick this class.

Each class has background, skills, and special rules. These descriptions should get people started on what they want to play.

[kalstone]

Do you guys have any preference for class? They all seem pretty interesting to me, so I'm flexible.

[Antman9]

I've been swamped last night and today. I'm just getting ready to take a look at the classes. Without further research I'm thinking Ngangas or Warriors. But I am certainly flexible. I'll make another post after I do a bit of reading.

[DavetheLost]

I'll post more class information this weekend. May end up being sunday.

[Antman9]

Here is what I have so far, still working on some of it:



Rolls
HP: [1d4+1] = 3+1 = 4
Starting ingots (“si”): [2d6x10] = 11x10 = 110

Mechanics

Skill Check: 2d6 + Att mod + skill lvl (-1 without skill); Roll ≥ DC = Success
Saving Throw: 1d20; Roll ≥ saving throw number = Success
Initiative: 1d8 + DEX mod; Highest to lowest
Combat: 1d20 + Att mod + Target AC + Att bonus + Combat skill (Weapons listing two attributes use the better of the two); Roll ≥ 20 = Success.

Movement
Unencumbered: 60’ (120’ if moving only)
Lightly Encumbered: 75% of normal speed (45’)
Heavily Encumbered: 50% of normal speed (30’)

Encumbrance
Ready items: ≤ ½ STR score
Stowed Items: ≤ STR score

Lightly Encumbered: ≤ 2 Ready or 4 Stowed items
Heavily Encumbered: ≤ 4 Ready or 8 stowed items

Nganga
Prime Attributes: Intelligence and Constitution
Nganga Class Skills: Culture/Own, Language, Medicine, Occult, Perception, Priestcraft, Scholar, Survival, Trade
Bonus Skills For New Characters: Medicine, Occult, Any One Class Skill, Any One Skill

Nganga Class Details

Level	HD	XP	Att Bonus	Phys Effect	Mental Effect	Evasion	Magic	Luck
1	1d4	0	+1	16	13	15	12	14
2	2d4	2,000	+2	15	12	14	11	13
3	3d4	4,000	+2	15	12	14	11	13
4	4d4	8,000	+3	14	11	13	10	12
5	5d4	16,000	+3	14	11	13	10	12
6	6d4	32,000	+4	13	10	12	9	11
7	7d4	64,000	+4	13	10	12	9	11
8	8d4	128,000	+5	12	9	11	8	10
9	9d4	256,000	+5	12	9	11	8	10
10	10d4	512,000	+6	10	7	9	6	8

Nganga Nkisi Preparation Maximum

Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1	1	--	--	--	--
2	2	--	--	--	--
3	2	1	--	--	--
4	3	2	--	--	--
5	3	2	1	--	--
6	4	2	2	--	--
7	4	3	2	1	--
8	4	3	2	2	--
9	5	4	3	2	1
10	5	3	3	3	2

First-Level Nganga Spells

Ritual Sorcery	Effect
Cleanse the Curse of Misfortune	Break the power of a minor curse on a person.
Fashion Charm of Soothing	Create a magical charm that aids the sick
Fashion Warding Amulet	Create a long-lasting magical charm that protects a warrior from enemy blades
Open the Hunter's Path	Bless a hunter with great keenness to track or find a particular person or type of prey
Rite of the Twisted Limb	Curse a victim with misfortune if you possess a trace of their blood, hair, or other connection
Nikisi Spell
Nkisi of the Blessed Spear	Enchant a weapon briefly, granting it +1 to hit and damage rolls and full damage against Eternal
Nkisi of the Burning Brand	Force a victim or object to resist your ashe or burst into flames
Nkisi of the Deadened Mind	Bewitch a human victim into a voiceless, dull-minded slave to your will
Nkisi of the Evil Eye	Subtly curse a victim with fumbling misfortune at their next skilled effort
Nkisi of the Nganga's Eye	Perceive magical objects, curses, and other sorcery, but you are blind while this spell is in effect

Lokossan Apprentice
Some are born with the gift to channel ashe, the magical force that fuels the nganga’s arts. This gift may come from a strong bloodline, from a supernatural mark at birth, from a lifechanging event, or from the touch of a great spirit, but whatever its source it is prized in Lokossa. Every noble house is eager to gather as many potential ngangas to them as they are able, the better to enhance their sorcerous might. Not all apprentices prove suitable for mastering the nganga’s red arts, however, and some students decide to take a different path to glory- whether or not their master approves.

Skills: Culture/Lokossa, Language, Leadership, Medicine, Occult, Scholar

Lokossa
The grim Lokossans (“low-KOH-sah”) dwell in the thick southern jungles of the Green Land, standing fast against the constant incursions of the bestial Night Men from across the Akpara River. Their warriors are armed for battle by their mighty ngangas, and the greatest of these sages is enthroned as the Ahonsu, the sorcererking of Lokossa. No other land is so wound about with witchcraft as is Lokossa, and even the greatest of the Nyalan emperors could not overcome the sorcery of its mysterious lords.

The Lokossans live bleakly regimented lives. Commoners farm patches of cleared land within the jungle or harvest its fruits, game, and fish. Every village is the property of a noble clan, and its inhabitants are little better than slaves to the will of their lords. Some are literally so- slavery is more common in Lokossa than in any other land, not least because of the grim yearly rites of human sacrifice required by many of the most powerful ngangas. The “Traditions”, as they are called, are said to provide the ngangas with the strength they need to hold back the Night Men from overrunning the country. The people dread being chosen for such an offering, but most accept it as a sad necessity for their common survival.

The Ahonsu rules with a hard hand over his people, expressing his will through the numerous noble clans, each of which is marked by a magically potent bloodline. Commoners who show the talent for manipulating ashe are married into a noble clan and elevated to a higher rank, while the great majority of the clan that lacks mystical aptitude are set to officering in the army or serving as clerks and officials in the villages. A noble may have unquestioned command over his people, but even he is but a slave to the service of the Ahonsu, and none dare defy the witch-king’s commands.

Only in wandering is freedom. Those who flee their villages or noble palaces can live long lives free of another’s will, but they must keep moving. Too long a residence in one place will mark them as the property of whichever lord owns that land. The need for freedom has driven many Lokossans into pilgrimage far from their homes- and many more to leave their bones beneath the jungle’s eternal green.

The Lokossans are a very dark-skinned people, with dark eyes and tightly-curled hair that is often cropped short or kept in elaborate braids. Their features are more lush and rounded than those of the other Five Kingdoms, and many among them incise delicate lines of ritual scarification on their bodies as part of initiation rites or magical practices. Some among the nobles endure the excruciating use of certain rare plant dyes to give their scars brilliant, jewelbright hues, both to announce their rank and to demonstrate their indifference to suffering. In the humid heat of the southern jungles, clothing ranges from minimal to near-nonexistent depending on the work that is to be done, though men and women not engaged in war or labor favor chiffon-light wraps of woven leaf fibers dyed in beautiful patterns and rich colors.

Nganga
Ngangas (pronounced “GAHN-gahs”) are masters of the unseen, adepts in the conjuring and channeling of the intrinsic force known as ashe. The heat of a fire, the cure within a root, the fear that bubbles within a brave man’s heart- they know how to call up these forces and rain them down upon those who displease them. All admit the power of the nganga’s arts, but they are often feared and shunned for the secrets that they know.

Ngangas emerge in different ways depending upon the culture that births them. All require an innate supernatural spark, as the gift of wielding ashe cannot be taught. Some are educated in the use of their arts in long, grueling apprenticeships that sift the gifted from the artless, like the olabons of the Meruan nomads. Others have their powers marked early by signs and portents at their birth, like the born-witches of the Kirsi. Some ngangas do not even realize what they really are, and channel forces to enact desires that are secret even to their waking minds.

Most societies tolerate the existence of ngangas as a necessary evil. So long as some of them are willing to use their powers to curse, afflict, and control other people, other ngangas will be needed to protect the community from such wicked sorcery. Unlike mar- abouts, the powers the ngangas wield are essentially amoral and indifferent to human life- they deal in potencies, in ashe, rather than in spiritual friendships and alliances. They may tap the darker
forces of the cosmos, but these beings respond blindly to the ritu- als that bind them, and form no affectionate ties with humankind.

Ngangas can rise to positions of great power and influence, but only indirectly in most lands. Common people neither trust nor understand the secrets that they hold, and even the least-skilled among them is viewed with a kind of salutary dread. The nganga can strike at a man in ways that no sword or shield can forfend, and such power brings with it a wide stroke of well-reasoned fear. They remain tolerated for the good they can do if properly propi- tiated, and for defense against other, less moral ngangas. Only in Lokossa are ngangas part of the formal structures of power, and there the mightiest of them rules as the Ahonsu, the witch-king of all Lokossa.

The arts of a nganga require the wearing of specific charms, masks, pieces of clothing, robes, and other elements of mystically-signif- icant couture. The precise nature of these items varies with the nganga’s traditions, but they preclude the wearing of armor if the nganga intends to use any magic. Unwitting nganga require no such tokens and may wear what they will, but they cannot control their magic without learning their proper dress and its meaning.

Nganga Sorcery
Ngangas wield two types of magic: ritual sorceries, and nkisi, (“nn-KEE-see”). Ritual sorceries are lengthy, complex rites that require careful preparation and execution. Nkisi magic also takes time to prepare its effects, but the results are stored within a nkisi, or fetish, which may then be used to release the spell at an opportune time. A nganga may use any of the ritual sorceries he knows as often as he has the time and materials to perform them, but the number and strength of nkisi that a nganga can maintain is limited by his expertise.

If too many nkisi are empowered at once, the nganga runs the distinct risk of losing control of the ashe and causing a catastrophic eruption of magical force. Instinctive or unknowing nganga do not perform ritual sorceries, but their careless thoughts or wills can imbue even the ordinary objects they use every day with the power of a nkisi- and then release the energies when their secret selves desire it.

Nganga magic takes time to learn, and requires either a tutor fa- miliar with the details of the spell or specially-fashioned icons and tomes designed to teach of its power. Ngangas are jealous of their knowledge, and few will teach it without the inducement of sub- stantial favors or a heavy payment in treasure. Even if a tutor can be found for a particular spell, it will require time to master the details of its use. A spell requires one week of practice per spell level before the nganga may use a ritual or prepare a nkisi.

At first level, the nganga may choose a total of three nkisi or rituals from the list below. Every time they gain an experience level, they may add one more spell to their list of a level they are capable of casting, reflecting their own studies and personal development.

The number of nkisi of a given level which can be prepared is based on the nganga’s experience level. At first level, for instance, he can maintain only one level 1 nkisi in readiness. Nganga can maintain more nkisi if they so wish, but doing so is dangerous. Whenever they invoke a nkisi while having more than their maxi- mum prepared, they must first make an Int/Occult skill check at difficulty 6, +2 for each nkisi in excess of their allowed maximum. On a failed check, every nkisi they have prepared erupts simulta- neously, with all effects targeting the nganga.

Rituals sometimes require magically-significant substances, herbs, and objects in order to fuel their power. Some of these things can be bought for gold, but most are more cheaply gathered by the nganga or found in the course of their adventures. For this reason, most ngangas prefer to dwell apart from large communities, close enough to receive petitioners and deep enough into the bush to allow for easy harvesting of useful reagents.

Bush Nganga
Bush ngangas are something different. They are the men and women who are not content to be barely-tolerated figures within a humble village, or suspicious scholars hawking their lore in a town market. These dwellers in the deep wilderness seek out the lost lore of ages past and plumb deep mysteries far from the places of men. They dwell in near-solitude, with only a few trusted apprentices or servants, the better to be undisturbed in their strange labors and esoteric disciplines. Some of them are good and noble souls who desire only wisdom and the peace to pursue their understanding. Others have gone into the bush because no sensible community would tolerate their evil desires.

Skills

Combat
The character is skilled in the use of a particular class of weapons. She must choose one of the following specializations, though this skill can be bought multiple times to master several different forms of weaponry. Combat skill is added to the character’s hit rolls. If a character has absolutely no skill in a weapon’s class, they will suffer a -2 penalty on hit rolls with it.

Missile: Skill with bows, crossbows, slings, and thrown weapons. When using a thrown weapon, the wielder may use either this skill or the skill normally used with the weapon- blade, spear, axe, or so forth.

Culture: Lakosa
Culture skill instructs the possessor in the finer points of tradition, history, law, and language for one of the major cultures of the Three Lands. Specialties exist for each of the Five Kingdoms and for the hateful ways of the Eternal in the desolate land of Deshur. Possessing level-0 expertise in a culture automatically grants outsiders a basic knowledge of their native language, sufficient to communicate ordinary travelers’ interests. Aside from the major cultures, a character may also take the Traveller specialty, albeit at no more than level-0. This specialty provides a basic familiarity with all the Five Kingdoms such as a wanderer might have, though no extra linguistic talent is granted.

Language
The character speaks more than one tongue. For every level acquired, the character fluently learns a number of languages equal to the skill level plus one. Thus, when acquiring level-0, they learn one language, level-1 teaches two more, and so forth. Each of the Five Kingdoms has its own language, as does the Deshrite tongue spoken by the Eternal. Knowledge of a language includes literacy in it if the PC wishes, though many common folk are unlettered.

Leadership
The character is trained in leading others in high-stress situations. Characters with this skill can keep the obedience of sub- ordinates even in dangerous situations or when giving hazardous orders.

Medicine
The character knows how to treat difficult wounds and how to prepare a wide range of herbal remedies and useful healing- charms. Every warrior knows how to bind a cut or bruise, but one versed in medicine can handle even serious injuries.

Occult
The character may or may not be a sorcerer, but they know how magic works and can identify much in the way of spells, curses, supernatural beings, and other matters important to ngangas.

Perception
The character has keen senses, and is often able to notice details or hidden objects that elude other people. This skill is used in conjunction with player attentiveness, rather than as a replacement for it. Even if a check fails, if the PC explicitly looks where something is hidden, that object will be found.

Scholar
The character is learned in history, mathematics, geography, royal lineages, literature, and other academic matters. Special- ties need not be chosen; this skill covers all the listed disciplines.

Kit
Bush kit
Include a knife, firestarting tools, fishhooks, packed tinder, a drinking cup, and other minor essentials that grant a +1 bonus on all relevant Survival checks.

Tomb delver’s kit
Includes those small trifles favored by adventurers: chalk, a candle, flint and steel, twine, a small bronze mirror, papyrus, charcoal sticks, a whetstone, and some soap.

[kalstone]

Here's mine. It's a good set for a Warrior, Marabout or a Griot, so I'll wait to see what Kaithulu rolls up.



HP: [1d8] = 7
Ingots: [2d6 x 10] = 8x10 = 80

[DavetheLost]

These are looking good so far.

[DavetheLost]

Marabout

MaraBout

priMe attriButeS
Wisdom and Charisma
MaraBout ClaSS SKillS
Artist, Combat/Any, Culture/Own, Leadership, Medicine, Persuade, Priestcraft, Scholar, Trade
BonuS SKillS for new CharaCterS
Persuade, Priestcraft, Any One Class Skill, Any One Skill

Every village has its elders and holy men, its people versed in the service of the spirits. Whole communities often partake in these rituals, as the maintenance of good relations with the gods is con- sidered to be the duty of an entire village rather than the sole bur- den of a few specialists. Still, there are times when specific knowl- edge is necessary to guide the correct rituals and propitiations, and for these things a priest of some kind is needed.
Marabouts (pronounced “MAHR-ah-boos”) are more than simple priests. They are the friends of the spirits, those men and women gifted with a special relationship with the divine. Some labor their whole lives to attain this unity only to fail; others are born with it and do not even recognize the source of their own miracles. Mar- abouts can draw upon this bond to invoke wonders and marvels, and their powers are greatly esteemed by the people.
Most marabouts make their living as religious specialists, consult- ed by the common folk for advice and magical assistance. Few of them ever rise to any great power, but even their simplest invoca- tions are wondrous to the common people, and useful in many circumstances. Those who attain a deep bond with their patrons can perform marvels to astound even heroes.
Some marabouts prefer a more active life, and go out into the world to do the work of their patrons. The marabouts of the Sun Faith honor the ideal of missionary work, and the Spirit Way
commends those brave souls who go from place to place aiding the needy and demonstrating the might of the spirits. Other mar- abouts simply want to see the world, and find their powers an excellent passport to a new and more exciting life.
Marabout powers are based upon their “friendships”, the powers with whom they have allied themselves. Different powers have dif- ferent portfolios, and as a marabout grows more potent, they can
MaraBout ClaSS DetailS
level
hit DiCe
xp neeDeD
ClaSS powerS
attaCK BonuS
phySiCal effeCt
Mental effeCt
evaSion
MagiC
luCK
1 1d6 0 Pick two Spheres +1 15 14 16 13 12
2
2d6
2,000
+2
14
13
15
12
11
3 3d6 4,000 Pick additional Sphere +2 14 13 15 12 11
4
4d6
8,000
+3
13
12
14
11
10
5 5d6 16,000 +4 13 12 14 11 10
6
6d6
32,000
Pick additional Sphere
+5
12
11
13
10
9
7 7d6 64,000 +5 12 11 13 10 9
8
8d6
128,000
+6
11
10
12
9
8
9 9d6 256,000 Pick additional Sphere +7 11 10 12 9 8
10
10d6
512,000
Signature Miracle
+8
9
8
10
7
6
22
MaraBout SpellS per Day
level
1St
2nD
3rD
4th
5th
1
1
-
-
-
-
2
2
-
-
-
-
3
2
1
-
-
-
4
3
2
-
-
-
5
3
2
1
-
-
6
4
2
2
-
-
7
4
3
2
1
-
8
4
3
2
2
-
9
5
4
3
2
1
10
5
4
3
3
2
befriend more powers. Marabouts of the Sun Faith always first befriend the Sun, but may later learn to channel different aspects of his celestial power much as do those of the Spirit Way.
Very few marabouts outside of the Sun Faith have an exclusive relationship with a single spiritual power. They may be primarily devotees of a particular god or spirit, but to neglect other powers of importance would be considered folly rather than fidelity. The spirits and gods require particular prayers and rituals. So long as they receive them, they are unconcerned about other offerings the marabout might make.
SphereS of Spiritual power
The gifts of the spirits are divided into several spheres of spiri- tual power. Each marabout may choose two spheres of power at first level. These spheres will determine which miracles they are allowed to work, and usually relate to the dominant characteristics of their favored gods or spirits. Variance in this is not unknown, however- the spirits are deep and sometimes self-contradictory, and the gods may grant what marvels they choose to grant. As the character grows in power, they will gain access to additional spheres, one at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level. Marabouts of the Sun Faith must choose Sun as one of their first two spheres.
Each marabout then chooses one of their two spheres as a favored sphere, one characteristic of their most important spiritual rela- tionship. This close bond grants an additional special ability based on that sphere. Relationships change and grow with time, and Spirit Way marabouts may change their favored sphere whenever
they rise in experience level. Sun Faith Marabouts must always maintain Sun as their favored sphere.
When invoking a miracle, the marabout may choose it from any sphere known to them, without any special preparation or prayer beforehand. Each marabout has a limit to the number of miracles of any given level they can invoke each day, but they may choose freely among their known spheres. The focus and discipline of the Sun Faith allows their marabouts to use their power more freely; they may invoke an additional daily miracle of every level they are able to cast. Spiritual energy refreshes after a night’s sleep and a morning prayer.
The greatest marabouts attain such closeness with their spiritual allies that they may call upon their most familiar powers freely. At 10th level, the marabout may choose one first level spell known to them as a signature miracle. This spell cannot be one that causes a permanent effect, such as a healing spell, but it may be cast when- ever the marabout desires without requiring any expenditure of spell slots.
Marabouts are gifted in their powers of maintaining spiritual friendships, and the gods are far from this world. Marabouts can- not imperil their spiritual powers by bad behavior. Some theolo- gians say that powers of darkness sustain the marabout who turns from the right paths and give him the strength that his former friends no longer grant.
ChooSing SphereS anD patronS
The table below provides a list of the most common spheres of spirit magic and a brief description of the spell and gift granted by each. More detailed descriptions are available in the Magic chapter. For convenience, you should make note of a spell’s effects somewhere on your character sheet to as to spare yourself from the need to look it up in the middle of play.
Some players might also wish to choose a specific god or spirit as a patron for the marabout. For the Sun Faithful, this is already a given, but Spirit Way practitioners often have their own favorite deities and patron spirits to follow. A description of the religion and the gods of the Three Lands is given in the setting chapter.
Choosing a patron is not mandatory for those who follow the Spirit Way, however. There are always those marabouts who are impartial in their friendships and who are willing to call upon any power able to aid them in a time of need.
MaraBout SphereS of MagiC
Sphere
firSt-level Spell
gift
Curing Hands of Succor Vigorous health, and immunity to all diseases both magical and mundane.
Death
Find Mortality
The ability to stay death in himself or his companions.
Herding Speak to the Herd A bonus of +1 to either the marabout’s Strength or Constitution modifier.
Passion
Kindle the Heart
Grace at inciting passion in others and an increase of their Charisma modifier by 1.
Spirits Spirit Ward The gift of sensing unseen presences and communicating with the spirits
Sun
Shard of the Sun
Vision even in perfect blackness and the ability to glow brightly at will
War Warrior’s Blessing Skill in a specific type of weapon, such as the runku or the long sword; +1 to hit rolls with it.
Water
Call Spring
The grace of breathing, moving, and seeing beneath water as easily as above it.

Nganga

nganga

priMe attriButeS
Intelligence and Constitution
nganga ClaSS SKillS
Culture/Own, Language, Medicine, Occult, Perception, Priestcraft, Scholar, Survival, Trade
BonuS SKillS for new CharaCterS
Medicine, Occult, Any One Class Skill, Any One Skill
Ngangas (pronounced “GAHN-gahs”) are masters of the unseen, adepts in the conjuring and channeling of the intrinsic force known as ashe. The heat of a fire, the cure within a root, the fear that bubbles within a brave man’s heart- they know how to call up these forces and rain them down upon those who displease them. All admit the power of the nganga’s arts, but they are often feared and shunned for the secrets that they know.
Ngangas emerge in different ways depending upon the culture that births them. All require an innate supernatural spark, as the gift of wielding ashe cannot be taught. Some are educated in the use of their arts in long, grueling apprenticeships that sift the gifted from the artless, like the olabons of the Meruan nomads. Others have their powers marked early by signs and portents at their birth, like the born-witches of the Kirsi. Some ngangas do not even realize what they really are, and channel forces to enact desires that are secret even to their waking minds.
Most societies tolerate the existence of ngangas as a necessary evil. So long as some of them are willing to use their powers to curse, afflict, and control other people, other ngangas will be needed to protect the community from such wicked sorcery. Unlike mar- abouts, the powers the ngangas wield are essentially amoral and indifferent to human life- they deal in potencies, in ashe, rather than in spiritual friendships and alliances. They may tap the darker
forces of the cosmos, but these beings respond blindly to the ritu- als that bind them, and form no affectionate ties with humankind.
Ngangas can rise to positions of great power and influence, but only indirectly in most lands. Common people neither trust nor understand the secrets that they hold, and even the least-skilled among them is viewed with a kind of salutary dread. The nganga can strike at a man in ways that no sword or shield can forfend,
nganga ClaSS DetailS
level
hit DiCe
xp neeDeD
attaCK BonuS
phySiCal effeCt
Mental effeCt
evaSion
MagiC
luCK
1 1d4 0 +1 16 13 15 12 14
2
2d4
2,000
+2
15
12
14
11
13
3 3d4 4,000 +2 15 12 14 11 13
4
4d4
8,000
+3
14
11
13
10
12
5 5d4 16,000 +3 14 11 13 10 12
6
6d4
32,000
+4
13
10
12
9
11
7 7d4 64,000 +4 13 10 12 9 11
8
8d4
128,000
+5
12
9
11
8
10
9 9d4 256,000 +5 12 9 11 8 10
10
10d4
512,000
+6
10
7
9
6
8
24
and such power brings with it a wide stroke of well-reasoned fear. They remain tolerated for the good they can do if properly propi- tiated, and for defense against other, less moral ngangas. Only in Lokossa are ngangas part of the formal structures of power, and there the mightiest of them rules as the Ahonsu, the witch-king of all Lokossa.
The arts of a nganga require the wearing of specific charms, masks, pieces of clothing, robes, and other elements of mystically-signif- icant couture. The precise nature of these items varies with the nganga’s traditions, but they preclude the wearing of armor if the nganga intends to use any magic. Unwitting nganga require no such tokens and may wear what they will, but they cannot control their magic without learning their proper dress and its meaning.
nganga SorCery
Ngangas wield two types of magic: ritual sorceries, and nkisi, (“nn- KEE-see”). Ritual sorceries are lengthy, complex rites that require careful preparation and execution. Nkisi magic also takes time to prepare its effects, but the results are stored within a nkisi, or fetish, which may then be used to release the spell at an opportune time. A nganga may use any of the ritual sorceries he knows as often as he has the time and materials to perform them, but the number and strength of nkisi that a nganga can maintain is limited by his expertise.
If too many nkisi are empowered at once, the nganga runs the distinct risk of losing control of the ashe and causing a catastrophic eruption of magical force. Instinctive or unknowing nganga do not perform ritual sorceries, but their careless thoughts or wills can imbue even the ordinary objects they use every day with the power of a nkisi- and then release the energies when their secret selves desire it.
Nganga magic takes time to learn, and requires either a tutor fa- miliar with the details of the spell or specially-fashioned icons and tomes designed to teach of its power. Ngangas are jealous of their knowledge, and few will teach it without the inducement of sub- stantial favors or a heavy payment in treasure. Even if a tutor can be found for a particular spell, it will require time to master the
details of its use. A spell requires one week of practice per spell level before the nganga may use a ritual or prepare a nkisi.
At first level, the nganga may choose a total of three nkisi or rituals from the list below. Every time they gain an experience level, they may add one more spell to their list of a level they are capable of casting, reflecting their own studies and personal development.
The number of nkisi of a given level which can be prepared is based on the nganga’s experience level. At first level, for instance, he can maintain only one level 1 nkisi in readiness. Nganga can maintain more nkisi if they so wish, but doing so is dangerous. Whenever they invoke a nkisi while having more than their maxi- mum prepared, they must first make an Int/Occult skill check at difficulty 6, +2 for each nkisi in excess of their allowed maximum. On a failed check, every nkisi they have prepared erupts simulta- neously, with all effects targeting the nganga.
Rituals sometimes require magically-significant substances, herbs, and objects in order to fuel their power. Some of these things can be bought for gold, but most are more cheaply gathered by the nganga or found in the course of their adventures. For this reason, most ngangas prefer to dwell apart from large communities, close enough to receive petitioners and deep enough into the bush to allow for easy harvesting of useful reagents.
nganga nKiSi preparation MaxiMuM
nganga level
nKiSi level
1St
2nD
3rD
4th
5th
1
1
-
-
-
-
2
2
-
-
-
-
3
2
1
-
-
-
4
3
2
-
-
-
5
3
2
1
-
-
6
4
2
2
-
-
7
4
3
2
1
-
8
4
3
2
2
-
9
5
4
3
2
1
10
5
4
3
3
2
firSt-level nganga SpellS
ritual SorCery
effeCt
Cleanse the Curse of Misfortune Break the power of a minor curse on a person.
Fashion Charm of Soothing
Create a magical charm that aids the sick
Fashion Warding Amulet Create a long-lasting magical charm that protects a warrior from enemy blades
Open the Hunter's Path
Bless a hunter with great keenness to track or find a particular person or type of prey
Rite of the Twisted Limb Curse a victim with misfortune if you possess a trace of their blood, hair, or other connection
nKiSi Spell
Nkisi of the Blessed Spear Enchant a weapon briefly, granting it +1 to hit and damage rolls and full damage against Eternal
Nkisi of the Burning Brand
Force a victim or object to resist your ashe or burst into flames
Nkisi of the Deadened Mind Bewitch a human victim into a voiceless, dull-minded slave to your will
Nkisi of the Evil Eye
Subtly curse a victim with fumbling misfortune at their next skilled effort
Nkisi of the Nganga's Eye Perceive magical objects, curses, and other sorcery, but you are blind while this spell is in effect

Warrior

warrior

priMe attriButeS
Strength and Dexterity
warrior ClaSS SKillS
Athletics, Combat/Any, Culture/Own, Leadership, Navigation, Perception, Ride, Security, Stealth, Survival, Tactics, Trade
BonuS SKillS for new CharaCterS
Athletics, Combat/Axe, Combat/Blade, Combat/Club, Combat/Missile, Combat/ Spear, Any One Class Skill, Any One Skill
Warriors are the bold young men and women who have neither sorcery nor spirit allies nor powerful words to aid them. They have only a strong hand, a brave heart, and a willingness to face peril for their ambitions. They are the hardiest of the four classes, the best at feats of arms, and capable of acquiring special abilities related to their chosen focus.
Every society in the Three Lands has its soldiers, but a warrior is more than a simple fighter. They might stand in the forefront of the battle, wielding spear and sword with dauntless courage. They might be a veiled rogue deftly slipping over the sill of a merchant- prince’s window to liberate him of his excess gems. They might even be some blade-wielding scholar of the Old Kings, ready to plunge into forgotten cities and long-buried tombs to find some morsel of the ancient past. Their one unifying characteristic is that they do not rely upon magic or supernatural speech to bring them success. They rely only on their own stout resolve, and often enough it is all that is required for victory.
Warriors receive more hit points, better saving throws, and a bet- ter attack bonus than other classes. They can also learn special maneuvers known as idahuns that grant them unique advantages in and out of combat.
warrior ClaSS DetailS
level
hit DiCe
xp neeDeD
ClaSS powerS
attaCK BonuS
phySiCal effeCt
Mental effeCt
evaSion
MagiC
luCK
1 1d8 0 Pick one idahun +2 12 12 13 14 13
2
2d8
2,000
+3
11
11
12
13
12
3 3d8 4,000 Pick one idahun +3 11 11 12 13 12
4
4d8
8,000
+4
10
10
11
12
11
5 5d8 16,000 Pick one idahun +5 10 10 11 12 11
6
6d8
32,000
+6
9
9
10
11
10
7 7d8 64,000 Pick one idahun +7 9 9 10 11 10
8
8d8
128,000
+8
8
8
9
10
9
9 9d8 256,000 Pick one idahun +9 8 8 9 10 9
10
10d8
512,000
+10
6
6
7
8
7
26
iDahunS
At first level and every odd-numbered level thereafter, warriors may choose an idahun, a “reply” representing a particular mar- tial skill which the warrior has mastered for use against his foes. A great warrior knows several idahuns, the better to have a suit- able answer to the challenges he will face. Warriors do not require teachers to master idahuns, as they are assumed to be training in them during their downtime between levels. An idahun may only be chosen once, and it may not be exchanged once chosen.
BleSSeD anD graCeD
Whether by virtue of an auspicious birth, potent charms, or spe- cialized training, the warrior has no need of cumbersome mail to defend him. Their base armor class becomes 3 even when wholly unarmored. They gain no benefit from wearing armor with a worse armor class, though they can make use of a shield.
Born with a BlaDe
The warrior has an almost instinctive comfort with their favor- ite weaponry. They may choose one combat skill specialization; when using weapons of this type, they gain a +1 bonus to hit and a +2 bonus to damage rolls.
CharMeD Steel
The warrior has been blessed by an accident of birth or the favor of some potent spirit. His weapons can always wound a foe for full normal damage, even if they are normally immune to the weapon or resistant to its damage. At 4th level, every weapon or armor he uses is treated as if it had a +1 enchantment if it does not already possess a superior virtue. At 7th level this bonus becomes +2, and at 10th level it becomes +3.
Deep-rooteD Soul
The warrior’s life is strong against supernatural harm. He gains a +2 bonus to all saving throws against magical or uncanny effects and is immune to the experience level drain inflicted by some spirit foes.
DreaDful ShaDow
Some warriors are so shrouded by echoes of the violence they have committed that even other soldiers draw away from them in unease. Enemies that face them in battle suffer an automatic -1 penalty to Morale, they gain a +2 bonus on all social skill checks that relate to intimidating a target, and they become im- mune to both normal and magical fear. This idahun cannot be taken by those with the Honored Steps idahun.
honeD SKill
The warrior is remarkably talented at a particular skill. A thief might be superlatively Stealthy, an adventurer-sage might be a peerless Scholar, and a mighty general might be sublimely gifted at Tactics. Once per day, before rolling a check for that skill, the warrior may count the roll as an automatic 12.
honoreD StepS
The warrior appears to be such a splendid example of prowess and capability that others are compelled to admire them. Their Charisma modifier increases by 1 and NPCs will instinctively consider the warrior to be fit for leadership positions. This ida- hun cannot be taken along with Dreadful Shadow.
SagaCiouS warrior
Some warriors are less concerned with martial glory, focusing instead on different goals or aptitudes. The battle-prowess they develop over time is simply an inevitable by-product of their dangerous pursuits. The sagacious warrior may choose three ad- ditional skills to add to their list of class skills. If they have no expertise in these skills, they gain them at level-0, and if they are already level-0, they rise to level-1. More sophisticated expertise is not improved, but they still need only pay class skill rates to improve their rating when they gain a new level.
tireleSS
The warrior is in such spectacular physical condition that they are all but impervious to mortal weariness. Their Constitution modifier increases by 1, augmenting their hit points, though their base Constitution score does not change. They can per- form exertions constantly throughout the day, and during the four hours of sleep they must take each night they doze so lightly that they remain fully aware of their surroundings. This idahun does not negate the penalty for wearing armor in hot climates.
two liveS
The warrior is favored by the spirits or by blind good luck, and death will not lightly receive them. Rather than perishing from a mortal wound or bleeding out from an untended injury, the warrior falls unconscious for five minutes before waking with one hit point. If struck while unconscious or smote by an injury no mortal could survive, then the warrior will die. This idahun cannot be used again until the warrior has spent at least a week in propitiation of their spirit guardians or riotous celebration of their continuing good luck.
roof of SpearS
The warrior is trained to protect their companions, and can even risk their own life to save a threatened ally. Once per fight, when an ally within 30 feet is struck by an attack, the warrior may instantly move to interpose. They may choose to do so after the attack’s damage has been rolled. The original target takes no damage and the attack is re-rolled against the warrior instead. The warrior can defend only against physical, tangible attacks, and not against magical afflictions or environmental damage.
waSher of SpearS
The warrior is a friend to the battlefield, and knows no hesitation when faced with death. They gain a +2 bonus on all Initiative rolls and cannot be surprised.
27