Historia: Core Book

251 Additional Rules istory bases its rules on the most played game in the world, but also includes some modifications to better suit the themes, the setting, and the style of game it wants to bring to the table. This chapters collects new rules or amendments to allow GMs and players to fully inhabit the gaming experience: death is much more than a specter haunting the world of Vesteria, and the game ensures this is felt through an added layer of realism (though we cannot claim that Historia reflects or imitates reality) with a stronger use of exhaustion levels. The core element of the game is storytelling, however, so the additional rules are focused on how to enhance this aspect and how to reward the players willing to risk something to bring an exciting, intriguing story to the table. Chapter Eight - Additional Rules

252 Additional Rules INSPIRATION Inspiration is an extremely powerful mechanism to direct the efforts of players towards the construction of a particular atmosphere and game environment. If used fluently, it offers game sessions marked by a more lively story and with greater involvement from the players. This is why there are some special indications to maintain the dynamics and rhythm of Historia. Remember that inspiration is a resource that you either have or don’t have, it cannot be accumulated, and if you find it while you already have it, it is lost: so… remember to spend it at the right time. FINDING INSPIRATION In principle, characters gain inspiration when they improve the game at the table. The definition may sound vague, but the general idea is to give positive support to certain choices, and to stimulate players to put new ideas into play. In the following paragraphs you will see in more details the indications on how to improve the game, with some tips to put into practice while playing Historia. Initially, there is no need to worry about it excessively, as with experience you will find a balance that is functional to your group of players. IMPROVE DESCRIPTIONS When players describe their actions more vividly and manage to go beyond the basics of pure game mechanics, they create the conditions for the GM to give them inspiration. Many players limit themselves to “I attack” or “I cast this spell” actions; it is important to make people understand that inspiration allows for a mechanism that can better describe the attack, making it more effective. The frequency with which the GM assigns inspiration can vary widely, it is recommended to initially give it frequently, and then gradually raise the bar in order to increase the quality of the narration. Note: The primary objective of the inspiration is to improve the gaming experience. Trying to be in the spotlight by means of long descriptions that break the pace is contrary to all of this and should therefore not be rewarded. STICK TO THE ROLE Sometimes it may happen that players try to prevent their characters from getting into trouble, even if these troubles match their characterization. In your role as GM, make sure that players who take risks because of a justified moment of panic or weakness of their character are rewarded with inspiration: after all, flaws have always been considered the salt of a story. COWARDS... The characters of a story, especially a particularly dark one, know how to blow up a well devised plan out of concern, fear or sheer panic. This poses an opportunity to assign inspiration. As the player decides to make their character act on impulse, with a reckless action dictated by the emotions of the moment, while perfectly centering one of the main themes of the game. ... AND HEROES! Heroic feats and acts of sacrifice must be equally rewarded: to stand vigorously against bandits or to sacrifice yourself to slow the pursuers while making allies flee, creates the perfect occasions to assign inspiration. Make sure that the characters do not hold back their heroism out of the trivial fear of recklessness. USING INSPIRATION Once characters have gained inspiration, it is important they learn how to spend it. In Historia, there are four different ways to spend inspiration. ADVANTAGE ON ROLLS The classic way to spend inspiration is to use it before an attack roll, a saving throw, or a skill check. When characters spend inspiration, they have advantage on that roll. This is how most inspirations will be spent. After having spent inspiration at least once in this way, it will be possible to spend subsequent inspirations in the other two methods as well. PROMINENCE When characters are in a situation congenial to their attitude, their innate abilities or to where their life path must lead, their Ventura comes into play offering them the possibility to stand out from the crowd during normal game situations. By spending their inspiration, characters will be able to activate the main feature of their Ventura called Prominence, which will allow them to take advantage of special privileges and abilities. Once the character has made use of their Prominence, they must complete a short or long rest before using it again.

253 Additional Rules VITAL RECOVERY By using inspiration, characters can also spend a hit die on a roll, add to the result their Constitution modifier, and recover an equal amount of hit points. From the 5th level it is possible to spend and roll up to two dice, adding the modifier to both; from the 11th level up to three dice and from the 17th level up to four dice. Characters can spend inspiration in this way as part of an action or reaction. RESOURCE RECOVERY Each class has a special resource that can be recovered by spending inspiration. Generally, it is something that a character is able to recover even by completing a short rest. . It is not possible to spend further inspiration on resource recovery except after completing a short or long rest. Trade Resource Venturer Impetus Alchemist Alchemical Processes Sapper Ammunitions and fixing of Malfunctions Magus Spell points (half ) Merchant Connections Flegellant Mortifications Priest Channel Divinity Scholar Preparations Scoundrel - Armiger Action Dice WOUNDS, FIGHT AND DEATH Historia is a dark fantasy, where war is dirty and the wounds leave their mark. For this reason, some wound rules are outlined in a slightly different way from the usual. HIT POINTS Hit points represent the amount of attacks, bad weather, and obstacles that characters are able to deal with before being actually injured. In principle, characters do not show significant injuries until they have reached zero hit points. Before that time, their skills made sure that they weren’t seriously hurt. Ask or encourage players to say how their character managed to take the formidable attacks they faced, in order to transform the occurrence into an opportunity for livening up a fight and make them gain inspiration. If characters fall below half their hit points, it is possible to consider them as if they had suffered a superficial or minor injury. Bruises occur, the breath begins to get short, clothes are torn and armors dented. As long as characters do not take damage beyond their hit points, nothing will affect their abilities. BEING WOUNDED Once characters get to zero hit points or in case of particularly serious blows, things get complicated and their body begins to show the signs of the struggle. These damages are represented with the mechanics of the exhaustion levels in this way: • The first time characters suffer an attack during combat that brings their hit points to 0, they suffer an exhaustion level. • If characters suffer an attack while at 0 hit points, they suffer an exhaustion level. • If characters suffer a critical hit, in addition to the normal damage of the attack they suffer an exhaustion level. THE STORY ON RULES A special way of using inspiration is to carry out a series of highly effective actions, which the rules cannot define. When a player proposes an action that is not covered by the rules but that would bring fun to the table and would not distort the game component, you can propose to accept, provided that the player spends the inspiration in their possession. For example, if the group’s fighter decides to use their whip to grab the arm of the evil soldier who is about to kill the merchant, at your discretion you can accept asking them to spend inspiration and to make an attack roll. With some practice, Inspiration can be a very powerful tool in the hands of a group of players: use it and have fun.

254 d20 Wound - Effect 1 Losing a Hand or Arm. Characters can no longer use items that require both hands and can only hold one item at a time. They also incur disadvantage to checks on Strength and saving throws that require the use of two hands. Stabilizing this wound requires a check with DC 15 on Wisdom (Medicine), which is repeated every turn until stabilized. Failing the check causes one level of weakening. The loss of a limb cannot heal except through powerful magical effects. 2 Losing a Leg. The speed of characters is halved. They fall prone after using the Sprint action and incur disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws to stay in balance. Stabilizing this wound requires a check with DC 15 on Wisdom (Medicine), which is repeated every turn until stabilized. Failing the check causes one level of exhaustion. The loss of a limb cannot heal except through powerful magical effects. 3 Losing an Eye. Characters incur disadvantage on sightbased Perception checks and attack rolls made with ranged weapons. If they lose both eyes, they will become Blinded permanently. Stabilizing this wound requires a check with DC 15 on Wisdom (Medicine), which is repeated every turn until stabilized. Failing the check causes one level of exhaustion. The loss of an eye cannot heal except through powerful magical effects. 4 Debilitating Wound. Depending on how the wound is caused, the GM chooses between a saving throw or two of your character’s Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution skills in which you will have a disadvantage. Each turn spent without this Wound being stabilized with a Wisdom (Medicine) test with CD 15 causes one level of exhaustion. Recovery from the consequences of a debilitating wound is only possible with powerful magical effects. • If characters suffer a critical shot from a firearm, in addition to the normal damage of the attack they suffer 1d6 of weakening levels. • If characters reach 0 hit points and suffer a critical hit, they suffer 1d6 weakening levels. • Suffering a massive amount of damage, such as falling from a great height or being caught up in explosive disasters, can cause up to 1d6 levels of exhaustion at the GM’s discretion. The exhaustion levels then become the main cause of death for a character and are transformed into the mirror of Historia’s ruthless reality, removing the game from the practice which returns a character to full strength only thanks to the recovery of a few hit points, even after being close to death. These must be considered as serious wounds, with narrative, aesthetic or practical consequences for the character. When characters suffer a critical hit or attack and go below the 0-hit point threshold, they suffer a Wound. To determine a Wound, the GM can roll a d20 and apply the corresponding effect of the following table. SAVING THROWS AGAINST DEATH Classic saving throws against death, in a setting where hit points represent the amount of health available to characters and their ability to withstand stress and difficulties, are rendered superfluous by the mechanics of exhaustion levels. A GM who particularly loves a bloody and ruthless game, in agreement with players, could use a new type of saving throw against death. When characters reach 0 hit points, they become dying, and at the beginning of their turn they must roll 1d20. If the result is 10 or more, characters are successful and act normally. If the result is, instead, lower than 10, characters suffer an exhaustion level and cannot perform actions for that turn. In order to remove the dying condition, characters must be stabilized with an Intelligence or Wisdom (Medicine) check with DC 10 + the number of weakening levels accumulated by the character. The dying condition also ends if the character achieves 3 successes on saving throws against death. Characters revert to a dying condition again if they suffer a weakening level due to an attack suffered while at 0 hit points.

255 Additional Rules alchemists, saints and rogues would like to avoid it, but nobody is ever safe. There are no resurrection spells below the 7th level, and any exceptions should be suitably justified by their important and personal history, and possibly also require a huge cost, a sort of sacrifice that no one should be able to accept lightly. In any case, returning from death is a terrible ordeal, and anyone who endures such an experience will certainly suffer trauma. TRAUMAS Terrible events can leave their mark on the mind of the greatest adventurer, and in Historia these kinds of situations are never so remote. When these circumstances arise, characters’ instincts light up to protect them, burying the person under the hard skin of the beast. In terms of the game, a trait between ideal, bond or defect, which is not already an instinct trait, is replaced by one of the unused instinct traits of the character’s Familia. When characters only have instinct traits for ideal, bond and defect, they become completely lost in the wounds of their broken mind, inexorably becoming NonPlayable Characters. REST AND HEALING Anyone who suffers serious injuries needs prolonged care and more rest in order to recover. Characters who have suffered varying levels of exhaustion or are afflicted with certain conditions, such as blinded or deafened, as well as some types of persistent damage (such as that caused by particular poisons), require prolonged healing. The best way to do this, without interrupting the narrative rhythm of the game, is to dedicate time to healing between one adventure and another. It is designed this way to give a harder and more realistic view of the fact that the characters are not immortal heroes, but people of flesh and blood. A character could be hospitalized, subjecting themselves to the attention of medical experts or healers, or perhaps even simply rest in a comfortable bed while someone watches over them. In Historia, the time required for a short rest is that of an average night’s rest of 8 hours but may vary according to GM considerations. Instead, for a long rest, several days of inactivity are needed, it could be a few days or a whole week, which will vary depending on the rest conditions and any GM decision. For this reason, usually long rests are not allowed within a single adventure, except in particularly favorable or necessary conditions. However, a GM should also stretch out short rests, to better experience the scarcity of resources and the difficulties encountered in the lands of Vesteria. 5-6 Internal Bleeding. Characters cannot perform actions in combat without passing a DC 15 on Constitution. If they fail, they lose their Action and cannot use their Reaction until their next turn. Stabilizing this wound requires a check with DC 10 on Wisdom (Medicine), which is repeated every turn until stabilized. Failing the check causes one level of weakening. Recovering from internal bleeding requires 1d6 weeks of rest. 7-9 Fracture. Characters have a disadvantage against attack rolls, Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws. A fracture heals in 2d4 weeks after it has stabilized from a successful DC 10 check on Wisdom (Medicine). 10-13 Horrible Scar. Characters are disfigured. They gain advantage on Intimidate checks and disadvantage on Persuasion checks (except when dealing with soldiers, pirates, criminals, or the like). Removing a horrible scar requires a magical effect. 14-16 Deep Wound. Characters’ maximum hit points decrease by 1 with each passing day, and if they reach 0 the character dies It takes 2d6 days to heal a deep wound after it has stabilized from a successful DC 12 check on Wisdom (Medicine). 17-19 Surface Scar. A sign serving as a good warning, and an even better story to tell. 20 Cosmetic Scar. Characters suffer a slight scar that gives them a real tough look, and survives the clash obtaining 2 Fame points. As you can guess, going into combat can always be a risk and being the target of a firearm is, no matter what, an unpleasant situation that can result in very serious or fatal wounds. Fighting also leaves its mark: removing exhaustion levels requires long rest, while spells that heal certain wounds are rare and expensive. HEALING SPELLS Spells in Historia are easily found resources, and therefore some of them have an additional cost. Among them, healing spells can only work to the extent that the target has hit dice to spend based on the level of the spell cast, as shown in the following table. Spellcaster Level Hit Dice Necessary From 0 to 2nd level 1 From 3rd to 5th level 2 From 6th to 8th level 3 At 9th level 4 RESURRECTION Once you cross the threshold of death, there is no easy return. Everyone, including enchanters, masters of deception,

256 Tier 4. Characters are the stuff of legends. They hold the keys to all major secrets and powers of the continent. They command the larger factions or hold such wealth that they can compete with rulers, even becoming their replacement. The results of their adventures impact global conflicts and plunge deep into the abyss of Historia. CONFLICT Conflict in Historia usually stems from personality traits of the main characters involved in the event. It will be necessary, then, to specify to the main players what ideals will be clashing, what bonds the various factions will be adhering to in their actions, and what flaws will become obstacles to their success. Example: The sample adventure, The Lost Vampire, has as its main plot a rescue mission for a missing Vespertile delegate of Muhar Khan, who was supposed to start negotiations with the Confederation but has gone missing in the Green Pit. The two factions are as follows: General Giacomo Baldogarro [Confederation] Colonel Rufus Bitterbeissen [Holy Kingdom] Ideal Recover the diplomat sent to the Confederation Stop the diplomat from starting negotiations with the Confederation Bond Missions must be completed with honor and dignity The will of the Bone prophets must be enacted no matter the cost Flaw Incapable of thinking a woman can lie Mercenaries may be useful, but they are too easy to corrupt The adventure has been thought and developed with the players joining the side of Baldogarro, but the structure allows for them to join Bitterbeissen without too much work for the GM. In Historia, characters should always be given the opportunity to consider both sides, as there is no black and white morality in its setting, just a dark gray tint with blood-red hues. ADVENTURES This section will offer guidelines for the creation of adventures in Historia, which can be used as building blocks to aid in structuring the writing. ORGANIZING THE STORY In Historia, an adventure is a narrative chapter within which characters solve a wide-ranging objective, and doing so deeply affects them. For each, you should keep in mind: • its tier • the conflicts, with factions outlines and agendas • environments (describing lights, sounds, smells, weather, flora, fauna, threats, etc) • characters (social status, Familiae traits, alliances, threats) • possible rewards, such a coin or fame • hints and foreshadowing of future developments. ADVENTURES BY TIER The basic structure of Historia departs from the more typical trajectory of 5e, where characters end up becoming beings of unlimited power, faced with an equally well stocked environment, and enemies and NPCs of similar level. In Historia, the power levels are more distributed towards the lower end, with an extremely rare number of tier 4 NPCs across all of Vesteria. These NPCs are characters in the highest seats of power and prestige in the land, or behind the larger plots in the continent’s recent history. This distribution of power must be kept in mind when setting up an adventure in Historia and its objectives, adapting structures, scopes and limitations of the characters’ actions, according to their tier of reference: Tier 1. Characters are members of the general population. Their fame and the adventures they take part in are limited to local areas. The result of an adventure impacts only local geographies and small realities of low influence. Tier 2. Characters are above average populace. Their influence is stronger and they may be leading some lower level NPCs. The result of an adventure impacts cities or geographical areas of average influence. Tier 3. Characters are famous heroes, commanders, feared criminals, or powerful figures. They cover important roles in organizations, factions or are at least recognized for almost everything pertaining to their career. The results of their adventures impact entire regions, larger cities, and areas of wider influence.

257 Additional Rules • The player narrates the result of the roll, receiving information from the GM if applicable, and adds a narrative hook that can be used by players that follow. The GM makes note of successes (and failures) towards reaching the objective. • Once all players have had a turn, a new round starts, and players can take another action. The sequence ends if: • One of the players has to make a check with 0 hit points; • All the objectives have been successfully met; • There are too many failures. Once the sequence ends, any incomplete objective is considered failed, and players must face its related consequences. SHARED NARRATIVE This type of sequence lends itself to shared storytelling, in which the GM doesn’t actually know what the players will encounter. During their turn, each player will be in charge of setting the difficulty they’ll have to face by creating a scene that will highlight characters’ traits, and deal with how the party will have reached a certain point in the story. This type of storytelling increases the players’ involvement, but some may find themselves out of their comfort zone: only employ this type of sequence if all players agree upon it. CONFLICT SEQUENCES A conflict sequence generally represents a clash, fight, or combat. The mechanics are similar to those typically used in 5e, but with some variations. As a rule, as the basis for a conflict sequence, there are five opponents, each possessing one of the four standard profiles (stormtrooper, guardian, enchanter, specialist), a character flaw, and a single rule taken from the family they belong to. By spending adversity, you can add profiles to one or two of these opponents, making the fight more challenging. Remember: combat is also part of the narrative, and it is advisable to describe individual situations so that you can gain inspiration. SEQUENCE A sequence represents the telling of a specific event, taking place in both a specific time and space, concerning the characters. Exploring the Green Pit to look for shelter, armed conflict with the Salso Nero guards, a speedy retreat from the Brethren’s troops, attending the Spring Grand Ball, smuggling into the treasure vault without being spotted are all examples of events that can be planned into a sequence. Sequences are typically of three kinds. FREE SEQUENCE Traditional roleplaying scenes, that should be used to defuse the tension and ease the rhythm between two harsher sequences. A chance to make ability checks or to employ traits and privileges, if you choose to do so. NARRATIVE SEQUENCE These are sequences that tend to include exploration and interaction with surroundings, and are generally employed to narrate movement in hostile terrain of some kind or to highlight a string of problems that the party must solve with their skills and ingenuity. Each sequence should have one or more objectives for which the GM will appoint a number of checks to pass, and consequences in case of failure. The number of checks for any sequence should be equal to the number of players. The structure to follow should be this: • Each player describes an action they take and what objective it is intended to solve, obtaining inspiration for skillful descriptions or by building on a previous player’s action. • GM and player agree upon what the check should be. Usually, one chooses what ability it pertains to and the other what abilities are required to add a proficiency bonus. • The player spends 1 hit point and makes the check with DC 12. THE STORY OVER THE RULES A narrative sequence set up as shared, with a single goal and no adversity, can unify the idea that each person at the table has of the environment and its relation. By describing their character’s interaction with their surroundings, each player can add sensations, smells, colors, and more to the environment, allowing for multiple points of view, thus making it more alive and vibrant.

258 Example: If a party of five 6-level characters ventures into the Green Pit pursued by a band of raiders, the GM can spend adversities in three different ways to make the chase harder: • They could ask for 7 checks (check increase, 1 adversity) with DC 17 (DC increase, 2 adversities) with a cost of 2 HP each (HP cost increase, 1 adversity); • They could ask for 5 checks with DC 17 (DC increase, 2 adversities) with a cost each of 6 HP (HP cost increase, 2 adversities); • They could ask for 7 checks (check increase, 1 adversity) with DC 15 (DC increase, 1 adversity) with a cost of 2 HP (HP increase, 1 adversity) and the objective will not be considered reached with 3 failures (failure marker, 1 adversity). ADVERSITIES IN COMBAT SEQUENCES At the start of a combat sequence the GM can spend adversities to: • Assign a higher or more detailed profile to an opponent; • Insert environmental effects to force the characters to change strategy; • Activate some profiles’ special abilities; • Increase by 1 the level of all taking part in the combat; • Add 2 basic opponents. REWARDS At the end of each session, each character should receive a point of fame to spend as detailed in Chapter IV. Characters will gain an additional point of fame if they are able to complete the session by making the GM spend all their adversities. Difficulty is more or less constant across each tier, meaning that early levels will generally have smaller rewards, while higher tiers will bring greater rewards. OPPONENTS The four basic opponent profiles represent the roles played during structured combat, and are detailed as follows: • Attacker. Light armor, melée and ranged attacks. • Guardian. Medium/heavy armor, melée attacks. • Enchanter. No armor, ranged spells, control over opponents or the battlefield. • Specialist. Light armor, melée and ranged attacks, control over opponents or the battlefield. CUSTOMIZATION Each group of opponents has traits depending on their background and their Familia. They take one rule from a Familia trait and a suitable special ability to represent their faction. SESSIONS A string of sequences form a gaming session. Generally speaking, a session is structured to last around three hours, with a new sequence every 20-40 minutes. For a one-shot game, we expect around 4 to 5 sequences. ADVERSITY In a game of Historia, players are dragged into the creation of the adventure itself, and their participation can be managed through the adversity mechanic. Adversities are a GM resource which can be used to easily add challenges into a story by following the players’ suggestions, and to effectively show players their progress during a session. The GM holds a number of adversities equal to 3 for each hour of gameplay, plus 3 for each of the adventure’s tier, and they can spend adversities to make a sequence more challenging. ADVERSITIES IN NARRATIVE SEQUENCES At the start of a narrative sequence, the GM can spend one or more adversities to do any of the following: • Increase the DC of a narrative sequence following the guidelines in the table below. • Increase the HP cost of a narrative sequence following the guidelines in the table below. • Spend 1 adversity to increase the number of checks per objective by half the number of players. • Spend 1 adversity to add a failure marker: if there are failure markers equal to half the number of players +1, the sequence ends and characters must face the consequences. DC of checks HP cost Base 12 1 1 adversity lvl. 1-4 15 2 2 adversity lvl. 5-10 17 6 4 adversity lvl. 11-16 19 10 6 adversity lvl. 17-20 21 15

259 Additional Rules OPPONENTS The four basic opponent profiles represent the roles played during structured combat, and are detailed as follows: • Attacker. Light armor, melee and ranged attacks. • Enchanter. No armor, ranged spells, control over opponents or the battlefield. • Guardian. Medium/heavy armor, melee attacks. • Specialist. Light armor, melee and ranged attacks, control over opponents or the battlefield. ATTACKER Amor Class 14 [Levels of ] Exhaustion 2 [disadvantage] [death] Speed 30 ft. Skills [2 skills] +3 Weak Point [1 ability] -1 Pack Tactics. The attacker has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the attacker’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature [and the ally isn’t incapacitated]. ACTIONS Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, range 100 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. ENCHANTER Armor Class 11 [Levels of ] Exhaustion 2 [disadvantage] [death] Speed 30 ft. Skills [4 skills] +3 Weak Point [1 ability] -1 Curse. If the enchanter hits a creature with an attack, they can choose not to deal any damage with that attack, cursing the creature instead. While cursed in this way, the creature takes 1d6 additional damage whenever it takes any kind of damage. USING ADVERSITIES • Increase by 1 the level of all taking part in combat (for tier 2 and higher): all who take part in combat add +2 to hit and ability checks, and double the number of damage dice. If they have hit points, they are doubled. • Assign a higher profile to an opponent: the opponent increases their damage dice by 1, gains an additional 25 HP and a special ability. • Assign a higher profile to an opponent (2 adversities): the opponent increases their damage dice by 1, gains an additional 50 HP, a special ability, 2 uses of legendary resistance and makes an extra action with initiative 13. SPECIAL ABILITIES • Firearms: The opponent has a firearm. When they use it, they roll an extra die of damage; in case of a critical hit, they deal 1d6 levels of exhaustion. • Special equipment: Opponents with this profile have equipment specific to their faction or of peculiar nature. • Alchemist: Opponents with this profile are alchemists and can perform basic alchemical processes (cycles of 2 if second level). • Mortified: The opponents with this profile are Mortifieds and ignore the first damage they receive. When they receive later damage, they increase their own die to 1d12 and have advantage on ability checks instead of disadvantage. • Magus: Opponents with this profile are magi and know three spells of 1st - 2nd level (1st - 5th if second level) and can cast three spells every short or long rest. • Leader: Opponents with this profile can use a bonus action to give 8 temporary hit points (20 temporary hit points, if level 2) to all allies. RAISING THE STAKES Some adventures may allow characters to put their resources at risk for a higher objective: corrupting guards to prevent the opposing colonel from escaping so that they can bring his head to their faction, or buying valuable goods that will undoubtedly attract more attention than they should. If all players agree, at the start of the mission, they can raise the stakes, reducing their Tier by 1 and increasing adversity by 3, gaining 3 additional Tiers if the mission is successful, plus 1 extra Tier per Tier level. The adventure may provide an opportunity to raise the stakes, but it is possible to leave the players’ initiative.

260 LEVELS OF EXHAUSTION Unlike player characters, the opponents have no HP (unless otherwise noted), and they take one level of exhaustion whenever an attack hits them. These levels of exhaustion work differently from the ordinary ones: when an opponent takes one level of exhaustion, they have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws; when an opponent takes a second level of exhaustion, they die. HIGHER PROFILES The profiles listed above represent the main features of a standard opponent, without any particular customization. However, it is possible to create new profiles better suitable for mobs of opponents or notable characters. TIER Increasing an opponent’s tier makes an encounter with that opponent more challenging for a higher level group of adventurers, without giving any special trait to that opponent. The profiles listed above represent tier 1 opponents (1st to 4th level). Higher tier opponents get the following (for each higher tier): • The opponent increases their damage dice by 1, and gets a +1 bonus to damage rolls; • The opponent gets a +2 bonus to attack rolls and ability checks in which they are proficient; • The opponent gets a +1 bonus to AC. For example, a tier 3 attacker has AC 16, their attacks hit with +8 and they deal 3d6+3 damage. GANGS A gang is a group of opponents whose numbers can easily overcome the player characters, but formed by individuals with little relevance in the story; thus, the GM can manage them as a unique entity. To create a gang: • Increase the profile tier by 1; • Assign to the gang 15 HP per tier. Gangs act differently in the initiative order: they don’t roll for initiative, taking actions at the end of each player character’s turn instead. When gangs lose all their HP for the first time during a combat, they get one level of exhaustion, then regaining every lost HP: in terms of storytelling, this represents commonly the first gang member killed or seriously wounded, the moment in which cohesion and morale start to falter. ACTIONS Shocking Grasp. +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) lightning damage, and the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn. Fire Bolt. +3 to hit, range 100ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) fire damage. [A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if it isn’t being worn or carried.] GUARDIAN Armor Class 17 [Levels of ] Exhaustion 2 [disadvantage] [death] Speed 30 ft. Skills [3 skills] +3 Weak Point [1 ability] -1 Controlling the Battlefield. If the guardian hits successfully with an opportunity attack, they regain their reaction at the end of the turn, and the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the guardian’s next turn. ACTIONS Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 100ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. SPECIALIST Armor Class 12 [Levels of ] Exhaustion 2 [disadvantage] [death] Speed 30 ft. Skills [4 skills] +3 Weak Point [1 ability] -1 Trick of the Trade. If the specialist hits a creature with a weapon attack or succeeds in an ability check, one opponent has disadvantage on its next ability check or attack roll. ACTIONS Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 100 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage. CUSTOMIZATION Each group of opponents has traits depending on their background and their familia. They take one rule from a familia trait and a suitable special ability representing their faction.

261 Additional Rules • Defensive. Opponents with this profile can increase their AC by 2/3/4/5 (depending on their tier) against the next weapon attack roll. • Firearms. Opponents with this profile have a firearm. When they use it, they roll an extra die of damage; in case of a critical hit, they deal 1d6 levels of exhaustion. • Leader. Opponents with this profile can use a bonus action to give 8/16/30/50 (depending on their tier) temporary hit points to all allies. • Magus. Opponents with this profile are magi: they know three spells of 2nd/5th/6th/9th (depending on their tier) max level, and can cast three spells every short or long rest. • Mortified. Opponents with this profile are mortifieds, and ignore the first damage they receive. When they receive later damage, they increase their own damage die to 1d12, and have advantage on ability checks instead of disadvantage. • Poison. Weapons (except firearms) of opponents with this profile are coated with poison. When such weapons deal damage, the target of the attack must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 12/14/16/18 (depending on their tier) poison damage and being poisoned for 1 minute per tier on a failed save. • Resilient. The first time opponents with this profile would get one level of exhaustion, they can choose to ignore it instead. • Special Equipment. Opponents with this profile have equipment specific to their faction [or peculiar nature]. • Tactical. Opponents with this profile have advantage on attack rolls against creatures within 5 feet of an ally [(and that ally isn’t incapacitated)]. NOTABLE CHARACTERS Some characters are more relevant in the story and deserve a better customization, receiving more features and traits upon creation. To create a notable character quickly: choose one of the four profiles listed above; give them an appropriate tier; assign them 35 HP per tier; choose an ideal, a bond, and a flaw; assign them up to three special features. USING ADVERSITIES The GM can spend adversities to adjust an encounter with opponents with the following rules: • Increase by 1 the tier of all taking part in combat (for tier 2 and higher adventures): all who take part in combat add +2 to hit and ability checks, and double the number of damage dice. If they have hit points, they are doubled. • Assign a higher profile to an opponent: the opponent increases their damage dice by 1, gains an additional 25 HP and a special trait. • Assign a higher profile to an opponent (2 adversities): the opponent increases their damage dice by 1, gains an additional 50 HP, a special trait, 2 uses of Legendary Resistance and makes an extra action with initiative 13. SPECIAL TRAITS Some opponents can receive special traits to better distinguish themselves or make an encounter more challenging. The GM can create their unique special traits, or take a look at the following examples: • Alchemist. Opponents with this profile are alchemists, and can perform basic alchemical processes/cycles of 2/cycles of 3/cycles of 4 or below (depending on their tier). • Deadly. A weapon deals one extra die of its damage when opponents with this profile hit with it. NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO DIE Always remember: nobody really wants to die. When the first blood stains the battlefield and death is almost certain, really few people would stand the ground, while most of them prefer to flee: heroes are famous, but cowards can live really longer. The GM and the players should often consider which condition or event could break an opponent’s resolve, allowing fear and panic to overwhelm other emotions. For example, this could give a major importance to a certain opponent being carried away by fury or passion for the battle, in order to better roleplay their choices and attitudes.

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263 Pitched Battles y its own nature, Historia wasn’t conceived to make characters experience epic adventures in which they save the world by using phenomenal cosmic powers, but rather by directing them towards gritty ventures where they will more or less risk their lives, maybe pursuing an ideal, a dream, or a goal as they do so. Reality is hard, complex and cruel, and wider shifts in the political and structural balances are not caused by the actions of a small group of characters (with some rare exceptions) but happen thanks to larger movements and conflicts of power. This chapter is for the attention of characters who have reached such a level of fame and skill that they might be crucial to the balances in a larger armed conflict in which they feature as leader and commanders of entire units, troops or regiments, and not as simple soldiers surrounded by war, whose only aim is to make it back home on their own paws. Field battle rules allow high level characters to maneuver an entire army based on their personal abilities and strategies. Chapter Nine - Pitched Battles

264 Pitched Battles The stories of the characters often go through multiple scenarios where they can shine and be more incisive on the fate of those around them. In a world at war, however, battles occupy a different place: they are cruel events where courage and heroism inevitably collide with the passage of death before everyone’s eyes. A world where even the most talented warrior can be overwhelmed and killed like the simplest soldier at their side. In Historia, war is an environment where the most intense emotions are tested by the atrocity and ruthlessness of the battlefield, a part of the game always at the service of the story of the characters. WHEN TO USE THESE RULES These rules are used when the characters are part of a military deployment and can actively influence the outcome of the battle. The rules, in fact, focus more on their actions and decisions of the player than on the rest of the army. If the outcome of the battle itself is beyond their control or they are not part of a side, you can simply play the narrative stages of the actions the characters are involved in, simply stating what happens during the other stages. The GM can easily adapt the rules if a character is on the opposite side but, given the collaborative nature of the game, special attention will be needed, and this opposition is generally not recommended. BATTLE STRUCTURE A battle takes place with a sequence of specific phases: during these phases, a value is kept, called Momentum, which serves to indicate how the battle is balanced or unbalanced in favor of a side. The battle takes place with a preparation phase, during which the resources are organized and the objective to be completed is established. Then the preparation is followed by an alternation of tactical phases, which describe the effects of the Momentum on the deployments, and the stories, which describe the characters’ actions and how they deal with the opportunities and dangers the battle presents to them. MOMENTUM Instead of describing every detail of each side’s move, a value called Momentum is used to indicate the progress of the battle, which abstracts the general situation of tactics, positioning, territory, morale and several other aspects affecting the events in the fight. Momentum ranges from 1 to 20, with 1 indicating the overwhelming force of the opposing faction and 20 indicating an irrelevant opponent. A value close to 10 indicates that the sides are somehow quite balanced. PREPARATION PHASE During the preparation phase you define who is the commander of the army and set the value of Momentum for the start of the battle, normally starting from 10 and then adding 1 for each of the following items in which the side of the characters is in significant advantage or remove 1 if in significant disadvantage. In the event of an extremely large difference, the GM can add or remove up to two more points. • Army size. The sheer number of soldiers. A 3:2 ratio begins to be a significant advantage. • Soldiers’ equipment. Standard equipment and special armaments. • Firearms. A significant presence of firearms in one of the two sides moves the Momentum by 4, regardless of the other equipment. • Strategic advantage. Better positioning, the presence of strongholds or walls, the conformation of rivers and woods. During the preparation phase it is possible, for each player, to carry out a single preparatory action to collect information or actively influence their troops. It could be an encouraging speech to the soldiers, the preparation of some weapon or enchantment that could influence the engagement or other actions at the discretion of the characters in play. If a character successfully collects information about the opponents, another character can use the information to prepare a surprise strategy: such a combined action would move the Momentum by 3 but the test to verify its effectiveness is carried out after the start of the battle, at the beginning of the first tactical phase. It is only possible to prepare a single surprise strategy per battle, it would otherwise

265 Pitched Battles become impossible to avoid information leakage. To check whether the actions of the characters have taken effect, the player must successfully carry out a check against the relevant ability. The player can suggest the pair of ability and skill to be checked, but the GM has the last word. The DC is normally 18, variable depending on the check and the circumstances. BATTLEFIELD AND OBJECTIVES At the end of the preparation phase, the crucial areas of the battlefield and the objectives of each army are defined. The fights almost never have as their primary objective the complete annihilation of the opponent. The objective of an army should be something that the faction wants to achieve and that would force the opposing side to fall back in retreat. Each objective achieved by an army modifies the Momentum in its favor by an amount equal to the number of tactical phases completed so far. Some objectives can be: • the capture of an opposing character • the death of an opposing character • the capture of a crucial element • the conquest of a strategic or fortified position A dead character counts as an objective gained only in the first turn. A captured character counts as an achievement for all turns in which they are captured. If the commander is captured or killed, the Momentum’s value is doubled. POSITIONING Each player will then have to declare which unit of their army their character will be commanding. Typical units are: • First line. The central body of the deployment, formed by heavy infantry bodies • Shock troops. One or two heavy infantry wings with good mobility • Scouts. Light troops with high mobility who manage communications and report any alarms • Shooters. Light troops equipped with range weapons, firearm or artillery • Rear. Mobile troops acting to support other units with resources or replacements It is possible not to be assigned to any unit to be free to act to one’s full potential, but the risks are quite serious: the character loses twice the hit points during the tactical phase. TACTICAL PHASE The tactical phase is the phase in which the consequences of one’s actions are seen. The shots are taken for the surprise strategies and the Momentum is recalculated with the changes relating to the objectives and actions carried out. During the tactical phase, then: • each PC loses hit points from the tension of the battle • the GM declares what actions the opposing army is taking • players declare what actions they take, one each • the GM declares any countermoves How many and which options are available depends on the value of the Momentum. Momentum Hit Points Cost Opponents’ Actions Opponents’ Countermoves 1-5 20 3 2 6-15 15 3 1 16-20 10 2 1 The actions available are Help, Assault, Conquest, Countermove, Detachment, Defense, Reconnaissance, Reinforcements, Repositioning, Retreat, Sabotage and they are described in full in the narrative phase. At the end of the tactical phase, mark how many tactical phases have been completed: this number will serve you later.

266 CONQUEST The action allows to carry out a decisive attack that could end the battle. It can only be carried out by the commander of the players and only if the sum of Momentum + the number of tactical phases concluded so far is greater than 16, while it can be carried out by the opposing side only if the Momentum is less than 5 + the number of tactical phases concluded. If the commander uses this action, all characters who can use the Help action will be able to do so. • Requirement: unit of the commander. • Check: dependent on the goal to be achieved. The test requires that the general and all the characters who are carrying out the Help action to carry out this attempt and that this is carried out by at least three units. • Effect: the objective is achieved, the battle typically ends, the battle moves on to the consequences phase. Where not enough successes are accumulated, one less success will be required next time the commander performs the action. COUNTERMOVE The action allows you to hinder the action of the opposing side by placing yourself physically in the middle, through means of setting up a barrage or through other special abilities of the character or unit. It is possible to make a single countermove on an opposing action. • Check: none. • Effect: the roll required to perform the check has a disadvantage. • Special: if the check is supported by a Help, the Help and Countermove actions are canceled before giving advantage or disadvantage. DETACHMENT The action allows the character to separate from their unit, entrusting the command to someone else, to then perform an independent action in order to fully exploit their skills while putting themselves at serious risk. • Check: Charisma (Persuasion) • Effect: If the check is not carried out successfully, the morale of the troop drops, moving the Momentum by 2 in the opposite way. NARRATIVE PHASE Once the tactical phase is over, it’s time to go on to tell how your actions are carried on Each player will describe the action of their character and their unit, perform a check that will determine its success and consequences. The check is normally at DC 18, the ability / skill is agreed with the GM. HELP The action allows the unit to support the action of another unit, giving strength to an assault, providing cover fire or covering. Normally only a single unit can support an action, except in the case of the Conquest of the objective. • Check: the same as the supported unit. • Effect: both checks are carried out with advantage and it is sufficient to succeed in just one in order to complete the objective. ASSAULT The action allows the unit to assault an opposing unit, in order to weaken it and induce it to flee, or to conquer a defenseless target. • Check: melee or ranged hit blow, depending on the unit, or no evidence in case of a defenseless target. If two units try to conquer a defenseless target, they will both have to make a melee hit: the goal will be assigned to whoever achieves the highest result. • Effect: if the roll takes effect, the Momentum will change by 1 in favor of the attacking unit and the attacked unit suffers a weakening level. If the target is a defenseless target, the target is conquered. If the target is a character without a unit, they will suffer 1d4 weakening levels or be captured. • Special: Riflemen or gunner units inflict a level of weakening even on the character positioned with the unit.

267 Pitched Battles RECONNAISSANCE The action allows you to maintain control of the battlefield and reduce the impact of any unexpected events. • Requirement: Scout unit. • Check: Wisdom (Perception). • Effect: any Reinforcement action carried out by the opponent would not benefit from the extra effectiveness dice. Repositioning actions have an advantage over the check. Sabotage actions can be identified and counteracted. • Special: if the unit that makes a Reconnaissance is the target of an Assault, it can renounce the action to completely avoid the Assault. DEFENSE The action allows you to perch at a strategic point and defend your position with the aim of exhausting an opposing unit. This can only be used by a unit defending a target. • Check: melee or ranged hit roll against a unit. • Effect: if the roll succeeds and the target unit performs the Assault action against the unit on Defense, it will have a disadvantage to the hit roll and will suffer a weakening level in case of failure.

268 REPOSITIONING The action allows an army to reposition itself on the battlefield and consolidate its ranks. • Check: Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidate). • Effect: The unit can remove a weakening level and move to another area of the battlefield. The removal of the weakening level can only occur once per unit. RETREAT The action allows an army to retreat from battle, withdrawing and moving away. • Requirement: only the commander. • Check: Charisma (Deception) if used as a preparation for Reinforcements. • Effect: The army retreats and, if chased, the Momentum drops by 3. If the action is repeated the next turn, the battle ends. • Special: This order performed twice can be stopped by a character with the leadership skills necessary to take the reins of the situation. The decision lies with the GM as to adapt the rules to the many peculiarities that each story can have. REINFORCEMENTS The action allows the commander to discover additional units prepared in advance and not contemplated in the preparation phase to crush the opposing army in a powerful pincer movement. • Check: Charisma (Deception). • Effect: the Momentum is moved favorably by 4. If the Retreat order was given in the previous turn, the Momentum is moved favorably by 7. • Special: if the action is performed by the characters and the Momentum is less than 5, the Momentum is moved by an additional 1d6. If the action is carried out by the opponents and the Momentum is greater than 16, the Momentum is moved by an additional 1d6.

269 Pitched Battles CONSEQUENCES Depending on the momentum when the battle ends, the consequences can be more or less serious. If the characters win, the opposing army is defeated and the objective is conquered. The players will loot an amount of goods equal to the stakes in addition to the maintenance of the opposing side. If the characters win with a Momentum greater than 16 they can, if they wish, kill a large number of soldiers on the way and plunder a loot increased by half its value. About a quarter of the enemy soldiers will be killed and the army of characters will take on a certain reputation. If the characters win with a Momentum of 20, they may have captured and/or executed almost all of the opposing army, this will go down in history... in one way or another. If the characters lose, they can escape with the army, retreating and saving most of it. If they lose with a Momentum of less than 5, the army will have suffered huge losses, and it will take a great effort, resources and money to get it back on track. A defeat with Momentum at 1 means that the characters have been captured and are at the mercy of the opponents, while their army is dispersed, their soldiers have fled or died. Difficult times lie ahead... SABOTAGE The action allows a unit, not counted in the preparation phase and equipped with great quality gear in terms of rarity and cost, to carry out a surprise strategy, a sabotage or some other special action that leads to a reversal of the situation. • Check: Dexterity (Stealth). • Effect: the unit is not detected. The next Assault action carried out by the unit has an advantage and moves the Momentum up by 5. This bonus adds up (therefore by performing the check twice the Momentum moves by 10, three times by 15 etc.). ARMIES AND UNITS An army worthy of the name, in Historia, is made up of about half a thousand soldiers at least. Hiring a soldier with modest equipment costs around 5 coins and their maintenance costs around 2 coins. The cost increases equally if the soldiers are well trained, if they have high quality gear and if they are equipped with firearms (a soldier belonging to the elite of the brotherhood of the worms, well trained, armed and with their harquebus, is therefore hired for 20 coins and keeping him in service costs 8 coins). Being in a better than average unit allows the character to perform actions more easily, good training, quality weapons and firearms each add +1 to the checks made by the character who guides them, up to +3. If a unit inflicts a weakening level on another unit, it may decide not to inflict the level to free and regain a target defended by it. A unit that suffers the second level of weakening is dispersed, and the only action it can perform is a Repositioning and, until this occurs, the character is considered detached from the unit.

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271 Characters of Historia Chapter Ten - Characters of Historia he final chapter of this manual introduces the real protagonists of Historia: the characters who inhabit the continent of Vesteria, and who animate it with the weaving of their personal stories, bringing their world to life. In this chapter you will meet the Notable Characters of Historia, the ones whose actions can shift the balance of the entire continent, but also characters lower in fame but still crucially important due to the heights their stories can reach once they meet the ones of the players’ characters. Each of these is provided with their game statistics and their past, filled with hooks for adventures and storytelling as well as references to events in the world of Historia up to the present day. Finally, the chapter also includes templates to create NPCs, devised so you can quickly create an encounter for the players. Further, it will aid the GM in improvising additional intrigue and starting a new story in the world of Historia.

Heroes of Historia ADELAIDE FROM ROSSARIVA The meeting of Adelaide from Rossariva and Rolando from Acquascura was as though it had been arranged by a higher power filled with irony and a sense for kindred spirits: the Cat and the Mouse, both witnesses – in different ways – to the horrors of war, both having lost their families at the hands of the Holy Kingdom and its blind warmongering. Adelaide survived Rossariva only to lose her cubs to the hard life of a refugee. When Rolando found her, he immediately knew he had met a woman whose heart had grown cold, a mother willing to do anything to make a whole nation pay the price of her pain. Adelaide saw in Rolando the only person who could ever understand what she had experienced, and she joined him without hesitation, wanting to learn everything she could from him in order to shape her grief into a deadly weapon. Bond: Rolando alone knows the pain I’ve lived through - and he alone can help me have my revenge. Ideal: The Holy Kingdom will pay for what it did. They will die alone, despairing in the mud. Flaw: My cold heart cannot afford to feel any empathy. Tier: 2 ADELAIDE Small humanoid (rodenta mouse) STR 8 (-1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 12 (+1) INT 10 (+0) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 16 (brigandine) Hit points 66 (12d8+12) Speed 25ft. Saving throws Dex +8, Int +6 Skill Acrobatics +8, Deception +6, Insight +6, Stealth +8. Senses Passive Perception 17, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Innate Stealth. Adelaide can try to hide behind another creature of a size bigger than hers. Elusive Target. Attack rolls against Adelaide cannot be made with advantage; she can make the disengage, hide, or dash actions as a bonus action. Subtle Mastery. As a bonus action, Adelaide can add +2 to an ability check made before the end of her turn. Lethal Assassin. During the first turn of combat, if Adelaide hits an opponent who has not yet taken their turn, she deals 10 (3d6) additional damage to that opponent. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) piercing damage or 25 (6d6+4) piercing damage if Adelaide has advantage or the target is within 5ft of another opponent. Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, medium range, one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+4) piercing damage or 27 (3d8+3d6+4) piercing damage if Adelaide has advantage or the target is within 5ft of another opponent.

273 Characters of Historia ALCIBIADE After the Magus academy became what it is today – the Montetorto Alchemical Academy – the Magistri scattered across all of Vesteria: some, such as Alistaire, have kept a low profile while still remaining a part of society; others, such as Alcibiade, have covered their tracks and disappeared to remote locations. Silent, reserved, and filled with a general sense of unease, ‘as if always about to leave for somewhere else,’ as some have said, Alcibiade has been wandering the woods of the Pit for decades. After his appearance during Ermello’s first conquest of Tanafonda, as a savior and guide to the refugees, people started talking about him almost as a ‘guardian’ of the Pit. There is no place in which children do not stare at him with curiosity, whispering without ever getting too close, and where adults do not welcome him with a warm meal and a pint of ale. Bond: I follow simple, precise rules: I help those in need. Ideal: I want to be finally not needed. Flaw: I prefer being alone, especially away from other Magi. Tier: 3 ALCIBIADE Large humanoid (ruminsa moose) STR 14 (+2) DEX 9 (-1) CON 12 (+1) INT 20 (+5) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 10 (+0) Armor class Armor class 12 (with mage armor) Hit points 82 (15d6+30) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Int +10, Wis +7 Skill Arcana +10, Insight +10, Survival +7 Senses Passive Perception 12, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 14 (11500 XP) Magna Ars Opus. Alcibiade has welcomed the mysteries of earth, water, and body. He has not yet chosen between light and shadow. Fluid Adaptation. Alcibiade can spend 1 spell point to add his proficiency bonus to an ability check, a saving throw or an attack that does not already include it. Spellcasting. Alcibiade is a 15th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): Chill Touch, Frost Ray, Resistance, Shillelagh, Shocking Grasp, Spare the Dying. Prepared spells (45 spell points): 1st level. Create or Destroy Water, False Life, Fog Cloud, Heroism, Mage Armor. 2nd level. Alter Self, Enlarge/Reduce, Lesser Restoration, Mirror Image. 3rd level. Glyph of Warding, Haste, Meld into Stone, Slow. 4th level. Aura of Life, Death Ward, Shape Stone, Stoneskin. 5th level. Animate Objects, Contagion, Greater Restoration, Invoke Elemental (Water). Major arcana (1/day each): Antipathy/Sympathy, Heal, Mirage Arcane. ACTIONS Quarterstaff. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage or 6 (1d8+2) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands. BONUS ACTIONS From the Heart of Vesteria. Alcibiade spends 5 spell points. If his next saving throw or ability check or attack roll is below 12 on the die, the die is considered to have rolled a 12. Horns Blow. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. Can only be used after having spent 20ft of movement during the same turn.

274 Bond: My discoveries have brought me to seek control over everything. Everything. Ideal: I will ensure the Ordo’s influence over all of Vesteria. Flaw: I will do anything to increase the power of the Ordo. Tier: 3 ALISTAIRE Medium humanoid (ruminsa goat) STR 12 (+1) DEX 8 (-1) CON 10 (+0) INT 20 (+5) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 9 Hit points 67 (15d6+15) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Int +10, Wis +7 Skill Arcana +10, Deception +7, Medicine +7, Perception +7 Senses Passive Perception 15, darkvision 120ft. Challenge 13 (10000 XP) Magna Ars Opus. Alistaire discovered the mysteries of mind, water, and shodow. He has not yet chosen between air and earth. Spellcasting. Alistaire is a 15th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): Chill Touch, Eldritch Blast, Friends, Frost Ray, True Strike, Vicious Mockery. Prepared spells (45 spell points): 1st level. Charm Person, Command, Disguise Self, Unseen Servant. 2nd level. Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts, Darkness, Invisibility. 3rd level. Fear, Protection from Energy, Water Walk, Water Breathing. 4th level. Banishment, Blight, Control Water, Greater Invisibility. 5th level. Dream, Dominate Person, Passwall, Scrying. Major Arcana (1/day each): Glibness, Finger of Death, Stoneskin. ACTIONS Club. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+1) bludgeoning damage. BONUS ACTIONS Liquid Spells. Alistaire can spend 1 spell point to exclude up to 5 creatures of his choice from the effects of a spell. Horns Blow. Can only be used after moving 20ft. this turn. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit roll, range 5ft, one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage. REACTIONS Piercing Glare. Alistaire can spend 1 spell point to add +5 to his AC for one attack. ALISTAIRE, FIRST CONSUL Among the many personalities of the Confederation, Alistaire is one of the most fascinating. Gentle mannered and courteous, well-spoken and naturally charismatic, Alistaire hides beneath it all a subtle, sharp mind, an obsessive need for control over everything, and a sense of duty which is hard to understand - especially as he is one of the most powerful Magi in all of Vesteria. His low voice and impeccable diction at times let slip archaisms revealing how much, much older than he shows Alistaire actually is: looking at him, you would not think him more than a middle-aged Ruminso who keeps himself in good shape. Some, however, being more suspicious or maybe just more sensitive, have the uneasy feeling of not being entirely safe around Alistaire.

275 Characters of Historia Bond: I can always strike a deal with anyone. Ideal: I will own the secrets of each and everyone living on this land. Flaw: My words are always poison, they always harm and never heal. Tier: 3 APOPI Medium humanoid (cenophide cobra) STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 9 (-1) INT 18 (+4) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 18 (+4) Armor class 15 (natural armor) Hit points 88 (16d8+16) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Int +9, Cha +9 Skill Deception +9, Insight +11, Perception +6, Persuasion +14 Senses Passive Perception 16 Challenge 14 (11500 XP) Sinuous Body. Any roll made to resist or escape Apopi’s grasp is made with disadvantage. Alien Mind. Apopi has advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws. Any action aiming to understand her motivations rolls with disadvantage. Spider’s Web. Apopi has access to a complex network of contacts, allies, and friends. She always knows the best person for the job. Faithful Servants. Apopi has a group of servants specialised in gathering information and her defense. As long as she is accompanied by her servants, she is resistant to all damage. ACTIONS Poisonous Bite. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage and 21 (6d6) poison damage. Incite. Apopi incites up to three faithful servants allowing them to make a Melee attack if they still have a reaction. BONUS ACTIONS Trader’s Insight. Apopi can gaze into a person’s soul she can see and talk to, who must make a Charisma (DC 14, based on Apopi’s Wisdom) saving throw. If they fail, Apopi will uncover a personality trait and a weak point of the target creature, and they are charmed for one minute. The target creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn to remove the charmed condition. Mortal Coils. Apopi makes a Poisonous Bite attack. She can only make this bonus action if the target creature is grappled. APOPI OF WHISPERS It is the done thing among successful merchants to diversify their supply. Apopi started with exotic items, sought after by demanding collectors in Maricaldi, her hometown. Her multiple stores, scattered along the Known Sea coast and across various other nations, boast a clientele as varied as her wares. Her most valuable income, however, does not come from spices or gems, or even the bottled alchemical miracles: it’s information, of which Apopi is the queen. Do not accuse her of being a rumor-monger, as she only deals in the truth. Some have called her ability to gather whispers and secrets almost on par with that of the Black Master, but Apopi has never appreciated such a comparison, as she sees Rolando from Acquascura as a ‘crude cutthroat who never learned any manners’.

276 Bond: Cecilia and Lodovico must be protected at any cost, including my own life. Ideal: The faults of the fathers must not fall upon their sons, I must avoid the incoming conflict. Flaw: I prefer inaction to risk, to danger, to another potential loss. Tier: 1 BAUDOLINO Medium humanoid (edenta anteater) STR 16 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 11 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Armor class 17 (reinforced hauberk) Hit points 60 (8d10+16) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Str +6, Con +5 Skill Perception +4, Survival +4, History +3 Senses Passive Perception 15 Challenge 3 (700 XP) Striking Pose. Baudolino can pose to make himself look more intimidating. He has advantage on Intimidation rolls. ACTIONS Multiattack. Baudolino makes two attacks with his halberd. Halberd. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage. Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +7 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage. BAUDOLINO CEFFOLONGO Baudolino Ceffolongo was born in Altabreccia, in the Green Pit. He spent most of his childhood with his younger siblings, his mother and grandmother, and Baudolino has become accustomed to the ever-present weight of responsibility. His mercenary father would only appear for a short time before setting off again. Every time he was home though, he spent some time teaching his son to master weaponry, almost as a game. The last time they saw each other, Baudolino was thirteen. As he grew older, his propensity for becoming a teacher of arms to others became clear. Baudolino made use of these skills almost immediately: at first, he taught the militia in Altabreccia, then in Buchebuie to teach spear-handling to Ermello’s Bands. During these latter years, Ermello and Baudolino became friends. In the name of this friendship, Baudolino still watches over Cecilia and Lodovico in their secret exile to this day.

277 Characters of Historia Bond: You can count on friends only as long as they’re friends, you can always count on yourself. Ideal: Vesteria is wealthy: too wealthy for me not to partake of it. Flaw: I am prone to habits and will get trapped by them at times. Tier: 2 BJORN Large humanoid (urcida white bear) STR 18 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 9 (-1) Armor class 14 (brigandine) Hit points 93 (11d10+33) Speed 40ft., climbing 40ft., swimming 40ft. Saving throws Dex +6, Wis +5 Skill Atletics +8, Stealth +6, Intimidation +3, Perception +5, Survival +5 Damage Resistance Cold Senses Passive Perception 15 Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Thick Skin. Bjorn reduces all bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage by 1. Improvisation. Once per turn, when Bjorn makes an attack and misses, he can immediately make the same attack again. Natural Affinity. In arctic, nautical and coastal environments, Bjorn ignores disadvantage from difficult terrain and is aware of natural threats and remedies. Deadly Ambush. Bjorn cannot be surprised in arctic, nautical and coastal environments and has advantage on all attacks during his first turn of combat. He adds an extra damage die and, in case of a critical hit, adds an extra level of exhaustion to his first attack after rolling initiative. ACTIONS Multiattack. Bjorn makes two attacks with his battleaxe. Battleaxe. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage or 9 (1d10+4) slashing damage when used with two hands. BJORN THE STRANGER Travelers are not safe in the White Desert, this is known. If being trapped in a snowstorm or getting lost in the steppes were not enough, the nomadic clans often and happily intercept those who travel carelessly, seeking easy loot. There is little to be done against the snow, alas, but against raiders? Everyone knows you need guards, and you need guides to avoid getting lost. Bjorn and his mercenaries are both. Exiled from his lands at a young age, Bjorn made a name for himself among the clans thanks to his incredible strength and skill in battle, highly regarded qualities in their culture. His fame grew, as did his followers, day after day, year after year. Now settled around Calìda, his small group of mercenaries has become an army, ready to escort wealthy traders across the Desert. ‘But isss thissss what you really want, Bjorn? Ssssstaying here in Calida to grow fat?

278 Bond: I always have a word of advice. Ideal: I will to know more about this world, for I shall not die in mine bed. Flaw: Mine honesty prevents me from choosing the safest path. Tier: 2 CAROLINO Small humanoid (canide domesti) STR 8 (-1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 19 (+4) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 20 (+5) Armor class 12 Hit points 66 (12d8+12) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Int +8, Cha +9 Skill Investigation +8, Insight +5, Persuasion +9, History +8 Senses Passive Perception 16, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Jack of All Trades. Carolino adds +2 to any ability check that doesn’t already include his proficiency bonus. Luck. When Carolino makes a saving throw, an ability check or an attack roll and rolls a 1, he can re-roll the die. He must use the new roll. Welcomed. Carolino adds 1d8 to all rolls made to influence others, unless he is being hostile. Trial and Error. When Carolino fails an ability check, a saving throw or an attack roll, his next ability check or saving throw will be an automatic natural 20. Loyal Companion. When Carolino is about to suffer a critical hit or is about to suffer an attack that would take him to 0 pf, if one of his comrades within 6m of Carolino can to take the hit instead of Carolino. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. Words of Advice (recharge 5-6). Carolino can encourage and motivate an individual, allowing them to spend up to two hit dice to regain hit points, adding +4 to the roll. The ability automatically regains a charge if Carolino fails an ability check, a saving throw or an attack roll. CAROLINO THE SAGE Every century has its own brilliant scholar, who will shine in history – this century, such a scholar is Carolino, known by many as the Sage. A historian, originally from the Khan’s Empire, Carolino has traveled for most of his life: he has known lands, peoples and cultures which many completely ignore. Out of love of knowledge and because, admittedly, decades of traveling have made no place truly feel like home, Carolino is now traversing Vesteria in what may very well be his last journey. You will always find him in the company of his friend Jamyang, a giant, quiet Ruminso, aiding him in all which his old bones no longer allow him to do with ease. Wherever Carolino ventures, the wealthy and the ambitious compete for his company, hoping to be mentioned in his masterpiece: Historia.

279 Characters of Historia Bond: I will defend my Lodovico from all threats. Ideal: I would like to have a place to call home once more. Flaw: I must avoid all conflict, or it will only cause more bloodshed to my family. Tier: 1 CECILIA Medium humanoid (mustacea marten) STR 12 (+1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 10 (+0) INT 16 (+3) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 11 Hit points 18 (4d8) Speed 30ft. Skill Insight +4, History +5, Persuasion +4 Damage Resistance Poison Senses Passive Perception 15, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Keen Smell. Cecilia has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) ability checks based on smell and can leave a traceable smell recognisable by those with similar skills. Relentless Endurance (recharge 6). When Cecilia is reduced to 0 hit points, she instead drops to 1 hit point. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage. BONUS ACTIONS Devil in the Details. Cecilia is capable of quickly reading the people before her. She can identify a target’s social standing and one personality trait unless the target succeeds a Charisma saving throw (DC 14) or has previously made an ability check for Charisma (Deception) higher than DC 14. CECILIA DE FURI Cecilia has been many things: a wife, a mother, but most of all, a de Furi. As the representative of one of the most influential families of Buchebuie, her fate would have been to marry a representative of another wealthy family, ensuring a legacy and new profitable ties. It so happened that Galeazzo de Furi, uncle to Cecilia, saw an opportunity in the rise of Ermello and promised him his niece in marriage. Ermello and Cecilia loved each other dearly, and had one son: Lodovico. Cecilia now finds herself in hiding with her son and their guardian Baudolino in the deepest reaches of the Pit, everyone believing her to have died during the taking of Tanafonda. As the years go by, she often loses herself in her own memories, hiding away from what happens around her.

280 Bond: The sanctity of worship of Bones makes my pride untouchable, in any situation. Ideal: Faith in the Bones alone can save the world, and us all with it. Flaw: The violence I must commit for my mission is an ever-increasing burden. Tier: 2 DESMOND Medium humanoid (canide dogo) STR 20 (+5) DEX 8 (-1) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 12 (+1) Armor class 19 (plate armor) Hit points 82 (12d10+16) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Str +9, Con +6 Skill Atletics +9, Investigation +4, Performance +5, Religion +4 Senses Passive Perception 16, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Heroic Action. As long as Desmond has over half his total hit points, he can add 4 (1d8) to all ability checks and damage rolls. Alert. Opportunity attacks against Desmond have disadvantage. Punish the Infidel. Until Desmond yields to his flaw, he adds 5 (1d10) radiant damage to all Melee attacks and all saving throws. ACTIONS Multiattack. Desmond makes two attacks with his great sword. Fervour. Desmond makes four attacks with his great sword. He can only use this ability once every short or long rest. Great Sword. Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage. DESMOND A shining example of what a paladin should aspire to be, Desmond is known throughout all of Vesteria as a paragon for those who fight for what they hold sacred. The younger son of a cadet family, he chose the way of the sword and the Bone Cross at a very young age. Rising to fame during the Conspiracy, he earned his position as commander of the Guardians, the chosen troops of Femore III’s army, those charged with protecting the Nochemburg Temple and the Keeper of Bones himself. After the discovery of the Ossarium, he was sent to Rossariva to set up camp for further study of the mysterious new location, reclaiming the town in the name of the Ancestors and Femore III. The people of Rossariva did not respond with the submission the Army expected from a congregation facing an order concerning a matter of Faith. A massacre ensued, and the burden of the horrors of that day still weigh heavily upon Desmond, who has spent many a sleepless night since.

281 Characters of Historia Bond: I bear the glory of the Holy Kingdom upon my shoulders. Ideal: The glory of the Holy Kingdom shall be my own, and it shall be magnificent. Flaw: I must always maintain hold of my objective, with all my strength. Tier: 3 FEMORE III Medium humanoid (canide dogo) STR 12 (+1) DEX 8 (-1) CON 10 (+0) INT 14 (+2) WIS 20 (+5) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 9, 18 if wearing full plate armor Hit points 88 (16d8+16) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Wis +10, Cha +7 Skill Insight +10, Medicine +10, Religion +7 Senses Passive Perception 20, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 13 (10000 XP) Spellcasting. Femore III is a 16th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks) and he adds his Wisdom modifier to all spell damage. Femore has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): Guidance, Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy Spells (3 slots for 5th level): Beacon of Hope, Command, Cure Wounds, Flame Strike, Geas, Greater Restoration, Guardian Spirits, Lesser Restoration, Locate Creature, Mass Healing Word, Protection from Poison, Sanctuary. Miracles(1/day each): Divine Word, Harm, Holy Aura. Charmed Followers. Femore III is always accompanied by two permanently charmed personal guards; if they are within 10ft of Femore, they can use their reaction to take the damage that Femore would take from an attack. Each creature affected by the Sermon ability can also use their reaction in the same way. ACTIONS Iron Scepter. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage. Sermon. As an action, Femore III can attempt to charm a creature who is able to hear and understand his words (DC 18 Wisdom saving throw). The effect lasts one minute or until Femore attacks the target. Recharges after a short or long rest. Channel Divinity. Femore III inflicts 27 (2d10+16) thunder damage to all his enemies within 30ft, ignoring all resistances and immunities. FEMORE III Femore III had sat upon the throne of the Nochemburg Temple for so long that most would be forgiven for forgetting his real name and origins: Agilulph Partenopio, heir to the family with the most troubled history in all of Vesteria. The branch of the dynasty that eventually settled in the Holy Kingdom tied itself easily to the Church of Bones and started populating its hierarchy one son at a time. Femore III is the fourth Keeper of Bones to bear the family name, and one can say without exaggeration that he has been bred for the role: despite his childhood dreams of an academic career (one in which he could have easily excelled even in Espera, given his oratorical skills), he came to realize his natural inclination towards power as soon as he was elected in the Holy Citadel, carrying with ease a burden that has been too heavy for so many others.

282 Bond: The money I acquire is for the little ones in the orphanage. Ideal: I always aim for the biggest score. Flaw: I cannot risk the safety of the children. Tier: 2 NESTORE Medium humanoid (rodenta leporid) STR 12 (+1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 10 (+0) INT 14 (+2) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 16 (gambeson) Hit points 61 (10d8+16) Speed 40ft. Saving throws Dex +8. Int +6 Skill Atletics +5, Stealth +8, Perception +3, Persuasion+6, Sleight of Hand +8 Senses Passive Perception 13, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 9 (5000 XP) Elusive Target. Attacks against Nestore cannot be made with advantage and he can use the disengage, hide, dash action or any action that would allow him to avoid being grappled as a bonus action. Subtle Skill. As a bonus action, Nestore can add +2 to an ability check before the end of his turn. ACTIONS Cinquedea. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) piercing damage or 25 (6d6+4) piercing damage if Nestore has advantage or the target is within 5ft of another opponent. Bow. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) piercing damage or 25 (6d6+4) if Nestore has advantage or the target is within 5ft of another opponent. NESTORE THE ORPHAN PRINCE Salso Nero is capable of many horrors, but it has also been able to give birth to individuals with a kind heart – even if their paws are not exactly clean. Nestore, Prince of the Orphans, is one such figure: local hero of the Salso Nero Underbelly and king of petty thieves. He found himself looking after all the orphans in the neighborhood once the owner of the orphanage where he’d spent his childhood had died. He took the new role in stride, and the contents of the pockets he was used to emptying went entirely to feed his numerous fellow orphaned siblings. His fame grew further when he heard of a new, portentous treasure that Mayor Paddath would pay generously to own: a miraculous type of amber discovered by the Church of Bones in the Ossarium. What better target for a talented thief?

283 Characters of Historia Bond: I have found the true way thanks to the Mortifieds and their pain. Ideal: There is no sin that my hand and flail cannot cleanse. Flaw: If my faith hands me a mission, I must see it through. Tier: 2 ODO Medium humanoid (hyenida hyena) STR 14 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 20 (+5) INT 12 (+1) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 9 (-1) Armor class 17 Hit points 138 (12d12+60) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Con +9, Wis +3 Skill Intimidation +3, Religion +5 Senses Passive Perception 9 Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Broken. Odo’s multiple traumas have made his mind into a psychic wasteland. He is immune to telepathy and he has advantage on Intelligence saving throws. Self-Inflicted Wounds. Odo can inflict himself 12 points of damage, ignoring all resistance and immunities. If he does so, he can choose to change a 1 on an attack roll or saving throw into a 20; gain resistance to bludgeoning, slashing and piercing damage for 1 minute; or to take a single Melee attack action as a bonus action. Blood Charge. Odo has three Blood charges, which he can spend as 4th-level spell slots or to take a single Melee attack action as a bonus action. Blood Magic. Odo is a 12th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks) and he adds his Constitution modifier to the damage for each of his spells. He has the following spells prepared. Cantrips (at will): Guidance, Light, Martyr’s Brilliant Blood, Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy Prepared spells: Bless, Blight, Branding, Command, Dispel Magic, Hellish Rebuke, Hold Person, Magic Weapon, Protection from Good and Evil, Remove Curse. Reckless Attack. All of Odo’s attacks and all attacks against Odo are made with advantage. ACTIONS Multiattack. Odo makes two attacks with his flail. Flail. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 11 (1d10+6) bludgeoning damage. BONUS ACTIONS Unsettling Laughter (recharge 6). Odo can start laughing with no reason, spreading an unsettling sense of unease among his opponents, who have disadvantage to all attacks not targeting Odo. ODO A harsh youth shaped Odo into an opportunistic, violent, and sly creature. He trawled through the Green Pit with a band of bullies and cutthroats: he’d move from village to village asking for a ‘protection tax’. Odo and his bands’ misdeeds were left unpunished for many a year, until a team of Worms was hired – led by Torquato himself – to solve the issue once and for all. The entire band was killed or captured, and Odo himself was tortured and broken. He went through a complete conversion, to the point of reaching a twisted spiritual crisis during which the idea of self-atonement and punishment for his sins took hold in his mind. And what better place for a violent soul to cleanse himself than the Brotherhood of Mortifieds?

284 PADDATH, PODESTÀ OF SALSO NERO Salso Nero is unique for a number of reasons, and it also happens to be the only city in Vesteria to have a Batrachian leader. Paddath made his fortune through the slave trade, and the ‘merchandise’ he acquired with the Buchebuie conquest of Tanafonda became the crux of his ambitious social climb: for a pittance (which he conviced the seller to be outrageous) he bought a third of the city’s population, mostly pups of all races. Infants are extremely valuable sales in the Far Lands, and Paddath had no scruples whatsoever. He returned to Salso Nero as a king, became Mayor and made his title and post eternal by convincing magus Ni-Shung to work for him, by offering her the Dark Pearl of Salso Nero. Bond: Salso Nero is and always will be my city - no matter the cost. Ideal: My city will be the wealthiest in all of Vesteria. Flaw: I never expose myself. Not in public. Tier: 3 NI-SHUNG Ni-Shung’s egg hatched among the extravagant luxuries of an incredibly wealthy Lissame family in the Eastern Khan Empire. When she chose to study the occult arts, her family did not stop her, knowing the strength and sharpness of their daughter. Her skill was such to gain her a place at the imperial court, where years later she would meet a foreign trader become Mayor of a faraway city, whose waters gift black salt to those who know how to extract it. When he offered her to become his councilor, Ni-Shung was skeptical; to test his commitment, she asked for the only treasure she knew of from those lands: the Dark Pearl of Salso Nero. Always in control of her reactions, Ni-Shung easily masked her surprise when Paddath granted her request, and she has been operating on behalf of the unscrupulous Mayor ever since. Bond: Paddath gave me what I wanted, I will give him what he wants. Ideal: I will uncover every mystery of the Magna Ars. Flaw: I never understand how Theri and Avians think. Tier: 3

285 Characters of Historia NI-SHUNG Medium humanoid (urodele salamander) STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 20 (+5) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 12 (+1) Armor class 15 (with mage armor) Hit points 82 (15d6+30) Speed 30ft., swim 40ft. Saving throws Int +10, Wis +4 Skill Arcana +10, Investigation +10 Senses Passive Perception 9 Challenge 14 (11500 XP) Alien Mind. Ni-Shung has advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws. Any action aiming to understand her motivations rolls with disadvantage. Magna Ars Opus. Ni-Shung has welcomed the mysteries of shadow, mind, and earth. She has not yet chosen between fire and water. Body of Stone. Ni-Shung takes one less level of exhaustion when she takes a critical hit. Spellcasting. Ni-Shung is a 15th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): Eldritch Blast, Resistance, Shillelagh, Shocking Grasp, Spare the Dying, True Strike Prepared spells (45 spell points): 1st level. Entangle, False Life, Heroism, Mage Armor, Thunderwave. 2nd level. Alter Self, Barkskin, Enlarge/Reduce, Shatter. 3rd level. Glyph of Warding, Haste, Meld into Stone, Slow. 4th level. Banishment, Greater Invisibility, Stoneskin, Stone Shape. 5th level. Destructive Wave, Dream, Passwall, Wall of Stone. Major arcana (1/day each): Dominate Monster, Finger of Death, Wall of Thorns. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. BONUS ACTIONS Shadowpass. Ni-Shung can spend 5 spell points to become invisible and double her speed until the end of her next turn. REACTIONS Body Wisdom. Ni-Shung can spend 1 spell point to add 5 to a saving throw or ability check. PADDATH Medium humanoid (anure bufo) STR 9 (-1) DEX 8 (-1) CON 15 (+2) INT 14 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 19 (+4) Armor class 9 Hit points 104 (16d8+32) Speed 20ft., swim 40 ft. Saving throws Int +7, Cha +9 Skill Deception +14, Insight +13, Perception +8, Persuasion +9 Damage Resistance Poison Senses Passive Perception 18 Challenge 14 (11500 XP) Opulent Wealth. Paddath has access to anything that money can buy. Spider’s Web. Paddath has access to a complex network of contacts, allies, and friends. He always knows the best person for the job. Faithful Servants. Paddath has a group of servants specialised in the most disparate of skills. As long as he is accompanied by his servants, he is resistant to all damage. Paddath usually travels with four armed guards, but within the palace walls, the number of servants increases dramatically. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1 (1d4-1) piercing damage. Incite. Paddath incites up to three faithful servants allowing them to make a Melee attack if they still have a reaction. BONUS ACTIONS Trader’s Insight. Paddath can gaze into a person’s soul he can see and talk to, who must make a Charisma (DC 16, based on Paddath’s Wisdom) saving throw. If they fail, Paddath will uncover a personality trait and a weak point of the target creature, and they are charmed for one minute. The target creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn to remove the charmed condition.

286 Bond: The voices speak to me and tell me that where there’s a mystery, it can always be solved. Ideal: The voices speak to me and tell me to unite the people under the same faith for a better world. Flaw: The voices speak to me. Tier: 2 PLAUTILLA Medium humanoid (canide levro) STR 9 (-1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 10 (+0) INT 12 (+1) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 11 Hit points 49 (11d8) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Wis +8, Cha +6 Skill Insight +8, Persuasion +6, Religion +5 Senses Passive Perception 19, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Spellcasting. Plautilla is a 6th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks) and adds her Wisdom modifier to the damage for all her cantrips. Plautilla has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will) Guidance, Light, Sacred Flame Spells (3 slots for 3rd level): Beacon of Hope, Bestow Curse, Bless, Cure Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Nondetection, Silence, Spiritual Weapon, Water Walk. Healing Stimulus. When Plautilla casts a cantrip, a single creature of her choosing within 10ft can spend a hit die to regain hit points, as if taking a short rest. Divine Healer. Whenever someone regains hit points through Plautilla, they regain extra 4 hit points. Plautilla has 11d6 healing dice, which she can use through her Healing touch instead of the target’s hit dice. Prophet of the Ossarium. Plautilla has a special link with the Ossarium and the Bone relics: when she is in their vicinity, unexplainable supernatural events occur. ACTIONS Quarterstaff. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 3 (1d8-1) bludgeoning damage. Healing Touch. Plautilla touches a target creature who can spend up to three hit dice to regain hit points. The target can use Plautilla’s Divine Healer dice instead of their own hit dice. AZIONE BONUS Kindness. Plautilla can use the Help action as a bonus action. PLAUTILLA Every village has its harmless fool or local eccentric, but no parent ever wishes this role to befall their own daughter. Plautilla was born to a poor farming family in the Vesterre Duchy. Her strangeness had been obvious since early childhood, and as soon as she started speaking she used her new faculty to converse with voices only she could hear. When she disappeared, only to return one year later dragging behind her a gargantuan bone of probable millennial origin, the Church of Bones did not hesitate to swoop upon her like a sparrow: she was immediately brought to Nochemburg and appointed as a prophet; the Costolares who accompanied her to the capital, however, had the following to say about her: ‘I hath no doubt of the sanctity of the visions of the girl, yet she is simple of mind, and Nochemburg shalt be perilous for the likes of she.’

287 Characters of Historia Bond: Fate can only be bound with patience and reason. Ideal: I will build the best, most wonderful weapon of this world. Flaw: I always feel like using way more force than is needed. Tier: 2 RANIERI Medium humanoid (sauta boar) STR 12 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 18 (+4) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 8 (-1) Armor class 18 (rodelian half plate) Hit points 55 (10d8+10) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Con +5, Int +8 Skill Arcana +8, History +8 Senses Passive Perception 11, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Explosives Expert. When Ranieri rolls initiative in a place he has had the opportunity to inspect prior to combat, he rolls 1d6: the result is the number of grenades he has strategically placed on the battlefield. Ranieri can use his Grenade ability as a bonus action as many times as the result of the roll, with advantage on the attack roll. ACTIONS Ranieri’s Special Musket. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, medium range, one target. Hit: 28 (4d12+2) piercing damage. Reloading the weapon while moving and failing the attack roll will cause the weapon to explode, dealing 14 damage to Ranieri. Bayonet. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, reach 10ft, one target. Hit: 10 (2d8+1) piercing damage. If Ranieri has moved at least 20 feet before making the attack, the target must make a Strength saving throw (CD 13) or fall prone. Grenade. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, medium range, one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage. All creatures within 10ft of the main target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC16) or take the same damage. REACTIONS Under Enemy Fire. Ranieri has advantage on saving throws against being frightened and if he passes such a check he can make an attack with his Special musket. RANIERI DE’ PORCHIS Anyone who has heard of the Worms’ exploits knows of Torquato, and anyone who knows of Torquato knows of Ranieri: a military artificer of rare talent, longtime husband and father, but especially a close friend to Torquato. Despite his species’ reputation, Ranieri has never been one for excess, but rather meek and placid in demeanor. He has always favored calm and reason to overcome the challenges he must face. That said, watching him at work in the Academy’s workshops, between a pour of scalding iron and his numerous sketches, or on the battlefield among the smoking barrels, you will notice a spark in his eyes, even just for an instant, like the fire in the mouth of a cannon, before once more reverting to his reasonable self. Those who know that spark say that the real Ranieri can be found right there beneath it.

288 Bond: My life matters little; there is only the Cause. Ideal: I will see the Holy Kingdom undone, forever. Flaw: Sometimes I don’t know whether I am still Rolando, or only the Black Master. Tier: 3 ROLANDO Medium humanoid (felide cat) STR 12 (+1) DEX 20 (+5) CON 16 (+3) INT 16 (+3) WIS 7 (-2) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 18 (rodelian brigandine) Hit points 120 (16d8+48) Speed 40ft. Saving throws Dex +10, Int +6, Wis +3 Skill Acrobatics +10, Stealth +10, Intimidation +7, Deception +7, Perception +5 Senses Passive Perception 15, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 14 (11500 XP) Lightfoot. When Rolando makes a Dexterity (Stealth) check without disadvantage, he rolls with advantage; if he falls and is not incapacitated, he ignores the first 15ft when calculating damage. Elusive Target. Attack rolls against Rolando cannot be made with advantage; he can make the disengage, hide, or dash actions as a bonus action. Subtle Mastery. As a bonus action, Rolando can add +3 to an ability check made before the end of his turn. Lethal Assassin. During the first turn of combat, if Rolando hits an opponent who has not taken their turn, he deals 14 (4d6) additional damage, and the opponent is now poisoned until the end of Rolando’s next turn. Murderous Instinct. If Rolando makes a critical hit, the attack deals an additional level of exhaustion to the target creature. If Rolando hits on an attack of opportunity, the target creature’s speed drops to 0. Black Master. If Rolando drops below half his total hit points and is engaged with someone who is hindering his mission, he becomes immune to the frightened condition and all his attack rolls have advantage. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +10 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 19 (4d6+5) piercing damage or 33 (8d6+5) piercing damage if Rolando has advantage or the target is within 5ft of another opponent. Bow. Ranged weapon attack: +10 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 19 (4d6+5) piercing damage or 33 (8d6+5) piercing damage if Rolando has advantage or the target is within 5ft of another opponent. ROLANDO FROM ACQUASCURA There was a time when Rolando from Acquascura, lord of spies of the Confederation and unanimously recognized as the most dangerous individual in all of Vesteria, worked as a simple stonecutter with his father, in a village of the Lovemberg Duchy close to the border with the Green Pit. Then the war came, taking away his eye, his home, his loved ones and his trust in others. He crossed the Pit fueled by anger towards the Holy Kingdom’s rulers, he honed skills that he never even knew he had, and started making a name for himself in the reeking underbush of the criminal world. He reached the Confederation already in possession of an intricate web of informants, and through the support of certain powerful patrons (some say even the Correr-Dalmer family), became the Black Master, the one who always knows, and who always puts that knowledge to use.

289 Characters of Historia SIGFRIDO Medium humanoid (grarcona heron) STR 8 (-1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 10 (+0) INT 20 (+5) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 12 (+1) Armor class 15 (with mage armor) Hit points 52 (15d6) Speed 20ft., flight 40ft. Saving throws Int +10, Wis +7 Skill Arcana +10, Insight +7 Senses Passive Perception 12 Challenge 12 (8400 XP) Lightfoot. When Sigfrido makes a Dexterity (Stealth) check without disadvantage, he rolls with advantage. Magna Ars Opus. Sigfrido has welcomed the mysteries of fire, earth and mind. He has not yet chosen between light and shadow Telepathy. Sigfrido can communicate telepathically with any creature within 60ft. Spellcasting. Sigfrido is a 15th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): Firebolt, Friends, Mage Hand Prepared spells (45 spell points): 1st level. Charm Person, Command, Entangle, Mage Armor, Thunderwave. 2nd level. Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts, Shatter, Heat Metal. 3rd level. Clairvoyance, Fireball, Meld into Stone, Sending. 4th level. Arcane Eye, Confusion, Stoneskin, Stone Shape. 5th level. Destructive Wave, Dominate Person, Scrying, Wall of Stone. Major arcana (1/day each): Feeblemind, Firestorm, Forcecage. ACTIONS Peck. Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1 (1d4-1) piercing damage. BONUS ACTIONS Blaze. Sigfrido spends 1 spell point; the concentration spell he is currently casting does not require concentration until the end of his next turn. REACTIONS Quake. When a creature moves within 5ft of Sigfrido, he can spend 1 spell point to force them to make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, the creature is pushed back beyond the 5ft radius, its speed drops to 0 and it falls prone. SIGFRIDO THE ARCHIMAGUS The caste system that rules over all aspects of life on the Avian Islands is a cruel one: if the calling to become king were to appear in a humble Sparrow, they would still live and die as a servant. The injustice of it all nestled within young Sigfrido, who wanted nothing more than to be able to study arcane mysteries. His family had lost their status two generations prior and was now relegated to the Fourth class, preventing him from accessing those studies. Everything radically changed when Sigfrido, a mere fishmonger at the time, struck a conversation with a refined foreigner, a black Goat who was so impressed by the boy’s brilliant mind to ask him something unheard of. The foreigner was Alistaire, and Sigfrido studied under him for twenty years, only to return to his native isles as Archmagus. Bond: I can always be patient before acting to achieve my goals. Ideal: I will decipher the last mystery of my Ars and complete my Opus, so I may see what lies Beyond. Flaw: I must prove my worth, even if it means burning down all I find on my path. Tier: 3

290 Bond: Even Tanafonda has rejected me, so the Brethren is the only thing I have left. Ideal: Ensure the Brethren sees the recognition it deserves among the most powerful factions. Flaw: When all else is dark, I must be the light and never back down. Tier: 3 TORQUATO Medium humanoid (mustacea badger) STR 18 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 16 (+3) Armor class 19 (rodelian half plate and buckler) Hit points 106 (16d10+18) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Str +9, Con +6 Skill Intimidation +8, Persuasion +8 Senses Passive Perception 15, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 13 (10000 XP) Keen Smell. Torquato has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on smell and can leave a traceable smell recognisable by those with similar skills. Resolve. Torquato can reroll the first saving throw he fails after rolling initiative. Relentless Endurance (recharge 6). When Torquato is reduced to 0 hit points, he instead drops to 1 hit point. ACTIONS Multiattack. Torquato makes two attacks with his mace. Fury. Torquato makes four attacks with his mace. He can only use this ability once every short or long rest. Mace. Melee weapon attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning damage or 11 (1d10+6) if wielded with two hands. Musket. Ranged weapon attack: +7 to hit, medium range, one target. Hit: 15 (2d12+2) piercing damage. Reloading the weapon while moving and failing the attack roll will cause the weapon to explode, dealing 1 level of exhaustion to Torquato. BONUS ACTIONS Furious Assault. In the first turn after rolling initiative, Torquato can rally his allies into battle, allowing them to spend their reaction to make an armed Melee attack. TORQUATO FROM TANAFONDA “I thought Tanafonda would remember. But Tanafonda forgot. I thought I would be met as savior, but those ingrates look at me like they looked at Ermello and the Buchebuie invaders. I cannot believe I did all of this for nothing.” “The Pit does not deserve me, the Pit does not deserve to be free, and nor do its dwellers. I will have no family but my Brethren, no home but my tent, no peace unless I am at war.” “Good, I will hold on to what I have. May the souls of their ancestors damn them all,” Torquato said, throwing his sword to the ground and striding out of his rooms. Ranieri sighed, wearily stood from his seat, picked up the blade and placed it on its rack.

291 Characters of Historia Bond: My loved ones have sacrificed everything for me, and I will do the same for those around me. Ideal: I will be a shining example, a role model to follow in any circumstance. Flaw: I dislike those who are at peace with their conscience while surrounded by luxuries they do not deserve. Tier: 2 HERMANN VON ROTT Medium humanoid (canide dogo) STR 18 (+4) DEX 8 (-1) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 18 (plate armor) Hit points 71 (10d10+16) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Str +8, Con +6 Skill Investigation +4, Intimidation +6, Perception +5 Senses Passive Perception 20, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 7 (2900 XP) Untamed Courage. Hermann has advantage on saving throws against any effect that would make him frightened. Spirit of Action. As long as Hermann has over half of his hit points, he adds 1d8 to attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws. ACTIONS Multiattack. Hermann makes two attacks with his halberd. Halberd. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft, one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) slashing damage. BONUS ACTIONS Battle Cry. Hermann launches a rallying cry; he recovers 15 hit points, and all his allies within hearing range gain 10 temporary hit points and can use their reaction to make a Melee attack. Hermann can only use this ability once per short or long rest. VON ROTT Hermann von Rott is recognised as one of the most important and most talked about figures of the Conspiracy of the Seven, the bloody civil war which cut through the Holy Kingdom for several years. His origins were incredibly humble, and he proved his worth through heroism and tactics during the taking of Fort Lakeland to the point of being appointed to the Fort itself and its Duchy once the dust settled. The new Duke von Rott leads a fairly reclusive life along with his adoptive daughter, Elaine Duval-von Rott: few know how she has been the one to teach her father how to read and write when he ashamedly realized how the role of Duke would demand skills quite different from those of a soldier. With much more patience than expected of her age, Elaine thus forced Hermann to read out loud every day, choosing military strategy essays to ensure he would not get too bored in his task.

292 Bond: The People need no Master, they need a Guide. Ideal: I wish for a People free from the yoke of unjust Masters. Flaw: My words are clear, and I am incapable of not speaking them even if I really should be quiet. Tier: 2 WOLFGANG Medium humanoid (licai wolf ) STR 8 (-1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 10 (+0) INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 18 (+4) Armor class 12 Hit points 45 (10d8) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Int +6, Cha +8 Skill Insight +5, Persuasion +8, Survival +5, History +6 Senses Passive Perception 11, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Jack of All Trades. Wolfgang adds +2 to any ability check that doesn’t already include his proficiency bonus. Silver Tongue. Wolfgang can communicate with an ally without being understood by others and has advantage on all Charisma (Persuasion) ability checks. Trial and Error. When Wolfgang fails an ability check, a saving throw or an attack roll, his next ability check or saving throw will be an automatic natural 20. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee weapon attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. Words of Advice (recharge 5-6). Wolfgang can encourage and motivate an individual, allowing them to spend up to two hit dice to regain hit points and adding 1d4 to the first ability check within the next minute. Wolfgang regains the same amount of hit points. WOLFGANG GABRINUS Wolfgang Gabrinus was born in a small family of merchants in the suburbs of the San Mastino Duchy. An only child, he came into his elderly parents’ lives when they had already started despairing about a lack of heirs. He learned the value of work very early in life, helping his father in the shop where he could. Their business slowly grew, to the point where they were able to move it to San Mastino itself, a much wealthier location with better opportunities. Not much later that same year, the war between the Dukes and the Keeper began. The military effort of the noble families loyal to Nochemburg fell upon the shoulders of business owners. His father almost buckled beneath the new taxes. Almost twenty years later, Wolfgang is set on not having his belongings taken away from him to finance a war that has nothing to do with him, and the Black Master is very keen to support this fool, this revolutionary, this symbol.

Non Player Characters few people could hold their ground against her in a verbal duel, and lady Galerici would still emerge head held high and accompanied by the favor of anyone who would have heard her speak. Decorous and balanced in every aspect of her life, Agata allows herself a single personal pleasure: she migrates every summer for a brief stay on the small island of Fria, which she holds dear for reasons perhaps personal or family-related, but ultimately unknown. Bond: I travel a lot, but my heart will always be in Fria. Ideal: I would like to prevent all conflicts. Flaw: I can be overwhelmed by the weight of my family’s name. Tier: 1 AGATA GALERICI Medium humanoid (ansera duck) STR 10 (+0) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 16 (+3) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) Armor class 11 Hit points 27 (6d6+6) Speed 15ft., flight 30ft., swimming 40ft. Skill Insight +5, Persuasion +6 Senses Passive Perception 12 Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Cutting Tongue. A verbal duel with Agata is a big risk: if a creature fails an Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma check against Agata, she discovers a personality trait of the creature. Benevolence. Agata is capable of oiling social relations and economies. Once per day, she can allow an ally to gain funds as if they had spent 1 coin. Resolve (1/day). If Agata fails a saving throw, she can immediately re-roll. ACTIONS Peck. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. AGATA GALERICI It is often the case that Ducks, due both to their reputation and their appearance, will be disrespected, called ‘a quarter swan’, and mocked for their waddle from those who pursue speed on land, and for their inelegant flight from those who glide effortlessly on the wind. This harshly mocked Species, however, has also given birth to the Galerici family, whose name is being held high these days by Agata, great-granddaughter of the equally famous Violante, and current Avian ambassador to Rodelia. Even with her sharp mind and wit, Agata has not skipped any of the milestones of the laborious path which took her to uphold an onerous and honorous family tradition. She studied in Espera with the most competent of teachers, she lived in both Wind Town and San Mastino for long periods, and worked for seven years as assistant to the Avian ambassador to the Confederation Silvestro Attanei until she took the post herself, now middle aged. She carries about her position with gentle sternness, and despite her less than imposing size, her attire – considered very outdated in Rodelia – and her nasal voice, she is still one of the most respected diplomatic figures in all of Vesteria. Very

294 mechanism, which he redesigned in only 3 days. His path since has become one of grants, scholarships, engineering marvels happening almost by accident and awards from all corners. Well aware of his abilities, Amedeo has tried (and easily earned) the favors of Lorenzo Pavardei thanks to the incredible design presented at his talk at the Solcalante: a type of armored cart armed with fire cannons of unsettling power. Bond: I am thankful to my family for what I have received. Ideal: I will build something eternal and indestructible. Flaw: I cannot focus on one thing for too long. Tier: 2 AMEDEO VAN DER MEER Medium humanoid (rodenta beaver) STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 10 (+0) INT 17 (+3) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 14 (+2) Armor class 12 Hit points 54 (12d8) Speed 25ft., swim 30ft. Saving throws Dex +6, Int +7 Skill Arcana +7, Persuasion +6 Senses Passive Perception 9, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Jack of All Trades. Amedeo adds +3 to any ability check that doesn’t already include his proficiency bonus. Resolve (1/day). If Amedeo fails a saving throw, he can immediately re-roll. Take Advantage. When Amedeo makes an ability check with advantage, he can re-roll one of the two dice and choose the result he prefers. ACTIONS Amedeo’s Special Arquebus. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, short range, one target. Hit: 24 (4d10+2) piercing damage and 2 piercing damage to all targets in the line of attack. Reloading the weapon while moving and failing the attack role makes the weapon explode, dealing 24 damage to Amedeo. AMEDEO VAN DER MEER The general public’s favorite stories are about a smart young underdog succeeding thanks to their mind, smarts and charm, rising through the ranks to find their place next to the rich and powerful. Amedeo van der Meer, alas, only fulfils half of this equation, as he is indeed smarter than probably anyone before him. The other half of the story cannot apply, due to the outrageous wealth of the van der Meer family, among the topmost celebrated windmill builders in Wind Town, active since the city still bore the name of Windstad. Amedeo grew up between a library filled with family knowledge and construction workshops, where his father would let him play among woodchips and gear models. Unfounded rumors tell of how, at the age of 5 and without using any tool, he built a working replica of the historic First Mill after a single visit. His enemies think it a flat out lie, but even they cannot deny the truth: Amedeo was admitted to the Schola Ducale at the age of 11, after presenting an optimized version of his father’s windmill

295 Characters of Historia in under half a day, Rolando from Acquascura asked her whether she had encountered any obstacles. ‘At all, good sir, people speak freely in my presence as they take me for a simple-minded fool.’ Rolando smiled and kissed her hand: ‘Milady, you never fooled me.’ Flattered and amused, Anita started accepting more tasks, and soon earned the trust of the Black Master. Anita is currently active in the Holy Kingdom: since the young mad prophet Plautilla’s return, the high powers of Nochemburg are hosting her in the Keeper’s Palace; a personal attendant, especially a silly, plain one, was a necessary, innocuous gesture. Bond: Feigning ignorance opens you a lot of doors. Ideal: I always want to be surrounded by interesting people. Flaw: I cannot resist the Black Master’s charms. Tier: 1 ANITA THE SWEET Medium humanoid (canide domesti) STR 10 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 12 (+1) INT 13 (+1) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 11 (+0) Armor class 13 Hit points 18 (4d8) Speed 30ft. Skill Acrobatics +7, Deception +2, Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +7 Senses Passive Perception 22, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Fake Persona. Anita pretends to be a naive young woman. Trying to uncover the person behind the mask is impossible through normal means. Unmasking. Anita can reveal her true identity and surprise everyone. During the same turn, any target taking damage from Anita is considered vulnerable to her attacks. ACTIONS Stiletto. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) poison damage. Hand Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +5 to hit, short range, one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) poison damage. ANITA THE SWEET The Black Master has many spies under his command, but it would be inexact to claim he has no favorites. His Dames are the elusive Adelaide from Rossariva and the unsuspecting Anita the Sweet. Anita is the fourth daughter of a washerwoman and a carpenter, who grew up in a simple, humble environment. When she was sent, barely a teenager, to work in Cimbra as a maid for a wealthy coinchanger, she quickly learned of the advantages of appearing dumb. A servant who, when not silent and unseen, only makes naive and out of place comments is quickly forgotten. She started eavesdropping on conversations between the wealthy guests of the house as a pastime, as it is much easier to spend an afternoon scrubbing tiles if one is also rolling one’s eyes at the affairs of the higher ups. Anita was then noticed (surprising her, as she was so used to being ignored) by a one-eyed Cat who offered her a significant sum to report back a detail of one of her master’s transactions; when Anita did so without question and

296 stole the stage by presenting his incredible inventions to a cheering audience, and no one seemed to notice that his was not a lecture at all, as opposed to Antonio’s carefully prepared talk. No non-Avian had ever received such an honor, and the episode was just the start of the feud between the two. If Amedeo is currently ahead in most fields of the unspoken race, one thing is of consolation to Antonio and his supporters: the latter is undoubtedly the better teacher. Bond: Teaching is the best way: I always have the best advice. Ideal: I want to be crowned the best inventor of my generation. Flaw: I never recognize others successes, they simply anger me. Tier: 1 ANTONIO COR ACELLIS Medium humanoid (corbea crow) STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1) INT 17 (+3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 9 (-1) Armor class 10 Hit points 44 (8d8+8) Speed 20ft., flight 30ft. Skill Arcana +6, Investigation +6, Deception +2, Perception +3, History +6 Senses Passive Perception 13 Challenge 2 (450 XP) Trial and Error. When Antonio fails an ability check, a saving throw or an attack roll, he can choose his next ability check, saving throw or attack roll to be an automatic 17. Encyclopedic Knowledge. If Antonio makes an ability check and his final modifier would be below +2, the final modifier is now +2. ACTIONS Peck. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage. Important Lesson. A creature who is within 30ft and is able to hear Antonio’s words can spend two hit dice to regain hit points and adds 1d4 to all ability checks for the next minute. ANTONIO CORACELLIS When Antonio Coracellis came into the world there may not have been a lucky star above him, but the skies were definitely auspicious: the second born of a middle-class family of artisans and functionaries, he came to be in the shadow of Wind Town’s windmills, in a protective environment which nurtured his aspirations. His tutor from a young age was doctor Alban Visser, and he graduated from the Schola Ducale with full honors. When wealthy patrons started commissioning him new inventions and his fame spread, Antonio convinced himself of having forged his own fortune alone, unable to see how little he had had to toil for his success. His pride, also fueled by the secret resentment of never having been able to take advantage of the higher caste privileges of having been born in the Avian Islands, was mortally wounded at the apex of his career. He was invited to the Solcalante School in Espera for a keynote lecture, and saw his talk being eclipsed by the speaker who immediately followed him. A young, outgoing, arrogant and incredibly charismatic Beaver by the name of Amedeo van der Meer

297 Characters of Historia as the two had become as brothers, and the latter gifted Buccio the uniform he still wears. The bright colors of the Worm Brethren only fuel the animosity between him and the other bailiff with whom he is forced to share the post: Caio Lupaccio, faithful servant of the despot Ermello. Buccio hopes in his heart of hearts for the return of Torquato, maybe on Ranieri’s suggestion, and for his march to continue to Buchebuie to force the last drops of the poisoned chalice back down the throat of the home of hateful Ermello. Bond: Tanafonda is the place I can call home. Ideal: I wish to return onto the field with Ranieri, my brother in arms. Flaw:I need to be back in action, almost to the point of recklessness. Tier: 1 BUCCIO FROM GLORICANTA Medium humanoid (canide dogo) STR 11 (+0) DEX 18 (+4) CON 16 (+3) INT 11 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 9 (-1) Armor class 16 (rodelian cuirass) Hit points 59 (7d10+21) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Str +3, Dex +7 Skill Acrobatics +7, Perception +5 Senses Passive Perception 20, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Perfect Aim (3/day). Buccio adds 1d10 to all damage dealt with a firearm. ACTIONS Multiattack. Buccio makes two attacks with his side sword. Side Sowrd. Melee weapon attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+4) slashing damage. Gun. Ranged weapon attack: +7 to hit, medium range, one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage. Reloading the weapon while moving and failing the attack role makes the weapon explode, dealing 13 damage to Buccio. BUCCIO FROM GLORICANTA As one can easily surmise, Buccio is not from Tanafonda, but is still strongly linked to the contended city; during the first taking of Tanafonda in 1498, he was trapped in the city under attack. His parents chased away or killed in battle, and he, still a pup, was captured as he tried fleeing and thrown into cages with the many others sold as slaves in Salso Nero. Here he met a young and raging Torquato, and was infected by his desire for revenge, though they never really became friends. After many a campaign at the Badger’s side, and when the opportunity arose to take back Tanafonda, Buccio was so involved in Torquato’s revenge that the city-mine became a second home. The joy of seeing the city back in their hands was as great as the disappointment at seeing Torquato give in and leave shortly after: Buccio decided to stay, and to keep working in his post as bailiff, now loyal to a city which had taken up his entire horizon for a lifetime and so incapable of leaving. The farewell to Ranieri was particularly bitter,

298 of Buchebuie and his iron rule rather than the chaos left in the aftermath of liberation. The events of 1514 are still tragically fresh in Caio’s memory, as not only did he lose his beloved commander during those blood-soaked days, but also his wife and daughter, caught under a landslide caused by one of Ranieri de’ Porcis’ devices. When Ermello was hanged, Caio led the handful of anonymous loyalists who removed him from the rope and buried him in secret in the woods outside Tanafonda. Still today, Caio visits the tomb of his commander, as the graves of his loved ones are deep within Tanafonda itself, the bodies never found. Bond: I will ensure my commander is avenged. Ideal: I want to see Buchebuie ruled once more with wisdom and integrity. Flaw: I am convinced and will believe that my wife and daughter are still alive. Tier: 1 CAIO LUPACCIO Medium humanoid (licai wolf ) STR 18 (+4) DEX 8 (-1) CON 15 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+2) CHA 10 (+0) Armor class 18 (plate armor) Hit points 67 (9d10+18) Speed 30ft. Saving throws Str +8, Con +6 Skill Atletics +8, Intimidation +4, Survival +6 Senses Passive Perception 12, darkvision 30ft. Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Untamed Courage. Caio has advantage on saving throws against any effect that would make him frightened. Determination. If Caio still has more than his maximum hit points, he adds 1d6 to all attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws. If Caio has less than half his maximum hit points, he adds 1d6 to all damage. ACTIONS Multiattack. Caio makes two attacks with his bastard sword. Bastard Sword. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+4) slashing damage. CAIO LUPACCIO The political situation in Tanafonda after the reclaiming by and subsequent departure of Torquato has seen a number of reciprocal accusations from the various factions remaining in the city. Those lamenting the death of Ermello are seen as nostalgic for a despot by those who sided with the Worm Brethren – among the former, undoubtedly, is Caio Lupaccio. Arriving in Tanafonda fifteen years prior at Ermello’s side, barely twenty years old but already hungering for glory and battle, he had always idolized his charismatic commander since the days of the Fellowship of the Hole. A young Ermello handed him a pike when he was still a child, and taught him how to demand respect and impose order: this is all Caio knows and continues to do in his current position as bailiff of Tanafonda. Despite the regime change, Caio has maintained his post thanks to his connections to Mayor Fredegario Lanza, who has shown – perhaps less publicly than Caio – and probably still holds a definite preference for the invader

299 Characters of Historia dead weight of the Celeste. Queen Margherita conferred him the Mother of Pearl Star in recognition of his courage, one of the highest awards for a member of the Navy – only for Captain Torre to fumble over his already badly chosen words during the ceremony, stumble over the royal perch, step on the Queen’s mantle, and unintentionally cause so much embarrassment among the gathered elite that he immediately became the least talked about decorated officer in all the Avian Islands. Bond: The Celeste crew is my family - and you do not abandon family. Ideal: I will be remembered as the greatest sea captain. Flaw: Formal occasions unavoidably bring out my clumsiness. Tier: 1 DAMASO TORRE Medium humanoid (sulifo cormorant) STR 10 (+0) DEX 18 (+4) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 15 (+2) Armor class 16 (gambeson) Hit points 75 (10d10+20) Speed 15ft., flight 40ft. Skill Acrobatics +8, Perception +5, Survival +5 Senses Passive Perception 15 Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Untamed Courage. Damaso has advantage on saving throws against any effect that would make him frightened. In the Darkest Hour. If Damaso has fewer than half his maximum hit points, he adds 1d8 to all attack rolls, ability checks, saving throws and damage. Blazing Spirit. Whenever Damaso is hitten by an attack, he has advantage on attack rolls against creatures that hit him until the end of his next turn. ACTIONS Multiattack. Damaso makes two attacks with his pecker. Pecker. Melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) piercing damage. Light Crossbow. Ranged weapon attack: +8 to hit, long range, one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage. DAMASO TORRE The Laughing Egret and its crew of Rats have held numerous skirmishes against the Avian navy, and only once did they come out on the losing side. The spring of a few years ago, an unnamed foreign dignitary was traveling towards Nidialti on board the caravel Celeste, whose captain was young Cormorant Damaso Torre. Caution would have called for a more substantial escort for such an important guest, but discretion asked for other arrangements, and as the Laughing Egret appeared on the horizon, panic spread on board: no caravel would ever be able to lose the Egret in an upwind chase. The young captain ordered for everyone to abandon ship, swearing he would be able to intercept the Egret allowing for the mysterious guest and the crew to escape. The first mate begrudgingly lowered the launch and set the whole crew to the oars, leaving the captain alone on the ship to (clumsily) helm it directly into the much larger frigate. Damaso Torre was lucky: the small caravel hit the side of the Laughing Egret at fast enough speed to pierce the planking and remain attached, allowing its captain to fly to safety while the pirates were forced to work around the

300 Governor more), and she has always refused with a grace fitting to her name, leaving a sliver of hope to avoid publicly insulting Don Rodrigo but never promising anything. The only occasion which sees her paying a willing visit to Palazzo Valenti is when Don Rodrigo invites her to a preview of his new acquisitions, and many would love to know what words are spoken in those moments. Bond: Money buys everything. Ideal: I will own the best of everything in this world. Flaw: I alone deserve respect, others will follow my judgement. Tier: 2 DON RODRIGO VALENTI Medium humanoid (felide cat) STR 13 (+1) DEX 10 (+0) CON 17 (+3) INT 12 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 18 (+4) Armor class 10 Hit points 60 (8d8+24) Speed 30ft. Skill Acrobatics +3, Stealth +3, Intimidation +7, Perception +5, History +5 Senses Passive Perception 16, darkvision 60ft. Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Lightfoot. When Rodrigo makes a Dexterity (Stealth) check without disadvantage, he rolls with advantage; if he falls and is not incapacitated, he ignores the first 30ft when calculating damage. Opulent Wealth. Rodrigo has access to a vast array of resources, which allows him to gather enough coin to buy anything he desires within a couple of months. Faithful Servants. Rodrigo has a group of servants specialised in gathering information about art and his defense. As long as he is accompanied by her servants, he is resistant to all damage. ACTIONS Sword. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 10 (2d8+1) slashing damage. Incite. Rodrigo incites up to three faithful servants allowing them to make a Melee attack if they still have a reaction. DON RODRIGO VALENTI The penchant for excesses of the Mayor of Nova Marina is reflected in all aspects of his public image: well-fed, fancy clothes, owner of one of the city’s most beautiful palaces and half of the shipyards, accompanied by an adoring sycophantic entourage who both fear him and hope for his favor. Don Rodrigo is also the biggest art collector in the Confederation, and his private collection is only open to the public five days a year, during which students, experts, artists, and laypeople crowd the halls of Palazzo Valenti, admiring the incredible and seemingly infinite collection. An individual such as he is capable of buying anything that catches his fancy, so it is not hard to believe how much of a personal slight he takes the lack of one specific treasure: a wife worthy (according to him) of his position, meaning - without too many allusions - Maria Grazia Correr-Dalmare. His wooing attempts have taken all possible routes and forms (the people of Nova Marina still remember the time when Don Rodrigo ordered his shipyards to decorate all new ships’ figureheads to sport an image of the two in a passionate embrace, which obviously only irritated the