The Black Iron - 5th edition Grimdark setting (J Lasarde) (Z-Library)

51 Long Reach of the Daur Wielded by the elven skirmisher Lorjen Ferrik during the conquering of the surface realm he would often make references to cutting down humans like they cut their wheat ‘in great sways’. The pole axe was forged in the dying embers of the great fire that destroyed the dwarven capital city and burnt to death 3000 dwarven women and children, the last of the dwarfs. It is said that the pole axe screams as it cuts and gathers the souls of those harvested transferring the essence of its victims to the wielder imbuing them with power both to heal the body and to enhance the magical capabilities, as well as to give strength and endurance, the more the pole axe kills the more the wielder can kill. Last know location: Antria Visage of the Daur Worn by the dwarven assassin Herik Kranork to enter the palace of the elven lord Yelon Faressian and assassinate him, the mission was a success and considered the first great blow against the elven destroyers. Herik was hunted down by elven rangers and executed, his body nailed up on the great road as a warning to others, it is said that magic kept Herik’s corpse repeating the elven phrase ‘Sada Daur usan ur torajak’ which translates to ‘Our Elven Masters are Merciful’. The mask is said to make you appear in every way like your target and was created specifically for the purpose of the Elven Lord, which many believe means that it can only take on the appearance of elves. The Sisters of Stone have offered a sizable reward to anyone who finds the artefact. Last known location: Holy City

The Black Iron 52 Iron Shaper Given by the gods to the dwarven craftsman Kaerdin Gato as a gift and to aid him in the crafting of the weapons of the gods. The weapons and armour crafted by Kaerdin were paramount in the destruction of the giants. This simple hammer looks like any other except for a small mark of a horseshoe and the initials KG inscribed in the haft. The hammer allows the wielder to craft magically powerful weapons and items and it is believed that many of the artefacts were created using iron Shaper. Last known location: Unknown Towat’s Fist Master of the God Forge and quartermaster of the armoury Towat was the strongest of the gods, he built many of the weapons and armour they wore and is said to have taught the dwarves his secrets. Towat was also a lover of brawling and fist fighting and was known to enter many dwarven prize- fights disguised as a humble blacksmith. Many would consider this unfair as who could beat a god and it is true Towat rarely lost a fight, and eventually this irked him, he needed a challenge so he crafter Towats Fists. These unassuming leather gloves give the wearer an increase in strength and endurance allowing the wearer to fight harder and longer, they also increase the toughness and coordination of the wearer. These were given to the only person to beat Towat by Towat himself and legend has it that as Towat was knocked from the sand circle he vowed never to fight again. Last known location: Barche

53 Cloak of Gallows Once worn by the Executioner Valis, who dealt with those that the gods condemned to die the cloak was designed to not only disguise the executioner’s true identity but also to give him the strength to strike true and with a single blow. The cloak is made from silk and a fine mesh of an unknown metal all woven together with the hair of Loranda the most beautiful of all the gods. The cloak changes the appearance or cloaks the appearance of the wearer and increases the wearers strength. Last Known Location: Unknown Blood Gem A fine silver necklace that holds a red gemstone, it is said this piece of jewellery was the final item ever created by the last master crafter of the dwarves before being killed by the elven hero Jarith Torrel. Jarith presented the item to his bride to be on their wedding day and the day before the elven armies entered the surface world for the first time. The gem is said to hold the soul of the ancient dwarven craftsman and will enhance the abilities of the wearer as well as allow them to know the secrets of crafting held by that ancient master. Last Known Location: Crimson Citadel

55 The Blood Lords After the fall and the long winter began many of those that had fled to the Last City to avoid the destruction began to make their way back to their homes in the hope to rebuild, thinking that the cold and storms would eventually diminish and life would return to normal. What they discovered was a new horror in the form of the Blood Lords, these demons had taken up residence in the abandoned cities and began to gather disciples to their cause, and it quickly became clear that returning home was not an option. Who are they? No one is really sure who the Blood Lords are, some claim they are elves left behind and effected by the very magic they used to corrupt and destroy the land, others believe they escaped the Shackles and were experiments there, humans twisted by arcane chirurgeons. Many rumours and theories exist, what is unquestionable is that before the fall the Blood Lords did not exist. The Blood Lords seem connected, they recognise each other’s authority and no conflict over land or cities have been heard of, they each rule the land they seem built for, almost as if this has been planned. This knowledge of the Blood Lords connection has sparked many of the rumours that this was the last act of the elves to continue to control even after they fled. What is known is that they appeared after the fall and the Black Iron froze the land and this makes many of those that worship the Blood Lords claim they are gods, knocked from their thrones in the heavens and who now rule from their earthly thrones. What do they want? Power seems to be the obvious answer but power through fear as many that have faced them have died, they seem to send corruption out and those affected return as disciples to their lord. But, there is a method to their madness and an agenda, the Blood Lords seem intrigued by past artefacts and have sent out their disciples, cults and killers to seek out the lost relics of the past, they also seem determined to continue the depraved experiments of the elves and many of the lords have a good grasp of arcane magic beyond that of the Black Fort. There has been talk of a connection between the Blood Lords and the Remnant, neither has made a move against the other and if the Remnant are questioned regarding the Blood Lords they are vague, but some mages have mentioned that it seems uncanny that when the Remnant discover or request that a relic be found that the Blood Lords also seem interested in that exact same relic, is there a link between the two? The other connection is that both the Remnant and the Blood Lords appeared after the fall, what does this mean? Should you face them? To face a Blood Lord is death and discussion on the subject has concluded that it is wiser to whittle away at a lords power, cut off the head of the snake, because it is the disciples of the Blood Lord’s where their power rests, or so it is believed. It is from the Remnant that most knowledge of the Blood Lords come and from the interrogation and torture of the cult members. The Remnant are vague stating that taking away the source of power in the form of disciples who sacrifice offerings, seek out the relics and protect the cities will be the way to strike back, some Mages of the Black Fort have claimed that this makes us no better than the corrupted as are we not just killing those controlled by evil, and hence being controlled ourselves by what we presume are benevolent beings, the Remnant. Whatever your belief or reason facing a Blood Lord will bring corruption, insanity and death and it is advised that you avoid at all cost.

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57 Axas - The Lord of Blood and Vein Axas is the cruellest of the Lords and is known for gifting blood magic to his priests. He is said to reside within the Crimson Citadel, 80 leagues to the south of the Last City. Those who have been unfortunate to stumble onto the single road that leads to that dreaded place whisper that the Citadel’s walls are covered with freshly crucified sacrifices to Axas, flayed and perpetually suspended in some kind of vile unlife. Even as crows pluck their eyes from their sockets, or flies lay eggs in exposed strands of muscle, they scream Axas’ name, over and over again from ruined throats. The Citadel itself was once the home to an elven mage renowned for his experiments and construction of horrors formed from flesh. It is believed that the citadel fell along with the Black Iron as many claimed to have seen the place sundered by a piece ‘as big as a hut’, evidently this was untrue. Description The Lord of Blood and Vein, High King over all the other Blood Lords, Axas is said to be elven in appearance, though others insist he is a corpse reanimated, strips of flesh hanging from ruined features. Of course, both may be true. It is known that he walks the land where death lays, feeding off the blood of the slain, drawing it towards him in great crimson ribbons. He demands blood sacrifice, and his followers happily oblige, stabbing, skinning and slicing their victims with tainted blades, pledged to the Blood Lord. Wherever he appears, and whatever visage he wears, vein-like appendages extrude from his arms, moving with sinister intelligence, seeking out the freshly dead to drain. GM Note Approaching the Citadel is very dangerous and will lead to attacks from both abominations and worshippers of the blood lord. Reaching the citadel and entering its walls will place the characters in a situation of dire danger, facing Axas will lead to either insanity or death. Few have seen Axas and survived leading many to believe that the Blood Lord does not exist or is a story told to scare people away, but these are lies told to those with no intent on leaving the relative safety of the last city. Many hunters have witnessed the worshippers and seen the aftermath of their rituals, and some even claim they have seen the citadel itself. Followers The worshippers of Axas are a craven people often drinking the blood of their victims or eating the flesh. They travel the wastes in flocks preaching to towns and travellers alike, demanding a tithe or sacrifice to the Blood Lord, falling upon any who deny them in a frenzy of murder and slashing. Often, they are said to wear the faces of those they have killed or of a fallen comrade as a homage to them, and many a traveller has been found dead upon the road their face removed, and the Sigil of Axas burned into their flesh. The sickly smell of burnt flesh follows the worshippers as they travel as many carry and wave censers containing human flesh and hair or have them hanging from carts. They carry knives and razor-sharp sickles, which are used to attack and skin their victims. Most wear robes or armour made of cured skins (often human). To Face Him Axas is a sorcerer and master of Blood Magic; he is surrounded by his devoted followers and an aura of corruption which is able to turn most who set eyes upon him insane. Facing Axas is folly but it is believed that he controls all other Blood Lords in the Pale, so face him one day you must.

The Black Iron 58 Barston - Lord of Salt and Rust The forest of Wrecks which lies ten leagues from the western coast and includes the shackle isles is home to Barston and his Reavers. The bones of their victims hang from the broken masts of ships frozen into the ice around them. The Shackle Isles was once home to pirates before the elves forced them out and turned the islands into a charnel house of dark surgeries. The war and the subsequent invasion of the shackles turned many of the villages on the isles into ruins, but some believe that this is where Barston calls home, in one of the many abandoned castles on the islands. GM Note The western coast is still home to many small fishing villages struggling to survive, many of these ‘Ice Tribes’ have no connection to Barston and cast a wary eye towards the Forest of Wrecks. But further off the coast it soon becomes clear that corruption spreads beneath the ice, and no friendly locals will be seen there.

59 Description The Herald of the Blood Lords, the agent of their coming, Barston is the Lord of Salt and Bone. It is said that Barston was once a Pirate captain and scourge of the waters around the Pale Lands and that his ship was struck by a piece of the Black Iron causing it to sink. From the wreckage, he crawled changed, twisted bearing the marks of corruption. He was hailed as the fish king and lord of the oceans by the ice tribes and those that lived their lives on the sea; he quickly gathered followers whom he twisted to his insane whims. Barston is believed to be the first Blood Lord to appear, and his preachings foretold the others, some say that the words of Barston gave form to the corruption which whence came to the likes of Axas and Xertin. He has since been known as the Herald. Due to Barstons appearance on the Shackles, many have presumed that he is, in fact, a Ghul, but one that went terribly wrong as it seems that his merging was with a crab or Lobster. Followers The seas around the pale lands are littered with the wrecks of ships frozen to a standstill, and here, amidst these wrecks jutting forth from pack ice, Barton’s followers hide and wait. Pirates, Raiders, Reavers and wreckers — all worship and align themselves with the Lord of the Preserved Dead, dragging their victims out from the shore and hunting them through the maze of split-open wooden hulls and toppled masts. Once they are caught, as they inevitably are, the victims have their throats slit, and their bodies packed into salt. Over time, the withered flesh is removed from their bones, perfectly preserved by the salt. The meat is eaten in tribute to the Salt Lord, and the bones are suspended from the masts above the dozens of ruined ships. To Face Him Barston sits upon a throne of crabs and barnacles deep inside a rusting, rotting hulk. Like most of the other Blood Lords, his appearance causes discomfort and fear. A stench of decay and rotted fish emanates from his skin and blood is tinged with bacteria. GM Note Many of the Ice Tribes became corrupted and fell under the sway of Barston; these are recognisable by the totems of human bones they wear, the signs of corruption and the often-filed teeth. From a distance, they are indiscernible from the normal Ice Tribe’s, carving fish holes in the ice or attacking seals and other creatures that roam the ice.

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61 Kiall - The Lord Chirurgeon The great granite like bones of giants protrudes from the snow for as far as the eye can see. These vast monuments to dead gods are now home to the abominations, skull temples of corruption and death and rib cages of chirurgey and melding. Walls created by pelvis and clavicle surround the cathedral in the centre of this vast field. This is the home to the Blood Lord Kial. Description It is said that Kial lived on the Shackles, performing ancient chirurgie’s on the people sent there and that he was instrumental in the techniques of melding species together which eventually formed the Chimeers. His work was noticed by the Elven high lords, which led to him being transferred to the Holy City to continue his work there, among the elite of Elven sorcerers and chirurgeons. When the war came to the city, Kial was deep in its bowels amongst the screams and smells of torture and progress, and was unaware that the human armies stood at the gates and assaulted the walls of the city above. It was the thunderclap of raw magic that finally alerted him enough to raise his head from the abomination he was creating upon his table. This sound of a thousand realms tearing and the subsequent cracking of the cities stone, made Kial leave the caverns and cells and venture upwards to the surface, in time to see the Black Iron fall. From there time stands still as nothing was written in ink or blood, and the world changed forever. It was amongst the bones of the fallen gods, the giant’s graveyard as it had become known, that whispers of a Blood Lord with skills of a Chirurgeon began to be heard. They passed from ear to ear and tribe to tribe until eventually the Remnant in the Grand Library of the last city shuddered and declared the birth of a new threat. The malice was sent to see. Hunters watched from the hills above, and the people wondered if the spires would be enough, before going about their day. Reports of activity were confirmed, and that at the centre of the graveyard a new edifice had been constructed from the bones of those fallen. A cathedral of cartilage from which poured forth abominations and a creeping darkness that blackened the ice around itself with corruption and rancid blood. The screams of the tortured of whatever dark sorceries are performed in that foul place fill the air, a cacophony of suffering, pleasure, chanting and pain. Kial himself is said to be truly twisted, a mass of corrupted flesh that has melded and grown into tumours and cists, a rotting mass of disease erupting with feelers and tentacles that writhe and exude purple globules of sweet-smelling pus. Below this is still the form of the man he was, still dressed as a Chirurgeon the only clue to who he truly was. Followers Those that follow or worship the Blood Lord are twisted by his promises of immortality or physical improvement; they hunt down any that stray too close to the Giants’ bones and drag them to the cathedral for experimentation. The more worthy of the followers eventually become the abominations that now scour the lands spreading corruption and death. It is not clear whether the Order of Bones has any connection to Kial and his followers, as they do share an interest in the bones of dead giants. Some believe that the Order of Bones is a front or an acceptable public face for the Lord of Corruption which allows him access to the Last City and Below, but this has never been proven. To Face Him Kial oozes so much corruption that any who get too close will begin to twist and change internally and mentally within hours of being in the his presence. Those brought to him become his new fascination and are quickly adapted and reconstructed into an image of awful beauty by the lord chirurgeon.

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63 Laidon - Lord of Depravity The harbour city of Lortumia was often referred to as the city of chains due to it’s thriving slave market and transportation of slaves by the elves. The cities purpose made it a focus when the war began; many humans had seen loved ones dragged away, or had experienced the whip and chastisement of slavers to allow the city to stand any longer. The number of slaves contained in the city were subsequently freed as the armies surrounded the walls, assured that the city fell quickly and that the slavers were the ones that now wore the chains. Description Laidon had been a human it is said, a slave trader and degenerate that bowed and scraped at the feet of his masters to earn favour at the cost of other humans. His depravity, it is claimed, knew no bounds. Brothels that catered for any tastes, slaves slaughtered for the entertainment of the elven aristocracy, displays of mother eating child, father killing son enforced the belief that humans were nothing but animals. Laidon prospered as others suffered, rewarded for his debauchery and decadence he lived in splendour and wealth despised by other humans if he ever felt remorse for his actions or shame for the wealth he acquired it never showed. As the Black Iron fell, the city lay unscathed, but the tidal waves that followed and then quakes that followed those brought half the city to rubble, and then the ice covered the rest. Laidon survived the destruction, but the corruption had eaten away at his mind and as the destruction settled and the winter crept in Laidon convinced those that had survived to aid him in rebuilding. Those that listened were hopeful that he meant their homes and lives soon discovered that Laidon cared little for those things, and Lortumia once again became the city of chains. As the years have passed Laidon has become more twisted by the Blood Lords corruption, spending time in the presence of Barston and Axas has burnt his mind and curdled his veins, driving Laidon to deeper and darker acts of depravity and fuelling a lust that is now almost impossible to quench. With the help of Kial, he has mastered the art of keeping severed heads alive and now many of these adorn the city walls and the palaces, silently screaming or being used for lewd acts of depravity. It is said that where Laidon steps the ground blackens. Followers Those that follow the commands of Laidon travel the coast capturing slaves to fulfil the appetite of the Blood Lord and his baying maniacs that amass at the city gates to watch the fights in the pits, indulgence in the perversities available in the brothels and join the debauchery, the murders and unspeakable acts seen on the cities streets. The alchemists of the Vapour Guild concoct drugs that can kill or create pleasure, cause hallucinations or murder frenzies, these drugs are pumped into the streets from the royal palace at the cities centre, and a permanent smog hangs above the city to join with the wails and screams from within the city walls. The smog confuses and removes the inhibitions of any that inhale it, and those wishing to enter the city should beware spending too much time in the sweet, sickly smoke may mean they will never leave. To Face Him To view Laidon is to be both repelled and enticed, though his visage is bruised and syphilitic, coated in a thick layer of greying makeup and rouge to give the semblance of life he exudes an aura that makes any that face him become attracted to him, entering into a depraved orgy of corruption and physical pleasure.

The Black Iron 64 Nicran - Lord of Death and Decay Before the Southern Ash Plains lies the Dead Marshes, a 30-league strip of swamp and bog. Once a great forest that joined with sweeping grasslands that led to the city of Antria and the many mining ventures created by the elves, the fall turned the grassland into a marsh when the snows met the volcanic ash. Corruption seeped in from underground rivers, and the marsh became the home of the dead and their Blood Lord Nicran. This marsh has now been creeping slowly, spreading further out and will soon connect the Dragon Tail mountains with the Sea. Description No one knows from where Nicran came; some believe he was a hunter that was in the forest when the Black Iron fell, others that he was a Chimeer from the shackles that was washed upon the shores of the marsh before the sea turned to ice. Either way, Nicran became a Blood Lord and master of Wraiths. The idea that Nicran was a Chimeer comes from multiple sightings of the Blood Lord and his wings, a trait brought about from the melding of man and beast, in this instance a bat of some kind. Others

65 more loyal to the Blood Lord say he was an angel sent by the gods to protect those he feels worthy or to give a home to the restless dead. Nicran seems not to venture far from the Marsh he calls home and is content to allow his wraiths free reign to guard their home from intruders and to deal with them as they see fit. Unfortunately, this includes any travelling to the Ash Plains via land and have to pass through the marshes. Also in recent years, it is rumoured that the marsh holds secrets, towers and forts once occupied by the elves, and these places have become of interest to both the mages guild and scavengers alike. The truth is that Nicran is himself dead in some way and relies on his wraiths to gather victims from which he can feed. He was also indeed a Chimeer that was washed up on the mainland when the Shackles were hit with the Tsunami after the fall. Surviving on corrupted meat and poisoned waters of the Marsh he soon changed into what he is today. Followers The marsh has a quality that seems to bring back those that die within its waters and bogs as wraiths and living dead. The rivers that formed the marsh do pass by the holy city, and many presume that whatever powers were used there infected the rivers and lakes nearby, whether this is true or not the fact remains that the marsh is corrupted in a way that brings back the dead. The inhabitants of the marsh are part of a living, corrupted organism; each relies on the other to exist and acts like anyone entering is an invading parasite. GM Note The Marsh blocks the way south if the party takes the land route. It is considered haunted by many but also a place of many mysteries, mysteries of which, the Mages guild and others are intrigued to discover. The marsh is dangerous, not just because of the living dead that wander its swamps and forests but also because of the natural dangers, quicksand, marsh mud, and various insects that carry the corruption. Entering is a dangerous decision to make but may end up a lucrative one if you survive. To Face Him No one has ever claimed to have seen the Blood Lord in the flesh and the closest there has been to an actual sighting is of an enormous bat flying above the marsh, but this could have just been an enormous bat.

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67 Xertin - Lord of Conflict and Murder Barche was once a city of cruelty, men and women were pitted against wild beasts and each other in the grand arena or the numerous fighting pits throughout the city. The heads of those that lost were placed upon spikes that adorned the arena walls. Slaves transported from Lortumia were cut down in mass executions by the more popular gladiators. This is what passed as entertainment in the city of Barche, the city of Arenas. After the fall the city was left relatively untouched, the arena stood intact, and even some of the population survived, but they had become corrupted, ravenous and raging, scarring themselves and eating the flesh of any they captured, the city fell to horror and chaos until Xertin appeared. Description Xertin was a gladiator, one of the arena’s greatest fighters, his cruelty knew no bounds, and it was said that he even killed for pleasure outside of the pit, suggesting he was corrupted and broken before the fall. When Xertin reappeared in the city, no one knew who he once was; he had been twisted so much by the elven sorceries that kept him strong and the corrupting power of the Black Iron that many thought him a demon come to punish those that had survived. But all Xertin wanted was to kill and be praised and that is exactly what happened. Xertin is said to stand 8 feet tall, towering over many of his followers, he resides at the grand arena, and insatiable lust for death and murder is forcing his pallid to bring more and more victims to the slaughter. Often content to watch as his champions cut down their victims and feast on their flesh; it is known for Xertin to wade in armed with axe or club to kill all that stand before him, victim and pallid alike. Xertin has also exhibited knowledge of dark sorceries even though before the fall he was known to be illiterate and had no interest in arcane matters. A sigil etched into Xertin’s gut could explain these new found powers, but no one that has managed to hear a description of the mark recognises it, and many have presumed that it symbolises some type of barbaric shamanism. Followers They are called the pallid, pale skinned and hairless, cannibalistic and insane the pallid worship Xertin as a god, scarring their bodies or piercing their flesh with bones and thorns. The Pallid hunt the land around the city of Barche seeking victims for the arena or to eat. Hunting in packs like beasts and moving faster than any normal human should the pallid are a fearsome sight to behold and horrifyingly dangerous opponents. Many of the Pallid came from the barbarian tribes to the east and Xertin seems to have sway over those tribes with many worshipping him as a god. Anyone walking the mountains caught by these tribes loyal to the Blood Lord will be taken to the city and forced to fight or become food for the Pallid hordes. In recent months reports from hunters and scavengers state that they have seen the pallid miles outside the borders of the city in hunting parties. Fearing that the Blood Lord has begun to extend his reach and maybe even as far as the Last City, bounties have been placed on the heads of the pallid in the hope to discourage them ranging too far. To Face Him Xertin is a fighter and a killer and to face him is to face death. Xertin never turns down a challenge and his corrupt enhanced strength and stamina means that any who challenge him really should have something planned or it will be a very short fight.

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The Black Iron 70 The Luck of the Dice As you rise from your catharsis and decide now is the time to fight back you will need to learn how the world works and how to operate within it. This is done by learning the mechanics for day to day survival and how to overcome tasks. Learning how to use skills and how your attributes, gear choices and the environment around you influences the result and use of those skills is paramount to success and getting to live another day. Teamwork and knowing each other’s weaknesses is also important, along with understanding your own shortcomings and when to back away from a challenge you cannot possibly win. The world beyond the spires or deep within the dark roads are a dangerous place, darkness, weather, foliage, and the animal life are not your allies, and those that walk the roads are more often enemy than friend. Plan your journeys well and your comrades better. Attributes You are made up of four attributes that describe you as a being, each will determine how others may see you and will influence the skills that are linked to them. Each attribute will have a value of between 1 to 5, with 1 being the average human attribute. As someone that has risen up to fight back some if not all your attributes will eventually be above the average. Each attribute starts at 1 with the characters species increasing two attributea by 1 each. The player can also choose at this point too increase their characters Corruption to two in exchange for an increase of two attributes by +1. This is an optional choice and is only offered at the starting stage of character creation. The Attribute total is the number of dice rolled when attempting a task or engaging in combat. Body (BDY) Your Strength, health, and toughness. Your ability to carry heavy loads, to fight off disease and poisons and how well you can take a hit before falling. Body is linked to those skills like fighting with or without weapons, Athletics like climbing, jumping, and swimming, Body also determines Wounds and Resistance.

71 Agility (AGL) Your nimbleness, speed, and reflexes. Your ability to manipulate small items and use hand eye coordination, how quickly you can react to situations and how flexible and fast you are. Agility is linked with using ranged weapons, dodging, and using skills like stealth, agility also helps determine the characters Initiative. Mind (MND) Your intellect, memory, and knowledge. Your ability to remember details or information, how much you know of the world and your logic and reasoning when dealing with situations. Skills like Lore, Arcane and Healing are linked to the Mind. Mind also helps determine your learning and how quickly you improve. Instinct (INS) Your perception, survival, and Initiative. Your ability to sense danger, to know where to find water or what plants to avoid, plus your ability to recognise intent or to understand body language. Skills like Perception, Survival, and Scout use Instinct. Instinct will also determine Courage. Along with skills the attributes effect the characters Derived Stats. Derived Stats can be increased on their own despite the attribute linked to them but this is rare and hard to do, their totals will ordinarilly be determined by the attribute they are linked too. Skills Skills are used to accomplish tasks and are linked to the attributes. Each skill will range from 1-5 and have a number of Knacks linked to it. A knack is an element of the skill that the character has become above average with and is often only gained from the characters chosen role. A knack will offer either a bonus, a reduction in penalties or some other affect. To use a skill the player would roll the attribute dice keeping the highest result and add the skill number plus any bonuses from connected Knacks, the final result is then compared to the difficulty of the task with an equal or higher number succeeding. Attempting a Task without a Skill If you are faced with a task which you have no skill in you are considered at a disadvantage, but you can still attempt the task by just rolling the attribute dice that the skill is linked to, but instead of keeping the highest you keep the lowest result. Remember you do have a pool of Iron die for these very situations, we will discuss the Iron Die later in this chapter (Pg. 77). Skill Descriptions There are 15 skills in The Black Iron each with a number of Knacks. Arcane Knacks are only available to Mages Arcane (MND) Use this skill to understand arcane text, to detect and recognise magical effects and to use scrolls and devices. Knacks • Necromancy – Reduces the spell difficulty by one step when using the Necromancy school of magic. • Pyromancy – Reduces the spell difficulty by one step when using the Pyromancy school of magic. • Sorcery - Reduces the spell difficulty by one step when using the Sorcery school of magic. Athletics (BOD) Use this skill to Jump, climb, swim and any other active that will involve stamina and strength to attempt.

The Black Iron 72 Knacks • Acrobatics – The ability to flip, somersault and dodge adds a +1 to the skill roll when used • Ropework – The use of ropes for swinging, rappelling and tightrope walking adds +1 to the skill roll when used. • Tumbling – Breaking your fall from height or leaping off moving animals or vehicles, reduces damage by half when successful. Crafting (AGL) The skill of repair and creating clothing, jewellery and also potions and recipes. Knacks • Armour – Repairing armour takes half the time and materials, creating armour using a forge will make armour a +1 to AV • Alchemy – The ability to create poisons and to recognise poisons and create antidotes, +1 to crafting when the Knack is used. • Weapons – The ability to repair and create weapons, repairing weapons takes half the time and they will do +1 extra damage Fight (BOD) Brawling, wrestling, and unarmed combat can be used to block attacks and subdue enemies. Knacks • Dirty Fighting – When used and successful the target is stunned for one round if they fail their Dodge attempt. • Knockouts – When successful the target must make a Body roll to resist and a failure would indicate they are rendered unconscious. • Blocking – When used you receive a +1 to blocking an unarmed attack. Healing (MND) Used to heal injuries, works best with a healing kit, and can be used with the Survival and Crafting skills to make potions and salves. Knacks • First Aid – When used with Healing gives a +2 HP on a success • Magical – When used with healing gives a +1 to heal magical damage • Battle Medic – When used during a battle the Knack cancels out penalties to using the skill. Lore (MND) Understanding the world, people, and the past, used when needing to understand landmarks, maps and any other task that involves some kind of knowledge. Knacks The player can choose the Knack they would like to have regarding knowledge this could be on any subject except knowledge of the Blood Lords or Remnant. Melee (BOD) The use of weapons to engage in combat, includes parrying and techniques. Also the use of skills or unique and improvised weapons. Knacks • Dual Wield – With this ability you can wield two one handed weapons without penalty. • Disarm – During a successful attack you can choose to disarm rather than attack with no penalty • Sundar – During an attack you can choose to destroy the opponents shield or cover with no penalty.

73 Perception (INS) The skill used for detecting danger and hidden things, use this skill to thwart ambushes and surprise attacks, to spot items and to determine a person intent. Knacks • Search – When used to discover a hidden item, location, or door you receive +1 to the skill. • Sense Corruption – When perception is used successfully the GM will inform you of any nearby corruption what form the corruption takes will not be known. • Body Language – When used with Perception you gain a +1 to read the body language of the person you are communicating with to determine whether they are lying, dangerous or have a hidden weakness. Performance (MND) The skill used for performing and public speaking. Use ths skill to get the attention of crowds, playing instruments and story telling. Knacks • Play Instrument - The ability to play and instrument to a good level, this will add a +1 to the Performance skill or to many Social based actions. • Bard - You know how to tell tales and keep your audience focused on you, will add +1 to deception attempts and to crowd control. • Sleight of Hand - You can juggle and do card tricks using dexterity and speed, allows you to gamble and to use sleight of hand to amaze and confuse. Ranged (AGL) The skill used for shooting bows and crossbows as well as using slings and thrown weapons. Mages use ranged to cast spells that are directed at a target. Knacks • Mounted – This Knack allows you to fire whilst on horseback or travelling in a vehicle with no penalty • Marksmanship – Using Marksmanship allows you to use a ranged weapon as if you have aimed for a round giving you a +1 to aimed shots • Quick Shot – Allows you to prepare and shoot in one round, whether this is nocking an arrow, loading sling shot or unholstering a thrown axe with no penalty for doing so. Scout (INS) The scouting skill covers a number of important abilities such as tracking, navigation and nature lore which includes a knowledge of herbs and plants as well as animal behaviour and habitats. Knacks • Tracking – You are able to track over any terrain without receiving any penalties. • Animal Care – You are able to use scout to determine animals in the area and to calm animals that may act aggressively. • Set/Disarm Traps – You are at a +1 when setting or disarming traps. Stealth (AGL) The ability to move quietly and avoid notice, also to hide and conceal actions and items. Also includes stealth attacks. Knacks • Hide in Shadows – You receive a +1 when near shadows or using shadows to hide and move. • Stealth Kill - When attacking from stealth you may instant kill your target. • Conceal – Others are at -1 when attempting to find a concealed item or weapon on your person.

The Black Iron 74 Survival (INS) The ability to find food and water, shelter, and herbs out in the wild. Knacks • Forage – You are able to find food and water in the most hospitable environment without any penalties. • Find Shelter – You are able to find and build a shelter which will reduce the effects of the cold by half. • Medicinal Herbs – You will find twice as many medicinal herbs per round of searching as you would normally. Social (MND) Your ability to converse, negotiate and command others, determines your ability to barter, gather information or intimidate others. Knacks • Barter – On a successful Social you will receive a 10% discount and an extra 10% when selling. • Charm – You gain a +1 when dealing with people and getting them to see your way of thinking. • Diplomacy - +1 to dealing with authority and calming down situations in a tactful way. Thievery (AGL) The ability to pick locks and pockets, break an entry and to follow targets without being noticed. Knacks • Pick Locks -When picking a lock you gain a +1. • Pick Pockets - The target is at a -2 Perception to notice you pick their pockets. • B & E - You gain a +1 Perception to notice a places that allow you to break & entry into a building such as windows, skylights etc.. Gaining Knacks and Skills The characters role will offer a number of Knacks after which any further knacks can be bought using experience points. Some Knacks are only available to some roles. Skills work similar to knacks in that they must be bought using experience and those skills associated to the character’s role are cheaper than those which are not Skills and Knacks by Attribute Body Athletics - Acrobatics, Rope Work, Tumbling Fight - Dirty Fighting, Knockout, Blocking Melee - Dual Wield, Disarm, Sundar Agility Crafting - Armour, Poisons, Weapons Ranged - Mounted, Marksmanship, Quick Shot Stealth - Hide in Shadows, Stealth Kill, Conceal Thievery - Pick Locks, Pick Pockets, B&E Mind Arcane - Necromancy, Pyromancy, Sorcery Healing - First Aid, Magical, Battle Medic Lore - Varies Social - Barter, Charm, Diplomacy Instinct Perception - Search, Sense Corruption, Body Language Scout - Tracking, Animal Care, Set/Disarm Traps Survival - Forage, Find Shelter, Medicinal Herbs

75 Performing Actions Not all actions should rely on a dice roll, and those actions which are considered routine or easy should just be allowed to succeed, the only time dice should come into play is if the action has a consequence to failure such as injury or missing something important. Combat is one area where rolling is a must due too the dangerous nature of the actions involved. A GM could call for a dice roll when the situation is tense or dangerous and an action that would seem simple in a normal circumstance may suddenly become more difficult because you are being chased or are injured. When called to roll dice you will have a pool of D6 (six-sided dice) equal to your Attribute total to roll, once rolled you choose the highest dice as your result, for example: Rolling three dice with this result 3,2,5 would indicate that 5 is the highest number. Rolling three dice with this result 1,1,2 would indicate that 2 was the highest number The rolling of a 6 will always be the highest result but rolling a number of 6s would increase the result by 1 for each extra 6 rolled, so for example Rolling three dice with this result 2,6,6 would be a total of 7, the highest result of 6 plus a +1 from the extra six rolled. Example Niki has a rank of 4 in Agility which means she rolls 4 dice, Niki rolls her dice and gets the following result 2, 4, 6, 6. The highest number rolled is a 6 which becomes the result, but Niki has rolled two 6s so the second 6 becomes a +1 and makes the total of the roll 7 (6+1=7) Once the dice have been rolled you then add your Skill Rank and any other modifiers or penalties, the end number is your total which you then compare to the Difficulty Number (DN) you need to equal or beat. Task DN Easy 3 Average 5 Difficult 7 Hard 9 Very Hard 11 Extremely Hard 13 Near Impossible 15+ The above numbers are examples and can be adapted by the GM as they see fit, but they should work fine for all situations. Modifiers Certain circumstances can affect the difficulty of a task by making it harder or easier, climbing a rock face which may be easy on a dry day will be harder on a day of rain or snow, picking a lock will be much harder when you are trying to get it open before the guard returns. Modifiers come in two types those that change the difficulty of the task and those that change the characters ability to do the task. Modifying the Difficulty The GM should only modify the difficulty of a challenge because of environmental or outside influence, such as weather or danger, situations the characters cannot control. Below are examples of how a difficulty could change due to these external factors. Example Niki’s result is a 7, her characters Stealth Skill Rank is a 2 and this she adds to the dice roll giving Niki an overall total of 9. The Target Number Niki had to beat or equal was a 9 and because Niki’s result is exactly 9 her character has succeeded.

The Black Iron 76 Situation Modifier Wet or Icy surface +2 Darkness +3 Fog or Smoke +2 Wind and Rain +2 Mud +1 Danger +1 Immediate Danger +2 Partial Light +1 The modifier would be added to the Difficulty Number of the challenge. A difficulty number of a task is considered to represent how difficult that task would be on a clear dry day, so difficult numbers are never lowered. Modifying the Ability The characters ability can be modified by injury and the use of specialised tools and equipment, also by help from others (see Cooperation below). As you become more injured you will receive penalties to your attributes from -1 to -5, these penalties reduce the number of dice you can roll, depending on the type of injury. Fear can also cause a penalty to your attributes causing the character to become stressed and flustered, and these can range from -1d to -3d. Hunger, dehydration, and sleep deprivation also places penalties on your actions with the longer you go without food or sleep the harder it is to concentrate on tasks. On the bright side some items will offer bonuses to actions, climbing gear, lock picks and even healing kits will make the task more achievable by giving a +1 to +3 bonus to the Skill Rank. Ability modifiers will be gone into more detail in the Injury and Survival sections of the Exploration Chapter. Levels of Success and Failure Often you will roll much higher than you need or much lower and these will then begin to give levels of success or failure. Combat actions have different results regarding levels of success than non - combat actions and these will be gone into more detail in the Exploration chapter. For every two levels you are above the target number you gain a benefit and for every 2 levels you are below the target number a drawback. These benefits and drawbacks can be consequences such as triggering an alarm, or a trap, gaining more information or a bonus to your next action. The benefit or drawback should relate to the circumstances and is ultimately up to the GM, though offering it up to the other players to choose can sometimes be fun. The number of levels above or below should also affect the severity, someone that rolls 2 levels above the target number should have a lesser benefit than someone that rolled 4 or 6 levels above and vice versa. Levels of success and failure are a good way to make the characters feel they have succeeded amazingly or failed horrendously Cooperation A character can aid another character with certain actions, this will be determined by the type of action and whether more than one person can be Example Niki is attempting to unlock a door before the guard returns, the Lock is pretty simple and only has a DN of 6, but with the imminent approach of the guard this adds a +2 modifier, increasing the DN an 8. Niki has an Agility of 3d so she rolls 3d6 and the result is a 5, 6 and 3. Niki’s Thievery is 3 and she is using a lock-pick which is +1, altogether Niki gets a 10 (6 + 3 + 1 = 10). A result of 10 is 2 points above the DN of 8 so the GM decides that Niki not only unlocks the door but also gains a +1 to her next action.

77 involved, all crowding around a lock in order to try and pick it is unlikely to work, but aiding in healing or giving someone a boost over a wall are totally feasible. When attempting to cooperate the helping character will give a +1 bonus to the character performing the action which then can be added to the dice roll to help beat the difficulty number. Of course, even during cooperative actions levels of success and failure are still in affect. A character can only help another if they have at least 1 in the skill that is being used, without the skill the character cannot offer aid. Rolling without a Skill If you have no rank in a skill, then you still get to roll the attribute dice linked to the skill but instead you take the lowest number rolled on the two dice as your result, you still add any modifiers, including items, and you also receive the same penalties. Choosing a Different Attribute Sometimes a skill is used in a way that does not seem to fit the attribute it falls under and this is fine, just choose the most relevant feeling attribute and use that instead, for example Healing may involve intricate surgery to remove an arrowhead and you might feel that Agility would be better instead of Mind, or you could use Thievery to stake a location out and this might use Mind or Instinct rather than Agility. If you feel a particular use of a skill calls for a different attribute, then bring this up with the GM and work together on deciding which would be best. Attribute Tests Sometimes an attribute test is needed, this will not happen very often but will be needed to resist poisons or disease. When a test is called for you roll the attribute dice choosing the highest result and include any positive or negative modifiers. As long as it is equal to or higher than the target you succeed. Normal Actions during Combat You can choose to perform a normal action during combat rather than perform a combat action. Normal actions that are performed during combat should receive a modifier for either danger or stress based on the situation. Opposed Actions Opposed rolls are rolls that involve either a character versus an NPC or character versus another character, example would be arm wrestling, chases or holding a door to stop someone entering and so forth. With opposed rolls each player or a player and GM rolls the appropriate attribute, adds the appropriate skill and any modifiers and the highest result wins, it is as simple as that. Some opposed rolls are a forgone conclusion based on factors such as skill total etc and this should be a judgement call by the GM. The Iron Die Every action you take that involves a dice roll will also include an Iron Die, this dice should be a different colour from the other dice. The Iron Die is treated the same way as the other dice unless the Iron Die falls on a 6 or a 1, this could be a positive or negative consequence to the action. Rolling a 6 on the Iron die not only means it is treated like a normal dice roll as explained earlier but also that a positive effect has happened, this could be an extra level of success, more information, or even extra damage. On the result of a 1 on the Iron Die a negative effect has happened whether the overall result was a fail or a success. A negative affect could be setting off an unknown trap or alarm, a weapon breaking or even an arrow hitting the wrong target. Effects can be decided between the GM and Player based on the action that led to the affect.

The Black Iron 78 Example of Play The party is moving through a forest of dead trees, up ahead they see a hut, one side has banked up snow the other a lean to for a horse. This is a Rangers hut, before the fall these were scattered throughout forests and large wooded areas, but few survived the fall. The hut is a place of safety and warmth but judging from the smoke rising from the clay pipe protruding from the roof someone is already there. Ian is playing Borlan a Human Sell-sword from the Last City with no Guild Affiliation Phil is playing Jenfa a Half Elf Thief from Below with a Rank 1 in the Guild of Silence Niki is playing Tornee a Human Hunter with no Guild Affiliation Chris is Playing Fade a Human Mage of the Black Fort studied in Pyromancy GM: The area is quiet, and no snow has fell for an hour, the wind has died down and the only thing moving is the smoke curling up and out of the clay chimney on the huts roof. You can see light emanating from beneath the door and from its flicker the light is of an open fire. Suddenly from within you hear a slight whimper of pain. Tornee: Are there any windows? GM: Yes on the side of the building with the banked-up snow you can see wooden shutters. Tornee: Ok I want to sneak over to the shutters so I can peer in. GM: Ok what is everyone else doing? Borlan: I will wait here and tackle anyone that comes through the door. Fade: I will stay with Borlan. Jenfa: I will also sneak to the hut but will move to the other end with the lean to. GM: Ok so Tornee and Jenfa I need stealth rolls, you each gain +1 due to the snow, this is more about noise than reaching the hut without being seen. Jenfa has an agility of 3d6 and an stealth of +2 whereas Tornee has an agility of 2d6 and an stealth of also +2. Jenfa rolls 1,2, and 5, meaning Jenfa gets a 7 (5+2) with the bonus +1 this gives a total of 8. Tornee rolls a 2 and 6 which is a total of 8 and with the +1 this comes to 9. The GM rolls the for the highest perception of the people in the hut versus the lowest stealth result of the two characters which was Jenfa’s. The GM rolls a 1, 5 and 6 with the NPCs +1 instinct this comes to 7 (6+1) and no one hears the characters. GM: You both reach the hut without alerting anyone inside. Tornee: I will see if I can see through the shutter. Jenfa: I will draw my dagger and crouch down preparing for the hut door to open. Borlan: As I see them both reach the hut; I will draw my sword. Fade: I will begin to create a fireball. Borlan: I will also move slightly away from Fade. GM: Ok so Tornee you peer through a crack in the shutters and inside the hut you see three men, heavily scarred, there teeth filed to points and long metal knives grafted onto the fingers of their left hands, these are Axas Cultists, loyal to the Blood Lord. Tied to a cot is a woman, she is bloodied and bruised, semi-conscious. Tornee: Bastards, ok we need to kill these horrors and save the woman. I will signal to the others to get ready and then draw my bow and kick the side of the hut three times, preparing myself. Borlan: I am ready to leap out as soon as one gets close. Fade: I will stop my Fireball, with the woman in the hut it could be too dangerous, I will wait to see what happens. GM: Ok from inside Tornee everything goes quiet, then you hear shuffling and you sense someone peering through the shutter, I need another Stealth. Jenfa you hear the latch on the door lift with a clack. Tornee rolls agility and gets a 1 and a 2, not good her stealth of +2 increases this to 4. The GM rolls for the Cultists perception and gets 2 and a 6 making an 8 the Cultist spots Tornee and yells an alert. GM: You all hear a yell from inside the hut, but the door is already swinging open and one of the cultists steps out, both Jenfa and Tornee have the surprise so you can act first. Tornee you are using ranged so attack.

79 Tornee rolls her attack and gets three 6’s a Critical Success which gives a +2 , and a postive affect from the Iron Die, with her ranged skill of 3 gives a total of 11, but her bows quality reduces this by 1 to a 10. The Cultist would normally be able to attempt a dodge but the Iron Die result means that the cultist stumbles in to bow shot and gains extra damage. Tornee rolls her damage she rolls her agility and with the highest result is a 5, the bow does an extra 4 damage with a total of 9, the GM allows the bow damage to be doubled making a grand total of 13. The cultist is wearing skins and leather which gives 2 protection, but the remaining 11 damage kills him. GM: With a gurgle the Cultist drops to the ground his blood painting the snow red. The door to the hut is open and light from the fire spills from the hut. No movement is heard, and the two remaining Cultists are not leaving the hut. Tornee: I will keep my bow nocked and trained on the door as overwatch. Fade: Can I see the source of the light? GM: Yes, you can see that the fireplace has been lit, it is the only light in the hut. Fade: Ok I will attempt to absorb the flame, effectively dousing the fire. GM: Ok that would be difficult as you are a distance away, let’s say a DN of 10. Fade: Wow ok I will give it a go. Fade opens his arms wide and takes a deep breath inward, willing the flame into his embrace, the air seems to shimmer, like a hot summers day and the ice melts around Fade’s feet. Chris rolls his Mind of 4d6 and gets 2, 3, 6, 6. Unfortunately neither 6 is from the Iron Die. The second 6 adds +1 to the roll making a total of 7, Fade’s Arcane is 3 and he has the Pyromancy Knack which reduces the DN to 9, so with a total of 10 Fade absorbs the flame and the hut goes dark. Jenfa: As the hut goes dark I will sneak in, my knife at the ready. Phil rolls 3d6 for Jenfa’s agility an gets a 5, the stealth of +2 is a 7, because its now dark the GM lets Jenfa sneak in undetected by the cultists. Borlan: I will wait to see what happens and also deal with anyone coming out. GM: Jenfa you enter the hut and see the two remaining cultists, one is peering out through the shutters and the other is moving to the woman on the cot. Jenfa: Ok I will try to indicate to Tornee that one of the cultists is at the window. GM: How will you do that? Jenfa: I will mime quickly and point at where the window is, can use Mind plus Performance? GM: You can do that but Tornee will receive a penalty to understand. Tornee: What should I use? GM: Use Instinct and Perception Phil rolls for Jenfra rolling a 3,3 and 5 for mind and adding Jenfra’s performance skill of 2 makes a 7. Niki has to beat a 7 but then the GM imposes a +2 DN to Phil’s result making the 7 into a 9. Niki rolls Tornee’s Instinct and gets a 6 on the Iron Die, Tornee’s perception is 3 which makes 9, success. Tornee: I shift my aim to the window and take a shot. GM: You are firing blind but because your rolled a 6 on the Iron Die you receive no penalties, but the cultist will be able to attempt a dodge. Tornee: I should use instinct rather than agility to make the shot I guess as I cannot see my target. GM: Agreed. Niki rolls the instinct and gets3, 4, 4, 5, Tornee’s ranged is 3 which makes a total of 8, the cultist can attempt a dodge and the GM rolls the agility of the cultist and gets a 3, 1 and 4, with an athletics of 2 the cultist has a 6 and fails to dodge. Tornee: Yes my damage is 8. GM: The arrow punches through the shutters and pierces the cultists eye killing him instantly. Jenfa: Can I throw my dagger at the other one. GM: Let’s roll initiative and see who acts first. Phil rolls the d6 initiative dice and gets a 4 he adds Jenfa’s +3 Initiative bonus making a total of 7. The GM rolls the d6 and gets a 6, he adds the +2 Initiative bonus for a total of 8. GM: The cultist grabs the woman using her as a shield, one of the blades grafted to his fingers is held against the woman’s neck. Jenfra: I drawback my knife, not sure what to do, the woman could be corrupted, saving her could be pointless, but if she isn’t... GM: What are you going to do? Jenfra: I throw my dagger aiming at the cultist. GM: Roll your attack...

The Black Iron 82 Behind the Grand Cathedral in the Last City, out of ear shot of the chained priests and the howling preachers, is a crypt to the Last Knight, the one that led the first charge against the elves and took back the city. The corpse was allegedly dragged from the battlefield before the ghuls and the corpse robbers flocked to pick at the bones and returned here to the cathedral to be a monument of human bravery and strength. The crypt was built using the stones from the house of an elven lord, and what a marvel it is, adorned with a fresco of the famous uprising, marching soldiers led by a shining knight, no images of screaming, missing limbs, or soldiers shitting themselves as they die, all very heroic and now after so many years weathered and worn. Over the last decade skulls have begun to appear here, said to be an epitaph to those that brave the Pale that seek to drive back the corruption, the ‘heroes’ of the people, this macabre monument placed beside the crypt of the first knight is visited often by someone because the pile of skulls forever grows. Could this be your last resting place, will your skull grace the pile, or will you be the one that makes a difference that pushes back the corruption and strikes down the Blood Lords? Creating a Character

83 I n order to explore the Pale, you will need to create a character, and this is done through character creation. There are a number of steps to creating a character some of which we will do now and others that happen during the game and when your character has earned the experience or fulfilled what they need to advance. The Black Iron RPG is designed to be hard, to make you feel like death awaits around every corner and in every ruin. The world is trying to kill you and that is just a reality. As a player you must work with the other players and your GM to build a party that will complement each other and survive. The Four Steps There are five steps to character creation which must be taken in order, these are: Step 1. Choose a Species There are three different types of species available and each has their strengths and weaknesses. They are the Humans which are the most prolific species, the Half Elves and the Chimeer. Choose carefully as these cannot be changed. Step 2. Choose a Background There are a number of backgrounds that can be chosen and the species will dictate which backgrounds are not available to the character. These background tell us what the character did before they decided to brave the pale. A background offers skills, knacks and starting gear. Step 3. Life Experience This is where your characters experiences convert into points to spend on improvements to attributes, skills and knacks Step 4. Choose a Role The characters role is their position in society, what they are perceived as or what they desrcibe themselves as. The role will offer knacks and starting gear and also determine what Guilds the character can join. Step 5. Character Completion This step involves determing the characters derived stats. Before you Start Each characters attributes start at 1, two of these can be increased by 1 if the characters permanent corruption is increased to 2, otherwise the permanent corruption starts at 1. The characters wound level starts at 10, this will change during step 5. Aging The lifespan of a species is shown in the table below, the age of the character has no affect on the attributes or skills of that character, but it may affect how others view you or treat you, e.g. an adult will be treated differently to a child in some circumstances. Gender The characters gender also has no bearing on their attributes or other abilities. With so few left after the fall everyone is expected to pull their weight and work towards the survival of those that are left. Over two decades of scratching in the dirt and surviving what horrors live beyond the spires has toughened many beyond what they would have ever been before the Black Iron fell. Talents Each species has a unique talent they can use whenever they choose, often they are always active in the background and are just part of who the character is. Talents will be described within the species description and have both benefits and drawbacks. Movement Distance All characters have a base 30ft movement rate, this doubles for running and triples for sprinting. Being crippled in the legs will reduce this to half.

The Black Iron 84 Chimeer A small island called the Shackles lies off the eastern coast of the Pale, originally the home to pirates it was invaded by a large elven force sent to eliminate the pirate threat to shipping and fishing. The elves quickly took control of the island and the pirates were either killed or fled. What the elves found were fortresses and small towns all thousands of years old and presumably built by the dwarves. The elves spent decades on the island experimenting and testing magical powers and effects, some of these experiments involved humans in one form or another and it is now known that the fortresses of the island held vast dungeons converted into cells and torture rooms. These experiments were mostly barbaric as the lives of the humans were seen on par with animals to the dominant elves meaning that nothing was left off the table, and the Chimeer are the result of some of these horrifying practices Chimeer Characters The Chimeer are the result of elven experiments involving the melding of humans and animals through magic, originally it is believed the elves were planning on building vast armies of melded and it is believed they had limited success at this as one of the cities sent out beasts that seemed strangely human in movement and even intelligence against the armies of humans during the war before the fall. But it seems the elves took these experiments much further and the result of this are the Chimeer. Each Chimeer has been melded with a wild animal, which animal It was can sometimes be obvious on those Chimeer that are more animal than human and on the less animalistic not so clear. This can be a problem when travelling the Pale as many towns and villages and even guards of the Last City and the below will see Chimeer with more animal like features as being corrupted and will either attack or at least refuse entry through the gates. Chimeer characters should fall into the less animal, more human bracket mainly to make life easier and to be able to function like the human members of the party. For those that choose to have their Chimeer look almost like a normal human they will have an option to share their heritage with the party or not and likewise party members may have suspicions of the Chimeer character and how that is played out should be part of the fun. Chimeer tend to have short lifespans naturally, with the average Chimeer living to about 35 to 40

85 years, on the flip-side they tend to mature quicker than a normal human with maturity being reached by the age of 12. Most Chimeer will not remember their childhoods with the average age in game play being around 20-25. Appearance Chimeer who bear more human traits than animal will still have signs of their animal side, whatever that may be, they may not be obvious, but they should be there. The eyes are often a giveaway as are the hands or feet. Signs could be subtle like hair colour or slight scaling to skin (which can be covered up), elongated canines or a stub of a tail under clothing. Other signs could be a keen sense of smell, night vision or excellent hearing. The player should decide how obvious the signs are of the characters animal side, how much they wish to tell the party and how much they wish to embrace or cast away that side of themselves. Chimeer Names Chimeer were not named by their elven creators and the most they ever received would be a number. When they fled the Shackles and entered human society, they realised that a name would be appropriate and began choosing names for themselves. Chimeer names can range from the standard human names to animal like names and even just words that sound pleasing or beneficial in some way and Chimeer have been recorded with names ranging from Jared and Sara to Anvil and Wagon. Players should name their character whatever they feel is appropriate for their character. Creating a Chimeer The first step to creating a Chimeer involves finding out what your animal half is derived from, this is done randomly as a Chimeer has no control over the process. The player rolls on the table below which will determine the animal they were melded with and the benefits they receive. You start with the skills - Survival, Fight and Scout at 1. D6 Animal Benefits 1 Wolf +1 to AGL and INS Talent - Awareness 2 Bear +1 to BDY and INS Talent - Strong 3 Lizard +1 to AGL and INS Talent - Regeneration 4 Wild Cat +1 to AGL and INS Talent - Night Vision 5 Rat +1 to BDY and AGL Talent - Resistance 6 Boar +1 to BDY and INS Talent - Tough Talent Descriptions Awareness - You gain +1 to Perception when attempting to spot danger or traps. You are at -1 to hit or spot objects at Long Range Strong - You are brutally strong and gain +2 damage to unarmed attacks. Your hands are clawed which means you are at -2 with social interactions. Regeneration - Physical injuries heal back faster than normal and you heal 2 wounds for every four hours of rest instead of 1. Poisons and disease are 1 level of potency higher. Night Vision - You can see clearly at night as if it was day. You only see in black and white and cannot discern colour. Resistance - All poisons and disease are two levels of potency less. Physical damage heals slower meaning that you heal back one wound for every 8 hours of rest. Tough - You have a thick skin and gain +2 armour, unfortunately you cannot wear armour heavier than medium.

The Black Iron 86 Half Elves Born of an elf father and human mother the half elves are the last memory of the elven race and their cruelty. During the final years of elven rule, the elves began experimenting on human females to discover whether they could procreate with the elves and if the result would lean more to the dominant elven gene or the lesser human. The humans had always been stronger physically than the elves and fear of an uprising by the humans led the elves to attempt to create a hybrid, a race which had the strength of humans but the magical aptitude and higher mind of an elf. Human females were impregnated by elves, always against their will and placed in birthing rooms, cells were the pregnant female would spend the entirety of her pregnancy. On the day of the birth the child would be examined and if the child showed more human than elven traits they would be disposed of in various ways, the mothers returned to their cells and allowed to recuperate for 14 days before the experiments would begin again. Those children showing elven features indicating the purer gene were kept and brought up by elven parents. These are the half elves of today. Half Elf Characters Like Chimeer Half Elves are rare and find it difficult to fit in. Many half elf children that survived birth because of their prominent elven looks changed as they grew taking on more human traits, and this can vary from person to person. Those that look more human have an easier time in the cities and towns whereas those that exhibited strong elven features tend not to last very long amongst humans, this has led many half elves to cut their ears or scar themselves in order to look like their elven fathers. As a half elf you can choose to have more human or more elven traits, this doesn’t mean appearance but what you have taken genetically from your parents. Appearance Those half elves that have more elven features will try to hide the fact in various ways, the less extreme solutions are often growing their hair long or wearing hoods and hats in public but even then, that often does not work. In game terms those characters that have the elven trait selection will have the more elven appearance and this should be dealt with however the player wants. The GM may be less harsh on half elf characters allowing them to just have a harder time than normal by adding penalties to social tasks, but this should be discussed. Those half elves with more human features will be treated as any normal human would and their more agile movement or being more attuned

87 magically can be easily explained away by training or other reasons. Appearance is linked to how human or elven you want the character to be, there are benefits to both and the world the GM decides to create, what laws, prejudices and fears they emphasis will affect you more in one way than the other. Half Elf Names No intelligent or self-respecting Half Elf will take an elven name so many take human names, though this is often just first names and often they choose names that have a flourish to them. Male: Arvo, Alain, Bertran, Davron, Ethan, Finnis, Garrett, Herron, Isaac, Jeremi, Kendrick, Lothian, Mallack, Niallin, Oris, Pelta, Reso, Severin, Talon, Verren, Wellem. Female: Aria, Bella, Corinth, Dera, Elaine, Fraia, Gesa, Heather, Ila, Jena, Kora, Lauren, May, Nelly, Oria, Poppy, Resia, Sorella, Tia, Violet, Creating a Half Elf The first step is choosing which ancestry will be the dominant one, once this has been decided just take the benefits that apply. You start with the skills - Athletics, Fight and Survival at 1. Elven Ancestry You have the dominant elven gene Starting Attributes +1 Agility, +1 Mind Traits choose one Dark Vision - You can see in natural darkness without penalty. Balance - You receive no penalty moving on narrow ledges or branches. Conduit - Magic comes easy to you and all spells are one dificulty level less. Human Ancestry You have the dominant human gene. Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Agility Traits choose one Courage - You gain +1 to courage rolls when facing fear inducing threats. Conduit - Magic comes easy to you and all spells are one dificulty level less. Resistant - You are more resistant to disease and poison with the potency of each being 1 less. The Genes Those characters with the dominant Elven gene will look more like typical elves, dark haired, grey eyes and the pointed ears. These features will make all social interactions more difficulty (-2) even in some cases impossible. Choosing a character with a dominant Elven gene will be a challenging choice. The characters with a dominant Human gene will have a much easier time of it as they will look a lot more human and unless scrutinised closely will pass as human most times. This will cause no social issues. Characters with dominant human genes may wish to keep their ancestry to themselves and this is possible as it will be almost impossible to tell without a close examniation.

The Black Iron 88 Humans The humans had thrived in the Pale for hundreds of years before the elves arrived, and they had thrived pretty well. Built to adapt the humans could survive in most environments and this had spread them not only across the land but into the mountains and the seas. Cultures sprung up as did regional accents, religion became important to many and altars and temples could be found in many towns and villages. Life was harsh but good for most. Of course, there was still crime, still those that would take from others, the world was not any kind of paradise. Since the fall life has got harder with the cold, corruption and attacks from Fanatics and Cults supporting the Blood Lords being a common cause of death. Those that could fled behind the walls of the Last City or deep underground to the ruins, but many still live out there in the cold trying to survive, and many are losing the battle. Human Characters Humans are the most common species in the Pale, most towns and villages are human, the Last City is mainly human, and your party will be at least 80% human. When the last war began many humans, who had not joined the army fled for safety to the last city or walked the roads as refugees, fleeing the elven lords and their revenge. This movement disrupted the cultural differences of the humans as they all mostly ended up in the Last City which was ironically the first city to fall to the humans. Those barbarian tribes in the mountains were mostly untouched by the war and to many it was news that only affected others. But when the war ended, and the Black Iron fell, the corruption spread and it was the tribes and their indifference that were infected first. Those tribes that could attempted to flee and some ended up in the mountains north of the Last City and safely behind the Spires. Many humans fell to war and then later to corruption and the lure of the Blood Lords, these are what make up the largest part of the cults, bandits and slavers, not to mention the corrupted that plague the Pale. But behind the walls of the Last City and deep within the dwarven ruins humans continue to thrive and many have begun to fight back.

89 Appearance Humans vary vastly in appearance from short and tall, to thin and fat, dark hair to light hair, dark skin to light skin. Accents vary, customs are unique, and clothing goes from rags to well made and expensive. What makes you different is often your attitude and how you see the world, the way you treat others and your moral codes. People of the north tend to have fairer hair and paler skin, whereas people from the Ash Lands in the south will have darker skin, with those living on the coast ruddy complexions. Because of the refugees the Last City is a metropolis of cultures. Human Names The human population come from all regions and all backgrounds and in many cases status from family names no longer mean a thing. Below is a selection of male and female names most common amongst the human population. Male: Arvo, Alain, Bertran, Davron, Ethan, Finnis, Garrett, Herron, Isaac, Jeremi, Kendrick, Lothian, Mallack, Niallin, Oris, Pelta, Reso, Severin, Talon, Verren, Wellem. Female: Aria, Bella, Corinth, Dera, Elaine, Fraia, Gesa, Heather, Ila, Jena, Kora, Lauren, May, Nelly, Oria, Poppy, Resia, Sorella, Tia, Violet. Creating a Human Creating a human character will involve choosing what part of the Pale they will come from. The Last City You were born and raised in the Last City either within the city itself of the refugee camps that surround it. You start with the Skills - Crafting, Fight and Social at 1. . Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Mind Dragonclaw Mountains You were born into one of the many tribes that call the mountains that shadow the Last City home. You start with the skills - Athletics, Ranged and Scout at 1 Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Instinct Southern Plains You come from the Ashlands in the south, you have darker skin and be of a slight build compared to the more hardy northern humans. You start with the skills - Athletics, Melee and Stealth Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Agility The Below You were born and raised in the cities below, living your life surrounded by stone lit by candles and lanterns. You have a palid complexion Starting Attributes +1 Agility, +1 Mind Eastern Coast You grew up on the eastern coast, a harsh cold existence living off the fish under the ice, avoiding raiders and other horrors. You have a ruddy complexion. Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Instinct Traits choose one Courage - You gain +1 to courage rolls when facing fear. Resistant - You are more resistant to disease and poison with the potency of each being 1 less. Ambidextrous - You can use both hands equally and receive no penalty for duel wielding weapons.

The Black Iron 90 Backgrounds Everyone has a past and your character is no exception. What your character did before they decided to face the horrors of the pale is as important as their species in terms of making them who they are and what they know. Many backgrounds may relate to your families profession rather than the characters, the character would have grown up learning the family trade. The following backgrounds are not available to every species and will be clearly marked to indicate which species can take them. Each background also offers a number of skills and knacks that the character begins with. Characters can choose to keep their background and make it their role, this will mean that they will expand the backgrounds basic description to encompass their new endeavours and all skills gained from the background will increase by 1 point. It is suggested that the player creates a story around their characters background to add depth and maybe even future options for the GM to personalise the encounters or adventures. Niki makes a Last City human character and decides to pick a Vagrant Background as she wants to play a Thief type character. Niki adds a short background story of her character growing up in the slums, her only family the other urchins and members of the silent guild who employed the young uns to cause distractions or climb into small places. The GM makes a note of this and considers that maybe some point in the future Niki’s character may get called to help one of those urchin friends who has got themselves into a bit of strife or maybe Niki owes the Silent Guild a debt or favour. Either way plenty of food for thought and future adventures. Artisan (Human) You grew up learning the skills of an artisan whether that be the art of the armourer, the weaponsmith or the alchemist. You learnt everything needed to ply your trade, though you may have chose a different path, the knowledge never leaves you. Skills – Crafting, Lore, Social plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks – Armour, Weapons or Alchemist (Choose One), a Lore Knack, Barter Starting Gear Tools of your trade, warm clothing, an item of your trade (common weapon, armour or potion). backpack, rations. Hunter (Human/Half Elf ) You learnt the skills of a Hunter whether that was hunting in the ice for fish and crabs or deep in the pale for rabbit and deer. You learnt to track and skin your kills and recognise dangers and traps. Skills – Lore, Ranged, Survival plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks – Wilderness, Marksmanship, Forage Starting Gear Warm clothing, common bow, 20 arrows, light armour, backpack, rations. Merchant (Human) You grew up learning how to trade and sell, maybe your parents were merchants in the city or traders moving from town to town in the pale or the cities below. You learnt how to deal with people and the value of items. Skills – Lore, Perception, Social plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks – History, Body Language, Barter

91 Starting Gear Warm clothing, backpack, rations, credit at a traders for d10 x 10 BC. Militia (Human) Soon as you were old enough you joined the Militia, went through the two weeks training then went out to guard the gates, patrol the slums or break up bar fights and hunt down criminals. Skills – Lore, Melee, Social plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks – City Laws, Disarm, Diplomacy Starting Gear Warm clothing, light armour, common melee weapon, backpack, rations. Nomadic (All) You travelled the Pale moving from town to town, avoiding fanatics and corrupted horrors. Maybe you sold skins and other animal products, or you may have been travelling performers juggling, telling stories, or playing instruments for any that would listen and pay for the privilege. Skills – Athletics, Performance, plus three skills of your choice Social all at +1 Knacks – Acrobatics, Any one performance knack, Barter Starting Gear Warm clothing, Instrument, common weapon, backpack, rations. Novice (Half Elf/Human) From a very young age you were taken by the Black Fort for exhibiting an affinity for magic and the arcane arts. Your younger years were spent in study, experimentation and meditation. The outside world did not exist for you, it was just a memory. Then one day you were a novice no longer and you were cast out into the Pale to prove your worth as a mage. Skills Arcane, Healing, Lore plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks Pyromancy, Necromancy or Sorcery (choose one), Magical Healing, Arcane Lore. Starting Gear Warm clothing, scroll cases, pack, staff, rations, grimoire Tribal (Human) You were born amongst the many tribes that can be found in the Dragon Claw mountains. Life was hard amongst the ice and stone of the peaks and canyons and you learnt many skills to survive. Your tribal roots are important to you and you still wear the gewgaws and colours of your tribe. Skills – Crafting, Scout, Survival plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks – Weapons, Tracking, Forage Starting Gear Warm clothing, tribal gewgaws, common melee weapon, backpack, rations. Vagrant (All) You grew up in the slums and refugee camps outside the cities, living off your wits by stealing, begging, and sometimes even mugging your victims. You learnt many diverse skills and gained something interesting friends and enemies. Skills – Fight, Stealth and Thievery plus three skills of your choice all at +1 Knacks – Dirty Fighting, Hide in Shadows, Pick Pockets Starting Gear Clothing, lock picks, dagger or sling, backpack, rations.

The Black Iron 92 Life Experience Early Experience Early experience is to show your progress through life up until the moment you decided/accepted or fell into your role. Every role has prerequisites which can be attributes, backgrounds, or skills that you must have in order to become or be recognised as that role, this is why advancement comes half way through character creation rather than at the end. Choose you Role Before continuing with Life Experience it is a good idea to have a role in mind for your character this will allow you to decide how to advance in order to hit the prerequisites that role requires. Spend some time thinking about the type of character you would like to play, why they decided to change to an adventurer or explorer and what they would need to know and be skilled in to fulfil the roles expectations. Future Experience All future advancements are done from experiencing the world as a group rather than as individuals, with each member of the group receiving points as the group rises in ranks. This is explained on page 104 Start Experience Everything you have done to your character up to now plays a part in their ability to advance and learn. Your attributes, skills and Knacks are split into two types Primary and Secondary, any attribute increases you gained from your Race are considered Primary, likewise with any skills you gained from backgrounds these are also Primary. Every other attribute and skill is considered Secondary. Primary attributes and skills are cheaper to advance then secondary ones. Knacks whether they are for a primary or secondary skill will always cost the same. On the character sheet there is a boxes next to the attributes and skills, these can be ticked to indicate their primary status. Derived Stats cannot be advanced using experience points, only through improving the attributes they are derived from. Experience Points Each character receives 50 experience points to spend and these can be spent however they like. The cost of advancing attributes and skills as well as buying knacks are shown on the table opposite. In order to advance either an attribute or skill you must be at the previous total, for example to increase a skill to 2 that skill must have a current total of 1. So to advance to 2 you must first advance to 1 and then advance to 2.

93 Advancement Table Attribute Skills Cost 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 Primary 10 15 25 50 - 10 15 20 25 Secondary 20 30 50 75 10 20 30 40 50 Derived Stats +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Wounds 3 5 7 10 15 18 21 25 30 40 Knacks 25

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95 Martial Born to fight whether it be with blade, fist or club, you are the front-line of every conflict and the heroes that storytellers speak of, but those are pretty tales of princesses and vanquishing evil the truth is much grimmer and much more shit stained. To be a fighter is to have a life of glory and defeat, soaked in blood sometimes your own often that of others, it is to face your fears with a grin and deal with whatever is out there in the darkness. Sell Sword They call you a mercenary, killer, adventurer and sometimes even bandit, but you are just trying to survive in a messed-up situation, there are things out there in the ice and darkness that want to kill us and it is often up to the few to stop that from happening, asking for payment seems like a small inconvenience. They say join the Militia, why would you do that? Taking orders, patrolling streets, risking your life for just enough to feed yourself is a fool’s game, you’re better than that. No job is unworthy or dishonourable, as long as they pay or there is a promise of wealth and fame at the end of it then it’s worth doing, but the reward has to match the danger, reputation is everything and your profession hinges on your reputation. Prerequisite - Body 3, Melee Skill 2+ Background - Any Bonus Skills - Athletics, Fight, Stealth +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. Warrior You are the weapon, the avenger and the wall holding back the horde. You go where you are needed and kill what needs to be killed. You have trained with the most brutal of weapons. walked miles in the heaviest armour and spat in deaths eye. You are a killer there is no denying it, you have no interest in heirs and graces, don’t care if someone is noble or a beggar, they all die the same. If something needs to be killed or someone needs protecting you are sent, you do not fear death you embrace it and up to now it has not been you that death embraces back. Prerequisite - Body 4, Melee Skill 3+ Background - Any Bonus Skills - Athletics, Healing, Perception +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. Brave You protect the tribe from dangers that wish to take what you have or destroy the tribe altogether. This is your calling and what the ancestors chose for you and you are proud to be the tribe’s strength. You trained with the other Braves and as you came of age were sent out to seek your first kill, in your case this was a mountain cat that had killed a hunter of the tribe. You sought out the cat, and with your spear, you slew it and returned with its head, from that day you became a Brave. There are bigger dangers out there than mountain cats, and you will do what it takes to protect the tribe, even if that means travelling to the city and joining with teams to hunt down the corrupted monsters that live on the ice. One less monster is one less danger to the tribe. Prerequisite - Body 3, Melee Skill 3+ Background - Tribal Bonus Skills - Fight, Perception, Survival +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2.

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97 Exploration S earching through the ruins of the past can be a dangerous pastime, but it can be highly rewarding, which is the only reason anyone does it. Explorers travel those paths others fear, and many join with parties for safety in numbers. Explorers exist both above and below ground, with those below travelling the ancient unmapped dwarven roads and those above going to the ruins of the elven cities to find artefacts, knowledge and wealth. Those that return are sometimes hailed as heroes and become well known amongst the guilds others have been blamed for several issues due to their unearthing of knowledge that some feel was best left lost. Knowledge Broker Seekers of knowledge and lore, you search the ancient libraries of the dwarves the ruined cities of the elves and unearth those secrets wanted by Mages and rulers alike. The value of lost cartography, forbidden incantations, and damned experiments is high as long as you know the right people to offer it too. The Knowledge Broker is not just someone that finds the knowledge but is often the one that also has access to knowledge, many keep the most important finds to themselves or study their discoveries before passing them on. Prerequisite - Mind 3, Lore Skill 3+ Background - Any Bonus Skills - Athletics, Scout, Social +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. Relic Hunter The elves are known for their powerful magical artefacts, and the dwarves created mechanical wonders that still operate in the cities today, finding more of these relics is the goal of the Relic Hunter. Dealing with unknown magic’s and ancient contraptions is a dangerous job, and each Relic Hunter must understand the risks and prepare themselves for all eventualities. The understanding and knowledge of a relic are not just recognising it’s worth but also the possible implications of handling such dangerous artefacts. Prerequisite - Mind 3, Lore Skill 3+ Background - Any Bonus Skills - Arcane, Scout, Social +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. (Arcane knacks unavailable). Treasure Seekers Wealth and profit is the only law, and what you search for has to be worth something to someone. Old books and scrolls are hard to shift, and who knows what an artefact looks like? Give them gold, silver and famous pieces of art and they will find a buyer. Treasure Seekers are rare amongst Explorers as money is really no longer a recognised currency, and often what they find is exchanged for favour and reputation. Prerequisite - Mind 2, Social Skill 3+ Background - Any Bonus Skills - Athletics, Social, Thievery +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. (Thievery knacks unavailable).

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99 Arcana A student of the arcane and the mysteries. You spend your days in the grand library or one of the many guild houses established by the Black Fort that tutor and select Mages. To become a member of the Black Fort is not an easy task, and the work is hard and dangerous with Mages leaving or dying before they reach full power. Mages are expected to not only know their histories but also to have knowledge of the world outside the guildhall doors and the city gates, and many are sent on tasks to test their resolve, temper their knowledge and measure their ability to avoid corruption. Necromancy Novices often start as students of local healers before beginning the study of Necromancy and joining a guildhall. The Black Fort is very aware of the power and misuse of that power that Necromancy is often associated with and keeps a close eye on the Novices. The art of Necromancy is the study of healing through the study of death and what causes death, and this includes poisons, disease, and death by other means. You aspire to be a Necromancer and have studied the lesser rings of the art. The study of Necromancy is thwarted with problems mainly related to the elves and their studies of death that gave Necromancy a bad name. The Guild tutors keep a close eye on students and what they are studying. Prerequisite - Mind 3, Arcane Skill 3+ Background - Novice Bonus Skills - Crafting, Healing, Lore +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. Pyromancy The Fire Mages are highly respected throughout the Pale as those that hold back the ice. Fire is a highly destructive force and has been the one element that has been consistently beneficial against the corruption and that which it spawns. But the life span of a mage is often short unless they use their powers with caution. You aspire to be a Pyromancer and have studied the lesser rings of the art. The responsibility placed on these mages is high, and the Black Fort select very few Novices to take on the role. Prerequisite - Mind 3, Arcane Skill 3+ Background - Novice Bonus Skills - Crafting, Lore, Ranged +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2. Sorcery Sorcery is the darkest art taught by the Black Fort and one that is frowned upon by many of the guilds and Lords of the cities both above and below. Sorcery is very much linked to the elves and their experiments. Though the art of Sorcery is older than the elves and was first used, and many believe created, by the giants, much of the study of the art comes from elven manuscripts and research. You aspire to be a sorcerer and have studied the first levels of the art. As a sorcerer you are feared, and are sometimes refused entry to cities and towns, due to prejudice against the elves more than an actual understanding of the sorcery Prerequisite - Mind 3, Arcane Skill 3+ Background - Novice Bonus Skills - Crafting, Lore, Ranged +1 Bonus Knacks - Any 2.

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