The Trilogy of Gog and Magog

First to be told is the legend of the beings named Gog and Magog.  Brothers of thought and kin to the gods, these two held great power over the Fifth after the Sundering.  They first resided in the shadowed corners of the Celestial Realms taking council from the other powers of the Dark.  At their bidding they hunted Merrith, the sister of Vivoria, and slew her with sword and hammer.  Gog took the goddess' face as a trophy and symbol of their defiance.  The lords of Light were deeply angered and cast them out and barred the Gates to the Celestial Realms to them.

Gog and Magog fled to the Fifth, and there they began to form legions who carry the taint of their violence which infects like a disease.  Their legions of fell creatures ruled over the land, tainting everything under their dominion.  Only the greatest cities survived the legion's advances and many were destroyed.  Atlantis, Ur and the elven city of Celebair became islands of light in a darkening night.

Vet- Auun, angered by such a light punishment for godslaying, sired a christos to a human woman of Ur.  This man grew to become an honoured warrior, for it was obvious to all to saw him that he was possessed by the strength of the gods.  Ikslander they named him, and armies grew under his lead.  Such was his strength of arms and skill with the tactics of war that he slew the Legions and chased them until they were cornered into a deep valley.  Ikslander fought the brothers and took the hammer and sword and broke them.  He then rent Magog's armour from his form and Mirrith's face, which had been fashioned into a three eyed mask, from Gog.  Using the last of his power he shut the mountains, locking Gog and Magog with their Legion until the end of the Earth.

Ikslandir went on to create an Empire and he ruled long.  The spoils of the battle he locked into chests of dwarven metal, and when he passed from the mortal world they were brought with him to burial.  The Altantians brought him to the Sacred Valley, where those touched by the lords of Light are put to rest, and entombed with the chalice spoken of old, his half-elven queen and the Everliving Rose.

At the end of the Earth a human will awaken him, and his treasure will be stolen.  When the Mask and Armour are worn will Gog and Magog awaken and begin to delve a way through the mountains.  Only with these tokens, and the waking of the brothers, can the Four be overthrown and the remnants of the world spared.  If the Four should be banished, for another aeon, the Everliving Rose may be planted and Eden grow anew.

Pain and Suffering

An invisible, serrated shard of glass piercing the flesh.  Mind numbing agony which emanates through the body.  That incessant ache which permeates everything and clouds the senses.

I find that pain isn't represented very well, or at all most times.  For instance, if someone were to suffer from a blow from a truck the pain would be debilitating.  Even if said person were to then be magically healed, the pain might continue to linger unless directly addressed.  A victim suffering from damage should be suffering penalties, and the greater the damage...

Pain

For every ten points a victim suffers damage to their wound pool, in a single attack, the victim gains one Pain.  Pain is healed with rest (like pools and other modifiers).  Every point of Pain gives -1 to all rolls (except during lunacy rolls add Pain).  All undead and golems are immune to pain.

Threshold (Sage Lore - Stm)

Add the Threshold modifier to Pain, a victim can never receive a positive modifier this way.  (Eg: A victim with 2 Pain and Threshold +4 would have no negative or positive penalty due to Pain.)

Shock
When a victim's Pain penalty equals their Stm, they go into shock.  When in shock, a victim is limited to one check or move and may not use mana or prayer pool.

Using Power and Pain

Soothing Touch (Water, Healing) - DoS removes Pain from target.

Transference (Telepathy, War, Air, Summoning) - DoS removes Pain from target which the caster receives.  (War could then be used to make a pool to hit, transferring the Pain to the target.)

Skills and Pain

The skill torture should be noted, due to being able to give things pain points (equal to the DoS).  The intended target should be immobilized to use this as a check and no damage is done.  Torture could also be stacked with a damage roll, which would double the amount of Pain received from the attack.

Aid can be used to reduce pain, temporarily.  An aid check will negate Pain at one per DoS, which will go down at one every round.

A non-lethal called shot could also be used to double the Pain from an attack.

Tormentor (Priest Source)

A person might chose to specialize in producing and spreading pain to harness the dark energies it produces.  A tormentor does this by hurting themselves and others and then using it as a weapon against their foes.

Starting Level: +1 Threshold, 1 knowledge point, 3 weapon uses.

Level Advancement: +1 Threshold, 2 weapon uses.

Using Pool:  A tormentor can use an amount of prayer equal to the amount of Pain near them, including themselves, up to five times their Threshold modifier.

-Scathe: Pool to hit, attack DoS equals Pain received by target.

-Transfer: Threshold DoS equals amount of Pain to be transferred from one target to another willing target.

-Override: Caster may ignore one Pain modifier for each 5 prayer used.

-Incite: Pool to hit, attack DoS adds to an immediate lunacy roll.

-Agonize: Target loses an amount of wounds equal to Threshold DoS, to a maximum of their Pain.

Other Sources and Pain

Any source which gives a modifier to MS would instead gain a modifier to Threshold.

Codex Psychosia - Heretic's Requiem

The sand of old Aegypt smells of spice and gold.

Above, the stars dance the same dance with the moon.

I see a river of people, a city's flood, refugees.

Camels, oxen, tuskers, horses and many others.

Each burdened with all they can carry,

Carving a new path through dust and rock.

To Thebes!  To the Old Gods! They shout.

The Pharaoh is dead, long live the Pharaoh!

With blade, and star, and child they came.

To the house of Aten they brought death,

The judgement of the glorious hand of Horus.

Great AmonRa and dark Shemzu concurred.

The Heretic-King flayed bare with wrath.

But the deluge grasped me like the jaws of Set

And carried me further to the Great City.

Scarabs and locusts made of brass,

Each with insides of spinning brass gears,

The Swarm of Ra, shepherding the throng.

To dust, his soul is devoured by brass claws.

The Heretic's name and spirit obliterated.

Let them hear the names Ta brought here.

Favoured of Ra, Jesyble lost to flame.

Mosa-nalendi, the graceful star,

Banished, cursed, damned, Ickthuas.

Bezis, the lost swan of the Nile,

Grog'Nak D'More Goliathi Kai'Kee.

And Mateuw from the shore of Quiddity.

To Thebes! To the Old Gods! We shout.

Magus Guard

Magus Guard

Magus Guard are mages that have spent years studying the principles of combat. They are not warriors, but mages who have sacrificed arcane studies for martial ones. Because of this the practical application of the skills they study are beyond their grasp, and therefore they cannot apply more than the basics of any martial art in combat. They manipulate the arcane energies around them to increase their combat prowess or decrease that of their opponents to compensate for this shortcoming. Unlike Warlocks/Battle Magi, the Magus Guard are usually among those leading the charge in to combat. They are the adrenaline junkies/berserkers of the mages. Typically the best of the Magus Guard are used by the largest mage schools. Often they are left to protect the secrets hidden within their libraries or as assassins; their abilities making them equal to any normal warrior in battle.

Using Mana:

Used to augment/hinder combat abilities or weapon stats

    Modifier to Hit (+1/1)

    Increase unsoakable (+1*/2)

    Additional parry (1 parry/2)

Must choose a weapon specialization at creation from any specified Standard Weapon Use

    For an additional +5 XP at level up, new weapon specializations can be learned, victim must have the relevant Standard Weapon Use.

Banned from cybernetics, master, sensei and martial arts.

Max pool expenditure is based off applicable the specified standard weapon use of the weapon being used, this weapon use counts as a sage lore.

 

Adapted by Brin Shadius.

MADNESS!!!

Madness

When a victim is confronted by something which does not comply to rational thought they are touched by madness. The decent into insanity can be gradual or swift, or it may be forced upon by spells and curses.

Madness Rating (MR)

Places and entities that are naturally dementing have a Madness Rating (MR). A negative App would apply towards the MR (-2 App would add +2 to the entity's MR), and being immortal also adds +1 MR.

Sanity vs Madness

A madness war is provoked the first time the victim encounters any of the following:

-Something with a MR.

-An immortal being (if mortal).

-Going below -10 wounds.

-Something with a negative App.

-Inter-dominion travel.

-Entering Quiddity, Heaven or Hell.

A madness war is based on the victim's Int. Add one for each sage lore the victim has points in. If the victim has any Madness Points, subtract them from the total. This is the victim's Sanity total.

Int +#SL -Mad +d10 =Sanity

Madness Points

Madness is aquired when a victim fails to resist a madness war. The victim recieves one Madness for every five points they did not resist. Use Madness as a modifier to the victim's MS and against K.O.

Insanity

Once a victim has Madness they will begin to exhibit signs of instability. Whenever a victim with Madness rolls a natural one to attack, or a natural ten on a check, they must roll Insanity in addition to any other effects. The victim rolls one dice and adds any Madness points, then consultes the chart below. Effects will last for an amount of rounds equal to victim's Madness.

Roll Effect Modifiers

1-9 Stable (everything is fine, for now) None

10-14 Paranoid (They are watching) -5 to soak

15-19 Hallucinations (not again...) -5 Per

20-24 The Shakes (twitching fear) -5 Dex, Str

25-29 Visions (it's happening again!) -5 Dex, Man

30-34 Mania (can't take it anymore...) Attacks closest

target.

35-39 Portents (They are speaking to me) +5 to dodge and

MS.

40-44 Neurotic (gibbering looney) +5 auto blast pool

to hit.

45-49 Permament Condition Roll again, effect is

pernament.

Multiple Insanity

If a victim is under the influence of an Insanity, they add +5 to the Insanity roll for each effect.

Ѝ All victims in the Nightlands begin with one Madness.

The next post will be about racial mods and sources dealing with madness....MADNESS!!!!

The 0ld 0rder - Slave Camp

The sun sets as the ship skirts the forest's edge.  In the growing dark, a caravan sets camp for the night below circling the wagons and lighting cookfires.  Ta brings the ship into the wind, lowers sails and drops the anchor-stone.  Mosa, in lemur-form, shrouds the ship with illusion.

The rest of the crew is assembled on deck.  With the camp in sight, the slave cages can be seen clearly which agitates the orc and makes the others uneasy.  Ta explains that an associate rides with the slavers below, as a passenger, and he needs to speak with him.  Requesting a bodyguard, the bronze spider slides down the anchor line to the ground.  Only Bezis and the barwench stay aboard.

Grognak wishes to destroy the slavers, and the others are in agreement, so Ta agrees to let them have their way only after the meeting occurs.  Close to the caravan they encounter a strangely-hued humanoid, a passenger travelling a random course.  His name is Phyriz and looking reptilian with scaled skin and green coloring.  The stranger agrees to seek out Ta's associate, who he had seen earlier, and lead him out of the camp.

In the jungle's edge, Mosa follows the group at a distance.  The jungle is dark but filled the smells of wild growth.  She stops as she senses a presence behind her, climbing higher into a tree.  A large shadow slides partway up the trunk and two large yellow eyes regard her from the darkness.  She tells him her purpose here, to stop these slavers.  The massive cat laughs, and slides back into the shadow.

She continues onward through the trees until she spots a tiger in her path.  The cat motions for her to ride, and once the lemur is on its shoulders, bounds through the trees.  Holding on, Mosa begins to see more and more big cats moving through the jungle.  They come to a stop within sight of the caravan, hundreds of feline carnivores circling the slave camp.  Inside the cages, both man and beast become agitated, lashing out and testing their bars.

Phyriz leaves the camp with the twin of Ta.  The two look identical in every way, although the other calls himself Ki.  Ta bids them Ra's favor and the two of them go to the ship.  Grognak, Nicoli and Tesyble approach the slave camp with varied weapons ready.

With the roar of an ancient cat, the feline army charges forward.  The cat's call, a sound of such ancient primal rage, invigorates the party as they push into the wagon circle slightly ahead of the wave of cats.  Within minutes the camp becomes a bloody crater of gore by claw and axe.  Once the killing is done, the cats drag their meals back into the forest.

The 0ld 0rder - The Magister's Wagon (Part 2)

The Magister continues to hurl dark magic at the invaders. Using Grognak's inert corpse, Nicoli sets the Magister's side of the room on fire. Bezis tries to help the pixie from the hole as the Magister lashes out at him. Surrounded by fire and violence, Grognak begins to rise and faces the Magister. Trapped and running out of power, the Magister summons himself somewhere less threatening.

In the Magister's chamber on the other side of the wall, Tweaks grabs Seneshal's fallen axe. The blessed blade scorches the golem's hands as he runs out of the wagon with it. Mosa summons a rhino into the room with Seneshal to buy time for her search. Now faced with an angry and confused beast, Seneshal returns his axe to him and begins to hack through it.

Tweaks returns to Seneshal's chamber and drags his chest into the hall. Breaking the holding runes, he opens it to find jewels and potions. He upends one of the potions into his mouth-parts and the purifying liquid pours over him. The potion, a cleansing salve of Aten, melts his bronze body into a puddle of bubbling goo.

A desperate search through the larger crates on board progresses. Nicoli finds the legbone in one of the crates in the laboratory and the others work through the burning wall to make an exit. Moments later, they burst through into the night.

Inside, Mosa summons another beast, this time a gorilla, to halt Seneshal. As she leaves the wagon she grabs some of the gems left by Tweaks. Seneshal, bursting with fury, rips through the large ape to find her already gone.

Outside, Ta grabs the beaten form of Grognak as the others follow him back to the ship. The ship is put under sail immediately and distance is put between them and Assyria quickly in the strong night winds. The party rests, and by next day there is no sign of pursuit. Ta pays them all, now one member short, and informs them of their next destination. They are going to the Gobleki Tepe, the most ancient of temples.

The 0ld 0rder - The Magister's Wagon (Part 1)

Ta prepares the party with a dampening potion, obtained at no small cost, to get them past the wardings on the wagon. It is a sticky fluid and tastes like a cesspit, but the potion was mixed by a cleric of the Eater of the Dead, a sin to counter a blessing. The small clay vials dangle from leather strings as they advance towards the wagon.

The Magister's wagon is a massive blackwood construction. It is seven meters wide, seventeen long, with ledges on the front and rear. Warding plates, made from bronze, are affixed to the sides and above the both doors. More wards glint upon the four massive wheels that support the transport. The wagon men are busy loading supplies and organizing the draft animals, tuskers, around the wagon and its two smaller companions.

Under the glamor of Mosa's magic, the party approach the wagons invisibly. They split into two groups, one toward the front, the other to the back. Tesyble weaves a psychic net to keep them all in contact with each other. With spells to increase their speed and strength, the wagon men had no warning.

Grognak and Nicoli approach the driver's ledge where a hussar (wagon driver) is shouting orders to the tusker herders. The orc's spear wounds the hussar and he strikes blindly hitting nothing. Invisibly, the orc and faery eliminate the herders and hussar. Grognak's battlelust, unsated, rages towards more of the wagon men within the compound. Soon the hired hands are in rout.

On the back of the wagon two workers load crates into the rear ledge. They fall quickly as Mosa and Tweaks fall upon them. Other wagon hands approach to investigate and have a similar fate. Bezis slides under the wagon and begins to take out the wagon men on the far side of the encampment with her axes.

Mosa is the first inside, the wards failing to restrict her. The wards do counter her spells, leaving everyone visible and stripping her of the spells placed on her by the others. As they each go inside, their spells are countered. Grognak and Nicoli Enter the front, where the driver's bunks are, and kill a second hussar. Tweaks follows Mosa in the back searching the supply room and galley. Further ahead they find the bunk rooms, one being the Seneshal's chamber. After trading blows, the Seneshal teleports away to find the Magister.

Faced with a wall, Grognak attempts to make his own way through it. He succeeds to break a hole large enough for Nicoli to squeeze through, which the faery does with ease. The orc puts is shoulder into the wall badly and dislocates it. On the other side of the wall Nicoli slides across a table from the hole in the wall to see the Magister. He speaks something and the faery's world turns dark and painful.

Mosa and Tweaks continue to the front encountering a large bedchamber and the Seneshal. The warrior's armour and skill are pressed to defend against the two attackers. Tesyble launches psychic strikes through the minds in the net as Mosa sends throwing stars at his face. Tweaks is a blurr of clockwork which destroy the Seneshal's shield in seconds.

The 0ld 0rder - Assyria

The day after the battle Grognak returned to the ship with Ta. He seemed slightly different and definitely alive. Across his chest he wore the scars which had killed him. The party was glad to have him back, and a little curious how.

At breakfast, Ta paid the group (mostly to silence their complaints) and recommended them to purchase any supplies they required. Ta explained how he would need most of the day to find a way around the wardings that protected the wagons. That evening they would make their attempt to enter.

At sundown they returned to the ship to prepare. Ta supplied each of the party with a potion, blessed by Ra, which would get them through the wardings. Grognak, using Tesyble's telepathy to stay in contact, scouted around the trio of wagons. Hours before midnight a signal was sent around to the caravan workers who began to make ready.

The 0ld 0rder - Where it is now

They spotted the legbone being carried into Assyria, a priest of their mage-god was escorting it. By the time they reached the city the priest's group had split up to visit several merchants and possible alchemists. Down at the mage-god's temple, the priest was found upon a stretcher, dead. Through the ability to scry, they became aware of the legbone being at a certain tavern.

Nothing within the tavern seemed amiss, but outside a strange bonfire was lit. The swirling vortex of flame was clearly visible as they approached. It burned within a triangle made of large wagons and many intoxicated slaves dance feverishly around it. As it reached a crescendo, the flames died and the slaves were consumed. Within the pyre a man was transformed into a daemonspawn.

They fought with the Amon-Kaa which was greater than any one of them and a servant of Aten's fury. The daemonspawn eviscerated Grognak after the orc had skewered it with a javelin. Poison darts eventually brought the thing down. As the daemon left its host it released a blast of death energy as a final act of spite.

The party, bleeding and bruised, collected themselves. The wounded were stabilized, Mosa and Nicoli in particular, but there was little anyone could do for Grognak. Tweaks, in an attempt to rebuild the orc, had fused what remained of him to the vessel's corpse. Ta sent the others back to the ship to rest, while he took Grognak's body to the Temple of the Sun.

The Monk and the Dervish

nWo is the kind of game that grows continuously. Even as I polish up the Zero Terminus book, new things are created and another book is already planned (a "survival guide"). A couple of these are two new warrior sources; the monk and the dervish.

Monk

Specializing in unarmed combat, a monk can use their strength to cause severe wounds and breaks. Often learned in martial arts, they can become a strong asset in hand to hand combat. Many temple caretakers are trained as monks in addition to their responsibilities to the clergy.

Starting Level:
1 knowledge point, 2 weapon use points, +d10 wounds, +1* (unarmed).

Level Advancement:
1 weapon use point, +d10 wounds, +1* (unarmed).

Dervish

The dancing, weaving, fluid motions of a dervish are easily identifiable and rightly feared. This style of fighting builds up momentum and uses it to make attacks and dodge others. Once in motion, a dervish becomes an increasingly difficult opponent.

Starting Level:
1 knowledge point, +d10 wounds.

Level Advancement:
+d10 wounds.

Benefit:
For each round the victim has been in hand to hand combat add the victim's warrior level to hit and dodge. This bonus only applies in hand to hand combat and will decrease by the victim's warrior level each round not in hand to hand combat.

These sources are allowed in all settings, and have some interesting possibilities. Either of these sources would benefit from the combat discipline or death talent for more hitting power. The monk's bonus can be added to natural weapons (like claws), or think about a dervish with a shimmer....

Until next round, +1 Int.

Visions

Along my travels throughout the Dominions, I sometimes draw pictures of what I see and experience. These are some of those things.

Dantii, as he walks down a village street in Yomi, seconds before all Hell broke loose.

This, or something like it, will become a common sight in the future...
Alice? What are you doing here?
A mid-tech rebreather mask with comms and a targeter.
A ship, sailing softly passed a sunken pyramid, at sunrise.
A skycutter from the Nightlands.
A guy I met sometime in 5 AW.
Another 5th dominion punk, stole my watch!
A dagger-pistol of unknown manufacture.
I hope you enjoyed these glimpses into the Dominions, until next round...

The Gathering

The 0ld 0rder has begun, with eight main personae. Eight unique individuals collected to defend the pantheon. The first was Ta, an arachnid clockwork golem, descendant of the ancients and keeper of much knowledge. He first acquired a shipmaster to travel the Nile. He chose the Black Swan of the Nile, Bezis, a believer of the ways of Old Egypt and its gods. A minotaur, wandering drunk through the streets, was hired by Ta as his bodyguard, his name was Vanshe. Bezis took them up the Nile and found Malak, a golem who's cosmic purpose was in flux, one of the few crystalys beings left on Earth.

Still they traveled, past Thebes and the previous Pharaoh's Great Temple, to Syene. Ta's prophesies directed him to an auspicious corner where he was to meet the other four. As they approached, the hand of fate had brought Giza and Mosa together in the square. Giza was fae, a pixie-kin of peculiarity. The other was a young would-be head hunter. As Ta approached, Zyirael happened upon the same corner. Ta did not believe in coincidence, and the feeling of knowing this person was enough proof. The seven of them went to discuss Ta's proposal within a temple of Horus, all but one of the acolytes scattered, Izareus, an annubii student of sekite lore.

With all eight together, Ta led them to their new ship. When Ra set they would begin.

The 0ld 0rder - Priest Sources

Thought you all might like a look, comments always welcome;

The Book of Faith

This section details the pantheon of the Old Kingdom as well as other paths of elightenment. Often, there are different names for a simular type of god, (like the sun god), they are different faiths but have the same abilities.

Starting Levels:

Each starting level in priest will give the victim two knowledge points, two weapon use points, and d10 prayer pool (add the victim's Wis once).

Level Advancement:

Each level purchased in priest will give one weapon use point, one knowledge point and d10 prayer pool (unless noted).

Disciplines:

Each source has different ways to spend prayer pool, these are listed under each source. The 'Using Disciplines" section describes how they work.

Maximum Pool Expenditure:

The maximum amount of prayer a victim may spend per round is equal to five times their priest level.

Priest Sources:

Each priest source represents a multitude of separate deities. Listed below are the names of priest sources and their associated gods by region or race.

-Name (Egyptian, Hittite, Greek, Celtic) Disciplines

Blood (Shemzu, Jarri, –, Ankou) Combat, Healing, Invoke.

Chaos (Set, –, Erebus, –) Invoke, Combat, Arcane

Creator (Ra, Elkunirsa, Zeus, Taranis) Invoke, Dominance, Resist

Dead (Nepthys, –, Thanatos, Morrigan) Undeath, Arcane, Shadow

Druids (Hathor, Aserdus, Demeter, Morganwg) Healing, Scrying, Invoke

Knowledge (Thoth, Sandas, Apollo, Belenus) Arcane, Scrying, Dominance

Justice (Horus, Istanu, Athena, Mannan) Combat, Flame, Invoke

Magic (Heka, Kamrusepa, Artemis, Veles) Arcane, Flame, Shadow

Pleasure (Bastet, Upelluri, Dionysus, Cernunnos) Healing, Scrying, Dominance

Sensai (n/a) Combat, Resist, Shadow

Storms (Maahes, Pirwa, Posiedon, Lugh) Combat, Scrying, Resist

Sun (Aten, Arinna, –, Belenus) Flame, Dominance, Scrying

Underworld (Anubis, Lelwani, Hades, Pater) Shadow, Undeath, Dominance

Vengeance (Sobek, –, –, Wodanaz) Combat, Shadow, Scrying

War (Anhur, Zababa, Ares, Toutatis) Combat, Dominance, Resist

Using Disciplines

Discipline Knowledge

Description: A brief description of the type of powers the discipline grants.

-Powers: A list of the powers and how they work.

Arcane varies

This discipline mostly resembles true magic, and is often used to augment spellcasting. The arcane discipline uses many symbols and rites to focus prayer.

-Boost Spell (may add pool to modify a mana expenditure).

-Use Item (artifice check, if DoS beats item's Stm caster may activate and/or use item).

-Alchemist (pool spent will give a temporary modifier to alchemy).

Combat n/a

The combat discipline embodies martial prowess.

-To Hit (pool spent will give a temporary to hit modifier).

-To Wound (pool spent will give a temporary modifier to damage, 2 pool will give a temporary +1*).

-To Dodge (pool spent will give a temporary modifier to dodge).

Dominance Psychology

Dominance embodies the power to affect the mind. Many preists will use this discipline during oratories, sermons or simply in the marketplace.

-Suggest (may give a temporary modifier to bartering, bullshiting, persuasion or diplomacy).

-Control (pool to hit, duration of control equals DoS minus target's CL).

-Telepathy (DoS equals duration, minus one for each target).

Flame Pyromancy

The discipline of flame calls down holy fire to cleanse unbelievers and opponents alike.

-Burn (DoS equals duration, temporarily gives weapon burning).

-Fireball (pool to hit will cause damage to wounds, burning, unsoakable equal to pyromancy modifier).

-Ummunity (may negate wounds caused by fire talent and flame discipline sources equal to DoS).

Healing Biology/Surgery

The discipline of healing can cure nearly all disease and remedy any wound.

-Heal (DoS equals wounds replenished, stops bleed, recovers K.O.).

-Cure (if DoS equals Stm of disease, or Str of poison/intoxicant, all modifiers are removed).

Invoke Command

Invoke embodies the ability to summon the servants of the chosen diety.

-Augment, Summoning (may spend pool to modify an invomacy check)

-Summon, Creatures (DoS equals maximum CL of summoned creatures).

-Summon, Sentient (DoS equals maximum CL of the target).

Resist n/a

This discipline is used to augment the resilience of those it is used upon. It is a favoured discipline of the deserts.

-Refresh (pool spent will remove negative Stm, Str and Man modifiers).

-Toughness (pool spent will give a temporary modifier to soak).

Scrying Scry

To glimpse into te futer, and pull meaning from those glimpses, is the discipline of scrying.

-Augment, Divination (may spend pool to modify any scry check).

-Precognition (may spend pool to give a temporary modifier to hit or to dodge).

-Seeing (may apply DoS to one check during the next turn).

Shadow Stealth

The discipline of shadow uses darkness as its ally.

-Hide (pool spent will give a temporary modifier to stealth).

-Summon, Shadow (DoS equals the stats of the shadow as well as duration, shadao has unsoakable equal to summoner's stealth modifier).

Undeath Necrology

This is the discipline that grants the ability to animate the dead.

-Animate, Undead (DoS equals maximum CL of undead as well as duration, undead have an unsoakable equal to necrology modifier).

-Augment, Death (may spend pool to modify any necromancy check).

-Control/Speak, Undead (DoS equals duration, DoS must equal CL of undead).

The 0ld 0rder - Setting Overview

The Setting

The Old Order takes place on Earth during 1300 BC, primarily in Africa, Asia and Europe. It during the golden age of the older empires, and a time of expansion for the young ones. It is the beginning of the monolithic phase of humankind, and the waning of the older races of dwarves and elves.

The River and the Desert

It is the late 18^th dynasty of the Egyptian Empire, Pharaoh Amenhotep's son, Akenahten has taken the throne. The new Pharaoh defies the Egyptian pantheon, claiming Ahten as Egypt's sole deity, and rules the Nile with a heavy hand. The nomads of the desert swell with religious refugees.

Rising Empires

Assyria, the Hittite Empire and the Kassite Empire thrive on the eastern Mediterranean and Arabia. Although trade is common, political disputes will often result in military action. The Greeks on the northern bank grow more prosperous each year, making treaties with the city-states of the Phoenicians, and Crete.

The East

The Dravidian people are an uneasy alliance smaller kingdoms between Arabia and the Far East. Known for their skill with stone craft, jewelry and spice exports, the Dravidians trade freely with other kingdoms. Monasteries are scattered throughout the kingdoms for stargazing, philosophy, and other studies.

The Far East

The most prominent kingdom to the east is the Shang Kingdom, which is surrounded by smaller feifdoms and rice farming families. The Shang enjoy some trade with the west, trading exclusive materials like pearls and silks.

Atlantis

Atlantis is a relic from the ancients. Most scholars claim that the island drifts further out to sea with each passing year, although it is difficult to tell due to the Great Obscuring. The fey enchantment keeps the island, and its inhabitants, hidden from those without magical talent. On the island itself, Atlantians enjoy the luxuries of the ancients' forgotten technologies.

Monoliths and Iron

The 0ld 0rder takes place at the end of the Bronze Age, in the early Iron Age. The older kingdoms are mastering the art of stone-crafting and raising massive structures to gods and kings. The common materials are made from hides, stone, brass or bronze. Expensive metals like iron and gold are highly valued, while gemstones are prized by those who practice with the arcane. Copper or brass ingots are the common currency, although many hunter-gatherer tribes will refuse such useless trinkets.

Historical Fantasy

Although much of The 0ld 0rder setting is historically accurate, there have been many important alterations made. Metaphysics, meddling gods and arcane mechanics flavor the setting wherever appropriate. Necropolis' house the populations of the dead, who make trade-arrangements with tribes of beasts for lost technology of the ancients. Magi are hired as consorts to the throne, priests sway the population's favor to one god or another, and thousands toil to build monuments that will outlast their entire cultures.

The 0ld 0rder - Mage Sources

Straight from the protocopy;

The Book of Magic

The Book of Magic describes the various ways to use magic, and those who are resistant to metaphysics. Each of the sources listed are mage sources and effect mana pool. A victim may only have one mage source.

Magi

Those who are called magi, are those who practice the rites of sorcery and the magiks of the ancients. Magi travel from the Old Kingdoms to the the Earth's far reaches to find scraps of the lost empire of the ancient ones. The ancients had mastered sorcery, it is said, and used it to buid and maintian their empire. The magi of today know a small fraction of that power.

Magi Talents

A magi will often practice more than one talent, although there are many who choose to speacialize in one or two. The five talents are dream, illusion, time, divination and summoning. A victim with a level in magi must select one of these talents upon the purchase of the level. Additional talents may be purchased with later levels. The sage lore of the talent is listed beside the name.

Dream Onieromancy

Dream magic can effect the realm known as dreamscape, but has few effects in the waking world.

-K.O. (adjust any K.O. modifier at one point per pool spent).

-Enter Dreamscape (spell DoS equals the CL of target).

-Effect Dreamscape (may mimic any other mana source while in a dreamscape)

-Nightmare (pool to hit will damage Int and Wis)

Divination Scry

Divination is the art of deciphering the possible futer. A diviner is often a student of several distinct ways of augry, from stones to weather patterns.

-Precognition (may give a temporary bonus to Dex or Per).

-Find (may locate things, range equals DoS in meters).

-Translate (may give a temporary bonus to languages).

-Read (may find out information, one question for every 5 DoS)

Illusion Optimancy

Illusionists excel at bewildering the senses. Illusion can hide objects and persons, or make fake ones from the air.

-Unvisiblity (may give a temporary bonus to stealth).

-Illusion (DoS equals the difficulty to disbelieve, may not cause damage)

-Message (may send a message, DoS equals range in meters)

-Nightmare (pool to hit will damage Int and Wis).

-Flash/Shadow (pool to hit will damage Per).

Summoning Invomancy

Summoners learn the incantations to bring things to them, creatures and items. Note that which is summoned will return at the end of the duration (rounds equal DoS, may be maintained).

-Control (add half invomancy modifier to control modifier, round down).

-Summon Inanimate (DoS equals maximum weight).

-Summon Creature (DoS equals maximum CL of summoned creatures).

-Summon Sentient (DoS must equal or beat the target's CL).

Time Chronomancy

Chronomancers bend time to their will. Things can be spend up or slowed down at a chronomancer's disgretion, depending on its need.

-Speed (may give a temporary bonus to Dex or Fl Dex).

-Stasis (may stop the passage of time on a target, one round for every 5 DoS).

-Age (pool to hit damages Stm).

Multiple Talents

An additional talent may be purchased with a mage level, this will cost 5 xp more than normal.

Magyver

A magyver does not use conventional magics, if they choose to use magic at all. Instead they focus on learning and honing their reasoning skils. A magyver can be counted upon to achieve nearly any mundane task with a high degree of skill.

Starting Level

4 knowledge points, +2 to all knowledge checks. This is instead of the standard mage starting level.

Level Advancement

2 knowledge points, +1 to all knowledge checks. This is instead of standard level advancement.

Mundanes

Those who are unable to cast magic are called mundanes. Their inablity to use magic gives them a resilience towards the metaphysical. For many adventurers, this frees them to broaden the subjects they research.

Starting Level

7 knowldge points, 1 weapon use point, +2 magical stamina. This is instead of the standard mage starting levels.

Level Advancement

4 knowledge points, +1 magical stamina.

Restrictions

Mundanes may never have a mana pool regardless of how it may be obtained.

Sekites

Sekite lore originates from the underworld, their talents are often brutal and usually deadly. Often called the dark arts, sekite knowledge is often sought out and destroyed, its practitioners considered suspicious or outright evil. The sekite talents are death, war, famine and pestilence.

Sekite Talents

A victim must select a sekite talent with each starting mage level, or when purchasing a first level in mage. A victim may purchase additional talents with further mage levels.

Death Necromancy

A necromancer uses the energies of death effect the dead and destroy the living. Of all the talents, it is the most condemmed by the people of the Old Kingdoms.

-Kill (pool to hit damages wound pool, necromancy mod equals unsoakable).

-Heal Undead (replenish an undead's wound pool by DoS).

-Increase Damage (pool spent will add a temporary damage modifier to a weapon, 2 pool will add a temporary unsoakable modifier).

Famine Cryomancy

A practitioner of cryomancy excels at weakening the target to oblivion. Cryomancers are the cause of much of the people's dislike for sekites.

-Weaken (pool to hit will damage Stm and Str).

-Disenchant (pool to hit will damage item's stm and bonuses).

-Cripple (pool to hit will damage Dex).

Pestilence Cadramancy

The pestilence talent is one of the most natural, but sickening, of the sekite talents. Cadramancers specialize in the breaking down of their tagets, reducing them to nothing peice by peice.

-Immunity to Disease (add the cadramancy modifier when rolling a war against a disease).

-Summon Vermin (swarm's stats equal DoS, cadramancy modifier equals the swarms unsoakable).

-Shapeshift, Vermin (DoS 40, add cadramancy modifier to soak, Fl Dex, and unsoakable).

-Rot (pool to hit will damage wound pool).

-Steal Item (DoS must equal target's Stm, the source of the item becomes sekite, the item's effect are unchanged).

War Psychomancy

Most subtle of all the sekite talents, psychomancers effect their target's mind. They take over the psyche, bending them to their will.

-Telepathy (DoS equals number of targets that may be communicated with).

-Migrane (pool to hit will damage Int and Wis).

-Tormment (pool to hit will damage Man).

-Control (if successful, caster may control one action for each psychomancy modifier of the caster).

Additional Talents

Additional talents may be purchased when buying a mage level, which will cost five additional xp. A victim may purchase all four sekite talents.

Shamans

The practitioners who harness the elements are referred to as shamans by many in the Old Kingdom. Shamans are more widely accepted than magi or sekites, but they are still treated with mistrust due to their spellcasting. The talents of a shaman are the five elements; air, earth, fire, water and aether.

Shaman Talents

A shaman must select a talent upon purchasing a mage level. Additional talents may be purchased when buying mage levels.

Air Aeromancy

Air shamans use the wind to assist them. It is one of the most subtle of the shamanic talents, but useful in many ways.

-Speed (may give a temporary modifier to Dex and Fl Dex).

-Silence (range equals DoS in meters).

-Hear (may give a temporary modifier to Int or Per).

-Wall, Air (DoS equals legnth in meters and Str, wall causes a throw attack, aeromancy modifier equals unsoakable).

Earth Geomancy

Geomancers manipulate solid rock, sand and metal into new forms or as weapons. Many dwarves are geomancers, but they are not uncommon elsewhere.

-Solidify (may give a temporary modifier to soak).

-Crush (may give a temporary modifier to Str, unsoakable equals geomancy modifer if unarmed).

-Alter, Earth (may permamently modify inamimate object's stats, equal to DoS).

-Wall, Earth (DoS equals length in meters and Stm, wall can soak unsoakable equal to caster's goemancy modifier).

Fire Pyromancy

Pyromancy is the most dstructive of the talents of the shaman, harnessing fire to burn anyting that opposes.

-Burn (may add the burning rule to any weapon, unsoakable equals pyromancy modifier if unarmed).

-Blast (pool to hit will damage wound pool, unsoakable equals pyromancy modifier).

-Ignite (may add a temporary damage modifier to a weapon equal to DoS, unsoakable equals caster's pyromancy modifier).

-Wall, Fire (DoS equals length in meters and Str, burning, unsoakable equals caster's pyromancy modifier).

Water Hydromancy

The talent of water is the most widely accepted of any talent in the mountains and deserts, but they tend to stay near coastal areas. Hydromancy is a diverse talent, like the waves.

-Augry (may give a temporary modifier to Dex and Wis).

-Calm (may give a temporary modifier to Chr and Int).

-Create, Water (DoS equals amount in leters).

-Wall, Water (pool to hit, K.O., hydromancy modifier equals unsoakable, damage done to wounds, temporary Dex damage).

Aether Vivomancy

Aether is the element of the soul and, in its raw state, lightning. Soul shamans have the ability to heal, but their powers are likened to necromancy and considered unnatural.

-Heal (target replenishes wounds equal to DoS, caster gains wounds equal to their vivomancy modifier).

-Lightning (pool to hit will damage wound pool, K.O., unsoakable equals vivomancy modifier).

-Disrupt (pool to hit will damage mech pool, K.O., unsoakable equals vivomancy modifier).

-Wall (DoS equals length in meters and Str, K.O., unsoakable equals vivomancy modifier).

Additional Talents

Additional talents may be purchased with a mage level for +5 xp. A victim may purchase all five shaman talents.

Next up: The Book of Faith ;)