Cypher System: The Emon of Sarvaelen

In messing around with it, I realized that the elementally charged Emon, a human variant touched by elemental magic, stats really well in Cypher. These are one of the possible character types in the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil campaign. Here's what I've worked out:

The People of Emon
Also known as the Emoniae, the people of this distant land exist far in the west, beyond the ruined expanse of the wastelands of Camrinal. Emon was the greatest independent threat to Camrinal in its era of rule, and the Emoniae were a culture of sorcerers much like the Empire. When the Final War erupted, their lands were devastated, and the Empire sought to exterminate their greatest rivals as quickly as possible. When the conflict ended with the destruction of Camrinal, most of Emon’s warriors were caught in the destruction, and destroyed. Still, there were plenty of survivors back home, now mostly dwelling in ancient, deep enclaves within the vast Adasatrak Mountains where they stood guard against the outside world.

Today the Emoniae are still driven by magic as a way of life and such arts find a greater acceptance within their mountain fortresses than anywhere else. The Emoniae remain isolated and tend to mistrust the young eastern kingdoms that have arisen from the ashes of the Final War. It is also the only land where the study and worship of the Old Gods is still permitted.

Emoniae are a special culture of human which has been profoundly affected by their close affiliation to elemental pools of energy. More on playing emoniae can be found below in new races.

The Emoniae Bloodline (singular Emon)
Many emoniae have a talent for magic, and are most commonly mages by class. Emoniae are, like pureblooded of Camrinal, prone to attracting the attention and interest of demons, spirits, elementals, old gods and other beings from the Elemental Realms. Elves have an abnormal fascination for them, and as a result it is more common to run into half-elves of mixed elvish and emon blood than any other combination. Emoniae are a special type of human, with the following special Descriptor for elementally-tainted Emon:
Stat Modifiers: Emoniae gain +2 Intellect and +2 Speed
Born Sorcerers: Emoniae must include the Magic flavor in their type.
Occultists: Emoniae start with training in Occult Lore.
Languages: Emoniae learn the common (Aeronostic) tongue as well as Emonish, their cultural language.
Elemental Affinity: Emoniae revere the elemental old gods, and still worship them. There is a chance that an emon has some elemental heritage in her or her bloodline. The immediate effect is an innate basic understanding of the elemental language and an affinity for that element, which means that they tend to be regarded favorably by elementals of like type that they meet (+1 favorable asset in Intellect checks to influence elementals).
Elemental Taint: Emoniae may follow the "Tainted by the Elements" focus.

Focus: Tainted by the Elements
When a magic-using emon with elemental taint discovers this heritage, he or she begins to manifest a sign of elemental corruption, usually in the form of a glow or emission from the skin, and a slow but certain "change" on the skin that seems to be a manifestation of that emon's elemental taint (stone-like skin, persistent water running from pores, smoke, or a misty fog following the emon). This first manifestation is cosmetic and can be suppressed with concentration taking one full round.

An emon with this feat must choose one elemental type to exhibit going forward: fire, cold/ice, air, earth, smoke, light, darkness, lightning or other traits as the GM permits. This becomes the primary elemental affinity, which is dominant. If the emon has elemental affinity, this first elemental type must match the one chosen for affinity. An emon who did not have elemental affinity before (see racial traits) gains it with this feat.

Emoniae may have more than one connection to the elements, but each subsequent elemental type exhibits as secondary to the primary elemental affinity. For example, an emon with cold as primary may appear to have icy skin. If he later adds elemental earth affinity, he may display gravel or rocks floating in the ice of his skin. If he later adds fire, his eyes may blaze with hot light as water runs down his flesh.

Tier 1:
Elemental Change new cosmetic trait related to the source of elemental taint manifests (fire hair, frozen skin, stone skin, levitates slightly off ground). This effect grants 1 armor point of resistance to the elemental type.  Choose a different element and effect each time you pick this. Enabler.

 Elemental Damage Type Choose one elemental type (fire, cold, air, water, earth, radiant, necrotic); you may add this elemental type to the damage or effect of a spell you cast, dealing 1 extra damage of that type. Pick a different element each time you choose this. Enabler.

Elemental Affinity you are trained in understanding elemental magic.

Tier 2:
Lower Tier Ability: Gain one ability of lower tier.

Greater Elemental Damage Type Choose one elemental type (fire, cold, air, water, earth, radiant, necrotic) that you already deal damage with from tier 1; you may add this elemental type to the damage or effect of a spell you cast to deal 2 points of that damage type. Enabler.

Elemental Attack Choose one weapon or spell with which you imbue elemental damage. You are now trained in that spell or weapon. Enabler.

Tier 3:
Lower Tier Ability: Gain one ability of lower tier.

Elemental Conjuration Gain the ability to conjure an elemental of a type you have “elemental damage type” to from tier 2, as the spell once per day with as many levels as your current tier, or more than one elemental with total tiers equaling your own.  Action.

Elemental Immunity choose one elemental affinity you already have. You are now immune to damage from that elemental type (including burning, drowning, suffocation, or breathing effects). Enabler.

Tier 4:
Lower Tier Ability: Gain one ability of lower tier.

Greater Elemental Conjuration You may now double your tier for # of levels of elemental level you can conjure of one type, with the highest elemental level equaling your tier. So at tier 4 you can summon two Level 4 elementals, or up to 8 level 1 elementals, or some combination in between. Gain one new elemental change as well from Tier 1, or one new elemental damage type from tier 2. Action.

Master Elemental Damage Type Choose one elemental type (fire, cold, air, water, earth, radiant, necrotic) that you already deal damage with from tier 1 and 2; you may add this elemental type to the damage or effect of a spell you cast to deal 4 points of that damage type. Enabler.

Tier 5:
Lower Tier Ability: Gain one ability of lower tier.

Elemental Transformation You may transform, at will, into one element of a type you already have affinity with. All damage dealt deals damage of indicated type, and you are immune to the elemental type you have become. The effect lasts for one hour. Action.

Elemental Emission gain permanent emission of elemental type: stone skin (gain medium armor 2 points), fire erupts from flesh (immune to damage from fire but deals 2 fire damage to all on touch, or in addition to melee damage), air (gains levitate at will, short range), or water (emits water permanently at the rate of 1 liter/hour, gains water breathing). These traits are very difficult to disguise and require a level 6 Intellect defense roll to suppress the trait for 1 hour.

Tier 6
Lower Tier Ability: Gain one ability of lower tier.

Permanent Transformation You permanently transform into one element of a type you already have Elemental Transformation or Emission with. This form becomes your new default body. All damage dealt deals damage of indicated type, and you are immune to the elemental type you have become. The form changes noticeably to be "more" of the elemental type and the emon's humanity becomes suppressed. Breathing is no longer necessary. If you gain “Elemental Transformation” again, you can change into a different elemental type, but can never return to more than a facsimile of your original human body. Over time, the emon will subsume into the elemental nature of his form and depart the mortal plane for other realms permanently. Enabler.

Elemental Planeshift the Emon gains the ability to plane shift to his elemental plane of appropriate type that matches the current transformation once per day.

Five Facts about the Emoniae:

1.       The Emon city-states in the Adasatrak Mountains are each said to have been built over an elemental portal which leads to each of the elemental realms. Interestingly there is the seventh portal beneath the city Kalimdar, which is said to open into the Twisting Nether.

2.       Some emoniae claim that a spy and patriot named Eredatha, who was a consort to the old Emperor of Camrinal, was responsible for sabotaging the plans of the mad Emperor, leading to the destruction of the kingdom. This is officially decried as apocryphal, but a secret order of spies and assassins called the Dedicates of Eredatha believe it to be true.

3.       In an emon house finding a member who manifests true elemental affinity is considered a house blessing and automatically elevates the house to the affinity caste, giving them special social privileges. Someone of low caste who develops affinity is usually adopted by a willing house, given title and land privileges.

4.       Emon is not very welcome to outsiders, but the gateway cities of Kerenesk and Rathor serve as the safe harbors for outsider merchants and traders. From these two cities the goods of the outside world are imported to the city-states of the inner kingdoms which otherwise allow no outsiders of non-emoniae blood in their walls.

5.       Most emoniae are of sallow, almost albino complexion, but the emoniae of the coast are dark of skin and prone to elemental earth and fire affinity. The coastal emoniae call themselves the Eredenei, and claim to have migrated from across the ocean long ago, coming from a sunken continent called Dakarast.

D&D 5E - World of Sarvaelen - The Emoniae, Ancient Descendants of Elemental Sorcerers

Continuing the Sarvaelen "Watchers of the Sullen Vigil" adaptation to D&D 5E:

The People of Emon

Also known as the Emoniae, the people of this distant land exist far in the west, beyond the ruined expanse of the wastelands of Camrinal. Emon was the greatest independent threat to Camrinal in its era of rule, and the Emoniae were a culture of sorcerers much like the Empire. When the Final War erupted, their lands were devastated, and the Empire sought to exterminate their greatest rivals as quickly as possible. When the conflict ended with the destruction of Camrinal, most of Emon’s warriors were caught in the destruction, and destroyed. Still, there were plenty of survivors back home, now mostly dwelling in ancient, deep enclaves within the vast Adasatrak Mountains where they stood guard against the outside world.

Today the Emoniae are still driven by magic as a way of life and such arts find a greater acceptance within their mountain fortresses than anywhere else. The Emoniae remain isolated and tend to mistrust the young eastern kingdoms that have arisen from the ashes of the Final War. It is also the only land where the study and worship of the Old Gods is still permitted.

The Emoniae (singular Emon) as Characters

Many emoniae have a talent for magic, and are most commonly mages by class. Emoniae are, like pureblooded of Camrinal, prone to attracting the attention and interest of demons, spirits, elementals, old gods and other beings from the Elemental Realms. Elves have an abnormal fascination for them, and as a result it is more common to run into half-elves of mixed elvish and emon blood than any other combination. Emoniae are a special type of human, with the following racial traits:

·         Emoniae gain +1 in intelligence or +1 in Dexterity or Strength

·         Emoniae start with the Magic Initiate feat.

·         Emoniae start with proficiency in either Arcana or Insight.

·         Emoniae learn the common (Aeronostic) tongue as well as Emonish, their cultural language.

·         Elemental Affinity: Emoniae revere the elemental old gods, and still worship them. There is a chance on a DC 20 Wisdom check that an emon has some elemental heritage in her or her bloodline. The immediate effect is an innate basic understanding of the elemental language and an affinity for that element, which means that they tend to be regarded favorably by elementals of like type that they meet (+2 reaction modifier on Charisma checks).

·         Elemental Taint: Emoniae may gain the elemental taint feat at 4^th level (GMs may require this automatically). It is advised that each time an emon reached a feat/attribute gain by level, a save against the spellcaster’s primary stat vs. DC 8+total character level must be made. Failure requires the emon to take this feat!

Racial Feat: Emoniae Elemental Taint

Prerequisite: Emon heritage, spell-caster level 4 or higher

When a magic-using emon with elemental taint reaches 4th level in any spell casting class (wizard, sorcerer, paladin, ranger, warlock, cleric or druid) he or she begins to manifest a sign of elemental corruption, usually in the form of a glow or emission from the skin, and a slow but certain "change" on the skin that seems to be a manifestation of that emon's elemental taint (stone-like skin, persistent water running from pores, smoke, or a misty fog following the emon). This first manifestation is cosmetic and can be suppressed with concentration taking one full round.

An emon with this feat must choose one elemental type to exhibit going forward: fire, cold, air, earth, necrotic, radiant. This becomes the primary elemental affinity, which is dominant. If the emon has elemental affinity, this first elemental type must match the one chosen for affinity. An emon who did not have elemental affinity before (see racial traits) gains it with this feat.

Emoniae may have more than one connection to the elements, but each subsequent elemental type exhibits as secondary to the primary elemental affinity. For example, an emon with cold as primary may appear to have icy skin. If he later adds elemental earth affinity, he may display gravel or rocks floating in the ice of his skin. If he later adds fire, his eyes may blaze with hot light as water runs down his flesh.

This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time the feat is taken, a new elemental trait is manifested, rolled for on the table below.

Subsequent taints are harder to suppress, requiring a saving throw (same as above) to quell the effect for one day. When the emon sleeps or is unconscious it reappears. Roll each time the feat is taken to see what manifests:

D12 – Elemental Change

1-4 - a new cosmetic trait related to the source of elemental taint manifests (fire hair, frozen skin, stone skin, levitates slightly off ground). This effect grants resistance to the elemental type. If you roll this again, gain a new trait and a new resistance.

 5-6 – Choose one elemental type (fire, cold, air, water, earth, radiant, necrotic); you may add this elemental type to the damage or effect of a spell you cast as a bonus action.

7-8 – Gain the ability to Conjure Elemental as the spell once per day as if you used a level 6 spell slot. The second time you roll this you treat it as if the spell slot were level 7, and so forth up to level 9. Alternatively, on subsequent rolls you may increase use to twice per day.

9-10 – You gain resistance to one elemental type (as in 1-4 above), unless you already have resistance, in which case you gain immunity to that elemental damage type.

11-12 - gain permanent emission of elemental type: stone skin (gain natural AC 15), fire erupts from flesh (immune to damage from fire but deals 1D6 fire damage to all on touch), air (gains levitate at will), or water (emits water permanently at the rate of 1 liter/hour, gains water breathing). These traits are very difficult to disguise and require a save against the caster attribute at DC 8+level of caster with disadvantage to suppress the trait for 1 hour.

The second time on this chart you roll a 12 your character gains the elemental type (extraplanar) for purposes of classification. He or she is now considered an elemental. The form changes noticeably to be "more" of the elemental type and the emon's humanity becomes suppressed. Breathing is no longer necessary.

The third time you roll a 12 the Emon gains the ability to plane shift to his elemental plane of appropriate type once per day.

The fourth time the emon rolls 12 on this chart he becomes a true elemental and departs the material plane, becoming an NPC at the GM's discretion.

Five Facts About the Emoniae:

1.       The Emon city-states in the Adasatrak Mountains are each said to have been built over an elemental portal which leads to each of the elemental realms. Interestingly there is the seventh portal beneath the city Kalimdar, which is said to open into the Twisting Nether.

2.       Some emoniae claim that a spy and patriot named Eredatha, who was a consort to the old Emperor of Camrinal, was responsible for sabotaging the plans of the mad Emperor, leading to the destruction of the kingdom. This is officially decried as apocryphal, but a secret order of spies and assassins called the Dedicates of Eredatha believe it to be true.

3.       In an emon house finding a member who manifests true elemental affinity is considered a house blessing and automatically elevates the house to the affinity caste, giving them special social privileges. Someone of low caste who develops affinity is usually adopted by a willing house, given title and land privileges.

4.       Emon is not very welcome to outsiders, but the gateway cities of Kerenesk and Rathor serve as the safe harbors for outsider merchants and traders. From these two cities the goods of the outside world are imported to the city-states of the inner kingdoms which otherwise allow no outsiders of non-emoniae blood in their walls.

5.       Most emoniae are of sallow, almost albino complexion, but the emoniae of the coast are dark of skin and prone to elemental earth and fire affinity. The coastal emoniae call themselves the Eredenei, and claim to have migrated from across the ocean long ago, coming from a sunken continent called Dakarast.

D&D 5E - World of Sarvaelen - Ghuls of Camrinal as a Character Race

I've been updating Sarvaelen (The Watchers of the Sullen Vigil) to D&D 5E. I just can't get enough interest mustered for Fantasy AGE in my group of jaded vets, and S&W is a hard sell when D&D 5E does the same job with more. Sarvaelen in 5E would automatically use the sanity and all the gritty rest/healing rules in the DMG. Here's the Ghuls of Camrinal, adapted for 5E:

The ghuls are a survivor race, mutated descendants of a handful of Camrinal citizens that survived the apocalypse and kept their wits about them. Even hideously changed into half-dead beings the ghuls prosper, though in time it seems the madness inevitably creeps over them.

The ancient empire of Camrinal was a vast, dominant power that subjugated the old kingdoms to its rule about two hundred years ago. Camrinal not only ruled by force of arms but by force of magic as well, for it indulged the aristocracy of its era with a culture of free experimentation and arcane dabbling that eventually led to a magiocracy in which only those who demonstrated sorcerous talent were allowed to hold the reigns of power, ownership of property or positions of strength in the Empire. Magic had, in this now lost era two centuries gone, become ubiquitous.

When the fires of destruction rained down upon Camrinal in the Final Conflict, the vast majority of the old empire was wiped out, but many of its lesser citizens and a few elites survived. Today these survivors are mostly found as changed beings among the population known as the ghuls, but in some odd corners of the world there still exist untainted purebloods, though they often do not realize their own lineage.

As ghuls age they gradually begin to lose their mental faculties, and slowly go insane. When this happens they become feral creatures, driven purely by a desire to devour flesh. When a ghul dies or is slain, it returns within 1D4 days as an actual undead ghoul.

Ghul Characters: Most ghuls are likely to be NPCs and those which have lost their minds or become true undead are inevitably going to be foes, but a certain number of ghuls walk a fine line between death and madness, retaining their sanity for decades or longer. These are possible player characters. Campaigns which would allow ghuls probably focus on anti-heroes and more villainous plots and characters, but it is certainly possible that you might have a ghul who seeks redemption as a cleric of a benevolent goddess such as Nevereth, or a paladin of a divine calling.

Ghul Character Traits:

·         Statistics: All ghuls have +1 Dex and +1 Con. Ghuls which retain their sanity have strong wills; roll 2D6+6 for Sanity (if used) to determine this stat.

·         Darkvision: Ghuls have darkvision for 60 feet

·        Natural Weapons: Ghuls are armed with a claws which deal 1D6+strength damage and are proficienct in natural weapons. The ghul also has a vicious bite dealing 1D4+strength damage. The bite exposes the victim a nerve-damaging bacteria which acts quickly, requiring a constitution save vs. the ghul’s Constitution modifier plus 8, or suffer from a debilitating fever that causes weakness. The principle effect is 1D6 minutes long and induces nausea and severe cramping, as per the weakness condition.

·         Flesh Eaters: Ghuls engage in cannibalism to revive themselves. Any ghul that feeds off of living humanoid flesh may immediately spend a hit die and add twice their CON modifier. Ghuls experience a sort of hungry bloodlust when exposed to wounds on the living, and must make a Wisdom save (DC 12 if the target has more than half it’s hit points, DC 18 if it is wounded by half or more, and DC 22 for dying targets) to resist attacking wounded beings.

·         Fear Resistance: Ghuls have already experienced some amazing horrors in their time. Ghuls roll advantage on saves vs. fear.

·        Disease Immunity: Ghuls are immune to the effects of all disease. They are not true undead however, and still breathe.

·         Half-Dead Immortals: Ghuls don’t age. They look like zombies, with rotting skin and bones visible, clearly not being quite “alive” yet not dead, either. Ghuls are susceptible to turn undead effects. They “appear” as undead on spells that detect such conditions, but with an eerie aura of half-life suggesting something unusual about them. When a ghul does finally die, the necrosis running through its body will animate it as a true undead ghoul 1D4 days later.

·         Aging Madness: As ghuls age they develop a sort of madness and dementia, becoming increasingly dangerous and feral. For every 4 years past age 60 the ghul must make a save vs. Wisdom (DC 15+1 per every 4 years over age 60) or it loses 1 point of WIS, CHA and INT, down to 4 in each. If a ghul rolls a natural 20 on any of these saves, he regains a lost point in each (if he has lost any).

Five Ghul Facts:

1.      There are only so many ghuls. They cannot reproduce, and only exposure to the magically irradiated wastes of Camrinal can make new ghuls (and few normal humans or humanoids seek to live there long enough for this to happen). As the ghuls gradually go mad and lose their faculties, or die and become true ghouls, their numbers dwindle.

2.      Some ghuls claim that you can cure the condition, but it requires a form of asceticisim that requires the ghul to somehow refrain from their insatiable hunger for raw flesh for ten years. These ex-ghuls are mere rumors and legend, for their success necessarily means they are no longer ghuls, thus the reality of this cure remains a mystery.

3.      A handful of ghuls have followed a warlock’s path and have directly made a pact with the Old Ones, or Gaol itself. A Warlock who makes a pact with Gaol follows an Infernal Pact. A ghul warlock making a pact with the Old Gods follows the pact of the Old One.

4.      There is a knight in Therinal, where the Hag rules, who wears silvered armor and always bears a closed helm. He goes by the name Naramaste, and some suspect he is a ghul paladin.

5.      A Watcher of the Sullen Vigil named Danton Seramonde once journeyed to the edge of the ruins of Camrinal itself, and claimed he saw a swarm of feral ghuls hundreds of thousands strong. Only the light of Nevereth carried him to safety….or so he claims.

Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: the Emon Mage Silagastar Hesteros, cursed by fire (S&W)

Wednesday included a new introduction to the land, races and demi-humans of Sarvaelen. Among those options were the Emoniae, a sort of "ancient decadent magical human race" ala Melniboneans who have dabbled with the elemental lords for so long that many of their kind are at risk of elemental taint. What follows is one example of such, an ancient Emon mage named Silagastar Hesteros, who wanders the lands looking for a way to end his fiery curse before he transforms into a true elemental....

Silagastar Hesteros

Emon male, Neutral, age 76, Magic-User Level 17

STR 6, DEX 11, CON 10, INT 18, WIS 15, CHA 16

Languages Known: Aeronistic, Atlenar, Iandei, Emon, elvish, orcish, elemental tongue

HP 34 (11D4+6 HD), SAVE 5, AC 2 [17] (Bracers of Defense), To Hit Bonus +7

Magical Weapon: Staff of Power

Spells Prepared:

1^st Level (6/day): charm person, detect magic, magic missile, read magic, read languages, sleep

2^nd Level (6/day): ESP, invisibility, levitate, mirror image, web(X2)

3^rd Level (6/day): clairvoyance, dispel magic, fireballX2, protection from normal missiles, suggestion

4^th Level (5/day): charm monster, dimension door, hallucinatory terrain, wall of fireX2

5^th Level (5/day): Cloudkill, Conjuration of Elementals, Contact other Plane, TelekinesisX2

6^th Level (5/day): Control Weather, Disintegrate, Monster Summoning IVX2, Stone to Flesh

7^th Level  (2/day): Delayed Blast Fireball, Reverse Gravity

8^th Level (2/day): Clone, Mass Charm

Elemental Taint of the Emon: Silagestar has developed a deep level of elemental affinity in his tainted bloodline for the plane of fire. He has manifested the following traits:

1^st Taint (5^th level): reddish glow on skin in the form of elemental runes of fire; elemental fire resistance

2^nd Taint (6^th level): the spells magic missile, invisibility and web now have fire elemental traits (web manifests for one round, deals 1D6 fire and burns up; magic missiles are now fire instead of force, and invisibility works but he radiates infrared heat and can be seen by creatures who can see such)

3^rd Taint (8^th level): fiery skin (1D6 damage on touch); also burns garments worn, can only wear metal or fire resistant clothing

4^th Taint (9^th level): cosmetic trait (eyes are now fiery orbs)

5^th Taint (11^th level): the spells charm person and mirror image have fire elemental taint (charm person: target is wreathed in fire, immune to themselves but deals 1D6 on touch; mirror image: mirror images are wreathed in fire and deal 1D6 fire damage if touched)

6^th Taint (14^th Level): may summon an 8HD fire elemental 1/day for 1 hour

7^th Taint (15^th Level): manifested as an extraplanar fire elemental; body and flesh are fire.

8^th Taint ( 16^th Level): hallucinatory terrain and control weather gain fire elemental traits (hallucinatory terrain appears to manifest as the plane of fire; control weather manifests as a firestorm starting forest fires)

9^th Taint (17^th level): ability to plane shift to elemental plane of fire at will

Silagastar Hesteros is a wandering mage of Emon, tainted by elemental fire. He is ancient as human-kin go, and at 76 he has all but manifested as a full elemental. He sees his touch of fire as a curse placed on him by the Elemental Lord Erasak, and is questing to find a temple to the old god Grotares, for he found a lost Camrinal text which suggested that the deity could purify both body and spirit in a remote spring in the northern mountains. Location of this spring has eluded him, however.

Silagastar wears bracers of protection and swathes himself in rough leathers from hell hounds to contain his fiery emulsion. He travels far at times, looking for earthen and stone beds to lie upon for sleep, to insure he does not awaken in the morning to a raging grassfire around him. Silagastar carries few non-metallic items for most cannot survive constant contact. He does keep a coin purse of 100 platinum pieces and he wields a thin metal Staff of Power.

Allies

Silagastar has some unusual traveling companions. In addition to his fire elemental (8 HD) which he can summon that he has dubbed “Charcoal Maker” he keeps a loyal companion and bodyguard in the form of the fire giant Khomostagar, whose life Silagastar once saved. He also has a hellcat he has named “Good Kitty” for a loyal pet companion.

Khomostagar the Fire Giant (HP 57, AC 4[15], Attacks 1 immense metal maul (5D6), move 12, Save 4, AL chaotic, XP Val 12,000; special: hurl boulders, immune to fire)

“Good Kitty” the Hellcat (HP 36, AC 5[14], attack 1 bite (2d^), and 2 claws (1D4+1), move 12, Save 9, AL chaotic, XP Val 1,100; special: hit only by magical weapons, 20% MR). Good Kitty wears two magic items: The Collar of the Cunning Beast (grants INT 13 to an animal intelligence creature) and has been permanently granted fire immunity by Silagastar.

Charocal Maker the 8HD fire elemental (HP 36, AC 2[17], attack 1 strike (3D8), move 12, Save 8, AL neutral, XP Val 1,100; Special: ignite materials, immune to all non-magical weapons)

All of the above can be found in “Monstrosities.”

A New Introduction to the Sarvaelen: the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil Setting

In reviewing all I had written for the "Watchers" setting of Sarvaelen I was shocked (not really) to realize I had been letting it organically grow over a series of vignettes but had never established much of a "core introduction" for the world. To fix that I produced the following, along with some new data on characters and race options in the world. Any rules references below assume Swords & Wizardry Complete and Basic Role-Playing/Magic World but they're sufficiently portable to other like systems. 

The History of Sarvaelen since the Fateful Day of Destruction

When the Final War rolled to a close and the Emperor’s war mages of Camrinal called down unimaginable power from the skies, they sundered the cosmos itself in twain for a period of time. It was said that the black and frothing energies of other dimensional realms cascaded uncontrolled down upon the empire, eviscerating the land and its people even as the power of the ritual spell bathed Camrinal’s foes in unholy fire. When the battle ended almost none lived, and the great city of Zaravande was a blackened expanse of ruins dotted by thousands upon thousands of skeletal remains. Whatever it was that oozed forth from the skies and engulfed Zaravande, it picked the flesh clean from the bones of every nearly living thing within one hundred miles of the capitol, and those who lived were transformed into horrific, maddened ghuls.

The old stories say that “it” left; speaking of these unholy energies as if they were an entity with thought and intention, but some questioned that, observing that there is no evidence of any credible living witnesses to this event. Occasional tales from the deep recesses of the wastelands by maddened ghuls suggest that a handful of survivors, all changed into hideous half-dead abominations, claim to have seen the black energy writhe and coil about the land and its inhabitants, draining all of the living, sucking the flesh from their bones, before retracting once more into the rift in the sky. They claim that the rift never closed, and that it opens on occasion and feeds from the world below. It is tethered, these ghuls assert, over the ruins of Zaravande.

It was in this terrifying well of darkness and death that the modern world of Sarvaelen was born: from the ashes of an ancient, evil empire which had at last pushed too far, demanded too much of its client states. When the many enemies of the ancient Emperor rose up against him, to storm the gates of the Capitol and cast out the great evil which had plagued men, it was with the greatest of intentions. War would end, and a new dawn would begin no longer under the yoke of oppression. Instead, in a desperate fit of rage and madness, the Emperor called upon his greatest magic to bring forth the cataclysm that ripped victory from the grasp of his enemies at the expense of his entire empire.

Today, the memory of that devastation is a matter of folklore and few historians can reliably piece together who started what or why. No one disputes that the old Empire had fallen to dark ways, listening to the whispering of the elder gods and debasing themselves before ancient evils in the name of magical power. These imperial citizens of Camrinal subjugated the men of the other lands, including the Aeronost, Atlenar and Emon in the name of their depraved interests and obsession with power. This went on for centuries, it is said, before the subjugated people of these lands at last rose up to destroy their oppressor, Emperor Caradosh and his decadent imperial culture.

That was a little over two centuries ago. The year now is 213 of the New Dawn (ND), a name which implies that the civil war led to a victory. In fact, the name is more one of lost hope; the new dawn of the lands of Sarvaelen have been met with endless danger and a landscape forever altered by the hideous magic of the emperor and his war mages. Camrinal, once a vast imperial hub in the heart of Sarvaelen, is now a wasteland of magically irradiated, uninhabitable desert. Ghuls, undead and monsters prowl the land, spilling out into the neighboring dominions to hunt men for food and sport. A dour order of knights called the Order of the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil patrol the boundary between the desert wastes of Camrinal and the rest of the world, trying to keep the supernatural evil contained, but they falter and dwindle, for no men can stand up to the evil that was unleashed. Beyond the borderlands lie the neighboring kingdoms of Aeronost, Atlenar, Emon and others….all once provincial client states of the old empire, now freed men left to face two centuries of growing, ancient evil.

In the two centuries since the fall of Camrinal several events have taken place which have changed the face of the world. These include:

The fall of the Elder Gods: the pagan elder gods of the old empire were regarded as the reason for Camrinal’s destruction. Whether the emperor called upon one of these gods or some primal, cosmic force is unknown….but it is certain that even if these ancient deities were not responsible, they most certainly did not intervene to save the lives of their flock.

The rise of Nevereth: among most of the free lands of men, including Atlenar, Aeronost and the Iandei people the goddess Nevereth, once a lesser goddess in antiquity has become the principle deity of a growing monotheistic religion which decries the old gods as pagan demons and deceivers and fosters an intense mistrust of mages, branding all who engage with sorcery as witches, warlocks and servitors of demons.

The Yawning of the Gates Between Worlds: the very fabric of reality itself seems to have been damaged. The eerie Realm of Faerie has opened wide in remote lands of the world letting elves and other fey kin back into reality. For millennia now the fey kindred have been gone from the world, leaving when mankind rose to power and the empire was founded. Now after a long absence they are returning. Even as these portals appear, dark passageways to infernal realms open in the depths of the earth, the bottom of the ocean, and in the upper reaches of the sky. The Emon claim that it is the elemental kingdoms, slowly seeking to reclaim the mortal world, which was forged out of the primordial chaos eons ago by the old pagan gods. From these portals monsters of horrible nature emerge.

The Survivors of Sarvaelen

The world of the Watchers is a dreary realm which survived a terrible cataclysm. Among the men of the world there are several prominent contemporary kingdoms that arose from or survived the ashes of the old empire:

The Survivors of Camrinal

The ancient empire of Camrinal was a vast, dominant power that subjugated the old kingdoms to its rule. Camrinal not only rules by force of arms but by force of magic as well, for it indulged the aristocracy of its era with a culture of free experimentation and arcane dabbling that eventually led to a deep magiocracy in which only those who demonstrated sorcerous talent were allowed to hold the reigns of power, ownership of property or positions of strength in the Empire. Magic had, in this now lost era two centuries gone, become ubiquitous.

When the fires of destruction rained down upon Camrinal in the Final Conflict, the vast majority of the old empire was wiped out, but many of its lesser citizens and a few elites survived. Today these survivors are mostly found as changed beings among the population known as the ghuls, but in some odd corners of the world there still exist untainted purebloods, though they often do not realize their own lineage.

The People of Emon

Also known as the Emoniae, the people of this distant land exist far in the west, beyond the ruined expanse of the wastelands of Camrinal. Emon was the greatest independent threat to Camrinal in its era of rule, and the Emoniae were a culture of sorcerers much like the Empire. When the Final War erupted, their lands were devastated, and the Empire sought to exterminate their greatest rivals as quickly as possible. When the conflict ended with the destruction of Camrinal, most of Emon’s warriors were caught in the destruction, and destroyed. Still, there were plenty of survivors back home, now mostly dwelling in ancient, deep enclaves within the vast Adasatrak Mountains where they stood guard against the outside world.

Today the Emoniae are still driven by magic as a way of life and such arts find a greater acceptance within their mountain fortresses than anywhere else. The Emoniae remain isolated and tend to mistrust the young eastern kingdoms that have arisen from the ashes of the Final War. It is also the only land where the study and worship of the Old Gods is still permitted.

The Dour Atlenar

When the southern kingdom of Atlenar, with is brilliantly-scaled dragons and their riders assaulted the Zaravande, the capitol of the Empire, most of the dragon riders of this fallen kingdom perished. When the unholy energies of the burning spell bathed the world in fire, it slew the entire army and its dragonflights of Atlenar, and laid waste to the lands south, leaving cities and villages burning as the unholy wrath of the Emperor was channeled through the maddening power of the Old Gods he called upon. No one can say for sure what might have happened to this kingdom had they not comprised the single largest contingent of forces allied against Camrinal, but for this reason the wrath of that terrible spell burned Atlenspar almost as badly as it scoured the earth of Camrinal itself.

The Atlenar are the people who survived that scourge two centuries ago, mostly folk who were deep in the south and far from the center of the conflict, or who dwelt in smaller villages and townships in the wilds, escaping the purging fires that razed nearly two dozen strong cities and fortresses to the ground. The nature of the Atlenar today was shaped forever by this catastrophe, leaving them a brooding, dour folk who look with a great pessimism on daily life but at the same time embrace each day as if it were their last. Atlenar are known to be shrewd risk takers who regard all others with suspicion, especially anyone who might have a trace of Imperial blood in their veins.

Atlenar has not recovered from its firey doom, though its people have returned to a more clan-based way of life. The lands of Atlenar are dominated by the politics and rivalries of these twenty-odd clans that stem from the dominat families of their surviving ancestors. They treat their northern neighbors in Aeronost as allies, for they remember that after the devastation many in Aeronost traveled south to aid them in their time of need. Today the Atlenar also worship the monotheistic faith of Nevereth, the Alll-Mother as a result of this influence from Aeronost.

The Aeronost

Much like the other lands devastated by the final doom of Camrinal, Aeronost has had a time of recovery and growth to restore itself to a semblance of civilization. Unlike Emon and Atlenar, Aeronost was not nearly as affected as those kingdoms for by the time of the last conflict in which the forces of old rallied into a great force to siege the capitol of Zaravande, only pockets of resistance still existed in Aeronost to try and aid in the conflict; most of the old kingdom had been devastated after twenty years of continuous conflict with Camrinal, its people subjugated by occupying imperial forces. As a result, when the unholy fires and terrors of the Empire were unleashed to destroy their attackers, Aeronost experienced little of the devastation, and its people soon rose to overthrow and drive out the surviving forces of Camrinal that escaped the doom of the Empire by virtue of their station on Aeronost’s lands.

Aeronost remained a peaceful land after the end of the war, recovering and rebuilding, driven by the new young church of the goddess Nevereth which espoused a monotheistic faith that eschewed the Old Gods, blaming the corruption of those gods for the fall of the Empire and the ruin it left upon the lands. These same missionaries recruited many folk who traveled abroad to aid in helping those devastated by the war’s end. This helped greatly to expand the following of Nevereth, who was rapidly adopted as the savior goddess of most of Sarvaelen’s kin.

About one hundred years ago the first wars of succession began in Aeronost as various nobles and warlords began to aspire to restoring their lost kingdom’s might. It was forty years ago that the first true king was recognized, to whom most current nobles swear fealty to today. Since then Aeronost has grown and developed into a strong, young kingdom and a policy of open overland trade has made it a lucrative corridor for such between the young kingdoms of Sarvaelen.

Iandei

The iandei are a curious lot. The stories of the iandei, who stand on average shorter than most men, averaging only five feet in height, is that they were actually men taken centuries ago as prisoners and slaves from the kingdom of Sammar (though back then it was known only as the mysterious lands of Shul as Sammar had not yet risen to power), turned into servants of the empire. During the Final War many iandei escaped and took up arms against the Empire, serving as foot soldiers in the armies of Emon and Atlenspar. When the terrible energies of the last conflict in the war bathed the world in fire, some of the iandei somehow escaped doom, and as a people found themselves without their cruel masters, free at last.

Today the iandei have vibrant communities within the borders of other kingdoms, but they tend to remain insular as a community and as such tend to hold to their own. They have, like so many others, embraced the worship of Nevereth but they never truly let go of their old ways during the centuries of subjugation as slaves of the empire and worship a curious form of animistic spirit worship that harkens back to their homeland of Shul. The spirit worship of the iandei is a deeply kept cultural secret, and they build all temples beneath the ground, usually hidden away, known only to the other iandei of the community.

The iandei do not get along with any descendent of Camrinal which takes pride in their ancestry, but they do have a curious respect and pity for the ghuls of the wastelands, seeing them as having suffered greatly for the error of the Empire’s ways. As such, iandei such as can be found in Aelghast are known to take pity on ghuls who seek refuge or aid and so allow them into the community, albeit as second class citizens.

There are more kingdoms and cultures to be revealed in time (such as in the northlands, and across the sea in Sammar), but those shall be saved for another time. What is outlined above comprise the interlocked groups which can be found adjacent to the wastelands of Camrinal and the Stormsinger Coast.

Nonhuman Races of Sarvaelen

There are a handful of deminhuman races in Sarvaelen, and their numbers have been growing in the two centuries since Camrinal’s fall. Among these demihumans are:

The Ilmarain Elves

The elves of Ilmarain are a secretive, suspicious race. The Ilmarain herald from their dominion in the Real of the Faerie where they claim to belong to the Summer Court. Their disdain for men and love of cruelty is only slightly less than that of the Abashan, the dark elves. Their Queen of Air and Water is the ruler of the Summer Court. The term Ilmarain apparently is also the name of the elven city from which most elves enter the mortal world.

The Abashan Dark Elves

The elves of Abashan are counter to the Ilmarain. They are dark of skin, seeped in shadow and darkness, and servants to the Winter Court. Their ruler is the Queen of Fire and Shadow, a destructive immortal of pure power. The Abashan are most comfortable in shadow and seek out the darkest corners and depths of the earth in which to manifest. They are inimical to mortals, and treat them as playthings at best, cattle at worst.

The Orcs of Sugante and Aphoros

The orcs of the Lower Kingdoms are an ancient force unmeasured, for their presence in the world is new. It is not known if they are a recent manifestation, perhaps born out of the incalculable destruction of Camrinal or something more ancient, waiting for the wane of human rule to allow their species passage to conquest. Their rise in numbers has forced many dwarven enclaves to escape closer to the surface realms to avoid destruction.

The Dwarves of the Lower Kingdoms

The stout dwarves are elemental sons of the earth, and they revere the Old God Satarnas as their creator, from whom they rose out of the earth in the wake of his steps in the caverns of the deeps. The dwarves dislike surface dwellers and rarely come out of their caverns save out of necessity. In the last century the rise of the orcs and other monsters in the darkness have forced the dwarves to seek passage out of their dark lands and to even call upon the aid of humans.

The Gnomes of Rekaras

The gnomes are a race similar to the dwarves and some claim a similar origin, created by the Old Gods though the gnomes insist that they are something different. They have some cities, such as Rekaras, on the surface world but many gnome tribes still dwell hidden in deep caverns and dark forests. The gnomes are a pernicious lot, inventors and madmen who have the logic of the fey, suggesting a connection to the Other World.

The Halflings of the Western Shores

Remote communities of halflings thrive north west of Emon. The haflings call themselves the True Folk, and claim to have been around when men were a new race in the world. Haflings are rare but for their lack of adventuresome spirit, and keep to themselves mostly. Halflings can and do disappear in times of war, and their ability to burrow into the earth and hide in the depths of the forests and mountains serve them well in dark times.

The Ghuls of Camrinal

The ghuls are a survivor race, mutated descendants of a handful of Camrinal citizens that survived the apocalypse and kept their wits about them. Even hideously changed into half-dead beings the ghuls prosper, though in time it seems the madness inevitably creeps over them.

Sarvaelen Primer on Character Generation, Gods and More

Random Homeland Culture/Race Generation Table

D100                      Homeland           Special Subtables                      

01-25                     Aeronost              Possible Camrinal bloodline**   

26-32                     Esren                   Possible Camrinal bloodline**   

33-40                     Iandei                  Mixed Homelands*                     

41-45                     Mandrelavas                                                            

46-55                     Thaerinal             Possible Camrinal bloodline**   

56-70                     Atlenar                Possible Camrinal bloodline**   

71-75                     Neremune                                                                

76-80                     Yakhal                                                                    

81-85                     Emon***            Elemental Taint***   (10% chance of 1/2 elvish blood)                

86-90                     Viskar Steppes                                                   

91-95                     Katari Clans       Possible Camrinal bloodline** (15% chance of 1/2 orcish blood) 

96-00                     demihuman        (D8: 1-2 halfling, 3 gnome, 4 elf, 5-6, dwarf, 7 ghul, 8 dark elf)                                                

*Mixed Homelands: The iandei roll a second time to establish their local origin. If Iandei ir Sammar comes up, then the iandei is a pureblood of Shul.

**Camrinal Bloodline: There is a chance that an adventurer from this land has some heritage from the old empire. If the character both has heritage and is magically adept (has class levels/skill in a magic-using class/profession) than he is automatically considered “pureblood.” Purebloods are prone to attracting special attention from demons, old gods, spirits and other malevolent beings. S&W: this is a percentage chance equal to Intelligence (D100 equal to or under INT score) that an adventurer from this land has some heritage from the old empire. If the character both has heritage and is magically adept (has class levels in a magic-using class) than he is automatically considered “pureblood.” Purebloods are prone to attracting special attention from demons, old gods, spirits and other malevolent beings. BRP: There is a percentage chance equal to POWx1 that the adventurer has a Camrinal bloodline. In a Magic World game those of Camrinal blood can cast spells regardless of INT score (does not need to be 16). In straight BRP they start with "normal" level in magic or sorcery on top of any professional bonuses, and regardless of profession chosen.

***Elemental Taint: Emoniae revere the elemental old gods, and still worship them. S&W: There is a percentage chance equal to Wisdom that an emon has some elemental heritage in her or her bloodline. The immediate effect is an innate basic understanding of the elemental tongue and an affinity for that element, which means that they tend to be regarded favorably by elementals of like type that they meet (+2 reaction modifier). BRP: Emoniae roll percentiles against POWx1 at character creation. If they succeed then the emon has INTx3 starting value in the Elemental Tongue (a unique planar language) and a +10% reaction modifier when influencing elementals.

The Emoniae

Many emoniae have a talent for magic, and are the only human race allowed to multiclass as fighter/magic-users or thief/magic-users. Emoniae are, like pureblooded of Camrinal, prone to attracting the attention and interest of demons, spirits, elementals, old gods and other beings from the Elemental Realms. Elves have an abnormal fascination for them, and as a result it is more common to run into half-elves of mixed elvish and emoniae blood than any other combination.

S&W: Multiclassed emoniae have no level limits, but function in the same manner as multiclassed demihumans for purposes of advancement. 

When magic-using emoniae with elemental taint reaches 5th level in any spell casting class (magic-user, cleric or druid) he or she begins to manifest a sign of elemental corruption, usually in the form of a glow or emission from the skin, and a slow but certain "change" on the skin that seems to be a manifestation of that emon's elemental taint (stone-like skin, persistent water running from pores, smoke, or a misty fog following the emon). This first manifestation is cosmetic and can be supressed with concentration. At each level thereafter the emon must make a percentage check against:  (INT plus level)X2. When this check is made (equal to or under) then a new taint manifests. Subsequent taints are harder to supress, requiring a saving throw to quell the effect. When the emon sleeps or is unconscious it reappears. Roll each time to see what manifests:

D12 – Elemental Change

1-4 - a new cosmetic trait related to the source of elemental taint. Gains resistance against elemental type if not already possessed of it (+5 save vs. magic dealing damage of elemental type and immunity to normal damage from that element.)

 5-6 - 1D3 spells of choice take on an elemental trait (e.g. magic missile is now "magic fire missile), either dealing damage of that elemental type or reflecting elemental traits of said type (Hold person could temporarily encase a target in stone  for example). When all 1^st-2^nd level spells have elemental taint move on to the next, and so forth. GM discretion on the extend of obscure effects.

7-8 - gains ability to summon an 8HD elemental once per day for 1 hour as a servant; second time this is rolled gains ability to summon a 12HD elemental; 3rd time allows a 16HD elemental; fourth time this is rolled go to 9 below.

9-10 - gain resistance from that element (see 1-4 above); second time this is rolled it becomes total immunity to that element (both magical and mundane); third time this is rolled go to 11-12 below.

11-12 - gain permanent emission of elemental type: stone skin (gain +2 AC), fire erupts from flesh (immune to damage from it but deals 1D6 to all on touch), air (gains levitate at will), or water (emits water permanently, gains water breathing). These traits are very difficult to disguise and require a saving throw at -2 to supress for 1 hour.

The second time on this chart you roll a 12 your character gains the elemental type (extraplanar) for purposes of classification. He or she is now considered an elemental. The form changes noticeably to be "more" of the elemental type and the emon's humanity becomes supressed. Breathing is no longer necessary.

The third time you roll a 12 the Emon gains the ability to plane shift to his elemental plane of appropriate type at will.

The fourth time the emon rolls 12 on this chart he becomes a true elemental and departs the material plane, becoming an NPC at the GM's discretion.

BRP: When sorcerer or mage emoniae with elemental taint reaches 70% or more in any spell or professional sorcerer skills he or she begins to manifest a sign of elemental corruption, usually in the form of a glow or emission from the skin, and a slow but certain "change" on the skin that seems to be a manifestation of that emon's elemental taint (stone-like skin, persistent water running from pores, smoke, or a misty fog following the emon). This first manifestation is cosmetic and can be supressed with concentration. At each level thereafter the emon must make a percentage check against POWx2 +2% for each spell of 75% or greater skill. When this check is made (equal to or under) then a new taint manifests. Subsequent taints are harder to supress, requiring a POW vs. POW resistance roll to supress; each effect is unique with a resistance POW of 15+1D8. When the tainted emon sleeps or is unconscious it reappears. Roll each time to see what manifests when failing a check after reaching 70% or more in a given spell:

D12 – Elemental Change

1-4 - a new cosmetic trait related to the source of elemental taint. Gains resistance against elemental type if not already possessed of it (+5 POW resistance against that elemental type and 5 points of protection from the elemental damage type).

 5-6 - gain a new elemental spell of appropriate type, or gain +10% in the skill of an existing spell.

7-8 - gains ability to summon an elemental once per day for 1 hour as a servant. Each additional time increases the number of elementals or adds 1 hour of summoned time. 

9-10 - gain resistance from that element (see 1-4 above); second time this is rolled it becomes total immunity to that element (both magical and mundane); third time this is rolled go to 11-12 below.

11-12 - gain permanent emission of elemental type: stone skin (gain +1d4+1 AP), fire erupts from flesh (immune to damage from it but deals 1D6 to all on touch), air (gains levitation at movement speed at will), or water (emits water permanently, gains water breathing). These traits are very difficult to disguise and require a resistance roll vs. POW 25 to supress for 1 hour.

The second time on this chart you roll a 12 your character gains the elemental type (extraplanar) for purposes of classification. He or she is now considered an elemental. The form changes noticeably to be "more" of the elemental type and the emon's humanity becomes supressed. Breathing is no longer necessary.

The third time you roll a 12 the emon gains the ability to plane shift to his elemental plane of appropriate type at will.

The fourth time the emon rolls 12 on this chart he becomes a true elemental and departs the material plane, becoming an NPC at the GM's discretion, to eventually be summoned by another elementally tainted emon in the future.