Rules/meta excerpts

Areas on the map that are marked in shadow are area where the Army of the Starless Night Controls and thus, Divine Effects fail here. Areas controlled by the Frosts of the Starless Night are also non-Divine regions. To be clear what Divine Effects are, they are ALL Paladin abilities, anything that says it is a blessing of any kind, anything that requires a connection to the divine to operate (like Oracle, or making sacrifices to a god). These abilities are different than “spiritual abilities” like duel which are based on the energy within a person, not on the energy coming from a divine source outside the person. Also note that players cannot get Divine Intervention of any kind in these regions. Pacts and Divine Intervention Flaws will remain on, as they are based more within the person, and less as power from the outside. Note that there may be odd anomalies or exceptions that the GM rules in certain cases. These cases should never be used as a benchmark for what will or won’t work in these areas, due to the high level of detail required to adjudicate individual plot elements. Certain players or effects have created a “bubble” of divine, which can be carried into these regions to effect a single player only. These “bubbles” work by charging the area around the person with energy from the divine, and like a battery, wear out fast. Do not use these examples to assume the same can be done by other NPC’s or players. Each is only active on a case by case basis, and each has its own flaws and lifespan.

The Order of the Empty Cowell: This group appear to be converted from the Shadowlands groups that were attempting to take over the region of Glimindel before the Order of the Black Crescent took the Mists of Shabarax and made them into a way to take over the groups working with the Shadowlands as well. The Order of the Empty Cowell is a newer faction, and very independent. They have rapidly gained power over the Time Jump and are only matched in power by the Frosts and the Black Crescent. They user exclusively Shadowland troops and humans. They are sometimes accompanied by Black Dragons, called the “Angonaqu,” which appear to be always size 8, do not have any Necro Spells, but instead have a breath weapon that causes Charm in addition to the usual Black Dragon breath effect. These dragons are known to be Greater Undead beings of some kind, and any encounter where one is present, standard spells cost an additional 1 mana, and casting a standard spell gives the caster a Divine Corruption Counter which makes them unable to use divine abilities. These counters can only be removed by Cure Disease (and this take a full month per counter to remove). There most common groups are called Hollow Hunters and are usually made up a Shadowlands Commander, two Shadow Phantoms, two Shadow Forms, two Shadowlands Ogres, and the rest Taken Folk.

Order of the Forgotten Faith: This group is what the Army of the Starless Night seems to use as their Paladins, though they are unlike any Paladins we would recognize and as such, should be thought of distinctly differently. They are much more of a class all their own, with abilities that feel like they were once Paladin, but are now quite different and strange. They seem to focus on bringing people into the fold of the Starless Night, through reason, or through conquest, and if not that, than through death. They are never affected by Divine Effects no matter where they travel. They also seem to be Immune to anyone who uses a Paladin ability that they observe. They are usually Rank 3 at least, and often only have 1 ability per Rank they are, but each is unique and feels like a custom ability based on an inverted Paladin ability. These are things like, “Magic damage and Holy damage fail in the encounter this is in.” “Healing fails in the encounter this is in.” “Opponents are Vulnerable in the encounter this is in.” “Being dropped Charms opponents in the encounter this is in.” These people are almost always humans, but sometimes are Undead, very rarely. Most hunt down and destroy Paladins. Any Paladin killed by one of these beings loses a level in addition to any effects they would normally have from their pull. This is also per death they gain, not per pull from the death bag. These people seem to be Immune to most Called abilities, and Silence those that attack them. This effect is considered spiritual but not magic or divine, like duel. Most of these people have Duel, but do not use it all the time, prefering to do so when it suits them, or by some principle they follow.