2019-2020 - Implementation Notes (Year: 16,183)

Table of Contents:

Political Map

Geographical Map

Magic OP

Absence of Dragons

State of the United Free Republics

Economy at Large

Items Spirit Haunt Developments

Areas Where Divine Effects Fail

Sacrifices Affected

Army of the Starless Night

Current Political Map

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FknUTY_2B36YC1YaOSUm0-B18wx56gMh/view?usp=sharing

Current Geographical Map

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1McBaj7yd6uXliSlDDXKVQkLZXO3G389A/view?usp=sharing

Magic Order of Power (OP).

        Magic is at OP 2 in most regions.  In areas controlled by the Army of the Starless Night, this drops to 1 for those opposing them (their OP appear to be 6 now).  Mage Schools can maintain OP 3 on their school grounds only.  They may have higher OP within the towers, but this is not common knowledge.  The Wizard Trade Order in this region appears to have OP 3 consistently, though it too drops by 1 (to 2) when they oppose the Army of the Starless Night.  Shagaoath Followers still have any OP 10 when invoking the name of their leader.  

Absence of Dragons

        Dragons are no longer encountered in Roekron except or seen unless a GM specifically states otherwise.  It is only recently that dragons have been seen (other than those working with the Army of the Starless Night- see below).  Dragons in this region appear to be very hampered, as though gravity were much stronger, and appear to always be in the negatives of mana.  They never speak except to cast Elder Sorcery, and then, they are very short with their words.

State of the United Free Republics        

        All remaining listed groups have in some way signed onto the United Free Republic Alliance of Roekron, a hybrid of the new and old governments.  While this group has little power currently, it has a great deal of respect from all nations, and thus, most will listen, and consider the goals of this group as important and in their interest.  This group is currently led by a group of appointed officials called Alliance Council Judges, who travel freely from country to country and advise, report on, and dispense judgement as needed.  There are two representatives from every county currently.  This group is a fairly cohesive governing group, but does have the problem that they have no official power in any nation, only the combined power of the knowledge that should groups oppose them, they could be voted against, and otherwise lose help they desperately need on the battlefield from neighbors.  This group hires many scribes, diplomats, and courtiers, to do errands and to check up on governments.  If you are playing one of these Officer to the Alliance Council Judges, you should have the insignia of the ACJ which is a golden circlet surrounded by darkness, and a sunburst in the center.  You will be considered Talented in all Mediator or Scribe Crafts (choose one), and are usually at least Rank 2.  It is a crime in every country to interfere with a ACJ Officer on official business, and the punishment can be jail time, to death.  The following countries will respect the ACJ (and treat the ACJ as they would if their alignment was up one step from normal).

        HELM and any member of an active Military (Illionass Knights, Ladies of the Knights Watch, Thunderriders, Zephyrecats, etc) needs to pull for 1d4 deaths during this period of time, due to the harsh survivability of this age.

Current members are: Dsesnor, Orieri, Andionion, Einion, Wood Elven Protectorate, Hostor, Amir, Illionass, Odilathen, Stonehammer, Svodlun, Sorikonia, Geb, Temnor.

(Pending additions are Blackspire, The Dark Wilds).

Economy at Large

        Lose 50% of Everything:  The general economy of Roekron has collapsed and this has had grave consequences for all regions.  Everyone in Roekron, including Dagdoeth and the Army of the Starless Night has lost 50% of everything they own (all gold, gems, armor, weapons, holdings, etc)!  The only thing that seems to not be affected by this market crash is Snow Diamonds which do not need to be counted in the wealth lost.  (Items that have a monetary listed value should be added up as a category - armor and items, holdings, etc and then divide in half rounding in the players favor.  Magic items should be divided by the number of items, not monetary value of the time which is subjective).

Start Gold and @ Changes: This means that characters start with 5 gold, not 10.  This also means that the @ of most towns is 10.  The @ of a major city is 20, and only in a capital city could one buy Half or Full Plate.  This does not mean that these types of armor are more rare, just harder to buy easily.  They are more likely acquired by taking them from opponents.  This also means that baddies should never suit up with anything more valuable than 20 gold unless the GM says so.  Baddies should also suit up using the 1 equipment set for journeymen and only add 1 more per Rank they are.

Training Restrictions: This also means that only certain guilds are trainable in a town (usually Rank 1 only, and never mage).  In a major city all Rank 1 would be available, but never mage), and only certain Rank 2’s.  For all mage training, people must go to a mage school (Pinnacle, Stormwatcher Tower, Estorock Keep, Serpenton, Krodigros, Spireguard, Randwin, Astengrad, etc.).  Note that Rank 3 is no longer able to be taught in any city, anywhere, and only through meeting someone who is Rank 3 and can teach that class will one be able to learn it.  Mages can also be taught this way, if one finds a teacher, and works one on one with them with in game training.

Item Spirit Haunt Developments

        There was a point where more magic items changed into Item Spirit Haunts, and it seemed like all of them might, but the actions of a few characters who had close connections and understanding of them prevented this and the spirits instead seemed to rally to the side of the United Free Republics.  It was discovered that something hunts these items, in item form, and that in Spirit Haunt Form they can defend against it.  This is another reason for their odd behavior.  They are fleeing a dangerous predator.  Some items are now gone, and must be turned in to the GM at the next event.  All magic items of a certain type now also have a new game world flaw, and Item Spirit Haunts now have a new way to aide the characters.

        Magical Clothing, Rings, and Amulets have all become Item Spirit Haunts, and must be turned into the GM, regardless of their Tier.  It is the understanding of the mage schools that this was for their own protection as these are the most vulnerable spirits, and that the reason that other items remained items is because they wish to help the people of this world, and are remaining in solid form because if they left, there would be no way to battle the foes they face.

        Magic Items that have Tier higher than their owner, will begin to transform into item spirit haunts.  Unless the owner gives them to someone who has enough Tier to use them, they will leave and become self directed.  This is new flaw on all magic items that are made with the standard Enchanting of summing a spirit.  This is regardless of if the item is from the First Age or not, though most First Age Items are Tier 1 and thus this is moot.  This also only triggers if the item is in the possession of a person.  If the item is buried, in a dungeon, or otherwise, forgotten somewhere, it remains an item until an attempt to wield it wakes it up, and then it would become an items spirit.  (Order of operations for these effects is first you lose items to these haunting effects, THEN you lose half of your wealth, items, holdings, etc.  see above Economy).

        Lastly, some people have discovered that by befriending item spirit haunts, and gaining their trust over time, some people have been able to make a sort of pact with them, and this allows the spirit to become an item again, for a day, sometimes longer, and the item can be used as it once was.  There is a danger here that the spirits have a hard time speaking of.  Most scholars agree it is likely that the predator could find them in this form and they are unable to change back at will, and thus, must trust their wielder to let them go.  It may be that if the wielder refuses to release them, they cannot change back at all, and this is what they fear.

Areas Where Divine Power Fails

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.

Sacrifices Affected

        It has become apparent that something odd is going on with the divine power, and that this effect is somehow connected to how effective sacrifices are.  At first people believed that is was simply the loss of so many followers that accounted for the change in how much their sacrifices seemed to do for them.  But then, over time, this didn’t add up.  It is now believed that the Black Dragons, called the “Angonaqu” by most who have studied them, are the reason that this variance exists.  Most are fairly certain that these beings are somehow blocking the divine from giving the power they would normally give, but how is not known.  Because of this, GM’s will deliver much less of an effect when players attempt to sacrifice things for blessings or other effects.

Army of the Starless Night

The Army of the Starless Night has many branches and conquered areas.  The behavior of each branch is different and will need to be considered, very much like Dagdeoth Factions.  Something that all the conquered areas have in common is a different view of deities.  Most will have no fear of divine retribution, and those that do, will be more concerned about their afterlife, rather than the present moment.  All of these groups live in snow covered regions that rarely see the sun, so they all have Alternative Snow Native (-1 damage from cold weather, can run in snowy regions, +1 damage from hot weather, costs 1 mana per encounter to run in hot climates).

Citizens of the Starless Night (The Common People):  These are the conquered people of the Starless Night.  They are local Roekorn folk that have come under the sway of the alignment shifting power of the Army of the Starless Night, or they were locals who were already evil or neutral.  They are not much different than normal Roekron folk, other than their outlook on life, which they take a gritty, realist approach to.  They are often cruel and remorseless, and quick to kill when it suits them.  They can be any Rank and any species, but are never Paladin unless the GM specifically says so, and then they would need to see the GM for specifics.

The Order of the Black Crescent:  This group is the strongest and most powerful of all of the groups.  They are obsessed with controlling other groups, maintaining their power structures, and keeping anyone who get out of line, in check.  They have strict feudal systems that they enforce viciously, and without warning.  To step out of line with Order means death, and sometimes a Morganti one.  Levels of Diplomacy and Courtier are critical survival skills within the Order and anyone with less than 5 in each usually doesn’t last long.  Assume that for each step in Social Status one of these people has above Tenent, they have 5 levels of both Courtier and Diplomacy.  The Order of the Black Crescent uses a pyramid structure for all it’s troops.  There will usually be a Stone Giant in charge, who is generally Rank 3, and may Disable any one standard skill or spell at the start of any encounter (there is no cost for this for them).  They may Triumph to Charm and Command Elite anyone they drop.  This Giant is Guardian Bound (if someone they are Guardian Bound to drops, the other person takes Awaken or Rebirth) to their two bodyguards , the next ones down the pyramid.  Below the Giant are usually two, Size 3 Elementals (one Shadow, and One Life).  They are usual also each Rank 1 in a Class.  Below them will be three beings with Regenerating (usually just War Trolls, but they could be Ringlings, or Battle Bones).  They are usually Rank 1 each as well.  Below them is a group of four elite warriors/semi’s who are usually Rank 3, but can be up to Rank 6 (if the GM says they would be in this case).  They are all Vengeance Bound (if the person that dropped them, drops, they take Awaken or Rebirth).  Below them, they use either Humans Rank 1, Infinite Goblin Skeletons, or Bonewarrior, Zombies with Lords, or any combination of these.  Note that this is the basic Order of the Black Crescent Troop.  They have much more extreme versions of this, and less so as well.

The Order of the Towering Thousand:  A much more rare group now, these troops are sometimes seen supporting other groups, and helping out where they can, but they are not a major force and appear to have no main leader.  They operate very much like mercenaries within the Army of the Starless Night and hire on where they are needed.  They are very strategic in their approach to combat and appear to be only interested in victories that can be had through combat.  One half of their troops are always undead of various types, and the other half are always living, though of various species.  The one common thread they will have is that they always have a group of Vengeance Bound Rank 3+ Humans with them (at least 3).  They also always have a Wisp Guard of some kind to reanimate their fallen undead.

The Order of the Bloodied Seeker:  Another small faction within the army, the Order of the Bloodied Seeker is much more of a scholarly group, rather than a combat oriented group.  They are in charge of seeking out information and extracting it from enemies, in creative and often terrifying ways.  While rarely seen on the battlefield, they are found infiltrating enemy cities, abducting enemy nobles, and running devastating heists.  This group values loyalty above most other things, and see a commitment to its members main virtue.  Being good at what you do is important, but not as important as never giving away who you work for.  This group resembles the Order of the Purple Lotus, but with a focus on sabotage and information gathering rather than assassination.  They will all have two abilities of Thief or Assassin which they can gain or lose in a 20 count.  Most of them are also in Semi Classes, but can be any Class.  Their average Rank is 2, and are often encountered as teams of 3-6, if they are ever encountered.

The Frosts of the Starless Night:  The undead and beings that were once controlled by Shabarax the demon lord are now completely within the allegiance of the Army of the Starless Night.  Shabarax himself is said to be a slave, kept in the pits of the deep places of the world as punishment for attempting to rise up against Ameruloth during the first years of the Time Jump.  All his creations are the Armies now.  They frosts have taken many creatures from the Dark Wilds and converted and then transformed them into new beings of the Frosts design.  The Frosts appear to be their own Order with the Army, and many refer them as the Order of the Frosts of the Starless Night. They exclusively an undead organization, emphasizing an ability to take over undead beings (a very rare ability) and to reform them.  There main feature is to use Combos of Undead (Skeletal Giants for example).  If you are running an encounter in the Frosts of the Starless Night, anyone who drops will take Warded Charm.  The Frosts also give Regenerating and Zombify to all undead within it (friend or foe).  The most common type of beings to encounters along the Frosts are a Frost Patrol which is a Battle Bones, a Wisp Guard, an Imp, a Revenant, a Skeleton, and Zombies.

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.

Crusaders of the Agantine:  Worshipers of their numerous Agantine Wraiths (some one hundred or more now).  They follow them around and believe that becoming the Wraith is the highest honor and usually are only humans.  They believe they are on a quest to become the one true Agantine Wraith.  They always appear with an Agantine Wraith (Knight Wraith, Rank 2 Ranger, Item of Ward).  Opponents in these encounters are always taking Fear.  They always have two, Rank 2 Crusaders of the Agantine (they use not Divine Gift or other blessings, though their Paladin abilities work in the Non-Divine Zone!) with them, using Claymores that deal Agantine to down players and also swing for Warded Agantine Fear Touch.

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.

Monsters that are Now Common Knowledge

Army of the Starless Night

• Command Giants:  as Giant but with Disable for any standard ability are star of encounter, Triumph to Charm and Command Elite the person they dropped, Guardian Bound to up to two other people (if someone they are Guardian Bound to drops, they take Awaken or Rebirth).
• Battle Elite Humans: humans (sometimes Revenants), that are always Rank 3-6.  If they are Rank 6, they have a “Capstone” ability that relates to their class, but that is a nonstandard.  They are usually Vengeance Bound (if the person that dropped them drops, they take Awaken or Rebirth).
• Sacripine (Minor Undead): HP 1, Mana 2, AV 1, Size 2, INT Average.Looks: Bodies with heads dipped in ice, frozen solid.Abilities:  Snow Native, Martial Arts, Deal Magic Ice Damage with any attack (Convoke).  Ice Damage heals them fully/as Animate Dead!  They are smart enough to use this on each other.Notes: They have no speech, and should be oddly silent.  They cannot use any Called Spells or skills other than their Ice Damage attack (which is really just a reminder).  Fire Spells that deal them damage ruin their bodies!
• Owne-main (Full Undead)  HP 10, Mana 2, AV 2, Size 6, INT High.  Looks: A very large skeleton made of ice.  Long sharp ice claws on the ends of their hands.  Sharp ice fangs as well!  Abilities: Snow Native, Martial Arts with Weapon Mastery and Ice damage. Zombify and Animate Dead.  Lightning Ray. Bite AV0 Ice Damage Poison (this does 1 ice every 20 count).  Anyone killed by this effect IMMEDIATELY becomes a Skeleton under this creatures control (make sure to carry a lot of undead sashes- and purple pinnies too if necessary).  Notes: Fire damage is Holy to this creature.  Hacks are Holy as well to this being.
• Maiyock Berzerkers (Living beings possessed by a contagious mental illness)  HP - as species etc.  Looks: all kinds of people with blue lips and no eyes, only empty sockets.  They usually look like they have their eyes closed.  Abilities: Blind Fighting, Berserk, Hack, Gifted Avoid.  Notes:  These people have a contagious mental illness that causes them to become Allured to the leaders of these dark armies.  They are alive, but close to being undead.  Cure Mental Illness/Remove Charm cast on them infects the caster and anyone within 10 feet of them!  The effect is immediate, freezing out their eyes, and turning them on their allies!
• Thundraspeen (native creature recruited into armies) HP: 40, Mana 5, AV 1, Size 8, INT Low. Looks:  A five armed white furred monkey/bear shaped like a wheel.  It “rolls” across the snow on its five arms, and is quite fast.  Abilities: Speed, Snow Native, Trample, Shimmering, Called Magic Resistance, Martial Arts, Monstrous Strength.
• Everkrem (Full undead)  HP: 1 Mana: 1 av:0 Size: 2 Int: average. BR 18.
  Looks:  skeletons with no feet.  They float along.  Blue electricity arks between them randomly throughout the encounter. Martial Arts (one hand only), Shock Touch, Trigger- all allies-  (Triumph = Reanimate all): reanimated all of them if they drop someone.
• Ringlang  HP: 5 Mana: 2 av:2 Size: 6 Int: Low,  Looks: identical furry humanoids with extremely long prehensile tails.  Always ring patterns of color.  They use weapons, but sometimes use claws. Eye color same.  Abilities: Martial Arts, Limited Magic Resistance (two types by fur ring color), Prehensile Appendage, Acrobatics.  Linked Outsider Regenerating (they have Outsider Regenerating as long as at least one of them is up).
• Snow Trolls:  like war trolls of the north.  Covered in coarser white fur.  HP 10, mana: 1, av 1, size 5, Int: low.  Regenerating (twice as fast if in a storm taking cold damage), snow native, cold heals them 1 hp per spell or damage, as does cold weather damage.  Fire deals boosted damage to them.  Hide in snow.
• Snow Men:  HP 10, Mana 2, AV 0, Size 3, INT- Dense.  As Golems, but made of Snow.  They have no class abilities, and usually just use martial arts, or a weapon as a hand.
• Ice Golems:  HP 15, Mana 2, AV 4, Size 7, INT High.  As Golems, but made of Ice.  These guys are Innate Rank 2 Storm Mages, all natural attacks deal Ice, and they often have weapons for hands like Bone Warriors would.
• Massive-Bears:  Giant polar bears: as giants, but with animal Int. (Including greater giants but only the elder sorcery, no other spells!). Always in pairs.
• Snow Gremlins: like goblin mixed with Fae.  Love tricks and pranks.  Nice if left to their pranks. If stopped, they become deadly and aggressive and more intelligent.  Hp 1, mana 1, size 1. Av 0, Intelligence: stupid-dense, innate elder sorcery.  They can vanish and reform later if necessary or if dropped.

Frosts of the Starless Night

• Imps (they have Fireball/Terrorball Multicast, are size 1/2 , and minor undead, have Winged Flight, and have Zombify and Animate Dead).
• Minor Mist Demon.  Base Human stats.   Flying, Improved Strength, and Greater Undead, plus Outsider Regenerating (which is Unstoppable in the Mist/Frosts).  It is Immune to damage and mana drain.  It only takes “1 magic” for damage type.
• The Screechers- Seems to be a Doomguard, but instead of a gemstone, it has a void, like an Apparition.  This being also is Immune to modified damage and all mana drains. (only takes “1 magic” for damage), It has a Blast that Silences and Knockback everyone it hits for 1 mana.  It also has a Breath, usable only once per encounter which causes effective Light Ray for the encounter, vs this being only.  Outsider Regenerating.
• Army of Skeleton Goblins- Infinite Dense size 1 Skeletons in the encounter that reinforce from any cone (add a 20 count if there are lots of baddies, or instant if there are fewer).
• Arachno Goblins, Hp: 3, Size: 1, AV: 1, Int: Animal-Low, Mana: 2, Undead Type: Partial, Description: Goblins with eight eyes, mandibles, sharp bones for hands, with metallic blue skin.  Abilities: Triumph: Pop Up Displace (Awakens all other Arachno Goblins and displaces all awakened to the player that awakened them), weapons for hands, Bite: Mana Drain Poison, Hide.

Shadowlands Armies (Order of the Empty Cowell)

• Shadowlands Taken Folk, HP 1, Mana 2, AV 0, INT Average. Minor Undead.  They look like a ghoul without the sharp teeth or claws.  At the end of encounters they can bury people in the mud of the swamp and this makes them into Shadowlands Taken Folk.  Anyone mana drained to death by them will have their Chi Corrupted for the day.
• Shadow Forms, 1 HP, Mana 2, AV 0, INT Average.  Minor Undead.  Deboost all damage.  Glide.
• Shadow Phantoms, As above but add Ethereal Shift.  Martial Arts.
• Shadowlands Ogres- As Hill Giant but with Free Slay on the back (cost 1 mana if you hit the front on accident).
• Shadowlands Commanders.  Full Undead version of Taken Folk.  Rank 3 (at least 1 in Thief or  Assassin).  Innate Rank 1 Necro.  Zombify and Animate Dead.