Magic Types

My first approach to magic was to keep things familiar with arcane and divine magic but add special subcategories for magic like witch magic and Havren mental powers. Then I added a psionic-type system for demon magic but after weeks and weeks of work I realized, crap I don't like the vancian system. At the time I thought, oh no, should I change this and I decided, keep it. I want to release this thing, so I won't. Oh so much regret. 

There's so much about the original game now that I regret not making unique, so when it comes to magic in the second version it was important to get it right. I really want the magic aspect of the game to have a grounded (sometimes scifi) base, so how'd I do?

There are four basic magic types, demon or eldritch magic, primeval, sorcery, and theurgy. Each is derived from a distinct energy and interacts with the physical world in different ways. Spellcasters of each kind are generally familiar with each of the distinct energies, but few are able to manipulate more than one, and indeed few can even perceive the subtle strings of power required to manipulate its energy. 
 
Demon Magic
 
Demon magic or eldritch magic is derived from the Shadow Realm. It is named for the beings that wander its twisted province. These things of shadow manipulate reality with sheer force of will. With it, demon magic can corrupt reality and control essence. Demon magic has a strong affinity for primeval magic and the stuff of the material world. Likewise, if the two magics, primeval and eldritch, occupy the same space, they tend to coalesce with time, affecting each other equally, and eventually becoming one.  

There are few living creatures that use demon magic, as it is difficult without a direct connection to the Shadow Realm. Living creatures are, however, especially susceptible to it, particularly in their dreams. Because of this strong connection between demon magic and the Material Plane, wizard scholars have long postulated that before death, particularly if the creature dies slowly, it enters a dreaming state and becomes susceptible to the spirits of the underworld. Some even theorize that in this dreaming state the spirit begins slipping into shadow, creating a risk that a piece of its spirit remains in its material body and thus becomes undead. 

Primeval Magic 
 
Primeval energy radiates from the Material Plane. All living things have a strong connection to it. It is said that the fae are the manifestation of primeval energies and that is why they cast no shadows (and yet shadows seem to be drawn to them). Primeval magic was first of the magics to be mastered. Human beings and their witch covens understood it long before any others. Then came the Ancients and their tools, and then the aelfs formed great druid enclaves and their experiments later led to the study of sorcery. And then the Thegn developed new ways of mastering primeval magic, but now they are gone. Primeval magic is the best understood, but also the most feared especially amongst those that view the natural world as a threat. 

Sorcery 
 
Sorcery requires tremendous inner strength, rigorous study, and experimentation. It is derived from both shadow and primeval energies. Taken as a whole, these two energies seem to make up all life in materiality, body and spirit. Sorcery masters the sum of these two powers. It is shaped with the mental strength of the user and through innumerable contrivances and constructs made for it. Sorcery’s greatest strength is in the written word. 

Theurgy 

Theurgy is derived from the chaotic energies of the Aether. Practicing theurgy on the Material Plane usually requires a focus such as an object or place. Its energy is drawn from the Aether, then channeled through these things and shaped with incredible force of will and years of practice. 

     

Anerrim the Knight

Knights are called by many different names, depending on the culture. The Rasnians famously employ clibanarii, skilled knights with lamellar armor that specialize in riding, bow shooting, and employing an array of weapons, especially the lance and mace. In the highland plains of Kelet, knights are predominantly man-at-arms and mounted cavaliers. The Vann folk call their elite foot soldiers, huscarls. The Crocána prefer cataphracts. And in the human realms there are various orders of knights. Ultimately these skilled warriors are derived from the knight class. There is, however, differentiation in their equipment, and choice of skills.

The most veteran knights reside in the aelfen and dunaelfen kingdoms. The dunaelfs of Maetra are in constant conflict. They’ve had only a few years of peace in a hundred since the Aelf War. Their skills are unmatched by all but the aelfs, especially the Tegeans. Tegeans are raised in militant households. Their discipline is unrivaled. They have many human lifetimes of experience and are well practiced in the chaos of battle.

Greater still are the wanderers. They are found in the most unlikely of places. In Gealdor, legends of fairy folk stealing away children and replacing them with changelings or fell creatures are commonly known. Beyond Gealdor these stories sound fantastic and unreal, but some residents of those mist-laden hills know them to be true. Many of these children return to their birthplaces years later as strange people. The residents of Gealdor accept these estranged wanderers as children of the fae, fated to achieve great things. They are no longer the children of their birthparents, now they are the princes and princesses of the fae. Some male children return from the great halls of trolls adorned with enchanted armor and weapons. These knights are champions of myth with mysterious powers.  

ANERRIM THE KNIGHT

I remember blood spraying across my face as the marishi’ s body fell backwards against my shield. Though the loss of my spell-slave was regrettable, it was admittedly only a matter of time before he had gotten himself killed. The caster never took direction, no matter how many times he had been flogged. But I digress. The tulclenar had the high ground and because of the fog it was difficult to determine the number of their reinforcements or their location. I used my whistle to signal a short withdrawal down a few paces off the slick slope. The lands of these foreigners seemed to be made entirely of mud and water. The bowmen in the center of our unit shot at the tulclenar during the tactical retreat but their missiles glanced harmlessly off their fine plate armor. The effect was similar to the efforts of my caster. The streams of force and fire he had thrown at them seemed to wash over them like rain. Truly, these were men of iron ore. Yet, they were not of unearthly durability. Six slain tulclenar lying in these highland mists could attest to the efficacy of Rasna’ s pikes and a well-trained skirmish line. Still, our losses were unacceptable. I could ill afford the eight deaths; a full sixth of our force. It was time to use the mindless savagery of these beasts to our own advantage. With the shout of a single command, the unit broke formation and retreated. The soldiers fanned out in apparent disarray, with my bowmen and lancers weaving in seeming randomness.

The shield bearers would be hard pressed to keep up but that was why they trained with double the standard kit. A glance over my shoulder confirmed that some tulclenar had taken the bait. The strange battle cry of our opponents was answered by a single shrill blast of my whistle. The bowmen immediately coalesced around me. After a few paces, my command halted them. They turned and shot their marks as one. I smiled with satisfaction as one found its target in the eye socket of a surprised tulclen’s mask. Within a second, lancers at the center, secur sacniar at the flanks and the shield bearers at the skirmish line surrounded the defenseless archers. If the tulclenar were of iron, than surely we were men of quicksilver. The tulclenar had committed themselves and crashed into the shields haphazardly. While they were ferocious and skilled, their lack of cohesion made them easy targets for pikes striking from a multitude of angles. However, it was not hard to see that we had dispatched a minority of their force. Most had stayed with their chieftain and were advancing in a solid grouping.

I commanded the injured to be cycled back and replaced. I sheathed my arming sword and withdrew the mace, commanding bearers to do the same and the secur sacniar to form up in preparation for throwing their axes. The next moments would decide whether it was tulclenar flesh that appeased Vanth’s hunger, or our own.

Hason, first macstrna of third zeri

Anerrim put down the manuscript and rubbed his eyes. Vanth. Likely the god that was the source of Vantin, the Crocána name for the third day of the week. Perhaps, the forgotten deity had been a patron of violence? According to the scant remains of their ancestor's literary corpus, they had once been a proud culture of warriors. But Crocáno had not fielded an army of native soldiers in hundreds of years. What kind of fighters and tactics would be effective? Could the answers lie within memoirs of long-dead generals like Hason? Or was the fighting spirit of Crocáno lost like the cults of the old gods? He glanced over at his own expertly crafted lamellar coat, presented to him by the Patriarch himself. The time would soon come for Vanth to be appeased again.

Anerrim is a high-ranking officer in the city of Crocáno. Like most nobles, he is well versed in the arts of fencing and a lifelong student of military history. His father had drilled his family’s soldiers to the point that other nobles joked about them being automatons, but the investment may soon prove its worth. The situation in Kelet is spiraling out of control and the demand for disciplined and intelligent knights like Verra, is surging.

 

Gryre

If your following the process, you know that the creatures section for the original Northern Realm looks a lot like Pathfinder. The balancing for creatures and their level were in fact wholly based on Pathfinder's nifty Monster Creation reference document (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/monsterCreation.html). It was a great tool- to be used as a rough guide without taking complete shots in the dark. But since the changeover, the creature section needed a complete overhaul. So far I'm about halfway through the first edit of the creature chapter and I got to say, I'm happy with how easy it's been to convert.

In our last play session I even got to see how well the balancing is going. My character, Eckehard ran into a Gryre all on his lonesome- and boy was he in over his head. Bless my GM's little heart for having the rest of the party arrive just as it started tearing into me, otherwise he was toast. Ultimately, the whole encounter hit on two points that I really like. One, even though the Gryre was 3 levels higher than Eckehard, the situation wasn't hopeless. Eckehard is a bit of a badass and he's got a big 'ol enchanted sword, so he was able to stand his ground. And two, even after the party arrived, Eckehard was still very much in grave danger, in fact, even if the party had been there from round one, it probably would have played out very similarly. So point one, your never hopelessly outclassed (unless outnumbered, that's entirely different), you'll be useful and dangerous from level 1 on. Point two, you're never out of danger, the levels merely indicate how much danger your actually in.

As I work through I'll be showing off the creatures and eventually I'll add a link to section 2 in the right tab. In the mean time, here's what Eckehard faced:

Aberrations have the following features and traits:

·  Aberrations have alien minds; they are unaffected by mind-affecting spells. If a spell or ability attempts to see into the mind of an aberration (such as a Detect Thoughts spell) it necessitates a Will resistance check, DC 10 or it falls unconscious for 1d4 minutes. A successful check leaves the creature dazed for 1 round.

·  The physical laws that govern the Material Plane do not limit aberrations; they can change size at the cost of a movement within one size category of their stated size (for example a Large aberration can become a Huge or Medium sized aberration).

·  Aberrations are immune to temporal effects.

·  Immunity to all conditions and critical hits, except catching fire, falling, and death.

·  Damage reduction/magic.

·  Aberrations have no Luck score.

·  Aberrations have no shadow in the Shadow Realm.

·  Aberrations eat, but they do so at rates unique to each aberration, and what they consume ranges widely from meat to inorganic substances to mere essence.

  Gryre

This beast seems to be made up of mirrors. Its body is plated with countless immaculate reflective surfaces. It has no head, four limbs, and innumerable sharp edges. Its movement is the sound of a thousand mirrors breaking, its assault the source of nightmares.

The gryre was a creature most dreaded during the Great War. The aelfs called it deimos and the dunaelfs, strach. Its appearance struck fear into the hardiest of warriors. Hunted to extinction, gryre were thought long dead until the Aelf War, when one was discovered locked away in the deepest dungeon of Old Mramor. These creatures destroy the flesh with their claws and razor sharp edges. Wizards of the aelfen House of Maleinos discovered that gryre trap the souls of creatures they destroy, somehow imprisoning them within their body. Only by destroying a gryre can the souls of the creatures killed by it be released. 

Jagged Edges: Any creature that strikes a gryre with a handheld weapon (without reach), unarmed strike (including special attacks), or natural weapon has glass lodged into its body, dealing it 1 slashing damage. When glass becomes lodged into a creature’s body it cannot move faster than ½ speed, until the glass is removed. 

Reflecting Senses: Gryre have no sensory organs of their own. They are only able to sense creatures that can see, hear, feel, or sense them (including supernatural means of sensing), therefore a gryre can never be caught Flat-Footed or unaware. Creatures with eyes give sight to a gryre, but only when they are able to see it. Turning one’s back to a gryre will remove a gryre’s sense of sight, however being able to hear or feel it will impart these senses on the gryre. Reflecting sight activates whenever the gryre is observed (with no limit to distance), even if it is observed through another reflective surface. Scrying a gryre imparts the ability to scry on the caster for as long as the spell is active. A creature with tremorsense imparts that ability to a gryre for as long as it is within range.  

Note: The Northern Realm is now levelless so a lot of this has changed a tad.

Gryre (Large Aberration)

Life: 22 Life

Luck/SR: -

Power: 19 Power

Initiative: +10

Speed: 60 ft.

Armor Class: 20 (+3 Dexterity, +7 natural),

            17 Flat-Footed

Acumen/Grapple: +7/+13

Resistance Die: d20

Attack: Claw +13 melee (1d8+6)

Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet

Special Attacks: -

Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/magic,

            jagged edges, reflecting senses,

            spell immunity

Abilities: Str +6, Dex +3, Int +2,

            Intuition -, Will +2, Luck -

Skills: -

Environment: Underground

Organization: Solitary

Level: 7

Weakness: Gryre cannot see creatures without sensory organs. They are unable to see creatures not facing them, however they may sense these creatures by hearing them if the target has ears or by whatever means that creature may sense the gryre’s presence. A gryre is unable to move stealthily.

    

 

Kilagh the Alchemist

Alchemists are talented magicians, some innately gifted, others studious tinkerers, devious mad scientists, and engineers of magic. They pore over old tomes and experiment in labs, creating and destroying, all the while developing an affinity to sorcery. It is said that an alchemist’s relationship with his craft transcends mere spellcraft, as the spells he casts affect him as much as they do the material world.

Most alchemists come from the Free City. Within the city, many are members of the growing Artificer movement, where they have grown in power and influence over the last century. As the Artificer movement has grown, it has challenged the establishment and the Optimit led oligarchy that rules it. The Artificers are tremendously popular with the lower class as they represent an opposition to the Optimits. However, the Artificers do not, in reality, aspire to overthrow the Optimit dominated government, neither do they represent the interests of the lower class.

Nevertheless, in the face of growing intimidation from the Optimits, some alchemists have moved into the rural areas of the Free Realm. In the countryside, an alchemist has open space and privacy. There he is free to experiment away from the watchful eyes of the Optimits. Travelers may find the strangest alchemist creations in the fiefs around the Free City. Further south there is also a growing movement in the city of Crocáno. As more alchemists migrate to Crocáno they encourage the like-minded to break from the traditional schools of magic and establish an Alchemical Guild separate from the preeminent Magicians Guild.

HADDEN THE ALCHEMIST 

Two bodies lay misshapen at the entrance, another slumped against the far wall, bloodied and dead. The knell of steel on steel and the heat of fire was overwhelming. Two more heavily armored kinsmen bounded into the hall. Behind them, iron thudded on stone, growing louder and nearer. “Stand clear of the door!” Kilagh summoned the familiar energies, first sending a warmth throughout his core that spread to his fingers, and burst into a ball of fire that exploded out the entryway.

Two companions stood angular to the egress, maintaining a clear path for Kilagh’s magic. “How many have made it through?” Kilagh shouted the question at the warriors in front of him.

“They’ve broken the gate; the forward guard is slaughtered. There was fighting in the grand hall, but it was a retreat.” Answered one of the warriors.

“So we are cut off,” replied Kilagh. He could hear more heavy steps outside. Kilagh summoned the energy again and blasted another whirling sphere of flame into the passageway. As it flew past the entry, shining metal revealed three figures rounding the corner and caught the ball of fire on their shields. In an instant, they were through the door and assailing the defenders. The warriors held the three attackers from Kilagh, but were quickly becoming overwhelmed. Four more entered behind them. In desperation Kilagh summoned energy from deep within, he could feel it burning his body inside and out. It traveled from his heart, to his limbs, joints, hands, and finally to his fingers where it erupted out as three beams of light, striking the first three assailants in the chest. Their armor instantly melted onto their bodies and burned their beards. All three collapsed charred, dying in agony.

The four others spent a moment in surprise before charging at Kilagh through the defenders. Once again he conjured the fire, like an inferno the light ripped through three more bodies, dropping them immediately. His soul felt on fire, his eyes were mad with rage and power. Walking to the passage with his hands upraised, the warriors behind him dispatched the remaining Maetrian and followed Kilagh. “We will burn them, my brothers! They will come and they will burn.”

Kilagh is a dunaelf. He is the spellmaster of Bridlic, a border fortress in the north. Bridlic has come under siege many times in the past seven years. In East Naerod, war is constant. Kilagh must aid his people in protecting the northern border from Maetra, but the invaders seem to have the upper hand.

Rhen

Not confident in my digital mapping skills, I started mapping Rhen in pen and pencil. It went through a number of iterations before I bought a nice poster size piece of paper and started penciling. It took about one month before drawing the individual trees drove me crazy and I started looking for help digitizing it.

It didn't take long before I found it. Pretty soon it was outlined and colored, and then all I had to do was make a few adjustments. For version 2 of the Northern Realm, I plan on stylizing it and giving the individual regions more attention, but I'm pretty happy with how the first one turned out. Maybe someday I'll finish drawing those trees...

Pen First Sketches 

Pencil Full

Colored Full

Final Map

The Gods!

The Northern Realm started as a spinoff of D&D 3.5e. The first rendition departed somewhat from its roots but never made it too far beyond what Pathfinder did with D&D, except for some notable differences. I never liked the D&D concept of gods. I think if I were going to have gods in the way that D&D does gods, I would make them more direct actors in the world, somewhat in the way the Greek Pantheon is always messing with mortals. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking D&D, it's just not how I'd do it.

Instead, I opted for 'Gods' whose existence is less than certain. Some gods are misconstrued, some are appropriated, while others are gods only in fairy tales and stories, powerful beasts, old heroes or tyrants or benevolent monarchs, or creatures of other dimensions. Generally, the older the story of the being is the more likely they are considered a god (at least by the local populace). 

Creatures or beings that are not all powerful gods can't see if you are sleeping or if you've been bad or good for goodness sake, so they also can't grant you spells or powers. I've opted for learned cantrips and orisons, a ritual-like spell that clerics and dhampirs have learned from the cult of their deity. I fully intend on making this customizable. A cult of the masters from Blackburn may learn a different ritual (orison) and cantrip from one in Keth. Players can even make up their own using the deity's description and example of an orison as a guide. Ultimately I may need to shirk the 'Deity' title, but for the sake of simplicity it will stay as a placeholder.

The following are deities you may find in the Northern Realm:

The Masters

The Masters were once the great leaders of the Noble Dominion. Kamose, as known by his peers, or Valak the Tyrant, as known by his subjects, was their chief. He reigned from his seat in Gorhithe, which would later be called the Free City. After the slaughter of the Ancients, Valak ruled unchallenged for a hundred years. Only by the ambitions of the other Masters was his kingdom torn asunder and the people he ruled as thralls rose up to depose him. The Masters are a forgotten force in the kingdoms of man. Only the oldest of records remember their deeds. And yet secret cults persist. They worship the Masters and pass their secret knowledge down through the generations. In the great houses of the old realm their memory survives.

 

All powers granted by the Masters require an offering of blood.

The Masters are not known by their true names. The following names are listed in order of their true names, but in the histories and even the secret blood cults they are known by the name as given in the description. For example, Kamose is known as Valak.  

Eshe

Orison:  Invade the dreams of living creatures. Perform the blood ritual, spend 1 Power each, and enter a sleep-like trance. You must have an object of emotional value, a piece of the targets, or know their names. Once in a dream you may aid the target against incursions, attempt to wake it, or impose your will on it by leaving subtle suggestions or disturbing its sleep. To aid a target, roll yours and its Will resistance check whenever necessary and take the higher result. To disturb its sleep or implant a Suggestion, successfully roll an opposing Will resistance check. You may only occupy one dream at a time. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Cantrip: Deep Slumber.

Eshe is known as the matron noble, also Mara the Black. She is perhaps the only noble besides Arahn that is said to rival Valak in power. She alone of the 7 Masters ruled apart from the Noble Dominion. Her realm was at the northern edge of the Great Fen, near the upland basin that feed into Lake Mél. She is remembered as a master of dreams and visions. Few cults worship her. She is usually depicted on a throne or symbolically as a black rose or simply by her personal rune. Strangely she appears to have some connection to Mororíganís, queen of the fae. The reasons for this are unknown, but she is unmistakably depicted with Mororíganís in a number of engraved murals.

Kamose

Orison: Touch the mind of a living creature, leaving behind your subtle influence. Perform the blood ritual, indicate your targets, and spend 1 Power each. You must either know of the targets in detail, encountered them, or be able to name them. Affected targets are allowed a Will resistance check. On a failure the targets roll a detriment on any actions taken against you (and only you) until night turns to day or vice versa. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Cantrip: Dominate.

Kamose, the Magnificent, known as Valak the Tyrant Lord, is the chief of the 7 Masters. Valak ruled from his throne in Gorhithe. His power reached from the southern forests of Greywood to the plains of the Hereg. At its pinnacle, his power was such that the Grey retreated deep within their own kingdom and did not return, even after one hundred years of the Master’s waning power, until Valak himself was destroyed. Valak is sometimes referred to as the Lord of Death and Master of Unlife. He represents not only death, but dread and despair, despotism, and temptation. For generations of man, Valak was synonymous with the concept of evil, though that was not so for the servants that profited under him. He was known for rewarding loyalty, and though his gifts could be fickle, his vassals lived well. Valak is the most revered amongst the Masters and many cults are dedicated to him. He is depicted as a figure armored in black mail, a man upon a throne, or an armored figure with a skull for a head. Symbols that represent him are a clenched gauntlet, pointed crown, white chrysanthemum, and his personal rune.

Kashta

Orison: Confound the minds of living creatures. Perform the blood ritual, indicate your targets, and spend 1 Power each. You must either know of the targets in detail, encountered them, or be able to name them. Affected targets are allowed a Will resistance check. If it fails they do not recognize you until night turns to day or vice versa. They do not forget you or your past actions, they simply do not recognize you. If you act in a manner that the target or targets would be familiar with, they are allowed a second resistance check. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Cantrip: Living Story.

Kashta, or Evroul the Deceiver, claimed the north demesne near modern day Evleen Lake. He of all the Masters is considered the most benevolent. His denizens lived in relative peace for as long as they abided by his law. Despite the amity within the realm, those closest to Evroul are best described as mad or otherwise not living. Evroul is a master of illusion, and extraordinarily possessive. Evroul prized status quo above all other things, and coveted his possessions, which included all within his demesne. The littlest changes, including ones that could not be helped, such as a mine drying up, were not only unacceptable but against the law. Those who broke the law were dealt with swiftly. Evroul used illusions to maintain the appearance of unchange. It was once rumored that all the occupants of his castle were illusions. The libraries of Evroul though secret, are rumored to still exist. He is depicted in numerous engraved murals scattered about Evleen Lake. The murals depict a man in aristocratic garb. His symbols are a smiling mask (or face covered by a smiling mask), poppy, and his personal rune.

Keket

Orison: Choose a spell you know or have been the target of, once you complete the blood ritual you may cast the chosen spell as a cantrip. You retain the ability to cast this spell as a cantrip until night turns to day or vice versa.

Cantrip: Fugue.

Historians of the Free Realm often come across references of Keket, usually in reference to the night, which she represents. Without a particularly discerning eye, it is easy to confuse Keket with the Ancient Common word for night. Keket is rarely represented as humanoid. Unfortunately, her story is buried in obscure text. Few if any worship Keket, though discoveries in the west of the Great Fen have revealed a number of ruins with clearer references to her. From these ruins it is clear that she depicts not only the night, but mourning or sadness. She is shown with her face covered with a hand or as a crying woman, for that she is named the Weeper. Her symbols are a circle or a curious personal rune that resembles the rune of Valak.

The following is information unknown to the cults of the Masters, humanity, and most others: 

Keket was the once lover of Valak. Her land was once a rich forest, before the Great Fen swallowed it whole. Some time following Valak’s rise to power, Keket seemingly betrayed Valak. Valak responded with the destruction of her demesne. His retribution was not fully realized until all its inhabitants were slain and all built things thrown down. Valak left her land in desolation and her children murdered, but left Keket alive to observe the consequence of treason.

Maibe

Orison: Living creatures are inexplicably drawn to you. Perform the blood ritual, indicate your targets, and spend 1 Power each. You may roll twice and take the higher of two rolls on any Intuition based check concerning one of the targets. You must have an object of emotional value, a piece of each target, or know their names. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Cantrip: Mark of the Slave.

Maibe, the White Lady of Meren (sometimes shortened to Meren or the White Lady) was famous for her strange masquerades. The residents of her demesne lived in perpetual fear, perhaps greater than in any other place within the Noble Dominion. Meren was famous for mysterious disappearances and stories of creatures that would lure the hapless into the forest, never to return. Meren is located near present day Blackburn Lake. Maibe is depicted as a beautiful woman unclad or barefoot and garbed in a wispy dress. Her symbol is a budding red rose.

Menkare

Orison: Living creatures naturally adore you. Perform the blood ritual, indicate your targets, and spend 1 Power each. Your targets view you as a friend as if affected by a Charm spell the next time you meet. The effect lasts until night turns to day or vice versa. You must have an object of emotional value, a piece of each target, or know their names. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Cantrip: Choose one telepathy power from the Demon Magic power list.

Menkare, known as Arahn the Cruel was Valak’s most trusted advisor. His sudden disappearance emboldened his enemies, which may have led to Valak’s downfall. The Havren, however, tell a different tale and provide insight into Arahn’s elaborate manipulations and mental prowess. And though the Havren do not share this information, the cults of Arahn know something of his machinations. As Valak’s right hand, Arahn committed countless atrocities. He represents both cruelty and intellect. He is depicted at Valak’ side in most representations of the Masters. But when depicted alone, he is shown sitting upon a throne. Members of Arahn’s cult loyal to all the Masters would say this depiction shows Arahn as a steward in Valak’s absence, but those loyal to Arahn alone, would say it shows Arahn in his rightful place. His symbols include a longsword gripped with a bare hand, a spiral, and his personal rune.

Saa

Orison: Break the will of living creatures. Perform the blood ritual, indicate your targets, and spend 1 Power per target. You must either know of the targets in detail, encountered them, or be able to name them. Affected targets are allowed a Will resistance check. On a failure resistance check, one ability score (choose which) is rolled at a detriment until night turns to day or vice versa. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Cantrip: Bestial Strength.

 
Saa, known as Vedast the Savage, and (in secret) Vedast the Feral, was earl of the Noble Dominion’s southern territories. His vast demesne stretched from the Great Fen to Greywood and the whole north of the Hereg Plains. Vedast is associated with nature deities, representing the cruelty of nature and its unforgivingness. He is also associated with the hunt, and strangely, fairness. He like the other Masters, is surrounded with fantastic rumors, including one that he hunted his subjects, but also ones that claimed he stood against the other Masters at times, including against Valak, his liege lord. One of the tenants of the Vedast cults is the respect of strength. Still, Vedast is one of the most feared of the Nobles, famous for his unpredictable nature and ferocity. He is depicted as a hunter on horseback or a figure chasing prey on foot, sometimes armed, sometimes not, or as a huge wolf. His symbols are a wolf (sometimes with two heads), a wolf’s head, and his personal rune.