chronopia 1st Edition

8/7/2019 chronopia 1st Edition

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HiStORY ~ .........................THE "AU Of 'tHE flunORN •••••.••••••••••••••••••••

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T -Y ITRIA D •..

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TN ! niSlAvtMtH'I

THE TRIADBRUKS ••

THE AGEOf fHE PROPHEtS

THE OW l KIWG'SRU~URH ••

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TN ! V lHGUHC l W AR ••••••

THE DtAYM Of DUKl HUIOS • • • • • • • • • • • • .. •

DutRUUIOH Of tHE DRAGOH(lAN

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,U"H01Y A11IAN'(l • . . • • • . • • . . • . • • • • • . • • • . • • . . • . • • • . • . • 48

THE AGEOf' (HRONOPI4 • • • .' _,_ _ '. •. '. ., •. .., •. • .. . . ..••• • '. • s a

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H i s t ORY

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Before the bloodshed there was a peace of sorts. Before

the Enslavement of the human race, there was an Em-

pire the like of which has never been seen before orsince. There was hope. Within the space of one man's

life it was gone. lost in the blood-soaked ashes of time.

A distant cry echoing through creation. little more than

a d r e am to haunt enslaved nights. The Firstborn. king-

dom was one of the proudest the world had ever seen

and the envy of all the other races. The Dukes of the

powerful Elven Houses, the Dwarves in their vast

Ringholds and the Blackbloods intheir sprawling East-

ern Empire, all watched as the Firstborn rose to pow-

e.r...and then plotted ways of bringing about their

destruction.

It began with a man, a Firstborn, who became

known as the One King. His real name is now lost in

the twisted shadows of time but his power is still athing to be feared, In those early days of recorded histo-

ry, the world was a wild and untamed place. The One

King tamed it. Before he'd seen twenty summers, all but

one of the Firstborn. tribes had sworn fealty tohim. On-

ly the tribe that would one day be known as the Un-

tamed refused to bow down. Led by a savage young

Chieftain known as Kronos A'Kallach, the northern

barbarians accepted no law but their own. Tension be-

tween the two warriors grew as the One King's pow-

er and influence increased. For a time, it ap-

peared that conflict between the two



y tll'R o :~ fb e O ,l'Ie Kin g i s b o r u .ytllR 20: f f J e f r r s t b o r n ~ re u n I t e d w i t " t b e $OI)S o f I < r o l ) o s .

was inevitable. Many spoke of it,most with more than

a touch of dread. For while the One King's forces were

far greater than those of Kronos, the latter's prowess

and savagery in battle was known throughout the land

and the One King's advisors warned him to avoid con'

flict, Around the new kingdom the other races were al-

ready starting to whisper against the Firstborn and .a

war against their own would only make them. ripe for

attack, especially from the Elves who were regarding

their dominion with hungry eyes. Inthe end. it was the

Elves themselves who saved the new order. Believing itwas time to make their move, they launched an assault

on the One King's home' the Eternal City. For fourteen

days and fourteen nights, Firstborn forces held out

against the vast BIven army. Firstborn storytellers have

many tales of that time. Of Ragurn, a young warrior,

who died holding back a host of Blven Knights while

his lover and their child fled to safety. O f the runner, Bo-

rak, who was sent out in search of aid. He .fought his

way ferociously through the EIven lines and made it to

safety. Many thought he would never be seen again and

as the days past it was assumed he had been killed or

chosen not to return. But then, on the sixteenth day ofthe siege, as the Elven Dragonbane were close to bring-

ing down the walls, a hom sounded in the distance. On

what became known as Borak's Rise. The runner was

seen by the One King himself- and. behind him Kronos

and the unified warrior-tribes. As the embattled soldiers

of the city watched. Eiven archers let loose a dark volley

of arrows that cut into the returning hero. As he fell to

his knees, his last words were whispered to Kronos,

"Save my people." It is thought that even until that mo-

ment, Kronos was uncertain whether to aid the

One King or not but seeing Borak's death

decided his course of action. Over four thousand First-

born warriors died that day alone and twice that num-

ber of Elves. Kronos himself was seen fighting side-by-

side with the One King and brought down a Drag-

onbane War-killer single-handed. As the sun set the

Elves retreated, broken and bloody. They would not

pose a threat to the Firstborn for many years to come

but the scars caused by the defeat were deep. They

would never forget. Never forgive. As the Firstborn cel-

ebrated their victory, Kronos bowed before the One

King but still refused to swear allegiance. Recogniaingthe need for a warrior-chief, the One King appointed.

him his Second and the Commander of the whole First,

born army. The two men were like steel ' more than

steel. It is said they were both descended from Gods

who once walked the Earth. In appearance, it was not

hard to believe. As their followers watched. the two

swore binding oaths and became blood-brothers and bat-

tle-kin. The years following that decisive battle passed

quickly, ina b l a z e of glorious victories for the Firstborn.

The Eternal City was completed and even the embit-

tered Elves had to marvel at its glory. In the heart of the

city, the One King constructed the first of the EternalTowers and decreed that it would be a place of learning

for his wise men. During the conflict with the Elves, he

had witnessed sorcery for the first time. He knew that

to achieve lasting success, the Firstborn needed powers

of their own to protect them from the other races. AIl

the time he could spare was spent reading ancient texts

and practicing arts thought lost when the races were

still wild. men. The Empire expanded. The Dwarven

Clans begrudgingly swore loyalty after a bloody conflict

at Nereth. The Blackblocds were beaten into

peace at B~ and Araxus. Even the Elves were



finally forced tomake peace, as the Firstborn's ports be-

came the most important in the world and vital to the

Elven Houses' trade. Even inthe peace though, the EI-

ven resentment grew. Even inthe peace, they plotted

and waited for their chance to avenge their dishonor.

nrEVEACEFor twenty years there was peace. The Firstborn were

strong and built a vast fleet of ships to extend their do -

minion over the oceans. The lesser races were taxed in

their trade with the new' kingdoms. The 'Peacegave theOne King time to explore magic. His study consumed

him. So much so that a divide formed between the One

King and Kronos, who distrusted sorcery and preferred

the security of cold steel to reliance on others. The other

races were taxed more and treated with less respect.

Trouble could be seen in. the future. Kronos tried to

warn the One King but he was too caught up in his

mystical explorations. Unknown to others, the One

King had started to gain 'the sight'. He could foresee a

future where demons were incontrol of a l l things. He

foresaw mass sacrifices and dark knights draining the

very life force from his people. He did not know wherethe demons would come from but he knew they must be

stopped. Inthe visions he saw there was no one to op-

pose them. He saw his own people broken and enslaved,

the Elves at war with the other races, the Dwarves de-

stroyed by their own Gods. He saw the Blackbloods

standing alone against a vast army of Darkness and

wiped out. The Ogre Emperor h. imseJf the last to f a l l , the

throne-room running black with his people's blood. In-

stinctively, the One King knew the other races would

follow. Ifplans were not formed, actions not set in

motion, the vision would come to pass and a ll



ytl\R 2Si m e tteroa ' C h q tOl'lstrotted

a nd tb e firs t tttrrta ' T ow er b oU t.

would f a l l before the foulness. The vision haunted the

One King. Slowly he formed a plan to strengthen the

kingdom and establish a dynasty that would prepare for

the coming of the Darkness. He started to explore ways

to conquer the time-streams and reality itself. Hoping to

find a way to travel forward to aid his people when they

needed him most. He met with Kronos and his other

military l e a d e r s , They prepared plans to strengthen their

army, that peace was making lazy and undisciplined ..Lit-

de did he realize, as he was planning to save creation,

that the leaders of the other races were having a meetingof their own, a meeting that would shatter the peace

and make the oceans red with Firstborn blood.

THW TRrADIt is impossible to understand the Triad without an un-

derstanding of the three races who created it. The Elves,

Blackbloods and Dwarves. The Elves are made up of a

complex system of Houses, each vying for overall con-

trol yet allied to other Houses. Over the centuries, two

had risen to prominence, the House of the Crystal Lotus

and the House of Helios. Of the minor houses, that of

the Obsidian Serpent had always been maneuvering forgreater power and control. With no overall ruler; it took

the Firstborn's expansion to unite the Houses against a

common foe and give Duke Chropus, one of the most

powerful Elves of the day, the idea of expanding the a l . .

Iiance to include the other races. The Dwarves were and

remain, far more fragmented than the Elves. Made up of

various Clans, with each strongly linked to the others

through marriage. and blood oaths. Inhabiting their vast

Ringholds, the Dwarves were unique inas much as

their own Gods walked and lived amongst

them. Finally there was the Blackbloods,

a strange cabal of Orcs, Goblins, Ogres and Trolls. The

Orcs had once been the Blackblood royalty but a series

of violent civil wars, two hundred yean; before, had led

to the rise of the Ogres and the creation of a powerful,

ruling Ogre elite. The Ogre Emperor of the time, Zabaka

Kinslayer, is still regarded as one of the most violent in

the brutal history of the race and tore the heart from his

own brother to claim the throne. It was in secret that

the leaders of these three peoples met. For several

nights, they plotted and planned war against the First-

born. The Elves wanted revenge, the Dwarves freedomfrom the heavy taxation while the Ogre Emperor sought

power and battle. Dates were set. Waiting until Krenos

was out of the capital, visiting his homeland to the

North, the races moved their forces into position, using

Elven Lotus-Eaters to conceal the full extent of their

plans from the Firstborn patrols ..Blven Dragonbane and

battleships were massed to destroy the firstborn navy

and ports. The Dwarves led by their primitive Clan'

Gods massed as one tribe and marched. from the west

while the Blackbloods came from the east. At dawn on

the 25th anniversary of the Eternal City's founding,

they attacked. It was the start of the end of the EirstKingdom.

THWI'At tThe Firstborn were unprepared for a ll out war against

such a massive force. On the. first day alone, the

Dwarves gained control of the ancient cities of Aregath

and Cardiler; The Blackbloods were rampant and

marched through several minor territories, leaving noth-

ing but death intheir wake. On the oceans, the Elves all

but destroyed the Firstborn fleet in one brutal at'

tack of Dragonbane Skyfire and raised the main



v t f t R J~: f i r s t b o r D p o w e r p b a s e r i s e s tm t U f b e ~ 1

t O D tr o f m o s t o f , b e w o r r c f ' s m a i . , p o r ts • .

port of Nereth to the ground. By the time news of the

attacks reached the One King, in the Eternal City; the

three armies were only a matter of days away from the

capital and those Firstborn who were not dead, were

broken and bloody slaves. Kronos was blocked, by

Dwarves, from joining his blood-brother in the South-

ern lands. At Belak Pass, they met the Dwarven army

led by Kahlin C a g n and fought a battle that lasted for

several days. Thousands died on both sides but the

Dwarves would not allow Kronos' forces to pass. While

this conflict flared to the North, the Elves led by DukeChropus, head of the House of the Obsidian Serpent,

and Zabaka Kinslayer's Blackblood army marched on

the capital city from either side. For days, the Firstborn

capital was deadly quiet. The One King remained locked

in the Eternal Tower. Dark lightning was seen to crack

open the heavens above..Leading scholars and wise men

were summoned. The Firstborn were worried. Rumors

were rife ..The One King had died in the tower - The

One King had made peace with the Triad and sold his

kingdom to survive - He was insane or broken or both!

As the Triad armies massed outside the city, preparing

for their f i n a l assault, the One King emerged. Encased inbattle armor, his chosen ones behind him, he was ready

for the final battle. Ready for death. He met the Triad on

the fields outside the Eternal City. Lotus-Eaters used

sorcery to summon golems from the earth and Daugh-

ters of the Phoenix from the air itself. Red Lotus- Eaters

turned an entire command of Firstbom knights to cin-

ders. FOT over four days the fighting continued but the

One King was outnumbered. Forced to retreat into the

capital, the only hope lay with Kronos and his Un-

tamed. Their arrival could save the empire. In the north,

the harshest of snowfalls ever seen hampered the fight,

ing against the intransigent Kahlin Cagn. Thousands

were dying and still the barbarians could not come to

their kinsmen's aid and without them, the Firstborn

were doomed.

THI! CMRON'Ct"ES

01' TM'EK.NDnDTen years after the Founding of the First Kingdom andthe completion of the Eternal City, the One King gave

royal consent to the Kindred to begin their written his-

tory of the world. Using ancient texts and spoken tales,

the Kindred created the famous chronicles of the era,

providing important detail of events, both within and

without the Firstborn kingdom. In time, the Kindred

went beyond the Firstborn. With a fanaticism for the

truth unseen anywhere else, members of other races

joined the group to help chart the histories of their own

people. The Kindred are the only group ever to live in

peace and to this day they are allowed to travel across

the land in search of the truth and history; Further-more, it is said that whoever harms one of the Kindred

dies a painful death shortly thereafter. The truth of this

is to be found in the mysterious assassination of the

Ogre Emperor Barak who executed one of the Kindred

for recording the details of how he gained the throne.

Three days following the execution, the Emperor's own

body was found sitting on his throne' his head by his

feet and a terrified look frozen for all time on the dead

face.



TNT DTATN OT TNT OH~ KrNe;

After two weeks of fighting, the Triad forces broke

through into the city. Zabaka was at the heart of the

turmoil, his Blackblood elite bringing death

wherever they moved. Duke Chropus'

Elven forces were equally savage and delivered bloody

revengefor their defeat two decadesbefore. It was a ca-

cophony of pain and bloodshed. The sound of

steel clashing was thunder in the burning

( ( A n d w h r n t f i e f i r e s o f B a t t l e c e a w t t n t E t m a ! C i t y w a s n o m o r e . T n t O n e K in g w a s d ea d . Hop l w a s d e a d . It w a s t f i e r n d o f t fj e F i r s t

K i n g d o m a n d t h e h ir t f i o f t f i e O l s l a v t m t n l . "

FROM T HE C H RO N IC LE S O F T H E K I N D R E D .



streets. In the center of the maelstrom w-as the One

King. Many believe he became insane b y the end, crazed

with battle lust. Zabaka Kinslayer hacked his - w a y to-w-ards the Firstborn leader, screaming challenges in his

guttural native tongue. The two rulers fought a bloody

duel that cost the One King his left hand and the Black-

blood Emperor his life .. Before Zabaka's corpse had

kissed the blood stained ground, Duke Chropus at-

tacked. The One King parried instinctively, the two

warriors trading blows on the blazing ramparts high

above the city. The flames caressing their heels, as their

blades hammered home, was nothing beside the burning

hatred in each man's eyes. The One King was

pressing home the advantage, his chosen knights

protecting him from attack of other Elves, when he sud-

denly ceased to fight. Dropping his sword to the ground,

the One King raised his tired, weather beaten face to theheavens and started to laugh. Rain was crashing down

from the sky. Chropus paused, uncertain of his next

move. The air began to ripple with energy. Coldness

crept through all close b y . The six remaining knights of

the Firstborn turned. to face their king and lowered their

heads whispering arcane rites. Thunder tore holes in the

sky. Blood-red lightning crashed down and struck the

Eternal Tower. The One King fell silent; his face a grave-

yard as he whispered lost words. A dark smile of glory

crept over the Eiven Duke's face as he raised

his sword and brought it down, c l e a n l y



venge and fought his way through toChropus. Blade af-

ter blade, spear af ter spear, arrow af ter arrow, pierced

the savage barbarian's skin but nothing could stop him.

The fury of the Clan was upon him and only the blood

of his enemy would satiate his hunger. Fear crossed

Duke Chropus' cruel face as the barbarian chief ap-

proached, for he knew Kronos was death. He raised his

sword against the barbarian's huge two-handed blade

but it shattered under the force of the attack. By the

time Kronos allowed death to claim him, Chropus was a

mess of broken bone and flesh at the chieftain's feet.With Kronos dead, his Clansmen ceased fi_ghtingand

left the field>returning to their Northern homeland,

where they renamed themselves the Sons of Kronos, in

honor of their greatest Clan-Chief.

vellA' s o ~ TIlt T r i a d f o rm · s . O ' n t b e a r m r o e r s C l I " 9 ' o f t lJe " o u r n , i n g ' , t beq a t t a t ~ .Arefa tband C ! a rc m e : r i I It e f be firs t cH ie s t o ' fa .".

T he p or t of Ber t i b i s r a i s e t l toth 9 r O ' O D I l . T Ire O n e K i rr 9 I l l e s

removing the One King's head. As he held it up to show

those gathered below, the six knights burst into flame

and were gone. The Firstborn were d e f e a t e d . Their king-

dom was no more,

TIrE MASSACR" IThe Firstborn lowered their weapons upon seeing their

lord killed. Their fighting spirit had gone, their lust F o r

battle dead. The same could not b e said for the Elven

Knights and Blackbloods. Rampaging through the city,

the host killed every man, woman and child they found.Corpses were piled high, their slashed bodies barely rec-

ognizable as human. A few Elves from the House of the

Crystal Lotus and the House of Helios tried to stop the

savage massacre but were ignored. Unwilling to raise

arms against their kin they left the city. The followers of

the Obsidian Serpent committed the most atrocious

crimes. Revenge for their shame of three decades before.

Inthe midst of the bloodshed, it is widely believed some

Firstborn survived for in the savage chaos, the One

King's corpse vanished.

News of the massacre sent tremors through all the

races beyond the city but none more so than theDwarves. A ll but two of the clans were sickened by the

action of their Elven allies. At Belak Pass, Kahlin Cagn

cursed the Obsidian Dukes and their lack of honor. He

ordered his men to stand aside and allow the battered

but undefeated barbarians safe passage through. As the

northerners marched 00Duke Chropus' forces, the vic,

torious Elf raised his standard and moved to meet them,

confident of victory. In the battle, Kronos screamed re-

TWE 1:NSIAVEM"lHTThe years that followed were dark ones for the First-

born. Their will to fight was gone and they proved easy

prey for the other races, especially the Elves. The sur'

viving Triad l e a d e r s met and divided the conquered lands

between them, although it 1 S said that Kahlin Cagn's

heart was no longer with his allies but with the proudwarriors of the north, now called by Cagn 'The Un-

tamed', to honor their prowess and bravery. The

Dwarves had no use for slaves, unlike the Blackbloods

and Elves who enslaved all Firstborn l e f t in their con-

quered realm. Within three years of the One King's

death, the Firstborn's kingdom was no more. They were

broken, the past little more than a memory. It was the

beginning of the Enslavement.



UvtH W4RKlntR



TM_ TRrADBR'EAKS

" F o r tfl~ [ " i ~ f , s l o f m o m e n t s , v . i c to r u m a d t p t a a p o s s ib l e . . T t i( w l l r w a s a t~ n d l i n d t n e 'D i a d n a d m o n : l f i cm a c c a m p l i s l i e d its a i m s . T I i ~

F i r s t » u r n w m h ro R o l a l l d m s / . c w t d , t f i e l r R l l I g d ta d . S o m , F l rs th o r n t tJ e n c u r s t d f l I s n a m t : f o r dmrl ing t l i ~ m i~ t l t i d r f i o l l r o f n e t d . T h '

n ew o rd a p m m l s ! d s t a b i l i t y I I l I d a l ttw h ' B i n l l i l t 9 . It f a il t d o n v o l f i CO U~ l t s .WWi i l l a 9 w a a l i o l l o f t li e O n t K i n g 's d ~ a t f i . l l k c o l d f i r e s o f

w ar w m o n c e a g a i n t o h e . f d l a a o ss l F t ( .lalld, a s t l i e v ic to r s f o u g li t l i k e . r a b i d a n im a ls f o r tfit s p o i l s o f w a r ."

FRO M TH E C HRO NIC LE S O F T H E K IN DRED .

Watching their enslaved kin suffering to the south

vexed the fierce northernwarriors,

now calling them-selves the Sons of Krenos. The barbarians massed on the

southern border of the new lands and moved dawn in a

last effort to.free the enslaved Firstborn. They were led

by Kronos' three offspring - the fierce Balcar, the thin

and lupine Cranok and the warrior-queen Nesaria. She

had formed her own savage band known as the Black

Sisters, to mourn and avenge her father and the One

King's death.

The first and last batde was at the Elven city af Are-gath. For years the second city of the First Kingdom, it

was now firmly in control of the Elven House of He-

lias. The Bives were no match for theassauk from the

Untamed but were saved by their own Firstborn slaves

joining their army and fighting against the barbarian at-

tacks. It was only then, seeing their distant kin bow and

serve the Elves that the Sons of Krenos knew the terri-

ble truth. The Firstborn were not only defeated, they

were broken. The Untamed sacked the city and burnt it

to the ground. allowing the women, old and newborn

safe passage south. Their own hearts were heavy. Their

ancient kin were last. Now they 'Were the only First-

born sti11livingfree. As the city blazed, the Sons of

Kronos swore an oath that they would die

before becoming like their kin. They would never be en-

slaved. They 'Would live, fight and die free. Leaving thedestroyed city for the Elves to rebuild and cursing what

the Firstborn. had become, they returned north, grim

but determined to carry their oath to. their funeral

pyres.

The new masters of the land settled quickly into

their new territory. The Elven Houses constructed vast

sky-barges to.spread their trade across the known world

with the spiral-city of Helio becoming the second capital

of the new kingdoms. With their Firstborn slaves to

take care of their every whim.rmany of the new Dukes

and Lords created by the victory began to use them for

sport. It became the time of the Arena, when !Hack-

blood, Elf and Dwarf would journey with their First-

born slaves and watch them brutally fight to the death

in the blood-pits and chaos-tombs. Elves and Black-

bloods took to the Firstborn Pit-Fighters with a sicken-

ing bloodlust while most of the Dwarven Clans regarded

it with some primitive disdain. Although the Jackal and

Vulture Clans entered with even fiercer enthusiasm

than their Triad allies. The fighters were not only sent

into the blood-pits to fight each other. The champion

Karnak was said to have defeated Ripper-beasts

and Wildfangs with his bare hands. Karnak was



v t AR 6 1 : fb. S o u s o f Kro l J o s m. r r " so o t" to f r ee t lr . f 'i rs tb om.n l l s a r k A l ' f 9 ' a tb , 0 1 " 1 1 to r .to rn 1 1 0 m .G lb .n tb . f i r s tb orn o :p po s, tb .m .

v tl tR 86 : K a rn ak , tb am p io D 8'o od y-p it f ig "t.r b oru p

the greatest Pit-fighter ever seen and still living at the age

of forty - something no other gladiator had ever done.

His Elven master was so pleased with him that Karnak

was the first human to be . granted some kind of freedom.

Although his infamy made it difficult to travel anywhere

without mobs baying after him or pretenders seeking

fights. His death was ignominious. Given the freedom to

use the Breeders and Lotus leaves at will he died, filled

with a strange. concoction of drugs inside of him. Legend

has it that his dying vision showed him the One King

sending a Black Sister to collect his soul.The Pit-Fighters were the first step to the use of the

enslaved as warriors in the Triad's forces. Within two

generations of the Enslavement, they were being bred

and trained for war. Usually taking the brunt of any at'

tack. The widely held view being that Firstborn were.

expendable' their ferocity fearsome to behold, It was at

this time that the Triad started to break apart. Most of

the Dwarven Clans had long since returned to life inside

their Ringholds but the Blackbloods and Elves were con-

standy seeking expansion and increased power. A B Elven

wealth rose, due to the lush farmlands and vital ports

they claimed after the Triad War, Blackbloods were be-ginning to feel aggrieved. Their captured land was prov-

ing difficult to farm and had little real value. The Elven

Houses were also starting to heavily tax the other races

for use of their strategically important ports - in the

same way the Firstborn had done less than fifty years

before. The first real conflict occurred in the Blackblood

port of Bezek, when an Elven fleet attempted to claim

the city in return for tax not paid to them by the Black-

bloods. The conflict was brutal and mostly fought by

Firstborn, with Elven and Blackblood leaders

watching from a safe distance. The minor conflict



1ZjJ! B 'a~ kb ro o., p ort o f B eJek a tta c k ed "" t h l e s .fflrst ,w a r s iO te tb e T r ia d 's s an e ss beg tDs .

v tAR I S O : B ru b O u r ~ Ja c f ta l C l a n d e c im ate d "" tb e W o r f C l a D .

T b eq ta ro to tb e D ark O ue fo r p ow er. O gre C f u f f W a r beg iDS .

quickly escalated into the first full-blown war since the

formation of the Triad. Thousands of Firstborn died

fighting for their masters with Bezek itself being the

center of a bloody siege for five years before a tenuous

peace was signed. It was only the start.

The Dwarves of the Dragon Clan, one of the proud-

est of the Clans, raised their battle standard and attacked

the forces of the House of Helios, following a number of

incursions on their land. This conflict was memorable

for a number of reasons. It was the first war, since the

Triad, to involve the Dwarven Clans, with the Dark-Tusks corning to the aid of their closest neighbors. It

was also one of the last before the Wilding and as such,

the final time the Clans were led into battle by their

Gods. Known as the Founders, the Dwarven Gods were

powerful and reputed to be the creators of their race

thousands of years before. The forces of Helios, led by

the young Duke Kratus of the Obsidian Serpent were

routed and pushed back to their own lands, part of He;

lio itself coming under attack when the mercenary Vul-

ture Clan entered the fray alongside their kin. It was a

defeat the Elves and Kratus especially, never forgot.

Conflict was not confined to outside the races. The

peace saw the fiercest conflict between Elven Houses, as

each maneuvered for power over the others. Only at

Vesrial did this conflict spill over onto the battlefield,

with two minor houses almost destroying each other.

For the most part it w a s behind the scenes; poison, as-

sassination, betrayal. Some say the Elves invented these

things and judging by the times it's more than possible,

for none of the races are quite as wrapped up in intrigue

and conspiracy as they are. The main struggle was in the

House of Helios between the ruling Duke He-

lios and his rival, Duke Kratus. Those of

the Crystal Lotus were content to spend their d a y s in

their wild homeland, refining the majestic lotus flowers

that grow in abundance there. The Dwarves were like-

wise facing internal troubles, with the treacherous Jack;

a1 Clan steadily gaining in strength and influence be-

cause of their alliance with the House of Helios. The

Jackal Clan's rise was brutally cut short, by conflict

with the Wolf Clan at Bruh Dur, when most of their

anny and Clan-Gods were wiped out in a bloody con-

frontation. The long term result of this led to the Jackals

swearing vengeance on theirkin

and searching for otherways to achieve control; ways that would eventually

lead them to the service of the Dark L o r d . and to one of

the blackest acts in Dwarven history.

The BIackbloods did not escape internal conflict. For

a while, two separate Ogres claimed the right to the

Blood-Throne, both with a lineage stretching back to the

fonnation of the Empire. Battles came close to destroy;

ing their fragile domain and many Goblins chose to take

their own path, a ll but leaving the Empire to build their

own cities at Terakan and lronheart, where they would

eventually tame the native Ripper-Beasrs. For over a

decade the two would-be Emperors fought. Ignoring

their starving and beleaguered. subjects and the incur-

sions into their empire by Elven and Dwarven armies.

Their conflict reduced many of the proudest Blackbl00d

cities to rubble. Japur suffered the worst fate when its

magnificent library and museum of mystical artifacts

were lost during a violent confrontation. The c i v i l war

only c h a n g e d when a third party entered the fray in the

form of the Warrior-chief Nizar Bloodborn, After a se-

ries of wars, Bloodborn killed both his rivals in single

combat and claimed the Blood Throne for his

own. Following the slow and painful execution



vtf'tRI'I~Dr~~ r l (h" '~ql2.r d~ fm·$ t b e 8'ood~fbro l ' lea nd rftm i te s th e a la rftb lo od s .

of all opposed to him, his control was acknowledged. by

the whole empire. His first actions were to strengthen

the Blackblood borders, causing skirmishes with Dwarf

and Elven forces, Minor wars still ravaged the land as

old grievances refused to die. To their eternal shame, the

Firstborn fought hard and sold their l i v e s dearly, obey-

ing every whim of their alien masters as though it had

always been that way; as though the glory of the One

King had never been. At Chakeeta Rise, it is said ten

thousand Firstborn were killed in one of the bloodiest

clashes between Blackbloods and Elves, while less thantwo hundred of their masters met their deaths. Despite

these terrible losses, the two races never suspected they

were creating their own doom. With their Firstborn

slaves acting as the first wave of any attack, a new breed

of military was coming to the fore. The Firstborn were

being trained to kill and slowly beginning to regain their

self-respect. Their Deathwalkers were the most feared.

These warriors believed death in battle was the only

way to achieve peace in the next world and that to die

with the blood of your enemies on your hands was the

best death possible. By the start of the third century,

Firstborn were masters of war and often aided their

masters in tactics and organization. All they needed was

hope. A call to arms to break the shack.les of two hun-dred years of enslavement. That call came through the

Prophets and the first rebellion - known as the One

Hundred Swords.

TN. BtOOD THRO'N'EThe Blood Throne is made of amber and one of the most resplendent thrones in the whole world. It has not always

been so. The Throne. comes from the early days of the Blackblood Empire and the very first Ogre.Emperor, Kharime

Throatcutter. Working his way through the military, Kharime was a loyal subject of the then Ore rulers, until his

war-party was sent into a futile conflict and most of his men killed due to the orders of the O n : ruler. Kharime is said

to have marched straight into the Royal Palace with the blood-battered remnants of his legion and hacked the Orc

Emperor and all with him intO a thousand pieces, feeding them to the Court's Ripper-beasts. By the time his grisly

vengeance was finished, The throne was red with the blood of the slain. A s the Ogre Emperor was crowned and ac-

cepted ruler by the Blackbloods, so was the blood-soaked throne entered into mythology as a sign of the right of the

O g r e s to nile. He who sits on the Blood Throne can do anything he desires, no matter how corrupt or brutal, and

his subjects will follow;





V !ftR :2:25=fb e r eb e ', an ·21 rn 'x e ttlt el1 . D . eg .r af ts f ir st ( J r s f o " ~v t A i R ' 2S 0 : nil ' f o t l r P ro ph 'ts a re ' f l : r , o t l g b t tO f e t b e r f o r t b e f i n t t i m e ! " q l(lraf,os am ' ! p u t to '

th e 9 aU ow s,. nil ' O ne K in g is rebO 'rn am I tabn "9 B 'a tk S is te rs .

nil ' fO 't lr P ro pb ets ' m q ste r fo tls '9 e su pe d ea tb ,

For years, the Four Prophets preached, unaware of

their counterparts doing likewise. Duke Kratus finally

brought them together when he attempted to wipe out

their heretical teachings. Using Firstborn themselves as

his lapdogs, he captured aUfour prophets, bringing them

to his court .. Ignoring the council of the other Houses,

he executed them, hanging all four by the neck on what

is now known as 'Prophet's Hill in Chronopia.

What happened next has been told in a thousand dif-

ferent ways. It is said the souls of all four Prophets jour-

neyed to Hell itself insearch of the Redeemer. It wastheir spirits, travelling through the worlds beyond the

mortal plane that acted as a beacon to the One King and

gave him a direction to head for, a place to be born. For

two days their bodies were left hanging on the gallows

and for two days life refused to leave their flesh. It is said

the Dark One himself tried to tempt them to his way and

they refused, their hope for their people so strong. On

the third, a great darkness consumed the sun. Rumors

started to spread throughout the land. A new threat was

about to be born. It was then that a slave fleeing the E l-

veri lands with her husband began to give birth. Mo-

ments before the darkness, Slave ..trackers had corneredthe couple, the man struggling to protect his pregnant

lover from them. A s the blackness crept away, all were

dead but the woman had given birth. round by Black Sis-

ters, the child was taken north. Krams' capital was the

last to shed the dark shroud and when it passed, there

was no sign of the Four Prophets. The nooses were emp-

ty. Word spread through the Firstborn quickly. The

'Prophets appeared to their followers and spoke of the

Blood-days that would soon arrive, when a new king

would set them free. In their Lotus Towers, Elven

sorcerers started to foresee the f a l l of their em-

pire, the coming of a new king and the birth of an evil

the like of which had never been seen.

It was at this time that military power in the Elven

Court was in the hands of the Duke Kratus. The grand-

son of Duke Chropus, Kratus had a deep hatred of all

Firstborn and ordered what became known as the

Culling. Every Firstborn male child was to be killed un-

t i l rumors of the coming savior were at an end. In the

years that followed, untold numbers were slaughtered.

The Elven killers set mountains of corpses alight. These

gained the name Red Knights because of their vile a c -tions. Despite the deaths, strange sights and omens were

seen across the land. A Firstborn still loyal to the Elves

and working for the Red. Knights saw a vision of the

One King's final moments atop the royal palace and

turned on his Elven masters, slaying them brutally.

The Culling continued but it was too late. Too many

Firstborn had escaped. Too many had been born inrebel en-campmen:ts and, unknown to the Elves, the One King had

already been born and was living his early years in the dis-

tant northern lands of the Untamed. The young warrior

had no memory of his past until he was nine summers old

and the Red Knights dared to cross the border insearch offresh prey. Seeing his kinmassacred, memories came f l o od -ing back to the young child. Memories of the pain and suf-

fering, of h is death at the blade of Duke Chropus and of his

time in the reality beyond the flesh ..He remembered who

he was and unleashed the energies of time and creation

against those who meant to harm him. O v e . .. .sixty Red,

knights were killed that day and their deaths were not easy

ones. Seeing the child over the burning, savaged corpses, his

surviving kinsmen fell to one knee, knowing instinctive-

ly that this c h i l d was their savior. It was the be -

ginning of the Vengeance.



Tn ON'£ KrHC;'S

RTrURN> l T l i t y s a y tI i , G o d s r d u r n t d t o t f l l w o r l d t o w a te n t / i t w a r f a r t . F o r tI il f i r s t t i m e I n t w o u n t u rU s , F i r s t b o r n r O S l u p a g a in s t t l i t i r m a s t u s .

c H a in s w m s m a s l i t d , s w o r d s t a k t n , f i r e s l i t . W i t l ii n Q . f e : w m o n t l i s a m l l f o r r~lllion n a d t u r n t d i n t o a l l - o l l t w a r . U n t o l d m i l l i o l l S w e r e

p u t t o t f i e 6 1 a d l . R l h tl s w m t o r t u r e d , c r u d f W , b u r n t a t tfit s t a K e a n d w o r s e . .. b u t t a d i d i e d w u f i o n t w o r d w f iis p m d t l i r o u g n t l i t l r 6 a t -

u r t d / i p s a l l d t l i a t w o r d w a s { r a d o m . T l i t F i r s t 6 0 r n f i a d riWI."

FRO M T H E C H RO NIC L E S O F T H E K IN DRE D .

The child's later years were spent in the Wild-lands on

the edge of the Elven Empire avoiding death at the

hands of the Elves. The High King of the Untamed came

down to make him master of the blade and by the age of

fourteen he could deal death with any weapon he chose.

His manipulation of energy continued apace, as did his

increasing hatred of the other races. The Untamed called

him the Vengeful, due to the number of Blackblood and

Elves he ki1Ied, often with his bare hands. As rumor of

his return spread, the rebellion started to grow. As it did

so, the Elves and Blackbloods turned to far more brutal

methods of oppression. In the northeast, the rebel vil-

lage of Vilkera was burned to the ground, every man,

woman and child burnt on a huge living funeral pyre as

a warning to others. The oppression served only to in-

crease t h e . Firstborn's desire for freedom and to encour-

age countless more slaves to take up the sword. For the

first few years the Four Prophets led.the rebellion. Each

taking command of a rebel army and harassing the Triad

lands from all sides. It was at Borak's Run that history

was forever changed. The Triad had reformed to deal

with the insurrection and surrounded the rebel army at

Borak's Run, despite some ferocious defensive work by

the Firstborn. All seemed lost and the rebellion

doomed, until a new army entered the fray,

the Sons of Kronos - with the young warrior at their

head. Within hours, the Triad was forced to retreat. It

was the first major triumph for the rebels and the first

time the man known as the Vengeful and the Redeemer

had led his people to victory. It wasn't the last.

T.... WllDINC;Unknown to the other Firstborn, the Dark lordwas

already at "Workon the world. The Prophets might have

turned their backs on him but others didn't. A cabal was

growing in t h e . shadows of all the races, waiting for the

day "Whentheir leaders would give them a sign and they

"Wouldseize control of the whole land. Nowhere was

the day more eagerly awaited than within the Halls of

the Dwarven Jackals. Their betrayal of their kin is vital

to the history of Chronopia, for without it events

"Wouldhave taken a decidedly different tum. Since their

defeat at the hands of the Wolf Clan, the Jackals had

been plotting revenge. Their path had darkened. Their

Gods had been killed in the battle with their kinsmen

and, seeking an alternative, they had sold their souls to

the Dark One. Using the powers granted to them by the

Dark Lord, the Jackal Clan used sorcery in an attempt to

destroy the Gods of the other Dwarven Clans.

They wanted to rule the Dwarven lands and





the only way to do that was to des troy their kin. To ae-

complish this foul deed they let lose what became

known as The Wilding. Raw, untapped magic was set

loose in a ll the Dwarven Holds. The God-leaders of

the Dwarves, who still walked among them,

took the brunt of the powerful energy ina noble at-

tempt to save their people. They were successful but

with tragic and far-reaching consequences. The sorcer-

ous energy altered them beyond all recognition.

They became wild things- beasts. In the insane



time that followed, they turned on those they had sort

to save and slaughtered thousands of their own children.

The effects were twofold. Faced with this new internal

threat, the Dwarves were forced to withdraw most of

their forces from opposing the Firstborn, thus taking

one of the strongest armies from the field. The second

'N3.S that in time, they gained control of the beasts and

rose form their lairs stronger than ever.

TM~ VEN (;1:AHCE WARWith each passing day, the Firstborn rebellion grew.Outlying towns and cities of the Elven and Blackblood

dominions were leveled. The Firstborn were united for

the first time in two centuries and nothing could stop

them. The Elves and Blackbloods had grown to rely too

much on their enslaved Firstborn militia and were lost

from the moment these armies turned against them. The

Blackbloods massed a huge force and met the Firstborn

but when their Elvish allies failed to arrive, they were

routed. The Elves had been collecting their own forces

in their major cities, seeking to protect their own land

before aiding their Blackblood allies. It was a decision

that broke the reformed Triad. Still incensed by theFirstborn rebellion, the Ogre Emperor 'N3.S now also re-

sentful of the Elves, who he considered treacherous

cowards. He made peace with the rebels, protecting the

borders of his own Blackblood Empire and promising to

remain neutral intheir war against the Elves. The peace

allowed the One King to concentrate the vast legions

now following him against the Elven Houses. For over a

year, minor battles occurred throughout the land. Some

the Firstborn won; others the Elves. The One King had

started training his bravest knights in the art of

time andenergy manipulation. At last the First-

born had warriors who could match the ElvenLotus-

Eaters. The fighting continued through one of the worst

winters the world had ever seen and thousands lost

their lives in muddy battlefields. By the following

Spring, both sides were moving to one final, inevitable

and savage confrontation. As the Firstborn moved

south, the Elves prepared for what would be the final

battle, on the fields outside the city they had fought so

hard towin centuries before.

Many accounts have been written about that leg-

endary battle. Both sides altering events to suit theirown histories but some facts are certain. The Firstborn

army numbered ten thousand men and women. Among

their number were the seeds of the warrior cults that

would one-day help establish the Firstborn as a world

power once again. The mig.hty Repulsar Knights; the

Black Sisters of the Untamed. who had already sworn

to protect the warrior-leader, that one of their own had

helped to raise; the Iron-Guard and the Chronomance.rs.

Opposing them twice that number of Elves. The hated

Red Knights, the Dragonbane, The Obsidian Guard,

Crystal Knights and Lotus-Eaters. While, the other

races had, for the most part, avoided conflict, Dwarvesfrom the Vulture Clan stood beside the Elves; though

most say they were paid in gold to do so, and some

Blackbloods were also sighted. The battle that followed

was one of the longest and bloodiest in history and

started w:ith the first red. taint of dawn. Lightning

cracked open the battlefield as lotus- Eaters and Chron-

mancers used their skills to pave the way for the vast

ranks of armored knights to clash. The sky was black

with arrows as archers from both sides let loose volley

after volley of deadly rain. The Black Sisters

screamed their death-cries as they leapt



V t A R 210 ' : T he ' i n ~ ' I ' 8~ ff 'e t~ 'k e s p la ce s a s T he O n e 1 (1 11 2' f < fU s D u k e I ( r a t u s . H ie r e u e a l sb is tro e h 'e uth q a o d t ! b ro oO ' p i a is f O ' l . l D d e d o n tb , r a lu s o f tb e f i rs t I ( ; o g d o m .

insanely at the enemy, their blades slicing through Elven

armor; sinking deep into the flesh below. After a day's

fighting, the fields had the look of a charnel house. It

seemed Hell had come to the field and death was the re-

a l ruler. Biven Lotus-Eaters used their sorcery to sum-

mon Daughters of the Phoenix and Adamantite Golems

from the air and earth. These ferocious creatures cut sav-

a g e lines through the enemies ranks until brought down

by the One King's own sorcery. The Chronomancers let

loose the energy of time itself, using their skillsto

killand ravage those they faced. With a horde of Untamed

by his side, Repulsar Knights bringing death wherever

their blades fell, the One King fought his way through

the armored ranks until he faced Duke Kratus. Without

warning, the battle stopped. The two rulers dismounted

and agreed to face each other in single combat. It is said

that the Gods themselves have fought with less ferocity

than those two warriors did that day. Indeed, some sto-

rytellers suggest the ancient Gods were seen looking

down on the duel with jealous hearts and envious eyes.

It was a brutal echo of the One King's last battle against

Duke Chropus two centuries before. The fight seemedto last forever. Blood poured down the One King's face

following a vicious blow, which dislodged his helm. His

own blade slashed at the Duke's left ann and drew a

deep line of blood. The Duke crashed forward, landing

ewo devastating slashes on the One King's chest. A third

would have meant his death but the One King had a life'

time of experience and more, to call upon. Moving into

his enemy's attack, he allowed the Duke's sword to

pierce his side, bringing his own blade to the Duke's

head, sheering cleanly through it. The Duke

seemed to pause for a moment as though not

quite understanding what had transpired. His grip loos-

ened on his sword, which still pierced the One King's

side. But it was too late. He was dead. His body col-

lapsed to the blood-soaked ground. The One King raised

the head and held it over those watching. A grim reflec-

tion of his own death, centuries before. A death he had

planned 50 he could return at the time of his people's

greatest need, and that need was still to come.

On the battlefield with his Prophets by his side, he

revealed himself to be the OneKing

reborn for the firsttime. The day was won. Most of the EIven army man-

aged to make a retreat in good order. However, the Red

Knights were cornered in a pass and butchered.

Despite the victory, the war continued for several

months. Helios took control of the Elven army, placing

his son, Heliac, and bastard son Valimyr in charge of

their own forces. At Gergyitha, Valimyr claimedto have

had an immense victory over a Firstborn army but evi-

dence suggests he merely massacred a town f i l l e d with

old men, wounded soldiers and their families. The Elves

were slowly, inevitably, pushed back from the lands they

had once conquered by the fury of the Firstborn on-slaught. Heliac earned a great deal of respect in the Elven

Courts with his brave defense of Helio from a vast First-

born armada of ships taken from the other races. Despite

increasing defeats, the Elves refused to make peace, their

hatred of the Firstborn running deep. This changed

when the House of the Crystal Lotus did just that. Their

control of the Lotus plants always made the Crystal Lo-

tus one of the most influential Houses and following talk

of impending doom from his chief advisors, the aging and

wise Duke Zazen ordered the other Houses to

bring the war to an end. The Duke was one of



v t " , R 2,n: V"irm(jr ga r o s e o n t r o ' o f O r , s h l i a J o O r c l '~ . r .Ba t " "dfat .m' V . fim (jr g a r n ' "m i e s f o r th e f ir s t t im e .

, the few people left alive to have fought the One King

three hundred years before and while his body was only

kept alive by lotus magic, his mind was as keen and agile

as ever: The House of the Obsidian Serpent, now led by

Va1imyr following Kratus' death, refused. VaIimyr want-

ed a warrior's death until his sister, the manipulative La -

dy Scyllia used her charms to change his mind. The lead-

ers of aJ:lthe major forces met on the site of the ruins of

N t g Y l ' l / w a s c o l d w i tl i f u rH . T i l e h lo o d o f v a W t w a s s t i l l f l o w il l 9

f r o m l i i s w o m l d s , f i i s s w o r d r f l l d y t o k i l l . H e l o o k e d a r o u n d t li t. v a t -

t l e fi e ld i n t o t f it : c ( J I l t: r o f t f i e t u rm o i l . T l i t : R t d w n e r n a d w o n . T n e

F i r s t v o r n w m V i c t o r i O U s . .A s l i e w a t c f t e d , a y o u n g E lf s o u g f i t t o

m a k e p ro fi t f r o m / i i s d is t r a c t i m t a n d a tt a c J {~ . W it H o u t m o v i n g f i l s

g a u , N e g r a l h r o u g f i t f i i s h l a d e a ro u n d a ll d s n u r e d t f u . y o u n g w a r -

r i o r c o m p / t i d y I n t w o . T h l R td w n 'a ' w a s n o w n o l d l n g a n M d o v e r

t n t f i t l d o f h a t t l t- t l it ( t e a d o f D uk l K r a t u s . . A E o v e , t f i e r a i n s t i l l

v . l a s l t d t i l l h a t tl ef t d d : l ig f i l lt ln g s t i l l s l i o o K t h e h l a v f f l s . rt w a s a s

t l i o u g l i t l i t . v er y d em e n t s wu(. r a g i n g a w a r o f t ( w r o w n .

"No." N l g r a l c u n ~ d , "U a m ' t k.:'M e m o r i l S t l i a t W l r (J I ' t l i i s o w n s t a r t e d t o c l a i m t f i t g r i m

P r o p f i l t . V i s i o n s o f t f l l O n ~ K i n g d y i n g n ta r ( f i b v er y s p o t , tw o

( w n d u d ' U M r 5 h e f m . l L g l1 1 d s t l i a ln e w o u ld h e r w o r n a e a i n a t t f l t

f l o u r o { . f l l s p e o p l ~ ' s g r e a t e s t n u d . If t h ei r . I e a d tr . ! r u i y w m t & O n e

K i n g r t h o r n w f ia t n e e d w o u l d li t n a v e o f t f i r . P r u p F l l t s n o w t li a t v i . c -

t o r y w a s f i i s l

" H a v e y o u f i e a r d r a l i a r d n o r l f i e T I I v o i a s a id f r o m l i i s s i d e .

N e g r a 1 t u r n a l t u s « t f t e h a r b a r I c L o K o t f l A ' K n l l a c f t

the First Kingdom and signed treaties that brought the

war to an end. The Firstborn were victorious. The First,

born were free. On the site of the Eternal City, they built

a new capital. Chronopia. In their Lotus Towers to the

South, Elven seers could only shiver: Their visions had

foreseen the start of the great evil following the rise of

the Firstborn. Now the One King had returned it could

only mean one thing. The Great Darkness was coming.

s t a n d i n g t f t e r e , t f i r u E l v l I I I i ~ a d s l i e d tu l i is h d t , a n o tn a i n l i i s

( u m d s , n a t r a l a n d f i u n g e r a p p a r m t in f i i s h a r s n v l u e l y e s .

"He ' s d w a r e 4 l i i m s d f t f t e O ne K in g r e h o r n . " L o K o l f i c o n t i n -

u ed , " A nd I t F i i n k f i e is . Damn f i lm . "

"Tflt r e a l q U f .5 t io n is w n a t w e d o n e x t . " N r g r a l a n s w m d , I ' u o k -

i l l g a t t f i l d a r k n :m o f n ~ g fi t s la r t i n g t o c r e e p o v er t l i e / i o r i z o n ,

"Will l i e g i v e u s t(ll p o w e r W f c r a v e o r c a s l u s a s id e n o w t h a t w ~

f u w e f u l f i l l t d 0 1 1 1 r o l f ' "

"If l i t d o es , " a { a n a l e v o i a s a id f r tm t o v e r l l i d r s n a u l d e r ,

"Tfim i s a n o t l i a o p ti o n . G nt t f i a l w o u l d g iv e u s w f u l t w ~d l-

s e r v e . "T li t t w o P ro p f id s didn ' t r q l y a s Aldia jo in e d t } ia n . S fi l w a s

g r i m 6 u t r a d i a t l d a d a r ~ , l r o t J c e n e r g y ; tk l u s t - f o r - v a U l t s t i l l

/ i , a v u 0 1 1 (ur . A £ r O H llit f i d d t l i e y c o u l . d sa t f i l F o u rt f i P r o p H e t,

N l m d l i , s q u a t t i n g 6 U a C o rp S l s t a r l n s i n t o i t s d 'a l d t y ~ s , s U K i n g all

. a l l sw e r t o s o m e l o n g s O U f j f i t q U t s t i o n ' .

" W e w i l l s a : " N e g r a l s a i d w il l i a voice o f i a , " W e will s e e . "

Tfiu nd er u fiotd in t(1t d i s t a n u a s tfit Hifjfit st~ r ted t o f a l l .



TH~D~ATHOF

DUnWEtrOs" H o w f a r w ~ n a v e f a l l e n . H o w l o w w e l i a v e o l : l . o m e . O u r m o . s t n o o . l e du~~dt l ta ; n o t 6 U F ir s t b o r n ,. H o i b y B la c k 6 l o o d 6 1 ~ th y o n ~ o f o u r

o w n . A n d a U 6 t . c a u s l : o f a m a d d e s i u f o r p o w a . F o r c a t t u r k s w e E lv e s n a v e c o n s i d m d o u m lv l S t o h , t f t e d i o s l l I OH l S , l l i t t r u e m i G ' S o f a ll

l f t i n a s . N o w I t s u m s w e a r e 1 1 0 b e t t e r t n a l l l f l e F i r s l b l 1 r n . I 1 t d u d w e « F e W O r 5 f , f o r w e h a v e ~illMu r a r m t e s l d u k H e l l o s l i a s d ia l a n d

w i l l i l i l m t f u . l { H t o f O U T h o n o r . "

FROM TH E W RIT rNGS OF DUKE H ELIAC .

The return of the One King heralded a new era of war

and political intrigue across the whole land. It also aided

the rise of the young Elven duke, VaHmyr and his half-sister Scyllia in the House of the Obsidian Serpent. Val-

imyr, the bastard son of Helios, succeeded Kratus fol-

lowing his death at the hands of the One King. The Ob-

sidian Serpent was at this time a minor House aligned

strongly to The House of Hellos. The Duke of Helios at-

tended his bastard son's investiture with his own re-

gent, the young and popular Duke Heliac. Both Heliae

and Valimyr were now rivals for the Duke's throne at

some distant point in the future. VaIimyr was raised by

Duke Kratus and said to be related. to Kratus' daughter,

the lady Scyllia, a violent and darkly treacherous Elf..It

was the Lady Scyllia who urged her half-brother onwhen disagreement arose between the House of Helios

and the Crystal Lotus following the Firstborn victory.

Duke Helios urged a defensive war against the First-

born. He argued it was the only way to secure the terri-

tories and maintain Elven honor; something that seemed

to be quickly becoming an outdated concept everywhere

beyond the Helios nobility. However, the House of the

Silver lotus had virtually ordered all the minor Houses

to make peace with the Firstborn, including those

inside the House of Helios, Unknown to

the two Houses, Valimyr and his sister were also in se-

cret conferences with the One King and his emissaries.

Seeking greater power inthe Elven hierarchy, the sib-lings had no compulsion about betraying their own for

it. Thus, when Duke Zazen ordered a meeting of all the

main Houses to discuss the problem caused by the One

King, Valimyr saw it as a chance to further his own

ends. The whole of the Blven nobility gathered in Duke

Zazen's magnificent crystal palace at Elymris, to discuss

the new Firstborn threat. With the treaty in place, He'

lios had increased his calls for the Elves to strengthen

the borders with the Firstborn, while the young Val-

imyr was gaining vast popular support with his call for

a new crusade. A night of heated debate came no closer

to bringing the Houses together. It was just past mid-night and Duke Helios had started to put forward his

argument again when a grayness came over him. The

Duke, who had always been strong and virile, dropped

to his knees in agony, his face turning a ghostly white.

As his wife rushed to his side, blood-sweat appeared on

his brow and his cheeks became sallow. Bile and blood

appeared at the comer of his mouth and his suddenly

red eyes wept crimson tears, The court was thrown into

panic as the Duke was carried to his chambers,

where Ice Witches watched over him. Despite





Vll lR 2 1 ' S ! S ie le o f H e 'I ' i o . fII' q o o l ' l g D 0 " I H , n a tr ame s t b e '&h l fQ ' fo rc es a m ' S~(jfS ttf t f f . , f ro m f ir st to ro a tta ck .

v t f tR ISO! T hf D fa th o f D ub H e lio s .

a ll their potions, there was nothing they could do to pre-

vent his painful demise. Valimyr was by his side

through the whole trauma and was seen to weep when

Helios died. The Duke's own son, Heliac was supposed

to have attended the meeting but an attack by Dwarves

of the Vulture Clan had forced. him to miss it. Valimyr

seized his opportunity and sought out the poisoner of

Helios. a Firstborn sympathizer known as Duke Baras-

tar. Before the Duke could say any words in his defense,

an enraged Valimyr ran him through with his sword.

Searching the corpse before others could reach him, Val-imyr found evidence that Barastar had been conspiring

with the One King, willing to gain power by killing the

One King's enemy. For a while, many Elves believed Val-

imyr but rumors soon spread that the dead Duke had

not been the poisoner and another had set up theassas-

sination. Zazen, with over three hundred years of expe-

rience behind him, suspected Viilimyr,se.eing something

in the bastard son that reminded him of his long dead ri-

val, Duke Chropus.

Heliac, meanwhile, won an amazingvictory over the

Vulture Clan, despite overwhelming odds. On returning

home, he learned of his father's death and flew into aterrible rage, accusing Valimyr of murder. Only the

Duke's sister, the nefarious Lady Scyllia, managed to pre-

vent the two warriors engaging into a duel to the death,

suggesting the matter b e decided by a special.council of

Elven nobles. While the council. found Valimyr inno-

cent, it made it clear that Heliac was the rightful heir to

his father's throne and Valimyr unable tomake any law-

ful c l a i m . Valimyr was incensed. Mter poisoning Relios

and making sure HeHac would meet his death at the

hands of the Vulture Clan, his plans seemed to be com-

ing to naught. Lady Scy l l i a quickly went to work, ma-

nipulating many minor Houses behind the scenes,

promising them increased wealth if they backed her

brother's claim. For a time it looked as though Civil War

would indeed cut open the Elven Houses. The Lady

Scyllia sent secret emissaries to the One King h im s e l f ,

asking for support inher brother's c l a im to the Duke-dom. While he a g r e e d . to support her, as he had done

from the beginning, he was forced to smile when the

news reached him. His own plan had been an outstand-

ing success. By aiding the Lady Scyllia, he had brought

turmoil to the Elven Houses and eliminated one of his

most: dangerous enemies - Duke Helios. The One King

sent his own agents to the Hause of Helios, with more

unsubstantiated rumors that Valimyr had killed Helios.

Civil war was close; a war Valimyr was becoming in-

creasingly nervous about, since Duke Zazen seemed to

be favoring the son of his old friend Duke Helios. The

Obsidian Serpent needed support from another source,Or better still, a land inwhich to build their own king-

dom, untouched by the other Houses. Later rumors sug-

gest that what happened next, was a direct result of the

Lady ScyUiaoath-swearing to the Dark Lord. The result

of which was one of the darkest moments in Elven

history.



TW E lADY SCYtI.IA , TM 'EDARK ADVJSORSWI iH ~f o rm a l l y i n l r i l l i a n d s o f D U K ~ V a 1 t m u Y , l n O ' ~ i s l i t t l e d o u b t t l i a t l l i e t r u t p o w O ' i n t f i t H o u s e o f t f i t O ~ s i d ia n S er p ~ n t Ii~ i n t f i e

n a n d s o f ( ii s f i a l l - s l s t e r , t i i l c o l d a H a t r , a e l i t r o u s L a d y S c y l l ia . . A c c o r d in g t o c o u r t r u m o rs , s n e a m t r a a f i e T a n c e s tr y £ la c k t o tfit H o u s e o f

t f t e G r e a t l o r d , a lt f w u g ft n o o n t w o u l d t v e r d a r e s a y s u m a t l i r l 1 8 I n flu p w a u . t . M a n y d a r K r u m o r s f i a v e c ir c u la t e d a b o u t I i O ' p a s t . T f i e

m y s t e ri o u s d e a i f l o f l i a o ld a b r o t l i t r , w l io w a s , d u t t o s u a a d { i e r { a t r l l Y " i s b u t o n , . O t l i m a Y ( l f i a t ( I l T S I U W S I s d u e t o I i t r a tt a d i m a tl t o

t l i t D a r K One, S o m t : s a y t f i a t s n e F I ~ u o l d n a se lf l o tn t D a r K T n r o n t a n d l f i a t t n e rlal r e a so n t f t ~ D r a g o n C l a n w a s d e s t r o y e d w a s t o p re ·

s e n t l l i e D a r K 011 ' w l t l i II m a s s s a c r i ~ a . O t n m n a v e S ta t s f u ld o w y f i g u r e s g iv i n g fitr a d v l a , T l i e s e d a rK a d viS o rs c o u l d 6 , j u s t w i S t m l lt

a n d n o ~ k s f r o m t l i t n c ) U s , ~ u t, If t F l e r u m o r s a r ~ trul, t l i ~ y a r e tlil u n d e a d s p i r it s o f t l i e d U M S o f t l i t o ld S li l l d o w H o u s~ , s e n t t o a id f i e r b y

t l i e D a rK O m : l i l m s d f . A l l t h a t . c a n 6 t p ro v O ! i s t l i a t s n e i s , W i t l i o u l d o u ~ t , t n e c o ld es t a n d m o s t b r u t a l r u le r t v a t o b e i n c o n t r o l o f a n E I ·

v e i l n o u s e a n d s o m e o f flu a c t i o n s w o u l d n o . ! s u m o u t o f p l a c e I n t l i f r « l l K S o f t l i t D w o u t .W f i t t f t O ' s f i ~ i n ta td s t o s e l l h a o w n p ~ o p l f t o

l n ~ D a r ~ O n e r lm a : l n s t o 8, s u n .



n IH t I i ~ c a V W 1 0 U S p it s h e l o w K t l r a t f i D u l , IO l l . a l i t o u t t l i e i i l S a n t G o d s o f m y C la n a n d s p o k e t o t l i . a n o f t f i t o l d w a y s a n d o u r k i m l ii p .

S O n l e a tt a c k ed m ~ , o n t lVtn c l a w e d o u t n iH r i O h t e y e, h u t Ie f u s e d t~ r e t u r n t l i t a a g r m i o n . T n e u w a c o u r G o d s h e f o re . t li t . W i ld i n g a n dn o w w e l i a d n a d o f t n c n a g a i n . O n~ c a m e t o m y a i d . I c o u l d f i t a r lf u 6 ea s t 's p r im i t i v e w o rd s i n m y m i l l d . I c o u l d f i e a r a l l o f t l i t t t i . Tf im

w a s a { j U H a f Y u u r l t d d u p I n s t d t t l i a n . A r a u i d d e s i r e f o r V tn g ea 1 !C l o n t l i o s l w f i o l ia d 6 r o u g f it t f i l l 1 l s o l o w , 0 1 1 t F i o s e W h O ( ta d t ri e d t o d e-

s tr o y t l ia n . I m m l y d l r a : U d t l i d r a n g l r t o o u r a u m i e s . A s I r O S l f r o m t f u d ~ p t { j s ; t l i t m a t l lT l S u y m y s i d e , t l i e D w a r v a t C I ' a m f l n d p o w -

l r p 4 l n ew a l l i e s . O u r G o d s m a y h l d t a d h u t I I I t l i d r p l a c e w e n a v t t l i e B l o o d T o t e m s . It i s m O ~ t l / i a l l e n o u o l i . "

K AH LIN CA GN "FIRST K EE PER O F TH E B EA ST S " A ND O VERLO RD O F TH E D ARK ·T U SK S.

In that chaos time, the Dwarven kingdoms were intur-

mo i l , The e f f e c t s of the Wilding were still be ing felt across

the land and the Dwarves were still involved in a brutal

war with the beasts that they once worshipped. Until the.

Wilding, Dw a r v e s had l i v ed inhannony with the.ir Cre-

ator-Gods. Known a s the.Founders, the b e i n g s were l a r g e r

than Dw a r v e s but had mainly Dwarven attributes. Each

Clan had many, l i v i ng in and r u l i ng their Ringholds, which

their Gods themselves h a d helped to construct. In battle.,

the Founders were always at the forefront, cutting a

b l o o d y path through the enemy and inspiring their off-

spring to great furies. The Wilding changed that forever.

Pure sorcerous energy was supposed tokill all the Gods; it

didn't! Affected b y their own mystical power, it twisted

the Founders into obscene and bloodthirsty b e a s t s . The.

pain of the transformation made them insane and for

decades Dwarves found themselves hunted in their own

holds, forced to f i g h t the very beings they had once wor-

shipped. S e v e r a l Ringholds were almost lost as the beasts

destroyed their old followers. Both the Dwarves and their

deformed Gods were saved from extinction b y

one of their greatest heroes - I<ah l in C a g n ,

Overlord of the Dark-Tusks and veteran of the T r i a d wars.

For years, he fought the b e a s t s and could only watch as his

kin were slain. After Aleha, the Firstborn he helped to

raise, l e f t his hold, C ag n b e c am e a shadow of his old s e l f .

Some say he. went into the depths of the Hold seeking

death, others that he went to protect his kin and attempt

to find something to use.against the Elven forces besieging

th e Hold. Whatever the reason, it is no longer important.

All that counts is that he went down to face the beasts

alone. Inthe depths of the l a i r , he was forced to ignore the

half-consumed corpses and skeletal remains that littered

the once proud corridors. The b e a s t s attacked but as they

did so, C a g n heard a.distant voice in his mind. It was voice

engulfed in agony, aflame with fury. It was the voice. of

one of the b e a s t s . Using powers he never knew existed be-

fore that moment, Cagn managed to communicate b a s i c

thoughts with the beasts. One leapt at him, scratching out

his eye and almost k i l l i n g him before another, larger crea-

ture moved to protect h i m . Although Cagn didn't know it,

the. creature he. had t a l k ed towas the. beast's pack-leader. It

would be wrong to say he t a m e d the beast; that is

something no one - man or God; will ever be able





Y S A R % 8 ' 4 : K . b ' h , ta gn b ftOm fs t b e ,first , K e e p e r .

Uaf fmq rde f ea ted bqt 'I ',, 's forre s.

f i r s t b o rQ a s s aa il ' t P e r f t b .

to do. But he brought them back to Dwarven society. As

the Elven Dragonbane were close tobreaking through into

the Hold, C a g n rose from the depths, caked inblood and

dirt. It was hard to tell him apart from the very b e a s t s by

h is side, b e a s t s he d i r e c t e d into battle against the E l v e s and

their Dragonbane. Naming the new creatures Blood

Totems, their appearance brought increasedfury to the

Dwa.rven fight and the E l v e s were d e f e a t e d ; the Ringhold

saved. Duke Valimyr had taken part in the assault, hoping

to win glory that would help his cause back in the Helios

Court and the defeat, his second at the hand of the

Dwarves, left a bitter taste in the duke's mouth and

strengthened his d e s i r e for r e v e n g e ,

His chance came when Turgen Ke l , O v e r lo r d o f the

powerful Dragon Clan , launched an attack on the First-

born. With the new Blood Totems in their army, the

D w a r v e s had enjoyed bloody success and the Firstborn

been forced out of the city of Nreth, which the Clan

claimed as their owo. Firstborn legions were sent against

the Dragon Clan but couldn't p r i z e them away from the

city. I t was at this point that Valimyr again h e l p e d the One

K i n g through his own g r e e d . He petitioned the Overlord

of the Dragon Clan to meet him for talk of a possible al-

liance against the Firstborn. Although suspicious of Val-

i m y r , Turgen was in need of allies to strengthen his hold on

Nereth and invited the Duke and his retinue to the Drag-

on Clan's Ringhold On the island of D u u l . The Eiven duke

was g r e e t e d with open a r m s by the Overlord and i n v i t e d

to feast with h i m . 'The twowarriors seemed to share many

common g o a l s and by the end of the first night's festivities

were s e e n sharing wine and a thousand oaths against the

Firstborn. They were even seen to become blood-brothers

before the whole hall, although the E I v e n Duke

grimaced when his own blood mixed with

that from Turgen. The celebrations continued until the

middle of the night, by which time many of the Dwarves

were in deep, drunken comas. It was only then that Val-

i m y r revealed his true plans. Rising f r om his s e a t he m o v e d .

to the slumped, drunken form ofTurgen and slit the O v e r -

lord's throat. His sister; the L a d y Scyllia was, at the same

moment, inthe sleeping quarters. Moving like a wraith,

she killed his helpless family, including newborn twins.

Giving a . silent s i g n a l , Valimyr's handpicked retinue, the

Obsidian G u a rd , m o ve d swiftly through the Hold, killing

everyone they found. Most were murdered in their sleep.

Throats slit before they could wake and die with honor.

Valimyr's p e r s o n a l historians have painted a different pic-

ture of that night's grisly events. They tell of a terrible

struggle between V a h m y r and the Overlord, who sought

to kill. the Elven duke while they feasted, They c la i m 'I u r-

s e n was c r a z e d on wine and lotus and ordered his army to

k i l l the E l v e s . This lie has only been accepted by E l v e s from

the House of the Obsidian Serpent. The truth is that the

events of that night were nothing short of a cowardly mas-

sacre. By the t i m e . the soldiers of the Hold found the first

b o d i e s of their kin, the vast doors to the Hold had been

f l u n g open and more knights and Dragonbane were start-

ing to f l o o d through. The a l a rm was sounded. Dwarven

warriors took to the corridors, many believing the First-

hom were attacking, only to meet their end on the blade of

an. E l v e n k n i g h t they b e l i e v e d were their a l l i e s . Deep be -

low the Hold, the Dragonbane were let loose against the

Blood T o t e m s . Only recently tamed, the B l o o d . Totems put

up a ferocious fight, as did their Keepers. The Dragon

Clan's G o d s were the l a s t of the ancient dragons that once

ruled the world. Distorted beyond a ll recognition by the

Wilding, the creatures put up a bloody fight but

were outnumbered. by the Dragonbane, who had



\'tAR' 288: f b e m'assure l o f t b e D r a g on fllan_

!Rfse o f t b e O b si e n a" O.rder a n d Dub f J a r i m q r .

b e e n bred to hunt and kill in the darkest tunnels and corri-

dors, The newly created Ke e p e r s were in the heart of the

struggle, hands red with Elven blood before their bodies

were tom apart by Dragonbane, By dawn, all the Clan's

beasts were dead or dying, food for the Dragonbane, The

corridors were strewn with Dwarven dead, Those who

refused to surrender were put to the b l a d e , It is said that

their remains still litter the caverns below the Hold and

their cries can be heard on the a.nniversaIy of their deaths.

Those that did survive were forced topayhomage toDuke

Valimyr, their new master: The Duke brought his wholeforce to the island and constructed a dark spiral.citadelfor

himsel f and his sister above the Hold. Known as BaalHa-

zor;he ra ised the Elven f lag abovethe spire. Not that ofthe

House he was pledged to, that of Helios, but his own, the

Obsidian Serpent, A new power had entered Elven soci-

ety; one no one- Elf, Firstborn or Blackblood could trust

Despite the loss of their Hold the Dragon Clan were

still not extinct. A small number held out at Nereth. To-

gether with their allies, they planned to retake their an-

cient home and free their people. Emissaries were sent

out, requesting help from all the other Clans. Deep in

his lair, the aging Kahlin Cagn mobilized his army, as did

the Wolf Clan, the Vultures and many more, But they

were too late. Before they even started their march to

Nereth, the city was attacked. The Firstborn backed by

the Sons of Kronos stormed the city. The small number

of Dwarves holding the city put up a valiant butdoomed fight. Each man died, the last going down under

a mass of attacking Firstborn, his back to the gates of the

city, As the Firstborn entered, not one Dragon Clan

Dwarf was found alive. A ll had died in battle. A hero's

death but death nonetheless. The Dragon Clan was no

more and Nereth was in the hands of the Eirstborn.

KANt'" CAaNOf a ll the D w a r v e n Overlords, none is more famous than the mighty Blood-Tusk leader Kahlin C a gn . . Hismother came

from the Dragon Clan, his father a wise man to the Blood-TuskFounders. Kahlin's lifespans much of the world's histo-

ry and he was personally involved in some of the most important events of the time. It wasKahlin's respect for the Bar-baric northerners and his repulsion at the unheroic massacre of the Firstborn following the death of the One King that

made him allow safepassagefor the barbarians south, when they attempted to free their softer southern kin. I<ahl in h i m -

se l f named the northerners the Untamed, a name now used as often as their own Sons of Kronos. He raised the First-

born woman Aleha before she left his hold to preach to the Firstborn as one of the Prophets. C a g n was also the first to

communicate with the Clan's twisted Gods following the Wilding and becamethe First Ke e p e r . His death was a sad one.

Following the Great Betrayal, news reached the Dwarven Overlord of the rise of the Devout. Seeking to stop the new

foe,Kahlin marched against them, only to learn that Aleha herself was now one of the Dark 'Prophets. 'The sight of the

Firstborn he'd considered his own daughter asone of the Dark Lord's Prophets and a herald of the darkening, shattered

Cagn and broke his heart. He died inhis Ringhold shortly after; two Blood Totems keeping watch over his body a ll

through his f i n a l days. When he died, all the mood Totems inall the Ringholds across the world began to

howl. The First Keeper was dead. The greatest Dwarven hero of all time was no more.



TH~ C : ; R W A T

BWRAVA t" T f u r t is a t a te : h tY O ll d O U T w o rl d , a d a n g e r 6 ( ,y o n d t n c p c s n . Tlif O n e KIHg l i a s w a r n e d u s o f t f t i s i n f i i s i n f i n i t ~ w i s d o m a n d t a u g f i t u s t o

h ( f o r ~ v l r 0 1 1 g u a r d a g a i n s t it. F o r i f t li e F i r s t b o r n wer t : t o t u r n t o tfit D a r l i L o r d , tft~ w o r l d w o u ld s o o n b e h u r n i n g i l l l i i s f i e l l · 6 o l l J f d f t a m u .n

FRO M T HE C H RO N IC L ES O F T H E K IN D RE D .

While the One King expanded the New Kingdom, the

four Prophets could only watch and feel betrayed. They

were the ones who had prepared the Firstborn for the

One King's return. They were the ones who had set up

a vast underground army awaiting a leader. They had ledhis armies inthe Vengeance and fought by his side. In

return what had they been given? The Firstborn land

had been divided into seven smaller kingdoms, each one

under the control of a Prince placed there by the One

King. A Prince from the warrior-elite the Prophets had

helped train. All they received was the right to continue

their religion. To continue to spread the word of the One

King's return, to preach tales of his glory. It was noth-

ing, less than nothing. Even their influence had gone. So

wrapped up inhis wars against the other nations and

exploration of the time-streams, preparing for the birth

of the evil he had once witnessed, he ignored his old al-lies and in doing so unknowingly helped create the very

evil he sought to stop. In the first decade of the New

Kingdom, the Chronomancers rose in both power and

influence. Elite warriors handpicked by the One King

because of their intellect and battle-prowess, they were

taught the secrets of time. When the Prophets asked the

One King to teach them, they were refused. It was the

final rebuttal. The Prophets left the capital.

All the borderlands of the Pirstborn's kingdom

were in a constant state of alert, as the threat

from the other nations increased. The peace their sacred

scrolls had prophesied, the peace they had been taught

the One King would bring to them, had not only failed

to materialize, but turned into an even deadlier exis-

tence. Many even started to look back to their days un-der the Elven Dukes as ones of peace and prosperity. For

while they had not known freedom, they had at least

known the world for what it was. They had known

what to expect from their land and their Masters. The

Four Prophets traveled through the seven princedoms,

listening to their follower's woes. Many would ask why

they had lied. Why the days of peace and prosperity

they had promised, that they had fought for, had failed

to come to pass. It seemed to many that they had just

swapped one set of chains for another. The Prophets

could answer none of their questions but each one

seemed to plunge another knife into their once loyalhearts. In some villages, they were even chased away,

blamed for the famine and plagues beginning to ravage

the land. They came toreal ize that not only had the One

King betrayed. them, he had betrayed all his people....and

in hushed whispers they started to put forward the the-

ory that maybe he wasn't the One King reborn after all.

Maybe he was someone else- a false King. Their preach-

ing took on a far darker slant. They were the betrayed.

They met the discontented invast caverns under,

neath the Firstborn cities. A grim reminder of



V '& ~ R z 8 9 : f b I ! P r ,o p b e ts r e b e '. T h e O S l J r p e r I ~ a h ,s ' f b I ! t b r o f J e .

Y ' & . A R 290 ' : U S l J r p . e r ki t ' ~d . O n e i C i n 9 ' r eg ar D s b is tb rc m e.

"1 I ' 9 tS l ! r e a t e l f . T b e C r e a t P l J r g e a g a i n s t t b e P r o p b . e t s b e g - i l t S .

the days they preached against the Triad. Their new

litany spoke of the False King. The Great Betrayer had

sold his own kin to the battlefield in his quest for pow-

er. A king who was more interested in the corrupt mys-

terious of his Eternal Towers than his starving and war-

ravaged people. Their words spread. discontent through

the whole kingdom. A war was coming. It seemed in-

evitable. The Devout started to beg their Prophets to

save them from the False King. To give them the power

they craved, the power that was rightfully theirs. De-

spite their rising power base, they knew open rebellionwould meet with failure, especially with the One King's

Iron Guard having such a firm grip on the kingdom and

the Chronomancers watching over all with their spells

of mind-numbing power. The sorcerer knights were able

to bend the very fabric of reality to slow down time or

speed it up, to create horrific creatures from nowhere

and perform other terrible acts. Without a way of loos-

ening their grip on the kingdom, the Devout's planned

uprising would be doomed before the first sword was

raised. They needed a way of canceling the Chrono-

mancers' power. To this end, they began collecting scrolls

and scraps of cloth from ancient times. Scrolls whisper-ing inblood.of a being who could.grant a Firstborn great

might and set him up above others. For almost a year

they did nothing but study, learning all they could of the

other world, the Dark World. They recalled their spiri-

tual journey when they were hung and le.ft for dead,

they recalled the Dark One himself who they had once

denied in honor of their religion, of their' One King'.

Far to the North of the Firstborn kingdom, on what be-

came known as the Isle of the Dead, they set upon a

new path. Using ancient texts, long thought lost,

they summoned the Dark One from the Pit and

supplicated themselves before him. The Darkening had

come to pass.

Various histories have been written about the birth

of the Great Treachery. Some say the Prophets were al-

ways pawns of the Dark One and obeying his demonic

will from the. very beginning. Others say that one of

them was the Dark One in flesh ..The truth is some-

where in between. What is known is that on that fate-

ful midnight, they offered a sacrifice to the Dark One in

return for his blessing. Five thousand followers were

butchered. They went to their deaths in silence, believ-ing it was for the greater good. Their hands wet with

blood, the four Prophets smiled as black lightning cut

open the sky and the heavens rained blood across the

whole of the land. The Dark One had returned.

Outside Nereth, the One King was concluding a final

assault against the last of the Dragon Clan holding out in

the city. His plans for their destruction had come to

fruition and their kin were on their island home and now

controlled by the Elven Duke Valimyr. With the arrival

of the Sons of Kronos a few d ay s before and.news of the

Dragon Clan massacre, the siege had swung to the One

King's balance. At dawn On that day, the Dwarves hadlaunched one last desperate assault on their attackers.

mood Totems tearing into Firstborn flesh as the Keepers

unleashed them. The One King's Chronomacers used

their skills against the m o o d Totems and a ferocious battleensued, but the One King's forces had been strengthened

by the northern barbarians and were hungry for victory.

The Dragon Clan's spirit was already beaten but their

bodies too stubborn to accept the inevitable. Refusing to

surrender, the last fell under a Chronomancer's blade

outside the city gates, the tom and blood-soaked

Dragon Clan banner gripped tighdy in his



hands. Surveying the carnage, the One King felt no re-

morse. That was something for lesser mortals. He had

once foreseen a great darkness threatening his people

and now his whole life and every action, no matter

how savage , was d i r e c t e d to one ultimate g o a l - the

prevention of the vision corning to pass. A vision of

the world inflames and the Dark One ruling from his

throne. Riding his battered battle-stallion into th e city,

a shiver passed through his war tom frame. His eyes

looked up as black lightning crashed through the dear

blue sky. With the hollowest of cries, the King dou-

bled up on his horse, clutching his heart. To those

watching, it s e e m e d . as though some unseen hand had

plunged a dagger straight into him. Prince Timor was

by his side in an instant. One of the proudest and

most deadly of a ll the Chronomancers, Timor took

the One King to his encampment and watched over

him for s e v e r a l days, while his whole body seemed to

convulse and sweat with a terrible fever

To the north and east the Prophets, now empow-

ered by their Dark God, were beginning to march on

the capital. The Devout spreading out before them,

they found a new king to worship· a peasant inone

of the villages they passed through. Using their new-

found skills to grant him arcane powers, they de-

clared him to b e the true One King and the man sit-

ting on the throne a fake, a false King, in league with

the Dark One. Their argument gained support across

the land. If their ruler was in league with the Dark

O n e , it would explain why he sought war and con-

flict wherever and whenever possible. It would ex-

plain the Seven Towers and the arcane rites that were

said to take place within their much-feared

walls. The Iron Guard, who watched





" T f l t O n t K i n g r O S I ! f r o m ( t i s d c a t n - b l d 0 1 1 nalring o f t f i e U m r p .: : r . H i s r a g e w a s f w r s o m e l o h m o l d . H e c u r s e d t l i t t r a i t o r s a t f w l I 5 a t l d

t i m , s a n d c u t t n t p a lm o f h i s f r a n d SWWril1 g 0 1 1 t l i t 6 1 { ) o d o f n jI a n c e s t o r s i n a l th t P r o p h l t s w o u l d p a y fo r t f i r . 6 t t r a j J a l . "

FRO M T HE C HRO N IC LE S O F T H E K IN DRED ,

In conquered Nereth, the One King's fever broke the

moment the crown was placed on the head of his usurp'

er. A s he rose from his sickbed, riders from Chronopiaarrived with the terrible news' the kingdom had fallen.

While the One King had been protecting the Firstborn's

borders, the treachery had come from within. He lis,

tened in grim. silence to a report of recent events' The

Prophet's betrayal. The corpses burning in . mass graves

beyond Chronopia's walls. And of the clack whispers

starting about where the Prophets' new found powers

originated. The King remained silent long after the news

had been given. Thunder could have roared. from his

iron eyes and none in the court would have been sur-

prised. Rising to his feet, he slit the palm of his right

hand and cursed the traitors, swearing on his eternalblood that they would pay. That all those who had be-

trayed the Firstborn would pay.

Within hours, his army was marching. As they

neared the capital they noticed that what became known

as the Darkening was twisting the world around them,

making it resemble something from hell. Families driven

insane and slaughtering their kin, calves were being bom

with two heads. blood raining from crimson clouds, the

ghosts of the dead returning to their homes to warn their

kin of a great danger. Each village they passed

through had. tales to tell and in each v i l l a g e the Devout

were found. Bloodshed and. death became their constant

companions as the traitors were put to the sword. Thosenot killed inbattle were l e f t on crosses for the vultures to

feast on. The kingdom was dripping in blood. The iron did

not leave the One King's eyes ~ even when after several

weeks of conflict, he approached the top of the rise and

saw the spires of Chronopia once again. On the march

homeward, many others had joined his army. Chrono-

mancers from the Seven Towers, Black Sisters and Sons of

Krenos, Repulsar Knights and a few survivors of the Iron

Guard. who had refused to turn to the Prophets, remain'

ing loyal to their king. By the time they reached

Chronopia, the One King had amassed one of the largest

armies ever seen. Despite their malevolent machinations,the 'Prophets had f a i l e d to win over the populace. Those

who had joined their ranks started to drift away under

cover of darkness. The Prophets became concerned and re-

alized they had made a fatal error: Their new puppet was

already becoming unstable on the throne and committing

sick and depraved acts while showing no desire to fight

the One King. Fathers seeking their missin_g offspring

tracked their children to the Royal palace only to find

their maggot-ridden corpses piled high in the throne-

room. Young lovers found their betrothed lifeless,



yt.;"iR )00: f i be Daq&r D re ad . f ib e D a r,k P ro ph ets re U u''''t a g .n is 'a bD to h is I t e a tb~be l f . O D e o f th e oh le s t ao d p ro u d e s t o f a " DWan J e s .

the victims oflotus, wine and acts best not spoken of.The

Prophets tried to. convince their King to lead a charge

against the invaders but their puppet was already insane

and wanted only the d r u g s and obscene pleasures of his

palace.

Knowing they would have no chance in a battle, but

also that they would be killed if they surrendered, the

Prophets led an army to the One King. Thousands of

lives were lost as both sides refused to give. Eventually

the One King's forces pushed home their numerical ad-

vantage and forced the Devout back into the waned citybut even there they refused to surrender. The Iron

Guard gave out a bloody vengeance on their fellow 6 0 1 -

diers who had betrayed their oath. After two days of

brutal fighting, the Devout, or what was left of them,

surrendered. Those who refused to bow before the One

King were dragged to the road leading to the city and

crucified as a warning to others. The One King himself

fought his way into the royal palace and savagely killed

the pretender. Coming out of the palace with the Pre-

tender's head, he threw it to his wild dogs to consume,

declaring that no one would speak his name again. The

rebellion was at an end.Inthe days that followed the bloody retribution con-

tinued. Across the land, the order went out to pull

down the cathedrals of the Devout and kill anyone prac-

ticing their religion, A new order was formed from the

bravest and most merciless of warriors. Known as the

Judges of the Seven Towers, they moved through the

land seeking out those who would threaten the First-

born. The One King gave them the right to make law

and carry out their judgements, no matter how severe.

Hundreds were executed. As the first of the Judges left,

the leaders of the rebellion were dragged before the

vengeful monarch. The One King was never grimmer

than on the day he faced his old teachers and passed

judgement over them. It was then he made the gravest

mistake of his life ' he allowed them to live. Exiling

them from the kingdom together with their few remain-

ing followers, who had not been crucified, he warnedthem that if they ever set foot on Firstborn land again

they would be killed. That he would crucify them him,

self and watch as the life left their dishonored frames.

Silent, but with hatred burning deep intheir eyes, the

"Prophets were led out of Chronopia. As they walked

through the gates, they had to pass their followers cruci-

f l e d by the side of the road, some still in their death-

throws. In silence. they walked away from their home,

never once looking back. The Four Prophets whispered

silent oaths of vengeance on the One King. They trav-

eled through day and night for months before reaching

the destroyed Jackal RinghoId of Keraak Ket. There theremnants of the Jackal Clan offered them temporary

sanctuary and for the first time the Devout realized they

were not alone in their service of the Dark One; that his

sacred word had spread across the land and tainted the

heart of all the other races. The Darkening was spread.

ing across the whole world.



UNHOLYAllrANnS"I w i l l p u s F i m i l c l a w td n a n d i n t o t fi , Dill K i n g ' s c fi t s t a n d w n o v l l i i s s t i l l b a l l i n f f f i l a r t . U s in g t f i l d a rK g i f t , r w ill ~ up l i t s patlidle

f r a m e a li v l a 5 I c o n S ' u m l c f l ! s t i l l b a l t i l l g m u se l l . E V l n t l i l n , I willllot l e t h i m d i e . . I J l s t a l d I will { i. n d a n y c l o s t t o l i i m a n d i n f l i c t . t o r t u r ~ s

o f u n t o l d s a v a g a y o n t f i a n - f o r c i n g t f i , B e t r a y e r 1 0 w a t e n . e v e 1 1 J f o u l a c t , I i l l r a p ' l i i s kill, m a s s a c r t l i i s s u b ja : t s , r a u l i i s ~ i n a d o l t l t o t f i e

B ro u n d a n d s e n d I d s s o u l s m a l 1 1 i I l B t o tfit f o u l t s t p it o f H e l l . O n l y t l i m w i l l I s p I t 0 1 1 f i i s c o r p s e . O n l u t l i en w i l l . I n a v e f i a d m y

V e ng lJ ln C l. "

N EG RA L ZA R'A K IN . "T HE D ARK O AT H ."



The Jackal leader, Greckan Malkur was already showing

signs of the Dark One's influence, which could be seen

throughout the rotting Hold. Following their betrayal of

the other races during the Wilding, the Jackals had beenpunished severely and all but wiped out by the other

Clans. Greckan's father only survived by hiding in the

deepest pits of the Hold with a handful of comrades, ig-

noring the death-cries of his Clansmen above. In the

decades since, they had slowly retaken control of the

Hold, which was considered to be a place of ill-luck by

other Clans, and remodeled it in their new master's

malevolent image. Sacrifices were common place and the

Jackal Clan did not care where their victims were.

found. Their mood Totems, ever hungry for flesh,

were kept c a g e d inpits lined with the bones and stink-

ing flesh of their victims. Their guttural cries reverberat-

ed through the Hold and sent a chill down the spine of

the Dark Prophets themselves.

The High Hall of the Dwarven Overlord was little

better. Blood-red fungus dripped from the walls and

roof, while the scars of the attack by their fellow

Dwarves were. still visible everywhere. In the burnt

timbers of the roof, the splashes of dried blood on the

ancient stone floor and the skeletal, rat-infested remains

pushed into the dark corners. The stink of death and de-

cay was heavy inthe air and compared with the majesty

they had left behind in Chronopia, the Prophets

could almost believe that had indeed been



vtftR J O ' J ~ m ~ fib !P ~S $.D iJ ar is b r & t" 'e r f s k f U e d ' b 4 l tb e D lo !< u o l . l t

audhror:nes ODf of tb e RbeQ.

executed. by the One King and sent to one of the deepest

pits of Hell.

It was in those battle-weary halls that the Devout

rested and prepared. The Four Prophets conversed with

the Dwarven leader and found new ways of summoning

aid f r om . the Dark One, Scouting parties were sent out

from the citadel and returned with travelers foolish

enough toventure close to the ancient hold, their hearts

torn from their heaving chests. Hundreds were offered

up to the Dark One In return for more knowledge and

more power.It is said that the Firstborn entered the Hold, dark

Firstborn, already worshipping the Great Lord in a ll his

foulness but Firstborn nonetheless. After six months In

its tomb-like corridors any semblance of humanity was

long gone, replaced by the true Devout that now lay

waste to the land. The twisted Prophets made dark

plans to gain revenge on their many enemies. They

would divide their forces into four groups, with a

Prophet leading one to each of the Four Corners of the

world. Others would follow. Already outcasts were join-

ing their number, more than willing to give their souls

to the Dark One. Already some were being twisted. intothe foul ravenous creatures known as the Cursed while

many of the Iron Guard formed the ranks of the deadly

Blood-knights. Their plan was simple. Each Dark

Prophet, as they were becoming known, would create

their own armies, their own kingdoms. They would.

harry the other races at every opportunity, killing,

maiming and sacrificing whenever and wherever they

had the chance. Slowly their influence would spread un-

til the Day of Vengeance, when they would sweep

through the lesser kingdoms into the heart of

Chronopia. There they would perform

tortures of untold horror on the One King, feast on his

still-living flesh and offer his tortured soul to their Dark

Master to feed upon.A t dusk, they left the Hold ..'The Jackal Clan joining

their march, burning their ancient home behind them,

many victims still caged and chained to its corrupt

walls. A final offering to the Dark One. It was then

that the Four Prophets divided their dark legions into

four infernal armies. As K e l a a k Ket b l a z ed in the night

sky behind them, the four dark legions went their sep-

arate ways.They traveled to the Four Comers of the known

world, where they constructed vast citadels to house

their hordes of followers. Terrible sacrifices were made

to allow the Dark L o r d to open a chilling vortex: to the

Dusk Realms through which his twisted demonic min-

ions - Dark eyes, 'Iormented, Demonwings and many

other fout creatures, entered the world. The Dark God

smiled and gave the Prophets the power to create necro-

mancers from his chosen subjects and twisted the local

beasts into fearsome carrion creatures capable of strip-

ping the flesh of their victims so the masters could ani-

mate the skeletal remains and bind them to their DarkLord's service. Nemeth took most of the Jackal Clan

with him and raged a fearsome war in the west against

the Clan of the Horned Ones. After years of struggle,

Nemeth's TWilight warriors broke through the defenses

of the Gargildur Ringhold, slaying i i t s Overlord and sac-

rificing all the Dwarves they found inside before warp-

ing the place to their own foul purpose. For decades, the

Prophets remained in their corrupt, nebulous fortresses,

preparing for the onslaught to come. Their ranks in-

creasing as demons from the seven pits of hell

were summoned to their domains and the exiled



v t A : R }10: C a r g i h / a r f a U 's t o t b e O ' e a o l l t .V a rr o l l s w a rs a s tb e r a e e s f i g b t t b e D e a o l l t

scum of the other kingdoms sought them out in a twist,

ed desire for power. Their knowledge of the dark ways

grew and the four Prophets became even more corrupt,

even more twisted. Their Firstborn beginnings now lit-

de more than some vague and distant dream. A continu-

ous death-cry of victims howled through the blood,

stained halls of all four dark towers. The portents r e a d ,

the stars charted, decisions made. The Dark "Prophets

conferred in the netherworld itself and planned their re-

venge.

Inthe world beyond, cities rose and feU. The ElvenHouses continued with their petty intrigues, the One

King his brutal war against all, the Dwarves their strug-

gle against the Elves and Firstborn, the Blackblood

against everyone. None knew that the darkness was

waiting for them. Only the One King had any indication

of the threat to come. Of the terrible danger waiting on

the edge of reality ... but even they could never have

guessed just how much blood would be spilt, just how

many lives lost.

It happened on what became known as the Day of

Dread. Outposts of a l l the nations were attacked at

dawn by the Devout. From all corners of the world they

came. Tonnented, Blood Knights, the Damned. Necro-

mancers Jeading skeletal legions of the Risen against the

Blackbloods at Qsttuk, lronheart and the Salt Marshes.

Lokoth's foul beastmen trampled Dwarves from the

Wolf and Blood-Bone Clan under their hooves as they

started to carve a crimson path to the Inner S e a . Aleha's

demonic beasts pushed the Dwarves back to their island

base and destroyed the Elven port Myrema, feasting on

the living corpses of all they claimed. Nemeth's warriors

clashed against the Firstborn and the Sons of Kronos,

accomplishing the unthinkable and pushing the Un-

tamed back into their own lands, something even the

Triad had failed to achieve centuries before. No one has

ever dared to calculate those killed by the Devout on

that first day of bloodshed. The handful who escaped,

who somehow survived the slaughter, claim to have

witnessed the Prophets and their kindred feasting on

the fallen, their carrion beasts cleaning the flesh off thedefeated as Necromancers brought them back to the

world as the mindless and enslaved Risen. The advance

continued unchecked for days, as the other races strug-

gled to redirect forces from their internal wars to the

new threat. New alliances were quickly formed and old

hatreds made history. By the end of the second. week,

the "Prophets had their own new dark empires. Behind

them was a trail of dead and burning cities. Corpses

piled a hundred high, demons covered inthe blood of

their hated enemy. The fetid stink of decay and death

covered the land. From every city, fires could be seen.

Screams heard. In the cities themselves, Devout who

had been hiding came into the open and killed their kin,

setting homes and fortifications alight in their crazed

bloodlust. By the end of the third week the armies of

the world were marching to face a new threat. In his

Eternal Tower, the One King wept, hisvisien had come

to pass. The world was becoming one vast funeral pyre.

The Devout had returned.



N I t w a s o n u s a i d U ta t w l i a t t l i t I iM v e m r a in b lo o d a n d t(ll b l c u K I i g f i t n i n g nturns, tfit d ea d s n a i l w a l ~ a n d d r o l O n s w i l l { t a s t o n U t e f l t s n

o f l f i l l i v i n g . F o r C D l t u r i e s , a l l t l i t r a u s o f t l i t w o r l d i g l l o r ld l l i l a n c i e n t t t x t s . N e g l u t t d t n e d a r k . p o rt a lt s a n d a n c i e n t p ro p f iW t s . N o w it

i s t o o l a U , f a r 1 0 0 l a t e . T IU D l v o u l f i a v l r e t u rn ~ d a n d w i tn t l i e m t f i e f l a m e s a n d s a v a g a y o f a w o r l d r u s n l n g l i a z d h m g t o d m r u c t i o n . T l i t

s a d n e s sI s t h a l l i I s H o t . I l i t D l v o u t w l i o w i l l d e s t r o y . Q U . b u l i l i l r a w t l i e m s d v l S w i tl i t f i l l r p t l t y j n t r l g u l s , d is tr u s ts a n d t re l 1 c h m l sl "

C H RO NOMA N C ER G ID E O N N A RL EX IL E O F T H E T H IRD TO W ER .

There are times when reality breaks down. When histo-ry is created. When heroes are made. Now is such a

time. Across the whole land there is war and terror.

Nowhere is safe. No one is free from the call to arms.

Three hundred years of deceit has served to make all the

races wary and. hateful of each other; So much so that in

their darkest hour they accept help with one hand and

keep knives in the other. It is now two decades since the

Day of Dread and the appearance of the Devout. Inless

than one generation of Firstborn the world has changed

beyond all understanding. The Dark Prophets pressed

home their early advantage with a brutal savagery that

swept all before it. So much was lost, so many d ie d . .Theancient Firstborn city of Vesurvia, whose marbled

walkways had even survived the fall of the First King-

dom, was destroyed under an onslaught of Negral's

forces.Within B . few days of the first assault, its once no-

blestreets were dark with blood and littered with the

corpses of the fallen. It was there that Elf, Firstborn and

Dwarf fought side by side for the first time. Small forces

meeting in the city's Cathedral. to discuss an alliance.

The attack left them a ll dead, worse than dead. A scout

approaching the city for the Firstborn reported

that the Devout's Necromancers with

their foul carrion beasts were given the city as a prize.Their beasts went to work the instant the walls fell,

scampering over the dead, consuming the flesh and us'

ing their dark powers to reanimate the corpses. The

whole city that had once been a beacon of light was

now little more than a home for the Devout's legions of

Skeletal Risen, They were not alone. Inthe Blackblood

Empire, the Emperor sent his own brother, Burbaal, to

attack the Devout and force them from Blackbloodland,

Burbaalled the pride of the Blackblood army; Goblin

archers from the SaIt marshes, Ore Cavalry from the

southern steppes, T r o l l berserkers and more. None re-

turned, at least, not alive! The whole army was de-stroyed at Malika Pass only to return as Risen. To this

day the Emperor's brother, now an unholy skeletal com-

mander, leads Devout forces against his kin. The One

K i n g . , whose distrust of the other races is only sur-

passed by his hatred of the Devout, has sent emissaries

to the courts of the world, seeking allies against the

darkness. At the same time, he has strengthened his bor-

ders against the other races, a l l to aware that attacks can

come from anywhere and any race at any time. It seems

all the races of the world talk of peace, or a l-

liances, or even a crusade against the dark





forces. At the same time they plot and plan the destruc-

tion of their neighbors. It is not only those outside, that

are cast a wary eye. The young and noble Duke Heliac

broods on his Sun-Throne at the treachery of the House

of the Obsidian Serpent and tries to subdue his suspi-

cions, that his own half-brother Valimyr, was somehow

responsible for the death of his father. He tries to ignore

rumors that both Valimyrand Scyllia have been sighted

with servants of the Devout. Surely an Elf would not

betray his kinsmen to the Dark One merely for power. ..

Heliac's new allies, the Dwarven Wolf Clan, fight a con-stant struggle against the Devout. Kahlin Cagn, the first

of the Keepers and the greatest hero of Dwarven histo-

ry, is dead. His heart broken by the betrayal of the First-

born he raised. Of Aleha, now a foul perversion of a

once beautiful woman. Her own half-crearures have

been seen fighting Dwarven forces with the mercenary

Vultures by their side. Cagnis dead but his four sons

live and will not rest until the last of the Devout has

been destroyed. Across the water lies the destroyed

home of their ancient blood brothers the Dragon Clan.

Now, the few who survived have sworn loyalty to

Duke Valimyr. Cagn's children have not forgotten thetreacherous duke. They were raised with the story of

the Dragon Clan's massacre fresh in the memory of

their father - their distrust of Valimyr stronger than

ever; They would attack and avenge the dishonor, but if

they did, how would the other Elven Houses react?

Would they stand against their own kin, remain neutral

or would such an attack play into the Duke's hands and

provide him with the excuse he needs to gain more pow'

er? In their ancient Ringhold the Dark-Tusks wait and

plan. Waiting for the right moment to move.

Inancient Kharabad, Nizar Bloodhound still sits on

the Blood Throne. Negral's skeletal forces press his king,

dom from the North while the One King seems to

promise both alliance and treachery from the west. After

centuries of betrayal and war, can Nizar truly trust his

people's ancient enemy to fight the Devout - and were

not the Devout once part of the Firstborn? Is it not pos-

sible that the two are involved in some grand scheme of

their own, seeking to weaken all the races before joining

forces to take control of the whole world? In the royal

Court, Niz.ar is even wary of his own Death-Seekers. Ifhe would kill for power what would others do for it?

On the edge of the world the Devout lurk. Their

black hearts burning with corruption and blood-hunger,

they still remember the betrayal of the One King. They

sacrifice the innocent to the Dark One, praying for the

day they will. conquer the Firstborn and grind the royal

palace under their feet. Negral and. the Prophets foresee

a day when one of the Necromancers is let loose in the

Firstborn Palace and the One King himself brought back

to life as a Risen, their servant for all eternity.

The land cries out for peace, for hope but there is

none to be found. It is a new era. Not one of glory andunity, as predicted in long-cursed scrolls, but one of

bloodshed, of cities aflame, of mighty armies creating

thunder on ancient battlefields. AU races do what they

can, what they must, to survive. It is a time when sur-

vival and war are one and the same. To live is to kill and

to kill is to live. Maybe one day it will be different but

for now there is only the conflict, only the battlefield

and the bloodshed, the treachery and warfare. From his

Eternal Tower inthe heart of his kingdom, the One

King watches it aU come to pass. His plans, over





CRVOJ' TN '! D AMH'EDG r t ~ a r n W l IS d y i n g . S w o r d s l i a d p ia a d l i i s s i d e s . T l i e

c o ld to u m o( t & D w o u l l i a d k t m d h is m in d . O n l y t J i ,

t e d o f fils t w o - F i a m u d h a t t l e l i a m m cr a n d tflt d e s ir e f o r r e -

VllIgtkfJ't h im alivt. B r i n B i l l g t J j , l i a m m a a r o u l 1 d a s Olll

o f llil o h s w d ti f S k n o w n a s t n f T o r n l f l t l e d c r a w l e d t o -

w a r d s U i t . D W l I r V c n w a . r r i o r , G r l ~ a r n d id n 't e v en w i n u

a s e { 1 f I i U f j f h am m e r to rc I f tm U O f i t f i e m a t u u ' s h o r n e d .

f i f G d , s p l a t t e r i n g b ra in a n d f i c s n o v a n j s o w n { a a . T mD w a r{ l o o ~ t: d a ro u n d a n d c l o se d h is ' Y f S { o r t n c 6 m f t : s t o f

m o m ~ l l t s . It w a s a l l g o n t , h O p c , p t a e t, v ic to r y . N o t l i i n g

r e m a i n e d n o t W aJ d e a t l i . F r o m l i i s v a l l t a g ' p o i n t b y t ( 1 f

c it y 's l iu g e . c a rv e d i r o n g a t t s , f ie c o u ld s u t l i e f i r e s I t a p ·

b i g f r o m b u i l d i n g t o b u i l d i n g . T l i e I m a m s o f t f i e d e a d

a n a d U in B w m lV t r y w f i m . It w a s q u i c k l y 6 e c 0 1 l 1 i l l g a

m a s s a m . Ol t f f i e w a s 011 1 m w r o n g s i l k o f. A l l o t h e r T o r ·

m l n t e d c la w e d t o w a r d s n i m . T l i e h e l l S t ' , l i u a c a r m s p r o -

p d l t d li s lqj lm t u n o a l0 1 lg t l ie g r o u n d . I ts s l i a m v o l i l

m o v e m e n t s o m d i o w p O H t s S i l t g a n i n fw r a l B r a c t . GrdRrn

w a f t e d u n ti l tflf l a s t m 0 1 1 ! m t t o h r i n g liis b a l t I t . l i a m m u

a r o u n d , T fii, tlm t . f i l s b l o w g l a l l a d o f f t l i c . c r t . a t u r ~ ' s

J jo l l , · l i~ f f i e a d a n d l i e w a s ( o r a d 1 0 8 r 1 f l g it d O W 1 1 a g a i n

6 l { o r~ w f ia U v t r s p a r~ g a v ( t& t f i i n g l i f l ! l f f i . AI.ron t n c

g a le w a y , o n t o f l f i e f i r s ! 6 o r l l l l l y s ! J c s w a s i m p a l t : ll 01 1 t n t

l a n a o f a s ~ d t. t a l w a r r io r . J u d g i H g b y t l i e Rimt ' s a r m o r ,

a d a y o r s o 6 ' f o T ( . {If l i a d bWl o n c . o f t l i { a r m y d e f t n d in g

l n r . c i t y . T n a ! w a s h t f o r e t h l N a r o m a l t C l T S l i a d p t r -



f o r t l i l d t l i d r f 0 1 l1 w o r~ . T n a t w a s w l i a t t ( 1 l D w a r f tm l y d re a d rd .

N o t p a in o r d t a t n b u t w l ia t w o u ld f ia p pC l I t o l i l m a f t e r da l t l i . H e

l i a d S W I t l i t s m a ll d a r~ c r a l t u w s c u r r y J n a o v a t n e C O r p S lS o f t n O S l

f a l l m i l l b a t i k T n d r r a zo r s f i a rp t u tf i a n d c l a w s s l i r e d d i n g t &

S~ i l 1 , I l ir t li 1 l g t n t f i E r D e ! i n t o s k a e t o n s t o f i g l i t f o r t l i t D e v o u t . 1 1

SW t l 'a i l f im w a s 1 1 0 w a y to a . J J o i ds u m a f a t e . E sp e d a l l u n o t n a w

w l i C i I s o f e w o f t& C i t y ' s d * n d m w a t l e t t a li v e. H o w { u t d t n i ,c O l l i e 1 0 p l l S S ? C o u l d II r e a l l y n a v e v u l l o n l y a d a y? M a y l i e l m ,

s i l la . f i o p t l i a d h u n s o s t r o n g ? G r e K t l n l f i a d a r r i v e d w i t l i l i i s C l a n s -

mrn a ll d O V lr l o rd t o s p ea k . w i t l i t h e e m i s s a r i e s f r o m t(ll o l f i e r n a -

1 I 0 l l s a b o l d 1 { 1 l I n r e a l o f t fi r. D e v o l lt . D e s p i t e l f i f u ll t u ri e s o f b lo o d -

s h ed l in d d is tr u s t t l i e r a w s f i a u d J it s u n l t d p r o y m ! w a s o e t t l gm a d l . A ll i a n m w e r t S p O K ff l o f . Tftt D e V aU L w a s a r e a l I n re a t a n d

O l l f f a r w o m I f r a l l t f ie a n y l l i i n g in e r i s t f l l u . C d f6 ra lio 1 1 S 1 0 u -

m . m l t h e : u e : w a l l i a n c e s w m . a h o ll l t o o l g l n w h e l l t f i e f i n t o f t f ie

( w m s w t n ~ f i e a r d . I t w a s t { 1 t s O l l n d o f 5 0 1 1 1 5 l o s t i n l i d l , t { 1 l c r y o f

t f r e D a l l l u t d . Alr im t a l l t l a t a , Ifit D l D o u l l l t t a c ~ ld . T n a t w a s 1m

t f r a l l a d ay a go . Tn t f i f l l it h a d s ta r te d s t r o 1 l y l U w i t l i t l i l l t t W a l l i e s

c O l l f i d m l , l li a t t { )g t tf tt T , ( f u y c o u l d s e t : o f f t f t r . D e v o l l t . T f u y w a r .

w r o n g . Tn t w a l l s f i a d { a l l a t w i t l i t l i r . d a w n a n d s i n u t { l l 1 1 f e r o -

c io u s, d o o m ed f i g l i t b t g l O O K p l a a 1 1 1 t l i r . s t r u t s o f f l i r . c i t y i l s d [ .

EVlryom F r a d l a k m u p tfll s w o r d , 1I0t m a t t a F r o w o l d o r M O U l t g .

W o m ( l l { o u g f i t s i d l b y s i d l w i t f i o ld m e n , a l l R ' l o w b l g t f r a t t o d o

H o t f i i l l g w a s s u r e l y d w t f i . N o w G re K a r n w o u l d a lm o J I sdl l i i s s o u l

f o r d e a t l i. Tn t l a s I o f tfit F i r s tb o r n ~ n i g l it s f r a d f a l l tn a r o l il ld n i m .

H e w a s a l ( 7 n f . H t w O l l d m d v a g u t l y If l i e w a s t n c l a st a l i v r . i l l tlif

w n o l e ej t y o r w l i tt fi er 5 0 1 1 1 ( , o t h a p o o r , d am u l d s o u l w a s f t g l i l i l l f J

s t i l l , c 1 i l lg in g 0 1 1 to w li a t p a m d f o r l i f t w i l l i { v a y la s t o un er . o f f i i s

s t r c l I g t l i . R n i s i n g h Is l i e a d t o t J i ~ h i l i ( . s R Y , f i r . s l a r t e d .1 0 s i l l g l i i !

d fa t f i l ( lm u l t, s lo w l y w o r li i l l g f i in m l{ h l l o a { I t r y a s t h e S l i t l l t { ) n

K l t l g n t s a l t a d i e d f i im . B o n lS c ru sn ln g IlJIda h a m m a v l o w s p r O V i d -

e d a d a r k v a c k b r . a t fo r F i i s f i n a l m o m m ts a l l v r . . A w i n g e d m a l u r r . ,f i r . d Id n 't K U O W t l ie n am e , s w e p t d o w l i f r om a b o v e a l l d m a p e d l i i s

l ie a d w i th i t s c la w s . B l o o d p O U T e d d o w n f t i s f a u , DU l l d i n g f i im f o r a

v it a l m o m m t . H e f e l t s l 1 m f t l ii l lB g i v e i n l i i s s t o m a c n a l l d l o o f e d

d o w n t o s e t . a s w o r d s li c in g d o w n f i i s g u t , a s K e l e t a l / i c U l d t w i s t i n git l ie fo r f p u . U in g i f f e l i l a d e o u t a n d b r i n g i n g it a ro u n d t o w a r d s f i is

h e a d . T f i t n w a s 1 1 0 pa i l l . G re k a m h rr m g f i t t I t e h a m m a a r o J I n d a n d

s l i a t t a e d t f i e b l a d t , f o l l O W i n g t l i r o u a n t o c r u s h tli, S K u l l o f it s u n ·

h o ly o w ne r. h s f i ls ~ l I l e r c o l l a p s a i , l f i e p a in f i 1 l C l i l y f i l t f i lm .

T f i e D w a r f s t o p p r .d s i n g i n g a n d d o u b l e d u p . M o r t: l i l a d ~ 5 p l U C e d

f i is s ~ i n aI (It c o l l a p s e d t o t li t. g r o u n d . T f t , l i f ' w a s l a l v i n g l i i m .

T I i , p a i l l r d r t a t i l 1 9 i n t o t { lt d a rR l l t s S . T h e l a s t t h in g fit s a w w a s

t f i e li u lt c li a i f o rm o f IlH c a o m a , I C U d ir ec ti n g « p a cK o f d a r k , r a v e n -

0 1 1 5 atalum t o w l l r d s f i im . B y ( f i e t im f t (l l i r t u t n s t a r t e d t o t e a r a t

n i s f i e s l i , f i e w a s d ea d - d ea d a l l d d a m n ~ d .







TH~ OWE KrNGAND T W E I'rRSTBORN" N e v a A g a i H w i l l d i u , 6 t F i r s tb o r n O t s la v a l . N a J a a g a i n w t l l t f t t l a n d b e tm n fm n u s . T jc 0 J r t K i " 8 w a t m a t 1 II O ' lIS t m - o ~ a l l

dmrlt y, "' will g u i d ! u s t f t T O U B ~t f t t s e b a t t l e w e a ru d a y s t o a n ew a a a n d t f t t c r e a t l m t o f a n e w i i J l g d o m w U l i a l l tfrl n I U S o f t f l t w o r ld

bulUtg O t f o r, u s a n d t f t t l a s t o f t h e D e v o u t d u s t o n t J j e w in d . l L s s t n a n d u st . N o t n tn s .·

. P RA YER O F TH E C H RO N OMA N C ERS O F T H E T H IRD TO W ER.

HISTORYThe destiny of the One King and the Firstborn is en-twined on a thousand d.iffermt l e v e l s , Before he u n i f i e dthe Firstborn, they were little more than a collection of

tribes, leaderless and easy prey for the more civilized

'Blackblooda, Elves and Dw a r v e s , The creation of the

First Kingdom, widely known as The Founding, was

the first time the Firstborn came together under one

leader. For three decades their control was almost total

and provided a period of peace and learning for the

whole world. The formation of the Triad and the

bloody c o n f l i c t that followed shattered the First King-

dom and left the Firstborn broken and enslaved for over

two hundred years. Only the Sons of I<ronos remainedfree and refused to bow to the other races.

With the Return of the One King and the founding

of Chronopia, built on the ashes of the First Kingdom,

a new era of Firstborn pride began. It was an era that

soon became one of war as the Firstborn's rebellion

soon b e c a m e an asgressi~ campaign against a ll the oth-

er races, the scars of the centuries of enslavement run-

ning deep intheir blood. Only the treachery of the Four

Prophets and the rise of the Devout served to change

this and gave a ll a common threat. It remains to be seen

whether old enmities can be put behind them or will

only help the Devout to reshape the whole of creationintheir own twisted image.

CHROHOMAHUR

nrE ON'lICIHC;The Firstborn are unique inall the races of Chronopia

inthat their religion is flesh and walks among them.

The powerful One King, whose name is lost inthe ash-

es of the Old Kingdom. His l i fe stretches across the his-



tory of the Firstborn and beyond .. Some say he is the on-

ly being alive. who can stand against the Dark One. or

that he has been chosen by the forces of justice to unite

all the peoples of the world against the Devout. His ha-

tred of the Dark One is"w e l l known and instrumental in

his own return, During his first life, it was his dark vi-

sions of a . world. under the rule of the. Devout, his peo-

ple little mare than chattel far the Dark Lord, that made

him develop his insane.1y heroic plan to save his kin.The.

tragedy is that the plan he created led to the birth of the

evil he soughe to stop.

FoUowing his death at the blade of Duke Chropus,

the One King's soul was flung into a reality beyond by

his own arcane spells. Itwas there that he saw the open

gates of Hell and the Dark One preparing his forces for a

push into the One King's world. Swearing a thousand

oaths, the One King attacked the Dark One and . a cosmic

struggle raged to push him back into the pit and. close

the. gates of Hell. It was a struggle only the highest and

most trusted of the Chronomance.rs kn.ow of and took

centuries to complete. The One King was aided in his

fight by the souls of his closest Firstborn, many of who

have subsequently been reborn with the King, although

unlike. their lord the.y have no knowledge. of their heroic

past. Their courage shines through and many of these

warriors have become the most powerful Chrono-

mancers in the land. Following the battle against the

Dark One, the One King's spirit was ravaged and dose

to oblivion, Only the feeling of the Four Prophets calling

out to him as they hung on the gallows kept him togeth-

er and gave him both the. strength he needed to live and

the anchor inreality he needed. to direct his soul. His re-

birth is the stuff of legend, made flesh and has been

written abcut in the chronicles of all the world's races.

TH'E I 'IRSTBORNNow the Firstborn haw the appearance of heroic and.

civilized. warriors but that: has not always been so. The

years of enslavement have left bitter marks on their soul

and a deep hatred of all the other races • especially theElves, under whose rule they suffered the most. They

fear enslavement more than anything and would die b e -

fore beingcaptive and slaw again. Itis this phobia that

makes them all the more terrified of the undead. Risen

employed by the Devout in the war against thsm - for in

their skeletalrank:s, Firstborn see an evil. form of en-

slavement that even death cannot f ree them from.



C'T'.SChronopia is one of the greatest of all the cities of the

world. Even the Elves look at its proud towers and wide,

paved. streets with envious eyes. Upon his return, the

One King divided the land up into seven princedoms, each

with its ownwarrior-prince in control. Ineach of these

domains, he constructed one of his legendary Eternal

TQ\I\/US-gigantic tapering columns with the symbol of the

One King f i x ed on their highest battlements - for his loyal

and influential Chronomance.rs. 'The first, and by far the

largest of these, is in the heart of the capital and the One

King spends as much time in its mysterious wa l l s as he

does in the royal palace. It is inside the towers that the

Chronomancers learn and practice their

art and s e e k e r s of wisdom tty to decipher

ancient texts and the secrets of creation it-

s e l f . All the cities of the Firstborn are

heavily fortified with the resolute Iron

Guard watching over every aspect of First-

born l i f e . Since the Great Treachery, they

h a v e b e e n joined by the Judges who seek

out Devout sym~ and put them to

the axe. While the Judges are feared by the

many they are a l s o viewed as a necessary

e v i l and most prefer them to the possibili-

ty of the Devout infiltrating their society.

The fortifications of Chronopia reflect the

fear of enslavement that is at the heart of

the Firstborn. Huge broad battlements

cross the city in an iron grid pattern. Vast

gateways link the various quarters of the

city together. Huge fortified wharves jut

out into the harbor bristling with arma-

ments. The city is also surrounded ina

double wall curtain of granite and steel .

All the cities in the Firstborn king-

dom have had a troubled history but

none more so than Aregath, on the bor-

ders of Dwarven and Elf land. A ll the

three races have laid claim to it at some

time but it ha s been under Firstborn con-

trol for several d e c a d e s and the new wa l l s

and towers constructed there will help them maintain

control for many more to come. To the north, the Sons

of Kronos live nomadic barbaric lives centered around

the city of Nuria. Conquered by Kronos himself follow-

ing the One King's death, the Untamed have now had

their ancient halls strengthened by the One King with

the construction of an Eternal Tower and the arrival of

Chronomancers to help them fight off the attacking De-

vout horde. Aregath is one of the darker kingdoms and

still looked down on by the Untamed who remember

the day, centuries before, when the Firstborn therein,

refused to take up arms against their Elven Dukes when

they attacked the city. 'The Eternal Tower there is also

the home of the toughest Judges in the kingdom, sent



there especially by the One King to guard against the in-

fluence of the Devout which he feels is stronger inthat

mountainous and shadowy part of the world than

anywhere.

MAe;.eOn his return, the One King trained his most trusted

warriors in the arts of time. In the present time, pupils

start training at an early age in one of the Eternal Tow-

ers. The Chronomancers learn the secret of manipulat-

ing the very fabric of time and through that, reality it-

self. Each takes a specific path, becoming a master of

bending time or slowing it down or one of the other

chronomatic arts. It has been known for a Chrono-

mancer to make a warrior move with untold speed or

for an enemy to seemingly freeze, as time is slowed to, a

crawl allowing the Chronomancer to move in for the

kill. Some are said to be able to slip outside reality itself,

into the time streams to gain knowledge of forthcoming

events or even alter those of the past. Little is known of

the long-term effects of practicing their art and many

fear that one-day it could unwrap the very fabric of

reality itself.

1 1fE M .l.TARYThe Firstborn army is highly organized and regimented.

All the units in it can be identified by the color combi-

nation of the checkered cloaks they wear and the rib-

bons they have pinned to their armored chests.

The pride of the One King's army are the Imperial

Knights. Capable of fighting as foot soldiers as well as on

their great battle-steeds, Imperial Knights are heavily ar-

mored and favor swords, maces and lances for battle. The

Princes in control of each of the seven princedoms selectthem from all sections of society. The very bravest of the

Imperial Knights may become Repulsar Knights. The

elite of the Firstborn army, Repulsar Knights have led

the charge at many of the Firstborn's greatest victories -

including the re-capture of Nereth and the victory over

the Devout at Kragom Pass. They favor full plate armor

and have their helms personally made for them by the

King's own armorer. The crested helms they wear are a

reflection of the honor and pride they have gained for

themselves and the Firstborn in battle. They wieldmighty bladed pole-arms and carry the iron banner of

the One King on their backs.

Many of the Judges now bringing the One King's

law to the land originate in the ranks of the Repulsar

Knights. While Repulsars favor huge pole-arms, the

Judges are characterized by their double-handed axes -

known as Truthbringers - their menacing cowled helms

and the book of Holy Law each carries. It is said that if



a guilty man looks into the f a c e of a Ju., they die. If

the Repulsars are the most idolized of the One King's

forces then the Judges are the most feared, only the

Black Sisters from the &r north bring as much terror to

people's hearts. These fierce warrior-women

pledge themselves to the One King and the

blade. They live for battle and carry the blessing

of the One King onto the field. They are armed

with large two-handed swords and they too

have the privilege of carrying the One King's

banner.

In battle the skilled archers of CaIamon and

the Crossbowmen of Gergythia augment the

warbands of Knights and elite units. These

troops wear lighter armor with f u l l - f a c ed helmsand unlike the supporting troops of other races,

they willingly engage the enemy in hand-to-

hand combat. Control of the kingdom itself is

in the hands of the Iron Guard. In the early

days of Chronopia, the Iron Guard. was one of

the proudest and most honored of regiments

but following the desertion of many of its num-

b e r to the Devout during the Great Treachery,

their standing and influence ha s greatly dimin-

ished. It is something those in the Iron Guard

are determined to rebuild and their skill in bat'

tle could well do that. The death of an entire

company of Guards, while protecting the forti,

fication of Balaak on the Dreadland borders

ha s gone some way to rebuilding the people's

faith in them. They rule the cities and carry out

the One King's will with grim determina-

tion, wearing large ornate shoulder pads

and carrying broad bladed spears and enor-

mous shields. On the battlefield they form

into the now infamous Shield Walls, allowing

them. to advance on the enemy almost invul-

nerable to missile f i r e .There are lesser-known forces that lurk in

the One King's retinue. The deadly Night-

walkers are his assassins. Only ever seen by

their victims, they are regarded by many as a

modem myth. Their blackened armor and helm

and ebony blades often give them the appearance that

they follow the Dark Lord himself.

The Sons ofKronos serve the One King but are a law

onto themselves. A l s o known as the Untamed, they are



the only Firstborn never to be enslaved and

are proud of their freedom. Barbarians bred in

the harsh northern lands, their ferocious bat-

de temperament and refusal to admit defeat

have helped make them one of the most feared

and respected peoples in the land. The Black

Sisters come from their ranks as do the one

King's savage barbarian retinue known as the

Burning Blades. Armored in bronze girdles,

chest plates and shoulder pads with ornate

homed helmets, many Firstborn fear them asdemons and the sight of them charging into

battle, their huge swords and barbed throwing

spears bringing death to all they meet, can eas-

ily give such an impression.

TIrE 'EIGHTHTownA Firstborn legend or maybe something more

substantial. Since the completion of the sev-

enth Eternal Tower, rumors have circulated

through all the lands that the One King con-

structed an Eighth Tower filled with knowl-edge and energies only his most trusted of

Chronomancers could come into contact with.

Spies from the other races haw spent decades

trying to locate the tower but haw all failed.

Many believe it to be just a myth but it isn't.

The Tower is real but it is not in this realm of

existence. It is beyond time, beyond reality.

Using the combined energies of the Chrono-

macers, the Eighth Tower was built outside of

time to protect this realm from spiritual attack

and hopefully, one day, find a way of launch-

ing an offensive against Hell itself. Stories ofthe wealth hidden within its mystical walls

can be heard in most taverns and haw caused

many a thief and vagabond tomeet an untime-

ly and terrifying death.



TM1: 1:tVES- F J a m t s c o v o i n g t f r l w o r l d . D u i : t H t l l a c a n d V a l t m tp ' • h a s t a r d h ro t f r t r s o f t f r l s w o r d ; f i B n t b t g a d u d t o t f r l d ta t h , a s t h i s " ,. o u d i s l t h u m s

t o t f r l s r o l O l d W l d u t f r l a s s a u l t o f t & D tV O U t . E lv t s , d t a d a n d d ll i n g , r t t u n ti n g a s t f r l O IO tI y • a s tIit R f s O l . T h t S U i t t u n d 1 t g hlad.

T h t w i n d tM t itqs t f r l L o tu s F lo w a s ill h l o o m h u o m in g a c o ld d ta t l i ·C T f J a c r o s s tIit l a n d . T h t P a W t , t h t C r y s t a l C it g • a l l r t d w i t l i

h lo o d . M u s t I " s l U in g hu t h tl , l t s s , a ll t f r l L o t u s · E a t a s d t a d o r i n s a n t . M y m in d g o i n g tIit U I a f I o f m y h o d y . C r a w l i l l e t o w a r d s tIit w t o f

tIit L o t u s , I i o p b t g t o c f w u t t l s O m t l a s t s t r O l6 tf t i n to m y a n d o lt f r a m t s o Ia n d i t w f t f t h o n o r . O n m y & u s , w tq i n g a s d t a t l i c o m ts t o

c l a i m mt, a s tIit F tnO 'D c r i P r o p /i d s m w m y p a la u . . . MY P A LA C E · t f t t h lo o d o f m y p co p lt coVUbl f ff r l m . 'D o l s t t d s m U ts o n t I i d r

m ts h t g o t t m f a u s a s t I i c y s a tIit U ft I t a v t m e . A s t / i q J s a tIit ! t f e I t a v t t f t t l a st o f t I i o S t o p p o s t d t o t f rl m . T~ w o rl d f a ll b te t o t f t t

O c v o u t . . . a n d a l l 6 t c 4 u s t w e w a c d t v i d t d , h t c a u s c Wt l o s t t h e w a y : "

• FRO M THE VIS IO NS O F DU KE ZA ZEN TH E TH IRT EENTH DU KE OF TH E CRYSTA L L OTU S .

Power and wealth are everything in Elven society. Anancient system. of noble Houses makes up what passes

for their domain, although they rarely acknowledge na-

tional boundaries, believing they h a v e the right to t ravel

anywhere they d e a i r e . For centuries two Houses were

dominant -The House of He1ios and the House of the

Crystal Lotus. In recent times, a third, the House of the

Obsidian Serpent has come to the fore and established it-

sel f as a ~or power. The dark rumors spreading fromthe Obsidian Court is a reflection of the early days of E I ·

ven history, when another House was dominant. One,

no longer spoken of. One whose deeds were 80 foul,

their very existence was erased from the Elven histo-

ries. The House was known by many names -The Shad-

ow House, The House of the Great Lord and others un-

speakable in any mortal tongue. All their kin, for one

simple reason, cursed these Elves, for they openly wor-

shipped the Dark One. It was only after years of terror

that the other houses acted. Duke Zazen's distant forefa-

ther lost his daughter to Duke Remoran, Head of the

Shadow House, and r a i s e d his banner to take on his ri-val • even though such an act seemed doomed, as in

those days the Crystal Lotus' power was far less than it

is today. Other Houses rallied to the Duke's standard

and marched on Remoran's dark citadel in the heart of

what later became known as the Dreadlands. The sor-

cery uaed by the Lotus- Eaters from both sides in the

conflict ravaged th e land around the citadel and created

the lifeJ.easD r e a d l a n d a . The forces of the unified Houses



were victorious and every last member of Remoran's

army was killed. Their home cities were raised to the

ground ' the invaders making sure not one stone was

1eftstanding that could remind them of the Dark House.

It was thought a ll were killed. Now it said that some

fled and lived concealed inElven society, waiting for a

day to rebuild their House. These same sources suggest

that Duke Vaiimyr's mother was directly descended

from those vile Elves and seeks to rebuild the ancient

Hause and dedicate it once more to the Dark One. For

their part, Valimyr and his sister are careful not to be as-

sociated with the Dark One' at least in public - and the

forces of the Obsidian Serpent have taken up arms

against the Devout, although rumors persist that the.

Duke has been sighted paying homage to the Prophets.

The Hause system, used to mark boundaries inE I-

ven societies, is something most of the other races find

difficult to understand. The basic problem is that the

Elves refuse to accept national boundaries ' until some'

one forces them toby warfare. Even then, they hold on-

to their be l i e f that they should be able to move across

the world unrestrained. For a while it was like that. Fol-

lowing the death of t h e . One King and the breaking of

the Triad, the Elves found themselves incontrol of the

largest kingdom inthe world. Their cities shone like b e a -

cons in the wilderness and all the other races were

forced to pay homage, and more importantly taxes. to

them for use of their ports and trading routes. Vast sky

barges could be seen over all the major cities. carrying

exotic goods across the lands. It is possible that this e x -

pansion led directly to their downfall. Some Elven schol-

ars believe the spread of the Lotus plants at this time

helped create the visions of the Firstborn that eventual-

ly led to the Four Propbete and their rebellion, It is

something that will never be able to be proven but a l-

lows the defeated Elves to believe that the Firstborn

were only victorious because their very occasional use

of Lotus plants granted them powers not dissimilar to

those of the Lotus-Eaters.

It wasn't long after the One King's return that Duke

VaIimyr rose to power in the House of the Obsidian Ser-

pent. His treacherous massacre of the Dragon Clan has

been well recorded. elsewhere and did help to create a

new and powerful. force in Elven society

Elves are capable of Jiving for over two hundred

years, longer when the mysterious Lotus Flowers are in'

gested to slow down the aging process. Duke Zazen,

head of the Crystal Lotus, is rumored to be over three

hundred years old and while he is now showing the

physical signs of old a g e , his keen political mind is stilI as



£USPURMAH

sharp and quick as ever. His house controls the majority

of the production of the magical lotus plants that form

the base of Ehlen society. Used for a variety of medicinal

purposes, they a re a ls o u ti l i z ed for sorcery by the lotus ..

Eaters. Zluen's half brother was Duke Chropus who

started the House of the Obsidian Order and was in ..

strumental in the massacre of the Firstborn following

the death of the One King. Zazen's rival and sometimes

ally, was the Duke of Helios, whose house has the most

noble military tradition of all the Elven houses, who

placed.honor a b o v e life itself. There is a grim. irony in the

fact that his own b a s t a r d son, Valimyr, poisoned him.

The death of Helios indirectly led to the rise in power of

the House of the Obsidian Serpent, now led by Valimyr

and his sister; the manipulative and cruel lady Sc y l l i a .

These three Houses are the power in Blven society and

constantly struggle with each other for o v e r a l l control,

with smaller Houses maneuvering for increased power

below. If ever they were to unify under one ruler, as

they did under Duke Chropus, they would surely b eable to control the whole world.

Duke Z a z e n appreciates the importance of coopera-

tion b e t w e e n the races in order to combat the Devout.

To this end he presides over a permanent council of war

in his palace at Elymris that is open to all representatives

of the four races. He is actively supporting the One King

and the Blackbloods against Negral's invading Black

Fleet and aids Duke Heliac in his struggle against

lokoth and, in several instances, has pulled Valimyr in-

line to aid his fellow Elves. His fleet is on constant alert

patrolling the Dragon's Teeth archipelago. But despite all

his efforts he has still lost the majestic trading port ofMyrema to Aleha's horde and is still involved in minor

skirmishes on the Blackblood western sea board with

the o v e r z ea lo us Satraps of B e z e k and Az . a g h u r . Howev-

er, the garden island of Yynn is heavily defended and a

large force is stationed at Ophir, the second city of his

r e a l m .

H e l i a c , Duke Helios' son, fights alongside the Blood-

Bone and Wolf Clan Dwarves against lokoth, whose

forces a r e now stationed in the burnt out remains of the

Jackal Clans hold of Keraak Ket. He still distrusts his

b a s t a r d half-brother and keeps a large force on perma-

nent alert in his western coastal fortresses, to watch his

shores for possible treachery from Valimyr and invasion

by the One King.

Valimyr for the meantime has the luxury of sitting

back, as no force directly threatens him, and choosing

which conflicts he involves himsel f in. His actions on the

s u r f a c e do seem petty but they are bound to have some far

reaching, sinister under tones associated with them.



CITr~sMost of the Elven cities are described as Spiral. The

cities are built as a series of conical structures, the largest

of these being situated inthe center containing the royalpalace. Each structure has a spiral road running to its

peak with a myriad of ta.pering sky bridges connecting

them to others. Towers shoot out at a variety of angles,

creating the illusion that the city h a s been fonned natu-

rally.

Buildings line the street, the most prestigious houses

are near the top - Sky barge loading platforms and the

towers of the Lotus-Eaters are amongst the highest.

Splendid gardens lie inbetween the colossal towers and

two concentric circular walls surround the entire city.

Symbols of the various houses dot the skyline; however;

the higher reaches are decorated with those of the ruling

house.

The Garden Island of Yynn is a small Island sur-rounded on a ll sides by mountains ..Contained within

the giant ice peaks is the fabled garden ofYynn. The is-

land is lush with thick vegetation. The Lotus Flower

grows profusely here, particularly the blue and silver va-

rieties. The Lotus Flower is central to all Elvish magic.

This makes the House of the Crystal Lotus very power-

ful as they control the supply of the best flowers. Other

Houses have their own gardens, but nothing to rival the

scale or quality of Yynn. The Palace is situated in the



center of the island, not fa r from the great processing

towers of the Lotus-Keepers. The Palace is used as the

administrative hub for the distribution of the flowers.

Huge great loading p1atforms for the Sky barges a r e . lo-

cated on the central tower.

The mountains surrounding the island a r e . peppered

with sentinel towers, which protect the gardens against

attack. Stationed at the Palace, as well as in the sur-

rounding sentinel towers, a r e . units from the Lotus

Guard.

Elymris is the crystal jewel in the Lotus Empire. It is

a magnificent spiral city built of marble and quartz. Its

gleaming towers stretch to the sky, shimmering with

opalescence. A vast crystalline causeway connects the

three major islands that make up the capital city of the

House of the Crystal Lotus. The higher levels of the city

a r e . shrouded inmist and a r e . set amongst white moun'

tainous peaks, which a r e . permanently wrapped in ice

and snow. Its Duke, Za z e n , is one of the few peoplestill living who recall the days before the Firstborn

and the First wars with the One King. His ancient

frame is kept alive by an almost continuous feed of

various Lotus plants as he watches over the magni f i -

cent city.

Helio is the seat of Duke Heliac's power. It is a

vast island spiral city on a horseshoe shaped lake inset

in the coast. A breathtaking array of magnificent wa-

terfal ls act as a backdrop to the city. When the sun is

at its height, its rays make the water golden, giving the

feel that the whole city is ablaze with energy. Heliac

has a strong connection to the city, with his earlyfame coming from leading its defense. Since then, Heli-

ac has constructed vast fortifications to help inthe

event of another attack. The island also houses a sepa-

rate circular military harbor set in the cliff faces be,

hind the waterfalls.

Duke Valimyr and the Obsidian Serpent a r e . based.

at Baal-Hazor; Baal-Hazor is a dark spiral city built

from b1ackgranite and obsidian. Its very appearance is

sinister and foreboding, which directly reflects the

essence of the Rogue Duke. This Neolithic spiral city

is the most recently built of all Elven cities and based

on death. Beneath it a r e . the remnants of the Ringholdof the Dragon Clan Dwarves; wiped out by Valimyr

and his Obsidian warriors. Rumors suggest that some

still fight in the deepest pits of the Hold, while a few

have even sworn allegiance to the Duke and now fight

alongside him. The city itself can be seen for miles

around and some say it resembles some dark and

brooding bird of prey perched on the corpse of the

Dragon Clan Hold.



M.l.TARYThe Eiven army is one of the most sophisticated in

the world. Centuries of warfare have molded them in-

to a tight and deadly force. The main stay of every EI;

v e n army is its foot soldiers. These can be broken

down into four categories. The most basic troops are

the swordsmen, these are formed from the younger

recruits - these units are used as a testing ground for

the soldiers. They are reasonably well armored in plate

and chain and carry oval shields and long swords.Archers form the support units for the army; they

wear less armor but carry powerful longbows. The

spearmen m a k e up the bulk of the foot soldiers, they

are heavily armored and carry long thrusting spean

and oval shields. Finally the axemen are the cream of

the basic infantry of the Elven host. They are better

armored than the rest of the infantry, some wearing

additional spiked shoulder pads, and wield deadly

two-handed axes or two single-handed axes. A nthe basic foot soldiers wear surcoats depicting .......

their house symbol and colors. The House of the

Crystal Lotus wear blues and white, House of Heliosgreens and yellows and the Obsidian Serpent favor

reds and black.

The Dragonbane are the cavalry of the Elf army.

All the Houses have Dragonbane among their num-

ber. These fierce bipedal creatures are bred for battle

and come in two basic forms, the War· Killer lancers

and the Scout archers. They wear more elaborate hel-

mets and armor to that of the foot soldiers but their

symbols and house colors are the same. A l s o , ea ch

House paints their Dragonbane in their own colors.

The beasts gained their name from the destruction of

the ancient dragons in the early days of recordedhistory.

Apart from the differing house colors and symbols,

what distinguishes the different houses inbattle are

their specialist troops.

The House of the Crystal Lotus' most common elite

troops are the Crystal Knights and the Lotus Guard. The

Crystal Knights are given Lotus plants before battle and

exude a cold aura that is carried through their crystal

spean. Their armor is heavy and bulky and is embell-

ished with lots of precious and semi-precious gems.

They wear skirts of royal purple over golden scale.

These Knights are the best of a l l the warriors to be

found in the House of the Crystal Lotus - ifnot in a l l

the Eiven domains. The Lotus Guard form the special

units assigned to dignitaries and commanders within the



Warriors of the Sun. The Keepers of the Flame are

an elite warrior class made up entirely of females.

They are armed with the mystical swords of the

Phoenix and deadly Sun' Disk Daggers. Their persis-

tence and ferocity in battle is renowned and is said at

times to rival that of the Crystal Knights. The great-

est warriors of Helios are the fabled Warriors of the

Sun who have proven themselves in countless bat'

tles. These Warriors ftght with Fire-Swords, forged

in the Elemental planes, and specially prepared long,

bows with shafts imbibed with the power of fire

runes. These soldiers are the favored troops of

Duke He1iac and he has a special guard unit that

accompanies him everywhere. They are said to

be the most trusted and honorable soldiers in all

the Elven lands.

The rise of the Obsidian Serpent owes a great

deal to the brutal army at Valimyr's disposal.

When their elite Obsidian Guard enter the field,

their sable two-handed blades bringing death to a l l , it

is not hard to believe the legends that suggest a link

between them and the ancient lost house of the

Great Lord. They have the look of the Dark War'

riors who used to serve inthat cursed army. Sup'

porting the Obsidian Guard are the Dragon Skull

Warriors. Renamed after the massacre of the Dragon

clan, these knights wear the skulls of the dead Blood

Totems as helms and often go into battle with the en'

slaved remnants of the Dragon clan fighting before

them. Their two-handed swords are carved from the

skeletal remains of the old Dragon clan deities.

house. They are armed with twin long swords, which

they wield with deadly efficiency.

The House of Helios has a number of special war'

rior types. There are two, however, that the army will

always fteld, they are the Keepers of the Flame and the

SORCERYThe Lotus-Eaters always support the Elven army inbattle. Long ago the Elves discovered the power of the

Lotus Flowers. They found that if they consumed

particular varieties it enhanced their perception and

gave them special abilities particular to the type. of

plant. Soon the Order of the Lotus-Eaters was created

with different branches studying specific strains. Mer

decades of investigation the most effective of these were

found to be the blue, red, black and silver types of flower.

Soon the order was broken down into four specific



schools. The Lotus Flower is very susceptible to

climatic changes and thus certain strains flourished

better incertain areas of the world. The Silver L0-

tus prefers the cooler climate afforded by the high-

er south facing peaks of the North. The Blue Lotus

Flowers grow best on the slopes and flat v a l l e y s

that have the prevailing westerly winds. The Re d

Lotus flourishes inthe warm sheltered valleys of

the South whereas the Black grows best inshaded

subterranean areas. A s a result the Elf Houses gen-

erally specialized inthe magic relating to the Lotus

Flower that grow best intheir particular area.

The House of the Crystal Lotus base most of

their magic on the silver and blue plants. Their L 0 -

tus-Eaters can summon the mysterious Ice War-

riors onto the field of battle who bear cold

weapons that were forged at the dawn of time.

They can also use their powers inother ways - to

create ice walls, f r e e z e their enemies and create fe-

rocious ice storms and b l i z z a r d s , With their blue

plants, they can control the very air and summon

the Ethereal Dragon, a nebulous beast from the

Elemental Planes that protects the summoner

from harm. Lesser spells allow them to conjure

tempests in the enemy's ranks and move. entire.

warbands of troops on the backs of sky chariots.

The House of Helios favor the red Lotus

which allows them to summon the deadly Daugh-

ters of the Phoenix. These ferocious females are

said to be the spirits of slain female warriors re-

turned to the world to fight alongside their kin, a l -

though any resemblance to Elves is exceptionally

difficult to see. With the red Lotus, the Lotus-

Eaters can hurl fireballs at the enemy or surrounda whole unit ina d e a d l y circle of flame. Some can

even summon fire demons or create lava pits.

The Obsidian Serpent utili~ Black Lotus in

their spells and in battle use their powers to create

the colossal Adamantite Golems from the ground

or the Crushers, a half-beast that springs f rom. the earth

and hurls huge boulders at the enemy. Their powers can

also be used to open vast chasms inthe ground and cre-

ate stone shields from the earth.



TN '! DWARVES"My w a s K i l l e d h y t r f Q d i c r u . T F i t d a r K m a l e v o l e n t t r t a c F i t r u o f tF u D e v o u t a n d t li l F i rs th o r n Iil s a i l e d . K a l i l i n e a g n w a s a f i a o -

n o t o n l y t o t I t o se o f t I t t D a rK T h S K S h u t t o a ll t(tt. D w a r v e s . H e w a s t n t f i r s t o f t l i t K a p a s . T o m a J % t l i t s a v i o r o f o u r p r o p ! t . H e g a v e u s

b a C K o u r G o d s i n t l i t s l i a p e o f tfit B lo o d T o t e m s l i n d fu g a v e u s 1 I. w a y t o K L l l o u r m an y e n a n i t s . A n d a f a l l t n o s e t n l m f t s , tt I s t It t D t 'I Io u t

w l i o r w i l l S U K o ut a n d p i l l t o t n e h la d e . I w t ! l c u t t I ta n d o w n w i l l i m y s w a r d , h u n t t f i l m a n d c r u d f l j t n a n . Tl i l D e v o u l a r t s r r v a n t s o f

/ f i e . D a r K O n e a n d o n e d a U I w i l l s p it i n t n e D a rR O n t' s e y e a s d t a t l i c o m e s t o c l a i m m t I w i l l t a K l a g r M t m a n u w i t n m e t o t f i e B r a v e .T l i i s Iw e a r . "

. G RA YG O N C A G N1 FIRST SO N O F K A H U N A ND TH IRD K E EPER O F TH E D t\RK TU SK S .

MAIADOR'TH"EBURN 'HC ; C ;ATES

While Kahlin Cagn is the most important hero of

Dwarven times, the Wolf Clan Overlord Malador

comes a close second. In the early d a y s of the onslaught

of the Devout, the forces of lokoth were pushing north

towards the Wolf Clan. Many died in battle as the de-

monic legions advanced. Sharing rule of the keep with

the leader of the mack Sept, Rathgol, Malador 'WaS not

renowned for his skills in combat but his keen mind and

wisdom made him perfect to watch over the affairs of

state for the Hold. As Rathgol moved a vast anny to facethe Devout forces, Malador was racked by visions of the

Hold burning and Blackbloods running amok over the

corpses of his kin. He even started to bond with the

mood Totems in the cavernous depths of t h e : Hold and

sensed d a n g e r : . T ak in g a T o tem and small force, he scout-

ed to the edge of Blackblood territory, within easy reach

of the Hold, and was horrified to see a huge Blackblood

force marching on their home. With no time to g e t rein-

forcements from the city or for his fellow Overlord to

reach him, Malador and his small scouting troop waited

for the Blackblood anny at a pass between two turbu-

lent volcanoes, known as the Burning Gates. A young

Dwarf 'WaS sent back to warn Rathgol of the danger but

there was no hope for Malador. When the Blackbloods

tried tomove through the pass they were confronted by

the Dwarves. It was there that Malador held the Black,

b l o o d army at bay for three d a y s and nights. O n l y allow-

ing death to claim him when a rider arrived to tell him

that his f e l l ow Overlord had arrived back at Erith- Dur

and the Hold was safe.



HISTORY AND t1!C;~MDSIt is said that before the dawn of the Firstborn, before

even the Elves walked the world, the Dwarven Gods

carved their children from the toughest stone and metals

they could find. With their Founders teaching them to

survive, the Dwarves carved their huge Ringholds

across the land, the Gods themselves helping, each Ring,

hold reflecting a secret map of the universe, maybe even

a key to reality itself. As the Dwarves spread out across

the land, new Ringholds appeared. Dwarves from thedifferent Clans would travel inpeace for months to visit

their kinsmen indistant lands, to trade, share stories

and marry. It was a time of wonder and advancement. It

was the last time the Dwarves ever knew peace. The

other races were still young and carving out their own

lands. The Dwarves were the masters. Their Gods pro-

tecting and aiding them whenever required. But as the

new races expanded, the Dwarven world shrank. The

Clans became increasingly distant from each other and

started to develop their own ways and their own histo-

ries. Some even turned to the Dark One. Slowly, inex-

orably, the other races became as strong as the Dwarves- if not stronger. The Jackal Clan started to seek a new

empire and dominate their kin, wan; were fought b e -

tween the Clans ' and all usually involved the J a c k a l in

some dark way. Only the rise of the Pirstborn prevented

a civil war from tearing the Ringholds apart. Joining the

Triad, they conquered the Firstborn and found them-

selves with new land and, if they wanted, new slaves.

S l a v e r y was abhorrent to most Dwarves but the Jackal

and Vulture Clan chained thousands of Firstborn, using

many as fighters inthe newly growing arenas. As the

new a g e progressed, the Dwarven Gods grew old and

weak. Their day was passing. Then came the Wilding.Following their defeat, the Jackal Clan turned fully to

the Dark One and sought ways of destroying their kin.

The result was the Wilding ..Dark, primal energy was

unleashed throughout all the Ringholds, threatening all

Dwarves. Only a final defiant act by their Gods saved

them as they shielded their offspring from the brunt of

the sorcerous energy and t o o k it into their own h a g g a r d

and time-weary frames. The result was madness and



devastation as the energytwisted the Gods, re-forging

them into berserk and crazed monstrosities ; Dark and

bitter jokes of their former selves. For years they ran

wild in the Ringholds, the Dwarves were. forced to fight

them to survive. Untold numbers of warriors met their

deaths under the onslaught. A n onslaught that was only

stopped when the greatest hero of all time, Kahlin Cagn,

found a way of taming the berserk beasts and communi-

eating with them on a basic, animalistic level. Intime, he

became the first of the Keepers and a whole new era of

Dwarven life began. The Keepers spread throughout theHolds, the Blood Totems, as the crazed and twisted Gods

soon became known, now protected their kin in new

ways • as berserk killing machines on the: fidel of battle.

In time, the Keepers began to r e a l i z e their continual can;

tact with the Blood Totems had affected them. Over the

years, they developed additional povvers and became able

to t a lk to other beasts. Some found ways to twist their

own bodies and become like the beasts they watched

over while others could turn a beast to their way, using

them to inflict terrible casualties on Dwarven enemies.

TWE ClAMSWhile there are many Clans scattered across the land, a

few have become the true rulers of the Dwarven realms.

They are the Dark Tusks, Blood Bone, Horned Ones,

Vultures and Wolf. Others have been destroyed over the

centuries, most notably the vile Jackal Clan and the no-

ble Dragon Clan. Some say members of the Jackal Clan

still live, a s part of the twisted Devout. Each Clan is

unique and becoming increasingly different in their

ways to their fellow Dwarves, some more than others.

The Vulture Clan, with their Holds in the Southern

Lands, are known to sell their swords to the highest bid,

der and are rumored to have fought alongside the De-

vout. Indeed some say they are nearly as bad as the

thrice damned Jackal Clan. Incomplete contrast are the

Dark Tusks. Led now by the four proud sons of Kah l i nCagn, they are perhaps the closest to the classical

Dwarves of their own legends. They still try to uphold

strength and nobility as cornerstones of their domain;

something that is becoming increasingly hard to do in

these treacherous times. The Wolf Clan is in many ways

two Clans in one, with "Blackand Grey watching over

their Ringholds together. The mack Wolves tend to fa,

vor war and the military while the Greys watch over

the beasts and the administration of the Holds. The

Horned Ones were dose to the Dragon Clan and many

have still to recover from memories of the brutal mas'

sacre when the Elven Duke Valimyr treacherously de'

strayed an entire Clan to further his own ends. Violent

inbattle, they tend to b e extremely pessimistic, even byDwarven standards and have a strong dislike of all the

other races, especially Elves. The mood Bone adapted

best to the new order and have had several glorious vic-

tories over other races. They have formed alliances with

many of the other Holds and even fought alongside

E l v e s , particularly those of Helios, against the Devout.

Their power is increasing on the Dwarven High Coun-

cil, just as that of the other Holds is lessening.

Inthe Golden Age of Dwarven society, their Gods

and Overlords would meet at a chosen Ringhold and cele-

brate their lives and victories as well as plan any cam'

paigns for the forthcoming seasons. The High council ofthe Dwarves usually meets every season to discuss affairs

of state. Since the Wilding, the Council is almost perma-

nently in cession. The Dark Tusks usually preside over

these meetings, as they are still the most powerful of all

the Clans. The Sons of Kahlin Cagn argued and persuaded

for a united front against the new onslaught, which first

led to the Clans unifying to destroy the J a c k a l C l a n . TheBlood Bones alsohave an increasing presence in the court,

backing the Dark Tusks and argu ing for increased cooper-

ation with the other races against the Devout. The

Wolves appear undecided, as they have a deep distrust of

Blackbloods though they support the other Clans intheirconflicts. The Horned Ones seem resigned to their

doomed fate as their lands fa l l under the ever-increasing

shadow of the Dark lord. whereas the Vultures atten-

dance is i r regular, non-committal and langu id, further fu -

elling suspicion that they are inleague with the Devout.



TIrE arNC;HOtDSCarved by their Gods centuries before recorded history,

the Ringholds are mysterious and magnificent places con-

c e a l i n g a thousand secrets. According to Dwarven l e g e n d .

the circular structure of the Holds is said to reflect the

very shape of the universe and al lows energy and g o o d . for-

tune to fill the Hold and a ll i n s i d e . A ll the Dwarven R ing -

holds are situated on the mountainous black granite

plateaus. A huge circular trench is buried miles down into

the rock. 'The central p i l l a r is fashioned and carved into theimages of the Gods of Old

and is occupied by the more

important members of the

hold, the Overlord and his

court, generals and guard le-

gions. Deep within the

trench are the factories and

foundries o f the Ringhold's

war-machine. Around the

outer wall of the trench are

located the great loading

d o c k s for the huge militaryand ca rgo bal loons, the bar-

racks and most o f the popu-

lation of the hold. Bridges

and steam-powered winch

cabins link the central p i l l a r

with the outer wall. A hold

is usually constructed in ar-

eas to utilize the natural

rivers on the plateaus todri-

ve the turbines, w-hich pro-

vide energy for the forges

deep within the hold. Thevarious levels of the hold

are connected by a series o f

lifts facilitated by la rge

shafts, which penetrate the

city to its central core.

The Dwarves have

contrived technologies for-

eign to the rest of the

world. They have discovered vast deeper loads of new

ores, minerals and gems. These they have mastered in

their cavernous workshops and put to use with great ef-

fect in their factories.

Many of the Dwarven holds are located near the sea

and are connected by subterranean tunnels to under-

ground harbors situated at the central core. These har-

bors are vast, often protected by maze-like waterways,

which house the great shipyards.

Ringholds are characterized on the surface by a thin

tower,



built a b o v e the central pillar, surrounded by

a simple c i rcu lar wall with gateways built at

regular intervals around its circumference.

The few outsiders to set foot in the

Holds have all been stunned by the craft and

style involved, Most assume that Ringholds

would reflect Dwarven appearance and be

stern and dark places, like the fiercest of

storms had been turned into a home. Some,

it is true, have darkened, notably the homes

of the Vulture Clan and the Homed Ones,who have lost many of their Ringholds to

the advance of the Devout. Many are still

palatial and splendid. Made for their Gods to

inhabit as w e n as the Dwarves, vast arch-

ways with carved histories of Dwarven

mythology are. everywhere. The long, torch

lit corridors curve and lead into the very

depths of the Earth i t s e l f , where the CaFiare kept. The Caged are the Blood Totems,

the old Gods of the Dwarves who are now

chained in the deepest pits of the P . i n g h o l d s ,

their every whim catered for by the fear-some Keepers who, to many Dwarves , ap-

pear more beast than Dwarf. It is said that a

Firstborn can die of old ag e before exploring

every part of a Ringhold. The greatest and

oldest of a ll the Ringholds was that of the

Dragon Clan, at B a a l H az o r • now part of

the home of the EIven Duke Valimyr. S o m e

of the Dragon Clan are reported to still be

alive in its labyrinthine corridors and, while

most have sworn allegiance to their new

masters, rumors persist of a small group still

fighting, having m a d e ~r home in the deep-est and most dangerous parts of the Hold.

No Dwarf has forgotten or forgiven Duke

Valimyr for his treachery and most will d ie with the ha -

tred of E l v e s still burning in their hearts. I<arath Dul,

birthplace of I<ahl in C a g n , is now the main Ringhold of

the Dwarven realms and contains many books and an-

cient texts that hide secrets only members of the Dark

Thsks have access to. Unlike the other Holds a vast

fortreee protects Karath Dul. The city has never been

conquered no matter how many attempted invasions

have been made. Many say that ifthe city ever does fa l l ,

the f i n a l days of the Dwarven race will not be fa r behind.



TWE K1!1!VERS, BlOOD TOTEMS

While sorcery as such, does not playa role in Dwarven

society, the Keepers and the Blood Totems they watch

over arevital to their continued survival. Encased inthe

toughest armor, the Keepers themselves tend to be the

hardiest of Dwarves. Indeed, they have to be more than

tough to cater for the savage whims of the beasts they

keep chained inthe pits of the Holds. If they were not

strong, they would find themselves being eaten alive, orat the very least torn limb from limb. A s it is, manyKeepers are regarded as being more beast than Dwarf.

Trained from birth to watch over the Caged, they speak

a primitive guttural tongue to the 'BloodTotems and oth-

er animals. Some can even transform themselves into

beasts when the need arises. How they have gained

such strange powers is not known. One rumor suggests

that inkeeping the beasts, the various cuts and bites in-

flicted on them allows some of the transformed beast's

blood to seep into the Keeper. This supposedly allows

them to see the world through the eyes of a beast for at

least a short while.Ifthe Keepers are considered to bewild and untamed,

there are no words capable of describing the Blood

Totems they watch over. The Blood Totems are more

than beasts but less than Gods, towering not only above

the Dwarves but over a ll the other races of Chrnnopia.

Each mood Totem is specific to the Clan they come from

and their attributes and fonn reflect this.

TH1: MILITARYDwarves are regarded as the most tenacious fighters in

the world.

The main body of the Dwarven land army is its heav-ily armored and disciplined infantry. These are organized

into legions and they are well equipped and armored -

generally in full plate. Most Dwarfs prefer to wear full-

face helms that are fashioned in the image of their bestial

Blood Totems - these vary inconstruction, complexity

and intricacy, depending on their rank and standing in

their society. Some are even forged from the special "blue

steel~ - a relatively new alloy that has been developed

from ores discovered deep within the Hold's mines.

Some, however, prefer to go into battle bare headed but

decorate their faces in war paint depicting their Clan's

symbol.

Although a ll Dwarfs appear to be similar each of the

Clans ha s their own particular natural attributes and f a -

vored weapons. The Vultures are well known for their

accuracy with their deadly crossbows, but also l i k e towield their heavy war mallets inclose combat. The

Wolves are regarded as the fastest of all Dwarves. They

prefer the lighter single-handed crossbow combined with

their long hafted war axes. The Dark Tusks are noted for

the cunning and guile and swing heavy pick axes and

morning stars in hand-to-hand combat. The Blood Bones

are certainly the strongest of their race.They like to close

with their enemy and cut bloody arcs with. their i n f a ·

mous clawed gauntlets, the bravest of these warriors are

entered into the Maulers -warbands specializinginhand-

to-hand combat with these gauntlets strapped to each

hand. Finally the Homed Ones are notorious for theirbattle charge. They combine their beast-like charge with

their deadly clawed halberds and double-headed ax"?" an

onslaught that few foes can resist,

Standard bearers are an honorary position in the

Dwarven legions and these warriors will gladly sacrifice

their lives inorder to protect the standard - the loss of a

standard comes as a great blow to even battle-hardened

Dwarfs.

While all the Clans are fighting separate campaigns,

the interconnection of many families means that most

Clans would go to another's aid without a moment's

hesitation and as a result it is very common to findDwarves from different Clans fighting on the same bat-

tlefield. Only the Vultures would pause to think of gold,

or some other form. of payment before deciding their

course of action.



TWE BIACKBtOODS"T m B l o o d T l ir o n l. My o w n a nu s f o r a v a tg t d tflt: d a l t l i o f h is w a rr i o rs t o w i n i t . A t t im ! : s , i t s a m s w li o , v a s i t s o n it i s d ts t i n ,d t o

s p a r d t f t d r l i V lS i n c o n f l i c t, w W i t f r t b lo o d o f t f t d r ~ iH d r i p p i n g f r o m t li ti r f ia n d s . I i U n o t h t. t I i t : l a s t E m p a o r . N o m a t l t : r w n a l t I i t :

v is io n s s a y . T I i t : D r o o u t w t l l n o t d e s t r o y m t : - o r m y p e o p k Wt a r t B l iU k b l o o d s . F o u r r a u s i n O n t o W r. w i l l n o t o n ly s t a n d f i r m a g a i n st

t f t e D r o ou t , a n d t f r t o t f t u s c u m o f t f i t w o r l d w h o S U K u s n a r m , W t w tl l r 'P 'Y i n H n d . W l w i U g o f o r t f t a n d c O ll q U t r , s u b j u g a te t l i o s e w f i o

o p p o s e u s a n d itll t ft o s t: w f io r t{ u s t t o b o w . W t: a r t : B l a& 6 l o o d s . D r . a tf t a w a i t s u s a ll b u t Wt w i l l g ra t it w i t f t s l i a r p s w o r d s a n d f i a lr t s

f i l l t d w i t h r l l 8 t1 "

- F RO M TH E W IS D OM O F N IZA R B lD OD BO UN D .

SOCIITYThe four races o f the Blackbloods- Ogres, Orcs, Goblins

and T r o l l s - have been united under the iron hand of

the O g r e Emperors for over five hundred years. Nizar

Bloodhound rules over the lands of the East, aided by

his Grand Vi~ier Bukhir, who commands the vast

armies of the Emperor, and five provinciali Satraps'

Kirgh, Abakhar, Tarimek, K a z h i r and A z am , who ad-

ministrate and control the provinces of his mighty

Empire.

Since the overthrow of the O re Emperors, Ogres

have held all the important positions in the Blackblood

society and m a k e up most of the Blackblood nobility.

From the legendary Blood Throne deep in I<harabad,

the Empire's capital, Nizar Bloodhound watches

aver his l a n d s .

B1ackbloodsociety is not only fiercely indepen-

dent but also extremely sophisticated and refined,

with its own etiquette and protocols with the royal

court at its center.

Ogres live long l i v e s in excess of a hundred years

and are extremely hardy and powerful. They stand a

full head above their smaller Ore cousins however

there are fewer o f them.

Ores form the main bulk of the Blackblood society.

It is not unusuali for an O re to live to eighty years.

They are well built and muscular and h a v e an intelli-

gence that is cruel and calculating. It ha s been said thatthey could threaten the ruling elite, if their peoples

were not so divided by birth and involved in a complex

struggle for favor in the royal court. There is a small

Ore nobility that holds a number a key positions in the

Empire but the majority fulfil most of the lowlier and



mundane functions inthe society. There is however the

order of the Burning Star which is unique to the Orcs.

These Orcs are particularly well versed inthe arts of

alchemy, medicine and astronomy, something the ruling

Ogre elite frown upon as they consider this a distraction

from martial practices. However, many an Ogre life has

been saved by the application of salves or the consump-

tion of healing potions and medicines procured by the

Orcs of the Burning Star.

Goblins are small compared to Orcs and Ogres and.

live a mere 40 years. Their short wiry stature belies

their strength. They are the most prolific race of the

Blackbloods but are considered. inferior and. are treated

no better than slaves by their cousins. As a result they

tend to form up into smaller independent colonies on

the fringes of the southeastern part of the Empire, in

the. high mountainous passes, and the northeastern

marshlands and forests, away from the main concentra-

tions of Blackblood society. However; the larger cities in

the West attract the younger more eager members of

their race. They are usually seen fighting inthe ranks of

the Emperor's army.

The. Trolls are. one of the. strangest of all the races to

b e found on Chronopia. They live alone or in small no'

madie tribal groups across the Dreadlands to the North

and East of the Empire, Huge four armed beasts tower-

ing over the largest Ogres, they are peaceful enough crea-

tures until the bloodlust takes them. With the scent of

battle in their hearts they become raging maelstroms of

death and destruction.

HISTORYBlackblood society ha s not always been united. In the

early days, before recorded history, the four races lived

apart and spent much of their time warring on each oth-

er. The Orcs, outnumbering all the other races, enjoyed a

successful period of conquest' even conquering the

Ogres and creating the first Blackblood dynasty. The first

empire prospered but was filled with internal conflicts.

Several civi] wars and an attempted coup eventually led

to bloody revolution sparked by the massacre of an Ogre

war-party led by the legendary Kharime Throarcutter,

The Ore Emperor of the time sent Kharime's force into a

futile and ultimately disastrous action against a vastly

superior rebel On: army. Kharime, incensed at the Em-

peror's incompetence, took the remnants of his army,

'Who became known as the Death Seekers, marched on

the royal palace and hacked the Ore Emperor and all



with him. into a thousand pieces before feeding them to

the Court's Ripper Bea s t s . The assault signified an end

to Ore domination of B1ackblood life and the crowning

of the first O g r e Emperor' I<harime Throatcut-

ter. Shortly a f t e r gaining control o f the Empire,

I < h a r i m e walked alone into the D r e a d l a n d s and

returned with promises from the Trolls, that

they too, would join the new empire. How he

p e r s u a d e d them to a g r e e ha s never been revealed

but some sources suggest he slew a TroD champi-

on in lingle combat. H o w e v e r he accomplished

the victory, their addition to the Blackbloods

made the new empire complete - and one of the

strongest ine x i s t e n c e . .Some of the most famous Blackblood h e r o e s

h av e a l s o b ee n the most violent. Z a b a k a I<inslay'

er k:i11ed his own brother to gain the Blood

Throne, while the present Emperor, Nizar

Bloodhound ha s been recently forced to execute

a n u m be r of O re o f f i c e r s who were found to b e

attempting to return the Blackbloods to the d a y s

o f an On : : Emperor.

In recent years the Blackbloods have

steadily loet the lands they gained, during

the d a y s o f the T r i a d , to the One King. They have

also b e e n hard hit by the rise of the Devout, los,ing vast tracts of their Empire in the north, with

mOlt o f the D r e a d l a n d a now belonging to Ne-

gral. Malika P a s s was the f i n a l and ultimately fu-

t i le effort by Blackbloods to protect their north-

ern land from Devout invasion. The Emperor's

own brother, Burbaal, was sent to defend the

important pass with a company of the Empire's

best. The fighting was reported to be ferocious.

Wave. after wave of Risen and Tormented at-

taclwl the defenders. A s the pass f e l l , not one

Blackblood was left a l ive . . Burbaal and all those

with h im died in ba t t l e , only to h a v e a Necro-mancer perform his b1ack art on their corpses

and bring them back to life as the unholy Risen.

The s k e l e t a l form of the Emperor's brother ha s

b e e n lead ing Risen into ba t t l e a D across the new north-

ern frontier and Nif.ar realizes that the day will come

when he must f a c e his kin in battle.



crTr.sThe Blackblood Empire prides itself in having some of

the proudest and oldest cities in the world. Although the

outlying areas of the cities are flat and sprawling, consist-ing of mainly single and double story clay brick buildings,

the central parts are walled behind huge, square, fortress

like structures. These fortresses are extremely wide and

contain the barracks for the cities' army as well as their

training yards, quarters for the military officers, stables

for their war beasts and a roadway broad enough to ac-

commodate a chariot passing in either direction. Vast

crenellated towers are evenly positioned along the walls

and contain various types of catapults and armaments.

Larger, more rectangular towers, inset with gates, are po-

sitioned on each face of the fortress. The inner walls are

carved and decorated with freezes of heroes and great mi l -

itary leaders who have died in battle as well as scenes andfantastical creatures from their mythology. Beyond the

gates is the heart of the city. These parts are dominated

by vast diaphanous domed buildings. with spires and

minarets of alabaster and onyx. Here are the homes and

dwellings of the elite in Blackblood society as well as the

Halls of Justice, the Great Libraries and the Royal mer-

chant houses. There are large p l a z a s covered inmosaics

and fountains and huge open markets, where one can



1:ROI.1

find goods from a ll over the world and immense tropical

gardens complete with fauna. Each of the provincial cap-

itals has a small palace for the Emperor as well as a Court

and quarters for the Satrap and his retinue.

The Grand V~er Bukhir has his quarters in the J a d eGates of the fortress wall at I<ha . r abac l . These immense.

j a d e - f a c e d gates are topped by two golden lions and IIp'

pear to stretch to the very heavens themselves. Khara -

bad isalso the capital of the Empire and home to the Em-

peror: His colossal golden domed. palace issituated at the

center of the city. Its opulence is renowned throughout

the world and marveled at by all those who visit. Nizar

presides over his court sitting in the legendary B l o o d .

Throne, an intricately carved throne made entirely of

a m b e r :

The coastal trading ports along the western seaboard



are vital to the Empire's continued prosperity since it

provides them with an important gateway to the In-

ner Sea. The most famous of these are Bezek and

Azaghur.

The c i t ad e l at B e z e k is situated ona vast granite stack

connected to the coastline via an enormous stone b r i dg e .

The land connecting it to the coast fell away nearly a

thousand ye ars a go . The harbor and most of the city is

spread around th e b a s e o f this natural p i I 1 a I : The city is

surrounded by a law w a l l but has large.load.ingjetties and

wharves jutting out into the sea. A twisting road withr egu l a r l y positioned g a t e s spirals around th e pillar up to

th e citadel and the inner city. Be z e k itself is th e s e c o n d

city of the Empire and has produced some of its proudest

warriors from its f a m o u s military s c h o o l . The present

Emperor himsel f was trained there and many still t a lk

with pride that their city has n e v e r fa l l en to invaders.

Azaghur is sited on the banks of the river Ortyx.

The inner city is probably the largest in the Empire

and its market place is famous throughout the known

world. Because of its exposed position the outer walls

of ~hur are constructed similarly to the inner

fortress walls of most of the other cities in the Black-blood Empire. Other important cities are A r a x u s set in

the central plateaus, the lakeside city of Japur and the

Goblin city ofTera.kan - whose fortified approach road

is built along the knife-edge ridge of a mountain range

with the city itself cut out of the living rock. Howev-

er with the coming of the Devout the Blackbloods

have lost severa l cities, including the ancient city of

Varhom in the forests of (8tuk:. But it is Kharabad all

roads l e a d to and Kharabad provides the heart of the

B1ackblood Empire.

MiliTARYThe Emperor boasts the greatest, certainly the largest,

land army of the races of the known world.

He has the core of his army stationed at Kharabad.

Similarly the provincial Satraps have armies based in

their capitals. In times of war the Emperor levies forces

from these provinces. His army is further augmented

with conscripts from the smaller towns throughout the

Empire.

All Blackbloods like to wear richly colored and intri-

cately embroidered costumes. The varying colors in their

dress often reflect the different provinces the troops

come from. Likewise their bright silvered armor is elab-

orately embellished with gold and other precious metals.

The Blackbloods believe that ifthey are going to die they

should be wearing their finest apparel before presenting

themselves before their Gods.



Orcs fonn the backbone of the Emperor's army. They

form the l a r g e s t section of the 'army, having countless divi-

sions created just from their race. Om; are taught to fight

from birth, "With some Ore families making their young kill

a slave prisoner just so they can b e blooded; their cruel lust

for violence is notorious. The foot soldiers are broken

down into three distinct groups - swordsmen, archers and

assa:ult warriors. The swordsmen are dressed in bright,

richly embroidered clothing, over which are fastened an

iron chest piece and a.circular plate with the unit's emblem

carved in relief. Twin layered iron shoulder guards com-

plete the armor for the upper torso. Underneath their

robes the Orcs wear a r i n gm a i l skirt and iron shod b o o t s .

Plate armor is sometimes wom on the right forearm and

on the back of the hand. They are armed with a falchion

and carry a medium sized spiked shield. The helmets vary

slightly indesign depending on where the troops are levied

from, but generally it is conical with a central spike, with

r i ngma . i l or plates protecting the neck. Higher-ranking sol-

diers wear more elaborate designs. Some warriors who

have distinguished themselves in battle are presented with

a two-handed falchion as a mark of honor. These are

sheathed in l a rge scabbards across their backs. The archers

are armored similarly but tend to forego the upper torso ar-

mor a s it restricts their £iring ability. They a re a rm e d with

composite bows and maces. The most r e n o w n e d archers

come from the southern city of Japur.

Finally come the assault warriors. These are the

shock troops and as a result are more heavily armored

than the Swordsmen, having an extra layer to their

shoulder pads and an. additional half length plate skirt

over their robes. They are armed with a particularly vi-

cious broad bladed spear, a composite bow and a medium

sized spiked shield. The assault warriors of Bezek and

Azaghur are respected ina ll the lands of Chronopia.

The Ore cavalry is usually supplied by the Orc nobili-

ty or by wealthy merchants looking for favor with the

Emperor. Riding the long legged Kutaras, distant relatives

of the Ripper Beasts, Ore archers and lancers are consid-

ered to be the elite of the Orc fighting machine. The best

Kutaras come from Kharabad where the Emperor per'

sonally oversees the now famous breeding stables.

Large tusked Myrmadons, carrying a variety of

miniature towers or bearing Orc warriors armed with

pikes and bows, act as the B l a c k b l o o d heavy cavalry. The

Myrmadons are painted in bright colors before a battle

and are fed with a special preparation of crushed berries

that turn the usually placid beasts into rampaging mon-

sters. It is not unknown for the mahout to lose com-

plete control during a battle and the beast to go berserk

killing friend and foe a l i k e ,

A s in Blackblood society, the Goblin's receive by fa r the

worst treatment in th e army. They are often u s e d inthe

f i r s t wave of attack or used as missile screens to protect oth-

er troops. Goblins are usually armed as spearmen or

archers. However there are specialists troops that come

from the more independent Goblin cities. Probably the

most famous of these are the Swordmaste.rs of Q):tuk.

These warriors fight with a unique broad-ended machete

l ike sword ca l l ed a Kalkarna, in each hand. What is not

widely known is that Ka lkama is R . Goblin tenn for O r e -

k i l l e r ; the Goblins of the Qatuk forest region not be i ng on

the b e s t of terms w i t h their other B l a c k b l o o d kin. Other

Goblins of note are the Ripper B e a s t riders from around

T e r a k a n in the Southern peaks. The Ripper Beast is aweird

and deadly c r e a t u r e that only e ve r a llo w s Goblins f r om the

Southern peaks to r i d e them. A s well as their ferocious

teeth Ripper Beasts have a solid bonehead and. can charge

straight into an enemy's ranks at amaz ing speeds, inflicting

great d a m a g e . There are two basic types of Ripper B e a s t r i d -

ers - lancers and archers. The Lancers act as shock troops,

crashing into the enemy lines and impaling them on their

spears, whereas the archers charge forward and then swift-

ly retreat discharging a deadly volley of arrows at their foes.

Goblin heroes and c h i e f s from the city of ' I e r ak an ride into

battle ina chariot pulled by several Ripper Beasts, the

wheels of the chariot graced with the razor-sharp horns of

dead b e a s t s . The Goblins of Japur have been known to

charge into the hear t of battle hanging onto a berserk Myr-

madon beast. One of their number tries to control the

beast's direction while the others hang from its long hair or

stand on its back, 'W a i t i n g to leap into the battle below.

Ogres form the elite units of the army. They are heav-

ily armored in plate and scale and are armed similar to

Ore Swordsmen. Ogres have been known to ride white

Myrmadon bulls into battle to demonstrate their courage

and prowess. Ogres, however, also fonn g u a r d units for

generals and other commanders. These soldiers a re dis,



tinct in that they wear no robes inba t t l e but

instead enter with their torsos b a r e d . They are

a n n e d with a l a r g e two-handed &1 c : h i o n and

wear plumed spiked. helmets of various d e e i g n e

depending upon what dignitary they serve.

The Grand VIZier Bukhir's g u a r c I e h a v e vermil-

io n plumes and gold and silver f a ce ma i l . Guard

units are considered to be the highest statue a

warrior can a c h i e v e .The most famous guard units in the Black,

blood Empire are the D e a t h e e e k e n . They are

the personal guard of the Emperor h im s e l f .

They are chosen for their ma r t i a l ek i l l and bat-

tle pl"OVVeSSrom a D over the Empn. There are

always ten thousand of them, casualties being

replaced on a r e gu l a r basis. A n warriors in the

forces of the Emperor strive to become Death-

s ee ke rs ' it is the ultimate symbol of honor.

The last race to enter the Blackblood Ern-

pire, there can b e little doubt that the TroDs are

by fa r the most d e a d l y . For the most part they

l i v e nomadic l ives in the D re ad la nd s a nd in

the East, on the fringes of the great

d e s e r t s , but recent incursions by the De-

vout have forced them increasingly into

mainstream Blackblood society. Trons favor

large scythed gauntlets, falchions, fist spikes

and iron throwing nets and use them in a vari·

ety of combinations. They wear l a r g e ornate

iron shoulder pads strapped to a central disc

plate carved with the emblem of their unit.

Some Trolle h a v e . had the honor of serving in

the Emperor's Deathseeken.

The Emperor and hie nobility often enterbattle atop a large annored palanquin set be -

tween four Mynnadons. However it is not

unknown for them to enter the fray in lese

formal way s , as NWu" and hie brother did in

their younger days, leading from the front

with the bloodlust filling them. There is a say.

ing in Blackblood society, "When an Ogre

picks up a blade, people die. When the Em'

peror picks up a blade, nations f i l l . "



TWEDWOUT-eor,StS p l l a l l i l B n u t fuUI t f t t f l i t c o u ld 5U . T l i t d a n k f u l o f b l o o d f l o w in g b y m y f u t · t I i t s w r t o f d ta t f t l i t a v y i n t l i t a ir . Tlit m t i r l

c i t a d d w a s a m a u s o l e u m t o d t a t f t a n d p q wc r - s o m a n u C O rp S l S - y o u n g , o l d , m a n a n d w o m a n . N o t a ll w m t w i l l i n g l y . As I a l£ li t d a

y o u n g m a n o f d g l i tW l w tn t m w a s d r a B B l d i n t o t l i t d i a m b u 6 y t l i t k n i g ft t s a n d t l i r o w n b r u ta l l y t o tIit g r o u n d . H e trild t o f i u , f a ll t n g b y

t I i t s l B l i t o f a c o rp u - s o m lO n l s a id t t w a s / i i s d t a d m o t l i t r - 6 u t b y t f t m o f c o u r u it w a s t o o l a tl • f a r t o o ! a u . A n d a s l i i s b lo o d d r i p p l d t o

t I it g r O W f d , t I it t l a r k n l s s t f t a t h a d b W l s u a d tl H g ro w i 1 f8 U n a tfll f i r s t s a c r i { i w S lV O I d a y s h tf o re 6 u a m e a r l a l d a r k n l S S . It c o u ld 6 ,

t o u c h i d , U l sU d · c a T e s sl d . I a s s c a r l d . [ m u st a d m i t , 1 1 5 t f t l h l a c i n m s u m ld t o r i p r M I iC H a p a r t a n d I I h l o o d · r l d t w i l l g n t a p p ," r l d f r o m

a n o t n u r M l m . H is r M l m . T li t D u s t B l a l m . T m f l a T w ad a s t I i t m i s t l n v d o p , d ' m y l u n g s a n d I f d t m y ~ ls l i t r a n s f o rm i n g . ! . l a v i n g t f t l

t i r ld a n d w a i F i r s t b o r n s k in b d i i n d . T o b l h o r n a g a i n a s s o m et f t i n g o tl i t r , s o m l t l i i 1 f8 d a r i a • a t r u l D r u o u t . [ w a s n o t a lo n t.

As t I i t d t a d w a t c f i t d , t f t l r u lm o f tIit w o r l d w a e b o r n ."

"T H E O P E N IN G O F TH E G A T EW AY" FRO M TH E SC RO L L S O F T H E D EA D .

The Four Prophets were banished to the comers of the

earth. There, in their ever-twisting malice for the One

King, they made d i a b o l i c a l pacts with unearthly evil. The

deadliest threat ever to f a c e the beleaguered populace 'of

Chronopia, the Devout were originally Firstborn them-

selves but their worship of the Dark One has twisted

them beyond all imaginings. NOW'they are more like the

demons they fight alongside than their Firstborn beg in-

nings. Led by the Dark Prophets, they will only rest

when the whole world bows down to the Dark Lord and

the rivers and seas run red with the blood of their ene-

mies. The names of the Infernal four are nOW'the darkest

of curses for all that breathe. Negral- his beg inn ings as a

Firstborn rebel fleeing from the Vile Elven Court are a

long forgotten dream. The once divinely beautiful Aleha,

whose dUSkyskin was said to have driven men to untold

acts of heroism, is now corrupt beyond all Ken. Nemeth,

son of a slave girl, notorious for the butchery of his ha l f -

kin, bears little resemblance to his past. Finally comes

Lokoth, kinsmen to Kronos A 'K a l I a c h h i m s e 1 f , although

his ancient kin would spit in his face, if they saw the

twisted and deviant monstrosity he has become. These

Four Prophets plan the destruction of the whole world

from their dark sanctums and have created. and sum-

moned a host of demonic kin to aid them.

Intheir sinister palaces the Dark Prophets conducted

ritual sacrifices to their Lord. In return He granted them

incredible powers and with his aid they allied themselves

with the Keepers of the Seven Gates of Hell and drew

from their ranks legions of undead. Poring over forgotten



scripts from a lost age, they learned the secrets to the

undoing of creation. With this knowledge. they con-

structed the Great Horns of Summoning, made from

the fused skeletal remains of their victims. The

Prophets blew on the horns in accordance with the e l-

dritch rituals. The Demon L o r d s of the Dusk Re a lm s

heard their ca l l . The Great Vortexes were then created

at the citadels of the Four Dark Prophets, bridging the

world of Chronopia to that of the Dusk Realms. Vast

legions of demonic warriors and a plethora of pervert-

ed creatures crossed the planes and swelled the ranksof the Devout's followers.

In the West Nemeth's hordes have recently taken

Gargildur from the Clan of the Horned Ones and they

continue an incessant war of attrition against them.

To the North his forces battle with the Untamed and

the Firstborn. They have also taken the Firstborn city

of Cardiler and put its inhabitants to the sword in

honor of their Dark Lord.

Negral sent forth an armada from the Isle of the

Dead, across the Frozen Sea, to seize vast tracts of the

Dreadlands from the Blackbloods, crushing Nizar's

forces at Ma1 i k a pass and killing his brother Burbaal,

He destroyed the fragile alliance of the Firstborn,

Dwarfs and Elves at Versurvia raising the city to the

ground and killing all those who opposed him. His

land army marches further into the northern reaches

of the Firstborn Kingdom and his Black fleet has

sailed down the Great Gorge to raid the cities of the

Inner Sea.

Aleha's forces have marched from the steaming

jungles of Jebel and sacked the Elven merchant city of

Myrema. Her armies have clashed with the Dwarf l e -

gions of the Dark-Tusks and the Horned Ones. Sinis-

ter rumors are circulating that her emissaries have

been seen courting the Overlord of the Vultures and

that her dark forces are poised to invade the island

homeland of The Horned Ones.

Lokoth's armies battle against the Wolf clan

Dwarves in the high mountainous plateaus and v a l l e y s .

All along the Dwarven border fires burn in the after-

math of battles between the two forces but the armies of

the Darkness are inexorably pushing the Wolfs back,

deep into their own territories. However, the Blood-

Bones alliedwith the House of Helios are successfully

defending their eastern border but Lokoth's dark legions

still threaten the shores of the Ehlen lands. The Name-

less have set up a new citadel in Keraak Ket, on the ru-

ins of the old Jackal Ringhold, from which they assail

their sworn f o e s .

The Devout force an ever tightening noose around th e

lands of the Inner S e a and if the mortal races remain divid-

ed the balance seems finnly tipped inthe Dark Lord's



C'T'.SEach of the Prophets has a dark capital, which serves, as

a center of corruption in their domain. Raised at the end

of the Dead March, when each Prophet settled inone of

the far corners of the world and b e g a n to build their de-

viant power bases. Each is a grim reflection of its master

and a focus for the worship of the Dark One. Towering

citadels built of black marble, streaked with blood-red

iridescence, are situated at the mouths of each of the

Vortexes. The vast vitreous pillars pierce the sky inhomage to their Dark lord. These huge edifices of tow,

ering malevolence, with great walkways and colonnades

lined with statues depicting the Dark God and the .rest

of the Hell spawned pantheon, are to serve as the capi-

tals in the New World> a world of death and decay -

the world of the Devout.

Negral's was the first completed, it is said the pain'

filled groans of the dead echo constantly through its cor-

ridors and the souls of all sacrificed there go straight to



the Dark One. Built on the very island that the

Prophets first came together on to discuss plans of

treachery and rebellion against the One King, the city

is a grim and terrifying sight. The Frozen S e a around

the city is nowhere near as cold as the heart of the is-

land's dark master. Nightmare carrion birds circle the

spires looking for fresh prey. Here was born the first

of the Necromancers- born in the rotting corpse of

Negral's New Kingdom.

To the distant south of Negral's necropolis, in the

broken and cracked lands of the Flame, is the fiery

pit that is home to Lokoth. A dark tainted version of

his birthplace among the Untamed, Nemeth's Citadel

is constructed on the remains of a Dwarven Ring-

hold far in the West, the scent o f death f i l l s every

pore, as the never ending flow of sacrificial victims

are cast into the charnel pit of flesh that lies at the

heart of the keep.

Aleha's palace is set deep in the jungles of J e b e l .Around her fortress a ll living things have died l eav ing

a vast desolate plain of decayed matter.

Cities that have fallen to the Devout take on the ap-

pearance of the c ita de ls o f the Fo u r . Old buildings are

pulled down and new structures are raised in rever-

ence of the New God - the Lord of Darkness. The en-

slaved are mercilessly goaded on to build these d e m o n i c

shrines, black as the blackest night, only to be finally

cast into the sacri f ic ial pits for the greater glory of their

dark master. Impenetrable gloom casts a deadly shad-

ow over the Dark l.ord's cities and Iands only to be

broken by the cries and screams of the d e a d and dying.

M IlITARY AND MAC;ICIt is impossible to separate sorcery from the Devout'smi l i t a ry , for both are part of the same thing.

The most common element in the Devout forces are

the Followers. These Devout are mortal humans that

have joined the ranks of the undead legion, following in

the foot steps o f the people who fled Chronopia in the

mass exodus after the expulsion of the Prophets. Their

f u l l - f a c ed helms have the Dark Lord's symbol embossed

on them. They wear long flowing robes and carry

shields and powerful swords. They favor garments of red

and white embroidered with symbols of the Dark Lord.

They are f a n a t i c a l and truly "Devout", content in the

knowledge that af te r their death they will still serve in

the ranks of their master's army.

The Cuned b e g a n as living flesh before selling their

soul to the Darkness. These are followers who have

killed untold numbers of those who have opposed the

Prophets and as a result their malice has twisted them



and is slowly changing them physically into misshapen

monstrosities. The Cursed can be seen at the front of

any attack, wielding their mighty battle-axes, cutting

down the unbelievers before them.

The Dark Ones have chosen warriors from the ranks

of the Blood Knights, elite units of the Followers, to lead

their armies. Sent out as lieutenants of the forces of hell

they ride out of their vast black obelisks to do the Dark

Lords bidding. These poor wretches are known as the

Nameless - corrupt beyond all ken - tools used to fashion

the world intheir master's own image.

MARBIHG£R Of'

~M£ DARK : W IWG$

The Lords of the Seven Gates of Hell granted the

Necromancers, trusted advisors to the Dark Prophets,

special powers that allow them to reanimate the dead.

During battles, the Necromancers can be seen roaming

the battlefield with their ravenous carrion-beasts, that

consume the flesh of the dead, turning them into the

skeletons that their masters can reanimate. Some say even

the Necromancers were once human. Though it is hard. to

believe when their t a l l , wizened frames are seen beckon-

ing the dead to the kill.They wear homed skulls on their

heads and filthy garments. They are bent crooked and leanheavily on their staffs of pow-

e r , twisted lengths of backbone

fused together, imbibed with

hell-spawned power. The Dark

power has corrupted them and

sent them down a path of

death and d e c a y .

The reanimated dead are

called the Risen and these

skeletons form the backbone

of many of the Devout armies.

They take the form of most ofthe races on the earth, whet-

her they are Firstborn, Black-

blood, Elf or Dwarf. These

ghastly nightmares are used

with incredible effect. Their

slow almost mechanical gait

merely enhancing the terror

that destroys the moral of

troops who oppose them.

Alongside the N ecroman-

cers and the Risen are an un-

godly host of demons dragged

from Hell i t s e l f by the prayers

and sacrifices of the Dark

Prophets.

The pride of the Devout

armies are the Warped lords.

Great gifts and knowledge

were bestowed upon the great-

est of the Devout followers,



Cardinals inthe Churches before the f a l l . This evil twist-

ed their minds and disfigured their b o d i e s . They became

the Warped lords. Masks, wrought in the fire of hell it-

self, hide the twisted mockeries of the once Firstborn

faces. They are the Protectors of the Horns, and sound

them as their kin go into battle. The deadly wail can open

a gateway to the Dusk Realms and summon more

demons to the fight.

The Demons from the Dusk Realms take a variety of

forms - a ll ghastly and a ll of them deadly.The first soldiers

to cross through the Vortexesinto the world of Chronopia

were the Dusk Realm War-

riors. They are broad and squat

but capable of surprising speed.

These Demons favor l a r g e , cru-

elly shaped, swords and shields

with heavily embellished ar-

mor. They are often used as

shock troops as their favorite

tactic is to ram the enemy with

such ferocity that they are

knocked down. They then set

about their disordered foes

with their weapons.

Demons of the Twilight

are humanoid creatures sum-

moned. by the Warped Lords

from the 1\vi1ight planes.

These are said to be beyond

the Dusk Realms. They are of

various size but a ll have large

claws and long tapering skulls.

They can only be summoned

into the world of Chronopia

for short periods of time and

they require aWarped Lord to

maintain their material f o r m .

on this plane. They have an

insatiable appetite for mortal

flesh, which they rend with

their razor-like claws.

Legend has it that the

Damned were the first race to sell their souls to the

Dark One and judging from their infernal appearance, it

is not a hard legend to believe. The Damned wield

mighty flails and a re deceptively ag i l e . They roam across

the battlefields, crushing and splintering mortal flesh be-

neath their armored hooves.

The Tormented are mysterious demons, their power-

ful bodies severed at the waist, their entrails spilling out

behind them, only the power of the Dark One keeps

them alive. They pull themselves along with their mus-



dersides and chest, on-

ly to fly off in clouds,

to plague those who

oppose the Harbinger.

Demonwings hov-

er over the field of bat-

tle, swooping down on

unfortunates in the

field, stabbing them

with their long spears.

The most fearsomeof the entire demonic

host are the Darkeye

warriors. Tall and pow-

erful these are the elite

soldiers of the Dark

Lord's horde. They

wear intricately carved

f u l l - f a c ed helmets char-

acterized by a lumi-

nous blood-red gem

and no eye slits - since

they are blind to nor-mal vision. The

thoughts and fears em-

anating from their foes,

guide their sightless

hate. They carry two

swords and despite

their blindness, always

find their mark.

A ll these creatures

and more can be found

in the fetid ranks of

the Devout as the

Dark Prophets seek vengeance on those they regard as

the Betrayus. The other races who refuse to kneel be -

fore the Dark Lord and e x i l e d them from kingdoms they

consider theirs by divine right.

With more demons appearing in the Devout's ranks

every battle., it is hard for the other races not to look in-

to their hearts and consider themselves doomed.

DAMNED

cular arms and throw themselves onto the enemy ranks,

goring and savaging them with their shark-like teeth

and horned heads. However their only aim is to die, to

bring an end to their suffering and pain.

The Harbinger is a huge hunched demon that strides

across the battlefield destroying everything inits path.

Dark wings, vicious fanged demons, hang from its un-



SeROttS OT TIfE !rEADInstigated by Negra.1Zar'akin after found-

ing his Temple of the Dead in the North-

eastern Dreadlands, the scrolls are an at-

tempt to rewrite Firstborn history a s s e e n

through the eyes of the Dark lord and his

Prophets. Each Prophet has their own

scribes recording and rewriting events but

the most infamous are the Scrolls of the

Dead. A collection of fact and prophecy,they are said to be written in blood on the

fresh skin cut from captured sacrificial vic,

tims. The authors themselves have long

since sold their souls to the Dark One and

spend their lives chronicling events of their

Dark Masters. Indeed some continue their

work long af te r death, as Irra Zar'akin, thefirst-born son of the Dark Prophet and a

Demoness from the Seventh Pit is unliv-

ing testament to. Now little more than

a skeletal shell, Irra still commands the

chroniclers and personally oversees thecollection of fresh ink and paper from the

victims.

TWI DARUNfNC;The period of history from the beginnings

of the Devout to the rise of the Dark

Prophets and their demonic kingdoms is of,

ten r e f e r r e d to as the Darkening. To many

living in Chronopia and beyond, it seems a

fitting definition of what has come to pass

for the world does seem a fa r darker place

than ever before. Kin kills kin and deathcomes from all sides. It is also the term

sometimes used to describe the fall from

grace of the Dark Prophets themselves and

anyone else who betrays their race and

joins the Devout.



THt WORlD ~URNS,

THE SAND"A1tS,

AND B lO O D R 'U H S COlD..

HOtHING lASH; NotHING DlDUUS ...

All IS C RU S H E D ,

AND GROUNDtoDUS~ BENU'CH tHE WHEEtS 0" 'tIME ..

W A RR IO RS , K IN G S . . . K IN G D O MS ,

WHEREtiME IS tHt MASUR WE ARE All VICtiMS ...

THt OWlY (lUES'tION IS, WHOWill BE tHE f'IRSr,

AND WHOWIll B E tHt lA S t . . .

IN tNt WORlD Of' CMR O N O P I A

tHt BAttlE ee D E C I D E HAS B E G U N .



R U t " E S

.NTRODUCT.ONChronopia is a dynamic skirmish game set in a world of

Dark Fantasy. The game is designed for two or more

players using miniatures and models available from

Heartbreaker Hobbies. All you need. to play Chronopia

is this rulebook, some Heartbreaker miniatures, a twen-

ty-sided d i e , a pen, a ruler and some scrap paper: At the

back of the book you will find some markers and tern-

plates that you will also need. You can either cut these

out or photocopy them onto some paper or, ideally, clear

plastic acetate.

A purpose built wa:rgames table with some model

scenery wou.l.dalso be nice but is not essential. You can

play Chronopia on any dear, flat area, like a dining room

table or even a stretch of floor.

You should be able to find Heartbreaker miniatures and

a twenty-sided die at any well stocked hobby or game

store. If you have any problems obtaining your rninia-

rures please feel f r e e . to contact Heartbreaker Hobbies.

The address is at the back of this book.



Bl.JORl YOU S'tAR'tTOPI,4Y

Before you start to play, you should. first acquire and

paint your Heartbreaker miniatures. Each player should

choose an Army that appeals to them and assemble at

least. one Warband. You should also skim through these

rules at least once. They are not nearly as daunting as

they-may first appear. All you need to do at this stage is

familiarize yourself with the rules. As you play yourfirst battle, follow along with the rules, referring to the

appropriate sections where necessary.

Before we move on to the game itself, there are cer-

tain basic concepts that you should be aware of.

ROtLrNC;DJCEInthe text, a twenty-sided die is referred to as a d20.

Whether a high or low score is desired will be detailed

in the relevant section. However, if both player's modi-fied scores are equal they should simply roll again.

Where it states that a.player needs to roll under a cer-

tain number for example: r o l l under a model's leader-

ship - this means equal to or less than the number in

question.

When a player rolls a natural 1 (before any modifica-

tions are applied) this is called a "perfect success" and

usually results in something special happening in the

player's favor. When a player rolls a natural 20, this is

called a "fumble" and usually results in something ad-

verse happening to the model involved.

'EXAMPL'E.

PERnCT If a 1 is rolled when making an Armor r o l lyou automatically save against all remaining damage

being dealt.

TUMBL' I ' Ifa 20 is rolled when making an Armor roll,

you automatically take a1l remaining Wounds the

weapon can deal.

The exact effects of any particular PERFECT or FUM-

BLE roll are dealt with in the section of rules concern'

ing the activity in question. Ifno special effects are list-

ed fora certain type of roll, then none apply.

swnJHC; Up,There are a few things you need to do before you actual,

ly get down to playing a game of Chronopia. You need to

pick your armies, arrange the battlefield and place your

armies on the field. Once you've done all that, you're

ready to start fighting!



CHOOSW YOUR ARMr1:S

P OINT COSTSEvery model inChronopia has a value known as its

Point Cost. These points are an indication of the relative

strength of a Unit. Thus a model which "Costs" 80

points is deemed to be more powerful than one of 20

points, No point-based system is perfectly accurate, but

generally speaking, a Unit's 'Point Cost is a reasonable

guide to its strength.

ARMVtfSTSTo ensure that a game begins in a fair and balanced way

the players decide upon the size of the a rm ie s e o be used.

By starting the game with armies of equal Point Cost the

players ensure that, while their armies will be very dif-

ferent, they will still be of a similar overall strength.

Let's say that the players agree to fight with armies of

1000 'Points. They can then choose the makeup of their

army to their own preference, so long as they follow the

rules laid down for Units and purchasing Warbands.

Note that certain spells also have a 'Point Cost so don't

overlook them ifyou have a "spell caster" in your force.

I'XAMPI;'£ A player with a firstborn army decides to

have a Warband of First Born Macemen, He buys 4

Macemen at 21 points and 1 leader at 23 points, a total

of 107. He now has 893 points to spend on the rest of

his army.

Once you have decided on the size of the battle, you

can select your army from the appropriate Army List.

As a guide, an army of 1000 points should make for ashort battle, while one of 2000 pointswould obviously

take longer, though even this should take no more than a

fewbours.



ARRAHC;1! YOURBATTt~"r'EtD

Armies need a field on which to do battle and battle-

fields are rarely flat and featureless, they are broken by

hills and streams and covered with rocks and woodland.

We call these features of the battlefield Terrain and the

specific effects of Terrain will be detailed later. You can

play Chronopia on any flat open surface. However the

optimum sizefor larger battles would be about 5 feet x 4

feet, or 4 feet x 4 feet for smaller encounters.Before the battle begins, you must set up the battle-

field. You can either make your own Terrain or purchase

it from your local hobby shop ..Look out for Heart'

breaker's range of Terrain and Battlefield Enhancer prod-

ucts. Alternatively you can effectively use household

items so long as you first agree that, "this book repre-

sents a hill and this strip of aluminum foil is a river. Etc."

It is essential that players agree on how terrain is to

be used during the battle to avoid disagreement later. The

perimeter of woodlands for instance can cause confu-

sion unless it is clearly stated.

'EtiMP£t Ifyou have only four trees available and you

wish to depict an area of woodland you could use the fol-

lowing method. 'Placeyour four trees and ag ree that a line

drawn between each tree marks the e d g e of the woods.

To avoid giving one side an unfair advantage terrain

should be placed on the "battlefield" as follows:

"PlayersrolllD20. The person with the highest scoregets to choose and place a piece of terrain first. Players

then take it in turns until they are satisfied with the lay-

out of the battlefield. Some thought is needed during

this stage to avoid excessively tight areas and large open

spaces that might give an unfair advantage to Units such

as archers. With more than two players, the player with

the highest score goes first followed by the others in

clockwise order.



D~P1OVYOUR ARMr.S

DDtOYMDfT AREA

This describes the area of the table in which players

must place their Units at the beginning of a g ame . It is

designed to avoid immediate contact between armies.

Players roll 1D20 and the player with the highest score

gets to choose which side of the playing area to set up

his Army. His opponent must set up on the opposite

side. You can place your figures anywhere within 12inches of your edge of the playing area, but not within (j

inches to the left and the right edge of the table. This

area is called your "Deployment Area".

between the forces and try to keep a distance of at least

18 inches between armies.

Once the deployment areas have been decided it is time to

place your Units on the table. To avoid a player waiting to

see his opponent's strategy this is done one Unit at a time

with the players taking it inturns. Players roll 1D20. This

time h o w e v e r , they look through their anny for the model

with the highest Leadership value or "stat" (see character

profile ~LD) and add that figure to the die roll. The winner

is the person with the highest score. The winner can ei-

ther choose to place a Unit on the table or ask his oppo-nent to place one of their Un i t s first. A ll models inaWar-

band must be placed within Command Distance (4 inches)

of the Warband leader. Players then alternate, placing

Units on the table until the.Armies have been deployed.

Inmulti-player games, having nominated an oppo-

nent's Unit to go first, the winner will go next followed

by the other players in descending order of scores.

I e~PL'E

J o h a n scores 36Carl scores 34

Julie scores 32Steve scores 30

D£P10YMtN1: ARU.On a good-sized gaming table, with two players,

deploy your forces like this.

A) 12 inches from table edge to allow for adequate spacing.

B) L e a v e (j inches from the sides of the table.

C) L e a v e about 18 inches between armies to avoid

immediate conflict.

If there are more than two players, they should roll 1

D20 and choose their positions, starting with the player

with the highest score. and working down. However,

rather than occupying an edge they should set up in a

corner. The exact size and position of these deployment

areas depends upon the size and shape of the "table top".

Bear inmind that the idea. is to keep some tactical space

Johan wins and nominates Carl to go first. Then Johan

takes his tum because he has the highest score followed

by Julie and Steve.



MWASURINt;When measuring distances between two models, you

measure from the closest edge of the bases. Also remem-

ber that "pre-measuring" before declaring a shot or to see

how far a model will reach when moving, is not a l -

lowed. Measuring for Template. weapons and certain

spells will be detailed in the relevant section. However if

it states line of sight (LOS) then measuring is not re-

quired, you need only to be able to see the model or area

in question.

TH1: TURN SWq .UDlCEA real battlefield is a confused mass of activity. To give

some order to the confusion the game is divided into

Turns. Each Turn models carry out a.series of Actions

such as moving, firing or casting a spell etc. Turns are

then repeated until the outcome of the battle is decided.

A series of markers are also used to indicate the state

of play. An "activation marker" is used to show when a

Unit has had its tum. Other markers are used to show

when a figure is Hidden, panicked, on Wait etc. and canapply to entire Units or specific models and will be de-

tailed in the relevant section.

The tum sequence is divided into three steps.

ST lP .: IN IT IATIVEInitiative is used. to decide who gets to "activate" a Unit

first. Both players rolllD20 and add the single highest

Leadership stat (ill) from among their surviving mod,

e l s , Panicked models are not included, so a player whose

models are all panicked does not add a Leadership stat to

the D20 roll, The person with the higher score wins the

initiative and goes first.

STEP ~: NOMINATING Tin"'RST UNITIf you have won the initiative., you can either activate

one of your own Units or nominate an opponent's Unit

to take its turn first. After this first Unit has taken its

turn play alternates as normal, Ifyou nominate one of

your opponent's Units, your foe still controls it, you

have simply elected to make that Unit go first. Gaining

the initiative is the only time when a player can nomi-

nate an opponent's Unit and may only be done once per

initiative and only at the start of the Turn.

STEP 5: ACTIVAT.N( ; A UN.TWhen you direct a Unit to take its Turn this iscalled ac-

tivating the Unit.

If the activated Warband is in a state of Panic, it

must follow the rules for panicked Warbands detailed

later in the book. If the activated Unit is not panicked,

the controlling p l a y e r chooses any single model in the

U nit. That model may then take as many Actions as list-

ed inits AC characteristic. A figure is not obliged to take

any action unless it is panicked or out of Command. Dis-

tance (again this is detailed later). Once the figure has

used up all its Actions, the player selects another figure

inthe Warband. Models inthe Warband can be select-ed in any order; but each figure must complete all of its

Actions before another model can be used. This goes on

until all the models inthat Unit have finished their Ac-

tions. Once this is done the player marks the Unit with

an activation marker to show its turn is over.

The opposing player now activates a Unit. Play pass'

es back and forth until a ll the Units on both sides have

been activated. Once this happens, the Turn is over, a ll



activation markers are removed from the board and the

players return to step 1.

(Note, some markers remain until the next Turn to

indicate specific conditions. These will he detailed later.)

Inmulti-player games, the player with the initiative ei-

ther activates a Unit of his own or nominates an oppo-

nents Unit. Having nominated an opponent's Unit to

go first, the winner will go next. followed by the other

players in descending order of scores.

' EKAMP1 '£

Johan scores 36Carl scores 34Julie scores 32Steve scores 30

Johan wins and nominates Carl to go first. Then Johan

takes his turn because he has the highest score followed

by Julie and Steve. Players follow the same order until all

the Units on all sides have been activated. Once this

happens, the Tum is over, all activation markers arere-

moved from the board and the players return to step 1.

When it is your turn to activatea Unit, you must do so.

Even if certain models in. a Warhand do nothing, you

cannot return and activate them later. A Unit can be ac-

tivated only once per "fum.

YOU ARE NOW READY TO BEGIN FLAYING.



WJHNIHCf TH~ BATn.InChronopia the prime objective is to have fun. Ok, we

lied. The prime object is to win. To crush your opponent

utterly, without mercy or remorse! Usually, players re-

peat the turn sequence until one-player surrenders or

loses every Unit in his army. The survivor is the win-

ner. However you can use a system of Victory Points to

determine who wins.

SCWHARrosYou can add an additional element to a. game of

Chronopia by playing out scenarios with specific victo-

ry conditions. These can be as simple or as complex as

you like. The important. thing is that a l l players agree on

the scenario and the conditions of the game are dearly

understood before the battle begins.

vrcroRV POINTSIfyou are playing to a time limit or for an agreed number

of turns, you can calculate victory points based on the

Point Cost of your army. At the end of the agreed time

or number of turns add up the total Point Cost of your

A rmy . The player with the highest remaining Point Cost

is the winner. As the Faint Cost is a good indication of

an army's strength, this is the fairest method of deciding

victory.

BRW4J( ..TMROUGHYour goal here is to break. through the enemy forces. You

could define your opponent's deployment zone as the

target area and state that the first person toget a particu-lar Unit or a certain number of Units into the area wins

the game. A time or turn limit can be set on this so that

Units need not only to reach the area but hold out until

the end of the game.

SHOWDOWNPlayers choose one notable Unit from their army and

make them the key figures on the battlefield, The idea be,



ing to kill these important Units. Maybe call them

Champions. The first person to kill his opponentsChampion or the player with the last surviving Cham-

pion, inmultiplayer games, is the winner.

STAND AND ."e ;NTMark out or decide on an area to defend. You can either

say that the first person to get a Unit into this a r e a is thewinner or just: fight a normal battle with one force de-

fending while the other attacks. In this scenario it is ad-

visable to adjust the point cost of the armies in favor of

the attackers. Example

• 1500 points for the attackers, 1000 points for the

defenders.

ctlTTM'E ARTI'FACI"An "ancient artifact" is placed.somewhere on the battle-

field. The fin;t model to reach the location and spend one

Action to pick it up is considered carrying it. The arti-

fact can be handed to a d.ifrerent model by spending one

Action while in base-to-base contact with a friendly

model. You caneither decide on a target location to take

the artifact or say that the player holding the artifact at

the end of a set time or number of turns is the winner.

You will no doubt come up with your own scenarios,

depending on your preference and style of play.The im-

portant thing is that all players are clear on the objec-

tives and conditions.

UHITSUnits are the. basic military groups in the world ofChronopia. There are two different types of Unit: War-

bands and Individuals. Mounted Troops can be either

Individuals or Warbands but they also have specific

characteristics as listed below.

WARBANDSAWarband is a.group of figures who work together as a

Unit on the battlefield. The figures inthem learn to act

together and to trust and rely on each other, They are al-

so likely to be unnerved when they see their comrades

dying around them.

In Chronopia a Warband can have as few as 2 - 4members as with The Sons of Krenos, or as many as 6 -

12 as with Goblin Spearmen.

Most Warbands have a leader, a specific model with

a higher Leadership (LD) stat. They coordinate the War-

band and hold it together. Whi1e the leader is alive they

fight at maximum efficiency. If the leader dies, the War-

band will become disorganized and less effective. Many





















































































































































































































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chronopia 1st Edition