OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORIES

The Dwarvesof RockhomeAvailable Now

Principalitiesof GlantriAvailable Now

NorthernReaches

Available NowAvailableMay 1989

EmiratesofAvailable Now

The Elvesof AlfheimAvailable Now Twilight of the

Empires*AvailableAugust 1989The Republic

of DarokinThyatis & AlphatiaCampaign Set.Available

March 1989

The Kingdomof

TheDuchy ofKarameikosAvailable Now

Available Now

TheMinrothad

GuildsAvailable Now

TheFiveAvailable Now

Complete fantasy KINGDOMS, ready f OR play.Full coloR Maps. Hiql7 abveNtuRes. FasciNatiNq Cl7aRacteRS.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc. "1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PLAYER'S BOOKLET

OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

MiNuotliab CJuilbsby Deborah Christian and Kimber Eastland

<BaOoWWW}M^&W&M:&W:5&c5oB:o:&W^o5M^M ffW

Table of ContentsAdventurer's Guide to the Minrothad Guilds 2

Minrothad History 3Lands of the Minrothad Guilds 4

Economy of the Minrothad Guilds 6Law in the Minrothad Guilds 7The Society of the Minrothad Guilds 9

Tips to Travelers 11Beliefs of Minrothad 12The Minrothaddan Calendar 13The Races of Minrothad 16The Guilds of Minrothad 20The Caste System 28Guild Privileges 31Politics in the Minrothad Guilds 32

Credits:

Design: Deborah Christian, Kimber EastlandEditing: Steve WinterProduct Manager: Bruce HeardCover Artist: Clyde CaldwellInterior Artist: John LakeyGraphic Design: Stephanie Tabat, Dave SutherlandCartography: Dave Sutherland, Dennis KauthTypography: Kimjanke

®1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

TSR, Inc.FOB 756Lake Geneva,WI 53147 USA

AD&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, and WORLD OFGREYHAWK are registered trademarks owned by TSR Inc.FORGOTTEN REALMS, BATTLESYSTEM, PRODUCTS OFYOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks ownedby TSR Inc.Distributed to the book trade in the United States by RandomHouse, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

This module is protected under the copyright laws of the UnitedStates of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized useof the written material ot artwork herein is prohibited withoutthe express written permission of TSR Inc.

TSR UK Ltd.120 Church End, Cherry Hinton

Cambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom

ISBN 0-88038-607-X 9236

QuiOe to tl7€ MiNHOtliab QuilOsWelcoMC to tlje

This book contains general knowledgeabout the Minrothad Guilds and is forthe use of PC and DM alike. The otherbook in this set is for the DM's eyes only.

Minrothad is a nation of islands locatedin the Sea of Dread, south of the shores ofthe Grand Duchy of Karameikos (seeGAZ 1) and east of the island kingdom ofIerendi(see GAZ 4).

This nation is a political-economiccombine of various guilds. Some of theguilds are organized around crafts andthe families that control them; some pro-vide professional services, while otherspursue activities that are covert, military,or purely political in nature.

The Minrothad Guilds are one of themost powerful non-military entities inexistence. Due to their wide-rangingtrade network and dominance of com-mercial shipping, almost anything, legalor illegal, can be obtained by Minrothadtraders or their agents. The MinrothadGuilds wield economic and political cloutfar out of proportion to the size of theirisland nation.

An increased guild presence on thewaterfronts and in the trading houses ofthe continent have brought this success-ful commercial nation much into thepublic eye in the last decade. In earliertimes the country was fervently isolation-ist, forbidding immigration and strictlycontrolling travel and trade practices thatbrought outsiders to the islands. But thispolicy has altered with a change in gov-ernment, and the Minrothad Guilds haveopened their doors to trade, travel, andinteraction with the folk of other nations.Curious travelers inquiring about theMinrothad Guilds can hear interestingthings, depending on whom they ask forinformation.

A Sage FKOM SpeculanuM"Over the sea, east of lerendi and west

of Thyatis, lies the Sea of Dread. Theexact number of islands found there isunknown, because many are perpetuallysurrounded by fog and mists. The people

of the major islands banded together toform the Minrothad Guilds, the nationthat controls most of the sea trade in theworld today.

"These guilds have built an unsur-passed merchant fleet to carry their exoticgoods to other nations. They are secretiveabout their crafts, for few other guildhallscan compete with the rare and artfulobjects exported by the MinrothadGuilds. But the secret of their tradingsuccess lies in two other, factors. Minro-thad maintains strict neutrality with thenations of the world. This allows themunrestricted access to major ports, wherethey base their merchant agents andoffices.

"The second factor is the Minrothadmerchant-princes: captains and mastersof magic that keep their vessels safe at sea.No one in his right mind bothers a Minro-thad vessel, and no merchant worth histrade goods offends their buying agents.A contract with the guilds can be worth acargo's weight in gold."

A MiNnotljad Quii&s Dwanf"Never trust a Glantrian. They be

tight-fisted, blackhearted dastards withno bone of pity for refugees or them thatbe down on their luck. And they lack theforesight to see how a business deal mightbe made. Guildsmen, now—that storytells different. We always be calculatin' away both sides can benefit. And you cantrust us, for we honor our word once it'sgiven. Unlike Glantrians."

"Those Minrothad ships arebewitched! Strange things happenaround them—odd winds ablow, schoolsof monstrous fishes following alongside,ships that vanish. Well, no one believes ituntil they see it for themselves, and thenit's too late. Even pirates leave themalone, that's for certain. A merchant-prince is a match for a pirate vessel all byhimself. They're not normal people, youknow. I've seen the flotsam myself, aftera battle—there was naught left worth sal-vaging. I'd steer clear o'them vessels,were I you."

A MiNKotijad Guilds"There were oncet a time when halflings

were enslaved by Minrothad tall folk. Biglabor for small diggers, that were—but wedon't ponder that no more. Malf Quick-hand freed us, and off we took to OpenIsle. Now we be as heavy-pursed as any oth-er family in the guilds. Business be good,trade be good, and the tall folk never sopowerful since the Silver Purge.

"The purge? Oh, that were long back akilling time for humans, cursed as theywere with the were-way. But it be false,what lerendi tour guides say! The were-folk be long gone from our Isles. Tourist-fond we be, and you'll catch naught ifyou visit Minrothad. Stop your ears toisland-hopper lies from lerendi!"

A "CljyatiaN MencljaNt -"Guilds, shmilds. Those Minrothad

upstarts want to create a trade monopoly,and woe betide the country that depends onthem for shipping the day they decide tothrow their weight around! We tried tobring culture to their islands when they wereignorant barbarians, but they didn't see dieadvantages an alliance would give them.They still refuse to ally themselves with us.Just shows how short-sighted diey are. I onlytrade with them if I don't have any choice."

C}uili>s

"It's a bright new day for us, with OranMeditor as Guildmaster. One of the sea-faring elves he is, whom we call the waterelves, and a great leader. Oran gave us anopen trade policy, gained cooperationfrom the halfling and the dwarvishguilds, brought the family guilds in line ... Oh? You don't know our guild system?

"The only important part is that theguilds were founded in 691 AC, andgreat Minrothad became center of coop-erative trade ventures. Craftsmanship isour only demand from our members: ourguilds include halfling, dwarvish,human, and elvish craftsmen. Guilds arerun by their masters, and they aredirected by the ruling guildmaster, OranMeditor. Simple, is it not?"

, as tolfcby tl7c Wateu Elves

Water elves are a seafaring race of elveswhom some claim have made their homeamong these islands for thousands ofyears. Their version of local history is theone most widely heard by strangers toMinrothad.

"The sacred Dread Sea Scrolls say thatin the beginning, there was only water,light, and the immortal CalithaStarbrow. Calitha looked upon her shim-mering sphere and desired that thereshould be people there to honor her. Shecreated the True Ones, or Alfasser;though men call us water elves today, weprefer that ancient name by which wewere known.

"The immortal was pleased with herfirst and best work and soon made othersto populate the sphere in company withher true ones. She made the Alfund,whom we now call wood elves, and afterthem the animals: the fish in the seas, thebirds in the skies, and all manner of crea-tures on the land. Finally Calitha madelesser beings than the Alfasser and theAlfund: men, and halflings, and dwarveslast of all. These she sent to teach theAlfasser patience and to show them whatthey could become without the immor-tal's guidance.

"In time, some of the Alfasser wished

for more power and knowledge than Cali-tha Starbrow had given them. Theydelved into the ways of dark and danger-ous knowledge, until we, their more cau-tious brethren, left them and went to liveseparately in lands across the sea. The wis-dom of this was proven a millenia later,when the immortal raged at the evilworks done by the power-hungry Alfas-ser, and destroyed their homeland and allthe peoples who lived there. She openedthe earth and brought down the skies insuch devastation that only the landswhence we had emigrated were left. Eventhose were torn by the eruptions of heranger so that they formed islands in thesea.

"We true ones who survived called thewaters around us the Sea of Dread, forour fear that Calitha's anger would beunquenchable. While the immortalraged, she sent plagues, famines, andother disasters as tests to see if we, theremaining Alfasser, would stay true toher. Many turned away from Calitha inthose days of trial, and one by one shesank their islands, until only the Alfasserthat exist in Minrothad remained. But wehad proven our worth through the longchallenges, and we have been well-favored by the immortal ever since heranger calmed.

"Since that long-past time of terror,Calitha taught us the craft of seafaring,

CJuifce to tl?€ MiNROtl?at> Quilfcs

and we ourselves turned human magicinto an art for the protection of our ves-sels. Our wood elf brethren came to usfrom over the seas, led by the immortal toaid us in the crafting of ships and pursuitof trade.

"We have tolerated the growth ofhuman cultures on our islands, stampingout plagues of lycanthropy from amongthem and separating their quarrelsomefactions when they insisted on wagingwar. We helped the humans to tradeacross the seas, traveling far in our artfulships. Persuaded by Thyatians, foolishhumans indulged in slave trade, andbrought halflings to our shores to servethem. We helped free the little peoplefrom the yolk of slavery, and welcomedthem into our midst as craftsmen andequals.

"In later times, we invited dwarvishcraftsmen to join us in the creation of use-ful and beautiful things. They gladly leftthe ungrateful lands of Glantri, andbrought their metal and stoneworkingskills to enrich our guilds.

"With the help of our guildbrotherswho work in the handicrafts, we have ledthe Minrothad Guilds on to greatnessamong the nations of the world. For thiswe are grateful to Calitha Starbrow, whocontinues to bless the ventures of theAlfasser."

HH^

Quifce to tlie MiNROtl?at> Quilfcs

Of t?7€

Quil&sIt is recommended that travelers to the

Minrothad Guilds go there either on aGuild vessel, or accompanied by a Guild-certified navigator or pilot. The routes tothe islands are tricky, and the waters con-tain hazards of natural or magical originbest avoided by someone familiar withthe local waterways. Guild vessels boundfor Minrothad or other destinations in theisland chain can be found in almost everymajor seaport on the continent.

UNUSUal PljCNOMCNa

It is the unusual phenomena of the sea-ways that is most quickly apparent to avoyager to the Minrothad Guilds. Thesecan make for an interesting and scenicjourney, providing they do not turn intopersonal hazards. To ensure that, the cau-tion to travel only with a qualified crewshould be heeded.

Fogs: One of the inexplicable phenom-ena in these waters are the constant fogsand mists that surround most of theislands. Some of this is believed to becaused by active volcanoes, steaming thewater through sea level vents the yearround. Another cause is thought to bethe meeting of the cold ContinentalSweep winds from the north northwestand the warm, moist Dragon's Windfrom the south. The only place these twomajor fronts meet is in the Sea of Dreadaround the Minrothad Isles.

Another cause of the perpetual fogs isundoubtedly magical in nature, theresult of weather-magic worked bymerchant-princes. Safe navigation ofthese waters is almost impossible for sea-men who were not raised here or who can-not magically see through the fog.

Waterspouts: In certain seasons, whenthe cold and warm air masses of the Con-tinental Sweep and the Dragon's Windcollide, tornados and waterspouts canresult. Some are also said to be a side-effect of weather magic worked bymerchant-princes. Since there is so littleland to be threatened by tornados, water-spouts are by far the more common and

unpredictable danger.A vessel struck by a waterspout can be

reduced to splinters in the water, or liftedbodily and deposited elsewhere on wateror land. Areas of fog often obscure thistype of hazard, and even in clear andopen water, the speed of movement anderratic path followed by these waterywhirlwinds make them difficult to avoid.It is said that merchant-princes haveappropriate magic with which to handlesuch a danger, but common sailors andfishermen must trust to luck and theirsailing skills to avoid them.

Whirlpools: Numerous unchartedreefs and small islands lie within the terri-tory of the Minrothad Guilds. At times,when ocean currents and tides flow rap-idly between rocks and reefs, whirlpoolsmay result. As with fogs and waterspouts,this phenomenon is often caused by mag-ic when encountered in Minrothaddanwaters. This hazard sucks a ship downuntil it is torn apart on rocks or sub-merged beneath the water. Whirlpoolsare almost impossible to escape withoutthe aid of appropriate sea magic.

PinatesPerhaps more treacherous than natural

phenomena are the pirates who haunt thesea routes between Minrothad and themainland. Always ready to prey on prom-ising cargo vessels, pirates appear like ascourge out of nowhere, attack their vic-tims, then vanish untraceably into themysterious fogs. Merchant-princes have abetter chance than average captains ofdealing with pirates, but not even Minro-thad vessels are safe from their preda-tions. It is believed that the seafaringbrigands are lerendi or Thyatian priva-teers lured to this area by the rich ship-ping traffic. The guilds are doing theirutmost to eliminate the pirates fromthese waters.

The archipelago claimed by the Minro-thad Guilds is the area once known as theColony Isles. There are six major islandsand numerous smaller ones in this territo-ry. Most are of volcanic origin, while some

of the small atolls are coral growth atopsubmerged volcanic rock.

Trader's Island: The first place to besettled among these islands was Trader'sIsland. Trader, as it was called, is the larg-est island in this group, with two inactivevolcanic peaks, forested mountain ridges,and palm-covered coastal plains leadingto black sand beaches.

The first town founded on Trader wasHarbortown, tucked away in a shelteredharbor on the north coast. First settled byNithian explorers led by a man namedMinroth, Harbortown is the oldesthuman settlement in the islands. The cityof Minrothad was named after the culturethat developed there.

Minrothad, the capital and major tradecity of the guilds, is located on the north-east shore of Trader's Island on the site ofa former Alphatian colony. The cityproper lies a quarter-mile inland from itsbustling seaport and is nestled in the coneof an ancient, low-lying volcano. The cityis surrounded by a moat over 300 feetwide, which is filled by the LithwillowRiver before it flows down the dredgedchannel to the sea.

Alfeisle: Almost as large as Trader isAlfeisle, home of the wood and waterelves, where the trade city of Verdon andthe fortified elvish port of Seahome arelocated. Verdon, near farmland at thesouth end of the island, is the newest ofthe ports. It has a system of quays andmooring bouys designed to handleshallow-draft shipping along the city'snarrow beachfront. Seahome, the oldestof the elvish settlements, is located at thenorthern end of Alfeisle. The city has anextensive subterranean lagoon dockingcomplex, interlinked defenses, and adazzling number of mansions and forti-fied houses.

Blackrock Island: Blackrock Island liesto the south between Trader's Island andAlfeisle. It is dominated by Halfpeak, anactive volcano which periodically spewsmud and lava. Very little grows on Black-rock and it is home only to a few fishingvillages at the eastern end, distant fromthe volcano.

Fortress Island: Northwest of Trader'sIsland is Fortress Island, home of the

CJuiOe to tl?c MiNnotfjad CJuilOs

dwarvish guilds of Minrothad and theirredoubtable city of Stronghold. Strong-hold is located at the end of a long, nar-row fiord whose cliffs loom menacingly.The rocky, barren island suits the dwarveswell, for they avoid the dangers of itsactive volcano by making their homeinside the cliffs of Fortress.

Open Isle: To the north of Alfeisle liesOpen Isle, so called because the island isflat and treeless. Its major settlement isthe halfling town of Malfton. The thinsoil and rocky ground severely limits thevegetation that will grow there, especiallycompared to other islands of the Minro-thad Guilds. Nevertheless, industrioushalflings have turned the area aroundMalfton into a region of carefully tendedgardens, limited orchards, and pastur-age. Malfton is the center of halflingtrade and manufacturing enterprises.

Fire Island: Northwest of Open Isle isFire Island and Redtop, its notoriouslydangerous volcano. Rocks and hot ash aresometimes ejected from Redtop for milesout to sea, and lava flows down themountain flanks with great frequency.The volcanic activity is so treacherous andunpredictable that the island has beendeclared off limits to all shipping traffic.

North Isle: North Isle is the last of themajor Minrothad islands. The fortifiedtown of Gapton was built as a colony ofrefuge for members of the guilds in casecalamity ever strikes the islands. A popu-lation with a disproportionate number ofscholars and clerics lives there in themeantime. The trading activity of NorthIsle revolves around supply and ware-housing for ships bound to or from themainland.

WeattjenThe Minrothad Isles have a temperate

climate and generally predictable weath-er. The tropical and sub-tropical condi-tions, with warm winds and periodicalrainy seasons, make these seas almost per-fect for a trading and seafaring society.

Dominant trade winds blow fromnorthwest to southeast through the Isles.During storm season, this weather pat-tern brings rain and blustering winds to

the northwest side of the islands first.Therefore, most popular harbors have aneasterly or southerly exposure.

sometimes come to cities carried in cargosof fruits and vegetables.

FauNaNative FionaVegetation: Mahogany and teak grow

on the hills and highlands of the Minro-thad islands. Although they are replant-ed, the forests have been reduced in sizedue to the demands for lumber for exportand ship building. Vast areas of wood-land have been cleared of the most valu-able trees, and have become overgrownwith shrubbery, taken over by palm trees,or turned to agricultural purposes.

Fruits, nuts, and edible roots grow ingreat variety throughout the islands.Bananas, coconuts, guava, pineapplesand much more wind up in the market-places of Minrothad and on the guilds'ships for trade. The islanders importmuch of their food and rely on trade togive them the wherewithall to accomplishthis, but a modest agricultural effort pro-vides yams, breadfruit, tomatoes andsimilar produce for local consumption.

Wildlife: Birds are numerous on all theislands but Fortress Isle. Sandpipers scur-ry along beaches, warblers nest in flower-ing dogwood, herons and egrets inhabitremote waterways. Gulls and terns neston seaside cliffs, toucans are found in thehighland forests, and a native grousecalled the ulit is a popular food bird.

Small game is scarce and snakes arerare, but diminutive peccary pigs can befound throughout the islands and are abane to Minrothad 's few farmers. Popula-tions of monkeys confine themselves tothe highland forests, while wild goats anddonkeys escaped from activity stick moreto the lowland valleys. The predatorsdangerous to man that have not yet beenhunted out of the islands are limited toseveral species of giant lizards, which con-tinue to present a threat to forest travelerson most of the islands.

Insects: A moderate number of insectsare native to these islands. They are main-ly flying, stinging pests, but the mostdangerous insects encountered in Minro-thad are the poisonous spiders. These spi-ders prefer a forest environment, but

H/<?/7/aNO HUNTINGAs told by human Jerald Aeren, mas-ter trapper, Export Guild (associate ofthe Merchant Sailor Guild)

Lord High-and-Mighty demanded Itake him on a backwoods jaunt. Aknight from Karameikos—you knowthe type. He were upset because hecouldn't get a merchant-prince tofight a duel, and so he wanted to killsomething else instead. He had thecoin, so I said yes.

I warned him t'were the wrong timeof day to find game. 'And I'll see youin court if we don't', he answers,sarcastic-like. So I says to myself, we'llsee how he likes the piglets.

Peccary forage in a herd at times,hundreds of 'em. They run along, stu-pid, trampling everything in theirway, not knowing what they're look-ing for. It's not hard to find 'em. Lookfor trampled brush and listen for theirnoise.

Sir Knight didn't figure it out whenwe circled ahead of the piglets. We dis-mounted and he got his crossbowready. 'Peccary?' he asked. 'I hearthose are good eating.' I agreed andpointed out where they'd be comingthrough the brush.

I neglected to mention how many.We heard 'em before we saw 'em. Iwas up a tree before he fired his bolt atthe first one. Then out came more pigsand out came his sword. He layedabout like he was in a slaughterhouse,but it wasn't good enough. Peccariesshoved him here and yon, almostknocking him over and tromping himunder. Then he gave up and ran downthe trail, outnumbered and chased byangry piglets. I about broke my neck,laughing myself out of that tree.

I took his kill back to the inn forhim. He didn't appreciate it. But Ihaven't seen him in court, either.

ECONOMY of tlie MiNtiotfyab QuilDsThe Minrothad Guilds are manufacturersand service-providers who sell their goodsand services mostly to markets outside ofthe Minrothad Isles. In return, theyimport cargos of food, raw materials fortheir own production needs, and adiverse quantity of finished goods fromother countries. Their large merchantfleet is famous in the ports bordering theSea of Dread, for guild ships carry boththeir own cargos and those of traders fromevery major sea and river port on the con-tinent. Minorothad's large speculativecargo trade has made this nation wealthy.

This successful mercantile combine iscomposed of highly stratified guildswhich have carefully-defined fields ofendeavor, and which do not competeamong themselves. Their structure,goods and services are looked at moreclosely under Guilds, but the followingaspects of this economy will be readilyobserved by travelers to the MinrothadIsles.

DoMiNaNce of Sea 'Cuaoe -The Minrothad Guilds manufacture a

significant portion of the nonbulky, high-quality trade goods which travel by sea,but they are best known as the primarysource of sea-going cargo carriers in thelands which border the Sea of Dread.Even the seafaring merchants of largeempires frequently opt to contract ship-ping to these traders. Minrothad guilds-men have a reputation for reliability,sharp but honest dealing, and speedytransit times. Not least of all, themerchant-princes who are masters ofMinrothad ships are able to defend theirvessels against the monsters of the sea,both human and nonhuman, better thananyone who is not sailing a vessel of war.

VcRsatility IN 'CRafce -Minrothad traders either sell their car-

gos or trade them for other goods,depending upon their needs or the needsof the client for whom they are shipping.If the price is right, guildsmen canacquire any cargo or sell any goods forwhich there is a demand.

Guildsmen are experienced financierswho carry letters of credit, conduct busi-ness on account through their agents in aport, and are knowledgeable about thevalue of cash and trade goods in the plac-es they transact business. These tradersgenerally accept any gold piece or item ofequivalent value when transacting busi-ness, although a service charge is levied ifthe currency is not local or if an item willbe difficult to convert to cash.

DoMestic TTRaDeMoNOpolies

It is not possible for the MinrothadGuilds to completely monopolize tradeabroad. Most ports have open marketsand though guild traders may dominatethe scene, they still compete with othermerchants.

At home in the Minrothad Isles, how-ever, it is a different story. Outsiders arenow permitted to visit the islands, butthey are not allowed to compete with theguild mercantile operations that go onthere. Absolutely no professional tradingor selling may be performed by non-Minrothaddans, except directly with theguild that handles that specific tradegood.

This prohibition is intended to preventforeign merchants from sailing in with acargo on speculation and selling it to any-one who might want the goods. A traderwith a cargo of iron ore, for example, cansell only to the manufacturing familyguild that deals in metal ore. Similarly, afinished product, such as cloth, cannot besold directly to retailers, but must be soldto the guild which monopolizes clothtrade.

Sometimes more than one guild is asuitable purchaser for a cargo, but if noneof them are interested in the purchase,there is no recourse for the foreign mer-chant. Higher officials are not sympa-thetic to the merchant's cause, becausethey do not care for foreign traders con-ducting business in Minrothad. Whenguildsmen need or want foreign goods,they purchase a cargo through their buy-ing agents and carry it to Minrothad intheir own ships.

This and other commercial prohibi-tions are clear-cut (see laws), and new-comers to Minrothad are informed ofthese injunctions before they debark.

CURR€NC?

Foreign currency, as well as gems andjewels, are acceptable specie in Minro-thad, but a standard 5 percent conversioncharge is added to the price of items paidfor in this way. There is no fee charged forusing local currency. Money changers arecommon in every city. They are carefullyregulated by the government and are fair-ly honest, but their variable rate ofexchange affects the value given for for-eign currency.

It is legal to bring Minrothaddan cur-rency into the country, but visitors are notallowed to take out any in excess of 200gp value. Local currency follows thestandard system of equivalents for ease oftrade. A crona is one gold piece, a byd isone electrum, a quert is one silver piece,and a plen is one copper.

CountsMinrothad courts fall under the co-

jurisdiction of the Tutorial Guild and thelocal government guild (see Guilds). TheTutorial Guild tries all major crimes, andis also called in if there is any doubt aboutthe extent or nature of the criminalaction. The Tutorial Guild uses all of itsarcane magical powers and devices to dis-cover these answers and the truth is usu-ally found out in such matters.

A trial court consists of a senior guildmember who presides as judge, and a jurycomposed of three members from theaccused's guild and two nonguild citi-zens. If the accused is not a guild mem-ber, any sort of guildsmen may sit on hisjury. Bail is unheard of, and the accusedmight await trail for up to a month. Dur-ing that time he is kept in a plain butclean holding cell. He is fed enough andtreated decently by the constabulary, adivision of the local government securityguild.

During the trial, the judge asks thequestions, and jurers are allowed a periodof questioning as well. Lawyers can par-ticipate in the proceedings but are notrequired to do so and are not alwayspresent.

Laws aNfc CniiviesActs of violence are obviously criminal,

but a surprising number of other activi-ties are closely regulated as well. Ordi-nances of interest to travelers are pointedout here; their violation can be consid-ered a criminal act and liable to full pros-ecution.

Spell Casting: Only merchant-princesmay cast magic freely in the MinrothadIsles. Anyone else who does so must havea merchant-prince or other member ofthe Tutorial Guild at hand to supervisethe spell casting. Persons in violation ofthis ordinance—even unwittingvisitors—are dealt with as describedunder Punishments.

Gambling: Travelers are often sur-prised to learn that most gambling is ille-gal among the Minrothad Guilds, in spiteof the wealth that moves freely throughtheir shops and businesses. Games ofchance, like dice or cards, are illegal, as isgambling on violent events of any type,such as boxing or cockfighting.

A monthly public lottery run by thegovernment is the only authorized wager-ing done in the islands. Tickets are availa-ble at money changers and taverns.Besides the lottery, gambling is permittedduring the Midwinter Festival. At thattime, people can wager up to 100 gp onsporting events like athletic contests anddog racing. Persons who are caught gam-bling in any other ways suffer large finesas the very least penalty.

Business Transactions: When a travelerwishes to buy, sell, or do other commer-cial business in the Minrothad Isles, thefollowing regulations are important toknow.

1. Magical items may only be sold toMinrothaddans or to foreigners workingfor the government. Price discounts areforbidden, and they are never sold belowa normal retail price.

2. Adventurers who wish to sell valu-ables to locals should note that Minro-thaddans are allowed to buy any itembrought into the country. However, anitem may never be sold at more than itsnormal Minrothad market value. Higherprices are considered to be profiteering,and are punishable by imprisonment (seePunishments). Visitors are forewarnedthat the experienced bargainers of theMinrothad Isles will seldom pay morethan 50 percent of an item's retail value,or 75 percent if it is extremely rare orunique.

3. Money paid to a foreigner for anitem or a service rendered must be report-ed to the local retail tax collector. Thegovernment then levies a tax of 18 per-cent of the total gp value of the item,material, or service sold, which is due andpayable by the foreigner who made theprofit. (An 8 percent sales tax is leviedagainst Minrothaddans.)

4. Magical items sold or services per-formed in Minrothad are done under thesupervision of a representative of theTutorial guild. The guildsman records thetransaction for tax purposes, and guaran-tees that any magic performed is in keep-ing with Minrothad Guilds regulations.The foreigner is then charged a tax of 20percent, which includes a 2 percent feefor the Tutorial Guild's services.

"CueasoNOus OffeNsesTreason against the state is the most

reprehensible crime in Minrothad.Guildsmen resent betrayal of their state,but even worse, treasonous acts also derailmany complex and subtle intrigues, thevery life-blood of the guilds. Foreignersinvolved in plots or actions against theguilds may be suspected of treason, andwill be tried with the full severity of thelaw. A range of sentences are possible fortreason, as described below.

In a similar vein, the Minrothad Guildsare concerned with their public imageand their reputation, for they trade onthese things as much as on anything elsewhen they do business. If a guildsmancommits a major crime in another coun-try and publicly disgraces the MinrothadGuilds, he might be charged with defa-mation of the guild when he returnshome. If convicted, his punishment isoften more severe than the one inflictedby the nation where he committed thecrime.

Minrothaddans have been accused ofpreoccupation with material goods. Atleast it is true that their laws dealing withpossessions and attempts to steal themare some of the most severe known.Guildsmen see their laws as a necessarybalance to the unscrupulous who prey onthe hardworking. A righteous and intol-erant attitude toward the criminal colorstheir legal system and the penaltiesreceived under it.

Law IN tlie MiNROtliab Quilbs

The unforgiving Minrothaddan atti-tude toward crime is most evident in thejudgements delivered for thievery. Thefthas always been a problem in ports andtrading communities because the quanti-ty of merchandise and number of peoplepassing through offer so many opportu-nities for larceny. The penalties for theftin the Minrothad Guilds are harsh andexplicit, as are the sentences for manyother offenses.

Fines and incarceration are notunknown punishments, but even theyare taken to extremes. Fines are exorbi-tant, with the clear intent to strain theresources of the guilty party. Imprison-ment is unpleasant at best.

Punishment for the heinous crime oftreason can extend even to the relatives ofthe criminal, depending on how severethe treasonable action was. A shippingschedule betrayed to a foreign competi-tor, for instance, might be punished withexile for the criminal and anyone else whoknew about it. If, instead, the criminalhelped assassins kill a guild master, thepenalty could be the extermination of theaccused and his entire family.

Foreigners who commit crimes are usu-ally punished more strictly than arenatives. Typical punishments for crimescommitted in the Minrothad Isles oraboard a guild ship are listed in the side-bar.

Prison: Minrothad dungeons areamong the worst in the world. They arefilthy and the prisoners are fed justenough to keep them alive. When RulingGuildmaster Oran Meditor took office,he stopped the practice of torture in thesedungeons. But life itself can be torture ifthe sentence is very long; people whohave been condemned to 20 years or lifehave pleaded to be put to death instead.

Black Seal Warrant: No official con-demnation is more uniquely Minrothad-dan than the Black Seal Warrant, namedso for the black wax of its official seal. Thewarrant is a death decree issued as pun-ishment for the most censured of crimes,such as assassination or treason. The war-rant must be recommended by the courtand endorsed by the ruling guildmaster.A criminal need not stand trial in person

to receive the Black Seal as his punish-ment, but can be tried in absentia.

Once the warrant is signed, a goldpiece value is set upon the condemnedcriminal as a bounty. This unusual sen-tence is the Minrothad Guilds' way ofsaying, "No matter where you are, wewill eventually find you and executeyou." It also is a license for the ThievesGuild to travel abroad or hire foreignersto execute the criminal with impunityregardless of where he is found.

This warrant is so far-reaching becauseof the vital trade connections of theMinrothad Guilds. A country that offersrefuge to a Black Seal-condemned crimi-nal soon finds that guild ships will carryno goods to or from that country. If thismeasure proves inadequate, the guildputs similar pressures on the allies of therecalcitrant country, until it becomesmore economical—and politicallyexpedient—to give up the condemnedcriminal. The fugitive finds that there is aprice on his head and most people knowit. He can trust no one and few will shel-ter him.

Occasionally, in the case of foreign dig-nitaries or notables, the Black Seal War-rant is not publicly announced, but isprivately issued to the Thieves Guild.Normally, though, the warrant is postedpublicly in the Minrothad Isles, displayedon all guild trading vessels, and distrib-uted in foreign ports by Minrothadagents.

typical SewteNces

Crime: Punishment

Defamation of character: Varies fromtime in the stocks to the death pen-alty, depending on degree of dam-age.

Tax evasion: Flogging.

Profiteering: Flogging, fine, or both.

Breaking and entering: Blinding.

Theft: Loss of one or both hands.

Purposefully distracting victim duringtheft or robbery: Loss of tongue.

Embezzlement from employer, aguild, or the government: Blindingand loss of one or both hands.

Swindling, running confidencegames: Fine of up to 50,000 gp andimprisonment for up to 20 years.

Sacriligious acts against a church: Fineand one year in the dungeon.

Theft from a church: As above, plusconfiscation of all property andexile after release from thedungeon.

Unauthorized spell-casting: Variesfrom small fine (for a harmless spellcast in ignorance) to the death sen-tence (for deadly magic).

Kidnaping or molestation: Death bystoning.

Murder or attempted murder: Deathby hanging.

Assassination or attempted assassina-tion: Death by impalement.

Piracy: At sea—death by drowning(walking the plank or keelhauling);In port—death by hanging.

8

Society of Quilbs"Hoy, now! Craft Row be a. mighty

street, think you not? And you could use a.guide, I'd guess. I'm the one for you:Kirana Welkie, apprentice magic dealer.Guild Corser, if you don't ken the check-mark. Nevermind these packages—I have'em to deliver, but only to places on CraftRow. A talking stroll takes me not too farout of my way. Two quert be a fair fee."

This polyglot society is a striking com-bination of peoples, customs, and cul-tures that have come together in thecooperative melting pot called the Minro-thad Guilds. The dominant culture thathas evolved is a blend of native human,elvish, halfling, and dwarvish practices.It is a society given to change and adapta-tion, constantly incorporating new ele-ments encountered and borrowed byMinrothad traders abroad.

LaNCjuaqes"We be civilized folk, as you notice.

No barkers, no hawkers. Wares on shopwindows and sidewalk tables, neat-like,so's you can browse as you walk.

"Yes, that shop keep be talking to you.He were saying, 'come in and lookaround,' not 'go fish in the sea.' Theaccent be hard for a new ear to catch.That were 'fetch on an' scree' in Patois."

The language spoken in Minrothad isthe Minrothad Patois, which mixes ele-ments of the original speech of theguilds' member races with words takenfrom other tongues, old and new. Thiscolorful language combines archaic refer-ences and modern slang, and is constant-ly changing due to the influx of newwords that traders have picked up.

Minrothad Patois has a sing-songcadence and sometimes rhymes senten-ces. The melodic pattern carries overwhen Minrothaddans speak other lan-guages, and islanders find it difficult tolose this accent when speaking foreigntongues. Although portions of Patois arecomprehensible (though strangelyaccented) to native speakers of its majorsource languages, it is a difficult languageto become fluent in.

Besides Patois, almost every language

of the known world can be heard in theMinrothad Guilds. The merchants knowmany foreign tongues, and people of eve-ry nationality visit these shores. A transla-tor or native speaker of most languagescan be found in the larger cities, andsome Minrothaddan somewhere is boundto speak whatever odd dialect a travelermight know.

NaMesMost names heard in the Minrothad

Guilds consist of a first name and a sur-name indicating one's craft or occupa-tion. Regardless of race, namesincorporate the wealth of borrowed wordsshared in the Minrothad Patois.

Elves and dwarves have drifted consid-erably from their continental linguisticroots, especially in their choice of sur-names. An elvish weaver may be namedWeafer, and a dwarvish smith, Bellows.Human names also consist of a first nameand surname, but are less often related tooccupations, and sound like names fromthe mainland.

DnessFishermen and farmers dress in loose,

light clothes woven of native cottons.Dyes made from shellfish are popular andcloth is often colored with purple, crim-son, or yellow. These dyes are worth asmall fortune in many mainland coun-tries, but are considered commonplace byMinrothad natives.

In the cities it is almost impossible totell a Minrothaddan by his clothes alone,because they are likely to come from any-where. Sophisticated folk indulge theirtaste for bright colors and importedproducts. Textiles from every mainlandport are available in Minrothad, and awilder array of fashion can be seen in noother country of the world.

Like their language, Minrothad dress isa pastiche of elements. On any mainstreet can be seen bright silks, brocadedlinens, brushed velvets and shimmeringsatins, elegant boots, high-laced sandalsor soft slippers, elaborate hats and tur-bans. Lighter materials are prefered

because of the climate, but cool weatheror passing fad brings out woolens andfurs.

Styles change more quickly among theMinrothad Guilds than in any othernation, coming and going as rapidly asshipments of cargo. Continental fashionsare imitated, or their elements recom-bined in a typically Minrothaddanensemble: a brocaded Karameikan dou-blet, silken Thyatian hose, an lerendi-style cap, boots and belt of Alfheimtooled leather.

Dietany HabitsMinrothaddans eat four meals a day.A simple breakfast is followed by din-

ner shortly after noon, when shops closeup for a two-hour break during mealtimeand the rest period following it. Supper isthe largest meal of the day, eaten in theevening. If supper is eaten sooner and theindividual is staying up later, he also hasthe traditional "evening bread," a lightmeal of bread, cheese, fruit, and wine.Among halflings, this meal is much larg-er and is always served an hour or twobefore bedtime.

Fish is the main source of protein in theMinrothad Isles. The fishing fleet meetsall domestic needs and even provides asmall export surplus offish and shellfish.This diet is supplemented with seaweedand shellfish, native fruits and vegeta-bles, sugar from cane grown by halflings,and the meat of pigs and game birds.Goats provide milk products and some-times meat.

Minrothaddans do not grow staplecrops such as rice or oats in quantity.Instead, they import large amounts ofgrains and other foods from the conti-nent. Specialty foods such as cheeses andwines are also in demand.

"If you be looking for something anddon't see it, ask a shop keep. They gotmountains more hidden away inside.These buildings be much larger than theylook, really, with lots of rooms, and court-yards in the elvish ones."

"Ctje Society of ttye

Minrothad farming and fishing villagesuse simple, spacious wooden A-framehuts of one or two rooms. Near the coastthese are framed of wood and coveredwith woven palm leaf matting, whileinland the walls are split saplings inter-woven with withes and covered with mat-ting.

Wooden buildings also dominate theconstruction in the cities. In humansettlements such as Harbortown, slat-walled houses are built slightly above theground on posts. Structures have highceilings and wide windows that open easi-ly to the outdoors.

Lacking adequate trees to build homesin, Minrothad elves constructed woodenbuildings with many interconnectedrooms. Adapting the form for ease ofdefense, some elvish cities feature blocky,pueblo-like buildings. Outside they dis-play windowless outer walls reinforced bymasonry, but inside are a maze of con-necting rooms leading into enclosedopen-air courtyards.

Halflings favor the burrow-like dwell-ings of their ancestors, although for busi-ness purposes many build raised woodenhouses like their human neighbors.

Except for dwarves, who build withcompacted volcanic rock, only thewealthy and the government build withstone in Minrothad. Supplies of usefulquarry stone or clay for bricks are almostnonexistant on these islands, and suchmaterials must be imported from themainland. City fortifications, bridges,and the mansions of the rich are generallymade of stone.

The Religions of Minrothad.

HolidaysMinrothaddans pride themselves on

working hard and playing hard. Theytake any excuse to have a good time, aslong as essential work has been done or iscaught up. Numerous religious andnational holidays fill the Minrothadcalandar, and it is common practice toreceive time off of work on the day orafternoon that is holy in an individual'sreligious beliefs. These holidays aredescribed in the Minrothad calendar, andmonthly holy days are explained under

Religious BeliefsMinrothaddans are rarely fanatic about

their religious beliefs, and talk littleabout the philosophies they adhere to.They are tolerant of the beliefs of for-eigners. Whether or not they are reli-gious, most natives wear a holy symbol ormedallion with the mark of their church.Such an item is considered to bring goodluck and blessings to the individual'sendeavors. Temples are low-key affairslocated in residential areas away from thehub-bub of visiting foreigners and com-mercial districts.

Visitous to tl?e MiNnotljaOQuilbs

"Sorry you can't get price breaks—those be only for guildmembers. But ifyou happen to be a range, you mightmention it to an innkeep, and you '11 get agood room."

There are a great number of foreignersin Minrothad, traveling on commercialbusiness or for pleasure. A visitor to theIsles notices the odd dress, strange lan-guages, and peculiar customs of thesepeople, but island natives have becomeinured to this panorama of variety. Trav-elers do not attract any particular atten-tion in the cities of the MinrothadGuilds, no matter how outrageous theirappearance or uncouth their dress. For-eigners are treated with courtesy andrespect, at least as long as there is profit orgood will to be made. There are, how-ever, a few exceptions to these rules.

Spell-casters: Magic is the domain ofthe merchant-princes and a few selectmembers of the Tutorial Guild. Magicnot related to seafaring is unfamiliar tothe masses, and those who practice thisart are figures of intrigue and mystery tothe common Minrothaddan.

Foreigners who are identified as magic-users attract a great deal of attention andcuriousity seekers. A spell-caster mightbe singled out by his distinctive dress oropen use of magic. A person who wears apentagram on his clothes might be mis-

taken for a magic-user as well, for thissymbol is forbidden in Minrothad to anybut merchant-princes. In either case, hesoon finds himself followed by a gaggle ofinquisitive children, and is a suddenlypopular target of "casual" conversationwith passing adults.

Thieves: Anyone with the temerity toidentify himself as a thief is at first disbe-lieved. If he insists it is true, or has provenit by some action, Minrothaddans reactwith horror and hatred. The penalties forthievery are quite unforgiving, and any-one who is clearly a shady character iswatched wherever he goes.

CUStOMS

"Oh, no! That be a dock-party at Slip-peryfoot's shop, where I take this lastpackage. My regrets, but I leave you here.Once in that crowd, I may not get outagain. Enjoy the Row—and if you want tojoin the dock-party, stand on the streetoutside the shop. Belike the party willcome to you!"

It is not proper to quiz Minrothaddansabout guild politics or problems. Nativesdo not discuss these matters with outsid-ers, and take offense at these questions.

It is customary to boast about a guild'sgood points while giving a sales pitch,and a buyer hears this if he asks about aproduct or service. A sale concluded aftera bargaining session is toasted with adrink of imported brandy, kept by theshop keeper for just such occasions. Cus-tomers who buy expensive items mightbe invited to dinner by the merchant.

Ships come and go in Minrothad portsall the time. The more important arrivalsand departures are observed with a"docking party," sponsored by a guild orship master. Docking parties are held inthe factor's offices, a nearby warehouse,or elsewhere in town away from the vesseland busy dock.

Most of the crew attends these raucusevents, which sweep up passersby andsometimes migrate into the streets. Simi-lar celebrations are held for the launchingof new ships. Foreigners invited to suchevents are specially privileged.

10

yJ^wWM-OC-M-WB-O-B^o-Q-n-M-fMHWW •M-B-0-B-H-B-H-B-B-B-M-W

Society of ttye Mi

Tips toFrom SL tailor who serves the nobility ofSpecularum:

"There's no greater clothes-horse thana Minrothaddan. Take along a new-stylebelt buckle or a robe of a new cut andyou'll have a great bargaining tool. Youcould give it away as a gift—and very flat-tered the recipient will be—or trade it forwhat you want to buy. Whatever you takewill have a terrific value because it'll be sonovel. But the item better be somethingthat's only just come out, or it will alreadybe in Minrothad!"

From an Alfheim elf:

"Be careful. Minrothad elves resembleshadowelves too closely for it to be a coin-cidence. They're every bit as full of intri-que and plots, that's for sure, and theirsea magic makes them almost as powerfulas elf wizards. I don't think they can betrusted very far."

From a halfling merchant from the FiveShires:

"If you don't have the patience for bar-gaining, you'll pay full price for everything,and that can be pretty expensive in theislands. Of course, retail prices are fixed inthe shops, and you can't argue with those,but other things are very negotiable: thecost of dinner or lodgings, the price of pas-sage on a ship or the cost of its cargo, evenwages for nonguild work. Bargaining's afine art with guildsmen. They're disap-pointed if you don't dicker."

From a Karameikos knight:

"Don't bother to pick a fight with aMinrothaddan. They laugh in your faceand say they'll see you in a court of law.Even the merchant-princes lack the honorto defend themselves with honorablecombat. They threaten with law suits orresort to magic. They're cowards, all!"

From a wizard of Vestland:

"Never refuse a social invitation in

Minrothad! That's where the real busi-ness is done: at dinner parties, on holidayget-togethers, or after work in the tav-erns. If you're looking for work, or wantto buy or sell something, that's the timeto make the best connections. And thebest way to get invited is to make anexpensive purchase. If it's the merchant'sbiggest sale of the day, the merchant willtake you out after work for a drink or din-ner, and then you can really get down tobusiness."

From a Thyatian thief:

"If you get a job there, don't expectmany days off, unless you convert to oneof their religions. Augrism gives the mostdays off, that's the one I'd look at. And ifyou're not a guild member, stay clear ofguild business! I was in prison there,charged with treason—me!—because Icarried a message from a guild master toa, shall we say, unscrupulous guildsmanthat I knew. Had something to do with anassassination plot, it turned out. I waslucky to get out of there alive."

T I

Beliefs ofMinrothad religions and philosophies

reflect the country's hardworking practi-cality, and have even been reinterpretedto accomodate the modern commercialbent of Minrothaddans. These ethicaloutlooks are rationalized as being similarto the purpose and goals of the Minro-thad Guilds, even where that was notoriginally the case.

Meaning: The Ocean Path.Adherents: Predominantly water elves.Alignment: Neutral.Holy Days: Full moon. Believers take afull day off work.Holy Symbol: Pearl in mother-of-pearl.

This philosophy honors CalithaStarbrow, a water elf from ancient timeswho ascended to immortality in thesphere of Time. She is especially fond ofthe water. She taught water elves the artof seafaring and led them to their homein Minrothad.

Adherents of Elendaen believe theocean is the cradle of all life, for eventrees thrive on rain from storms that formover the sea. Elendaen followers desire toexploit the land and sea wisely so theymay continue to prosper.

Spells affecting the sea are granted tokeepers and other followers of the OceanPath. The Alfasser clan relic is central tothese beliefs, but is a secret matter notspoken about with outsiders. Water elfcharacters may read Secrets of the WaterElves in the DM's book to learn moreabout these private clan matters.

Keepers and others dedicated to Elen-daen wear only garments and accessoriesderived from products of the sea.

DaiNROUW

Meaning: The Forest Way.Adherents: Predominantly wood elves.Alignment: Neutral.Holy Days: New moon. Adherents take afull day off work.Holy Symbol: Oak leaf.

Dainrouw was inspired by Ordana, anelf who, like Calitha Starbrow, ascended

to immortality in the sphere of Time.Those who honor this immortal call her"Forest Mother," and know that shefavors trees and growing things.

Forest elves learned the craft of wood-working from this immortal who legendsays revealed a homeland for them in theMinrothad Isles.

Ordana is an older and greater immor-tal than Calitha Starbrow, although herfollowers have been scattered in the elvishmigrations of olden times and her namehas faded from the memory of most. TheForest Mother gladly embraces any fol-lowers, and has granted clerical spell abil-ities to the few humans who haveconverted to the Forest Way.

The clan relic of the wood elves has aconnection with this immortal, but, aswith the Alfasser, is not discussed withoutsiders. Wood elf characters may readthe Secrets of the Wood Elves in the DM'sbook to learn more about this relic.

Clerics, keepers, and others seriouslydedicated to the Forest Way wear onlygarments and accessories made of wool,cotton, or leather. The favorite weapon ofthese clerics is a hardwood or ironwoodclub, which is +1 to hit because it iscarved to a perfect balance and fit in theindividual's hand.

AUQRiSM

Meaning: Named after visionary dwarf,Wildeye Auger.Adherents: Dwarves and some humans.Alignment: Lawful.Holy Days: First day of every week. Wor-shippers take the afternoon off.Holy Symbol: Medallion depicting twofaceless, staring eyes.

Wildeye Auger was a cleric and a fol-lower of the immortal Kagyar, creator of thedwarvish race (see GAZ 6, Dwarves ofRockhome). Through visions, Augerlearned of immortals who watched overdwarvish craftsmen and took special inter-est in their labor. Auger never glimpsedthose immortals nor learned their names.

There are 12 watchers in all, the fore-most of which are the smith, the miner,and the stonecarver. They rarely interfere

with mortals, but keep a close eye oncraftsmen.

Augrism exhorts its followers to per-form their best at all times. Members ofthis church can be excommunicated forfailing to live up to craft or guild stand-ards. The church requires a 10 percenttithe of its members' annual income.

Clerics of this religion wear simple gar-ments in drab colors. Their heads areshaved in a stripe down the middle of theskull. Their favorite weapon is the stonehammer, which can shatter a metal weap-on on a natural roll of 20.

Meaning: Named after Minroth, theNithian human who colonized theislands.Adherents: Humans and some halflings.Alignment: Lawful.Holy Days: Three annnual holidaysdescribed below. Worshipers have each ofthese days off.Holy Symbol: A four-feathered arrowsymbolizing the arrow fired by Minrothwith inhuman accuracy.

Minroth, a Nithian from the ancientempire, was the agent of an immortalwho revealed that Minroth would findthe secrets of earthly happiness in the Seaof Dread. The human led many of hiscountrymen into the sea and settled Trad-er's Island which they found there.

Followers of Minrothism believe thatthe Minrothad Isles are a divine locationand sacred ground. Here the faithfulmust live in peace and occupy themselveswith useful work. This is the fastest-growing religion in Minrothad, and isembraced by many nonhumans.

Minroth disappeared from Trader'sIsland and is expected to return one day.The holy days of Minrothism start withOnmun 1st, commemorating the expec-tation of Minroth 's return during theyear. Sagmun 10th marks Minroth 'sbirthday, and Decmun 1st is the anniver-sary of his disappearance.

Clerics of this religion may wear, eat,and use only items which originate inMinrothad. Their weapon is the mace.

12

MiNROtrjabOaN CaleNbauMinrothad uses the standard Thyatian

calendar for external trade purposes, butemploys one of native invention for localtime accounting. This calendar, calledthe Verdier calendar after its inventor,consists of 336 days a year. The year isdivided into eleven 30-day months and aspecial midwinter week. Each Minrothadweek consists of six days, with a total offive weeks in a month.

The native word for day is tok. Theword for month is mua. The week beginswith Ontok, then proceeds throughTotok, Dreitok, Firtok, Birtok, and endswith Sagtok.

The calendar shown here is for the year1000 AC. However, Minrothad dates arecalculated from the year of Verdier'sdeath, making the current date 300 VR(for Verdier Reckoning). The lunar phas-es shown on this calandar move back twodays in each subsequent year, althoughthe holidays and special events remainthe same.

D-ryM^VB-Mfl-O-(H^

up during this month. It is dangerous tosail during this period because of very chop-py seas. There are no special holidays.

Firmun (fourth month): Warm weath-er returns as the rains come in force. Elec-trical storms are quite common.

Firmun 4th is the newest special holi-day on the calendar. It is Merchant-PrinceDay, a day for people to revel in themarvels of Minrothad magic. It is alwaysheld outside and usually in the rain. Evenwith electrical storms the celebrations goon for the chance to see merchant-princescontrol the lightning, forming it intodazzling fireworks displays.

A custom among the people at thistime is to wear a favorite older suit ofclothes, get it soaking wet, then throw itaway in the streets the next morningbefore the sun rises. Roads are strewnwith brightly colored garments when thesun comes up and the children love to gooutside and collect them, for the revelershave left little treats and gifts in them forthe boys and girls. The children areallowed to keep the costumes to play"grown-up" in, until the following year'sMerchant-Prince Day when they will bethrown away for good.

Birmun (fifth month): The month offull spring and sunshine when everythingis newly green. Birmun is the prettiestmonth in the first half of the year. Theships now start sailing in earnest andmany of the Merchant Sailors Guildsmenwill not be back until winter sets in again.

Birmun 19 is a special holiday celebrat-ing the founding of the city and guilds of

Minrothad. It is called, appropriatelyenough, Minrothad Day and is a day ofgreat pride among the populace. Hugepicnics are held for the population at theexpense of the government. Every officialof every guild of any import at all makes aspeech on this day. It is also the day elec-tions are held and promotions made to thesenior ranks of the guilds. Politicalappointments by members of the sixthcaste are officially made on this day andany new guild members are inducted withceremony.

Minrothad Day is celebrated both dayand night by ship parades. During theday, fishing boats and barges are decoratedwith flowers, paintings, and other decora-tions to represent scenes from Minrothad'spast. At night, ocean-going ships are hungwith lanterns or set magically alight. Thenthey sail along the beaches and waterfrontsof the cities so everyone can ooh and aah totheir heart's delight.

Sagmun (sixth month): This pleasantmonth is one of the hardest workingmonths of the year for all guild members,who try to complete as many projects aspossible in time for next month's taxassessment. There is no time for specialholidays in this month and even the nor-mal religious holidays are more subduedthan usual.

Sebmun (seventh month): The weatherstarts turning quite hot by this time andthe people spend most of their time out-doors if at all possible. Inclement weatheralso increases during this month, usuallyin the form of horrible thunderstorms orhurricanes. The 15th of Sebmun is actu-ally two special holidays in one. The 14this technically a work day, but no oneworks. They just stand around and watchas the Minrothad tax assessments for busi-nesses and guilds are performed this day.The taxing process and formula are incred-ibly complex affairs, with one result beingthat if a guild has a lot of unsold merchan-dise on hand, its taxes are lower. Thismeans that if the guild had a very goodyear, the last month and a half have beenespecially difficult on its members as theytry to produce surplus merchandise inorder to lower the guild's taxes.

This diligence is completely relaxed on

14

Holidays are guild-sponsored days off.All work stops throughout Minrothad forcarnivals, bazaars, and merriment. Oth-erwise, people work every day unless theyhave a religious holiday off (seeReligions).

Special Holidays are national holidayssponsored by the government. They arelike normal holidays but even more fes-tive and usually mark some special eventin the history of Minrothad.

Onmun (first month): A cold, mid-winter month. The 1st marks the begin-ning of the calendar. There are no specialholidays in the month.

Tomun (second month): The cold con-tinues through most of the month, thenstarts to drop off in the last week.

Tomun 8th is celebrated as the Feast ofthe Silver Purge, when all the vampires andlycanthropes were thought to have beenpurged from Minrothad. People celebrateby telling scary stories and having a big feastto thank their deities for sparing them theevils of lycanthropy and vampirism. It alsogives people a chance to use up winter pro-visions and foodstuffs that have been savedfor this special occasion. There was a secondoutbreak of lycanthropy in 280 VR; sincethat time, these celebrations have beenheld exclusively indoors with one's immedi-ate family.

Dreimun (third month): Cold winds stillblow but the temperature begins to warm

CaleNban

the 15th, called All's Reckless Day. Noone works or even sells anything, they justplay and celebrate, often in a lasciviousmanner. The day is spent in athleticevents, eating or drinking contests, andshows of martial expertise, which only themost daring participants enter. Animalcostumes and weird masks are worn thatnight as the citizenry of every village andtown celebrates in the streets into the weehours of the morning. Morals absolutelycollapse around this time; many an unex-pected child was conceived on All's Reck-less Eve.

The 16th is a day of work, but it is a dayof absolute quiet as laid down by the law.A family with noisy pets or children canbe fined as much as 100 gp for disturbingthe peace. The day is usually spent clean-ing the shops, going over the books, andnursing a headache the size of the city ofMinrothad.

Oxmun (eighth month): This month isthe hottest for Minrothad and most peo-ple are driven into the shade or to theshores for cool breezes. It is the month oflowest productivity in the islands, but ofthe greatest tourist trade. No one wouldbother coming out for a special holiday,so none are held.

Nomun (ninth month): This month isthe start of fall and is quite peaceful. It isa very hard work month for guild mem-bers as they try to catch up for the losttime in Oxmun. Nomun 11th is the lastspecial holiday until the huge Midwinterfestival. It is called Bask Day, and is spentbasking in the sun and being inactive. Itis also a day of fasting, to remind peopleto work harder in the days to come so thatfood can be purchased for the wintermonths and people will not go hungry.The first of the far-ranging trading vesselsreturn on or about Bask Day, as donumerous foreign trading vessels. This isbecause it is the only day when foreignerscan sell their merchandise, mostly food,without paying the stiff Minrothaddantariffs. Most families spend a lot of theirsavings and stock up for winter on thisday.

Decmun (tenth month): This month isspent by most of the people doing chorespreparing for winter: preserving foods,

repairing roofs, getting returned shipsready for winter, cleaning and closing upthe guild halls against the weather, etc.The last of the returning ships come induring this month.

Elfrnun (eleventh month): The finalfull month of the year sees the return ofwinter. Sometimes very late ships willreturn in the first week of this month, butafter that it is too dangerous to cross theseas. Any Minrothaddan ship not yetreturned will most likely go to winterquarters at some foreign port, thoughthis can be very expensive. The wind ishorrible during this time of year and peo-ple begin dressing much more warmly,though still fashionably. The guilds workhard during this month, first to make upfor the time they expect to lose to Mid-winter Festival, and second to keep every-one's mind off those ships that are not yetreturned.

Midwinter Festival: This entire weekconsists of special holidays. It is a timewhen all of the guilds most closely associ-ated with the racial holidays put on theirvery best shows and feasts. Decorationsand traditions abound during Mitwok.Pineapples are displayed over doorwayseverywhere, surrounded by leaves fromthe sugar cane. This is believed to bringgood luck and a fruitful upcoming year tothe residents inside.

Miniature palms are always displayedinside a house and larger ones inside theguild halls and government buildings.From these palms, tiny candle lanternsare hung and lit every night as a symbolof lighting the way home for lost sailors orseaman away from home for the holidays.Since Oran Meditor has been in power asruling guildmaster, the gifts given duringthese festivals, especially those for thechildren, are gaily wrapped in scarves andplaced under the tree in hopes of enticingthe spirits of sailors lost at sea to comehome to their loved ones.

Palm wreaths are fashioned and hungin the windows and on walls as a tradi-tional charm against harm by nature'sforces in the upcoming year. And, finally,tiny bells are hung from belts, hats,shoes, and doorways to add to the festivemood.

Mitwok 1st is celebrated as WaterElves' Day. The 2d is Forest Elves' Day.The 3d is Humans' Day. The 4th is Half-lings' Day, and the 5th is Dwarves' Day.Gift-giving is rampant at this time ofyear. On each day, that specific race givespresents to each other and receivespresents from friends of different racesjust for being a dwarf, elf, etc. Many stir-ring speeches are made about the joys ofbeing a halfling, the wonders of being ahuman, and so on, but always in goodtaste and rarely with any racial slurstoward the other peoples of Minrothad. Itis a time for being together with one'sfamily and guild and thanking one's dei-ties for the myriad of blessings bestowedupon all Minrothaddans.

The last day of the Midwinter Festival,Mitwok 6th, is the second-newest specialholiday. It is called Meditor Day. It origi-nally celebrated the position of rulingguildmaster of Minrothad, but underOran has been expanded to include thepolitical guilds as well. Originally it was atime for people to thank the family ofMeditor for working so hard in govern-ment service all year round. This wasdone by lavishing gifts on the family andthe palace. But in his first year as rulingguildmaster, Oran put a stop to that. Herealized that it was only an official briberyday founded and sanctioned by the fami-ly guild leaders. He insisted that themoney be spent on Minrothad 's childreninstead.

The day now has three phases of cele-bration. The first is the family and guildcelebration in the morning, includinggift exchanges. The second is the after-noon parade of citizens to serenade favor-ite locals who work for political guilds as away of saying "thank you." If the politicalguild members are particularly effectivein their posts, they may receive small giftsfrom the citizens and /or bonus moneyfrom the master treasurer. The third partof the celebration is the evening ritual oftaking down the Mitwok decorations andhaving a very late feast to celebrate thepassing of the old year. This meal is tradi-tionally spent with someone outside ofone's guild or family, and presents areoften exchanged at this time too.

Races ofThe racial groups of the Minrothad

Guilds remain distinctive within the larg-er society, but their customs differ fromthose of their continental cousins. Eachgroup has borrowed significantly fromthe others, and in the case of the waterelves has evolved an entirely new life-stylefrom that which their race had previouslyknown. These groups and their uniqueaspects are described here.

ElvesThe most populous race in the Minro-

thad Guilds is elves. Minrothad elves aredivided into two groups: the so-calledwater elves, and the wood elves. Thesenames are descriptive of the habitat theyprefer to live near, and reflects the natureof the guild crafts these people pursue.

Wood ElvesWood elves are also called forest elves

in Minrothad Patois. The terms are syn-onymous and refer exclusively to theforest-dwelling elves of these islands whowork wood and other products of theearth.

Appearance: Wood elves have hairranging in color from blond to brown,with green or hazel eyes. Their featuresbear a distant resemblance to the elves ofAlfheim.

Behavior: These elves are without adoubt more "serious-minded" than theirmainland cousins. They are interested inactively practicing their handicrafts, andare more inclined than most elves to stickwith long-term projects.

Wood elves throw themselves fully intowhatever activity they have chosen to pur-sue. If it is woodworking, for example,they set a goal, then labor tirelessly formonths or years to achieve it. A typicalgoal might be to become a master wood-carver, or to perfect a new color-fast dyefor cloth.

When their work is complete, theseelves abandon themselves to the pursuitof pleasure with as much dedication asthey applied to their work. Although anelf might labor almost continuously for ayear or more, he is then ready to take a

break that, in turn, may last months oryears. Wood elves "on vacation" areencountered outside of Alfeisle, andthose with years of free time even journeyto the mainland seeking fun and adven-ture before they return to work.

Guild and Clan: Minrothad wood elvesbelong to Guild Verdier, which is namedfor a wood-elf clan of ancient distinction.Guild Verdier handles wood andproducts of the earth.

Old-elvish clan names have long sincegone by the wayside under the impact ofguild influences and the Minrothad lan-guage. Wood elves now use names adopt-ed from Patois which are descriptive ofthe craft each clan has specialized in. Themost influential clans of Guild Verdierare Clan Forster, Clan Wraight, and ClanShuter. Other clan names can be seen onthe Guild Verdier organization chart.

Skills: All wood elves have the skill ofClimbing. Each also has one handicraftskill appropriate to the craft of the clan towhich he belongs; those skills are furtherdescribed under Guilds. Skills are basedon the following attributes:

Bowyer: IntelligenceBuilding Construction: IntelligenceCabenetmaking: IntelligenceCanvasmaking: IntelligenceClimbing: DexterityClothier: IntelligenceCooper: IntelligenceFletching: IntelligenceMachine Making: IntelligenceRopemaking: DexteritySpinning: DexterityToolmaking: IntelligenceTree-cutting: IntelligenceWeaving: DexterityWheelwright: IntelligenceWoodworking: Intelligence

Waten ElvesThe water elves have formed a more

distinctive sub-culture than their woodelf brethren, and are recognized as agroup separate from the mainstreamelvish race. In this regard, they are similarto the shadowelves of the Broken Lands,to whom they bear a physical resem-

blance that many elves find unsettling.Appearance: Water elves are towed-

headed or have light blond hair thatbleaches almost white in the sun. Theireyes are blue-gray and their complexionsare pale in spite of constant exposure toweather and sun. They have a faintresemblance to the Alfheim elves, butlook even more like shadowelves becauseof their coloration.

Behavior: A water elf s first love is thesea. He is fascinated by its ever-changingmoods and excited by the challenges itconstantly presents to the seafarer. Hiscuriousity is piqued by its watery mys-teries; a water elf loves to travel on theocean and learn about the creatures in it,and often masters magic which deals spe-cifically with the sea and the weather.

Water elves were the first inhabitantsof the Minrothad Isles to explore the localwaters thoroughly. They were the first todevelop moveable rigging on sailing craftso that a vessel could sail close to the windand maneuver with ease. They continueto innovate and improve their sailing ves-sels, giving the merchant fleet of theMinrothad Guilds its justly-deserved rep-utation as the finest and swiftest in theknown world.

This avid interest in the ocean and waysto travel upon it have made the waterelves one of the driving forces of theMinrothad Guilds. It was their seafaringknowledge and wanderlust combinedwith the human interest in trade thatenabled the Minrothad Guilds to expandand dominate sea-going commerce.

Always anxious to travel, water elvesare excited by new sights, new lands, andnew prospects for trade. They are happyto arrive at a destination, and are equallyhappy to leave it for some place new, pro-viding the traveling is done by sea or riv-er. More than half of the Minrothadtraders encountered in continental portsare water elves, as are many of themerchant-prince ship captains, but theseelves do not care to be factors or guildrepresentatives permanently posted in aforeign city.

16

Races of

Special AbilitiesIn addition to standard elvish abilities,

water elves have some special ones whichset them apart them from other races ofelves.

Direction Sense. A water elf has a 75percent chance of correctly sensing com-pass directions at all times. This innatesense works only outdoors, not under-ground, but is extremely useful on over-cast days or during fogs and darkness atsea. It can be used once per day.

Navigation Sense. Similar to directionsense, this enables a water elf to know inwhat direction a destination lies in rela-tion to his current position, providing hehas been to that place at least oncebefore. This ability is accurate 75 percentof the time. It can be used once per desti-nation. For this reason it is said that oncea water elf has been to a port, he canalways find his way back again.

Guild and Clan: Water elves are mem-bers of one of the clans of Guild Elsan,named for a family of leading water elves.The guild deals with things pertaining toships and seafaring.

Water elf names, like those of the woodelves, do not sound particularly elvish,but they do not follow the general Minro-thad custom of describing a craft. Lead-ing water elf clans are Clan Kelar andClan Manre. Other clan names can beseen in the guild organization chart.

Skills: All water elves have the skill ofBoat Sailing, which is the ability to sailboats and does not apply to ships. Theindividual may be familiar with the prin-ciples of maneuvering ships, but is notautomatically skilled in doing so.

Each water elf also has one craft skillappropriate to the craft of the clan towhich he belongs; those skills are furtherdescribed under Guilds. Skills are basedon the following attributes:

Boat Sailing: IntelligenceHarpooning: DexterityKeelmaking: IntelligenceMastmaking: IntelligenceNetmaking: DexterityPiloting: IntelligenceRigging: IntelligenceShellworking: IntelligenceShip Sailing: IntelligenceTacklemaking: IntelligenceVarnishing: Intelligence

HUMaNS

Humans are a minority race in theMinrothad Guilds, but the positions theyoccupy speak for their ambitions andmastery of skills. Descended fromNithian stock, these islanders were oncecontent with a pastoral existence as fisher-men until water elf ships gave them theadvantage they needed to pursue tradeand profits. They have done so successful-ly ever since.

Appearance: Traders have oftenbrought back wives from foreign ports,and thus introduced a variety of blood-lines and appearances among Minrothadnatives. "Vet, the majority of Minrothadhumans have wavy brown or black hair,green or brown eyes, and a fair complex-ion that darkens slowly in the sun. Aminority are red-heads, resembling theAlphatians who visited these islands inancient times.

Behavior: Minrothad humans areinquisitive and energetic. They loveinteraction with strangers and the chal-lenge of working out an equitable deal inwhich each party benefits. They can befast talkers who are sometimes openlyquarrelsome, but serious anger finds itsoutlet in subtle intrigue and convolutedplots for revenge.

17

Races of

These Minrothaddans enjoy innova-tion in business methods and constantlysearch out untapped markets to develop.They are hard workers who expect appro-priate rewards for their efforts. They arehurt and feel cheated if a special effortgoes unnoticed, and are themselves gen-erous with praise and thanks.

Minrothad humans have a reputationfor honesty, especially in business mat-ters. Their ethics, however, are sometimescalled into question: at one time theywere persuaded to trade in slaves on theheels of a Thyatian war, and many main-landers have never forgotten this. How-ever, most factors and buyers in foreigncountries are Minrothad humans, andthey find that that part of their country'spast has little impact on current businessdealings.

Guild and Clan: Most humans aremembers of Guild Corser, which handlesselected rareties and food. The guildencompasses many races besides humans;specific clans do not monopolize any oneaspect of it.

Human names come from a combina-tion of ancient Nithian and Alphatianroots, with a large admixture of namesfrom the continent. They rarely indicateguild ties or occupational specialties, andcan sound like names from anywhere onthe mainland. Typical human names canbe seen in the guild organization chart.

Skills: Humans in Minrothad haveeither one of two skills. The skill of Bar-

gaining is the ability to get the best possi-ble price for goods, services, orinformation. The skill of Appraisal is theability to figure out what something isworth.

If two people appraise an item, the onewho wins by the greater margin assessesits value with greater accuracy. If two peo-ple with bargaining skill use it on eachother, whoever makes the best roll wins.Penalties may be awarded to either char-acter to reflect difficulties in the bargainto be made. This skill is primarily used forquick bargaining with NPCs.

Skills commonly available to thehumans of Guild Corser and the abilitiesthey are based on are given here. Theskills are further explained under Guilds.

Animal Training: IntelligenceAppraisal: IntelligenceBargaining: IntelligenceBrewing: IntelligencePipe Making: Dexterity

HalfliNQSBrought to Minrothad by slave-trading

humans, halflings have long since wontheir freedom and have put theirunpleasant past completely out of theirminds. Adopting mercantile habits andeven religious beliefs from their formermasters, the natural industry of the half-lings has enabled them to participate inthe guilds as prosperous full members.

Appearance: Minrothad halflings havecurly red or sandy-brown hair, and blueor brown eyes. Some become quite tan inthe constant Minrothad sun.

Behavior: Minrothad halflings workwith more zeal than their cousins of theFive Shires, a result of the sudden con-trast between working for a slave masterand working for one's self. These half-lings reap the fruit of their own labors;they regard it as an added bonus that theyalso see the results in increased incomeand luxury goods.

To a Minrothad halfling's mind, otherguilds' members either work too much ortoo little. Humans seldom take time off,dwarves work at a single project for years,and elves take a two-year hiatus and call it

a break. The halflings, however, knowhow to pace themselves. They rise at anhour neither too later nor too early; theywork until they are hungry, break for ameal—either once or several times,depending how famished they become—then return to work some more. They donot fret about labor during leisure time,or spend too much work time planningfor their leisure. Halflings are as proud ofthis happy medium in their work lives asthey are of the goods they craft.

Guild and Clan: Most halflings aremembers of Guild Quickhand, namedfor the halfling who freed the slaves. Theguild handles leather, basic crafts, andfuels.

Halfling names follow the generalMinrothad custom of describing a craft.Leading halfling families bear the namesNimblefingers or Goldenhair. Otherfamily names can be seen in the guildorganization chart.

Skills: All halflings have skill in Farm-ing. Other skills common to GuildQuickhand are given here, along with theabilities they are based on. Where neces-sary, crafts are further explained underGuilds.

Basketweaver: DexterityCharcoal Maker: IntelligenceCobbler: IntelligenceFarming: IntelligenceFurrier: IntelligenceGlassblower: DexterityHornmaker: DexterityLeather Armorer: IntelligenceOil Maker: IntelligencePotter: DexteritySaddlemaker: Intelligence

DwaiwesThe forefathers of these dwarves left

Rockhome and migrated to Glantri,where they found no welcome for theirlarge numbers. Minrothad traders recog-nized the wealth of skilled craftsmen inthis group of dwarves and invited them toemigrate and join the Minrothad Guilds.The dwarves agreed, and have dominatedmetal and stone working in the guildsever since.

Races of

Appearance: Minrothad dwarves keeptheir dark brown hair and beards shorterthan the dwarvish norm because of thehot climate in which they live. Their eyesare brown or amber, and they are of stock-ier build than most of their continentalcousins.

Behavior: These dwarves enjoy thefreedom to pursue their handicrafts withno distraction. They care for trading lessthan most folk of the guilds and prefer toleave the sales aspect of their business toothers.

An unexpected benefit of their moveto Minrothad was the chance to tunneland explore in previously untouched vol-canic rock. With their pragmatic turn ofmind, these dwarves are challenged anddelighted to come up with new buildingcompounds, unusual tools and specialmanufacturing processes tailored for theirisland environment.

Dwarves are the least involved in guildintrigues of any Minrothad group. Theyconsider most of the island politics to befoolishness that will pass with time. As agroup they become angered only whenpolitics interferes with their work forsome reason.

Individuals are touchy about unfin-ished work, refusing to show or talk aboutitems that are not yet ready for presenta-tion. These dwarves are the most indiffer-ent bargainers in Minrothad, settingwhat they believe to be a fair price andstanding by it without a word of debate.

Guild and Clan: Most dwarves aremembers of Guild Hammer, named forthe Hammer clan which led the exodus toMinrothad. The guild does crafts whichdeal with metal and stone.

Minrothad dwarves no longer use theirnames from Rockhome, but have takencraft-related names like other guildsmen.Leading clans are Clan Stronghold, ClanDuger, and Clan Hewer. Other commonclan names can be see in the guild organi-zation chart.

Skills: All Minrothad dwarves have theskill of Appraisal (see Humans, above).Other skills common to Guild Hammerare given here, along with the abilitiesthey are based on. Where necessary, craftsare further explained under Guilds.

Appraisal: IntelligenceArmorer: IntelligenceBlacksmithing: IntelligenceEngineering: IntelligenceJeweler: IntelligenceMasonry: IntelligenceMining: IntelligenceStonecutting: IntelligenceTrap Building: IntelligenceWeapon Smithing: Intelligence

SkillsCharacters might have a variety of

background skills that are not dealtwith in the rule books. Each such skillis based on one of the character's abili-ties (Strength, Intelligence, Wisom,Dextierity, Constitution, or Cha-risma).

Be<j/NNr/N<7 SkillsBeginning Minrothad characters

know one skill in which their clan andguild specializes, one racial skill asdescribed for that race, and may selectone additional skill. If a character'sIntelligence is 13 to 15, he may selecttwo additional skills rather than one;with an Intelligence of 16 to 17, threeextra skills; and an Intelligence of 18gives him four additional skill choices.

UsiNQ Skills

When a character needs to use hisskill, the player rolls Id20 against hiscurrent ability score for that skill. Ifthe result of the roll is less than orequal to the ability, the skill use suc-ceeds. A roll of 20 always fails, no mat-ter how high the chance for success.

When two characters compete inthe same skill, the one who makes hisroll by a greater margin of successwins. For example, a result five lessthan the number needed beats a resultthat is only one less than the numberneeded.

IMPROVING SkinsA character's skill use chance can be

higher than the ability on which it isbased. For instance, an elf who is asuperior woodworker could have ahigher Woodworking roll than his nor-mal Intelligence ability. To accomplishthis, a beginning character can "tradein" one of his extra skill choices toimprove another skill. Each skillchoice traded in gives the character apermanent +1 in a chosen skill.

SkillsAs a character grows more experi-

enced, he can purchase more skills orimprove existing ones.

All characters get a new skill choiceevery four experience levels. Thus,they acquire their first skills at level 1,a new skill at level 5, and another atlevel 9.

Humans continue in this progres-sion for every four levels they increasein skill. Elves gain new skills uponacquiring 1,100,000 XP and then forevery 750,000 XP following. Dwarvesand halflings gain new skills whenreaching 1,200,000 XP, and for every800,000 XP afterward.

ftM-&gOO{HVfrM

OfThe Minrothad Guilds were founded

in 691 AC by Gregus Verdier, a wood elfwho solidified the loose trading confeder-ation of the Minrothad Isles into a systemof guilds and associate guilds. Reponsi-bility for crafts, manufacturing, trading,and sailing (i.e., cargo carrying) wereassigned to specific clans and familygroups so that each race had equal powerand control through a family guild.

Over the following years a number ofmiscellaneous guilds came into beingwhich provided services rather than man-ufactured crafts. These were finally con-solidated into the group of organizationsknown as the Political Guilds.

Guilds are noted for their policies ofnoninterference with craftsmen. Unlikemost mainland guilds, innovation andexperimentation are encouraged, result-ing in a number of finely-made articlesthat are useful and unusual. The work ofthese guilds is recognized as some of thebest in the known world.

A particular clan or family, chosen bymembership consensus, leads each familyguild of craftsmen. The clan is usually afamily group that has historically provid-ed leadership to the guild. A guild masterwho is head of his family guild comesonly from that leading clan. The positionof guild master is hereditary, and passeson to an heir of master-level skill. Subor-dinate master craftsmen advise the guildmaster, or guild leader, as he is sometimescalled, and report directly to him on theirareas of responsibility.

Each guild master is aided by a supportstaff whose functions are uniformthroughout the guilds. Staff consists of afirst guild advisor who interacts with localgovernment; a first guild consort (thespouse of the guild master) who runs theguild hall and guild master's mansion;and a master guild treasurer who auditsthe books, collects taxes from the mem-bership, and controls the guild vaults.There is a master of the guild leader'sagents who is in charge of the small secu-rity force that protects the guild masterand the vault. Finally, there is a guild

master trading liaison who works withother groups in matters of import,export, and domestic trade.

CouNcil of QuilO Leafceus -The guild masters of the various family

guilds meet as the governing body ofMinrothad, known as the Council ofGuild Leaders, or the CGL. Presided overby the ruling guild master, the councilsets policy and passes laws pertaining toguild and government affairs, foreignaffairs, and trade practices.

RuIiNQ QuilO MastenThe hereditary office of ruling guild

master is always filled by a member of theMeditor clan of water elves. This familyfirst led the water elves to the Colony Islesand have been honored leaders eversince. Once a ceremonial position, theoffice is currently held by Oran Meditor,who in recent times has exercised very realcontrol over Minrothad affairs. He isassisted by a cabinet which has the samefunctions as a family guild's supportstaff, except for the lack of a trade liaison.These officers have authority on a nation-al scale (see Minrothad Governmentchart).

The ruling guild master's primary taskis to determine policy and direction forthe country as a whole in cooperationwith family and political guild leaders.He appoints officers to their positions inthe political guilds and mediates argu-ments between the family and politicalguild factions.

In addition, the ruling guild mastermay remove a particular clan from theleadership of its family guild if goodcause can be shown, and elevate a clan ofhis choice to be their successors. The dis-graced clan must be shown to pose athreat to the stability of Minrothad, usu-ally because it has engaged in treasonousactivity (such as an assassination plot orclandestine foreign alliance).

the ruling guild master's strength. Magic,the military, and spy-gathered intelli-gence are but three of the facets of powerrepresented among the political guilds,which are described in detail below.

Although positions of leadership inthe political guilds are appointed offices,it is very difficult to remove a guild mas-ter once he has been assigned unless proofcan be established of criminal acts or grossnegligence. The ruling guild master isvery careful in his choice of appointmentsto these positions.

SocietyMost Minrothaddans of working age

belong to a guild. Political guilds areentered through long apprenticeship andemployment in the organization. Familyguilds are joined at birth or an early ageor, sometimes, through marriage or achange of career.

The concept of a career change, how-ever, is alien to most Minrothaddans. Theaverage citizen believes that a person isborn to be what he is, and nothing else.One who wants to change family guilds isperceived as an oddity of nature: a personwho must be either too proud to workunder the leadership of his clan or who isdefective from birth and unable to physi-cally accomplish the work done by hisguild. Nor is there understanding for onewho wants to change political guilds, forafter years spent in an apprenticeship andwith the guarantee of life-long employ-ment, why would anyone in his rightmind want to go somewhere else?

Faivfily Quilbs(juilt) ElsaN -

Political QuilbsFar more than mere service-providers,

the political guilds form the backbone of

Guild Elsan is mostly comprised ofwater elves. It has complete control overall services and products dealing withship building, navigation, fishing, andworking with raw materials gleaned fromthe sea (sea vegetation, sea shells, and soon).

Master Shipwright: This master crafts-man is in charge of the construction,maintenance, and repair of all Minrothadsailing vessels and boats. He has three

2O

"C176 CJuilOs ofCouNCil of Faivrily QuilO LeaOens

Political Guilds

head craftsmen under him. The headkeelmaker has charge of all ship-buildingsteps except for mast- and tackle-relatedprocedures. The head mastmaker is incharge of all mast and yardarm construc-tion. The head tacklemaker is in charge ofconstruction of blocks and tackle.

Master Varnishmaker: This mastercraftsman oversees the manufacture andapplication of pitch, sealants, varnish,and paint to the Minrothaddan ships andboats. He is also in charge of barnacleremoval and hull cleaning.

Master Fisherman: This master crafts-man is in charge of the construction of allfishing devices, instruction in the tech-niques of fishing, and the Minrothadfishing fleet. He has two head craftsmen

under him. The first is the head netmak-er, who is in charge of net construction,maintenance, and repair and all net fish-ing done in Minrothad waters. The sec-ond is the head harpooner, who is incharge of the construction of harpoonsand all harpoon fishing performed byMinrothad vessels.

Master Sailor: This master craftsmansupervises the instruction of sailing tech-niques and the compilation of sailingknowledge from other countries. Hisduties also include the overseeing of mis-cellaneous sailing and navigationaldevices. He is assisted by two head crafts-men. The head pilot teaches navigation;the head rigger teaches rigging andsailmaking and oversees these items on all

Minrothaddan ships. These craftsmenwork very closely with the Merchant Sail-ors Guild.

Master Shellworker: The title of thisposition dates back to the days whenwater elves worked mostly shells forarmor and weapons. Today the phraseencompasses the manufacturing of any-thing made from materials brought outof the sea. Sea materials are used a lot inMinrothad and many art pieces are nowbeing made by Guild Elsan for the exportmarket.

The master shellworker is assisted bytwo head craftsmen. The first is the headlarge shellworker who overseas work doneon large, bulky items (such as sea shellarmor); the second is the head small

21

!<HHHfrMiHHfrM^HH»Oa<HHHMHlQ{Hl OiHHl ^

"Cl>€ CJuilOs of Mi

shellworker who is mainly in charge of theproduction of art pieces.

Quilt) VGRt>i€RGuild Verdier consists primarily of

wood elves. It has complete control overall services and items having to do withwood and cloth.

Members of Guild Verdier have analmost mystical affinity for wood. Work-ing things gleaned from the land is partof their religion, and they love it. Theyproduce most of the tools, rope, canvas,and cloth used by the other guilds. Theyhave also voluntarily accepted an unoffi-cial responsibility, shared with the half-lings of Guild Quickhand, for raising

Minrothad crops and livestock. Positionsof importance are as follows:

Master Carpenter: This master crafts-man is in charge of all large, wooden,nonsailing constructions, such as build-ings, wharfs, bridges, and so on. He alsosupervises the teaching of carpentry.

The master carpenter is assisted bythree head craftsmen. The head buildingconstructor is in charge of all woodenbuildings constructed or repaired inMinrothad. The head siege machinerymaker is in charge of the construction ofsiege machines for warfare. The construc-tion is done in conjunction with GuildHammer. This is a highly lucrative exportitem and also provides Minrothad portswith extensive defenses. The head wheel-

wright is in charge of the constructionand repair of all large land vehicles inMinrothad.

Master Bowyer: This position existsonly because of the high value the woodelves place on good bows. This entireassociate guild does nothing but makebows, crossbows, bowstrings, arrows, andbolts. Minrothad bows are among the fin-est in the world (+ 2 to hit in the hands ofa member of this guild) and are a popularexport item. The master bowyer is assist-ed by the head fletcher, who is in chargeof collecting the finest feathers availableand making arrows. Custom-made bowsand arrows are the specialty of this associ-ate guild.

Master Woodcutter: This master crafts-

22

CJuilfcs of Mi

man is in charge of the cutting andreplanting of trees throughout Minro-thad. He also is in charge of the transpor-tation of logs, cutting logs into lumber,and grading lumber for sale. Most of thebest lumber in Minrothad is used forGuild Verdier products or shipbuilding;lesser grades of lumber are used in otherconstruction or are exported. Scrap woodis used by the elves for fuel.

Master Woodworker: This mastercraftsman is in charge of the constructionand repair of nonstructural items ofwood. He is assisted by three head crafts-men. The first is the head toolmaker, whois in charge of making wooden tools orwooden handles for tools. He worksclosely with the head toolmaker of GuildHammer. The second is the head cooper,in charge of construction of barrels, kegs,trunks, and boxes made of wood. He isone of the busiest head craftsmen inMinrothad. The third is the head cabinet-maker, who is in charge of the construc-tion of wooden furniture. He works withthe associate guild of clothmakers.

Master Clothmaker: This master crafts-man directs the production of fabrics andrope made from land-grown materials.She is also in charge of fabric dyes,threadmaking, and related small crafts.She is assisted by five head craftsmen.

The first is the head spinner, in chargeof the associate guild of spinners whichtransforms raw material into thread. Thesecond is the head weaver, in charge of

weaving the thread into cloth. The thirdis the head canvasmaker, who takes theheaviest canvas cloth and treats it withparafin for water resistance. She worksclosely with Guild Elsan.

The fourth craftsman is the head cloth-ier, who is in charge of dying cloth, proc-essing it so it will be softer, andstandardizing bolts. The head clothier ismuch busier than many head craftsmanas she is also in charge of the associateguild of tailors. Finally there is the headropemaker, who is in charge of all ropemaking in Minrothad.

QuitoGuild Hammer is made up completely

of dwarves, all descendants of the originalimmigrants led by Darkbrow Hammer orof dwarves who followed shortly thereaf-ter.

Guild Hammer has complete controlover most services and manufacturingthat deal with metal or stone. This groupis an important addition to the Minro-thad Guilds, which was woefully lackingin these areas before the arrival of thedwarves. The guild has also experiment-ed lately with the use of lava in manufac-turing, but the actual applications arestill a secret. Positions of importancewithin the guild are as follows:

Master Miner: This master craftsman isin charge of all underground miningoperations in Minrothad.

Master Stonecutter: This master crafts-man is in charge of all stone cutting andtransportation within Minrothad. He fre-quently travels to other lands to inspectgranite and marble and arrange for itspurchase and transportation to Minro-thad, which has none of these types ofstone.

Master Mason: This master craftsmansupervises all building construction thatis done with stone. He often works closelywith the master carpenter of Guild Ver-dier.

The master mason is assisted by twohead craftsmen. The first is the head trap-ster who designs and constructs all traps,hidden passages, and secret doors withina structure. His office is awash with oldplans of all the buildings where he hasbuilt traps at the owner's request. Thesecond is the head engineer, who designsthe major buildings, towers, and bridgesof Minrothad and who is consulted by theother guilds in matters of engineering.He is also in charge of the Minrothadaquaduct and sewer systems and theirperiodic renovation.

Master Smith: This master craftsman isresponsible for all cast metal and generalpurpose forge work performed in Minro-thad. He is probably one of the two orthree finest smiths alive today. He isdirectly responsible for the design andconstruction of gears, springs, and otherclockwork parts used in the constructionof big devices such as siege engines. His

QU1LD HAMMER (Dwaiwes)Thor Stronghold

(Hammer Guildmaster)

QuilDs of

Up "—As told by halfling Archibald

Oildreg, Senior Journeyman Fuelma-kcr, Guild Quickhand.

"Never a twice-thought on the fishoil did I have, when I were a youngsqueeg. Da come home smelling likehe slept in a bait box, and that was all Iknew. And four out of five meals a daywere fried—oil were cheap, sure.

"Started my learn-time when I wereold enough to catch a flopper with onegrab and hang on. Twitchy thing, afish out o'water. Spent, oh, five yearspacking catch from boat to gutter, andoil-makings to press. After thesqueeze, clean up the mess. That werehalf the clutter.

"Next step up were cranking thepress, then come my turn to processthe oil. Get four grades out now, mostjourneymen only get three. I be topsqueezeman in the shop, and up formastership next year. Who knows?Already sending my own barrel-shareson Cosger's ship that runs to Vorloi-Town in Karameikos. Last run werehot profit. If I make master, I'll openmy own shop.

"Now, I be saving up for my mas-ter's dues. Gotta work a lot of squeezeto pay them fees. But Master Slippery-foot be giving me the bright-eye, saysif I make master he'll slip me into fam-ily council if I got top style. Of coursehe will—his daughter's my sweet, andI be part of his family soon!"

five main associate guilds are the onesmost important to Guild Hammer's pros-perity. He is assisted by three head crafts-men.

The head weaponsmith is in charge ofmanufacturing metal weapons. Thedesign of the weapons is very elegant,even the most basic ones. Minrothadweapons always have a sea motiff etchedinto the blade or worked into the pom-mel or handle. Weapons are popularexport items at all times, but sell best inareas where a war is being conducted.

The master's second assistant is thehead jeweler, who is responsible for thecreation of all jewelry and the construc-tion of small mechanisms. He is also theofficial appraiser of the value of suchitems.

The third assistant is the head black-smith, who overseas three of the associateguilds. He is directly in charge of themanufacturing of metal items that do notfall into the tool or lock category, such ashinges, handles, horseshoes, and so on.He is aided by the head locksmith,responsible for the construction, repair,and dismantling of all locks, and thehead toolmaker, responsible for manu-facturing all metal tools and tool parts.

Master Armorer: This master craftsmanis in charge of the manufacturing of allMinrothad metal armor, helmets,shields, and barding. He is assisted byfour head craftsmen.

The first is the head shieldmaker who isresponsible for all metal shields made inMinrothad and for metal rims and stud-ding put on wooden or metal shields. Thesecond assistant is the head helmetmaker,who is responsible for metal helms andthe metal ribbing or studding of leatheror wooden helms. The third is the headharder, who adds metal plating or stud-ding to leather or cloth barding. Thefourth assistant is the head armormaker,who is in charge of the construction ofmetal body armor and the metal stud-ding, ringing, or plating of leather orcloth armor.

Guild Quickhand consists largely ofhalflings, but also has a fair number ofhumans and some of the other races whodisliked their guilds. This guild controlsall services and manufacturing that dealswith leather, basic crafts, and all forms offuel, with the exception of the scrap tim-ber used by wood elves for firewood.

Since the halflings were late-comers tothe guilds and they couldn't assist withsmithing or stoneworking—badly need-ed skills at that time—they were assignedthe leatherworking crafts that were previ-ously the domain of the wood elves. The

fuel crafts were learned by an ancestor ofNimblefingers, the current guild master,and were handed down along with othernative halfling crafts and some importedskills.

Master Leatherworker: This mastercraftsman is responsible for all leather-working done in Minrothad. From tan-ning and working the hides and furs tomaking them into shoes, boots, belts,saddles, and armor, the master leather-worker oversees it all. He has four headcraftsmen assisting him.

The head cobbler is in charge of mak-ing and repairing shoes and boots andoversees the production of belts, leatherbags, pouches, and all leather accessories.The head saddlemaker supervises themanufacture and repair of all leather har-nesses, saddles, and saddlebags. Thehead furrier is in charge of collecting fursand hides and stripping, tanning, anddying them, working them until theleather is supple, and then transportingthe bulk leather to and from Minrothad.The fourth is the head leather armorer,who is in charge of making leather bodyarmor, shields, helmets, and barding,and having them studded or ringed withmetal for extra protection. This requireshis cooperation with Guild Hammer.

Master Fuelmaker: This master crafts-man oversees the making, transportation,and storage of all the candles, oil, andcharcoal in Minrothad. Effectively, hehandles the creation or acquisition ofgoods to meet most of Minrothad's fuelneeds. He has three head craftsmen work-ing under him.

The head charcoalburner is in charge ofthe production of charcoal and workswith the wood elves in selecting wood forthis purpose. Charcoal is primarily usedin the crafts requiring very hot furnaces,like the metalworking of Guild Hammeror the glassblowing of Guild Quickfinger.The head oilmaker oversees the creationof oil from animal fats and other sources.The head candlemaker is in charge ofmaking all normal and ceremonial can-dles for Minrothad. He is also head of thesmall, associated Wickmakers Guild.

Master Craftsman: This person isresponsible for the cottage industry of

24

KsS5 •Bfl-H-fl-Q-HOB-H-0-&OfliE-frO-0-&fl-H-B-0-B-C

associate guilds that work the basic crafts,such as pottery and basketweaving. He isassisted by four head craftsmen.

The head potter oversees the produc-tion of clayware, stoneware, ceramics,and porcelain objects ranging from platesand bowls for daily use to art objects. Thehead basketweaver is in charge of all thesmall basketweaving associate guilds. Thebaskets made can be as small as a littlewoven collector's box for trinkets or aslarge as the baskets used for carrying cer-tain types of bulk cargo. Some of the bas-kets made are even waterproof. The headglassblower oversees the manufacture ofall types of glass, including the panes ofglass used in guild halls and wealthierhouseholds, the glass containers used by

many mages, and glass art objects whichare incredibly expensive. The last assist-ant is the head hornmaker, who is incharge of converting animal horns, ant-lers, and so on into useful tools like knifehandles, containers, musical horns, or artobjects.

CORSGR

Guild Corser is comprised mainly ofhumans but also has a number of the oth-er races in its ranks.

By the time humans had recoveredfrom the devastation of their race inMinrothad due to lycanthropy and vam-pirism, most of the essential guilds hadbeen claimed by other races or taken from

QuilOs of

human control. They therefore stakedout new mercantile territory to take theplace of the crafts and the slave trade thathad provided most human communitieswith money.

Guild Corser now has exclusive rightsin Minrothad to the collection, transpor-tation, and sale of selected rarities andfoods. Many of Guild Corser's membersare in foreign lands collecting these rawmaterials or arranging for their purchase.Though the guild has little variety, whatit does sell is extremely expensive. Posi-tions of importance within the guild areas follows:

Master Magic Dealer: Because of traderegulations, magical items cannot be eas-ily sold in Minrothad. However, nothing

^&^-fl ^-iHi-a-a^^M-o^fcM-jJC-g^>y-u^^

QuilOs of MiNnotliat)

stops Minrothaddan traders from buyingand trading magical items from and toother nations. The master magic dealer isin charge of a group of agents and mes-sengers in foreign lands who do just that.If exceptional items are found, then heapproaches the Tutorial Guild to see ifthey wish to purchase it.

Master Alchemist: This master crafts-man is responsible for the manufacture oracquisition of the unusual chemicals usedby most of the guilds. This guild, too, hasnumerous agents abroad.

Master Brewer: This master craftsmancontrols a vast network of agents thatarranges for the basic ingredients ofmead, ale, and wine to be imported intoMinrothad and then for those beveragesto be made. He has one head craftsmenassisting him who overseas the slow proc-ess of making, aging, and storing winesand spirits.

Master Piper: This master craftsman isin charge of making pipes and smokingapparati from all types of materials: woodand clay for normal pipes, gourds andmeerschaum stone for fancy ones, evenglass for hookah pipes. The head crafts-man who assists him is a head tobacconistin charge of trading, importing, and/ortreating tobacco.

Master Animal Trainer: This mastercraftsman both teaches animals andinstructs others in animal training. Hearranges for animals to be imported,trained, and then sold locally or abroad.

He works mainly with smaller associateguilds of falconers, dog-handlers, andthe like.

Master Spice Dealer: This mastercraftsman oversees the importing, proc-essing, exporting, and general handlingof the spices produced by Guild Quick-hand. This trade accounts for over threequarters of Guild Corser's income. He isassisted by two head craftsmen. The firstis the head saltmaker who oversees theproduction of salt, the other is the headbeekeeper who manages the vast beefarms tended by halflings on Open Isle.The master spice dealer has an army oftraders traveling everywhere to sellMinrothad's spices.

Political OJuilbs -The political guilds are not nearly as

complex in their structures as the familyguilds are. These are the newest guilds inMinrothad, more service or government-oriented than the others. They offer themost potential for power and advance-ment, and are not yet as versed in duplici-ty as are their family guild counterparts.

MencJjaNt SailonsThis guild is responsible for sailing the

trading vessels of Minrothad. It is over-seen by the guild master with the help ofthe master importer and the masterexporter.

Members of this guild are usuallyinstructed in the ways of sailing by GuildElsan for a year or two, then must serveapprenticeships with the Merchant Sail-ors Guild. This guild also has authorityover Minrothad dockworkers and steve-dores, as well as the ships they load andunload. The Merchant Sailors Guildworks very closely with the Merchant-Princes Guild, since the ships cannot sailefficiently without cooperation betweencaptain and crew.

MenceNany QuiltoThis newest of political guilds is head-

ed by a strongwilled, honest guild masterwho is in charge of the three militaryunits of Minrothad. Each unit is run by its

own master craftsman, who is answerableonly to the guild master.

These military units are meant to be adefensive force and are not intended forbattle away from the shores of Minro-thad. Although the guild is called merce-nary, it considers this employment to be alifelong commitment and takes care of itsretirees better than any other guild.

Unlike most guilds, which make theirmoney from dues and taxes on membersor the products they sell, the MercenaryGuild is paid well by the government andall other Minrothad guilds for defendingthe islands.

Home Guard #1 is composed primarilyof human soldiers. It is a large defensiveforce stationed near the city of Minro-thad. This not only provides the best pos-sible defense of the city but keeps theseneschal honest as well. Home Guard #1is trained to fight defensively in a city:defending walls, using tower-top siegeballistae, etc.

Home Guard #2 is composed primarilyof forest elf soldiers. It is larger thanHome Guard #1 but is spread out overmost of the remaining Minrothadislands. This force is trained in both fieldbattle and guerilla tactics. It will fightinvaders on the beaches if possible, orretreat into the hills and harass the enemyto death.

Marines are the largest standing mili-tary force that Minrothad has. They serveon every ship as defenders against pirates.They are trained in the use of shipboardballista, boarding and repelling tactics,and fighting in rigging. The number ofmarines on board a ship depends on thecargo being hauled, but is never less than20 percent of the crew complement.Marines also train the rest of the crew forcombat when time allows during voy-ages, so the estimate of fighting menaboard a Minrothaddan vessel is usuallyfar below the actual number.

About one-third of the marines do notserve on long-distance voyages at any onetime; these troops are assigned to theMinrothad naval vessels which patrollocal waters.

The Auxiliary Home Guard is notshown on the government orgnization

26

t:i7€ Quiibs of MiNROtl7at>

chart. It is a military associate guild thatsprings into existence only during timesof imminent invasion. At that time, theMercenary Guild gains authority overguild and town security and constabularyforces which constitute the auxilaryguard.

'CljievesThe Thieves Guild is known to exist

but very little is known for certain aboutit. Rumors abound, but the fact remainsthat this guild's activities are covert. Thetruth is known only to the guild master,to Oran Meditor, and to the thieves activein this unpopular and secretive organiza-tion.

'Cutonial GuildThe Tutorial Guild is a combine of

many smaller associate guilds that trainand teach. The guild master oversees theadministration of these associate guilds.A force of guild scholars answerable onlyto him checks on the associate guilds fromtime to time to see that they are main-taining their standards of education. Themost important of the associate guilds are

the School of Merchant-Princes, overseenby the master of instruction, and theSchool of Magical Artifacts, overseen bythe master of devices.

Among other things, the guild isresponsible for working on all major andsome minor court cases (see Laws ofMinrothad). It also runs programs inaffiliation with other guilds for the pur-pose of cross-training specialized individ-uals.

The Tutorial Guild has a monopoly onthe practice of magic in Minrothad andthis monopoly is enforced by law. Theguild inspects every known magical itemand magic-user which enters Minrothad.A Tutorial Guild member is required bylaw to be present whenever any spell iscast.

This guild has a network of overseasagents who are constantly on the lookoutfor new spells, new philosophies of mag-ic, and magical items. These persons can-not compete with Guild Corser's magicdealer agents but they are empowered topurchase magical items for the use of theTutorial Guild. This guild has the legalright to make first offer on any item heldby a magic dealer, regardless of whether

the item is for sale. If the forced sale isdisputed, the price that should be paidfor the item is determined in Minrothadby the parent guilds.

If a Tutorial Guild agent misrepresentshimself for the purpose of acquiring mag-ical items or spells for his personal userather than the guild's, the penalty isquite high: the death sentence under theBlack Seal Warrant.

City of M/NK or/7a DThe city of Minrothad remains neutral

and uninvolved in national or guild gov-ernment affairs—a neutrality essential forthe cooperative interaction of all theguilds. The capital is treated as aguildlike entity with a seneschal as thecity's equivalent of guild master. He hasauthority over everything going on in thecapital except the guild shops. He is, ofcourse, answerable to the ruling guildmaster and has no control over the palace.

A complaint about the seneschal or thecity must be lodged at a council of guildleaders meeting by a member of thatbody; the complaint is then brought tothe attention of Oran Meditor for media-tion.

up "Political"— as told by water elfCosger Elsan,

Journeyman Helmsman, MerchantSailors Guild

"My kin build these ships andthought I would too. But how could Istay land-bound when the waves beck-oned? And so that path I took.

"My age-mates began their learn -time in family crafts, but I sought outold Elwyn instead, once master navi-gator. Time enough he'd spent onships, and so understood my urge.When I came of apprentice age, I tookthe tests for the Merchant SailorsGuild — and passed, thanks to MasterElwyn 's coaching. Then my learn-timeas scupper began.

"Cabin boy is the obvious 'pren-tice, seen by passengers, but the realwork starts far below decks in the tac-

kle hold, amidst the gear that needsrepair. And sailors put no trust insplices made by half-trained scupperswith half a care. Do a bit of work, andit's pulled and tugged and picked atby the top-side crew before it evenleaves the hold. Most of it comesapart, and a scupper can spend a weekor more to get one splice done right.

"What piece-work stays togetherearns some time topside, maybe in therigging. Do enough knot-work, and acanny scupper can splice himself out ofthe tackle hold and into the foc'sle.Topside he tars rope and polishesbrass, but the rigging-time comesmore often. And so it goes, step bystep, until he's making sail and doingall that needs doing.

"True, we're not as cozy a bunch asa family guild. A scupper is pushedand tested, every step of the way. But

it binds us together, it does, and whena sailor calls himself guildsman, he'searned the name!

"Take me—I'm a helmsman, and Ihold this position because I know it,not because the captain's my father orsome such nonsense like family guildsgo by. And I know every positionunder me, like the points on a com-pass. I can fill in for deck crew if needsbe—not like the sailmaker, you see:he's family, and all he knows is his can-vas.

"Now, I've a choice: if I stay helms-man, I need next to study navigationunder Guild Elsan. Or, I can take aline on bo'sun's mate and do morework with the crew. Who knows? Imight do both. Then when I makesenior journeyman I'll be up for sec-ond mate. There's no end to whereskill can take a sailor in this guild!"

27

CasteThe apprentice-journeyman-master

rank system of the guilds, based onachievement and experience, carries overinto Minrothad society. To an overwhelm-ing extent, a person's position in his guildreflects his position in society. This hasresulted in a formalized caste system, rec-ognized by tax laws and acknowledged bycitizens in their daily lives.

A person's guild and rank dictatewhich category he occupies in the Minro-thad caste system. Some caste positionslimit one's progress within the guilds,but for the most part, caste lines are notcompletely rigid; hard work or politicalskill can elevate an individual to a highercaste than the one he began in.

There are six castes in Minrothad. Eachreflects a degree of wealth, but evenmore, an appreciation of what a personcan do for his guild. Caste names comefrom ancient Nithian words for rank andstanding; people often refer to them-selves and others by a reference to theircaste: "A cleric will always be an evem,regardless what he preaches to others."

First Caste: The first and lowest rank isthe okeen, or laborer caste. This casteincludes guild members of the leastimportance: apprentices and those whoare too lazy, careless, or indifferent tomake much difference to the guild.Regardless of wealth, a sloppy and uncar-ing craftsman remains an okeen, as doesan otherwise respected oldster whorefuses to pass on knowledge of his craftto the young.

Second Caste: The second caste is themacau, the artisans who comprise themajority of common guildsman. This isthe great middle class of Minrothaddanswho toil and work for love of their craftand guild. It is their efforts that keepMinrothad prosperous. The macau havetraditionally enjoyed more benefits thanthe okeen: better pay, better positions inthe guild, finer tools and materials towork with, etc.

Third Caste: The third caste is theevem, from the word for craftsman. Thiscaste consists of lesser guild managers(assistant craft masters, assistant guildmasters, and so on), very wealthy guildmembers who do not hold a political orguild office, and exceptional guildsmenwho are highly respected for their skills(such as healers and clerics).

Evem enjoy far better pay and benefitsthan the two lesser castes. It is to the thirdcaste that most second caste guildsmenaspire. The third caste can be reachedthrough hard work and innovative ideas.A macau guildsman enters the evem byappointment from a member of a highercaste or by a vote of promotion by thirdcaste guildsmen.

Fourth Caste: The fourth caste, ordosan, takes its name from the word forleaders. This caste consists of the headcraftsmen and masters of the guilds. Itincludes most members of guild adminis-trations. These are powerful and wealthypeople, most of whom ascended from thelower castes through their own labor orthe efforts of their forefathers.

A member of the third caste is pro-moted to the fourth by appointmentfrom a higher caste or by vote of fourthcaste guildsmen. Among the familyguilds it is very difficult to rise to thiscaste from lower ones. There is a growingtrend for a retiring family guild master orhead craftsman to nominate hisappropriately-skilled son or daughter ashis replacement. This choice is ratified byhis guild council peers, who hope to dothe same for their children. This is not thepractice among the political guilds, how-ever: just one of reasons why there aregreater opportunities for advancement inthe political guilds.

Fifth Caste: The fifth caste is the yulen,from the word meaning commanders.This is the newest caste. It came intobeing to reflect the status of theMerchant-Princes, the magic-using seacaptains who command the ships ofMinrothad's trading fleet.

The yulen are almost identical to thedosan of the fourth caste, but yulen aremore learned and all know magic. Themembership consists of merchant-princes

who were trained by the Tutorial Guildand guild masters and head craftsmanwho are training to become merchant-princes.

Sixth Caste: The sixth caste is thesaneer, meaning rulers. It is a small andelite caste consisting of the nine guildmasters who sit on the council of guildleaders, the seneschal of the city ofMinrothad, and the ruling guild master,Oran Meditor. These are the most power-ful and wealthy individuals in Minro-thaddan society.

Caste aNt> Quilt)iDeNtif icatioN

In a place as concerned with rank andmembership as Minrothad, it is not sur-prising that there are several ways to iden-tify exactly what caste and guild a personbelongs to. Guild identification isrequired by law, caste identification bycustom.

CasteA person's caste is signified primarily

by clothing. It is not so much what hewears that indicates his caste, since gar-ments come in unpredictable variety inMinrothad, but it is the quality of thecloth and the nature of the accessoriesthat are the telling point. Members of allcastes but the sixth incorporate a work-related item in their ensemble: a silvertasting salver hanging from the neck for avintner, or a baker's cap for a baker. Thehigher the caste, the finer the materialand more stylized the design of the sig-nificant accessories.

Members of the sixth (ruling) castewear no work accessories at all, and this inand of itself is indicative of their rank.Their clothes are the most extravagantand finest of all, meant to embody theirguild's pride and importance.

28

Shields and Devices of the Minrothad Guilds

Minrothad Guilds(Ruling Guild Master)

Guild Hammer Guild Verdier

Guild Corser Guild Quickhand Guild Elsan

Home Guard Unit 1 or 2Mercenary Guild

(Unit's number is placedbelow sword pommel)

Merchant Sailor Guild Mercenary Guild: Marines

Caste SysteM

Guild membership carries with it privi-leges and obligations, and Minrothad-dans expect to be able to easily identify aguildsman's rank and standing. Uponpassing apprentice level in a guild, mostmembers are marked with a tatoo in a vis-ible place: the back of the hand, on thecheek, or even on the forehead.

Guildsmen expect to wear the tatoo forlife and embellish it with additions whichindicate rank and specialty skills. Tatoosare removed only if a person changesguilds or is kicked out of one for somereason. The removal process uses an acidwash; it is a painful and scarring processand not undertaken lightly.

Organizations that do not care to havetheir members easily identified, like theThieves Guild, give them a ring, earring,armband, or other removable object as asign of guild membership. The token isgiven to the member after he has servedhis guild reliably for two years. Theseguildsmen usually also wear a simple andmisleading family guild tatoo, lest thelack of a mark draws attention to them.

DevicesSljielOs

Membership tatoos duplicate the pat-tern that is on a guild's official shield ordevice. The devices of the ruling guildmaster, the family guilds, and threepolitical guilds are shown. Each incorpo-rates the balance device which is theinsignia of Minrothad as a nation. The

balance symbolizes trading power andhonesty in such dealings. It is simple,usually black on white, and bears nothingon the scales. Every Minrothaddan trad-ing or military ship has the insignia paint-ed on the prow and stitched into the sails,and flies it as a flag. All official docu-ments from Minrothad show the balanceat the top of the page, including receiptsfor goods bought or sold.

Guilds which give their memberstokens rather than tatoos have the guilddevice worked on the token. Devices notillustrated here have the followingappearances.

Thieves Guild: Although little isknown about the membership of thisguild, its device is a matter of officialrecord. The insignia is a horizontal dag-ger serving as the balance for two smallscales, each with a full pouch of gold onit.

Tutorial Guild: Guild members wear alarge earring of electrum as token of theirmembership. It is worked with an octa-gon with a single scale hanging inside it.Depending upon their affiliation, thecontent of the scale differs. The scale of amerchant-prince bears a pentagram; the

scale of the associate Instruction Guildbears an open scroll; the scale of the asso-ciate Devices Guild shows a wand. TheTutorial Guild master and his staff have astar with rays shining forth, signifying thedeliverence of knowledge from the heav-ens.

City of Minrothad: Guildsmen wearrings as insignias of membership. Thedevice is a balance standing atop an itemof the seneschal's choosing and sochanges with every seneschal. The currentinsignia is a balance atop the beam ofanother, slightly larger balance, symbol-izing the seneschal's desire to keep thecity as fair as possible to all the guilds.

QuilD PnivileqesMembers of the greatest trading com-

bine in the Known World enjoy manyprivileges unique to their nation.

Price Discounts: A guildsman paysonly 40 percent of the wholesale price forany item manufactured by his own guildand may purchase from other guilds atwholesale price. Nonguild members paya standard retail price, which can be 100percent or more of the wholesale price.

It is considered immoral for a guildmember to buy something at his reducedmembership price for a friend in anotherguild. It sometimes happens betweenfriends or lovers but it is frowned uponand repeat offenders may have their priceprivileges revoked.

Business on Credit: A guildsman canbuy on account from his own guild withno interest charged. A guild may offerthe same courtesy to members of otherguilds on an individual basis, chargingonly a small interest rate for the credit.Such credit-based business is rarely doneoutside of Minrothad and is never prac-ticed with retail customers, where "cashon the barrelhead" is standard.

Prefered Customer Status: Guildsmenget first pick of goods before they go onsale to the public, except for special-orderitems. This privilege extends to guildservices. If there is only one passengerberth left on a ship, for instance, a guilds-man is taken on board in preference toanother passenger.

Good Exchange Rates: Guildsmenconverting coin for personal use receivespecial discounts on conversion fees andget the best exchange rate possible.

Cut-Rate Travel: A guildsman mayperform labor in his guild specialtybefore or during a sea voyage in exchangefor low cost or free travel.

Free or Reduced-Rate Training: Guildstrain their members free of charge.Guildsmen can receive cross-training inother guild specialties through the Tuto-rial Guild. In contrast, nonguild mem-bers cannot receive any instruction fromthe guilds at all.

Of

—A talk with Emelia. Oswip of theScholars'Fraternity, Glantri

"Look, there goes a merchant-prince, swaggering along like a powerincarnate. Yes, the fellow with theblue hipboots and gold scabbard.

"You can tell he's a merchant-prince by the pentacles on his clothes.

"Besides, I know him. That is, hewas captain of the Egret on my voyagehere, name of Saroso Elsan. The voy-age was entertaining; it gave me myfirst glimpse of a merchant-prince inaction. There's a growing interest inthem in Glantri— that's why I'mhere, to learn what I can about them.

"No one talks much about these fel-lows. They're all leading members oftheir guilds. It seems merchant-princes can come from any guild. Mostare ship captains, but others are justvery experienced traders.

"They're trained by the wizards'guild here—what do they call it? Tuto-rial Guild? They must be dedicatedfellows, learning magic after they'velearned a profession. And not ordinarymagic either—they work the ele-ments.

"That one, Elsan, did interestingwork on our voyage. He seemed in ahurry to arrive in Minrothad and wehad favorable winds all the way—magical winds, I could tell.

"Those skills are not too remarkableby themselves, but crewmen told methey wished we would sight somepirates so I could see firsthand how amerchant-prince deals with sea brig-ands. I can do without that kind ofentertainment, but it was an interest-ing comment. They seemed convincedtheir captain would save them thetrouble of a battle. I have a lot of ques-tions I want to ask a merchant-prince...

"And look, here he comes again!Excuse me—there's a tavern and here'smy chance. Oh, Captain Elsan!..."

Politics iN the MiNROttjaD Quilbs"Work in Minrothad politics is like

separating two fighting she-wolves. Bythe time it's done, you're in the middleof the fight yourself and you 've been bit-ten by both sides at once."

—Oran Meditor

'Cljc Etljic of CoMpetitioN -Product specialization and the force of

law prevent the Minrothad Guilds fromcompeting with each other in the com-mercial arena. Yet an ethic of competi-tion is instilled in every apprentice andembodied by every trader who is part of aguild. Guildsmen refuse to be bested in atrade or a sale and pride themselves onovercoming the obstacles that standbetween them and commercial success.This attitude even carries over intoMinrothad dealings with other nations.Traders, ambassadors, and factors areconcerned first with how Minrothad canprofit from a situation and second withhow to meet and defeat any competition.

The same competitive drive that makesguildsmen world-class merchants finds itsoutlet within Minrothad in mercilesspolitical infighting and jockeying forposition. Guild leaders aspire to ever-greater degrees of power in governmentand let very few ethics or morals stand inthe way of promoting their guilds orthemselves.

In a perverse way, Minrothaddans areproud of the chaos this sort of competi-tion produces and of the intrigue that isits natural byproduct. These things are,after all, signs that the interests of one'sguild are being advanced. Anythingshort of treason and assassination goes, aslong as the action or its results do notadversely affect Minrothad itself.

Political SysteM Pnice of iNtnique"Intrigue, duplicity, scoundrelism,

evasiveness! All the things that we hopeto avoid in government are as food anddrink to the Minrothad politician."— lerendi Ambassador Ounia, trying to

explain to his government his desire toleave Minrothad.

Though its hidden workings aretreacherous, the government of Minro-thad is much more than groups of self-serving craftsman trying to gut eachother. Like the scales that are the nation'ssymbol, the family guilds and the politi-cal guilds are the primary counterweightson the political scene. They are separatedby the ruling guild master, whose officeand its cabinet are the fulcrum and bal-ance of power in the Minrothad system.

The ruling guild master enjoys supportfrom the political guilds, whose guildmasters he appoints. He uses this supportto offset the influence of the powerfulfamily guilds, whose backing he some-times enlists by promoting one of theirrace, guild, or clan to a position in thepolitical guilds.

On the other hand, the ruling guildmaster can do very little if both the familyguilds and the political guilds opposehim, for their taxes support the nationalgovernment and the military is not underhis personal control as a cabinet function.

Consequently the balance between thethree factions remains stable only as longas all three are strong. This balance ofpower has been upset in the past, result-ing in poor government decisions formu-lated and pushed through by thedominant group. Besides caring for thereal business of government, the rulingguild master must himself be a master ofintrigue, struggling to ensure that no sin-gle political faction becomes too power-ful through its plots and ploys. In spite oftheir reputation in trade, the politics ofMinrothad are not for the naive or thescrupulously honest.

"You can easily tell when a Minrothadguild master is lying: his lips move."

— Continental guild hall joke

— A word of caution from Lord Orde-kis, Thyatian ambassador to Minrothad

People who play Minrothad politicsplay for keeps. The game moves swiftly,the players change constantly, and rulesof fair play are observed only when con-venient. Any tool that helps advance acause is used when needed — and thatpresents a danger for visitors to Minro-thad.

Travelers who seek intrigue and per-haps physical risk can easily find thiswhen they come to these islands. Buteven the innocent voyager may getcaught up in webs not of his own weav-ing. The one who is lucky might simplyhave a rude encounter with unprincipledguildsmen; he who is not may be chargedwith treason, or lose his life in one ofmany ways.

Visitors should remain alert for rusesdesigned to use a foreigner as an unwit-ting tool of guild intrigue:

If you are not a merchant, be wary ifinvited to a private place to discuss guildbusiness. Minrothaddans never discussguild business with outsiders unless itrelates to a specific trade arrangement.

Refuse requests to deliver sealed orotherwise private messages to otherguildsmen. Almost every place of busi-ness sends legitimate messages byapprentice or with a friendly captain if itmust go to another island. If you do thissort of favor for someone you are likelybeing used as a dupe in some kind ofguild intrigue.

If you are asked to do something thatmight be illegal (such as waylaying some-one leaving a tavern, "as a practicaljoke") be extremely cautious. You can becertain that is not the true purpose of theploy, and the one who approached you isalmost never the one who is really behindit. If you comply, you may becomeinvolved in serious charges. If you refuseto help or report it to the constabulary,you may be harassed by vengeful guilds-men. I have nothing to advise in such asituation except to avoid it.

DUNGEON MASTER'S BOOKLET

OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

MlNROtliaDby Deborah Christian and Kim Eastland

Table of ContentsWelcome to Minrothad

History of the Minrothad GuildsHistorical Synopsis of the Minrothad IslesGovernmentCrime in the Minrothad IslesPirates of the Minrothad IslesThe Merchant-Princes of Minrothad

Guild TradeSpeculative TradeTrade Goods TablesSupply and Demand TablesSailingWeatherNavigationSecrets of the Minrothad ElvesTowns and Cities: A Trader's TourPersonalities of the Minrothad GuildsAdventuresAdapting Gazetteers to AD&D® Campaigns

Credits:

Design: Deborah Christian, Kimber EastlandEditing: Steve WinterProduct Manager: Bruce HeardCover Artist: Clyde CaldwellInterior Artist: John LakeyGraphic Design: Stephanie Tabat, Dave SutherlandCartography: Dave Sutherland, Dennis KauthTypography: Kimjanke

®1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

TSR, Inc.FOB 756Lake Geneva,WI5314? USA

ISBN 0-88038-607-X

AD&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, and WORLD OFGREYHAWK arc registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.FORGOTTEN REALMS, BATTLESYSTEM, PRODUCTS OFYOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks ownedby TSR, Inc.Distributed to the book trade in the United States by RandomHouse, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

This module is protected under the copyright laws of the UnitedStates of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized useof the written material or artwork herein is prohibited withoutthe express written permission of TSR, Inc.

TSR UK Ltd.120 Church End, Cherry Hinton

Cambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom

9236

TSR, Inc.

WelCOMG to MlNROtliat)

—A word from Gheryn Verdier,Minrothad Guilds Ambassador to Kara-meikos

You who are about to send your friendsto the Minrothad Guilds: do they wish tobuy? We have goods to sell, and nonebetter from any guild hall on the conti-nent.

Do they wish to sell? We might be will-ing buyers, if the price is right.

Do they seek information? We havethat aplenty, news and gossip from allcorners of the world. And intrigue to gowith it—more, I dare say, than mostmainlanders can stomach.

Alas, if your friends seek employment,they are unwelcome if they hope to com-pete with a guild craft or service. Butthere is always call for bodyguards, or spe-cial agents who serve in, shall we say, lessconventional ways.

But if your friends adventure in Minro-thad, warn them to be on their guard.Fall afoul of the Minrothad Guilds andno law on the continent can help them.Our reach is long, and a Black Seal War-rant of death awaits foreigners involvedin treasonous intrigues.

Oh? They don't plan such involve-ment? I see. Then let us hope it does notseek them out instead, shall we?

T^e Qazettcen —This sourcebook deals with the Minro-

thad Guilds. It is a reference book for theDM's eyes only. An overview of theMinrothad Guilds is provided in theaccompanying Adventurers' Guide toMinfothad, designed for both playersand DM to read and use. But there ismuch that is not said in the Adventurers'Guide and some that is intentionally mis-leading for player characters. The truth istold here.

T3)e MiNuotl7at> QuiiosMinrothad, a nation of island peoples,

is organized into a close-knit confedera-tion of craft and service guilds. The coun-try is commonly called the MinrothadGuilds, as they are known in commerce

with the world's trading communities.The Minrothad Guilds are located in

the Minrothad Isles, formerly called theIsles of Dread. The islands are in theDread Sea south of Karameikos betweenlerendi and Thyatia.

CaiwpaiQNiNQ INMiNRotfjab —

Adventures in the Minrothad Guildscan be a welcome change of pace fromcampaigning on the mainland. Not onlyis the setting different, but the type ofadventure opportunities are different aswell.

A Minrothad campaign offers involve-ment in covert operations and subtleencounters in which no sword can make adifference. Adventurers will be chal-lenged with "thinking" encounters inwhich the character who uses his headprofits better than one using brutestrength. And PCs will find it difficult towalk away from the intrigues of Minro-thad and its guilds, for this is a nationthat can place a bounty on their headswhich will follow them throughout thecontinent.

Characters who visit the guilds can restand recuperate there, sell their booty, orhire out as free agents for dangerous mis-sions. For players and DMs who want torun a campaign permanently based inMinrothad, there are advantages anddrawbacks to this particular setting, espe-cially if native Minrothad characters areused.

Career Problems: Characters will findthat the guild environment severely lim-its how they pursue their adventuringcareer. Natives can become fighter char-acters only by joining the appropriateguild, in which case they become obligat-ed to serve that guild as any other guilds-man would be. nonnatives can onlypursue a fighting career as a hired agentand cannot receive training from the localguild. The same applies to thieves andmagic-users, whose spellcasting is limitedby guild regulation. Clerics are the onlycharacter class unrestricted by guilds.

Career Advantages: A Minrothad cam-paign offers the chance for characters to

be enlisted as special agents to the rulingguild master, a position which takes themoutside the normal guild structure andenables them to pursue adventures onbehalf of the government authorities.Their benefits and rewards will naturallybe things valued by the guilds: promo-tion to a higher caste, the bestowal of abusiness, perhaps even the gift of a mer-chant ship for trading ventures.

In addition, the DM may use theMinrothad setting as a springboard toadventures which take place anywhere inthe world. Characters can travel on guildships, take care of guild business, andreturn to the Minrothad Isles as their baseof operations. PCs may pursue a career intrade or shipping either as a sideline or amajor part of their activities. And finally,if the DM wishes to allow it, characterscan try to become merchant-princes, anunusual spellcasting NPC (and possiblyplayer) class described in this book.

WJ7O SI?ou1t> Play IN

The guilds of Minrothad include repre-sentatives of all races, and all races arewelcome in the Minrothad Isles. Elves areespecially numerous, and have rathermore influence in government and theshipping trade than other races.

Fighters are respected for their skillsand the occupation is an admired one inMinrothad. Native fighters are all mem-bers of the Mercenary Guild and a fightermust be a member of that group toacquire training and purchase unusualweapons in Minrothad. Foreign fightersare not accepted into the guild unlessthey wish to make a career commitmentto it. A fighter from the mainland cannotreceive training in the islands unless hecan locate a nonguild fighter to instructhim.

Clerics are tolerated in Minrothad,where gold is pursued more avidly thanreligious enlightenment. Four belief sys-tems are represented in the islands andare independent of the guild systemwhich dominates other aspects of Minro-thad life. Mainland clerics of the samealignment can strike up a cordial working

Welcoivte to

relationship with Minrothad clerics with-out difficulty.

Thieves are anathema to themercantile-minded Minrothaddans.Characters identified as such are followedand sometimes harassed by law forces,looking for an excuse to make an arrest.

The Minrothad Thieves Guild is asecret organization that has exclusive con-trol over criminal activities in Minrothadwaters. PC thieves who practice their skilland get caught by the Thieves Guild doso at the risk of their lives.

This is not to say that thieves shouldnot go to Minrothad. On the contrary, theThieves Guild is always looking for a fewgood foreign rogues to act as free agentson the continent—or even to do somecoven spying in Minrothad that the guildwould not want to be associated with ifthe spy is caught.

Since Minrothad has a network ofthieves and spies throughout the islandsand in most major ports of the mainland,a capable thiefs reputation is oftenknown before he reaches Minrothad.Thieves should not be surprised if theyare approached by the guild during theirstay in Minrothad.

Only members of the Tutorial Guildpractice arcane crafts here; most magicother than sea and weather enchantmentsis unfamiliar to the public. Magic-userswho visit the islands find themselves theobject of curiousity and some suspicion ifthey are identified as mages in Minro-thad.

Only spellcasters of the Tutorial Guildare authorized to practice magic at will inthe Minrothad Isles. Foreign mages mayonly do so if supervised by a TutorialGuild member. This stricture can bedefied but such action is usually illegal,and the character may have to face theconsequences.

"Clje MiNKOtftao CasteSysteM

The caste system of the MinrothadGuilds is explained in detail in the PCbooklet. For characters adventuring inMinrothad, it is useful to determine whatcaste they fall into according to local cus-

tom. This should help the DM determineNPC reactions in caste-conscious Minro-thad and aid in gauging the level andtype of compensation that might beoffered to PCs for their services. Regard-less of a character's rank or title from themainland, if any, guildsmen will usuallyaddress him with references to his caste,just as if he were a Minrothaddan.

Adventurers who begin a campaign asnative Minrothad characters start asmembers of the third caste.

Mainland characters with a socialstanding ranging from knight (see GAZ1) on up are fourth caste. Lesser membersof royalty start as fifth caste; only kings,queens, and heads of state are sixth caste.

If a character's social standing is uncer-tain, the DM can go by level instead.These guidelines are suggested, but canbe adjusted as necessary for the individ-ual campaign:

How to Use tljis(Jazetteeu

CharacterLevel

BasicExpertCompanionMaster

CasteLevel

2345

The History and Government chaptersgive the true story of Minrothad's pastand hidden government workings. TheThieves Guild chapter deals with a secretorganization that is far more involved inthe operations of the Minrothad govern-ment than most people realize. TheMerchant-Prince chapter describes thoseseafaring masters of magic who contrib-ute so much to the reputation of Minro-thad as a trading nation. The Tradechapters that follow give inside informa-tion on guild trade practices overseas andoutline a system DMs can use to simulatePC or NPC trading and shipping activity.

Next come chapters on the MinrothadIsles describing the isalnds of the Sea ofDread and adventuring opportunitiesfound there. Non-Player Characters cov-ers all the important and interesting per-sonalities of the Minrothad Guilds.Finally, the Adventures chapter includesa full range of Minrothad adventure sce-narios for characters from Basic to Masterlevel.

Histouy of tlieElves migrated northward after the

destruction of Blackmoor, but not allgroups remained with Ilsundal as he ledthem to the Sylvan Realm (see GAZ 3).Two groups of elves honored powers fromthe Sphere of Time; both groups wereprompted by those powers to leave Ilsun-dal's migration and settle at some dis-tance from each other in the lands west ofThyatia.

These were the Meditor and Verdierclans of elves. The Verdier settled in theforest lands of ancient Traldar in what isnow Karameikos; the Meditor elves set-tled farther south, near the seacoast. Lat-er, a series of cataclysms flooded the landand formed islands. This upheaval cre-ated the Sea of Dtead, the lerendiislands, and the archipelago later knownas the Mintothad Isles. The Meditor elvesfound themselves stranded on thoseislands and the Verdier elves found them-selves living on newly-made seacoast.

The Verdier and Meditor elves weredescendants of elvish shipbuilders intheir lost homeland to the south. Againprompted by immortal intervention, theVerdier elves built ships and joined theirbtethren on the island they called Alfei-sle. There they engaged in handicraftsand the building of small ocean-goingvessels, exploring the island and the localwaters.

While elves went about their affairs,traders from the burgeoning NithianEmpire discovered Trader's Isle. Led by

GJuilbsthe adventurer Minroth, the group recog-nized the value of the natural resourcesthey found there. They colonized theisland, founded the port called Harbor-town, and began to call the chain the Col-ony Islands.

MiNnotl?'s QuestUnknown to his friends, the coloni-

zation of Trader's Island was part ofMinroth's quest to ascend to theSphere of Matter as a polymath. Hesettled and explored the island asmuch in hopes of finding the artifacthidden by his immortal sponsor as formundane reasons of trade and profit.

A master-class fighter, Minroth'snearly superhuman abilities becameevident in the early days of the colony.In fact, his quest was successful; whenthe artifact was attained, Minrothascended to the Sphere of Matter andvanished from the island. TheNithians have venerated him eversince and the church of Minroth wasfounded to honor this immortal.

Minroth's sudden disappearancewithout a goodbye or word of explana-tion left his contemporaries with anunsettled feeling. Ever since, there hasbeen the expectation that he wouldreappear just as suddenly as he left.This expectation has become a main-stay of the creedo of Minrothism, asexplained in the .Adventurer's Guide.

As the Nithian Empire fell into slowdecline, the trader-colonists of Trader's Islebegan their ascent. Calling themselvesMinroth traders after the cult that hadsprung up to honor the Nithian, they car-ried rare woods and handicrafts to peopleswho lived on the shores of the Sea of Dread.

Over the next centuries, trade developedbetween growing Thyatis and the islands.Minor disputes over the use of forest woodgrew into a major rift between the Verdierand Meditor elves. The Verdier took to thethe woods and lived in isolation from theirkin. At this time the terms "wood eh0' and"water elf came into common usebetween the two.

In search of new territories, colonistsfrom the Alphatian Empire made theirway to the islands around this time. Theyeasily found the largest and most promis-ing of the Colony Islands and there theyfounded the colony of New Alphatia.

As chance would have it, this was Trad-er's Isle, already settled by the Minrothtraders. Separated by central mountainsand coast-shrouding fogs, it was a yearbefore the two groups discovered eachother. After a series of inconclusiveclashes, saner heads prevailed. Alpha-tians were as interested in ttade as thedescendants of the Nithians. Joint trad-ing ventures were agreed upon, combin-ing Minroth trading knowhow andAlphatian seafaring knowledge.

In the third century AC, human andelvish cultures finally stumbled upon oneanother when volcanic activity forcedelves to seek out other appropriate settle-ments in the island chain.

The water elves instantly recognizedthe great value of Alphatian magic, acraft which had become adapted toalmost exclusive use on the sea. In turn,the Minroth-Alphatian trading combinewas impressed with the unusual design ofthe elvish ships and their intriguing sail-ing capabilities. The water elves were tak-en with the humans' generosity andabundance of trade goods. It was only ashort while before the Minroth tradersproposed a trading combine which wouldinclude the elves.

The elves agreed, then sought out theirforest-dwelling kin to enlist their wood-working skills in the building of tradevessels. The timing of this offer was con-venient, for the proud wood elves hadsuffered through several years of famineand were agreeable to an offer of food inexchange for woodcraft.

The successful trade venture began withmutual exchange of goods, services, andvessels. War conducted by the Alphatianand Thyatian Empire helped the islandcombine to prosper, for the empires reliedheavily on merchant shipping to carry sup-plies for the war effort and booty from con-quered territories. The island tradersmaintained their neutrality and sold ship-ping services to both sides.

HiStOR? Of tl7C MlNRCmjaO

The humans of Harbortown also car-ried conquered peoples as trade goods,slaves desrined for Thyatis. In the nextdecade, Minrothians and New Alpha-tians fought over the slave trading ofAlphatian sailors. The dispute endedonly when elves stepped in and forced thehumans to make peace. But by the end ofthe fourth century Minroth had onceagain entered the slave trade, muchagainst her allies' wishes. During thistime, many halflings were brought toTrader's Isle to serve as slaves to theMinroths of Harbortown.

As trade grew, the Minroth humanssoon carried most island exports. But thegreat benefits of the far-flung Mmrothiantrading network could also be a bane, aswas soon evident. In the fourth centurythe dreaded disease lycanthropy and thecurse of vampirism were brought to mostof the major ports of the continent byMinroth ships, although the tradersblamed it on the Alphatians.

Lycanthropy and vampirism became amajor problem in the human settlementsin the Colony Islands. Elves armed withsilver weapons hunted down the unhu-man creatures in what came to be knownas the Silver Purge, destroying the Alpha-tian colony in the process and depletingthe human population.

In spite of their depleted numbers,humans continued to hold halflmgslaves. Elves secretly trained and support-ed a free halfling, Malf Quickhand, wholed a 'rebel' army of halflings to free theslaves. With halfling-sized tackle special-ly made by the elves, Quickhand and theformer slaves took disused human shipsand sailed to an island which had been setaside for their use by the elves. There theelves signed treaty papers with the half-lings, recognizing them as free folk andwelcoming them to the trade federation.The humans were powerless to protest.

Hadric Corser, "The Great Uniter,"consolidated the remaining humans andlaid the foundation for a community gov-ernment of the trade federation. On theold site of the New Alphatia colony hefounded a new capital city of Minrothad.In the next centuries, the wood elf Gre-gus Verdier, "The Second Uniter," con-

tinued Corser's work. He consolidatedthe government under a system of familyand associate guilds, creating for the firsttime the entity known officially as theMinrothad Guilds.

When Verdier died (he disappeared atsea in the year 700) only a handful ofguild officials knew that this was the workof lerendi assassins hoping to shatter thenew trade alliance. The effort failed.

In the first quarter of the ninth centu-ry, Minrothad experienced an influx ofimmigrants. Many craftsmen wereattracted to Minrothad because of itsgrowing reputation for quality and free-dom of artistic expression.

In addition, Minrothad traders inGlantri recognized a golden opportunityand seized it. Dwarves from Rockhome,migrating to Glantri in search of gold,found themselves heartily unwelcome.The Minrothad Guilds had always beenlacking in metal and stoneworking crafts-men, so traders invited the dwarves tomigrate to the islands and join the guilds.The dwarves agreed. Led by DarkbrowHammer, the former Rockhomers settledrocky Fortress Island and were welcomedinto the guilds. They dominate the metaland stoneworking crafts today.

In the middle of the ninth century theCouncil of Minrothad was held, a con-clave of guilds which refined details ofgovernment and guild responsibilities.Among other things, the council severelylimited immigration to Minrothad, areflection of the ever-increasing isolation-ism felt by most Minrothaddans, andestablished the position of ruling guildmaster. The council also restructured thecaste and guild system to incorporate therecently developed merchant-prince classof magic-using sea captain.

Kitrina Meditor passed the IsolationAct in 890 AC. The act completely fore-bade immigration to Minrothad and cutthe number of visitors allowed entranceto the islands to almost nothing. This wasbelieved to be the best way to keep thetrading and manufacturing secrets ofMinrothad safe, but in reality it stoppedthe flow of innovative craftsmen into theguilds and would adversely affect how theworld viewed the Minrothad Guild for

decades to come.Kitrina was assassinated, leaving her

heir, Oran Meditor, too young to takeover as ruling guild master. In the inter-im, the council of guild leaders served asregent. Council members used their new-found clout to line their own pockets,slackening quality standards on goodsand raising taxes to burdensome levels.Goods produced during that era,stamped CGL, are examples of substand-ard production, for the Minrothad peo-ple became demoralized and the qualityof their work visibly suffered.

Oran Meditor took office at the rela-tively early elvish age of 150 years, as soonas his obligatory craft training in thewater elf guild was complete. The councilwas unable to protest, but relinquishedpower reluctantly. Oran soon cleanedhouse with a series of unexpected reformsand adroit political maneuvers that havebreathed new life into the MinrothadGuilds. The Isolation Act has beenrescinded and Minrothad has once againthrown its doors open to trade, craftsmenand visitors.

;Vi£mHHHHHKHHraHHHHKHHMMOM^^

Histony of tlje MiNuot?7at>

Histonical SYNOPSIS of tl?eMiNROt?7al> isles

In this synopsis, BC refers to "beforecrowning" and AC refers to "after crown-ing" of the first Emperor of Thyatis.

£000 BC: Planetshift; the Great Rain ofFire destroys Blackmoor; elvish homecontinent freezes, survivors flee northto the newly-formed Broken Lands.

2100 BC: Meditor and Verdier elf clansleave Ilsundal's northward migrationand settle in southern Karameikos(GAZ5).

1700 BC: Cataclysms split land massesand ocean floods create islands; Medi-tor elves are left on the new-made Islesof Dread.

1720 BC: Verdier elves build ships andjoin their cousins in the Sea of Dread.

1100 BC: Nithians led by Minroth cofo-nize the Isle of Dread and found Har-bortown.

0 AC: First emperor of Thyatis iscrowned; Thyatians do some tradingwith Minroth islanders.

250 AC: Alphatians found colony of NewAlphatia on the Isle of Dread; Alpha-tian magic is adapted to seafaringneeds.

276 AC: Human and elf cultures in theIsles of Dread meet and establishtrade.

284 AC: Minrothian and Alphatian cul-tures clash on Dread Island over slavetrading issues; elves force the humansto make peace.

300 AC: The water elf trading port ofSeahome is established.

360 AC: Minroth traders carry slaves forThyatian Empire; halfling slaves areintroduced to the Isles of Dread.

410 AC: Minroth traders inadvertentlyspread the curses of vampirism andlycanthropy to the seaside kingdoms.

443 - 445 AC: Expeditions of elves andhumans purge Dread Island of alllycanthropes; human population isdecimated; this time is called The Sil-ver Purge.

450 AC: Malf Quickhand leads a halflingslave revolt; newly-freed halflings takeships and migrate to the island theyname Open Isle.

475 AC: The forest elf trading port ofVerdon is founded.

488 AC: Hadric Corser, The Great Unit-er, brings the remaining humanstogether; founds the city of Minrothadand lays foundation for an organizedtrading federation.

500 AC: Conflict between Alphatian andThyatian empires begins; Minrothtraders maintain neutrality and domi-nate merchant shipping for both sides.

520 AC: The halfling trading port andcapital city of Open Isle, Malfton, isestablished.

601 AC: Gregus Verdier, the "SecondUniter," is born on Alfeisle; forges for-est elves into unified political and eco-nomic faction by 646 AC; establishesCouncil of Dread and the MinrothadGuilds in 691; assassinated in 700 AC.

828 AC: Dwarves migrate from Rock-home to Glantri in search of gold;unwelcome, they depart on Guildships to join the craftsmen of theMinrothad Isles; dwarves settle on For-tress Island.

841 AC: The dwarven port of Strongholdis established.

850 -862 AC: The Council of Minrothadrefines government structure andestablishes office of ruling guild mas-ter; first ruling guild master, MissanMeditor, is appointed; severe lawsrestricting immigration are passed.

880 AC: Fire Island atoll is declared offlimits to all shipping; thieves guildsecretly establishes Cove Haven as apirate base on this island.

890 AC: Ruling guild master KitrinaMeditor passes Isolation Act prohibit-ing immigration and most visitors toMinrothad.

900 AC: North Isle is annexed; the refugecolony of Gapton is established.

Circa 940 AC: All Minrothad trading ves-sels are now captained by merchant-princes and carry marines.

950 AC: Minrothad signs neutrality pactswith most mainland countries.

965 AC: Kitrina Meditor is assassinated;council of guild Leaders acts as regentuntil Oran Meditor comes of age.

980 AC: Lycanthropes are again discov-ered in Minrothad; fear spreads thatmore may have escaped the SilverPurge.

989 AC: Oran Meditor takes office, insti-tutes reforms.

991 AC: Oran Meditor rescinds the Isola-tion Act and opens Minrothad to out-side contact.

995 AC: First assassination attempt onOran Meditor; Clan Kasan is behindthe attempt and is removed from con-trol of the water elf guild; Clan Elsanpromoted to replace Clan Kasan.

998 AC: Second assassination attempt onOran Meditor; assassin is believed tobe a hired wizard from Glantri.

1000 AC: (Today.) Minrothad celebrates150 years of nationhood; Oran Medi-tor makes public appearances to stoprumors of his continued ill health.

1200 AC: Great War between the Repub-lic of Darokin and the Master of theDesert Nomads (see modules X4, X5,and X10).

RuliNQ Quill) Masten—A commentary on Oran Meditor by

halfling Alf Shadower, guild master,Thieves Guild

"If you deal with the guilds, you dealwith the government. So you'd bestknow a bit about the ruling guild master.For he be the government, far more thanmost guilds care for.

"The council of guild leaders put theruling guild master in a palace in Minro-thad City; now they be stunned that theirfigurehead be acting like a king. Meditorstirred a hornet's nest with his reforms,and this last assassination attempt almostdone him in. So, what's he done to rilethem so?

"First, he hurt the family guilds in thepursestrings. As regents before Orancame of age they bought substandardmaterials for the guilds to manufacturewith. They pocketed the difference.Between that and raised taxes, they livedfat and happy. Then Oran took over, low-ered taxes and made them buy high gradematerial.

"Second, Oran ousted heads of politi-cal guilds who were puppets for the fami-ly guilds—in particular, the masters of allthe Mercenary Guild units. He replacedguild masters with people loyal to himselfinstead of the families. Now the militarytakes oaths to uphold the office of rulingguild master, and don't even mentionthe guild council!

"Third, Oran is sly enough to parry thefamily guilds' hidden ploys. They want-ed to use the Thieves Guild as a politicaltool against Meditor but he made someattractive deals with us. We can see who'swinning this power struggle. We wentover to the ruling guild mastei and leftthem high and dry.

"Now Meditor needs to watch hisbackside. We help how we can, but seri-ous assassination attempts are hard tocounter. Them family guilds don't giveup easy."

The ruling guild master is assisted inthe functions of his office by a cabinetthat he appoints. Although the titles areidentical to those that help run each fam-ily guild, the functions of the cabinetofficers are in some instances remarkablydifferent.

First Advisor: Ginol Meditor is OranMeditor's uncle. This is the ruling guildmaster's right hand and deputy and isheavily relied upon. The fitst advisor actsin the place of the ruling guild masterwhen the guild master is ill or incapaci-tated. Ginol served in this way whileOran recovered from the last assassina-tion attempt.

First Consort: Astra Meditor is Oran'swife. As first consort, she is responsiblefor running the palace in the city ofMinrothad and overseeing all social andmany diplomatic functions of the govern-ment. She has assumed many of the cer-emonial functions once served by theruling guild mastei when that office wasmore of a figurehead.

Master Treasurer: Eliz Blanceer is ahuman who coordinates all other guildtreasurers, has complete audit authority,and controls the tax procedures forMinrothad. This is the most fiscally sensi-tive position in the country, and the mas-ter treasurer is expected to be highlytrustworthy and beyond reproach.

Master of the Ruling Guild Master'sAgents: Truth Greenton oversees the rul-ing guild masters agents. In a familyguild, this would be a small security forcewhich serves as personal security for itsguild master. In the case of the govern-ment cabinet, however, the guild mas-ter's agents are an elite intelligence andsecurity force that protects the rulingguild master and collects whatever covenintelligence he deems useful for his pur-poses.

Agents under Greenton's authority actindependently of guild heirarchies.Adventurers from the continent who findemployment with the government ofMinrothad are likely to join this contin-gent in service to the ruling guild master.

FactioNsIntrigue and plots are the mechanism

that drives much of Minrothad Guildspolitics. Here is the current assortment ofmajor problems that lurk hidden on thepolitical scene. Even those that seeminconsequential can have far-reachingeffects in Minrothad.

City of MiNnotljadThe first assassination attempt against

Oran Meditor failed because the assassinmissed his shot, killing the seneschal ofthe city of Minrothad instead.

Seizing the opportunity to bolster hispower, Meditor appointed the halflingHastin Smoothtongue as seneschal, thusbinding Guild Quickhand closer to him.

Kin of Guild Corser have been sene-schals of the city of Minrothad for over100 years. However, that guild had beenactively plotting against Meditor, whodecided that their outrage at losing theoffice of seneschal could not significantlyworsen the situation.

Meditot was wrong. Guild Corser is setsteadfastly against him and is plottinganother assassination attempt in conjunc-tion with other discontents.

LycaNtfjnopyThe Lycanthropic Plague of 980 AC

was a resurgence of the old curse ofMinrothad humans. The council of guildleaders failed to act decisively against theoutbteak and some even enlisted lycan-thropes as their agents for assassinations.The were-menace soon grew into a full-grown plague, with weres appearing onall the islands by the year 989-

In that year Oran Meditor took officeand sent the Mercenary Guild to dealwith the problem. The greatest threat isnow past, but weres remain in unexpect-ed places.

One of those places is in the city ofMinrothad. The former commander ofthe Home Guard #1, Marden Bailey, ishimself a victim of the curse. Blackmailedby Verdier forest elves, he is head of agroup of weres who assist in assassinationplots. Bailey plans how to destroy all

f^Wa-Jffl-fl^raHraHHHHHHMHHH^^

QoVGKNMGNt

those who have taken advantage of hiscurse. In his human form he works to gainthe loyalty of guards in his old unit.

Merchant-princes and the TutorialGuild openly support Meditor, even pro-viding their personal guards and magicalservices to him when he recovered fromthe last assassination attempt. Themerchant-princes come from an assort-ment of Minrothad family guilds, but aremore loyal to their brotherhood of magic-users than to their families.

Family guilds resent this, and in theirdesire to counter the growing power ofthe merchant-princes, extraordinarymeasures have been taken. Severalmagic-users have been brought into thecountry clandestinely to use subtleenchantments on behalf of the familyguilds. Charm spells and similar methodsare being employed to persuade selectedmerchant-princes to support their familyguilds and nullify Oran Meditor. Most ofthese spellcasters come from Glantri andare quite good at what they do. Theirpresence here is highly illegal and as yetunsuspected by the Tutorial Guild. Thelast assassination attempt on Meditor wasmade by one of these hired wizards.

KasaNThe Kasan were once head of the water

elf family guild until their assassinationattempt failed. They are now the mostimplacable enemies Oran Meditor hasmade. Their activities are spied upon byMeditor's agents, but there is one ploygoing completely unobserved.

The Kasan know that the ruling guildmaster is quietly looking for foreigners toserve as agents. Kasan representatives aresearching for likely mainlanders in orderto buy their loyalties and then have themapply to be agents for the Minrothad gov-ernment. These double agents would beused to feed misinformation to the rulingguild master, a valuable asset in the worldof plot and counterplot.

QOVGKNMGNtEMp]O?M€Nt IN

—As Explained by Truth Grcenton,Master of Agents, ruling guild mas-ter's cabinet

"The only place for nonguild mem-bers to find employment in Minrothadis with the government, and then onlyin special capacities as, say, one of theruling guild master's agents.

I don't accept everyone whoapplies, of course, but sometimes Iactively recruit. Like now: there's beena string of coincidental 'accidents'around Oran Meditor that make meuncomfortable. Masonry falls from abuilding, a balcony collapses, a familypet attacks for no reason and has to bekilled—that sort of thing. Oran and Iagree the family guilds are up to some-thing again, and we're looking forsome special agents to investigate.

I've put out the word on the main-land through our Thieves Guild andtrading contacts. Right now I'll hiresomeone who's not affiliated withthese guilds in any way. We need out-siders we can trust, who won't beswayed by guild politics.

Sure, guilds don't talk to outsidersabout their business. But there's waysaround that. We pass foreigners off as'outland traders' from the continent:when a trader has children born in aforeign country, they're automaticallypart of his family guild and can wearthe mark if they want.

We fix our agents up with any guildtatoo or insignia that they need, fill'em in on a cover story, then there's noquestions asked. Oh, the tatoos aremagically applied and so come off lat-er without difficulty—never knowwhen the agent will need to use a dif-ferent guild mark. The tatoos are noproblem. Its finding the right personto put them on."

Deati? IN ti7€—As told by halfling Ka.be!

Grassroots, journeyman gardener, cityofMinrothad

"I were in the garden, a-pruningthe hydrangeas, when Guild MasterMeditor come out to take the air. Hestopped by the peach tree and sat onthe stone bench. He were there no fewminutes when the earth roiled andburst up right in front of him! Igoogled and near dropped my shears.

"There stood a manlike thing, allmade out of dirt and rocks. His ruler-ship had this surprised look on his facewhen it clubbed him and knocked himclear back offen that bench.

"I thought sure he must be kilt. Butno, the master were hurt, but alive.He half stood and scrambled back,under the trees and around the garde-nia bush. The thing followed him,pushing trees right to the side—andthat's when I spied the other man.

"Looked like Guild Corser, fromthe cheek tatoo, but he'd no businessin the palace gardens, hey? He stoodbehind the gardenias, staring real hardwith his hands pointed funny at thedirt-man.

"The dirt-man were on Meditoragain, crunching him in his arms. Itdropped him, and the master col-lapsed like every bone in his body weresnapped. Looked like next tromp,he'd be crushed. I didn't know whatto do, but I had to do something. So Iwent screaming out there, runningright across the lawn, and threw myshears at the thing's back. Well, thiswizard were so busy, he didn't noticeme sooner. But I think my hollerspooked him. He gave a start, the dirt-man froze in mid-stomp, then every-thing got crazy.

"Later they told me it were an earthelemental, and the wizard lost controlof it. That wizard got away and there'snothing left of the garden, blast him.

"An earth elemental. Imagine that.And I threw my prunin' shears at it."

QuilDLittle is known about thieves by the

average Miniothaddan. Even less isknown about the guild to which mostptofessional thieves belong. Theii actionsseldom come to the awareness of the pub-lic and Minrothaddans are content tokeep it that way. It is unsettling enoughto citizens that their government knowsabout the activities of this nefariousguild.

Histony

Early in Meditor's rule, various familyguilds hoped to use the Thieves Guildagainst him. The organization was strictlyclandestine, its existence and connectionswith pirates known to only a few of thefamily guild members.

Through the Thieves Guild, theseplotters passed information to the piratesabout what Minrothad shipping wouldbe suitable targets for attack. The pur-pose of this maneuver was to undermineMeditor's authority by claiming ineffec-tiveness against pirates.

For some time the pirates took thesetips and lived well off the sacrificial ship-ping. But Oran Meditor suspected thefamily guilds were involved and was nottoo surprised when he was openlyapproached by the Thieves Guild itself.

The guild wanted to strike a deal withMeditor. If Oran let them use Minrothadtrading agents as contact points, theywould develop a network of trade intelli-gence overseas. This would help themexpand their continental thieving net-work; in exchange the Thieves Guildwould not operate within Minrothadwaters.

Oran was not completely happy withthis offer and was about to turn themdown when the old guild master died ofnatural causes. He took the opportunityto make a counteroffer to the new guildmaster, Alf Shadower. Meditor wouldendorse Alf in his office, thus saving a lotof infighting over the position. He wouldalso permit the overseas expansion of theThieves Guild, as previously proposed. Inexchange, the guild would be reorgan-

CRIMG in ttyezied along specific lines.

Shadower agreed to these proposals.The Minrothad Thieves Guild today is anofficial organization with governmentsanction, operating along strict guide-lines and rules.

Isles

The Thieves Guild is divided into threeassociate guilds. Each operates indepen-dently, reporting directly to the guildmaster himself, and has no contact withthe others. The guild master, Alf Shad-ower, is accountable only to Oran Medi-tor for the actions of the guild.

Master Thief: The master thief is LerriCagliari, a middle-aged human womanbased in Specularum. She took over thisposition from Alf Shadower when hebecame guild master.

Device: This guild uses the device ofthe Thieves Guild, described in theAdventurer's Guide.

OpenatiONS

Thieves operate almost exclusively onthe continent, in ports and trade townsand wherever else guild business takesthem. They steal to finance the opera-tions of the guild and consider any non-Minrothad person or business to be fairgame. (Also, more foreigners belong tothis group than any other Minrothaddanguild).

In suitable places lacking a thievesguild of their own, the Minrothad thievesdominate the local crime scene. Thisgroup has the man-power and the experi-ence to come into a town and set up a suc-cessful criminal organization. Not all arecalled guilds, and many do not evenknow they are really front operations forMinrothad thieves.

Aside from purely money-making ven-tures, the actions of these mainlandthieves serve the purposes of the Minro-thad guilds whenever possible. Mer-chants and shippers who compete with *the Minrothad guilds are prefered targetsof opportunity, as are officials and otherpersons who are not cooperating withMinrothad trade agents or ambassadors.

In cities where there is already a strongthieves guild, the Minrothad thieves godeep underground. They continue theiractivities in a low-key manner, and havebecome quite adept at evading the localthieves. Since death is almost a certainpenalty for infringing on another guild'sterritory, Minrothad thieves are very care-ful not to get caught. Only the mostexperienced guildsmen operate regularlyin another guild's territory.

The Thieves Guild serves as an infor-mal intelligence network for the govern-ment of Minrothad. Although they donot actively seek out information, as dothe Blue Eels, thieves constantly stumbleacross gossip and other tidbits that mightbe of interest in a larger context. Thisnews is passed along to the guild masterin Minrothad; in special instances it maygo directly to the local Blue Eel contact.

Deaf/7 to "Ctji€V€S

In 965 AC, after the assassination ofRuling Guild Master Kitrina Meditor,the much-heralded '' Death toThieves" decree was passed.

The decree mandated an immediatetrial and death sentence for anyoneconvicted of thievery of a certaindegree or type. The act was a hystericalresponse to the fact that Meditor'sassassin had been a member of a for-eign thieves guild. Abhorrent ofthieves and all they represent, Minro-thaddans heartily endorsed the act.

The decree is still in effect in theMinrothad guilds, although it hasbeen enforced less and less over theyears. However, if members of theMinrothad Thieves Guild are thethieves unlucky enough to be caught,their trial and execution is speedy sothat they will not have the chance toreveal sensitive information abouttheir guild, such as its involvementwith pirates and assassins and the factthat the ruling guild master knows ofthis.

If&j^fBfl-Cg-y-S-B-frfl-B-aOM-frWQ-P-OOQiHratHHre

Ciuivie IN tl7C MiNROtljaO isles

Minrothad thieves also serve as recruit-ers for the Thieves Guild. Recruitinglikely young talents and experiencedthieves is the first priority of this guild,but their contacts are so wide-spread thatthey often encounter people who mightmake suitable Blue Eels or privateers.This information is passed through chan-nels and the prospects contacted later bythe appropriate party.

Although this guild has officiallyagreed not to operate in Minrothad, thereare always individuals who cannot resisttemptation. Their thieving is usually con-fined to picking pockets and other rela-tively petty crimes so as not to anger guildauthorities. If they are caught, however,they may suffer an inordinate penaltybecause of the Death to Thieves decree(see sidebar) which is still in effect in theMinrothad Isles.

CoNtactThe Thieves Guild can be contacted

officially through the government ofMinrothad. It can be approached unoffi-cially by a discreet word to a guild portagent or factor. The word will be passedalong and a thief will pay a visit to the onewho inquired. Mtnrothad trade agentsserve only as information relays and mid-dlemen in legal activities.

Blue EelsThis guild is responsible for finding

out things that could affect Minrothadbusiness interests and trade concerns.Since many political actions of a nationimpact its economy and hence its com-merce, the Blue Eels are perforce one ofthe most extensive spy organizations onthe continent.

There is at least one Blue Eel or one oftheir foreign agents in place in the gov-ernment or court of almost every nationthat Minrothad trades with. Where this isnot possible, the Minrothad trade agentis often a Blue Eel. That post keeps thespy in a position to at least observe eco-nomic events within a country and makeappropriate reports.

Blue Eel spies pass along informationon tariffs, taxes, economic development,and military and political events. Muchof this information-gathering is mun-dane, but allows the ruling guild masterto advise Minrothad merchants on effec-tive trade strategies and tactics.

Master Spy; Master of this guild is thedwarf Cass Charmer, a former thief whosingle-handedly created the network ofspies called the Blue Eels. His base ofoperations is the city of Minrothad, butCass spends most of his time traveling onthe continent handling guild affairs.

Device: A royal blue eel writhes verti-cally, holding a balance in its mouth. Fivestars form a pattern on the eel's back, asubtle reference to the five stars of the rul-ing guild master's device.

The Blue Eels are the intelligence andspy arm of the Minrothad government.While the ruling guild master's agentscollect information on domestic plots,the Blue Eels concentrate solely on for-eign intrigues and plans. All members ofthis guild are native-born Minrothad-dans; many are orphans or other personswith no strong ties to family guilds. Theirexistence is a closely kept secret, known inMinrothad only to Oran Meditor and hisfirst advisor, and of course ro the guildmaster of the Thieves Guild.

Sensitive Information: When Minro-thad is concerned about a country's mili-tary intentions or other highly sensitiveinformation is sought, Blue Eels are pre-pared to handle that kind of assignment.If necessary, the spy steals documents, lis-tens to secret conferences, and does what-ever is needed to secure the information.

This is the most hazardous of all spyventures, when the Blue Eel must delveafter information rather than letting itcome to him. Because of the irreparableharm the discovery of a spy would do toMinrothad trade ventures, spies are swornto kill themselves rather than be capturedalive. Each Blue Eel carries a small con-cealed vial at all times. The vial contains apotion concocted of sea snake venom; thepoison is fast-acting and always fatal.

Recnuited AqeNtsSometimes it is easier for a foreign

native to get close to sensitive informa-tion. Foreigners who work for the BlueEels are recruited agents, whether or notthey realize they are aiding the spy orga-nization of Minrothad when they under-take a mission. A recruited agent may beas innocuous as a chambermaid, report-ing who her lord entertains at night; itmight be someone as prominent as a min-ister of government, dissatisfied with hislot and willing to sell information to ahigh bidder. The Blue Eels have almostunlimited funding with which to coaxsuch informers.

ContactIt is impossible to contact the Blue Eels

except through the office of the ThievesGuild. Even then, anyone exhibitingknowledge of this spy organization willbe the target of immediate suspicion andwill be shadowed by the very spies he istrying to locate.

CKJM€ IN 1Sl€S

PnivateeusPrivateers, or pirates, have a tolerated,

semi-legal status in the Minrothadguilds. Their existence is known, but thefact that they are part of the ThievesGuild is a well-kept secret. Details aboutpiracy in the Sea of Dread and Minrothadwaters are given under Pirates. Here fol-lowing is simply an overview of privateersas associates of the Thieves Guild.

Master Privateer: The Master of the Pri-vateer Guild is the water elf HamilvarKasan. His headquarters and base is CoveHarbor on Fire Island.

Device: The device of this associateguild is a balance with two cutlasses as thecrossbeams of the balance arm. Whenashore, guild members wear a metalbracelet or anklet with this device on it.

When at sea, absolutely no insigniarelating them to the Mintothad guilds isworn, though passwords are issued sothey can identify themselves to keymerchant-princes. The traditional pirateflag bearing a skull and two crossed cut-lasses, called the Dread Banner, is used toidentify privateer ships when raiding.

OpenatioNsMinrothad privateers once had letters

of marque from the government autho-rizing them to attack and destroy or con-fiscate the shipping of nations hostile toMinrothad. In the past there was somepurpose to this, since Thyatian war vesselsmade forays now and then into the Sea ofDread. Now, however, the guilds havesigned neutrality treaties with most sea-faring countries. There are no openly hos-tile powers for the privateers to attack.

This tiny detail has not stopped theprivateers from continuing their bandit-ry. Called pirates by everyone but them-selves, the Privateers Guild preys on anylikely merchant shipping except Minro-thaddan vessels—and a decade ago wereattacking those as well.

Since the restructuring of the ThievesGuild, Oran Meditor has tolerated thecontinued existence of the PrivateersGuild under inflexible conditions. Theymust leave Minrothad shipping strictly

alone and may harass only shipping ofcompanies and nations which competewith Minrothad's cargo trade. They arenot permitted to kill captives after a vesselis taken, but must drop them at the near-est inhabited land fall or set them free inboats within sight of inhabited land. Theprivateers are expected to supplement thetiny Minrothaddan navy and assist in theeffort to keep foreign military vessels andpoaching fishermen out of Minrothadwaters.

For use in such 'official' encounters,privateer captains carry letters of authori-zation from the ruling guild master.With this exception, privateers carrynothing to connect them with Minrothadduring their piratical ventures. If they arecaptured, the ruling guild master canclaim, truthfully, that he had merelyauthorized some Minrothad captains toact as auxiliary navy in patrolling the localwaters.

CangoPrivateers sell captured cargos in a vari-

ety of mainland ports. They never sellsuch goods in Minrothad, a strictureintended to keep them out of the publiceye and questions out of the minds ofinquisitive guild merchants.

Their cargo sales are tacitly assisted bythe Minrothad trade agent in port. Aslong as items are not contraband or clear-ly identifiable as someone else's property,the factor does privateers the courtesy ofasking no questions about the goods. Thecargo is accepted into the guild ware-houses and the trade agent handles theother details of selling.

ContactMinrothad privateers can be contacted

in Cove Harbor on Fire Island, at sea in asea encounter, or sometimes selling goodsin a mainland port.

AssassinsThere is no official Minrothad Guilds

connection with assassins. Through theirmainland contacts, though, manyThieves Guild masters know assassins and

know where to locate them if they areneeded.

When a Black Seal Warrant has beenissued against someone, assassins areoften hired to locate the condemned per-son, no mattet where he is hiding, andexecute him. The bounty is given to theassassin for the job, minus a small per-centage for the Thieves Guild's trouble ofhiring him in the first place.

Unofficial government purposes alsowarrant the hiring of an assassin. Once ina great while someone in the Minrothadgovernment wants a political adversary ina foreign nation disposed of. This mightbe, for example, a minister of trade whorefuses to exempt guild vessels from anexclusionary tariff. If the request is passedalong by the guild master of the Minro-thad Thieves Guild, an assassin is unoffi-cially hired to take care of thetroublemaker.

Assassins are far and away most com-monly employed by family guildsmenand sent to Minrothad to do a politically-motivated assassination. This is not con-doned by the Minrothad Thieves Guild,but they and the government are power-less to prevent it. Both entities wash theirhands of the matter completely, althoughpenalties are harsh if the family guild'sinvolvement can be proven.

I I

Piuates of tfje MiNROtftab IslesPirates of the Minrothad Isles

—An overview by Ariana Demenck,human second mate of the Radiant, Pri-vateers Guild

"So you be thinking the privateersmight be a spot 'o'fun fet your friends?I'd say that depends on if they be in theguild ot chased by the guild. But I'll showyou around, let you judge fer yourself.

"And fer starters, mate, don't keepgooglin' at me. Minrothad likes femalecraftsmen fine, but some of them familyguilds be a bit too set on marriage alli-ances and children. The women whatdon't cafe fot that life go looking foranother. There be plenty of female pir . .. privateers about, even some captains.And me eyepatch be not so stiange. Yousee 'em amongst them that fight at sea.

"Now, about this 'pirate' business.When the guilds were founded, we werebusy keeping Thyatians out o'our waters.It weie only natural to create a PrivateersGuild to do that, and there were a proudpurpose to it.

"When the Thyatians gave up andkept away, that were no reason for theguild to disband, now wete it?"

HistonyMinrothad, with its concentration on

merchant shipping, has never developeda large navy. In the early 8th century, theguilds relied heavily on their merchant

force to supplement the Navy's patrollingcapabilities and keep Thyatian naval ves-sels out of Minrothad waters.

A number of enterprising captainsformed the Privateers Guild specificallyto accomplish this. Because of Minro-thad's neutrality agreements, they wereunable to attack Thyatian shipping inThyatian waters, but had free reign in theocean territory claimed by the MinrothadGuilds. The privateers built modifiedmerchant ships for this purpose. The ves-sels were longer and narrower of beam,allowing them to move swiftly throughthe water while retaining enough holdspace to carry a worthwhile amount ofcargo. As long as there was adequatewind, the well-armed ships could easilycatch, out-maneuver, and defeat lateen-rigged Thyatian merchants and even wargalleys.

When Thyatians finally departed Minro-thad waters, the Privateers Guild did notstop its operations. Beckoned by rich mer-chant shipping in foreign waters, the priva-teers simply removed all marks whichidentified them as official Minrothad ves-sels and began pirating in earnest.

The speedier hull developed for priva-teering was soon adopted by regularMinrothad merchant shipping. Whenthis happened, Minrothad pirates couldno longer be identified by their hullshape alone. As the privateer fleet grewwith the addition of captured shipping, itwas impossible for suspicious mainland-ers to say for certain what nation, if any,was behind the outbreak of piracy.

Minrothad trade suffered under theIsolation Act of 890 AC, and piracy hadincreased many times over by 960 AC. Adecade ago, pirates from lerendi andThyatis stepped up their raids on richMinrothad ships. This has been taken as ago-ahead by the privateers to pursue for-eign shipping in kind.

Piracy has never flourished so greatlybefore in the Sea of Dread, with clashesbetween pirate vessels occurring withincreasing frequency on the high seas.Minrothad privateers receive a bountyfrom the ruling guild master for each for-eign pirate they can prove to have sunk 01captured.

JOINING tl}€ pnivateeusFor the young squeeg what thinks he —

or she — might tike the pirate life, there beways to find the privateers guild. We be asecret guild, you see, but rumor floats theair through dockside taverns and a fewquestions there can set a seeker right.

A sly one puts out the word on thedocks. Soon one o 'us pays him a visit. Ora bold one walks into the Thieves Guildoffices in Minrothad and says he wants tojoin. The thieves claim not to know us,but a privateer mate or captain comesalong in the next week or two and has atalk with him.

Trick is, once you 're in, you don 't getout. This be a guild for life, and it be lifeaway from most of Minrothad. We makethat clear to them that apply. If they beover-fond of family guilds and holidays,they never leave the dock. But them thathas promise takes a sail in a private boat.And when she pulls aside a privateership, they climb aboard as scuppers.

A privateer begins his career as anapprentice, called a scupper. He becomesan able seaman after two to five years oftraining, depending on the individual, andthen may progress in technical and pettyofficer specialties if he choses to do so.Good petty officers are promoted to officerranks. The only exception to this is in thecase of clerics and other skilled specialtieswho start out as jourenymen/officers.

Minrothad privateers should be regard-ed as fighter-class characters who are alsoskilled in sailing. The avetage range offighting skill levels are listed along withguild and equivalent shipboard ranks inthe Ranks sidebar. The table also givesthe number of shares each person receivesby guild regulation when loot and cargoprofit is divided up.

RaNks

Abbreviations:

SJmJmJJmAp

Senior JourneymanJourneymanJunior JourneymanApprentice

12

Finales of tl7€ MiNKOt?7at> Isles

Ship Guild CharacterRank Rank Level Shares

Captain Master 15-25 +First Mate SJm 11-15Quartermaster SJm 10-13Ship's Healer SJM 8-15Boatswain SJM 9-12Second Mate JM 7-12Chief Boatswain'sMate JM 6-9Third Mate JJm 3-7Sailmaker JM 5-7Ship's Carpenter JM 5-7Ship's Cook JM 1-3Helmsman JJm,JM5-10Watch Chief JJm,JM5-10Special Positions JJm, JM5-10Able Seamen JJm 3-7Scuppers Ap 1-3

1066655

4444333321

A similar heirarchy is followed by theMerchant Sailors Guild and the Minro-thad Navy. As in other Minrothad ship-ping, officers do not start as officers, butmust work their way up through theranks. Captain is the guild equivalent ofmaster, and is almost always someonewho has risen to his position throughhard work.

The responsibilities of these positionsare described here.

Captain: Decides where to sail, whattargets to attack, how and where to dis-pose of captured ships and cargo. Givessailing directions and navigates.

Ship's Healer: Heals the sick and caresfor the injured on board, especially aftersea battles. This ship's officer is usually acleric who has left a temple to join thePrivateer's Guild.

Quartermaster: Oversees ship's sup-plies and cargo and the execution of shipmaintainance specialties. An officer.

Cook: Keeps track of provisions andfeeds the crew. Has one or more appren-tices.

Sailmaker: Makes and repairs sail. Usu-ally a former member of the Guild Elsansailmakers. Has one or more apprentices.

Ship's Carpenter: In charge of shiprepairs and construction of barrels andother needed items. Has one or moreapprentices.

First Mate: Executes captain's ordersand gives sailing directions when captainis below decks. Often navigates.An officer.

Second Mate: Relays first mate's ordersto crew and directly supervises the work.Is in charge of ship's weapons locker,weapons training, and battle stationdrills; sometimes navigates. A junior offi-cer.

Third Mate: This rank is found only onlarger ships (crew of 40 or more) and isthe most junior officer position. Thirdmate has nominal authority over themembers of one watch but does the samework they do. Is usually chief of a watchor is in charge of undesirable details:careening hull, fetching water, shiftingballast, etc.

Helmsman: Steers ship. Answerable tothe officer of the watch (usually the rank-ing officer on deck); reports weatherchanges and sea conditions that affectnavigation.

Boatswain (pronounce bo' sun): Chiefpetty officer in charge of the crew andspecial work details that take care ofship's boats, rigging, weapons, etc.Sometimes takes charge of a single watchand acts as its chief.

Chief Boatswain's Mate: This pettyofficer carries out the boatswain's ordersand enforces discipline among the crew.Supervises work details and is chief of awatch.

Crew: On an adequately-manned ship,crew is divided into three watches of atleast 10 men each, each working one 8-hour shift on deck. Crew members not onwatch perform special detail work orsleep. All watches can be turned out atany time required to handle the ship, as isnecessary during heavy weather or whenmaneuvering in battle.

Skills —When a scupper joins us, I be the mate

that watches close, see what he be likelyfor. Be he nimble, I put him topside inthe riggin' soon as he knows a sheet froma shroud. Have he a sharp eye for dis-tance, I put him on a ballista crew, ormayhap the catapult. Be he nearsighted,

then off he trots to the sailmaker or thecook.

Not all privateers be sailors proper, buteven the cook's 'prentice spends time intheriggin'. And I make sure they alUearnto use a cutlass, while the artful ones andelves use the bow. A sharp-eyed elfin therigging can't be beat for sniping, andsometimes it saves the fight!

Minrothad privateers and other pirateshave a variety of skills not covered in theD&D® game books. Using the skills rulesdescribed in the Adventurer's Guide, theDM may assign appropriate skills fromthe list below or allow player characters tochose their own. All privateer charactersstart with Boat Sailing and Ship Sailing.(If a character is a water elf of GuildElsan, he already has the Boat Sailingskill; taking that skill again improves hisscore by +1.)

Artillery: (Intelligence). Characterknows how to use catapults or balhstaeaboard ship.

Boat Sailing: (Intelligence). Skillallows character to sail boats (but notships).

Cookery: (Intelligence).Long-Sight: (Intelligence). Character

knows how to scan the ocean in a searchpattern designed to reveal things thatwould be missed by the untrained eye.This is learned on the ocean, but worksanywhere there is a wide vista. He can dif-ferentiate land from the horizon andclouds and has good distance vision(improved by practice).

Navigation: (Intelligence). Characterknows how to get from one place toanother by the stars and the sun. He canread charts and maps and track his rela-tive position.

Rigging: (Intelligence). Character hasthe skills to make, maintain and repair avessel's rigging. This includes sailmak-ing, rope splicing, arranging blocks andtackle, and setting rigging on a boat orship.

Rigging Combat: (Dexterity). Charac-ter is skilled in fighting from and in aship's rigging. A character who makesthis skill roll at the start of a fight has nopenalty to hit for archery or melee combat

^XHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMHHHre-tHraK^^

Piuates of tlje MiNnotljab Isles

in the rigging. Failure gives a penalty of-3.

Ship Sailing: (Intelligence). Characterknows how to sail a ship. This skill doesnot give him the ability to navigate it.

Swimming: (Constitution).Ship Carpentry: (Intelligence). Char-

acter can make common shipboardrepairs, including to masts and yardarms,and can build barrels, boxes, and othercontainers.

Vessel Identification: (Intelligence).Upon seeing a vessel, the character canjudge things about it by her lines, rig-ging, and flags, if any. Use of this skillgives a good idea of the ship's country oforigin, its type, armament, and crewcompliment.

RcfeueeiNQ PinateENCOUNtCRS

When we come on a likely ship, wechase her down and board her. Some-times they give up easy. If not, well, wedo what we have to. Then we take her car-go, scuttle the ship and put her crew andpassengers ashore—or we 're supposed to,anyway, says the guild master.

If the ship looks good, we put a prizecrew aboard instead o'sinkin' her. Theytake her to Cove Harbor, our hidey place,and refit her for privateer work. Or, if shedon't look quite so good, we sell her in aforeign port.

lerendi Navy is something to avoid allthe time, though we might try to take anavy ship from a different country.Pirates we always have a tussle with, espe-cially lerendi pirates. They got the speed,but we got the weapons. There's morethan one o'their ships has been made parto'the privateer fleet, and the Radiant'sone of 'em!

The secret of Minrothad pirate successis their use of fast ships and endless train-ing. Theit ships are faster than most navaland merchant vessels and the crews drillcontinuously with artillery and meleeweapons so they can prevail in boardingactions.

A ship that cannot flee a pirate vesselmust fight. The outcome of a sea chase

and battle can be determined using therules described in the Expert Rulebook,pages 43-44; GAZ 4, The Kingdom oflerendi; or the Sea Machine, described inmodule Ml, Into the Maelstrom.

If the DM wants to play a ship-to-shipencounter in more detail, the followingmethod can be used. It does not attemptto resolve complex ship maneuvers suchas ramming and side-swiping to breakoars or the use of magic, which is handledas necessary by the DM whenever a spell iscast. Also, it has assigned arbitrary, aver-age statistics to ships and crew for ease ofreference. These numbers can be alteredby the DM as desired for a particularencounter.

Step 1. When vessels are in range, con-duct artillery fire.

A privateer carries one ballista mount-ed at the bow, one in the waist of theship, and a catapult at the stern. An ene-my merchant has none or one of theseweapons, while naval vessels carry thesame number or more. The DM decideswhat armament the enemy ship carries.

Artillery weapons fire once every fourrounds. Characters can use their Artilleryskill to determine if individual fire hitsthe target. NPC crews use these Artilleryskills:

161715151410

Minrothad privateers:lerendi Navy:lerendi pirates:Thyatian Navy and pirates:Other navies:Merchants (all):

Skill rolls are penalized by + 1 for everyarmor class point the target vessel hasbelow 10.

A catapult has a range of 150 to 300yards; a ballista, from 0 to 200 yards.Each does 3d6 points of damage. Burningmaterial from a catapult causes Id6points per turn of burning. An Artilleryskill check that is 10 points or more belowthe number needed strikes the enemyship below the watetline (if a ballista) orin the mast or oars (if a catapult), anddoes three times the damage rolled.

Step 2. Adjust movement rates and hullpoints remaining.

Damaged ships move more slowly; suffi-ciendy damaged ones sink. Keep track ofdamage done and refer to the followingchart to determine movement. Movementis given in yards per round. The ship sinks ifhull points reach 0, and all but galleys loseall headway when three-quarters destroyed.The crew figure is the number of crew thatfight in a boatding action. Deduct anycrewmen slain from that number.

Ship Hull Points and MovementHP/

Vessel MV: Starting 3/4 »/z '/*

MinrothadPirates HP: 100 75 50 25

(AC 7,Crew 50) MV: 40 30 20 0

lerendi Navy* HP: 120 90 60 30(AC 6,Crew 75) MV: 20/40 15/30 10/20 5/0

lerendi Pirates HP: 90 68 45 23(AC 7,Crew 40) MV: 50 40 25 0

ThyatianNavy HP: 90 68 45 23

(ACS,Crew 30) MV: 30/50 20/40 10/25 5/0

ThyatianPirates HP: 70 53 35 18

(AC 7,Crew 35) MV: 50 40 25 0

Merchants(any) HP: 160 120 80 40

(ACS,Crew 20) MV: 40 30 20 0

* assumes a large galley, not a war galley

Step 3. Determine results of archery.

Privateer battle stations include onewatch of 10 pirates with Rigging Combatskill shooting arrows from the rigging.Characters without Rigging Combat skillshoot at — 3 to hit. Archers targeting aspecific enemy, rather than shooting intogroups of sailors, have an additional —6to hit. The DM should apply other modi-fiers as desired to teflect range, wind, andsea conditions.

The average sailor is AC 9, has 10 hitpoints, and fights as a 3d-level Fighter.PCs can be allowed to resolve fire individ-ually. Slain NPCs are deducted from the

14

Piuates of t)7€ MiNuotijao Isles

enemy ship's crew total. For massed NPCarchers shooting from the rigging, theDM need only roll a Id20. On a result of15 or greater, the ship which is thearchers' target loses 5 percent of its crew(round up). Enemy fire at the PC ship is 5percent likely to strike a PC. If hit, resolvedamage normally.

Step 4. Resolve boarding action.

Within 20 yards, grappling irons canbe thrown to lash ships together andboarding planks lowered. There is an 80percent chance that the pursuing shipsuccessfully grapples and boards the oth-er. If that roll fails, the ships drift apart.Five rounds elapse before the pursuer canclose a second time. During that periodthe results of maneuvering and addition-al missile fire are resolved.

Once secured to each other, boardingaction begins. Mass combat can beresolved with War Machine or SeaMachine methods. PCs should beallowed to select individual fights ifdesired until the mass melee comes to aconclusion. Sailors fight with cutlassesthat cause 1-8 points of damage.

If the crew of the attacking ship losesthe fight, they are chased back onto theirown vessel by their enemy unless they cancast loose and escape. The winners of theencountet may do as they please with theship, cargo, and crew they have won.

Canqo SljanesCargo values can be set with the system

described under Trade in this book. Theprofit from a sold ship or cargo is dividedamong the crew according to the shareseach is entitled to (see the Ranks table)after 30 percent is set aside for the coffersof the Privateers Guild. Total shares aresummed up and the booty or profit isdivided by that number, giving the valueto be paid for each share.

For example, assume a boat crew ofthree pirates and an officer is due a totalof 12 shares between them. If the booty isworth 120 gp, each share is worth 10. Theofficer, who receives six shares, gets 60 gpand the pirates, with two shares apiece,get 20 gp each.

Sailon's "CnicksThere be tricks to the trade in the Pri-

vateer line o'work. Any sailor knowsabout 'em, but it's how and when you use'em that makes you a privateer.

Some of these tips and tricks are usedfor commonplace sailing problems andothers are for less legitimate purposes.

Getting Afloat: A vessel that ranaground can wait for the tide to turn andfloat it off the obstruction. If the ship gothung up at high tide, it can only berefloated by towing. It can be towed byanother vessel or it can tow itself by kedg-ing. During kedgmg, a ship's boat rowsout with a length of cable and the ship'sanchor. The anchor is dropped and thecable taken up on the capstan. In thisway, a ship can winch herself off anobstruction.

Sailing: A ship trying to make speedsometimes has its sails drenched withwater. Wet canvas holds the wind better,improving speed by 5 to 10 percent. Aship cutting upwind of another can steal-

ing more quickly while the downwindship slows. Roll 2dlO; increase one ship'sspeed and decrease the othet by the samepercentage.

Raids: A ship's lights are visible formiles at night. For this reason, pirateships on a raid or escaping pursuit some-times run with no lights at night. Whenpirates want to acquire at ship at anchorin harbor, a number of them sneak up tothe vessel in rowboats, climb aboard,overpower the crew (or try to), and sailthe ship out of the harbor.

In Port: Pirate crews might pass as mer-chant crews in port to sell their catgo.When selling a captured ship, her sailconfiguration and rigging is oftenchanged to alter her lines, an easy identi-fier among those who know ships. Namesand identifying marks are changed aswell, and papers are often forged.

Magic: Dweomers which protect orhelp ships are highly sought, very expen-sive, and kept very secret. Fire resistanceand wind spells are two of the most popu-lar.

MeRcfjaNt-PuiNces of"If you want to trade with the Minro-

thad Guilds, the merchant-princes holdthe real power. They have the wealth toback up trade decisions and they're leftalone at sea because of that strange magicthey know."

—Tedor, a Darokin import merchant

"Flamboyant fellows they are, allpuffed up with themselves. So they canconjure elementals. So can any Glantrilord worth the name! But Minrothaddansregard them as nobility for their spellcast-ingasmuch as their money... Hmm. Per-haps they're learning something from usafter all."

—Vinciento de Belcadiz, GlantriAmbassador to Minrothad

Master craftsmen often go on tradingvoyages with Minrothad ships carryinggoods from their guild. In this way, themaster can handle buying and selling inperson when port is reached rather thanrelying on the ship captain or the Minro-thad port agent to conduct his businessfor him.

Even more often, ship captains pur-chase guild cargos or carry them on con-signment and do their own trading inforeign ports. Whether master or ship'scaptain, these persons represent theMinrothad Guilds overseas and have thebuying and selling power to back up theirtrade agreements.

These Minrothad master traders cameto have much power and influence asguild representatives. Too, in Minrothadthere is a long tradition of magic used onshipboard to aid in / / seafaring. Sincemost elvish captains, at least, knew a littlesea or weather magic, the combination ofmerchant skill and spellcasting becameidentified as one in the person of theMinrothad trader.

The utility of sea and weather magiccould not be denied and as the guildsbecame more powerful, Minrothad cap-tains aspired to its mastery. Spellcasterswho were also master traders and experi-enced captains came to represent theepitome of guild aspirations.

Enough captains actually fit this moldthat their class and status are formalizedin Minrothad with the acknowledgement

of a caste designation and social perqui-sites. The merchant-prince is now a rec-ognized profession in the MinrothadGuilds, a respected and powerful charac-ter class at home and abroad.

BecoMJNQ a

A craftsman or ship captain must reachmaster level in his craft and be an experi-enced trader before he can apply fortraining to become a merchant -prince.That training is magical in nature, foronce the mundane experience isacquired, it is the mastery of seafaringmagic that turns a master into amerchant-prince.

The Tutorial Guild's associate Guild ofInstruction oversees the education ofaspiring merchant-princes. The master ofinstruction, the water elf Holea Mapseir,personally approves applicants for andaffirms graduates from this training pro-gram.

A player running a Minrothad Guildscharacter might wish to become amerchant-prince. This should be possiblebut, as with NPCs, the character mustfirst become a successful trader and amaster-level guildsman. This could beone of the objectives of a campaign , for itrequires quite an investment of time andmuch character development. The systemfor developing characters through guildranks is described under Guild Trade.

CljaRacteR ReguiueMCNts —Only humans or elves can become

merchant-princes. Most members of thisclass are ship captains, but any master-level character who plans on regular sea-faring can apply. Characters must meetthese prerequisites and accomplish thefollowing things.

• The character must have an Intelli-gence of at least 12 and Dexterity of atleast 9-

• He must have the Bargaining orAppraisal skill and have improved it atleast one point over his native Intelli-gence score (see Skills in the Adventur-er's Guide).

• He must have attained master level inone skill relevant to his guild.

• He must show a personal income fromtrading ventures of at least 20,000 gpper year for the last four years.

There is a 40 percent chance that anapplicant will be accepted by the TutorialGuild for merchant-prince training,though there is no guarantee that he willmaster the magic and become amerchant-prince. If accepted, the train-ing is free, because of the long-term ben-efits to the Minrothad Guilds. If refused,an applicant must wait a year to reapply.The odds of being accepted are modifiedby these factors:

+ 5 percent for each point of Charismaover 14;

+ 5 percent per 10,000 gp/year incomeover the 20,000 gp/year minimum;

+ 10 percent for reaching craft masterlevel in your guild;

+10 percent for owning one ship of 60hull points or more;

+ 5 percent for each ship owned in excessof one;

+ 15 percent for sea magic already known(in the case of a water elf or humanmagic-user);

+ 20 percent for holding master rank inmore than one guild skill.

Magical 'CRaiNiNQSpell casting is an integral part of the

merchant-prince's repertoire. Becausecharacters of any class can becomemerchant-princes, characters of any classcan apply for magical training in Minro-thad.

Training is an apprenticeship in magicwhich lasts ld4 + 3 years. This educationis interrupted whenever the character isabsent from Minrothad; if he takes studymaterials with him and makes a seriouseffort to learn them, he can complete onemonth of studies in four months abroad.Three-quarters of this instruction periodmust be completed in person in Minro-thad for the character to benefit from it.

At the end of his apprenticeship, thecharacter acquires the Merchant-PrinceMagic skill. This skill is used only to

16

of

determine when a character becomescapable of casting spells and has nothingto do with the success of spellcastingitself.

The Merchant- Prince Magic skill isbased on Intelligence. A character's skillscore must be at least 15 for him to becapable of casting these spells. If his scoreis less than 1 5 , it reflects that he has mas-tered the theory behind this magic butneeds additional study time to put it intopractice.

A skill below 15 can be improved in theregular manner (see the Adventurer'sGuide). A character with a Merchant-Prince Magic skill of 15 is a 1st levelmerchant-prince and can learn and castspells available to that class.

^YT* Pirn PIT r""""irvM

The merchant- prince uses a separateXP progression table to determine whenhe receives more spells. A player character

Merchant-Prince Experience TableSpells by spell level

Level XP 1

1234567891011121314151617181920

03,5007,00015,00030,00060,000120,000225,000350,000550,000750,000900,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,0001,800,0002,000,0002,400,0002,800,0003,100,000

12222334456677888888

2

122223445566778888

3

1222333445566778

4

12223344556677

5

122

33445556

6

122333445

7

1122334

can apply XP to his regular class or applythem to his merchant-prince magic pro-gression. Elves and humans use the sametable to determine spell casting advance-ment. Since elves developed much of thismagic, they advance as quickly as dohumans, which is still somewhat slowerthan a magic-user norm. Elves who aretaught higher spells by Minrothad waterelves can progress beyond the 10th levelof experience in terms of their merchant-prince spell-casting abilities.

(In effect, a merchant-prince operates intwo character classes at once: his originalclass and the merchant-prince class. How-ever, he advances at the rate shown on theMerchant-Prince Experience Table. Thespell progression on this table supercedesthat of elves, magic-users, and clerics,though members of those classes have awider range of spells to choose from.)

C^e SpellsWater elves combined their own spells

with Alphatian magic designed for use atsea. This was the basis for the spells andmagical practices which have sincebecome the province of merchant-princes.

Many water elves can cast some of thesespells, but only merchant-princes havethe full range available to them. Spellsmarked with (K) are granted to keepers ofthe Water Elf clan relic (see Secrets of theWater Elves),

An asterisk shows that the spell can becast in its reverse form.

Ficst Level Spells1. Clear Sight2. Douse Flame3. Faerie Fire4. Light *5. Locate Sea life (K)6. Oilskin7. Precipitation (K)8. Read Magic9. Resist Cold10. Sea Legs11. Tar12. Warp Wood

Second Level SpellsCareenEntangleNightwatch

4. Obscure * (K)5. Predict Weather (K)6. Purify Food and Water *

7. Produce Fire8. Rot9. Web

Third Level Spells1. Call Lightning2. Dispel Fog (K)3. Fireball4. Lightning5. Water Breathing6. Watery Form (K)

Fourth Level Spells1. Ball Lightning2. Protection From Lightning3. Talk to Sea Creatures (K)4. Transmute Water to Ice

Fifth Level Spells1. Control Winds2. Summon Sea Creatures3. Summon Weather

Sixth Level Spells1. Calm Water2. Calm Wind3. Weather Control

Seventh Level Spells1. Summon Air Elemental2. Summon Water Elemental

17

JrtraHKHHraOfetHKMHHKHHJ-U^^^

MeRcl7aNt-PRiNces of MiNROtljaD

Finst Level Spells

Cleat Sight ( u u )

Range: TouchDuration: 2 rounds per level of casterEffect: makes distant spot look close

When this spell is cast, any spot up toone mile distant can be viewed as if itwere only 10 feet away. The person affect-ed by the spell need only pick a spot andconcentrate his attention on it and theimage becomes larger. The area viewed isa circle up to 70 feet in diameter.

Tactics: used to identify distant objectsat sea.

Douse Flame (M*>

Range: 50'Duration: 1 round per level of casterEffect: extinguishes small flames

When cast, any single nonmagicalflame within 50 feet is snuffed out imme-diately. The fire can be rekindled but willgo out again as long as the spell is ineffect. Flames that can be extinguishedby this spell are those the size of lanterns,torches, campfires, braziers, and so on.

Tactics: Used to put out shipboard firessuch as those ignited by flaming arrows orto extinguish fires on an enemy ship (lan-terns, burning arrows, etc).

Faerie Fire (AfA-J

Range: 60'Duration: 1 round per level of casterEffect: illuminates creatures or object

This spell is identical to the Druid spellof the same name.

Tactics: illuminates opponents or ship-board items (rigging, yardarms, etc.) innight action.

light * IAU-;

Range: 120'Duration: 6 turns + 1 turn per level ofcasterEffect: 30' diameter sphere of light

This spell is identical to the first levelmagic-user spell.

Locate Sea Life t>

Range: 0 (Merchant-prince only)

Duration: 6 turnsEffect: detects one sea creature within 1mile

This spell allows the caster to sense thedirection of one known, normal sea crea-ture or plant. The merchant-prince can-not locate fantastic creatures, plantmonsters, or intelligent beings. He mustname the exact type of sea life he seeks.The creature or plant gets no SavingThrow.

Tactics: used to locate schools offish forfood, kelp beds which might be a naviga-tion hazard, and similar things of inter-est.

Oilskin < M hi

Range: touchDuration: 2 turns per levelEffect: keeps precipitation off one person

This spell prevents fog, rain, waves,hail, and other forms of precipitationfrom touching the person (or smallobject) it is cast upon. Precipitationcomes within an inch of the person'sbody, but strikes an invisible barrier anddoes not penetrate to the clothes or skin.The spell is also effective against wettingby waves. The barrier does not effect anykind of missile or other object, only theabove-stated items.

A person under this spell can see moreclearly than most in driving rain becausenone gets into his eyes. If struck by awave, he remains dry, but if immersed inthe ocean the mass of water is sufficient toovercome the barrier and he will becomewet. Once out of the ocean, however, thespell will still work against precipitation.

Tactics: Used to protect crew suddenlyturned topside in bad weather if theyhave no protective gear or if it is alreadysoaked from waves and weather.

Precipitation {WW)

Range: 10' per levelDuration: 1 round per levelEffect: creates light rain in 30' + 10' perlevel diameter

This spell takes the water vapor in thearea of effect and turns it into a light rain.Note that a low level merchant-prince is

caught in the effect of his own spell.Except when used by high level charac-

ters, the principal effect of this spell is todampen clothing and sails, film deckswith water (making footing uncertain),and snuff out fires. The rain turns intoobscuring fog of double its normal areawhen it hits fire magic (such as wall offire). If the weather is below freezing, therain turns into sleet (between 31 and 33degrees F) or snow (below 31 degrees F).

Magical cold (such as ice storm)applied to the result of the precipitationturns it into ice.

Tactics: Snuff fires, wet sails, or iceopponents' decks and rigging during seaaction.

Read Magic £>'"

Range: 0'Duration: 1 turnEffect: allows caster to read magic

This spell is identical to the 1st levelmagic-user spell.

Resist Cold f AxJ t )

Range: 0'Duration: 6 turnsEffect: all creatures within 30'

This spell is identical to the clericalspell of the same name.

Tactics: Inures crew to bad weatherwhen fighting winter storms.

Sea Legs (AH-)

Range: TouchDuration: 1 hour per levelEffect: stops seasickness and givesimproved balance on deck

This spell stops the effects of oncomingor actual seasickness in the person it is castupon. If unable to do so before, that per-son also gains the ability to balance andmaneuver easily even on a violently heav-ing deck, just as the most experiencedsailor would do. At DM's discretion, aperson under the effects of this spell neednot make Dexterity checks for shipboardactions in stormy weather that could easi-ly be done in calm weather.

This spell can be reversed, also, inwhich case the target of the spell must

H^O-y-tHHra-Q-U-M-MHHHHH^^

MencljaNt-PniNces of MiNROtl?aC)

make a Dexterity check at the beginningof every round when he moves or attacks.Failure means the character falls down.Another Dexterity check is required tostand up.

Tactics: Used to help new seamen whentheir healthy services are urgently need-ed, as during a sea battle, and to aidselected passengers so they can functionadequately.

Tar All-

Range: 30'Duration: permanentEffect: coats item with tar

When this spell is cast, a specified itemis tarred. Tar weatherizes ropes on ship-board and caulks the planks of a ship.This spell produces enough tar to coat a50' length of rope or to caulk a 5' x 10'section of planking on a ship. The tar isnormal in all respects and ignites easily ifit comes in contact with flame. An appli-cation of turpentine is required to temoveit.

Tactics: A common shipboard utilityspell, this is also used as an offensive nui-sance by casting it on the hands, feetand/of face of enemy sailors. One oppo-nent can be tarred per spell.

Warp Wood Alt

Range: 240'Duration: permanentEffect: causes wooden items to bend

This spell is identical to the 1st leveldruid spell except that it also affects ship-board items of wood as well as weapons.One belaying pin can be warped for everyfour levels of the spellcaster; the arm of acatapult or one small yardarm requireseight levels; a medium yardarm 16 levels,a rudder or large yardarm 20, and a mastor keel can only be warped by a spellcasterof 25th level or greater. A warped keelmakes a ship spring leaks and reduces itsspeed to one-third normal.

Tactics: Used to affect sailing of artil-lery capabilities of an enemy vessel.

SecoNO Level SpellsCareen A't

Range: 30'Duration: permanentEffect: removes barnacles and sea growthsfrom the hull of a ship

At least once a year or every 10,000miles of travel (whichever comes first), aship's hull must be scraped clean of seagrowths which hinder its speed in thewater. This spell accomplishes that choremagically, affecting a 20'x20' area of hull.

Careen is also used offensively,although that was not its original intent.When cast on a person, a saving throw isallowed. If it fails, the victim is scrapedand abraded by the magical force, inflict-ing Id8 points of damage plus 1 point perlevel of the spell caster.

Entangle A Ur

Range: 30'Dotation: 1 round per levelEffect: controls ropes

This allows the merchant-prince to useany ropelike object of organic material(vine, hemp, etc.—anything that was oris alive) to behave as he or she orders.Unlike the elvish entangle spell (GAZ5),this is designed for ropes common onshipboard. The spell affects a 20-footlength of rope up to 1.5 inches in diame-ter, plus 5 feet per level of caster. Thecommands given under an entangle spellinclude: coil (form a neat stack), coil andknot, loop, loop and knot, tie and knot,and the feverses of all the above. The typeof knot is any sailors' knot mentally pic-tured by the spell caster. The rope mustbe within 1 foot of any object it is to coilaround or tie up.

Tactics: used on enemy ships to col-lapse sails, foul rigging, and ensnare sail-ors.

Nightwatch A 1 1

Range: touchDuration: specialEffect: allows one to see things at night asif it were day

The person on whom this spell is cast

perceives a dark scene as if it were day-light. This enhanced vision is only effec-tive outdoors. The spell can be cast nomore than two hours before sunset; theduration of the effect is from nightfalluntil sunrise.

During that period, the fecipient cansee details clearly and maneuver as if indaylight, even though it is night. He suf-fers no penalties fof darkness when fight-ing.

Objects are clearly discernible up to200 feet away but beyond that things arefogged by a gray haze where the spelleffect expires. The person affected by thisspell is unable to see even a brightly-litobject, such as a burning ship, that is fur-ther away than 200 feet.

Tactics: Usually cast on a night watch-man so that he has a clear view of thingsimmediately on and around the ship.Such a watchman also has a partner withnormal sight who can see beyond the 200-foot limit.

Obscure * A J t

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)Duration: 1 turn per level of the casterEffect: creates a huge misty cloud

This spell is identical to the 2d leveldruid spell. The reverse form, reveal,clears real fog away. Magical fog is notaffected.

Tactics: Helps hide a ship when evad-ing pursuit or conceals its approach. Most

MeRctjaNt-PniNces of MiNROtl7at>

often used in the Sea of Dread where fogand mist are common.

Predict Weather P W

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)Duration: 12 hoursEffect: gives knowledge of coming weath-er

This spell is identical to the 1st leveldruid spell. In addition, if cast when aship is becalmed, this spell gives knowl-edge of what direction the next winds arecoming from and approximately howlong before they arrive.

Purify Food and Water Alt

Range: 10'Duration: PermanentEffect: Makes food and water safe to con-sume

Identical to the 1st level clerical spell.The reverse form, spoil food and water,ruins food.

Tactics: Used on ships' stores if andwhen necessary, especially on long voy-ages. The reverse is used at times on thefood supply of enemy vessels or camps incovert operations.

Produce Fire W b

Range: 0 {Merchant-prince only)Duration: 2 turns per levelEffect: creats fire in hand

This spell is identical to the 2d leveldruid spell.

Tactics: Used offensively in shipboardcombat.

Rot A'teRange: 360'Duration: 1 round/levelEffect: causes wood, leather and cloth torot and break

This spell is cast on a single item chosenby the spellcaster. The designated materi-al (wood, leather or cloth) then begins torot and decay. The spell affects 1 foot ofrope or leather pet level, or 1 square footof cloth, or 3 cubic inches of wood.

An item may not completely decay,but enough damage is often done thatthe item becomes useless. In particular,

sails, ropes, and masts or yardarms affect-ed by this spell are likely to give way inthe next strong wind. A sail in a full windthat rots is blown out and ripped at theweakened spot and the entire sail is madeuseless.

Tactics: Used to disable sailing riggingon enemy ship.

Web

Range: 50'Duration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: creates a web of sticky sttands

Except as noted above, this is identicalto the 2d level magic-user spell.

Tactics: Used in boarding actions tofoul enemy ship and sailors. If cast into aship's rigging, any change of heading orspeed requires a Sailing check with a + 1penalty for each web spell.

t77/KO Level SpeltsCall Lightning All-

Range: 360'Duration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: calls lightning bolts from storm

This spell is identical to the 3d leveldruid spell.

Tactics: Used offensively in shipboardcombat.

Dispel Fog WV

Range: 20' per level of casterDuration: permanentEffect: removes fog from area

This spell eliminates normal and magi-cal fog from a spherical area with thediameter indicated by the spell's range.Only fog and mist is affected, not bodiesof water, rain, or other precipitation. Thefog dispelled is gone permanently, butthe empty volume may be filled in againby new fog if there is a sufficient quantityin the area. However, a dispelled areastays clear for one turn per level of thecaster regardless of other conditions.

Tactics: Used to avoid navigation haz-ards and locate hidden vessels, and tocounter magical fogs such as those causedby obscure spells.

Fire Ball Ivec

Range: 240'Duration: instantaneousEffect: explosion in a 40'-diameter sphere

This spell is identical to the 3d levelmagic-user spell.

Tactics: Used in sea combat only whenan enemy ship is intended to bedestroyed, not captured.

Lightning

Range: 180'Duration: instantaneousEffect: lightning bolt 60' long, 5' wide

This spell is identical to the 3d levelmagic-usei spell.

Tactics: Used to destroy selected pansof a ship.

Water Breathing MK

Range: 30'Duration: 1 hour per level of casterEffect: allows person to breathe underwa-ter

This spell permits one person tobreathe under water at any depth. It doesnot affect movement in any way nor doesit interfere with the breathing of air.

Watery Form K\V

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)Duration: 1 turn per levelEffect: gives caster a watery form

20

ft*W«HHMMHHHHHHraHHHraraHfQii^

*Cl)e MeRCljaNt-PKiNces of MiNROtfjao

When affected by this spell, the casterand anything he wears turns into whatappears to be a puddle of water. Thisform cannot be absorbed or divided intosmaller parts. It has the same hit pointsand strength of the spellcaster and movesat one-third his movement rate on land orin the water.

While in this form, the spellcasterblends undetectably with a body ofwater, wet spots on deck, and so on. Theform does not drown in water and canswim at any depth the spellcaster chooses.If desired, the form can flow out of theocean, up the side of a ship, and ontodeck. This is as exhausting to the spell-caster as if he had climbed that distancein his regular shape.

If the form is attacked it remains in onepiece but the spellcaster suffers damage.Weapons inflict normal damage and oth-er objects injure as determined by theDM.

Tactics: This spell is excellent for con-cealment or for approaching a targetunseen.

Level SpellsBall Lightning

Range: 180'Duration: 1 round per level of casterEffect: one or more balls of lightning

This spell creates one ball of lightningfor every five levels of the caster. Each ballcan be sent to a different target. A ball oflightning flies through the air to strike itstarget. Once there, it moves rapidly (120feet per round) along surfaces in randomdirections: up masts, along the deck,down stairwells, etc. A ball of lightninginflicts one point of damage per level ofthe spell caster each time it touches a liv-ing object. There is a 10 percent chancethat each ball will come to rest in a certainspot, such as the top of a mast or the endof a yardarm. If so, it starts a small fire inthat place on a roll of 1 or 2 on Id6.

Tactics: Creates a nuisance and hassome offensive value when it doesn'tmatter if the ship catches fire.

Protection from Lightning A^j

Range: touchDuration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: protects against electrical attack

This spell is identical to the 4th leveldruid speli.

Tactics: Cast onto a ship if magically-produced lightning might be usedagainst the vessel.

Talk to Sea Creatures 5 .w

Range: 30'Duration: 2 rounds per level of casterEffect: caster can communicate with seacreatures

Under this spell the caster can talk withand understand the language of any ani-mal, fish, or shellfish of the sea. The spelldoes not bring any creature to the caster,though: the creature must alteady benear the caster.

Tactics: Useful for learning informa-tion about local waters or events.

Transmute Water to Ice* Alt

Range: 160'Duration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: freezes water to ice

Both sea water and fresh water areaffected by this spell, which freezes 10cubic feet of water per level of the castet.A I6th-level merchant-prince can freezeenough water to bind a 50-foot-long ves-sel in ice. The reverse, ice to water, is per-manent unless the natural temperature iscold enough to refreeze the water.

Tactics: Used to block inland waterwayswith ice or render a vessel icebound.

Level SpeltsControl Winds Mr-

Range: 10' radius per level of casterDuration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: calms or increases winds

This spell is identical to the 5th leveldruid spell.

Tactics: Used to aid maneuvering incombat or to avoid sea hazards. Does notlast long enough to be used on long jour-neys nor to affect travel times.

Summon Sea Creatures ^"rv-J

Range: 360'Duration: 3 turnsEffect: calls and befriends normal seacreatures

This spell works as the 4th level druidspell except that only normal sea crea-tures are summoned to the spellcaster.Water elves never use this spell while fish-ing or harpooning for food.

Tactics: Used to gain informationabout local waters or ships.

Summon Weather *

Range: 5 miles or moreDuration: 6 turns per levelEffect: brings weather to merchant-prince's area

This spell is identical to the 6th leveldruid spell. The reverse form dispelsstormy weather within the area of effect:dispersing clouds, ceasing rain, etc. Thespellcaster can select the type of weatherhe wants (refer to Weather Conditionsunder Sailing Rules).

Tactics: Often used in conjunction withpredict weather spell.

Sixty Level SpellsCalm Water All-

Range: 360 yardsDuration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: calms ocean and inland waters

(Cl7€ Of MiNROtl)at>

This spell reduces wave action in the areaof effect to the equivalent of calm seas(see Weather Conditions under SailingRules). Chop, whitecaps, and violentstorm waves are eliminated, althoughthere might be a noticeable swell in thecalm water if the sea itself is storm-tossed.The reverse creates waves in the specifiedarea that are up to 1 foot tall per level ofthe caster. A 20th level merchant-prince,for example, can create 20-foot waves.

Tactics: Used when ships are damagedand some respite from weather is needed.The reverse is used to aggravate the prob-lem for a damaged ship. Movement ratesare affected as explained under SailingRules.

Calm Wind &1V

Range: 360 yardsDuration: 1 turn per level of casterEffect: calms winds

The spell creates an "eye of the storm"effect, reducing even gale-force winds toa breeze within the area of effect. Oceanwaves are unaffected by this spell, andstorm-tossed waters will continue to bat-ter a ship even though the wind hasceased. The spell has no effect on fog andprecipitation, only on the wind thataccompanies it.

Tactics: Used for respite from storms orto steal the wind from another ship.

Weather Control

Range: 0 (merchant-prince only)Duration: concentrationEffect: all weather within 240 yards

This spell is identical to the 6th levelmagic-user spell.

Level SpellsSummon Air Elemental (-S-<--<vJ

Range: 240'Duration: 6 turnsEffect: summons one 16 HD elemental

This spell is identical to the 7th leveldruid spell, but summons only an air ele-mental.

Tactics: Used to help or hinder a ves-sel's sailing.

Summon Water Elemental Qs —""-;

Range: 240'Duration: 6 turnsEffect: summons one 16 HD elemental

This spell is identical to the 7th leveldruid spell, but summons only a waterelemental.

Tactics: Used when the spellcasterwants to effect local water conditions ormove a vessel in the water. Water elemen-tals have been used to help ships escapefrom whirlpools, for instance.

MagicalThere are some rare items encoun-

tered in Mmrothad and on guild shipsthat have been enchanted withmerchant-prince sea or weather magic.They are sometimes given as gifts tofriendly traders and foreign sea cap-tains, but are hardly ever for sale.

POUCl) Of

This looks like an ordinary leatherpouch, tied tightly shut and bulgingat the seams with its contents. Itweighs no more than the leather it ismade of, for the pouch containsenchanted air. Once the pouch is

opened, a magical wind escapes thatdoes one of three things.

A fair breeze blows a steady wind inthe direction the user wants to travel,lasting until his journey is complete.This wind improves the vessel's move-ment rate by 10 to 60 percent for theduration of the voyage. A contrarywind decreases movement by the sameamount, blowing in the oppositedirection from whatever the ship'sheading might be. It Jasts until theuser puts ashore and waits one week tocontinue his voyage.

Finally, the pouch may contain astorm wind that immediately sur-rounds the user and his vessel withgale force winds and stormy weatherlasting ld6 hours (treat as a hurricanefor weather effects, as explained underSailing Rules). The content of thepouch is determined when it is made.A pouch that is found has randomly-determined contents.

Flask of Vapon -This looks like a simple, stoppered

brass flask. When opened, fog poursout until the flask is sealed once more.The flask creates a disk of fog that is100 feet across and 10 feet high (thesame as an obscure spell cast at 10thlevel). Once that volume is filled, theflask stops emitting fog, but if wind ormagic clears the mist away, the flaskonce again pours forth vapor until thetotal possible volume of area isobscured.

OiJ

This is a one-pint flask of oil. Whenthe enchanted oil is poured ontowater, it stops violent seas and reduceswave action around one ship to theequivalent of calm water. The effectlasts for one hour. Oil of stillness calmsnormal waves as well as magically-agitated water.

22

Quilt)—Some observations by Zcno Ironfist,

dwarf apprentice smith, Guild Hammer

"Thought I'd travel to Rockhome andsee where my grandfa' come from. ButI'm a 'prentice with no skill to trade forpassage. So I stowed aboard the Egret thenight they finished loading Guild Ham-mer swords.

"I got caught when we were right out-side of Vorloi harbor. Captain Elsan lec-tured me in his cabin, but forgot mequick when we made port. Customsinspectors come aboard, the guild portagent followed them, and three buyersfor nobles come right behind.

"I hunkered quiet in the corner andtook k all in. What a whirl! They shoutedbids and counterbids, talked percentagesand discounts and freight costs and ware-house fees—and I crept out when theystarted wavin' letters o'credit. Theyweren't even dealing in good, hard coin.That tradin' business is enough to give anhonest dwarf a headache."

International trading is a complexaffair. The basic steps are simple but thevariations that have developed are toomany to detail here. Nevertheless, it ispossible to give an overview of the tradingprocedures followed by the MinrothadGuilds.

fou Hiue

Basic 'CnafceGuild ships ciewed by the Metchant

Sailor's Guild leave Minrothad with guildcargos for foreign ports. At their destina-tions, the cargos are sold or traded forother goods. The ships return to Minro-thad or sail to other ports where cargosnot destined for the guilds can be sold.

Captain and crew are more often paidin shares than in wages for their work.The share system is explained underPirates of Minrothad. A ship's owner,whether guild or individual, takes a cutoff the top before the shares are calcu-lated. (Individuals may own ships, butthey are crewed by guild members andthe Merchant Sailors Guild still takes apercentage of profits.)

Roughly half of the cargo carried byguild ships is transported for hire. Thatis, a merchant (whether guild or other-wise) pays the guild captain to ship hisgoods to a specific port. MinrothadGuilds merchants pay only 40 percent ofthe ptice charged to other tradets. A vari-able amount is charged, based on the vol-ume, weight, and value of goods carried.Shipping fees are reasonable and compet-itive with the rates charged by other mer-chant freightets.

Many guild ships specialize in thetransport for hire trade, especially thoseships run by junior captains. The Mer-chant Sailors Guild takes 60 percent ofthe shipping fee paid and the remaindergoes to the ship's crew as shares.Although it makes money with little risk,this is the least profitable type of guildtrade for a captain and crew.

Transport runs usually follow a predict-able schedule, and those that cross thehigh seas and shipping lanes regularly areoften bothered by pirates. A typicaltransport run might follow this sort ofpattern: take bricks from Fortress Islandto Minrothad; exchange bricks for dyedcloth and lumber to be carried to Vorloi;offload goods and pick up iron fordwarves on Fortress Island.

CONSiQNMGNt TTRaOG -

About 20 percent of the business doneby guild ships is carrying guild goods onconsignment. In this semi-speculativeventure, a captain takes a cargo to a mar-ket suggested or prefered by the owner ofthe cargo. The port is usually a placewhere this type of cargo has done wellbefore. There, the captain or the guild'srepresentative sells the cargo for the bestpossible price. Anywhere from 10 to 40percent of that amount is retained by theship, with the remainder of the profitpaid to the cargo's owner when the shipreturns to Minrothad.

MOVINQ Up IN tl7€The guild system assumes that a

character starts out as an apprentice.After two to seven years, he demon-strates skill in his craft and becomes ajourneyman. When a journeymanshows mastery of his craft, he becomesa master. This can take as little as oneyear, or the journeyman might work atit all his life.

Here is a simple system for ratingNPC skill mastery and guild rank. Itcan also be used to gauge approxi-mately where Minrothad PCs mightfall in the guild heirarchy. If used forPCs, the DM should adjust ages toreflect time spent in the guild system.

First, determine what guild thecharacter belongs to. Select one skillwhich will be his craft specialty (skillsare given under Races and Guilds inthe Adventurer's Guide). Find thecharacter's Ability score with the cho-sen skill. That Ability score corres-ponds with his guild rank according tothe following table.

GuildRank

ApJJmJmSJmMCMGM

GuildSkill

7 - 910-1213-1415-16171818-19

TypicalCaste

1223446

Abbreviations: Ap = Apprentice;JJm= Junior Journeyman; Jm = Journey-man; SJm = Senior Journeyman; M= Master; CM = Craft Master, mean-ing head craftsman of his skill in hisguild; GM = Guildmaster.

An NPC guildsman rolls Id20 andcompares the result to his Intelligencescore once every five game years. If theroll is equal to or less than his score, hegains another Skill choice, which canbe used to improve existing skills asdescribed in the Adventurer's Guide.

Quiio

This table is meant to be only a gen-eral guideline to the relationshipbetween craft skill and guild rank.NPC age can be adjusted as needed toreflect rank. For example, someonewith an Ability score of 17 is a master,and will be much older than a begin-ning apprentice. Alternatively, if theDM decides the NPC must be a certainrank and his score does not suit it,adjust the score as needed to reflecttraining and advancement in the craft.Remember, too, that not all qualifiedcraftsmen are promoted as theydeserve. It is entirely possible to have ajunior journeymen with an Abilityscore of 17 in his specialty.

There is some risk in this type of ven-ture, but the Merchant Sailors Guildtakes only 30 percent of the ship's profit,and a good trade can put a large sum ofmoney in the pockets of captain andcrew. Too, once the consigned goods aresold, there is empty hold space for thecaptain to fill. If the guild port agent hasgoods which must move somewhere, thecaptain is obligated to take them. If not,he may fill free hold space with specula-tive cargo or transport cargo for hire. If aprofit is made on the former, it belongssolely to him and his crew.

On a typical consignment venture, aship might carry Guild Quickhand pot-tery to Thyatis. After the pottery is sold,the ship is hited to carry Thyatian olive oilto Specularum. The captain fills outwhat's left of the hold space with a specu-lative cargo of local wine. The olive oil isdelivered to the Thyatian port agent inSpecularum and the wine sold for a profitwhich remains with the ship's crew.When the ship finally returns to Minro-thad, the captain pays the QuickhandPottery Guild the profit from the sale oftheir cargo, minus the consignment fee.

Speculative CaitqoWhenever a captain buys cargo of his

own choice and sells it someplace hethinks it will make a profit, he is engag-ing in speculative trade. Thirty percent of

the shipping carried by Minrothad shipsis speculative cargo bought and sold bycaptains on behalf of themselves andtheir shipping guild.

Speculative cargos are the riskiest kindto carry. There is a good chance thatmoney will be lost on the deal. There isalso a good chance of making excellentreturns on the money invested, and thatis why the fortunes of most merchant-princes have been founded on cleverspeculative trade. The Merchant SailorsGuild takes only 20 percent of the profit,and the rest belongs solely to the captainand crew.

Transport for hire has made the Minro-thad Guilds famous, but speculativetrade has made guildsmen rich. Clevertraders keep aware of these things before,during, and after a trade:

• The farther away goods are sold fromtheir port of origin, the more they areusually worth because they are rare.

• Avoid ports that trade heavily in thesame goods as those being carried.They will bring a low price or losemoney.

• Listen for events that affect trade. Warsdrive the price of goods up; faminemakes cheap grain a costly foodimport.

• Know the political climate befote portis made. Some places charge prohibi-tive tariffs; others have customs agentswho like to issue fines or turn awayships of a certain nationality.

• Know the local customs. lerendi portauthorities can't be bribed and arrestthose who try. Thyatians expect to bebribed, and won't clear a ship untilthey are.

PortAqeNts

—Comments by Cpt. Satoso Elsan,merchant-prince, the Egret

"Some call them port agents, somecall them factors. I call them bother-some.

"A factor is the Minrothad Guildsrepresentative in a foreign port or city.

How tedious, to live in one place solong! His life consists of nothing butpaperwork. Shipping manifests, cara-van schedules, drafts for funds, specialorders from merchants who wantMinrothad goods. And the paperworkdoesn't stay with the factor, of course.He has to share it. Usually with a cap-tain who has better things to do withhis time.

"True, a factor can help sell a cargo,or find one to ship. Even if you don'twant to ship it. He can demand youtake aboard the latest batch of pickledhogsfeet and carry them to Vestland,and there's nothing you can do aboutit. If you don't have a prior commit-ment, off you go with hogsfeet to Ves-tland. Bah!

"At least they know their ware-houses fairly well. Things are storedthere while awaiting shipment, oruntil a slugabed merchant decides topick them up, or until customs clearsthem . . . all kinds of reasons. But thewarehouses are a wonderful place tobrowse, and the factor is the one whocan show you around. A lot of sales aremade directly out of the warehouse—of bulk goods, that is, and onlycustoms-cleared.

"I will admit, though, that thereare three things a factor is good for.One is cash for operating expenses.Another is help with bothersome portauthorities. The third is waterfrontnews and trade information. Taxes,quarantines, cheap goods, outbreaksof war—they're up on it all. They evenknow which sailor got drunk anddrowned in a puddle last week.

"Yes, they're usually there whenyou need them. Though I don't muchcare for their paperwork or their hogs-feet."

24

i'XjWtHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHKHJatHH^^^

Quilt)

MiNKOtl7at> NavyWith so much attention focused on

the trading capabilities of the Minro-thad Guilds, little is said about theMinrothad Navy. The Navy is a smallforce, intended primarily for coastalpatrol and protection of Minrothad'sfishing banks. It seldom leaves localwaters and is not considered to be aserious naval threat by foreign coun-tries.

In the past the Minrothad Navy hasserved a useful purpose by discourag-ing colonial powers, such as Thyatis,from extending into Minrothaddanterritory. The Navy has seldom had toconfront foreign vessels with force ofarms, since the treacherous Minrothadwaters are sufficient to discouragemost intruders. These naval shipsignore the Privateers Guild unless theystumble upon privateers attacking orlooting another vessel.

The Minrothad Navy consists of 10ships, each armed with two catapultsand one ballista. Each is AC 7, with100 hull points, a crew of 15 sailorsand 30 marines. The ships move 120feet/round or 72 miles/day. They arecrewed by marines of the MercenaryGuild, and by sailors of the NavalAssociate Guild of the Merchant Sail-ors Guild.

Quilt) SljipsThe statistics given for merchant ships

under Pirates of Minrothad are thosewhich might be encountered in an averagemerchant vessel. Minrothad Guilds mer-chantmen, however, are better built thanthose of most nations. Today there arethree types of guild vessels which com-monly ply the waters of the Known World.

Harbortown Trader: The Harbortowntrader is a heavy cargo vessel most oftenused on scheduled routes and transport-for-hire runs. The ship is built to maxi-mize cargo space, with extra clearance inthe cargo holds and wider hatches thannormal in the upper deck. Traders are pre-fered for the transportation of bulk cargossuch as timber and grain. Fifty percent ofMinrothad ships are Harbortown traders.

The two-masted version of this vesselmoves as swiftly as a common large cargoship, while the three-masted version is evenspeedier. It is found either without artilleryor with one piece mounted in the bow orstem. It is stable in tough weather butrequires an experienced crew for optimumperformance. The Harbortown tradet isideally suited for long-distance voyages.When speed is not the overwhelming con-sideration, this is the ship most often seenfar from the Minrothad Isles.

Minroth Clipper: The Minroth clipperis a small cargo ship, the latest refinementin the square-rigged, water-elf-built ves-sels produced by the Minrothad Guilds.This ship is longer in the keel and more

Type:ACHPSpeed: feet/rodmiles/dayArtyCrew*MarinesFood StorageCargo Capacity (en)CostConstruction Time

* Minrothad crews fight if they are attacked and act as marines during a sea battle. Since pirates do not expectthis, the number of combatants aboard Minrothad Guilds ships is often underestimated.

(1) plus one additional artillery piece on privateers and naval vessels.(2) Found 100 percent of the time on privateers and Navy vessels, 50 percent of the time on guild merchant-

HarbortownTrader,2 masts

717012072

0-1(1)20

50(2)2-3 months

300,00035,700

20+ Id8 wks.

HarbortownTrader,3 masts

717014084

0-1(1)35

30(2)2-3 months

300,00042,800

22 + Id8 wks.

SeahomeSchooner

880140841-31010

3-4 weeks40,00014,400

5 + Id6 wks.

Minrothdipper,3 masts

710012072

1-2(1)25

25(2)1-2 mos.100,00021,000

30 + Id8 wks.

Minrothclipper,4 masts

7100160100

1-2(1)35

25(2)1-2 mos.100,00024,000

30 + Id8 wks.

narrow of beam than any other merchantvessel constructed today. The extra lengthgives it great speed and compensates for thehold space lost with the narrower beam.There is an increasing trend to build thesevessels latger and larger, but they do not yetmatch the Harbortown trader for size andcargo capacity. Thirty percent of Guildships are Minroth clippers.

Minroth clippers are used primarily inspeculative trade which takes vessels awayfrom the regular sea lanes. They carry threeor four slim masts, and almost always haveone or two pieces of artillery mounted fore,aft, or in the waist. They are less stable thanthe Harbortown trader in rough weatherand an experienced crew is essential evenfor commonplace maneuvers. These shipsare occasionally refitted and used by priva-teers because of their speed.

Seaborne Schooner: The Seahomeschooner is a smaller ship than the commoncargo vessels of the Minrothad Guilds. It isused primarily in coastal waters and onshort cargo runs; it is also quite populatwith the Privateers Guild and the Minro-thad Navy. Twenty percent of Minrothadships are Seahome schooners.

The Seahome Schooner is a fore-and-aftrigged vessel, the newest innovation inwater elf ship design. The two-masteddesign is exceptionally fast for its size. Theschooners used by the privateers and theNavy accomodate one, two, or three piecesof deck artillery.

Sl7ip CONSTRUCTIONShip construction costs and times given

in the table below are for ships orderedand built in Minrothad Guilds shipyards.The guilds build ships only for guildmembers. However, their vessels are some-times for sale in foreign ports, usually abadly-damaged ship that was captured ina pirate attack. Minrothad designs ate cop-ied by a few continental shipyards, but theprice is 50 to 100 percent higher and thequality inferior to the real thing.

Construction costs given are for theminimum number of artillery pieces. Theprice is increased by 3,000 gp for eachadditional catapult or ballista installed.Artillery adds 3 percent to maintenanceand repair costs.

QuiiD

CauavaNThe Minrothad guilds have made their

fame and fortune carrying cargo on thesea. But commerce has taken Minrothadmerchants far from the seashore as well.A natural outgrowth of Minrothad's portagent network are the caravan and freightconcerns that have sprung up to haulgoods to and from inland destinations.

QuiiosCauavaN

—comments by Harmon Caetros,Guild Port Agent, Specularum ,, ,

senior port agent, I have a luxury myunderlings do not. I have the privilegeof overseeing the speculative end ofMGCC business.

"The MGCC is Minrothad's over-land trade freight business. We takeorders for guild products, fill them inthe islands, carry the goods on ourships, and provide our own transporta-tion to the point of sale. Then we buycheaply in the hinterland and shipgoods back the same way to Minro-thad. It's a very lucrative business,providing there's a good spokesmanup front to coordinate the guild trad-ing agents and give a good sales pitchwhen needed. Ahem. That is the partI play. Naturally.

"Caravan Captain Osner overseesthe daily details of the caravan organi-zation, but I'm the one who decideswhere MGCC caravans go in this part

of the continent. There's hard travelinvolved in what I do, for I sometimesgo along to confer with the guild agentin Alfheim, buy at a trade fair in Thy-atis, and so on. We haul freight andmake deliveries in local areas as well—those within 50 miles of a port, say.But it's the long distance caravan tradethat makes the money. And thatmakes it all worthwhile."

Most guild trade goes to a destinationwhere a guild agent knows there are buy-ers for the goods. However, as with sea-borne cargos, much caravan trade is doneon speculation. The Speculative Tradesystem which follows details trading inship's cargos. It can be easily adapted tooverland trade by determining theamount of cargo (measured in coins) apack animal or wagon can carry and usingthe Speculative Trade procedures to buyand sell that amount of cargo.

Characters can find employment withcaravans as guards or drovers. They mayalso want to accompany a caravan becauseit carries some trade goods of their own.Finally, they may wish to travel with a car-avan because it is going to their destina-tion. Caravans are usually well-guardedand are less likely to be waylaid by ban-dits than are smaller parties of travelers.

CanavaN^comments by Cpt. Osner,

MGCC caravan leader

"I warned Caetros we needed moreguards. 'Oh no,' he said, 'we'll do fine.We're only going to Alfheim, after all.'He was watching his pursestrings, tight-fisted guildsman that he is. I work forthem, but I don't have to like them.

We were into the forest there, not farfrom Alfheim Town. It was then thatthings lept out at us . . . don't ask mewhat. Some abominations like theyhave, creeping around that wood. Darkand furry they were, and they stank ofcarrion. Everyone fought, even the dro-vers, and Caetros was forced to pull out amagic wand no one knew he had andput it to use. He was white as a sheet bythe rime we drove away those creatures.It was only his magic that saved us thatday, and he knew it. He's no fighter, andhe'd had quite a scare.

"He turned to me afterwards.'When we get to Alfheim, lookaround,' he said. 'I want you to hiremore guards.'

"It was all I could do not to say, 'Itold you so.' We've never been short-handed since.

26

Shields and Devices of the Minrothad Guilds

Minrothad Guilds(Ruling Guild Master)

Guild Hammer Guild Verdier

Guild Corser Guild Quickhand Guild Elsan

Home Guard Unit 1 or 2Mercenary Guild

(Unit's number is placedbelow sword pommel)

Merchant Sailor Guild Mercenary Guild: Marines

SpeculativeSome of the ins and outs of merchant

shipping are covered in the preceedingsection. Guild Trade. Here, a system isoutlined that can be used if player charac-ters want to engage in cargo trade forthemselves.

Adventurers need not personally travelon a ship in order to run trading ventures.They might choose to buy a vessel andhire a crew, then take their traditional 50percent share of the profits— and all ofthe losses—-as owners. (Guidelines forship and crew costs are included below.)It is also possible to simply buy a cargoand hite a Minrothad or othet merchantship to carry it to another place for sale.Alternatively, characters who want ocean-going adventures might find this the per-fect opportunity to buy their own shipand experience the thrills of adventure onthe high seas.

AcQuiniNQ Sl7ip aNO Cnew -A ship can be hired by PCs, but they

will pay all of its expenses (wages, foodsupplies, etc) and, if necessary, enough torecompense the captain for sailing withan empty cargo hold. If a ship is hired tocarry cargo bought by the PCs, it is possi-ble to work a consignment deal where thevessel receives a percentage of the cargosale (see Guild Trade) and thus save onshipping charges. But if PCs plan onmoving cargo with any frequency, themost cost-effective method in the longrun is for them to purchase their ownship.

Costs and ship statistics ate given in thepreceeding section for Minrothad Guildsmerchant ships. PCs can buy similar ves-sels on the continent for three-quarters ofthe cost, with sailing statistics as given mthe Expert Rules, page 43. Used vesselsare available for 20 to 70 percent of thecost of a new one ((Id6 x 10 percent) +10 percent), but PCs will also have to payanother 20 to 70 percent of a new ship'sprice to have the used one refitted andmade seaworthy.

Even if nonguild crewmen are signedon, it is worthwhile for the DM to deter-mine their level of abilities according tothe Rank and Level table under

Privateers. That enables the DM to deter-mine fighting abilities and pay scale,based on 1 gp per month pet guild skilllevel (or equivalent). Officers and crewreceive the bulk of their pay in shares ofthe ship's profit and expect the standardscale of shares to be observed.

Traditionally, sailors receive a half-dayoff for personal time once a week. Theship continues sailing manned by onewatch, but the off-shift ctew are notrequired to be about othei duties. Whenwatches change, the working watch thentakes their half-day of free time. Sailorsuse this time to mend clothes, do laun-dry, write letters, and occupy themselvesin similar ways. Since crewmen are other-wise on call for work in all weather and atany hour, they value this free time highly.A crew which does not receive their half-day, weather and other conditions allow-ing, soon develops a morale problem.

In port, after cargo has been unloaded,crewmen are generally given one or moredays of liberty. Crews which do not haveat least three days of liberty a monthbecome tired, argumentative, and losemorale. The DM may exploit potentialmorale ptoblems as he deems appropri-ate.

ExpeNsesRegular upkeep on a ship costs 1 gp per

1,000 miles traveled per hull point. Avessel loses 10 percent of its speed for each1,000 miles sailed without the tequisitemaintenance. This sort of maintenance isoften done at sea, but the expenses arepaid in port whete tackle, planks, andother repair material are purchased.

After 10,000 miles of navigation or oneyear at sea, whichever comes first, majormaintenance and overhaul must be doneon the ship. This includes scraping thehull clean of barnacles, replacing dam-aged or worm-eaten planks, replacing therudder or restepping masts, and so on.The wotk is done in port where drydockscan be used during major repairs on thehull. Drydocks are also used when possi-ble for careening the hull; this reducesthe time required by 20 to 80 percent.

Maintenance work takes one day for every100 gp of expenses paid. See the ServiceFee table for drydock costs.

FooOFood is anothei unavoidable expense

for an ocean-going vessel.Standard rations, which are perishable

and unedible after one week, cost 1 gpper crew member per week. Iron rations,such as hardtack and salt or pickled meat,last for months. This sort of food is cheap;it costs 1 sp per crewman per day. Water isstocked in the amount of one barrel ofwater per week for every five crewmen.The space taken up by crew food suppliesdoes not count as part of the cargo spaceof the vessel.

The amount of food stores a ship cancarry is deteimined by the ship's design.Storage capacity is given below. Vesselswhich make frequent landfall do notalways bother to stock up completely onsupplies, and so take on food and waterfar more often than indicated.

Ship Food Storage

Galley, large 10-20 daysGalley, small 10 daysGalley, war 2 weeksLongship 10 daysSailing ship, small 1 monthSailing ship, large 2-3 months

ScunvyA crew living on a diet of iron rations

for more than a month becomes suscepti-ble to scurvy or other diseases of vitamindeficiency. Clever captains buy stocks ofonions and potatoes to supplement ironrations, since these perishables last for amonth or two and provide needed vita-mins.

If scurvy strikes the crew, 10 percent ofthem are affected for each week the crewgoes without fresh food. For each week asailor suffers from this disease, hisStrength and Constitution drop by onepoint each. When either one reacheszero, the crewman dies of the disease. Ascurvy-stricken crewman regains threepoints of Strength and Constitution eachweek he consumes fresh food.

28

Speculative

Edible cargo can be consumed if a shipis faced with scurvy or starvation. Doingso reduces the cargo value by 10 percentper week (or fraction thereof) that the car-go is eaten.

LivestockHorses, cattle, monsters, or other crea-

tures carried on shipboard must also befed. A horse or cow consumes fodderweighing 200 ens per day, and this feedtakes up cargo space. If supplies for thelivestock are exhausted during a voyage,fodder can usually be bought fromcoastal villages if no port is foundenroute. Otherwise panics can scavengefodder wherever landfall is made.

Pont Classif ications -Merchant trading begins and usually

ends in a seaport. Port size and locationinfluences the availability of cargo, theprices fetched when one is sold, the typesof services in port, and the sort of vesselsaccomodated in the harbor. Ports in theKnown World are classified as follows.

ClassPort Capacityin Hull Pts.

DockSize*

A: Trade Power 10,000 ( + ) 180 HP +B: Major PortC: Large PortD: PortE: Minor PortF: Anchorage

5,000-9,999 180 HP2,000-4,999 160 HP1,000- 1,999 140 HP

500 - 999 120 HP499 (-) 80 HP

* Unless port description states other-wise.

MoouaqeIt is possible to find a berth 80 percent

of the time. DMs can adjust this figure asneeded to reflect circumstances that areout of the ordinary. Ships that cannotfind a berth may moor in the harbor at adistance from the docks and quays.

If the port cannot accomodate a largevessel, it is forced to moor in the harborand use boats for cargo transportation.These and other ships are not required touse dock facilities for cargo handling, butloading and unloading takes longer if the

crew is forced to ferry cargo back andforth in boats. Too, some cargo, such aslivestock, is practically impossible totransport by boat either ro or from a ship.These difficulties should be consideredbefore cargo is delivered to a port.

Smuggling vessels and ships calling inour-of-the-way places often simply mooroff-shore and get to the beach throughthe surf in the ship's rowboats. There areno fees for this type of moorage, but thecaptain must keep a cautious eye out forwinds and tides that might run the shipaground. Moving cargo in boats throughsurf further increases loading or unload-ing rime. See Cargo Handling, below.

CUStOMS

Most countries impose a tax on foreign-made goods which are brought into har-bor and sold. Customs inspectors boardships within Id6 hours of the time thevessel moors or docks in port. In busy har-bors or places with lazy customs officials,this may take Id20 hours instead. Shipsthat make port in the middle of the nightare normally boarded in the morning.

A cargo cannot be unloaded untilinspected and passed by customs. Onlygoods manufactured locally and foreigngoods bearing a tax stamp can be unload-ed and sold or traded legally in a port.Customs officials generally have Apprais-al skills of 10 + Id8; after evaluating a car-go, they assess a tax which can range from1 percent to 100 percent or more of thegoods' value. An average customs fee is2dlO percent, but the DM may adjustamounts as needed to reflect the localpolitical or economic climate.

HaubOR MastenRepresentatives of the harbor master

also visit newly-arrived vessels. They levydocking and other service fees, can pro-vide pilots to navigate a ship into and outof difficult harbors, and have the author-ity to quarantine or turn away undesir-able ships. Average fees charged by theseport authorities can be found on the Serv-ice Fee table.

Drydocks are used to effect large-scale

ship repairs and are sometimes part of theport facilities overseen by the harbor mas-ter. Drydocks in private shipyards do notfall under his jurisdiction. Towage is aservice used by ships which have runaground, have lost steerage, or are other-wise disabled and need help moving intoor out of port. Towage is also used in classA and B ports to lead ships of 160 HP andgreater through congested harbors to andfrom docking berths.

Most ships rely on their crews to supplythe manpower for loading and offloadingcargo. Dock workers are available in thelarger and busier ports to supplement orspeed the cargo-handling done by aship's crew. Unless a ship is using a pri-vate dock with its own dock workers, as isthe case with some Minrothad vessels,payment for these cargo services is madeto the harbor master.

When loading or unloading cargo at adock, one man can handle 2,000 ens ofmerchandise in one hour. Althoughboxed goods and sacks can be movedmore quickly than that, bulky goods suchas barrels and crates require special han-dling. A crew of 10 can unload the cargoof a small sailing ship in five hours ofsteady work, providing the cargo is notexceptionally awkward to handle. Load-ing a vessel takes 50 percent longer thanunloading it because goods must be care-fully stowed and secured for the voyage.Cargo handling can be sped along by hir-ing one or many additional dock workers.This work is normally done during day-light hours in reasonable weather condi-tions. If conducted under otherconditions, the length of time neededcan be doubled or tripled.

If a cargo is moved from a port anchor-age rather than at dockside, rowboats arerequired. One boat with a four-man crewcan transport 5,000 ens in one hour. Ifmoving cargo to or from an offshoreanchorage where boats must be unloadedon the beach, a rowboat with four-mancrew transports 5,000 ens in two hours.

Speculative "Cuabe

Service Fee Modifiers by Port Class:

Port Moorage Dry Docks Pilot Towage Longshoremen

AB-CD-EF

+ 50% /day—

-30% /day-60% /day

+ 50% /week—

-30% /weeknone

+ 30%—

-10%-20%

+ 30% /tow—

-10% /tow-20% /tow

+ 50% /ship—

-20% /shipnone

Service Fees, Base Prices:

Port Entrance: 10-20 gp; one-time fee.Moorage: 1 gp per day per 10 hull points

for dock space; 5 gp per day flat rate toanchor in harbor.

Dry Docks: 10-15 gp per day per 10.Pilot: 10-60 gp flat fee, depending on

difficulty of route and time involved.Towage: 1 gp per 10 hull points for

berthing; 10 gp per 10 hull points foremergency tow.

Dock Workers: 10 cp each per hour; oneman moves 2,000 ens per hour.

In addition to these fees, there is a spe-cial toll for ships passing through theThyatis Strait. Ships 60 HP or larger arecharged 10 gp per vessel for passage.

SkillsOnce a ship is secured, a cargo must be

procured to fill it. A combination of skillsare required for successful buying andselling of cargos, whether conducted byNPCs or PCs. Broker points, a new aid totrading, are explained below. Appraisaland Bargaining skills are described in theAdventurer's Guidebook.

Appraisal: NPCs who engage in tradeas their primary business can be assignedan Appraisal skill of 12 + Id6. MinrothadGuild agents in foreign ports have skillsof 14 + Id4, while merchant-princes havescores of 15+ Id4.

When a character wants to evaluate theworth of a cargo, the DM secretly rollsId20 against that petson's Appraisal skill.If the result is equal to or less than thecharacter's score, he has made an accuratevalue estimation. If the roll is greaterthan the score needed, he fails.

If the failure is an odd number, thecharacter's evaluation of worth is low. Ifan even number, it is high. The characteris off by 5 % times the difference betweenthe roll needed and the roll made. For

example, Cosger has an Appraisal skill of12. When evaluating a cargo, his roll is16. Cosger's estimate is low by 20% (16-12=4, x5%).

An NPC merchant who sells goodsusually sets his price 10 to 40 percent (rollId4) above the appraised value of themerchandise. An NPC buyer makes anoffer 10 to 40 percent below what heappraised goods at. An NPC rarely sellsfor less than half his perceived profit mar-gin , nor pays more than his estimate of anitem's worth.

Bargaining: The Bargaining skill asexplained in the Adventurers' Guide isintended for quick NPC encounters.More important negotiations, like thoseaffecting the price of a cargo, should berole played. However, the DM can use aPC's Bargaining skill to modify pricenegotiations at any time in the followingmanner. This method is especially usefulfor summing up the bargaining effectwhen many loads are haggled over.

Step 1. Determine the difference inBargaining skill between NPC and PC. Ifone character has no Bargaining skill,treat it as a skill level of 0.

Step 2. Multiply that difference by 5percent. The result is the Price Adjust-ment.

Step 3. If both characters haveAppraisal skill, use the evaluation of thesuperior bargainer to determine the pricewhich is adjusted. If only one characterhas Appraisal, use that price. If neitherparty has that skill, the DM should arbi-trarily set a "fair market value" and usethat as the base price to be adjusted.

Step 4. The superior bargainerimproves the price or decreases the costover a cargo's perceived value by the indi-cated Price Adjustment. That is, if he isbuying goods, the price is lowered by theamount of the Price Adjustment; if he isselling goods, his agteed-on selling priceis increased by that amount.

Step 5. When used for the price ofmultiple items, total the value of thegoods (as perceived by the superior bar-gainer) and add or subtract the percent-age as determined above.

For example, Captain Saroso Elsan bar-gains for a load of wine with the Thyatianmerchant Alekos. Elsan has appraised thewine at 1,000 gp, but Alekos has noAppraisal skill; Elsan's estimate is usedfor the basis of calculations.

Both characters have Bargaining skill,but Elsan's 18 is better than Alekos' 13-The difference between the two scotes is5, which equals a 25 percent adjustmentin final price. Captain Elsan buys the car-go load of wine for 25 percent less than itsvalue, or 750 gp. If he were selling it toAlekos instead, he would receive 1,250gp for it (1,000 +25 percent).

If the price indicated by Bargainingskill exceeds what an item is worthaccording to an earlier Appraisal roll, thecharacter with the inferior Bargainingskill makes a Wisdom check. If the rollfails, he is carried away by a good salespitch and agrees to the exorbitant price(or deep discount). If the roll is a success,the Appraised value is adhered to regard-less of the inspired bargaining.

Rnoken PointsBroker points are unlike other skills

acquired by characters. A broker point isa dice roll modifier used in the specula-tive trade system described in the follow-ing pages. It is used to reflect thedifference that experience makes in thesuccess of merchant trading ventures.

Broker points are awarded by the DMto characters and NPCs according to thefollowing criteria. Once received, pointsate never used up; they can be appliedany time a modifier is needed. Each pointcounts as a + 1 modifier to a speculativetrade dice roll.

No character can ever have more thanfive broker points, which are normallygained only after years of game time andmuch trading experience. PCs may alsoreceive them as rewards for good role-playing or spectacular trading coups. Bro-ker points awarded are cumulative.

30

rij-iHHHfrfl-g-tHHKHMHHHHHHHHKHK^^

Speculative

Points are based on the following:

Merchant-prince +1Master (in any guild) + 1Character Level 10-20 +1Character Level 21+ +1Minrothad Guild Agent + 25-15 years of trading experience + 116 + years of trading experience +1Character has both Bargainingand Appraisal skills and has raisedeach at least 1 point + 1

Pont AqeNtsPort agents, also called factors or bro-

kers, can be used as middlemen in thebuying or selling of cargos. If an agent isused, PCs are not personally involved incargo negotiations and pay the factor apercentage fee for his services.

The advantage to this is that agentsusually have better Broker, Bargainingand Appraisal skills than do characters.Adventurers are likely to receive a betterprice for their goods or get a cargo morecheaply than if they made the arrange-ments themselves. On the negative side,PCs can never be certain if an agent gotthem the best deal and the fees that arecharged are sometimes substantial,

NPC port agents (except those of theMinrothad Guilds) have Bargaining andAppraisal skills of 10 + ld8 each, andId6-l broker points. If an agent sells acargo for PCs, he takes 2dlO + 5 percentof the profits and passes the remainder onto the characters. If he buys a cargo ontheir behalf, he pockets 2dlO + 5 percentof the money paid by PCs for that cargo.

BuyiNQ aNfc SeliiNq Canqo -The following procedure is used to buy

or sell cargos.

Step 1. Determine pott's classification.Major trading ports are listed on the

Sale and Purchase Table. Ports not on thetable should be assigned a classificationby the DM.

Step 2. Find the number of merchantsand cargo loads available.

Use the table below to find the numberof merchants and cargo loads in port.

Broker points can be applied to rolls onthis table, but the results should be keptsecret by the DM.

The number of merchants does notshow the total that are in a port, but rath-er how many are interested in doing busi-ness with the PCs. "Cargo loads" is aconvenient measure for quantities ofgoods, and are further defined in theTrade Goods Table. If PCs are buying, thenumber of loads shows how much cargothey can purchase. If they are selling, thenumber of loads shows how much of theircargo a merchant is interested in buying.

Port ClassA, BC, DEF

MerchantsId6 +2Id6 +1Id6Id6 -1

Size ofTransaction3d8 loads2d8 loads2d6 loads2d4 loads

The DM is free to modify results thatconflict with what he knows about a port.If, for instance, the addition of brokerpoints results in 10 merchants in a class Fport and the DM feels that is too manymerchants for that type of port, he canreduce the result to a reasonable number.

One half of the merchants appear thefirst week a ship is in port (round fractionsup). One quarter of them appear duringthe second week. The remainder tricklein at the rate of one a week for each addi-tional week the ship spends in port. Sixtypercent of these merchants deal in onlyone type of cargo.

For example, if there are eight mer-chants who will do business with the PCsin a particular port, four appear the firstweek, two the next, and one each subse-quent week. If the PCs hope to deal withall possible merchants, they end upspending four weeks in port. Additionalefforts to locate more merchants or cargomay be made at the end of this rime, butthe dice roll takes a modifier of —2 foreach week a vessel has been in port.

Step 3. Determine types of cargo.The Trade Goods Table lists specific

types of goods that can be purchased orsold in a port. DMs are welcome tochange items if they wish. Fot instance, aresult of "smoked fish" might become

"smoked ham" in one port, or "pickledhogsfeet" in another.

The DM can select cargo from this listor settle on goods with a random die roll.If a random result is desired, brokerpoints can be applied to the roll.

If player characters are in search of a spe-cific type of cargo, there is a base 20 percentchance that it will be available in a particu-lar port. This percentage is increased by 5percent for each broker point applied to theroll. Chances can also be increased ordecreased by the DM to reflect how rare orcommon a type of merchandise might be inthat port. If the DM decides that a certaincargo is not available at all, not even brokerpoints can help locate the goods.

Step 4. Find the adjusted price of cargo.Once the nature of a cargo load has

been determined, use its base price toderive its adjusted price. The base price isan arbitrary, relative value placed on anitem before its value is adjusted for sup-ply, demand, and random economic andpolitical factors. These factors are mod-eled with a simple system of die rolls andsituational modifiers that lead to theadjusted price—the "real" value of thegoods at a specific place and time. Theadjusted price must be determinedbefore cargo negotiations can begin.• Find the cargo's base price on the Trade

Goods Table (or the Precious Merchan-dise Table, if appropriate).

• Consult the Supply and Demand Tableto find out whether there is unusuallyhigh or low demand for this commodi-ty at the port in question. This is indi-cated by a dice roll modifier.

• If the port is class A or B, there is an+1 modifier. If the port is class E or F,there is an automatic -1 modifier.

• Roll 3d6, adding or subtracting modi-fiers for supply and demand and portclass, and consult the Base Price Adjust-ment Table. Players can also modify theroll with broker points (if characters areselling, adding broker points results in ahigher sale price; subtracting results in alower purchase price).

• Multiply the cargo's base price by theadjustment percentage to arrive at theadjusted price.

Speculative

Trade Goods Table

Roll

01-0405-0809-1213-1617-2021-2627-3031-3536-3940-43

44-4748-5152-5455-6061-6364-6869-7374-7576-8081-8586-00

Merchandise

Wood, commonOilTextiles (2)SaltBeer, aleGrain & vegetablesFish, preservedHides, fursTea or coffeeAnimals

PotteryWine, spiritsMeat, preservedMetals, commonDye & pigmentsClothWeapons, toolsMonstersGlasswareSemiprecious stones(6)Roll on Precious Mer-chandise table.

lload

1 cord(l)5 jars4 bags150 bricks1 barrel20 bags10 barrels10 bundles2 bags

Encumbranceper Load (ens)

8,0003,0002,0007,5008008,0008,0004,0001,000

BasePrice

50 gp100 gp100 gp100 gp100 gp150 gp150 gp150 gp150 gp

roll on Animals Table,page 342 crates (3)1 barrel10 barrels200 ingots5 jars20 rolls1 crate (3)1 monster2 crates (3)1 box

1,0008008,00010,0002,5008,0001,000varies (5)1,000100

200 gp200 gp200 gp200 gp250 gp200 gpvaries (4)varies (5)400 gp200 gp

Precious Merchandise Table

Roll Merchandise

01-10 Mounts (7)

1 LoadEncumbranceper Load

BasePrice

see Animals Table,Pg34

11-2122-3333-4138-5354-6162-6768-7576-8586-9495-00

Wood, preciousPorcelain, fineBooks, rareArmor (3)IvorySpicesSilkFurs, rareMetals, preciousGems

1 cord;2 crates1 box1 crate1 tusk1 jar5 rolls1 bundle2 ingots1 box

8,0001,0003001,0001,0006002,00050040050

500 gpl.OOOgpl.OOOgpvaries (4)800 gp800 gp1 ,000 gp500 gp600 gp3,000 gp

(1) A cord contains either: 15 12-foot-diameter, 10-foot-long logs, or; 400board-feet of 2-inch by 6-inch planks.

(2) Textiles include rope, sacking, andany woven goods other than cloth.

(3) The encumbrance of a crate is 200 ens.To find the quantity of goods containedwithin it, divide the remaining encum-brance (800 ens) by the weapon or armorweight given in the rules. Round thenumber down; any remaining fraction ispart of the crate and packing weight.

(4) Use prices given in the rules multi-plied by the quantity in the crate. Quan-tity is calculated as explained in (3).

(5) Monster encumbrance is set by theDM. The suggested value for a monster is100 gp per HD, times 10 for each asterisk.A 2HD** monster would be worth (100X 2) x 20 = 4,000 gp. Monsters worth1,000 gp or more are considered preciousmerchandise. Fodder must also be carriedto feed live monsters.

(6) Semiprecious stones include amber,turquoise, alabaster, agate, geodes, etc.

(7) The mounts are either warhorses (80percent) or elephants (20 percent). TheDM can substitute other beasts as appro-priate.

Speculative

Supply and Demand Table

Port Class Modifiers to Percentile Roll

Aasla

AlphaAthenos

Cubia

Dunadale

FabiaFiltotFreiburgHelskirlerendiJaboorKerendas

KobosLandfallNewkirkNorrvikOceansendShireton

SoderfjordSpecularum

Surra-Man-Raa

Tameronikas

Tel AkbirThyatis

Zeaburg

Minrothzd Ports

Minrothad

HarbortownMalfton

StrongholdSeahomeVerdun

Cove HarborGapton

CD

E

B

FEDDCED

EEBCDD

CC

F

E

DA

C

B

CE

EDD

EF

Gems ~5, Spices —5, Glassware ~2, Ivory -2, Common metals ~3,Fish +4, Monsters +5, Books +5, Precious Metals +6, Silk +5Grain/Vegetables -3, Meat -3, Ivory +6, Coffee +5, Wine +5Meat -2, Gems -2, Spices -3, Ivory -3, Glassware ~3,Monsters + 2, Animals +1, Porcelain +3, Precious wood +2Pottery — 3 , Dye/Pigments -4, War Horses — 3,Grain/Vegetables +3, Meat +3, Hides +3Porcelain -3, Weapons -4, Monsters -4, Gems -2, Tea +5,Ivory +5, Grain/Vegetables +5, Glassware +3Dye/Pigment -2, Wine -2, Silk -3, Fish +2, Common Wood + 2Oil ~3, Salt -2, Grain ~3, Books +4, Meat +2, Monsters +2Animals -3, Porcelain -2, Weapons +2, Armor +2, Oil +3Dye -3, Salt -2, Fish +3, Hides +2, Coffee +4, Pottery +1Fish -2, Precious Metals -2, Dye +2, Cloth +2, Animals +3Coffee -3, OU ~3, Glassware -3, Meat +3, Spices +4, Wine +2Meat -2, Wine -2, Beer -2, Common metals — 3 , Dye +2,Common wood +3, Oil +2, Grain/Vegetables +3Hides -2, Monsters -2, War Horses -1, Ivory +3, Silk +3Hides ~3, Monsters *~3, Grain/Vegetables +4, Tea +4, Dye +3Dye -4, Armor ~3, Coffee +3, Gems +4, Porcelain +3Silk -3, Salt -3, Weapons -2, Ivory +3, Pottery +3, Cloth +3Books -2, Common wood -4, Dye +2, Salt +2, Silk +4Grain/Vegetables -2, Wine -3, Beer -3, Fish +3, Coffee +2,Tea +2Common wood -4, Grain /Vegetables -2, Wine +3, Armor +3Common wood ~3, Animals -2, Hides -3, Common metals -2, Fur +3, Weapons +2, Armor +2, War Horses +3Precious metals ~3, Pottery -2, Books ~3, Monsters -4,Weapons +3, Cloth +2Tea -3, Cloth -2, Animals ~3, Glassware +1, Porcelain +2,Salt +2Coffee -2, Oil -2, Beer -2, Hides +2, Cloth +2, Dye +2Silk -2, Weapons -3, Armor -3, War Horses -2, Fur +3,Gems +3, Precious Metals +3, Spices +3, Oil +2Fish — 3 , Cloth ~3, Textiles -1, Common wood +2, Meat +4

Coffee -2, Tea -2, Beer -2, Fish -3, Dye -2, Pottery +3,Cloth +2, Precious Metals +2, Gems +2, Common wood +2Fish -2, Dye -2, Animals -3, Spices +2, Meat +2, Wine +2Spices -2, Oil -1, Pottery -1, Grain/Vegetables -2,Common wood +2, Meat +2, Beer +3, Cloth +2Weapons/tools — 3 , Grain/Vegetables +1, Common Metals +2Common/Precious Woods -2, Silk +3, Dye +4, Hides/Furs +2Common/Precious Woods -2, Cloth -2, Books -2, Fur +3,Dye +4, Silk +3, Salt +2Wine -2, Cloth -2, Common Metal +2, Common Wood +2Textiles -1, Tea -1, Rare Books +2, Spices +1, Pottery +3

The adjusted price represents the truevalue of the goods in that particular mar-ketplace. When broker points are appliedto the roll, the result also reflects the ben-efits of canny business dealings. Customstaxes are based upon this figure, which isalso the basis for Bargaining and Apprais-al rolls and price negotiations.

The adjusted price is calculated when acargo load is bought and again when it issold in a different port. If several mer-chants buy or sell the same type of goodsin the same place, the adjusted price needonly be calculated one time.

Base Price Adjustment Table

3d6Roll Percentage

3 30 percent4 40 percent5 50 percent6 60 percent7 70 percent8 80 percent9 90 percent10 100 percent (no change)11 110 percent12 120 percent13 130 percent14 140 percent15 150 percent16 160 percent17 180 percent18 200 percent19 300 percent20 400 percent

Step 5. Determine the final price.

Characters next conduct any Appraisalor Bargaining that they are entitled to do,as explained under Trade Skills. The finalprice is the sale or purchase price agreedon after these skills have been used. Ifcharacters do not have Bargaining skill,the final cost remains the same as theadjusted price. If Bargaining skill resultsin a price change, the adjusted price isaltered by that amount, yielding the finalprice for the goods. Any fee due a portagent for his services is deducted from thefinal price of a cargo.

33

Speculative

Step 6. Exchange goods.

Goods exchange hands after the finalprice is agreed upon and paid. Loading orunloading times and expenses should becalculated according to the guidelinesunder Cargo Handling. Unless otheragreements are made, a seller paysunloading expenses if the goods must betaken out of a ship and the buyer paysloading costs.

When a harbor master inspects anarriving vessel, he asks its port of originand next destination. This information isposted at the port authority offices andsometimes at the docks as well. Once aship has made port and its next destina-tion becomes known, passengers mightattempt to book passage to that place.

Use the Passenger Table to determinehow many passengers present themselves.Adjust the dice roll according to port clas-sification. Results lower than 0 are treatedas 0. If a ship is soliciting paying passen-gers, broker points can be applied to thePassenger Table dice rolls. Each brokerpoint increases the dice roll by 1.

For example, in Minrothad, a class Bport, 2d6 minus Id4 passengers apply forpassage aboard the Egret. Captain Elsanis not searching for passengers, and sodoes not add his broker points to the diceroll. His destination is Fabia, a class Fport, so the number of passengers isreduced by two. He is approached by (8-2)-2 passengers, or a total of four peopleseeking passage to Fabia.

There is a 5 percent chance per port vis-ited that one or more passengers travelingtogether want to hire the ship to go to adestination of their choice. If this occurs,they wish to sail to the most remote portwithin 2d20 x 100 miles (consult themap of the Known World). Standardcharges for hiring ships are given underTravel Fees.

The Players and the DM togethershould determine how many passengerscan be accomodated on a PC-owned ship.Space limitations might force a voyager tosleep in a hammock in the cargo hold,

but he will want to pay considerably lessfor his passage than a traveler who islodged in an officer's cabin. A generalrule of thumb is that a vessel can accom-odate 20 percent more people (roundfractions down) than the normal crewcomplement (including marines if thevessel carries any). That is, a ship with acrew of 10 has room for two passengers,while a vessel with a crew of 20 and 50marines (70 total) has room for 14 passen-gers.

Animal Table

This table gives information on com-mon animals that might be shipped ascargo. The feed they require is an addi-tional expense paid in advance of the voy-age. Fodder is not edible by humans noris it included in the basic load. Theencumbrance of any load of fodder is1,000 en.

Encum- Ani-brance mals Fodderper per cost Base

Roll Animal Animal load per load Price

1

2

345-678

Rabbit,hen

Goat,hound

P'g, largeCow

50 en

500 en1,000 en10,000 en

Horse, bull 15, 000 enWarhorseElephant

20,000 en100,000 en

100

20105221

20 gp/wk

20 gp/wk20 gp/wk20 gp/wfc20 gp/wk30 gp/wk20 gp/wk

25 gp

100 gp100 gp125 gp200 gp

l.OOOgpl,500gp

Passenger Table

Class of Port ofPort Origin Destination

ABCDEF

2d62d6-ld42d4-ld42d4-ld6Id6-ld4Id6-ld6

+ 2+ 100-1-2

TRavel FeesTravelers are usually charged 20 gp per

500 miles traveled. Passengers do notcount against a ship's cargo space, butextra food stores must be bought forthem. The cost of the food is added to theprice of their passage.

If passengers hire the ship to go to adestination of their choice, they pay as if

they shipped enough to fill the cargohold. This fee is a common transport-for-hire charge of 1 gp per 500 en of cargospace per 500 miles of distance. Fractionsare rounded up. The minimum fee is 100gP-

For example, a small cargo ship with100,000 ens of cargo space would charge200 gp for a 500-mile voyage (100,000en/500 en = 200 gp per 500 miles). Thiscost is usually shared by the party of pas-sengers. A round-trip fee can be chargedif the captain believes he won't findmuch cargo to ship back from that desti-nation.

SI71PP1NQ CONtRaCtS —

There is a 5 percent chance per port vis-ited that one NPC offers to hire a vessel totransport Idl2 cargo loads of goods toanother destination. If PCs state that theyare actively soliciting such work, theyincrease their chances of being hired to 25percent, plus 5 percent per broker pointapplied to the effort. The number ofNPC shippers and their cargo loads arefound by rolling on the Merchant andCargo Load table.

A shipper is charged the sametransport-for-hire fee explained above: 1gp per 500 en of cargo space per 500 milesof distance, with a minimum charge of100 gp. Normally, half the payment ismade in advance and the remainder ispaid by the shipper's agent when the des-tination is reached. Bonuses for earlydelivery and hazardous travel conditionsare negotiable.

Space allowing, it is customary to pro-vide free transportation for a merchantrepresentative who takes care of the goodsand tax payments. Merchants do notalways disclose the nature of the cargobeing shipped, for security reasons. Manycaptains go along with this and ask noquestions.

Once a PC accepts a shipping contract,it is not possible to charge the shipper forunfilled hold space aboard the vessel.Therefore, characters often buy theit ownmerchandise to fill out cargo space andmake the voyage more profitable.

SailiNQVoyaging from one port to another

requires expertise and knowledge of thesea. Galleys are sometimes encounteredin ocean trade, but they are traditionallyused for coastal transportation and mili-tary purposes. Sailing ships are mostoften employed to carry large quantitiesof cargo great distances across the ocean.The following rules assume that the char-acters use a sail-powered cargo vessel andthat one or more persons with Ship Sail-ing skill are directing the operations ofthe vessel. A character without this skillhas no chance of sailing the ship; a char-acter with only Boat Sailing skill succeedsin Ship Sailing only on a roll of 3 or lesson Id20 (15 percent).

Voyages can certainly be glossed over ifthe DM wishes travel time to pass quickly.However, seafaring offers plenty ofopportunity for danger and adventure.Those who want to play the voyage out ingteater detail can use these procedures,along with the Map of the Known Worldon the back of the Minrothad Guildsmap. For tracking weekly ship movementon the map, distances can be rounded offto the nearest 50-mile increment. TheDM or players may also want to figureactual distance more precisely in order tokeep track of how long food supplies willlast.

PuepauatioNs f OR tl7eVoyage

Distance: Before embarking for a dis-tant port, the captain determines the dis-tance his vessel will travel along hisplanned route of travel. This shouldaccount for any intermediate stops thatwill be made in the total distance for thevoyage. Keep accurate track of this fig-ure, since it is refered to many times toresolve the progress of the voyage.

Time: The total distance of a voyage isdivided by the ship's movement rate togive the expected travel time. This is anaverage figure under fair weather condi-tions. Captains usually add at least 20percent to the estimated travel time toallow for contrary winds, stormy weather,and other delays. This revised estimate isthe basis for decisions about how much

food to buy for the journey and how oftenthe ship will have to be resupplied. How-ever, optimistic captains and those mak-ing a sales pitch about speedy cargodelivery may estimate a faster travel timebecause they expect, or hope, that theywill have favorable winds and currents forthe voyage.

Some spells and magical items, such asa. pouch of winds (see Merchant- Princes),can directly affect travel time. Such magicusually improves or hinders a ship'smovement rate by 10 to 60 percent.Although the effects of most spells lastonly a brief period, an item like thepouch of winds affects a vessel for theduiation of its voyage and the ship's esti-mated travel time should be revisedaccordingly.

Navigation Charts: Charts are usuallyavailable in a seaport for destinations andwaterways along established sea lanes andcoastal areas. When a vessel uses charts asa navigation aid, it is less likely to becomelost on the ocean. Ships which do not car-ry the appropriate charts are at risk whenthey navigate, especially if the vessel trav-els out of sight of land for any distanceand must calculate its position withoutvisible landmarks. This is explained fur-ther under-Navigation. Of course, chartsmay not exist or may not be of much helpif the PCs voyage into distant and unex-plored waters.

Chart Availability Table

Port Chance to Locate Cost ofClass Proper Chart(s) * Chart* *

A 98 percent 2d20 gpB 90 percent 3d 10 gpC 75 percent 2dl2 gpD 60 percent 2dlO gpE 45 percent 3d6 gpF 30 petcent 2d8 gp

* These chances of finding a chart arereduced by 10 percent for every 500miles of distance between the port ofpurchase and the area depicted on thechart. For example, charts for a searoute to a destination 2,000 milesaway are 40 percent less likely to be

available. A Class A port has a 58 pet-cent chance of carrying one, but aClass F port won't have any at all.Howevei, a natural roll of 01-02 alwayslocates the needed chart, regardless ofother modifiers.

** The base price of a chart is increasedby 5 percent for every 500 miles of dis-tance between the port of purchaseand the atea the chart depicts.

There may already be a library of chartsand maps on board the characters' ship,especially if they bought a used vesselalready equipped for sailing. The DMshould determine if these are adequatefor the forthcoming voyage. Otherwise,appropriate charts should be boughtbefore embarking on the journey. Use theChart Availability Table to locate and buynavigation charts and maps.

The DM should decide how manycharts are needed for safe navigation; acaptain buying fewer than that numbersuffers penalties to navigation rolls forthe ship. A recommended minimumnumber of charts is one for every 1,000miles of distance to be traveled, minuswhatever adequate charts are alreadyaboard the vessel.

Cash for Expenses: Even if nothinggoes wrong on a voyage and unexpectedrepairs and related expenses do notbecome neccessary, a ship's cargo willalmost cenainly be taxed by customsbefore it can be sold at its destination. Forthis and other contingencies, a captainnormally puts aside one or several strong-boxes with enough cash to cover foresee-able expenses. Although it is tempting tospend the last bit of ready cash to procurea cargo, experienced traders always leavethemselves a reserve of ready money.Cashboxes are often stowed in the cap-tain's cabin and are likely to bear mun-dane or magical protections against theft.

Ship Maintenance and Repair: Asnoted under Speculative Trade, a shipmust be periodically maintained or itssailing efficiency suffers. The DM shouldkeep careful track of the state of the ship'srepair. If the vessel has not been kept up,

i^-tJ^M^-a-B-frfl-BrM-Bflfl-o-y^HJ-a-o-y-c-u-ra^

reduce its base movement rate asexplained on page 40 and alter the traveltime estimate as needed. Roll secretlyagainst Ship Sailing skill for the captain(or other characters in charge of shiprepair or sailing) to notice in advance thatthe ship will be traveling more slowlythan it ought to. If crew charactersbecome aware of this before the voyage,they can allow for the longer travel timeby stocking extra provisions.

Similarly, if the characters fail to payregular maintenance costs in port, theywill be short on supplies needed forrepairs and maintenance at sea. If theship is damaged by weather or battle, theDamage Table on page 40 is consultedbut the damage effects can only bereduced by one-half while the ship is atsea.

Provisions: A ship is normally com-pletely stocked with food stores before avoyage begins. As a cost- cutting mea-sure, a captain sometimes buys less than afull quota of food for the voyage. This is arisky practice, especially on long voyageswhere weather and other hazards mightdelay a ship and cause food supplies torun short.

The DM should carefully note thequantity of food stores that are purchasedbefore a voyage and determine how manyweeks or days they will last. Dependingon the ship's expected travel time, thevessel may have to put into port to resup-ply in the course of a voyage.

The quartermaster or cook keeps thecaptain informed of the state of the ship'sfood stores. It is not unheard of for a shipto run out of food or water when delayedtoo long at sea. A crew faced with thirst orstarvation speedily develops a criticalmorale problem. A mutiny is likely totake place, with the result that the voyageis abandoned and the nearest landfall—and food supplies—are made for.

Provisions do not count against theship's cargo capacity as long as they don'texceed the standard provision capacitylisted for the ship undet Ship Mainte-nance and Expenses.

As described on page 29, it is possibleto consume edible cargo to feed a hungrycrew. Crewmen can also try fishing while

at sea, but fish population diops off con-siderably the farther the vessel is from acoastline. On the sealanes or high seasthere is only a 10 percent chance per weekof netting enough fish to feed the crew,increasing to 50 percent within 100 milesof a coast.

Weather affects a ship's movementrate, and extremes of weather can endan-ger a vessel as destructively as pirates ofsea monsters. The following method isused to keep track of weather effects dur-ing a voyage. Sea effects, including windand waves, are simplified in the followingtables. Weather and its effects are deter-mined by the DM once each week (orfraction of a week) during a voyage.

Weatt?€R Effects on MoveiweNt —Weather effects on movement are

determined by following these steps:

Step 1, Determine which hex face thevessel is sailing through.

Refer to the map of the Known World.Minor variations in a ship's path of travelare ignored; the ship is assumed to travelin the same genetal direction throughouta hex. Fot long voyages, simply find themost direct route between two points andsee which hex face a ship must passthrough to head toward its destination.This hex face corresponds with one of thecompass directions (according to the dia-gram).

As each hex represents 50 miles, thereis plenty of room for maneuver in eachhex. A ship can leave a hex through anyface with no penalty, even reversing direc-tion completely if desired. If the vesselmoves through a hex corner rather than ahex face, decide which compass directionbest reflects its overall heading, and usethat as a reference for the following steps.

Step 2. Determine which direction thewind is blowing from,

Choose a prevailing wind direction orroll Id8:

1 = North2 = Northeast3 = East4 = Southeast

5 - South6 = Southwest7 = West8 - Northwest

Step 3. Find which quarter of the shipthe wind strikes,

Depending on the ship's heading andthe wind direction, one of eight portions ofthe ship are struck by the wind as it blows.When the wind hits, it speeds the shipalong ot slows it as indicated in the table.

To find where the wind strikes a vessel,compare the ship's heading to the com-pass direction (hex face) from which thewind is blowing. For example, if a ship isheading east, and the wind blows fromthe north, the wind strikes the ship on theport side.

No sailing ship unaided by magic canmove directly into the wind- Any resultwhich shows the wind dead aheadassumes the vessel is tacking—moving atangles to the wind—to make forwardprogress.

The ship's movement rate is modified bythe peicentage shown on the table,depending where the wind hits the vessel.This movement modifier is combined withany modifier that resulted from Step 4.

Wind from Modify Speed

BowPort or StarboardBowPort or StarboardPort or StarboardSternStern

-25 percent

~10 percent+ 20 percent

+ 10 percent+ / - 0

Step 4. Find the current weather condi-tions and their effects.

Roll Id6 and refer to this table. Num-bers 0, 7 and 8 are the result of modifiersexplained under Weather Changes.

MissileD8 Movement Weather FireRoll Rate Description Penalties

0 0 mvmt Becalmed; no wind 01 -20% Calm wind, flat seas 02 -10% Gentle wind, small waves 03-4 +/ -0% Moderate winds, medium

waves -" 15 + /~10% Brisk winds, choppy seas ~36 + / — 2 0 % Strong winds, high waves ~57 + / -40% Squall, high waves - 78 + / -60% Storm, heavy seas no

missile fire

These results further modify a ship'smovement rate. A roll of 1 or 2 (calm orgentle winds) slows a sailing ship downregardless what quarter the wind strikesbecause such light breezes do not provideenough motive power for efficient sail-ing.

A roll of 5 or greater increases a ship'sspeed if wind impacts on the starboard,port, or rear quarters. If it blows from anyof the bow quarters, however, it producesa lot of drag and slows the ship down by asimilar amount.

Missile fire penalties apply to archeryfire or ship's artillery. Results of 0, 7 and8, (becalmed, squall, and storm), areexplained under Unusual Weather. Sucheffects are not necessarily in force for theentire week of travel time, but theirimpact can be devasting nonetheless.

Step 5. Adjust ship's movement rate.

The results from Steps 3 and 4 are com-bined into one movement modifier andthe ship's base movement rate isincreased or decreased by that amount.Unless the DM choses to alter theseresults, they hold good for one week oftravel or each fraction thereof.

WeatljenWeather conditions are determined at

the start of a voyage as explained above.After each week of travel or fractionthereof, the weather is likely to change.These changes can be checked at more

frequent intervals if desired.Changes in Wind Direction: To find

out if the wind direction shifts, roll Id6.On a result of 5 or 6, the wind remainsthe same. On a 1, 2, 3, or 4, the windshifts that many hex faces left or right. Tofind out which direction, roll ld6 again.On an even number, the wind moves tothe right; on odd, it moves to the left.Refer to the compass diagram to seewhere the wind blows from after it hasshifted.

Changes in Weather Condition: RollId6 and refer to this table.

Change inRoll Weather Condition

ena are encountered. The DM shouldcheck weekly for such occurrences. If onetakes place, roll on the following table todiscover its nature. These weather condi-tions are explained further below.

123456

-2-100+ 1+ 2

The result of this dice roll can shift thecurrent weather up or down the scale. Forexample, suppose the weather for thefirst week of a voyage was found to be 5,brisk wind. After a week of travel, theDM rolls Id6 for a possible change andgets a 2. The resulting change is a -1,and the weather drops to condition 4,moderate winds.

A ship can be becalmed or caught in asquall or a storm by a weather change. Forexample, in the above example, if a 6 hadappeared on Id6, it would have changedthe weather by two steps. The brisk windswould have been storms instead.

Modifiers which result in a weathercondition higher than 7 or less than 0mean the phenomenon continues fortwice its normal duration (as explainedunder Unusual Weather). These and oth-er results can be ignored or modified toreflect local climatic conditions.

Unusual WeatfjeKThe weather conditions table can pro-

duce squalls, storms, and complete calm.There is, however, a 10 percent chanceduring each full week of voyaging thatthose or other unusual weather phenom-

RollIdlOO

01-0404-2930-5455-5758-7980-9394-9596-9899-00

Unusual Weather

BecalmedCloudsFogFrozen PrecipitationSquallStormHurricaneWaterspoutWhirlpool

Becalmed: When the wind fails, a sail-ing ship is becalmed and its movementrate reduced to zero. It cannot sail underits own power, although it can be towedby a galley or kedged. This result isignored if the current wind condition isstrong or greater or if a ship is traveling atrade wind sea lane (marked on the Mapof the Known World).

A lack of wind is a temporary condi-tion, but one that can last many days. Inmost places, a vessel is becalmed forIdlOO hours. In equatorial waters in sum-mer this condition can last much longer.In such waters, roll Idl2 to find the num-ber of days a ship is becalmed. When thewind finally returns, determine its newdirection and force as described underWeather Conditions.

Clouds: If the sky is clear, it becomesovercast and cloudy. If it is already cloudy,the condition clears up.

If the sky becomes overcast it com-pletely obscures stats used fot celestialnavigation and shortens the distance atwhich objects can be sighted by 50 per-cent. (In clear weather a lookout on thedeck of a ship can see a distance of 10miles; 30 miles if he is up a mast.) Thickovercast (DM's discretion) can alsoobscure the position of the sun during thedaytime, producing a diffuse, indefinitelight which gives no hint of the sun's loca-tion in the sky, also increasing the diffi-culty of navigation. This condition lastsIdlO days unless cut short by another roll

37

i<HHHHHHHraHHHMgfl*HHHHHHHfrre

on the Unusual Weather Table. It doesnot affect travel time but penalizes navi-gation rolls by a modifier of -2, asexplained under Navigation.

Fog: If the prevailing weather is briskor better, ignore this result. Otherwise, afog bank rolls in and envelops the ship.Vision is reduced to 20 to 80 percent (2d4x 10 percent) of normal. Reveal, thereverse of the Obscure spell, can clear thistype of fog away from a local area.

Fog effects are experienced for Id4days. It is customary to reduce speed byup to 50 percent or more to avoid colli-sions under these foggy conditions.When sailing within 50 miles of a coast orin busy sea lanes, there is a 2 percentchance of colliding with another vessel;within 1 mile of a coast, there is a 10 per-cent chance of hitting submerged rocks ora reef. The DM may wish to increase thesechances for ships which do not reducespeed in fog. A player character state-ment or a failed Ship Sailing skill roll canindicate that this is the case. When shipscollide in fog, each damages the other,inflicting 2dlO points of damage to theother ship's hull for each 50 hull points ofits own. Submerged rocks or reefs causefrom IdlO to idlOO points of damage, atthe DM's discretion.

Frozen Precipitation: Frozen precipita-tion refers to three specific kinds of pre-cipitation: hail, sleet, and freezing rain.

Hail or sleet occurs between 30 and 50degrees Fahrenheit, when it rains and theupper atmosphere is colder than thelower atmosphere. If the DM decidesthese conditions do not exist, ignore thisresult. Otherwise, there is an 80 percentchance of encountering either hail orsleet. Hail or sleet lasts Id4 hours, reduc-es vision to one-fourth of normal, andcoats the deck with ice pellets or slipperyslush. If the waves are high or storm-tossed, the DM can require Dexteritychecks from characters attempting evenordinary maneuvers on this slick footing.

Freezing rain occurs when rain fallsthrough a cold air layer that is not deepenough to turn the rain to snow as it falls.Instead, the rain freezes and turns to icewhen it lands. There is a 20 percent

chance that this sort of precipitation isencountered if the air temperature isbelow freezing. It lasts Id6 hours.

Freezing rain coats decks, rigging, andeven sails with ice. It is especially hazard-ous to sailors who must work in ice-coatedrigging. Dexterity checks should be madefor ordinary maneuvers both on deck andin the rigging. If the ship's speed is rele-vant to game events during the short termof this phenomenon, movement isreduced by 10 percent because of the dif-ficulty adjusting sail and working the rig-ging.

Squall: A squall is a sudden rain stormwhich catches a vessel and passes over itrelatively quickly. It is recognizable as aline of black clouds on the horizon, mov-ing rapidly closer. In cold weather a squallcan precipitate snow instead of rain.

A squall lasts for IdlOO +10 minutes.If the final result is 90 or greater, it lastsfor Id4 hours instead. If ship movementis relevant to game events during thisphenomenon, adjust the movement rateaccordingly. Otherwise, a squall has anegligible effect on movement and traveltime.

If a squall is sighted while still on thehorizon, it reaches the vessel in Id3 turns.If it is not sighted in advance due to fog,darkness, or other conditions, the firstclue to its approach is the sudden shift inwind force and direction 2d8 roundsbefore the squall arrives. Randomlydetermine which compass direction thesquall is approaching from. Thatbecomes the new wind direction for theduration of the squall.

Roll Id4 to find the force of the squall.On a result of 4, it is an especially violentsquall which can endanger an unpre-pared ship. A ship prepares by clearingdecks, securing gear, and heading directlyinto or away from the squall if it is expect-ed to be a forceful one. A successful ShipSailing check allows a mariner to recog-nize the approach of this weather if itcan't be seen. A second check allows thecaptain or helmsman to judge its proba-ble force and change the heading of theship if necessary to ride it out.

If the ship is unprepared to weather thesquall, the DM must decide if unsecured

items on deck are blown, tossed, or wash-ed overboard. If a squall offeree 4 strikesfrom any direction except dead ahead orastern, there is a 10 percent chance thatballast shifts or cargo breaks loose belowdecks.

Ballast, often in the form of sand inheavy bags, is carried in the bottom of aship to improve its balance and handlingcharacteristics. When it shifts, shipmovement is reduced by 20 percent andShip Sailing rolls related to vessel maneu-vers are penalized by -4. It requires oneday to correct a ballast problem.

Loose cargo in solid, bulky containers(crates, barrels, etc.) inflict 1 point of hulldamage per loose load during the squall.If the cargo is not secured by the end ofthe squall, it does the same amount ofdamage each hour it is left loose belowdecks.

One of five squalls are accompanied bylightning. There is a 5 percent chancethat lightning strikes the ship in a ran-dom location at a random time duringthe squall. Damage effects are deter-mined as per the lightning spell; theDamage Table can be used to determinethe location of damage to the vessel.

Storm: A storm brings rain or snowfall,high seas, and forceful winds. As with asquall, storm clouds can be sighted on thehorizon. Storms move more slowly thansqualls and can occasionally (5 percentchance) be outrun or avoided by chang-ing course.

A storm strikes a ship 2d6 turns after itis sighted on the horizon. Wind veers tothe direction the storm is coming from,affecting movement and waves asdescribed under Weather Conditions. Astorm lasts one day, with a 20 percentchance of continuing a second day and a10 percent chance of continuing eachsubsequent day. Lightning accompanies20 percent of storms, with a 5 percentchance per day of hitting the ship.Resolve damage as per the lightningspell.

Roll Id6 to determine the force of thestorm. On a result of 5 or 6, it blows withgreat fury and is a particular danger tounprepared ships. A vessel in a storm pre-

pares for bad weather in the same manneras for a squall. The crew is allowed thesame Ship Sailing skill checks to noticethe approach of bad weather and put theship on an appropriate heading if need-ed.

Persons on deck in a force 5 or 6 stormalso check against Dexterity once eachday of the storm. Failure means a fall ormishap, and the character must make asecond Dexterity check. A second failureindicates that that person is washed over-board in the storm. The DM can decidewhat happens afterward.

If the ship is unprepared for the storm,the DM determines whether items arelost overboard. If a force 5 or 6 stormstrikes from any quarter except deadahead or astern, there is a 10 percentchance for ballast or cargo problems asdetailed under Squalls. However, cargowhich is loosened during a storm does 2points of hull damage per load ratherthan 1.

The captain must make a Ship Sailingskill roll for each day of the storm to avoidstorm damage and again for each hex-face of turning if he alters the ship's head-ing. These rolls are modified by -1 if thestorm is force 5, ~ 2 if it is force 6, and —2 for every 1,000 miles traveled withoutproper maintainance. If a natural 01 isrolled during the skill check, storm dam-age occurs anyway, reflecting natural wearand tear, and nothing the captain's skillcould have avoided. Use the DamageTable to find the nature and effects ofstorm damage. An additional roll is madein a force 5 storm, and two extra rolls aremade in a force 6 storm.

For each day a storm lasts, the ship isblown IdlO x 10 miles off course, or moreif the DM wishes. (Navigation explainshow to get back on course.) Some sailingtactics are intended to minimize thisproblem and hopefully also preventexcessive storm damage to a ship.

One common tactic is to run before astorm, hoping that it will blow itself outbefore it completely overtakes the ship.When this tactic is used, the captain doesnot have to check for storm damage. Thevessel sails its maximum movement in astraight line in the same direction the

storm is headed. If this full movementtakes the ship into a hex which containsland or an island, the captain must makea Ship Sailing roll to avoid wrecking hisship. This roll is penalized by -1 in aforce 5 storm and - 2 in a force 6. A natu-ral 01 means failure in spite of the cap-tain's best efforts, due to circumstances ofweather and currents. If a ship groundsitself, the DM decides how damaged it isand how much of the crew and cargo, ifany, can be salvaged.

On a successful Ship Sailing roll, theship continues its full movement left orright along the coastline. If the coastlinebends so that the ship must turn backinto the storm, another Ship Sailingcheck is made at a penalty of -4. Iffailed, the ship is wrecked. If not it cancontinue its progress or use the followingtactk.

A second storm tactic is to face into theheavy weather and ride it out. This iscommon practice within 200 miles of acoast, where the land limits the distance aship can run before a storm, A vessel inthis circumstance is pushed backward bythe storm at a rate equal to 20 percent ofits base movement rate per day. Obvious-ly, it is dangerous to attempt this too closeto land. Ships moored offshore which seea storm approaching often move out toopen sea to ride it out. Vessels using thistactic often employ a sea anchor, consist-ing of spars, canvas, barrels, and similarflotsam tethered to a cable and let outbehind the ship. The extra drag helpskeep the vessel headed into the wind andwaves, and helps slow its backward move-ment by 5 percent.

Finally, magic can be used to counterthe effects of a storm. Merchant-princesexcel in this, typically calming the windand water around their vessel and creat-ing a magical wind to blow them out ofthe stormy area.

Hurricane: A hurricane brings fourdays of incredibly powerful stormyweather. It cannot be outrun or avoidedexcept by the use of magic. It is preceededand followed by 1 or 2 days of regularstorms as described above.

A hurricane doubles the ship's normalmovement rate. Modifiers for storm dam-

age rolls are doubled, as are the effects ofstorm-related damage. For example,loose cargo in a hold causes 4 points ofhull damage per load rather than 2.

A ship that tries to maneuver normallyduring a hurricane runs a great risk ofbeing capsized or heavily damaged. Avessel generally heads straight into a hur-ricane storm or runs directly before it, asexplained under Storms. Each time theship maneuvers or alters course, the cap-tain must make a Ship Sailing skill check,modified by —4 for every hex face hechanges the heading. If the roll fails,there is a 25 percent chance that the shipcapsizes immediately and sinks withinIdl2 turns. If the ship does not capsize,roll four rimes on the damage table.Damage results are doubled in severity.

Characters on deck make a Dexteritycheck each day of the hurricane. The rollssuffer a penalty of —4 unless charactersare tethered to safety lines. A failed rollindicates a mishap or a fall, and a secondDexterity check must be made. Failureindicates that the person is washed over-board in the storm. The DM can decidewhat happens next, but persons lost in ahurricane are hardly ever rescued unlessthey were wearing safety lines.

Waterspout: A waterspout is a tornadothat forms over water and follows a com-pletely random path across the sea. Mostlast for Id20 turns, but 10 percent ofthem last for IdlO hours. There is a 5 per-cent chance that a waterspout will hit avessel regardless of the ship's maneuversto avoid it.

A waterspout has a 50 percent chanceof lifting a sailboat out of the water, butonly a 5 percent chance of doing this to aship. A vessel that is lifted by a water-spout takes IdlO x 10 points of hull dam-age and is dropped IdlOxlO yards away ina random direction. When the vesseldrops, it suffers another Id6 x 10 pointsof hull damage.

If a ship is struck by a waterspout butdoes not leave the ocean's surface, rollfour times for storm damage on the Dam-age Table and double the severity of theeffects. Persons on deck save against Dex-terity. Failure means they are plucked upby the watery wind, suffer 3dlO points of

Sail IN q

damage, and are dropped Idl0xl0 yardsaway in a random direction.

Whirlpool: Ninety percent of thewhirlpools encountered are natural phe-nomena found in coastal areas in rela-tively shallow water (100 feet deep orless). They are usually the result of strongtide and current effects through unusualocean bottom configurations. Theremaining 10 percent of whirlpools havemagical origins and can be encounteredanywhere in the ocean.

If a whirlpool is already in motion, itcan be avoided with a successful ShipSailing skill roll. Otherwise, the waterbegins its swirling rotation while the shipis in its area of effect. A Ship Sailing rollat a penalty of - 2 must be made in orderto escape, or the ship is swept around in agiant circular path. Another escapeattempt can be made each hour, but witha cumulative penalty of - 2 for each hourthe whirlpool swirls. A whirlpool lastsId6 hours. A ship caught in the wateryfunnel at the end of that time takes2dlOxlO points of hull damage, eitherfrom being dashed on the ocean bottomor flooded.

Use the Damage Table to find the natureand degree of storm or battle damage to aship. Battle damage is usually inflicted byenemy artillery fire. The location of magicaldamage, although not its severity, can alsobe found on the chart. Storm damage ischecked as noted under Unusual Weatheror at the DM's discretion. Nonsensicalresults should be ignored: a ballista attackfrom the front of a ship will not snap therudder cables, for instance, nor can a shipwith already-broken masts lose another. Insuch cases, either roll again or assign thedamage to the hull.

Damage and Movement: Find the per-centage of original hull points remainingin a damaged vessel. The ship's basemovement rate is reduced by the amountindicated below. A sailing ship with only25 percent of its hull points remaining istoo severely damaged to sail. It drifts withthe wind and current until it is repaired.

Damage Table

Roll Damage HP(1) 2dI2

2-3 Mast -10

4-7 Yardarm - ld48-10 Sail -Id411-18 Hull -Idl019-21 Hull -2dl022-23 Hull -3dl024 Steering - 10

Location Lost Description

Mast snaps, tearing away rigging and sails. When all masts are gone,ignore yatdarm or sail damage and roll again. (2)Yardarm breaks, taking sail and rigging with it.(3)Sail rips or blows out, becoming useless. (3)Planks above the waterline are sprungPlanks below the waterline are sprungMajor structural damage: broken planks, splintered timbers, etc.Rudder cables snap or wheel is disabled. (4)

(1) Hull damage is doubled if it resultsfrom a hurricane.(2) A ship's base movement is reducedeach time it loses a mast. The speedreduction is based on the original num-ber of masts, as follows.

Percent of OriginalHull Points Base MovementRemaining Rate Reduced by

10075502510

No. of Masts:Loss of Mast cuts

speed by:

—-20%-50%-100%check for wave

1 2 3

Vl »/2 J/3

dmg

4

V4

A ship blown before a storm will stillmove even with no masts (see WeatherConditions) because it drifts with thestorm wind, but it cannot maneuverexcept to turn directly into the wind.(3) After 6 points of yardarm or sail dam-age is done, one mast no longer holdssail. Treat vessel as if it has lost a mast formovement purposes.(4) A ship with disabled steering driftsuntil the bow points into the wind. If theweather condition is "strong" or worse,the ship may be hit broadside by wavesand capsized if it does not turn into thewind quickly and stay there precisely. Rollagainst Ship Sailing skill to avoid thisproblem. A force 5 storm penalizes theroll by — 2, a force 6 storm by - 4, and ahurricane by -8.

A sea anchor is usually employed toaccomplish this steering maneuver. If theship is already using a sea anchor when thesteering is lost, the Ship Sailing modifiersabove become -0, -2, and -4, respec-tively. A capsized ship sinks in Idl2 turns.

When a ship has only 10 percent of itsoriginal hull points left, violent waveaction can break the weakened structureup, inflicting additional damage untilrepairs put the ship above the minimum10 percent.

Id2 hull points/dayId4 hull points/day

BriskStrongSquall,

Storm Id6 hull points/dayStorm (force

5 or 6) Idl0 hull points/dayHurricane 2dl0 hull points/day

A ship reduced to 0 HP sinks.

NaviqatiONThe Navigation skill described in the

Adventurer's Guidebook is important forsafe and accurate sea travel over any dis-tance. When navigation rolls fail, a shipgoes off course or becomes lost at sea. Avessel is off course when it is following aheading other than the one it needs toarrive at its destination. It is lost when thenavigator is no longer certain what head-ing is needed to get it to its destination.However, even when a ship is lost, navi-gators and captains usually have a generalidea of where the nearest large land massmight be. If all else fails, a voyage can beinterrupted to find that land mass andpinpoint the ship's location.

If there is no one with Navigation skilldirecting the ship's travel, there is a fargreater chance for the vessel to becomelost at sea. A character with Ship Sailingskill can apply that ability to navigationattempts but each roll is modified by -10. A character with only Boat Sailingskill is successful only on a die roll of 2 orless, and a character with none of theseskills navigates correctly by mere luck on a

40

roll of 1. Water elves add +1 to theirNavigation skill rolls for each of theirsenses (direction and navigation) that isworking correctly at the time. Navigatorswithout the correct sea charts suffer a - 2modifier to their rolls.

All navigation rolls are made secretlyby the DM. Failure means wrong conclu-sions, which the DM should impart to thecharacter as if he were navigating correct-ly. Characters who suspect they are offcourse or lost can save vs. Intelligence orWisdom, whichever is greater. A success-ful roll confirms the truth of the matterand permits a second Navigation check at— 5 to the roll. If successful, course is cor-rected or the ship's position pinpointed.When characters are off course, the DMmust keep track of two ship positions: thetrue one, and the false one where thecharacters think they are.

Navigation checks are made in the fol-lowing circumstances. After every weekof travel with brisk or strong winds, thevessel is likely to drift downwind of itscourse. A successful Navigation checkkeeps it on course. Failure means the shiphas moved one hex downwind of its form-er position. If this would put the vessel insight of land, inform the crew what theysee.

During a storm or hurricane, keeptrack of the distance traveled by the ship,the direction it is blown in by the storm,and the amount, if any, by which it isblown off course. After the bad weather,a Navigation check is made. Success pin-points the ship's current hex and head-ing.

If this roll fails, the character's estimateof the ship's position is one hex off for

every point by which the roll failed. Thisfalse position is in a randomly selecteddirection downwind of the storm and theship's original position. If the ship wasalready off course at the start of thestorm, the navigator's new position esti-mate is based on where he thought theship was.

Finally, navigation checks are made anytime the ship encounters fog or overcastskies. If the check fails, the ship driftsinto a new heading, turning 1 hex face forevery 2 points by which the roll failed.When the weather clears, another checkcan be made to get back on course. TheDM can assign modifiers to the roll toreflect the ease or difficulty of realizingthe ship is off course.

Sea ENCOUNtCRSThere is a 10 percent chance per week

of travel of having an encounter that isnot weather related. There are two sets ofencounter probabilities. One is forcoastal waters and sea lanes—places heav-ily traveled by ships. The other is foruncharted waters and the high seas, thelatter being those ocean areas away fromsea lanes and land masses.

Coastal and Sea Lane Encounters01-3334-4041-5051-6061-7071-00

Ship, merchantShip, pirateShip, smugglerShip, navyIslet/reefMonster

Uncharted Waters and Seas Encounters01-20 Ship, merchant21-30 Ship, pirate31-50 Islet/reef/island51-00 Monster

The details of sea encounters are for theDM to set, but these guidelines apply.

Merchant ships are generally on thelookout for pirates, especially when otherships are encountered. Pirates often dis-guise themselves as merchant vessels.Navy ships sometimes stop and inspectvessels they suspect of being pirates orsmugglers. Smugglers avoid other ships.Their craft tend to be fast so they can out-run others, and they carry rich cargos.Rules for chases and evasion are given inthe Expert rulebook on page 44. Ship-to-ship combat is further discussed underPrivateers.

Islets and reefs encountered are naviga-tion hazards. They can be avoided with asuccessful Ship Sailing skill roll, but ifthey are hit they inflict from IdlO toIdlOO points of hull damage. Many smalluncharted islands are scattered across theocean; they are not normally a navigationhazard, but offer a chance to explore andforage.

Monsters abound in the ocean. Fromsirens luring sailors to their deaths onrocky islets, to the formidable kraken ofthe deep sea, the DM should have noproblem finding challenging monsters inthe D&D® rule books. Sea creatures areusually sighted at normal distances (40-240 yards), with modifiers as needed forweather and sea conditions. Even suchordinary things as kelp beds and icebergscan be treated as monster encounters ifthey are close enough to endanger a ship.Additional encounter information isgiven on page 44 of the Expert rules.

Secnets of tl7e MiNROttyaD ElvesWater Elves -

When Caiitha Starbrow ascended toimmortality in Evergrun, she created asher test the Pearl of Power, a living relicthat is the close-kept secret of the waterelf clans of Minrothad.

The original pearl was left in Evergrunwhen some of Starbrow's followersmigrated with Ilsundal out of that land(see GAZ5). A ftagment of the pearl wassecretly taken by Poladan Meditor, at thattime an assistant keeper of the relic. Theoriginal pearl has since become lost to his-tory and is believed destroyed.

The relic is a semi-sentient creation,growing over the ensuing centuries froma ftagment into an entite Pearl of Power.(The method for doing so is explainedbelow.) At first Meditor was secretiveabout what he had done. For a long timethe water elves had no relic at all to speakof, and when the fledgling pearl began todevelop, the new keeper and his assist-ants kept the news to themselves. Whenthe power of the off-shoot relic becamenoticeable, the keeper was confirmed in

SeatjOMe ovenview exteRiOR

his office, but the elves kept news of theirclan relic from their human neighbors.These old habits of secrecy die hard. ThePearl of Power is seen by few in Minro-thad, and spoken of by fewer.

The relic appears to be a massiveirridescent pearl 3 feet in diameter. Itglows with a gentle golden-pink light,illuminating all within a 40-foot radius.It is warm and smooth to the touch, andrests on a giant shell lined with mother ofpearl. The shell came from a giant oysterin local water, and has nothing to do withthe pearl's powers. The relic is located inthe hidden Grotto of the Pearl in the seacaverns beneath Seahome on Alfeisle.

If a hand-sized layer of the pearl ischipped off the relic, the scar left wherethe fragment was removed heals over thecourse of one year. These fragments areused to craft various magical items, asexplained below. Removing more thanone fragment a year reduces the pearl'sturning range by 5 feet. When that rangedrops below 300 feet, it loses one spell-like ability (randomly determined) foreach 5 feet the range is further reduced.

As with other relics, this range returns atthe rate of 5 feet per day.

The Pearl of Power can cure blindness,cure disease, neutralize poison, cure seri-ous wounds, Identify magical items, andturn undead in the same way as other clanrelics. The pearl is also used to make sev-eral magical items valued by the waterelves. Through the medium of this relic,the immortal Calitha bestows uniquespells on the keepers. These spells aremarked with (K) on the merchant-princespell list.

Relic CnaftsPearl fragments are used to create spe-

cial magical items.A pearl fragment ground up is the pri-

mary ingredient in a potion of watermovement made by the water elves. Thispotion allows the imbiber to move under-water or on the Elemental Plane of Wateras easily as if he were surrounded by air.The effect lasts for one day. It does not,however, enable him to breathe underwa-ter; some other method is required togain that ability.

A ring of water walking can be craftedfrom a pearl fragment. Not only can thering's wearer walk on water, but so cananyone in physical contact with himwhen he exercises this spell effect. Somewater elf merchant-princes are giftedwith these rings in thanks for their serv-ices to the elves of Seahome.

For special purposes, three fragmentsof the pearl are sometimes used to create astaff of air and water. This staff also pro-vides the ability to breathe water, and itseffects on the Elemental Plane automati-cally extends to a 10-foot radius. A staffof this type cannot be bought, but issometimes given to a hero to aid in aquest important to the water elves.

42~A KT;1< j-HiM^y-a-u-Q-a4^QQ4^a-y-B-a^^

Secuets of tlje MiNKOtl7at> Elves

5/7/p of Pea i?/ -The keeper and his assistants can use

the Pearl of Power to create a ship ofpearl. The vessel is made in this manner.

Once each month the pearl is rituaHybathed in the seawater of the grotto.When all the seawater but one drop hasevaporated, the keeper captures thatdroplet in a vial made of pearl fragment.This is repeated throughout the yearsuntil the vial is full of sea dew, a processwhich takes 100 years to complete. Mean-while, a layer of pearl the width of onehand is chipped off each year and setaside for the future construction of theship. More fragments can be collected ifdesired, but each in excess of the firstreduces the pearl's power as noted above.

When enough fragments are collected,they are mortared together into the shapeof a ship. The cement is made of groundmother-of-pearl with half the sea dewmixed into it. Finally, at the rightmoment of the year, the ship of pearl isannointed with the rest of the sea dew,and the magical craft is ready to be used.

The ship of pearl holds 10 elves. Obey-ing verbal commands, it travels on waterto any place named, moving 360 feet perround or 215 miles per day. The ride issmooth to those within the ship, regard-less of wind, weather, or wave conditions.The ship can travel on fresh as well as saltwater, and magically avoids navigationhazards such as islets and reefs. If such lieunavoidably between the ship and itsdestination, it stops short near the obsta-cle until told where to proceed.

The Minrothad water elves have nevermade a ship of pearl, although the keeperknows how it is done. Now, for the firsttime in centuries, they have enough ofthe required materials to cteate one ifthey wish.

tlje PeaxIIf a full vial of sea dew is used to anoint

a pearl fragment freshly removed fromthe mother pearl , the fragment soon curlsin upon itself and takes on the appear-ance of a normal pearl. If this pearl isbathed monthly in sea water and theproper rituals performed, it begins to

grow. After Id4 centuries, the pearlreaches maturity and its sentienceawakens, whereupon it gains the sameabilities as the original Pearl of Power.

Woob ElvesThe Verdier clan of elves left their clan

tree behind when they emigrated fromtheir homeland. Some say that tree wasthe inspiration for Ilsundal's later crea-tion, the Tree of Life, familiar to so manymainland elves (see GAZ 5 and CM7,Tree of Life). However this may be, theVerdier elves arrived in the MinrothadIslands without any relic at all. Whateversprig or offshoot of the clan tree wentwith them had perished during their longtravels.

When these elves isolated themselvesfrom their water elf kin in the early dayson Alfeisle, they withdrew into the for-ests heartsick for the woodlands they hadleft behind. Alawyn Verdier was keeper atthat time, although no relic existed forher and her assisrants to guard. Discon-tented with her useless existence, Alawyn

SeafjOMe iNSiOe QRotto

and a few brave companions went on aquest to find a new relic for the Verdierwood elves.

The keepers were gone for five years.After adventures which took them to theplanes of the Immortals, Alawyn and herfriends returned, much aged and fewer innumber, but with a relic of sorts for theirisolated clan. They had brought withthem the Carven Oak, a powerful artifactgiven to the wood elves by the immortalthey follow.

The Carven Oak is a life-sized carvingof an oak tree. It stands 30 feet tall and ismade of solid wood, of a type even theforest elves cannot identify. The trunkand branches are carved to look like bark,the leaves resemble leaves down to thefinely-detailed veins. Besides the leaf-covered branches, the Carven Oak wasmade with 100 separate branchlets stand-ing starkly alone.

The Carven Oak stands in a heavilyguarded sacred grove not far from Verdunon Alfeisle. Mahogany grows in thisisland forest, but the Carven Oak standsalone in a clearing 200 feet across. The

Secuets of tlje MiNROttjat) Elves

artificial tree is deeply rooted, originallywith the base of its trunk set deeply in theground. It appears that the trunk has tak-en root in the past century. Although therest of the artifact is clearly dead wood, itskeepers are hopeful that it may be turn-ing into a living tree.

Autif act PoweusThe Carven Oak is a greater artifact cre-

ated by an immortal of the Sphere ofTime. It possesses none of the powers oftraditional elf clan relics, although itspowers are great enough in their ownright. Only the current keeper, RewenVerdier, and his senior assistant, HaniOhwn, understand all the powers, uses,and dangers of the artifact.

The artifact is charged with 500 powerpoints. It recharges at the rate of 20points per turn, or 120 an hour. The arti-fact has these powers:

A Control PlantsA Control AnimalsA Turn WoodA BlightB Speak with PlantsB Find the PathB Pass PlantC Warp WoodC Create Normal ObjectC WishD Cure Wounds

356045103080351575

10015

The Carven Oak has these handicapsand penalties. Handicaps are permanenteffects; penalties wear off when the dura-tion has expired or the artifact is no long-er possessed,

Handicaps: The junior immortal Oley-

an is imbedded in the Carven Oak andbound to serve the wood elves, the resultof a dispute he lost with the creator of theartifact. This is unknown to any but thekeeper himself. It is because of Oleyan'spresence that the Carven Oak has begunto take root. He has 1,500 years of serviceleft, or until the artifact is destroyed.Oleyan will help anyone who comes todestroy the Carven Oak, for he has longsince become bored with this existence.He can communicate telepathically withanyone touching the Carven Oak, butdoes not do so unless he senses that per-son might be sympathetic to his desire forfreedom.

When control plants, speak withplants, or pass plant is used, there is a 20percent chance that the user loses 1 hitpoint permanently.

If two powers are used in a single day,the user suffers —50 percent to attackranges for missiles and spells for the next24 hours.

Penalties: When wish is invoked,there is a 90 percent chance that the userwill die. There is no saving throw, andthis effect does not reverse itself if theartifact is destroyed.

When using find path, controlanimals, or create normal object, there isa 60 percent chance that the user becomescompelled to serve the wood elves as ifunder a geas. This does not occur if thecharacter is already serving the elves withhis use of these powers.

When warp wood or cure wounds areused, there is a 5 percent chance for theuser to age 15 years.

For each power used, there is a 50 per-cent chance that the user's Dexteritydrops by — 3 for one day.

If a power costing more than 50 powerpoints is used, there is a 50 percentchance that the user's next saving throw ispenalized by — Idl2.

ActivatiON

These powers can be activated in twoways. The most common is to touch theCarven Oak and invoke the name of thepower. The second way is to break off oneof the leafless branchlets of the artifact.At any later time, the user can break thatbranchlet in half and invoke the name ofthe desired power. The power then takeseffect as if the user were touching the arti-fact. If a branchlet is broken without apower being named, it is not wasted;each lesser length retains its power untilone artifact ability is invoked. This abilitycan only be used once per branchlet, nomatter how many twigs it is broken into.

This latter method of activation ineffect makes each branchlet a one-timemagical device that can be used at anydistance from the carven oak. Thesebranchlets are given on rare occasions toadventurers or heroes working in thecause of the Verdier clan. When the keep-er gives a branchlet for this purpose, hetells the recipient what spell effect thebranchlet has. He does nor mention thatany branchlet can invoke any power, norwhat the full range of powers are. If a per-son receives more than one branchlet,they are painted or tied with coloredstring so that the supposedly separatespell effects can be told apart. There arecurrently 82 branchlets remaining on theCarven Oak. Once they are gone, theycannot be replaced. No other pieces ofwood from this artifact have the sameremote power effect.

44

. Wi Q-MHJ ^Q-B-aHJ-mMHH^

aisit) Cities: A tRabeR's TTOUR—with commentary by wood elf ElgisCarver, Master Trader, Guild Verdier

It be a. life-long mutter to learn eachtown and village of the MinrothadIslands, Each has its own look and feel, itsown specialties to trade, its own intereststo protect in politics. I been plying thesewaters over four hundred years, takingGuild Verdier business atwccn the vari-ous guild islands. No mainland trade forme! There be enough people here in thisvasty territory to keep an honest traderbusy for hundreds more years.

The islands of the Minrothad Guildsoccupy 6,552 square miles. They areinhabited by a population of mixed racestotaling 280,000. The ocean's bountyand the quantities of food imported byMinrothad allow this nation to supportthe densest urban population found onany islands of the Known World.

The geography of the Minrothad Isles isdescribed in the Adventurer's Guide. Theproducts and businesses in towns of interestare dictated by the race and guild foundthere, which are also detailed in the Guide.

's IsleTrader's Isle is a misty, foggy place,

especially along the north shore wherethe largest settlements be. It takes a can-ny navigator to work through the shoalsoutside of the harbors. When theDragon's Breath trade winds blow clear,you can see the peaks of Trader's twoextinct vokanos: Landfall Peak in thenorth, and Immortal's Home to thesouth. The first colony leader, Minroth,disappeared on Trader's Isle when hehiked to the top of the southern volcano.Minrothians believe he be there still, a-waiting for a good time to return.

Nithian Reef guards the entrance toHarbortown. Gornly Shoals outside thecity of Minrothad both protects the capi-tal and offers good fishing for local fisher-men. Under most conditions,Mintothaddans can navigate these haz-ards without difficulty, but foreign sailorsdo so with a penalty of - 6 to Ship Sailingskill rolls. For a fee (see SpeculativeTrade), the harbor master provides pilots

to guide foreign ships into these ports.Pilots meet incoming ships in rowboats ornavy patrol ships, but in winter stormsand at night time most vessels —including those of the guilds — wait forbetter visibility before attempting tomake harbor.

The humans of Trader's Isle have beenplagued with lycanthropy in the past;outbreaks continue today. Lycanthropesmight be encountered anywhere on thisisland. This problem is not mentionedabroad, and should come as a surprise toPCs who encounter werecreatures.

Our capital be Minrothad, on thenortheast side of Trader's Isle. We some-times call it the city of Minrothad, or sim-ply "the city," so as not to confuse it withthe name "Minrothad Guilds." It's big-ger than many a continental trade city.The sea port has plenty of moorage forships, bat them that come to trade andnot just take on supplies sail up theLithwUlow River or get towed the

45

aNt> Cities: A 'CRa&eR's

quarter-mile to the city proper.Minrothad stands mostly on a fortified

island inside the Alphatian Caldera. Thatbe what little is left of an old volcaniccone that blew itself up, filled now with alake formed by the Lithwillow Rivef. TheLithwillow drains down from LandfallPeak, into the caldcra, then downhillagain to the sea. Ah, the city be a grandsight in the sunrise—like a fairy city,afloat on the misty water, ringed aboutwith high towers of white stone. Shipcaptains say there are few places that lookas grand when they're first seen,

The city of Minrothad has a class B portand shelters a population of 25,000. It isthe seat of government for the MinrothadGuilds, the busiest trade city and largestport in the islands, and is the base ofoperations of the oldest trading houses inthe nation. Any sort of character can beencountered in Minrothad and almostany type of good can be purchased here.Strong dwarf-built fortifications and itspeculiar geographical location make thisone of the most impregnable settlementsof the Minrothad Islands.

The Alphatian Caldera where the cityis located was named for the colonistswho founded New Alphatia on this site.What little remains of the volcanic for-mation is not far above sea level. TheLithwillow flows downhill to the sea, butits channel has been widened and leveledto eliminate rapids and accomodate tow-ed vessels. Similarly, the caldera has beendredged and widened to allow maneuver-ing room for the ships which make port atMinrothad city.

Minrothad is built out of quarriedstone and bricks. Most residential build-ings are two or three stories tall, withbricks of dwarf-made tufa, which is com-pacted volcanic dust.

The crenelated fortifications areimpressively tall, rising to great heightsout of the surrounding water. The majorwall which rings the outer city (1) is 400feet above the water level, set at intervalswith round towers (2) standing 500 feethigh. Towers (3) which guard the rulingguild master's stronghold and the harborgates ring the southwestern portion of the

city. These stronghold towers have a 600-foot-high base and are surmounted witha second, narrower tower which rises anadditional 100 feet. The stronghold tow-ers flanking the sea gate have catapults,but other towers are topped with ballis-tae, easier to use in the relatively shortranges within the caldera.

The river gate (4) to the inner harbor ishung with two sets of butterfly gates.This gives admittance to a broad, protect-ed lagoon, an artificial harbor beneaththe fortifications of Meditor Hall (20),the palace and stronghold of the rulingguild master. Opposite the river gate aredocks for six fighting galleys, Minrothad'sreserve naval force for defense againstenemies who might make it as far as theAlphatian Caldera. In the center of thelagoon is a man-made island ringed withdocks. Water-powered elevator platformsdescend from overhead to hoist goods upto the level of the city. In this way enemiesare prevented from easily entering Minro-thad in time of war.

One staircase is concealed at the rear ofthe galley storage sheds, but it is intend-ed for use only in manning the war shipsif there is no time to use the elevators.Treat this as a secret door for charactersattempting to discover its location. Thestaircase is protected by an earth elemen-tal, conjured for this purpose and perma-nently bound to this location. Theelemental normally appears to be part ofthe stone wall next to the concealed stair-case entrance. The elemental attacks any-one who searches for and then opens theentrance, since it is thought that onlyunauthorized persons would need tosearch for this portal in the first place.

The staircase is also trapped so that itwill collapse with the pull of a lever inMeditor Hall, thus denying egress to theenemy. This is done only if the elementalfails to prevent the enemy from using thestaircase.

At the opposite end of the city is a sin-gle bridge, the Hammerspan (5), con-necting the city of Minrothad with itsland-based outer fortifications in what islocally refered to as Market Town (6-10).The Hammerspan is nearly 150 feet wideand over 300 feet long, crenalated and set

at intervals with statues commemoratingfamous figures in Minrothad history. Thebridge is supported by a single massivecenter pylon, resulting in two tall, widearches under either half of the roadway.These arches are high enough that gal-leys, most sailboats, and ships with theirmasts unstepped can pass beneath.

At the landward end of the Hammer-span is a 400-foot-tall bridge barbican(10). It opens into the Outer Market (7)of Market Town, where farmers, fisher-men, and Trader's Isle inhabitants bringtheir goods to trade. Livestock is kept inthe pens and stockyards (8) while laborersand many members of the first castereside in districts near the wall (9). Themain gate of these outer fortifications (6)stands 400 feet above the water and 250feet above the surrounding land.

On the island side of the Hammerspanis the Minrothad city gate (11), anelaborately-carved ediface which towers500 feet above the water level. The citygate opens into the Lower Market (12),where local crafts, produce, and cheapimports are sold. The Lower Market isflanked by the shops and workspaces ofsecond caste peddlers and craftsmen (13),most of whom live behind or above theirshops. The residences and workshops ofthe more prosperous second caste Minro-thaddans are found to either side at agreater remove from the city gate andLower Market bustle (14). First and sec-ond caste citizens engage in complexmanufacturing work in the factory dis-tricts (15), where weaving, woodwork,and other labor-intensive crafts are con-ducted. In all of these neighborhoods,craftsmen group together in distinctareas, identifiable by names such as theStreet of the Oilsellers or CandlemakersLane.

This outer city crafts district is sepa-rated from the inner city by Craft Row,which forms half a ring around the city.Craft Row connects the shops and dis-tricts where the most common crafts ofthe Minrothad Guilds are produced. It isconsidered the greatest shopping street inthe country, famed as a place where thegreatest variety of products can be seen ondisplay in one place.

46

:XJWoMaMMOJHHKKHi-MHiK^

T:OWNS aNO Cities: A OiaOen's Coim

MiNROttjaO city oycRview_*~-^X-

The defensive wall (16) of the innercity stands 550 feet above water level and125 feet above the crafts district. The wallis pierced by Guild Master's Gate, whichopens onto the Guild Master's Way. Theway runs through the center of the innercity, terminating at the ruling guild mas-ter's palace.

Merchant residences and guild busi-nesses of the third caste ring the interiorof the inner city wall (17). Here are silkmerchants, gold and silver smiths, jewel-ers, dealers in magical supplies, and otherwell-to-do traders in luxury goods. Closerto the center of the inner city are the resi-dences of the fourth caste guild and craftmasters; closer to the palace are the town-houses of merchant-princes and membersof the council of guild leaders (18). In thecenter of this elite pan of town lies theUpper Market (19), where the best ofimported goods and uptown crafts aredisplayed for sale.

Meditor Hall (20) is the palace andstronghold of the ruling guild master.Although carved and ornamented, theexterior shows defensive practicality with

narrow windows and solid walls. Within,the interior is decorated in a style reflect-ing the ecelectic Minrothad taste. Alpha-tian lacquered tables stand on costlyVestland furs and hold exotic carvings inThyatian marble. Products of the Minro-thad Guilds hold honored places as well.The palace is impressive to foreign digni-taries, as much for the unusual collector'sstyle in which it is decorated as for thewealth the materials represent.

Meditor Hall contains governmentoffices in the outer portions near GuildMaster's Way, while Oran Meditor's fami-ly and private quarters are in the moreremote sections closer to the river gate.The first consort oversees state receptionsand other functions held in this building,which also houses offices used by foreignambassadors and the council of guildleaders. The seneschal of the city ofMinrothad has his residence just outsideMeditor Hall at the head of Guild Mas-ter's Way. The seneschal uses offices andstaff in the ruling guild master's palace totake care of the business of the city.

This palatial stronghold is reinforced

with defensive walls (21) which connectto the stronghold towers (3). If these tow-ers are overrun the defenders escapeacross removable bridges (23) to the inte-rior fortifications. The bridge is with-drawn, dropped, or burned. Inside, thefortress features courtyard stables (22)and room for the ruling guild master'sMercenary Guild retinue.

Two regiments of Home Guard # 1 arestationed inside this segment of thestronghold, while other units are based inMarket Town and in the countryside. TheHome Guard in Meditor Hall drills regu-larly with horses. This mounted capabili-ty is part of their quick-response tactics incase of attack.

HanOontowNEven when there were a sight more

humans around, the Corset family alwayshad their hand in Hafbortown 's business.Even though Harbortown be smaller thanthe city ofMinrothad, Guild Corset tradebe very prosperous. But I warn ye this:plots be fast and thick in Harbortown. If

47

trowNS aND Cities: A Cuabeu's Coun

you be friendly to Oran Meditor or GuildElsan, you'll not be too welcome if youplan on staying. That never interfereswith a sale or a trade, of course. ButGuild Corser has its own mind on howthings should run in politics.

Harbortown has a class C port and apopulation of 12,000, comprised mainlyof humans. Situated on the western shoreof Minroth Harbor, the town is undergo-ing a rapid expansion. It has doubled thearea within its walls by building new for-tifications and a new stronghold for theGuild Corser guild master.

Harbortown is now divided into twotowns, the old and the new. Old Towncontains ancient brick buildings, most ofwhich are two stories tall. In this part oftown are old and aristocratic residencesand the businesses and market places ofthe wealthy, well-established merchants.Remnants of the old defensive wall standin Old Town, and rubble from its demoli-tion is being used to strengthen the har-bor wall and various stone docks.

New Harbortown encompasses thedwellings and workshops of commoncraftsmen, but the walls go far beyondthem to enclose much open ground cur-rently used as pastureland. A secondhigh-class merchant district is cominginto existence near the outer walls as thewell-to-do of Old Town build new homesand businesses on this land.

Guild Corser dominates Harbortown,Their goods and products are seen mostoften in the town's markets, and theirpolitical interests are carefully protectedas well. Persons who are known to sup-port the ruling guild master, the politicalguilds, or Guild Elsan have a very diffi-cult time uncovering sensitive or valuableinformation in Harbortown.

Harbortown's waterfront district has areputation of being tougher than most.Fights and worse trouble are commonthere between locals and non-Corser visi-tors. Persons with political differences arepopular targets of harassment and mug-gings or robberies are not uncommon.

Guild Corser is clandestinely bringingin specially skilled mainlanders to disruptthe rule of Oran Meditor. For this reason,

Glantri wizards, Thyatian assassins, andother specially skilled persons can be fre-quently encountered in Harbortown. Inmost instances their identity will be care-fully disguised, but they are far morepowerful in random encounters thanplayer characters might expect.

OPEN Open Isle be not much to the eye,

unless you like flat green fields and neatlittle houses. Monotonous to look at, likethe ocean on a calm day: acre after acre ofcane, waving in the breeze, or fat-leavedlittle plants growing in rows. A few treeshere and there, and then come theorchards, many numbering all dwarftrees imported from the Shires.

The soil be thin on Open Isle, and ittakes a world of dirt-grubbing to make itbring forth what it does. A thanklessplace to work, I be thinking. But there'sno beating the spices and cork-oak thatcome from there! That be one ofMinro-thad's greatest trade goods, andthehalf'lings have done well by it.

Open Isle supports one town and manyscattered farming villages of halflings. Itis the largest producer of spices and sugarin the Minrothad Isles, goods which areone of the guilds' most profitable tradeitems. A surplus is produced which meetsthe needs of Minrothaddans, and leaves alarge quantity for export.

Storms hit Open Isle with special force.Winds are unbroken by hills or woodlandand blast across the open expanse of fieldsunmercifully. Human houses suffer peri-odic disasters from this onslaught ofweather, which leaves the traditional bur-row homes of the haiflings untouched.Out of necessity many humans of OpenIsle have adopted the halfling style ofhousing, making them the only men andwomen in the world to live in burrows inthe halfling manner.

Ma/ft ONMalfton be the pride of the halflings.

Outside of the Five Shires it be the big-gest and onliest halfling town with portand trade run completely by halflings.

They be cheerful, industrious folks, withthe finest restaurants in the MinrothadGuilds. There be a number of humansand other folk living in Malfton—members of Guild Quickhand—butthey'll never outnumber the halfJings.

Malfton has a class E port and a popula-tion of about 5,000 people. Approxi-mately 4,000 are halflings, withadditional hundreds of elves, dwarvesand humans. Almost without exceptionthese nonhalfling residents are membersof Guild Quickhand or merchants repre-senting trading concerns.

This town is the capital of Open Isle. Itis built on Malfton Hill, near the delta ofthe Quickhand River, about a quarter-mile upstream from the ocean. It was thefirst settlement made by the halflingsafter Malf Quickhand freed them fromslavery. At the river delta the port accom-odates vessels as described under Specula-tive Trade. Goods are carted to and fromthe docks, or are transported on riverbarges.

Malfton haiflings live in burrows duginto the lower hillside (1), marked at thecontour lines on the map. On the upperslopes of the hill are the halfling shops,manufactories, and warehouses (2). Amarket field (3) occupies the center ofMalfton, along with a complex of guildoffices and meeting halls (4). Halflingbuildings are rustic in design, made ofrough-hewn stone and wood, and are setin a parklike environment.

Human (5) and elvish (6) dwellingsand shops are built of wood and plaster,while dwarves (7) prefer those made ofbrick or stone. Compared to larger com-munities the human structures are clean,well-built, and spacious. To the halfling'seye, however, the dirt roads, lack ofextensive gardens, grass yards, and nar-row alleys are very unappealing.

Malfton is laid out in districts accord-ing to the Guild Quickhand crafts pur-sued in each area. The leather district(pink) includes a large number of theelvish guild members. The fuel-makersdistrict (red) is dominated by halflingsand dwarves while the cottage industriessuch as basket weaving and pottery

Cities: A 's 'Coim

(white) account for the humans and theremainder of the halflings.

Merchants who carry import goods andtraders who export Guild Quickhandproducts are in the more well-to-doneighborhoods higher up Malfton Rise(blue). In this area are also found guildhalls and restaurants. The residences ofguild masters and the wealthy have simi-larly scenic locations (yellow).

\bunger halflings, many of whom arepolitical guild members, have purchasedProspect Hill, the rise east of Malftonwhere they are developing a new halflingtown. These town pioneers are theyoung, single, or poorer halflings, whilethose who remain in Malfton are the old-er, mature family guild halflings withestablished businesses. Prospect-townersdo not welcome immigrants from otherislands, or Minrothaddans from guildsnot normally joined by halflings.

Malfton fortifications consist of wood-en palisades (8) with towers built out ofstone and timbers. The inhabitants ofProspect Rise are just erecting their forti-fications, but the Malfton defenses werecompleted ages ago and are now in poorcondition. There is not enough need towarrant continuous repairs. Three forti-fied wooden bridges span the river andbarbicans guard two approaches to town.Prospect-towners have constructed a fortat their end of the bridge.

AlfeisieAlfeisie be the longest of the islands,

ridged with high-bucked mountains andcovered with forested slopes. She be moterugged than she looks offshore from a.ship, with mountain valleys well hiddenfrom the wanderer and submerged reefsfor the unwary at sea.

Alfeisie be home to the elves ofMinro-thad. We Verdier elves have harvested hertrees since we first came here. We're theonly elves we know of who reforest thewoodlands. If you look, you can see thelatest cut on the side ofGregus Ridge.

Gregus Ridge is the central mountainspine that runs the length of Alfeisie. Theinactive volcanic peak of Mount Olwin to

the north is its highest point. The steeply-sloped ridge gives way to fertile highlandvalleys and forested hills. The forestgrows so densely in these heights thateven native elves have not explored theisland exhaustively.

When checking for sea encounterswithin two hexes of Alfeisie, there is a 10percent chance per day of travel that asubmerged reef is encountered whentraveling on the southern and westernsides of this island. This chance is in addi-tion to any results on the Sea EncountersTables (see Sailing Rules).

Water elves live in the northeasternpart of Alfeisie. Seaborne be their princi-pal city, second only to the city ofMimo-thad in size. Only the best Minrothad hasto offer be found in Seahome. Evenwealthy wood elves and some humans goout of their way to retire there and live inluxury.

Seahome has a class C port and a popu-lation of almost 20,000. The inhabitantsconsist predominantly of water elves,with a minority of the other Minrothadraces represented. The city has a reputa-tion as the wealthiest and most luxuriousin the Guilds. It surpasses even the city ofMinrothad in architectural grace andquality of living.

The section of coast where Seahome islocated is basalt rock that has weatheredinto vertical columns. Columns fartherfrom the coast form isolated islands,while closer inland they are covered withvolcanic rock and topsoil which provides asolid base for construction. Plentifulgroundwater runs off from nearby hillsand supplies the city with drinking water.

Seahome appears deceptively small forthe numbers which live there. Only scat-tered cottages, mansions and a few for-tresses are visible on the rocky coast andcolumnar islands. Most businesses,defensive works, and many residences areout of sight in the grottos which havebeen worn out by wave action beneaththe basalt cliffs.

There are several eye-catching struc-tures noticed by a visitor to Seahome . The

homes of the well-to-do are impressiveaffairs built on isolated columnarislands—the farther out to sea, the bet-ter. Built of timber and stone, islandmansions (1) are round, multi-storiedtowers or nouses with overhanging sec-ond stories. Keeps (2) are located on theislands most distant from the coast. Thestrong ocean current which flows pastSeahome forces most ships to approachfrom the north, passing unavoidably nearthese keeps on their way into and out ofthis port. Similarly, the land-based artil-lery and fortifications of the northerndefensive works (5) are located wherethey are because they defend the most-used approach to Seahome.

Kesan Fortress (4) stands atop thecoastal spur which separates SeahomeGrotto from Elsan Lagoon. The fortress isstrictly a military building, with slittedwindows, switchback passageways, andinterlocking rooms and walls. This wasthe first defensive structure built to pro-tect the Seahome Grotto, originally con-structed and manned by the Kesan clanof water elves, and is commanded bytheir family still. Today it guards theentrance to the lagoon in combinationwith the defenses of the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace (3) is both palaceand fortress, intended to strengthenSeahome's sea defenses while providingpleasant living for its residents in theopen air and sun—an enjoyable changefrom the Palace of Pearl and Ivory,located within Seahome Grotto. Withinthe defensive walls the Summer Palacegrounds are parklike in appearance.Light, airy buildings are set amid gardensand landscaped open spaces, designed toconceal the defensive works from thesight of those within the palace.

Two naval harbors (6) are located onthe north and south sides of the SeahomeGrotto entrance. Additional mooring forwar ships is found in natural harborsbeneath the central and southern basaltspurs. These harbors can be entered fromthe sea, or descended to through eitherKesan Fortress or the Summer Palace.

The ships which defend Seahome arenot part of the Minrothad Navy. They aregalleys which are the property of Guild

mHHHJ04HHHHH*OM«HttHMHramHHHHH}^^

'COWNS Cities: A Trnabeit's t:ouu

Elsan. The vessels are manned by a volun-teer naval force of experienced waterelves, some of whom were trained inlerendi in the art and science of galleywarfare. If attacked, these ships move toblock the entrance to the grotto (8) andutilize side tunnels as sally ports (7) andwaterways (9) for counterattacks. Thecurrents and wave action in these con-stricted spaces are tricky; captains notfamiliar with Seahome naval waterwaysnegotiate these passages at -4 to theirSailing Skill rolls.

Seahome Grotto (10) is the largest ofthe two ocean caverns which comprise thewater elf city; Elsan Lagoon (13) is abouthalf its size. Both caverns together serveas the port of Seahome. Basalt columns,carved in the likeness of gigantic trees,support the ceilings far overhead. Shipsmoor near these pillars when not dockedat a landing zone handling cargo, Seaho-me Grotto shelters residences and busi-nesses which produce high class or highcost items, while common items andsome export goods are manufactured inElsan Lagoon.

Both grottos are ringed with an almostsolid wall of pueblo-like commercial andresidential buildings. The structures areinterconnected, presenting limited accessfrom the sea, but joined in the rear byroads and passages. The buildings areinterrupted by landing zones (11), flatwater-level docks where ships can moorbroadside and load or deliver cargo.Heavy defensive gates of wood and metalopen onto the landing zones to giveadmittance into the complex of grottobuildings.

The daily catch of fish is processed andsold at the Fish Market (14) in ElsanLagoon. This section of cavern has addi-tional docks to accomodate the manyfishing boats which come and go there.

In the roadways behind the waterfrontbuildings are lines of fortifications (12)consisting of interlocking gates and pas-sageways. If a fight goes against the elvesthey can seal the passageways as they fallback, thus slowing down the attack andbuying time for defensive preparations inthe citadel.

At the rear of Seahome Grotto looms

the Palace of Pearl and Ivory, a monu-mental work completed centuries agowith the elves' profits from trade. The cit-adel contains the palace as well as homesand residences of the water elf elite.

Long before they became rulers of theMinrothad Guilds, the Meditor clan livedin this citadel and led councils of elvishgovernment. Since the creation of theguilds, the Meditors have left the palaceto the water elf family guild, currentlythe Elsan clan. The Meditor familyretains residences in this part of the grot-to, as do other leading elvish clans.

Access to the citadel is limited to ahandful of steep stairways, designed sothat defenders can easily attack fromabove with missiles, rocks, or boiling flu-ids. The citadel is usually only lightlyoccupied, but is designed to shelter civil-ians and become the final battlegroundin case of an overwhelming attack.

Against the grotto wall, at the rear ofthe defensive outworks, is the palace, amasterpiece of decorative architecture. Itis built of elaborate and expensive mate-rials like ivory, mother of pearl, and gold,and is brilliantly illuminated with perma-nent light spells.

Unknown to most outsiders, the Grot-to of the Pearl is located beneath the pal-ace. There the Pearl of Power, the waterelf clan relic, is kept. The keeper and hisassistants who tend it live in the palace, sotheir comings and goings are unnoticedby most. The grotto can be reached fromwithin the depths of the palace or byentering the correct water-worn passagein the basalt sea cliffs one-quarter milenorth of Seahome. The passage is nonde-script; it and the grotto were discoveredonly by accident, but it is now constantlyguarded by assistant keepers. The tunnelcan be entered by a small rowboat or by aswimmer strong enough to beat theunpredictable rip tides which flow there.

The ship-building which is the thewater elves' claim to fame is conducted atvarious shipyards built along the coastsouth of Seahome. Simple repairs andmaintenance are often carried out in theSeahome caverns, but vessels requiringmajor repairs or drydock work go to thecoastal shipyards instead.

Vcrdon be unlike other Minrothadsettlements—praise the Tree for that! Wedon't care to be trapped behind citywalls, or cornered by the sea like the waterelves. Living in Verdon be like living inthe woods, with trees and living things allaround. Some fools think our town isundefended, but raiding pirates havefound out differently, to their sorrow.Verdon has defenses, all right. They aremerely more subtle than most.

Verdon has a class D port and a popula-tion of 13,000, most of whom are woodelves. It is the only large Minrothadsettlement which does not have walls orobvious defensive works. This is partiallybecause the town was built at a time whenthe Minrothad Islands were a consoli-dated group under the control of theguilds; inhabitants of Verdon did notneed to be as concerned about pirates orhostile foreign colonists as the folk of ear-lier settlements. Too, the wood elves for along time lived in scattered villages andtree-dwellings in the southern woods ofAlfeisle. They founded Verdon onlywhen trade increased to the point thatcentralized services became needed.When the town was built, their wood-land living habits carried over into itsdesign.

Verdon is designed around a centralcluster of buildings which include ware-houses, shops, guild businesses and someresidences. This trade center is in turnsurrounded by trees, meandering paths,and park-like expanses with shops scat-tered about. Most of the elvish residencesand many of their workshops are in thetreetops overhead. The trees are primarilymahogany and teak, adapted to dwellingpurposes with the addition of woodenplatforms in the branches and intercon-necting rope bridges. Some oak treeshave been imported from the mainlandin hopes of using them as eventual dwell-ings, but they do not flourish in thisisland climate and are now used only fordecorative landscaping.

Ringing the town off the main path-ways are concealed trenches to slowattackers. In the trees overhanging the

T:OWNS Cities: A CuabeR's 'Coun

pathways are a multitude of nets. Theyserve to keep broken branches and otherdebris off of the paths, yet can bedropped at a moment's notice on anyonemoving along the walkways. The elves ofVerdon rely on dieir ability to live andwork in the trees to surprise any attackers.

Verdon is almost a quarter mile awayfrom the harbor and sea port which servesit. Between the town and the port aremany lumberyards, where logs are sea-soned, sawed into appropriate lengths,and stored or shipped. Near the lumber-yards, also outside of town, are workyards where noisy and heavy woodworkand construction are done.

Just as there are no conventional forti-fications, there is no fortress or palace inVerdon. However, the guild master ofGuild Verdier lives in a palatial estate ofrare woods built in and around severallarge teakwood trees. The estate standsnear a hilltop on the northern edge ofVerdon. It doubles as guild hall for Ver-dier clan business and becomes the prop-erty of whoever is guild master of thewood elf clans. This is the most impres-

sive dwelling in the area, but is not gener-ally noticed by visitors since it blends sowell with the trees and vegetation.

The Carven Oak, the artifact whichserves as pseudo-relic for these elves, isfive miles distant from Verdon in anobscure forested valley. The wood elveswere unwilling to keep this powerful relicin Verdon where tourists and foreign mer-chants might blunder across it or some-how learn of it. Since it is not a properrelic, they had no qualms about guardingit at some distance away from town.Keeper Rewen Verdier and his assistantsspend most of their time in the Vale ofthe Oak, where the relic is secreted. Theycarefully guard the area and turn awayany nonelf visitors who get too near. Elveson personal or official business to see thekeeper meet and talk with him in thekeeper's village at the mouth of the vale.

But the island lacked a good harbor, andit were bypassed for that reason for centu-ries. It were only after we built the fortressofGapton on it that there were cause tostop there. Now North Island be popularfor resupply and refitting, and quickshelter when it blows on a mainland run.

North Island has many coves, but thewater level in them was too shallow to beof much use to most trading vessels.However, this northernmost of theMinrothad Isles is situated convenientlyclose to the mainland. It has a reliablefresh water supply and ships in need ofwater often stopped there to refill theirbarrels. Once Gapton was built and a har-bor created, North Island became a pop-ular stop for ships unexpectedly in needof supplies or repairs.

NontT)North Island be a pleasant place.

Green and forested it is, with a singlesharp line of mountains across it's back.

Elves and other long-lived folk remem-ber the Rain of Fire and other disastersthat have changed the land and the sea..Minrothaddans never forget that catastro-phe could strike at any time. Should we

Population: 13,000Scale: ONG hex couals 500 fee!

TOWNS Cities: A "Cnaoen's TOUR

ever need refuge, it were thought itwould be wise to have a safe place to go—someplace without a volcano, well-fortified and supplied. Someplace wherewe'd be safe.

Gapton was the answer. We built it onNorth Island, close enough to the conti-nent and sea lanes for help should trag-edy strike the islands. It be a specialcommunity—not much a one for touristsor business, 'cept what ships might needhelp enroute elsewhere, but a well-madeone regardless. We hope we never need touse it, but if we do, our refuge is there.

Gapton has a class F port and a mixedpopulation of about 5,000. This townwas envisioned as a community of refuge,and created solely to serve that purpose.As well as being a stronghold with exten-sive housing for refugees, it holds reservesof grain and other staple foods as well asduplicates of irreplaceable Minrothaddanrecords and writing.

The population here is mixed, with alarge number of clerics and scholars of allraces. An armed force of 1,000 MercenaryGuild marines are based here, rotating onand off shipboard duty with vessels leav-ing or entering Minrothad waters. Thereare also 500 trained militia, associates ofthe Mercenaries Guild who are here toprotect against possible pirate raids.

The harbor was dredged and deepenedat great expense to provide Gapton withadequate moorage and supplies. Thewaterfront is a busy concern of ware-houses and supplies for ships that restockhere during their voyages.

The fortress of Gapton and the com-munity as a whole is governed by JerickWessig, a Mercenary Guild commanderappointed governor by Oran Meditor.

The fortress of Gapton sits in a saddleof the surrounding mountains, a windyposition exposed to dominant weathereven though it is easily defensible. Thekeep (1) is a massive work of stone builtpartially out of the mountain ridge onwhich it rests. The keep extends deeplyunderground, where there are emergencydormitory quarters for refugees, reposito-ries of documents and other valuables,and tons of grain and other staples. The

food is sold periodically and replacedwith a fresh supply.

Market fields and carefully tended pas-turage surround the keep's outer wall andbreak up the blocks of buildings withinthe town walls. These clear spaces arekept as security against a rime when refu-gees might have to camp there or use theground to grow supplemental food crops.

Clerics of various faiths reside alongwith scholars (2) in what has become aninformal community of learning andphilosophical discussion. Guild officesand service businesses (3) cater to visitingtravelers, merchants and ship captains,while craftsmen and laborers (4) offer avariety of products for sale. Most of thesegoods are for local consumption, butsome are for export as described below.

Streams are diverted into and throughthe town for drinking water and sewagecontrol, then are redirected and utilizedfor field irrigation. On the steep slopesbelow the town walls grow acres of tea.Goats graze in the lowlands and their hairis woven into yarn. Besides fresh vegeta-bles sold for ship's stores, these twoproducts are the sum total of Gapton 'sexports, and are made expressly to bringin outside money for the community.

FoRtRessFortress Island be an eerie place to visit.

Smoke and mist blow about on thebreeze, along with sulphur and fumesfrom the volcano. Hardly a scrap of greengrows on that rock—no surprise, withMount Redtongue flowing lava all thetime. The dwarves have a sheltered holeto live in, separated by water from thevolcano. A few fishing villages dot theedges away from Redtongue, but untilthe dwarves moved there no one wantedto visit that island. Now it be a bit of haz-ardous navigation, sailing so close to thevolcano to get where the dwarves live.

Redtongue does not tend to erupt andthrow rocks, mud or ash any distance.Rather, a constant trickle or flood of lavaflows down one or more of the moun-tain's faces and into the ocean. Non-Minrothaddan sailors who move through

the hex immediately south of Mt.Redtongue on Fortress Island must makea Ship Sailing skill roll. There is only a 10percent chance that Minrothad sailorswill have to make this skill check. Failureindicates that a navigation hazard fromthe volcano is encountered, such as sub-merged lava rock formations in unexpect-ed places. Such a hazard should betreated as an encounter with a reef or isletas described under Sailing Rules.

We thought the dwarves were prepar-ing for war when they built Stronghold.They crafted their homes quick enough,but the work on their defenses went onfor years and decades. It still continues,nowandthen. At least they've never usedtheir devices on guildsmen, and they dohave a right to make their home secure. Ifeel sorry for the raider who be foolenough to try and take Stronghold. Orfor that matter, the ship that tries tosneak past Stronghold's Harbor Master!

Stronghold has a class E port and sup-ports a population of almost 10,000.Most of those are dwarves, with a largenumber of humans and water elves resid-ing and working in the harbor facilities.

This home of Rockhome emigrants isbuilt into the hillside of an old explodedvolcano. The ancient vent blew out thecenter of Fortress Island, leaving a deepbay and a deep, almost fjord-like cleft tothe sea. Redtongue, the active volcano, isfar enough away that the dwarves are notthreatened by its lava flows.

Along the length of the fjiord, deviceshave been installed which are designed todisable or sink ships in the water below.These are especially vital at two pointswhere the fjiord narrows to roughly 200feet across. Both areas have heavy concen-trations of these machines.

The first point encountered whenentering from the sea has conventionalballistae and catapults. The second pointis a one-half-mile stretch mounted withspecial devices. One machine sends ava-lanches of rocks down the cliff face. Oth-ers are slides which deliver 60-lb. stoneballs and sharpened logs down slides,

TTOWNS aNl> Cities: A 's T:OUR

shooting them with ballistae-like accu-racy at targets below.

These defenses are designed to let anattacking fleet past the first defensivepoint with mild casualties, then reallymaul it at point two. If the intrudersretreat then point one does its best to sinkall survivors. If the fleet gets past point 2it faces the dwarf-owned, water-elf oper-ated ships in the bay, manned with dwarfmarines and backed up by stout dwarvishdefenders on the docks.

Stronghold itself has few fortifications,relying on its location for protection. Thetown nestles into the cliff face 200 to 300feet above the bay, and is accessible onlyby one switch-back road. There are a fewballistae and catapults on town battle-ments to waid off flying attackers.

The structures of Stronghold are two tothree stories tall, carved and built out ofthe existing rock face and piled in a con-fused jumble atop each other. Easily visi-ble are sun-dried and kiln-dried brickscoated with lime or plaster. These supple-ment the primary stone building materi-als where tunneled-out spaces alone arenot sufficient for the dwarves' needs.

The Guild Hammer stronghold fromwhich the town takes its name is the high-est point of the town. It is the ptimaryresidence of the Hammer guild masterand various craft masters. Low-castedwarves in service capacities live along theedge of the south cliff in an area of unsta-ble ground and greater erosion. Inbetween are craftsmen's residences. Mostworkshops and storage areas are locateddeep inside the island behind the cliffs ofStronghold in areas tunneled out by thedwarves.

Dwarves have found silver in FortressIsland, but most of their wealth comesfrom dwarven construction and metal-working. They make stone buildings,seige equipment, and strong fortifica-tions, services that other towns are willingto pay for. Their tufa bricks are in greatdemand and bring a high price. Theirweapons and tools are renowned as solidworkmanship that keeps an especiallykeen edge without being brittle. Theyalso sell alchemist supplies (brimstone,sulphur mercury etc) to Guild Corser and

fertilizer from lava dust and other nutri-ents cast off by the volcano.

Guild Hammer dwarves have begun toexperiment with the use of iava in theirmanufacturing techniques, since GuildMaster Thor Stronghold hates to let thissupply of tremendous and inexhaustableheat go untapped. In theit deeper tun-nels the dwarves have come across a vol-canic vent that oozes lava slowly. Withthis vent they are experimenting withapplications fot smelting metals andforming the cooling lava into volcanicbricks. This work is conducted with greatsecrecy because Thor suspects it mightrevolutionize manufacturing techniquesand product quality. Only time will tell.

FineSteer clear of Fire Island. That's a dead-

ly one. i&u'c/ think it a long chance thatvolcano would pop off and debris from itcatch you when your ship is miles out tosea. But wore than one ship has been setafire and some even sunk when exactlythat happened, unlikely though it seems.Then, if you go in near the island, she'scloaked in mist most times, and thewaters be very treacherous. At times thepeak belches out ash and mud, andthat'll catch you if you be near.

Fire Island has been avoided by mostsailors throughout its long history. Theactive volcanic peak of Mount Thymaslives up to its dangerous reputation. Mostcaptains believe there are no settlementson the island, and hence no reason to stopthere. Too, the constant fog and mistwhich cloaks her shores make it danger-ous to attempt a landfall, so the inhospi-table island is avoided even by ships thatwould like to restock their water supply.Few suspect, and even fewer know, thatFire Island is in reality the location of thePrivateers Guild's secret base of opera-tions, Cove Harbor.

Cove HantionCove Harbor has a class E port and sup-

ports a population of 7,000. It is a pros-perous town for its size, sporting an evengreater variety of goods and luxury items

than are found in most legitimate settle-ments. Not all inhabitants ate pirates orPrivateers Guild members; many work inship construction, maintenance or repair,while others do handicrafts to provideneeded goods in the community. Manyare captured passengers held for ransom,or new guild recruits. Most residents nev-er leave Cove Harbor, except perhaps tosail on a buying expedition to the conti-nent. Karendas is a favorite port of call forCove Harbor residents: near enough to bereached quickly, yet far enough fromMinrothad that there is little risk or temp-tation to talk about the hidden priva-teer's town.

In spite of the vagaries of Mt. Thymas,Cove Harbor has existed for over 200years as a settlement. Parts of the townburned in earlier times, with the resultthat most buildings are now made ofbrick or stone and a well-drilled volunteerfire brigade exists to deal with flamesignited by volcanic rock. Ash falls period-ically on the town, but it is shoveled clearand dealt with as an expected event.

Cove Harbor is reached by passingthrough a narrow inlet which connectswith the sea. The inlet is blockaded by alog boom and enchanted with a perma-nent obscure spell; only Privateers Guild-trained pilots and navigators of shipsusing adequate counter-magic can navi-gate the passage. Even then eachapproaching vessel is challenged with acode of colored lantern signals. Unlessrhe proper response is given, the logboom is not lowered. Well-camouflagedballistae and catapults on headland forti-fications are there for use againstintruders who run afoul of the boom.

Once past the inlet, ships sail across asheltered bay to the delta of the ReedyRiver. The town of Cove Harbor is locateda short distance upstream. Although theoriginal harbor stood on the shores of thecove from which this settlement takes itsname, the port facilities have been drasti-cally altered over time for additionalsecurity. The Reedy Rivet was dredgedand widened and ships are now towed bygalleys up the Reedy to Hidden Bay, theharbor and docks on the inland side ofthe town.

TOWNS aNt> Cities: A Tua&en's TOUR

Ships entering the delta of the Reedyare towed by boats from the harbor mas-ter's village (3) past grassy dunes andAnchor Marsh (2) to Hidden Bay (1). Thebay is an artificial lagoon created with ele-mental magic and manual labor. It hasfacilities to handle ships of 180 hullpoints, though most privateer vesselsaverage less than 100 hull points. Theharbor master does not charge for the useof facilities, nor does a privateer captainpersonally pay for repair or maintenanceexpenses while in Cove Harbor. The guildcovers these expenses instead, since theyreceive 30 percent of the take from piratemissions anyway. This port should betreated in other regards as a class E portfor the purposes of determining cargo,chart, and passenger availability.

Cargo handling is done on the south-eastern docks near the Harbor Gate,while shipyards and repair facilities arefound on the northwest shore. The ship-yards here produce three pirate vessels ayear of Seahome schooner design, modi-fied with the addition of full artillery,boarding planks, and similar equipment.If three vessels are under construction atone time, as they usually are, only twoadditional ships of no greater than 150hull points can be drydocked for repairs.This is problematical when pirate shipsurgently need repairs, so plans are under-way for new expansion of Hidden Bayand the repair facilities. On the average,3 to 12 pirate vessels are in port at anytime. In addition, there is a fleet of sevenlarge galleys captured in various navalencounters. They are pulled up on theshore of Hidden Bay, with plans for useshould the town be attacked.

The town of Cove Harbor stands on ahill behind defensive walls, but otherwiseis not well fortified. The privateers feelthat anyone winning past the inletdefenses will have to confront the largenumber of pirates that are in the port,and that is adequate defense. Besides,they don't really expect to be bothered.Cove Harbor is well hidden and, asidefrom the fact that the island is off-limits,they are not doing anything illegal bybeing here in Minrothad waters.

Cove Harbor fortifications are stone

walls which stand 50 feet high. TheReedy River runs around the hill at thebase of the walls along two-thirds of thetown, with a dry moat for extra protectionaround the remaining third. Two gatesgive entrance into the town: the LandGate to the south and the Harbor Gatewhich opens onto Hidden Bay.

Three main sewage tunnels run underthe streets of Cove Harbor, entering andexiting the town under, or near, towers inthe wall defenses. Guild Master HarnilvarKasan resides in the guild hall (4), theheart of which is fortified. It is the closestthing approaching a keep to be found inthis pirate town. Guild business of a gen-eral nature is handled in the outlyingwings of the hall where Belina Nacory,the Thieves Guild representative, also hasher offices.

The guild hall is not far from Shanty-town (6), the remnants of the originalCove Harbor settlement. Today Shanty-town is a rundown collection of crum-bling brick buildings with mazelikealleys. It is a favorite haunt of carousingsailors, with many drinking establish-ments and cheap flop houses. There is lit-tle crime in Cove Harbor, which is runstrictly by the Privateers Guild, but Shan-tytown is acknowledged as the one placebest avoided after dark.

Warehouses and businesses catering toship supply are found near the harborgate. These give way to practical craftsand everyday services in the center andsoutheast of town, and the homes of thewealthy to the southwest. The guild mas-ters' mansions (5) are the most spectacu-lar buildings in Cove Harbor. Each is acomplex of buildings with a main entrygarden and one or more secluded plea-sure gardens, all concealed behind thickwalls for privacy and defense.

The grassy area south of the guild hallis informally called Auction Field. Week-ly or monthly auctions of stolen cargos areheld there, after buyers have a chance toinspect the goods either on shipboard orin privateer warehouses. Cargos are soldor traded in this manner when a captaindoes not care to sell it elsewhere or whenthe guild has a surplus of something itwants to get rid of quickly. This is espe-

cially common when a pirate ship wasdamaged in an encounter and must putin for repairs. If the captain cannot work aconsignment deal, he may auction off thecargo instead. A number of the privateersof Cove Harbor function as regular mer-chants and trading captains in thisregard; after acquiring an auction cargo,they load it on their ships and sail to a dis-tant port to sell it. Captured vessels maybe sold the same way.

Blacknock IslaNOBlackrock be a desert hulk of an isle,

with an angry volcano waiting to murderany who spend much time in her waters.There be little water or greenery there.We use it as a landmark, and some fisher-men have a village at one end.

Halfpeak, the active volcano of Black-rock Island, is enough cause for mostMinrothaddans to stay away from theisland. The small fishing village of Her-mian at the eastern end thrives on catchesof exotic sea creatures drawn to thevolcanically heated watets near theisland. However, the true point of inter-est on Blackrock Island is the Larril Her-mitage, which houses a community of sixmystics and the 12 brothers (clerics of 1st-5th level) who attend them. The hetmit-age stands where the sparse greenery ofthe island gives way to barren lava fields,and is supplied with food by the fishingvillage. Although the existence of thehermitage is not a secret, villagers seldomhave reason to talk about it, and so wordof its presence has not traveled far.

The mystics of this community are fol-lowers of Darrin Posman, a Minrothadhuman who was once a guild port agentin Alphatia. When his interests turned toAlphatian mystic traditions, he left guildservice. Now Darrin is a 9th level mysticof Lawful alignment. Since he hasattained the level of a Lesser Master, Dar-rin has returned to Minrothad in his oldage and founded this hermitage to sharehis knowledge with others.

PensoNalities of the MiNROttjab QuilDsMany of these nonplayer characters

have been mentioned in the precedingtext, while others appear in the Adven-tures section. They are arranged here inalphabetical order with their game statis-tics and recommendations for play.

Spells are not detailed for magic-usingcharacters. Spell choices can be filled outwith magic-user spells from the D&D®rulebooks or merchant-prince spell lists ifappropriate. Likewise, only the mostimportanr magical items owned by acharacter are noted. The DM can assign toNPCs other spells, equipment and abili-ties as needed for his campaign.

Bailey, MardenHuman /devil- swine lycanthrope (St

15, In 13, Ws9,Dx9, Co 18, Ch9;AC3(9), HD 9*, HP 68, /AT 1 gore or blow,D 2-12 or by weapon, SavcFl5, Mil, ALC; Has a +1 longsword and a potion ofhuman control).

Marden is a portly, muscular veteranwith a shaven head and a permanentfrown. Verdier elves know that Bailey is adevil swine and have blackmailed him

n i iMALFtON /Population: 5,000;

0

into wotking for them. This former guildmaster of the Mercenary Guild is nowforced to undertake assassination mis-sions to farther Verdier political plots.

Marden Bailey lives in the city ofMinrothad just inside the gates of theinner city. He continues to associate withguardsmen from his old command, usinghis lycanthropic charm ability to under-mine their loyalty to their new com-mander, the dwarf Warheart Cleaver.Bailey persuades them to desert the Mer-cenary Guild for fear of theit lives, offer-ing them the alternative of losingthemselves in the crowds and byways ofthe city of Minrothad. Those who acceptend up joining Bailey's group of murder-ous weres, helping in the brutal assassina-tion attacks carried out by them.

At any one time Marden has 2d4 weresavailable for an assassination. Two aredevil swine like himself; the rest are were-rats. In their human form they live in thelow-caste areas near the Lower Market ofthe city. As assassins, these fellowsobserve their victim's habits in humanform, then stalk him or her at night as

were-creatures.Poul and Tomas, devil swine (AC 3 (9),

HD 9*, HP 40, 43, Move 180' (60'),human form 120' (40'), /AT 1 gore orblow, D 2-12 or by weapon, Save F9,M10, ALC, XP 1,600).

Beldan, NosmoHuman merchant-prince, Captain of

the Agate: F14; St 13, In 12, Ws 14, Dx17, Co 15, Ch 17; AC 7, HD 14, HP 93,Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon,A/9, AL C; Casts spells as 7th-levelmerchant-prince. Has oil of stillness.Abilities: Ship Sailing (In+4), RiggingCombat (Dx), Bargaining (In + 2), 2 bro-ker points).

Nosmo is one of the wealthiest andmost unscrupulous of all Minrothadmerchant-princes. Other captains knowabout him and avoid dealing with him.The Merchant Sailors Guild reprimandshim regularly because of the harm hedoes guild reputation in some foreignports, but the tremendous profits hemakes keeps their rebukes down to a slapon the wrist.

Scale: ONE iNClj eQuals 400 feet

55

PensoNalities of tfte MiNRotl7at> QuilOs

Nosmo is an oily-looking fellow in ear-ly middle age, with a sincere smile andintense gaze. He relies on his charisma tohoodwink and charm foreigners withwhom he has business dealings. He is notabove adding rocks to cargo loads toincrease their weight and apparent value,mixing sawdust with flour, and so on,although he does this only in out-of-the-way ports he doesn't expect to return tofor a long time.

Caetros, HarmonHuman Minrothad Guilds Port Agent,

Specularum (St 9, In 14, Ws 15, Dx 11,Co 9, Ch 12; AC 9, M3, HP 12, Move120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon, SaveM3, MlO, AL L. Has a. wand of poly-morphing. Abilities: Appraisal (In+2),Bargaining (In+2), 4 broker points).

Harmon is a pompous, portly manwith neatly trimmed beard and gray hair.Affable and easy going, this merchantdrives a hard bargain and is justifiablyproud of his trading expertise. As seniorport agent, Harmon has representedMinrorhad in the port of Specularum forover 20 years, and is nearing retirementage.

Harmon knows a lot about politics andtrade on the continent and in the GrandDuchy of Karameikos. He might beencountered in town, or on the trail inthe company of a Minrothad Guilds cara-van. Caetros sometimes hires adventurersto assist with overland trade concerns. Heis also on the lookout for likely persons torefer for hire as agents of the ruling guildmaster in Minrothad.

Corset, OrmunHuman cleric of Minroth, Harbor-

town: (C15; St 10, In 10, Ws 15, Dx 9,Co 13, Ch 15; AC 9, HP 52, Move 120'(90'), /AT l,Dby weapon; AL L. Has astaff of striking).

Ormun is a hardworking cleric and afanatical follower of Minroth. His suspi-cious nature drives him to question themotives of people around him. He isvocal about his doubts and has alienatedmany potential friends.

Ormun is on a quest to find the lastearthly abode of Minroth. He plans anexpedition to the top of Immortal's

Home, the volcanic peak to the south ofTrader's Isle where Minroth was last seen.There he hopes to find signs of thedeparted immortal, something that willrally people to the church of Minroth. Ifsuccessful, the cleric will gain secularinfluence which he will use to further theinterests of the Minrothian church andGuild Corser. PCs might be recruited byOrmun to aid in his expedition of discov-ery, or may encounter him in the wilder-ness of Trader's Isle.

Demerick, ArianaHuman Privateer, Second Mate of the

Radiant (F7; St 12, In 13, Ws 11, Dx 13,Co 11, Ch 14; AC 9, HP 41, Move 120'(90'), /ATI, D by weapon, MlO, AL N;

Has a sword +1. Abilities: Long-Sight(In), Rigging Combat (Dx), Ship Sailing(In), Boat Sailing (In), Artillery (In +3)).

Ariana is a one-eyed female pirate, afriendly, garrulous character to beencountered in mainland ports and tav-erns. On shipboard she is a stern taskmas-ter who takes her responsibilitiesseriously. Ashore she spins tall tales and isalways on the lookout for likely additionsto the crew.

Ariana does not have hiring authority,but introduces recruits to Captain Erun-dal Kelar, master of the Radiant. Kelarwelcomes persons with specialized skills,especially magic-users, who are hard tocome by in Minrothad. If someone seemsuseful but is reluctant to sign on, Ariana

of tl7e MiNROt?7afc Quilfcs

leads the crew which ambushes and kid-naps the tempting prospect.

Elsan, SarosoWater elf merchant-prince, Captain of

the Egret (ElO; St 11, In 16, Ws 12, Dx14, Co 9, Ch 13; AC 6, Attack Rank E,HP 71, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D byweapon, Mil, AL N; Has a ring of pro-tection + 3, sword +1, and a pouch ofwinds; casts spells as a 15th levelmerchant-prince; Abilities: Ship Sailing(In+2), Boat Sailing (In + 1), Rigging(In+2), Bargaining (In+2), % brokerpoints).

Captain Saroso Elsan is one of the mostsuccesful of Minrothad 's merchant-princes. At heart he is a sensitive elf whoexercises his mischievous sense of humoron his friends. There is talk of him even-tually becoming guild master of the Mer-chant Sailor's Guild.

Saroso's ship, the Egret, is a Harbor-town trader equipped with three artillerypieces and three masts, crewed by 40 sail-ors and 20 marines. Speculative trade isthis merchant-prince's forte, and theEgret might be encountered in any portin the Known World. When at home inhis Seahome island mansion, Saroso has aburning interest in Minrothad politics.He firmly supports the ruling guild mas-ter and allows government agents to trav-el on the Egret if they need to gosomeplace along its route of travel.

In the next few years, Capt. Elsan isconsidering a voyage of exploration to thesouth and west, and he is looking foradventurers to accompany him.

Fairhair, JesaminHalGing Lottery Shopkeeper in Malf-

ton(H3;St8,Inl4, Ws9,Dxll, Co 13,Ch 12; AC9, Move90'(50'), /ATI, D byweapon, M8, AL C; Abilities: Bargaining(In), Appraisal (In)).

Jesamin is a young halfling with afreckled complexion and curly blondlocks. She is well-spoken and cheerfulwith customers, but moody and lazywhen left to herself. Her small LotteryShop sells nothing but tobacco and lot-tery tickets and produces only a modestincome, but hidden in a hillside burrowbehind her store is a small gambling hall

where illegal games of chance are played.Jesamin is the contact point for smugglersbringing goods into Malfton and her Lot-tery Shop is also a source for magicalitems sold without the knowledge or con-trol of the Tutorial Guild. It is one of thevery few in operation, since the rulingguild master's agents manage to closedown most unauthorized sales. PCs whodo illegal business here risk harsh penal-ties from the law if caught.

Forster, UlardWood elf, Guild Verdier Guild Master

(E12;St9Jnl4, Wsll,Dxl3, Co9, Ch14; AC 7, HP 61, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1,D by weapon, M9, AL N; Has ring of pro-tection + 2 and a. scroll of spell catching;Abilities: Woodworking (In+3), 2 bro-ker points).

Ulard is an old wood elf. Ulard resentsthe power that Oran Meditor has strippedfrom him and the rest of the guild lead-ers. Forster is one of the leaders of themalcontents in Minrothad and the origi-nator of the plot to assassinate Meditor.

Ulard lives in the guild master's estatein Verdon. Convinced Meditor will moveopenly against him, he has had extensivetraps and magical protections added tothe guild master's estate, and almostruined the clan treasury by doing so. Ver-dier elves are becoming unhappy withthese and other eccentricities of theirguild master but do not yet want him outof office. Ulard has no suitable heir tosucceed him, and the question of whowill follow him as guild master is a topicof hot debate in Verdon.

Forster suspects that the Carven Oak iscapable of granting wishes and wants touse that power to wish the council ofguild leaders back in control of Minro-thad. He is scheming for a way to confirmwhether that power exists and, if so, howto use it without the keeper's coopera-tion. Rewen Verdier, keeper of the Carv-en Oak, refuses to help Ulard.

Ironfist, ZenoDwarf apprentice smith, Guild Ham-

mer (D2; St 18, In 11, Ws 7, Dx 10, Co14, Ch 13;AC9, HP 16, Move90'(30'),/ATI, D by weapon, Mil, AL N).

Zeno is a daring and able young dwarf,

but his argumentative nature and defi-ance of orders gets him in trouble with hissuperiors. He is presently working on theStronghold docks instead of at the forgesin punishment for his latest escapade:stowing away on the Egret on a short tripto Karameikos.

Zeno is completely familiar with For-tress Island, having spent hours wander-ing and exploring where he was expresslyforbidden to go. In the same way heknows a lot about secret guild affairs fromeavesdropping on conversations that werenone of his business. PCs visiting Strong-hold encounter him at dockside. Zenocan offer pointers, tips, and secret infor-mation about dwarvish affairs. He doesnot intend to tell about these things, buthe is indiscreet and his mouth runs awaywith him once he gets started.

Kasan, LiniasFormer water elf family guild mas-

tcr(E6; St9, In 14, Ws 12, Dx 15, Co 11,Ch 16; AC 9, HP 33, Move 120' (40'),/AT 1, D by weapon, MlO, AL C; Hasshell armor +1 (when worn, treat as platemaJl with the encumbrance of leather);Abilities: Boat Sailing (In+3), Piloting(In+2), 1 broker point).

Linias is an ambitious, embittered,and hateful elf of early middle years.Oran Meditor deposed him as head of thewater elf family guild after Linias'sinvolvement in an assassination plot wasproven. Since then the Kasan family haslived in disgrace, their authority usurpedby the Elsan family. Linias has dedicatedhiimself to the removal of Oran Meditorand the restoration of his kin to poweramong the water elf clans.

Linias lives in the northernmost keepon the Seahome coastal islands. He hasgone into seclusion there since his remov-al from power—or so it appears. Liniashas consolidated a network of spies paidout of his family's private purse and builtup mainland contacts with a specific pur-pose in mind.

Oran Meditor is hiring foreigners towork as government agents and infiltratefamily guilds in search of treachery. Tocounter this threat, Linias and his kinsearch out likely mainlanders, buy their

57

of tl?e MiNROtljab QuilOs

loyalty, then try to get these doubleagents hired by the ruling guild master.In this way they put spies close to Meditorand neutralize the ruling guild master'sthreat to Kasan plots.

PCs may be sought out and recruitedby Linias as agents if they are at Compan-ion level of higher. The pay is extremelygenerous. Linias paints Oran Meditor as ablackhearted despot. If PCs turn againsthim, Linias attempts to have them put todeath before they can betray him.

The water elf family which rules theMinrothad Guilds is the guiding light ofprogressive Minrothaddans, and thethorn in the side of the conservative guildfactions. Four Meditors are especiallynotable in Minrothad.

Oran MeditorRuling Guild Master (E5;St 11, In 15,

Ws 17, Dx 13, Co 10, Ch 14; AC 5, HP36, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weap-on, Mil, AL N; Has a. ring of protection+ 4, silver dagger +2, and elven boots;Abilities: Navigation (In +2), Swimming(St+1), Bargaining (In +3)).

Oran Meditor is a forceful personalitywho has taken firm control of Minrothadgovernment. His insightful mind hasenabled him to attack the problems of hiscountry with a capability far beyond hisyouthful years. This authoritarian exer-cise of power has taken guild masters bysurprise, inspiring either applause orhatred among the power elite.

Oran realizes that he treads a fine linebetween successful reform and civil war.Guild unrest and repeated assassinationattempts have brought this home to him.The ruling guild master is resolved to dis-credit and neutralize his opposition.

To this end, Meditor is recruitingagents from foreign countries to servehim within Minrothad. Such agents canenter Minrothad intrigue by posing asguildsmen born overseas. They will haveno ties to the guilds and, it is hoped, willnot sympathize with the opposition.Oran's priorities are for these agents tostop the next, inevitable, attempt on hislife, and to get proof of the treasonous

plots of the Corser, Kasan, and Verdierguild masters so that they can be perma-nently neutralized.

Astra MeditorFirst consort (E2; In 14, Ws 12, Dx 14,

Co 9, Ch 13; AC 9, HP 7, Move 120'(40'), /ATO, M8, ALN; Wears a scarab ofprotection).

Astra is a Verdier wood elf whose mar-riage to Oran was arranged to bring addi-tional influence to the Verdier clan.Instead, Astra has fallen in love with herhusband and turned her back on plotsintended to manipulate her marriage.

Astra is diplomatic and soft-spoken, agracious hostess admirably suited for herrole as first consort. Terribly concernedover Oran's welfare, she has decided tosecretly hire bodyguards for additionalprotection. Player characters of mediumto high levels may meet the first consortin this capacity.

Ginol MeditorFirst advisor (E7; St 9, In 11, Ws 14,

Dx 12, Co 13, Ch 14; AC9, HP 46, Move120' (40'), /ATI, D by weapon, M9, ALN; Has displace cloak; Abilities: ShipSailing (In +1), 2 broker points).

Ginol is Oran's uncle, a quiet, taciturnelf who considers long before voicing hisopinion. His years of experience enablehim to see through guild machinationsand deduce what intrigues are afoot. Thiswater elf is an excellent follower and advi-sor, but makes an uninspired regent. Hehopes that Oran will father an heir soon.He dreads the possibility of being sad-dled with the rulership if his nephew dieswithout an heir.

Brendel MeditorKeeper of the Pearl (E7; St9, In 17, Ws

13, Dx 10, Co 6, Ch 14; AC 9, HP 44,Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D by weapon,M9, AL N).

Brendel is keeper of the water elf clanrelic. Other clans have attempted to per-suade him to misuse his power as keeperand sway political events, but he refusesto do this. Although he does not openlysupport Oran, neither does he hinderhim. Brendel is truly concerned aboutwhat is best for the water elves in the long

run, and is willing to wait and see whathappens.

Verdier, RewenWood elf, keeper of the Carven Oak

(E6; St 13, In 13, Ws 14, Dx 16, Co 11,Ch 12; AC 8, HP 39, Move 120' (40'),/AT 1, D by weapon, M10, AL C; Has asword +2, +3 vs humans; Abilities:Climbing (Dx), Leatherworking (In +2)).

Rewen is a coldly calculating and self-serving elf, interested solely in his ownquest for power. He is in the frustratingposition of having the use of an extremelypowerful relic, but dreading to use itbecause of its penalties and handicaps.Rewen is not sympathetic to Ulard For-ster's political intrigues and will be happyto see him gone from authority—whetherfrom old age or because of his treasons, itis all the same to Rewen.

Because of the wish ability of the Carv-en Oak, the keeper is confident that hecan shape Minrothad as he would like tosee it. He believes he can do this by dup-ing an adventurer into using a branchletto utter a specific wish, without inform-ing that hero of the great risk of deathwhen that effect is invoked. With thismethod, Rewen could make himself themost powerful person in the MinrothadGuilds, a temptation the wood elf isgradually giving in to.

Vlaardoen, Murl ofHuman Glantri Earth Elementalist

(M26; St 13, In 15, Ws 13, Dx 14, Co 8,Ch 8; AC9, Move 120'(40'), /ATI, D byweapon, M9, AL C; Has a ring of invisi-bility and a flying carpet).

Murl of Vlaardoen is in his late 30s andis related to the Vlaardoen family ofGlantri. He is a master of earth elemen-tals. Murl has been hired for a large sumby Hildric Vendor, guild master of GuildCorser, to kill Oran Meditor. This amoraland greedy wizard was seen in the palacegardens during the last attempt onOran's life, but not identified. Heremains at large, looking for a way to getclose to the ruling guild master and cir-cumvent the magical protections hebelieves Meditor must now have.

58

f<J-C-tKHHi Hi-gaa{HHHKH^^

ADVGNtURCSMost of the following adventures can

be staged in any Minrothad town or city,although a suggested locale for play isusually given. Some of these scenariosmay be started on the continent, andoffer ways to get characters to travel to theMinrothad Guilds.

plans to return at a future time and seewhat lies beyond the gate. If PCs like,they may explore on their own, butshould wait until reaching higher levelsto do so.

iNtjabitaNts

BasiciMMOKtal'& HOMG

Ormun Corser (see Personalities) isready to begin his journey of explorationto the top of Immortal's Home, the inac-tive volcano of southern Trader's Isle.Player characters are hired to accompanythe expedition as guards, or perhaps asguides if they are native Minrothaddans.

Minrothad wilderness is not known forits dangers, but persons ascendingImmortal's Home encounter hazardsplaced there by Mmroth the Immortal todiscourage exploration of the mountain.Five encounters of increasing dtfficultyare suggested, with the most dangerousone at the edge of the fog on the moun-tain peak. A typical selection of monstersmight begin with one to six spittingcobras, then go on with one to three blackwidow spiders, one to four wereboars,one to three horned chameleon lizards,and end with a green dragon.

Corser is a coward at heart. In spite of hisrelatively high level, he hangs back in everyconfrontation, prefering to let his "arrowfodder" take the brunt of the exchange.This, of course, is the PCs, and any addi-tional low-level characters the DM mightlike to include in the expedition.

The peak of Immortal's Home isobscured with thick fog that limits sighttolO'. This was created by immortals andno earthly magic can dispel it. In the cen-ter of the cloud is a formless glow, as ofsunlight through mist. This marks thelocation of a planar gate to the Sphere ofMatter, the home plane of Mmroth theImmortal.

Aside from this gate, Ormun Corset'squest produces no evidence that Minrothwas ever here. The cleric does not explorebeyond the gate because he feels his partyis too low in level. Instead, he makes

Puiisen PuKsuitElgin Weafer, a Verdier elf, has been

caught making a new style of cloth-and-leather purses and satchels with contra-band leather from Guild Quickhand.This is not his first offense; irate halflingstook things into their own hands andsmashed his shop last night, and nowthey are looking for the illegal leather-user so they can smash him too. Personal-ities are behind the conflict as much asabused guild regulations, and the woodelf wants to get out of town until temperscool down. He approaches JesaminFairhair (see Personalities) to ask if shecan smuggle him out of town. A greathue and cry is on for him, with halflingsactively searching Malfton and the seaport for Weafer.

On such short notice Jesamin's regularsmuggling connections are not at hand.She turns to the PCs for help, making aplea that Elgin Weafer is in fear for hislife. No matter what alternatives the PCspropose, she makes it sound like this istruly the only solution possible, since shebadly wants the fat fee Elgin is paying forthis emergency assistance.

If needed to entice them, Jesaminoffers the characters a potion or other use-ful magical item, bought and paid for aspart of Elgin's smuggling fee. If PCsaccept, they are in possession of contra-band. In addition, when Weafer is smug-gled out, he is taking a supply of stolenhalfling leather with him, so he can set upshop at his cousin's place in the city ofMinrothad.

Once Elgin vanishes, halflings are cer-tain he is sneaking out of town andincrease their security precautions. If PCsagree to help, they should be left todevise their own plan how to get Weaferout of Malfton and across the water. Ifthey ate caught, the book is thrown atthem for aiding and abetting a smugglerand a thief.

Thirty nixies have suddenly taken upresidence in the enclosed harbor withinthe city of Minrothad. Although theypose no threat to the city, they are alreadywreaking havoc among ship's crews. Theyhave charmed several sailors into thewater, including some who went in to killthe nixies. The PCs are asked to help dealwith this menace.

If the characters talk with the nixies,they learn that the water sprites are herebecause their home upriver was destroyedby a landslide. Fleeing the rubble andmurky water, their first impulse was toescape downstream. The nixies soon wan-dered into Minrothad's river harbor insearch of a suitable place to live, wherethey are overjoyed at the prospect of somany men they can charm into service.This is a pleasant diversion, but sooner orlater they want to continue on and find anice part of the Lithwillow River to dwellin.

The sprites see no reason why theyshould leave the harbor immediately.They can be tempted into this only by fasttalking on the PCs' part and generousoffers of help in locating a new home.The best location is someplace upriverbeyond the region destroyed by the land-slide and away from Minrothad rivershipping.

If they leave the harbor, the nixies wantto take along the sailors charmed intotheir service. They may petulantly agreeto leave them behind , but only if they arebribed with services or treasure that are asappealing as the sailors were.

If the nixies are dealt with throughnegotiation, this scenario is ideal forBasic-level play. If characters want tofight the nixies to expel them from theharbor, this adventure should be consid-ered an Expert-level scenario instead.

AOveNtURGS

As PCs walk down a busy shoppingstreet, a teenage girl races out of an alleyand barrels right into one of the charac-ters. A gang of youths appears rightbehind her, in hot pursuit. The girl triesto run on; if PCs let her go, the youthschase her away into the crowd. If the char-acters protect her, her pursuers are verbal-ly abusive but soon disappear, not willingto risk a fight with the PCs.

The girl is Eliza, a Tutorial Guildapprentice. She was carrying an officialmessage to be delivered to Arven, a localGuild Corser spice dealer. The youthschasing her are apprentices from GuildElsan interested in the contents of the"valuable message" they have beentipped off to. Realizing she was about tobe caught, she ran into the PC intention-ally and slipped the sealed paper insidehis or her tunic or pouch. The messagestates, "We know about your unauthor-ized purchases. Stop before it becomes anofficial matter." This is a veiled warningto Arven to stop buying magical items onthe sly from foreigners. The girl is igno-rant of its true meaning.

Eliza recovers the paper and goes herway as soon as possible. If the PCs protecther, they are dogged by the Elsan youthsfot several days as the apprentices try tofigure out what business the PCs havewith Eliza. If the toughs catch Eliza andfind she does not have the paper, theyquickly discover what she has done withit. The characters then become the targetof ambushes in alleys as Elsan apprenticesand journeymen try to steal the paper.

If the paper is taken from the charac-ters and its seal is found broken, guilds-men think that the PCs have read themessage. In that case they are in muchgreater trouble. The Tutorial Guildassumes they are spies of some kind anddoes its best to make them leave the city:they are followed constantly, the partymagic-user is denied permission to castspells, Tutorial Guild shops will do nobusiness with them, and so on.

The greatest threat, however, is thespice dealer. Arven leaps to conclusionsabout what the PCs might say. Desperateto protect his good name, he hires moon-lighting Thieves Guild members to killthe characters. These murder attemptsare done as quickly and discreetly as pos-sible, before the PCs can talk to anyoneabout the message.

60

Out for an evenings' entertainment inthe city of Minrothad, the characters hearsounds of a scuffle down a side street.Turning the corner they see a man com-pleting a transformation from some kindof were-creature into human form. For astunned moment the man stares directlyat them and everyone has a clear look ateach other. Then his eyes widen in frightand he vanishes, leaving a dead andmutilated body in the street.

This man is Louin, a wererat with tiesto Marden Bailey's band. He was sur-prised by the characters in the act of kill-ing a victim and pilfering the corpse.Louin vanishes with the aid of a ring ofinvisibility. This man is no ordinary were-rat: in human form, he is the craft masterof the city's Brewer Guild. As a publicfigure his face is well known and he is cer-tain that the characters recognized him.

Turning invisible, he flees for a shortdistance down the street, but lingers andfollows the characters until he finds outwhere they are staying. Louin returns atnight within the next 24 hours accompa-nied by 2d4 wererats from Marden Bai-ley's group. Louin has convinced hisfellows that they can curry favor with Bai-ley by infecting the PCs with lycanthropyand bringing them into Marden's band.

Louin makes the best use of his ring orthe prestige of his human form to gainaccess to the PCs. If wererats alone are notenough of a challenge for the party, thecreatures might be accompanied by oneor two devil swine as well (see Baileyunder Personalities). If PCs capture andquestion any of the werecreatures, theylearn about Bailey's group and may takeany further action as they see fit.

Calavar, a local magic-user, stronglyresembles the party's magic-user or aspellcasting elf. Calavar strikes up afriendly acquaintance with the PC, per-haps on the basis of business that's beendone between them. Failing this, themage approaches the party with a vaguebusiness proposition of some sort.Calavar invites the party spellcaster to hishome for dinner, to be followed by a dis-cussion of business. If this invitation isdeclined, he invites the party, charmingthe PC leader to ensute acceptance.

During dinner, Calavar glances at awaterclock, then excuses himself for amoment. His absence stretches into longminutes, when suddenly the house doorbursts open. Government agents rushinside and arrest the party's magic user,mistaking him for Calavar. Protests ofmistaken identity are ignored.

This is an elaborate set-up planned byCalavar and Ellin Kasan of the TutorialGuild. Ellin is involved in Kasanintrigues. She has (quite illegally) hiredGalavar to charm selected guild mastersinto helping Kasan plots. Recently somecharm spells wore off, and the victimsmade complaint to the authorities. Withwarrants filed against Calavar, Ellintipped him about his imminent arrest.The scapegoat PC will be brought to trial,where Ellin is the legal examiner. She willlie about the results of her truth spell andsay the PC's piotestations of innocenceare false.

The best way to help a PC out of thisdilemma is to locate Calavar, now hidingsomewhere in the city, or to find enoughevidence to cast doubt on Ellin Kasan'sveracity as a legal examiner and truth-spell inteipreter.

The hunt for Calavar can take PCsthrough waterfront taverns, to the Tutori-al Guild where doors are shut in theirfaces, and to the seediest dwellings in theworst pan of town. Hostile encounters arehad with drunks and guildsmen whodon't like snooping outsiders. Calavar'slocation can be betrayed by a streeturchin, but Calavar fights to the bitterend before he is taken or arrested.

AOVGNtURGS

COMpaNlON

too Hot toStubborn dwarves of Stronghold have

a problem they're too proud to talk aboutand get help with. Fire elementals haveemerged from the lava in the experimen-tal molten manufacturing area deepinside Fortress Island. The elementals cando little hatm in those passageways of vol-canic stone , but they are now wanderingabout the other Stronghold work areas.Soon they will set fife to the residencesand make the island uninhabitable. Sofar the dwarves have not been able to stopthem.

Fortunately, loose-lipped Zeno Ironfist(see Personalities) is on hand to blababout these problems when PCs makeport at Stronghold. If the characters failto see the opportunity to offer their serv-ices, Zeno boldly suggests this to them.He himself will introduce characters toguild master Thor Stronghold.

Thor is upset that outsiders havelearned of this problem, especially sinceZeno has also mentioned the secret lavamanufacturing process. But the guildmaster figures he should make the best ofa bad bargain. Since characters havelearned too much, he asks them to stopthe fire elementals. If they succeed, that ismore than the dwarves have done; if theydie, at least they won't be able to talkabout the secret manufacturing process.

The first monster encounter takes placewith one elemental in the residential areaamid smoldering furnishings. The ele-mental retreats before it is slain. The sec-ond encounter is in the forge workshoparea with one or two elementals, who arealso driven further underground. Thefinal encounter should be in the lava ventarea with enough elementals to make thisa tough fight.

Successful PCs are rewarded withexceptional dwarf-made weapons as abonus. Also, Zeno asks if he can join thePC party. He is suddenly very unwelcomein Stronghold because he talked aboutthe lava manufacturing. If he doesn't gowith the PCs, he will be sent away in dis-grace for one year anyway.

Welcome Aj&oanO

The Radiant, a Privateer Guild ship, isin port any place on the continent. Sec-ond Mate Ariana Demerick {see Personal-ities) is doing her usual tour of tavernsand entertainment establishes along withseveral privateer companions. Along theway, Demerick and friends meet the PCs.This is a friendly encounter: the piratesbuy drinks, do some gambling, and swaptall tales. They say their ship is a mer-chant vessel of lerendi design with a ctewof many nationalities. If the topic comesup, they do not claim to be Minrothad-dan, although the accent is clear in manyof their voices.

Atiana draws the characters out aboutwhat they do. As soon as it becomes obvi-ous that one or more of the PCs is amagic-user, cleric, or thief, she takes thatperson aside and asks if he or she wouldHke to join the crew of her ship as an offi-cer. They are short-handed and in need ofsomeone with this PC's special abilities.If there is no character with these classskills in the party, Ariana makes the offerto the burliest fighter of the group with-out mention of ofticership.

If one or more characters accept thisoffer, they are introduced to CaptainErundal Kelar on board the Radiantshortly before the vessel sails. Theseobliging characters are put to sleep withspells by the captain or with a potion intheir refreshments (save vs Poison at — 4);they awake when out to sea.

On the other hand, if no PC is inter-ested in the offer, Ariana and her friendsleave, only to return later and shanghaitheir object of interest late in the night.Ariana lures the character outside, orwaits until the PC of interest is out ofsight of the party. In this encounter, theDM should allow the pirates to have thenumbers, spells, and whatever else ittakes to overcome the PC after a fair butshort fight. The point of this adventure isfor the party to rescue their kidnappedcompanion, not just kick pirates aroundin an alleyway.

The kidnapped character awakes onthe Radiant after it is far out to sea andout of sight of land. The ship is indeed

short-handed and plans, for the Minro-thad bounty, to attack Thyatian pirateslurking around North Island. One to fourother common sailors have also beenpressed into service for this voyage. ThePC can fight alongside his captors or bekilled by the Thyatians. The MinrothadPrivateers Guild is never mentionedunless Captain Kelar is sincerely con-vinced the PC wants to join his crew. Inthat case, the Radiant returns to CoveHarbor when done with its voyage. Oth-erwise, the captive PC is put ashore atGapton on North Island after one tothree months searching for and fightingboth pirates and merchant shipping.

The PCs left behind can easily discoverwhat happened to their missing friend(s):the abduction took place without greatsubtlety and the vessel sailed immedi-ately afterward. Further questions revealthat the Radiant is rumored to be a pirateship. It is known that she is en route toNorth Isle in Minrothad Guilds waters.

If the characters can get a ship to followwithin 24 hours there is a good chance ofcatching up to the Radiant. Since thepirates sail directly for North Island andpatrol there for an extended period oftime, there is a 10 percent chance per dayof searching that PCs cross paths with theRadiant. This is reduced by 1 percent forevery day of delay in getting a pursuit ves-sel. Even if PCs have never seen the pirateship, their captain will recognize it.

If characters have willingly joined thepirates, the highlight of this encountershould be a sea battle with Thyatianpirates. If instead the PCs have come torescue their companion, they may use anytactics they like to do so. A common pur-suit vessel is reluctant to engage thepirates in battle unless it is owned by thePCs or offered a reward worth the risk oflosing the ship and being killed. If cap-tured, the pirates will under no circum-stance lead the PCs to Cove Harbor.

Captain Erundal Kelar (water elf— E8; St14, In 13, Ws 10, Dx 17, Cn 9, Ch 14; AC7, HP 42, Move 120' (40'), /AT 1, D byweapon, MlO, AL C; Has a sword +1,+ 3 vs sea creatures, potion of speed, andshell armor (treat as plate mail with the

61

J^WtHKHM&P4HHHMHHHHHl&aHaOQiHHH^^

AOveNtimes

meets with the guild master frequentlyin back rooms. The fellow has a Glan-trian accent and goes by the name ofMurl.

• Explaining his accent, the alchemistonce said that he has done extensivetrading in Glantri. Another time heexplained that he grew up there.

• A character observes the alchemistapparently casting a spell when hethinks he is unobserved. PCs knowthat only members of the TutorialGuild may learn magic and cast spellsin Minrothad.

• In a local tavern, PCs hear the tale ofthe last attempt on Oran Meditor's lifedirectly from Kabel Grassroots, whowitnessed it. His description of thewizard matches that of Murl the alche-mist.

• If a successful effort is made to eaves-drop on conversations, PCs hear Murland Hildric Vendor talking about OranMeditor's next public appearance andhow good or bad the layout of the areais.

• If Murl is tailed, he is seen talking withaccomplices who in turn are seen keep-ing Meditor Hall under observation.These accomplices also follow Meditorand his retinue any time the rulingguild master goes out in public.

• Interrogation of Murl's accomplicesreveals they are Glantrians, some dis-guised as guildsmen, some not. Mostsay they were hired to watch the rulingguild master. There is a 10 percentchance of an accomplice confirmingthat Murl is out to assassinate OranMeditor after a failed first attempt.

Red herring clues can be thrown in tosidetrack characters, such as meaninglessbut suspicious papers passing betweenMurl and Vendor, or Vendor openly deal-ing with a member of the Thieves Guild.Snooping around the busy guild hall isdifficult and can arouse the suspicion ofthe guild master. If the guild master'soffice is searched, nothing incriminatingis found. There is a 75 percent chance oftriggering a magical trap that alerts guild

guards and Hildric Vendor to the pres-ence of intruders.

If Hildric develops doubts about thecharacters, the NPC checks against a Wis-dom score of 12. Success means he thinksthe characters are spies. In that case, Murland accomplices join in a surprise attackto kill them.

Accomplices are an assortment of char-acter classes of levels comparable to thePCs'. It should be difficult to waylayindividuals and get them to talk. Most ofthe clues about Murl are circumstantial.If the characters wait for the wizard tomake an attempt on Meditor they willlikely be too late to stop him: the wizardmagically disappears from sight until heis close enough to attack Oran, then doeshis spellcasting quickly from conceal-ment.

The pacing of this investigation shouldbe timed so that most clues are discoveredshortly before Meditor's next publicappearance, where the wizard makesanother attempt on his life. If Murl suc-ceeds, the ruling guild master should beinjured but not killed. The best way toprevent this attempt is to confront Murlbeforehand and force him to betray him-self by spellcasting.

If Murl is attacked and taken by sur-prise, he reflexively defends himself withmagic. Once he realizes that he hasbetrayed himself, he attacks the PCs tokill, employing all his most powerfulmagic to do so. If characters are a matchfor Murl alone, he may be aided by one ormore Glantri accomplices of any class.Murl's magic concentrates on the sum-moning of earth elementals and themanipulation of earth (wall of stone,flesh to stone, etc). If it is available, usethe earth elementalist magic described inGAZ 3 to determine the wizard's spells.In other regards the wizard is described indetail under Personalities.

The wizard fights to the death. If heescapes, he returns to kill Meditor later,in a different disguise. If Murl is capturedalive, he can be forced to admit that hewas hired by Hildric Vendor. Short of thisconfession, there is no proof of GuildCorset's treason. Hildric will claim, truth-fully, that Murl came to him referred by a

encumbrance of leather); Abilities: ShipSailing (In+2), Navigation (In+3),Artillery (In +1), Appraisal (In), 1 brokerpoint).

The Radiant, small sailing ship: AC 7,HP 90, Movement 90 miles/day, 150feet/round. Crew 40 (all combatants);Mounts one catapult and two ballistae;Artillery Skill 16.

Characters are hired as governmentagents of the ruling guild master. Theymight be recruited on the continent forthis or accepted once in Minrothad. Anadditional plot twist may happen if PCshave been first contacted by Linias Kasan,who is hiring double agents (see Personal-ities). If such is the case, the DM mayalter the following events as desired.

In this scenario, PCs are assigned toinfiltrate Guild Corser and get proof oftreason committed by guild masterHildric Vendor. Such proof will probablynot be obtained- The real adventure takesplace when PCs run afoul of Murl ofVlaardoen, a Glantrian wizard who willmake the next attempt on Oran Meditor'slife.

Characters pose as children of Minro-thad guildsmen born on the continent,disguised with magically-applied GuildCorser tatoos showing ranks of journey-man or better. They arrive at CorserGuildhall in the city of Minrothad withletters of referral from a master magicdealer on the mainland. That person is asupporter of Oran Meditor, happy to pro-vide the false endorsements for theagents. PCs are put to work in the guildhall learning the Guild Corser tradeadministration.

Journeyman newcomers to Corserguild hall do not quickly get into the con-fidence of a treasonous guild master.Intelligent spying lets the characters dis-cover the following clues, which leadthem to thwart the latest assassinationplot against Oran Meditor.

• PCs notice there is a senior journeymanalchemist of this family guild who

AOVCNtURGS

continental Minrothad guildsman—inthe same way the player characters did. Infact, Murl was referred as an assassin, butHildric neglects to mention this andtruth-magic will not reveal his omission.

After the confrontation with GuildCorser and the wizard, the PCs' faces aretoo well known to continue as incognitoagents in the city of Minrothad, althoughthey might be assigned elsewhere.

Masten

Ulard Forster, head of Guild Verdier,approaches the PCs with a sensitive mis-sion. He explains that he and Rewen Ver-dier, keeper of the clan artifact, have hada falling out. Rewen refuses to let theguild master use the artifact in a matter ofvital importance to the Verdier elves.Although Ulard refuses to divulge whatthis matter is, he solemnly vows that itaffects the welfare of the entire Minro-thad Guilds. ESP or similar spells revealthat this is true, or at least that Ulardbelieves it is. Because of this reason,Ulard asks the PCs to go to the CarvenOak and bring him back one or more ofits branchlets.

The "vital matter" Ulard refers to isOran Meditor's supposed mis-management of government and thereforms he has instituted in the Minro-thad Guilds. Ulard wants a return to theold way of things. He is so certain that theCarven Oak can provide him with a wishto accomplish this that he offers anythingwithin his power if the PCs will do as heasks. Ulard's influence is like that of aprince in a different country: he canbestow domains, ships, wealth, magic,guild tank, or any other reasonablereward.

The PCs are the only ones Ulard canapproach with this request. Wood elveswould be outraged and demand his resig-nation from office, while most Minro-thaddans are outmatched by the defensesof the keeper's Village and the Carvenoak grove. As final justification, Ulardinsists that Rewen has grown power-hungry and unbalanced, and is no longer

fit to be keeper. Characters interactingwith or using spells on the keeper can seethat this is mostly true. If they remainreluctant to do this, Ulard has a magic-user bespell one or more of them with ageas.

keepers do not allow characters past thevillage. If PCs fight the keepers, thereshould be enough resistance for this to bea challenging fight. PCs who kill keepersand are caught are charged with heinouscrimes, and Ulard can do nothing to pro-tect them.

If the characters sneak into the groveinstead, they must make their way pastgiant lizards, dryads, treants. Within200' of the Carven Oak keeper's assistantsare encountered. Whether or not adven-turers come away with branchlets, any PCwho touches the Carven Oak is immedi-ately communicated with by Oleyan, theImmortal trapped within. In a flash Oley-an explains his plight (see Secrets of theElves), begs the PCs to destroy the artifactand release him, and promises an Immor-tal's reward for their help.

If Ulard gets the branchlets, his first,experimental, wish is that he is youngagain. If the invocation of this power killshim, that is the end of his plotting. If thewish suceeds, the sloppy wording resultsin his transformation into a baby elf whocannot walk or talk yet. The DM mustdecide what happens about the leader-ship of Guild Verdier afterwards.

The challenge before the PCs at thispoint should be the question of whetheror not to free the Immortal. Oleyan canbe of any Sphere of power which mightinduce the PCs to help him. If theydecide to help, they must undertake aquest to learn the method in which theartifact can be destroyed.

It is suggested that PCs do three thingsto accomplish this quest. The first is thatthey petition an Immortal whom theyfollow and ask how to destroy the CarvenOak. Use the method detailed on pg 14of the Master rules. Second, charactersmust somehow travel to the Sphere ofTime where the Carven Oak was made.Once there, they must locate one of thelesser Immortals who helped gathermaterials for the Carven Oak, and find

out from that power how to destroy it.The Immortal who imbued the artifactwith power kicks the PCs out of thisSphere if she discovers what they are upto.

Once the method of destruction isknown, it is up to the PCs to implementit and destroy the Carven Oak. One sug-gested way is to uproot the artifact andtake it to the Plane of Fire where it mustbe immersed in the lava of an elementalvolcano. Any other method of the DM'schoice can be used instead.

Oleyan 's reward for this service isappropriate to an Immortal's gratitude.Also, the PCs may attract the wrath of theImmortal who imprisoned him in thefirst place.

of Lif eQuest fon tfyeThe Carven Oak has been destroyed,

either by the PCs or by some other partyor Immortal event. The adventurers areapproached by the wood elves and askedto help their keeper quest for a new relicfor their clan. They want to have a properrelic this time, and will not be satisfiedwith another artifact.

This quest can take PCs to the planesand spheres of power, and to the farthestcorners of the earth. This situation is per-fect for a quest for one of the lost Trees ofLife (see GAZ4). The Tree would be aproper clan relic that satisfies the Verdierelves. It might be possible instead toacquire a cutting from one of the existingtrees. The quest then revolves arounddoing something for foreign elves that isworthy of such a reward.

.•tiWtHHJ^H-fl-fl-MSJ-Q^HHHHHHK^

AOaptiNq Qazetteens to AD§D® CaMpazqNS

Many of you may be avid players of theADVANCED DUNGEONS &DRAGONS® game. For your convene-nience, we included this section to helpyou use this gazetteer in your AD&D®game campaign.

The differences between the D&D®and the AD&D games are small enoughthat the adaptation should not be muchof a problem. However, for those of youwho are not familiar at all with the D&Dgame, there are a few details that need tobe clarified. For ease of reference, topicsappear in alphabetical order.

When adapting adventures, keep inmind that AD&D characters are slightlytougher at low level, but D&D characterscan deliver much more damage at mid tohigh level.

The D&D game is designed to handlevery high levels of play, up to a maximumof level 36. It is suggested that you keepthe same levels of experience in the twogames up to level 20. Beyond, assumethat each two D&D game levels equal onecharacter level in the AD&D game,rounded up. In this way, a level 36 wizardwould turn out to be a level 28 arch-magein the AD&D game.

Gazetteer nations can now be set up inother game worlds, such as thosedescribed in the FORGOTTENREALMS™ Campaign Set or the WORLDOF GREYHAWK® Fantasy Game Set-ting. This offers interesting alternativedevelopments to regions not yet charted,allowing you to continue your campaignwithout having to switch to anothergame.

Movement between the MJnrothadGuilds and other campaign worlds is pos-sible through the planar gate atop themountain Immortal's Home on Trader'sIsle (see Adventures). Likewise, a previ-ously undiscovered power of the elvishCarven Oak artifact could be used to sendcharacters elsewhere in the Known Worldor to other dimensions.

Alignments: D&D game charactershave only three alignments—Lawful,Neutral, or Chaotic. In the AD&D game,assign, Good, Evil, or Neutral align-ments, depending on the context.

Armor Class (AC): In the D&D game,

the highest (worst) armor class is 9- In theAD&D game, the highest AC is 10.

Classes: In the D&D game, elves,dwarves, and halflings actually are char-acter classes. D&D game elves correspondto AD&D game elven fighter/magic-users. D&D game dwarves and halflingsare fighters. At high levels, D&D gamedemi-humans use Attack Ranks, whichreflect better fighting abilities. Ignorethese in the AD&D game. Human fight-ers, clerics, magic-users and thieves areunchanged.

Coins (en): The abbreviation "en"stands for "coin" and is a measure ofweight equal to the AD&D game gp.

Dominions: Dominions are landsunder a character's rule, like AD&Dgame baronies. Rulers receive taxes frominhabitants as well as income from natu-ral resources and services. D&D gamedominion populations grow an average15 percent, or 5dlO people per month.At 50 inhabitants per square mile, thegrowth tops out at Id5 percent, or 5dlOpeople. Use AD&D game taxation.

Equipment: The terminology in theD&D game is very similar to the AD&Dgame. Equipment cost, encumbrance,damage in combat, or AC protection areslightly different, but not enough to beworth mentioning. Use the AD&D gamestatistics.

Encumbrance: See CD or coins.Experience: Total accumulated experi-

ence for characters is also differentbetween the two games, but again, notenough to have a substantial effect onplay. Everybody understands the differ-ence between a level 1 magic-user and alevel 15 wizard...we hope!

Immortals: They are equivalent to theAD&D game deities. Immortals often areNPCs who reached level 36 and com-pleted a heroic quest of some son.Immortals belong to various spheres suchas:

Matter: usually related to lawfulbeings, fighter types, or the earth ele-ment. Opposed to the Sphere of Time.

Energy: usually related to chaos,magic-users, or the element of fire.Opposed to the Sphere of Thought.

Time: usually related to neutral

beings, cleric types, or the element ofwater. Opposes the Sphere of Matter.

Thought: usally related to any align-ments, thief types, or the element of air.Opposes the Sphere of Energy.

Entropy: not related to anythingexcept destruction, it opposes all otherspheres. It corresponds to AD&D gamelower planes. Lords of Entropy aredemons.

Morale: Whenever NPCs or monstersrun into difficulties, especially duringcombat, there is a possibility they willsurrender or flee. Use the AD&D gamereaction/loyalty system.

Monsters: Some monsters mentionedin this supplement do not exist in theAD&D game. Simply replace them withanother appropriate creature. Keep aneye on play balance; differences in HDand special abilities may occur at times,calling for adjustments.

Movement: Movement rates in theD&D game are given in feet/turn, andthen in parentheses in feet/round. In theD&D game, 100'/turn equals 10" /roundin the AD&D game.

Ranges: All distances are expressed infeet, rather than inches. Assume 10 feetare equivalent to 1" in the AD&D game.

Rounds: Rounds and turns are used thesame way in both games. The D&D gamedoes not use segments. A D&D gameround equals one minute; a D&D gameturn equals 60 rounds. For more simplici-ty, use the AD&D game equivalentswithout converting.

Spells: Some D&D game spells haveslightly different names than theirAD&D game counterpart. Simply usewhat comes closest. Modify the numberof memorized spells listed for spell-casters to match the AD&D game rules.

War Machine: This is a mass combatsystem developed in the D&D game, thathas no equivalent in the AD&D game.BR stands for Battle Rating and is onlyused for the War Machine. We suggestuse of the BATTLESYSTEM™ FantasyCombat Supplement, which works forboth games.

Weapon Mastery: Ignore details forD&D game weapon mastery and replacewith the AD&D game equivalent.

64

ii4cfl ^^^-B-a^-a^-&^^&a^-c-iM-o^>Qoi>Q-y-Q-o-a-[HHj ^

COVE HARBOPopulation; 7,000Scale: One inch equals 500 feet

®1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

GAPTONPopulation: 5000Scale: ONE inch equals 300 feet

1. Gapton Keep2. Clerics and scholars3. Guild offices, services4. Craftsmen and laborers