Currency:
The most common currency is silver pennies with copper farthings being the cheapest.
the most expensive being "golden raq". 20 silver pennies are worth 1 golden raq.
Wine:
- Lentrian Red is preferred by Druss, usually best if 5 or more years old.
Religions
- Missael
NPC groups:
Religious Orders
The Seekers (Mystics)
These are fanatical Source Priests who blind themselves to increase their powers of prophecy.
There are 5 ranks of the order:
- 60% : 5th Circle Seeker : can see from 10-20 years into the future,
- 10% : 4th Circle Seeker : can see 40-80 years,
- 10% : 3rd Circle Seeker : 160-320 years,
- 10% : 2nd Circle Seeker : 640-1280 years
- 10% : 1st Circle Seeker : 2560-5120 years.
Druss and Sieben met a seeker of the 3rd circle on their way to Mashrapur. (He said his talent was wasted, and it was!!)
The Thirty
The Thirty are a group of Warrior priests, trained both in meditation and fighting.
They were founded by a tradition Source Priest named Dardalion. When Dardalion was being tortured by a group of horse thieves, Waylander the Slayer (Dakeyras) came upon him (he was just getting his horse back) and killing the thieves he rescued Dardalion.
Later on, while still a source priest Dardalion was astrally attacked while sleeping and almost killed by one of “The Brotherhood”. When Waylander saw he was dying he dripped some of his own blood into Dardalion’s mouth to awaken him and in so doing, was “sullied” by Waylanders soul. The result was that he became astrally armoured and armed with silver armor and swords, and cut his opponent to pieces.
He returned later to his former Abbot and was rejected as a priest, but 29 of his fellow priests came with him and agreed to join him in his quest to defend and fight evil rather than flee from it whenever it threatened.
They worship the mysterious origin of life and the universe , which they call "The Source".
Those of the Thirty are men with awesome talents who train and study in their temple with one purpose only, to die in some battle, some distant war, and thus become one with the source.
The most important of The Thirty to Druss's life and times was Vintar.
The weakest of the Thirty is always the last one left alive , but is the one chosen to be the next Abbot to gather the next Thirty.
Senior Members of the Thirty are usually given titles i.e. “Voice of the Thirty”, “Eyes of the Thirty”
Member of the Thirty ()
Advantages:
Clerical Investment: Member of the Thirty (5) OR “Titled” member – Clerical Investment (10) OR Abbot of the Thirty (15); Composed (5); Alertness +2 (10); Strong Will +2 (8) Combat Reflexes (15); Rapid Healing (5); High Pain Threshold (10); Immunity to Disease (10); Intuition (From the Source); Awareness (15) ; Ally Group: The Thirty (30 point group, cost depends on how often they appear)
Blessed (10) +
Arm of the Thirty : Iron Hand (10) and Modified Arm ST (15),
Eyes of the Thirty : Dark Vision (25) or other 25 points of vision advantages
Voice of the Thirty – Voice (5); Speak with animals (15);
Heart of the Thirty - Strong Will +3 (12); Fearlessness +4 (8)
Clerical Magic (Channelled, Healing) – Member of the Thirty – 1 (10) Titled Member – 2 (16) Abbot of the Thirty – 3 (22)
Optional : Healing (25); Metabolism Control –2 (10);
Disadvantages:
Bloodlust (-10); Code of Honour (The Thirty); Obsessed with Good (-15);
Truthfulness (-5); Sense of Duty: to protect humanity, obey the will of the Source and fight evil (-10); Cannot harm Innocents (-10);
Skills:
Required: Meditation; Karate; Knife; Knife Throwing; Shield; Broadsword; Diagnosis; First Aid; Physician; Theology (The Source); Tactics; Public Speaking; Teaching; Detect Lies; Astronomy; Diplomacy;
Powers possessed by The Thirty
Astral Projection (after travelling, the priest often feels dizzy and nauseous for a few minutes (-4 DX and sense rolls for 1d6 minutes)) This ability causes 8 Physical fatigue.
Astral Combat: Will acts as Astral ST and HT and IQ as Astral DX and IQ. Wounds suffered in Astral Combat take FULL EFFECT in the real world (wounds taken in astral combat are also applied to physical HT!)
While in Astral Form the Thirty may use certain extra Powers:
Clothe Astral Form: Robes (1 fatigue point)
Armour Astral Form:
Any armour up to plate mail (Silver) (PD 4 DR 6 Fatigue Cost 5)
(Cost is 1 fatigue per 2 points of PD or DR)
Conjure Weapons (1 fatigue per sword or similar weapon)
NOTE: Damage is based solely on Astral ST, NOT on the weapon, the weapon is just a channel to focus the will of the combatant.
Cure Disease (See Magic P.50, fatigue cost 4)
See Aura (See Magic P.53, fatigue cost 3)
Fatigue is regained while in Astral Form (as long as it’s non-combative) at a rate of 1/10 minutes
Psionic Powers:
Telepathy :
Emotion Sense (through coloured auras)
Mind Blast
Mind Merge (With other members of the Thirty only)
Fear (As per Spell)
Terror (As per Spell)
Telesend
Telereceive
Telecontrol ( the priest feels all the subjects emotions, desires and thoughts)
Unified Astral Combat (Soul Merge) : In times of great need, the Thirty can form the powerful Astral entity know only as “The One”.
The Church of Pashtar Sen:
Pashtar Sen was a poet and a scholar, but also a man of war. According to myth he met the Goddess Ciris, and she gave him the hunting horn as a reward for his valour. He placed it on the altar of a shrine, where it became insubstantial
Pashtar Sen was a Ventrian who refused to fight for the Emperor and was impaled on a spike of iron, for he was a man of principle and believed the Emperor to be wrong. His shrine in the capital, Capalis is a large and impressive sight and holds Pashtar Sen’s Hunting Horn on its main altar.
The Brotherhood
An Evil group, the virtual direct opposite of the Thirty , although their members are much more numerous they are individually not a match for any of The Thirty in one-to-one
Astral Combat.
Military Groups :
The Vagrian Hounds of Chaos:
“six soldiers with their long blue cloaks fastened over black breastplates, their helms covered their faces and only their eyes were visible through rectangular slits in the metal”
These men are highly trained warriors of great skill.