recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
The High Sylvan Empire

The elves had learned much from the dragons about craftsmanship and magic. They carved the crystal into an ornate structure, with temples and throne rooms stacked on top of one another, and at the top was an observatory. The city of Chai-syl was built around the tower over the decades that followed.

Yang-hui stayed with the elves for a long time, and even married. He had a son named Tso, and taught the elves many rituals and ceremonies.

Tribes of humans began raiding the elven settlements. The elves knew fighting, and quickly subjugated those lands to prevent the raids. They forced the humans, and eventually the Halflings as well, into their empire. The benefits were numerous, as there were physical, economic, and legal protections granted for those who became citizens, but those whose lands the elves claimed weren’t given a choice.

Eventually, Yang-hui died, and his son Tso-hui claimed that, though he was not a divine avatar, he should inherit the throne. There was some disagreement, but before the year ended he was crowned the first Sylvan Emperor. He took the dragon as a symbol for his crest.

The Sylvan Empire benefitted from the ancient roads of Myrne, so their borders quickly grew. They stretched as far north as the lands around Karm Lema, with whom they traded regularly, and as far south as the Monai River. The empire spanned across the continent from the Ostrian Sea in the west to the Pyrmaian Ocean on the east coast of Myrnia.

It was a time of plenty. Great advances in magic and art were made, and the people in the empire generally found prosperity as the raids and conquests of petty warlords had come to an end.
New Class Abilities

## **Social Combat Stats**

Multiclass characters use the Defense & Damage from one class; they don't add. They can switch which class they're using ("changing the style of argument") as a bonus action.

## Barbarian

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Bard

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Cleric

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Druid

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Fighter

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Monk

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Paladin

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Ranger

 2nd Level
 5th Level

> **Argumentum Ad Baculum**
>
>

> *1st level enchantment*
>
>

> **Casting Time:** 1 action
>
>

> **Range:** 30 feet
>
>

> **Components:** V
>
>

> **Duration:** Concentration, up to 10 minutes
>
>

> You issue a challenge to a creature engaged in social combat with you. If the target fails a Charisma saving throw, it accepts your challenge and agrees to resolve the disagreement with the physical contest you described in your challenge. If the contest seems fair, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.
>
>

> **At Higher Levels:** When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.
>
>

## Rogue

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Sorcerer

* add CHA mod to social damage
* +3 social defense
* action: cancel 4+1d4 social damage just taken
* *bane* spell 1/day in social combat
* use influence actions on animals with no penalty
 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Tinker

* You have advantage on non-attack rolls
* You have resistance against influence damage
* You do additional damage on all your social attacks based on level:

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## Warlock

 2nd Level
* add 1d6 damage
* reroll a number of dice up to your CHA modifier
 5th Level

## Wizard

 2nd Level
 5th Level

## **Old stuff below this line; kept for ideas.**

When using this system there are new abilities for classes at 1st, 5th, 10th, and 15th levels.

## Barbarian

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Bard

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Cleric

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Druid

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Fighter

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Monk

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Paladin

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Ranger

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Rogue

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Sorcerer

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Tinker

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Warlock

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level

## Wizard

 5th Level
 10th Level
 15th Level
Maestro Macchino

While other avatars achieved great feats of liberation or repelling invaders, Maestro Macchino was a simple inventor on a small island. His invention still works, puffing away burning fuellessly in the middle of the sea. All his followers seek to match or best his work.

### Priests

If they are not themselves engineers, they encourage others to become such. They admire any metallic innovation, and any task worth doing is worth automating. They can be mistaken for mechanics, in greasy aprons and sooty goggles.

### Agenda

Their goal is to mechanize the world. They believe machines will make everyone’s life better, if they only learned to use them.
Great History Timeline

## Time

I am using Halfling reckoning of years, which seems appropriate since it is their history I am quoting. They divide time into “The Lonely Age” which were before the coming of the Returned, and “The Guided Age” which come after. Year 1 of the Guided Years is the year Gree Grega brought the Returned to found the Halfling clans, the year after that is year 2. The year before that was Year 1 of the Lonely Age, and the year before that was year 2, etc.

6000 LA: The One creates the material plane. His consort, Llaorana, disagrees but to end their argument promises to sleep for a time if he gives her children.

5900 LA: Llaorana’s promises her children, the dragons, that she will wake again one day to lead them in the destruction of the material plane.

5000 LA: The One creates the Halfling race as his children

4800 LA: A band of Halflings merges with earth spirits to create Dwarves

4700 LA: A band of Halflings merges with animal spirits to create Humans

4600 LA: A band of Halflings merges with fae spirits to create Gnomes

4500 LA: A band of Halflings merges with demons to create Goblins

4000 LA: The dragons combine Halflings with their own bloodline to create Elves

3000 LA: Myrne founded by Halflings

2300 LA: Karm Lema founded by the Dwarves

2150 LA: Myrne falls

2100 LA: Fadech founded by Halflings

1500 LA: Fadech falls

1450 LA: Lom founded by Halflings

1200 LA: The start of the Dragon Wars on Oestria

910 LA: Lom falls

900 LA: Colluch founded by Halflings

600 LA: The end of the Dragon Wars, the Dragon Lords Bai Lon Zhu and Lan Lon Zhu lose and are exiled

425 LA: Colluch falls

400 LA: Queen Melryn rules Althmeg

1 LA: Althmeg falls

1 GA: Gree Grega comes with the Returned (First Avatar)

400 GA: Demon invasion of Karm Lema

550 GA: Ama-Ra comes (Second Avatar)

600 GA: Republic of Verdun chartered

700 GA: Yang-hui brings elves to Myrnia (Third Avatar)

900 GA: Elves experiment with Goblin bloodlines to create their servants, the Orcs

1200 GA: First settlements of the Zerif Forest by the wood elves

1300 GA: Seekers of the One founded

1350 GA: Maestro Macchino comes (Fifth Avatar)

1370 GA: The Unsent founded

1380 GA: Remiah comes, the Crystal Tower is destroyed (Fourth Avatar)

1400 GA: Gnomes colonize the Rock Sea

1420 GA: City-states founded by Humans

1500 GA: Present day
Intro Story - Ask about Seeking Help

“Do many people come here seeking help?” you ask.

Alex shrugs. “Not so much since word got around that the Senators are gone. Typically there are two or three requests a week. If they can’t write, I’ll write it up for them, exactly as they say it.”

Alex grimaced. “I’m bound to transcribe it exactly, but I wish I could embellish their pedestrian requests. A few false leads and I’d have the Senators toppling civilizations and spreading dischord.”

Alex wiggled his fingers at the desk. The pen lifted as though moved by an invisible hand and the inkwell stopper came out with a “pop!” The pen dipped itself into the inkwell and moved over the top sheet of parchment.

“What are you going to write?” you ask. The pen scratches as you speak, and then the paper lifts up so you can read it. The text reads, “Alex is my best friend in the world.” You recognize the handwriting as the same as a couple of scraps of parchment in the box.

The ink begins flaking from the page, and soon falls like black snow onto the table. The parchment is perfectly clean of ink.

“Only exactly what is said,” Alex said, shaking his head. “A pity. But whether I write it or the requestor writes it, the new requests for help go into the box. The Senators would go through the requests, see which seemed the most worthwhile, and act on those.

“When they completed it, they would transcribe a log in that book marked ‘Minutes.’”

You look over at it. The leather binding is clearly empty. “It looks like their logs are missing,” you say. “What happened to them?”

“Oh, The Swift took all their records a couple of nights ago,” said Alex. “He knew right where to go. I like to imagine that he tortured the Prince for the information.”

Alex looked speculative. “Strange, though, that he knew the Senators wouldn’t be here. Maybe he’s got the full set now, eh? That would explain where they are.”
The Barrowberg of Colluch

Those who escaped Lom were chased by the black sails, so they made their way to the icy north where the clumsy piloting of corpse-cold hands would not steer the boats safely between the icebergs and the glaciers. Many of the undead sank to the bottom of the northern sea.

The living found these seas rich with fish, whales, and seals. They had trouble finding land, but soon learned to navigate among the flows of unmelting ice. They dug houses and cellars out of the snow, not with magic, but with axes and picks. Each winter brought new snow and ice, but to the Halflings of what came to be called Colluch, this was a gift of building material, free stone falling from the sky.

The people of Colluch placed their trust in the Society of the Closed Gate and wanted nothing to do with wizards and their horrors. They found the trading partners of Lom were still needing fish and trading goods, and their small boats were easily modified with a long, pointed prow to squeeze through leads in the ice.

The golden age of Colluch led to amazing creations in the ice. Blue and white palaces were carved, streets smoothed for skating rather than walking, and they learned to attract sea creatures that glowed at night with pink and purple light beneath the icy floor.

They became so wealthy and powerful that their city attracted rare attention. A white dragon named Bai came to Colluch. The city had no defense against the freezing breath of the wyrm, and many of the citizens were caught in its path without warning. Today the people of Colluch remain as frozen statues in the streets and houses of the city, their creations carefully preserved by the dragon who remains its lone curator and resident.
Zerif Forest

South of the Gatakenak Hills and north of the River Bian is the Zerif Forest. At its heart it can be so dense you cannot see the sky through the treetops. Scattered throughout are a series of villages which are home to the wood elves. They welcome visitors, and do not mind how long you stay so long as you work for your keep.

The villages are small. When there are too many people, some leave to build a new village. There are no roads. The remote, scattered population creates a strange combination of isolation and intimacy. I think that is by design.

As such it is hard to say much about major landmarks in the forest. There are different kinds of forest throughout. To the north, near the hills, are more pine and fir. The eastern area rises into the mountains, and the trees there are twisted and cropped by the constant wind. Near the river there are areas that are almost a bog, but when I think of the forest I remember the giant oak, hazel, hickory, and elm trees that dominate most of the broad valley.

There is one settlement to note. Somewhat north of center is Seekerhome. It is where the elders of the wood elves’ religion gather. They have a small library and places for monks and priests to study and pray. It is not grand like the temples of Yang-hui or Karm Lema, but it has grown larger than most wood elf villages. Unlike them, they are not eager to entertain visitors who do not follow their faith--though if you wish to stay and become a convert they would be happy to teach you their ways.
Intro Story - Ask about the Forum

“What is this place?” you ask. “It looks like a bar, an armory, a library, and a museum all at once.”

“That’s not too far from the truth,” said Alex. “This place was given to Prince Pete by his father as a kind of clubhouse for the Senators, even before they were called the Senators. Back then it was just the friends of Prince Pete who liked to risk their lives for stupid reasons.”

“Stupid reasons like defeating evil and defending the weak?” you ask.

“Just so,” said Alex, nodding. It’s hard to tell if he intentionally misunderstood the sarcasm in your voice. “Once they chose the name of their adventuring club, they decided to name this place after the meeting place of the old Imperial Senate inside the Crystal Tower. It’s been gone since the tower was destroyed, so I suppose this is the only forum left in Myrnia.”

“This place is open, but no one steals from it. Well, only the Swift, and that was just the one time…” Alex glanced meaningful at the logbook titled, “Minutes.”

“It’s the place people know to come to ask for help, and where the Senators come to recover from their adventures, plan the next one, and keep trophies and mementos of their escapades. That’s typical for mercenaries, but the Senators came from loftier blood. As nobles, they had access to better equipment and supplies than your average thugs.”

“I can see that,” you say, pulling a bottle from the bar.

Alex chuckles. “Well, if you agree, it’s all yours now. You can drink yourself stupid, sell it all, burn it down, whatever you want. You just have to accept the deal and become a Senator.”
The Golden Age

Once the Dome of Althmeg was sealed, the Dwarves could stop hiding. They quickly expanded to occupy lands for many miles around their city, forming towns and villages.

Karm Lema became a symbol of Dwarven endurance and strength. It was during this time that they began to see the caverns below the hills as the heart of Dwarf civilization, one that could never be broken. They were filled with monuments, statues, and grand staircases. There were elaborate constructions of polished mirrors that carried sunlight deep below the earth to allow gardens to grow. The richest and most powerful dwarves lived the deepest underground, with the surface towns occupied by those too poor to afford such luxury.

The mines kept going, creeping deeper into the skin of the earth. Even more exotic materials were found, and those were used in even more elaborate decorations, weapons, or tools. Now when an army or bandit gang approached Karm Lema, they found it defended by dwarves clad head-to-foot in lightweight but impenetrable plate mail, carrying pointed hammers whose heads were one solid piece of smoky quartz wound with wires of steel and platinum.

During this time, in the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the Halflings from imperial ambition, the Dwarves could have taken Myrnia. Would they have ventured so far from their beloved home? We will never know because presently they went to war with another empire below the earth.
Chiami Plains

The land between the Bian River in the north and the Monai River in the south is the Chiami Plains: it was the heart of the Sylvan Empire and remains the most prosperous part of Myrnia.

In the north is Demos, a city dedicated to honest commerce. Anyone cheated by a merchant--so, that is to say, anyone--might find such a concept as odd as a friendly griffin or a talkative wizard. Still, it’s true that fraud, theft, forgery, and dishonest dealings are punished vigorously. It’s not that you can’t be cheated in Demos, but if you are the town guards and magistrates will ensure you are compensated… if you can prove your case. If you are determined to be the liar, the best you can hope for is to be escorted out of town.

In the south is Zandria. It is a city dedicated to the enormous university and the supporting libraries. It has become known as a city of wizards, although sages of all sorts congregate there, so the school is not limited to magical studies.

Between the two, many races and classes of people mix in farms, inns, and mills. They have little allegiance to any particular city unless it suits them at the moment for protection against a threat. The buildings and rituals of the old empire remain in use in these villages, as nothing better has supplanted them.
Getakenak Hills

This land is rugged with harsh winters, and is under the loose control of the dwarves of Karm Lema. Other races live here as well, but it is the great dwarven city that dominates the region.

Only women are allowed into the interior of the city, even among their own people. The women are priests, lawyers, and warriors. They are preparing to defend against a great invasion. They believe that an army of demons lays in wait below their city, kept back only by religious faith, and they prepare constantly for any incursion from below. Those empires that have tried to capture the city from above have never succeeded.

The city, as you would expect, is full of defensive structures, but it also contains many monuments and elaborately decorated temples. It is a beautiful place, half above ground and half beneath it.

The men live in outlying settlements in the forests and deep in mines. It is hard to say how many dwarves there are in Gatakenak, because the tunnels and mines are the work of generations and curve back upon themselves. It is no exaggeration to say the hills are riddled with tunnels, many abandoned.

The men are encouraged by temperament and custom to keep their settlements temporary. There are a number of ghost towns in the hills, but in passing through that area again you may find them re-settled.

There is a permanent port on the west coast called Turso. It handles shipments arriving from Sylva Bay and even the Feccian Sea via Uncier Ocean. The men work the port, sending shipments inland to be handed off to the women at the Karm Lema gates.

The Turreb River is a very short river, fed by meltwaters from the northern edge of the Starfell Mountains. It runs through eastern Gatakenak and into the Uncier Ocean to the north. The water makes for one of the best farming regions in the dwarven lands, so many farms and ranches line its banks.

If you can make your way deep enough into the mines--a feat of both trust and spelunking--you can find the Toolstation. This marks the deepest border of dwarven mines. Past this, they say, the demons dwell. Some parties gather at this point to make ventures into the demon realm, as much of that area was once rich dwarven mines and still contains some of the riches from their wars.

Or so they say. I’m not sure what the true nature of the danger is, but when I stayed there I saw some parties return with treasure and magic, and others return maimed or not at all.
Medissa

The city was built on the marshy delta of the river of the same name. It is the main city on the east coast, and was an essential port for the Sylvan Empire to retain control over the Pyrmaian Ocean. Still, the silt in the river keeps the channels to the ocean shifting, and the captains and rivermen must know where passage is possible each day.

The swampland around Medissa, famous for herbs that can both heal and kill, would make it very difficult for any invading army to approach, but that same land makes it very easy for small bands of outlaws to hide. Being able to hide within a day’s journey of a major city makes the area ideal for conspirators, cults, and thieves.

Medissa faced this challenge before the Fall, but after without reinforcements from the Sylvan army it became even more difficult. Several wealthy families took ownership of different sections of the city.

As other cities began forming alliances and extending influence, the leading families of Medissa realized that they would need to do the same to remain relevant. They agreed to a complex process of selecting a monarch from amongst themselves. Each family wants to claim the monarchy, but once claimed that family becomes a target for all the others. It is a difficult dynamic but somehow Medissa feels stable despite the constant intrigue.

The House Aleur is currently in control of the monarchy. Queen Penelope d’Aleur does not pretend that she can control all the hidden settlements and camps around her city, but she ensures the roads and port remain clear of danger. She has patronage over the numerous Halfling clans that live around Lake Walbern, though the relationship is more pragmatic than warm.
The Barrowberg of Lom

Many refugees found their way to the coastal city of Lom. It was known for small, swift boats with bright white sails. The city grew, but the sea provided both food and trade, just as the high roads had for Myrne centuries before, and once again the Halflings prospered. Soon the survivors began to piece together the old magic of the wizards.

Thinking to avoid the fate of Myrne, a lord of Lom declared that the undead were not welcome on land, and any ship sailing with these creatures would need to use black sails to declare their crew, clearly distinct from the white-sailed ships of the living. Still, over many generations the lords controlled the seas with vast navies of black-sailed ships. Even the islands of Verdun paid them tribute.

Such was the power of the admirals that one of them tried to declare himself king. He brought the black-sailed ships to dock, something that had been forbidden. The undead came onshore and began to destroy the docks and warehouses, and soon the admiral realized he had lost control of his sailors. The old horror had returned.

The white ships of Lom, captained by fishermen and merchants, went to battle against the black ships, and kept the better part of the fleet away from the city. Still, the city guards that were trying to keep back the dead were outnumbered and losing ground. Realizing this, those students of magic tried to save the city by sinking the dockyards into the sea. They were too successful—all of Lom began to slide underneath the waves.

This is why the barrowberg of Lom lies under the sea. Some say that black-sailed ships still sail, filled with dead sailors hungry for the living. As for the white-sailed ships of Lom, they scattered, some finding shelter in the Verdun Isles and others moving past the islands across the eastern shore and making landfall further north.
Goblin Gangs

Before the Toolwall was erected, many minor demons emerged from the deep earth. It was around this time that goblins began being seen around Myrnia. It is unclear if they are a type of demon, servants of the demons, or if this was all a coincidence. They have gathered into bands for mutual protection because none of the other races trust them.

### Capabilities

Goblins are typically in groups of 5-10 and follow a chief or shaman. They make their living by stealing, poaching, or sometimes through service to a human warlord or elven wizard. Some of them live in the Commonwealth among their orc cousins, though their tendency toward laziness and dishonesty often gets them in trouble there.

### Agents

Goblins are usually lightly armed in leather armor and a simple sword. They are stronger than their small size would seem to allow, and they often cower and whimper to appear fearful before springing to an attack. Ambush is another favorite tactic.

### Agenda

Goblins just want to survive. However, they would prefer not to work very hard for that survival. When two gangs meet there is often a fight as they naturally distrust one another.
Society of the Sealed Gate

Across the world there are victims of magic. Some deserved what they got; others were unlucky or associated with the wrong people. The Society of the Sealed Gate is an ancient association, some say going back to the earliest civilizations on Myrnia, dedicated to the elimination of the practice of magic. Today it has members of all races and creeds.

### Capabilities

The Society is a secret organization, which is to say they don’t put up signs or run membership drives. Their existence is known to most magical practitioners, sometimes as a boogieman to keep apprentices in line: “If you don’t learn to seal your runic circle properly, the Society of the Sealed Gate will get you!” The real threat they pose is less specific, but my research indicates that it is extremely variable. Get enough of them together emboldened by drink or a flamboyantly failed magical experiment and they can do as much damage as a small mob can manage.

### Agents

Membership is loosely managed, which is to say people declare themselves members of the Society and so they are. If enough people in the area declare themselves and work together, you have a cell. There are enough stories about their feats that these cells feel they operate from a sense of tradition and duty, and although there is no training or equipment there can still be a passion to these operatives that can rival political or religious organizations. Some of them learn some magic to know their enemy, though it is more common to equip themselves with mundane tools.

### Agenda

The Society’s aim is the end of the practice of magic, though a particular cell may be focused on a certain school or wizard.
The Barrowberg of Fadech

Those wizards who had buried Myrne gathered those who had survived and led them over the high roads to the south, far from their ruined city. They reached Monai Canyon, at the edge of the Rock Sea, and using more of their earth magic, they carved houses, palaces, and markets from the cliff walls. In place of streets were ladders, stairs, and hoists taking people up and down. They named this place Fadech.

There was dissent, however. Many people remembered how their homes and families were destroyed by undead, and then swallowed up into the earth. They blamed the wizards for their loss. The Society of the Sealed Gate was formed in secret, with its aim to end the practice of wizardry. Some say this society still exists today.

Meanwhile, Fadech was prosperous. Thanks to the high roads, they were still able to travel across the continent and found much in common with the dwarves to the far north. The metals and gemstones from the dwarves found their way into the tools and décor of their culture. They continued to use magic to assist with their lifestyles, but this time in a more subdued way.

Still, the Society of the Sealed Gate worked against the wizards, in ways large and small. There were uprisings, assassinations, and conspiracies, but each that was crushed only led to a more draconian and authoritative appearance, and more joined the Society to oppose them.

Eventually, the Society targeted a dam that had been created for the Monai River. It stopped the seasonal floods but also created a reservoir of water for drinking and irrigation. The gates of the dam were magical, and responded to the will of the wizards. Seeing their control of water as a symbol for their control of life, the Society destroyed the floodgates to send a message to the wizards.

Their message was even louder than they expected. The magic of the gates reversed itself when they were damaged, so that rather than restraining the water it forced the entire manmade lake into the canyon. Mud and floodwaters rushed toward the city. The wizards held it back long enough for many to flee the city, but once their magic failed they were destroyed, and their secrets were buried with them.
Corrupt Object

*4th level necromancy (ritual)*

**Casting Time:** 1 minute

**Range:** 10 feet

**Components:** V S M (spoiled food, ashes, small piece of obsidian worth 2GP which the spell consumes)

**Duration:** 7 days

**Classes:** Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard,

Invests an object roughly the size of a person or smaller with corrupting demonic energy. The object looks no different. This energy is expelled on the first person to touch the object after the spell is complete, though the caster can safely handle the object. Any creature who touches the object takes 4d6 corruption damage to Will Points only. If no one touches the object before the spell ends the energy dissipates harmlessly. After the object is touched or the spell’s duration ends the object will appear damaged, burned, or aged.

At Higher Levels: Add an additional 1d6 corruption damage to Will Points for each spell slot above 4th.
Tribes of the Rock Sea

The tribes of the Rock Sea had nothing but scorn for the “broken tribes” north of the river. Those humans had been subjugated by the Sylvan Empire and were corrupted by elven ways. In modern times the coming of the gnomes has taught them some humility.

### Agents

As humans the tribal members can easily mimic the dress and speech of their northern brothers. They will do this when required, but most find it distasteful and shameful to copy the ways of the decadent north. Those who travel north in traditional dress stand out, which is often their intention.

### Capabilities

These people are often skilled in their tribe’s special craft, which varies from weaving to iron-working. Most are skilled riders. Their horses are too small to be draft animals but are fast and nimble for riding over rough ground.

### Agenda

The tribes want to be left alone, but they also want the Verdun Republic out of Monai-nan. They have begun sending emissaries to the city-states to see if their fellow humans will aid them diplomatically or militarily against the invaders.
Sirius-type Drydock

A Sirius-type drydock above the gas giant Quieros VII, with several Gladius-class destroyers docked

## Basic Stats

### Affiliation

* Trident Foundries
	+ Trident Star Navy

## Advanced Stats

### Cargo capacity

* 1.1 million mass units

The ***Sirius*-type Drydock** is Trident Foundries' new standard drydock facility of the 2430s.

## Description

*Sirius*-type drydocks are massive automated structures that produce larger ships for the Trident fleet. Originally designed and built by (and for) the Sirius Shipyards corporation, they became widely used throughout the rest of Trident's spaceborne corporations due to their simple design and ease of use compared to the older, more complex *Sol*-type drydock.

The *Sirius*-type is large and robust enough to be used as a forward operating base in its own right, provided there is the capability to construct the station at the desired point in space. One such FOB based on the *Sirius*-type is TRS *Quieros*, above the gas giant Quieros VII in the anbaric vapour-rich Quieros system.

## History

### GY 2431

Engineers of the Sirius Shipyards corporation designed and constructed the first *Sirius*-type drydock in a stable location in the inner Sirius system in February 2431. Another 39 structures followed over the next year and a half, making Sirius Shipyards Trident's largest single shipbuilding location outside of the home system.

### GY 2433

In early October of GY 2433, Trident expeditionary forces set up a single *Sirius*-type station in the resource-rich Quieros system, serving as a forward operating base for further expeditions.
Halfling History

When humans were still learning to tend goats and dwarves were starting to dig homes from northern cliffs, the Halflings already had a mighty city. Theirs was the first empire of Myrnia, though like all that followed their control was not universal nor unwavering. Still, as the first they became the model that all who followed would strive to emulate.

They reigned for a millennium, though their capitals would rise and fall. The ruins of these cities can still be found as large mounds covered in rocks and grass. These are what the common folk call the barrowbergs. In the old tongue of Halflings this means, “city tomb.”

## Table of Contents

* Myrne
* Fadech
* Lom
* Colluch
* Althmeg
* Gree Grega: The First Divine Avatar
Demos

This city cared for the warehouses and silos of the Sylvan Empire. The city lies at the center of a wide valley. All around it is rich farmland capable of sustaining crops and herds, so long as it is cared for. The people of Demos have learned how to keep the land producing, changing the crops they grow and refreshing the soil. The city is not on a river, but it is near to a nexus of roads that extend throughout Myrnia, so it was useful to the elves to store their goods there.

After the Fall, Demos seemed a good target for desperate people who, lacking trade, turned to violence to get supplies. Beatrice, a human who had been a chief clerk for the elven storehouses, foresaw this and organized her people to defend what was now theirs. Would-be raiders quickly learned that this city was defended, but Beatrice recognized the hunger and fear of the people around Demos. She offered support from her stores for anyone who would swear service to Demos. Many of those who might have stolen from the town instead helped defend it, and they ate well because they did. As the number of defenders grew, Demos was able to secure more of the roads and bring back much of the trade that fed Myrnia and made the people of Demos prosper.

The leaders of the city eventually asked Beatrice to take a crown and name herself Queen. She was reluctant, but recognized that other cities would respect Demos more if it had a strong leader. She acted in that role but was clearly always uncomfortable with it. Once her daughter Margaret came of age, she abdicated in favor of her.

Queen Margaret had been raised to be a queen to her people, and she wears the crown well. She knows the old Sylvan system of laws, the science of agriculture, and the etiquette and ceremony of diplomacy. Her main difficulty is that she has no heir, as she never married, and although today she is strong and healthy people are asking her to name one to avoid a potential succession crisis.
Demon Cults

There are groups in Myrnia who worship demons. Often they give a specific demon’s name as their patron and carry out actions they believe it would like, such as sacrifices or rituals. Often nothing happens, but sometimes they are right and they regret it.

### Capabilities

A demon clan can often be harmless. Sometimes it’s a rebellious group of youths doing something to shock their elders. Other times they have tapped into real power, and have dark magic that can steal your sanity. Knowing the difference can be very difficult. Often it’s best to point out the cult to a priest of Ama-Ra and let them fight it out.

### Agents

The effective agents have been corrupted by demonic power, and have the ability to blast their enemies with dark magic. They can perform magic similar to wizards or sorcerers, but there is some bargain they must make to be given such abilities. Many times the leader has this power, but the followers have much lesser abilities. Still, the demonstration of power is enough to lure many to a fanatical devotion to the leader and the dark forces that support the cult.

### Agenda

If Karm Lema is correct, the goal of the demons is to tear down that city and the Toolwall. Sadly, demons don’t answer many questions about their true aims, and even those answers that could be obtained might not be trusted. It is possible that there are no demons at all, and the power comes from within the cult leader. What is clear is that disruption and mayhem are the short-term goals of these cults, along with the successful execution of their dark rituals.
Ama-Ra

This order opposes demons. They believe them to be literally real, an army on the other side of the Toolwall, which Ama-Ra set up to repel them. They can find their ways in ones and twos to the upper world, so the order is always on guard for those who would bring down Karm Lema or the Toolwall itself. They believe that it is their vigilience that saves the world.

### Symbols

Pick and hammer, obelisk, stone from the Toolwall site

### Priests

The priests of Ama-Ra are all women. They are combatants, highly trained in the use of the heavy armor and melee weapons used in traditional dwarven armies. Their ceremonies create unity of purpose in opposing the demon hordes. They are vigilant in watching the wall, but they often go out in the world to research reports of dark forces gaining strength.

### Agenda

Demons get past the Toolwall through people. They can be summoned through magical rituals by those in the upper world. They can also lend part of their power to people who make deals with them. The priests of Ama-Ra believe this allows the demons to deploy their forces to the upper world in an effort to mass enough force to break through the Toolwall from the other side.
Intro Story - Read the Third Request

*Third Parchment (written in an elegant, slanted script):*

Dear Senators,

King Peter has personally requested your help in a matter of no small importance, and asks that you give it your attention at the soonest opportunity.

You no doubt remember Lady Deanna Ansker, whose manor home lies two hours’ journey north in the mountains. She has been a dedicated supporter of Soros, so it is with no small sorrow I report her passing from an extended illness. She lived a long, full life, and was the last of the Ansker Clan, so there are none to inherit her estate.

Since she had no heirs, she intended to gift the manor and its contents to King Peter and his line. She was an explorer and historian of Halfling culture, so her home is a sort of museum to her people’s ancient cities.

In this she was unusual, as most Halflings avoid the barrows and ruins of their ancient cities, believing them to be cursed or jinxed or some nonsense. Clan Ansker was alone in their passion for unearthing (figuratively and literally) the story of their society before the Diaspora that scattered the Halflings across Myrnia.

However, their courage to break taboos alienated them from their people, and Clan Ansker has been diminishing for generations. After Lady Deanna’s father, Lord Duncan, passed ten years ago she lived alone in that manor, too far removed from the city guards to rely on them to respond to bandits or monsters.

Fortunately, Lady Deanna was quite capable of protecting herself. Her manor is a relative fortress with stout walls and narrow rooms full of traps and guardians. The King’s Guard had some trouble entering and was unable to secure Lady Deanna’s collection.

It is King Peter’s wish that the manor become a residence of the Crown Prince, and as he feels that Prince Pete’s return is imminent thanks to your dedicated and unfailing friendship, it is of the utmost importance that the place be made safe for him and his friends. He asks that you go, deal with the protections, catalog the collection, and establish protections such that it is protected once again from looters but accessible to yourselves, the King’s representatives, and most importantly Prince Pete.

If you find anything inside which could be useful for your good work, please take inventory of it and make use of it with the King’s blessing. All we ask is a book. Lady Deanna showed it to me—it is the collected learnings of Clan Ansker about the ancient Halflings. It is an invaluable collection for science and, as it has the location of many barrows and ruins, in the wrong hands it could lead to looting and desecration we would see prevented. Please return the book to the King.

We trust you to consider this task as urgent. If miscreants found their way into the manor they could plunder a unique and wonderful collection, and the work of generations of Clan Ansker would be for nothing.

- Polon’tse

PS Dearest daughter, please come by the palace when you can. I miss your stories and laughter.
The Rock Sea

The steam engine changed everything. Now so much more was possible. Even a small steam engine could do the work of 4 mules or 10 men. Putting steam engines onto ships made them able to carry enormous loads even when the wind was changeable. The gnomes could clad their warships in iron armor and still maneuver. The challenge was finding the resources necessary for all the commerce and industry they dreamed of.

But the coal and iron they needed was in the hills right across the water. The Rock Sea was what the local human tribes called the area south of the Monai River. The area was rolling grasslands broken up by long ridges of rock in such regular intervals they seemed like waves in the earth.

The local humans had never been forced into cities like their northern cousins, who they called the Broken Tribes. Each tribe’s lifestyle varied, some nomadic, others keeping flocks or tending simple farms in small villages. They often traded with the gnomes, and both groups were proud that they had never worn the yoke of the Sylvan Empire.

When the gnomes began to explore the area for coal and iron deposits, the tribes became concerned. When they started blasting apart the hills digging it up, they protested. When the gnomes began destroying villages, they went to war.

The confusion arose because to the gnomes, all the human settlements were just provvisos. They could never find the fissos and so they concluded that the humans didn’t believe in keeping anything. Seeing that the humans needed help, lest they lose everything to a natural disaster, they began taking those human tribes that opposed them into their protection to teach them the way to survive.

Of course, these “wards” of the Republic were put to work in the mines, because how else could they repay the kindness the gnomes were showing them? When the humans rebelled or ran away, it just showed how backwards they were and how much they needed help.

Ironically, some humans are worried that the gnomes might come to our city-states and take our lands just as they took those of our southern cousins. However, when gnomes see our stone cities they see only fissos and no provvisos, which confuses them even more. But they would never destroy permanent structures.

Their control of the Rock Sea, like an echo of their homeland, is made up of islands of control around a mine or other outpost, surrounded by lands they do not control. It would be a precarious position if their steam engine weapons didn’t discourage raiders so effectively.
Start the Adventure

There are three ways to experience The Avatar's Rebirth:

## Read the Adventure

You can also read the adventure in a continuation of the second-person, non-linear format of the introduction. Note that this will spoil the adventure for players.

## As a Player

If you want to play the campaign with your group, review the rules for creating a character in this setting. There are some restrictions, new options, and new system rules.

## As a Game Master

If you want to run this campaign for a group of players, review the 12 free modules. Note that this will spoil the adventure for players.
New Background: Farmer

You gather resources from the land. Perhaps you are a member of the gentry managing a large area of land, or you are a serf who owes a share of the harvest to a local lord in exchange for land and protection. You are familiar with reading the weather, the turning of the seasons, and rural life, though you may be less comfortable in the city or lack knowledge of courtly etiquette.

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Nature

Tool Proficiencies: Farmer’s Tools. This includes a bag of seeds, a spade, a trowel, and a bucket. Proficiency with these tools lets you plant a garden or add your proficiency bonus on any attempt to move soil.

Languages: Choose one language

Equipment: Farmer’s tools, an almanac with predictions of weather and tides, tack for a horse or other mount, 40 feet of stout rope, sturdy boots, a broad hat, warm woolens, and a leather pouch containing 10 gp

### Crops and Flocks

Most farmers take care of a variety of animals and plants to ensure that even if one fails, they can make do with the other. Woodsmen who hunt game or gather firewood from the wilderness or fisherman are other types of farmers. Pick 1-3 of the crops shown below, or roll randomly.

### Feature: Harvest

A farmer in the wilderness or in a cultivated field can almost always find something to eat or water to drink. By spending an hour, the farmer can find some supplies—perhaps catching fish in a lake, or trap a rabbit, or dig up tubers. During the summer and fall, the farmer can roll 2d6 and the result is the number of days of food for one person that is harvested. During the spring and winter, the farmer rolls 2d4. The DM may apply penalties or not allow the harvest if the terrain is truly desolate.

### Suggested Characteristics

Farmers are hard-working, humble people. They know that they are only one bad harvest away from starvation, and try to store up as much as they can. They also know that the weather and their luck can always turn, and try to help others knowing that one day they may be seeking help themselves. For that reason, they tend to be part of close communities.

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### Variant Farmer: Groundskeeper

Instead of a rural community, you might have been working for a nobleman as a gardener or a gamekeeper. In this case you are familiar with fine manners and courtly politics, though you also know enough to stay out of the way of the nobles. Your duty to the noble will take a fair amount of your time, however, and you often get odd or even bizarre requests, such as ripping out the rose bushes you just planted last year because they have gone out of fashion, or trapping and bringing back white foxes for the next foxhunt because the red ones are too common.
Remiah

As a leader of the uprising that destroyed the Sylvan Empire, he is as loved by the orcs as he is hated by the high elves. Remiah taught absolute freedom: you are responsible for your own path. Face yourself and your choices each day, and learn to live comfortably in your skin.

### Symbol

A broken tower, a severed arm, a broken chain

### Priests

There are very few formal priests of Remiah. The eldest in the farmstead has a book of Remiah’s teachings which they read from on certain ceremonial days. There are some who go on a pilgrimage, starting in Chai-Syl at the broken tower and then following the path of destruction that Remiah and his followers inflicted on the tower. These pilgrims are called the Freed, and they adopt the simple clothing, tools, and meager rations their ancestors would have had as slaves to the Sylvan Empire. This helps them remember the suffering of their ancestors and how Remiah liberated them.

### Agenda

The ancient cities, especially Chai-Syl, are sacred sites and it is important to the orcs that they remain as Remiah left them: destroyed and desolate. The few orcs who dedicate their lives to studying Remiah are also those who can start the Call of Remiah to gather the orcs to defend against invasion. For that reason they often live at the edge of the Commonwealth in small cloisters on high places. Some who are troubled come to these cloisters for counseling.