recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Backing The Winner

**Backing The Winner** is one of the quests for the Imperial Guards.

## Lore

Return to Caer-Tor and discuss the situation with Paullus.

## Rewards

* 25 SP
* Imperial Guards reputation +3 and House Crassus reputation -10 if you side with House Aurelian
* Forty Thieves reputation -5 and Word of Honor -1 if you promise Lowtown to Glabrio (optional)
* Forty Thieves reputation -10 and Combat +1 if you kill Glabrio (optional)
* Imperial Guards reputation +3 and House Aurelian reputation -10 if you side with House Crassus
* Imperial Guards reputation -15, Loyalty -5 and House Crassus reputation +15 if you convince Carrinas to side with Meru

## Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Paullus in Caer-Tor
2. Help him make a decision
3. Talk to Carrinas (optional)
4. Travel to Ganezzar

## Detailed Walkthrough

1. Talk to Paullus in Caer-Tor
2. Help him make a decision
	* Paullus will by default side with Gaelius
	* You can tell optionally tell Paullus about Meru's plan about Al-Akia
	* If your Imperial Guards reputation is at least 10, you can try to persuade him to help Meru instead
		1. Persuasion:[5], "If you side with Gaelius, you'll never be more than his guard dog."
		2. If you failed, check for Persuasion+Streetwise=[8]
		3. Persuasion:[7] or Streetwise:[6]
		4. If you failed to convince him, you have an option to go to Teron and talk with Carrinas
3. Talk to Carrinas (optional)
	1. He will only listen to you if you helped him make peace with Antidas
	2. Persuasion:[5], "You've gone too far to stop now..."
		* Persuasion:[8], "You won't have to fight him. Paullus sided with Gaelius because Meru is too weak."
		* Streetwise:[8], "I'm not suggesting attacking our brothers-in-arms..."
4. Travel to Ganezzar (Aurelian path)
	* Wait until the gates are breached
		+ You and 2 Legionaries fight against 10 Crassus Legionaries
	* "I might have a way in" (if you entered Ganezzar tunnels in previous quest)
		1. If you killed Glabrio, this option fails
		2. Talk to Glabrio
			+ Kill them and return to Paullus empty-handed
			+ (Lie) Promise to give him Lowtown
		3. Enter secret pasage leading to Castle Ganezzar
			+ Fight
			+ Throw a brick and hide in the shadows, then silently take out a guard
				- Sneak+Critical Strike=[8] - Success
					* Go upstairs
						1. Sneak+Critical Strike=[10], Get closer and kill a guard
						2. Dexterity+Critical Strike=[16], Kill the other guard
					* Put on the guard's armor and helmet and go up the stairs
						1. Impersonate:[5], Get closer and kill a guard
						2. Dexterity+Critical Strike=[16], Kill the other guard
				- Sneak+Critical Strike<[8] - Failure, you lose 15 HP
		4. Go upstairs
			+ You fight against two guards
			+ Bar the doors and raise the gates
5. Travel to Ganezzar (Crassus path)
	1. Critical Strike - kill the legatus
		* [7] - Success, Legatus Hagnon is killed, fight against two guards
		* [4] - Failure, Legatus Hagnon loses 15 HP, fight against Hagnon and two guards
		* [3] or less - Failure, fight against Legatus Hagnon and two guards
	2. Siege is lifted. If you told Paullus earlier about Al-Akia, he will blow it up, otherwise he'll do nothing about it
Dead River

**Dead River** - One of the locations you could visit in *The Age of Decadence*.

## Lore

Go downstairs.
You will find a makeshift altar covered with candles. To understand that it is a generator you need to pass a check Lore:[5].
You can :

* Restore the generator Lore:[8] + Crafting:[6], and power the “bridge” machine with the crystal from The Eye of Thor-Agoth or the Yellow Sapphire obtained at Maadoran – Nasir’s quest. You will need to overload the generator to have the necessary power output to create the bridge. That will lead you to The Temple.
* The other option is to climb down with a rope and cross the river by foot. You will have to kill some scorpions though.

## References

1. ↑ All the stat, skill and background checks
Kingslayer

. For the trait, see Traits#Kingslayer.

**Kingslayer** is a Boatmen of Styx quest given by Levir.

## Lore

This quest is triggered after completing The Black Widow quest if you accepted Levir's deal earlier.

## Quick Walkthrough

1. Go back to the guild
2. Talk to Darista
3. Meet Gaelius
4. Kill them both
5. Escape from the Maadoran Palace

## Detailed Walkthrough

1. Go back to the guild
2. Talk to Darista
	* "Levir tried to hire me to kill Gaelius." Tell her everything
		+ This quest is cancelled, you lose -4 Word of Honor and -15 Forty Thieves reputation, but gain +3 Boatmen of Styx reputation and +1 Loyalty
3. Meet Gaelius
	* Kill them both
	* Return to the guild with Darista
		+ This quest is cancelled, you lose -2 Word of Honor and -7 Forty Thieves reputation
4. Kill them both
	* Critical Strike, Kill Gaelius, then deal with Darista
		+ [8], Success - you kill them both
		+ [6], Partial Success - You fight wounded Darista and two guards
		+ Failure - You fight Darista and two guards
	* Critical Strike, Kill Darista, then deal with Gaelius
		+ [7], Success - You fight Gaelius and two guards
		+ Failure - You fight wounded Darista, Gaelius and two guards
5. Escape from the Maadoran Palace
	1. Deal with the guards (only if you didn't kill them)
		* Streetwise:[4]+Persuasion:[4]=[10], "Still with Gaelius. You didn't hear it from me, but there will be a lot of changes in the morning."
			+ Success - next step is skipped
			+ Failure - starts combat against two guards
		* Streetwise:[6] "She's staying the night, but keep your mouth shut or she will kill you herself."
			+ Success - next step is skipped
			+ Failure - starts combat against two guards
	2. Go through the main door:
		* "I came with Darista."
			+ Streetwise:[4]+Impersonate:[4]=[10], "Well, maybe you should know me. Lord Gaelius is very displeased with his guards and I can see why. He wants me to oversee the recruiting and training of all palace guards. Starting tomorrow, there will be a lot of changes around here, so you boys better stay on my good side."
				- Failure - Critical Strike, Kill them without making a sound
			+ Critical Strike, Kill them without making a sound
				- [7], Success
				- Failure - you lose 20 HP
					* Fight
					* Die with dignity
		* [Impersonate] Put on the guards armor and go through the main door
			+ [6] - Success
			+ Failure
				- Streetwise:[4]+Charisma:[7] "I'm new. Didn't they tell you?"
					* Streetwise:[4]+Impersonate:[4]=[10], "I come from a very distinguished family. My father had the honor of serving with the legatus, thus I don't need to start at the bottom with all the plebs. My family's achievements speak for themselves."
						+ Failure - Critical Strike, Kill them without making a sound
					* Streetwise:[5]+Charisma:[8] "Don't blame me – I go where they tell me to go. Trust me, I'd rather stay somewhere out of sight than stand near Lord Gaelius' doors all day"
						+ Failure - Critical Strike, Kill them without making a sound
					* Failure - Critical Strike, Kill them without making a sound
Hammers

One of the earliest weapons known to man, the **hammer** is designed for a simple purpose: to bludgeon your opponents to death. Powerful blows from a hammer have been known to knock even the strongest men from their feet.

## Chacteristics

* Pref Stat: Strength
* Skill Required: Hammer
* Passive Effect: % chance to dent opponent's armor by 2 DR

## Hammer Statistics

* Speed: AP: x - action points required per standard attack
* THC Bonus: x% - added to To-Hit-Chance
* Passive Chance Bonus: x% - added to Passive Effects
* Critical Strike Bonus: x% - added to Critical Strike Chance
* Metal: type - Each "higher" metal increases the damage range or damage resistance by 1. So, whereas a bronze gladius does 2-9 points of damage, an iron gladius does 3-10, steel 4-11, and so on.
* Hardness: x% - ability to degrade armors
* Counterattack chance bonus: x% - ability to counter-attack
Cyrus

*This article is a stub. You can help The Age of Decadence Wiki by expanding it.*

**Cyrus** is a member of the Boatmen of Styx in Maadoran.

You see a slim man with dark, restless eyes constantly darting everywhere, never staying on any object for more than a few seconds.

"Another soldier for Gaelius' army?"
Ganezzar

**Ganezzar** - one of the major population centers in the Empire.

* Main Gate
* Boatmen of Styx - destroyed

### Quests

Plague - Talk to the guard near the house hit by a plague. Pass [Streetwise] or [Alchemy DC4] check to get to talk to person inside, and pass [Alchemy DC4] to help him. Reward: 3 skill points.

### Spoilers

* Adds 1 House Crassus reputation for calming the Old Man
* Unlocks Dead River location for solving the plague sub-quest

## Temple District

* Berengarius Gems
* Fort
* Ganezzar Inn
* Healer

### NPCs

* Athanasius (starts: Miracle Worker; Don't Suffer A Witch To Live (Commercium) quest)
* Berengarius (progresses: Noblesse Oblige; Power To The People quest)
* Esdras
	+ Sells weapons
	+ (progresses: The Rightful Owner quest)
* Gaius Laevinus (progresses: The Map quest)
* Lord Darganus (progresses: Noblesse Oblige; Power To The People quest)
* Alchemist of "Blessed Herbs & Remedies"
* Baazar trader of "Marius' General Store"
* Blacksmith
* Clerk
* Legionary
	+ If player is the champion of the Maadoran Arena, talking to him will unlock Ganezzar Fort Arena
* Medicus
* Nobleman
* Ingots Trader, sells
	+ Blue Steel (5 lbs)
	+ Steel (10 lbs)
	+ Can be 'persuaded' to give up his Blue Steel ingots with sufficient civil skills

### Quests

* Don't Suffer A Witch To Live (Commercium)
* Noblesse Oblige
* The Rightful Owner

### NPCs

* Brother Marcus
* Faelan
* Meru
* Varro

### Quests

* Don't Suffer A Witch To Live (Boatmen of Styx)
* It Ain't The Roads We Take...

## Alchemy reagents

* Cassava root - 4 (along The Solemn Road towards Main Gate)
* Cassava root - 4 (foot of stairs towards Main Gate)
* Fennah berries - 2 (behind Brontia and to the right of the Temple)
* Kadura leaves - 6
* Avatera sprouts -
* Blood mushroom -
* Emoryl root -

## Gallery

* The view of the city
* Ganezzar map
Antidas

**Lord Antidas** is the head of House Daratan and resides in Teron Palace.

Lord Antidas is the current and most likely the last Lord of House Daratan. It was prophesied that he would be the leader to restore Daratan to its original glory, and unwavering in his faith in the prophecy, Antidas undertook many daring attacks against Daratan's enemies. Unfortunately for both Antidas and his House, the prophecy failed to live up to its end of the bargain with disastrous consequences for House Daratan. With the loss of a fort and two entire legions, Antidas' domain was reduced to a crumbling town and a small regiment of guards, while the prospects of glory slowly faded away.

## Background

### Prophecy

Antidas' father had requested a reading when Antidas was born. His star-gazer had foretold that Antidas would be the one to bring glory to House Daratan and make it rise again. Man lived under the shadow of the prophecy all his life. He tried to follow the path set by his ancestors, but his time hadn't come yet and fate punished him for his arrogance. Feng told him that he needed powerful artefacts to secure a victory.

### Testimonials

"Antidas is a lord and like the rest of them he lives in his own world, far removed from reality. Great lords are aware of it and surround themselves with capable generals and administrators, heeding their counsel. Lesser lords believe in their own superiority and tend to dismiss opinions of others. Like Antidas."

 on **Antidas**

"Gaelius has all the makings of a great lord. Unfortunately, he's too clever for his own good and that makes him more dangerous than **Antidas** and Meru combined.
"Antidas wants a larger piece of the pie. Gaelius wants it all and unless we find a way to stop him, he'll get there eventually. As for Meru, he's just an idiot."

 on Gaelius

## Quests

Quests involving Antidas:

* The Map - checkpoint
* Galbo's Ring - endpoint
* A Matter Of Proof - checkpoint
* Serving A Notice - checkpoint
* Breaking The Siege - checkpoint

Quests involving Antidas for Praetor background:

* Vignette (Praetor) - checkpoint
* The New Loremaster - checkpoint
* The Art Of Receiving Visitors - checkpoint
* Out Into The Open - checkpoint
* The Birthplace Of The Gods (House Daratan) - endpoint
* The Enemy Of My Enemy - endpoint
A New Broom Sweeps Clean

**A New Broom Sweeps Clean** is a quest in Maadoran.

## Lore

Talk to Serenas' advisors or Legatus Pavola and get them on board.

## Rewards

* 35 SP
* House Daratan reputation +5
* House Aurelian reputation -20
* Imperial Guards reputation -5
* Prestige +1

## Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Lorenza
2. Talk to Pavola
3. Talk to Strabos
4. Talk to Serenas

## Detailed Walkthrough

1. Talk to Lorenza
	1. If you killed Senna for her in previous quest, she will consider your request
	2. Convince her
		* Persuasion:[5], "So, let him fight and be defeated."
		* Persuasion+Streetwise=[10], "Levir has his eyes and ears everywhere..."
		* Streetwise+Charisma=[13], "Gaelius and Senna are dead. Why stop halfway?"
	3. Convince her (continued)
		* Persuasion:[6], "Sooner or later he will be."
		* Streetwise:[5], "Then you will blame it on Serenas and Pavola and make peace with him."
2. Talk to Pavola
	1. Convince him
		* Streetwise:[3], "Look at you. A Legatus of the Imperial Guards taking orders from women and merchants."
		* Persuasion:[4], "Serenas isn’t going to stay a puppet forever."
	2. Convince him (continued)
		* Streetwise:[4], "Start a war? Don’t tell me that you let them convince you that the Imperial Guards can't handle some thugs."
			+ Streetwise:[5]+Charisma:[6] or Streetwise:[4]+Charisma:[8], "Then prove it. This is your chance to show..."
		* Persuasion:[5], "I was told that the Imperial Guards were charged with keeping order in the city..."
			+ Persuasion+Streetwise=[8], "You – a Legatus of the Imperial Guards..."
3. Talk to Strabos
	1. If you helped him become a lord in previous quest, he will consider your request
	2. Persuasion+Streetwise=[9], "Here is the thing. Serenas, the man who gave you your title..."
		* (If Senna is dead) Streetwise=[3], "I would. He had Senna killed. You’ve got him all wrong."
			+ Streetwise:[4], "I killed him myself. I delivered him a message from his Lordship earlier today."
		* Persuasion:[5], "Serenas is a figurehead, Pavola is a figurehead..."
4. Talk to Serenas
	* Tell him that his plan was approved (you only need approval from one of the advisors)
		+ You are expelled from Maadoran
	* Tell him that the attack on The Slums is a bad idea
		+ House Aurelian reputation -2, this quest is cancelled
Large Module

**Large Module** - It's a large glass tube filled with glowing energy.

## Gameplay

* Can power up The Slums' well portal to get to the Monastery Interior Chamber. *(You can get it back when returning so that it is not wasted in the process.)*
* Powers the Sky Minaret portal. *(Once you leave with the Large module, you'll not be able to return.)*

## Where to find

* Can be obtained by a check of Streetwise:[7] when meeting Tiresias at Maadoran Merchants Plaza.
* Can be found by disassembling the portal activation lamp at the Sky Minaret via Inferiae.
Amaranthus Extract

**Amaranthus Extract** is a modifier alchemy reagent.

A rare extract of amaranthus: the unfading flower. While you've seen scrolls describing the extraction technique, the process is extremely complicated and requires arcane devices you've never heard of, so quite possibly, this is the only extract in existence.

* Weight: 0.1 lb
* Value: 1000 g

## Gameplay

* Part of The Elixir quest
* Can be found in Monastery

## Use

* Regeneration potion - Cassava root + **Amaranthus Extract**

This recipe requires 7 Alchemy and you will need 6 Lockpick to open the crate.
Elias

*Elias* is one of the NPCs in The Age of Decadence.

He is involved in The Crossroads quest.

## Lore

A cartwright by trade. A believer in the Gods.

Elias's initial troubles started when the zealots asked him for donations, daily, in increasing amounts.

His real troubles began when he complained to the guards. He sold his shop and managed to get his family out.

The [PC] walked in when the zealots caught up to him.

### How to find him

He is located in the building next to the red haired mercenary, near the entrance of the city. Go up the ladders on the building next to him and enter the room just to find him being attacked by three zealots.

### Expiry period

He will not be available after the conclusion of Breaking The Siege.

### Choices

Saving him results in the Noblesse Oblige quest by him telling you to talk to Lord Darganus. Letting him get killed results in the 'counterpart' quest Power To The People.
It Ain't The Roads We Take...

**It Ain't The Roads We Take...** is one of the quests for those who join the Boatmen of Styx.

## Rewards

* 500 imperials
* 25 SP

### Siding with Hamza

* + 5 Boatmen of Styx reputation
* + 5 House Aurelian reputation
* - 5 House Crassus reputation
* + 1 Loyalty

### Siding with Varro

* - 10 Boatmen of Styx reputation
* - 10 House Aurelian reputation
* + 10 House Crassus reputation
* + 1 Combat reputation
* - 2 Loyalty

## Quick Walkthrough

1. Investigate the Boatmen's Guild building
2. Talk with Hamza
3. Take Hamza to the Castle

## Detailed Walkthrough

1. Investigate the Boatmen's Guild building
2. Talk with Hamza
	* If you killed Darista, you will fight Hamza and two assassins without any choice
	* Decide what to do
		+ Take him to the castle
		+ Critical Strike, Kill Hamza then deal with his men
			- [10]+Dexterity:[10], Success - You fight against two assassins
			- [9], Partial Success - You fight against wounded Hamza and two assassins
			- Failure - You fight Hamza and two assassins
		+ Dexterity+Critical Strike, Kill the sidekicks first, then deal with Hamza.
			- [18]+Dodge:[8], Success - You fight against Hamza
			- [18]+Dodge<[8], Partial Success - You fight against Hamza but you lose 20 HP
		+ "Truth to be told, Hamza, I'm working for Meru now. You're trespassing, but I'm going to let you walk. For old times' sake"
			- You fight Hamza and two assassins but gain +1 Word of Honor
3. Take Hamza to the Castle
	* Side with Hamza
		+ You and two assassins fight against Varro and four guards
	* Side with Varro
		+ Go after Hamza
			- Dodge:[10] or Block:[10] - You fight wounded Hamza
			- Dodge<[7] or Block<[7] - you lose 15 HP and fight wounded Hamza
			- Dodge<[7] or Block<[7] - you lose 25 HP and fight wounded Hamza
Gaelius

**Lord Gaelius** is the head of House Aurelian and resides in Maadoran Palace.

Lord Gaelius, named after his glorious ancestor, is the 27th Lord of House Aurelian. The glorious ancestor had enough foresight to pull his legions out when the Empire started crumbling and take several eastern cities, establishing a new dominion. This foresight was never properly appreciated by other Houses, and House Aurelian had to spend considerable resources to keep its enemies at bay. When Gaelius took the reins, the House no longer had enough troops to fight aggressive wars on several fronts, which left him with only one weapon - diplomacy. In two decades Gaelius restored the weakened balance of power by masterfully playing his enemies against each other, preventing them from combining their efforts to topple his House.

## Testimonials

"The realm needs a king," states Antidas firmly. "Had **Gaelius** been a worthy leader, I would have bent my knee and served him as faithfully as my House had served the Empire, but he isn't. He doesn't care about our past, our glory. He doesn't want to rebuild. He simply wants to rule these ruins, sitting on them like a squatter."

 on his motives

"Gaelius has all the makings of a great lord. Unfortunately, he's too clever for his own good and that makes him more dangerous than Antidas and Meru combined.
"Antidas wants a larger piece of the pie. Gaelius wants it all and unless we find a way to stop him, he'll get there eventually. As for Meru, he's just an idiot."

 on **Gaelius**

## Quests

* Darius' Tomb
* Fetching An Army
* The Tower Of Zamedi
* Ganezzar (House Aurelian)
* Taking Ganezzar
Liquid Fire

**Liquid Fire** is a potion that can be created using the Alchemy skill.

* Weap. Class: Throwing (One-handed)
* Can be placed in a belt slot
* Range: 5 tiles
* Creates fire in the area for a couple of turns. The enemies will not step on it, so it can be used to creater barriers.

*I'm assuming it last 3 turns.*

## Types of Liquid Fires

 Liquid Fire (Strong)
 Liquid Fire (Burning)
Goldenberry

**Goldenberry** is a modifier alchemy reagent.

Small, yellow berries growing densely along the branches of Goldenberry shrubs. Highly nutritious, the berries have a reputation of a cure-all, at least when it comes to respiratory and digestive disorders. The oil extracted from the berries can fortify healing properties of other plants.

## Use

* Restorative Liniment - Cassava root + **Goldenberry**
Leather Ordu Armor

Redirect to:

* Armors#Leather Ordu Armor
*Leather Ordu Armor* - leather armor of the Ordu warriors, worn with a silk undershirt. While the Empire emphasized brute force and heavy defence, the Ordu favored swiftness, and discovered new ways to reinforce leather without losing mobility.

Statistics: DR 3, Max AP 11, Dodge penalty 8%, Sneak penalty 8%, Protection vs Critical 35
Hector

**Hector** - You see a main in his fifties standing at the street corner. He has a deep-line face, slightly bulging blue eyes, and an easy confidence, which seems out of place in Lowtown.

"The blessings of the Gods be upon you", "he says in a raspy voice when you approach.

## Quests

* Power To The People (report to him)
* Noblesse Oblige (progresses quest)

## Location

He can be found near the bottom of the stairs leading to the Temple District from Lowtown.
Darius

**Darius** was a figure in World Lore. He was best known for leading an assault on Ganezzar two hundred years ago.

## Lore

"It's an ancient helmet, reputedly one of great power. Self-proclaimed Lord **Darius**, a famous warlord who lived two hundred years ago, was given the helm as a tribute. After donning it, he'd swiftly risen to prominence and won every battle he fought - or so the legends claim. He built a large army and eventually laid siege to Ganezzar. They say that he was quite mad at the point, frequently speaking to himself and giving strange orders*."*

 on The Helm of Destiny and **Darius**

"House Crassus paid the Boatmen a fortune and they did what no army could. Lord **Darius** died in horrible convulsions, foaming at the mouth, the siege was broken, and the helmet disappeared.

 on The Helm of Destiny and **Darius**

"Maybe, but by all accounts he was fairly mediocre until he put on that helmet. Now, I too believe that there is a reasonable and simple explanation, but I'm not the type of man to leave such things to chance. If the helmet played any role in **Darius**' success, I want it found and put away for good."

 on The Helm of Destiny and **Darius**

"So they say. He argued with himself, had sudden fits of rage, and often spoke words that nobody could understand. Sometimes he wouldn't recognize his own men, but maybe that's the price he paid for his brilliance on the battlefield."

 on **Darius**

## Testimonial(s)

"**Darius**... he had much promise," says a voice in your head. The voice rings like a bell in the back of your mind, each word sending painful vibrations throughout your body.
"He was strong and eager, yet even with an army at his back he failed to enter Ganezzar. Failed to reach this chamber. Failed to serve me." The strident voice is in fact your own, your aching jaw opening and closing as your mouth channels the thoughts of the outside entity.
There is a warrior standing in front of an army. Despite having never seen him before, you know who he is, and you feel his eagerness to serve you. His desire to take Ganezzar radiates from him, need that is driving him mad. Then he is lying dead in his tent, fires burning unchecked nearby, his army broken and scattered. You are enraged at the man. He has failed you.
The voice returns. "You are weak," it says, "feebleminded, alone. Yet here you are."

 on **Darius**

## Quest

Darius' Tomb (Quest)

1. ↑ Part 14: It's a Maad world (spoilers)
Grooved Sphere

**Grooved Sphere** - A small, metal sphere with grooves running around it.

## Gameplay

* Can be stolen from Gracius by Thief with Steal:[3] in Thief Starter Quest
* Can be taken from Gracius by Loremaster with Lore:[3] in Loremaster Starter Quest
* Can be found in Gracius's hands if you have Perception:[7] in Assassin Starter Quest, Thief Starter Quest, Drifter Starter Quest, Mercenary Starter Quest
* Can be found in Harran's Pass on the corpse of Bass if player sides with House Aurelian.
* Can be used in Library of Saross to get Surgical Kit. See the Godhood Ending.

## Notes

Grooved Sphere cannot be obtained as a Praetor, Grifter and a Merchant (unless player joins House Aurelian later)
Belgutai

**Belgutai** is one of the lords of the Ordu.

Belgutai was of that hot-blooded age when a man has all the answers and is convinced that any problem can't be solved with a liberal application of strength and bravery. This, in his mind, was the Warrior's Way. Doubts were for old men and womenfolk, and Belgutai hadn't become the best swordsman of the Ordu by doubting himself, by doubting the Ordu way of life.

## Testimonials

"Talk," scoffs the khan. "That's all you city dwellers do. You should let good steel do the talking for you... But you're here and steel isn't. Talk to **Belgutai**. He is one of my commanders. A lord of a thousand warriors. A year ago he would have drunk my piss to prove his loyalty, but today he thinks he can oppose me."

 on **Belgutai**

"Why? Because he doesn't know better. **Belgutai** is young. The warrior's way is the only way he knows. He believes only in his sword and sees no further than its tip. He thinks that the sky-father is testing us, that if we stay on the plains and survive, we will grow stronger and will be able to defeat our enemies. He isn't alone in his thoughts.
"That's why we haven't moved yet. I don't want to risk an open confrontation. Many people will side with him, if he chooses to oppose me. They call him Bolad reborn."

 on **Belgutai**

## Gameplay

### Quest Files

NPC\_Belgutai\_01.xml, Quest\_HA\_Pass\_Belgutai.xml
Block

**Block** is a combat skill, as well as a combat mechanic.

It increases overall Defense. Its passive ability is a chance to negate all damage. If the attacker's blow lands, a shield's DR is added to targeted zone (Helmet for Head; Armor for Overall).

*See:* THC, Dodge

## Lore

While the uninformed generally think of blocking as simply putting a shield between you and an attacker's weapon, true masters of the art know that blocking is all about deflecting a strike, angling your shield so that your foe's weapon slides away harmlessly, possibly leaving them off-balance and open to a counter attack. Each attack can be countered either by block or by dodge, never both at the same time. Therefore, most warriors choose to concentrate on one of these defensive skills.

## Mechanics

### Adding to Defense

* Base: Block gets a base of 25; Dodge gets 0.
* The governing attribute is Strength.
* It's assumed that when a shield's DR fall to 0, blocking is no longer possible *(need verification)*.

### Perfect Block

* Perfect blocks prevent all damage, including ADC (Armor Denting Chance) checks.
* Non-Perfect blocks might incur DR damage on shields.

## References

1. ↑ Eyestabber's in-depth guide to DR/AoD mechanics
2. ↑ Need some lines - any help?
Aemolas Village

**Aemolas Village** is one of the places in *The Age of Decadence*.

## Loot

* Wolf Head Raider
	+ Buckler, Steel Handar, Iron Auxiliary Armor, Wolf Helmet.
* 2-Handed Axe Raider
	+ Iron Shadhavar, Iron Auxiliary Armor, Iron Auxiliary Helmet.
* Spiked Club Raider
	+ Buckler, Iron Spiked Club, Iron Auxiliary Armor, Iron Auxiliary Helmet.
* 2-Handed Sword Raider
	+ Iron Scimitar, Phyrgian Armor, Traveller's Cape, Iron Attic Helmet.
* 2-Handed Spear Raiders
	+ 1. Iron Dori, Studded Barbari Armor (Brown), Simple Cape, Heavy Barbari Helmet (Black).
	+ 2. Iron Krokspar, Iron Manica, Iron Phyrgian Helmet.
* Bow Raider
	+ Shortbow, Leather Ordu Armor (Brown), Bronze Jambia, 5 Iron Regular Missile.

## Harvestable herbs

* 1x Kadura Leaves Alchemy:[2] (back of settlement)
* 2x Avatera Sprouts Alchemy:[3] (right of settlement)
* 2x Blood Mushroom Alchemy:[3] (near the wooden gates)

## Gallery

* Aemolas Village Map
* Aemolas Village
Inn Trader (Teron)

Inn Trader (Teron) is located outside Teron's inn - The Last Meal

## Interactions

You can con him for 100 imperials with Charisma+Streetwise=[14]; rewards 3 civil SP
You can alternatively steal his purse containing 125 imperials with Steal=[4]; rewards 1 civil SP

## Wares

* 2x Black Powder Bomb (L4)
* 2x Liquid Fire (L3)
* 1x Loremaster's garments (cream colored)
* 1x Hood
* 1x Leather Ordu Armor
* 1x Leather Armor
* 1x Auxiliary Helmet (Bronze)
* 1x Legionnaire Helmet (Bronze)
* 1x Auxiliary Armor (Bronze)
* 1x Lorica Segmentata (Bronze)
* 20x Pilum (Bronze)
* 20x Karda (Bronze)
* 50x Regular Missile (Bronze)
* 1x Bolas
* 2x Net
Hardness

**Hardness** is an attribute of weapons and armors.

* Weapon's hardness increases its chance to damage the enemy's armor. Armor's hardness helps your armor resist damage.
* Damaged armor will have reduced DR (damage resistance). Damaged armor can be repaired via Crafting or Blacksmith.
* Each "better" metal increases hardness by 10 points. There are also crafting techniques to improve hardness.
* Chance for weapons to damage armors is governed by ADC (Armor Denting Chance).

*See:* DR, ADC

## References

1. ↑ Weapon Hardness? - May 2015
2. ↑ What is Hardness? - Jun 2015
House Aurelian

In the days of Empire, House Aurelian's forces maintained order in the colonies, far away from the bloody battlefields of the Great War. Returning to the rubble and chaos with fresh men and a clear, cold vision, Lord Gaelius I, first of his line, moved swiftly to take control of every town and fort with any strategic value. Today House Aurelian rules Maadoran, the largest city, making every effort to ensure their legacy will be a long one. As the most powerful faction, their prestige is naturally resented by the lesser Houses.

## Quests

### Maadoran

* Darius' Tomb (Quest)
* Fetching An Army
* The Tower Of Zamedi

### Ganezzar

* Ganezzar (House Aurelian)
* Taking Ganezzar

## Background

### Testimonials

"Because it was our city once. We opened the gates to **House Aurelian** and this is how they repaid us!" Lorenza says with sudden anger, as if these centuries old events were still alive in her memory.
"Am I supposed to forget then? Bow to the usurpers with the rest of the rabble? My House ruled this city when **House Aurelian** was nothing but a provincial lordling with an entourage."

 on her motivations

"What do you want me to do about it now? Hand over Maadoran? Bend my knee to Antidas? It's ancient history now."
"House Calani was too weak to hold the city. If it didn't fall to **us**, it would have fallen to the next strong House. House Calani was given Maadoran by the Emperor. It was a gift. A reward for faithful service. They've never had the strength to rule over it. They governed the city in the Emperor’s name, relying on the Imperial army. They lacked the strength to hold it on their own."

 on his motivations

## Members

* Gaelius I: Ancestor who seized Maadoran and other strategic settlements
* Gaelius: 27th and current Lord of Aurelian
* Serenas: Nephew of Gaelius
Iron Tower Studio

**Iron Tower Studio** - a small, independent studio formed in 2005. Animator Ivan was the one who came up with the name .

*The Age of Decadence* was made by a team of six :

* Programmer - Nick Skolozdra
* Animator - Ivan Soloviov
* Artist/Designer - Oscar Velzi
* Writer/Designer - Vince D. Weller (pseudonym)
* 2D artist - Mazin :
* Composer - Ryan Eston

Around 2006, the team had four people: programmer; artist; animator; writer .

## Links

* Iron Tower Studio Official Page
* Iron Tower Studio Official Facebook Fanpage
* Iron Tower Studio on Twitter

## References

1. ↑ Ivan Soloviov (our animator) has passed away , Sep 06 2019
2. ↑ Interview by Chris Picone, Aug 03 2017
3. ↑ AoD development update, Jun 11 2014
4. ↑ The Age of Decadence: exclusive interview @Vince D. Weller, Jul 05 2011
Loremaster's Garments

Loremaster's Garments - The traditional Ashkaanian kaftan, worn with a sash, is designed for the desert expeditions so popular with loremasters. It shields the wearer from the sun during the day and warms him during the bitter desert nights.

## Stats

* DR 1,
* Armor hardness 5
* Max AP 12,
* Armor penalty 5,
* Sneak penalty 5,
* vs CS 15
* Weight 3.0 lb
* Value 5 g

## Uses

* Vignette (Grifter)
* The Aurelian Outpost
Character Creation

There are several choices you have when creating a new character in *The Age of Decadence*.

These choices will affect the flow and direction of the your gameplay.

1. Name, Gender, and Background. This determines what everyone will call you, what gender specific clothing you can equip(there is a little bit), and what starting quest, reputation, and inventory you get.

2. This is your Reputation with all of the main factions in the game. It varies depending on your starting Background.

3. Your characters appearance throughout the game. Be young, old, tattoo covered or hairless. You decide.

4. Your Statistics give certain bonuses or detriments depending on the number. They determine your skill totals, check passes and failures, and can be moved around to suit your personal play-style. Aside from the Grifter background, the points are pre-set to what the each backgrounds story will generally feel like.

5. Your attack and defense numbers, balanced out by your main combat skills, and a general idea of how effective you will be in a combat situation.

6. Your Combat Skills, placing points in these allow you to use a variety of weaponry with different effects, and avoid damage through dodging or blocking. Invest in combat skills to live through scenarios other characters would find impossible.

7. Your Civil Skills, placing points in these allow you to make your way through life by a variety of means. Be it through common thievery, a silver tongue, skills of creation or knowledge of old, not everyone has to learn to swing a sword.
Hit points

**Hit Points (HP)** - determine how much damage a character can soak up before dying. You're dead if it reaches 0 or less. (HP = CON x 5 + 10)

Please note that once determined during the character creation phase, your character's HP will not be increased - unlike many other RPGs, there are no character progression levels and the HP value is static throughout the game. Consider your decisions carefully.

## Situations where you lose HP permanently

*Warning: Content beyond this point contains spoilers.*

* Outpost - Pass a check to enter the mine Perception:[8] or Traps:[3]. If you fail, you lose 20 HP and permanently lose 2 maximum HP
* Abyss - gather your resolve and push on Constitution + Strength= [14], with at least 6 points in each stat, but you will lose 5 HP permanently
* Imperial Power Armor - Ra: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Health Regeneration in combat (-5 HP permanently + for activation Lore:[8] needed)
* Regeneration potion - Lowers max HP by [x] point(s) - See entry
* The Raiders - If you fail in your attempt to kill the leader with a dagger, the raiders will knock you down and kick you. By avoiding the blows your dodge will increase by 5 points, but your Max HP is lowered by 2 points.
* A Friend In Need - [Dexterity][Streetwise] Play a game of chance. Attempt to cheat. Failure leads to Mercato attacking you. -2 Max HP.
Don't Suffer A Witch To Live (Commercium)

**Don't Suffer A Witch To Live** is one of the quests for the Commercium.

## Lore

Athanasius wants Faelan killed. Talk to Varro about it.

## Rewards

* 250 imperials
* 5 Skill Points

## Quick Walktrough

1. Talk to Varro
2. Convince Varro
3. Go back to Athanasius

## Detailed Walktrough

1. Talk to Varro
2. Convince Varro
	* Intelligence:[7]+Streetwise:[5] "In other words..."
		+ Intelligence:[8] "Unless, of course, he did have something to do with it."
			- Persuasion+Streetwise=[15] "Tell him that as the brand new Inquisitor..."
	* Streetwise:[6] "Well, take your time."
		+ Persuasion+Streetwise=[14] "What would you do if you were in his place?"
			- Word of Honor:[3] "We'll back you up."
				* Failure: Persuasion+Trading=[14] "You should."
3. Go back to Athanasius
	* If you failed to convince Varro, you can offer to kill Faelan yourself (see Don't Suffer A Witch To Live (Boatmen of Styx) for walkthrough how to defeat him)
Bar-Hathor

**Bar-Hathor the Flamewalker** was one of the High Lords involved in The Great War. He could make fire flow like water.

## Lore

In truth, Bar-Hathor was one among seven beings who was called upon to the realm of men. He chose to side with the Empire.

During The Great War, a soldier named Hassatur became a vessel of his manifestation in the realm of men. His vessel was seriously injured twice during the war, though not before bringing down one Qantari legion. He was then taken to the sacred chamber of Mountain Monastery and put into a huge tank that sustained his life. He did not get the chance to be reawakened during the war, however, and remained in the chamber beyond the Titan's Gate, locked for eternity.

It appeared that sometime later, the tank failed to sustain his body, and what remained within the tank was eyeballs and some sort of figures that resemble a face.

### Historical Records

* Selection of Hassatur (Diary)
* Treatment of Bar-Hathor (Recording)
Darius' Tomb

**Darius' Tomb** is one of the locations in the Empire. It remained hidden since Darius's death two hundred years ago.

## Lore

"As the story goes, Darius' men buried their lord where his rest wouldn't be disturbed. Since all attempts to find his tomb have failed, his men definitely succeeded in their task."

 on **Darius' Tomb**

## Intel

An old tomb south-east of Maadoran, too far from any town, but close enough to the road to Ganezzar. It's been a raiders' den for years. Every now and then the city clear them out, but they always come back.

"My loremaster has dug out an interesting document - the will of one of Darius' officers. He lists his property, divides it amongst his children and retainers, and assigns different tasks, asking his children to look after the very tomb I'm sending you to."

 on **Darius' Tomb**

## References

1. ↑ Part 14: It's a Maad world (spoilers)
Iola

**Iola** - Daughter of Levir's loremaster.

She is knowledgeable and can help the [PC]:

* Identify the Mysterious Reliquary
* Unlock the location of Zamedi

## Background

Iola is young and gained her knowledge from her father, hearing him talk all about the Healing Machine.

She grew up in the slums and is unfazed by deaths. She currently values coin above all else.

## Quest(s)

* Healing Machine (Quest)
* The Magic Jar? (needs confirmation)
Darista

**Darista** - is the guildmaster of Maadoran's assassins.

It is rumored that Darista, the guildmaster of Maadoran's assasins, was once beautiful and even shared Gaelius' bed once or twice. Nowadays, her beauty is well hidden behind several scars, a broken nose, and a mercenary tattoo on her cheek - marks of various campaigns she fought in. Darista isn't the first female guildmaster, but she is the first to make assassinations, a \*preferred\* choice for solving disputes and conflicts. As a result, business in the Maadoran's guild is booming, with the number of satisfied customers growing daily.

## Background

Darista was originally a mercenary, having served in many military campaigns for a total of eight years. She joined first the Red Cloaks, a band well-known for the numbers but also the low quality of its men. During one of the fights, she was almost killed by Kemnebi. Later she joined the Shieldwall and after its dissolution, she signed up to join Jellal's Lions for the Siege of Asmara. After the siege finally ended, she fled the fighting when her weakened company was attacked by other mercenary bands.

## Quests

* Antidas' Hoard
* The Black Widow
* The Black Sheep
Hamza

**Hamza** is a senior member of the Maadoran Boatmen of Styx.

Old Hamza was a man of few words. He never had much use for them in his line of work. You get a job, you get it done, you get paid. If you do a good job, there will be more jobs. What's there to talk about? Hamza joined the Boatmen when he was fourteen, when things were simple. These days everything was changing too fast and it didn't sit well with him. The Boatmen never bowed down to nobody and that was a good thing. Made Hamza proud. These days... These days, the business was good, but the guild was practically eating out of Gaelius' hand and Hamza wasn't sure he liked where things were going.

## Background

"My uncle brought me in when I turned fourteen, figuring that I was old enough to 'work'. I've been here ever since."

 on his background

"It was a different time. The guildmaster did raise an eyebrow, then looked at me and said, "Taking lives is an honorable job for honorable men. Are you an honorable man, young **Hamza**?" I was scared that he would turn me down, so I nodded, hoping for the best, and that was it.
"I killed my first man a week later. Stabbed him at least ten times and watched him bleed to death. I remember standing there, covered in blood, still in shock, looking at the dying, pleading trader and thinking that it didn't feel very honorable. Thought that maybe I did it wrong."

 on his background

### Testimonials

"You don't need to have people in your pocket to be able to pull their strings. **Hamza** is loyal. He's a straight edge, as you people say. Fortunately for me, he's more loyal to some misplaced ideals than to Darista. Don't worry, he'll make a fine guildmaster."

 on **Hamza**

## Location

* Maadoran Merchants Plaza district - Assassins Guild

## Training

Check: Boatmen of Styx Reputation:[10], completing Antidas' Hoard quest

All Combat Skills Training +1 and 20 combat skill points worth of training, allocated in the following order:

1. Critical Strike
2. Combat skill points

Each skill will not increase by more than 1 level and no more than 20 points worth of training. If all skill(s) are sufficiently high, the [PC] will simply get combat skill points. Any leftover points will also go to combat skill points.

If your Critical Strike skill is at least 7, you will gain +10 Critical Strike skill training instead

code: rwd\_training(Hamza)

## Gameplay

### Game Files

NPC\_Hamza\_01.xml, Quest\_AG4\_01.xml, Quest\_AG4\_04.xml, Quest\_AG9\_01.xml, Quest\_IG4\_01.xml, Quest\_MG5\_01.xml
Armors

## Armor Statistics

* Damage Resistance (DR) - how many points of damage from each attack this armor absorbs. For example, if DR is 6, then the first 6 points of damage per attack will be absorbed by the armor without any harm to your character. Note that damage reported in the info window is the amount of damage taken, after the amount absorbed by the armor has been subtracted, which is also reported.
* Hardness - your armor can be damaged during attacks. Hardness measures its ability to resist such damage.
* Max AP - the maximum amount of action points per turn. If Max AP is 8, then even if you have 12AP, while you're wearing this armor your effective AP each round is 8.
* Versus critical (vsCritical) - protection against Critical Strikes (attacks that target weak armor spots and vital organs).
* Armor Penalty to (Dodge & Block Defense) - your armor reduces your mobility, so choose the right armor wisely and don't assume that bigger armor is better for all characters.
* Sneak Penalty - currently has no effect.

## Sortable Tables

After click on the first column of choice for sorting, you may press shift+click for a secondary sort.

* ID - this is the code to be used with **dlgAddItem(x,#)**, see: Console Commands#Item IDs.
* Material - this is the minimum crafting component required. Metal Armors can be crafted with a superior metal if the crafting level is sufficient and the material is available. Each "higher" metal increases the damage range or damage resistance by 1. So, whereas a bronze gladius does 2-9 points of damage, an iron gladius does 3-10, steel 4-11, and so on.

## References

1. ↑ Sneak Penalty?
2. ↑ Help:Sorting
Cassius

**Cassius** is a loremaster who was invited to Teron by Lord Antidas.

## Lore

Forty-two year old loremaster Cassius, contemptuously called 'young Cassius' by his gray haired colleagues, has never understood the appeal of digging through dirt and ruins like a rat. Instead, he preferred to spend his time among neatly preserved scrolls, studying the work of many prominent loremasters of the antiquity and hundreds of accompanying commentaries he considered indispensable. Master Cassius was working on his second tractate, analyzing manifestations of the divine will in year 4052, when Antidas' emissaries invited him to Teron.

He wrote a tractate on the nature of the Q'antari allies.

## Location

* Teron Inn (start point)
* Teron Palace

## Quest

* Loremasters' Rivalry (start point)
* A Grain of Truth

## Drops

* Loremaster's garments
* Iron Sefet
* Iron 1 lbs.
* Bronze 2 lbs.
* 23 Gold
Jellyfish Artefact

## Lore

A crystal semi-sphere, encased in a metal dome. Thin metal rods of varying lengths protrude from the bottom, reminding you of a jellyfish. The crystal, despite its centuries buried under brick and stagnant water, glows with a pure, blue light.

## Location

* Can be found in Teron Tower Cellar with Perception:[6], and Crafting:[4]

### Usage

* Used in Old Facility

* It is used for activating the ship in the Old Facility.
Darius' Armor

**Darius' Armor** - Forged from the purest, thousand-fold blue steel, this armor was given to Darius as a tribute. Rumor has it that Darius had the armor enchanted and tempered in the blood of the last Magi. No weapon could touch him while he was wearing it, so the assassin that took his life had to wait until Darius removed it after a battle to deliver the lethal blow.

* DR 11
* Armor hardness 85
* Max AP 10
* Armor penalty 20
* Sneak penalty 3
* vs CS 80
* Weight 25.0 lb
* Value 750
Castle Ganezzar

*This article is a stub. You can help The Age of Decadence Wiki by expanding it.*

**Castle Ganezzar** is located in Ganezzar Skyport.

## Library

If you sided with Meru at the conclusion of Breaking The Siege, you can access the library if you have House Crassus Reputation: 17 (or less)
* receives knowledge about Portal Network and special permission to transmute matter
Caer-Tor

*This article is a stub. You can help The Age of Decadence Wiki by expanding it.*

**Caer-Tor** is one of the locations in *The Age of Decadence*.

## Lore

Caer-Tor is the current headquarters of the Imperial Guards, a fort capable of housing several legions and where the highest ranking officers of the Imperial Guards live. A hundred years ago it used to be a small village that suffered from attacks by raiders. They asked the Imperial Guards for help, but the Imperial Guards found the settlement to be in a good location and eventually settled their headquarters there. The original villagers were not happy, but could not oppose the Guards.
Levir

**Levir** is the guildmaster of the Forty Thieves in Maadoran.

Can be found in Maadoran The Temple district.

## Background

### Testimonial(s)

He runs the Forty Thieves; that tells you all you need to know. They say he was born here, so the Slums are his home. Obviously, he can afford to live anywhere he wants, but he stays here. Takes a rare kind of man to do that. I mean, let's face it, the grass \*is\* greener over there, but it means nothing to him.

 on **Levir**

Power, what else? Look what he's done with the guild. They were always a local power, but in my father's time they were staying in the shadows. Now, they rule it openly, the way Houses do. We live in interesting times, my friend, that's for sure.

 on **Levir**'s goals

I'm dying, [PC]. I've spent a fortune on alchemists, but they can't help me. I almost gave up all my hope, but a loremaster came to me and offered to cure me once and for all. She swears that this little jar has the cure. I trust her, but I wouldn't mind having another pair of eyes there.

 on why he wants to use the Healing Machine

## Quest(s)

1. The Magic Jar
2. Welcome To The Slums
3. Payback