There is a certain twist in the minds of some that cause them to be fascinated by things that others fear. Just as a young 'pyro-in-training' child is drawn to flame like a moth, just as someone may favour poisonous snakes as pets, so too are there people with a morbid obsession with death.

Death: The Pale Horse

Credits:

"Player Character Death and the Threshold of Acceptance" & the term "fantasts": Scott Fitz A.K.A. MoonHunter
Half-Demons guidelines: Jade "Aerlyn" Westcott
Birth Blessing Background: John "Elessar" Westcott
"For Jaq": Darren Ohl
Necromancy tradition & spells: Dave "Ceekay" Weber & Golgotha Kinslayer
"Burial Rites": j. bradley
Additional material: Golgotha Kinslayer
Editing: nameless ghoul

• MoonHunter is a guru and sage of gaming advice. He has posted well more than 1000 tips at www.OpenRoleplaying.org
• Jade Westcott is a natural roleplaying talent and the source of surprising character development and new ideas.
• John Westcott is a loremaster without peer—a veritable walking computer of Midian knowledge—he knows things about both world and system that even the designers don't.
• Darren Ohl is a talented poet with a thousand stories to tell. He is also the owner & publisher of Stray Cat Publishing.
• Ceekay is the biggest and most active Midianite: writer for the first supplement (Osterre), former host/admin of the forums, and the game's foremost fan.
• j. bradley is the host of Broken Speech Poetry Slam at Stardust Video & Coffee in Orlando, Florida, USA.

All game world information and system mechanics are considered Immersive Game World Content. All sections remain copyright of the respective owners. "Player Character Death and the Threshold of Acceptance" is copyright Scott Fitz. The Birth Blessing background is copyright John Westcott. "For Jaq" is copyright Darren Ohl. "Burial Rites" is copyright j. bradley. All other sections are Copywrong Lost Souls Publishing.

Quick Section Navigation:

"Hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurrere vitae"
        ——Sign on a coroner's office ("This is the place where death rejoices to teach those who live.")

Death—It Is an Inevitable Fact of Life.

Death in Midian often comes hard and fast. No player wants his or her character to die—at least, not without some meaning. It may be acceptable to nobly sacrifice yourself in order to save your village. It may be acceptable to die in the pursuit of a grand goal. It is always difficult to accept however, when you lose your life to a minor opponent's lucky strike, an accidental fall, or a poor choice of restaurants. No one wants to go out that way.

Many Game Masters may fudge the dice rolls to keep a character alive. This is reasonable, for a better story, but cannot be always relied upon. While a Game Master may not have a policy of always "letting the dice fall where they may," don't expect to be saved from your own voluntary stupidity. If even after a successful Common Sense check you still feel the need to endanger yourself, then you will have no one else to blame but yourself. Don't cry "foul, unfair, cheater." Death is merely a part of life.

Player Character Death and the Threshold of Acceptance

By: Scott Fitz A.K.A. MoonHunter

People are constantly getting in heated debates about player character death. Should the Game Master and the players be antagonistic with each other? Should the results lie like the dice? What about story continuity and the investment in time and effort into the characters? Everyone seems to have strong opinions about this.

I think what we are arguing about is the "threshold" of player character death and the reasons why the character died.

1. For many of us, characters have "script immunity" or are basically unkillable. Most of the time, the players can easily succeed against the challenges thrown against them. Even if they screw up, the Game Master will scramble around and try to save them.
2. Threshold is script immunity with exceptions. For many of us, characters must be "written out". A character's script immunity is revoked for the purpose of brining in a new character, that is "cool". There are times, we note that script immunity is off, letting the players know that in the climax… people can die.
3. For others, the threshold is "player stupidity". Sometimes, despite your best warning or advice, players pursue a course that is effectively suicidal. Thus they die if the dice determine it.
       3b. A variation on the above is the critical weirdness. Player characters only die under critical hits or their own fumbles. Rare enough to keep player characters alive, punctuating the game with death.
4. For others, the threshold is tactical interaction. Once the dice and game mechanics start flying, the character's life is up to the dice. Most challenges should be equal to the player characters, but most should be less, to ensure the continued survival of the players.
5. For others, the player characters are the adversaries. You are the Game Master and they are competing against you. Characters die with regular frequency, as both sides have a duel of wits and dice for tactical advantages. The Threshold is tactical interaction, but the situation at the table is more like HackMaster and the two sides are against each other.
6. For others, player characters are fodder for your godlike might. The Threshold is stepping into the situation. Munchkin Game Masters at their worst, or the occasional Game Master with self-image issues.

This forms a continuum from 1 to 6. Everyone is pretty much somewhere in-between the death threshold 1 to 6. Every level, except the most extreme rank 1s, allow for player character injury and abuse. (It is fair game to knock 'um down to "mostly hurt").

What I think is happening here is that we gamers are not agreeing upon what is an acceptable threshold for player character death. Each of us has our own take.

For example, I am a 2.5; player characters mostly have plot immunity, except at key times (climax of story arcs… they usually know when the kid gloves are off) and when they do something sooo stupid that I cannot conveniently save them (from themselves). [Editor's note: Kinslayer claims to be a "3.9" on this scale, but Midian was designed to work equally well for all levels, especially levels two through five.]

When you are getting into one of these arguments, or someone rattles on, find out about their threshold, and what they think is acceptable. This way you will not be arguing apples and cumquats.

"Live briefly but gloriously, One's evanescent life is but a preparation for death. The fall of the blossom is as moving as its beauty on the limb and the final moment, as ceremonialized in the ritual of seppuku, is indeed the moment of truth"
        ——Jack Seward, "Hara-Kiri"

The Ultimate Cause of Death

Before we begin our in-depth discussions of death, let us first explore its ultimate cause: life.

Interesting familial tidbits:

• The ratio of male to female Dwarves is 2:1. One might think that Dwarven men would want to keep Dwarven women sequestered within their mountain strongholds, especially as the Dwarves—as a species—are still recovering numerically from their enslavement in the Olde Empire. One might think that… but one should never voice such an opinion anywhere near a Dwarven woman for fear of "accidental dismemberment."
• Killian are born in clutches. These number from one to four typically, but clutches of up to twenty have been reported. Most of these eggs are nonviable and fail to hatch, or die within the first few weeks. Despite the Killian devotion to family, they are less concerned with these losses than the other races of Midian; such is the nature of life and death within the Empire. Female Killian may lay their eggs about once every 3½ years.
• Hobgoblins raise their children communally. They see the responsibilities of childcare as far too important for only one person. In practice this usually results in one or more in the tribe with full-time child rearing duties; the other Hobgoblins do greatly help support and educate their young, however. This practice evolved from the communal education of Goblin children; but as immortal fae, Goblin villages have far fewer children.
• The Humans of the Heldannic Confederation traditionally delineate their stages of life. Newborns are equated as pregnancies until 10 days after birth—that is, a baby isn't a "real person" until their naming ceremony after one week. The Heldanns also have an adulthood ceremony at 14 years of age; this marks their entry into society with full rights and responsibilities as an adult. This latter tradition is also shared by the Heldannic Dwarves. Both of these occasions are celebrated with family, neighbors, and friends (usually the same pool of people, among the freeholds). Followers of the Church of Light in Formour have a similar naming ceremony one week (10 days) after birth, but in this instance the children are already named—the ritual names them "before the Light."

"If man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."
        ——Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Racial Matters

Before we cover Changelings and other matters relating to one's birth, let us delve further into the matter of one's race. While the term "race" in a roleplaying game, such as Midian, typically means "species," that is an unfamiliar concept to the common folk. While a loremaster may understand that the Ghoul and Dwarf couple—while they may love each other dearly—will never have children, but to their neighbours, they are not very different than the Goth & Fourmourian couple who live next door and are "blessed" with seven children. Occasionally you might hear the word "Human" used outside of academic circles to mean the collective of the Bizzannite, Fourmourian, Gothic, and Heldannic people, especially from a non-Human. Along the same lines, you might hear Trolls referred to collectively rather than the separate groupings of Black, Cave, Ice, Rock, or Mountain, but you rarely hear a Troll use the term collectively—to her there is just as great a difference between Cave Trolls and Ice Trolls as there is between Humans and Elves. This is essentially a social concern, for game mechanics, only the differences in species are typically used, as the differences between Heldanns and Bizzannites, for example, are largely social or purely cosmetic. Further complicating the issue, especially with Humans, is that racial and national lines are often blurred. That is, a Formourian may be racially Formourian, or may be a citizen whose ancestry was Gothic or Dwarven. In other words, someone in our world who is French may be from France—regardless of ancestry, descended from the Frankish tribe who settled there, or both. Likewise, a Bizzannite may be from the Empire of Byzant, or of Bizzannite stock; it is worth noting that those with Bizzannite ancestry are not the clear majority in the Empire, as Formourian Humans are in that land. Similarly, a citizen of the Killian Empire may be referred to as a "Killian" even if that person is a Gaijin, or even a Troll. Of course, since the Killian people are synonymous with the Killian Empire (hence the clever name), they perhaps only be called by their 'racial' name, even in their homeland—it gets quite annoying when a native-born Killian Troll is repeatedly asked "where are you from" by her Killian neighbours.

Changelings

The term "Changeling" typically refers to someone of mixed Human and Fae blood, as they are the second most common, however there are many different types of hybrids possible given the number of sentient species of Midian whose genetic make-up allows them to cross-breed. The term does not include those whose distant ancestry included different species—anything further removed than a grandparent—nor does it include the most common variety: the child of an Orck and Ogre; these are simply called Half-Orcks. Additionally, a child raised by a species other than his or her own is called a Changeling. This stems from an early, racist, belief that Changelings are not the result of mixed relationships—ranging from "not biologically possible" to "my daughter wouldn't"—and were rather the result of the other parent's species stealing babies and placing one of their own in the child's place. There are other, less polite, terms used to describe all Changelings: bastard, cross-born, daddy's lil' squirt, half-breed, impure, lil' bastard, Milkman's, mixed-birth, mongrel, mutt, not-mine, spilled seed, stolen, war baby, weak-blood, and whore's child.

A perusal of the Backgrounds chapter reveals several options for characters of mixed ancestry. While this is not unusual for multiple options within a species, i.e. both Formourian & Gothic, it does cause one to wonder about the ancestors of a character with both Fae blood and Trollblood, for example. Note that the chances for interfertility are extraordinarily low. In other words, an Elf crossed with a Dwarf usually does not result in any children for the couple. The -blooded Backgrounds are almost always the result of a distant ancestor rather than a recent hybridization.

With any given two parents of differing species, there is at most a one-in-one-thousand chance that they can produce offspring. Roll three D10's, if all three roll zeros, then there is a chance for a successful pairing. Note that this is still dependent upon other factors for pregnancy; this triple-zero roll merely indicates that these two are close enough for the possibility to even exist. Thus the actual number of genetic Changelings is low—most people never encounter one in their lifetimes—with the vast majority of folk with a "-blooded" background being multiple generations away from that original pairing. The prevalence of such hereditary backgrounds is evidence of dominant genes that are more likely to be passed along to the Changeling's descendants. Further complicating factors is the likelihood that the child will be sterile (see specific notes below), or that additional complications, even miscarriage, will arise due to differences in physiology between mother and child—for example, half-Human children of an Elven mother are born quite large (although smaller than a completely Human child), enough so that the mother may not survive delivery, potentially dooming both mother and child. Gestation times are typically what would be normal for the mother. Even when the two parents are of the same species, there is a less than one percent chance of successful pregnancy—and this assumes optimal factors such as: high sperm count, time of the month (or even time of the day, by some accounts), health & diet of both parents, age, and frequency of intercourse (reducing sperm count to an eventual point of diminishing returns for a couple who is trying to have a child). However, some research places the likelihood as high as 50% for young women while at their most fertile.

There is also the issue of infant mortality. This ranges from 2% on up to 100% in some instances, such as recent happenings in northern Formour, Heldannic lands, and the Farreaches with the great famine there—worldwide infant mortality rates hover at about 2-20% typically. In addition, not all pregnancies result in birth. There are unfortunate miscarriages and stillbirths, where the baby never even gets to draw a first breath. Some women choose to not carry a pregnancy to term, and there are herbal treatments featuring a fair degree of success with minimal side-effects. The acceptability of this practice differs with culture and with the woman's own personal beliefs. In the Kingdom of Formour and their western neighbours in the Elven Homeland, there is no legal distinction between a child that is still either inside the mother or outside—there abortion is murder. The Killian Empire allows fully retroactive abortions well beyond hatching. In other words, as long as you live under my roof, I can abort your sorry ass… so clean up your room. Among the Heldanns, a woman's body is legally her own, to do with as she wishes. There, she needs not have any fear for any legal complications from terminating a pregnancy—medical complications are a different story. In the Byzant Empire and the Elder Kingdoms, abortion laws are handled locally. These vary from complete legality to complete prohibition, and everywhere in between. Some Bizzannite provinces may restrict the types of abortion methods, and other laws may restrict the time (first or second trimesters, for example), or the circumstances of the pregnancy and abortion. Abortions are largely unknown among the nations of Osterre. The most readily available methods are surgical, but the success rates—and survival rates of the mother—are often rather poor. Certain herbal and chemical methods are safer, but may be more expensive or otherwise more difficult to acquire. These are also much more effective earlier in the pregnancy, with the required dosages increasing, and the success rate decreasing, as the gestation progresses. As many of these herbal remedies are essentially poisons, this method is not without its complications either.

There are medical (and mystical) attempts to prevent pregnancy, and other attempts to encourage it (birth control versus fertility drugs), but thus far these seem to have limited successes in either field. These can range from temporary chemical sterilisation of either potential parent, to devices (we'll let you add your own jokes about a "ring of protection" that needs to be unrolled before use), to more dubious methods such as a superstitious belief that you can't get pregnant if you have sex while standing (or while wearing shoes, or with a buttercup or tulip in your pocket, or if it's your first time, or if you stand on your head afterwards…).

With all of these odds stacked against them from the very start, it is a testament to the courage and spirit of the Changelings that they are able to grow up and have children of their own. Please note that although these numbers show the rareness of pregnancy from a single sex-act, especially with members of different species, this is far from being a measure of safety; that is, you can become a parent even after just one time.

• Gaijin and MetaHumans are Homo sapiens; any interbreeding will be handled accordingly. These two sub-types are the product of recessive genes. This means that there is a one-in-four chance of a normal Human and a Gaijin or MetaHuman to produce an offspring of the non-normal parent. In the rare incident of a MetaHuman-Gaijin mating, there is a one-in-four chance of a resulting child being of either sub-type, and a one-half (or two-in-four) chance of a normal Human baby.
• Interbreeding among the sub-species of the Killian follows these two rules: a Ra-Killian child only results from two Ra-Killian parents, and Hi-Killian will always breed true. This means that a Bushi-Killian and a Ra-Killian will have Bushi-Killian children; a Bushi-Killian and a Hi-Killian will have Hi-Killian offspring—as will a Ra-Killian and a Hi-Killian. In this caste-based society however, these pairings are very rare. Killian are not interfertile with other species.
• Trolls can (and sometimes will) fuck nearly anything. Other than the Killian—who are genetically incompatible with any other species—an offspring of a Troll and any other species is either (about 75% chance) a normal Troll… as normal as Trolls can be, or a normal member of the other parent's species, often with the Trollblood Background. The loose genetics of Trolls allow them to hybridize with other species far more regularly than other interspecies matings. That same wide variance will typically mean that the child will be considered a Troll.
• Alas poor Dwarf; while Humans and Dwarves can interbreed, the resulting offspring are invariably Human. Dwarves combined with any of the Fae races (Elf, Hobgoblin, etc.), assuming fertilization does occur, are usually stillborn.
• The races in Osterre have not had much contact with their western neighbors. Ogres & Orcks can interbreed, resulting in Half-Orcks. Firps, in spite of their amphibian nature, do have members with mixed ancestry. The resulting children are always quite large in size, and are always Firps. They have not had enough contact with other species for these hybrid Firps to interbreed beyond one generation. Other combinations have not often occurred, but evidence suggests that Humans cannot breed with Ogres.
• The Fae: Elves, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Kobolds, Pixies, can interbreed freely with one another. The resulting offspring can favour either parent. That is, an Elf-Goblin mix will result in either an Elf or a Goblin child, with equal probability for either. A notable exception is that Goblin-Hobgoblin matings always produce Hobgoblin children. The close genetic ties—or perhaps the magical nature—of the Fae eliminate the usual interfertility problems of other species. When crossbreeding with other races, mortality is very strongly dominant. That is, a child with an Elf and a Hobgoblin parent may be an Elf in all respects, save for the Hobgoblin's life expectancy instead of the Elf's immortality.

Additional notes to the below guidelines are that the races of Norditerre/Suditerre do not commonly encounter the races of Osterre or the island nations, unless one travels to the distant shore. Humans and Trolls are an exception to this, as both of these species suffer wanderlust to some extent, and are found in numbers on all three continents.

Dwarf with:
Elf or other Fae: 50/50 chance that the child will be either a normal Dwarf or normal Elf. There seems that a disproportionately large number of these offspring will be either Dwarven boys or Elven girls, rather than the alternatives. Unfortunately, most of the offspring—if occurring at all—are stillborn.
Firp: None noted. This would result in a sterile Firp. Interestingly, the child would be far larger than both parents.
Ghoul: No surviving offspring noted; all are either miscarriages or stillborn.
Human: Normal Human always results. Some Dwarven elders fear that this may lead to the further decline of their race.
Killian: Not possible.
Ogre: Dwarven mind in an Ogre's body, this rare child will suffer perhaps even greater misunderstanding than most Changelings. This particular mix is rare for the logistics of the height difference if nothing else. Social and physical attributes are rolled as an Ogre, with the mental and miscellaneous attributes of a Dwarf—none of the Dwarven characteristics apply. All are sterile.
Orck: The Dwarven parent contributes the height, hair, and Willpower. All other traits are inherited from the Orckish parent. The child is considered an Orckish Runt (automatic trait); Dwarves typically do not recognize him or her as having any Dwarven blood at all.
Troll: 75% chance that the offspring is a normal Troll, although there is a greater (doubled) likelihood that the child will be of the smaller variety, otherwise the resulting offspring is a Dwarf with the Trollblood background. "Blooded" backgrounds for a Dwarf are almost always passed down from a Trollish ancestor, even if the Trollblood background is no longer found in the bloodline.

Elf or other Fae with:
Dwarf: 50/50 chance that the child will be either a normal Dwarf or normal Elf. There seems that a disproportionately large number of these offspring will be either Dwarven boys or Elven girls, rather than the alternative. Unfortunately, most of the offspring—if occurring at all—are stillborn.
Firp: None noted. The results would be a large, sterile Firp with the Fae Blood background.
Ghoul: The rare unfortunate offspring will be considered quite unattractive by members of both parents' species, appearing much as an emaciated "corpse-like" Elf save with the rounded ears and dark eyes of the Ghoulish parent. Roll attributes as an Elf, except for a 1D6 Appearance (applicable to both parents' species & counts as the worst of the two for other species). Use the Ghoul racial traits. The child is mortal.
Human: See the half-Fae section for details
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Ogre: None noted. Similarities between Ogres & Orcks would seem to indicate that a similar outcome would occur as detailed below.
Orck: Only one Elf-Orck offspring has ever been noted, the mage-priest Kandor. He was said to bear the worst traits of both parents: slow, aggressive, frail. He was reportedly bald and pale complected, with Orckish features except for the Elven eyes and ears. He was also reportedly sterile, but this may just be a demonizing effect of history. Kandor was slain in a farmers' uprising three centuries past, and is now largely a cautionary tale among the Orcks to take care of their own—rather than "stick with your own kind," the lesson is, "take care of other Orcks… or else."
Troll: 75% chance of a normal Troll resulting, otherwise a normal Elf. In either case, the child will have both the Fae Blood and Trollblood backgrounds.
Other Fae: The resulting children will favour one parent or the other. That is, an Elf-Goblin mix will be either a normal Elf or normal Goblin, with equal odds of either.

Firp with:
Dwarf: None noted. This would result in a sterile Firp. Interestingly, the child would be far larger than either parent.
Elf or other Fae: None noted. The results would be a large, sterile Firp with the Fae Blood background.
Ghoul: None noted. One twisted wizard attempted in vitro fertilization of the two, with no results.
Human: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp. The variety of different species' genomes found amongst Humanity allows for a wide variety of possible "-blood" backgrounds.
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Ogre: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp.
Orck: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp.
Troll: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp with the Trollblooded background.
Mutant Firp with non-mutant Firp: While there is a very strong social taboo on both sides against this, the offspring of a mutant and non-mutant would grow up as a normal Firp, provided he or she develops in a protected urban pool rather than out in the cursed portions of the swamp. Otherwise, a mutant Firp child results.

Ghoul with:
Dwarf: No surviving offspring noted; all are either miscarriages or stillborn.
Elf: The rare unfortunate offspring will be considered quite unattractive by members of both parents' species, appearing much as an emaciated "corpse-like" Elf save with the rounded ears and dark eyes of the Ghoulish parent. Roll attributes as an Elf, except for a 1D6 Appearance (applicable to both parents' species & counts as the worst of the two for other species). Use the Ghoul racial traits. The child is mortal.
Firp: None noted. One twisted wizard attempted in vitro fertilization of the two, with no results.
Human: The offspring is called a Humgol (hUm' gOl), and appears to be an attractive Human. He or she smells and tastes like a Ghoul to Trolls & Ghouls, even if raised as a Human in diet and habitat. Appearance is rolled at 3D6+3 (applicable to both parents' species & counts as the better of the two on the Comparative Appearance chart) and Strength at 3D6, with all other attributes and racial traits as a Ghoul, save for the hibernation ability, which they lack. Most Humgols are sterile.
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Ogre: The resulting children are all stillborn.
Orck: The resulting children are all stillborn.
Troll: 75% chance of a normal Troll being born, otherwise the child is a normal Ghoul.

Human with:
Dwarf: Normal Human always results. Some Dwarven elders fear that this may lead to the further decline of their race.
Elf or other Fae: See the half-Fae section for details
Firp: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp. The variety of different species' genomes found amongst Humanity allows for a wide variety of possible "-blood" backgrounds.
Ghoul: The offspring is called a Humgol (hUm' gOl), and appears to be an attractive Human. He or she smells and tastes like a Ghoul to Trolls & Ghouls, even if raised as a Human in diet and habitat. Appearance is rolled at 3D6+3 (applicable to both parents' species & counts as the better of the two on the Comparative Appearance chart) and Strength at 3D6, with all other attributes and racial traits as a Ghoul, save for the hibernation ability, which they lack. Most Humgols are sterile.
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Ogre: None noted (although attempted more than once). These two species do not seem to be able to mate.
Orck: Stupid ugly puppies. The aggression of both species synergizes into an unholy union. Roll as an Orck, but with a -2 to Appearance and Knowledge, and uses the worst possible category on the Comparative Appearance chart. The only saving grace that these unfortunate children have is the long legs of the Human parent (+1 speed), and the hybrid vigor grants them 2D4 points to place towards the saving throws of their choice. Very few of these survive childhood.
Troll: 75% chance that the child is a normal Troll; otherwise he or she will be a normal Human with the Trollblooded background. A large number of the resulting Trolls have the species trait Somewhat Human-looking.
Other Human: All races of Humanity are fully compatible and miscible with one another. The offspring is an even blend of the two parents, with darker colouration tending towards dominance. Gaijin and MetaHuman genetics are recessive, so the offspring has only a one-in-four chance of inheriting the modified genes. Only rarely will the offspring of two Humans of different ancestries be referred to as a Changeling.

Killian with:
Any other species: No cross-fertility possible.
Bushi-Killian with:
        Hi-Killian: Always a Hi-Killian
        Ra-Killian: Always a Bushi-Killian
Hi-Killian with:
        Bushi-Killian: Always a Hi-Killian
        Ra-Killian: Always a Hi-Killian
Ra-Killian with:
        Bushi-Killian: Always a Bushi-Killian
        Hi-Killian: Always a Hi-Killian

Ogre with:
Dwarf: Dwarven mind in an Ogre's body, this rare child will suffer perhaps even greater misunderstanding than most Changelings. This particular mix is rare for the logistics of the height difference if nothing else. Social and physical attributes are rolled as an Ogre, with the mental and miscellaneous attributes of a Dwarf—none of the Dwarven characteristics apply. All are sterile.
Elf or other Fae: None noted. Similarities between Ogres & Orcks would seem to indicate that a similar outcome would occur as with Elf-Orck pairings.
Firp: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp.
Ghoul: The resulting children are all stillborn.
Human: None noted (although attempted more than once). These two species do not seem to be able to mate.
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Orck: The resulting child is a Half-Orck, as detailed in the Osterre supplement by Ceekay.
Troll: 75% chance of a normal Troll being born, but many confess they cannot tell one from another anyway.
Half-Orck: The child of a Half-Orck and a full-blooded Ogre is either a Half-Orck or a normal Ogre, with even odds for either, but who would want to screw a Half-Orck?

Orck with:
Dwarf: The Dwarven parent contributes the height, hair, and Willpower. All other traits are inherited from the Orckish parent. The child is considered an Orckish Runt (automatic trait); Dwarves typically do not recognize him or her as having any Dwarven blood at all.
Elf or other Fae: Only one Elf-Orck offspring has ever been noted, the mage-priest Kandor. He was said to bear the worst traits of both parents: slow, aggressive, frail. He was reportedly bald and pale complected, with Orckish features except for the Elven eyes and ears. He was also reportedly sterile, but this may just be a demonizing effect of history. Kandor was slain in a farmers' uprising three centuries past, and is now largely a cautionary tale among the Orcks to take care of their own—rather than "stick with your own kind," the lesson is, "take care of other Orcks… or else."
Firp: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp.
Ghoul: The resulting children are all stillborn.
Human: Stupid ugly puppies. The aggression of both species synergizes into an unholy union. Roll as an Orck, but with a -2 to Appearance and Knowledge, and uses the worst possible category of either parent on the Comparative Appearance chart. The only saving grace that these unfortunate children have is the long legs of the Human parent (+1 speed), and the hybrid vigor grants them 2D4 points to place towards the saving throws of their choice. Very few of these survive childhood.
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Ogre: The resulting child is a Half-Orck, as detailed in the Osterre supplement by Ceekay.
Troll: 75% chance of a normal Troll being born, but all such crossbreedings have been sterile.
Half-Orck: The child of two Half-Orcks is a Half-Orck. The child of a Half-Orck and a full-blooded Orck is a normal Orck, but who would want to screw a Half-Orck? There are no additional problems for Half-Orck fertility, and further cross-species matings would be as for full-blooded Orcks.

Troll with:
Dwarf: 75% chance that the offspring is a normal Troll, although there is a greater (doubled) likelihood that the child will be of the smaller variety, otherwise the resulting offspring is a Dwarf with the Trollblood background. "Blooded" backgrounds for a Dwarf are almost always passed down from a Trollish ancestor, even if the Trollblood background is no longer found in the bloodline.
Elf or other Fae: 75% chance of a normal Troll resulting, otherwise a normal Elf (or whatever other type of Fae). In either case, the child will have both the Fae Blood and Trollblood backgrounds.
Firp: The resulting offspring is a large sterile Firp with the Trollblooded background.
Ghoul: 75% chance of a normal Troll being born, otherwise the child is a normal Ghoul with the Trollblooded background.
Human: 75% chance that the child is a normal Troll; otherwise he or she will be a normal Human with the Trollblooded background. A large number of the resulting Trolls have the trait Somewhat Human-looking.
Killian: No cross-fertility possible.
Ogre: 75% chance of a normal Troll being born, but many confess they cannot tell one from another anyway.
Orck: 75% chance of a normal Troll being born, but all such crossbreedings have been sterile.
Other Trolls: All Troll races are fully compatible and miscible with each other, much like the child of two ethnically different humans. The offspring is a blend of both parents, and has even odds of inheriting the racial background of either parent, or both backgrounds. The child of two racially different Trolls is usually treated normally—much like a Human with different ancestries—and only rarely suffers any additional prejudice.

When You Grow Up

To determine the gender of the child in most instances, flip a coin. Dwarves & Elves are an exception here; two-thirds of Dwarves are male, and 60% of Elves are female. Other races have a 50/50 split between the sexes. Roll attributes and other game mechanics as noted above.

Doin' the Nasty

For those interested in the other aspects of sex—whether more prurient or simply mechanical—such information is available, but is beyond the nature of this book. Only one such answer will be available here: How do you tell a male Killian from a female? You lift them up.

Half-Fae

Half-Fae are a sad lot indeed. Those that are half Human and half Fae are most commonly called Changelings—a term that can refer to both crossbreeds and to those raised by another culture than one's parents. They are generally referred to as half-Fae only by their Human and Fae kin. Humans because they consider their own type to be the default "norm," and by Fae as they are only "half of a real person." A recently popular slur among other species against half-Fae is "49%-Elves," even for those with an other-than-Elven Fae parent. Among the Heldanns, half-Fae are called "Grogochs." These Changelings are often the worst combination of both their parents, with features that are mixed quite oddly. Sparse tufts of course Formourian facial hair may be scattered randomly across an Elf's chin. A large Goblin ear may frame one side of a misshapen Heldannic-like face. Useless Pixie wings jut painfully from a Goth's back. A collection of Hobgoblin teeth may protrude from a mouth that cannot accommodate them. Whatever bizarre combination nature may see fit to curse these poor souls with seems to be the norm for them. Half of all half-Fae are sterile, and all are mortal. While these unfortunates are the second most common variety of Changeling, they are still rather rare (especially those with an Elven parent, as they have only recently returned to the broader world), and the modern incidence of Faeblooded Humans is almost exclusively the result of half-Fae centuries dead. Half-Fae have one-half the Appearance of the lowest-rated parent, and count as the least favourable possible of either parent on the Comparative Appearance chart. Other attributes are as the lowest-rated parent. No positive traits or bonuses are inherited from either parent.

Quarterlings

As in half-half-Fae, these are the result of a half-Fae paired with a full-blooded member of either of the Quarterling's grandparents' species. No Quarterling is sterile—genetic compatibility is evidenced by their existence—but does not have enhanced fertility with regard to the odd grandparent's species. They are even rarer than half-Fae, but not as misfortunate. They may select two favourable traits or attributes (two total, not two each from each parent), with all other attributes and traits as their half-Fae parent (i.e. lowest attributes and no other favourable traits).

Half-Demons

Guidelines by: Jade "Aerlyn" Westcott

Also commonly called Alu, Cambion, Lilin, or Shedim, these are the result of a Demonic pairing. Demons do not seem to suffer any problems with fertility; it seems that if they want to sire a child, then they may easily do so. However, the nature of Demons being what they are, the resulting child is an otherwise normal member of the non-Demonic parent's species, and invariably has the Demonic Blooded background. Some loremasters believe that Demons are not actually capable of having children, but instead employ some subtle subterfuge. It is postulated that they either transport ejected gametes from one person to another, in a transformative incubus/succubus method, or perhaps instead they somehow trick the living being's body into spontaneously generating a new life alone.

One's Demonic heritage leaves its marks on one's body and mind. One aspect of the child will be greatly enhanced, while another is diminished. For example, a Half-Demon might be physically powerful, but horribly disfigured, while another may be a mental giant, but physically ravaged. Many, but not all, Half-Demons demonstrate their Unholy parentage with physical traits. These can be nearly anything imaginable: horns, tail, red skin, claws, scales, odd eyes, a cloven hoof, but most are quite subtile. Some Half-Demons only manifest physical changes when their emotions run high, e.g. one whose eyes glow yellow when he's angry.

For other non-native beings (Extrinsics) and other entities, the Game Master's discretion is used. As a general guideline, entities of major or greater status may possibly combine with physical beings, and entities of minor status may but infrequently crossbreed with physical beings (minor Demons can, minor Elementals cannot). Lesser entities may only do so under special circumstances, such as with a spell specifically designed to allow such. As greater entities, Dragons can cross freely with fully-physical beings, but have done so only in legends—such mythical children being completely normal—if attractive, clever, and healthy, but normal. In all of the cases known to loremasters, only one elemental has ever been crossed with a mortal (an Effreet—a major fire Elemental—with a Bizzannite Human). There are dozens of cases of Demonic pregnancies, perhaps far more than the actual number. But no other reliable cases of extrinsic entities (known commonly as "fantasts" in Suditerre and "outlanders" in Norditerre) combined with any physical being have been uncovered. As most Extrinsics—being from another plane of existance—are quite inherently different than native species, it is highly unlikely that any could (or would) begat progeny from any native Midianite. An important factor for the Game Master to consider is why these powerful creatures would want to create a physical progeny—Demons may possibly do so simply to sow discord, but no Dragon or Elemental would ever desire to do so. Bear in mind that no spiritual being thinks remotely similar to a Human, and that "so my character would be powerful and cool" isn't at all an adequate reason.

"Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome."
        ——Isaac Asimov

Ghouls

"Please, come in, come in. Mind that coffin. Would you like some tea?"

The race of Ghouls is often counted among the ranks of Undead. This is not so; they are a unique people unlike and unrelated to any other. The Ghouls are a species of carnivorous troglodytes. Their natural form is a grey to pinkish skinned creature, completely hairless, with sharp, pointed teeth designed for tearing tender, rotted flesh and a long, dextrous tongue for licking marrow from bones. Ghouls have poor vision and are extremely light sensitive. This allows them to see in the dimmest of lights—far better than a cat even—but restricts their daylight activity unless well protected, i.e. indoors with a hooded cloak. The feminine form of "Ghoul" is "Ghoula."

Ghouls are natural tunnelers, capable of burrowing through the soil with only their claws. Their exact life expectancy is unknown, as Ghouls do not measure their ages, but seems to be long naturally; this is offset by a high fatality rate due to disease brought about from cramped living conditions and a diet consisting primarily of Human meat and other carrion. Ghouls tend to stay in one area for centuries, mapping out a cave complex or digging a tunnel system through catacombs or under cemeteries.

Ghouls are quite susceptible to necromantic magic, lending credence to the false belief that they are a form of Undead.

Character Creation

Dice rolled to determine attributes:

Average ability scores: Appearance-9, Personality-8, Grace-7, Knowledge-9, Wits-9, Willpower-10, Agility-12, Stamina-13, Strength-13, Awareness-15, Speed-10, Common Sense-10.

Path sense: although 'path scents' is perhaps a more accurately descriptive, this ability allows Ghouls to find their way—even when tunneling—by instincts and sense of smell alone; they may retrace their route, find fresh graves, or estimate the distance to the surface or other tunnel

Hibernation: in order to survive times where food is scarce, Ghouls may enter into a deep sleep that may last for years. Their respiration and other bodily functions slow to a near stop. They appear dead, further leading to the belief that they are living corpses. They revive when disturbed, such as when someone digs a new grave overhead.

Necromantic susceptibility: -4 on saving throws against necromancy, and effects last twice as long

Ghouls have 1D6 hit points. Direct sunlight imposes a -3 penalty to all actions due to pain and loss of sight. Indirect sunlight, i.e. with a heavy hooded cloak, is only a -1 penalty.

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death."
        ——Anais Nin

Backgrounds

Birth Blessing Background by: John "Elessar" Westcott

The following new backgrounds (if such a phrase is valid) can be added to the "Player's Choice" list, if the Game Master so desires, or can be added to the character through experience. Many of these relate to childhood, family, and other aspects of growing-up, and can be added readily without harm to the campaign—in fact, such backgrounds are designed to add additional personality, history, and flavour to the character.

Alter Ego: At some point in your life, you pretended to be someone else. You were so successful in this task that everyone who lacked knowledge of you in your previous identity thought that you were in fact the alter ego. This can make it easier to hide your tracks, but it can be embarrassing when someone calls you the "wrong" name. It is up to you to decide if your alter ego was something that you used in your past, or if the alternate is still your current "self."

Anecdotes: While you may have not seen or done it all, you know someone who did. For any given situation you have a second- or third-hand story that is tangentially related. How well you recall this story, and how appropriate it may be, is based on the result of a Wits check. Whether or not the anecdote is actually helpful is another issue.

Bastard: This is the classical definition, i.e. illegitimacy. If you choose to act like a right bastard, that's your problem. This background typically means that your father never wed your mother, however it is possible that you had no mother instead, that your parents divorced/separated, or that one of your parents died. You are not eligible for anything that would be passed on through your father (or mother if she's the one missing in your life); in most nations this includes noble titles or land.

Battle Scars: You have cool scars to brag about over drinks. These are not inconvenient or painful. You have an interesting (if embellished) story to tell about how you earned the scars. Not everyone will have the same appreciation for your war-wounds, but warrior cultures rate them highly and Hobgoblins consider well-earned scars to be equal to sash-trophies. Elves and those that can regenerate are generally immune to scarring, and should determine another background.

Beloved Pet: Once you were bonded to a pet friend. Now you are more familiar with that animal type, and more knowledgeable as to its ways. Other animals of that type are more comfortable around you.

Birth Blessing: You were brought up believing that you were blessed by whatever religion you practice (or that your parents or guardians practiced). You are above the norm in at least one area. Note that this background does not increase any game mechanic, nor allow skills to go above the normal starting limits like Experienced or the Prodigy trait does. As a child you rationalized that the divine blessing was the reason you seemed to be skilled in one or more particular areas of expertise. This is something of a delusion rather than a fact. Even into late adulthood you would be thinking that you were better than others because you were blessed, possibly even affecting the way you act around others. A person with this as a background would likely be fanatical. This background also includes the Dedicated background, and is an additional option for Strong Religious Upbringing.

Body Mods: This refers to the cosmetic alterations that someone makes to turn their body into living art. This background does not refer to the more extreme modification measures of the MetaHumans. Your body mods could be tattoos, piercings, branding, scars, subdermal studs, filed teeth, acid-burnt areas, removed extremities, stitches, pierced organs, or any other form of modification that your sick little mind can conjure. You are limited only by your own desires, willingness, and expense. While those modifications selected initially have no out-of-pocket cost to the character (i.e. from starting funds), people that get tattoos, piercings, or other body art, can get addicted to having them added, and typically continue to get more throughout their lives.

Change of Pace: You have recently had a major change in your life. You could have changed occupation, address, or lifestyle. You might have gotten married or divorced. You may have just had a child, or lost your spouse. Even if the change is positive, it is still quite stressful—don't forget to take some time to relax.

Cultist: You are a member of one of the lesser religious faiths. Cults lack the numbers and public support of mainstream churches. Some cultists, notably some of the druids, proudly proclaim their faith; others must keep their affiliation secret.

Daddy's Little Squirt: You were the favored (or only) child. This is typically either the oldest: the responsible one, the one who inherits; or the youngest: the eternal baby of the family. While you may have younger siblings that look up to you—or older siblings who look after you from a feeling of responsibility—there is still a measure of resentment. That doesn't matter, because you are still the favourite.

Dedicated: You have been officially inducted into a religion or cult. This may have happened at an early age. There are many variations of this ritual. Followers of the Temple of Light sprinkle water from a rose onto the heads of newborn babies to "shower them in love from the Light"—they also have a follow-up ritual at adulthood where a censor is passed overhead to represent being "purified in the holy flame." Initiates in the Bhahi faith likewise use water in a baptismal ceremony, but use a full dunk in a river, and only to adults or children old enough to understand the significance—this follows a reading from scripture before the whole congregation. Followers of the Red God in the Heldannic Confederation have integrated their dedication and coming-of-age ceremonies into one grand occasion. Stryfe's minions have his 8-way arrow tattooed somewhere on their bodies, usually inconspicuously, but occasionally very public such as on the forehead—the pain is a test of commitment & loyalty. The various druidic cults typically borrow heavily from the "Celebration of New Life" ceremony as practiced in the Elven Homeland, but sometimes steal from other sources, e.g. replacing "Divine Light" with "Eternal Cycle" or "Great World-Mother" from the Temple of Light's baptismal. Other cultists' dedications range from the very minor (as in the Church of Hugh: "You in? OK, that's cool.") to the very intensive (such as the 12-day ceremony wherein Azat sends a Demon minion to mystically brand you). Unofficially, a child brought up in the Church of Hugh is "brought into the fold" when she receives her first "brain freezie" from eating vanilla ice cream too quickly.

Disturbed Upbringing: Parents lie to their children. Generally speaking, you learn the truth as you grow older, but not in this case. Either through ignorance of the truth, or oversight in correcting a youthful tale, you grew up thinking that one or more lies of your parents was factual. This could be a large, red, clawed being that sneaks into your house once each year. You might think that "Uncle" Mike really was helping your mother find something lost under the sheets. You may have been told that Shirley Temple and Shirley Temple-Black were the same person. It could be a mother who warns her daughter about a family curse that would strike "any day now"—said daughter worried for years until she finally discovers Mom really meant menstruation. It could be the story of the Fae who trades coins for teeth, or of the rabbit that lays strangely coloured eggs for the little Gentile boys & girls.

Dropout: You attempted to learn another career or way of life. You were unsuccessful. Loser. You still remember some of what you learned before giving it all up—select 1D6 skills from a class or skill suite as bonus skills. These all start at apprentice or level I, and cannot be increased through spending skill points.

Dull Life: You have lived up until now a very boring, average, and uninspiring life. When someone refers to a "typical" childhood in an "average" town, it is like they can read your mind. You have lived in the same spot, known the same people, and done the same things until the melancholy brought by your pathetic existence becomes unbearable.

Exposure: Your parents ensured that you had a well-rounded upbringing. You saw elements of various cultures, and met many interesting people. As a result, the actions of others from cultures alien to your own don't seem that odd to you.

Family Business: Your family runs some type of traditional business, and you helped out. You automatically know two or three free skills relevant to a given profession. See the section on skill suites in the Midian Codex for ideas. You do not necessarily have a stake in the business currently, but you may possibly stand to inherit at least some of it. People who know your family, or at least know of them from the business, are great sources of additional contacts.

Family Curse: Some evil curse haunts your family throughout its generations. The exact nature of the curse is between you and the Game Master, but it will be well known to you, and will be exceedingly difficult to lift.

Family Honour: The reputation and status of your family is great enough to cross the generations. You gain whatever statuses are deemed appropriate by your Game Master. One to three is reasonable. Your family name might possibly also have a separate reputation score.

Gained/Lost Weight: You have either gained or lost many pounds. Those that knew you before the drastic change may not recognise you. This can be good or bad. This background represents any extremes of the scales, e.g. from very fat to moderately trim, from overly thin to bulked-up, from morbid obesity to near-fatal anorexia, or from fit & attractive to "push it back in the water before it drowns."

Green Kangaroo: You are the middle child. You don't have the responsibility or possible inheritance of the oldest, nor will you have the attention and leeway that the youngest receives. You're stuck in the middle.

Hellion: You were a little monster. You made sure that whomever looked after you suffered for it. Did you not get enough attention, or did you receive too much? While you (hopefully) calmed down as an adult, your childhood exploits are still remembered where you grew up.

Illuminated: You have worked for the hidden masters-in-shadow. This gives you frightening insight into the way that the world really works. You are not the unwilling and unknowing pawn that everyone else is, even if you are not one of the mysterious puppetmasters pulling the world's strings. You could have been a secret agent of a government, a "notable ally" of the Phantoms, involved in some vile cult, or some other shadowy organisation that works behind the public view. Alternately, you could just be a paranoid lunatic who happens to be right, or someone who just woke up one morning and finally saw how the world works.

Kind & Loving Parents: Your parents were good folk. You wanted for little, if they had it to provide. This background allows you to reroll any negative backgrounds or traits that could have been overcome by parental guidance (reroll once only for each negative background or trait; good parenting sometimes isn't sufficient). In addition, you gain +1 to Grace, Knowledge, Stamina, and Common Sense.

Latchkey: Your parents or guardians were frequently away. They may have been gone for certain hours of the day, or they may have been out of town for days at a time. This lack of parental supervision allowed you to learn to do things on your own, perhaps sooner than your peers. Of course, growing up faster, or having the house to yourself, doesn't make up for their absence.

License: You have a required license of some sort. This could be a permit to carry weapons, license to ride a horse, right to crenelate, or an exemption from taxes. This is always based on some government's authority, and as such may be quite locally limited.

Loved and Lost: Where once you had someone special in your life, you now have only a ragged black hole in your soul. You believe in true love; you believe it to be a crock of shit.

Mentally Scarred: Something happened to you, something bad. It probably isn't on your list of favourite dinner topics; you might not even completely remember what happened. Whatever it was, it messed up your head in a very bad way. This background makes a good (read: lame) excuse for questionable behaviour.

Moonlighter: Some people are never satisfied with just one job. You are one of these. Select two or three additional skills that you picked up from your second job (or third, fourth, et cetera). Your extra workload also gives you one-and-a-half times your normal starting cash. In addition, you have the option of selecting the trait Chronic Insomnia. As a side note, you don't have much of a social life while working multiple jobs & trying to learn a trade.

Name Recognition: You have a famous-sounding name. This background is merely irritating if you share your first name with someone famous, but can be potentially useful (or harmful) if your family name is famous. So while you may or may not be related to the influential Roquefort textile family, you may be able to convince someone to loan you money if they think that you have some claim on the family business. Then again, you may have someone try and kidnap you just because they can't tell the difference between that wealthy merchant family and yours—the pig farming Rockforts. Most of the time, this background is just a nuisance: "Your name is Genevieve, like the Crown Princess?"

Not From Around Here: You have recently moved to this area from afar. This could be from a few towns over, or from another continent. If you are from a different culture, you do not automatically know all about the one you currently live amongst.

Odd Relationship: You are involved with someone outside of the norm for your subculture. This could be romantic involvement, a business relationship, or just close friends. Some examples: a Gothic musician hanging around with a perky sailor, a young noble lass who fancies the stableboy, a Dwarven thief and a Hobgoblin fence, or an Elf with anyone else. This person counts as a free Companion level contact.

Ordained: You are invested with the authority and faith of some church. This allows you to invoke any rites or ceremonies that you know, as your religion allows. You may also be entitled to be referred to by your title by members of your faith. You have gone through one or more investure rituals, and are a full member of the priesthood if you meet that church's other requirements. This also automatically includes the background Dedicated.

Overprotective Parents: Your parents wanted to keep you safe—to excess. You didn't have much exposure to the world, nor did you have many opportunities for rough & tumble play. It is possible that you may not have even had the chance to play with other children. The downside is that your lack of bruises & scars reduces your starting hit points by one, and since this background is common to families with one child (or one surviving child) you aren't likely to have siblings to assist you. The upside is that you double your normal starting money, and the lack of siblings means you get more pie.

Plague Survivor: You lived while all others around you suffered and died. You must select one disease that you have survived. Your body might still show any ravages that the plague left, but you are now immune to further infection by that disease.

Poor Parenting: Whether from lack of concern for the welfare of a certain "little mistake" or because they simply didn't know better, your parents showed poor skills when it came to your upbringing. The fact that you survived to adulthood, and out of prison or hospital, says wonders about your resilience and luck. If you desire, you may select an additional background or two that represent your miserable upbringing.

Primitive/Advanced: Technology does not travel to all parts of the world equally. You are accustomed to a culture that is either behind (still using bronze tools) or ahead (running water) of the rest of the world. It will take some adjusting for you to get used to cultures outside of your own, as they will seem either ahead or behind your own technologically. This background does provide some use, if your group encounters an area that is advanced or primitive. In this case you will either be more at home, or more accustomed to the technological differences, than your companions. As a player, note that technological advancement is not always the same as cultural advancement, although your character might not feel that way.

Refugee: Either to avoid war, famine, or political strife, your family moved to a neighboring land. Most refugees live together in camps or ghettoes. You are bilingual (if applicable) and know the cultures of both lands.

Sea Legs: You have spent time at sea. While you might not be an accomplished mariner, perhaps only a passenger, you still have spent sufficient time on a boat to be comfortable with the voyage. You do not suffer from seasickness, are familiar with the workings of a ship & its crew, and can accept the realities of long term trips—or even a life at sea.

Simple Life: This is all rather strange and new to you. Other than as indicated by your other Backgrounds, you have not been anywhere, met anyone, or seen anything at all curious or exciting. Note that it is quite possible to be well-travelled without seeing anything worthwhile, such as the tourist who never leaves his hotel room. The ways of other cultures seem quite bizarre. It may take some time & effort to become accustomed to realising that others may have ways, knowledge, and customs unfamiliar to you, and that what is quite ordinary or common knowledge to you may be novel & alien to them.

Thrifty: Your miserly, penny-pinching ways have paid off in a nice little chunk of change. You start out with double the usual amount of money.

Unusual Name: Your name is uncommon, at least to those around you. This may be a foreign name, the name of an old relative—such a name now falling into disuse, a variation on a more locally common name, a unique name invented by your parents, or one that simply isn't popular or common. The upside is that some people will always remember your name because it is out of the ordinary. The downside is that you are forever doomed to have people mispronounce your name. Most annoying of all is the endless barrage of forcefully parochial mindsets of those who bring the conversation to a crashing halt as they are unable to advance past, "no seriously, what's your real name?" Fuckers. This is a fairly common background for player-character types, especially for those graduating from MMORPG's.

Vow: You have taken a solemn oath. This could be a knight's vows, a vow to never marry, the oath of service that a Killian warrior makes to his master, a vow of pacifism, or a vow to avenge the death of your father. Any long-term vow of import may be used for this background.

Wanderer: You have been to many different places, and seen many interesting sights, by happenstance rather than design. Either you never stay put for long, or you just get lost easily, you have the habit of travelling about and seeing marvelous things. While you may have missed the typical tourist destinations, you have walked though the lesser pathways. Back alleys, quiet streams, restaurants where the locals eat, all of the wonderful things that won't be found in any guidebook are part of your adventures.

With the Band: You have travelled with minstrels. This gains you the Songs skill for free, even if you can't actually sing or play. You also gain a wide—if not too detailed—knowledge of the area.

"Cemetery, n. An isolated suburban spot where mourners match lies, poets write at a target and stone-cutters spell for a wager."
        ——Ambrose Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary

The Goths

Found crossing the boundaries of both Formour and Byzant, the Goths are usually known as a people or a race; neither of these is accurate, according to the Goths—they are a culture. More specifically, they are multiple cultures. To call them "a people" does a disservice to their culture, as they are a collection of individuals rather than having a collective voice. It is not entirely accurate to call them a race either, though the pale skin and eyes are common to the "typical" Goth of both the east- and westlands. However the eastlands Goths are far different culturally—as well as cosmetic differences with their blond hair colour—to their decadent westlands kin of Formour and Byzant. The inclusiveness of Gothic society allows those not born Goths to be full members of the Gothic culture. Ghouls, the occasional Elf, Humans of all varieties, even a few Trolls, are considered just as much of a valid, legitimate Goth by their peers as is someone born with the black hair & creepy-pale eyes. There are those with Gothic ancestry who do not embrace that portion of the local culture, preferring instead to wear bright colours or plain styles of the Byzant Empire of Kingdom of Formour, respectively. That peculiar aspect of their culture may be quite confusing to outsiders—how can the black haired, pale girl in the yellow sundress be a Goth, and how can the Ghoul in black lace be just as Gothic?

Goths are found almost exclusively in urban areas. Seeing a Goth working a farm is quite unusual as they are not a people disposed towards agriculture. Their pale skin is far more suited to the nightlife of large cities than to sweating under a hot sun, hoe in hand. Instead, they are artists and writers, scholars and students, servers and craftsmen. Industrial labour is the main business of most Gothic cities, but the preferred occupations are those involving personal creativity. Needless to say, there will be quite a few hungry poets and bitter iron smelters in the city of Mordant tonight.

The Gothlands are not a separate region, marked only by the higher proportions of Goths in the cities, and their distinctive architecture. Gothic cities are a wonderment to behold. Counted among them are some of the oldest cities in Formour, and some of the largest in northern Byzant. Towering ancient buildings, dark colours, gargoyles, flying buttresses, and narrow dark streets are common elements of Gothic cities. The artistry of Gothic architecture is unparalleled in all of Formour. Such is the sweeping beauty of the moonlight cascading down over the black walls, that most Goths are loathe to destroy an old building to make room—or to scavenge material—for new. Old buildings are said to have "charm" and this charm over the Goths may last well until the building is only a ruin. Until a building is completely falling down upon its inhabitants, it will be increasingly desirable as a habitation or place of business. There are elements borrowed from their respective non-Gothic neighbours by Gothic architects of both nations—the blocky stone arches, flat walls, and arching peaks of Formour may be found in Goth cities there, just as the delicate domes, subtle flourishes, and stately columns typical of Bizzannite construction may be found south of the Grim Sea. Far more buildings are left vacant in Gothic cities than what one would expect; the cities are far larger in area than what their population size would suggest.

The area populated by these night-walking city dwellers is a fortunate one. Most useful is the location along many trade routes. Goods and people pass through the Greatsea to the Grim Sea, while others cross the short distance across the waters between Byzant and Formour. The climate is mild; there is almost perpetual cloud cover, but little temperature variation between seasons. The area is rich in mineral resources: iron, coal, and other useful components of industry. A thick black smoke cloud covers many cities. It has been suggested that this is not only due to the weather or the factories, but instead due to the collective depressive morbidity and ennui of its inhabitants. Most of these inhabitants are not Goths; in fact the typical proportion of Goths of a supposedly "Gothic" city ranges from only 15% (Terra'sombra, Byzant) to about 50% (Mordant, Formour).

A typical night in Mordant has streets still rain-slicked from the early evening showers. Tall crowded buildings cut into the sky; many have been dark and lifeless for years. Black lace covers translucent pale skin as the inhabitants make their way to favoured meeting spots. Some gather in small knots inside dimly lit coffee shops, pressed closely together as though to keep even their very words from escaping to outsider ears. Others gather in large crowded dance halls, drinking & swaying to the music. Long shadows cast by the two moons mingle and interrupt each other's shapes, twisting the spires of a church into a horrid dark environment.

Some of the larger Gothic cities:
Formour: Altenstadt, Artisans, Citadel, Coalforge, Corint, Fallenoak, Mordant, Nimbus, Shadowfalls, Totenstadt
Byzant: Al'hazred, Al'stilte, Caliopolis, Crikitska, Dakwavi Gehennom, Terra'shadu, Terra'sombra, Teshwavi, Thebes

"In this world, is it the hallmark of the young to view life and death as transient?"
        ——Berserk

Continuing Characters

Long-term survival is always a chancy thing, especially in a dark fantasy game. A number of factors may come into play that may affect this. Most notably, a character may not live to a ripe old age if he or she is slain in battle or just sleeps with the wrong prostitute. Additionally, a campaign may end prematurely because the players' troupe separates for whatever reason, or just moves on to other campaigns. However, there is certainly a possibility that a character may live and be active in play for a long time. Some of the salient factors regarding a character's long-term play are detailed below. An additional technique for long-term game play involves supplementary characters (secondary characters and legacy characters) and will be addressed later.

Aging

This is something of a reverse to character growth and experience—a similar method is employed. Rather than petition the Game Master to increase skills, attributes, backgrounds, traits, and other character elements, you must instead justify why they should not be lowered due to disuse or the slow and steady decline of aging. The Game Master should consider the age and general health of a character—older characters or ones leading harder lives may find it harder to keep attributes, et al. in peak form. Likewise a character's expected longevity is also an important consideration—an immortal Elf will suffer neither senility nor cancer, but a Hobgoblin in her 50th year must indeed worry about such possible impairments to her fighting strength. Of course, immortality is not a guarantee against the effects of time; a Pixie who no longer exercises will still begin to lose her breath more easily, and may see a decline in attributes from disuse. An additional factor for a Game Master to consider is the length of time since a character last used a particular skill or ability, and how often it has been used previously. While they say that "you never forget how to ride a horse," it is certainly possible for skills to weaken from disuse just as surely as a muscle. As regards the lowering of attributes, the first to go are generally physical and miscellaneous (with the notable exception of Common Sense). Mental attributes generally stay sharp as long as they are well used—but can decline at least as rapidly as bodily health from disuse. Among the social attributes, Appearance is of the greatest concern to many shallow people as they age. However, both the Hobgoblins and Formourians are more likely to consider someone physically appealing far longer than other cultures might. For example, a famed actor in Formour may still be considered "sexy" past 50 years of age, but that same person would just be considered "old and unappealing" by a Bizzannite or Heldann.

Different cultures treat aging and their elderly in different fashions. Among the Heldanns, youth and vigor are heralded, however this is mitigated somewhat by the longevity of the Dwarves that live there—comprising more than a third of the population. Though a Dwarf can have far longer to perfect his or her craft, the energy and innovation of the young is still prized. Interestingly, once a Dwarf dies, his or her status is suddenly elevated from "doddering old fool" to "revered and learned ancestor." Foolish indeed is the person that would cross a bitter old Dwarf, who may have devoted the last century to the art of treacherous revenge, and has nothing left to lose… Trolls typically try and live life to the fullest. As their life spans vary so widely, a Troll never knows how much longer he has left. A Troll may drop dead from cancer in his early 40's, or may instead stay vivacious up towards the end of his fourth century. Hobgoblins highly prize their elders. One who has lived to an advanced age is assumed to have a good measure of toughness and guile. Conversely, Hobgoblins do not prize dying of old age. For them, a far more honourable death is to fall in combat to a worthy adversary. Killian also hold their elderly in high regard. This is a natural outgrowth of the highly structured nature of their society. Each person's place in their culture is denoted by their obligations to one higher on the social ladder: child to parent, peasant to lord, husband to wife, and so forth, all the way from the lowest beggar to the Empress herself. As a person ages, those to whom she is obligated become fewer, and those who are now obligated to her continue to grow in number. For this reason, one of the Empress's titles is "The Lonely One" as she no longer has the comfort of being socially obligated to anyone. Formour is interesting in that it seems to favour neither the young nor the old. Rather, both energetic youth and wise experience are esteemed equally and separately for their own merits. Of course, this can leave those adults in the middle feeling left out—being seen as having neither fresh new ideas nor sagacious advice. Similarly, far to the east the Orcks do not seem to place an emphasis on either youth or age. Their culture is based strongly on individual merit and a strong drive for survival. Among the Orcks, surviving childhood is a remarkable feat, and continuing to an old age even more so. Their neighbours in the plains and forests, the Ogre tribes, don't seem to even be aware of someone's age at all. Ogres don't even count their birthdays like most other cultures do. In the Firp's swamplands, youths are considered inherently foolish, at least to some degree. However, the great respect that they show towards their elderly really doesn't begin to show until a Firp has passed 50 years of age, and many do not live long enough to enjoy that hightened respect.

Campaign Pacing

Another important element to long-term campaigns and characters is in how the story is paced. A character journal is of tremendous assistance here. Pacing a campaign is when you highlight and expand the interesting bits, and shorten the dull ones. Long stretches can be covered with something as simple as "after three more months, you finally reach the distant shore." There are many opportunities for long breaks in the action. Injured characters need time to heal; broken bones can take months to completely set properly. Travel time is much longer in a world without cars, planes, or trains. Farms can be harvested, children raised, towers built, and baronies ran. There can even be long lulls in the action where the characters simply don't do anything interesting, and just loaf for a time. One way to think of pacing is to imagine a movie. The scenes cut right to the drama and action, and skip such details as the drive there. While it is impossible for a campaign to be paced as quickly as a movie—otherwise it would wrap up on two hours—it is a worthwhile goal towards which to strive. To continue the visual analogy to a long-term campaign, it may be more useful instead to think in terms of a television series. In a good series, the pacing is tight within the episode, the characters grow over time (that's "grow as people" not "get more powers"), and your interest is maintained week-to-week. A long-term campaign can run exactly the same way, with each session being one episode (of course, this particular "show" is mostly one long extended multi-parter, think soap-operas). "Chapters" in a campaign are another good way to structure long-term campaigns. That is, you may all be part of a mercenary company in Byzant for several months of game play, and later become travelling merchants in Formour. It is not necessary to completely restart a new campaign with all new characters, but instead a new "chapter" in the characters' lives starts.

Life Goes On

Not only do the characters affect the world—as it likewise affects them—but also other factors come into play "behind the scenes." For example, while they take a trip to the Orckish Highlands in Osterre, the pregnant girlfriend left behind gives birth, and must begin to raise the child herself. While the mercenary company wages war, taxes back home are being raised. The trick is to have things happen whether the player-characters are involved or not, but not to have things happen too quickly. Rumours, stories, news, gossip, bulletin board postings, and other in-game elements can be used to enhance the feeling that things are moving all around the characters, other than those plots in which they are directly involved. Ideas for some of these outside-plots can come from the Rumour Mill section, forum games—or forum posts about other games, unresolved plot threads, or just the Game Master's musing about how things are going in other parts of the world.

When the characters leave home for sometimes years at a stretch, some aspects of life may remain exactly as they left them, but quite a few others will have changed significantly. For example, the road still swerves around the old oak tree in the center of town, but Old Man Mung no longer runs the mill. In his place is his young son, now with children of his own. The youngest of which, Sheila, is now pregnant out of wedlock with the cooper's son. It's these little details that can really bring the game world to "life."

"When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe, you expire."
        ——Taken from a 5th grade essay

Life Expectancy

Life does not go on forever, certainly not for mortal races, and even an immortal may meet her untimely end.

Dwarf: 200-350 years
Elf (or other Fae): Immortal
Firp: 40-60 years (legends talk of much older Firps)
Ghoul: unknown; estimated to be at least 100 years outside of hibernation
Hobgoblin: 50-80 years
Human (all varieties): 50-110 years
Killian: 50-800 years (upper end reputed from antiquity)
Ogre: 150-300 years (estimated)
Orck: 100-200 years (cut them in-two and count the rings)
Troll: 40-400 years

"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic"
        ——Joseph Stalin

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (and Everyone Else… Permanently)

Death is a remarkably state easy to attain. There are a number of places on the body where an edge need only penetrate less than two inches to cause a fatality, and only a few pounds of pressure are needed to place that blade there. Even something as simple as a lack of good air can cause death. The following list includes the lifetime odds of 50 different ways to die, other than "hop under a bus, Gus."

"Collar that Dormouse!" the Queen shrieked out. "Behead that Dormouse! Turn that Dormouse out of court! Suppress him! Pinch him! Off with his whiskers!"
        ——Queen of Hearts, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Executions

Sometimes one's life ends not due to age or accident, but rather by state-sponsored means.

Every major nation save the Elven Homeland uses the death penalty for its capital crimes. The methods vary by location and crime, as do the attitudes towards such punishment.

In Formour, death is usually by hanging, although an old custom allows a noble to instead request to be beheaded. Formour considers the death penalty to be the last refuge—if a person's debt to society for his or her crimes cannot be met any other way, and the person is an incorrigible criminal who will remain a threat as long as he or she remains alive, then they may be executed. Formourian law allows a judge to assign a lesser sentence, but crimes such as murder often merit the full force of the law—in this case, the force of gravity from the gallows. Hanging in Formour is done by a professional hangman whenever possible. The rope is knotted and adjusted so that the person's neck is broken by the fall, rather than death through strangulation, at least ideally. The overall view is what is best for the people.

Justice among the Heldannic Confederation is often swift and personal. Whenever an authority deems that a person must die, then he or she is slain on the spot if possible, and promptly hunted down & killed if not. Exactly what constitutes proper authority will differ based on one's viewpoint, so running feuds of different parties seeking justice and retribution are fairly common, at least until someone with enough greater authority (read: power, typically through force of arms) steps in to stop the cycles of violence. While their southern neighbours in Formour might end a trial by saying "you shall be hanged at dawn—may The Light grant your soul peace," a Heldannic lord will end a similar proceeding with "how dare you" and reach for his sword.

The Killian Empire does not seem to place a very high value on life. There, crimes that would warrant a term of hard labour in Formour will instead be met with swift execution. In fact, a prisoner is legally a non-person, and may be killed for various reasons, even if the crime committed would not merit such extreme punishment in other lands. The state-sponsored killings in the Killian Empire are nearly always done with a sword. Due to the typical Killian's ability to hold its breath, and partly due to the relatively fewer trees, the Killian do not consider hanging to be a very efficient method of execution, despite the Formourian advancements in the science of the gallows. Beheading, disembowelment, impaling, and a simple throat-slice, are all various methods used. The overall view is to dispose of a disruption in society as efficiently as possible.

In the Byzant Empire, a common tradition is for the punishment to fit the crime. Enforcers of law often get creative with their methods of exacting lethal justice. An example is in the former Vridtown (currently named Scientius, now part of the Darkmouth Emirate) where necromancy was punishable by being dismembered, the pieces compressed & forced into a tiny box, & then catapulted into the harbour. Vridtown was overrun by zombies emerging from the harbour, and shoving a necromancer into the box ensured that the trip was one-way, even with the Undying ritual. Ironically, Scientius today houses a university dedicated to educating necropolitans and apprentice wizards. More typically however, crimes in the Byzant Empire are met with heavy fines. These are often payable to both the government and any victims of the crime. In theory, this would mean that the wealthy can commit an offence, and then pay for it in gold, but a poor criminal suffers a secondary punishment. In practice, the fines are often punitively large enough that even the richest offender is loath to blithely commit a crime. The overall view is that one should pay for one's offenses.

In the east, the newly recognised Orcklands still deal with crime with a mob mentality. All of the wronged parties—and anyone else who happens along, often enough—assists in meting out justice, typically by stoning. Firps do not execute anyone very often, but they have a system that seems to work quite well for them. An offender is impaled on pikes, paraded about, and then carried far outside the city. This way, the entire community can see that the criminal has been punished—and in what way—and all who enter or leave the city can see the results of breaking Firpish law. The Ogres, Trolls, & Olde World Goths still have essentially tribal societies, and all typically execute by an extreme form of social ostracism. Someone deemed not worthy of sharing their lands is the same as not being worthy of sharing the same air, and is sent out into the wilderness where they often die in that harsh land.

The Olde Empire of the Hobgoblins had a rather extensive code for executions. There were a series of methods, each tied to specific crimes and circumstances. It is worth noting that the punishments were affected by the status & position of both victim and accused. That is, it was a far greater crime for a lowly herder to assault a great warrior than for the reverse to occur—which was hardly considered a crime at all. Unfortunately for historians, this extensive code of justice was entirely oral. Loremasters have determined that it was consistent, rather than arbitrary, by comparing secretly recorded Dwarven accounts that were widely apart in time and geography. These few scattered runic remnants are all that remain of the Olde Empire's laws. This oral tradition was lost with the fall of the Old Empire, and the scattering of the Hobgoblin tribes. Even the surviving tribes that still live in the Farreaches—and keep their traditional culture, at least in some small capacity—no longer retain these laws.

The Elves, as mentioned previously, do not execute criminals. In fact, it is said that the only crime that is truly punishable by death is that of not being an Elf while there. This is referring to the extreme stance that the Elves take regarding their borders—only two locations allow visitors, and even there they are not granted access to the rest of the realm. The Elven view on justice is that no one is truly incorrigible, and given enough time to reflect on one's folly even the most terrible offender will truly repent and again become a productive member of society. This view is in large part due to Elven immortality. With a growth rate approaching nil, the Elves place a very high value on life… at least with Elven life. Since criminals can potentially be given sentences of centuries, or even millennia, the theory is that anyone can change her ways granted enough time. Crime in the Elven Homeland is perhaps the lowest in all of the major nations, so there may be something to the theory. However, it must also be considered that there is a strong cultural bias among the Elves to be a useful member of their society. Crimes committed in the visitors' sections are usually handled in one of two ways, either the criminal is punished as an Elf (essentially meaning life imprisonment), or more commonly, the privilege of visiting is unceremoniously revoked (meaning the criminal is slain on sight). Unlike their eastern neighbours in the Kingdom of Formour, imprisonment among the Elves usually doesn't involve hard labour. While an Elven lord may sometimes design a unique punishment, a criminal in the Elven Homeland is usually locked away in one of three subterranean dungeons, awaiting the release date or early clemency from the imprisoning lord. It is also worth noting that justice among the Elves is meted entirely by the nobility. As their government consists of the Princes and Princesses of the Great Houses who essentially act autonomously—events that concern the entirety of the Elven people are discussed at conclaves of these lords and ladies—there is no agency among the commoners to handle matters of jurisprudence and law enforcement. While this is not unusual to a Killian, Bizzannite, or Heldann, it seems rather odd to the average Formourian, who has access to judges of common descent.

"A man was hanged who had cut his throat, but who had been brought back to life. They hanged him for suicide. The doctor had warned them that it was impossible to hang him as the throat would burst open and he would breathe through the aperture. They did not listen to his advice and hanged their man.

"The wound in the neck immediately opened and the man came back to life again although he was hanged. It took time to convoke the aldermen to decide the question of what was to be done. At length the aldermen assembled and bound up the neck below the wound until he died. Oh my Mary, what a crazy society and what a stupid civilization."
——Nicholas Ogarev

Suicidal Dilemma: Eros, Thanatos, Phobos, Pathos

Eros and thanatos are twinned opposite desires—love of life and desire for death. We struggle with these opposing urges our whole lives. When thanatos outweighs eros, there is the chance that life will not long continue. Phobos is fear. Pathos is the evocation of pity or sorrow, and comes from a word meaning "suffering." In this context we have: love of life, love of death, fear of both, and the pathetic suffering that quandry causes. It is said that if you love something set it free… This saying could be applied to this situation. If you are willing to "give up the ghost," and it does not return to you, were you ever worthy of life? If the spirit of life returns to you at your moment of death, would it be too late? It is said that if a suicide falls from a great height and you don't hear them scream, that they were dead before they fell (perhaps from a heart-attack). The last thing that probably crosses someone's mind—other than the street—is "Wait, I changed my mind."

"Suicide is just Darwin's way of saying 'all attention-whores out of the gene-pool.'"
        ——Drunk and Bitter Jesus, Ghastly Comics

Suicide Methods

Contrary to what the song says, suicide isn't painless. Each method of doing yourself in has its drawbacks.

Asphyxiation: "Asphyxia" is any process that cuts off the oxygen supply to the brain. This method is most commonly called "suffocation." This can be via interfered breathing (such as a weight on the chest), obstruction of the airway (choking on something or an air-tight bag about the head), strangulation, smothering, lack of breathable air (great heights or exhaust fumes/smoke), and chemical prevention inside the body (such as from carbon monoxide or cyanide). All of these methods are difficult to employ, as the body's natural survival instincts are quite strong to remain breathing. Manual strangulation is impossible, since your hands will relax once you lose consciousness. Additionally, resuscitation or failure may well result in brain damage, and resuscitation methods themselves can cause broken ribs & painful bruising. Several cautionary anecdotes exist of someone who attempted to do themselves in by one of these methods, only to be alive but severely impaired—they can no longer function without assistance but all still remember that they were once normal.

Cutting: In all its various forms: slit wrists, sliced throat, disemboweling, falling on sword or spear, it has one major drawback—it hurts… a lot. This pain is evidenced by the not-quite-enough wounds left on both the attempted and successful wrists, called hesitation marks. If you are fortunate, you will pass out from the sight of your own blood—after doing enough damage to cause you to continue bleeding to death. Those of stouter heart are less fortunate, as they continue to feel the pain of their vital fluid leaking out, ounce by ounce. There is a strong feeling of cold, as the life-giving blood takes the body's warmth with it, spilled out onto the ground.

Dehydration/starvation: Either of these methods is long and difficult. Death from starvation takes about a month and a half, and you slowly waste away during this time. Death from dehydration is quicker—about a week or two, but is even more excruciating. It must also be remembered that most food contains water, which only serves to lengthen the process. In such a weakened state, one will not be able to prevent force-feeding, which combined with the length of time involved, makes this one of the more easily "rescued" methods.

Drowning: The farther out you swim, the more tired you become, and the longer time you have to change your mind. It is a terrible thing to decide that you want to live, only to realise that your limbs now lack the strength to carry you back to shore. While cold water is said to hasten the process—both in ensuring you are too tired to return, and in the actual killing—it also acts as a preservative (see Hypothermia below) where you can be revived even hours after apparent death. Also remember that there are many creatures with which you will be sharing the waters; more than a few will not wait for a taste, and none of them care for the difference between a suicide and any other struggling victim. When you see that fin cresting between the waves, you may suddenly decide that drowning wasn't really such a good idea after all.

Falling: There are three main points of uncertainty when employing a great height to try and kill oneself. The first is finding a suitable precipice. Even in the mountainous Heldannic Confederation, there may be enough of a slope to the drop so that you roll—breaking many bones and living through the experience—rather than a life-ending thud. The common fear of the height itself is perhaps the greatest determent. Even if a suitable location is found, once you actually look down the terror may prevent that final leap. Finally, there is the very real possibility that the fall will not kill you, regardless of the height. While people have fallen to their death from ground level—tripping over something and breaking the neck upon impact, for example—there are those who have fallen from tremendous heights and lived. In fact, the only things certain about falling are that it is scary, and if you live it is sure to hurt a great deal.

Hanging: A tried-and-true method of execution, but it still isn't a good choice for suicide. The biggest drawback is that you may screw up, and either not fall far enough—choking to death (see Asphyxiation above), or that you will fall so far as to break the rope—leaving you with either a long fall (and broken bones) or a relatively short & embarrassing one. An additional problem that can arise from too far a fall is that the rope may stop your head & neck, but not the rest of the body. In this case, your head, spine, and innards will be ripped messily from your torso, as the rest of your body succumbs to the inevitable pull of gravity. Thus hanging isn't necessarily the "clean" death desired by many who seek this method. Even in an ideal drop—one where the neck is broken—often doesn't cause instant death. It can still take several excruciating minutes for the brain to die. These are guaranteed to be the longest 5-10 minutes you have ever experienced; after all, it's the entire rest of your life.

Hire a professional: Ah yes, if you want something done right… Unfortunately, those willing to kill another generally aren't known for their scruples. They are just as likely to take your money & run, as they are to actually kill you. Of course, you could possibly encounter a sadist who will kill you, but in a most unpleasant fashion. Then there is the difficulty of simply finding a potential assassin in the first place. Your search is bound to attract unwanted attention. A final drawback is that even a true professional must still employ some method to snuff out your existence, which will be at least as unpleasant as doing so yourself, if not much more so. Suicide is typically a solo endeavour. Enlisting the help of another is an additional complication. Trying to get a trusted friend to assist with ending your life is just as bad as hired help, if not worse. A true friend would not allow you to commit suicide, much less help.

Hypothermia: Often combined with Drowning (see above), as water can rapidly cool the body, and cold water is often the only cooling method available to most. Additionally, those wanting to help ensure that they drown may choose cold water because it will supposedly kill them faster, and the lower temperatures mean that they won't be questioned for heading towards the shore wearing many layers of easily waterlogged clothing. As the body has many automatic defenses against cold, this is a long and unpleasant way to die, whether in or out of water. Uncontrolled shivering and biting cold are far from pleasant ways to spend ones last few hours. Additionally, the cold can keep the chemistry of life intact for a prolonged period, making it possible to be "rescued" even hours after apparent death.

Immolation: This is burning to death. Need we say more?

Natural: This is something of a catch-all category. Included are such dubious methods as throwing yourself to (hopefully hungry) wild beasts, jumping into a volcano, & standing in a field waiting for lightning or a meteor to strike you. Needless to say, these various "natural" methods leave much to be desired. There is one sure natural method, one guaranteed to kill every mortal man and woman: time. This death by natural causes, however, doesn't exactly count as suicide.

Poison: Even the deadliest toxin can be quite survivable. Poisons with no known antitoxin can still be treated. The length of time required for most toxins to take effect means that not only are your chances of "rescue" higher, but you are alive that much longer to experience your own demise. Should you select chemical—or combination thereof—that seems to cause a blissful sleep preceding death, that usually instead means that the toxin causes total paralysis. That is, you get to add a feeling of complete helplessness to the experience of waiting to die. Healer lore contains many references to medical professionals who chose this method, yet survived. Of anyone, they should have known better.

In general: Life goes on without you. Regardless of your motivations, this much is always true. Someone you want to hurt back by your suicide probably still won't care once you're gone. Those who do care about you will never fully recover. If you only want to escape unbearable pain, you unleash a new batch of it into the world upon those you leave behind. Killing yourself because you are alone merely means that no one will show up for your funeral. Life does go on. Consider also those who now have to deal with your mess—often literally with many of the methods of suicide. Your belongings and affairs must be put in order. Your body must be cleaned and disposed of—as well as the stains of blood and excrement left surrounding your corpse.

"I lay down my life. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."
        ——John 10:17-18

Near Death Experiences

Common elements to near death experiences involve a perception of being surrounded by darkness, with a light that seems to draw you towards it. There is also a feeling of warmth & an increasing sensation of floating or your weight diminishing. As you approach the tunnel of light, there is also an impression that there are beings in the light. Most often this seems to be family members who have passed on before. Often, there is also an impression of an overseeing or guiding force in the light.

In the Kingdom of Formour and among the Gothic tribes, this is usually perceived as a pleasant experience. Those who have had a near death experience report that loving family members either welcomed them with open arms, or instructed them to return—as it was not yet their time—sending them back with fond wishes for their well-being. This is perceived by those who follow the Temple of Light as being a profound religious experience. The experience confirms for them that The Light loves them & wants the best for them. Knowing that they will be reunited with their loved ones, and blissfully joined as one with The Light, strengthens their faith considerably. Even those Formourians who are not devout members of the church—even those who follow another faith, or are either agnostic or atheistic—experience similar phenomena. There are several accounts of those who steadfastly believed in the lack of any higher power who have been converted after a near death experience.

In the Byzant Empire and the Elder Kingdoms the experience is similar, but the perception is quite different. The feeling of warmth rapidly grows to an uncomfortable temperature. In those lands, people have reported being sent back by a spiritual bureaucrat who rudely informs them that their presence in the afterlife is the result of clerical error. The recognisable spirits of this vision are not welcoming, but rather seem as frightening and cold as they would be if witnessed as a ghost. These entities have been reported as seeming to be in great discomfort themselves.

It is interesting to note that only Dwarves, Ghouls, and Humans commonly report near death experiences. It remains unconfirmed by the loremasters and necropolitans who have studied this phenomenon whether this is due to common cultural elements, or due to common factors in their physiology. While all three have lived for centuries with close societal ties to one another, it has also been noted that many biochemical properties are common to these species.

For Jaq

By: Darren Ohl

What do you do about the end of the world when you meet her?
After a long cold day on north, after a little flurry, and then a little drizzle.
After running to the ends of the earth.
Suffering the long road trying to find home.
Roads got worn out like that spot of carpet from recluse's bedroom to recluse's bathroom.
What do you do about the roads you wore out but never wore home?
You wish you could remember her name,
you wish you could remember where you left off
like a lost set of keys you'll never find in time.
What do you do when it's six in the morning and she ain't coming home?
What do you do when question marks look like half broken hearts at the end of a heart-breaking sentence?
What did you do about the end of the world when you met her Jaq?
I hope you walked away.

"Death is not when life turns off. Death is when the chemistry of life becomes irreversibly damaged."
        ——Brian Wowk, PhD

Drugs, Non-medicinal

Amanita Muscaria
Other Names: Fly Agaric, Death's Head
Trip Length: 6 to 8 hours
Properties: The user will have approximately two hours of twilight sleep following a period of peacefulness (mildly euphoric, dreamlike sounds & visions may be noticed). Upon waking, vivid, psilocybin-like hallucinations and size distortions may be experienced.
Positive Effects: There is a 2% chance that desired information might be gained during the "twilight sleep."
Negative Effects: Beware, beware, beware—any error may have the user taking a highly toxic toadstool. Large doses may cause violence, self-destructiveness (to the point of self-mutilation), and paranoia. Overdose may cause delirium, convulsions, deep coma, or death as a result of heart failure. Prolonged use is mentally debilitating, causing even raving madness & even lycanthropy (the mental, not mystical, illness).

Arrach
Other Names: Goosefoot
Trip Length: 2 to 4 hours
Properties: Calms user, causing a mild disorientation followed by a floating sensation
Positive Effects: Reduces nervous anxiety and calms hysterical individuals.
Negative Effects: Mildly addictive. The user will require ever-larger doses for effect. Withdrawal can cause violent headaches, shaking and dizziness.

Asafoetida
Other Names: Devil's Dung, Gum Asafoetida, Food of the Gods
Trip Length: 2 to 6 tours
Properties: The user will experience an apparent increase in brain activity, reaction time, and physical endurance. The heart will speed up, respiration will increase and a feeling of strength will develop.
Positive Effects: The character will experience a 2-point increase in Strength, Wits, and Stamina. The effects will begin 3-60 minutes (3D20) after taking the drug and will last 3-60 minutes. The user will be reduced by 1D6 points on each characteristic for twice as long as the increase lasts, after the effects wear off.
Negative Effects: The drug will begin by causing a feeling of nausea (which will pass within an hour). Following use of the drug, the user will feel sluggish, drained and weak. Addiction is possible, but primary addiction seems to be psychological. Prolonged use of the drug is both physically and mentally debilitating. There is a 1% chance per use that the user will (permanently) lose an attribute point, one point from Grace and (roll 1D8): 1—Strength, 2—Knowledge, 3—Agility, 4-5—Stamina, 6-8—Common Sense. The chance is cumulative, until a point is actually lost. Then the process starts again-until the user either gives up the drug or dies.

Belladonna
Other Names: Banewort, Beautiful Lady, Deadly Nightshade, Death's Herb Poison Black Cherry
Trip Length: Several hours to several days
Properties: The user may experience pleasant hallucinogenic and hypnotic sensations and light sensitivity.
Positive Effects: Reduces ulcers and will dry sinus congestion.
Negative Effects: Permanent brain damage may result, addiction, insanity, or death.

Betel Nut
Other Names: Areca Nut
Trip Length: Varies
Properties: The user will experience increased respiration, mood elevation and some time distortion.
Positive Effects: The betel nut has some indirect aphrodisiac qualities.
Negative Effects: Some disorientation and a telltale red staining of the mouth.

Broom
Other Names: Nil
Trip Length: 2 Hours (1 pipe), 4 hours (2 pipes)
Properties: The user will experience an intoxicated, euphoric feeling. Colour awareness is increased and a deep state of relaxation increases after a second pipe is smoked.
Positive Effects: Nil
Negative Effects: Smoke; do not eat. (Eating produces nausea, paranoia, extreme excitement and heart strain.)

Calamus
Other Names: Flag Root, Rat Root, Sweet Flag
Trip Length. 6 to 8 hours
Properties: Rat root will cause an "up" feeling without any agitation. A feeling of relaxation will overcome the user. Some mild hallucinations may take place with very large doses.
Positive Effects: Of some use in treating asthma, bronchitis, diarrhoea, fevers & headaches.
Negative Properties: High doses may cause vomiting.

Calea
Other Names: Bitter Grass, Leaf of God
Trip Length: 2 to 8 hours
Properties: The drug produces a euphoric feeling and deep relaxation.
Positive Effects: None known
Negative Effects: None known

Calea Poppy
Other Names: Nil
Trip Length: ½ hour
Properties: Calea poppy smoking produces a mild, euphoric feeling. It can only be effective about one time per day because of limits to the amount that will affect the system.
Positive Effects: None known
Negative Effects: None known

Camphor
Other Names: Nil
Trip Length: 2 to 3 hours
Properties: Smoking small quantities will produce a slight stimulant effect, and a pleasant tingling of the skin.
Positive Effects: Used in mothballs (it can kill moths and it can kill a user).
Negative Effects: High dosage can be extremely unpleasant. Feelings of extreme disorientation, dizziness, vomiting, and amnesia are all possible on a simple high dose. Overdoses may result in delirium or convulsions. Eventually death may result with a high enough overdose.

Catnip
Other Names: None
Trip Length: ½ to 1 hour
Properties: Mild euphoric feeling if smoked in large quantities.
Positive Effects: None known.
Negative Effects. Raw throat and sinus from smoke.

Cayenne
Other Names: None
Trip Length: 3 to 6 hours
Properties: Mild stimulant properties. The user is made to feel as if they had "extra energy." It has few other effects and very large amounts must be ingested to become unpleasant.
Positive Effects: +1 to saving throws against fear and mental attacks.
Negative Effects: Some users note a watering of the eyes and a blurred visual distortion.

Cocaine
Other Names: Lady, Leaf, Snowbird, Stardust
Trip Length: ¼ to ½ hour
Properties: The user will experience a feeling of power, euphoria, and great stores of energy. The more used, the more intense this feeling becomes.
Positive Effects: Local anaesthetic properties.
Negative Effects: Overdoses—which require .2 to 1.5 grams of PURE cocaine—are rare. They usually occur after the user has gotten hold of unusually strong mixtures and are not ready for it. Overdoses result in death. The drug is only mildly physically addictive. It is very powerful in addicting a habitual user in the psychological sense. Also, a high degree of tolerance can be developed over time. Snorting the drug can cause the nose of the user to bleed and rot, pallor, cold sweats, convulsions, fainting, and halts in respiration indicate mild overdoses and cocaine poisoning. A psychological paranoid psychosis known as "formication" will often set in with prolonged use. This is the feeling that insects have taken up residence under the skin. If overused, the individual may experience excitability, anxiety, talkativeness, rapid pulse, dilated pupils, headaches, nausea, vomiting, increase in body temperature and hallucinations.

Codeine
Other Names: None
Trip Length: 3 to 5 hours
Properties: Mild euphoric, pain depressant. The user will experience vivid dream states. It is a pleasant feeling of relaxation and rest.
Positive Effects: Powerful cough suppressant, mood elevator and painkiller.
Negative Effects: Chronic abusers may experience mild addiction and have cramps, anxiety, depression, and irritability when use is discontinued. Use can cause constipation; prolonged use can cause prolonged constipation.

Coleus
Other Names: Woodpecker of Mars, Seeker of Sights
Trip Length: Approx. 2 hours
Properties: The user will experience a strong, psilocybin-like state, colourful hallucinations, strange patterns, and a number of telepathic and clairvoyant insights.
Positive Effects: Any divinatory magic or psychic sensitive gift that the user employs will last as long as the effects of the drug. Note that this applies only to that which the user can actually sense; a spell cast by the user for another's use will have its normal duration.
Negative Effects: It takes a very large quantity of leaves (50-70), fresh only, in order for the drug to work. This may cause nausea since the leaves need to be thoroughly chewed and swallowed.

Cumin Seed
Other Names: None
Trip Length: 1 to 2 hours
Properties: The user will experience mild stimulation and mood elevator effects for duration of one to two hours.
Positive Effects: Sometimes used as a spice.
Negative Effects: Some anxiety may be experienced as drug wears off.

Damiana
Other Names: None
Trip Length: 1 to 2 hours
Properties: If smoked, the user will experience a mild euphoric sensation, very like a marijuana buzz, for about an hour or so. Brewed as a tea will bring on a state of prolonged rest and sexually oriented dreams. It will also act as a mild aphrodisiac.
Positive Effects: None known
Negative Effects: None known

Datura
Other Names: Knockout Drops, Devils Weed
Trip Lengths 2 to 16 hours
Properties: Users will experience visual and sensory hallucinations before lapsing into a stupor. The most common hallucination is soaring flight.
Positive Effects: None known
Negative Effects: Even a small dose may cause diarrhoea, nausea, confusion, babbling, dryness & thirst, agitation, and loss of motor control. Overdoses can cause eye & heart damage, convulsions, coma and death. Prolonged use will result in permanent brain damage.

Dona Ana
Other Names: None
Trip Length: 2 to 12 hours
Properties: The user will experience intense visions and deep hallucinations. Out-of-Body experiences are possible and vision into alternate planes of existence is often possible. Use will give false impressions of spectral visitors, produce mind-altering sensations and extreme time distortions. The user may expect to see sound vibrations, have extreme colour sensitivity and experience clairaudient flashes.
Positive Effects: There is a 10% chance that desired information can he all or partly obtained through use of dona ana.
Negative Effects: None known

Epena
Other Names: Yopo, One Hit Weed
Trip Length: Approximately ½ hour (up to 6 hours for after effects)
Properties: Yopo affects the user almost instantaneously. The initial effect leaves the user floating through a variety of sensations, including perceived colour and size changes in objects, and an intoxicated, dizzy feeling combined with a false sense of alertness and clear vision. After effects leave the user with an odd, slightly euphoric view of events.
Positive Effects: None known
Negative Effects: Sinus irritation, and extreme fits of sneezing may overcome the habitual user. The first five minutes of the trip may include trembling, headache and confusion.

Ginseng
Other Names: None
Trip Length: 1 hour (at most); continuing effects for long-term daily usage
Properties: Very mild stimulant effects are noticeable if it is inges