Unaligned Combatants

Wielders of unaligned magic for physical combat.

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Arbalist

Crossbow warriors who use feats of combat to empower their shots. Arbalists are like armstrongs (see below), but they achieve feats of combat rather than strength to empower themselves.

They must still engage in special exercises. To achieve the impossible, one must start small. To be an arbalist, a warrior who achieves nearly impossible feats of crossbow combat, one must start as a child. The point is to try, to attempt the impossible repeatedly, no matter how futile. In the striving for the impossible, one achieves great things.

Training consists of six stages:

• Racing the wind: children are encouraged to try to outrun the wind.

• Improbable archery: young adults begin using crossbows and aiming at impossible targets, like a thrown rock.

• Ritual brawl: new warriors face a battle with multiple warriors attacking at once.

• Perceptive training: eyes, ears, nose- specific exercises trying to use these senses in those areas to do anything that is impossible.

• Wall breaking: elite warriors are then encouraged to try using their weapons to break through solid walls.

• Ritual combat: the final stage of training is combat against vastly more powerful warriors.

The point in these exercises is not to succeed, but to strive. It is to keep trying the impossible until you achieve the near impossible. If you try to outrun the wind, you will end up outrunning galloping horses. If you try to pull a wagon too heavy for you to pull, you may succeed in pulling something else extremely heavy. This act unleashes the magic of these feats. Usually, those who achieve something nearly impossible do not recognize the energy as it manifests - it is not visible to the naked eye, for it manifests within the person who achieved the feat. See below in “armstrong” for details of how to absorb and distribute this magic. Arbalists focus on combat skills and archery instead of strength.

Part of their training is the ingraining in them that the impossible will eventually happen if they keep fighting for it. Each arbalist, when they perform their first feat, is ritually initiated as an arbalist, a warrior of great skill with the crossbow, and given a purpose. Their purpose varies, but it alwasy relates to achieving some remarkable feat as a crossbow wielder.

When they achieve a feat that is related to their purpose, this energy is part of their purpose, and the points gained from this may be applied permanently to one of their stats. They may only apply 1 permanent point at a time, no matter how many points they have access to. Unlike armstrongs, they cannot alter their bodies significantly. Instead, they hone their perceptions and combat abilities.

Arbalists often convert their magic to one of the following abilities:

• Power shot: they can infuse a crossbow quarrel with extra attack power - either stun or wound or both, depending on how much magic they wish to use.

• Invulnerable weapon: so long as it is used appropriately, their crossbow will not break.

• Spread shot: they can make their quarrels explode into fragments and have a scattershot effect, hitting enemies within a 30’ spread at -3 to stun/wound.

• Armorbreaker: they can empower a quarrel to ignore armor for one round.

• Through shot: they can empower a quarrel to go through multiple opponents if they are lined up. This takes quite a bit of power and requires also a special hit at least.

Other abilities are possible. Consult the GM.

PRO +3 ATH +1 STR +2 AWA / WIL +1 PRS -1 STH -1

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Armstrong

Practicioners of special exercises allowing them to perform incredible feats of strength. To achieve the impossible, one must start small. To be an armstrong, a warrior who achieves nearly impossible feats, one must start as a child. The point is to try, to attempt the impossible repeatedly, no matter how futile. In the striving for the impossible, one achieves great things.

Training consists of six stages:

• Racing the wind: children are encouraged to try to outrun the wind.
• Wagoning: young adults are encouraged to try to pull or push laden wagons.
• Melee brawl: new warriors face a melee with multiple warriors attacking at once.
• Limb training: arm, leg, back - specific exercises trying to use muscles in those areas to do anything that is physically impossible. Given the danger of damaging muscles, this is always left to mature warriors.
• Horse lifting: elite warriors are then encouraged to try lifting wild horses. If horses are unavailable, other large animals or objects will work.
• Ritual combat: the final stage of training is combat against vastly more powerful warriors.

The point in these exercises is not to succeed, but to strive. It is to keep trying the impossible until you achieve the near impossible. If you try to outrun the wind, you will end up outrunning galloping horses. If you try to pull a wagon too heavy for you to pull, you may succeed in pulling something else extremely heavy. This act unleashes the magic of these feats. Usually, those who achieve something nearly impossible do not recognize the energy as it manifests - it is not visible to the naked eye, for it manifests within the person who achieved the feat.

The minimum point difference to qualify as a feat is 6 points - i.e., the difficulty must be 6 above one's pertinent score. If lifting a boulder is a 19 difficulty and one has a 13 STR, for instance. This feat is only a feat if done without the use of tokens. It must also be done without any supernatural support (including points provided by previous feats), help from others, or bonuses from cleverness or machinery. It must be raw strength used to lift the boulder, for example. The feat can also only be something done via the action of the armstrong. In combat, this means that the to-hit rolls can end up as a feat, but the damage rolls do not unless done without weapons or armor. In the combat example, no bonuses can be used for sneaking up on the enemy for it to count. It must be raw PRO. However, called shots (taking penalties) can alter the difficulty such that it qualifies as a feat. Furthermore, injuries, illnesses, and other penalties may help qualify something as a feat, but only if these were acquired without the intention of creating such circumstances. Self-damage negates the magic.

To recognize the development of this magic inside oneself, one must be trained to know oneself, one's own limitations. If you know your limitations, you know when you have exceeded them, and therefore, you can recognize when those limits have been broken or changed. And in those moments, a person may capture the energy unleshed within oneself and wield it. Armstrongs are trained to recognize this and apply this power to their body, mind, and perceptions.

When a feat is achieved, an armstrong has a limited amount of time - about 6 seconds - to capture the energy unleashed. Some feats produce more energy than others depending on how difficult they were, but the most they produce is 3 points of energy. These points can be directed by a well-trained armstrong to body, mind, or perception - STR, ATH, PRO, WIL, or specific senses. These bonuses can be applied in whole (all 3 points in one place) or in part (one point to three different stats, 2 in one place and 1 in another, etc.), and they are usually temporary. Permanent changes are only possible through extreme feats.

Difference	Points	Duration
6	1	1 round	round
7	2	1 round	round
8	2	2 rounds	rounds
9	3	2 rounds	rounds
10+	3	3 rounds	rounds

Part of their training is the ingraining in them that the impossible will eventually happen if they keep fighting for it. Each armstrong, when they perform their first feat, is ritually initiated as an armstrong, a warrior of great strength, and given a purpose. Their purpose varies - it can be that they are told they must strive to be a warrior so tough no blade will cut their flesh or that they will be a warrior so strong they can carry a wild horse 500 miles or that they will be a warrior so powerful that they can cut through ten men at once. The purpose always relates to their might as warriors.

When they achieve a feat that is related to their purpose - they resist a blade that should have cut them, they carry a wild horse 10 miles, they cut through two men at once - this energy is part of their purpose, and the points gained from this may be applied permanently to one of their stats. They may only apply 1 permanent point at a time, no matter how many points they have access to.

"New arms" is the term used when an armstrong transforms their body via feats. This is only possible when they achieve their purpose fully. When this happens, instead of points, they gain the opportunity to transform themselves physically. They cannot ask for biological forms their species does not have - i.e., a human cannot gain wings, a goblin cannot gain gills, a crystal folk cannot gain flesh, etc.

PRO +2 ATH +2 STR +4 AWA / Perceptions +2 WIL +1 PRS -2 STH -1

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Bellona

A non-male warrior who uses ritual combat and bloody violence to become a great warrior. Bellonae belong to a sect of women warriors (who also welcome other non-cis men of any gender) who combine the arts of witchcraft with war magic. They use ritual combat to ignite their powers, specifically focusing on the use of sword, shield, spear, torch, whip, and chariot. Every bellona chooses one of these to focus on, but they have some skill in all of them.

The ritual combat they engage in happens every three months, and they fight to first blood. At the start of the fight, they ritually wound their arms and/or legs as a blood sacrifice to make sure blood is spilled. When blood is spilled, both victor and loser of the fight absorb it into their weapons for its magical power. This blood is used for spells that enhance their combat abilities. Initiates spend three years training before they are let to do anything on their own as a bellona. The spells they gain in that time include the following:

• Fury of battle: after the first round of combat, if they invoke this power, they get a counter attack against any attack against them for an entire round.

• Flame of strife: during combat, they can create a raging wall of flame that covers the entire combat area, damaging everyone, friend or foe.

• Wild abandon: they can enter an unfocused, erratic series of strikes that add +3 to all damage rolls if they hit, but are always open to counter attacks.

• Bloodlust: every time they draw blood, they gain +1 to PRO, ATH, or STR (their choice, but it must be the same for the entire battle) that lasts for the length of combat.

• Dismembering strike: they can make a called shot without penalty to attempt to remove body parts from their target (as long as it's not the neck/head/back).

The brutality and gore of their sect is feared by all.

PRO +3 ATH +2 STR +2 AWA -1 WIL -2 PRS -3 STH -1

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Highwayman

A brash bandit of the highways who wields travel magic. They do not have to be male.

Highwaymen use travel magic to move through the wilderness and highways. To gain these powers, they must travel thousands of miles and attune themselves to constant movement, creating a feedback loop in which movement begets energy begets movement. They learn to do this from other highwaymen or wielders of travel magic, who show them how to move with magic. They spend years learning these powers.

Highwaymen have seven powers:

• Direction sense: a highwayman will always know north, south, east, and west, but they can also sense which direction something lies in (AWA).

• Distance sense: if a highwayman has an object they have once held or a location that they have been to before, they can always know how far away it is.

• Passaging: a highwayman can open a path where one does not exist if they are outside a populated area once per month.

• Farsight: highwaymen can close their eyes and cast their consciousness up to seven miles away once per week.

• Swifting: a highwayman can make themselves, others, steeds, or vehicles faster, but at a cost of 1 point of STR per 5 MPH they add per person or vehicle, to be recovered after one long rest per point of STR.

• Rapid strike: a highwayman can hit up to seven times in a single round, though after the second they suffer -1 each attempt.

• Quick reaction: once per combat, they can go first automatically in the initiative order, or they can wield this to react with +6 outside of combat once per week.

Highwaymen are brash robbers who prey on travelers on the highways of the colonies. They are usually wanted by the law and motivated by self-interest, but they are not aligned to infernal or imperial powers.

PRO +2 ATH +3 STR +1 AWA +2 Reaction +4 WIL +1 PRS -1 STH +2

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Law-hammer

A warrior who wields the magic of the law to uphold it. To wield the magic of the law, the law-hammer must recognize the laws as legitimate. They must understand the laws and know which ones they are subject to, and they must accept them and enforce them. They learn them by studying them via copying them over and over into a book.

When someone wants to be a law-hammer, they must find a way to legitimize them, then walk into the center of the community and wait. The shortest wait is seven hours. The longest is six days. During that time, either another law-hammer will arrive and place their hand on the shoulder of the candidate, a local authority will call the name of the candidate, or the circle will glow bright copperish brown in order to mark the candidate as chosen for training, or the time will pass and no reaction will occur in order to mark the candidate as unworthy. If this happens, the candidate may try five more times, once per year.

While in the circle, their worthiness is tested internally, as spirits of law and order will tempt them, challenge them, and test their knowledge. None of this is visible to outsiders, but eventually, a law-hammer or local authority will be visited by spirits or the circle will glow to indicate success. The method of choosing is determined by practical circumstance: if there is a local law-hammer in a position to train a new law-hammer, they will be called to do so; if there is one in a nearby town or city, a local authoirty is called to make the arrangements for the candidate to go train there; if neither of these is in place, the circle will glow and the candidate must find their own way to gain a mentor.

Training takes up to six years, but usually about three. If the candidate seeking a to be a law-hammer does not gain a trainer right after their choosing, they must go on a quest to find one. The quest often involves some self-training along the way, usually guided by visions. Training has three parts: learning the law, wielding the law, and interpreting the law. Learning is something the candidate will have already started. Wielding the law is mostly combat training at first, but it evolves into learning to invoke the law (see below). And interpreting the law is about the complexities, contradictions, and corrections within the law that a law-hammer must contend with.

To graduate to a full law-hammer, the candidate must spend six days in meditation upon the law, stand up to a series of combat tests, and then be tested on difficult cases by their mentor. If the mentor views them as worhty, they are given their hammer and a shield, then granted a jurisdiction to stand for.

A law-hammer who is worthy is granted three powers:

• Invocation of the Law: to invoke the law is to call down its power such that it can be wielded in combat against a violator of the law. Invocation of the law gives the law-hammer bonuses to strength, athleticism, and prowess, and the power to bind a target with blue bands of light, empowered by their will power.
• Jurisdiction: a law-hammer is usually given a village, town, or neighborhood to stand for. This means patrols, meeting the community, and enforcement of all relevant laws. Within their jurisdiction, their familiarity with it gives them home turf advantage and a bonus to perception.
• Judgment: the power of judgment is only possible if the law-hammer is absolutely certain the person they have accused and caught is the perpetrator. If they misuse this power or realize they made a mistake, they are denied access to all of their powers for a year and a day or longer. Judgment can kill. Judgment invokes the penalties proscribed by the law upon the target. It comes in the form of a copper flame that is emitted from the hammer, and it is nearly impossible to resist if the law-hammer is judicious in its use.

When the laws of the land are contradictory, the law-hammer must either decide which to enforce, choose not to enforce, create a hierarchy of enforcement, or find a compromise in order to use their powers when such cases arise. As long as they are consistent in their approach, they will suffer no penalties for their choices.

PRO +2 ATH / STR +2 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS +1 STH -2

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Pentologer

Unarmed combatants who embody the five aspects of draconic power: discipline, power, majesty, accumulation, and territory. The pentologers serve a dragon in exchange for material support and draconic power.

The fundamental part of the philosophy of pentology is that dragons are perfect beings who embody the five qualities that all mortals must strive to embody: discipline, power, territory, majesty, and accumulation.

• Discipline is the will power and determination to do what must be done, to maintain oneself and one's routines, and to strive for perfection. It is the force of will to continue the Fivefold Path.
• Power is physical and abstract. The pentologer molds their body to be one of strength, and they maintain their behavior such that they have power within the community as well.
• Territory is the space which one commands. A person who has no territory - no home, no personal space, no abstract domain - has nothing. One must be able to defend what one has.
• Majesty is the presence one has in the perception of others. It is one's reputation, one's mien, one's charisma, one's fearsome countenance, but also one's ability to be more than superficically impressive.
• Accumulation is the continual growth of a person in every aspect. Dragons accumulate esoteric energies that are near to them, and the pentologer strives to emulate this in both literal and figurative ways.

The philosophy of the pentologers is called the Fivefold Path, referring to the five characteristics of the dragon. Everyone who becomes a pentologer starts as an acolyte and trains for years until they are initiated and begin taking their tests. This is the typical path:

• Acolyte: those who have just been accepted and are training in basics skills. They serve the pentologers in cooking, cleaning, and other chores; spend hours a day in meditation and martial arts training. It takes about five years to be allowed in.
• Novice: novices are acolytes who have passed the first test, the Trial of Discipline, which tests their sense of responsibility (do they do their chores on time?), determination (do setbacks drive them away?), their ability to follow a set routine (do they keep up their meditation and physical training?), and their willingness to obey rules. This test is essentially the time they spend as an acolyte. Once they have passed it, they are taught the first Stance, called the Stance of the Black Dragon.
• First Fist : once they have learned the first Stance, they must pass the second test, the Trial of Territory, in which they must defend themselves within a training circle against four other pentologers-in-training. If they succeed, they become a First Fist, part of a team of pentologers in training (Fists First through Fifth) who must work together and progress together. it is the duty of each Fist to train those below them. The First Fist trains novices and aids the other Fists in their duties. They gain their first power as a First Fist. Once they learn the second Stance, the Stance of the Zinc Dragon, they move on.
• Second Fist: once they have learned the second Stance, they must pass the third test, the Trial of Power, which requires that they lift something incredibly heavy on their own. The Second Fist trains the First Fist and is trained by the Third. They gain their second power, and they must go on their first quest. Once they learn the third Stance, the Stance of the Garnet Dragon, they move on.
• Third Fist: once they have learned the third Stance, they must pass the fourth test, the Trial of Majesty, wherein they must teach the Second Fist successfully. This proves they have the presence and reputation to be respected. They gain their third power and go on their second quest. They are trained by the Fourth Fist, who teaches them the fourth Stance, the Stance of the Painted Dragon. Once this is done, they move on.
• Fourth Fist: once they have learned the fourth Stance, they must pass the fifth test, the Trial of Accumulation, wherein they are tested on all they have learned so far, proving they retain what they have accumulated. They then gain their fourth power, go on their third quest, and begin to accumulate energies. Once they learn the fifth Stance, the Stance of the Magenta Dragon, they move on.
• Fifth Fist: once they have learned the fifth Stance, they must accumulate enough esoteric energy to gain their fifth power. Then they go on their fourth quest, and when they have completed it, they must meet the dragon. If they dragon accepts them, they are named a pentologer.
• Pentologer: once accepted by the dragon, they are sent on their fifth quest. During this quest, they gain five more powers. This stage makes them a full member of the group and subject to periodic quests, duties, and more, and over their lives, they may gain up to 25 total powers (15 more after their fifth quest).
• Elder: once pentologers are no longer able to keep up their quests or tasks, they retire to be elders. They either take up a role of leadership, work directly as a servant of the dragon, take up specific roles such as gardening or training or so on, or they return to their homes and stop being part of the community (with no disgrace).

To fail at any of the trials means repeating one's training. One may fail up to five times. If they quit before taking the trial, there is no disgrace. If they quit after failing, they are not allowed back even as a guest. If they fail five times, they are offered a position as a servant but not allowed to become a pentologer, and their powers are lost. They may decline this offer with honor. Any success means progression.

Each quest a pentologer goes on is a service to the dragon they serve. The quests usually involve acquiring a magical object for the dragon, who needs esoteric energy to feed off of. Sometimes, however, the quest is some other task the dragon needs handled. These vary greatly.

Failure at a quest only occurs if the pentologer gives up in circumstances where they could have succeeded. If one fails at a quest or quits at the wrong time, one becomes disgraced. Disgrace means being unwelcome in the dragon's territory for the rest of their lives. If one dies on a quest, is disabled or otherwise rendered unable to complete it, so long as they never gave up, they are still honored. If they are left in disgrace, they lose all of their powers.

Pentologers can wield draconic power in similar fashion to dragons. As they go along the Fivefold Path, they gain new powers, building up their capacity for the shebvic energy of dragons. Some potential powers include but are not limited to

• Draconic barrier: a wall of draconic energy, usually in the form of a thin circle of flame, extended from the pentologer to represent the territory of a battlefield and keep those not engaged in the combat out.
• Majestic aura: a major PRS bonus; appearing impressive to behold.
• Tough-skin: a major toughness bonus; turning the skin hard as iron as an act of defense.
• Immunities: a pentologer can gain up to five immunities, from poison to cold to flame to certain esoteric energies to bladed weapons...
• Burning punch/kick: a kick or punch wreathed in dragonflame.
• Draconic gaze: massive intimidation bonus and the ability to stun enemies.
• Heightened senses: either a specific esoteric sense (soulsight, farsight, sense evil, empathy, etc.) or a bonus to mundane senses.
• Dragon's breath: breathing dragonflame, though much weaker than a dragon's.
• Territorial control: exert one's will over a certain amount of space.
• Transferral touch: transferring draconic power to another via touch.
• Wings: powerful pentologers can temporarily grow wings and fly, if their dragon has wings.
• Fivefold self: splitting into five selves for a very brief amount of time.

Once a pentologer passes the test of Accumulation, they begin to absorb esoteric energies like a dragon, though at a slower rate and to less capacity. They also cannot intentionally drain esoteric energies or absorb spells cast at them as some dragons can. Instead, they simply draw in ambient energies as they meditate. Typically, their capacity is determined by how many quests they have fulfilled, with a max capacity of 500 points. Re-accumulating points is done via meditation. In a basic area, points are accumulated at a rate of 6 per hour of meditation.

Every power a pentologer has costs points to wield. A weak power costs 1 point per use. Some costs upwards of 500. Some, like dragon's breath, use up points per round; others can only be used once and never again no matter how many points. Some can be extended by expending more points - i.e., draconic barrier is 1 point per foot after the first five feet. The stronger the power, the more the points.

Pentologers may meditate in place of sleep for up to five nights before they need to get a standard eight hours' rest. Pentology is a philosophy and martial art. The martial art varies somewhat around the world, but the basics are that it focuses on forceful strikes, quick dodges, and maintaining control of a combat space.

The five stances are based on the five true dragons:

• Black Dragon Stance: a stance designed to test and show off the pentologer's discipline. They stand in a difficult position to maintain, then maintain it. From this stance, they can move rapidly to other stances, transfer will power into their attacks or defenses, and take bonuses to resist stun or forceful displacement (i.e., they can't easily be pushed around). A great stance for blocking blows.
• Garnet Dragon Stance: a stance designed to allow for extremely hard strikes. From this stance, they are able to draw on raw strength better, leveraging their own bodies to hit as hard as possible. From this stance, they can land body-breaking blows. A great stance for attacking.
• Zinc Dragon Stance: a stance designed to take up space and allow the pentologer to move to any part of their defined combat area quickly, in order to maintain control over it. From this stance, they can sense everything going on around them and react to any section of the territory. A great stance for dodging.
• Painted Dragon Stance: a stance designed to maximize their presence. They appear larger, more impressive, in this stance, and are often better able to intimidate, draw respect, or otherwise affect their opponent's impression of them. From this stance, they can engage better with anyone near them. A great stance for any kind of engagement.
• Magenta Dragon Stance: a stance designed to draw in energy, both esoteric and that of the battle. As such, in this stance, their opponent is drawn to them. Attacks are guided past them, and they are able to wait, assess, and observe. From this stance, they can build strength or assess for their next move. A great stance for holding action.

Pentologers are often part of a monastery or other group. Though there are dragons in the area of the colonies, many are settlers or immigrants, and thus, many monasteries of pentologers engage in traditions from other parts of the world.

PRO +3 ATH +3 STR +3 AWA +3 WIL +3 PRS +3 STH +1

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Reiver

Reivers are pirate crews who all wield the Cant and the Hooded Shadow.

There is an ancient cant, a variation on language, a secret code and a dialect and a pidgin, a set of rhymes and ciphers, that only those who have been pushed outside the law may wield. The Cant derived from the first people who had to steal from other mortals to survive, and it grew into a complex, panlingual cryptological esoteric puzzle. The Cant cannot be understood by anyone who serves the laws of the state that make people criminals, and it gives those who speak it special powers. To access it, one must have committed a crime in a place one has been, knowingly, and one must have done so without other esoteric power. One must have committed this crime for purposes neither related to upholding the oppressive structures nor overthrowing them. The crime must violate a law existing on the books in the place it was broken, and it must be knowingly committed. If the crime is later decriminalized, it will still empower the reiver. If the crime is unknowingly committed, but the criminal later discovers it was/is illegal, they have a brief window to take advantage before they lose access to the cant (until they commit a crime again). In that brief window, they will see a shadow, and if they follow that shadow, they will begin to see things they never noticed before. As pirates, their Cant is more influenced by other places than others in Haenor.

For a reiver, their first crime should be either piracy, something nautical (stealing a small boat), or something adjacent to or useful to piracy. It will mark them as a potential reiver. If they follow the shadow, it will lead them to the closest wielder reiver or other wielder of Cant, who, if they are recognized as someone exposed to the shadow, will recruit them. From there, they will be trained in the Cant, and eventually tested in the work of the crime family. If they pass, they will be initiated into the Hooded Shadow, the power of concealment from the law and empowerment of crimes. Their initiation will be joining a pirate raid on a town or ship, during which, their teacher will guide them in how to wield the shadow.

• Intimidation: a wreath of shadow forms around the reiver, adding to their intimidation score. This costs 1 shadow point per 2 points of intimidation per use.
• Assault: the weapon of the reiver becomes harder ot see because of the shadow, giving them bonuses to hit. This costs 1 shadow point per 1 bonus point to hit per use.
• Sailing: the ship becomes enshadowed, making it harder to follow or track. This costs 12 shadow points per 1 point of ship's STH for an hour.
• Rigging: the ship's rigging is doubled with shadow ropes to make it easier to climb. This costs 1 shadow point per rope, for -1 to difficulty for climbing each.
• Lookout: the lookout's attention focuses with shadows around their eyes, making it easier to scan for what they are seeking (land, enemies, targets, etc.). This costs 1 shadow point per 30 seconds of use, giving +6 AWA to finding the target for that time period.
• Rationing: the ship's food and water is filled out with shadows, making it last longer. This costs 20 shadow points per meal per individual.
• Blacksmoke: the thick smoke formed during a gun- or cannonfight turns shadowy, giving extra cover to the reivers while emphasizing their targets. This costs 8 shadow points for 10 reivers and 1 ship or 10 enemies for the duration of the smoke.
• Flag:
• Melee: during a melee battle, all reivers are enshadowed, making them harder to hit and easier for Canters to identify. This costs 3 shadow points per 2 crew members enshadowed for the duration of the battle.
• Gunfire: during a handheld gunfight, all reivers are are enshadowed, making them harder to hit and easier for Canters to identify. This costs 3 shadow points per 2 crew members enshadowed for the duration of the battle.
• Shipstrike: during a ship-to-ship fight, the targeted ship is enshadowed, making it scarier for occupants and letting cannonballs or ballista bolts or other ship-targeting weaponry hit it more easily. This costs 16 shadow points per 8 points of intimidation to the crew and 1 point of bonus to hit the ship for all ship-targeting weapons for the duration of the fight.
• Landing: when docking, making port, or coming ashore, all reivers or their ship are enshadowed, making them harder to see but also harder to accidentally hit (for the ship or away boats). This costs 3 shadow points for +4 STH for each reiver for 10 minutes, or it costs 20 shadow points for the ship or away boats for the duration of time in port, harbor, or by land.
• Identify: the shadow covers the eyes, allowing the wielder to only see the target. This costs 1 shadow point per 30 seconds of use, giving +6 AWA to finding the target for that time period.
• Appraise: the shadow fills the mind, allowing the wielder to know the wealth of those they are observing. This costs 1 shadow point per 15 seconds of use, giving +6 AWA to gathering value for that time period.
• Darkwater: shadow infuses the currents, calming them if they are too choppy or strenghtening them if they are carrying the ship the right way. This costs 12 shadow points to calm the sea, another 6 if there is a mild storm, 12 if a strong storm, 18 if a weak hurricane, 24 if a moderate hurricane, 30 if a major hurricane. Tsunamis are also another 12. If strenghtening a current, it's 10 shadow points per point of ship's speed per hour.
• Shadowstorm: a storm is infused with shadow and compelled to surround the ship protectively. This costs 50 shadow points per hour for a mild storm, plus 6 for every level of strength above that, capping at another 48 points.
• Shadowwind: the winds are enshadowed, drawing them in during doldrums or strenghtening weaker ones. This costs 10 shadow points per point of ship's speed per hour.
• Maroon: a marooned individual is enshadowed, preventing anyone from finding them. This costs 4 shadow points per inflicted 3 points of STH on the target for an hour per 4 points.
• Plank: shadows rise around the plank or into the minds of targets (filling them with thoughts of it) or the waters below it to make it more intimidating, to make an uneasy crew more afraid of the wielder. This costs 1 shadow point per point of intimidation for 15 seconds, per targeted individual.
• Lashing: a stun-only 11/17/23/29 lash made of shadows forms in the hands of the wielder. It leaves no marks, but causes immense pain. This costs 5 shadow points per use, and can add more stun power for 3 shadow points per point of stun power.
• Capture: shadowy strands capture either an individual or a ship. For an individual, this costs 3 shadow points for a strand with STR of 8, plus 2 further points for each point of STR above 8 wanted, lasting 20 minutes. For a ship, this costs 50 shadow points for a STR of 30, plus 10 further points for each point of STR above 30, lasting an hour.
• Capsize: shadow rolls under the target ship and flips it over. This costs 60 shadow points for a shadow strong enough to capsize a medium-sized ship. For a small boat, it is 10. For a huge ship, 100.
• Sink: shadows dissolve the underside of the ship, causing it to sink. This costs 75 shadow points for a shadow strong enough to capsize a medium-sized ship. For a small boat, it is 25. For a huge ship, 200.
• Raiding: during a raid, shadows enshroud the reivers, giving them bonuses to STH, intimidation, and PRO for the duration of the raid. This costs 10 shadow points for +1 STH, +1 intimidation, and +1 PRO for up to five reivers, with any increase in any number costing an extra 2 points each.
• Anchor: the anchor becomes enshadowed, allowing it to take purchase on nothing and be redrawn swiftly. This costs 10 shadow points per hour.
• Mutiny: if all of the crew except leadership agrees to cant together, they may wrest leadership away at a cost of 10 points of shadow per leader they are targeting.
• Escape: the shadow opens a path to escape. This effecitvely gives the wielder +3 sailing per 8 shadow points used for 30 minutes per 8 points.
• Distract: the shadow spreads around, distracting the target ship or those chasing the wielder. This effecitvely gives the wielder +3 STH per 5 shadow points used for 10 minutes per 5 points.

Any other criminal activity tasked to the reiver can be enabled, empowered, or otherwise supported by the shadow. Consult with the GM for other potential uses.

In order to wield it, the reiver must use the correct canting rhymes, which reivers usually sing. For every three reivers singing the same rhyme, there is a -1 to cost in shadow points for that effect. Each individual reiver has shadow points, but so does the crew as a collective whole. The latter can only be used if the whole crew cants together.

They must maintain the Hooded Shadow by remaining outside the law, never cooperating with the authorities, and never going straight. This does not mean never following any law, but rather, never betraying their crew, never ratting out other pirates, and never surviving off anything but criminal gains. Any violation will destroy the Cant immediately. The more crimes they knowingly commit, the higher the score they have in the shadow, but any use depletes it, meaning they have a limited amount of shadow to use. Furthermore, though simply being a pirate is a crime, shadow does not accumulate just by existing. Each act of piracy is a separate crime to be drawn from. Rape and sexual assault do not generate the Hooded Shadow, as these are infernal acts.

PRO +3 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL / PRS +1 STH +1

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Sapper

A warrior who is attuned to draconic siege warfare. Sappers serve dragons as warriors who wield very potent weaponry to defeat the dragon’s enemies.

A sapper is someone who is bonded to or serves a dragon and embodies draconic power. They gain their abilities by proving themself to the dragon via a series of five trials:

• Trial of Discipline: they must prove they can follow orders and a routine of exercise and study.

• Trial of Power: they must prove themselves strong enough to survive the energies they will wield and the dragon’s demands.

• Trial of Majesty: they must prove they have a sense of authority and the ability to lead.

• Trial of Territory: they must prove they know and respect the dragon’s territory.

• Trial of Accumulation: they must prove they know all of the previous trials again.

When they complete the trials, the dragon begins giving them abilities. There are a few dragons native to the area, but most who are in the colonized lands are from other places, either as settlers, colonizers, immigrants, or former slaves or indentured servants. The following abilities assume an unaligned dragon. Consult the GM for celestial, elemental, or fey dragons.

• Dragonflame bomb: the sapper has five dragonflame bombs to start with. They have a damage rating of 20/26/32/38, range 25’ around where they land. Once they are used up, the sapper must complete tasks for their dragon to gain more. These are grenade sized.

• Absorbing vest: the sapper has a choice between an absorbing vest, a wall of power, or two of three immunities. The absorbing vest absorbs esoteric energies directed at the sapper at a power of 16.

• Power blast bomb: the sapper can complete tasks for five more dragonflame bombs or one power blast bomb, power 25/31/37/43, range 40’ around where they land. These are very large and require some sort of engine to launch.

• Wall of power: the sapper has a choice between an absorbing vest, a wall of power, or two of three immunities. The wall of power is a forcefield of power 16 10’ around the sapper.

• Draconic immunity: the sapper has a choice between an absorbing vest, a wall of power, or two of three immunities. They may select immunity to two of the following - concussive force, heat, or smoke.

• Draconic strength: the sapper can increase their STR +3 once per day for a single task.

• Intimidating gaze: the sapper can intimidate (rolling WIL, not PRS) a target if they catch their gaze with a +3 bonus once per day.

• Gatebreaker: the sapper can break down a door, gate, or other entryway with a single touch once per year at a power of 30.

• Detect vulnerability: the sapper can roll AWA +3 to sense the vulnerability of a structure once per week.

• Draconic firestorm bomb: if the sapper serves long enough, they may do five tasks for the dragon and earn a single draconic firestorm bomb. It must be launched from a siege engine. It hits with the power of 35/43/51/58 and burns everything with 250’ around where it lands.

Sappers are dangerous warriors, but they must have room and capability to move a siege engine or artillery with them to use some of their powers. They are skilled with firearms, digging and mining, and architecture.

PRO +2 ATH +1 STR +3 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS -2 STH +1

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Scrimer

A fencer who hones their skill magically.

They engage in a meditative practice called figgum. This begins with the fencer not learning to fence, but to juggle. They practice this for hours a day until they can juggle five knives with their eyes closed, and then they juggle while meditating. The concept they focus on to meditate is that "one skill is all skills". The idea is that if one learns one skill, that skill can be transformed into another. Thus, they focus on a single skill, becoming elite in it, then use the power of figgum to transform that skill into any other needed skill temporarily. The process of achieving this requires them focusing on the circle formed by the act of juggling, then breaking past it via a meditative process called "moving beyond the circle". This process requires such extreme concentration that one must meditate for months at a time to achieve it, hence why few among the poor and oppressed ever achieve it.

In-game, this amounts to an ongoing series of rolling juggling skill, WIL, and AWA against increasing difficulties, with a series of bonuses and penalties for successes or failures, culminating in a roll against a difficulty of 25 for juggling, 25 for WIL to focus, and 25 for AWA to see past the circle. If this is achieved, the scrimer will gain the ability to move their skill points around their character sheet as they please. There are some caveats to this - they can't move base stats around, for example, nor innate powers. Only learned skills may be adapted. If they alter their skill in juggling, it may affect their ability to use this power, as they must enter the meditative state via juggling to use their power.

Scrimers may also borrow skill points from others if someone willingly gives them that skill by passing a juggling knife to them while the sicarian is meditating. The scrimer must temporarily give the person some of their skill points in order to gain the skill being provided. The skill points the scrimer has can never go above their skill point total.

Some skills cost more than others, however. Magical skills, for example, are not equivalent to basic language skills, nor are elite-level skills equal to low-level ones. There is a scale of equivalence available if you choose to play a scrimer.

As scrimers are fencers, their skill focuses are relevant to their work, but like all who engage in the art of figgum, they often learn other skills in order to have more points to move around. Common relevant skills include fencing, dancing, duelling, tactics, etiquette, firearms, and poetry. Their juggling knives are kept and practiced with, but not commonly their main weapon. Most have some form of rapier, foil, or epees.

Scrimers who lose their juggling knives will lose their powers.

PRO +3 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS -1 STH +1

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Sharpshooter

A skilled sniper who uses magic to hone their abilities.

They engage in a meditative practice called figgum. This begins with the fencer not learning to fence, but to juggle. They practice this for hours a day until they can juggle five knives with their eyes closed, and then they juggle while meditating. The concept they focus on to meditate is that "one skill is all skills". The idea is that if one learns one skill, that skill can be transformed into another. Thus, they focus on a single skill, becoming elite in it, then use the power of figgum to transform that skill into any other needed skill temporarily. The process of achieving this requires them focusing on the circle formed by the act of juggling, then breaking past it via a meditative process called "moving beyond the circle". This process requires such extreme concentration that one must meditate for months at a time to achieve it, hence why few among the poor and oppressed ever achieve it.

In-game, this amounts to an ongoing series of rolling juggling skill, WIL, and AWA against increasing difficulties, with a series of bonuses and penalties for successes or failures, culminating in a roll against a difficulty of 25 for juggling, 25 for WIL to focus, and 25 for AWA to see past the circle. If this is achieved, the sharpshooter will gain the ability to move their skill points around their character sheet as they please. There are some caveats to this - they can't move base stats around, for example, nor innate powers. Only learned skills may be adapted. If they alter their skill in juggling, it may affect their ability to use this power, as they must enter the meditative state via juggling to use their power.

Sharpshooters may also borrow skill points from others if someone willingly gives them that skill by passing a juggling knife to them while the sicarian is meditating. The sharpshooter must temporarily give the person some of their skill points in order to gain the skill being provided. The skill points the sharpshooter has can never go above their skill point total.

Some skills cost more than others, however. Magical skills, for example, are not equivalent to basic language skills, nor are elite-level skills equal to low-level ones. There is a scale of equivalence available if you choose to play a sharpshooter.

As sharpshooters are snipers in an era of flintlock firearms, their skill focuses are relevant to their work, but like all who engage in the art of figgum, they often learn other skills in order to have more points to move around. Common relevant skills include firearm care, telescopy, archery, hunting, stalking, patience, and anatomy. Their juggling knives are kept and practiced with, but not commonly their main weapon. They always wield a rifle of some sort as their primary weapon.

Sharpshooters who lose their juggling knives will lose their powers.

PRO +2 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA +3 WIL +1 PRS -2 STH +2

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Shipmaster

A nautical warrior who uses ritual ship combat to empower their whole ship.

A shipmaster trains in weaponmastery, a skill gained via ritual combat and blood magic, but with the entire ship.

To perform ritual combat in pursuit of weaponmastery using a ship, a shipmaster must train in every type of weapon on the ship - cannon, ballista, catapult, ram, pistol, cutlass, belaying pin, dagger, torch, pitch, cat o’ nine tails, etc. are common.

To engage in ritual ship combat, they start by having interpersonal ritual combat on the decks of the ship. They create a circle of power to fight in, facing a skilled opponent. The ritual must include a display of weapons, a battlecry, an initial strike that is pulled (to prove the courage of the weaponmaster), then true combat follows. Blood must be spilled in this ritual combat before it is called (at a point agreed upon by both parties). After the end is called, the combatants spill their own blood as a show of respect, bow, and then leave the circle. If the ritual was successful, the blood inside the circle will glow with red flame. Instead of re-entering and absorbing the blood magic, they let it sink into the ship. They do this continually until the ship and the sailor are both fully empowered as true shipmasters.

In order to maintain their high level of skill, shipmasters must renew their skills via ritual combat every seven weeks. If they fail to do this, their stats start to degrade at -1 per day.

Most shipmasters will focus on mastering one kind of artillery or siege weapon and one type of personal weapon, plus mastering using the ship’s commonly improvised weapons.

PRO +4 ATH +3 STR +2 AWA +2 WIL +1 PRS -2 STH /

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Weaponmaster

In the distant past, warriors learned that the act of ritual conflict would generate an energy that would allow them, their weapons, and their armies to grow stronger, faster, and more capable of warcraft. Thus were founded the first weaponmasters, as they honed their abilities with their specific weapons to become supernaturally excellent with them.

Every weaponmaster has a specific weapon they focus on. While use of a specific kind of sword can translate into many other kinds of swords, after their first year of training, a weaponmaster will always be better at their specific chosen weapon. For instance, they learn to use broadswords rather than just swords, or ngaos instead of polearms, or recurved bows instead of bows, etc. So while a khopesh-user might share similar skillsets with a tulwar-user, the prowess substat for a khopesh-master will be higher than their skill for using any other slashing blade. They will still have a higher skill in the tulwar or falchion than the rapier or longsword, however.

The rituals of conflict that generate and wield the energy used by weaponmasters vary by weapon type, but they all contain the following:

• A defined space for the conflict. Usually, a circle, ring, field, or contest arena (i.e., archery butts or shooting targets).
• Initial spilling of one's own blood as a show of respect to one's opponent (even if said opponent is inanimate).
• A weapons display. If the conflict is a contest (i.e., two archers competing for best results rather than shooting one another), the conflict itself may be the display, but usually it's a sword or spear dance, gun spinning, etc.
• A battle cry, roar, or other loud (or clearly perceptible) display at the start of the first attack. Some kind of a display of ferocity.
• First strike is always a pulled-shot to be parried, dodged, or an intentional miss as a means of giving one's opponent a chance, proving the weaponmaster is no coward.
• True combat follows after all opponents have had their pulled-shot. During this, no blows may be pulled save for a killing blow, and then only if agreed to before hand. It is assumed to be a fight to the death unless otherwise stated, though it is almost always stated to be otherwise.
• If a group conflict is taking place with multiple people on each side, it is expected that weaponmasters will work very hard to protect, support, or avenge their side if one is injured, killed, stunned, knocked down, or disqualified.
• An official call of an end to the battle, as agreed upon beforehand. Most are simply timed by an observer. Some are to the death, to first blood, or to a number of points as determined by rules or a moderator. Or even for style.

After the call is made to end, the surviving and conscious warriors must again spill blood to show respect. If they have open wounds, they may simply let them flow a moment. If doing this would cause the death of the warrior, they may simply bow.

At this time, if their combat met the criteria needed, the energy is captured within the defined space. All participating (and surviving) warriors may then re-enter the space, touch the spilled blood, and absorb the power. However, in many such contests, it is agreed before hand that only the winner(s) will do this. When a warrior absorbs the power from the spilled blood, the blood vanished. In order to use the power, the warrior must be thinking of what they wish to improve about themself while doing it (adding to strength, speed, etc.). If they wish to improve a weapon (or armor or tool), they must touch the weapon (or armor or tool) to the blood. If the power is not absorbed within seven hours or before another ritual takes place there, it will dissipate.

These rituals invoke the seven qualities of a great warrior:

• Sharpness - skill with one's weapon (initial weapon display / true combat)
• Ferocity - the strength of a bull (war cry / true combat)
• Bravery - unflinching from conflict (initial pulled-shot / true combat)
• Speed - the speed of a charging bull (true combat)
• Wits - tactical thinking (true combat)
• Camaraderie- camaraderie with one's fellow warriors (support for allies during the fight)
• Respect - respect for one's enemies (spilling of one's own blood at start and end)

Typically, it is these areas warriors choose to improve after a ritual.

If these are all met during the ritual, the energy will make the spilled blood glow a bright, burning red. Some actions can generate more energy if done in certain ways: the better the display of weapon skill, the more intimidating the war cry, taking a handicap as a sign of bravery, using speed or wit more effectively, etc. The safer a ritual is, the less energy it will produce; the fewer actions taken, the less it will produce. These two sometimes run counter to one another - a dangerous battle may end swiftly if the more danerous opponent proves how dangerous they are.

In game mechanics terms, every conflict action (hit/parry, hit/dodge, etc.) taken during the fight counts as a point of energy to be absorbed afterward. If a warrior makes a special parry, dodge, or hit, an extra +1, and +2 for exceptional. If a warrior's weapon or armor are damaged, the extent of damage adds +1 per grade of damage (minor/tie, moderate/normal, significant/special, unrepairable/exceptional).

For the display of weapon skills, a quality roll is made - an extra point of energy is produced per level above base (1-2 above gives +0, 3-5 above is +2, 6-10 above is +3) per warrior performance.

Similarly, if a warrior's war cry succeeds in intimidating their opponent (intimidation vs. WIL), the level of success provides further bonuses, but so does failure. If a war cry is laughed at or makes the enemy more confident, points of energy are lost: exceptional failure (confidence +1 PRO bonus to enemy for one action) is -3; special failure (mockery -1 PRO penalty to warrior for one action) is -2; normal failure (no effect) is -1; tie (no effect) is +0; normal success (LNA to enemy) is +1; special success (LNA and -1 PRO for first action) is +2; and exceptional success (Lose Two Actions and -2 PRO for first two actions) is +3. Because warriors are almost always both performing war cries, they are often rolled against one another instead of against WIL.

The difference in skill, strength, and speed between warriors also affects the number of energy points. A gap of +6 or more will add +1 to every conflict between those stats. For example, a warrior with PRO 13 vs. a warrior with ATH 9 will mean that every time the warrior with ATH 7 tries to dodge, there is a +1 to the points created by that action. This is somtimes exploited by warriors who take a handicap by fighting with a blunted or old or otherwise defective weapon or armor, tying hands behind their back, going in blindfolded, always doing called shots, allowing themselves to be wounded, drawing a deep wound on their initial sacrifice of blood, etc. Anything to expand the gap while prolonging the fight. (Adding to the gap by becoming much better than the opponent too often leads to battles ending quickly or failing because of too many pulled shots, though wearing or using better armor does sometimes help prolong things.)

If a warrior fails to help their fellow warriors when they could do so during a ritual conflict, they will lose points equal to the degree of hit, wound, or stun experienced by the fellow warrior (whichever is highest) - tie is no modifier; normal wound/stun/hit is -1; special is -2; exceptional is -3.

The end results could be enormous gains for a warrior. The best matches tend to do things the old-fashioned way: equally skilled warriors engaging in a prolonged fight due to neither having an advantage. Counterattacks add up.

When a weaponmaster absorbs the energy from a ritual conflict and apply it to a stat, skill, ability, power, diversity, or object, the stat increases based on how much beyond the species/national base for that stat the warrior already is. For instance, an average human has an 8 PRO. If someone with this PRO participates in a ritual conflict successfully and takes up the energy afterward, they will gain more than a human with 19 PRO. The scale is thus:

Modifier to Base	Increase Per Point
-7	+3
-6	+2
-5	+1
-4	+.5
-3	+1/3
-2	+1/4
-1	+1/6
0	+1/7
1	+1/14
2	+1/21
3	+1/28
4	+1/35
5	+1/42
6	+1/49
7	+1/56

And so on. The amount of energy generated by skilled warriors becomes much more important, as they will gain very slowly if they do not generated enough in the ritual. Therefore, they make tweaks to the ritual as they become more skilled to increase danger, prolong the match, etc.

Most mortals cannot go above a 42 base, and very few can handle greater than 25.

Weaponmasters in training have regular ritual matches in order to build their skills, but due to the physical damage done to them, they often have to take long breaks because magical healing will negate the effects of the energy.

Weaponmasters almost always improve themselves with the energy, but the same rituals can be used to provide a war mage with power, for instance. War mages build up the energy within themselves to unleash as fire, lightning, magical arrows, magical shields, etc. A weaponmaster may choose to do this as well, in rare cases, though this is rare and often only resorted to in times of dire need for some kind of more esoteric defense/attack.

• Bloodfire: if a weaponmaster completes the ritual spilling of blood, war cry, and pulled shot before an actual combat rather than a ritual one, they can still produce some energy. Once 6 points have been generated, if they can do so, they can touch their weapon or armor to the spilled blood and coat it with bloodfire, which is effectively just energy in fire form, adding fire damage bonuses or esoteric defense bonuses and making the weapon or armor unbreakable.
• Retrieval: a powerful weaponmaster may store some energy to be able to call up their weapon, armor, steed, or other connected object when needed from any distance. This takes 6 energy points, no matter how far it is teleported from.

Every weaponmaster eventually settles not just on a specific weapon type, but an individual weapon that they prefer. It is not uncommon for them to name their weapons. Weapons that do not have a repeated use (bombs, grenades, projectiles that cannot be recovered) are obviously not so personalized, though sometimes they hold one in reserve or as a "lucky charm" to represent the bond.

Some weaponmasters choose their fists, feet, body in general, or special powers such as breath weapon to master. In these cases, powers such as retrieval may actually be used to restore or heal the part or power in question.

A weaponmaster's primary personal weapon must be cared for meticulously. Due to the added power of energy, if the weapon is not well tended or given esoteric protections, it will fall apart faster, as it hits much harder or sees more use. Furthermore, a poorly maintained weapon can mean the weaponmaster fails to meet the standards necessary for ritual or maintaining energy.

Some weapons may require slight adjustments. A rapier-master will have more speed than strength. An archer more speed and perception. And so on.

PRO +2 Weapon Type +3 Specific Weapon +4 Personal Weapon +6 ATH +2 STR +2 AWA +1 WIL / PRS -2 STH +/-2