Skirmish Miniatures Wargame

Cr editS

A Game by Croc & Geoffrey Picard.

Assisted by Jean-François Beney, Julien Blondel, Pierre Bouas, Thomas Cheilan, David Freeman, Sandy Julien, Joel
Lehner, Philippe Masson, Arnaud Ramonat & Manuel Sanchez.

Originally Edited by Yann Arndt & Alicia Simonnet. English Version Edited by Tim Crothers, David Freeman,
Joel Lehner, & Robert Noland.

Figurines

Miniature Concepts : Bertrand Benoit, Croc, Thomas David, Jacques-Alexandre Gillois & Geoffrey Picard.

Design Concept : Bertrand Benoit  .

Miniature Sculptors : Michael Bigaud, Thomas David & Jacques-Alexandre Gillois  .

Miniature Painters: Allan Carrasco, Thomas David, Jacques-Alexandre Gillois, Jérôme Otremba & Sébastien Picque.

Paint & Design Sets: Team Toulouse.

Illustrations

Layout and Design: Stéphane Gantiez, Cédric Giroux, Marc Mathaly & Thomas Kohler.

Cover : Anne Rouvin.

Interior Illustrations: Bertrand Benoit, Antoine Carrion, Anthony Jean, Gurvan Friederich, Stéphane Gantiez,
Romain Gaschet, Sébastien Grenier, Nicolas Hesse, Michel Koch, Stéphane Louis, Pascal Quidault, Jean-Baptiste Reynaud,
Jean-Marc Ringuet, Jean-Sébastien Rossbach, Anne Rouvin, Marc Simonetti & Alexandre Tuis.

Department Loved hands, nudges, kicks, strokes of genius

small finds, great ideas and expert advice.

Thierry Abgrall, Emmanuel Beltrando, Guillaume Beuriot, Charlotte Bousquet, Frédéric Condette, Thomas Hervet,
Séverin Keizer, Ileana Scharager-Polet, Mikaël Scharager-Polet & Timbre-Poste.

Julien de Albuquerque, Matthieu Balay, Jean-Marie Boisnard, Gatien Billon Maurin, Stéphane Dalban, Jean-Marie
Delhinger, Cyril Derny, Jérôme Fournier, Gabriel Fraval, Frédéric Frugier, Nicolas Fuseau, Cédric Giroux, Nicolas
Gourmaud, Marie Laurent, Thimotée Laurent, Marc Mathaly, Charles Paulet, Yannick Polchetti, Alexandre Quicroix,
Pascal Saradjan, Fabien Soutif, Alexis Stacke & Muse Tesson.

David Bauwens, Bruno Béchu, Valentin Boucher, Rémy « Blacksad » Guilemin, Thierry Heit, Erwan Hubert Lionel
Labreuil, Raphaël Motta, Tom le Portois, Coralie Rouillet, Christophe « Kris » Roque & Nicolas « Juan » Rouanet.

N°41, Joël « Wagih » Alarcon, David « Anakron » Ayral, Romain van der Bogaert, Jérémie Bonament Teboul, Julien Casses,
Vivien Chesnel, Laurent « Werewolf » Exposito Mas, Bruno Grelier, Vincent « Minivince » Mir, Jérôme Otremba, Dimitri
« Dim69 » Peyrard, Sébastien « Jakovazor » Picque, Manuel « Manumilitari » Sanchez & David Waeselynck.

A Special Thanks to:

Matthieu «Liancour» Balay, Philippe «Alaster» Carpentier, Sebastien «Darth-Swen» Longuet, Philippe «CCCP» Villé.

Cipher Studios 2011


Hell Has Not Always
Been Hell����������������������������� 4
The Gates of Hell ��������������������������13
The Thirty Years War ��������������������13
Passages to the Beyond �����������������15
The Europeans ������������������������������18
The Situation in Europe Since the
Opening of the Gates ����������������18
The Situation in the Colony of
New Jerusalem����������������������������18
Supplies and Pay ���������������������������18
Spiritual and
Material Motivations ����������������20
The Ottoman Empire �������������������20
The Empire Below ������������������������25
Geography of Hell ������������������������25
The first day ���������������������������������26
The People of Hell ������������������������ 27
Titles and Demonic Hierarchy ������28
The Lost ���������������������������������������29
Exploration & Conquest ���������������30
Rules and Game-Play �����������35
The Basics ������������������������������������ 35
Dice ���������������������������������������������� 35
Fathoms ���������������������������������������� 35
Distance ��������������������������������������� 35
Measurement �������������������������������� 35
Facing ������������������������������������������� 35
Contact and Control Area ������������36
Contact �����������������������������������������36
Control Area ��������������������������������36
The Armed Forces ������������������������ 37
Unit Ranks ����������������������������������� 37
Officers ���������������������������������������� 37
Independents ������������������������������� 38
Troopers ��������������������������������������� 38
Unit Statistics ������������������������������� 38
Movement (MVT) ������������������������� 38
Shooting Skill (SHS) ���������������������� 38
Combat (CBT) ������������������������������ 38
Defense (DEF) ������������������������������� 38
Protection (PR) ����������������������������� 39
Life Points (LP) �����������������������������39
Faith (FTH) ���������������������������������� 40
Command (CMD) ������������������������ 40
Weapon Statistics. ����������������������� 40
Power Table ��������������������������������� 40
Range ��������������������������������������������41
Damage Type ��������������������������������41
Weapons Abilities �������������������������41
Nature of the Units �����������������������41
Magic, Special Abilities,
and Orders �������������������������������42
Unit Base Size ������������������������������42
Value, Faction, and Availability
of a Unit �����������������������������������42
Dominance �����������������������������������43
Turns ��������������������������������������������43
Upkeep Phase �������������������������������43
Action Phase ���������������������������������43
Definitions ����������������������������������� 44
First Activation ���������������������������� 44
Being Outnumbered ���������������������45
Activation �������������������������������������45
Movement ������������������������������������48
Control Area Effects ���������������������49
Combat ����������������������������������������49
Close Combat �������������������������������50
Resolving an Attack Sequence ������50
Special Situations ��������������������������51
Ranged Combat ���������������������������� 52
Shots �������������������������������������������� 52
Shooting Into Close Combat ��������54
Explosions ������������������������������������56
Blast Weapons ����������������������������� 57
Command and Orders ������������������58
Command. ������������������������������������58
GlossarY
Orders ������������������������������������������ 61
Magic ��������������������������������������������62
Auras ��������������������������������������������62
Lemures and Spells ����������������������62
States ������������������������������������������ 64
Special Abilities ��������������������������� 68
Constructing your
Company ���������������������������75
Recruiting Mercenaries ����������������� 75
Larger Battles ������������������������������� 75
Factions ���������������������������������77
The Westerners ��������������������77
The Western Kingdom Below ������� 77
Identifying Our Enemies ��������������� 78
The War Effort ����������������������������� 78
The Free Companies of Hell ���������80
Francisco Vargas ����������������������������81
Baptiste Valombre ������������������������82
Sir Valet ���������������������������������������� 83
Vincenzo Maculano
de Fiorenzuola ��������������������������85
Georg von Holbein ���������������������� 86
Aidan St. James ���������������������������� 87
Alvaro Echeverria de Balaguer. �����88
Anna Bogna Pavlova ���������������������89
Sister Eloise ��������������������������������� 90
Sara Zingaresce ���������������������������� 91
Swashbuckler ��������������������������������92
Missionary ������������������������������������ 93
Arquebuser ���������������������������������� 94
Doppelsöldner ������������������������������95
Grenadier ������������������������������������ 96
Blade for Hire �������������������������������97
The Demons ������������������������� 99
Asaliah ����������������������������������������103
Samael ���������������������������������������� 104
Tsilla ��������������������������������������������105
Eurynome ����������������������������������� 106
Foulques the Black ��������������������� 108
Jinx ��������������������������������������������� 109
Infernal Ambassador ������������������� 110
Damned One of Pride ������������������ 111
Great Damned One of Pride ���������112
Great Dmaned One of Wrath �������113
Mourner �������������������������������������� 114
Succubus ��������������������������������������115
Damned One of Wrath ���������������� 116
Damned One of Gluttony �������������117
Damned One of Sloth ������������������ 118
Flesh Demon ������������������������������� 119
The Saracens ������������������������121
The Secrets of the Old Man �������� 121
A Series of
Strange Coincidences �������������� 121
A Quest Shared By All �����������������122
Islam, the Force of Purity as an
Antidote ����������������������������������123
The Progress of the
Spiritual Quest ������������������������123
The Muslim Presence in hell �������124
Salâh ad-Dîn ������������������������������� 126
Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad ��������� 127
Layla bint Suraya bint Javaira ������128
Tarik ibn Malik ibn Rushd �����������130
Chams al Majid ����������������������������131
Fâtina�������������������������������������������� 132
Jafar al Efrit ��������������������������������� 133
Alchemist ������������������������������������134
Hashishin. ����������������������������������� 135
Lancer �����������������������������������������136
Pillar of the Faith ������������������������� 137
Berber Chasseur ��������������������������138
Blessed Warrior ���������������������������139
Dibbukim ����������������������������������� 140 Battlefields �������������������������� 213
Hunting Panther �������������������������� 141
Setting up the Battlefield �������������213
The Lost ������������������������������ 143 Selection of the
Battlefield Type �����������������������213
Bran Carnoth ������������������������������ 146
Marking the Terrain Zones ����������213
Etruscilla ��������������������������������������147
Reconnaissance of
Kartikeya ������������������������������������ 149
the Terrain ������������������������������214
Isha-Akshay ���������������������������������150
Terraforming ��������������������������������214
Jaws of the Deep ��������������������������151
Terms Used to Describe
Wormpile ������������������������������������152
Terrain Elements ���������������������215
Saurav-Geet ��������������������������������� 153
Size of an Element �����������������������215
Vorenus ���������������������������������������154
General Effects of
Squamata Spitter ������������������������� 155
the Elements ���������������������������215
Sling Maiden
& Maggot Bearer ���������������������156 Conflict Zones ��������������������216
Fangs of the Pit ��������������������������� 157
Battlefield Type �������������������������� 216
Squamata Warrior �����������������������158
Generic Terrain Elements ����������� 216
Corvus Tormentor �����������������������159
1 Point Generic Elements ������������ 216
Squamata Tracker ����������������������� 160
2 Point Generic Elements ����������� 216
Retiarius �������������������������������������� 161
3 Point Generic Elements ������������� 217
The Mercenaries ����������������� 163 4 Point Generic Elements ������������ 217
Don Quixote de la Mancha �������� 166 Icy Wastes of Hell �������������� 217
Rocinante ������������������������������������167
Andre de Montbard �������������������� 168 1 Point Icy Wastes Elements ��������218
2 Point Icy Wastes Elements �������218
Gotz von Berlichengen ��������������� 169
Gilles de Rais ������������������������������170 3 Point Icy Wastes Elements ��������218
4 Point Icy Wastes Elements �������218
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muldjam �������171
Alazais ����������������������������������������� 172 Icy Wastes Conflict Zones �����������218
Angelo Casaviecchi ���������������������� 173 Burning Hell ����������������������� 219
Charon ���������������������������������������� 174
Helle Møller ��������������������������������� 175 1 Point Burning Hell Elements �����219
Isaïa ben Moshe ��������������������������176 2 Point Burning Hell Elements �����219
Golem ������������������������������������������ 177 3 Point Burning Hell Elements �����219
Sha Ren Zhe ��������������������������������178 4 Point Burning Hell Elements ����219
Thirty Coins ��������������������������������179 Burning Hell Conflict Zones ��������219
Russian Trapper ������������������������� 180 Necropolis of Hell �������������� 220
Deserter �������������������������������������� 181
Damned Rank and File ����������������182 1 Point Necropolis Elements �������220
Squamata Nomad ������������������������183 2 Point Necropolis Elements �������220
3 Point Necropolis Elements �������220
The Immortals �������������������� 185 4 Point Necropolis Elements ������220
Cheng Xiao-Chen ����������������������� 189 Necropolis Conflict Zones ����������220
Li Tsu Tsin ���������������������������������� 190 Howling Plains of Hell �������� 221
Kuan Yin ��������������������������������������192
Chan Lee �������������������������������������193 1 Point Howling Plains Elements ��221
Blade Master, Human ����������������� 194 2 Point Howling Plains Elements �221
Blade Master, Hybrid �������������������195 3 Point Howling Plains Elements �221
Imperial Sentinel, Human ����������� 196 4 Point Howling Plains Elements �221
Imperial Sentinel, Demon ������������197 Howling Plains Conflict Zones ����222
Soul Carrier �������������������������������� 198
Miniatures Gallery ������������� 223
Peasants ������������������������������������� 199
The Lemures �������������������200
Rascal ���������������������������������������� 200
Candle ��������������������������������������� 200
Carabia ����������������������������������������201
Haborym �������������������������������������201
Babul ������������������������������������������202
Eludos �����������������������������������������202
Fahad ������������������������������������������202
Rabab ����������������������������������������� 203
Prizrak ���������������������������������������� 203
Ringhioso ����������������������������������� 203
Chung ���������������������������������������� 204
Xian ������������������������������������������� 204
Hou-Chi ������������������������������������� 204
Playing the Game ��������������206
Scenarios ����������������������������������� 206
Preparing for a Scenario ������������ 206
Definitions ���������������������������������� 207
Conquest ������������������������������������208
Scavenging ����������������������������������208
Defense ����������������������������������������211
Ambush ���������������������������������������212
 IntroductioN

L’Hell
enfer n’a always
has not pas tbeen
oujours
Hell
ét é l’enfer

B
efore our armies went down through the river, and before the crowned heads of Europe launched this
unstoppable charge into horror, Hell was only what our fears made it: a continent whose boundaries
were drawn by the vividness of our nightmares, and whose banks we filled with as many foul creatures
as we could imagine. A fantasy of crawling cracks, the ghost of an eternity of blood and pain. Hell had
always been the greatest of threats, brandished in the face of sinful souls just as heaven had always
been promised to the good and the pure. Paradise with its
pearly gates, its gardens of peace and well-being was given to
the souls of the virtuous, whereas Hell had only ever been
depicted as the source of absolute evil: a crawling, hostile
moorland, covered in ashes and sullied by the rivers that
carry the groans of the dead... Why has the realm of
the damned always been wrapped up in such an aura
of mysticism when the truth is so much more terrible
and stupefying? Why has Hell’s image always been
distorted so fiercely, if not to delay the inevitable
exploitation of the land’s resources and

4
 IntroductioN

inhabitants? Why did we believe, as hard as we could,

L’enfer n’a pas t oujours ét é l’enfer

that Hell was more than just a territory, more than just a
domain, the cradle of demon-kind, as surely as our Earth
was a cradle to humankind? A land made of blood just
as ours is made of stone. An earth cleansed by fire,
just as ours is washed by rain. A dry, wild and deadly
earth, but one that remains as caring and nurturing a
mother to the damned souls it gave birth to as the
one whose fruits mankind has always been nourished
with. No, Hell has not always been Hell. It became
Hell when we arrived. Until the year of our lord
1631, this new continent was just a land of sulfur, an
underground America awaiting its settlers, and we
came as conquerors to transform it, a little more
each day, into a field of battle whose harvests are
rich with souls...

I know what will be thought of me, but despite

my status in the kingdom of Hell, I have no more liking
for the demons than I do for my fellow men. I was born
a human, and human I will remain, even though the gift of
immortality has made me a special being. I am a pariah in the
eyes of those who abandoned me, as much as in the hearts of those
who have taken me under their wing. I have no feelings for any of them, neither
damned, nor mortal. I am a scientist. A historian. A simple scribe. I dedicated my adult life
to studying countries that I hoped to be imaginary, and that I know today to be more real than the stone walls of
a church. For over twenty years, I studied Hell and its regions, its rites and its inhabitants, and hundreds of times
I barely escaped being burned at the stake as a heretic by the same lords, the same crowned heads of
power or faith, who were the first ones to come seeking my knowledge the minute our soldiers
went down below the river.

They came to me for knowledge, for understanding. They came to me in the hope
that my impious activities, finally seen as a useful science after having
been branded as infamy for so long, would provide answers to the
questions that arose from Hell. They came to me as to a learned
one, a man of letters, and they sent me off through the portal to
guide our troops there along the banks of the Styx. As a scholar,
more used to the velvet silence of libraries than to the clash
of the battlefields, I was placed under the command of a
young captain, a feisty war hound who refused to see me
as anything more than a poor soldier. From the very first
morning of our expedition to the day of my sacrifice, I was
nothing to him but a useless, temporary guide, whose life he
could dispose of as he would that of a wounded horse. By forcing

f e r
me to cross the wall, the young captain turned me into a martyr. A pioneer. A

L’en f e r a
n’ p as t ou jo u rs ét é e
l’ n
5
 IntroductioN

legend. But thanks to that man, that solider so thirsty for victory and medals, I was given the honor of leaving
behind my mortality in our world and gaining eternal life in the world of the Damned...

I am Henri Latour, and I know that history will retain my name as that of the first man to cross the Wall of
Kohut. For quite some time I thought so too, before I found out that others had crossed those barriers before
me. But if history chooses to remember my name instead of those of the true pioneers, the ottoman soldiers who
discovered Hell years before we did, what I did remains true: I crossed the wall. I entered the circles of Hell and
laid my eyes on the Underworld, and I chose to remain here…

I am Henri Latour, but it has been a long time since I have been called by my mortal name. For all here, I have
become the Scribe. The Historian. The Archivist. A mortal lost in the Realm of the Damned, who entered it
during his own lifetime and wished to remain there until the end of time. I am a curiosity, a riddle for all, and a
strange and coveted object. It was this covetousness that allowed me to escape death and enter into the service
of a powerful lord. After having studied demonology for over twenty years and working for His Majesty the King
of Spain, it was only a few days until I repudiated the Holy Crown and the sash of faith, and kissed the hand of
the Prince of Thebes. After having taught the names of the infernal beasts to the crowned heads of conquering
Europe, here I was, teaching the customs and history of the mortal world to a demon lord. I say again. I have no
feelings for any of them, neither damned, nor mortal. I am a scientist. A historian. A
simple scribe...

I am Henri Latour, and this is my story.

I was born in Paris in the year 1583. My father was a theologian and my
mother was Hungarian. Back then, Hell was still nothing but a vague threat,
but many legends were already told about the depths. Great philosophers
from the Holy Roman Empire, England, France and Italy had already proved
their incredible daring by publishing the results of their research, still
considered at that time to be blatant heresy. I know that my younger years
will be of no interest to any of those who read this, but as I became an adult,
I remember reading a book which turned my juvenile interest in tortured
bodies into a deep hunger for understanding and codifying
all that the sacred scriptures had chosen to hide. It
was more than just a book it was a revelation. A non-
censored copy of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy,
passed on from hand to hand and kept hidden from
the throes of the Inquisition. The work of a visionary,
a man who would only be remembered by his first
name, but who, like me, would long be regarded
as the first to have visited the Underworld. The
description brushed by the Florentine poet was
full of blatant mistakes, and I was soon to be
able to correct them down to the minutest
detail, but his masterpiece had nonetheless
changed my existence. I was not yet thirty
years of age, and I was thereafter convinced
that one man had found his way into
the Underworld, and that he had

J e su is H en ri L at ou r, e t vo ic i m on h is t oi re 6
 IntroductioN
J e s u is H en r i L a t o u r, e t v o ic i m on
returned with enough strength of body and clearness of mind to tell the story of
his discovery...
h is t o ir e
From then on, much to the displeasure of my father, I decided to
end my studies and break my religious vows. My mother sold a few
pieces of jewelry to allow me to leave France and reach Spain,
where the inquisitors of the Holy Counsel of Seville prided
themselves in having the largest collection of accursed scrolls.

At first I was taken on as a scribe, and I had to perform

many tiresome and thankless tasks, but my enthusiasm
for copying and my French heritage lead me into the
circle of demonology that I had traveled so far to
join, and where I was to complete my knowledge
far beyond my greatest expectations. The secret
libraries of Seville taught me that for quite a few
centuries, Hell had already been described as a
physical place, an «earth under the earth», a kingdom
that could be reached if only one could find the way
there, and from which one could return as long as one
did not lose one’s soul there...

Many translations from Greek and Latin already mentioned the circles of Hell and
the lords who ruled over them. This was a proof that the Underworld, despite its
incredibly chaotic nature, was run according to feudalistic and military rules quite
similar to those of mortal men. For almost twenty years, I learned the myths and legends, the
geography, the names of the princes and fallen angels, the nature and contents of the circles, the rites, sacrifices
and ceremonies... For almost twenty years I learned everything that the wise men and the grimoires of Seville
could teach me. Looking back now, as a historian, I have to admit that at that time, before I had seen Hell with
my own eyes, I only considered this knowledge to be part of a philosophy, a science of the mind, and I never dared
to imagine that I would one day experience Hell so vividly. However, that day was to come sooner than I thought.
During the first days of the summer of 1632 my presence was requested by His Majesty the King of Spain, and I left
the Council of Seville to travel to Magdeburg in the soaking wet northern plains of the Holy Roman Empire. As I
traveled across war-ravaged Europe, I had no idea what was awaiting me. The part I would play, the sacrifice and
discoveries I would make, and the choice of immortality... My chest filled with impatience, I was walking towards
Hell as a young pianist awaits the rise of the curtain, with no idea that the curtain of the abyss was already open
and waiting for me...

I only have one vague and slightly guilty memory of my travel from Seville to Magdeburg. The whole of Europe
was crawling with famine and war. Wherever we went, there was nothing but devastated farms and villages,
burned out shells of barns, and bones of half-gutted livestock piled high in their enclosures. The roads were
nothing more than an endless procession of soldiers and wandering civilians, starving peasants, hobbling horses
carrying the wounded, makeshift carts, women and children with eyes misted up with mud and poverty, soldiers
who had lost a leg or an arm, and others whose faces were hidden behind a blood-stained bandage. Individuality
reduced to a human river of exile and defeat, trudging along under the hungry gaze of the crows and the rats.
Having spent half of my life studying the torments that Hell inflicted on the damned, I must confess with a heart

7
 IntroductioN

L’en f er é t a it b ien l à, e t n o u s l e s e
c on f u s é m en t , m a is n o u s m a r c h ionnst ion s t o u s
s u r l e fil a i g u is é d u d o u t e e t denec o r e
heavy with shame while I write these memoirs, that the sight of the starving bodies and the spectacle of broken
lives was only of a vague interest to me. I was not shocked or sad. My compassion was so reserved that it was
deeply unworthy of the scale of this human disaster. Studying Hell had given me a pale and emaciated taste of the
drama taking place around me, and all I could see was a huddled mass of paupers and defeated soldiers, as if the
scene required more blood and guts to be of interest to me. I could only think of Hell, and I realize now how very
worthy I was of it all along...

I learned the true reasons of my presence in the north of the Holy Roman Empire only a few hours after my
arrival. Judging by the dark looks that my brethren had given me, I had presumed that my mission, as well as
being important enough to require a meeting with His Majesty, must be linked to the discovery of a place, a
book, or human suffering from a rare type of possession. I was certain that I was to experience Hell in one of its
earthly manifestations. I would never have dreamed that not only was I to be allowed to enter the place itself,
but that I was expected to guide a hundred of our men and escort them down below... Staying only a few leagues
away from the ruined city of Magdeburg , I had no idea of the terrible events that had taken place there, and no
information at all had leaked out about the discovery of the portal. Hell was there, sure enough, and we all knew
it, somehow, but we were all working on the sharp wire of doubt and uncertainty. Hidden behind the vaulted
walls of my library, I had no idea of the fronts, the victories and the betrayals, the movements of the armies
that had ravaged Europe during the last few years. Admittedly, the names of Pappenheim, Tilly, Wallenstein,
Prince Henri II de Bourbon or Bernhard of Saxe were not totally unknown to me, but I could not have told ally
from enemy or trustworthy from traitor in this messy war, no more than I could have saluted the victor, if by any

8
 IntroductioN

chance this massive butchery

ever designated one.... I was
nothing but a scholar, a learned
man with uncertain eyesight, but if
there was one name I will never forget,
it was that of the young Captain unto
whom His Majesty had entrusted my life...

José Gasquez was a war animal, one

of those Spaniards who feeds on
ambition even more than on bread,
and whose training in prestigious
military schools had forged a

x .
personality as straight and

d ’o r of
as hard as a sword. He

f e rt s p ar le s gr an d s gé n ér au
lu s
was taller than half his

S ur p ri s p
men and broader

ar ce t t e f ou le , je le f us p
t la
than the other half.
At a whisper
from him the
en co re lo rs qu e je d éc ou vr is le cœ ur e
murmuring
of the hundred-odd
ra is on
soldiers he commanded would stop immediately. I don’t think he ever really realized where the Holy Crown was
sending him and his men: José Gasquez was trained to conquer. It mattered little to him if it was the whole of the
Underworld or the next village. His armor was ready, his orders stamped into his mind as if they were his mother
tongue, and his men awaited no more than a signal from him to plunge into the horror that was already hungry to
taste our flesh...

In the same way as Heaven sometimes sends us signs of its will, the benefit of the discovery of the bridge to Hell
was the end of the decades of war that had shaken Europe. Faced with a threat greater than all possible enemies
united, the generals of the great armies had found themselves forced to form an alliance, on the very grounds of
their last battle, and embrace the great project of exploration and conquest of this New World. There were more
nationalities their than I had ever seen: people had come from the Holy Roman Empire, Sweden, France, Spain and
even from the Papal states, and had united in a stronghold where all the religions and accents mingled. Outside
Magdeburg, which had now become a garrison of diversity, the banks of the small river were covered in workshops,
stalls and barracks where thousands of workers huddled. Carpenters, blacksmiths, grooms, all drawn by the
thought of earning a few gold coins from the great generals, set up their shops, furnaces, and stables.

Although I was surprised by this crowd, I was even more surprised when I discovered the heart and cause of this
enormous building site: a gigantic well, as wide as a tower, built in the deepest part of the river and surrounded
by hoists, pulleys and heavy lift-cages. When I finally asked Gasquez the question that had been burning my lips
since I had arrived, I saw his eyes narrow into two mean slits. Without taking his gaze off the circular pit, which
looked like a dark hole burning its way straight through the bowels of the Earth, he murmured just one word.

Hell...

9
 IntroductioN
When Gasquez sounded the signal for our descent after a short night filled with bad dreams, we marched
towards the lift-cages and were lowered into the well, huddled against one another, along with those who were to
be sacrificed. Each of us had taken care to wrap our weapons, our tobacco and our rolls of parchment in waxed
leather cases, as we were sure we would have to brave the water of the river, but we were all startled when we saw
that the well went down, not into the water itself but into the eye of a gigantic immobile cyclone, a long funnel,
a frozen whirlpool, that could have been crafted into the water by a Moses with fearsome powers. Around us,
the water seemed to swirl in slow motion, formed by some strange force into an abyss that reached down into
the belly of the Earth. Not a single drop of water touched our faces, but from the first creak of the pulleys to the
moment the lift cage came to a halt, I saw many a soldier close his eyes and cross himself with bated breath, as if
they feared to suffocate or spend the rest of their lives too far away from God and the Virgin Mary... The amazing
descent only lasted a short while, but what with the apprehension and the continuous roaring of the portal, I bet
that each of the men felt, as I did, that we had been descending into darkness for many long hours. As the light
of the sky above was fading above us, there was a thumping sound, the light disappeared and I felt my whole body
freeze. By the time our eyes became accustomed to the darkness, we were no longer in the land of mortal men...

There are no words to describe the immensity of this land of horror... For as far as our eyes could see, the
horizon seemed to blend the earth and the sky into a desert of blood filled with dark figures. Our bodies were
heavier, our muscles stiffer, and a poisonous silence throbbed in our ears and tightened our throats, as if the air we
were breathing was somehow thicker. The whole of the emptiness seemed to be watching us. None of us dared to
move a muscle, and faced with this spectacle, even Gasquez paused for a long moment, as if he finally understood
the size of our human folly. I know that the soldiers had been trained to face a confrontation, but there wasn’t
even a single demon there to welcome us: around us, Hell was nothing but sand and twisted rocks. We could
hardly even hear the odd groan in the distance. Above our heads, ropes and chains hung down like the cut strings
of the puppets that we were. The sky of our world was now invisible, and another sky opened up through strands
of mist punctuated by flashes of lightning and heavy storm clouds.
As our eyes became used to the light of Hell, we could
see more of the new terrain around us, made up of
mountains, groups of black rocks, threatening cliffs,
the remains of winding tracks and the bones
of monstrous creatures half-buried in sand...
With one knee down in the mud, a soldier
pointed out recent tracks. Boot prints,
hoof prints, tracks of wheels and crates
being dragged: we were not the first
ones to visit Hell, but Gasquez already
knew this. With a wave of his hand,
he ordered us to follow him and
guided us, as if he already knew the
way, towards a high dune of sand that
rose around an enclosed plain. Down

av an t-p os t e
below, a long snake of ebony was digging

d e vien d ra it b ie n t ôt le p re m ie r its way through the red rocks, and I

realized why there were so many stories

d e l’h om m e
about the Styx. The river didn’t flow, it
literally tore the plains of Hell in two,
ripping the banks apart and poisoning
the rocks with its bile, as if it carried

10
 IntroductioN
more venom than the depths could take. Beside the majestic spectacle of the river, a ballet like that of an anthill
was taking place on the opposite bank. In a turmoil, thousands of arms and legs groaned from the effort, cutting
up tree trunks, hauling on ropes, uniting their efforts to erect the foundations of what was soon to become the first
advanced base of man in Hell. New Jerusalem was still but a vast encampment of wooden buildings, but the flags
that were already raised over the barracks, only a few weeks after the discovery of the portal, were a sign that a
long and bloody rush for the yet unknown riches of the Continent of the Dead was soon to begin.

sa is l’e n f e r av an t le s h om m e s, e t je sa is le
I am Henri Latour, and although I have never forgotten my mortal name, I sometimes find myself wandering

sa is le s p re m iè re s
through the labyrinth of my memory. To the memories of my first descent to the Underworld, marked by the

d est in d e s co lo n s. J e
smell of the Styx and the vision of its then unpopulated banks, are now joined the fragments of a forgotten past

gu err e s e n t re le s P at ri ar ch e s, e t je sa is
and of a future that I have been permitted to share with my master. I know of Hell before man, and I know the
fate of the settlers. I know the wars between the Fathers, and I know the name of the victor of the crusades of

d e s d e P él io n e t
the Pelion and of Ausonia. I know now what the Generals would have killed to know at the time they invaded the

le va in qu e ur d e s cr oi sa
Forbidden Realm, and I know the weaknesses that the Demon Lords used to plant the seed of discord among the

d ’A us so n e. J e sa is ce qu e le s gé n ér au x
great armies of men. Now that I have crossed the Wall of Kohut, I know how much suffering humans have caused
to the children of Hell. I know all this and much more, but I have vowed not to reveal any part of it. From the day

au ra ien t t u é p ou r co nn aî t re , à h
l’ e ur e où il s
I tasted the blood of He who made me immortal to the very moment that I choose to leave these memories to the
Styx, I promised to only lay down on this paper the life of a mortal man: the one that I had the honor to lead, as

ro ya u e in t e rd it , e t je sa is
short as it was, and that allowed me to understand how wrong we were, and had always been...

m
en va h is sa ien t le on t les S e i gn eur s D ém on s
We did not invade the Realm of the Damned.

les f ai bless es d r p ou r se m er la d is co rd e
We merely rediscovered the path that we had lost long ago.

on t ch oi si d e jo ues ar m ées h u m ain es. Et je

Hell has always been ours...

en t re les gr an d e e p ui s qu e j’a i f ran ch i la

sa is au jo ur dh’ ui, du t, co m b ien l’h u m an it é a
m ur ai ll e d e K ohen f an t s d e l’en f er… J e
f ai t so u f f rir les je sa is plu s en co re, m ai s
sa is t ou t cela, e t

No
d am us n
No n é ’a v o
ch e u s e s. n s p
L’en m in n a
f er . v on
s
11
 At the Gates of Hell
Aux The
portGates
es ofdeHelll’enfer
he Thirty
Years War
«If you knew what a soldier will do when he has no money,
you would not act as you do. The money I am asking for is
not for play or to spend frivolously. I’m not asking this for
myself, I’m asking this on behalf of my state.
Louis XIII Speaking to the Parliment of Paris, 1637.
In the heart of Europe the Holy Roman Empire of
the German Nation was being torn apart by internal
conflict. Traditionally the Empire had been ruled by
the House of Hapsburg but this was being contested by
regional princes. Princes and peoples, State Diets and
free town; all were being split apart by disagreement
over religion and privileges.
The Empire was divided between the Catholics, the
Lutherans, and the Calvinists. Such differing religious
views have served to create numerous local conflicts
over the freedom of faith. These clashes were still
occurring by the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.
The instability of the Empire was of great interest
to neighboring countries. A branch of the Hapsburg
dynasty ruled Spain which gave their family a domi-
nant hand in the affairs of Europe. The Hapsburg’s had
openly taken the side of the Catholic Reformation, or
Counter Reformation as it was more commonly known,
which demonstrated their support of Catholicism. This
official backing of Catholicism distressed the Protes-
tant princes. Seeing an opportunity to weaken the
Hapsburg’s dominance in Europe, several neighboring
rulers began secretly aiding the Protestant princes.
It was the crowning of Ferdinand of Hapsburg as
Emperor that started the sequence of events that even-
tually led to war across Europe. Ferdinand was to
succeed his first cousin Matthias II. Matthias II had
become Emperor in 1612. While Emperor he had
managed to reestablish hereditary control of several
13
provinces that had managed to split during previous
inheritance squabbles.
And so the enemies of the Hapsburg family began
to murmur that Ferdinand was to bring back the here-
ditary nature of the Imperial crown and to favor the
Catholics. This would in turn designate the King of
Spain as a successor and durably give dominance to
the Counter Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire of
the German Nation. The Protestant princes decided
they must intervene and the neighboring countries sei-
zed on this chance to undermine Hapsburg dominance
in Europe.
Ferdinand was elected King of Bohemia as required
by tradition as a precursor to being named Matthias
II’s successor. This accomplished he left Prague little
realizing the seeds of war were sprouting there in the
form of a legal conflict between the Catholic domina-
ted Regency and the Protestant controlled Assembly.
This legal battle lasted several months. Eventually the
Protestants prevailed and defenestrated two Catholic
governors of the council of Regency and a scribe. Ama-
zingly the three unfortunates managed to survive the
plunge of nearly 45 feet to the dry moat bottom through
the dubious luck of landing in a heap of manure. Their
survival not-withstanding, this proved to be the pivotal
event that sparked war. All wars begin somewhere;
the Thirty Years’ War began on May 23rd 1618 with the
“Defenestration of Prague”. Funds and troops quickly
poured in to the Imperials and the Protestant princes
as foreigner’s saw the chance to advance their respec-
tive agenda’s in the region. The Holy Roman Empire of
the German Nation was coming apart.
With sufficient historical context established, we turn
our attention to the interesting and inescapable aspect
of war: the bloodshed.
On August 28th 1619 Ferdinand was elected Empe-
ror. The following year the Count of Tilly managed to
crush the Protestant Revolt of Bohemia at the battle of
White Mountain. This defeat opened the door for a
brutal repression of the people by the Emperor’s allies.
The troops began seizing goods and lands regardless
of people’s religions or origins.
 At the Gates of Hell

The military and political moves aiming

to reinforce Catholicism and Imperial power
continued but in reality religion was but
a convenient pretext. The real goal was to
amass authority and power.
Attrition played a key role in the war and
the funding of the respective armies triggered
betrayals and defeats on both sides. Riche-
lieu was heard to say “More battles have been
lost in history by lack of bread and discipline
than by the efforts of the enemy’s armies”.
Mansfeld, the mercenary leader of the main
Protestant army from 1619 to 1625, serves
as a stark example of this. He died not on
the battlefield but rather from an illness he
contracted while he was trying to raise the
funds necessary to lead his troops back to
war. Conquering troops pillaged subjugated
territory for resources but this looting was
insufficient to support the troops alone.
The Imperial forces were no better off.
Sometime between 1621 and 1622 Hans de
Witte, a Prague banker, promised the Empe-
ror he could provide him the six million flo-
rins he needed to fund his army. De Witte’s
consortium was granted management of the
Bohemian mint and exclusive rights to buy
silver for one year. De Witte delivered on
his promise but in the process he specula-
ted on the devaluation of the local currency
to become extremely rich. The local Bohe-
mian landowning bourgeoisie, already devas-
tated by their defeat at White Mountain, saw
their remaining funds evaporate. De Witte
surrounded himself with fellow war entrepre-
neurs able to capitalize on the chaos. The
most notable example of the enterprising
individuals was Wallenstein. Wallenstein
started as a simple adventurer but managed
to marry into Bohemian nobility and become
a self-made general.
Phillip IV, the Spanish ruler at war against
the United Provinces, intended to conquer the
ports of the North Sea. The Hapsburg’s of
Vienna and Madrid, united in their common
support of the Counter Reformation, joined
forces in battle. This alliance had the poten-
tial to yield complete domination of the Baltic
Sea. Foreign control of the Baltic would be
devastating to Denmark so Christian IV, the
King of Denmark, was forced to launch mili-
tary intervention against the alliance. Den-
mark’s troops proved insufficient to the task
and were eventually defeated by two imperial
armies lead by the Count of Tilly and Wal-
lenstein. Seeing Christian IV’s defeat the King

14
 At the Gates of Hell
of Sweden decided to launch his own campaign to pro-
tect the Baltic.
Gustaf Adolf, Sweden’s King, had secretly obtained
assurance from Louis XIII that he would be receiving
regular funding. Due to Gustaf’s careful preparation
Sweden’s army was now the most modern in Europe
and consisted of mostly veterans loyal to their warrior
king. In comparison the Imperial army now consisted
of mostly untried troops. The experienced troops
were all largely dead and the remainder had not seen
combat at White Mountain for want of sufficient funds
to pay them. The Imperial forces were thus far behind
those of Gustaf’s.
Gustaf Adolf and his army entered the Empire’s ter-
ritory and took several German princes under his pro-
tection. For awhile Gustaf was able to avoid direct
conflict with Tilly’s army by remaining on the move.
In a gambit to push Gustaf Adolf into direct conflict
the County of Tilly launched at attack on the Swedish
garrison posted at Magdeburg.
assages to
The Beyond
May 1631. After several months of siege the
Protestant garrison finally gave way. Frustrated
by months of battle the soldiers took advantage
of the weakness of the defeated city and The
Imperial generals promptly lost control of their
troops. Massive carnage ensued. Some will say
that Tilly turned a blind eye to the atrocities, others
that Pappenheim was the one responsible. For the
victims the result was the same regardless of fault.
A massive fire burned the entire city to the ground.
Every woman in the city was raped repeatedly. The
Siege of Magdeburg and the following devastation
reduced the population of this once prosperous city
from 30,000 to 5,000…
For many years after the term “magdeburgization”
was used to refer to raping and pillaging. The
Protestants in turn began using the phrase
“Magdeburg justice” and “Magdeburg mercy” to
justify their own travesties against the Catholics.
While this barbarism was occurring scouts from
both sides began regularly reporting strange lights
appearing on the surface of the river downstream.
These strange phenomena began to cause disturbances
among the troops. A few boats were sent out to
inspect the area. Not a single boat returned and
consequently the terror continued to escalate.
The Count of Tilly began to take the matter
seriously. He ordered any scholars remaining in
the region, be they Catholic, Protestant or pauper,
15
to be found and brought before him. All were given
the same demands for an explanation of what was
occurring so he could put an end to superstitious
talk. None had answers.
Guards were posted and observation posts
established on both shores level with the place
where the boats would disappear. A wide disc of
light had appeared right in the middle of the running
water. More volunteers were found to enter the
area. Observers agreed that the boats seemed to
make a downward movement before disappearing.
The eventual consensus became that the disc
must be some sort of opening to a well that could
not be perceived from the shores. A gigantic crane
was constructed using materials scavenged from the
ruins of Magdeburg. New volunteers were sent out
and pulled across the disc by a system of pulleys
and cables.
This time the exploration crews returned. They
brought back mad tidings of an underground river
that carried dead people speaking the various
languages of Europe. They also claimed to have
located the survivors of the previous volunteers.
Apparently the survivors had made camp on the
banks of an underground river and were beset
by creatures with monstrous features. The news
of the discovery spread like wildfire out through
all the provinces until even the Emperor became
concerned.
Tilly commandeered everything that could float and
sent regiment after regiment of soldiers to explore
the underground river. Those who returned came
back forever changed. It soon became customary
to brand those who had gone beyond the disc with
a red hot iron to mark them out.
As the weeks progressed news sent back by the
explorers became abundant but it was most often
obscure or even incomprehensible. The further
the expeditions went underground the more of the
strange creatures, now commonly called demons,
they encountered. Even stranger was that the
more demons killed by the soldiers the more their
numbers seemed to grow.
The County of Tilly continued to send troops
below until eventually virtually all of the Imperial
army stationed at Magdeburg was deployed to
the Underworld. Tilly soon realized that it was
impossible to coordinate his army from the rear.
The orders and companies carrying them tended to
go astray and the reports that came back from the
vanguard no longer made any sense at all.
Pappenheim and Tilly decided to gather all the
remaining forces in Magdeburg and go see what
was happening first hand. They passed through
the passage and soon found themselves transported
into an unreal landscape. Paths of crimson rocks
 At the Gates of Hell
wound between the fires that burned on the sides
of mountains of ash and fields of bones.
The generals gradually gathered up the scattered
elements of their armies. They had been divided
up into fortified camps. The camps had been
battling small numbers of extremely hostile
creatures. Judging from the creature’s appearances
Pappenheim and Tilly were convinced that what
they were dealing with actually were demons. They
quickly reorganized the armies to conquer these
strange lands.
As they organized the Imperial troops
encountered some small contingents of Spanish and
French soldiers. The Spanish troops were quickly
assimilated owing to their common origins. The
French troops were simply killed.
Tilly decided to set up base camp on the shores
of the underground river to facilitate supplying his
forces. While thus engaged the Imperial soldiers
suffered a surprise attack from a French army lead
by Henri II de Bourbon, third prince of Condé. Tilly
realized that there must be at least two passages
into these lands as there had been no reports of
attack by his rear guards at the Magdeburg entrance.
Seizing on the fact that formal war had not been
declared between France and the Imperium Tilly
quickly opened negotiations for a truce.
Back in Europe news of the Sack of Magdeburg
had reached Gustaf Adolf and he was furious. He
dispatched Bernhard of Saxe to chase the Imperial
Army. Bernhard prepared his forces for a violent
battle in Magdeburg but was shocked to find only
a small garrison established on the banks of the
Elbe. The garrison primarily consisted of scholars
spending their time speculating on theological
considerations. Apparently the County of Tilly
had abandoned his rearguard to the army of
Wallenstein on whom he was counting on to relay
information. Bernhard heard fantastic stories of an
underground river carrying the dead and countless
fights with demons.
Discounting the stories Bernhard decided to press
on and find his lost enemies. Passing through the
gate with his army Bernhard discovered more than
a little truth in the stories. He followed the banks
of the underground river and came across Tilly’s
main camp. Vengeance in their hearts his forces
immediately launched a siege against the Imperial
troops. The French forces decided to make the most
of the circumstances and treacherously changed
sides and a particularly violent battle took place.
Eventually both sides realized that fighting
amongst themselves in this land would ensure all of
their deaths. Beset by demons and lacking supplies
their only hope was to work together and so the
Catholic and Protestant generals began negotiations
that eventually led to the creation of a de facto
16
alliance. Pappenheim, Tilly, Henri II de Bourbon
and Bernhard de Saxe negotiated the conditions
of a lasting truce. The Europeans realized that
the strange lands could be nothing other than the
Underworld. The battle became known as the
Battle of the Styx.
Above them in Europe Tilly’s gambit was playing
out as he had intended. Wallenstein, leading
the Imperial forces, and Gustaf, commanding the
Protestants, were both marching on Magdeburg.
Large numbers of troops on both sides had
disappeared and the most ridiculous superstitions
had reached the generals ears. They both decided
the only prudent course of action was to take
matters into hand personally. The scene of battle in
Magdeburg was even worse than the first. Catholic
mercenaries fought Protestant crusaders and the
battle turned to the advantage of the King of
Sweden. Saxons and Swedes, determined to avenge
the martyrs of the Sack of Magdeburg, cut off the
retreat of the Imperial troops and slaughtered them
without even stopping to eat or sleep.
Wallenstein was cornered and cut off. He
regrouped his remaining forces around the portal.
Seeing no other option to save himself, he abandoned
his remaining army and passed through the portal
with his personal guard. It was Wallenstein’s turn
to learn the truth of the stories circulating above
ground. Stunned, he made his way to the camp
on the banks of the Styx where he was welcomed
by Pappenheim and Tilly. Unfortunately for the
Imperials this meant that the Swedish troops now
controlled the gateway and they were totally cut
off from any hope of obtaining supplies. Luckily for
Tilly’s men, Bernhard de Saxe and Henri II de Bourbon
realized there was more to be gained by putting
aside their differences so they could concentrate on
exploring the Underworld. Bernhard returned to
the surface and convinced Gustaf to make a short
visit to the Underworld to judge things for himself.
The truth of his general’s reports became readily
apparent to the King of the Swedes.
Gustaf now completely controlled the portal in
Magdeburg and with most of the Catholic troops
in the Underworld that meant they could no longer
contest the lands of the Empire he had seized. He
could use the control of the lands to negotiate a
lasting peace with the Emperor.
The generals in the Underworld concluded their
best option was to maintain control of the lands
they had conquered. To maintain that control
they had to fend off the constant incursions from
the demons, send out expeditions to explore and
fortify their positions. To accomplish all of these
required re-establishing supply lines which had
been severed first by the arrival of the French and
then the Swedes.
 At the Gates of Hell

Rumors quickly began to buzz from returning simultaneously. Richelieu obtained an intervention
exploration parties about metals that didn’t rust, from the Pope which allowed him to mediate the
of a spring that, when drank from, staved off conflict and get all parties to agree to a truce.
hunger and eliminated the need to sleep and fuels The human colony on the banks of the Styx was
that never ran out. Wallenstein’s ambitiousness baptized New Jerusalem. On paper New Jerusalem
immediately led him to try to collect and capitalize was under the protection of the Pope. In reality it
on the information. While he was the first he was governed by a small council of representatives
was definitely not the last. While the Swedish of those rulers with a claim over the discovery of the
army firmly controlled the Magdeburg portal two Underworld. The council consisted of Pappenheim,
other portals were discovered to be open in La Tilly, Bernard of Saxe, Henri II de Bourbon and
Rochelled and Seville. Maneuvering for control in Ferdinand of Hapsburg.
the Underworld had begun.
Louis XIII, under the influence of Richelieu, chose
to handle the situation with diplomacy. Philip IV of
Spain decided to use other methods to insure his
interests. Until now Philip IV had been discreet
about the portals and contented himself with
placing spies. He decided to remind everyone of
his presence and sent a large contingent of armed
men lead by Ferdinand of Hapsburg the Caridnal-
Infante to establish claim to Spanish rule in the
Underworld. Soon after entrance to the Underworld
Ferdinand’s troops were attacked by the demons
and realized the folly of trying to fight two enemies

17
 At the Gates of Hell
he Europeans
The situtation in Europe since
the opening of the gates
The discovery of Hell had huge consequences for the
political situation in Europe. Most of the armies, those
of Pappenheim, Tilly, Wallenstein, Bernhard of Saxe
and Henri II de Bourbon, were down in Hell and had
agreed on a truce to explore this new world. The lack
of cannon fodder and competent ambitious war leaders
was slowly reducing the war in Europe to a succession
of small-scale pillages and slaughters.
Urged by the various signs and pleadings of their
counselors and theologians, the rulers of Europe were
beginning to wonder if the opening of the portals
wasn’t a message of divine origin; perhaps a message
unwise to ignore. Perchance even the partial truce
imposed by the armies and their generals was a sign
that God refused to watch Christians continue to kill
each other…
And so each side retained their territorial positions.
The Holy Roman Empire of Germany was split up
into Protestant and Catholic states. Sweden enjoyed a
strategic position that was favorable for its commerce.
Sweden had imposed the presence of its troops on the
Emperor and controlled the gate of Magdeburg while
the Spanish had control of the gate of Seville and the
French the gate in La Rochelle.
The war in Europe was out of steam for lack of
means so the rulers turned their ambitions to the
lands Below.
The Situation in the colony
of new Jérusalem
Below in Hell a large part of the armies had been lost
in the Battle of the Styx and due to lack of supplies, skir-
mishes between regiments, and the constant predation
of the demons. All this notwithstanding there was still a
sizable presence of Europeans from the four armies that
had descended to Hell.
The population was a military one and therefore predo-
minantly male. The absence of females had a significant
impact on the soldiers posted Below. New Jerusalem’s
council therefore closed their eyes to the commerce of
the flesh that subsequently took place with the Dam-
18
ned. The Europeans eventually realized that among the
inhabitants of the Underworld there were two types of
residents; the demons and the Damned. The demons
seemed to come from Hell but the Damned were actually
humans who had been sent there after their death.
The Damned were often docile and easily reduced to
slavery. They were used to help build the colony and
erect the fortified camps of the vanguard. They were
especially useful in the building of roads as they seemed
to possess an almost innate sense of direction. Since the
Damned followed their master’s bidding without hesi-
tation they were used for the most laborious of tasks
and, in short order, sold as prostitutes without a second
thought.
But what could have been but a footnote was soon to
become an affair of state for a great number of demo-
nologists had flocked to New Jerusalem to study the
Underworld. The demonologists were shocked by these
unnatural vices and rapidly reported them to the Pope.
Deeply shocked, the Pontiff quickly attempted to depose
the council that ran the colony. Several of the European
rulers intervened in support of the council. Those in
power feared there would be rebellion and riots were
the council to be changed. The council was composed
of individuals with strong ties to the crowned heads of
Europe and had managed to enforce their authority in
New Jerusalem.
The conflict was resolved by removing the Vatican enti-
rely from ruling in the colony. Simultaneously the Pope
was disavowed by all of the Catholic rulers in Europe.
This was a first for the Pope and a serious blow to the
Counter-Reformation.
Thus was full and total autonomy obtained in New
Jerusalem.
Supplies and Pay
Providing supplies for the colony was a constant pro-
blem. Goods were all imported to the Underworld by
three trade routes. This required continual negation
of commercial agreements with the rulers controlling
the three gates.
Likewise the soldiers of the four armies stationed
in New Jerusalem would only continue to comply with
the authority of the ruling council as long as they were
paid. Payment was problematic since the finances to
pay the troops normally came from levying royal taxes
and from the spoils of conquered land. To solve this
challenge the council demobilized most of the troops.
Only about a quarter, the most disciplined, loyal, and
elite of the soldiers were kept on payroll. Those retai-
ned became the army of the colony and were used to
enforce law and order and provide the colony’s defense.
The remaining troops were also used to control and
 At the Gates of Hell
protect the fortified positions along the roads between
the three portals and the colony.
The other three-quarters of the soldier chose to
remain and settle in New Jerusalem as they were
unwanted in Europe due to the various truces now in
place and consequently had no hope of earning pay
there. Becoming mercenaries and adventurers the
war-weary men managed to scrape by while waiting to
be hired by one of the expeditionary corps companies
with missions to explore and conquer Hell. Unsur-
prisingly the disenfranchised troops were constantly
causing trouble and disturbances within the colony.
In addition to the troops themselves the colony swel-
led with artisans, wives, prostitutes, legitimate and ille-
gitimate children. It did not take them long to follow
the soldiers once they had established the first Euro-
pean colony in the Underworld.
The council of six ruling representatives ran the city
collectively. Their influence was not restricted to the
colony itself though. Their authority spanned far out
from the walls for they were effectively the incarnation
of European power exerted for its rulers over the whole
of the conquered territories of Hell.
19
Although they were divided on matters spiritual,
political, economical and even strategically, the council
acted as a team and managed to acquire independence
from their respective rulers. While each of the council
members pursued their own agendas they each reali-
zed the fragility of the balance established by the truce
and the ease with which that balance could succumb to
the tensions at work in the colony.
The council played on the competition between
sovereigns to gain the political authority and material
resources they needed. Wallenstein was the one to
provide the solution that transformed the colony into
one of riches and commerce, however.
As a rich war entrepreneur, Wallenstein took it upon
himself to ensure the delivery of supplies and cost of
exploration with his own funds. This established him
as the main creditor of the city. In return he was
promised repayment with the profits made from any
future discoveries. Wallenstein also realized that ope-
ning the colony to European commerce would be a
huge boon for both New Jerusalem and the surface.
Because of the three portals the city was effectively
at a crossroads between Seville, La Rochelle, and
Magdeburg. Using the Underworld passage to trans-
 At the Gates of Hell
port goods between the three cities was much quicker
and cheaper than doing so on the surface. Not only
was the aboveground path much longer but the sur-
face route also required payment of numerous taxes
imposed by local towns along the way.
Once realizations of the benefits were made, the
colony increasingly established itself as the main
European crossroads. The application of a local tax
on the exchange of goods in New Jerusalem ensured
the richness of the colony. Wallenstein had therefore
created a pole of economical attraction that triggered
immigration from all over Europe. Merchants, artisans,
adventurers and the landless and undesirable folks the
European rulers found undesirable all flocked to New
Jerusalem.
Jan de Witte, the illegitimate son of the famous, vil-
lainous, and recently deceased banker of Prague, was
to play an important role in this new enterprise. Wal-
lenstein supported him and managed to convince the
rest of the council to use his services. Bernhard of
Saxe, once again sent off to Gustaf-Adolf, managed to
The War of religions
Men who came from the four corners of Europe
lived and worked together in New Jerusalem.
Despite this mixed population living in rela-
tive harmony the hatreds of old had not been
forgotten. Instead of bloody battlefields the
old rivalries were played out with words. Odd
names and nicknames hinting at insult beca-
me the norm.
Despite this tense atmosphere the various
companies remained united under the same
banner and fought side by side for glory, for-
tune, and their own survival. The necessities
of survival in this harsh environment left no
room for insults outside of the friendly jibe.
Men judged their comrades in arms by their
martial skills and the quarrels from Above
were found to be incompatible with life Be-
low. Differences within a company for any
reason only served to bring death to all.
Eventually only two slang words emerged to re-
flect the once profound divisions from Above;
Papist and Protestant. Papist was used to
refer to all Catholics regardless of their prac-
ticing as one. Protestant became the term of
choice to refer to Protestants.
20
gain the King’s agreement to let the De Witte consor-
tium use the Magdeburg portal as it wished. This gave
the consortium a privileged position and ensured the
flourishing of commercial activity for the colony.
Spiritual and
Material Motivations
The discovery of the gates in the middle of the Thirty
Years’ War was a complete moral shock. This shock
awoke a thirst for metaphysical knowledge in every
powerful individual on the continent.
One of the primary motivations for the conflicts
between Catholics and Protestants was the question
of the salvation of the soul. The discovery of Hell
suddenly provided a possible way to obtain an answer
to these questions once and for all. All too quickly
though, it became clear that these questions remained
unanswered and that the exploration of Hell was going
to be long and laborious. Consequently material
motivations replaced spiritual ones and became the
focus of everyone’s attentions.
Exploration was driven by the possibility of discovering
the Prima Materia. The transformation of the colony
into a commercial crossroads was ultimately a way of
funding that exploration. Alchemists believed Prima
Materia to be the substance to unlock the secrets of
all existence if one could but pierce the secrets of its
use. The discovery of natural resources with alchemical
properties in Hell was seen as proof of the presence of
Prima Materia. No one was exempt from the temptation
to find it.
The resources already uncovered were themselves
a source of commerce and conflict. Those resources
were quite rare themselves and so most people knew of
their existence only through rumor. This in turn served
to cause wild speculation. Strangely, as enthusiasm
about Prima Materia grew, some of the settlers began
to experience serious mental troubles.
he Ottoman Empire
Hassan ibn al-Sabbah was commonly known as the
“old man of the mountain”. Hassan founded a heretic
sect of the Nizari more accurately described as the
sect of the Assassins. He died in 1124 in his fortress of
Alamut in Persia. His death did not deter his followers
though and they zealously continued his work desta-
bilizing the Caliphs of the surrounding region. Assas-
sination was used as a political tool aimed at shaking
the basis of Sunni authority.
 At the Gates of Hell
In 1137, a few years after Hassan’s death, Saladin was
born in Tikrit. Saladin was born into a Kurd military
family in the service of Nurr add-Din, the Emir of Alep,
and was sent to Cairo to hold back the Crusaders.
Saladin later became a Vizier and abolished the Fati-
mid Caliphate and reinstated Sunnism. Saladin then
took advantage of Nurr add-Din’s death to found the
Ayyubid Dynasty in Egypt and Syria. While fighting in
the siege of Alep in 1176 to impose his newly acquired
authority, Saladin survived an assassination attempt by
the Nizari. Saladin fought against the crusaders until
his death in 1193 and reactivated the jihad that had fal-
len into disuse. Saladin acquired great notoriety throu-
ghout the Middle East and Europe where he was often
described as the “Muslim knight with a pure heart”.
Unfortunately from 1250 onwards Saladin’s heritage
began to crumble. While working for the Ayyubid the
Mamluks overthrew them and took control of Egypt.
Simultaneously the Mongol invasion of Iran and Iraq
put an end to the rule of the Abbasid Dynasty. The
Mongols razed Alamut to the ground in 1256. Four
years later they were defeated by the Mamluks at
Ayn Jalut near Nazareth. Stopped in their progress
the Mongols settled in Persia, converted to Islam and
founded the Llkhan dynasty.
21
It was the discoveries the Mongols made at Alamut
that served to entangle the threads of fate. Hassan
ibn al-Sabbah had been a follower of Ismailism and
long ago studied the precepts of balance. This science
of balance espoused discovering within each body the
connection between the apparent, or Zahir, and the
hidden, or Batin. Hassan had carried his research
so far that he had finally discovered the ta’wil which
the alchemists had given up hope of discovering. The
ta’wil was an alchemical operation which tended to
dissimulate the visible and to reveal the hidden.
The works of the “old man of the mountain” were
based on the encyclopedia of the Ikhwân al-Safâ –the
“pure hearted” – a thought group whose study center
was situated in Basra. After the death of Hassan ibn
al-Sabbah all the works of the study center were bur-
ned by the Sunni orthodoxy. The library of al-Sabbah
was in turn destroyed during the sack of Alamut. The
heritage of the “old man of the mountain” could have
been lost forever but for the discovery made by the
Mongols during their conquest.
While raiding the fortress the Mongols discovered
that the old alchemist had discovered a passage to the
Underworld using the ta’wil. Houlagou Khan, leader
of the Mongols, managed to keep this discovery secret
 At the Gates of Hell

for a while. Houlagou was a blood-thirsty leader on the The corpse of Houlagou Khan was marked by fea-
battlefield but also possessed a mind hungry for science. tures so strange that the doctors of faith were sum-
He hoped to return later to exploit Hassan’s discovery moned from all branches of Islam to give their opi-
for his own benefit. At the time he had to finish the nion on the matter. Investigations were conducted,
conquest of the Middle East as commanded and entrus- numerous hypotheses were explored and all manner
ted to him by his brother Mongke Khan. Alas, Houla- of specialists were consulted. Eventually the sus-
gou’s plans and the Mongol invasion both were brought picions turned to Alamut as the source. While all
to an end four years later with his death at the hands of this was occurring the Mamluks decided to take over
the Mamluks during the battle of Ayn Jalut. the area and invaded Persia after having pushed the
crusaders out of Syria. During their conquest they
spread the rumor of something in Alamut and awake-
ned the Turkish interest in Alamut.
For forty years the valley surrounding
Alamut was the scene of numerous
battles. None of the victors managed
to retain control of Alamut for longer
than a few years at a stretch. In this
war of faith between the Shiite and
Sunni branches of Islam both sides
battled in vain. Each time the val-
ley of Alamut was conquered the
winner immediately sent whole
regiments through the portal
to explore.
Little by little, the Nizari
managed to achieve a posi-
tion as the guides of the
Underworld. This position
allowed them to maintain
neutrality with everyone and
remain in the valley throu-
ghout the entire conflict.
They exchanged safe passage
with the victorious armies for a
share of the knowledge about
the portal. They were also the
first people to discover traces
of the Prima Materia, one of
the five eternal principles esta-
blished by Razes. The subs-
tance aroused such an interest
that metaphysical considerations
were ignored and only the actual
locating of Prima Materia was
important.
At the beginning of the 14th cen-
tury the Seljuk Turks rules over the
region during a long period. With
the decade long fighting in
the area they were said to
have become as bloodthirsty
as the Mongols. The Mongols
were clever and respected their
promises. They used terror as a
tool against their enemies so they

22
 At the Gates of Hell
could comfortably exploit the trade routes they had
conquered. The Seljuks seemed to only use terror for
terror’s sake rather than as a tool.
The crimes and massacres were not limited to Persia.
The Seljuks attacked all the countries on their borders,
exterminating civilian populations and reducing towns
to piles of ash. Their conquests did not seem to follow
any logical path or appear to be motivated by anything
outside of a desire for destruction.
The few survivors of these attacks told of generals
with the heads of demons mounted on their pikes and
wearing suits of armor which made them invincible.
The string of Seljuk victories and carnage seriously
demoralized opposing armies. Finally the Turkish
Oghuz clans retreated from the region and hoped
that their lack of hostility towards the Seljuk’s would
spare them from the Seljuk fury. Only one young boy,
Osman, from an Oghuz clan vassal to the Seljuks of
Anatolia, dared to protest the Seljuk calamity in the
name of the Prophet.
With a company of only a few hundred men, Osman
launched a surprise attack on the Seljuks as they
were returning from a campaign. They won decisively
23
and scattered the Seljuk army. Osman’s proud vic-
tory against the Seljuk’s soon rallied all of the Turkish
clans to his side. He crossed region after region as the
striking arm of the Prophet and handed defeat upon
defeat to the armies of Iblis. He pursued his enemies
all the way from their refuge in the valley of Alamut
to Persia. With the support of the regional dynasties,
Osman finally put an end to the brutal savagery of the
Seljuk’s there in Persia. It was this victory that gained
Osman the allegiance of many Caliphs and allowed
him to found the Ottoman dynasty.
But Osman had yet to pierce the secrets of the Ala-
mut. Osman asked the Nizari to be his guides for
the journey through the portal. Osman had made
detailed observations of the Seljuk’s during his long
campaign with them. As a result he remained on his
guard against the manipulations of the assassin sect.
His distrust led him to discover that the Nizari were
using the Prima Materia to lure their rivals and taint
their souls, thus leaving the Nizari free to explore the
Underworld as they pleased without hindrance.
And so it was that Osman discovered that the secret
world was none other than Hell itself and that only
 At the Gates of Hell
pure souls searching for al-Haqq al-Awwal, the First
Being, could walk there without fearing to be corrup-
ted by its evil influences.
By invading the Underworld with his troops Osman
forced the hidden leader of the Nizari to show himself.
Hassan ibn al-Sabbah, the “old man of the mountain”,
appeared in person to negotiate the conditions of the
peace treaty. Hassan had taken refuge in Hell to elude
the course of time and had been searching for a gate
to Heaven since the 12th century.
Thereafter the Nizari acted as guides for the Otto-
man exploration companies travelling through Hell.
Osman busied himself making sure that his dynasty
would ensure that all Muslims, Sunni and Shiite alike,
were guaranteed the respect of their faith in the lands
that were to become the Ottoman Empire.
Over the next three centuries the Ottomans spread
all the way to the edge of Europe. They followed pre-
cepts laid down by Osman that required them to wage
war on the enemies of the faith so as to ensure the
quality of the troops and to be certain the art of killing
was passed down without fail from the veterans to the
young recruits.
War with their enemies notwithstanding, the Otto-
mans were not particularly interested in what was
happening outside its borders and despised the strug-
gles of influence occurring between heads of state in
Europe. In return the Europeans treated the Otto-
man civilization with complete disdain. The European
rulers regarded Ottoman society as both fanatic and
archaic. Europe had accomplished important technical
and industrial progress not shared by the Ottomans.
The Empire appeared to them to be stuck in time with
24
no significant progress being made since the death of
Osman. There were even reports of civilian popula-
tions being butchered all around the Empire for reasons
unfathomable and disproportionate to the punishment
being inflicted. The Ottoman lords were seen as iso-
lationist and unwilling to parley yet enforcing reigns of
terror. Despite all this, many travelers returning from
the Middle East refuted this view.
Those defenders claimed that the Ottoman Empire
had flourishing commercial activity and the harvests
there were easily sufficient to fulfill everyone’s needs.
There appeared to be no indications of famine or
disease in the Empire. Town destroyed in the previous
Mongol and crusader incursions had been rebuilt to
their former glory. Everything appeared as if the wars
prior to Osman were nothing but skirmishes that had
left nothing but small signs of their occurrence at all.
All of the branches of Islam were coexisting peacefully.
Everyone had freedom of their faith as required by
their lords.
Yet all was not bliss either. The purges rumored in
Europe for over two centuries were no myth. Wide
scale executions were conducted against any popula-
tions that were branded as corrupted. Any impurity
received no mercy or pity. If a town became accusto-
med to degradation of any kind the whole of the city
was considered to have been tainted by the corrup-
ted minority and held responsible. All workers whose
professions happened to be even indirectly tainted by
corruptions were subjected to severe punishment.
The whole of the Ottoman Empire was concentrated
on a single spiritual quest for al-Haqq al-Awwal and
could not afford to be diverted by human weakness.
 At the Gates of Hell
While unable to fathom the reasoning behind the
Ottoman lords’ actions the Europeans were beginning
to suspect the secret of Alamut, the forbidden moun-
tain, said to hide a colossal building built during the
reign of Osman..
he Empire Below
By observation and exploration the humans acqui-
red, little by little, some rudimentary knowledge of
Hell and its inhabitants.
The accounts transcribed below are far from univer-
sally agreed upon. The Europeans were often blinded
by their preconceived ideas of what the Underworld
should be.
The Ottomans had treaded these lands for centuries
and tended to be more humble in their analysis but
protective of their knowledge from the second wave of
immigrants the Europeans.
25
Geography of Hell
Just how large is Hell? No one can say exactly. Even
the Demon lords themselves do not agree on the
subject of its size. The idea that the Underworld is
divided into nine circles as described by Dante is far
from believed by all. Hell does not seem to be infinite
however. One good indicator of this is the number of
wars going on at any given time between the Demon
lords seeking to enlarge their own fiefs. Another sign
of Hell’s finite size is the overflow of Damned ones that
occurred after each new war. The inhabitants of Hell
have problems controlling their population when too
many souls arrive at one time.
Regardless of size, everyone, no matter their role in
Hell, agrees on one thing. The Underworld is divided
up into specific circles separated from its neighbors by
walls of dark matter. Some describe that dark mat-
ter as a mush of blackened human flesh while others
characterize it as the dark waters of some evil muddy
marshland that flows vertically.
The circles themselves are divided up into fiefs that
each belong to a Demon lord.
 At the Gates of Hell
Crossing the Wall
The Spanish captain José Gasquez was one of
the first Europeans to encounter one of the-
se strange “walls”. Glancing around ques-
tioningly to his men, he was unsurprised to
find none of them volunteering to attempt a
passage to the other side. Earlier the Dam-
ned ones they had encountered had assu-
red him the passage was not dangerous. He
now regretted having them gutted for their
vulgar manners without keeping a single
one as prisoner.
After removing his helmet and scratching the top
of his head in what he hoped was a look of
friendly dismay, Gasquez called the demonolo-
gist Henri Latour to his side. Latour was accom-
panying the expedition by order of the council.
Gasquez didn’t like Latour. It wasn’t so much
because of his French upbringing as it was the
annoying way he was constantly holding up the
expedition. He had seemingly thousands of
inane excuses and so-called scientific observa-
tions to perform. In fact, Latour had no military
training whatsoever and wasn’t able to keep up
with the rest.
Gasquez lured him to a spot near the “wall” by
pretending to show him a spot on the ground.
He then pushed Latour through the strange
substance. Latour returned almost immedia-
tely due to what he claimed was a large army
of hostile demons waiting on the other side.
His return proved to all that passage through
the wall was safe.
Ironically without knowing it, Gasquez had use
exactly the same trick employed by Hassan
when he had first encountered the same obs-
tacle centuries earlier.
As for Latour, he never returned from the ex-
pedition lead by Gasquez. Legend says that
he crossed the “wall” of his own accord to
satisfy the requirements of science. For this
feat his memory is honored in demonology
schools the world over.
The difference in landscape and climate between
different fiefs is astounding. One fief might be a fro-
zen expanse, the next a plain of burning coals, the
next a rocky desert and the next a swamp-like lake
26
the size of a whole region. Eventually it was realized
that the appearance of a fief is entirely dependent on
the taste and particularities of the Demon lord owning
it at the moment.
On both sides of a “wall” the circles can have similar
landscapes even though time might not be passing in
the same way on both sides. Many questions about the
nature of these boundaries remain unanswered. The
Damned claim that a considerable amount of space
exists between the circles despite the perception that
crossing the “wall” seems to be instantaneous. This
space between circles is part of Limbo and its vastness
is impossible to measure.
To this day the Europeans and Ottomans possess
very little information about Limbo. The only real
concrete observation made so far is that somehow
Limbo helps the souls of the dead travel through Hell.
The First Day
In addition to their discovery of Hell itself the Euro-
peans discovered its many inhabitants. The Euro-
peans initially massacred them, demon and Damned
alike, without distinction. The residents were forced
to defend themselves but were eventually driven out
as they were outnumbered by the European troops
coming in. The natives resorted to harassing the rear-
guard in an attempt to locate the various Damned that
had been scattered and lost during the many battles
and troop movements.
Initially the human invasion did not encounter much
resistance as the region they entered was an outlying
one that several Demon lords were fighting over. It
was also the same region the gate from Alamut ope-
ned in four centuries earlier. Thus the region had
initially been invaded by Hassan ibn al-Sabbah and
his Nizari, then the Seljuk Turks, and finally Osman
and his armies.
The “Saracens” had left hardly any traces of their
passage but they had succeeded in ridding the region
of most of its demons. Once they had established the
colony of New Jerusalem the Europeans proceeded to
attack any demons they could find on sight. But as the
companies made more progress in their explorations
they found the demons to be both more numerous and
more resistant to their attacks. Strangely the demons
did not appear to want to massacre the Europeans but
rather seemed open to negotiations.
As it happened, the Demon lords did not take the
Europeans conquest of the Underworld seriously and
consequently were ready to offer an alliance against
one of their rival Demon lords. Realizing this the
council of New Jerusalem made the most of the divi-
sion amongst demonic rulers and used it to facilitate
their campaign of exploration and conquest.
 At the Gates of Hell

The People of Hell

While there was a difference between
the demons and the Damned there
appeared to be no well-defined boun-
dary between the two. While the
demons were born and bred in the
Underworld and the Damned were the
souls of humans sent to Hell after death
it was apparently possible for a Damned
to become a demon by showing proper
devotion to his masters for a few hun-
dred or thousands of years.
All the creatures of Hell could die, be
they demon, Damned, or human. Upon
death their soul was swallowed by Limbo.
Later the soul would reappear as a lemure
and begin yet another long and painful
cycle of transformation. Most of the
lemures managed to evolve into Damned
after a while. Some of these Damned
eventually made it to the final, ultimate
status of demon but they were rare and
a chosen few.

The main role of demons seemed to

be to torment the Damned. Did they do
it for pleasure or out of duty? Was there
a supreme master of the land Below who
decided to reward his deserving servants?
The creatures of Hell did not seem to know
the answer to these questions.

There was found to be a certain hie-

rarchy among the demons that was
dominated by the Demon lords and fal-
len angels. They referred to a supreme
master for whom they gave many names
and forced their troops to praise his
glory. It was if the rise to the higher
levels of hierarchy gave a demon grea-
ter knowledge of the secrets of Hell and
made him aware of the concept of duty
and loyalty to a leader.

But references to an ordered hierarchy

are not exactly correct either. The minor
demons earned their title by imposing
their will on others by strength or cunning.
Once they ruled enough of their fellow
demons the demons of higher rank came to see them Fiefs were acquired in the same way as titles; by
as their equals. Demons had also been known to give imposing oneself upon other demons. There were
themselves titles they did not earn. This was a common generally four to six fiefs per circle. Ruling each
form of usurpation which had sparked many conflicts fief was a Demon lord or rarely a fallen angel. The
between demons. angels tended to prefer to rule over veritable kin-

27
 At the Gates of Hell
The Circles
The term circles came naturally to the Euro-
peans as the initial explorers thought they
were travelling through Hell as described by
Dante. They quickly realized there was far
more to these circles than that described by
the poet but by then the term was already
widely used by the troops.
No one could explain the origins of the names
the demons and the Damned gave to these
circles. Their source had been long lost in an
immemorial field of pain and suffering. Each
of the fiefs of a circle tended generally to take
on the name of the Demon lord that ruled it.
Occasionally due to the incessant feudal wars
fought between the fiefs an entire circle would
come to be controlled by a single Demon lord.
Kohut
This was the circle in which the river Styx could
be found, that the portals of the humans ap-
peared, and that New Jerusalem was built.
The scattered troops of Demon lord Zaebas
were present in this circle.
Thebaïde and Ampharaüs
These circles were accessed from Kohut by fol-
lowing the dusty tracks made by the passage
of the Damned.
The Demon lords Xaphan, Sabrac, Ronwe and Oray
were fighting over Thebes. Ampharaus had been
partially invaded by the Ottoman armies and only
the fiefs of the Demon lords Ayperos and Botis
were still present there.
Ausonia
Continuing their exploration of Hell from Am-
pharaus the Ottomans discovered the circle
of Ausonia. There the fiefs of lords Marbas
and Raum had allied in an attempt to get
their hands on the fief or Eurynome.
Pelion
The best way to fine Pelion was to follow the cour-
se of the river Styx. This circle was divided into
two fiefs, those of the Demon lords Zaebas and
Thamuz. A third Demon lord, Adramelech, see-
med to want to gain control of their lands.
28
gdoms that consisted of several fiefs potentially cros-
sing multiple circles.
The Demon lords were constantly bickering among
themselves and attempting to enlarge their own fief by
conquering the lands of their neighbors. This strife
was a boon to the humans who capitalized on the
division between the demons..
Titles and Demonic Hierarchy
From the information gathered about this subject from
the Damned each being living in Hell has a rank that
determines their place in the infernal pecking order:
Arch-demon – Fallen angel
Prince
President of the Underworld
Archduke
Demon Lord
Demon
Damned One
Lemure
The arch-demons were made popular by the Old Tes-
tament. This also tended to prove that links already
existed between the two worlds before the gates
appeared in Europe and the Middle East.
There were nine arch-demons: Angra Mainyou, Aka
Manah, Indra, Taurvi, Zairitsha, Naon Haitshya, Ahri-
man, and Aeshma.
The fallen angels were positioned on the same level
as the arch-demons as they did not recognize the
authority of any being in Hell save themselves. The
fallen angels came and went as they pleased. Someti-
mes they would usurp the position of a Demon lord if
it pleased them. Whether justified or not, they were
greatly feared and even arch-demons avoided coming
into conflict with them.
There were an infinite number of intermediate titles
in between the primary ones. These quite often extra-
vagant titles were often given by a high level demon
but just as commonly self-proclaimed and thus mostly
just ignored by the demon hierarchy.
Authority among the demons of the Underworld was
organized in a Feudal society. A Demon lord would
pledge fealty to an archduke and so on down the line.
The demons maintained vassal to lord relationships
between themselves. At the top of the hierarchy the
arch-demons ruled over their vassals and their vassals’
fiefs. This meant that the arch-demons did not have
authority over a circle necessarily but rather over the
sum of the fiefs of their vassals.
 At the Gates of Hell
It was common to see a circle divided into fiefs that
belonged to Demon lords pledged to different archdu-
kes. The Demon lords fought amongst themselves
as each would only recognize the authority of their
own archduke and care nothing for their those of their
neighbors.
The Europeans made the most of this complex sys-
tem of allegiances although they never seemed to work
out which vassal was pledged to which lord.
he Lost
The Lost were typically found in small independent
groups. They were former Damned ones who had lost
or had voluntarily abandoned their lords. They tended
to reject all notions of demonic hierarchy as they no
longer considered themselves Luciferians and had no
respect for the titles or authority of the Demon lords.
Because of this separation their physical evolution
in the Underworld tended to follow patterns that were
radically different from the paths followed by demons
and the servile Damned ones.
29
The reasons for their rejection from demonic society
were many. Sometimes they had shown such loyalty
towards their previous lord that upon his destruction
they refused to obey the rule of any other lord. Some
had participated in revolts against their masters and
subsequently fled to avoid fighting an enemy that
outnumbered them. Often these Damned ones had
no choice but to become independent as the forces
invading their fief were intent on destroying them and
returning them to lemures after their defeat.
Frequently other Demon lords were unwilling to
accept their allegiance for fear of sparking a conflict
with another Demon lord.
Thus, slowly over thousands and thousands of years
of feudal wars, the Lost became a caste apart. They
clustered together in small, extremely nomadic groups
following many different goals. There was no par-
ticular bond between these groups or chief capable
of uniting them all. If they were seen as a separate
caste it was because they all shared in common the
fact they lived outside the boundaries of the demonic
hierarchy. While the Lost no longer considered them-
selves to be Luciferians it did not mean they had lost
their essence.
Individual Lost companies would sometimes sign
alliances with both the European and the Ottoman
armies. They acted as mercenaries and offered their
services as guides, scouts, or just simple reinforcements
for the companies exploring in the isolated areas where
the Lost lived. They also maintained links with the
demons and performed services for them. Examples
included reinforcing a company of Luciferians in a fight
with a neighboring Demon lord or simply guarding some
Damned ones. They even did more unique things like
organizing special entertainment such as staged fights
in an arena. In exchange for these services the Lost
negotiated safe passage across demonic territory or
assurances that land they wished to occupy peacefully
would be free from depredations.
These efforts clearly demonstrated the leaders of
the Lost companies were capable of working towards
a greater goal. While making alliances with all of
the other factions the Lost always ensured that their
 At the Gates of Hell

efforts worked towards securing territo-

ries for themselves where they could come
and go as they pleased. Their nomadic
existence hadn’t prevented them from
controlling certain routes and enlisting
with the enemies of those who attempted
to conquer a free land.
The migrations of the Lost appeared to be
organized. They came from free lands and
traveled through the countries where the
Demon lords were at war. They harassed vic-
torious armies to prevent their taking control
of the old ruined fiefs. They also enrolled the
servants of the fallen warlords into their ranks
thus gaining power and numbers from the
desolation of others.

xploration
& Conquest
The council of New Jerusalem conti-
nually sent out franc-companies to explore
consisting of soldiers from the four corners
of Europe. Protestants and Catholics that
had once been at each other’s throats in
the Holy Roman Empire now found them-
selves marching side by side in the expe-
ditionary corps.
The colony had seemed to appear before
their eyes as the European styled buildings
had been built at a frantic pace by the now
enslaved Damned ones. Soon the mer-
chants arrived in great numbers bringing
with them goods from all over the world
above be it the Americas or Sweden. Even-
tually the dregs of Europe appeared looking
for a chance to start anew, Below.
The city was very dangerous, especially in
the peripheral areas. Men went from being
a soldier one day to a brigand the next. Each
man survived as best he could while waiting
a chance with a new captain looking for men
to join an exploratory mission. The jobs
were especially infrequent so equipment was
kept in good repair and drunkenness at a
minimum lest one miss an opportunity.
The companies left the city by one of the
sixteen roads being constructed by the Dam-
ned ones. The soldiers were not unhappy to
leave the colony and its permanently threa-
tening atmosphere. In the city danger could
come from an old war comrade reduced to
abject poverty as easily as a demon or an

30
 At the Gates of Hell

assassin sent by the Ottomans to strike at random and

demoralize the troops.

While the mortality rate of the expeditions was par-

ticularly high, the most important thing was to resist
succumbing to the fear of these strange lands. One
learned to protect ones soul with a thousand tricks
carried from the lands Above such as wearing amulets
of protection or the first verses of St. John’s gospel.
Weapons were enchanted by “magical arts” and tiny
slits were made into the skin so fragments of consecra-
ted relics could be placed inside.
Eventually an exploration company reached the end
of a road under construction, their last link with human
civilization. Ahead lay the realm from Below and they
wondered how the captain would manage to find his
way through this hell. But the captain didn’t seem lost
for he was sent by the council and so he pretended
to have control of the situation, all the while following
the tracks worn by the never-ending passage of the
Damned travelling to the fiefs of the Demon lords.

Initially the Demon lords found the incursion of the

humans a great source of amusement. The Europeans see-
med to have made great progress in the art of killing each
other during the last few centuries. All of their stinging,
piercing, and burning weapons could be very useful against
rival Demon troops.
The Demon lords were no longer laughing.
The more demons slain by the European companies
the more proud they became of their hunting trophies.
At first the simple charge of a Damned one of Wrath
was enough to create widespread panic in the human
soldiers. Now so many Damned had fallen to the bul-
lets that many of the demonic garrisons were starting
to look rather deserted. The Demon lords began to
regret using the Europeans as cannon fodder against
their rivals by sending a few horned diplomats to show
them the proper tracks to follow and explain to their
infernalists the kind of food to give their lemures. All of
that imparted knowledge was now being used against
them as well.
The Ottomans made it a matter of honor to never
betray an alliance and would only attack a fief to cross
it deeper into the bowels of Hell. The Europeans
showed no such constraint and never ceased to reach
further and further while destroying anything they
could get their hands on. One day they would be fen-
ding off the Demon companies of a rival and create a
second front along his ranks. The next day they would
turn around and attack the companies of the neighbo-
ring enemy Demon lord instead of using the victory to
break through into the first Demon lord’s fief.
The Europeans filthy habit of building “Above-style” as
if they were making themselves at home was beginning
to get distinctly annoying to the Demon lords as well.
Never mind how they were exploiting the Damned with
European-style tortures which may be fine for the living
but were definitely no way to punish the dead.
The Demon lords had finally realized they were
facing a true invasion. Unfortunately after untold
centuries fighting amongst themselves they could not
reconcile themselves to the idea of a truce with each
other so they could focus on the humans. Only the
fallen angels who had arrived from the bowels of Hell
to observe the problem began to draw up a coherent
plan to confront the invaders.
Using hastily recruited demonic companies from the
lands through which they traveled, the fallen angels
began harassing the front lines of the European forces
and launched intrusions all the way to New Jerusalem.
The fallen angels had tolerated the Ottomans and the
Lost for centuries. Now they began attacking them
too, pushing them towards the Europeans to spark
repeated conflicts between them.
The Ottomans had been coming and going through
Hell for four hundred years. They hadn’t foreseen the
European invasion that had come to trouble them in
their quest. Hassan ibn al-Sabbah and his Nizari had
been exploring Kohut since the 12th century. They had
learned to find their way around the Underworld using
the Damned ones as guides. They had avoided conflict
with the demons where possible. Unfortunately for the
Ottomans the Mongols and Seljuks had wiped out most
of the demon forces present in Kohut which in turn had
allowed the European forces to settle there without mee-
ting any real resistance.

31
 At the Gates of Hell
New Jerusalem
Nestled in the crook of a bend in the wide and
thick-flowing Styx, New Jerusalem was a metro-
polis with two faces. On one side was the mo-
dern city, a fortified structure of obsidian in the
shape of a sixteen-pointed star. On the other
side, thousands of poor souls who had descen-
ded seeking Hell Dorado lived in the crawling
tentacular suburbs.
A little further away were the gates, and then…
Hell.
The Upper City
The upper city was fortified and protected by a high,
thick surrounding wall made of obsidian reinfor-
ced with earth. On that wall were cannon towers
and external defensive structures. The external
defensive structures consisted of pre-walls, half-
moons, and ravelins to defend the gates. The pre-
walls were lower walls built outside and parallel
to the main wall. The half-moons were an advan-
ced structure situated between two bastions to
32
defend them with their firepower. Additionally
the upper city walls were defended by a fearsome
artillery battery.
The upper city was laid out like a chess board
around its fortified palace. Scattered around the
palace were all the essential buildings for the ad-
ministrations and defense of this part of the city
such as barracks, main powder store, arsenal,
hospital, and stocks.
The city itself began outside this fortified sector
and was separated into six areas by nationality
or affinity. These six areas consisted of Spain,
France, Sweden, the Holy Roman Empire, the
Protestant alliance, and the free quarter. The
Holy Roman Empire’s quarter included all of the
Germanic states whose prince was Catholic. The
inhabitants of the Protestant Alliance’s quarter
included those from the reformed states of
the Empire, England, the United Provinces, and
all those who called themselves Protestants
except for the Swedish. The free quarter was
designated a neutral area controlled by the
council. It was the seat of power for the large
corporations and those that did not wish to
show their alignment too outwardly such as
Jews, subjects of other countries, merchants, or
adventurers of all kinds. Each quarter had a
 At the Gates of Hell
unique architectural style, its own customs and
traditions and political autonomy.
While most of the buildings along the main avenues
were made of stone the typical building inside the
city was a three-story half-timbered house. Once
you passed the main defensive wall a wide ditch
flanked on either side by canals reached clear to
the covered way, a part of the second circle of for-
tifications. Many forts looked out over the plane.
Each fort was at the summit of a high cluster of
rocks spotted with poisonous weeds. Artillery
and muskets had plenty of room to bring their fi-
repower to bear. A ditch full of spears sat ten fa-
thoms below as the final separation between the
fortified city and its outskirts.
The Outskirts
The lower city was a true cesspool swarming with
life and poverty consisting of an accumulation of
tents and makeshift shelters heaped together over
half a league between the docks and the city. Most
of New Jerusalem’s inhabitants lived here. Every
month thousands more unfortunates came to tread
the rut-ridden muddy ground of the suburbs. A
single paved road connected the port to the star-
shaped city. Epidemics and fires caused frequent
changes to the layout of the place. A true ode to
chaos, hell truly began here. This urban cancer
spread to the edge of the fortifications that sur-
rounded the infernal gate along the side of the
river. A wide, thick-flowing river, brown and foul
smelling, wound around the metropolis in a broad,
lazy loop. A stone bridge with a barbican and ei-
ght arches with towers had been hastily erected by
Damned slaves over the river’s putrescent waters.
After the Seljuk period Osman had forced the Nizari
and the “old man of the mountain” to pledge allegiance
to him. Given their similarity of spiritual motives this
was effectively an alliance between the Nizari and
the Ottomans. Subsequently Hassan ibn al-Sabbah
became seen as the first general of the Muslim armies
of the Underworld.
Always searching for al-Haqq al-Awwal, the Otto-
mans thought that the Underworld had a center over
which the nine arch-demons ruled. They felt it was at
that center they would fine the keys to their quest. To
this end they sought to make their way always further
inwards. To accomplish this they had assembled a
very large Muslim army in Ausonia which was entirely
unknown to the Europeans. The Europeans naively
believed that the Ottomans had sent very few troops
Below. Nor did the Europeans realize that the gate
33
The bridge linked the gate to the main road that
snaked its way into the circle of Kohut. The third
circle of fortifications completed the city’s defen-
ses in the form of a string of eight monstrous forts.
These strongholds were spread out at regular dis-
tances from each other in strong positions. Each
fort bristled with cannons providing cover for each
other and “hellish” firepower in all directions.
The Gates of Hell
The gates were over two hundred fathoms deep. Gi-
gantic bolts of lightning ripped through the skies
to hit the ground and river below. The crimson
sky was shaken by almost hypnotic multi-colored
convulsions. A hot, humid climate ruled over this
place. Sulfurous winds seemed to carry loads of
curses with them. This was the arrival point of the
great infernal gate of Magdeburg. Hung by a mul-
titude of chains from enormous cranes, gigantic
barges traveled between Hell and the world Above.
Dozens of docks had been built and equipped to
cater to these leviathans. Behind a thick fortified
wall surrounded by bastions a multitude of ad-
ministrative buildings, warehouses and boarding
rooms had been built. The gate employed a consi-
derable amount of workers in the form of dock
hands, captains, guards and customs officers. Ba-
sically anyone who could sell their arms or minds
to the great enterprise were welcomed. Every week
new buildings grew up from the ground as they
were born from the shovels and pickaxes of the
enslaved Damned. The Damned wretches were in
turn penned in like animals in accommodation pits
soaked with the fetid waters of the river.
of Alamut lead into Kohut. The passage from Alamut
had so far been kept secret. So too had the paths that
provided supplies between Kohut and Ausonia through
Amphauraus.
The Ottomans had destroyed the fiefs of the
demons along their way. This had in turn boos-
ted the number of Lost who had come to live in
these areas, sometimes as allies and sometimes as
enemies.
As they explored the Europeans found themsel-
ves confronted with Ottoman companies that they
believed to be isolated. They were, in fact, the
scouting parties sent ahead to ensure safe passage
of the supply convoys.
 Rules of the gamE

Rules
Rulesof
and tGame-Play
he gamE

S
o, here you are, eagerly gripping your little
pewter figures still sticky from their last lick of
paint. You have agreed with your opponent on
how large and powerful your armies will be,
and you have laid out a glorious battlefield. All
you have to do now is learn the following rules by heart
(more or less).
Golden Rules
If a game effect contradicts a game rule, the effect
always takes precedence over the game rule. When two
effects clash because of their timing, and can’t be resol-
ved by having them happen simultaneously, the effect
of the active unit will apply before that of its opponent,
possibly canceling out the use of the latter.
each d6 will be considered independently, rather than
the total of all dice rolled being considered.
Fathoms
The standard unit of measurement used in Hell
Dorado is the fathom, which was used at the time in
which Hell Dorado is set to measure distances on land,
although it’s now only used to measure nautical depths.
It is equivalent to an average man’s height, but on our
battlefields, we will scale it down to a standard inch.

he Basics
Dice
Playing Hell Dorado only requires six-sided dice, also
known as «d6». Ideally, each player should have at least
5d6 handy. Throughout the game up to that number
of d6 might be rolled at once. In general, the result of
Introduction  example, measure the distance between two units,
This chapter will give you the basic, essential
concepts you will need to understand the
rest of the rules. If you don’t understand
everything to begin with, don’t worry, you
can come back to it later. In any case, you
will quite probably have to read the rules
several times, in their entirety, to fully
absorb them.
Distance
When the rules state that a unit should be at or within
a certain distance from another unit or from a spot on
the battlefield, this means that any part of its base that is
at that distance fulfills that condition. A unit is conside-
red to be inside an area from the moment when any part
of its base is inside the area.
Measurement
When playing Hell Dorado, players can measure
any part of the battlefield at any time. You can, for
between one of your own units and a point on the
battlefield, or between one of your units and one of
your opponent’s, etc.
Facing
Miniatures in Hell Dorado don’t have a specific
facing. Each unit turns automatically to face danger or

35
 Rules of the gamE

Unit A is inside the explosion area 3’’

B
Unit B is 3 fathoms away from its opponent

1 measuring distances between units and effect areas

an enemy. While having a facing can add some inte-

resting tactical options, it normally causes more argu-
My, What Big Sculpts ments than it is worth.
You Have!

Contact and Control Area

We’re just as mad about miniatures as you are. That is
why we can only encourage you to modify your minia-
tures to suit your tastes. Such changes can however
bring about some technical problems when modified
Contact
miniatures are used to play. Therefore here are a few A unit is in contact with another if their bases are
rules to apply to modified or converted miniatures: physically touching. If a unit has enough Movement
For games between friends... if you can’t find some so that it can be placed in a position where part of
sort of agreement, find another friend
the figure itself touches part of the enemy figure, then
For games played in an official framework (league, these two units are also in contact with each other.
tournament, etc.): This situation is only acceptable if base to base contact
Any purely aesthetic modifications are legal can’t physically be made due to the size and positio-
Any modifications causing a possible change in how ning of the two figures, and if the moving unit could
the unit interacts with the rules (change of height, move far enough to be in base-to-base contact.
reach, etc.) unfortunately must be, illegal...
We can only encourage you to get extra miniatures as Control Area
replacements when you show up with modified mi- Most of the Hell Dorado models have a control area of
niatures to a game, just in case.
one fathom. This means that any unit that comes within
This being said, we strongly encourage referees to one fathom of an enemy unit will be inside that unit’s
show as much open mindedness as they can when control area.
it comes to managing this sort of situation. Thus,
when the modified miniature doesn’t cause trouble
between players, there would be no reason for ban- Once a unit is engaged it no longer exerts, or loses, its
ning it. In any case, if a modified miniature is accep- control area.
ted by the referees and the players, the player using
it obviously accepts that modified miniature will in-
teract with the rules affected by the modifications in

Friendly Disagreement
the most disadvantageous way possible.

Example: Thomas has decided to base his Baptiste Va-

lombre miniature on an imposing bit of rock, giving If, at any point in the game, the rules alone do not
it an extra fathom of height. To determine whether
enable you to resolve a conflict between players, here
Baptiste is in cover, the 50% rule will be applied to
the entire modified miniature. When determining are two solutions that you could possibly use:
Valombre’s Line of Sight while firing, we’ll consider The first is the well known heads or tails technique.
that his head will be at the initial height of the minia- Basically, you pick some handy object, such as a coin,
ture (as it was when unmodified), thus one fathom
or a frying pan, and you flip it up into the air, after
lower than the one Tom has brought to the table.
betting on which side you think will be visible when
Of course, Valombre’s opponent can decide not to it hits the floor. Obviously, if you want to use this
take advantage of this rule, but this comes down technique to end an argument, it tends to help if both
to an understanding between players. When ques-
players pick opposite sides.
tions of this type come up in a public setting, the
referees should always enforce this rule.

36
 Rules of the gamE
2 two miniatures engaged by their bases, then by the figures
The second option is our personal favorite, albeit
one requiring a lot of understanding and therefore
best if only used by players who know each other
very well: a tap on the cheek. When an argument
cannot be settled by simply applying the rules, the
first of the two players to gently tap the other on the
cheek wins. This should be done with caution, as,
if the tap turns into a slap, the too-brutal slapper is
immediately disqualified. A slightly safer version is
the tap on the back of the hand, though this option
is, of course, much less fun.
In any case we encourage you and your friends to
solve your disagreements in a fair and sporting way
between yourselves.
3 diagram of a miniature’s control area
37
In this case, the
Swashbuckler is in contact
(base-to-base) with the
Retiarius, but Aidan Saint
James isn’t.
he Armed Forces
Unit Ranks
Each unit is either a lemure or has one of the three
following ranks: Officer, Independent, or Trooper. The
Officers are unique (they can only be included once
per Company) as are the Independents who have an
identity. Troopers and anonymous Independents can
possibly be used several times in the same Company.
Officers
Officers are the soldiers who lead Companies into
battle. They are unique individuals who all have their
own identity (they actually have a distinct name).
These units have unique support and Command abi-
The control area of a unit affects
the way enemy units can move.
See the section on control area
effects on page 49.
 Rules of the gamE
The Company
In Hell Dorado, each player has control of a
Company of soldiers or units. Each unit is
physically represented by a miniature. They
are all different, with differing ranks, stats,
types, base sizes, etc. All these concepts
are explained in greater detail further on. A
whole chapter (p. 68) is entirely devoted to
their special abilities.
lities. Officers automatically possess the orders Vae
Soli and Vae Victis (p. 61).
Independents
Independents are elite soldiers who join Companies
seeking fame and fortune, or just for the pleasure of but-
chering invaders or natives. These soldiers have special
abilities which are often exceptional. When put to good
use, they can change the course of a whole battle on
their own. Independent units with an identity (their own
name) are unique and can only be hired once per Com-
pany. For all others, their Availability (p. 42) will tell you
how many you are allowed to have in a Company.
Troopers
Troopers are the huddled masses of soldiers who are
the heart of a Company, the nameless cannon fodder
who fight and die for the glory of their Commanding
Officers. Multiple Troopers of the same kind can be
used in a Company. The limits to their recruitment are
defined by the unit’s Availability (p. 42).
Red and Green
On most stat cards, the units’ statistics are printed
on two different colored backgrounds: red and
green. The value of the red stat is the basic value.
The value of the green stat is the one that should be
applied when the unit is wounded. One exception:
on the bar of Life Points on the back of the card,
the green backgrounds are for the point from whe-
reon the unit is considered to be wounded.
38
Unit Statistics
Each unit on the battlefield is defined by a series of
statistics. These are outlined in the unit’s entry in this
book and on the cards that come with each miniature.
Movement (MVT)
This indicates the distance in fathoms that a unit can
move in one turn when walking at a normal pace.
xample: the average human unit has
a Movement score of 5 if it is carrying
little or no armor. In most other cases
the Movement will be 4.
Shooting Skill (SHS)
This represents a number of dice. This is the number
of dice that will be rolled when the unit attacks with a
ranged weapon (bow, arquebus, throwing dagger, gre-
nade, etc.). This stat represents the unit’s skill at using
ranged weapons.
xample: the average human unit will
have a SHS score of 2 if it carries a
ranged weapon. If it doesn’t, then the
unit won’t have a SHS.
Combat (CBT)
This also represents a number of dice. This is the
number of dice rolled by the unit during close combat.
This stat represents the unit’s talent for attacking, its
physical abilities in combat and its equipment. It is both
a reflection of the unit’s warrior spirit and pure skill.
A unit with no Combat (a -) cannot fight, even if it
receives a CBT bonus later on. All attacks against it will
be on sided. Such a unit automatically has the Har-
mless special ability.
A unit with a CBT stat of 0 will not usually roll any
dice during a mêlée, but it can receive a bonus that will
allow it to do so.
xample: An average human unit has a
Combat of 3.
Defense (DEF)
As the name suggests, this score is an indicator of
the difficulty that enemy units will have hitting the unit
during a battle. This is the score that the unit’s oppo-
nents will roll their attack dice against when attacking
the unit. This represents the unit’s speed, skill and mar-
tial talents. Unless specifically stated, a unit’s Defense
can’t be greater than 5.
xample: An average human unit will
have a Defense of 3.
 Rules of the gamE

Front Faction Symbol

Movement
Units Name
Defense
Faith
Command
Availability
Special Abilities
Keywords
Army Points

Back Units Name

Life Points
Shooting Skill
Command
Combat
Faith
Defense Life Points Bar
Protection (Wounded State in Green)
Power Table
Weapons
Damage
Damage Type
Hits
Orders & Auras

4 Analysis of a stat card (front and back): Augustus Raimond

Protection (PR)
Protection (full plate armor, chain mail and
This score is a representation of the unit’s armor
shield, full body shell).
(natural or not) and its resistance to damage. It is sub-
tracted from the total damage whenever a unit is hurt. Life Points (LP)
This is the amount of damage a unit can take before
dying in battle. If this value is followed by a second
xample: a Protection value of 0
one printed on a green background, this second stat
means a total lack of armor; a value
indicates the number of Life Points at or below which
of 1 means light armor or natural
the unit becomes wounded. This second value is cal-
Protection (leather, small shield, thick skin), a
led the Wound Threshold (WT). The initial number of
value of 2 means a medium armor or natural
Life Points is reduced after each hit depending on the
Protection (chain mail, leather and metal-
amount of damage inflicted, and the new value becomes
plated armor, partial metal armor...), and
the current Life Point total.
a value of 3 means heavy armor or natural

39
 Rules of the gamE
A unit dies when its current Life Point total is equal
to or less than 0.
A unit is Wounded as soon as its current Life Point
total is reduced to or below the Wound Threshold prin-
ted on the green background.
xample: An average human unit has
an initial Life Point total of 4/1. This
means it has a total of 4 Life Points
and will become wounded as soon as it only
has 1 Life Point left. In the same way, a unit
with a Life Point total of 5/2 has a total of
5 Life Points (it will take 5 damage before
dying) and it will become wounded as soon
as it has 2 (or fewer) Life Points left.
Faith (FTH)
This stat represents the unit’s spiritual strength
it can provide a bonus for magical effects that are
associated with specific beliefs, and also helps
to resist hostile magical powers. A unit with the
keyword Unbeliever (p. 41) doesn’t have a Faith stat,
and any ability, spell or aura that requires Faith will
have no effect on it.
xample: An average human unit has a
Faith of 1
40
Command (CMD)
This stat represents the ability
the unit has for influencing the
behavior of its allies during battle.
This value is added to the com-
mand pool of the Company when
the game begins (p. 58).
When a unit with a command
of at least 1 is eliminated, its
score is immediately removed
both from the Company’s origi-
nal total command and from the
command pool (p. 58).
xample: An average
human Officer has a
Command of 4.
Weapon Statistics
Power Table
What a unit’s weapon does is
represented by a power table,
showing the amount of damage
inflicted depending on the number of hits scored on
the attack roll.
For melee weapons, this table is both a representa-
tion of the unit’s strength, the weight of the weapon
and the unit’s ability to «hit where it counts.»
For ranged weapons, this table represents the strength
of the unit for some weapons (bows, slingshots, throwing
weapons...) and the natural power of the weapon itself
for the others (arquebus munitions, crossbow bolts). As
well as the accuracy of the unit’s aim.
A power table always indicates the damage inflic-
ted by scoring 1-5 hits, even if the unit doesn’t have
a CBT that enables it to score this many hits. This is
in order to accommodate any bonuses that may affect
the unit.
Some special effects can be triggered by a certain
number of hits.
The player controlling the attacking unit can choose
to inflict fewer hits than they obtained with their
attack roll (or even none at all).
 Rules of the gamE

• Independent
• Trooper
xample - A Succubus using her whips
Its Species (or profound nature)
has the following power table:
• Angel
• Animal
• Damned
Number of Hits Damage • Demon
1 3 • Lost
2 4 + Pain 2 • Human
3 6 • Lemure
4 8 Its Gender
5 6 + Knocked Down • Asexual
• Female
She rolls 3 hits against an opponent on • Male
her attack roll. She can therefore inflict Its Religion
6 damage, inflict only 4 damage to her When it comes to religion, the units can be given a
opponent but make them suffer Pain for 2 general belief in certain principles (Christianity, Satanism,
turns, inflict 3 damage or take 0 hits and Islam...) or a more precise belief in certain dogmas.
inflict no damage. Units who believe in a specific dogma are affected by
the effects of their general belief and those associated
R ange (For R anged Weapons) with their particular dogma.
This stat helps define the difficulty of a ranged • Atheist
attack. The value is a number of fathoms, which will be • Buddhist
multiplied to obtain the levels of difficulty depending - Yanluowang
on the distance between the attacker and its target. • Christian
You will find the rules about shooting distances in the - Papist
chapter on ranged combat (p. 52). - Orthodox
- Protestant
Damage Type • Jewish
Most weapons have a keyword that defines the kind • Muslim
of damage they will inflict. The most common ones are - Shiite
slashing, piercing and blunt, there are many more, inclu- - Sunni
ding more exotic ones (gaze, powders to be inhaled, etc.). - Kharijite
This keyword doesn’t have any effect on the game but is • Satanist
used to trigger certain special abilities. Some weapons can - Luciferian
inflict multiple types of damage. Unbeliever (this is applied to all units who can never
be affected by the powers that concern religion. They
Weapon Abilities do not have a Faith statistic.).
Some weapons have special abilities that will dis- Practice of Magic
tinguish them from others. See page 68 for the full • Infernalist X/Y
description of these abilities. Infernalists are units that can control lemures.
This keyword is special in the sense that it is fol-
lowed by two numbers. These indicate the number
of lemures that the unit can control at one time (X)
Nature of the Units and the total number of lemures that it can invoke
during a game (Y) (p. 62).
Each character is defined by a number of keywords
that should give you a better idea of who they are.
xample: Asaliah has the keyword
These keywords will determine if a unit is eligible to
«Infernalist 2/3». This means she can
be the target of a special attack, if it will be affected
invoke up to 3 lemures during the game,
by magical effects or not, etc.
and can control up to 2 at the same time.
The nature of a unit can therefore be defined by
several elements of its personality: • Mentalist
Mentalists are units that have one or more auras
Its Rank (p. 37) is listed on the stat card as a (p.62).
keyword.
• Officer

41
 Rules of the gamE
Magic, Special Abilities and
Orders
Some units exude auras or control lemures (see
above). Most of them also have special abilities that
give them various bonuses (p. 68). Abilities which
are printed in red have an effect on the unit which is
(at least partially) negative. Finally, Officers and some
other units can use orders (p. 61). All of these special
powers will be described fully in their own respective
chapters.
Unit Base Sizes
All the units in Hell Dorado are mounted on round
bases that are suited to their size and mass. There are
three base sizes, and some of the game’s rules take
these sizes into account.
Regular (30mm diameter)
Large (40mm diameter)
Extra Large (50mm diameter)
Value, Faction, and
Availability of a Unit
All units are worth a certain number of army points
(AP). This number represents the unit’s power on the
battlefield. Usually, a player may spend up to 200 AP
5 three units side by side
Large Units
Extra Large Unit
on their Company. This is the size that we recommend
for standard Hell Dorado games.
Each unit belongs to one of the game’s factions (Wes-
terners, Saracens, Immortals, Demons, the Lost and
Mercenaries). The Mercenary Troopers and Mercenary
Independents can be hired by other factions (p. 75).
Faction, much in the same way the term
unit is used, is a keyword referenced by the
game rules. The Faction that a unit is part of
is shown by the symbol in the top right hand
corner of the unit’s card.
Mercenary Officers can also be tolerant towards other
Factions (if they have the special ability Prestige) and can
therefore hire Troopers and Independents from those
Factions under certain conditions (p. 74).
All units have an Availability. This represents the
number of times the unit can be recruited when buil-
ding a Company (p. 75).
Unique : The unit has an identity: it can therefore
be present only once per Company, no matter the size
of the Company.
Limited X : The unit can be included multiple times in
a Company. There can be up to X of the unit included for
every complete, or partial, 200 AP in a Company.
Limited X/Y: Sometimes a unit has two possible
variations. In these cases a units Availability is indicated by
two numbers. This means that the maximum number of
this unit is limited to X for each complete or partial portion
of 200 points, and out of these X units, a maximum of Y
can be of the type described by that specfic profile.
Example: Pillars of Faith, Halberd, Limited 3/2.
A Company of 200 points can use a maximum of
3 Pillars of Faith (all types) and out of those 3; a
maximum of 2 can be halberdiers.
42 Regular Unit
 Rules of the gamE
Unlimited : The unit can be included as many times
as desired in a Company. There is no limit to the num-
ber these units can be hired in a Company. This is the
default for all units.
Associated (Name of Unit) : This miniature can only
be used if the unit named in parentheses is included
in the Company. There can only be X specific units
associated with one named unit.
Transformation (Conditions • New Shape) : This
model can change its shape and statistics during the
game. This transformation will take place once the
conditions indicated between the brackets are fulfilled.
A transformed unit appears with full Life Points, even if
the previous shape had suffered damage.
ominance
The concept of Dominance is one of the key ele-
ments of Hell Dorado. It represents the way the war-
riors in each Company feel during the battle, whether
they’re feeling superior or if they have a vague fear of
being overrun. As you will see later on, Dominance
is used to resolve many situations and to determine
which player starts each turn. If necessary, Dominance
can be physically represented on the table by a marker
held by the player who is Dominant (a large marble, a
quarter, etc…).
Before the battle begins, both players must work out
their initial Dominance. This is equal to the sum of
the CMD of the Officers and the Independents in the
Company, plus the number of non-insignificant units
fielded by the Company, plus any First Contact values
(a special ability which some units may have) that units
in the Company have. The CMD of units that aren’t on
the battlefield at the beginning of the game is counted
when figuring initial Dominance.
If both players have an equal Dominance score, the
player with the most units in their Company is Domi-
nant. If there is still a tie, the player with the Officer
Initial Dominance
The basic CMD of the Company = the sum
of the CMD of all Officers and Indepen-
dents in the Company.
Dominance = the basic CMD of the Compa-
ny + the number of units in the Company
+ the sum of the First Contact values of
any of the units in the Company.
43
that has the highest CMD is Dominant. If the tie per-
sists, flip a coin.
At the beginning of the second and subsequent turns
of the game, Dominance is determined by the number
and the nature of the units that were killed during the
previous turn.
Both players count the number of units (Insigni-
ficant units don’t count) that they lost during the
previous turn.
The player who has lost the least units is Dominant
for the next turn.
If both players have lost the same number of units,
then the player that was already Dominant remains so
through the next turn.
urns
A game of Hell Dorado is split up into turns. In basic
battles, the number of turns in a game is limited (see
scenario details on page 206).
Upkeep Phase
It is during this phase – the first phase of every turn –
that the players resolve any special effects or situations
that last more than one turn.
1) At the beginning of the Upkeep Phase, the cur-
rent Command Pool of each player is reset to the total
CMD of the Company.
2) The question of which player is Dominant is resol-
ved as outlined above.
3) Then any damage that should be dealt is inflicted,
followed by any healing. In both cases, this is done
simultaneously by both players.
4) Finally, each player resolves any other powers,
orders, auras and abilities that have an effect during
this phase. If this causes any timing problems, the
Dominant player gets to choose the order that
effects are applied in.
Action Phase
Once both players have finished their Upkeep Phase,
the Action Phase begins.
During this phase, the players will be making their
units act in turn. The basic rule of this phase is this:
as soon as a player has finished the action of a unit, it
is the other player’s turn to act. However, as we will
soon see, this rule is quite often abused. In any case, a
 Rules of the gamE
Essential STuff
A Hell Dorado turn is split up into two phases:
The Upkeep Phase and Action Phase.
During the Upkeep Phase, the players work
out who is Dominant, Command Pools
are reset to their total values, and all the
special effects that take place during this
phase are applied.
During the Action Phase, players alternate
activating their units one by one, until all of
them have performed their actions. Once this
has happened, a new turn begins.
unit can only be activated once per turn, and all units
must be activated every turn.
Once a player has finished their unit’s action, they
need to let their opponent know that they are free to
play. A standard phrase can be chosen, such as «The
table is yours,» or even «Dude, s’your turn», but what is
important is that the opposing player be notified that it
is time for them to choose one of their units to activate.
Once this has been done, the previously active player
can no longer use a Vae Soli order.
44
Definitions
A unit that has not yet taken an action during the
current turn is said to be waiting.
A unit that is currently taking an action is said to
be active.
A unit that has already taken its action for this turn
is said to be already activated.
A unit that is in contact with an enemy unit is said to
be engaged with the enemy unit.
A unit that is not in contact with an enemy unit is
said to be free.
Allied units are all the units currently controlled by
the same player.
All Allies or other Allies
Sometimes an effect will refer to allies in
a general way, (“[all] the [unit’s] allies”) this
means that the unit from which the effect ori-
ginated is affected. Other times an effect will
refer to allies in a possessive form (“its allies” or
“the allies of the”) or an exclusive form (“other
allies”), either of these mean that the unit that
the effect originated from is not affected.
Enemy units are all the units controlled by the other
player or players (even temporarily). Enemy is synony-
mous with opponent.
First Activation
At the beginning of the Action Phase, the Dominant
player chooses which of the two players will activate one
of their units first.
 Rules of the gamE
The player that is chosen has to activate one of their
units, even if they have fewer units on the battlefield
than their opponent.
Being Outnumbered
When a player has to activate one of their units and
they have fewer waiting units than their opponent,
they can choose to make their opponent activate one
of their units instead. They can continue to skip their
activation for as long as they have fewer waiting units
than their opponent.
As mentioned previously, this rule doesn’t apply to
the first unit activated each turn. The side to activate
the first unit is always chosen by the Dominant player.
xample: Ileana is Dominant. She controls
8 Lost units. Her opponent, Arnold, has
4 Westerner units left. Ileana chooses
Arnold to play first at the beginning of the
Action Phase. He is therefore forced to activate
one of his 4 units. Then Ileana chooses one
of hers to activate. When it’s Arnold’s turn to
choose his second unit, he refuses, as he only
has 3 waiting units and Ileana has 7. In this way
he can make her play all her units until she also
has only 3 waiting units left. However, Arnold
does have the option to resume activating his
units at any time after each of Ileana’s moves.
Activation
Once a unit is activated, the player that controls it
must choose, announce to his opponent, and then per-
form a single action from the list below with the acti-
vated unit. See page 47 for more details. All units must
act once per turn. A unit can’t normally be activated
more than once per turn. A free unit can activate and
choose not to perform an action.
Walk
Normal movement • No contact with an enemy
unit • Free units only
The unit can move a distance up to the value of its
Movement in fathoms before ending its activation. The
unit can’t end its activation in contact with an enemy unit,
but it can enter an enemy control area. This action can
only be performed by a free unit.
Run
Movement X 2 • No contact with an enemy unit •
Free units only
The unit must move a number of fathoms greater
than its MVT, and may move up to to a number of
fathoms equal to double its MVT before ending its
activation. The unit can’t end its activation in contact
with an enemy unit but it can enter an enemy control
area. This action can only be performed by a free unit.
45
Attack
Normal movement • Contact with enemy unit •
Free units only
The unit moves as if it was performing a Walk action,
but it must end its activation in contact with an enemy
unit, triggering a normal attack sequence (p. 49). This
action can only be performed by a free unit.
Charge
Movement X 2 • Contact with enemy unit • -1 CBT
when contact is made • Free units only
The unit moves as if it was performing a Run action,
but must end its activation in contact with an enemy
unit. This immediately triggers an attack sequence
affected by Charge modifiers (p. 51). This action can
only be performed by a free unit.
Shoot
Normal movement • Ranged attack • No contact
with an enemy unit • Free units only
The unit can perform a ranged attack against any eli-
gible target (p. 52). It can also move a distance up to or
equal to the value of its Movement score before or after
shooting. It cannot end this movement in contact with
an enemy unit. The unit can either move and then shoot
or shoot and then move, but it cannot move part of the
distance, shoot, then continue moving. This action can
only be performed by a free unit. This is the only action
that allows a unit to use a ranged weapon.
Retreat
Movement X 2 • No contact with an enemy unit •
Triggers one-sided attack during Retreat • Engaged
units only
The unit announces its intention to Retreat from the
combat it is engaged in. It immediately suffers a one-
sided attack from one of its opponents, to which it cannot
retaliate (p. 51). It can then use a Run-type movement,
unless the previous attack killed it or caused it to suffer
a change of state (p. 64). It is impossible to come into
contact with an enemy unit when using a Retreat action.
This action can only be performed by an engaged unit.
If, during the one-sided attack, the enemy unit has less
than 1 attack die, the attack is canceled and the Retreating
unit can then use its Retreat action to a Walk, Run, Attack
or Charge, as if the unit had the Huge ability. If, during
the one-sided attack, the enemy is Harmless, the attack
is cancelled and the retreating unit may use its retreat
action to perform a Walk, Run, Attack, Charge, Shoot,
or Concentration action. If a retreating unit does wish
to replace its Retreat with a different action as described
above, it must first leave contact with the enemy unit.
Concentration
Free units may move normally • No contact with
the enemy
Engaged units may not move • Modified attack
sequence
The unit announces its intention to use an active
(see Special effects and timing, page 60) power (spell,
special ability, order...).
 Rules of the gamE
If the unit is free, it can move a distance up to or
equal to its Movement score, either before or after
using its power. It cannot end its movement in
contact with an enemy unit. The unit can either
move and then use its power, or use its power and
then move, but it cannot move part of the way,
use its power and continue its movement.
If the unit is engaged, it cannot move and it trig-
gers an attack sequence, with one of the non-Har-
mless enemy units it is in contact with, affected by
Concentration modifiers (p. 51). If the outcome of
the combat is a change of state for the unit (or its
death, of course), the power has no effect (however,
all costs must still be paid).
Focus
Free units may not move
Engaged units may not move • Triggers one-
sided attack
The unit announces its intention to use an exhausting
(see Special effects and timing) power (spell, special
ability, order...).
If the unit is free, it cannot move at all, neither before
nor after using its power.
If the unit is engaged, it cannot move and one of the
non-harmless enemy units it is in contact with gets to
make a one-sided attack against it. If the result of the
attack involves a change of state for the unit (or its
death, of course), the power will have no effect (howe-
ver, all costs must still be paid).
Mêlée
Limited movement • No loss of contact • Normal combat
• Engaged units only
The unit triggers an attack sequence against an enemy
unit in contact with it. This action can only be perfor-
med by an engaged unit.
6 Different types of movement
B
C a Charge action
46
Attack Sequence
Protagonists
Normally, when a unit takes a Charge, Attack or
Mêlée action, the player controlling it will be
the one to choose the unit (in case of contact
with multiple enemies) that the attack se-
quence will be made against.
Normally, when a unit takes a Retreat, Concen-
tration or Focus action, it’s the player who
controls the enemy units in contact with the
active unit that will choose which unit will
make the attack sequence against it.
At the beginning of its activation, if the unit is
engaged by only one enemy, it is allowed to move
where it wishes to as long as it remains in contact with
the enemy unit. It must however end its activation in
an area of terrain on which it could normally move
over (p. 215).
If, during this movement, it comes into contact with
another enemy unit, it can choose with which of the
two it wants to engage with the attack sequence, while,
of course, remembering that in this situation the two
enemy units will be providing each other with support.
If the unit is already engaged by multiple
enemy units, it cannot move, but gets to pick which
of the enemies it wants to fight (oppose in an attack
sequence).
Unit A has performed
a Walk action
Unit B has performed
a Run action
Unit C has performed
Unit D has performed
an Attack action
Unit E has performed
D a Mêlée action
 Rules of the gamE

Quick Chart of Actions

For Free Units

Walk Movement normal • No contact with enemy units
Run Movement x 2 • No contact with enemy units
Attack Movement normal • Contact with enemy units
Charge Movement x 2 • Contact with enemy units • -1 CBT when contact is made
Shoot Movement normal • Ranged attack • No contact with enemy units
Concentration Movement normal • No contact with enemy units
Focus No movement
For Engaged Units
Retreat Movement x 2 • No contact with enemy units • Triggers a one-sided attack
Concentration No movement • Modified attack sequence
Focus No movement • Triggers a one-sided attack
Mêlée Limited or no movement • No loss of contact • Normal attack sequence

If the unit is engaged by multiple enemy units but

If Saurav-Geet had possessed a passive
only one of them has a CBT that isn’t ”-“, then the unit
power, he could have used it before
can move as long as it stays in contact with the unit that
he began the attack sequence. He
has a CBT that isn’t “-“
could also have chosen to use it after
It is important to remember that a passive power can be
the attack sequence. During the attack
used at any time during a unit’s activation, no matter what
sequence, Stephen can choose to spend
action is being performed at the time. This does not trigger
1 or 2 of his Command Points to add
any particular reaction, whether the unit is free or engaged.
1 or 2 to Saurav-Geet’s CBT, thanks to
It can even be used before or after – but never during – an
Isha-Akshay’s Vae Victis order. The Vae
attack sequence or a ranged attack.
Victis order is a free power, and it can
A free power can be triggered at any time during the
therefore be used at any time during
Action Phase, whether the unit has already been activated
the Action Phase, whether the unit who
or not, even during an enemy unit’s activation, but never
possesses it has been activated or not,
during an attack sequence or a ranged attack.
and as many times as the player can
You may decide to not perform an action with a free unit
afford to do so.
when it is activated. Of course it won’t be able to act later
on during the same turn, as it has been activated.
Once Saurav-Geet has finished his
An engaged unit must act once it is activated (Mêlée,
activation, Stephen can spend one
Retreat, Concentration or Focus actions).
Command Point, to give a Vae Soli order
Once a unit has finished its action, in order to remember
(free power) and therefore activate
which units have been activated, you can flip their stat card
a second unit, possibly Isha-Akshay,
over. By doing this, all players can easily see which units
immediately.
are still waiting and which have already been activated.
In Hell Dorado, declaring what action your unit will take
doesn’t lock the unit into performing that action no matter
what. A player may change what action their unit will per-
Example: Stephen has 2 Lost units.
form as long as they haven’t done anything with the unit
One of them is Saurav-Geet, who
that would only be possible by performing a certain action.
is engaged with an enemy unit.
The other is Isha-Akshay. When his turn
comes to act, he decides to activate Example: Alain says that his
Saurav-Geet and have him perform a Lancer will Charge. He wishes
Concentration action. He can then use to Charge Isaïa, who is slightly
his Exuvia power (an active power) if he behind the Golem, and in contact with
survives an attack sequence as modified it. While moving, the Lancer enters
by the Concentration action, meaning -1 the control area of only the Golem
CBT and -1 DEF for Saurav-Geet. before coming into contact with Isaïa.
Therefore, to perform a Charge action
the Lancer should move into contact with

47
 Rules of the gamE

the Golem. However, once the Lancer’s
controller realizes that his unit has
entered the Golem’s control area, and
consequently won’ t be able to make it to
Isaïa, he could decide to stop the Lancer
in the control area of the Golem thereby
performing a run action, or continue with
the charge and engage the Golem.
Making the declaration of what action a unit will per-
form mandatory helps maintain clear and open com-
munication between players. By declaring what action
a unit will perform, a player allows his opponent a clear
time to react to that action or, in the spirit of good
sportsmanship, point out why it is illegal for the unit to
perform said action. You can’t just roll dice and then
say “My Arquebuser just shot your Blessed Warrior”
and think that it would be obvious that you are shooting
without moving so as to gain the bonus from Trained
Gunman. Similarly, one could move their figure across
difficult terrain while still within their units MVT, and
then continue on to run or charge with the unit hoping
that their opponent won’t notice that they should pay
1 CMD point. By declaring what action the unit will
perform situations such as these become much clearer
to everyone at the table. Declaring what action will be
performed allows your opponent to react to planned
actions, possibly preventing them. If your opponent
uses a power or ability in reaction to your declaration
of what action a unit will perform, then you can’t with-
draw your declaration
Example: Alain has his Alchemist
in contact with John’s Aidan
Saint James. The Alchemist is
also within the range of John’s Russian
Trapper’s Trap Laying order. Alain
decides that he will retreat with his
Alchemist. After Alain declares that his
Alchemist will retreat, John says that
he will use the Trap Laying order on
the alchemist at the beginning of the
retreat. Alain can’ t then change his mind
and perform some other action with the
Alchemist, who finds himself knocked
down at the feet of Aidan Saint James.
ovement
All Movement distances are measured in fathoms. A
moving unit doesn’t have to use all of its Movement
potential, you can even choose not to move it at all. A
moving unit doesn’t have to move in a straight line. A
movinh unit can’t move across the base of another unit
with its own base. Some terrain elements can block or
hinder Movement.

7 Examples of minis entering enemy control areas

A Unit A decides to stop its movement.

Unit B decides to engage the enemy unit.
Unit C decides to engage enemy unit E.
Unit D decides to engage enemy units F and G.

B
E

G
48
 Rules of the gamE
C
If unit A wants to engage unit B, it must spend
1 Command Point. Engaging combat with C will
cost nothing.
8 a miniature inside a control area decides to act
Control Area Effects
Units in Hell Dorado have a control area of one
fathom’s radius from their base. Control areas affect
the movements of other units in the following way:
A unit entering the control area of an enemy unit
has only three choices. It can:
Continue its movement so as to engage its enemy
directly (by the most direct route, even if this means
entering another unit’s control area).
Approach its enemy as stated above, but stop
moving before making contact.
Stop moving immediately.
It cannot continue its movement and leave the
control area, or move around within the area unless it
is to engage the enemy. If it decides to end its move-
ment before making contact with the enemy, the two
units are not engaged.
If a unit simultaneously enters the control areas
of several enemy units, it can:
Stop its movement immediately.
Pick one of the enemy units and engage it by moving
to make contact by the most direct route (this may
take it out of the control area of one or more of the
other units).
Move to simultaneously engage several enemy
units.
While engaged, a unit no longer exerts a control area.
A unit that begins its activation within the control
area of one (or more) enemy units can:
49
A
B
Choose not to act.
Perform an action that will allow it to engage its
enemy as directly as possible (or one of them).
Perform a Concentration, Focus, or Shoot action
(no Movement when using a Shoot or Concentration
action).
Pay 1 Command Point at the beginning of its acti-
vation to be able to either move around inside the
control area it is in without engaging the unit that
exerts the area, or leave the control area. The unit
will have to pay 1 Command Point for every control
area it is in at the beginning of its activation to be
able to move around freely or leave. This can only
be done to leave control areas that the unit is in at
the beginning of its activation. It cannot pay to move
through a control area during its movement without
stopping there. Spending Command Points in this
way is not an Order.
Control areas have no effect on a unit that moves
during a Mêlée action. On the other hand, a unit that
moves during a Retreat action is affected by control
areas (except for the one it is Retreating from).
ombat
In this section, you will find a detailed description
of all the possible combat situations, both close and
ranged, that can occur during the Action Phases of a
game. It is important to have a good grasp of all the
following concepts to be able to make the most of
playing Hell Dorado.
 Rules of the gamE
Friendly Fire
In Hell Dorado, a player cannot attack allied
units, be it in close or ranged combat.
Close Combat
An attack sequence in Hell Dorado represents a flurry
of blows between engaged units. An engaged unit can
fight all the units around it, for as long as it can resist their
number. However, every time an attack sequence happens
it can only involve two units at a time (an ally and an
enemy), any other units in contact will only provide sup-
port to the main fighters. A player cannot choose to attack
allied units (either from their own Company or controlled
by an opposing player).
A unit without a Combat stat cannot engage in com-
bat, even if it receives CBT bonuses later on. Any attack
sequence against this kind of unit will be one-sided.
Resolving an Attack Sequence
The same procedure is used whenever a close com-
bat attack sequence is resolved.
A. Both players work out how many Combat
dice they need to roll.
In close combat, both players roll a number of dice
equal to the Combat of their unit that is involved. This
number will of course be modified by any bonuses or
penalties applied to a unit’s CBT. If a unit would roll
a number of dice greater than 5, it will only roll 5 and
any extras can be taken as re-rolls (see below).
A unit cannot have more than 10 dice to roll (5 rolls
and 5 possible re-rolls). If a unit gets over 10 dice, each
die over 10 allows it to inflict one automatic damage
point per extra die to its opponent Protection is ignored
and these points are inflicted even if the unit doesn’t
score a single hit with its attack roll.
xample: William has a Damned One of
Wrath engaged in an attack sequence.
The Damned One of Wrath has a CBT
of 4 and has a total of 3 extra points added to
its CBT (from orders, spells, etc...). William
will therefore roll 5 dice and may re-roll up to
2 of them.
50
B. Both players roll their combat dice
Each of the dice that rolls a number equal to or grea-
ter than the opposing unit’s Defense stat scores a hit.
Each of the dice that rolls a number lower than the
unit’s Defense stat is a miss. A die that rolls a miss can
be rolled again, once and only once, as a re-roll. This
means that if a player has 3 possible re-rolls and only
2 misses, the third possible re-roll will not be usable,
no matter what the result of the re-rolls are. Once all
re-rolls are done, the players count the number of hits.
xample: The enemy unit William’s
Damned One of Wrath is fighting
has a Defense of 3. William rolls his
Combat dice and obtains 3, 4, 2, 6 and 4. He
has scored 4 hits. He re-rolls the 2 and gets
a result of 1. Even though he had 2 possible
re-rolls, he cannot re-roll the 1, as any die can
only be re-rolled once. In this case, he does
not benefit from his second re-roll. William
has scored 4 hits.
C. Both players apply the result of the attack
rolls simultaneously
The players check the power table of the wea-
pons they used to work out how much damage
should be inflicted and/or any special effects that
have been triggered. Once the damage has been
applied then any changes of state or special effects
triggered will occur.
A player can always choose to reduce the number
of hits inflicted by his own unit (this can, for example,
allow him to trigger specific effects that may be a lot
more helpful than what the full number of hits would
do). The defender’s Protection score is then subtracted
from the damage. The final result will be the number of
Life Points the unit will lose. Damage is inflicted simul-
taneously to both units engaged in the attack sequence.
The same is true for any change of state. Even if a unit
dies, all the damage it caused is applied, and any spe-
cial effects are triggered.
Attack Sequences and
Power Timing
Once the attack sequence has begun, powers
and passive or free abilities can no longer be
used until the sequence is over. The most ob-
vious exception to this rule is the Vae Victis
order (p. 61).
 Rules of the gamE
Specific Modifiers
Charge -1 CBT for the active unit
Concentration -1 CBT and -1 DEF for the active unit
One-sided attack during Retreat One-sided attack
One-sided attack during Focus One-sided attack with -1 DEF for the active unit
Support +1 CBT for each allied unit in contact
Vae victis +1 or +2 CBT depending on Command Points spent
xample: Arnold’s missionary can inflict
4 damage with the 3 hits it rolled
during the attack roll. However, Arnold
chooses to reduce the number of hits inflicted
to 2, so he can inflict Stunned and not deal
any damage.
The missionary’s enemy, a Damned One of
Wrath, manages to score 5 hits and inflicts
10 damage, which, despite the missionary’s
Protection score, kills him.
The Damned One of Wrath will still suffer
from the Stunned state, as the affects of the
attack sequence are applied simultaneously.
D. The Grim Reaper claims his due
Units whose Life Points reach or go below 0 are
dead with all that it entails. Units that still have 1
or more Life Points stay on the battlefield. Depen-
ding on the result of the attack sequence, a unit
can become free or remain engaged.
Special Situations
Charge
When a unit takes part in one or many attack
sequences while taking a Charge action, it suffers a -1
CBT penalty. Attack sequences made after the end of
its activation are not affected.
One-sided Attacks
One-sided attack sequences work just like normal,
except one of the units involved doesn’t roll dice as
they can’t fight. All abilities and modifiers that affect
normal attack sequences can affect one-sided attacks.
Attacking From Above
Any unit standing on ground at least half a fathom
higher than its opponent gets +1 CBT. On the other
hand, if the lower unit’s head is lower than the base
of the higher unit, no contact – and therefore no close
combat – can occur between the two.
51
Concentration
When a unit performs a Concentration action
while engaged by a non-harmless unit, it takes part
in an attack sequence at the beginning of its acti-
vation, but suffers -1 CBT and -1 DEF. If several
non-harmless enemy units are engaging the unit, as
normal, only one of them (chosen by their control-
ling player) will fight, the others will only provide a
support bonus.
One-sided Attacks During Retreat
When a unit suffers a one-sided attack because of
a Retreat action, a normal attack sequence is perfor-
med, but only the enemy unit gets an attack roll. If
several enemy units are engaging the Retreating unit,
only one of them (chosen by their controlling player)
performs the attack, the others will only provide a
support bonus.
One-sided Attack During Focus
When a unit suffers a one-sided attack because
of a Focus action, a normal attack sequence is
performed, but only the enemy unit gets an attack
roll and the unit currently Focusing suffers -1 DEF. If
several enemy units are engaging the Retreating unit,
only one of them (chosen by their controlling player)
performs the attack, the others will only provide a
support bonus.
Support
A unit gets +1 CBT for each allied unit engaging
the enemy unit that they’re fighting. This is called a
support bonus. A unit can provide a support bonus
multiple times in one turn. A unit that can’t fight (no
CBT, Immobilized, etc.) doesn’t provide any support.
Weapon Damage Types
Most of the weapons carried units in Hell
Dorado cause a specific kind of damage, indicated
on the stat cards. However, some weapons will
list several types of damage. In this case, the type
of damage inflicted is always chosen by the player
controlling the unit. If a weapon doesn’ t indicate
a type of damage then, it inflicts damage with no
 Rules of the gamE
B
Unit A receives a support bonus of +1 CBT.
Unit B receives a support bonus of +2 CBT.
Unit C does not receive any support.
.
9 multiple units and support
type. Note that the kind of damage inflicted by
a weapon does not imply that any special rules
should be applied unless otherwise stated. For
example, the keywords Blunt, Slashing or Piercing
are not associated with any special rules. They
are only used as keywords when dealing with
some specific effects.
Multiple Weapons
When a unit carries several weapons (with
different power tables) that can be used during
10 Units and damage types
This Damned One of Wrath can cause both Pier-
cing and Slashing damage. Depending on the
type of resistance its opponent has, the type of
damage will be the one that is more favorable
for the attacker.
ranged or close combat, its controller must state
which weapon is being used for the current attack
sequence before rolling attack dice. If the player
fails to do so, the defender gets to choose which
power table is used to inflict damage. Obviously,
only close combat weapons can be used by an
engaged unit and only ranged weapons can be
used by a free unit.
Ranged Combat
As with close combat, ranged combat is resolved
during the Action Phase. There is, however, one big
difference between the two: during ranged combat, the
targeted unit cannot respond to the attack.
Shots
During the Action Phase, as with close combats, ranged
attacks are resolved during the attacking unit’s activa-
tion. These ranged attacks are called shots. When a unit
wishes to shoot, the ensuing steps are always the same.
A. Choosing a Target
Units wishing to perform a ranged attack must tar-
get the enemy unit that is nearest to them. There are,
however, three exceptions to this:
If the nearest possible target is in cover (see below)
that gives it a Protection bonus equal to or greater than
its natural Protection, the shooter can choose the next
closest eligible target. If the next possible target has a
similar amount of cover to the previous one (cover that
provides Protection at least equal to the unit’s natural
52
 Rules of the gamE

Protection score), then the next closest target will be
examined and so on.
If the nearest enemy unit is engaged, the shooter
does not have to choose it as the target and can choose
the next closest eligible target.
An enemy unit that cannot be a target (because of
an ability or an aura, etc.) never counts as the nearest
enemy unit.
Allied units cannot become targets, unless they can,
somehow, temporarily be considered enemy units.
B. Cover and Line of Fire
You can consider that there is a clear Line of Fire
between a shooter and its target if an imaginary
straight line could be drawn between the center of the
shooter’s base at head height and any part of the target
(base, weapon, body of the figure...).
Terrain elements naturally prevent a shooter from
aiming at an enemy unit if there is no clear Line of
Fire between the two, no matter how far the enemy
unit is from the terrain element. On the other
hand, in Hell Dorado, lines of fire are never bloc-
ked by other units (enemies or allies). It is treated as

Cover
Essential Stuff
Cover Bonus
Targets Base Size (added to targets
protection score) A shot is an attack sequence, just like a hand-to-
Regular 3 hand attack. Therefore the normal rules for the
Large 2 timing of powers apply in the same.
Extra Large 1

11 aiming a shot at certain minis

D E
B

11’’
10’’
8’’

9’’

Unit A wishes to shoot. Usually, it would have to pick the nearest enemy unit, but...
Unit B has a cover of 3, and its natural Protection score is 1.
Unit C is engaged in close combat.
Unit D also has some cover, although it is not better than the unit’s natural
Protection score (cover of 1 and Protection of 3)
Unit E is not under cover.
Unit A can therefore pick units B, C or D as its target for this shot.
 Rules of the gamE
though the warriors are not standing still on the battle-
field. As one moves forward at a fast pace to intercept
an enemy, another one will have the time to exchange
blows with several enemies and a shooter can wait until
its target is in view as other units move out of the way.
If the target is partially covered by terrain elements
(from the shooter’s point of view), it will receive addi-
tional Protection from the cover if at least 50% of the
figure is concealed by the obstacle and if it is a fathom
(or less) away from the obstacle. To work out if at least
50% of the figure is hidden from the shooter’s view,
you can either lean over and see for yourself «what the
mini can see,» or use a laser pointer.
If a target does have cover, then it receives a bonus to
its Protection depending on its size (a large warrior would
naturally find it harder to hide than a smaller one would).
C. Measuring Distances
The distance between the shooter and its target is
always measured from the edge of one base to the other.
In Hell Dorado, there is no limit to the range of
most throwing or ranged weapons. The weapons’
Range score is only an indication of how difficult
the shot roll will be depending on the distance from
the target as explained in the table on page 55.
The difficulty used for the shot is equal to the distance
difficulty or the target’s Defense, whichever is higher.
D. Gather & Roll Combat Dice
The shooting unit rolls a number of combat
dice equal to its Shooting Skill (SHS). This num-
54
ber of dice may be modified by the unit ’s state
or other modifiers.
This works just like rolling to hit in a close combat
attack sequence with the shooter gaining re-rolls
if their SHS is above 5 etc... The only difference is
that the target of the shot doesn’t get to retaliate.
Each of the dice that rolls a number equal to or
greater than the shot’s difficulty scores a hit.
E. The Shooter Applies the Results of the shot
The player checks the power table of the weapon that
has just been used to work out how much damage to
inflict and/or what special effects may have been trig-
gered. Again this works just like the similar step from
close combat attack sequences, except only the shooter
will deal damage.
F. The Reaper Claims His Due
Any unit whose Life Points are reduced to 0 or less
are dead with all that it entails.
All units who still have one or more Life Points left
stay on the battlefield.
Shooting Into Close Combat
When a unit decides to perform a ranged attack on
an enemy unit engaged in close combat, the shot takes
place as normal (measuring distance, consideration of
cover, etc.).
The difficulty of the shot is the highest value
between the Defense of the target, the Defense of all
unit engaged by the target, and the difficulty imposed
by the distance.
 Rules of the gamE
The shooter has a clear The shooter (A) has no possi-
Line of Fire to D but the ble Line of Fire to B, as part
element it is behind gives it of the terrain is completely
a Protection bonus of 2 (the C blocking any Line of Sight
target has a Large base). between the two units.
B
D

A
E

The shooter has a clear Line

of Fire to E and the scenery is
hiding less than 50% of the
figure. The shot therefore
takes place as normal.
The shooter has a clear Line of Fire The shooter has a clear
to C but the element it is behind Line of Fire to F and
gives it a Protection bonus of 3 (the the scenery is over 1
unit has a Regular base) as less than fathom away from the
50% of the figure is visible. figure. The shot the-
refore takes place as
normal.

12 Line of Fire and Protection

Range and Difficulty of Shots

Distance Between Shooter and Target Range Distance Difficulty
No greater than the weapon’s Range Point Blank 3
Greater than the weapon’s Range but no greater than Range X 2 Short 4
Greater than Range X 2 but no greater than Range X 3 Medium 5
Greater than Range X 3 Long 6

55
 Rules of the gamE
While resolving the attack (once all re-rolls are done),
if the result is at least one hit, then the number of odd
and even dice scores are compared (compare all the
dice, those that provided hits and those that didn’t).
If there are more odd scores than even ones, the shot
hits another of the units engaged in the close combat,
chosen randomly (give each of them a number and roll
a die, or mix up their stat cards and pick one...).
The damage is then inflicted as normal, based on the
number of hits scored (in this case it is impossible to
choose to reduce the number of hits).
xample: Ileana is playing her Berber
Chasseur, who is firing at an enemy
Blade for Hire that is engaged in
close combat with two of her units. Her two
units have Defenses of 3 and 5, the target’s
Defense is 4 and the shot is at short range
(distance difficulty of 4). This means that
the shot’s difficulty will be 5 (the highest
of the previous values). Ileana rolls 3 dice
for her shooter. The results are 5, 6 and 3.
She gets 2 hits, but as there are more odd
results than even ones, the shot will hit one
of the other engaged units (meaning one of
hers) picked randomly.
If the shooter picks a target that is behind
an ongoing close combat, the same rules apply.
However, the unfortunate victim is chosen from
amongst all of the units whose bases are at least
13 Distance and difficulty
All the shooters in this example are using arquebuses (range of 8).
Shooter A’s target B is 19 fathoms away from him. The difficulty of
Shooter C’s target D is 5 fathoms away from him. The difficulty
will therefore be 4 (4 DEF score and a 3 distance difficulty).
B
56
partially on an imaginary line drawn between the
center of the shooter’s base and that of their tar-
get, as well as all units engaged by any unit on
that line. Of course, if the shooter and/or its tar-
get are on a higher level than the units between
them, the Line of Fire is not blocked and the shot
can take place as normal.
Explosions
A shooter who carries a weapon which produces
explosions aims it at a point on the battlefield. It can be
a place where a unit is standing, or any other spot on the
ground. Important note: the unit does not have to aim
at the closest enemy unit.
The unit will require a free Line of Fire to the spot it
wishes to target.
As a default, explosions will affect a circular area
with a 3 fathom radius, centered on the targeted spot.
The shooter then performs a normal ranged attack
based on the distance difficulty (Defense stats are
not taken into account here). If the shooter scores
at least one hit, then the shot successfully hits the
targeted spot.
If the shooter doesn’t score a single hit, then the shot
misses and inflicts no damage (as if the weapon had misfi-
red or the shot had missed completely and hit some deser-
ted bit of terrain...).
If the shot hits, the explosion template is placed on
the battlefield with its center on the targeted spot. All
units that are touched (allies or enemies) by the tem-
plate will be affected by the explosion, even if only a
tiny part of the miniature or its base is inside the area
of effect.
The Defense score of all targets is 4.
the shot roll will therefore be 5 (4 DEF score
and a 5 distance difficulty).
 Rules of thegamE
Ranged weapons with explosive ammunition have
two stats: a difficulty and a power. They are always
displayed in the following way: Explosion (Type of
Damage, if necessary • X/Y). Here, X is the difficulty
and Y is the power. In some cases, these two damage
stats will be replaced by a specific state. In this case,
any unit even partially inside the effect area will auto-
matically be affected by the aforementioned state.
The shooter rolls 5d6 against each unit inside the
area of effect of an explosion. Each of the dice that
rolls greater than or equal to the explosion’s difficulty,
scores a hit. Each hit inflicts a number of damage equal
to the explosion’s power. The damage for each hit is
added up, and then the unit’s Protection is subtrac-
ted from the total to figure the number of Life Points
the unit will actually lose. The shooter can’t choose
to reduce the number of hits scored when using an
explosive weapon.
There are no bonuses to PR due to cover for units
inside an explosion.
The Vae Victis order cannot be used during explosion
damage rolls, although it can be used during the roll
that determines if the shot hits its target or not.
xample: One of Stephen’s Sling
Maidens shoots with an «Exploding
Maggot, Explosion (3/1)» weapon at a
point that allows him to touch two enemy
units, but also one of his own units, with the
area of effect. The targeted spot is at long
range. Stephen rolls 2 dice for his shot: he
scores a 2 and 6. This single 6 means that
the shot has hit its target. For each of the
three units inside the area of effect, Stephen
then rolls 5d6 against a difficulty of 3, as he
would with a normal shot. Each hit inflicts 1
damage. The Protection of each unit is then
subtracted from the total number of damage
it suffered to determine how many Life Points
it will lose.
Blast Weapons
Before we begin, it is important to differentiate the
two kinds of blast weapons: cloud blasts and ammu-
nition blasts.
Whatever the type of blast, the attack is resolved in
the same way. The shooter places the blast template,
the triangle 6 fathoms long and 2 fathoms wide at
the base, where he wants on the battlefield, the only
condition affecting the placement of the template is
that the tip of the cone must be in contact with the
shooters base. The shooter doesn’t have to «aim» at
any specific enemy unit. Every unit (ally or enemy)
touched by the template will be affected by the blast,
even if only a tiny part of their base is touched by
57
Full Cover
During an explosion or an impact blast (but not du-
ring a cloud-type blast), if a unit is totally under
cover (none of the miniature is visible) from the
point of origin of the attack (center of the explo-
sion, tip of the blast cone), then it can’t be hit by
the attack.
the template. Using a blast weapon does not require a
shooting roll.
Blast weapons have four stats: type of damage, type
of blast (cloud or impact), difficulty and power. They
are always displayed in the same way: «[blast type]
Blast (Type of Damage • X/Y)». In this example X is the
difficulty and Y is the power. In some cases, these two
stats will be replaced by a state. In this case, all units
even partially touched by the template will automati-
cally be affected by the aforementioned state. Vae Vic-
tis can’t be used during a shot using a blast weapon.
The shooter can’t choose to reduce the number of hits
scored when using a blast weapon.
Cloud Blast Weapons
The shooter rolls 5d6 against each unit touched by the
template of a cloud blast effect weapon. Each die that rolls
equal to or greater than the blast’s difficulty scores a hit.
Each hit inflicts an amount of damage equal to the blast’s
power. The damage for all the hits scored is totaled, the
unit’s PR is subtracted, and the remainder is the number
of Life Points the unit will actually lose. There are no PR
bonuses due to cover for units inside a cloud blast wea-
pon’s area of effect.
Cloud blast weapons usually utilize substances like
flames or burning gases. You may note that this type of
weapon works like an explosion, except with a different
shaped template that must touch the unit that is shooting.
xample: A monstrous creature
projecting a cloud of acid across the
battlefield has an attack «Cloud Blast
(Acid • 5/2)». Each die rolled by the creature
that scores a 5 or higher will cause 2 damage.
Legal Target
An enemy unit able to be legally hit by (in regards
to special effects) an attack sequence, a shot, an
explosion or a blast attack is called a legal target.
An allied unit is never a legal target on its own for
purposes of a blast attack or an explosion. Thus,
you cannot place a blast or explosion template
over enemy units who are not legal targets (due to
the use of Discretion, for example) even if an ally is
caught in the template.
 Rules of the gamE

Impact Blast Weapons
An impact blast works exactly like a cloud blast
except for a few key exceptions. The first target
that the blast will be resolved against is the one
closest to the shooter. When rolling to determine
how many hits are scored the shooter rolls their
SHS +5 dice. After the shot has been resolved
against the first target you continue on to the
next closest target touched by the template, and
the shooter rolls a number of dice equal to the
number of misses that where rolled against the
first target. Continue in this fashion until there
are either no units left in the area of effect to roll
against or there are no dice left to roll. Being able
to claim cover will work as normal and provide a
PR bonus versus an impact blast. If two or more
units are at an equal distance from the shoo-
ter, determine the order that they will be rolled
against randomly. Impact blast weapons usually
fire clusters of ammunition Ex a blunderbuss, or
cannon loaded with lead shot, etc ...
Explosions, Blasts and Close Combat
When resolving an explosion or a blast attack
hitting a unit currently engaging at least one enemy
who is not in the area of effect of the blast or of
the explosion, the active player rolls a d6. On an
even result, only the unit in the area of effect is
hit. On an odd result, one of the units it is engaged
by, and not in the area of effect, will be hit as well.
Which enemy is hit will be randomly determined
between all units engaged by initial target. In the
case of an impact blast, the effects of the blast are
first applied to the original unit, then to its oppo-
nent before moving on to other potential victims.
ommand and Orders
Command and Orders are important notions in Hell
Dorado. These are the factors that will probably make
the biggest difference between two Companies. Mana-
ging Command Points is particularly important to vic-
tory on the battlefield.
Command
The notion of Command is essential to games of Hell
Dorado. Each player has a certain number of Command
Points that will be used to “pay” for the orders that
some units can use. You can use cardboard tokens,
glass beads, or some other easily understood book
keeping device to keep track of how many Command
Points each player has left in their Command Pool.
At the beginning of the game, all players work out
the number of Command Points they will start with.
This is done by totaling the Command of all the units
on the battlefield in each Company.
A Company’s total CMD is different than the number
of Command Points the Company currently has. We
will refer to the current number of Command Points a
Company has as that Companies Command Pool.

14 Impact Blasts

Grenadier A, carrying a blunderbuss «Impact Blast (Piercing • 4/2)» shoots at a group of 3 units. Its Shooting Skill
is 2. It therefore rolls 7 dice against unit B and scores 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5 and 6. This means that it hits unit B 4 times,
and therefore inflicts 8 damage, before unit B’s PR is applied. The Grenadier then rolls 3 dice (the dice that missed
during the previous roll) against unit C. The shooter rolls a 4, 6, and 6, for three hits, which deals 6 damage, again
before unit C’s PR is subtracted. Unit D therefore suffers no damage, even though it is inside the blast effect area,
as there are no dice left to roll against it.

C D

58
 Rules of the gamE

The total CMD of the Company will only be changed manent expenditures, it is very possible for a Company
by permanent loss of Command Points, either due to to reach a total CMD of 0 during the game.
units being killed, or the cost of abilities. The Com-
mand Pool keeps track of how many Command Points
a player has available to them at a given time, so per-
xample: Arnold is playing a Westerner
manent losses or costs will both be taken from the
Company and has 7 total CMD at the
Command Pool.
beginning of the game (4 points for the
At the beginning of each turn, during the Upkeep
Frank-Captain, +1 for the Swashbuckler, +1 for
Phase, the Command Pool of each Company refreshes
the Missionary, +1 for the Sergeant). During
so that each Company has a number of Command
the first turn of the game, he decides to
Points equal to their total Command.
spend 3 CMD Points to use a few orders: he
has 4 CMD Points left in his CMD Pool, even
So therefore:
though his Companies total CMD remains 7.
When a player spends CMD to pay to pay a cost,
they remove CMD Points from their CMD Pool.
During the Upkeep Phase of the following
When a player spends permanent CMD Points,
turn, Arnold’s CMD Pool refreshes so that
they are removed from the total CMD of the Company
he has 7 CMD Points in it once again, due
- as well as from the CMD Pool.
to his Company’s total CMD being 7. During
When a unit with a CMD stat is killed, a number
this turn, Arnold spends 4 CMD Points and 2
of CMD Points are removed from the total CMD of the
permanent CMD Points to use a few different
Company and the CMD Pool equal to the CMD of the
orders: at this point, he only has 1 CMD Point
killed unit. Obviously, if there are less CMD Points in
left in his CMD Pool, and the total CMD
the Company’s CMD Pool than the CMD of the killed
of his Company is now 5 (7 – 2 permanent
unit then all points in the pool are removed.
CMD points). Before the turn is over, Arnold
loses his Officer who had a CMD of 4. He
It is, of course, impossible to use an order if the
immediately subtracts 4 from his Companies
player doesn’t have enough CMD Points in their CMD
total CMD, which is reduced to 1 (5 – 4), and
Pool to pay for it. Depending on unit losses and per-

59
 Rules of the gamE
Special Effects and Timing
Before we go any further, we’ll repeat the golden rules here:
If a game effect contradicts a game rule, the effect always
takes precedence over the game rule. When two effects
clash because of their timing, and can’t be resolved by
having them happen simultaneously, the effect of the
active unit will apply before that of its opponent, pos-
sibly cancelling out the use of the latter.
When a unit is named in the description of a permanent
aura is on its card, or if that aura is inclusive or not, then
these traits reference that particular unit and not others
with the same name. Ex: While Tsilla’s Aura of Conscience
doesn’t affect her, it will affect other Tsilla’s on the battle-
field the same as any other unit. However, if the origina-
ting unit is named in the italicized resume line that begins
a permanent aura, that aura will affect other copies of the
originating unit in the same way that it affects the origi-
nating unit. Ex: Jinx is immune to the Aneurysm Aura, of
any other Jinx present on the board, because it is treated
in the same way, as the originating Jinx, who is immune.
A power or ability of any kind will be described using a
few common terms:
• Duration: A Permanent power is always on, a player
cannot voluntarily choose to stop it. Temporary powers
are, by default, only active until the end of the current
turn. Once used, players can’t voluntarily choose to stop
the effect before the end of its duration. When a dura-
tion of X is indicated for a temporary power, the current
turn is always considered to be the first turn of the X
value. Thus, an effect with a duration of 1 will end at the
end of the current turn, an effect with a duration of 2
will last through the current turn and end at the end of
the next turn, etc. Normally, only auras have a duration.
• Trigger: exhausting, active, passive or free (sorted by de-
creasing complexity).
• An exhausting power requires the unit to perform a
Focus action to be used.
• An active power requires the unit to perform a
Concentration action to be used.
• A passive power can be used at any time during the
unit’s activation, no matter what action it chooses to
perform. This does not trigger any reaction from its ene-
mies, whether the unit is free or engaged. This type of
power can’t be used during an attack sequence, but it
can be used just before or after the attack sequence.
• A free power can be used at any point during the Ac-
tion Phase (during an opponent’s activation, during an
allied unit’s activation or its own, or even between
two activations), whether the unit in question has
already been activated or not. This type of power
can’t be used during an attack sequence, but it can
be used just before or after the attack sequence.
If none of these four triggers are indicated for a permanent
power, then it is always in effect.
If none of these four triggers are indicated for a temporary
power, then it will be triggered as indicated in its full
description.
60
A temporary aura will appear as follows:
Temporary * Trigger * Area of Effect * Subtype (lingering
or instant) * Keywords (immunity, unique, etc …).
A permanent aura will appear as follows:
Permanent * Area of Effect * Keywords (immunity,
unique, etc …).
The area of effect is the radius of the circular area around
the unit that has the aura that it will effect. There are two
types of aura, permanent and temporary, their precise
nature is outlined in their full description in the upco-
ming aura section. Auras can be associated with a few
keywords. These are explained in more detail in the fol-
lowing aura section.
xemple :
Aura of Inspiration
Temporary • Active • 4 fathom radius •
Lingering • Muslims
Muslim units gain +1 CBT.
This ability is an aura. It lasts until the end of the
turn (temporary). To use it, a Concentration action
is required (active trigger). It affects all Muslim
(keyword) units within a range of 4 fathoms from the
unit’s base (area of effect). Auras have another trait
(the type: lingering or instant): we will go into this in
more detail on page 62. Using this aura doesn’t cost
any Command Points (no cost indicated).
An order will appear as follows:
Trigger * Cost (permanent or not) * Unstoppable (or not) *
Reaction (or not) * Unique (or not)
Only orders with a trigger can be unstoppable.
The effects of unstoppable orders will affect units that
normally cannot be affected by or receive orders.
Ex: a maverick or stunned unit will be affected by an
unstoppable order.
Any power with the keyword Unique can only be used once
per game.
An order that is a reaction will outline a specific situation
that it can be used in reaction to. Once that situation has
come about, the order that is a reaction can normally be
used at the end of the activation.
The cost indicates the number of Command Points that
must be spent to use the order. In some cases the
points will be spent permanently (p. 59).
Any CMD spent as part of the affect of an order are also
part of the cost to use the order.
xample :
The Lord Guides My Hand
Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
The Swashbuckler gets +1 MVT, +2 SHS, +2 CBT and
+2 FTH until the end of the game.
This ability is an order. It has a permanent effect
(see description). To use it, a Concentration action
is required (active trigger). It only affects the
Swashbuckler. This order can only be used once during
the game («Unique» keyword) and it costs 2 permanent
Command Points (as stated in its cost).
 Rules of the gamE
from his CMD Pool, which is reduced to 0 (1 –
4, with a minimum of 0).
During the following Upkeep Phase, Arnold
will only get 1 CMD Point in his CMD Pool,
as his Companies total CMD has been
greatly reduced.
If, for some reason, a unit enters the game after the
first turn, its Command is added to the total Com-
mand of its Company during the Upkeep Phase of the
following turn, before CMD Pools refresh. If a unit
leaves the battlefield during a game, its Command
will be subtracted from the total Command of the
Company, and the Company’s CMD Pool, exactly as if
it had been eliminated.
Some units may contribute either Light or Dark
Command. These function in the same way as any
normal CMD Points; however some abilities can only
be payed for with either Light or Dark CMD or will
do certain things depending on the relative amounts of
Light and Dark Command. A unit that contributes only
Light or Dark Command will have either a white or black
dot next to their CMD on their card to denote which
they contribute. If you are playing a Faction that has
abilities where the amount of Light and Dark Command
matter, then any unit in your Company that doesn’t
have one of these dots on their card can contribute any
combination of Light and Dark Command that you like,
though you must decide this and notify your opponent
of it at the beginning of the game and this will not
change throughout the game.
Orders
Some units in Hell Dorado can use orders. These
effects often allow the unit to break some of the basic
rules of the game, and they therefore have great tac-
Orders Without Triggers
Using an order without a trigger (exhausting, active,
passive, or free) is not «giving an order» or «recei-
ving an order.»
Example: Samael and one of his Succubi have been
Stunned (incapable of giving or receiving orders)
by enemy units. If Samael dies, he can still use
his Ultimate Sacrifice order and the Succubus can
benefit from it.
61
Frequent Use of
Vae Victis and Vae Soli
After your first few games of Hell Dorado, using these
two orders will become second nature. However,
don’t forget that your Officer is the one who allows
you to use them and that if they die, you won’t
be able to use them anymore. Also, don’t forget
that if an Officer is Stunned or Knocked Down
(for example) you temporarily won’t be able to use
these abilities anymore either.
tical potential. Normally, orders cost Command Points
to use.
Using an order is called «giving an order».
Being affected by an order from a friendly unit is
called «receiving an order».
An order is received when it is given.
An unstoppable order is never received. Therefore, it
will still affect units that can’t receive orders.
A “legal target of an order” is any unit or game ele-
ment (terrain, CMD Pool, etc… ) that can be affected
by the order.
An order with a trigger can’t be given without a
legal target.
Orders follow the same general rules as effects (see
Special Effects and Timing on page 60).
Orders with the keyword «Unique» can only be used
once in each game.
There are two special orders that all Officers – and
only Officers – can use: these are Vae Victis and Vae Soli.
Vae victis
Free • 1 or2 CMD
As long as a Company has at least one unit able to use
this order on the battlefield, the player who controls it
can give one of their units a +1 CBT or SHS bonus for 1
CMD Point, or +2 CBT or SHS for 2 CMD Points. This
order should be used when the number of dice is being
calculated for the combat or shot roll. The bonus only
lasts for the current attack sequence or shot. This order
is an exception to the rule that states that free trigge-
red powers cannot be used during an attack sequence.
This order cannot be used during a shot with a blast
effect weapon or when rolling for damage after using
an explosive weapon. As this order has a free type trig-
ger, it can be used several times during any one Action
Phase even when an enemy unit is resolving an action.
Even if several units have the ability to use this order
within a Company, it is not possible to spend more than
 Rules of the gamE
2 Command points and so obtain a CBT or SHS bonus
higher than 2 for any one shot or attack sequence.
Vae soli
Free • 1 CMD
As long as a Company has at least one unit able
to use this order on the battlefield, the player who
controls it can spend 1 CMD Point immediately after
one of their units has finished its activation to activate
a second unit immediately. This order can’t be used to
allow a player activate more than two units in a row.
agic
There are two ways of using magic in Hell Dorado:
the first is by using magical auras, the second is by cap-
turing small demonic creatures and feeding them magi-
cal ingredients and using them as power containers.
Auras
Some units are able to use magical auras. These
auras obey the rules of special effects (see Special
Effects and Timing on page 60). A unit with at least
one aura is called a Mentalist. Many auras are linked
to the units’ religions: if so they represent the powers
of Faith.
As we discussed earlier there are two types of auras:
permanent and temporary.
There are two sub-types of temporary aura, lingering
and instant auras:
• A lingering temporary aura will only affect the
units that are inside its area of effect and no longer
affects units once they leave that area. The effects of a
lingering aura end if the unit that produced it dies (but
not if its state changes), or at the end of a turn if the
unit is still alive. As usual the effects of two identical
auras can’t be applied jointly to any one unit (the
effects of identical auras don’t stack). Permanent
auras work in this way as well, except that they are
permanently in effect.
• An instant temporary aura will only affects the
units inside its effect area at the time it is triggered.
The effects of an instant aura end at the end of the
current turn, even if the unit who triggered it is killed
before that.
By default permanent auras do not affect the unit
that originates them and their effects don’t stack with
auras of the same name. There are a few keywords that
apply only to permanent auras. They are inclusive and
cumulative:
62
• Inclusive: auras with the inclusive keyword do
affect the unit that originates them.
• Cumulative: auras with the cumulative keyword do
stack with other identically named auras.
Lemures and Spells
Some of the units in Hell Dorado have learned how to
capture and train some of the small creatures that live
in Hell like rodents on Earth for use as vessels for the
magical powers that seep through the infernal planes.
These units are called Infernalists.
These people know what to feed the strange little
creatures so they can obtain surprising – and some-
times explosive – effects...
On the battlefield, lemures are represented by their
own special miniatures. Also, like all other units,
lemures have their own stat cards. However, they do
follow some special rules.
Entering the Battlefield
When they are captured, lemures are tiny creatures,
only an inch or two high, like a kind of demonic grub.
Infernalists feed them various things (gold coins, herbs,
potions, rocks...) to get the desired effects from them.
As soon as the lemure has eaten all of the required
ingredients for a specific spell, it grows incredibly fast,
growing from a grub of less than 4 inches to a fully
grown specimen of 1.5 to 3 feet tall in a few seconds.
Unless stated otherwise, an Infernalist can choose to
invoke any lemure to cast a spell (as long, of course, as
the corresponding miniature and its base are available
and painted). A lemure that has been destroyed (either
because it was killed or because its power was triggered)
is available again immediately.
My Lemures are Your
Lemures
The rule in Hell Dorado is that all players should
bring their own miniatures for the lemures they
plan to use during the game. However, during
friendly games, if both players agree, the lemu-
re miniatures can be put to one side all together
and shared by the players. This way, the players
can dip into the lemure pool every time they re-
quire one of these strange little creatures for
one of their Infernalists.
 Rules of the gamE
Madagascar ?
A lemure (rhymes with secure) is not a lemur
(rhymes with steamer). Lemures are drooling
demonic creatures that live in Hell. Lemurs are
cute little furry, wide-eyed, monkey-like mam-
mals that live on the island of Madagascar. They
do not explode. Does this make things clear?
Invoking a lemure is an exhausting power that
requires a Focus action. Once this has been done, the
miniature of the chosen lemure is placed on the battle-
field in contact with the Infernalist’s base, though it can’t
be placed in contact with an enemy unit.
A lemure cannot be activated during the turn that
it was invoked.
Every time a lemure is invoked, its owner must clearly
tell their opponent which of the invoking Infernalist’s
spells will be associated with it (only one spell can be
associated with each invoked lemure). The specific spell
associated with each lemure might even be indicated by
some kind of marker. If an Infernalist can invoke several
lemures, it can associate the same spell with any number
of them, casting the same spell multiple times if you wish.
Activating Lemures
Unlike other units, lemures are activated twice per
Action Phase.
If a player controls a lemure that has not been activa-
ted at all and his opponent has no units left to activate,
the lemure can only be activated once. It is therefore
important to remember which lemures have already
been activated. This can be done by placing tokens
beside the miniature or the stat card. The stat card
can also be turned 90 degrees after the first activation
and turned over after the second as a means of easy
book keeping.
Lemures can only perform their own specific actions
during their activation. Although it resembles a Walk
action, it is still a specific lemure action and also
allows them to trigger their magical power. A lemure
may always perform this action regardless of control
area restrictions.
When performing an action a lemure can:
Move, at most, the number of fathoms indicated in its
Movement stat. It can engage an enemy unit, but this
will not trigger a combat sequence. It can also break
contact with an enemy without triggering an attack
sequence or a one-sided attack, but it cannot make and
63
then break contact with a unit during the same activa-
tion (even in regards to two different enemy units).
AND a lemure may also release the spell that it is
associated with.
So, during its activation, the lemure can move up to
a number of fathoms equal to its MVT and may also
release the spell that is associated with it. A lemure
never “Runs”: it always moves, at most, the number
of fathoms indicated by its Movement stat. Lemure’s
ignore control area effects.
Only lemures with the Strider ability can enter or
end their turn in Difficult terrain.
As long as a lemure has not been activated twice during
an Action Phase, it will count toward the number of waiting
units when working out inferiority of numbers (p. 45).
Special Abilities of Lemures
Normally lemures will have the following special
abilities: Harmless, Elusive, Insignificant, Maverick
and Invulnerable. The Elusive ability of a Lemure can
never be nullified and only protects a Lemure from an
attack of opportunity.
The Effects of Spells
Any spell that can be associated with a lemure is lin-
ked to the Infernalist and all of the details of what the
spell does will be outlined on the invoker’s stat card.
There are two keywords that are specific to spells:
• Vanished: This means the lemure associated with
the spell will be destroyed when it releases the spell.
• Residual: This means the lemure associated with
the spell will not be destroyed when it releases the
spell. Normally residual spells will have ongoing effects
that affect an area around the lemure.
Limited Numbers of Lemures
Each Infernalist can only control a certain number of
lemures at any one time.
Movement Special Abilities
and Their Effect
on Lemures
A lemure with the Strider ability can enter
and/or end its activation in Difficult
terrain.
A lemure with Burrower, Intangible or
Levitation abilities will be able to pass
through Difficult terrain, but it will not be
able to end its move there unless it also
has the Strider ability.
A lemure is not affected by the Attraction
ability.
 Rules of the gamE
What’s more, the ingredients that Infernalists carry
to feed the lemures will only allow them to invoke a
certain number each game of Hell Dorado.
These two limits are indicated on the stat cards in
the X/Y format. These two numbers are the maximum
number of lemures that the unit can control simulta-
neously (X) and the total number of lemures that the
unit can invoke throughout the game (Y).
Finally, when Infernalists are killed or eliminated, all
the lemures that they invoked and that are still on
the battlefield disappear immediately without releasing
their associated spells.
tates
A unit can be affected by a wide variety of states
during a game of Hell Dorado. You will find a detai-
led description of these states in this section. A unit
whose state prevents it from giving any orders is also
prevented from using its free orders.
Some states have a duration, while others will affect
the unit for the rest of the game, or until some specific
event happens. Each state has a description of how
long, and under what conditions it will continue.
64
Bonuses, Penalites, Stacking and Resolution
The stats of a unit can potentially be modified by
many different things. It is important to note that DEF
can’t be reduced below 1 (which of course means any
die rolled against the unit’s DEF will automatically score
a hit), and any other stat can’t be reduced below zero.
Additionally a unit’s DEF can’t normally be greater than
5. It is also very important to note that these minimums
and maximums are checked after a bonus or penalty has
been applied. Penalties are applied, then maximums and
minimums are checked. After that, bonuses are applied
and once again, maximums and minimums are checked.
If a stat is above or below the maximums or minimums,
then it will be raised or lowered accordingly. Whenever
a unit receives a bonus or penalty, then the total calcu-
lation must be redone.
xample: An Arquebuser, 3 CBT, has
been affected by a few different powers
which in total have given him +1 CBT
and -4 CBT. Since penalties are applied, and
then bonuses, the Arquebuser ends up with
a CBT of 1. Later on the same Arqubuser is
affected by another power, this time granting
+1 CBT. The calculation is done again, 3 CBT
-4 +1 +1, resulting in a CBT of 2.
When the name of a state is followed by an X, this
variable usually represents the number of turns during
which the state will be applied to a unit. To keep
things simple, if the name of the state is not followed
by a value, and it is supposed to have a duration, X will
be equal to 1.
Accelerated X
+2 MVT • Activation by reaction
The unit’s reaction speed and movement speed are
increased for some reason. An Accelerated unit can be acti-
vated immediately after the activation of another unit from
the same Company. This activation does not require the
expenditure of an additional Command point. Vae Soli and
Accelerated can’t be used in concert to allow three units
from the same Company to be activated in a row.
Berserk x
Immediately cancels the effects of Wounded and Immo-
bilized states • No orders • Immediately after having kil-
led an enemy unit, roll 1d6: on a score of 1 to 3 the
Berserk unit stops all actions; on a roll of 4 to 6, it must
immediately move 2 fathoms towards the closest unit. If
it manages to engage the closest unit, an attack sequence
takes place immediately. If several units are at equal dis-
tance from the Berserk unit, choose the target randomly.
The warrior becomes a madman, thirsty for blood and
violence. He no longer feels the effects of fatigue and
wounds, and although he has become a lethal danger for
his enemies, he is also now a considerable risk for his allies.
 Rules of the gamE

When a Berserk unit hits one of his comrades, its

controller’s opponent is the one to decide whether
or not to reduce the number of hits, but the unit’s
controller is the one to roll the dice.
A Berserk unit never benefits from support when it
attacks one of its allies.
The unit cannot give or receive orders.
Stacking State Changes
State changes that affect a unit can only be cumulative
when they are different.
When a unit is affected multiple times by the same
state, the greater value of the two effects is the one
that remains.
xample: a Stunned 1 unit,
suffering another Stunned 1 state
in the same turn will still only be
Stunned 1. It’s not added together.
xample: A Swashbuckler is hit by a
1/5 fire-type Consumed effect which
will cause 1 damage point for the next
5 Upkeep Phases. He has already suffered
damage during an Upkeep Phase, so he will
be suffering Consumed 1/4 at this point. He
then gets hit by a new Consumed state, but
this time it’s a 2/3 (2 damage for 3 Upkeep
Phases). His fire Consumed status is upgraded
2/4, taking the highest for each value.
Therefore, he will suffer 2 damage during
each of the next 4 Upkeep Phases.
Controlled x
A unit to whom this state is applied becomes Control-
led by its controllers opponent for the next X activations
• No orders • Limited actions
When this state is applied to a unit, it becomes Control-
led by a different player from the one who controlled it
originally. It becomes an enemy unit if the player who
gains its control is an opponent of its original controller.

Direct Stat Modification

Brave X
+1 MVT • +1 SHS • +1 CBT • +1 FTH
This state indicates a certain level of euphoria felt by
the affected unit, it will be more efficient in combat and When a power directly changes the value of a statistic,
its mental state will also be affected. not by adding or subtracting from it but by saying
“This statistic is X”, then that type of modification
Consumed (Type of Effect • Durable or will be applied after the process relating to bonuses
Not • X/Y) and penalties outlined above has been resolved.
The affected unit loses X Life Points for the next Y When two different direct modifications of a statis-
Upkeep Phases • By performing Focus action, the unit tic are in effect, then it will be the last one that was
can remove all non-durable Consumed states on it. applied by the active unit that takes precedence.

This state is applied to a unit that has caught fire,

xample 1: A Hashishin under the
been doused with acid, or any other type of ongoing
effect of Fanatic and Stunned is
harm. When the state is triggered (usually due to a hit,
engaged by a Traveller perfoming
a shot, or on entering a specific area), the unit is imme-
an attack action. The Hashishin had a
diately affected. While affected, it will suffer X damage,
DEF of 5 (5 – 1 for Stunned = 4 + 1 for
ignoring PR, during each of the next Y Upkeep Phases.
Fanatic = 5). The Voyageuse’s Judgment
It is possible to remove this state before the end of
of God order directly modifies the DEF
its duration, by “Stopping, Dropping, and Rolling”. To
value of the Hashishin for the attack
do so, the unit must perform a Focus action. If it does
Sequence to 4.
so, all Consumed states it is currently suffering from
are immediately removed, even if they are of different
types. However, if the state has the keyword «durable»,
xample 2: Tarik has just engaged
then it can’t be removed in this fashion. Different types
a Succubus, who has already
of Consumed states can be inflicted concurrently.
activated her Shield of Lust
When a unit is affected by two Consumed effects of
(DEF 6 against males), using an attack
the same type, values X and Y are modified to take on
action. Tarik uses his Critical Hit order.
the highest available value for each.
As Tarik is the active unit, it’s the
modification caused by his order (DEF
3) which will now be applied to the
Succubus.
65
 Rules of the gamE
Complicated stuff: Consumed
over an area of effect.
When a Consumed state is inflicted on units that enter a
certain area, things start to get complicated. These ru-
les are to represent a burning building or some similar
situation. To begin with, the time duration is no longer
applied to the Consumed state for as long as the unit
remains in the area. The damage will simply be suffe-
red during each Upkeep Phase the unit is present in
the area. As long as the unit is inside the effect area, it
can’t try to remove the Consumed state. If it moves out
of the area, or if the area no longer causes the Consu-
med state for some reason, the usual rules for Consu-
med rules are applied again, as stated above.
xample: A damned one is in an area
that causes «Consumed 2/5». During
each Upkeep Phase, the damned one
will take 2 damage, ignoring PR. If it leaves
the area, the damned one will be affected by
Consumed 2/5.
Simple, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there are still a few si-
tuations to clarify. The first one is the rule to apply if
a unit enters such an area and leaves it in the same
move. In this case, the unit is affected by the Consu-
med state that was affecting the area. The second si-
tuation is about what happens when a unit with an
existing Consumed state enters a Consumed area of
the same type. Well, let’s be honest, this case should
The player who gains control of the unit will control
it for the next X activations (using it as if it was his
own unit during the Action Phase). The Controlled unit
will remain waiting or already activated the change
in control will no change this. A Controlled unit can
only perform the following actions: Walk, Run, Attack,
Charge, Melee, Shoot or Retreat when activated. A
Controlled unit cannot give or receive orders, use
its non-permanent auras or invoke lemures. Lemures
already invoked by the Controlled unit are destroyed
without releasing the spell that was associated with
them when the unit becomes controlled. A Controlled
unit is not an ally of its new controller’s Company,
while Controlled it is not an ally of its original Com-
pany either, though it will still contribute to its original
Companies total CMD. If it is killed while Controlled it
is its original controller loses total CMD and CMD Pool
equal to the CMD of the unit as normal.
Cursed X/Y
Once the Cursed unit has finished all of their possible
re-rolls in an attack sequence, they are forced to re-roll
66
be avoided as much as possible anyway. If you’re unit
is «just passing through» the area, it’s easy: you just
apply the usual rule (apply highest X and Y values). But
if, for some reason, a unit already suffering a Consu-
med state decides not only to stray into the Consumed
area but also to stay there, what happens? In this case,
the duration of the original Consumed state the unit
was suffering when they entered the area is noted for
later and is not reduced as long as the unit is in the
area. Instead, it will be hit by the higher of the two da-
mages (between the original Consumed and the area’s
Consumed) during each Upkeep Phase until it leaves
the area. As soon as the unit leaves, the usual rules
apply, the highest of both X and Y values will remain.
xample: Let’s suppose that a friend
sends a unit with a Consumed 2/3 effect
into a Consumed 1/5 effect area of the
same type. During the next Upkeep Phase
it will suffer 2 damage (greater value of X).
However, none of the 3 remaining duration will
be removed. During the unit’s next activation
it leaves the area. Its Consumed state then
changes to Consumed 2/5 (using the greater
values of X and Y). Therefore, the unit will
suffer 2 damage during each of the next 5
Upkeep Phases (it ends up with an extra 2
duration; what a present!).
up to X dice that scored hits. Please note that this state
can force a player to re-roll dice that may have already
been re-rolled. This state lasts for Y turns.
Devoured
This only affects units with a base of smaller or equal
size to that of the attacker • Eliminated • No actions •
No orders • No attacks (close or ranged)
When hit by this state, a unit with less than 10
Life Points (as its starting stat) is always Devoured.
A unit with more than 10 Life Points (again as its
starting stat) must roll a score equal to or less than
its current DEF on a d6 to avoid being Devoured.
For as long as the unit remains Devoured and alive,
it will suffer 3 damage, ignoring PR, during each
Upkeep Phase. If the unit that has Devoured a victim
is killed, the Devoured unit reappears and will be
played as though it had already been activated this
turn. A unit can’t Devour more than one enemy unit
at a time. It must wait till its first victim is killed
before Devouring another. While a unit is Devoured,
it is eliminated (it cannot give or receive orders, any
 Rules of the gamE
Command Points are deducted from its Company’s
total CMD, etc.). If it is freed, it re-enters the game
as usual.
Immobilized X
-3 DEF • No actions • No orders • No attacks (close or
ranged) • No control area
An Immobilized unit cannot do anything during its
activation. It can’t respond to an attack in close com-
bat, so all attack sequences against it are one-sided,
and it will be an easy target for ranged attackers. It is
incapable of performing actions and giving or receiving
orders. An Immobilized unit has no control area. An
Immobilized unit must be activated X times before this
state ends. An Immobilized unit, obviously, can’t sup-
port allied units in close combat. Each time an Immobi-
lized unit is activated, one enemy (chosen by the player
controlling them) engaging it gets to perform a one-
sided attack against it. An enemy unit in contact with
an immobilized unit is never engaged, therefore when
activated, it can perform an action, though it can only
perform engaged actions while still in contact with the
immobilized unit. Some special abilities can’t be used,
or aren’t in effect, while a unit is Immobilized. Special
abilities of this type will be marked with a [*] after their
title in the following Special Abilities section.
Knocked Down
-2 CBT • -2 DEF • No orders • No actions, other
than getting up • No control area • Gets up during its
next activation
The unit has been knocked to the ground, greatly
impacting its ability to fight. During the unit’s next
activation after being Knocked Down, the unit will
get up. It cannot perform any other action, or give or
receive orders while it is knocked down, or during the
activation in which it stands up. A Knocked Down unit
can neither give nor receive orders, nor can it support
allied units in close combat. A Knocked Down unit has
no control area.
If the Knocked Down unit becomes the target of a
close combat attack sequence, it jumps to its feet imme-
diately to attempt to defend itself, but fights during the
attack sequence with -2 CBT, -2 DEF, and is still unable to
give or receive orders during that attack sequence. If the
Summary of Main Effects
Immobilised -3 Defense • No actions • No orders
Knocked Down -2 Combat • -2 Defense • No orders •No actions other than getting up
Stunned -1 Combat • -1 Defense • No shooting • No orders • No control area
67
Eliminated
Removed from the battlefield • Company loses
the CMD of the unit from their pool • No activa-
tion • No orders • Can’t be attacked • No control
area • No auras • Invoked lemures are destroyed
An eliminated unit is removed from the batt-
lefield and can’t affect the game with any of its
powers. Nor does it contribute its CMD to its
Company’s total CMD. An eliminated unit can’t
be affected by order powers from units still on
the battlefield. Lingering and permanent effects,
as well as invoked lemures, originating from the
eliminated unit end or are destroyed as soon
as the unit is eliminated. Again, the difference
between an eliminated unit and a dead one is
that normally, an eliminated unit has some pos-
sibility of returning to the battlefield while the
later has none. An eliminated unit isn’t a loss
towards dominance.
Dead
Eliminated • 0 LP • Loss towards dominance
A unit with 0 or less LP is dead and elimi-
nated. if the unit had not yet been eliminated,
then it is, with all the usual effects. The main
difference is that a dead unit will not normally
have a chance of returning to the battlefield at
a later point in the game. A unit dying counts
towards figuring which Company is Dominant at
the beginning of the next turn.
Knocked Down unit survives the attack sequence, it is
no longer Knocked Down, unless of course it is Knocked
Down again due to the resolution of the attack sequence.
No attacks (close or ranged) • No control area
No control area • Gets up during its next activation
 Rules of the gamE
Eliminated or Dead
A unit removed is eliminated. An eliminated unit
has some effects on the game (loss of CMD,
etc.). A killed unit is dead. A dead unit has
some effects on the game as well (counting for
Dominance in the next upkeep). A dead unit, if
not yet eliminated, is also eliminated with all that
it entails. While we present eliminated and dead
in the states section, they aren’t states.
If the unit attempts to get up while engaged by an
enemy unit, an attack sequence is fought between the
two units following all of the rules that where just outli-
ned above. A Knocked Down unit doesn’t engage enemy
units that are in contact with it. Some special abilities
can’t be used, or aren’t in effect, while a unit is Knocked
Down. Special abilities of this type will be marked with a
[*] after their title in the following Special Abilities section.
Slowed x pecial Abilities
-2 MVT • Last to be activated
The unit’s reaction times and movement speed are
greatly reduced. A Slowed unit will always be the last
unit in its Company to be activated. If several units
in the same Company are Slowed, then once all the
other units have been activated, their controller can
choose the order in which the slowed units are activa-
ted. Even the use of Vae Soli cannot cause the affec-
ted units to be activated earlier in the Action Phase.
A Slowed unit must be activated X times before this
state ends.
Stunned X
-1 CBT • -1 DEF • No shooting • No orders • No
control area
The unit is Stunned and has problems focusing on
its surroundings. It is therefore an easy target on the
battlefield. It cannot give or receive any orders. It
cannot perform ranged attacks. A Stunned unit has
no control area. A Stunned unit must be activated X
times before this state ends. This state disappears at
the end of the last of the X activations.
Black and Red
So it is easier for you to remember during the
game, all the special abilities that are prin-
ted in red on the stat cards affect the unit
in some negative way, while those in black
represent positive abilities.
68
Wounded
-1 MVT• -1 SHS • -1 CBT • -1 DEF • -1 FTH
When a unit’s Life Points are reduced to equal or
below its Wound Threshold, it is Wounded. It will
therefore be less agile in combat, because of the pain
of the wounds and fear of impending death. Some
effects triggered by terrain and some special abilities
can apply a Wounded state without the unit’s Life
Points being reduced equal to or below the Wound
Threshold. It is interesting to note that some units
have special abilities that change their stats in a spe-
cific way once they are in a Wounded state. On the
stat cards, the statistics of a Wounded unit are indi-
cated in green. A unit with no Wounded state on its
stat card cannot be affected by this state.
If the state was caused by a loss of Life Points,
this state is permanent unless a Healing effect
brings the Life Point level up above the Wound
Threshold again.
In this chapter, you will find the list of all the special
abilities which make each unit in Hell Dorado unique.
It is important to note that a special ability is not
necessarily a positive thing for the unit that possesses
it. Unless otherwise mentioned, all special abilities
are active all the time and they cannot be deactivated.
It is important to realize that there are two kinds of
abilities, those that are linked to the unit itself, and
those that are the abilities of specific special weapons
a unit may be carrying, which are called «Weapon
abilities» and will be specified as such in the ability’s
full description.
Some special abilities are marked with a [*] after
their title. This means that the ability can’t be used,
or won’t be in effect, while a unit that has it is Immo-
bilized, Knocked Down, or effected by something that
prevents it from engaging units.
A dvance Deployment X
Units with this ability may be setup X fathoms
farther out than the deployment zone would nor-
mally dictate. Also, units with this ability do not
have to be setup until all units without this ability
have been setup.
A mbush
Units with this ability may be setup in any area of
obstructive or opaque terrain. Though this means a
unit with this ability can setup almost anywhere on
the battlefield, they may not be setup within an enemy
control area. If the unit’s controller doesn’t wish to
 Rules of the gamE
Special Ability With or
Without a Value of X
When the name of an ability is followed by
an X, the variable represents a parameter
of the ability that will be explained in the
full description. To keep things simple, if
the name of the state is not followed by a
value and the ability normally should have
a value, X will equal 1.
deploy it in this way it may of course be deployed in
their normal deployment zone. In either case, a unit
with this ability will be set up after all units without
this ability have been set up, along with units that have
Advanced Deployment.
A mmunition X
Weapon Ability
The number of shots a ranged weapon can fire. Once
the weapon has been fired this many times, it can no
longer be used.
69
A mmunition Carrier*
This unit carries or makes the ammunition that is
used by a specific piece of artillery (see the Artil-
lery weapon ability). Each carrier is linked to a spe-
cific piece of artillery and cannot be used by ano-
ther, even if the original one is destroyed.
Arch-Enemy (Keyword) X
When a unit with this ability is in close combat a specific
type of enemy, as defined by the keyword, the unit gets +X
CBT and its enemy gets a bonus of half of X to its CBT.
xample: If the value of X is 1 then both
units receive a +1 CBT.
Artillery
Weapon ability
All the units that carry a weapon with this ability are
accompanied by another unit with the special ability
Ammunition Carrier. No Shooting or Reloading can be
performed by this unit with its Artillery weapon, unless
the Ammunition Carrier is in contact with the shooter.
 Rules of the gamE
Attack of Opportunity X
Units with this ability automatically deal X damage
to any enemy unit that enters their control area, igno-
ring PR. Invulnerable units take full damage from this
ability. This ability has no effect when this unit moves
towards an enemy unit and therefore causing it to enter
this unit’s control area. A unit with this ability can’t use
it against a unit that somehow appears in contact with it
(therefore removing its control area) unless it has some
way of retaining its control area while engaged.
Attraction X
While this unit is free, any unengaged enemy unit that
begins its activation within X fathoms of this unit must
move into contact with this unit by the most direct route
possible. While a unit is affected by this ability, their
movement is not limited by any control area or difficult
terrain. If, along the most direct route, the effected unit
must engage another enemy unit, it immediately stops
its move and fights that unit. If a unit in the area of
effect of this ability can’t engage an enemy unit (During
it’s move towwards the Attracting unit) with a Charge
or Attack, then it is not affected by this special ability
during its activation. A unengaged unit that begins its
activation within the range of several Attraction abilities
can choose which Attracting unit it will move toward.
Berserker
This unit becomes Berserk when it becomes Woun-
ded. While Berserk, a unit with this ability gets +2
CBT and -1 DEF. If it is healed later on and is no longer
Wounded, it also stops being Berserk.
Bloodthirsty X
If your company has more Dark than Light CMD
points during the Upkeep Phase, after resetting CMD
Pools, units with this ability, until the end of the turn,
get +X MVT, Teleportation, and when a Vae Victis
order is given to them, up to 3 CMD may be spent on
it to give them +3, rather than the normal 2.
Bodyguard *
Units with this ability will give +1 PR, to a maximum
of 3, to any allied units it is in contact with. This ability
will have no effect if it would be part of a series of
bonuses that raise a units PR above 3.
Burrower
This unit’s Movement is not hindered by terrain or
by other units. However, the unit cannot end its activa-
tion in the same place as another unit or in Impassable
terrain. The unit is not affected by control areas during
its Movement, but it is at the beginning and the end of
it (for example, it must pay 1 CMD to leave the control
area of an enemy unit if it starts its activation there).
However, this ability cancels an Attack of Opportunity
if the unit ends it activation in contact with an enemy
70
unit with that ability. A lemure with this ability will be
able to Burrow under difficult terrain, amongst others
(p. 215), but it can only end its activation there if it also
has the Strider ability.
Camouflage X
While in cover, a unit with this ability gets +X PR.
Chaotic Charge
The unit may move up to triples its MVT when
Charging.
Charisma X
Other allied units within 4 fathoms of the unit
with this ability get +X CBT. A unit may only benefit
from one copy of this ability per attack sequence
(the higher).
Combat Sense
Units with this ability get +1 DEF in close combat
attack sequences.
Combined Attack X
If the unit with this ability is getting at least one support
bonus, they also get +X CBT.
Concentrated
If the unit with this ability performs a Concentra-
tion action while engaged, it is worked out as normal
without the normal Concentration drawbacks. Addi-
tionally, if the unit with this ability performs a Focus
action while engaged, it won’t be a one sided sequence,
a normal attack sequence is triggered instead.
Counter Attack
During an attack sequence that a unit with this ability
is fighting in, any dice rolled by this unit’s opponent that
score a 1, causes the opponent to take 1 damage. This
damage is added to the total damage that the unit with
this ability causes during the attack sequence before PR
is subtracted. If the unit with this ability’s DEF is reduced
to 1, then this ability will no longer have an effect. Rolls
are, of course, not final until all re-rolls have been taken.
Cumbersome X
Weapon ability
During the second and all subsequent attack
sequences against the same enemy unit, the unit using
a Cumbersome weapon suffers -X CBT. This penalty
only applies if contact wasn’t broken between the dif-
ferent sequences.
Defensive Combat X
During any close combat attack sequence, the unit
with this ability can reduce its CBT by X to reduce
its opponent’s CBT by X. This ability is used after
applying all other modifiers, and both units will get to
 Rules of the gamE
roll at least 1 die if their CBT’s were at least 1 before
this ability was used. This ability can’t be used when
the unit with it is the target of a one-sided attack.
Defensive Shot
If contact is made with a unit that has this ability
while it has yet to be activated, is free, and has a ranged
weapon available, the unit with this ability may take
a point blank shot at the enemy that has contacted it
before close combat begins.
Demoralize
When a unit with this ability kills an enemy unit that
has at least 1 CMD, the loss of total CMD and CMD
Pool is doubled.
Discretion X
This ability has no effect if the unit that has it
is engaged. The unit with this ability can’t be the
target of a Shoot or a Charge action unless the attac-
king unit is within X fathoms. Also, players can’t
use an explosion or blast weapon if all the targets
inside it are enemy units whose Discretion abilities
all affect the shooter. If a unit has both the Discre-
tion and Attraction abilities, the Attraction ability
takes precedence.
Dodge X*
When a standing free unit with this ability becomes
engaged, it can attempt to Dodge away. Roll a d6. On
an X or less, the unit is moved a distance of up to 3
fathoms. The engaging unit cannot continue moving. A
unit with this ability can only attempt to Dodge once
per turn. The Dodging unit can’t contact other enemy
units with the Dodge move. If the Dodge move can’t
be made, the Dodge can’t be attempted. A unit that is
Immobilized, Knocked Down, or already engaged by a
non-inoffensive unit can’t use this ability.
Eager X*
Weapon ability
A unit with this ability gets +X CBT during the
first attack sequence it has with an enemy after
engaging it.
Elusive
The Movement of a unit with this ability isn’t affec-
ted by enemy control areas. It can therefore move
through them without triggering any particular effects.
This ability cancels the Attack of Opportunity ability.
Emancipated
A lemure with this ability begins the game on the
battlefield, just like any other unit and can’t be invo-
ked. It can’t be associated with a spell.
71
Enlightened
If your company has more Light than Dark CMD
points during the Upkeep Phase, after resetting
CMD Pools, units with this ability get Fanatic until
the end of the turn.
Entangle
If a unit with this ability is engaging with another
unit whose base is of equal or smaller size, then the
other unit can’t Retreat.
Erratic Movement X
When targeted by a ranged attack, a unit with this
ability gets +X DEF.
Evasive
A unit with this ability can’t be chosen as the tar-
get of a close combat attack sequence by an enemy
unit if there are other allied units engaged with the
enemy unit. If all the units in contact with an opposing
unit possess this ability, the player who controls them
decides which of them will fight the enemy unit.
Expertise
A unit with this ability may perform a Concentration
action to use an exhausting ability instead of a Focus
action. Any power that usually requires a Focus action
may be used by this unit by performing a Concentra-
tion action instead.
Fanatic
Instead of suffering the normal Wounded modi-
fiers, a unit with this ability gets -1 MVT, -1 SHS, +1
CBT, +1 DEF, and +1 FTH. On the stat card, a unit’s
«Fanatic» stats are indicated in green.
Fast X
When performing a Charge or Run action, a unit with
this ability will be able to move up to X fathoms farther
than it normally would be able to. Example: a unit with
a MVT of 4 and Fast 3 would be able to move up to 11
fathoms when Running or Charging.
Fierce X
If a unit opposing a unit with this ability during an
attack sequence is getting at least one support bonus,
the unit with this ability gets +X CBT.
First Contact X
When calculating initial Dominance, units with this
ability give +X to their Company’s total.
Frenzy
When a unit with this performs a Melee, Charge or
Attack action, it triggers two attack sequences, one
immediately after the other. If the Frenzied unit is
Knocked Down or Immobilized after the first attack
 Rules of the gamE
sequence, then the second isn’t fought. Charge penal-
ties will effect both attack sequences.
Fury
When a unit with this ability performs a charge
action, it doesn’t suffer -1 CBT.
Harmless
Units with this ability have no control area. A unit
with no CBT (-) is always Harmless.
Healer X*
This is an exhausting ability. When this ability is
used, the unit with this ability, or any allied unit it is in
contact with, recovers X LP. Invulnerable units are not
affected by this ability.
Heavy
Weapon Ability
A unit using a weapon with this ability can’t move
when performing a Shoot action with it.
Huge
When this unit performs a Retreat action, after the
one-sided attack, and after leaving contact, it can then
transform the Retreat it is performing into a Run,
Attack, or Charge action. This replaces the normal
execution of a Retreat action.
Immunity (keyword)
Units with this ability take no damage from the type of
damage or attack listed in the keyword part of the ability.
States associated with the damage will still be applied. It
may therefore be Knocked Down, Stunned... A unit that
is Immune to fire can still be affected by the Consumed
state; it will just not suffer any damage from it.
Impressive
This unit can be targeted by a shooter even if it is not
the closest unit. If a shooter has a clear Line of Fire to
several units with this ability, it can choose which one
to target, though it doesn’t have to choose any of them.
Insignificant
Units with this ability are not counted when figuring
dominance.
Intangible
While moving, a unit with this ability can ignore terrain,
other units, and control areas. Once it stops moving, it is
then affected by them normally. A unit with this ability
doesn’t trigger a one sided attack on breaking contact and
doesn’t pay a Command point to move out a of a unit’s
control area. A unit with this ability can’t end its activation
on top of another unit or in impassable terrain. A unit with
this ability can transform a retreat it is performing into
a run, attack, or charge action. This replaces the normal
72
execution of a retreat action. A lemure with this ability will
be able to pass through difficult terrain, but it can only end
its activation there if it also has the Strider ability.
Intercept X
A unit with this ability has a control area extending X
fathoms from its base that only affects lemures. A unit with
this ability nullifies the Elusive, Burrower, and Intangible
abilities on enemy units within its control area. If it also
has the Attack of Opportunity ability, that ability can be
used against even an Elusive enemy. An intercept control
area has all the normal control area effects on a lemure. A
lemure getting into or breaking contact with an interceptor
triggers a one-sided attack sequence before it can release
its spell. A lemure leaving contact with an interceptor will
ignore their control area until the end of the activation. A
unit with the Harmless ability and this ability still has a
control area of X fathoms that does affect lemures.
Invulnerable
Units with this ability can only be wounded by
weapons with a power table, explosions, or blasts,
and will only suffer 1 damage for each hit scored that
corresponds to a row on the power table that inflicts
damag. It only suffers damage from blasts and explo-
sions at a ratio of 1 point for every 6 rolled when
checking the number of hits. The damage dealt in
the end can never be higher than the amount which
would’ve normally been caused due to the number of
hits rolled.
xample: Assaliah has the following
power table
1 Slowed 2
2 Stunned
3 Life Drain 2
4 Immobilized
5 Consumed (fire • 2/5)
If 1 or 2 hits are scored, Assaliah doesn’t cause any
damage to an invulnerable unit. With 3 hits, Assaliah
causes 1 damage on an invulnerable unit. With 4 or 5
hits, Assaliah doesn’t cause any damage to an invulne-
rable unit (though 3 hits can of course be chosen).
An invulenrable unit is not affected by modifiers due
to states (Wounded, Knocked Down, Consumed, etc.),
whether they are positive or negative. The DEF of an
Invulnerable unit is always 6 and can never be modified,
unless this is specifically mentioned. The Protection of
an Invulnerable unit works normally against the damage
caused to it.
Leader
Units with this ability have their CMD doubled when
figuring how many Troopers their Company can include.
 Rules of the gamE

Levitation
The movement of a unit with this ability is
not hindered by difficult terrain. It can move
over units that are less than 3 fathoms tall,
though it is still affected by control areas nor-
mally. A unit with this ability can’t end its acti-
vation on top of another unit. A lemure with
this ability will be able to Levitate over difficult
terrain, but it can only end its activation there
if it also has the Strider ability.

Life Drain X
Weapon Ability
Damage of this type ignores PR and Immunity
(other than Immunity to Life Drain). The unit that
causes this type of damage will recover a number
of LP equal to the number of LP that the unit suf-
fering this type of damage actually lost.

Limited R ange X
Weapon ability
Unlike other ranged weapons, a weapon
with this ability can’t be used to attack a tar-
get that is further away than X times the wea-
pon’s range.

Loyal
A unit with this ability can’t be included in a
Company that is lead by an Officer that is not
of the same Faction as this unit.

Lunge X
Weapon ability
The control area of a unit carrying a weapon with
this ability extends X fathoms from their base.
M an-at-Arms X
A unit with this special ability can, once an enemy
unit in contact has finished all possible re-rolls, force
it to re-roll up to X dice that had scored hits. Please
note that this ability can force a player to re-roll dice
that may have already been re-rolled.
Pain X
Weapon Ability
While this ability is in effect on a unit, it will be affec-
ted by the negative effects of being Wounded, even
though it hasn’t reached its Wounded Threshold, for
a duration of X turns. Nothing happens if the unit is
already Wounded. A Fanatic or Berserk unit will be
affected as usual (for these units, the effects will be
partially positive). A unit who does not have a Wounded
state will not be affected by this ability.

M averick Penetrating Strike X

A unit with this ability cannot receive orders from any Weapon Ability
unit other than itself. During an attack sequence, the unit opposing a unit
using a weapon with this ability gets –X PR. This ability
Moving Shot can’t reduce a unit’s PR below 0. During a ranged attack,
When performing a Shoot action, a unit with this this ability will also reduce the PR bonus given by cover.
ability can take part of its movement, shoot, and then
finish its movement. Prescient
A player who has at least one unit with this ability
Natural Talent X can choose which conflict zone triggers on the battlefield
A unit with this ability can always re-roll at least X of their rather than randomly determining it. If both players have
combat dice. Prescient units, the player with more of them decides. If
this is also a tie, the Dominant player decides.

73
 Rules of the gamE
Prestige (faction) X
A unit with this ability allows the inclusion of units of the
specified faction in its Company. A number of units from
the specified Faction up to X may be included, though all
other Company composition rules must be respected.
Protective
The unit does not lose its control area when engaged
by one or more enemies.
R apid Strike (attack or defense)
A unit with this ability will deal damage before their oppo-
nent instead of simultaneously with them. If the unit has the
Attack keyword with this ability, it only works when the unit
with the ability initiated the attack sequence. If the unit has
the Defense keyword with this ability, it only works if the unit
with this ability didn’t initiate the attack sequence. If both
units have this ability, then they strike simultaneously. State
changes due to these attacks are all applied simultaneously
at the end of the attack sequence as normal.
Receive Charge X*
Weapon Ability
A unit using a weapon with this ability gets +X CBT
during an attack sequence versus an enemy using a
Charge action against it.
Regeneration X
A unit with this ability recovers X LP each Upkeep Phase.
Reloading X
Weapon Ability
Once a ranged weapon with this ability has been shot,
the unit with the weapon must perform X Focus actions
in a row if they wish to reload the weapon and be able
to shoot it again. If the unit is engaged while reloading,
it has two options: either it fights as usual and has to
start the reloading from scratch once the combat is over,
or it retains its previous Focus actions and continues to
Reload, but suffer one-sided attacks while Focusing.
Resistance (keyword) X
A unit with this ability gets +X PR against damage of
the type specified in this abilities keyword.
Ricochet X
Whenever a unit with this ability loses LP due to being
dealt damage, it causes X damage, ignoring PR, to the
enemy unit that caused the original damage. This abi-
lity only works when damage is suffered during a close
combat or ranged attack sequence (but not to damage
caused by a state, an order, an aura, a special ability, an
explosion or a blast).
Runaway
A unit with this ability can move away from being
engaged by taking a walk or run action, without trig-
74
gering a one sided attack. At the end of this move, the
running away unit can’t be in an enemy control area or
have an enemy unit in its control area.
Scout
This unit allows its controller to have more options
when setting up the terrain for the battle. The full
rules for using Scouts are fully explained on page 214.
Slow
When a unit with this ability Charges, the attack
sequence that ensues will be a one sided one that the
unit with this ability doesn’t fight in.
Sniper
The unit does not have to pick the nearest enemy
unit as its target. It can choose any target to which it
has a clear Line of Fire.
Spiritual Damage
Weapon Ability/Damage Type
When a unit performs an attack sequence using a wea-
pon with this ability, the opposing unit’s FTH stat is sub-
tracted from the damage instead of its PR. As long as a
weapon is affected by the Spiritual Damage special ability,
it loses all other damage types. Being an unbeliever is not
a Protection against Spiritual Damage. This ability can only
be added to weapons that possess a damage table.
Spite (keyword)
A unit with this ability can’t be included in a Company
of the Faction specified in the keyword of this ability.
Strider
Units with this ability don’t have to pay the 1 Command
point to be able to Run or Charge through difficult
terrain. Lemures must have this ability to be able to
enter and/or end their activation in difficult terrain.
Teleportation
A unit with this ability cannot perform a Run, Charge or
Retreat action. The unit’s moves aren’t affected by terrain or
other units. When this unit moves it must be done in one
jump. The unit cannot, however, end its activation inside
another unit or within Impassable terrain. The unit is not
affected by control areas during its Movement. Though it is
affected by control areas it starts or ends its Movement in.
However, this ability cancels out any Attack of Opportunity
if this unit ends its move in contact with a unit with that abi-
lity. During a Melee action, it behaves like any other unit.
Tenacious X*
If a unit with this ability is free, hasn’ t been acti-
vated yet this turn and becomes engaged, it gets
+X CBT in the ensuing attack sequence.
 Rules of the gamE
Terror X*
Enemy units engaged with a unit with this ability
suffer –X CBT. A unit can only suffer from one copy of
Terror at a time. Use the highest possible.
Terrifying
When an enemy unit wishes to come into contact
with a unit that has this ability, they must spend 1
CMD. If the CMD isn’t, or can’t, be spent then the
unit can’t come into contact with the unit that has this
ability. Obviously when this unit causes contact with
an enemy unit no CMD need be spent by either unit.
Trained Gunman X
If a unit with this ability doesn’t move during a shoot
action, it gets +X SHS for that shot.
Uncontrollable
When a unit with this ability is activated, its control-
ler must spend 1 CMD to make this unit perform any
action other than Attack, Walk, or Melee (Any of these
three actions can be perfromed as normal).
Vicious X
When a unit with this ability fights in a one-sided
attack, or against a Wounded, Stunned, Knocked
Down, or Immobilised opponent, they get +X CBT.
Vulnerability (keyword) X
A unit with this ability’s PR is X against the type of
damage indicated by this abilities keyword. The Vulne-
rability ability will only be applied to a unit if its cur-
rent PR value against the source of damage in question
is higher than its Vulnerable value.
Whirlwind Attack
When a unit that has this ability causes damage to
a unit in close combat, it inflicts half that amount of
damage to every other non-invulnerable enemy unit in
contact with it as well.
onstructing
Your Company
Before beginning to build their Companies, the players must
decide on the number of Army Points (AP) they will get to
spend. The standard size of a Hell Dorado game is 200 AP.
When deciding what units to include in a Company,
the following restrictions must be followed:
All members of the Company must belong to the
same Faction.
Each Company must have one Officer (no more,
no less).
75
Unique Independent units can only be included
once in a Company. Non-unique Independents can be
included up to a number of times as indicated by the
Limited or Unlimited keyword on their card.
A Company can’t include more Troopers than its
total CMD.
In any case, units with the Limited keyword cannot be
hired more than X times per 200 AP or fraction thereof. If
Limited Troopers are hired, both limits must be taken into
account (Limited number of each type of unit and the Com-
pany’s total CMD limit to the total number of Troopers).
xample: a Limited 6 Trooper can
only be included 6 times in a 200 AP
Company. Unfortunately, the Company
only has a total CMD of 5. So, only 5 of this
unit can be included.
Obviously, the AP total of all the units in a Company
can’t exceed the total that was agreed upon to begin
with, normally 200 AP.
Recruiting Mercenaries
Mercenary units can be recruited by Companies of
any Faction. However, the following restrictions must
be followed:
Obviously if a Mercenary Officer is leading a
Company units from other Factions can’t be included.
Therefore it is impossible to include a Mercenary
Officer in a non-Mercenary Company.
A Mercenary Independent’s CMD can’t be used to
include Troopers from a non Mercenary Faction; they
only allow the inclusion of Mercenary Troopers.
You can include as many Troopers, Mercenary or
not, as you like, as long as you do not include more of
them than the total CMD of your Company.
Example: the total CMD of your
Company is 7, so you can include
up to 7 Troopers. However, 2 of
your 7 CMD are provided by a Mercenary
unit. Therefore, you can include up to
7 Troopers, but if you choose to hire
more than 5, the last 2 will have to be
Mercenaries.
Larger Battles
You and your friends may wish to fight battles larger
than 200 AP. You should be able to do this with the above
rules, though the game will probably last quite a bit longer
and be less balanced. The only thing that we can see that
really needs clarification, if you choose to play battles lar-
ger than 200 AP, is that no matter how large the game, a
Company can and must only include 1 Officer.
 The westernerS
L es occident
Factions aux
he Westerners
Intelligence Services of the Western Kingdom Below First
report, completed and annotated
By the master-spy referred to as «The Farseer»
To the Lords of the Council of the Six,
My most humble salutations to you, my Lords of the
Nations Above. As you no doubt appreciate, I can only be
effective in my profession if my identity is unknown and
thus must keep my name to myself. For practical reasons,
my agents refer to me as «The Farseer». Indeed, it is my
great honor to be at the head of our Intelligence ser-
vices. The following notes and thoughts have been gathe-
red through considerable effort over the last two years.
During this time, we have lost many men and spent an
unfathomable amount of resources in a bid to improve our
position in, and our understanding of, the Underworld.
You will see that my conclusions are both truthful and
impartial. And I hope, my Lords, that I have served your
interests as best I could, whatever your race, origin or reli-
gion. So, let us take a closer look at the extent and the
potential of these lands that have cost us so much.
The Western Kingdom Below
Due to the rapid and zealous progression of our
armies, we can now say that a quarter of Kohut is ours.
Other parts are still undergoing pacification and stabi-
lization. The center of our Kingdom Below is of course
located in New Jerusalem, the jewel with two faces, lost
in the middle of nowhere. The Upper City is now home
to over thirty five thousand souls in just over ten thou-
sand homes. The chaotic nature of the surrounding
suburban sprawl makes it impossible for the marshal’s
services to keep a precise count of its inhabitants. The
closest estimation is that it is home to roughly four or
77
five times the population of the palatial city. Every
God-given day dozens of buildings appear, growing like
mushrooms after a shower of rain. The economic acti-
vity is intense, and therefore an effort must be made
to improve and enlarge the docks and the other supply
facilities. Taking into account the ever growing num-
bers of arrivals, a break in the growth of our main city
is totally unimaginable. As we will see later in this
report, the general situation of the suburbs is particu-
larly intolerable. They must be dragged back into order
and civilization.
The deployment of our invading forces has followed
the sixteen roads established by the tracks of the dam-
ned. The terrain upstream has become more and more
difficult as it rises (see the Montecuccoli report). This
has become one of the main factors that is holding
back our progression. The boundaries of our lands are
still poorly defined but landmarks have been built to
improve this situation. Indeed, at least thirty six for-
tified sanctuaries are now scattered around the edges
of invaded Kohut. These sanctuaries are the result of
the collaboration between armies, religious bodies and
civilian organizations. These asylums are now used as
places of prayer, centers for all kinds of studies, and
also as places for trading activity. They have grown into
small towns. Our demonologists, explorers, priests and
soldiers find the sanctuaries to be ideal, peaceful places
in which to go about their business. This building pro-
gram is a true success. Similarly there are Westerner
bastions being raised in newly conquered territories.
Their fire power has been multiplied and their garrisons
reinforced. The heroic resistance of the Saint Michael
monastery is probably the most striking example of the
success of these installations.
These pillars of civilization allow the creation of
peaceful, secure areas open to economic development.
Scattered amongst them, dozens of major mining or
agricultural concessions have been established. Several
hundred small colonial communities have been develo-
ped with the aid of thousands of damned slaves. The
success of colonies is, regrettably, varied. But through it
 FactionS
all, the incredible amounts of resources extracted from
the Underworld are a sign of rapid, intense expansion
and of a prosperous future.
In order to maintain the speed of our growth, several
free companies have been sent out on deeper explora-
tion missions throughout Kohut and beyond. Their aim
is to discover, inform and prospect. In spite of all these
encouraging signs, a few dark clouds still remain on
the horizon. Unwatched, these clouds could become a
tempest which could wipe out our colonies in a fires-
torm with no forewarning.
Identifying our Enemies
The Demons: Satan’s most powerful subjects and the
masters of the damned. Although they were scattered
and hesitant when first faced with our offensive, they
seem to have gathered a relative amount of cohesion.
The massive attacks that have wiped out some of our
more advanced positions seem to show that a truce
has been established between several archdemons.
Even some of the fallen angels seem to have joined
their cause. The millions of damned who populate the
Underworld remain a constant source of unease for our
armed forces. On their own these unholy creatures are
cowardly. However the demons have a certain amount
of power over the damned. By some cunning witch-
craft, the demons are able to change the damned’s phy-
sical appearance and drive them to fight with fury and
fanaticism. The damned we have encountered are of all
kinds, sizes and abilities. They are quite often affiliated
with one of the seven deadly sins. The more obvious
their corruption, the more they tend to become the per-
fect incarnation of the vice they embraced when alive.
The demons, however, are of a different class altogether.
We have been able to classify a great number of these
beings thanks to the teachings of the Bible. Unfortuna-
tely the Book leaves many gaps in knowledge and omits
the names of the incredibly powerful creatures that lie in
the very heart of the desolate plains of the Underworld.
No human has ever laid eyes on such a titan of demon-
kind. If pressed, the demons whisper in fearful tones
of a prophecy announcing the return of these age-old
abominations. If such a day were to come, the eternal
laments of the plain of bones would not be enough to
cover the thousands of human cries of those in the throes
of agony.
The Saracens: our enemies of yore have obviously
established a powerful kingdom in a neighboring circle.
They have also built a good many forts, sanctuaries and
other places of worship here in Kohut. Despite a cer-
tain ambiguity in their intentions, it seems that our own
colonies were of no concern to them until we went...
too far. Some of our captains violated their boundaries
78
and then profaned in blood some of their holy places.
The Saracens are now treating us with the utmost cau-
tion, and no longer hesitate to raid our positions. The
inconsiderate acts of a few religious fanatics of our own
brotherhood could well push the Moors into all out war.
I hereby send you warning, my Lords: if our men are
not subjected to a more rigorous rule, we may have to
battle on several fronts at once.
The Muslims of the Underworld are embarked on a
mystical quest. The purpose of this quest still eludes
us. Anything that concerns this topic is meticulously
avoided during conversation. I must admit that these
Saracens are masters in the art of saying no one thou-
sand and one times without ever using the same excuse
twice. The art of evasion is one of the most wondrous
gifts they possess, a quality to reflect upon, my Lords.
One cannot spend three hundred years in Hell without
learning to adapt and allow for compromise.
The Lost (or free-damned): some of you will hear this
name for the first time. It would be a very grave mistake to
consider Demons and Lost as one and the same. The Lost
seem to be former demons or damned ones according to
our most reliable sources (mainly Saracen). As far as we can
see, the reasons for their independence are many. Some
have lost their old masters, others have rebelled. Some of
them even aspire to create their very own kingdoms. As
time goes by, these gangs of Lost Ones have become a
serious thorn in our expansion plans. They thrive freely in
the very heart of our lands, hiding in the vast devastated
expanses. Whenever they feel the urge, they undertake
the foulest of depravities and pillages. This threat pushes
us to triple the armed escorts that accompany our sup-
ply caravans. Worse still is the fact that our expansion
has been seriously hindered in some areas. Many small
colonial communities live in fear of these scavengers as
neighboring communities have become deserted by their
inhabitants. When a gang of Lost Ones has decided to
raid the area the best way to survive is to fight ‘till the end.
Surrendering is not an option. Strangely enough, some of
our captains have managed to hire the services of some
of these gangs. In exchange for an often ridiculously low
fee such as a native relic of some kind, these elite soldiers
will bear arms alongside our troops for a while. They then
disappear, as fast as they came.
The War Effort
The success of our military operations is mainly due to
the cooperation that exists between the different forces.
To begin, I will provide you with an analysis of the impact
of our more conventional units; infantry, artillery and
cavalry. I will then undertake to list the many benefits of
the addition of the infernalist and missionary additions.
 The westernerS
Finally we shall examine the mixture of these forces in
free-companies and their use for special missions.
The infantry: The infantry and its foot soldiers are
the very core of our armies. Hardened by many years
of conflict, their discipline works wonders. Our gene-
rals’ strategy has been to focus more on ranged than
on close combat weapons. Sixty out of every hundred
soldiers are now arquebusiers or musketeers. The stan-
dard kit is an arquebus and a sword for the charge.
For protection, the soldiers are given a steel breastplate
and a falling buffe burgonet helmet. Some differences
still remain such as the Swedish which still prefer to
keep their «Dutch pot» helmets.
New arquebuses will be provided to our troops before
next year. They will give greater precision and more fire
power. These flintlock arquebuses can put out eight shots
at a speed of three shots per minute. Please note, my
Lords, that our current arquebus overheat after only four
shots, becoming unusable for a considerable length of
time. Alongside the usual ranged weapons, groups of
grenadiers have been developed to dislodge the damned
ones. Their results are quite simply spectacular.
The current military strategies have forgotten the
virtues of infantry close combat. Many officers have
requested sword and pike troops with enough protec-
tion to stand up to the monsters that live Below.
Indeed, even intense fire power is not enough to hold
back the onslaught of a demonic horde. Some solid
elements have needed adding to the established regi-
ments. Three months ago, regiments of doppelsöldners
were newly trained. These solid veterans are equipped
with heavy swords and covered in armor from head to
toe. They slice their way through the enemies’ ranks
with vim and vigor.
To mark out our way, groups of hired blades have
been formed and made available to our armies. When
they make it back alive, these scouting parties bring
back valuable information to our armed companies.
Our progression through Hell is the result of the return
to fashion of the use of armor. From pikemen to mus-
keteers, all today wear some form of protection.
The cavalry: the number of men in our cavalry regi-
ments is extremely low. Only twenty soldiers in every
one hundred can be considered cavalrymen. This is
grossly inadequate. Mobility is one of the key elements
of our success. Mobility serves both to keep informa-
tion flowing and as a means to violently take the enemy
by surprise. The lay of the lands Below is such that our
horses can find nothing good to feed upon. Supplies
of grain have to be transported through the gates of
Hell. The commanding officers are forced to spread
their stocks of grain throughout the network of fortified
relays. Due to these constraints, units of cuirassiers,
79
riflemen and dragoons have had to be dismantled and
redistributed to other units.
Obviously an effort must be made to work towards main-
taining mounted units. The cuirassiers, attacking in waves
six ranks thick, are veritable onslaughts of steel that drive
off the demons and the damned. The riflemen harass
the enemies’ flanks with their shots, creating disorder and
chaos. The dragoons, our mounted infantry, allow us to
hold strategic positions thanks to their superior mobility,
while fighting like infantrymen once dismounted.
The artillery: With its impressive firepower, our artil-
lery is at the core of many a successful battle. During
the offensive, cannon fire alone has succeeded in ope-
ning many a locked door. The Demon fortresses have
fallen one by one as their outer walls are torn asunder
by the powerful barrage of our siege weapons. By
escorting our invading forces, the cannons rip through
the ranks of the enemy troops with their fiery fury. The
effect of this cannon assault is often devastating, espe-
cially if the enemy officers are hit.
Furthermore, it is in a defensive situation that our
artillery provides its greatest support. As part of the
defenses of a fortified position, long range shots greatly
reduce the enemy’s enthusiasm. Meanwhile the shots
from shorter range weapons take out a large part of the
waves of demons. The excellent performance of the
many Swedish gunners, lent by his majesty Gustaf-Adolf
of Sweden, must be highly commended.
I would also like to underline the importance of the
supply train. Our dozens of outposts and colonies sur-
vival often depends on the punctuality of our provision
and supplies. And while we examine the matter of
supplies, I have been informed that this was a matter
of vital importance for General Wallenstein. I must say
that I fully agree with him on this subject. There can be
no war without weapons and healthy, able men.
To complete the inventory of our invading forces, I
would like to describe to you the new «weapons» at our
disposition: infernal power and divine might. Enrol-
ling infernalists and missionaries has become more and
more frequent, and allows us to multiply the efficiency
of our companies. The range of spells and miracles they
provide allows us to try varied and original approach
techniques. An infernalist who masters spells of fire
can multiply our fire power while at the same time pro-
viding us with an alternative possibility for a defensive
retreat. The men of God, with their faith and moral
strength, are able to heal the wounded or improve the
soldiers’ morale. These forces therefore allow the com-
pany to survive longer.
 FactionS
The Free Companies of Hell
In the name of flexibility and efficiency, the Council
decided a year ago to create semi-autonomous free
companies. These elite forces are trained to face all
manner of situations. Their duties are quite varied:
reconnaissance, exploration, information, negotiation,
elimination, and so forth. I will spare you, my Lords,
the full inventory of the tasks they perform. Know,
however that most of the special tasks they are given
are far beyond the abilities of our more conventional
regiments. The rate of human losses in these compa-
nies is extremely high, but the strong individualities of
the people that make up these groups can quite often
change the outcome of a desperate mission. All of the
conventional categories of soldiers are represented in
these companies.
The keystone of these units lies in the technical abili-
ties of their officers. Hired and paid by the members of
the Council, they are the Captains who, by their efforts
and the composition of their company, have made their
own mark on the Underworld. My Lords, I would like
to introduce three of these men, the finest selection of
the elite units of the Western forces. They are efficient,
loyal and all have service records that would make an
archdemon tremble.
Francisco Vargas: this noble Castilian has served for many
years under the orders of Count de Spinola. In those times
of all-out war, he was already in charge of the special mis-
sions of his General. He was tasked with hitting places
that his master could not reach. He fulfills in Hell the exact
same role that he was given in the service of the Empire.
He possesses a tactical form of genius that is out of the
ordinary. Just as important, Vargas also has the reputation
of a hard and merciless man. He fights beside his men.
This free-captain also has a gift for choosing comrades with
brilliant and colorful personalities. His point of view is that
he can only lead his troops efficiently if he has men that are
able to apply and transmit his orders to perfection... and
with talent. My instinct tells me that we will hear much of
the efficient Francisco Vargas in the days to come.
Georg von Holbein: this captain is the champion of the
catholic cause. Fury surrounds this man-in-armor like a
thunder cloud. Perched on Honor-and-Glory, his pitch
black armored warhorse, by the time his enemies hear
the biblical curses that spew out from inside his suit of
plate armor it is often too late for them. He was recently
made a free-captain due to the loss of his company of cui-
rassiers. He has since been hunting down every Saracen
and Demon that fate places in his path. He is an adept
of frontal combat and grants no quarter. He favors the
support of the doppelsöldners, missionaries and inqui-
sitors. The only warning I may utter against him would
be about his fanaticism that seems to know no limits. It
80
sometimes borders on actual madness. That said, if this
man can be unpredictable with us, his allies, just imagine
what he can do to the worst of our enemies!
Baptiste Valombre: Valombre was the first Westerner
to set foot in the Underworld. As a free-captain he has
become an adventurer with somewhat obscure goals.
During my research, I have found his name mentioned
in all four corners of the known world. He seems to be
always searching for objects forgotten by even time itself.
He is not only an accomplished swashbuckler but also a
talented demonologist and a renowned scholar. By tur-
ning his back on the divine, this Parisian has also found
himself in the black books of the Christian Churches.
Valombre seems to have a network of informers at his
disposition throughout all of the Underworld and among
all factions. He has rapidly become indispensable to our
intelligence services. His price for hire is excessively high
and his wage as occasional captain is virtually unreasona-
ble. To accomplish his tasks, Valombre usually hires spe-
cialized fighters, extremely talented and most often quite
eccentric. In the world above and below, his political and
religious ideas are seen as revolutionary.
I would suggest, my Lords, that he be granted the immu-
nity of the Council that he rightly deserves. Dogmatic
quarrels must in no way get in the way of the accomplis-
hment of our objectives.
To conclude this report, I will end with a note tinted
with bitterness. Dissensions are, indeed, currently bli-
ghting our wonderful quest, created by people who dream
of taking control of our kingdom. These troubles are partly
spread by the more conservative elements of our different
cults. A crusade is growing in their hearts, my Lords, and
it is threatening to rot from the inside everything that we
have undertaken so far. Beware of the tidal wave that
could well be caused by these first ripples. Several reports
have brought tidings of demonic influences, unholy pacts
and other forms of devilish seduction. We must not for-
get where we are setting foot, my Lords! The apparent
weakness of the Demons may only be a trick, a lure, with
the bulk of their forces located in other spheres, exploiting
the inherent weaknesses of men. There is also the pro-
blem of the dozens of lodges and other organizations that
wish to exploit the wealth of Hell to be considered. This
is quite a simple problem, but we must bear it in mind all
the same. But we should rejoice! If we are able to conquer
these few problems, Hell and its age-old riches and
knowledge will be ours to hold and to treasure.
Destiny is each man’s own to seize!
You will find in the annexes of this report many exam-
ples, notes and documents that will complete these few
words of mine. I salute you, my Lords, may you make
good use of these lines.
« The Farseer», your humble, loyal servant.
 The westernerS

Francisco Vargas, Frank-captain

The French pavilion of the Council’s palace was swarming with an unusual amount of activity. The
excessive size and luxuriance of the war room dwarfed two of the most powerful people in either of
the two worlds. Cardinal de Richelieu, Prime Minister of his majesty Louis XII and Henri II de Bour-
bon, General in chief of the French expeditionary corps in the Underworld.
«My Lord de Bourbon, it would please me immensely if we could hire the services of sire Vargas,
immediately.»
«Eminence, why such haste in this matter? Many others could undertake this task quite honorably, Officer
noble gentlemen who would be a little less...»
«Spanish?» interrupted the Cardinal. Henri’s mouth eased a smile.
«I see that your Eminence still reads the hearts of men with the talent he is renowned for.» answe- Human
red de Bourbon.
«Henri, please, grant me the kindness of a heedful ear for my request; are you ready to listen to
what I ask?» Male
«Eminence, you know that your opinions are always of great importance, for myself as for
the King...»
«Very well! In that case I will go straight to the point. Yes, the man is a Spaniard. It is
Christian (papist)
unfortunate, but we can do nothing about it, and at least he is a good Catholic. We certainly
cannot say as much of all of our allies. Furthermore, I prefer to be sure that he is busy taming
the demonic rabble Below rather than killing off our men in the marches of Flanders.» Movement 4
«Please, continue Cardinal...» 3
«Thank you Henri. The most important point is that this man is a genius. All the reports
of our agents agree on the fact that this Vargas can truly sense the combat, adapts easily to Shooting Skill -
-
all possible situations, and looks after his company in a most honorable fashion. He is more
than a simple officer, Henri, he is a weapon himself!»
«A dangerous weapon, your Eminence, one that spreads discord and destruction in its
Combat 5
4
wake...» replied Henri.
«My word, Henri!» interrupted Richelieu, «Have you forgotten we are not talking about Defense 4
our world here? Who will complain that a few damned ones have been butchered or pushed 3
around?»
«Nobody, Eminence, nobody for sure.» whispered de Bourbon, «But why this Vargas? I wonder Charisma Protection 2
if you are not leaving out other reasons that make you like this Spaniard.»
Richelieu stood still and seemed to ponder, looked left then right, then in a solemn voice he
finally replied:
Leader Life Points 12
«Indeed, I could have chosen some other Spaniard, as you say. Dear friend, do you see, this whole
infernal escapade is at risk of turning into a crusade at any moment. I can assure you that when
Tenacious 3

that time comes, I plan to rely on people I have chosen. People I can trust who will fight for human Faith 3
2
and rational interests rather than spiritual ones. Look at the Von Holbeins, the Balaguerres, they
are competent men, brilliant even! But they are exalted, driven by fury and faith in a God that they
think is theirs! Recall their reaction when they discovered a Saracen kingdom Below! They chose
Command 5
war rather than to work together to a common goal. Such a waste. They are endangering the whole
colony. One day the Council of the Six will have to sanction them or accept to be overthrown.»
«Very well, Cardinal.» answered Henri de Bourbon. «I will join you and give you my full support.
Vargas is waiting for you in the map room, in the company of one of the King’s musketeers.»
«You knew I would say all this to you, Henri. It is your turn to surprise me. What an act you have
put on for me...» said the Cardinal, smiling.
«I am not the only one to claim the merit of this, Eminence, I merely thought that a «Richelieu» of
arms under the orders of the Richelieu of letters was a very pleasant idea...»

Orders
Leader of the Converts
All the Christian models in Vargas’ company are consi-
dered to be Christian (Papist) instead of the religion
keyword written on their stat cards. This Order takes
effect as soon as the company is created, as if the
modification is printed on the cards.
Bastion of the Lord
Active • 1 Permanent CMD• Unique
Allied troopers with a FTH of 1 or more get
a PR bonus equal to their FTH until the end of
the turn.
K iss of the Lord
Free • 1 Permanent CMD• Unique
Vargas recovers a number of LP equal to
twice his FTH.
Vae soli Vae victis

Long Sword Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5 Unique


4 7
5 9
81 40 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Baptiste Valombre, Scholar Adventurer

The place radiated a terrible heat. Over more than two hundred fathoms, the icy desolation was replaced by a stretch of rocky
desert, dotted with one-eyed faces carved in stone. The devilish wind that tore across the icy plain hit an invisible frontier. When
it came into contact with this bubble of heat, the wind would send the «dome» crackling with thousands of burning red sparks. The
fiery cinders floated down, tumbling slowly to the snow-covered ground below, like dying fireflies shot down from the skies.
Officer Gathered around a rocky outcrop, a small group had formed. Noble gentlemen from the world Above, finding their lives boring,
came to discover the Underworld on curious exploration trips. Their guide was Baptiste Valombre, and he looked quite the sight with
his dark mane of hair. He wore an unusual suit of armor and carried a pistol of equal strangeness. Disturbingly he was followed by
Human a small demon with a sly look in his eyes. The demon carried a great heap of objects that seemed quite useless to the untrained eye.
His eyes sparkling with unmatched mischief and confidence while Valombre radiated an elusive air of control. The discovery of Hell
had created a time for the most virulent debates. But in this land where an invisible Devil ruled all, blasphemy was a common thing.
Male This was a place for new men, men such as Baptiste Valombre; an adventurer, an explorer and a man of learning. He represented
what men will become. He was a man freed from the Divine, freed from the fear of Above and Below. Hark to what will be said
here. Read my notes, copy them and have them read by all the trustworthy men you meet. A new era is born, let us take care to
Agnostic build it for ourselves this time!
«God? Which God are we talking about, my Lords? Do not think I am insensitive to your beliefs, but please, keep your God for up
there, and let men take their Destiny into their own hands.
Mentalist Abandon your old pre-conceived ideas straight away, and take a little time to consider the situation. All our lives we have been
taught to submit our wills to that of some divine character, in exchange for a hypothetical paradise. Where has this led us? Today
we are walking through Hell. A promise of heaven was made, but in the end the only road we found was that of damnation. Have
you asked yourselves, gentlemen, why these doors have opened?
4 Movement I was in Magdeburg, the day it happened. I saw with my own eyes the madness of Men. I was the first to descend, with my feet
3 in the mud. All around me was a world filled with endless mysteries.»
«Do you not believe this is a test set for us by the Almighty, monsieur Valombre?» croaked Muller, a grim merchant from Nurem-
4 Shooting Skill berg, recently transformed into a slave-merchant.
3
«Ah, the celestial trial is such a pleasant idea!» relied Baptiste, «However, I am afraid that our descent to the Underworld is
6 Combat simply a matter of chance, at the best.»
«In that case, how can you explain this sudden opening of the Gates? If not by the will of God it makes no sense!» cried
5
Solana, a Spanish nobleman, sweating profusely in his blue brocade doublet.
4 Defense Baptiste scanned the assembled men with the eye of a hawk, his lower lip barely holding back a hungry grin.
3 «My Lords, is it not more important that we first seek what we are going to do with these lands?» Valombre said,
with a theatrical sweep of his arm. «It could be said that the only limits we face here are our imaginations and our...
3 Protection appetite. A new age is upon us. The time for conscious and free men is here. Once we are rid of the burden of the
Divine, the moment will come to also rid ourselves of our primal fears and all the irrational superstitions. What
infinite opportunities do these seemingly deserted expanses offer us! Poor men can become rich, old men can
12 Life Points become immortal, those who search can find a thousand more questions for each riddle they solve.
2
Defensive Combat
0 Faith
0 Immunity ( , ,
fire cold poison)
Orders
Special A mmunition
4 Command Man-at-Arms Passive • 1 CMD
If Baptiste shoots during this activation, the shot will be affected
Scout by one of the following modifiers, which must be chosen before
Strider choosing a target: Baptiste’s Experimental Pistol gets +3 Range;
Base : Baptiste gains Natural Talent; The target suffers Consumed
Regular (Fire • 2/1), in addition to its normal damage, when Baptiste
scores 3 or more hits. This order can be given more than
once per turn, but each option may only be chosen one
time when a shot is taken.
Vae soli Vae victis

Aura
Do you believe you’ll live forever?
Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius • Allies
Other allied units within this aura’s area
of effect get +1 CBT, and -1FTH.

Experimental
Pistol Hits Damage
Piercing 1 1
Ammunition 6 2 3
Penetrating Strike 3 4
Range 4 4 6
5 8

Jagged Sword &

Spiked Gauntlet Hits Damage
Blunt 1 3
Slashing 2 4

Unique 55 82


3 6
4 8
5 10
 The westernerS

Below, everything is possible, the better like the worse. Once we no longer bear the yoke of religion or
condition, the only men left here are ambitious men or dreamers.
I am here to understand, gentlemen, to understand so I can learn, to learn so I can «dominate». What a
fabulous land for research we have discovered here! Science, history, geography, we can learn anything in this
place. Although this may disappoint you, you are not the first men to tread the paths of Hell. Take a closer look
at these antique Greek letters, there, carved into the rock. Give thanks to the sheik Abd al Budrun for his authoriza-
tion to travel through his lands. For we are in a Saracen protectorate here. No, do not be alarmed...»
«But what profit could we possible reap from turning our backs on religion and forgetting that which we hold most
dear?» interrupted Muller, giving him a black look. Base :
«I was expecting that question, Herr Müller, and therefore it will be easy for me to answer
it. The key to our success lies in knowledge. It is this knowledge that will bring us a
Regular
prosperity that you can hardly dream of, my Lords.»
«Prosperity? Knowledge? What the hell? What on Earth are you talking
about!» cried Solana, finally interested.
«Unbelievable riches, and knowledge is the key to them! The Unde-
rworld is littered with places where relics of times forgotten can
be found. These impious relics are coded and protected by dark
enchantments. But once you have mastered this obscure coding,
you will gain access to knowledge that few men can conceive.
Death often prowls around these artifacts, or «messages»
as the case may be. The price to pay is quite reasonable.
Who would want to live forever in any case?
Imagine discovering the secret of changing lead into
gold, knowing the secret word of power that can seduce
and possess the woman of your wildest desires. You can
also imagine binding animals or men to metal and so
many more things. So many challenges lie before men
like ourselves, and some have already succeeded! I have
just mentioned to you the power of transmutation, and
in fact...»

Conversation with Baptiste Valombre reported by

the late Martin Hoch, salesman of Mecklembourg,
burned for heresy.

Sir Valet, Servant Unique

«Okay, so I’m in the service of a human. Sure I’m ashamed of it, but hey,
that’s life, you make do with what you can get! A short, squishy little coward
like myself, all I can do is bite my own tail and wait for better days! What’s worse
0 Independent
is I’m a jinx, too, yessir, ye have no idea! When M’lord Baptiste says «This don’t look
good», you can bet things are gonna get real bad! Dunno why, but that’s just the way
things have been since I’ve been a demon.
Demon
M’lord Baptiste ain’t bad as humans goes. He’s saved my sorry skin many a time in the past.
I think he really quite likes me. Yeah I know, that’s not good for a demon, but hey, I’m already a
walking disgrace, so I might as well go all the way! I’m the kind of demon who wallows in shame. The
Asexual
first time he saved my arse was the day I met a «Greedy Guts» who wanted to swallow me down in one
gulp! He gave the lump a belly full of steel instead so I felt I should make it up to the guy. You know, follow
him for the rest of his life, wherever he goes, even to all four corners of Hell. See, I’m not so daft, the life of a
Unbeliever
mortal to save my own mangy hide, you’ve gotta admit it’s an honest trade. And you know, when you look at how
M’lord Baptiste behaves, I’m guessing I’ll be free again any time now, what with both the clergy and the Demons
having it out for him, he’ll soon end up as a barbecue or a bonfire. So ye see, I’m carrying around all his tools, his
Mentalist
finds and trinkets. I’m a right mule! I’m a scout too for him if needs be, and if M’lord is in a spot o’trouble, he can
just swap places with me instantly. Sure, I get a pounding when that happens, but hey, it’s all part of the job. Hang
on. I think I can see my master. Oh, gotta go, I can see him coming. Crap, he’s not alone, got a dozen soldiers on his
Movement 8
tail. Got to run, damn it, I’m gonna end up in a pulp!!

Sir Valet, two broken teeth and a black eye during the skirmish.
Elusive Shooting Skill -
Harmless Combat -
Order Invulnerable
Defense 6
A llow Me, Sir Insignificant
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique
Sir Valet immediately switches places with Baptiste Valombre.
Maverick Protection 1
Strider Life Points 2
Aura
Things aren’t looking good
Faith -
Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius
Units within the area of effect of this aura get -1 CBT.
Command -

83 Associated (Baptiste Valombre)

FactionS

84
 The WesternerS
Vincenzo Maculano de Fiorenzuola,
Commissioner General of the Inquisition
The heat thrown off by the cross-shaped branding iron distorted the air around it as it was drawn from the fire. The site
of this always made Vincenzo introspective. The fact that the underworld had so much in common with the world above
was unsurprising to Vincenzo and seemed to speak volumes about the lord’s plan. The laws of time and motion seemed to
work as they did above, only breaking down in certain areas of Hell. What did constantly take him aback was the behavior
of his fellow men when confronted with such a place. Hell’s very existence was an affirmation of faith, and Vincenzo had
hoped that it would bring about a change in mankind’s behavior that would make his role as an inquisitor obsolete.
Officer
Alas, it was not to be. In fact he had been sent hence to look into reports of malignant influences at work on the people
of New Jerusalem. When he arrived he found a place with even more blasphemy, heresy, and sin than the world above.
Unlike the heathens propagating such filth his faith wasn’t shaken by the hellish scenes he had seen since arriving on the
Human
docks of the portal. His faith and conviction grew with the certainty that he did the will of his Lord. While Hell was a terri-
ble place, for that was its nature, how could they be surprised? This made it even more important that the weak be brought
back to the light and given a chance to repent before being sent along on their eternal journey.
Male
These comfortable musings played through Vincenzo’s mind as he crossed from the
ember filled brazier back to the bound wretch at the middle of the cell, the cross-shaped
branding iron carried in front of him as though to light his way. Vincenzo’s full atten-
Christian (papist)
tion was once again centered on the prisoner. How distasteful his holy duties where,
unfortunately with the revelation of hell’s undeniable reality, they were now more neces-
sary than ever.
Mentalist
“You have been found guilty of heresy. If you confess, then there is no need for me to
persuade you to unburden your soul.”
All Vincenzo received as a reply was a brooding, seething stare from the mercenary
that had been in his employ up until the day before.
Movement 4
“You do not wish to recant the vile heresies I heard you utter to your compatriots in my
company? Wouldn’t it do you good to let sin out and embrace our Lord with open arms?” Shooting Skill -
Again no response was forthcoming.
“I see. Well, it is my duty to facilitate your repentance my friend.” Long Sword Hits Damage
With these words Vincenzo calmly brought the iron to the prisoner’s forehead, and the Slashing 1 2 Combat 4
screaming began in earnest. 2 3
“Let it out brother, let the sin out … “ 3 5 Defense 4
4 7
5 9 Protection 2
Orders
M anus Dei Life Points 11
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
Until the end of the turn, whenever a non-papist unit takes damage during a Faith 4
close combat, the damage is increased by the FTH of that unit, with a minimum
increase of 1. This increase will even affect Invulnerable units. Command 4
M ark of the Faithful
Free • 1 CMD
Target Papist unit becomes Brave until the end of the turn. This order can only be Charisma 2
given once per action phase. Immunity
M ark of the Heretic (Change of State)
Special • Unique
After both companies have been deployed but before Leader
the start of the game, choose an enemy independent
or trooper. The chosen unit is marked as a heretic
for the rest of the game. While marked as a
heretic a unit gets +1 CBT, Uncontrollable, and
Cursed 1. Papist units get +2 CBT when fighting
the marked unit and +1 MVT if this extra MVT
would allow the papist unit to contact the unit
marked as a heretic. If the unit marked as a
heretic is killed during a melee, then the unit
that killed it will become marked as a heretic.
Vae soli Vae victis

Aura
God’s Coat
Permanent • 1 Fathom Radius •
Papists (Immune)
While any non-Papist unit is within the area
of effect of this aura, they suffer the effects of
Stunned. Unique
85 55 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Georg von Holbein, Margrave

I am struck by fear with the mere thought of my commander, Georg Von Holbein. In spite of our pious prayers, the
darkness of Hell seems to have seeped into our hearts, its thousand shadowy facets creeping into our souls.
Five years ago, I signed up to join the margrave, on personal recommendation of Maximilian of Bavaria. Von
Holbein led his own armed forces, the Black Eagles, a proud company of cuirassiers from Styria. We plowed through
Officer the ranks of the Protestant armies with our furious charges. With our pistols, we would shoot down the first line
of pike men then we would slash on through their ranks like a tidal bore running up the mouth of a river. The
sound of our swords was like the slicing of a butcher’s knife through a piece of meat. Nothing seemed able to
Human stop our progression. One day in May, the gates of Hell itself were opened to us, supreme glory was within
our grasp... and so was eternal damnation!
None of the armies of the damned should have been able to stop us. We trampled them mer-
Male rily. Oh how we laughed at their pathetic squeaking, or at the sight of their feeble bodies shaking
convulsively. No demon would be allowed to rest while the eaglets of the Holbein margrave
walked these lands. But the Saracens were soon to put an end to that sweet dream.
Christian (papist) It was our commander’s rashness that was to cause our downfall. A Saracen army
barred our route. A quick discussion revealed that they were not openly hostile
towards us. However, the path was forbidden to us, for the safety of our souls, so

Base : they said. Holbein’s temper exploded! He assembled the cavalry and ordered
them to charge. The Moors were well organized and our troops fell, one

Arch-Enemy ( ) 2
saracens Extra Large by one. The margrave made it through their lines, hollering menacingly,
and disappeared into the distance. I sounded a retreat. There were
only ten of us left, galloping away across the dusty plain. Shortly
Chaotic Charge Unique after, I joined the newly created units of doppelsöldners.
When Holbein resurfaced forty days later he was deeply
Charisma transformed. He was wearing a strangely crafted suit of
armor that he declared he had forged with his own hands
Elusive under the Lord’s instructions! God, he said, had assigned
him a new quest; to boot the infidels out of Hell. The
Fury engraved armor was as dark as a moonless night, and
behind the visor of his helm, I could feel the fire of his
Terror stare. Since that day, no-one has seen him without
his helm or his armor.
Our missions became stranger and stranger.
We were now officially hunting the Saracens. We
would attack on sight. The Moors were rather
discreet, but Holbein seemed to be able to
sniff them out. Inside his tent, he personally
undertook to «question» the survivors. I can
still hear their pleas for mercy, the guttural
screams of our commander sounded almost
like an animal! He would spit out psalms
from the Bible like one possessed. The next
day we moved on. And that is when I saw
it all. The dismembered bodies, hurriedly
buried in shallow graves, the frozen expres-
sions of horror on their bruised skulls. A
dozen ravaged, chopped up bodies were
piled up on top of each other. Wolfgang,
his personal page, told me still horrified,
that his master had drunk the blood of his
victims before his very eyes. Then he had
ordered him to recite the Apocalypse accor-
ding to Saint John. I hope that all this is
just a young boy’s cheeky lie. However my
instinct tells me that the young Rhenish boy
is telling the truth.

70
Lieutenant Sauer, doppelsöldner

Orders
6 Movement Glory to the First
5
Passive • 3 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique
- Shooting Skill Once Georg has resolved his activation, but before it becomes your oppo-
-
nent’s activation, activate each of your waiting units one at a time. Once all
7 Combat of your units have been activated, then your opponent may activate a unit.
6
You choose the order that your waiting units are activated in ignoring any
4 Defense effects that might otherwise affect this (EG Slowed, etc...).
3
Moment of Grace
4 Protection Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
Georg gets Rapid Strike (Defense) during the next
Two-Handed Sword Hits Damage
12 Life Points Slashing 1 3 combat sequence he is involved in this game.
4
Penetrating Strike 2 5 Vae soli Vae victis
3 Faith 3 7 Georg may spend up to 3 CMD on Vae Victis if you
2
4 9 choose. This works in the same way as spending 1 or 2
5 Command 5 11 CMD on the order, giving +3 to either SHS or CBT if you
spend 3 CMD.
 The westernerS

Aidan Saint James, Sergeant

Upon a broken plateau of Kohut, with no shelter from the bite of the corrosive winds, an old, blood-covered soldier
kneels in front of a hastily dug tomb. Tears run down his cheeks, his mustache is sticky with dried blood, and he is
covered in dark, dank dust. Only by his sharp blue, tear-filled eyes, his iron helm, and his weapons can he be told apart
from one of the damned ones who live on this bleak land. The wind whistles in long wails, as if to accompany the
torment of the kneeling man. With a shaking hand he slips a piece of paper between two large stones. Then he etches
a name, a surname, a date...
Independent
«Saint James, Francis, my brother in arms. I knew you as a youth, a fifteen-year-old still fresh from your Nor-
thumbrian countryside. I’ve watched you cry, watched you grow up, watched you harden yourself by fire and iron.
Human
For over ten years you have followed me over all the battlefields where the wise don’t wish to tread. You have killed,
gutted, and pillaged but you always remained respectful towards the defeated. You were a freak, a noble idiot who
refused to profit from the weak and the poor. A commoner with a noble heart, you were. A
Male
good lad, you know, the kind you’d like to introduce to your daughter... if she hasn’t
already been killed, of course. A nameless damned one decided on your fate, Francis
my boy. God did not come down to help you this time. You were the last bastard
Christian (papist)
in my gang who had been fighting since the White Mountain. The last to remind
me that, before this all went mad, I had a life. Your death has ripped a hole in my
existence, ten years of struggle, ten years of nothing, just an aftertaste of dead flesh, a
taste of nothingness. Movement 4
I am the last mercenary of the 3rd company still standing. And so as to never forget 3
your mugs, you shitheads, I will take your name Francis. Hans becomes Saint James,
may well you laugh up there. I already bear the name of the saint who brought you
Defensive Shot Shooting Skill 2
1
Northumbrians into the light - Saint Aidan - all I needed was another saint’s name to Tenacious
become bullet-proof. My lads, I will drink to your health all night. The black dust I’m
breathing in is tearing at my guts. The bottle of Armagnac that I’ll soon be sharing with
Combat 4
3
that cheeky French bastard will probably taste like donkey’s piss. But I will forget all this...
for a while. I have been ordered to be chaperon to some new arquebusiers. Tough fellows Defense 4
I’m sure, but they’ll be fresh meat compared to you, Englishman. They aim about as straight 3
as with their first peashooter, but I have a feeling that with a bit of encouragement they’ll
be able to load a gun faster than my grandmother. This morning I gave a young smart-arse Protection 2
a piece of encouragement. He got it from the fish-tailed butt of my arquebus. Thanks a lot,
Comte de Tilly, for that present. They will learn, in the long run, that following me will keep
them alive longer than serving under some softer fellow. Life Points 8
3
And then the Grim Reaper will inevitably sort through them. I will no longer call on the Lord to
protect us. God cannot see well down in Hell, he doesn’t recognize his own. Has he ever? I drink to
all of you, ghosts of a past now lost forever. May your souls rest in peace. My own torments will end
Faith 1
0
one day, I hope, but you don’t grow old in Hell. Charon refuses to ferry me across. I cannot pay him
and so I will continue to fight until a copper coin falls into my hands...» Command 1
Aidan Saint James, year 1634 of our Lord, circle of Kohut.

Orders
Quick R eload
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
Aidan’s arquebus is now fully reloaded. This ability can
only be used once per activation.
R eload!
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
Aidan’s arquebus, and those of his allies, are
now fully reloaded.

Arquebus Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Penetrating Strike 2 2 4
Range 8 3 5
Reloading 2 4 7
5 9

Long Sword Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5 Unique


4 7
5 9 87 21 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Alvaro Echeverria de Balaguer, Inquisitor

As usual, the main square of New Jerusalem was packed full of people. It was a vibrant patchwork of men of all classes and walks
of life going about their daily businesses. The wafting smells of the roasting spits mingled with the beastly odors and pestilential
breath of hundreds of men speaking or shouting in a dozen different tongues. Then, as if by magic, the noise was silenced. Slowly,
like the noises of a forest before the storm hits, the cacophony died out. The colorful, chaotic crowd suddenly appeared to organize
Independent and focus itself, slowly, on the center of the square. The deathly silence was only broken by a quiet clinking noise. Two men with
weapons and armor were standing guard around a third man. Tall and slender, dressed all in black under a dark but intricately
decorated steel armor, the man’s mere presence inspired an awed silence. He held, proudly, above his head, a Crusader’s banner with
Human its immaculate white background. As his piercing gaze swept the crowd, many eyes were lowered in response. The damned slaves
huddled closer to their masters, trembling with fear.
Here was a highly-ranked inquisitor, sent especially by Rome itself from the world Above to bring its response to the Council of the
Male Six. Standing up on the scaffold of the gallows, with a slight gesture of his right hand in its mighty gauntlet, he began a sermon that
the Underworld will not soon forget.
«Hear me, good people of all countries in the light of God! Hear the words of a simple servant of the Lord, without finery or
Christian (Papist) ornament!
Here I stand before you, humble amongst the humble, and my greatest wish is that all of you gain access to the gates of Heaven.
Yes, my good people, it is you that I am speaking to, the people of small means, the lowly and the common. To you, those who have
Mentalist little but who are rich in spirit, to you the penniless, future princes of the Army of the Lord! A new era is coming! The times of petty
wars and poverty are over. With your faith, your force and your fury, and with the aid of the Almighty God, the lands of Hell will be
ours, the influence of the evil one eradicated! Good people, today is the day you join the legion of the good, following the banners of
our Lord, hallowed be his name!
4 Movement Today, I have but one word in my mouth, one thought, one way... Crusade! Crusade!
3 Crusade against the Demons! Crusade against the Saracen menace! The unbelievers are at our gates and they have already
invaded a large part of the Underworld. Can you feel them? Can you smell them? In their depravity, they indulge in all kinds of
- Shooting Skill orgies, fornicating with the Demons in the spilled blood of Christian maidens! We shall purify the Underworld, we shall send these
- infidel dogs, worshipers of Satan, back where they belong!
Feel the presence of the Lord! God sees you right now! He looks over you, his sons and daughters. So who will be joining me
2 Combat on this quest? Who will rise to meet their destiny? Who feels worthy of joining the pantheon of holy men, worshiped for their
3
fervor? Let those who feel the calling of the Lord deep in their hearts come to me, let them join me and follow the snapping
sound of my banner!»
3 Defense A ray of light made its way through the clouds, illuminating the square with a greenish glow. The crowd exploded.
4
Several women began singing to the glory of God. A good number of the men began assembling around the inquisitor.
2 Protection One by one, they knelt before him, crying, praying. Then he turned and led them out of the city, and following after
them, his impressive convoy...

10 Life Points
6

4 Faith
5
Order
2 Command Divine Stupor
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unbelievers
and units with a FTH 3+ (Immune) • Unique
Fanatic All Troopers within 8 fathoms of Alvaro that aren’t
unbelievers and don’t have a FTH greater than 2,
Base : become already activated. They can’t be activated
this turn anymore. You may choose to spend 4
Regular permanent CMD rather than 2 for this order. If
you do, your troopers will not be affected by
this order.

Aura
Aura of Fanatacism
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius
Inclusive • Papists
Papist units within the area of effect of
this order get Fanatic.

Gonfalon Hits Damage

Blunt 1 2
2 3
3 4

Unique 26 88


4 5
5 6
 The westernerS

Anna Bogna Pavlova, Mess Lady

Two workmen, among dozens, sit spending their hard-earned break chatting happily about their task of
building a safe-house for the guards in the suburbs of New Jerusalem. The dust flies up, blown by the wind,
and finds its way into everything. The passers-by are all wrapped in folds of heavy cloth as they go about their
business. An army of ghosts on the move. Their numbers ever growing, shuffling along, raising wafts of scarlet
powder. The air is heavy, the air is humid, the air is... parching. Their throats are as dry as the sand, their faces
red and wrinkled.
«Hey, Raymond, y’ know, ye really picked the wrong time to quit drinking! Last night
at the Wolf ’s Head we saw some proper action, the kind ye ain’t never seen the
likes of, I swear! Now don’t ye fret, I’ ll be tellin’ ye everything! The place
was packed, and the lasses down there were hot as red coals if ye get
me drift. Then Johann, he started whipping up a bit of a sing-song
with his band o’ bards, it was something I tells ye. Then in comes
that Sigismond bloke with his Saxon crew of ruffians. They start
pickin’ fights, smackin’ a few ‘eads, y’ know, takin’ a few pennies
from those what were scared. Nothin’ all that unusual so far,
ye might say... But that’s when the show really got started!
Some noble Finlandish chap, all wrapped up in furs walks
through the door and behind him was this gigantic thing.
And ye’ ll never guess what it was, eh Raymond? T’was
a bleedin’ woman! I swear! Fat as a prize pig the day
before the fair! And she had a nasty look about her,
tight and twisted, like a madam who specializes in old
soldiers if ye get me drift. And that ain’t all, no sir!
The lady comes with a big nailed club, the kind what’s
already seen plenty of action, y’ know?
So the bloke in the furs, y’see, he starts a-talkin’
business with old Sigismond, fishy stuff I bet, prob’ ly
slave trading the damned! But hey, I ain’t told ye
nothin’ ye hear me! At some point, dunno why, it starts
getting nasty. Those Saxon types get up and surround
the noble bloke, drawn their daggers and coshes and
all they had! The fat lass, she don’t move a muscle, but
she starts this kind of animal growlin’. Sigismond makes
a move forwards, looks like he’s decided to do away with
other bloke. And that’s when the gal jumps to her feet, grun-
ting and growling, and with a single swipe of her hand sends
her protégé flying out of harm’s reach. Then with a strike of her
Unique
club she turns one of the Saxons’ heads into a pulp!
I don’t mind tellin’ ye, those other blokes, their balls must have
been the size of dried peas by then! They was shakin’ like leaves, me
friend! Sigismond, ye know what how proud and cocky he is, he butts in
and starts circling her. Tried a couple of flash moves, ye know, to try her out,
24 Independent
and bam! She goes at him like a bear and splits his noggin in two, straight down
the middle with a single blow! Yessir! Well done her, I says! I was right there when Human
it happened and I don’t mind tellin’ ye me boots were far from dry after that, but I
must say I admire the gal!
Once their leader was gone, those Saxon thugs didn’t hang around. The pricks! Hah! I Female
asked around, the gal’s name is Anna. She’s from the Ukraine, and I heard she fed her Cossack
husband to their herd of pigs. She was Tilly’s mess woman, the kind what’ d add a Swedish trooper
in the soup if he got too close. I ain’t kiddin’! When yer man Tilly got his hands on one of the enemy Christian (Orthodox)
scouts he let her play with them until they started talkin’. Well believe me or not but the soldiers had a
belly full of fresh meat the next day! She was there at Magdeburg! They say they had to hold her back or
she would have taken the whole place apart. That’s one feisty gal, I tells ye! Now, for a small fortune she’ ll
watch yer back, follow ye wherever ye go, like a giant puppy-dog. Raymond, hey, Raymond? Godammit, man,
Movement 4
3
wake up, yer eating dust down there! Here, have another sip o’ Hell’s water, it’ ll do ye good! And then ye can
go home and fight it out with yer damn wife who don’t want yer to drink no more! Pah, damn women! Shooting Skill -
-

Bodyguard Combat 5
4

Expertise Defense 3
2
Healer 3 Protection 1
Terror
Life Points 16
6

Faith 1
0

Command -
Mace Hits Damage
Blunt 1 3
Cumbersome 2 5
Eager 3 3 + Stunned
Lunge 2 4 9
89
Base : Regular
5 6 + Knocked Down
 FactionS

Sister Eloise
I must confess, I still don’t really know what happened back there, but the most important is that we’re still alive! And that
was far from guaranteed as the situation was looking really bad. I remember...
A horde of demons was flooding across the plain, each one uglier than the next. The fortified monastery of Saint
Michael was under siege. The Swedish cannoneers were piteously plowing lines of death and destruction through the mass
of damned ones. The waves of demons rolled forwards, only to break on the rocks of our arquebus bullets. But more
Independent and more of those hideous monsters were making their way into our positions, climbing swiftly up the outer walls.
The screams of men being gutted or torn limb from limb, gut-wrenching sounds of torn flesh and guzzling beasts
were beyond imagining. The smoke from our weapons was covering the shooting mound. I could just glimpse the
Human upper part of the walls. They were cracked open and blackened in places. By some devilish sorcery the very
stones seemed to fall away of their own accord and our stores of supplies burned away with no-one seeming
to care.
Female The moat was filling up with the bodies of fallen enemies, creating a ford of flesh and carnage. It
looked like our time had come. We all began to pray the Lord’s mercy for our mortal souls. Then
the most extraordinary thing happened...
Christian (Papist) The leader of the damned forces was an enormous mound of flesh and scales who oozed
some kind of tarry substance. The power of our fort and of our fire was the last shield
remaining between us and that horrendous thing. The cannons fell silent one by
one. The sound of our guns slowly became less intense. Whole groups of Dam-
ned Ones of Wrath were climbing up our walls.
And then there was light! A piercing scream echoed across the plain,
filling our ears to their limits. The «dominant» demon seemed to fold
up as if he was shaken by some kind of spasm. With a terrible

Base : Regular sucking sound, he deflated until all that was left of him was a
dead, empty, over-stretched skin. Bathed with light, her nudity
barely hidden by a drape of fine cloth, a graceful and beautiful

Unique silhouette was standing there. Her hand was gripping a

strange-looking dagger. She had appeared out of nowhere
and had single-handedly dispatched an enemy who,
alone, would have assuredly have been able to slay a
hundred of our men. The damned ones had stopped
dead in their tracks as if horrified by the loss of their
leader. The woman turned to face us, raising her
arms as if in worship. Her eyes glowed bright in
the semi-darkness, her voice seemed to carry over
a half-league, her tone pure and icy...
«Soldiers of our Lord, your task is only just
beginning. You must rid this newly consecra-
ted plain of this demonic spawn for such is
your duty. The Lord speaks with my voice,
he watches you at this very moment. May
His enemies and those of His envoy to this
earth perish at my own hand. For such is His
implacable justice!»
We barely had time to blink and she was
gone as if all this had been nothing but a
dream. The remains of the dying demon were
still shaking with spasms. Our hearts were
warmed and now we were in the mood for a
fight! An offensive was launched, the armor-
plated droves of cuirassiers and doppelsöld-
ners finished off the remains of the now
struggling pack of infidels. This time around
the victory was ours, thanks to her... Thanks
to the Lord?

Capitaine de Beaulieu, third report of the Kohut

22 marches addressed to the Council.

Orders
5 Movement A pparition
4
Passive • 1 or 3 CMD • Unique
- Shooting Skill Dodge 4 Eloise isn’t deployed as normal at the beginning of the game. Her first
-
activation must be to use this order. While Eloise is still waiting and has
3 Combat Elusive not been placed on the battlefield, you don’t have to activate her if you
4
don’t want to. When this order is used Eloise is placed anywhere on the
5 Defense
Fanatic
battlefield, not within 5 fathoms of an enemy unit, and not in impassable
5 I
nsignificant terrain. You may pay 3 CMD to use this order. If you do, Eloise can be
0 Protection placed within 5 fathoms of an enemy unit.
Assassination
Kriss Hits Damage
9 Life Points Spiritual Damage 1 2 Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
5
2 3 The next combat sequence targeting a non-trooper unit
3 Faith 3 5 that Eloise is involved in during her activation, is one
4
4 7 sided in her favor, and she gets a bonus of +5 CBT
- Command 5 9
90 during it. This order can only be used once per turn.
 The westernerS

Sara Zingaresce, Draba

Surprising. That is the word I would choose to describe these Christians from «other shores». It has
been but a few months since the first of them set foot on infernal soil, and they already count a handful
of infernalists in their midst who are able to perform invocations. I will hereby attempt to paint you a
faithful portrait of one of these specialists, whose numbers are ever growing. She, for the invoker I am
about to describe is indeed a woman, is of the ghajar race, that which the Francs call Tsiganes.
Dark and beautiful, like the sky of a moonless night, draped in colorful, ever-moving cloth, she moves
Independent
through a battle like a falcon through a flock of turtle-doves. The brush strokes of my tale could well lead
you to think that this vixen is a delicate rose from the very gardens of Samarkand.
The truth of the matter is quite different. The whore is as dangerous as a female panther protecting
Human
its young. Using cunning spells, she can invoke lemures as if she had been born in the mud of these dark
lands. My friend, once I have told you the story of my misadventures with this witch, you will no longer
feel like smiling.
Female
I was leading a small group of men, mainly Blessed Warriors, on a mission to the
tomb of Rashid-Ad-Din. This great man, a master of art and science, fell during one
of his research voyages over three hundred years ago now. My scouts had informed
Satanist
me of the progression of a «column» of scavenging Christians who were heading
towards the mausoleum. I posted my troops in a line, hidden by the crest of a rocky Mentalist
hilltop. My pure ones charged with all their fury and many a war-cry through a rain
of fire sent forth by those profaning dogs. Although our losses were heavy our forces
moved forward, unstoppable, bearing the fury of Allah down on the heart of the Infernalist 1/2
enemy’s army. And then everything went wrong.
A lemure with the head of a dog exploded in the midst of our wave of metal and
screams. Several of my Mamluks were killed, screaming with pain. I can still hear Movement 5
4
their pleas, still see their charred bodies, and still smell the odor of their burning flesh.
May Allah the Merciful be praised for granting me his protection that day!
Battle was a facetious djinn with an ever-changing face. In spite of our fervor, their Shooting Skill -
-
superior numbers and Shaytan’s obvious support for their deeds was too much for us. The
wisest decision then was to sound the retreat. I ordered the signal to be given. To my
amazement, several of my men did not respond. Like a treacherous siren to a sailor, the
Dodge 2 Combat 2
1
witch was luring the Blessed Warriors to meet their destiny. She summoned up seas of fire
between herself and them. My faithful soldiers continued to advance and were burned alive,
Expertise Defense 5
with a frozen smile on their lips!
We received backup soon after that, but the damage was already done and the remains of Runaway 4

Rashid scattered far and wide. We captured a few scavengers who had remained behind and I Protection 0
learned the name of the devilish female who had cost us so many lives. Sara Zingaresce, daughter
of a land named Moravia. I swear to you Moses, my trusted friend, that I will not rest until I have
proudly placed her head on a spike, may Allah be my witness! Life Points 8
4

Letter from sheik Abu Abd al Ramelun to the kabbalist et philosopher Moses ben Ephraïm.
Faith 0
0

Command -
Aura
Attraction Aura
Temporary • Passive • 3 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Males
Male enemy units within the area of effect of this aura treat
Sara as if she had Attraction 3.

Spells
Explosion
Vanished
This spell creates an Explosion (Fire • 4/2)
centered on the lemure.
Conflagration
Vanished
This spell creates a circular element of ter-
rain with a 3 fathom radius centered on the
lemure that lasts 3 turns. This element is
Radiant (Consumed (Fire • 3/3)) and comple-
tely Opaque.

Magic
Dusts Hits Damage
Inhalation 1 Consumed (Fire • 1/3)
2 Consumed (Fire • 1/3) Unique

4
3 Knocked Down
Consumed (Fire • 2/3) 91 23 Base : Regular
5 Consumed (Fire • 2/3)
 FactionS

Swashbuckler
So, my German friend, you want to know more about my past? You seem quite concerned about the true reasons that
drove me to this infernal mission. Well, my dear fellow, I must first inform you that I would never have left my dear
country if I had not found myself in a somewhat prickly situation with the wife of one of the powerful lords of the world
Above. Ah, women! Their entrancing perfumes, their words of honey, their silky skin. Unfortunately, those sweet young
Independent ladies have the mischievous habit of acquiring husbands who tend not to be all that keen on sharing their wives’ attentions.
Husbands both tired and tiring, great heaps of soft, sagging flesh, who produce a most toxic strain of boredom! Pah, I
could sit here for a hundred years trying to explain this to you, but it seems your mind is rather... narrow. Well, then, I
Human shall just explain what it is that pushes young squires from the western world to want to come lose themselves in the back
end of the most god-forsaken pits of Hell. Money? Power? Glory? A bit of all those, soldier, but that’s not all. If I was to
say a sense of duty, would you believe me? To save all humanity from infernal peril!
Male How many of these petty noblemen, younger sons of good families, are now out walking along the roads? Disinherited
by default by simply not being first in line, burning to prove their valor to the whole world! We sold our selves to the Ger-
man princes during the Germanic wars. Some of us ended up leading regiments, or even whole armies! The eternal bonfire
Christian (Papist) that was the Holy Roman Empire allowed me to accomplish many a martial prowess worthy of song! I have won so many
futile duels, dispatched countless gents... During my adventures, I have encountered several dozen of my comrades. Swash-
bucklers from Brandenburg, Saxony or Bavaria, they all, like myself, had an immoderate taste for alcohol, women and
5 Movement duels. Oh, the countless evenings spent sitting around the fire, drinking, laughing, chasing the ladies and chatting chee-
4 rfully about the ups and downs of our lives. Those evenings greatly improved my knowledge of the German tongue, and
other pleasant parts of the female German anatomy too! Your female compatriots have such a delicious way of saying no
3 Shooting Skill when they mean yes!
2 By joining the companies of the Underworld, these brave swordsmen seized the opportunity to raise their colors up high.
Many lost their souls on the way, and I hardly dare to begin telling you of the cohorts of those who perished. In places
6 Combat where no-one can cry for them, many a noble adventurer must lie. Curses! I would pay dearly to know what happened to
5
my good friends, to Melo, Kassel, Beaulieu... You don’t seem moved by all this, Teuton, well, I am hardly surprised. You
will see when it is your turn to dance with the Demons. When what you are fighting for is so much more than your own
5 Defense miserable existence and when your own soul becomes your best weapon, then you will understand. I myself fully unders-
4
tand it now. The Lord guides my hand along all the dark roads of the depths of Hell. Beyond the devilish glow of the
0 Protection paths of damnation, I brave death with my blade held high, and may my hand never falter. Down here, among the
volcanic rubble and the mephistophelian fumes, I carve my own route with thrust and parry, my mind as hard as a
rock, my resolve as tough as Toledo steel. I lunge, I skewer, I chop through the demon ranks by the dozen. The
12 Life Points dust flies up around me. I turn, I dodge, I can feel the heat of the flames below me, the pestilential spittle of
4 the Wrath Demon I am fighting. I... I... I seem to have let my story get the better of me. Please accept my
apologies, my German friend, don’t let me scare you. You must understand the exaltation of combat, the
0 Faith thirst for blood. What is it? You not hear what I say? I promise tomorrow I will talk to you in signs!
0

1 Command
Order
The Lord Guides my Hand
Charisma Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
Defensive Shot Until the end of the game, the Swashbuckler gets +1 MVT,
+2 SHS, +2 CBT, and +2 FTH.
Elusive
Man-at-arms

Pistol Hits Damage

Piercing 1 1
Penetrating Strike 2 3
Range 3 3 4
Reloading 2 4 6
5 8

Long Sword Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5

Limited 3 31 Base : Regular

4
5 9
7 + Stunned
 The westernerS

Missionary
His Holiness, pope Urban VIII, bishop in the service of the servants of the Lord, vicar of Jesus Christ on Earth,
to the eminent members of the Council of the Six Powers, protectors of Hell.

In response to the menace that arises from Hell and to take preventive action against the spread of demonkind Base :
to our world, our second decision will be to send out to all four corners of the lands Below representatives of our
most devoted and faithful orders. Our priests, representatives of the Holy Catholic Church and of their own Regular
respective orders, have been selected for their devotion and loyalty, the strength of their soul,
and for their strong determination. They are all, without exception, scholars of the
occult sciences, trained in the art of exorcism, inquisition techniques and decryp-
tion of the wiles of the Devil.
As well as wise counselors, you will find them to be full of resources and
men of good will. They will be able to exalt your men’s ardor, to fight
against demonic corruption, and to bring the grace of our Lord to those
in need, wounded or dying.
You will soon come to appreciate, dear Christian lords, the
zealousness and the skills of your humble servants. We wish to
assure you that, in spite of the slight disagreements between us,
we do not intend to leave the lambs of our Lord without she-
pherds. So we have spoken. So may it be.

Urban VIII, Bishop of the Catholic Church.

Dearly beloved brethren,

His Holiness Urban VIII, in accordance with the dis-

positions laid down at the secret council of Ravenna, has
decided to send missionaries from all the ecclesiastic orders
to the captains of the Infernal Expeditionary Corps. Using
the excuse of our support in this matter, our brothers are to
gather and compile as much information as possible about
the lands below and their inhabitants. As you well know, the
Church has been completely excluded from this aberrational
colonization. Outbreaks of heresy have been reported where-
ver our presence is anything short of massive and this in spite
of the increasingly rapid erection of places of worship to the
glory of our Lord. Already the Devil’s presence is manifest, as he
seduces and corrupts men of influence, the keystones of power. The
Limited 3
corrupted must be detected, sorted and eliminated by our agents posted
Below. This task will be long, unpleasant and offers no other reward than
that of serving the divine cause. Once Below, our missionaries will find an
established network of friendly contacts, with views similar to our own, although
they are not fully informed of the ends nor the means of our mission. These allies
25 Independent
will be able to provide our men with all the support they will need in their everyday
life. Do not forget, brethren, that the secrecy of this mission is at least as important as Human
having a rock-hard belief. Once all the elements are set in place, our men of good will lead
this ambitious plan to its conclusion. Then will come the time for us to fully engage our crusade
against this heresy. This crusade will be bloody, brief and merciless. Male
Letter from Grand Inquisitor Javier de Cordoba to several high members of the secular and regular
clergy of the Catholic Church. Christian (Papist)

Order Mentalist
The Lord is my Shield
Passive • 1 CMD
The missionary and all allied units are immune to Terror and Terrifying Movement 4
3
until the end of the turn.
Arch-Enemy Shooting Skill -
Auras (Demons &D O ) 2
amned nes
Combat 3
-

Aura of Fear
Temporary • Active • 6 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Christians (Immune) Fanatic 4

Non-Christian units within the area of effect of this aura suffer a penalty Defense 3
4
of -1 CBT.
Aura of Power Protection 2
Temporary • Passive • 6 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Christian
Christian units within the area of effect of this aura will score an additional Life Points 9
6
hit during any close combat sequence that they score at least one hit in.
Aura of Healing Faith 3
Censer Hits Damage 4
Temporary • Passive • 6 Fathom Radius • Instant • Christian (Papists) Blunt 1 2
Christian (Papist) units within the area of effect of this aura Command 1
2 Stunned
recover LP equal to their FTH. This aura can only 3 4
be used once per turn. 4 5
93 5 6
 FactionS

Arquebuser
Dear Mother,

My company has sought shelter in the depths of a ravine in the middle of a desolate plateau. All day long the hordes
of heretics have harassed our every position and their fury has cost us a third of our men. A foul stench was whist-
Trooper ling between the red rocks of the gorge. Blood seemed to seep from the very walls, worn down by the continuous
corrosive winds. The crest of the rock wall was so sharp and so full of evil that its touch alone was enough to
turn poor Gunthar into a convulsing puddle. There are only five of us arquebusiers still alive in our scouting
Human group. The Captain has given us orders to hold this gully, whatever it may take, as it is the only viable
passage over land. The rest of the troops are fortifying their positions, waiting for an improbable wave
of reinforcements. In the distance, the unnaturally high-pitched cries of unspeakable creatures mingle
Male with the moaning of the wind. One by one we fell. Sergeant Becker was the first to go, his head
sliced clean off by the throwing disc of a lizard-man. Of our group of ten, only five of us are still
standing. Boulanger, the Frenchman, ever the joker; Castellano the Florentine, always a steady
Christian (Papist) shot; Fritz, a Brandenburger with a big mouth, a bushy beard and a missing left ear; Mac
Cullough, the Scotsman, now our sergeant of fortune; and myself, Hertzog, ex-student.
Scattered around our makeshift camp, shaking more with fear than with cold, we
await the end of our existence with no hope of rescue...
We eat our last supper, the last meal of the condemned. The meat

Base : Regular tastes like carrion, the bread is as hard as a rock. I can hear the long
screams of agony from our comrades, captured by the enemy. Pier-
cing cries erupt into the night. The screams are long, so long! I
try to block my ears but to no avail, nothing I can do will make

Unlimited them stop. As the Lord is my witness, we will not fall without
a fight, for our dead, for ourselves, by the Grace of God and
with all the might of our arquebus arsenal!
The arquebus is often ill-adapted to the lightning
strikes that this demonic spawn has confronted us with.
The weapon is useless at distances of over ten fathoms.
What’s more its matchlock system is truly terrible.
Firing one of these things with a lizard-man bearing
down on you is a true test of a man’s stamina,
and you still have to reload even if you do suc-
ceed. Let us not forget that this weapon is only
truly efficient when used in the Swedish fashion,
in sharp and disciplined waves of fire. The
Captain has promised we will soon have new
models, with a flintlock system and paper
cartridges, but I’m not getting my hopes up
too high. Still, in spite of its many flaws, any
old fellow with minimum training can fire it.
How great are the armies of peasants who
have become warriors thanks to the magic
of firearms! Oh Mother, if you could only
see what a spectacle it is when an army
fires a thousand arquebuses at once! What
a feeling of invincibility to see the enemy
ranks reaped like a field of corn, or to see
those pedantic cuirassiers stopped dead in
their tracks. Invincible, indeed...
I will have to stop writing as I can hear
the pack approaching. We will not be
able to resist them for long this time, but
we will fight. Kiss little Uwe for me, and
Father too, tell him I forgive him, and that
he may well have been right. My ammu-
nition belt is almost bare, the battle will end in close combat. I can hear

12 their monstrous claws crunching against the rocks and the sand and I can smell
the foul stench of their drool. Castellano has taken a shot and hit his target, I can
hear a cry of pain, dear Lord have mercy, they are coming...
Fragment of a letter attributed to soldier Hertzog, reported missing in the heart of
4 Movement the circle of Kohut.
3

2 Shooting Skill
1 Arquebus Hits Damage
Piercing 1 3
3 Combat
2 Tenacious Penetrating Strike 2 2
Range 8 3 5
4
3
2
Defense Trained Gunman Reloading 2 4 7
5 9
2 Protection
Long Sword Hits Damage
4 Life Points Slashing 1 2
1
2 3
1 Faith 3 5
0
4 7
- Command 94 5 9
 The westernerS

Doppelsöldner
Dear Albrecht,

It has been a while now since we embarked on this insane adventure. Wherever you look our
armies are making progress, our settlers are building, the resources of the lands Below are well
used. Our voyage is unpleasant, in the dust and the rubble of a world of folly ruled by Evil.
Trooper
Little by little, as we wander down here, I have used the little spare time I can get to begin
to analyze our situation.
New Jerusalem seems to be the eye of the cyclone. It is a nexus, a pole of stability in the
Human
very middle of a furious sea. The further we go into the circle of Kohut, the more the sur-
rounding lands become desolate, inhospitable, even hostile. The ground where we tread can
sometimes be quite unstable. Unspeakable creatures come in the dark of night and take
Male
men from our camp. I will not speak of the incandescent whirlwinds, as treache-
rous as they are sudden, or the acid mists that eat away our very lungs. At times
the sky disappears and we enter gigantic caverns where the light of our lamps
Christian (Protestant)
merely flicker where they should shine brightly.
My principal source of concern today is the growing organization of the demonic
resistance. Day by day, their defenses are improving. Their fortresses are becoming Movement 4
more impregnable, confronting us with an unsiegeable detour. I can feel the times 3
are changing, feel it throughout my body. I can sense a kind of trap, set by some
arch-demon. Our colonization seems more and more like we are rushing forwards
Protective Shooting Skill -
to avoid falling over. This is a challenge between the powerful where most of our -
forces are held together by a mere thread. A fine thread in this desert of darkness.
Our lines of supplies are dramatically stretched; this will have to be dealt with. Tenacious Combat 4
3
The battles are becoming more and more brutal, closer and closer together. That
is where it becomes a problem for us. Although the excellent quality of our firepower
is not to be doubted, we are considerably lacking basic troops able to stand up to the
Terror Defense 3
2
challenge. My cuirassiers and I can fend off any attack, but when the battle becomes
close combat, the rank and file are sparsely equipped. I would suggest, Albrecht, as
Vulnerability Protection 4
have other officers, that we rapidly create regiments of double-paid soldiers kitted out ( ) 3
piercing
as required by the current situation. As the enemy uses close rather than ranged combat,
they should be armor-clad from head to toe. The monstrous creatures we have encountered Life Points 7
so far have been of an impressive size. They are often protected by a shell of some kind, 3
of solid blubber or even pieces of armor. Some kind of heavy weaponry should therefore
be used. The two-handed sword that the Germans call zweihänder - and the French name Faith 2
1
espadon - would be a decent option. But the most important thing is the value of the men
who will, in time, become the cutting edge of our invasion. What we need these days are
men of iron with skins of steel. By putting forward these troops of dopplesöldners, sharp, Command -
disciplined and merciless, you will soon become seen to all as the new Maximilian I, father
of the Landsknechts. By combining the efficiency of the troops we need to guarantee the
success of our war effort with the prestige they will bring you, I dare say that the merchants
of Friedland would say you would be making a very wise decision.
I have already taken the liberty of finding several trustworthy recruiters. I leave to you
Unlimited
the task of finding the funds required to hire your new regiments. But make haste, Albrecht,
other leaders of the Council have thoughts along the same lines as myself. They too want to
hire heavy infantry troops. It is so hard to find good help nowadays...

Correspondence from lieutenant-colonel Raimondo Montecuccoli to general

Albrecht con Wallenstein.

Two-Handed Sword Hits Damage

Slashing 1 3
Eager 2 5
Lunge 2 3 6


4 8
5 10
95 18 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Grenadier
«So, me lad, ye got promoted to grenadier! Congratulations, and welcome to the family. Now, get yer lug-holes wide open, watch
me closely and keep yer gob shut! Sure, fat old Wilhelm might not be all that interesting, sonny-jim, but I know the ropes, and if ye
tie them all together, ye might just manage to hang in there and not take the great leap before yer time. What leap did’yer say? The
one into the unknown of course, the land of a thousand maggots!
T rooper A grenadier is more than just a soldier. He’s the guy who has one goal, above everything else: chuck that bloody grenade as far
away from him as he can before it blows. Ye don’t think. Ye just focus on that one objective. Ye light the fuse: don’t over-do it. Ye aim.
Ye throw. Ye get yer arse out of there! Get it?
H uman There was a time when we only used to use this method to blow defensive walls to bits. One grenade will make one little hole,
but fifty will turn a wall into a colander. Then one day, I reckon some bloke from high command got a bit smarter than the rest and
figured that what makes holes in buildings could also make holes in damned ones. So they sent down a load of these new grenades
M ale to Kohut, and picked some hard-arse soldiers to chuck ‘em. These grenades are made from leaded clay and have a shorter fuse than
the other. They also project loads o’ shrapnel when they blow. «Gut-slashers», that’s the nickname we’ve given ‘em. Suits ‘em don’t
ye think? I’m telling ye, to go fetch a damned one skulking down his hole, there’s nothing better. They’re also great with large num-
C hristian apist (P ) bers. When things are well planned, the cannons weaken the mob, the arquebuses stop the charging troops and we go in and scatter
them far and wide. Then they send in the foot soldiers to finish things off. Well, ye know, that is just theory, something always goes
wrong. In fact ye’d better prepare yourself for the loss o’ one of yer limbs sooner or later. Yep, grenades are fragile things, and not
always reliable. But hey, ye can’t win ‘em all, eh lad? Besides, ye’ve got to admit I look really handsome with this bronze hand, eh!
W
ith istolP W B
ith luderbuss Now, put on yer breastplate, do ye feel its weight? Yep, it’s heavy alright. But it’s that or ye end up ridden with fever when ye get a
«coward’s gash». Ye’re like a snail, me lad, ye depend on yer shell, and if it cracks, well, that’s just too bad for ye. Right, now let’s get
4 M
ovement 4
ye a weapon: so, pistol or blunderbuss? A pistol if ye’re a crack shot or if ye’re «armless» like me. A blunderbuss if ye feel like doing a
3 3 bit o’ mass murder, bein’ a bit o’ a lord o’ flying flesh... Blunderbuss? Excellent choice lad. Just make sure ye don’t knock any chunks
out o’ yer mates, when ye’re on one o’ yer warrior «sprees». The old «sorry, mate, didn’t see ye there», that don’t work ‘round here, see.
3 S
hooting kill S 2
So, there’s the basics for ye, but let me just go over the creed o’ the grenadiers once more, ye need to know this by heart, son, so pay
2 1 attention will ye!
Chuck that bloody grenade as far away from ye as possible. Don’t even think. Run, ignore the projectiles falling around ye.
3 ombatC 3
Ignore the piercing cries o’ yer dying companions, the noise of the enemy chewing away. Jump from hole to hole, dodge the group
2 2 of damned ones that are in yer way. Select yer target, find it, pull out yer grenade. Grab yer lighter, light yer fuse, shoot that
Damned One of Wrath that’s coming to spill yer guts. Run, run faster if ye want to live! Aim, aim well, ye won’t get a second
3 D
efense 3 chance. Throw yer grenade, then get out o’ there and pray. Await the deliverance o’ the explosion. Now ye can die, for ye
2 2
have fulfilled yer mission.
2 Protection 2 Hey, why the long face, son? Ye might just get a bronze hand yerself one day. Now welcome to the family...»

Pistol Hits Damage

4 Life Points 4 With Pistol
1 1 Piercing 1 1
Penetrating Strike 2 3
1 Faith 1 Range 3 3 4
0 0
Reloading 4 6
- Command - 5 8

Longsword Hits Damage

Runaway Slashing 1 2
Tenacious 2 3
3 5
4 7
5 9

Grenade
Explosion (Fire • 4/2)
Limited Range 2
Range 2

With Blunderbuss
Blunderbuss
Impact Blast (Piercing • 4/2)
Reloading

Longsword Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5
4 7
5 9

Grenade
Explosion (Fire • 4/2)
Unlimited 15/ Limited Range 2
18 96 Range 2
Base : Regular
 The westernerS

Blade for Hire

«Indeed, I do admit that they can prove to be useful. Rather like a pack of hounds trained to root out the
game from the forest. But like those good beasts, they tend to develop quite an inappropriate taste for blood.
Blades for hire, ruffians, assassins, name them as you will, madame, but for the love of God do not compare
me to those loud-mouthed half-blades!
Their immoderate taste for profit makes them easy to hire. Throw out a few thalers and promises of bounty, Base :
and you can march off to war with a few hundred of these fencers. But just wait until the sky becomes
cloudy, when a storm comes your way or the damned become a little hardier, and you will
Regular
be surprised to see how quickly your camp will end up completely deserted.
I must however grant them credit on a few points. Their equipment is
light and makes them well cut out for scouting missions, providing safety
and information for the rest of the troops. Of course, the rascals do
sometimes have close encounters with the odd gang of marauding
squamata... But what God gives, He can always take back, you
know what they say. Aside from the ability to move easily, the
main strength of a blade for hire is his talent as a swords-
man. Their bodily protection is the simplest there is, a
leather jerkin, a coat of mail at the very most. It is most
important for them to cause a swift death, parrying and
dodging their opponent’s attacks. It seems that indulging
in tavern brawls and frequent duels has led them to
master a few martial notions.
The problem with these men is not really their lack
of skills or abilities. No, my dear lady, it is their insis-
tence on creating disruption and their ability to revel
in nothing but death and discord, a defect that most
certainly results from their lowly origins. During the
wars of the Empire, they would take great pleasure in
the thieft and torture of anyone who was unfortunate
enough to cross their path. One of their culinary delica-
cies was «Swede soup». Would you like the recipe? Take
your finest parchment and your best quill and I shall give
it to you, no doubt your head chef will be grateful. First
gather one fresh turd from each member of your gang, mix
them all together in a bucket and add water or urine to
liquefy the mixture. Feed this to your chosen victim, until
his belly is swollen and full. Then, once the lucky chap is
replete, when he cannot swallow one more drop and his mouth
Unlimited
can no longer contain the reflux of his feast, jump up and down
on his belly until his gut explodes... Do not hide your disgust behind
your handkerchief, madame, I dare you to tell me that noble fighters like
myself would lower themselves to such villainous behavior.
Baroness, in the name of all the saints looking down on us, where do you
14 Trooper
think they recruit these assassins these days? It is quite obvious; they are taken
from the darkest corners of New Jerusalem! Human
The Council published a decree not long ago. Any armed man, condemned for crimes
or felonies, will see his sentence commuted into a forced enrollment into one of the many
infernal companies. The attraction of the Underworld is to these blades for hire like a bonfire Male
is to moths. How easy it must be, therefore, to harvest these lost souls by the dozen, so ripe they
are for the battlefields! Johann Hartig, the provost of the Protestant quarter, was recently telling
me, and barely hiding his joy, that he was very relieved to see so many of his «inmates» traveling far, Christian (Papist)
far away. No, madame, I refuse to be associated in any possible way with these abject beings. I am a
noble swashbuckler, who may fight for glory, but who is proud to do so with flair and panache. At the very
most, those ruffians are merely a necessary nuisance.
But alas Madame, I am your humble servant and at your eternal service...»
Movement 5
4

Shooting Skill -
-

Dodge 2 Combat 3
2
First Contact Defense 4
Fury 3

Protection 1
Rapid Strike ( )
attack

Strider Life Points 5

2

Faith 1
0

Command -
Longsword and Dirk Hits Damage
Slashing 1 3
2 4
3 6
4 7
5 9
97
 The demonS
he Demons
«As I begin to write these mediocre lines, I realize
that we Demons are succumbing to rather unpleasant
notions. Angra Mainyou has appointed me as his official
chronicler, as if eternal beings needed to leave behind
some kind of written legacy as the mortals do. Could it
be that their world has such an influence over our own
that it can make us forget the very essence of what and
who we are?
Writing is the sign of temporal reign, it recounts his-
tories and presents facts. That is a habit for mortals;
it has no place in our empire. Where could this need
to give our own version of events have come from?
Could it be that that, now that Hell has been revealed
to humankind, our unsavory immortality is subject to
doubt? That would truly be the worst of all fates...
Admittedly, it may seem to the observer’s eye that
- compared to the mortal souls that sometimes travel
long distances through our lands - we are but mindless
beasts, performing tasks whose meaning has long
been forgotten.
On the contrary, I like to think that our archdemon
has the true vision of where we are heading, and that
we Demons are not just dark piles of flesh, wandering
the circles with no real purpose.
Those few roaming souls, like us, are dead; howe-
ver they are able to retain the aspect of their living
body, their memories and the remembrance of the
inheritance they have left behind. They have their own
consciousness that they bring with them from the Old
World, but they are also able to learn our own customs
and use them against us if such is their wish.
Les enfers se moquent de ces intrus : ils ne leur The
Underworld cares not for retaining these intruders: they
do not belong to it, so it lets them venture through Hell
as they please. While doing so, they study us and have
managed to pierce secrets that we ourselves had never
even dreamed existed. And as they do, they reveal us
to ourselves, and that in itself may be the beginning of
this tragedy.
These souls hold up a mirror to our own miserable
condition. Do we have a conscious self, a goal, anything
that sets us apart from one another, aside from our
names? And even that is no certainty. Most of our kind
are never even given a name, that is how completely
meaningless their existence is.
Can I say what happens to the souls of the dead when
they become part of our dark home? I do not have the
faintest idea... Oh, of course they will become a damned
one or a lemure or both, but in which order? And by
what unpleasant process?
As for myself, am I a Demon, born from the very
essence of chaos itself? A former mortal who has clim-
99
bed the social ladder of the spiritual hierarchy? And
what of these false titles of nobility over which we Luci-
ferians are continually squabbling?
All this is perverse parody of the valley of tears from
which we draw inspiration from, the waters of darkness
that border our land.
Well, there is a simple answer to all these questions:
we Demons do not need to know, we need to punish.
That is our task. Let them try to discover our secrets, if
that is what they desire!
Now, back to the tragedy I was speaking of: let us
recount the history and present the facts... It is a quest
for their origins that the good souls and the occultists
came to pursue our knowledge, after their death. This
strange vanity has yet to meet its just punishment...
Some of them may be in store for a surprise when they
go knocking on the doors of the Kingdom Above...
Although I have no idea of how it happened, I think
that these travelers played an important part in the
opening of the gates to the living. Unless Hell itself
was just so full of sinners that it finally bust its own gut
once and for all... Is there not, in the land of the living,
a single pure soul to show them a less painful road to
tread? Is vice the only truth they know, that they must
come down here to seek their God?
In any case, I am adamant about the link between
those first god-seeking souls and the war that now
rages all the way to the heart of the Nine Irises. The
spirit of man has never stopped seeking its own damna-
tion. Their multitude needs neither prophet nor warlord
to work together as one towards that goal.
Let us consider the example of the most recent arri-
vals... Before they arrived here, they were slashing each
others’ throats for the sake of their souls’ salvation. In
fact it was most certainly that which triggered their fall
to the Underworld. And now, they fight together sur-
rounded by vice. But my lambs, what use can it be to
you, to make Hell an annex of your own kingdom? Do
you really find the temperature down here so pleasant?
I must admit that, when facing them, our martial
skills seem quite rusty. They have caused quite a car-
nage among the Demons of Kohut, with no more effort
than that of a Sunday afternoon stroll. No, there is no
reason to hide that disastrous episode. Their contrap-
tions of death have sent many of our number back
to the Abyss. It seems that the damned have lost all
sense of pride and flirt with the bullets like a fiery
young girl playing with her little puppy. We could fish
a soul out of Limbo that would quickly give up the
secrets of these tools of destruction... But when you
have such weaponry, why not set up a workshop on
the banks of the Styx and strut about dressed like
cheap whores?
See how, in just those last few lines, the compari-
sons to their world are more and more frequent. Taking
example from them is most certainly not a good idea,
 FactionS
unless we Demons want to end up as sweet little choir-
boys, and our forked tongues barely good enough to
lick a bishop’s backside.
They have stolen the best bits from us, both in close
and ranged combat. And up close they inflict upon us
all their Christian charity with the point of their steel;
hardly a glorious moment for our troops. What has
become of the fearsome legions of Hell? Oh, there they
are: lying at the enemy’s feet. Enhancing their oppo-
nents’ bravery with their cowardly grimaces and giving
them strength for their invasion plans.
Not content with providing such feeble resistance, the
demon lords were intent on proving to all and sundry
just how pinheaded they could be compared to these
newcomers. Rather than teaching the arrogant scum
a good lesson once and for all, they hired their ser-
vices to pester rival demons. Once their deed done,
the living promptly turned their weapons against their
foolish patrons, giving them in turn a tremendous les-
son in diplomacy. And what can be said of our Infernal
Ambassadors who revealed all too quickly the paths
of the damned that lead to Thebes and Ampharaus,
effectively the quickest way to lead troops on a wide-
scale invasion. When one bends over and presents ones
buttocks, one should not be surprised to wake up with
a sore backside
As I contemplate the extent of their ingenious tric-
kery, I finally understand why they fit so beautifully,
after death, into our tableaux of eternal punishment.
Oh, but the complexity of their schemes is hardly a
credit to our own artistic talents. They plot paths of
action that are sometimes most difficult to follow. We
ourselves are merely plagiarizing the works of the mas-
ters, and clumsily at that.
If there is still any need to clarify the long list of their
many virtues, I should now mention the use they make
of our damned.
Once they have reduced the damned ones to slavery,
they are sent to serve in the new Babylon the Wester-
ners have built for themselves. They have managed to
make a profit from eternal punishment, by introducing
a new torture that had not yet been seen in our lands,
and is so much worse than the sum of all those that we
have invented so far: work.
But I grow tired of talking about these puppets. We
will soon see how far the Underworld can shove its
turgid member into their tight backsides.
Even stranger, and most certainly less showy, those
who are called Saracens found a way into our lands many
centuries ago, by successfully pulling off an authentic
feat of alchemy. Previously, I wrote that the souls of the
travelers, feeling independent of and above the rest in
Hell, most certainly played a part in the rising numbers
of intruders who seem to feel as much at home in the
circles of Hell as if they were in their own mother’s kit-
chen. I must say that I now wonder if one of them was
100
not the cause of the success of this experiment. There is
that ghastly old man who guides their troops and is loo-
king for the Nine Irises. He probably thinks he will find
them filled with large breasted virgins. The poor bastard
will be stuck with a stiff one for longer than he thinks.
How shameful, at his great age, to still have the obsessive
sexual appetite of a young shepherd humping a plump
village girl. That shrewd old man and his lackeys opened
up the portal and entered Hell while they were still alive
and have hence escaped the effects of time.
They had a rough time at first, sending us offerings
of greedy brigands who came by waves and raised the
fiefs of Kohut to the ground time and time again, wit-
hout ever growing tired of this sad form of amusement.
The demons who call themselves our lords let them do
as they pleased and found the whole thing quite comi-
cal... Well, they are no longer laughing, not since the
Saracens demolished the fiefs of Ampharaus and are
now pushing as far as Aussona.
Their ranks are well disciplined, and they are sur-
rounded by a fearful aura of spirituality.
They roam around in small groups, therefore covering
large areas, and they disappear into the shadows as fast
as they jump out, attacking us, using routes that even
we Demons don’t know about. Now that is something
to worry about. Their desire to find the center of Hell
is made quite obvious if one observes their movement.
They move forever further inwards, and seem to have
no interest in conquering our lands, but simply to gain
control of the roads that allow their caravans to trans-
port supplies to their troops.
The Saracens have thus managed to slip the minds
of our demon lords. They come and go as they please,
only reminding us of their existence when, every now
and then, they destroy a fief that happened to be in
their way. In such a short time (a mere five centuries,
who would have thought!), they have managed to blend
in as a necessary evil, less of a threat and more a kind
of parasite with which we must learn to live. In fact,
of all the miserable paupers who come begging at our
gates, they are most certainly the most dangerous. Even
more so because our recent indigestion of Christians
makes a perfect diversion for them!
But it is too late now for us to start a military campaign
against such small fry... And as we must put up with them,
it is more than time we returned the favor to the living.
I can’t quite fathom it myself, but it seems that Chris-
tians and Muslims hate each other so much that they
prefer eternal damnation to any form of diplomacy. We
really should find a way to help them eliminate each
other once and for all, by blowing on the hot coals of
their mutual hatred...
Of course, when we speak of the formidable progress
of the Saracens into our lands, we are to assume that
they succeeded in such a feat on their own. Oh no...
They were supported by a handful of traitors who soil
our faith by helping them.
 The demonS
Though I will name them now, it is to better forget
them from here on. I speak of the Lost and the name
is all I will speak , so futile is their very existence. Do
not seek to know more or you will reap the wrath of
the archdemons.
I have already said, and I will repeat it as often as neces-
sary, so far our performance has been perfectly mediocre.
Admittedly, the Christians have some particularly
sophisticated weapons of destruction, and the Muslims
are guided and protected by ancient spirits. But is that
any reason to let them ride us like cheap whores?
The Underworld has the best swordsmen, for ours
have indeed been waging war since the dawn of time...
Be they dark knights who fell on the fields of pride,
lawless assassins who hide among the rank and file,
pagan barbarians driven by the rush of carnage, or
great warriors built for destruction, who could resist
such a hurricane of blades?
We have horned ones who are much older still and
who, in the heart of the struggle, feel as good as if they
were babies drinking greedily from a giant teat. We
have macabre heralds who create panic and confusion,
servile souls that vomit curse upon curse, and even
skinned vixens who could make a saint’s blood boil
with a single flick of their hips.
So, champions of Hell, how do you explain that these
strangers have given you such a spanking? Have you
developed such a taste for the enemy’s spiked plank
that you bend over and stick your arse out for?
No, what we are lacking is the presence of true war-
lords to truly lead the armies to victory.
From the very beginning we have wandered in packs.
We chase the souls of the dead, we drag them back to
the lands of our lords, and we ensure they receive their
punishment. We treacherously attack our neighbors,
infinitely dividing our forces with many a puny carnage
and therefore working with great conviction against any
possible notion of unity, because we don’t care about it.
This place has always been known as the Unde-
rworld, for it is not just a country, it is truly a vast
world of its own. There is not just the one people
living under one rule but several, and each one lives
according to its own customs.
So what? Is there really a High One up there who
lets us do his dirty work, while our ungrateful masters
watch over us? Hardly likely... But there is an angel, an
angel who came to us. His purity is beyond a doubt;
however, anyone can see he is rebelling. Like a crystal
that, naturally, turns purple when it reaches maturity.
Upon his coming, a dead silence fell over the Nine
Irises, and the next minute, everyone was singing
the praises of one single master, all one under the
same flag.
Well, of course, the general enthusiasm didn’t last for
long. But then we are not the kind to go over the top.
101
We leave that to the bigots whose mouths prove to be
the perfect echo chamber for our farts.
One vision has become clear to our legion: Satan is
our Lord, and Hell is his Empire.
Yes, this fact may have slipped our mind a little... but
our faith never falters. Send a lemure a thousand times
to the abyss, and a thousand times he will return to
nibble at your toes!
After that, we all went back to our own pursuits,
some returned to torturing the damned, others to their
plotting and petty rivalries. Asaliah, the rebel angel,
left to seek out the living. And following in her steps,
throughout the circles, the glory of our master is sung.
After her visit, other leaders appeared to us. For a
start, there is Samael, who was hiding out here Below,
Tsilla who has been haunting our pits, but others will
come too... Maybe they will be of demon stock, for
there are still a few Luciferians in our ranks who are
made of captain material.
Now comes the awakening. Our anger is pulsing like a
putrid spot, and soon its quaking mass of pus will burst
in the face of our enemies.
Our beautiful angels will be the muses of punishment
and of war.
In their wake, the demon lords begrudgingly give up
small infantry companies to the angels. They are mean
and stupid, hanging on to their throne while their fief
lies in tatters, as if they were hanging onto the nipple of
a slashed breast. But our little kinglets are shaking with
fear and would not dare to refuse to pay their tribute.
Let us not heed their cowardice! Soon enough they will
be sent back to the abyss to pay for their idiocy, and we
will crush the infidels under hoof, for nothing will be
able to withstand our glory.
Thus, organized in small companies, our Luciferian
troops await the strict command of our demon beauty.
First, we must count in a few of those shapeless lazy
bastards, completely useless for anything other than
harassing the enemy’s arse, a position in which they
excel as sword-fodder. Meanwhile, the Damned Ones
of Wrath will be dealing out pain and misery, with the
help of our horned ones, their tongues as quick and
strong as their claws. And to complete our martial por-
trait, we will quite probably find a succubus on our way,
to provide some groaning flesh and whip up an orgy of
virile moaning. This is the basis for Asaliah’s tactics
when she leaves on campaign.
These detachments should hold their positions, ready
to follow their divine muse. They are warned: they must
not move except upon a direct order from their superior
officer, they must wait for her to come. Indeed, who
can tell what crazy ideas might come into their heads
along the way if they are left to their own devices?
And without a leader, if they were unfortunate enough
to stumble upon the enemy, it would be yet another
defeat to add to the long and painful chapter of our
best thrashings.
 FactionS

Asaliah knows all the secrets of Limbo, she can travel captains. And the agonizing screams of the living will
through it easily and appear immediately wherever she soon rise from the battlefields.
pleases to face whatever menace may appear. But I am forgetting the essential. As I continue this
Therefore each company must be ready to march bitter story, written without a single ounce of talent, I
on the enemy as soon as our warrior angel appears to become more and more aware of the destiny that Angra
them. There are many fronts, many challenges that Hell Mainyou, the Archdemon, intends for this work. By giving
must undertake to re-establish its supremacy. in to the easiness of written histories, we are slowing to
Our first targets are those exploring companies of the pace of the living, the poor sadness of the vain who
Christians, whose presence interrupts the peaceful tor- believe they can do as they please as soon as they pick
turing of the damned souls. Some of them are becoming up a quill. One could think that such a weakness is a
familiar to us; some warlords stand out from the crowd sure sign of our impending doom, that we have been
and as their fame grows, so does the morale of their decayed by their vices, our nature corrupted by their
troops. It will be less useful to outright vanquish them customs which have sapped our very strength.
in combat. Rather, we must thrash them repeatedly on On the contrary, we only seem to have surrendered,
the battlefield for all to see. Now that will demolish so as to better turn our enemies’ vile habits against
their amplified reputation and lose them the trust of them. They force their manuals down our throats, pain-
their peers and underlings. Let us finally show a bit of ting us as the evil ones just to improve their unity. But
resistance! Since we, in effect, gave them the roads to does it not take the greatest of all the evils to come
Thebes and Ampharaus, let the humans keep them Our down here and kill the dead a second time? We really
forces must re-conquer the plains of Kohut, preventing would have our task cut out for us if we were to weave
New Jerusalem from growing any further. They want to as great a web of deceit as the one that their texts have
move so quickly, always looking to find out what lies already created.
further in, always seeking the Prima Materia. As they These few lines should serve to remind us of our
move further in, they will find the Saracen caravans and need for this dark alliance and cause us to raise all
I say let them. We will have reunited two very dear old blades in a chaotic rhythm, so that they may fall as one
enemies. All we need to do is sit back and count the on the heads of preachers everwhere. And throughout
points as they massacre each other, and then take the our lands, may all our dark souls know that there is
victors as we plow on through their weakened defenses. only one master, one chant, one faith.»
As for those indefatigable Muslims, we can use the
same strategy against them. Let them straggle out «Treaty of devotion for the use of the Forked ones»,
as far as possible in a thin line. If they persist, they Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
will end up facing the hordes of the Nine Irises with «As I wandered through the Limbo, I could still hear the high-pitched sounds
of the inner circles that came to me in waves.
a greatly reduced vanguard and behind it an army
dispersed in small companies
separately holding defensive
positions. Ah, I can already
hear the cries of distress that
will accompany their inevi-
table defeat... Well, if the
archdemons haven’t all killed
each other by then, that is.
Our martial superiority is
beyond a doubt, we have in
our ranks the best killers there
are, the most stubborn and the
most infamous. Nothing can
stop them, not even the horror
of their own souls. We could
even surprise the enemy with
a few exotic delicacies, for, in
addition to the multitude of
two-legged war machines, we
have in our abyssal pits temp-
ting treasures of subtle but-
chery . Hell has now found its

102
 The demonS

Asaliah, Rebel Angel

The Archdemon Angra Mainyou was making a public display of his anger. He had ordered the cages of the most ancient beasts to be
opened, that they might follow him and devour all those who did not bow in submission. Every step he made sent tremors through the
abyss. Every breath he took set the void on fire.
Behind him came his surviving vassals, carrying their banners high and proud, hammering the obsidian with their blades in a rhythm
meant to inspire carnage. They were the ones, after all, who had been sent as emissaries to the rival lords to discuss the benefits of a truce
while the implications of this new intrusion of the living in the world of the dead were investigated. As could be expected, the other demon
Officer
lords had found it amusing to respond by dispatching their visiting cousins with a range if ingenious ambushes... Unfortunately, the humor
of this response was lost on the Archdemon:
«If that’s the way they want to play this, so be it!» he yelled, «We shall bring war to the heart of the Nine Irises!»
Angel
What would become of our Empire? The other archdemons had just shrugged and begun to form an alliance against the trouble-
maker, while quietly working out for themselves the best moment for them to betray that alliance and carry out the work begun by
Angra Mainyou.
Female
It was at that moment that the light of the One bore down on the nucleus. Rage was
replaced by silence. An angel appeared, as beautiful as the void, and descended to us. The
hordes, blinded by this vision, lowered their heads and even the darkest of hearts felt the
Satanist (Luciferian)
pain of what had been lost forever.
Before Angra Mainyou, the winged virgin knelt on one knee, in token of allegiance, Infernalist 2/3
and spoke:
«I am the avenging arm of Lucifer. I am the plague of the believers. I am the blade of
despair that strikes the lamb. Make me your anger, and I shall bestow it upon the living. Mentalist
Asaliah is my name.»
The Archdemon looked around, expecting to have to set flame some incredulous souls,
but strangely enough, not one damned one or demon made a sound. He turned to the vision
Charisma Movement 5
and pointed towards the far circles of Hell where the enemy armies were intruding:
«Go, my angel, precipitate their destruction and I swear before our Master that I will keep
Concentrated
the Nine safe from harm.» Expertise Shooting Skill -
Then the forked ones began to cry, loud and strong, allies and enemies alike:
«Asaliah! Asaliah!»
But then I was no longer in the Limbo. A clawed hand had once again given me shape.
Evasive Combat 4
Angra Mainyou it was with his stare that holes were burnt into my sorry soul. He gave to me
the task of transcribing the recent events, then ordered that the beasts be called back. The inner
Levitation Defense 5
circles became the eye of the storm as the chanting of the Luciferian faith spread out through all
our kingdoms.»
Terror
Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises. Protection 0
Evil Gaze Hits Damage
Life Points 12
Orders Gaze 1 Slowed 2
Angelic Inspiration 2 Stunned
Faith 3
Active • 3 permanent CMD • Unique 3 Life Drain 2
Asaliah and all of her allies each recover 8 LP. 4 Immobilized
5 Consumed (fire • 2/5) Command 6
Vae soli V ae victis
Aura
Regeneration Aura
Permanent • 6 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Satanists
Satanist units within this aura’s area of effect recover
1 LP during each Upkeep phase.

Spells
Plague of the Believers • Vanished
Targets a single unit in contact with the
lemure. The target of this spell takes an
amount of damage equal to twice its FTH,
PR is ignored.
Nuaseating Cloud • Vanished
This spell creates a 3 fathom radius sce-
nery element centered on the lemure that
lasts for 3 turns. The element is Radiant
(Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/5)) and
completely Opaque.
Possession • Vanished
Targets a single unit in contact with the
lemure. The target of this spell becomes
Controlled. The target can cancel this effect by
rolling a number of dice equal to its FTH stat and
scoring at least one 5 or 6. If the target’s FTH is 0, Unique
then a single dice is rolled and only a 6 is a success.
103 60 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Samael, Warrior Angel

«The powder from our arquebuses had already dispatched their first line, but their treacherous demon, incarnated in a form of angelic
purity, had already reached the wounded. With a single touch from her, their hideous barbarians with their furious blades rose to their
feet, instantaneously cured, their flesh repaired. In my haste, I took the head of the charge, convinced that it was essential to defeat the
evil female. But then another... Another one appeared. He seemed to descend straight from their accursed sky of ashes. Upon seeing him,
Officer the damned ones’ energy seemed to double, and behind me, my men were being chopped to pieces. Their dying cries were uttered in three
languages, but not one of them survived.
I was trapped in between two incarnations of grace who were commanding the horrific armies of these ruined lands. The obvious
Angel conclusion hit me so hard that I fell to my knees in the mud, sweating and trembling: they were showing me their true faces. They were
angels and they were walking in the darkness.
Wounds began to appear on the body of the male being as the damned finished off my own company. He turned to the female, his
Male hands held out as if to gather his own blood. He smiled the smile of the innocent, wore the look of kindness.
«Asaliah... Finally you have chosen to join them. I have heard your name sung by the legions wherever I go. It is a true miracle that
the people of this land have greeted a virgin in such a courteous way...»
Satanist (Luciferian) «And you, Samael, what have you been doing?»
«I was gazing into the abyss, as I usually do. It was not for me to intervene in the Nine Irises. Your carnage-themed plea was far more
effective. Now, I can join you in your quest. I have roamed the circles for so long that the cries of the tortured damned are no longer but
5 Movement lullabies to me. When I come across living men, I feel as if their appearance is missing something if they are not impaled on a spike, and
I can only see in the softness of a face but the promise of insistent fornication. Actually, I think I like this place. There is in everything
here a truth that belongs to no-one, that strips away all false appearances to finally reveal the true essence of all things. My soul is not
- Shooting Skill tainted. Asaliah, I am... I have always been, the taint itself. It is thanks to this place that I have discovered our true nature. Purity?
Purity is but the afterglow of a star that died when it gave us being. It gives us shape so as to better hide our deeper actions... If the
aura that surrounds you can fool even demons, your arm only extends their reign. You claim to be rebelling? Don’t you think that ins-
5 Combat tead, by letting you come down here, He is sending a messenger to test the faith of the believers?»
«Samael, you are mad.»
«What if I am. Let us go spread the word of His judgment with the point of our blades.»
5 Defense
Samael let me go on my way. He said that this whole campaign was a great waste of Christians, that we must return to the
0 Protection valley of tears... and seal the gates before it is too late.»

Heretic testimony found in the straw mattress of an Inquisition gaol, New Jerusalem.
14 Life Points

3 Faith Orders
Samael’s Chosen One
4 Command During the Upkeep Phase, Samael may choose a unit from his company.
Until the end of the turn, any time the chosen unit is dealt damage,
Samael may choose to take all or part of the damage himself. If he
Charisma does so, his PR is not taken into account. Samael cannot take
more damage than he has Life Points left. This order can’t
Frenzy Man-at-arms target an Invulnerable model.
Levitation Regeneration 2 M artial Mortification
Active • 1 CMD • Unstoppable
Samael takes 3 damage, PR is not counted, when
he uses this order. Samael and all his allies gain
+1 CBT until the end of the turn.
Ultimate Sacrifice
When Samael dies, all his allies recover all
the Life Points they have lost. In addition, his
death does not cause his company to lose
any CMD at all.
Vae soli Vae victis

Retribution Hits Damage

Spiritual Damage 1 4
2 5
3 7
Unique 70 104


4 9
5 11
Base : Regular
 The demonS

Tsilla, Broken Angel

The virgin landed lightly on the platform made of a large block of flesh, burned and hardened by the ardor of
Hell despite its gigantic proportions. With one look, she ordered the two sentries to haul their mistress up from the
pit of the blind beasts. She had been crucified on an inverted cross and hung there by a heavy chain. Her wings, eter-
nally gnawed at by the creatures down below, were no longer but bloody shreds. The sight of this studious icon furtively
curled Asaliah’s mouth in a twisted smile.
The mutilated angel opened one eye while her servants lowered the cross to the ground and began to remove the
nails with their pliers.
« I see you have made yourself quite at home here, Tsilla... You really are abusing the
delights that this sad kingdom has to offer...»
«Asaliah... You may make light of my quest, these tortures that I inflict upon
myself remind me of my purity lost. I made the choice to turn away from
the Lord, I have not renounced my faith in him. However I will not keep
this shape that he gave me. That would be arrogant on my behalf...
Why have you come down here to Hell?»
«Your hypocrisy is the most glorious proof of the perversity of
your soul. That is what I am looking for. At least, to carry out
the mission that is now ours to accomplish.»
«If you wish, Asaliah, but only a usurper would have the
audacity to appear in a shape that is not his. You say that
duty is the cause of your presence here: is it not the stench of
your foul betrayal that has caused your descent?»
«On that subject, you would be a mentor to me, I can
assure you. Meanwhile, you will come and fight at my side,
Tsilla. I refuse to let the balance of the worlds be upturned,
for then there would be neither justice nor faith... And if I
have embraced the cause of the darkness, it is to accomplish
that which must be.»
«Very well. May you understand before all this is over that
your vanity is His instrument. I will consider that your pre-
sence here is a sign sent for me. The forked ones fight amongst
themselves with the sole aim of attempting to please pale and
mediocre lords. They have mistaken the punishment of the
damned for the vices they wear as if they were titles of nobi-
lity. They do not recall who they are and they no longer care.
Meanwhile the dead come and go without any form of discipline.
And now the living have turned this place into a subject for study,
and others, more arrogant still, are plotting to conquer it. I will stop
Unique
their enterprise without joy or compassion. I will not add to or remove
the suffering they will endure on the battlefield of their defeat, and I will
simply give death until the next sign comes to me. We shall reform the army
of the Luciferians and return its law to this domain. And, Asaliah, I shall tear off
your face and show it to you, that you may see who you really are.»
40 Officer
Orders Angel
A heart beyond reproach
Free • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Female
Tsilla immediately moves, ignoring terrain, control areas or other units, and
without triggering any reaction from any enemy units she is in contact with, to Satanist (Luciferian)
anywhere she chooses on the battlefield. Tsilla must be placed in clear terrain, and
she can’t be placed in an enemy control area or in contact with an enemy unit. Infernalist 2/3
Vae soli Vae victis
Mentalist
Aura
Aura of conscience
Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius
Units within this aura’s area of effect suffer a penalty of -1 FTH. Movement 4

Spells Concentrated Shooting Skill -

Slanderous Injunction • Vanished Expertise
Combat 4
Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure. The unit immediately becomes
Stunned. This spell has no effect on Troopers.
Runaway
Crawling Crowd • Vanished Defense 4
This spell creates a 3-fathom radius scenery ele- Daggers Hits Damage
ment centered on the lemure. Every model within Piercing 1 1 Protection 0
2 2
the cloud when it is created takes 2 Damage, igno-
ring PR. The element is Deadly. Demons and Dam-
3 2 Life Points 11
4 Stunned
ned Ones are immune to the effects, and terrain
5 3 Faith 1
created by this spell..
Son crachat • Vanished
Command 5
Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure.
The target takes 1d6+1 damage, ignoring PR.
105 ase egular B  : R
 FactionS

Eurynome, The Prince of Death

It must be noted that there are many among the infernal ranks that actually oppose a united Hell. It seems that our
petty disagreements and internecine conflicts have gone on for so long that some are unwilling to part with the status
quo. One would think that when facing new and unprecedented problems a group would be galvanized into seeing
the error or ineffectiveness of their previous ways, but, as with everything, there will always be some disagreeing
Officer dissenters. Whether it is for personal gain, or a deeply held belief that the world should be a different place, it is
normally impossible to get any large group to agree on something without reservation.
Eurynome was firmly in this camp as evidenced by his repeated overt scheming and plotting against the
Demon unity of all demon kind. While he was obviously encouraged in this direction by a certain archdemon, he
has most certainly taken the cause of chaos up with unmatched ferocity and zeal. Though he has descri-
bed himself as a Satanist, a follower of our great feudal system and refectory of the new faith, he is
Asexual instead a duplicitous charlatan hiding discordant motives with a false mask of faith and loyalty. I
don’t pretend to understand what the separatists hope to accomplish with their stubborn rejec-
tion of lawful rule of our realm, but they cling to their misguided beliefs none the less.
Agnostic Eurynome’s flaunting of the natural order of things eventually drew Lucifer’s attention.
Lucifer became so incensed by the demon lord that he decided to make an example of
him. Samael was sent to Eurynome’s fief to execute the light bringers will. Samael
Mentalist put his retainers to flight, all the while showing off his superlative combat
abilities. Then, unceremoniously Samael took Euynome’s head from his
shoulders and left his corpse to rot in a pit with the remains of three of
the ignominious damned.
I have heard stories that the charnel pit Samael left behind

Base : Extra Large now stands empty. I hear whispers that Eurynome’s master
has seen fit to grant him enough power to continue on in
his service, though his form is much reduced and possibly
more horrifying than before. Whether this is true, or that
Unique Hell has reclaimed its own, or that Lucifer has possibly
refashioned the Demon Lord again as a warning to
others, I cannot say.
Nevertheless the thought of a rebellious fool get-
ting his comeuppance can’t help but bring a smile to
one such as I.

Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine

Irises.

Orders
Don’t See!
Free • 2 CMD
Once per action phase
Eurynome can target any Inde-
pendent or Trooper unit. Until
the end of the action phase the
target treats all enemy units as
if they had Discretion 3. The
same unit can’t be targeted
twice consecutively.
Don’t Hear!
Free • 1 CMD

66 Once per action phase Eurynome can tar-

get any Independent or Trooper unit. Until the end of the
Action phase the target gets Maverick. The same unit can’t be
7 Movement targeted twice consecutively.
Don’t Speak!
- Shooting Skill Free • 2-3 Permanent CMD • Unique
Eurynome can target any Independent or Officer unit. The target can’t
- Combat Entangle give orders until the end of the current Action phase. Orders already
given continue working normally. The cost for this order is 2 permanent
4 Defense Harmless CMD if the target is an Independent, and 3 permanent CMD if the
Impressive target is an Officer.
2 Protection
Leader
16 Life Points Regeneration 2
1 Faith Ricochet 2
Teleportation 106
5 Command
Terror 2
 The demonS

Obey!
Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Reaction
This order is the same as using a Vae Soli order, it has the same timing and you
cannot combine this order with a Vae Soli order at the end of the same activation.
This order allows Eurynome’s controller to decide which unit their opponent will
activate next.

Vae Soli

Vae Victus

Auras
Death Becomes Her
Permanent • 3 Fathom Radius • Demons and
Damned Ones (Immune)
During the upkeep phase, units within this aura’s area of effect
take 2 damage, ignoring PR. Demons and Damned Ones are not
affected by this aura.
R eanimation
Permanent • 3 Fathom Radius • Troopers
Trooper units that die within the area of effect of this aura,
are returned to the game in the spot that they where killed, under
Eurynome’s control, as demons, with 1 LP. A Trooper can only be reani-
mated once per game. A reanimated unit follows all rules normally other
than being controlled by Eurynome, having 1 LP, and having just entered
the game.

107
 FactionS

Foulques the Black, Knacker

«It occurred in the early days of the discovery. In order to explore, I had organized my Nizari into small scouting
parties, rapid and discreet. Indeed, the extreme slopes of these underground realms are hardly suited to the formation
of a large army, as one would have little room for maneuver in case of an ambush.
We were walking in the shadows of the legions of Iblis, who were pouring all their forces into a fratricide war.
Independent A young scout returned to us completely mad. Between two torrents of blasphemy towards the prophet, he told
us that he had seen crusaders coming and going amongst the demon ranks. But obviously, fear had damaged
his spirit. I cut his tongue out myself to prevent the contamination from spreading.
Demon Further on, their infamous troopers had taken up position in the still-smoking ruins of a rival fief. They
were blocking off our route and they were setting up new defensive positions that seemed to indicate
their will to take possession of this territory.
Male We had to advance or lose contact with our vanguard. I ordered an attack.
The hashishins sprang from the shadows and quickly dispatched their sentinels. We had cir-
cled them completely. I sent my faithful soldiers forward to maintain the momentum of the
Satanist (Luciferian) attack. I wished to strike them at their heart to throw the organization of their defenses.
The front line of the impious ones gave way as if to let us pass through. I did not
understand immediately what they would be gaining from this maneuver. At
their center stood a massive and immobile shadow. It rose immediately once
in contact with our men. The circle closed in around the behemoth and
tried to crushed it in its grip. I ordered the retreat but it was too late.
The filthy devil turned executioner, acting with extraordinary speed
and simply bringing death was not enough to content his torture

Base : Large instruments. He continued to sever arms and legs, ripping out
organs and unraveling guts. I saw the mutilated heart of my
young scout brandished like the trophy of carnage. That was

Unique when I realized what the poor boy had meant. Only cru-
saders behave with such savagery on the battlefield. That
is the effect of the false religion that serves as pretext
to the butchers. But in these dark lands, the invisible
is revealed. The blood was exciting this shady infidel
and increasing his strength. The demon’s trap had
closed around us.
The demonic foot soldiers formed two columns,
one on each flank, for the sole purpose of provi-
ding this macabre scarecrow with a free space
in which to charge. He was running straight
towards my position like a famished beast.
In such moments of despair, only the faith
of the believer can inspire his victory. Allah
is my guide. With a single gesture, I ordered
my troops to disperse. He sought for us in
the shadows until the rush of warm blood
left him. Now he was once again lost in his
gray mood. His vice no longer accessible, he
has returned to his former state of lifeless
puppet.»

«The Final Testament», by Hassan ibn

al-Sabbah, the «Old Man of the Mountain»

26
3 Movement Order
Hostile Surgery
- Shooting Skill 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
When an enemy unit is killed within 8 fathoms of Foulques, this
5 Combat Defensive combat order may be used. If this order is used, Foulques gets +1 MVT, +2
CBT, +1 DEF, and +1 FTH from the beginning of the next upkeep phase
3 Defense Man-at-Arms until the end of the game. This order can’t be used when a lemure or
Protective Devoured unit is killed within 8 fathoms of Foulques.
2 Protection
Ricochet Handsaw Hits Damage
9 Life Points Slashing 1 Life Drain 2
2 Life Drain 3
2 Faith 3 Life Drain 4
4 Life Drain 5
1 Command 108 5 Life Drain 6
 The demonS

Jinx, Annoying Slave

The inquisitor looked down through his telescope at the damned ones below with disgust. This was a place where
the satanist fighters had been abandoned to themselves, with no leader and no mission. Rather than hold the posi-
tion, the cursed souls had returned to their usual state of idleness. Victory would be easily acquired here. This would
show that they must be rid of all the bandits, rascals, whores and those Protestants from the troops... that only those
who fight with faith in the Pope could lead this campaign. A dull groaning attracted the attention of the inquisitor.
The feeble squeaking was coming from some kind of atrocious newborn that looked as if it had been roasted on a spit
Lemure
the moment it had emerged from the womb.
Three damned ones were playing with it, throwing it to one another. Out of sheer cruelty, one of them let it hit
a nearby wall instead of catching it. This cunning tactic sent the other two off into hysterical laughter, which was
Asexual
accompanied by a laborious wheezing.
The first one picked up the newborn and raised it as if to kick it up into the air. He didn’t even have the time to see
the fuse light before the shot took off the top of his head, leaving everything from the jaw-
Unbeliever
bone down as it had been.
Now under Papist fire, the damned were running all over the place in total confu-
sion. The captain ordered the charge, wishing to finish off the enemy before they came
Mentalist
to their senses. A first load of heretics was gloriously skewered. One of the pike-men
discovered with horror a swollen baby that dodged between his legs, as he wondered
how this atrocity had come to be there in the first place. He moved confidently to
Movement 4
dispatch it with a kick, but the little squirm had already set a course for the clergymen
gathered around the captain.
The Damned Ones of Wrath rushed into the Papist troops with a great clash of steel
Elusive Shooting Skill -
and pain. The front line held out, but it was at risk of falling to their number if God did
not come to their aid. However, the captain was certain they would receive His assis- Emancipated Combat -
tance and lead the troops into attack.
In theory, with the combined action of the divine grace and the captain’s lead, in this Harmless
Defense 6
kind of critical situation, the foot soldiers should have had the better of the enemy. In
practice, the only thing they had that day was a good thrashing. Insignificant
The captain turned to check the rear guard and could not believe his own eyes. The mis-
sionaries were just standing there, like village idiots, unable to recite a single blessing from Invulnerable Protection 0
the Holy Book. They had lost all their Latin, like little children unable to recall their lessons.
The inquisitor strongly raised one eyebrow, a gesture that was his way of expressing fury. Maverick Life Points 4
From where he stood, it seemed to the captain that the clergymen were performing some sort of
pagan jig: they were desperately trying to stamp on the aborted brat, fruit of some cursed female’s Strider
belly. But the abomination was cunning. All around, Papists and demons alike had walked arm in Faith -
arm into non-life. The captain alone was left standing. On returning to New Jerusalem, the unmen-
tionable would have to be revealed, so as to warn all good Christians. A newborn from Hell had
Terror 2
caused the downfall of a whole company. And even now he could still lose a holy man in the mountains. Command -
The campaigns of the valiant were now over, the Council would impose their views. From now on the good
would have to mingle with all the faithless and the non-baptized of the colony.
With the burden of so many pagans to carry, the war was undoubtedly lost.

Order
A neurysm Side-effects
You may decide to have Jinx take 1 damage, ignoring PR, to exempt
a friendly unit’s aura from its Aneurysm Aura’s effects for the
turn. For each aura affected by Jinx’s Aneurysm Aura
during any Upkeep Phase roll 1D6. For each 6 rolled,
Jinx takes one damage, ignoring PR. If Jinx dies due
to this order, affected auras still will not have any
effect that turn.

Aura
A neurysm Aura
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Cumula-
tive • Mentalists (Jinx Immune)
At the beginning of the Upkeep phase,
Jinx prevents all other auras within this
aura’s area of effect from having any
effect for the rest of the turn.

Unique
109 15 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Infernal Ambassador
«Horns, fur, hooves and forked tails. It is said that the horned ones were among the first generations of beings to populate
the lands of chaos. Being beast-like, libidinous and argumentative, they naturally formed hordes whose only ambition was futile
squabbling. As herds of blind demons roaming the lands Below without any form of doctrine, they finally tired of the poor repu-
tation they had established for themselves and became most devout Luciferians.
Independent From that point onwards, they put all their energy into proving their unquestionable zeal to the demon lords, and so the tasks
the horned ones were given became more and more honorific.
And so it came about that, since that time long past, they have been messengers to the cults of the valley of tears, the land of men.
Demon If I am to believe the souls of the good that travel freely through Hell, our ambassadors have widely indulged in earthly plea-
sures during ceremonies named sabbath. Let us not dwell on the orgiastic details of their deplorable exploits: they merely confirm
my suspicions about the veritable behavior of the horned ones.
Male Discipline is indeed a stranger to their plans. They give the impression of being loyal servants only to be able to reap the
benefits of their status, and artfully use the arts of deception and lying.
Since the living began to invade our lands on a regular basis, the demon lords have taken to sending an ambassador to
Satanist (Luciferian) each company. This has become a fashion that everyone seems to have succumbed to since lord Xaphan sent one of his own to
convince the Living to ally with him to defeat one of his rivals.
Indeed, the ambassadors do have the merit of enjoying the diplomatic phases of battle, whereas most of us like to immedia-
5 Movement tely express the more bloodthirsty side of our personalities.
However, when given a chance at a massacre, the ambassadors will willingly practice the most ancestral and bestial art
of warfare. They gut and slash freely, spreading confusion, bringing aid to their allies, pain to their enemies, and glory to
- Shooting Skill their master.
I think we can safely say that if these beasts put so much effort into the battle, it is because, more than any other considera-
tion, they thoroughly enjoy taking part in a good carnage.
5 Combat Indeed, I have yet to meet a demon lord who would find any reason to complain about the services of an ambassador. Howe-
ver, loyalty only has merit when it is in spite of pain and suffering. Aside from a shower of compliments, the horned ones do very
little to glorify their masters, and their vows of fidelity have in no way changed their old customs. Pah! Anyone can claw at their
4 Defense own chest and snort pestilential vapors while swearing to be faithful...
Long ago, they would roam in herds and squabble between themselves. Nowadays, they have joined the band and do
0 Protection their squabbling on behalf of their lords. If we let them, they would sell an archdemon’s throne to the Pope, purely out of
taste for discord!»

12 Life Points Aabadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.

3 Faith

1 Command Orders
Treacherous Insinuation
Free • Variable
Bodyguard Cancel the effects of a Vae Victis or Vae Soli order before
Terror they happen. This order’s cost is equal to the cost of the Vae
Victis or Vae Soli order that was canceled.
Under His Protection
Limited 2 Passive • 1 CMD
Against the next attack that causes at least one
hit to him, the Infernal Ambassador gets Resis-
tance 4 against one of the following damage
types, blunt, slashing, or piercing. This choice
must be made when this order is given. If
this order is already affecting the Infernal
Ambassador and it is used again, then the
effects aren’t cumulative and the chosen
damage type is changed.

Claws Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
Penetrating Strike 2 2 3
3 5

Base : Regular 30 110

4 7
5 9
 The demonS

Damned One of Pride

«The breath of the abyss had begun to blow across the screaming plains of Kal ‘nat Rür. A cold, invisible hand was
carrying the screams of the eternally tortured towards us... They were the songs of the damned, screams of extra enthu-
siasm to celebrate my passage through their region. Despite my natural talent in the subtle art of music, I decided not to
take notice of the mediocrity of their homage. My companions in arms, however, were positively transported with delight.
All around me I could glimpse looks filled with emotion and gratitude towards me, timidly flickered in my direction. Our
ambassador offered to carry me over the chaotic paths of our great rutted homeland so that they would not dirty
my princely outfits... Crazy fool! If I had wanted to ride on some nag I would have demanded
one myself.
Then there is this great stupid-looking lout who had followed us since we left the fief.
The burden of his presence had already cost us a precious advance on the enemy.
That dolt had climbed to the top of a shapeless hummock and was waving
back at us. Did he think he was on some kind of leisurely hike? I could
have convinced my people to abandon this sad character long ago...
Alas, my natural generosity towards paupers will be my downfall!
Until then I had tolerated his presence, as I realized that I alone
had any hope of giving him any kind of spirit.
How gravely was I mistaken, for he would soon put our
whole noble expedition in deadly peril.
Wriggling around up there like a stuck pig, he was clearly
visible ten fathoms away. His ignorance of the arts of warfare
had just caused him to inadvertently give the enemy the signal.
One of their Hashishins jumped out from the shadows and
set upon him.
At a gesture from myself, our delicious mistress of torments
- to whom I had given a virile lesson of my own to earlier -
understood the gravity of our situation. A crack of her whip
commanded the rank and file to charge our opponents.
However, their warriors, swollen with the aura of some
ancient spirit, overthrew our first line. I ordered the horned one
to dispatch that pretentious sand muse, while I slipped easily
through the adversary’s defenses with a few agile steps. Avoiding
every danger, the speed of my graceful war-dance was only mat-
ched by the sharpness of my martial genius. With a single glance,
I had grasped all the key elements of this battle. The enemy was
positioned on the rocks above the gully. We needed to outflank
them by passing through the underground corridor, to prevent any
potential reinforcements from arriving. So that was it: we were facing
Limited 3
the vanguard of the impious army... I had to recover the position or the
whole plain would fall into the hands of the invaders. Behind me, I could
hear the agonizing moans of my sweet pleasure slave succumbing to the enemy’s
scimitar. She had preferred to sacrifice herself rather than survive without me. And
how could she have survived if the only source of her pleasure was gone?
41 Independent
By then, I had already passed through the passage and surprised the Saracens by
climbing up the other side of the rocks. Damned One
With one firm push, I threw their leader down into the dust, and he rolled into the void.
Then the lamentations of the howling plains were raised in a single echo, the victory cry cele-
brating the champion of all the Luciferians. Male
The battle of Kal ‘nat Rür, seen by a Damned One of Pride.
Satanist (Luciferian)
Order
I told you so... Mentalist
If the Great Damned one of Pride that the Damned One of Pride is asso-
ciated with is killed, he becomes Brave until the end of the game.
Movement 4
Auras Dodge 2 Shooting Skill -
Aura of rashness
Permanent • 6 Fathom Radius • Allies Runaway Combat 3
Allied units within this aura’s area of effect get a bonus of +1 CBT.
Aura of denouncement
Defense 3
Temporary • Active • 8 Fathom Radius • Instant • An ally and enemy unit.
Target an enemy unit within this aura’s area of effect and the Damned
Protection 1
one of Pride or an allied unit within this aura’s area of effect. Until the
end of the turn, the targeted enemy unit treats the targeted friendly unit
Life Points 9
as though it has the Attraction 6 ability.
Faith 2
Rant and Slap Hits Damage
Sound 1 1 Command 1
Penetrating Strike 3 2 Slowed 2
3 Stunned
4
5
Pain 2
Immobilized
111 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Great Damned One of Pride

«I had taken position upon the crest of a dune of ashes so as to protect the flank of my troops. Lower down, the company was saluting my fine
tactical decision while making difficult progress along the winding paths of Kal ‘nat Rür. They were exhausted by our long march, but the mere sight of
my noble figure standing on the wind-blown horizon was enough to give them strength to continue. Suddenly, I detected the pernicious presence of
our enemy and signaled to my men to seek cover. Alas, I seem to remember that there was among us a dwarf dressed in female garb, obviously a
Independent constant source of mockery. Our horned one was, as usual, making mock of him, focusing the company’s attention on his futile amusement.
And thus the poor unfortunates remained oblivious to my warnings.
Already the treacherous scimitar of a Nizari was heading for my back. My blade greeted him from head to foot, slicing him cleanly
Damned One in twain as I leaped gracefully towards his two companions in the shadows. In the time it took me to give them a last fatal lesson in
swordsmanship, I disappointingly realized what bad sense of judgment my company was endowed with. In one short instant without
my leadership, they had made the most imbecilic choice possible and charged straight into the gully where the enemy had the full
Male advantage over the terrain.
A simple order to retreat could have prevented this terrific waste of Luciferian blood. Should I once more be made to
bear the burden of their idiocy? My fatigue almost made me give up on this whole expedition. But there is no rest for the

Satanist (Luciferian) knights of the Underworld. They must accept the labors of war with humility and bring down the darkness upon the
enemy, even in the heart of the most desperate of battles.
Therefore I charged on forwards, chopping their Dibbukim into pieces. One of them survived my
charge, latched to one of my leg, and another was hanging on to the other leg, his guts spewing
everywhere. Before me, I saw one of my many female admirers in great difficulty, calling out

Base : Large
for my talents… which she’d known so many times before. So I threw myself downwards
into the melée, dragging along with me the two hopeless idiots still clinging on to me,
in spite of my wrath. On arriving down below, I was the only one of the three to

Associated (Damned one of Pride) rise to my feet again. At my feet, my lady was dying, and with her last, painful
breath, she let out a fearsome howl as her last and only testament, as I wat-
ched the transvestite dwarf running away down the gully. I turned to assess
the enemy’s numbers, making a personal note to punish his treason most
fittingly later on.
We were wallowing in a mire of ashes and blood, generously
garnished with juicy chunks of damned, spread far and wide
during the charge.
Before me stood their great sand demon, and I could see in
his eyes that he had traveled through the ages to come defy me
in my own lands. Although he was already in agony from
the butting blows of our horned one, I decided to accept his
arrogant challenge, leaving my brother in arms to take care
of the three warriors who were running towards us. Unfor-
tunately the dolt’s performance in this task was quite
disappointing, and he quickly fell to their blows, a victim
of the rank and file. Our ambassador would no longer
relay the words of our master, except maybe through
his great horns, which the infidels were already waving
around like trophies. Once more I had made the perfect
decision by engaging their demon. If my companion
had not been capable of dealing with the lowly soldiers,
he could hardly have succeeded in accomplishing the
heroic deed that I was about to complete. An unstop-
pable lunge, a secret that I alone have mastered, gave
the titan a lethal taste of my steel, straight through
his heart.
On seeing this, an old man who accompanied
the troops leaped from the top of the rocky crest,
preferring suicide to being defeated by my brilliant
might. After that lesson, the rest of the troopers ran
for their lives.
Once again, I alone had brought victory to Hell.»
The battle of Kal ‘nat Rür, seen by a Great Damned
One of Pride.

0 Orders
Challenge
5 Movement Passive • 1 CMD
This order can only be given when the Great Damned One of Pride is engaged with only one enemy
- Shooting Skill unit. The Great Damned one of Pride and the unit he is engaged with, hereafter referred to as «duelists»,
enter into a challenge of mortal combat that can only end with the elimination of one of the duelists.
6 Combat Entangle Duelists can’t engage with other units, and other units can’t engage the duelists. Neither duelist can
retreat. Duelists are immune to any effect which may force them to break contact, except for effects
4 Defense Fury generated by either duelist. If contact is broken due to an effect generated by either duelist, then
Regeneration both duelists must attempt to reestablish contact during their next and subsequent activation’s as
0 Protection thought the other duelist had Attraction with an unlimited range. The
effects of this order will last until one of the duelists is killed.
Overlarge Weapon Hits Damage
16 Life Points Slashing 1 4 I told you so...
If the Damned one of Pride that the Great Damned One of
2 5
2 Faith 3 7 Pride is associated with is killed, he becomes Brave until the
4 9 end of the game.
- Command 5 11
 The demonS

Great Damned One of Wrath

«If we but had an army of those war machines, we could annihilate New Jerusalem easily, although
their lack of discipline is sometimes a little disarming for Luciferians.
During a retaliation campaign against a gang of petty renegades (whose names are of such little
importance that they are certainly not worth mentioning here), one of our demon lords had to pay the
price for the blatant lack of motivation that these abject servants are crippled with.
Our beloved lord (whose name shall also remain silent, to avoid him any malicious teasing) had
Independent
sent out his troops against the raggedy peasants that were hiding out on the other side of a hill. Alas,
a layer of thick, sticky fog was lingering around the area, and our warlord, who disliked mingling with
his inferiors, remained at the rear with a select few. Hence deprived of any visibility, he could no longer
Damned One
follow the progression of his warriors across the field.
When the mists finally cleared, he was greatly saddened to find a single one of his damned ones
standing alone in the middle of the plain, howling like a lost mutt. The beast had slaughtered an
Asexual
enemy scout and then found the time and place appropriate to treat the Underworld
to a little bitter singing. It was indeed unfortunate, for the Great Damned One of
Wrath was supposed to be leading the pack, and at its head, he was meant to hit the
Satanist (Luciferian)
enemy’s defenses. Instead, the enemy troops used this distraction to massacre their
attackers and disappear into the mists.
On returning to his fief, the demon lord placed a special order of assorted agonies
Movement 5
to be inflicted upon the offender, but this did little to calm him. This treatment did
however give him a chance to perfect his skills of breaking chains and crushing skulls Shooting Skill -
by using his torturers’. Finally, he was thrown into a pit of snakes, from the bottom
of which he has continued to scream ever since. Since then, the fief was attacked and
the demon lord overthrown by a rival. It would perhaps have been wiser to rig up some Combat 7
kind of pulley system so as to be able to pull him back up again if truly necessary...
This kind of story is relatively frequent when it comes to these damned ones. Luckily,
Entangle
they usually have more taste for biting than they do for barking. Oh, to be sure, their Frenzy Defense 3
sword-handling skills are reduced to their most basic expression. But their ability to slice
up anything that dares to move in the enemy ranks is admittedly most efficient! As for
their natural talent for battle, the one uncertainty that remains is the answer to this ques-
Fury Protection 0
tion: should they be placed at the head of the pack or should the rank and file go first to
absorb some of the enemy fire?
Terror Life Points 20
For the Underworld does not have an unlimited supply of these strange fellows at its dispo-
sal. Out of all the bloodthirsty madmen who will come to join our family after abandoning their Uncontrollable
soul on the scene of some carnage, very few indeed will become such a great incarnation of anger. Faith 3
So what have these men done to set themselves above the dark mass of killers who roam in the
valley of tears? Or rather, we should ask, who were they before?
Such beasts, I would wager, one would not find more than a handful in a war the size of a Command -
kingdom. Before they even felt the touch of steel or smelled the odor of blood their spirits were already
hardened like a blade, a cloud of aggressiveness rumbling over their head, and nothing or no-one could
have kept them away from their destiny of destruction for very long... Yes, my fellows, yes my servants
of carnage, there was no other path for you than the road to damnation. The only fantasy you could
imagine was the number of souls you would drag down with you to the Underworld. Base :
For, once the metal skin is in place, once their friends, their brothers have fallen beneath your
blows, your enemies have no other choice but to blindly follow the example of your hatred to
defeat you. Therefore, they will follow the sad tracks of blood that are left in your wake.»
Extra Large
Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.

Grafted Weapons Hits Damage

Piercing 1 4
Slashing 2 6
Eager 3 8 Limited 2
Lunge 2

4 10
5 12
113 26
 FactionS

Mourner
«There’s nothing like one of these beautiful young women, with their features sculpted by tears and sorrow to bring to your
troops a sense of morbid arousal.
It is said that up Above they make such a racket during funerals that the priests can no longer hear themselves preach the
word of God... As if by celebrating the dead enough at their last earthly feast, the Creator himself could be forgotten.
Independent On the other hand, down here, it is generally assumed that they gained their rank among the damned by committing infan-
ticide. Such an act could seem strange and unnecessary, given the number of brats who die without the need of a helping hand
to push them into the afterlife; however one might be forgetting that the visible symptoms of a life of lust can sometimes require
Damned One the most brutal of remedies to avoid public shame.
There we have it! A past life of carnal sin would explain why these damned ones arrive here with such charming features, for
they undoubtedly betray the cause of their disgrace.
Female However, I must say that I only half believe that theory, if only because of the great number of weepers I have spotted ran-
domly fishing unbaptized newborns out of Limbo. That is the point that gives credibility to their position as representatives of
eternal sorrow. If child-murder had been their sin, then they would have been naturally fitted with the appropriate accessory
Satanist (Luciferian) upon joining our companies, instead of having to rummage through the Abyss for one.
On the bleak plains of our cursed lands, the wailing cries of a weeper are enough to launch a chilling, united attack on the
enemy. Their morbid songs awaken the primeval fears of mystery and the unknown that every living being hides deep inside...
Mentalist In their minds appears the fickleness of fate, who strikes down the innocent child and allows the bloodthirsty tyrant to grow fat
and rich until he is quite senile.
Soon their souls are crying as one about the injustice of the world and God’s lack of compassion.
4 Movement Does He need to let misfortune strike blindly in the land of men to remind them of his infinite love?
In the time it takes for a shiver to run down his spine, the warrior’s faith is shaken. It is too late to get it back. The fleeting
feeling of rebellion against the Lord has run through his soul and is immediately followed by the guilt that fills his heart. The
- Shooting Skill weeper therefore feeds the cycle of primal fears with her song.
From then on, the guilt leads to the fear of divine wrath, the fear that something bad may happen, that bad luck may not be
avoided this time around, and that this battle may be the last. The hand falters; the steel can no longer find its target.
- Combat Besides, why should the sinners even hope for redemption or victory, if the tiny, lifeless body of the innocent is lying in the
dust down here in this pit?
And there we have the greatest sin of these pretty ones: they portray grief with such talent that their act seems so much
3 Defense more important than the sadness of the real event itself.»

0 Protection Abaadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.

10 Life Points Auras

Aura of lament
Temporary • Active • 8 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Luciferians and FTH
3 Faith
3 or more (Immune)
Non-luciferian units with a FTH of 2 or less suffer a penalty of -1
1 Command
SHS and -1 CBT while in the area of effect of this aura.
Aura of spiritual vice
Evasive Permanent • Affects the Whole Battlefield • Allies (Immune)
Whenever CMD is spent to pay for an enemy unit’s
Harmless order, that unit takes a number of damage equal to
Runaway the amount of CMD spent, ignoring PR. If they are
paying for Vae Soli or Vae Vicits then they aren’t
Ricochet 2 affected by this aura. If the enemy unit giving the
Terror 2 order is killed by this aura’s effect, the order
they are giving still happens normally.

Limited 2 17 114 Base : Regular

 The demonS

Succubus
«A company of Saracens had set an ambush for my men on the crest of the hill. As soon as they hit us I was
knocked off my feet and into the void. The weight of my armor pulled me on downwards and I rolled all the way
down a steep incline, unable to stop my tumbling. I would have preferred to break every bone in my body and die
then and there. For in my misfortune, I had fallen into a dark pit that led all the way to the heart of Hell, or at least
into one of the most abject holes of its vice.
There, spread out on the ground, lay a dark beauty, so scantily clad that not one detail of her anatomy,
her round, firm curves and her perfect waist, could have escaped my gaze. Her hips were
designed to bear children, however she used her features only to defy the Lord with her
debauchery. On seeing me, she turned to strike an animal pose, never taking her
gaze from me, so full it was with carnal desire. Her sighs of pleasure were
harassing me so, that my heart began to beat with near-deadly speed.
She was pleasuring herself with the handle of her barbed whip,
and this was what was causing her cries of pleasure. The whip was
wound around her neck, her body and her thighs, burning her
flesh to bloodshed. It seemed to have a life of its own, the louder
her cries became, the tighter the dark barbed lash wound itself
around her.
All around her, damned ones were gazing upon this for-
bidden tableau, enraged with frustration. Each one of them
was held at a distance by a chain that wound around the
base of their manhood. The chains held them at a distance
as they strained to try to touch her, their frustration and
desire mounting.
Suddenly, the temptress’s body stiffened, and she made a
great play out of it, pounding the ground with her fists like
a herd of demons. Though the finish of the scene brought
the damned souls their relief, their eyes remained haunted
and their expressions slack jawed. A smile of pleasure
spread across her face, though her cruel expression never
left her.

I fled from that horrible temple of lust, followed only by

the echoes of their tormented moaning. But if my body has
returned intact from that place, my soul remains its prisoner.
I feel I have become the slave of that vision and I can no
longer find a moment’s peace. I have tried every woman in every
brothel in the city and have found no cure. I have gelded myself,
Limited 3
but the pain has done nothing to remove the source of my lust. It
has only increased my fury. After that I paid a brigand to cut off both
my hands. But now I merely slam my head against the walls in a mindless
movement, as if I was one of those chained souls. If I was to kill myself, I
would undoubtedly be carried back there. Is there no hope of redemption for he
29 Independent
who has met the gaze of the corrupter? Father, you must inform the council that the
pure will soon become scarce down below if the beauties of Hell decide to march on New Demon
Jerusalem. They represent the worst of what is buried deep in the hearts of every male being
who believes he walks in the light of God.”
Female
Anonymous tale gathered in confession and noted in the diary of Father Rogeas.

Satanist (Luciferian)
Orders
Shield of lust
Movement 5
Passive • 2 CMD
Until the end of the turn, the Succubus is DEF 6 against all Male enemies
Shooting Skill -
in close combat.
Demonic Fury
Active • 2 permanent CMD • Unique
Charisma Combat 6
Until the end of the game, the Succubus gets +2 MVT, +2 CBT and +2 FTH. Evasive Defense 5
Ricochet
Protection 0

Life Points 11

Faith 3

Command 1
Whips Hits Damage
Slashing 1 3
Eager 2
Lunge 2 3 6
4 + Pain 2
Base :
4 8
115
Regular
5 6 + Knocked Down
 FactionS

Damned One of Wrath

Of all the satanic troops, they are the ones who most often appear first in the sights of our arquebusiers. Neither
living nor dead, they bear no armor in battle. From a distance, one of them could be mistaken for some poor lost
madman, in a frenzied search for something, although he no longer recalls what. He is constantly moving, taking
six steps, turning around, constantly turning his head in every direction. There... He has seen us... Or smelled
Trooper us... It is impossible to tell which of his senses is being used. A scavenging beast that has taken human form.
Not only is he naked, but he even charges without seeking any form of cover. The others come, others like
him... primitives and barbarians... Are these the foot soldiers of the Empire Below?
Damned One The first time I saw them I would have laughed hard and loud if the land around us hadn’t been so
sinister. We were fighting the locals and they had no weapons. Our campaign in Hell would be as
easy as a walk in the park... And what captain, what warlord could have so little self esteem as
Male to send out such a rank and file? He couldn’t be in much better shape himself. This wasn’t an
army; it was a parody, a macabre pantomime of our ancestors...
I was fresh and confident, but I could see that all around me the veterans of my com-
Satanist (Luciferian) pany remained solemn. They knew what they were in for... And they knew the hideous
barbarians charging towards us.
As the distance between our two armies was diminishing, and the clash
of steel became imminent, I began to judge the enemy’s nature in a more
serious way... No, my memory deceives me. First there was the cloud
of powder from our firearms that blinded us. When the smoke was

Base : Regular gone, they were very close to us. Our shots hadn’t stopped them
all. Their wounds looked very strange. They did not bleed like
men. The metal had sculpted their bodies, as had the tools
of horror that were grafted into their very flesh and which

Unlimited they brandished like weapons. They seemed to be obli-

vious to any pain other than that which they intended
to inflict upon us with all the force of their rage. I
finally realized what must, by far, be keeping them
so alert... It was wrath; anger was driving their
bodies and their minds.
There we were, like the legions of Rome facing
the charge of the primitive peoples possessed
by pagan fury. They were the animal spirit of
war... They were Gauls, Wisigoths and Picts...
Saxons, Germans and Francs... Or rather the
shadows of those ancestral warriors, who had
escaped themselves to continue their dance
of eternal destruction.
They were not fighting for the cause
of Hell; they were not fighting against
our campaign of conquest. They lived
only for that unique instant when their
charge would hit our front line.
Their symptom had become their law.
Helmets crushing skulls as the maces
made contact, hands sliced off, armor
pierced through, bones crushed into thou-
sands of tiny shards, guts lying in the
dust on the ground... They turned our
company into a river of blood and pain,
but that did not quench their thirst. And
as they trampled the dying, hacking
again and again at the lifeless flesh, they
continued to watch for some invisible
adversary in spite of their agitation.
To survive, I became a wild beast; every
skirmish was a chance to rewrite the code of

14 steel. I had become one with my blade and my only warmth was their dying
flesh. When I had finished with those puppets of war, I discovered that the cap-
tain of my company was not quite dead. Although every bone in his body had been
smashed, he still gathered enough strength to point his weapon in my direction. At
5 Movement the time I thought he was delirious.
Now I understand his gesture.
No doubt, when I die, I will join the ranks of the Damned Ones of Wrath.»
- Shooting Skill
Anonymous tale gathered in confession and noted in the diary of Father Rogeas.

4 Combat Fury
4 Defense

0 Protection
Grafted Weapons Hits Damage
9 Life Points Blunt & Piercing 1 3
Or 2 4
2 Faith Piercing & Slashing 3 6
Or 4 8
- Command 116 Blunt & Slashing 5 10
 The demonS

Damned One of Gluttony

Normal Form & Obese Form
The clergyman jumped to his feet, shivering from the freezing sweat that had soaked his
clothes. As he did every time he woke up, he repeated the litany he had grown accustomed
to: «I am not asleep. This is not a nightmare. I am in Kohut, circle of Hell. I have come here
Trooper
to accompany the troops and at all times preach faith in our Lord God...»
Far away, on the crest of a hill, he could see a strange silhouette, one that seemed to have
one arm of monstrous proportions. He realized that it was not an arm but a tongue, a
Damned One
gigantic tongue protruding from the thing’s belly.
The man of the cloth turned his gaze away and walked towards the captain of the
company, who was giving orders left, right and center. Ordering the company to
Asexual
pack up and leave without delay.
«What is happening, Captain?»
«I have changed my mind, Father. We don’t really need any rest after all, so we
Satanist (Luciferian)
are leaving our space to others... Nothing strange about that! We are not the only
ones to occupy these lands. It is but Christian charity to share them equally... And, Normal Form Obese Form
well, I have decided our wounded don’t really need any rest after all. Look at them,
the bastards enjoy all that pain, don’t they!» 6 Movement 2
«Please stop mocking me, Captain! What sense does another march make when
we are already exhausted? We won’t get far in this state.»
Obese Form:
«Well we will just have to. My mission is to bring this convoy of wounded men Invulnerable - Shooting Skill -
back to New Jerusalem... This place is crawling with enemies; come, step closer to
the cliff edge... Any minute now they will have completely surrounded us. Look at
their bodies, the Devil seems to have designed them for the sole purpose of devouring
Slow 5 Combat 3
constantly, to devour even the Abyss if there was nothing else to feed on. They are like
swine... swine capable of swallowing a man whole, and even that will not satisfy their
Tenacious 4 Defense 6
hunger. Believe me; I have seen them at work. They like the taste of our flesh, and they
care little if we are warm or cold when they are ready to eat. Then their shape changes
and they become obese. However, their digestion is a very quick process. It is as if Hell 0 Protection 0
had condemned them to this eternal punishment. Be sure to write all this down in your
journal, Father, I’m sure the people at court will be most interested. «
«You... You are shaking like a leaf, Captain.» 8 Life Points 3
«Do not worry, this is no fever, I merely tremble with fear. The fear of what I must do now. I
need you to give this young man his last rites.»
«Surely you aren’t going to...?» 2 Faith 2
«There’s no point drawing straws, Father, he has been agonizing since we left. We will throw
him down this side and flee the opposite way. I am hoping they will be drawn this way and we
may be able to lose them... maybe.»
- Command -
«For the love of God, could we not simply wait and see if they charge?»
«We may as well ask the Almighty to grant us a miracle right now. We are running out of
food, ammunition and strength; we cannot fight a battle in this state. They, on the contrary, can
go into battle on an empty stomach. Hunger burns at their souls, but not their bodies. This is no
longer a war, Father, it is a hunt. And I think you can guess who the quarry is.»
Unlimited
Transformation (normal form)
(After having devoured an enemy • Damned One of
Gluttony, Obese Form)
Transformation (obese form)
(After having killed a devoured enemy • Damned
One of Gluttony)

Gaping Mouth Hits Damage

Absorption 1 4
Normal Form 2 2 + Stunned
3 Devoured
4 6
5 7 + Stunned

Gaping Mouth Hits Damage

Absorption 1 3
Obese Form 2 5
3 7
4 9
5 11
117 17/0 Base : Large
 FactionS

Damned One of Sloth

«These troopers are like an explosion of half-hearted farts from the bowels of Hell. Their mediocrity is only matched by
their number, an annoying infinity reclining hopelessly in the shade of every field of torture. Unfortunately, it seems that
whatever the era of human society, there have been legions of souls more than willing to indulge in this sad activity.
When we grow tired of watching them do nothing but defecate upon themselves out of sheer laziness, we arm them in the
Trooper only hope of getting rid of them.
As in every other domain, they have absolutely no talent for warfare.
They are bad fighters, hindering the progression of the troops and oblivious to cunning or any other form of structured
Damned One thought, even the most futile.
The stroke of genius of our Luciferians was to turn their very own vice upon them, their aim to always let others do for
them what they should do themselves. Thus, the rebel angels throw them down as cannon fodder for the enemy so they may
Asexual die in the stead of other more deserving and talented warriors, or at the very least use their bodies as shields. But even then
they are disobedient and unwilling, for they are able to endure far too many hits before they go down.
Look at them, the lazy buggers! Their slouching and their complete lack of animosity are so annoying... Who on Earth,
Satanist (Luciferian) or below it, could believe that they are able to terrorize the enemy ranks? They are the laughing stock of the Underworld,
as they march out onto the battlefield. What can our adversaries possibly think of such a rabble? They must think that our
empire is definitively ridden with vermin, and so march forward with light and confident hearts. Ah, those traitors! Now I
2 Movement can see what they are playing at! Line up the catapults, that I may fling them over the walls of New Jerusalem! It was so
obvious! If our glorious troops are suffering such smarting defeats from those arrogant Christians, it’s all their fault! Eve-
rything is their fault! Yes, that must be it! They alone are the source of all our troubles, there can be no doubt. In fact I’m
- Shooting Skill sure it was one of these useless bastards who first let the living worm their way into the lands of the dead.
One may be forgiven for thinking that they might just be able to defend a position, given their acute distaste for having to
move their sorry arses even an inch... But no! The blithering idiots must have watched the Christian armies march past while
3 Combat drooling into their own navels... Although even that activity requires minimum skills to hit the target. Damn them all! Not
even capable of dribbling down themselves properly...
Ha, I already know where they acquired this lamentable habit. The Church and it’s ridiculous number of holy feast days
2 Defense has taught them the art of sloth.
I had best conclude the study of these sad beasts now, in case it gives anyone ideas for a vocation. I realize now that
0 Protection by criticizing the lazy, I am succumbing to the sirens of their own vice. There is no glory to be found in denouncing the
obviously guilty, no panache in pointing an accusing finger at those upon whom all eyes are already laid. Let us leave
these damned ones to crawl across our fields of pain and toy with the dying who are left behind on the battlefield
18 Life Points after the retreat has been sounded. Let them harass the enemy troopers and tease their guard, while in the heart
of the action, walks the demon, straight at the heart of the holy ones. With one sure blow he will sink his blade
into it, putting an end to the rumor that the believers call hope.»
2 Faith
Aabadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises.
- Command

Advance
Deployment 4
Attraction 4
Slow
Tenacious

Base : Regular
Attached Weapon Hits Damage
Blunt 1 2
Or 2 3
Piercing 3 5

Unlimited 13 118
Or
Slashing
4 7
5 9
 The demonS

Flesh Demon
«Sometimes, upon a battlefield abandoned by the survivors, the rotting flesh can return
to life. Some say that this is the part that the souls of the damned leave behind when they
enter the Abyss. A pound of flesh, if you will, that the Underworld reclaims to pay for their
accommodation...
The bloody mass assembles itself without any form of organization, into a gigantic sha-
peless blob. This is how our accursed land gives birth to its own illegitimate offspring, born
from pain and from horror.
As soon as it is assembled, this machine of skin and guts reaches maturity. It
can come and go independently, and will obey orders with the diligence of a
bastard son trying to prove his worth to a spiritual father.
In fact it is true that one should not speak too closely to this parti-
cular demon, as it is most difficult to distinguish its mouth from its
anus. Obviously, any mistake in the matter will trigger general
hilarity among the present company and even the most learned
doctors do not dare attempt to do so. Besides, no-one has
ever been able to clearly establish whether these buggers
possess these two orifices or if they only have the one that
serves both purposes.
Therefore, when dealing with one, it is preferable to
avoid speaking with any unnecessary formalism. Espe-
cially as they seem to have an instinctive gift for knowing
exactly what needs to be done in every situation.
Almost as soon as one gains consciousness, it will go
running off after runaway damned ones, hunt out the
Lost, or harass the invaders.
It is a good guardian of the lands of Lucifer, especially
as its atypical shape hardly makes it able to negotiate,
and in consequence, it is impervious to sterile plotting.
Does it have a soul of its own or is it just a composite
incarnation of the memories that the living leave behind
while they are being torn apart? Yet another question that
has no answer...
For this reason, when the time comes for accomplishing
complex tasks, such as an ordered martial maneuver, there
is no point counting on one of these demons to take any ini-
tiative. Just set it upon the enemy and let it do what it’s best
at. Send it into the wake of the rank and file, and its shape and
Unlimited
stature will focus all the enemy artillery’s attention upon it. ‘Will
you look at this abomination! It is as if the guts of a giant had been
ripped out and given legs...’ That is enough to disturb, even terrify the
invaders. Let their arrows rain down on our champion! Its flesh squirms
and swells endlessly, healing its wounds quickly unless one knows the correct
12 Trooper
way to kill it.
Come unto us, oh Demons of Flesh. You are the very guts of Hell, brought to life Demon
by carnage itself.
You are the eternal left-overs of the banquet of horror held by the living on our own lands.
Follow the paths and join our companies: you are, in the very heart of battle, the shield of the Asexual
glorious Luciferians. Do your duty, go to the slaughter and spread your thousands of bloody
pieces over the chaos of the melée. This is where you came to life, and it is here that the hand of
the Master has guided you in haste. And as you slide down towards the void, honorless, the gap Satanist (Luciferian)
in the impious enemy’s ranks is growing. Their hands, mouths, ears, intestines, all their limbs,
cut loose by the empire of our flying blades, are already mixing with your disgusting remains.
Slowly, the sounds of clashing steel fall away into the distance. Who was the victor of this mer-
ciless butchery? It does not matter, for soon the enemy’s fluids, still warm from the spilling, will
return you to life again. You are the incarnation of massacre sculpted into one being. Follow Movement 4
the echo of our war-songs! Come unto us, oh Demons of Flesh.»

Aabadoth, Grand Chronicler of the Nine Irises. Shooting Skill -

Advanced
Combat 3
Deployoment 4
Ambush Defense 3
Impressive Protection 0
Regeneration 8
Life Points 8
Terror
Faith 2

Bodily Harm Hits Damage Command -

Blunt 1 2
2 3
3 5 + Stunned
4 9
119
Base : Large
5 5 + Knocked Down
 The saracenS
he Saracens
The Secrets of the Old Man
Four centuries of Saracen presence in Hell. That is
quite a long time. Imagine what the Old Man of the
Mountain did when he found out that he was no lon-
ger getting older, but instead had as long as he could
ever need to accomplish anything he set his mind to!
A whole new kingdom lay before him, to discover and
to control. Most important of all, he was now where
no other believer had ever set foot, so close to The
Truth. The gates of Heaven. There could be no other
quest greater than this, for a believer such as Hassan
ibn Al-Sabbah.
Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah therefore sent his Hashishin to
search everywhere. First in the lands around his new
fortress, then further and further a field. Hassan ibn Al-
Sabbah meticulously collected all the information they
brought back. This information constituted thousands
of maps, reports, descriptions, and charts, as well as
many studies on the flora and its medicinal or alche-
mical uses, on various types of Demons, and geological
resources, including the Prima Materia. Hassan ibn Al-
Sabbah immediately understood the importance of this
material and started working immediately on mastering
its use. All of his research and his many detailed atlases
are stored in a secret library that occupies a whole wing
of his new fortress.
Every day, new reports arrive from every corner of the
Underworld. Every day, the Old Man of the Mountain
listened as his men read them out.
After the first century, Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah had a
good notion of the different circles that make up the
Underworld, he knew of the archdemons and fallen
angels who rule over the main kingdoms, and of their
political conflicts. Still, the heavenly gates remained
unattainable. Oh, there were traces and clues, here and
there, but no proof. Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah then unders-
tood that he could not succeed in his task alone. He had
to make contact with the inhabitants of this place. So he
sent out his emissaries. Many of them never returned.
Others returned with treaties and pacts, access granted
to certain places, to certain information normally payed
for with blood. Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah had plenty of
spare lives to spend, with the arrival of the Mongols,
then the Mamluks, and then the Seljuks. While these
people where drawn to Hell in search of the Prima Mate-
ria and other sources of power and influence, all these
things were but distractions thrown out by Hassan to
keep the fools busy while he pursued his real goal.
One by one, the Muslim factions ventured out into
the lands of Hell, little knowing that the Old Man of the
Mountain had already sealed their fate with his local
121
allies. Even if they were to win their battle, their quest
for the Prima Materia would condemn them for sure.
After another century, a tough realization dawned
on the Old Man of the Mountain: he knew the Unde-
rworld better than anyone else, but he was no longer
making any progress. He was lacking something. Or
rather there was something he had lost. The purity of
his faith. Although he was still set on the same goal,
he had lost the most useful of all tools for reaching
it. It was at that time that Osman arrived. Witnessing
his unifying charisma and faithful conviction, Hassan
ibn Al-Sabbah realized that he would not be able to
control this one as he had controlled Osman’s prede-
cessors. So he chose to serve Osman, for fighting him
would only have brought about his own destruction.
Of this he was certain. It was a time to make compro-
mises... while he waited for the right opportunity.
For that was indeed what the Ottomans were for
Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah: an opportunity to continue his
quest that had ground to a halt. The Ottomans brought
with them new men, pure and honest, who were on
the same spiritual quest as himself. The Old Man of
the Mountain thought that among all this new blood,
among all these holy men, surely there would be one
whose faith was pure enough to fulfill this quest. Has-
san ibn Al-Sabbah would be right there behind him,
to thank him, and immediately claim for himself that
which he had been seeking for centuries. Hiding in his
fortress, the Old Man of the Mountain waits and listens
to the reports of his men. He bides his time. He has all
the time in the world. He plots. He knows that one day
the inevitable will occur, and he will be there.
The Hashishin and the Nizari, while commited to their
masters quest, are concerned with their progressive
loss of influence in the territories of Hell. Ottomans,
infidels, mercenaries, the coalitions of Lost Ones...
Never before had there been so many factions, so many
pawns on the chessboard. With these conditions, it was
no longer simple to maintain the same level of maneu-
verability. Thankfully, the Hashishin still had plenty of
secret knowledge that made them indispensable. But
for how much longer?
A Series of Strange Coincidences
In the case of the Ottoman Empire, as with all enligh-
tened civilizations, there are always skeletons in the
closet. As many skeletons as the lives of those lost to
one of the great epidemics that swept across Europe,
such as the outbreaks of Black Death, or small pox,
that could wipe out a whole region and empty whole
cities of their populations. That is precisely the one of
the dark secrets of the Ottoman Empire: whole cities
of people were exterminated. By what disease, may
you ask? Not the plague, nor the pox, nor even the ‘flu.
 FactionS
An even greater evil was terrorizing the Muslim world,
a world so eager for purity and immaculate faith: the
evil of corruption.
Let us go back to the beginning of this story. Alamut.
The discovery of a gate that leads to Hell,the reign of
the Prima Materia, and the development of alchemy.
One morning, the Muslim world opened its eyes to
find a source of magical energy at its disposal: The
Prime Materia. Everything became possible. From then
onwards, men of letters became obsessed with collec-
ting all the written works about magic, alchemy, and
myth. They were collecting these things in an attempt
to compile all of the useful knowledge about the subject
of magic. One day, a great vizier, whose name was for-
gotten after his quick and violent death, came across an
old tale from biblical times. It must have dated back to
the times of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The
tale told of boxes... or of chests... or of some kind of holy
ark... and of a curse that should not be awakened. The
details of the story were somewhat unclear. The vizier
met a strange end while his story was becoming the talk
of scientific and alchemical communities of the Islamic
world. However, it came about that one Sultan eventually
gathered noblemen, adventurers and scientists to take
part in an expedition to Abyssinia, the ancient kingdom
of the Queen of Sheba, to follow the tales.
Because the journey lasted for several years, the Sul-
tan had given up on the whole thing and had returned
home to count his piles of gold in his palace when a
handful of survivors returned from the adventure with
a treasure that made them extremely nervous. They
refused to speak of it with anyone but the Sultan him-
self. The survivors showed him what they had brought
back from a fortress that they had found hidden in the
very heart of the wildest mountains, guarded by the
fiercest of warriors. They told him what had become
of the rest of their companions. When they laid their
hands on the treasure, they freed an abominable thing
that should have remained locked in its prison until
the end of days. On hearing their tale, the Sultan was
struck with fear and decided, at the survivors’ request,
to hide the other parts of the treasure in a safe and
inaccessible place.
Until he could find such a safe place, the treasure
was placed in a secret room of the Sultan’s palace. This
could have been the end of the whole story if one of
the surviving members of the expedition had not been
«contaminated» by the thing they had set free. He stole
all the pieces of the treasure from the secret room kil-
ling all the guards, the inhabitants of the palace, and
the Sultan himself with some kind of violent poison
that had been slipped into the food. That was the last
that was heard of that treasure.
Soon thereafter, a young Emir, traveling through a far
away city in Persia, observed a series of strange canni-
balistic rituals. He soon found out that they were part of
a strange cult devoted to a very ancient and evil spirit.
122
The djinn had incarnated himself in the body of one of
the city’s most powerful inhabitants and had «converted»
many of the citizens to its own eating habits. Then it had
moved on to possess another body. As they had no way of
knowing behind which face the spirit was hiding, nor how
far the cannibalistic contamination had spread, the Otto-
man authorities decided to wipe out the whole city and its
inhabitants without distinction, as the Ottoman Empire
must remain immaculate and pure. The young Emir later
discovered a strange wooden box in the ruins of the city,
its seal was broken and it bore ancient inscriptions, most
likely dating back to biblical times. The experts sent to
inspect it remained perplexed . All except one who had
previously held a box similar to it, one of King Solomon’s
treasures. He knew well the meaning of the broken seal.
Someone had set free one of the evil djinns that Solomon
had imprisoned in the chest. It was also more than likely
that other chests stolen from Solomon’s treasure had also
been opened. The Emir brought this to the attention of
the highest Ottoman authorities. Inspectors were sent out
far and wide to locate the fifteen stolen boxes and attempt
to detect any behavior that could indicate the presence of
one of the djinns.
Another atrocity was soon uncovered in a city in Libya.
In this city, its inhabitants were completely given over to
the pleasures of the flesh. The Ottomans purified the
place with fire, and the inhabitants, locked behind the
city walls, were either asphyxiated or burned to death.
Another chest was found there. Some if the inspectors
found the trail of one of the survivors of the ill-fated
expedition, probably he who had slaughtered all the
inhabitants of the Sultan’s palace. The man had become
a very powerful vizier, one of the ten most important
people in the state. He had left for the Underworld...
And there he disappeared. That was the end of the trail
of stolen chests. Since then, the possible opening of ano-
ther box is a constant source of concern for the Empire.
A Quest Shared by All
The quest of the Muslim armies to the Underworld is
one that is shared by all the population of the Ottoman
Empire. There isn’t a single believer who does not feel
concerned by it. It proves, if proof was needed by the
faithful, that God is indeed there, waiting for those who
believe in him. The last step would be to find Him, the
One, or at least the path to him, the gates of Heaven.
For if there is a Hell, it stands to reason that there must
be a Heaven.
The whole of the population supports the Ottoman
armies. Not a day goes by without an Imam saying a
prayer for the men fighting in the companies Below.
Collections are organized for the crusade. Some of the
main religious figures are wondering if some kind of
fund raising should be organized, on the same model
 The saracenS
as the Zakat, the charitable obligation; one of the pillars
of Islam, but the theoretical and theological debates are
going nowhere.
In fact, this crusade seems to create debate eve-
rywhere. Everyone is talking about it: from the Berber
caravan driver to the Arab fisherman on the Red Sea to
the Turkish artisan. There is no conversation between
friends or family that does not speak of the crusade with
enthusiasm and hopefulness. Artists, poets and actors
travel the towns and villages to tell the tales of the wars
of the Underworld. Every popular song speaks of it.
Still, every substantial donation towards the funding
of the crusade is greeted with a collective prayer of
thanks at the mosque. Some are even prouder of their
donations for the crusade than they are of having com-
pleted the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Many young
Muslims rush to the recruiting offices to sign up for
the armies Below. The demand is such that the candi-
dates are submitted to a strict selection process. Every
young Muslim hopes to be the first to meet the One,
or to open the gates of Heaven (with the added plea-
sure of having slaughtered a few demons and infidels
along the way).
The whole of the Muslim population, Sunni and Shiite,
from the Atlantic coast to the shores of India, is united
by this crusade. It is a terrific drive that crystallizes all the
hopes of the population, as they wait for the great news:
the first encounter with the One. Another positive aspect
of the crusade is the amount of riches that are brought
back from the Underworld. With special concern for the
Prima Materia that has now been in use for a long time
in many domains. In addition, we also bring back plants,
essences, and waters from Below.
If the crusade in Hell is a spiritual quest that mobilizes
and unites the people, the commercial activity that it
produces has led the Ottoman Empire into something of
a golden age, where social and religious peace now rule.
Islam, the Force of Purity as an
Antidote
A new mystery has everyone puzzled. While all the
people encountered in the Underworld carry asto-
nishing stigmata and suffer from strange afflictions, the
Muslims Below do not seem to be affected. Miracu-
lously spared, one should say. Learned men everywhere
wonder at this curious phenomenon.
The answer, however, is simple: it is their faith that
protects the Muslims. A young faith, one where purity
and fear of corruption are two sides of the same coin.
This makes it even stronger. Purity is omnipresent in
the life of the faithful: from the daily ablutions to purify
the body to the avoidance of any «impure» thoughts
during the month of Ramadan, from the gesture, the
action, to the thought, the intention. The youthfulness
123
of Islam means that its followers are more involved,
more attentive to their faith.
What’s more, the believers who depart for the Unde-
rworld (or at least, the vast majority of them) do so as
if they were leaving on a pilgrimage to Mecca. They
consider it as an act of faith, as their duty as a Muslim.
The commercial opportunities that occur on the way
are secondary. They go to explore (and to cleanse) the
lands Below. And if they find a treasure on the way,
they take it. In fact, these riches and their exploitation
are severely regulated.
The Muslims who venture there have tremendous res-
pect and fear for that which lies in Hell. Only «available»
items are brought back, those that can be collected wit-
hout the need for tool or machine. Exploiting the Unde-
rworld is quite out of the question. Hell cannot be treated
as a land of Islam. Thus, only what is lying around can be
carried away. This does reduce the range of exploitable
riches, but it also reduces the corrupting grip of the Unde-
rworld on the Muslims who travel through it.
Furthermore, the quantities brought back are rigorously
recorded. Each individual is not permitted to return
with more than a rucksack of infernal produce, and he
must give thirty percent of it to the army before passing
through the gate of Alamut back into the world Above.
This percentage is then sold and the money raised goes to
finance the upkeep of the military infrastructures Below:
forts, outposts, caravans...
In this way, no-one can really make their fortune in
Hell. They can merely bring back enough to provide
a little well-earned comfort for the veterans and their
families. In fact, very few «honest» merchants will trade
in infernal goods, even if the profits can be substantial.
The Progress of the Spiritual Quest
So far, we have not yet discovered any physical traces
of the existence of the First Being, no tracks that could
lead us to the gates of Heaven. However there are a few
clues and testimonials that are quite disturbing.
For example, the army that invaded Ampharaus made
quite a strange discovery. In the ruins of what had been a
large city, one with very sophisticated architecture, quite
different to the usual demonic dwellings, an Imam found
carvings that represented a gigantic shining gate that lead
to some kind of dream land. Undoubtedly, this showed
the gate to Heaven. The Imam had the stone carvings car-
ried back by his men so they could be examined by a
group of experts. At this point in time, the carvings have
not revealed their secret, nor given any indication as to the
location of this gate.
Other buildings with a similar architectural style -
roughly fifteen in total - were discovered later on in the
circles of Aussonia and Thebes, although they were of
much smaller size. There too carvings were found and
 FactionS
brought back. They have elements in common with the
ones found in the ruins of Ampharaus, but they do not
refer to the great shining gates at all. The scholars think
that these smaller structures may have been relays,
stages on the road to the great city. But then, what was
the purpose of the great ruined city? Are there others
to be found, greater still?
Other buildings with a similar architectural style - rou-
ghly fifteen in total - were discovered later on in the
circles of Aussonia and Thebes, although they were of
much smaller size. There too carvings were found and
brought back. They have elements in common with the
ones found in the ruins of Ampharaus, but they do not
refer to the great shining gates at all. The scholars think
that these smaller structures may have been relays,
stages on the road to the great city. But then, what was
the purpose of the great ruined city? Are there others to
be found, greater still?
The most spectacular of these events are chance
encounters with historic and great Islamic figures. There
are three that have been authenticated by religious autho-
rities. In Thebes, a battalion of dibukkim cleansed a nest
of demons who were guarding some kind of necropolis.
In its center stood a pyramid, and at its summit, a man
was held prisoner. He was no other than Hussein the
Martyr, son of Ali, the founder of the Shiite branch of
Islam. The Martyr, having called for the eradication of
evil, disappeared during the night.
Next, a caravan came across Abdel Qader Gilani, Sufi
master of the Qadiriyya, who offered to teach his mem-
bers the art of ittihad, the total communion with God.
Then he disappeared after the meditation.
Finally, Imam Bukhari, who wrote the Sahih Bukhari,
was seen by a group of Berber scouts inside a gigan-
tic arch-shaped structure made of onyx, on the frontier
between Ampharaus and Aussonia. The arch was covered
in thousands of Kabbalistic signs. The Imam demanded
that they be copied and studied. Then he disappeared.
Undoubtedly a clue to be deciphered. However, so far,
nothing has come from it. Other holy figures of Islam
have reportedly been seen in various places, although
only so much credit can be granted to these reports.
The Muslim Presence in Hell
For four centuries now, the Muslims have been pre-
sent in the Underworld and they have been far from
idle. In the beginning there were the Hashishin and the
Nizari. They rebuilt their fortress in Ampharaus. This
new fortress is just as inexpugnable as the original. Its
daunting height and size make it all the more impressive
that it is the first military building that the Muslims see
when they arrive Below. Unfortunately, they can only
pass it by. By virtue of the agreement between Has-
san ibn Al-Sabbah and the Ottoman authorities, only
124
the Hashishin and the Nizari can enter the fortress. Of
course, guests are occasionally invited to enter if the
Old Man of the Mountain wishes to see them but this is
a rather exceptional occurrence.
The other pivotal point of the Muslim occupation is
Al-Aqsa, a city built in the circle of Ampharaus, near the
passage to Kohut. The military staff of the armies cur-
rently active in the Underworld is based here. Although
it includes a souk, a mosque, a hamam and a hospital, it
is most of all a garrison town where the soldiers come
to receive their orders, fetch supplies or spend their per-
missions. Unlike what can be seen in New Jerusalem,
here you will find no vice, no insecurity. Just a haven of
peace... with all the material needed to wage a war. Al-
Aqsa is also home to a circle of alchemists and a scien-
tific laboratory that welcomes all scholars who journey
to Hell for their research. It is also to Al-Aqsa that the
bodies of the dead warriors are brought. There, they
are prepared for burial in Islamic soil, in the cemeteries
around Alamut. Indeed, a Muslim cannot be buried in
non-Islamic soil. If a leader was to abandon the bodies
of his fallen men, you can be sure that no Muslim will
ever follow him anywhere again. And no one would
blame them for it.
Fortified outposts make up a regular network of halts
for caravans and troops on the move. These outposts
are designed to be able to resist a siege and house a
full regiment. They are the nervous system of the Mus-
lim occupation. Through them travel both information
and supplies, and they provide an easily defensible safe
place. They are spread out along the paths that lead to
the passages between the infernal circles.
In addition to these outposts, the Muslims have also
established a system of nomadic camps that allow
troops to patrol the dangerous areas and keep track of
the movements of the infernal armies. These troops also
patrol the roads used by the Ottoman supply caravans
to assure their security.
Beside Al-Aqsa, there are a few strongholds with ela-
borate defensive systems in Thebes and Aussonia. They
all have ramparts, moats, a field hospital, and a small
mosque. During Ramadan, the troops on campaign take
it in turns to come to these outposts for a day of prayer.
They are usually also the ending point of the caravan
routes until another outpost is established elsewhere in
the circles of Hell.
The Ottoman armies are very well organized, and
their structured logistics are the base of their success
in the Underworld. Not only is everything planned from
a military point of view, but also from a religious one.
Their soldiers are never short of physical food on a daily
basis, but neither do they want of food for the soul.
The Muslims are both soldiers and believers: ablutions,
prayers, fasting... All these moments are planned as part
of their daily routine. When a soldier arrives in Hell
he is given a basic kit, including a small prayer mat, a
travel-sized Qur’an (that can be slipped inside the belt
 The saracenS
or carried around the neck in a special pouch), a vial of
holy water from Mecca (water from the Zemzem) and
a key (the key to the gates of Heaven, a small reminder
of the spiritual quest that drives them all). Even the
traditions have been adapted to life below: it is difficult
to turn towards Mecca for prayers when in Hell, where
that direction is impossible to locate. So the prayers are
performed in the direction of the nearest passage: logi-
cally, the quickest route if one was to set out for Mecca.
In the same way, the bodies of fallen soldiers are never
left behind in Hell.
125
The only dark cloud in the sky of the Ottoman armies
is the return of the veterans to Earth. When signing
up, they can choose between a service of ten or twenty
years, though most everyone signs a first contract of ten
years. However they do not grow any older while in the
Underworld. When they return home after their service,
everything has changed, except them. Some even return
to find their whole family gone. Those who are lucky
enough to still have family feel very uncomfortable living
with an aging wife and fully grown children while they
haven’t aged a day. So they return to fight in Hell and
stay there forever.
 FactionS

Salâh ad-Dîn, Redeemer of the Believers

For a time all was ash, dust, darkness, and deprivation. I can’t tell how long my mind wandered bereft of my body, spin-
ning inwards towards the darkness befuddled by mirages. Was I alive? Dead? I had no idea. My brain swam with visions
of my sick bed, then visions of my victories, then plains of blood and fire where I new not my name. Time seemed to have
no meaning and I was certain that I was dying or already dead. How long I continued in this state I couldn’t say.
Then one day I awoke here in Hell. Everything seemed to fall back into place and I remembered everything. My
life, my death, my time in Hell, I remembered everything. Realizing I was in Hell, I despaired, for I thought that
Officer I had lived a virtuous and righteous life in the eyes of Allah. I bent my back to the toil and torture that the
jinn heap upon the damned. For quite some time I lost myself in the punishment thinking it my destiny. Then
news started to spread within the ranks of the damned, that had reason enough to remember and tell such
Damned One tales, that mortal men had found a way to hell.
As I contemplated such a thing, I became convinced that being sent to Hell was merely a test of
my resolve and purity. If mortals could travel from above to below then why could the damned
Male not return above, or to Heaven? These things merely required determination and the proper
reverence for and certainty of Allah’s greatness. Perhaps all mortals find themselves in Hell
after their death, and only the truly worthy who continue to practice their faith will be
Muslim (Sunni) admitted to Heaven. A fairly radical idea I admit, but who of us is to know the will
of the Almighty?
I resolved immediately to seek out these mortals as soon as I could, and began
Mentalist to work out ways to escape from the jinn that had been my tormentors.
At this point Salâh looked away and seemed lost in thought for a moment.
Needless to say getting away presented challenges but I felt alive and
motivated again and nothing was going to stop me. Eventually I saw
the opportunity and used violence to slip away. Many of the other
Unique damned could have accompanied me but they didn’t seem to have
the will to strike out on their own. I wandered for a short while,
but finding the intruders was actually much easier than I had
thought it would be. Imagine my surprise to find the Nizari
5 Movement and the old man here in Hell! We talked and I found that
the old man shared some of my ideas about why we where
all here. I joined the quest to find the gates of Heaven
- Shooting Skill and have been working toward that goal for quite some
time now. Hell is a peculiar place and I have seen and
learned many wonderous and horrible things. Heed
6 Combat my words, our quest is far from over, it is still only
beginning.
Salâh ad-Dîn’s account of how he came to be
4 Defense in Hell, as gathered by the personal scribe of
Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah
3 Protection
Orders
The Roll of Mercy
14 Life Points
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Uni-
que - Salâh ad-Dîn resurrects a muslim
3 Faith
trooper that was killed previously this
game. Put the trooper back on the batt-
6 Command
lefield within 6 fathoms of Salâh ad-Dîn.
The trooper can’t be placed within the
control area of, or in contact with, an
enemy unit and can’t be in impassable
terrain. The resurrected unit is waiting,
can be activated later in the turn, and is
treated as a new unit entering the game.

70 Awakening of the Earth

Passive • 1 Permanent CMD - All of the scenery that is in the same zone of
the battlefield as Salâh ad-Dîn is destroyed. The entirety of Salâh ad-Dîn’s base
must be in the zone for the scenery to be destroyed. Scenery elements specifically linked to the
Charisma 2 scenario that is being played aren’t destroyed.

Fast 2  elluric Movements

T
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD - Target 2 free enemy units with the same sized base, within
Fury 10 fathoms of Salâh ad-Dîn. Swap the positions of the 2 targeted units. The enemy officer

Immunity (Knocked Down) can’t be targeted by this order.

 ae
V soli  ae
V victis
Levitation
Aura
Telluric Waves Hits Damage
Easement
Permanent • 10 Fathom Radius • Muslims with 1+ FTH
Blunt 1 2
Muslim units with a FTH of 1 or greater within the area of effect of this aura, ignore
2 4 + Slowed
3 6 + Stunned the effects of the wounded state.


4 8 + Knocked Down
5 9 + Devoured
126 Base : Extra Large
 The saracenS

Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad, Emir

«May the Almighty, the Great One, be my witness: I, Youssef, soldier of the Lord in the lands of
Hell, swear that there is no soul nobler or purer than that of Emir Nazir. Every day that Allah brings
where I wake up in his service, I can find only praise for him. If today I am the arms and legs of the
Emir, if I carry him on my shoulders from dawn to dusk, if I protect him from all dangers, that is for
me the greatest of honors. I will personally cut out the tongue of the first son of a dog who dares to Officer
say a foul word about this great man.

I have served under the Emir since he arrived in Hell. We all knew that there was only one reason Human
for his presence Below: to have the joy of meeting the First One by fighting against Iblis, as every
devout believer should. He had already fought against evil back on Islamic soil. He had traveled to
places barely touched by the teachings of the Prophet, to eradicate the filthy pagan cults to creatures
Male
of the Evil One. Already he sensed the presence of Iblis and that had only multi-
plied his faith in God. He understood that his mission was calling him elsewhere:
Below. So he assembled his troops, selecting only the most devout among the
Muslim (sunni)
devout. A body of only brave men, loyal and ready to fight. He chose his friends,
his brothers, and their sons!
Unfortunately, the deeper we ventured into the lands of evil, the more our
sanity was tested by the scenes we were witnessing: Demons, Lost Ones, night- Movement 4
marish creatures, obscenities, and more. Every time we lost someone for whom Charisma 3
we cared the Emir wept! He wept until his eyes burned and every time he asked,
«How many more do we have to lose, O Allah?» Expertise Shooting Skill -
-
After a particularly bloody encounter that sorely tested our faith, the Emir
feared he would lose his mind after all the horrors he had seen. He gathered us all
Healer 5 Combat 5
together after the last prayer and told us of his decision. He asked me to sit at his
right, and said: «So as to no longer see in the darkness but the light of Allah, I will
Leader 4

Defense 3
ask of Youssef, whose hand is steady and whose faith is pure, to burn out my eyes
with my scimitar, heated until it is white hot.» With a heavy heart, I accepted to do
Tenacious 2

so. I was precise. I felt the flesh melt. Not a single cry came from the Emir’s mouth.
Just two words...
Protection 0
«Thank you!»
It was at that moment that I became his closest servant, closer than anyone else could Life Points 16
ever be. 4
However, all force and power is of Allah. To show his gratitude for the purity of the Emir’s
faith, God gave him another gift to compensate for the loss of his vision. Faith 3
2
From that day, the Emir has guided us, riding on my shoulders. Sometimes, he stops me by
squeezing my shoulder and I shiver in anticipation: he can often sense attacks in advance. What Command 5
he could guess before on Earth, he can now sense here in Hell and prepare the response like a chess
player. Rare are the occasions where the enemy, be they demon or damned, have been able to catch us
off guard. It is as if he could see what was going to happen. From now on, for him, the only priority
is to preserve the lives of his men. He doesn’t want to lose even a single one more. If ever any of us
was to fall down onto one knee, wounded by the enemy, he will ask me to hurry him to their side. I
will carry him to the injured, lower him down to their side, and Nazir will lean down towards them.
A new miracle will then take place: a single verse of the holy book, whispered by the Emir
will be enough to bring a wounded man back to his feet. Although I have witnessed
this many dozens of times, I always have the feeling that it is the voice of God
himself that speaks through the lips of our Emir.
If the First One accepts to meet a single believer down here in the
Underworld, I would wager my place in Heaven that He would
choose to meet with Emir Nazir.»

Orders
In cha’Allah
Active • 3 Permanent CMD • Unique
Allied Muslim units, except Nazir himself,
gain +2 DEF, to a maximum of 6, during the
next attack sequence, except explosions or
blasts, they are involved in.
Vae soli
Vae victis

Heavy Scimitar Hits Damage

Slashing 1 3
2 5
3 3 + Stunned Unique


4 9
5 11
127 38 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Layla bint Suraya bint Javaira, Princess

In the humid and stifling heat of the hamam, the women of the harem were taking care of themselves. Fatima,
lounging by the side of the pool, called out to one of the concubines.
«Oda, by the One above, by the Almighty, have pity on our boredom. Tell us of the princess Layla.»
«Again?» she protested. «May Allah be kind and spare me having to tell that whole tale again!»
«Oh Oda, do tell! Please, Oda, please tell us the story!» came the answering calls from the other bathers.
Officer Oda gave a weary shrug, admitting her defeat, and began her tale, a wide smile upon her lips.
«Princess Layla bint Suraya bint Javaira, may Allah watch over her, was a young lady, as beautiful and as sparkling
as the stars in the heavens. Her eyes were like emeralds stolen from the most precious of all antique treasures, her skin
Human was as soft as the silk of Alexandria, her ebony hair cascaded down over her fine shoulders, as light as the wind itself,
and the sound of her voice as she sang was as clear and refreshing as falling rain on a baking hot day. Her mind was
as remarkable as her body: in his great kindness, Allah had given her a sharp intelligence and an exceptional gift for
the arts. She also possessed a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the most advanced scientific texts, as well
Female as an innate mastery of the major arts of painting, poetry and music. She was courted by all the greatest and richest
princes of the whole Empire.
To the great dismay of her parents, there was only one dream in her heart: to emulate the greatest general of all the
Muslim (Sunni) believers, the famous Saladin... Yet this was of course out of the question for a female, and a princess of royal blood
all the more. After having cried, screamed and threatened to get her way, she decided to run away from her parents’
palace. Dressed as a man, she managed to fool the Pillars of the Faith who guarded the gates of her parents’ home.
Infernalist 2/2 She then rode all the way to Baghdad, and lived a thousand adventures on the way, but I shall tell you more of them
some other time, my sisters.
When she finally presented herself to the recruiting officer, he made fun of her shape; too thin, too fragile. Her dream
should have shattered there and then. However determination was greater. She wandered through the streets of Baghdad.
Her feet finally took her past the barracks of Al-Jawad. There on the doorstep, a young nobleman was crying: his parents

Unique wanted him to enter the service of General Al-Jawad, but he wished only to become a poet. His family would be covered
in shame if he did not fulfill his duty. Layla offered to take his place: thus, he could go and live out his passion of poetry,
and she could become a soldier while his family’s name was upheld and honored. He accepted her offer gladly and gave
her his credentials before leaving with a light heart, reciting poetry at the top of his voice.
Layla managed to keep her secret inside the barracks. Alone, the tale of the tricks she used to hide her true identity
6 Movement from her companions in arms would be enough to fill many an evening of story-telling. As she had done all her life,
5 Layla once again stood out from the crowd. No other warrior could equal her mastery of the saber, no horseman could
reach as symbiotic a relationship with his horse. So it was that Layla finally joined the staff of the great military
- Shooting Skill strategist Akim Al-Jawad.
-
Allah had blessed Akim with the same gifts he had bestowed on Layla, He had made him as intelligent as
she was beautiful, as athletic as she was intellectual. He was loved by his men for his infallible loyalty and
5 Combat his tactics that always aimed to spare as many lives as possible. He was loved by all for his generosity
4

4 Defense
Charisma which was most honorable as one of the essential pillars of his faith, and for his devotion to the glory
of Allah which knew no boundaries. Many tales were already told of his exploits, both on the batt-
lefield and in the bedroom. He came from an ancient and noble family that had unfortunately
3
Dodge 2 been ruined because of its misplaced faith in the goodness of human beings. Akim grew up
along side those who would later become his soldiers, and this was probably why so few
0 Protection Expertise other generals of the Empire could claim to know their men as well as he. From his
youngest years, he showed talent for fighting and strategy. At the age of twenty, he
12 Life Points
5
Elusive had already been noticed and was commanding a company of over one hundred
men, at thirty he was leading over a thousand armed soldiers.

2 Faith
Fast 3 Layla and Akim soon developed a master-disciple relationship. He taught
her his most secret techniques and most surprising ploys, and passed on to
1
Runaway her his instinct for war tactics. After a while, their relationship became
more intimate, and they both felt attracted to one another. Unaware
5 Command that his disciple was not male, Akim was most disturbed by his urges
and feared that he had become a sodomite. Riddled with guilt, he
sought to expiate his vice. One night, he sent Layla to deliver a
message far away from the barracks, assembled his most faithful
men and left for Hell to there purge himself of this perversion.
He has not returned to this day.
Upon returning, Layla was torn apart by worry, but she
finally learned what had happened to her master. It didn’t
take her long to guess the reasons that could have led
Akim to choose that course of action. She enlisted in
the troops leaving for Hell, to search for Akim. After
only a very short time, Layla was raised to head her
own company and won victory upon victory. There,
in the middle of nowhere, she stumbled across the
man whose identity she had borrowed, the poet. His
own lie had ruined his life, and he had fallen into a
life of depravity and ended his life in a mad-house:
for did he not claim to be a famous officer of Al-
Jawad, while all the time he was dressed in rags and
reciting impious poems? Death came to him as a
deliverance. He began a new life in Hell as a lemure.
As soon as he set eyes on Layla again, he became
attached to her and taught her the spells that would
allow her to control other creatures like himself.
He was undoubtedly trying to redeem himself by
continuing to help the princess to accomplish her
destiny. In the end he disappeared again... into the
jaws of a hungry panther.
Nowadays, Layla’s fame is such that she has
finally revealed her true sex. The devotion of her
troops has only risen. At first, they thought they
were in the presence of a houri, a holy beauty ren-
dered into flesh. Layla told them her story and they
realized she owed her victories to her talent and her

58
faith alone. Since then, she has traveled through more

Base : Extra Large 128

 The saracenS

circles than many hashishin; she has met archdukes of Hell so far away that they do
not even know of the human presence in Hell.
Her wanderings took her to the frozen lands where no being, human or demon,
could survive more than a few short hours; to burning lands so hot that a single breath
of wind can set light to hair and clothing; to the darkest necropolises that are forever
hidden from all light; to lands so evil and so beautiful that only the most fervent of
believers can find the strength of will to bring themselves to leave again.
The «warrior beauty» seems to fascinate her adversaries, which leads them into
the traps she sets for them with an uncanny ease. It is whispered that Akim died,
killed by a demon lord. Layla believes that he has found the gates of Heaven and
that he is there, waiting for her.»

Orders
Proof of Devotion
Active • 3 CMD • Unique
An allied unit that has already been acti-
vated within 6 fathoms of Layla, is now
waiting (yes this means that the unit can
be activated again later in the turn).
Great Strategist
2 Permanent CMD • Unique
This order can only be given during the
upkeep phase. During the following action
phase, you decide which units will be acti-
vated. Even when your opponent would
choose which model they want to activate,
you do so instead. The dominant player
still decides which company must activate
a unit first (though you decide which unit
that will be), and you must alternate acti-
vation between companies as normal. Your
opponent can’t use Vae Soli orders or skip
their activation due to being outnumbered while
this order is in effect. You can’t choose the enemy
officer to be activated with this order, and your oppo-
nent may choose to activate their officer on one of their acti-
vation’s, if they do you can’t overrule this.
Vae soli
Vae victis
Spells
Grudge
Residual
As long as the lemure this spell was cast through is in play, all allied units within
3 fathoms of it get Arch-Enemy (Enemy Units) 2, as long as they’re within this spell’s
area of effect.
Boots of Lead
Vanished
This spell targets an enemy unit in contact with the lemure. The target of this
spell suffers a penalty of -1 DEF until the end of its next activation. The target of this
spell can’t move during its next activation for any reason. no effect or ability can be
used to move the target of this spell until the end of its next activation.
Breath of Life
Residual
As long as the lemure this spell was cast through is in play, allied units within 3
fathoms of it get Regeneration 2, as long as they’re within this spell’s area of effect.

Scimitar Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5
4 7
5 9
129
 FactionS

Tarik ibn Malik ibn Rushd, Prince

with Hunting Eagle
Request from vizier Sidi Mohammed ibn Moktar:
The vizier would like to bring to the attention of the council the despicable actions of an officer at the head of a company engaged in the lands of Hell.

Tarik / Eagle Indeed, Prince Tarik ibn Malik ibn Rushd is guilty of assassinating the Emir in charge of the protection of the city of Oman. The Emir had decided to
forbid his stay in the city: the Prince and his men having a reputation for debauchery that had preceded them, the Emir wished to avoid the risk of
compromising the morals of the city. He rode out to meet Tarik’s troops as they approached Oman, blocking their route. The Emir asked him to

Officer Animal change his city of destination. Tarim answered that Allah alone could make him change his course, that there was not a man alive who could
tell him where to go and anyone who tried was about to die.
The Emir didn’t back down, and told him that if it was Allah’s will that he should die, then so be it, he was ready. The Prince

Human Asexual answered that he too was ready. The Emir stepped forward to begin the duel and dropped dead after single thrust of Tarik’s
sword, even though he himself was known as the best swordsman of the whole city. The garrison of Oman surrendered
immediately. The Sultan gave up hope and handed the keys of his capital to Tarik and his men. The Prince threw the
Male Unbeliever Sultan into his own dungeon.
These events were followed by a week of troubles for the sultanate, during which vice and violence entered a
seemingly endless escalation. Then a messenger arrived from Medina, announcing the arrival of an army
Muslim (Sunni) Mentalist sent to dispatch the Prince. Tarik and his men fled, having told the messenger that if his masters
wished to find the Prince they would have to search through Hell itself. For the arrogant duelist,
who had not found a single man on Islamic soil who could prove a suitable rival, was now

Base : Regular / Regular convinced that no son of Adam could withstand him, so he had to search among the
demons for an adversary to match his talent. We cannot tolerate that any man, Prince
though he may be, be allowed to violate the pillars of Islam and run to seek refuge

Unique / Associated (Tarik) in the Underworld to avoid punishment, feeding his frenzy for duels on the way.
For all these crimes, the vizier demands the Prince’s head.
The response of the council was as follows:
The council has taken into account the request of the noble vizier.
Tarik : May he be aware that many other personalities share his views on the
future of the Prince. Indeed, Tarik’s debt is considerable, and it is
Charisma quite likely that he be destined to Hell himself, if Allah so wishes.
However, he is still under tight surveillance. Though he is being

Counter attack watched, with Allah’s protection, he has accumulated many

victories in Hell, slaying many powerful demons with his own

Elusive blade... As well as several infidel leaders. In fact, the council

has a collection of heads of the servants of Iblis that Tarik

Erratic Movement has sent back. The Prince also has one of the lowest injury
and death rates for his company, for he fights all his

Man-at-Arms 2 battles by dueling with the enemy leaders. This avoids

many a useless loss of life, and is very good for the

Rapid Strike morale of the troops down Below. The council also has
in its possession a signed promise from the Prince to
(defense) not return to Earth until he has defeated every single
archdemon and offered their heads to Allah. Until that

Eagle : day, or until he dies, Prince Tarik remains under

the protection of the council.

Elusive Excerpt from the minutes of the High Islamic

Harmless Council of the Infernal Lands.

Insignificant Orders
Invulnerable  ritical Hit
C
Levitation Passive • 2 Permanent CMD
This order can only be given
Maverick at the beginning of a combat sequence. Until the end of

Tarik / Eagle 70/0 the turn, an enemy unit engaged by Tarik will have a DEF of 3
(Modifiers won’t change this).
 lood
B of a K ing
Reactive - If the enemy officer is killed while in contact with
4 Movement 8
3 Tarik, and Tarik survives the current turn, you win the game
regardless of what the normal victory conditions are.
- Shooting Skill -
-  econd Breath
S
1 CMD - This order can only be used immediately after Tarik kills an enemy
7 Combat -
6 unit. Tarik recovers a number of LP equal to the killed unit’s printed CBT.

4 Defense 6  ae
V soli  ae
V victis
3

2 Protection 0 Enchanted
Scimitar Hits Damage
Hunting Eagle
12 2
1
Life Points Slashing 1 3
2 4
ura A
2 Faith - Aura of Distraction
1
3 6 + Stunned Temporary • Passive • 3 Fathom Radius • Lingering
4 8 + Pain Units within the area of effect of this aura can’t give or
4 Command - 5 10 receive orders. Tarik is immune to this aura’s effect.
 The saracenS

Chams al Majid, Djinn

Ali served the tea to the men sitting around the camp fire. Even in Hell, the nights are cold. A little way away, a few caravan
drivers were catching up on the prayers that had been missed during the day because of the forced march. Ali gave the sentinels
a worried glance. Sayid noticed the fear in his eyes.
«Do not worry, brother,» he murmured, blowing on his steaming mug, «for tonight, Allah has given to us the greatest of all gifts.»
Ali raised his eyebrows.
«What are you talking about, Sayid? Even the purest of believers is not safe in these cursed lands.»
Indépendent
«Ah, yes, but we have more than just our faith to protect us!» answered Sayid, «We have Chams al Magid, a djinn who has
heard the voice of God. He has been following our caravan since we arrived in Hell. I know it, I can feel it.» Djinn
Sayid swallowed another sip. Truly, the tea really did taste quite different here than it did on the surface. He grimaced at the
taste, before continuing. «I have already seen this djinn at work when we were attacked by the damned. They had fallen upon
us as we were setting up our camp. We were caught off guard, and prone to panic. In
Asexual
a whirl of wind, he appeared between us and our attackers. His body was made of the
sand of the desert of Rub Al-khali from whence he came. May Allah burn off my beard
if I lie: he used his own body to protect us from the enemy’s attack, turning away their
Muslim
spears and their ammunition. Under his protection, the wind carried to us reassuring
murmurs that we soon recognized as the words of the prophet.» Mentalist
«The words of the prophet?» Ali’s mouth was as wide open as his gaping mouth.
He looked around at the other members of the caravan. No-one seemed to share his
surprise nor wish to contradict Sayid. Movement 6
Sayid put his cup down on the ground. An embarrassed silenced was hanging
over the group. Sayid looked at Ali, looked him straight in the eyes. The younger man
lowered his gaze under the veteran’s stare. Sayid continued in a most solemn tone of Shooting Skill -
voice. «The presence of Chams multiplied our courage. Better still, as if we were carried
by a warm gust of wind, our feet hardly touched the ground, we were flying towards our
enemies like eagles. I felt as if I was walking on a flying carpet!» Combat 4
Sayid let out a loud laugh. The others were silent, concentrated as they were on his tale.
Ali had finally gone to sit with the others around the fire. «After we had finished off the last of
our attackers, Chams came to us and told us his story. He was a spirit of the desert of Rub, but Defense 5
a magician had condemned him to spend all eternity locked inside a jar, buried in the desert.
That would have been his destiny if a caravan driver hadn’t found the jar and released him. The Protection 0
caravan driver was on his way to the Underworld. So, to thank him, Chams Al-Majid vowed to
protect the troops of Allah in Hell for seven thousand, seven hundred and seventy seven days. Since Intangible
then, he has followed our convoys and appears whenever we are in danger.» Life Points 12
Sayid pulled up his blanket, wished his comrades a good night, checked that his scimitar was
close to hand and turned over onto his side. The other men soon did the same. Only Ali remained
awake. He was staring intently at the hill. By Allah, there were verses of The Voyage from the Qur’an Faith 3
coming from the whirlwind!

Command -
Auras
Aura of Inspiration
Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Lingering • Muslims
Muslim units gain +1 CBT.
Aura of protection
Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Muslims
Muslim units within the area of effect of this aura can’t be
the target of a ranged attack. A unit using an explosive
weapon cannot target a spot inside the area of effect
of the Aura of Protection. This aura does not protect
from blast-type weapons.
Aura of Speed
Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Instant •
Muslims
Until the end of the turn Muslim units that
where within the area of effect of this aura when
it was triggered may move up to 3 fathoms at
the beginning of their activation. This move is
not taken into account in the calculation of the
total distance covered by the unit during its
activation (and so in the determination of its
action). A unit may only be affected once per
turn by an Aura of Speed (no stacking).

Scimitar Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5 Unique
25
4 7
5 9 131 Base : large
 FactionS

Fatina, Houri
The Archduke cast a displeased look at the demon chained at the wrist to the stone floor. He gave him such a blow with the
back of his hand that it ripped the demon’s arm clean off. It screamed. The Archduke smiled.
«Speak now and tell me the reasons for your defeat against that company of humans that are called Muslims.»
Behind him, nightmarish creatures were already devouring the severed arm. Others were waiting for a better piece of meat.
Independent None, however, dared to come forwards to claim their part.
«The enemies were praying when we attacked. Despite our first charge, they resisted. Many of them began to chant phrases
in that strange foreign speech of theirs. I know little of it, but I think it was yet more holy talk. They were undoubtedly praying
Houri to their God to spare their lives even though they were fighting like lions. Their faith seems to know no limit when they are
about to die and outnumbered. Then everything changed. The woman! She appeared in the middle of the battle, as if by some
enchantment. Was she already there? In disguise? Hidden by the soldiers? Or did she fall from Above, invoked by their prayers,
Female called by their faith? In any case, at that exact moment, it was as if a blinding flash of lightning had fallen from the sky. The
woman was surrounded by an aura so powerful that it held us back. Blinded us. I immediately sensed that she was a danger
to us, a threat. She was only clothed with thin veils, but none of our attacks seemed to touch her... Ah the unbearable light!
Muslim (Sunni) Although a only few seconds before, my men had been reaping the lives of these pitiful humans like a harvest of wheat, now
she walked among them and they were rising to their feet again, as if fascinated by this frail creature. ‘Fatina! Fatina!’ they
cried as she passed by. «Show us the way, open the gates of Heaven for us!» they said, following in her footsteps, only to charge
5 Movement and die at her feet. She did not need to speak to be obeyed. She simply pointed to a crack in our lines, or designated a target
among us, and the Muslims immediately understood the maneuver to accomplish her given task. In this way they took our
most precious men from us, my officers, my veterans... Oh they were dying too, of course. When the men fell down, there at
- Shooting Skill her feet, she whispered a few words or gave them the lightest of touches. From that moment they would still be dying, but in
pure unadulterated ecstasy.
Suddenly, despair changed sides. Their living banner, made all of grace and sweetness, stood there in the midst of the men,
- Combat as they roared as if they were of one soul, and charged in the most perfect of counter-attacks that wiped us out in an instant.»
The Archduke grabbed the demon by the throat. He picked him up off the ground and crushed his windpipe, making a
disgusting noise. The demon gave up what soul he had left. The Archduke continued to squeeze until the demon’s head became
6 Defense detached from his body. The nightmarish courtesans rushed towards the cadaver, some squabbling for the head, others
fighting for a hand or a foot. The Archduke watched the show, lost in his own thoughts. «Damned divine female!» he
0 Protection muttered. A houris! This wasn’t the first time he had heard word of these women. The stories seemed to become more
and more frequent. How to be rid of these houris? The Archduke knew there must be a solution to this problem... But
what could it be?
3 Life Points

3 Faith Orders
R eceiving the Believers
0 Command Whenever a non-insignificant allied unit dies within 10 fathoms
Charisma of Fâtina, she gets +1 CMD until the end of the game. The CMD
point gained is immediately added to the company’s CMD
Harmless pool.
Invulnerable Divine Intervention
Free • 3 Permanent CMD
Base : Regular When an enemy unit within 8 fathoms of Fâtina
would roll dice to attack during a combat sequence,
they don’t instead, making it a one sided attack.
This order can’t be used on a unit attacking
Fâtina.

Unique 25 132
 The saracenS

Jafar al Efrit, Evil Djinn

The soldier Eisenberg was constantly lost deep in the darkest confusion, and would panic at the sight of
even the smallest flame. The right hand side of his face still bore the fresh scars of his burns, as if it had mel-
ted like a wax mask. His singed hair had grown back in compact tufts. He looked like the descriptions that
have been made of some of the Lost of the Underworld. He was a frightening sight to behold. All day and
night he would scream, scream until his vocal cords gave in, «Jafar! Jafar!».
Sometimes, after vespers, when the room was again in darkness, he would become calmer and would tell
of his encounter with his torturer. I had great difficulty taking any notes on his story. Even a
simple candle to see by would make him nervous.
Eisenberg and his company had been ordered to take a small fort of Moham-
medans, an easy target where victory seemed almost guaranteed. The attack
was brutal and took them by surprise. The fortifications crumbled rapidly.
The imperial forces had no problem entering the fort, slaughtering
everyone they encountered. Then the Muslims organized a retreat to
a more solid building, a mosque perhaps.
In the heart of the battle, some kind of Persian magician, or
maybe a Kurdish wizard, brandished a phial: «Jafar! Jafar!»,
he screamed. Eisenberg had suffered an injured leg, and was
hiding behind a pile of crates of Prima Materia, and was
attentively watching the whole scene from his hiding place.
Little did he know how lucky he was. What he saw then
left him breathless. What he had initially taken to be the
flame of a candle was now beginning to shine red and twist
about inside the phial like a caged beast. The phial redde-
ned and began to beat like a heart. The magician grimaced
at the heat, despite the thick gloves he was wearing. The
phial was covered in Kabbalistic symbols, drawn in gold
and silver. The magician removed the crystal stopper from
the phial, letting out a column of golden yellow flames.
Eisenberg felt his throat become dry and his lungs burn up.
The magician was shouting orders, but the whirling fiery
creature that he had just set loose seemed to be resisting
him. It was writhing about and swearing loudly at the mor-
tal who had summoned it. Then the fire being screamed and
finally gave in to its master’s instructions.
The efrit - for so these creatures are called by the Saracens
- was restricted by the magical hand gestures of his master.
This being all of flame (some say they are made of molten lava
Unique
or burning coals) took the shape of a gigantic and almost intangible,
nearly immaterial, human.
Jafar threw himself at the soldiers of the Empire, grasping them with his
flaming fists, immolating them with a furious laugh. His fury grew as the car-
nage continued. As the carbonized bodies continued to pile up in the wake of the
23 Independent
efrit, his rage consumed him more and more. His color changed: from a fiery orange,
he darkened to a flickering red like iron being heated in a furnace. The magician was Djinn
having trouble keeping control of his fiery minion. Eisenberg nearly died when Jafar reached
out his hand towards him... He owed his salvation to the crates behind which he was hiding.
As the outcome of the battle was now certain, the magician tried to order the one he called Jafar Asexual
back into the bottle from which he had been summoned. Jafar turned on his master and faced him
with a gaping mouth like that of a blacksmith’s furnace and as wide as the mouth of a bombard cannon.
It took all of the magician’s remaining energy to return the efrit to its phial. And when it did, it went with a Muslim
scream that still echoes in the ears of the soldier Eisenberg.

Tale gathered by Antonius Albrecht, chaplain of the Imperial mental hospital for soldiers returning from Movement 6
service in Hell.
Orders Shooting Skill -
R age Withheld
Whenever a non-insignificant unit is killed, Jafar gets +1 CBT, to a max of 10 CBT, until the Combat 2
end of the game.
Immunity (fire)
Deadly Spiral Intangible Defense 5
Free • 1 CMD • Reactive
Each time a non-Insignificant Saracen unit is killed, Jafar may immediately perform a
Regeneration 2 Protection 0
Charge, Attack or Mêlée action. This does not prevent him from being normally activa- Ricochet
ted later on this turn. If he is waiting, he returns to a waiting state after using this order. Life Points 12
If he has already been activated, he can still use this order. Jafar has to wait until the end
of the current activation, if any, before he can use this order. This order occurs before Faith 3
any Vae Soli. This order can’t be used during the upkeep phase.
Command -
Flaming Fists Hits Damage
Fire 1 1
2 2
3 5
4 8
133
Base : Large
5 10
 FactionS

Alchemist
With their glasses of tea in front of them, the members of the Grand Ottoman Council of Science were enjoying the
tranquility of the day in the shade of a palm tree on the patio. The very learned Sheikh Milud had shown them earlier
that afternoon how to use the Prima Materia to make glass windows that could filter some of the beneficial rays of
sunlight. They would soon be used to help build glass houses in which rare plants and fruits could be grown.
Independent The noble assembly was discussing this and that when Sheikh Milud asked if they had any news of the adepts
of Zafar an Nabih. An embarrassed silence fell. Milud explained that he was still waiting for Zafar’s students
to pay their contribution to the Society of Alchemists and transmit the results of their work in Hell. For they
Human owed their presence Below to Milud’s intervention with the authorities and without that, owing to their
master Zafar’s already troubled past, would have remained stuck here. The other alchemists protested.
Some reminded him that their particular alchemical specialty was hardly a noble one. Really, making
Male grenades! They had even been known to sell them to the infidels. How very scandalous! Some of
those alchemists had been arrested, but they had claimed that their buyers had pretended to be
Algerian sailors looking for a safe way to be rid of Spanish pirates. None had been able to
Muslim (Sunni) prove a thing, and the intervention of a rich benefactor (or some accomplice with a hefty
enough bribe) had seen them freed.
Once, their own customers had fled by bombarding them with their own toxic
Mentalist grenades. They escaped the attack without a single scratch. When questioned
on how such a miracle could come about, they answered that Zafar had
taught them how to make themselves immune to their own poisons, in
case such an event should occur. What a twisted mind the man had!
The noble assembly muttered and grumbled about the lower

Base : Regular class alchemist that was Zafar an Nabih. Truly, one could but
wonder what such a character could possibly bring to the field
of alchemical research in the Underworld. Sheikh Milud

Limited 2 laughed. He knew well what could be the only thing that
would drive Zafar so far: it was money, the profits made
from the Prima Materia that he gathered. And these
profits were made by selling it at any price to the
lowest of the infidel scum that he could find when he
returned from Hell.

Orders
Grenades of rage
Active
Nominate a point within 6
fathoms and line of sight of the
Alchemist. Units that are wit-
hin 2 fathoms of the nominated
point must perform a Charge or
Attack action during their next
activation. If for some reason an
affected unit is prohibited from
performing one of these actions,
they may act normally during
their activation
Grenades of repulsion
Active • Unstoppable • Unique
Nominate a point within 6 fathoms and line of sight

3 Movement
24 of the Alchemist. Also, there must be at least 1 allied unit (or
the Alchemist) and 1 enemy unit within 3 fathoms of the nomi-
2 nated point. Move an enemy unit within 3 fathoms of the nomi-
nated pointed up to 10 fathoms in the direction of your choice. This
3 Shooting Skill
2 move ignores terrain and the unit must be placed in clear terrain and can’t be
in the control area of or contact with an enemy unit. Then your opponent does
- Combat
- the same with one of your units within 3 fathoms of the nominated point.
3
2
Defense Harmless
0 Protection
Immunity ( )
poison Aura
Man-at-Arms 2 Cloud of Poison
Permanent • 2 Fathom Radius
9 Life Points
4 During each upkeep phase, other units within the area of effect
of this aura take 3 poison damage, ignoring PR, as per the
1 Faith
0 Fire Grenades Consumed state.
Explosion (Consumed (Fire • 3/2))
1 Command
Limited Range 3
Range 3 134
 The saracenS

Hashishin
The names that my parents gave me will not mean anything to you. In fact my true birth was much later, on
the day of my initiation, the day I became a hashishin. From that day onwards, my previous life was no longer
of any importance. My name was of no importance either. The only matters of import were of those of my two
masters: Allah and Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah. All others should fear me, and my hashishin brothers.

We have been in the lands of Hell for four hundred years now. We know hundreds of pathways, roads, fron-
Independent
tiers, fortified places, demonic kingdoms, political conflicts, military groups and much more. We know them all
well enough to avoid the traps into which the newcomers fall. We are at home here. We can read every rock,
every plant, every mark on the ground. Our presence here is so natural that we melt into the background like
Human
sugar melts into tea.

Even better, thanks to our master’s alchemical expertise, we have mastered the power of Ta’wil. At any
Male
moment, we can appear or disappear at will. From that point on, we are no longer the
sugar in the tea, but the tea itself, as bitter as life and as hard as death. We walk in the
shadows, a path along the edge of all realities, one that we alone can tread. During the
Muslim (Shiite)
split second when I travel between the worlds, I feel as if I am walking on a tightrope
over the void, where every step I take could send me falling down into nothingness...
But that will never happen.

Sometimes, I might act as a scout; I go ahead of the vulgar, noisy ranks of the
Discretion 4
armies who think they can rule the infernal territories. I show them where and when Elusive Movement 5
they can pass safely, steer them clear of toxic or cursed lands, places of ambush, and I 4
guide them to their destination without them even guessing half of the danger that they
avoided thanks to my skills. They think their brave airs and the shine of their shields is
Fanatic Shooting Skill 3
2
enough to ward off the demons. They have eyes to see, but they only use them to stare at Insignificant
their own feet. Msakain! May the light of Allah finally give them back true sight!
Combat 6
I also have to use my espionage skills for the service of generals who are as ignorant as
Strider 7

they are blind. For them, I slip inside infidel camps or demon palaces, ruins full of damned Defense 5
ones or the fortresses of rival generals. There, I watch and listen. Sometimes for hours, often 5
for days. At these times, my only friends are my daggers and God. I steal my food or eat mea-
ger rations. I sleep in holes where only rats would sleep, or I merely forget about sleep altogether. Protection 0
Then I return to them with my report, sending a copy to my master as well, of course. He knows
how to assemble scattered facts. He sees what is invisible. He understands.
Life Points 12
4
On some occasions, my master orders me to return to these cursed places and meet with the person
who was spied upon. By written or spoken word, I bring them counsel, threats or offers from my master.
Often, the person, be they demon, damned or human, accepts my message. Sometimes they do not, and
Faith 3
4
then they die.
Command -
My purpose on Earth or in Hell is but to serve. So I serve Hassan ibn Al-Sabbah wherever he chooses to send
me, and never falter, for such must be the will of Allah himself, for it is his will also.

Order
Shadow Walk
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
The Hashishin must be free to use this order.
Move the Hashishin up to 10 fathoms igno-
ring terrain and intervening units. This move
must end in clear terrain and can’t put the
Hashishin within the control area of or in
contact with an enemy unit. This order can
only be used once per activation.

Throwing Daggers Hits Damage

Piercing 1 2
Ammunition 2 2 4
Limited Range 3 3 4
Range 4 4 5
5 6

Scimitar Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
Penetrating Strike 2 2 3 Limited 3
28
3 5

5
4 7
9
135 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Lancer
As I feel my end is growing near, I recall my life in Hell.

Long ago, all I cared for were the arts of war and the wielding of the lance. I was a proud lancer in the service of Allah’s greatness;
I had taken part in the extension of the lands of Islam. I was a great one, and my reputation as a warrior was well established on
Independent Earth. However, I still felt that meaning was missing in my life. I needed another quest, one good enough to truly apply my talents to.
A quest for God.
So I left for the Hajj, thinking I would find the fulfillment of my spiritual searching in that voyage. It was during my pilgrimage that
Human I met other men like me. One of them became attached to my company and told me of the true battle of the believers. Once I had
accomplished my pilgrimage and was in accordance with God, I went to sign up for the armies going to Hell. There I met many other
veterans as renowned as myself. Some of them I had already fought beside... and some I had fought against. There in the great Otto-
Male man army, we were all together.

The armies in the Underworld were calling out for heroes. We had already proved our worth on Earth. So we went Below. I remem-
Muslim (sunni) ber my other brothers in arms. Very quickly we got the feeling that we were no longer part of earthly reality. Now, there were only
ourselves and our men, alone. So each of us was free to tell his full story. I remember them all.

5 Movement Hamid was a romantic, a brave lancer of the desert. He had come down here to avoid seeing the woman he loved, for she was
4 married to his uncle. After every battle he would tell us that he thought he had seen his uncle among the demons. We laughed, and
said that maybe his houri would be his ex-fiancee.
- Shooting Skill
- Suleiman, a pure-blood Ottoman if ever there was one, had come to prove to his family that he was not just an idle dueler. He
liked to say that he would bring back one of the rings of the gates of Heaven for his mother, that she may wear it like a crown.
5 Combat
4
Malik, the silent one, had never told us his story. Then one day, we saw him kill an Ottoman officer from another company. Before
the dead officer’s soldiers could grab him, he shouted to us that he had come Below just to find this man and avenge his sister’s honor.
4 Defense
3
All of us had something that called us to Hell. God had given us each a wish to fulfill that coincided with His will and
0 Protection allowed us to add to His glory. It took me a little while to realize that. In the end, I realized that as well as my own place in
the Great One’s plans. This last leason was revealed to me by a young Blessed Warrior as he took his last breath.
We had been fighting on a plateau. I had been sent out alone with a handful of soldiers, to guard a strategic passage.
12 Life Points Around me, I could feel the men were petrified. It wouldn’t be long now. I spoke to them, «It is the will of Allah that we
4 should not die here, so we shall fight. Look at me, my faith alone is enough to fend off the enemy.»
The men rallied. From a certain defeat, we began to put up a valiant resistance. I felt as if I was creating a
2 Faith legend of my own.
1 «It is time to shine brighter, my brothers!» I shouted.
«Allah is great!» they answered.
1 Command So we marched forwards towards the enemy. Victory had changed sides, and the remaining
demons ran away screaming.
We had been about to die, and yet we had won the battle. We had survived, except for
Defensive Combat one young soldier. I sat by him, lamenting at my inability to save his life. He smiled at
me and said, «On the contrary, you were our example. Without you, we would all be
Fury dead by now. We needed a hero to show us how to behave. You were perfect!»
Hell just needs heroes. I was one for my troop while we fought for our destiny.
Man-at-arms Now I shall depart to join my brothers in arms. We have so many stories left
to live.
Protective
Limited 3 Orders
Speed of the Oribi
Passive • 2 CMD
The Lancer gets +1 MVT and +1DEF until the
end of the turn.
Sting of the scorpion
Passive • 1 CMD
The lancer gets +2 CBT until the end
of the turn. This order may only be used
twice per activation.
Wall of Blades
Active • 2 CMD
The Lancer gets Attack of Opportunity
3 and DEF 6 until the end of the turn.
While this order is in effect, the Lancer
can’t receive orders and loses the bene-
fits of any order already affecting him.

Lance Hits Damage

Piercing 1 2
Cumbersome 2 4
Eager 3 6

Base : Regular 25 136

Lunge 2 4
Receive Charge 5 11
9
 The saracenS

Pillar of the Faith

With Daggers or Halberds
The Imam Nordine ibn Jalil was watching the children playing in the garden of the orphanage. They were between three and
six years old. That was the age at which they should begin their training. Any older and it would be harder to get them to «natu-
rally» assume their new role. For he was there to select those who would be called to join the ranks of the soldiers that were now
called «Pillars of the Faith».
The Imam was recruiting for his monastery. He had ten places available and hundreds of young boys to see
Independent
before making his final choice. First of all, he began by observing them. Straight away he eliminated
the sickly children and the ones with any physical defects. The candidates needed to be strong
and solid. It was the mission of the Imam to find the singular quality within the bodies
Human
of these children that would make them “ forces of nature”. Only experience had
allowed him to tell which of the boys would become big and strong. He watched Male
them as they ran after each other, fought or clambered up the walls. Through
their games, he could see their personality and their future.
A selected child should indeed show obvious signs of loyalty and Muslim (sunni)
devotion, but also a kind of «natural» faith. That is where the Imam’s
experience really made the difference. He would question and test
the boys who seemed the most promising, by asking them riddles
or submitting them to dilemmas. He would give them the choice of
three objects (a hat, a knife and a Qur’an), and then question them
on their choice. At the end of each interview, the Imam would ask
the child if he felt ready to come with him if they wanted to serve
Allah. The question was decisive. A moment of hesitation and the
child would be staying at the orphanage.
The next part of the chosen child’s life would be lived at the
monastery, where he would spend roughly fifteen years. There,
every single day would be like the day before. It would begin with
al-fajr, the dawn prayer, and would continue with the domestic
chores that were delegated to the members of the monastery.
Then, after al-zohr, the midday prayer, came the time of the
military training. After al-asr, the afternoon prayer, would come
the teaching of the Qur’an and of science that would last until
al-maghreb, the prayer at dusk. Then the young men would return
to their individual chores until al-atma, the evening prayer, and the
end of their day.
After fifteen years of training, the young men would be submitted

Limited 3/2
to a series of tests: left alone in the middle of the desert, each of them
would have to survive with a single flask of water, guiding himself by the
stars. He would have to then find a secret place, filled with traps and guarded

22/27 Base : Regular

by monks from another monastery, from which he would have to retrieve a given
object and do his best to bring it back to his own monastery. On his way back, he
would be hunted and tracked. The final test was a trip into town with the Imam. During
the journey there and back, they would constantly be under attack. The young warrior had
to prevent the Imam from being taken by their foes. If he failed any of these tasks, he would
have to wait for a whole year before he could attempt the test again. If he succeeded, he would be Daggers / Halberd
named «Pillar of the Faith» and during the following year, he would be assigned the protection of an
important religious or dignitary figure departing for Hell. 4 Movement 4
3 3
Order (D aggers)
2 Shooting Skill -
Divine Strength 1 -
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
5 Combat 5
The Pillar gains +1 SHS, +1 CBT and +1 FTH until the end of the game. 4 4

4 4
Order (H alberd) 3
Defense
3
Divine Armor
3 Protection 2
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
The Pillar gets +1 DEF and +1 PR until the end of the game.
10 Life Points 10
4 4
Throwing Daggers Hits Damage Scimitar Hits Damage
Piercing 1 2 Slashing 1 2 3 Faith 3
2 2
Ammunition 2 2 4 2 3
Limited Range 3 3 4 3 5 1 Command 1
Range 4 4 5 4 7
5 6 5 9 Daggers :
 Attraction 3
Bodyguard
Halbard and Scimitar Hits Damage
Piercing 1 3 Fierce
Slashing 2 5 Halberd :
Eager 3 6
Lunge 2 4 8 Bodyguard
137
5 10 Fierce
 FactionS

Berber Chasseur
Will you have the guts to face the sorrow of a mother, the sorrow of a whole population? A population stripped of its
most vital flesh and blood? Will you have the strength to listen to the truth about the sorry fate of the Berbers?

Every year, the tribes see the Ottoman soldiers arrive in their camps. When they arrive, their words ooze with
Trooper sweet nectar, but when they leave, the nectar turns to bile. Those sons of dogs force us to hand over our best
chasseurs, our best warriors, our husbands, and our sons. What do they leave us in exchange? Nothing. Just the
promise that they won’t hunt us down.
Human They despise us, they hate us, and yet, they can’t seem to live without us. They say that we have
become too friendly with the infidels. Yet we have only ever fought against them. Yes, we know them,
Male for having fought them for so long... And that is how we learned to master the same weapons
as them. The famous Jezail musket. What do they think? That we are too stupid to learn new
techniques? Every battle makes a Berber stronger, smarter. That is why we fight the infidels
Muslim (sunni) with their own weapons, that we have learned the tactics of the Spaniards and therefore
know how to outsmart them. Is that a crime?

What more could they hold against us, that makes our children so indis-
pensable to the great and glorious Ottoman army?

Base : Regular «You run around, creeping like the desert fox, you attack from your
hiding place and disappear before we can catch you.»
Yes, we are able to move about in hostile terrain, discreetly,
Unlimited silently, without a trace. Do they not know that those are the
essential rules of survival for those who wish to dwell in the
desert? They are but sheep, whereas the Berbers are wolves.

These talents they steal, and take our sons away for
three long years. In the beginning, we did not know
that they were being sent to serve in the Underworld
so we sent the least important men of the tribe.
However they never returned, and the Ottoman
soldiers still came back every year, more evil than
ever. We tried to run from them, but they would
always end up finding us. The other Berber
chasseurs in their service would track us like
dogs. So we gave them the very flower of our
youth.

I myself weep for a son, even though he

was returned to us. He told us what it was
like Below, down in Hell. He told us of his
marches through the plains of black sand,
of ash, of hot coals, and through snow
and ice too. We were amazed and afraid
as we listened to him. He told us how he
and his Berber brothers often had to act
as scouts for the Ottoman troops, to guide
them along tracks used by beasts so fear-
some that even their tracks would scare
you. I did feel that he was not telling us
everything. His nights were haunted, and
he talked in his sleep. Sometimes he would
scream. My son kept it to himself, sparing
us the greatest of the horrors. All trace of
love and joy had been wiped from his eyes.
He lived with us, but always at a distance,
he was only ever half there. He would look for excuses to be alone, hunting

5 Movement
12 by himself, going off as a scout... The only thing he truly enjoyed was gazing at
the stars at night, sitting at the top of a dune. He would only rarely come under the
tent; he preferred to stay outside, away from the others so as not to disturb us.
4
When the recruiters came, the following year, he immediately stepped up to take the
3 Shooting Skill place of a young chasseur. The boy’s father offered him a camel in thanks, and he gave it to me.
2
I was not surprised by my son’s decision. I knew I had lost him the day he left. «When Hell takes your
son, you will only ever see him again in Heaven», we now say among Berber mothers.
3 Combat
2

3 Defense
Scout
2 Strider
1 Protection Moving Shot
4 Life Points
1
Jezail Hits Damage Saber Hits Damage
2 Faith Piercing 1 3 Slashing 1 2
1
Penetrating Strike 2 2 4 2 3
- Command Range 10 3 5 3 5
Reloading 2 4 7 4 7
5 9 5 9
 The saracenS

Blessed Warrior
Sergeant Salah noticed the two young guards. They were chatting together in front of a kebab stall. He
walked forwards to stand between the two men, pushing them apart, and ordered a lamb kebab from the
seller. Straight away, he apologized to the two men for his rudeness. The guards, impressed by his uniform,
that of a Blessed Warrior, responded with a torrent of compliments and praise. The situation was looking
good. Salah invited the two guards to come sit in the shade and drink some tea in the garden of the nearby
inn. After exchanging the usual niceties, they accepted.
Trooper
Once seated, they chatted about the heat, the oncoming Ramadan, the current situation of the Empire, the
service of the Sheikh, the crusade in Hell...
Human
«Tell us, sergeant, how the war is going down in Hell?» asked the tallest of the two guards.
«Is it true that the One-and-only sends houris to stand by our sides in the heat of the battle?» interrupted
Male
the second guard, his eyes wide with curiosity.
«Yes, my brothers, when I began my career in the ‘Divine Mercy’ regiment, I fought in
a great battle that took place near the gate of Aussonia. My brothers in arms and I were
Muslim (Sunni)
sent to take the fort of a demon lord. We were being given quite a thrashing when she
suddenly appeared among us in a glorious ray of light. With her help, we won the day. I
heard the voice of God with my own ears, spoken through that woman. It was maktoob!»
«Allah is great!» murmured the smaller guard.
Movement 4
3
«What was the name of that battle, sergeant?» asked the young guard. «We never
hear of the battles that take place Below.» Shooting Skill -
«It had no official name, and will not be remembered in any history books. The only -
place it is recorded is on my papers.»
Salah pulled out a bundle of paper from under his tunic.
«Each one of these papers is the recording of a major military accomplishment in which
Combined Attack Combat 3
2
I took part. ‘The three pillars of fire’, ‘The palace of the fallen’... Ah, now the tale of that
battle has been told by every veteran in the Underworld around the campfire. I was there.
Natural Talent Defense 3
2
At the time I was serving in the ‘Divine Wrath’ regiment, the very one that now holds the
strategic crossroads to Ampharaus. Hundreds of us fell there, but whole waves of enemies
were reaped by our scimitars. Some of the creatures there were at least three times my height!
Protection 3
Allah alone is source of power and strength.»
«How wonderful it must be to be able to serve thus!» sighed the taller guard. «As a simple Life Points 5
farmer’s son, I could never become one of the chosen ones.» 1
«Do you have true faith, brother?»
«There is no god but Allah, and Mohamed is his Prophet, brother!» responded the guard, indignantly. Faith 2
«Ah, but to serve as a guard and to serve in the armies are two very different things, brothers. Down 1
there, the discipline is strong as steel and your every day is filled with marching, cold meals, camps with
no fire and total obedience.» Command -
«Serving God would give us the force we need, feed us and keep us warm. As for obedience, that is
something we have learned since we were children.»
«Then, brothers, you will make most excellent Blessed Warriors.»
They talked until the last prayer of the night. When they parted company, sergeant Salah signed them a
letter of introduction to go and pass the tests. The two guards thanked the veteran for almost half an hour
for this. Finally, they left him. Salah returned to his quarters. On his way, he stopped at a small fountain to
refresh himself. What a luxury, he thought. A small neighborhood fountain. He hadn’t told the two eager
candidates about the thirst that had torn at his throat when he was injured in the ash desert
of Aussonia, nor had he told them of the heaps of rotting cadavers of Blessed Warriors
that the Demon armies had piled up during the siege of the ruins. He had not told
them of the time he had watched his comrades tortured by succubi, forced to
renounce their faith before they were pierced through and through by a
thousand spikes. He had not told them that one day the most wonderful
proof of the existence of God would be a small neighborhood fountain.

Scimitar Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5 Unlimited
11
4 7
5 9 139 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Dibbukim
Abdel had problems remembering the world as it was before. Before he became a Dibbukim. When he was a Blessed War-
rior among many others. He served in a company with childhood friends of his. They had all signed up at the same time. They
fought like lions in the name of Allah. The burden became heavier and heavier. Then that terrible day came. Nightmare creatures
appeared from nowhere. The demon stole his heart and his mind. He had stared deep into Abdel’s eyes, reached in and crushed
Trooper his soul. His faith alone had saved him from death, but it drove him mad; he could no longer control himself. It was as if he had
become pure rage and thirst for blood. His scimitar had been brought down again, and again... Until he awoke again amidst his
friends. Dead. By his own hand. He had screamed. He would have wanted to die with them, but God had not granted him that
Human chance.

He had been removed from the regiment and entrusted to the care of an Imam. He had spent hours listening to the holy man
Male reciting the Qur’an to him. The rest of the time, he spent weeping and asking to be put out of his misery. Abdel could still feel
the beast sleeping inside him. The monster could awaken. He wanted to be executed, but the military authorities had decided
otherwise. He was placed with other men like himself. Dibbukim. Some wanted to kill themselves but God forbids suicide. So, as
Muslim (sunni) redemption, the Dibbukim ready themselves for all of the most difficult of situations.

The first time he served as a Dibbukim, he was part of a group of about twenty men like him. The mission was a simple one:
5 Movement get rid of the damned ones that were harassing the convoys. Abdel and his comrades were hidden in a cart in the middle of the
convoy. Of course, the convoy had been targeted by the damned, right on plan. Only, when they lifted the canvas of the chariot,
-
the damned ones had been faced with twenty pairs of bloodshot eyes and just as many scimitars. A whirlwind dance of deadly
- Shooting Skill blades had exploded from the cart. The Dibbukim had slain all of the evil creatures, So quickly in fact was the enemy dispatched,
- that they had started to kill each other before the Imam had the time to begin reciting the calming words, the words of the holy
book. They had all dropped their weapons and had fallen to their knees in a pool of blood and severed limbs. There was, indeed,
4 Combat only one way to stop a Dibbukim. The sura of the End of Battle, read by a holy man. The Imam in charge of the Dibbukim had
6 to be certain that the warriors had finished their task before shouting it out loud... Unless he had been killed. Slain by his own
men. That did happen sometimes.
4 Defense
3
The second mission should have been the end of Abdel’s career as a Dibbukim. The sura stopped him just as the
1 Protection Blessed Warriors were taking back the space in which he was fighting. Abdel found that he was the last remaining
Dibbukim. His sorrow became even greater.
The Imam told him that it was maktoob. That God needed him elsewhere. He accomplished another five mis-
7 Life Points sion, each one more murderous than the previous one, making him the oldest surviving Dibbukim. On average,
5 a Dibbukim’s life did not last more than two missions.

2 Faith So here is Abdel, lost in the mist, with rage in his guts and the taste of blood in his mouth. He
- advances on the nearest figure. Then he charges towards it, screaming. His scimitars whirl and fly,
and are met by fountains of blood. Another attack hits him in the back. He flips around in time
- Command to block the two scimitars coming down on him. He parries and responds with an attack to
the legs. The man falls down upon him. The mist becomes thicker. Abdel can’t see any
further than the tips of his blades. Another figure approaches. Abdel raises his wea-
pons... And the first words of the sura echo in his ears. He is still alive.

Berserker
Furious
Rapid Strike
(attack)

Scimitars Hits Damage

Slashing 1 3
2 4
3 6
16 140
4 8
Base : Regular 5 10
 The saracenS

Hunting Panther
First report: Of animals in Hell.

Dear Vizier,
As you requested, I have carried out several different studies on the specimen of panther that was
brought back from Hell. The animal had been badly burnt, and its post-mortem examination proved
to be difficult and disappointing. I suppose that if this panther pounced on the lemure, then it was
because it had identified it as prey. It is indeed strange that panthers are among the few animal
species that do not fear the creatures of the Underworld. It is an intriguing coincidence
that Sheik Hamid, a great hunter, was so adamant about taking his hunting beasts to
Hell with him.

However, I do think that Sheik Hadim should be dissuaded from taking

his hunting elephants with him to run after demons on his next visit
Below. One can never know what reaction these pachyderms could
have, even though they are trained. I would simply recall the
example of Vizier Ahmed ibn Ajar’s initiative to take a group
of Balkan hunting bears, trained to hunt down and attack
demons, with him to Hell... He was devoured alive by his
animals, who turned wild again the moment they passed
the gate of Alamut. It must be said that the Vizier always
had difficulties telling good ideas from wishful thinking.
If God placed the animals on Earth and not in Hell,
then it was for good reason. Wisdom comes from Allah
alone.

Second report: Of the survival of animals in Hell.

Dear Vizier,
May Allah be praised. After having taken many ani-
mals Below, it seems that there are indeed few species
that are able to survive there. Their reactions remain
very strange and very erratic. Some of them become even
more aggressive; others on the contrary become quite
apathetic. There have even been some known to harm
themselves.
As the only animal to remain constant in its behavior,
the panther is the bearer of hope. Not only are they very
Limited 2
resistant to the environment, they have even adapted to it. Silent,

16
discreet, almost invisible in the rocky clusters of the desert lands-
capes, the panthers retain all their efficiency. They are just as implacable
when tracking and hunting. Lemures have become their favorite type of Trooper
prey. They can track and locate the creatures every time.
On the other hand, the panthers’ attacks are not always fully successful. Some
lemures, when attacked, explode, catch fire, or possess defensive abilities that can easily Animal
defeat a panther.
We should consider protecting our hunting panthers with methods similar to those used
by their prey. I have already contacted my alchemist friends about this, to ask them if they
Asexual
could create some kind of artifact able to give our felines an advantage. They are currently working
on it. I will keep you informed of the progress of their research.
Unbeliever
Third report: Of the training of panthers.

Dear Vizier, Movement 7

6

May Allah be praised. Our alchemists have discovered a solution. After several unsuccessful attempts,
our knowledgeable friends have developed a harness decorated with symbols that are able to significantly
Shooting Skill -
-
protect our panthers.
We have also had to launch an intense breeding program for our panthers, which is not an easy task. Attack of Combat 5
However, we are making good and rapid progress with their training.
Henceforth, we are only losing twenty percent of our panthers, those who escape as soon as they Opportunity 4

Defense 5
are released into the Underworld. However this is not a real problem, as these panthers rarely attack
humans after that. Evasive 4
The other eighty percent respond very well to the orders they are given, orders that are kept as
simple as they can be, as the panthers’ hunting instinct is as efficient as ever. The panthers respond Insignificant Protection 1
well to short oral orders: search, attack, come, sit. I therefore think we can begin using these animals
systematically when hunting down lemures. Interception 6 Life Points 8
Moussa ibn Aziz Strider 3

Doctor of Zoology, Constantinople Faculty Science Faith -

In charge of the large felines department. -

Command -
Fangs Hits Damage
Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 4 + Slowed
4 1 + Knocked Down
141
Base : Regular
5 2 + Immobilized
 The losT
he Lost
«Say not a word in death’s favor; I would rather be a paid
servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than
king of kings among the dead.»
– Achilles’ ghost, speaking to Ulysses.
It had already been two weeks since we had left the
relative safety of the out-post for explorers of the lands
Below that the Imperial troops call the Black Mountain.
In their insolence, the followers of the supposedly refor-
med religion have named it the «Pope’s Head». It is a tiny
nipple of rock, lost in the infernal desolation. At best one
could call it a fort, a halting place for the free companies,
many of whom will never return from their wanderings in
Hell. The place is held by a small garrison of scoundrels,
some of them French, others citizens of nowhere. They
call themselves «hosts» and demand a king’s ransom for
every night spent inside their walls, a high fee more fit-
ting for a nobleman’s residence. But the fact is that the
place is much safer than the wind-blown moors around
it, and we were in no position to barter about the price.
Captain Spada did, however, manage to obtain a little
dried meat, water and gunpowder for the rest of our jour-
ney. He exchanged it for fresh tobacco, to which they
are most partial, not for its medicinal virtues, but simply
for its taste. In the perverted, vice-riddled atmosphere
of that god-forsaken place, the smoke from their pipes is
an almost civilized smell and manages to remind those
armored beasts that they are still human. However, when
it comes to their other pleasures, they wallow in lust, as
they will in their customs, and they trade with whores
that they choose among the damned. Among them is an
ecclesiastic who goes by the name of Brother Martinet,
and whose corrupt behavior is as bad as that of his flock,
for he assures the French soldiers of the Black Mountain
that, as the damned females had no soul, they may par-
take in whatever depraved activity they like with them.
So that is exactly what they do. The rest of their time
is spent hunting out the few damned ones who venture
near enough, and making money from the explorers who,
like ourselves, are heading west. They carefully avoid the
northern lands, especially those to the north-west, for
they are the source of the most fearsome rumors. It has
long been said that the situation there is dire, and that the
devils are fighting among themselves for supreme power.
None of those who have gone that way have returned.
There is much to be gained from these expeditions.
Anyone who returns alive with any maps or informa-
tion can sometimes sell them for a substantial amount
in New Jerusalem. That is the aim of our company, and
that is why the young Arnolfini travels with us, forever
sketching the landscapes around us and filling his book
with endless notes every time we stop. While we endea-
vor to travel as lightly as possible, he is always picking up
143
rocks here and there, and tucking them away in his pack
as if they were nuggets of gold or Prima Materia. Who
knows what they will be worth back in New Jerusalem?
After our brief halt at the Black Mountain - which, quite
honestly, is so small one has to be less than a league
away to even see it rise above the plain - we spent three
days crossing a pale and misty country, so misty, in fact,
that it was difficult to tell the ground from the sky on the
horizon. On the evening of the third day, we encountered
our first armed gangs, and from a distance we took them
to be squadrons of Protestants. Each of them was only
made up of a few raggedy soldiers, and on the captain’s
orders we shot them down without waiting for them to
get any closer.
However, as soon as we examined the first bodies, we
knew that these were no Protestants, nor were they even
human. These were damned ones who had taken arms,
as they do sometimes. There are as many nations in the
lands Below as there are in the lands Above, and here
the wars are waged not in the name of God Almighty,
but only for the greed of the devils who have established
their domains here.
After these few skirmishes, the captain found a small
rocky rise in the land where we could easily spend the
night. The site was high up, easily defensible, and had
many good look-out points. However, the young Arnolfini
protested: he argued that there were still several hours
until nightfall, and that we could therefore keep mar-
ching and make good progress before the sun (or wha-
tever serves that purpose down Below) set. Spada did
not answer him; he simply continued giving orders for
the camp to be set up as soon as possible. As for the
men, they had no complaints: it was rare enough for the
captain to be so liberal, and if he had decided that we
should stop here, he must have his reasons. I only disco-
vered later that night that they had very little to do with
exploration or our mission.
We took turns to keep watch that night, as usual, but
when my watch was over, I could not get back to sleep.
I had been walking around the camp for a while, when
I overheard the captain speaking with a person whose
voice was unknown to me. As I drew closer, I caught a
glimpse of him.
He was a stocky man, with a wide chest and shoul-
ders, muscular legs and powerful arms. He was wea-
ring a linen tunic and bore a round shield and a leather
helmet decorated with wild boar tusks. In fact, his size
and shape were quite reminiscent of that animal, but his
eyes showed the twinkle of sharp intelligence, one that is
quite rarely seen amongst the damned. I therefore assu-
med that he was a devil, or one of those damned ones
who aim to become one. The stranger had nothing but a
bow and some arrows as his weapons, and the sight of
him speaking with Spada, armor-clad and armed in his
pressence, was both frightening and comical at the same
time. They were speaking in hushed voices, but from wat-
ching them draw figures in the dust with a dead branch,
 FactionS
I gathered that they were discussing strategy. It seemed
obvious that Spada had only stopped in this place to
meet and speak with this person. I only heard a few
words of their conversation, as they were parting ways.
«What about her, is she there?» asked Spada.
«I cannot promise you that, mortal» answered the
stranger with a gruff voice. «But when Carnoth has taken
back the place, you can look for her at your will.»
«Will he allow me to do so? Should I not fear that he
will turn against us?»
«The chalice is the only thing that counts for him.»
«The chalice and freedom.»
«Yes, freedom for all the damned.»
«So be it, then. I will see you tomorrow.»
At that point I was far from thinking I would see the
stranger the very next day. After waking the troops, he
was at Spada’s side, and he was introduced to us. No
one could quite grasp his foreign-sounding name, but it
sounded very much like the word «Audacious» so that is
how he became known to us. And that is how a damned
one became our company’s guide. I myself had very little
chance to speak with Audacious, for Arnolfini was always
seeking his attention, asking him a thousand questions,
always dutifully transcribing the answers in his notebook.
However, it was the shortest of conversations that caused
to him never speak to our guide again.
«You can stop making notes, you know, they will be of
no use to you.» said Audacious.
«Knowledge is the key to victory, my friend!» answered
Arnolfini, not in the least bit daunted by the damned
one’s tone of voice.
«Victory is for the living, pretentious youth. And you, in
less than ten days, will be dead.»
The damned one spoke with calm certainty, never rai-
sing his voice, his face devoid of any emotion. The young
nobleman turned away from him, a look of pure horror
sculpting the hideous mask of fear over the fair features
of a respectable young heir. And he never spoke to him
again.
From that day onwards, Arnolfini was continually pes-
tering Spada, for he had realized that our expedition was
leaving its route to follow the guidance of Audacious. We
were no longer heading west; we were now pushing nor-
thwards. We had abandoned the route of exploration to
enter the lands where devils were quarreling. Yet none of
us questioned the decision captain Spada had made: he
had saved many a man in battle, and more still during
times of peace. He was the kind of man you would follow
all the way to Hell and back... so we had all chosen to
do, for one reason or another. Unlike all the mercenary
troops the world has ever known, none of those reasons
was money. That was what Spada was like, and how we
were too, back then.
Two weeks after we had left the Black Mountain and all
the revolting vices of its guards behind us, we reached the
edge of a rocky plateau. From there, we could see a closed-
144
in valley, and at the bottom of it, what looked like the ruins
of a city. A river of blood-red water ran through the valley
and skirted the city, tracing a scarlet boundary that exuded
the rank smell of rotting flesh. From our vantage point,
we could see dark figures moving about among the ruins,
sometimes moving swiftly from one place to another. On
the other side if the river, a camp had been set up, and
there we saw the most vibrantly colorful company that we
had ever set eyes on.
The company was made up of damned ones, each one
more hideous than the next. There were skeletal humans,
their eyes deep in their sockets and their skin dry and
gray, bearing rusty arms and armor the kind if which
we had never seen. Young Arnolfini told us that they
were ancient weapons, like those borne by the heroes of
mythology, but we also saw one or two of them carrying
rapiers or arquebuses, undoubtedly taken from free com-
panies that, like ours, had ventured this far. However,
these were the least repulsive of the beasts, for among
them walked enormous monsters, as big as bears and
with jaws of steel, reptilian horrors covered in spines and
fangs, and abominations whose deformities and armor
made them look like giant carrion birds. The whole troop
was a crawling mass of rusted metal, leather, teeth and
blood, enough to petrify even the most hardened veteran.
There, in the middle of this monstrous regiment, sat a
truly gigantic individual. Around him was gathered his
elite guard, the Pack, as he called them. Bran Carnoth, a
damned abomination who had risen up in arms against
the other inhabitants of Hell. Everyone who had set foot
Below had heard of him, he was now more monster than
man, with an insect-like body and the fangs of a lion.
Carnoth and his crew were a perfect example of what
the devils sometimes call «the Lost». The Lost are damned
ones who refuse the supremacy of the demons, and claim
to be free creatures living in Hell. He and his menage-
rie of hideous monsters had freed themselves from the
rules of the Underworld kingdom, and they wrought havoc
through all the lands Below. They were lawless brigands,
and, well, in the end they were just mercenaries like us. In
fact, on closer inspection, Bran Carnoth and Spada were
made of the same stuff.
We climbed down from our vantage point. When we
came closer to Carnoth’s camp, two damned ones bloc-
ked our route, growling deeply. These creatures were
nothing like the lost souls that the French soldiers of
Black Mountain would use as whores, or targets for their
shooting practice. Their eyes were far from having that
dead, empty look to them.
«These are old souls.» murmured the captain next to
me, as if to answer my silent ponderings.
When the sentinels noticed Audacious with us, they
became less hostile and took us to meet Carnoth. The
war-lord was busy laying out his battle plan on a chart.
He turned around as we grew near. Audacious saluted
him.
«I have brought you Captain Spada.»
 The losT

«Spada.» repeated Carnoth, as if the name reminded phemy, I would guess that it would no more be found
him of something. in the saints in Heaven, or the angels, who live in bliss,
The leader of the Lost and our captain examined each and who have gazed upon the light of God. This force
other in silence for a moment. Despite his fearsome is one that only moves men and demons; it makes them
appearance and his moody expression, Carnoth radiated believe in life in these lands of death. This power pushes
that charismatic aura that only great leaders have. It was them to explore the outer boundaries of the Underworld
easy to see how he had come to be at the head of one and risk their eternal souls for a scrap of cursed land. It
of the most feared companies of Lost ones in all of Hell. is faith’s little brother and the father of all conflicts, but
«You are not the first humans to come to this place.» also the redemption of all sinners.
said the beast. And I saw it, in the monstrous eyes of Bran Carnoth’s
«Who were the others?» asked Spada. beasts, shining bright like a gem in the darkness of Hell:
«Those who hired us to take these ruins, those that you hope.
call ‘Imperials’,» said Carnoth, «but they are all dead.»
«So it would seem that you did not accept that task sim-
ply for the bounty they were offering. What is in it for you, Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Anto-
Bran Carnoth, that you wish to take this pile of rubble?» nio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo
«My reasons are my own, as are yours, Eduardo Spada. Spada.
First and foremost I wish to free the damned souls that
Thelonius holds captive at his boot, that they may join
my ranks. There is also a trinket of little importance...
But our goals matter little: it is time for action, and we
have a city to take.»
«Well spoken. We will fight beside you, but on our own
conditions.»
«Speak.»
«You will let us search the city first, and let us take
what we wish...»
«... Except the damned ones.»
«Except the damned ones who wish to join your
cause. I shall also add this: when we have finished,
you will let us leave in peace, when we leave for the
west.»
«Agreed. In the same way that you will let us
leave in peace once the city is taken and you have
found what you seek. Or should I say she that
you seek...»
The captain smiled faintly. These two had no
need for a handshake, no treaty, no pact of blood.
They knew well that their deepest nature would
lead them, sooner or later to fight on opposite sides,
but for the time being that was of no importance.
«I was correctly informed, I see. You know much of
many things, Carnoth.»

So began our association with the deadliest troop

of Lost Ones in all the Underworld. Until the cap-
tain ordered the charge against the demon Thelonius,
who was occupying the ruins with his minions, I could
not grasp what it was that made Carnoth’s damned so
different to the others, what gave them that spark of
humanity and made them so similar to us. It was only
when I saw them in battle that I understood. What is it
that moves us forward, what gives us ardor in the middle
of a battle, what force raises our swords and guides our
hands? That invisible power was one that was hardly
ever found among the damned, for they are subdued,
broken creatures. In fact, although this may be blas-

145
 FactionS

Bran Carnoth, Warlord

What kind of man could Carnoth have been when he was alive?
There is something in the way he moves, fights, or even speaks, that is somewhere between that of a living creature
and some kind of mechanical device, like those automatons that the noble and the learned enjoy so much. On the
battlefield, he becomes a whirl of steel, insect-like limbs and blood, and his rasping voice booms out like a roll of
Officer thunder. I have seen his opponents, be they men, damned ones or devils, freeze with fright, or even collapse,
when hit by the shock-wave of his roar. That cry of doom announces the charge of the multitude he commands:
before him march the polished leather, the rusty steel, the fangs, the feathers, and the scales of the accursed
Lost menagerie that follows him wherever he goes. Like a merciless wind, they fall upon the enemy, blind to the
danger, deaf to the pleading screams, but certainly not mute: when their choral voice answers that of
their master, it is as if all the trumpets of Jericho had begun to sound. There are no walls, no hearts,
Asexual that can resist such an uproar.
Despite that, the man - the monster - has a voice that is of those that can sway whole
peoples, that can win over souls and make even the most peaceful take up their weapons.
Agnostic For the true power of Carnoth is not his performance on the battlefields. There is no
warrior, be he the equal of legends, so terrible that he cannot be taken care of with
a good three feet of sharp steel. His people do not just see him as a champion:
some name him Dux Bellorum, but far more give him the title of King. For
behold, his crown is made of thorns, his throne bathes in blood, and his
reign is but a long battle against an enemy that is legion, and still, he
is the equal of every monarchy by his splendid appearance, by the
burning of his damned heart and the generosity of his soul. For

Base : Extra Large he who marvels at his prowess in battle still knows nothing of
the Great Raven - of all the names he has been given, this is
the one he favors most - but he who hears him asking about

Unique the moral and well-being of his «men» can only be touched
by this. How many soldiers would give their very soul to
have a captain with even a drop of such blood in his
veins, one who would always be among the first men
to advance onto the battlefield?
There are many princes, generals and prelates
who have less consideration for their own than
Bran Carnoth has for his flock of lost souls. I
have seen Spada watching him secretly many a
time, trying to get the measure of him, as you
would with a wild beast before moving in for
the kill. Our captain knows full well that that
this alliance will hold for one battle only.
Tomorrow, when the pact is undone, Merce-
naries and Lost will part ways. May the Lord
grant us never to have to face Bran Carnoth.

Excerpt from « Tales of the journey

Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary
in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.

Orders
 attle Cry
B
Active • 3 Permanent CMD •
Unique
All enemy units within 8
fathoms of Bran Carnoth are
Knocked Down.

84  piritual Armor
S
Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
Until the end of the turn, Bran Carnoth gets Immune (Spiri-
5 Movement tual Damage).
4
 eadly Instinct
D
- Shooting Skill Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
-
For the next combat sequence Bran Carnoth is engaged in he gets
8 Combat Charisma Rapid Strike (Attack).
7
 ae soli
V
4 Defense Fury  ae victis
V
3
Immune (controlled)
3 Protection
Leader Heavy Axe Hits Damage
16 Life Points
5
Strider Slashing 1 4

0 Faith Terror 2 Eager

Lunge 2
2 6
3 8
0
4 10
5 Command 146 5 10 + Knocked Down
 The losT

Etruscilla, Strix
The plan suggested by Audacious was of the simplest kind: to draw the devils out of their hiding places
in the ruins, lure them across the river and then cut off their retreat and shoot down a rain of fire upon
them from the top of the plateau we had crossed on our way to the camp. To achieve this, he asked Spada
and Carnoth to act out what would look like a heated discussion, which would end in much shouting and
many insults. Some of us pretended to fight, some going as far as to draw their blades. A few shots were
fired, and some of Carnoth’s damned ones fell to the ground. Then we retreated, as did part of Carnoth’s
company. Only the «injured» were left behind.
Officer
We moved back to our shooting positions, while one of Carnoth’s creatures, she that they call Etruscilla,
provided camouflage for the damned ones that were hiding in various nooks and crannies that had be pre- Lost
pared in advance: one in a ditch dug in the ground, one behind some rocks, one under a canvas covered with
earth... To cover their maneuver, the monstrous Etruscilla raised her hands and a blanket of darkness fell
over Carnoth’s men. It was hard to tell exactly what emotion the creature was feeling at the time, but from Female
the evil glint in her eye, taking part in the vile trickery designed by Audacious was very pleasant for her.
The devils hiding in the ruins, on the other side of the bloody river, took the bait. We
didn’t have long to wait before they appeared with the hope of finishing off the woun- Agnostic
ded or capturing those who had not retreated fast enough. Suddenly, the trap closed
upon them. With a rough squawk, Etruscilla raised her arms again, opening the gaping
toothed beak that was her mouth, and the devils that had crossed the river began to Mentalist
shine like lanterns in the night. We took our shots and many fell.
It was but a small victory, but it was an easy one. Without taking the slightest risk,
we had reduced the enemy’s numbers by roughly a quarter. Carnoth’s damned ones
jumped out of their hiding places and rushed in for the kill. Movement 5
As for Etruscilla, the storm-crow, she let out what was somewhere between a chuckle Evasive 4

and a cough or an evil cackle and fell in behind the stronger monsters. She would not
take much part in the battle that followed, but she had already given our side an advan- Leader Shooting Skill -
-
tage that could be quite decisive.

Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops
Levitation Combat 3
2
of captain Eduardo Spada. Runaway Defense 4
Strider 3

Orders Vicious 2 Protection 0

A Light in the Dark
Passive • 1 CMD Life Points 12
3
A unit of your choice loses the Discretion ability until the end of the turn.
Invulnerability Faith 0
0
Passive • Unique
Etruscilla takes no damage during the next melee combat sequence she is Command 3
involved in.
Stupefaction
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
A waiting unit of your choice is now already activated (as if it had been
activated this turn).

Vae soli
Vae victis

Auras
Nocturnal Attack
Permanent • Affects the Whole Battlefield •
Inclusive
All units on the battlefield get Discretion 4.
Piercing Screams
Permanent • 10 Fathom Radius • Allies
(Immune)
The CMD cost of Vae Victis and Vae
Soli orders received within the area effect
of this aura by enemy units is doubled.

Talons Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 4 Unique


4 5
5 6
147 55 Base : Regular
FFaction
actionSS

148
 The losT

Kartikeya, Squamata Blood Master

Kartikeya sniffed the steaming ground trying to catch the scent of his prey. He was close. He could feel
it in his bones. He had been on the trail for almost a week, and soon this silly game of cat and mouse
would come to an end in sweet blood.
Ordering his trackers to crawl further forward, he then climbed down a stalagmite and, hanging from
the hot rock, looked ahead. There stood the stone circle that the rebels had chosen as their spot to make
a last stand. Kartikeya could tell that this was where Bran’s band was by the banner that he could see at
rest, fluttering listlessly in the anemic breeze, over the tops of the stones that made up the circle. The ban-
Officer
ner clearly showed the medusa’s eye that was said to symbolize the nation made up of all the lost tribes.
Kartikeya snorted in disgust while considering such a thing. For such a strong warrior as Bran to pander Lost
to the other weaker tribes seemed pointless to Kartikeya. Only through blood could the Lost forge a nation
strong enough to stand up to the Demons. The strong survive and the weak are left behind, as it is in
nature so it had to be here. Hell had little compassion for the meek. Male
Bran’s idealism mattered little now. His band had been reduced to a mere handful of faithful followers
after their odyssey through Pelion and beyond. The Vampires and there Corvus had
already deserted him, leaving him by the side of the road so they could come back Unbeliever
and pick over his corpse like the carrion eaters they really where. Kartikeya smiled to
himself, baring his fittingly vicious teeth in a mirthless smile. Kartikeya’s Squamata
warriors alone outnumbered Bran’s fighters 2 to 1. It was time to move in and put the
farce to an end. Bran Carnoth must learn that Kartikeya was the only chieftain that
the Squamata would follow, and that the weaker tribes, even united, where no match
for their might. Counter Attack Movement 6
Giving the signal to advance Kartikeya scented the air. He couldn’t smell fear, his
favorite smell, yet. Only the odor of the other Squamata came to him. But soon fear and Demoralize 5

blood would cover everything else. With such a large advantage Kartikeya was sure the
clash would hold few surprises for him. Fanatic Shooting Skill -
-

Frenzy Combat 6
Orders Furious
7

The Lizard King Defense 4

Kartikeya’s CMD is equal to the number of squamata units included in Strider 5

his company (including himself). This value is figured when the company is Terrifying Protection 1
made and doesn’t change throughout the game as squamata enter or leave
play for any reason. Life Points 14
12
Bloody R age
Free • 1 Permanent CMD Faith -
-
Until the end of this action phase, Kartikeya gets the Rapid Strike (Attack)
ability. Until the end of the current action phase, all other squamata units within Command X
6 fathoms of Kartikeya when this order is given get Natural Talent.
Bloody Power
Unique
When Kartikeya kills an enemy unit this order may be used. If it is,
Unique
all squamata units in his company get Regeneration, or +1 to
their Regeneration ability if they already have it, until the
Base : Extra Large
end of the game.
Bloody M adness
1 Permanent CMD • Unique
If the Bloody Power order has already been
used, and Kartikeya kills another enemy unit,
then this order may be used. If it is, all of the
units currently on the battlefield get Counter
Attack until the end of the game, and all
squamata units in Kartikeya’s company get
Regeneration, or +1 to their Regeneration
ability if they already have it, until the end
of the game. If this order is not used at the
first opportunity to do so, then it can’t
be used later in the game, even if the
opportunity arises again.
Vae soli Vae victis

Eviscerator Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 5
3 7


4 9
5 12
149 65
 FactionS

Isha-Akshay, Squamata Warchief

Reptiles possess a certain cold and inhuman quality that triggers quite a reasonable revulsion in the average human being, a mixture
of disgust and fear. So it was hardly a surprise that most of my comrades and I were relieved to hear from captain Spada that we would
be positioned well away from the cold-blooded creatures that the damned call Squamata.
Officer Their skin is cold and supple, so much so that it almost looks like a wet fabric that has been draped over their muscular frames. In
their smooth gestures one can see the echo of snake-like movements, and it is quite a sight to watch them gulp down enormous portions
of meat, whole, and then lie sunning themselves in the pale glow of the infernal daylight. They use a weapon for which they have no
Lost name, a disk of sharpened steel, capable of slicing through limbs and cutting into the thickest of leathers. When they are spoken to,
they usually respond with nothing more than a grunt, and Bran Carnoth alone seems to be able to communicate calmly with them.
The only exception to this is the one who leads them, the one they call Isha-Akshay. He speaks with a voice that is barely a hiss,
Male little more than a whisper, but he always speaks at well chosen moments. It is almost as if his very words are numbered, and that
each one spoken costs him dearly, for he is remarkably uncommunicative. However, as I said previously, his advice is always wise, and

Agnostic although he does not have the bearing of a captain, he is a good officer, one who will not willingly sacrifice his men. Many times he has
been seen sounding a cautious retreat, calling his troops back to safety with an almost inaudible cry. He also knows how to make the
best use of the individual talents of his men, and they trust him blindly. These brutal beasts, the same ones I have seen tearing at dead
bodies with their bare teeth like we would with a roast leg of meat, are like docile lambs before him.
5 Movement It is true that one could become quite attached to these damned ones who dream of freedom, if they did not have such bad habits.
4
Habits such as ripping off their enemies’ heads and planting them on one of the many spikes that cover their backs, leaving them there
3 Shooting Skill to rot away until all that is left is the cold smiling face of death.
Even through this kind of brutality he has earned their respect, not just for his shrewd cunning, but also for his unbeatable prowess.
2
For it seems that death has no hold on him at all. I have seen him fall like a ton of bricks, his hide pierced by a thousand arrows, one
6 Combat arm in shreds and his leg torn open by a devil’s fangs, and the next minute, I witnessed a miracle, or rather it should be said, some kind
5 of sorcery. His skin tore apart like a stretched canvas ripped by a sharp blade, and he cast it off like an old garment, reappearing fresh
and rested. This occurrence caused quite a disturbance among our demonic adversaries, and we even heard some of then crying out
4 Defense that we were invulnerable. These monsters have learned to compensate their lack of experience and intelligence with the use of
3 magical trickery: and so it is that Mercenaries and Lost ones, working hand in hand, form an invincible alliance.

1 Protection Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of Captain Eduardo Spada.

14 Life Points
4 Orders
0 Faith  ever Give In
N
0 Passive • 1 CMD
6 Command This order can only be used once per activation, and must target an
allied Trooper. The target gains the Rapid Strike (Defense) ability until
the end of the turn.
Fierce 2  kin Change
S
Leader Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
Isha-Akshay recovers all the Life Points he has lost.
Resistance (Blunt)  ithdrawal
W
Strider Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
Isha and all allied units within a 10 fathom radius
of him can immediately break contact by perfor-
ming a special Retreat action: their MVT is not
doubled, the enemy units are not granted a
one-sided attack, and no new contact with an
enemy is allowed as a result of this movement.
 ae soli
V
 ae victis
V

War Discs Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
Amunition 3 2 4
Range 5 3 5
4 7
5 9

Eviscerator Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 5
3 7

Unique 48 Base :150 Large

4 9
5 12
 The losT

Jaws of the Deep, Brutal Beast

Our damned companions have acquired, over the years and numerous battles, a martial dis-
cipline that allows them to face the enemy rank and file without harm. The demon spawn do not
last long faced with their fangs, claws, pincers and those sharp disks. However, the enemy warlords
and champions are quite a different matter. These are not officers that a trooper could face alone. Base :
The sight of our adversaries alone would have chilled the blood of any other than us, we who have
already been through a thousand ordeals, faced a hundred aberrations with the most insane faces.
Even our Lost allies were taken aback by the sight of Thelonius’s lieutenants, their hearts
Extra Large
and hands were shaken: these were parodies of human beings, walking corpses,
flayed to the flesh, oozing with a dark, sticky substance. Their bodies were
littered with blades and spikes, as if they had retained in their own flesh
the relics of their previous battles. In their deep sunken sockets, their
black eyes sparkled like dark stars. They stood with a slouch, as
if they were about to fall over, but their quickness and strength
was without a doubt.
Renal and Guardi, both ex-priests who had been defrocked
because of their many vices, made the fatal error of mista-
king this apparent weakness for apathy. They approached
one of the three lieutenants, as he stood in the midst of a
group of his men who were being chopped to bits. Then
began to taunt the monster, as he stared back at them
with his dark eyes, and Renal engaged him, encouraged
by his companion who was still mocking the demons
and their weakness. But the monster was parrying
Renal’s every move, and he soon had to fight harder.
Guardi joined in, and even though they had the beast
trapped between them, it had no problem fending them
off. When it began to attack, they had to double their
efforts, and despite that, they soon found themselves
chopped at with many blades, bleeding in a dozen
places, their faces white with pain and determination.
It was then that Carnoth saw what had become of
our companions, and understood that they had taken
on too strong an adversary. He gave a single short order:
«Release the Jaws of the Deep», he yelled, with that deep
voice of his, that made the very ground shake.
Then, from the rear of the troop bounded a monster with
the body of a lion, which was armor-plated like a war-horse.
Unique
It jumped out like a flash into the center of the melee and posi-
tioned itself between the flayed demon and our two companions.
The demon stared at the lion-like monster for a second and spat a few
words in its direction that we couldn’t understand. The beast answered him
with a single low growl, deformed even more by the steel armor that covered
32 Independent
its jaw. It was as if these two had known each other for a long time, and were
exchanging unpleasantries. Demon
Then the lion-beast pounced, and in a couple of seconds, it had transformed its
foe into a bloody mass of flesh and guts. The monster sat down, like a hound before its
quarry, and began to devour it, in spite of the last feeble gurgles of pain still coming from Asexual
the body.
In the midst of combat, I couldn’t help but stop to gaze at the beast. Fierce and bloodthirsty, it
also had some sort of infinitely seductive quality. But it was as if it had sensed my gaze: it turned Satanist
towards me and stared straight at me with its bright red eyes, burning like hot coals. This was not
the stare of a damned one; this was the look of a demon. When it opened its maw, the mask of steel
opened too for an instant, and I saw the very mouth of evil gaping wide to swallow me whole. My Movement 6
head began to swim, it was as if a vice was crushing at my head and compressing my chest. I owe it
to Spada that I did not fall unconscious at that point. It was his cry that pulled me from my trance
and sent me back into combat: «Do not look into the depths of the Abyss, Antonio; for fear that the
Shooting Skill -
Abyss will look back into you!»
Combat 7
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of cap-
Combat Sense
tain Eduardo Spada. Demoralize Defense 4
Fast 3 Protection 2
Fury
Life Points 12
Impressive
Strider Faith 0

Command -
Teeth and Claws Hits Damage
Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 5
3 7
4 9
5 11
151
 FactionS

Wormpile, Hive Mind

As we were preparing ourselves for the charge against the devil Thelonius, who was defending his position in the ruined
city, we had plenty of time to observe our strange Lost companions, and to build up that very particular kind of solidarity
that exists between soldiers without the need for a single spoken word. It was in the way the mercenaries would pull out
all their favorite weapons, «to give them a good clean», or the great care that the Lost troops put into exhibiting their
Independent own lucky charms. Here was a dagger that was claimed by its owner to have pierced many a Protestant belly during
the Saint Bartholomew’s day massacre. There was the deformed and twisted skull of some monster, stuck to the
back of one of the Squamata, reported by the ever gossip-mongering Corvus - always hungry for tales and
Lost legends - to be one that once bore one of the countless crowns of the Underworld. Here is a catalog of death,
spread out by one and all, in the face of the battle to come, and in celebration of all those that the owners
of all these trinkets have survived so far.
Asexual But although there are many things that bring us brothers in arms closer together, there are
also some things that create a very definite line between the Lost and us mercenaries, between
the damned and the living. While we still have great reverence for all forms of life - some
Unbeliever carry the portrait of a saint, others a piece of jewelry from a lady friend they haven’t
seen in years - the Lost ones live willingly in rot and squalor. It is as if the windows
of all their senses now only open onto death and dereliction. Beauty itself seems
odious to them, and they find ugliness and gangrene pleasing, for their minds
have long since lost the memories of pleasant things.
So, they do not pay the least attention to the fact that their camp
is crawling with maggots, day and night. This joyous company of
monsters and horrors let them get everywhere, and some even go

Base : Regular as far as to treat these big, thick, fat, squishy worms as pets.
The Corvus especially, pet and fuss over them as one would
with a small child, for the maggots share their macabre

Unique feasts. However, this is not the most surprising thing

about the worms: they have been known to assemble
themselves into a roughly human-shaped pile, like a
kind of gigantic cadaver that, instead of being eaten
by the maggots, was completely made up of them.
And, as if these soft crawling bodies had absorbed
the thoughts of their victims as they had ingested
their flesh, the great body will begin to move
forwards, its arms outstretched like a sleepwal-
ker wandering through his dreams.
The body of worms, to which the Corvus
have even given a name - Wormpile - will
even go as far as to charge the enemy, on
the battlefield. It seems to aim quite ran-
domly, however it usually tries to drown
the enemy officers in a wave of tiny bodies,
individually soft but wriggling with hunger.
At least, that is the tale the Corvus tell:
should we believe everything these damned
ones say, they who also claim to be able
to see through the eyes of the crows of our
world? That is a good question, for they
truly are a load of scoundrels.
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey
Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in
the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.

Orders
Underground Colony
At the beginning of the upkeep phase, other units

24 within 3 fathoms of Wormpile take 3 damage, ignoring PR.

When an allied unit would take damage due to this ability, you
may spend 1 CMD to have them not take damage.
4 Movement Unstoppable Progress
Wormpile is released with the understanding that it is to kill the enemy
- Shooting Skill officer. Therefore the enemy officer is Wormpile’s target. Once Wormpile’s
Elusive target has been eliminated, the enemy independent with the highest AP cost
- Combat will become its new target. If their are no longer any enemy independents,
Harmless Wormpile has no target, and is free to act normally. Wormpile must move
6 Defense Insignificant towards it’s target, and must attempt to come into contact with its target
as soon as possible. Wormpile will use any pertinent form of movement to
0 Protection Intangible attempt to come into contact during its activation. As long as Wormpile is
Invulnerable in contact with its target it can’t move, even repositioning is not allowed,
5 Life Points and its target suffers the effect of Stunned. Wormpile is immune to effects
Maverick that may stop or slow its progress towards its target (Attraction from non-
- Faith Régénération target units, Entangle, etc ...).

- Command Strider 152

 The losT

Saurav-Geet, Squamata Shaman

The Squamata have no barbers, no priests to grant them the extreme unction, however, one of them does hold
the position of doctor. They call him «Saurav-Geet», although it is difficult to tell if that is his name or some kind
of title or function in their strange language.
This creature is a little smaller than the others of his species and does not seem to be quite as fierce. But the
other Squamata protect him, and even Isha-Akshay seems to consider him with a strange kind of respect. It
is undoubtedly for his healing powers that the others admire him so; however he does have an influence over
Independent
them that outweighs that of a simple doctor. I have had a chance to watch them just before they go into battle,
and I would swear that he is as close as possible to a priest for them. He and the other Squamata carried out a
strange ritual, the meaning of which I did not grasp, but it would seem to be akin to our mass or a baptism, for
Lost
it resembled both.
First of all, the enormous creatures began a low chanting, a kind of whistling, almost inaudible to our ears,
but which seemed to cause much annoyance among the other Lost Ones, especially the many maggots that
Male
are continually crawling about the camp. It seemed to send the Squamata into some
kind of ecstatic trance, for their eyes tended to roll back, and some began to weep
copiously, as if they were experiencing a vision of divine beauty. Their heads lolled
Agnostic
away, and they were shaken by small convulsions that lasted for a few seconds and
suddenly they fell to the ground, as if they were stone dead. Then Saurav-Geet passed Mentalist
among them, touching each of them and marking them with some kind of yellowy
ointment that smelled unbearably bad. As each of the warriors was touched in this
way, he sat up and opened his eyes, then his mouth with a great yawn. Then he was
ready for battle. Movement 5
After the ritual was over, Saurav-Geet seemed a little unsteady on his feet, as if 4
this unction had sucked his very strength. However Saurav-Geet soon recovered his
spirit and joined in the fight. His comrades believe in him so much that they are most Shooting Skill -
-
insistent to fight by his side, and all show a great amount of ardor when accompanying
him. I seem to remember that the Corvus, on the other hand, avoided him, and I must
say I always felt a shiver go down my spine when I was near him.
Combat 3
2
What a strange thing indeed, to encounter a priest in this place, of all places, and what’s
more, a priest who quite obviously, does not believe in God! Defense 4
3
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of
captain Eduardo Spada.
Strider Protection 2

Orders Life Points 9

5
Exuvia
Active • Variable Faith 0
0
You may spend as much CMD on this order as you like. Once the amount of
CMD is spent, double it to determine how many total LP of healing this order will Command 1
allow. Once this is known you may split up these LP in any way you see fit between
units with the Lost keyword within 4 fathoms of Saurav-Geet. Naturally these units reco-
ver a number of LP equal to the number of points assigned to them from the total.
A Stain Soiling the Faith
1 CMD
When Saurav-Geet dies, until the end of the current
turn and for all of the next turn, all units get a penalty
to their PR equal to their FTH. If you cannot pay
the cost of this order as well as losing the 1 CMD
of Saurav-Geet when he dies. This order can’t
be used.

Aura
Aura of Precision
Temporary • Active • 6 Fathom Radius •
Lingering
When a unit using a War Disc to make a
Ranged Attack is within the area effect
of this aura, they automatically score 1
extra hit if they roll at least 1 hit.

Obsidian Dagger Hits Damage

Slashing 1 1
2 2
3 4 Unique
25
4 6
5 Life Drain 3 153 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Vorenus, Corvus Praetorian

Although my companions and I are not overly fond of the Squamata, the Corvus are the ones that are the most repulsive to us. One
only has to see the way they hop around on their skinny legs, picking on the wounded and the dying, only plucking up courage once
the enemy is already badly hit. It is as if every crow from every battlefield had suddenly been given human form and had joined the
army, to better hasten the arrival of their next feast.
Independent Their oversize heads seem almost obscene on their skeletal bodies, and their black eyes are like dark, empty marbles, merely reflec-
ting the light from outside, but never showing a single twinkle that comes from the inside. It is hard to believe that these creatures
could have once had any kind of soul! One would think that they originated here in Hell, but Spada tells us that they are very old
Lost souls, maybe those of the politicians of old. I don’t know if he is serious in saying this, or if this is yet another example of his daring
sense of irony.
The Squamata hate them as much as we do, and the Corvus hate them in return. They can often be seen grouping together to
Male harass one of the enormous Squamata warriors, jumping and skipping around him, squawking like baby birds and pecking viciously
at him. When the Squamata finally reacts, they run away quickly, and before he can catch them, they have scattered and hidden in
shadows and corners. Sometimes they also take to picking on the slave that follows the Sling-maiden, pecking away at the juicy worms
Agnostic that are forever eating his flesh.
At other times, they peek and spy at us, as if to see if we would make a good meal. For they have no morals and are among
the most despicable creatures there are. Once the battle is over it matters little who they devour: ally or enemy; Squamata, devil or
5 Movement human, anything will do for these humanoid vultures. One can’t help but wonder why Carnoth took them in as his own, for they are
4 so repulsive and unbearable.
However, on the battlefield, they can sometimes be surprisingly efficient. They are quick and cruel, and can distract and harass an
- Shooting Skill enemy while others are busy taking him down, and their black cloud scares the smaller adversaries and annoys the larger ones. Those
- that they call the Praetorians have specialized in this art of harassment. I saw the most famous of them fight with my very eyes, the
one they call Vorenus. His sharp claws deal out a thousand cuts, a thousand slices that annoy the enemy, until they make a mistake
5 Combat and become overwhelmed. Anyone fighting against him would have to be doubly vigilant and be wary of his continuous attacks, for he
4
is both the fastest and the most vicious of opponents.
The Corvus have their own rituals and their own language. Besides their annoying squeaking, they also communicate by snap-
4 Defense ping their beaks, tapping their claws on the armor that they wear, creating quite a concert of rattling and clanging. They are also
3
capable of speaking human languages, but they laugh and chuckle so much that is almost impossible to have a proper conversa-
1 Protection tion with one of them without wanting to rip his head off.
But enough of these chickens! If they are dwelling on my mind as I write this, it is only because I can see a couple of
them out of the corner of my eye, skulking around. I will leave it at that for now and wait until they have moved further
10 Life Points away before returning to my work, for no-one is safe from their cruel tricks.
4
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain Eduardo
0 Faith Spada.
0

- Command Order
Harassment
Free • 1 CMD
Charisma Choose an enemy unit within 4 fathoms of Vorenus. The tar-
Evasive geted unit gets a penalty of -1 DEF, to a minimum of 3, until
the end of the turn. This order can’t be used more than
Runaway once per turn.
Strider
Vicious 2

Hooks Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
2 4
3 5

Unique 25 Base : Large 4

5
5 + Knocked Down
6 + Immobilized
 The losT

Squamata Spitter
There is no trickery, no weapon that Mother Nature did not grant to Carnoth’s disciples when she very kindly
endowed them with their warrior attributes. Under their skin, powerful muscles roll and slide, and their minds
are quick and sharp. When faced with misfortune, they become merciless, unstoppable in their march towards
victory.
What general would not wish for warriors such as the ones they call Spitters in his ranks: these monsters are
able to project jets of acidic vomit that can hit a target four fathoms away, and the acid eats away at the flesh
of any foolish enough to get within range. It will even eat its way through steel and leather.
This is the perfect example of the infernal paradox of this place. It sets up battles
between titans and monsters, all well armed and protected, as if the very nature
of Hell favors never-ending battles. It is as if a twisted intelligence was mani-
pulating devils and men, setting them up against each other with an evil
glee...
It is a curiously intoxicating feeling to watch these wild and
curious beasts, with their tough bodies covered in bony growths,
charge into battle. At times it seems like one of the fabulous
tales of the Bible has been brought to life, and one can fully
understand, when watching these wonders, the full meaning of
the Lord’s word. For by being a witness to the hideous nature
of the monsters of Hell, by truly feeling the full shock of the
horror that radiates from them like an aura of sulfur, one
begins to dream of the splendors that await the good souls
who will make it to Heaven. If the beauty of the angels is
equal to the cruel appearance of these devils, then how
blissful must be the eternal life of the good and the just.
Unfortunately, I am afraid that we mercenaries have
far too much blood on our hands to ever experience that
happiness. Even if it was not so, we are still, in a way,
worse than these creatures. For if they were made this way,
designed to kill and destroy, mankind has, on the contrary,
labored long and hard to perfect weapons and means of
destruction. The damned are simply obeying their own new
nature (for who knows what they were before, when they still
walked the lands of the Living), but we men had the choice
between good and evil. Who commits a murder: the steel or
the hand that wields it?
These are my thoughts on the evening of our victory, for we
were indeed victorious. Not all of us made it through the battle
Limited 2
safe and sound, and we lost a few of our number. The ruined city now
belongs to us, and to Bran Carnoth, who is celebrating with his men on
the banks of the river of blood.
The stench of the water is now mingling with that of the rotting cadavers
of the devils, eaten away by the Spitters’ acid, and rotting away faster than they
25 Independent
should. For, we are living, here, in the kingdom of the volatile and the inconsistent.
May the Lord have pity on us. Lost
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of
captain Eduardo Spada. Male
Agnostic

Movement 5
4

Shooting Skill 2
1
Regeneration 2 Combat 3
Acid Spit Strider 2

Ammunition 2 Defense 4
Cloud Blast (Acid • 5/2 • Consumed (Acid • 1/3)) 3

Protection 1
Saliva Projectile
Explosion (Saliva • Slowed) Life Points 11
Limited Range 3 3

Range 4 Faith 0
0

Eviscerator Hits Damage Command -

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 5
3 7
4 9
155
Base : Large
5 12
 FactionS

Sling Maiden and Maggot Bearer

I have already written about the one they call «Wormpile», but it does seem that the Underworld has unlimited
potential for cadavers, rotting flesh and maggots. One of the best examples is the unfortunate creature that strongly
Sling Maiden / Maggot Bearer resembles a swollen cadaver, constantly devoured by maggots as big as your fist. It always follows its mistress, a
shameless vixen who has many a demonic trait. Her right breast has been removed, in the fashion of the Amazons
of old, leaving nothing but a red swollen scar. But the most repulsive detail is her left arm, which looks like the
Independent Independent appendage of an insect, articulated like a suit of armor and made of a dark and shiny material. However she
does not seem to notice it and uses it like she would her own hand, so well, in fact, that she is more skilled
with this curious limb than some men are with a full hand of five fingers.
Lost Lost Her agonizing slave crawls along behind her, his skin forever moved by a sickening wave-like move-
ment. The moist white flesh of his belly looks like a pool into which a stone has been thrown: it
undulates in water-like waves. This is because his belly, like the rest of his body, is full of enormous
Female Asexual maggots that writhe and wriggle beneath his skin. They are the most disgusting predators, with
their mouths ringed with several rows of tiny teeth, and they begin to stretch and writhe
as soon as they are brought near the flesh of the living, craving their blood. The slave’s
Agnostic Unbeliever mistress still grabs them fearlessly, and fits them into her strangely fashioned sling,
ready to hurl them at the enemy. There, they cause confusion, disgust and pain,
for once they have stuck their revolting mouths into the skin of some unfor-

Base : Regular / Regular tunate, they will begin burying under the skin and into the soft flesh that
they feast on greedily.
The Sling-maiden sometimes speaks with Audacious, but never pays

Limited 2 / Associated (Sling Maiden) attention to anyone else, not even to her pathetic servant, forever
writhing and moaning at her feet. He does not speak either, for he
is either overcome by pain or choking on a big worm, crawling up
his throat or eating away at his tongue. For, like Prometheus,
he is being eaten alive, and every day his body is renewed.
By the evening, his bones and organs are visible in places;
the skin on his head is in such a state that his features
are unrecognizable. He drags himself along on his arms,
already nearly reduced to bones and hardly able to
bear the little meat there is left on him. The next day,
as the sun rises, he has, by some unknown sorcery,
recovered his bloated body, and the maggots can
again begin to feast on his flesh. His torment is
endless, his agony is eternal. But the most frigh-
tening thing about him is that sometimes, as
he stares at us, the shadow of a smile passes
across his face, as if he understood something
that eludes us all.
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below
», by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the
troops of captain Eduardo Spada.

Order
Bloody Sacrifice
Free • 1 Permanent CMD •
Unstoppable • Unique
The Sling Maiden kills the
Maggot Bearer associated with
her. This causes an Explosion
(power 2/3) centered on the Maggot Bearer. The Sling

Sling Maiden / Maggot Bearer 22/0 Maiden must be in contact with the Maggot Bearer to give
this order.

4 Movement 2
3

2 Shooting Skill - Exploding Maggot Pincers Hits Damage

1
Artillery Blunt 1 2
3 Combat - Explosion (3/1) 2 3
2
Heavy 3 4
3 Defense 2 Range 5 4 3 + Stunned
2 5 5
0 Protection 0 Maggot Bearer
6 Life Points 4 Ammunition Carrier Biting Maggot
Piercing
Hits
1 1
Damage
3
Harmless Artillery 2 3
0 Faith -
0 Insignificant Penetrating Strike 2 3
Range 5 4
5
6
- Command - Maverick 156 5 8
 The losT

Fangs of the Pit

The battle of the dead city was one of the most demanding that my mercenary companions and I
have ever fought. Indeed, we are victorious, but at such a price! We are quite used to fighting the devils,
but not that many, not for that long. Although we were well supported by the Carnoth’s troop, our losses
are heavy: seven men, including Arnolfini.
When I asked Spada what we would tell Arnolfini’s father, the Duke, when we saw him again, the
captain simply smiled. I have the feeling that he has no desire to go back through those gates.
Trooper
Arnolfini died in the stupidest way possible. He had insisted on joining in the attack and had
managed to climb up onto a very high promontory and taken one of those new-fangled arquebus that
he had so often - and so loudly - told us about. «Now, that is a weapon that fires much further than the
Animal
vulgar toys that you carry! You will see, soon you will all be using one of these!»
Indeed, his weapon did have quite a phenomenal reach, for he managed a perfect hit, taking out a
devil a long way away and one of their lieutenants too! But the kick of the shot was such that he fell
Asexual
backwards from his perch and landed a long way down, in the midst of Thelonius’s
devils.
Straight away, the beasts that the Lost call «Fangs of the Pit» ran in to circle him.
Unbeliever
How strange it was to see these Cerberus-like beasts - did I mention that they have two
enormous heads? - behaving like loyal hunting dogs protecting their master, even more
strange that they were protecting one that they would ordinarily be hunting. For these
are the hounds of Hell, or so I am told, the ones they set loose on the heels of marau-
ding damned ones or slaves attempting to escape from their master’s domain. They are
trained to track down the young souls, the less compliant ones in Hell, the ones that Attack of Opportunity Movement 7
still smell of «fresh human», as their masters say themselves. But when young Arnolfini 6
fell to the ground, the dogs gathered around him, a circle of fangs and claws, growling
like the devils they are to defend him from our enemies.
Fanatic Shooting Skill -
-
Alas, the poor unfortunate had broken his neck and cracked his skull, laying there
dead, with his weapon still in his hand.
Insignificant Combat 4
We buried him that evening in the dry earth of the dead city. I read a short prayer, and
even Spada made a short speech: «He was only a kid, but he died a man’s death. May he
Intercept 6 5

rest in peace.»
Strider Defense 5
The next morning, drawn by a curious intuition, I went to look for his grave. I searched 5
every inch of dry earth, every stone, every blade of yellow grass, but I never found it. Even with
the help of my companions, I could not locate the burial place of our young friend: it was as if Protection 0
the ground had completely closed over him, healed like a wound that did not leave even the tiniest
scar. And as we searched, the Lost watched us out of the corners of their eyes, their faces closed and
their mouths silent. It was as if they knew the key to this mystery, but it was too terrible or too unbe- Life Points 8
4
lievable for them to dare share it with us. Besides, for some unknown reason, none of us asked them
anything about it. It was Spada who, as he often did, soothed our worried hearts with a few words.
«He did not belong down here.»
Faith -
-

Command -
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain
Eduardo Spada.

Teeth Hits Damage

Slashing 1 3

2 4
3 5 Limited 2
4
5
2 + Knocked Down
3 + Immobilized
157 18 Base : Large
 FactionS

Squamata Warrior
After our victory over Thelonius and his demons, we wandered the ruined city for a long time, scattered about in small groups. At
least the damned ones were lucky enough to know what they were looking for: Bran Carnoth was searching for some kind of strange
relic, one that he claimed had an extraordinary power. So he sent his men to search every last corner of the ruins for it..
As for us, Spada had not given us any information on what we were supposed to be looking for.
Trooper «If you see it, you will know that you have found it», that was all he said to us. Then he walked off through the ruins.
The dead city was much larger than we had thought it to be to begin with, as it is often the case in the Underworld: looks are
deceiving, and you cannot trust your own senses. As we searched among the old stones, I was given a chance to see the Squamata
Lost in quite a different light.
They too were wandering the ruins, in small groups, but they were doing so with a strange attitude, a mixture of worship, smooth
movements and lascivious contemplation. They crawled along the dead unpolished marble like animals, climbing up the smooth
Male white columns almost on their bellies, running and jumping down the stairways and flitting between the stones like ghosts. Indeed,
to see them like this, you could think they were some kind of reptilian shadows, which you can only see out of the corner of your
eye. They seem to have something of a dark curiosity about this place.
Agnostic Having noticed my own curiosity, Audacious came to me and looked me straight in the eyes. I was surprised to catch in his
intense gaze a kind of fatherly friendliness, the kind that leaders sometimes develop for the men who serve under them.
«The lizard-men have lost their memories.» he said, «But the city remembers them.»
5 Movement «The city?» I answered, «How could mere stones remember anything?»
4 «There are cities that think, Human. All it takes is for those who built them to breathe a little life into them.»
«Heresy! That cannot be, for only our Lord has the power to give life to something!»
1 Shooting Skill «Well said, Human. But in spite of that you always carry with you that little knife, which you sometimes call by the name of your
0 son who was killed by the Protestants, as if that small object contained some kind of spark that keeps him alive.»
I remained speechless. Nobody, not even Spada, knew the story of my little Guido, slaughtered before he even reached his fifth
4 Combat birthday, slaughtered by a mercenary. A mercenary like me.
3
«Yes, the city remembers them, for it is the shadow of a city that they built themselves, long ago, when they were still living.
Although their minds are now so shriveled that they are now nothing but snake brains under their cold scales, the stones have
4 Defense not forgotten them. Look at them play along these dusty old streets, embracing these ancient blocks of stone as a child would
3
embrace a long lost mother...»
1 Protection It was true. Suddenly, they looked strangely like young kittens drawn to a smell that they alone can sense, rolling around
and rubbing themselves against the stones. The scene was both slightly grotesque and also deeply sad and pathetic.
«Do you think, Antonio Guccini, they are breathing in the perfume of the memories of this old ruin?»
9 Life Points «Yes, sir,» I answered, «that is the impression they give me. Sir, do you know what it is that we are looking for
3 among these stones?»
«We seek the perfume of your captain’s memories.»
0 Faith At that instant, the wind wafted the sweetest of aromas towards me, like the smell of a new flower carried
0 by a cool breeze. Despite its softness, it hit me as hard as a storm would have, and I saw that Audacious
was smiling as he watched me. Down my cheeks, I felt the warm wetness of tears rolling.
- Command When they hit the ground, by some magical trickery of this accursed land, they transformed
into tiny fragments of a dark crystal. I still keep them to this day, deep in my pocket with my
ink-pot, and if anyone doubts my story, I ask them to look into the crystals.
Strider For he who looks into the depths of these tiny jewels will know the true color of
night.
Regeneration
Résistance (B lunt) Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary
in the troops of captain Eduardo Spada.

Base : Large

War Disc Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
Ammunition 2 4
Range 5 3 5
4 7
5 9

Eviscerator Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 5
3 7
Unlimited 17 158
4
5
9
12
 The losT

Corvus Tormentor
I now know what our captain, Eduardo Spada, is looking for down here in the
depths of Hell. It is among the ruins of this dead city that the shadow of his desire
came to be lost. The source of all war and all peace, as ever: a woman.
Who would have thought? Well, the captain did in fact give us a clue during the
battle of the ruined city. One of our companions, a man named Renart, managed to
pick it up. Here is the tale that he told us the day after the battle. I remember that
moment as if I had just left my friends, although they are all now long dead, and the
Lord has judged good to grant me many another year of life in this valley of tears.
We were all gathered around the camp fire, warming our feet and our
souls, and passing round a bottle of that spirit that seems to jump
around inside your gut, and passes for grog around here. Renart
had a gruff voice - he received a nasty wound through the neck
with a spear five years before, but the rascal had survived
and the one who had stabbed him had his brains blown
out - as I was saying, his voice was as rough as a dirt
track, all dust and gravel, and it rang out among the
ruins as he told his tale. The moon hid for a moment
behind a cloud, as if to give our eyes a rest and excite
our imagination. Even the Corvus were listening,
eavesdropping as he spoke.
«Our captain was moving like a whirlwind, and
around him, his sword was weaving what looked
like a veil of night, the very same that earned him
his nickname: Spada Nera. More importantly, a few
feet away, all around the captain, the Corvus were
circling. The beasts were like a walking black cloud.
What a great group of scavengers they were: as soon
as he had cut a throat or sliced off a limb, they bore
down upon the wounded and pecked away at them
with their rusty beaks, ripping them apart with their
claws. Our handsome captain was like war embodied,
with his black scythe in one hand, and the Corvus
around him like a flock of crows. They barely had time
to finish off the vermin, to choke the devils, before
our leader took another step forward and delivered yet
more blows. A lunge to the right, a slice to the left! Their
skinny bodies and their cruel claws fly in, and down goes
Unlimited
another devil.»
A loud and ecstatic squawking could be heard, coming from behind
one of the fallen columns.
«But as he was busy wielding his steel so generously, an object fell from
the pocket of his jerkin. The captain did not care; or rather I think he did not
13 Trooper
notice: he was still chopping himself a path of wounds and screams, followed by
the cawing of the Corvus and the groaning of the wounded. So I ran after him and I Lost
picked up the thing he had dropped...»
«So, what was it?» asked all present, with one voice.
We knew almost nothing about the captain; however every one of us would have given his Male or Female
right arm, his heart and his neck for him.
«A tablet... A small, wooden tablet with a carved picture
«Was it a religious icon, like the ones the brothers sell for a few pennies?» Agnostic
Renart gave a hearty laugh.
«Of sorts... The carving was one of a beauty, naked, with her tits showing...»
- Oooh !»
«I’m telling ye... She must have been quite a sinner too, for she was being roasted in the flames of...
Well, in the flames, and a great devil was pricking her in the rear, which was plump and well exposed like Movement 5
4
her other tasty bits!»
«That is indeed a subject worthy of prayer and meditation!»
«They really should make statues and stained-glass windows of the same kind; it would make church-
Shooting Skill -
-
going much more entertaining!»
«Who would have thought that our own captain would succumb to the sin of Onan?»
Evasive Combat 3
«Ha ha! I gave it back to him, but believe me, guys; it was worth the look... Now, my friends, I think I’m
ready for some sleep, this cut is stinging me something wicked.»
First Contact 2

It was the first time for days that we had laughed heartily at anything, and whether captain Spada
Levitation Defense 4
heard us or not, he let us talk. That night, many dreamed of the improbable vixen from the picture, mixing 3
together the features of the whores they had known, but adding to them that particular kind of beauty that
only dreams and pictures can possess.
Runaway Protection 1
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain
Strider Life Points 6
Eduardo Spada.
Vicious 2 2

Faith 0
0

Lacerator Hits Damage Command -

Slashing 1 2
2 3 + Pain
3 4 + Pain 2
4 7
159
Base : Regular
5 9
 FactionS

Squamata Tracker
I had left my companions, and I was now following Audacious, guided by the strange perfume that I had smelled in
the air of the old city: a blend of flowers and of a cool breeze, a hundred leagues away from the heady odors of the easy
women I had known, although it did also have a slightly coppery note that made it a little disturbing. The aroma of
innocence, hiding a bare whiff of betrayal, swam in the breeze.
Trooper My guide and I walked into the middle of a large square, surrounded on all sides by rows of tiered seats. In its
center was a woman, surrounded by Bran Carnoth’s Squamata trackers. Attracted by her perfume, fascinated,
they were rolling around at her feet like harmless kittens. Once again, it was a strange sight to see these beasts,
Lost usually quick and agile, merciless and swift, lying around and relaxing as if there was no such thing as war.
And yet, looking at their slim but muscular frames, their javelins engraved with impious carvings and
tipped with lethal poison, their nostrils twitching at the smell of the enemy, one could not mistake them
Male for anything but fierce warriors.
Yet there they were, stretched out in the sunshine, around the feet of this woman who was dressed
only in the rays of Phoebus. Indeed, it was as if her whole body was a silver mirror reflecting the
Agnostic sun: we could perceive the nudity of her body, but no direct gaze could behold it, for it shone
with a blinding light. Only her face and her hands were not quite as dazzling.
My guide greeted her, and she answered him. That is when I noticed the tears of
blood that ran down her cheeks, the black thorns that pierced her eyes. It was as
Base : Regular if her head was filled with a bush of brambles, for the thorns seemed to pierce
through from inside.
«Audacious, who is this woman?» I asked.

Unlimited On hearing these words, the woman let out a strange laugh.
«Audacious?» she said, «Is that what you are calling yourself
now, master of subtle trickery?»
«The tongues of men are no longer adapted to the accents
of old,» answered my guide, with a smile. «The name of
Odysseus has long since passed from the memories of your
people, woman.»
«I am no longer a woman since life left me.»
«Then Spada has been fighting for a shadow.» said
the one we call Audacious.
«The shadow of a shadow, even. The chalice that
Carnoth seeks is in an underground temple, north
of the city, near its old gates.»
«I thank you, but we have freed you and your
people from the rule of Thelonius. Carnoth would
like you all to join us.»
«Carnoth wants us for his army, Spada for
his own reasons, but know this, Odysseus, Bel-
ladonna and her people belong to nobody.»
«You think yourself strong enough to resist?
Daughter of Eve, you have not spent long enough
down here to know every trick: a single word
would be enough to bind you to us for centuries.»
As he spoke, Audacious had stepped closer,
and he now reached out and touched the arm
of the woman...who disappeared. In her place
was a broken mirror and the body of a devil,
nailed to the ground with stakes as big as a
man’s arm. The disembodied voice of Bella-
donna rang out in the air.
«You are not the only one to know a trick
or two, Odysseus. Eve did not teach her
daughters only to sin. We also know to be
wary of serpents. This rotting carcass was
enough to fool your slobbering hounds, and
the mirror was enough to conjure up my image long enough to fool you. As

15 soon as the battle began, my people and I broke our chains and fled.»
The Squamata seemed to come to their senses. It was as if they had awakened from
a dream: there had been some sort of sorcery in the air, for suddenly the stench of the
rotting corpse was the only smell to fill my nose... Audacious began to laugh, and I remai-
5 Movement ned speechless, as a thousand questions rushed through my mind.
4
Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of captain
3 Shooting Skill Eduardo Spada.
2
Poisoned Spear (Ranged) Hits Damage
3
2
Combat Advanced Deployment 4 Piercing 1 2
4 Defense Camouflage 2 Range 6 2 3
Ammunition 2 3 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/1)
3
Discretion 4 4 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3)
1 Protection
Dodge 2 5 5 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3)

7
3
Life Points Scout Poisoned Spear (Melee) Hits Damage
Piercing 1 2
0 Faith Strider Penetrating Strike 2 3
0
3 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/1)
- Command 4 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3)
5 5 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 2/3)
 The losT

Retiarius
It was the evening of the day after the battle, Carnoth had what he wanted, and Spada was
returning empty-handed.
«It is my destiny.» he said.
The damned celebrated their victory in their own fashion: they took part in many brutal
games, wrestling with one another with many a scream and a groan. They mainly encouraged
those that they call Retiarii to fight each other. These brutes look like humans, except for their
Trooper
heads, which look like they are completely covered by a huge helmet. On closer inspection, the
helmet and the skin are one, as it often is among the damned: it is as if their aggressiveness,
their thirst for blood and their evil intentions had suddenly taken control of their flesh, transpo-
Lost
sing their every vice into their physique. Instead of a face, they have gigantic fangs that look like
the mandibles of some hideous insect. They wear a few pieces of armor that only partially cover
parts of the body, and they carry spears tipped with what looks like a giant pair of pincers. They
Asexual
fight with weighted nets that they use to pin down their opponents before trying to
beat them to death or gut them.
That night they were carrying out a strange, wild dance, spinning their nets and
Agnostic
their weapons in the air. However, the celebration did not last long, Carnoth soon
called his troops to order, and although night was then falling, he ordered his men to
start moving. In his hand was a sparkling cup, the one he called «The Chalice».
Movement 4
3
As for Spada, his only reward had been the few words that I had brought back to
him from the one named Belladonna. As the strange and colorful troop of Lost Ones Shooting Skill -
began their march, lit with the blood-red rays of the setting sun, he began to address -
us thus:
«Mercenaries! I have lied to you. We are not exploring the lands of Hell for the Combat 5
rich and powerful of New Jerusalem. I came here to find more than a dried out scrap 4
of land or the path to some lump on the horizon! So did you all! This new world is full
of surprises and riches for whoever dares take them. This is what I am offering you: let Attack of Defense 4
us set a course for adventure and bravely face every danger that the Evil One can throw
at us!»
Opportunity 3

«But how far are we to go, Captain?» asked Renart with his rusty voice. Bodyguard Protection 2
«The group of Damned Ones that were being held prisoners by the devil Thelonius has
left towards the north, where, I have heard, stands the palace of one of their princes. Bran
Carnoth, captain of the Lost has assured me that there lie riches and wonders that would make
Vulnerability Life Points 9
4
even the richest of prelates green with envy! Should we leave them to the Lost? Or should we (Blunt)
once again raise our weapons against Hell and against the Demons, so that one day our tales will Faith 0
be sung far and wide?» 0
There is no need for me to tell you what happened next, for all now know the tale: Spada’s
company met its destiny in Hell, and each of us received what was coming to him, whether we Command -
wanted it or not.
But that is a different story, and one day I shall tell it, if the Lord grants me to live that long.

Excerpt from « Tales of the journey Below », by Antonio Guccini, mercenary in the troops of
Captain Eduardo Spada. Limited 3

Halberd Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 5
Cumbersome 3
Eager 4
6 +Knocked Down
10
161 21 Base : Large
Lunge 2 5 8 + Immobilised
 The MercenarieS
he mercenaries
Dear Father,
So, this is the end of your poor Etienne, for I am to
die today. Flayed, drawn, whipped and hanged. But not
necessarily in that order, for I intend to negotiate. From
my prison cell I can already hear the hammers working
away on the gallows. Bills have been posted all over New
Jerusalem, and I have a feeling that the event will attract
quite a crowd, for I have made myself quite a reputation
around here. Irony has decided that my fate should be
sealed today in the very same place where I signed my
first engagement, on Sermon square, so-called because
of the damned one they keep in a cage, hanging high
above the cobbles, and who tirelessly yells at passers-by
in a guttural and inarticulate Latin. By the time you read
this, that talkative corpse will be in better shape than me.
I read your missive with great emotion, Father. Although
I care little about my own sentence, I do not wish to die
knowing that you are ashamed of me because of the
lies you have been told. Allow me, please, to defend my
honor, for that is all I have left.
Your superior, Father Boniface, is, I am sure, a pious
man and so very knowledgeable about holy matters.
But when it comes to military matters, he is a complete
imbecile. Do not believe his careless words. So that I
do not leave you in a similar state of ignorance, please
allow me, my old teacher, to temporarily treat you as my
student as I write this last letter.
There are many different kinds of mercenaries, Father,
but I can assure you that I belong to the very best kind of
all. I have nothing to do with the low and dirty scroun-
gers of the Underworld, and I intend to prove this to you
in this letter. As I intend to make this a demonstration
worthy of the great Pythagoras that you once taught me
about, I must be very precise in my choice of words.
A mercenary is not just a man who fights for money. If
the Lord followed the recommendations of your boniface
and removed from the world any man who would draw
his sword in the hope of earning a bit of cash, then there
would not be a single armed man or guarded place from
far away Potosi to the mythical Thule: there is no such
thing as a soldier without pay.
So, should we define a mercenary as a man who will
fight for another than his own king? That may have been
true yesterday, but if it was still true today, then the
whole of our beautiful colony of New Jerusalem would be
a mercenary province, for every day, down here, Vene-
tians work hand in hand with the Flemish, the Irish help
the Sevillans, and vice versa.
163
Now, if we are to define the mercenary as one who
fights for himself, regardless of whether his friends and
enemies are men, demons, Christians, Muslims,living or
dead, then yes: I am proud to call myself a mercenary!
It is true that among our numbers there are many ras-
cals. I will gladly admit it and will not speak any further
of them. However, you must agree that this is the case
for many professions, even that of pope. I am not saying
that to cause you sadness, Father, but because I have met
one or two of them down Below, musing over their man-
ners and their missals as they spin merrily on their spit.
Admittedly, we can be hired like any vulgar bandit, but
to build a career as captain of a mercenary company, it
takes a lot more! It takes the very highest moral fiber to
achieve that, as I will now explain.
Many leaders make their men fight to the blood for
any old reason: a word too bold, any small failure. They
indulge in excessive tyranny because they received their
authority from God or some rich prince whose shadow
protects them and exempts them from needing qualities
such as charisma and fairness. That is a luxury that we
free captains cannot afford, for we can only rely on the
loyalty we ourselves can inspire to get our men to obey us.
A captain of fortune must behave with the utmost
equality towards his men. There is no glory to be gai-
ned from serving under his banner: most of his recruits
have no country to call their own, they are renegades
and miscreants, they care little about being banished
or excommunicated and, having no family, they do not
fear retribution. The just cause or the faith brandished
by well-to-do generals are of no use to him, and there is
very little he can use to gain obedience if not the example
his own virtue. The opposite excess is of course equally
forbidden to him. There can be no place for leniency
when one is leading a group made up of damned ones
and vagabonds that have been picked up at random from
every circle of Hell, for such a rabble will be constantly
waiting for a single sign of weakness from its captain to
go looting and slaughtering at will.
I would like to quote the example of the damned one
Gilles de Rais, whom I once fought beside. You have
probably heard the name of this lord before: he was
a rather scandalous baron while he was alive, and that
certainly did not change after his death, so his legend
always precedes him, wherever he may go. Gilles does
seem, indeed, to validate the theories of boniface. I will
not deny the reality of his crimes, in fact, to prove my
good faith to you, I will even go as far as to agree with
your superior: de Rais is a prolific assassin, a sinner who
likes nothing more than to cohort with the devils. After
we had taken the town that the Spanish had founded
and called Nueva Cadix, our warlord, who has quite a
passion for the theater, ordered the play «The Mystery
of Lilith» to be played to an audience of his captives.
The play, a despicable and blasphemous piece of work,
 FactionS
demanded many sacrifices for every show. Of course, it
was the prisoners who played those unfortunate parts,
and every evening, Gilles would peek out from behind
the curtain of his makeshift theater and laugh at the
revulsion on the faces of the audience as they were for-
ced to applaud the torture of their own companions. Of
the many anecdotes about his cruelty, this is the only
one, Father, that I can decently tell you without giving
you nightmares.
And yet, believe it or not, this man is most rigorously
fair when dealing with his men, to a point that I have
never seen in any other officer in all of New Jerusalem!
Discipline is tough in his ranks, his punishments are
merciless, but he never punishes without cause, and his
people know that they will receive just reward depending
on their merit. It is this unalterable rigor that allows him
to lead a loyal company, without having to fear rebellion
or desertion, the two great enemies of the captain of
fortune.
The sergeant at arms of a rich prince can afford to
be a mediocre strategist. There will always be another
officer above him to tell him where to position his men
and what to do at a given signal. He has no need to
understand what is going on on the battlefield. In fact,
his idiocy is a perfect guarantee of his loyal obedience.
These words may sound a little cynical to you, Father,
but you should realize that most heroic charges were
simply due to misunderstandings.
On the contrary, a captain of fortune must be most
learned in the art of war, for it is up to him to ensure
that his troops get a starring role in the battle. He must
know every technique, from cavalry tactics to the science
of cannon warfare. If he accepts to position his men in
the wrong place at the wrong time, there could well be
nobody left to collect the pay. And that is quite often
what the client is hoping for!
Noble sacrifice is hardly a sought-after end amongst
us mercenaries, as it is not well paid. I can understand
that the captains of princes and prelates feel some joy
at being slain to the sound of the marching drums, for
they will be remembered and celebrated. Stones will be
carved, banners will be embroidered, lists will be writ-
ten, and I readily believe that there is some consolation
to dying when you know that, somewhere, a stone will
bear your name. But for us, there is only the anonymity
of the common grave into which we are usually thrown
without any kind of blessing or ceremony. That is the
reason why we rely on our cunning and save our bravery
for ourselves.
I would like to illustrate this with another story. One
day, as we were traveling through Ampharaus, we saw
Sheik Issan ibn Youssouf, engaged with a pack of devils.
When, in turn, the Mohammedan saw us, he called out
to us, asking us to join and assist him. Although we all
spoke his language perfectly, we pretended to have mis-
took his plea for help for a polite salutation and replied
164
with a greeting, without leaving our lookout post. From
our promontory, we could see all too well the demonic
reinforcements on their way, and we would not have bet
a single penny on the Saracen’s life.
Believe me, Father, it was not a pleasant choice to
stay there and watch the Sheik and his people die!
Even though they were infidels, they were none the less
humans at the mercy of a horde of furious demons. But
in the face of duty, sentiment must always give way, and
on that sad day, my honor forbade me from leading my
men to certain death. In fact, that cruel but just decision
was rewarded twofold. The Mohammedans paid dearly
to retrieve the glorious corpses of the Sheik and his men,
and then, under contract with his nephew, we had the
honor of avenging the death of this brave man with a
well-prepared ambush. You must agree that such an
opportunity would have been lost if we had been foolish
enough to rush in and die at his side!
As well as possessing all these rare qualities, a captain
of fortune must also be a charmer and a diplomat, and
have knowledge of languages and customs. This is all the
more important down Below, where we sometimes have
to negotiate with things that are far from human.
As for the Christians, you know the facts yourself. The
high and the powerful are very keen on our companies, as
they were Above, using us to easily oppress their people
or to betray their own masters discreetly. As I was saying
as I began this letter, New Jerusalem has created an
important differentiation between those who will only
sell their services among the Christians and those who
are willing to negotiate with anyone. The latter, of whom
I am one, are, however, still most welcome as part of the
conquest planned by the Council of the Six. The rulers
of the colony enjoy toying with the Archdukes of Hell by
setting them up against each other. We play a key role in
these alliances with the demons, acting as go-betweens,
and selling our services and our weapons in the process.
However, we must always be on our guard. When the
Council of the Six hides itself behind a mask of piety, it
is often because the hangman’s rope and the stake are
an easy way to settle inconvenient debts and payments
due. In fact, I think that if I had been less expensive, I
would not have been condemned so swiftly.
In that respect, the Saracens behave much like the
Christians, or maybe even more ambiguously. Using the
pretext of our refusal of Allah, many Saracen leaders
forbid us access to their palaces, encourage their people
to throw stones at us as soon as we approach and have
us impaled in public if we insist. But as soon as they
venture out into the inhospitable lands of Hell, they offer
us hospitality, profess their undying friendship and make
many a promise to gain our assistance. That is why,
although the Ottomans have their own Mohammedan
mercenaries, our own companies can often be seen cam-
ping near Al-Aqsa. Out of musket range, but still close
enough to be seen and contacted.
 The MercenarieS
As for the Demons, I have always approached them
with the utmost caution. You will be pleased to hear,
Father, that I have not forgotten your words: «There is
no spoon long enough to have supper with Satan!». So
I have always, in spite of their many offers, avoided the
Luciferians that ask in his name that the Underworld
rise up and rid itself of the intruders that we are. The
way my friend Count Sfumeto perished, having tarried
an hour too long in one of their citadels, was a sad les-
son to learn. There are also many Demons who appre-
ciate our services, and use us to surprise their neighbors
and rivals. They are much more accommodating. They
are the same ones who will then go and kneel before
Asaliah, but who, once far from their lord, will begin
behaving like any one of our barons will when far from
his confessor.
Although the leaders and the partisans of each faction
dislike us, at least in public, it is quite a different matter
for the people who live down Below, especially the ones
that call themselves the Lost. These free damned ones
are, I must admit, of a rare honesty, for they do not
bother with false manners or pretexts when they swim
the murky waters of ambition. They are our brothers
here Below. They tell us some of their secrets, willingly
take part in some of our attacks, and offer us places
to retreat to on their land. But they are a very diverse
people, and succumbing to the current fashion, they have
begun to fight amongst themselves, and this has been
most profitable for me.
You must understand, Father, that in these kingdoms
where Christians cohort with Demons in the name of
Jesus, while other Demons seek to wipe them out to res-
pect the divine order of things, hypocrisy is a universal
value. The quest for Prima Materia is law, it heats spirits
and turns hearts to the most insane kind of greed. As
God is my witness, it is not we who have become sel-
fish. The times we live in have made us so. How can we
even be surprised when an officer comes looking for us
because he wants to dispatch a rival or to defend his sup-
165
ply convoys from the many pillagers? Who can protect
the slave stash of that Christian merchant, or the barrels
of alcohol that belong to that Saracen salesman? And
who could that monk turn to, when, on finding a pre-
cious vein of Prima Materia, he realizes that he has lost
his love of Christ and his willingness to share? The fair
minds of New Jerusalem may speak ill of us, and judge
us as much as they like. For if we are indeed a curse
as they say, then we are a most popular curse indeed!
There are many scholars and explorers who would have
liked to hold in their hands as many alchemical treasures
as I have in my career or see as many circles and fiefs.
Although I have hardly been a saint in the Underworld,
I have been no worse than the next man, and I hope I
have now convinced you of that, Father. But as I cannot
be quite sure of it, I would like to finish on this last
argument. History has taught us that, from Alexander to
Charlemagne, the glory of rulers would have been far less
if it hadn’t been for captains of fortune such as myself.
Indeed, they were quite aware of it, as they raised many
of our kind to nobility, giving them land and castles... If
indeed, as we are taught, God himself inspires the wise
decisions of our kings, then we must admit that God likes
mercenaries. If compared with a La Hire, or a Cortès, my
only sin will be to have been hanged by idiots before the
fruit of my adventures has had time to fully ripen.
I will stand before the executioner, proud of my status
as a renegade and a vagabond. I have had a pleasant
journey, and although I have had to take a few lives along
the way, anybody would have done the same in my place.
And when he begins his work, I will have only one
hope left, Father, the hope that you will forgive your
poor Etienne for his life of sin, and that you will often
pray to God that he do the same.
Farewell, Father, you were good to me.
 FactionS

Don Quixote de la Mancha, Naive hero

Letter to Father Alois, from his ward, the bandit Etienne Pinsol -
Have I heard of the man from La Mancha? Madam, I beg your pardon! I will have you know that I was at the battle of
Fort Saint Guillaume, and I fought by his side! The fortress was built on a peak and covered in a particularly demonic variety
of thorn bushes, and because of this position, everyone believed it could not be taken. Alas, one tragic morning a whole
chunk of the cliff fell away and slid down with a great rumble and a cloud of pestilential gases, as if the ground itself had
Officer erupted! A large section of the wall fell away with the rocks, opening up the place to the winds, and I do not believe
that this was a natural landslide for less than an hour later, we were attacked by a troop of Luciferians. We did
resist for a while, but to be perfectly honest, I must admit that there were many cowards among us who preferred
Human to beg for mercy or run away through the thorns. Believe me, Madam, they would have been better off being
brave, for the accursed vegetation was as cruel to them as it was kind to our assailants.
As is often the case, the biggest scoundrel was the lieutenant in charge of the fortress. After the first
Male few days, he saw our situation as hopeless, and he offered the lives of the women and children of
the place in exchange for safety for himself and his men. By the grace of God, that shameful
bartering was to be our salvation.
Christian (Papist) For several days, Don Quixote had been wandering around the small town that had
grown at the foot of the fortress, and whose inhabitants had sought the protection
of our walls as soon as the enemy began to approach. At first we took him to
be some old vagabond. Indeed, his endless ranting about some man named
Panza, whom he claimed was his valet, led us to believe that he was
quite insane. Worse still, the man seemed to think that he was still in
Castile!
However, at the very second that our dastardly officer opened

Base : Extra Large the door to the enemy, we were faced with a completely different
Hidalgo! Digging his spurs into his tired mare, he engaged
the Demons with so much gusto that we almost felt we

Unique were watching the charge of a whole company! It was as

if someone had tied a quintaine on top of an enraged
horse: with his arms flailing wildly like an armed
scarecrow, he both terrified and stunned the enemy
troops. In the middle of this inarticulate massacre,
the man began to shout at us, urging us on! He
had that gleam in his eye, the one that only
angels and wild beasts have, and his cracked old
voice warmed our very souls by reminding us of
Roland at Roncevaux. His call had a ring to it,
something of the trumpets of Judgement Day,
and I think that with a few more words, he
could even have convinced our dead to rise
up and fight by our side for an hour or two.
Moved as we were by a new strain of
bravery, we managed to push the demonic
horde back out from our walls, and our evil
lieutenant with them. They were all pus-
hed out into the thorn bushes and quickly
finished off with pikes and arquebus fire.
What a glorious day for Christianity!
The strangest part of the whole story is
that our hero would not accept the glory
of his victory. He would not accept any
reward, nor the position of lieutenant, and
he did not even cast an eye over the ladies
who were all so eager to be swept away
by an old man that they had been openly
scornful about only an hour before.
He left the next morning, heading west,
in search of some mysterious land named
Cockaigne. A few of our people left with him.

6 Movement
40 Tale of a soldier, gathered at the Saint Michel mission
5 Orders
- Shooting Skill Fighting Windmills
- When fighting enemy units with an extra large base (50mm) in
melee combat, Don Quixote gets a bonus of +3 CBT.
5 Combat
4 For Dulcinea!
Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
4 Defense
3 Until the end of the turn, Don Quixote’s Charisma ability affects
allied units within 8 fathoms of him (Rather than 4).
3 Protection Chaotic Charge Vae soli Vae victis
12 Life Points Charisma 2 Lance and Longsword Hits Damage
2

2 Faith
Elusive Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 4
1 Fury Eager 3 6
5 Command Leader Lunge 2 4 8
166 Receive Charge 5 10
Prestige (W esterners with a faith
2
of )4
or less
 The mercenarieS

Rocinante, Nightmare Steed

«Miracle!»
The cry came from our guide, Franz, and dragged us out of our torpor. Before us stood a hill, and upon its crest was a shipwreck! How could that
vessel come to be there, grounded high above a place that had never known the sea? At that moment we did not care: the hill it was perched upon
was green, and in Hell, that is nothing short of miraculous! Was it a mirage or yet another cruel mockery from this place that had already caused us
such suffering? As we drew closer, we saw orchards and even a river that rushed down the hill in bright streams. Our eyes began to fill with tears as
we gazed at this promise of comfort, and we even began to joke about the fate of the strange ship. Sergeant Kronberg bet that this was the garden of
Officer
the Hesperides, Franz guessed that the river was running with that Prima Materia water that can keep a man going for weeks without thirst and Pepo
ventured that the ship was that of Saint Brendan who set sail long ago to carry the Faith to the ends of the oceans. Our conversation was becoming
quite animated when finally our footsteps carried us to the foot of the wondrous place. The path led between two ancient standing stones, raised like
Demon
an ancient pagan gateway, and there, a man on horseback awaited us.
«None shall pass!» he rumbled, in a cracked old voice with a Spanish accent.
Franz, who was growing impatient as he grew tired, answered in what he hoped was a pleasant manner.
Asexual
«Are you joking? You should cheer up a little my friend, you look like a good Catholic, as
are we. We have been walking for many days now through the perils of Pelion. In the name of
Christ, let us enjoy this unexpected garden of delights!»
Satanist
«None shall pass!»
As the horseman repeated his threat, we could see, on either side of the path, a crowd
of paupers walking towards us. They also looked like lost Christians. Their thin, tired faces
Mentalist
betrayed the suffering of a very long journey, but they inspired more fear than they did pity: the
looks in their eyes were a thousand expressions of pure madness.
«None shall pass this bridge, by order of Artus, king of the Britons!» Movement 6
«Bullshit! Pull yourself together, compadre. There is no bridge here, there is no King Artus!
And we are not galloping through some fable, we are truly dying of exhaustion within a few feet
of your splendid orchards!»
Chaotic Charge Shooting Skill -
The Hidalgo seemed to listen, nodding away as if someone was speaking to him. However, not one
of the brigands who followed him, nor the Squamata who had now joined them, had said a single word.
Elusive
«What is that, Sancho? Cannibals? Por Dios! Cannibals from the wild Americas! To me, Lancelot, Fury Combat 5
Ivan! To me, knights of chivalry!»
Within an instant, his troops had charged at us, blades flying, and a tragic battle ensued. The Prestige Defense 4
cutthroats who claimed to be from the Round Table quickly gained the advantage, and one by one,
we saw our companions fall to the ground. Soon, only Pepo and I were left. We had been clever enough 3
(Westerners and Saracens)
to hide as soon as the fighting started, and now we were crawling behind a rock, praying to God that Protection 1
nobody would find us there.
«Percival, search these miscreants.» ordered the Hidalgo.
I peeked and saw a Squamata step forward. First he spat a big thick glob of spit Life Points 16
into the dust, and then he took a pair of pliers from his bag and began to harvest Hooves Hits Damage
the gold teeth of our fallen comrades. Turning away from this sorry spectacle, I
looked towards the madman who had ordered the slaughter of our expedition. It
Blunt 1 3 Faith 2
was then that I saw a demonic twinkle in the eye of his steed. Almost immediately, Fire 2 4
the damned Hidalgo began to hear voices and talk to himself again. We had been
spotted! Suddenly, I realized the terrible truth: the nag was of demonic spawn, it was
3 6 Command 5
that creature that had sniffed us out and turned us in to its master! It was then that
4 8
I recalled the warning of the blind bohemian woman before we left: Angra Mainyou, 5 8 + Consumed (Fire • 2/2)
by way of his chronicler Abaadoth, had hired a demon to ensure that our mission
would fail. And the demonic mercenary named Rocinante that we had all feared
since, was no other than this Machiavellian warhorse! At that point, we had no idea
Unique
that the Hidalgo, whose name was Quixote, sometimes regained control of his steed,
and Pepo and I were certain that our last hour was upon us...
Searching for Gethsemane, or the true tribulations of two monks in Hell, by Brother
Alberto Codicci

Orders
 harging the Titans
C
Free • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
This order can’t be used during the first turn
of the game. Until the end of the turn enemy
units can only perform Charge, Attack, or
Melee actions. Enemy units don’t have to take
an action when they are activated. If they take
no action they can still use free orders. This
order doesn’t affect lemures.
 he Moon is M ade of Cheese
T
Free • 1 CMD
Until the end of the turn, allied units are
immune to Terror and Terrifying.
 ae soli Vae victis
V

Aura
 ura of Combustion
A
Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Instant Base : Extra
• Rocinante (Immune) • Unique
Units within the area of effect of this aura suffer 167 60 Large
Consumed (Fire • 3/3).
 FactionS

Andre de Montbard, 5 th Grand Master of the Templar Order

Brother,
I pray my missive finds you in fine spirits. Due to the circumstances, I probably won’t ever know if this
Officer letter finds its way to you or not.
I can feel my time on earth drawing to a close. The curtains seem to be closing on my performance. I am
ready to move on, and I shall go to meet our lord with a prayer on my lips and a song in my heart. While I will
Human miss my brothers and our holy mission, I see no reason to curse my fate. I have lived a full and complete life,
as well you know. We traveled Pelion to reach the fiefs of wisdom, a place unknown to us at the time. Though
our adventures seem ephemeral now as I write of them, it doesn’t change the fact that together we have accom-
Male plished much in his name.
There is but one thing yet I must do. I feel the lord calling me to it, even in the twilight of my life. A
Grand Master of the order is privy to many great and secret things. I must investigate something the bro-
Christian (templar) therhood has stumbled upon. Only myself and one or two of the other brothers know of what I speak.
Thus the decisions was made to pass the mantel of Grand master on to another. As you know, you where
elected to take my place. I must brave this trial, though it may cause the damnation of my soul.
Mentalist As one of my last actions in this world, I urge you to protect the brotherhood. Not by unthinkingly
hewing to tradition, but by re-examining the world and our place in it. What started out of devotion
and the call to service, has grown so large that it may have run out of control. You may already be well
4 Movement acquainted with these issues as Grand Master. Do not underestimate their far reaching consequences.
3 On behalf of the savior you have followed in my footsteps to Jerusalem, and I am sure that our fraternal
ties have not lost their strength.
- Shooting Skill Yours in Christ,
- André de Montbard - A letter from Andre de Montbard to Bertrand de Blanchfort.

5 Combat
4
Orders
4 Defense Cloak of Command
3
Andre’s PR is equal to his company’s CMD pool.
X Protection God K nows Who’s Wrong!
Passive • 1-3 Permanent CMD • Unstoppable • Unique
12 Life Points Units within 10 fathoms of Andre take 4 damage, ignoring PR. If 1 CMD is spent on this order, then
3
only units with a FTH of -, 0, or 1 are affected by this order. If 2 or 3 CMD is spent on this order, then
4 Faith only units with a FTH equal to the number of CMD spent are affected by this order. Damage dealt
3
by this order can’t reduce a units LP to less than 1. Invulnerable units will take 4 damage.
5 Command Hell is our Domain
At the end of terraforming you may place up to 2 points worth of terrain
Arch-Enemy elements in each conflict zone.
(Papists and Muslims) 3 Fear Us!
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
Charisma Until Andre is killed, units that are part of his company get Terrifying.
Leader V
 ae soli Vae victis

Natural Talent Auras

Prescient Flee M iscreants!
Permanent • 4 Fathom Radius • Cumulative •
Scout Templars (Immune)
During the upkeep phase choose one of the following num-
bers, 0, 1, 2, or 3. For the rest of the turn, non Templar units
with a FTH equal to the chosen number can’t enter the area
of effect of this aura. Effects that would force a non Tem-
plar unit that currently can’t enter this auras area of effect
to enter it, are canceled. Non Templar units already wit-
hin the area of effect of this aura that would be affected
by it aren’t, until they leave the area of effect of course.
If you forget to choose a number during the upkeep
phase, this aura won’t have any effect during the turn.

Longsword Hits Damage

Base : Slashing
2
1 2
3
Regular 3 5

Unique 63 168
4
5 9
7
 The mercenarieS

Götz Von Berlichingen, Knight

I had thought that I had seen most everything in my travels through the accursed lands, and that little
could shock or amaze my jaded and cynical soul. Then along came Götz Von Berlichingen. This illustrious
representative of chivalry was a sincere believer and respectable soldier. I have yet to hear a good reason why
such a man would end up below with the rest of us sinners and reprobates. As we all know, the lord moves
in mysterious ways and no one can really know what’s in a man’s heart, other than himself. So, there is little
reason to conjecture wildly on what earthly vice entrapped Reichsritter Berlichingen.
From what I have gathered of his life Götz was raised in the court of Frederick I, the Mar-
grave of Brandenburg. He grew up to have a distinguished military career as a knight
and mercenary. He distinguished himself through many military campaigns.
Though his leadership of the Swabian rebellion is a tarnish on his otherwise
shining career. He always maintained that he got involved to try and
limit the destruction and death that the rebellion caused. After par-
ticipating in much of the infighting within Europe, Berlichen ended
his career with distinguished service to Charls V, Holy Roman
Emperor, in a campaign against the Ottoman Empire and an
invasion of France.
All of these facts contribute to my great surprise to hear
that he was here in Hell leading mercenary companies with
his customary zeal and tenacity. Maybe it was his huma-
nistic beliefs, as evidenced by his involvement with the
Swabian affair, or his reputed response to the Bishop of
Bamberg’s demand that he surrender, as later immorta-
lized by Goethe, that caused the lord to pass on “Lecken
ihn auf dem Esel”. It seems as I said before we shall never
know for sure.
Who can tell what horrors and wonders a soul such as
Berlichingen’s has seen in his more than half a century in
Hell. Hopefully I will never share wisdom earned in such
a way.
from an entry in Baptiste Valombre’s journal

Orders
Tremble Before the Boors
Active • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique Unique
Choose one of the following effects:
- Enemy independents become Slowed.
- Allied troopers become Accelerated.
27 Independent
Iron Hand Damned One
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD • Unique
Target enemy unit in contact with Gotz, becomes Stunned.
Male
Christian

Fierce 2 Movement 4
Leader Shooting Skill -
Natural Talent 2
Prestige (officer’s faction) 1 Combat 5

Defense 3

Protection 3

Life Points 13

Faith 1
Longsword Hits Damage
Slashing 1 2 Command 1
2 3
3 5
4
5 9
7
169 Base: Regular
 FactionS

Gilles de Rais, Marshal of Hell

As I was leaving Samael’s tent, the head of a Papist on its spike reminded me of the pasty features of the Bis-
hop of Reims and I thought of you, Joan! I remembered you, my sweet, and your lovely face, all spattered with
blood beneath the walls of Orleans. Oh why didn’t I shag you back then! You know, deep down, I rather liked
you. In fact, when they burned you, it put me in a mood so bad that it never left me.
Officer As for me, well, I was hanged! I had become embarrassing. A bunch of ignorant bastards began to criticize my eso-
teric experiments. Sodomy, assassination, sorcery... Such nasty words to be bandying around! The whole thing was a
trap, my faithful Henriet and Poitou were also captured with me and the three of us were dragged to the gibbet.
Damned One I don’t know what your death was like, my poor, naive Joan. I can imagine you cried a lot and wished you had
stayed behind to look after your sheep. At least God never promised me anything, so I took it all with a certain
amount of philosophy. Having been quite familiar with Hell when I was alive, I was hardly surprised to wind
Male up there after my death. In fact, I would not be boasting to you, Joan, if I was to say that I was expected there.
My talents as a captain and my qualities as a gentleman had preceded me in the world Below, and my martial
experience was immediately put to good use. Out of jest, my tormentor gave me a handful of damned, a pitiful
Satanist bunch of vagabonds and mercenaries who had already been killed under my orders, and sent me off to fight the
Saracens. I was not the first one to endure this farce, and there were many bets running on how I would fare. As
a true knight, I saw it as an opportunity to join the crusade as my ancestors once did. I am sure that the Blade
4 Movement of God that you were, or believed you were, will appreciate that. I made my master, and all those who had placed
bets on me, very happy. After a few years, I had been noticed enough to be considered for a position on the batt-
3
lefield. Later still, I was given a company to lead, and I could choose my own recruits. You see, Joan, you made
- Shooting Skill yourself Heaven’s champion, and Hell made me a Marshall.
- Then our people came, and Kohut was raided. What a happy surprise for me, I had so missed killing Chris-
tians! When the Christian bullets left me without a lord, I became my own master, like our old friend La Hire did
7 Combat in his time. Now, I take my troops where I please, fight whoever I like. I am now slave only to my own desires,
8 and I am having tremendous fun. Maybe one day I will build a fief of my own down here. However, I must admit
that there is one emotion that has been spoiling things lately. It is nostalgia, Joan, a wound that never heals!
4 Defense There is a man of the cloth among my prisoners. I will have him roasted on the spit later on, and serve his crispy
5
flesh to my guests. And as we converse over the food, I will be wondering where your poor, crazy soul is wandering.
3 Protection You, the stubborn servant that God left to burn in the flames. I have not abandoned hope of bumping into you along
my way, Joan. You may have been a little young, but you weren’t stupid, and you knew how to lead your troops. And
you were pretty. When I let my mind wander, Joan, I dream that we ride together once again.
15 Life Points
5
Charisma
3 Faith Counter Attack Orders
4
Fanatic  rt of War
A
5 Command 1 Permanent CMD
Fierce During the upkeep phase after each company has refreshed their
Terror CMD pool, you may use this order to have Gilles’ company become
dominant. This order takes precedence over any other similar
Vicious 2 effects.
 ontrol of the Battlefield
C
Gilles’ company is always dominant during the terra-
forming part of the game. If Gilles’ is on the battlefield
Base: Regular at the beginning of the game, then his company is
automatically initially dominant. This order takes
precedence over any other similar effects.
 harismatic Presence
C
Gilles’ Charisma ability affects allied units wit-
hin 8 fathoms of him (Rather than 4).
 einforcements
R
After both companies have been deployed,
you may choose up to 24 more AP worth of
extra units, following the company compo-
sition rules of course. These units will enter
the game later as per the rules for strag-
glers, except they can come from any edge
of the battlefield.
 ae soli
V
 ae victis
V

Poitou and Henriet Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 3 + Life Drain
Penetrating Strike 3 6

Unique 85 170
4
5 10
6 + Pain 2
 The mercenarieS

Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muldjam,

Assassin of Ali
There was once, in the fief of Ronwe, in the circle of Thebes, a formidable cliff that caused many problems
for travelers passing through the area. It was there that a small company of Protestants had established an
outpost, a daring enterprise when one knows the ferocious battles that the demons wage against one another
for that fief. However their retreat was too far away to be of interest to the apostles of Satan, and thus they
could have lived there in peace for a long time. Making the most of the devilish winds that
blew across the frozen land, they had devised an ingenious system of windmills and
pulleys to hoist men and cattle up to the top of the rock face in baskets.
One day, one of the neighboring devils came to enquire politely of their
intentions. He spoke with them for a long time, and when he left, he was
most troubled by the faith of these newcomers. He returned often to
visit them, began to bond with them, and after many an hour talking
with the Protestants, the devil asked them to baptize him, and
they accepted his request gladly. The demon then took the very
Christian name of Honoré, and went to live with the humans, to
whom his exceptional physical strength was often of great use.
Whether this strange conversion was in good faith or driven by
some darker design, the story does not tell, and I will leave it
to each man to make up his own mind on the subject.
However, explorers soon brought the news back to New
Jerusalem, where it enraged a group of Reformist clergy-
men who grabbed their weapons and set out for the out-
post. They were convinced that the place had succumbed
to corruption and that this new and unheard of situation
implied that they must become the instruments of the
divine wrath. They took their co-believers by surprise and
slaughtered them with a fury that would have made a
Papist quite jealous. Only Honoré and two small child-
ren managed to escape alive. The devil entrusted the two
orphans to a passing Catholic expedition, and, promptly
forgetting everything he had been taught about forgiveness,
he hired the services of Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muldjam and a
few other brigands. Together, they caught up with the intole-
rant clergymen at the entrance to Kohut and killed every last
one of them.
I was told this story when the Emir, may God watch over him,
Unique
asked me to retrieve what was left of the mechanism on the cliff for
him, as such an ingenious system could be of use to our quest. Only a
handful of damned ones were still living there, and one of them had retai-
ned his soul and his taste for conversion. It was there that I learned that Abd
ar-Rahman was in fact Ali’s assassin, who had been sent to Hell as punishment
25 Independent
for an act that he had believed to be inspired by Allah. He so regretted his crime
that ever since he had become the enemy of over-zealous believers. Human
But Abd ar-Rahman was also the man who killed my uncle, Hassan the Devoted, a
great hero who was only ever happy with an infidel’s head on the end of his spear. While
serving the Emir, he had become famous for impaling sixteen of his own soldiers who he had Male
found drinking alcohol bought from a Christian merchant. Then, one day, as he was chasing some
miscreants, that accursed Abd ar-Rahman threw him into a pit of flame and he burned to death.
I must admit that as I listened to the tale of Honoré the devil, I began to think for the first time that Agnostic
my uncle might just have had it coming to him after all...

Sheik Ali the Measured. Mentalist

Orders Movement 4
Nightmare of the Fundamentalists 3
Free • 1 CMD
Until the end of the turn, units with a FTH equal to or greater than 3 treat Abd as
Fanatic Shooting Skill -
-
though he had Terror 2.
Virtuous Wrath Combat 4
5
At the beginning of the game, Abd gets +1 CBT for each unit included in the opposing com-
panies that have a FTH equal to or greater than 3. This bonus lasts until the end of the game. Defense 4
5

Auras Protection 0
Aura of Holiness
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Units with a FTH of 0 or 1 Life Points 12
5
Units with a FTH of 0 or 1 within the area of effect of
this aura, get +1 FTH. Faith 4
Daggers Hits Damage 5
Aura of the Rested Soul Piercing 1 3
Temporary • Active • 4 Fathom Radius • Instant • Command 1
Penetrating Strike 2 2 4
Allied units with a FTH of 1 or 2 3 4 + Stunned
Allied units with a FTH of 1 or 2 within the area of
effect of this aura recover 3 LP. 171


4 6
5 6 + Stunned
Base: Regular
 FactionS

Alazaïs, Black Widow

She was beautiful, poisonous, and I think that she may have had us all under her charm. We had found her wan-
dering alone, on the plain somewhat hastily named «Santa Lucia’s meadows». As meadows go, this one was a great
desolation of enormous rocks, some of which were shaped like fearsome faces. Thankfully, these faces remained
still and sleeping, but the wind blowing across them seemed to murmur terrible blasphemy to our ears. We
Independent were so relieved to encounter a stranger who could guide us through this place that we easily accepted her
among ourselves. Maybe we were afraid of causing a dangerous ruckus by taking her by force, as soldiers
often do when they meet pretty women. Perhaps she was just a little intimidating as well.
Human Three days went by, and on the way, Alazais and her lemures were a decisive aid when we unfor-
tunately ran into a company of Ottomans. When we arrived on the banks of the rio San Sebastian,
the sight of the dried and sticky blood of the river filled us with relief: we were now only twelve
Female hours’ march from New Jerusalem! The last camp was set up in a joyful atmosphere. Some
men, convinced that danger was now behind them, went as far as to sing as they worked.
But that was without counting on the fanaticism of Father Hubert... He had sniffed out
Satanist the demonic soul hidden beneath the female’s tempting curves, and he had convinced the
miserly captain Guazpo to save himself the cost of the fee promised to the Infernalist.
So, as the Irish were cracking open the barrel that they had carried around with
Infernalist 2/3 them from day one, Guazpo ordered that two of his most faithful soldiers seize
Alazais. Father Hubert announced to us that they intended to burn this
witch, calling her Jezabel, Salome, Lilith, or even just «whore»! My com-
panions, who quite liked her, hesitated for a second. Not me! I raised
my pistol and took a shot straight at the captain’s ugly mug. I had

Base : Regular been dreaming of sleeping with Alazais since the day we met her,
and I had no intention of letting the captain or the clergyman
burn her. Even if it was in the name of God, may he one day

Unique forgive me. This caused a great commotion in the camp, and
every man took the opportunity to settle his own accounts.
And visibly we must all have accumulated quite a few, for
we all merrily killed each other for a while. When calm
returned to the camp, only the Irish and I were left
standing. Alazais had used her black magic to kill
the priest, and seeing his pale, bloodless body gave
me second thoughts about the object of my desire.
Of course, the bitch had disappeared, and taken
with her the map that showed the location of the
vein of Prima Materia. Rather than go on into
the city and be hanged, we found a camp of
Lost Ones where we sold our services. That is
where I met captain Spada, and I would like
to drink a pint or two to his health now. As I
was saying, my story is well worth a free beer,
so allow me, barman, my friend, to reiterate
my request!

Orders
R apid Summoning
Unique
Immediately after Alzais
invokes a lemure, that lemure
can be activated during the
action phase during which it was
invoked.
 urse
C

4 Movement
30 Active • Unstoppable
Target unit within 6 fathoms of Alzais suffers 3 Life
3 Drain damage.
- Shooting Skill Vision of Death
- Free • 2 CMD - Until the end of the turn, Alzais gets Terror 2.
-
-
Combat
Spells
4 Defense Concentrated  mnesia • Vanished
A
3 Targets a unit in contact with the lemure. Until the end of the game, one
0 Protection
Evasive of the aura’s of the target of this spell has no effect (You choose the aura).
Expertise  ountermand • Vanished
C
Targets an independent unit in contact with the lemure. The com-
9 Life Points
3
Harmless pany that the target unit is part of, permanently loses a number of
0 Faith Terror CMD points equal to twice the targets CMD.
0  uffering • Vanished
S
Targets a unit in contact with the lemure. The tar-
- Command
get of this spell is wounded and loses the Fanatic and
172 Berserker abilities, if it had them, until the end of its
next activation.
 The mercenarieS

Angelo Casaviecchi, Infernalist Smuggler

Hey, what do ya mean ya want to know ma story? Now ya wouldn’t by any chance be trying for
free services rendered, would ya? Look, are ya buying or not, friend? I have other clients to see to
ya know!
Ah now if ya ready to pay more just for a talkin’, sure, I’ ll oblige... Ya can look at the beasties
later!
Okay, so I tell ya the short version then, eh! Ya can call me Mister Angelo, or if ya too shy, mister
Independent
«I’ ll buy it» will do. Now don’t think that ma honest trade as a lemure salesman is a true vocation.
Ah, sure, I’m a salesman at heart. I’m a businessman if ya prefer. I just chose the easiest path to the
biggest pot of gold, if ya catch ma drift.
Human
The three quarters of what I sells is lemures, of all the kinds and all the shapes ya could possibly
imagine. I can promise ya, my friend, that these little beasties they sell like toffee apples at the carni-
val, and some of the most exotic ones they sell for several hundred florins!
Male
What people uses them for? Ma, I must say I honestly don’t give a toss what the
guys they do with their lemures. But hey, ya know, I got eyes and a brain that goes
as smooth as a cart on a paved street; so ya know, up there, it brews, it ticks, and I
Agnostic
learn or I imagine most everything ya can do with a lemure.
Ah, if ya want to know more, ya’ ll have to cough up more cash, my friend! If ya Infernalist 1/1
do, compagno, I promise I’ ll tell ya all I knows!
Cavolo! Ya sure do have a lot of gold to waste on the talking...
Well, the first use of the lemures is the fighting.
At night, there are dozens of undercover fights opposing these little demons, Movement 4
either duels, or in packs. The fights make the organizers so much money it would 3
leave a pipe player breathless! Bloody and quick are the fights, and rarely mortal for
the little beasties...
Expertise Shooting Skill -
-
Then ya will find the lemures they are also sold to the invoking infernalists. That Harmless
type of product it is only sold as a larvae, and once they fill it full of that alchemy
Combat -
crap, it will be ready to act as a catalyst for all kinds of evil spells. That is a very rare
and a very expensive, and the clients they want total discretion about it, ya know?
Intercept 5 -

I also hear the rumors that some crazy men they use the lemures like the soldiers they
Vulnerability (S ) 0
lashing Defense 3
use the ladies of the street. Ya know what I mean? Bah, it makes me sick... 2
Where do I find these creatures? Ah no, friend, that is a secret that is never told, eh! It’s
like the good places for the mushrooms... Protection 1
All I can say is that I have a kind of feeling for these little critters. I have like the gift for
sensing them, finding them, and although I do not like the word, for charming them!
I have chased them for so long, lived with them, studied them, so much that I can now invoke Life Points 8
4
them instantly. In fact I have seen so many lemure invocations that I can temporarily recreate the
conditions of their mutation, and without using a single ingredient! Strange, no?
For a small fortune in gold coins, I would be willing to accompany ya on ya travels through the
Faith 0
0
lands of Hell and keep ya safe from any invoked lemures ya may encounter!
What do ya mean that is what ya came to me for? Well well! Who told ya about me? Command -
I hope ya not in with those damned priests that give me those dirty looks from over there in the
alley. I warns ya, if I smell anything dodgy, all it takes is a single word of command, I’ ll let all my
beasties out of their cages, and then I promise, it will be an orgy of violence, the ball of the damned,
the A-po-ca-lypse!

Orders
Capture
Free • X CMD
Target lemure within X fathoms of Angelo
takes X damage, ignoring Invulnerable.
Emergency Summoning
Special
Angelo can only invoke a lemure when he
is within 2 fathoms of an allied Infernalist.
When he does so you must assign one of
the spells that the allied Infernalist has to
the lemure.

Unique
173 17 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Charon, Ferryman of Hell

The landscape seems to be completely devoid of any remarkable features.
An infinite plain, flat, immaculately white, even the sky seems to perfectly conform to this austere color scheme.
A single wide, dark ribbon seems to give a little life to the place, winding through the middle of the powdery
emptiness.
Independent This tortured line coming from nowhere, flowing slowly to its secret destination, is in fact the mythic and terrifying Styx.
It is at least a hundred fathoms wide, flows with a rich, dark color like that of an expensive old wine, and yet the
atmosphere there is not one of decay or disrepair.
Marmorean There is nothing of that here, just the fragrance of nostalgia, of wilting flowers, a perfume of regret draped in a veil
of mourning.
A small, ageless landing stage is built on one side of the mighty river.
Asexual At its foot, an oblong boat, made of ebony, is occupied by a thin figure, a sinister silhouette whose face is hidden by
a tattered old hood.
Only the piercing blue of his gaze can be seen through the darkness of the hood’s shadows.
Unbeliever With his arms outstretched on either side, the sepulchral stranger seems to be solemnly welcoming the wandering
shadow that is facing him.
However, the ferryman’s hands, long and claw-like, would be enough to scare off even the most intrepid of the
dead...
«Welcome to the Styx, Gonzalo de Melo. My name is Charon, and I will be, at least for the time being, your passer
3 Movement on your way to the Afterlife. Although that word hardly means anything nowadays, I still intend to honor old oaths
and ancient traditions.
«You do not fully realize the honor I am doing you today, oh ghost of an illustrious man. Old Charon now only
- Shooting Skill accompanies the souls of famous figures. You were a celebrated swordsman up Above, am I right? Ah, yes, you do
remember! Wonderful, what a promising new recruit!
4 Combat «Most passages are carried out by other beings of my kind. They are quite identical to me, they are my protégés, my
helpers, my friends... almost.»
The ferryman pauses for a moment and breathes out a sigh filled with hints of bitterness. Regrets...
4 Defense «You will have the extra honor, oh ghost of glory past, to be my last convoy. Men have profaned the Underworld:
you should not be here. A delicate balance thousands of years old has been broken. I can no longer morally accept to
carry souls to the great Judgement without betraying my oath.
0 Protection «Oh Erebus, my father, forgive me, but I must understand! Twice already I have failed in the execution of my
mission. This third breach of trust will remain as my ultimate personal failure, but I don’t care! I will leave the
punt to whoever will take it from me, I am tired of stupidity and solitude. Nyx, my mother, maybe you will
12 Life Points understand me.
«To me, my children! To me, my faithful shadows! Come to me, rise up from your Stygian bogs! Yes, I
- Faith can hear you...»
As he calls out to them, a multitude of similar shapes, hooded as he is, appear and gather around
Charon. At a respectable distance, standing close to one another, these apparitions that had seemed
- Command to come out of thin air, begin to chant a sad tune that no human rendition could ever truly
transcribe.
«Oh, of course, you are still there, aren’t you!» says Charon to the swordsman’s sha-
Discretion 6 dow, as if surprised. «I will do you a favor, de Melo, if you take my hand, you will
immediately reach your final destination!»
Dodge 3
Fast 3
Intangible
Orders
Change of Circle
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
Target enemy trooper in contact with
Charon is eliminated.
Instant Movement
Active • 2 CMD
Target unit in contact with Charon is
moved to a position of your choice in
clear terrain within 10 fathoms of its
current position. The target cannot be
placed within an enemy control area or
in contact with an enemy unit. The tar-
get unit is Stunned for the rest of the
turn. This order can’t target a unit with a
base that is larger than Charon’s.

Spectral Claws Hits Damage

Spiritual Damage 1 1
Lunge 2 2 2
Base : Large 3 Life Drain 2

Unique 31 174
4
5 3 + Immobilised
3 + Stunned
 The mercenarieS

Helle Møller, Bounty Hunter

Don’t worry. You’ll get out of this alive, I promise you. Here, see: I have enough water for two. Honestly, I’m
the one who deserves a bit of a drink, you sure made me run around after you, bitch!
What were you thinking of, hitching up with that Infernalist! Did you even think of how hurt your husband’s
feelings would be when you ran off like that with that rascal? Although, having seen your other half, I can’t really
blame you! He’s not exactly a spring chicken any more, is he. I guess compared to him, your sorcerer was Apollo
on a pedestal! But the old man must be quite a catch, isn’t he? One of the best in the whole of New Jerusalem,
I’m sure. And when I found out how much he was willing to pay to see your pretty face again,
I guessed he really cared a lot for you. Or for his own honor. Or maybe what he’s after
is that pretty picture you have on your butt? Ah, you see, I’ve done my research.
A girl has to be wary when the bounty is so much more than the value of the
quarry. Now that is the true art of the trade. So, what is this fascinating
information engraved on your backside? A map, perhaps? You don’t
want to answer? Never mind, don’t say anything. I have plenty of
time. But your new tattoo is worth a look, I would bet on that.
Oh, wipe that look of your face, I know what I’m talking
about. You and your rapscallion prince charming headed
straight towards Thebes. That’s hardly the romantic destina-
tion of the moment, that’s for damn sure. I don’t know what
your journey was like with that band of ruffians, but I know
mine was hardly a pleasant trip.
When we arrived at Bahar Talac, the bridge over the
Styx had just been taken back by the demon Aziphael and
his troop. I had to join forces with a group of Saracens
to fight my way through and continue my route. At the
Santa Lucretia mission, I found our own people in quite a
commotion after an attack by the devils. They were isola-
ted and morals were low, and they were all riddled with
sin and insanity. I even had to fend off the advances of a
half-naked monk who was waving a sword about! You were
damn lucky, you and your friends, to have passed through
that region before Asaliah and her troops began to spread
the bad word about. I was not as lucky, and I had to help
out a gang of renegades to fend off the damned just to earn a
horse, so I could finally catch up on the time I had lost.
Your tracks were hardly fresh, but they were still there and
they led me to your hide away on Bald Mountain. As there were
quite a few of you I had to make arrangements with the local Lost
Unique
Ones. They are the charming free damned ones that you saw by my
side earlier and who did me the great favor of flushing you out of that
tower. You see, I’m a friendly girl. I’m not hiding any secrets from you. But
here I am, talking away, and you aren’t saying a thing. OK, now it’s your turn
to tell me everything. Those picks and shovels, the still that you have dragged all
22 Independent
the way here from New Jerusalem... You have found a vein of Prima Materia, haven’t
you? Come now, my pretty little bird, let’s untie that tongue of yours. Now I’m not trying Human
to seduce you, but maybe if you’re a little less shy I might just consider not dragging you
back to your old husband. Come on now, show me that fair backside of yours! I want to see
for myself if what you have tattooed down there is worth more than the bounty on your head... Female
Christian (protestant)

Movement 5
Order 4
Dead or A live
Shooting Skill -
While in contact with a unique enemy unit, Helle gets a bonus of +1 DEF. -
During an attack sequence versus a unique unit, she must use her cudgel
Combat 5
getting +1 CBT. During an attack sequence versus a non-unique unit, she
must use her long sword.
Man-at-Arms 4

Defense 4
Natural Talent 2 3

Long Sword Hits Damage Vulnerability (S ) 0

lashing Protection 1
Slashing 1 2
2 3 Life Points 12
4
3 5
4 7 Faith 1
0
5 9
Command 1
Cudgel Hits Damage
Blunt 1 Slowed
2 Slowed 2
3 Stunned
4 Stunned 2
175
Base : Regular
5 Immobilised
 FactionS

Isaïa ben Moshe, Cabalist

So, my nephew, you are wondering who is this wandering Jew, Isaia ben Moshe? I will tell you. My friend Isaia is
neither a sorcerer for the demons, nor a spy for the Christians. He is simply a man who made a terrible mistake many
years ago. After a lifetime spent studying the Zohar and the Kabbalah, this scholar was haunted by doubt: God had
Independent deserted his heart. And with him had gone his faith in his science. To try to find peace of mind, Isaia went one
night to the old synagogue of the Jewish ghetto in Prague. There he found the dead Golem, as Loew ben Beza-
lel, its creator, had left it. Isaia drew the aleph into the soft clay, returning it to life, and thus testing his own
Human knowledge. Reassured by this result, he then wished to send the creature back to sleep, but found that he
could not! The creature of vengeance stood there, waiting stoically to be given a designated enemy. Allah
is the One worshiped by the Jews, and Allah does not like people using his name for their own ends.
Male When Isaia beheld the monster he had released, he realized that although his science was good, he
had put it to bad use indeed. He was afraid, and he ran away, but the creature followed him
everywhere like his own shadow, so he always had to hide away from the sight of other men;
Jewish especially in the lands full of Christians who harbor a most ferocious hatred of Jews and
never miss an occasion to mistreat them. Thankfully for my friend, the Golem was
there to protect him on his journey. And thankfully for the Golem, my friend
Mentalist was there to protect the creature in return, for the unfinished being did not
have the mind of men, and would kill anyone without distinction were it
not guided. Isaia had become a vagabond, he could have wandered
thus through every corner of war-ridden Europe until his dying
day, and given his declining health, the end of his torment could

Base : Regular have come soon. But Allah wanted to test him a little longer or
maybe to give him a chance to redeem himself. In the same
way that Jonah was sent a whale to precipitate his journey,
he sent Isaia a sandstorm that miraculously carried him
Unique all the way to Hell, so quickly that the Jew could not tell
by what mysterious passage he had arrived. That alone
is proof that there is still much for us to discover in
this world.
Although Isaia, alas, never accepted the truth
of the Prophet, he is nonetheless a practicing Jew
who honors God in his own way, and deserves
our respect. He sought refuge in the Kabba-
lah and realized that if he had reached this
place by some hidden route, he could only
leave again by another secret path. He now
searches endlessly for what he calls the Key
of Beth, which should finally allow him
to find rest. And it is quite a mystery, for
nobody knows if this key is a treasure, a
place or a word, maybe some fragment
of knowledge or a revelation lost in time.
Recently, he began to search for clues to
the whereabouts of the ruins of the city of
Babel that the wrath of God cast down
from the world of the living to the world
of the dead, long ago. It is true that on
his journey, he did not hesitate to join
forces with some of our enemies when the
circumstances require it. But it was only
for the sake of his travels, and not for the
money: to him, only his research counted.
These are the reasons for which I am
asking you to bid him welcome. Because
he is my friend, and also because he is a
wise man. But furthermore, as I’m sure you

32
have already gathered, because his quest may well be more closely linked to
our own than we can imagine.

Excerpt from the correspondence between the venerable Tuffik Assaoui to his
3 Movement nephew Emir Saha ibn Gheyouch.
2

-
-
Shooting Skill
Order
Word of Command
- Combat
- Evasive Active • 1 CMD
If the Golem associated with Isaïa is within 8 fathoms of him, it gets
3 Defense Harmless
2 a bonus of +3 CBT and +1 DEF until the end of the turn.
0 Protection Runaway
Aura
Aura of Control
7 Life Points
3 Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Golem
If the Golem associated with Isaïa is within the area of effect of
3 Faith
2 this aura, it gets a bonus of +3 MVT and +3 CBT.
1 Command 176
 The mercenarieS

Golem, Creature of Clay

Farouk ordered his men to light a dozen lamps, but even all that light did not help us to see the end of this gigantic
cave. His men pushed us on through a labyrinth of stalactites, to the edge of a pit from which lazy ribbons of smoke were
constantly rising. Although in Hell one can never quite be sure of anything, this perfectly round hole seemed to have been
carved by hand, even more so because its edge was engraved with the scrawlings of an unknown and probably inhuman
language. So this is why that treacherous Janissary had betrayed his master. The fool had joined this absurd quest and
was hoping to find some clue here that would lead him to Gethsemane! Omar the Nubian placed the blade of his scimitar
Independent
against the neck of poor brother Pepo and thus forced him to kneel in front of the mysterious inscriptions.
«So, master Pepo» hissed Farouk, «it is now time to enlighten us with your astounding knowledge. I want to know exactly
what is written here.»
Golem
The Milanese copyist cleared his throat and traced the shape of the letters with his finger while mumbling to himself.
Then, with a hesitant voice, he announced that the text spoke of an ancient city and the ruins of an immense tower. The
mercenary’s face lit up with joy. At that time, I was sure that Pepo was trying to buy some
Asexual
time by telling Farouk what he wanted to hear. How could this simple monk, in spite of
his education, have been able to understand a single word of this unknown dialect? I
was terrified that the bandit would realize this and have us both impaled on the spot.
Unbeliever
Suddenly, something moved on the edge of the flickering lamplight. A colossal figure
was rising, triggering general panic. The being had been there from the beginning, but the
darkness and its perfect immobility had let it blend into the rocky background. Now that Entangle Movement 1
this nightmarish figure was fully visible, we were all shaking with fear. Even Farouk and
his men seemed to regret ever having deserted the armies of the Emir. Omar, although
an evil man, was not a cowardly one. He rushed forward, brandishing his scimitar, but a
Huge Shooting Skill -
great hand came down and grasped his skull, making the most hideous cracking noise as it
squeezed. The giant released the body of the Nubian who fell, dead, to the floor. Farouk let
Immunity ( , ) fire poison
Combat 2
out a quiet murmur of horror before the thing crushed Omar’s damned soul. Screaming his
hatred, he bounded towards it, his saber drawn and ready, but the giant swatted him with a
Impressive
slap that threw him just a little too far: I saw the mercenary waver for a second, then topple Protective Defense 3
backwards into the pit that had fascinated him so. His cry of fear echoed for a few seconds, and
then we knew that it was all over for Farouk Al Arnouch, the vulture who had kept us captive
for weeks. I found it quite strange, and most ironic that this Ottoman, renegade and mercenary,
Regeneration 3 Protection 0
assassin of so many Christians, be killed at last by a Jewish creature. For in the light of the oil
lamps, I had recognized it. The giant was made of clay, as Adam once was, and on its forehead
Terror Life Points 25
was written the word Truth in Hebrew, which is also one of the names of God. It was the Golem! The
legendary protector of the Jews of the ghetto of Prague, and its every detail was exactly as my friend
Simon Nathan had described it to me, he who had spent such a long time in that city so full of secrets. Faith -
As Farouk’s men were fleeing for their lives, and Pepo, on his knees, was weeping with joy and
giving thanks to the Virgin Mary, the Golem stepped aside to give way to a severe-looking old man that
we recognized immediately. It was the Jew whose name was Isaia, we had been introduced to him at the Command -
Sultan’s palace, and I was glad that I had been friendly to him then. He was not alone. Behind him came a
group of Lost Ones, seeming to appear by enchantment from the shadows. I must admit that seeing them in
the company of a scholar capable of quoting Aristotle as easily as Pepo can down a barrel of wine was the only
thing that reassured me a little about their intentions. As I opened my mouth to ask one of the many questions I
Base :
was desperate to ask, the one that seemed to be their leader signaled me to be silent. Isaia leaned over the inscrip-
tions around the pit and, with a steady voice, began to translate them into Hebrew, then into Latin. As I heard what
Extra Large
they truly meant, I realized that we were unfortunately no where near the end of our adventures...

Order
Vengeance
Reaction
If Isaïa is killed, the following rules apply to the Golem for
the rest of the game. The Golem leaves the company it
started the game as part of, and becomes an enemy to
all other units. The Golem is activated at the begin-
ning of the action phase by the player that used to
control Isaïa. Of course, this activation doesn’t count
as that player activating a unit. During its activation
the Golem must move as fast as possible towards
the nearest unit, and engage it if possible. If the
Golem is already engaged it must perform a melee
action. If the Golem is engaged with multiple units,
the target of its attacks is chosen randomly.
Additionally, the Golem becomes Berserk and
gets bonuses of +3 MVT, +6 CBT, and +1 DEF.

Fists Hits Damage

Blunt 1 4
Lunge 2 2 6
3 6 + Stunned Associated
0
4 10
5 10 + Knocked Down 177 (Isaïa ben Moshe)
 FactionS

Sha ren Zhe, Wandering Demon

Searching for Gethsemane, or the true tribulations of two monks in Hell, by Brother Alberto Codicci
Ali’s life was trickling out of his body through his many wounds and flowing over the paving stones to form a large
red puddle. He raised his eyes one last time and saw, about three fathoms away from him, an idol that seemed to be
mocking him, the faithful servant of Allah. The round and worrying shapes of the idol dated it as one of the ancient
Independent divinities, older than the flood, that were sometimes found in the sanctuaries of Hell. As he gazed into the eyes of this
unnamed goddess, Ali did not see the strange creature appear behind him, with a twisted smile on its demonic face.
«Poor Ali, how I pity you.» he said, as he sank his claws into the body of the brave Mohammedan leader. As he
Demon listened to the breathing of his victim slow and stop, the demon in turn noticed the idol. Hit by a sudden inspiration,
he sliced out Ali’s heart and swung it like an incense burner, spattering fresh blood over the green paving stones and the
moss-covered columns of the abandoned temple.
Asexual Roughly an hour later, Sha Ren Zhe was lazily reclining on top of the highest of the columns, his eyes closed and his
mind completely turned inwards. The winged shadow of Abaadoth pulled him from his contemplation.

Buddhist (Yanluowang) «You seem to have taken a most evil pleasure with the remains of that mortal. It was you, was it not, who cut his
body into pieces and scattered them all over these ruins?»
«Yes, I did that Abaadoth.»
6 Movement «You must harbor quite a hatred for the Saracen invaders...»
«You are wrong. I have no hatred whatsoever for them, nor for any other mortal. I could have fought with them
against you as easily as I could have done the opposite.»
- Shooting Skill «Demon, do you dare deny the evil primacy of the Luciferian cause?»
«That is no concern of mine. I think you are wrong to want to restore our eternal realm. This is no realm of ours,
we are merely passing through it. And nothing is eternal except change. It is normal that things evolve in Hell. I
6 Combat myself am most amused by the arrival of the Living. The Underworld is quite vast enough to welcome all the mad-
men who wish to suffer here.»
«And the reason for this macabre butchery?»
4 Defense «Do you see that lonely idol? Look at her, the goddess with her wide hips, her heavy breasts, the perfect image of
primitive fertility. Did she only give birth to ingrates, that her temple be left abandoned today? Believers today are
1 Protection much to squeamish for bloody sacrifices. The poor thing is all anemic. By scattering this meat far and wide, I hope
to have given her satisfaction. I hope I have contented the spirits of this place. May a thousand lemures come and
haunt this temple and give it life once again. I did this as a respectful traveler, not out of adoration. For in truth
14 Life Points I care little for the gods. On the other hand, I see in these depths a wondrous garden of suffering that we must
tend often with our evil deeds. This is how I humbly serve the Underworld, without any illusions, without
calling it my kingdom.
2 Faith «Now, Abaadoth, must I remind you that I fought by your side on the sole condition that I be
rewarded?»
«I have not forgotten that, my erratic mercenary, and my master Angra Mainyou will keep his
1 Command word.»

Teleportation
Order
Base : Large Scavenger
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
If Sha ren Zhe is free, he is immediately moved
into contact with the enemy unit with the
lowest LP’s. Insignificant units are not consi-
dered when determining which enemy unit
has the lowest LP. The use of this order
triggers a combat sequence when Sha ren
Zhe appears in contact with the enemy
unit. A unit engaged through the use of
this order can’t use the Dodge ability.
This order can only be used once per
activation, and may be used before
choosing what action Sha ren Zhe will
take during his activation.

Claws Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 4 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/3)

Unique 27 4 7
5 8 + Consumed (Poison • Durable • 1/3)
 The mercenarieS

Thirty Coins, Sniper

The air was cold and dry, burning away at both flesh and lungs with the same intensity.
For miles and miles, the landscape was nothing but ancient plateaus, broken apart by the reign of a
corrosive wind with an unstoppable appetite.
These were the Plateaus of Oblivion, situated in the high marches of Kohut, and so-called in reference Base :
to the hundreds of explorers who had mysteriously lost their memories while crossing these lands.
These rocky formations were formed of a sharp, brittle, black stone, and everything was
covered in a layer of toxic snow. A scarlet-colored sky gave a sad color to the rocks’
Regular
shroud in the corrosive powder. Chaotic whirlwinds sucked up great funnels of
the acid snow high into the sky, making the air unbreathable. The ground
was littered with gigantic rocks, as if some giant from the abyss had been
playing with them...
Not far from there, the last act of a tragedy was being played out.
A hunter had cornered his prey in the shadow of a sinister
valley. Only one outcome was reasonably possible, and the wind
was whistling like the axe of a hurried executioner...
«No, boy, you won’t get away from me. My clouded eyes
may not be able to see you, but all my other senses are
pointing right at your position.»
The figure looked like a blind old man, wrapped up in
a heavy coat of thick velvet. He was holding a long mus-
ket in his strangely muscular arms. Along the weapon’s
barrel were drawn a series of occult signs, and they were
pulsing dully with a red glow.
«I can hear you thrashing about behind that rock.
Your body is becoming numb, as it slides on the stone,
your hands flapping around looking for a hold, and they
make more noise than rain on the surface of a lake.
You poor puppet! The thread of your life is going to
snap any minute now. Even above the wailing of the
wind I can hear the pounding of your frightened heart.
«The shot from my musket hit you right in the belly.
You are still alive, why resist it? With a wave of my
hand I could put an end to your agony, for you can be
sure of it, you will die whatever happens.
«Before you bleed your guts out in this accursed land,
let me shorten this pointless suffering. I am not your
friend, nor your ally, but seeing a creature in pain is not
Unique
something I take any pleasure from.
«Show yourself! Come on out! Just one shot, a single flash of gun-
powder, the reaper himself awaits in the barrel of my musket! Once you are
dead, I will give you a dignified burial in keeping with your own beliefs, I swear.
«I bet you have almost forgotten the senile old grandfather who joined
27 Independent
your caravan of scoundrels, eh? In spite of your constant flow of insults, my
mind remained as hard as stone. Damned One
«Don’t get upset about my last few words. I did not shoot you and your eight
friends for my own pleasure, nor to avenge the dozens of victims that you killed out of
pure greed. Good and Evil, in the end, none of that truly matters to me. Asexual
«I was hired to eliminate you all, and you are the last one, you must die, and as soon as you
do, my own life can return to its normal state.»
A small shadow crawled out from behind its rocky hiding place. In its frail hand, it was carrying a Unbeliever
pistol that looked much too heavy for it.
It was a ten-year-old boy, dressed in rags, with the stare of an assassin. A poor soul that had grown
up all twisted, on the streets, and to whom other lives were of little worth. There was a hole right through
him, the size of a large hailstone, yet he tried to run away into the distance...
Movement 3
«No, kid, don’t run! I have you in my sights! Your soul is calling out for the merciful deliverance of my last shot.»
The shot took out half of the boy’s head. He went down like a puppet whose strings have been cut. The Shooting Skill 5
shooter looked at him gravely, and then with a croaking voice, he began a prayer for the child’s soul.
«I promised you a quick death with a stroke of my fire. It cannot be said that Thirty Coins would not grant his
merciful kiss to a man in need.» Defensive Shot Combat -
Order Discretion 4 Defense 2
C S
old teel
Passive • 2 CMD - Until the end of the turn, replace the Spiritual Damage ability
Harmless
Protection 1
of the Musket of Longinus with Penetrating Strike 2. Sniper
S T
topped ime
Passive • 1 CMD - During the next ranged attack that Thirty Coins makes this
Trained Gunman Life Points 8
turn, if his intended target is engaged, only the intended target can be hit by the
Faith -
attack (don’t compare the number of odd and even «to hit» scores).
Command -
Musket of Longinus Hits Damage
Spiritual Damage 1 3
Range 12 2 4
Reloading 3 5
4 7
5 9
179
 FactionS

Russian Trapper
The inscriptions had come true, we had reached the lands of smoke! It was a labyrinth of ruins that must have reached all
the way to the frontiers of Aussonia, a land of mists so thick we could hardly see our hands in front of our faces. The weather
there never changes, except, they say, when it is Easter on Earth. At that time it rains blood. Thankfully, we were only passing
through and had no intention of checking that awful legend. With God’s will, we would soon reach the fountain of youth,
Independent then the edge of the forest of myrtle where the cursed souls wander. And then...
We were finally reaching the end of our quest! But for a chance to see all these wonders, we would have to be quic-
ker than our pursuers. The soldiers of the Emir, of course, but also the gang of Luciferians who had decided to chase
Human after us. The very thought that such an abominable host was on our heels was enough to give us wings. Even so,
our company was taking a well-earned break, just time for supper and a little sleep.
Pepo and I were huddled near the fire, listening to the songs of Damir, the scout who was leading us
Male so surely through the mists. My companion asked him where he was originally from, and in a hesitant
French, the man explained to us that he came from far away Novogorod. We had all had a little to
drink and as this camp fire in the middle of the mists was a perfect place for story-telling, we soon
Christian (Orthodox) learned that Damir was an outlaw in his own country. Long ago, his brother had married a
very beautiful young peasant girl, so beautiful that her husband became the envy of the
whole village. So much so that a local lord had her kidnapped, and her poor husband
killed. Swearing to avenge his older brother, our brave Damir found a way to
join the huntsmen of the evil sire. He had to wait a long time to finally reap
his revenge, but finally, one night, Damir left him lying in the snow with a
broken leg, on the territory of the bear that they had been tracking all
day. That could have been the end of his story, but Damir obviously

Base : Regular felt it deserved a conclusion filled with superstition. The lord had, he
said, been closely linked to the Baba Yaga, a terrible witch from his
country. So if Damir had been forced to flee his country in haste,
it was not so much to avoid the gallows but more to escape
Limited 2 the teeth of the hungry carnivourous spirits of the forests of
the motherland. That was why he had signed up to serve
in Hell, for he believed that the angry spirits would not
follow him that far!
His epilogue seemed to me to be nothing but an
old wives’ tale. Pepo on the other hand, took this tale
of witchcraft very seriously, and his teeth began to
chatter frantically. The rough mercenaries, who had
been listening distractedly to our conversation,
teased him kindly about his gullibility, until a ter-
rific cracking noise was heard, coming from a few
fathoms away. In a second, our blood ran cold
and our faces became pale as ghosts. All except
Damir, who jumped to his feet and grabbed a
firm hold of his axe.
Staring intently at the mists, he warned us,
«Gentlemen, I am afraid we have company!»
Searching for Gethsemane, or the true
tribulations of two monks in Hell, by Brother
Alberto Codicci

Orders
4 Movement
26 Skinning - 1 CMD
3 This order can only be used when the Trapper kills an
enemy unit. Until the end of the game, he gets Terror, or +1 to
- Shooting Skill
- the ability if he already has it, to a maximum of Terror 3.
Trap Laying - Free • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
5 Combat
4 This order can only be used when an enemy unit moves within 10
3 Defense Ambush Fathoms of the Russian Trapper while performing a Charge, Run, or
2 Retreat action. The enemy unit is Knocked Down and takes 3 damage,
2 Protection
Discretion 5 ignoring PR. If, for some reason, the enemy unit isn’t knocked down
Strider due to this ability, it can finish its movement and activation normally.
14 Life Points Scout Two-handed Axe Hits Damage
4
Slashing 1 3
1 Faith Cumbersome 2 5
0
3 6
- Command 4 8
180 5 10
 The mercenarieS

Deserter
When exactly did my heart begin to falter? I really couldn’t say precisely, but the facts are there.
That day I faltered indeed.
Traitor, coward, turncoat: you can call me a thousand names. I can live with any of them. Do
not think that I made this decision lightly; one cannot leave ones companions without a very good
reason.
The shame of doing so weighs on my heart every day that God sends, as if an eagle was squee-
Trooper
zing my chest between its sharp and powerful talons.
All the same, I can see a glimmer of light on the horizon, a hope that I may be able to live
without the eternal weight of my shame. I will undoubtedly manage to forget, to erase this unfortu-
Human
nate episode from my existence. But still...
It had barely been a month since we arrived in Hell. The few skirmishes I had
in only involved the odd roaming band of damned ones or a few French or Refor-
taken part Male
mist scouts. My company was composed of solid Swiss soldiers, hardened by the
fires of war. We had no trouble winning control of the land from the damned or
the foes from the nations Above.
Christian (papist)
Obedience, discipline and precise movements, those were our defining fea-
tures. Teams of arquebusiers patrolled around our forest of pikes and halberds.
The rough tracks that we marched along were hard on our bodies, the sweat ran
down our dusty faces, our morions were heated to burning point by the intense
orange glow in the distance. I was sweating every last drop of water from my
body into the heavy cloth of my uniform. Our column was marching forward, Movement 4
raising a cloud of dust behind us, to the sound of the fife and the drum, our 3
captain and our standard leading the way.
It was a day like any other, two hours before we set up camp for the night. But Shooting Skill -
-
that was the day that everything changed!
In our pride, we did not send out the usual string of scouts. Why should we, after
all? What could possibly happen to us, we who had always triumphed!
Combat 4
3
As mistakes are rarely made in ones, our officer misjudged the terrain we were
heading into and sent us marching straight into a dried out hollow, riddled with abyssal Defense 3
pits. 2
It was at the worst possible moment that the damned attacked us.
The sea of our army was split up into thin trickles of men, winding carefully between Protection 2
the dark depths. At that moment I could hear a million vile scratching noises coming up
from the pits, and seeming to grow ever nearer. I could feel the fear rising amongst the men,
the officer’s horse was whinnying as if it was in agony: something terrible was going on down Life Points 5
1
there!
They exploded upwards in a geyser of flesh and steel, driven by an indescribable hatred. Buz-
zing through our ranks, spreading death and suffering, the Damned Ones of Wrath were chopping
Faith 0
0
us to bits before we could even move into a fighting formation.
The arquebusiers could not do much to help us, the enemy was already engaged in close combat. Command -
They took to their heels, only to meet the immediate discomfort of being confronted with terrible
angry ones or big greedy bastards.
Blown far away by the horde from the abyss, I was one of the very few survivors of this unfortu-
nate expedition. With only my halberd and a few meager rations to my name, I ran as fast as my
legs could carry me, far away from that unspeakable butchery.
Nothing was of any importance to me any longer, not the last few of my comrades
fighting heroically against the impious legion, nor Leopold, my lifelong friend,
gravely injured and begging me to help him. I could feel the sweat running
down my spine, every hair on my body standing on end with fear. I was
screaming, crying with terror, no demon could catch me...
Since that baleful day, I have sold my services to the highest
bidder, with no morals and no cause. I do what I have always
done, I fight, and above all: I survive!

Halberd Hits Damage

Piercing 1 3
Slashing 2 4
Cumbersome 3 5 Unlimited
11
Lunge 2 4 8
Receive Charge 5 11 181 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Damned Rank and File

Darkness, shadows, despair: my whole world was defined by those three words.
For how long had my life been confined to this trio of poverty? I do not know. The scattered remains of my spirit must have
chased away the concept of time, probably to protect me from the throes of madness... Why else?
The muffled cries that found their way to my ears reminded me that I was not the only poor soul wandering through this damned
Trooper hole. May you all be damned, men from Above! As if the Underworld was not punishment enough in itself, you had to come add
yourselves to our long list of tortures! You see us as even less valuable than one of your simple tools. You may laugh as much as you
like, one day you will all join us...
Damned One One day, very much like any other day, a ray of light appeared. Had the humans decided that there was some small interest
indeed in searching this pit?
«Listen up, you blasted abominations!» yelled a red-faced man with a mustache. «I’m going to leave you a chance to prove
Male or Female that you are a little more worthy than usual. I’m going to let ten of you out of this stinking pit, and not one more! Shut your
clappers, you sons of whores, the first one to open his gob gets it!»
Naturally, what was bound to happen, happened: my ragged pack of companions all raised their hands and begged to be
Agnostic chosen, screaming «Pick me! Pick me!» at the top of their voices.
The response was immediate: three small glowing fireballs were dropped into our midst and exploded with a deafening noise.
Standing there without moving, spattered with blood, body fluids and shattered skull bone, I felt my sanity slip slowly away.
4 Movement The word «You!» dragged me back to reality.
Visibly, my boundless stoicism must have made quite a good impression on my masters. I was thrown a rope, which I climbed
up slowly but surely, towards my hypothetical paradise!
- Shooting Skill A great many men were lying there, agonizing, being eaten alive by some strange illness, shaken by spasms and gushing
blood. A group of humans with pointed helmets were firing their guns and cannons into the pink mist that was rising in front of
us. Far away in the distance, I could hear the sound of dozens of drums, accompanied by the sound of a hundred horrible ani-
3 Combat mals bellowing...
«You!» spat a sinister-looking man in my direction.
«Take this pick and go join the line! If you fight, you will be a free damned one!» added the brutish soldier, as his grin gave
3 Defense me a glimpse of his blackened teeth.
With the pick in my hand, my options were dwindling.
0 Protection I had never been a fighter before: my only possible option would be to dodge the blows. At least, that left me with a
real chance of making it through this. I was surprised to see that some of my unfortunate companions were looking
quite comfortable with their weapons. Memories from their past, perhaps?
4 Life Points Although we had lost half of our numbers during the first wave of the attack, we managed to pull through hono-
Choose one of the rably. This fratricide fighting was most unpleasant to me, but it was either that or accept to disappear for good.
Suddenly, I heard a voice. Soft, beautiful, fascinating...
0 Faith following options : «Join me, son of Hell, join me that I may give you back your true place, your name, your past...»

-
C haotic Charge I felt deeply troubled by this, almost shocked, but this offer seemed to be the best opportunity I was
going to get in these lands.
Command and Fury  At the time, there was no way I could have accepted the request... And yet...
As if the voice had sensed my inner debate, it answered me:
Defensive Combat 3  «The time draws closer. A step aside at the right moment, fake your own death, and

Base : Dodge 2 and Mvt +1 

during the next wave, throw yourself at the nearest man...»
A daring plan indeed, but damn was it devilishly dangerous!

Regular Rapid Strike ( )  attack

However, this time, my natural cowardice would have to be silent! So, that
day, in the confusion of the battle, I outdid myself...

Ricochet 2

Makeshift Weapon Hits Damage

Blunt 1 2
or 2 3
Piercing 3 5

Unlimited 9 182
or
Slashing
4 7
5 9
 The mercenarieS

Squamata Nomad
During my many adventures in the lands of Hell, I have often had to collaborate
with some very strange individuals. As far as I am concerned, as long as a newcomer
proves to be quite competent, that he knows how to stay humble and in his rightful
place, and that he does not indulge in foul depravaties, he has every chance of fitting
perfectly into my little family.
My dear reader, you who dare to venture into the twists and turns of my impro-
bable journeys, deep into the heart of a bottomless well of knowledge, I can safely
say that in all my life as a free man, I have rarely encountered any creatures
as mysterious as the Squamata nomads!
These fascinating creatures, who are always willing to sell their
military services to any kind of customer, call themselves the Eter-
nal Travelers.
Wandering creatures from a race of Lost Ones, they chose
the name of Travelers with care, even though, to the outsider,
the term could seem rather redundant.
After long and intensive research into a subject of parti-
cular interest to me, a glimpse of an answer, albeit a very
fragmented one, appeared in the depths of my mind.
The Lost are a group of dammed that appear in a
surprising light to common people. To be perfectly
honest, there are a great number of scholars who will
shamefully admit that they know or understand little
about this mosaic of infernal beings.
Until quite recently, the Lost way of life was mainly
based on the model of a nomadic people, mainly
warriors, united around a powerful and charismatic
leader. This rough existence allowed the members of
the group to feel a sense of belonging to a primitive
society, providing support and protection for one
another.
Of course, since then, Bran Carnoth has changed
many things, much water has flowed under the bridge...
The Travelers turned away from that «tribal» way of
life a long time ago.
These free-spirited people have gone so far as to reject
the leadership of any chief, preferring to take their existence
into their own hands.
Unlimited
Some writings found carved on the walls dating back to times
immemorial bear witness to the existence of Squamata nomads back
in pre-Christian times.
The reasons that led to their rebellion are still unknown to this day.
One day, the Squamata leaves his group, because of boredom or discontent,
12 Trooper
and without looking back, he begins his long life as a traveler, alone.
To survive, the «Traveler» hires out his services to the commanders of Hell’s compa- Lost
nies, always in need of good swordsmen. The wars between Demon kingdoms have long
been the main source of income for these soldiers of fortune.
One day I hired one of these Travelers myself, Quintus, an old Roman soldier, who was killed Male
while guarding an obscure frontier in Germania. Thanks to him, I learned more about these Squa-
mata nomads than I had done in a whole year of research!
Quintus explained to me his sudden desire for freedom, his dreams of wild expanses and his need for Agnostic
calm and introspection!
I must say I was as blown away as you must be, on hearing this very strange revelation. These demons
are searching for some kind of inner peace that their very condition denies them. Who would have thought
it?
Movement 5
4
However this desire has a painful backlash.
As they travel further away from their «family», as if the Underworld was punishing them for their lack Shooting Skill -
of devotion to the roots of evil, the Squamata nomads lose part of their natural strength and martial abi- -
lities, in exchange for a sharper and more independent mind. Quintus told me that this price was a small
one to pay compared with their possibility of redemption. A damned escaping from Hell by achieving
redemption, now that would be interesting!
First Contact Combat 3
2
I questioned my friend Malik ibn Youssouf about this, jokingly remarking that I could see many simila-
rities between the Saracen’s quest and the insane desire for paradise of the Squamata nomads. Strangely
Scout Defense 4
enough, for once, he did not laugh... Strider 3

Baptiste Valombre «Thoughts on the people and curiosities of the Underworld, Volume 5: the Lost.» Protection 2

Life Points 7
5

Faith 0
0

Command -
Short Sword Hits Damage
Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 5
4 7
183
Base : Regular
5 9
184
 The immortalS
he Immortals
“Death is a trauma which radically affects the soul.
When the damned reach Hell, most of them have lost
their memory. However, the spirit of the dead continues
to be the sanctuary of the vices which have sullied their
past life. If a criminal does not remember his misdeeds,
anger, pride or even greed continue to gnaw at him. A
damned one does not breathe, sleep or eat – he is dead
and vital needs are unknown to him. However, a glutton
will still continue to feel the pangs of hunger – a horrible
torture for a soul which has forgotten how to appease its
trouble. But intuition of what it was in life may bring it
to learn how to eat anew. Sometimes, demons will teach
it out of spite. They will thus reveal to it its vice and
goad it to its eternal damnation.
For if the dead descend to Hell, it’s either to find the way
to their final rest or regain their place among the living. For
the dead, to lower one’s self by repeating the excesses of a
past life will keep the soul from attaining serenity. See this
noble. When alive, he killed by pride as he had the power
to do so. Damned, he’s dispossessed of all that made him
great. He no longer remembers any of it but his soul suffers
from it. Give him a sword. Do you think he’ll seek redemp-
tion or the fastest way to appease his torment?
The dead are left to fend against their darkest desires.
They’re thrown in a terrifying, underground land, on a
road filled with pitfalls and traps. Fear and pain are their
daily bread. Between these two damned, which one was
the headsman, which one the victim? Demons don’t bother
with this sort of distinction. They draw the dead into their
fiefs to inflict on them various tortures. Of course, the sin-
ner will catch their eye while the virtuous soul will pass by
more easily... Some damned have been walking for centuries
on the roads of Hell. It’s said that King Minos awaits them
at the Nine Irises to judge them. But how many of them
will reach the end of their quest?
It’s with this question that the history of Diyu begins; the
history of King Yanluowang’s revolt.
Our sovereign was one of the nine archdemons, known
by his peers under the name of Zairitsha. He went to those
of his kind and asked of them to set out order among the
damned. He showed them how to give Hell a harmonious
government. The other eight archdemons were insulted by
his arrogance and chased him off his throne. They des-
troyed his domain and massacred his followers. Zairitsha
was betrayed and imprisoned by his most faithful vassal.
This is how the story of Yanluowang, King of Hell, and
Protector of the Qin People begins.”
Gui Wanrong laid down his brush and raised his
head. The white light from the underground dome was
fading. The peasants would soon be coming back from
the fields.
185
The damned bureaucrat moved closer to the window
to gaze upon the vista of Diya offered from the bamboo
tower where he was held captive. He knew that this land
was hostile to men, allowing them its fruits only at the
price of arduous work. But, from his vantage point, the
surrounding lands seemed particularly serene. Beyond
the village, the fields stretched out, then the hills and
finally the capital, Yūmíng, profiled on the horizon.
This earthly-looking stretch was but a small portion
of the domain, his purgatory. It was surrounded by the
frozen deserts which kept the monstrous armies from
entering the kingdom. From Yūmíng, at the heart of
the territory, the cyclopean shafts reached the Eigh-
teen Hells in which sinners would absolve their sins. It
was also the path one would need to take to reach the
secret sanctuary of Yanluowang, named Míngfū.
Gui Wanrong saw a young woman carrying laundry
to the vats. She was dressed for working in the fields,
but bore mannerisms betraying the noble rank of her
past life. He smiled and called his guard, Ho Han Xu,
a demon with a particularly jovial expression. As the
heavy footsteps of his jailor could be heard in the next
tunnel over, Wanrong surprised himself by imagining
himself on a walk with her.
The demon entered the luxurious cell yawning, as
though he had just been woken up from a nap. Glancing
over to Wanrong’s shelves, he saw the roll of parchment
that the bureaucrat had painted while the village was
working in the fields. He deciphered a few lines before
slipping it under his belt.
“A new masterpiece?” asked the guard. “This looks
nothing like your usual compilations of jurisprudence.”
“Maybe I’ve finished cataloging my earthly knowledge.
It’s time to write down what the mandarins of this
country have allowed me to see”
“What a wonderful idea” said the demon with a disap-
proving frown.
“Who is the young woman over there?” asked Gui. “I
have never seen her before in the village.”
“She’s just arrived” answered the demon, nodding.
“When alive, she gave birth to a bastard, which caused
upheaval in her noble house.”
“An adulteress? We should find a husband for her
before rumor causes any trouble among the commu-
nity” said Gui Wanrong.
“Yes, yes” said the demon as he left the cell.
The following day, Gui Wanrong woke up with the
first ray of light. After getting dressed, he found a roll
of blank parchment left on his shelves. He grabbed his
brush and immediately began to write.
“When people from Qin die, they appear on the under-
ground reflection of Mount Mingshan. With this desert
and snowy expanse, Yanluowang grants them an extre-
mely serene passage to death, as they are not confronted
 FactionS
with terrible visions of Hell as soon as they wake. Quite
the opposite – solitude, meditation and asceticism allows
them to recover their memory, the first step on the pur-
ging of their sins.
For as long as this retreat on the sacred mountain
lasts, demon sentinels keep watch without ever showing
themselves. There is a thousand ways of knowing if a
damned one has reclaimed the memories of his past life.
He suddenly begins to suffer from the cold, prays to his
ancestors or yet attempts to make himself tools.
The soul is then ready for its next trial. We gather
the damned for a long march through the frozen deso-
lation surrounding the domain. The expedition crosses
the borders of Diyu. Before the birth of Yanluowang, the
kingdom was one of the nine archduchies which bordered
the devil’s isle. By leaving Diyu, the damned can contem-
plate the horror and the chaos which prevail outside of
our lands. It is at that point that they become conscious
of their duty of submission to the laws of our lord. For if
they rebel, they could be abandoned to the nightmarish
and barbaric horizons which offer themselves to their
sight at that moment.
The first rule is to admit your crimes. Infernal man-
darins accompany the walkers to note the admission
of their crimes. Among the Imperial Sentinels, demons
are keeping close guard to prevent any insanity, while
humans are deployed as scouts and on the flanks to face
possible assaults from barbaric enemies.
Everywhere in our lands, this division of tasks between
Imperial Sentinels can be found. The demons are in
contact with the damned and watch over them, while
the humans protect the domain against outside invasion.
Thus, their souls are not influenced by the sins of the
dead. If we talk about the kingdom, it’s in opposition to
the rest of Hell.
However, Yanluowang has sworn allegiance to the Jade
Emperor, and so the domain is part of the Qin Empire;
this is why the sentinels protecting it belong to the impe-
rial house, the House of Jade. The task of our lord is to
watch over the people after their death. In that way, he
watches over the harmony of the Yin and the Yang and
guarantees the empire will remain, even when great trou-
ble divide the living and the throne falls into the hands
of impostors.
For that reason, also, our demonic bureaucracy com-
piles much information brought from the land above.
When there are wars, our mandarins know the number
of warriors fallen in battle and which province they come
from. If a great criminal is put to death, his upcoming
arrival in the kingdom is known to us. In the same way,
by the simple reading of judgments passed in the land of
the living, our bureaucrats can guess which magistrate is
corrupt and which is virtuous. All observations are writ-
ten down, as they will be used as clues to find the true
nature of the damned.
But there is no better way to bare a soul than to obtain
a confession from it. Most of them, at the sight of barba-
186
rous Hell, openly admit their most secret misdeeds. These
are written down on dragon-parchments by the infernal
mandarins who accompany the expedition. These are
magical rolls which are animated by the essence of the
lemures which haunt the domain. When a fact is written
on such a parchment, it immediately appears on other
dragon-parchments – thus our entire bureaucracy is war-
ned the moment a damned one confesses. This task is
vital and the burden of the mandarin is heavy, for if he
makes a mistake or lies when writing down the deeds,
he will be thrown in the Seventeenth Hell, for such is the
law of Yanluowang.
The expedition allows the repentant damned to return
alone towards the kingdom, they will go through a
gateway of sulfur to return to the lands. There a high-
ranking official will be waiting for them to reveal to them
which of the Eighteen Hells they will have to visit to
expiate their crimes.
There are souls who will never admit their misdeeds, as
it is their nature. They will, for a time, avoid the torture
of the Eighteen Hells, but in truth their sentence will be
much harder and longer, as no one escapes the justice of
Yanluowang, Lord of the Dead. “
Gui Wanrong laid down his brush and walked to the
window, as he always did when he was gathering his
thoughts. He was surprised to see the young adulteress
sitting on a stone bench next to the vats. She was loo-
king in his direction and sent him a quick wave of the
hand. Her friendly smile sculpted her mouth beautifully
and the skin of her throat, in the daylight, gleamed with
an exquisite clarity. Gui Wanrong returned her greeting
before hastily returning to work.
“The damned sent to the Eighteen Hells suffer punish-
ments and various tortures as the price for their crimes.
The harshness of their sentence and the time spent in
the torture chambers deeply affect their bodies. They are
marked by the metamorphosis of the underground realm:
fangs, lumps, horns, hooves and much more deformities
are the stigmata of their vice. Thus, they become hybrids.
This mark can affect the damned as it can affect the
living: all those who let themselves be ruled by an exces-
sive temper and who spend a long time in the land of
the dead. It’s a supernatural property of Hell, and Diyu
is not the exception to the rule.
However, the metamorphosis often causes an alle-
giance to Chaos; in Diyu the term hybrid is used in a very
specific way. It designates the rank of one who, living or
dead, has seen himself be infected by his vice and has
triumphed over it. Those who fail this trial are thrown
into the Eighteenth Hell, where their soul is destroyed.
It’s why the mark of hybridization is not always a sign
of infamy for the people of Yanluowang; it is part of the
harmony of Yin and Yang, just like the alliance between
humans and demons.
The damned of the kingdom work in the villages of
Diyu, split into districts. Their work is hard and often
laborious. The dead are constrained to asceticism, they
 The immortalS
harvest fruit they see wither in their very hands, as most
infernal lands are cursed. The slightest misdeed can
cause trouble for the villagers, for the law of Yanluowang
is strict – all must absolve their sins.
Before being able to join even these communities,
those damned who have been found guilty of crimes
must serve their sentence in the Eighteen Hells. They
will leave the Hells marked by metamorphosis. We
often see them act with more fervor in their work. Their
loyalty to our sovereign is faultless, as they have known
the chambers of tortures of Diyu and endured what
horrors reside in them.
For all damned, there are, in the end, only two results.
Those who fail will see their soul destroyed in the Eigh-
teenth Hell. The others, after a long and rigorous exis-
tence of damnation, will be given a potion of oblivion by
the authorities. Some say that it brings the serenity of
eternal rest, but most believe that it offers reincarnation
of the soul in the cycle of life.
There are criminals in Diyu, but also evil souls who
believe they can escape the laws of the demonic bureau-
cracy. Those never admit their crimes. They tell, at best,
a made-up story, in which other characters are accused
of being behind the actions they took.
They return through the sulfur gate believing that they
have avoided the worst. They start to live their lives in
the villages, counting the days as if the end of their dam-
nation was close believing they can slip by unnoticed.
But it is in their nature to cause trouble, often by getting
others accused instead of themselves. They believe they
can avoid being caught as they did when they were alive.
Sooner or later, their actions will be exposed in broad
daylight. And until that time, all they will have done is
increase the number of hells they will have to go through
to purge themselves of their evil actions. For even though
the hierarchy of Diyu seems invisible, it is nonetheless
omnipresent. And the agents of the king know how to
use their most diverse wiles to obtain the truth.”
On that night, when the demon Ho Han Xu came to
take the writings of Gui Wanrong, the latter pressed him
with questions about the young adulteress. The guard
evaded them all… all but one: “As you’ve advised me, I’ve
kept her apart from the others to prevent any trouble.
This is why she’s spent her day under your windows, as
there was no one else left in the village while everyone
was toiling in the fields.”
This news deeply troubled Gui Wanrong. The next day,
at dawn, he stood near the window instead of working on
his blank parchment. We waited patiently to see her come.
But, as noon arrived, she still wasn’t there and the mind of
the old magistrate grew feverish, imagining her sitting on the
stone bench in a lascivious pose. As the afternoon passed,
the damned that Wanrong saw in his mind was becoming
more and more unclothed. Sometimes, he appeared in his
187
mind’s eye, bringing a fruit to the beautiful woman and get-
ting her attention with a knowledgeable speech about law.
However, the end of the daydream was becoming more
and more obvious. Wanrong grew shameful and went to
seek refuge in the darkest corner of his cell. That night,
when the demon discovered the blank parchment, he inqui-
red about the state of the captive. The only answer he recei-
ved was the old magistrate asking for news about the one
he had waited for all day.
“She asked to work with the others. She was becoming
bored alone in the village” answered the guard.
“Is that really prudent?” interrogated Wanrong.
“We’ll see” said the demon.
“In that case, may I invite her to drink tea, tomorrow?
I’m to be confined in this tower, but I’m allowed visitors,
aren’t I?”
In response, the guard harrumphed, “Why not”
The next morning, Gui Wanrong decided to get back
to work.
“The alliance between the living and the demons is the
alliance of the Yin and the Yang. But this harmony must
be found in all things. Humans themselves must bear it
within them. Warriors who leave the world of men to come
serve in the underground realm follow the teachings of the
House of Jade. It is established on Earth, looks up to the
sky and extends to here, down below. It teaches warriors to
purge themselves of all their ills, to remain pure in order to
succeed at their task over the centuries. For, as soon as the
gate to the great beyond is stepped through, time no longer
flows for the living. Thus they are raised to the status of
the champions of ancient times who pierced the secrets of
immortality. The living follow ascetic rites and observe in
all things a great discipline. Those who show signs of tired-
ness are tested, in ways the masters know they will fail.
They are pushed to break their allegiance to the House of
Jade, for it is turned to the Light. For the Light alone is not
enough – others must seek the Darkness, for such is the
law of Yanluowang. All things must have balance. As there
is Yin and Yang, so too is there Light and Dark.
These fallen warriors will have to let the vice gnawing at
them grow within them, most often the shame and rage of
having been banished. They will have to learn to master
the metamorphosis of the underground realm, for as soon
as an immortal no longer follows the rites of the House of
Jade, he begins to feel the symptoms of hybridization.
But whether they follow one path or another, the immor-
tals fight under a single banner, for they embody a single
principle. The will of our sovereign is their sole preoccu-
pation and the task is important. Diyu was created to
maintain the balance, restore justice among the dead, too
long looked down upon by the archdemons. Yanluowang
opposes them, but he also fights against the Luciferians
who put off the time of harmony to an uncertain future,
till Judgment Day.”
 FactionS
Gui Wanrong laid down his brush, for he was hearing
the sound of a soft step in the corridor. He greeted his
guest with all the respect due to the rank of her past
life. She was troubled by that. They exchanged but a few
words, shame and shyness growing between them. The
old magistrate wanted to warn her against life in the com-
munity, explain to her how, a young, beautiful and sin-
gle woman risked becoming the cause of trouble in the
village. When the mistakes of her life would be learned
about, the women would begin to fear for their husbands
and the latter would begin to court her.
It was a temptation that the demonic bureaucracy was
consciously exposing the young woman to, in order to test
her. However, Wanrong did not have the courage to reveal
all that to her.
His first idea when inviting her was to ask her to marry
him by explaining to her that it was the best way to pro-
tect her from an ill he knew was unavoidable. Strangely,
he felt she had guessed his intentions and they now see-
med ridiculous to him. He decided to keep them quiet.
Ho Han Xu’s arrival put an end to this first meeting.
A few days later, an infernal mandarin and his escort
came to the village to collect information about the beha-
vior of the damned. He saw a gorgeous young woman, sit-
ting on a stone bench. She was waving at a man, a recluse
in a bamboo tower: “Why does the damned Gui Wanrong
stay in front of his window so?” asked the mandarin.
Ho Han Xu looked up to the underground dome while
thinking in advance about all that could be said on that
subject. No matter how hard it was for him, he made a
detailed account of the facts he had been a witness to.
When the demon was finished, the mandarin started wri-
ting his own deductions about the whole affair.
Ho Han Xu could read this, over the shoulder of the
mandarin: “As surely as he flatters her by wanting to take
her under his protection, she tries in return to gratify him
with her charms. And thus they condemn each other. One
by allowing herself to go down the path of carnality, the
other down the path of vanity.”
188
The demon sighed.
“It’s been so long, I don’t remember very well... Why do
we keep that man hostage in a tower?” he asked.
“For each day he spends writing on a scroll, he must
stay one extra day to leave a scroll blank. It’s a sad fate,
but that’s all an old magistrate deserves” answered the
mandarin.
“But, it is said that he was virtuous in life, wasn’t he?”
inquired the demon”
“We discovered when he stayed in Yūmíng that he had
spent his existence laying down rules to constrain the
people to a greater discipline. That’s very good, but unfor-
tunately, we also discovered that he was unable to apply
those very rules to his daily life, which denotes a deep
vanity. Here again, he allows himself to give in to his sin,
believing that his writing about our lands will have a use
of some sort while we already have thousands of scrolls
like his in our coffers. And what about his relationship
with that young noble? He wants to get her attention for
fear that she would compromise herself with the men of
the village and repeat the mistakes of her past. But what
is he doing, if not allowing himself to be seduced?”
“They have given each other their vows and we will be
celebrating their wedding shortly... a very chaste marriage
at that since he’s under lock and key in his tower and
visits are restricted...” the demon noted.
“Exactly!” exclaimed the mandarin. “What better than
romance to remind a damned the needs of the flesh? And
how is the poor child going to sate those needs? With a
legitimate husband kept under key, or by cheating on him
with the rest of the village?”
The demon hesitated momentarily. Then continued,
“Wouldn’t it be simpler, to brick up the woman in the
tower and send the vain fool to wear himself out in the
fields? One and the other would thus be kept from their
temptation...”
“Quite the opposite!” interrupted the mandarin. “For
them to repent for their sins, we must first have them
confront them. It’s our mission: to take care of all the
dead by learning from their past, not just worry about
having criminals be purged through their sentences.”
From the Stories of Diyu
 The immortalS

Cheng Xiao-Chen, Imperial Bureaucrat

To Cheng Xiao-Chen time seemed to slow down as the pack of Infernal Ambassa-
dors reached him. He could see every hair move in unison in the coat of the horned
one leading them. It and the rest of the pack jumped into the river in an attempt to
try and surround him. He welcomed their eagerness to get in close, it allowed the
lemure he had invoked, only a moment before, to catch them all in the cloud of gas
created when it vanished releasing the spell he had entrusted it with. The choking,
Officer
stifling gas did not affect Cheng and it caused the Ambassadors’ fighting prowess to
be greatly reduced. Instead of perishing immediately, as the horned ones surely thou- Hybrid
ght was likely, the wizened and calm old man retaliated with clawing motions and
trained strikes almost faster than the eye could follow. Feeling as though he was a
serenely floating leaf on the wind Cheng spun, blocked, and struck repeatedly feeling Male
the vitality flow from his opponents into himself whenever he connected.
“How woefully undisciplined these savages are to have underestimated me
so badly” thought Cheng. The Imperial Sentinels that had accompanied Buddhist (Yanluowang)
him out into Hell from Diyu rushed to his aid. Though he probably could
have handled the rabble himself, he and his band had important errands
Bloodthirsty 3
to be done and could not spend long engaged with demonic war bands.
Charisma Infernalist 1/1
As distasteful as it was for the infernal mandarin to leave the serene
order of Diyu and travel through the pointless chaos of Hell at large, he Expertise Mentalist
understood that Diyu couldn’t be totally cut off from the rest of Hell, no
matter how much he might not like it. Enlightened
Movement 4/73
Immunity (poison) /6

Orders Leader Shooting Skill -

-
Spiritual Interference Prescient Combat 43
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD • Unique
The enemy Company immediately loses all its CMD points. It Regeneration 2 /5

Defense 43
will recover them during the next upkeep phase as normal. /5

Vae soli
Protection 1
Vae victis

Life Points 14
7
Aura Faith 3 2/
Breath of the Dragon 4
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Enemies
Command 6
Enemy units within the area of effect of this aura get -1 CBT.
Units in contact with Cheng Xiao-Chen after charging have
Slow, until the end of the charge’s attack sequence.

Spells
Curse of the Dragon
Vanished
Targets a single unit in contact with the lemure.
The target of this spell suffers the Cursed 3/3
state.
Blessings of the Dragon
Residual
Allied units within 4 fathoms of the lemure
gain the Natural Talent ability. Units that
already have this ability aren’t affected.

Sharp Claws Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 4 + Life Drain 1 Unique


4 5 + Life Drain 1
5 6 + Life Drain 2
189 60 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Li Tsu Tsin, Imperial Counselor

Listening carefully, Li Tsu Tsin gently stroked her foul hybrid tail, her constant remin-
der of the Eighteen Hells. It tended to trace symbols of magical power into the air of
its own volition. Usually, they were ones she already knew. Sometimes they were new
Officer symbols she had not been aware of before. Consequently she kept a close watch on
her tail in somewhat idle moments. One could never let such potentially powerful
information just slip by.
Hybrid Arching her back slightly she returned her attention to the bureaucrat dro-
ning away before his peers, reporting on average grain yields and other
Female such mundane business of the kingdom. Normally she would not be
included in such mindless bureaucracy. Her current interests brought
Buddhist (Yanluowang) her here as she was investigating the very official who was talking,
to ensure that he was living and working as he should. Her
special talents made her especially suited for such a role.
Infernalist 2/2 She studied his mannerisms, his inflection, his posture,
everything about her subject. Starting to place the hooks
Mentalist mentally that would allow her access to his deepest,
darkest secrets and desires. The process brought her
to know her subject better than they knew them-
selves. While there was supernatural energy
Base : Regular involved in the final exertion of complete
control, this total knowledge of her subject
was important, and almost as powerful
Unique on its own. You could of course force the
connection with enough energy, but the
knowing made it significantly easier.
She would spend a few days deve-
loping the connection and control,
and then she would rifle through
the burreacrats life looking for
anything untoward in his mind.
While her lengthy stay in the
Eighteen Hells had been a night-
mare in many ways, Tsu Tsin
believed that it had also awa-
kened her new abilities. Thus
her torment was doubly blessed.
Not only did it purify her and
put her soul back on the correct
path toward serenity and enligh-
tenment, but it also had granted
her powerful abilities to be used
in the service and maintenance of
the state.

44
5/8 Movement
4/
7

- Shooting Skill
-

43 Combat Bloodthirsty 3
/ 5

43 Defense Charisma
/ 5
Defensive Combat 3
1 Protection
Expertise Immortal Blade Hits Damage
10 Life Points
7
Enlightened Slashing 1 2
2 3
3 2 Faith Leader 3 4
/ 3
Regeneration 2 190
4 5 + Stunned
5 Command 5 6 + Life Drain 3
Ricochet
 The immortalS

Orders
Perfidious Possession
Passive • X Permanent CMD • Unique
Target an enemy Trooper or Independent in contact with Li Tsu Tsin.
Then, both players secretly write down how much CMD they will bid.
After both players have decided how much CMD they will bid, the bids
are revealed. If you bid higher than your opponent, then the targeted
unit is Controlled until the end of the game. If your opponent bids
equal to, or higher than you, then nothing happens to the targeted
unit. The CMD bid by each player is permanently spent. If half of
your opponent’s bid is greater than the amount of CMD you bid,
you permanently spend CMD equal to half of their bid instead. It
is, of course, possible to bid 0 CMD. If the target of this order is an
Independent unit, then your opponent only pays permanent CMD
equal to half of their bid.
Vae soli Vae victis

Aura
Tormented Spirits
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius • Inclusive • Cumulative • Allies
Allied units get Whirlwind Attack while in the area of effect of
this aura.

Spells
Exchange Soul
Residual
When Li Tsu Tsin invokes a lemure to cast this spell, eliminate a regular
based allied Trooper with a cost equal to or less than 20 AP. If the lemure
subsequently comes into contact with a regular based Trooper unit with a cost
equal to or less than 20 AP, you may choose to replace the contacted Troo-
per with the allied Trooper eliminated earlier due to this spell. The replaced
Trooper is eliminated in the same way as the original Trooper. If a player’s
Trooper is replaced in this way, they gain control of the lemure until the
end of the game, and may replace contacted Troopers in the same
way. When a unit is brought back from being eliminated due to
this spell, they return to the game in the state that they left
it and waiting. A unit eliminated due to this spell will not
be affected by it for the rest of the game after returning
to the battlefield. If the lemure that this spell was cast
through is killed while carrying a Trooper, then the
Trooper is killed as well.
Smile Lady
Residual
While the lemure that this spell was cast
through is in contact with an engaged allied
unit, the CMD cost of orders received by the
engaged unit are halved. Also, the Light/
Dark CMD restrictions of orders received by
the engaged unit are ignored as long as the
lemure is in contact.

191 18
 FactionS

Kuan Yin, Naga Priestess

The girl trembled as she edged her way closer to the mouth of the cave. She had always been told not to disturb the
priestess as she was deep in contemplation, but she was unsure where else she could even turn. Wiping her nose on her
sleeve she steeled herself and edged closer to the dark recess in the rock.
“Be not afraid child” a sibilant voice told her from the dark. “I have heard you coming for quite some time, and it
Independent is rare for the souls in the village to come out to visit the fearsome hermit priestess. I am intrigued.”
The girl looked to the side, her eyes downcast: tears welling into her vision once more. Maybe coming to the
priestess hadn’t been the right thing to do …
Demon Seeing the black and purple marks on the girl’s face Kuan Yin moved forward out of the cave. The girl
shied away fearfully from the naga’s alien physique.”Ah … now you see why I am the hermit priestess of
your village. Be not afraid, as I said, I am intrigued.” “What has brought you here girl?”
Female Looking her over the naga, she was struck by her raven hair, her skin shining like pearl even in the
wane light. “I am not sure I should say” the girl replied.
Chuckling some at the response, the priestess turned the girls gaze up towards her own with
Buddhist (Yanluowang) one of her hands. The suffering and rage that danced there was confirmation of what the
priestess already suspected. “As I thought, you have been shattered by the desires of men!
Normally I do not take a hand in such things, but tonight I shall return with you to
Mentalist show your attacker how such actions are dealt with in Diyu. We shall confront
the truth of the matter.” Kuan Yin returned to her cave for her weaponry and
slithered down toward the village with purpose, the somewhat stunned girl

Base : Extra Large following along in her wake.

Orders
Unique Motivation
Free • 1 CMD
After your opponent resolves the effects of
an order, an allied unit becomes Brave until
the end of the turn.
Attack of the Cobra
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
Kuan Yin gets Rapid Strike (Attack)
until the end of the turn.
Attack of the P ython
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD m
Kuan Yin gets Rapid Strike
(Defense) until the end of the turn.

Aura
Lemure Devourer
Permanent • 6 Fathom Radius
• Cumulative • Lemures (Allies
Immune)
Enemy lemures can’t move into
the area of effect of this aura. An

30 enemy lemure that starts its activation within the area

of effect of this order takes 1 damage and must finish its acti-
vation outside of the area of effect if possible. If it isn’t possible
6/9 Movement for a lemure affected by this aura to move out of the area of effect,
5/
8 they must move away from Kuan Yin in a straight light as far as possible.
- Shooting Skill Enemy lemures can’t release the spell that was cast through them while
-
they are in the area of effect of this aura.
54 Combat
/ 6
Bloodthirsty 3
3 2 Defense Combat Sense
/ 4
Enlightened
0 Protection
Runaway Blades Hits Damage
12 Life Points Piercing 1 4
6
Slashing 2 6
43 Faith 3 8
/ 5
4 10
1 Command 192 5 12
 The immortalS

Chan Lee
They day of the confrontation saw a large crowd gathered to bear witness to the “trial.” The
court had retained a fighter of great renown to champion the victims. Wielding a sword like no
other fighter could the champion had not been defeated in hundreds of duels. A fearsome opponent
by any measure. Most people assumed that the outcome of the trial by combat was a foregone
conclusion. Independent
Circling each other the two combatants took the measure of one another. The accused had
chosen not to wield a weapon, knowing that he was more deadly with his body alone than with
any weapon he might take up. The court’s champion took the first aggressive action, lunging in
Hybrid
an attempt to run the accused through. Demonstrating his quickness, the accused pivoted while
launching fast closed fist strikes that the champion only narrowly avoided himself.
In this way the two combatants worked their way back and forth across the sand ring that had
Male
been set up for the ordeal. Moving between offense and defense fluidly both combatants
searched for any weakness in their opponent. Buddhist (Yanluowang)
Though the duel was a stunning display of martial prowess, it was being fought with
total concentration by its participants. The crowd of onlookers didn’t cheer for either com-
batant or even discuss what was happening. This was a solemn occasion. The hush was
only broken by the sounds of the combatants exerting themselves.

Eventually fatigue caught up with the accused, allowing the court’s champion to find an Movement 5/84/
opening, delivering a vicious slash across his face and knocking him to the ground. With his
sword tip against his opponent’s throat the champion looked to the judge.
Bloodthirsty 3 7

Enlightened Shooting Skill -

-
The mandarin in charge of the proceedings nodded for the champion to continue. Chan
Lee’s last thought before the sword went through his throat was “How did it come to this?” Loyal Combat 65/
Man-at-Arms 5 7

Defense 43/
Orders 5

Iron Fist Protection 0

Passive • 1 permanent CMD
You may only use this order if Bloodthirsty is active. If, during the next Life Points 12
5
close combat attack sequence he is involved in this turn, Chan Lee causes
damage, any form of protection is ignored. Faith 3 2/
4
Iron Shirt
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD Command 1
After you use this order, Chan Lee can’t perform any other actions other
than to pass this activation. Until the end of this action phase, Chan Lee
has a PR of 5 vs shooting, blast, or explosive attacks. Unique
R edirection of Momentum
Passive • 1 Permanent CMD
Until the end of his activation, if Chan Lee scores at least 4
hits during a close combat attack sequence, he may throw
the opposing enemy model. You move the thrown unit
up to 6 fathoms, ignoring terrain and other units, to
a point that is in clear terrain, and not within the
control area of, or engaged with an enemy unit. The
thrown unit is Stunned. Units on an extra large
base can’t be thrown by this order.

Bare Hands Hits Damage

Blunt 1 2
Piercing 2 3
3 4


4 6
5 8
193 26 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Blade Master, Human

Since I joined the forces of our lord, Yanluowang, I have faced many, many different enemies. Demons from the
outside, damned bandits, wizards, men, beasts … and of course other masters come to challenge me. Though I
appear young, I have seen many lifetimes worth of combat. I have survived nine hundred and sixteen duels. I see

Independent that some of you don’t believe me, let me assure you that I would never speak falsely of such things. I say this
without vanity, merely to give you some idea of the experience that I speak from. Within this great multitude of
adversaries, not one has fought the same as any other.

Human So which is more important? My strength? My agility? Neither! It is my ability to read a situation and
arrive at the correct tactics to overcome my enemy that is my most important trait. It is true that physi-

Female cal and mental discipline are required to reach the required level of ability, but without the ability to
reason for yourself in the chaos of a confrontation, your strength and agility will be wasted.

Buddhist (Yanluowang) The elders among you know that I favor the Cat Stance, and my zhanmadao blade. Yet
every enemy that has met their end at my hands loses because they are out thought and
out maneuvered. This way I am in the correct place at the correct time to strike the
killing blow. You must fight the opponent. Not their stance or their weapon… the
opponent. You must be like water, flowing and changing. Filling any space you
find yourself in. You must adapt to the opponent rather than trying in vain
to win according to your own preferences.
Base : Regular
Orders
Limited 3/2 Opportunistic
Free • 1 Permanent CMD • Reaction
This order can only be used after you
have finished the activation of one of your
units due to Vae Soli, and before the
your the activation of an enemy unit.
Activate the Blade Master. The Blade
Master must be waiting to be able to
use this order.
Ardent Spirit
Free • 2 CMD
This order can only be used
during a melee action performed
by an enemy unit that has at least
1 re-roll available to it. The Blade
Master has a DEF of 6 until the
end of the combat sequence.

30
5 Movement
4

- Shooting Skill
-

65 Combat
/ 7
Combat Sense
43 Defense Defensive Combat
/ 5
Enlightened
0 Protection
Fast 2 Swords Hits Damage
12 Life Points
6
Fury Slashing 1 3
Piercing 2 4
2 1 Faith Natural Talent 2 3 6
/ 3
4 8
1 Command 194 5 10
 The immortalS

Blade Master, Hybrid

“The situation is quite simple,” said the Blade Master. “A border village will always arouse the
lust of the enemy. This makes the revolt that is brewing in this village very suspect. I saw that the
peasants had been trained for war. This of course reinforced my hypothesis that a spy was present
and attempting to upset the order of things. So I pressed the village chief to eat, drink, and while
away some time in philosophical discussion with me. Normally the chief was very reluctant to sit
with me and only able to make his decision after being absent from my presence. This suggested
Independent
that there was some other he had to consult, a manipulator in the shadows whispering to the chief
what he should and shouldn’t do, before answering my inquiry. Hybrid
“To my surprise, the chief returned quickly and my request was granted. I knew then that wha-
tever sly devil was at work here thought that he could placate and remove me from the area by
facilitating anything I might need, as he had used the harvest as a pretext to spread strife and
Male
confusion within the harmony of Diyu.

“The peasants were acting very peculiarly, they had started their revolt right before the
Buddhist (Yanluowang)
harvest was brought in. Therefore they weren’t in a strong position to continue the uprising
for the long term. They showed disobedience to our lord without being able to make full
use of their property. When the chief attempted to bargain the bringing in of the harvest
towards freeing the villagers from the yoke of servitude to our rightful Lord Yanluowang, I
knew for certain that alien influence was at work. Such a preposterous notion could only
come from an outsider.” Attraction 3 Movement 5/9
From “The Tale of the Flashing Blade.” Bloodthirsty 4 Shooting Skill -
Combat Sense
Combat 6
Demoralize
Orders Strider Defense 4
Perfect Footwork
Passive • 1 CMD • Unstoppable Protection 0
The Blade Master swaps positions with an allied model that has the
same base size that is in contact with him. The swap can’t be reacted to Life Points 13
(with abilities, attacks of opportunity etc ...). After swapping positions, the
Blade Master may then act normally for the rest of his activation. Faith 2
Mimicry
Free • 1 CMD Command 1
During the next close combat attack sequence that the Blade Master is
involved in, choose a special ability of the unit the Blade Master is fighting.
For the combat sequence, the unit the Blade Master is fighting loses the Limited 3/2
chosen special ability, and the Blade Master gets it. You can’t choose wea-
pon special abilities or Invulnerable with this order. You may only
choose abilities that are actually printed on the card of the unit
the Blade Master is fighting. This order can only be used
once per Action Phase on any given unit, and can’t be
used on lemures.

Swords and Tentacles Hits Damage

Slashing 1 3
Blunt 2 4
Piercing 3 6
Lunge 2

4
5 11
8+Stunned
195 30 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Imperial Sentinel, Human

Be the metal. The armor is your body. Your arm starts to move. You concentrate all of yourself into
handling your weapon. Your powerful blows are delivered without any wasted or random movement.
If you must die, then you will take at least your opponent with you.
Independent Be the wood. Items fashioned from the living substance are your allies. You are a tireless
sentry that resists exposure to weather. Rain, ash, mud: all cover you. The enemy will not per-
Human ceive you due to this oneness with your surroundings, though you are there right out in the
open. You are closer to your opponent than they are to you.

Male Be the land. You don’t know hunger, exhaustion, or deprivation. You only know ser-
vice to the Emperor. Elsewhere the seasons come and go, dynasties rise and fall, yet
Buddhist (Yanluowang) you have never left your post. Always vigilant. Your opponent underestimates
you greatly when he believes he has surprised you.

Be the water. You do not change the principles that I have set out,
you simply bend yourself to the task. If you despise the enemy, it is
merely because he ignores the will of our great people. Any force
our enemies bring to bear will be returned by you and your
compatriots multiplied a thousand fold.
Base : Regular Be the fire. You and the other Sentinels shall take the
field of battle only at your lord, Yanluowang’s request.
Limited 3/2 Learn to contemplate his anger rather than your
own. You will feel his ire rise through the ground to
you when enemies attempt to invade or destroy
the harmony of Diyu. If we take the initiative to
attack, the momentum of our lord’s anger and
our peoples will shall unite in you.

“The Training of an Imperial Sentinel.”

Order
Whirlwind Attack
Free • 1 Permanent CMD
Until the end of the action
phase, the Imperial Sentinel gets
+2 CBT, Whirlwind Attack, and
Elusive. Until the end of the
action phase, if the Imperial
Sentinel dies, kill an enemy
trooper of your choice that was
in contact with him.

29
4 Movement
3

- Shooting Skill
- Enlightened
54 Combat
/ 6
Fury
43 Defense Loyal
/ 5
Tenacious
3 Protection
Halberd Hits Damage
12 Life Points Slashing 1 2
6
Piercing 2 4
3 2 Faith Cumbersome 3 6
/ 4
Eager 4 9
1 Command Lunge 2 5 11
196
 The immortalS

Imperial Sentinel, Demon

“Summon your rage. Yanluowang commands it! While the mortal Sentinels must
maintain their path of discipline and external defense of the realm, we must embrace
the path of aggression and internal vigilance. Light and Dark. Yin and Yang. Our fierce
brutality will give balance to the tempered fighting style of our human brothers. The
system envisioned by our great lord requires it! Independent
They will be of metal, of wood, of fire…. We shall be of blood! The blood that has
washed over lands both Above and Below through eons of combat and chaos. The
Demon
blood that gives power and strength to both living and damned. The blood that will
redeem us once shed…” Male
The Demon Sentinel continued to rant, carried away by his rage. His
eyes rolling in their sockets, his mouth swollen and reddened yelling while Buddhist (Yanluowang)
spinning his spear.

Order
Toad Warrior
Passive • 2 Permanent CMD• Unique Bloodthirsty 3 Movement 3/6
The Imperial Sentinel gets +1 DEF, -2 CBT, and Terrifying until the
end of the game.
Entangle
Shooting Skill -
Loyal
Ultimate Sentinel
Tenacious Combat 5
Passive • 1 CMD Defense 4
The Imperial Sentinel gets either Attraction 4 or Protective until the
beginning of his next activation. This order may only be used once per Protection 3
activation.
Life Points 12

Faith 3

Command 1

Halberd Hits Damage

Slashing 1 2
Piercing 2 4
Cumbersome 3 6 Limited 3/2
Eager
Lunge 2
4 9
5 11 197 29 Base : Regular
 FactionS

Soul Carrier
Upon seeing the pack of lizard like beasts, the bureaucrat turned to Zhang Ming with a command
forming on his lips. Unfortunately, one of the beasts burst from the reeds and cut the head from the pea-
sant closest to where it had been hiding before the mandarin could speak. Ming, understanding that the
bureaucrat could only want him to do one thing, called forth the choking, soul-impregnated mist from
Trooper the water bearing yoke around his neck.

Hybrid As usual, chaos descended with the mist. Half seen figures and motion in your peripheral vision
where common inside the mist. While Ming and the other peasants traveling with the party,
and in the surrounding fields, where not choked by the mists as others where, they still
Male couldn’t see well through it. As the mists billowed out, the beast snatched the body of the
peasant it had beheaded and retreated back into the reeds noisily. As Ming knew, the
lizards normally took grisly trophies to decorate their feathers and hide from any
Buddhist (Yanluowang) bodies they were able to seize, as well as sustenance.

Mentalist Ming turned to follow the mandarin, trudging more slowly under the
weight of the yoke, as he retreated shouting to the peasants to herd
them back away from the Lost raiding party. Though he could tell
the beasts did their best to track the group of Immortals, the mist
ensured that only a few peasants where lost rather than pos-
Base : Regular sibly the whole group.

Ming was glad he could do his part to help safeguard

Unlimited Diyu. By allowing the peasants to withdraw from the
area the Immortals where able to arm them and orga-
nize them to help repel the larger war party of Lost
that had made it across their borders.

Auras
Uniting Mist
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius •
Inclusive • Cumulative • Troopers •
Yanluowang allies
If an allied Yanluowang Peasant
suffers damage while in the area of
effect of this aura, you may transfer
all the damage points taken to ano-
ther allied Yanluowang trooper also
in the area instead.

Fetid Mist
Permanent • 8 Fathom Radius •
Yanluowang (Immune)

19 Non-Yanluowang units within the area of effect

of this aura suffer Cursed 1/1. If a non-Yanluowang unit was already
Cursed before entering the area of effect, the power and duration of
4 Movement the Cursed state are increased by 1. A unit may only suffer the affects
3
of the Fetid Mist aura once per turn.
- Shooting Skill
-

- Combat
-

3 Defense
Dodge 2
2
Evasive
0 Protection Harmless
10 Life Points
3
Runaway
3 Faith
Regeneration 2
2

- Command 198
 The immortalS

Peasants
The existence of a peasant in Diyu’s kingdom was an especially hard one. Ho Han Xu
regularly contemplated their predicament. From what he could tell, they where better
off than other damned souls in Hell. They weren’t tortured incessantly, they remembe-
red who they had been, and had some hope of reaching enlightenment. Most impor-
tantly they weren’t forced to embrace the degradation of their own souls to attempt to
Trooper
climb the Luciferian hierarchy in an attempt to better their lot in Hell. Even Ho Han Xu
felt the difference this made in his own demonic life. While these where advantages to
be sure, sometimes it seemed that remembering the past so clearly and remaining tied
Hybrid
to the material world made the peasants life in Diyu almost as intolerable. They didn’t
get to forget their sins and throw themselves into a new life. Male
Rubbing his tired toad like eyes, Ho Han Xu continued his vigil over the
vast and orderly fields of the village that he was assigned to guard. The
damned lived a parody of their past, condemned to starve in the wild hope
Buddhist (Yanluowang)
of a return to earthly existence. The sight of the food they were digging up
in the underworld was but a cruel echo to remind them of all they had lost.
The fast imposed upon them would be far less cruel if it were broken more
than once per year.

Maybe, in its own way, the extension of the material world into Hell Combined Attack Movement 4 3
was just as hellish for the peasants in Diyu’s kingdom as the torments that
awaited any other soul, the demon once again mused. There was no escape
from the Jade Throne, only a hope that, through purification and adherence, Tenacious 2 Shooting Skill -
-
enlightenment would be reached.

Ho Han Xu’s demonic visage split into a smile. How fitting he thought. As it Combat 4 3
is Above, so is it Below.
Defense 3 2

Protection 0

Life Points 9
4

Faith 2 1

Command -

Flail Hits Damage

Blunt 1 3
Cumbersome 2 5
Eager 3 7
Lunge 2 4 9
5 11

Spear Hits Damage

Slashing 1 3
Cumbersome 2 5
Eager 3 7 Unlimited
Lunge 2

4
5 11
9
199 16 Base : Regular
 FactionS
he lemures
His back arched with the effort, his face drip-
ping with sweat, his arms braced against the spoke,
Edmond pushed the wheel of torments. As he did,
the young Christian’s mind began to wonder if he
would not have been better off dying like the other
men defending the fort. Shot down in the heat of the
battle, or taken later on by the cramps or the rotting
wounds, did it matter? At least everything would have
been over and done with by now. But the Lord, with
his mysterious ways and ever questionable mercy, had
seen good to prolong his suffering.
Edmond pushed the wheel of torments, chained
to one of its gigantic spokes like the thirty Damned
Ones beside him. Knowing neither hunger nor fatigue,
the Dead pushed relentlessly and Edmond could only
try to follow their rhythm and pray that the guard’s
systematic whipping would target someone else. Their
warden was a twisted giant whose face - if by some
chance he actually had one - was hidden by an ancient
mask. He never spoke, and seemed as indifferent to
the passing of time as his captives. Probably another
Damned one, thought the young man.
Why did these poor bastards have to endlessly turn
this wheel? Edmond did not know and he really didn’ t
care. The young man had spent many a year studying,
and he knew enough about philosophy to realize that
one can only truly meditate on ones own misfortune
by considering that of others. The only thing he was
certain of was that the Luciferians that were ensla-
ving them gained no profit from this punishment. The
wheel did indeed work the mechanism of a well, but
nobody bothered to collect its dark, stinking waters.
The mechanism only brought up a tiny trickle of water,
and the stream that flowed out of it soon disappeared
into the dust. In the end, the wheel was merely a tool
to cause the suffering of those who turned it.
Rascal 0 A few months earlier, in New Jerusalem...
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
Harmless
6 Movement
Elusive
6 Defense Insignificant
Maverick
0 Protection Invulnerable
Strider
2 Life Points
200
Candle 0
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
Harmless
10 Movement
Elusive
6 Defense Insignificant
Maverick
0 Protection Invulnerable
1 Life Points
Oh, Edmond wouldn’ t be pushing it for long, in a
few hours he would die of thirst. No-one would bother
to unchain him, and his body would carry on tur-
ning until it had rotted enough for his bones to slip
between the chains. He would not be the first, far
from it. The ground was littered with skeletons, most
of them dressed and armed, but all their bones were
clean of flesh. There was not an ounce of skin or car-
tilage left. An armada of lemures were lazing about,
biding their time. There were dozens and dozens of
them, hiding under the skulls, skulking away in holes
or daringly perched on the wheel itself. They were all
waiting for him to breathe his last breath, ready to
rush in and pick his very last phalange clean of meat.
One of them was becoming particularly adventurous.
Although lemures can pretty much look like anything
at all, this one was pushing the boundaries of gro-
tesque. It resembled some kind of fish, perched on a
pair of bird’s legs, and its squamy skin was covered
in spines. It was standing on the spar that Edmond
was chained to, and it was already gazing at him hun-
grily. At that instant, Edmond hated it, it and all its
kind. And yet, these strange creatures of Hell had
everything to do with the adventures that had brought
him to where he was now. In fact, his interest in the
lemures was the main reason for his presence Below.
Paying no attention to the beating wings above his
head, Edmond closed his eyes and let his mind wan-
der away down the winding paths of his memory.
«Aristotle is a scoundrel!» shouted a drunken student.
«Silence! By the grace of God, will you be silent! You
are, sir, in a place of faith and learning, not a stable
yard! And you are not the one sitting the exam today,
so I would thank you to spare this wise assembly your
opinions. Hum... Now, young man, let us return to the
subject of lemures.»
Every university and college in the world is subject to
heckling from the audience, but here in New Jerusalem
it was even more frequent, in these troubled times where
old ideas were constantly challenged by the latest dis-
 The lemureS
coveries. Edmond tried to remain concentrated in spite
of the crowd. The theology examination was no easy
matter. Why had he not chosen to debate the mystery
of the Holy Trinity, or the incoherences of the Reform,
instead of choosing to present his work on a subject as
controversial as lemures. Before him sat his contradic-
tors, the most feared professors of the recent establish-
ment. Leading them was Father Rinaldi, a Jesuit. It was
enough to say that he was to truth what a highway-
man is to a stagecoach. The man had a great talent
for defending an idea and its complete opposite in the
Carabia 0 eyebrows.
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
 urrower
B on that thought, young man.»
5 Movement
Harmless
6 Defense Elusive
Insignificant
0 Protection Maverick
Invulnerable
2 Life Points  trider
S ved! What is more, to return to the subject of lemures,
space of a single sentence, and it was precisely during
this kind of test that he liked to remind everyone of this
talent. At his side sat the Abbot de Bruyel, although
not as quick a mind, his was one with as great a repu-
tation, especially at the Sorbonne in Paris where he
had taught scholastics for many years and where his
opinions were most highly regarded. At least, that was
what he often claimed. As for Edmond, he thought that
if this man was such a great thinker, so precious to all
of Christianity, the clergyman would hardly have been
sent to officiate in Hell.
«So, lemures?»
«Err... So... Err... Lemures. My dear masters, finally
we can agree, at least, I think, to say that lemures are
in fact... are to the Underworld what rats are to our
world Above. As Abbot Greingand has so brilliantly
demonstrated, they are yet another of Lucifer’s
attempts to imitate in his own realm the creatures
that our Lord created and disposed on the Earth’s sur-
face. And... Well, quite obviously, these attempts have
all failed. The Devil is quite incapable of reproducing
the miracles of God.»
Flattering their own preconceived ideas was the best
strategy he had left. The student did not believe a
single word of what he had just said. He was quite
convinced that lemures were the spirits of the dead,
201
a transitional form for those who died while in Hell.
But that theory was one he had uncovered by reading
demonic grimoires, and he had no intention whatsoe-
ver of defending it in front of half a dozen priests, all
convinced to be the utmost authorities in theological
matters. He was better off quoting the oh-so-Catho-
lic nonsense of Greingard than the satanic writings of
Abaadoth.
«Err... Once, we have accepted this as truth, we can
indeed presume that it would be useful to classify the
lemures in categories as Aristotle did with animals.
However...»
«However?» hissed Abbot de Bruyel, raising his
«However, it would not be wise to do so. No indeed!
For they are not truly animals.» said Edmond, raising
his voice as the crowd had again begun to chatter at
the name of Aristotle.
«Silence!» shouted Rinaldi. «Hum, please elaborate
«Well, these beings appear through spontaneous
generation. They are born from the very earth of Hell
and do not reproduce.»
«Is this not also the case of animals, who appear on
Earth unexpectedly by the Grace of God. It is a fact
well known by specialists and has often been obser-
Abbot Greingand has provided many examples of these
beings mating.»
«Yes, indeed, master Rinaldi. However, err... I main-
tain that in the case of these diabolical creatures, the
act is purely fornication, with no intention of reproduc-
tion. In fact, the sex of lemures is a subject that could,
alone, fuel many discussions. Of all the individuals I
have observed, some were visibly male, others seemed
female, but in many cases they were neither gender. Or
on the contrary both! They are the spawn of chaos, and
their anatomy follows no rules whatsoever. This is yet
another reason why it is unwise to attempt to classify
them in categories.»
«It is, most of all, your excuse for not having done
so!» snapped the Jesuit.
Haborym 0
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
Harmless
8 Movement
Elusive
6 Defense Insignificant
Maverick
0 Protection Invulnerable
2 Life Points
 FactionS

«Beelzebub! By the kneecaps of Beelzebub!»

A small winged creature was croaking as it flew
Eludos 0
around in circles above Edmond’s head. It was
Angelus, the one-eyed man’s lemure, so-named Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
because he resembled the gargoyles on church roofs.
The creature settled on Edmond’s welcoming shoul-
der. God only knew what it could have been up to 6 Movement
Dodge 4
since its master died, several hours before. Harmless
«Beelzebub! By the kneecaps of Beelzebub!» 6 Defense Elusive
The one-eyed man had picked up the lemure when Insignificant
he found it wounded by a spell that had failed to kill 0 Protection Maverick
it. He had patiently taught it to repeat short phrases Invulnerable
as some do with certain types of tropical birds. But 2 Life Points
its parrot-like talent was not its only one. Angelus
also had magpie-like traits, and it was almost always
carrying the object of some petty theft in its claws.
This time, it was bearing a few myrtle branches, tongue, he added it to the ball of myrtle that he had
an unexpected treasure! Edmond wondered at that now formed in his mouth. A foul taste was now sprea-
moment if it was just chance or divine intervention. ding through his mouth, but he knew that the worst
Or maybe someone had sent him the lemure... Or was still to come.
maybe... Could the lemure have consciously picked
those flowered branches? The young man gave him The fathers were muttering comments about Edmo-
nd’s latest arguments to each other and the student
took advantage of this brief respite to calm his mind

Babul 0
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
Harmless
5 Movement
Elusive
6 Defense Insignificant
Maverick
0 Protection Invulnerable
Régénération
3 Life Points
a most grateful look. Overcoming a most natural
revulsion, he licked at the lemures claws to gather
a few leaves in his mouth and began to chew them
frantically.
His eyes passed over the fleshless bodies that
he trampled endlessly. after a quarter of a turn, he
caught a glimpse of what he was looking for. A sil-
ver medallion was lying there, half buried in the
ground. It took Edmond several passes to work it
completely free and many more to grasp it with the
toes of his bare foot. Thankfully, Angelus understood
what he was trying to do and flew down to grab the
chain. Edmond easily got him to drop the medallion
in his hand. By pressing it against his steel chains,
he managed to break off a link of chain and leaned
forward straight away to put it in his mouth. With his
202
by contemplating the recently finished ceiling of the
examination room. Some of the colony’s artists had
painted a bright blue sky where God the Father sat in
majesty, surrounded by cherubs. In golden letters, the
words «Orant» and «Laborant» reminded the beholder
that they were in a Catholic college, the only one in the
city of New Jerusalem.
The Council of the Six had not asked the Pope for
it, the colony had many other, higher priorities than
building a University of Art and Theology. His Holiness
Urban had, however, insisted on granting them this
gift. He would not have missed this occasion to remind
everyone of his power and legitimate influence for any-
thing in the world. This «place of faith and learning»
was not only a symbol of the Church’s intellectual
superiority; it was an outpost of the Dogma. The pro-
fessors there were watchers, on the lookout for any new
ideas to arrive in the colony. Was the slavery of the
Damned legitimate? Could a Catholic negotiate with a
Fahad 0
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
Discretion 4
6 Movement
Harmless
6 Defense Elusive
Insignificant
0 Protection Maverick
Invulnerable
2 Life Points
 The lemureS

Saracen or a Demon? Or even worse, a Protestant? Prizrak 0

What was the true nature of lemures? The Church
had a duty to answer these, and all other questions
as rapidly and as firmly as possible, so as not to let
the weeds of free thought grow. Up Above, Urban was
forcing Gallileo to renounce his theories, and down
Below, he was imposing his views on Hell.
«What can you tell us about the way they feed?»
«Feeding is quite a mystery when it comes to lemures.
Although they are driven by a regular desire to feed,
they do not seem to really need to do so. As with copu-
lation, it is a tendency that is more of a habit for them
than a response to a natural need.»
«Let us get to the facts. Tell us of this road to dam-
nation that is Infernalism.»
«Ah, err, yes... Infernalists. There is indeed, practised
among the Demons, an art to feeding the lemures. By
giving them certain decoctions and elixirs, the inhabi-
tants of the Underworld can enchant them and send
them as messengers to carry their spells. There are
many different types of formula that all correspond to
a precise result. Some of them require incredibly com-
plex brews or noble ingredients: pearls, amber, ivory,
rare berries. Sometimes it takes years to obtain the
correct potion. But there are also effects that can be
rapidly obtained with vulgar elements such as rocks or
ashes. Quite often, the lemure is destroyed by the spell
it is carrying: their bellies can be ripped apart and
their guts spilled, or they can melt like the wax of a
candle. Other charms can cause them to explode as if
they were filled with gunpowder.»
Getting hold of a femur had been easier than
Edmond would have thought. Angelus provided pre-
cious help and the guard, absorbed by his whipping,
was not paying any attention to his fumblings. On
the other hand, rubbing it against his chains while
pushing the accursed wheel was a torture. His hands
had gradually grown callosities and become covered in
scratches, but now they were bleeding. So it was with a
Lemure / Asexual / Unb
eliever
Harmless
6 Movement Elusive
Insignificant
6 Defense Maverick
Intangible
0 Protection
Inv ulnerable
2 Life Points
strange wave of relief that he raised the tip of the bone
to his open mouth. Not once did he ever wonder whom
the bone had once belonged to. Anything but that.
The powdered bone entered his mouth and came into
contact with the mixture of myrtle and saliva wrapped
around a shred of silver. Edmond was a long way from
his stills and the formula was far from orthodox. But
he had no choice. He half-closed his eyes, pretending
to give in to exhaustion, and leaned forward onto the
bar. The lemures came closer, some of them letting
out a happy twittering that could almost have been
a language. Finally, the fish-headed balloon lemure
came close enough to brush his fingers.
«What would you say of the minds of these lemures?»
«Well, my masters, lemures do indeed appear to be
completely stupid. A vast majority of them behave like
animals. But like cunning animals I may add. One
could, for example compare their minds to that of a dog
who knows how to obey its master and behave loyally.
Or to that of a rat who will learn not to fall for the
same trap twice. As they grow older, their minds become
sharper and some can become as intelligent as a young
child. Abbot Greing and even tells the tale of a lemure
that could not only speak but that had the wisdom of a
grown man. We can assume that in this case the lemure
must have been a thousand years old.»

Rabab Ringhioso 0
0
Lemure / A
sexu a l /
Unbeliever / Unbeliever
Lemure / Asexual

7 Movement Harmless Harmless

Elusive 4 Movement Elusive
6 Defense
Insignifican Insignificant
t 6 Defense
0 Protectio Maverick Maverick
n Inv ulnerable Invulnerable
0 Protection
2 Life Point  evitation
L Ricochet 4
s
1 Life Points
203
 FactionS

Once again, Edmond believed he had not told them

the whole story. The Christian thinkers tended to
Xian 0
minimise the intelligence of lemures a little too
much, as he believed that these creatures did indeed Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
have a soul. Infernal authors had in turn told of lemures
that had been brutally awakened to consciousness by
Harmless
archdemons, as if they knew of a way to unlock the 6 Movement
spirit of these grotesque larvae and alight the flame Elusive
of evil within them. But he would have been foolish 6 Defense Immunity (Piercing)
to speak of this during his test. Some readings should Insignificant
remain secret. 0 Protection Maverick
Invulnerable
When he saw Edmond grab the fish-headed lemure, 2 Life Points
the guard dropped his whip and pulled out an old
sword as he ran towards the prisoner. But the young
man was quicker. Pressing the joint of the lemure’s
jaw, he forced the vermin to open its mouth and spat
the ball inside. The lemure began to inflate at a spec-
tacular rate. It hopped like a toad out of Edmond’s
hands and exploded in a fireball as it hit the guard’s
chest. The whole upper body of the demonic jailer
was consumed by a bright blue flame in an instant.

Chung 0
Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever

Harmless
4 Movement
Elusive
6 Defense Insignificant
Maverick
0 Protection Invulnerable
Entangle
3 Life Points

His blackened remains and his clothes fell to the

ground among the skeletons that Edmond had been
endlessly trampling. The young Infernalist was groa-
ning and weeping profusely. He had been hit by his
own spell and his shoulder was now branded with a
terrible burn. However, the tears mingling with his
dripping sweat were also tears of joy. The demon’s
keys were lying at his feet. He got a quick glimpse
Hou-Chi 0
of them before the heavy, docile feet of a Damned
one trod them into the ground: the idiots were still Lemure / Asexual / Unbeliever
pushing. He knew that even with the help of Angelus,
it would take several turns of the wheel before he Bloodthirsty 3
could grab them. But it was merely a question of time. 5/8 Movement
Harmless
His back arched with the effort, his eye twinkling
6 Defense Elusive
with hope, his body fueled with a new energy, Edmond
pushed the wheel of torments. Insignificant
0 Protection Maverick
Invulnerable
204 1 Life Points
 Playing the gamE
Bienvenue dans le
Playing the game
monde d’H ell Dorado
Scenarios
The protagonists in Hell Dorado don’ t fight just for pleasure
(well, at least not all of them do...). To create a good reason
for the Companies to clash, you must either choose or ran-
domly determine a scenario before each game. Each scenario
offers special rules and important victory conditions which
define when the game stops and who won is determined.
The total destruction of the opponent is often desirable but
not always necessary, as you will see.
There are four basic scenarios described here: Conquest, Sca-
venging, Defense and Ambush. The first two represent clashes
between two Companies with the same objectives. The latter
are clashes between an attacking Company and a defending
one. You will also find in this chapter four more complex sce-
narios pitting pre-determined forces against each other over a
battlefield of pre-set terrain. The more complicated scenarios
are intended for more experienced players.
You will find below (see p. 207) the
definitions of specific rules used in scenarios. It is
not necessary to know these rules up-front; you only
need to learn them when they are needed for a scenario
you are playing.
The selection of a scenario is always
made after the Companies have been built by the
players.
Prepraring for a Scenario
Before starting a game of Hell Dorado, each player will
need to work out their Dominance value. Following this the
players must decide on which scenario to play. If the players
can’t agree on which scenario to play, then roll at random on
the chart below. As is true in all miniature combat games, no
two Companies have the same chance of winning a given sce-
nario. One should remember that to overcome without peril
is to triumph without glory.
Which Scenario to Select?
For the very first game, the Conquest scenario is
the simplest. But thereafter, if the players want to let
206
luck decide on the battle you are about to wage, use the
following table:
1d6 Scenario
1-2 Conquest
3 Scavenging
4 Defense
5 Ambush
6 The Dominant player decides which
scenario will be played.
The scenario has to be read by both players and if it requires
the selection of an attacker and a defender, (see p. 207) this
must be done immediately, either randomly or by mutual agree-
ment (if the two players cannot reach an agreement, or if either
of them does not wish to decide randomly, then the Dominant
player decides whether they will be the attacker or defender).
The players then take their positions on opposite sides of the
battlefield. The Dominant player chooses which table edge they
will take if there is any question about which player gets what
table edge. The players then choose a type of battlefield (see
p. 213 for a complete description of this process) and place the
appropriate terrain elements.
A Note to Beginners
During your first few games of Hell Dorado,
just use the generic terrain elements described
on p.216 without using any of the battlefield crea-
tion and conflict zone rules. Later, when you mas-
ter the rules and the capabilities of your forces,
you will be able to use the full rule set..
The next step is to deploy the opposing Companies. The order
and areas that players will deploy their units in are defined by the
scenario being played.
Exception:
Units with the Advance Deployment and Ambush abilities are
placed after both Companies. If both players have such units,
the player with the most units having these abilities chooses in
which order they will be deployed (in the case of a tie, the player
holding Dominance decides). As with standard deployment, all
the troops from one Company deploy before the troops from
the other Company.
Once the battlefield has been prepared and the opposing
Companies have been deployed, all that’s left to do is to start
the game!
 Playing the gamE
Summary for Setting up a
Game of Hell Dorado
The order of these various steps must

be scrupulously followed.
Decide how large a game will be played : The
players agree on the size of the Companies they
will Command. The base value is 200 AP.
Select companies : Both players secretly build
the list of the units they will field.
Determine initial Dominance : Without revealing
the exact force composition, each player announces
the Dominance value of their Company.
Choice of the scenario : The scenario to be
played is selected. The attacker and defen-
der, if necessary, are also determined. All these
choices can be made either by consensus, ran-
domly, or chosen by the Dominant player.
Choice of table edge : The Dominant player
chooses a table edge as their own, the oppo-
sing players gets the table edge directly opposite
from the one chosen by the Dominant player.
Determination of battlefield type : The players
determine the type of battlefield either
through mutual agreement or randomly.
Setting up the terrain : During this rather complex
phase, the players will “create” the game board
using the terrain elements they have (see p. 214).
Setting up the units : The players place their units
in the order given in the scenario (see the descrip-
tion in each scenario). Usually, it’s the player holding
Dominance who decides who will set up first.
Play !
Definitions
Attacker
In the Defense (see p. 211) and Ambush (see p. 212) scena-
rios, one of the players will be on the offensive and will be
referred to as the attacker. To achieve victory, he will have
to succeed in the mission assigned to him. It is determined
randomly by a roll, or agreed upon (if the two players cannot
reach an agreement, or if either of them does not wish for a
random draw, then the Dominant player will decide whether
they will be the attacker or defender).
Conquest Points
Some scenarios use Conquest Points (abbreviated CP) to
determine the winner of the game.
Defender
In the Defense and Ambush scenarios, one of the players will
be striving to prevent his opponent from reaching his victory
conditions and will be referred to as the defender (surviving the
attacker’s assaults is often a good way of preventing him for
being victorious). It is determined randomly by a roll, or agreed
upon (if the two players cannot reach an agreement, or if either
of them does not wish for a random draw, then the Dominant
player will decide whether they will be the attacker or defender).
Deployment Zone
In most scenarios, each player has a deployment zone where
he will place his units at the beginning of the game. When a
unit is placed in a deployment zone, its base must be comple-
tely in the zone. The typical deployment zone in Hell Dorado
207
is a strip 5 fathoms wide by 30 fathoms long set against one of
the sides of the board.
Fixed Duration
The scenario ends at the end of the turn given in the
description.
Heavy Objects
Heavy objects follow all of the rules outlined above for light
objects. Additionally a unit carrying a heavy object gets -1 Shoo-
ting Skill, -1 Combat, and -1 Defense. In addition, a unit carrying
a heavy object, cannot run, charge, or retreat.
Light Objects
A unit must be in contact with an object and use a Concen-
tration action to pick it up. A unit carrying a light object moves,
fights and acts normally. Putting down a light object is a passive
ability. To pass on a light object to a friendly unit in contact
requires a Focus action. A unit can only carry one object, be it
light or heavy. If the bearer of an object dies, that object is placed
where the bearer was when he died. An object on the ground
is represented by a marker the size of a medium base (30mm
diameter). An object on the ground is flat and does not hamper
movement in any way. An object carried by a miniature is remo-
ved from the battlefield and placed on the recruitment card of the
unit carrying it. Insignificant units cannot carry objects.
Mystical Control of an A rea
In order to gain Mystical Control of an area (defined by the
scenario), each side calculates the total Faith of all their units
whose base is at least partially within the area (excluding Insi-
gnificants). Unbeliever units are considered to have a Faith of
1 for this total. The Company whose total Faith is the highest,
gains control of the area. If a unit straddles two zones it may
control, it is considered to be present only in the zone contai-
ning most of its base. Obviously in the case of a tie, no one
controls the area.
Size of the Battlefield
The base size for a Hell Dorado table is a square with 30
fathom sides. It is usually divided into 9 squares, each with 10
fathom sides.
Stragglers
Units marked as stragglers are not present on the battlefield
at the beginning of the game. They might have been held back
by hostile forces, or by appalling weather conditions. During
each maintenance phase after the first one, any player who
has Straggler units may try to have them join the game. The
player rolls 1d6 for each of the figures. The unit will enter the
battlefield on a roll of 5 or 6. During the third maintenance
phase, the unit will enter on a result of 4, 5 or 6. During all
subsequent maintenance phases, it will be brought into play
on any roll of 3+. For each unit, the player may, before the die
is cast, spend one point of permanent Command to automati-
cally succeed and have the unit show up without making any
roll. A player may also spend a Command point after the roll
to re-roll the die. Units that come into play in this way are
placed in contact with the edge of the board (except if they
have the Ambush ability), in the normal deployment zone of
the owner and out of all enemy control zones. They activate
normally during the action phase of that turn. A unit with the
Advance Deployment or Ambush abilities can use them when
it comes into play.
 Playing the gamE
Strategic Control of an A rea
In order to gain Strategic Control of an area (defined by the
scenario), each side calculates the total Command of all their
units whose base is at least partially within the area (exclu-
ding Insignificants). The Company whose total Command is the
highest, gains control of the area. If a unit straddles two zones
it may control, it is considered to be present only in the zone
containing most of its base. Obviously in the case of a tie, no
one controls the area.
Surprise
Units activating on a turn in which they are surprised can only
perform one of the following actions: Shoot, Walk, Attack, Melee
or Concentration.
Swarm
If a Company has this ability, all of its non-unique members
can come back into play each time they are eliminated. They
return to the game during the maintenance phase of the turn
after they have been killed. Units that come into play in this
way are placed in contact with an edge of the board in the
normal deployment zone of the owner and out of any enemy
units control areas. They activate normally during the action
phase of that turn. A unit with the advance deployment ability
can use it when they come into play this way. A swallowed unit
cannot come back until it has been completely digested.
Tactical Control of an A rea
In order to gain Tactical Control of an area (defined by the
scenario), each side calculates the total number of their units
whose base is at least partially within the area (excluding Insi-
gnificants). The Company that has the most units in the area,
gains control of it. If a unit straddles two zones it may control, it
is considered to be present only in the zone containing most of
its base. Obviously in the case of a tie, no one controls the area.
Variable Duration
A scenario with a variable duration nominally ends at the end
of the turn given in its description. However, one of the players
may decide to spend one point of Command during the main-
tenance phase of this theoretical last turn in order to make the
game last one more turn. Each player has the possibility to do
this once. Therefore, a variable duration game cannot last more
than two turns more than the limit stated in the scenario.
Conquest
In this scenario, two Companies have been ordered to control
a crucial location in Hell. No matter the losses, they must pay in
blood for every fathom of ground gained.
Setup and Deployment
Players can deploy their units anywhere within 5 fathoms of
their table edge. The Dominant player chooses which player will
deploy all of their units first; then their opponent deploys all of
their units.
Duration
The game is played in 4 turns with variable duration.
Special Rules
None.
Victory Conditions
The table is divided into 9 squares, each with a 10 fathom side
(the same as those used in placing terrain). At the end of each
turn, the player who has tactical control of each square is deter-
mined. Each square controlled scores the player controlling it a
number of conquest points (CP) as noted by the diagram below.
At the end of the game, the player with the most conquest points
is the winner. If both players have the same number of conquest
points, then the game is a draw.
Conquest:
Tie Same number of Conquest Points
Minor Victory 1-2 Conquest Points ahead
Major Victory 3-5 Conquest Points ahead
Masterful Victory 6+ Conquest Points ahead
Scavenging
Hell is rife with enough precious substances, ancient relics
and riches to drive the most steadfast of mortals mad. Even
the Demons and the Lost, are constantly searching for lost
objects and alchemical substances that will allow them to
climb the ladder of power with more certain footing. This sce-

Blue Player Side

1 CP for the 1 CP for the 1 CP for the

blue player blue player blue player
3 CP for the 3 CP for the 3 CP for the
yellow player yellow player yellow player

2 CP for 2 CP for 2 CP for

Central Zone
either player either player either player

3 CP for the 3 CP for the 3 CP for the

blue player blue player blue player
1 PC for the 1 PC for the 1 PC for the
yellow player yellow player yellow player
Yellow Player Side

CONQUEST 208
SCAVENGING
 Playing the gamE
nario pits two Companies against each other for a newly dis-
covered and important source of riches. This time, no thought
will be spared for holding ground, the desire for the coveted
riches is all that matters.
Setup and Deployment
First place a treasure token in the center of the battlefield. Then,
before units are deployed, starting with the Dominant player, players
alternate placing 6 more treasure tokens on the battlefield. Every
treasure token must be placed within 2 fathoms of the center line
The Song of the Tortured
(Special Conquest Scenario)
Recently arrived in Hell, Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad
is tormented by recurring nightmares that disrupt his
prayers to Allah. Each night, he travels in a dream world
where the spirits of the dead try, in vain, to contact
him. He can communicate with them somewhat, though
not in great detail, and he gradually becomes aware
that a nearby site of power is the source of his nightly
disturbances and that there, the spirits he has been
conversing with are waiting to be released from their
eternal torment. Nazir gathers his best fighters and
sets out motivated by the intention to overcome his
nightmares and harness the obvious magical power at
hand. Unfortunately for him, Asaliah, the Rebel Angel,
has also heard the spirits call for aid and was on her
way intent on punishing them for their insolence. Only
muscles of steel and unwavering Faith will win the day!
Forces:
One player fields a Demons Company consisting of:
Asaliah
An Infernal Ambassador
A Succubus
3 Damned Ones of Sloth
3 Damned Ones of Wrath
The other player fields a Saracens Company consisting of:
Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad
Chams Al Majid
A Hashishin
A Hunting Panther
2 Pillars of Faith
4 Blessed Warriors
Battelfield
The game takes place on the Howling Plains, and the
conflict zone rules are not used. Before placing any other
terrain during terraforming, put an Eternal Whirlwind at
the center of the battlefield. The whirlwind represents
the tortured souls attempting to escape their bondage.
Large Ash Dune
209
of the table. Additionally, treasure tokens can’t be placed within 2
fathoms of another treasure token or within 2 fathoms of a table
edge. Once all of the treasure tokens have been placed, starting with
the Dominant player, each player can move one treasure token up to
2 fathoms for each unit in their Company with the Scout ability.
Players can deploy their units anywhere within 5 fathoms of
their table edge. The Dominant player chooses which player will
deploy all of their units first; then their opponent deploys all of
their units.
Special Rules
The considerable mental powers of both Nazir
and Asaliah allow either of them to harness
the power of the imprisoned souls to give their
Company an advantage against their enemies.
When a player scores conquest points for
holding a square of the board, they may
reduce the number of points scored to instead
grant their entire Company a bonus.
Instead of scoring 2 CP from one area of the board, a
player may score 1 CP and grant their Company either
+1 MVT or +1 FTH during the next turn of the game.
Instead of scoring 3 CP from one area of the board, a
player may score 1 CP and grant their Company either
+1 SHS or +1 CBT during the next turn of the game.
Even if a player scores conquest points from multiple
squares of the board at once, they can’t increase the
same characteristic of their Company more than once.
The Song of the Tortured follows all of the rules
for the standard Conquest scenario, other than
the special rules and restrictions above.
Block of Rock Large Ash Dune
Infernal Haze
Eternal Whirlwind
(2 points)
Millenary Tree
 Playing the gamE
Duration number of treasure tokens in their deployment zones, then the
The game is played in 6 turns with fixed duration. game is a draw.

Special Rules Scavenging

Treasure tokens are heavy objects. Tie Same number of Treasure Tokens
Minor Victory 1-2 Treasure Tokens ahead
Victory Conditions Major Victory
Masterful Victory
3 Treasure Tokens ahead
4+ Treasure Tokens ahead
At the end of the game, the player with the most treasure
tokens in his deployment zone is declared victorious. All
tokens count whether they are on the ground or carried by Defense
friendly or enemy units. If both players end with the same

is in contact with a treasure token the player who

The Calyx of Skulls
(Special scavenging scenario)
In his quest for absolute military power, Bran Carnoth
has been searching for months to try and locate the
Calyx of Skulls, an unholy relic that allows the bearer
to steal an enemy’s life force by drinking their blood.
But, when he and his pack begin to explore the ruins
where they have heard rumor that the Calyx lies,
they encounter a band of Westerners with a purpose
much more mundane. Profit! Everything that comes
from Hell is worth about its weight in gold back on
Earth. They are not even aware of the significance
of the spot, but they do know that many relics of
worth are usually to be found in any necropolis. The
new owner of the Calyx will be baptised in blood!
Forces:
One player fields a Westerners Company consisting of:
Francisco Vargas
Aidan Saint James
Sara Zingaresce
Anna Bogna Pavlova
A Swashbuckler
A Missionary
3 Arquebusers
controls the unit may look at the token with out revea-
ling it to their opponent as a passive action. Once a
unit picks up a treasure token the number on the back
is revealed to all, and the unit may gain benefits while
carrying the object as outlined on the chart below.
1 - Potion of Eternal Life: The bearer gets Regeneration.
2 - Ring of Disappearance: The bearer gets Intangible.
3 - Cloak of Shadows: The bearer gets Discretion 5.
4 - Sacrificial Dagger: The bearer gets +1 CBT.
5 - Demonic Sword: The bearer gets +2 CBT.
6 - The Calyx of Skulls!
Victory Conditions
At the end of the game, instead of the player with the
most treasure tokens in their deployment zone winning,
the player with the Calyx of Skulls in their deployment
zone wins the game. It doesn’t matter whether the
Calyx is being carried be a friendly unit, enemy unit, or
is just lying on the ground. If it is in a player’s deploy-
ment zone, they win the game. If the Calyx is not in
any player’s deployment zone then the game is a draw.

The other player fields a Lost Company consisting of:

Bran Carnoth
A Sling Maiden
Infernal Haze
A Maggot Bearer Heap of Ruins
(2 points)
A Fangs of the Pit
2 Squamata Warriors
2 Retiarius

Battlefield
The game takes place in a Necropolis, and
the conflict zone rules are not used.
Altar of the
The Calyx of Skulls uses all of the rules for the Sca- Field of Ruins Field of Ruins
Ancient Gods
venging scenario excepted where noted below.

Special Rules
No treasure token is placed in the center of the board.
The 6 treasure tokens that are placed should be num-
bered from 1 to 6. Before the treasure tokens are placed
they should be turned face down so that the players
can’t see the numbers on them, and then mixed up. Field of Skulls Hill
Once this is done, they should be placed as normal.

All of the treasure tokens are light objects except for

the Calyx of Skulls, which is a heavy object. If a unit

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 Playing the gamE

DEFENSE Not all battles are between evenly matched forces. It’s quite
common for a Company to be reduced in numbers due to
Blue Player Deployment Zone wounds, separated by events outside of their control, or attac-
ked by an enemy better prepared and more numerous. When
this happens, the only solution is to hold at all costs.

Setup and Deployment

The defender’s deployment zone is a 10 fathom square loca-
ted in a corner of the battlefield. The attacker’s deployment
zone is a strip 5 fathom wide running along the two table edges
opposite of the defender’s deployment zone (see image). The
defender deploys his units first.

Duration
The game is played in 5 turns with fixed duration.

Special Rules
The defender must choose a group of units from his Company
worth at least a total of 80 AP. The units chosen aren’t deployed
at the beginning of the game and are held back as Stragglers.
Yellow Player
Deployment Zone Victory Conditions

role a 6 then the Infernal Cold conflict zone will trigger.

Other than that, the conflict zone rules are not used.
Special Rules
Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold Asaliah has Swarm for the duration of the game.

(Special Defense Scenario) Victory Conditions

The attacker wins the game if all non-Insignifi-
For many years Bran Carnoth and his band of primitive cant defending units are dead at the end of the
Lost have resisted the demonic power of Asaliah. She is game. In any other case the defender wins.
incredulous that such an uneducated and slow warrior
as Bran can resist her dominating will. While Bran is
certain that Asaliah wishes to use him as pawn in her
larger nefarious designs. Asaliah can no longer bear
the living proof of her failure. This time, Bran and his
pack will be exterminated once and for all. Can Bran’s
brute force overcome Asaliah’s treacherous beauty? Stalagmites
Forces: Icy Fields
(2 points)
One player fields a Demons Company consisting of:
Asaliah
An Infernal Ambassador
A Succubus
3 Damned Ones of Sloth
3 Damned Ones of Wrath
The other player fields a Lost Company consisting of:
Bran Carnoth Snowy Flats Infernal Cold
A Sling Maiden
A Maggot Bearer
A Fangs of the Pit
2 Squamata Warriors
2 Retiarius
The Lost are automatically the defenders in this scenario.
Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold uses all of the rules
for the Defense scenario, except where noted below. Refuge Hill
Battlefield
The game takes place on the Icy Wastes. The Dominant
player rolls during the upkeep phase of each turn, if they

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 Playing the gamE
The player that has strategic control of the defender’s deploy-
ment zone at the end of the game is the winner. If no one has Setup and Deployment
strategic control of the defender’s deployment zone, the game First the attacker must split their Company into two different
is a draw. groups that each contain at least 50 AP worth of units. Then the
Scavenging defender sets up in their deployment zone, which is a rectangle
Tie No one controls defender deployment zone 6 fathoms wide across the center of their table edge and 10
Minor Victory Control of defenders deployment zone
fathoms deep on to the board. Then the attacker deploys one of
AND 1-35 more AP
their groups to each of their two deployment zones, both which
of survivors than opponent
Major Victory Control of defenders deployment are rectangle strips 5 fathoms wide and 15 fathoms long that run
zone AND 26-84 more AP along the table edges that are perpendicular to the defender’s
of survivors than opponent table edge as shown in the diagram below. To reiterate, the
Masterful Victory Control of defenders deployment attacker must deploy one of the groups they made earlier to
zone AND 85+ more AP each of their two deployment zones.
of survivors than opponent
Duration
Ambush The game is played in 5 turns with variable duration.
This scenario represents a situation where the defender
doesn’t wish to fight the attacker. The defenders will do their
utmost to flee the battlefield as fast as possible, while the
attackers will attempt to force a confrontation that the defenders
won’t escape from unharmed.
Special Rules

The defender can’t choose an Insignificant unit to be

The Pact (Special Ambush Scenario)
Using her powers of seduction and domination Asaliah has
corrupted a powerful Saracen general. All that remains is to
show the proof of his corruption to his superiors. Fearing
this exposure the general has sent a troop of fanatical war-
riors in his service to retrieve the pact signed with his blood
in an unguarded moment. They are tasked with making
the sure the pact never reaches its destination. Will Asa-
liah succeed in poisoning the soul of one of her enemies?
Forces:
One player fields a Demons Company consisting of:
Asaliah
An Infernal Ambassador
A Succubus
3 Damned Ones of Sloth
3 Damned Ones of Wrath
carrying the pact at the beginning of the game. Carrying
the pact doesn’t hinder a unit’s actions in any way. The
pact can’t voluntarily be given to another unit. If the unit
carrying the pact dies, the fact that they where carrying it
must be revealed. Then, if the unit carrying the pact was
killed in close combat, their killer picks up the pact. If the
unit carrying the pact was killed some other way, a token
representing the pact is placed where the unit carrying it
was. Any unit moving on to or over the pact will pick it up.
Victory Conditions
If the pact is still on the battlefield at the end of the
game, the attacker wins. If the defender manages to
move one of their units, who is carrying the pact,
off of the table edge that is directly opposite their
deployment zone, they win the game immediately.

Lava Lake Lava Pond

The other player fields a Saracens Company consisting of:
Nazir ibn Hamid ibn Hajjad
Chams Al Majid
A Hashishin
A Hunting Panther
2 Pillars of Faith
4 Blessed Warriors

The Demons are automatically the defen- Searing Rocks

ders in this scenario.

The Pact uses all of the rules for the Ambush

scenario, except where noted below.

Battlefield
The game takes place in a Burning Hell area,
and the conflict zone rules are not used.
Searing Rocks
Special Rules
The defender must make a secret note of which of their
units is carrying the pact before setting up their units.

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 Playing the gamE
The defender is Surprised during the first turn of the game.
Non-Insignificant defending units can exit the battlefield at any
time by moving off of the table edge directly opposite their
deployment zone.
AMBUSH
Exit Area for Defenders
Victory Conditions
The attacker scores 2 CP whenever a non-Insignificant enemy
unit is killed. The defender scores 2 CP for each non-Insigni-
Blue Deployment Zone

Blue Deployment Zone

ficant friendly unit that moves off of the table edge opposite
their deployment zone, as well as 1 CP for each non-Insignificant
enemy unit that is killed. At the end of the game, the player with
the most conquest points is the winner. If both players have the
same number of conquest points, then the game is a draw.

Ambush
Tie Same number of CP
Minor Victory 1-2 CP ahead
Major Victory 3-4 CP ahead
Masterful Victory 5+ CP ahead

Yellow
Deployment
Zone

• The players face off in a pre-designed battlefield (table

Battlefields
A Note to the Beginners
During your first few games of Hell Dorado,
just use the generic terrain elements descri-

bed on p.189 without using any of the battle-
field creation and conflict zone rules. Later, when
you master the rules and the capabilities of your
forces, you will be able to use the full rule set. I
know, I already said that, but it is worth repea-
ting again, so everybody is well aware of it.
with built-in terrain, layout pre-defined in the specific
scenario, ...) – in which case, the Dominant player will
choose an available deployment zone.
• The players must set up terrain on a clear battlefield
– this is the usual situation and the subject of the
following rules.
Selection of the Battlefield Type
Firstly, the players will have to agree on the type of battlefield
(in particular take into account the available terrain items). If the
players cannot or do not wish to reach an agreement, they need
only roll a die and look up the following table:

A standard Hell Dorado game is played on a square battlefield 1d6 Battlefield Type
that is 30 fathoms by 30 fathoms. The set up of this battlefield 1 Icy Wastes
can be generic (described thereafter) or specific to given scena- 2 Burning Hell
rios. The way the battlefield is laid out ultimately affects the 3 Necropolis
Companies that battle on it. 4 Howling Plains
5-6 The Dominant player gets to choose.

Battlefield set up and selection is

always done after Companies have been created by
both players.
Marking the Terrain Zones
The players take up position on opposite sides of the table,
facing each other. The battlefield is then divided into 9 terrain
Setting up the Battlefield zones of equal size. These zones can be visualized by placing a
In Hell Dorado, setting up the battlefield, before the start of token at each of their corners.
hostilities, is a game phase in and of itself.
Two distinct situations can occur:

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 Playing the gamE

Obviously if a player doesn’t have any Scouts set aside then

Reconnaissance of the Terrain
Each player puts aside the units in their Company with the
Scout ability.
Each player gets 9 reconnaissance tokens:
• 1 with a value of 0
• 2 with a value of 1
• 2 with a value of 2
• 2 with a value of 3
• 2 with a value of 4
The player with the most Scouts decides who will place the
first recon token. If the number of Scouts is tied, then the Domi-
nant player will decide. Taking alternating turns, the players do
one of the following options with their turn until all of the recon
tokens have been placed:
• Place a recon token face down on one of the terrain
zones. Each player can only place one token per zone
(at the end, each zone will contain exactly 2 tokens, one
per player).
• A player may move one of the Scouts they set aside ear-
lier back with their Company to turn one of their oppo-
nent’s recon tokens face up.
• A player may move one of the Scouts they set aside ear-
lier back with their Company to have their opponent
place their next recon token face up.
they won’t be able to choose to utilize the second or third
options above.
Once all the recon tokens have been placed, resulting in one
per terrain zone per player, the next, and most interesting step
starts: terraforming.
Terraforming
Once both players have placed all their recon tokens, all the
tokens that are not already face up are turned over.
• If both tokens are of the same value, the area becomes a
conflict zone (see p 216). Conflict zones won’t have any
terrain set up in them.
• If the two tokens have different values, the token with
the lower value is discarded. The player who placed the
token with the higher value in the area will get to set up
the terrain in that area by spending a number of points
on terrain equal to the number on the recon token..
The total number of conflict zones is recorded. This is to be
able to compute the frequency of the effects that will be caused
by conflict zones.

214
 Playing the gamE
After all of the tokens have been turned face up and the num-
ber of conflict zones is noted, the Dominant player chooses a
zone where they have a recon token and sets up the terrain for
that area by spending a number of points on terrain elements.
When setting up terrain, the following rules must be followed:
• Points for an area can only be spent on terrain for that
area; they can’t be saved to be used in a later area.
• All of the available points must be spent.
• Terrain elements placed in an area can’t cross out of that
area into another.
• Impassable terrain elements can’t be placed within 2
fathoms of another impassable element.
• Terrain elements can’t be placed on top of each other.
xample: A player has one of his markers with
a value of 3 in a zone. He has to place some
terrain elements inside that zone worth a
total of 3 points. If he decides to use basic elements,
he can place a block of rocks (1 point) and stalagmites
(2 points) there.
Once the Dominant player has chosen an area and sets up
the terrain for it, it is then their opponent’s turn to do the same
thing. The player’s go back and forth in this way until the terrain
for each area of the board has been set up.
Terms Used to Describe
Terrain Elements
Hell Dorado uses a set of general characteristics to define any
terrain element.
Size of an Element
The following terms are used to describe how large a terrain
element is:
Construction
Elements of this nature are about 2 to 3 fathoms long
and wide.
Cluster
Elements of this nature are 3 to 5 fathoms long and wide.
Barrier
Elements of this nature are 3 to 4 fathoms long and half a
fathom or less wide.
Building
Elements of this nature are 6 fathoms by 4. They must also
be at least 4 fathoms high.
Field
Elements of this nature are represented by one of the following
options (according to player decision and elements availability): one
surface measuring between 8 and 10 fathoms length and width, 2
surfaces between 4 and 6 fathoms length and width, or 4 surfaces
between 2 and 4 fathoms length and width.
215
Plot (small field)
Elements of this nature are represented by one of the fol-
lowing options (according to player decision and elements
availability): one surface measuring between 4 and 6 fathoms
length and width or 2 surfaces between 2 and 4 fathoms length
and width.
General Effects of the Elements
Effects with or without value
When the name of an effect is followed by a value,
the value corresponds to a game parameter used in
the description ofthe effect. If the name of the effect
is not followed by a value, should a value be needed,
it will be 1. Just like the special abilities of units.
A unit is in or on a terrain element if any part of its base is
on the terrain element.
Blessed X (characteristic – keyword
– immunized or affected)
While on this type of terrain, a unit gets +X to the statistic
named by this effect. If this effect is followed by a keyword, the
description of the effect will cover whether the units of the key-
worded type are the only ones affected by, or immune to this
effect. If the effect is not followed by a keyword, it will affect all
units that are on the terrain.
Clear
Any area that has no terrain elements or units on it is
Clear terrain.
Cursed X (characteristic – keyword
– immunized or affected)
Cursed terrain is identical to Blessed terrain, except that cur-
sed terrain gives a penalty to the named statistic rather than a
bonus.
Deadly X (type of damage – keyword
– immunized or affected)
Any unit in this type of terrain during the upkeep phase
will take X points of damage, ignoring PR.
Difficult
It is not easy to move in this terrain. Units may enter,
exit or move through the area while performing an action
that allows a move either equal to or less than the unit’s
MVT normally. In order to enter, exit or move through the
area while performing an action that allows a Movement rate
above the unit’s MVT (Charge or Run for example), the player
controlling the unit must spend 1 CMD. This use of CMD is
not an order.
Impassible
It is impossible to go over or stop on such an element. It usually
only applies to terrain more than 2 fathoms high. Unit control
areas do not cross over Impassable terrain.
Obstructive
The terrain element obstructs Line of Sight, and therefore
adds 1 to the final difficulty of Shooting. This penalty is applied
once for a Line of Sight that crosses the element, regardless of
range or how long the Line of Sight is ‘over’ the terrain element,
 Playing the gamE
but is cumulative if the Line of Sight crosses several elements
with this characteristic. This term is also used to define the
nature of a terrain element that hampers the sight but does not
protect from shooting (fumarole, fogs, vegetation, etc.). The Line
of Sight and cover rules then apply as usual. It is important to
know that this term, when applied to an element, covers the
whole area regardless of the actual physical appearance of the
terrain piece.
Opaque
Part of this element obstructs Line of Sight. Opaque ter-
rain has specific parts that block Line of Sight (crystals, rocky
outcrops, flesh outgrowth, etc.). The Line of Sight and cover
rules apply as usual. It is important to know that only certain
parts of the element are Opaque (as opposed to Obstructive
elements where the entire element affects Line of Sight). For
example, a dozen stalagmites on an 8 x 6 fathom surface are
all individually considered Opaque but the zone itself is not - it
is possible to draw a clear Line of Sight between the stalag-
mites located in the area.
Overlay
It is possible to place another terrain element over this one (or
the contrary if applicable).
R adiant (State or Special Ability –
Keyword – Immunized or Affected)
As soon as a unit enters this type of terrain it is affected by
the specified state or special ability. Unless otherwise stated
in the description of the terrain or by the consumed effect,
the special ability or state ceases to affect the unit as soon as
the unit leaves the element. A unit that already has the speci-
fied state or special ability will not be affected, except if the
specified S/SA is of a level higher than its own. If this effect is
followed by a keyword, the description of the element effect will
explain whether units with the keyword are the only ones affec-
ted or immunized to the effect. If this effect is not followed by a
keyword, it will affect all units that are within the element.
Special
This element has special, non-standard, effects that will be
explained in its description.
Unique
This element can only be placed once on any battlefield.
Effect of terrain elements on
close combat
We have seen how elements can affect Line of Sight
and shooting. Buthand-to-hand combat can also be
slightly modified by terrain elements. Any unit loca-
ted at least half a fathom higher than its opponent
gets a +1 CBT bonus. On the other hand if the head
of the lowest unit does not reach the base of the
highest unit there is no contact and, as a result, no
hand-to-hand combat can take place between them.
Conflict Zones
When two players bid the same number on a terrain area
the result is a special effect called a conflict zone. The zone or
zones in question are free of terrain elements and the Domi-
nant player rolls at the beginning of each turn to determine
whether and what type of special effect will occur on the batt-
lefield. Conflict zones represent chaotic elements of the infer-
216
nal realm, factors that can’t be taken into account by the Com-
panies about to fight because combat is joined before either of
them has the time to fully assess the location.
For each type of battlefield there are 3 types of conflict
zones. At the beginning of the game before deployment, roll to
determine which zone will will be used throughout the game.
Roll a d6: a result of 1-2 indicates the first zone, 3-4 the second,
and 5-6 the third.
Conflict Zone Frequency
Number of Conflict Zones Frequency
1-2 6
 3-4 5
5 or more 4
During each upkeep phase, the Dominant player rolls a d6. If
the result is equal to or greater than the frequency as outlined
on the table above, the conflict zone will trigger. Otherwise,
nothing happens. This roll is made at the beginning of the
upkeep phase before anything else happens. Conflict zone
effects are immediate and do not continue from one turn to
the next.
Battlefield Type
Any battle happens in some part of Hell, there are as many
Hells as there are ways to imagine them. Players should feel
free to design a particular battlefield with its specific rules,
conflict zones, and terrain elements. We have provided rules
for 4 different regions to give a groundwork of common areas
and terrain.
Generic Terrain Elements
First, there are elements that can be found on any battlefield in
Hell. A player can always select terrain elements from this category
when placing terrain.
1 Point Elements
Block of Rock
Cluster – Impassable – Opaque
This element represents a large jutting rock.
Hill
Special – Overlay
You can place a hill of any size, which can even overlap into
adjacent areas. The center of the hill must be located in the area
it originates from.
Stalagmites
Cluster – Difficult – Opaque
This element is made up of several stalagmites that hamper
Movement and Line of Sight.
2 Point Elements
Infernal Haze
Cluster – Obstructive
Multiple small vents that do not hamper Movement are let-
ting out a haze which, while non-toxic, affect Line of Sight.
Rock
Plot – Impassable – Opaque
This element is similar to the Block of Rock, but much larger.
 Playing the gamE

Stalagmites
Plot – Difficult – Opaque Crevice
This element simply covers more surface than the 1 point Field – Impassable
element of the same name. This element is exactly the same as the 3 point element of the
same name, except larger.
3 Point Elements
Rocky Outcrops
Infernal Haze Field – Impassable – Opaque
Plot – Obstructive This element is similar to the Block of Rock or Rock, except
This element is exactly the same as the 2 point element of the even larger.
same name, except larger.
Icy Wastes of Hell
Crevice Even if popular imagery describes Hell more like a lava desert
Plot – Impassable than a frozen steppe, the various marches that make up Hell have
An opening in the ground which completely blocks units from many faces, and one of them is a frozen waste where living condi-
moving across it. tions are exceptionally harsh. The bite of the cold and the frequent

Stalagmites
Field – Difficult – Opaque
This element simply covers more surface than the 1 or 2 point
elements of the same name.

4 Point Elements
Infernal Haze
Field – Obstructive
This element is exactly the same as the 2 or 3 point elements
of the same name, except even larger.

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 Playing the gamE
snow storms remove any chance of an easy exploration. Today,
death dresses in white.
1 Point Elements
Snowy Flats
Plot – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Runaway)
This element is a powdery area of an exceptional lightness
and depth.
Bite of Steel
Plot – Overlay – Deadly (cold) – Special
This part of the battlefield is home to a particularly cruel magi-
cal cold. Whenever a unit in this area of terrain takes damage
from a hand-to-hand attack, they take an additional 2 damage.
2 Point Elements
Snowy Fields
Field – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Runaway)
This element is the same as the Snowy Flats element,
except larger.
Icy Plot
Plot – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed)
This terrain element is made up of a frozen lake with a sur-
face smoother than a mirror. Note that the Movement penalty
associated with the Slowed state only takes effect if the unit
starts its activation in the element and lasts until the start of
its next activation.
Refuge
Building – Impassable – Opaque
This is a building left by some unknown infernal explorers.
Generally, these buildings are sturdy and well secured. Hence,
while infernal adventurers may open them during their travels,
it is impossible to take the time to enter them during a skirmish.
3 Point Elements
Haze of Frost
Field – Overlay – Obstructive - Radiant (Discretion
4) – Deadly (cold)
This terrain is a zone of cold so intense that it
blurs Line of Sight and freezes fingers, ears and
noses. Staying there too long will be the death
of the cowards who sought sanctuary there.
Icy Fields
Field – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed)
This element is the same as the Icy Plot,
only larger.
Haze of Frost
4 Point Elements
Crystals of Power
Cluster – Opaque – Special – Unique
This magical crystal formation grants martial prowess to
units that fight near it. During every upkeep phase both players
can give +1 CBT to one of their units. They can refuse to do
so if they like. This bonus lasts as long as this terrain ele-
ment is present on the battlefield. This bonus can’t be given
to the same unit twice in any one game. If one player refuses
to give the bonus for two consecutive turns, then the crystal
element explodes, removing it from the battlefield, and causing
2 damage, ignoring PR, to any unit within 3 fathoms of the
element, or that has received the CBT bonus from the element.
If a unit that has received the bonus is within 3 fathoms of the
element, then they take 4 damage instead of 2, again ignoring
PR, when the element explodes.
Ancestral Heroes
Construction – Impassable - Opaque – Special
This terrain element is a huge block of ice, in which can barely
be discerned the forms of two fighters locked in combat. A unit
in contact with this element can use an action that includes a
hand-to-hand attack (Melee, Attack, etc …) to try and break the
ice. When rolling for the attack sequence, any die that scores a
6 is a hit. The unit that causes the tenth hit breaks the ice block,
frees one of the heroes entrapped within it, and dispatches their
adversary. The player who controls the unit that breaks the ice
chooses a Trooper or Independent of the same faction as their
Officer from their collection of models worth 30 or less army
points and replaces this terrain element with the chosen unit.
The chosen unit joins the Company of the unit that got them
free of the ice, all Company composition rules must be observed
when choosing the unit to bring into the game. If the new unit
has a CMD, it isn’t counted for the Companies Command Pool
until the next upkeep.
Conflict Zones
First Zone: Thin Ice
Special – Difficult – Deadly 3 (Cold) – Special – Overlays
Hill
Refuge
Hill
Icy Wastes of Hell
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 Playing the gamE
If this zone triggers, the Dominant player places a 4 fathom
diameter, disk, terrain element in one of the conflict zones.
This terrain element represents a section of ground that has
suddenly transformed into a flash-frozen pond. Once the ter-
rain element has been placed, the Dominant player takes a d6
and drops it from a height of at least 8 fathoms as close as
possible to the terrain piece, without endangering any minia-
tures of course. The disk is then moved along the same vec-
tor that the dice took when it struck the table a number of
fathoms equal to twice what was rolled on the die that was
dropped. If any part of the thin ice would move off of the
battlefield, it stops instead. If this conflict zone triggers again,
move the terrain element that was originally created by this
effect again in the same way outlined above.
Second Zone: Infernal Cold
If this zone triggers, any unit that ends its activation less than
3 fathoms from its starting point, takes 1 point of damage, igno-
ring PR. Additionally, a unit that doesn’t move from its starting
position at all takes an additional point of damage, which also
ignores PR.
Third Zone: Flash Freeze
If this zone triggers, one, randomly chosen unit from each
Company is immobilised for the rest of the turn.
Burning Hell
This type of battlefield is the stereotypical archetype of what
most people would think of as being Hell. Heavy ash clouds
sully both the body and soul, while large crevices spew forth
lava and slag. Fighting in such a place is a challenging expe-
rience, even for the most hardened and jaded of combatants.
1 Point Elements
Lava Crater
Cluster – Impassable
This terrain element is entirely made of molten rock.
Mists of Hell
Plot – Overlay – Obstructive – Radiant (Berserk)
Small vents in the ground emit a reddish mist that provokes
anger in living beings’ hearts. If a Movement induced by the
Berserk state leads a unit to exit this element, that unit will
fight a last attack sequence against its opponent before losing
the Berserk state.
Searing Rocks
Field – Deadly (Fire)
This element is made up of a great many sharp rocks that are
as hot as the breath of an efrit.
2 Point Elements
Hellish Smoke
Field – Overlay – Obstructive – Radiant (Berserk) –
Blessed 2 (Combat)
This terrain element is made up of small vents in the ground
that emit a heavy black smoke. The rage and desire to overcome
that assails the warriors who breathe it make these places the
crucible of a thousand battles. If a Movement induced by the
Berserk state leads a unit to exit this element, that unit will fight
219
a last attack sequence against its opponent before losing the
Berserk state.
Lava Pond
Plot – Impassable
Like the Lava Crater this element is entirely made of
molten rock, only larger.
Burnt Statues
Plot – Opaque – Cursed (Faith – Troopers – Affected) – Special
The ground in this type of area is littered with broken
and burnt statues of people the person who enters love and
admire. The memory of things past haunts any who enter the
area and makes them doubt themselves. Units in this element
gain Spiritual Damage for all of their attacks if they did not
have it, but lose this damage type if they already had it.
3 Point Elements
Burning Mists
Field – Overlay – Obstructive – Radiant (Wounded) –
Blessed 2 (Combat)
Small vents let out toxic gases with strange effects: mere
mortals become combat monsters, but fall victim of convul-
sions caused by intense pain. The wounded state does not
affect units which cannot usually be wounded. Fanatical
units become Fanatical rather than wounded.
Lava Lake
Field – Impassable
This element is exactly like the Lava Crater or Lava Pond,
only larger.
4 Point Elements
Lava Well
Construction – Special
If a unit is on this element for two consecutive upkeep pha-
ses, they will get +1 MVT, +2 CBT, +1 FTH, Immunity (Fire), and
Regeneration until the end of the game. If the unit that receives
these bonuses is killed, each unit in their Company will take 2
damage, ignoring PR. Only one unit from a Company can have
these bonuses at any one time.
Well of Peace
Plot – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed) – Radiant (Regeneration) –
Radiant (Immunity – Fire) – Special
These pools of pure water are like boils on Satan’s ass.
They are havens of peace that offer, to strangers as well
as to demons, a moment’s respite in this war without pity.
They will also remove Consumed states from a unit (even
Durable ones) if they are on the element during the upkeep
phase. Exceptionally, the Consumed states disappear before
the damage from those states is applied.
Conflict Zones
First Zone: Fire Storm
If this zone triggers, every unit on the battlefield that
isn’ t immune to fire takes 1 damage, ignoring PR, every unit
becomes accelerated, and the difficulty for all Shooting is
raised by 1.
 Playing the gamE
Second Zone: Heat Wave
If this zone triggers, Troopers become Slowed, any unit that
moves farther than its MVT must spend a CMD to do so and
takes 1 damage, ignoring PR.
Third Zone: Lava Geyser
If this zone triggers, one of the 9 terrain areas of the board is
chosen at random. Every unit within that area of terrain takes
damage as though they where within the area of effect of a 3/2
fire explosion. Survivors are affected by Consumed (Fire 1/5).
Units affected by this Consumed state will take damage this
turn from it.
Necropolis of Hell
Battlefields of the this type can represent fields of skulls, pla-
ces in Hell which appear following colossal and bloody earthly
battles, or the high places of worship for the most powerful
creatures of Hell, etc. In these places, the dead howl in the ears
of living like the damned, and powers more terrible and ancient
than demons feed on flesh and souls. Even demons avoid these
places, where creatures reside that are older than mankind,
older than earth itself...
1 Point Elements
Field of Laments
Field – Radiant (Berserk)
The howls of the damned imprisoned and tortured in these
places make the units in it raving mad. If a Movement induced by
the Berserk state leads a unit to exit this element, that unit will
fight a last attack sequence against its opponent before losing the
Berserk state.
Gigantic Skeletons
Plot – Radiant (Regeneration) – Radiant (Slowed) – Opaque
Large demonic animals have come here to die and their highly
magical nature profoundly affects all who approach.
Pile of Skulls
Plot – Difficult
Thousands of skulls carpet this whole area. They tend to
break underfoot and hamper Movement.
2 Point Elements
Heap of Ruins
Cluster – Difficult – Opaque
Vague remains of ancient and more or less human constructions,
bits of walls and piles of rubble can make Movement difficult and
block Line of Sight.
Field of Decomposing Bodies
Field – Difficult – Deadly – Radiant (Terror – Officers and
Independents – Affected)
This mass of decomposing bodies sullies both armour and
flesh. Fighting in such a place greatly affects the morale of units
who are not yet used to the horrors of Hell.
Field of Skulls
Field – Difficult
This element is exactly like a Pile of Skulls, except larger.
220
3 Point Elements
Soul Accumulator
Construction – Impassable – Opaque – Special
When a unit is killed within 5 fathoms of this element, its
controlling player loses 1 Command point, and their opponent
gains 1 Command point until the end of the turn.
Field of Ruins
Cluster – Difficult – Opaque
Vague remains of ancient and more or less human construc-
tions, these bits of walls and piles of rubble can make Movement
difficult and block Line of Sight.
Charnel
Field – Difficult – Cursed (Faith) – Radiant (Frenzy – Troopers
– Affected)
These tangled bodies are the remains of a recent combat.
One can even very often hear the supplications of creatures
hovering between life and death.
4 Point Elements
Alter of the Ancient Gods
Construction – Deadly – Radiant (Immobilized) – Special – Unique
This terrain element is usually the shape of a throne, an
altar or a pedestal. It makes those who take possession
of it powerful beyond all imagining but also causes their
premature aging. Any unit climbing onto the altar of the
ancient gods is immobilized for the rest of the game. From
that moment on, the unit cannot be healed and loses any
Regeneration ability it may have had. From then on, once
per turn as a free action, the player who controls the unit
located on the altar can add the CBT of that unit to another
of his units CBT. The enhanced unit keeps the bonus for the
duration of the current turn.
Field of Glory
Field – Deadly – Blessed 2 (Combat)
This terrain element is littered with a few impious ban-
ners. Its true nature is revealed when a unit enters it. The
tortured spirits of powerful fighters attack the unit from all
sides, scourging their flesh while also making them surpass
themselves in combat.
Field of Biters
Field – Deadly – Blessed 2 (Protection)
This element is covered with an impossible number of slimy
carnivorous slugs. As soon as a unit enters it, the slugs cover it in
order to devour the unit. Ironically, this slimy mass boosts the PR
of any being it covers.
Conflict Zones
First Zone: Howling of the Damned
When this zone triggers, all units on the battlefield are consi-
dered ‘wounded’ if they were not already wounded. The woun-
ded state does not affect units which cannot usually be woun-
ded. Fanatical units become Fanatical rather than wounded.
Second Zone: Glory of the Unknown
When this zone triggers, Independents take 2 damage, igno-
ring PR, and Troopers recover 2 Life Points.
 Playing the gamE
Third Zone: Glory to the Heroes
When this zone triggers, Troopers take 1
damage, ignoring PR, and Independents recover
Necropolis of Hell
2 Life Points.

Howling Plains of Hell Hill Hill

The Howling Plains of Hell are gloomy tracts
of infernal desert. The sky always seems low
and the local fauna is stunted and sick. One Soul
can travel days or even weeks without encoun-
tering a watering hole or anything living that
Accumulator
is more complicated than worms feeding on
the decomposing cadavers of other travel-
lers. The worst part of these areas has to
be the incessant tortured howling. This
Block of Rocks
chorus of disembodied horrifying cries
have a toll on morale that is easy to
underestimate and make each night
an unending nightmare that one
fears they will never wake up from.

1 Point Elements
Millenary Tree
Construction – Impassable – Opaque Large Ash Dune
A last remnant of antique vegetation, the lifeless tree sits on Field – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Discretion 5)
the plains like a wart on the nose of a bishop.. This element is the same as the Ash Dune, except larger.

Ash Dune
Plot – Difficult – Obstructive – Radiant (Discretion 5)
This small hill-shaped terrain is always swept by howling
winds that stir up large grey dust eddies.
2 Point Elements
Mouth of Hell
Construction – Impassable – Obstructive – Special
A Mouth of Hell is a sinkhole that emits foul smelling fumes.
Lemures can’t stand the fumes and won’t go anywhere near it.
Lemures can’t come into contact with a unit that is in contact
with a terrain element of this type. Nor can Infernalists invoke a
lemure if they are in contact with a Mouth of Hell.
Refuge
Building – Impassable – Opaque
This is a building left by some earlier unknown infernal
explorer. Generally, these buildings are sturdy and well secu-
red. Hence, while infernal adventurers may hope to open them
in their travels, it is impossible to take the time to enter them
during a skirmish.
3 Point Elements
Quagmire
Field – Difficult – Radiant (Slowed) – Radiant (Regeneration)
This terrain element is a large watering hole with asto-
nishing healing properties. Unfortunately one must enter the
mud to benefit from its effects. The stench of death and pus
that follows you for days after those ablutions may force
the less courageous to reconsider. Note that the Movement
modifier that comes with Slowed only takes effect when the
unit starts its activation in the terrain and will last until its
next activation.
4 Point Elements
Well of Souls
Construction – Impassable – Special – Unique
This well can be a simple hole in the ground, or a more ela-
borate construction. In the latter case, it is possible to move
around the well, though the hole itself will always remain
impassable. A construction around the hole will be consi-
dered opaque, while the hole itself will never block Line of
Sight. It is from these holes that lemures emerge, the souls
of some of the dead who are reborn in Hell. If an Inferna-
list ends their activation in contact with this well, they can
immediately invoke a lemure of their choice, associating one
of their spells with it. This lemure will not count towards the
maximum they can invoke or control. An Infernalist can only
use the Well of Souls in this way once per game.
Eternal Whirlwind
Construction – Impassable – Opaque – Special – Unique
This terrain element takes the shape of a huge whirlwind
that blows tons of dust into the sky. The violent winds that
surround it threaten the footing of anyone who comes near.
Any unit within 3 fathoms of the whirlwind will suffer -1
MVT and -1 CBT, but cannot be the target of shooting. A
unit with a weapon that creates explosions cannot target a
point within 3 fathoms of this element. This element does
not protect units from blast weapons.

221
 Playing the gamE
Howling Plains of Hell
Zones of Conflict
First Zone:
Hill Maddening Howls
If this zone triggers, both
players immediately lose
all Command Points they
currently have.

Second Zone:
Slag Storm
If this zone trigger,
every units gains Discre-
tion 4. Also no unit has
a control area while this
zone is in effect.

Stalagmites Third Zone:

Rain of Larvae
If this zone triggers, large
necrophagous worms that
burn flesh and stick to the
bodies of the living start
falling from the sky. Units on
the battlefield take 1 damage,
ignoring PR, and
get +1 PR.

222
 GallerY

The westernerS

The demonS

The saracenS

223
 GallerY

The losT

The immortalS

The mercenarieS

224
1635 1635…
 iolence whispers with a silver tongue directly to people’s hearts. We kill
V
for faith. Wealth, power, and glory … in the mud and debris of a great
battle, a gate to hell opens. People caught in the aftermath of war are
engulfed by the portal. Missionaries, soldiers, settlers, great captains …
 elow a dangerous new world awaits them, a new world to plunder, explore,
B
build, and exploit! A world dominated by Demons since time immemorial.
A world overrun by humans from eastern lands on a mystical quest. A place
where terrors and wonders lurk, their name’s lost to humanity an eternity ago.
This is the new horizon of the world of Hell Dorado!

Hell Dorado is a skirmish miniatures war game that lets you enter this epic and brutal world.
This is the core rule book! It contains everything you will need to conquer Hell itself:
Game rules, company lists, background information, scenarios …

To bring the game fully to life look for Hell Dorado miniatures
by Cipher Studios, available from a fine retailer near you!

www.cipher-studios.com

ISBN : 978-0-615-46218-9