The Black Iron

A Grimdark Fantasy RPG

 Credit
Written and Designed
J Lasarde

Additional Writing
Richard August

Artwork
Chris Cold
Tan Nguyen
Marck James
Nahe Doon
Satoshi Kamanaka
Erick Efata
C. Nambiatooran
Dean Spencer Art
Earl Geier
Peter Temesi
Bob Greyvenstein
Forest Imel
Jeffrey Koch

Maps
Phil Bate
Niki Lasarde
August Hahn

Layout
J Lasarde

Editing
J Lasarde

Proof Reading
Phil Bate
Ian F. White
Gareth H. Graham
August Hahn
Niki Lasarde

Special Thanks
To all the Backers, to everyone that supported me on this journey, To my wife and my two cats Max and
Louie for keeping me sane. To John ‘Mr Mean’ Polack for the reviews, cheers bud.

Dedicated to my Mum who always encouraged and will never be forgotten.

The Black Iron is copyright FeralGamersInc Ltd, all rights reserved 2020. Some artwork © Grim Press, used
with permission. All rights reserved.
Step into the Dark
Contents 8 Example of Play 78
The Book 8
The World 8 Creating a Character 82
The Players 9 The Four Steps 83
The GM 9 Chimeer 84
The Rules 9 Half Elves 86
Combat Basics 10 Humans 88
Survival Horror 13 Backgrounds 90
Abbreviations 13 Life Experience 92

“The end of us all” Roles

The Beginning 15 Martial 95
The Land Above 16 Exploration 97
The Last City 20 Arcana 99
Crime & Punishment 29 Shadow 101
The Black Fort 29
The Pale Lands 32 Derived Stats 102
The Known Cities of the Pale 34 Group Experience 104
The Land Below 38
Cults 44 Weapons, Armour & Gear 106
45 Item Quality 107
Faith
46 Crafting Weapons 108
Threats
48 Armour and Shields 111
Mythic Artifacts
Weapon Descriptions 114
The Blood Lords 55
Axas - The Lord of Blood and Vein Barston 57 Guilds and Cults 120
58 The Black Fort 122
- Lord of Salt and Rust Kiall - The Lord
Chirurgeon Laidon - Lord of Depravity 61 The Guild of Explorers 124
Nicran - Lord of Death and Decay Xertin - 63 The Guild of Silence 126
64 The Fighter’s Guild 128
Lord of Conflict and Murder
67 Sisters of Stone Cult 130
The Luck of the Dice Cult of the Malice 132
Attributes 70 The Grey Order 134
Skills 70
Skill Descriptions 71 Explore and Survive 138
71 Travel across the Pale 139
Performing Actions
75 Travelling the Below 139
Survival 140 Blood Lord Knight 205
Corruption 144 Corrupted Wardens 207
Combat and Injury 148 Cultists 209
Damage and Healing 153 Fanatics 211
Fear and Stress 155 Ghul 213
Greater & Lesser Abominations 215
The Arcane 156 Ice Worms 217
Using Magic 158 Lich 219
Marsh Wraith 220
School of Necromancy 162 Pale Ones 223
First Circle 163 Rot Golems 225
Second Circle 164 Ruin Dwellers 227
Third Circle 165 Shrike 229
Necromancy Rituals 165 Tribals 231

School of Pyromancy 167 Non-Player Characters 232

First Circle 169 Trader 232
Second Circle 170 Militia 232
Third Circle 171 Civilians 233
Noble 233
School of Sorcery 173
First Circle 174 The Anvil 234
Second Circle 175
Third Circle 177
Spell Creation 179

GMs Guidance 182

The Pale 183
Mapping the Pale 185
The Below 187
Creating Adventures 189
The Feel of the World 190
Experience 192
Optional Rules 192

Threats 196
Threat Abilities 196

Threat Description 197

Ash Nomads 199
Bandits and Villains 201
Corrupted Beasts 203
 The Black Iron
Step into the
Dark
T
he Black Iron RPG takes you to a land
ravished by war and corrupted by evil. A
world where you will struggle to survive
but survive you must. Where you will pillage great
ruined cities, fight foul beasts twisted by sorceries,
discover cults worshipping horrifying gods and
unveil plots and twists that will bring down kings.
The world is a frozen and dark place, and that is
only on the surface, those that fled to the ancient
dwarven cities below ground have their problems,
with dark uncharted mines and caves that unveil
dwarven treasures or horrifying beasts with wars
between wealthy families that control the cities
inhabited by those that fled the surface.
Guilds, factions, and corrupt nobles’ rule over the
survivors who have already thrown off the yoke of
one master just to discover another.
The Book
This book is made up of eight main chapters; these
will guide you through an understanding of the
mechanics of the game, onto character creation,
understanding the skills, how to deal with combat
and running the game as a Gamemaster (GM). A
8
list of monsters and NPCs, along with adventure
plots and campaign seeds, these will allow you to
play and create adventures for years to come.
The World
In Chapter 2 – The Pale, we will go into much
more detail regarding the people, places, and
background to the world of The Black Iron, but to
truly understanding the world an important fact
must be understood, the world is divided into two
parts, the land above and the land below.
Above
The surface of the Pale Lands is a frozen wasteland,
a never-ending volcanic winter. Nothing much
survives beyond the lands of the Last City. To the
north, in the shadow of the mountain range called
the Claws the mages have constructed magical
sun spires that have kept the lands around the last
city temperate, this is where food is grown, and
animals kept, supplying food to the city and those
below ground. Keeping this small piece of land
free of ice takes a lot of energy, and new solutions
will need to be found before the whole world
succumbs to the eternal winter.
Below
It is said that centuries ago dwarves lived in
vast cities beneath the ground that their mines
and tunnels spread for hundreds of miles. For a
long while these ancient tunnels and ruins were
considered cursed, haunted places, and to some,
they still are. But as the Black Iron fell and the
earth was beset by volcanic eruptions and other
natural disasters any who could passed through
the ancient doors to these dwarven mines and
fled below ground for protection. The cities found
there were reoccupied, and after 25 years, the
cities are now rebuilt and are being defended,
against the beasts that prowl the darkness.
The Players
The Black Iron is a game, and a game needs
players, we suggest that a group of 4-5 players
make a good number, but any number of players
can be involved.
Each player must make a character so they can walk
the land both above and below. These characters
are the avatars; they will often be different from
the players, have skills and abilities most players
do not possess, wield magic and strange powers.
Creating a character is describe in more detail in
the Character Creation chapter.
The GM
Along with players the game also needs a referee an
adjudicator, someone that decides the difficulties,
responds to the questions, has the answers and
has the final say in disputes. This person is often
called a Gamemaster, or GM.
NPCs
The GM controls all the people, monsters and
creatures not controlled by the players; these
others are called Non-Player Characters or NPCs
for short. If you question a blacksmith, threaten a
bandit or interact with a monster, the GM will be
the one that responds.
The Rules
In every game, there are rules and The Black Iron
is no exception; what follows is a look at the core
mechanic and how to play. Combat will have
extra rules as will certain other actions like magic
and survival etc. And these will be covered in
later chapters, but the following is all you need to
understand to play.
Dice
The Black Iron uses dice, and these are mainly six-
sided dice, but it will also use four-sided, eight-
sided and ten-sided. These will be abbreviated as
d4, d6. D8. D10, with the d indicating dice and the
number indicating the number of sides.
Rule Zero
The most important rule is to have fun if a rule
doesn’t work change it or remove it. Only roll
dice when it is really necessary or when failure or
success can change the course of the game.
The Core Mechanic
The Black iron uses a simple system for resolving
tasks. You roll the number of D6 that the attribute
has and only keep the highest result, you then
add to this any modifiers and the skill number,
removing any penalties and if the result is equal
to or higher than the Target Number you succeed.
Example
Niki is attempting to jump a crevice the GM
says that the Target Number is a 7, Niki has
3d6 for her Agility, so she rolls these and gets
a 2, 4 and a 6. As the 6 is the highest number
Niki keeps this, she adds her Skill number of
+2 which gives a total of 8 and a success, Niki
reaches the other side safely.
One of the dice should be of a different colour as
this is the Iron Die.
All the following rules will be explained in greater
detail in the Explore and Survive Chapter.
9
 The Black Iron

The Law of 6’s Opposed Rolls

For every 6 the you roll beyond an initial 6 you add An opposed roll happens when you are in
+1 to the result so if Niki had rolled 2, 6 and 6 then competition either with another player or an NPC,
her result would have been a 7 (6 and a +1 for the this is most likely going to happen during combat.
extra 6) if Niki had rolled three 6’s then the result Opposed rolls involve both players or the player
would have been 8 (6 and +2 for the extra two 6’s). and GM rolling the dice as they would normally
A roll of 6 on the Iron Die would result in a positive with the highest result winning. In the case of a tie
consequence then the win goes to the one with the highest skill
or attribute, if it is still a tie then the player wins.
The Law of 1’s
If at any time the result of your Iron Die roll is a 1 Aiding Others
then a negative outcome has happened, the result Others can aid you as long as their character has
of this outcome and how to deal with it is covered the skill you are attempting at the same or a higher
in the Explore and Survive chapter. level than your own character. By giving aid they
will add a +1 to the roll result. Not all tasks can
Target Numbers (TN) benefit from aid.
A Target Number will determine how difficult
the task is and what you need to roll in order to Corruption
succeed. Modifiers are never used to adjust a The Pale is corrupt, and some places are more
Target Number as often modifiers can change corrupt than others. The characters corruption is
whereas the difficulty of the task will always stay measured in a pool. This pool starts at 1, what this
the same. means is that all characters start the game with
their corruption at one, there is no way to avoid it
Difficulty TN or cure it to zero.
Easy 3
Average
Difficult
5
7
Combat Basics
Hard 9 As we have stated the Pale is a dangerous place
Very Hard 11 and with danger comes combat, whether this
Extremely Hard 13 is a bar-room brawl or a fight against a horde of
Near Impossible 15+ corrupted. Combat involves several actions which
the character can choose to make.
Modifiers The Iron Die will expand these options, the Iron
In the Black Iron the result of your dice rolls can Die and how it effects combat will be explained in
be modified by bonuses and penalties, these can later chapter.
come from the characters skills, the gear they
are using, help from others, adverse weather
conditions, injuries and other factors like stress. Melee
Melee covers both the attack and parry and
The modifier only affects the roll never the Target
Number. involves the use of any hand-held weapon such
as a sword, axe, sturdy branch or assassins dagger
More information on Modifiers and the Modifier in one hand or even both hands and a shield,
Table can be found in the Explore and Survive second weapon etc, in the other hand. Parrying or
Chapter. blocking an attack acts as an opposed roll, we will
go into more detail in the Exploration Chapter.

10
11
 The Black Iron
Ranged
Ranged is the use of Bows, Crossbows, and Slings,
these weapons take both hands to use and during
their use the character cannot use a shield or
parry, but they can dodge. Ranged weapons
need ammo which is supplied separately. See the
Exploration Chapter for more on ranged combat
and using ranged weapons.
Magic
Casting Magic on the battlefield will take time,
and this can often leave the mage open to attack.
Mages cannot defend while casting, and rely on
their fellow explorers for protection whilst casting
complex spells. Spells come in various forms and
will be discussed further in the Arcane chapter of
the book.
Skills
You can attempt to use a Skill during combat,
often this is healing but can also include unlocking
a door to escape, brewing a poison, or even
sneaking into a better position on the battlefield.
Characters performing a Skill will not be able to
block or parry an attack.
Special
Some characters may have special talents or items
they wish to use during combat; they will always
fit in one of the above categories, for example
talents will be treated as skills and so forth
For more on combat, see the Explore and Survive
chapter.
Aiming and Called Shots
You can spend your time aiming a ranged weapon
and for each round spent aiming you can add
a +1 to your roll, this also allows you to state a
particular location, item or body part that you
are aiming at. A successful aim will indicate that
you have hit the location. Aiming is only used for
Ranged or Thrown attacks
Called shots are not aimed but are attempts to hit
a particular item, location or body part, doing this
will give a penalty to the roll based on the size of
the target. The range of penalties can be found
12
in the Explore and Survive chapter along with the
other Combat Modifiers.
Surprise
Surprising the enemy gives you a whole round
of actions in which to act before the enemy can
respond, and even then, the response will be an
Initiative roll. Surprise is often achieved through
ambush or stealth, both of which is an opposed
roll, in regard to ambush the target is rolling
against the success of the ambush and with stealth
this would be an opposed roll vs. the targets
perception.
Surprise and its many benefits will be gone into
more detail in the Explore and Survive chapter.
Damage
All weapons inflict damage if the attack is a
success. This damage is a combination of weapon
damage + Attribute. All damage is modified by the
armour worn by the target.
Armour
Armour protects the wearer against damage
inflicted by weapons. When a successful attack
happens, the attacker reduces the weapon
damage by the armours protection level, someone
wearing armour with a protection level of 5 who is
attacked by someone who does damage of 8 will
reduce the number of damage done to only 3.
Wounds
All characters begin with a base Wound level of 10
and added to this is your characters Body Attribute
and any bonuses from Talents or Advantages.
Taking a lot of wounds can affect your attempts to
succeed in tasks as the more wounds you take the
more penalties you will receive.
Hit Locations
Your character also has a number of Hit Locations
which is where what armour is worn is made a
note of including that armours protection level,
this is mainly for called shots or aimed shots.
Stress The Black Iron is also a game of horror, of terrible
Your character has a stress level which is affected visions, fearful encounters and situations which
by exhaustion, hunger, thirst and extremes of many may find gross and unnecessary, but this
weather. Magic also effects your stress levels is the world of The Black Iron, those that survived
and some spells can increase the stress level the fall crawled over the bodies of the weak and
significantly. Stress us a gauge of how well your dying so they could survive and rebuild, this is the
character is managing in the current situation and way of things, so beware.
a high stress will affect your characters ability to
deal with not only tasks but danger and fear.
Abbreviations
Survival Horror The Black Iron uses several standard abbreviations
found in most Tabletop RPGs. For those new, to
The Black Iron RPG emphasises survival, and the the hobby, we explain these below.
characters will find themselves in a situation where
they are struggling against the elements as much Abbreviation Meaning
as they are against abominations and cultists. The GM Games master
GM should make this clear to the players before PC Player Character
they start, that this is not a game where you go
TN Target Number
from room to room killing and looting (though
there may be elements of that) but a game of hard NPC Non-Player
decisions, desperation, cruelty and of death. Character
RND Round
Those parties that plan ahead, equip themselves AP Armour Points
well, do their research and work together will DMG Damage
survive the longest.
RNG Range

13
 The Black Iron

“The end of
us all”
I
t gets called a lot of things. The great war. The war to end all wars. Some even called it the last
war, which should make anyone who has seen the world laugh until they choke. Whatever
name you want to give it, it was almost the end of us all. Almost.

The Elves fled the suffering and corruption. Used their foul sorceries to damn the world they fled;
black-hearted cowards to the end.

That was a long time ago, of course. Long enough that people pretend not to remember. Long
enough that there are children who don’t remember what the world was like before the black iron
fell. Before the eternal winter, before the sun was blinded, before the dust consumed the sky. The
lucky ones went below to the abandoned cities of the Dwarves. The Dwarves were the first victims
of the elves. Poor bastards. They all burned down there. All of them.

Those who were quick enough, or lucky enough, to get to the Last City can scrape something
approximating a life upon the earth if you can call being crammed into a crumbling city a life.
They cling on, barely, for as long as the walls and the magic hold. Then there is the black fort and
its pyromancers…the way you hear the children talk about them. As though they were heroes.
Immortals. Not men, tiring and breaking a little each day. The magic was draining just a little more
of them — the corruption eating away at muscle, and brain, and skill. And the ice is waiting. The
walls won’t hold forever. It’s much safer underground, not that we’ve long left down here either.

Oh! You want hope, do you? You want assurance that we’ll find some way out of this…out of the
creeping shadows. I have nothing. There are some who’ll tell you the ruins of the past have some
way of staving off the end. The Mages send out parties of brave lads and lasses to seek out the things
that the elves left behind. Maybe, they say, they left a means of turning back the corruption. Fucking
idiots. I’ve seen them drag back the survivors…not that there was much left. Skin shrivelled over
bones that were turning to ice. Eyes hardening to crystal. And that was the best of them. Do you
think the elves would leave us any means of saving ourselves? They burned the Dwarves. They’ll
freeze us to death. The world will consume itself, like ice worms spewing from the guts of a corpse.
And then, wherever they are, they’ll laugh; that laugh like a handful of sand sliding through your
fingers — a laugh like snakes hissing.

14
 The Beginning
They say that giants once walked upon the earth,
stripping the land of life and turning the oceans
into stagnant pools. The Old Gods, the creators of
the giants, called the Yazata by those few priests
who still keep the old wisdom alive, made war on
their children.
The Giants lost, though few of the Yazata survived
to glory in their triumph.
The corpses of the vanquished were left to rot upon
the earth, where the blood of a savage conflict
gradually seeped into the ground. The blood of the
giants, steeped in their corruption, warped the soil
itself. The blood ate away at the roots of the trees,
and, when finally, spring returned to the land, the
roots which formed beneath the earth contained
the essence which eventually became the elves.
The blood of the Old Gods seeped into the mud
and clay of the wilderness. From this, eventually,
the rough forms of humanity eventually crawled
forth.
That is what the legends say. The legends do not
say how the Dwarves were created, and the Elves
scoured their writings and records from when they
wiped the Deep Peoples from the earth. Such is
their way. For the Elves looked upon themselves,
in the dawning of the new world, and saw that they
were better. As man gradually formed thought
and learned to use fire and tools, the Elves had
built a civilization. As man began to invent the
plough and to use the land to sustain himself,
Elves had mastered the arcane arts, divined the
ways and mysteries of the universe, had become
masters of whatever they chose to examine. And,
as men aged and died, the Elves remained perfect,
unchanging and ageless.
Elvish immortality was both boon and bane.
Blessed with physical perfection, immunity to
disease and old age, the ability to learn without
the mind degrading or time dissolving, they
were able to make the world into a paradise. But
why should a species who were as gods deign to
communicate with those who had only just begun
to build crude houses from stone?
As the ages wore on, the Elves became increasingly
distant, increasingly alien, and increasingly
unconcerned with anything beyond their own
preoccupations. The other species of the world
simply became another resource, to be reshaped
to suit the aesthetics of the Elves. The flesh-magic,
the rituals of the unmaking, the sorceries of the
scattered bones…all of these the Elves devised,
to make those who lived in their world beautiful,
according to their bizarre standards of beauty.
Why should they recognise pain or suffering of
any kind, they wondered, after all, were they
not rendering the world better through their
actions? The world existed for their pleasure; all
things existed to be refined through their artistry,
through their genius. They performed the rites
to call ancient gods down to the earth, binding
them into service too, carving the hieroglyphics
of mastery into divine flesh. After countless
experiments, they finally concluded that the
Dwarves could not be rendered beautiful. Their
bodies stunted in growth but broad and muscular
could not be sufficiently reshaped. Their minds
were too limited to provide the Elves with any
amusement. They were too much like the stone
they lived among; their thinking too rigid. And so,
the Elves excoriated the halls of the Dwarves with
fire and strange creatures built from the vestiges
of those species the Elves had determined to
make better. Nothing survived in those ancient
subterranean halls.
Eventually, the dominion of the Elves became
too onerous for any to endure and the realms of
men, which had grown in strength throughout
the long years of Elvish depredation, united to
cast them down. Had the Elves cared at all for any
species save themselves, they might have noticed
the preparations the cities of mankind were
undertaking; they might have heard the endless
hammering of smithies, tempering swords and
arrow heads. They might have seen the gathering
of armies and the coruscating magic’s which
mankind had learned, while the Elves had simply
continued to treat the world as an object to be
played with. At last, the armies of men readied
themselves and marched upon those who had
spent millennia experimenting upon them.
They left a wake of blood as they destroyed their
15
 The Black Iron
elven torturers, masters and enslavers; city after
gleaming city was butchered as the elven forces,
who for centuries had merely sought to ensure
their armour was beautiful and their skin flawless,
fought the downtrodden they had tortured and
toyed with.
Cruel, the Elves may have been, lacking in any
qualities which made them human, but never
stupid. They had long studied those worlds which
existed beyond their own and long contemplated
the destruction of the world entire — conceiving
new worlds they might make in the aftermath.
Seeing that mankind intended their obliteration,
the Elves opened a gate to a new world. Then, in
a final act, a combining of sorceries and ancient
words, the elven witches fractured the moon
before departing this realm forever. The moon,
as it split apart, disgorged a core of Black Iron
which plummeted to the earth splitting into a
thousand pieces, immolating entire civilisations
and splitting the crust apart. Dust and debris
filled the atmosphere, choking out the light of
the sun, and the contents of the earth spewed to
the surface through the rent, sending forth tidal
waves of magma. Once this had finally settled, as
the ash began to rain from the sky, the ice moved
in to claim the world for its own.
The Land Above
The blasted land, this world of ice, was once
abundant in life. Now it is a barren, frozen waste.
From the vast poisoned forests in the west to the
ash plains in the south, and the frozen sea in the
east, all compass points harbour death.
As for the north, the north is an endless mass of
creeping snow and ice and cold death. A hardy
few seek to survive in the endless tundra, forging
uncertain paths through the snow used by those
traders, slavers and bandits who travel between The majority of the Dragon Tail tribes, however,
the small communities that attempt to endure in have lost themselves to the joy of war and
the ice.
16
A scant few of the human cities still stand, though
they are shrouded in white now, and most are
abandoned. Those that do, house those few Ice
Tribes which remember the old ways, and what
cities were built for. Others provide shelter for
bandits or worse — the abominations crafted by
the Elves, or by cults dedicated to things best left
unnamed. Some of the tribes are willing to trade
with outsiders, exchanging the results of their
hunts for barter. Others don’t bother trading with
those travelling the ever-shifting pathways of
snow; instead, they trade for them. Selling them
to the fighting pits or simply as food. The tundra is
an unremitting place and cannibalism is often the
only way to survive.
Scattered along the way, old signs stand crooked
and point towards what once existed, these signs
now are mostly rotted or broken, but some are
decorated with dead animals nailed to the frozen
wood to warn those that travel the roads that
danger lies nearby and they best beware.
The Western Lands
To the west lie the Dragon Tail mountains,
and in their shadow, the forest once called
Arbren or the Great Wood. Now the forest is a
poisoned, decayed thing and partly marshland,
populated by abominations and marsh wraiths
who worship the God of Rot. The Dragon Tail
Mountains themselves are home to a series of
degenerate tribes, constantly warring for control
of whatever fertile land is left amongst those crags
and outcrops. Some of the tribes opted to move
north, now living upon the claw itself, at a greater
distance from the Rot God and his suppurating
corruption. These tribes are more civilised and
will trade with the last city that stands at the base
of the mountains, their minds untainted by the
sinister oozing song of the rot which seethes in the
heart of the forest.
savagery. Others have given themselves utterly to
the service of the Rot God, their limbs becoming
studded with buboes and their flesh sloughing
away from the bone.
Others have become strangely decadent, their
consumption of human flesh leading them
into ever darker and stranger behaviours. It is
considered fortunate by many that the constant
warfare stops them from ever becoming a threat;
but should the Rot God ever gain sway over all the
tribes in the west, the world would surely tremble
at their coming.

The Eastern Shore

Once home to the twin cities of Chain & Sail,
along with several smaller villages and towns,
who grew fat with the wealth from fishing, the
Eastern Shore now lies entirely abandoned. The
sea, from which these empty places once feasted
has now frozen over entirely. Pack ice swarms the
streets of the coastal conurbations, a thickening
hide which conceals everything it covers. Those
few continuing to live upon the shores worship
strange beings, the things they say they have The Roadsigns
found as they plumb the ice for anything to help
them survive. As you travel the roads of the Pale you
will often find roadsigns that have small
Beneath the ice, things lurk waiting and watching. animals attached to them with shards
Frozen wrecks poke frost-buckled mastheads of bone or splinters of iron hard wood.
through the ice, fuelling rumours of treasures lost The signs are warnings and should be
to the depths. It takes the bravest or most foolish heeded as they could save your lives.
of souls to risk the cold and whatever horrors lurk
beneath the ice. Each of the animals indicate a different
threat:
Amongst the wrecks the Raiders thrive, once
fishermen and whalers now driven mad by the Blackbirds indicate a cult ahead
corruption from deep beneath the sea ice, these Rats indicate cannibal tribes
raiding bands seek out any that stray too close Rabbits indicate Bandits
with net and spear, so they can harvest the fat and Bones indicate fanatics of a Blood Lord
oils. Tree Bark indicates wild animals
Grey or white birds mean safety or a
Rangers hut.
The Shackles
A small, insignificant set of islands off the eastern
coast, considered haunted in the past due to its
abandoned castles and deserted villages. It soon
became a haven for pirates, who use its coves and
caves to hide their ships. The elves quickly took the
island wiping out the pirate threat in a welter of
bloody violence. It soon became apparent that the
Elves had chosen to occupy the island, precisely
because of its isolation.

17
 The Black Iron
As the uprising against the Elves reached its
bloody climax, the forces of mankind launched
an invasion of the Shackles, what was discovered
on the islands drove several soldiers to fling
themselves from the cliff-tops. The Shackles had
been used by the Elves as an artist might use their
studio — to experiment, to attempt that which
might yet yield new, beautiful results. The melding
of beast and humans was attempted, rituals
of dark blood magic and terrible torture in the
name of healing took place within the walls of the
various island’s citadels. In the end, the place was
scourged with fire and steel, though the survivors
of the process would say only that the islands
themselves should have been buried beneath the
ice. Only then could the stains upon existence be
truly cleansed.
The fires did not cleanse everything as many
thought, and the citadels and towers often went
as deep below as they stood tall above. Deep
dungeons held the prized possessions of the Elves,
the Chimeer, those successes of the melding. As
the fires ravaged and weakened the stone, and the
18
ice came making the gates of iron that held them
brittle, many of these Chimeer crawled from the
ruins and their human memories drove some to
seek out others, caring little or not mindful of the
reaction they would receive.
The Claws
The northern mountains are called the claws; they
are home to the more civilised barbarian tribes,
who maintain some of the traditions of the world
as it used to be. This does not stop them, however,
regularly carrying out the Wild Hunt, plunging
across the mountains on their horses, stalking the
wild beasts and monsters which call the jagged
passes of the Claws their home. It is also here,
nestled in the shadow of the claws, that the Last
City can be found. Trade has been established
between the city and the tribes, mainly the tribes
bring skins and ores, and in return, the city
provides corn and steel.
Though tribal members are seen within the
Last city, they are still eyed with suspicion, their
strange appearances and beliefs can make them
stand out amongst the more ‘civilised’ people. It
has been known for tribal members to be accused
of crimes often unfounded and the result of fear or
mistrust of the mountain people.
The Southern Ash Plains
Home to the Ash Nomads who serve the albino
god, the ash plains have managed to keep the ice
at bay and replace it with the ash from the twin
volcanoes that smoke and spew forth their venom
in the form of lava flows. An endless stretch of the
grey desert, the Ash Plains are punctuated only
by the faint, umber gleam of the cinder forests
and ash encrusted ruins of cities. The cities are
fossils, petrified remains of the places that once
offered shelter to thousands. The streets are now
populated by the still-screaming shadows of those
that once called the city home. Few venture into
the morgue-cities as they have become known;
those few that do report that strange things,
now call the places home; flickering shapes shift
between the once-living statues, lurking, always
just unseen.
The Southern Ash Plains
Out in the grey desert, some form of civilisation
is beginning to establish itself. Small towns,
many built on the rubble of places which did not
survive the volcanic eruptions, have been rebuilt,
communities grow, some even prosper, and trade
has been attempted. Contact with the Last City is
impossible except by magic or by Raven, though
it is rare that the messenger survives the journey.
Those that have attempted the journey south in
the hope that it would offer an opportunity or a
better way of life must first navigate the ice of
the northern lands and then the heat of the grey
desert. It remains uncertain whether any have
survived the journey.
The Ash Nomads hunt the cinders for sacrifices
to their god, daubed in the dust from the dunes
they are known to ambush caravans and travellers
by leaping from within the very ash itself. Other
dangers are the Pirates who sail the dunes in
their land ships, powered by the heated air that
fill their ship sails or the slaves that work to turn
the wheels, they bear down on victims swiftly and
without mercy.
19
 The Black Iron
The Last City
‘The Last City is held between two claws’ goes the
saying. In the northern mountains, lies the final
surface redoubt of mankind. The final place where
human beings live, dwell and flourish above
ground. Home to over half a million people, the
Last City, is unique.
The city is a hub of trade providing food and other
resources, both to the cities below ground and the
barbarian tribes inhabiting the nearby mountains.
Those hired by the Black Fort or the City’s many
Guilds are often found within the constantly
defended walls. Sell-swords seeking fame and
wealth, hunters who track down both man and
abomination and Relic Knights looking to redeem
the fallen of the past, all congregate here, waiting
to pass beyond the Final Gate and reclaim the
world. It is said that many even believe that this
is actually possible. Such is the vanity of the Last
City’s populace.
People
As is to be expected in a city so vastly overpopulated,
it’s inhabitants are extremely diverse. Though
mainly human, it is not uncommon to see Vri-
Dael (Half Elves) stalking through the streets or
catch the smell of a Chimeer in the dank avenues.
The city is always awake, and the streets are
constantly busy, with everything in short supply
— most of the citizenry is unemployed, and food
and other basic necessities are never available
in abundance. This results in regular bouts of
significant unrest, with the City Watch and the
Council constantly struggling to keep control and
the people fed.
As refugees continue to arrive from the frozen
wastes, the city has been forced to expand in
order to accommodate them. Bit by bit, buildings
growing out of other buildings, walkways now
criss-cross the streets metres above the ground,
rope bridges extending from towers to platforms,
hundreds of feet above the streets below. The city
swells and splits, metastasising like a tumour.
Brothels, taverns, gambling dens and fighting pits
have all sprung up in the city, and with them a
20
thriving criminal underground. The underworld
doesn’t simply consist of thugs and gangsters.
Hidden cults use the chaos of the City, and
particularly its slums and refugee camps, as a
cover for their activities, performing the most
hideous of rituals to the Blood Lords. These, it
is considered, pose the greatest threat to the
integrity and longevity of the City itself.
1. Refugee Camps
As the world turned to ice thousands flooded to the
Last City, the city quickly became overwhelmed
and the gates were finally shut, those that failed to
make it inside built shelter under the protection of
the city walls and the refugee camps were formed.
The camps now expand outward and have become
a thriving, living organism, many live within the
camps peacefully and some have even created
a trade offering food, basic crafting services and
goods to barter or exchange, but deep in the heart
of the camps crime has taken a hold and gangs rule
with fear, running taverns and brothels, gambling
shacks and even fencing goods and food stolen
from the city itself.
The Silent Guild holds sway and keeps many of
the criminal activity to a minimum, but murders
happen nightly, people are forced from their
homes on a daily basis and many are forced into
prostitution or become dependent on drugs.
The City watch have designated men to watch
the roads leading through the camps in order to
protect traders from the outlying farms or from
below and the mountains, but few of the watch
travel into the camp proper as those that have in
the past often never returned.
2. Merchant District
A walled city within a walled city and unlike the
rest of the city the merchant district has kept
itself similar to how it was before the fall. To enter
through the gates, you would not be remiss to
forget the world outside as life seems to go on as
usual, but underneath this charade of normality is
a dark heart.
 Key
1. Refugee Camps
2. Merchant District
3. Administrative District
4. Temple District
5. Slums
6. Market District

3
6
4

21
 The Black Iron
All goods from the outlying farms and the below
are transported here to be catalogued and stored
in order to make sure the people of the city are
fed, but sometimes this system falls down and
there is not enough to go around and thousands
will go hungry for days while new supplies are
delivered and checked, but is this always the
case? The council and even the Malice have
been investigating corruption for years amongst
the merchant class and their ties to the criminal
underground, often supplies are stockpiled and
then ‘lost’ only to appear on the tables of the
wealthy or the storerooms of the Silent Guild.
Though criminal activity is almost definitely
going on, the merchant district is the safest part
of the city with Guild militia and the City Watch
patrolling the streets and guarding the warehouses
and homes of those that control the food.
Commerce
Coin is rare but is used still, in forms which existed
before the fall. No new coins have been minted in
a long time and those returning from exploring
the wastes having uncovered an old cache of coins
hand it over to the Merchant’s treasury in return
for a promissory note of the same value they can
use with traders, rather than having to establish
the relative worth of the obscure coinage they
find. Most of the coins in circulation are of so
ancient a style that none truly know what they are
worth, judging chiefly by size and weight, and the
metal they are cast in. Copper coins are the most
common, with silver being much rarer. There is,
however, no consistency in availability or exact
value, with coins of bronze, brass and gold being
used.
Barter is often the more efficient form of commerce,
especially for small or travelling traders, as those
still trying to survive outside of the City do not have in human flesh, taken from the backs of those who
access to the continual oversight of the Merchants
Guild. The value of barter is often based upon
their rarity, with the more sought-after items able The Guild’s activities are not limited to the Last
to command higher prices.
22
The Guilds
The guilds are the most powerful organisations
within the Last City, behind only the Council
in terms of direct power, though most believe
that it is the Guilds who truly control things. The
most prominent of the guilds are the Guild of
Merchants, the Guild of Expeditions and the Guild
of Armourers. There are also a number of smaller
guilds, usually linked to their larger brethren.
Rumours, at least amongst those who study the
strange and arcane past of the Last City claim that
there are a number of other, more secretive guilds
whose very existence is still to be determined.
Guild of Merchants
By some distance the largest and most prosperous
of the guilds, the Merchants hold considerable
political and public power within the City. The
guild of Merchants deals with the trade and
distribution of food and other goods as their name
indicates. This includes exerting tight control over
the growth of grains, fruit and vegetables, the
keeping of livestock and the manufacture of bread,
beer and wine. The Merchants also control the
influx of goods into the City; while they may not
have the power to prevent an individual’s entry
to the City, they can rightfully claim everything
that an individual possesses. Unsurprisingly,
this right has ensured that they are both loathed
and so wealthy that being loathed doesn’t really
concern the Guild at all. This wealth is further
supplemented by the fact that all the trade stores
within the precinct of the City are managed by
guild members, who pay extortionate taxes from
the sale of goods. This has led to a flourishing
black market which the Merchants expend a
great deal of effort tracking and destroying. The
punishments for being caught trading without
Guild Sanction are…brutal, to say the least. It is
said that the great ledgers of the Guild are bound
attempted to avoid paying their tithes.
City, though their power is less inviolate elsewhere.
Merchants representatives also operate in the
subterranean Dwarven tomb-cities, and there are
even a few who travel to the barbarian citadels.
Most travelling traders at least pretend to belong
to the Guild, banking on the slim measure of
protection which such a membership conveys.
The Merchants protect their own. Those, however,
who would seek to stand on their own, without the
interference of the Guild, are rarely so fortunate.
There have been many sudden and unexplained
fires in the houses of those who refused to pledge
their loyalty and money to the Merchants. Family
members are known to disappear, leaving behind
only traces of blood and the odd severed ear. The
Guild of Merchants is a powerful friend. And a
deadly enemy.
Guild of Expeditions
Begun as a way of finally extorting some money
back from the Merchants, the Guild of Expeditions
supervises all travel from the Last City which
seeks to explore and exploit the wastes. Initially,
the Finders (as members are often called) was a
group of mercenaries who offered protection to
the Merchants who left the city regularly. This
proved sufficiently lucrative that the Guild soon
established itself as a permanent organisation,
determining the safest routes through the tundra,
establishing a few outposts where travellers could
rest and restore. During this gradual emergence,
the Finders soon noticed something else — that
all goods brought into the city as the possession
of an individual came under the purview of the
Merchants. But this did not count if the individual
left the City with nothing and returned having
found something. This arcane loophole provided
the Finders with a new way to procure money
and power, and it soon seized on it, petitioning
the Council to provide them with full sovereignty
over anything salvaged from the waste. While the
Merchants were initially incensed, the additional
protective services which the Finders provided
meant that there was little opposition (though a few
assassinations on both sides indicated the general
feeling). Since then, the Finders have become the
second guild in the city, forming one half of the
bloc which ultimately rules the Last City. Where
the Merchants control the politics of the City, the
Finders have much of the manpower. The Finders
offer regular and well-paid employment to many
of the mercenaries and soldiers who live within
the City or pass through. The Finders are less
punitive about those operating outside of their
influence…anything they find can be seized at the
gates, goes the reasoning, and the Guild has not
had to pay anything for armour or resources…a
perfect arrangement.
Guild of Armourers
The fall of the world made it difficult to find the
ores needed to create new weapons and armour,
so the armourer’s guild now concentrate on
repairing and reforging what gear is available
or can be found. The Black Iron which now lies
scattered across the land has become a much
sought-after commodity, capable of containing
potent magic while retaining its strength and
sharpness far surpasses that of even the finest
and carefully wrought steel. The Armourers have
spent decades carefully studying the substance,
defining its properties and uses. The Guild
trains and supports smiths and armourers in the
City, and those who operate beneath the earth’s
surface. The demand for Black Iron goods has
ensured that the Armourers have a continual
and impressive income, more than enough to
secure their ongoing survival and influence. The
Armourers are a far more insular guild than either
the Merchants or the Finders, but they are only
marginally less influential. As they often remind
those who would deny them their requests — who
will you turn to when the hordes of abominations
reach our gates? The Merchants?
Other Guilds
Mages Guild – A small, unassuming building
close to the gate of the City houses the Mages’
Guild. While the building is opulent and carefully
attended, it does not truly house a Guild. Instead,
those Mages who make it to the City are tended to
here, before they begin their next journey to the
Black Fort. The Guild also acts as an embassy for
the Black Fort, ensuring communication remains
swift and effective.
Silent Guild – The Silent Guild (or the Thieves
Guild, as it is referred to, in whispers) does not
exist officially, but there is no denying that there
is a certain level of organisation amongst some
of the criminal classes in the city. Those thieves
entering the city must follow the marks that grace
23
 The Black Iron

door frames, hitching posts and other places to

one of the many locations the guild control, before
announcing their arrival and intent. Thieves
operating within the city without the say-so of the
Affiliation are usually deprived of their hands. The
unluckiest are deprived of other appendages as
well.

Assassins Guild –More a network than a guild,

each assassin (and there is no agreement on how
many actually reside within the City) acts as a
Mages Guild private enterprise, earning contracts based on
their reputation or on their particular specialties.
This system keeps the Assassins protected, as
none are known to another, and so no one can
betray or influence the whole.

Assassins receive their contracts at hidden drops

across the cities both above and below. No one
knows who places the contracts within the drops.

Those who wish to place a contract leave the

Silent Guid name of the target and their intended price at
an empty table in a tavern — The Iron Hand. The
commission disappears and reappears in the
assassin’s drop points. Any assassin may accept
a contract, placing their sigil on the contract to
indicate acceptance. Multiple assassins might
accept the same contract, with the first to succeed
receiving the payment. It is not unknown for small
scale assassin wars to break out in the gantries and
suspended walkways of the City, as killers seek to
claim an especially profitable reward.
Assassins Guild
Warriors Guild – More a mercenary guild for sell-
swords, pit fighters and bodyguards than anything
as reputable as the name guild implies. Its
quarters are, in essence, barracks — training halls
and sleeping quarters, along with a rough space
in which business can be conducted. There is no
training facility here; those who join the Guild
must be sufficiently competent with the blade
to justify their position. Or else, they are likely to
Warriors Guild be quickly killed. There is a forge and armoury,
where those who are able to pay can have their
gear repaired or upgraded.

Members of the guild are expected to act

(relatively) honourably, fulfilling any contract they

24
take on and ensuring the safety of their clients.
Guild membership is revoked if the masters feel
that someone has brought dishonour to the guild.
3. Administrative District
The beating heart of the city, home to the council
and the voiceless King. The militia barracks and
Grey Ranger headquarters can also be found here
along with the jails and gallows park. Though one
of the more secure areas of the city it is still a place
where crimes are committed openly, beggars can
be seen, crippled and diseased praying and crying
out to now dead gods and those that would try to
bring the city to its knees attempt to destroy the
council and the Remnants that called the district
home.
Those that wish to leave the city on ‘official
business congregate here at the militia barracks
for council warrants allowing them access to
and from the city and beyond the sun spires or
through the dwarven gates to the below. The
warrants have a seal and allow the bearer various
legal rights within and beyond the city walls, these
warrants are valuable and much sought after and
the council do not hand them out easily.
The Grand Library
Once a cathedral to now-dead gods (whose
names have been carefully removed from all
statues, books and works of art that once bore
them), the grand library is now a vast archive.
Here, all that survives of human writing, poetry,
science and magic is kept and endlessly copied, in
the hope that the memory of what once was will
never be lost. It is also a repository of any and all
written works found beyond the walls; anything
retrieved from the Pale lands which might contain
knowledge of the past is brought here. Books,
scrolls, notes, maps all find a home within the
walls of the library. Many of these works are in
tongues ancient and lost, alien or esoteric. The
untranslatable tongue of the long dead Dwarves,
the secret language of Elves and the guttural
words of the Giants, all await to be deciphered
and studied.
this duty: the librarians. The librarians are known
for the strange, trance-like state in which they
wait to be approached; none can say how such
a fugue is achieved, though many whisper of
strange drugs or incantations learned from the
books all around them. Others claim that simply
25
 The Black Iron

being able to read at all induce such reveries. 4. Temple District

Those who would know the answer to a question Established religion crumbled after the fall
must present a librarian with a suitable offering when those that had fled to the Last City or the
(usually food). The librarian will then wander below began to place their faith in the Mages (in
to one of the hundreds of shelves and select, particular the Pyromancers) of the Black Fort to
apparently at random, a tome, before reading hold back the encroaching ice, which they did and
the answer to the supplicant. Other visitors to the continue to do with the Sun spires. The Temples at
library extract a book from the shelves and bring it first called this faith in magic blasphemous, but as
to a librarian, simply to hear language read aloud. time went on and the gods did not return or even
Each librarian is fluent in all of the languages seem to care the temples became quiet.
contained within the various books under their
charge. This is achieved through the Remnant — Many priests were killed after the fall mainly for
one of the most mysterious and obscure beings their willingness to allow the elves to perform
in creation. A series of tentacles extend from the their atrocities, people began to ask difficult
bizarre contrivance which is connected to the questions when the temples opened their doors
mosaic ceiling of the Library. The central element for the refugees, why had the priests and the gods
of the creature is a mass of scaly flesh and bone. not intervened against the elves, where was their
From this central point extend a series of sinuous help when it was needed? It was believed that
tentacles, spread throughout the building and greed had silenced the temples that and a lack of
plugged into a librarian’s cranium, through a faith in their own teachings.
single hole at the base of the skull. Through this
strange creature, the librarians are able to share The Temple district is now mostly free of the
ancient knowledge, communing with the past, original religious beliefs, but the area is still
so that others can unravel its various mysteries. considered a holy place and many new religions
Strangely, it is not the connection with the and cults can be seen there. Doom-sayers hawk
Remnant that grants the librarians the dreamlike their prophecies and warnings from atop the
lack of focus. temple steps, seers blind and chained still beg for
food and pity on the street corners and refugees
The Council still fill the temples. At night strange rituals take
The city is ‘ruled’ by a council which decides upon place and it is not unknown to see a Relic Knight
laws and the day-to-day issues that the city faces. entering the district after the midnight bell to hunt
The council is made up of twelve members, one of heretics, abominations and disciples of the Blood
which is always a representative of the Black Fort. Lords.
Five are merchants, two are from the city guard
and the military arm of the city, and the final Faith
remaining members represent the three largest With the death of the gods — or at least their
guilds. disappearance — faith and worship is either
non-existent or has been warped, distorted.
The Council is often accused of corruption, with Besides the cults, performing their sinister work
various decisions being challenged or railed in the shadows, the city is home to a number of
against by the masses, as laws are passed that religious orders of varying sizes and influence.
only benefit a handful, or ration cuts are enforced The following are the more prominent orders, but
for all but the wealthy few. Despite this, in the 45 the variation and number of different religious
years that the council has existed, there have only beliefs are extensive.
been two successfully completed assassinations.
Many roles in the city carry much higher mortality Children of the Old Gods
rates. A small order, made up of mostly scholars who
believe that the gods never died. Instead, they

26
merely went into solitude until such times the
people of the land can prove themselves worthy of
their return. The order is rarely seen on the streets
of the city preaching. They prefer to sequester
themselves in the library, composing eloquent
homilies, which attest to the need for man to
curb their sinful ways, in order to entice the
gods to return. Few bother to read these verbose
texts, though the closeness of the Children to the
Remnant is enough to convince many that they
are keepers of some form of truth.
Order of Bones
Even more rarely seen in the City, the Order of
Bones only make the perilous journey to the Last
City when in desperate need of supplies. Part of
their doctrine, and faith, requires the order to
make their home within the bones of the dead
giants, still scattered across the land. As to what the
Order of Bones actually believes, few are able to
say. Paranoid about the importance of preserving
the secrecy of their beliefs. At some point in the
last two centuries, the order developed their own
language. The language is indecipherable to any
without access to the order’s inner mysteries. The
order claims it has access to the most ancient and
insightful of all religious texts — those that are
etched into the bones of the giants themselves.
Whether this is true or not is really unknown;
what is known is that the Order of Bones is split
into two sects. One, the Unfallen, believe that
the texts were written onto the skeletons of the
giants at the moment of their creation. The other,
the Remainders, believe that the words were
engraved after the giant’s death. While the sects
are theologically opposed, they tend to work
together without a great deal of animosity. Or at
least, this appears to be the case when they visit
the City; in their homes, within the temples of
nude bone, brutal conflicts are routinely fought.
Disciples of the Daer
The Disciples of the Daer are outlawed within
the City limits, as they worship the Elves that
fractured the moon. What their actual beliefs
are, none have, as yet, troubled to find out. Their
religious practices, however, are horrifyingly easy
to discern. They perform strange, crude surgeries
on themselves, scarring their flesh and making
clumsy attempts to graft the limbs of wild animals
onto themselves and others. The Disciples were
discovered after a number of people had gone
missing in the slums, and witnesses told stories
of strange creatures stalking the alleys. The order
had established itself in a temple of the Old
Gods, long since abandoned, where they had
been experimenting on themselves and others.
The explanation for these peculiar experiments,
extracted under torture, was a twisted attempt
to learn the secrets of Elvish science. The order
officially no longer exists in the City but sightings
and the number of missing people, stolen from
the slums, suggest otherwise.
5. The Slums
As with all great cities, there are those that have
and those that have not. In the Last City, such a
divide is impossible to miss and, there are very few
who have anything. When the moon fractured and
the world responded with devastating volcanic
upheaval, earthquakes and tidal waves, thousands
fled north to the Last City and the gateways to the
land below. As the gates to the forsaken Dwarven
burrows were shut, thousands still clamoured for
safety. There was little within the City to sustain
them, but there was, at least, space. Within the
open areas of the Last City — those places which
had once been the pleasure gardens and plazas for
the wealthy — crude houses and streets began to
grow, built from whatever could be scrounged or
stolen. Over time, the slums continued to expand,
becoming a sprawling morass of crumbling
tenements and swaying, toppling edifices, in
which thousands live and die. Ramshackle houses
piled one upon another, narrow streets like open
sewers and a population which has given up on
being anything other than tired and oppressed.
Murder, rape and theft are the only real currency
in the slums.
These quickly extended to the refugee camps
outside the city walls, a vast field of tents, huts
and ramshackle hovels. Those that cannot get
through the city gates end up here at the mercy of
criminals, disease, cold and hunger.
27
 The Black Iron
The Beggar Lords
The slums have many beggars and these
unfortunates are often not what they
seem. Spies and what are referred to as
Mockers are on every street corners, often
disguised as beggars. These mockers
watch the city streets for anyone breaking
the rules of the Silent Guild or for any
information they feel is pertinent to the
guild and its interests.
These beggars and along with them many
others are almost a guild of their own,
with heirachy and rules. Earning the
favour and trust of the Beggar Lords can
be extremely helpful in a city slums where
life is cheap and danger lurks on every
corner.
28
The Rot Within
The overflow to the refugee camps from the slums
has created issues with security and the integrity of
the walls of the city, with sewers running beneath
the streets and into the rivers, many that now have
dried up these tunnels now provide a way into the
city from the outside. This has led to many threats
entering the city via the slums.
Many of these threats come in the form of cults
and spies for the Blood Lords, other threats are
corrupted individuals seeking shelter or to satisfy
some need or desire. These infiltrations have
made the slums even more dangerous and it is not
unheard of for hired swords to enter the slums on
guild sanctioned ‘purges hunting down those that
are deemed a danger to the people and safety of
the city.
6. Market District
The central market centre of the city, this was once
a thriving square catering to the needs of many but
now is a mere shadow of its former self. Hunters
trade their skins, bottles of fat and carved bone
gewgaws to whomever shows an interest, crafters
sell weapons and armours of an often-low grade
beside tools for farming or re-purposed objects of
interest. The odd enterprising scavenger may offer
items from below or found out beyond the spires.
The more popular traders are those selling
ingredients or potions they claim can cure
corruption, keep away horrors or magically makes
one wealthy, but often guards from the Black Fort
either shut these down or strong-arm the trader
to the Mages never to be seen again. It is also
not unheard of to find people selling their skills,
scouts, smiths, navigators and even novice mages
have been known to sell their particular expertise
to those planning on entering the Pale or exploring
the lost roads below.
 Crime & Punishment
Crime is rampant in the City, and as more and
more refugees arrive, the more overcrowded the
City becomes. Desperation, hunger and dwindling
resources has led to an increase in murder, rape
and theft. A City so overcrowded has no space for
cells and so other punishments had to be decided
upon. Petty crimes typically lead to banishment
from the city or being sent to the Gray Order. More
serious crime leads to death or dismemberment
— murder or rape results in hanging or beheading.
Lesser crimes like theft lead to the removal of a
hand or ear.
The slums deal with crime in their own way, not
bothering with the city watch or the guilds. Trials
and legality take much too long a time to provide
a resolution to crime. It is not unheard of for mobs
to burn or impale criminals on the streets as a
warning to others. The only exception to this are
members of the Silent Guild who, if hunted, are
protected by the guild. The thief council simply
steps in and ‘pays’ their respects to the family of
the victim, making it all go away.
With all things, the larger guilds seem to be above
the law, avoiding the consequences of their crimes
whatever they may be. This has caused significant
disputes and a number of active calls to restrict
the power of the guilds. The guilds, however, have
managed to suppress many of these claims. Such
are the advantages of wealth and influence.
The Gray Order
An order of criminals given the task of patrolling
the border of the ice and to maintaining the sun
spires, the Gray Order are those unfortunates
press-ganged into protecting the City they are
excluded from. They are often seen marching
along the few roads leading to the city, protecting
travellers and refugees from the depredations of
bandits…and much darker things. The Gray Order
is composed of two parts the first being the Militia
— those condemned to walk the ice border. The
second are the Rangers who search the forests and
fields for criminals and bandits whilst keeping the
roads safe.
The rangers are often not criminals at all but
Hunters who have offered their particular skills
to keep the city safe. Very few prisoners have the
skills needed to survive the pale or even be called
a ranger. Even though the rangers are still part of
the Gray Order there has been calls to separate
the two so that rangers are given the respect they
deserve.
City Militia
The militia are often no better than common thugs
with only the most desperate joining the militia,
which is a dangerous profession that pays badly
(three square meals and a roof in the form of a
barracks) and garners little respect.
Of course like all things there are some good
amongst the bad and certain members of the
militia wish to see the city prosper and for it not
to fall into anarchy and corruption which would
surely happen if they were not there to keep a
balance. The militia are seen much more often
and in a much better state in the administration
areas of the city, with infrequent patrols of brutish
militia patrolling the slums.
The Black Fort
Two leagues west of the last city stands the Black
Fort, true home to the Mages. Home to those who
hold the ice back, for as long as they can. The
Fort itself is, as the name suggests, a dark and
brooding place; a fortress-built centuries before
to protect the north from barbarian tribes. The
Black Fort teaches those with the innate ability to
wield magic, inculcating those talented few who
survive long enough to receive tutelage of the arts
of Pyromancy, Necromancy and Sorcery.
With the coming of the ice, Pyromancy becomes
the most vital of the Arts. Without it, the Last City
would cease to exist, and the surface would be
surrendered to the ice and to the Blood Lords.
Pyromancy is also what lights the roads Below,
preserving that civilisation and ensuring that it
does not tumble into anarchy, and it has been
wielded as a weapon against corruption for
decades. Those that study the flame do so in
29
 The Black Iron
full knowledge of their fate; they will eventually
become flame themselves. The fire gradually
consumes those who wield it, but it is a future
many are willing to accept.
Necromancy’s place within the Black Fort remains
controversial. For an age, the study of the art of
death was forbidden. When the prohibition was
eventually relaxed, those who practiced the art
did so under strict guidelines, demanding that
the art only be used for the healing of others. This
led to extraordinary advancements in medicine,
with Necromancers able to perform miraculous
surgical operations, including the reattachment
of severed limbs and the resurrection of the dead.
These activities fell within the areas of permitted
study, but the experimental processes used to
30
achieve the ideal magical method were far less
salubrious. Many Necromancers within the Black
Fort kept corpses which they continually killed
and reanimated, trying each time to restore the
dead to full life, rather than to a state of shambling
movement. Other experiments were conducted
on those whose brains had deteriorated to the
point that they were mindless slaves to the
Necromancer. When discovered, such practices
were violently repressed, though rumours insist
that such practices continue today. These same
rumours make claims about other directions
the Necromancers explored, and there are tales
recounted by refugees who reach the City of
golems, prowling the night attacking livestock
and person alike. There are even accusations of
the use of recovered Elvish texts to guide magical
research, though the Mages angrily refute such
insinuations.
Novices
Every year dozens of men and women, boys and
girls attempt to earn the rank of novice in order
to join the Mages and enter the walls of the Black
Fort to study the various forms of magic taught
there. Some of these do indeed become novices,
some are sent away, and others are never heard
from again.
The role of a novice is hard and can take many years
before they become recognised as a fully-fledged
mage of the particular art they are instructed in.
Study within the Black Fort covers a multitude
of skills including the healing arts, alchemy,
The Black Fort
academia and history. Novices are encouraged to
see the world and experience the threats it offers,
this is a dangerous instruction to enforce as many
novices have died in the wastes, but many mages
in the Black Fort believe that it is necessary to
understand the dangers of magic.
The Sun Spires
Created by the Pyromancers of the Black Fort
these spires keep the ice at bay and allow the Last
city to grow food and the many refugees to build
shelters outside the city walls. It is said that twelve
pyromancers gave up their lives to build the spires
and that their burning hearts lie at the centre of
each one.
31
 The Black Iron
The Spires also have sorceries etched into their
structure which repels abnormalities from
crossing the border of ice, these dark powers are
ancient and are said to be the words created by
the giants, others claim that the Mages twisted
Elven sorcery to act against itself which is how
those created by the elves cannot cross.
The Black Order checks on the spires during
their patrols as often they have been attacked in
order to push them over and quench the flames
in ice or have been daubed with blasphemous
text in an attempt to nullify the magic’s within.
But the magic’s are woven tight, with threads like
a web criss-crossing each one, and nothing will
extinguish the flame of a Pyromancers heart.
The Pale Lands
Between the border of the lands surrounding
the Last City and the Ash Lands in the south lies
hundreds of miles of ice and snow, dead forests
and ruined cities. These lands are hazardous in
so many ways it is hard to pinpoint one above the
other, but if the cold, starvation, or dehydration
doesn’t kill you the bandits, corrupted wild beasts,
cultists and abominations to name a few surely
will.
Cults and Threats
The frozen world beyond the Last City is a land
of danger; wild beasts hunt the forests and snow
plains, abominations hide in the dark places,
bandits and slavers make life hard for travellers
and those trying to survive in the wastes. When
the Blood Lords rose, many saw them as new
gods, created in the image of those deities long
dead. The power and ferocity with which the
Blood Lords forged themselves, fiefdoms quickly
drew believers, who saw, in their new masters,
salvation. And, where there is a belief, there is
someone to take advantage of it. Cults dedicated
to the Blood Lords quickly sprang to ugly life. The
cults themselves are brutal things, predicated on
a ruthless commitment to their respective Blood
Lord and the infliction of punishment on any who
do not believe.
32
The Relic Knights
As the Black Iron fell, in screaming shreds from
the sky, the armies of man died in their thousands.
These killing fields are all now covered by snow.
Those who rode forth against the Elves are
commemorated in endless songs, poems, and
paintings. The little joy left to those who inhabit the
slums of the Last City, or congregate in the Land
Below, are the stories of the Knightly Orders. The
greatest and most terrible of mankind’s warriors.
Always in the vanguard when battle was joined,
none survived the Elves’ final trick. There were
only corpses to attest to their valour and, soon
after, these two vanished beneath the endlessly
falling snow. And so, they wait, encased in ice.
The order of the Relic Knights began with the
belief that the return of the Orders was the only
means by which mankind could be saved. Those
who wish to become a Relic Knight must search
the battlefields of the past, digging through the
snow to find the bodies of their forebears and take
from them their armour. Once a complete suit of
knight’s armour has been assembled, the owner is
ready to be inducted into the Order. Though small
in number, the Relic Knights are widely loved and
supported; few of them pay for food or struggle
to find accommodation, so long as they are seen
to conduct themselves as Knights should. Such
behaviour — protecting the weak, warring against
tyranny, offering mercy — is unconducive to
a long life, after all, and those who follow such
codes are to be rewarded.
There are many that believe the knights have
long gone and should be left in peace beneath
the snow, that those that seek out to revive the
order are deluded or in some way corrupted. That
these so-called Relic Knights are mere shadows
of what was and that those that rummage in the
ice seeking the armour of the dead are not only
stealing but committing sacrilege. But to enter
a battlefield and risk the danger of the carrion
eaters and the abominations that wander those
dark places in order to revive a once honourable
order is seen by many as bravery itself tempered
with a sense of justice and conviction that should
be respected.
The Remnant
The Remnant are an anomaly, totally alien and
able to speak and exert powerful control, via
telepathy. They have never explained their sudden
appearance or their motivation, yet without the
knowledge and guidance they provide, mankind
would almost certainly be extinct.

Were the Remnant disturbed by the Elvish

madness, awoken from some aeons long slumber
by the falling Black Iron? Those few who have
confronted the Remnant with sword and flame
scream that the Remnant are memories of
mankind’s sins incarnated to punish us. Others,
those who have spent long hours studying the
surviving ancient tomes have a radically different
thesis. The Remnant are watchers, guardians,
placed in the earth by the long dead gods, to
preserve humanity and keep the darkness at The Fallen Gods
bay. They are said to be ancient and all-knowing,
guardians of those that came from the fall. It is There are some that believe that when
unknown how the Remnant sustain themselves, the Black Iron fell that it passed through
but many have claimed it is from the dreams and the realm of the gods and destroyed their
thoughts of men, but access to their power offers home, many gods perished but some fell to
so much, even this is acceptable. the earth below and these are the Remnant.
This belief like so many is unproven, but
It is said that there are six Remnant. The one that what has made many consider it as fact is
resides within the grand library is unique, living that the belief continues to also include the
on the thoughts and dreams of the librarians. The Blood Lords and the theory held that in all
librarians claim it is for this reason, they are able to things there must be balance.
commune with it, their energy does not infuse and
sustain it but instead act as a catalyst, awakening The fall of the Remnant summoned the
some other form of being within the Remnant Blood Lords from deep within the earth
itself. It is also said that another Remnant resides where the purest strain of the giant’s blood
within the chambers of the council, although this seeped.
has never been proven; the fact that almost no
successful assassinations have ever been carried
out against any member of the council does,
however, indicate some measure of protection for
its members. A third is placed in the city below.
A fourth is said to have been aboard a ship when
the ice arrived, consuming the sea and that both
the Remnant and the ship that bore it, lie lost on
the ocean of tears, trapped in frozen waters. The
fifth and sixth are lost, but alive their life force is
felt by the known Remnant, within the Library.
The Library, with the assistance of the Council,
has sent a number of expeditions to recover these
lost creatures who may prove pivotal to man’s
survival, but without success.
33
 The Black Iron
The Remnant are presumed to have their own
agents, who act on their behalf directly. While
few truly know this to be the case, most assume
it must be. And they are right. Called the Malice,
the Remnant select their pawns from among the
Chimeer and those corrupted by darkness. Why
they choose such broken and degenerate beings
to pursue the their goals is unknown; speculation
amongst those few sufficiently well-informed
to recognise the Remnant’s plans presume it is
dictated by some strange, alien sense of pity or
they are simply easier to control. The Remnant
never speaks of the Malice, but continue to send
their agents on deadly missions, to find tokens
and talisman of the world before, or to spy on cities
under the sway of the Blood Lords. The Malice
allows the Remnant to stretch forth across the
land, pursuing their increasingly obscure goals.
The Known Cities of
the Pale
With the Black Iron came destruction and the loss
of knowledge. Some of this knowledge included
the maps that were held in noble houses of the
known lands and the cities that could be found
there. For many, these maps were invaluable, but
to others, they were a fancy, an indulgence of the
wealthy, and all they knew were the roads and the
direction to travel in. Now with the ice and snow,
even these are not reliable.
Those that choose to travel beyond the protection
of the city and the Sun Spires enter a wasteland
without form; the snow has covered most roads
and landmarks less than the size of a town or city
have become buried. Road markers are lost, and
roadside taverns deserted or torn down. Travellers
are asked to keep records of their travels and to
mark locations of cities or even features of the
landscape that can aid other travellers to navigate
their way, and maps of this kind are highly prized
by the Grand Library and others.
What follows is a list of cities that are known and a
rough location of where they can be found along
with any landmarks that will be seen nearby.
34
Varsara – City of Sails
The city had the largest harbour on the Eastern
coast and was a bustling merchant city before the
fall, now it stands desolate and ice bound. The
harbour is a graveyard of rotted hulls and broken
masts, caught in the frozen waters. Inhabited
by the ice tribes who guard the city against the
Reavers further out who worship the Blood Lord
Barston.
Location – Eastern Shore
Distance from the Last City – 40 Leagues
Old Lighthouse
The lighthouse juts from an outreach of rock a
few miles off the eastern coast. The lower levels
encrusted in ice and the light that once guided
ships to the harbour of Varsara now dark. Some
say the lighthouse is occupied, that strange lights
and sounds have been heard by the tribes as they
hunt the frozen sea, many of whom see the old
lighthouse as haunted.
Lortumia – City of Chains
The twin city to Varsara and itself a bustling trade
port, Lortumia became famous for its trade in
slaves. The city was the scene of a major battle
before the fall and the fields outside its gates are
said to be littered with the dead. The elves trade
in humans was a major factor behind the war
that led to the long winter. The city is now home
to the Blood Lord Laidon, and the trade in flesh
continues.
Location – Eastern Shore
Distance from the Last City – 90 Leagues
The Forest of Wrecks
The forest of wrecks stretches across the eastern
shore, 10 leagues from the coastline, it moves
up the coast and encompasses the Shackles and
ends 10 leagues beyond the city of Lortumia. This
is the home to pirates and Reavers, killers and
worshippers of Barston. When the war began, and
the Black iron fell, many tried to flee via ship, and
these met their fate facing tsunamis and ice.
Barche – City of Arenas
The city that held the grand arena that entertained
the elves with gladiatorial battles, beast slaughter
and various other cruelties. The city is now home
to Xertin and his pallid; the arena’s still function
as Xertin’s Worshippers scour the land for
victims to be flung in the pits for the blood lord’s
entertainment.
Location – Eastern Lands
Distance from Last City - 120 Leagues
The Great Wood
In the west close to the mountains of the Dragons
Tail is the Great Wood, once a vibrant forest used
for hunting and the gathering of herbs. It is now
poisoned and rotted, home to abominations and
bandits.
Antria – City of Gems
For those that brave the Ash Plains, the first city
they find will be Antria, built on trade from gem
mining, Antria was once the wealthiest city in the
land. Now the city is home to bandits and slavers
who describe Antria as a free city, but it is far from
free, gripped in the thrall of crime and corruption.
Travellers can stay in the city, but they do so at
their own risk, the city has laws, but these are
very flexible and often ignored depending on the
circumstances.
There is trade in the cities, but this comes with a tax
that must be paid and often prices items outside
the reach or beyond that of other trade cities.
To travel the Ash Plains, a visit to the city is a must
if it is only for supplies to get you to your final
destination.
Location – Southern Lands
Distance from the Last City – 230 Leagues
Crimson Citadel
Called the Crimson Citadel for the amount of dead
and dying that grace its walls, and can be found
crucified along its many roads, the citadel is home
to Axas, greatest of the Blood Lords.
The Dead Marsh
Where the ice begins to melt stands the dead
marsh, 30 leagues of bog and swamp that stretches
the boarder of the ash fields and acts as a natural
border (warning) to all those travelling to the
desert of dust beyond. The marsh is the domain
of Nicran, lord of the Wights that infest this marsh.
The Holy City
The largest city and the second to fall during the
war, the holy city was the hub of elven science
and belief, and it was here that the black iron was
summoned. Outside the walls is the league of the
dead, a mass battlefield of corpses buried beneath
the snow and ice. The area is filled with carrion,
scavengers, corpse eaters and those that wish to
take up the mantle of the Relic Knights. The city
itself is said to be cursed, home to dark magic’s
left unchecked, ghosts of the vile elves and huge
sentries said to be formed by sorcery and the
bones of those that died on the chirgeon slabs.
Distance from the Last City – 50 League
The Bone Field
South East of the last city can be found the field of
bones, a vast graveyard of giants, now just bone.
These granite-like protrusions have become the
temples and bastions of strange cults and bandits.
Deep within where the corruption is at it’s
strongest is the cathedral to the flesh and home to
the Blood Lord Kial. The abominations that serve
the Blood Lord search amongst the bones for
victims and ancient devices to aid the blood lord
in his experiments.
Distance from the Last City – 90 Leagues
35
 The Black Iron

Vorne – City of Spires

The city began as a single tower, a construction
of vanity by a wealthy elf, and it soon became a
thousand. Also called the city without walls the
people of Vorne lived in the clouds, or as close
as they could. The spires connected by glass and
steel that lit up with alchemical globes at night
which could be seen for hundreds of leagues in all
directions. Access was from glass boxes lifted by
chains operated by slaves.
The spires still stand, some of the bridges that
connected one to another are broken or buckled,
the glass boxes that once ascended the spire
powered by the sweat of the oppressed now stand
dormant and unusable. It is said that much wealth
and knowledge lies unreachable far above, and
that the towers were held together with magic still
active, but as yet no one has managed to gain entry
even though the Black Fort and many of the guilds
have offered rewards for many of the objects said
to be held there.
Distance from Last City – 30 Leagues
Landmarks & Places
The Pale is littered with old temples, ruined
roadside Inns and villages and even small towns.
Those exploring the Pale may also find Ranger
huts, Bandit camps or even cultist covens.
Travelling along the roads will bring its own
dangers with slaver caravans, ambushes and even
soldiers of the Blood Lords.
Small forests, marshes and other natural dangers
will be encountered, and as you travel closer to
the sea, thin ice can often drop the unwary into an
estuary or river bringing about death very quickly
in the icy waters.
Travelling the mountains is often safer in regards
to some environmental threats, but there are
many other dangers that will replace them,
barbarian tribes, cannibals, wild animals and
corrupted horrors stalk the cliffs and falling is a
serious hazard.
The Land Below
As the moon fractured and the land tore itself
apart, many fled the surface for the ancient world
below, home of the long dead dwarves. This was a
perilous choice none had ventured into the Dwarf
holds for a long time. No one knew what lurked
in the darkness, and whether the potential death
which awaited them in the Land Below was any
better than the certain death which would come
to them on the surface. Many were consumed by
fell things in the unexplored passages beneath.
More, however, survived and found the dwarven
cities intact and magnificently built. The dwarves
may have died thousands of years ago, but their
cities remained, along with many of the unusual
technologies created to secure them.
The social order which had existed on the surface
quickly imported itself to the Land Below; the
first to establish themselves in the dwarven cities
were the wealthy families, able to hire guards and
workers, to create well defended and protected
estates, cannibalising the existing architecture
and using these positions of power to assert
authority over those who elected to live nearby.
Despite the decades spent by man in the Land
Below, there are many dark places and tunnels still
unexplored. Fear over the strange things which
wait and fester in the hidden regions of the Land
Below has rendered the population increasingly
insular and reserved. In the early years, regular
expeditions through the tunnels were carried
out. Now, almost no new ground is examined
or explored. Instead, the defences of the cities
are reinforced and perfected, with the dwarven
technologies augmented. Tunnel spanning
doors, moats and collapsible bridges prevent the
unwanted from entering, and many are content
to stay in the cities or to only walk the protected
and illuminated routes, desperate to believe that
nothing exists beyond the light.

38
Roads in the Darkness
The cities are linked by roadways, many of the cities
have had these roads patrolled and lit with help
from the Black Fort. The roads are still dangerous
and travel from one city to the next can take days.
Often, shorter routes are available but require the
use of roads leading through crumbling passages,
or places which the dwarves walled off.
The roads are also home to the vagrant camps;
even in the Land Below, there is not enough
space for all to live in comfort. Those who fled the
world above and were not part of a noble family
or had nothing to offer their new rulers have been
forced to subsist, as they can, within the labyrinth
beneath the earth. These camps are typically set up
in old dwarven mining complexes or way-stations.
Many are off the roads and are at constant threat
from the creatures that live deep in the caves and
mines. These vagrants offer themselves as guides
for those wishing to risk the quicker routes to the
cities, exchanging their hard-won expertise for
food. With little edible in the Land Below, food is
always scarce for those who have no place in the
cities. Such guides are however, rarely entirely
reliable. Sometimes, their charge reaches their
destination safely; sometimes, they enter the dark
never to be seen again. A vagrant family often eats
well on such days.
As a road gets closer to a city patrols will appear,
gates and doors barring the way and requests
must be made for the way to be opened. Each city
has its different laws, and tolls for entry. Traders
are usually known and possess a Merchants
Guild license, allowing swift access. Messengers
and explorers are usually hirelings, retained by
a family, carrying their seal to show they have
permission to pass. Obviously, depending on the
city, possession of such a seal may be a hindrance
as much as a boon.
Most roads are well made and easy to travel on
and in some areas taverns and inns have been set
up; these are still rare but have begun to be more
widespread as families do not want to seem less
benevolent than others. Such rivalries run deep as
the dwarven mines, dating back to the first years
after the fall.
The Lost Cities
There are currently five occupied cities in the Land
Below, each with a population in the hundreds of
thousands. The cities, being of dwarven build are
strong but built for smaller people, which means
that many of the doorways force people to duck
in order to enter, that windows are lower than
normal, and ceilings often have to be raised for
comfort.
A dwarven city is built like a fortress and utilises
the stone around it, meaning that many are built
into the very earth, with corridors, halls and whole
areas going deep into the rock. Thermals from
lava deep underground keep the cities temperate,
and the little food which can be grown in the Land
Below (or food suitable for humans, at least) is as a
result of the climate which this heat enables. Most
cities have farms dedicated to the production of
edible fungi and moss, a few have even begun to
experiment with the keeping of some livestock.
Rivers can also be found stemming from natural
mineral springs, and some of those are home to
pale, blind fish which are, at least, edible.
Trade exists between cities, but this remains
subject to the whims of the ruling families; a
careless word in a letter can result in all mercantile
activity between two cities stopping immediately.
A trader may carry their wares for days to only
discover that there is now an embargo and they
must return to where they came from. Trade
with the Last City flows more freely between all
the cities — in part because all the Cities Below
rely on this trade equally, and in part, because
incurring the wrath of the Merchants Guild by
denying their representative’s entrance and care
would effectively constitute suicide for the city.
Even the Merchants Guild has lost goods in the
Land Below, to vagrants and to the shapeless
things which hunker in the abyssal darkness.
The Ruling Families
Each city is controlled by a family and the laws
within each location are determined by and passed
down by that family. This system is frowned upon
by the Council in the Last City, who dislike it for its
inherent instability. For some on the council, the
39
 The Black Iron

Land Below might as well be ruled by crime gangs below. Carefully suppressed whispers state that
— fitting, some might say, for the underworld. something still lurks in the tunnels near Karalk,
waiting to return to the surface.
Each city is named for the family who controls
it, and any who bear that name are treated as Kazadim – City of Iron
effective royalty — which in many ways, they are. The ancient dwarven city of kings can be found to
The true dwarven names of the Dwarven cities the west of the great road; its iron towers reach up
have either become lost or indecipherable. to touch the roof of an enormous cavern, bridges
link together vast stalactites hanging from the
Dresen – The City of Gods ceiling, leading to curving staircases and walkways
Dresen was once a city of Dwarven gods, a place eventually leading back to the city below.
of knowledge and harmony. Its fountains were
arranged to create exquisite melodies, in the sacred The city is home to the grand palace of the last
musical language of the Dwarves; its temples dwarven king, a building that has managed to
stretched everywhere in perfect alignment, thwart all attempts to enter it. Huge iron doors
honeycomb structures of sacred geometric locked by mechanisms, entirely unfathomable
infallibility. Now it is overcrowded, noisy and to the new occupants of the city, bar the way into
home to the Sisters of Stone nunnery. Dresen is the palace, but speculation of what wonders and
the northern most city and was discovered by treasures must lie within keep the workers and the
Taris Dresen, a trader and merchant. Thieves guild occupied with attempts to unlock
the secrets.
Paxtim – The City of Coals.
Once the hub of the dwarven forges, its soot Beremholme – City of Bridges
blackened walls are now home to 40,000 survivors. To the southeast stands Beremholme — once a
The city is considered the capital of the crime great mining city. Beyond its southern borders lie
families as it was discovered and first occupied the gateways to dozens of mines, through which
by the Paxtimian clan, founders of the Grey Rat metal tracks snake their way deep underground.
Thieves Guild. Claims by the descendants that Many of these gateways have been barred or
the family now only deal in legitimate business is locked up, some by the original occupants and
considered, by most, to be a joke and recounting others by the recent occupiers. The city itself is
it, with a straight face, is the most certain way of criss-crossed with underground rivers created
getting a laugh in Paxtim. Paxtim lies to the east by a number of natural springs. It is said that the
and was the most recent city to be discovered rivers eventually end at a vast underground lake
and claimed. Some rumours insist that it was first but as of yet no one has found it.
discovered by vagrants, who attempted to render
the conurbation a haven for the dispossessed and Elaborate iron bridges cross the rivers connecting
broken. Instead, they were forced to divulge its the different wards of the city, many with the iron
location. tracks found at the mines. It is believed that the
tracks once led to all the cities and may lead to
Karalk – The Great Gate many more if only they could follow the tracks for
long enough.
Less of a city and more a fortress built to hold back
something now entirely forgotten, this dwarven
bastion was the first of the cities to be discovered.
Its vast towers and gate lead downwards, down to
the deepest of the dwarven territories and all must
pass beneath its walls in order to reach the other
cities. This places the city of Karalk in a position
of power as it controls the flow of trade into the
40
 The Black Iron

Cults this presumed dead race. Many expeditions never

Though not as numerous as on the surface, there
are a number of hidden cults conducting their
pernicious work in the Land Below. These are
relatively small and hold little power within the
cities themselves, where the ruling families deal
with them quickly and viciously. Beyond the
gates, on the roads and in the dark, however, the
cults thrive. The wretched state in which many
vagabonds are forced to live makes them an ideal
breeding ground for the Cults, who use their
desperation to secure loyalty. Many believe the
Cults infiltrate the Land Below in search of old
sorcery or clues to replicating the technology of
the Dwarfs. Others assert that the elves crawled up
to the surface from the Below and that the Cults
seek to breed new elves or to make themselves
in the elves image. Whatever the truth, the threat
from the cults continues to grow, as they traverse
the darkness and head deeper into the Below, who
knows what they will find?
returned but those that did spoke of the noises of
metal upon metal, forges still burning and more
cities full of wonders, of course this could all be
lies to justify their beliefs, but who knows.
The Seed
Many have heard the tales that the Elves were born
of the ancient giants and that the roots of the trees
fed on the magic and blood of fallen giants and
from this spawned the elves, though many believe
these were just lies told by elves in order to power
some fantasy of dominance the tales persist and
some who prospered or loved their elven masters
no matter the cruelty they endured believe them
fully and hope to bring about the time of the elves
again.
The seed are a cult of worshippers that hope to
bring about the elves return to the world mainly
through finding the very roots that birthed them
and reigniting that spark. The Seed search the

Seekers of the Long Dead

As the cities settled and life ‘normalised’ deep
underground many became curious of who built
these cities and many academics and students
began to examine the murals, the writings
and architecture of the old dwarves. This led
to discovery of secret doors that there were no
obvious ways to open, strange mechanisms that
seemed to have no purpose and the discovery of
paintings that told of an advanced race of builders
and inventors who had developed new life from
the iron and stone they mined. These discoveries
created a movement of scholars determined to
find out everything they could, but the risks were
high and very soon after a number of deaths
the families outlawed the pursuit of knowledge
outside the gates of the city, for safety reasons.

This law pushed the movement into the shadows

and soon it was branded a cult by many as the
members were fanatical. Hiring dubious Vagrants
that often ended in robbery or in some cases injury
and death the members would travel deep into the
old mines or dark roads as yet unexplored, in the
hope to find marvels, artefacts and documents of

44
dark places for arcane magic’s and secrets left by
the elves. This is often a fruitless endeavour and
many of the cult have now gone missing or were
found dead. The cults number have diminished
so now only the true believers continue the search
and these are often insane and rambling shells of
humanity, denied entry into city or camp alike.
The Banished
The Black Fort is not free of troubles and many
mages, mainly from the Necromancy school have
strayed from the path and the laws of the Last City
and the Mages guild itself. Experiments outlawed
by common decency, the study of ancient magic’s
that are declared banned or the inflicting of
corruptions upon the innocent however low on
societies ladder they stand are all illegal and those
that are caught are often banished to the land
beyond the spires, but some come back and travel
the below.
These Banished Mages seek out scrolls and
knowledge of the past deep below, in the hopes to
find where the elves first formed their arcane lore’s.
It is believed that enclaves and covens have been
formed, dark places in ancient underground ruins
where the nefarious and heinous experiments
and studies of the elves can continue, a place of
torture and the forming of abominations from
flesh and iron that send the echoes of screams
even to the cities above.
Both the Black Fort and the Families have vowed
to seek out and destroy these sanctuaries of death
and the Mages that form them, but this has been
met with little success.
Faith
Some below have adopted the religion of the
Dwarves, worshipping the stone and marvelling in
the architecture that inspired the worship. These
45
 The Black Iron
people are considered harmless, and some cities
have even allowed the order places to hold their
ceremonies and religious teachings, ultimately
resulting in the creation of the Deep Church.
Many suspect that the families have learnt a
lot about dwarf skills from the Church, whose
dedicates spend much of their time studying the
ancient books of the dead race, supporting their
faith through the wealth earned from the family’s
patronage.
The Church has recently begun to hire explorers,
sending those brave enough out to tackle the dark
pathways leading deeper into the earth, all in the
hunt for more knowledge and other dwarven
artefacts.
Sisters of Stone
When the city of Dresen was discovered, it was
evident it had been a holy place of the dwarves.
The centre of the city consisted solely of an
enormous stone temple. Surrounding it were
hundreds of intricately carved statues of dwarven
heroes or gods, standing watch around the
temple perimeter. Within, the walls were adorned
with paintings and mosaics of battles and holy
ceremonies. Many scholars believe the whole
history of the dwarves is etched upon the walls,
though dwarven script remains indecipherable.
The temple was soon occupied by a holy order
declaring itself the Sisters of Stone; the sisters
converted the temple into a kind of nunnery.
Young girls are taught to read and write, schooled
in the history of mankind and given the skills they
need to serve as healers and teachers.
The sisters also learn other skills, and, it is for
these alternative teachings that the temple has
now become famous. Most of the temple has been
converted into vast training halls and alchemical
laboratories. Here the sisters are schooled in the
way of the blade and the explosion, the bow and
the use of poison, deception and shadow, warfare
and butchery. The Sisters of Stone are reckoned
the most potent fighting force in the Land Below
and many from the Last City and beyond send
their daughters to be taught at the temple. It is said
46
that there are other branches of the sisterhood,
spread throughout the world, though they remain
entirely secret. Only those few who have become
true initiates are taught their locations and how to
enter them.
Threats
Many things scurry in the dark in the tunnels
and roads uncharted by those that now live
below. Secret paths into cities are often utilised
by smugglers and assassins, but these paths
are fraught with danger, and many rely on the
knowledge and guild trust of the Vagrants that
live in the dark places.
When the elves destroyed the dwarves and looted
what cities they could, it is said that they sent
expeditions into the deeper mines to discover if
any dwarves had survived. The expeditions mostly
failed, but those that did survive spoke of cities
and wonders not seen before, of vast libraries
of knowledge and treasures that filled vaults the
size of small towns. Forges were seen fuelled by
dragons which could form items of pure magic
and bend the mightiest of ores to the smith’s will.
Why the elves never explored these wonders are
anyone’s guess, but many presume it is what they
do not tell us that scared the elves and why so
many expeditions failed.
An aspect of the below that is not spoken of or even
acknowledged by some are the deep rumblings
heard by many emanating from deep within the
earth. Also, the bizarre lights seen by vagrants and
scavengers or the strange writings scrawled on
walls, often in blood and always in the common
tongue. These rumours are frowned upon and
even dismissed by many, especially those that
are at risk of losing the most if these rumours ever
began to be taken seriously.
The Dispossessed
Living along the roads, within the old mining
camps and outside the gates are those that have
been denied access, the unwanted, the useless
and the corrupted. The families have been harsh
upon those they see as burdens or undesirable,
removing them from the cities and any protection
offered. Many would ask why these Vagrants don’t
just return to the Last City above, and many do but
those that have discovered that the situation was
not much better. Some went off into the Pale to
meet their doom from the cold or by other means.
As time passed, these unwanted created their
own laws, designed positions for themselves as
guides or thieves, killers and smugglers, anything
that would allow them to survive. Also, some had
families who needed shelter and food, and these
were provided often from some feckless traveller
or gullible trader.
Life on the outside is harsh and many of those
pushed to the edge have found ways to survive,
ways often seen as criminal or against nature.
The Silent Guild has attempted to monopolise
on these unwanted vagrants recruiting many in a
guild within a guild, a house of beggars if you will,
this is denied by the masters of the Silent Guild
and no evidence has proven it to be so, but the
Guild is known to commit very little to paper and
those that tell tales are often found hanging from
bridges or dead in alleys. This recruitment has
changed things and travel on the roads between
the cities has become marginally safer, payments
for guides has increased but this is a small price to
pay for safety.
The Guilds
The Families hold most of the power below but
the guilds do have some sway, the merchant
guild organises food and other materials to be
delivered to and from the cities and in the past
disagreements have halted this until a amicable
outcome was achieved, to many this showed that
the merchant guild had power over the families
but this belief was quickly crushed when many of
the merchant guild top members were arrested
by the city militias and ceasing deliveries were
outlawed for the good of the people.
There is currently no power struggle between
the families and the guilds but it is only a matter
of time before it could happen, all it would take
would be a discovery of something that disrupts
the status quo or a shortage of food and materials
that would place the control in either one or the
others hands.
47
 The Black Iron

Mythic Artifacts
Throughout the ancient books studied by the mages and the librarians in the Last City, there has been
mention of artefacts wielded by gods and ancient heroes, or elven sorcerers and Dwarven artisans.
These treasures have become lost in time, but with the help of the Remnant, many may have been
located, or a place found marking the artefact’s last known location. Too many, including the Remnant,
the finding of these ancient relics, could be the key to turning back the fall or the discovery of secrets
buried centuries ago.

Unbeknown to these scholars is the fact that the Blood Lords also seek these items and have sent their
own agents to scour the ruins for clues to where they may be hidden, but for what purpose is unclear,
also what is strange are reports of ghosts seen near the deserted cities and towers of the elves. The
remnant stir and warn caution but when pressed, say no more.

Discovering an Artefact The creator and wielders of these artefacts were

Artefacts are rare and to be honest the only reason
anyone knows they exist is from a few pages in old
books, in fact there could be hundreds of these
relics out there being overlooked or shoved in
some box and no one knows.
Mythic Artefacts are said to be once used by gods
or heroes of renown, but like all thing’s history is
not always accurate and relies on the perspective
of the author, a hero or god to one person is often
a villain or demon to another.
The mythic artefacts listed here are those that
are known of but there are many more and you
should use the guidelines offered here when
creating your own artefacts. They should not be
easy to find, not easy to wield by mere mortals
and should often have a cost to owning. They may
be found broken or lacking any real power, what
appears as a mighty sword in the books may be
but a mere butter knife in reality, and of course
these could just be works of fiction, children’s
tales of adventure and mystery
Artefact Locations
The locations mentioned in the text is the last
location the artefact was seen and so that does
not mean they will be there still, but maybe a clue
to where they were moved to or maybe hearsay of
such an item being seen elsewhere could be a clue
to another location. This will make finally getting
to find one of these relics a challenge and be part
of a more extensive campaign.
cunning and creative so secret doors, traps,
magic and other challenges can be included, dark
ancient arcane sorceries can be woven around a
location in order to protect or hide the relic.
Using Artefacts
The use of an artefact should be both unknown
and dangerous; these items do not come with
instructions, and any related nearby text will be
in an unknown language. Attempting to use the
item could result in injury or some other disaster
or an actual success. It is suggested that you apply
a target number of at least 10 to the use of the
item without knowledge with fumbles leading to
serious negative results. Characters will need to
use Arcane or Lore to attempt to use the item.
To gain instruction in the use of an item will
involve a journey to the Black Fort or to a Remnant
or some other scholar of the ancient world.
2d6 Artefact State
2-5 Artefact is dusty but seems to
emanate power, which appears to
twist and simmer the air around it
6-11 Artefact seems dormant and shows
no sign of being in any way powerful.
12 Artefact is broken in some way.

48
 The Blade of the Archmage
Forged from steel and tempered with the blood of the dwarves, this elven blade was created as a gift for
the Archmage Daelias for his work conquering the dwarven capital of Fenkos and halting the defence
of the lower tiers.

The sword is said to be just over 3ft in length, the hilt made of dragon bone and wrapped in the cured
skin of the king of Fenkos. At the centre of the cross guard sits the holy jewel taken from the king’s
crown and said to be formed from the blood of the first of the dwarves.

The sword itself is highly magical and absorbs energy from the blood of those that it cuts and transfers
some of that to the wielder. The blade can slice through any material and the energy it absorbs adds to
the blade’s strength and sharpness, making this a devastating weapon in the right hands. Also called
Dwarf Bane as it is rumoured to be able to kill a dwarf in a single strike.

Last known location: Vorne: Home of an Elf noble

Iron Crown of the Crow God

Krawn the God of Crows was gifted the crown from the master of the god forge Towat Yagin to reward
the god for his destruction of the twin giants Vog and Xerta, it is said that the crown is forged from the
iron derived from the twin giants blood, and that within the crown the hearts of Vog and Xerta still beat.

The crown is said to make the wearer immune to mind attacks and to bless them with mental powers
beyond that of mortal and god alike. It is claimed that the crown has regeneration powers and that
Krawn still lives but is asleep being kept sustained by the power of the crown.

Last known location: The Holy City

49
 The Black Iron

Crowders Axe
The axe of Crowder Elf slayer last hero of the Dwarves, crafted
by Kaerdin Gato and blessed by the rune smiths of the last
dwarven city. Crowder held the gates of Fenkos for 30 days
and nights and is said to have killed so many elves the pile of
corpses he stood upon lifted the dwarf above the walls of the
city.

The axe called Elf Bane and Earth Shaker is known to send
a wave of pure energy that would strike those 100ft from
the wielder of the axe, it can cut through multiple foes and
heal the wounds of the user. It is also claimed that the axe
was melted down and used to forge the Blade gifted to the
Archmage Daelias, but these rumours are unfounded.

Last known location: Lortumia: Grand Cathedral

Bow of the Sun

Formed from the rays of the sun by the god Herrick to kill the giant champion Bandoro during the battle
of the Dragons, it is said that the velocity of the arrow caused earthquakes that formed the Dragon Tail
mountains.

The Bow is of simple wood but is endowed with the power to create magical arrows as hot as the sun
that will burn through any substance they pierce, and that the bows range is infinite. The stories claim
that Herrick need only whisper the name of his foe to the bow and the arrow it launched would seek
them out no matter where they hid.

Last known location: Unknown

50
 Long Reach of the Daur
Wielded by the elven skirmisher Lorjen Ferrik during the conquering
of the surface realm he would often make references to cutting down
humans like they cut their wheat ‘in great sways’. The pole axe was forged
in the dying embers of the great fire that destroyed the dwarven capital
city and burnt to death 3000 dwarven women and children, the last of the
dwarfs.

It is said that the pole axe screams as it cuts and gathers the souls of those
harvested transferring the essence of its victims to the wielder imbuing
them with power both to heal the body and to enhance the magical
capabilities, as well as to give strength and endurance, the more the pole
axe kills the more the wielder can kill.

Last know location: Antria

Visage of the Daur

Worn by the dwarven assassin Herik Kranork to enter the
palace of the elven lord Yelon Faressian and assassinate
him, the mission was a success and considered the first
great blow against the elven destroyers. Herik was hunted
down by elven rangers and executed, his body nailed up
on the great road as a warning to others, it is said that
magic kept Herik’s corpse repeating the elven phrase
‘Sada Daur usan ur torajak’ which translates to ‘Our Elven
Masters are Merciful’.

The mask is said to make you appear in every way like

your target and was created specifically for the purpose
of the Elven Lord, which many believe means that it can
only take on the appearance of elves. The Sisters of Stone
have offered a sizable reward to anyone who finds the
artefact.

Last known location: Holy City

51
 The Black Iron

Iron Shaper
Given by the gods to the dwarven craftsman Kaerdin Gato as a gift and to
aid him in the crafting of the weapons of the gods. The weapons and armour
crafted by Kaerdin were paramount in the destruction of the giants.

This simple hammer looks like any other except for a small mark of a
horseshoe and the initials KG inscribed in the haft. The hammer allows the
wielder to craft magically powerful weapons and items and it is believed
that many of the artefacts were created using iron Shaper.

Last known location: Unknown

Towat’s Fist
Master of the God Forge and quartermaster of the
armoury Towat was the strongest of the gods, he built
many of the weapons and armour they wore and is said
to have taught the dwarves his secrets. Towat was also
a lover of brawling and fist fighting and was known to
enter many dwarven prize- fights disguised as a humble
blacksmith. Many would consider this unfair as who
could beat a god and it is true Towat rarely lost a fight,
and eventually this irked him, he needed a challenge so
he crafter Towats Fists.

These unassuming leather gloves give the wearer an

increase in strength and endurance allowing the
wearer to fight harder and longer, they also increase
the toughness and coordination of the wearer. These
were given to the only person to beat Towat by Towat
himself and legend has it that as Towat was knocked
from the sand circle he vowed never to fight again.

Last known location: Barche

52
 Cloak of Gallows
Once worn by the Executioner Valis, who dealt with those
that the gods condemned to die the cloak was designed to
not only disguise the executioner’s true identity but also
to give him the strength to strike true and with a single
blow.

The cloak is made from silk and a fine mesh of an unknown

metal all woven together with the hair of Loranda the
most beautiful of all the gods. The cloak changes the
appearance or cloaks the appearance of the wearer and
increases the wearers strength.

Last Known Location: Unknown

Blood Gem
A fine silver necklace that holds a red gemstone, it is said this
piece of jewellery was the final item ever created by the last
master crafter of the dwarves before being killed by the elven
hero Jarith Torrel. Jarith presented the item to his bride to be on
their wedding day and the day before the elven armies entered
the surface world for the first time.

The gem is said to hold the soul of the ancient dwarven craftsman
and will enhance the abilities of the wearer as well as allow them
to know the secrets of crafting held by that ancient master.

Last Known Location: Crimson Citadel

53
 The Blood Lords
After the fall and the long winter began many of
those that had fled to the Last City to avoid the
destruction began to make their way back to their
homes in the hope to rebuild, thinking that the
cold and storms would eventually diminish and
life would return to normal. What they discovered
was a new horror in the form of the Blood Lords,
these demons had taken up residence in the
abandoned cities and began to gather disciples
to their cause, and it quickly became clear that
returning home was not an option.
Who are they?
No one is really sure who the Blood Lords are,
some claim they are elves left behind and effected
by the very magic they used to corrupt and destroy
the land, others believe they escaped the Shackles
and were experiments there, humans twisted by
arcane chirurgeons. Many rumours and theories
exist, what is unquestionable is that before the fall
the Blood Lords did not exist.
The Blood Lords seem connected, they recognise
each other’s authority and no conflict over land
or cities have been heard of, they each rule the
land they seem built for, almost as if this has
been planned. This knowledge of the Blood Lords
connection has sparked many of the rumours that
this was the last act of the elves to continue to
control even after they fled.
What is known is that they appeared after the fall
and the Black Iron froze the land and this makes
many of those that worship the Blood Lords claim
they are gods, knocked from their thrones in the
heavens and who now rule from their earthly
thrones.
What do they want?
Power seems to be the obvious answer but power
through fear as many that have faced them have
died, they seem to send corruption out and those
affected return as disciples to their lord. But, there
is a method to their madness and an agenda, the
Blood Lords seem intrigued by past artefacts and
have sent out their disciples, cults and killers to
seek out the lost relics of the past, they also seem
determined to continue the depraved experiments
of the elves and many of the lords have a good
grasp of arcane magic beyond that of the Black
Fort.
There has been talk of a connection between the
Blood Lords and the Remnant, neither has made
a move against the other and if the Remnant are
questioned regarding the Blood Lords they are
vague, but some mages have mentioned that it
seems uncanny that when the Remnant discover
or request that a relic be found that the Blood
Lords also seem interested in that exact same
relic, is there a link between the two? The other
connection is that both the Remnant and the
Blood Lords appeared after the fall, what does this
mean?
Should you face them?
To face a Blood Lord is death and discussion
on the subject has concluded that it is wiser to
whittle away at a lords power, cut off the head of
the snake, because it is the disciples of the Blood
Lord’s where their power rests, or so it is believed.
It is from the Remnant that most knowledge of
the Blood Lords come and from the interrogation
and torture of the cult members. The Remnant are
vague stating that taking away the source of power
in the form of disciples who sacrifice offerings,
seek out the relics and protect the cities will be
the way to strike back, some Mages of the Black
Fort have claimed that this makes us no better
than the corrupted as are we not just killing those
controlled by evil, and hence being controlled
ourselves by what we presume are benevolent
beings, the Remnant.
Whatever your belief or reason facing a Blood
Lord will bring corruption, insanity and death
and it is advised that you avoid at all cost.
55
 The Black Iron

56
 Axas - The Lord of Blood and Vein
Axas is the cruellest of the Lords and is known for
gifting blood magic to his priests. He is said to reside
within the Crimson Citadel, 80 leagues to the south
of the Last City. Those who have been unfortunate
to stumble onto the single road that leads to that
dreaded place whisper that the Citadel’s walls are
covered with freshly crucified sacrifices to Axas,
flayed and perpetually suspended in some kind
of vile unlife. Even as crows pluck their eyes from
their sockets, or flies lay eggs in exposed strands
of muscle, they scream Axas’ name, over and over
again from ruined throats.
The Citadel itself was once the home to an
elven mage renowned for his experiments and
construction of horrors formed from flesh. It is
believed that the citadel fell along with the Black
Iron as many claimed to have seen the place
sundered by a piece ‘as big as a hut’, evidently this
was untrue.
GM Note
Approaching the Citadel is very dangerous and
will lead to attacks from both abominations
and worshippers of the blood lord. Reaching
the citadel and entering its walls will place the
characters in a situation of dire danger, facing
Axas will lead to either insanity or death.
Description
The Lord of Blood and Vein, High King over all
the other Blood Lords, Axas is said to be elven in
appearance, though others insist he is a corpse
reanimated, strips of flesh hanging from ruined
features. Of course, both may be true. It is known
that he walks the land where death lays, feeding
off the blood of the slain, drawing it towards
him in great crimson ribbons. He demands
blood sacrifice, and his followers happily oblige,
stabbing, skinning and slicing their victims
with tainted blades, pledged to the Blood Lord.
Wherever he appears, and whatever visage he
wears, vein-like appendages extrude from his
arms, moving with sinister intelligence, seeking
out the freshly dead to drain.
Few have seen Axas and survived leading many to
believe that the Blood Lord does not exist or is a
story told to scare people away, but these are lies
told to those with no intent on leaving the relative
safety of the last city. Many hunters have witnessed
the worshippers and seen the aftermath of their
rituals, and some even claim they have seen the
citadel itself.
Followers
The worshippers of Axas are a craven people often
drinking the blood of their victims or eating the
flesh. They travel the wastes in flocks preaching to
towns and travellers alike, demanding a tithe or
sacrifice to the Blood Lord, falling upon any who
deny them in a frenzy of murder and slashing.
Often, they are said to wear the faces of those they
have killed or of a fallen comrade as a homage to
them, and many a traveller has been found dead
upon the road their face removed, and the Sigil of
Axas burned into their flesh.
The sickly smell of burnt flesh follows the
worshippers as they travel as many carry and
wave censers containing human flesh and hair or
have them hanging from carts. They carry knives
and razor-sharp sickles, which are used to attack
and skin their victims. Most wear robes or armour
made of cured skins (often human).
To Face Him
Axas is a sorcerer and master of Blood Magic; he is
surrounded by his devoted followers and an aura
of corruption which is able to turn most who set
eyes upon him insane. Facing Axas is folly but it is
believed that he controls all other Blood Lords in
the Pale, so face him one day you must.
57
 The Black Iron

Barston - Lord of Salt and Rust

The forest of Wrecks which lies ten leagues from
the western coast and includes the shackle isles
is home to Barston and his Reavers. The bones of
their victims hang from the broken masts of ships
frozen into the ice around them.
The Shackle Isles was once home to pirates before
the elves forced them out and turned the islands
into a charnel house of dark surgeries. The war
and the subsequent invasion of the shackles
turned many of the villages on the isles into ruins,
but some believe that this is where Barston calls
home, in one of the many abandoned castles on
the islands.
GM Note
The western coast is still home to many small
fishing villages struggling to survive, many
of these ‘Ice Tribes’ have no connection to
Barston and cast a wary eye towards the
Forest of Wrecks. But further off the coast it
soon becomes clear that corruption spreads
beneath the ice, and no friendly locals will be
seen there.

58
Description
The Herald of the Blood Lords, the agent of their
coming, Barston is the Lord of Salt and Bone. It is
said that Barston was once a Pirate captain and
scourge of the waters around the Pale Lands and
that his ship was struck by a piece of the Black Iron
causing it to sink. From the wreckage, he crawled
changed, twisted bearing the marks of corruption.
He was hailed as the fish king and lord of the
oceans by the ice tribes and those that lived their
lives on the sea; he quickly gathered followers
whom he twisted to his insane whims.
Barston is believed to be the first Blood Lord to
appear, and his preachings foretold the others,
some say that the words of Barston gave form to
the corruption which whence came to the likes of
Axas and Xertin. He has since been known as the
Herald.
Due to Barstons appearance on the Shackles,
many have presumed that he is, in fact, a Ghul,
but one that went terribly wrong as it seems that
his merging was with a crab or Lobster.
Followers
The seas around the pale lands are littered with
the wrecks of ships frozen to a standstill, and
here, amidst these wrecks jutting forth from pack
ice, Barton’s followers hide and wait. Pirates,
Raiders, Reavers and wreckers — all worship and
align themselves with the Lord of the Preserved
Dead, dragging their victims out from the shore
and hunting them through the maze of split-open
wooden hulls and toppled masts. Once they are
caught, as they inevitably are, the victims have
their throats slit, and their bodies packed into
salt. Over time, the withered flesh is removed
from their bones, perfectly preserved by the salt.
The meat is eaten in tribute to the Salt Lord, and
the bones are suspended from the masts above
the dozens of ruined ships.
GM Note
Many of the Ice Tribes became corrupted
and fell under the sway of Barston; these are
recognisable by the totems of human bones they
wear, the signs of corruption and the often-filed
teeth. From a distance, they are indiscernible
from the normal Ice Tribe’s, carving fish holes
in the ice or attacking seals and other creatures
that roam the ice.
To Face Him
Barston sits upon a throne of crabs and barnacles
deep inside a rusting, rotting hulk. Like most of
the other Blood Lords, his appearance causes
discomfort and fear. A stench of decay and rotted
fish emanates from his skin and blood is tinged
with bacteria.
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60
 Kiall - The Lord Chirurgeon
The great granite like bones of giants protrudes
from the snow for as far as the eye can see. These
vast monuments to dead gods are now home to
the abominations, skull temples of corruption
and death and rib cages of chirurgey and melding.
Walls created by pelvis and clavicle surround the
cathedral in the centre of this vast field. This is the
home to the Blood Lord Kial.
Description
It is said that Kial lived on the Shackles, performing
ancient chirurgie’s on the people sent there and
that he was instrumental in the techniques of
melding species together which eventually formed
the Chimeers. His work was noticed by the Elven
high lords, which led to him being transferred to
the Holy City to continue his work there, among
the elite of Elven sorcerers and chirurgeons.
When the war came to the city, Kial was deep in its
bowels amongst the screams and smells of torture
and progress, and was unaware that the human
armies stood at the gates and assaulted the walls
of the city above. It was the thunderclap of raw
magic that finally alerted him enough to raise his
head from the abomination he was creating upon
his table. This sound of a thousand realms tearing
and the subsequent cracking of the cities stone,
made Kial leave the caverns and cells and venture
upwards to the surface, in time to see the Black
Iron fall.
From there time stands still as nothing was written
in ink or blood, and the world changed forever.
It was amongst the bones of the fallen gods, the
giant’s graveyard as it had become known, that
whispers of a Blood Lord with skills of a Chirurgeon
began to be heard. They passed from ear to ear
and tribe to tribe until eventually the Remnant in
the Grand Library of the last city shuddered and
declared the birth of a new threat. The malice was
sent to see. Hunters watched from the hills above,
and the people wondered if the spires would be
enough, before going about their day.
Reports of activity were confirmed, and that at
the centre of the graveyard a new edifice had
been constructed from the bones of those fallen.
A cathedral of cartilage from which poured forth
abominations and a creeping darkness that
blackened the ice around itself with corruption
and rancid blood. The screams of the tortured
of whatever dark sorceries are performed in that
foul place fill the air, a cacophony of suffering,
pleasure, chanting and pain.
Kial himself is said to be truly twisted, a mass
of corrupted flesh that has melded and grown
into tumours and cists, a rotting mass of disease
erupting with feelers and tentacles that writhe
and exude purple globules of sweet-smelling pus.
Below this is still the form of the man he was, still
dressed as a Chirurgeon the only clue to who he
truly was.
Followers
Those that follow or worship the Blood Lord are
twisted by his promises of immortality or physical
improvement; they hunt down any that stray
too close to the Giants’ bones and drag them to
the cathedral for experimentation. The more
worthy of the followers eventually become the
abominations that now scour the lands spreading
corruption and death.
It is not clear whether the Order of Bones has any
connection to Kial and his followers, as they do
share an interest in the bones of dead giants. Some
believe that the Order of Bones is a front or an
acceptable public face for the Lord of Corruption
which allows him access to the Last City and
Below, but this has never been proven.
To Face Him
Kial oozes so much corruption that any who
get too close will begin to twist and change
internally and mentally within hours of being in
the his presence. Those brought to him become
his new fascination and are quickly adapted and
reconstructed into an image of awful beauty by
the lord chirurgeon.
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 Laidon - Lord of Depravity
The harbour city of Lortumia was often referred to
as the city of chains due to it’s thriving slave market
and transportation of slaves by the elves. The cities
purpose made it a focus when the war began;
many humans had seen loved ones dragged away,
or had experienced the whip and chastisement
of slavers to allow the city to stand any longer.
The number of slaves contained in the city were
subsequently freed as the armies surrounded the
walls, assured that the city fell quickly and that the
slavers were the ones that now wore the chains.
Description
Laidon had been a human it is said, a slave trader
and degenerate that bowed and scraped at the
feet of his masters to earn favour at the cost of
other humans. His depravity, it is claimed, knew
no bounds. Brothels that catered for any tastes,
slaves slaughtered for the entertainment of the
elven aristocracy, displays of mother eating child,
father killing son enforced the belief that humans
were nothing but animals.
Laidon prospered as others suffered, rewarded
for his debauchery and decadence he lived in
splendour and wealth despised by other humans
if he ever felt remorse for his actions or shame for
the wealth he acquired it never showed.
As the Black Iron fell, the city lay unscathed, but
the tidal waves that followed and then quakes that
followed those brought half the city to rubble, and
then the ice covered the rest. Laidon survived the
destruction, but the corruption had eaten away
at his mind and as the destruction settled and
the winter crept in Laidon convinced those that
had survived to aid him in rebuilding. Those that
listened were hopeful that he meant their homes
and lives soon discovered that Laidon cared little
for those things, and Lortumia once again became
the city of chains.
As the years have passed Laidon has become more
twisted by the Blood Lords corruption, spending
time in the presence of Barston and Axas has burnt
his mind and curdled his veins, driving Laidon to
deeper and darker acts of depravity and fuelling a
lust that is now almost impossible to quench. With
the help of Kial, he has mastered the art of keeping
severed heads alive and now many of these adorn
the city walls and the palaces, silently screaming
or being used for lewd acts of depravity. It is said
that where Laidon steps the ground blackens.
Followers
Those that follow the commands of Laidon travel
the coast capturing slaves to fulfil the appetite
of the Blood Lord and his baying maniacs that
amass at the city gates to watch the fights in the
pits, indulgence in the perversities available in the
brothels and join the debauchery, the murders
and unspeakable acts seen on the cities streets.
The alchemists of the Vapour Guild concoct
drugs that can kill or create pleasure, cause
hallucinations or murder frenzies, these drugs are
pumped into the streets from the royal palace at
the cities centre, and a permanent smog hangs
above the city to join with the wails and screams
from within the city walls. The smog confuses and
removes the inhibitions of any that inhale it, and
those wishing to enter the city should beware
spending too much time in the sweet, sickly
smoke may mean they will never leave.
To Face Him
To view Laidon is to be both repelled and enticed,
though his visage is bruised and syphilitic, coated
in a thick layer of greying makeup and rouge to
give the semblance of life he exudes an aura that
makes any that face him become attracted to him,
entering into a depraved orgy of corruption and
physical pleasure.
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Nicran - Lord of Death and Decay
Before the Southern Ash Plains lies the Dead
Marshes, a 30-league strip of swamp and bog.
Once a great forest that joined with sweeping
grasslands that led to the city of Antria and the
many mining ventures created by the elves, the
fall turned the grassland into a marsh when the
snows met the volcanic ash. Corruption seeped in
from underground rivers, and the marsh became
the home of the dead and their Blood Lord
Nicran. This marsh has now been creeping slowly,
spreading further out and will soon connect the
Dragon Tail mountains with the Sea.
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Description
No one knows from where Nicran came; some
believe he was a hunter that was in the forest
when the Black Iron fell, others that he was a
Chimeer from the shackles that was washed upon
the shores of the marsh before the sea turned to
ice. Either way, Nicran became a Blood Lord and
master of Wraiths.
The idea that Nicran was a Chimeer comes from
multiple sightings of the Blood Lord and his wings,
a trait brought about from the melding of man and
beast, in this instance a bat of some kind. Others

more loyal to the Blood Lord say he was an angel
sent by the gods to protect those he feels worthy
or to give a home to the restless dead.
Nicran seems not to venture far from the Marsh he
calls home and is content to allow his wraiths free
reign to guard their home from intruders and to
deal with them as they see fit. Unfortunately, this
includes any travelling to the Ash Plains via land
and have to pass through the marshes. Also in
recent years, it is rumoured that the marsh holds
secrets, towers and forts once occupied by the
elves, and these places have become of interest to
both the mages guild and scavengers alike.
The truth is that Nicran is himself dead in some
way and relies on his wraiths to gather victims
from which he can feed. He was also indeed a
Chimeer that was washed up on the mainland
when the Shackles were hit with the Tsunami
after the fall. Surviving on corrupted meat and
poisoned waters of the Marsh he soon changed
into what he is today.
Followers
The marsh has a quality that seems to bring back
those that die within its waters and bogs as wraiths
and living dead. The rivers that formed the marsh
do pass by the holy city, and many presume that
whatever powers were used there infected the
rivers and lakes nearby, whether this is true or not
the fact remains that the marsh is corrupted in a
way that brings back the dead.
The inhabitants of the marsh are part of a living,
corrupted organism; each relies on the other to
exist and acts like anyone entering is an invading
parasite.
GM Note
The Marsh blocks the way south if the party
takes the land route. It is considered haunted
by many but also a place of many mysteries,
mysteries of which, the Mages guild and
others are intrigued to discover. The marsh is
dangerous, not just because of the living dead
that wander its swamps and forests but also
because of the natural dangers, quicksand,
marsh mud, and various insects that carry the
corruption. Entering is a dangerous decision
to make but may end up a lucrative one if you
survive.
To Face Him
No one has ever claimed to have seen the Blood
Lord in the flesh and the closest there has been
to an actual sighting is of an enormous bat flying
above the marsh, but this could have just been an
enormous bat.
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66
 Xertin - Lord of Conflict and Murder
Barche was once a city of cruelty, men and women
were pitted against wild beasts and each other
in the grand arena or the numerous fighting pits
throughout the city. The heads of those that lost
were placed upon spikes that adorned the arena
walls. Slaves transported from Lortumia were cut
down in mass executions by the more popular
gladiators. This is what passed as entertainment
in the city of Barche, the city of Arenas.
After the fall the city was left relatively untouched,
the arena stood intact, and even some of the
population survived, but they had become
corrupted, ravenous and raging, scarring
themselves and eating the flesh of any they
captured, the city fell to horror and chaos until
Xertin appeared.
Description
Xertin was a gladiator, one of the arena’s greatest
fighters, his cruelty knew no bounds, and it was
said that he even killed for pleasure outside of
the pit, suggesting he was corrupted and broken
before the fall.
When Xertin reappeared in the city, no one knew
who he once was; he had been twisted so much
by the elven sorceries that kept him strong and
the corrupting power of the Black Iron that many
thought him a demon come to punish those that
had survived. But all Xertin wanted was to kill and
be praised and that is exactly what happened.
Xertin is said to stand 8 feet tall, towering over
many of his followers, he resides at the grand
arena, and insatiable lust for death and murder is
forcing his pallid to bring more and more victims
to the slaughter. Often content to watch as his
champions cut down their victims and feast on
their flesh; it is known for Xertin to wade in armed
with axe or club to kill all that stand before him,
victim and pallid alike.
Xertin has also exhibited knowledge of dark
sorceries even though before the fall he was known
to be illiterate and had no interest in arcane
matters. A sigil etched into Xertin’s gut could
explain these new found powers, but no one that
has managed to hear a description of the mark
recognises it, and many have presumed that it
symbolises some type of barbaric shamanism.
Followers
They are called the pallid, pale skinned and
hairless, cannibalistic and insane the pallid
worship Xertin as a god, scarring their bodies or
piercing their flesh with bones and thorns. The
Pallid hunt the land around the city of Barche
seeking victims for the arena or to eat. Hunting
in packs like beasts and moving faster than any
normal human should the pallid are a fearsome
sight to behold and horrifyingly dangerous
opponents.
Many of the Pallid came from the barbarian tribes
to the east and Xertin seems to have sway over
those tribes with many worshipping him as a god.
Anyone walking the mountains caught by these
tribes loyal to the Blood Lord will be taken to the
city and forced to fight or become food for the
Pallid hordes.
In recent months reports from hunters and
scavengers state that they have seen the pallid
miles outside the borders of the city in hunting
parties. Fearing that the Blood Lord has begun to
extend his reach and maybe even as far as the Last
City, bounties have been placed on the heads of
the pallid in the hope to discourage them ranging
too far.
To Face Him
Xertin is a fighter and a killer and to face him is to
face death. Xertin never turns down a challenge
and his corrupt enhanced strength and stamina
means that any who challenge him really should
have something planned or it will be a very short
fight.
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69
 The Black Iron
The Luck of
the Dice
A
s you rise from your catharsis and decide
now is the time to fight back you will need
to learn how the world works and how
to operate within it. This is done by learning the
mechanics for day to day survival and how to
overcome tasks.
Learning how to use skills and how your
attributes, gear choices and the environment
around you influences the result and use of
those skills is paramount to success and getting
to live another day. Teamwork and knowing
each other’s weaknesses is also important, along
with understanding your own shortcomings and
when to back away from a challenge you cannot
possibly win.
The world beyond the spires or deep within the
dark roads are a dangerous place, darkness,
weather, foliage, and the animal life are not your
allies, and those that walk the roads are more
often enemy than friend. Plan your journeys well
and your comrades better.
Attributes
You are made up of four attributes that describe
you as a being, each will determine how others
70
may see you and will influence the skills that are
linked to them. Each attribute will have a value of
between 1 to 5, with 1 being the average human
attribute. As someone that has risen up to fight
back some if not all your attributes will eventually
be above the average.
Each attribute starts at 1 with the characters
species increasing two attributea by 1 each.
The player can also choose at this point too
increase their characters Corruption to two in
exchange for an increase of two attributes by +1.
This is an optional choice and is only offered at the
starting stage of character creation.
The Attribute total is the number of dice rolled
when attempting a task or engaging in combat.
Body (BDY)
Your Strength, health, and toughness. Your ability
to carry heavy loads, to fight off disease and
poisons and how well you can take a hit before
falling. Body is linked to those skills like fighting
with or without weapons, Athletics like climbing,
jumping, and swimming, Body also determines
Wounds and Resistance.
Agility (AGL)
Your nimbleness, speed, and reflexes. Your
ability to manipulate small items and use hand
eye coordination, how quickly you can react
to situations and how flexible and fast you are.
Agility is linked with using ranged weapons,
dodging, and using skills like stealth, agility also
helps determine the characters Initiative.
Mind (MND)
Your intellect, memory, and knowledge. Your
ability to remember details or information, how
much you know of the world and your logic and
reasoning when dealing with situations. Skills like
Lore, Arcane and Healing are linked to the Mind.
Mind also helps determine your learning and how
quickly you improve.
Instinct (INS)
Your perception, survival, and Initiative. Your
ability to sense danger, to know where to find
water or what plants to avoid, plus your ability to
recognise intent or to understand body language.
Skills like Perception, Survival, and Scout use
Instinct. Instinct will also determine Courage.
Along with skills the attributes effect the characters
Derived Stats. Derived Stats can be increased on
their own despite the attribute linked to them
but this is rare and hard to do, their totals will
ordinarilly be determined by the attribute they are
linked too.
Skills
Skills are used to accomplish tasks and are linked
to the attributes. Each skill will range from 1-5 and
have a number of Knacks linked to it. A knack is an
element of the skill that the character has become
above average with and is often only gained from
the characters chosen role. A knack will offer
either a bonus, a reduction in penalties or some
other affect.
To use a skill the player would roll the attribute
dice keeping the highest result and add the
skill number plus any bonuses from connected
Knacks, the final result is then compared to
the difficulty of the task with an equal or higher
number succeeding.
Attempting a Task without a Skill
If you are faced with a task which you have no
skill in you are considered at a disadvantage, but
you can still attempt the task by just rolling the
attribute dice that the skill is linked to, but instead
of keeping the highest you keep the lowest result.
Remember you do have a pool of Iron die for these
very situations, we will discuss the Iron Die later
in this chapter (Pg. 77).
Skill Descriptions
There are 15 skills in The Black Iron each with a
number of Knacks.
Arcane Knacks are only available to Mages
Arcane (MND)
Use this skill to understand arcane text, to detect
and recognise magical effects and to use scrolls
and devices.
Knacks
• Necromancy – Reduces the spell
difficulty by one step when using the
Necromancy school of magic.
• Pyromancy – Reduces the spell
difficulty by one step when using the
Pyromancy school of magic.
• Sorcery - Reduces the spell difficulty
by one step when using the Sorcery
school of magic.
Athletics (BOD)
Use this skill to Jump, climb, swim and any other
active that will involve stamina and strength to
attempt.
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 The Black Iron
Knacks
• Acrobatics – The ability to flip,
somersault and dodge adds a +1 to
the skill roll when used
• Ropework – The use of ropes for
swinging, rappelling and tightrope
walking adds +1 to the skill roll when
used.
• Tumbling – Breaking your fall from
height or leaping off moving animals
or vehicles, reduces damage by half
when successful.
Crafting (AGL)
The skill of repair and creating clothing, jewellery
and also potions and recipes.
Knacks
• Armour – Repairing armour takes
half the time and materials, creating
armour using a forge will make
armour a +1 to AV
• Alchemy – The ability to create
poisons and to recognise poisons and
create antidotes, +1 to crafting when
the Knack is used.
• Weapons – The ability to repair and
create weapons, repairing weapons
takes half the time and they will do +1
extra damage
Fight (BOD)
Brawling, wrestling, and unarmed combat can be
used to block attacks and subdue enemies.
Knacks
• Dirty Fighting – When used and
successful the target is stunned for one
round if they fail their Dodge attempt.
• Knockouts – When successful the
target must make a Body roll to resist
and a failure would indicate they are
rendered unconscious.
• Blocking – When used you receive a
+1 to blocking an unarmed attack.
72
Healing (MND)
Used to heal injuries, works best with a healing
kit, and can be used with the Survival and Crafting
skills to make potions and salves.
Knacks
• First Aid – When used with Healing
gives a +2 HP on a success
• Magical – When used with healing
gives a +1 to heal magical damage
• Battle Medic – When used during a
battle the Knack cancels out penalties
to using the skill.
Lore (MND)
Understanding the world, people, and the past,
used when needing to understand landmarks,
maps and any other task that involves some kind
of knowledge.
Knacks
The player can choose the Knack they would like
to have regarding knowledge this could be on any
subject except knowledge of the Blood Lords or
Remnant.
Melee (BOD)
The use of weapons to engage in combat, includes
parrying and techniques. Also the use of skills or
unique and improvised weapons.
Knacks
• Dual Wield – With this ability you
can wield two one handed weapons
without penalty.
• Disarm – During a successful attack
you can choose to disarm rather than
attack with no penalty
• Sundar – During an attack you can
choose to destroy the opponents
shield or cover with no penalty.
Perception (INS)
The skill used for detecting danger and hidden
things, use this skill to thwart ambushes and
surprise attacks, to spot items and to determine a
person intent.
Knacks
• Search – When used to discover a
hidden item, location, or door you
receive +1 to the skill.
• Sense Corruption – When perception
is used successfully the GM will inform
you of any nearby corruption what
form the corruption takes will not be
known.
• Body Language – When used with
Perception you gain a +1 to read the
body language of the person you are
communicating with to determine
whether they are lying, dangerous or
have a hidden weakness.
Performance (MND)
The skill used for performing and public speaking.
Use ths skill to get the attention of crowds, playing
instruments and story telling.
Knacks
• Play Instrument - The ability to play and
instrument to a good level, this will add a +1 to
the Performance skill or to many Social based
actions.
• Bard - You know how to tell tales and keep
your audience focused on you, will add +1 to
deception attempts and to crowd control.
• Sleight of Hand - You can juggle and do card
tricks using dexterity and speed, allows you to
gamble and to use sleight of hand to amaze
and confuse.
Ranged (AGL)
The skill used for shooting bows and crossbows as
well as using slings and thrown weapons. Mages
use ranged to cast spells that are directed at a
target.
Knacks
• Mounted – This Knack allows you to
fire whilst on horseback or travelling
in a vehicle with no penalty
• Marksmanship – Using Marksmanship
allows you to use a ranged weapon as if
you have aimed for a round giving you
a +1 to aimed shots
• Quick Shot – Allows you to prepare
and shoot in one round, whether this
is nocking an arrow, loading sling shot
or unholstering a thrown axe with no
penalty for doing so.
Scout (INS)
The scouting skill covers a number of important
abilities such as tracking, navigation and nature
lore which includes a knowledge of herbs and
plants as well as animal behaviour and habitats.
Knacks
• Tracking – You are able to track over
any terrain without receiving any
penalties.
• Animal Care – You are able to use
scout to determine animals in the
area and to calm animals that may act
aggressively.
• Set/Disarm Traps – You are at a +1
when setting or disarming traps.
Stealth (AGL)
The ability to move quietly and avoid notice,
also to hide and conceal actions and items. Also
includes stealth attacks.
Knacks
• Hide in Shadows – You receive a +1
when near shadows or using shadows
to hide and move.
• Stealth Kill - When attacking from
stealth you may instant kill your
target.
• Conceal – Others are at -1 when
attempting to find a concealed item or
weapon on your person.
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 The Black Iron
Survival (INS)
The ability to find food and water, shelter, and
herbs out in the wild.
Knacks
• Forage – You are able to find food
and water in the most hospitable
environment without any penalties.
• Find Shelter – You are able to find
and build a shelter which will reduce
the effects of the cold by half.
• Medicinal Herbs – You will find twice
as many medicinal herbs per round of
searching as you would normally.
Social (MND)
Your ability to converse, negotiate and command
others, determines your ability to barter, gather
information or intimidate others.
Knacks
• Barter – On a successful Social you
will receive a 10% discount and an
extra 10% when selling.
• Charm – You gain a +1 when dealing
with people and getting them to see
your way of thinking.
• Diplomacy - +1 to dealing with
authority and calming down
situations in a tactful way.
Thievery (AGL)
The ability to pick locks and pockets, break an
entry and to follow targets without being noticed.
Knacks
• Pick Locks -When picking a lock you
gain a +1.
• Pick Pockets - The target is at a -2
Perception to notice you pick their
pockets.
• B & E - You gain a +1 Perception
to notice a places that allow you to
break & entry into a building such as
windows, skylights etc..
74
Gaining Knacks and Skills
The characters role will offer a number of Knacks
after which any further knacks can be bought
using experience points. Some Knacks are only
available to some roles.
Skills work similar to knacks in that they must
be bought using experience and those skills
associated to the character’s role are cheaper than
those which are not
Skills and Knacks by Attribute
Body
Athletics - Acrobatics, Rope Work, Tumbling
Fight - Dirty Fighting, Knockout, Blocking
Melee - Dual Wield, Disarm, Sundar
Agility
Crafting - Armour, Poisons, Weapons
Ranged - Mounted, Marksmanship, Quick Shot
Stealth - Hide in Shadows, Stealth Kill, Conceal
Thievery - Pick Locks, Pick Pockets, B&E
Mind
Arcane - Necromancy, Pyromancy, Sorcery
Healing - First Aid, Magical, Battle Medic
Lore - Varies
Social - Barter, Charm, Diplomacy
Instinct
Perception - Search, Sense Corruption, Body
Language
Scout - Tracking, Animal Care, Set/Disarm Traps
Survival - Forage, Find Shelter, Medicinal Herbs
 Performing Actions
Not all actions should rely on a dice roll, and those
actions which are considered routine or easy
should just be allowed to succeed, the only time
dice should come into play is if the action has a
consequence to failure such as injury or missing
something important. Combat is one area where
rolling is a must due too the dangerous nature of
the actions involved.
A GM could call for a dice roll when the situation
is tense or dangerous and an action that would
seem simple in a normal circumstance may
suddenly become more difficult because you are
being chased or are injured.
When called to roll dice you will have a pool of
D6 (six-sided dice) equal to your Attribute total
to roll, once rolled you choose the highest dice as
your result, for example:
Rolling three dice with this result 3,2,5
would indicate that 5 is the highest number.
Rolling three dice with this result 1,1,2
would indicate that 2 was the highest number
The rolling of a 6 will always be the highest result
but rolling a number of 6s would increase the
result by 1 for each extra 6 rolled, so for example
Rolling three dice with this result 2,6,6
would be a total of 7, the highest result of 6 plus a
+1 from the extra six rolled.
Example
Niki has a rank of 4 in Agility which means
she rolls 4 dice, Niki rolls her dice and gets the
following result 2, 4, 6, 6.
The highest number rolled is a 6 which
becomes the result, but Niki has rolled two 6s
so the second 6 becomes a +1 and makes the
total of the roll 7 (6+1=7)
Once the dice have been rolled you then add your
Skill Rank and any other modifiers or penalties,
the end number is your total which you then
compare to the Difficulty Number (DN) you need
to equal or beat.
Task DN
Easy 3
Average 5
Difficult 7
Hard 9
Very Hard 11
Extremely Hard 13
Near Impossible 15+
The above numbers are examples and can be
adapted by the GM as they see fit, but they should
work fine for all situations.
Example
Niki’s result is a 7, her characters Stealth Skill
Rank is a 2 and this she adds to the dice roll
giving Niki an overall total of 9. The Target
Number Niki had to beat or equal was a 9 and
because Niki’s result is exactly 9 her character
has succeeded.
Modifiers
Certain circumstances can affect the difficulty of
a task by making it harder or easier, climbing a
rock face which may be easy on a dry day will be
harder on a day of rain or snow, picking a lock will
be much harder when you are trying to get it open
before the guard returns.
Modifiers come in two types those that change
the difficulty of the task and those that change the
characters ability to do the task.
Modifying the Difficulty
The GM should only modify the difficulty of a
challenge because of environmental or outside
influence, such as weather or danger, situations
the characters cannot control. Below are examples
of how a difficulty could change due to these
external factors.
75
 The Black Iron

Levels of Success and Failure

Situation Modifier Often you will roll much higher than you need
Wet or Icy surface +2 or much lower and these will then begin to give
Darkness +3 levels of success or failure. Combat actions have
different results regarding levels of success than
Fog or Smoke +2
non - combat actions and these will be gone into
Wind and Rain +2 more detail in the Exploration chapter.
Mud +1
Danger +1 For every two levels you are above the target
Immediate Danger +2 number you gain a benefit and for every 2
Partial Light +1 levels you are below the target number a
drawback. These benefits and drawbacks can be
The modifier would be added to the Difficulty consequences such as triggering an alarm, or a
Number of the challenge. trap, gaining more information or a bonus to your
next action. The benefit or drawback should relate
A difficulty number of a task is considered to to the circumstances and is ultimately up to the
represent how difficult that task would be on GM, though offering it up to the other players to
a clear dry day, so difficult numbers are never choose can sometimes be fun.
lowered.
The number of levels above or below should also
affect the severity, someone that rolls 2 levels
Modifying the Ability above the target number should have a lesser
The characters ability can be modified by injury benefit than someone that rolled 4 or 6 levels
and the use of specialised tools and equipment, above and vice versa. Levels of success and failure
also by help from others (see Cooperation below). are a good way to make the characters feel they
have succeeded amazingly or failed horrendously
As you become more injured you will receive
penalties to your attributes from -1 to -5, these Example
penalties reduce the number of dice you can roll, Niki is attempting to unlock a door before the
depending on the type of injury. guard returns, the Lock is pretty simple and
only has a DN of 6, but with the imminent
Fear can also cause a penalty to your attributes approach of the guard this adds a +2 modifier,
causing the character to become stressed and increasing the DN an 8. Niki has an Agility of
flustered, and these can range from -1d to -3d.
Hunger, dehydration, and sleep deprivation also 3d so she rolls 3d6 and the result is a 5, 6
places penalties on your actions with the longer
you go without food or sleep the harder it is to and 3 . Niki’s Thievery is 3 and she is using a
concentrate on tasks. lock-pick which is +1, altogether Niki gets a 10
(6 + 3 + 1 = 10).
On the bright side some items will offer bonuses A result of 10 is 2 points above the DN of 8 so
to actions, climbing gear, lock picks and even the GM decides that Niki not only unlocks the
healing kits will make the task more achievable by door but also gains a +1 to her next action.
giving a +1 to +3 bonus to the Skill Rank.

Ability modifiers will be gone into more detail in

the Injury and Survival sections of the Exploration Cooperation
Chapter. A character can aid another character with certain
actions, this will be determined by the type of
action and whether more than one person can be

76
involved, all crowding around a lock in order to
try and pick it is unlikely to work, but aiding in
healing or giving someone a boost over a wall are
totally feasible.
When attempting to cooperate the helping
character will give a +1 bonus to the character
performing the action which then can be added
to the dice roll to help beat the difficulty number.
Of course, even during cooperative actions levels
of success and failure are still in affect.
A character can only help another if they have at
least 1 in the skill that is being used, without the
skill the character cannot offer aid.
Rolling without a Skill
If you have no rank in a skill, then you still get
to roll the attribute dice linked to the skill but
instead you take the lowest number rolled on the
two dice as your result, you still add any modifiers,
including items, and you also receive the same
penalties.
Choosing a Different Attribute
Sometimes a skill is used in a way that does not
seem to fit the attribute it falls under and this is
fine, just choose the most relevant feeling attribute
and use that instead, for example Healing may
involve intricate surgery to remove an arrowhead
and you might feel that Agility would be better
instead of Mind, or you could use Thievery to
stake a location out and this might use Mind or
Instinct rather than Agility.
If you feel a particular use of a skill calls for a
different attribute, then bring this up with the GM
and work together on deciding which would be
best.
Attribute Tests
Sometimes an attribute test is needed, this will
not happen very often but will be needed to resist
poisons or disease. When a test is called for you
roll the attribute dice choosing the highest result
and include any positive or negative modifiers. As
long as it is equal to or higher than the target you
succeed.
Normal Actions during Combat
You can choose to perform a normal action during
combat rather than perform a combat action.
Normal actions that are performed during combat
should receive a modifier for either danger or
stress based on the situation.
Opposed Actions
Opposed rolls are rolls that involve either a
character versus an NPC or character versus
another character, example would be arm
wrestling, chases or holding a door to stop
someone entering and so forth. With opposed
rolls each player or a player and GM rolls the
appropriate attribute, adds the appropriate skill
and any modifiers and the highest result wins,
it is as simple as that. Some opposed rolls are a
forgone conclusion based on factors such as skill
total etc and this should be a judgement call by
the GM.
The Iron Die
Every action you take that involves a dice roll will
also include an Iron Die, this dice should be a
different colour from the other dice. The Iron Die
is treated the same way as the other dice unless the
Iron Die falls on a 6 or a 1, this could be a positive
or negative consequence to the action.
Rolling a 6 on the Iron die not only means it is
treated like a normal dice roll as explained earlier
but also that a positive effect has happened,
this could be an extra level of success, more
information, or even extra damage.
On the result of a 1 on the Iron Die a negative effect
has happened whether the overall result was a fail
or a success. A negative affect could be setting off
an unknown trap or alarm, a weapon breaking or
even an arrow hitting the wrong target.
Effects can be decided between the GM and Player
based on the action that led to the affect.
77
 The Black Iron

Example of Play
T
he party is moving through a forest of dead trees, up ahead they see a hut, one side has banked
up snow the other a lean to for a horse. This is a Rangers hut, before the fall these were scattered
throughout forests and large wooded areas, but few survived the fall. The hut is a place of safety
and warmth but judging from the smoke rising from the clay pipe protruding from the roof someone is
already there.

Ian is playing Borlan a Human Sell-sword from the Last City with no Guild Affiliation
Phil is playing Jenfa a Half Elf Thief from Below with a Rank 1 in the Guild of Silence
Niki is playing Tornee a Human Hunter with no Guild Affiliation
Chris is Playing Fade a Human Mage of the Black Fort studied in Pyromancy

GM: The area is quiet, and no snow has fell for an
hour, the wind has died down and the only thing
moving is the smoke curling up and out of the
clay chimney on the huts roof. You can see light
emanating from beneath the door and from its
flicker the light is of an open fire. Suddenly from
within you hear a slight whimper of pain.
Tornee: Are there any windows?
GM: Yes on the side of the building with the
banked-up snow you can see wooden shutters.
Tornee: Ok I want to sneak over to the shutters so
I can peer in.
GM: Ok what is everyone else doing?
Borlan: I will wait here and tackle anyone that
comes through the door.
Fade: I will stay with Borlan.
Jenfa: I will also sneak to the hut but will move to
the other end with the lean to.
GM: Ok so Tornee and Jenfa I need stealth rolls,
you each gain +1 due to the snow, this is more
about noise than reaching the hut without being
seen.
Jenfa has an agility of 3d6 and an stealth of +2
whereas Tornee has an agility of 2d6 and an stealth
of also +2. Jenfa rolls 1,2, and 5, meaning Jenfa
gets a 7 (5+2) with the bonus +1 this gives a total
of 8. Tornee rolls a 2 and 6 which is a total of 8 and
with the +1 this comes to 9. The GM rolls the for the
highest perception of the people in the hut versus
the lowest stealth result of the two characters which
was Jenfa’s. The GM rolls a 1, 5 and 6 with the NPCs
+1 instinct this comes to 7 (6+1) and no one hears
the characters.
GM: You both reach the hut without alerting
anyone inside.
Tornee: I will see if I can see through the shutter.
78
Jenfa: I will draw my dagger and crouch down
preparing for the hut door to open.
Borlan: As I see them both reach the hut; I will
draw my sword.
Fade: I will begin to create a fireball.
Borlan: I will also move slightly away from Fade.
GM: Ok so Tornee you peer through a crack in the
shutters and inside the hut you see three men,
heavily scarred, there teeth filed to points and long
metal knives grafted onto the fingers of their left
hands, these are Axas Cultists, loyal to the Blood
Lord. Tied to a cot is a woman, she is bloodied and
bruised, semi-conscious.
Tornee: Bastards, ok we need to kill these horrors
and save the woman. I will signal to the others to
get ready and then draw my bow and kick the side
of the hut three times, preparing myself.
Borlan: I am ready to leap out as soon as one gets
close.
Fade: I will stop my Fireball, with the woman in
the hut it could be too dangerous, I will wait to see
what happens.
GM: Ok from inside Tornee everything goes quiet,
then you hear shuffling and you sense someone
peering through the shutter, I need another
Stealth. Jenfa you hear the latch on the door lift
with a clack.
Tornee rolls agility and gets a 1 and a 2, not good
her stealth of +2 increases this to 4. The GM rolls for
the Cultists perception and gets 2 and a 6 making
an 8 the Cultist spots Tornee and yells an alert.
GM: You all hear a yell from inside the hut, but
the door is already swinging open and one of the
cultists steps out, both Jenfa and Tornee have the
surprise so you can act first. Tornee you are using
ranged so attack.
Tornee rolls her attack and gets three 6’s a Critical
Success which gives a +2 , and a postive affect from
the Iron Die, with her ranged skill of 3 gives a total
of 11, but her bows quality reduces this by 1 to a
10. The Cultist would normally be able to attempt a
dodge but the Iron Die result means that the cultist
stumbles in to bow shot and gains extra damage.
Tornee rolls her damage she rolls her agility and
with the highest result is a 5, the bow does an extra
4 damage with a total of 9, the GM allows the bow
damage to be doubled making a grand total of 13.
The cultist is wearing skins and leather which gives
2 protection, but the remaining 11 damage kills
him.
GM: With a gurgle the Cultist drops to the ground
his blood painting the snow red. The door to the
hut is open and light from the fire spills from the
hut. No movement is heard, and the two remaining
Cultists are not leaving the hut.
Tornee: I will keep my bow nocked and trained
on the door as overwatch.
Fade: Can I see the source of the light?
GM: Yes, you can see that the fireplace has been
lit, it is the only light in the hut.
Fade: Ok I will attempt to absorb the flame,
effectively dousing the fire.
GM: Ok that would be difficult as you are a
distance away, let’s say a DN of 10.
Fade: Wow ok I will give it a go.
Fade opens his arms wide and takes a deep breath
inward, willing the flame into his embrace, the air
seems to shimmer, like a hot summers day and the
ice melts around Fade’s feet. Chris rolls his Mind of
4d6 and gets 2, 3, 6, 6. Unfortunately neither 6 is
from the Iron Die. The second 6 adds +1 to the roll
making a total of 7, Fade’s Arcane is 3 and he has
the Pyromancy Knack which reduces the DN to 9,
so with a total of 10 Fade absorbs the flame and the
hut goes dark.
Jenfa: As the hut goes dark I will sneak in, my
knife at the ready.
Phil rolls 3d6 for Jenfa’s agility an gets a 5, the
stealth of +2 is a 7, because its now dark the GM
lets Jenfa sneak in undetected by the cultists.
Borlan: I will wait to see what happens and also
deal with anyone coming out.
GM: Jenfa you enter the hut and see the two
remaining cultists, one is peering out through the
shutters and the other is moving to the woman on
the cot.
Jenfa: Ok I will try to indicate to Tornee that one
of the cultists is at the window.
GM: How will you do that?
Jenfa: I will mime quickly and point at where the
window is, can use Mind plus Performance?
GM: You can do that but Tornee will receive a
penalty to understand.
Tornee: What should I use?
GM: Use Instinct and Perception
Phil rolls for Jenfra rolling a 3,3 and 5 for mind
and adding Jenfra’s performance skill of 2 makes
a 7. Niki has to beat a 7 but then the GM imposes
a +2 DN to Phil’s result making the 7 into a 9. Niki
rolls Tornee’s Instinct and gets a 6 on the Iron Die,
Tornee’s perception is 3 which makes 9, success.
Tornee: I shift my aim to the window and take a
shot.
GM: You are firing blind but because your rolled a
6 on the Iron Die you receive no penalties, but the
cultist will be able to attempt a dodge.
Tornee: I should use instinct rather than agility to
make the shot I guess as I cannot see my target.
GM: Agreed.
Niki rolls the instinct and gets3, 4, 4, 5, Tornee’s
ranged is 3 which makes a total of 8, the cultist can
attempt a dodge and the GM rolls the agility of the
cultist and gets a 3, 1 and 4, with an athletics of 2
the cultist has a 6 and fails to dodge.
Tornee: Yes my damage is 8.
GM: The arrow punches through the shutters and
pierces the cultists eye killing him instantly.
Jenfa: Can I throw my dagger at the other one.
GM: Let’s roll initiative and see who acts first.
Phil rolls the d6 initiative dice and gets a 4 he adds
Jenfa’s +3 Initiative bonus making a total of 7.
The GM rolls the d6 and gets a 6, he adds the +2
Initiative bonus for a total of 8.
GM: The cultist grabs the woman using her as a
shield, one of the blades grafted to his fingers is
held against the woman’s neck.
Jenfra: I drawback my knife, not sure what to do,
the woman could be corrupted, saving her could
be pointless, but if she isn’t...
GM: What are you going to do?
Jenfra: I throw my dagger aiming at the cultist.
GM: Roll your attack...
79
 The Black Iron

Creating a
Character
B
ehind the Grand Cathedral in the Last City, out of ear shot of the chained priests and the howling
preachers, is a crypt to the Last Knight, the one that led the first charge against the elves and
took back the city. The corpse was allegedly dragged from the battlefield before the ghuls and
the corpse robbers flocked to pick at the bones and returned here to the cathedral to be a monument
of human bravery and strength.

The crypt was built using the stones from the house of an elven lord, and what a marvel it is, adorned
with a fresco of the famous uprising, marching soldiers led by a shining knight, no images of screaming,
missing limbs, or soldiers shitting themselves as they die, all very heroic and now after so many years
weathered and worn.

Over the last decade skulls have begun to appear here, said to be an epitaph to those that brave the
Pale that seek to drive back the corruption, the ‘heroes’ of the people, this macabre monument placed
beside the crypt of the first knight is visited often by someone because the pile of skulls forever grows.

Could this be your last resting place, will your skull grace the pile, or will you be the one that makes a
difference that pushes back the corruption and strikes down the Blood Lords?

82
I
n order to explore the Pale, you will need to Step 5. Character Completion
create a character, and this is done through This step involves determing the characters
character creation. There are a number of steps derived stats.
to creating a character some of which we will do
now and others that happen during the game and
when your character has earned the experience or Before you Start
fulfilled what they need to advance. Each characters attributes start at 1, two of these
can be increased by 1 if the characters permanent
The Black Iron RPG is designed to be hard, to make corruption is increased to 2, otherwise the
you feel like death awaits around every corner and permanent corruption starts at 1.
in every ruin. The world is trying to kill you and
that is just a reality. As a player you must work with The characters wound level starts at 10, this will
the other players and your GM to build a party that change during step 5.
will complement each other and survive.
Aging
The lifespan of a species is shown in the table
The Four Steps below, the age of the character has no affect on
the attributes or skills of that character, but it may
There are five steps to character creation which affect how others view you or treat you, e.g. an
must be taken in order, these are: adult will be treated differently to a child in some
circumstances.
Step 1. Choose a Species
There are three different types of species available Gender
and each has their strengths and weaknesses. The characters gender also has no bearing on their
They are the Humans which are the most prolific attributes or other abilities. With so few left after
species, the Half Elves and the Chimeer. Choose the fall everyone is expected to pull their weight
carefully as these cannot be changed. and work towards the survival of those that are
left. Over two decades of scratching in the dirt and
surviving what horrors live beyond the spires has
Step 2. Choose a Background toughened many beyond what they would have
There are a number of backgrounds that can ever been before the Black Iron fell.
be chosen and the species will dictate which
backgrounds are not available to the character.
These background tell us what the character Talents
did before they decided to brave the pale. A Each species has a unique talent they can use
background offers skills, knacks and starting gear. whenever they choose, often they are always
active in the background and are just part of who
the character is. Talents will be described within
Step 3. Life Experience the species description and have both benefits
This is where your characters experiences and drawbacks.
convert into points to spend on improvements to
attributes, skills and knacks
Movement Distance
All characters have a base 30ft movement rate,
Step 4. Choose a Role this doubles for running and triples for sprinting.
The characters role is their position in society, Being crippled in the legs will reduce this to half.
what they are perceived as or what they desrcibe
themselves as. The role will offer knacks and
starting gear and also determine what Guilds the
character can join.

83
 The Black Iron

Chimeer
A small island called the Shackles lies off the eastern coast
of the Pale, originally the home to pirates it was invaded
by a large elven force sent to eliminate the pirate threat to
shipping and fishing. The elves quickly took control of the
island and the pirates were either killed or fled. What the
elves found were fortresses and small towns all thousands of
years old and presumably built by the dwarves.

The elves spent decades on the island experimenting and

testing magical powers and effects, some of these experiments
involved humans in one form or another and it is now known
that the fortresses of the island held vast dungeons converted
into cells and torture rooms. These experiments were mostly
barbaric as the lives of the humans were seen on par with
animals to the dominant elves meaning that nothing was left
off the table, and the Chimeer are the result of some of these
horrifying practices

a problem when travelling the Pale as many towns

Chimeer Characters
The Chimeer are the result of elven experiments
involving the melding of humans and animals
through magic, originally it is believed the elves
were planning on building vast armies of melded
and it is believed they had limited success at
this as one of the cities sent out beasts that
seemed strangely human in movement and even
intelligence against the armies of humans during
the war before the fall. But it seems the elves took
these experiments much further and the result of
this are the Chimeer.
Each Chimeer has been melded with a wild animal,
which animal It was can sometimes be obvious on
those Chimeer that are more animal than human
and on the less animalistic not so clear. This can be
and villages and even guards of the Last City and
the below will see Chimeer with more animal like
features as being corrupted and will either attack
or at least refuse entry through the gates.
Chimeer characters should fall into the less
animal, more human bracket mainly to make life
easier and to be able to function like the human
members of the party. For those that choose to
have their Chimeer look almost like a normal
human they will have an option to share their
heritage with the party or not and likewise party
members may have suspicions of the Chimeer
character and how that is played out should be
part of the fun.
Chimeer tend to have short lifespans naturally,
with the average Chimeer living to about 35 to 40

84
years, on the flip-side they tend to mature quicker
than a normal human with maturity being reached D6 Animal Benefits
by the age of 12. Most Chimeer will not remember 1 Wolf +1 to AGL and INS
their childhoods with the average age in game
play being around 20-25. Talent - Awareness
2 Bear +1 to BDY and INS
Talent - Strong
Appearance
Chimeer who bear more human traits than animal 3 Lizard +1 to AGL and INS
will still have signs of their animal side, whatever Talent - Regeneration
that may be, they may not be obvious, but they 4 Wild Cat +1 to AGL and INS
should be there. The eyes are often a giveaway as Talent - Night Vision
are the hands or feet. Signs could be subtle like
5 Rat +1 to BDY and AGL
hair colour or slight scaling to skin (which can be
covered up), elongated canines or a stub of a tail Talent - Resistance
under clothing. Other signs could be a keen sense 6 Boar +1 to BDY and INS
of smell, night vision or excellent hearing. Talent - Tough

The player should decide how obvious the signs

are of the characters animal side, how much they
wish to tell the party and how much they wish to
embrace or cast away that side of themselves.
Chimeer Names
Chimeer were not named by their elven creators
and the most they ever received would be a
number. When they fled the Shackles and entered
human society, they realised that a name would
be appropriate and began choosing names for
themselves. Chimeer names can range from the
standard human names to animal like names and
even just words that sound pleasing or beneficial
in some way and Chimeer have been recorded
with names ranging from Jared and Sara to Anvil
and Wagon.
Players should name their character whatever
they feel is appropriate for their character.
Talent Descriptions
Awareness - You gain +1 to Perception when
attempting to spot danger or traps. You are at -1 to
hit or spot objects at Long Range
Strong - You are brutally strong and gain +2
damage to unarmed attacks. Your hands are
clawed which means you are at -2 with social
interactions.
Regeneration - Physical injuries heal back faster
than normal and you heal 2 wounds for every four
hours of rest instead of 1. Poisons and disease are
1 level of potency higher.
Night Vision - You can see clearly at night as if
it was day. You only see in black and white and
cannot discern colour.

Creating a Chimeer Resistance - All poisons and disease are two

The first step to creating a Chimeer involves levels of potency less. Physical damage heals
finding out what your animal half is derived from, slower meaning that you heal back one wound for
this is done randomly as a Chimeer has no control every 8 hours of rest.
over the process. The player rolls on the table
below which will determine the animal they were Tough - You have a thick skin and gain +2 armour,
melded with and the benefits they receive. unfortunately you cannot wear armour heavier
than medium.
You start with the skills - Survival, Fight and Scout
at 1.

85
 The Black Iron

Half Elves
Born of an elf father and human mother the half elves are the last
memory of the elven race and their cruelty. During the final years
of elven rule, the elves began experimenting on human females
to discover whether they could procreate with the elves and if the
result would lean more to the dominant elven gene or the lesser
human. The humans had always been stronger physically than the
elves and fear of an uprising by the humans led the elves to attempt
to create a hybrid, a race which had the strength of humans but the
magical aptitude and higher mind of an elf.

Human females were impregnated by elves, always against their

will and placed in birthing rooms, cells were the pregnant female
would spend the entirety of her pregnancy. On the day of the birth
the child would be examined and if the child showed more human
than elven traits they would be disposed of in various ways, the
mothers returned to their cells and allowed to recuperate for 14
days before the experiments would begin again.

Those children showing elven features indicating the purer gene

were kept and brought up by elven parents. These are the half elves
of today.

Half Elf Characters Appearance

Like Chimeer Half Elves are rare and find it difficult
to fit in. Many half elf children that survived birth
because of their prominent elven looks changed
as they grew taking on more human traits, and
this can vary from person to person. Those that
look more human have an easier time in the cities
and towns whereas those that exhibited strong
elven features tend not to last very long amongst
humans, this has led many half elves to cut their
ears or scar themselves in order to look like their
elven fathers.
As a half elf you can choose to have more human
or more elven traits, this doesn’t mean appearance
but what you have taken genetically from your
parents.
Those half elves that have more elven features will
try to hide the fact in various ways, the less extreme
solutions are often growing their hair long or
wearing hoods and hats in public but even then,
that often does not work. In game terms those
characters that have the elven trait selection will
have the more elven appearance and this should
be dealt with however the player wants. The GM
may be less harsh on half elf characters allowing
them to just have a harder time than normal by
adding penalties to social tasks, but this should be
discussed.
Those half elves with more human features will
be treated as any normal human would and their
more agile movement or being more attuned

86
magically can be easily explained away by training Human Ancestry
or other reasons. You have the dominant human gene.

Appearance is linked to how human or elven you Starting Attributes

want the character to be, there are benefits to both
and the world the GM decides to create, what laws,
prejudices and fears they emphasis will affect you
more in one way than the other.
Half Elf Names
No intelligent or self-respecting Half Elf will take Conduit - Magic comes easy to you and all spells
an elven name so many take human names, are one dificulty level less.
though this is often just first names and often they
choose names that have a flourish to them.
Male: Arvo, Alain, Bertran, Davron, Ethan, Finnis,
Garrett, Herron, Isaac, Jeremi, Kendrick, Lothian,
Mallack, Niallin, Oris, Pelta, Reso, Severin, Talon,
Verren, Wellem.
Female: Aria, Bella, Corinth, Dera, Elaine, Fraia,
Gesa, Heather, Ila, Jena, Kora, Lauren, May, Nelly,
Oria, Poppy, Resia, Sorella, Tia, Violet,
Creating a Half Elf
The first step is choosing which ancestry will be
the dominant one, once this has been decided
just take the benefits that apply.
You start with the skills - Athletics, Fight and
Survival at 1.
Elven Ancestry
You have the dominant elven gene
+1 Body, +1 Agility
Traits choose one
Courage - You gain +1 to courage rolls when
facing fear inducing threats.
Resistant - You are more resistant to disease and
poison with the potency of each being 1 less.
The Genes
Those characters with the dominant Elven gene
will look more like typical elves, dark haired,
grey eyes and the pointed ears. These features
will make all social interactions more difficulty
(-2) even in some cases impossible. Choosing a
character with a dominant Elven gene will be a
challenging choice.
The characters with a dominant Human gene will
have a much easier time of it as they will look a
lot more human and unless scrutinised closely
will pass as human most times. This will cause no
social issues.
Characters with dominant human genes may
wish to keep their ancestry to themselves and this
is possible as it will be almost impossible to tell
without a close examniation.

Starting Attributes
+1 Agility, +1 Mind

Traits choose one

Dark Vision - You can see in natural darkness
without penalty.
Balance - You receive no penalty moving on
narrow ledges or branches.
Conduit - Magic comes easy to you and all spells
are one dificulty level less.

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 The Black Iron

Humans
The humans had thrived in the Pale for hundreds of years before
the elves arrived, and they had thrived pretty well. Built to adapt
the humans could survive in most environments and this had
spread them not only across the land but into the mountains
and the seas. Cultures sprung up as did regional accents, religion
became important to many and altars and temples could be found
in many towns and villages. Life was harsh but good for most. Of
course, there was still crime, still those that would take from others,
the world was not any kind of paradise.

Since the fall life has got harder with the cold, corruption and
attacks from Fanatics and Cults supporting the Blood Lords being
a common cause of death. Those that could fled behind the walls
of the Last City or deep underground to the ruins, but many still
live out there in the cold trying to survive, and many are losing the
battle.

news that only affected others. But when the war

Human Characters
Humans are the most common species in the Pale,
most towns and villages are human, the Last City is
mainly human, and your party will be at least 80%
human. When the last war began many humans,
who had not joined the army fled for safety to the
last city or walked the roads as refugees, fleeing
the elven lords and their revenge. This movement
disrupted the cultural differences of the humans
as they all mostly ended up in the Last City which
was ironically the first city to fall to the humans.
Those barbarian tribes in the mountains were
mostly untouched by the war and to many it was
ended, and the Black Iron fell, the corruption
spread and it was the tribes and their indifference
that were infected first. Those tribes that could
attempted to flee and some ended up in the
mountains north of the Last City and safely behind
the Spires.
Many humans fell to war and then later to
corruption and the lure of the Blood Lords, these
are what make up the largest part of the cults,
bandits and slavers, not to mention the corrupted
that plague the Pale. But behind the walls of the
Last City and deep within the dwarven ruins
humans continue to thrive and many have begun
to fight back.

88
Appearance
Humans vary vastly in appearance from short and
tall, to thin and fat, dark hair to light hair, dark skin
to light skin. Accents vary, customs are unique,
and clothing goes from rags to well made and
expensive. What makes you different is often your
attitude and how you see the world, the way you
treat others and your moral codes.
People of the north tend to have fairer hair and
paler skin, whereas people from the Ash Lands in
the south will have darker skin, with those living
on the coast ruddy complexions. Because of the
refugees the Last City is a metropolis of cultures.
Human Names
The human population come from all regions
and all backgrounds and in many cases status
from family names no longer mean a thing. Below
is a selection of male and female names most
common amongst the human population.
Male: Arvo, Alain, Bertran, Davron, Ethan, Finnis,
Garrett, Herron, Isaac, Jeremi, Kendrick, Lothian,
Mallack, Niallin, Oris, Pelta, Reso, Severin, Talon,
Verren, Wellem.
Female: Aria, Bella, Corinth, Dera, Elaine, Fraia,
Gesa, Heather, Ila, Jena, Kora, Lauren, May, Nelly,
Oria, Poppy, Resia, Sorella, Tia, Violet.
Creating a Human
Creating a human character will involve choosing
what part of the Pale they will come from.
The Last City Starting Attributes
You were born and raised in the Last City either +1 Body, +1 Instinct
within the city itself of the refugee camps that
surround it. Traits choose one
You start with the Skills - Crafting, Fight and Social
at 1.
. Resistant - You are more resistant to disease and
Starting Attributes
+1 Body, +1 Mind
Dragonclaw Mountains
You were born into one of the many tribes that call
the mountains that shadow the Last City home.
You start with the skills - Athletics, Ranged and
Scout at 1
Starting Attributes
+1 Body, +1 Instinct
Southern Plains
You come from the Ashlands in the south, you
have darker skin and be of a slight build compared
to the more hardy northern humans.
You start with the skills - Athletics, Melee and
Stealth
Starting Attributes
+1 Body, +1 Agility
The Below
You were born and raised in the cities below,
living your life surrounded by stone lit by candles
and lanterns. You have a palid complexion
Starting Attributes
+1 Agility, +1 Mind
Eastern Coast
You grew up on the eastern coast, a harsh cold
existence living off the fish under the ice, avoiding
raiders and other horrors. You have a ruddy
complexion.
Courage - You gain +1 to courage rolls when
facing fear.
poison with the potency of each being 1 less.
Ambidextrous - You can use both hands equally
and receive no penalty for duel wielding weapons.
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 The Black Iron
Backgrounds
Everyone has a past and your character is no
exception. What your character did before they
decided to face the horrors of the pale is as
important as their species in terms of making
them who they are and what they know. Many
backgrounds may relate to your families profession
rather than the characters, the character would
have grown up learning the family trade.
The following backgrounds are not available to
every species and will be clearly marked to indicate
which species can take them. Each background
also offers a number of skills and knacks that the
character begins with.
Characters can choose to keep their background
and make it their role, this will mean that they
will expand the backgrounds basic description
to encompass their new endeavours and all skills
gained from the background will increase by 1
point.
It is suggested that the player creates a story
around their characters background to add depth
and maybe even future options for the GM to
personalise the encounters or adventures.
Niki makes a Last City human character and
decides to pick a Vagrant Background as she
wants to play a Thief type character. Niki adds
a short background story of her character
growing up in the slums, her only family the
other urchins and members of the silent
guild who employed the young uns to cause
distractions or climb into small places.
The GM makes a note of this and considers
that maybe some point in the future Niki’s
character may get called to help one of those
urchin friends who has got themselves into a
bit of strife or maybe Niki owes the Silent Guild
a debt or favour.
Either way plenty of food for thought and
future adventures.
90
Artisan (Human)
You grew up learning the skills of an artisan
whether that be the art of the armourer, the
weaponsmith or the alchemist. You learnt
everything needed to ply your trade, though you
may have chose a different path, the knowledge
never leaves you.
Skills – Crafting, Lore, Social plus three skills of
your choice all at +1
Knacks – Armour, Weapons or Alchemist
(Choose One), a Lore Knack, Barter
Starting Gear
Tools of your trade, warm clothing, an item of your
trade (common weapon, armour or potion).
backpack, rations.
Hunter (Human/Half Elf )
You learnt the skills of a Hunter whether that was
hunting in the ice for fish and crabs or deep in the
pale for rabbit and deer. You learnt to track and
skin your kills and recognise dangers and traps.
Skills – Lore, Ranged, Survival plus three skills of
your choice all at +1
Knacks – Wilderness, Marksmanship, Forage
Starting Gear
Warm clothing, common bow, 20 arrows, light
armour, backpack, rations.
Merchant (Human)
You grew up learning how to trade and sell, maybe
your parents were merchants in the city or traders
moving from town to town in the pale or the cities
below. You learnt how to deal with people and the
value of items.
Skills – Lore, Perception, Social plus three skills
of your choice all at +1
Knacks – History, Body Language, Barter
Starting Gear
Warm clothing, backpack, rations, credit at a
traders for d10 x 10 BC.
Militia (Human)
Soon as you were old enough you joined the
Militia, went through the two weeks training then
went out to guard the gates, patrol the slums or
break up bar fights and hunt down criminals.
Skills – Lore, Melee, Social plus three skills of
your choice all at +1
Knacks – City Laws, Disarm, Diplomacy
Starting Gear
Warm clothing, light armour, common melee
weapon, backpack, rations.
Nomadic (All)
You travelled the Pale moving from town to town,
avoiding fanatics and corrupted horrors. Maybe
you sold skins and other animal products, or you
may have been travelling performers juggling,
telling stories, or playing instruments for any that
would listen and pay for the privilege.
Skills – Athletics, Performance, plus three skills weapon, backpack, rations.
of your choice Social all at +1
Knacks – Acrobatics, Any one performance
knack, Barter
Starting Gear
Warm clothing, Instrument, common weapon,
backpack, rations.
Novice (Half Elf/Human)
From a very young age you were taken by the
Black Fort for exhibiting an affinity for magic and
the arcane arts. Your younger years were spent
in study, experimentation and meditation. The
outside world did not exist for you, it was just a
memory. Then one day you were a novice no
longer and you were cast out into the Pale to prove
your worth as a mage.
Skills
Arcane, Healing, Lore plus three skills of your
choice all at +1
Knacks
Pyromancy, Necromancy or Sorcery (choose
one), Magical Healing, Arcane Lore.
Starting Gear
Warm clothing, scroll cases, pack, staff, rations,
grimoire
Tribal (Human)
You were born amongst the many tribes that can
be found in the Dragon Claw mountains. Life was
hard amongst the ice and stone of the peaks and
canyons and you learnt many skills to survive.
Your tribal roots are important to you and you still
wear the gewgaws and colours of your tribe.
Skills – Crafting, Scout, Survival plus three skills
of your choice all at +1
Knacks – Weapons, Tracking, Forage
Starting Gear
Warm clothing, tribal gewgaws, common melee
Vagrant (All)
You grew up in the slums and refugee camps
outside the cities, living off your wits by stealing,
begging, and sometimes even mugging your
victims. You learnt many diverse skills and gained
something interesting friends and enemies.
Skills – Fight, Stealth and Thievery plus three
skills of your choice all at +1
Knacks – Dirty Fighting, Hide in Shadows, Pick
Pockets
Starting Gear
Clothing, lock picks, dagger or sling, backpack,
rations.
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 The Black Iron

Life Experience
Early Experience Derived Stats cannot be advanced using
Early experience is to show your progress through experience points, only through improving the
life up until the moment you decided/accepted or attributes they are derived from.
fell into your role.
Experience Points
Every role has prerequisites which can be Each character receives 50 experience points to
attributes, backgrounds, or skills that you must spend and these can be spent however they like.
have in order to become or be recognised as that The cost of advancing attributes and skills as well
role, this is why advancement comes half way as buying knacks are shown on the table opposite.
through character creation rather than at the end.
In order to advance either an attribute or skill
Choose you Role you must be at the previous total, for example to
Before continuing with Life Experience it is a good increase a skill to 2 that skill must have a current
idea to have a role in mind for your character this total of 1. So to advance to 2 you must first advance
will allow you to decide how to advance in order to 1 and then advance to 2.
to hit the prerequisites that role requires. Spend
some time thinking about the type of character
you would like to play, why they decided to change
to an adventurer or explorer and what they would
need to know and be skilled in to fulfil the roles
expectations.

Future Experience
All future advancements are done from
experiencing the world as a group rather than
as individuals, with each member of the group
receiving points as the group rises in ranks. This is
explained on page 104

Start Experience
Everything you have done to your character up
to now plays a part in their ability to advance
and learn. Your attributes, skills and Knacks are
split into two types Primary and Secondary, any
attribute increases you gained from your Race are
considered Primary, likewise with any skills you
gained from backgrounds these are also Primary.
Every other attribute and skill is considered
Secondary.

Primary attributes and skills are cheaper to

advance then secondary ones. Knacks whether
they are for a primary or secondary skill will
always cost the same. On the character sheet there
is a boxes next to the attributes and skills, these
can be ticked to indicate their primary status.
92
 Advancement Table
Attribute Skills Cost
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Primary 10 15 25 50 - 10 15 20 25
Secondary 20 30 50 75 10 20 30 40 50

Derived Stats
+1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10
Wounds 3 5 7 10 15 18 21 25 30 40

Knacks 25

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 The Black Iron

94
 Martial
B
orn to fight whether it be with blade, fist or club, you are the front-line of every conflict and the
heroes that storytellers speak of, but those are pretty tales of princesses and vanquishing evil the
truth is much grimmer and much more shit stained. To be a fighter is to have a life of glory and
defeat, soaked in blood sometimes your own often that of others, it is to face your fears with a grin and
deal with whatever is out there in the darkness.
Sell Sword Prerequisite - Body 4, Melee Skill 3+
They call you a mercenary, killer, adventurer and
sometimes even bandit, but you are just trying Background - Any
to survive in a messed-up situation, there are
things out there in the ice and darkness that want Bonus Skills - Athletics, Healing, Perception +1
to kill us and it is often up to the few to stop that
from happening, asking for payment seems like Bonus Knacks - Any 2.
a small inconvenience. They say join the Militia,
why would you do that? Taking orders, patrolling Brave
streets, risking your life for just enough to feed You protect the tribe from dangers that wish to
yourself is a fool’s game, you’re better than that. take what you have or destroy the tribe altogether.
This is your calling and what the ancestors
No job is unworthy or dishonourable, as long as chose for you and you are proud to be the tribe’s
they pay or there is a promise of wealth and fame strength. You trained with the other Braves and as
at the end of it then it’s worth doing, but the reward you came of age were sent out to seek your first
has to match the danger, reputation is everything kill, in your case this was a mountain cat that had
and your profession hinges on your reputation. killed a hunter of the tribe. You sought out the cat,
and with your spear, you slew it and returned with
Prerequisite - Body 3, Melee Skill 2+ its head, from that day you became a Brave.

Background - Any There are bigger dangers out there than mountain
cats, and you will do what it takes to protect the
Bonus Skills - Athletics, Fight, Stealth +1 tribe, even if that means travelling to the city and
joining with teams to hunt down the corrupted
Bonus Knacks - Any 2. monsters that live on the ice. One less monster is
one less danger to the tribe.
Warrior
You are the weapon, the avenger and the wall Prerequisite - Body 3, Melee Skill 3+
holding back the horde. You go where you are
needed and kill what needs to be killed. You have Background - Tribal
trained with the most brutal of weapons. walked
miles in the heaviest armour and spat in deaths Bonus Skills - Fight, Perception, Survival +1
eye.
Bonus Knacks - Any 2.
You are a killer there is no denying it, you have no
interest in heirs and graces, don’t care if someone
is noble or a beggar, they all die the same. If
something needs to be killed or someone needs
protecting you are sent, you do not fear death you
embrace it and up to now it has not been you that
death embraces back.
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 The Black Iron

96
 Exploration
S
earching through the ruins of the past can be a dangerous pastime, but it can be highly rewarding,
which is the only reason anyone does it. Explorers travel those paths others fear, and many join
with parties for safety in numbers.

Explorers exist both above and below ground, with those below travelling the ancient unmapped
dwarven roads and those above going to the ruins of the elven cities to find artefacts, knowledge and
wealth. Those that return are sometimes hailed as heroes and become well known amongst the guilds
others have been blamed for several issues due to their unearthing of knowledge that some feel was
best left lost.
Knowledge Broker Prerequisite - Mind 3, Lore Skill 3+
Seekers of knowledge and lore, you search the
ancient libraries of the dwarves the ruined cities Background - Any
of the elves and unearth those secrets wanted
by Mages and rulers alike. The value of lost Bonus Skills - Arcane, Scout, Social +1
cartography, forbidden incantations, and damned
experiments is high as long as you know the right Bonus Knacks - Any 2. (Arcane knacks
people to offer it too. unavailable).

The Knowledge Broker is not just someone that Treasure Seekers

finds the knowledge but is often the one that also
has access to knowledge, many keep the most
important finds to themselves or study their
discoveries before passing them on.
Prerequisite - Mind 3, Lore Skill 3+
Wealth and profit is the only law, and what you
search for has to be worth something to someone.
Old books and scrolls are hard to shift, and who
knows what an artefact looks like? Give them
gold, silver and famous pieces of art and they will
find a buyer.

Background - Any Treasure Seekers are rare amongst Explorers as

money is really no longer a recognised currency,
Bonus Skills - Athletics, Scout, Social +1 and often what they find is exchanged for favour
and reputation.
Bonus Knacks - Any 2.
Prerequisite - Mind 2, Social Skill 3+
Relic Hunter
The elves are known for their powerful magical Background - Any
artefacts, and the dwarves created mechanical
wonders that still operate in the cities today, Bonus Skills - Athletics, Social, Thievery +1
finding more of these relics is the goal of the
Relic Hunter. Dealing with unknown magic’s Bonus Knacks - Any 2. (Thievery knacks
and ancient contraptions is a dangerous job, and unavailable).
each Relic Hunter must understand the risks and
prepare themselves for all eventualities.

The understanding and knowledge of a relic

are not just recognising it’s worth but also the
possible implications of handling such dangerous
artefacts.
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 The Black Iron

98
 Arcana
A
student of the arcane and the mysteries. You spend your days in the grand library or one of
the many guild houses established by the Black Fort that tutor and select Mages. To become a
member of the Black Fort is not an easy task, and the work is hard and dangerous with Mages
leaving or dying before they reach full power.

Mages are expected to not only know their histories but also to have knowledge of the world outside
the guildhall doors and the city gates, and many are sent on tasks to test their resolve, temper their
knowledge and measure their ability to avoid corruption.

Necromancy You aspire to be a Pyromancer and have studied

Novices often start as students of local healers
before beginning the study of Necromancy and
joining a guildhall. The Black Fort is very aware
of the power and misuse of that power that
Necromancy is often associated with and keeps a
close eye on the Novices. The art of Necromancy
is the study of healing through the study of death
and what causes death, and this includes poisons,
disease, and death by other means.
the lesser rings of the art. The responsibility placed
on these mages is high, and the Black Fort select
very few Novices to take on the role.
Prerequisite - Mind 3, Arcane Skill 3+
Background - Novice
Bonus Skills - Crafting, Lore, Ranged +1

You aspire to be a Necromancer and have Bonus Knacks - Any 2.

studied the lesser rings of the art. The study of
Necromancy is thwarted with problems mainly
related to the elves and their studies of death that
gave Necromancy a bad name. The Guild tutors
keep a close eye on students and what they are
studying.
Prerequisite - Mind 3, Arcane Skill 3+
Background - Novice
Bonus Skills - Crafting, Healing, Lore +1
Bonus Knacks - Any 2.
Pyromancy
The Fire Mages are highly respected throughout
the Pale as those that hold back the ice. Fire is a
highly destructive force and has been the one
element that has been consistently beneficial
against the corruption and that which it spawns.
But the life span of a mage is often short unless
they use their powers with caution.
Sorcery
Sorcery is the darkest art taught by the Black
Fort and one that is frowned upon by many of
the guilds and Lords of the cities both above and
below. Sorcery is very much linked to the elves
and their experiments. Though the art of Sorcery
is older than the elves and was first used, and
many believe created, by the giants, much of the
study of the art comes from elven manuscripts
and research.
You aspire to be a sorcerer and have studied the
first levels of the art. As a sorcerer you are feared,
and are sometimes refused entry to cities and
towns, due to prejudice against the elves more
than an actual understanding of the sorcery
Prerequisite - Mind 3, Arcane Skill 3+
Background - Novice
Bonus Skills - Crafting, Lore, Ranged +1

Bonus Knacks - Any 2.

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 The Black Iron

100
 Shadow
Y
ou act within the shadows or outside of the law, stealth, and misdirection, striking silently and
the use of frowned upon techniques and items are your signatures. You learn what you know
from hardship and need, stealing as an urchin in the slums, avoiding gangs and those that would
take advantage of the weak in the refugee camps or navigating the dark warrens and pathways of the
below has made you who you are today.

With cunning, guile, and uncanny skills you are called upon to do the dark deeds, lead others through
the dark places or hunt those that have committed dark deeds.

Thief Bounty Hunters have become more popular as

Very few thieves work outside the guilds, but some
have no choice, guilds are only established in the
larger camps or certain areas of cities and working
outside the guild’s protection is often dangerous.
You can work for or outside a guild this is a choice,
you do not have to share what you steal with
anyone.
the cities have become more overpopulated, both
above and below the guilds have relied upon
Bounty Hunters to deal with annoying criminal
threats and ridding the city of undesirable
problems.
Prerequisite - Instinct 3, Scout Skill 3+

You could be a cut-purse, mingling with the Background - Any

crowds in the market squares cutting the purses
from belts, or you could be a burglar breaking
into the homes of the wealthy (though compared
to you everyone outside the camps is wealthy),
stealing whatever you can sell or trade. The work
can be lucrative but carries a large price for those
that are caught.
Prerequisite - Agility 3, Thievery Skill 3+
Background - Any
Bonus Skills - Athletics, Perception, Stealth +1
Bonus Knacks - Any 2.
Bounty Hunter
You are hired to hunt down criminals and bandits
both inside and outside of the cities. Bounty
hunters are given licenses to ply their trade
allowing them to ignore certain rules, such as
killing in public, damage to property laws etc.
Outside of the city you track your prey across the
pale, often facing dangers you have not been paid
to kill, but often there is a nearby village or town
that will show their appreciation known that the
monster is dead.
Bonus Skills - Ranged, Perception, Scout +1
Bonus Knacks - Any 2.
Survivalist
You hunt to survive, wild animals that are not
corrupted in some way are hard to find, but in
order to feed yourself and provide food for others
you must find and hunt them. Often when hunting
is sparse you will guide travellers or be a scout for
an adventuring party.
You have trained on how best to survive out there
in the cold and you are the best equipped to do so,
travelling the Pale without you is a death sentence,
but still many try it. Eventually you will find their
corpses and sell what you can, it will keep hunger
from the door for a while.
Prerequisite - Instinct 3, Survival Skill 3+
Background - Any
Bonus Skills - Crafting, Perception, Scout, +1
Bonus Knacks - Any 2.

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 The Black Iron

Derived Stats
E
ach character has six stats derived from Influence
their attributes. These will often only change Influence is a combination of personality and
when the attribute they are derived from appearance, a high influence will offer bonuses
changes when the group gains a new level. to barter and persuasion attempts whereas a
low influence will stop you from entering towns,
Below are instructions on how you can find the attract angry mobs and scare children. Influence
total for each of the character’s derived stats. is affected by corruption and as the characters
corruption increases their influence will start to
Corruption decrease.
Every character starts with 1 permanent
corruption, this can never be decreased to 0 as Your starting corruption is a combination of Body
the corruption already exists in everyone. If you and Mind with the result checked on the table
chose to gain a corruption to increase attributes below.
at the beginning of character creation, then your
corruption will begin at 2 and can never be less Body+Mind Penalty/Bonus
than 2. Check the corruption table on Pg. xxx for 2-3 -2
what benefits and penalties corruption gives.
4 -1
Corruption has 10 levels and each level will 5 0
offer a number of benefits and drawbacks from 6-7 +1
becoming more corrupted, this will be explained 8-9 +2
in the corruption section on Pg. 144. 10 +3

Courage Initiative
Some threats you face in the Pale or deep Your Initiative will determine how quickly you
underground can cause fear and this fear must react in combat situations. Your initiative is
be faced by courage or you will flee, have a derived from the Agility and Instinct attributes
breakdown, or even suffer from physical ailments. added together with the total of the two giving
A character’s courage is derived from the Instinct you a bonus to the D6 roll made at the start of a
and Mind attributes added together, the total will combat situation. Other factors will also give you
then be used to generate a 3d6 plus bonus amount bonuses and penalties to Initiative and that will be
that is rolled vs the threats fear rating. gone into more detail in the Explore and Survive
chapter.
Instinct+Mind Result
2-3 3d6+1 Agility+Instinct Bonus
4-5 3d6+2 2-3 +1
6-7 3d6+3 4-5 +2
8-9 3d6+4 6-7 +3
10 3d6+5 8-9 +4
10 +5

102
Resistance Wounds
Your ability to fight off the affects of disease and The characters wounds are Body x 5. The wounds
poisons all come down to resistance. Every poison are linked to the hit locations on the character
and disease has a potency, and you will need to sheet. When attacked 2d6 should be rolled to
equal or beat that potency in the same way that determine where the character was struck, if that
you equal or beat a difficulty number. location takes 5 or more wounds from a single hit
(minus AV) then this can cause penalties to the
Your character’s resistance is derived from the characters actions. Each locations is linked to one
Body attribute, this is rolled in order to beat the of the characters attributes.
potency of the poison and disease. Potencies can
be reduced with healing herbs and antidotes. 2d6 Location Attribute
Resistance will be gone into more detail in the 2-3 Left Leg Agility
Explore and Survive Chapter.
4-5 Right Leg Agility
6-7 Left Arm Agility
Stamina 8-9 Body Body
Is your endurance against the cold, starvation and
dehydaration that you will face beyond the spires 10-11 Right Arm Agility
or deep below ground. 12 Head Mind

Your character has Stamina equal to their Body For every 5 points of damage (minus AV) inflicted
attribute multiplied by 3. For more on Stamina see on a location the linked attribute goes down by 1
the Explore and Survive chapter. until the wounds are healed.

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 The Black Iron
Group Experience
T
he group experiences the world together as
they travel the pale or the dark roads below.
Together they will face horrors, discover
secrets, find treasures, and fight battles. As they
work together and complete adventures, they will
receive experience which in turn will allow them
to improve themselves.
The GM can reward experience for a number of
reasons, a few examples of which are listed below
along with suggested experience amounts.
• Completing a session 10 pts
• Completing an Adventure successfully
20-50 pts
• Overcoming a hard challenge together
10 -20 pts
• Encountering a horror for the first time
10 pts
• Learning Knowledge 15 pts
• Working as a Team 20 pts
On each character sheet there is a place to write
the group’s current accumulated experience and
what rank the group currently is. Once the group
has enough points to move up to the next rank the
experience is lost and starts once again at 0.
Individual Experience
Character’s within the group can also earn
experience which goes towards the groups total,
so a GM would reward an overall group experience
at the end of a session and then individual
experience to any character they feel deserved the
recognition, reasons for handing out individual
experience can be as follows.
• A character performs a heroic action
• Self-Sacrifice to save another
• Solving a puzzle by themselves
• Roleplaying the character well
• Interesting and exciting ideas
• Killing the monster single handed
• Taking risks to benefit the group
104
As stated above whether the experience is earned
by an individual or the group it all goes into the
overall group experience pool.
Group Rank and Fame
As the group goes up in rank, they will earn fame
and become sought after for adventures. At first
the group will be unknown but as they travel the
pale and discover new secrets and destroy those
that threaten the land their endeavours will
spread. An increase in rank will also increase the
rewards offered for the groups help.
Unfortunately with fame comes enemies and
eventually those that you have wronged will come
seeking revenge, assassins, hunters, and other
corrupted followers of the Blood Lords will begin
to see you as a threat and need to eradicate you,
making it more dangerous to venture into the pale
or the dark below.
On the rank table opposite there is a column
describing what each rank means to those outside
the group and what you will expect as your fame
grows.
Rank Table
The following Rank table will tell what experience
is needed to reach each rank, how many
advancement points that each character in the
group receives plus other benefits. The group
starts at Rank 1 immediately.
The Advancement Table shows the cost of
improving your character’s Attributes and Skills as
well as the cost of buying new Knacks. Using the
Advancement Table is described on Pg 93.
Unspent Advancement Points will be kept and
will add on to any new points received.
 Rank Table
Rank Exp Points/Benefits
1 0 -
2 100 75 points
3 250 One free Knack
4 400 +1 to Resistance and Initiative Rolls
5 600 75 points
6 900 Character receives a second species
trait of their choice
7 1200 +1 to Resistance and Initiative rolls
8 1500 75 points
9 1800 Two free Knacks
10 2500 75 points, +1 to Courage and
Resistance rolls

Advancement Table
Attribute Skills Cost
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Primary 10 15 25 50 - 10 15 20 25
Secondary 20 30 50 75 10 20 30 40 50

Derived Stats
+1 +2 +3 +4 +5
Wounds 15 20 25 30 50
Stamina 20 25 30 35 50

Knacks 25

105
 The Black Iron
Weapons,
Armour &
Gear
A
fter the fall and the sun went out, not much
was left. The cities lay either destroyed or
under a sheet of ice and those that survived
fled to the last city or to the below. As things slowly
went back to normal the opportunity to rebuild
arose, and it was soon discovered that many of the
crafters that once built the tools and temples had
perished.
The cities of the Pale and the Below lack quality
crafters, some did survive and are sought after,
but along with the lack of armourers and weapon-
smith, tailors and builders is the lack of materials
to build what is needed.
This lack of skill and material is reflected in the
quality of items available to the characters, many
characters start with either low or good quality
items, but these definitions on quality is based
upon what is available at the time.
Barter
Everything is bought through barter; this is done
in two ways straight exchange or Chits.
106
Straight Exchange – This involves bringing items
to a trader and exchanging those items for different
items that the trader has, this is often dependent
on what is available and what is needed by either
or both the trader and character.
The value of an item will change from place to
place and from time to time, so just because you
got a good deal on some rabbit furs last week with
a trader, does not mean that this week that trader
would offer the same deal.
Chits – Traders can give Chits for the value of
items bought to them that cannot be exchanged
due to lack of goods or lack of any thing that is
needed by the character. These chits are either
metal stamped coins, a sealed letter of value or
sometimes engraved pottery or wood. All traders
accept Chits in exchange for goods and services.
Barter always indicates some form of deal
being struck, and this is definitely the case, with
characters attempting to get a better price. Barter
is the obvious way to do this but Charm and
Diplomacy could also work depending on what
you are attempting to obtain and how you wish to
obtain it.
Traders can be found both on the road and in
villages, the Last City and the cities of the below,
Traders on the road will often be reluctant to
carry lots of trade goods unless they have a cart
or mules, but often these traders will have more
exotic items.
Crafting
Any character with a crafting skill can create a
low-quality item or repair one as long as they
have the materials to do so. The GM should set the
difficulty based on what the character is trying to
accomplish.

Repairing armour or a weapon would involve

Item Quality finding a material that can be either sewn or
welded on in the case or armour or welded or
Low-quality items are knocked together with replaced with a weapon, often a repair could lead
low-quality materials by barely skilled crafters, to an upgrade.
so, for example, a low-quality sword would be
a sharpened piece of Iron with some leather Upgrades
wrapped around an end section for a grip, a low- Upgrading a weapon or piece of armour can only
quality bow will be a flexible stick and some catgut. be done by someone with the right Knack and
access to a forge. To upgrade the character must
Good quality will indicate a bit more time spent first have the pieces they need to do the upgrade,
and maybe better materials used. A sword will look so a worn chain mail shirt will allow the blacksmith
more like a traditional sword with a discernible to repair it to make it wearable, all parts of a sword
hilt and a cross-guard, whereas a bow will be more will allow a blacksmith to rebuild the weapon.
sturdy and may come as short or long.
A low quality sword of iron will be heavy and do
When you begin to get into High Quality the rules less damage, but replacing the blade with one of
begin to change, many crafters cannot forge a steel with make it lighter and sharper, or replacing
high-quality sword but can repair one, so many the low grade hilt with one made of better
of the high-quality items available are built from materials will improve the handling.
various items found and brought to the crafter.
Finding a broken sword in the wastes should not A character can start with a low quality weapon
be discarded, bringing that sword to a crafter and rather than obtain a new sword just keep
will allow them to mount your current blade into improving the one they have, meaning that they
the hilt, improving the weight or balance of the may only buy one weapon their whole life.
weapon.
Difficulty based
Master-work items are the rarest find of all and are
on Quality
often magical in some way, again most master-
work items are found in the wastes, stories of Tools and Materials LQ GQ HQ
lost master-work items have spurred many an Available
adventure-seeking these legendary swords or Bare minimum of 8 10 14
artefacts. both
Bare minimum tools, 7 9 13
Master crafters do exist but are very expensive or plenty of materials.
live out there amongst the ruins, fabled masters Plenty of tools, bare 8 10 14
of the forge contemplating the grand design minimum materials
while sitting cross-legged on a mountain top is
Plenty of tools and 6 8 12
a romantic view that many crafters have of these
materials
mythical characters. Finding a master crafter will
lead to the creation of truly wondrous objects if
you can afford the price.
107
 The Black Iron
Skill
Characters with the Crafting skill can repair
weapons and armour and sometimes based on
the Level of success could turn a low-quality item
into a common quality item as long as they have
the materials. Characters that wish to forge or
reforge new weapons and armour will need the
appropiate Knack.
The GM should decide the difficulty of what the
character is attempting to do based on materials
and tools at their disposable, the above table is a
suggestion.
Wear and Tear
All low and good quality weapons will suffer from
wear and tear, becoming blunt, falling apart or
just plain breaking is always a risk. Rolling levels
of Failure can indicate that the weapon or item
has either broke or become less efficient in some
way.
Crafting Weapons
The crafting of weapons requires two things the
materials and the skill, neither of which is easy to
acquire.
Materials
When we talk of materials we are not talking of Iron
ore or Trees but more broken versions of what you
would like to make, though the raw materials can
be found it is much easier to use or repair what
is already available like old armour and weapons
found in ruins, taken from enemies or traded for
from tribes and villages in the pale.
Often one item can be used to repair another; two
old steel swords could be melted down to reforge
a new one, whereas scraps of chain mail could be
linked together to form a shirt. The haft from an
old iron axe could be used to hold a better quality
steel or obsidian axe head and so forth.
108
Current Material Improved by
Iron blade Steel Blade
Birch Wood Haft Hickory Wood
Leather Cured Leather
Pine Wood Yew Wood
Steel Obsidian
Obsidian Black Iron
Black Iron
The chunk of rock and Iron that was called down by
the elves scattered as it hit the land causing pieces
of it to be sent all across the pale, these pieces can
be reforged and are highly sought after by master
craftsman as the Iron is said to be unbreakable
and magical in nature. Of course, others claim
that the corruption seeped from the Black Iron
and spread, causing the rise of the Blood Lords
and the foul beasts that now prowl the ice.
Finding chunks of this metal will allow you to
forge new weapons and even armour, as long as
you can find a smith capable.
The rock is claimed by many to be a piece from
the home of the Gods, that as the gods watched
over and aided the humans in conquering the
elves their home was torn assunder by magic and
a piece fell to earth. Whether this is true or not is
for you to decide but the rock did have strange
powers.
The shattered pieces spread far and wide, far
beyond the Pale, what effect it had across the
world is unknown, but pieces are somewhere in
the forests, marshes and mountains of the land
beyond the spires and in the now frozen sea of
tears just waiting to be found.
 Worn Gear
Items Cost* Descriptions
Clothing 5/7/10 Standard Clothing
Climbing Spikes 5 Attached to boots to aid climbing. Adds +1d to athletics rolls
Packs 4 Adds 6 free slots
Pouches 2 Adds 1 free slot and up to 5 can be worn
Sack 1 Adds 3 free slots
Ski’s 5 Used to move quickly, increases movement by 5
Snow Shoes 4 Cancels movement penalties for deep snow
Snow Goggles 8 Used to avoid snow blindness
Warm Clothing 8/10/12 Used to travel the Pale, furs, hoods, gloves
*Cost separated by an / indicates poor/good/high quality

Encumbrance available everywhere and should turn up only

Each character has several free slots equal to
their Body x 3, for every slot used above this the
characters movement is reduced by 1, for every 5
points the character loses 1 rank from movement
based skills. Buying Backpacks, Pouches and
Sacks will increase the number of available free
slots.
Expendable Items
Some items are expendable such as candles,
torches etc. Unlike other items like food and drink
which the character can control, it is much harder
to regulate how quickly a candles burns or lantern
oil is used up, so when these items are used they
last several hours, the GM regulates this and
decides when the time has passed.
Out in the Pale, some items can freeze up causing
them to degrade faster, this is up to the GM, but
items that are not wrapped in oil clothes can
freeze or become wet and useless.
Cost
All costs are in Barter Chits. Costs can be adjusted
to emphasis different locations if the GM wishes.
occasionally. Characters cannot have rare items
at creation.
Guild Costs
Most of the items, weapons and armour listed
can be bought from Guild stores once the option
becomes available. The Guild cost is 50% of normal
trade cost. Guild stores cannot be bartered with.
Value
Items that are sold to traders are valued at half
their sale cost rounded down, so if an item costs
5 Barter Chits to buy that same item is valued at 2
Barter Chits to sell back to a trader.
Gear Descriptions
Equipment comes in two kinds Worn (w) and
Carried (c). Worn items do not take up slots
whereas carried items do, and each carried item
takes up a different number of slots
Pouches, Packs and Sacks – These allow you to
carry more gear without costing too much more
encumbrance. Each will add several extra free
slots. Up to five pouches can be worn.

Rare Lanterns, Torches and Candles – These are used

Some items are rare; this is mainly because they to light the dark places, each one lights a different
are no longer made or the means of creating radius and lasts a different length of time to the
them no longer exists. Rare items should not be others.

109
 The Black Iron

Carried Gear
Items Cost Expendable Slots Description
Animal Traps 2 - 4 Used to trap animals
Bedroll 5 - 3 A padded blanket with a tarp.
Candles (5) 2 Lasts 3 hrs.. 1 Candles will light a 5ft area
Chalk (3) 1 - 1 Used for marking paths
Clay Bottle 2 Holds 1 pint 1 Can hold 1 pint of fluid
Compass 10 - 1 Rare. adds +1 to navigation attempts
Excavation Kit 20 - 7 Shovel, pick, bucket and trowel
Firestone 12 - 1 Small stone that when rubbed heats up
Flint & Steel 2 - 1 Used for lighting fires
Grapple 3 - 2 Attached to ropes. Will add +1 to athletics
Lantern 4 Lasts 2 hrs.. 2 A Lantern will light a 20 ft area
Lantern Oil 2 Has 3 uses 1 Used in the lantern lasts 2 hrs..
Leather Ties 1 - 1 Used for tying objects together securely
Lock Picks 5 - 1 Will add +1 to Picking Locks
Oil Cloth 3 - To wrap items to stop them freezing or
getting wet
Rations (5) 3 Has 5 uses 2 5 Days of food
Repair Kit 20 - 3 Everything needed to repair armour and
weapons
Rock Salt 2 Has 3 uses 1 Used to preserve meat and grit ice
Rope 2 - 3 50’ of hemp or fibre rope
Scroll Case 3 Holds 5 2 Can hold up to 5 scrolls securely
scrolls
Skinners Kit 6 - 3 Kit for the skinning of animals
Spyglass 20 - 1 Rare. Allows user to see distant objects
Tent 5 - 5 Will hold one person comfortably
Tinderbox 3 Lights 2 fires 3 Used for the starting of fires
Torches (3) 1 Lasts 1 hr. 3 A Torch will light a 10ft area
Trophy Hook 3 - 2 Allows hunters to display their kills
Water-skin 2 Holds 1 gallon 2 Holds 1 gallon of liquid
Writing Kit 9 - 3 Contains pens, paper and ink

110
Snow Gear – Used for travelling the Pale, will aid
in survival
Fire-Stones – Stones harvested from the below,
expensive and rare these stones when rubbed heat
up warming the user and warding off the cold.
Tools and Kits – Used by those with the skills to
understand their purpose, Low-Quality tools and
kits will give a -1 penalty to the skill.
Transportation
Travelling across the pale can be dangerous not
just because of the bandits and monsters but also
the ice and cold. Animals like horses and dogs
are also affected by the cold and also need to be
kept warm and fed regularly, using the Scout skill
or Animal Care Knack, the GM must be aware of
whether the characters feed and take care of any
animals when they camp.
Vehicles like the Wagon and Carts come wheeled,
but for an extra 20bc, they can be fitted with skis
which will allow them to travel across dangerous
areas of ice as well as frozen lakes and rivers easier
Use
There are two ways to use Potions, Poisons and
Salves and these are shown under the Use column,
the first way is Applied, this means that it needs to
be either applied directly onto the wound in the
case of healing items or applied to a weapon in
the case of poisons. Ingested means exactly that
the item must be eaten or drank to gain the effects.
Resistance
All poisons and diseases can be resisted by rolling
higher than the potency with a Body Attribute Test
with any Resistance modifier.
Armour and Shields
Armour Points
Your armours AP reduces the damage caused
by weapons by the amount of the AP, so wearing
Chain armour will reduce any damage by 5 points.
Break
When the maximum is rolled on the damage
dice, this will effect the armour’s integrity, and for
each maximum rolled the armours break level is
reduced by 1. Once the armours Break reaches
0, it no longer protects the wearer and must be
either repaired or discarded.
Repairing Armour
For each break level that the armour has dropped
to adds another -1 penalty to repair it, so if the
armour has dropped five break levels the player
would receive a -5 penalty to repair it. A character
can opt to just ‘Patch’ up the armour which will
only repair a certain number of break levels rather
than all of them.
Shields
Shields are used to parry attacks, and with each
successful parry they are used for the break level
of the shield will drop by 1 point. It is much harder
to repair a shield, and they must be repaired
someone with the Armour Knack and a workshop,
often with low or good quality shields, it is cheaper
to buy a new one.
Modifiers
Some armours will effect stealth because of
there bulk or materials, this effect is shown via a
modifier which will give a penalty to the roll by
the player from -1 to -3 depending on the armour
type.
Rare
Some armours are rare; this means they are either
hard to have made unless a qualified Blacksmith is
found or they have to be discovered by the person
wishing to wear them and often this will lead to
them having to be repaired.
To repair a rare item would be a difficulty of 12 at
the minimum depending on available materials
and tools.
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 The Black Iron

Transportation and Lodging

Type Cost Description
Lodgings
Low quality Inn 1bc per night Often found in villages
Average quality Inn 3bc per night Standard city Inn
Good quality Inn 6bc per night High end city Inn
Transportation
Cart 30bc Open box on wheels pulled by a horse
Horse 70bc A good quality riding horse
Sled 40bc One or two person sled pulled by 6 dogs
Sled Dogs 15bc each A dog trained to pull a sled
Wagon 85bc Closed box and insulated, pulled by a horse
Potions, Poisons and Salves
Type Cost Use* Potency Effect
Potions and Salves
Frostbite Salve 18 Applied - Will heal the effects of Frostbite
Healing Salve 20 Applied - Will heal 1d6 Wounds
Healing Potion 35 Ingested - Will heal 1d10 Wounds
Purge 50 Ingested - Will purge poisons and disease from system
Barrier Weed 100 Ingested 10 Blocks magical ability in mages for d10 rnds
Yardin Root 150 Ingested - Removes temporary corruption
Poisons
Marsh Leaf 45 Ingested 9 Reduces Stamina by 1d6 per rnd
Fellon Root 60 Applied 8 Causes paralyses for 1 day
Wraith Sweat 30 Applied 7 Does 1d4 wound damage per rnd
Diseases
Type Potency Cause Effect
Marsh Shakes 3 Leeches or Ghoul bites Uncontrollable shakes with a -3 penalty and
death within two days if untreated
Gut Rot 3 Eating rotten or corrupted Vomiting and Diarrhoea. Victim is unable to act,
food will cause death if untreated
Black Boils 4 Bite from Carrier either Black Boils appear on the body, if not treated
human or animal victim will day within a week.
Running 4 Tainted Water Victims inside turn to water and run from their
Death orifices, Victim will die in two days.
Corpse Sweats 3 Undead or digesting Victims starts to sweat and eventually collapses.
corpses Left untreated death will come within a week
Red Fever 2 Animal bites Victim becomes feverish and begins to
hallucinate and become aggressive

112
 Armour and Shields
Type Cost AP Break Modifiers Availability
Low Quality Armour & Shields
Hide 15 2 4 -
Layered Hide 20 3 5 -
Plated Hide 35 4 6 -1 Stealth
Bone Plate 25 4 4 -1 Stealth Worn by Fanatics
Wooden Shield 30 - 10 +1 Parry
Good Quality Armour & Shields
Reinforced Leather 35 4 5 -
Plated Leather 75 5 7 -1 Stealth
Chain 150 5 9 -2 Stealth Rare
Reinforced Shield 75 - 15 +2 Parry
High Quality Armour & Shields
Reinforced Chain 225 6 12 -1 Stealth
Scale 300 7 15 -1 Stealth
Half Plate 200 7 20 -2 Stealth Rare
Full Plate 500 8 25 -3 Stealth Rare
Relic Knight - 10 30 -3 Stealth Very Rare
Corrupted Plate - 10 30 -3 Stealth Worn by Corrupted
Chiefs
Metal Shield 100 - 25 +2 Parry

Relic Knight Armour

When the armour was crafted for the knights
many were built using the same design as old plate
armour. The elves never used heavy armours and
so the art of making the chain and plate armours
had almost been forgotten by human blacksmiths.
This lack of knowledge means that Relic armour
is much more sought after as only the best smiths
worked on it.
It is rumoured that some suits of armour had been
crafted with magical elements, or in this case anti-
magical runes etched into it, along with other
effects, making the armour much more valuable
and desirable by those seeking it.
D6 Effect
1 Nothing
2 +1 Body when wearing the
armour
3 +2 Magical Resistance
4 Light - Stealth modifier removed
5 Healing - Heals d6 wounds once
per day
6 Strong +2 AP and Break
Magical Resistance is described in more detail in
the Arcane Chapter.

When a suit of relic armour is found the player

Corrupted Armour
The Blood Lords are known to reward their more
must roll on the following table to discover if any
savage and cunning fanatics with corrupted
magical effects had been etched into the metal.
armour and this is seen as a blasphemous take on
the Relic Knight Armour so highly prized by those

113
 The Black Iron

that live in the cities beyond the spires. This High Quality Weapons – made with durable and
corrupted armour is plate formed from iron and lighter materials like steel, and fired wood, these
infused with the blood of mages and priests, weapons are the top end for most people in the
etched with runes to give it power. Those found pale. High-quality weapons are not easy to come
wearing it are the knights of the Blood Lords. by, and a skilled armourer is needed to repair or
build them.
Like Relic Knight Armour the Corrupted Plate of
the fanatics is magical and when facing one of Master-work Weapons – Extremely rare and
these fearsome enemies a roll must be made on sought after weapons made with a variety of
the table below. materials from ancient steel, obsidian and Black
Iron, these weapons are rarely made and are
D6 Effect almost always magical in nature. These weapons
must be found with the prices on the table just
1 The runes on the armour causes
being a presumed cost.
dizziness to anyone seeing it,
making them -1 in all skills
2 +1 Body when wearing the Melee Weapon Damage
armour If the attack with a Melee weapon is rolled with
certain number of Levels of Success they may do
3 +2 Magical Resistance
extra damage, this can be linked to the damage
4 The armour absorbs the blood letter seen next to the damage on the table. Melee
of the victims and heals the weapons use the Body Attribute for damage.
wearer an equal amount (damage
inflicted heals the wearer) Stabbing/Slashing (s) – Weapon either stabs
5 The armour tightens around the or slashes or even both, this can cause bleeding
wearer causing pain and causing damage.
the wearer to go berserk, wearer
ignores stuns and has +2 magical Bludgeon (b) – Weapon causes Bludgeoning
resistance damage, which can stun a target.
6 Strong +2 AP and Break
Piercing (p) – The weapon pierces the target
which can also cause bleeding damage.
Weapon Descriptions
Modifiers
Low Quality Weapons – Made from low-grade The weapon modifiers represent the weight and
materials like stone, bone and untempered irons, quality of the weapon and how those factors will
these weapons are often heavier and harder to use affect the use of the weapon.
due to their rough design. Leather is sometimes
wrapped around the lower part of a weapon to
serve as a grip.
Break
Weapons like armour will break or become
unusable over time; this is shown in-game with
Good Quality Weapons – Made using better
the break number. Each time the character rolls a
materials but often still heavy and difficult to
1 for damage with the weapon, the break number
wield for long periods. They will be built with good
is reduced by one. Higher quality items take
quality materials and often come with grips and a
longer to break. Like armour, weapons can be
hilt with cross guards etc. Good quality weapons
repaired as long as the correct skill and repair kit
look like the weapons most people expect to see.
is available to do so. Otherwise, the character can
take the weapon to a smith and pay for the repair
to be made.

114
 Melee and Thrown Weapons
Type Damage Modifiers Throw (ft) Hand Break Slots Cost
Low Quality
Axe. Hand 4s -2 to hit x2 Body 1h 10 3 5bc
Bone Axe 4s -2 to hit 1h 8 3 4bc
Chain Whip 3s -2 to hit 6ft range 1h 7 2 3bc
Claw 3s -2 to hit 1h 6 1 3bc
Club 4b -2 to hit 2h 8 3 2bc
Dagger 3s -2 to hit x3 Body 1h 5 1 2bc
Hammer 4s -2 to hit x2 Body 1/2h 8 2 3bc
Spear 3p -2 to hit x5 Body 2h 6 4 2bc
Staff 3b -2 to hit 3ft range 2h 6 4 2bc
Sword 4s -2 to hit 1h 8 4 4bc
Good Quality
Axe, Hand 5s -1 to hit x3 Body 1h 15 2 7bc
Axe, Battle 6s -1 to hit 2h 18 4 12bc
Club, Iron 6b -1 to hit 2h 15 4 8bc
Club, Spiked 5b/p -1 to hit 1/2h 12 3 7bc
Dagger 4s -1 to hit x4 Body 1h 10 1 5bc
Hammer, Hand 5b -1 to hit x3 Body 1h 15 2 7bc
Hammer, War 7b -1 to hit 2h 28 4 14bc
Spear 4p -1 to hit x7 Body 2h 10 4 5bc
Sword, Broad 5s -1 to hit 1h 15 4 8bc
Sword, Great 7s -1 to hit 2h 18 5 20bc
Sword, Short 4s -1 to hit 1h 13 3 7bc

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 The Black Iron

Melee and Thrown Weapons Continued

Type Damage Modifiers Throw (ft) Hand Break Slots Cost
High Quality
Axe. Hand 6s - x3 Body 1h 20 3 9bc
Axe, Battle 8s - 2h 30 4 17bc
Dagger 5s - x5 Body 1h 10 1 8bc
Halberd 8s - 5ft range 2h 18 5 20bc
Hammer, Hand 6b - x3 Body 1/2h 20 2 10bc
Hammer, War 9b - 2h 30 4 20bc
Mace 7b/p - 1h 15 3 18bc
Morningstar 7b/p - 4ft range 1h 15 3 22bc
Rapier 7p - 1h 17 3 14bc
Spear 6p - x10 Body 2h 8 4 9bc
Staff 5b - 3ft range 2h 10 4 9bc
Sword, Broad 7s - 1h 15 3 15bc
Sword Great 10s - 2h 25 4 25bc
Sword, Short 6s - 1h 18 2 13bc
Masterwork
Axe, Hand 10s +1 to hit x4 Body 1h 22 2 80bc
Axe, Battle 14s +1 to hit 2h 35 4 100bc
Dagger 7s +1 to hit x6 Body 1h 12 1 35bc
Hammer, Hand 8b +1 to hit x4 Body 1h 20 2 85bc
Hammer, War 12b +1 to hit 2h 32 4 125bc
Mace 8b/p +1 to hit 1h 20 3 75bc
Spear 8p +1 to hit x12 Body 2h 10 4 70bc
Sword, Broad 10s +1 to hit 1h 20 3 95bc
Sword, Great 16s +1 to hit 2h 23 4 200bc
Sword, Short 8s +1 to hit 1h 20 2 85bc

When acquiring a masterwork weapon roll on the table below to discover any magical effects it may
carry. These effects only exist when the weapon is being wielded.

2d6 Effect 2d6 Effect

2-3 Flame on command +5 damage
4 Double damage against magic users
5 Nothing
6 +3 damage, +1 to hit
7 Black Iron, ignores armour
8 Any damage dealt heals wielder
9 Nothing
10 +5 Movement, +1 Agility, +1 Body
11 Chain effect, all enemies within 10ft of target
take half damage, when target struck
12 Weapon weighs nothing, +3 to hit, +3 damage

116
 Unarmed and Natural Weapons
Type Damage Break Slots Cost
Bash 3b
Bite 3s/p
Claw 3s/p
Head-Butt 2b
Kick 3b
Punch 2b
Leaded Glove 4b 15 1 6bc
Iron Gauntlet 4b 17 1 7bc
Spiked Glove 3b/s 14 1 4bc
Natural Ranged
Released Gas Corpse Sweats - - -
Pustile Burst Black Boils - - -
Spitting Disease - - -
Spines d4 x 3s - - -

Preparing to Attack Ammunition

A Bow can be nocked as a free action but a Bows and Crossbows can be used with different
crossbow will take 1 round to load, meaning that ammunition but often these more unique and
when using a crossbow you get to attack every dangerous ammunition types can be rare and
other round. expensive.

Cost Natural Ranged Weapons

The cost represents the average cost in barter
chits; this may change to reflect the location that
the weapon is bought. Master-work weapons cost
varies depending on what and where, the prices
listed are an average. It is much easier to find
these weapons out in the Pale then with a trader.
Some threats will have natural ranged weapons
like spines that can be launched, infected spit or
even boils that burst releasing or spraying infected
pus. Most natural ranged attacks will be diseases
rather than actual damage and the character may
not even know until the symptoms start to show.

When combat begins the GM should be aware of

Range what monsters have these natural ranged attacks
Both thrown and ranged weapons have a range.
and what can trigger them, that solid hit with a
For thrown weapons, the range is in feet and is
warhammer may have stunned the monster but
related to your Body. For ranged weapons, the
did it also burst a bunch of fetid boils?
distance is in yards. The range given is the furthest
range possible, and GMs can offer modifiers
to characters who attempt to hit such extreme
ranges.

Ranged Weapon Damage

Damage from ranged weapons can be increased
by extra levels of success being rolled by the player.

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 The Black Iron

Ranged Weapons
Type Damage Modifiers Range Break Slots Cost
(yds)
Low Quality
Bow 6p -2 to hit 50 6 4 8bc
Sling 3b -2 to hit 25 5 1 2bc
Good Quality
Bow, Long 10p -1 to hit 200 10 4 12bc
Bow, Short 8p -1 to hit 80 12 3 10bc
Crossbow 10p -1 to hit 150 15 5 15bc
Sling 4b -1 to hit 50 20 1 4bc
High Quality
Bow, Hunting 12p - 200 20 3 20bc
Bow, Long 16p - 300 20 4 25bc
Bow, Short 10p - 100 25 3 20bc
Crossbow, Hand 8p - 100 15 2 45bc
Crossbow, Light 12p - 150 15 3 60bc
Crossbow, Heavy 15p - 300 25 5 75bc
Sling 6b - 60 30 1
Master-work
Bow, Hunting 18p +1 to hit 300 - 3 400bc
Bow, Long 20p +1 to hit 500 - 4 600bc
Bow, Short 12p +1 to hit 150 - 3 400bc
Crossbow, Dwarven 24p +1 to hit 500 - 5 1000bc
Sling 8b +1 to hit 75 - 1 200bc
Ammunition
Arrows Cost
Standard 0 10bc for 20
Armour Piercing -2 Ignores Armour 20bc for 10
Broad-head +2 Causes Bleeding 15bc for 20
Bolts
Standard 0 12bc for 20
Armour Piercing -2 ignores Armour 30bc for 10
Broad-head +2 Causes Bleeding 25bc for 20
Stones
Standard 0 0
Sharpened +1 10bc for 50

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 Guild Weapons and Items
Weapon Damage Slots Special
Guild Daggers
Palm Dagger 6s 1 Concealed
Rangers Blade 6s 1 None
Twin Blades of the 8s 1 each +4 damage vs Corrupted
Malice
Guild Staffs
Ashen Wood 8b 4 +1 Ranged Casting
Control 8b 4 +2 to Controlling Undead
Dead Wood 8b 4 +1 to Ranged Casting
Flames 8b 4 +1 to Magic Fire Attacks
Heart Tree 8b 4 +1 to Arcane
Master 10b 4 +2 to Arcane
Guild Gear
Type Slots Effect
Globe of Eternal Flame 2 Everlasting Lantern
Guisers Kit 4 Needed to use the Disguise Knack
Pendant of Protection 1 +1 Defence against Magical Attacks
Alchemy Kit 4 Needed to use the Alchemy Knack
Rangers Band - Ranger leaves no Tracks
Ring of Purity - +1 Resistance
Ring of Warning - Grows warm when corruption is within 50ft
Surgery Tools 4 Needed to use the Surgery Knack
Cult Weapons
Giant Bone Dagger 8s 1 Made from the calcified bone of a giant
Grip of Faith 4 1 Glove that stuns the target for d4 rnds
Rune Blade 8s 1 Dwarven blade double damage to corrupted
Elven Blade 10s 1 Elven made blade causes paralyzes for d6 rnds
Cult Gear
Scar of Faith - Carved into the skin gives +2 protection against magic
Mask of the Remnant 1 When worn able to communicate with Revenant, also
Revenant can see through your eyes
Spinal Graft - Offers +1 to Athletics, and Elven Balance Talent
Dust of memories 1 Blown into the face causes targets to lose all short term
memories

Guild and Cult Weapons and Items are only available via the Guildor Cult and cannot be bought from
a normal trader, though they could be taken from a dead or alive guild or Cult member.

119
 The Black Iron
Guilds and
Cults
S Benefits
ince the fall there has been a rise in Guild
and cult activity both in the Last City and
the cities below, and many have joined one
or the other for the benefits they bring, especially
those wishing to expand their roles and influence
in the world.
Characters can join either a Guild or Cult suited to
their role as shown in the Recruitment section of
the guild or cult, once joined they must follow the
organisation’s rules for membership.
Recruitment
Each Guild and Cult will only accept those they
feel best suit their purpose and agenda. These
requirements are listed within the Guild and Cult
and can be as simple as only accepting those that
play a particular role or more detailed such as Skill
levels and attributes.
Membership Ranks
Each of the Cults and Guilds have five ranks of
membership, each rank will offer certain benefits,
but often in order to gain a rank that will mean
doing something for the guild or cult, sometimes
this may be counter to what you want or the rest
of the party.
120
Benefits to joining can be access to better gear,
contacts, information, specialisations, more
respect, and access to areas that would be
considered out of bounds to many.
Roles that must Join a Guild
There are certain roles that have to join a guild
the most obvious of these is the Mage. The Mage
begins at Rank 1 of the Mages Guild which is based
in the Black Fort. Thieves are also encouraged to
join the Guild of Silence as operating within cities
as a thief without the protection of the guild will
lead to an untimely death, of course if you feel you
are good enough without the guilds protection
than that is your choice.
Choosing a Guild
Guilds are very obviously linked to certain
roles and they will accept characters that have
adopted that role as long as they fit the criteria of
recruitment. A character does not have to join the
guild (except for Mages) and consider the benefits
of not joining such as not having to do the guilds
bidding, keeping all your findings, and so forth.
Choosing a Cult
Cults are different than guilds as they are often
based upon faith or a belief rather than laws and
profits. Any Role can join a Cult but there are not
as many to choose from as Guilds, (we will be
creating more in future Black Iron source books).

Some Cults tend to look for specific requirements

in recruitment, even though every role is accepted
that doesn’t mean that every species or gender
is also allowed, and the few cults listed here will
show that they only accept certain people.

Joining Both
A character can in theory join both a guild and a
cult, there is no rule against it, though they may
find themselves in situations when what you have
been asked to do may conflict with each other at
which point a choice must be made which may
end up with your dismissal from one or both.

GM Notes
A guild or cult may ask the character to perform
certain tasks and often these tasks may be
connected to an adventure the character is
involved in or about to become part of, these
tasks can often go against the adventures
original purpose and may jeopardise the
adventure. The character can choose to ignore
the guild or cults wishes and this will obviously
delay any rise in rank they would otherwise
receive. This choice should be down to the
player and they can choose to inform the other
players or not.

Also, sometimes a number of players may

have opposed tasks, again the characters can
share their instructions if they wish but this
could make for some interesting role-play
and possible conflict which should bring up
questions of loyalty etc.

121
 The Black Iron
The Black Fort
T
he Mages Guild can be found both in the Last
City and the cities below, with much more
sway in the Last City. They accept anyone
that claims to have some form of magical ability
as Novices and also those that have experience in
research and ancient languages as scribes.
The guilds houses are often unassuming buildings
in the city, it is claimed they send out a magical
marker which only those with some ability will be
able to recognise. Otherwise the administrative
centres of the cities will have a representative that
will test scribe and recruit academics they feel
would benefit the guild.
The Black Fort is responsible for the sun spires
that hold the ice and corruption at bay and this
has allowed the guild to dictate and hold power
over the Last City and the down below, as both
would be overrun without the spires. In the past
the guild has threatened to cease maintaining the
spires because of some law that was passed that
the guild did not agree with, laws that have been
quickly changed due mostly to the guild’s threats.
Being part of the guild comes with a certain
amount of power and the further up the ranks
you move the more power you receive, and this
is legal power rather than magical. Mages cannot
be arrested by the militia of cities they must be
handed over to the nearest guild house and the
mage will be dealt with by the guild once it is
determined if any crime is committed. It is safe
to assume that as a mage this will often mean at
the worst demotion to a lower rank and at best a
stern word not to do whatever was again, at least
in sight of the militia or witnesses.
Guilds Purpose
The guilds purpose is the study of magic and the
corruption, this is the most basic explanation, but
the guild does more than this. The Black Fort which
is only accessible by guild members is home to a
small hospitable, various research areas, a large
library, a number of dungeons, large herb garden
and many other safe areas for the study of ancient
magic.
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Due to restrictions to the Black Fort non-guild
members many believe that much more goes on
within its walls, and this is true. Laws that restrict
the study of elven texts or the practice of elven
magic and research do not apply to the Mages
Guild, meaning they can, and have dabbled
in dangerous and some would consider evil
practices.
Recruitment
The guild recruits only those they feel are
worthy and gifted. Those that have chosen the
Mage Role will be at Novice Rank within the
guild immediately. The guild has been known
to accept membership from Explorers who aid
them in discovering and retrieving lost relics and
knowledge.
Gaining Ranks
To move up ranks you will be asked to accomplish
tasks, retrieve items, show aptitude in your
abilities and to obtain information. Once you
have achieved what was asked you will them be
assessed and your new rank approved, with this
will come the benefits of that rank.
The following page goes into detail regarding the
ranks of the guild, what is needed to obtain each
rank, and what benefits you will receive by doing
so.
All Mages no matter the path receives the Alchemy
Knack for the Arcane Skill.
Alchemy Knack (Arcane)
The knack increases the potency and healing
properties of potions brewed by the Mage by +1, it
can also increase the amount of healing a potion
offers by +2 and gives a +1 to Survival for finding
specialist herbs and plants etc.
Surgery Knack (Healing)
The knack adds +2 to healing when performing
surgery or autopsies.
Rank 1 - Novice
Prerequisite: Mage Role, Arcane 3+, Mind 2+
Mage must be learning the first circle of their
chosen school. The mage receives access to the
Black Fort and its numerous Guild Houses found
in various cities, for the purpose of rest and
healing.
Benefit: You receive your Grimoire and scroll
case.

Rank 2 - Adept
Prerequisite: Arcane 3+, Mind 3+, One mission
completed for the Guild.
Benefit: You receive the ashen wood staff.
Mage receives access to the Black Forts secret
library and scrolls for study. Grandmaster Alto Felper

Rank 3 - Acolyte Alto became Grandmaster after

Prerequisite: Arcane 4+, Mind 3+, Two missions the death of the previous and first
for the guild completed. Mage must have Grandmaster of the Black Fort died,
completed the second circle of their school. almost 20 yrs ago.
Benefit: Mage receives access to the Black Fort
stores and can by herbs and items at half listed Under Alto’s leadership the Black Fort
price. has become much more interested in
research of artifacts and discovering
the truth behind certain realities,
Rank 4 - High Mage
this has made a few suspicious of the
Prerequisite: Arcane 4+, Mind 4+, Three Missions
Mages, and concerned that they may
for the guild completed.
discover something that will affect
Benefits: Ashen wood staff upgraded.
everyone.
For Sorceror upgraded to give +1 to Arcane
For Necromancers upgraded with dead wood
Alto is a strict master and is
adding a +2 to control undead.
unflinching in his research. His need
For Pyromancers upgraded to offer +1 to fire
to know and discover has placed
based ranged spell casting.
him in conflict with not only the city
administrators but also the Remnant
Rank 5 - Archmage who have insisted that Alto’s research
Prerequisite: Arcane 5, Mind 5. Five Missions is dangerous, a claim that has made
for the guild completed. The mage must have Alto believe that the Remnant has
completed the third circle of their school. something to hide.
Benefits: Mage can open their own guild house
and take in novices. The mage speaks for the guild
and is protected by guild laws.
Necromancers receive the Surgery Knack.
Sorcerors recieve the Ring of Warning
Pyromancers receive immunity to burning

123
 The Black Iron

The Guild of Explorers

A
s the dust settled and the world began to and important part of understanding the past and
freeze it was quickly decided to discover hopefully saving the future.
a way to reverse what had happened as
many feared that the ice would eventually claim Recruitment
the land making it uninhabitable. These early Anyone can join the guild there are no restrictions
explorers were the brave men and women willing and many explorers are also members of other
to risk death to find anything that may save what guilds without any issues with conflict of interests.
was left of the people, towns, towers, temples,
and cities were explored with a great many books
and objects found, but alas none were of any help Gaining Ranks
and with the coming of the Blood Lords and their Many explorers never go beyond first rank, and
fanatics the exploration quickly stopped. this is due to the fact that it is much easier to receive
jobs as a member than it is for someone that is not
Many years went by and with it the fear that many a member. For those that do then gaining ranks
had held, as the land froze it did not encompass is about receiving the option to receive jobs with
every part of the land, thanks to the mages and better rewards the higher the rank you are, access
those Pyromancers that gave their lives and hearts to the guild stores and even links to the Black Fort
to fuel the spires. A new fear permeated in the and the Remnant.
souls of the survivors, that of corruption and foul
magics, and with this new explorations began. Appraise Knack (Social)
Using Social the Explorer can judge the value of
The Black Fort was the driving force behind the an item and who would be most interested in
explorer’s guild, pushing those willing to seek out acquiring it.
magical knowledge and artifacts left by the elves
and eventually even the dwarves. This exploration Sense Magic Knack (Perception)
was funded by the mages until explorers started The explorer can sense nearby magic and whether
finding items of value and even knowledge an item is magical in nature. They can with a high
unwanted by the mages but of interest to both success even determine the scholl of magic the
the grand library and by association the strange item belongs to.
Remnant that resides upon the libraries ceiling.

After a couple of decades the explorer’s guild is now

Jobs
Many jobs that appear on the guild notice board
an independent (mostly) institution promoting
will specify a rank, this is the minimum rank
the searching of ruins and dark tunnels for the
expected to apply for the job. This is done by many
betterment of all, whether that be knowledge or
wishing to acquire the aid of the guild to guarantee
wealth.
trust and even secrecy by the explorer they hire.

Guild Purpose The guild may even recommend a trusted explorer

The main purpose of the guild is often considered for a job, an explorer they feel will be more invested
to be wealth, and this is true for many explorers, to the guilds needs than the employers, this may
but it is also the need to know and discover. Many seem underhand and it is.
explorers are curious by nature and believe that
many secrets lie hidden whether that is in the
elven ruins on the surface or the dwarven ruins
deep below. Much of what is known is because
an explorer discovered it, so they have become

124
Rank 1
Prerequisite: None
Member will gain access to the guild notice board
and guild meeting rooms.

Rank 2
Prerequisite: Two missions completed for the
guild.
Benefit: The explorer is trained in the Appraise
Knack. Rank 2 Jobs available.
Marcus Barot
Rank 3
Prerequisite: Three missions completed for the Current Grandmaster of the guild
guild, 10% of profit handed to the guild per year. and fervent explorer Marcus was one
Benefit: Access to the guild stores. Rank 3 jobs of the first to join the guild and is the
available. last surviving member of that first
batch of recruits.
Rank 4
Marcus is still active as an explorer
Prerequisite: Five missions completed for the
and spends very little time at the
guild, 10% of profts handed over.
guilds house leaving most of the
Benefits: Sense Magic Knack learnt, Access to the
day to day running (paperwork) to
Black Fort for information and certain items. Rank
scribes ‘and those that enjoy that sort
jobs available.
of thing’.

Rank 5 Little is known of Marcus except that

Prerequisite: Seven missions completed for the
guild. 10% of profits handed over.
Benefits: Globe of Eternal Flame, Access to guild
library, guild protection. Rank 5 jobs available.
he is a good explorer, treats all ranks
as equals and is often never around
when you need him. Though rumour
has it that he is also a member of the
Guild of Silence but this has never
been proven.

125
 The Black Iron
The Guild of Silence
B Guild Purpose
efore the fall there were a number of small
thief gangs that controlled particular areas
of a city, this was a risky business as the
elves would often send patrols to find and hang
the thieves publicly, dismantling the gangs and
any that supported them. When the humans
fought back against the elven oppressors many of
the thieves showed their support to the uprising
by using their skills to gather information and even
to assassinate those that could be troublesome
to the rebels. Once the cities started to fall to the
human liberators and the thieves were hailed as
heroes, but like all things it did not last.
As the sea’s began to freeze many pirates fled
landward and continued their piracy amongst the
chaos of the fall, profiting from the refugees that
fled to the Last City and stealing from those that
fled the city for the below. As the months passed
the thieves became more organised and took on
a Pirate democracy, creating a council of thieves
and mimicking the guilds by having ranks, laws,
and a hierarchy. With bribes and threats the guild
gathered allies from the other guilds both above
and below, and with this came influence and
power.
The Silent Guild got its name because it never
talks, it does not sit on city councils it does not
make public speeches, but it does have a say,
either by speaking through the other guilds, or via
threats and assassination. Many laws have been
passed that have benefited the Silent Guild, many
deals made funded by thieves’ gold. They may not
speak but their voice is heard.
The guild is made up of a number of houses each
has their speciality, House of Blades, House of
Beggars and the House of the Cat, all have masters
that sit upon the council of the Guild, each house
abides by the laws and each donate a percentage
of their profits to the guild master which in turn
allows the guild to invest in legitimate businesses
and pay bribes.
126
The guilds purpose is not as clear cut as you may
think, yes it is a guild of thieves but rarely do
these thieves steal from any that cannot afford it,
the assassins tend only to kill those that threaten
everyone with their beliefs or actions, and the
spies often spy for the other guilds and even the
nobility. The guild does not harbour corrupted or
cults that worship either the Blood Lords or the
elves and they have been known to actively seek
out cults or corrupted from their districts. Thieves
from other cities must make themselves known
before acting within that city otherwise they will
be punished, and any thief known to have killed a
child will be publicly killed themselves.
Many thieves are recruited or join explorations
as their unique skill set can be an advantage, and
having someone well versed in the ways of stealth
and silent murder comes in handy when facing
bandits or cultists (the guild does not recognise
those bandits or criminals that operate within the
Pale, often seeing them as corrupted or depraved).
Guild Recruitment
Recruitment is done differently in the guild with
possible candidates being approached by a
member who sees the value in that person to the
guild. This has led to many non-criminals being
recruited and occasionally a Sister of Stone being
approached with unfortunate results.
Guild Ranks
Members do not have to climb the ranks, and
many are happy to be taught what they need and
never climb any higher. In order to become a
house boss, the member does need to understand
and study every aspect of what the guild does, and
this is reflected in the ranks.
Disguise Knack (Stealth)
Character can disguise themselves as another
adding a +2 to stealth when used to fool others
into believing you are that person.
Rank 1 - Beggar
Prerequisite: Thievery 2+, 50% of all earnings
handed over to the guild.
Benefit: Member is taught Thieves Cant and the
meaning of the guilds symbols.

Rank 2 - Cut Purse

Prerequisite: Agility 3+, two jobs for the guild,
40% of all earnings handed over to the guild.
Benefits: Access to a Fence to sell goods and to
the guild stores.
Rank 3 - Blagger
Prerequisite: Thievery 3+, Perception 3+, 30% of
all earnings handed over to the guild. Take on four
jobs for the guild.
Benefits: Thief learns the Disguise Knack and
receives the Guisers kit.
Rank 4 - Burglar
Prerequisite: Thievery 4+, Stealth 3+, 20% of all
earnings. Take on six jobs for the guild.
Benefits: The guild will protect and shelter you
from the law or others. Gain 2 important contacts.
Rank 5 - Capo
Prerequisite: Thievery 5, 10% of all earnings
handed over to the guild.
Benefit: Access to the guild secrets and the ability
to start your own guild
‘Blue Eyes’
The current grand capo of the Guild
of Silence is unknown accept the fact
that they are female and have piercing
blue eyes, and that description is just
a rumour.
Nothing happens in any of the cities
without the knowledge of the thieves
guild and it is believed that the guilds
networks and members, informants
and loyal followers range from the
lowest of beggars to the seats of the
city councils.
‘Blue Eyes’ has a few loyal capo’s that
she trusts and they speak for her in
all matters, some believe that these
capo’s are the grand capo, a thieves
council and that Blue Eyes is just a lie
they started to draw suspicion away.
but who knows.

127
 The Black Iron
The Fighter’s Guild
M Purpose of the Guild
any believe that the Fighter’s guild began
after the fall as a way for sell swords and
fighters to find work, but that is not quite
correct. The truth is much more interesting in that
it was a secret guild of fighters that started the
uprising, they protected the blacksmiths as they
forged the weapons and armour and they trained
those that wished to fight, all in secret and under
threat of discovery by elven militia.
The guild was formed in the capital, now called
the Last City and it was the first city they captured,
cutting off all communications of the elves so that
the next two cities fell without warning. Because
the guild was already established, the city fell
quickly as those taking it were already inside the
walls with key members in positions of trust or
with help from the thieves’ guild.
The strongest of the guild were the knights that
rode at the vanguard of the ever-expanding
human forces, moving across the Pale collecting
volunteers from farms, towns and villages as the
elven forces were pushed back or eradicated on
the spot. It was the greatest moment in the guild’s
history and one that assured that the guild, once
re-established after the fall, would receive a place
at the table.
The guild is now the largest one next to the
merchant’s guild and the guilds master is currently
head of the city council. Below there is a fighter’s
guild in each of the cities and they command the
militias and guards that patrol the roads and walls.
The guild has a lot of influence and members are
seen as heroes by some and protectors by many.
Unfortunately, there is a large section of people
that blame the guild for the fall, claiming that life
may have been hard under the elves but at least
there was food and less dangers from disease and
monsters.
128
The guilds overall purpose is to train those
wishing to learn in the martial arts, this ranges
from pit fighting to archery, fencing to pole arms.
It also acts as a place where warriors can be hired
for guard work, fighting bouts, tourneys, and
exploration
Recruitment
Anyone is welcome into the guild, but they do ask
for an annual payment of metals and ores in order
for them to forge and repair new weapons and
armour.
Gaining Ranks
Members gain ranks by providing valuable ores
and metals when they can, being honourable and
purging corruption when found. The guild is very
wrapped up with the Relic Knights and the highest
rank is geared towards bringing up the myth of the
knights as a weapon against the corruption.
Knights Armour
To become a Relic Knight you must find and return
a set of knights armour, these are only found on
the battlefields from the last war. To retrieve the
armour you must scour the battlefield defending
yourself against ghuls and other threats that can
be found picking at the dead or stealing what
valuables can be found there. This should not be
an easy task and can if not careful cut short the
guild career of even the best fighters.
Shield Bash Knack (Melee)
Fighter can bash target with shield as a free action
causing target to be pushed back d4 feet.
Arrow Stab Knack (Ranged)
Archers stabs with arrow causing Body + 2 damage
to target, this is done as a free action.
Hilt Smash Knack (Melee)
Fighter smashes their two handed weapon hilt at
the target as a free action causing Body + 3 damage
Rank 1
Prerequisite: Melee or Ranged 2+
Benefit: Access to training areas and guild
craftsman.
Rank 2
Prerequisite: Ten barter chits of ore or metal
donated, two jobs taken on behalf of guild. Melee
or Ranged 3+
Benefit: Access to Guild stores
Rank 3
Prerequisite: Ten barter chits of ore or metal
donated, three jobs taken on behalf of guild. Fight
at 3+ Body 3+
Benefit: Fighter trained in new Knack
Choose one
Shield Bash Knack
Arrow Stab Knack
Hilt Smash Knack
Rank 4
Prerequisite: Ten barter chits of ore or metal
donated, five jobs taken on behalf of guild. melee
at 4+ or Ranged 4+, Agility 4+
Benefit: One High Quality weapon of choice, one
High Quality armour type of your choice.
Rank 5
Prerequisite: Ten barter chits of ore or metal
donated, seven jobs taken on behalf of guild.
melee at 5 or Ranged 5, Body 5 or Agility 5.
Benefit: Master of Arms can start own guild
house, and can apply to seek Relic Knight Armour.
Relic Knight
Prerequisite: Master of Arms, access to the guild
crafters.
Benefit: Full set of Relic Knight Armour.
Gregor Tourass
The Marshal of the guild is a huge
bear of a man, said to be just under
7ft tall and as wide as a barn, though
this may be overexaggerated Gregor
is big.
Gregor is the son of a Blacksmith, one
of the smith’s that armed the army
that faced the elves and he is proud
of this fact. His father died in the war
but Gregor vowed to never allow one
person to ever control another and
dedicated his life to the fighting arts.
Gregor is known for his hammer,
a huge lump of iron forged and
wielded by his father against the
elves, it is said Gregor searched the
battlegrounds for his father’s corpse
for days, fighting off Ghuls and other
horrors, until he found it.
Gregor sits on the city council as
the war chief, he is an outspoken
opponent to Alto and the Black Forts
research believing that sorcery will
be the downfall of those people that
remain and will destroy the city,
something he has vowed to never let
happen, whatever the cost.
129
 The Black Iron

Sisters of Stone Cult

I
t is said that the founder of this holy order was girls in the arts that many families valued, such as
a pirate that fled the frozen seas, that this pirate sewing, cooking, herbalism, and other wholesome
was so overcome by the beauty of the temples activities, and offer a spiritual education. Many of
in the City of Dresen that she fell to her knees and the noble and merchant families began sending
wept vowing to no longer pillage and steal but to their daughters to the temple to become educated.
devote herself to the stone gods. The story tells of Dera and the other sisters would take in orphan
the pirate using her wealth to establish the holy girls or approach Vagrant families offering a better
order called the Sisters of Stone, and this is partly life for their daughters and the temple grew.
true.
After a few years and once the order had
The founder was indeed a pirate by the name of established itself, she began to put phase two into
Dera Val Gayet, and she had fled with her ships to action and this was to create a school of assassins
the pale as the seas froze. Dera had been invited to and spies that would effectively place the power in
help build the thieves guild in the Last City which Dera’s hands. Along with the cooking classes and
many of her pirate comrades felt was ripe for the sewing was training in weapons and stealth, with
picking, but instead, with no intention of sharing herbalism was the creation of poisons. The girls
her ill-gotten gains with a bunch of drunken learnt how to manipulate through both mental
sailors, she went below to see what that had to and physical means in order to gather information
offer. or learn secrets. Soon the hidden elements of the
temple were sent out to learn, kill and steal not
Dera found herself one of the first to enter the just wealth but knowledge.
city of Dresen and was indeed overwhelmed by
the statues and temples of the dwarves, this had The Sisters of Stone is considered the most holy of
a profound effect on her and with this a plan wasorders and many are proud to send their daughters
hatched. Dera decided to create her own thief’s to study the important life lessons. Amongst the
guild posing as a holy order. At first it was easy to
underworld the order is feared and envied, the
establish herself as a priestess amongst the chaos
Silent Guild tolerates the Sisters either because of
and she had enough money to bribe the family fear, due to the sharing of profits or for as long as
members who questioned her venture. they stay away from each other’s territories. It has
been known for each to show mutual respect for
As time went by it became obvious that what the other and even to work together.
Dera had started was slowly becoming a place
for lowlifes and drunkards that felt that with a Purpose of the Order
woman in charge they could do what they liked. The order seems to have two purposes the public
Fights would break out in the temple halls and one which involves the education of girls and
Dera was ignored or laughed at when she tried the hidden purpose of assassination and spying.
to regain control, something had to change. Not all girls are taught the hidden skills and
Dera called together some of the most ambitious only those that show aptitude and often have no
female criminals she knew, gave them a large bag family connections are ever taken into the inner
of whatever they wanted and instructed them to sanctums of the temple, this means that only the
kill everyone in the temple, which they did. best are chosen and that outsiders can never tell
what type of sister they are dealing with.
Soon after with the aid of the same female
assassins that had helped clear the temple the
Sisters of Stone was formed, a holy order of
women that would offer healing, prayer, and
meditation to any that needed it. They would train
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Recruitment
Sisters are recruited as children mainly with many
having normal lives outside of the Temple once
they reach a certain age, though still recognised
as Sisters. This was done in order to add another
layer to the deception.

Only females are recruited.

Order Ranks
The order’s ranks start once the sister begins to
become active in the orders various missions.
Those that stay as priestesses do not acknowledge
a ranking system but instead use seniority, and are Sister Agatha
the ‘front’ of the order, administering comfort and
healing, as well as offering prayers and listening Grandmother of the Sisters of Stone
to confessions. order, Agatha was handed over to the
order by her parents when she was
Those sisters that are trained in the various secret very young, it is believed they had been
arts have five ranks. refugees.

Assassination Knack (Stealth) Agatha quickly rose through the ranks

When attacking from stealth the assassin does
double damage and ignores armour.
Rank 1 - Priestess
Prerequisite: Female
Benefit: First Aid Knack for Healing
Rank 2 - Novice
Prerequisite: Fulfil two missions for the order.
Benefit: Receive Punch Dagger, access to guild
stores.
Rank 3 - Adept
Prerequisites: Fulfil four missions for the order.
Benefit: You learn the Poison Knack for Crafting.
Rank 4 - Assassin
Prerequisite: Fulfil six missions for the order,
Stealth 4+
Benefit: Learn Assassination Knack for Stealth.
of the order, far faster than her sisters
at the time, making her the youngest
to ever reach the rank of adept and the
inner sanctum of the temple.
A closely guarded secret of the order
is Agatha’s heritage, she is a Half Elf,
though it would take a very close
examination to discover this, and if the
fact ever came out it could destroy the
order, so the secret is kept from even
the Mothers of the temple.
Since Agatha became head of the
order more Priestesses are available
for healing in the temple and training
in the inner sanctum has become
more varied. Also links to the Guild of
Silence has become even more frayed
as Agatha believes that the temple is a
holy order not a criminal one.

Rank 5 - Mother
Prerequisite: Fulfil ten missions for the order,
Stealth 5, Melee 5
Benefit: Protection of the order, dust of memories.

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 The Black Iron

Cult of the Malice

N
ot a guild or even a cult but more an agency the way of performing their service. The Remnant
that does the bidding of the Remnant make sure that the Malice are equipped well and
and was established within a year of the are trained by the best. If injured the Malice are
Remnant setting up home in the Grand Library. healed, they are housed and fed and though their
The Malice are all Chimeer and it is believed that needs are low they are catered for.
only Chimeer are excepted, why this is no one
knows but maybe the Remnant feels some affinity The most loyal and trusted Malice speak for the
with the hybrids. Remnant and often a Malice will be seen off to the
side during guild meetings, not saying anything
The Malice are a secret group, if you are a Malice but making sure that it is known that the Remnant
you never speak of it and deny it if asked. Orders is watching. This has led many guild masters
are received via either note or telepathy and often to fear the Malice and to start rumours that the
these orders will coincide with what the Malice is Remnant may not be all they seem.
currently doing.
Agent Recruitment
Though the group are secret it is not unknown for Agents must be Chimeer and they must be loyal.
the Remnant to insist that a Malice join a group Often a Chimeer is approached by a Malice or
openly in order to lead the group or to look for sometimes the Chimeer will speak directly to the
something specifically whilst with the group. Remnant in the Grand Library.
The Remnant will hire parties to seek out relics
and have a Malice go along as security or as the
Remnants eyes and ears. Agent Ranks
The Ranks of an agent are based on trust, aptitude
Joining the Malice has allowed many Chimeer and loyalty with the Remnant bestowing gifts upon
the freedom they would often not be privy to, the those most in favour. There is no real hierarchy
protection of the Remnant allows them to walk amongst the Malice but a respect for deeds done.
the cities freely without arrest or banishment, this
freedom has sickened more of the less tolerant Lip Reading Knack (Perception)
guilds or noble families that see the Chimeer as You gain a +1 when attempting to read the lips of
aberrations or corrupted elven experiments, but people at a distance.
the power and the knowledge the Remnant has
forced these prejudices to remain unspoken or Web of Blades Knack (Melee)
acted upon. The agent moves at a unnatural speed making two
attacks with each blade per round.
The Purpose of the Agents
The Remnant are not able to travel, or so it is
believed and hence some form of trusted agent
was needed in order for the Remnant to move
about in places they could not. Also, the hunt for
specific information, relics or even other Remnant
could not be left to hired swords as often the value
of what they sought was more tempting then
fulfilling the job, so the Malice were created.

The Malice are loyal to the Remnant and will do

whatever is bid, they will dispose of any that get in

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Rank 1
Prerequisite: Chimeer, Pledge allegiance to the
Remnant, Survival 3+
Benefit: As an agent of the Remnant you are
outside of the law in any city. You receive the Mask
of the Remnant.

Rank 2
Prerequisite: Complete 2 missions for the
Remnant. Perception at 3+.
Benefit: You gain the Lip Reading Knack and the
twin blades which are two good quality daggers.

Rank 3
Prerequisite: Complete 4 missions for the
Remnant. Stealth at 4+, Lore at 3+.
Benefits: You receive good quality light armour
and the Pendant of Protection which gives +1
resistance against magical attacks.

Rank 4 Though little is known of the true

Prerequisite: Complete 5 missions for the purpose of the agents, there has
Remnant, Mind 4+, Survival 4+. been some interest in the face mask
Benefit: You learn the Web of Blades Knack. each agent wears and it’s purpose.

Rank 5 Made of an unknown material it is

Prerequisite: Complete 8 missions for the
Remnant. Perception 5, Mind 5, Stealth 5.
Benefit: You receive the Twin Blades of Malice
and become the spokesman for the Remnant in all
things. You also receive the ability to communicate
telepathically with another within 200ft of you.
believed that the mask allows the
agent to communicate with their
Remnant master over vast distances
and also allows the Remnant to ‘see
through the agents eyes’.
The Black Fort has secretly stated an
interest in obtaining masks as part
of their ongoing study in to what the
Remnant truly are.

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 The Black Iron
The Grey Order
O Guild Purpose
riginally started as an option for criminals
who had deserted or committed serious
crimes to earn back some honour by
patrolling the border between the Sun Spires, the
Grey Order over time developed into a small guild
of hunters and other adventurers who dedicated
their lives to protecting those still trying to survive
in the ice or travelling the roads.
The order is split into two parts, there is still a large
number of convicts that patrol the borders around
the Last City, and as long as there is crime this will
never change, but now the order also has a Ranger
unit. These Rangers are mostly made up of non-
criminals wishing to do their part, though a small
number of Rangers are still criminals. The Rangers
have become an extension of the cities military
and are considered the law in the Pale. They patrol
the roads, guide travellers and merchants and
protect the small outposts and villages still found
in the beyond the spires, their job is dangerous,
but they have helped keep the northern lands free
of many threats.
In the below the Grey Order has started a small
unit of Rangers willing to risk the darkness and
tunnels. The members come from Scavengers,
some Hunters, and a few refugees, who some
believe join up for the clothes and meals. At the
moment the order is struggling in the Below due
mainly to the families who are reluctant to have
some outside source patrol their roads, but time
will tell if this changes.
The Grey Order is a guild in structure, they have
ranks, guild houses in the cities and a Master but
are not recognised by the city council and have
no say in matters of importance. This is due partly
to the fact that many still see the order as a group
of convicts. Amongst the citizens though it is a
different story with the Rangers being hailed as
heroes and protectors, and many people would
take the word of a Ranger over the word of a city
administrator any day.
134
The Grey Rangers main purpose is to patrol the
roads and lands of the Pale, but they have been
known to act as scouts for travellers and explorers.
The lower ranks are encouraged to join up with
groups to learn the land as best they can and to be
seen by the people that still exist out there.
Recruitment
The Grey Rangers of the Pale tend to recruit
those that already have a knowledge of tracking,
and hunting and this has led to a lot of Hunters
joining. The guild offers a sort of deputy status
where a hunter can continue their role but also be
a representative of the guild without committing
to the order fully, this does not allow the hunter to
earn the benefits of ranks but does offer them the
benefits of being associated to the Ranger, which
is often shown by food and a place to sleep.
Guild Ranks
For those that commit there are five ranks within
the guild each offers benefits and Knacks.
Limb Jumping Knack (Athletics)
The ranger can travel across a forest via the
branches of the tree’s, leaping from branch to
branch with perfect balance.
Camouflage Knack (Stealth)
When in forests or marsh the ranger gains a +1 to
stealth rolls by utilising the environment around
them.
Advanced Tracking (Scout)
The ranger can track at night with no penalties
and gains the ability to track magical and corrupt
creatures just by the mental markers left from
their passing.
Ranging
Ranging the Pale or below involves any activity
that will take you off the beaten track, adventuring
and exploring either location qualifies as ranging.
Rank 1
Prerequisites: Perception 2+, Scout 2+ and
Survival 2+.
Benefits: Access to ranger hut locations and
survival caches in the Pale or below.

Rank 2
Prerequisite: Commit to the Grey Rangers.
Range the Pale or the below for a month,
Instinct 3+, Ranged 3+.
Benefit: Badge of Office showing you are part
of the guild and are held by its laws. You receive
the Rangers Blade.

Rank 3
Prerequisite: Range the Pale of the below for
two months. Scout 3+, Stealth 3+, Lore 3+.
Benefit: You gain access to Ranger stores and
receive training in the Limb Jumping Knack.

Rank 4
Prerequisite: Range the Pale or below for 5
months. Instinct 4+, Ranged 4+, Survival 4+.
Benefits: You receive training in the Camouflage
Knack and you receive the Rangers Band.

Rank 5
Prerequisite: Ranged the Pale or Below for 1
year. Instinct 5, Scout 5, Stealth 5, Survival 5.
Benefits: You are taught the Advanced Tracking
Knack. You are given High Quality light armour
and a High Quality Bow. You can command
lower rank rangers.

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 The Black Iron

Explore and
Survive
T
he world is a place of cruelty and horror, those with sense stay behind the city walls and accept
their fate, produce the food, keep the ores coming in and serve the guilds and their betters. But,
there are some among the people who feel the need to venture out, to risk their lives beyond the
spires. They try to resurrect a dead land, try to recapture the world before the fall and carry on. Sadly
they often are found staked out guts hanging, impaled upon spikes, or if they are blessed dead in the
snow, frozen.

There are those amongst us that are destined to face the Pale, to walk the tunnels of the Below or the
ice of the Above. Those that face the horrors and try to fight back. Every day the ice gets closer and the
corrupted howl at our borders, our cities have become breeding grounds for cults of the Blood Lords
recruiting those that feel left behind or hopeless. This infection, this creeping pestilence needs to be cut
out and burnt, and often it takes those willing few to do the deed.
The cities are the safe havens, places with high Travelling through the Last City and the cities
walls and armed men walking the streets. below is relatively safe during the day, there are
Administrators and Guilds are making sure that dark alleys where murders may lurk, and the
supply lines stay open that even the poorest are overcrowding does allow the petty thieves to pick
fed, and to some real degree this is true, (though their targets easily. But generally, the streets are
few see the machinations behind the walls of the safe. The merchant and administration districts
guild houses and the assassinations of dignitaries). tend to have larger patrols of better armed and
But as the years have moved on since the fall, and better-trained men, but that is to be expected.
the Pale has become more and more under the
control of the Blood Lords, some of the rot has After dark, especially in the Last City, it becomes
seeped in. The mass of refugees that flooded the much more dangerous. The cults hold their secret
cities brought with them chaos and those that rituals and some, mainly in the slums, will openly
supported the rule of the elves, that harboured hunt out victims or parade their beliefs without
resentment to their fellow humans for bringing fear of retribution. The night is also when the
the world to its icy knees. This resentment and corrupted walk the streets.
anger grew and became a threat.

138
In the Below the problem of cults and corrupted
is not so bad, the families hold a tight rein on who
they allow to enter the cities, and this has helped
limit the reach of the corrupted and the Blood
Lords. Unfortunately, this does not reach as far
as the tunnels and Vagrant camps that have been
built upon the roads and caves. Reports of strange
noises are reported daily of unnatural sounds of
chanting coming from deep below, encounters
with strange creatures and even rumours of
missing people are whispered throughout the
cities and have even reached the Last City above.
Travel across the Pale
There are few ways to travel across the pale if you
stick to the roads you can use wheeled vehicles
like carts and carriages, mostly the roads stay
clear from years of use, but it is not unheard of for
roads to become blocked with snow or ice making
wheeled vehicles useless. Many travelling traders
have fitted sledges to their vehicles, dispensing
with wheels altogether. This allows the traders to
travel fast across open land, though passing the
sun spires suddenly make the vehicle harder to
use, at least it is safer.
Horses and riding animals can be more
straightforward for groups but then comes the
extra care needed for the animals when resting,
a horse will freeze just as quickly as a person in
the ice, extra food needs to be brought and finding
food for yourself, and the horse making foraging
more difficult and time-consuming.
Walking the Pale will take time and journeys will
be longer, food will run out, and the dangers of
hypothermia, frostbite, snowdrifts and other
natural threats will need to be considered. Those
that choose to walk can obtain snowshoes which
makes travel by foot slightly more accessible and
faster as shown opposite.
Leagues Per Day*
Travel via Roads Snow Ice Mountains
Walking** 8 5 4 3
Snowshoes 7 8 7 -
Mounts 16 12 10 12
Wheeled 14 5 5 5
Sledge 16 12 10 5
Dog Sledge 14 14 14 8
*League = 3 Miles
** Walking Pace is 30ft per round
Travelling the Below
The dwarven roads that connect the cities are wide
and well made, making travel easy both on foot or
using vehicles or mount. Closer to the cities they
are patrolled and the main issue many will face
will be the gates and gaining access as some cities
restrict this to traders, residents or those with
passes supplied by either a family or guild.
The mines, tunnels and caves lead deep
underground, and many have never been
explored and can become hazardous the deeper
you go, but the lure of ancient treasures and
more abandoned dwarven cities is, for many too
much of a temptation to not try. Vagrants have
discovered roads that will shorten a journey and
even secret ways into the cities that bypass the
gates, and they will offer their services as guides to
those wishing to avoid the scrutiny of the guards.
This has led to a few problems, and the many feel
the reason why corrupted or cults even exist in the
well-guarded cities.
Scavengers in the pay of the Guilds or the Mages
will venture downward often because of some
passage in a dusty tome that speaks of an ancient
artefact hidden in a yet to be discovered dwarven
city. What they have found has been vast cave
systems, more well-built dwarven roads that
stretch to unknown locations, narrow mines and
tight tunnels. Claims of voices speaking in an
unknown language. Constructed chambers filled
with pipes that hum and rattle, and the sounds of
terrible monsters from deep below are discovered.
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 The Black Iron
On the roads, travel can be made at a good pace,
and they are wide enough for wagons to travel
two, sometimes three abreast. Most roads are
well lit and free of problems, but once you step
off these roads, everything changes. Travelling
the tunnels can often be hazardous and narrow
passages can become more extensive and then
disappear to nothing. Keeping track of direction
can be difficult without a map or someone with
good direction sense. Darkness is absolute except
for those chambers that are home to a strange
fluorescent fungus, but these are rare.
It should go without saying that once you leave
the roads that vehicles and mounts will become
useless and travel by foot will be the only option,
as climbing and manoeuvring through small
crevices and areas will not allow for the luxury of
transportation.
140
Food and water are not as much of an issue below
as they would be above, with natural springs,
small creatures and edible fungus easily found as
long as you know where to look. But other dangers
will exist, cave-ins, unknown poisons or creatures,
traps set hundreds of years ago and monsters
that crawl from the depths or have wandered the
mines and tunnels unaware of the world above.
Survival
It is the cold that can be the first threat to your
survival. Living in the Last City can be cold, though
the Sun spires keep most of that at bay, they cannot
hold back the wind or the ice storms that can tear
through the city and rip those not quick enough in
reaching shelter to shreds. Beyond the city, there
are the swamps, poisoned forests, corruption and
disease, and of course the ice and snow. Lakes
and rivers may appear to be solid ground to the
ignorant, but one wrong step and you can plunge
to an icy death. Knowing how to find food, water
and shelter can be the difference between dying
in the snow or returning safely.
Stamina
Your Stamina reflects your endurance and the
will to go on. Hunger, thirst, tiredness and some
diseases can weaken your stamina, and this will
have a knock-on effect when attempting tasks or
engaging in combat. For every 3 stamina you are
reduced by you will receive a -1 penalty to all task
rolls.
Resting for 4 hrs. will restore half of the stamina
lost, whereas resting for 8 hrs. will restore all lost
stamina.
Weather
The area around the Last City is cold, but it is not
cold enough to stop the growing of food and the
breeding of livestock. The mountains behind the
city provide both shelter and fresh water; many
thrive within and around the city reasonably well
without much issue.
Once you step beyond the Sun spires, everything
changes, the cold hits you like a hammer and if
you are not prepared, hypothermia can quickly
follow. Warm clothing must be worn at all times,
and the warmer and better made the clothing the
longer it will keep out the cold.
When wearing poor quality winter clothing, you
will lose 2 stamina points every two hours of travel.
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 The Black Iron
It is said that the land beyond the
spires is littered with the remains
of those that succumbed to the ice,
and this is true.
As you travel across the pale you
will find skeletons frozen in the ice,
rigid flags stuck to trees or just rigid
and unmoving upon their poles,
rusted metal brittle to the touch
and the partially eaten remains of
travellers frozen, their skin leathery
and discoloured.
Those that travel the ice soon
realise that these remains are
markers, warnings of danger and
it would be pointless attempting to
move or bury these lost souls.
142
When wearing good quality winter clothing, you
will lose 1 stamina point every three hrs.. of travel.
When wearing high quality winter clothing, you
will lose 1 stamina for every four hours of travel.
A fire stone will adjust the above as shown below
With a fire stone and wearing poor quality winter
clothing, the stamina loss is 1 for every three hours
of travel.
With a fire stone and good quality winter clothing,
the stamina loss is 1 stamina for every four hours
of travel.
With a fire stone and high-quality winter clothing,
the stamina loss is 1 for every five hours of travel.
Food and Water
Food and water are sparse both above and below
ground, but many have learnt to find both in the
harshest of environments. Obtaining provisions
is a good start for long journeys, but you can only
carry so much and rations and water-skins only
last so long, and often you can be days away from
anywhere that can provide what you need unless
you learn to forage.
Water – Melting snow and ice can help with
keeping your water rations high as long as you
have a pot to boil it in. You should drink at least a
pint of water per day; otherwise, you will lose two
stamina points for every day you do not drink.
Food – You must eat at least one meal per day,
but you can go for two days without eating before
losing any stamina points. If you do not eat for two
days, you will lose 1 stamina point per day until
you eat again.
Foraging
Below ground, it is much easier to find water in
the form of streams, and underground lakes,
those that have made their homes in the mines
and tunnels have cultivated many of the fungi that
can be found there into food. The cities below still
rely upon the farms that have been encouraged
to thrive around the Last City above for much of or tainted water, above ground this is a growing
their meat and grains. threat as more and more rivers, and animals
become infected, below it is less common.
Those travelling the tunnels will benefit from
having someone that knows the best places to Bites from animals and undead are another
find water and the safest fungi to eat, as many hazard encountered by those exploring the ruins
of the mushrooms and moulds can be highly both above and below with the Marshes to the
poisonous. Issues can also arise as you get deeper south being a cesspit of infected leeches and
underground as many of these tunnels have never marsh wraiths.
been explored, and this can lead to the discovery
of new fungi or creatures that could be as edible as Every disease has a potency, and it is this number
they could be deadly. that you will need to equal or exceed with a Body
Attribute Test. The purge potion can be used to
The table below shows modifiers to the Survival eradicate the disease in the early stages, but if that
roll. is not available a good Necromancer should be
able to help.
Location Food Water
Forest -1 -1 Dangers and Obstacles
Ice Waste -3 -2 As you travel through the world, you will encounter
Frozen Lake -3 - threats and obstacles. Below is a list of the most
common based on region.
Marsh -3 -3
Ash Wastes -3 -3
Location Threat/Obstacle
Mountains -2 -2
Rivers and Thin Ice
Tunnels -3 -2 Lakes
Old Mines -2 -3 Coastal Ice Raiders/Thin ice
Ruins -2 -2 Ruined Cities Cultists/Corrupted
Last City Region -1 -2 Marsh Wraiths/Swamps/
Leeches
The GM should adjust the above table based on
Open Road Bandits/Cultists
the Grittiness of the world they have created, or
how desperate the situation is. Tunnels Corrupted/Cave-ins
Mountains Tribals/Cultists
Sleeping Forests Bandits/Corrupted/
You can go for two days without sleeping, but for Poison
every day after that, your stamina is reduced by 2 Mines Bandits/Corrupted
points. You can go each day with 4 hrs. of sleep,
and this will sustain you for a week or more, after
which you will need 8 hours of undisturbed,
comfortable sleep or start losing 1 stamina per
day.

Disease
Some of the dangers you will face as you explore
the pale are diseases; these can take many forms
and be caught in many ways. Most common
diseases in the pale are those found in rotten food

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 The Black Iron

Corruption The Sense Corruption Knack can be invaluable

when exploring certain locations in the Pale.

When the world fell, ripped apart by the Black Iron There are a number of known locations of
something was released, from where no one is corruption that are best avoided if possible, and
sure, but with the corrupted came the corruption. the Grand Library are always appreciative of
It is thought by many of the Mages of the Black anyone informing them of more or drawing maps
Fort that it was an experiment by the elves that was showing there locations. The known locations are:
released when their laboratories were destroyed
or the magic that contained whatever foulness • The Shackles and many of the wrecks that
they had created faded, but none of these theories surround the island.
have ever been proven. • The Great Wood has many patches of
corruption within it, the fact the Great Wood
There are two facts that are known the first is that is not wholly corrupted is somewhat of a
everyone has corruption, this cannot be undone mystery.
just controlled, and the second is that with the • The Crimson Citadel has a strong corruption
corruption also came the Remnant, what connects presence; this includes the battlefields and
the two no one knows or even knows if there is a torture gardens that surround it.
connection, but the Remnants importance and • The Dead Marsh just oozes corruption.
the fact that many revere them as the last of the
gods means that maybe that question will never Below ground seems to be less infected from the
be answered. corruption that festers above, but maybe that
is because many that live below are reluctant to
Every character begins with one corruption point; delve deeper and search out what can be found in
this cannot be removed and is part of the DNA of the darkness.
that character. Unfortunately, that one point will
become the foundation that corruption can build Failing a Body Attribute Test check will always give
upon, meaning that you are very susceptible to 1 point of temporary corruption to the character
being corrupted further. and for every point of permanent corruption you
have is a -1 penalty to the resistance test.
Gaining Corruption
Unlike diseases, corruption does not have a Temporary Corruption
varying potency that can be resisted, that is not Each character can hold up to 5 temporary
to say it does not have a potency at all or cannot corruption points, receiving 1 more converts all 5
be resisted. Corruption has a persistent potency to 1 permanant corruption point.
of 8 across the board, no matter the way it was
transferred or encountered. Temporary corruption can be removed with
the right plants like Yardin Root or by a trained
Location Necromancer. Temporary corruption can not be
There are a number of locations throughout the healed by normal means or from rest.
pale where a miasma of corruption hangs, these
pits cannot be seen, or smelt or heard which makes Temporary has no physical or mental symptoms
them extremely dangerous. Often the first signs and can remain unknown by the carrier until it
that corruption is present will be in the wildlife, becomes permanent.
and any foliage, twisted, weeping trees, grass that
tears and shatters like glass, animals deformed The following will offer ways for characters to
and rabid are all indicators of corruption. become inflicted by temporary corruption.

144
Attacks
Being attacked by a corrupted monster or carrier
of corruption is the fastest way to gain corruption,
it is also the only way that it cannot be resisted as
the corruption goes directly into the bloodstream.
Wearing thick clothing and armour will help
lessen this risk as they will protect against tooth
and claw.
Other Rumours
• Drinking the blood of the beast that infected
you will cancel out the affects (False)
• Chimeer cannot be infected (False)
• Breathing in the smoke from a burning corpse
will stop corruption (False)
• Being bitten a second time by a different
carrier will cancel out corruption (False)
Items
Strangely enough, some items are known to carry
corruption, more often than not, these items
are magical in nature and are the artefacts of
the elves. This has led many to believe that the
corruption is in some way magical and linked to
the ancient sorceries used by the elves, why they
are linked cannot be determined, speculation has
been made that the corruption was not deadly
to the elves or they had found ways to control or
even cure it, this idea that the elves had created or
found a cure has led many adventuring parties to
their doom as they search ruins under the orders
of the Black Fort.
These ancient artefacts are very sought after not
only by the Mages but by other guilds, in the
misguided belief that they will offer power of
some kind and the Remnant who wish to collect
these items for their own reasons, reasons they
have yet to share.
When discovering an artefact, it will not be obvious
at first if it is corrupted, often the corruption will
only manifest once it has been used, activated
by the magic held within the item. Once this
happens, you can resist using the guidelines above
(corruption potency 10). This resistance must be
made each time the item is used.
The Cure
So is there a cure for permanant corruption?
Probably yes, but not for the genetic foundation
the single point all characters begin with, that
will always stay there. The Mages believe that
somewhere out there are clues or writings on a
cure or at least a defence against corruption this
would have been made by the elves in order to
protect themselves and at least protect those
humans loyal to them.
Finding this cure or preventative is one of the
great challenges facing the Black Fort, everyday
the corruption creeps ever closer to the Last
City, everyday victims are brought in from the
wastes suffering from various effects caused by
corruption.
Corruption Effects
As your corruption increases, you will start to
change both physically and mentally. The table
opposite shows this with a list of explanations
below.
Appearance – The character’s appearance can
change in various ways, and this is the decision of
the GM and player. It will not be like a Chimeer as
these are merged with animals, but more twisted.
This change will go in stages with the final stage
horrifying to look at with a Fear Rating.
Rage – When in a rage, you will attack anyone
nearby friend or foe, you cannot be directed and
you cannot target one person in particular. Rage
will last until you succeed in a Will test, you are
dead, or everyone else is dead.
Voices – Voices will whisper in your mind, calling
for you, telling you to do things against your
nature. This will not happen all the time, and the
GM should bring them forth during stressful times
or whenever they feel appropriate.
Language – You will be able to speak, understand
and read the ancient language of the Giants, this
will be handy as there are a lot of ancient tomes in
the library or in the Black Fort needing translation,
if only they could keep you lucid long enough.
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 Permanant Corruption Table
Corruption Effect
2 The victim will have moments of dizziness and feeling sick as the corruption starts to
change their biology, nothing evident to others.
3 You will start to show physical signs of corruption, this could be yellowed eyes, slight
scaling of the skin, black blemishes and so forth. This will have no adverse effects.
Positive: Your resistance to poisons and disease will increase by +1
Negative: Your Influence will decrease by 1
4 The physical symptoms become worse and more noticeable, your skin will become
greyish, your eyes bloodshot, your veins will thicken and become darker, hair may
begin to fall out and speech slurred.
Positive: You are now immune to Poison and Disease
Negative: Your Influence is reduced by 2
5 The first of the mental symptoms will manifest in a form of rage, you will burst into
fits of anger at the slightest provocation, attacking, verbally abusing and spitting at
everyone near by friend and foe alike.
Positive: Your Fight modified by +1
Negative: To suppress the rage is a Mind Attribute Test vs. 8
6 Your Physical symptoms worsen as you become hunched and begin to exude an
overpowering stench.
Positive: Your Body increases by 1.
Negative: All social interactions are at -3
7 You will start to have physical ticks and verbal outbursts which will be
uncontrollable, you begin to hear whispers and strange voices summoning and
goading you. You have urges to walk off into the pale, but when asked will have no
idea where you are intending to go.
Positive: You can now sense other corrupted.
Negative: A Mind Attribute Test vs. 10 is needed to stop yourself following the
whispers
8 Your skin thickens and your ability to talk is almost gone and what is left of your hair
falls out. Entry into the cities will be forbidden and you will be attacked by militia
and other people, as they see you for what you are.
Positive: You can now see in the dark clearly. Your wounds increase by +2 and your
armour is +1.
Negative: You will be attacked on sight by ‘civilised’ people, other corrupted can
sense you. You have a Fear Rating of 7
9 You will begin to think and talk in an ancient language, no one other than the
Blood Lords and the Remnant will be able to understand you. You will be able to
read ancient scripts but not be lucid long enough for it to benefit anyone. By this
point you are no longer in control of your rage or mental state and only have a basic
understanding of self.
Negatives: You will burst into rages more often and attack anyone nearby, this
requires a Mind Attribute Test vs. 12 to suppress.
10 You are a monster fully corrupted and deformed, the Blood Lords call for you. You
will either attack the party or flee into the pale.
Negatives: You lost your character and have a Fear Rating of 9.

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Combat and Injury Combat Actions

During combat, many actions become restrictive
as you attempt to avoid injury and flying missiles.
Exploring the ruins and dark places above or
Combat is hectic, confusing and fast, and this is
the tunnels and caves below is a dangerous
reflected in how you can act during it.
occupation, and you are going to face things that
wish to kill you, other than the weather or disease.
You can move and act during your turn, and you
Combat is a fact of life, and you will need to be
can react during someone else’s turn.
prepared before leaving the relative safety of the
cities.
Movement
You can move a short distance as a free action,
Turn Order and you can move a long distance by using up all
Before entering combat, a turn order needs to be your actions.
determined; this should be done before any other
roll is made. Distance is measured in Touch, Near, Short and
Long:
Initiative
Each combatant involved in combat must roll Type Distance
their Initiative, this involves rolling a D6 and
Touch Arm’s Length
adding the initiative derived stat to the result. If
two combatants roll the same Initiative, then it is Near 5 Yards
decided in various ways, as shown below. Short 25 Yards
Long 100 Yards
If both Combatants are PCs then the character Extreme 200+ Yards
with the highest skill goes first, or if a success was
made with the Iron Die then that wins initiative. Act
You can perform one action during your turn;
If one of the combatants is an NPC, then the PC you cannot perform a non-combat action if your
always goes first. last action was a melee attack and you are still
engaged with your opponent
Ranged always goes before Melee if both are
prepared. Attack – This includes either a melee, brawl, throw
or ranged attack. These will be gone into more
The GM rolls for the NPCs and can opt to roll for detail later in this section.
the NPCs as a whole if there are more than 4 of
them, rolling for each would be time consuming. Use Item – As long as you are not currently
engaged in a melee or brawl, you can use your
Weapons Ready – If the party is weapon ready, action in order to use an item.
meaning they already have their weapons drawn
and arrows nocked, then they always go first. Skill – You can choose to use a skill as long as you
are not engaged in a melee or brawl action; this
Surprise – If the party is surprised then the can be any skill. Be aware that using a skill means
attackers receive a free round of attacks on the you cannot react to an attack.
party before Initiatives are rolled, once the round
has ended Initiative is rolled as normal. Healing – You can perform healing on yourself
or someone else as long as they are a short
Hesitation – By hesitating, you give the opponent distance away, healing will cancel out your react
the advantage, meaning that for the initiative they opportunity.
get a +2 to their Initiative.

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Casting – You can cast magic during your action
and depending on the type of spell will act either
as a melee or ranged attack or as a skill.
Reaction – You can also react to the actions of
another combatant, as long as you are aware of
the action. Often a reaction will be a defensive
action such as parry or block, other times it may
be a dodge or diving into cover.
The reaction is unique in that you can react even if or dagger. To parry you make a melee opposed roll
it is not your turn.
Defence – You can defend against an attack by
parrying, dodging or blocking the attack this is an
opposed roll. You would use Melee for a Parry or
Shield block and Athletics to dodge or dive into
cover.
Close Combat
Close combat includes any attacks made at Touch
range and uses either the Melee or Brawl skills.
Attacking
Attacking is an opposed roll and includes both
melee and brawl. You roll to attack, and the
opponent must roll to defend with the highest
result winning.
Disengaging
You can disengage from close combat by stepping
back, this will mean that you can no longer attack
unless you step back into close combat.
Parrying
Parrying is done with a weapon, normally a sword
vs. the attacker’s melee roll.
Shields
Shields allow you to block an attack and will add a
bonus to the Melee skill when used to block. Using
a shield means that you can only carry a single-
handed weapon. In order to use a two-handed
weapon or ranged weapon, you must drop the
shield.
Stealth Attacks
In order to perform a stealth attack you must
reach your target without being spotted. This is
done with a Stealth vs.. Perception opposed roll, if
successful the attack is considered a success.
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If the stealth roll generates more Levels of Success Situation Modifier

than the Perception roll of the target, the extra
Darkness -1
successes count as +1 extra damage done per
extra Level of success. This can also happen with a Fog -1
success from the Iron Die. High Wind -1
Beyond -1
Successful stealth attacks ignore armour. Range
High Ground +1
Two Weapon Combat Low Ground -1
Using a weapon in each hand is possible and will
allow for two attack actions per turn, but the off-
Aiming
hand attack is at -2 unless you have the Dual Wield
You can make an aimed shot; this will increase
Knack.
your skill by +1 for each round you spend aiming,
and if successful, you hit what you aimed for.
Stance The target can still attempt to block or dodge the
You can choose to use a stance, this will be either attack.
defensive or offensive. A defensive stance will
increase your Parry by +2 but decrease your attack
Called Shots
by -2, whereas an offensive stance will increase
A called shot differs from an aimed shot as they
your attack by +2 and lower Parry by -2.
are often done instantly without spending time
to focus on a target. To make a called shot, you
Ranged Combat must declare what your target is, and this can be a
The use of Bows and thrown weapons fall under small item to a specific body part, which will give
the purview of Ranged Combat. Shooting bows a modifier. Called shots are great when you don’t
etc. works in the same way as Melee and Fight the have the luxury of time to aim but want to make a
only real difference is how the target can react. precision shot.
Thrown weapons and Arrows cannot be parried so
the target can either block the attack with a shield • Head -2 Penalty
or attempt to dodge the attack using Athletics as • Arm - 2 Penalty
an opposed roll. • Legs - 1 Penalty
• Hand - 3 Penalty
A Bow can be nocked as a free action, but a
crossbow will take 1 round to load, meaning that
when using a crossbow you get to attack every
Cover
With Ranged combat line of site is important
other round.
and this can be obscured by cover. To shoot at
someone in cover applies a penalty to the shot
Range based on the type of cover.
Ranges are in feet for thrown weapons and
yards for ranged weapons. The range shown is • Quarter Cover -1
the longest possible range for that weapon to be • Half Cover -2
accurate and cause the amount of damage listed. • Three-Quarters Cover -3
Ranges beyond that which are listed, accuracy • Full Cover - No Shots
and damage become lower.
Stealth Ranged
Modifiers are to the attack roll. Many ranged attacks can be described at stealth
attacks as often the opponent is not aware they
are happening, where the attack is coming from
and not prepared to block or avoid the attack. Any

150
attack made against an opponent who is unaware Levels of Success or Failure
of either your presence or that the attack has been During combat you may roll more than you need
made cannot attempt to block or dodge the attack. to succeed or less than you need to succeed these
Armour still protects against damage. are called Levels of Success (LoS) or Levels of
Failure (LoF). For skills these will create special
The difficulty for making attacks would normally circumstances that can help or hinder what you
be an opposed roll but for instances when the are attempting to do, whereas in combat they can
target is unaware, then a Target Number comes have a much more deadly outcome.
into effect.
Levels of Success
• Head or Arms – TN 10 For every two points you are above the TN (you
• Body or Legs – TN 9 need 8 and you roll 10 for example) you gain an
effect, this will be determined by the numbers
This TN can also be increased if the target is of levels with every two points equalling a level.
moving. You and the GM can decide what the effect will be
based on the current situation or what you were
• Walking +1 attempting, below are a few suggestions:
• Running +2
• Sprinting +3 • Lvl 1: Extra damage, Shield Bash, Second Shot.
• Lvl 2: Counter Attack, Knock Down.
Cover also can effect the stealth attack. Once a • Lvl 3: Second Attack, Stun, Third Shot.
stealth attack is made and if the target is still alive
then they will be aware and can defend against Levels of Failure
future attacks. Combat can also take a less than favourable turn
and drawbacks can appear through failures, like
Magic with successes for every two points you are below
Magic that acts as a ranged attack will be treated the TN you have a Level of Failure (you need an 8
as one with the same rules for cover and line of and you roll a 6 for example). Like with levels of
sight. Some magic acts differently depending on success the failure should be discussed with the
the spell, and this will be described in the spell’s GM what that would mean based on the current
description. situation.

Mounted Combat Below are a few suggestions of what a Level of

Attacking from a horse or vehicle will apply Failure could look like:
modifiers as the motion and ground that is being
moved across can affect aiming and balance. • Lvl 1: Staggered, +1 armour damage
• Lvl 2: Dropped Weapon, Snapped Bowstring
Melee • Lvl 3: Stunned for a rnd, +2 armour damage
Attacking with a melee weapon whilst riding
a horse or inside or on top of a moving vehicle Levels of Success with the Iron Die
will reduce your attack by -1, it will also reduce When the Iron Die is instrumental in a level of
Parry by -1, dodging will be impossible. Weapon success the rules still apply for both, a positive
Damage will increase by +1 outcome will occur and the level of success will
also take affect. The GM can also decide to change
Ranged this to make the Iron Die result create a more
Shooting from horseback or whilst inside a moving damaging or beneficial level of success, and this
vehicle will reduce your attack by -2, aiming will should be decided in order to make the situation
not be allowed but called shots can still be made. more exciting.

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152
Levels of Failure with the Iron Die
Similar to levels of success the Iron Die rolling a 2d6 Location Attribute
1 will effect the results of a level of failure result, 2-3 Left Leg Agility
this could be a negative consequence added to
4-5 Right Leg Agility
the agreed LoF result or a fumble making the LoF
result that much more damaging. This should 6-7 Left Arm Agility
be discussed with the GM based on the current 8-9 Body Body
situation and without it negatively impacting the 10-11 Right Arm Agility
adventure or characters in a way that derails the 12 Head Mind
progress so far too much.
As you can see from the above table in most cases

Damage and Healing

the characters ability to move is often the most
affected outcome of injury.

Getting injured and even dying can feel inevitable
in the Pale, but as long as you are careful, stay
protected, you should be able to keep the wounds
to a minimum. If you are prepared, there is
no reason for your character to die or suffer
irreversible damage.
Armour
Your first defence against permanant injury is
your armour and good armour will negate a
certain amount of damage for as long as it is kept
in good repair by you.
Damage that is lower than the armour is
considered to be either minimal or has been
deflected in some way, minor cuts and bruises are
not considered life threatening.
Called Shots and Aimed attacks do not use a dice
roll to determine the location as you state the
location you wish to hit and it is presumed that if
successful that is exactly what happens.
Hit locations are optional and the GM can choose
to ignore them, this could be do to speeding up
combat or because hit locations can sometimes
be nonsensical with the dice result not really
reflecting the attack.
Weapon Damage
Weapons can do different types of damage based
on the type of weapon they are. Heavy weapons
like hammers and clubs will bludgeon, whereas
weapons like daggers will slash or stab. These
types of attacks can have extra effects.

Wounds and Locations
You have a number of wounds equal to your Body
attribute x 5, which should give a number between
5 and 25. Wounds can be further enhanced by
spending experience points.
There are also hit locations, these loactions do
not have individual points but are just to allow all
involved to see where the character was struck. If a
location is struck with 5 or more points of damage
after armour has been taken from the damage
total then the associated attribute is lowered by 1
until such times as the wounds are healed.
Weapons have fixed damage with the attribute
offering the random number to the damage. Melee
weapons use the Body Attribute whereas Ranged
and Thrown use the Agility Attribute. Damage is
rolled like a skill with the highest result added to
the damage of the weapon.
Rolling the maximum damage (even if reduced by
the armour) causes an effect.
Bleeding (b) – Weapons that stab, pierce or slash
can cause bleeding. Whenever maximum damage
is scored the target will begin to bleed and lose
1 Stamina per round until the bleeding has been
staunched.

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 The Black Iron

Stun (s) – Weapons that Bludgeon can stun the Dying

target, causing them to become disorientated and If you lose all your wounds, you will collapse and
even unconscious for a short time. If the maximum be unable to act; this will continue until you are
damage is rolled, then the target is stunned for 1d3 healed or you take further damage which will
(1d6/2) rnds during these rnds they will be unable result in your death. Bleeding will continue to
to attack and will be at -2 to parry, block, or dodge. reduce Stamina and reaching zero in stamina
whilst collapsed will mean instant death.
Critical Hits
If the highest dice on a damage roll is the Iron Die Other Injuries
then the hit is also a critical strike, meaning that Below are a few other situations where you may
the weapon damage is doubled. become wounded.

Fumbles Falling
If the damage roll results in the Iron Die rolling a For every 3 yards that you fall you will take 1d6
1 then the attack has fumbled, no damage comes damage. Using the Tumble Knack will half the
from the dice roll and weapon damage is halved damage taken.
(rounded down), this is then considered a glancing
blow and the weapon loses 1 break level. Frostbite
Frostbite affects the extremities like fingers and
toes and is slow acting and will drain 1 wound per
Healing day until treated. Once the Frostbite has removed
Once wounded, you must heal in order to survive
half the wounds of the PC that appendage will fall
not only the harsh environments of the Pale but
off.
any further conflict you may face.
Drowning
Wounds
You can hold your breath for a number of rounds
The healing of wounds can be done by either
equal to your Body Attribute x 3 after which you
using the healing skill, Magic or healing potions.
will lose 1 Stamina per rnd until you either drown
Potions will heal back a number of wounds equal
or are rescued.
to the total rolled on a 1d10, healing salves are
used mainly for burns and will heal a number of
wounds equal to the number rolled on a d6. Fire
Fire will do an initial 2d6 damage (keep the
Healing wounds removes any penalties the injured highest result) and then an extra 1d6 per round
person may of received. until extinguished. Armour can effect damage.

Wounds can also be healed with rest, for every 8 Armour and Fire
hrs. of rest and relaxation you will receive back 1 Leather, Hide, and quilted armours will be
wound. Resting like this will involve a soft bed, reduced to half AP after being set alight, making
food and safety. the armour more brittle and less likely to protect.
Metal armours such as chain and Plate will
exacerbate the problem by increasing the damage
Magical Healing
each round to 2d6.
Having a Necromancer in the party will allow
you access to magical healing as long as the
Necromancer is willing to sacrifice their own
health for yours. See the Arcane chapter for more
on magical healing.

154
 Fear and Stress
You will face moments of stress during your
journeys across the Pale or the tunnels below, and
this stress can affect you in different ways. You
have a Courage Rating which is treated similar to
an Attribute test, the Courage Rating is your Mind
+ Instinct Attribute added together add checked
on the table below.
Instinct+Mind Result
2-3 3d6+1
4-5 3d6+2
6-7 3d6+3
8-9 3d6+4
10 3d6+5
Using Courage
Monsters and threats will have a Fear rating similar
to a TN, when you face this threat you must roll
your Courage which acts similar to an Attribute
test if the result is equal to or higher than the TN
than you succeed, if it is less than you fail.
Levels of Success
A simple success means that you are unaffected
by the threat and can act normally but as with
using skills and combat the better your success the
more you can do. With every two points you are
above the TN you are at a higher Level of Success
and you and the GM can discuss what that means
based on the current situation or choose from the
list below.
Every two points you are above the TN equals 1
Level of Success.
• Success: You Face the Fear
• Lvl 1: You face the fear and gain +1 to your
next action.
• Lvl 2: Your courage encourages others and
those around you gain +1 to their next action.
• Lvl 3: You are bolstered and will be at +1 to
Courage rolls when facing that same threat in
the future.
Levels of Failure
Like with combat and skills you can also have a
Level of Failure when facing horrors. When you
fail discuss with the GM what that will look like or
use the examples below.
For every 2 points under the TN you will have 1
Level of Failure.
• Failure: You retreat backwards unable to act
for 1 rnd
• Lvl 1: You flee until you can no longer see the
threat
• Lvl 2: You collapse in shock for d4 rnds
• Lvl 3: You suffer a heart attack taking 2d6
damage (armour has no effect)
Like with skills and combat the Iron Die is still
active for courage rolls and can still result in a
positive or negative consequence.
Injuries from Failure
You can suffer from failing a Courage roll as your
mind ceases to comprehend what you are seeing
and retreats to protect itself you will suffer shock
and collapse, or if the stress is just to much for the
body and shuts down causing heart failure.
Shock is not permanent but can be dangerous
as you effectively collapse unconscious for up to
4 rnds unable to move or defend yourself, other
party members can defend you or drag you away
but there is no cure for it.
Heart Failure can kill, your body will basically shut
down causing massive system shock, damage from
this will hit you directly and internally causing up
to 12 wounds, which could kill. Your armour will
not help you with this, and again this could floor
you.
To avoid this happening enter areas carefully and
try to be aware of your surroundings, avoiding
nasty surprises could be the difference between
life and death.
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 The Black Iron
The
Arcane
W
hen giants walked the Pale, they formed
sorceries, twisted nature and corrupted
the forces that bind the cosmos. This
interference sent a tremor through the realms,
which eventually reached the gods. Watchers were
sent to discover the nature of the disturbance, and
they quickly travelled to the Pale and the realm of
the giants.
The giants had corrupted everything, oceans had
turned black, the forests became twisted and
diseased, and the animals that had once thrived
now were dead or mutated. The experiments and
sorceries of the giants had tainted everything, and
their greed was immense. The watchers knew that
soon the giants would turn their corruption to
the other realms and that their insatiable need to
devour and infect would never stop.
The gods listened to the watcher’s observations
and prepared for war.
With heavy losses, the gods finally defeated the
giants and left their carcasses to rot upon the earth,
and with that, the gods declared the world dead,
removing the sigil’s and wards and closing the
gateway to the world forever or so they thought.
156
Centuries past and the blood of the giants
slowly seeped into the earth, feeding the roots
of the mighty forests deep underground. These
corrupted roots gave rise to new life, a twisted
corrupted being that declared itself Daur, or
nature, this first of its kind, who would eventually
become the Elves. Clawing their way through
the earth, they encountered the dwarves; the
Daur were imbued with the power of the giants;
sorceries ran through their veins and with this,
they first enslaved and then burnt the dwarves
within their cities.
Eventually, the elves reached the surface world
and saw that it was beautiful, where the blood of
the giants had seeped into the dark places and
corrupted the below, the blood of the gods that
had fallen had instead nurtured and renewed
the above and had formed new life of its own, the
people that called themselves Human. The elves
saw potential in this world without a roof, where
the below was cramped and dark the above was
open and light, and the power that ebbed through
the land and the oceans was of the purest kind
and was powerful.
So began the era of domination.
How Magic Became
It was the elves that introduced magic into the
world, they had sorcery running through their
veins, and they had quickly sought out the
artefacts of the giants, increasing their power in
order to dominate the world and those that lived
upon it. For decades the humans marvelled in the
power of the elves, saw them as gods, feared their
magic and felt helpless before it. But what the elves
had discovered very quickly as they experimented
on the humans was that every human had an
untapped well of power deep inside them, a
power so strong that it could destroy the elves in
a blink of an eye, a power akin to that of gods, and
this secret the elves held close for fear that the
humans would rebel.
Many of the experiments conducted by the elves
on their human victims were to see if this power
could be tapped, could be utilised by the elves to
enhance their own abilities, almost like human
batteries, and even though they had learnt to
drain this power from the human the power itself
was too pure and would kill the elven host.
It was by mistake that the humans discovered
their potential.
The first sign of power came from a small child in
a village by the sea, or so the story goes. The boy’s
dog had become injured whilst running through a
small wooded area and the child so upset by this
and unwilling to leave the injured pet managed to
heal the dog through magic. Some at first claimed
that the boy had called upon the gods and they
had listened, but the child had insisted that he
had touched the dog and the injury had healed.
This revelation began investigations into other
claims of magical power being used by humans,
and thus began the era of enlightenment.
Magic is Dangerous
All magic has it’s dangers, no one can wield such
power without either paying the price or taking
a risk, and as you develop and start to use more
powerful magicks, the risks and costs will also
increase. Depending on what school of magic
you choose, it will determine the dangers that you
could face if you attempt to cast spells that sap
too much power. Many mages from the Black Fort
have regulated their usage and never exceeded
their reach and have lived with very little danger
but there are those that wish to push the limits,
and these mages soon reap what they sow.
The Magical Paradox
The unspoken truth, or magical elephant in the
room is that magic is the cause of so much horror
and death, when the elves wielded it they did so
in order to control, experiment, torture and gain
power, it was magic that brought down the black
iron, which turned the world to ice. Magic created
the corrupted and even, possibly the Blood Lords.
Many realise the paradox in knowing that the very
power that almost destroyed the world Is the very
same one that many rely on to save it.
Mages are not loved and some even look upon
them with suspicion and hatred, but for many
they are a necessary evil, and to others the next
phase of the world’s evolution.
The Black Fort
The Black Fort is the name of the Mages Guilds
main guild house, the building itself is an old fort
used before the fall by the elves to patrol the roads
leading to the Last City which was then the capital
city of the North. The building itself is large but
squat and those that have been inside claim that
most of the Fort is deep underground.
When you approach the Black Fort for the first
time you will get a feeling of tightness in the
chest like the very air has been sucked out of your
lungs, your skin will begin to prickle and a feeling
of anxiety will come over you. Some say this is a
warning, others believe that this is the magic from
the Black Fort seeping out and affecting the very
land around it.
Becoming a Novice
Anyone that shows any affinity to magic must
declare themselves to the guild and become a
Novice, this involves living and training at the
Black Fort until such times as they deem you ready
to re-enter the world, this training can take 5, 10
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 The Black Iron

and even 20 years meaning that Novices come in

many ages, though it is said that mages that never Using Magic
progress beyond Novice are expected to offer
themselves up as aid to the guild and this means Whatever school of magic you practice, you will
that they either become servants or test subjects. learn a number of spells, these spells are given a
difficulty number to indicate the complexity of
the spell, this is the number that must be beaten
Learning by Doing or equalled by rolling the Arcane skill
Once the guild has decided that you can return
to the world outside the Fort you will then begin The school of magic you follow is often determined
moving up the guild ranks. Mages learn by doing, by the Knack you have chosen, and Mages are
using what they know in real life situations, unable to learn more than one school of magic in
seeking out relics and knowledge and aiding their lifetime, so choose wisely.
others is expected. The guilds needs always come
first. Like all skills magic uses Levels of Success and
Levels of Failure but the results of each can vary
The Agenda from spell to spell.
The Mages Guild has an agenda, a secret purpose
that is only ever told to those novices that have
earned the right to represent the guild in the world.
This agenda is to make the guild powerful to the
point of control over all other things, this is not
calling for outright uprising but slow methodical
revolution, a coup to place the Black Fort on the
throne whatever the cost.

Not Declaring
There are those that have powers that never
declare, keep themselves hidden from the guild,
and this is possible to do. To deny your power is
to never use it and these fall into two categories
the first are those that are not aware they have
power or have never felt it within themselves, the
guild states that this would describe most people
as everyone has the ability with a little nudge to
discover their power.

The second are those that feel the magic coursing

through their veins but deny it any release, this
can be from fear of the power, or of the guild. You
may not wish to become a novice or be tested
by the guild, and you would think this would be
your choice, but the guild seeks out these hidden
mages, claiming it is for the safety of all.

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Schools and Circles Your Grimoire
There are three schools a mage can choose from Every mage receives a Grimoire and Scroll Case,
Necromancy, Pyromancy and Sorcery, these the grimoire has a duel purpose, the first is the
three disciplines are then separated into circles writing of the spells the mage has learnt and is used
of study. Each circle holds a number of spells that for the casting of magic, the other is the writing of
the mage must learn before beginning the next. notes and discovered texts, so that this knowledge
The learning of each circle is determined by the can be returned to the Black Fort intact.
mages Mind and Arcane.
The scroll case is used to carry scrolls, as new
Circle Mind Arcane spells are discovered they will often be offered to
First 3 3 the mage in scroll form, the case can also be used
to carry any found scrolls to be returned to the
Second 4 4 Black Fort.
Third 5 5

A powerful enough mage in both mind and skill Lost Magic

can learn many of the circles very quickly, but even Magic is still new to the world in human terms
mages can only hold so much in their memories and the few spells that each school knows were
which is where the Grimoire comes in. found by exploring elven ruins and discovering
books and scrolls. The Black Fort knows there is

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 The Black Iron

still much to learn and discover and as mages go Casting

out into the pale or venture deep into the dark There are various methods for casting, and each
roads more magic is being found and new spells will have its benefits and drawbacks. All casting
translated, meaning that as time goes by the no matter the source involves an Arcane vs.. Spell
circles will grow as new spells are added. TN roll.

The Black Fort are currently deep in translation of

Casting from the Grimoire
dwarven texts and they believe it leads to a new Each mage learns the spells of their school but
branch of magic, but it is early days and there are
copying them into their grimoire. The mage
still missing texts yet to be found. will spend a lot of time studying their grimoires
allowing them to cast very quickly as it will be part
The Blood Lords and their mages have formed memory using the grimoire as a prompt. A spell
Blood Magic, this is thought to be a pure but can be cast each round when using the grimoire.
corrupted branch of sorcery. Due to the ancient
language the Blood Lords use the magic is Casting from Scrolls
impossible to understand and its corrupted power The mage can create or obtain scrolls which have
is far to dangerous to study. magical spells inscribed upon them, this allows
the mage to carry a number of spells they have not
Spell Cost learnt. Scrolls do not disappear once used or turn
Every spell has a cost, not just to the world but into a puff of smoke; they can be used repeatedly
also to the caster. Magic wears away at a mage but casting from a scroll will take two rnds to do.
physically and mentally and can lead to death if
not monitored and used responsibly. It can also Casting from Books
be dangerous to others, and this means those that As you journey and discover ancient ruins or lost
are not often a target of a mage. libraries you may find books of magical formulae.
Often found books will be in a language unknown
Most spells will absorb Stamina, exhausting the by the mage and must be returned to the Black
mage. Reducing the stamina of a mage to zero Fort. Casting directly from a book can take time
will have two effects, the first being the temporary as you will need to translate the text, it can also be
effect of collapse, reaching zero in stamina will extremely dangerous. Future sourcebooks will go
cause the mage to fall unconscious, this will act into lost books and the dangers they hold.
as sleep and the stamina will replenish over time.
The second effect is physical, each discipline has Casting from Items
a point when the magic will take you over in one Some items hold magical spells, how this works
way or another, and each mage has 5 chances to is to first transfer power into the item and then
avoid this. Each time the mage pushes themselves whispering the spell to be stored. The spell still
too far and collapses from exhaustion they need costs to cast but instead of leeching the stamina
to cross off a catalyst, these are 5 boxes under of the mage it will take the power from the
the Stamina track, once all 5 catalysts have been item. Casting from an item is like casting from a
crossed off the mage has become the magic and grimoire, it can happen within a single round for
no longer exists. as long as the item has power.

The catalyst is different for each discipline

with sorcerers becoming arcane energy,
Pyromancers will slowly become a living flame
and Necromancers shrivel and eventually fall into
dust.

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Creating Items and Scrolls
A mage can create ways of making spell casting
and storing easier by using scrolls and items
which they have created during their downtime.
Creating a Scroll
Scrolls allow mages to carry spells they have not
learnt and studied; a scroll has no real power it is
basically an easy way to read and cast a spell than
carrying around a large grimoire. To create a scroll
the mage writes the spell on the scroll precisely as
it is spoken when cast, this does involve a roll of
the Arcane skill and will have the same difficulty
as the spell would be to cast as well as the same
stamina loss.
Example
Your mage has discovered a spell in an ancient
tome, but instead of carrying the large book
around you decide to grab some parchment,
ink, and inscribe the spell onto a scroll. The
spell TN is 9 so in order to copy the spell onto
the scroll you would need to make an Arcane
roll Vs. a TN of 9, you would also lose the
Stamina cost of the spell.
Once the spell has been inscribed the scroll can
be used as often as you like.
power into an item every day, replenishing their
stamina through sleep or meditation, and then
sending more power the next day and so on. Once
the spell has been transferred no more power can
be added until the current power is exhausted and
then the whole process starts again.
The Danger of Items
Items can be unstable and each time an item
is used there is a chance it will backfire or just
explode. If the Iron Die rolls a 1 for casting the
item may explode, with the current power level
determining the damage and radius of the
explosion.
To determine whether the item explodes and
what happens if it does reroll the Iron Die on its
own and on a roll of a 1 the item does explode. The
table below will show the effects of that explosion.
Stored Result
Power
01-25 d10 damage in a 5ft radius
26-50 d10 +3 damage in a 10ft radius
51-75 2d10 damage in a 20ft radius
76-100 4d10 damage in a 30ft radius

Creating an Item
Spells can also be stored inside items, these are
normally jewellery, weapons, or staffs. In order to
create a magical item first you need to empower
it, and this involves transferring stamina to the
item. As the mage leeches their own stamina it
will enter the item at a one to one ratio, so for four
points of stamina the mage leeches, four points of
power enters the item.

Once the item has been charged the mage must

then whisper the spell into the item, this is similar
to casting, it has the same difficulty number that
needs to be equalled or beaten and takes up the
same stamina. Once this has been done the item
can cast that spell as long as the power exists.

Items do not have a limit to the amount of power

they can hold, a mage could spend weeks leeching

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 The Black Iron

School of Necromancy
T
he art of Necromancy sprang from the less, if you fail, then you have cured the patient
study of death and healing, the surgeries but have now inflicted yourself.
performed by the Black Fort on the
corrupted and on those unfortunates consumed Restoring temporary health that has been lost is
by the ice helped build the skills of the budding as simple as a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately,
necromancer. It is also said that those instructions a permanent loss cannot be reversed, and you
and books discovered in some of the elven prisons will begin to suffer the more health you lose until
and towers used by their own surgeons have aided eventually, you will literally die for your art, some
the Black Fort’s understanding of the melding of feel this is acceptable.
flesh and iron as well as the reanimation of dead
tissue. The flip side of Necromancy is what is considered
illegal within the Last City, and the Below, the
The Black Fort hold their studies and resources creation of golems, the raising of the dead and the
close to their chest, and it is forbidden for both draining of health are all considered against the
novice and mage to speak of their training and laws of the Black Fort.
some of the more secretive practices of the guild,
but it is strongly believed that the Fort breaks the Necromancy Spells
laws and have begun to dabble in more dubious Necromancy spells are listed with a Dark or Light
research. or Neutral Descriptor; this will indicate how the
spell will be perceived by anyone seeing the Mage
Dangers of Necromancy performing the spell. Spell cost will not only be in
Every necromancer must understand the risks of stamina but in health if applicable and will state
their art and that these risks can be deadly or at whether the loss is temporary (t) or permanent
least can wear the Mage down over time if they (p).
are not careful. The art of healing can involve
transferring of the Mage’s vital essence into the Spell Descriptions and Lists
patient, the art of purging diseases and poisons Each spell will have a description of what it does,
can cause the Mage also to become infected or how much stamina or how many wounds it costs
poisoned. Those necromancers dedicated to to cast and whether that is (t)emporary or (p)
aiding others have died at a young age after giving ermanant.
their all to their patients.
Levels of Success or Failure can be decided by
Necromancy is what many consider a tainted art, the GM based on how the spell is being used, the
one which can be used for both good and bad, circumstances and whether the spell was used for
but unfortunately, the Mage cannot learn the dark reasons or light, as most can be used as both.
good without also understanding the bad. But
whichever path you decide to travel the effects on The following list is the current circles of the
your health and mind will be the same. Necromancy school and the spells held within.
Increasing the effect of a spell or exerting yourself
will come not only from your stamina but
sometimes your health, this can be temporary, but
often it is permanent. Permanent loss of health will
affect your wounds. Purging a disease or poison
will force you to roll resistance against that same
disease or poison although at one potency level

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 First Circle
All necromancers learn healing and the ability to
Purge poisons and disease. Many necromancers
never deviate from the healing sphere and spend
their lives in the service of others.
Some spells will cost the necromancer wounds as Type: Ranged, AoE
they transfer their own life force into the patient.
Spell: Cure (Light)
TN: 5+POT, Stamina (t): 1+ POT
Type: Touch
The necromancer draws disease from the
victim, taking it partially into themselves. This
spell will work on all diseases. If successful, the
necromancer must roll resistance against the
disease, albeit it with a -1 to the disease potency.
LoS
2 - Disease POT -2 for resistance
4 - Necromancer does not need to resist disease
6 - Necromancer gains a +1 immunity to the
disease permanently
LoF
2 - Spell fails and necromancer must resist
disease at full POT
4 - Spell fails Necromancer must resist disease
at full POT and also loses +1 stamina
6 - As above and the patient takes d6 wounds.
Spell: Heal (Light)
TN: 6, Stamina (t): 3 Wounds (t): 1 for 1
Type: Touch
The necromancer transfers his own life force into
the target to heal the target’s wounds. This is as
simple as laying on of hands on the wounded area.
LoS
2 - Necromancer heals +1 wound
4 - Necromancer loses only half the wounds
they would normally.
6 - Necromancer loses no Stamina and heals +2
wounds.
LoF
2 - Spell fails but necromancer loses +1 wound
4 - Spell fails and patient takes +2 wounds
6 - As above and the patient takes d6 wounds.
Spell: Healing Aura (Light)
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 5 Wound (t): 1 for 1
The necromancer sends out an aura of healing
that will encompass anyone within a 6ft radius of
the necromancer. The necromancer decides how
many wounds they will heal if successful.
LoS
2 - Necromancer heals +1 wound
4 - As above and spells AoE expands by 4ft
6 - Necromancer loses no Stamina and heals +2
wounds.
LoF
2 - Spell fails necromancer loses the stamina
and wounds.
4 - Spell fails and everyone with 6ft takes 1
wound
6 - Spell explodes and everyone with 6ft takes
d6 wounds.
Spell: Purge (Light)
TN: 5 + POT, Stamina (t): 1 + POT
Type: Touch
The necromancer draws out any poisons from
the victim taking the poison partially into their
own body. The necromancer will need to roll a
resistance against the poison but at a -1-potency
level.
LoS
2 - Poison POT -2 for Resistance
4 - Necromancer does not need to resist poison
6 - Necromancer gains a permanent +1 when
resisting the particular poison.
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 The Black Iron
LoF
2 - Spell fails necromancer must resist poison
at full POT
4 - Spell fails as above and the necromancer
loses +1 stamina
6 - Spell fails as above and necromancer takes
d4 wounds.
Second Circle
To understand the discipline necromancers
must also learn those spells that are considered
forbidden. Necromancers that focus fully on this
sphere are often seen as evil mages.
Spell: Drain (Dark)
TN: 8, Stamina (t): 1 for every one Stamina
Drained
Type: Touch
The necromancer can drain the life (Stamina)
from a victim using that life to heal their own
stamina . The stamina can come from any living
creature that is within 10ft of the necromancer.
Draining all stamina will kill the victim.
LoS
2 - Necromancer receives +1 stamina more than The necromancer should declare the location that
they attempted to drain.
4 - Necromancer can transfer the drained
stamina into another being, this will involve
casting Heal but with no Wound loss. (they can
only replace up to what they have drained)
6 - As above but necromancer does not need to
cast the Heal spell, just touch the injured party
LoF
2 - Spell fails necromancer transfers 1 stamina
to the target.
4 - Spell fails necromancer transfers d6 stamina
to target
6 - Spell fails as above and the necromancer
loses an extra d4 stamina.
164
Spell: Wound (Dark)
TN: 9, Stamina (t): 2 per d4 wounds
Type: Ranged
The necromancer can cause physical wounds to
open up on the target these will not stun or stagger
the target but will act like wounds in every other
way, modifiers etc. Spell ignores armour.
LoS
2 - Necromancer inflicts +1 wound
4 - Necromancer inflicts +2 wounds
6 - Necromancer inflicts + 4 wounds
LoF
2 - Spell fails necromancer takes 1d4 wounds
4 - Spell fails necromancer takes 1d6 wounds
6 - Spell fails everyone within 6ft of necromancer
takes d4 wounds.
Spell: Shatter (Dark)
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 5
Type: Ranged
The necromancer can shatter bone inside the
body of the target, this will cause d10 wounds
and also crippling effects to movement and using
weapons (reduces movement and skills to half ).
they wish to shatter. Uses called shot modifiers
LoS
2 - Bone Shatters and causes +2 wounds
4 - Bone Shatters and target is down and out.
6 - Bone Shatters and cannot be healed.
LoF
2 - Spell fails and is directed at a nearby ally.
4 - Spell fails and rebounds onto caster
6 - Spell fails boosting targets wounds by +3 for
six rnds.
Spell: Sensory Death (Dark)
TN: 9, Stamina (t): 4
Type: Ranged
The necromancer destroys the targets senses, the
caster must choose the sense they wish to destroy,
be it sight, hearing, smell, or taste (touch cannot
be destroyed). On a success that particular sense
is removed and modifiers to the target applied.
Effect lasts d10 rnds.
LoS
2 - Targets loses sense for an extra 2 rnds
4 - Target also loses a second sense,
Necromancer’s choice.
6 - Target loses the sense permanently
LoF
2 - Spell fails and targets senses are instead
improved
4 - Spell fails and rebounds on caster for same
effect.
6 - Spell fails and affects everyone within 6ft of
caster both friend and foe.
Third Circle
Ultimate goal of every Necromancer is to beat
death and decay and this is often done in the
sphere of Rebirth. This is an extension of the
Healing sphere, but can if used in certain ways
also extend within the Death Sphere.
Spell: Corpse Tongue (Neutral)
TN: 7 + Age, Stamina (t): 3
Type: Touch
The necromancer can commune with a corpse,
ask the corpse a single yes/no question on a
subject they would know or have some knowledge
of. The corpse age affects the TN.
1-5yrs +1
6-10yrs +2
11-50yrs +3
51 to 100yrs +4
LoS
2 - Corpse will answer a second question
4 - Corpse will answer a third question
6 - Corpse will answer a fourth and fifth question
in detail
LoF
2 - Spell fails Corpse answers but it may not be
true, roll a d6 1-4 it is a lie, 5-6 it is true.
4 - Spell fails but corpse answers with a lie
6 - Spell fails and the corpse curses the caster,
the necromancer is at -2 to all skill checks for
d6 days
Spell: Regenerate (Neutral)
TN: 9, Stamina (t): 7, Wounds (t): 4
Type: Touch
The necromancer can attempt to regenerate a lost
limb or organ. The process takes up to 2 hours of
concentration by the necromancer with each ten
minutes calling for a new skill roll to continue
the spell. The stamina and wound loss is for
completing the spell, you should adjust the loss if
the spell fails.
LoS
2 - Spell Success and stamina loss only 5
4 - Spell success and wound loss is halved
6 - As above and patient is +1 for actions
involving regenerated limb or organ
LoF
2 - Spell fails stamina loss +1
4 - Spell fails wound loss +1
6 - Spell fails stamina and wound loss +2
Necromancy Rituals
Rituals take time and effort compared to standard
spells, the necromancer needs total concentration
for sometimes days at a time and a number
of props and other items in order to complete
the ritual. At any point the ritual is disturbed
or stopped everything must start afresh and
everything used up to that point is lost including
stamina and wounds.
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 The Black Iron
Ritual: Create Golem
Time: 36 hrs.
TN: 10. Stamina (t) 1 every 5hrs, Wound (t): 6
Props: Body parts, corpse ash, surgery tools,
skinners kit, 8 pints of fresh blood.
The necromancer must arrange the body parts on
a table or flat surface before beginning the ritual.
Once the ritual begins the necromancer must
slowly empty the corpse ash and blood over the
parts after stitching each part of the body together
all done whilst reciting the ritual at all times.
As long as no mistakes were made the golem can
then be empowered by the necromancer’s own
vitality (wounds) after which the golem should
awaken. The success of the ritual will determine
the abilities of the golem, but a basic golem will
follow simple orders (go there, lift that, follow me)
but will need to be refreshed each day with 2 pints
of blood and 1 wounds of the necromancer.
LoS
2 – Golem can follow more complex commands,
drive a carriage, recognise items and so forth
4 – Golem is as above but can also communicate
in a basic way with caster.
6 – Golem is as above and only needs 1 pint of
blood per day, without close scrutiny golem
looks alive.
LoF
2 - Body parts are ruined and will need to be wounds permanently.
replaced.
4 - Golem stutters into life but it is a drooling,
corrupted thing that will attempt to flee.
6 - Golem lives but is insane, it will attack caster
and anyone nearby (see Flesh Golem).
Ritual: Reanimate
Time: 2 hrs.
TN: 8. Stamina (t) 4, Wounds (t): 4*
Props: Corpse ash.
The necromancer reanimates a nearby corpse that
is then controlled by the necromancer for a short
amount of time (d4 days). Reanimated corpses
continue to keep any physical abilities but lose all
166
mental function with these being supplied by the
necromancer.
*For every corpse above the first that is reanimated
the wounds and stamina increases by 1.
LoS
2 – Corpse has +1 wounds
4 – As above with a +1 to attack
6 – As above with +2 wounds and +2 attack
LoF
2 - Ritual fails and caster loses +1 stamina
4 - Ritual fails corpse/s animate and turn on
caster
6 - Ritual fails as above but corpse/s have +2
wounds and +2 to attack.
Ritual: Resurrect
Time: 24 hrs.
TN: 10. Stamina (t) 6, Wound (t): 6 + 2 (p)*
Props: Four pints of blood, all corpses
belongings
The necromancer can resurrect a recently
deceased target to a point where they can accept
normal healing to repair any injuries. The target
must have died within 12 hrs. in order for it to
return to its normal self. A Target will often return
with memory loss of the last d6 days.
*To return target to 1 wound will cost the caster 2
LoS
2 – Target awakens with 4 wounds and only d4
memory loss
4 – As above with no memory loss
6 – As above and caster only lose 1 wound
permanently.
LoF
2 - Ritual fails target cannot be resurrected.
4 - Ritual fails caster loses 3 wounds
permanently
6 - Ritual fails as above but caster also loses 2
stamina permanently.
 School of Pyromancy
C Pyromancy Spells
onsidered the noble art by many and this
is due mostly to the fact that Pyromancy
is what keeps the ice and corruption from
the gates of the city, pyromancy is the hardest and
most devastating of the three magical disciplines.
Pyromancy began out of necessity with the
encroaching ice the Last City needed to find a way
to protect itself, discoveries found in the dwarven
ruins indicated a form of magic that used the
energy of fire that would allow a mage to channel
that energy and release it in a different form. After
years of study it was discovered that the energy
that fuelled fire was not much different than
the energy coursing through living things and
pyromancy was born.
Early experiments resulted in the Pyromancers
pushing themselves too hard and this led to
early death, this was unfortunate as those that
could harness the energy were rare, but when it
was discovered that the heart of the Pyromancer
continued to burn after death the sun spires were
invented and the barrier that kept the Last City safe
was erected. Unfortunately, the sun spires need
replenishing, and this relies upon sacrifices by
the Pyromancers. Many Pyromancers who suffer
injury or become too old will offer their hearts
for the city, and because of this pyromancy is the
most respected discipline taught by the Black Fort
Dangers of Pyromancy
Children are taught not to play with fire and for
good reason it will burn and engulf you, and this
is something every novice learns during the study
of Pyromancy. Apart from the obvious dangers
of trying to control huge amounts of fiery energy
the use of fire will slowly engulf the mage, starting
as a ball of heat in the stomach and blossoming
out to slowly turn the mage into a living flame
and then finally energy itself. Over the years
this immolation has been slowed and a careful
Pyromancer can live for many years studying and
practicing the art.
All pyromancy spells are performed using stamina
to determine how many spells can be cast and
how frequently they can be used. Some spells are
area of effect spells and these can be dangerous
not just to the mage but to those around them.
Fire is an uncontrollable force that the mage is
trying to master, and it takes a lot of effort to stop
it raging out of control.
Pyromancy Rituals
There are no pyromancy rituals as trying to harness
flame for long period of time would cause a
massive build-up of energy that would eventually
become unstable and erupt. Many rooms and
areas were destroyed in the early studies before
this was considered a bad idea.
Pyromancy and the Catalyst
The catalyst for the pyromancer works differently
to other schools of magic, each of the 5 catalysts
leaves a marked effect on the mage.
First Catalyst - Mage has red markings on their
skin which appear as blotches.
Second Catalyst - Mage sweats profusely and
their breathe is hotter than normal.
Third Catalyst - The eyes of the pyromancer are
likes flickering flames and their touch burns.
Fourth Catalyst - Mage is robed in flames, no
longer able to wear clothing or grow hair, the
mage burns contunually, it is at this point the
mage would normally donate their hearts.
Fifth Catalyst - The mage has become living flame
and is no longer in control, they are absorbed into
the Aether.
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 The Black Iron

168

First Circle
Pyromancy is about temperature as much as it is
about flame, and every Pyromancer novice learns
to control their own body temperature as well as
the temperature around them.
Spell: Absorb
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1
Type: Ranged, AoE 10ft+
The pyromancers can absorb all the heat in an
area, causing the location to freeze. The amount
of stamina loss is 1 per 10ft area. The Pyromancer
must expel the heat elsewhere and can do this by
casting melt, Jet, or Ball. For each round that the
heat is not expelled the caster loses 1 wound.
LoS
2 - Stamina loss is halved (rounded up)
4 - Heat can be held for 2 rnds without wound
loss
6 - Caster can cast either Jet or Melt immediately
without a need to roll.
LoF
2 - Spell fails and stamina cost is doubled
4 - Spell fails but heat is absorbed causing 2
wounds per round.
6 - Spell fails heat is absorbed and explodes
from the caster causing d6 damage per stamina
used to everyone within 10ft.
Spell: Boil
TN: 6, Stamina (t): 1
Type: Ranged, AoE 10ft+
The Pyromancer can boil any fluid nearby, this
will include everything from water to blood, the
distance of the fluid can delay the process. Fluids
within 10ft of the Mage will boil within a round
and for every 10ft beyond another round is added.
Sustaining the boil will cost 1 stamina per rnd of
boiling. Boil is also an AoE spell with a standard
casting covering a 10ft area.
When boiling blood or some other bodily fluid all
targets within the A0E take d6 damage per rnd as
long as the spell is sustained.
LoS
2 - Range increases to 12 ft and AoE increases
to 15ft.
4 - Target will take 2d6 damage per round
6 - As above plus the AoE doubles
LoF
2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina
4 - Spell fails and caster takes d6 damage from
their own blood boiling.
6 - Spell fails and everyone within 10ft of the
caster takes d6 damage as their blood boils.
Spell: Burn
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 2+
Type: Touch
This allows the caster to burn what they touch,
damage inflicted is equal to number of stamina
points used by the mage, with a d4 for each point.
Items like wood, paper, and foliage will burn as
expected, wet items will take +1 stamina to burn
and items soaked in oil will take -1 stamina to
burn.
Targets wearing metal armour will not burn but
they will begin to boil within their armour with
effects similar to the Boil spell. Leather armours
will burn causing 2 breaks per rnd.
LoS
2 - Stamina loss is halved.
4 - Damage increases to 2d4 per round
6 - Burn targets will also receive the effects of
the Boil spell.
LoF
2 - Spell fails double the stamina lost.
4 - Spell fails casters clothes catch alight, d4
damage
6 - Spell fails as above with 2d4 damage
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 The Black Iron

Spell: Melt LoS

TN: 7, STL: 2
Type: Ranged, AoE 2ft
Pyromancer can melt any substance from ice to
iron, stamina loss will vary from 1 to 5 depending
on what the mage is attempting to melt, (Ice
covered watering hole 1, Iron Bar 3, etc). Metal
armours can also be melted with anyone wearing
the armour taking Boil damage
LoS
2 - Stamina loss is halved
4 - Mage can reshape Iron
6 - As above but AoE is doubled
2 - Diameter increase 2ft for no extra cost
4 - Damage is increased 2d6 for no extra stamina
6 - Both diameter and damage are doubled
LoF
2 - Spell fails and double the stamina is lost
4 - Spell fails and spell explodes in front of caster
6 - Spell fails and ball expands to double the
size and damage then explodes in front of
caster.
Spell: Ignite
TN: 6, Stamina (t): 1+
Type: Ranged 10ft

LoF The Pyromancer can make a flammable object

2 - Spell fails double the stamina lost nearby ignite. Candles, torches, dry bushes even
4 - Spell fails any metal on caster melts trees can be forced to burst into flame. Objects
6 - Spell fails as above but effects everyone or doused in oil will burst into flame with less effort
thing within 5ft of caster. (-1 Stamina). The range can be increased by
exerting more stamina, but the standard range is
10ft for every stamina point used.
Second Circle LoS
The control of fire and how to form and manipulate 2 - Spell costs less to cast
it in order to turn it into a tool and a weapon. 4 - Caster can ignite two extra objects in the area
6 - Caster can ignite four extra objects in the
Spell: Ball area
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1+
Type: Ranged 10ft, AoE LoF
2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina
The Pyromancer can form a ball of fire and then 4 - Spell fails as above and the object burns out
throw it as a weapon. This spell will absorb 6 - Spell fails and caster ignites nearest party
heat around the mage temporarily and can be member.
combined with the Absorb spell. The more heat
absorbed, and the more stamina used the larger Spell: Jet
the ball of flame and the more damage done. TN: 8, STL: 1+
Type: Ranged 3ft x 2ft
For every stamina point used in the spell the damage
increases by d6 damage. The Pyromancer launches a jet of fire from their
palm, this follows the same rules as the Ball
For every 2ft area of heat around the mage absorbed spell with the amount of heat absorbed and the
the ball grows an extra foot in diameter, which in turn number of stamina used to determine the length
affects the AoE of the spell. Creating a 20ft diameter and damage of the jet.
fireball will need to absorb heat from a 40ft radius,
and if it does 10d6 damage that will cost 10 stamina. For every 1 ft of heat absorbed the jet extends an
extra 2ft from the casters palm, and with every 1
stamina pt used damage is increased by d6. The
170
end of the jet can be made to cover a wider cone
by expanding a further point of stamina per 1ft
spread.
Third Circle
The ability to cause the very air to burst into flame
LoS or intense heat is to manipulate the very laws of the
2 - Range and damage is increased one step for universe and to risk a misfire or self-immolation.
no extra stamina cost.
4 - Only half of the stamina needed is used Spell: Explode
6 - Cone of jet extends outward for 20ft and does TN: 9, Stamina (t): 1+
2d6 damage to all it engulfs. Type: Ranged

LoF The Pyromancer causes any nearby flame to

2 - Spell fails and casters hand bursts into flame explode outward, causing damage to anyone
causing d4 damage per rnd nearby. As the caster forces more stamina into
4 - Spell fails as above but d6 damage the spell the explosion becomes larger and more
6 - Spell fails and reverses engulfing anyone intense, to the point when a simple candle could
within 20ft of caster in flames and causing 2d6 blow apart a building.
damage per round.
Source STL AoE Damage
Spell: Wall Candle 1 1ft 1d4
TN: 9, Stamina (t): 1+
Torch 1 3ft 1d6
Type: Touch 3ft x 3ft x 1ft
Camp-fire 2 6ft 2d6
The Pyromancer creates a wall of flame, this can Burning 4 15ft 5d6
be straight or curved, thick or thin. Anything Building
passing through the wall will take fire damage.
Extra stamina will increase AoE and Damage by
The wall starts as a 3ft tall, 3ft long and 1ft thick wall 1 step.
of flame with each dimension being expanded 1ft
per stamina point used. The walls thickness will LoS
take time to pass through causing more damage 2 - Spell increases 1 step without extra stamina
to any that do. cost
4 - All flames in the area explode spontaneously.
LoS 6 - Spell increase 2 steps without extra stamina
2 - Wall burns extra bright and causes 2d6 cost
damage to anyone passing through it per round
4 - Wall can be moved by the caster LoF
6 - Wall will stand for d6 rounds without any 2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina
stamina use by the caster (effectively allowing 4 - Spell fails and flame nearest to caster
the caster to place it and walk away). explodes
6 - Spell fails as above with double damage
LoF
2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina
4 - Spell fails caster transfers 5 stamina to
nearest corrupted horror.
6 - Spell fails as above and caster gains one
corruption point.

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 The Black Iron

Spell: Flash Spell: Trap

TN: 7, Stamina (r): 1+ TN: 10, Stamina (t): 2+
Type: Ranged, AoE Type: AoE

The Pyromancer throws an orb of light which
flashes after travelling a number of feet based on
stamina spent (1 per 5ft). The light when activated
stuns everyone in a 20ft radius for 2d6 rnds.
LoS
2 - Radius increases to 30ft
4 - As above and stun lasts 3d6 rounds
6 -As above plus all stunned take d6 damage
also.
LoF
2 - Spell fails lose double the stamina
4 - Spell fails and casters party are stunned d6
rnds
6 - Spell fails and caster party are stunned 2d6
rnds
Spell: Heat Seeker
TN: 10, Stamina (r): 1+
Type: Ranged
The Pyromancer marks an area of a floor, wall
or door with a sigil that when passed by anyone
other than the caster will detonate causing 3d6 fire
damage, by spending twice as much stamina the
caster can choose to have a delayed detonation or
a double detonation with each detonation doing
2d6 fire damage.
LoS
2 - Only half stamina lost
4 - Sigil detonates with double damage
6 - As above but with 1 extra detonation
LoF
2 - Spell fails double stamina lost
4 - Spell fails and explodes causing damage to
caster
6 - Spell fails as above but with double damage

The Pyromancer sends a spear of energy at a pre-

selected target, this bolt of energy will follow the
target for as long as it has stamina charging it (1
stamina per 2 rounds of travel) or it strikes the
target causing 5d6 damage. The spear will only
travel in a straight path.

LoS
2 - Spear will travel around corners
4 - Spear can now pass through walls and doors
6 - Spear will pass through living beings
causing d6 damage to each.

LoF
2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost
4 - Spell fails spear targets innocent NPC
6 - Spell fails spear targets member of party

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 School of Sorcery
T
he art of sorcery leads back to the arcane Sorcery is linked to the corruption and in some
magic studied and created in some part way to every living thing in the Pale, including
by the elves and passed on to them by the the Blood Lords who practice a darker and more
death of the giants. The elves had used sorcery dangerous form of the art themselves, called Blood
for decades to experiment, torture and enslave Magic, and many of the Warlocks that control the
humans, so the study of it by the Black Fort is cults will be fluent in this dark magic. What is
considered dangerous and the following of a dark unspoken is the similarities between Blood Magic
path. The mages guild has attempted to justify this and Sorcery, and how often they cross paths.
study by claiming that to understand the elves
and what they did involves studying how they did To practice sorcery is to accept and be open to
it and maybe once understood gain the ability to corruption, more sorcerers fall to corruption
reverse it. This explanation may appease some but than mages of the other two paths combined,
not everyone. and this alone speaks of how dangerous the study
of sorcery can be to those weak willed or morally
The Black Fort pay highly for elven texts and relics flexible. It is also believed that Cultists will actively
in the hope of expanding their knowledge and tempt sorcerers to join their cause offering power
use of sorcery, after all it was sorcery that created and knowledge in exchange for giving themselves
the Chimeer, the corrupted and possibly even the to the Blood Lords.
Blood Lords, and imagine what the mages could
achieve by fully understanding the magic and Sorcery Spells
rituals involved in the art. The study of sorcery teaches three circles of power
and it is said that each one takes the mage closer
The worries of many is not just what the mages to the ancients. Many presume that the ancients
intend this power for but what have they already refers to the Giants that first created the discipline,
attempted in trying to learn and harness it. Tales but in recent years study has shown that maybe
have come from the Black Fort of diabolical the Remnant are also linked in some way.
experiments, strange noises and weather patterns
that seem to emanate from the Mages fortress, and All sorcery spells use stamina for casting, and they
the strange and sometimes disorientating feeling vary from touch to ranged. Due to its ancient roots
that many get as they pass by the Black Fort. many spells will skirt what some would consider
‘light’ magic and the sorcerer will face corruption
Being a sorcerer is to be both feared and despised, as a real threat as the use of sorcery can attract the
few sorcerers are seen as heroes or saviours corrupted and the corruption.
but are often viewed to be as dangerous and
untrustworthy as the elves themselves and every Sorcery can both alert and invite corruption, to
novice that follows this path is warned that the alert means that any corrupted monsters nearby
path is not easy. will sense the spell and move towards it. To invite
means that the very spell itself can corrupt the
Dangers of Sorcery caster and a resistance roll (TN 10) must be made
The study of sorcery is dangerous and is possibly to resist it.
the most dangerous path of all, it is also the study
of something that is truly ancient. The origins of
sorcery begins with the giants and their sorcery
tainted blood is what formed the elves, or so the
stories say.

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 The Black Iron

LoS
First Circle 2 - The spell pushes back the target an extra 5ft
4 - The spell affects two targets
The first circle is the discipline of protection 6 - The mage can choose to lift the target up to
and defence, most sorcerers learn at least one the push back range.
spell from this circle in the beginning in order
to prolong their lives against attacks from both LoF
friend and foe alike. 2 - Spell fails and mage loses double the stamina
4 - Spell fails and mage is pushed back instead
Spell: Protection 6 - Spell fails and everyone within 20ft of the
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 2 per rnd mage is pushed back.
Type: Self
Corrupted: Alerted Spell: Shield
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 per 10pts of damage
The mage creates an invisible force that surrounds Type: Self
themselves and protects them from all damage Corrupted: Alert
both physical and magical. The spell lasts for as
long as the mage has stamina to keep it active. The mage creates a shield in front of themselves
The mage cannot cast or take any actions whilst or someone else. Unlike Protection this spell only
sustaining this spell. protects the caster or target in one direction, it
does not surround the user. The shield can protect
LoS
against 10 points of damage per 1 stamina used,
2 - The stamina cost is halved once it has deflected the max amount of damage
4 - The Spell allows the mage to move and will it protects against the spell shatters.
move with them
6 - The mage can perform actions but not cast LoS
spells. 2 - The shields protection increases by 5 pts
4 - When the shield is hit the Melee attacker
LoF
takes d4 damage.
2 - Spell fails and double the stamina is lost (4) 6 - As above but attacker takes 2d4 damage
4 - Spell fails and the shield explodes with an
AoE of 5ft and causing d6 damage LoF
6 - Spell fails and explodes with an A0E of 10ft 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost
and causes 2d6 damage 4 - Spell fails and random enemy receives the
shield at 10pt protection
Spell: Push 6 - Spell fails and two random enemies receive
TN: 8, Stamina (t): 1 per 50Ib/5ft the shield at 10pt protection.
Type: Touch
Corruptied: Alert Spell: Warding
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 +1 per 25ft Range
The mage converts their stamina into kinetic Type: AoE
energy and pushes away the object or opponent, Corrupted: Alert
without touching them. For every 1 stamina used
the caster can push back a target of up to 50 Lbs The mage creates a sigil and places it on a wall,
five feet back, the more stamina converted the floor, or entrance. If anyone other than the mage
heavier the target and the further the distance. passes the sigil the sorcerer will be alerted. The
range of the Ward is 25ft per stamina used and
placing the ward costs 1 stamina to do.

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 LoS Spell: Levitate
2 - Range of the Warding is doubled TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 per 5ft rise/1pt per rnd
4 - The Warding does d6 damage against any Type: Self
trespassers within its range Corrupted: Alert
6 - The warding does 2d6 damage to any
trespassers and the range is doubled The mage can levitate up to 5ft above ground per
stamina point used and can travel horizontally up
LoF to their movement base, crippling injuries have
2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost no effect on levitation. Mages can perform actions
4 - Spell fails as above and a roll of 1-3 on the whilst levitating and the effect will last one round
Iron Die will alert nearby corrupted per extra stamina point used.
6 - Spell fails as above except a roll of 1-4 alerts
nearby corrupted. LoS
2 - Stamina loss halved
Second Circle 4 - Mage can double their movement base
6 - Mage can triple their movement base
The mage learns to control forces which will allow
them to move themselves and others. LoF
2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost
Spell: Kinesis 4 - Spell fails and mage loses the use of their
TN: 8, Stamina (t): 1 per 25Ib and throw 10ft legs for d4 rnds.
Type: Ranged 6 - Spell fails as above but extends to 2d4 rnds
Corrupted: Alert
Spell: Spirit Path
The mage can lift distant objects and either move TN: 9, Stamina (t): 6
them or throw them. This spell will not allow Type: Self
delicate manipulation of an item such as placing a Corrupted: -Invite
key in a lock. This spell works similar to Push and
with every 1 stamina used the mage can lift and The mage can enter a spirit world that runs
move up to 25Ibs in weight and move or throw it alongside their own and bypass locations in the
10ft. real world. The spirit path is often seen as a silver
path in a world of darkness. The mage must have
LoS a clear idea of their destination in order for the
2 - Stamina loss is halved spirit path to form. This Is often used to avoid
4 - Throw distance is doubled dangerous locations or even armies, allowing the
6 - Mage can suspend object in the air for d6 mage to reach their chosen destination safely.
rounds without stamina loss.
LoS
LoF 2 - Stamina loss is halved
2 - Spell fails and double stamina is lost 4 - Mage gains +1 corruption resistance
4 - Spell fails and the mage takes d6 damage 6 - Mage can take another person with them
from strain on the path.
6 - Spell fails and mage is unable to move for
d10 rnds, can take no actions and feels rooted LoF
to the spot. 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost
4 - Spell fails and player rolls an Iron Die, on a
roll of 1-2 nearby threats are alerted.
6 - Spell fails as above and if corruption
resistance fails the mage gains +2 corruption
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 The Black Iron

Spell: Teleport LoS

TN: 10, Stamina (t): Varies 2 - Stamina loss is halved
Type: Varies 4 - The mage can make a single attack which
Corrupted: Alert will break the spell causing them to lose ghost
form
The mage can teleport themselves and others to a 6 - The mage can choose to make an attack or
place they can either see or know of. The stamina prolong the spell for an extra rnd.
cost varies based on distance and how many are
to be teleported, see table below. LoF
2 - Spell fails Stamina lose is doubled
Range Number to be 4 - Spell fails and mage begins to glow brightly,
Teleported this will last d4 hours
6 - Spell fails mage receives an instant corruption
in 1 2 3 4 5
Miles point.
<1 3 4 5 6 7
Spell: Telepathy
1-2 4 5 6 7 8 TN: VS, Stamina (t): 1 per 10ft
2-3 5 6 7 8 9 Type: Ranged
3-4 6 7 8 9 10 Corrupted: Alert
4-5 7 8 9 10 11
5+ +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 The mage can send messages or speak to someone
mentally, the range is determined by the amount
of stamina used. Targets can attempt to resist the
LoS telepathic link with an opposed Mind roll. Once
2 - Stamina cost is halved linked the mage can communicate fully with the
4 - No corrupted are alerted target for as long as they are within range.
6 - As above
LoS
LoF 2 - Stamina cost is halved
2 - Spell fails double stamina lost 4 - Range is doubled
4 - Spell fails all teleported roll an Iron Die for 6 - As above
the alert.
6 - Spell fails but mage and whoever was LoF
chosen take 5d6 damage as forces attempt to 2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled
rip them apart. 4 - Spell fails Mage is struck with terrible head
pains causing them to be stunned for d6 rnds
Spell: Ghost Form 6 - Spell fails mage loses their mind literally,
they stand and drool, unable to talk, move or
TN: 9, Stamina (t): 4 +1 per rnd after the first
take any action. The mage can be led and fed
Type: Self
but will not do so for themselves, this will last
Corrupted: Invite
d3 days.
Mage becomes ghost like for 1 round allowing
them to pass through walls and suffer no damage
from physical injury. When in ghost form the mage
will not be able to touch or manipulate anything
or one and no one will hear the mage if they speak
or shout out.

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 Spell: Paralyse
Third Circle TN: VS., Stamina (t): 2 per rnd
The mage learns how to use their power offensively
Type: Ranged
and can attack their targets either close up or at Corrupted: Alert
range.
The mage causes the target to become paralyzed
for a number of rounds based on the amount of
Spell: Crush
stamina used. The target must be in line of sight
TN: 7, Stamina (t): 2 per d6 crush dmg
for the spell to take effect. The target can attempt a
Type: Ranged
Mind opposed roll against the spell.
Corrupted: Alert
LoS
The mage uses their power to crush the target,
2 - Stamina loss halved
be it a living thing or not, the more stamina used
4 - Mage can paralyse target outside of line of
the more pressure exerted on the target which
sight.
translates into damage. The mage can very easily
6 - Target is at -2 to Mind roll
crush stone into powder or a person to dust.
LoF
LoS
2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled
2 - Stamina loss is halved
4 - Spell fails mage is paralyzed for the number
4 - Damage is increased 2d6
of rnds.
6 - Mage can choose two targets
6 - Spell fails mage and those close to the mage
(within 5ft) are paralyzed for the number of
LoF
rnds.
2 - Spell fails stamina loss is doubled
4 - Spell fails Sorcerer stunned for 1 round
Spell: Strike
6 - Spell fails bones in the Sorcerer’s hands are
TN: 9, Stamina(t): 2 per d6 damage
crushed (1-3 Left, 4-6 Right) and crippled.
Type: Ranged
Spell: Pain Corrupted: Alert
TN: 8., Stamina (t): 1 per d6 damage
The mage strikes out with an invisible force to
Type: Ranged
attack the target or targets. The damage caused
Corrupted: Alert
depends upon the stamina used to power the
force. The range is a maximum of 5ft from the
The mage inflicts pain upon the target, this pain
mage.
is internal and will not cause any scars or visible
marks on the targets body, the more stamina used
LoS
the more damage inflicted or the more targets
2 - Stamina cost is halved
affected.
4 - Range extended to 10ft
6 - Mage can strike everyone in a semi-circle in
LoS
front of them.
2 - Stamina cost halved
4 - Damage increased by d6
LoF
6 - Damage increased by 2d6
2 - Spell fails and stamina cost is doubled
LoF
4 - Spell fails and mage strikes out at those
2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled
around them both friend and foe.
4 - Spell fails damage is reverted back on Mage
6 - Spell fails and the mage is wrapped in
6 - Spell fails damage is reverted back on
energy causing 2d6 damage per rnd.
everyone within 5ft of mage.

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 The Black Iron
Spell: Tendrils
TN: 8, Stamina (t): 2 per Tendril
Type: Ranged
Corrupted: Invite
Black tendrils erupt from the hands of the mage,
lashing out at the target (range 5ft) and burning
them. The mage can decide the number of tendrils
that appear by spending more stamina. Each
Tendril will do d6 damage against the target.
LoS
2 - Stamina cost halved
4 - Range is increased to 10ft
6 - Target bursts into flame and takes fire
damage.
LoF
2 - Spell fails stamina cost doubled
4 - Spell fails and the mage gains 1 corruption
point
6 - Spell fails Mage bursts into black flames
burning anyone nearby with 2d6 damage. The
mage burns for one rnd per stamina spent.
Spell: Waste
TN: VS., Stamina (t): 2 per rnd
Type: Ranged
Corrupted: Alert
The mage fills the mind of the target/s with
The sorcerer chooses a target and attempts to terrifying images causing the target or targets to
drain them of stamina (2pts per rnd), slowly become scared and fearful. Targets must pass a
wasting away the targets mind and body. The loss fear resistance check or flee the area.
of stamina will affect the target as usual and the
sorcerer can choose to either discard the stamina
or absorb it, renewing their own stamina pool.
The target can resist with an opposed Mind roll.
LoS
2 - Stamina loss halved
4 - Targets resistance at -2
6 - Targets resistance at -4 and they lose an
extra d6 stamina if they fail to resist
LoF
2 - Spell fails and stamina loss doubled
4 - Spell fails Sorcerer’s stamina reduced by 1
permanently.
6 - Spell fails and Sorcerer’s stamina reduced
by 2 permanently.
178
Spell: Stun
TN: VS., Stamina (t): 3 adds +1 to roll
Type: Ranged
Corrupted: Invite
The mage freezes the mind of the target effectively
stunning them, the target can resist with a Mind
opposed roll. The more stamina used the stronger
the effect and the longer the stun lasts. The target
will stand frozen unable to move or speak for the
duration of the stun.
LoS
2 - Stamina is halved
4 - Duration of stun is doubled
6 - Target dies
LoF
2 - Spell fails and stamina loss is doubled
4 - Spell fails and mage becomes stunned for
the duration.
6 - Spell fails and mage is drained of half their
stamina
Spell: Terrify
TN: VS., Stamina (t): 5 +1 per target
Type: Ranged
Corrupted: Alert
LoS
2 - Stamina loss halved
4 - Target is at -1 to fear check
6 - Target is at -2 to fear check
LoF
2 - Spell fails stamina loss doubled
4 - Spell fails and sorcerers own mind is filled
with horror, they must pass a fear check.
6 - Spell fails sorcerer tempts corruption and
they are inflicted by 1 corruption point.
 Spell Creation
T
he spells shown above are just a selection pool of blood, an open fire etc, and the environment
of spells that are possible for a Mage to the character is in.
conjure, and it has been known for mages,
in particular, elven mages to create spells on the Any spell created by the mage will be transferred
fly, based on knowledge they have learnt. Many to a grimoire, scroll or item and can also be taught
more recent mages have started attempting this to others. As long as the GM agrees the spell will
often with good results. act as expected but will be also determined by the
Levels of Success and Failure like all other spells
How to Create Spells and these should also be decided by the GM
A player can opt to use the following rules to based on the complexity, power and effect of the
create spells for their mage to cast, this must be spell being attempted.
done with the agreement and help of the GM. The
spell must also fall into the chosen discipline of The table below shows the difficulty of a spell
the mage so basically Necromancers will not try to based on a number of effects and the stamina this
create Pyromancer spells and so forth. would cost the mage to cast. The table will give
examples of effects and the GM should feel free to
To create a spell the player needs to have an idea change this or even increase the difficulty based
of what they wish to do before anything happens on the situation. Also some spells will allow the
and discuss with the GM the possibility of the spell target to oppose the spell with a Mind resistance
happening, this is based on the difficulty of the roll This is done similar to an Attribute roll.
spell, the stamina it will cost and the effect. Other
factors for creating unique spells could include The GM should also decide whether the casting of
nearby sources such as a the spell will invite or attract any corruption to the
mage.
Spell Creation Table
Target Number Example Spell Effects Stamina
Loss
Easy (3) Light a candle, boil a pot of water, heal a single wound, drain a 1
small rodent of stamina, deflect a missile, lift a small item.
Average (5) Light a bonfire, boil a barrel of water, heal a few wounds, drain an 1-2
animal of stamina, create a shield, lift a table.
Difficult (6) Set fire to a house, boil a pool of water, purge diseases, drain 2-3
stamina from a person, Throw a person, create a protective layer.
Hard (7) Burn a stone tower, boil a lake, heal a group, drain stamina from 4
range, levitate or teleport short distances
Very Hard (9) Burn a village, cast a huge fireball, resurrect the dead or 5
regenerate a limb, create a force wall or teleport miles
Extreme (11) Burn a large town, turn an army to ash, create a golem, create an 6
undead army, push back a large force or cause a tornado
Near Impossible Burn a city, boil the blood of an army, resurrect an ancient corpse, 7
(12+) create an army of golems, instant kill a god, travel to other worlds.

Mages can only create spells from their own school of magic.

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 The Black Iron

180
181
 The Black Iron
GMs
Guidance
T
o take on the role of a GM in any RPG is a
big step, your players will have expectations
and you will be required to prepare in
advance. The job of running games can be
fulfilling, exciting, rewarding, and frustrating,
players that disrupt or tell you where you went
wrong are abundant and can break the immersion
and fun for everyone else.
The following guidelines are designed to help you
out in preparing and running an adventure, I will
also share secrets that only you will know and give
you options and adventure seeds that you can use.
The important part of every RPG is for everyone
to have fun, and hopefully this chapter will insure
this happens at your table.
At the Table
In recent years, the gaming table has become
virtual for many people, and this has allowed
many to play with others outside of their friend
list. This is also the case with conventions where
you will meet people from not only all over the
country but sometimes the world.
When playing with people that you play with
regularly you will know what they will or will
182
not enjoy, groups that play a lot of fantasy RPGs
may not be to open to playing Sci-Fi and so forth.
Also friends tend to be a lot more forgiving and
more open to speak up as well as accepting of any
mistakes. This is not often the case with virtual or
convention games.
Playing an RPG with people you have never met
before and may never meet again means that
running and playing may be more difficult, as
you, and they attempt to gauge personalities. An
RPG like the Black Iron has many adult themes
and can be very dark, and sometimes people may
not like that. I would recommend that you state
before play begins that the game will have adult
themes, horror themes and some situations that
may offend some people. Make this clear from
the start, because there is nothing more annoying
than someone employing some kind of x card
mechanic in order to derail the adventure half
way through, your party is made up of a number
of individuals not just one, if after you state the
intent of the game someone throws an x card,
then you warned them and they should leave
the table, you should not be forced to change the
adventure.
The GMs Role
As a GM you are expected to know the rules to a
decent level and understand the world in which
the game is based. Some rules or situations may
take you by surprise and for this you have two
options to look the ruling up or improvise (see
below) you should choose whichever option
you are comfortable with and you feel the group
would be ok with.
As a GM you will also be expected to have
something prepared whether that be a short
adventure or a longer campaign. With an
adventure I would recommend that everything
you need is in place, maps, NPCs, threats, and
locations, with a campaign have at least the first
couple of sessions set up and ready to go.
Make sure you have extra dice, pencils, and scrap
paper, if you are playing virtually this step is not
as important and for conventions this will be in
some ways expected.
Improvise
Learn to wing it, to think on your feet. An
understanding of the rules and experience will
help with this, if something comes up that you did
not expect (and it will) then be prepared to react
almost instantly with a solution or ruling.
State Changes
Also make clear to the players any rules changes
or optional rules you are using, this way you will
bypass any confusion or disagreements later.
Be Impartial
If a character makes the wrong decision then let
them deal with the consequence of that decision,
if something bad happens because of dice then
allow the player the opportunity to come up with
a solution.
Example
The character attempts to jump a crevice, they have
the skill to do it and make a run up, but the player
rolls badly, and the jump has failed, should the
character fall to their death? Probably not, have the
character grab hold of the edge, or grab a branch
jutting further down.
The character attempts to jump a crevice and the
player knows that they do not have the skill to
make that jump and they fail, should they fall to
their death? Yes, the player was relying on the GMs
good nature to survive, maybe give the character a
chance grab that branch but only if the character is
important to the adventure.
The Black Iron is a game of danger and survival,
not a game of heroics where gods intervene to
save the characters even when they are stupid.
Fudge Rolls
There have been many discussions on whether
GMs should fudge rolls, basically state a roll was
different than what it actually was. This is up to
you and as arbiter of the world and judge then
you must do what is needed to keep the players
engaged and to move the fiction forward. If a roll
you have made you feel will halt the game in its
tracks then I say fudge, if it kills off half the party, I
say reveal the roll and let the players come up with
solutions.
The Pale
The world of the Black Iron is a dangerous
place, it is covered in ice and snow and filled
with corrupted monsters, dangerous cults, and
cannibalistic tribes to name a few. As a GM you
will need to manage this through encounters and
obstacles.
Encounters
Though the Pale is full of dangers not all encounters
lead to a fight or running for your life, some can
actually be useful or lead to further adventure. As
the GM you will need to plan out the encounters
well and how often they will happen. Characters
should not be facing threats around every corner
and a certain degree of common sense should be
used, for example the average bandit will be far
from a lair of a beast or the temple of a cult, likewise
cults will avoid other cults and also beasts.
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 The Black Iron
Encounter Table
2d6 Encounter
2 A camp-fire with a trader and his son
3 A group of refugees hiding in a cave
4 A wagon stuck in the snow
5 A bandit camp, with d6 bandits
6 A temple of a blood cult, d6 cultists
7 A holy man and his apprentice walking the
road
8 An injured grey ranger
9 A corpse field, ghouls feast on the remains
10 A travelling trader heading to the city
11 A Scavenger seeking a nearby ruin
12 Cannibals searching a hut
See Mapping the Pale for more detailed tables that can be used.
The Black Iron is a game of survival and horror
and this is best shown by making the threats that
characters face rare but deadly, use sounds to
create tension, have characters find indications of
danger such as ravaged wildlife, large prints in the
snow or blood flecks. Sounds such as a bell could
indicate a cult nearby, don’t ever explain just let
the players guess and use their imaginations.
Below is a table of encounters that can be used
when the characters are travelling the Pale, the
table is split into two parts actual encounters and
signs of threat, you can roll on each separately to
keep the players on the edge of their seats.
Obstacles
With most of the land under snow and ice many
dangers are hidden from travellers, lakes may not
be as solid as they seem, hidden roots or holes
can injure horses and walkers alike. Climbing
and jumping ice covered surfaces and crevasses
becomes more difficult as a single slip could see
you plummeting to your death.
Weather can be a killer, with snow storms not
only freezing you but also obscuring vision, hail
stones as big as rocks can kill instantly, freezing
rain and even just the damp penetrating clothing
184
2d6 Signs of Threat
2 A splash of blood in the snow
3 Smoke rising in the distance
4 The sound of a bell on the road ahead
5 Chanting coming from within a cave
6 A dead horse and upturned wagon
7 A discarded pack full of wares
8 The sound of screams coming from nearby
9 Dismembered corpse and drag marks
10 A still warm camp fire
11 A bloodied sword stuck into the earth
12 An arrow embedded in a sign post or tree
and boots can lead to frostbite and ailments that
could see the loss of limbs, fingers, toes and other
extremities.
Travel will need to be planned and shelter marked
out for possible resting spots as the weather can
change instantly, causing you to stray off the road,
or worse. As the GM you will need to decide when
weather patterns change, how much the cold will
affect those without adequate clothing or gear,
especially at night as temperatures drop. A snow
storm can divert people from a path, it may even
reveal something that was once hidden like a
building or a marker of some kind.
Frostbite
For every two days of travel in the Pale the
characters must make a body attribute roll vs.
a difficulty that starts at 6 and goes to the next
difficulty level for every extra two days spent
travelling the Pale. The clothing that the characters
are wearing will modify the roll as shown below.
• Poor Quality will modify roll by -1
• Good Quality will modify roll by – 0
• High Quality will modify roll by +1
Characters that find shelter and remove their
clothing and dry it will start the process from
the beginning, so if the characters have travelled
for 6 days and then rest and dry and repair their
clothing, then once they start travelling again the
TN is reduced back to 6.

If the Body Attribute test fails, the characters will

have developed frostbite and will lose 1 wound per
day until it is healed. Healing frostbite will involve
finding a warm and dry location and healing the
infected area. If the wounds from frostbite ever
reduce the wound total the infected area will need
to be removed.

Hail
Being caught in a hail storm can be dangerous One of the more serious threats is
and characters should reach shelter as quickly falling through ice. With many of
as possible. For every minute (round) that the the rivers, lakes, and streams etc
characters are in the storm they are hit by 1d6 hail frozen over falling through the ice
stones doing 1d4 damage each on the head and that covers them is a real problem.
shoulders, characters not wearing helmets will
not get the benefit of armour. Old maps will help determine
where a body of water once was but
Snow Blindness otherwise a Successful Scout roll Vs
Whilst outside snow blindness can happen, the a TN of 8 or a Perception roll will
glare from the snow can have an actual effect on indicate that there is a lake or that
certain actions. Snow Blindness is an optional the party are standing on a river or
rule that a GM can use if they want, this will apply some other body of water.
modifiers to aiming and attacking whilst in snow
during the day. I would suggest modifiers of -1 or Falling through ice will involve a
-2 to rolls. These modifiers can be cancelled out by Body Attribute roll vs a TN of 9, or
snow goggles. the person starts taking 2 wounds
per rnd until they are rescued or
they die.
Mapping the Pale
Before the fall there were maps but not many,
maps took time and were expensive, so they were
only found in the Palace of the capital and the holy
city. Some sailors had basic maps of the coastline
but nothing in any way detailed. Most people
followed the roads, knew their local area and new
where the nearest city or large town was and the
direction of many of the other cities, but pointing
to them on a map would have been beyond the
knowledge of most.

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 The Black Iron
After the fall this did not improve, most of the
maps that did exist were lost, the ice and snow
changed the landscape and the destruction
got rid of many landmarks and some locations,
meaning that even those that knew their area were
now not really too clear on where anything was.
Attempting to create new maps would be time
consuming, dangerous, and expensive, and the
chance of finding a cartographer with that level of
skill almost impossible.
Those venturing out into the Pale are asked to
make maps of their journeys, noting landmarks,
length of travel times and dangers. Librarians
and academics would then compile these maps
to gain an overall picture of the land. This has not
worked out too well as the dangers to travellers
often either means they are never seen again or
mapping their journey takes last place to survival
and just reaching some kind of safety.
The map below is the only known map of the Pale Re-Roll if original roll makes no sense.
from before the fall of the Black Iron and this is
what most journeys are based upon.
186
You should encourage the players to map their
journeys, a piece of white paper would be apt,
mark out the Last City to the north, with the
mountains above the city and heading down
the western side, and that is all the people are
currently sure of. Hex paper would be great as
then each hex could be a League of travel (League
= 3 Miles). Below is a location table that you can
use to add major locations to the map ahead of
time or in preparation of the characters travelling
there.
Roll once for the Environment and then based
on the result of the Threat and Ruin roll on those
tables. You can make three rolls, one for each
column in order to mix up the results and keep the
party guessing.
The threat table is optional and should be used
also for many dangerous random encounters.
 Environment Ruins
2d6 Environment Threat Ruin 2D6 Ruin
2 Forest Yes No 2 Old Shack
3 Frozen Lake No No 3 Blacksmith
4 Marshland Yes No Forge
5 Small Wood Yes Yes 4 Castle
6 Ruined Village Yes Yes 5 Old Mine
7 Old Tower Yes Yes 6 Shrine
8 Crossroads No Yes 7 Roadside
9 Snow Field No Yes Tavern
10 Battlefield Yes No 8 Noble House
11 Crater Yes No 9 Tower
12 Ruined Town Yes Yes 10 Village Hall
11 Temple

Threat 12 Old Fort

2d6
2
Threat
Corrupted Beast
The Below
3 Bandits To the north of the Last City rise the Dragon Claw
4 Cultists mountains they sweep from the sea in the east
5 Slavers and join the Dragon Tail mountains to the west.
6 Lesser The city stands in the mountains shadow and in
Corrupted fact the city was built from stone quarried from
the mountain itself. As the city walls grew workers
7 Ice Raider unearthed a great iron door. The door stood 29ft
8 Wraith high and was elaborately carved in glyphs and
9 Lich images unrecognisable to the humans. What lay
10 Greater beyond the door no one knew and all attempts to
Corrupted open the door failed, for decades it was attempted
11 Ash Raider by many, but the door stood firmly shut.
12 Ruin Dweller
As the Black Iron fell and those that survived fled
north towards the Last City and the protection of
Many of the structures found in the Pale will be
the mountains the great door opened. Many tried
ruined or buried by ice and snow, the table below
to enter the city, but as more and more people
allows you to quickly discover what the party has
arrived for refuge the city had to close its gates and
stumbled upon. This table is optional but can
those left outside cast their eye towards the now
be good for plotting a route or just filling travel
open great door.
between locations.
The door revealed tunnels, mines and road ways
crafted by unknown hands, and beyond these
stood cities carved from the very mountain itself.
As the refugees poured in through the great door
those in front pushed forward along the ancient

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 The Black Iron
roads and eventually began to populate these
cities and the Below was formed.
Cities in the Dark
Unlike the Last City, the cities Below do not have a
council or even a King, they are run by the families
of the first people to settle the city after the fall.
These families have held on to power by bribery,
assassination and intimidation and are little more
than dictators. As the years have passed the Guilds
have had more rights and say in how the cities are
run, trade and some laws, but as many of the trade
guilds are as corrupt as the families, these changes
often only benefit those that profit from them.
Each of the families are suspicious of the others
and this has erupted in skirmishes between the
cities on more than one occasion, also embargoes,
the barricading of roads and restrictions to
the citizens of one city entering another have
happened, and in fact it is often the case that a
trader will be denied entry to a city on the basis
that they also traded with another city which is
run by a family that is currently in some kind of
dispute or conflict with this cities family, it can
become very petty and often deadly.
Each family is constantly on the watch for anything
that would reinforce their position, or give them
the edge over another family and this has led to
funded expeditions into the dark areas deeper
below in the hope to find artefacts or knowledge
that would raise a family above another in
standing.
Dangers in the Dark
Many of the roads that connect the cities are
patrolled and lit by lanterns, this is done under
agreement of the cities and is mainly for the traders
that move from the Last City above and between
the cities below. These roads which are well made
often have caves or smaller less well-made roads
branching off into the darkness. Some of these
less patrolled areas have been explored, and the
caves are often used to house Vagrants that have
been either denied entry to a city or banished for
crimes.
188
The dark roads will sometimes lead to dead ends
and are thought of as mining tunnels as ancient
tools have often been found there, but many go
down deeper, lead to more doors, stairways or
just the edge of vast deep holes. Those that have
ventured deeper claim to hear sounds ranging
from weird animal-like growls and cries to strange
metallic clanging, some have even claimed to
have heard voices speaking in a strange language.
All the families, the Black Fort and even the
other Guilds have mounted expeditions into
the Darkness in the hope to find wealth and
knowledge, many of those expeditions have
returned with little but some have returned with
strange devices and ancient books and scrolls.
All have said that the roads go much deeper and
that many become well-made and broad, leading
some to reason that with well-made roads could
come more cities.
Many horrors live down below, creatures never
seen by humans anywhere in the Pale, and some
tell of devious and intricate traps, metal horrors
that belch hot smoke and other terrors.
The Below Source Book will be coming soon
from FeralGamersInc.
Mapping the Dark
Like the Pale no one has attempted to map the
Below except for the Vagrants that will attempt
to force their scrawls to whomever is willing
to pay. The maps they offer are often just of the
roads and the positions of each of the cities and
any important locations in between. Maps of the
tunnels and dark roads are yet to be produced and
it is known that both the Guilds and the Families
will pay good money to anyone producing such a
map.
 Creating Adventures
Creating adventures be they one shot scenarios or
week long campaigns are never easy and can be
harder when you are either new to RPGs or new to
a setting. Read the background section, know the
rules, and try to imagine the world, adventures can
start with a Guild or a Family, can be an NPC who
is injured or missing, or could just be curiosity.

One-shot adventures should be completed in one

or two sessions, these are often ‘go to and fetch
that’ missions or ‘go to and kill that’ missions.
Campaigns build up, they have many layers, what
may seem obvious often isn’t, when the characters
arrive at the location maybe someone got there
first, or the object/threat/hostage/person is not
there, where could they be?
Below are a number of seeds that could start a
short or long adventure.
In many districts of the cities, often
outside taverns and also found
within the guild halls are notice
boards where traders, people and
even the administrators can offer
jobs to those willing to risk the Pale
or the dark roads in return for favour
or Barter Chit.

• A Trader never arrives at the Last City Those wishing to apply for a job
• Cult activity is found outside the Sun Spires removes the notice and travels to the
• Vagrants are being snatched from the streets/ posters location to gather more info.
Dark Roads This is the main way many explorers
• An anvil must be reclaimed from a village in and adventurers receive work, but it
the Pale is not the only way, and as the party
• Travellers are being killed along the Dark gains influence many will come to
Roads them directly.
• Strange magical markings in blood are found
on the walls of the city
• A guild has found and is hiding a corrupted
artefact
• The location of an elven library has been
discovered
• Ice raiders have attacked a small village
• A family wish to have someone removed
• Strange noises are heard deep underground
along with cries for help
• Slavers are hunting and capturing Rangers
• Corruption is spreading in the slums
• The vagrants whisper of a shadow creature
haunting the dark roads.

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 The Black Iron

The Feel of the World

The Black Iron is a Grim-dark Roleplaying Game,
the characters live in a harsh world where most
everything is trying to kill them, they are often not
heroes, heroes are not needed just survivors and
those willing to go to the places or do the things
other people are not willing to do. Those that do
not take care to know their surroundings, think
they can just take anything on or do not prepare
themselves well will die, it is that simple, and
players need to understand that going in. Every
adventure should be a challenge so when the
characters are triumphant it will mean so much
more and the rewards so much greater.

There will be Deaths

Characters will die, not may, will, which is why
preparation and working together is so important.
But what do you do when a character dies? You
move on or if they have a Necromancer at hand,
they can attempt to resurrect the dead character.
Characters should really only die due to their
actions or the actions of others not because of
dice rolls, if the characters attempt something and
they are perfectly capable of achieving that thing
but the dice roll terribly, play it out, have them
hanging from their fingertips, slowly bleeding
to death, ignored by the trader or whatever the
outcome but never allow a die roll to determine a
character’s ultimate fate.
unrealistic. If the party is less likely to survive due
Characters should die when their player makes a to the loss of a party member then maybe they
stupid choice ‘my character who has just picked will come across the new member in a ranger hut
up a sword for the first time will take on the master sheltering from the cold, or held captive by cultists
swordsman’ they will die, ‘my mage is near death and begs the party to free them, never allow them
and exhausted but will attempt to create a huge to just appear from nowhere.
fireball’, they will probably die along with everyone
else nearby, ‘I am crippled in one leg but I will still NPCs
attempt to jump the chasm’ yeah they’re dead. As GM you run the Non-Player Characters
Everyone has limitations and understanding that or NPCs, this includes the monsters, traders,
is key to survival. bartenders, farmers, cultists and the guild leaders,
anyone or thing that is not controlled by the player
If a character dies never allow a player to just is controlled by you.
appear with a new character, wait until they reach
a town or a city and then have the new character How an NPC acts towards the characters should
enter, having someone just arrive from nowhere is be determined by what they ultimately want, those

190
 NPC Attributes
NPC Type Ave Attribute General Combat Arcane Skills Wounds
skills Skills
Vagrant +1 2d6+1 3d6+1 None 11
Trader +1 3d6+2 2d6+1 None 11
High Ranking +2 3d6+3 2d6+2 1d6+2 12
Commoner +1 2d6+1 2d6+1 None 11
Militia +2 2d6+1 3d6+3 None 13

Vagrant - Those from the slums or the Dark Roads

Trader - Those that sell and create
High Ranking - The administrators and Guild Master
Commoner - The labourers and workers
Militia - The soldiers that enforce the laws and guard the cities

191
 The Black Iron
that want nothing could be curious or indifferent,
those that want trade would be more friendly and
agreeable, those that want to stop or kill the party
are always aggressive and cunning.
Some NPCs may look down on the characters
because of the NPCs social standing or power,
others may revere the party for their bravery and
deeds. Base your response on what the characters
have done recently if they have anything of value
or if they come across as scary or kind. Try to see
the party from an outsider’s perspective.
Experience
Unlike some RPGs the Black Iron does not reward
characters for the amount of loot they have or for
just killing things, this we feel creates a game of
murder hobos when the only thing that matters is
the chant of ‘kill it and search the corpse’. Instead
experience is given for succeeding in tasks,
completing missions, fulfilling Guild goals, and
learning something new. As the GM you can hand
out experience for the first-time encounters of a
creature or other threat but not every time that
same threat or creature is encountered.
The amount of experience should reflect how well
the character achieved the task etc. And this can
be done in three ways.
1. Individual experience for each character.
2. Group experience that the party shares
3. Less individual experience per character and
a small group experience that the group can
share.
Individual experience is still added to the group
total as explained in the advancement section.
Characters should receive between 1-5 experience
per session based on their performance and what
was achieved.
192
Optional Rules
Luck/Fate Points
It is possible to create a luck or fate point mechanic
that characters can use to re-roll a fail or to cancel
out damage and so forth. This can be implemented
very easily by stating that each character has one
luck or fate point per session and once used does
not return till the start of the next session.
Critical Tables
When a Iron Die rolls a 6 a critical is struck,
normally this would result in double damage but
you can instead roll on one of the critical tables
below, based on location and attack effect.
Warning: These tables make combat deadly!
Arms
D6 Result
Slashing
1 Cut and bleeding lose 1 wound per rnd
2 Tendon slashed arm useless
3 Muscle cut -1 to lifting and attacks
4 Lose a finger
5 Hand slashed -2 Melee
6 Hand removed -1 Agility
Piercing
1 Punctured shoulder drop held item
2 Punctured muscle -1 Melee
3 Heavy bleeding 2 wounds per rnd lost
4 Wrist pierced hand useless -1 agility
5 Hand skewered x2 damage
6 Elbow pierced arm useless -2 Melee
Bludgeon
1 Numb arm -1 melee
2 Broken hand -2 melee
3 Smashed shoulder stunned d4 rnds
4 Smashed hand d4 fingers broken
5 Broken wrist -2 melee
6 Broken arm -1 agility and -2 melee
 Legs
D6 Result
Slashing
1 Deep cut, base movement reduce to 20ft
2 Foot slashed lose d3 toes -1 agility
3 Tendons slashed base movement 10ft
4 muscle cut make agility roll vs 7 or fall
5 Lose leg below knee and fall over
6 Lose whole leg and pass out
Piercing
1 Punctured thigh, base movement halved
2 Punctured foot, -1 agility
3 Pierced knee, roll agility vs 7 or fall over
4 Punctured calf, base movement halved
5 Split kneecap, -1 agility, movement halved
6 Foot pinned to ground, you are prone
Bludgeon
1 Crushed toe, base movement 20ft
2 Crushed foot base movement halved
3 Broken knee -1 agility
4 Smashed shin, roll agility vs 8 or fall over
5 Crushed thigh, base movement 10
6 Broken hip, you fall prone, -1 agility
Body
D6 Result
Slashing
1 Rib broken, -3 stamina and -1 melee
2 Chest slashed open, lose 1 wound per rnd
3 Stomach slashed, -2 melee
4 Lung cut, -4 stamina -2 melee
5 Guts hanging out, stunned d6 rnds
6 Ripped open, dead in d6 rnds
Piercing
1 Stabbed guts, -1 Body -1 melee
2 Pierced lung, -4 stamina -1 body
3 Punctured organs roll body vs 9 or collapse
4 Lung pierced -2 melee
5 Punctured guts x3 damage, stunned 1 rnd
6 Punctured heart, dead.
Bludgeon
1 Rib broken -1 melee
2 D3 ribs broken, -1 Body, -2 melee
3 Gut punch, stunned d4 rnds
4 Ribcage crushed, stunned d6 rounds
5 Guts pulped instant death
6 Chest caved in, dead in d4 rnds
Head
D6 Result
Slashing
1 Teeth shattered x2 damage
2 Lost an ear, -1 Perception
3 Slash across eye, -1 melee
4 Nose sliced off, stunned 1 rnd, -1 melee
5 Lose an eye, -1 Perception, -2 melee
6 Beheaded, dead.
Piercing
1 Cheek pierced, -1 melee
2 Pierced throat, lose a wound per rnd
3 Eye poked out, -1 perception -1 melee
4 Skull pierced, stunned 1 rnd, -1 mind
5 Throat pierced, unable to talk d6 days
6 Skull pierced, dead.
Bludgeon
1 Jaw broken, -1 melee and -1 social
2 D8 teeth smashed, stunned d4 rnds
3 Skull bashed, unconscious d6 rnds, -1 mind
4 Nose crushed, stunned d4 rnds
5 Skull crushed -2 mind, -2 melee
6 Skull crushed, dead
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 The Black Iron

194
195
 The Black Iron

Threats &
Abominations
As you travel the Pale and the Dark Roads you will
encounter threats, these can range from Bandits
trying to survive after being banished from the
cities, to slavers and cultist gathering disciples
and slaves for the Blood Lords or monsters from
Corrupted horrors to twisted beasts the result of
elven experimentation and the fall of the Black
Iron.
Fear Ratings
Most threats have a fear rating which acts like a
difficulty number. When faced with such a horror
you must roll your courage and beat the threat’s
fear rating. Multiple sightings of the threat will
lessen the fear rating of the threat until eventually
they no longer scare you.

What follows is a selection of threats you could

encounter during your travels, there are many
Threat Abilities
more horrors infesting the world both above and
Some threats will have unique abilities, and these
below and these will be discussed in later source
will be described within the description. Abilities
books.
that fall under the same title may differ drastically
from one another so each entry should be read
Where and What carefully.
Each threat will be marked by either an a or s to
indicate if they can be found in the Pale or below Aural Attack
in the ancient cities and dark roads. It has been The threat screams or makes a noise that can
known that certain threats mostly seen in the Pale disorientate, stun or call others for aid. This will
have been found on the dark roads and sometimes vary amongst threats and the effect will differ.
those horrors that infest below have been spotted
wandering the ice and snow, but it is rare. Corrosive Blood/Mucus
The threats blood/Mucus is corrosive and will eat
away at metals and skin equally. When struck with
a slashing or piercing weapon the weapon will
take 1 Break damage, arrows will be unusable after
being used against the threat. Slashing can cause

196
splash back and when attacking this threat with a
melee slashing weapon a roll on the Iron Die of a
1 and the attacker is hit by splash back which will
cause 1 wound per rnd until washed off.

Corruption
The threat is corrupted and when they successfully
attack with a claw, bite, or tentacle the target must
make a resistance vs. 10 check or gain 1 Temporary
Corruption Point.

Natural Armour
This threat has natural armour and has no need to
wear armour to protect itself.

Natural Weapons
The threat has claws, pincers, teeth, or other
natural weapons and has no need in carrying a
weapon.

Poisonous
The Bite of this threat is poisonous, with the
potency and effect of the poison varying by threat.

Resilient Often dangerous areas or areas

The threat is resilient, either immune to poisons,
or has regenerative powers.
Transformation
The threat can change its form in order to either
confuse, travel or attack, this will differ amongst
threats.
NPCs
There will be a selection of NPCs at the end of the
Bestiary that lists the most common people that
the characters will encounter, these should be
adjusted to indicate whether they are important
personalities or not by the GM.
controlled by Fanatics or cults are
marked by totems to warn people
away. It is not understood why
a group that engage in slavery
and torture would want to scare
people away and so it is thought
that the totems are placed by
unknown others as a warning,
who these others are and where
they are located or from is yet to
be discovered.

Threat Description
The following pages describe the most common
threats that the characters will encounter in the
Pale or the Dark Roads. There are many more.

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 Ash Nomads
From Dust dunes, the City of Gems in the distance, they are
Many claim that the Ash Nomads that plague the suddenly surrounded by faceless humans that
southern ash plains are what is left of the people erupt from the dust around them. The nomads
that once inhabited the towns and villages that surround their prey, moving in formation, almost
once stood there. With skin the colour of burnt dance like, wielding ancient weapons. The
sand and faces that are featureless it is clear that characters may have been travelling to Antria, but
these are abominations formed from magic’s. they presumably would prefer to get their as free
folk and not victims for the slave markets or the
What makes the Ash Nomad truly frightening is fighting pits that now fill the city.
their ability to turn into the very dust they live
upon, this strange ability allows the Nomad to
appear as if from nowhere and to travel through
Stat Block
the very ash itself. This unique aspect of the
physiology also acts as a form of protection as it Attributes
has been stated that blades and arrows will pass Agility +4, Body +3, Instinct +3, Mind +3
through them without any obvious physical harm. Skills
Athletics: 4, Melee: 4, Stealth: 5, Perception:
Slavery 3, Scout: 3, Survival: 4
The Ash Nomads travel the ash plains moving Fear Rating
from city to camp, and from stronghold to market Ash Nomads have a Fear Rating of 6
selling their wares and slaves, slaves that were once
Abilities
unwary travellers. Nomads will attack caravans
and traders as they cross the plains, stealing their Transformation - Ash Nomads can transform
goods and enslaving anyone they feel would into dust at will, this allows them to travel
collect a good price on the slavers block. They will through the dust plains undetected. Whilst
fight and kill anyone that resists and becomes to in dust form they cannot be injured, cannot
much of a threat but generally the Nomads seek attack and travel at twice normal speed.
to capture. Derived Stats
Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3
No Loyalty Armour
It is not clear whether the Nomads are beholden Armour: A collection of leather, cloth and
to any Blood Lords, but it is presumed they are metal armour which seems to be part of the
not as the Ash Plains have managed to resist Ash Nomad. AP 3
their influence, though cultists and fanatics have Weapons
been known to explore the plains. It is known
Type Damage Range
that somewhere in the plains can be found a
piece of the Black Iron and many at the Black Fort Sword 1d8s +3 -
have pointed to this as the source of the nomad’s Dagger 1d4s +3 6ft
strange powers, though the location of the piece Spear 1d6p +3 15ft
of rock is yet unknown.

Adventure Seeds
The most likely place the characters will encounter
the Ash Nomads is when they travel the Ash Lands
to the city of Antria. As they walk across the grey

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 Bandits and Villains
We saw the cart first, turned over on its side, the Adventure Seeds
horses dead their bodies riddled with arrows. As Bandits can be encountered anywhere and often
we drew closer a man appeared, he had not seen via an ambush. The characters could be following
us as he bent down and drew his dagger and a trade road through the pale when they come
commenced to cut of the finger off the corpse on to a road block placed by Bandits. They could be
the ground. We then knew the cart and its driver travelling the dark roads and bandits appear from
was a victim of bandits, scum that prey on the the shadows. The bandits encountered do not
weak to fill their own bellies. always have to be killers they may outnumber the
characters and just demand their supplies or a
The Unwanted ‘tax’, some bandits will just attack, no discussion,
As the refugees flooded into the city to escape no demands they just attack and take.
the turmoil it quickly became clear that the walls
would not contain everyone and soon the gates
were closed, many fled underground to find Stat Block
refuge there but what most found where ancient
strongholds ruled by criminals and opportunists Attributes
and those that could not pay or trade for a place Agility +2, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +0
within these ruins were denied access. Skills
Athletics: 2, Melee: 3, Stealth: 3, Perception: 2,
Many of these unwanted found a home in the Scount: 3, Survival: 3, Ranged: 3
refugee camp outside the city walls, gaining
employment in the farms that quickly sprang up, Abilities
others returned to the Pale in the hope to find Packs - Bandits tend to travel in packs of up to 5
their homes intact, this was not the case. individuals and will have ways to communicate
quietly, animal noises etc.
Desperation, anger and just pure greed and Derived Stats
evil intent led many to become bandits, and Wounds: 12. Initiative: +2
villains. Most bandits close to the Sun Spires or Armour
to the patrolled roads of the below only steal and
Armour: Mainly animal hides and leather. AP 2
rarely kill, others with hatred will kill and steal,
sometimes taking it one step further and selling Weapons
their victims to the fighting pits or as food for the Type Damage Range
cannibal cults. Sword 1d8s+2 -
Dagger 1d4s+2 4ft
Civilisation Anew Spear 1d6p+2 10ft
The Grey Rangers have reported that large Bow 1d6p+2 50yds
permanent camps are appearing in the Pale,
groups of rejected rebuilding the towns and
villages, these places are home to organised groups
of bandits or as many now refer to them liberators
or providers. These camps and new villages have
opened their gates to anyone that would wish to
join them and some have heed the call, an option
of life on the city streets with an empty belly or life
in the Pale with three meals a day has tempted
many to take up the call of banditry.

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 Corrupted Beasts
Our Hunter stopped and went silent, holding up
a hand for us to be quiet. I strained my ears but
Stat Block
heard nothing, seconds passed and then I heard
it, a slight noise, a snuffling, then a scratching Attributes
against wood. As I listened I heard the sharp crack Bear
of a branch, it echoed through the dead trees and Agility +2, Body +5, Instinct +3, Mind +0
almost instantly our Hunter was running, we Wolf
followed, what were we running from, I could hear Agility +4, Body +2, Instinct +3, Mind +1
it crashing through the trees behind me, heard the Skills
panting growls, I thought I was dead. Up ahead Bear
was a hut, the Hunter held the door wide yelling Athletics: 3, Melee: 4, Stealth: 2, Perception: 2,
for us to hurry, as the last one burst into the hut Scout: 3, Survival: 4
the door was slammed and the Hunter told us to be Wolf
silent once more, how long we sat there listening I Athletics: 3, Melee: 3, Stealth: 4, Perception: 3,
do not know, but soon the darkness descended and Scout: 4, Survival: 4
we slept. That was my first encounter with a Blight Fear Rating
Bear.
Beasts have a Fear Rating of 7
Abilities
Description
Corrupted: Can transfer corruption to target
Many of the wildlife died off after the fall, unable
Natural Armour: Thick skin and fur adds
to survive the harsh cold and corruption, but
some survived and adapted. Predators such as towards Toughness and armour.
Natural Weapons: Will use Claws and Bite
Wolves, Bears and Wild Cats managed to survive
by feeding off the remains of the species that Derived Stats
perished and continue to hunt smaller creatures Bear
like Rabbits and Birds. Wounds: 15. Initiative: +3
Wolf
In a similar way to bandits the beasts become Wounds: 12. Initiative: +3
more corrupted the deeper you get into the Pale, Armour
this is not to say that the Wolves and Bears that Armour: Both have Natural Armour of AP2
hunt near the Sun Spires are not dangerous just
that if you get bitten by one it will hurt but it will Weapons
not spread corruption. Type Damage Range
Bear Claws 1d8s +5 x 2 -
Closer to the cities it is common to see Wolves Wolf Claws 1d6s +2 x 2 -
especially and sometime even Wildcats close to Bear Bite 1d6p +5 -
farms or in the mountains hunting and in recent
Wolf Bite 1d4p +2 -
years as food has become more scarce encounters
with Wolves have risen. In the below it is rare to
encounter any of these animals as they tend not to
do well in the confines of the tunnels and against
the many vagrant camps.

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 Blood Lord Knight
As we watched the group of fanatics spread out
across the road digging with their hands in the
snow and ice, their skin was almost blue from
the cold, but they did not seem to even notice.
Behind then stood a huge figure, covered in
scars, a dead look in its eyes, this was a fabled
Knight of the Blood Lords, said to be created
with dark blood magic. The knight snarled at
the fanatics, whipped and kicked them to work
faster, whatever it was they were digging for
I will ever know cause as I watched the knight
seemed to turn its baleful gaze towards where
we were hiding, at which point we ran as fast as
the ice would let us, we ran for how long I cannot
say, but my skin still itches just remembering
that gaze.
Adventure Seed
As the characters get close to cities the chance
of encountering a Knight will increase. They are
always leading a group of Fanatics and will allow
them to attack first only getting involved at the
end where they will wade in and kill fanatic and
enemy both.
Facing a Knight should be a major encounter, they
are brutal and will not stop until the target or they
are dead, they will call for reinforcements which
will mean another group of fanatics will appear.
If the knight is within 10 miles of a city, they will
also have a direct link to the Blood Lord who may
react or suddenly pay an interest in the characters,
which may be something they do not want.

Unto Death
It is said that the Sorcerer’s of the Blood Lords Stat Block
have an endless supply of body parts taken from
the arena’s and these are used to create golems of Attributes
flesh and corruption. These golems become the Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +2, Mind +1
Knights and commanders of the fanatic hordes. Skills
It is said that these Knights are the ears and eyes Athletics: 2, Melee: 4, Stealth: 2, Perception: 2,
of the Lords and that when a Knight speaks, he Scout: 2, Survival: 4
speaks with the tongue of his master.
Fear Rating
Knights have a Fear Rating of 7
Rare and Deadly
Knights are rare, they stay close, within a 10-mile Abilities
radius, to the cities of the Pale, the reason for Resilient: Knights are immune to poison.
this is the connection they share with their Lord. Undead: Do not feel pain and ignore most
They will send out orders to their fanatics and injuries, this gives them increased Toughness
sometimes travel with them to command order and can only be killed with fire or beheading.
but often they are rarely seen. Derived Stats
Wounds: 13. Initiative: +2,
Knights are deadly, retaining the memories of Armour
the warriors they were created from they can be
Armour: Chain AP 5 or Plate armour AP10
brutal opponents, hard to kill and lacking any fear.
They are often armoured, and sometimes this is Weapons
with the armour of the human knights that led the Type Damage Range
armies against the elves. Sword 1d10s +3 -
Dagger 1d6s +3 6ft

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 Corrupted Wardens
The poisoned forests, frozen shores and mountain senses can often be more attuned making a hard
passes of the Pale are the patrol routes of the enemy to lose or hide from, hence their use as
Corrupted Wardens, the rangers of the Blood wardens. This deeper melding can also have its
Lords. downfall, meaning they give in more often to their
animal side, being easily distracted, forgetting
When the Chimeer escaped the shackles many of their role, or fighting amongst themselves.
sound mind journeyed towards the Last City or
joined the small villages that survived amongst the The use of weapons and armour can also be
ice, but some, those driven insane by the melding problematic depending on how complete the
and corrupted by the sorceries used were drawn melding is, holding weapons or wearing certain
towards the power of the Blood Lords and offered armour types being impossible. Those wardens
themselves up as servants. The Blood Lords ever that find their purpose difficult do not last long
merciful accepted those Chimeer that they saw as though being dominated, killed, and consumed
worthy, those formed from Crow or Wolf, Jackal or by the other wardens in their troupe.
Vulture, and gave them a place within their legion,
those Chimeer that did not fit the needs of the
Blood Lords served a different purpose either in Stat Block
Pit or upon the roasting spit.
Attributes
These Chimeer with the cunning of beasts became Agility +3, Body +4, Instinct +4 Mind +3
the wardens, the rangers of corruption and the Skills
protectors of the borders of hate that separate the
Athletics: 2, Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception: 3,
lands between the lords.
Scout: 4, Survival: 4
Fear Rating
Loyalty through Madness Wardens have a Fear Rating of 7
The wardens are loyal to their lord, driven
insane by the corruption they have been fed and Abilities
indoctrinated by the choral chants of the fanatics Resilient: Wardens are immune to poison.
that aided in their new purpose, they will die to Corrupted
protect the lands of their living god against any Derived Stats
that would trespass. Wounds: 17. Initiative: +2,
Armour
Wardens often travel in pairs, sometimes with a
number of fanatics or fanatics that have latched Armour: Chain AP 5
on to the wardens and follow them, many fanatics Weapons
see the wardens as the closest they will ever get to Type Damage Range
a Blood Lord and worship and serve the wardens. Sword 1d10s +3 -
This can be both a hindrance and a benefit to the
Dagger 1d6s +3 6ft
wardens as the Fanatics can be both shield and
food source. Bow 1d8p+2 50yds

Melded Embrace
The Wardens often show the marks of their
melding more severely than their saner kin, the
animal side being more obvious with thick fur,
birdlike claws or even black, oily feathers, their
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 Cultists
It was the bells, the strange smell of a pungent
incense on the air that alerted us that a cult was
drawing near. We quickly moved to the side of
the road and hid behind the fallen trees and
debris of what I presumed had once been an
inn. The bells got louder and soon we saw them,
two walked in front ringing bells and dancing in
some kind of trance, their lips forever speaking
the name of their Blood Lord. Behind these
came a larger figure, I would say man but it was
more beats than man, it dragged behind it a
cart filled with bodies, the stench of the rot from
these corpses eclipsed by the incense that burnt
in the holders that were being swung by the final
two cultists that followed behind.
These temples are controlled by priests and these
are best avoided as they have been blessed with
sorceries by their Lords and are able to wield
blood magic, their cultist brethren are all too
willing to sacrifice and bleed to power their priests
magic, plan your strategies before attempting the
destruction of such a temple.
Adventure Seed
Cults can appear in many different guises, from
places of sanctuary where they offer healing,
safety, and food, to places of ritual and sacrifice,
where your blood will power their priest. All cults
have only one purpose and that is to guide you to
the Blood Lord and to accept corruption.

Worshippers and Lunatics

After the fall, many cults appeared, at first, they Stat Block
worshipped the dead gods or the Black Iron,
some even prayed for the elves return, misguided Attributes
and lost fools desperate for another to solve their Agility +1, Body +1, Instinct +2, Mind +2
problems or give them purpose. These cults grew Skills
and were quickly subverted to the worship of the
Athletics: 2, Melee: 2, Stealth: 3, Perception: 3,
Blood Lords, whether they were offered a boon
Scout: 2, Survival: 3, Arcane: 3, Lore: 3
or they were lied to and convinced that what they
seek could be found in praise of the Lords, who Abilities
knows. None
Derived Stats
Since these early days, most cults are now just Wounds: 11. Initiative: +1, Stamina: 12
vessels to spread the corruption and lies of the
Armour
Blood Lords. I say most as there are still cults that
pray to the dead gods or the Black Iron, but these Armour: A collection of leather, hide and cloth
are rare and hard to find. The cultists walk the pale AP2
offering salvation to those they meet, promising Weapons
lies to the small settlements that still exist. Those Type Damage Range
they can not convert they destroy and curse. Sword 1d8s +3 -
Dagger 1d4s +3 6ft
Temples of Blood Spear 1d6p +3 15ft
Many cults have made their homes in the calcified
Magic
bones of the dead giants, or in the old temples
of the elves. They often offer these as places of Sorcery: Some Cultists will have access to
sanctuary and healing in order to entice those in sorcery spells of various types. This should only
need, this always ends badly for those enticed. be available to 1 out of every 10 Cultists

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 Fanatics
Blood Hunters and Slavers most dangerous, cannibals, mutilators,
Every Blood Lord has their army, and these are debaucher’s, and rapists, they are the lowest
made up of the fanatics, hordes of slavering, humanity can stoop. Often dressed in the skins
insane killers that will throw themselves into of victims, their genitals exposed and often
flames in reverence to their master. Berserker’s disfigured to appear engorged and weeping, the
and corrupted they pour across the pale in bands, fanatics are insanity personified and should be
hunting, killing, and enslaving depending on the destroyed whenever encountered.
desires of their lords.
Nicran – The Blood Lords commands no fanatics
Each band of Fanatics are led by a Knight, these but does control those that have arisen from
will occasionally travel with the band but will death in the marsh he calls home, the Liches,
never stray too far from their Lord’s throne, but Wraiths and undead that defend their home from
instead will unleash the band with instructions. invaders. They like their Blood Lord never leave
The fanatics are fodder, abused and used by both the marsh and are content to feed on whatever
the Knights and the Priests, goaded, murdered, washes through.
sacrificed, and unleashed all in the name of the
Blood Lords. Xertin – The Pallid are a dangerous force to face,
often Tribals that have fallen under the sway of
the Blood Lord they are further twisted by dark
Colours of Hate magic’s to become faster and stronger than normal
Fanatics try to emulate their lords, and this can
humans. They cover their skin in white pigments
be seen in how they appear, you can tell which
or ash to make them appear pale like their master
Blood Lord the fanatics belong to by their scars,
and will mutilate themselves with bone and iron
mutilations, and clothing.
hooks. Those they capture are brought back to the
city to either feed the population or be thrown
Axas – The Fanatics of Axas graft slivers of metal into the arena.
onto their fingers, carve the symbols of the lord
onto their skin and shave their heads, they keep Stat Block
trophies. The more blessed of the fanatics carry
strange globes that have a miasma of corruption Attributes
emanating from it and can be used to strike down
Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +2, Mind +0
their enemies.
Skills
Barston – The Reavers or the Blood Lord are found Athletics: 3, Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception: 2,
amongst the wrecks of ships and upon the shackle Scout: 3, Survival: 4, Ranged: 3
islands. Sometimes they leave the ice for the Pale, Derived Stats
but this is rare. The Reavers mutilate themselves Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3,
and replace their limbs with large crab claws
Armour
fashioned from bone and iron, they stink of fish
and rot. Life on the ice is harsh and many Reavers Armour: Leather, cloth and hide armour. AP 2
are cannibals. Weapons
Type Damage Range
Kial – The followers of this blood lord have all been Sword 1d8s +3 -
victims to the torture and mutilation of his knives, Dagger 1d4s +3 6ft
many are corrupted, unrecognisable fusions of
beast and human, and it is said that many of the Spear 1d6p +3 15ft
corrupted were once followers of Kial, victims of a Bow 1d6p+3 50yds
chirurgeon that enjoyed his role too much.
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 Ghul
Amongst the frozen remains of the great war
against the elves a new threat emerged, some say
they are the living corpses of the fallen brought
back by magic, others that they crawled from
beneath the land to feast on the remains of the
dead. But these are no normal living corpses
created by sorceries and blood magic, but cunning
creatures, not dead but also not quite alive.
The Ghuls are an enigma, feeding off the dead,
digging up old tombs and graves and prowling the
battlefields of the past would make one assume
they were related in part to the liches and wraiths
of the swamps, but unlike those servants of Nicran,
the Ghuls have a mind of their own and some say
even communicate with each other in a guttural
language. They defend their trophies from those
that would take them, and they act with strategy
and as a unit, using cunning and experience to
tackle the most dangerous of foes.
Madmen or Monsters
Many ghuls would pass as humans, they would
easily disappear amongst the many refugees and
homeless in the slums of the Last City or the dark
roads below and realising this has caused concern
amongst the council and guilds. The spires were
built to keep out those corrupted horrors that infest
the pale but what if the ghuls are not corrupted,
could they infiltrate the cities and civilised areas?
The answer to the question above is yes because
there is evidence that they have, partially eaten
corpses have been found both in the Last City and
those cities below, unexplained deaths and the
removal of corpses from the chapels of the last rest,
has baffled militia until you factor in ghuls. But
what does this ability to hide themselves within a
population say about this so-called monsters, that
maybe they are more human than it is thought.
Adventure Seed
Ghuls can appear both above and underground
especially where there are corpses, in recent years
due to lack of space many corpse have either been
burnt or taken into the pale and dumped
(especially those of refugees). Those corpses
that are burnt are held in chapels until the day of
burning which has become an almost religious
event, whereas the dumping of bodies happens
mainly at night. These dumped corpses have
attracted the ghuls close to the last city and may
have been instrumental in enticing them to pass
the spires.
Fighters that wish to become Relic Knights
are tasked to retrieve armour from the many
battlefields in the Pale and will almost definitely
encounter ghuls, who may see this as a trespass
and attack the those that begin to search amongst
the ice for fallen knights
.
Underground the ghuls prey upon the vagrants
and those taking the darker, unmapped routes
to the cities, as well as some of the creatures that
dwell in the tunnels. Scavengers speak of large
numbers of ghuls encountered the deeper they
go, with even rumours of Ghul cities miles below
the surface but this has never been proven.
Stat Block
Attributes
Agility +4, Body +3, Instinct +4, Mind +2
Skills
Athletics: 3, Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception: 2,
Scout: 3, Survival: 4
Fear
Ghuls have a Fear Rating of 6
Abilities
Corrupted, Natural Weapons
Derived Stats
Wounds: 15. Initiative: +3,
Armour
Armour: Rags and a rubbery hide AP
Weapons
Type Damage Range
Claws x2 1d6+2 -
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 Greater & Lesser Abominations
Product of Experimentation Abomination Abilities Table
Of all the horrors created by the elves, the 2d6 Ability
corrupted were the worst, not just because they
2 Corrosive Saliva - +3 damage from bites
are deadly, horrifying to look upon or the sounds
they make, but because of the knowledge that this 3 Sense Heat - Can sense body heat +2
thing used to be a person, or persons. Perception
4 No Pain - Feels no pain cannot be
Now almost a decade later with life returning to stunned
normal as best it can the Blood Lords arrive to 5 Corrosive Blood - Will dissolve metal
continue where the elves left off. More travellers weapons
and Rangers are reporting sightings of corrupted, 6 Sense Vibrations - Can sense movement
more twisted, and viler thnn anything the elves +2 Perception
ever created, and everyday these sightings get
7 Bone Weapons - Limbs are dagger sharp
closer and closer to the Last City.
8 Shape Change - Can change shape to fit
environment
The Shape of Horror 9 Venom Spitter - Can spit Venom 30ft (d8
The abominations come in all shapes and sizes damage)
and are generally broken down into two types,
the Lesser and Greater. The Lesser are smaller 10 Resilient - Has +2 Wounds
less developed of the two, though still deadly they 11 Regenerate - Will regenerate 1 wound per
tend to be easier to kill, and fewer enhancements rnd
and can look more human. The Greater are always 12 Aural Attack - Will scream (2d+2) causing
larger, are fully developed and have much more stun for d6 rounds
abilities. Lesser Abominations roll 3 times, Greater Abominations roll 5
times
Re-roll duplicates or increase abilities stats
Abominations are created by Chirurgeons with
most being formed by Kial, a Blood Lord, it is Stat Block
known that the Blood Lord’s fanatics will hunt the
Attributes
areas around the lord’s cities looking for victims
to bring to the operating table. Due to this created Greater: Agl +2, Bdy +5, Ins +4, Md +0
aspect, abominations vary, with no two looking Lesser: Agl +3, Bdy +3, Ins +4, Md +0
the same or even having the same abilities, this Skills
can make them extremely unpredictable and Melee: 3, Perception: 2, Scout: 3, Survival: 4
dangerous. Fear Rating
Greater Fear Rating of 10, Lesser Fear Rating of 9
Abominations are loners they are rarely seen
in groups or pairs; they are either sent out to Abilities
do a specific task or discarded by the creator to Corrupted, See Table Above
just roam around freely and survive. Whatever Derived Stats
mind their once was in the individuals that were Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3
fused together to create an abomination has
Armour
long since disappeared into madness, but some
have claimed that finding the face of a loved one Natural: AP 3
peering out from the mass of an abomination they Weapons
have witnessed a spark of recognition, but this is Type Damage Range
just considered wishful thinking. d6 Bone Limbs 1d8s +5 -
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 Ice Worms
‘We didn’t see it coming, one minute we are trudging their prey, the corrupted versions seem to have
through the snow the next there is a rumble, the enhanced senses, and this is why many have
ground beneath us seems to shift, at first, I thought it surfaced to eat.
was an earth tremor, but this didn’t feel right. So we
did what was natural we ran for shelter, last thing The worms that travel through the tunnels of
we wanted was to be buried under a mountain the below seem to be less aggressive and can be
of snow, but then it stopped, and everything went easily avoided as long as there is somewhere to
silent. I mean it’s pretty quiet out there anyway, move to in order to get out of their way, otherwise
but this was silence, not natural like, something anyone in their path will be crushed and possibly
different. ingested. The below is laced with smooth tunnels
borrowed out by worms that become their travel
After a while we decided to move on, then it was like routes. This has been known to cause worry in
the sky had cracked, terrific noise, the snow and the some of the cities below as a worm could borrow
land beneath it burst upward as high as the grand straight through the walls of a city without even
Cathedral in the city it went, and there it was, all noticing, destroying everything in its path, this
tentacles and teeth, never seen an ice worm before, hasn’t happened yet but that is not to say it won’t.
hope to never see one again, though little hope of
that happening as it took my legs and here I am.
But I warn ya, not every tremor is the land settling Stat Block
or groaning, sometimes its Ice Worms.’
Attributes
Formed from Corruption Agility +3, Body +5, Instinct +3, Mind +1
The name ice worm is a bit misleading as a study by Skills
the Black Fort has shown that the worms that burst Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception: 2, Scout: 3,
forth from the ice are the same as those that travel Survival: 4,
through the tunnels of the below, the difference Fear
is corruption and hunger. It is believed that some
Ice Worms have a Fear Rating of 9
of the worms are more corrupted than others and
this was due to how close they had been to the Derived Stats
surface during the fall. It is also believed that the Wounds: 32. Initiative: +3,
worms travel to the surface to feed due to the lack Abilities
of food below, though this has not been proven, Corruption, Natural Armour,
and many scavengers disagree.
Armour
Armour: Natural AP 5
Blind Terror Weapons
From eyewitness stories the worms can grow up to
100 paces long and this has been confirmed with Type Damage Range
the Black Fort though they claim that corrupted Crush 4d10b -
worms can grow bigger than that. The problem Tentacles x 6 1d8b -
with knowing the dimensions and abilities of
the worms is that no one has survived or stayed
around long enough to discover what they are,
those specimens handed over to the Mages are
of young or stunted in some way. It is believed
that all the worms are blind and use vibrations to
determine their path and the direction of
217
 The Black Iron

218
 Lich
It rose from the marsh, rotted vegetation and Rotted and Armed
slime hanging from its limbs, it seemed to It is said that some of the Liches seem to retain
stand there for a short time almost like it was the knowledge they had in life, at least the last
gathering its bearings and then others rose up few days of life and as most were part of the
alongside it. As one they shambled through armies that fought in that final war, these Liches
the marsh, with one purpose, one mind. If a have been known to still use weapons and even
noise attracted one it attracted them all, as still wear the armour they died in. Many Liches
one moved, they all moved. We watched as are farmers or townsfolk who got caught up in
they shuffled past their corpse stench washing the fighting and have no real martial skill and
over us, but we did not move, we could not, these are the most common.
if just one of these living dead heard us we
would have to deal with all of them, and The bite of a Lich is infected and will cause
something told us these things were relentless, corruption or at the least some kind of disease,
unforgiving and hungry. their claws are long and sharp, and they feel no
pain. The only way to kill a Lich is to remove the
Relentless Dead head or burn them.
As the battle against the elves raged it left a road
of dead behind it, many of these rotted into the
earth some ended up in the rivers and streams,
Stat Block
cast there to pollute the water of villages and
towns or just to stop wild animals from seeking Attributes
out the carcasses. Those undead that ended up Agility +2, Body +3, Instinct +2, Mind +0
in the many rivers that once flowed washed up in Skills
what would eventually become the great marsh Athletics: 2, Melee: 3, Stealth: 2, Perception:
that separates the Pale from the Ash lands and is 2, Scout: 3, Survival: 2
now the domain of the Blood Lord Nicran. Fear Rating
Liches have a Fear Rating of 7
When the Black iron fell it sent a wave of arcane
magic that corrupted everything it touched, the Abilities
following quakes and eruptions finished what Corruption, Resilient: Immune to Poisons,
the war had begun and turned the world to Derived Stats
ice. With this new world came the Blood Lords Wounds: 13. Initiative: +2
and their domains, and with Nicran came the Armour
undead.
Armour: Leather, cloth and metal armour AP 3
As the marsh expanded so did the undead Weapons
that populated it, fuelled by ancient magic the Type Damage Range
corpses of the armies that marched against the Sword 1d8s +3 -
elves marched again. At first, they roamed the Claws x 2 1d4s +3 -
Pale seeking blood to feed upon until Nicran
reigned them in and took control, now they
roam the marsh and its banks seeking out
travellers and the unlucky.

219
 The Black Iron
Marsh Wraith
At first, we thought it was a pile of detritus, of
old rags and bones washed up and caught on a
branch or lodged in the bank. As we drew near
the smell was of ammonia and rot, damp, and
vinegar, we decided to avoid it for the stench
alone it was then we heard the sound, a low
keening, that rose to a scream, we became
disorientated as this pile of waste suddenly
move and became a terror beyond words, a
living thing of bones and jellied flesh, white
and glistening pus like. The whole pile was the
Wraith, and it began to move, almost drifting
towards us on the foetid water of the marsh.
Tiny frail bone-like arms, dozens of them
reached out, its talon like hands grasping
at the air, but we were stunned we could not
move, and it was getting closer…
220
Living Marsh
Appearing as a pile of leaves and mud on
the banks or islands of the marsh the Marsh
Wraith is a deadly killer that will attempt to grab
anyone that wanders too close. They are known
to scream loudly to disorientate their prey and
this is also known to summon Liches who have
learnt that a Wraith scream often leads to food.
The Wraith can drift on the surface of the marsh
and has control in where that drifting takes
them, though it was once believed they had
no control, this has since been disproved. This
ability to drift can allow them to get close to
their victims who will often overlook a pile of
leaves and mud or will not even notice the slow
movement towards them.
Against multiple foes they will always scream
to give them the edge and allow them to grab at
Stat Block
Attributes
least one victim, Wraiths are surprisingly strong
and once grabbed they drag the person into Agility +2, Body +4, Instinct +3, Mind +0
their body of mud and moss and slowly devour Skills
them adding the bones, hair and clothing to its Melee: 3, Stealth: 5, Perception: 2, Scout: 1,
structure. Survival: 4
Fear Rating
A Thousand Corpses Marsh Wraiths have a Fear Rating of 7
Marsh Wraiths are loners and can grow to Abilities
immense sizes as they digest and expand with Corruption, Aural Attack (3d +2) causes stun for
new victims, what may start as a small pile of d6 rounds, Natural Weapons
flotsam against the bank of the marsh may, Derived Stats
years down the line become and island of bone
Wounds: 14. Initiative: +3
and other remains covered in moss and marsh
grass. Armour
Armour: A mass of debris which has
It is believed that a Wraith begins as a single corpse accumulated over years makes them well
like a Lich that gets caught up in the vegetation protected with an AP 6
of the marsh and gets stuck, unable to move just Weapons
collect anything that floats by, corpses, sticks and Type Damage Range
other detritus, until eventually they become a
Aural Attack D6 Stun 100ft
Wraith.
Claws x 2 D4s +4 -

221
 The Black Iron

222
 Pale Ones
We had hit another road, the torches seemed
to flare into life whenever we reached one of
these main routes almost as if some magic
made everything brighter. The road was
as well made as you would expect from its
ancient dwarven architects and we all knew
that it would lead somewhere, hopefully not
just another road that led to a cave-in or one of
them doors with no way to open. We picked up
the pace, and even spent time studying some of
the statues and carvings that lined the walls,
its strange how the brighter the light the more
confidence it creates. Up ahead was another
tunnel that disappeared into the darkness, we
had long since stopped exploring these as they
either led to dead ends, labyrinths, or large
caves, and we had neither the time nor the
provisions to explore every dark hole. As we
drew near one of us heard what they described
as breathing, we stopped and looked and
what peered back was pale, multi-limbed and
disfigured, it stank of corruption and age. It
moved backwards into the darkness and was
gone, we hurried on and for the rest of the
journey through those dark roads felt we were
being watched.
Born in Darkness
The deeper you go the stranger things become
and the more surreal the carvings and devices
are. Those narrow twisting tunnels dug out by
the ancient dwarves are now home to bizarre
monsters that have been born to the darkness,
whether they existed before the pale no one
knows.
Are they what remains of the dwarves, did the
elves experiment before reaching the surface or
did the blood of the ancient giants create more
than just the elves?
Of all the weirdness that exists below the most
dangerous and unusual are the Pale ones, large
hulking, multi-limbed ogres, hairless and as
pale as snow. It is known to tear its own skin off
as a way to allow it to grow larger and then its
flesh hardens and becomes the new skin of the
creature, this is why many sightings have shown
the Pale Ones to have gashes or cuts.
A Pale One will not actively attack a party but
will follow and watch, waiting for an opportunity
to snatch a character that falls behind, or is
injured. They are solitary creatures and so facing
a party is often a bad idea, though they will fight
if cornered.
Pale Ones will eat what they catch whether
that be rodents or characters and they do not
negotiate or communicate in anyway, as of, yet
no one has heard a Pale One make any kind of
sound accept for a deep breathing growl.
Stat Block
Attributes
Agility +3, Body +5, Instinct +3, Mind +1
Skills
Athletics: 4, Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception:
3, Scout: 3, Survival: 4
Fear Rating
Pale Ones have a Fear Rating of 7
Abilities
Natural Armour, Natural Weapons, Corrupted,
Huge grows as tall as 10ft, Multi-limbed has
four arms, Dark Vision.
Derived Stats
Wounds: 15. Initiative: +3
Armour
Armour: Natural with an AP 3
Weapons
Type Damage Range
Claws x 4 1d6s +5 -
223
 The Black Iron

224
 Rot Golems
It was the stench that hit us first, it was Released upon the Surface
overpowering, then as we got closer, we heard When the elves eventually entered the world above
the wheezing, we had found what we had been they sent the golems out first to destroy any threat
seeking. Two days ago a Ranger had been killed, or opposition, and once again were left to just
the hut they had been staying in smashed to wander off in this new confusing world. Most were
tinder, and only large tracks and blood smears killed and those that managed to avoid the hunters
were left heading into the forest. Our Hunter, a eventually died off. The elves experimented with
Guild member of the Grey Rangers had been building golems and the Rot Golems were their
tasked to find the missing Ranger. Though we best success, fuelled by corruption they would
all knew there was no chance our hunter had be used to destroy resistance or ‘criminal’ groups
to believe that the Ranger could have survived, that the elves wanted disposed of.
she had to find out and we agreed, she was on
point for this one, we would take her lead. Now
after two days of trekking through the snow we Adventure Seed
had found the beast. It stood maybe 15 feet tall Rot Golems can appear anywhere but thankfully
and was almost as broad, the stench washed of due to their size can be heard, smelt, and seen
it in waves, there was no sign of the Ranger, but coming more often than not. The first signs that
either way the monster had to die. a Rot Golem is in the area should be destruction,
buildings, trees etc should all appear as if a rock
Created from Dirt just rolled through.
Originally created by the dwarves and then
corrupted by the elves the golems are monsters
of pure magic. Once linked to their creators they
Stat Block
are now abandoned and insane, roaming the Pale Attributes
and the dark roads destroying and repeating their Agility +2, Body +5, Instinct +2, Mind +1
orders given centuries before. Skills
Athletics: 1, Melee: 3, Stealth: 3, Perception: 3,
The dwarves created many wonders and some Scout: 2, Survival: 4
of these were the various golems they designed Fear Rating
for specific roles, Iron Golems to protect the
Rot Golems have a Fear Rating of 6
great dwarven houses, Stone Golems to mine the
tunnels and carry the loose rock away and the Abilities
Earth Golems to destroy the monsters sometimes Corrupted, Natural Weapons and Armour,
discovered in the darkness, it is these Earth Resilient will regenerate 1 wound per rnd.
Golems that became the Rot Golems. Derived Stats
Wounds: 15. Initiative: +2
Many Earth Golems were sent ahead to clean
out tunnels and caves, making the areas safe for Armour
mining or habitation and this is where the elves Armour: Natural and worn with an AP 5
trapped and corrupted them, turning them back Weapons
against their creators, driving the golem mad as Type Damage Range
it went against its purpose. Once the golem had Claws x 2 1d8s +5 -
acted out its purpose the elves would ignore it and
Club 1d10b +5 -
allow it to wander, killing indiscriminately and
destroying anything in its path. Many dwarves Stomp 1d8b +5 -
died not realising that the Golems were now an
enemy.
225
 The Black Iron

226
 Ruin Dwellers
We pushed through the trees and came to an old
ruin; we would not have spotted this place from
the path. Our Scavenger had a ‘good feeling’
about this ruin and she quickly moved into
what she described as the main hall. The whole
area was open to the elements and most of the
wooden walls and furniture had rotted over
the years and snow cover. The west end was still
covered by a part of the roof and we could see
the remains of a tapestry, our scavenger said
that this had been a temple of sorts, and that the
tapestry would have shown some god or other,
this was a good place to find precious metals she
claimed as she began to make her way towards
the tapestry. Suddenly she stopped, held her
hand up to stop us and indicate silence. Then
we heard it, a strange snuffling, gnawing noise.
From behind a low wooden wall appeared a
being, covered in rot and fungus, stinking of
corruption, this was a Ruin Dweller, a rare and
dangerous creature to behold.
Trapped by Time
It is said that Ruin Dwellers were once people
and that they inhabit the ruins which were most
important to them when they still had some kind
of humanity, whether that is true or not, no one
has ever discovered, but it is a fact they tend to
find certain locations important and will defend
them to death.
The Black Fort on studies of Ruin Dwellers
have discovered that time moves differently for
them, which is why they are so fast and that this
displacement of time is due to interaction with
a piece of the Black Iron, how this is possible no
one can say, but it would explain the rarity of the
monsters.
Monsters in Name Only
Ruin Dwellers are not aggressive, in other words
they do not actively seek out conflict and it seems
that they are only violent when protecting their
homes, those that have come across one of these
creatures have found that if they back away slowly
and create distance the Ruin Dweller will ignore
them.
The option most people take when facing a
Dweller is often aggressive and that is when they
regret that decision, what appears to be a fungal
encrusted and skeletal figure suddenly becomes
extremely fast and dangerous very quickly, striking
with bone like claws, spores that burst forth from
the pods that form from the creatures body and
the ability to jump and dodge at terrific speed
makes the Ruin Dweller a threat worth avoiding.
Adventure Seed
Any ruin can be home to a Dweller and often the
party may stumble upon one without knowing.
At this point what is left is what knowledge the
characters have of these monsters and how they
will use that knowledge to best deal with the
situation. Dwellers will protect their homes to the
death and the party should quickly realise that,
and the creatures speed and aggression should
make it clear that it will not be an easy fight.
Stat Block
Attributes
Agility +5, Body +2, Instinct +3, Mind +2
Skills
Acrobatics: 4, Melee: 3, Stealth: 5, Perception:
3, Scout: 3, Survival: 3
Fear Rating
Ruin Dwellers have a Fear Rating of 6
Abilities
Corrupted, Natural Armour, Natural Weapons,
Poisonous from Spores, Dark Vision.
Derived Stats
Wounds: 12. Initiative: +3,
Armour
Armour: Fungus and wood like protrusions act
as armour giving the Ruin Dweller an AP 3
Weapons
Type Damage Range
Claws x 2 1d6s +2 -
Spore Pods d6 Pot 8 10ft
227
 The Black Iron

228
 Shrike
The light from our torches seemed never to light
more than a few feet around us and this alone
made travel through the tunnels more dangerous,
if we were to be ambushed we would not know
before it was too late to react, it made everything
much more tense than it should have been for just
a well-armed and well trained group. I heard a hiss
and stopped, our Hunter had moved ahead, and
the hiss indicated we needed to slow down and
be quiet. We had reached a rather damp part of
the tunnel and I was up to my knee’s in stagnant,
stinking water. Wading on I practically bumped
into the Hunter who gave me an annoyed stare and
then pointed. Up ahead was what at first glance
seemed to be a glowing skeleton until it shifted,
whatever the thing was its skin glowed and was
translucent, probably from living underground for
so long. Its arms ended it sharp blades and its feet
were tendrils that waved and probed the ground,
in fact these tendrils grew from the things back
and face, stroking the rock around it, leaving slight
luminescent trails like that of a slug, it was truly
horrific.
Bones that Glow
It is believed that the Shrike were created by
absorbing arcane residue from when the elves
ruled the below and that many of the Shrike
were once elves themselves, banished from the
cities for crimes or other slights against the elven
lords. Centuries of living underground, absorbing
magic, and evolving to match their environment
is what has made the Shrike what they are today.
Shrikes thrive in the darkness and those that have
observed them have notice that they seem to seek
out pockets of old magical energy trapped in veins
of ore in the rock or weird luminescent fungi.
Shrike also feed off the small animals that also live
below, bats, rats, and other rodents.
Shrikes are loners and it is rare to see two Shrikes
at the same time, they are also territorial and
stories do exist of scavengers witnessing Shrikes
fighting as one gets too close to another’s area, but
how territory is set out is unknown by anyone but
the Shrike themselves.
Killers in the Dark
Shrikes are aggressive and will attack anyone or
thing they see as a threat, and even though they
look weak they are far from it. It is known that
Shrike can absorb magic and are unaffected by
magical attacks, in some cases even deflecting the
spell back at the caster. They are also fast and can
squeeze through the smallest of cracks or holes.
The other element of the Shrike is the mucus they
exude from their tendrils which have formed from
their backs, faces, hands and feet. This mucus is
acidic and will corrode metals and woods and
this fluid is often coating their territory making
passing through those areas dangerous.
Shrikes will shy away from light, hiding in the dark
places until the light goes out and then striking
from the shadows either as ambushes or stealth
attacks. They are not affected by magical light and
seem not to even notice this form of illumination
Stat Block
Attributes
Agility +4, Body +4, Instinct +3, Mind +1
Skills
Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception: 3, Survival: 4
Fear Rating
Shrikes have a Fear Rating of 7
Abilities
Corrupted, Natural Armour, Natural Weapons,
Dark Vision, Immune to magical attacks,
Corrosive Mucus.
Derived Stats
Wounds: 14. Initiative: +4
Armour
Armour: Natural armour gives them an AP
2, Corrosive Mucus covers their bodies see
Corrosive Blood/Mucus.
Weapons
Type Damage Range
Arm Blades x 2 1d8sp +4 -
229
 The Black Iron

230
 Tribals
Of the Mountains suspicion and even anger towards the tribes,
The Dragon Tail mountains have always been giving many that had lost everything something
home to the tribes and they have always been to direct their anger at.
problematic, even the elves had attempted to
wipe out or control the many settlements without It was the merchant guild that changed everything.
much success. The guild had secretly decided to send a delegation
to the tribes to talk and negotiate, by this point the
There is no way to know how many actual tribes tribes had over the months found life hard, living
exist, but they range from groups of 20 families all on little to no food and constantly watching from
the way up to hundreds, from small camps of tents attacks from the tribes to west and from the Last
to towns with stockades and dedicated militia. City, the delegation was treated with suspicion.
Before the fall the tribes would occasionally send Eventually deals were struck, food like grains etc
raiding parties down into the farms and small in exchange for skins and furs, and the Tribes
towns that stood at the foot of the mountains, would be welcome in the City for as long as they
often to steal food and livestock, this would lead to agreed to protect the city from the other tribes and
hunters and town militia entering the mountains dangers coming from the north.
to retaliate, or calls for the elves to respond in some
way, often leading to nothing actually changing.
Stat Block
After the fall many did not pay much thought to
how the disasters and other upheavals would Attributes
affect the tribes and they no longer seemed a Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +3, Mind +2
threat. Years passed in the Pale as the Last City Skills
rebuilt and expanded, and as the cities below Athletics: 2, Melee: 4, Stealth: 3, Perception: 3,
established their laws and borders, surviving the Scout: 4, Survival: 3, Ranged: 4
best they can in this new world of ice and snow.
Abilities
In the mountains it was a different story. With the
changes came starvation and disease, and with Aggressive, Cannibals, Corrupted.
this came conflict as tribes invaded one another, Derived Stats
some unified against a common enemy and Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3
others were eradicated completely, for those that Armour
called the Dragon Tail home the world changed in
Armour: Armour can vary from animal hides,
more than one way.
leather and chain with an AP 2 - 5
Weapons
Acceptance or Cannibalism Type Damage Range
As the snow fell and the corruption leaked in
cannibalism became the new norm for many tribes, Sword 1d8s +3 -
others accepted aid in return for praise from the Axe 1d10s +3 -
Blood Lords, throwing in their lot and becoming Dagger 1d4s +3 6ft
Fanatics. Some tribes fled, traveling north towards Spear 1d6p +3 15ft
the Dragons Claws that shadowed the Last City in Bow 1d6p +3 50yds
the hope they would gain protection or at the least
acceptance. Though years had passed and life had
been traumatic many still remembered the raids
from Tribals, of the fear and hunger forced upon
them by these fearsome wild folk, and this created
231
 The Black Iron

Non-Player Characters
What follows is a selection of characters that the
players may interact with during their journeys Militia
into the darkness or across the Pale. These are for
use by the GM if they are ever needed for Barter,
Diplomacy or even conflict within the game.
Trader
Traders will be the main NPC most characters will
interact with during the game, many have set up
shop in the cities but some still walk the roads both
below and in the Pale, though travel through the
Pale has become more dangerous of late. Traders
are hardy and cunning, those that live in the cities
will have trade stores selling various items, but
those that travel will only carry the most valuable
or most needed stock, and do not mistake value
with wealth, a spade to a farmer is as valuable as a
diamond to a jeweller.
Stat Block
They guard the gates, patrol the streets and keep
the rabble and criminals in check, some are
corrupt others withhold the laws fervently.
Every city has a Militia, most are paid by the
councils or the guilds and this payment is often
in the form of a roof, three square meals and a
little bit of power and respect. Not all Militia are
good and some will commit crime or take their
authoority too far.
Any issues to occur, fights breaking out, disputes
with price, someone caught stealing or other more
serious crimes will often involve the militia being
called who will then attempt to either sort out the
problem, arrest someone or investigate further.
Every city will have cells to hold prisoners and
some form of court to enact sentencing if needed.
Public executions are common.

Attributes
Agility +1, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +2
Stat Block
Skills Attributes
Social 3, Melee: 2, Perception: 3, Survival: 3 Agility +2, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +0
Abilities Skills
None Athletics: 2, Melee: 3, Perception: 2, Survival:
Derived Stats 3,
Wounds: 12. Initiative: +1 Abilities
Armour None
Armour: None to Light AP 2 Derived Stats
Weapons Wounds: 12. Initiative: +2,
Type Damage Range Armour
Sword 1d8s +2 - Armour: Often a Uniform AP 3
Dagger 1d4s +2 6ft Weapons
Type Damage Range
Sword 1d8s +2 -
Spear 1d6p +2 15ft
Bow 1d6p +2 50yds

232
 Civilians
These will be encountered in every city both above
and below, they are the farmers, the beggars, the
serving folk and the fisherman, often in need and
always around.
Civilians can often be the background hum in
a city or a key part of an adventure. They can be
witnesses, victims and even antagonists. Many
civilians will have no opinion just wanting to get
on with their lives, but others may form mobs to
hunt down the corrupted in their city, or become
the witless members of underground cults lured
in with the promise of food or revenge.
Civilians are a great resource and can be used for
most situations and even adventure seeds, never
underestimate civilians.
Noble
The guild masters, the administrators, the
heads of families, the spoilt sons and daughters,
the teachers and the merchants. these are the
people with wealth that can buy allegiance and
sometimes innocence. Often corrupt, sometimes
pompous always in need of someone willing to do
the dirty work, whether that is lifting crates in a
warehouse or dispatching a rival.
The characters will have dealings with nobles,
especially if they are in a guild. Offers of work will
often come from the wealthy members of society
and even some of the problems will lead to nobles
and their dalliance with cults or search for power
which often leads them into the arms of the Blood
Lords.

Stat Block
Stat Block
Attributes
Attributes Agility +2, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +2,
Agility +0, Body +1, Instinct +2, Mind +0, Skills
Skills Athletics: 2, Melee: 3, Perception: 3, Social: 3,
Crafting: 2, Fighting: 2, Perception: 1, Scout: Survival: 3, Ranged: 2, Lore: 2, Social: 3
2, Survival: 3, Social: 2 Abilities
Abilities None
None Derived Stats
Derived Stats Wounds: 18. Initiative: +2,
Wounds: 11. Initiative: +0 Armour
Armour Armour: Good Quality Light
Armour: None or Light Armour AP 1 Weapons
Weapons Type Damage Range
Type Damage Range Sword 1d8s +2 -
Dagger 1d4s +1 6ft Dagger 1d4s +2 6ft
Bow 1d6p +2 50yds

233
 The Black Iron
GM Intro
The following adventure is for starting players and
GMs to help get into the world of the Black Iron.
The adventure will have Info points and links to
page numbers for rules and information so that
the GM can learn or look them up quickly.
As the GM take your time and prepare for surprises
as players will almost never do what you are
expecting, have them draw a map with markers if
they like, maps are valuable. Bear in mind the cart
that the characters have and the animals that are
pulling it, they can also be targets for food etc, and
losing the animals will make their journey much
slower and harder going.
Game Intro
The adventure is set in the Last City and the Pale
beyond.
Setting the adventure in the Last City will see the
234
The Anvil
A Starting Adventure for the Black Iron
characters travelling to the spires and the edge
where the temperate meets the ice, here they will
need to switch the wheels on the cart to skis and
head out into the wilderness to find the old forge
with the Anvil. Risks of Blight Beasts, Bandits and
Cults attacking the party is high as well as dangers
of hidden lakes and thin ice, ravines, and ice
storms.
The adventure should not be long enough to
worry too much about starvation or dehydration,
but injuries and rest should be a factor, finding
shelter other than the forge should be hard to do
and unless the party has healing herbs injuries
can become serious fast.
The party must make sure they have everything
they need; they will receive a cart and horse which
they must return if possible, the employer may
stretch to throwing in snow shoes and a bundle of
arrows but everything else will need to be supplied
by the characters themselves.
Getting the Characters Involved
There are a number of ways you can get the
characters involved with this adventure which
will feel natural and not forced. The following are
examples of adventure prompts.
• The characters all see the job offered on a
notice board in the city square.
• A character is approached by the smith whilst
browsing the smith’s wares
• The guild has been offered priority work by
the smith if they can arrange for the Anvil to
be collected.
Optional Side Missions
• Rangers have spoken of a pack of wolves in the
area moving closer to the Spires.
• Recent attacks on farms have been traced to
an area of the Pale close to where the Anvil is
supposed to be found. (Small Bandit camp)
• Strange sounds have been reported by the
Grey Watch (Cultists this close to the spires is
a major threat).
The Smith
The smith who has posted the job has a small shop
in the street of coals the main location of many
of the smiths in the last city. The buildings in
the street are blackened from the soot produced
from the forges and the clanging of metal on
metal is almost deafening. Entering the street
the characters are hit by a warm blast of air that
becomes hotter and more stifling the further
down the street they travel.
The street itself is home to many beggars that sleep
here at night and line the streets to beg during the
day. This is done for the warmth and for the barter
chit that many looking to repair or buy weapons
and armour will be carrying on their person.
Many smiths who fled to the city after the fall failed
to bring all of their tools with them and forges
and anvils were often either part of the building
or too heavy to carry. Wooden and stone blocks
are now used by a few smiths, hastily made forges
are better than nothing but most of what is done
is repair, hammering out dents, re-knitting chain
and stitching together leather as well as hasty and
basic repair to weapons. Very few smiths have
Anvils or even quality tools.
When the party reaches the smiths shop, they will
find him hammering away at an old bent sword
on a large piece of granite, chips of stone and
sparks fly everywhere. The man looks up as the
characters arrive.
‘I have limited supplies right now, so as long as
it ain’t complicated I can get it done.’ He states
loudly. If the characters explain why they are there
the smith will perk up, put down the hammer, and
after wiping his sweaty hands walks over to the
party.
‘So you’re here for the job, that’s good to hear,
thought no one was going to take up the offer.’ The
man grabs a jug from a bucket of water and some
leather mugs from a shelf and offers the party a
drink. ‘So down to business as I’m eager to get
this done. There is an old forge around four miles
west of here, out there in the snow. Used to be part
of a village but most of that has gone back to the
dust or is covered in ice, either way I heard tell
that the old forge is still standing.’ He takes a gulp
from his mug. ‘Chances are if the buildings still
there so is the Anvil, and maybe some of the tools,’
he continues. ‘May be a bit of rust, but before
everything went to shit I had visited that village
and that forge and the Anvil was a good ‘un’.
If the party has any questions now is the time to ask
and the smith does not mind being interrupted,
but if no one does he will continue.
‘If you want the job I can provide a cart with some
skis and a horse, but I will need them back, and
besides it will be hard to shift that Anvil four miles
without it, the job pays 100 barter chits and once I
get everything in place I will happily do some free
work or give a discount, if that all sounds good
then no time like the present’.
The party could try to negotiate which would be
an opposed roll versus social, the smith has the
skill at 3, and his Mind is 2. Otherwise the party
should accept the job and arrange when to collect
the cart and horse.
235
 The Black Iron
Journey to the Spires
The journey to the spires can be eventful. As the
characters leave the city they will pass through
the refugee camp, depending on the time of day
they will either be ignored (daytime) or possibly
approached by one of the criminal gangs (d6) that
run the place and may attempt to steal the horse
for food or just bully the characters into handing
over some stuff, how the players handle this is up
to them, they can threaten using Body or Social
either way the highest opposing Body is 2 and the
Highest Social is a 2, if they attack then the gang
is pretty weak, more bark than bite with Melee
skills of 2 and Body of 2, after a couple have been
dropped the others will run into the camp and
disappear. No militia patrol the camps and the
gangs have free reign. The other option would be
that the characters hear a scream coming from the
camp and it will be up to them to either investigate
or not with the gang above being the issue.
After leaving the camp area the land is mostly
farms and orchards. The road here is patrolled but
very rarely is there trouble. Eventually after an hour
of walking the party should reach the sun spires.
The view is strange as within the border grass
grows and the world seems fertile but looking out
beyond the spires there is just a white waste, snow
has built up against what seems to be an invisible
wall of magic, and the effect is surreal.
The party will need to spend time swapping the
wheels on the cart for the skis, this cannot be
done earlier as the stone of the roads and rocks
hidden in the fields will damage the skis. Likewise
not swapping the wheels for the skis will make
the journey beyond the spires difficult and much
longer, as the party will need to dig the wheels out
of snow and ice. Once the skis have been fitted the
party can continue their journey.
Stepping through the invisible barrier created
by the spires will feel like being hit by an ice
hammer, as the cold sweeps in and surrounds the
characters, from this point forward everything
becomes harder.
236
Journey Across the Pale
The journey once out in the Pale will be slow, the
horse will be dragging the cart and occasionally
will hit dips or roots which may get it stuck or slow
it down. Also the snow and wind will be working
against the characters obscuring vision and
making walking often slow.
All attempts to see locations or aim at targets
beyond Short range will be at -1, beyond Long will
be at -2 and Extreme will be impossible. Perception
will also be at -1 due to the noise of the wind and
the distraction of the cold (the longer the party
spends in the environment the less modifiers they
will receive as they adjust).
The journey to the forge will only take around
three hours and the GM should roll for each hour
spent travelling to see if any encounters or hazards
appear.
Encounters and Hazards Table
2d6 Encounter or Hazard
2 D6 +1 Bandits
3 Blight Bear
4 Frozen Lake - Party must either walk
around adding 1 hour to the journey or
cross using stealth.
5 Nothing
6 D3 Blight Wolves
7 Animal Traps - If these are not spotted
then one party member steps into a trap
causing 1 wound. Character must make
roll vs Pot 5 or become infected.
8 Nothing
9 D3 Bandits
10 Snow Storm - Vision and perception
is now reduced further and the storm
pushes against the party slowing their
pace, storm adds an hour to the journey.
11 Cart ski breaks, Crafting vs TN of 7 to fix,
12 D6+1 Blight Wolves
Eventually the party will see what appears to be an
old village amongst some dead trees, most of the
buildings are just ruins but standing on its own
is an almost complete building, some of the roof
is missing and the doors and windows no longer
exist, but a lot of the building is intact. As the party
approaches they will see strange symbols either
scratched or daubed on the walls of the building
and a successful Scout Vs a TN of 9 will show both
human and animal tracks entering the building,
a level of success will show that the newest tracks
are only a few days old.
The Old Forge
Entering the building the party will find themselves
inside the actual workshop.
Workshop- The inside of the workshop is covered
in snow; the stone floor has cracked, and stunted
black weeds can be seen pushing upward between
the cracks. To the left as the party enters is the
forge itself, darkened by soot and still filled with
old coal and wood that crumbles if picked up.
Next to the forge is an Iron anvil and the reason
the party are here. The Anvil is made of iron and
if looked at closely will reveal engravings cover
some of the anvil’s top half.
The anvil itself is extremely heavy and to lift it will
mean a roll of Body Vs a TN of 10 (see page 77 for
rules on Attribute Tests). Up to four characters can
lift the anvil. Once lifted it will be a slow shuffle
over to the cart.
A table in the workshop also has an array of tools
placed out, most are rusted but useable and
taking these back would be a bonus. A door stands
closed in a wall to the right.
Living Area - This room has been used by a
group of cultists and currently one is stationed
in this room. If the party is not attempting to be
quiet the cultist here will be waiting for them to
come through the door and will ambush the first
character to enter. If the party had declared that
they were using stealth in the previous room then
the cultist has the opportunity to hear them using
their Perception Vs the highest Stealth roll from
the characters (Cultist stats are on pg. 209).
If the cultist is able to ambush the party then they
get the first attack, and then Initiative rolls should
be made. The cultist will shout out if they can alert
the other cultists lower down, who will come to
the cultists aid.
The room has a table and chair, a broken and
mouldy bed, broken wardrobe, and various
ragged, rotten pieces of clothing on the floor
amongst the snow that has blown in the broken
window. Near the centre of the room is a wooden
hatch, that when opened reveals a ladder going
down. If the cultists was dispatched silently then
this hatch is closed, if the cultist managed to call
out then 1d3 cultists will appear from this hatch
from below.
If the characters Perception Vs a TN of 7 they will
find that attached to a beam above the hatch is a
pulley system, obviously used to lift stuff from the
storeroom below.
Storeroom – The ladder leads to a storeroom, this
area has been untouched by the snow and ice and
is relatively warm, it has also been used as a living
area by cultists and the party will find 4 mats and
bedrolls for sleeping on as well as foul smelling
pots of food. If the cultist in the above room did
not get the chance to call out, then there will be
1d3 cultists in this room that will attack anyone
coming down the ladder.
In the storeroom can be found barrels of coal,
and crates of Iron ore ingots all valuable to the
blacksmiths back at the city, there will also be
sheets of leather and leather cord, some gold plate,
and small ingots of silver. A Perception Vs a TN of
6 will reveal behind the crates 2 swords wrapped
in leather, these are good quality longswords.
The southwest wall of the storeroom has been
smashed through an reveals a cave system
beyond, which it seems the cultists have been
using. A strong smell of rot and damp emanates
from the area.
237
 The Black Iron

Old Forge

Living Area

Workshop

Storeroom

First Cave

Cult Sanctuary

238
First Cave – The first cave is damp and dark,
without some form of lighting the party will be at
-2 for all actions and will move at half pace. Stones
and jagged rocks stick up out of the floor of the cave
and the walls which will snag and cut those not
watching where they are walking. A small stream
of surprisingly fresh water runs from the ceiling of
the cave across the floor and then disappears into
a hole in the ground. A Scout roll against a TN of 9
will reveal tracks of booted feet.
The cave twists around a bend which leads to a
hastily constructed bridge, to cross the bridge is
an Agility Vs TN 6 roll, if a character fails the roll
they will drop, if they succeed in an Instinct roll vs
a TN of 7 they will catch the edge of the bridge, if
they fail the Instinct roll they fall to their deaths.
If the party is using Sneak, they will need to beat
an opposed roll vs the highest Awareness roll from
the 1d4+1 cultists beyond the bridge, again if they
fail the cultists will attack and attempt to knock the
party from the bridge, with each successful attack
meaning that an Agility roll vs a TN of 5 must be
made or the character falls.
Cultist Sanctuary – The bridge leads to a torch-
lit cave inside is a type of sanctuary or shrine to
a Blood Lord cult, a Lore roll vs TN 7 will reveal
that the shrine is to Axas. Bones and sinew hang
from the ceiling, a dead body now nothing more
than bones is tied to the wall, examination of
the bones will reveal gnawing and teeth marks.
Various bones, items made from bones and other
weirdness lay scattered about the floor. In one
corner is a chest within which the party will find
some well-made clothing, a small bag of 20 barter
chits and a pass to one of the cities below (GMs
choice), they will also find a book written in elvish
(The Tribulations of Cross Species Merging) worth
a lot to the right guild and a Masterwork Dagger,
they also find three masks made from human skin.
To the east a large crack has split the cave wall
almost in two and is wide enough to allow an
average human to easily pass through, the crack
leads into deeper caves, a Scout vs a TN 5 will
reveal that many have passed through the crack
and a Lore vs TN 9 will indicate that what is beyond
the crack is a route to the below and access to the
cities which allows anyone that passes through to
avoid the spires above.
If the characters suggest passing into the caves this
could lead to days of investigation and during that
time, they could lose the horse and the purpose of
coming here. The GM should encourage the party
to return with the anvil and then share knowledge
of the crack which in turn could lead to further
adventure. If they insist in passing through have
them roll an Awareness where they will hear the
horse in distress, this could lead to them losing
the horse, but the urgency to return to the city
should be made apparent.
Return to the City
At this point there will be three outcomes that will
affect the return journey to the city, depending on
various factors.
• Party has Anvil, Horse and Cart – The journey
back to the city will be slower with the anvil
and the time will be doubled, encounters
should still be rolled. Once reaching the city
the adventure is completed successfully.
• Party has Anvil but no Horse – As above
but journey will take three times as long as
the party will need to drag the anvil back
themselves. Loss of the horse will be frowned
upon but if the party skinned the animal and
brought back meat this will help alleviate the
issue.
• Party has no Anvil – The only reason this has
happened is that the party took heavy losses,
this will be considered a failed mission and
the Job will stay up on the notice board.
Follow up Adventures
The forge obviously leads into the dark roads and
this is where cultists are managing to infiltrate the
cities below, if the party make this known they will
be asked to either return to the forge and close the
opening or follow where the path leads killing any
cultists as they go. The party could also be asked
to travel below to find the forge entrance from that
route, also killing any cultists and sealing up the
hole.
239
 The Black Iron

240
241
 The Black Iron

The Tome
of Heroes
Vagrants
Saturday Night Gaming, Luciano Saldi, Danny Tirtosasmito, Eleanor Hingley, Jaesz Feher, DJChay,
Chris Skuller, Gnome Archiviste, Marco Generoso, ratley17, cotton mashlin, Jim Mangiameli,
Andrew Lotton, Maxime Robinet, Anthony Franchini, Jacob Thek, Thaddeus Ryker, Paul Rivers,
Timothy Baker, Norbert Baer, Drew Pessarchick, Michael Fox, Matt “9littlebees” Kay, Philip
Hindley, Ricardo Nacarini, Veronikis Spyros, Eric Blair, Brent Naylor, Steven D Warble, Magfurul
Abeer, Leopold Goldimire, Ryan Clarke, Sergio A Saenz, Whisky Sauers, Matteo Signorini, Dany
Leclerc,

Scavengers
Tyler F, Raúl Peña Fernández, Dana Boychuk, Patrice Mermoud, Aramis, Alex Melluso, Kieran,
Joshua Lenon, Gary Mayes, Kai Yu, Samwise & Charlie, LUCHO CASTRO, Morgan Bolton, Zach
Cornelson, Dallas Ch, Daniel Crisp, Noa Rev, K.L.Svarrogh, Aleksandar Petrovic, Mike Goetz, Jason
March, Colin Simmonds, Mark R. Lesniewski, David Queen, Gav War, JPD, Ruben Caparros Perez,
Trip Space-Parasite, Thor Sundqvist, Michael Rinaldi, David Semmes, Sean Patrick Phelan, Loki,
Tilly, & Murphy, Beachfox, John A. Robinson, Mikael Assarsson, J. Wilkins, Boris J. Cibic, Scott
Uhls, MarkF, Raphael Bressel, Nick Colombo, Chris Griffin, Samir El Aouar, Matthias Reinhardt,
Dan Perrine, Kyle Botterill, Ryan Kent, Jonathan Froust, Ryan Crowe, David Inker, Justin Spath,
Shai, Al Erikson, Adam Chance, Trey Mercer, Dan Suptic, Warren P Nelson, Owain Boardman,
Michele ‘Ekidna’ Facco, Caleb Coppola, Rangdo, Sam Hing, Dominik Pielarski, Marko J Sertic,
RinguPingu, Sir Edward, Derek Schmidt, Gwyn Bevan, Markus Plate, Michael Boothroyd, Ryan
Dukacz, Xildur, Tom Ladegard, Fernando De la Guardia, Callum Holt,

Hunters
Elvenstreak, Christian Mertens, Peter Allen, kabbend, Thor Asa, calibur_ex, Seth Spurlock,
Paco García Jaén - G*M*S Magazine, William Flotte, Terry Herc, John ‘johnkzin’ Rudd, Chris
Matulewicz, Trevor A. Ramirez, J. Marks, Chris Youngblood, Murazar, Harold L. Keearns III, Jonas
Äng, Jonathan “Buddha” Davis, Dace, Morgan Tupper, Caldazar, Pedro(Te),

242
 Pyromancers
Devin & Linny, Andrzej Krakowian, Nicholas Clay, Oskar Yorrickson, Matthew Hale, Arkend Foss,
James Yoo, Brandon, Hvedrung, Max Krawiec, Bastien Mignier, Spencer Wankier, Brett Callender,
Bjørn Benjaminsen, Pablo Saldaña, Richard Rivera, Brian Habenicht, Richard Miller, Valentinos
astroval Kounatides, Pete Shaw, Alexander Thissen, K. Scott, JC Hawley, Jeffrey Quigley, Mike
Dulo, Denis Gaty, Dave Luxton, Mika Koykka, Feian, Garreth ‘GMort’ Moreton, Paul D Watts,
Ols Jonas Petter Olsson, Robert Wood, Timothy D. Martin, Eclez, Ethan Fontenot, Matt Carman,
Richard Percy, Jeff Workman, JC Smith, Janelle Hobbs, Spidermanic, Tuomas Ristimäki, “To Peace”,
Andrew Nichols, Todd Stephens, Bernat Nacente, Tyler Brunette, Cyxos Hax, Thomas Fassnacht,
Panu ”Possessed” Laukkanen, Emil “Barn Owl” Heide, I got a festive hat, Mike (wrathofzombie)
Evans, David C White, K Malycha, Kaira Murphy, Lee Rosenbaum, David Harrison, Chris Snyder,
Nathan “Nawi” Wintle, Joachim Schulz, Guy Edward Larke, ryan bruhn, Gauthier Descamps, Angus
Abranson, Amber Szpular, Richard Robertson, Jon Kenny, Quib, Robert Herr.

Relic Knights
Jeremy Kear, Michael “Chef Pandakage” Salas, Grant “Grantos” Chapman, Robert M Soderquist,
Godu, Jeremy R Haupt, Eric Asperin, Crazed Sheep, Sabastian Wilkinson, Michael merchant, Roger
Haxton, Mark Solino, Connor Best, J Scott Rumptz, Philip W Rogers Jr, John W. Brown IV, Johnny D,

Lords of Blood
Brenntron, Fenric Cayne, Derek Munn, Kelly Swartz, John R., Varek, Gernot, Guillaume ROBIN, D,
Saggath,

The Fallen
Andrew F, Dave Satterthwaite, Frank Loose, Michael Sandlin, Michael Stevens, Elijah Dresen,
Dante Warborn, Fabia Mazzocchi, Dan Philpin, Chris Baratz, Marley D, James Michael Whittaker,
Gert-Jan van der Krogt, Doug Shute, Chase M Walker, trevpb_101, Janus Kimeran, Ebonweaver,
Russ Cox, Ryker Wallace,

With Blood and Iron

you face the Darkness

We Salute You
243