"%#/-).' ! 3/6%2%)'. -!

'%

AND %XPANDING 4ERITORY AND WITH THE RULER

OF THE LAND

4HE RECLUSE OPTION IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO

SEEK TO CONTROL ONE TERRITORY FOR THE ENTIRETY
OF THEIR CAREER )T IS THE PATH OF FAMILIAR
lGURES FROM FANTASY SUCH AS THE PALE ELVEN
MAIDEN WHO DWELLS IN A MISTY LAKE OR THE
WHITE BEARDED CUSTODIAN OF THE FORESTS WHO
KEEPS THE TREES FROM HARM AND WHOSE TANGLED
REALM MAY ABSORB WHOLE ARMIES LEAVING NO
TRACE BEHIND ! RECLUSE WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE
TO ENTRENCH AT ST LEVEL !S THE NAME IMPLIES
RECLUSIVE SOVEREIGN MAGES ARE WITHDRAWN
FROM THE WAYS OF THE WORLD WISHING ONLY
TO STAY FOREVER IN THE PLACE THEY KNOW AND
LOVE THE BEST /THER SOVEREIGN MAGES OFTEN
EXPAND THEIR TERRITORIES AROUND THOSE HELD BY
RECLUSES SO THAT AN OPPRESSORS EMPIRE MAY
HAVE A SMALL OASIS OF MAGICAL CALM WITHIN IT
THAT RESISTS THE PRESENCE OF EVIL ALL AROUND OR
A GOOD AND JUST PROTECTORS DOMINION MAY YET
CONTAIN A CLUSTER OF DARKNESS WHERE ANCIENT
MALICE IS TOO DEEPLY ROOTED TO SHIFT

4HE STANCE THE MAGE TAKES TOWARDS ANY GIVEN

REGION WILL BE DECIDED LARGELY BY THE METHOD
HE EMPLOYS TO BRING IT UNDER HIS CONTROL !S
WE WILL BE DISCOVERING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER
THERE ARE ONLY TWO WAYS TO CLAIM A REGION
BY FORCE OR BY DIPLOMACY 4HE MAGE MAY
VARY HIS APPROACH FROM REGION TO REGION
DOMINATING ONE REGION BY FORCE AND USING
PERSUASION WITH ANOTHER BUT MOST MAGES WILL
PICK ONE APPROACH AND STAY WITH IT THROUGHOUT
THEIR CAREER

)F YOU ARE INTENDING TO TAKE THE PATH OF THE

RECLUSE ENTRENCHING AND INVESTING ALL YOUR
POWER IN ONE REGION MAKE SURE THE REGION IS
ONE YOU ARE PREPARED TO DEFEND FOR THE REST OF
YOUR LIFE AND THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO
SO 2ECLUSIVE MAGES VERY RARELY LEAVE THEIR
TERRITORY SO A CHARACTER WHO TAKES THIS PATH IS NOT LIKELY TO
GO LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE AGAIN THOUGH HE MAY ASSIST IN THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REGION OR OFFER SHELTER AND PROTECTION TO
HIS COLLEAGUES WHILE THEY ARE IN THE AREA
4HE 3TRONGHOLD
!LMOST EVERY SOVEREIGN MAGE HAS A STRONGHOLD AT THE HEART
OF HIS FOUNDATION TERRITORY FROM WHENCE HE COMMANDS HIS
FORCES 4HIS IS IDEALLY SITUATED AT A CONSIDERABLE HEIGHT
ABOVE SEA LEVEL AS THE MAGE CANNOT MAKE FULL USE OF HIS
DISTANT CASTING ABILITY UNLESS HE IS AT A HIGH VANTAGE POINT
SEE #HAPTER  3OVEREIGN 3PELL 5SE FOR FURTHER DETAILS  4HIS
MEANS THAT MANY STRONGHOLDS TAKE THE FORM OF TOWERS CASTLES
OR MOUNTAIN HOLDS
! SPECIlC ROOM WITHIN YOUR STRONGHOLD WHICH MUST BE IN
CONTACT WITH THE LAND IE NOT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ACTS AS THE
FOUNDATION TERRITORYS ANCHOR WHILE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
REGION !NCHORS WILL BE ADDRESSED IN #HAPTER  %STABLISHING
AND %XPANDING 4ERRITORY FOR NOW IT IS ENOUGH TO SAY THEY
MARK THE POINT AT WHICH THE LANDS SOUL MAY BE ACCESSED )F
ANY INVADER WISHES TO BREAK YOUR CONTROL OF YOUR FOUNDATION
TERRITORY AND END YOUR CAREER AS A SOVEREIGN MAGE THEY MUST
BREAK THROUGH TO THIS ROOM WITHIN YOUR STRONGHOLD TO DO IT
)F YOU HAVE NO STRONGHOLD THEY CAN ATTACK YOUR CONTROL FROM
ANYWHERE IN YOUR FOUNDATION TERRITORY
!N EXTREMELY BASIC STRONGHOLD FORMS SPONTANEOUSLY AS A
RESULT OF THE MAGES CLAIMING OF HIS FOUNDATION TERRITORY
4HE POWERS OF THE LAND INSTINCTIVELY CLUSTER AROUND THE POINT
WHERE THE MAGES POWER HAS FOCUSED 4HE SOVEREIGN MAGE
MAY DIRECT THE SHAPE OF THE INITIAL STRONGHOLD AS HE SEES lT