The Vorzins include:
Duke Baerad, Head of House Vorzin
Master Tormal, Panjandrum of the Onther Tower, the royal library
High Diadem Liana, High Priestess of Asura
Tyarna, Mistress of Histories at Onther Tower
Aeridnis (PC), Mistress of the Black Tower
Aeridnis relations:
Duke Baerad is a cousin.
Master Tormal is her grandfather, and an uncle to Duke Baerad.
High Diadem Liana is her mother (and a daughter of Tormal).
Tyarna is a first cousin (and so a niece of Liana & grand daughter of Tormal)
THE VORZINS - Proud Atlantean Noble House
Over the long centuries during which Atlantis governed Quodeth, a large community of Atlantean nobles and merchants naturally grew within the city. Even after Quodeth’s Kalay nobles reclaimed the Peacock Throne, many people of Atlantean descent remained among the city’s richest and most powerful nobles. House Vorzin is an excellent example of an expatriate Atlantean house. Arrogant and elitist in the manner of a family clinging to high lineage and dreams of past glories, the Vorzins are at the forefront of Quodethi society. They represent the “old money” of Quodeth, and control vast estates of grainfields and vineyards in the countryside. The head of House Vorzin is
Duke Baerad Vorzin, a bluff, vigorous man of sixty who served as a general and makes a show of embracing the martial virtues. He fights constantly to see to it that younger Vorzins and Vorzin cousins are appointed to important posts, married into suitable families, and awarded the richest offices and titles. Duke Baerad reportedly has no interest in claiming the Peacock Throne, seeing it as an empty honor, but he is very serious about making sure that House Vorzin controls all important affairs in the city. If Vorzin has a weakness, it is the family’s centuries-old rivalry with the Sedarnels (under Princess Jania) and the Marsesks (under Prince Tromin), who likewise seek to bring the most important positions in the city under their control. Duels between young members of these families are not uncommon.
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| Tyarna Vorzin, Mistress of Histories. Some say she has Nimothan blood. |
ONTHER TOWER
The kings and queens of House Onther are not remembered well in Quodeth, but they did one thing right: they established the Onther Tower, a library where learned men and women can share their wisdom. Access is free for individuals who are accredited through the good graces of the Peacock Throne; in practice, this means that a hefty bribe must be put in the hands of the panjandrums who administer the Tower and safeguard its collection. More than once bold bands of thieves have slipped into Onther Tower to pilfer some old map or mysterious scroll to further their own larcenous ends, so the place is well guarded, day and night. Most of the books, scrolls, and maps assembled here are perfectly harmless, but there are rumors that tomes of dark sorcery are securely locked away within the Tower’s deepest vaults. Access to these hidden collections can only be approved by the Master of the Tower, the panjandrum
Tormal Vorzin. A vain and quarrelsome old man, Master Tormal is too wealthy to be easily bribed.
SPIRE OF DAWN
Standing prominently on the headland at the west end of Quodeth’s harbor, the Spire of Dawn is the city’s temple of Asura. It faces the open waters of Sarvin Bay and is the first building in the city to catch the rays of the rising sun in the morning. Merchants and sailors setting out on new voyages often come to the Spire of Dawn to make a sacrifice to Asura, praying for good fortune in their new venture—a practice that arouses the jealousy of Tiamat’s priests, although few of those are present in Quodeth. The High Diadem of Asura’s temple is a scholarly woman named
Liana Vorzin, a daughter of Master Tormal and mother of Aeridnis, Mistress of the Black Tower. A member of the powerful Vorzin family, she has commissioned a special project to build a great mosaic map of the dominions of Atlantis in the Spire’s central hall, and is seeking ancient scrolls and codices with information about the farthest outposts of the island empire.
Cult Items of Azura
Potion of Healing 2d4+2 - 50gp - 2 days or in stock (3d4)
Potion of Greater Healing 4d4+4 - 250gp - 5 days
Keoghtom's Ointment (5 doses, 2d8+2, cure poison & disease) - 500gp - 10 days
Potion of Mind Reading - 1250gp - 10 days
Potion of Revivify - 1250gp - 10 days
Dawnfire Blade (magic +0 weapon, can shed light 30' as bonus action) - Weapon cost +200gp - 4 days
Dawnfire Radiant Blade (magic +0 weapon, can shed light 30' as bonus action, +d8 Radiant vs undead) - Weapon cost +1200gp -12 days
Shield of Azura (magic +1 shield) - 2000gp - 20 days
Scroll, 1st level Cleric Spell - 100gp - 4 days
Scroll, 2nd level Cleric spell - 250gp - 5 days
Scroll, 3rd level Cleric spell - 500gp - 7 days
Scroll, 4th level Cleric spell - 1250gp - 10 days
Steel Weapon (+1 weapon)
Bronze Cuirass (AC 16, medium armour)
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ATLANTEAN
A dying race, Atlanteans were once the most advanced and powerful people to be found anywhere on the Earth. he great empire of Atlantis was fabulously rich, and Atlantean magic and technology made the island empire a realm of marvels in an otherwise
brutal and primitive age. But a little more than three hundred years ago, Atlantis was destroyed in a terrible cataclysm. Nine out of ten Atlanteans were erased from existence in a single day, breaking the worldwide dominance of the Atlantean race. While the vast majority of Atlanteans died with their empire, some survived the destruction. he Atlanteans were a race of far-traveling mariners, and thousands of sailors and merchants were far from Atlantis on the day of doom. hey were also conquerors and colonizers who controlled vast domains on the continents surrounding the Atlantean Ocean, and thousands more Atlanteans lived in these overseas possessions. he Atlanteans of the current day are descended from these travelers and colonists. Atlanteans have lost much of their vast lore and advanced technology, but they are still a powerful force for good or evil in the world. Proud, audacious, self-reliant, and industrious, they work to preserve the fading glory of Atlantis and recover what they can of its lost sciences and arts. Some Atlanteans use this lore to guide (or dominate) the less-advanced peoples around them, hoping to rebuild Atlantis in a new home. Others recognize that the time of Atlantis has passed, and work to pass its knowledge to younger civilizations where it may do great good.
PHYSICAL QUALITIES
Atlanteans are fully human, and possess a human range of builds, body types, and features. hey form a distinct ethnicity, and can be identiied as Atlantean at a glance. hey are a tall and handsome people in general, and many Atlanteans are natural athletes. heir skin color ranges from a light copper hue to a deep bronze, their hair is usually dark brown or raven-black, and their features tend to be ine. heir most notable features are light-colored eyes in hues that are rare among other humans: gray, green, an icy pale blue, or even a bright gold. he contrast between the light-colored eyes and the copper or bronze complexion is often quite striking. Because Atlanteans are declining in numbers, more and more have married into the general population of hule. Classic Atlantean features are becoming hard to ind, although the wealthiest and most powerful families are more likely to preserve the old bloodlines.
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS
Atlanteans value knowledge and learning above all things. Even the most martially inclined Atlantean is not just a muscle-bound soldier—he or she is a student of combat and strategy, drawing upon centuries of martial philosophy. Atlanteans believe that every human endeavor can be studied, critiqued, and advanced through the application of logic and scholarship. he history of Atlantis was a triumph of progress in science, magic, war, and the arts, and now that Atlantis is no more, the surviving Atlanteans strive to preserve and spread this philosophy to the other peoples of the world. Because Atlanteans ruled over much of the Earth for so long, they see themselves as more intelligent and capable than other people. hey are the “kings of men” in the parlance of the old empire, and they naturally see themselves as leaders. Atlanteans are proud, conident, and strong-willed, and often expect some amount of deference from people who do not share their education or incisiveness. At best, this attitude comes across as haughty or patronizing. At its worst, it is a belief system of racial superiority that empowers Atlanteans to dominate weaker peoples. However, many Atlanteans believe that the advantages they enjoy also carry an obligation to work to make the world a better place; more Atlanteans are compassionate teachers than arrogant conquerors. Atlanteans are not especially pious. heir cultural heritage of scientiic learning and technological advancement makes it easier for them to have faith in their own abilities instead of seeking divine patrons to protect them. Many people believe that the tragic fate of Atlantis was the gods’ punishment for this hubris, although few Atlanteans would agree. hose Atlanteans who are religious usually regard Asura, Mithra, Nergal, and Tiamat as the most important deities, and venerate them above all others. Asura in particular was viewed as the patroness and protector of Atlantis, and even though Atlantis is gone, her people still look to the dawn for inspiration.
ATLANTEAN COMMUNITIES
The nation of Atlantis is now gone, and there are very few places in the world where Atlanteans live in their own isolated communities. In this new age, Atlanteans are most often found as minority populations within the cities or lands of other human peoples. Over the long centuries of Atlantis’s preeminence, Atlanteans living overseas naturally enjoyed signiicant advantages of wealth and political power in the empire’s various colonies. hese advantages are not what they once were, but they still exist—Atlantean families are often titled nobles, successful merchants, or powerful politicians or military leaders. Atlanteans are especially common in the city-states of Katagia, Marg, Orech, and Quodeth.
ROLEPLAYING AN ATLANTEAN
When you play an Atlantean character, you are playing someone who is richer, more inluential, and better-educated than most of the people he or she meets. Whether you regard these advantages as your birthright or as privileges you must earn through your own deeds is up to you. Seek knowledge for its own sake. Your people are the living examples of the maxim that knowledge is power. Most Atlanteans cultivate a keen interest in many diferent things—ancient history, the natural sciences, war and strategy, commerce, philosophy, the arts, almost any ield of study imaginable. Be intensely curious about the world around you, and seek out opportunities to explore ancient mysteries or discover new things. Lead by example. Atlanteans are supremely self-conident. While you are certainly capable of reasoning with people to get them to see why your ideas are best, it has long been a cornerstone of the Atlantean makeup to demonstrate the merit of an argument by living it. When you know you’re right, it’s time to act, and trust that the success of your actions will argue your point for you. Others will follow when they see you succeed. here is always a better way. Your people’s dedication to study and progress has demonstrated time and time again that there is always room for improvement. When faced with an unappetizing choice, you are convinced that a better choice can be found if only you are perceptive enough to ind it (or decisive enough to seize it). Question why something is done the way it is done, and look for a better way to do it.
ATLANTEAN RACIAL TRAITS
While Atlanteans are fully human, they possess a distinct cultural heritage that ofers them unique opportunities compared to most other humans in the world. his means that Atlanteans have diferent ability score adjustments and racial traits than other human characters do. Ability Scores: +1 Strength, +2 Intelligence. Atlanteans are naturally inclined toward an unusual combination of athleticism and scholarship. Age: Atlanteans are somewhat long-lived compared to most other humans. hey reach adulthood by 20, and often live to an age of 120 or so. Alignment: Atlanteans tend to be lawful, believing that societies can be engineered with strong laws and good planning. Whether those laws bring good to all or help the evil to oppress the weak depends on the individual; Atlanteans have been both protectors and conquerors in the past. Size: Atlanteans are Medium creatures. Speed: Atlanteans have a base speed of 30 feet. Broad Education: Atlantean characters begin play with training in any two Intelligence-based skills. Atlanteans are raised with a love of learning and are encouraged to study any subject that catches their interest. Headstrong: Atlanteans gain tactical advantage on saving throws against command, dominate, geas, and hold spells. Atlanteans are willful and are used to having their way; when confronted with spells or efects that threaten to master the will with a direct attack, they are diicult to break.
Wealthy: Atlantean characters begin play with ive times the normal starting wealth for their class, and can purchase common magic items with their starting wealth for 100 gp each. Atlanteans come from wealthy families with a number of heirlooms. Languages: Atlantean characters speak Low Atlantean (the common tongue), High Atlantean, and one bonus language. Atlanteans can choose any common or uncommon language they want, but not rare or secret languages (see Languages in Chapter 1). hey can read and write in any language they know.
ATLANTEAN NOBLE
The lost realm of Atlantis was an imperial power that ruled over half of Thule for many hundreds of years. Katagia, Orech, Quodeth—all were jewels of greater or lesser value in the royal crown of Atlantis. To this day, a majority of nobles in the cities that were formerly part of the Atlantean Empire still claim descent from highborn Atlantean families. In fact, so much prestige is attached to these old family lines that quite a few noble clans falsely claim Atlantean descent. Your family is above any such base suspicions, of course. Many huleans are born to lives of struggle and want, but not you. You were brought up in a life of luxury and ease that most common-born citizens (let alone jungle savages) could hardly even imagine. You had access to the inest tutors and all the privileges and perquisites of high station. No simple title intimidates you; you have spent your whole live rubbing elbows with lords, princes, and panjandrums. Where you walk, common folk step aside; when you speak, people listen. You wear an invisible mantle of authority and command, and you are used to getting your way. All nobles of Atlantean descent are human, or at least partly so. Naturally, most are full-blooded Atlanteans and belong to the Atlantean character race. However, in some places the old Atlantean families have intermarried so often with the local populations that the traditional Atlantean features and traits are virtually lost, leaving only a noble name and a family history that stretches back through the centuries. Humans of Dhari or Kalayan descent can therefore be “Atlantean” nobles, too, as can a few rare half-elves. he people of Lomar arrived in hule after the fall of Atlantis, and never developed any tradition of rule by Atlantean masters. Likewise, no dwarf, elf, or halling would ever be mistaken for an Atlantean of high birth. Key Identity: Atlantean, bard, ighter, wizard.
ATLANTEAN NOBLE BENEFITS The life of a noble is more than outrageous decadence. Most young nobles enjoy the best martial training available, since assassinations, duels, and feuds with rival families are commonplace occurrences in noble life. As your fame grows, you ind that mere mention of your name is enough to open almost any door in your homeland, or to set the city’s bureaucrats and panjandrums working against anyone who displeases you (other than another high noble, of course). Eventually, you may stand beside the throne as a member of the royal council—or, if necessary, you may take the throne for yourself. Skill Training (1st level): You are trained in History and Persuasion. As a noble, you were instructed in the events that shaped your family’s legacy, and learned the arts of diplomacy. Urgent Command (1st level): On your turn, you can use a bonus action to allow one ally within 30 feet of you to make a single melee or ranged attack as a combat reaction. You can use this ability once, and then you must rest to regain it. Noble’s Grace (6th level): Your air of nobility and conidence gives you greater inluence over other people in positions of power. You have tactical advantage on ability checks or skill checks to interact with nobles and leaders. Noble Patriarch (10th level): You become the oicial patriarch of your noble house. You are nominated to a seat of power in your home city, appointed to a ruling body, or awarded some similar great honor. You gain access to the wealth of your house and the authority to command its soldiers; you have a high income, and a company of followers equivalent to legionaries (see the sidebar on page 79). At 15th level, your followers improve to veterans.
ATLANTEAN NOBLES IN THE WORLD As you might expect, you are a person of great importance in your home city. Since people know you are rich and powerful, they are careful to defer to you in public—most nobles have small private armies that can do what they want to any non-noble who causes trouble. he city’s monarch or oicials might eventually do something about nobles who are extremely abusive toward their social inferiors, but they might not, so commoners think twice about crossing you. Noble families in any city constantly maneuver for inluence and power, and these rivalries often become quite heated. he worst enemy you possess is probably another noble jealous of your fame or threatened by your success.
PERSONALIZING THE ATLANTEAN NOBLE Each of hule’s cities has its own traditions of nobility and trappings of power. Some cities such as Lomar or Rime have no regard for Atlantean descent at all, for example. Consequently, your home city is one of the most important determinants of the sort of noble you are.
Merchant Prince of Quodeth: Quodeth is the greatest mercantile power in hule, and most of its nobles control rich stakes in a variety of industries and trades. Your blood may be blue, but at heart you are a man or woman of business. You own interests in merchant galleys, spice caravans, vineyards, and silk orchards—and you’re not afraid to
get your hands dirty if something or someone poses a threat to your little empire. Patrician of Katagia: he city of Katagia is the purest example of Atlantean culture remaining in hule, and you were raised with the inest education in the arts and sciences of Atlantis . . . especially the arcane arts. Your family is wealthy and powerful, of course, but you understand that the true power of Atlantis was not measured in gold coins and loyal troops, but in knowledge. he libraries of Katagia are extensive, but many secrets of Atlantean magic and technology lie hidden beyond the city’s walls, and you mean to seek them out. Rebel Lord: Your family represented a threat to the ruler of your home city, so they were driven into exile. Fortunately, your family was able to carry of suicient treasure to become established in a new home, but someday you mean to return to your native city and see justice done. Which city is your true home? Where did your family ind shelter? And why were they exiled to begin with?
KATAGIA, LAST BASTION OF ATLANTIS
It’s been three centuries since Atlantis sunk beneath the waves, and Katagia is still coming to terms with that disaster and what it means to Atlanteans when Atlantis is no more. Once the capital of Atlantis’s colonies in hule, Katagia is determined to reclaim the glories of the Shining Empire. he diiculty is that few Katagians can agree on how to accomplish that. Some Katagians are determined—some say too determined—to live life as if Atlantis still ruled. Others lash out at anything non-Atlantean, blaming the rest of the world for the loss of their home. And some are trying to take the best of hule under the Katagian banner, combining the strengths of their new continent with the traditions and learning of the old.
FROM COLONY TO CAPITAL he Atlanteans landed on the southern shores of hule in 307 AR, only three centuries after Emperor Evenor founded the empire. Despite the forbidding terrain and the even more forbidding natives, the Atlantean colonists made steady progress, founding Katagia in 495 AR and eventually reaching the Golden Sea in 1673 AR. But a costly war with Lemuria distracted Atlantis, and hule’s natives started to chip away at the colonies’ borders. he Atlantean colonies on hule fell into chaos in 1906 AR when Atlantis sank beneath the waves, with most native Atlanteans leeing for the relatively safety of Katagia. Native huleans reclaimed most of the Atlantean conquests, but the banners of Atlantis still lew above Katagia—and they still ly there today, even if the rest of the continent is only dimly aware that Atlantis once existed.
CITY DESCRIPTION Katagia’s dominant feature are its walls—not just the stone battlements that surround the city, but the many internal walls that separate neighborhood from neighborhood. he product of overzealous military planners when the Atlantean colony on hule was expanding rapidly, the walls sometimes bisect a city block and in a few memorable instances run right through the middle of a building. he walls, built and rebuilt in a variety of architectural styles, give the city an insular feel and contribute to one of the city’s nicknames: the Honeycomb. A visitor to Katagia experiences the city only a few blocks at a time, making the city seem much smaller than it actually is. he Bronze Locks: Named for the once-shiny ittings now turned green with age, the Bronze Dam
was originally built to regulate the Tambur River’s low into Devilsun Bay but quickly became a means for Katagia to extract tolls from merchant traic heading up and down the river. Today the Bronze Locks are a prize for whichever faction is ascendant in Katagian politics; the tolls from river traic fund all sorts of factional ambitions. he Tidal Wards: he three southernmost wards in Katagia have sunk beneath sea level, so residents get from place to place via canals rather than streets. Most basements are looded, and the loathsome ish-men known as skum have started moving in, creating their own secret settlement underneath the looded parts of Katagia. Blackfalcon Tower: Home of the Saursane family, one of the political factions grasping for power in Katagia, the tower is the tallest and most imposing in the city. Made entirely of black granite shipped from Atlantis at ruinous cost, the tower has upper reaches forbidden to all but family members and a dungeon below where the Saursanes dispose of their enemies. he Winged Tower: Asura’s greatest temple on hule, the Winged Tower is so named for the trained wyverns that roost among its balconies and buttresses. he great brazier atop the tower—lit at all times, no matter the weather—is visible throughout the city and even to ships at sea. If the lame were to be extinguished, the bad omen would ripple throughout Asura’s faith across the continent. he Grand Orrery: Located in a walled-of section of central Katagia, this artifact was built ive centuries ago to show how moons and constellations cross the sky. It’s in constant motion, though it no longer corresponds to the actual sky and no one seems to know how to recalibrate it, or what would happen if the orrery worked properly once again. As a matter of civic pride, most Katagians would very much like to get the orrery working again, and they still use its gleaming copper arms and spheres as a meeting place and chaotic bazaar.
Katagia (Small City, pop. 22,500) Last Bastion of Atlantis, the Twitching Limb, the Honeycomb The only city to still consider itself “Atlantean” after Atlantis sank beneath the waves, Katagia is torn between those who want to restore Atlantis’s glory and those who want to build a new civilization here on Thule.
Authority:
Lord Protector Denoch Saursane heads the political faction that is (temporarily at least) ascendant in Katagia; the Saursanes represent a conservative faction that wants to protect Atlanteans and preserve Atlantean culture at any cost. Denoch’s efforts are often thwarted by the
Diluvials, a collection of activist families that want to declare a formal Atlantean monarch, found a new dynasty, and raise an army to conquer the Claws of Imystrahl and eventually Thule. Also inluential are the
Sea-Barons, a cabal of merchant princes who want to rebuild a powerful Atlantean leet but don’t hold territorial ambitions, and the
New Katagians, a coalition of families—many human, not Atlantean—who want Katagia to become a stable Thulean city-state without all the trappings of Atlantis.
NPCs: About two-third’s of Katagia’s population is Atlantean, with the remaining third divided in half between humans and everyone else.
Krufa Saursane is one of Denoch’s trusted nephews and a committed Atlantean supremacist, although he holds no particular animus toward individuals of other races. He’s always plotting against the other factions and rival city-states, and he fancies himself a spymaster, hiring cats-paws like the PCs for all sorts of missions.
Beritt the Withered is one of the Sea-Barons, accomplished in weather magic. Too old for long sea voyages, she manages her trading company’s affairs from Katagia. If something happens in a far-off part of Thule, Beritt is often the irst Katagian to hear of it.
Vrokath is a noble scion of Katagia and one of the more radical firebrands among the Diluvials. He wants Atlantis to return to its rightful place in the world—no matter that the continent rests on the ocean loor. He’s begun to make inquiries about a powerful ritual connected to Great Cthulhu that could raise Atlantis above the waves, sinking Thule in its place.
Trade: Katagia’s artisans are some of the finest on the continent, especially when it comes to art, sculpture, and other luxury goods. The sculptors, jewelers, painters, and clothiers of Katagia keep Atlantean styles and techniques alive, and the rest of Thule pays dearly for such craftsmanship. Katagia imports some food and raw materials from upriver, and the various factions are always seeking conscripts for their private armies. Concerns: Recently the priests of Tarhun have been struggling with traditional ight trainers for control of the gladiatorial “pit fights” of Katagia; the priests have always blessed the duels and healed the gladiators, but now they want a greater say in how the fights are run—and perhaps a share of the proits. The New Katagians are reaching out to the human towns of Putrann, Garrit, and Hakrim to the east, inquiring about the possibility of a mutual defense pact.
THE SAGE OF ATLANTIS
On the outskirts of Katagia stands a lonely tower, overlooking the sea. This is the home of
Hyar Thomel, the legendary Sage of Atlantis. A whitebearded old man now bent with age, Hyar Thomel is the last living person who was born on the island of Atlantis. How this is possible, none can say, since he was already an old man when the sea claimed Atlantis, and that was three hundred years ago. Hyar Thomel seeks to preserve the legacy of Atlantis by sharing his scientiic and cultural advances with the younger races of Thule. The Sage of Atlantis is an excellent source of information; if Hyar Thomel is an enemy, he may provide crucial information to one's rivals.
