ME'GANA'S

STORY
Ardis Foarr sat after
sharing his story with the
village. The village leader "I amnamed
stood once more and spoke Me'gana, Swordmaster
from the village Lowilla.
to the assembly. "These
Our kaer, which lies in the
two will aid us against the
Caucavik Mountains to the
creature that dwells within
far northwest, only recently
our kaer. Will others offer
opened its doors. I learned
their services?"
the Discipline of the
A handful of heart-
Swordmaster from my
beats passed, then a young
father before his death at
elven woman stood to face the hands of a Horror. He
the crowd. She wore bat- and his forefathers had
tered leather armor, and served Lowilla as sword-
two scabbards hung at her masters since long before
sides. the Scourge. I, too, was to
serve the village, but others
took my place so that I
could travel the lands and
help others rebuild their
homes and lives. I join
Ardis Foarr and Thom
Hammerblade in their
pledge to enter your kaer.
And as they have done, I
share with you my story.
11
Soon after the vil-
lage of Lowilla was rebuilt,
a trio of adventurers came
seeking shelter for the
night. They stayed for a
few days, sharing legends
of creatures and treasures
they had encountered and
heard of all across Barsaive.
When they prepared to
leave, I offered to join
them, that I might aid those
in need in other towns and
villages.

"I am named Me 'gana,

Swordmaster from the village of Lowilla."
 "My quest is to
"Our first adventure
together found us in the aid those who
Blooc;l Wood, far to the need my help."
north. I tell you that the
corruption of that place is
beyond description. The
"B ut I also seek
one who can help me
once-beautiful forest is twist-
escape the torments of
ed and gnarled, as are the
my past, for the night-
creahues that dwell within
mares still return,
the Wood. Yet all this is
hatmting me even to this
nothing set against the per-
sonal corruption that the day.
"I will gladly give
elves of the Blood Wood
my life to free your vil-
have endured. As I stood
lage and kaer from
before a scouting party of
whatever evils threatens
blood elves, I wondered how
it. For I have seen the
those of my own race could
corruption of the
have corrupted themselves
Horrors, and cam1ot rest
in such a terrible way.
until they, and all their
Thorns, glistening with fresh
kind, no longer inhabit
blood, grew from within
our world."
their bodies. The thorns
cause the pain and suffering
that legend says made the
blood elves immune to the
Horrors' rampage during
the Scourge.

"W e gladly left those elves behind, but almost

immediately encatmtered a Horror laired within the
Blood Wood. It mocked my attempts to kill it, instead
slaying the others before my eyes, holding me helpless
and forcing on me the torment of watching them die.
Only after I summoned the strength to flee did it "I will gladly give my life
tmleash its power on me, reaching within my mind
and replaying the deaths of my friends, over and over. to free your village and kaer from
Only after I left the Blood Wood did the nightmares whatever evil threatens it."
end.
 1
ME GANA
First Circle Swordmaster (Elf)

Attributes Talents
Dexterity (17): 7 /D12 Avoid Blow (1): 8/2D6
Strength (15): 6/DlO Maneuver (1): 8/2D6
Toughness (12): 5/D8 Melee Weapons (3): 10/DlO + D6
Perception (14): 6/DlO Taunt (2): 7 /D12
Willpower (11): 5/D8 Wound Balance (1): 6/DlO
Charisma (10): 5/D8

Movement Skills
42 yards Alchemy (1): 7 /D12
per round Artistan/Runic Carving (Weapons) (1): 7 /D12
Creature Lore (1): 7 /D12

Initiative Combat
Dice: DlO Physical Defense: 9
Spell Defense: 8
Damage Social Defense: 6
Death Rating: 34 Armor: 4
Wound Threshold: 9 Mystic Armor: 1
Unconsciousness Rating: 26
Recovery Tests per day: 2
Recovery Dice: D8

Equipment Wound Balance: Allows a character to resist being knocked

2 Broadswords (Dainage: 11/DlO + D8) down in combat. A character uses her Wound Balance step
3 Daggers (Damage: 8/2D6) instead of her Strength step to resist Knockdown.
Padded Leather Annor
Traveling Garb Using Talents
1 Waterskin To use a talent, a player rolls the dice indicated for each tal-
1 Week Trail Rations ent. For example, when her character is using the Melee Weapons
talent, a player would roll a DlO + D6. The result of the roll is
Racial Abilities: Low-Light Vision compared to the Difficulty Number listed in the talent descrip-
tion. If the result is higher than the Difficulty Number, the action
Talents succeeds.
Avoid Blow: Allows a character to dodge an attack at the
last second. Can be used in the same Combat Round as an Description
Attack Test. The Difficulty Number is the opponent's Attack Me'gana is an elven Swordmaster from the village of
Test result. Lowilla in the Caucavik Mountains. She stands 5 feet, 8 inches
Maneuver: Allows a character to out-maneuver an oppo- tall and weighs 135 pounds. Me'gana learned the Discipline of
nent. This talent is used in place of an attack. The result of a the Swordmaster from her fa th er, finishing her training only days
Maneuver Test becomes the Physical Defense number of the before he was killed by a Horror that had breached their kaer.
character for one Combat Ro1md. Me'gana spent several years helping to rebuild the village of
Melee Weapons: Allows a character to attack an opponent Lowilla before she decided to join a group of adventurers, hoping
with a melee weapon. The Difficulty Number for the Attack to help rebuild the world after the Scourge.
Test equals the target's Physical Defense. Me'gana holds all Therans in deep contempt. Because her
Taunt: Allows a character to distract an opponent by father was killed by a Horror that broke through the kaer's
tatmting him. The Difficulty Number is the target's Social defenses, defenses which the village learned from the Therans,
Defense number. If the Taunt Test is successful, the target suf- Me'gana blames the Therans for her father's death. Me'gana
fers a -2 penalty to all his dice roll results for the next two com- keeps her emotions to herself, but her experiences traveling,
bat rounds. across Barsaive have taught her the value of friendship . She now
active1y seeks to make friends with those who earn her trust.
Me' gana learned the true evil of the Horrors when she met one
face to face in the Blood Wood .
 TARG
BONESLICER
First Circle Sky Raider (Troll)

Attributes Talents
Dexterity (16): 7 /Dl2 Air Sailing (1): 6/DlO
Strength (21): 8/2D6 Battle Shout (2): 5/DS
Toughness (21): 8/2D6 Fireblood (1): 9/DS + D6
Perception (14): 6/DlO . Great Leap (1): 8/2D6
Willpower (11): 5/DS Melee Weapons (3): 10/DlO + D6
Charisma (5): 3/D4

Movement Skills
38 yards per round Ancient Weapons (1): 7 /D12
Artistan/Crystal Carving (1): 7 /Dl2
Initiative Troll History (1): 7 /Dl2
Dice: DlO
Combat
Equipment Physical Defense: 9
Backpack Spell Defense: 8
Battle-Axe (Damage: 14/D20 + D4) Social Defense: 4
Bedroll Armor: 6
Broadsword (Damage: 13/D12 + DlO) Mystic Armor: 1
Buckler
Hardened Leather Armor
2 Torches Damage
Tra veling Garb Death Rating: 46
Troll Sling (Damage: 12/2Dl0) Wound Threshold: 13
1 Waterskin Unconsciousness Rating: 39
1 Week Trail Rations Recovery Tests per day: 4
Recovery Dice: 2D6
Racial Abilities: Heat Sight

Talents
Air Sailing: Enables a character to serve on the crew of an
airship. The Difficulty Number for using this talent is 4.
Battle Shout: Allows a character to intimidate opponents
by shouting at them. The Difficulty Number equals the target's
Social Defense number. If the test result is successful, the target
subtracts 2 from all his dice roll results for the next two Combat
Rounds.
Fireblood: Allows a character to heal Damage during com-
Description
bat. The character spends one of his available Recovery Tests to
Targ Boneslicer is a troll Sky Raider from the Twilight
use this talent. The test result determines the number of
Peaks. Targ stands 8 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 550 pounds.
Damage Points the character heals.
Targ learned the Discipline of the Sky Raider from his troll clan.
Great Leap: Allows a character to jump great distances.
After his clan joined other clans through the Ritual of the
The test result is th e number of yards a character can jump in a
Trollmoot, he joined the crew of a crystal raider airship, battling
single round.
with his crewmates against Theran airships in Barsaive's south-
Melee Weapons: Allows a character to attack an opponent
west.
with a melee weapon. Use the target's Physical Defense number
Targ finds it difficult to trust anyone who is not a troll.
as the Difficulty Number for the Attack Test.
Despite deep reservations, he has begun to accept others as
Using Talents potential allies on his adventures. Targ has learned a g reat deal
To use a talent, a player rolls the dice indicated for each about the other races of Barsaive since his airship crashed and
talent. For example, when using the Melee Weapons talent, a he began his travels back to the Twilight Peaks. Recently, Targ
player would roll a DlO+D6. Compare the result of the roll to has begun to question his people's history of raiding and pillag-
the Difficulty Number listed in the talent d escription. If the test ing other races.
result is higher than the Difficulty Number, the action succeeds.
 TARG'S
STORY

The crowd murmured among themselves as "O ur drakkar battled many Theran vedettes,
Me'gana sat down again, but the noise quickly qui- freed many slaves, and claimed many Theran lives.
eted when a large troll stood, his head rising a full But our last battle damaged our ship. We crashed in a
four feet above those seated around him. mountain range near the Servos Jungle, and only fif-
"I am Targ Boneslicer, renowned Sky Raider teen members of our brave crew survived.
from the Twilight Peaks. I feel sure that your other "After giving our dead brethren every honor they
heroes will welcome my capable help. richly deserved, we began our travels back toward our
home in the Twilight Peaks . After
battling a fierce storm for several
days, we were finally forced to
seek shelter. Discovering a cave in
a nearby ravine, we soon learned
that it concealed the entrance to a
still-closed, forgotten kaer.
"As we waited out the
storm, we decided to open the
kaer and bring its inhabitants the
good news that the Scourge was
over.

"I was born to a crystal raider

clan. Like many of my brothers, I
trained as a Sky Raider. Just after my
initiation as a raider, one of the most
impressive displays of skill seen in
many years, my clan joined with
others to form a new trollmoot. Our
moot actively raided the lands to the
southwest occupied by the Therans.

"I am Targ Boneslicer, reknowned Sky Raider from the

Twilight Peaks. I feel sure your other heroes will
welcome my capable help."
 "'The air
stank of
decay and
rotted
flesh."

each of its attacks claimed one or more of my mates.

"The magic guarding the entrance to the kaer As it turned to attack me, I prepared to die. Its
apparently had weakened over time, but we would
tentacle lashed out, smashing
hav e cracked it open regardless. Only after we mov ed
me into the kaer wall and
deep into the kaer did we learn the true reason the
knocking me senseless. It must
kaer opened so easily.
have left me for dead, because
"The first person we encotmtered was as dead as
the rest of the kaer's original inhabitants. Realizing
that this kaer was dead, we turned to leave, but the
kaer's only living resident stopped us . The beast stood
11 feet tall. The four tentacles that passed for its arms
wav ed arotmd a scaly reptilian torso, which was
supported by four stocky legs. The head of the
creature was that of a lizard, but it spoke to us in the
dwarf tongue.

"W elcome to my prison, you puny weaklings."

Saying that, it attacked us, killing four of my crew-
mates before I could react. It was like fighting a
creature of stone-our blows barely affected it, while

All that remained were the shattered bodies of my

crewmates.
"After resting only long enough to travel, I set out
to track the beast in order to avenge the deaths of my
fellow raiders. I also vowed to capture the beast I
had set free upon this world. And now, I offer my skill
to your aid. Will you have me?"
To Be Cont nued . . .