Gunslingers wandering a war-torn archipelago. House del Sol, of the Art Nouveau island-city of Isle del Sol struggling against House Nocturne, of the Gothic pastiche island Chateau Nocturne, over a long-vacant throne. Buried treasure, pirates, island barrow-prisons, hadopelagic nightmare gods, brujería, saloons, and wacky homebrew classes.

  1. What is the deal with my cleric’s religion?
    1. Lady Midday, the feverish sunstroke goddess. Can turn creatures of Night.
    2. Lord of the Blue Hour, the somnolent dreamer-god. Can only turn other creatures of Twilight.
    3. Mother Midnight, an alien goddess with an affinity for the occult. Can turn creatures of Day.
  2. Where can we go to buy standard equipment?
    1. Isle del Sol, Babel and Chateau Nocturne both have large, prosperous metropoles, but there are towns and villages scattered across the smaller, unnamed islands
  3. Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?
    1. The House of Nocturne specializes in monsters, so the Midnight Anvils of Chateau Nocturne are your best bet. If you can’t make the trip, the Jade Forges of Isle del Sol are second best in the business
  4. Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?
    1. The Summoner Arzak and his spirit legions have been a thorn in the side of both Houses for centuries. He resides somewhere on the Isle of the Unknown, and is not fond of visitors.
  5. Who is the greatest warrior in the land?
    1. The gunslinger Django is said to have killed the dragon Ruin with a single bullet. He is the current leader of the Knights of Noon. His only rival is Beest, a wily shapeshifter, who, according to rumor, can transform into a kraken.
  6. Who is the richest person in the land?
    1. The thief Carazul is said to have almost incalculable wealth locked away on her pleasure-island.
  7. Where can we go to get some magical healing?
    1. You can get nearly anything on Isle del Sol, Babel and Chateau Nocturne, but everything in these places have strings attached. If you want more benign assistance, track down a wandering mendicant. It isn’t easy, though.
  8. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?
    1. Exotic problems require exotic solutions, so all of these afflications might require lengthy shipping/hunting trips. To raise the dead, you must find or create a gate to the Netherworld and haul out the deceased yourself.
  9. Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?
    1. The Verdigris School is a non-partisan college for magic-users, witches, and summoners. Their tuition isn’t cheap, though.
  10. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?
    1. Chateau Nocturne, Isle del Sol, or Babel, of course, but if you have a question you really can’t find the answer to, you might have to track down a wandering scholar or even travel to the mainland to talk to the Wyvern of Vornheim.
  11. Where can I hire mercenaries?
    1. The Twilit Desperados have lodges in all major cities and many towns, and are always willing to provide help for cash. You can find cheaper hirelings of course, but they aren’t nearly as professional.
  12. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?
    1. Babel’s Basileus is not particularly stable, and possesses a particular hatred of magic, iron, and cubes.
  13. Which way to the nearest tavern?
    1. All directions. Any town worth the name will have one, but Babel’s Cabinet of Wonders is the oldest and best tavern in all the Isles.
  14. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?
    1. Killing any one of the Never-beens (deep-sea, reality corroding nightmares that make long distance ocean travel nearly impossible) will outright make you legendary.
  15. Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?
    1. The perennial conflict between House del Sol and House Nocturne, of course, but rumor has it that the Blue Queen of the undine is planning to take back the city of Old Thalassus from the Never-beens.
  16. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?
    1. Many with martial talents make names for themselves by winning duels, but the Black Pearl Fields in New Thalassus offer all sorts of bloody entertainment.
  17. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?
    1. The Klatch is society of discrete allies, none of whom want the House del Sol or House Nocturne to rise to power. There are others, of course, but you aren’t likely to hear about them.
  18. What is there to eat around here?
    1. Lots and lots of fish
  19. Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?
    1. The Last Breath of King Byrne
    2. The Black Sword Nysse, said to be so sharp it can cut past from present
    3. The Madman’s Enchiridion, resting in the underwater library of Old Thalassus
  20. Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?
    1. The Lich-Pirate and its treasure are trapped on an island somewhere to the west, but no one knows exactly where it is.

Published by jacinto