Thursday, 19 June 2025

The Temple of the Duellists (Dungeon for Firmament)

 A “Duelist” dungeon, as prompted by Garamondia. 


At the edge of the Country of Majerain, there is a temple high in the Vishek Range, a particularly inhospitable section of the Ringing Mountains. Centuries ago, pilgrims would set off from the city of Odrona on black stallions, and in sweet-smelling wagons adorned with roses and carnations pulled by black oxen. They would go to spill their blood in single combat, to ensure the power of the army. 


The practice was banned by the Sun King in 678, or maybe 712 if you ask the Iron Scribes. 


Before the War of Defiance, there was a bored army detachment guarding the place against intruders. Beyond it, and above it, in the dull blue of distances and the stark white cloaks of snow, are the peaks of the Vishek Range, where few live. That is the country of isolated holdfasts and strange encounters on the road at night. Out here retreated Vassari, the great Coin Knight, after the failure of the Knights’ Rebellion. 


If you were to ask a Chantry official, they’d say this temple is one of many structures which cannot be open to the people, but  also cannot be demolished with explosives, lest it anger a spirit on high.  Therefore, it had a small detachment, positioned here simply to keep people out, to play cards, and to stare out across the maquis towards home.


But war has come, and now they are gone. The way is once again open. 


You are either opportunistic looters, or Defiant religious revivalists from outer Saral Sar. 



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A visible line of blue stones run around the hill - this is the temple’s sacred precinct. 


Doing certain things within this precinct shall anger Duel, a great spirit of the Sun, to whom this temple is dedicated. His honour is honed - tested often and always proven. 


It will also anger his patron, the Prince Elegant Dawn Crucible. Crucible and her forces don’t actually care much about the sacred aspect, necessarily - they’re hardly spotless themselves. It’s the insult - it’s like messing with a feudal lord or a gang boss in their own house. 


Within the precinct, these things are forbidden: 

  • Crossing the line of stones except by the appointed gate. 

  • Ambush and combat-by-deception, especially stabbing someone in the back. 

  • Use of poison.

  • Handling corpses. 

  • Robbery without good reason (Crucible was not always the patron of the patron of this temple, and Duel’s previous lord was more generously disposed. “Good Reason” as determined by Cosmic Law, naturally.) 

  • Sleeping overnight (dreams pollute the precinct). 

  • Speaking the personal names of Duel or Crucible (unless you happen to be an Astrologer who knows them). 

  • Shite, Piss (unless you’ve just been stabbed to death and it’s out of your control now). 


Breaking the precinct’s rule has a number of effects in the dungeon, and also earns you the personal enmity of at least two inhuman fire-demigods and all their mates. If you break the precinct’s rule, you are unclean until you ritually purify yourself.


The nearest place you can ritually purify yourself is the River Akta, which is hundreds of miles away, thanks to the Sun King destroying all the local sacred wells. 


Furthermore, it is forbidden here to say the true name of the Sun - not a problem for most people, since it’s forgotten, but much more strictly punished - speaking it causes you to suffer instant ignition. 



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There’s a few structures on this lonely and arid hill - the cluster of buildings at the soldiers’ barracks, and the temple itself. The barracks are low down, just outside the sacred precinct, the temple occupies the height, right within the centre. A gateway-sans-wall of pale blue stone forms a gate in the precinct’s encircling line. 



THE BARRACKS 

Dimly lit during the day and night, by indirect sunlight or faint moonlight (unless it’s a new moon). The environs smell of sweat, old wood, gunpowder, and dust. The walls, floors and ceilings are wood, hastily assembled and heavily scraped for the most part. Doors are stout and wooden. There are no stairs.


Any coins you find are silver talents, marked with the King’s seal on one side and the sword seal of Saral Sar on the other. 




Mess Hall 

Broken down wooden tables, fragile old chairs, a battered iron cauldron. Not much of note remains here, save rude pictographic graffiti left behind by the (law-abidingly) illiterate soldiers. 


Dormitory

Bunks sans bedding, a stilled echo, or so it seems. A lively room gone empty. Dusty bootprints cover the floors. Windows of cheap warped glass overlook the maquis. Someone has carved an icon of the SUN into the east wall. 


Kitchens

Wooden tables, two pewter basins, and stacks of bowls and cups glazed a uniform blue. In the northwest corner, a stone block dragged in from outside, with a faded figure of a smiling man on the side. This used to be a secondary altar from the temple, and a Chantry inspector would go ballistic that food was being prepared on it - but the Chantry inspectors never noticed. A large hearth is built into the EAST wall, which is shared with the Captain’s Room for warmth on cold mountain nights. 


Captain’s Office 

A small dusty wooden room with a single window, a chair, and an iron strongbox, knee high. Forbidden to write and read, the commander had no need for a desk. The north wall is painted with a simplistic depiction of the King’s iconography (sunburst head, weeping eyes, sword and scroll), reminding the troops and the commander of the King’s omnipresence. The strongbox is unlocked, and mostly empty, save a leather bag and wooden box forgotten in haste. The former contains 15s in talents, and the latter a pyramid of smooth black stone. This is a Pyramid of Health

 

Also in this chamber are a furled banner leaning in the corner, and a hat resting on a wooden peg. These were both possessions of the commander, abandoned in haste . The hat is wide-brimmed, and especially plumed, and contains a “secret”, a dome-shaped interior iron cap that allows it to serve as light armour.  The banner is blazoned with the arms of the Count of Majerain, his uncle (Argent, a leopard passant gules, between cornflowers azure.) His forgetting this in haste is extremely foolish, for now other forces (such as you) might employ the banner to their own ends. 


Captain’s Room 

Only accessible by the Office. Bedding remains here on the bedframe. The room is centred around a small hearth which shares a chimney with the Kitchens. Chairs are drawn up around it, hung with cheap woolen blankets. A small table stands empty, and a kettle hangs in the hearth, full of the dried out dregs of tea. 


Armoury

Stands empty. Wooden racks lie devoid of equipment, save a single defective spear with a crooked point. (a -1 heavy weapon). In a case at the back of the room, there’s bags of 50 pieces of lead shot, but no powder to fire it with. The floor here creaks loudly when you walk across it - a hint towards a hidden compartment in the foundation of the building, which contains 5 bottles of strong wine, 5 bottles of Zzargovi whisky, 10 bricks of tea and 10 parcels of good Seriasi tobacco, all told worth 60s. This was the stash, purchased by the captain at his own expense and parcelled out to his soldiers to maintain morale and camaraderie. Frankly speaking, it worked. 


“Brig”

A roofed cage with a door that locks from the outside. Never used except for pranks - there wasn’t much need for discipline on this posting. 


Pen-fold

The detachment was given a few cows, which were held in this now-empty pen. Buried at the northeast corner of the field under a small cairn of stones is a bag of 20s, a soldier’s stash left behind in the chaos of the redeployment. 


Latrine Pits 

Some distance from the camp along a narrow path of well-trodden sand, wooden huts cover latrine pits. The smell’s long-faded. In one, a very foolish officer has hung up his light flintlock pistol and somehow forgotten it. It’s loaded. 






 

THE TEMPLE 

This building is venerable and sternly built - its interior is either brightly lit by sunlight, or pitch dark when night falls. No moonlight seems to enter. The environs smell of cold, dry mountainside, maquis, and the faintest hint of woodsmoke and roses. The walls are honey-coloured sandstone, once brightly painted, but now faded and bare. The floors are also honey-coloured sandstone, with a fine layer of sandy dust and the ancient, desiccated remains of flowers. When a door is mentioned, assume it is a later installation of dry and fragile wood. Stairs are old and uneven, ceilings were once painted. 


Any coins you find are ancient Mazuuli rose-gold dirhams, decorated with motifs of lionesses and the noonday sun. Values are given in talents, but the individual coins are worth thrice as much. 


Within here, if you roll an encounter, it’s either the Swordserpent, wandering from its usual lair in the armoury, or two Eidolons, wandering from their usual lair in the Forge. There are a total of 9 Eidolons in the temple. For stats, see below. 



1. Entryway
Broad and high-ceilinged. Ancient red paint faded to a pale pink flakes off the walls in the wind. Dust builds up in the corners and hardy shrubs push through the floortiles. A covered statue stands in the middle of the hall. The statue’s white covering, tied down with ropes, is marked with the King’s soleil oeil, in carefully painted red. The statue, if uncovered, depicts an figure armoured in an ancient style, standing with a set of human lungs impaled on his sword. 


2. Ablution Chamber
Decayed bronze basins lie empty here, rowed on large stone plinths, the water they once contained long dried out. Worn stones mark the passage of many people over many years. The walls are painted with faded murals of deer drinking from flowing rivers, and seals swimming in deep waters. For the unclean, the bowls smell of rotten meat. 


3. Cistern

Once supplied the Ablution Chamber through the adjoining door. Mostly dried out. All that’s left is a foot of pale water, murky with sediment. Dropped in it are a total of six (18s) rose-gold dirhams, some stone statuettes of lionesses, a broken Pyramid of Health (nonfunctional) and a foot of sacred steel chain, which is undecayed and indestructible. Grey like the fog, blue like the sea, white like the thunderbolt. 


4. The Great Brazier

The eastern wall of this chamber is open, above a 10ft drop to the hillside below. It could be used as an entrance or exit. At the east end of the room stands a gigantic stone brazier, which once contained a sacred flame used in Sun-worship. 


A shallow bas-relief, once brightly painted, depicting snakes being slain by spear-wielding soldiers (in duellist costume) and sword-wielding nobles (the latter in especially-plumed duellist costume). 


5. Outer Hall
A large, bare chamber, with collapsing wooden seating and a small stone dais for standing upon.
Guarding the door to the Great Stair are two large statues of polished orthoclase, which depict muscular men with exaggerated erections, crossing their swords over the doorway - these are the sort of thing that would get blown up and ground down for cement powder and spolia if they were anywhere else in the World Above. 


6. Great Stair

Broad staircase of time-worn sandstone blocks. Long-burnt out clay oil lamps and little soapstone statuettes decorate the steps. 

Eidolons with swords guard the way here, bronze-bodied, animal-headed. They can, if challenged,  serve as a duelling partner. 

They attack the unclean on sight, aiming to painfully embarrass and maim rather than kill. Once a person has surrendered or is incapacitated, they’ll drag them out of the temple and throw them back through the gate. 


7. Inner Hall

The floor of this chamber is a red and yellow mosaic depicting wings in an interlocking pattern. The walls are painted and carved with shallow bas-relief depictions of long-forgotten historical figures - famous duellists? Kings? Temple patrons? Who can now say? 


8. The Duelling Platform

A rectangular stone platform, plain and slightly textured for grip, surrounded by 3ft wide gaps which drop into the Pit. The entire chamber is open to the sky, constituting the highest point of the temple and the absolute peak of the hill. 


Duelling with spears, swords or swords and shields was historically preferred, but bringing your own pistols and duelling with those is also acceptable. 


On all sides around the platforms are four rows of large stone steps, intended as seating. These are divided from the platform by the gaps - from here, it’s a short hop to the duelling platform (if you can’t jump a three foot gap, the temple-builders reasoned, you probably shouldn’t be duelling on the platform anyway). Among the seating, you can find scattered dust, a small statuette of a lion made of soapstone, and a gold phalera fallen from a duellist’s costume (5s)


9. The Pit (Under the Platform)

Dead duellists from the platform above were cast down here to have their corpses handled. Treasures flung to admired duellists also fell here - scattered around the floor of the chamber are twenty three dirhams, or 69s (nice) worth of rosy gold. Stopping to gather them will invariably take long enough for multiple encounter rolls. 


10. Morgue

Windowless, deep-down chamber with walls painted in fading black and grey, dotted with squares of still-intact white paint. Five bloodstained stone slabs stand in a quincunx in the middle of the room, decorated with swords and a grid pattern. 

Hanging in the northeast corner on a bronze hook is a costume representing “El Rey Oz” , a later Sarali name for how the old Mazuuli saw Death.


It is covered all over in a thick cloak of black feathers, with an outer wooden mask resembling a huge raven’s head, which hinges open to reveal an inner mask of white porcelain depicting a bleached skull with a red line across the forehead. Comes with loud wooden sandals and a number of hooks, saws and short scalpel-like blades, all old bronze. The wearer of this costume can cross the line of stones, handle corpses, and use poisons without becoming unclean. If an unclean person puts the costume on, nothing happens, for Death is very patient, and minds little the transgressions of youth. 


An exit leads out to the Graveyard, and the Forge on the other side of it. 


11. Graveyard

A walled, sandy courtyard full of grave markers. Quite large. A frankincense tree grows in the northeastern corner. This tree could provide 1d6 doses of frankincense with the work of a few days, but shouldn’t be overharvested. If you dig up a grave, you become unclean (unless in the El Rey Oz costume), and gain (3d6s of rose-gold talents, 2-in-6 chance of a venerable weapon, 2-in-6 chance of a valuable art object, 2-in-6 chance of a further 4d8s of treasure, and 1-in-6 chance of a graverobber’s curse, afflicting you with strong hunger.) 


There are a total of twelve graves, and they take an hour each to dig up. The grave closest to the frankincense tree is the grave of Mitzlizahra, an ancient Maazuli heroine. Her grave is humble, but contains the lion-hide she wore as a cloak. A user of Heraldry, such as a Hedge-Knight, could use this artefact to remember a Deed of hers. See the Lion-hide below for more. 


12. Forge 

Eidolons are built and weapons are made here - or, they were, long ago. A graveyard is a perfect place for weaponmaking, thought the Maazuli, for then the tools would be saturated with death and become more effective. 


A stout stone building adjacent to the temple, making up the far side of the courtyard. Smells of smoke and metal from the outside. Within, a darkened roof, deep (unlit) forge, many anvils and hammers, and a half-constructed Eidolon on a slab table identical to the ones in the Morgue. 1d6 of the Eidolons are here at any time, and are peaceful unless you are unclean, upon which they act like the ones on the Great Stair. If you finish the Eidolon with bronze (or other metals), it will come to life, and all 10 Eidolons in the temple will become undyingly loyal to the smith responsible. 


13. The Armoury

A stairway connects to the Inner Hall, and a tunnel to the Pit. 

Racks of swords, spears and shields hang here, awaiting use. They are mostly preserved by the dry environment but the grips and handles aren’t in great condition (break on a fumble). Otherwise, they are healthy enough to kill with. There are fifteen spears, fifteen swords, and ten shields. 


14. Costumes and Masks

Hanging here on hooks are four venerable costumes for the duellists. Thick black cloth, faded to grey, decorated with red cardinal feathers from Arumell, gold solar phalera, and a cord belt with loops for hanging weapons. Each is a set of light armour, albeit one destroyed when you suffer a critical hit. If you pull off all the phalerae, they’re worth 5s each, and there’s eight of them, for 40s of old gold. 


Sitting in deep alcoves in the stone wall are masks, for the anonymous duellist. You have the choice of three, the lion, the bull and the eagle. The lion makes you faceblind, the bull makes you temporarily amnesic of your allegiances and politics, and the eagle makes you unable to hear cries of pain from yourself or others. Placing a mask on your head while unclean results in blurred vision and muted hearing, which lasts until you are ritually purified or forgiven by Duel


15. The Innermost Armoury

This chamber is concealed behind an honestly pretty obvious secret door in Room 14. The door is weighted stone, but is ensorcelled with old Scripture to never move for the unclean.  In the middle of the room, atop a cushion atop a podium, is a a magic sword. The sword is called REASON WILL RESPECT - see his details below.


A pair of solar soldiers are summoned in a bright flash of light if you enter this chamber while unclean, or attempt to take the magic sword while not explicitly aligned to the powers of the Sun - they attempt to disarm you,  and cut off one of your hands, instead of killing you, then cast you out of the temple. 


Around the edges of the room are more unusual weapons - a medium corecopper staff (transmits passions), a blue steel longsword (absorbs heat), a red steel dagger (never decays), 30 arrowheads of yellow steel (heat seeking), 30 sling bullets of lead-of-chogorh (+3 damage, can only be used by those with 14+ STR), and a spear with a head of cazrin (sea-green luminance, harms spirits, absorbs lightning). 


16. The Priests’ Quarters

Another four solar soldiers are summoned and are immediately aggressive in the manner described above, no matter who enters the chamber. Dusty beds are scattered around, with light iron swords hanging above the place where each sleeper’s head would rest. In an alcove at the east end of the room, there is another Pyramid of Health, 93s in Dirhams (i.e., 31 coins), and a (highly forbidden then and now) Eclipse Candle


17. Trophy Chamber

Relics of particularly famous fallen duellists are enshrined here in this room with alternating black and white floor tiles. A hole in the ceiling provides light, and, if rain comes, fills a pale pool in the chamber’s centre, opaque with particulates. 

On the east wall, in deep alcoves, are trophies signifying victories over foreigners - venerable Kelkoran warmasks, ancient conical helms of Seriasi soldiers, jians of old Dramythan make, and the decorated war-cloaks of Arumite generals. 


Along the north and south walls, are the relics of particularly famous duellists and soldier-heroes:

  • Left behind by Arnab the Quick, a duellist of the latter days with a two-decade streak of victories, and who died at the hands of the famous criminal Sarnai - a mummified hand with a massive bite mark at the wrist end. 

  • Left behind by Xochitl the Sinner, an assassin-duellist whose favourite activity was the killing of kings - a battered crown, like the king wearing it was crushed by a comically large rock. 

  • Left behind by Bardiya the Brave, who wore enough armour to crush a lesser warrior - a massive inch-thick bronze breastplate with chain pteruges and a prowlike neckguard. Useless unless you’re a Signatory of Duel’s, then he’ll make it useful for you. 

  • Left behind by Katanes Kills-Multiples, who never was so cruel as to his opponents as to make them face him alone - an armoured dog mask with a shaggy covering of thick linen that covers the neck and shoulders. As light armour.  

  • Left behind by Rafiqara, who robbed a prince of the Stars - a single flawless gemstone worth 100s, which comes equipped with a curse of muddled finances. 

  • Left behind by Xiadani, who pierced the eye of a giant hero with a flung spear - a burnt femur that smells of lightning and is flecked with tiny shards of sea-green metal. Would still function as a lightning-rod, despite being bone. 

  • Left behind by Hajar Sang, who singularly held the gates of Odrona against the soldiers of Surek - a bronze eidolonic arm. Would replace a missing arm while acting as a shield. Will act to keep the unclean unarmed and sans-hat at all opportunities. It will act in this manner even if unworn, creeping like an inchworm across the floor. 



18. Former Library 

Empty shelves, empty racks, utterly devoid, storing only dust and stale air. All the old texts once stored here were taken away. To be burned? Perhaps. Or squirreled away in some montane Chantry vault? Or is the conjectured vault of censored texts simply a Scribe’s hopeful fiction, to evade the truth, that most of all history now is only ash? 

The room reminds us of the sobering thought. 


19. Sunwell 

At Noon, the Sun is directly overhead, and fills the circular aperture of the Sunwell totally with gold (from the viewpoint of someone standing beneath, anyway). 


20. The Spirit’s Shrine

A statue wrapped in dried-out linens, once imitating expensive clothing. It has an eight-pointed star for a head, with narrow, pointed tines, and is carrying a sharp, undecayed bronze sword in its carven hand. Beside it in a special alcove hangs a large tubular bronze bell. 


Pour out a libation of anything alcoholic mixed with blood, and ring the great bell. Duel himself will appear in the Sunwell, unless the one ringing the bell is unclean. If you haven’t ever beaten another person in single combat, he will be somewhat aloof and uninterested.  


He appears as a tall man, muscled, but slender and agile in form. His head is blackened and coal-coloured, and dominated by a massive hole in the middle of his face which destroys his features. From this hole, there shines forth a point of painfully bright white light. He is clad in light, patterned clothing, form-fitting for mobility and decorated with motifs of flowers, veins, roots and wounds. Over his hands, he wears complex gauntlets made of interlocking pieces of metal.  In a sash at his waist he carries two swords, one curved and gilded, the other straight, heavy and made of blackened bronze. Usually, he stands with a hand resting on a hilt, ready to move. He is aloof, proud and methodical. 


Sun Astrologers can use this temple to reliably befriend Duel, without the risky and time-consuming dance-of-acquaintance which makes up a usual Seeking. 


You might wish to challenge him - but unless you’re the sort to yield quickly, this is akin to human sacrifice - it is not possible for a human being to defeat Duel in, well, a duel - he’s too viciously quick and accurate. 


For those not unclean, Signature to Duel is here possible, and to you he will append his mark in a glimmering flash of sword-arm motion - two small bleeding cuts, crossing in the shape of an X. They shall never heal, but the blood which seeps from it smells of roses. 




SPIRITS


Duel 

Appearance as above.

Target foe of [dice] or more HD is locked into a duel with you for [sum] rounds. During this time, each of you suffers a -[dice] penalty to hit and damage when attacking any other creature, and are immune to works of Astrology, Scripture, and other types of magic not originating from your duelling partner. If either Duellist surrenders, is incapacitated, or dies, the winner is healed for [sum]HP. 




STATBLOCKS


Guard Eidolon

2HD (12HP), AC16 (metal body), Morale 11 (mostly lack fear) 

Bronze humanoid figures with gilded bronze animal heads. 

No. Appearing: 1d6

Movement: Slow marching advance. 

Senses: Can see and hear, but can’t discern colour or tone. Have no sense of smell or taste. 

Morality: Loyal to the spirit of their creators’ orders, become morose if they fail or accidentally act against said orders. 

Intelligence: Dull but patient. Can’t speak, but can understand. 

Attacks: Sword, +3 to Hit, 1d8+2 damage. 

Metal Body— Attacks from fire and mundane weapons are reduced to 1 damage per dice rolled. 



Solar Soldier 

3HD (15HP), AC14 (mirrored armour), Morale 8 (brave)

Spiritual troopers from the All-Beholding Sun. 

No. Appearing: 1d4 (5d10 when on the Sun) 

Movement: As an athletic human. 

Senses: Excellent sight like an eagle, otherwise as human. 

Morality: Law-abiding, sun-worshipping, trickery-hating. 

Intelligence: Equal to a human’s. 

Attacks: Sword or Spear, +4 to Hit, 1d6+2 damage OR Hurl Flames, +2 to hit, 1d8 fire damage at range. 

Greatly Luminous — The Soldiers each shed bright golden light (as a bonfire). Attacking them directly in melee suffers a -2 penalty for this reason. 



Swordserpent

5HD (25HP), AC16 (metallic scales), Morale 6 (ultimately a large animal) 

An Oneiros, a dream-creature, resembling a slithering metallic serpent with a flat, sharply edged body, and a pommel-tipped “rattle” on the end of its tail. It was attracted here by the temple’s spiritually swordly nature, released from the dream of an unwise sleeper. 

No. Appearing: 1 (1d6 in Turning Dreams)

Movement: Languid slithering hover. 

Senses: Can sense weaponry and see heat, otherwise, as human. 

Morality: Predatory, but not cruel. Obeys greater powers. 

Intelligence: Not particularly bright, cannot communicate in language. 

Attacks: x1 Lash, x1 Bite

  • Lash. +6 to hit, 2d6+1 slashing damage (+2 damage to targets who are lightly or un-armoured). 

  • Bite, +6 to hit, 1d6+1 piercing damage, target must roll HRTS or be weakened by dream venom, losing their bonus to hit.

Snake’s Charm - By spending a turn dancing wildly in the air, the Swordserpent can temporarily turn any sword into another Swordserpent (lasts 2d6 rounds). The new Swordserpent has only 1HD, and may well start with its tail in the hand of its previous wielder (see below). 

Tail Grab — If someone can get hold of the Swordserpent’s rattle-handle, and pass a very difficult charisma roll, the Swordserpent will be cowed, and become a +1 magic whipsword in that person’s service. If they fail the roll, the Swordserpent gets a free attack against them. Temporarily transformed swords return to normal after the Snake’s Charm fades. 




ITEMS


Pyramid of Health - Palm-sized amulet of smooth black stone shaped into a pyramid. Faintly warm to the touch. One face, the “eastern”, is adorned with sunrise iconography. The “northern” features a mountain, the “southern” clouds, and the “western” stylised stalks of corn. The holder of this pyramid gains +1 to all HRTS rolls. The pyramid has a pool of 2HP which depletes before yours does, and replenishes at dawn. 


Eclipse Candle -  A dream-candle, black as night. Requires the “flesh” of dream-creatures as an ingredient. Burns with a white-edged black flame that casts no light but reveals things all the same. The candles know who they serve, and show nothing to those who have nothing they ought to be shown. Induces migraines. Staring into eclipse candles for a long time induces permanent blindness. Produces a faint whispering sound.


REASON WILL RESPECT, a magic sword - A +1 medium akinaka of gilded indigo steel. Indigo steel is one of the rarest of the “steel prisma”, and has a gemlike lustre. The sword’s name is written in very tiny letters along the blade’s gilded fuller. The blade is resistant to decay, and doesn’t cause a reaction penalty for being carried openly, such is its elegant beauty. When the wielder holds the blade in both hands, and plants their feet firmly, they are immune to damage from heat, light and fire, becoming enveloped in a lustrous shimmer not unlike the  blade’s own. 


Lion-hide of Mitzlizahra - The old, untreated hide of a melanistic lion, covered in ideographic representations of the Sun and Stars. Functions as light armour. Mitzlizahra wore this in her successful wars against the Kelkorans, and her doomed wars against the Scarn. A user of Heraldry (such as a Hedge-Knight), who meditates on the hide, can learn a story of Mitzlizahra and her deed, Black Lion. 



Black Lion 

Mitzlizahra’s first famous act was the taming of a wild lion which was eating her family’s livestock. She set off from their farm outside Juruf and tracked it into the hills, where she wrestled it, then fed it, and finally meditated about the Sun with it. The lion, Ramad, would become her battle-brother for many of the following decades. 


You may summon a shade of the glory of Ramad, Warrior-Eater. A mighty grey-and-black lion, with dull-gold eyes and curving fangs. It has [dice]+1HD, and attacks with a +[dice] bonus to damage and hit (1d12  Damage). It can also roar, and force saves vs. fear from peasants, soldiers and animals who hear it. You can later add CD to a currently summoned Black Lion, although it can never have more HD than your [level].


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