Walters/Qualtieri/Brown

Table of Contents The True Atronians 56

Race-Specific Rules 59
Magic Actions 37 Fighters 60
A War for Ashes 4 Heal (1) 37 Glaive-Guard 60
Smite (1) 37 Wilddoe 60
The Rules of Conflict 14 Divine Bolt (1 or 2) 38 Virian Mother 61
Miscellaneous Actions 38 Virian Archer 61
Overview of a Battle 15
Virian Sister 61
Necessary Components 16 Special Abilities 39 Fyrdalee 62
Huscaree 62
Core Concepts 17 Assassin 39
Aelfryee 62
Berserk 39
Gromal 63
Fighters 17 Bodyguard 40
Avatar of the Goddess 64
Fighter’s Status 18 Brawler 40
Cavalry 40 Heroes 65
Die Rolls 18 Center of Magic 41
Skill Check 19 Counterattack 41
Creature 41 The Steadfast Elvorix 68
Random Outcome Tables 19 Creeping Death 41
Measuring 20 Dumb 42 Race-Specific Rules 72
Terrain 21 Elite 42 Fighters 73
Flight 42
Froth 24 Linebucks 73
Hard to Kill 42
Spearbucks 73
Hero 43
The Sequence of Battle26 Dartbucks 73
Horde 43
Wildbucks 74
Infiltrate 43
Calling Warriors 26 Savagebucks 74
Leadership (X/Y) 43
Deployment 27 Greybucks 75
Leap (X) 43
Captains 75
Activation 27 Mount (X) 44
Snegilbucks 75
Multiple Attacks (X) 45
Movement Actions 27 Elvorix Command 76
Musician 46
Move (1) 27 Priests 76
Natural Weapons 46
Sprint (1) 28 Ylark 76
Non-Combatant 46
Careful Move (2) 28 Kanid 76
Pack (X) 46
Shifting (Free) 28 Pathfinder 46 Heroes 77
Disengage (1 or 2) 29 Priest 47
Jumping (1+) 29 Rapid Shot 47
Melee Combat Actions 30 Reach 47
Attack (1) 30
The Savage Vidaar 80
Resilient 47
Shieldbash (1) 31 Scaly Hide 47 Race-Specific Rules 84
Powerful Blow (2) 31 Scary (X) 48
Fighters 85
Charge (1 Surge and 1 Froth) 31 Sea Legs 48
Bondee 85
Interception (Free) 32 Shadow Walker 48
Fyrdee 85
On Guard, Melee (1) 32 Short Range 48
Skalgee 85
Ranged Combat Actions 33 Skirmisher 48
Ceoree 86
Ranged Attack (1) 33 Sprinter 49
Ulfyree 86
Aimed Shot (2) 34 Standard 49
Lunghshyld 87
On Guard, Ranged (1) 34 Sweeping Blow 50
Styrsik 87
Throwing Things (1) 34 Trample 51
Vidaar Command 88
Other Combat Actions 35 Two Weapons 52
Udvlag 88
Vomit 52
Recovery 35 Wallop 53
Nhilde 88
Leadership Actions 36 Wave of Flesh 53 Heroes 89
Move! (2) 36 Ylark Ignition 53
Stand Your Ground! (2) 36
Rally! (Whole Stone) 36
War Cry! (1) 36
The Forsaken Jaarl 92
Race-Specific Rules 96
Fighters 97
Roccio 97
Rigenti 97
Balestia 97
Valani 98
Cospico 98
Commandi 98
Gamba 99
Ilk 99
Jaarl Command 100
Jaarl Navy 100
Heroes 101

The Unending Kuld 104

Race-Specific Rules 107
Fighters 108
Kuld 108
Shuda 108
Ur-kuld 108
Augurst 109
Goola 109
Marhn 109 The World of Agaptus 124 Andrew Walters
Guldul 109 Flora 124 Rules Design
Mundicus 109 Josh Qualtieri
Uhyre 109
Fauna 126
Rules Design/Digital Art/Setting
Heroes 110 Naval Combat 132
Anthony Brown
Skirmishes 136 Rules Development/Layout

The Vengeful Ki-kak 114

Objectives 136 Sophie Lagace‘
Winning the Day 137 Background Development
Race-Specific Rules 117 Other Factors 137 Jonathan Hoffman
Fighters 118 A Meeting Engagement 140 Illustration & Background Development
Koi (spear) 118 Pete McKenna
A Daring Escape 142
To-to (staff) 118 Setting Fiction
Oca (sword) 118 Ambushed! 144
Paul Qualtieri
Atua (assassin) 118 None Shall Pass! 146 Math Wizard
Kari (blowgun) 118
Peka (shield) 119
Seize the Prize 148 Jennie Redwitz
Onwa (club) 120 Creating Your Own Skirmishes 149 Copy Editor/Design Consultant
Tohana (Priest) 120 Jennifer Bach, David Weinman,
Ku-moko 120 Tales 150 Sequoia Blankenship
Heroes 121 Design Notes 152 Additional Art
Aaron Brown, Anton Ducrot
Reference 154 Miniatures Sculptors
Adan Tejada, David Weinman,
Andrew Walters, Victor Walters
Tom Gabel, Jackson Bigelow
Playtesters
ISBN 978-0-99033707-0-3 • © 2014 ZombieSmith
Second Printing
A War for Ashes
A History of Agaptus
and Its Ruin
A Brief History of Agaptus
I write this to help my sisters understand our origins, our fight, and
our mission. Ours is not just the land of Agaptus—formed of the large
islands of Sentia, Iradon, and Matriga—but the many, many islands
scattered across the seas around us.
—A summary written by Vendela Sharp-Tongue, former Tale-Hoarder
of the Hammer Clan, intended for new recruits of the True Atronian
Movement. Written 87 AGC.

A War for Ashes

The Ancient Sentians
Long ago, on the slopes of the Atronian mountains on
the island of Sentia, lived a peaceful and simple people.
For a long time they lived in innocence, but eventually a
drought shriveled the riverberries and stringmoss they
lived on and famine ensued, forcing them out of their
ancestral lands to search for food.
The sky god Agaptus noticed their plight and tried
to help, beginning a long series of deadly encounters; for
however well-meaning gods are, it’s always dangerous
for mortals to meet them (just like it is dangerous to
pet even the friendliest mundicus). Unshielded from
Agaptus’ divine light, most of the Sentians fled and
fell to their death in a mountain chasm, leaving only a
few of the slowest, oldest, or most wounded behind.
Agaptus tried to make it up to them by giving one of the
survivors, Sentius, a mighty sword—scorching Sentius
nearly to death in the process—before taking his leave.
For several days Sentius tried to figure out the god’s gift
but eventually he got so angry he tossed it down a ravine,
accidentally beheading a grazing ylark. Thus the starving
Sentians discovered meat, and the small clan prospered
again with the new diet and the invention of weaponry.
Over the next few hundred years, the Sentians multiplied and spread down
into the plains below, then across Sentia, and onto the neighboring islands. They
established a thriving civilization: a kingdom ruled by scholar kings, with mighty
cities joined by a network of roads and bridges. Eventually, they expanded north into
lands where lived another people: the squat, blubberous Kuld.
Until then, the Kuld had been rather shy, feeding on roots, lichen, carrion, or
whatever they could find in the northern foothills. But the Sentian newcomers
established farms and cities, and when the Kuld came to nibble at the new crops and
thatched houses, the Sentians mustered armies to drive them away. The more they were
pushed back into the shrinking, lean tundra, the more the Kuld became aggressive
and the more the Sentians militarized. The Kuld learned to eat anything save rocks—
including eating their opponents.
After years of what came to be called the Purging War, the great general Vidaarus
led the now considerable Sentian armies to victory in 987 BGC, driving the Kuld
northward and entirely off the islands of Agaptus. The Kuld were thought to be
hunted to extinction, though this would later prove to be a falsehood.

7
 The Vidaaran Dynasty
Vidaarus was no fool and knew that without the Kuld, he and his
armies were no longer needed. He immediately marched back
to the capital and seized the throne for himself, calling himself
King Vidaarus the First. He mistrusted the scholars who for so
long had formed the ruling class, and embarked on a campaign
to outlaw science, scholarly knowledge, and anything that was
written down. Reading and writing became punishable offenses,
forcing surviving scholars into hiding. The only documents
allowed to exist unburned were religious texts, since Vidaarus
didn’t want to offend the gods.
For 30 generations Vidaarus’ line held the throne and a
military class replaced the scholars as rulers of Sentia. Finally,
after nearly 600 years a priest called Elvora Bibulus cooked up
a scheme to take advantage of King Vidaarus the Thirty-First’s
greed and ignorance. Elvora Bibulus spread rumors of a fabled
island called Garigla, filled with all manner of gold, precious
gems, and other treasures. He even forged a remnant of an
ancient manuscript purported to have escaped Vidaarus the
First’s book burnings.
The king fell for the scam and became obsessed with the quest for Garigla.
He ordered a mighty new fleet built, which took years of trial and error because
the banning of all records had made it hard to learn how to do anything new. But
eventually he had his fleet and sailed with it, bringing most of the military caste as he
wasn’t about to leave any of them the chance to set themselves up in his place.
As soon as they were gone, Elvora Bibulus led a coup that restored the ruling
council of old as well as the scholar kings. The new kingdom called itself the Elvorix
nation. Much knowledge of the Ancient Sentians had been lost forever, but the Elvorix
rebuilt their cities and traditions as best they could.

Enemy Brothers
During that time and for the next 300 years, Vidaarus’ fleet sailed from island to island,
looking for Garigla and its treasures. At long last they landed back on the shores of
Iradon in 95 BGC, and slowly began to understand how they had been fooled. They
angrily burned their way through Iradon before being pushed back by hastily mustered
Elvorix armies, then fell back to establish their strongholds on Matriga.

A War for Ashes

 Nearly a century of warfare followed between the
Elvorix and Vidaar. Thanks to years of separate breeding
the two groups now looked different: the Elvorix with
rounder heads and darker fur colors, and the Vidaar
with jutting jaws and paler fur after years of inbreeding
as they futilely searched for Garigla. But no matter how
the kings, generals, and nobles might plot and fight,
ordinary people were often much more reasonable. On
the edges of the warfare, Elvorix fishermen and farmers
met, traded, and mixed with Vidaar sailors and soldiers
discreetly.
Mothers and sisters grew tired of the nonsense,
of the endless war between enemies who shared one
blood. One by one they began to leave, renouncing
both kingdoms and assembling into new clans with
the hope of stopping the bloodshed—even if it meant
knocking some sense into the warring factions. They
called themselves True Atronians, reflecting the common
origins of both Sentian peoples north of Atronia.
Then everything changed 87 years ago.

The Great Catastrophe

On that first day, the sun dimmed and reddened, leading to upheaval in the seasons to
come. Rains of ash fell from the skies, and the ice in the north began to advance south.
Summers shortened, winters lengthened, and famine spread. Even worse, the Kuld
returned, advancing immediately ahead of the ice in search of food.
Although things were very confusing for a time, it now seems that the Catastrophe
started with the foolishness of an Elvorix priest. He was to perform the annual sacrifice
to Agaptus, Lord of the Sky—such ceremonies are conducted by pouring oil over the
body of an ylark in ritual patterns, and setting the animal on fire as the smell of roasted
ylark is believed to please the gods. But that day, the priest arrived stinking drunk. He
poured the oil and started the fire, but the ylark was not properly tied to the altar and
started rampaging in flaming panic. Soon the Great Temple of Agaptus was ablaze,
eventually collapsing onto the poor beast and bystanders who had not yet fled.
According to the surviving priests, Agaptus was so enraged by the offense that
he dimmed the sun in punishment. The ground trembled and the heavens rained ash
and stones. The weeks that followed, instead of bringing Agaptus’ annual blessing,
brought cold, stunted harvests, then starvation. Then came the voracious Kuld, eating
everything that was not rock or ice, while the Vidaar and Elvorix fought more bitterly
than ever over the shrinking inhabitable areas.

9
 The Pact of Prolyus
But it was not yet the end of disastrous consequences. Ten years or so after the Great
Catastrophe arrived a fleet of massive ships carrying an army never before seen in
the isles of Agaptus—the Jaarl. They established a beachhead and soon claimed all of
Iradon, until the Elvorix armies prevented them from advancing any further.
Seeing the new threat, the Elvorix and Vidaar negotiated a treaty and in 18 AGC
signed the Pact of Prolyus, agreeing to fight the Jaarl together (although they would
continue to fight the Kuld separately). The Pact served both sides well for 65 years.
By 83 AGC, it seemed the Jaarl invaders were about to be pushed back into the sea,
and the generals, the Elvorix Orvas and Vidaarus the Ninetieth, planned an early joint
celebration and a sacrifice to Agaptus. The feast turned into drunken debauchery and
a brawl—just in time for a massive Jaarl ambush to decimate the unprepared Sentian
revelers. The Sentian leaders were killed, their armies disintegrated, and the alliance
collapsed as the Jaarl seized the Larcian Isthmus that connects Iradon to Matriga.

A War for Ashes

Far off, jutting above the slowly shifting ground fog, the city-mountain was ablaze with lights.
Torches hung in every home, and great bonfires burnt at every intersection. The only thing
brighter was the full moon above, its disc streaked and stained with red. The city walls, bright
white and freshly plastered, were imposing and tall, but the front gates stood wide open.

The jaarl raider next to Udvar wiped his mouth and growled under his breath. “Kinda brazen
of them, ain’t it, ‘var?”

“Are you kidding? Do you know where we are, bucko?”

“I’m no buck, you brokeback,” the jaarl replied, reaching for his spear. The red moonlight
flashed off his fangs.

“Relax, ‘simo.” He’d forgotten that the jaarl, as a race, had no sense of humor whatsoever.
What could you expect from a bunch of people that worshipped rocks?
“That’s no regular city, there,” he continued.
“That’s Eslenda, one of the Wild Doe cities.
You’ve heard of the Wild Does?”
‘simo said nothing for a long time, but he did
put his spear back down. “The Wild Does? In
there?”

“Aye. So we’ll be steering a wide berth around

that particular plum, I should think.”

“You talk funny, for a brokeback,” the jaarl

whispered.

“As may be. Some ‘vorix blood in me, somewhere.”

“And on you!”
They shared a booming laugh as they put
Eslenda to their backs, but ‘var was uneasy the
whole night through. His wasn’t the only party
of raiders prowling these hillsides, but they
all told the same tale – stay away from the
Wild Does.
Especially when you were up to no good.
By Strength of Arms
The Rules of Conflict
 By Strength of Arms
The War of Ashes is not a war of front lines and set piece battles. Small groups
encounter each other in every manner, and there can be neither truce nor quarter.
Scouts and foraging parties, messengers, guards, and lost soldiers meet. They fight
over a cache of food, a lost animal, a footbridge, a message, or just to get back home.
These desperate skirmishes take place amongst camps and baggage, in ravines, at the
edge of swamps, or on the decks of small ships. There is no warning and no time to
call for help. These small battles that will never be named or recorded are decided by
the choices and skill of a handful of fighters, and in turn these skirmishes decide the
course of the war.

Rules of Conflict
Overview of a Battle
Shieldbash is usually played in Skirmishes depicting a
particular encounter. These encounters may be isolated
or part of a Tale, a linked series of encounters where
characters and conditions carry over from one fight to
the next. The Skirmish description states the starting
forces, objectives, and any special conditions of the
encounter.
These desperate actions will be contested by
the fighters of Agaptus. A fighter is usually a single
warrior on a 20mm base, but it can also be a beast
or group of lesser warriors. Fighters are usually
controlled by a commander, but some, such as animals
or unaligned individuals, may move according to
instructions given in a particular Skirmish.
During a Round of battle each commander will
take turns as the active commander. His opponent will
draw a Stone for him on his turn, allowing him to assign
Surges to his fighters.
Surges allow the fighters to perform actions,
which include moving about the battlefield, attacking
enemy fighters, or other tasks performed in pursuit of
victory.
The active commander repeats this process
until his opponent informs him he has no further
Surges to assign. At that point his opponent becomes
the active commander, and he draws a Stone for his
opponent’s turn.
In addition, each commander has access to the resource Froth. Froth allows
a commander to perform extra movement, modify a die roll, or execute other
minor actions that enable him to bend the rules to his favor. However, the active
commander’s opponent must agree upon the expenditure of Froth, creating a dynamic
of haggling and compromise.
This sequence plays out until either one commander attains his objectives or
the Skirmish reaches its logical conclusion. At this point one commander is declared
the victor. If the Skirmish was part of a larger Tale, both commanders determine the
effects of the recent battle on their forces and prepare for their next encounter.

15
 Necessary Components
To fight a battle commanders will need the following items.
Miniatures – Each commander will need miniatures to represent his fighters on
the field of battle. Each fighter must be represented with his own miniature on the
appropriate-sized square base.
The Battlefield – To fight a Skirmish commanders will need a dedicated space to
represent the battlefield. For typical Skirmishes we recommend a two-foot by two-foot
battlefield. Larger skirmishes may require a larger battlefield. Fighting a Skirmish on a
battlefield larger than four-foot by four-foot is not recommended.
Melees between small forces tend not to occur in open spaces but around
campfires, bridges, ravines, or huts, amongst trees, carts, barrels, latrines, troughs,
wells, and woodpiles. These obstacles and hindrances should be represented on the
battlefield as they give flavor to the Skirmish in addition to increasing the tactical
possibilities.
Dice – Each commander will need at least three six-sided dice. Preferably each
commander will have his own dice.
Measuring Device – Each commander will need some way to measure distances, such
as a tape measure or measuring sticks.
Froth – Each commander should have the means to measure his pool of Froth. Glass
beads, markers, or extra dice can all be used to track this resource.
Markers – These are required to represent certain battlefield conditions. Each
commander should have markers to indicate Discombobulated, On Guard, and
Incapacitated fighters.

Rules of Conflict
Core Concepts Glaive-Guard
Glaive Sk 12
Mt 2d6+2
Fighters Two Weapons T 6
Fighters have eight attributes that define how they function in play: Skill, MA 5
Might, Toughness, Movement Allowance, Special Abilities, Equipment, 30 points Shield
Shield, and Point Value.
Skill (Sk)– The fighter’s ability to carry out various actions, which include
Greybuck Sergeant
combat. Higher skill makes a better soldier.
Sword and Shield Sk 14
Might (Mt) – The power of a blow that a fighter has landed on his opponent. Mt 2d6+2
The dice indicated are used to determine the effect of a successful hit in
Elite, T 6
combat. This is referred to as a Might roll. Leader(3/2)
MA 4
Toughness (T) – How difficult a fighter is to incapacitate or kill. Toughness 46 points (1) Shield -2
represents a fighter’s armor, size, vigor, and discipline.

Movement Allowance (MA) – The number of inches a fighter can move with
Tohana
a standard move action. All movement actions are based on this attribute.
Staff Sk 13
Equipment – The weapons and armor the fighter carries onto the battlefield. Bodyguard, Priest, Mt 2d6-1
This is listed for identification purposes as the effects of the equipment on the Skin of Many
T 5
Colors
battlefield are already taken into account in the fighter’s profile. MA 4

Special Abilities – Additional skills and actions specific fighters may 35 points (1) Shield
perform. Some require a skill check, while others are always in effect.

Shield – This attribute states whether the fighter is in possession of a Shield.

A fighter with a standard shield is attacked at -2 Skill. Larger shields grant a -3
penalty, while some smaller shields or lack of training only grant a -1 penalty. This
protection also applies against ranged attacks, but does not apply to attacks from
the rear. Any fighter with a Shield can perform a Shieldbash attack.
Additionally, Elvorix, Vidaar, and Atronian fighters with Shields can benefit
from a Shieldwall. Two fighters with this ability, in base to base contact, and facing
the same direction gain an additional -1 to their defensive bonus.
Point Value – This is a numerical value approximating the fighter’s worth on
the battlefield relative to other fighters. This value is used to build Warbands of
equivalent strength.
The number in parentheses following the point value indicates how many of
these fighters a commander may gather for every 300 points spent on his Warband.

17
 Fighter’s Status
Various states are used to describe a fighter’s readiness, or Status, on the battlefield.
These are Ready, Engaged, Discombobulated, Incapacitated, and Killed.
Ready – This is the normal status of a fighter, Ready for action.

Engaged – If a fighter is in base-to-base contact with an enemy fighter it is Engaged.

Enemies in contact with the front or sides of the fighter’s base are considered in front
of it. Enemies in contact with the rear side of its base are considered behind the fighter.

Discombobulated – This is a general term for any temporary condition that prevents
the fighter from performing actions. It may be that the fighter is off balance, has lost his
grip on his weapons, has received a stinging blow, lost his footing, or any of a hundred
other things that can go wrong in a brawl.
All these discomfitures have the same effect: the fighter can take no other
action but attempting to recover from Discombobulation, and in the meantime he is
less able to defend himself. The fighter becomes Incapacitated if he suffers a second
Discombobulation before recovering.
If he recovers, the fighter is again Ready, or Engaged if he is in contact with
enemy fighters. Opponents in base contact with Discombobulated fighters are not
Engaged.
Incapacitated – The fighter has suffered a disabling injury that causes him to be
removed from the battle. This does not mean that the fighter is dead. When a fighter is
Incapacitated during a Tale, his fate will be determined between Skirmishes.
Killed – The fighter has been mortally wounded, and is removed from the battle.
When a fighter is Killed during a Tale, he is no longer available for any further
Skirmishes.
Incapacitated and Killed fighters are removed from the battlefield and
replaced with a marker to represent where they fell. This marker is considered
entangling terrain to fighters occupying the same position on the battlefield

Die Rolls
Uncertain outcomes are decided by dice. Six-sided dice (d6) are used for all rolls.
The notation “3d6” means that three dice are rolled and the results added
together. The notation “Xd+Y” means that X dice are rolled, summed, and then Y is
added to the result. Thus “1d6+2” means that you roll one die and add 2 to the result,
yielding a number from 3 to 8, and 2d-1 means you roll two dice, add them together,
and subtract 1, yielding a result from 1 to 11.

Rules of Conflict
Skill Check
When a fighter attempts to perform certain actions on the battlefield a Skill check is
used to determine his success.
Conditions on the battlefield will often affect a fighter’s ability to perform
certain actions. Penalties or bonuses due to these conditions modify the fighter’s Skill,
not the dice rolled for the check. The fighter’s modified Skill for a particular check is
referred to as his Target number for the action.
Three six-sided dice (3d6) are then rolled and compared to the Target number.
If the result is equal to or under Target, the fighter has succeeded. A result above the
Target is a failure. Extremely low and high results on the check often have additional
effects reflected in a table associated with the particular Skill.
Example: An Elvorix Greybuck decides to attack a nearby Vidaar bondee, but first
must cross the frozen pond to Engage him. The Greybuck could perform a careful move and
avoid a Skill check, but that would not allow him to reach base contact with the bondee. He
decides to make a standard move. He must first make a Skill check to not slip on the ice. The
Greybuck’s Skill is 14 and there are no modifiers for the check. His commander rolls 3d6 and
gets a result of 12, a success. The Greybuck crosses the ice to Engage the bondee.
The Greybuck then expends his second Surge to perform an attack. His Skill is still
14, but some modifiers to apply to this check. First, the Greybuck is on the ice, which counts as
entangling terrain, giving him -1. Second, the bondee has a Shield modifier of -2. The Greybuck’s
Target number for the attack is 11 (Skill 14, -1 for the ice, -2 for the Shield, equals 11). His
commander rolls 3d6 and gets a result of 13—the attack has missed.

Random Outcome Tables

The battlefield is a chaotic, random space in which both the gritty and whimsical
appear. Fate will sometimes make its presence know with a chart that uses two dice
rolled together, with the two numbers determining a specific event on the battlefield.

Roll Outcome Notation

Each die results in a 6 Very Positive 6/6

Either results in a 6, the other in a 2–5 Positive 6/-

Either results in a 6, the other in a 1 Both bad and good 6/1

Neither die results in a 1 or a 6 Neutral -/-

Either results in a 1, the other in a 2–5 Negative 1/-

Each die results in a 1 Very negative 1/1

19
 Activation
The field of battle can be hard to read, leaving a commander unsure of the amount of
time he has to marshal his fighters before the momentum of the battle turns against
him. To represent this uncertainty, the amount of actions at a commander’s disposal
remains unknown to him until he has used them all. During every turn a commander
will gain a randomly determined number of activations known as Surges.
Surges are used to activate a commander’s fighters. A set of tokens, or Stones,
is used to determine how many Surges a commander has before the turn passes to his
opponent. The standard set consists of two Stones numbered 3, four Stones numbered
4, and two Stones numbered 5. Using this set a commander knows he will always have
at least three Surges at his disposal, with the potential of one or two more. The set of
Stones is placed in a container so the active commander’s opponent can randomly
draw one, keeping its value a secret.
At the beginning of a Round, one Stone is drawn and removed from the pool
without either commander viewing it. As the Round progresses, Commanders alternate
drawing Stones to determine how many Surges their opponents may perform on their
turns. On drawing the Stone the drawing commander does not tell his opponent, the
active commander, its value. The active commander performs three Surges and then
asks, “Do I have a fourth Surge?” Similarly, the active commander will not know if he
has a fifth Surge until having completed his fourth. Once he is done with his Surges,
signalling the end of his turn, the Stone is shown and discarded. Then the commander
who just finished his turn draws a Stone for his opponent in the same way.
Commanders may examine the discarded Stones at any time, but not the one
removed from the pool at the start of the round.

Measuring
Commanders can measure any distance at any time. For ranged weapons the distance
between two fighters is the distance between their bases. For purposes of movement
commanders should measure from the forward base edge of the starting position to
the farthest base edge of the final position.

Rules of Conflict
Terrain
Armies fight where they can while small groups fight where they must, and more
often than not that happens in congested, uneven places. After setting up the terrain
for the Skirmish, but before placing any fighters, commanders should agree on the
categorization of each piece of terrain, and how it affects the fighters.

Solid Ground
This is where you’d like to fight: smooth, hard, stable. Solid
ground has no impact on actions taken by fighters.

Entanglements
This includes mud, vines, heavy pine needles, shallow water,
baggage, snow, ice, fallen logs, freshly plowed ground, dead
bodies, or anything else that might slow a fighter down or
cause him to trip.
Fighters moving through entanglements may use two
actions to make a careful move through the terrain or move
normally but perform a Skill check to avoid tripping. If they
fail the check they are Discombobulated where they entered
the terrain, or if they began their move in the terrain they are
moved 1” and Discombobulated.
Fighting while standing even partially on
entanglements reduces fighters’ Skill by one, and if
they are pushed they must make a Skill check to avoid
Discombobulation.

Higher Ground
This is solid ground that is higher than the surrounding area, such as a slope, a flat-
topped rock, or a four-wheeled wagon. Higher fighters attack opponents on lower
ground at Skill +1, but they may fall when receiving a push combat result.

Platforms
This is higher ground with suboptimal footing; examples could be a table, railing,
baggage pile, a two-wheeled cart, or a very large dead animal. Fighters balanced on
platforms combine the effects of higher ground and entanglements.

21
 Obstacles
These features are completely impassable and block line of sight;
examples are trees, tall walls, and large boulders.

Barricades
Fences, barricades, or objects that a fighter can’t stand on or walk
through but can see over and climb over given a little time are
considered barricades. Barricades do not block line of sight, and
it requires an entire action for a ready fighter to move from one
side of the barricade to the other if it is not defended. It cannot be
passed if there is a Ready enemy fighter in contact with the other
side, and a fighter cannot climb over if he will become Engaged
when he gets to the other side.
Attacks over barricades are allowed at -2 to Skill unless the
fighter has a weapon with Reach. Sweeping blow attacks ignore
barricades.
Fighters on 40mm bases treat barricades as entangling terrain.

Bottlenecks
A bottleneck is a narrow passage between two obstacles or between an obstacle and an
enemy fighter. A fighter may move normally through a passage wider than his base.
If the passage is less than a base width wide but more than half, a fighter may make
a careful move through, or make a Skill check, with success meaning he can move
through at his normal movement rate and failure meaning he moves to the passage
and stops.

Stairs, Ladders, and Climbing

Stairs rising at up to forty-five degrees are considered slopes, so they are treated as
solid ground with bonuses for higher/lower ground applied. Stairs rising at more than
45 degrees are considered platforms—they are higher or lower ground, and occupants
attack at -1 Skill. Careful moves or Skill checks may be required to perform certain
actions.
A fighter may climb a ladder up to 2” in height as one action, including getting
on and off. A fighter may climb a ladder up to 4” in height using two Surges in the
same way. In either case the fighter is placed at the top of the ladder, facing the same
direction as the ladder.
Other steep or vertical surfaces should be designated as climbable or
nonclimbable before the Skirmish starts. A climbable surface is climbed like a ladder
except that two actions will only move the fighter upward 2”.

Rules of Conflict
Water
Knee- to waist-deep water is treated as entangling terrain. Water chest deep may be
moved through at 1” per action, the fighter may take no other action, and is treated as
Discombobulated for the purposes of being attacked.
Deeper water requires swimming. Swimming requires dropping weapons,
shields, and anything else carried. The Jaarl’s heavy armor causes them to sink and
drown. Kuld swallow a lot of water, sink, and drown. Other races may move 2” per
action and are treated as Discombobulated for the purposes of being attacked.

Drop Offs
Cliffs, pits, roof edges, and chasms are all terrain features that require a fighter to make
a Skill check to jump from one position to the next.
As part of his movement a fighter may jump to a lower position with a
difference of up to 1” in height without penalty. A fighter may jump down a large
distance (between 1” and 2” in height) if he uses an entire action, but no other
movement is allowed. Jumping down a large distance as part of a normal move
also requires making a Skill check. Failing the Skill check means the fighter lands
Discombobulated. Jumping down more than 2” in height requires two actions and a
Skill check at -1 per each additional inch with the same consequences for failure.

Falling
If a fighter is pushed or involuntarily moved off an edge less than 2” in height, he
lands Discombobulated. If the fall is greater than 2” in height, the fighter must make
a Skill check where success means he is Discombobulated and failure means he is
Incapacitated. A fall from a greater height will automatically Incapacitate the fighter.
If a fighter is pushed so that he is partially over an edge he should make a
Skill check—success means he remains on the edge, failure means he falls with the
consequences mentioned above.

23
 Froth
In close combat situations will arise where the rules won’t adequately handle the
events. Commanders may feel torn between playing the rules as written and fudging
them so events make sense. Froth is a way of allowing for these adjustments without
giving either commander an undue advantage. Froth is an abstract representation of
situational awareness, adrenaline, zeal, and just plain experience.
How much Froth each side starts with will be defined in each Skirmish. A commander
also gains Froth during a Skirmish when his side achieves an encouraging success.

Combat Results Other Actions

Action Froth Action Froth
Enemy Incapacitated by Capturing enemy standard +3
+1
2nd Discombobulation Lose friendly standard -3
Might roll doubles Toughness +2 Complete primary objective +4
Might roll triples Toughness +3 Complete secondary objective +2
Removed opponent is a Leader +1 Incredible success +1*
Removed opponent is a Hero +1 Horrible failure +/-1*
Removed opponent is Hard to Kill +1 * By both commanders’ consent

Some fighters may have special abilities that generate Froth for their side under
certain conditions, and the Skirmish may also specify ways to earn additional Froth.
When a commander wants to affect a fighter in a way that slightly exceeds the rules,
he can ask his opponent if he may make the change for a point of Froth. The commander
performing the action must declare any changes before his opponent can react.
A commander might use froth to:
• Ignore a push result scored against • Modify a Skill or Might attribute
one of his fighters by 1 after an Attack action roll
• Turn an already-Engaged fighter • Move up to 1” extra to Engage a
to face a newly Engaging enemy fighter
• Shift a friendly fighter to make • Choose the direction of dodge
room for an active fighter’s move from a ranged attack
•Shift after making an attack instead • Make a charge attack (see page 31)
of before
Note that if you accomplish a Kill by spending Froth to modify any attribute
during the Surge you will not gain Froth from that action. Froth cannot modify the
results of a die roll, just the attributes involved.

Rules of Conflict
It was a beautiful day. The sun was high, almost warm even, and a deep
orange that tugged at her heart. She could almost believe all the stories
about a happy god ruling over a happy Agaptus.

Almost.
Her sword was notched, her boiled leathers soaked through with blood and
sweat. Her helmet – and a goodly sized chunk of her scalp – was in the
belly of a troll. Or a Kuld. Or a troll in a Kuld. It didn’t really matter.
She was alive, and it was a beautiful day.
Almost.
25
 The Sequence of Battle
After the gathering of Warbands, the battle begins with deployment, as both
sides find their initial placement on the field. After deployment the battle begins.
Commanders take turns activating their fighters in Surges, moving and fighting. This
continues until one side is eliminated or the Skirmish’s objectives are met.

Calling Warriors
Before the battle, commanders travel their lands enlisting the aid of fighters to form
a Warband. The group mustered will be composed of fighters whose combined
point value is equal to or less than a total decided upon by the commanders or
the Skirmish at hand. For beginning or quick battles 200 to 300 points is ideal, while
400 to 500 points works for experienced commanders or longer battles.

Force Restrictions
Some types of fighters are rare in the world, numbering in handfuls rather than le-
gions. The number of these fighters allowed to fight in a Skirmish is restricted by their
Force Allowance. This is noted in the fighter’s profile.

Rules of Conflict
Deployment
A commander’s initial placement of his fighters often
spells the difference between victory and defeat. When
starting a battle both commanders agree on who will place
his fighters first. Certain Skirmishes will dictate which
commander should deploy first based on their roles in the
battle.
The commander chosen to deploy first places his
entire army on the field within a designated starting area.
His opponent then deploys his fighters. After both forces
have been deployed, the commander who placed his
fighters first begins the battle as the active commander.

Activation
The active commander may assign up to two Surges to any
fighter, but only one may be used to perform combat or
magic actions. The commander does not have to indicate in
advance which fighters will receive how many Surges—he
may see the result of each action before deciding on the
next. A fighter’s two actions do not need to be performed
consecutively. When the set of Stones is exhausted the
Round ends—shuffle them, and start another Round.
The actions a fighter may perform are broken down into the following
categories: Movement, Combat, Recovery, Leadership, and Magic. The number after
the name of the action represents the number of Surges required to perform the task.
If a commander attempts an action that costs multiple Surges but does not
have enough remaining on the Stone, the action does not happen, and his remaining
Surges are lost.

Movement Actions
Move (1)
A Ready fighter may move up to his Movement Allowance in any direction. This
movement may bring a fighter into base-to-base contact with an enemy fighter,
changing the status of both to Engaged.

27
 Sprint (1)
A Ready fighter may move up to double his Movement Allowance during a sprint. If
this movement takes the fighter within 2” of an enemy fighter, the opponent may make
an immediate free attack against the sprinter. This action can be used to bring a fighter
into base-to-base contact with an enemy fighter, but the enemy will gain a free attack.
A fighter may only Sprint once per Stone, and may not perform another
movement action before or after a Sprint.

Careful Move (2)

A fighter spends two Surges to make a careful move. This allows the fighter to move
through difficult terrain without penalty. Depending on the type of terrain a Skill check
may still be required (see “Terrain,” page 21).

Shifting (Free)
As a free action a fighter engaged by one enemy fighter can move one position around
or across that enemy’s base before attacking or going on guard. This move can be from
any side of the engaging fighter to any adjacent side if the fighters have the same size
base. A fighter with a 20mm base engaged by a fighter on a 40mm base could shift
around an adjacent corner of, or sideways across the 40mm base.
When a fighter shifts, the enemy engaging the fighter may rotate 90 degrees
toward the shifting fighter if desired.
If two or more enemy fighters engage a fighter, he may make a shift relative to
one that disengages him from the others by spending a Surge.

In example A, the Vidaar bondee decides to shift

to the left side of the Elvorix linebuck before
A
attacking. This is a free action, and the linebuck
may rotate to the left to face the bondee after he
shifts.

In example B, the bondee can choose to spend

a Surge to make the shift, as he is engaged by
another linebuck. If the bondee does not spend
B the Surge, he may still shift, but the second
linebuck will get a free attack.

Rules of Conflict
Disengage (1 or 2)
Once a fighter is in close combat with another, it’s hard to do much else because of the
need to maintain a defense. Separating without giving the enemy an opening isn’t a
simple matter. Disengaging from an enemy may require one or two Surges, as outlined
in the following details.
A fighter engaged by one enemy may step 1” away, disengaging from that
enemy fighter by spending a Surge.
By spending 2 Surges a fighter may choose to make a Skill check to distract
all nearby opponents, and if successful make a full move away. If the check fails,
every engaging enemy gets a free attack before the move. If all these attacks fail to
Discombobulate, Incapacitate, or Kill him, the fighter may move away.
If a fighter moves out of contact with an enemy in any other way the
engaging fighter gets a free strike at the departing fighter. If this strike results in
Discombobulation no movement takes place.
A Discombobulated fighter in base contact does not engage other fighters—
an opposing fighter may freely break contact.

In example A, the Vidaar bondee has spent a

Surge to Shift away from one engaged opponent
A to a better position next to the second Elvorix
linebuck.

In order to disengage from the second Elvorix

linebuck, as in example B, the bondee must
spend a second Surge, moving up to 1” away.
B
The bondee could have chosen to make a Skill
check instead of the Shift in example A, but he
would have risked free attacks if he had failed.

Jumping (1+)
As part of his movement a fighter may jump a gap of up to 1” in width without penalty. A
fighter may jump a gap of between 1” and 2” or vertically up to 1” in height if he spends
both of his Surges. Larger jumps require that both of the fighter’s Surges are spent as well
as a Skill check performed at -1 for each inch past 2” in distance or 1” downward. A failed
Skill check will result in the fighter being Discombobulated at the end of the jump.

29
 Melee Combat Actions
Melee Attack Modifiers
Attack (1) Modify Skill attribute to find Target number

The fighter declares an attack against his Target is Discombobulated +2

opponent, performing a Skill check to see if the Target has a Shield -1, -2, or -3
attack succeeds. If the result is equal to or below Attacker on higher ground +1
the fighter’s Target number the opponent is hit. Defender behind barricade -2
Regardless of the number needed to hit, +1 per
Multiple friendly fighters
certain extreme results on the dice always have Engaged with opponent
additional
an added effect as shown in the following table: fighter

Melee Attack Extreme Results

Roll Outcome
3 Always a hit and the Might roll is tripled.
4, 5 Always a hit and the Might roll is doubled.
 lways a miss and an Engaged opponent gets a free attack,
A
16
rolling Skill as normal.
 lways a miss and an Engaged opponent gets an automatic
A
17
hit, rolling Might as normal.
 lways a miss and an Engaged opponent gets an automatic
A
18
hit, doubling their Might roll.

When a hit is scored the attacking fighter makes his Might roll and compares
the result to the target’s Toughness:

Might roll equal to Toughness = Push

Might roll greater than Toughness = Discombobulation
Might roll equal to or greater than double Toughness = Incapacitated
Might roll equal to or greater than triple Toughness = Killed

Push
A fighter who receives a push result has been outmaneuvered by his opponent. The
attacker moves the target fighter 1” either directly toward or directly away from the
attacker. If the target is pushed away the attacker may follow and stay in contact. If the
target is moved toward the attacker the attacker must move 1” in the same direction,
staying in contact with the target. This movement occurs regardless of any other
fighters engaging either the attacker or the target, but any other fighter on either side
engaged with any of the moving figures can spend a Froth to move with the fight.

Rules of Conflict
 If a fighter collides with one fighter up to
its own size it will push that fighter back as far as
necessary to complete the move and both fighters will
make Skill checks to avoid being Discombobulated.
If a pushed fighter collides with a larger fighter or
multiple fighters he must make a Skill check to avoid
Discombobulation. A fighter who is moved into a
railing or other waist-high obstacle or barricade
moves as far as possible then rolls against Skill. If he
fails, a single die is rolled; if the result is even he is
Discombobulated, if odd he falls backwards over the
railing (see “Falling,” page 23).
A Discombobulated fighter is pushed as
above. If such a fighter has to make a Skill check
because of terrain to avoid further Discombobulation
he makes the check as above. If the fighter succeeds
he is still Discombobulated. If he fails and the
attacker is still in contact, the target fighter is
Incapacitated.
A fighter on a 20mm base cannot push a
fighter on a 40mm base; in this case the push result is
ignored and the smaller fighter is Discombobulated.

Shieldbash (1)
An Engaged fighter with a Shield may surprise his opponent with a shieldbash. This
is an attack with a +1 Skill bonus to hit, but it may not Kill. If the Might roll equals the
target’s Toughness it is pushed. If the Might roll exceeds Toughness by any amount the
target is Discombobulated.

Powerful Blow (2)

An Engaged fighter may spend two Surges to land a more powerful blow against his
opponent. The attack is at a +2 bonus to both Skill and Might for the attack.

Charge (1 Surge and 1 Froth)

A Ready fighter may spend a Surge and one point of Froth to perform a charge
maneuver. The fighter moves at least his full and up to double his Movement
Allowance to engage an enemy fighter. If the fighter ends the move in base-to-base
contact with an enemy, he may immediately perform a free attack action.
If the fighter wishes to charge an enemy within his Movement Allowance, he
must spend and additional point of Froth, making the total 1 Surge and 2 Froth.

31
 Interception (Free)
There are a few situations in which a fighter may move during the enemy’s turn, without
using a Surge.
A Ready fighter may move up to 1” to engage an enemy during its normal or
careful move, but not during a charge. This may stop the enemy from completing its
move, or simply engage him where he stops. A Ready fighter may move up to 2” to
engage and attack an enemy fighter making a sprint move.

On Guard, Melee (1)

A fighter may spend a Surge to prepare for an attack. When a fighter goes On Guard he
is more prepared to defend himself, which gives him extra options.
A fighter with a close combat weapon may make a counter attack at -2 Skill
against each fighter that attacks him, retaining his On Guard status. These attacks are
limited to push and Discombobulate results—no matter how much a fighter’s Might
roll beats his opponent’s Toughness, the attack won’t kill.
A fighter may also give up his On Guard status to make a single regular attack
resolved before the opponent’s declared attack. A fighter may make one or more
limited attacks while retaining his On Guard status, and then give it up for a regular
attack.
Interception
An unengaged On Guard fighter may also give up status to move up to 2” to intercept an
enemy fighter who is moving. This applies to a standard move, a sprint or a charge, but
not a careful move. The intercepted fighter is either stopped, or may perform a Skill check
to continue his movement after the intercepting fighter has attacked.
If an On Guard fighter takes any other action, or is Discombobulated, he loses
On Guard status.

Rules of Conflict
Ranged Combat Actions
Ranged Attack (1)
A ranged attack is conducted like a regular attack, with a few added rules.
A Ready fighter armed with a ranged weapon may shoot an enemy fighter
within his line of sight (a straight line in front of the fighter with minimal obstructions
between the two). The shooting fighter may turn to face a potential target at the
beginning of the action. An Engaged fighter with a ranged weapon may not shoot,
unless he is On Guard, as described below.
The shooting fighter must be able to see part of the target fighter’s body, not
just his shield or weapon. If there is anything along the line of sight in a path 1” wide
the Skill check will be at -2. Ranged attacks do not incur this penalty from obstacles the
shooter is directly behind.
For each full 4” from the shooting fighter to the target a cumulative penalty of
-1 is applied to the Skill check. In addition, the attack penalty for a target with a Shield
is applied, unless the shot is from behind.
Particularly good Skill rolls on ranged attacks are handled the same way as close
combat attacks. Particularly bad Skill rolls on ranged attacks are treated as follows:

Ranged Attack Extreme Results

Roll Outcome
3 Always a hit and the Might roll is tripled.
4, 5 Always a hit and the Might roll is doubled.
Always a miss and the shooter must immediately roll to
16,17
recover from Discombobulated.
18 Always a miss and the shooter is Discombobulated.

If the shot misses, the shooting fighter must make an unmodified Skill check to
miss each object or fighter within 1” of the line of sight, starting with obstacles nearest
the shooter and moving further away until the edge of the board is reached. The first
object or fighter the shooter fails to miss is hit by the shot.
When a push result is achieved, the commander making the ranged attack can
move the target fighter to either side of the shot—the target is dodging. If the shooter is
behind him, the target cannot dodge and becomes Discombobulated. If the target is already
Discombobulated he cannot dodge and is Incapacitated. If the target dodges into an
immovable object, such as a tree, boulder, or larger fighter, the target is Discombobulated.
The targeted fighter may spend a point of Froth to choose the direction of the dodge if the
direction the shooting commander would choose is disadvantageous.

33
 Aimed Shot (2)
A Ready fighter armed with a ranged weapon may spend two Surges to perform a
ranged attack without penalties from the distance to the target.

On Guard, Ranged (1)

The action that produces a shot from a ranged weapon includes preparing the arrow,
stone, or dart. To have the weapon prepared without shooting, a fighter can use the
option to go On Guard. During his enemy’s turn the fighter may give up On Guard
status to make a single regular ranged attack: at an enemy fighter in front of him; after
an enemy fighter moves but before it attacks; between the two moves of a double
move; or after a fighter moves to engage him but before it attacks.
A ranged weapon fighter who has a shot prepared may move and maintain
this readiness on his turn, contrary to the usual rules for being On Guard. The ranged
fighter retains On Guard status until he performs a ranged attack, another combat
action, or becomes Discombobulated.

Throwing Things (1)

Some environments may provide objects that can be grabbed and tossed at opponents
to distract them. By spending a Surge an unengaged fighter can grab and throw
whatever is handy. These attacks are made at -1 Skill if the attacker is behind the target
or the target is Engaged, or at -3 if the thrower is in front of the target and the target is
unengaged. All improvised thrown weapons have a maximum range of 6”, with shots
over 4” suffering the normal penalty (see the table on page 33). The Might of the attack
varies; use the following examples as a guide.

Improvised Thrown Weapons

Object Might Effect of Might roll
 an never do more than Discombobulate,
C
Sand, soil, mud 1d6+2
cannot affect a fighter from behind
Mug, bowl,  an only Discombobulate unless it triples
C
fist-sized stone, 1d6+2 Toughness, which will Incapacitate regardless
plate of food of the fighter’s original status

Rules of Conflict
Other Combat Actions
Taunt (1)
By spending a Surge a fighter may attempt to distract a Dumb fighter within 12 inches
by shouting, tossing stones, etc. If the taunting fighter succeeds at a Skill check, the
Dumb fighter may only spend Surges to move toward and attack the taunting fighter
until either the taunting fighter is dead or out of sight.

Disabling Attacks and Unconscious Fighters

A commander may also declare before his attack that he wants his fighters to disable
instead of kill, either by a whack to the head with the side of the blade or by the blunt
end of the spear to the chest. If this option is declared, carry out the attack as normal,
but treat any Killed result as Incapacitated.
A fighter may carry an Incapacitated fighter of the same size or smaller using
two Surges to make one move per turn if unengaged. Picking up the Incapacitated
fighter takes one Surge. If the carrying fighter is attacked in close combat it should be
treated as Discombobulated. A carrying fighter may drop the carried fighter on his
turn and draw his weapon to defend himself, but he requires a Surge to do this.

Recovery
A Discombobulated fighter is temporarily unable to defend himself or move while
he regains his feet. The only thing a Discombobulated fighter may do is attempt to
recover. Any attacks against a Discombobulated fighter have +2 to the effective Skill.
Remember, if a Discombobulated fighter receives a second Discombobulated result, he
is Incapacitated.
A Discombobulated fighter recovers by spending a Surge and rolling 3d6 on
the Recovery table. A fighter may attempt to recover a second time during the Stone by
spending an additional Surge.

Recovery
Roll Outcome
 he fighter recovers and immediately takes an extra Surge. In
T
3
addition the recovery Surge is not expended.
4,5 The fighter recovers and the Surge is not expended.
6–12 The fighter recovers
13–15 The fighter is still Discombobulated.
 ighter’s helplessness encourages foes, gaining their commander
F
16,17
a point of Froth.
18 Fighter succumbs to wounds, is considered Killed.

35
 Leadership Actions
Leaders are powerful, experienced fighters who take control of their troops
and influence the flow of battle. Leaders may perform the following actions
once per Stone.

Move! (2)
A Ready leader using the Leadership ability may spend two Surges to allow
himself and a number of Ready friendly fighters to make a normal move
or sprint move. This counts as one activation for both the leader and any
friendly fighters moved.

Stand Your Ground! (2)

A Ready leader using the Leadership ability may spend two Surges to allow
himself and a number of Ready friendly fighters to go On Guard. This
counts as one activation for the leader and one combat activation for any On
Guard fighters. The leader may gain On Guard status as well, counting the
activation as a combat action.

Rally! (Whole Stone)

Before declaring any actions, a commander may opt to spend an entire Stone on a
rallying cry that will allow all Discombobulated fighters on his side to make a recovery
roll. If the Stone is revealed to be a 3, all fighters roll normally. If the Stone is a 4, all
friendly fighters roll for recovery with a Target number of 13, and if it is a 5, with a
Target number of 14.

War Cry! (1)

A Ready leader may spend a Surge to let out a war cry or start a battle chant, allowing
a roll on the War Cry table.

War Cry!
Roll Outcome
6/6 “Kill them all, let Agaptus sort it out!” Commander gains 3 Froth.
6/- “We shall swim in their blood!” Commander gains 2 Froth.
6/1 “Attack!!” Both commanders gain 2 Froth.
-/- “To Battle!!” Commander gains 1 Froth.
1/- “Mumble, mumble!” Commander loses 2 Froth.
1/1 “We’re gonna die!” Opponent gains 2 Froth.

Rules of Conflict
Magic Actions
Priests may spend Surges to commune with their deity,
allowing for potential divine intervention on the battlefield.
A Surge spent calling the gods allows the commander to
cast the plea of his choice. The following pleas are available
to the Priests of all races. Additional, race-specific pleas are
presented in their respective chapters.

Heal (1)
Calling on the divine kindness of their god, the Priest allows
friendly fighters within 4” to make recovery rolls. The result
needed for recovery is reduced by 1 for each additional
friendly fighter recovering—if 2 fighters are making recovery
rolls, the check is 11, if 3, check is at 10, and so on.

Smite (1)
Seeking assistance to smite her enemies, the Priestess
designates an enemy fighter within 2” as the target of
divine wrath, and rolls on the Smite table.

Smite
Roll Outcome
The Fist of Atronia – Enemy fighters within
6/6
2” are hit with 2d6 Might.
The Hand of Atronia – Enemy fighters within
6/-
2” are hit with 2d6-1 Might.
The Hand of Agaptus – All fighters within 2”
6/1
are hit with 1d6 Might.
The Goddess Shall Smite – Designated fighter
-/-
hit with 1d6+2 Might.
The Wrath of Agaptus – Priest suffers hit
1/-
with 1d6 Might.
The Fury of Atronia – Priest suffers hit with
1/1
2d6 Might.

37
 Divine Bolt (1 or 2)
The Priest attempts to harness the power of his deity and hurtle it toward an opponent.
The Priest spends one Surge to perform a ranged attack against an enemy fighter
following the rules for a ranged attack (see page 33). The Priest may elect to use the
Dead-eye ability for the attack (see page 42).
If the divine bolt hits its target, roll 1d6 Might.
The Priest may choose to spend two Surges on the plea. The attack is resolved
as above, with the Might determined by the Divine Bolt table.

Divine Bolt
Roll Outcome

Divine Annihilation – Double damage done to target, and the Priest may elect to
6/6 perform a second attack. This second attack does not roll on this table and may
not make use of the Dead-eye ability.

6/- Divine Assistance – Double damage done to target.

Divine Feedback – Double damage done to target. The Priest suffers a 1d6 Might
6/1
roll due to the immense surge of power.
Divine Accuracy – Normal damage dealt to target. Priest may elect to re-roll the
-/-
Might result.
Divine Indifference – The plea goes unanswered and the Priest may not activate
1/-
again this Stone.
Divine Exile – The spell fails and the Priest may not call this plea again for the
1/1
remainder of the battle.

Miscellaneous Actions
Many actions performed during a battle do not fall into any of the standard categories; for
example finding an object, getting control of an animal, igniting or extinguishing a fire.
Most of these actions require a Surge and a Skill check to be made. The
difficulty of these Skill checks should be agreed upon by both commanders. If the task
seems easy, assign a bonus to the check. If the task is challenging apply a penalty, or
require a second Surge to be spent. Discuss the action with your opponent to arrive at
a mutually agreeable Target number.

Rules of Conflict
Special Abilities
Many fighters of Agaptus possess skills that place them above the ordinary. Whether
naturally occurring or the result of years of training, the following Special Abilities
represent the many fighting styles of the War of Ashes.

Assassin
This fighter has been trained to make the most of an initial strike, positioning himself to
the greatest advantage. When performing a charge action, an Assassin rolls an extra die
in addition to his standard Might. If the attack is successful, he chooses which dice make
up his Might roll.
A fighter with this ability may spend two points of Froth to use it when
performing a standard attack action.
If a fighter with the Assassin ability begins his movement behind an enemy
fighter, his opponent may not spend Froth to turn to face him. This grants the Assassin
fighter a +2 bonus to his Skill if he attacks before the enemy fighter can be activated.

Berserk
A fighter with this ability may allow his enthusiasm full reign in the hope that he
won’t do more harm than good. A commander may declare that a fighter is going
Berserk only before he has taken any actions that turn. The Stone is revealed and all
the Surges are given to the Berserk fighter.
This fighter may only use these Surges to
Berserk
aggressively move toward foes and attack them. Roll Outcome
The Berserk fighter may make more than one attack, 3, 4, 5
The fighter moves toward the next, nearest enemy
but only one attack against each enemy. The Berserk fighter, attacking if Engaged. Then roll on this table again.
fighter ignores all engagement rules and penalties. 6–12 The fighter ends the Stone as Ready.
13–15 The fighter ends the Stone as Discombobulated.
The Berserk fighter first spends Surges to
attack each Engaged enemy. Then he must make The fighter moves toward the nearest friendly figure,
16–17 attacking with an automatic hit and doubled Might if
a Skill check to avoid attacking adjacent friendly Engaged.
fighters; for each failed check he must spend a Surge
18 The fighter expires in battle ecstasy; he is Incapacitated.
and attack that friendly fighter.
The Berserk fighter will then charge the next nearest enemy. This charge does
not cost a point of Froth, nor require a minimum movement distance. If the charge
does not bring the Berserk fighter into base contact with the enemy fighter, he must
spend another Surge to continue moving.
This will repeat until the Berserk fighter runs out of Surges. He must then roll
on the Berserk table to determine his fate.

39
 Bodyguard
Sometimes an elder, scholar, or other non-soldier finds themselves in the middle of an
unexpected fray. They will naturally seek the protection of a friendly fighter, who will
in turn strive to protect the important personage.
A fighter with the Bodyguard ability may spend a Surge to link up with
another friendly fighter in base contact, making that fighter his bodyguard. These two
fighters are then considered one linked fighter as long as they are in base contact, using
the profile of the commander’s choice at any given point.
They remain linked until one of the fighters is Incapacitated or Killed, the
linked fighters are engaged by multiple opponents, or they choose to split.
If the linked fighters are the target of a ranged weapon attack, the shooter may
attempt to pick which target is hit. This requires a Skill check after the attacker spends
the Surge, but before the roll to hit. If the check is successful the ranged fighter chooses
which fighter is hit. If it fails the targeted fighters choose which of them has been hit.
Example 1: A Jaarl Popio near the back of the Skirmish fears the rapidly flanking
fighters of the opposing Vidaar. He calls to a nearby roccio, linking with the fighter to gain
some protection. When a Vidaar bondee attacks the pair, the Popio’s commander chooses to use
the roccio’s profile to gain the advantage of his higher Toughness and Shield. When next he is
activated the Popio calls the smite plea to dissuade the remaining Vidaar from advancing.
Example 2: At the beginning of the battle an Elvorix spearbuck uses
the Bodyguard ability to link up with a linebuck, forming a rather effective
team. With the linebuck engaged with an enemy, the Elvorix commander may
spend a Surge to attack with the linebuck, spend a Surge to attack with the
spearbuck behind him, or two Surges to do both.

Brawler
These fighters are hard to distract or discomfit. Fighters with the
Brawler ability have no facing—every side is considered front. Fighters
attacking them do not get Skill bonuses for additional friendly fighters
engaged.

Cavalry
By spending two Surges, a mounted fighter with this ability may make
an attack during movement. This attack occurs at a point of the fighter’s
choice during a standard move. The fighter chooses an enemy along his
path of movement, resolves the attack, and completes his move. This
ability cannot be combined with sprint, charge, or careful movement.

Rules of Conflict
Center of Magic
This fighter either is or carries a magical focus. When a Priest calls the gods he may use
this fighter as the origin point of the spell regardless of the distance between them.

Counterattack
A fighter with this ability will immediately strike back at any fighter who attacks
him, provided he is still able to attack. The Counterattack ability has a -2 penalty. This
Counterattack may happen any number of times during an opponent’s turn if the
fighter is attacked repeatedly. If the fighter with Counterattack is attacked by a double
attack the counterattack happens in between the two attacks.

Creature
Agaptus is home to many large beasts, most of which have been led to battle by
cunning or desperate commanders. Creatures have the following Special Abilities:
Hard to Kill and Brawler.

Creeping Death
These slithering fighters don’t move forward in leaps, but creep inexorably toward
their enemies. The Creeping Death fighter may move an additional 2” at the start of
his commander’s turn. This movement must take place immediately after the Stone is
pulled, before any other actions are performed.

41
 Dead-eye
This fighter is extraordinarily skilled with his ranged weapon and
may aim for a particular spot on the target. A fighter with this
ability may reduce his effective Skill for a shot by up to three and
then add that number to his Might roll if successful.

Dumb
Dumb fighters are non-Sentian animals who are under the control
of a commander or who are running wild on the battlefield. As
such they may move and fight as normal, but may not start fires,
manipulate objects, take objectives (except when a Skirmish may
explicitly allow this), or discover things. They are also subject to
taunting.

Elite
Trained to shrug off lesser wounds and battlefield conditions, a
successful recovery does not count as one of an Elite fighter’s two
allowed Surges.

Flight
Able to fly across the battlefield, fighters with this ability ignore all terrain difficulties
and obstacles while moving. While participating in the battle they must remain close to
the ground, thus not providing a penalty to ranged attacks.

Hard to Kill
These fighters are Hard to Kill due to their size or numbers.
The first time the Hard to Kill fighter’s Toughness is beaten by a Might roll he
becomes Wounded, not Discombobulated. The fighter is marked to note this Status,
but suffers no other penalties.
If a Hard To Kill fighter’s Toughness is doubled he becomes both Wounded
and Discombobulated, suffering the penalties associated with being Discombobulated.
Once Wounded he is Discombobulated if his Toughness is beaten, and
Incapacitated if it is doubled. If a Hard To Kill fighter’s Toughness is tripled he is
Killed regardless of his current Status.
A Hard To Kill fighter may attempt to recover from Wounded with a Recovery
check at -3 (a 9 or less instead of 12) and recovers from Discombobulated as normal.
The extreme results of the recovery roll only apply to recovery from Discombobulation.
Wounded fighters recover between the Skirmishes of a Tale.

Rules of Conflict
Hero
Veterans of many battles, Heroes are difficult to put at a disadvantage. Heroes ignore the
effects of the Scary special ability. In addition, Heroes have the Brawler and Elite abilities.
A commander’s Warband may only include one Hero for every 100 points
gathered, with a maximum of four allowed.

Horde
These fighters work together in small groups, their numbers making up for their lesser
strength. Fighters with Horde gain the Resilient (page 47) and Brawler (page 40) abilities.

Infiltrate
A fighter with this ability may start the Skirmish off the battlefield. When his
commander chooses to bring this fighter on the field he designates a point anywhere
on the battlefield, no closer than 4” to an enemy fighter. He then spends a Surge, and
rolls on the Infiltrate table.

Infiltrate
Roll Outcome
Psst! Behind you! – Place the fighter anywhere on the battlefield, including
6/6 Engaged with an enemy fighter. This is considered a free action and does
not expend a Surge from the current Stone.
Where did he come from?!? – Place the fighter anywhere within 4” of the
6/-
designated point, including Engaged with an enemy fighter.
Stepped on a branch! – Place the fighter at the designated point. This is a
6/1
free action and does not expend a Surge from the current Stone.
-/- Sneaky bugger! – Place the fighter at the designated point.
Wait, where am I? – Opponent places fighter within 4” of the designated
1/-
point, including Engaged with an enemy fighter of his choice.
Should have turned left at... – Opponent places the fighter anywhere on
1/1
the battlefield, including Engaged with an enemy fighter of his choice.

Leadership (X/Y)
Leaders allow a commander to better control his troops through their abilities to activate
multiple fighters at once. A Leader may perform a Leadership action with a number of
fighters equal to his Leadership value (X) and within his Leadership range (Y), in inches.

Leap (X)
When jumping during a movement action, this fighter multiplies the distance allowed,
both horizontally and vertically, by their Leap value. This allows the fighter to ignore
certain barricades and obstacles, as well as enemy fighters.

43
 Mount (X)
Beasts of burden are no stranger to the battlefield; even the lowly
farmer’s snegil can be pressed to serve as a courier’s Mount.
When carrying a fighter into battle, Mounts grant the following
bonuses and abilities.
The number listed after the ability is the number of
passengers the beast may carry and still perform as a Mount.
More passengers are possible, but the beast will lose all of the
bonuses associated with the ability. For the purpose of Mount,
two Vorix count as only one passenger.
Mounts have a second column on their profile. These are
bonuses to the mounted fighter’s profile while he is on the beast.
If the beast does not have a rider it uses its own profile, as does
the fighter if he leaves the back of the Mount.
While mounted the fighter uses his profile, modified by the
mount, for all battlefield situations. When attacked the mounted
fighter uses his modified Toughness against the Might roll. Combat
results are treated the same with the exception of Incapacitated.
When a mounted fighter is Incapacitated, the Mount resorts to its
own profile and seeks to escape the battle. Mounted fighters are
never considered Engaged by enemy fighters.
Mounts can be specifically targeted by melee and ranged combat, but the
attacking fighter must spend a point of Froth to do so.
Mounts grant the Trample ability to the mounted fighter. The Trample attack
uses the fighter’s modified Might. In addition, when mounted fighters perform a charge,
the attack is considered a powerful blow without the expenditure of the second Surge.
If a mounted fighter moves within 1” of a Ready enemy without attacking,
that opponent gets a free normal attack against him. If the Mount and rider stop after
making contact with a fighter there is no free attack.
Mounted fighters in entangling terrain halve their Movement Allowance
before choosing a movement action.
Example: Blagaard, a Vidaar Lunghshyld, has chosen to ride into battle
upon a snegil. When gathering the warband, his commander pays for both profiles;
Blagaard is 47 points, the snegil 20, for a total of 67 points. His commander modifies
Blagaard’s profile by the second column of the snegil’s, giving the Lunghshyld +1 to Skill, +1
to Toughness, and +4 to his Movement Allowance. Since the snegil is not trained for combat,
Blagaard does not gain a bonus to his Might. He does gain the ability associated with Mount
and any listed in the mount’s profile.

Rules of Conflict
Multiple Attacks (X)
Beasts that carry Ready fighters, creatures with multiple limbs, and certain weapon
masters are all capable of unleashing multiple attacks in the time it takes a normal
fighter to perform one. Fighters with this ability may perform a number of melee
attacks equal to their Multiple Attacks value. This value is also the penalty applied to
each attack the fighter makes while using this ability.
Example: The Atronian Grommel carries three Atronians on its back. This grants
the creature Multiple Attacks (3), allowing its commander to choose to make one attack at its
normal Skill, or up to three attacks at -3 to Skill.

45
 Musician
A Ready Musician may spend a Surge to strike up a jaunty tune
from the list below.
The musician continues playing the song as a free action until he
chooses to change to another or performs any action other than
movement.
Battle Hymn – The musician’s commander gains 1 Froth every time
a Stone is pulled for him, as long as the musician continues to play
this song.
National Anthem – All Recovery checks within 8” are at +1 to the
Target number. This bonus is cumulative with other abilities.
Theme Song – Designate a Hero or Leader within 8”. That fighter
gains +1 Skill for any checks while in range.

Natural Weapons
A fighter with Natural Weapons may make two attacks at -2 instead of one normal
attack, and one of these may be at an enemy behind him. In addition, any time the
fighter is attacked from the front he may make a Counterattack at -1.

Non-Combatant
A fighter with this ability may not purposely Engage an enemy fighter. If Engaged the
fighter may attack, but the combat result cannot exceed Discombobulation.

Pack (X)
Some creatures move and attack in groups, which can be both terrifying and hard to
stop. When a commander spends a Surge to activate Pack fighters, a number of them
equal to their Pack value may activate, moving or attacking as individuals. They may
not perform a powerful blow action as a pack, only individually. Each individual
fighter is still limited to two actions per turn.

Pathfinder
This fighter is extremely adept at surprising his opponents. When rolling on the
Infiltrate table, this fighter rolls three dice and chooses which two to apply.

Rules of Conflict
Priest
These spiritual leaders are often called to the battlefield to lend divine assistance. This
ability allows the fighter to cast the three calling on the gods spells, as well as any
spells specific to his race.

Rapid Shot
This fighter is a skilled marksbuck, capable of releasing multiple projectiles in a quick
manner, sacrificing lethality for speed. A fighter with this ability may perform two
ranged attacks for one Surge. Both of these shots are treated as separate attacks, and
may take advantage of the Dead-eye ability. If the fighter spends two Surges, both shots
are considered aimed shots.

Reach
A fighter with reach may attack at a distance, giving him extra options.
Ready fighters with Reach will get a free attack on any fighter that
moves into contact with them before that fighter can attack them. A fighter
with Reach may attack an enemy up to 1” away, though they are not
considered Engaged without base-to-base contact.
A fighter with Reach may also attack over a friendly fighter’s
shoulder. To do this he must be in base contact with the friendly fighter
and otherwise unengaged. He may then attack any enemy Engaged with
the friendly fighter.
A fighter with Reach that fumbles his Skill check to attack, rolling
a 16, 17, or 18, still suffers the extreme result. If he is 1” away from, or not
engaged with, the opposing fighter, that enemy moves into base contact
with him before performing the bonus attack listed on the extreme results
table. If there is a friendly fighter between him and his opponent, the
friendly fighter is the victim of the extreme result.

Resilient
When Resilient fighters are Discombobulated they suffer no penalty for this condition;
they still engage enemy fighters, may still move or attack, and there is no +2 bonus
to attack them. If they receive a second Discombobulate, they are Incapacitated as
normal.

Scaly Hide
This fighter has very thick skin, granting it protection from attacks. An attack against
this fighter will bring a -1 penalty to Skill. This penalty is combined with any other
condition, including modifiers for the fighter’s Shield.

47
 Scary (X)
A truly terrifying opponent, fighters with this ability lessen the effectiveness of their
opponents. The first time a fighter attacks a Scary opponent, his Skill is reduced by
X. When fighting an opponent with a higher Scary value the fighter suffers a penalty
equal to the difference in values.

Sea Legs
When onboard a ship and Engaged with a fighter lacking this ability the Sea Legs
fighter gets a +1 to his Skill. In addition, no part of a ship is treated as entangling
terrain.

Shadow Walker
Fighters with this ability have the Infiltrate ability.
In addition, on his turn, a commander may spend a Surge to remove any
number of his fighters with this ability from the battlefield. The commander may
spend a Surge to bring back one of his fighters using Infiltrate as normal (see page 43).

Short Range
Fighters with this ability use improvised thrown weapons with
reduced range. Short Ranged fighters may only attack enemies
up to a distance of 8”. The range penalty of -1 still applies to
targets over 4” away. Fighters with Short Range may perform
an aimed shot action.

Skirmisher
Skirmishers are adept at hit-and-run fighting. When a fighter
with this ability receives a Discombobulated result he may
make a Skill check at -3 to dodge away instead, if it’s possible
for the Skirmisher to move 1” away and break contact with the
attacker.
If the Skill check fails the Skirmisher is Discombobulated
as normal. If the check is successful the Skirmisher moves 1” in
any direction that breaks contact with the attacker, even if that
disengages the Skirmisher from other fighters. The attacker may
not make a follow-up move unless he spends a point of Froth.
When Engaged with another Skirmisher the effects of
this ability do not apply.

Rules of Conflict
Sprinter
A fighter with this ability may perform a sprint action without
fear of being intercepted. This allows the fighter to sprint past or
Engage enemy fighters without granting them a free attack.

Standard
Any fighter within 2” of his side’s standard bearer can
add 1 to their Skill for all purposes and may recover from
Discombobulation as an action without a die roll.
If standard bearers are Discombobulated they cling to
their standard whatever the situation (that’s why they were
chosen, after all). If they are Killed, however, the standard falls
to the ground and may be picked up by any adjacent fighter who
spends a Surge. A fighter who picks up his own side’s standard
gains this Standard Bearer Special Ability. If an enemy fighter
picks up the standard, the side losing the standard gives 3 Froth
(or all they have) to the side gaining the standard. If the original
side regains their standard they take back 3 Froth (or all there is).

49
 Sweeping Blow
A fighter with this ability may strike at multiple enemy fighters.
The commander may designate two fighters who are within 2” of the
Sweeping Blow fighter, and no more than 2” apart. These two fighters, any fighters
between them, and any fighters between them and the Sweeping Blow fighter are all
attacked, no matter for which side they fight. The Target number of this attack is not
affected by a fighter’s Shield.
The attacker chooses the direction of the swing, and each fighter is attacked
in turn. If a large fighter suffers an adverse combat result because of a bad Skill check
or counterattack on one of these attacks, the other attacks are performed before the
adverse result is applied. All fighters attacked are moved 1” in the direction of the
swing after the attack is resolved.
A fighter with Sweeping Blow may also attack a single opponent up to 1”
away, though this enemy fighter is not Engaged.

The Nhilde declares that he will perform a Sweeping

Blow. He designates two Jaarl roccio, A and B, as the
end points of the attack because they are within 2” of
each other and within 2” of himself. He also declares
the direction of the attack’s path, from Jaarl A to Jaarl
B.
B
All four of the Jaarl roccio and the lone Vidaar bondee
will be hit by the attack as they are all considered
between Jaarl A and B. Each fighter is attacked in turn.
A
Once the attack is resolved any remaining fighters will
1” be moved 1” in the direction of the arrow, following the
declared path of the blow.

Rules of Conflict
Trample
A fighter with this ability may move directly over a smaller fighter in an attempt to
trample him, if he can move all the way over the target with a standard move. If the
moving fighter started the turn behind the target, or the target is Discombobulated, it
is automatically trampled. Otherwise the targeted fighter makes a Skill check, finding
the result on the Trample table.

Trample
Roll Outcome
The trampling fighter is stopped and receives an automatic hit from the target
3
fighter at doubled Might.
The trampling fighter receives an automatic hit from the target fighter, and
4, 5
continues if able.
Success The target fighter may move 1” to either side of the trampling fighter’s path.
Failure The target fighter is trampled.
16, 17 The target fighter is trampled with doubled Might roll.
18 The target fighter is Killed outright.

If the target is trampled the Trampling fighter rolls his normal Might and
applies the result as usual.
A Ready fighter with Reach about to be trampled may make an attack on the
Trampling enemy before rolling on the Trample table. If the attack is successful the
Trampling fighter will be either pushed and continue his move, or Discombobulated,
Incapacitated, or Killed, and the trample will not occur. If the fighter with Reach is On
Guard this attack is at +2 to Skill.

51
 Two Weapons
A fighter with Two Weapons may either parry an incoming strike to give his attacker -1
to Skill, or make a counterattack at Skill -2 if he is still Ready after the attack.
The fighter may also choose to make two attacks instead of one on his turn.
Each of these attacks will be at -3 to Skill and they may be at different, Engaged targets.

Vomit
Certain fighters can vomit tactically, if not precisely. Vomit
Every fighter even partially inside a 3” by 3” area in
Distance Might
front of this fighter is hit by the attack. The Might of the
Up to 1” 3d6
attack varies depending on the target’s distance from the
Vomiting fighter. Up to 2” 2d6
Up to 3” 1d6+3
Shields reduce the Might roll by the modifier
they would normally apply to an enemy’s Skill roll.
Inanimate objects are also affected by this acidic spray: fires are extinguished,
food and delicate objects are ruined, stores are damaged.
The fighter is Discombobulated by this regurgitation. He may recover as
normal, and if he does he may purge himself again.
When a fighter with Vomit is Incapacitated or Killed his commander must roll
on the Burst table.

Burst Table
Roll Outcome
It’s gonna blow! – The fighter performs a standard Vomit attack. The fighter’s
6/6
status then becomes Incapacitated regardless of the initial combat result.
Don’t cut there! – The fighter performs a standard Vomit attack with a
6/- maximum Might of 2d6. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial
combat result.
Look out! – The fighter bursts, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, within 1”
6/1 with a 2d6 Might Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the
initial combat result.
Hik-up! – The fighter belches, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, within 1”
-/- with a 1d6 Might Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the
initial combat result.
Eww! – The fighter bursts, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, behind him
1/- with a standard Vomit attack, maximum 2d6 Might. The fighter’s status then
changes to that of the initial combat result.
Dodge a bellyfull there! – The fighter belches to no effect. The fighter’s status
1/1
then changes to that of the initial combat result.

Rules of Conflict
Wallop
A fighter with this ability has trained in the art of two-handed weapons, or he is
naturally very strong, allowing him to attack with great strength. A Wallop fighter
may perform a powerful blow attack by spending a point of Froth instead of the
second Surge normally required.

Wave of Flesh
Wave of Flesh fighters in contiguous base contact may all move with one Surge, each
moving independently once activated. This move can be a standard, sprint, or careful
move, but Wave of Flesh fighters may only charge individually.

Ylark Ignition
Sacred to the sun god, ylarks are often sacrificed by being soaked in oil and burned
alive. It didn’t take the Elvorix long to realize that this ritual was a great way to explain
the power of Agaptus to their enemies in battle. Oiled ylarks fight as normal prior to
ignition.
The commander may ignite the ylark at the beginning of his turn before
any actions are performed by expending the entire Stone. The ylark immediately Flame Damage
goes on a rampage, moving 10” directly forward. The ylark then rotates to any Stone Bonus
direction desired by the commander and moves another 10”, repeating this until 3 Might +1d6
it has moved a number of times equal to the Stone. The ylark ignores entangling 4 Might +2
terrain and fires, destroys barricades and baggage, and ignites flammable terrain.
5 Might +1
Obstacles will stop the ylark’s movement for that Surge. If the ylark enters water
it will lie down and extinguish itself, ending the rampage.
Each fighter in the path must roll a Trample Skill check at -2 to jump out of the
way (to the edge of the ylark’s path). Trampled fighters suffer additional damage from
the splashing burning oil based on the value of the Stone.
At the end of the turn the ylark remains in place. On the owning commander’s
next turn roll 3d6:

•8 or less The ylark rampages again, using the new Stone, in place of the
commander’s turn.
•9 or more The ylark dies, burning in place, inextinguishable, and causing
a hit with a Might of 2d6 on any fighter who passes within 1”.
The ylark may rampage any number of turns before finally
succumbing, its status changing to Killed.

53
The Hand of a Goddess
 The True Atronians
and Their Divine Mission
 The True Atronians
After the return of the Vidaar fleet to Agaptan shores and the protracted war that
ensued, an undercurrent of discontent ran through both Elvorix and Vidaar societies.
Does became fed up with the bucks’ fascination with war. They could see that both
sides were Sentians, siblings separated by futile conflict. They started departing, no
longer willing to participate in such an insane struggle.

The Atronians
Government
Like the Jaarl, we elect our leaders. Each True Atronian community chooses a Mother,
who is the local leader, and one or more Representatives who travel to meet with the
regional councils. The Representatives in turn select the Delegates, a body of regional
envoys who speak for their electors at the Central Council. Finally, the Delegates elect
amongst themselves a First Mother, who acts as the leader of all True Atronians. All
terms are for no more than five years, but can be shorter if two-thirds of the electors
vote to recall someone from her post.

Religion
Many True Atronians try to avoid the topic of religion
altogether. Some, however, worship Atronia, a figure of the
Elvorix pantheon; they build forest altars and even modest
temples to Her where they offer sacrifices of barley-moss,
jewel-berries, and kogg. They claim that since the Great
Catastrophe, She has appeared in person to a select few, and
is far less clumsy and dangerous than other deities. She has
taken special interest, they say, in Her daughters and their
effort to save the land for all and She wishes to undo the Lord
of the Sky’s curse. Frankly, this author will believe it when
she sees it.

Society
The does who left their Elvorix Houses and Vidaar Clans
called themselves True Atronians in memory of the common
birthplace of both Sentian peoples in the Atronian mountains.
The name is also a reminder of the pale coloration of Elvorix
blood lines from that area, so similar to the Vidaar’s typical
fur tones.
Nevertheless, not all True Atronians have pale fur,
nor are they all Sentians. Over the last few decades, the
never-ending state of war for disappearing temperate lands
has also driven many Jaarl does to make the same choice,
leaving the ties of blood and culture and choosing a new
allegiance and a mission to fight for a greater common good.
Many a doe brings a fawn or two with her when she comes
to us, so we do have some bucks living among us.

57
 We take the best of our old worlds when we come together.
For example, we have adopted the Elvorix’ tradition of schooling
for every fawn, and here I have been able to learn to read and
write so I can preserve the ancient tales I learned as a Tale-Hoarder
among the Vidaar. From my Vidaar ancestors, we have adopted the
arts of warfare and secrecy, and from the Jaarl we have borrowed
the rule of law and the skills to organize our society.
We believe that it’s foolishness to fight when the Kuld and other
invaders are at our door and the zones where it is still possible to grow
food shrink daily, but we differ in views on how to act. We are known
not by our ancestry, but by the cause we best align with:

The Voices of Harmony believe we should make it our chief strategy

to approach the Vidaar, Elvorix, and Jaarl factions to open diplomatic
relations, to convince them that it’s time to put down weapons and
work together to survive the Great Catastrophe.

The Sisters of Duty think that this diplomacy will never achieve anything
unless we first show by force of arms that we mean business. The Sisters
have no wish to continue the fratricidal war but believe it is out of duty
that they must take arms.

Mothers of Strength are those who take the reasoning one step further,
and see little use for diplomacy at all. They feel they must simply knock
sense into the warring factions’ heads, then take command of a unified society.

Heirs of Survival believe the cause of unity is practically lost, and think we
should work to save as many as we can by recruiting in secrecy and abandoning
the rest to destroy one another.

Sample Names
We use much the same names that our estranged clans use, but variants of “Atronia”
are also very popular, as are names of plants dear to the goddess and related words:
Atria, Atronia, Atroninia, Harvest, Jewel-Berry, Purple-Moss, River-Berry, String-Moss,
Sweet-Moss, Tronia

The Atronians
Race-Specific Rules
Special Ability
Hand of Fate
The chosen warriors of the goddess Atronia, guided by her hand, are always aware of
the state of the battle. At any point during the Stone, the Atronian commander may
spend a point of Froth to see her current Stone’s value.

Magic Action
A Call to War (1 or 2)
To aid their Divine mission, the Priestesses of Atronia are able to summon an Avatar
of their goddess. The Priestess elects to spend one or two Surges to bring the Avatar to
the battlefield. If one Surge is expended the Priestess rolls on the Call to War table and
applies the result. If two Surges are spent, the Priestess may roll a third die and choose
which two are used for the plea.

Call to War
Roll Outcome
Unleash the Avatar! – With a Divine ferocity, the Avatar of Fury is placed anywhere on the
6/6
battlefield, including Engaged with enemy fighters.
For Atronia! – With a successful plea, the Avatar of Fury is placed on the battlefield, in contact
6/-
with the summoning Priestess.
She has arrived! – The plea succeeds and the Avatar of Wrath is placed anywhere on the
6/1
battlefield, including Engaged with enemy fighters.
To War! – With a successful plea, the Avatar of War is placed on the battlefield, in contact with
-/-
the summoning Priestess.
With little notice – The plea succeeds, barely. The Avatar of Wrath is placed on the battlefield,
1/-
in contact with the summoning Priestess.
A trivial matter – The battle is deemed below the attention of the goddess. The plea fails and
1/1
may not be called again for the rest of the battle.

When the Avatar of the Goddess is wounded in battle, Her Priestess can
spend Surges to have Her energy renewed. If the Priestess spends one Surge the
Avatar’s profile improves by 1. If two Surges are Spent it improves by 2 (see Avatar
of the Goddess, page 64).

59
Fighters
Glaive-Guard Glaive-Guard Glaive-Guard
Glaive Sk 12 Glaive and Shield Sk 13
Guardians of our cities and secret
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+1
enclaves. Does that have come from
all walks of life in service of True Two Weapons T 6 Two Weapons T 6

Atronia. MA 5 MA 4
30 points Shield 40 points Shield -2

Wilddoe
Our Vorix sisters are as wild and Veteran Glaive-Guard Veteran Glaive-Guard
untamed as our Vorix brothers, which
Glaive Sk 14 Glaive and Shield Sk 14
makes me glad they are on our side.
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+1
Elite, Two Weapons T 6 Elite, Two Weapons T 6
MA 5 MA 5
39 points Shield 44 points Shield -2

Wilddoe Wilddoe
Sword and Shield Sk 13 Morningstar and Sk 13
Shield
Mt 2d6-1 Mt 2d6
Skirmisher T 5 Reach, Skirmisher T 5
MA 5 MA 5
32 points Shield -2 35 points Shield -2

Wilddoe Speardoe
Glaive Sk 13 Spear Sk 13
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6
Skirmisher, Two T 5 Reach, Bodyguard T 5
Weapons
MA 5 MA 4
25 points Shield 20 points Shield

The Atronians
 Virian Mother
Virian Mother Our spiritual and emotional leaders.
Morningstar Sk 13 They enjoy nothing more than knocking
Mt 3d6-1 some sense into our enemies.
Reach, Skirmisher T 6

33 points (2)
MA
Shield
5
Virian Archer
Our hunters and game-stalkers are
often called on in times of battle and
Virian Archer strife.
Bow Sk 14

Deadeye, Ranged
Mt
T
1d6+1
5
Virian Sister
Weapon
MA 5 New sisters of True Atronia that have
37 points Shield not yet had the regimented training of
their more battlefield savvy compatriots.

Virian Sister Virian Sister

Morningstar Sk 12 Morningstar Sk 12
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6+1
Reach, Leader(3/2) T 5 Reach T 5
MA 5 MA 5
28 points Shield 20 points Shield

Virian Sister
Morningstar Sk 12
Mt 2d6+1
Wallop T 5
MA 5
20 points Shield

61
Fyrdalee Fyrdalee
Atronians that once served the Vidaar Spear and Shield Sk 12
or Elvorix nations and have now Mt 2d6
found their true calling. Counterattack T 5
MA 5

Huscaree 29 points (2) Shield -2

Atronian war leaders. Our best and

most fierce. Veteran Fyrdalee
Spear and Shield Sk 13

Aelfryee Elite, Counterattack

Mt
T
2d6+1
5
Frenzied and fed up. A bad combination MA 5
when paired with the biggest axe you 36 points (2) Shield -2
can carry.

Huscaree Veteran Huscaree

Sword and Shield Sk 13 Sword and Shield Sk 13
Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6+1
Elite T 6 Elite T 7
MA 4 MA 4
33 points Shield -2 45 points Shield -2

Aelfryee
Two-handed Axe Sk 13
Mt 3d6-1
Berserk T 5
MA 5
29 points (1) Shield

Aelfryee
Two-handed Axe Sk 13
Mt 3d6-1
Skirmisher, Wallop, T 5
Leap(2)
MA 5
37 points (1) Shield

The Atronians
 Gromal
These omnivores, found primarily
in mountainous areas, are valued for
their dexterous paws and flexible
spines, which allow them to keep
their footing and reach impressive
speeds in rough terrain and steep
inclines.

Gromal
Teeth, Tail and Riders Sk 14
Creature, Multiple Mt 2d6+2
Attacks (3), Ranged
T 7
Weapon, Short Range
MA 6
73 points (2) Shield

It is not recorded which of

our sisters was the first to try and
ride one. Common thought is that it
was a particularly bold Huscaree. I
prefer the lesser known version of
the legend involving two Wilddoe
and a tankard influenced wager.

Snegil
Sk 10 (+1)
Dumb, Mount(1), Mt 1d6-1
When Mounted,
T 3 (+1)
fighter gains Cavalry
MA 8 (+4)
20 points Shield

Kanid
Teeth Sk 14
Mt 1d6+1
Dumb, Pack(2), T 4
Skirmisher, Tameable
MA 8
14 points (4) Shield

63
Avatar Huscaree Medicine Doe
of the Goddess Sword and Shield Sk 12 Attitude Sk 12
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 1d6+1
Atronia keep us. There have been
Leader(6/2) T 6 Priest T 6
many tales of late of her avatar
fighting at our side. A whirlwind of MA 4 MA 4

blades and glory that returns to the 45 points (1) Shield -2 30 points (1) Shield
heavens as abruptly as she appears.

A Goddess on the Battlefield Tromee Totember

The Avatar of the Goddess is quite Instrument Sk 12 Mace Sk 12

unlike ordinary fighters. A commander Mt 1d6+1 Mt 2d6-1

spends the points associated with the Musician T 5 Standard Bearer T 5

Avatar of Fury to add this fighter to MA 5 MA 5
her Warband. 18 points (1) Shield 21 points (1) Shield

The Avatar does not deploy

with the rest of the Atronians. Instead
she must be summoned to the battlefield
by a Priestess using the Call to War plea.
When the Avatar receives an
Incapacitated or Killed combat result, Priestess
instead of being removed from the Sword Sk 14
battle, Her profile worsens: Fury to Mt 2d6
War, War to Wrath. Priest, Leader(3/2), T 6
Bodyguard
When an Avatar of Wrath is MA 4
Incapacitated or Killed, she is removed 35 points (1) Shield
from play, and may not be called again
for the remainder of the battle.

Avatar of Fury Avatar of War Avatar of Wrath

Glaive and Divine Power Sk 15 Glaive and Divine Power Sk 14 Glaive and Divine Sk 13
Power
Brawler, Resilient, Mt 3d6+1 Brawler, Resilient, Mt 3d6-1 Mt 2d6+2
Sweeping Blow, Two Weapons,
T 8 T 7 Brawler, Resilient, T 6
Scary(3) Scary(2)
Wallop, Scary(1)
MA 6 MA 6 MA 6
105 points (1) Shield Shield Shield

The Atronians
Heroes
Laemilda Strike-thorn
Hero Glaive-Guard Hero Wilddoe
Sword and Shield Sk 13 Glaive Sk 13
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6
Hero, Reach, Wallop T 6 Hero, Skirmisher, T 5
Two Weapons
MA 5 MA 5
48 points (1) Shield -2 33 points (1) Shield

Maessa Nimue
Hero Aelfryee Hero Wilddoe
Two-handed Axe Sk 13 Sword and Shield Sk 14
Mt 3d6-1 Mt 2d6
Hero, Leap(2), Wallop T 6 Hero, Skirmisher T 5
MA 5 MA 5
35 points (1) Shield 37 points (1) Shield -2

Mother Vaepola Blade-moss

Hero Virian Mother Hero Virian Sister
Morningstar Sk 13 Morningstar Sk 13
Mt 3d6 Mt 2d6+1
Hero, Reach, Wallop T 6 Hero, Reach, T 5
Skirmisher
MA 4 MA 5
37 points (1) Shield 35 points (1) Shield

Faelissa Ilfronik
Hero Huscaree Hero Fyrdalee
Sword and Shield Sk 13 Spear and Shield Sk 13
Mt 3d6 Mt 2d6+1
Hero, Leader(3/2) T 6 Hero, Counterattack T 6
MA 4 MA 5
50 points (1) Shield -2 42 points (1) Shield -2

65
Steadfast in Their Defense
 The Noble Elvorix
and Their Struggle for Home
 The Steadfast Elvorix
The Elvorix believe they are the last bastion of civilization in a world full of chaos and
barbarism. Some say they are cunning tricksters, having fooled the Vidaar into departing on
a hopeless quest across the globe. Others say they are stalwart warriors, as they fight tooth
and nail to reclaim their lands from the fierce Jaarl armies. Others say that the Elvorix are quite
delicious, once you get past all the fur. Well, not very many say that, just the Kuld hordes
from the icelands of the north and south. The Elvorix don’t say much about themselves, as
doing so would draw the attention of their God, and these encounters have a tendency to
end in world-changing catastrophe. As the sun grows ever more crimson in the sky and the
ice encroaches from the north and south, the Elvorix fight a losing battle to protect the last
fertile land in Agapta against the ravages of war, and against being eaten.

The Elvorix
Government
After fooling Vidaarus the Thirty-First and his loyalists into
leaving in search of Garigla, Elvora Bibulus seized power,
establishing the current government system with himself as
Scholar King. He spent the rest of his career trying to recover
the knowledge lost during the Vidaarus Dynasty’s great purge
of ancient records, creating academies and schools in every city.
The Elvorix consider themselves sophisticated, heirs
to the Ancient Sentians’ civilization. It is true that they prize
knowledge, unlike their bloodthirsty Vidaar cousins. They are
governed by a ruling council appointed by the Houses and
headed by the king, currently Lord Maladros. Local administration
falls under the authority of a Houselord. In descending order
of prestige and authority, the administrative units include
the Royal House, Noble Houses, Warrior Houses, Mercantile
Houses, and Common Houses. Houses are generally named
for their leaders; for example, House Luditus is the Merchant
House headed by Luditus Nummus.

Religion
Although they continue to worship Agaptus, Lord of the Sky, and his 15 (some say
16) siblings, under the Vidaarus Dynasty’s rule the names of many of these gods were
lost. The Elvorix still worship Atronia, Tender to the Earth and Its Bounties of Grain
and Moss; Gailus, Ruler of the Great Herds of Ylark that Wander Free across the Plains;
Ilunus, God of the Sea and Waves; and Prolyus, God of War and Conquest. Many
other gods are missing or disputed. A classic theological debate concerns the question
of whether gods are forgotten because they have declined, or whether they decline
because they are forgotten and lack worshipers.
Whichever deities one follows, no worshiper wants to be too close to his god.
Divine beings are powerful indeed but have little understanding of the fragility of
mortals. The safest place to be is neither in a god’s disfavor, attracting divine wrath,
nor so in favor that the god wants to check on you, but in just enough favor that your
deity will smile upon your endeavors, not feeling moved to visit personally. Even
temples of the gods are designed to be neither too shabby, which would displease the
gods, nor too attractive.

69
 In fact, priests of Agaptus often only pretend to call on divine power, going as
far as singing their own hair to make it look as if they had been visited by the Lord of
Lightning (Agaptus has an unfortunate tendency to set his followers on fire by getting
too close to them). In fact, there has been no authenticated visit of Agaptus since the
Great Catastrophe 87 years ago, but there is always someone claiming to have personally
met with the God Himself.
It seems the gods of Agaptus have grown bored with this state of affairs over
the centuries. The more mortals try to seem innocuous and not attention-worthy, the
more bored the gods become and the more eager they are to get involved with the af-
fairs of mortals as soon as one does anything interesting. Even Agaptus will likely take
an interest again soon, either to continue unleashing his anger upon his unworthy
followers or to make dangerous amends for his brutal chastisement in the Great Catastrophe.
Priests and priestesses conduct ceremonies by chanting, reciting ritual phrases,
and performing animal sacrifices. In particular, for important ceremonies to Agaptus,
ylark are tied and set on fire—the smell of the roasting meat is thought to be pleasing
to the god.

Society
Because it can be so dangerous to stand out in any way that
might attract divine attention, eccentricity and excellence are
frowned upon in Elvorix society. The higher up in the hierarchy
individuals are, the more conformity they display. To act as
lightning rods—sometimes in the most literal sense—important
people such as nobles, generals, and the heads of Houses, will
often surround themselves with a retinue of attendants,
advisors, personal assistants, musicians, and hangers-on who
are supposed to provide cover for any inadvertent originality.
Of course, this can backfire if the attendants themselves are too
interesting.
Conversely, the less important Elvorix are, the freer
they feel to break with conformity. Thus, innovation and
change tend to spread very slowly through Elvorix society and
to filter up from the bottom.

The Elvorix
 Ethnically, Elvorix can be divided into four broad groups:

Highborn – Elvorix whose blood lines have remained “pure” since

the Great Deception and the departure of Vidaarus the Thirty-First
and his warriors nearly 900 years ago refer to themselves as “High-
born.” They tend toward auburn, chestnut, and ruddier colorings; if
one is Highborn but not of the “right” color, it’s not unusual to help
nature along with dye.

Northerners – The Elvorix from the northern regions who have

fallen to the gluttonous Kuld. Their fur tends to be more mottled and
marbled in coloring, with blends of browns, black, and greys, (which
are considered unattractive by Highborn Elvorix). They often form
the rank and file of the military front lines since they have lost their
homelands, trade, and heritage.

Atronians – Elvorix from the southern regions of Sentia represent the

oldest lineages in the land. They tend toward pale fur colors, which
also help hide any intermixing with the neighboring Vidaar (since
the latter also tend toward pale colorations).

’Vorix – Some Elvorix are born exceptionally short and often fragile
of health, but tend to show bravery and resourcefulness in inverse
proportion. Born from every known rank in society at a rate of about
one in ten live births, they do not breed true. Because they suffer from
mockery and abuse due their size, most of them tend to forsake their
House and congregate in loose but loyal ’Vorix Clans.

Sample Names
Occupation Names – Aedituus (priest), Agrius (farmer), Bibulus (scholar),
Gladius (soldier), Nummus (merchant), Parvulus (child), Usus (laborer)
Personal Names – Aart, Aguros, Atronia, Baseros, Biblius, Bluum, Brojan, Brutilus,
Caperna, Elani, Elantrix, Elvora, Elwo, Evrard, Ficca, Flautul, Garigla, Gicca, Ggorll,
Hlarn, Homarus, Huudos, Hyllva, Ilunas, Kalamus, Killim, Kiptus, Kiriko, Kkahl, Lilia,
Lukkus, Maladros, Matia, Mauro, Mearios, Monru, Naril, Nyllo, Orvas, Pallo, Rogus,
Seadros, Semela, Sentius, Sigurod, Tera, Tomlin, Toranus, Torvus, Ven, Wiccar, Yladuur
’Vorix Clan Names – Arrowflight, Deathsong, Proudheart, Quickstrike, Shadowstep,
Two-Blades

71
 Race-Specific Rules
Leadership Action
Shields High!
Proficient in defense, an Elvorix leader trains his bucks to hold their position at a
moment’s notice. An Elvorix leader requires only one Surge to perform a Stand Your
Ground! leadership action.

Magic Action
Obscure (1)
Elvorix Priests are adept at hiding their practice from their god. Some have turned this
deception into a plea with a practical uses on the battlefield. After spending a Surge to
call this plea, the Priest rolls on the Obscure table, centering the effect on himself.

Obscure
Roll Outcome
And we’re gone! – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Friendly fighters within the effect
6/6 cannot be the target of a charge move. Enemy fighters within the effect suffer a -1 penalty
to Skill checks.
Out of sight! – The effect extends 2” from the Priest. Friendly fighters within the effect can-
6/- not be the target of a charge move. Enemy fighters within the effect suffer a -1 penalty to
Skill checks.
That worked a little too well! – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. All fighters within the
6/1
effect suffer a -1 penalty to Skill checks.
Now you see us... – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Enemy fighters within the effect
-/-
suffer a -1 penalty to Skill checks.
Again?! – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Friendly fighters within the effect cannot
1/-
perform a charge move.
Well at least this means Agaptus can’t see us either! – The effect extends 4” from the
1/1 Priest. Friendly fighters within the effect cannot perform a charge move. Friendly fighters
within the effect also suffer a -1 penalty to all Skill checks.

The Elvorix
 Fighters
Linebuck Veteran Linebuck
Sword and Shield Sk 12 Sword and Shield Sk 13
Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6+1
T 5 T 5
MA 4 MA 4
20 points Shield -2 25 points Shield -2

Green Linebuck Spearbuck

Sword and Shield Sk 11 Spear Sk 12
Mt 2d6-1 Mt 2d6
T 5 Bodyguard, T 5
Reach
MA 4 MA 4
15 points Shield -1 18 points Shield

Linebucks
Often pressed into service during
Arrowbuck Veteran Spearbuck a time of war, linebucks are the
Darts Sk 15 Spear Sk 13 everybuck of the Elvorix nation.
Mt 1d6+2 Mt 2d6+1 Carrying a simple sword and shield,
Dead-eye, T 4 Bodyguard, T 5 woe to any who underestimate the
Ranged Weapon
MA 5
Reach, Wallop
MA 4
power of their numbers.
35 points (2) Shield 22 points Shield
Spearbucks
Found directly behind their linebuck
Dartbuck compatriots, these fighters make use of
Darts Sk 14 their additional training, placing every
Mt 1d6+1 spear attack where it is needed most.
Ranged Weapon T 4
MA 5 Dartbucks
17 points Shield
A recent addition to the Elvorix
military, dartbucks add a much
needed reach to a commander ’s
arsenal.

73
Wildbucks
In battle they take advantage of
their small stature, striking enemies
with preternatural dexterity—and
remarkable savagery born of pent-
up aggression—before scampering
away.

Savagebucks
Masters of smashing enemy
formations, often disorganizing
them with a ferocity that borders
on frenzy.

Wildbuck Wildbuck Wildbuck

Two Swords Sk 14 Two-handed Sword Sk 14 Spear and Shield Sk 14
Mt 2d6-1 Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6-1
Skirmisher, T 4 Skirmisher, T 4 Skirmisher, T 4
Two Weapons Wallop Counterattack
MA 5 MA 5 MA 5
25 points Shield 26 points Shield 28 points Shield -2

Savagebuck Savagebuck Savagebuck Bigwig

Two Swords Sk 15
Two-handed Sword Sk 15 Spear and Shield Sk 15
Mt 2d6+1
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6
Skirmisher, T 5
Skirmisher, T 5 Skirmisher, T 5
Two Weapons,
Wallop Counterattack MA 5
MA 5 MA 5 Leader(3/2)
31 points (2) Shield 35 points (2) Shield -2 38 points (1) Shield

The Elvorix
 Greybucks
War-captains and Houselords look to
these veterans for strong leadership
among the ranks and their stout backs
when it comes to a fight.

Captains
A Houselord’s most trusted and loyal
warriors often lead his bucks into
battle.

Snegilbucks
Veteran mounted bucks that love
nothing more than trampling a few
hapless foes!
Greybuck Greybuck
Two-handed Sword Sk 14 Sword and Shield Sk 13
Mt 3d6-1 Mt 2d6+2
Elite, Wallop T 6 Elite T 6
MA 4 MA 4
32 points (1) Shield 32 points (1) Shield -2

Greybuck Sergeant Veteran Snegilbuck

Sword and Shield Sk 14 Sword and Shield, 13 13
Snegil
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 3d6
Elite, T 6 Cavalry, Hard to Kill, T 7
Leader(3/2) Multiple Attacks(2),
MA 4 MA 6
Trample
46 points (1) Shield -2
90 points (2) Shield -2

Captain Veteran Captain Sea Captain

Sword and Shield Sk 14 Sword and Shield Sk 14 Sword and Shield Sk 13
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6
Leader(5/2) T 6 Elite, T 6 Leader(5/2), T 5
Leader(5/2) Sea Legs
MA 4 MA 4 MA 4
43 points (1) Shield -2 48 points (1) Shield -2 36 points (1) Shield -2

75
Elvorix
General Priest
Command Sword and Shield Sk 13 Religious Implements Sk 14
Elvorix Generals and their staff are Mt 2d6 Mt 1d6
few and far between. Not because Leader(6/3) T 6 Priest, Bodyguard T 4
there is no ambition among the MA 4 MA 4
Elvorix, but because most feel such a 45 points (1) Shield -2 35 points (1) Shield
grandiose title is cutting things a bit
too close. Wear too big a hat, put too
many fancy titles before your name,
Musician Standard
and soon enough, the Lord of the
Sword and Instrument Sk 11 Sword and Standard Sk 11
Sky is going to notice you, and quite
frankly, nobody needs that. Mt 1d6 Mt 2d6-1
Musician T 4 Standard Bearer T 4
MA 4 MA 4
Priests 20 points (1) Shield 20 points (1) Shield
Without a doubt, the most difficult
job in any battle is to call down the
blessings of a god without actually
calling down the god himself.

Ylark
Beast of burden. Giant holy sacrifice.
Flaming living weapon. Producer of
myriad tasty—and not so much—
cheeses.

Kanid
Loyal friend. Vicious in defense of
their master. Sandal chewer.

Ylark Kanid Snegil

Horns and Hooves, Sk 12 Teeth Sk 14 Sk 10 (+1)
Burning
Mt 3d6-1 Mt 1d6+1 Dumb, Mount(1), Mt 1d6-1
When Mounted,
Creature, Dumb, T 7 Dumb, Pack(2), T 4 T 3 (+1)
fighter gains Cavalry
Ylark Ignition Skirmisher, Tameable
MA 8 MA 8 MA 8 (+4)
84 points (1) Shield 14 points (4) Shield 20 points Shield

The Elvorix
Heroes
Monru Hicca
Hero Linebuck Hero Wildbuck
Sword and Shield Sk 14 Spear and Shield Sk 15
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+1
Hero T 6 Hero, Skirmisher, T 5
Counterattack, Scary(1)
MA 4 MA 6
38 points (1) Shield -2 38 points (1) Shield -2

Torvas Captain Elwo

Hero Greybuck Hero Captain
Sword and Shield Sk 15 Sword and Shield Sk 15
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+2
Hero T 6 Hero, T 6
Leader(5/2)
MA 4 MA 4
42 points (1) Shield -2 55 points (1) Shield -2

Aethwilf Feestan Father Beeca

Hero Linebuck Hero Linebuck Hero Priest
Sword and Shield Sk 14 Sword and Shield Sk 13 Ylark Bone Sk 14
Mt 2d6 Mt 3d6-1 Mt 1d6+1
Hero T 6 Hero T 6 Hero, Priest, T 5
Bodyguard
MA 4 MA 4 MA 4
34 points (1) Shield -2 38 points (1) Shield -2 40 points (1) Shield

Olflaed Ylark-ear Mimsi

Hero Dartbuck Hero Savagebuck Hero Ylark
Darts Sk 15 Two Swords Sk 15 Horns and Hooves, Sk 13
Burning
Mt 1d6+2 Mt 2d6 Mt 3d6
Hero, Dead-eye, T 5 Hero, Skirmisher, T 5 Creature, Dumb, Hero, T 7
Ranged Weapon Two Weapons Ylark Ignition
MA 5 MA 5 MA 8
45 points (1) Shield 38 points (1) Shield 90 points (1) Shield

77
A Life of Savagery
 The Brutish Vidaar
and Their Thirst for Power
 The Savage Vidaar
A long time ago, the Elvorix were ruled by the Vidaar Kings. The Elvorix built the cities,
farmed the land, and wrote the scrolls. The Vidaar ate the food, burned the scrolls, and
polished their swords. Finally, having grown weary of this arrangement, one rather
bright Elvorix tricked the Vidaar into sailing west in search of a mythical island filled
with gold and riverberries. The Elvorix felt rather clever, until an incredibly grumpy
fleet of Vidaar sailed in on the eastern shore three hundred years later. Apparently fifteen
generations of inbreeding, poor on-board entertainment, and the distinct absence of a
mythical island filled with gold and riverberries had soured them on their erstwhile kin.
It’s been centuries now, and the Vidaar haven’t gotten over it, and swear they won’t until
the last Elvorix is cold Kuld chow and their rightful place as kings of Agaptus is restored.

The Vidaar
Government
The Vidaar hordes continue to be led by the Vidaarus Dynasty, at
least officially; the current king is General Vidaarus the Ninety-
First. His most trusted retainers are the Dowodiks, chieftains
leading the Vidaar armies. Everyone in Vidaar society looks up
to a lord or leader who in turn answers to another in a chain that
leads directly to King Vidaarus. Among clans, however, there can
be fierce competition for favor, and the king usually encourages this
to make sure the most powerful Dowodiks are plotting against
one another, not him.
Vidaar rally around clans that are named for things that
sound impressive. The most important and powerful are the
Chieftain Clans, whose armies are commanded by a Dowodik.
Below them are Skeppare Clans, who supply troops headed
by a Styrsik and oversee the common clans, usually named for
weapons, tools, or other things that hurt: Axe Clan, Shield Clan,
Anvil Clan, Vise Clan, Hammer Clan, etc.

Religion
Unlike the Elvorix, Vidaar are monotheists. They worship only Akka-Maas, their
name for Agaptus. The clergy of the One God worship out in the open rather than
in temples; this is more convenient to conduct their ceremonies, which involve loud,
rhythmic music and wild dancing. As an added benefit, there is no temple to be
burned down if Akka-Maas decides to visit his faithful.
Priests and priestesses of Akka-Maas practice a unique form of augury called
tyromancy by reading signs in aged ylark cheese. The cheese wheels are also used as
ammunition in battle, lobbed at the enemy with catapults—the powerful stink can
disrupt entire units. Finally, the same smell is believed to discourage Akka-Maas from
visiting his clergy too often. Then again, Akka-Maas has not been encountered since
the Great Catastrophe.

81
 Society
The hatred for writing and “book learning” persists in
Vidaar society, and all teaching is from oral tradition and
apprenticeship. Every Vidaar learns the military arts—at
least the use of knife, axe, spear, and shield—and usually
some sort of craft as well: sailing, ship-building, black-
smithing, weapon-smithing, fishing, brewing, farming,
herding, and so forth.
Vidaar settlements are always built for defense,
from the smallest hamlet to the capital, Vidaara. They are
often found on tops of hills with unimpeded views, backed
against cliffs, in caves, or reusing the ruins of Ancient
Sentian cities.
In border areas, the Pact of Prolyus gave rise to
some discreet trade and inter-mixing with neighboring
Elvorix populations; in these regions, some Vidaar villages
are less inclined to war and more toward profitable smuggling.
Vidaar identify primarily with their clans, but
these clans can be divided in two broad groups:
Sea-Leggers – These traditionalist Vidaar are based mostly in the coastal areas. They
are proud seafarers and show some contempt for land-lubbers. For them, a Vidaar’s
place is on the high seas, pursuing a Jaarl galley, attacking an Elvorix coastal city, or
invading a new island to kill its monsters and pillage its treasures. They spend most of
their life on an ancestral Vidaar ship, carrying on this fine tradition, though even the
most old-fashioned now think of one port or another as “home” when they get maudlin.

Late-Comers – Not all the Vidaar ships arrived together; some showed up generations
after the landing on Iradon in 95 BGC. Those who arrived later often maintain a culture
distinct from the bulk of Vidaar society, and are referred to as Late-Comers, though they
have a multitude of names for themselves, often based on the name of their flagship or
Styrsik at landfall. Late-Comer clans are usually tight-knit, don’t easily share details of
their customs with other Vidaar, and are only loosely allied with other Late-Comer clans.

The Vidaar
 In addition, some Vidaar are distinguished by accidents of ancestry:

Ghost-Furs – These albino Vidaar exhibit pale white fur and blood-red eyes. This trait
appears to breed true; those albinos who breed with others of the same coloration have
strictly albino fawns. However, Ghost-Furs can be born to regularly colored parents,
though they tend to appear more often in certain bloodlines. Priests of Akka-Maas
consider Ghost-Furs to be holy or chosen.

Half-Breeds – Many Vidaar now can claim at least one recent Elvorix ancestor, but
generally forget to mention it. Half-Breeds who either can’t or won’t hide their mixed
heritage tend to be given the most obnoxious chores and the roughest treatment.

Sample Names
Aenwubba, Blagaard, Forlad, Gholas, Gubba, Kraka, Krula, Nhilde, Offrus, Ragnhild,
Sverra, Tahrynn, Ulryg, Vaad, Vaett, Valeran, Vendela, Venks, Vidaarus, Vigdis, Villd,
Volo, Vulgg, Ylwa

83
 Race-Specific Rules
Leadership Action
Get Them!
Years of pillaging and an inbred recklessness combine to provide Vidaar leaders with
an unequaled ability to move their fighters with great efficiency. A Vidaar leader only
expends one Surge when performing the Move! leadership action. Multiple Vidaar
leaders can make use of this ability during the same Stone, but each individual leader
can only perform the action once.

Magic Action
Frenzy (1)
The Priest calls upon Akka-Maas to incite a divine fury amongst his followers. After
spending a Surge to make the plea, the Priest rolls on the Frenzy table, applying the
result to the fighters within the designated area. These bonuses last as long as the
fighters remain within the area. If a fighter starts his activation inside the area and then
proceeds to move out of it, the bonuses last until the end of the current Stone.

Frenzy
Roll Outcome
Unrelenting attack – Area of effect is a 4” radius. Friendly fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill
6/6
bonus, and add 2” to their Movement Allowance.
Savage fury – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Friendly fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus,
6/-
and add 2” to their Movement Allowance.
6/1 Incited a riot – Area of effect is a 2” radius. All fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.
Whipped into a frenzy – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Friendly fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill
-/-
bonus.
1/- Lost momentum – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Enemy fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.
1/1 Disorganized rabble – 4” Radius area of effect. Enemy fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.

The Vidaar
 Fighters
Bondee Veteran Bondee Bondee
Axe and Shield Sk 12 Axe and Shield Sk 13
Leather, axe and shield, come to
Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6+1
reclaim their birthright. Bucktoothed,
T 5 T 5
and hunch-backed but scary all the
MA 4 MA 4 same.
20 points Shield -2 25 points Shield -2

Fyrdee
Green Bondee Fyrdee Those crudely tipped spears are
Axe and Shield Sk 11 Spear Sk 12 employed with gruesome efficiency,
Mt 2d6-1 Mt 2d6 especially besides their Bondee
T 5 Bodyguard, T 5 brethren.
Reach
MA 4 MA 4
15 points Shield -1 18 points Shield Skalgee
Few Vidaar have the composure to
Skalgee Veteran Fyrdee train in ranged warfare. Let us all be
glad for that.
Atlatl Sk 14 Spear Sk 13
Mt 1d6+1 Mt 2d6+1
Ranged Weapon T 4 Bodyguard, T 5
Reach, Wallop
MA 5 MA 4
17 points Shield 22 points Shield

Veteran Skalgee
Atlatl Sk 15
Mt 1d6+2
Dead-eye, T 4
Ranged Weapon
MA 5
35 points (2) Shield

85
Ceoree
Too unruly, too untrustworthy for
fighting in a shieldwall, they make
perfect skirmishers, prowling the
flanks for easy prey.

Ulfyree
They have no life but for battle, and
in many ways are more dangerous
than even the Nhilde trolls!

Ceoree Ceoree
Two Swords Sk 13 Polearm Sk 13
Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6
Skirmisher, T 4 Skirmisher, T 4
Two Weapons Wallop
MA 5 MA 5
22 points (4) Shield 20 points (4) Shield

Ceoree Ceoree
Polearm and Shield Sk 13 Sword Sk 13
Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6
Skirmisher, T 4 Brawler, Skirmisher T 4
Counterattack
MA 5 MA 5
30 points (4) Shield -2 20 points (4) Shield

Ulfyree Ulfyree
Two Swords Sk 13 Polearm Sk 14
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6+2
Berserk, T 5 Skirmisher, T 5
Two Weapons Wallop
MA 5 MA 5
38 points (2) Shield 28 points (2) Shield

The Vidaar
 Lunghshyld
Lunghshyld
Axe and Shield Sk 14 In keeping with the unspoken
Mt 2d6+2
Vidaar motto of bigger is better,
Elite, Leader(2/3) T 6
the Lunghshyld make the biggest,
weapons and shields possible. It
MA 4
makes screaming and leaping a tad
46 points (1) Shield -2
difficult, but when it comes to defense,
only a ylark can hope to break
through a Lunghshyld shield wall
Lunghshyld on the first try.
Two-handed Sword Sk 14
Mt 3d6-1
Elite, Wallop T 6
Styrsik
MA 4 Vidaar war-captains are notorious
32 points (1) Shield for getting the job done quickly and
ferociously, always with as little
damage done to the loot as possible.
Lunghshyld Many a mead-hall ballad revolves
Axe and Shield Sk 14
around the derring-do of these
Vidaar heroes.
Mt 2d6+2
Elite T 6
MA 4
32 points (1) Shield -2

Styrsik Veteran Styrsik Pirate Styrsik

Axe and Shield Sk 13 Axe and Shield Sk 14 Axe and Shield Sk 13
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6
Leader(3/3) T 6 Elite, Leader(4/3) T 6 Leader(3/3), T 5
Sea Legs
MA 4 MA 4 MA 4
40 points (1) Shield -2 48 points (1) Shield -2 36 points (1) Shield -2

87
Vidaar Dowodik Udvlag
Command Axe and Shield Sk 14 Censer Sk 14
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 1d6
Any Vidaar worth his salt would
Leader(4/3) T 6 Priest, Bodyguard T 4
rather stay in the shieldwall or atop
the fo’c’s’le, where he can best direct MA 4 MA 4

his wrath against the usurpers and 45 points (1) Shield -2 25 points (1) Shield
encroachers, and let some other
lackey do run the rabble.
Tromik Totember
Udvlag Axe and Instrument Sk
Mt
12
2d6-3
Axe and Standard Sk
Mt
11
2d6-1
Somewhere along the way, they Musician T 5 Standard Bearer T 5
became convinced that the cheeses MA 4 MA 4
made from the milk of the sacred 18 points (1) Shield 19 points (1) Shield
ylark were trying to talk to them.

Nhilde
Enormous creatures, twice the height
of a Vidaar buck, they possess enough
strength to rip a shieldwall apart
barehanded.

Snegil
Sk 10 (+1)
Dumb, Mount(1), Mt 1d6-1
When Mounted,
T 3 (+1)
fighter gains Cavalry
MA 8 (+4)
20 points Shield

Kanid Young Nhilde Nhilde

Teeth Sk 14 Big ol’ Hammer Sk 11 Big ol’ Hammer Sk 11
Mt 1d6+1 Mt 2d6+2 Mt 3d6
Dumb, Pack(2), T 4 Berserk, Creature, T 6 Creature, Scary(1), T 7
Skirmisher, Tameable Scary(1) Sweeping Blow
MA 8 MA 6 MA 6
14 points (4) Shield 45 points (2) Shield 82 points (2) Shield

The Vidaar
Heroes
Krollo Steepus
Hero Bondee Hero Bondee
Axe and Shield Sk 13 Spear and Shield Sk 12
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 3d6-1
Hero T 5 Hero, Counterattack, T 7
Wallop
MA 4 MA 4
33 points (1) Shield -2 38 points (1) Shield -2

Styrsik Vaelyt Styrsik Aenwubba

Hero Styrsik Hero Styrsik
Axe and Shield Sk 14 Axe and Shield Sk 14
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+2
Hero, T 6 Hero, T 6
Leader(4/2) Leader(3/2)
MA 4 MA 4
54 points (1) Shield -2 50 points (1) Shield -2

Vulg Ulryg Valerana

Hero Ceoree Hero Lungshyld Hero Udvlag
Polearm Sk 14 Axe and Shield Sk 15 Stinky Cheese Sk 14
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6 Mt 1d6+1
Hero, Skirmisher, T 5 Hero T 6 Hero, Priest, T 5
Two Weapons Bodyguard
MA 5 MA 4 MA 4
35 points (1) Shield 35 points (1) Shield -2 40 points (1) Shield

Stankhoof Grunk Laesy

Hero Nhilde Hero Nhilde Hero Kanid
Big ol’ Hammer Sk 12 Big ol’ Hammer Sk 12 Teeth Sk 15
Mt 3d6 Mt 3d6 Mt 1d6+1
Creature, Scary(1), T 7 Creature, Hero, T 7 Hero, Skirmisher, T 4
Hero, Sweeping Blow Scary(1), Wallop Leap(2)
MA 6 MA 6 MA 8
98 points (1) Shield 52 points (1) Shield 17 points (1) Shield

89
Forsaken Warriors
 The Relentless Jaarl
and Their Brutal Efficiency
 The Forsaken Jaarl
Only through recent contacts between Jaarl does and True Atronians have we learned a
bit more about what drove them to these shores.
The Jaarl used to live on an island to the northeast that they called Murmadon (and
which Elvorix fishermen knew as Munarmanon). The clime was very warm and lush
vegetation grew, for in the center was a mountain inhabited by mighty fires. They call
the mountain Mount Murmadon, and worshipped it as a god which they call, you
guessed it, Murmadon.
But something happened at about the time of our Great Catastrophe that made
Mount Murmadon belch ash and spew molten rock, destroying most of the island and
killing a great many of the Jaarl. Those who could escaped by ship, barely alive. They
regrouped, meeting up with returning ships of the great Jaarl fleet.
The fleet had left in search of a new suitable homeland, but meanwhile the
weather had turned brutal. The floating ice from the far north was descending ever
further south, the rains of ash extended as far as they could sail, and the cold was
intensely unpleasant to the Jaarl, who were used to warmer conditions. At last they
found Iradon and, beyond it, the still-temperate areas of Matriga and Sentia.

The Jaarl
Government
The Jaarl are ruled by laws, not merely by the authority of their lords. Political power
is controlled by the five major affiliations—Military, Arcane, Preservers, Providers,
and Builders—each with its own internal factions. Each community elects representa-
tives, who in turn elect 64 senators to form the legislative body, the Jaarl Senate, and
these elect three Executors who lead the nation. Most top-level decisions require only a
simple majority among the three Executors, but some require unanimous agreement.

Religion
The Jaarl show nothing but disdain for the Sentian
gods and their worship, but are close-mouthed about
their own beliefs. Those few Sentians who had a
chance to get to know them more cannot escape the
conclusion that the Jaarl are mad at their former
mountain-god Murmadon. While no one among us
has been able to figure out exactly what happened to
make the mountain explode, the Jaarl seem to blame
Murmadon for its fickleness.
And yet, they carry around chunks of rock
salvaged from the mountain, which exude powerful
magic. These rocks look ordinary until they are used
in pleas—in the presence of powerful magic, they
glow with an eerie blue flame. Jaarl war priests, called
Popio, use these hunks of porous stone to call forth
their battlefield pleas. Vidaaran and Elvorix priests
who get too close to these rocks are sent into fits, and
the larger the piece of rock, or the more of these rocks
put together, the stronger the effect. The Jaarl are
terrifyingly protective of Murmadon rock. Only once
did an Elvorix commander try to capture one on the
battlefield and the Jaarl’s subsequent retribution was
so brutal and final that this has never been tried again.

93
 Society
With their superior tactics and Murmadon-forged weapons, the
only thing that stopped the Jaarl forces from conquering all of
Agaptus was their small number. Even now, eight decades later,
they are outnumbered perhaps one to fifteen by the Elvorix and
one to ten or more by the Vidaar. A few decades ago they started
using slave labor from enemy captives—they are not cruel but they
do work their Vidaar and Elvorix slaves very hard.
Jaarl does do not bear live young like Sentians, but instead
lay one egg which they place in a pocket hidden in their abdomen,
where it will incubate for a while longer. After the egg hatches,
the doe nurses the fawn for several months. Civilian Jaarl society
revolves around this reproductive cycle, since a high birth rate
and infant survival rate are needed to secure the new homeland.
A doe will bring her fawn everywhere with her, whether she is an
architect, a grocer, or a scribe. When this would be dangerous to
the fawn or would interfere with tasks, does arrange to put fawn
rearing duties in common and trade time so that a few does may
care for many fawns.
Although clans existed before the explosion of Mount
Murmadon, Jaarl affiliations are now based on occupation and are
much more fluid than the old bloodlines, since anyone can join.

Military – The Military secures territory for the new homeland and protects it from
all other would-be occupants. This is the group where it is rarest to see does and the
only one where bucks hold the majority. This is because of the difficulties of combining
military discipline with the Jaarl doe’s gestation cycle. It’s also the one place where ties
of lineage remain the strongest, as swords forged in the heat of Mount Murmadon are
irreplaceable and passed only from parent to child, usually father to son.

Arcane – The mysterious individuals who seem to worship chunks of stone are part of
the Arcane. The Popio wield powerful if unstable magics in battle. The Intellego work
on theoretical magic, trying to create specific effects and decrease unpredictability. The
Virian use arcane abilities to act as champions, bodyguards, protectors, mediators,
advisors, and adjudicators.

Builders – Those who plan the new homeland and construct its infrastructure are the
Builders. They create public works and edifices (Deviso plan and Paveo build), but also
plan entire institutions for the future (Scriptio), modifying existing ones as needed.

The Jaarl
Preservers – The Preservers are tasked with collecting, organizing, and protecting even
the slightest bit of knowledge or culture from Murmadon. They seek the wisdom of
their ancestors and to connect the fragments, rebuilding the parts that have been lost.

Providers – The Jaarl who dedicate themselves to sustaining normalcy and make
the cogs of society turn. Farmers, craftsbucks, teachers, civil servants, jurists, and
merchants, are all part of the Providers.

Sample Names
Agirix, Arabaldo, Arduino, Asdrubale, Azzone, Bodo, Burlanda, Ezzo, Ghinga, Har-
rie, Hgglar, Illinani, Jusipio, Khugg, Lele, Meloria, Morenus, Mortox, Nofri, Rigarda,
Rocco, Rolius, Tedaldo, Tenghi, Tybal, Ugolina

95
 Race-Specific Rules
Special Ability
Brothers in Arms
Trained from birth to fight as a unit, Jaarl fighters in base contact with one another
may recover from Discombobulated without a roll. The Recovery is automatic,
but still requires the expenditure of a Surge. This Surge does not count toward the
fighter’s limit of two.

Magic Action
Shove (1)
The coherency of their unit is everything to the Jaarl. Their Priests have trained to
assist this practice, channeling divine power to keep their fighters clear of unwanted
engagements. When called this plea targets all enemies Engaged with Jaarl fighters
within 4” of the Priest. A roll on the Shove table is made to determine their fate.

Shove
Roll Outcome
Assault – All targeted enemy fighters are moved 2” away from the Jaarl with which they were
6/6
Engaged. These fighters must make a Recovery check to avoid being Discombobulated.
Barrage – One targeted enemy fighter per friendly fighter within the area of effect is moved
6/- 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was Engaged. The direction of this movement is deter-
mined by the Jaarl commander.
Disorganized – One targeted enemy fighter per friendly fighter within the area of effect is
moved 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was Engaged. The direction of this movement
6/1
is determined by the Jaarl commander. All fighters within the area of effect must make a
Recovery check to avoid being Discombobulated.
Shoved – A single targeted enemy fighter within the area of effect is moved 1” away from the
-/- Jaarl with which he was Engaged. The direction of this movement is determined by the Jaarl
commander.
Disadvantaged – One targeted enemy fighter per friendly fighter within the area of effect is
1/- moved 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was Engaged. The direction of this movement is
determined by the opposing commander.
Feedback – The Priest is shoved back 2” from his current position. The force of this effect
1/1
Discombobulates the Priest.

The Jaarl
 Fighters
Roccio
The youngest and most numerous of
the feared Jaarl host. As soon as he is
able to hold a wooden sword upright,
a Jaarl is conditioned to unquestioning
discipline, unswerving loyalty to his
family and fellow warriors

Rigenti
Rigenti use larger shields and pilums.
Some think it a sorry replacement for
a sword, to be sure, but those Sentians
Roccio Veteran Roccio have never stood across the field from
Sword and Shield Sk 12 Sword and Shield Sk 13 the heavily armored and baying wall
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+2 of spikes a Rigenti unit forms.
T 7 Elite T 7
MA 4 MA 4
40 points Shield -3 50 points(4) Shield -3
Balestia
Jaarl are better known for their
Rigenti Rigenti muscle and sinew than for hand-eye
Spear and Shield Sk 13 Spear and Shield Sk 13 coordination. Those bucks that show
Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6 an aptitude are quickly outfitted with
Elite, Counter Attack, T 7 Elite, Counter Attack T 7 a crossbow that fire’s bolts the size of
Leader(3/2)
MA 4 MA 4 a ship’s mast.
48 points (1) Shield -3 45 points(4) Shield -3

Balestia
Crossbow Sk 13
Mt 1d6+2
Deadeye, T 6
Ranged Weapon
MA 4
43 points(2) Shield

97
Valani
Just as a soldier must learn discipline
and obedience in the shieldwall as
a Roccio, so too must he learn the
importance of independence and
righteous aggression as a freewheeling
Valani.

Cospico
Laden with a heavy double-bladed
polearm, but expected to perform
a lithe and limber duty, engaging
enemy trolls and war-beasts without
benefit of shield or heavy armor.
Valani Veteran Valani
Two Swords Sk 13 Two Swords Sk 14

Commandi Skirmisher,
Mt
T
2d6+1
6 Elite, Skirmisher,
Mt
T
2d6+1
6
After many years as both Roccio and Two Weapons
MA 5
Two Weapons
MA 5
Valani, a Jaarl that has demonstrated 31 points Shield 39 points(4) Shield
the proper amounts of aggression and
caution, spirit and reserve, discipline
and free-will, may be granted the Cospico Cospico
audition to join the Commandi Bladed Staff Sk 14 Bladed Staff Sk 14
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6+1
Skirmisher, Two T 6 Skirmisher, T 6
Weapons, Leader(3/2) Two Weapons
MA 5 MA 5
44 points(1) Shield 36 points(4) Shield

Commandi Veteran Commandi

Sword and Shield Sk 12 Sword and Shield Sk 13
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+2
Leader(6/2) T 7 Elite, Leader(6/2) T 7
MA 4 MA 4
55 points (1) Shield -3 62 points(1) Shield -3

The Jaarl
 Gamba
Claws and Sword Sk 12
Mt 3d6
Creature, Scary(1) T 8
Multiple Attacks(2)
MA 4
82 points(2) Shield

Cilisti Gamba
Sword and Whip Sk 12
Gamba riders are among the bravest
Mt 2d6
of an already brave people. Gamba
Reach, Skirmisher T 6
do not get along with anything—not
MA 4 even each other. Because of this a
33 points(1) Shield properly handled Gamba is a force to
be reckoned with.

Ilk
Teeth Sk 12
Ilk
Mt 1d6+1 A giant swarm of chittering crustaceans
Pack(3) T 4 is enough to ruin any Sentian’s day. A
MA 6 pack led by a Cilisti, and there goes the
14 points(9) Shield
entire week.

99
Jaarl Command Rettori Popio
Sword and Shield Sk 11 Murmadon Rock Sk 10
In all of Sentia, there are only a handful
Mt 2d6 Mt 1d6
of Jaarl generals—The Masters of the
North and the Masters of the South. Leader(7/3) T 6 Priest, T 5
Bodyguard
The Rettori and his staff do not just MA 4 MA 4
monitor the battle from some hilltop 53 points(1) Shield -3 38 points(1) Shield
and adjust accordingly. No, they plan
every step of the conflict, from opening
skirmishes to the killing blow, and they Tambio Segino
are very, very good at what they do. Musical Instrument, Sk 10 Sacred Rock Sk 11
Dagger Mt 1d6
Mt 1d6

Jaarl Navy Musician T 6 Calling on Gods,

Standard Bearer,
T 6

MA 4 MA 4
Center of Magic
Being the method of their arrival on
35 points (1) Shield
our continent, it is no surprise that the 45 points(1) Shield

Jaarl possess the only dedicated navy

to sail Agaptus.

Al Rigenti Al Roccio Al Rettori

Pike Sk 12 Sword and Shield Sk 12 Sword and Whip Sk 12
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 126+2 Mt 2d6+2
Sea Legs, Reach T 6 Sea Legs T 6 Leader(5/2), Sea Legs T 6
Two Weapons,
MA 5 MA 4 MA 5
28 points Shield 27 points Shield -2 44 points(1) Shield

The Jaarl
Heroes
Alsipio Tybal
Hero Roccio Hero Valani
Sword and Shield Sk 13 Two Swords Sk 13
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+1
Hero T 7 Hero, Skirmisher, T 6
Two Weapons
MA 4 MA 5
48 points(1) Shield -3 38 points(1) Shield

Rinalso Flovias
Hero Cospico Hero Rigenti
Bladed Staff Sk 14 Spear and Shield Sk 14
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6+1
Hero, Skirmisher, T 6 Counterattack, Hero, T 7
Two Weapons Leader(3/2)
MA 5 MA 4
42 points(1) Shield 55 points(1) Shield -3

Agirix Mortox Illiani

Hero Commandi Hero Rettori Hero Popio
Sword and Shield Sk 13 Sword and Shield Sk 13 Murmadon Rock Sk 12
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+1 Mt 1d6
Hero, Leader(6/2) T 7 Hero, Leader(7/3) T 6 Hero, Priest, T 5
Bodyguard
MA 4 MA 4-3 MA 4
66 points (1) Shield -3 60 points (1) Shield 42 points (1) Shield

Vinijax Riviesi Tilinipo

Hero Al Rettori Hero Al Roccio Hero Roccio
Sword and Whip Sk 13 Sword and Shield Sk 13 Sword and Shield Sk 13
Mt 2d6+2 Mt 2d6+2 Mt 3d6-1
Sea Legs, Leader(5/2 ), T 6 Hero, Sea Legs T 7 Hero, Wallop T 7
Hero, Two Weapons,
MA 5 MA 4 MA 4
51 points (1) Shield 50 points(1) Shield -2 52 points(1) Shield -3

101
A Wave of Flesh Unending
 The Encroaching Kuld
and Their Insatiable Hunger
 The Unending Kuld
The insatiable Kuld came from the north as their traditional lands stopped bearing food.
Some Elvorix scholars claim that they were fashioned by a vengeful deity, Kuldarus the
goddess of the underworld, in her anger at being exiled by her brother Agaptus. Other
scholars, it must be noted, don’t even think this Kuldarus ever existed. Yet others claim
that she exists but had nothing to do with the Kuld who were named for her.
Whatever their origins, the Kuld are the living face of the Great Catastrophe.
As if the ice and ash were not enough to slowly exterminate the inhabitants of these
islands, the Kuld come to devour everyone and everything, leaving only rock and ice
behind them.

The Kuld
Religion
Most of what we know of the Kuld religion consists of educated
guesses by Elvorix scholars based on Kuld etched stone
writings, or by various battlefield observers. The Kuld worship
what they call the Source—the origin of all life and all food,
which vomited the Kuld out of its depth at the dawn of creation.
The Source is not a personified deity like Akka-Maas, Atronia,
or even Murmadon, but a force of nature. It seems the Kuld
believe that the Great Catastrophe—the “great upheaval”—is
what happened when the Source ate something unpleasant and
vomited the glaciers over the former lands of the Kuld. No
mention has been found so far of the fact that the sun looks
redder and smaller.
The Kuld’s religious ceremonies consist of one or more
shaman regurgitating into a great bowl that is placed on top of
a sacred pillar etched and carved with glyphs. The scents from
the vomit are used to share instruction with other Kuld on the
Source and enlighten them on different edible substances.

Society
Despite their apparently mindless behavior, we know that the Kuld do in fact have a
society of a sort, writing, communication, and a religion. However, they do not use
sound to communicate among themselves, only smells and glyphs, and no successful
case has been reported of a non-Kuld communicating successfully and safely—without
being at least partially eaten, that is—with the Kuld.
Kuld society is a sort of caste system where the oldest individuals are the most
respected and form the priesthood. Individuals who have reached an advanced age
also display greater digestive ability, allowing them to consume a greater range of
substances including some still toxic to younger Kuld.
They have an unsurpassed sense of smell, able to pick up the scent of food
from great distances. They can vomit partially eaten food to use the resulting smells for
communication with other Kuld; to create etchings, carvings, and tattoos using their
acidic stomach juices; or as projectile weapons against enemies.

105
 Male and female Kuld are practically indistinguishable; they seem to spawn
abundantly and frequently, producing offspring that mature rapidly. Battlefield
observers, identifying prominent Kuld by their scars and tattoos, suggest that they can
live to more than 200 years old. This alone should show how dangerous they are and
how senseless it is to fight among Sentians and Jaarl when the Kuld are poised to over-
run and destroy all life on our islands.

Sample Names
The Kuld don’t really have names as we know them, since they communicate through
scent. Any names have been given to notable Kuld leaders and Marhn by their
Elvorix, Vidaar, or Jaarl opponents, often based on a characteristic sound they make or
a recognizable physical feature. Among themselves, they use name equivalents that are
descriptive, at least in writing.

Given Names – Aaaagrrblah, Aargh, Ack, AhhhWuun, Blubbous, Clubfoot, Goola,

Grrsnikt, Grunt, HnnHnn, Kagaar, Maaahaunn, Mossback, Old White-Scar, Shambla,
Waaanoooo
Scent-Names – Brood-Bearer, Flatulent Hero, Horde-Leader, Inspiring Perfume, Meal-
Finder, Old Odoriferous Retcher, Powerful Pungency, Rock-Eater, Source-Scented

The Kuld
Race-Specific Rules
Special Ability
Ravenous
Nothing revives a Kuld fighter like the prospect of food. At the start of the Kuld turn, a
single Discombobulated Kuld fighter adjacent to an Incapacitated/Killed marker may
consume it, removing it from the board and recovering from Discombobulated without
a die roll and without spending an action. If the marker represents an Incapacitated
fighter, when rolling on the Incapacitated Recovery table between Skirmishes the result
is read one line lower.

Magic Action
The Endless (1)
The true horror of the Kuld lies in their endless nature. Drawn by the Source—
bowels of vomit carried by the Augurst—wave after wave enter the battlefield
looking for their next meal.
During the course of a battle basic Kuld and Ur-kuld removed as Incapacitated
or Killed are set aside in a reinforcement pool. Any fighters added to the battle through
the use of The Endless plea must come from this pool. If there are not enough fighters
in the pool, then only those available rejoin the battle.
When calling The Endless plea the Augurst throws three dice, instead of the
normal two. One of the three dice must be a different color. After they are thrown,
the different colored die is used on both tables, and the commander chooses which
of the two similar colored dice to assign to which table. The Reinforcement table
describes which fighters can return, and the Placement table states where they can be
placed on the battlefield.
The Endless

Reinforcement Placement
6/6 Two fighters of the commander’s choice return. 6/6 Anywhere not touching an enemy fighter

6/- One basic Kuld is returned as two Ur-kuld. 6/- In contact with forward-most friendly fighter

6/1 One fighter of the opponent’s choice returns 6/1 Place at any table edge

-/- One fighter of the commander’s choice returns. -/- In contact with Augurst

1/- No reinforcement. 1/- Kuld deployment zone

1/1 One fighter is removed from the pool. 1/1 No deployment, fighter returns to pool

107
Fighters
Kuld
Mud-eaters. Blubbers. Pukers. Oh-gods-no.

Shuda
Certain Kuld have the ability to hit targets
from a distance with a most gruesome and
disgusting of attacks. Shuda, can project
the contents of their stomachs at a very
respectable range Kuld Shuda
Teeth Sk 11 Vomit Sk 12

Ur-kuld Mt 2d6+1 Mt -
Horde, Wave of Flesh T 5 Vomit, Wave of Flesh, T 4
Most Kuld immediately ingest, for better MA 4
Scary(1)
MA 4
or worse, anything they pick up. Some
18 points Shield 32 points (4) Shield
Kuld, for reasons unknown to even the
most learned Elvorix minds, don’t eat the
weapons and armor of other Sentians.
Sometimes they even figure out how to Ur-Kuld Ur-Kuld
use them. Found Weapons Sk 12 Fists Sk 12
Mt 2d6 Mt 1d6+1
T 5 T 5
MA 4 MA 4
17 points Shield 14 points Shield

Ur-kuld Chucker Ur-kuld Forager

Rocks Sk 13 Found Weapons Sk 12
Mt 1d6+1 Mt 2d6
Wave of Flesh, T 5 Infiltrate T 5
Short Range
MA 4 MA 4
20 points (4) Shield 22 points (4) Shield

The Kuld
 Augurst
Essentially a fat blue Kuld dragging
a giant bowl along behind him, the
Augurst is something of a jack-of-all-
trades to the Kuld.

Goola
Kuld mature into full-sized eating
machines in a remarkably short time.
He is marred and pitted by count-
less regurgitations, from both on the
battlefield and off.

Augurst Goola Marhn

Bowl of Stuff Sk 10 Fists Sk 13 Compared to the hulking Marhn trolls
Mt 1d6 Mt 3d6-1 of the glaciers and snowfields of the
Priest T 5 Elite, Scary(1) T 6 far poles, the Nhilde are like kittens.
MA 4 MA 4
32 points (1) Shield 28 points Shield Guldul
These snails have teeth. Lots of teeth.
And skin as rough as broken glass.
Marhn marhn
And a viscous ooze that burns the
Club Sk 11 Club Sk 11
skin and bleaches fur. In other words,
Creature, Wallop, Mt 3d6 Creature, Sweeping Mt 3d6
Wave of Flesh, Blow, Wave of Flesh,
not much to laugh at.
T 7 T 7
Scary(1) Scary(1)
MA 6 MA 6
58 points (2) Shield 87 points (2) Shield
Mundicus
Usually thought harmless, an
increasing number of agitated and
Guldul Uhyre vicious Mundicus have been seen
Teeth, Spikes and Sk 12 Giant mouth Sk 12 among the Kuld hordes of late.
maybe a Club
Mt 3d6-2 Mt 1d6+1
Creature, Scary(1),
Creeping Death,
T
MA
7 Flight, Pack(3),
Sprinter
T 3 Uhyre
Multiple Attacks(2), 2 MA 6 A nasty flying mouth often seen in
50 points (4) Shield 15 points (6) Shield caves, and as they are increasingly
driven from the same by the Kuld
hordes, at the forefront of their advance.
Mundicus
Teeth Sk 13
Mt 2d6
Wallop T 6
MA 6
25 points (4) Shield 109
Heroes

AhhhWuun Aaaagrag Toooonk

Hero Marhn Hero Augurst Hero Guldul
Club Sk 12 Bowl of Guts Sk 12 Teeth, Spikes and a Club Sk 13
Mt 3d6+1 Mt 1d6+1 Hero, Creature, Mt 3d6
Creeping Death,
Hero, Creature, T 7 Hero, Priest T 5 T 7
Multiple Attacks(2),
Sweeping Blow, Wave
MA 6 MA 4 Scary(1) MA 3
of Flesh, Scary(1)
36 points (1) Shield 55 points (1) Shield
106 points (1) Shield

Gigigigigi Hac Frph

Hero Ur-Kuld Hero Forager Hero Goola
Found Weapons Sk 13 Meat Sk 13 Fists Sk 14
Mt 2d6+1 Mt 2d6 Mt 3d6
Hero T 5 Hero, Infiltrate T 5 Hero, Wallop, Scary(1) T 6
MA 4 MA 4 MA 4
25 points (1) Shield 27 points (1) Shield 35 points (1) Shield

The Kuld
A big bowl. A heavy meal. Lots and lots of ugly noises. The tribe is summoned,
not by sight or sound, but by smell. And when that malignant odor fills their
heads, they know that more food, more food, more food is theirs for the taking,
and they begin to follow their noses. Where the smell is, the Augurst will be, and
they know where the food is. Food is everything. Everything is food.

111
An Unseen Threat
 The Mysterious Ki-kak
and Their Quest for Vengeance
 The Vengeful Ki-kak
The mysterious Ki-kak arrived on Agapta only months ago, so there is much we don’t
know about them. The Elvorix and Jaarl were baffled by them, and the Kuld seemed
to pause only long enough to test how hard it is to digest the strange lizard people, but
those of us Vidaar who collect ancient tales knew them for a species we had encountered
long ago on the Seventh or Eighth Island that Wasn’t Garigla.
You see, the first several Islands that Weren’t Garigla were not very pleasant,
and they certainly had no treasure to pillage. By the time the Vidaar fleet landed on the
Eighth or Ninth Island that Wasn’t Garigla, five generations had passed and everyone
was in a very bad mood. But this island turned out to be quite nice, with edible fruit
and a pleasant climate.

The Ki-kak
 It was already inhabited by the Lizard People, or
as they call themselves, the Ki-kak; but these islanders were
friendly and unsuspecting. King Vidaarus the Thirty-Sixth
ordered them used as slave labor, and had their leaders
questioned relentlessly about the treasures that were
supposed to be found on Garigla. Naturally, the Ki-kak had
no idea about any treasure or about Garigla; nevertheless
the Vidaar took a long pause in their search to enjoy “Lizard
Island Garigla.”
After they had consumed all the resources, eaten
everything that was edible, and tried eating the Ki-kak
(deciding they were too stringy), the Vidaar finally
decided to leave in search of Garigla again. In other words
(it shames me to my bones to say this), the Vidaar were the
Ki-kak’s Kuld.
The Vidaar never gave the Ki-kak another thought,
but it turns out the lizard people survived. They were
determined to fix the damage done by the Vidaar, carefully
managing the depleted resources so their formerly beautiful
island could flourish again for future generations.
It took them hundreds of years, but the island was
coming along nicely when ash started raining from the sky.
The sun dimmed, and the weather started rapidly cooling off. At that point, the Ki-
kak had had it; they decided to go search for the Vidaar and beat them up for ruining
everything. They set sail, following the wreckage the Vidaar fleet had left in its wake
from island to island until they arrived here.

Government
At this point, we have had very little contact with the Ki-kak (and all without revealing
ourselves as True Atronians). It’s hard to be sure about anything, but they seem to be
divided into war parties that each follow a specific war-leader. The war-leaders are often
accompanied by younger individuals who act as military aides and may be apprentices.
The various units appear to communicate using drum signals and runners. So
far, they seem better coordinated than we would have expected. It’s not clear whether
any leader speaks for all the Ki-kak, but some of them seem to be more decorated and
wield more ornate weapons than others. This might be a sign of their importance. Or
maybe they are just vain.

115
 Religion
As far as we have been able to tell, the Ki-kak believe that spirits
of good and bad luck can be bound into object such as weapons,
shields, jewelry, headdresses, and even ships. They seem to imbue
these items with some sort of spell that can be transferred simply by
moving the object.
Their ceremonies are a bit like the Vidaar’s in that they use
a lot of singing and dancing, but they have a formality and gravity
completely at odds with the priests of Akka-Maas’ wild rituals. All the
Ki-kak ceremonies we’ve glimpsed involved groups of them singing
in one voice and proceeding in order, dancing in complicated steps.
When one apparently made a misstep, they had to start the entire
ritual from the beginning and the clumsy dancer had to apologize
profusely to every individual present, one by one.
The most chilling signs of their religion we have seen are roughly carved images
resembling a Vidaar chief, etched life-size in the bark of trees; these have invariably
been defaced until they are barely recognizable. When we finally spied on a ceremony
where such an image was being used, we found that they carve those in the tree, then
perform a ritual in harsh tones; then all the Ki-kak present, from the fiercest warrior
down to the smallest child, strikes at the image with a weapon. We think they leave
those around as a message to the Vidaar.

Society
We know little about their customs other than what can be observed from a cautious
distance. They seem to be evenly divided between males and females, but it can be
hard to tell them apart. They seem to love debates, and conduct long conversations
in their clicking language when they are far from the front lines—everyone seems to
participate, no matter their apparent age or status.
They wear very little in terms of clothing; on the battlefield, they wear only
their weapons. This makes sense since they have thick hides and no vulnerable
external organs. However, they feel the cooler climate and around camp, some of the
older or more sickly often drape themselves in hides or blankets held in place by belt or sash.

Sample Names
We have overheard them call to each other what may be names, titles, or nicknames:
Ai-o-ma-re, Bi-ra-bi-nik, Dja-lu-gar, Gun-tar, Klu-klu-kuk, Ku-lu-lor, Ti-ka-paii

The Ki-kak
Race-Specific Rules
Special Ability
Skin of Many Colors Ki-kak Skin Color
Over hundreds of years before the Vidaar invasion, the Ki-kak Color Attribute Bonus
Special Point
Ability Cost
evolved a culture of specialization. Ki-kak of different colors each
+2 Movement Shadow
excelled at different tasks until a caste-like system developed. After Red
Allowance Walker
8
the Vidaar tragedy, this evolution only heightened, providing the
Green +1 Toughness Scaly Hide 8
Ki-kak with an army of highly specialized fighters. At first developed
Counterat-
to protect their home, they now seek vengeance on their ancient foe. Yellow +2 Skill
tack
8

A Ki-kak’s color determines what combat advantages and Blue +2 Might Wallop 8
special abilities he gains. This must be made clear by his commander
before the battle begins.

Magic Action
Fade (1)
The Priests of the Ki-kak become one with the spirits of nature, granting their allies a
supernatural ability to hide within plain sight. When the Priest calls this plea, he rolls
on the Fade table to determine the area of effect and any additional bonuses.

Fade
Roll Outcome

6/6
From the shadows – Area of effect is a 4” radius. Friendly fighters “Be good, little fawns, or the Ki-Kak
cannot be Charged, and attack at +1 Skill. will get you.”
Surprise attack – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Friendly fighters can-
6/-
not be charged, and attack at +1 Skill. “Oh mawmaw, that’s just a story.”
Equal footing – Area of effect is a 4” radius. All fighters attack at -1
6/1
Skill. “So you say, little one. So you say.”
Hidden danger – Area of effect is a 4” radius. Friendly fighters at-
-/-
tack at +1 Skill.
Slowed by cover – Area of effect is a 4” radius. Friendly fighters
1/-
cannot perform a charge move.
Lost in disguise – 4” Radius, Friendly fighters cannot perform a
1/1
Charge move, and attack at -1 Skill.

117
Fighters
Koi (spear) Koi-ki To-toko
Spear Sk 11 Staff Sk 12
Many Ki-kak when learning of the
Mt 2d6 Skirmisher, Mt 1d6+2
Great Revenge took up arms no matter Multiple Attacks(2),
age or experience. These brave souls Reach, Skirmisher,
Skin of Many Colors
T 5
Skin of Many Colors
T 5

form the bulk of a Ki-kak war party. MA 4 MA 4

23 points Shield 24 points Shield

To-to (staff)
Protectors of the Tohana and the few Ora-oca Atua
Ki-kak civilians that have accompanied Two Swords Sk 12 Two Swords Sk 13
their incursion. Two Weapons Mt 2d6 Assassin, Mt 2d6
Skirmisher, Infiltrate, Pathfinder,
T 5 T 5
Skin of Many Colors Skin of Many Colors
Oca (sword) MA 4 MA 4
24 points Shield 54 points (2) Shield
The many trained warriors of the
tribe. Those they spent their entire
childhoods steeped in the stories of
the Vidaar and their cruel deeds.

Atua (assassin)
Ko-kari
Feared even among he Ki-kak these
Blow Gun Sk 13
hunters fear nothing and their jungle-
Skirmisher, Mt 1d6
craft has served them well in their Rapid Shot,
stalking of the hated Vidaar. Skin of Many Colors
T 5
MA 4
24 points Shield
Kari (blowgun)
Ki-kak snouts are well suited to the
blowgun allowing them to make fast Ko-kari-ki
and accurate shots. Originally for Blow Gun Sk 14
hunting small game, the Ki-kak now Skirmisher, Mt 1d6+1
coat them in poisons for the larger Deadeye,Rapid Shot,
T 5
Skin of Many Colors
game they now hunt. MA 4
40 points (2) Shield

The Ki-kak
 Peka (shield)
Displaying ancestral crests and
expertly crafted, a Ki-kak’s brightly
colored peka is often a doomed
Vidaar ’s last visage.

Peka-to-toto Oca-peka Peka-koi-ki

Staff and Shield Sk 12 Sword and Shield Sk 11 Spear and Shield Sk 11
Mt 1d6+2 Mt 2d6 Mt 2d6
Skirmisher, T 5 Skirmisher, T 5 Skirmisher, T 5
Skin of Many Colors Skin of Many Colors Skin of Many Colors
MA 4 MA 4 MA 4
18 points Shield -1 18 points Shield -1 18 points Shield -1

119
Onwa (club) Pa-onwa Va-ora-oca
The chieftains and royalty of the War Club Sk 12 Two Swords Sk 13
Ki-kak. Often leading war parties
Elite, Skirmisher, Mt 3d6-1 Skirmisher, Leader(4/2), Mt 2d6
and other small bands. Leader(3/2), Two Weapons,
T 5 T 5
Skin of Many Colors Skin of Many Colors

Tohana (Priest) 34 points (1)

MA
Shield
4
37 points (1)
MA
Shield
4

Shamans and spiritual leaders. The

Tohana are well versed in the tales
of the Vidaar and are responsible for
keeping them alive in the thoughts of
the Ki-kak. Tohana
Staff Sk 13

Ku-moko Bodyguard, Priest,

Skin of Many Colors
Mt 2d6-1
T 5
Large lizard-like creature often seen
MA 4
among the Ki-kak as a beast of burden.
35 points (1) Shield
Foul tempered, if agitated it uses its
large, bony skull to smash whatever
might have irked it from its path.

Runnigum
Spirited carnivores whose natural
range is found in tropical islands
east of Sentia and Matriga, runnigum
feed on small prey which they catch
thanks to their speed. How the
Ki-kak came to domesticate them
is unknown, though their taste for
sentians might lead inquiries in the
right direction.

Ku-moko Runnigum
Hard Skull Sk 12 Fangs and Claws Sk 13
Creature, Dumb, Mt 3d6 Mt 2d6
Sweeping Blow,
T 7 Creature, Leap(2), T 6
Scary(1)
Multiple Attacks(2)
MA 6 MA 8
84 points (2) Shield 32 points (4) Shield

The Ki-kak
Heroes
To-maki-maki
Hero Koi-ki
Spear Sk 12
Hero, Reach, Mt 2d6
Skirmisher,
T 6
Scaly Hide, (Green Skin)
MA 4
35 points (1) Shield

Dini-li
Hero Ora-oca
Two Swords Sk 13
Hero, Skirmisher, Mt 2d6+1
Two Weapons,
T 5
Shadow Walker,
(Red Skin) MA 4
35 points (1) Shield

Ix Gili-gi Tio-hoi
Hero Pa-Onwa Hero Ko-kari Hero Peka-koi-ki
War Club Sk 12 Blow Gun Sk 15 Spear and Shield Sk 13
Mt 3d6+1 Hero, Skirmisher, Mt 1d6+2 Hero, Skirmisher, Mt 2d6
Rapid Shot, Deadeye, Counter Attack,
Hero, Skirmisher, T 5 T 5 T 5
Counter Attack, (Yellow Skin)
Wallop, (Blue Skin)
MA 4 (Yellow Skin) MA 4 MA 4
36 points (1) Shield 48 points (1) Shield 28 points (1) Shield -1

Hicca
Hero Tohana
Staff Sk 13
Hero, Skirmisher, Mt 2d6+1
Priest, Wallop
T 5
(Blue Skin)
MA 4
45 points (1) Shield

121
Tales of an Age Past
 The World of Ashes
and the Conflicts Within
The World of Agaptus
Flora
Agaptus is home to many carnivorous plants, and in remote areas these can be big
enough to threaten the unwary. While flora does not respond to anyone’s commands,
clever commanders will find a way to employ them tactically. The profile of a plant
includes the standard attributes, Skill, Might, and Toughness, along with its Range.
Range is used one of two ways. Either for determining the distance at which and
entangling plant can attack a fighter, or the area around a seed pod subject to damage
when it bursts.

Entangling Plants
A Skill check is made when the plant attempts to grab a fighter who moves into range,
and if the plant succeeds the fighter is trapped. The fighter’s move ends at this point.
He is treated as Discombobulated for purposes of being attacked, but does not recover
in the normal way. A normal plant will be able to entangle up to two fighters on 20mm
bases but won’t be able to affect fighters on 40mm bases.
A trapped fighter may do nothing other than spend two actions to make a
Might roll. If the roll exceeds the plant’s Toughness he is free and moved just outside
the plant’s range. Any ally may attack the plant normally, and while plants never
become Discombobulated, such a result will free all entrapped fighters. If the plants
Toughness is doubled by a Might roll, the plant has been damaged badly enough that
it won’t make any further attacks.

Spore Pods
When disturbed, these deadly plants unleash a cloud of noxious spores, instantly
engulfing the area. When a fighter enters the range of a spore pod, the plant performs a
Vomit attack. Unlike a standard Vomit attack, the cloud of spores extends from all sides
of the plant.
If one commander’s force is unfamiliar with the territory they may not recognize
dangerous plants before they attempt to seize a victim. If this condition arises the Skirmish
will say how many dangerous plants are in the battle space, and the commander of the
force familiar with the local flora will record the locations before the fight begins. If any
fighter from either side comes within a plant’s range the commander with the information
will reveal its location, and the plant will attack.

Flora of Agaptus
Callywhump Fern
Tentacles Sk 10
Mt 1d6+1
Resilient, T 4
Multiple Attacks (3)
Range 3”
12 points Shield

Mockleberry
Spores Sk 9
Mt *
Resilient, T 6
Vomit
Range 3”
32 points Shield

125
 Fauna
Most races have domesticated animals that fight with them. These beasts will move
and attack using the commander’s surges like any other fighter, the only difference is
that they are subject to the Taunt action, and may only perform combat and movement
actions.
Wild animals will shy away from the noise of battle, so they generally won’t be found
on the battlefield. The following are circumstances in which beasts under control of nei-
ther commander may enter the fray.

Hunters
Pack Hunters are not unfamiliar with a swirling melee, and if they
have enough numbers they may wait in a group at the edge of a
brawl, waiting to see if an opportunity presents itself.
If a single fighter on a 20mm base is closer to the pack
than to any other fighter the other commander may spend a surge
to have the pack move forward so that three of its number engage
the lone fighter. The commander may spend further surges to
activate the engaging animals to attack the lone fighter, Recover
if they become Discombobulated, or to pursue the lone fighter if
they flee in any direction other than toward the other fighters. The
animals will not approach the main body of the melee. If any other
fighters approach to help the lone fighter two more animals may
be activated for one surge to engage an additional fighter.

Cornered Animals
Cornered animals are always dangerous, as are those protecting a litter or den. A Skirmish
description may include where to place such an animal on the battlefield.
The animal will remain in place, making threatening sounds, unless a fighter
comes within 4”. The animal should be considered On Guard, and will immediately
move to intercept and attack any approaching fighter. After each Stone it will take one
action to either Recover (if Discombobulated), attack the fighter who approached, or to
retreat if that fighter is Discombobulated or withdraws from the animal.
If the fighter is Discombobulated or withdraws, the animal will move: if the
Skirmish specifies that it is protecting something it will return to its starting location,
if it is merely cornered it will move straight off a board edge if there is a path allowing
this that does not pass within 2” of any Ready fighter, otherwise it will move 4” to a
location as far from any of the fighters as it can manage. The commander whose fighter
did not provoke the animal manages the creature within these guidelines.

Fauna of Agaptus
Stampeding Herds
Large herds are dangerous even when the individual
creatures are modest in size. If the Skirmish description
mentions the presence of a potentially dangerous herd,
roll on the Stampede table any time a fighter within
6” of the edge of a herd makes an attack or sprints.
In addition, roll on this table between sets of Stones,
treating the center of the battle as the provocation.
If the herd stampedes past the melee draw
a line from the center of the herd through the center
of the fight, dividing the fighters into two groups.
Roll a die to determine which of the two groups is
stampeded. If the herd panics through the middle of
the melee, every fighter is affected.
Unless the Skirmish description specifies
otherwise the stampede will cause a 2d6-1 attack on
every affected fighter. Fighters on raised platforms
will not be affected, nor will fighters standing within
3” of a large fire. Discombobulated fighters suffer
this attack as well, and they will be Incapacitated if
their Toughness is exceeded. Skirmishers may make
a skill roll to avoid a Stampede.

Stampede
Roll Outcome
The grass is always greener. – The herd moves 4” away from the
6/6
provocation.
Skittish – Three of the animals nearest the provocation move to the
6/-
opposite edge of the herd.
This is making me nervous! – The herd moves 4” toward the
6/1
provocation.
-/- Nothing to see here. – The herd remains still.
1/- Look Out! – The herd panics and stampedes past the provocation.
Stampede!! – The herd panics, stampeding directly through the
1/1
middle of the provocation.

127
 Fedtik
These sizable creatures bear the cold fairly well and thus are becoming more common
in areas where they used to be unknown. They graze tundra grasses and shrubs, and
during mating season fight in brutal but cheerful competitions that trample the barely
thawed plains. Both males and females bear
horns that fall off in summer and grow back
a little larger every year. The cubs do not start Fedtik
bearing horns until their second year.
Fists Sk 9
Fedtik are generally friendly and unafraid Mt 3d6
of Sentians, and on occasion have seemed
to confuse one for a young fedtik. It can be Dumb, T 7
Creature
difficult to evade the parental affection of a MA 4
fedtik without making it angry. They are smart
25 points Shield
enough to flee in terror at the approach of the
Kuld.

Flalhund
In the northern parts of Sentia, flalhund are kept as pets and used to
guard cattle, dwellings, and farms. They are prized for their friendliness,
ruggedness, and especially for their ability to detect the approach of the
Kuld early. When all the flalhund disappear, villagers grab their most pre-
cious and portable possessions and start running.
Flalhund are cheap to keep
Flalhund because they are omnivorous and
Teeth Sk 15 will eat any table leavings. They
make good companions for fawns
Mt 1d6
as they are friendly, obedient,
Dumb, T 4 and even proactive in anticipating
Skirmisher commands (although not finely
MA 8
attuned to the proper time and
14 points Shield place to execute commands).

Grotte
Grotte are predators that use aggressive mimicry to disguise themselves as rock formations and even caves, waiting for prey
to enter their maw in search of shelter. They don’t typically seek confrontation, but they are well-armored against it. Getting rid
of a grotte is a difficult task because they are so tough and so very, very patient; to make matters worse, they are not nearly
as slow as one might expect from something that pretends to be a rock.

Grotte
Teeth and Fists Sk 9
Mt 4d6
Creature, T 9
Scary(2)
MA 3
103 points Shield

Fauna of Agaptus
Ilk
The ilk are crustacean-like creatures that move as a crawling
swarm, antennae and wings twitching and clicking in the air. A
swarm of ilk can strip an area of life almost as efficiently as the
Kuld themselves; unlike the
Kuld, however, they only
Ilk seem to care for live prey.
Teeth Sk 11
The Jaarl Ilk-Masters
Mt 1d6 have some control over
Pack(3) T 4 them, and jealously guard
the secret of this mastery.
MA 6
12 points Shield

Jormund
An amphibious denizen of seasonal wetland areas in the Sentian lowlands, a hungry jormund can mean trouble for the
unwary traveler. The jormund is known for its eerie song; whether the song is used to communicate with other jormund or to
attract or confuse potential prey is not certain.
What some enterprising luthiers have
discovered, however, is that if you can get past Jormund
a jormund’s tough defenses and venomous
fangs, its ribcage makes excellent musical Teeth Sk 10
instruments with a very pure sound. As a bonus, Mt 2d6-1
if the tough hide has not been too badly damaged
Skirmisher T 5
during the acquisition of the ribcage and if the
artisan doesn’t lose a few fingers on its sharp MA 6
scales while preparing it, the hide makes an 20 points Shield
excellent skin for the instrument.

Kanid
A wild carnivore of the southern, more temperate areas of Sentia and Matriga,
the kanid live in packs, stalking herds of large herbivores such as wild ylark, and
culling out the weaker individuals.
Because of their pack mentality,
kanid have also been domesticated by
Kanid both Elvorix and Vidaar villagers. The
Teeth Sk 14 can make excellent pets, being fiercely
Mt 1d6+1 protective of their adopted “pack.”
Elvorix farmers use them to herd
Dumb T 4
domestic ylark, and Vidaar use them to
Skirmisher
MA 8 hunt.
14 points Shield

129
 Kreob
A sea mollusk of southern Sentia that Kreob
makes a howling noise by blowing Teeth and Sk 8
air through its chitinous shell. Kreob Tentacles
Mt 1d6
colonies dwell in shallow coastal
areas and bury their eggs in clutches T 5
on the sandy beaches of intertidal MA 1
zones. The howling sound is intended
to warn intruders away from their nest 7 points Shield
and territory.

Morgala
Morgala feed on the insect colonies that dwell in the tops of sweetmoss and sticky fungus.
They locate their food by scent and sound, then use their large, heavy feet to crush the
protective needles and bramble around the prize. They use their small but nimble and
well-protected hand-paws to pull the branches down, and their long flexible snout to
suck up the insect colonies. They also use the
large claws on their feet to peel off the bark at
Morgala the base of large umbrella trees in search of
Feet Sk 10 succulent honey termites.
Mt 1d6 Morgala are fairly harmless but if terrified
Dumb, T 3 or cornered they can do a good deal of damage
Sprinter with their big feet.
MA 6
12 points Shield

Mundicus
Mundicus are grazers from tundra zones that feed on the short and hardy vegetation. Because their little beady eyes are protected
in the recesses under their frontal armor they have a limited field of vision, so they navigate primarily by sound. They are able to feel
approaching Kuld and other enemies through vibrations in the ground their sensitive feet detect.
Although mundicus are relatively harmless
(except for the occasional stampede) and Mundicus
amazingly hard to harm, weaponsmiths covet Teeth Sk 10
their insulated, cushioned, scaly plates to
fashion into armor. However, since they tend Mt 3d6
to be found in the same regions as the Kuld Dumb T 7
or further north, hunting is limited and risky.
MA 4
21 points Shield

Fauna of Agaptus
 Svampfode
The hulking svampfode is a denizen of forested wetland areas. Svampfode use defensive
mimicry to blend in with the landscape and attract entire colonies of insects, small preda-
tors, and mosses that seek shelter into the svampfode’s hide. Svampfode are more like
ambulatory ecosystems than predator or prey, absorbing their nutrients directly from the
life forms that live in their skin.
Although they are not typically aggressive, Svampfode
they are sometimes found fiercely guarding
Teeth and Fists Sk 10
an area and preventing larger life forms from
entering it. Some Elvorix scholars have gone Mt 4d6
as far as to suggest these svampfode may be Creature, T 8
guarding Ancient sites. Scary(1)
MA 3
55 points Shield

Uhyre
A nasty form of small but aggressive flying predator, uhyre attack their prey by biting its head off. Their primary sensory organs
seem to be the long wings that also serve them as ears, picking up sound vibrations. The uhyre emit a high-pitched sound
and use echolocation to identify the prey and its head with uncanny accuracy. Their numerous rows of sharp teeth allow them
to bite the head of smaller creatures clean off; for larger prey, the uhyre may simply opt to start digesting the head in place.

Uhyre
Teeth Sk 12
Mt 1d6+1
Flight, Pack(3), T 3
Sprinter
MA 6
15 points Shield

Ylark
Domesticated ylark are massive herbivores used for dairy
production, as beasts of burden, and in the case of the Elvorix, for
cavalry, divine sacrifice, and as a shock weapon when they are
set on fire and sent galloping toward the enemy. Wild ylark can
still be found in the low
plains of southern and Ylark
eastern Sentia, but the
bulk of the ylark population Horns and Hooves Sk 12
is represented by the Mt 3d6+1
domesticated variety.
Creature, Dumb, T 7
Natural Weapons
MA 8

64 points Shield

131
 Naval Combat
All the peoples of Agaptus make use of the sea, and
when their ships meet weapons are drawn and grappling
hooks readied. Sometimes fighters know where their
enemies are headed, sometimes they only know they
must be opposed.
Shipboard terrain is similar to land: the clear
deck is solid ground, masts and deckhouses are obstacles.
Steep shipboard stairs are platforms if a fighter can
stand on them, ladders if they can’t. Areas of the deck
covered with coils of rope and fittings are entangling
terrain. Ship’s rails are treated as barricades for moving
or fighting across, but if fighters stand on them they are
platforms. Ship’s sides and the sides of any deckhouses
are climbable.
It takes two Surges to climb from the water onto
the deck, and any enemy fighter adjacent to the final
position of the climbing fighter gets a free attack.

Grapples
Ships usually begin a Skirmish grappled. The Skirmish will specify how many
grapples there are holding the ships together. Grapples have a Toughness value of 8.
Grapples can be attacked by any Ready or Engaged fighter adjacent to the rail
where the ships are in contact. Cutting the grapple takes one Surge and does not
require a Skill check; the fighter simply makes a Might roll attempting to roll higher
than the grapple’s Toughness. Dumb fighters cannot cut grapples. It is not possible to
do a charge attack or powerful blow against a grapple. If the fighter attempting to cut
the grapple is Engaged the engaging fighters get a free attack after the attempt.
A Ready fighter may attempt to tie an additional grapple. The fighter must be
adjacent to the rail where the two ships are in contact. Tying an additional grapple requires
a Surge and a Skill check at -2. The Toughness of an improvised grapple is 6.
If the waves pull two ships apart, either side may choose to escape. Continue
the fighting on each ship separately if either ship contains fighters from both sides and
resolve the Skirmish normally.

Naval Combat
 If either commander wants to continue the Skirmish he may throw hooks and
attempt to drag the ships together again. Continue drawing Stones and conducting the
fighting on both ships. Ready fighters adjacent to a railing facing the enemy ship may
spend a Surge to hook and draw in the enemy ship. This requires the fighter to make
a Skill check at -2. Once three Skill checks have succeeded, the ships are moved back
together and considered grappled. The three grapples have a Toughness value of 7.

Pirates. Heliios scoffed at the very idea. No pirate would

dare attack the pride of the Elvorix fleet. True, they
carried an important cargo — a strange lizard-beast
that made unintelligible grunting noises and pointing
movements all the time — but no Vidaar could possibly
be interested in that.

133
 The Influence of the Sea
The Skirmish description will indicate the initial state of the sea.
If the sea is Smooth there are no special considerations beyond the above, but
after each set of Stones one of the commanders should roll on the table below:

Smooth Seas
Roll Outcome
Helpful waves give any swimmers a free move. Any fighter
6/6
in the water within 1” of a ship may climb in automatically.
6/- Any swimmers get a free move.
Waves give swimmers a free move, but also pull on the
6/1
grapples. Roll a 1d6 attack against each grapple.
-/- Nothing happens.
1/- The state of the sea changes to Choppy.
Strong waves push the ships apart. Roll a 1d6+1 attack
1/1
against each grapple.

Naval Combat
 If the Skirmish description specifies the sea is Choppy, footing has become
difficult. Skill checks are at -1 for movement through entangling areas, along rails, or
climbing. Attacks are at -1 Skill. Sprints and charge attacks are impossible. Fighters
with Sea Legs incur none of these penalties. After each set of Stones one of the
commanders should roll on the table below:

Choppy Seas
Roll Outcome
Helpful waves grant swimmers a free move. Any fighter in
6/6
the water adjacent to a ship may climb in automatically.
6/- The sea has become Smooth.
Waves pull the ships apart. Roll a 1d6+2 attack against each
6/1
grapple.
Any swimmer between the ships at a point where the ships
-/-
are less than 2” apart is knocked about and drowns.
1/- The sea has become Rough.
Colliding waves cause any fighter within 1” of the edge of a
1/1
ship to make a Skill check to avoid Discombobulation.

When the Skirmish description specifies the sea is Rough, the situation must
be desperate—it’s so difficult to fight most would simply break off the action. Every
Skill check for any actions other than Movement are at -2, and all Might rolls are at
+3—fighters are very vulnerable when trying to keep their balance. Charge moves and
sprints are impossible. Regular moves across clear deck require a Skill check to avoid
Discombobulation, careful moves across clear deck do not. Regular moves though
entangling areas are impossible, and careful moves require a Skill check. After each set
of Stones one of the commanders should roll on the table below:

Rough Seas
Roll Outcome
Swells roll over the deck. Any swimmer within 1” of a ship can move
6/6
aboard, and they arrive Discombobulated at the nearest point.
6/- The sea has become Choppy.
Rolling waves allow any swimmer within 1” of a ship to make a Skill
6/1 check to move aboard. Any fighter at a ship’s rail must make a Skill
check or falls overboard.
Colliding waves cause any fighter within 1” of the edge of a ship to
-/-
make a Skill check to avoid Discombobulation.
All swimming fighters must immediately make a Skill check to avoid
1/-
drowning.
A tremendous wave crashes over the ship. Ready fighters make a Skill
check: if they succeed they are Discombobulated, if they fail they are
1/1
washed overboard. All Discombobulated, Incapacitated, and Killed
fighters are washed overboard.
135
 Skirmishes
Every battle serves a purpose. While the Jaarl strive for a new home, the Atronians
fight to end this new conflict. The Ki-kak plan their revenge upon the Vidaar, who
wish only to reclaim what they think is rightfully theirs. The Kuld must find more to
consume, and the Elvorix wish only to protect their lands.
Every commander has his own objective for victory, some more important than
others. Even when all is lost, a good commander can steal victory from his opponent by
cleverly accomplishing minor objectives that will lead his enemy to ruin over time.

Objectives
Objectives are broken down into four categories. Each objective is worth a number of
points used to determine which commander has won the day.

Primary Objectives – 5 points

Determined by the Skirmish at hand, primary objectives are the main goals of both
commanders involved in the battle. The primary objectives of both Warbands are listed
in the Skirmish’s description. Often at odds, it is rare that both commanders will
succeed at fulfilling their primary objectives.

Secondary Objectives – 2 points

In addition to the commander’s primary objectives there are usually several targets
of opportunity he can accomplish to help secure his victory or lessen his defeat.
Most Skirmishes will include secondary objectives in their description. The following
secondary objectives can be claimed in any Skirmish. All secondary objectives are
worth 2 points.
•Kill the enemy commander.
•Capture an enemy Army Standard.

Minor Objectives – 1 point

Many events over the course of a battle may bring a commander closer to victory. Each
minor objective completed is worth 1 point.
•Kill an enemy creature.
•Kill an enemy Hero.
•Capture an enemy Standard.

Skirmishes
Narrative Objectives – 1–2 points
During the course of a battle many amazing and incredible events happen, as do
numerous tragedies and humorous misdeeds. If over the course of the battle an event
occurs that stands out to both you and your opponent as something special, give the
originator of the event a narrative objective. Narrative objectives of 1–2 points should
be awarded when a fighter performs some heroic deed or whimsical misstep. Narrative
objectives remind us that fate has a sense of humor and a reverence for heroism.

Winning the Day

After the battle has ended, total the objectives of both Warbands. The commander with
the highest total is victorious.

Other Factors
Time Limits
Time-Limited Skirmishes Warband Allowance Number of Rounds

Some objectives must be achieved as quickly as possible, and other times 300 or less 4
fighters must hold on for as long as they can. Skirmishes with time limits 400 5
must be completed after a certain number of Rounds, based on the size 500 6
of the Warbands involved. 600+ 7

Fire
Fire always has a place in war. It seems like a useful tool,
but it is a treacherous ally. Skirmishes will specify if fire is
present or helpful in a particular battle.
Small fires include campfires, torches, and other
manageable flames. These fires can be extinguished by spending
a Surge and making a Skill check. No fighter may move onto a
small fire, but may jump over it. If forced onto a small fire by
combat a fighter will move off the fire the next time they are
activated. Discombobulated fighters attempting to Recover
will move off the fire and suffer -2 to their recovery roll. Other
fighters will shift off the fire as part of their attack action or
move off as part of a move action. Dumb fighters will never
move adjacent to or over a small fire.

137
 Large fires include bonfires and burning structures or piles of
supplies. These fires can’t be extinguished during a Skirmish. A fighter
may not move adjacent to or jump over a large fire, and Dumb fighters will
not move within 3”. If forced adjacent to or onto a large fire a fighter is
immediately subject to a 2d6+2 Might roll, and then moved by their
opponent 1” away from the fire.
A Skirmish may allow some fighters to carry torches, either for
illumination or to start fires. The commanders should indicate to their
opponents before the battle which are carrying torches. These fighters
have to sheath weapons to carry torches. Fighters with shields will have a
shield and a torch, fighters with two weapons will have just one weapon
and a torch, and fighters with two handed weapons will be using them
one handed. Fighters armed with a shield and a torch receive their normal
Shield bonus, and may attack with the torch at normal Skill but their Might
is reduced to 1d6. After each attack, regardless of its success, roll a die—the
torch goes out on 1-3. A fighter normally wielding two weapons carrying
a torch may attack with the remaining weapon. He loses the Two Weapon
ability and attacks at -2 Skill. Fighters using a two handed weapon in one
hand attack at -1 Skill and with -1 to their Might roll. Any fighter with a
torch may swing it in an opponent’s face. This is handled exactly like a
Shield Bash.
A fighter may drop their torch and draw their weapons for free. A dropped
torch continues to burn and illuminates the same way. Any fighter adjacent can pick
up a torch as an action. An Incapacitated fighter drops their torch.
A fighter with a torch can ignite an adjacent flammable structure, pile of supplies,
or other flammable feature by spending one action and making a Skill check. The
resulting fire will be a small fire at first, located at the point of ignition. After each set
of Stones roll a die for each such fire: on a 4-6 it has become a large fire, the entire pile
or structure is now burning. Anyone in or adjacent to the fire is treated as having been
forced onto the fire, as above.

Darkness
Night is no time for large actions, but an excellent time for an outnumbered force to
seize an advantage. Raids, escapes, scouting, foraging, can all benefit from darkness.
A fighter within 3” of a torch or small fire, or within 8” of a large fire is
illuminated, and can be attacked normally. Non-illuminated fighters are attacked
at -1 Skill for regular melee attacks, -2 for attacks made with Reach or Sweeping
Blow, and -4 for ranged attacks. Any non-illuminated fighter at least 6” away
from an enemy may escape with a single action, if it can trace a path out of the
battlefield that doesn’t pass within 2” of an enemy fighter.

Skirmishes
Weather Heavy Rain
If the Skirmish doesn’t mention weather then it’s clear Roll Outcome
and will remain so. If the Skirmish says that the weather Deluge – A period of very intense rain necessitates a
is Changeable roll a die after each set of stones, on a lull in the fighting. All Discombobulated fighters may
6/6
make one free Recovery check, then proceed to
1-2 the weather worsens to either a Light Rain or Light the next turn.
Snow, depending on the season.
6/- Break in the Clouds – The rain slows to a light rain.
Light Rain – This has little effect on determined 6/1
Thunder – Beasts with the Dumb ability are startled,
fighters, but Skill checks to start fires are at -2. Small moving 4” in a random direction.
fires will increase to large fires only on a 5-6. After -/- Continuing Downpour – It continues to rain.
each set of Stones roll one die, on a 1-2 the rain Monsoon! – An intense period of rain begins, all Skill
1/-
increases to a Heavy Rain. rolls are at -1 for the next set of Stones.
Lightning! – If the tallest structure is flammable it
Heavy Rain – All Skill checks for any purpose are at -1. becomes a large fire. If it is not flammable all fighters
Torches burn, but all other small fires go out and it is not 1/1 within 2” of the tallest structure or tallest tree suffer
possible to start more. After each set of Stones roll a die a 2d+2 attack. if there are no structures or trees the
tallest fighter is incapacitated.
for each large fire, it will go out on a 1. Also after each
set of Stones roll on the Heavy Rain table.
Heavy Snow
Light Snow – Light flurries of snow have little effect on
Roll Outcome
determined fighters. After each set of stones roll a die,
Whiteout – A flurry brings combat to a brief halt, during
Heavy Snow will begin on a 1-2. 6/6 which Discombobulated fighters may make one free
Recovery check, then proceed to the next turn.
Heavy Snow – Harder snowfall makes it difficult to see
Break in the Clouds – The weather improves to a
your enemy. All Skill checks are at -1. After each set of 6/-
light snow.
stones roll on the Heavy Snow table.
Scattered Sunlight – An opening in the clouds passes
by, bringing bright sun onto the new fallen snow, and
Fog – Heavy mist and fog does not interfere with melee 6/1
snow blindness. All fighters have -2 to all skill rolls for
combat, but range penalties are doubled. Additionally, the next set of stones.
any fighter at least 10” away from an enemy may escape More Snow – The heavy snowfall continues for the
with a single action if he can trace a path off the battlefield -/-
next set of Stones.
that doesn’t pass within 4” of an enemy fighter. Hail - Every fighter suffers a 1d6+1 Might roll that can
1/- Discombobulate, but not Incapacitate or Kill.
Caves Blizzard - Fighting has become impossible, the
Caves have been used by Agaptans since earliest memory skirmish ends. Discombobulated fighters stagger off
1/1 the battlefield to recover. Commanders take turns
as shelters, animal pens, storehouses, and hideaways. making Skill checks for fighters who want to carry off
Naturally the war has spread to these caverns, giving an Incapacitated ally or prisoner.
commanders extra things to worry about.
Caves can be dark. Any fighter with LOS to the cave entrance is illuminated.
Other fighters will only be illuminated if they are close to a fire, as described under
Darkness. Low ceilings and stalactites prevent arcing shots, limiting ranged attacks to 12”.
Stalagmites at least as tall as the fighters are obstacles, those less than that are barricades.

139
A Meeting Engagement
In the Wild
The woods. It was always the woods. Grallhg was
getting mighty sick of trees. The rotten things got in
the way, confounded his roccio and made the Cospico
nervous. Too many places for the slippery Vidaar to
hide, too many shadows that looked like Kuld. He
wished for the thousandth time he’d drawn duty in
the south, where it was all rocks and blubbers. Like
any dutiful Jaarl, though, he went where he was told.
But why did it always have to be in the woods?

Description
Two Warbands meet on the field of battle. Both seek a
victory that only one will achieve. Warbands
This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any size.
Deployment A great starting point for new commanders is 300 points,
while an experienced commander may prefer the
The commanders must decide which of them deploys challenge of a Warband 400 to 500 points in size.
his fighters first. The Warband first to deploy starts
the battle as active commander.
Each commander may deploy his fighters up
to 8” in from his side of the battlefield.
Froth – Both commanders begin the battle with 5 Froth.

Primary Objective
Last Buck Standing – The commander with the most
fighters left, by point value, at the end of the battle
gains 5 objective points.

Secondary Objective
Each commander must attempt to keep his opponent
from gaining ground on the field. For every fighter of
his past the middle of the table at the end of the battle
a commander will gain 2 objective points.

Skirmishes
At Sea During a Storm
The Kuld Uuurgluguk was Massio and the three jaarl Cospico—monster fighters—
sure something had flopped were deep in the woods. They were quite lost, though none
out of the ocean and was dared admit it. They had left the rest of their company far
following it. It was a strange behind after the blizzard hit them. The snow was letting up
thing—he wasn’t even sure now, but that helped them little.
if he could eat it or not. He Somewhere in the heavy fog and blowing
intended to find out, though. snow was a brokeback troll, a rogue beast left over
from some skirmish in the valleys below. Massio’s
Description Rettori had been very clear – come back with the
Representing two ships locked in combat, this brute’s head, or don’t come back at all. Somehow,
variant of the standard Meeting Engagement Massio didn’t think that would be a problem for the
brings with it new challenges, namely a restricted rest of the company. He’d seen glimpses of something
and hazardous battlefield. out in the snow a few times, following them, circling
them. Nothing more than shadows, maybe.
Deployment
Maybe.
The battlefield consists of two or more ships with at
least a quarter of their hulls in contact with an enemy
vessel. This can be decided upon by mutual decision Description
or randomized. The ships are connected by three This variation of the Skirmish makes use of weather
grapples per enemy vessel in contact. conditions. Deployment, Objectives, and Warband
The commanders decide which of them size are the same as In the Wild. The first round takes
deploys his fighters first. The Warband first to place in a Heavy Snow. At the end of each round roll
deploy starts the battle as active commander. Each on the Heavy Snow table.
commander then deploys his fighters anywhere on Due to the severe weather, this Skirmish uses
their respective vessels. time limits.

Secondary Objective
Keep Them Off! – Each commander must attempt to
keep his opponent off his ship. For every fighter of
his on the opposing vessel at the end of the battle a
commander will gain 2 objective points.

Warband
This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any size,
with the restriction of no more than 400 points per vessel.

141
A Daring Escape
Across the Bridge
It was a funny thing about bridges, Prolius thought,
standing beside the river. You crossed them dozens
of times without even thinking about it, until the one
time somebody decided not to let you over. Like now.
The remnants of his linebucks and skirmishers were
clumped behind him; they’d won against the Vidaar
on the plains, but now they needed to cross the water.
A Vidaaran banner blocked their way, however;
survivors, maybe, or just another element of the raiding
force Prolius had smashed. Whoever they were, they
were in his way.

Description Froth – The attacking commander begins the battle with

Both Warbands meet, each wanting control of the 7 Froth, the defender begins with 5 Froth.
only bridge along a vital support route. One Warband
was lucky enough to get there first, but will they be Primary Objective
able to hold their prize? The Bridge Is Ours! – The defending commander
The bridge in question crosses a swiftly flowing gains 5 objective points at the end of the battle if no
river. Fighters entering the river treat it as chest-deep attacking fighters have crossed the bridge or entered
water. So tricky is the current that a fighter must his deployment zone.
spend an entire Surge to exit the river no matter how The attacking commander gains 5 objective
close he is to the edge. points if only his forces remain on the bridge at the
This Skirmish uses time limits. end of the battle.

Deployment Warbands
The defending commander deploys first. Up to half of This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any
the defending commander’s Warband deploys on the point value. To increase the difficulty of the Skirmish,
bridge. The rest of his warband deploys up to 8” in for every 200 points the defender gathers the attacker
from his side of the battlefield. may bring 300.
The attacking commander then deploys his
entire Warband 8” in from the opposite side of the
battlefield.
The attacker starts the battle as active commander.

Skirmishes
From Below Ground The Village
Stuck. Stuck stuck stuck. The Kuld had crept up the
hillside overnight, trapping Varrgu and his bucks Description
inside. Akka-maas save him, he hated small, dark Regrouping after attacking a defenseless village, the
places. Almost as much as he hated being dinner. tables are turned on the Warband as their opponent
comes to reclaim their home.
Description
After spending the night in a cavern, one commander’s Deployment
Warband finds the exit blocked by an opposing force. The defending commander deploys first. The defending
commander’s Warband deploys in the center of the village.
Deployment The attacking commander then deploys his
The attacking commander deploys his Warband at entire party 8” in from any table edge. The attacker starts
the entrance of the cave, no more than 12” in to the the battle as active commander.
main cavern. The defending commander then places
his fighters in the main cavern. All defending fighters Primary Objective
must begin the battle within 2” of an allied fighter.
The defending commander gains 1 objective point
for every 100 points of his Warband to escape the
Primary Objective battlefield. The defending commander gains 1
The defending commander gains 1 objective point for objective point for every 100 points of the enemy
every 100 points of his Warband to escape the cavern. warband removed as Incapacitated or Killed.
The defending commander gains 1 objective point for
every 100 points of the enemy warband removed as Secondary Objective
Incapacitated or Killed.
They’ve taken a prisoner! – The defending commander
must escort this prisoner off the battlefield. The
Warbands prisoner uses the civilian profile and starts the battle
This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any linked to a fighter of the defending commander’s
point value. To increase the difficulty of the Skirmish, choice.
for every 200 points the defender gathers the attacker The commander in possession of the prisoner at
may bring 300. the end of the battle gains an additional objective point.

Warbands
This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any
point value. To increase the difficulty of the Skirmish,
for every 200 points the defender gathers the attacker
may bring 300.

143
Ambushed!
On the Road
Wyylma was getting pretty darn tired of ambushing
the foolish bucks all the time. There were a half dozen
roads leading into the valley heartlands of Atronia’s
city-state, but for some reason the invaders always
came through the same passes. Even the Jaarl, whom
she had given more credit than that. Her sister Wyyga
was tasked with safeguarding the northern road, and
Wyylma with the southern. It was a duty she took
very seriously, even while laying on her belly in the
pricker-bushes. Overhead the Red Moon watched.

Description
From out of nowhere the attackers came. The Warband’s Who Ambushed Whom? – Alternatively, the
only hope is to escape the ambush and bring word defending commander may gain the 5 objective
of their assailants to the bulk of their forces. points by routing the attacking Warband.

Deployment Secondary Objectives

The defending commander deploys first, placing his Get Him Out of Here – The defending commander
fighters on the road in the middle of the battlefield. selects a fighter from his Warband as being particularly
All his fighters must be within 1” of another friendly important. If this fighter is safely escorted of the
fighter. battlefield his commander will gain an additional
objective point. The fighter’s death brings an objective
The attacking commander splits his Warband point to the opposing commander.
into no more than four groups, the contents of which
do not need to be equal. The attacking commander Kill Their Leader! – This battle is a bitter feud
then deploys these groups of fighters within 18” of between the two factions, each vying for the head of
the defenders. the opposing leader. Either commander gathers an
additional objective point for Incapacitating or Killing
Froth – The attacking commander begins the battle with the opposing fighter with the highest point value. If
7 Froth, the defender begins with 5 Froth. the slaying fighter is that commander’s Leader, the
commander gains a second objective point.
Primary Objectives
Run Away! – The defender gains 5 objective points if Warbands
more of his fighters leave the battlefield than are claimed This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any
as casualties. Otherwise his opponent gains the objective point value. To increase the difficulty of the Skirmish,
points. This is determined by point value. for every 200 points the defender gathers the attacker
may bring 300.

Skirmishes
By Campfire The Village
Never split your forces. Always stay together. The Valya steered wide of the pyre burning in the center of
oldster Cornwyl had told Barros that a dozen times town. A stray ember settled in her ringstraked brown
a day for the last 10 years. Had the Captain listened? fur but she absentmindedly batted it away. The does
Of course not, that would be too easy. Now he had to of Atronia, jaarl, vidaar, and elvorix alike, all of them
get everyone back together if any of them were to live were used to the fires by now. The elders said the fires
through the day. – and more importantly, the light they threw – were of
the upmost importance.
Description They kept the village warm at night. They
This Skirmish follows the same rules as a road ambush kept the monsters away, the beasts that shunned light
with the following exceptions. and warmth and good. But most important, they
showed the world that the village was not afraid.
This Skirmish takes place at night using the
Valya wondered about that sometimes, usually when
Darkness rules. The campfire at the middle of the
the midnight air rang with the hungry rumblings of
battlefield is considered a large fire.
the kuld migrations or when the market stalls ran
empty, but mostly she just went along with her life.
Deployment Her fawns needed her. Her sisters needed her.
Fighters are deployed as in the road ambush, the only And the Goddess Atronia needed them all.
difference being that the defenders start around the
campfire in the middle of the battlefield.
Description
This Skirmish follows the same rules as a road ambush
with the following exceptions.

Deployment
Instead of starting on a road, the defending commander’s
fighters begin the battle in the center of a village,
using the same measurements. The attackers pick
two opposing edges of the battlefield from which to
launch their assault. The attacking commander then
splits his Warband into two groups that do not need to
be equal, and places one on each side of the village, no
more than 8” in form the edge.

145
None Shall Pass!
Fortified Camp
It was so hard for the Augurst to concentrate. The air
was full of the succulence of the furry ones. He wasn’t
sure which ones, truth be told; they all looked alike to
him. They wore horns on their heads that still smelled
of the great beasts that had grown them. He could
smell their horns, the leathers of their armor, the stink
of their unwashed bodies. Cookfires, service animals,
even the sweet oils some of them smoothed their fur
down with. It was maddening, really. Absolutely
maddening. He sang to take his mind off it, to pass
the time until the Shuda decided it was time for the
attack to begin.
Description
One Warband in a defensive position must hold the Secondary Objectives
line while keeping the enemy from crossing the field. They Shall Not Pass! – For each attacking unit that is
This Skirmish uses time limits. not past the defender’s initial line of deployment at
the end of the battle, the defending commander gains
Deployment 2 objective points.
The defending commander deploys his fighters first,
Kill Their Leader! – This battle is a bitter feud
up to 8” in from his edge of the battlefield. He may
between the two factions, each vying for the head of
also deploy up to 18 linear inches of obstacles to
the opposing leader. Either commander gathers an
hamper his opponent’s progress.
additional objective point for Incapacitating or Killing
Then the attacking commander deploys his the opposing fighter with the highest point value. If
fighters up to 8” in from the opposite side of the battlefield. the slaying fighter is that commander’s Leader, the
The attacker starts the battle as active commander. commander gains a second objective point.
Froth – Both commanders begin the battle with 5 Froth.
Warbands
Primary Objective This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any
Hold the Line! – The defending commander must point value. To increase the difficulty of the Skirmish,
keep the attackers from reaching his edge of the for every 200 points the defender gathers the attacker
battlefield. If at the end of the battle there are no may bring 300.
attackers within 6” of the defender’s edge, he gains
5 objective points. If there two or more attacking
fighters within the 6” zone, their commander gains
the 5 objective points.

Skirmishes
 Primary Objective
We Must Hold! – The defending commander must
keep the attackers from entering the passage so the
villager can escape. This Skirmish uses a variation of
time limits.
The attackers start with 4 objective points. At
the end of every Round that there are still defending
fighters on the battlefield, the attacking commander
loses an objective point, and the defending commander
gains one. The defending commander wins the battle
if he has more objective points than his opponent
when his last buck falls.

Secondary Objectives
The Narrow Pass Kill Their Leader! – This battle is a bitter feud
between the two factions, each vying for the head of
The full weight of a hundred banners of Vidaar had the opposing leader. Either commander gathers an
gathered outside Eslenda, the rumors of her wealth additional objective point for Incapacitating or Killing
and the beauty of her does too much for the raiders the opposing fighter with the highest point value. If
to ignore. Only 300 warrior-does remained to protect the slaying fighter is that commander’s Leader, the
their city. Would that number be enough, even with commander gains a second objective point.
the valley itself fighting the invaders at every turn?
Warbands
Description This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any
An outnumbered force hold a vital pass. Can the point value, provided that for every 200 points the
defenders hold on long enough? defender gathers the attacker brings 400.

Deployment
When building the battlefield the defender’s deployment
zone must contain a narrow passage no more than 12”
across, surrounded by obstacles that extend to both
edges of the battlefield. The defending commander
deploys his fighters first, within the narrow pass on
his edge of the battlefield.
Then the attacking commander deploys his
fighters up to 12” in from the opposite side of the battlefield.
The attacker starts the battle as active commander.

147
Seize the Prize
Raaaaalk of the Ki-kak was high in the boughs of a
pine, watching the enemy camp. These were not the
slavers, the twisted ones that the stories all told about.
But these creatures—shorter, fiercer, more intelligent
than the Vidaar—were in the way. The slaver city
lay beyond their camps, their pickets. He knew their
weakness, though. Each banner carried a sacred
stone. His soldiers would steal their stone and sap
their power, and then their day would come…

Description
Two commanders vying for the same prize. One has
it, but will he be able to keep it? This Skirmish uses
time limits.

Deployment
The attacking commander places his fighters first, anywhere
on the battlefield no more than 8” from an edge. The
defending commander then places his fighters within
a designated area in the center of the battlefield 12” in
diameter. The defending commander designates which
fighter has the object both side want. The attacker begins
the battle as active commander.
Froth – Both commanders begin the battle with 5 Froth.

Primary Objectives
Get the Thing! – The two commanders are fighting for
possession of the object. Which ever commander has the
prize at the end of the battle gains 5 objective points.
Warbands
Secondary Objective This Skirmish may be fought with Warbands of any size.
A great starting point for new commanders is 300 points,
Kill Their Leader! – This battle is a bitter feud
while an experienced commander may prefer the
between the two factions, each vying for the head of
challenge of a Warband 400 to 500 points in size.
the opposing leader. Either commander gathers an
additional objective point for Incapacitating or Killing
the opposing fighter with the highest point value. If
the slaying fighter is that commander’s Leader, the
commander gains a second objective point.

Skirmishes
Creating Your Own Skirmishes
The above are but a few examples of the conflicts across Agaptus. Commanders are
encouraged to create their own Skirmishes. The following are guidelines for this
endeavour.
The Lay of the Land – A great place to start is to look at the battlefields fought over. If
commanders have access to specific types of terrain, let that guide what is added to the
battle; if you have a lot of Flora, try throwing in a dangerous plant, and if your collection
contains buildings, place the fight in a village.
Weather – Any of the Skirmishes become more challenging simply by changing the
weather. Naval battles in particular become significantly more difficult in the rain.
The Fantastical World of Agaptus – On such a world as Agaptus, anything can happen.
Combining many different elements—Flora, Fauna, Weather, Darkness—in ether a planned
or random manner, can lead to all sorts of unexpected encounters. Commanders should
remember to temper chaos to create a balance of excitement and fairness.

149
 Tales
A series of Skirmishes can be linked together as a Tale, allowing commanders to fight
connected battles in which the outcome of one influences the rest. The warring
commanders agree upon the number of Skirmishes the Tale will include. The
commanders then decide which Skirmishes will be played and in what order.
Each commander then builds a Banner, a 600 to 1000 point pool of fighters, from
which Warbands will be drawn. This Banner will be used throughout the Tale, gaining
experience and tactical advantages, as well as losing fighters to injury and death.
While building his Banner each commander selects fighters to represent its
Leader and his Retinue, known as Characters. These characters will earn experience
points (xp), which can be spent to increase their abilities or gain advantages for the
entire Warband during upcoming Skirmishes.
Once the Banners are gathered the commanders decide on the first Skirmish to
be fought. They each gather Warbands to the agreed point total and fight the battle. At
the end of the Skirmish both commanders total the experience points their characters
has collected. These are spent either on Character Advances (profile increases for these
fighters) or Warband Advantages (small bonuses that will affect the next battle).
After both commanders have finished adjusting their Warbands, the next
Skirmish in the Tale is fought. This process repeats until the Tale is finished and one
commander is declared victorious.

Characters
Gathering Experience
The characters consists of one leader to Characters
represent the commander on the battlefield
Deed Reward
and one fighter for every 100 points in the
Banner. The actions of these characters are Incapacitate/Kill an enemy worth equal or
25xp
fewer points than character.
tracked throughout a Skirmish, recording
when they Incapacitate or Kill opposing Incapacitate/Kill an enemy worth more
50xp
points than character.
fighters, or seize a secondary objective.
If enemy is hard to kill. 25xp*
Gathering Experience If enemy is a character. 25xp*
During a Skirmish each commander will Character completes a secondary objective 25xp
track the deeds of his characters. Record End of Skirmish
every opposing fighter one of your characters Deed Reward
Incapacitates or Kills. At the end of the Won the battle. 25xp
Skirmish the commanders will also gain
Lost the battle. 10xp
experience points due to the outcome
of the battle and if they completed any For each completed a secondary objective 10xp
secondary objectives. * In addition to Reward for Incapacitation/Kill

Tales
 Character Warband
Advances Advantages
Using Experience Points Boost character’s Skill, or
Might by +1 100xp
Re-roll any die roll dur-
ing the course of the 25xp
Between Skirmishes, experience points are spent (maximum +2 each) next Skirmish
either to advance the profile of a character, or Boost character’s Auto-recover at end of
Toughness 250xp battle from Killed/Inca- 50xp
to purchase tactical advantages for the next (maximum +1) pacitated
conflict. Each option lists a point cost, plus any
Gain the Elite Additional point of
restrictions. Experience points may be held over Special Ability
150xp
Froth
10xp

from one Skirmish to the next, but may only be Gain the Hero 150xp Additional Surge to be
25xp
spent in between battles. Special Ability + Elite spent during a Stone

Recovering Incapacitated Fighters

After the Skirmish all Discombobulated fighters recover automatically. Killed fighters
are removed from the Warband, unless experience points are spent to keep them alive.
Incapacitated fighters must roll on the following table or their commander must spend
50xp to return them to action.

Incapacitated Recovery
Roll Outcome
I’m invincible! – Full Recovery. In addition fighter may increase any attribute
6/6
by 1, not to exceed maximum. The fighter becomes a character.
Well, I won’t make that mistake again! – The fighter recovers. If fighter is a
6/-
character he gathers +25xp.
It’s just a flesh wound! – Fighter recovers but may not take part in the next
6/1
Skirmish. If fighter is a character he gathers +25xp.
-/- No, really, I’m fine – Fighter recovers.
Yow, that hurts! Fighter recovers, but has sustained a major injury. Fighter
1/-
suffers a -1 to his Skill or Might attribute.
1/1 He is One with the gods! – The fighter is dead.

Tale Victory
At the end of the Tale, The commander that won the most Skirmishes is the victor.
Commanders should use their total Objective Points to decide tie.

151
 Creating meaningful distinction between different

Design Notes fighters without stat cards, dials, or sliders was a challenge.
Splitting offensive ability into Skill and Might helped, but
it was Josh and Anthony creating all those special abilities
that brought the different types to life. Since this effectively
Andrew Walters tucks half the rules into the special abilities section it keeps
Lead Rules Designer the rules simple while still allowing all kinds of exotic
battlefield behavior.
There is nothing like a skirmish wargame. The Finally one day a bunch of Vidaar were
personal scale makes the action, the plans, the risks, fighting a boarding action against the Jaarl. Fighters
and the improbable outcomes fire the imagination. were pushed back, knocked into the water, got loose
Big battle games are great, too, but skirmishes are on the enemy deck, it felt exactly right: it was Melee
flavorful like nothing else. again, but with more flavor. Spears, shields, and
I’ve played a lot of wargames and miniatures trolls all felt like they should, without any hassle. For
games that portray this level of combat, but they the first time since Melee I feet like a skirmish game
always seemed to fall short. Representing the was all about the skirmish, and not about the game.
simultaneity of combat is a puzzle, and all solutions Some might wonder that we’ve aggregated
are compromises. Some of these are complex, some just about every form of discomfiture into
rely on gimmicks, most produce results I don’t find “Discombobulated”. Over the course of development
consistent with history. Some don’t allow for very we had markers for Prone, some lost weapons rules,
much distinction between different fighters. Worst and so on. Many arguments, a few unscientific
of all, most of them require enough of your attention simulations, and a lot of playtesting showed that the
that you spend too much time thinking about procedures rules necessary to gain and lose these differentiated
and stats, and not the warriors and their story. statuses didn’t give you better results than the generic
Even though I was having a great time with state, they just gave you more to do, and more to look
Songs Of Our Ancestors I discussed this on this up in the book. Use your imagination to fill in the
several times at different game conventions with gaps, and see if Discombobulated doesn’t produce
the Zombiesmith folks, repeatedly returning to our satisfying results.
memories of playing Metagaming’s Melee way back Now that these rules are yours my hope is
in the 1970s. That game seemed to capture something that they will just disappear for you, becoming
in its simplicity that more complicated games didn’t. natural and free of distractions so that the adventures
Of course, Melee had its own problems, the handling and struggles of Agaptans will be all you think about.
of shields being the big one, and game design has
moved forward in the last thirty five years. Our
conversations gradually moved toward wondering about
how to put together a simple system that would still
have a lot of flavor, both in the fighters abilities and
the action. A lot of discussing, writing, playtesting,
and debating lead to Shieldbash.

Design
 Its great stuff! Andrew has done a great job of
Josh Qualtieri capturing all the key elements we identified last year
Rules Developer, Headzombie when we set out, and has made sure they are simple
and fun to play. Look for more games from us built on
this system!
Hello again folks! This may live in the design notes
section, but its really more of a ramble, but that’s my We will also continue to fully support
prerogative. Shieldbash and Shieldwall moving forward. There
will be lots more figures and an expansion book for
A year ago Andrew Walters and I were sitting
each system with things like expanded ship rules,
around, really late, at a local convention, lamenting
sieges and a fleshed out campaign system that builds
there just weren’t any fantasy skirmish rules around
upon the introductory one presented in this book.
that had the level of detail we enjoy yet were still fast
There might even be a few surprises along the way!
to play. All our favorites were long out of print or we
now found more complicated than we cared to spend
time with. That night we didn’t actually know what
our next book was going to be, and while sitting there
PS - Holy crap! Our sixth rulebook in six years!
talking, Andrew had some really great ideas for a system
When this thing started I never guessed we’d do any
that could be universal and simple, but still have
and now I spend an inordinate amount of time play
those complicated decisions that need to be made
testing and thinking really hard about the rules of
during play that we always strive for in our games. I
warfare among little pewter monsters.
thought his ideas were great and I asked him to write
it. He readily agreed and hopefully he still thinks that We wouldn’t be able to do a book a year if
was the right choice! We were both pretty tired and I so many people hadn’t volunteered their time and
often wonder if the next morning he woke with a start efforts and really put a lot of thought and care into
and realized what he’d done. everything we do. It really shows guys (and gals!),
and I appreciate it. I can’t thank you all in the space
Shieldbash! What you hold here in your
I have here but you know I love you. I do need to
hands, or are reading electronically, is my favorite
single out a couple: Anthony and Jackson, who have
rule system that we have done. It plays fast, the
managed, alongside all the other stuff they do, to take
denizens of Agaptus feel like they should and every
over 100% of the manufacturing. This is going to free
game generates some interesting puzzles to figure
all of us up to get a lot more done on the creative end
out. On afternoons we play tested we would often get
this year and going forward!
in 3-4 games in just a couple of hours. This is great
for getting an entire Tale told in a night with multiple
linking scenarios or to quickly squeeze in a game at
lunch. Each game, even if just a meeting engagement,
played out very differently depending on our actions
and they were immensely satisfying. In the face of a
hopeless loss sometimes that tiny Vorix skirmisher
will roll a triple damage and take the Nhilde troll
down, completely turning the tide of battle. Or that
Jaarl Roccio holds out two entire Stones against what
seems like the entire Atronian army.

153
 To download additional reference materials, including

Reference Surge Cards and Racial Profile lists, please visit:

[Link]/files/shieldbashreference
Melee Attack Modifiers
Melee Attack Extreme Results
Modify Skill attribute to find Target number
Roll Outcome
Target is Discombobulated +2
3 Always a hit and the Might roll is tripled.
Target has a Shield -1, -2, or -3
4, 5 Always a hit and the Might roll is doubled.
Attacker on higher ground +1
 lways a miss and your opponent gets a free attack, rolling Skill as
A
Defender behind barricade -2 16
normal.
+1 per  lways a miss and your opponent gets an automatic hit, rolling Might
A
Multiple friendly fighters En- 17
additional as normal.
gaged with opponent
fighter
 lways a miss and your opponent gets an automatic hit, doubling
A
18
their Might roll.

Might Roll Results

Ranged Attack Extreme Results
Equal to Toughness = Push Roll Outcome
3 Always a hit and the Might roll is tripled.
Greater than Toughness
4, 5 Always a hit and the Might roll is doubled.
= Discombobulation
Always a miss and the shooter must immediately roll to recover from
16,17
Discombobulated.
Equal to or Greater than
18 Always a miss and the shooter is Discombobulated.
Double Toughness
= Incapacitated
Recovery
Might roll equal to or
Roll Outcome
Greater than Triple
 he fighter recovers and immediately takes an extra Surge. In addition the
T
Toughness 3
recovery Surge is not expended.
= Killed
4,5 The fighter recovers and the Surge is not expended.
6–12 The fighter recovers
13–15 The fighter is still Discombobulated.
 ighter’s helplessness encourages foes, gaining their commander a point
F
16,17
of Froth.
18 Fighter succumbs to wounds, is considered Killed.

Improvised Thrown Weapons

Object Might Effect of Might roll
 an never do more than Discombobulate, cannot
C
Sand, soil, mud 1d6+2
affect a fighter from behind
Mug, bowl,  an only Discombobulate unless it triples Toughness,
C
fist-sized stone, 1d6+2 which will Incapacitate regardless of the fighter’s
plate of food original status
Froth
Combat Results Other Actions
Action Froth Action Froth
Enemy Incapacitated by Capturing enemy standard +3
+1
2nd Discombobulation Lose friendly standard -3
Might roll doubles Toughness +2 Complete primary objective +4
Might roll triples Toughness +3 Complete secondary objective +2
Removed opponent is a Leader +1 Incredible success +1*
Removed opponent is a Hero +1 Horrible failure +/-1*
Removed opponent is Hard to Kill +1 * By both commanders’ consent

Example Uses for Froth

• Ignore a push result scored against • Modify a Skill or Might attribute

one of his fighters by 1 after an Attack action roll
• Turn an already-Engaged fighter • Move up to 1” extra to Engage a
to face a newly Engaging enemy fighter
• Shift a friendly fighter to make • Choose the direction of dodge
room for an active fighter’s move from a ranged attack
•Shift after making an attack instead • Make a charge attack (see page 31)
of before
Special Ability Tables
Berserk
Roll Outcome
The fighter moves toward the next, nearest enemy fighter,
3, 4, 5
attacking if Engaged. Then roll on this table again.
6–12 The fighter ends the Stone as Ready.
13–15 The fighter ends the Stone as Discombobulated.
The fighter moves toward the nearest friendly figure, attacking
16–17
with an automatic hit and doubled Might if Engaged.
18 The fighter expires in battle ecstasy; he is Incapacitated.

Infiltrate
Roll Outcome
Psst! Behind you! – Place the fighter anywhere on the battlefield, including
6/6 Engaged with an enemy fighter. This is considered a free action and does
not expend a Surge from the current Stone.
Where did he come from?!? – Place the fighter anywhere within 4” of the
6/-
designated point, including Engaged with an enemy fighter.
Stepped on a branch! – Place the fighter at the designated point. This is a
6/1
free action and does not expend a Surge from the current Stone.
-/- Sneaky bugger! – Place the fighter at the designated point.
Wait, where am I? – Opponent places fighter within 4” of the designated
1/-
point, including Engaged with an enemy fighter of his choice.
Should have turned left at... – Opponent places the fighter anywhere on
1/1
the battlefield, including Engaged with an enemy fighter of his choice.

Trample
Roll Outcome
The trampling fighter is stopped and receives an automatic hit from the target
3
fighter at doubled Might.
The trampling fighter receives an automatic hit from the target fighter, and
4, 5
continues if able.
Success The target fighter may move 1” to either side of the trampling fighter’s path.
Failure The target fighter is trampled.
16, 17 The target fighter is trampled with doubled Might roll.
18 The target fighter is Killed outright.
 Vomit
Distance Might
Up to 1” 3d6
Up to 2” 2d6
Up to 3” 1d6+3

Burst Table
Roll Outcome
It’s gonna blow! – The fighter performs a standard Vomit attack. The fighter’s
6/6
status then becomes Incapacitated regardless of the initial combat result.
Don’t cut there! – The fighter performs a standard Vomit attack with a
6/- maximum Might of 2d6. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the initial
combat result.
Look out! – The fighter bursts, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, within 1”
6/1 with a 2d6 Might Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the
initial combat result.
Hik-up! – The fighter belches, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, within 1”
-/- with a 1d6 Might Vomit attack. The fighter’s status then changes to that of the
initial combat result.
Eww! – The fighter bursts, hitting all fighters, friendly or enemy, behind him
1/- with a standard Vomit attack, maximum 2d6 Might. The fighter’s status then
changes to that of the initial combat result.
Dodge a bellyfull there! – The fighter belches to no effect. The fighter’s status
1/1
then changes to that of the initial combat result.

War Cry!
Roll Outcome
6/6 “Kill them all, let Agaptus sort it out!” Commander gains 3 Froth.
6/- “We shall swim in their blood!” Commander gains 2 Froth.
6/1 “Attack!!” Both commanders gain 2 Froth.
-/- “To Battle!!” Commander gains 1 Froth.
1/- “Mumble, mumble!” Commander loses 2 Froth.
1/1 “We’re gonna die!” Opponent gains 2 Froth.
Magic Roll
Divine Bolt
Outcome
Smite
Divine Annihilation – Double damage done to target, and
Roll Outcome the Priest may elect to perform a second attack. This
6/6
The Fist of Atronia – Enemy fighters within 2” are second attack does not roll on this table and may not make
6/6 use of the Dead-eye ability.
hit with 2d6 Might.
The Hand of Atronia – Enemy fighters within 2” are 6/- Divine Assistance – Double damage done to target.
6/-
hit with 2d6-1 Might.
Divine Feedback – Double damage done to target. The
The Hand of Agaptus – All fighters within 2” are hit 6/1 Priest suffers a 1d6 Might roll due to the immense surge
6/1
with 1d6 Might. of power.
The Goddess Shall Smite – Designated fighter hit with Divine Accuracy – Normal damage dealt to target. Priest
-/- -/-
1d6+2 Might. may elect to re-roll the Might result.
The Wrath of Agaptus – Priest suffers hit with 1d6 Divine Indifference – The plea goes unanswered and the
1/- 1/-
Might. Priest may not activate again this Stone.
The Fury of Atronia – Priest suffers hit with 2d6 Divine Exile – The spell fails and the Priest may not call
1/1 1/1
Might. this plea again for the remainder of the battle.

Obscure Frenzy
Roll Outcome Roll Outcome
And we’re gone! – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Friendly Unrelenting attack – Area of effect is a 4” radius. Friendly
6/6 fighters within the effect cannot be the target of a charge move. 6/6 fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus, and add 2” to
Enemy fighters within the effect suffer a -1 penalty to Skill checks. their Movement Allowance.
Out of sight! – The effect extends 2” from the Priest. Friendly fighters Savage fury – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Friendly fighters
6/- within the effect cannot be the target of a charge move. Enemy fight- 6/- within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus, and add 2” to their
ers within the effect suffer a -1 penalty to Skill checks. Movement Allowance.
That worked a little too well! – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Incited a riot – Area of effect is a 2” radius. All fighters
6/1 6/1
All fighters within the effect suffer a -1 penalty to Skill checks. within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.
Now you see us... – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Enemy Whipped into a frenzy – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Friendly
-/- -/-
fighters within the effect suffer a -1 penalty to Skill checks. fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.
Again?! – The effect extends 4” from the Priest. Friendly fighters Lost momentum – Area of effect is a 2” radius. Enemy
1/- 1/-
within the effect cannot perform a charge move. fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.
Well at least this means Agaptus can’t see us either! – The effect Disorganized rabble – 4” Radius area of effect. Enemy
1/1
extends 4” from the Priest. Friendly fighters within the effect cannot fighters within this area gain a +1 Skill bonus.
1/1
perform a charge move. Friendly fighters within the effect also suffer
a -1 penalty to all Skill checks.
The Endless

Reinforcement Placement
6/6 One basic Kuld is returned as an Ur-kuld. 6/6 Anywhere not touching an enemy fighter

6/- Two fighters of the commander’s choice return. 6/- In contact with front-most fighter

6/1 One fighter of the commander’s choice returns. 6/1 Place at any table edge

-/- One fighter of the commander’s choice returns. -/- In contact with Augurst

1/- One fighter of the opponent’s choice returns. 1/- Kuld deployment zone

1/1 One fighter is removed from the pool. 1/1 No deployment, bases return to pool
 Shove
Roll Outcome
Assault – All targeted enemy fighters are moved 2” away from the Jaarl
6/6 with which they were Engaged. These fighters must make a Recovery
check to avoid being Discombobulated.
Barrage – One targeted enemy fighter per friendly fighter within the area
6/- of effect is moved 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was Engaged.
The direction of this movement is determined by the Jaarl commander.
Disorganized – One targeted enemy fighter per friendly fighter within
the area of effect is moved 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was
6/1 Engaged. The direction of this movement is determined by the Jaarl
commander. All fighters within the area of effect must make a Recovery
check to avoid being Discombobulated.
Shoved – A single targeted enemy fighter within the area of effect is
-/- moved 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was Engaged. The direction
of this movement is determined by the Jaarl commander.
Disadvantaged – One targeted enemy fighter per friendly fighter within
the area of effect is moved 1” away from the Jaarl with which he was
1/-
Engaged. The direction of this movement is determined by the opposing
commander.
Feedback – The Priest is shoved back 2” from his current position. The
1/1
force of this effect Discombobulates the Priest.

Fade
Roll Outcome
Call to War
Roll Outcome
From the shadows – Area of effect is a 4” radius.
6/6 Friendly fighters cannot be Charged, and attack at Unleash the Avatar! – With a Divine ferocity, the Avatar of Fury is placed
6/6
+1 Skill. anywhere on the battlefield, including Engaged with enemy fighters.
Surprise attack – Area of effect is a 2” radius. For Atronia! – With a successful plea, the Avatar of Fury is placed on the
6/-
6/- Friendly fighters cannot be charged, and attack battlefield, in contact with the summoning Priestess.
at +1 Skill.
She has arrived! – The plea succeeds and the Avatar of Wrath is placed
6/1
Equal footing – Area of effect is a 4” radius. All anywhere on the battlefield, including Engaged with enemy fighters.
6/1
fighters attack at -1 Skill.
To War! – With a successful plea, the Avatar of War is placed on the
-/-
Hidden danger – Area of effect is a 4” radius. battlefield, in contact with the summoning Priestess.
-/-
Friendly fighters attack at +1 Skill.
With little notice – The plea succeeds, barely. The Avatar of Wrath is
1/-
Slowed by cover – Area of effect is a 4” radius. placed on the battlefield, in contact with the summoning Priestess.
1/-
Friendly fighters cannot perform a charge move.
A trivial matter – The battle is deemed below the attention of the goddess.
1/1
Lost in disguise – 4” Radius, Friendly fighters cannot The plea fails and may not be called again for the rest of the battle.
1/1
perform a Charge move, and attack at -1 Skill.
“The way they prepare, the Jaarl, you would think they know something
we don’t,” the captain said to Killiam, his first mate.
The younger buck nodded, ignoring the conversation he had been part
of too often. He turned back to the task at hand, these crates would not
unload themselves.
Killiam had to look a second time, not beliving his eyes on first glance.
What was that off the coast?