2.gif)
Our first offering, Imagus, presents an advantage for use in any sort of psionically inclined campaign. We came up with the Imagus Region as a way of dealing with a tough situation we found ourselves in with one of our campaigns; the astute among you might be able to recognize which campaign...
Next up is Yarbak, one of the cultures from a short lived fantasy campaign we ran a couple of years back. Since we're no longer participating in the Abraxas project, offerings from this campaign (which never did have a name) will be presented instead. The campaign was an experiment of sorts for us; we tried to design the backstory and cultures of the world with more depth than usual, which admittedly still isn't a lot compared to what some others of you do. But we never could come up with an engaging plot/story/adventure for the PCs, so things eventually just sort of petered out. We also experimented a bit with magic; the only form of magic available in the campaign was rune magic (the runic accents from a few apas back came from this campaign). There's a really cool map for the campaign, but unfortunately it is in color. I've worked up a computer graphics version of Yarbak and the surrounding area, which should sufice for now.
The third component of our quadruple feature is the fourth installment of the world of Winter, this time describing the human settlement of Einstein. Einstein is the area of Winter most like a traditional fantasy campaign, albeit with royal guards armed with electrolasers and coal burning electrical generators. Next issue we'll either take a break from Winter and present an sf/horror adventure in its place or take a look at some of the elements of Vellnes culture (thanks in part to inspiration from the E-mail players, they're not just silly elf clones anymore!)
Rounding out what is becoming a rather hefty issue is the first installment in what will hopefully become yet another regular feature: reproductions of some of the items from the Gerald R. Ford Library's JFK assassination files. Unless we accidentally hit a little too close to the truth... :-) [The JFK Files are not included in the HTML version of The Journal of the PK Institute.]
A person whose Imagus Region has been activated will not notice any effects until the moment of his/her death, whereupon their consciousness will seek out the person in the universe whose DNA most closely matches their own. A contest of wills then occurs, with the deceased's mind receiving a +5 bonus. If either of the minds are psionic, telepathy attacks and/or defenses may be substituted. If the psychic assault is successful, the Imagus Region of the deceased activates the Imagus region of the subject and opens a conduit through which the mind of the deceased is able to overwrite the mind of the other, effectively copying the deceased's mind into the subject's and jettisoning the subject's mind altogether. This entire transfer takes place in what can, for all practical purposes, be described as instantaneously. (For those running large space faring campaigns who wish to balk at such possibilities, set the transfer rate at the speed of light; but if you have other impossibilities such as warp drives and FTL communications, I wouldn't let it worry you!)
Note that, since the new brain has its Imagus Region activated during the transfer, this process could theoretically continue indefinitely, though the laws of probability indicate that eventually even the most powerful mind is bound to fail a transfer.
In a normal campaign, the Imagus Region will probably target the mind of a blood relative, probably a sibling (a twin would have the highest likelihood), parent, child, cousin, etc., meaning that the transferred mind is likely to end up in the body and life of someone that the person knows (though this could be one heck of a way to discover that you have a twin sister from which you were separated at birth!)
In a world where full human cloning exists, the Imagus Region offers intriguing possibilities. A person with an activated Imagus Region could have their body cloned multiple times and store the mindless clones away for safe keeping. Since the clones' DNA should be almost exactly identical to the original body, death would simply be an inconvenience as a person's entire mind is transferred to their clone. If an activated Imagus Region is rare, and science discovers a means of testing for activation, those who are activated could be highly sought after as effective spies and covert operatives. If super-science discovers a means to purposely activate the Imagus region, a whole new can of societal worms is opened: If cloning is cheep, whole armies could be trained and sent into bloody battles without having to worry about retraining new troops! If cloning is only available to the rich, social stratification becomes even more pronounced, as a race of essential immortals may arise.
Of course, a GM should not allow those with activated Imagus Regions to get away with murder (so to speak). Besides the danger of a failed transfer, other perils, such as incomplete transfers, dual transfers, or transfers to the wrong body, or an incomplete erasure of the old mind, could be added into the mix. Unless a clone body has been prepared, the transferred mind may find itself having to deal with the body of an entirely different sex or age. And remember that the transferred mind should retain the memory of its old body's death, which may open the door to all sorts of nifty neuroses.
Since an activated Imagus Region offers a form of limited immortality, is should be a 75-100 point advantage, but season to taste.
3.gif)
The rest of Yarbakan cosmology is open to interpretation. Followers of the Galleist sect believe that the world and the universe existed before Ada and Ispar, they simply used what already existed as a slate on which to create humanity, while Punists believe that Ada and Ispar created the universe themselves. Ajmerists believe that Ada and Ispar were the first gods, while Kotists believe that they were only the latest in a long line of gods. Galleists tend to also be Kotists and Punists tend to be Ajmerists, though followers of other combinations exists as well. Though in the past these various sects have been at odds with each other over doctrine, at the present time most simply view the others as different but friendly denominations.
A Yarbakan's first duty is to his or her twin. This should be treated as a 5 point Sense of Duty for Yarbakan characters. The twin may also be taken as a dependent or an ally, though neither is necessary.
A Yarbakan's second duty is to their offspring. A mother and father of a set of twins are expected to stay together to raise and protect them until, at the age of fifteen, the twins leave the family to begin training.
Upon reaching fifteen years of age, a Yarbakan undergoes training in one of the "Two Great Callings": clergy or warrior. A Yarbakan does not necessarily have to choose the same calling as their twin, though such choices are common. Most Yarbakans undergo training for only the requisite two years, with those who wish to actually dedicate their lives to religion or the military staying in for longer. Those who choose the clergy follow the teachings of Ada, where they learn to read and write, how to do math, and, if they are so gifted, how to create and use runes. Those who choose warrior training follow the teachings of Ispar, where they learn armed, unarmed and mounted combat. The requisite two years of study does not bestow either the Clerical Investment or Military Rank advantages upon the students; such privileges require further study.
The Yarbakan religion does not call for any sort of weekly ritual or observance, only the participation in the two Festivals of Changeover and either the Festival of Ada or the Festival of Ispar, depending on one's previous training. However, a Yarbakan is expected to support the military and clerical institutions of their region by donating some part of their service and/or goods.
By the year 179 YB, the Yarbak Empire stretched on the mainland from the city of Kirikkale along the coast to the city of Khanaqin, as well as control of the islands in the mouth of the Aqaba Sea (Comin, Elba, Limassol and the Finicate Islands.) At this point the Golden Age of the Yarbak Empire is said to have begun, with its capitol as the city of Di Yarbakir on the Van River.
In the year 200 YB with the appearance of the twin comets, Yarbak began its first crusade to the Aberqat River valley to liberate the holy land from the barbarians. However this six year campaign eventually failed, signaling the end of the Golden Age.
From 214 - 216 YB, Turin once again became aggressive, taking back the islands of Comin and Elba. Peace was again agreed to in 219 YB, a peace which has more or less lasted until the present day.
During the mid 200's, Yarbak explorers traveled south down the ocean coast, discovering the Di Yala River and establishing the cities of Edirne and Manisa.
In the year 300 YB, Yarbak began a second crusade to the Aberqat River Valley, this time resulting in success. The cities of Isparta and Adapazari are reestablished by Yarbak on the sites of the ancient cities. From 311 - 321 YB, Yarbak expands up the northern coast of the Aqaba Sea to the Murat River, capturing the independent city states of Sinop and Urfa. In 324 YB the city of Elazig is established where the Coruh River joins with the Kizil, and in 329 YB Adana is established at the juncture of the Diyak and Sakarya Rivers.
In the year 371 YB, the current rulers came to power, which marked the beginning of the Yarbakan Renaissance which continues to this day (381 YB).
Yarbak is ruled by a king and queen at the capital city of Di Yarbakir. The king and queen are not mates but rather a set of twins. Succession is dealt with by the date of death of the king and queen: if they die during Hakkut or Kartat, the king's first born twins become the new rulers. If they die during Edine or Fornhu, the regal mantle is passed on to the queen's first born. Besides being the heads of state, the king and queen are also considered the heads of the Yarbakan faith. They are held up as paragons of virtue and are expected to be blessed with deityhood upon their death. The children of the royal family must undergo both clerical and warrior training.
Yarbakan law is not codified, save for the basic tenets which are laid down in their holy books. The law of the land is enforced by the Kirsaq, a select group of judge/knights who are chosen by and directly serve the king and queen. The Kirsaq undergo both clerical and warrior training. They ride throughout Yarbak, rendering judgment if asked or if deemed necessary. Although the consensus judgment of two Kirsaq is required to be legally binding, the opinion of one is usually accepted. A Kirsaq by be either male or female, has 10 points of Legal Enforcement Powers, 5 points of Clerical Investment and Military Rank of 3 (15 points), a -15 point Duty, a -5 point Vow of chastity, and Theology and Law at 14+ in addition to those skills and advantages gained during their training (Literacy, combat skills, et al). All Kirsaq ride on white horses, which are said to have mystical powers (not true!) wear brightly colored robes (over armor, if necessary) and have shaven heads.
For those who care, the Yarbakan twinning is accomplished be the presence of three different sex chromosomes, which we shall label X', X" and Y. Females have X' and X" chromosomes, and males have an X" / Y pair. When a female is fertile, her ova release two eggs, one of which is X', the other is X". An X' egg will only accept an X" sperm, and the X" egg will only accept a Y sperm. If for some reason only one egg is fertilized, the developing zygote will spontaneously abort itself after 1 to 2 weeks of development from a resulting hormonal imbalance. Conception occurs only about half as often with Yarbakans as compared to other humans. Yarbakan males may successfully mate with non-Yarbakan females, with the union producing only genetically non-Yarbakan males. Because of the required hormonal balance in pregnant Yarbakan women, they cannot successfully mate with a non-Yarbakan male.
4.gif)
Einstein survives in large part to the tariffs it exacts from the goods traded between the northern oil and coal producing settlements and the southern food and metal producing settlements. A merchant can expect to give up to a third of his cargo in tribute to the kingdom in exchange for passage through the region. Since the alternative is to risk taking the cargo through DeBroglie, the majority of the traders take Einstein's eastern passage.
In addition to collecting tariffs, Einstein finances itself through two other chief means: The mines in the eastern mountains provide some coal and gemstones, and the black wood from the Ebony Forest is highly prized for its hardness and thermal properties (it doesn't swell much with the heat/cold) and is believed to possess magical properties.
Politically, Einstein is divided into three fiefs, each governed by a lord. It is the garrisons of the fiefs which collect the tariffs from passing traders, with the appropriate portion then going to the king. The three lords, Osterkamp, Douglas and Falender, have grown tired of seeing the kingdom decay and are planning a coup d'Žtat to wrestle control of the kingdom away from King Edward and Tai Li (though they do not know that Tai Li is a necromancer...) Their plans roughly coincide with the time that Tai Li plans on starting her power grab.
5.gif)
Foyer: This is the main entrance to the castle. There are marble floors, large pillars, a huge crystal chandelier, etc. Two grand staircases lead up to a balcony up on the second floor that overlooks the foyer.
Util.: Utility rooms. Stuff is stored here. Don't ask me what kind of stuff. Just normal castle running stuff.
Kitchen: Think of a TL 7 restaurant kitchen and you'll be on the right track. Has gas stoves and working freezers. Butch, the chef, knows thirty different ways to fix mastodon, all of them good.
Dining: A large, long table made from wood from the ebony forest sits in the center of the room. The floors are wood and there's another crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Ancient Vellnes tapestries, a gift to the kingdom brought from Newton by the very first court magician, adorn the walls.
Lounge: Relaxing and comfortable. The floor is carpeted, the walls wood paneled. A fireplace and a billiards table are the two main features of this room.
Throne Room: Typical fantasy throne room. Banners, guards, thrones for the King & Queen, etc. The most remarkable feature is the secret door that leads to:
Computer Core: The settlement's computer is stored here. It still operates, and is still being fed electricity, but at the prompting of Tai Li, King Edward disconnected it from the castle's main systems. The King still occasionally goes in to pretend to consult with the computer, but mainly just taunts it instead (King Edward is not a well adjusted person).
6.gif)
King's, Queen's Bedrooms: The King and Queen no longer share living quarters. In fact, they rarely see each other unless they have to entertain visitors or attend some function of state.
Servant's Quarters: Rather spartan, much like barracks.
Domestic area: where stuff like sewing and clothes washing takes place. (There's an electric clothes washer and drier in here!)
Guest Quarters: Much like would be expected at a fine inn. Each room sleeps two comfortably.
7.gif)
Magician's Area: Tai Li lives and works here. Large deep red curtains surround the entirety of her sanctum. Many arcane dark artifacts are stored here, many of which no one knows the function of; see the sidebar for one of them: The Book of Fjenet.
Demon's Area: Tai Li has entered into a pact with a demon and has created a permanent portal for the demon cross over from. She does not let the demon leave this hidden area, for fear that it would be discovered.
Guard Towers: These actually go up to what would be a forth level; the front towers run down (via a spiral staircase) to the basement and the back two run down to the first level. The walkways connecting the towers serve as excellent places from which to defend the castle with missile fire.
8.gif)
Power Plant: The large wood and coal burning generators which supply the castle with electricity are down here. They are beginning to become slightly unreliable, leaving the castle in the dark for a couple of hours every few months; this infuriates King Edward to no end.
Mausoleum: The former Kings and Queens of Einstein are buried here. King Edward has recently taken to pillaging the tombs for gold and gems to support his extravagant life style.
Dungeon: Tai Li practiced her early zombie spells on the rotting corpses in the cells, so woe to any prisoner unfortunate enough to be thrown down here!
Storage: Again, more stuff. Don't ask what kind of stuff. Just stuff.
Honor Guards:
ST 11, DX 13, IQ 11, HT 11.
Speed 6, Move 6.
Monocrys armor: PD 2, DR 8 (PD 1, DR 4 vs. impaling).
Brawling 15, Guns 16.
Regular Guards:
ST 11, DX 12, IQ 10, HT 10.
Speed 5.5, Move 5.
Kevlar armor: PD 2, DR 4 (PD 1, DR 2 vs. impaling).
Brawling 14, Guns 14.
Both are armed with electrolaser rifles; see Space or Ultra Tech for details.
The castle guards are fiercely loyal to the King and Queen, and are generally scared by Tai Li. Mostly they're just glad to still have their jobs!
Age 35, 5' 7", medium black hair, brown eyes, asian.
ST 11, DX 10, IQ 15, HT 11.
Speed 5.25, Move 5.
Dodge 5, Parry 5 (short sword).
Advantages: Magery 3, Status 4 (court magician) Attractive, Voice.
Disadvantages: Megalomania, Reputation (rumored to be controlling the king), Enemies (The queen and the three Lords), Jealousy.
Quirks: Flirts with the Guards, Drinks red wine with every meal.
Skills: Area Knowledge (Einstein)-12, Astrology-13, Beam Weapons-14, Cooking-14, Fast Draw (Pistol)-10, Fast Talk-14, Guns (Pistol)-12, History-13, Politics-14, Psychology-13, Sex Appeal-13, Short Sword-11, Survival (Arctic)-14, Teaching-14.
Spells (@16 except where noted): Lend Strength, Lend Health, Recover Strength, Minor Healing, Major Healing, Restoration (15), Halt Aging (15), Youth (15), Shield, Missle Shield (20), Fear, Panic, Terror, Detect Magic, Control Magic, Light, Continual Light, Colors, Darkness, Shape Darkness, Night Vision, Dark Vision, Test Food, Decay, Sense Life, Itch, Spasm, Strike Blind, Haste, Sound, Death Vision, Sense Spirit, Summon Spirit, Summon Shade (15), Zombie, Control Zombie, Turn Zombie, Animation (15), Skull-Spirit, Soul Jar, Steal Strength, Steal Health, Age (15), Steal Youth (15), Pestilence, Summon Demon, Planar Summons, Banish.
Tai Li was one of the very few at the University of Newton to be chosen to learn the secrets of necromancy. She was trained personaly by the Master of Dark Arts, and upon acheiving Adept status she left Newton until the time she would return to assume the mantle of Master. She took a job as court magician for the kingdom of Einstein, and found there a collection of dark tomes and other evil artifacts that had been brought to Einstein and hidden by the very first court mage. She was seduced by these dark artifacts into using her dark powers for sinister purposes. Tai Li then seduced King Edward, leading him to disconnect the computer and disband the army, saying that she would protect him and the kingdom. She has been slowly building up an army of undead, and soon plans on using this army to crush the three Lords and bring all of Einstein under her domain. The expected bloodbath from this conflict will supply her with fresh corpses from which to build an even larger undead army to attack Newton and claim the power of the Dark Master as her own.
The demon that Tai Li keeps up in a secret room on the third floor is large, orange-red in color, ugly, with large bat-like wings. It has sharp claws on its hands and feet with which it can attack to do 2d+4 cutting damage. The demon cannot leave its room until Tai Li lets him out when she launches her invasion, so it's in a really bad mood...
It has never been opened by any human mage; true to its billing it may only be opened by a being with good intentions. Once opened, the book of Fjenet would reveal itself to be a lushly illustrated illuminated manuscript. The first eighty or so pages describe a conflict between two warlocks: Klaugh and Fjenet, necromancers of great power. Both entered into pacts with a demon in order to destroy the other, but the demons themselves were in league together and double crossed the warlocks, consuming their souls and those of their followers.
The last twenty pages of the Book of Fjenet contain two spells. The first spell, which the book claims was once used by Klaugh, allows the caster to raise and control 1000 zombies. The catch is that the caster must fashion a knife out of the bone of his own left arm and use the knife to slay a loved one at midnight on the night of the new moon. The test of the second spell says that it was used by Fjenet, and claims that when cast at midday in the center of a city, a large dome of 'darkforce' will surround the city, protecting it from anyone outside. The text for the second spell lies. In actuality, when the spell is cast a portal to the demonic realms will be opened, using the caster as a focal point; a great number of demons will pour through to invade the city. A large black dome does indeed surround the city, but instead of locking people out, it locks them in; beings on the outside can enter, but cannot leave. This proscription from leaving does apply to the demons as well. In addition, time distorts within the dome, passing slower at the center than at the outskirts. Those at the far edge of the dome will sense time passing at nearly the same rate as those outside the dome, while those near the center will experience time at the rate of about one day passing for every five years outside the dome. The only way to close the portal is to slay the caster/focus, at which point the demons and the darkforce will be swept back into the portal as though a giant drain had been unplugged.
9.gif)
Volume 3(2), Spring 1994.
Originally published in All of the Above #19 by arrangement with PK Publishing.
Contents copyright (c) 1994 David S. Carter except where noted. All rights reserved. The contents of this journal are protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America, for all the good that will do. The intellectual property pundits in this country are still trying to deal with the ancient technology of photocopy machines; they have no idea with what to do about such 'modern' technology as a personal computer. And the Internet, jeez! We'll be transferring information through mind melds before these people figure out how to deal with international computer networks. Of course, it would help if the folks who work in dingy Washington D.C. basements would get out into the real world for once to see what the 20th century is like. Look folks, prior art is prior art, whether you're talking about shoe lace holders or computer software. The proper framework for intellectual property in the information age is there, just don't get all befuddled every time a new medium of information exchange is introduced; apply the laws regardless of the medium involved. And if a law is practically unenforceable, perhaps it's a bad law. Remember prohibition? Instead of stopping people from drinking, all it did was instill a disrespect for the law into many previously law abiding citizens and pump lots of money into organized crime, much like the so called War on Drugs(tm) is doing today. Hmmm, I wonder if there'll be a black market for electronic hypertext versions of Metallurgical Transactions...
Editor & Publisher:
David S. Carter
1699 Broadway, Apt 302
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Internet: david.s.carter@umich.edu
URL: http://http2.sils.umich.edu/~superman/HomePage.html
Art Credits
All of the art in this issue is by David S. Carter. See, he can do his own stuff, even if it is bad computer generated fishies which all look the same. We must admit that S. John was right: anyone, even Dave, can make little cartoons! Actually there are two different fishies, one facing right, the other left. They both need names; any suggestions? (Dave made the maps himself too!)