The second part is a few of the tweaks we put into the rules to customize our game.

The Continent of Andiria

Make the continent slightly wider -- about a factor of 1.3.

Replace Florida by a hammerhead-shaped peninsula of about the same size. On the east end of the peninsula, put a city called Mandor, and on the western put Emprircon.

Take Alaska, squeeze it to make it much smaller north-south, and move it to about Oregon. Add a 1000-mile long very narrow peninsula to the north of that one, about where Alaska used to be; have it stretch roughly WNW. Put Nome at its tip.

Make Mexico/Central America about the size of Canada, so that the Caribbean is shrunk to about double the size of Texas, and the mouth from this sea to the ocean is very small -- only 20 miles wide or so. Call this new sea the Inland Sea. Put an island roughly the shape of Cuba in the middle of the sea, and call it Ehvenor; put a city by the same name on the island's easternmost point. On the westernmost shore of the Inland Sea, put a city called Kolvir. Due west of Kolvir on the ocean shore put a city called Covenant. There should be a distance of about 1300 miles between Kolvir and Covenant.

The rest of "mexico/CA" should stretch down all the way to about 5 degrees North latitude. From the end here of the continent, start a huge mass of mazelike, broken, un-navigable islands, in a swath about 400 miles n/s and about 2500-3500 miles e/w. This is the Rift. A small, 200-mile-wide land bridge connects the northern continent to the southern one; ignore this southern continent.

At about where St. Louis would be, put a city called Knossus, and surround it on all sides (escept for small breaks to the south and north) by a mountain range. There should be a large valley enclosed, and the whole mountain/valley system should be about 1.8 times the size of Texas. Put a river thru Knossus, and have it go out the southers opening in the mtns, and have it drain into the Inland Sea at Kolvir.

There is a large system of mountians, about the size of the Rockies, along the west coast, leaving about 200-400 miles of mountainless lands between itself and the ocean. The north half of these are the Dun Hills; the southern are the Dragon-Tooth mountains. Between these and the mountains around Knossus is a vast wasteland called the Great Black Marsh.

South of Covenant stretches the Athasian Desert, about the size of texas.

Almost the entirety of the "mexico" area is otherwise tropical jungles.

Put a city called Sarakkhis about 200 miles north of where Boston would be. This is the main city in our campaign, and the fourth-biggest city on the continent (behind Kolvir, Ouluska, and Ehvenor. We'll place Ouluska in a second). Just off the coast of Sarakkhis is a tiny island called Arcadia.

North from Sarakkhis, huging the coastline, begins the Northmarch Mountains. They stretch north nearly to the Arctic Circle, then turn west and go halfway across the continent, again just below the Arctic Circle. This range is boomerang-shaped. About halfway up this range on the east coast, put Brundel. At the arctic circle on the east coast, put Camaar. about 200 miles west of Camaar, in the north foothills of the mountains, put Zerech. At the westernmost edge of the mountains, put Severance, again very close to the Arctic Circle. Everything above the circle call Couchsachrage (pronounced Kooks-uh-Kra-guh).

There is a great forest north of Sarakkhis, framed by the Northmarch Mtns; call it Taur-Nau-Fin. In the forest put Nimrodel about 500 miles north of Sarakkhis, and about 150-200 miles east of Nimrodel put the ruins of Beleriand.

On the coast of where Georgia would be, put Ouluska. Put a cluster of Hawaii-sized islands about 650 miles offshore ENE of ouluska, and call them Coven.

At the north opening of the valley around Knossus, put Mistvale, just out of reach of the mountains. 200 miles north of Mistvale begin a small mountain range, they are about 600 miles wide e/w and only about 90miles wide n/s. Mistvale lines up with the eastern edges of this range. The East edge of the range are the Iron Hills; the west end has a city called Nebucchad-Zidal.

Finally, go back to the huge bay below Nome. At the westernmost point on this bay, put Hudson, and ninety miles inland from that, put Albania. Albania lies on the western shore of Lake Thalanar, which is the size of the Caspian Sea. On its opposite shore is Whestkrin.

There are about five times that many cities; but this should give you a good idea of where things are when I start mentioning place names.

Game Mechanics

We tend to bullshit lots of details, especially equipment. We are very careful with day-to-day time, but we bullshit everything on a smaller scale except for times spells.

The only other major change is that we use a different initiative system. We've yet to find one we really like, but this comes close:

Everyone rolls d10. Subtract your Dexterity missile bonus. This is your initiative segment. When attacking, your attack comes in this segment, or if you want to move and then attack, we allow you about 1/10 your movement rate per segment, delaying your attack accordingly. You can choose to delay your attack, but for every segment you wait after your initiative roll, you get a -1 cumulative penalty to hit (-1 for one, -3 for two, -6 for three, -10 for four, and automatic miss after that). Spellcasters begin "concentrating" two segments before their initiative segment, they begin casting in their initiative segment, and the spell goes off at the appropriate time; any distraction between the time when concentration starts and the casting is completed disrupts the spell. For example, if you want to cast Fireball (casting time 3), and your initiative segment was 7, you'd begin concentrating in 5, casting in 7, and the spell would go off in 10. Any distraction on segments 5,6,7,8, or 9 will disrupt your spell.

That's pretty much it. Read on....

Whoops, one final note. All my other files were ported over from a WP, and hence every line ends with a ^M. You can edit these out if you wish; I didn't have the time to do so.

On the Creation of Things

Donnor of the great shoulders won the draw, and was given leave to choose first. He chose unto himself the sky, and shaped this realm to his liking: in the day he made it bright blue, to match the color of his merry eyes; in the night, he took the stars unto himself and breathed motion into them, arranging them in patterns of light to dazzle the eye and steer true the lost sailor; into the thunderstorms he put the force of his fury, his war-cry in the thunder, the might of his spear in the lightning; and into the gentler winds he put his voice to whisper through the leaves of trees. But for all his might he is wont to laugh, and ever listens to the prayers of the Younger Children; his ears hear all that is spoken in free air. Though Ulmo hears more than he, the titan of the ocean is loathe to speak with the Younger Children; and so is Donnor often deemed greatest among the gods.

Second to choose was the greatest in stature among the gods: Ulmo the green. Unto himself he chose the oceans, lakes, rivers, and all the waters upon the Earth. Like their lord, the oceans became a deep blue-green, and to this day the great waters roar incessantly, and their rage, though slow to be brought to bear, is great and terrible, and the seas are all unforgiving. All waters are his ears.

Third to choose was the quietest of the Elder Children, Selivron, fairer than all save Aphrodite and Ehvenor, and wiser perhaps than even Koh and Ptah. Perhaps it was meant that Selivron choose the realm of Time or of Fate, but no matter: for next to choose was Kali the Black, and in a glance was her mind open to the quiet god. He perceived that she desired the realm of Death, so that the Underworld would become a realm of darkness and terror, an eternity of pain and suffering. And so immediately Selivron took the realm of Death unto himself, and withdrew therein.

"So, my brother," said she. "You have robbed me of my rightful domain, and withdrawn there like the thief you are. However, I shall not be denied. For unto myself I choose the realm of mortal pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and all diseases and forms of death. Thus shall all mortals learn to despise and fear you, for the only path to your realm shall be through my own!" And thus was born the enmity between the two darkest of the Elder Children. The gods trembled at Kali's choice, for surely it portended great sorrows for the Younger Children to come; but still they knew that such a realm was necessary, as men can know no light without darkness, no peace without fear, and no life without death. Yet they all shuddered at what was to come, for Kali wore her thoughts on her face, fully foretelling the strife she would wreak upon the Earth.

Fifth to choose was Quetzlcoatl of the feathered coils with his face of stone. He perceived that the Younger children would not progress and change without conflict, and with conflict would come battles and war. This aspect of the Children fascinated him, the master strategist and creator of weapons, and so unto himself he took the domain of War. Thereupon he withdrew from the sphere of the Earth to dwell alone in the void, so that he might better watch the Younger Peoples as they spread across the land. None foresaw that this would contribute to his later corruption by Kali, and so let him go without contest.

War is the greatest of games, but the peoples of the Earth would play many games amongst themselves in time, and indeed they would take up many ventures which require at least a modicum of good luck. Fickle Tyche of the red hair and green eyes took up Luck as her own domain, to tweak the strings of Fate from time to time, to bless or curse a man as she pleased. In her mind were created a thousand games, and a thousand ways that luck might affect the outcome of each game; in time, she would teach mortal men of her games, thus ensnaring them in her red locks, as they would pray for her blessing with the draw of each card or the cast of each die.

Seventh to choose was Indra of the shining eyes, and to himself he chose the Sun and Light, to become a symbol of joy and happiness to all peoples. For it was Indra to whom had been entrusted the ideas of morals, and he saw it best to be most visible to the Children in order to instruct them in his ways.

Most beautiful of the Elder Children is fair Aphrodite, and she chose unto herself the two-edged realm of Beauty. It is she who inspires artists to her craft, and spurs on minstrels in their artistry, yet it is also she who incites men to acts of lust, and strips the Younger Children of their minds as she drives the passion in their souls.

Twin to Aphrodite in fairness and mischief is Ehvenor, the god-child. He delights in the realm that is magic, and took this domain unto himself. Like his sister, he is a patron of the arts and especially of music; but he has a side unlike his sister in that he delights in the making of things. Toys are his invention, and musical instruments; blessed in his eyes are those that create rather than destroy. "Thus I scorn thee, mistress of destruction!" said he to four-armed Kali. "Thou must now be wary of two of thy brothers. For while the quiet one shall remain the focus of thy attention, so shall I teach the Younger Children to create, just as you coerce them to destroy!" And with that, he laughed and danced a merry jig, and lights played all about him.

The two to choose next were sisters of perhaps closer kinship than even Ehvenor and Aphrodite. Upon the time when the gaze of the others fell upon Tikka, whose turn to choose had come, she and Yavanna fell into discussion with each other. When they stood forward again, the two announced their choices simultaneously. Tikka had chosen the realm of home and family, protectress of mothers and their young. It was she that would mellow the lust of Aphrodite with her own wisdom and nurturing, tempering it into love and marriage. Every hearth belongs to her. Yavanna had chosen the fields and the harvest, and would teach men agriculture and animal husbandry; she was to protect the crops of the Children against poor weather and blight. Thus the two were given the realms of the home, one the indoors, the other the out-of-doors.

Sternest of face is Koh, perhaps wisest of the gods; it was she who chose to take upon her shoulders the knowledge of all that is to be, and to be the judge of mortals in all things, according his lot to each man in turn. Fate is her realm, and she rules it with an iron sword; the spinning wheel and scissors are her tools. Upon her accepting of the great mantel of wisdom, a great hood was swept over her head, and her sight was lost forever. Thus, blind, has the three-faced goddess sat upon her throne ever since.

Ptah is shortest among the gods, with black skin and broad shoulders, but in his eyes are reflected the countless stars of eternity, and they thus reflect the infinity of his mind. Knowledge he took as his realm, for he wished to share his delight of discovering secrets with the Younger Children when they would come, and to instruct them in the nature of all things, and impart unto them the ability to pass knowledge from one to another: writing and language are his own invention. With his realm came two great responsibilities: first, he is the chronicler of the gods, and knows all that has passed among mortals or immortals; second, his great knowledge and lack of interest in what is good or evil makes him the judge of the gods.

When Oak's turn came, his brethren turned to see him smiling with eyes that shone with undying joy and undying sorrow. For his great love was of trees, and he deemed himself lucky to have this realm left for him to choose. But at the same time, he foresaw his sorrow, for while trees would become great friends to man, so would they fall victim to the plundering nature of the Younger Children. Oak at once put his blessings into all trees, giving them many gifts. In the maple, he put sweet sap that Man could collect and boil down to make syrup; to trees in autumn he gave the dying leaves colors of brilliant red, orange, and yellow, for these were the colors of Donnor and Yavanna, and Oak perceived their great love for one another; and to the sound of Donnor's whispers in the wind-blown leaves he added the sweet honey of his own voice and a reminder of the pleasures of peaceful slumber under the trees.

Next to choose was Maelduin of the cloven hooves and gnarled fingers, the horned beast-god. He had coveted other, greater realms, and had neither the skills nor patience to rule the remaining ones save one, and thus he chose unto himself the Hunt. "But thus do I renounce my inheritance," he said, and spat in the midst of his brethren. "For after I do what I only must, I shall withdraw from this circle and dwell alone in the woods forever! Men shall enjoy the hunt, for the thrill of danger shall be in their hearts; but so shall they fear it! Woe to he whom I call to my hunt!" And his howls caused even Donnor himself to tremble.

"I as well renounce my holdings," said Shi Lung, the ivory-skinned serpent-maid. "For I too shall depart this circle and take residence in my own dwelling, which I claim to be the Moon. My realm too shall incite both awe and fear in men. Woe to those who incite my wrath!"

And finally, there was left but one realm, and it was allotted to the final of the Elder Children. The shapeless Coyote took up his realm as the god of Time, taking the sphere of the Universe in his own hand, but saying nothing. Only then did the smile leave the face of the god-child Ehvenor.

On the Creation of Man
and the Shattering of the Sphere of Time

Then Ulmo held forth his great hand, towering over his brethren, and said: "I grant Man the gift of travel in boats across the surface of my realm, and the gift of fish, which he shall catch with nets and hooks for the purpose of feeding himself. But woe to he who fails to show the sea proper respect! for I shall surely shatter his hull and tear his nets."

Then Selivron spoke: "I shall grant unto Man the knowledge of Death, that he alone of all creatures shall know of my coming. May this wisdom guide him well.

The gods watched with great anxiety as Kali took in breath, for they were wrought with worry that Kali might forever curse Man and his descendents. But instead she spoke thus: "As is accorded of me, instead of cursing these men whom I see as un-beautiful and evil, I bestow upon them this gift: as they may know no joy without sorrow, no happiness without pain, and no light without darkness, I give unto all of mankind and eternity of pain, sorrow, and darkness" With that, she spread her arms wide, and with a horrid shriek she departed their company, and was not seen for some time.

From his place in the Void, Quetzlcoatl stretched forth his hand and spoke thus: "Unto the Younger Children I give the most competitive souls of all, that they shall have the perseverance to overcome any obstacle set before them."

But then fair Tyche with the eyes of a cat spoke: "But surely life must not be all toil, nor should all be predetermined by blind Fate. Thus I shall give two gifts to mankind: I give them the diversion of play, so that no matter how old they may grow, they may always find rest from their labors; but also I give them luck, be it fair or foul, so that they may better find their own fates."

Then dark=skinned Indra spoke: "To mankind I give the gifts of hope and of morality, to better fight off their fears, and to prevent them from destroying themselves as they rise in ever greater power and numbers. May they look upon my chariot and find reason to hope, and find a beacon of kindness and peace."

Then the ravishing Aphrodite raised her hand, and spoke: "I too give the Younger Children two gifts. First, I give them the gift of the visual arts: they shall learn to create things of great beauty with their hands and minds. Furthermore, I give them the gift of physical beauty. To the male I give the gifts of power and majesty, an irresistible masculine beauty; to the female I give perfection of face and body and movement, and the wiles to enthrall the souls of men. Thus shall beauty surround mankind at all times, and shall Man be driven by their passions to multiply in great numbers, to better survive the rigors of life. For like we all of us do, I perceive what our dark-skinned sister intends, and at times only numbers and love can save them from what evils she may do."

Then Ehvenor stood forth. "My gift shall be fourfold, and each gift is a virtue in its own right. I give them the gifts of dance, of music, of fire, and of magic. May each bring them greater joy, and may fire and magic be their main defenses against the evils of the world!"

"And I shall give them homes," said Tikka, "and the structure of the family. May they find strength in their dwellings and in the bonds of kinship." "And I shall teach them of agriculture," said Yavanna, "of the arts of growing things and of domesticating animals for their own use. May they be pleased with our gifts."

"It is my place to grant Wisdom unto man," said Koh. "May they drink deeply of my gift, and seek it always. May it lead them to learn the greater purpose of the Universe, and may in enable them to fully understand my realm and its doings."

"And it is my place to grant mankind the intellect to solve all problems and discover all secrets," said Ptah. "Their minds shall be greatest in power of all the creatures of the Earth. Also, I give unto them the gifts of writing and language, that they may communicate knowledge to one another, and learn of all things, and record their history. May they use my gifts wisely.

Then Oak stood forth, and spread wide his great arms. "My gift shall be the gifts of my children," said he, smiling with sad eyes. "Man shall learn of the uses of wood, and of fruit, and of shade. As well they shall find in my children a great beauty, so that they might preserve them forever, rather than raze them to the ground. May they be well-pleased with my gift."

Maelduin again spat in their midst, and spoke: "I too shall give a gift. Man shall learn how to hunt and kill for food, and how to set traps for the same purpose. Pah!" And he spat a third time, and vanished into the depths of the woods.

Shi Lung then came forth, and writhed as she called out: "Behold! for my gift shall be both a blessing and a curse. I give the gift of difference between male and female, the full ramifications of which shall be made apparent in time. Women shall be made to measure time in my passing, and men shall be made to suffer by this. Yet still shall they learn to love their differences, and be made better by them. But let them not know this!" And she fled unto her realm upon the Moon.

Then all grew quiet as those remaining brought their eyes to bear upon the Trickster. "Unfortunately," said he, "I see little that I can add to the creation that is Man. So!" And in his hand he held up the Sphere of Time. "This is my gift to mankind!" And with that he shattered the Sphere. And in that act, the infinite that was one was fragmented into an uncountable infinitude again, with no shape or form.

"Come, my brother!" called Ehvenor to Ptah. "For it is yourself and I that are most knowledgeable about the sphere that was the Coyote's. Perhaps, working together, we can repair what has been broken."

"Perhaps, but perhaps not," said the shortest of the gods. "But if we do not try, then assuredly all is lost."

Surely, since the Sphere of Time had been the realm of the Coyote and not that of Ehvenor and Ptah, what was broken could not be repaired in full. Man and god can no longer travel freely through Time, for Time's infinity had been repaired only well enough to allow for a one-directional flow in an even manner, only to be altered from time to time for very short durations by the most powerful of magics. As well, the one Sphere was now infinite, and an infinite number of Earths, each differiacross the multiverse. And our own Universe, once an infinitude, was now divided into a number of discrete planes, which we know as the Prime Plane (wherein e dwell), the surrounding Astral and Ethereal Planes, the Positive and Negative Planes, the Elemental and Para-Elemental Planes, and the seventeen Outer Planes. And therein, in those planes outside our own, dwell such creatures of power that they nearly approach the Elder Children in might.

But Erda the Earth remained intact, as did the now-sleeping Younger Children, the humans. And though her body remained marred, the Elder Children strove long and hard to restore her to her previous self, and all was ready for the entry of Man.

"So, my brethren," said Donnor, looking upon the others that still remained. "Shall we now awaken our children, and let them share in the splendor that is Erda?"

"Not yet, I beg," said Indra in his gentle voice. "For with what evils have been wrought upon all of Creation, and with what evils shall indeed be done by the likes of our departed siblings, I perceive that there should be a second race of sentient beings to aid Mankind in their struggles. With thy leave, my brothers and sisters, I would take gifts from thee again to create these second people, whom I call Elves."

"But how shall the Elves differ from Man?" asked Tyche.

"The Elves shall live much longer, never passing into old age, but instead being overwhelmed at great age by a desire to depart this world, to dwell in a special place that we shall call the Undying Lands, an unearthly paradise only they shall know about, and only they may reach. They shall be neither so strong nor so passionate nor so powerful in the ways of magic as Man, but they shall be perhaps wiser with their greater age. They shall be set apart not only by smaller frames and different colors of eyes and hair, but by the fine points that I shall put upon the crests of their ears." And the Elder Children all saw that this was good, and so Indra brought forth seven shapes of what would become Elves, and the gods breathed life into them. "Only remember," said Selivron. "As these Younger Children shall not have so much of a fear of Death in them as shall Man, they shall have greater difficulty in using Ehvenor's gifts to depart my halls, for if they be slow to enter my house, so shall I be slow to release them back to the world of the living."

Thereupon Donnor again addressed his siblings: "Shall we release these Elves and Men unto our fair mother?"

"No!" cried Koh. "For the Earth is not yet ready. An injustice must first be punished! Four of our kin have left our fold, and although the workings of Kali, Maelduin, and Shi Lung may bring great sorrows upon the Younger Children, they have yet done no true evil. However, in the shattering of the Sphere, the Coyote has brought great pain and suffering upon us all. Wisdom demands that he be punished!"

With that, the twelve others looked to Ptah, who was to be their judge. "It must be so," said he. "Let there be a boundary drawn about the northern circle of the Earth, marking the end of fertile lands and the beginning of icy waste where nothing grows. These desolate lands alone shall be his dwelling in the Universe, and he shall not venture forth from those lands, lest he incur the full force of our wrath. So shall it be done!" Whereupon he struck the Earth thrice with his staff, driving the Trickster howling into his prison.

And now a third time did Donnor address his brethren: "And now, again I ask of thee, my brothers and sisters: Is the Earth prepared for the Younger Children?" And as his gaze swept across the circle, each god in turn nodded once in reply, all save the last, Selivron. But Donnor could read the acquiescence in his beloved brother's eyes, and the sky-god smiled. And in a voice of thunder, he cried, "Let it be done!" And the Younger Children walked out upon the Earth, to be instructed in all things by the gods.

On the Evils Wrought by Kali
and the Corruption of Quetzlcoatl

Two hundred years after the Creation, an army of Winter Wolves stormed the Elven settlement known as Marjessia, slaying many and carrying off prisoners before being driven off by force of arms and magic. The Elves demanded to ransom their captured brethren, but it was Kali who had taken them, and not even her siblings could persuade her.

Then, whilst the Elder Children were busy elsewhere, Kali found her brother Quetzlcoatl in the void and said unto him: "I greet thee, brother, with all love due one from his very sister. How farest thou?"

"I am well," said he, not taking his eyes from the Earth.

"As is fit and proper," said she. "And how fare the Younger Children in the practice of thy craft?"

"Not well," said the stone-faced god, his serpentine coils writhing. "For as thou surely knowest, not even a skirmish has there been amongst Men or Elves; my lessons go to waste. Only has there been a scuffle twixt Elves and great, frost-breathing wolves of unknown coming."

"Ah yes," said she of the four arms. "So it has been only I, Kali the Beautiful, who have given thee pleasure. For the Winter Wolves are of my own creation, and I have set them upon the Younger Children. See? Perhaps my brother is well-pleased with my doings?"

Now Quetzlcoatl, being fully possessed of his realm as it was of him, was indeed intelligent, as wars are won as much by brain and spirit as by might of arms; but War has no wisdom, and the mind of the feathered serpent was devoid of all but little Strength to resist such persuasion. And so he answered unto her: "Yes, my sister, what thou hast done has indeed been of great interest to me. But still, wolves are not men, and for all their destructive might, they can never hope to stand against a concentrated attack by men and Elves armed with swords and skilled in magic."

"Correct thou art, my brother," said she, "For indeed thou art master of thy craft. Thus I offer you these!" At which she brought forth three Elves, alive but bound by her sorcery.

"Indra's children?" asked he. "Of what use are these to me?"

"None, yet," she answered, "but I propose to make them as such. For I desire to create of these three a new race, for which to make war against Men and Elves. Would that not please thee?"

"But thou dost not contain power enough in thyself to do such a thing," said Quetzlcoatl. But yet in his mind were racing the possibilities of the future, of wars of such grand scale that they nearly brought a smile to his unmoving face. And Kali saw her advantage, and pressed on.

"Truly not," she said. "But with your help I may! We could create a people of our own. Imagine what acts of warfare you could teach them! Imagine the power you would have, being worshipped by thine own people! And imagine the great wars there would be! The strategy! The charges! The machinations! All if thou wouldst but help me in my endeavor!"

And Quetzlcoatl, being weak to her protestations, was won over, and agreed. And in that instant he was forever damned and cast from the Circle of the Elder Children, for creation of life without intentions for good places the indelible mark of evil upon the creator. Thus were created the Drow, whom Kali was forced to hide beneath the earth, for their skin was ebon as hers through her treachery, which was made double by her stealing of power away from her brother and creating the Drow to worship none but herself.

Over the next centuries, Elves and Men continued to multiply and spread, while Kali amassed her Drow, teaching them what she could steal from the Younger Children, making up the rest, and bolstering it all by the teachings of Quetzlcoatl, who was bound ny his promise to help her. Then, in the year 412 of our reckoning, she led her army forth in a campaign against the Younger Children in an effort to destroy them. That tale is great in itself, and is woven with the tales of great battles and heroics and the leadership of Barak of the Men and Finrod of the Elves. But after long battles, the Evil Ones were defeated by our ancestors, for though they were less well-trained in war and not so single-minded in purpose, the Younger Children had greater numbers, and much greater power in the gift of Ehvenor, magic that works miracles. To seal the defeat, Indra stood before the fleeing forces as they flew for their subterranean homes, and cursed them, saying: "Foul mockeries of my fair children, I drive thee from my sight! Let no Drow walk freely under the light of the Sun, and let all light be a source of thy weakness!"

And thus Kali was forced to dig a primordial Underdark for her children, and there she stayed with them for many lives of Men. In her fury at her sound defeat, she and her now-subservient brother did create all creatures of non-mundane designation, save the Dragons, the Giants, and their ilk. The two, being far less than perfect, made a great number of errors, creating free-willed creatures of all sorts whom were not bent to her will (among them the faerie folk, galeb duhr, behemoths and the like). Likewise, some of her creations which were intended for her own purposes were taken by Donnor, Indra and Ehvenor and corrupted in their own right, becoming creatures of great good, among them the couatl, ki-rin, and unicorns. Thus did the vast majority of non-mundane creatures meet their genesis. To this day, Kali and her servants continue to create newer and more abhorrent aberrations, held in check only by her chaining upon Athas. But that is yet another story, whose telling shall come soon.

Of Tinuviel and Selivron

Among the Elder Children who renounced not their heritage nor were cast from the circle of gods, a great many spoke freely with the Younger Children. Indra, Ehvenor, Donnor, Tikka and Yavanna spoke often with Men and Elves, and would frequent their halls and dine at their tables. Oak wandered the forests of the land, speaking to all good creatures who came unto him in sincerity, teaching all who would hear the lore of trees. Aphrodite only rarely showed herself to the Younger Children, to inspire men to write verse and prose of unearthly beauty, or to instruct the most beautiful of mortal women in her arts. After showing the very first of the Elves and Men the wonders of boats and nets and fishing rods, Ulmo took leave of the Younger Children, leaving behind but few worshippers, to sleep in the depths of the great ocean. Koh and Ptah spoke only sparingly with a select few of the Younger Children whom they deemed wise enough to understand, and Tyche, after teaching the joys of gamwatch the games and revel in her own glory as men called for her aid in their winning. But of all the twelve that remained, only one spoke not to the Younger Children. The quietest of the gods, Selivron of the Blue eyes, the dark god of death, alone refused to speak with Man and Elf, and took unto himself no followers. Instead he would cast shadows about himself and go among them as one of their own, watching them in their endeavors. None know his reasons, for whom among us can see into the mind of a god? Perhaps he wished to see how Men and Elves live out their lives, so that he might better prepare the Underworld for their coming. For although no memories can be brought out of that land of mists, it is known that his realm is not a place of dread and darkness, but rather one of peace.

And so it passed that he, in the guise of an Elf, made a visit to the court of the Queen of the Elves, Tinuviel the Fair. Most beautiful among all the Younger Children was she, perhaps more beautiful than any who have lived since. And blest was she by the brother of Beauty, the god-child Ehvenor, for her skill in magics and her musical prowess were of great renown. She was among the first of mages to open the sixth ring of spells in her mind, and in similar measure was her singing voice like that of a nightingale, and her choir around her sang chorales and hymns of undying beauty. Such a performance did Selivron hear upon that day, culminated by an aria by Tinuviel herself. Those present that day claimed that although it was late in the year, nearly approaching the onset of winter, the trees sprang into bloom at her voice.

Perhaps it was her song that caused the dark god to err; but perhaps it was predetermined by blind Fate, or was brought about for dark Selivron's own purposes. For as the performance met its end did the shadows about his face waver and shift, and for the first time did a mortal look upon the face of Erda's wisest child. Alone among all the court did the fair Queen Tinuviel see him, and in that vision did she meet her doom, for she was stricken to the quick, and knew that she could love no other.

Thus when he did turn to leave, did she pursue him across the great courtyard, and caught his arm as he passed through the gate. "Tell me, Lord," said she, "for what reason dost thou cast shadows about thay face, and thus come into my court? Who art thou, and where art thou from?"

"Fair Lady," did he answer her. "I beg your leave. For it is upon me now to depart this place, and where I must go, thou mayest not follow." And with these words he turned and went back to whence he came. And at once Tinuviel knew him, and wept openly upon his passing. Whereupon she flew to the courtyard, seized a sword from her guard, and fell upon it. Thus she passed into the misted halls of Selivron. And there, after untold years of searching, did she find him, the dark god whom she adored.

"My Lord," said she. "My guess was correct, for indeed have I found thee. See? For I have ended mine own life, and have passed into thy realm, solely for the sake of being with thee." But he said naught to her, and left her alone in the darkness.

But again she sought him out, and said unto him: "My Lord, dost my presence offend thee? Why didst thou flee from me and my pledge of love? But if it please thee, thou needest not return my love, but only allow me to remain in thy sight." But again did he say naught, and left her once more.

And so a third time did she seek him out, but rather than speak to him, she opened her throat to song, and made for him such a song as has never been heard upon the Earth. Again he said naught unto her, but instead of leaving her a third time, he caused a great palace to appear upon that very spot, with a steel throne upon which he could sit; and next to it was a second throne, smaller in size and modelled to the form and favor of Tinuviel the Fair. Thus do they dwell forever, he in eternal silence, and she in an undying song of love, peace, joy, and contentedness. Her songs echo throughout the entirety of his realm, and they bring solace and consolation to those within. Even now, on their deathbeds do men claim to hear the voice of Tinuviel the Fair, singing to them from their final place of dwelling.

In the years that followed, such things transpired that Selivron saw fit to take followers unto himself; but still he calls only a very few priests into his service, those numbering never more than twelve, and he accepts no worshippers other than those he himself appoints. And still he speaks not to the Younger Children, speaking to his followers only through Tinuviel; it is to she whom the Children pray when they wish to petition the darkest of Erda's children.

Of the Marking of Time
and the Numbering of Days by Maximillian

"There are three hundred sixty-five days between autumnal equinoxes; these three hundred sixty-five days shall constitute one year. The year shall be divided into twelve thirty-day months, with five extra days to come as follows: the first day of the year shall be called New Year's Day, and it shall be marked as the eleventh day after the winter solstice, for that is the point in the cycle of years that my brother Ehvenor and I were able to begin the flow of time after the destroying of the Sphere by the Coyote. That day shall be dedicated to all the gods, and no work shall be done by any of the Younger Children, save defense against the evils of Kali. Thereafter shall come six months which you shall name yourself, followed by three more days which I name thus: the Lithe, wherein preparations shall be made for the next day, Midyear's Day, which shall be a day of great merrymaking and feasting, to celebrate those gifts that our great mother Erda has given us. The next day shall be the Afterlithe, which shall be another day of prayer, in spiritual preparation for the trying times to come. Thereafter shall be six more months, followed by the Yule, the year's last day, a day for celebration to brighten the spirits of the Younger Children as the nights grow long and cold.

"Furthermore, commerce and time-keeping among the Younger Children shall be made simpler by giving lesser names to each day in cycles of seven names; such a span of seven days shall constitute a week, notwithstanding crossings of months or other special days.

"And finally, each day is to be divided into smaller denominations, which shall be set to the numbers of twelve (for the number of gods still within our holy circle), five (For our departed brethren whom we must remember), and two (for the number of races of Younger Children). From sunrise to sunset on the equinox shall be accounted twelve hours of equal length; thus twenty-four hours shall make up the day, with the second twelve for the night. Mark noon and midnight as the twelfth hours, and reckon from them. Furthermore, each hour shall be split into sixty minutes, and each minutes into sixty seconds, sixty being the product of twelve and five. So let it be! May your work please me well!"

And thus Maximillian gave the Calendar to the Younger Children, so that we may more easily and accurately mark the passage of time. And he named the months and days, saying unto the Peoples:

"The first month I call Kohmber 'Koh's month', for it is wise to remember at the onset of the year that all meaning comes from the past, present, and future, and as well it was Koh who gave my Lord Ptah rise to create this work of wonder.

"The second I call Evember 'Ehvenor's month', for in that month is met the coldest of weather and the hardest of times for food, and it is well to remember his gifts of laughter, magic, and especially fire at this time.

"The third I call Quetch, for fallen Quetzlcoatl, for when food supplies run lowest is when the fight for survival is most fierce, and we must remember his gift of perseverance as we search for our food.

"Fourth is Watchoak 'Oak's Awakening', for then the trees do awaken from their sleep and bring forth leaves and flowers.

"Fifth is Vantrimma 'Readying for Yavanna', for then do we plow our fields and sow our seeds in preparation for the summer and autumn.

"Sixth is Tikka's Coming, for her warmth of heart is made plain in the warm days, and as well these days are her favorite for weddings of man and woman.

"Seventh is Famindrus 'Indra's glory', for that is the month of greatest heat and sunshine which scorches our skin a we toil and play.

"Eighth is Patien 'Waiting', for then do we wait for the cooler days of autumn which relieve us from the heat of summer.

"Ninth is Gleevan 'Yavanna's joy', our month of harvest.

"Tenth is Donnor's Coming, as the trees become the color of his great beard and the blowing leaves rush with his laughter.

"Eleventh is Tinuviel, for our fair queen left us this month to become one with Selivron. Thus shall the dark god be remembered and honored as one of the Twelve who remain.

And finally is Endember 'last month', the end of our year and a month to remember all gods, even rancorous Maelduin who has no month or day named for him, for in this month do we hunt deer and bears to help us survive the harsh winters.

"The days of the week I name as follows: first shall be Sunday, for the days are marked by the passage of Indra's chariot.

"Second is Shillsday, for the moon must not be forgotten in our namings.

"Third is Ullsday to honor the sea god.

"Fourth, the central day, is Ptahsday for my Lord who bade me create this wonder and condescended to allow me to name the days and months.

"Fifth is Donnorsday for the great lord of the sky.

"Sixth is Tyday for the lady of luck.

"And seventh is Amorsday for the goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite. Thus do I name all the gods save Maelduin who hides from us and disdains his brethren, luring men to their deaths in the woods; and Kali, for her doings warrant no such honor."

Thus did we receive our calendar from the gods. After the Great Wars it was deemed fit that Famindrus and Patien be re-named Percivus and Rook after the two greatest heroes among the Younger Children to die in that war; their tales are woven into the history of that great event, and are told elsewhere.

II. The Priests of the campaign

Most deities allow faith magic as well. Unless otherwise noted, assume that the priests of the given god are allowed to cast faith magic. Selivron takes no followers except his Twelve; they cannot cast faith spells. The priests of Koh and Ptah require only 1/10 the amount of "faith power" to support their faith spells, as their constituents are generally very small.

Note that I'm assuming the re-alignment of the priests spheres recently put forth in a Dragon Magazine. If you need these, please feel free to ask me for a summary.

The priests. The format is as follows:

God Name
Description of god
Trappings and Symbol
Alignments allowed
Races allowed
Ability Score Requirements
Spheres allowed
Granted Powers
Weapons Allowed
Armor Allowed
Restrictions
Rites and Rituals

Aphrodite

Coyote

Donnor

Ehvenor

Erda

Indra

First Age

25 Kali sends an army of Winter Wolves upon the Elves; she carries three captured Elves to Quetzlcoatl. She corrupts Quetzlcoatl and they create the Drow; Q is cast from the Circle. K and Q proceed to create many evil creatures, and corrupt and/or distort several more. Ehvenor, Donnor and Indra pervert several of her creatures, turning them good.

412 The first major act of aggression of Kali. She leads the Drow army against the Elves at Marjeesia, but the magic and vigor of the Elves (led by Finrod) and Men (led by Barak) drive them back. The Drow are cursed by Indra, who drives them from the light of the Sun. The Drow go into hiding.

Mid 5th-late 10th centuries Kali, embittered and enraged, spends much of the time carving the primordial Underdark for her Drow, and with Quetzlcoatl prepares them for future warfare with the Free Peoples. She continues to create "monsters" in her spare time. Men and Elves spread across Pangaea in equal numbers.

917 Tinuviel commits suicide to wed Selivron.

951 Maximillian is given the calendar by Ptah, and strict reckoning of time begins; all recorded history before this date is assigned dates by Ptah and his servants.

999 Kali leads a much better-prepared army of Drow, wolves, spiders, Orcs (a failed attempt at creating superior Drow-warriors), and other fell creatures to a spot at the very center of Pangaea; there she claims dominion over the world. The Younger Children, led by Donnor, make war with her, but are outmatched by number and magic and war strategy, and begin to suffer terrible losses. In two years, the Free People's population is quartered.

1001 Erda stirs and/or reveals herself, and places all beings, god or mortal, into a deep trance, and then releases Durin, first of the Dwarves, into the world. He walks alone for seven years, learning all that he must from Erda.

1008 Erda begins creating Dwarves in greater numbers; Durin teaches them everything he has learned. They train for war in vast underground cities which Erda has made for them.

1012 Erda releases her sleep-spell, and the War of the Gods continues. However, the Free Peoples, now bolstered by the Dwarves, begin to recover, and the tide turns. Enraged, Kali breaks a decree from Ptah that she should not raise her hand in direct combat with mortals, and she begins to destroy hordes of Elves, Dwarves, and Men. But Donnor wrestles with her, and in their struggles they shatter the earth into seven continents, scattering them in every direction. Kali breaks Donnor's grip on her with Q's help, and she immediately flees to the largest continent (Andiria and the Southern Continent). She offers a bargain: she will cease and desist if given lordship over this continent. Donnor will have none of it, and wrests her again; they wring apart the continent into Northern and Southern halves, forming the Rift. Donnor finally pins her, neutralizing her power. To bind her permanently, fourteen of the gods (all the Twelve plus M and SL) create an unbreakable chain, and use it to chain her beneath the smallest continent of Athas. The Coyote, for refusing to help, is stripped of a bit more of his power. The other gods then depart the world, save for Maelduin and Oak, who have the greatest ties to that which is Nature and not Man, but even then these two remain in hiding, and are not permitted lengthy contact with any of the Younger Children.

Second Age

3rd cent. Kali creates the undead, and unleashes them upon the world; only the lich and its forms are yet to be created.

5th cent. Athas becomes populated as Kali lures in followers and the Drow and Duergar and Giants prosper.

608 Nome is founded. Forochel, Albania, and Hudson soon follow. By this point many of the inner cities around the Inland Sea have been founded, and the Nyissian Jungles have begun to be settled; those cities south of the Inland Sea ring refuse to join the confederation of Andiria, and remain sovereign kingdoms. The Dwarves remain in N-Z, while the Elves spread across the Northeast, now in much smaller number than Humans.

719 The first Academy of Mages is founded on an island in the Inland Sea, on a great cliff overlooking the water; the city of Ehvenor begins to grow about it. [more later on the Seventeen]

936 A demon lord finds a rift in the planar fabric and a small army of fifty or so attack, conquer and occupy Nome. The Great Wars begin. Kali takes advantage of the situation, ferrying hordes of undead to the Nyissian Jungles by Dragon, in preparation for an upcoming strike against the Free Peoples. The demon army, although bolstered by its ability to summon aid during battle, remains disorganized, and moves only very slowly and haphazardly. The northwestern cities begin to fall under their control, though only slowly.

937 The invasion of the southern half of the continent begins by the undead-and-dragon army; they systematically begin to eliminate all humanoid life south of the Andiria confederation. Within 100 years, there are no cities, towns or villages left from Andiria proper to the Rift. Erda creates the good and neutral Dragons, and sends them to aid the Free Peoples; however, they are only of minor effect, as the chromatics are much older and thus more powerful.

941 Rook is born.

951 Forochel is the last of the northwestern cities to fall. Elven and Human armies, with support from Dwarven troops, try to set up blockades to surround them. Indra chooses 100 able-bodied Humans to become the first Paladins, and gives them all minor Holy Swords; they are to lead in the defense against the Demons.

976 The army of Demons, now orchestrated by some unknown factor, begins a march south on Kolvir. The Paladins, now led by Rook, attack them with a contingent of mages from the Academy at Ehvenor, and after many months of battle, defeat them. Rook perishes in the final battle. [someone closes the hole in the fabric of the planes]

993 Dragons invade Kolvir. Mages from Ehvenor and a vast number of metallic dragons keep them at bay for many years. Many die, including Ancalagon the Black and Mordred the White.

1001 By this time, the last of the destroyed northwestern cities has been re-established, and they begin to flourish again.

1011 Kolvir finally falls, and the people flee. Glaurung the Green takes possession of the city.

11th, 12th cents. Numerous skirmishes and many major battles in the Wars. The evil Dragons claim the south, while the free peoples claim the north. Several attacks on Knossus fail; Yggrynd the Blue is slain by Fingolfin the Young in 1197, in a failed attack on Nimrodel. Ereshkigal is nowhere to be seen. Neither side makes significant progress against the other.

1199 Ereshkigal leads an army of Duergar against the Dwarves in Nebucchad-Zidal. Durin and Tarragon (who now wields Urthang) lead the defense, but when Tarragon dies, Durin takes Urthang, and the Dwarves are driven into hiding. Durin finds the Glittering Caves, and buries Tarragon therein; he leaves a small treasure chest there with some mithril bars, and prays to Erda that Urthang be embedded there upon the death of Durin or Ereshkigal, hidden from all eyes until a worthy wielder might find it.

1206 Durin leads a troop of 1600 Dwarves to the new settlement at the Iron Hills, which is dug and settled in six months' time. Erda protects them with impenetrable illusions.

13th to mid-15th cents. Many skirmishes and battles. The Mages at Ehvenor rebuild from disastrous losses at Kolvir and in Rook's stand. They eventually amass tremendous powers, and several acquire ninth-ring spells; they team with metallic dragons to drive the invaders from Kolvir, and Glaurung is slain. Kolvir is re-settled, and a huge multi-racial army begins to amass there, and then push south, slowly driving the fell beings back into the Jungles. The evils begin to flee, and it is widely thought that the Great Wars are over. Only Ereshkigal remains of the Great Worms.

1366 Vecna is born, and later becomes a mage at Ehvenor, but is cast out as it becomes apparent that he is being corrupted by fell influences (in this case, a priest of Kali). He flees to Couchsachrage, and continues his studies there.

1447 As a 30th-level mage, Vecna discovers or is given the lich-formula, and begins the process of casting it upon himself. The process takes many years, after which he begins amassing an army of undead, including many of the energy-draining variety not found so profusely in the army that beseiged the south.

1451 The Iron Hills are discovered by Ereshkigal to be the home of the Dwarves, and he leads an army of Duergar against them. However, the Dwarves hold with the aid of some of the armies of Men and Elves, and six years later, ereshkigal gives up.

1457-1477 Ereshkigal and his army attack and destroy the majority of Elven settlements in or near Andiria. The armies of Men and Elves cannot move fast enough to catch them, and the Dwarves are busy rebuilding. The Elves not in the armies flee the continent.

1463 Percival is born.

1477 Giants beseige Knossus. The armies of Men and Elves return from the south in full force for the defense.

1478 Vecna and his army attack and overrun Severance. One by one the Northern cities fall, as the main part of the army is defending Knossus, and few can be spared to help the northwest. By 1486, the Northwest is under Vecna's control, and the armies of Men, Dwarves, and Elves can only bolster their defenses against him, as he and his armies are much too powerful. Ereshkigal and his army move to help the giants, further aiding Vecna cement his holdings.

1491 Vecna begins moving his army on a slow, inexorable march towards Knossus.

1493 Just before they reach Knossus, Vecna's army is overtaken by an army of Dwarves from the Iron Hills. Many Dwarves are killed, and the rest are driven into the Iron Hills again, unable to do anything to stop the army of undead. Things are getting bleak for Knossus, as Vecna seems more and more invincible with each victory, and the city vows to surrender before facing the undead armies. However, Indra summons Percival and gives him a special sword, and sends him off to assassinate Vecna. Percival succeeds, but is killed by Vecna's minions; he and the sword vanish, but Vecna's army, demoralized by the defeat and now directionless, fragments. Farmers and merchants begin to re-settle the northwest again. The siege of Knossus continues by Ereshkigal, the Duergar and the Giants.

1500 The last remaining forces of evil are now concentrated in Yavanna's Valley at Knossus, still in siege. The Dwarves again march from the Iron Hills in a last attempt to help the Men and Elves drive off their common foe; they battle the evil army before Knossus. Durin slays Ereshkigal with Urthang and perishes in the attempt. Urthang vanishes. The Dwarves return to the Iron Hills, the Drow and Duergar flee to the Underdark, and the Giants scatter. The Great Wars have come to an end, and with them ends the Second Age.

Third Age

6th-9th cents. Many cities in the Northeast begin to be settled, among them the fortress at Camaar. The islands of Coven are discovered, and the city of Coven is founded on the largest of these.

816 The disaster on the Island of Cannibal Horses.

849 Oakdale is founded.

925 Hordes of Giants, drow, duergar, and other dwellers of the Underdark pour out of caves in the Ered Dhurkath mountains (then called Yavanna's Arms), and invade the Valley of Yavanna. Cities such as Marathon, Sparta, and Delhi are destroyed. Knossos is besieged, and the ruling family is trapped. The drow sorceresses use their skills to keep the mages at Ehvenor from rescuing the monarch and family.

936 Knossos falls. The evil armies hold the alley. Rumors of incredibly powerful evil beings dwelling in the Valley begin to spread. Andiria falls into chaos. A cloak of unabashed evil power settles over the Valley, and begins spreading outwards at about five miles per year.

938 Oakdale is abandoned.

941 Under the leadership of the paladin Angrist, the Andirian City-States gather a massive army, and battle fruitlessly against the spreading radius of evil. It soon becomes apparent that the evil cannot be fully driven back. The armies withdraw, and the evil spreads even more rapidly.

954 The armies of Andiria invade the Valley of Yavanna, and make great strides in beating back the hordes of countless, nameless fell creatures. Tens of thousands die, among them the vast majority of priests of every god (save Kali, Q, the Coyote, and Maelduin). Many battles, rescues, grand victories and devastating losses are counted for the side of Andiria. Finally, the last remaining powerful priests of each of the twelve gods in the Circle (not including Oak, but with Shi Lung) gather in secret locations in the Ered Dhurkath mountains, protected by clans of Ents and Druids; they begin to cast a spell of overwhelmingly great power. The forces of darkness detect them, and try to stop the spell. Countless thousands of creatures both good and ill perish. Vast numbers of evil beings flee the area to avoid the spell's effects, and settle in remote lands far from the Free Peoples. Nearly 95% of the Ents are destroyed, and many more priests die. The spell is cast, and the avatars of the twelve gods involved are brought back from the Void to seal the Valley, and it is only there that the evil beings caught in the spell may go in the multiverse. The Drow are permanently sealed in the Underdark with the Duergar and their minions, only able to come to the upper world in the Valley; occasionally, very powerful Drow sorceresses are able to escape, and wreak havoc on the world. The valley is abandoned to evil, and is "named" the Nameless Place, and the war that brought about its creation, and the spell which resulted in the sealing of the place (and the subsequent deaths of most of the priests of the confederation), are simply called the Event. The world falls into a dark age while the loss of Knossos is absorbed, and the confederation begins to rebuild its churches. The Third Age ends.

Fourth Age

79 Oakdale is re-founded as Mistvale by the lone mage Finndalf.

117 Salt mining is discovered in the northeast, founding Sarakkhis, youngest of the major cities.

119 Beleriand is discovered by Beler's expedition from the Iron Hills through the under-tunnels dug by the Dwarves. Mithril is discovered there, and is mined passionately and earnestly: the mithril veins at the Iron Hills had long since gone dry.

146 Overlord Karduin the Red is assassinated in Kolvir, sending the kingdom into turmoil. Gwendolyn the Tigress seizes the throne.

351 Gwendolyn's line dies out with the passing of Anne II, and Michael I takes power without contest.

361 Beleriand is mysteriously destroyed. Attempts to divine the reason for this are blocked; few (including the PCs and Beldin) know why.

385 The Academy of Magic at Sarakkhis is founded, and soon grows to be second in size only to that at Ehvenor, thriving on the city's wealth.

[at this point, I'm dropping many of the dates of births/deaths in the royal family -- very many of them from here on]

476 Greensward III dies in an earthquake, as do his heirs; Orvald the Green seizes power.

530 Orvald dies, and is succeeded by his son Oscar.

576 Oscar dies and is succeeded by his daughter Arialantha.

593 Current year.

Last notes: this will be continued as I dig thru my stuff to come up with more dates of various happenings -- I intend to have a DM-only version of this, in which Mastiphal and Mordred (the vampire mage) are charted, and the like.

The Academies may differ in some details, but these are the rules that are practiced by the eight branches, and are followed to a lesser extent by the Academies in Nimrodel (the Elven Kingdom) and Ur (to the South).

2. Sponsorship. Applicants must be sponsored by a mage actively teaching/practicing at the Academy. The sponsor pledges to personally watch over the educational (and often personal) growth and progress of his student(s). A general mage can sponsor any of the eight allowable classes of mage (the Academy disallows anyone to specialize in Necromancy), but a specialist is only competent enough to sponsor a student who will specialize in his own school (save Diviners, who may sponsor any class except Conjurers). The sponsor acts as a personal and scholastic advisor to the student, and acts as a liaison between the student and the Council of Mages.

3. Tuition and Fees. Very few students (or their families) can afford the 1500gp/semester tuition and fees (which includes room and board), especially as graduation normally takes a minimum of fifteen four-month semesters. Thus the vast majority of the student opt to become indentured. In this option, all fees are provided for by the Academy and the student's sponsor (half each), and the student is given a modest stipend. In return, the student agrees to the following restrictions and requirements:

I. One-third of the Academic year (ie one four-month semester) per academic year must be spent in hired service to local merchants, nobility, or other employ; all the earned monies go directly to the Academy. This service must be performed every year that the student remains enrolled. Occasionally, the Academy will allow especially bright students to take care of this commitment in one fell swoop, hiring out the student for a 20-month period after eight semesters of satisfactory work have been completed. Typical services include housekeeping, maintenance, construction, cooking, bookkeeping, teaching, sewing, and even working on ships or in smithies.
II. If the student drops out of the Academy, fails out, or is otherwise dismissed, he/she is bound to such service for a period equalling twice the time he was enrolled at the Academy, with a minimum of two years' service. This is because of the fact that he/she is no longer able to meet the next requirement.
III. If the student graduates, he/she must sponsor one student's education at the Academy. This student must be likewise in need of financial support, and the mage must provide for the aforementioned fees. This undertaking must be done within five years of graduation, but it may be avoided by payment of 30,000gp to the Academy, and in addition one original spell must be donated to the Academy's Arcane Library. Finally, half of all training fees (instead of 10% given by self-supported students) paid to the mage by his own students must be given back to the Academy. (We usually charge 1000gp/new level).
IV. The mage's possessions are willed to the Academy. If the mage marries, his surviving family keeps 60% of these possessions.

The offices are, in order of power:

1. President. The president holds the right to make all ex-cathedra type decisions, and is the one who signs all policies, statements, and the like for the Academy. He holds all niceties involved with the Presidency (general opulence). He also can exercise any powers not specifically given to any other council members. Although his power is actually very limited, he usually influences the greatest amount of influence on the Academy.
2. Chancellor. The Chancellor is second-in-command, and has the right to veto any decision made by the president, thus sending the issue in question to the Council. He is the official mouthpiece of the Academy and of the Council, and is for all intents and purposes the Academy's ambassador in all matters.
3. Chamberlain. He is the advisor to all other Councillors in all matters great and small, and is in charge of the entire non-magical staff of the Academy outside the Library, including maintenance, housekeeping, manservants, grooms, entertainment, and all others. The Chamberlain often has a photographic memory, and is often the most precise and careful of the councillors. Chamberlains have been known to serve 10 or more consecutive 4-year terms, surpassed in this extent only by the Head Librarians.
4. Schoolmaster. He is in charge of setting all school curricula, scheduling classes, tracking the performance of all apprentices, recruiting potential new apprentices, assigning teachers to all classes, recruiting sages of all subjects to take residence at the Academy, and keeping all school records. He also conducts all Final Examinations of graduating mages. He is in charge of the upkeep of all laboratory facilities, and is the Council liaison to the Academy's sages.
5. Treasurer. He is in charge of all Academy finances, including collection of all fees and tuition, and distributing pay to all hired help. He is also in charge of the loan or sale of any magic items owned by the Academy. He holds the keys to the Academy vaults.
6. Head Librarian. He is in charge of all Academy literature, arcane and mundane. Acquisition and maintenance of books is stressed. He is also in charge of all Library facilities, and often is asked to be responsible for the Academy's museums. Librarians have been known to serve for 60 years or more.
7. Secretary. He is in charge of compiling the three major annals of the Academy: current Academy doings (minutes), local events of import, and continental events of import.

Graduation occurs when all courses in both cores and all necessary Intermediate Magic courses are completed, and the apprentice and sponsor are confident in the student's learnings. The final examination occurs over a five-day period, during which are given five two-hour oral exams (one per day), each one culminating with the casting of one of the five first-level spells the apprentice must have learned by that time. Graduation privileges include: full access to all Academy libraries, including arcane; voting privileges in Academy elections; licence to practice magic and invoke the Academy's name in enforcement of Academy policies; right to construct or purchase a home on the Academy grounds; right to attend further classes for reduced fees; right to petition the Academy for aid in research and/or information; right to any other privileges granted by the Council.

Academic Core:
   Philosophy (1)
   Ethics (1)
   Literature (1-2)
   Chemistry, Basic (2)
   Alchemy, Basic (1-2)
   Biology, Basic (1-2)
   Physics, Basic (2)
   Mathematics, Intermediate (2)
   Physical Education (required each semester)
   History (1)
   Sociology (1)

Magical Core:
   Philosophy of Magic (1)
   Basics of Astronomy/Astrology (1)
   Spell Theory (3)
   Meditation Principles (1)
   History of Magic (1)
   Mages and Society (1)
   Mnemonics and Problem-solving (1)
   Library Instruction (1)
   Fundamentals of Spell Transcription (1)
   Principles of Casting (1)
   Spell Tutorial (8)
   Spell Seminar (2)
   Spell Practicum (2)
   Formulae and Materials (2)
   Lab Techniques (2)
   Introduction to First-Level Magic (2)
   Introduction to Lesser Divination Spells (1)

Intermediate Courses, Academic:
   Int. Philosophy (2-4)
   Int. Literature (2-4)
   Int. Physics (2)
   Int. Chemistry (2-6)
   Int. Biology (2)
   Int. Alchemy (2)
   Ancient History (1-3)
   Local History (1-2)

Intermediate Courses, Magical:
   Greater Divination (1)
   The other seven schools have their own courses as well (2 each)

Advanced Courses, Academic:
   Adv. Philosophy (4)
   Adv. Literature (2)
   Adv. Physics (2)
   Adv. Chemistry (2-4)
   Advanced Alchemy (2)
   Law (6)
   Engineering (6)
   Advanced Mathematics (2)
   Herbalism (4)
   Medicine (8)

Specializations:
   Divination (2)
   Alteration (4)
   Illusion/Phantasm (4)
   Invocation/Evocation (6)
   Conjuration/Summoning (4)
   Enchantment/Charm (4)
   Abjuration (4)
   Note: Necromancy is omitted, as it is forbidden by the Academy.

Other Electives:
   Economics (1)
   Languages (1-6+)
   Navigation (1)
   Art (1-4)
   Heraldry (1)
   Cartography (1-4)
   Music, chorus, composing, etc (1+)
   Cryptography (1-2)
   Folklore (1-6)
   Theology (1-8)

All Intermediate courses follow the pattern of the Intro to Lesser Divination course. Specializing courses teach the mage how to alter his/her ring structure in such a way as to accept more spells, with the loss therein of the ability to cast the spells of the opposing schools, and the need to fill the extra spaces in the rings with the spells of that one school. Intensive training in that school is given. This is the most difficult course to take, and only a select few (ie. those with high enough ability scores) can handle the work.

Notes on Academic courses: all courses save some electives are self-explanatory. Languages taught are primarily Elvish, Gnomish, Halfling, and Dead languages. Art subjects include Drawing, Painting, Embroidery, Pottery, Sculpture, Weaving, and Tailoring.

Steve